Punta arenas, ushuaia and the end of the world

This post is a bit late but I've been home in CA for the last couple of days, eating Korean food and vegging out. I'm finally coming out of the happy haze I've been in since I got home and realized that being home is ... kind of boring. A good boring but boring nonetheless. Well, at least to a world adventurer like me :). No, one of the best things about traveling is how great it is when you finally come home.

But I didn't want to neglect the last parts of my journey, especially since my last days were so great. I headed out to Punta Arenas from Puerto Natales, determined to see penguins and eat king crab in the one afternoon I had there. All flights on the day I wanted to head back to BA were booked so I had to book my return ticket a day earlier, thus rushing the last part of my trip. It wasn't so bad since I was able to see all the things I had wanted.

Once arriving in Punta Arenas, I dropped my bags off at this hospedaje (sort of like a B&B) called the Hostal La Luna. The place is run by this very nice lady and the room was quite cozy. Full-sized bed and down comforter, too! It was really just like staying at someone's house, especially since the owner explained that there was no key to my room but that I could use a butterknife to gimmy the lock open when I wanted to get in. But its not like I had much to steal anyway so I didn't care.

Right after checking in, I boarded a minivan to Seno Otway to see the Magellanic penguins. Apparently, Isla Magdalena has a better penguin colony but the tours only visit the colony on Tues, Thurs and Sat so I wouldn't be able to go. The colony at Seno Otway was much smaller but they were cute anyways. I just kept laughing at them waddling around, falling down and doing cute penguin things. One of the penguins even came right up to the fence where a whole bunch of people were gathered to take a closer look. But alas, we only had an hour there so I quickly snapped my pictures and we headed back to Punta Arenas. I topped my evening off with a nice dinner of vino and king crab pasta. Most of my meals consisted of coldcut sandwiches, instant pasta and soups so it was really nice to splurge on a real meal.

Magellanic penguins. They are maybe a couple feet tall. They nest during the summer though I didn't see any babies when I was there.

Nesting penguins. Amazing how I got all of them grooming at the same time.

Curious guy.

But the best part of Punta Arenas was seeing the Magellan Strait. This was where Magellan had sailed! One of the greatest explorers in history! It was so amazing to think what it had been like when him and his crew discovered a route to the Pacific. I can actually say that I was gellin' like Magellan.

The man himself, Magellan!

The Magellan Strait. Can't you just feel the history?

The next day, I headed to Ushuaia. I won't say much about it because it was just 10 mind-numbing hours inside a bus. I don't know why they don't have overnight buses but they all run during the day. It was a day wasted but at least I made it to Ushuaia.

Ushuaia markets itself as the 'Fin del Mundo' though there are actually a couple of towns south of it. Ushuaia has just done a better marketing job and plus its on the Beagle Channel (I will spare you with a gushing paragraph on Charles Darwin but we're talking the Beagle Channel!). I only had the day before my flight that evening so my options were a bit limited. I had wanted to visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park but I didn't have time. Instead, I climbed up almost to the Glaciar Martial to get a stunning view of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. Standing up there was just the best finish to my trip -- looking down at the end of the world and taking it all in. I, of course, topped it all of with another dinner of king crab. Its everywhere down there and it was so delicious. Crab soup, crab pasta, crab casserole and my favorite, crab with rice. Yummm, centolla....

Ushuaia. Its a beautiful little town and you can see these huge imposing mountains all around.

King crab. Its HUGE and pretty ugly. But bring it on! Its sooo delicious.

The view of the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia. It was quite a climb through mud and snow but totally worth it. Just look at that!

I also had some time to squeeze in a quick visit to the Maritime and Penal Museum since Ushuaia used to be a penal colony. I personally thought the Maritime part was more interesting. They had all these miniature boats (all crafted by the same guy to keep everything to one scale) to show the progression of sailing from Magellan's day to the present. And it was also interesting to see a portion of the history of exploration.

A miniature of Magellan's boat, the Trinidad. I love Magellan.

Overall, Patagonia was simply amazing. Every view left me breathless as did every single one of those crappy hills I had to hike over. Its so different from Buenos Aires and I'm so glad that I was able to experience them both. I got sick, I got rained on, I froze my butt off but it was all worth it. Its definitely a trip that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

My last few days in Buenos Aires were a blur. A frenzy of goodbyes and Christmas shopping but I got through it. Thanks to everyone I met in Buenos Aires and especially in the residencia for all the laughs, the meals and the good times! I will definitely miss my BA family!

