Last Week in Buenos Aires

We loved Buenos Aires so much the first time around that we decided to spend our last week in Argentina back in this lively city. This time around was a mix of sight seeing, fine dining, going out and taking care of some odds and ends in preparation for our return home. Highlights of the week included...

Fine Dining for less than $40
Both of us thoroughly enjoy fine dining with fancy cuisine and a good bottle of wine. When we are in the US, the fine dining experience only happens a couple times a year because the bill adds up. But with the exchange rate in BA - and the excess of good cheap beef - a fine dining experience is quite affordable. So we decided to splurge and spend a hunk of our daily budget on trying new restaurants for dinner all over town. We went to a mix of bistros and steak houses, Mexican and Middle Eastern. We savored every flavor and the perfectly cooked meat (sorry if anyone reading is vegetarian), and of course tried a new type of wine each evening. In addition to the food and drink, our dinners out also gave us a lot of relaxed face-time together to reflect on our experiences over the past year and talk about what we are excited and anxious about for our return home. Tonight is our last evening in BA before our 11:30PM departure...and we are planning on one last nice meal out.

Exploring the City
Since we weren´t taking Spanish classes this time around, pretty much every day we ventured to a new area of the city to explore the sights. We went to the zoo and saw some very interesting animals we hadn't seen before, we visited the modern art and Evita museums, we roamed around a handful of different parks, and we even did a little shopping at the markets and street malls.

Exploring the Night Life
Last time we were in BA, we certainly got out and about, but we had to get up at 7:30AM every morning for Spanish class. This time, we could stay out (and sleep in) as late as we wanted...sometimes we were in by 1AM (early by Argentina standards) and sometimes we stayed out till 5AM (still relatively early by Argentine clubbing standards!). We had some nights out on our own and a few good social nights. One of Eric's former colleagues from Cypress was in BA with her husband (Tess and Simon) so we had the chance to meet up with them for dinner and drinks. We also met with an American friend we met in New Zealand 5 years ago (Dave) and made some friends at our hostel. Our night life was a mix of live music, clubbing, and bar hopping (at one bar, Tess made friends with a very eccentric bar owner who gave us free drinks...thank you Tess!)


Preparing for Our Return
Now that we are only a few weeks from our return to the "real world," we have begun thinking and planning for our arrival. We had some time to catch up on US and World news, Eric has been researching the latest happenings in Silicon Valley, and we spent some time touching base with friends and colleagues. Our first month back is likely to be crazy as we settle back into jobs, look for a place to live and get caught up on what we've missed in the last year. But there is much to look forward to and we are excited to get back into the swing of things.

But before we do...we still have one last adventure in the Caribbean to soak up the sun, drink some mojitos and enjoy the colorful culture. Stay tuned for stories from our last few weeks!

Mariah and Eric

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

OK so there are water falls and there are WATER FALLS....

Need another example...

Well most people should have the point by now. This was a painful excursion costing us close to 40hrs of bus time to get to Puerto Iguazu from Cordoba and back to Buenos Aires...and yet, at the end of it, we were both extactic about the experience and would sacrifice the time again in an instant.

Over the course of our 23 hr bus trip from Cordoba to Iguazu, we passed through the arid wine country and miles of farmland into the subtropical rainforest that begins in Northern Argentina and continues up through Brazil. The change was gradual through the windows of our bus, but when we stepped off the bus (thanking God for surviving the epic journey), we immediately noticed the muggy weather and our rain forest surroundings...and all the fun wildlife that comes with the jungle.

We promptly found our hostel and had a quiet night in prep for our all-day adventure in the national park the following day.

The next day felt like we were kids again and going to Disneyland. It is important to note that the actual Iguazu Falls are divided between the Argentina/Brazilian border and most people go to both sides to see the falls from all angles. However, due to the high visa cost for Americans, it made more sense for us to cover the Argentina side in detail and take nice photos of the the Brazilian side without crossing the border. All in all, we had a full day of trekking on the "Lower Path," the "Upper Path," and on the island situated in front and center of the falls. The ultimate experience though was taking the train and foot path to the ¨Devil´s Throat¨ waterfall. This is the highlight of any trip to Iguazu. You literally feel like an early explorer ignoring the rumors of the ¨end of the earth¨and then finding yourself on the edge of the abyss waiting on the other side of the ocean (if of course the world was flat). Another way to describe the experience is exactly as the falls are named...like you are getting ready to be swallowed down a giant esophagus.

