Feb. 23
this morning i woke up early and took the metro to pick up a bus that would take me to the airport. i retrieved my luggage from the custodia and met the ciee people in a relatively short amount of time. everyone is SO friendly and i am so happy, excited, and anxious for our program to actually start!
we took a bus to a beautiful hotel in Olmué and were served like a 5 course almuerzo. we later had appetizers and then like a 5 course dinner. needless to say i never wanted to eat again...but after eating like shit for the past 3 weeks it was a real treat.
well...as one adventure ends, another begins!! i loved my travels but am very excited to finally get to valpo/viña and start what i came here to do. i look forward to settling down and getting into a routine. we find out our host families tomorrow! eeeeeeee!
Monday, February 23, 2009
to chile i go! and this time i have to use my visa
Feb. 22
we picked up my luggage from pablo's at 7am. i came home and had the most glorious breakfast. then i repacked for hours trying to fit my stuff into luggage of only 20 kilos each. i met graciela and mario's daughters, natalia and cecilia, whose room i was using. they both attend the university in BA. it was really great to be with girls my age and they told me that when i come back to BA they will take me out! it was fun to be with a family.
i missed my flight at 2:40pm but was able to get on one an hour later. when i arrived in santiago i realized that the last time i came was by bus. this meant that Andes Hostel, where we had stayed before, was not just a hop skip and a jump on the metro.
as i neared customs i asked them about my bags of trail mix. they told me they had to go. i was so pissed that i spent the next 30 min. rearranging my suitcases, trying to down as much as possible. as it turns out, it wasn't one of my finest choices and i will not repeat it again...but i think it got the point across to the guards that i thought they were stupid for not letting my trail mix in.
i ended up taking a colectivo to the hostel and met a couple who told me they wanted to visit the united states soon. when i asked where, they said michigan!!! my first thought was...WHY but i was just so happy to hear they wanted to come to my beautiful state!!
when i arrived at Andes hostel it was like coming home. the people at the desk were like welcome back! and the kids from world teach were still there so they also welcomed me back. it was really nice.
i went for a run in the nearby park by the castillo hidalgo, got super lost, and came back to crash.
we picked up my luggage from pablo's at 7am. i came home and had the most glorious breakfast. then i repacked for hours trying to fit my stuff into luggage of only 20 kilos each. i met graciela and mario's daughters, natalia and cecilia, whose room i was using. they both attend the university in BA. it was really great to be with girls my age and they told me that when i come back to BA they will take me out! it was fun to be with a family.
i missed my flight at 2:40pm but was able to get on one an hour later. when i arrived in santiago i realized that the last time i came was by bus. this meant that Andes Hostel, where we had stayed before, was not just a hop skip and a jump on the metro.
as i neared customs i asked them about my bags of trail mix. they told me they had to go. i was so pissed that i spent the next 30 min. rearranging my suitcases, trying to down as much as possible. as it turns out, it wasn't one of my finest choices and i will not repeat it again...but i think it got the point across to the guards that i thought they were stupid for not letting my trail mix in.
i ended up taking a colectivo to the hostel and met a couple who told me they wanted to visit the united states soon. when i asked where, they said michigan!!! my first thought was...WHY but i was just so happy to hear they wanted to come to my beautiful state!!
when i arrived at Andes hostel it was like coming home. the people at the desk were like welcome back! and the kids from world teach were still there so they also welcomed me back. it was really nice.
i went for a run in the nearby park by the castillo hidalgo, got super lost, and came back to crash.
buen viaje
Feb. 22
we woke up and took a colectivo to the juliaca airport at 6am. our flight took off at 9am to BA. from there, xavier and i went our separate ways.
i spent the night at a family friends house and it was the most wonderful experience. they took me in like their daughter and after having traveled for a month...having someone to take care of you, fix you nice meals, and drive you places was a huge gift. not to mention a bed where i didn't use my hostel liner and a shower where i didn't have to wear my sandals. it was like a huge burden was lifted and i could relax. such a nice feeling!
we woke up and took a colectivo to the juliaca airport at 6am. our flight took off at 9am to BA. from there, xavier and i went our separate ways.
i spent the night at a family friends house and it was the most wonderful experience. they took me in like their daughter and after having traveled for a month...having someone to take care of you, fix you nice meals, and drive you places was a huge gift. not to mention a bed where i didn't use my hostel liner and a shower where i didn't have to wear my sandals. it was like a huge burden was lifted and i could relax. such a nice feeling!
our last day...
Feb. 19
things i learned:
1. when it rains hard at night, it makes the waves of lago titicaca HUGE. that means people throw up...gross.
2. isla taquila was nice, but not much happening other than overpriced textiles.
3. riding on one of the "taxi" bikes is an absolute blast. they even have small radios to provide you with music! and they will turn to the same station if you are riding next to a friend in another bike. the coolest bikes though have shark fins or batman wings on them. you are a lucky duck if you get to ride in one of those!
4. alpaca is quite tasty!
things i learned:
1. when it rains hard at night, it makes the waves of lago titicaca HUGE. that means people throw up...gross.
2. isla taquila was nice, but not much happening other than overpriced textiles.
3. riding on one of the "taxi" bikes is an absolute blast. they even have small radios to provide you with music! and they will turn to the same station if you are riding next to a friend in another bike. the coolest bikes though have shark fins or batman wings on them. you are a lucky duck if you get to ride in one of those!
4. alpaca is quite tasty!
reeds are so cool
Feb. 19
1. 6:30 am always means 7:30am in latin america. i thought i would have learned by now.
2. watch the sun when you are at a higher elevation. xavier and i both got FRIED after only one hour of being in the sun.
3. don't sit in the back of a boat going to the islas on lago titicaca. you will suffocate from the smell of gasoline.
4. Lake Titicaca is one of the highest commercially navigable lakes in the world.
5. The Uros floating islands are really cool. they are made out of reeds. and so are their houses, beds, and boats. they even eat reeds, too! it was hard to believe communities of people actually live on those primitive islands.
6. spend the night on Isla Amantani.
xavier and i made friends with a Peruvian who currently lives in NYC, Ricardo. He joined us as we spent the next day with our host family: Paula y Simón.
7. Agricultural work is hard. we all took turns with the pitch fork.
8. Quinoa soup is delicious. and so is fresh llama cheese. even the rice tasted great because it was also made in the small wood-burning (actually they burned eucalyptus tree branches) stove. mate de muña is also very delicious. and so is mixing muña y coca.
9. the hike up to Templo Pacha Mama is absolutely gorgeous. and very spiritual.
1. 6:30 am always means 7:30am in latin america. i thought i would have learned by now.
2. watch the sun when you are at a higher elevation. xavier and i both got FRIED after only one hour of being in the sun.
3. don't sit in the back of a boat going to the islas on lago titicaca. you will suffocate from the smell of gasoline.
4. Lake Titicaca is one of the highest commercially navigable lakes in the world.
5. The Uros floating islands are really cool. they are made out of reeds. and so are their houses, beds, and boats. they even eat reeds, too! it was hard to believe communities of people actually live on those primitive islands.
6. spend the night on Isla Amantani.
xavier and i made friends with a Peruvian who currently lives in NYC, Ricardo. He joined us as we spent the next day with our host family: Paula y Simón.
7. Agricultural work is hard. we all took turns with the pitch fork.
8. Quinoa soup is delicious. and so is fresh llama cheese. even the rice tasted great because it was also made in the small wood-burning (actually they burned eucalyptus tree branches) stove. mate de muña is also very delicious. and so is mixing muña y coca.
9. the hike up to Templo Pacha Mama is absolutely gorgeous. and very spiritual.
yikes! we are high
Feb. 18
Lima to Juliaca. Juliaca to Puno.
1. do not run, under any circumstance, when you first get off the plane in Juliaca. running at 3825 meters above sea level immediately hurts.
2. stay at Inka's Rest in Puno. It is a charming place in a very central location.
in any case, stay in Puno. Juliaca sucks.
3. Always tell vendors you got whatever tehy are trying to sell you 6 soles less at the store just down the street. and as you accumulate articles of clothing, wear them and they will ask you how much you paid for it. they will always offer you "better price, miss. beter price."
4. drink mate con coca as much as possible. it really helps with the evelvation. and it is cool to see coca leaves...
Lima to Juliaca. Juliaca to Puno.
1. do not run, under any circumstance, when you first get off the plane in Juliaca. running at 3825 meters above sea level immediately hurts.
2. stay at Inka's Rest in Puno. It is a charming place in a very central location.
in any case, stay in Puno. Juliaca sucks.
3. Always tell vendors you got whatever tehy are trying to sell you 6 soles less at the store just down the street. and as you accumulate articles of clothing, wear them and they will ask you how much you paid for it. they will always offer you "better price, miss. beter price."
4. drink mate con coca as much as possible. it really helps with the evelvation. and it is cool to see coca leaves...
a travel day like never before
Feb. 17
El Calafate to Buenos Aires (domestic airport).