Some final parting shots:

Finally, pictures of my kids! They are all so full of live and rambunctious and innocent.

I worked with 15 kids in total. I would have taken more photos but I was sick and infectious during what would have been my last week.

The most impressive fruit and vegetable stand I saw. For a city that eats almost nothing but steak and potatoes, they have some really fresh produce.

Shots of the polo game I saw. I had no idea what was going on but it was still impressive!

You are looking at some of the best polo players in the world.

Very posh and Ralph Lauren of us (me and Colleen).

Isn't this city gorgeous?

Sunshine in torres del paine

Sorry its been awhile. The internet connections in Chile were far slower than the connections in Argentina and after spending 2 HOURS in an internet cafe on the last post, I decided to wait until I got to BA to finish my Patagonia posts. Plus, I was racing through Punta Arenas and Ushuaia in the last few days of my trip so I didn't really have much time anyway.

Before heading out to the Torres del Paine National Park, I spent a couple of days in Puerto Natales in Chile. There really isn't much to recommend the town except that its sort of the gateway to the TDP park. I stayed at the Hostal Dos Lagunas, which was more of a B&B, run by Alejandro, his wife Andrea and their cute daughter, Valentina. They were very nice but the best part was I actually got my own room and it came with a heater, towels and breakfast (eggs and bacon!!). I splurged a little but I figured the US$5 extra a night would be worth it.

The first afternoon I arrived in Puerto Natales, I ran around like a crazy person to try and organize my transportation. I still needed to go to Punta Arenas and also to Ushuaia. I was a bit nervous because I didn't really have much time built into my schedule and I had heard that the buses fill up quickly so I tried to figure out schedules and prices. Sounds easier than it was since there's no central bus terminal so I ran around to all the bus companies to figure out the best route. I also needed to organize transportation to the TDP park, get food, make sure I had all the supplies for my 4-day trek, etc, etc. That stuff takes up time!

But my time in Puerto Natales wasn't all a waste. I had an extra day so I decided to take a boat tour around the Chilean fjords. It was an all-day boat ride and definitely a splurge but it was fun. Super-cold but the fjords and glaciers were beautiful. Here are the pictures to prove it!

View of the fjords from land. On all sides, there were these huge mountains right on the water. You just feel sooooo small.

The fjords from the boat.

I think this is Glaciar Serrano but I'm not sure. There was this weird guy on the boat who asked if the glacier was named after the ham or the president. The tour guide was not amused.

We got off the boat to hike around this glacier but I don't remember what its name is. But it was lovely nonetheless.

Proof of the mighty Patagonian wind.

I also found peanut butter in Puerto Natales! This was very very exciting for a couple of reasons. First, I needed to pack 4 days worth of lunches and breakfasts for the TDP trek and peanut butter is a great hiking food. Its portable and full of protein and carbs. Second, I had tried to buy it in Buenos Aires before I left for Patagonia because there is this INSANE, bigger than any Super Walmart "store" in BA called Jumbo Easy that would have anything you could possibly imagine, including international foods. I had found peanut butter there once but when I went back to get it again, there was none! I was devastated. The thought of taking dulce de leche just wasn't the same. Anyway, peanut butter, jelly, salame and bread in hand, I headed to TDP.

The park is gorgeous and really trekking friendly. There are 2 routes that most people take. There's the Circuit, which takes about 6-8 days to complete and takes you through a big part of the park. There's also the W Circuit, which actually is just a portion of the longer Circuit but can be done in 4-5 days. The W is pretty popular since it takes you past the big highlights of the TDP park, mainly the Torres themselves, the Cuernos and Glaciar Grey. The Torres (Towers) and Cuernos (Horns) are these huge granite formations, shaped by glaciars long since past.

There are also these refugios where you can stay along the way. I thought they would be like huts but they are like these super-elaborate hostels in the middle of the forest. Real beds, heating, hot meals and hot SHOWERS! Nice and clean, too. Definitely, camping luxury. I don't think I've ever had it so good. The refugios are spread out so basically they are a day-hike away so you can complete the W by staying at the refugios. It was perfect for me since I'm a single hiker so I didn't have to worry about bringing a tent or being alone. I also splurged and opted to have dinner each night, figuring I would be too tired to try and make myself dinner. Plus, it would mean less food to carry. Anyway, they were perfect. After hiking all day, I would come back to take a hot shower, eat a hot meal and sleep in a comfy bed before heading out the next day. The only drawback is the price. But it was totally worth it. Actually, the refugios are pretty hard to book so I was pretty lucky to get them when I made the reservations a week before the trip.

