Rio to Santiago via Patagonia
Nov 4th, 2012, 05:12 PM
#61
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Hi gertie - this is my first time south of Mexico, so it's really too soon to say. So far, though, I'd have to rate the scenery higher than the cities. Iguazu was great, and so was the Perito Moreno glacier today.
Enjoy Lviv! I need to go back...
Enjoy Lviv! I need to go back...
Nov 5th, 2012, 06:12 AM
#62
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@gertie3751--As one (older female, often solo) who has enjoyed travel in S.A. and Brazil in particular for decades, I suggest you read (and ask lots of questions on) some other Brazil and S.A. forums for other perspectives and different profile of participants, so as to get a fuller picture of S.A. travel and a wider range of opinions, before you resolve to be less enthusiastic about your trip. Try Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Virtual Tourist, Flyertalk, CruiseCritic, Frommer, Fodor (some busier than others). If I can be of any assistance to you with details or doubts, please don't hesitate to ask.
Nov 5th, 2012, 02:35 PM
#63
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I'm also glued to your thread! I will be following in (many of) your footsteps at the end of the month.
I have to say I am getting even more excited about my visit after reading your comments.
And always enjoy reading about a happy fodors GTG - so glad it worked out for all.
Can't wait to hear about PMG and beyond...
I have to say I am getting even more excited about my visit after reading your comments.
And always enjoy reading about a happy fodors GTG - so glad it worked out for all.
Can't wait to hear about PMG and beyond...
Nov 6th, 2012, 05:33 AM
#64
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Sorry to hear you were hit by the mustard scam, but at least you knew what it was and didn't get ripped off as so many others have in the past.
I agree w/ you 100% about the scenery vs. the cities - Iguazu, Patagonia, NW are the places for me and I generally use Bs As as a stopover for flights.
Gertie - don't lose your enthusiasm for South America!! Will your trip focus on cities? I encourage you to explore Patagonia (El Calafate, El Chalten, Bariloche or Peninsula Valdes depending on timing), go to Iguazu Falls, take the boat trip from Bariloche to Puerto Varas in Chile, spend a week in the NW around the Salta region.
Argentina has many awesome destinations, but for some of us, it is not the cities, but the spectacular mountains, glaciers, lakes and wildlife.
I agree w/ you 100% about the scenery vs. the cities - Iguazu, Patagonia, NW are the places for me and I generally use Bs As as a stopover for flights.
Gertie - don't lose your enthusiasm for South America!! Will your trip focus on cities? I encourage you to explore Patagonia (El Calafate, El Chalten, Bariloche or Peninsula Valdes depending on timing), go to Iguazu Falls, take the boat trip from Bariloche to Puerto Varas in Chile, spend a week in the NW around the Salta region.
Argentina has many awesome destinations, but for some of us, it is not the cities, but the spectacular mountains, glaciers, lakes and wildlife.
Nov 6th, 2012, 10:28 AM
#65
Original Poster
<b>Status:</b> in El Chalten looking at clouds, after two wonderful days with the glaciers in El Calafate
<b>Oct 30-31, 2012: Sampling Buenos Aires</b>
After my mini bus tour ended, I ate at an indifferent lunch at a place close to Recoleta cemetery (I opted to eat indoors, and was then amused to discover that the choice saved me money), before taking a second look at the (now less crowded) cemetery, and checking out the baroque Jesuit church next door.
I spent the afternoon walking down Avenue Libertador, past a string of parks and heroic statues, to the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, housed in a 1918 mansion built for one Matias Errazuriz Ortuzar. The museum had a nice outdoor cafe, shaded by trees, and I allowed myself to be tempted by the creme brûlée I found on the dessert menu. I had to change tables when a man took the table downwind from mine and lit a large and malodorous cigar, although I'm happy to report that smoking indoors seems to have been outlawed in Argentina.
The mansion's Great Hall was off-limits while the artifacts from an exhibition were carefully packed for transport, but it could be viewed from the gallery that surrounded it on three sides. I found the museum quite interesting, although I would not have cared to inhabit some of the rooms - one oppressively red, and one very dark. Full marks for the bathroom facilities, though. I finished the day by walking back to my hotel past the Parque Las Heras. One thing Buenos Aires has plenty of, at least in the better-off sections, is green space. Some of the trees are quite magnificent, with wide trunks and spreading branches. The grounds don't always look well-cared for - but some of that may be due to the recent heavy rains. I later noticed a city employee cleaning mud off the pavements, although a broom might have been an ecologically sounder, and maybe even a more efficient, choice than a water hose.