Buenos Aires (domestic airport) to Buenos Aires (international airport).
Buenos Aires (international airport) to Lima, Peru.
1. don't listen when people scream "what is that on your elbows?! do you have malaria?!!!!" it is a waste of emotional energy...
2. don't worry if you get to the airport in El Calafate and no one from LAN is at the ticket counter. it is apparently normal says aerolineas argentina.
3. don't worry either if someone from LAN does in fact show up, but puts up a sign that says the desk will be closed until 15 min. before your flight. you should obviously have known that your flight was pushed back an hour and a half. even though no one in the entire line was aware of the change.
4. don't dare sit in the only seating are in the airport if it is a restaurant and you don't intend on spending an arm and a leg for some crappy airport food. you will be kicked out...ahora!
5. even if security won't let you through because they havn't called your airline...5 min. later they will realize that your airline is the only airline that actually has a flight and will pretend like you are the stupid one.
6. The airports in BA are really only 45 min. away despite what the guidebooks and all LAN employees tell you.
7. look like you are going to throw up if you don't get through security at the Lima airport after traveling for 15 hours. they will take pity on you.
8. watch for people who think that it is okay to stand over you and eventually sit across from you while you are sleeping even though there is an entire terminal of empty seats. weird....
El Calafate to Buenos Aires (domestic airport).
Buenos Aires (domestic airport) to Buenos Aires (international airport).
Buenos Aires (international airport) to Lima, Peru.
1. don't listen when people scream "what is that on your elbows?! do you have malaria?!!!!" it is a waste of emotional energy...
2. don't worry if you get to the airport in El Calafate and no one from LAN is at the ticket counter. it is apparently normal says aerolineas argentina.
3. don't worry either if someone from LAN does in fact show up, but puts up a sign that says the desk will be closed until 15 min. before your flight. you should obviously have known that your flight was pushed back an hour and a half. even though no one in the entire line was aware of the change.
4. don't dare sit in the only seating are in the airport if it is a restaurant and you don't intend on spending an arm and a leg for some crappy airport food. you will be kicked out...ahora!
5. even if security won't let you through because they havn't called your airline...5 min. later they will realize that your airline is the only airline that actually has a flight and will pretend like you are the stupid one.
6. The airports in BA are really only 45 min. away despite what the guidebooks and all LAN employees tell you.
7. look like you are going to throw up if you don't get through security at the Lima airport after traveling for 15 hours. they will take pity on you.
8. watch for people who think that it is okay to stand over you and eventually sit across from you while you are sleeping even though there is an entire terminal of empty seats. weird....
it's huge!
Feb. 16
El Chaltén a El Calafate
1. The trip back to El Calafate, even at 8 am, is beautiful.
2. Paying for a guided bus tour is a waste of money if you keep falling asleep.
3. If the sun in shining in the town of El Calafate, it necessarily means that it is cold and rainy as you enter the actual park.
4. Perito Moreno glacier is one of the most massive, impressive, and incredible pieces of nature I have ever seen. it is hard to wrap your mind around how monstrous it appears, but it is even harder to wrap your mind around the fact that it extends more than 300 ft. below the water. The glacier radiates a very vibrant blue hue.
although a little disappointed we did not have the time or money to walk on the glacier, the boat ride we took was wonderful. we got extremely close to the glacier and saw a bit of calving (unfortunately nothing like some of the pictures you see).
5. be thankful for warm stew when you dont' feel well and your body just needs a little TLC.
El Chaltén a El Calafate
1. The trip back to El Calafate, even at 8 am, is beautiful.
2. Paying for a guided bus tour is a waste of money if you keep falling asleep.
3. If the sun in shining in the town of El Calafate, it necessarily means that it is cold and rainy as you enter the actual park.
4. Perito Moreno glacier is one of the most massive, impressive, and incredible pieces of nature I have ever seen. it is hard to wrap your mind around how monstrous it appears, but it is even harder to wrap your mind around the fact that it extends more than 300 ft. below the water. The glacier radiates a very vibrant blue hue.
although a little disappointed we did not have the time or money to walk on the glacier, the boat ride we took was wonderful. we got extremely close to the glacier and saw a bit of calving (unfortunately nothing like some of the pictures you see).
5. be thankful for warm stew when you dont' feel well and your body just needs a little TLC.
don't go left!
Feb. 15
Things i learned:
1. better to take the taxi to Hostería Pilar (but don't use their bathrooms, they do NOT approve) and walk to Fitz Roy from there.
of course it was raining, but by this time, we are so used to it that it doesn't really bother us.
2. make sure you communicate with your traveling partner who has the map because once again, we are mapless. but the path seemed relatively straight forward, so we just followed Rio Blanco. The rain turned a good portion of the trail into a giant moat so soon after the hike began, my feet became soggy.
3. Carans don't always lead you to the right place.
we took a left, following a group of people in front of us but could not seem to find a place to cross the river. after crossing a bridge, we took a left and followed the river for another hour. we followed the carans, but alas, they led us to a dead end. knowing that scaling a wet wall was not at all a good ida, unlike some ambitious overweight 40 year olds, we decided to turn back and try to find where we went wrong. we climbed a hill and spent some time path finding in a beautifully lush forest. we continiued in teh forest, much nicer on our blistered feet, until we met up with the bridge again.
4. be careful what you ask for
we asked another hiker if he ever found the path to Fitz Roy and he looked at us like we were crazy. he pointed across the bridge and to the the right. SO FRUSTRATING. we begin our ascent at 4 pm. the hike turned extremely steep, but since we were crunched on time, we powered through it.
5. Appreciate when the clouds part.
when we reached the top having finally found Laguna de Tres Torres, it was truly spectacular. The sun hit the glaciers just perfectly.
6. watch for fog.
as we were taking in the beauty, fog started to descend. it got pretty bad so we decided it was time to leave. besides, it was now 5:30 and we still had 3.5 hours left.
7. don't forget to look behind you
as we were fast-hiking our way back, the fog let up a little, exposing even more of teh gorgeious Fitz Roy range. we kept looking behind us and the mountains kept becoming more visible. It was really special.
Things i learned:
1. better to take the taxi to Hostería Pilar (but don't use their bathrooms, they do NOT approve) and walk to Fitz Roy from there.
of course it was raining, but by this time, we are so used to it that it doesn't really bother us.
2. make sure you communicate with your traveling partner who has the map because once again, we are mapless. but the path seemed relatively straight forward, so we just followed Rio Blanco. The rain turned a good portion of the trail into a giant moat so soon after the hike began, my feet became soggy.
3. Carans don't always lead you to the right place.
we took a left, following a group of people in front of us but could not seem to find a place to cross the river. after crossing a bridge, we took a left and followed the river for another hour. we followed the carans, but alas, they led us to a dead end. knowing that scaling a wet wall was not at all a good ida, unlike some ambitious overweight 40 year olds, we decided to turn back and try to find where we went wrong. we climbed a hill and spent some time path finding in a beautifully lush forest. we continiued in teh forest, much nicer on our blistered feet, until we met up with the bridge again.
4. be careful what you ask for
we asked another hiker if he ever found the path to Fitz Roy and he looked at us like we were crazy. he pointed across the bridge and to the the right. SO FRUSTRATING. we begin our ascent at 4 pm. the hike turned extremely steep, but since we were crunched on time, we powered through it.
5. Appreciate when the clouds part.
when we reached the top having finally found Laguna de Tres Torres, it was truly spectacular. The sun hit the glaciers just perfectly.
6. watch for fog.
as we were taking in the beauty, fog started to descend. it got pretty bad so we decided it was time to leave. besides, it was now 5:30 and we still had 3.5 hours left.
7. don't forget to look behind you
as we were fast-hiking our way back, the fog let up a little, exposing even more of teh gorgeious Fitz Roy range. we kept looking behind us and the mountains kept becoming more visible. It was really special.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
no internet? no phones?
Feb. 14
Happy Valentines day!
things i learned:
1. la frontera (the border) from Puerto Natales to El Calafate is literally 15 in. from the center of Puerto Natales.
i stupidly thought it was further, so again, we were caught stuffing our faces with dried fruit and carrots. we ended up throwing out a lot. but the process itself was much less painful than entering Chile. or so we thought.
2. there are two fronteras.
15 min. after the first frontera, there was another! we knew it was too good to be true. apparently we had just gotten permission to leave Chile an now we were getting permission to enter Argentina.
3. Baños Caballeros=Toilet Men
4. El Calafate is unfairly expensive.
5. Although touristy, el Calafate has a very nice feel.
there was a block party on the main street when we went which was very fun. musicians were playing, the sun was shining, and everyone was running around in the street.
6. Find the shops that give out samples.
I tried so much chocolate that was special to Patagonia without paying a dime! I also tried ice cream, jam, and a liquor that was made of the Calafate fruit for free.