Basically, I was going to do the W Circuit from right to left but without the final leg. The first day would be to see the Torres. The second day to get to the next camp so I could have an entire day to hike up the Valle Frances on the third day. On Day 4, I would hike out the way I hiked in rather than seeing Glaciar Grey (the last leg of the W so I was actually doing a bit of a U). I didn't have much time and I figured by that point, I would have already seen a bunch.

So on Day 1, I headed out of Puerto Natales on the JB bus early in the morning so I could hit the trail. I had met a bunch of people on the bus and we decided to hike together since it would be a lot safer and more fun. I met Adam, a Bostonian, and Frank and Cian, 2 interpid Dubliners. As a group, we headed up to Mirador Torres to get a view of the Torres. I was pretty anxious to get up there since I heard that the weather in TDP can be really unpredictable. When I first arrived in Puerto Natales I met some people at a cafe who had just come back and they had horrid weather. They said it rained 3 days out of 4 for them. Since I had woken up to nothing but sunshine that morning, I wanted to get to the mirador before the weather changed. We hoisted our packs on our back and headed out.

On the way, we reached the Refugio Chileno, where I would be staying the night. After 2 hours of hiking up some serious hills, I was glad to be rid of my pack. I was even happier not to have it after seeing the rest of the trail to the Mirador. The last hour was a scramble over these huge boulders but it was totally worth it the second the Torres came into view. Just gorgeous!! They reminded me of being in Yosemite because they were huge chunks of granite, like El Capitan and Half-Dome but they were amazing in their own right. We took a bunch of victory photos and just sat on the rocks, staring at the Torres. The guys were staying at Campmiento Torres so they could catch the sunrise so I headed back to Chileno to my hot shower and dinner.

Setting out on our trek (me, Frank and Cian). Cian had the tent in his pack so his sleeping mat had to go on top. It was hilariously tall and kept smacking Frank in the face! The refugio is a couple of hours behind us in that valley.

The Torres del Paine. They really look like towers.

Victory photo!

On Day 2, the guys came to pick me up from my refugio and we continued on the second leg of our journey. I was pretty jealous of their sunrise pictures since Day 2 looked to have just as good weather as Day 1. But then I remembered that they had to get up at 4:30am and hike up those boulders so I decided I was pretty happy in my refugio. Plus, the guys looked a little hungry, dirty and tired and the refugios began to look like quite a steal. Nothing much on that day since we were really just transporting ourselves to the next camp, me at Refugio Cuernos and they guys at Campmiento Italiano. The trail was a little hilly but we had some laughs and a beer when we got to my refugio (they had beer at the refugios!) so the time passed pretty quickly. At least, the weather held out.

The Cuernos, close up. I don't know what the deal is with their color but they are impressive.

Enjoying a well-deserved beer!

On Day 3, we couldn't believe our luck. Yet another day of sun and no rain. We started out early at 7am because the day would include around 10 hours of walking but it was totally worth it. We hiked up to the Mirador in Valle Frances and 5 hours later, we were there. I climbed up to the Mirador, which was this huge pile of rocks and everywhere I turned, the views were just spectacular. 360 degrees of spectacular views. The Valle Frances took us around to the backside of the Torres so from the Mirador, you could see the Torres, the Cuernos, a glacier and down the valley we just climbed out of. And apparently, its really rare to get the entire view because of the weather but we got really lucky. We got to see everything. After sitting for an hour in awe, we finally hiked down. After 9 hours of hiking, that last hour was just tortuous. I was staying at Refugio Cuernos for a second night so at least I didn't have any of my gear with me.

Contemplating the scenery.

From the Mirador, we could see the backside of the Torres (right) and Cuernos (left). Those trees are barren from past avalanches.

Yet another view from the Mirador. We hiked up from that lake wayyyy back there!

Me on top of the Mirador. Check out that view behind me!

Frank and me at the Mirador. I love perspective.

On Day 4, the weather finally started to turn. But luckily, it was my last day and I only needed to hike out. I ran into Talia, a Candian who I had met in a hostel in El Calafate, at the top of the Valle Frances Mirador and it turned out that we were hiking out from Refugio Cuernos the same day. I had parted ways with the guys on Day 3 (they were heading to Glaciar Grey) so it was perfect that I met up with someone to hike with on Day 4. We were dead tired after the monster day at Valle Frances so each step was a drag. We took the bus back into Puerto Natales and I was done with Torres del Paine!

Sun spots on Lake Nordenskjold (I'm pretty sure that's not a Chilean name).

