Patagonia Part 3: Glaciers National Park

After our time hiking in Torres Del Paine and a long and bumpy bus ride back across the Argentian border, we arrived to the area known as Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Our first stop was a very touristy town called Calafate. We probably would have skipped over this town if it wasn´t for the access to Glacier Perito Moreno, one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating, but in fact occassionally advancing.

We had met a trio of fellow travelers from the US and Germany in Torres Del Paine (Dylan, Dave and Sandy) who we decided to partner with to rent a car to go and see this natural wonder. Unfortunately, it was Easter weekend so finding an available car was quite the task...but we eventually prevailed and got ourselves and true POS (piece of S!$&*) to make the 100 km trip. While the car (with half a bumper) wasn´t the best deal in town, it did get us from A to B and allowed us more freedom (and a cheaper price) than taking the tourist bus.

When we arrived, we understood why this attraction is indeed a "must see." The glacier is a mammoth river of ice that pours down from several huge valleys and ends at the base of its glacial lake. The sheer size and awe of the thing is hard to put into words...and it´s constantly cracking and calving off into the water. If you sit there and stare long enough (which we did) you can see chunks breaking off into the water followed by what sounds like deep grumbles of thunder. We spent several hours walking along all the board walks to get a variety of views and to watch the glacial show. It was pretty awesome.

After our return from the glacier, we treated ourselves to a "tenedor libre" (all you can eat buffet) at a local restaurant which included unlimited access to the BBQ (Eric´s favorite), rows of salads and potatoes, and a mulitude of desserts (my favorite). Since we had no reason to hang around too long, we left the next day to the tiny town of El Chalten, which is at the main entrance to Glaciers National Park and a variety of cool hikes. El Chalten is also a popular destination for Argentians and since it was Easter weekend, there wasn´t a bed in town. But no problem, we have a tent. Once we found a place to store our extra stuff, we set off on a 4-day excursion into the park.

The first afternoon of hiking was relatively easy after we climbed our way out of town and into the park. We camped by a rushing river near Lago Torre and spent the next morning exploring the area of the glacial lake and enjoying the serenity of the nature. On Easter morning, we had the pleasure of seeing a huge Condor cirlce and dive through the air above us on the ridge above the lake - a nice reminder to pause and reflect on life and creation. In the afternoon, we made our way over a small mountain, through a valley of lakes and to our next camp site near the base of the famed Mt. Fitzroy. This rocky peak (popular with experienced mountain climbers) towers above all others and is surrounded on all sides by glaciers. We were lucky to have great weather for most our time in the park that allowed outstanding views and photo ops of Mt. Fitzroy.

We camped for 2 nights at this site and used it as a jumping off point for a couple nice day hikes. One hike was up the rocky river valley boulder hopping to Laguna Sucia at the base of Mt. Fitzroy and surrounding peaks. We sat at the base of the lake in awe as we watched the waterfalls tumble from the glacier and then looked above to admire the sheer and towering rock mountains. Amazing. Our second day hike was to another nearby glacier called Pideras Blancas and then down the main river valley for a couple hours...again, wonderful views and lovely scenery. On day four, we decided it was time for a bed so we made our way back to town and settled in at a very cozy hostel run by an older Argetenian guy who resembled Santa Claus. The fireplace, wooden table, and comfy chairs and hot shower made this place perfect for some R&R.

When we were in Ushuaia, a fellow traveler recommended a route from El Chalten to Villa O´Higgins (in Chile) that is off the beaten tourist track. He sparked our interest and after some research we found it would be possible to make the journey and hike over the border (more in the next blog), but that we would have to wait a couple extra days in order to time the trip with the once-a-week boat across the gigantic Lago O´Higgins in Chile. In the end, the delay was quite enjoyable because on our return to El Chalten we were delighted to meet again our couple friends (Dorit and Yaron) from Israel. We spent our couple extra days here doing a day hike with them, sipping wine, going out to dinner and meeting for dessert. It´s been great to run into this fun couple a few times so far on our travels...we hope we will encounter them again up north.

On Thursday (March 27), we said our goodbyes and parted ways as they boarded a bus to travel the famous Route 40 in Argentina heading North, and we took a bus to Lago Desierto about 50 kms away where we would begin our next adventure...stay tuned.