7. The 3 hour trip to El Chaltén is extremely bumpy. It can make anyone sick.
8. The rest stop on the way is a little lady's house. There are dozens of chickens, cats, dogs, and a donkey that roam around. It was very strange, but great all the same.
9. Condor de Los Andes is a very homey hostel that just screams: warm.
10. I met a group of travelers from all over the world: France, Belgium, Colombia, and Brazil. It was very fun to watch them interact. For every word they would as each other what it was in their respective language. And they would turn to me if they had any questions about English, like the pronunciation of "stubborn." It was very cute.
11. There is no real internet in the area and barely a working phone signal. At first it makes you panic, but then you realize that life does go on without such technology (to a point).
13. There is actually an ATM in el Chaltén! It was installed 3 weeks ago.
Happy Valentines day!
things i learned:
1. la frontera (the border) from Puerto Natales to El Calafate is literally 15 in. from the center of Puerto Natales.
i stupidly thought it was further, so again, we were caught stuffing our faces with dried fruit and carrots. we ended up throwing out a lot. but the process itself was much less painful than entering Chile. or so we thought.
2. there are two fronteras.
15 min. after the first frontera, there was another! we knew it was too good to be true. apparently we had just gotten permission to leave Chile an now we were getting permission to enter Argentina.
3. Baños Caballeros=Toilet Men
4. El Calafate is unfairly expensive.
5. Although touristy, el Calafate has a very nice feel.
there was a block party on the main street when we went which was very fun. musicians were playing, the sun was shining, and everyone was running around in the street.
6. Find the shops that give out samples.
I tried so much chocolate that was special to Patagonia without paying a dime! I also tried ice cream, jam, and a liquor that was made of the Calafate fruit for free.
7. The 3 hour trip to El Chaltén is extremely bumpy. It can make anyone sick.
8. The rest stop on the way is a little lady's house. There are dozens of chickens, cats, dogs, and a donkey that roam around. It was very strange, but great all the same.
9. Condor de Los Andes is a very homey hostel that just screams: warm.
10. I met a group of travelers from all over the world: France, Belgium, Colombia, and Brazil. It was very fun to watch them interact. For every word they would as each other what it was in their respective language. And they would turn to me if they had any questions about English, like the pronunciation of "stubborn." It was very cute.
11. There is no real internet in the area and barely a working phone signal. At first it makes you panic, but then you realize that life does go on without such technology (to a point).
13. There is actually an ATM in el Chaltén! It was installed 3 weeks ago.
REST DAY
Feb. 13
we dedicated today to catch up on sleep, food, friends, and family.
i made three trips to the fruta seca store.
we dedicated today to catch up on sleep, food, friends, and family.
i made three trips to the fruta seca store.
the best feeling in the world
Day 5
i woke up early this morning having not really slept at all. i kept waking up with nightmares of the day to come. the wind hadn't started howling and the rain continued to pound.
at breakfast, no one really spoke. everyone felt the same. scared, disappointed, discouraged.
luckily, a couple came in the door who looked like they had just hiked here. i quickly asked them how bad the wind was over the ridge and they said that they looked like i was crazy. they said there was no wind at all. GOOD NEWS.
leighton and i packed up our stuff and were ready to go by 7:30am. xavier told us yesterday that he hoped to be at our campamento by 10:30am. we twiddled our thumbs and at 9:30am, a very wet and soggy xavier walks in the door. he was smart enough to not try and attempt to see the torres. no one did because the rain was so bad. in fact, some of the rivers had risen so high that they washed out some of the bridges!
we peaced out as fast as we could and literally ran back to hostería de torres. it was raining, but that didn't matter because we were so close to safety!
when we reached the bottom, we treated ouselves to a nice almuerzo. of course, as soon as we were dry inside...the rain stopped, the clouds parted, the sun shined, and the torres glistened. we watched horses, foxes, and birds all sunbathe. it really wasnt fair. but at this point, we were just thankful to has escaped the beast that was patagonia.
on our way back to puerto natales, we went over this bridge that made you want to suck in your stomach it was such a tight squeeze.
we crashed when we got back.
i woke up early this morning having not really slept at all. i kept waking up with nightmares of the day to come. the wind hadn't started howling and the rain continued to pound.
at breakfast, no one really spoke. everyone felt the same. scared, disappointed, discouraged.
luckily, a couple came in the door who looked like they had just hiked here. i quickly asked them how bad the wind was over the ridge and they said that they looked like i was crazy. they said there was no wind at all. GOOD NEWS.
leighton and i packed up our stuff and were ready to go by 7:30am. xavier told us yesterday that he hoped to be at our campamento by 10:30am. we twiddled our thumbs and at 9:30am, a very wet and soggy xavier walks in the door. he was smart enough to not try and attempt to see the torres. no one did because the rain was so bad. in fact, some of the rivers had risen so high that they washed out some of the bridges!
we peaced out as fast as we could and literally ran back to hostería de torres. it was raining, but that didn't matter because we were so close to safety!
when we reached the bottom, we treated ouselves to a nice almuerzo. of course, as soon as we were dry inside...the rain stopped, the clouds parted, the sun shined, and the torres glistened. we watched horses, foxes, and birds all sunbathe. it really wasnt fair. but at this point, we were just thankful to has escaped the beast that was patagonia.
on our way back to puerto natales, we went over this bridge that made you want to suck in your stomach it was such a tight squeeze.
we crashed when we got back.
Friday, February 13, 2009
a day from hell
Day 4
things i learned:
1. even though you think you only have a 3.5 hour day, dont sleep in. you must take advantage of nice weather.
2. patagonia is a violent, unfriendly, wild beast.
the wind had really started to pick up as we left hosteria torres. we were going very slow up an extremely steep hill. you got used to watching and listening for the wind to brace yourself in hopes that you didnt get blown to the ground. i got really good at recognizing when the big gusts would come and sit on the ground with my head between my knees waiting for it to pass.
i was doing fine up until we got to this ridge. the wind was at least 80 km per hour by now. i turned the corner, hoping to find shelter, but instead finding what was to be my worst nightmare.
the wind was blowing so hard that the only way i could keep grounded was to clutch onto the rocks that were on my left. but as my hands were slipping, all i could see was the tremendous drop to my right that would plop me right into a large river some incredible distance down. i have never, ever been so scared in my entire life. i entered a state of panic because i felt that any step i took, forwards or backwards, would allow the wind to swipe me off my feet into the ravine. so i sat down and screamed. yes, productive i know. but through my tears, xavier gave me strength to move forward as he himself was slipping.
each step took every ounce of energy i had left. and after 30 min. of upmost perserverance, we reached campamento cuernos.
that experience has got to be one of the most traumatic experiences of my life and i would never wish that upon anyone in their entire lives.
3. know your limits.
after shaking for another couple of hours, i knew that i could not go forward to campamento torres. the wind had picked up even more, and so had the rain. trees were bending in ways they were never intended to. the howling that seeped through the wooden cabin was enough to make you shiver. i could not seem to get the imagine of being blown into the ravine out of my mind and the thought of having to go back over it the next day terrified me.
you are always told to know your limits and i knew that this was mine. it was a hard decision, but i knew it was the right one. i had already asked so much of myself and now i had to give myself a break.
4. know when you have been blessed.
we had met a really nice guy named layton on day 3 who actually had a room booked in cuernos for day 4. he was kind enough to take care of me while xavier continued to campamento torres. we had some lovely converstations and he let me curl up on his bed when i passed out at 8:30 pm. when i woke up in the middle of the night with fright he calmed me down and reassurred me that i would get out safely. just hearing the words was a great relief.
things i learned:
1. even though you think you only have a 3.5 hour day, dont sleep in. you must take advantage of nice weather.
2. patagonia is a violent, unfriendly, wild beast.
the wind had really started to pick up as we left hosteria torres. we were going very slow up an extremely steep hill. you got used to watching and listening for the wind to brace yourself in hopes that you didnt get blown to the ground. i got really good at recognizing when the big gusts would come and sit on the ground with my head between my knees waiting for it to pass.
i was doing fine up until we got to this ridge. the wind was at least 80 km per hour by now. i turned the corner, hoping to find shelter, but instead finding what was to be my worst nightmare.
the wind was blowing so hard that the only way i could keep grounded was to clutch onto the rocks that were on my left. but as my hands were slipping, all i could see was the tremendous drop to my right that would plop me right into a large river some incredible distance down. i have never, ever been so scared in my entire life. i entered a state of panic because i felt that any step i took, forwards or backwards, would allow the wind to swipe me off my feet into the ravine. so i sat down and screamed. yes, productive i know. but through my tears, xavier gave me strength to move forward as he himself was slipping.
each step took every ounce of energy i had left. and after 30 min. of upmost perserverance, we reached campamento cuernos.
that experience has got to be one of the most traumatic experiences of my life and i would never wish that upon anyone in their entire lives.