My first night my hotel (the Duque) had sent to me to a "healthy" restaurant, the Quimbombo. I had ignored the several vegetarian options in favor of a pretty good prawn curry, and for my second night I went all the way carnivore, eating steak at Don Julio, also recommended by my hotel, and conveniently close. The service was good, and the steak cooked as I requested and very tender, but sadly lacking in flavor compared to the beef I had enjoyed in Argentina. Later I would learn that instead of lomo (tenderloin), I should have ordered bife de chorizo, which I had thought had something to do with sausage.
I spent day three, Wednesday, walking north. First to the banks at the intersection of Scalabrini Ortiz and Santa Fe, as I had heard that cash was hard to come by in El Calafate and El Chalten, and then successively through the Botanic Gardens, the Zoo and the Japanese Garden, with a pause for lunch after the zoo. As usual, I enjoyed the Botanic Gardens, although I had to break out the insect repellent, and the Japanese Gardens, although I found them too sprawling and undisciplined to be truly convincing. But the zoo should be avoided! Of course, urban zoos are always likely to be depressing, but this one was particularly bad, with the buildings in dire need of renovation, and the animals miserably housed.
Lunch was a considerable improvement on Tuesday, purely by chance. I walked less than a block off Ave. Libertador and found Bella Italia, where I ate an excellent risotto. I did have some difficulty leaving, partly due to a misunderstanding over paying the bill. I thought the waitress was asking if I wanted to charge the meal in American dollars or in pesos (the dreaded dynamic currency conversion scam) while she was actually trying to tell me that they only took American Express. Dinner was even better, being the mini-GTG described above.
<b>Oct 30-31, 2012: Sampling Buenos Aires</b>
After my mini bus tour ended, I ate at an indifferent lunch at a place close to Recoleta cemetery (I opted to eat indoors, and was then amused to discover that the choice saved me money), before taking a second look at the (now less crowded) cemetery, and checking out the baroque Jesuit church next door.
I spent the afternoon walking down Avenue Libertador, past a string of parks and heroic statues, to the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, housed in a 1918 mansion built for one Matias Errazuriz Ortuzar. The museum had a nice outdoor cafe, shaded by trees, and I allowed myself to be tempted by the creme brûlée I found on the dessert menu. I had to change tables when a man took the table downwind from mine and lit a large and malodorous cigar, although I'm happy to report that smoking indoors seems to have been outlawed in Argentina.
The mansion's Great Hall was off-limits while the artifacts from an exhibition were carefully packed for transport, but it could be viewed from the gallery that surrounded it on three sides. I found the museum quite interesting, although I would not have cared to inhabit some of the rooms - one oppressively red, and one very dark. Full marks for the bathroom facilities, though. I finished the day by walking back to my hotel past the Parque Las Heras. One thing Buenos Aires has plenty of, at least in the better-off sections, is green space. Some of the trees are quite magnificent, with wide trunks and spreading branches. The grounds don't always look well-cared for - but some of that may be due to the recent heavy rains. I later noticed a city employee cleaning mud off the pavements, although a broom might have been an ecologically sounder, and maybe even a more efficient, choice than a water hose.
My first night my hotel (the Duque) had sent to me to a "healthy" restaurant, the Quimbombo. I had ignored the several vegetarian options in favor of a pretty good prawn curry, and for my second night I went all the way carnivore, eating steak at Don Julio, also recommended by my hotel, and conveniently close. The service was good, and the steak cooked as I requested and very tender, but sadly lacking in flavor compared to the beef I had enjoyed in Argentina. Later I would learn that instead of lomo (tenderloin), I should have ordered bife de chorizo, which I had thought had something to do with sausage.
I spent day three, Wednesday, walking north. First to the banks at the intersection of Scalabrini Ortiz and Santa Fe, as I had heard that cash was hard to come by in El Calafate and El Chalten, and then successively through the Botanic Gardens, the Zoo and the Japanese Garden, with a pause for lunch after the zoo. As usual, I enjoyed the Botanic Gardens, although I had to break out the insect repellent, and the Japanese Gardens, although I found them too sprawling and undisciplined to be truly convincing. But the zoo should be avoided! Of course, urban zoos are always likely to be depressing, but this one was particularly bad, with the buildings in dire need of renovation, and the animals miserably housed.