As it typically does in rain forests, it dumped rain for about the last hour of our trip, so our time at the ¨Devil´s Throat¨was a little extra wet which only added the the experience!

Click on video below to see the¨Devil´s Throat¨

We are now converts to the fact that no trip to Argentina or Brazil is complete without the side trip to see this amazing feat of nature and would highly recommend the experience to all crowds. It is now time to head back down to Buenos Aires to do some final shopping and enjoy our last weekend in the city that never sleeps before we head to our last stops in the Caribbean and Mexico...

Central Argentina: Mendoza and Cordoba

Since the weather wasn´t getting any warmer in Patagonia, we figured it was time to head north and follow the sun, so we boarded the bus for a 19 hour ride to central Argentina. Finally, we were in a region populated enough to get one of the more luxury buses that have almost fully reclining seats, food, wine, etc...so the long trip was at least bearable and we were able to sleep.

Mendoza - Wine Country
Once we arrived in Mendoza, we found ourselves a cozy little hostel owned by a very friendly local named Javier (and his cute little dog called Tronco). We enjoyed chatting with Javier over the course of our 3 day stay about the local area, his background and Argentian current events. It was MUCH warmer in Mendoza and reminded us a lot of home in California. The city has many nice plazas and pedestrian areas for shopping, sipping coffee and people watching, and there are a plethora of restaurants with good steak and wine. We spent 2 days roaming the city and just hanging out - enjoying a Sunday picnic at the huge local park and watching all the kids run around crushing Autumn leaves, book shopping for a couple new good novels to read, and then reading our books in the main plaza to soak up the mid-day sun and get a feel for the city. It was very relaxing.

Since Mendoza is the country´s wine capital, we of course also spent a day wine tasting. The area most accessible to tourists is called Maipu and is about 30 mins from Mendoza. We took the local bus there and rented bikes for the day to tour around at our own pace.

We began our tour at the wine museum housed in the La Rural bodega (winery). They had some cool wine making artifacts from centuries past and we got to try a taste of their "Museum" label, which is only for visitors (i.e., the bottom of the barrel free stuff). We spent over an hour here exploring other parts of the winery on our own and having a picnic lunch in their back garden. Our second stop was a liquor and chocolate factory where for 5 pesos you got to taste several types of chocolate, some jam preserves and a shot of your choice of sweet liquor (we had Irish Cream and Chocolate). Then on to the next two wineries Tempus Alba and Viña El Cerno - the first had a nice wine bar and patio overlooking the vineyard, and the other was a family run place with simple facilities but a very authentic feel (there were family members in the back of the tasting room hand labeling bottles). Our final stop of the day was at the bodega Familia Di Tommaso, a very nice winery with a social ambiance - they had a group wine tasting where they sat you down with others and explained each wine before pouring you a sip. At this winery, we met two fun Irish guys who we met for dinner and drinks later that evening in Mendoza.

In general, the Maipu wine country was not exactly what we were expecting from our wine tasting experiences in Napa and New Zealand...the vineyards and bodegas are in an area that is fairly developed in a "dusty-small-town" kind of way. The main road we pedaled along was quite busy with passing trucks and cars and was a mix of pavement, dirt and construction areas. The bodegas were usually a short ride from the main road so thankfully were in slightly more peaceful settings. Each bodega had its own style of "tasting" - for example, at some places you had to buy the wine by the glass, at other places it was more like Napa where you paid one fee and tasted several wines. A couple of the wineries were more formal and fancy and others were more "mom and pop" style and very informal. Unlike in the US, pretty much all the wineries would let you wander around the vineyards and facilities. It was neat to roam amongst the gigantic cedar barrels and to see the wine making process live right in front of your eyes as people hand-labeled bottles, used machines to crush the grapes and worked in the rooms with huge metals containers used for fermentation. In the entire Maipu area, there are only about 5 or 6 wineries you can visit, in addition to the liquor and chocolate factory and an olive oil place. And despite the bike maps making everything seem very close, the area is deceivingly spaced out...as we learned pedaling between 4-8 kms between bodegas (not complaining, it was good exercise!). However, while it wasn´t necessarily what we expected (we should know better than to presume), it was a wonderful day and we certainly recommend the experience.