3. know your limits.
after shaking for another couple of hours, i knew that i could not go forward to campamento torres. the wind had picked up even more, and so had the rain. trees were bending in ways they were never intended to. the howling that seeped through the wooden cabin was enough to make you shiver. i could not seem to get the imagine of being blown into the ravine out of my mind and the thought of having to go back over it the next day terrified me.
you are always told to know your limits and i knew that this was mine. it was a hard decision, but i knew it was the right one. i had already asked so much of myself and now i had to give myself a break.
4. know when you have been blessed.
we had met a really nice guy named layton on day 3 who actually had a room booked in cuernos for day 4. he was kind enough to take care of me while xavier continued to campamento torres. we had some lovely converstations and he let me curl up on his bed when i passed out at 8:30 pm. when i woke up in the middle of the night with fright he calmed me down and reassurred me that i would get out safely. just hearing the words was a great relief.
is that snow?
Day 3
Things i learned:
1. it is very cold at campamento italiano. and the only place to pitch a tent is on a hill. that leads to no sleep.
2. the weather in patagonia is crazy.
i was feeling really slow today. everything seemed to sting a little. it didn´t help that the trail was pure rock scrambling. and that it started snow. and hail was pelting our faces. was this a joke? it is summer here.
3. it is okay to turn back.
we were warned not to go further if the weather looked bad because a) it was dangerous and b) there was no point because you wouldn´t be able to see the spectacular view once you reached the mirador. everyone seemed to be turning around, so we figured it was the smart thing to do.
4. if you hear thunder, it is actually an avalanch. we witnessed two! but from a distance.
5. be tough and push yourself to hosteria torres when the weather is decent.
we were originally going to stay at campamento italiano again that night, but decided we better move on to campamento cuernos so we dont die on day 4. now, without hiking up valle frances, we decided we should try and make it to hosteria torres since we had a little bit of extra time and the conditions appeared to be okay.
6. be thankful for bushes when you are blown off the ground, pack and all, and land four feet down the path in one.
7. take a left at the fork near the lago by hosteria torres.
that advice was given to us and it was much easier. we felt bad for the lady who climbed an unnecessary hill.
8. nothing was more glorious than seeing a rainbow over hosteria torres.
as our feet were about to fail us, we finally see the camp up ahead. by this time it has been over 12 hours since we started hiking.
i thought hosteria torres was truly one of the most beautiful and romantic places ever. the sun had peaked out. the site was surrounded by lush, grassy hills. and best of all, no wind!
9. dont be alarmed if you are cooking your meal at hosteria torres and a random horse walks by. it is totally normal. oh and watch your step...there is horse crap EVERYWHERE.
10. una luna llena (a full moon) can be an incredible site.
as i was sitting by the fire, i see something HUGE and yellow out of the corner of my eye and i was thought to myself, WHAT THE F IS THAT?!!!! so i run and dodge all the crap as i try and get a better look at this monstrosity. it turned out to be the moon. and what a glorious moon at that.
Things i learned:
1. it is very cold at campamento italiano. and the only place to pitch a tent is on a hill. that leads to no sleep.
2. the weather in patagonia is crazy.
i was feeling really slow today. everything seemed to sting a little. it didn´t help that the trail was pure rock scrambling. and that it started snow. and hail was pelting our faces. was this a joke? it is summer here.
3. it is okay to turn back.
we were warned not to go further if the weather looked bad because a) it was dangerous and b) there was no point because you wouldn´t be able to see the spectacular view once you reached the mirador. everyone seemed to be turning around, so we figured it was the smart thing to do.
4. if you hear thunder, it is actually an avalanch. we witnessed two! but from a distance.
5. be tough and push yourself to hosteria torres when the weather is decent.
we were originally going to stay at campamento italiano again that night, but decided we better move on to campamento cuernos so we dont die on day 4. now, without hiking up valle frances, we decided we should try and make it to hosteria torres since we had a little bit of extra time and the conditions appeared to be okay.
6. be thankful for bushes when you are blown off the ground, pack and all, and land four feet down the path in one.
7. take a left at the fork near the lago by hosteria torres.
that advice was given to us and it was much easier. we felt bad for the lady who climbed an unnecessary hill.
8. nothing was more glorious than seeing a rainbow over hosteria torres.
as our feet were about to fail us, we finally see the camp up ahead. by this time it has been over 12 hours since we started hiking.
i thought hosteria torres was truly one of the most beautiful and romantic places ever. the sun had peaked out. the site was surrounded by lush, grassy hills. and best of all, no wind!
9. dont be alarmed if you are cooking your meal at hosteria torres and a random horse walks by. it is totally normal. oh and watch your step...there is horse crap EVERYWHERE.
10. una luna llena (a full moon) can be an incredible site.
as i was sitting by the fire, i see something HUGE and yellow out of the corner of my eye and i was thought to myself, WHAT THE F IS THAT?!!!! so i run and dodge all the crap as i try and get a better look at this monstrosity. it turned out to be the moon. and what a glorious moon at that.
the numbing process begins
day 2
we woke up and had an early start. we had about 15 km to hike until we got back down to lago pehoe. from there we had to hike 7.6 more km to campamento italiano.
we hiked pretty fast and made good time. but the weather turned crappy and the views were not great. it started to get cold, wet, and windy.
things i learned:
1. make sure your camera battery is COMPLETELY charged and it doesn´t just fool you into thinking it is charged. because the beautiful refugios that make you pay an incredible amount to stay there do not allow throughhikers to even pay to charge their poor batteries. and they make you pay for 3 hours worth of internet...knowing that backpackers would always need less than that. what a scam.
2. trekking poles are a wonderful invention.
no matter how dorky you look with them...they really are AWESOME. it helps that every uses them, makes you feel less stupid. but they are so helpful especially going uphill, bracing you with the wind, and river crossing.
3. put more M&Ms in your trail mix. xavier and i both regret putting those packages back that we thought were excessive.
4. raman that is still a little chewy tastes way better.
5. misery loves company. our backs and shoulders really hurt by the end of the day. my hips were starting to bruise. at least when that happens you start to feel the pain less.
we woke up and had an early start. we had about 15 km to hike until we got back down to lago pehoe. from there we had to hike 7.6 more km to campamento italiano.
we hiked pretty fast and made good time. but the weather turned crappy and the views were not great. it started to get cold, wet, and windy.
things i learned:
1. make sure your camera battery is COMPLETELY charged and it doesn´t just fool you into thinking it is charged. because the beautiful refugios that make you pay an incredible amount to stay there do not allow throughhikers to even pay to charge their poor batteries. and they make you pay for 3 hours worth of internet...knowing that backpackers would always need less than that. what a scam.
2. trekking poles are a wonderful invention.
no matter how dorky you look with them...they really are AWESOME. it helps that every uses them, makes you feel less stupid. but they are so helpful especially going uphill, bracing you with the wind, and river crossing.
3. put more M&Ms in your trail mix. xavier and i both regret putting those packages back that we thought were excessive.
4. raman that is still a little chewy tastes way better.
5. misery loves company. our backs and shoulders really hurt by the end of the day. my hips were starting to bruise. at least when that happens you start to feel the pain less.
GAME TIME
Day 1 of our trek in patagonia
things i learned:
1. people party hard in puerto natales on saturday night. wear earplugs if you want to even think about sleeping.
2. breakfast at 7 am really means 7:20 am...even though the bus comes at 7:30am. no big?
3. dont weigh your bag right before you leave. you may find it almost half your weight and freak out.
granted i weighed my bag with water, it was still over 40 pounds. it really worried me since this would be the first time backpacking with only two people. and with all the wind i had been warned about, i really didn´t want to set myself up for a miserable time. nevertheless, we did not do any rearranging and i just hoped for the best.
4. bring enough cash into the park.
we didn´t realize until we got to the point of no ATMs that we had a miscommunication about how much cash we had. oops. we counted and we did have enough for the entrance fee, the catamaran, and the shuttle back to the bus. whew! we were just going to have to pray that we had enough food and that we would never have to stay at the refugios.
5. glacier grey is absolutely stunning.
we had a beautiful first day. we pushed ourselves to campamento guardas which was INCREDIBLY close to glacier grey. aboslutely worth the extra 3 hours (even though every person we talked to along the way said we only had 30 min. left...). oh and by the way, there is a steep section that is guided by a rope you have to climb up. no one mentioned that either.
we actually saw some calving! that was very cool because we were so close to it.
and we saw the most spectacular sunset above the glacier that night. it was the most vibrant orange-pink color and filled the entire sky. what a perfect way to start our adventure.
things i learned:
1. people party hard in puerto natales on saturday night. wear earplugs if you want to even think about sleeping.
2. breakfast at 7 am really means 7:20 am...even though the bus comes at 7:30am. no big?
3. dont weigh your bag right before you leave. you may find it almost half your weight and freak out.
granted i weighed my bag with water, it was still over 40 pounds. it really worried me since this would be the first time backpacking with only two people. and with all the wind i had been warned about, i really didn´t want to set myself up for a miserable time. nevertheless, we did not do any rearranging and i just hoped for the best.