Lunch was a considerable improvement on Tuesday, purely by chance. I walked less than a block off Ave. Libertador and found Bella Italia, where I ate an excellent risotto. I did have some difficulty leaving, partly due to a misunderstanding over paying the bill. I thought the waitress was asking if I wanted to charge the meal in American dollars or in pesos (the dreaded dynamic currency conversion scam) while she was actually trying to tell me that they only took American Express. Dinner was even better, being the mini-GTG described above.
Nov 8th, 2012, 04:07 AM
#66
Original Poster
<b>Status:</b> In El Chalten, looking at clouds, after a beautiful day with beautiful views. Net access here is abysmally slow.
<b>No 1-2, 2012: More Buenos Aires</b>
On my last trip, I had been shown round part of Chicago by a volunteer greeter, and a couple of trips back a similar volunteer had taken me to a full-moon celebration outside Kyoto, so I was pleased to find that Buenos Aires also had people willing to show strangers a local's view. When asked what I wanted to see when I requested a greeter, I expressed interest in Art Nouveau, and in visiting San Telmo and La Boca. Alas, it seems that BsAs is more a city for my friends, the Art Deco fans, but my volunteer, Mauricio, had gone to high school and university in San Telmo, although he now lived in Palermo.
We started by taking the metro to Obelisco, for a closer look at the obelisk (similar to the Washington monument) erected in 1936 to mark the city's 400th anniversary. Then we walked down to Plaza de Mayo, where this time I got to go inside the cathedral, remarkable chiefly for the flag-draped tomb of independence-hero Jose de San Martin (who had died in penury in France). In between we checked out the facades and main halls of some impressive banks, one of which had started life as a theater.
I got another look at the Pink House, aka Government House, which had once fronted the river. I already knew that Eva Peron's famous speech had not been given from the Pink House's balcony in real life, only in the movie. I haven't seen the movie, but I did visit the informative Evita Museum, where I was surprised to learn how short her tenure as Argentina's first lady had been. Then we walked to San Telmo, where I insisted on a coffee break....
I had originally wanted to stay in an interesting-looking B&B in San Telmo, but posters at Fodors and Tripadvisor had talked me out of it on the grounds that much of the area was unsafe at night. After seeing it, I was happy to be staying in Palermo. Although there are plenty of shopping opportunities. From San Telmo we took a cab to Parque Lezama and a restaurant Mauricio recommended for beef. It was here that I learned that bife de chorizo has nothing to do with sausage.
Parque Lezama is really in La Boca, a more perilous barrio than San Telmo, and I was surprised that the National History Museum is there. Instead of visiting the museum, we shared a cab back to the Recoleta area, where Mauricio had a doctor's appointment, and I planned to visit the Belles Arts Museum. I would have skipped the Belles Arts Museum if I hadn't been meeting my free walking tour outside, and if I hadn't heard that it had paintings by El Greco (two, one on loan from the Prado), and Rembrandt (one, attributed, dubiously in my view).
The walking tour was with my guide from the bus tour, and after trekking through the embassy district, and through some more parks to the admittedly-beautiful rose garden I decided I had had more than enough exercise for one day and called it quits. I took a taxi back to my hotel.
Friday morning, my last, I walked only as far as the mall on Av. Santa Fe. I find that supermarkets and malls are an interesting change from the tourist sights, and this one housed a couple of good bookstores in addition to the usual clothes and jewelry stores. I noticed that, unlike a U.S. mall, where I would have needed an extra layer as protection from the AC, here the AC wasn't helping a whole lot.
I also had something a little different planned for the afternoon, a graffiti tour. This involved some walking and some driving, around Palermo, and gave me a look at some really interesting street art. The guide, an Australian woman who had lived in BsAs for several years, told us that street art really got underway after the 2001 economic crisis, as a way to cheer people up. Technically illegal, no-one gets prosecuted, and so the artists can paint in the daytime. She was obviously on good terms with a number of the artists and we paid a visit to one of the studios
<b>No 1-2, 2012: More Buenos Aires</b>
On my last trip, I had been shown round part of Chicago by a volunteer greeter, and a couple of trips back a similar volunteer had taken me to a full-moon celebration outside Kyoto, so I was pleased to find that Buenos Aires also had people willing to show strangers a local's view. When asked what I wanted to see when I requested a greeter, I expressed interest in Art Nouveau, and in visiting San Telmo and La Boca. Alas, it seems that BsAs is more a city for my friends, the Art Deco fans, but my volunteer, Mauricio, had gone to high school and university in San Telmo, although he now lived in Palermo.