Patagonia Part 2: Torres Del Paine

Let me set the scene for our first real trek in Patagonia...On our marathon bus ride from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Puerto Natales (Chile) I was explaining to Mariah that if we wanted to get a good flavor of Patagonia, we should do 20+ days of hiking over the course of the next 4-5 weeks. We spent the bus ride debating the multi-day hikes we wanted to tackle and day dreaming about all that we were going to experience and see. Then, while exiting the bus at our destination, I sprained my ankle and we watched over the next couple hours as it swelled to the size of a tennis ball...all hopes and dreams flashed before my eyes...

Well, needless to say, we took a day or two to discuss what we wanted to accomplish in South America (and especially in Patagonia) while I rested up and began to recover. Thankfully, my ankle seemed to be healing relatively quickly, so I decided to grin and bear it and get started exploring this special place. In Puerto Natales (the base town of Torres Del Paine National Park) we geared up, bought our trekking food rations and decided to wrap the ankle, take a handful of anti-inflammatories and head to the mountains.

In the National Park, there are a few multi-day treks. We decided to do the popular ¨W¨ route, starting at the eastern end of the park to hike up to the "Torres" and eventually making our way to the western end to see Glacier Grey. As most well planed trips go, it turned out nothing like we planned for both good and bad reasons:

Weather - The first day we climbed for 4 hours in beautiful weather and arrived at the Torres lookout (large rock pillars rising out of the mountain) to find the tops hidden by clouds. The third day of trekking after leaving our camp ground (Los Cuernos) and heading up the center arm of the ¨W¨(Valley Francais) we encountered severe wind and rain. We thought, ¨No problem, we have rain gear and are warm so let's keep going.¨ Like champs we made it to the top of the vista and have some amazing photos to prove it... but the next 4 hours back down the valley and across to Campamento Pehoe we encountered 60km winds and rain (a great way to wrap up our marathon 9-hour day). That night while we slept restlessly in our tent, it dropped below freezing and ice covered our rain fly. We also had a few friendly mice visitors that kept trying to get cover from the weather between our interior and exterior tent walls...we had to knock them off several times. The next morning when the rain and sleet still hadn´t let up, we had second thoughts about heading up to Glacier Grey to finish the trip. When we saw the fog cover and learned the forecast was bad for the next few days, we opted to go pack to Puerto Natales and have a hot shower...we may not have finished the ¨W,¨ but it was a very impressive ¨U¨!!!

Animals - Rats and camping don´t mix. Out durable tent has done a fabulous job with a little ducktape at keeping the little bastards at bay, but we have multiple times in Torres Del Paine woken up to the sounds of them gnawing at the tent. In the morning when we assess the damage, we have found patterns that look like a 5 year old had taken a whole punch to our tent. But we have overcome and we our proud to have a tent with many ducktape patches.

Friends - During our time in Torres Del Paine, we met several friends who made the trip very enjoyable. We had great conversations over hot meals and wine and had fun meeting along the trail to exchange updates and advice. There is a certain "we´re all in this together" feel that makes it easier to pass the moments when your wet and cold, or huffing and puffing up a steep climb with 40 lbs on your back.

Yaron and Dorit - An fun Israeli couple that we met on the bus from Puerto Natales to the National Park. We became fast friends and had a great time hiking and camping together. What we didn´t know at the time is that we would end up traveling with these guys off and on for the next couple weeks. As we say to each other on each goodbye, "Our time is not yet finished." We hope to meet them again further north in Patagonia.

Dave and Dylan (USA, Washington), and Sandy (Germany) - Another group of friends that we originally met on the bus from Ushuaia and that fate would have it we would meet again in Torres Del Paine and later in Calafate to travel with, sight see and enjoy a great all you can eat buffet.

Scenery - While we did encounter a number of weather and animal obstacles during our journey, the incredible scenery and amazing views made it all worthwhile. The hike was strenuous in parts and easy going at other times. The surroundings were constantly changing from impressive peaks and mountains, to green valleys and expansive grasslands, to peaceful lakes and raging rivers. We found we constantly had our breath taken away.

All in all, our time in Torres Del Paine was amazing...and in the end, the challenges made it all that more memorable. Now that we have our first big hike under our belts (and a couple days rest to continue to heal my ankle), we are ready to head north to Glacier National Park back over the border in Argentina!

