San Pedro...and homeward bound!!

So, with only 5 days remaining Ray and I were debating on where to go....what to do.
I have to admit, the idea of heading to some coastal location to do absolutely nothing greatly appealed. However, we had heard (from many fellow travelers) about an area in northern Chile that came highly recommended.....San Pedro de Atacama. A dusty, adobe village hidden amidst pristine lakes, salt flats, towering mountains, and literally the driest desert in the world! Man....once again, am I glad we didn't pass this one up! We had 3 full days in San Pedro (excluding travel days), and we kept ourselves more than busy!


Seeing as we had no means of transportation, and our knowledge of the area only encompassed what our guidebook told us, we ended up hooking up with a wonderful interactive adventure tour company. They lead small groups to the many surrounding wonders. The hilarious and rugged guides had us laughing and playing the entire time.


Day 1: We headed straight to the desert. Not sure if I had a misconception of the desert, or maybe no conception at all, but it turns out.....I LOVE the desert! It is vast, gorgeous, and inconceivable. We went to Valle de la Muerto "death valley", and Victor our guide lead us to the peak of the most incredible sand dune. At the top he said, "ok, take off your shoes", and then took off at a full sprint down the dune's face. I would equate standing at the top of this dune with standing at the top of a double black diamond. We just shrugged our shoulders and took off after him...charging down the dune was such a rush, up to our knees at times in sand. A couple members of our group completely wiped out, however other than a face full of sand, they surfaced unscathed! After our romp, we headed to Valle de la Luna where we trekked through a salt mountain range (essentially salt deposits that have formed hills/mountains and caves). At times we were bouldering/climbing through these incredible mountains/caves. The salt facade was almost translucent under the mud caked surface.


Day 2: We were picked up at 7a and headed to Laguna Chaxa (a vast lake in the middle of "Salar de Atacama" - the 3rd largest salt flat in the world). Here we saw hundreds of flamingos....this one surprised us!

After a quick picnic breakfast, we headed to Lagunas Minigues and Miscanti. The natural colors here are mind blowing....crystal blue/green lakes rimmed with pure white salt, orange/red mountains, dusty brown desert and perfectly blue sky. We then took a long and cold hike along the flats to a small cliff protected area where we were provided with an amazing and plentiful picnic lunch.


Off to visit a couple of native villages, and then ended the evening by hiking another sand dune to catch sunset. The evening haze prevented an ideal sunset, however the scenery remained epic! So cool.....

* Side note: All of the nature reserves are owned and run by a partnership between the locals and the government. Therefore, all of the preservation expenditures are a joint effort, which we found refreshing.


A little llama lovin'....

Day 3: Today we were picked up at 4a....eeek!
We hopped into the van and drove 2 hours into the mountains to El Tatio Geysers. The purpose of this early start was to experience the active geysers during sunrise. The contrast of the cold morning air and the boiling water/steam coming out of the ground create a visual spectacle. We arrived at the geysers at 6a, and the sun rose at 7a. During that hour the temperature was -6°C (about 21°F). Once again, we found ourselves unprepared for the cold. We had been warned that the morning temperatures could be brutal, so the night before we stocked up on locally knit hats, mittens and socks (all adorned with stick figures and llamas no less)! We then layered every piece of clothing we had (I think we wore six shirts a piece....cute, very cute). Cold....but, definitely worth it!

After an impromptu "geyser-side" breakfast, we headed to natural thermal bath. While the process of stripping down to our bathing suits (and then layering back up again) was torturous... to be sitting in a natural hot spring in such surroundings was awesome! We then visited another native village, and finished the day off hiking through a cactus forest. Needless to say, after 3 days of activity and early mornings we ended our last night with a wonderful meal and then fell into bed.


The following morning we flew back to Santiago to prepare for our voyage home.

We can't believe our journey has come to an end. It has exceeded all of our expectations and provided us with many welcome surprises. While we are sad to see it wind down, we are greatly looking forward to the comfort and familiarity of home!



Uh-oh!....you can even find a rival in the desert!

Santiago....and the troops arrive!!

After our arduous but successful border crossing, we arrived in Santiago, grabbed a quick bite to eat and hit the sack in preparation for our early morning journey to the airport to pick up Patty (Ray's mom) .

Patty arrived safely after her long redeye flight, and we headed to the hotel where we would be spending the next 5 days. To spend 5 whole days in one location can only mean one thing....backpack explosion!! We wouldn't have to be living out of our packs for 5 days....ah, luxury!!