Cordoba - The Heart of Argentina
We took a 10-hour night bus from Mendoza to Cordoba, Argentina´s most thriving university town and both a cultural and historical center of the country. It´s also said that the people in this part of the country are some of the most welcoming, which we found to be true in both Cordoba and Mendoza...the people were SO friendly. We spent 3 days in Cordoba...

The first two days we explored the city on foot and checked out the city´s numerous churches, old architecture, universities and the Jesuit Crypt (which was a bit anti-climatic because it was never actually in use). We also spent time again in the plazas reading and people watching as we did in Mendoza to get a feel for the place. It was quite cute to watch one little girl with angel wings on buy bird seed and feed the pigeons...that is, until two other little mischievous little girls stormed the flock and sent the angel off crying to daddy. Kids are the same everywhere. :)

Again, a highlight of our time in Cordoba was an outing to some attractions about an hour outside the city in the small town of Alta Garcia. We booked the tour through our hostel and due to a misunderstanding were not able to go the first day. So, being the overly nice and accommodating people they are, they arranged for us to take a private tour the next day. Our guides were Herman (the hostel´s owner) and Diego (a local student and musician who works at the hostel). On the drive, we learned a ton of local and national history...Herman took time to explain about the country´s financial crash in early 2000´s, told some local stories and also answered our many questions about politics, religion, history and the current farmer´s strike due to outrageous tax increases on the part of the government. He spoke in Spanish (very clearly and slowly for us) and anything we didn´t understand, Diego helped to translate in English. We were quite proud, however, because we understood about 90% of what he told us. Having Herman and Diego as our guides was truly the highlight of the outing.

While out and about, we visited the former Jesuit Estancia in Alta Garcia, which was a major source of food for the city of Cordoba around the time the university was getting up and running. I failed to mention that it was in Cordoba that South America´s first university was founded by the Jesuits and is one reason why the city is still a major place of learning and culture. We also visited the Che Guevara museum housed in his childhood home on a quiet street in Alta Garcia. After seeing the movie "Motorcycle Diaries" and Eric having read the original book, it was incredibly interesting to see where he grew up, learn about his childhood, formative years and transformation into a revolutionary, and see photos and the motorbike he used on his first South American adventure.

Next...
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the center of the country and think we will want to return here again one day to explore more. For now, time is ticking so we head North-East towards the famous Igauzu Falls that are a "must see" on any trip to Argentina...

Patagonia Part 7: Bariloche

From El Bolson, we headed 2 hours north to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina´s Lake District. Bariloche is both a popular national and international destination, known for its pristine lakes, great hiking in summer, excellent skiing in winter and, most famously, for its chocolate. We were skeptical at first about the rave reviews of the chocolate, but once we tried it we were converted and bought ourselves a sizable assorted bag - which of course didn´t last as long as we hoped.

Thanks to a tip from our friends Yaron and Dorit (who we met in Torres Del Paine), we secured a nice little studio apartment in the heart of the old town with perfect views of the massive Nahuel Huapi Lake. We also ran into our Swiss friends from El Bolson (Chris and Sabine) and convinced them to stay in the same building so we could hang out. We arrived on the weekend, so spent a couple leisure days exploring the city, checking out the numerous chocolate and souvenir shops, seeing the terrible Hollywood flop "10,000 BC", and going to a Mexican restaurant where the margaritas were tasty, but the food only semi-authentic. We also spent time preparing for our last big hike in Patagonia in the Nahuel Huapi National Park. The weather was beginning to turn, so we were hopeful it would hold a few more days to allow us a good trek.

After visiting Club Andino (the supposed trek experts who actually weren´t that helpful) first thing Monday morning, we decided on our route. Chris and Sabine chose the same so we set off together on the bus to the start of the trek. The full circuit was supposed to take 5 days, but there were a number of alternative routes from the main trail in case of weather or other challenges. While we wanted to attempt the full track, we were strongly advised against it due to probable snow on the highest pass. Eric was game to attempt it if possible, I was a bit more leery.