We started by taking the metro to Obelisco, for a closer look at the obelisk (similar to the Washington monument) erected in 1936 to mark the city's 400th anniversary. Then we walked down to Plaza de Mayo, where this time I got to go inside the cathedral, remarkable chiefly for the flag-draped tomb of independence-hero Jose de San Martin (who had died in penury in France). In between we checked out the facades and main halls of some impressive banks, one of which had started life as a theater.
I got another look at the Pink House, aka Government House, which had once fronted the river. I already knew that Eva Peron's famous speech had not been given from the Pink House's balcony in real life, only in the movie. I haven't seen the movie, but I did visit the informative Evita Museum, where I was surprised to learn how short her tenure as Argentina's first lady had been. Then we walked to San Telmo, where I insisted on a coffee break....
I had originally wanted to stay in an interesting-looking B&B in San Telmo, but posters at Fodors and Tripadvisor had talked me out of it on the grounds that much of the area was unsafe at night. After seeing it, I was happy to be staying in Palermo. Although there are plenty of shopping opportunities. From San Telmo we took a cab to Parque Lezama and a restaurant Mauricio recommended for beef. It was here that I learned that bife de chorizo has nothing to do with sausage.
Parque Lezama is really in La Boca, a more perilous barrio than San Telmo, and I was surprised that the National History Museum is there. Instead of visiting the museum, we shared a cab back to the Recoleta area, where Mauricio had a doctor's appointment, and I planned to visit the Belles Arts Museum. I would have skipped the Belles Arts Museum if I hadn't been meeting my free walking tour outside, and if I hadn't heard that it had paintings by El Greco (two, one on loan from the Prado), and Rembrandt (one, attributed, dubiously in my view).
The walking tour was with my guide from the bus tour, and after trekking through the embassy district, and through some more parks to the admittedly-beautiful rose garden I decided I had had more than enough exercise for one day and called it quits. I took a taxi back to my hotel.
Friday morning, my last, I walked only as far as the mall on Av. Santa Fe. I find that supermarkets and malls are an interesting change from the tourist sights, and this one housed a couple of good bookstores in addition to the usual clothes and jewelry stores. I noticed that, unlike a U.S. mall, where I would have needed an extra layer as protection from the AC, here the AC wasn't helping a whole lot.
I also had something a little different planned for the afternoon, a graffiti tour. This involved some walking and some driving, around Palermo, and gave me a look at some really interesting street art. The guide, an Australian woman who had lived in BsAs for several years, told us that street art really got underway after the 2001 economic crisis, as a way to cheer people up. Technically illegal, no-one gets prosecuted, and so the artists can paint in the daytime. She was obviously on good terms with a number of the artists and we paid a visit to one of the studios
Nov 10th, 2012, 08:10 AM
#67
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Am enjoying your report, Thursday. How did you like Duque Hotel in BA? Wondering cause I made us a reservation there for some of our BA days in Jan/Feb, when we'll be all over Argentina for a couple months. . . .
Nov 10th, 2012, 12:32 PM
#68
Original Poster
<b>glover</b> - I was a bit concerned about the Duque because I had prepaid, and because it was so highly rated on TA (I've had a couple of bad experiences with highly rated places), but I really liked it. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the breakfast was good and included eggs, there was tea and coffee available all day, the bed was comfortable and the water was hot. I'll be giving it five stars on TA. It is a long four blocks to the banks and the metro, but it's handy for Palermo and some good eating places.
<b>gertie</b> - I may not have put Rio and BsAs on my must revisit list, but am loving Patagonia. I don't know what your itinerary looks like, but if it doesn't include Patagonia you should change it!
<b>gertie</b> - I may not have put Rio and BsAs on my must revisit list, but am loving Patagonia. I don't know what your itinerary looks like, but if it doesn't include Patagonia you should change it!
Nov 10th, 2012, 01:03 PM
#69
Enjoying following along your journey to many places we have visited and loved.