4. bring enough cash into the park.
we didn´t realize until we got to the point of no ATMs that we had a miscommunication about how much cash we had. oops. we counted and we did have enough for the entrance fee, the catamaran, and the shuttle back to the bus. whew! we were just going to have to pray that we had enough food and that we would never have to stay at the refugios.
5. glacier grey is absolutely stunning.
we had a beautiful first day. we pushed ourselves to campamento guardas which was INCREDIBLY close to glacier grey. aboslutely worth the extra 3 hours (even though every person we talked to along the way said we only had 30 min. left...). oh and by the way, there is a steep section that is guided by a rope you have to climb up. no one mentioned that either.
we actually saw some calving! that was very cool because we were so close to it.
and we saw the most spectacular sunset above the glacier that night. it was the most vibrant orange-pink color and filled the entire sky. what a perfect way to start our adventure.
uh oh
things i learned:
1. really, REALLY check your itinerary and know how many days you are supposed to stay at each place.
i woke up this morning with a bad feeling and realized that we were supposed to have already left to go to puerto natales. we didn´t even have our bus ticket yet! YIKES. so we bolted up, packed our bags, got our bus tickets, took a taxi-bus thing to a shopping complex, got the remaining gear we needed, bought our food and raced to the bus station. all within 3 hours. unfortunately, laundry was the first thing to go.
2. the bus to puerto natales plays AWESOME 90s music video mixes. classic project 2 was the title of a particularly good one.
3. the drive to puerto natales is really beautiful. i saw lots of weird ostrich like things and an interesting type of llama. pretty neat.
4. puerto natales is really cool. it is full of backpackers who are about to or have just come back from really sweet adventures. there is a great vibe throughout the town that just makes you excited. everyone here has the same love and appreciation for the wilderness and that makes it really special. there are some incredibly knowledgeable people here who are willing to spend a lot of time helping you prepare as best they can. Erratic rock, where we rented our trekking poles, was especially helpful.
5. Backpackers Kawashkar is TERRIFIC. it truly is a hostel made by backpackers, for backpackers. Omar, the owner, is this intimidating man in his 40s who has long hair and looks like he may have killed someone in his past. but he is actually extremely kind. since we were so limited on time, he helped us get a bus ticket, accustomed us to the park and gave us really good tips and shortcuts, and made sure we had the right food and knew how to use our gear.
6. there is a FIVE STAR fruta seca and nut store in puerto natales. i made the best freaking trail mix in the world.
7. dont take showers at night. there is no hot water left.
1. really, REALLY check your itinerary and know how many days you are supposed to stay at each place.
i woke up this morning with a bad feeling and realized that we were supposed to have already left to go to puerto natales. we didn´t even have our bus ticket yet! YIKES. so we bolted up, packed our bags, got our bus tickets, took a taxi-bus thing to a shopping complex, got the remaining gear we needed, bought our food and raced to the bus station. all within 3 hours. unfortunately, laundry was the first thing to go.
2. the bus to puerto natales plays AWESOME 90s music video mixes. classic project 2 was the title of a particularly good one.
3. the drive to puerto natales is really beautiful. i saw lots of weird ostrich like things and an interesting type of llama. pretty neat.
4. puerto natales is really cool. it is full of backpackers who are about to or have just come back from really sweet adventures. there is a great vibe throughout the town that just makes you excited. everyone here has the same love and appreciation for the wilderness and that makes it really special. there are some incredibly knowledgeable people here who are willing to spend a lot of time helping you prepare as best they can. Erratic rock, where we rented our trekking poles, was especially helpful.
5. Backpackers Kawashkar is TERRIFIC. it truly is a hostel made by backpackers, for backpackers. Omar, the owner, is this intimidating man in his 40s who has long hair and looks like he may have killed someone in his past. but he is actually extremely kind. since we were so limited on time, he helped us get a bus ticket, accustomed us to the park and gave us really good tips and shortcuts, and made sure we had the right food and knew how to use our gear.
6. there is a FIVE STAR fruta seca and nut store in puerto natales. i made the best freaking trail mix in the world.
7. dont take showers at night. there is no hot water left.
Friday, February 6, 2009
muchos penguinos
Feb. 5
things i learned:
1. street names on maps of punta arenas are not the same as the street names in real life.
2. isla magdallena has more penguinos then you could ever imagine.
3. penguinos smell really bad. and make a very very strange noise. and dig holes. and hump each other. and poop a lot. and are super cute, especially ones that put their arms around each other.
4. isla marta has an abundance of sea lions.
5. alpha male sea lions are freaking HUGE. i have seen many a sea lion in my day but every time i forgot how big these bad boys can get. seriously, their head is the size of like 10 of me. and they make the scariest, deepest noise ever. i would NEVER want to piss one off. he could put his left flipper on me and i would be crushed to death.
6. toninas (dolphins with a white fin and black underbelly) are the most beautiful creature ever. and are very rare to see. we were really lucky and saw many of them from our zodiac on our way back to punta arenas.
7. if your kitchen is closed at your hostel, walk into another hostel as if you are staying there, make friends with the other residents, use their kitchen, clean up, and leave. and dont laugh otherwise you will give yourself away.
things i learned:
1. street names on maps of punta arenas are not the same as the street names in real life.
2. isla magdallena has more penguinos then you could ever imagine.
3. penguinos smell really bad. and make a very very strange noise. and dig holes. and hump each other. and poop a lot. and are super cute, especially ones that put their arms around each other.
4. isla marta has an abundance of sea lions.
5. alpha male sea lions are freaking HUGE. i have seen many a sea lion in my day but every time i forgot how big these bad boys can get. seriously, their head is the size of like 10 of me. and they make the scariest, deepest noise ever. i would NEVER want to piss one off. he could put his left flipper on me and i would be crushed to death.
6. toninas (dolphins with a white fin and black underbelly) are the most beautiful creature ever. and are very rare to see. we were really lucky and saw many of them from our zodiac on our way back to punta arenas.
7. if your kitchen is closed at your hostel, walk into another hostel as if you are staying there, make friends with the other residents, use their kitchen, clean up, and leave. and dont laugh otherwise you will give yourself away.
adorable punta arenas
Feb. 4
santiago to punta arenas!
things i learned:
1. if you ask the hostel to call a taxi, tell them to let you know when it gets there as well.
we wasted like 15 min. of precious time sitting around waiting for our taxi when in reality, it had been there the whole time. when i asked when our taxi might arrive (because i knew we were running short on time) the guy at the hostel chuckled and said it had arrived a long time ago. silly me.
2. the flight we are taking to punta arenas stops at puerto montt
3. punta arenas is significantly colder and balmier than santiago. i got off the flight and immediately zipped my legs on and put on my fleece.
4. Lonely Planet did a good job suggesting La Estancia. it is a super cozy hostel in a great location that has the most welcoming owners.
5. punta arenas is really lovely. it is small but full of beautiful greenary, great vendors, friendly locals, a nice beach, and backpackers. just my kind of place!
santiago to punta arenas!
things i learned:
1. if you ask the hostel to call a taxi, tell them to let you know when it gets there as well.
we wasted like 15 min. of precious time sitting around waiting for our taxi when in reality, it had been there the whole time. when i asked when our taxi might arrive (because i knew we were running short on time) the guy at the hostel chuckled and said it had arrived a long time ago. silly me.
2. the flight we are taking to punta arenas stops at puerto montt
3. punta arenas is significantly colder and balmier than santiago. i got off the flight and immediately zipped my legs on and put on my fleece.
4. Lonely Planet did a good job suggesting La Estancia. it is a super cozy hostel in a great location that has the most welcoming owners.
5. punta arenas is really lovely. it is small but full of beautiful greenary, great vendors, friendly locals, a nice beach, and backpackers. just my kind of place!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
we found a castle
Feb. 3
success at the ATMs today!
things i learned:
1. laundry day= long underwear for elizabeth, no matter how hot it is outside and swim trunks for xavier, no matter how stupid he looks on the street
2. Movistar only sells phones sin contractos.
After two stores, we figure out that we need to go to a Circuit City equivalent (well...not really anymore i guess...) to buy my phone.
3. blend in and get what all the chileans buy from the street vendors. it is good even though it resembles something like grains and canned peaches drowned in brown juice. it is an interesting mix between the sweetness of the juice and the chewiness of the random yellow grains.
4. it is much more fun to wander to what you think is an ancient ruin you see from the roof of your hostel and find yourself in a the midst of a beautiful castillo (castle). even though we kept coming across signs that said peligro, no pase...we kept climbing up and up. when we finally got to the top, we had a wonderful view of the city. it was sad to see how much the smog covered the andes, but it was a good view nevertheless. it turns out this place was very well visited...we just found it an obscure way.
5. Lucuma, whatever fruit it is, is a very good gelato flavor.
6. the bbq at hostels really do work. our dinner was proof!