Tired but happy to successfully finish our trek (Talia and me)!

The hikes were moderately tough but probably harder for me since its the first real activity I've done since my knee surgery in August. I had a big pack with me but I was so happy with how my knee did. Everything I saw was breathtaking. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially with all the good weather I had. Especially after all the rain I had in the Glacier National Park in Argentina, I appreciated the good weather that much more. I also want to thank Adam, Frank, Cian, Raphael and Talia. The laughs, the beer and the company through those tough climbs made just so great, better than I could have hoped for. So thanks guys and best of luck with everything!

Cheers!

I also posted more pictures in the previous post so check them out!

Happy thanksgiving and an ice trek

So I´m finally back in El Calafate. I spent the last 3 days in El Chalten to hike around Cerro Fitz Roy and also do an ice hike. It was unbelievable though very very cold. I´ve now developed a cough that I hope doesn´t get any worse. I don´t really have anything to do for the next couple of days so I´m just going to recuperate and rest up. After the 3 day trek in El Chalten my feet hurt like crazy. My legs are pretty sore but its really my feet. I hope they toughen up for the 4 day trek I´m going to be doing in Chile! My hike was pretty great.

On the first day, I took a bus in from El Calafate to El Chalten, about 5 hours away. Patagonia has so many different landscapes but this is probably the most classic. The route to El Chalten was just barren nothingness. Small shrubs, arid land, huge rock formations and so cold! Even in summer its about 30-40 degrees F. Its warmer in El Calafate but I think its lower than El Chalten. Anyway, I got to El Chalten and headed up to Laguna Torres to meet my tour group. It was about a 3 hour hike (they measure distances by hours here) and it was gorgeous. I hiked out of the valley and through this forest to get to the lake. The views were just stunning. The water in the streams here are kind of a milky torquoise color from the glacier milk (the minerals that run off the glacier turn the water a milky color). Everything was going pretty well until it started to rain. Not a lot but enough to get nice and wet. Luckily I had rain gear so it wasn´t too bad though I have to say that rain in 40 degree weather is not fun. I finally got to the camp and it was pretty elaborate. The tour groups that offer ice treks have these semi-permanent camps set up throughout the year except winter. The tents are already set-up and they have a kitchen tent, gear tent and mess tent. I was actually the only person in camp that night (the others in my tour group were hiking up the next morning) and it was pretty nice. The guide, Lupe, gave me dinner (3 courses with real silverware and lots of wine!) and 2 sleeping bags and it was a nice end to a long day.

The second day, we started out once the rest of the group arrived. After seeing how tired they were even before we started the hike to the glacier, I was pretty glad that I sprung for the camping option. I was fresh and ready to do the glacier trek. It was another 2 hours through pretty tough hills until we got to the glacier. Like Moreno, the Glaciar Torres was like a frozen river between two mountains (55m in height) so we had to first hike up the mountain and then down to reach the glacier. In the rain, nonetheless. But I didn´t care. I was just so happy to be out there, hiking and taking in the beautiful landscapes. We put on our crampons (snow spikes) and started walking up the glacier. It was so amazing to be on this huge ice field but we had to be careful. The crevices in the glacier are unbelievable deep. We also did a small ice climb with those ice picks/hammer things. Our guide, Julian, is a pretty serious ice-climber so it was awesome to see him scramble up these walls. Our wall was pretty small but it was hard! I did some rock-climbing in Yosemite with Christine and it was a lot harder than that. Physically, it was about the same but you feel much less secure on the ice field. And the whole time I was thinking about ¨Touching the Void¨, not that I was doing anything like that.

Walking across the void

Closer view of the glacier (the face not the top. The top was pretty smooth and easy to walk on)

One of the incredibly deep crevices. The bright blue is from the compression of the ice. Julian threw a rock down and it took forever to hit the ice below.

Me climbing! Well, it doesn´t look like it but I don´t know how to rotate the pics in blogger. Mark, any ideas?

Me and Julian, our guide. His English was worse than my Spanish so I actually translated a little for the rest of the group! Sounds great but it meant that lots were lost in translation.