Day one was fairly leisurely, skirting along the mountainside for some nice views of another of the national park´s lakes and then following above a river into a valley set in between a couple steep rocky mountains. Above the tree/shrub line were some very impressive rock formations - a few of them quite popular for rock climbers. The Refugio Frey sits at the edge of a small alpine lake (partly covered in ice this time of year) with excellent views of the spiring rock peaks. The hut keeper has a gigantic cat (we nicknamed him "little puma") that is quite the outdoor-kitty by day, but spends his evenings indoors on the laps of guests, most favorably men...he loved Eric and Chris and paid little attention to Sabine and I (both cat lovers).

Day two was another day of excellent weather - clear sky and sun, with just a slight bite of cold from the approaching winter. It was by far our most difficult day of the trek, and in my opinion, one of the most difficult days of trekking we´ve done in Patagonia. We began the day climbing out of the rock valley, up to the top of the mountain. This meant a lot of rock scrambling and a bit of climbing made more complicated by the patches of ice that had not melted in the shade. But teamwork and careful foot placement got us to the top...and we were rewarded with an incredible panoramic view of all the surrounding lakes and mountains. I was hoping our major climbing was finished...but I was not so lucky. We descended the very steep (and I´m not exaggerating when I say VERY steep) mountainside into the next valley, navigating once again the rocky terrain and eventually able to almost ski down the last bit of gravelly dirt. We had lunch on the edge of the forest in a sunny spot overlooking the boggy valley beyond. Then, we did it all again...climbed another rocky mountain, got to the top for more stunning views, and then descended a very steep mountainside to the next valley which had a lovely lake and rushing river. It was in this second valley that the Refugio San Martin sat, again next to the lovely alpine lake. The hut keeper here didn´t have a cat, but he did have a dog, a wife and a cute baby (just as good!). We spent the evening with Chris and Sabine and another fellow trekker from Utah cooking, playing cards and enjoying chocolate mousse for dessert (Chris and Sabine had discovered my weakness for sweets and were extremely gracious to share their chocolates and desserts!).

Day three...It rained (and snowed on the main pass) overnight, which meant the decision of whether to continue over the pass or follow the valley to an alternative end was easy. Though from what the hut keeper told us about the snow already accumulated on the pass, in addition to seeing a guy arrive the previous evening who had tried the pass and fallen injuring himself and losing or damaging a lot of his stuff, we had already pretty much decided that it would be safer to head back. We were happy that Chris and Sabine decided to join us and we made our way down the gorgeous valley. The hike was relatively easy compared to the day before, but it was still 4 hours and provided some great views of the mountains and river from a lower elevation.

When we got to the main road, we decided to walk another 5 kms to the small settlement of Colonia Suiza (Swiss Colony). We had heard great things about this little holiday village and since we were with two Swiss, we had to go there and try the Fondue (which was excellent). We found some nice cabañas (cabins) that had a rec room with TV and DVD player...after a few days of hiking, a bottle of wine and a good portion of Fondue, we were all quite happy to settle in and watch "James Bond: Casino Royale." And I also must mention our close encounter with a pet guanaco (he thought he was a dog) who followed us around while we explored the village.

The following day, we began hiking back towards Bariloche and were lucky (for the first time on this trip) to hitch a ride with little effort along the way. We took the bus the second half the way, admiring the many lakes and cute cabins (think Lake Tahoe) along the route back. The two couples separated to shower and run a few errands before we reunited for a last dinner together. We decided to cook in since we had an apartment...we provided the main dish of pasta and Chris and Sabine made a Couscous salad and brought a mouth watering (literally) apple strudel from the bakery. Strudel is a favorite in Switzerland and after the Fondue we had to round off our Swiss experience! We were quite sad to say goodbye to Chris and Sabine...they had been wonderful companions for 2 hikes and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. We are hoping they will decide to visit us this summer in California during their travels in the US. ;)

The following day we left Bariloche and Patagonia on a 19 hour bus bound for Mendoza - Argentina's wine country...

Patagonia Part 6: El Bolson

After our adventures in Southern Chile, we were ready to get back to Argentina where transport is a bit easier and prices are a bit cheaper. From the border we took a bus to El Bolson, an artsy community bordering yet another beautiful Patagonian National Park.