5.
4.
success at the ATMs today!
things i learned:
1. laundry day= long underwear for elizabeth, no matter how hot it is outside and swim trunks for xavier, no matter how stupid he looks on the street
2. Movistar only sells phones sin contractos.
After two stores, we figure out that we need to go to a Circuit City equivalent (well...not really anymore i guess...) to buy my phone.
3. blend in and get what all the chileans buy from the street vendors. it is good even though it resembles something like grains and canned peaches drowned in brown juice. it is an interesting mix between the sweetness of the juice and the chewiness of the random yellow grains.
4. it is much more fun to wander to what you think is an ancient ruin you see from the roof of your hostel and find yourself in a the midst of a beautiful castillo (castle). even though we kept coming across signs that said peligro, no pase...we kept climbing up and up. when we finally got to the top, we had a wonderful view of the city. it was sad to see how much the smog covered the andes, but it was a good view nevertheless. it turns out this place was very well visited...we just found it an obscure way.
5. Lucuma, whatever fruit it is, is a very good gelato flavor.
6. the bbq at hostels really do work. our dinner was proof!
5.
4.
goodbye argentina, hello chile!
Feb. 2
things i learned:
1. you sleep a lot better when you don't think you will be stabbed at night by a creepy old man or that the old man will just drop dead.
2. when selling you the bus ticket to santiago, no one tells you how excrutiatingly painful customs is.
xavier and i have had a lovely 3 hours enjoying the pretty views, snoozing and writing in our journals. we see the chilean flag in the distance and know we have reached the border. exciting? NO. we must have sat in our bus for 2 hours so that we could stand in line for another 2.
3. do not leave the peels or core of fruit you know you can not take into a country(and therefore scarfed down) in a bag on your seat when at customs. they will find your bag and single you out in front of all the customs officers and your fellow travellers. it is like being picked on in grade school...except worse because you can be arrested.
4. do not be fooled into thinking that dried fruit is acceptable either. they will find your dried fruit in your luggage that you put under the bus and single you out in front of all the customs officers and your fellow travellers. embarrassed is an understatement when this happens 2 seconds after already happening.
5. appreciate the beauty of the andes that surround you as you travel through chile.
6. know when your flights are.
as we roll into santiago, thinking we have like 3 hours to get all of our errands done before we leave for punta arenas...we happen to check our itinerary and realize that we actually have 2 nights in santiago. it was a relief to see that we were smarter than we thought. but not so relieving that we had been such idiots and forgot when we were actually leaving.
7. figure out why your ATM card works where your traveling partner will live but his doesn't...and yours doesn't where you will live and his does.
8. be thankful for the metro tickets given to you by a couple in Mendoza.
we rode the metro using the free metro tickets and got off at the bella vistas stop and found ourselves at the entrance of the most beautiful hostel: Andes Hostel. it was clean, safe, and such a treat. the fact that i trusted them enough to use their towel says something right there.
9. treat yourself to a nice dinner if you havent eaten all day because you have no chilean pesos and your remaining food gets confiscated at customs.
10. cover your eyes when a young boy is beaten quite violently because he stole a mans wallet. and don't be alarmed if onlookers join in.
11. be cautious of going out with a chilean on your first night in santiago.
we went out with a chilean and an australian from the hostel and ended up walking far to far...and finding ouselves in a super sketchy area. the chilean was totally excited about taking us there but i got so freaked out that i made everyone leave soon after we got there. once my spanish gets better i am sure i will be more confident...but for now, i did not like getting eye raped everywhere and having homeless people offering me god knows what.
things i learned:
1. you sleep a lot better when you don't think you will be stabbed at night by a creepy old man or that the old man will just drop dead.
2. when selling you the bus ticket to santiago, no one tells you how excrutiatingly painful customs is.
xavier and i have had a lovely 3 hours enjoying the pretty views, snoozing and writing in our journals. we see the chilean flag in the distance and know we have reached the border. exciting? NO. we must have sat in our bus for 2 hours so that we could stand in line for another 2.
3. do not leave the peels or core of fruit you know you can not take into a country(and therefore scarfed down) in a bag on your seat when at customs. they will find your bag and single you out in front of all the customs officers and your fellow travellers. it is like being picked on in grade school...except worse because you can be arrested.
4. do not be fooled into thinking that dried fruit is acceptable either. they will find your dried fruit in your luggage that you put under the bus and single you out in front of all the customs officers and your fellow travellers. embarrassed is an understatement when this happens 2 seconds after already happening.
5. appreciate the beauty of the andes that surround you as you travel through chile.
6. know when your flights are.
as we roll into santiago, thinking we have like 3 hours to get all of our errands done before we leave for punta arenas...we happen to check our itinerary and realize that we actually have 2 nights in santiago. it was a relief to see that we were smarter than we thought. but not so relieving that we had been such idiots and forgot when we were actually leaving.
7. figure out why your ATM card works where your traveling partner will live but his doesn't...and yours doesn't where you will live and his does.
8. be thankful for the metro tickets given to you by a couple in Mendoza.
we rode the metro using the free metro tickets and got off at the bella vistas stop and found ourselves at the entrance of the most beautiful hostel: Andes Hostel. it was clean, safe, and such a treat. the fact that i trusted them enough to use their towel says something right there.
9. treat yourself to a nice dinner if you havent eaten all day because you have no chilean pesos and your remaining food gets confiscated at customs.
10. cover your eyes when a young boy is beaten quite violently because he stole a mans wallet. and don't be alarmed if onlookers join in.
11. be cautious of going out with a chilean on your first night in santiago.
we went out with a chilean and an australian from the hostel and ended up walking far to far...and finding ouselves in a super sketchy area. the chilean was totally excited about taking us there but i got so freaked out that i made everyone leave soon after we got there. once my spanish gets better i am sure i will be more confident...but for now, i did not like getting eye raped everywhere and having homeless people offering me god knows what.
Gracias Coca
Feb. 1
Rabbit, Rabbit! except i forgot to say it...
things i learned:
1. when a man in his late 60s clutches his lungs, takes a big puff from his inhaler, and staggars into bed at 4am... it does not mean that he is dying. at least not immediately.
2. Lagares hostel is mucho mejor.
3. taking the bus to Maipu (where the bodegas are located) is 4 times longer than taking the bus back to Mendoza (which we had done the day before). also, make sure to get an address of the little old lady you are going to rent bikes from so you dont have to be smushing your face against the window, hoping you might recognize something. anything.
4. accept uvas (grapes) that come straight off the vine because they are the most delicious thing you will ever taste. especially on a hot day. and pick a bike with a basket so you can carry them along.
5. always listen to the locals about which bodegas are open...and none of the guidebooks. because they will all be wrong and trick you into thinking some are open when they are clearly not. and dont spend 45 min. trying to prove them wrong.
6. enjoy the 15km bikeride to the last bodega (11). you are shaded by a canopy of trees and it is like you are biking into some type of utopia. and the scenery is spectacular. both left and right you will find vineyards and olive groves. and the view of the andes is incredible.
Carinae-this bodega was lovely and had a lot of character. everything is based off of constellations. everyone was very friendly and because it was the French vineyard, spoke French. they gave us a nice tour and wine tasting. we splurged and got the more expensive package that included:
Torrontes, Octans (their special wine which you can only purchase at the vineyard), Syrah (Gran Reserva), and Presitge (their most expensive blend). we liked the Syrah the best.
7. take notes when tasting wine so you know what to look for next time
first, put the glass on its side and look at the color. the older the better for red wines and an older wine will not have a lot of color difference between the center and the edge.
second, smell for the primary scents (fruit flavors).
third, swirl the wine around. smell for secondary scents which include flowers, etc.
depending on how long the wine was in the barrel, the wine may or may not have tertiary scents.
fourth, check out the legs. the more spread out they are, the less alcohol it contains. and the faster they move down the glass, the denser it is (has spent more time in the barrel and thus, has more body).
darker colors in general mean that the wine is more concentrated.
8. sweet talk the owners of the bodegas to let you ride around their vineyard.
we spent a great deal of time just exploring the vineyard, picking uvas, and drinking wine under the acetuna (olive) trees. life could not get much better!
8. be skeptical of why no one rents bikes on Sundays.
when we arrived at the bodega, they were SHOCKED to see us (as bikers). they indicated that no one rents out bikes on sunday because it is much more dangerous due to the fact that no one rents out bikes on sunday!
when we were having our almuerzo (that they so kindly provided), the owner came out to keep us company. she starts relating scary happenings in mendoza that i could not understand because she was talking french. i kept looking to xavier and shara (who knew some french), but they did not really fill me in very well. even though i could not understand what she was saying, i knew it could not be good since she kept motioning a gun to her head. NOT comforting.