On the 3rd day, I hiked out on my own from camp. I decided to hike past Las Lagunas de Madre y Hija to get to Laguna de Los Tres. The walk was pretty great since the weather finally cleared up. I even got some (hazy) views of Cerro Poinochet and Fitz Roy. I was making good time so I decided to do the grueling hike up to Laguna de Los Tres and basically to the base of Fitz Roy. Its the route that climbers take to climb Fitz Roy. It started okay, extremely steep but hey, I´m young and fit plus there were a bunch of old people doing it also. I started to climb and climb and climb until I realized I had to climb the entire mountain. I thought the trail would wind around the mountain but apparently the lake was on top. I was already half-way up so I continued on though the rocks I was scrambling over soon became completely covered in snow. By the time I reached the top, I was pretty scared because the snow made it so slippery. Plus the wind on the top was pretty bad. And to top it off, you couldn´t even see the lake because it was completely covered in snow. Cerro Fitz Roy was also completely covered by clouds at that point so I couldn´t even see that. Tired, cold and scared, I started the walk back. I made it down just fine but I still had a 3 hour walk back to El Chalten. In total I walked about 8 hours. I was pretty tired by the time I got back to the hostel. I ate a huge plate of pasta and could barely keep my eyes open through my long hot shower.

Lago Madre. These trails are not really on the day-hike circuit so I had them all to myself and it was so beautiful and peaceful.

See the snow-capped mountains in the background of the last picture? Well, the Laguna de Los Tres was on top so I climbed up to see ... nothing! The lake was completely covered by snow. Argh!

And of course, as I'm finishing my hike, the sun starts to shine. At least I caught a rainbow over this amazing valley.

I rode the bus back to El Calafate this morning. I´m well rested and clean but I still need to do laundry. I felt pretty bad for the guy sitting next to me on the bus because my clothes stunk so badly. That´s what happens when you hike and sleep in the same clothes for 3 days straight! I´ll do laundry tonight before I head for Puerto Natales. Next on my itinerary it the W circuit in the Parque de Torres del Paine in Chile. I can´t wait for this because its supposed to be pretty amazing. Hopefully, I´ll get a good view of the Torres! With the weather here, you can never tell. As unpredictable the weather is here, its supposed to be worse on the Chilean side of the Andes.

I can´t tell you how amazing this trip has been so far. As great as its been in Buenos Aires, its too similar to any other big city to really feel like I´m really experiencing something totally different. Patagonia is so beautiful and so fantastical that its really humbling. My time is reminding me that there are bigger things than the minutiae of everyday life. Its so easy to get caught up in that but being out here, my problems seem so insignificant. You just stand there in awe of these glaciers and mountains that have been here for thousands of years and will be here long after you´re gone. I just feel so happy and lucky to be here, on the other side of the world, living this moment. Anyway, sorry to be so cheesy but its just great here! Despite the rain and cold. I´ll try to write again after Torres del Paine!

Btw, I´ll be home on December 11th and then heading back to South America on January 11th so I´ll be home for a month. I´m also heading out to NY for New Years so I´ll see a bunch of you then! Write me and let me know how Thanksgiving was and what your holiday plans are! I don´t think turkey even exists down here. But I did have a nice steak (I´m still in Argentina afterall) dinner with mashed potatoes.

Also, here are the pics from my Moreno trip:

Moreno has a positive balance, meaning its still advancing. Its one of the most active glaciers in the world. In the middle, it will move as much as 2m a day!
Closer view of the face
Because its so active, huge blocks will break off. It happens all the time at Moreno and its this loud booming sound. The pieces look so small when they break off but they have to be huge based on the sound.
Another view of the glacier. I don´t know what that red plant is but its everywhere here.
Me on the boat! Don´t I look warm?

I can´t seem to post any more pictures but I´ll try again later!

Don't cry for me, argentina!

Well, so much has happened since my last blog entry. I would have written earlier but I was so busy getting stuff done before my Patagonia trip that I didn´t really have time. So this blog entry will be catch up.

First of all, I´m currently in El Calafate, right next to the National Parque de los Glaciares and it is unbelievable amazing. My flight left at the ungodly hour of 5:40am and so I had to get up at 3:30am, if that even counts as any sleep. But that all went away the second I landed and saw the Patagonian landscape. Its so barren, wild and windswept and its beautiful. I got into my hostel fine and was pretty impressed at the level of service. I´m staying at the Hostal del los Glaciares Libertador and its pretty nice for a hostel. I'm staying in my room with a couple of older women and they seem to be very nice. Actually, I've noticed a lot of older women traveling on their own. All in their forties or fifties after their kids are gone and now they have some free time for themselves. I think its pretty great.