Southern Patagonia Part 1: Ushuaia

After our week in Buenos Aires, we were in need of some rest and recuperation and Ushuaia was the perfect place. It is the Southerly most city of the world and the jumping off point for many cruises to Antarctica. Truth be told, it´s not really that exciting of a place...it´s mostly filled with tourist and outdoorsy shops, cafes and restaurants, and chocolate shops (which we thoroughly enjoyed). It is set among some pretty glacial mountains, alongside the Beagle Channel (south of the Strait of Magellan) and has a nice national park – Tierra Del Fuego – nearby. However, compared to some of the other spectacular scenery we´ve seen in Patagonia since we left Ushuaia, we would not classify it as a “must see” place. But for what we wanted and needed at the time, it was perfect.


We were able to rent a double room in a 2-bedroom apartment, which was more homey than a hostel. One of our flatmates while in town was a guy named Bob from Alaska – he owns a successful construction business and spends his months off traveling the world. He was a very interesting guy and we had several intriguing conversations about travel, the state of the world and American politics. We also had a couple nights without roomates, which was wonderful because it felt like we had our own place and could cook, drink tastey Argentian wine, and study Spanish at our leisure.


During our 5-day stay in this city, we both took turns recovering from a nasty cold and spent a day in bed resting and reading. We also spent time in the internet cafe catching up on some emailing and “to do” items, did some shopping to get the right gear for our upcoming trekking trips, and indulged in some of the local cuisine. We also spent a day hiking in the national park, and on another day Eric ventured up to the local glacier in the rain and sleet (the day I was sick in bed). He came back drenched, but enjoyed the views from the top of the mountain...and we managed to dry him off well with our little heater. Had it not been for full buses, we probably would have left Ushuaia a day or two sooner, but we were glad for the time to relax and prepare for our upcoming Patagonia adventures.

Argentina - Buenos Aires

We loved Buenos Aires. More than any other city we´ve visited, this was a city where we felt we could stay for an extended period of time, or even live for a year or two. Its filled with a lively vibe that is hard to put into words - a mix of European and Latino cultures.

The older parts of the city are dotted with amazing Euro-Spanish architecture, the restaurants are filled with steaks and wine, the bars and clubs are lively with Latin music, Tango dancing and patrons who are always up for a good time. The city literally never sleeps. Whether it´s 4AM on a Saturday night, or 2AM on a Wednesday, there are people in the street and restaurants and clubs that are open.

We decided to stay in an older part of town called San Telmo, known for it´s Tango culture and historic architecture. In the course of a week, we got a small taste of the best of BA...and know for certain that this is a place we will return to. Here are some of our favorite experiences:

Spanish Class

Since we´d both learned some Spanish in the past, and since we are going to be in Spanish speaking countries for 3 months, we decided it was a priority to take some lessons to brush up on our basic skills and build a foundation for further learning as we travel. We signed up for a week of small group lessons (Mon-Fri from 9AM-1:30PM) at a local language school called IBL.

While the time commitment did eat up a lot of our "tourist" time during the day (and waking up every morning at 7:30AM was killer), we were both glad we did it. We reviewed grammar rules, increased our vocab and got some good speaking practice over the course of the week. We also met some really great people in our classes from Brazil, Holland, the UK, and the US. Eric´s classmate Jayme (from Brazil) became a quick friend and we toured around the city and went out with him throughout the week. Admittedly, we probably won´t be fluent by the time we get home, but we will certainly be "proficent" - or at least we hope!

The Food/Drink

While Argentina is not necessarily known for the most flavorful cuisine - they are famous for their steaks and wine - and for good reason! No doubt about it, these people are carnivores and love their red meat. There are parillas on every block serving up steaks, asado (traditional meat dish), chorizo, sausage and much more. The norm on the menu is a hunk of red meat with french fries or potatoes. And trust us, it´s very good. We found a number of great local places to get quality steak for between $5-10.

In addition to the steak joints, there are also a handful of other gourmet restaurants that have more variety on the menu and a nice touch of class. We splurged a couple times (spending $30-40 on a nice meal with wine) to treat ourselves to the finer things in life. Although, I think Eric ordered steak pretty much everywhere we went.

And of course, Argentina is known for their wine country near Cordoba and Mendoza in the central part of the country...producing many great wines. We shared quite a few bottles of red wine over the course of the week and each one was excellent.

The Bars/Clubs

Many a traveler has raved about the awesome night life in BA, but until you are here, you just can´t understand. Even I - a girl who likes her sleep and is more of a homebody - wanted to go out every night. There are so many cool places to go...from clubs pumping techno and pop music, to music venues with live bands, from funky cafes and pubs to swanky upscale bars. There is something for everyone...and some place for every mood every night of the week. While we were slightly strapped due to our early morning wake-ups, we still managed to get out most nights to see some great local bands, dance the night away, or sit chatting away in a local pub.