9. embrace being escorted by a man named Coco (from the bike rental) on a motor scooter.
apparently, the family that we rented bikes from started getting afriad for us as it got later into the day, so they came to our rescue. he not only brought us back safe and sound, but treated us to a cerveza. he was probably toasting to the fact we were alivea and well...nevertheless, it was very fun. he explained to us that his name was Francisco Coca but Lonely Planet found him and published his name as Coco...so that is what he has to go by now. Nice work, Lonely Planet.
10. do not try and get a taxi on a night when La Boca and River are playing futbol against each other. you will not succeed.
shara's bus back to BA was at 8:30 and by 8:10 we still did not have a taxi. we finally, after much effort, flag one down and tell them she has 15 min. until her bus leaves. he speeds us to la estacion de omnibus where we frantically find her terminal. after sprinting all over the tarnation, we push and shove her to the right bus and say a quick and hectic goodbye. we will miss her!!!!
Rabbit, Rabbit! except i forgot to say it...
things i learned:
1. when a man in his late 60s clutches his lungs, takes a big puff from his inhaler, and staggars into bed at 4am... it does not mean that he is dying. at least not immediately.
2. Lagares hostel is mucho mejor.
3. taking the bus to Maipu (where the bodegas are located) is 4 times longer than taking the bus back to Mendoza (which we had done the day before). also, make sure to get an address of the little old lady you are going to rent bikes from so you dont have to be smushing your face against the window, hoping you might recognize something. anything.
4. accept uvas (grapes) that come straight off the vine because they are the most delicious thing you will ever taste. especially on a hot day. and pick a bike with a basket so you can carry them along.
5. always listen to the locals about which bodegas are open...and none of the guidebooks. because they will all be wrong and trick you into thinking some are open when they are clearly not. and dont spend 45 min. trying to prove them wrong.
6. enjoy the 15km bikeride to the last bodega (11). you are shaded by a canopy of trees and it is like you are biking into some type of utopia. and the scenery is spectacular. both left and right you will find vineyards and olive groves. and the view of the andes is incredible.
Carinae-this bodega was lovely and had a lot of character. everything is based off of constellations. everyone was very friendly and because it was the French vineyard, spoke French. they gave us a nice tour and wine tasting. we splurged and got the more expensive package that included:
Torrontes, Octans (their special wine which you can only purchase at the vineyard), Syrah (Gran Reserva), and Presitge (their most expensive blend). we liked the Syrah the best.
7. take notes when tasting wine so you know what to look for next time
first, put the glass on its side and look at the color. the older the better for red wines and an older wine will not have a lot of color difference between the center and the edge.
second, smell for the primary scents (fruit flavors).
third, swirl the wine around. smell for secondary scents which include flowers, etc.
depending on how long the wine was in the barrel, the wine may or may not have tertiary scents.
fourth, check out the legs. the more spread out they are, the less alcohol it contains. and the faster they move down the glass, the denser it is (has spent more time in the barrel and thus, has more body).
darker colors in general mean that the wine is more concentrated.
8. sweet talk the owners of the bodegas to let you ride around their vineyard.
we spent a great deal of time just exploring the vineyard, picking uvas, and drinking wine under the acetuna (olive) trees. life could not get much better!
8. be skeptical of why no one rents bikes on Sundays.
when we arrived at the bodega, they were SHOCKED to see us (as bikers). they indicated that no one rents out bikes on sunday because it is much more dangerous due to the fact that no one rents out bikes on sunday!
when we were having our almuerzo (that they so kindly provided), the owner came out to keep us company. she starts relating scary happenings in mendoza that i could not understand because she was talking french. i kept looking to xavier and shara (who knew some french), but they did not really fill me in very well. even though i could not understand what she was saying, i knew it could not be good since she kept motioning a gun to her head. NOT comforting.
9. embrace being escorted by a man named Coco (from the bike rental) on a motor scooter.
apparently, the family that we rented bikes from started getting afriad for us as it got later into the day, so they came to our rescue. he not only brought us back safe and sound, but treated us to a cerveza. he was probably toasting to the fact we were alivea and well...nevertheless, it was very fun. he explained to us that his name was Francisco Coca but Lonely Planet found him and published his name as Coco...so that is what he has to go by now. Nice work, Lonely Planet.
10. do not try and get a taxi on a night when La Boca and River are playing futbol against each other. you will not succeed.
shara's bus back to BA was at 8:30 and by 8:10 we still did not have a taxi. we finally, after much effort, flag one down and tell them she has 15 min. until her bus leaves. he speeds us to la estacion de omnibus where we frantically find her terminal. after sprinting all over the tarnation, we push and shove her to the right bus and say a quick and hectic goodbye. we will miss her!!!!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
mendoza!
Jan. 31
1. get a bus to mendoza that doesnt stop every 3 hours.
we stopped like 4 times during the night. everytime i opened my eyes i felt like we were entering an even sketchier bus terminal. the one good thing about getting woken up in the middle of the night was I got to see the incredible stars. it was just beautiful.
we stopped like 4 times during the night. everytime i opened my eyes i felt like we were entering an even sketchier bus terminal. the one good thing about getting woken up in the middle of the night was I got to see the incredible stars. it was just beautiful.
2. do NOT, under any circumstance, stay at the Lifehouse hostel.
in a desperate attempt to get a hostel, we just called one and booked ourselves. how different could hostels really be? WRONG. so very wrong. we get in and the only people there are locals. no foreigners. the guy at the front shows us to our room. which we think is perfect because it is a room of 4 and there are three of us. we walk in to find a guy in his late 60´s who has CLEARLY moved into the room and has been living there for a long time. it reaks of smoke and i see 3 packs of cigarrets on his night stand. ironically, next to them are 3 inhalers. he has all his toileteries lined nicely in the bathroom. his dirty laundry on the chair. and his clothes hung and folded perfectly in the closet. WEIRD. SKETCHY. TERRIFYING. are all words that came to my head.
in a desperate attempt to get a hostel, we just called one and booked ourselves. how different could hostels really be? WRONG. so very wrong. we get in and the only people there are locals. no foreigners. the guy at the front shows us to our room. which we think is perfect because it is a room of 4 and there are three of us. we walk in to find a guy in his late 60´s who has CLEARLY moved into the room and has been living there for a long time. it reaks of smoke and i see 3 packs of cigarrets on his night stand. ironically, next to them are 3 inhalers. he has all his toileteries lined nicely in the bathroom. his dirty laundry on the chair. and his clothes hung and folded perfectly in the closet. WEIRD. SKETCHY. TERRIFYING. are all words that came to my head.
i then find out that there is only one key to our room. ONE. how crazy is that? then i find out there are no security lockers. at this point, Shara and i want to move...ASAP. so xavier, kind as he is, goes on the hunt to try and find a different place for us to stay. after a lot of effort, he came back with not many possibilities.
3. dont come to mendoza on a saturday afternoon and only have sunday to visit the bodegas. but, if that happens, dont take no for an answer.
we find out that the bodegas, the wineries, close at 6pm and are not open tomorrow since it is Sunday. at this point i am freaking out. we did NOT come all this way to not go to the bodegas. so we lock our stuff up in the main office and get a ride to bikesandwine, a bike company for touring the bodegas. people keep telling us that it was too late to go to the bodegas, but we were persistant and got ourselves to the bodega in time to see 2 of them!
El Cerno-that was the first bodega we went to (6). we tried 3 different wines and I liked the Malbec best
La Familia de Tomaso-the second bodega (7). it was super cute. the tour and wine tasting was much better. it was much more informative and personal. we tried 3 Malbecs: a young, an older, and really old. we also got to try the families first attempt at their own variety. it was very sweet and more like a dessert wine.
4. not all steak is created equal.
i ordered what i thought xavier got the other night and when it came out, i swear they had just cut the fat off of everyone elses steak and tossed it on my plate. gross. luckily shara and xavier were generous enough to share.
5. dont put on a fan if there has been smoke in the room. and dont dare move if you are in a Lifehouse hostel bed...you might kill the person underneath you.
3. dont come to mendoza on a saturday afternoon and only have sunday to visit the bodegas. but, if that happens, dont take no for an answer.
we find out that the bodegas, the wineries, close at 6pm and are not open tomorrow since it is Sunday. at this point i am freaking out. we did NOT come all this way to not go to the bodegas. so we lock our stuff up in the main office and get a ride to bikesandwine, a bike company for touring the bodegas. people keep telling us that it was too late to go to the bodegas, but we were persistant and got ourselves to the bodega in time to see 2 of them!
El Cerno-that was the first bodega we went to (6). we tried 3 different wines and I liked the Malbec best
La Familia de Tomaso-the second bodega (7). it was super cute. the tour and wine tasting was much better. it was much more informative and personal. we tried 3 Malbecs: a young, an older, and really old. we also got to try the families first attempt at their own variety. it was very sweet and more like a dessert wine.
4. not all steak is created equal.
i ordered what i thought xavier got the other night and when it came out, i swear they had just cut the fat off of everyone elses steak and tossed it on my plate. gross. luckily shara and xavier were generous enough to share.