Anyway, I went to see the Moreno Glacier. I took a shuttle bus in and then took a boat ride when I got there. It was pretty amazing to see the glacier that close up but the glacier itself is interesting. It looks like a river between 2 big mountains that just froze where it was. Its a lot shorter than the surrounding mountains (though still quite large). I just pictured glaciers to be like huge ice mountains but this one isn´t. Still pretty impressive though. I think I took a gazillion photos of it. I will post them as soon as I get to a computer that I can hook things up to. The glacier was this intense white and blue color and parts of it would break off and fall into the water. The falling pieces looked pretty small but you wouldn't know that by the resounding boom when it hit the water. Mother nature at work!

And tomorrow I take a bus to El Chalten to start my 3-day ice trek. Well, the ice trek is really just 1 day but I get to be at camp for 2 nights around the ice trek. I heard the hiking near the Cerro Fitz Roy is pretty amazing so I'm really looking forward to it. I first need to get to the hostel, take a shower, pack and get to bed at a reasonable hour! Sorry, I would add more detail but I´m pretty tired. But I promise to update better next time.

What I wanted to write about was my last few days in Buenos Aires before leaving on my trip. First, I went to a polo game, which was pretty interesting. First of all, its obviously quite a high class activity judging by the people who came to watch. Right now, is one of the big tournaments of the year so the who´s who of polo are playing. Argentina has some of the greatest polo players in the world so its pretty exciting to see them play. But there´s this whole culture around it. The game we saw started at 4:30 but everyone got there starting in the early afternoon because its a big social scene. Inside the polo field, they have this huge champagne bar setup and also all these corporate sponors giving out free things and selling stuff. It was pretty funny to see all that just for a polo game.

But apparently the polo game we saw wasn't just any polo game. The two teams are some of the very best and were actually the teams in the finals last year. Just by luck of the draw, they played each other at the very beginning of the tournament. One of the teams actually had 2 players with 10 handicaps, the best a polo player can get and there are only a handful in the world. Unfortunately, I had no idea what was going on or how the game worked so some of the significance was lost on me. Even so, it was pretty exciting to see these guys trying to whack the crap out of that little ball on top of these huge, powerful horses.

The night before I left Buenos Aires, I also went to a tango dinner show, called Señor Tango (no joke). Seriously, it was the campiest, cheesiest thing I´ve ever seen in my entire life. First of all, the show started with a mock fight between dancing indians and spaniards. The spaniards were actually in the middle of the stage on HORSES. Really! What that has to do with tango beats me but it was part of the show. When they finally got to the tango dancing, it was pretty amazing. All the tango dancing I´ve seen has been street performers so it was really nice to see the real deal. It really is a beautiful dance and pretty intricate so its nice to finally be able to appreciate it. They also had a few tango singers. The guy singer was really Wayne Newton-esque with his cheesiest jokes and lounge singer voice. There were also 2 women but for some reason they were always dressed EXACTLY the same, from the wigs on down. So they had this weird twin thing going on it was just creepy. What made it worse was that how perfectly in harmony they were. Great singers but so weird! And then for the finale, all the dancers and singers come out and they start singing "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" with such emotion, I was afraid they would burst into tears. I just started laughing. Especially at the very end when this huge Argentinean flag dropped from the ceiling and the confetti started to fall. I´ve never seen anything like it but it was pretty awesome. Cheese and all.

Anyway, I gotta go. My eyes are getting droopy. I promise a less scatter-brained entry last time. Just wanted to catch people up! Ciao ciao (as they say here)!

Patagonian plans

Well, I really can't believe that I'm leaving Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Especially since this last week has largely been spent lounging around the house and trying to recuperate. So its weird to think right after recuperating, I'm leaving! I still have so much to do in Buenos Aires. I keep telling myself that I have some time left after my Patagonia trip to finish all the last minute things I want to do.

Today was a really good day. I feel like it was my first day back in society after my illness. I did a little Christmas shopping (with the prices here, it would be insane not to) and then I had a great late lunch at this awesome cafe called Bar 6 in Palermo Soho. Its really trendy and always full but the waitstaff are really helpful and the space is really nice. The best part is that if you just want to sit and work for awhile, no one will bother you. I think I'm going to designate that place as my final meal here in BA. I haven't been raving about the food here (btw, I don't think I can eat another steak for a very long time) but the food there was really good. That meal was probably the best one I've had here. I've been hunting for a really great plate of pasta and my pasta with shrimp and grilled veggies was just perfect.

Anyway, on to the plans! As you all know, I can be a bit anal about plans and schedules so yes, last night I did spend quite a bit of time figuring out where I'm going and what I'm doing. Not really backpackery or adventurous but I want to make sure to get the most out of my trip! The plan is basically to spend a week in each area I want to visit -- Glaciares, Torres del Paine, and Tierra del Fuego.