@gertie -- if you don't like cities, then BA probably may not be the best destination for you. I love BA and think there is a lot to see and do, but I like what cities have to offer. BA is great for wandering and sitting in cafes too. Agree that La Boca is pretty much a tourist trap. Have stayed in San Telmo on one visit to BA and had a great time there with no issues at all. That said, I absolutely fell in love with Patagonia, esp Torres del Paine.
@gertie -- if you don't like cities, then BA probably may not be the best destination for you. I love BA and think there is a lot to see and do, but I like what cities have to offer. BA is great for wandering and sitting in cafes too. Agree that La Boca is pretty much a tourist trap. Have stayed in San Telmo on one visit to BA and had a great time there with no issues at all. That said, I absolutely fell in love with Patagonia, esp Torres del Paine.
Nov 12th, 2012, 06:00 AM
#70
Original Poster
<b>Cities</b> - It's not that I don't like cities. It's not that I don't like big cities - last time I checked, London still ranked as pretty big. It's that I like particular cities, and not necessarily for obvious reasons, although interesting and varied architecture and good public transport help. Some cities I walk into, and know instantly that I will like it there. Others, I just don't get that reaction. So, Lisbon makes me smile and Madrid doesn't. I prefer Beijing (at least as it was the last time I saw it) to Shanghai, Moscow to St. Petersburg (too much baroque).
And heat and humidity really turn me off. I live with high heat and humidity in the summer, but I drive everywhere in an AC car. I expect to walk in cities. Anywhere the first thing I do when I get back to my hotel room is strip off and get in the shower, and the second is to wash everything I was wearing, is fighting a losing battle. I thought I had arrived in BsAs early enough in the year for that not to be a problem. I was wrong.
<b>Status</b> - serendipity strikes again. I had one day for Torres del Paine National Park. Supposedly there are only 60 days in the year when you can actually see the towers. And yesterday was one of them - bright sunshine! In fact it was hot, I had taken cold weather gear and kept taking layers off. Now I'm waiting to board the Navimag ferry from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. It hasn't arrived yet, but I am checked in. Last week it was canceled....
And heat and humidity really turn me off. I live with high heat and humidity in the summer, but I drive everywhere in an AC car. I expect to walk in cities. Anywhere the first thing I do when I get back to my hotel room is strip off and get in the shower, and the second is to wash everything I was wearing, is fighting a losing battle. I thought I had arrived in BsAs early enough in the year for that not to be a problem. I was wrong.
<b>Status</b> - serendipity strikes again. I had one day for Torres del Paine National Park. Supposedly there are only 60 days in the year when you can actually see the towers. And yesterday was one of them - bright sunshine! In fact it was hot, I had taken cold weather gear and kept taking layers off. Now I'm waiting to board the Navimag ferry from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. It hasn't arrived yet, but I am checked in. Last week it was canceled....
Nov 12th, 2012, 06:35 AM
#72
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Nice catch up! And good to hear you are doing well.
I seem to have stirred things up a bit with my last comment. Totally unintentionally.
My trip to Rio/BsAs/Santiago will be about this time next year. I haven't started planning it yet; a lot will depend on my daughter who will be living there by then.
Meanwhile I'm taking lots of notes on your trip as I think we have the same travelling style and I can profit from your adventures!
As to not liking cities: absolutely not true. I love cities all over Europe, Asia and Central America. Have to say though that I prefer the natural sights in the USA. Looks like South America may fall into that category too.
Now I'm about to look at your blog and hope to see more wonderful photos!
Take care.
I seem to have stirred things up a bit with my last comment. Totally unintentionally.
My trip to Rio/BsAs/Santiago will be about this time next year. I haven't started planning it yet; a lot will depend on my daughter who will be living there by then.
Meanwhile I'm taking lots of notes on your trip as I think we have the same travelling style and I can profit from your adventures!
As to not liking cities: absolutely not true. I love cities all over Europe, Asia and Central America. Have to say though that I prefer the natural sights in the USA. Looks like South America may fall into that category too.
Now I'm about to look at your blog and hope to see more wonderful photos!
Take care.
Nov 16th, 2012, 11:13 AM
#73
Original Poster
<b>Status:</b> Boat arrived in Puerto Montt on day scheduled, after four hours on the bus am now in Castro, on Chiloe. Finally have wifi again!