Two of our favorite evenings was a Saturday night spent listening to 3 local bands - all with a bit different sound. We met some locals there to support their friends in the bands and even bought a couple of the CDs. And a Friday night spent with our friends Cristian (from Chile) and Jose Luis (from Spain) at a Cuban restaurant/bar called Rey Castro. We had a great 3 course Cuban meal followed by live Cuban music and dancing. It was a blast!

Tango

One thing is very clear when you arrive to BA - Tango music and dancing are at the heart and soul of this city. Everywhere you turn...the street corner, restaurants, bars, live shows...Tango is present. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to live Tango music on the streets and seeing people dancing at local Milongas (essentially Tango joints) or pretty much any where there is music and space. To get a full Tango experience, we decided to attend a Tango dinner show with our friend Jayme from Spanish class. Complejo Tango offered a free Tango lesson the hour prior to the dinner show where we got to test our beginner skills...and we actually weren´t too terribly bad considering it was our first lesson. The actual show and live music were phenomenal and quite impressive. We sat there in awe watching the dancer´s feet as they performed many complex and graceful moves. It´s good to take the lesson beforehand because even though they make it look so darn easy, you realize how much talent and practice it takes!

Football (i.e., Soccer)

For those of you who don´t know, Argentineans are football fanatics! One of their most popular teams in Boca Juniors representing the BA barrio of La Boca. There is one group of fans that is so dedicated to this team (and present at every game) that they call the cheering section the "twelfth player." We were lucky enough to get to go to one of the games to experience the fanaticism ourselves. Standing in the public cheering section (across the stadium from the even crazier twelfth player), we joined in the singing, stomping, jumping, hollering, swaying, etc. The energy in that stadium was enough to fly you to the moon. I have been at some great USC football games where the fans go wild, but never have I been to a game where the entire stadium - literally - is singing and jumping/swaying together in complete unison making so much noise you can´t hear anything. And, the Boca Juniors won 3-0 against the Mexican team Atlas, so it was a great close to the night.

Sightseeing/Shopping

While we didn´t get as much time as we wanted to see all the sights around BA, we did get a chance to visit a few of the major "must sees," including: the Recoleta cemetery filled with crypts and large tombs of the rich and famous (including Evita); the famous street of Caminito lined with rainbow colored houses and shop fronts, Tango dancers and artisans selling crafts and paintings; the Playa del Mayo where social activists gather; in addition to a few other spots.

But the touristy day we enjoyed the most was right at our hostel´s front door in San Telmo. Every Sunday, there is a huge antiques and handicraft market in the streets and plaza of San Telmo. There were dozens of street performers, of course lots of Tango music and dancing, and hundreds of booths selling souvenirs we couldn´t resist. We decided to buy a boxful of goodies to ship home - telling ourselves that it´s worth it because, seriously, how often are we in Argentina? :) We are such suckers!

What´s Next...

So after about a week of non-stop fun and activity, we flew to Patagonia to begin our hiking and outdoor adventures in the most Southerly city in the world, Ushuaia. I have a feeling we will need a couple days of R&R - with a couple day hikes to get in shape again - to recover from last week. Then from here, we will be working our way up North through Argentina, Chile and finally to Peru. We plan to return to BA for a few days near the end of our trip because it turns out it´s the cheapest city to fly home from. So we figured we´d spend a few more days in BA (without early mornings for Spanish classes) to see some other parts of the city we didn´t have time to explore. More adventures to come...

Impressions of the South Pacific Islands

All in all, we spent a couple months in the South Pacific Islands - Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga. Before we start our S. America entries, we wanted to highlight some of our impressions of this region (as we have done with the other major regions we have visited on our trip).

While we were ready to get a move on by March, we thoroughly enjoyed the time we had to relax on beautiful beaches, explore the islands, rummage through the local markets, get to interact with tourists and locals alike, and of course get married. :) While each island was unique, there were a number of similarities between them. Below are some of the things that stood out to us about the island lifestyle...