11/23-11/27: My first week will be in National Parque de los Glaciares in Argentina. I'll spend 2 days around the Moreno Glacier and then 3 days around the Fitz Roy Cerro. Thanksgiving will be spent here but I'll try to hunt down at least some poultry and mashed potatoes to commemorate the day. I can't believe I won't be having stuffing this year! I'm also planning to do a 3-day/2-night ice trek in the Fitz Roy area with a tour group so I'll actually be climbing a glacier!

11/28-12/4: I will also spend 1 week hiking around the Torres del Paine and hanging around Puerto Natales in Chile. I really want to do a 5-day hike around the W Circuit but I think spaces are limited and I'm not sure I'm going to get the reservations I want. They have these refugios (basically, huts) along the hike, which are like hostels with beds, showers and hot meals, so you don't have to take a tent with you. But these go pretty fast and I haven't heard back from yet so its up in the air. Otherwise, I'm be setting up camp in the park and doing day hikes each day. I'll basically cover the same areas so either way is fine with me. But it would be nice to say I did the W.

12/5-12/11(ish): The last week will be spent in Punta Arenas in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina, both at the very tip in Tierra del Fuego. There I'll be able to see penguins at the Isla Magdalena and take boats down the Magellan Strait and the Beagle Channel. No really hiking but can you believe I'll be going to same route as one of the greatest explorers?? So amazing. I also hope to stay at an estancia while in Ushuaia but I'm not exactly sure what my timing is so I have to wait a little to book. I hope to head back to Buenos Aires around December 11th and spend a couple of days before heading home on the 16th.

Anyway, I have a plane ticket in hand for Wednesday at the ungodly hour of 5:40am! Its at a frightening time but at least it means that I'm really going!!

Argentinean illnesses

Just great. I'm ill again. Not just ill but it turns out I have the flu, an ear infection AND pink eye. Can you believe it?? Nope, neither could I. The good news is that my flu is now just a cold but I have the biggest lump in my throat that is killing me. But don't worry guys, I'm okay. I went to the doctor this morning, 2 actually, and now I have a bunch of drugs that I've been told will get me well.

I'm pretty impressed with the medical system here. Healthcare is free for Argentinos and cheap for everyone else and I had no problems finding and seeing the docs. Each doctor was very nice and efficient and I was in and out pretty quickly. I was told that the doctors all spoke English, which is a total lie. I couldn't find anyone who spoke any English but luckily I've been taking Spanish classes and I was able to get my symptoms across. I saw a general physician first for my ear and then I saw an eye doctor for my pink eye (pretty gross btw but I won't get into the disgusting details of pink eye here). Now, I'm back at home and my eye is already looking less swollen and pink.

But due to my illnesses, I've had to take a couple of days of work and classes and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy here. I'll be back to classes at the very least tomorrow but I should probably keep my contagious diseases away from the children though I think they are the ones who are making me ill constantly. Comes with the territory!

I really need to get well soon since I plan on heading out to Patagonia next week! I've been planning this trip for a little while and basically I'm going to 3 places in about 3 weeks. Its weird -- before taking this trip, a week or 2 seemed like a long vacation but now I feel like I'm rushing it with only 3 weeks.

My basic itinerary is to stay a week in the Parque National de los Glaciares in Argentina to see the Moreno and Fitz Roy Glaciers, do a 5-day hike around the Torres del Paine in Chile and then spend the last week hanging around Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia, literally at the end of the world. Its summer here but its close to Antarctica so hopefully I will be warm enough. I can't believe that I'm going to be seeing glaciers, hiking the Andes and sailing on the Magellan Strait!

As excited as I am, that means that my time is drawing to a close here in Buenos Aires. Well, I should say stage 1 of Buenos Aires. I've decided to come back in January and spend a few more months working at Fundamind and also traveling around South America. But still, I can't believe that I've spent so much time here already. I love it here with the culture, the atmosphere and the language. Two months here is infinitely better than just visiting for a couple of days but also its frustrating. Two months is enough to get a taste of what it would be like to live here but its frustrating because I still don't know this city at all. I want to come away feeling like I'm a part of this city but I still feel like an outsider. Maybe I didn't do enough? Meet enough people? Go to enough places? I know, 2 months isn't enough time to get a real feel for a place. I mean, I lived in LA for 1 year and I just was starting to feel comfortable by the time I left. Sigh. At least I'll have some more time when I get back after the holidays to get more integrated.