<b>Nov 3, 2012: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime</b>
I knew better. Really I did. I knew that cities may have multiple airports, just like they may have multiple bus stations and multiple train stations (heaven knows, London has enough train stations). I even knew that Buenos Aires had two airports, AEP mostly domestic (although my flight to Uruguay left from there) and EZE mostly international. I also knew to double check - even triple check - transport and hotel reservations.
But for some reason, I had it fixed in my mind that my flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate left from EZE. Perhaps it was because I was flying LAN, the Chilean national airline. Perhaps it was because Patagonia felt like a different country. In any case, when I checked my e-ticket for the flight time, it didn't register that right underneath the time it said AEP. It didn't register until I was actually AT the wrong airport.
This was an expensive mistake, as AEP is right down town, nice and close to my hotel, while EZE is well outside. Fortunately, it wasn't as expensive as it might have been, as the Saturday morning traffic allowed my second taxi to get me back through town to AEP in time to check in. Actually, I thought the driver could have gone a good bit faster, but perhaps he didn't think his vehicle was up to it. In any case, there were people still checking in for the Mendoza flight, which shared the El Calafate line, just half an hour before take off.
I had also failed to notice that the ticket said "snack" rather than "lunch". Even supplemented by a couple of energy bars, the snack wasn't going to hold me until dinner. Fortunately, it did last me through waiting for the shuttle to fill at El Calafate's small airport, for the shuttle to deliver me to the Hosteria Hainen, where I had a reservation, for the helpful young woman on the front desk to book me bus tickets and glacier tours, and for me to trek into town to the supermarket. But I had to eat half the ready-made sandwich I picked up while I was standing in line to pay.
Having staved off a starvation attack, I took a look at El Calafate, and was not impressed. Whatever it was like a few years back, it is now, no doubt thanks to the airport, tourist central, with far too many souvenir shops for my taste. I booked the bus to Puerto Natales for the following Saturday, which I had to do in person, passport in hand, I had coffee at a funky bar cum cafe cum bookstore, and hoped for good weather the next day.
The high point of the day turned out to be dinner. Rejecting the parillas (barbecue places) near my hotel, I went back into town (the Hainen was across the river and up a steep graveled road at the east end of town) to Casimiro Bigua, which advertised itself as a wine and tapas place. Of course, after such an expensive morning, I should probably have settled for pizza, but I felt in need of pampering.
I was about to order langoustines and lamb when I noticed a tasting menu: five courses with matched wines. Carpe diem. I ordered it, and I didn't regret it. My waiter was informative but not intrusive, and also energetic, as I saw him heading up the street a couple of times to a sister restaurant for the wine. All the wine and food were excellent, except that the lamb was overcooked for my taste, but not, I'm aware, for local tastes. The smoked salmon with avocado was a welcome change, the Patagonian toothfish deliciously buttery, and at least three of the wines remarkable: Malamado extra dry, Lagarde DOC malbec and Malamado malbec. Even with the cover charge, water, coffee and tip, the meal didn't cost any more than the wine dinners I sometimes indulge in at home.
I went to bed in a much better mood, despite the rain that had started falling during dinner.
<b>Nov 3, 2012: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime</b>
I knew better. Really I did. I knew that cities may have multiple airports, just like they may have multiple bus stations and multiple train stations (heaven knows, London has enough train stations). I even knew that Buenos Aires had two airports, AEP mostly domestic (although my flight to Uruguay left from there) and EZE mostly international. I also knew to double check - even triple check - transport and hotel reservations.
But for some reason, I had it fixed in my mind that my flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate left from EZE. Perhaps it was because I was flying LAN, the Chilean national airline. Perhaps it was because Patagonia felt like a different country. In any case, when I checked my e-ticket for the flight time, it didn't register that right underneath the time it said AEP. It didn't register until I was actually AT the wrong airport.
This was an expensive mistake, as AEP is right down town, nice and close to my hotel, while EZE is well outside. Fortunately, it wasn't as expensive as it might have been, as the Saturday morning traffic allowed my second taxi to get me back through town to AEP in time to check in. Actually, I thought the driver could have gone a good bit faster, but perhaps he didn't think his vehicle was up to it. In any case, there were people still checking in for the Mendoza flight, which shared the El Calafate line, just half an hour before take off.