*side note: this hotel was much more chic than our usual hostel accomodation [thanks to our gracious and generous parents-Patty & my mom and dad (who would be joining us in a couple of days)]. This new found indulgence included a mini bar, TV, air-conditioning, a beautiful pool area, restaurant and bar...not to mention wonderfully fast internet connection!

On Patty's first day, we headed to the city center to wander through some outdoor markets. Later we climbed to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia, where we found hazy, but exquisite 360-degree views of the city.


The following morning we took a guided tour back towards the Argentinean border, stopping at the San Estaban winery on the way. We then rode up the 27 steep s-curves through Los Andes to Portillo Winter Resort. Another breathtaking moment....an absolutely gorgeous location with a crystal blue lake settled amonst the mountains. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, warm and sunny with a cool mountain breeze. And despite our impeccable weather it was easy to visualize it's potential winter wonder in our mind's eye. We had a wonderful lunch at the resort, and then spent a couple of hours basking on the rocks at the lake's edge. Later we spent and entertaining evening at Bali Hai for a dinner show with typical Chilean dancers. Both Ray and I were pulled on stage multiple times, Ray was even suckered into a dance competition.....shook his booty with the best of 'em (we were proud)!!


The following morning we hit the streets once again....often the best way to explore a place. Visited the amazing Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombio (a museum that chronicles 4,500 years of pre-Columbian civilization). Later we continued to wander the streets, and through a small twist of fate ran into two hilarious girls from Denmark that we had given a ride to (2 weeks prior) in Bariloche, Argentina. After catching up with them, the three of us returned to the hotel, then headed out to a local seafood joint where we were awkwardly serenaded by a crooning Chilean Sinatra! Back to the hotel in time to greet the rest of our crew (my parents Ted & Nancy, sister Liz, and niece Willing), who had been traveling through Patagonia via boat for the previous few days.

The following morning (with our group complete-7 in all), we packed into our rental car and headed for the coast. Drove through Valparaiso and moved on to Vina del Mar (a well-groomed, garden city by the sea). We enjoyed a fabulous patio lunch and then spent the afternoon walking, lounging and frolicing (no joke...a few of us had the sillies) on the beach. Again, the weather was perfect. We piled back into our car, sunkissed and satisfied. Our trusty driver/navigator team (Ted behind the wheel, Ray in charge of maps) got us home for a shower and a catnap before heading out to catch some nightlife!


Next day....Vina Concha y Toro Vineyard and Winery (noticing a theme?....when in Rome, right?!). Some of you may recognize the name Concha y Toro as it is the largest exporter of Chilean wine. Had a wonderful tour of the vineyard followed by an excellent winetasting (paired with various cheeses)...Willing and I made an efficient team, she tackled the cheese (that I unfortunately can't), while I tackled the wine (that she unfortunately can't)! Off to the wine and gift shop both Patty and Liz did some damage....hard not to. Topped off the evening with a outdoor dinner in the trendy Bella Vista section of town.



On everyone's last day we headed to a wonderful and authentic artisan market before regrouping to head our seperate ways :( Patty off to Maine; mom, dad, Liz & Willing back to Connecticut; and Ray and I back to our "pre-parent" accomodations....hostel here we come!!

Next stop San Pedro....nearing the end!

Mendoza

Nothing all too exciting about our first day in Mendoza.....arrive, check-in, and hit the streets on foot to aquaint ourselves with the city.


The following morning we rented a couple of shoddy mountain bikes (a full day on these puppies will guarentee you saddle soreness for the next couple)! However, what they lacked in comfort, they made up for in efficiency...we were able to see quite a bit more than would have on foot. We headed to Parque General San Martin (1040 acres of forest within the city), rode up Cerro de la Gloria for the views, and then to an archaeological and natural sciences museum.


The next morning we took a bus (about 17 m southeast of the city´s center )to Maipú where we rented our 2nd round of bikes (this time spiffy red cruisers with wide cushy seats and baskets)! Mr. Hugo, the owner of the bikes, loaded us up with a map, a bottle of water and a glass of wine and then sent us on our way. We rode about 16 km in total stopping at a handful of local wineries. Some small and rustic, others a bit more built up. Most date back to the mid-19th century. *If you buy Argentinean wine at home (as we do), it most likely comes from here, as 70% of all Argentinean wine comes from the Mendoza region.


On our last full day here, we aimlessly wandered the streets....just observing and experiencing. A few of the streets we lined with people selling everything from extension cords & outlet converters to Hello Kitty socks & underwear (which of course Ray stocked up on).