Religion: The evidence of 20th century missions by every major Christian sect was very apparent in the islands. In addition to the presence of many Christian Churches, there were several others - most notably the Mormons. Most islanders are avid church going people who take Sundays (or Saturdays if they are Seventh Day Adventists) very seriously. It´s a day for worship, family time, feasting and rest...and virtually everything closes down. People dress up in their best outfits (white if in Samoa) and head to church. Religion is a major part of village life and a staple in the community. Religious symbols can been seen everywhere - from buses, to markets, people´s homes and even by the road side. While most islanders are devout in their faith, we did also encounter those who shared that a number of people (especially elders) do still hang on very quietly to their ancestral beliefs and superstitions, regardless of the faith they claim. However, as the generations progress, this is becoming less common. And there were also those who admitted that choice of religion depended on what the particular church was offering up in terms of education for their children and other side benefits. It was an interesting part of their society to observe considering how much the presence of Western religions have impacted their societies, beliefs and customs in the last century.

Burial Practices: Each country´s burial traditions are slightly different, but what they have in common is that you can´t miss them. In the Cook Islands, family members are usually buried on family land...so as you drive by everyone´s front yard you can see large concrete tombs often decorated with photos and kind words from loved ones. Samoa was similar to the Cooks Islands, but on the volcanic island of Savaii tombs were also often covered by an arrangement of lava rocks. In Tonga, small cemeteries were more the norm. Here, concrete burials were covered with sand and gravel, then fake flowers were stuck into the sand for decoration...but the most important aspect, were the colorful and lavishly decorated quilts they hang behind the mound. The more ornate the quilt and the more fake flowers...the more the person is respected and loved.

Family: Islanders generally have large families and everyone looks after each other. As we found in Palau and Yap, aunts and uncles are pretty much like another set of parents, and everyone shares the responsibilities of raising children. Cousins are like brothers and sisters and grandparents are respected elders. Everyone helps out the other in matters of land, food, housing, money, or anything else. Family reunions are major affairs when everyone gathers together annually, or every few years. Weddings and funerals are also big events where everyone comes and must be invited...a small wedding is not an option, and funerals are more celebrations of life rather than dwelling only on the mourning. Those who go abroad to work in Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere (which is quite common) generally send money home to help their families in the islands. They also come home as often as possible for the holidays. We quite admired how immediate and extended families look after each other and stick together through thick and thin.

Island Traditions - Music, Dance, Dress and Food: There is certainly a feeling of "island" traditions and lifestyle when you arrive to each country. Again, each is distinct, but all are similar in that they highly value their traditions. We heard the same sorts of music in all the islands we visited. It was either traditional, which generally included a lot of drum beats, ukulele and singing...or, modern island style - laid back, happy, hip-hoppy beats. Traditional dance is a point of pride for these countries with many men´s and women´s dances often set to drum beats or gentle singing. Island food was also similar and a mix of taro root and leaves, tapioca, fish, coconut, papaya, and then the canned stuff like corned beef that´s imported (and generally quite unhealthly). In terms of traditional dress, lava lavas (large, colorful pieces of cloth) were highly popular in the Cook Islands and Samoa. In Tonga, it´s a bit different...they wrap woven mats around their waists and tie them with string or a belt. Of course the modern world has crept in and many of the traditions are mixed in with Western styles of dress, music, food, etc. However, they are not lost and you can still see many traditional aspects played out in daily island life. Or, you can be a tourist (like we were a number of times) and pay for a traditional island "night" where you get to eat a tasty island buffet and watch a traditional dance show set to their music all in a matter of a few hours.

Village Life: As we observed in Micronesia, village lifestyle is still very much a part of how things work. Each village has a chief or chiefs (in Samoa there are chiefs for different purposes) who determines and enforces village rules. The chiefs and the elders must be respected and hold a lot of power in governance of the village (and often play a large role in the larger government). In Tonga, this is of course different because it is a monarchy (see Tonga blog). While many people commute into the bigger city/town on the island for work, they return to their villages at night and live their weekend lives there.

People: Islanders tend to be quite laid back and very friendly. We had many nice conversations and hospitable offers throughout our time on the islands. In fact, in the Cook Islands we were virtually adopted by a local family for a couple weeks, which was wonderful. Islanders may not be the most highly motivated and driven people you´ve ever met, but they are certainly pleasant to hang out with and very welcoming. We are grateful to all the wonderful people we met while in the South Pacific...for their tourist advice, their assistance and hospitality.

Of course, there are many more aspects of the islands we could highlight from our time in Polynesia, but this is a good flavor of a few things that made an impression on us about the culture and the lifestyle. As we always say with these kinds of entries, bear in mind this is only one perspective from a traveling couple who breezed through quickly. As always, we are happy to discuss our impressions on this region further if you feel inclined to ask us. :)