5. dont put on a fan if there has been smoke in the room. and dont dare move if you are in a Lifehouse hostel bed...you might kill the person underneath you.
errands
Jan. 30
today was a dreaded ¨get everything organized¨day. luckily it poured all day so we weren´t missing a nice day. we decided last night that we wanted to go to mendoza a day early. i was really happy about this decision not only because we´d heard such great things about mendoza, but now i will still have plenty to see when andrew comes to visit!
first thing in the morning, we go to the bus station and get bus tickets. then we spent the rest of the day getting an Argentine cellphone and other camping gear.
we packed up and left the hostel a bit later than we would have liked. it was a miracle we made it on our bus. the bus station was probably one of the CRAZIEST places i have ever been. it was seriously insane. we think our bus is at terminal 4, when in fact we find out our ticket says ¨4 a 14¨...meaning it could be anywhere from 4 to 14. how is that at all helpful? finally, after popping in and out of the terminal and checking the board we find our bus. which is Tramat...even though we bought our tickets with Andesbus.
off for a 20 hour bus ride! woohoo. luckily we got semicamas, so we can hopefully get a little sleep.
today was a dreaded ¨get everything organized¨day. luckily it poured all day so we weren´t missing a nice day. we decided last night that we wanted to go to mendoza a day early. i was really happy about this decision not only because we´d heard such great things about mendoza, but now i will still have plenty to see when andrew comes to visit!
first thing in the morning, we go to the bus station and get bus tickets. then we spent the rest of the day getting an Argentine cellphone and other camping gear.
we packed up and left the hostel a bit later than we would have liked. it was a miracle we made it on our bus. the bus station was probably one of the CRAZIEST places i have ever been. it was seriously insane. we think our bus is at terminal 4, when in fact we find out our ticket says ¨4 a 14¨...meaning it could be anywhere from 4 to 14. how is that at all helpful? finally, after popping in and out of the terminal and checking the board we find our bus. which is Tramat...even though we bought our tickets with Andesbus.
off for a 20 hour bus ride! woohoo. luckily we got semicamas, so we can hopefully get a little sleep.
seeing BA by foot and bike
1. the breakfast was underwhelming. they tried to serve me 3% milk...sick.
2. some people had bed bugs. and xavier let me in on the fact he had seen 2 cucarachas. except i need not worry because the first one he kicked into the drain. fabulous.
3. i went to Recoleta cemetary with my new friend Steve. i met him the previous night and he offered to keep me company siteseeing while Xavier was at his interview. i took him up on it when he leans in and whispers ¨the best part is that I am twice your age...and gay.¨ i could not have been happier!! i knew we would have a great time. the cemetary was like its own town. it was incredible. i saw eva peron´s grave.
4. steve and i took a walking tour around the north of BA and had a lovely lunch before i took the cab to meet Xavier in San Telmo. Steve gave me lots of good traveling tips including how to avoid getting ripped off by cab drivers and how to avoid bed bugs.
5. in San Telmo, Xavier and I took a bike ride around the south of BA. we went by a beautiful plaza, la Boca (la camineta), the 2nd most polluted river in the world, the ecological reserve, rio plata (the 2nd widest river in the world-it was like a brown ocean), Puerto Madera, and Plaza de Mayo (FYI casa rosada is not pink because the president is a woman).
6. we had dinner at a very nice restaurant with our new friend Shara from Canada. i learned that a waldorf salad here consists of:
apples, walnuts, and palm hearts on a bed of celery.
7. we went to a salsa club later that night. but i was so freaking tired by the time everyone went out, it was not all that fun. i am really going to have to get used to the fact that people really don´t go out until midnight. it is a crazy and scary realization.
2. some people had bed bugs. and xavier let me in on the fact he had seen 2 cucarachas. except i need not worry because the first one he kicked into the drain. fabulous.
3. i went to Recoleta cemetary with my new friend Steve. i met him the previous night and he offered to keep me company siteseeing while Xavier was at his interview. i took him up on it when he leans in and whispers ¨the best part is that I am twice your age...and gay.¨ i could not have been happier!! i knew we would have a great time. the cemetary was like its own town. it was incredible. i saw eva peron´s grave.
4. steve and i took a walking tour around the north of BA and had a lovely lunch before i took the cab to meet Xavier in San Telmo. Steve gave me lots of good traveling tips including how to avoid getting ripped off by cab drivers and how to avoid bed bugs.
5. in San Telmo, Xavier and I took a bike ride around the south of BA. we went by a beautiful plaza, la Boca (la camineta), the 2nd most polluted river in the world, the ecological reserve, rio plata (the 2nd widest river in the world-it was like a brown ocean), Puerto Madera, and Plaza de Mayo (FYI casa rosada is not pink because the president is a woman).
6. we had dinner at a very nice restaurant with our new friend Shara from Canada. i learned that a waldorf salad here consists of:
apples, walnuts, and palm hearts on a bed of celery.
7. we went to a salsa club later that night. but i was so freaking tired by the time everyone went out, it was not all that fun. i am really going to have to get used to the fact that people really don´t go out until midnight. it is a crazy and scary realization.
safe and sound!
Jan. 28
I met Xavier at the Buenos Aires airport and his friend Pablo brought us to our hostel: Tango Backpackers. The hostel was super hidden, but I figured it was probably for security reasons.
Some highlights thus far include:
1. realizing that there is a time difference in BA, 3 hours ahead.
2. finding a nasty ass crawling beetle or spider, not sure which, in the orange I purchased in the Miami airport
3. when I went to go brush my teeth, i realized that i left my nalgene on the plane...already losing stuff? not a good sign (don{t worry, my assertive self got it back)
4. i got a migraine in my eye for the first time in years so i couldn{t tell for the longest time that xavier was waving to me since i could only see out of my right eye
5. i had my first meal and it was repulsive. good thing my dad bought me so much dried fruit and trail mix! cross something like a pancake with gross veggies and a sick red sauce off my list!
6. pablo is a precious man who freaked out when he gave me a kiss hello saying that he{s sorry for doing that since it is not the custom in the states.
7. i made my first atm withdrawal and xavier had to help me figure out that it was touch screen...
8. our hostel is super cute and we are staying in a room of 6 total. a weird experience, but i´m sure it is just the first of many.
9. i went on a run to explore a little and found a zoo that smelled really bad, a beautiful plaza that was getting totally littered with dog poop as there are a lot of dog walkers with like 14 different dogs per walker, and roads that made me want to kill myself with all the dust that i was inhaling
10. xavier and i walked around for a long time and found a lot of cute places. then we got lost for a horribly extended period of time. we got to see a LOT more of the city than we intended on. but we also got to practice our spanish and hack our way back to our hostel. NOTE TO SELF: make sure that one traveling partner has written down the address of our hostel. oh, and bring a map too.
11. we tried to make friends with some of the kids in the hostel. but then i realized how exhausted i was so i went to bed. TOTALLY broke out the hostel liner my parents got me for Christmas and coiuldnt be happier crawling into that instead of the alternative.
I met Xavier at the Buenos Aires airport and his friend Pablo brought us to our hostel: Tango Backpackers. The hostel was super hidden, but I figured it was probably for security reasons.
Some highlights thus far include:
1. realizing that there is a time difference in BA, 3 hours ahead.
2. finding a nasty ass crawling beetle or spider, not sure which, in the orange I purchased in the Miami airport
3. when I went to go brush my teeth, i realized that i left my nalgene on the plane...already losing stuff? not a good sign (don{t worry, my assertive self got it back)
4. i got a migraine in my eye for the first time in years so i couldn{t tell for the longest time that xavier was waving to me since i could only see out of my right eye
5. i had my first meal and it was repulsive. good thing my dad bought me so much dried fruit and trail mix! cross something like a pancake with gross veggies and a sick red sauce off my list!
6. pablo is a precious man who freaked out when he gave me a kiss hello saying that he{s sorry for doing that since it is not the custom in the states.
7. i made my first atm withdrawal and xavier had to help me figure out that it was touch screen...
8. our hostel is super cute and we are staying in a room of 6 total. a weird experience, but i´m sure it is just the first of many.
9. i went on a run to explore a little and found a zoo that smelled really bad, a beautiful plaza that was getting totally littered with dog poop as there are a lot of dog walkers with like 14 different dogs per walker, and roads that made me want to kill myself with all the dust that i was inhaling
10. xavier and i walked around for a long time and found a lot of cute places. then we got lost for a horribly extended period of time. we got to see a LOT more of the city than we intended on. but we also got to practice our spanish and hack our way back to our hostel. NOTE TO SELF: make sure that one traveling partner has written down the address of our hostel. oh, and bring a map too.
11. we tried to make friends with some of the kids in the hostel. but then i realized how exhausted i was so i went to bed. TOTALLY broke out the hostel liner my parents got me for Christmas and coiuldnt be happier crawling into that instead of the alternative.
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