The next day we hopped on the bus that would be taking us across the border into Chile. This border partol proved to be painstakingly thorough in their checks. Customs, baggage scans and searches.....but, most importantly NO plant and animal products to cross the border. Eight hours later we arrive in Santiago!

**this is where we "cheaked" our baggage.....

PATAGONIA

And to think we almost passed this area up! Realizing that we had just over 2 weeks to spend in Argentina, we were hesitant to head to the southern areas (as the bus journey alone would take 2 days each way). But, we were fortunate to find some affordable flights that would cut our travel time substantially....and man, did we make the right decision. The Patagonia region has been one of the major highlights of this entire trip!


Before I forget to mention, the weather throughout Costa Rica and Brazil was primarily high-90s/high humidity. Our first few stops in Argentina (when not rainy) were perfectly dry mid-70s. Now in southern Argentina we were met with gorgeously sunny days that ranged from 40-55 degrees! Brrrrr. We didn´t come quite prepared for these temperatures! As I write this, we have been in these cooler areas for a couple of weeks, needless to say our tans have faded.....


We flew from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, where we rented a car which allowed us our first taste of the "freedom of transport" in over 2 months! We drove to El Chaltén a small town roughly 200 km north of El Calafate. Both El Calafate and El Chaltén are small mountain towns filled with cozy restaurants/bars and climbing/trekking shops. We booked ourselves into a small hotel, and hit the sack. The following morning we loaded up on oatmeal and hit the trails. This hike was hands down the most amazing hike either one of us had ever done.....breathtaking, awe inspiring, pinch yourself beauty. We did a 26 km (roughly 16 mile) hike through the Fitz Roy range in the Andes, to Laguna de Los Tres. An amazing hike that took us through a huge array of terrains....mountains, deserts, rocky river beds, quirky twisted forests. The last hour was a tough steep climb, and what we found at the end was incredible...a deep teal green lake nestled between snowcapped mountains. We returned to town exhausted and content, had a delicious pint of beer and tasty meal, and then fell into bed.


The following morning we drove back to El Calafate and headed to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Wow...this thing is massive (3o km long, 5 km wide, and 60 m high). I had forgotten how incredible the almost indescribable blue-hue of a glacier is.



The following day we flew to Bariloche, rented car #2 (ok...now we´re just spoiling ourselves), and headed to El Bolsón. We had hopes of hiking one of the local mountains the following day. However, rain once again foiled our plans. We were advised by the "Mountain Club" in town, that not only the trails, but the dirt access roads would all be washed out due to the previous night´s rain...boo. So, we settled for a smaller (2 hour) hike. The hike itself was nothing special, but we ended at a beautiful waterfall, and due to the rainy conditions we had it all to ourselves!



The next day we headed back to Bariloche to explore the city. We found out that Bariloche is a big chocolate town. We hit up a few of the local chocolate hotspots (got a few free samples) to determine where we were going to make our big Easter purchase! Settled on a place called Mammushka...oh man, this stuff was good. Got ourselves a small varietal box and stashed it away for Easter (we would at least be celebrating the commercial aspect of the holiday)!






Next we bus to Mendoza....wine country.

Buenos Aires!

We flew to Buenos Aires and settled into our hostel "Chill House", an extremely modern and chic hostel with an amazing rooftop terrace that overlooks the city.....great find!


Our first day we explored a section of the city called Palermo, small streets filled with great shopping and restaurants....not to mention great "beautiful" people watching. People definitely put an effort into their appearance here. You can imagine we fit right in with the shabby backpacker clothing we'd been wearing for 2 months! That night we had an impromtu rooftop barbeque with 12 of our hostel-mates....so fun, and the food was wonderful. The night ended with very animated and multi-cultural game of sherades.



The following day we had hopes of scoring tickets to a futbol match between two Argentinean teams that are considered the biggest rivals in the world (Bocca vs. River). We ran into a few deterrents however. Not only were the prices astronomical, but we were warned multiple times about the true passion of the fans.....when attending this match, one runs the risk of either getting stampeded, hit with a dead chicken, or drenched with a flying bottle of urine. Yep...all set.

We were fortunate enough however to be invited to a local guy's house to watch the game (a friend of one of our hostel mates), so in the end we got to experience the game in the company of true fans and in the safety of their home...win win! Capped off the afternoon with some frisbee in the park (the Aerobie we brought along has been a HUGE hit)!



The next day we explored the Central portion of the city. Saw the Obelisco, Casa Rosada (where Evita sang from the balcony), and the amazing Cementerio de la Recoleta (a gorgeous cemetary for Argentina's elite)-a walled cememtary with massive and ornate statues and tombs. That evening we attended a fabulous tango show at one of Buenos Aire's oldest tango clubs. Such a fun evening.