Our first day in El Bolson was all about recovery...after so many buses, trucks, etc. along the Austral Road, we were a bit travel weary and in need of a day of R&R. We found ourselves a cute little studio apartment and treated ourselves to a nice dinner, wine and dessert (ice cream and homemade chocolate). After we were refreshed, we began preparations for another 3-day hike around Cerro (Mt.) Heilo Azul we had scoped out in our Patagonian Trekking Guide.

Day one of the trek took us alongside a crystal clear river and over a VERY rickety bridge hanging almost sideways with numerous slats missing (we later found out the park service considers this bridge "closed," but we hadn´t checked with them and there was no sign). However, we made it safely across the river to begin the 1,000 meter ascent to the refugio Hielo Azul (Blue Ice), set in a lovely valley with a stream, bordered by pine forest and enclosed by high mountain walls. It´s autumn in South America so the fall colors are spectacular and make the hikes even more enjoyable...it also helps me feel the huffing and puffing uphill is worthwhile. :)

The refugio was a cool log cabin completely furnished with natural wood carved chairs, tables, and benches. It had the standard old-fashioned wood stove for cooking and also a small stove for heating the living area. Upstairs there was a loft with pads for sleeping, which was a nice change from our tent. And in addition to the hut to himself...and his girlfriend) who lived in a skeeper (who mostly keptmall enclosed area at the back, there was an adorable resident cat who fell in love with Eric. Another couple from Spain was also staying at the hut and the cabin felt cozy and warm with the fire, a hot meal, and good company.

The next day, we experienced the downside of the change in season...we had an entire day of pouring rain. Initially, we hoped the rain would subside so we could leave for the next refugio by early afternoon. No luck. Then we debated putting on our rain gear and roughing it, but after another couple from Argentina arrived completely soaked and miserably cold, we decided to wait it out at least until the next morning. So we spent the day reading, journaling, chatting, and relaxing...and did our best to combat the boredom of being stuck indoors. Later that evening, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared to reveal a perfect starry sky.

On day three of our hike, we got back to hiking and began the day with a 3-hour sidetrip up to the Hielo Azul Glacier. It was a perfectly clear and sunny day and we had incredible views down into the valley and also of the glacier. The trek included a bit of rock climbing (which I typically am not too fond of), but Eric provided good encouragement as we climbed, singing "spider girl, spider girl..." (Simpsons anyone?)

When we got back down the mountain, we began the walk to the next refugio Cajon De Azul, about 4 hours away. As we came to the next river crossing and found that the log "bridge" was a sheet of ice, we decided to choose another log upriver and had to eventually straddle and slide over it - just a little cold on the inner thighs! Not to worry though, we had a cheering squad on the other side...a couple from Switzerland (Chris and Sabine) had arrived on the opposite side of the bank...and after seeing us cross, decided not to attempt the log crawl and instead joined us. We climbed up a steep hill and arrived at Lago Natacion where we had lunch and they picked up their bags...then we continued on together around the lake and down the mountainside into the next valley where the refugio sits.

The refugio Cajon De Azul was really more of an estancia (ranch)...it had fenced in fields for the horses and livestock, a small orchard and gardens, and even a group of local gauchos (cowboys) enjoying a beer in the dining area when we arrived. Like the previous cabin, it also had plenty of carved wooden furniture, a wood stove, and a sleeping loft. We were joined by the Spanish couple again and another 2 girls from Argentina and Turkey who had come from the other direction. We all sat around drinking tea and mate (the typical Argentian herbal drink) and watched as the local owners brought in a huge slab of beef and prepared a traditional meal of Milanesa and potatoes for dinner. This place felt culturally authentic and incredibly comfortable - we could have easily stayed here several more days.

On day four, we sadly left the estancia after breakfast, waving goodbye to t gates and headed down the valley to the end of the trek. As we followed the general course of the rihe gauchos saddling their horses as we walked out thever out of the valley, we were afforded some more excellent views of the area...and some more great exercise as we climbed up and down the path. Chris and Sabine joined us today too and we enjoyed a nice lunch by the river before finishing the hike and catching the local bus back into town.

We checked back into our little studio apartment and decided to head to the grocery store to see what we could make ourselves for dinner. You should never go to the grocery store when you are hungry...we ended up cooking a feast of Milanesa, potatoes, veges, and cake for way more than 2 people. We certainly went to bed fat and happy, and ready to continue on our journey the next day to Bariloche...