Well, I have to get back to planning my trip. I still need to deal with my RTW ticket and figure out when and where I'm going not to mention my Patagonia trip and Argentina Round 2! The next post will probably be an overview of what my Patagonia trip will be so you guys can follow along. I'll try to be as detailed as possible. As I've been researching my trip, I found that other travel blogs were really helpful. You get a "real" perspective and review of areas, hostels, things to do, etc. So if anyone hoping to travel around stumbles onto this blog, I hope this helps!

One last note: Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you do something nice today and I'm sorry I'm not there to celebrate with you. I love you!

San antonio de areco

I'm cheating a little bit by fudging the date on this post but hey! I've been sick! And I definitely wanted to get a post in on my trip to San Antonio de Areco. Its this small town about 2 hours outside of Buenos Aires and it in the Pampas, gaucho (Argentinean cowboy) territory. There are a lot of estancias (ranches) and farm land out here and its a great escape from the hustle of Buenos Aires. A lot of the estancias are also hotel of sorts where you can stay, ride horses, shear sheep and eat asado (BBQ!). They tend to be pretty pricy but a lot of the guide books recommend it.

I've been wanting to go but was balking a little at the price. But then my friend Hunter found a quasi-estancia that was much much cheaper than the other estancias and we were off! We were a little skeptical at first but it turned out to be fantastic. We stayed at the Casa Bellavista in Villa Lia, a little pueblo of less than 1,000 people about 15km (I've stopped trying to do the conversions). It used to be an estancia a few decades ago but the owners sold the land off so now it only consists of the house and maybe a couple of acres of land in the middle of this tiny town. The best part was, including breakfast and lunch, it came out to USD$20 a night!

The house itself is gorgeous. All the rooms, including the dining room the kitchen and all the rooms open up to this gorgeous courtyard. Right of a villa in Italy. Shady trees, old crumbling sheds and best of all, a hammock in the back corner. The rooms were also beautiful. Incredibly high ceilings, brightly painted walls and doors. All really old but with tons of charm. And the owners were the nicest people imaginable. Picked us up from the bus terminal and also when one of us got food poisoning, made sure he had medicine and everything. If you are ever looking for an estancia experience in BA, look no further than the Casa Bellavista!

All the rooms opened up onto the courtyard

Our room had 3 beds (for the 3 girls). Beautiful wrought-iron frames.

There was also this super-cute puppy at the estancia. Some neighborhood kids came by to play with "Odie".

They served us lunch and breakfast and it was amazing. The spinach raviolis we had at lunch were probably the freshest I've ever had. It was a 3 course meal with salame and bread to start and ice cream to end. All with wine, of course. It was so relaxing to have lunch outside, under the trees and just hanging out.

Lunch al fresco! (Hunter, Wes, Thalia and Robin - friends through the language program)

We spent some time wandering around Villa Lia on some bikes. We saw a bunch of horses, sheep, farms and the beautiful countryside. Some of the others also rode horses but after my experience in Costa Rica (well, it was really the pain afterwards that killed me) I decided that as cute as horses are, I don't need to really ride them. Plus, I was starting to come down with the flu so I thought it would be better for me to just rest instead.

Bike riding around the pueblo of Villa Lia.

Look at all that Pampa grass!

Lots of horses and sheep. Actually, at the restaurant for dinner, I wanted to order the lamb but I didn't know the word in Spanish. I tried to describe it to the waitress and she finally went, "Si! Sheep!" She then called it "sheep" all night. "Your sheep will be right out." "How was your sheep?" Hilarious.

Lots of cute horses! To pet, not to ride.

We also spent some time in San Antonio de Areco, shopping and walking around. They had some really cool gaucho themed shops where you could get gaucho wear and quality leather and silver goods. On Saturday night, we also went to this folk music thing. It wasn't quite a concert because it felt like a neighborhood party in someone's backyard. There was a grill in the back and with beer and ice cream. The patio was covered with picnic tables filled with Argentinean families and people of all ages. The music was also really awesome. The music was really traditional and there were also a bunch of people dancing. Really pretty and definitely not touristy. Actually, when we first walked in, everyone just stopped for a second to stare at us. But that's what I'm here to do, to really experience the culture, not just the touristy things.

Listening to folk music and watching the people dancing with scarves. The place was pretty packed but it was a really nice night to be sitting outside.

Anyway, overall a really great weekend. The town was interesting and the estancia was just beautiful. So far, I haven't really been disappointed with anything I've done here so I feel pretty lucky. I just want to say thanks again to the owners of the Casa Bellavista! Our weekend would not have been half as nice if it wasn't for their help and kindness.

Very happy estancia visitors