***Here in Argentina, the wine flows like water. We've found mediocre bottles of wine (at restaurants) for $2.....and decent bottles for $6. Needless to say you can get a good bottle for $10! The red meat is plentiful and the starches are in full abundance...veggies (at restaurants), not so much. As in Brazil, we've found that the continental-type breakfast offered at the hostels/hotels often consist of toast and about 10-15 different versions of sweet cakes...no joke. We receive a basket of bread at almost every meal, and when ordering fish or meat it most often comes accompanied by rice and potato. So, we've just been telling ourselves "moderation, moderation"....and purchase fruits and veggies to snack on in the meantime!

Crossing the border...Brazil to Argentina

After our extremely LONG bus ride, we arrived in Foz do Iguaçu, the town famed for the amazing Iguaçu Falls. We settled into our hostel (and caught up on some sleep...it´s amazing how draining sitting on a bus can be). The next morning we took a bus to the Brazilian side of the falls. The Brazilian side is known to have the vast and incredible view, while the Argentinean side is a bit more interactive (you can essentially walk through them). WOW! what an incredible sight! There can be as many as 275 waterfalls roaring into the Rio Iguaçu at one time, it´s grandeur is truly impacting.



*once again, all of our pictures of the falls are on the other camera....



The following morning, we had a seamless transfer across the border into Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. We had planned to head to the Argentinean side of the falls later that day, but the weather was gloomy and wet, so we postponed it by a day. Well, the next morning we woke to find our hostel literally flooded! It had been (and continued to) torrentially down pour...so much that all the water that was rushing down the street was somehow directed straight into our hostel! The poor girl running the place was frantically trying to bail the dorm rooms and evacuate the unsuspecting sleepers. We helped her in redirecting the water, and salvaging anything we could. Needless to say, the day did not turn out to be waterfall viewing material, but an adventure nonetheless!!

Rio

We spent three full days in Rio, and unfortunately it poured for two of them...but, we didn't let it get to us. Keep on truckin'....



We stayed in a quaint area of the city called Santa Teresa. Set on a hill, with one narrow cobblestone street running it's length. There is a charming, rickety trolley that runs up and down the hill, and costs only 60 reias (or 30 cents) per person.

On our first morning, we went to Parque Nacional da Tijuca, where we spent the day hiking around in the rainforest (the perfect solution to the rain)! It was amazing to be in such a lush and beautiful forest in the middle of this grand city. The following morning we took a bus to the base of Pão de Acúcar or "Sugar Loaf" and then a cable car to the top. When we arrived there was thick cloud of fog covering the top, however within minutes the fog lifted and we had an outrageous viewof the city. That afternoon we stopped by Maracanã, Rio's stadium & 'shrine to futbol'. We had extremely high hopes of catching a live game, however we discovered that their usual midweek match was an away game....boooo. So, we wandered around the facility instead, sat in the bleachers, and cheered on our make believe teams! That evening unable to pass up a St. Paddy's celebration, we strapped on whatever green we could find and headed to Waxy's Irish Pub (where we found plenty of Irish spirit)!

The following morning we wandered through downtown Rio, and then headed for the beach that afternoon. We decided on Praia do Ipanema, as it is supposedly the hotspot for Rio's beautiful people....who doesn't love a little people watching, right?! Despite the overcast weather, the beach was still hopping and gorgeous! The following morning we took a train to the peak of Corcovado, where we saw the immense statue of Christ the Redeemer. Then hustled back to the hostel to shower and check out, and off to the bus station to board our 24 hour (yikes!) bus to Foz do Iguacu, a town that borders both Argentina and Paraguay.

Busin'......

Side note:
So while in Rio, an escalator ate my flip-flop. I'm serious. We were heading down to a ticket office to purchase our bus tickets, and upon disembarkation the teeth of the escalator snagged the toe of my flip flop and swallowed it. Of course the whole machine stopped due to the jam....embarrassing. In my mortification I was hoping for at least one empathetic smile or shake of the head....but no, just a substantial amount of "stink eye" from the people forced to use the stairs.
Despite the fact that I am pretty confident in both my escalator skills and the fact that this was a freak accident, I still received verbal instructions (in broken English) on how to properly dismount an escalator, "Must never touch the yellow line. Not here in Brazil, not in United States....not even in Europe". Thank you sir, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks to the three crafty mechanics, my shoe was extracted (quite beat-up, but still functional), and were sent on our way!