I had also failed to notice that the ticket said "snack" rather than "lunch". Even supplemented by a couple of energy bars, the snack wasn't going to hold me until dinner. Fortunately, it did last me through waiting for the shuttle to fill at El Calafate's small airport, for the shuttle to deliver me to the Hosteria Hainen, where I had a reservation, for the helpful young woman on the front desk to book me bus tickets and glacier tours, and for me to trek into town to the supermarket. But I had to eat half the ready-made sandwich I picked up while I was standing in line to pay.
Having staved off a starvation attack, I took a look at El Calafate, and was not impressed. Whatever it was like a few years back, it is now, no doubt thanks to the airport, tourist central, with far too many souvenir shops for my taste. I booked the bus to Puerto Natales for the following Saturday, which I had to do in person, passport in hand, I had coffee at a funky bar cum cafe cum bookstore, and hoped for good weather the next day.
The high point of the day turned out to be dinner. Rejecting the parillas (barbecue places) near my hotel, I went back into town (the Hainen was across the river and up a steep graveled road at the east end of town) to Casimiro Bigua, which advertised itself as a wine and tapas place. Of course, after such an expensive morning, I should probably have settled for pizza, but I felt in need of pampering.
I was about to order langoustines and lamb when I noticed a tasting menu: five courses with matched wines. Carpe diem. I ordered it, and I didn't regret it. My waiter was informative but not intrusive, and also energetic, as I saw him heading up the street a couple of times to a sister restaurant for the wine. All the wine and food were excellent, except that the lamb was overcooked for my taste, but not, I'm aware, for local tastes. The smoked salmon with avocado was a welcome change, the Patagonian toothfish deliciously buttery, and at least three of the wines remarkable: Malamado extra dry, Lagarde DOC malbec and Malamado malbec. Even with the cover charge, water, coffee and tip, the meal didn't cost any more than the wine dinners I sometimes indulge in at home.
I went to bed in a much better mood, despite the rain that had started falling during dinner.
Nov 16th, 2012, 12:23 PM
#74
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Great!
I gather you haven't seen the glacier yet.
That's what you go to Calafate for.
For anyone who can afford it, I suggest skipping the town and staying at Los Notros, where you can see the glacier from your bed.
Keep up the good work, thursdaysd!
I gather you haven't seen the glacier yet.
That's what you go to Calafate for.
For anyone who can afford it, I suggest skipping the town and staying at Los Notros, where you can see the glacier from your bed.
Keep up the good work, thursdaysd!
Nov 17th, 2012, 01:45 PM
#75
Original Poster
Hi av - I'm posting in arrears, partly due to sightseeing getting in the way of writing, and partly to no wifi on the boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. Am currently in Chile, although will be returning to Argentina soon.
<b>Nov 4-5, 2012: Glaciers, and More Glaciers</b>
Aside from the airport, El Calafate has probably become tourist central because its attractions are accessible without effort. The energetic head for El Chalten, a few hours north, where you need to hike to see the high points. In El Calafate you just book a tour and board a bus and a boat. I booked two, one for each of my days in town. I could have walked down the main street, and compared all the different companies, but instead I had my hotel book me, and their choices were fine.
My first day I took a tour to the Perito Moreno glacier, which involved a bus ride out to the southern sector of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (100 pesos admission, I think, on top of the tour price), a boat ride along the south face of the glacier, and a further bus ride to where you could walk down to a series of balconies practically touching the glacier. (This trip has changed a bit recently. The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the few that is still advancing, and the south and north faces now require separate boat trips as the glacier has made contact with the shore.)
The Hosteria Hainen had provided me with a packed lunch (including an excellent chicken and cheese sandwich), and I ate it while sitting in the sunshine admiring the glacier - the rain had cleared overnight. The tour allowed for two hours on the balconies, and really I could have used more, but I also enjoyed the boat trip, which I don't think I could have done with public transport. We got a long, slow, up-close look at the face of the glacier, a sweep of pinnacles and vertical crevices, with the colors shading from purest white to electric blue.
Perito Moreno is just one of the glaciers flowing down from the Southern Ice Cap, the world's third largest (after Antarctica and Greenland), and the next day I took a much longer boat trip to see two more, plus the other face of Perito Moreno, and a whole series of smallish icebergs, gradually turning translucent and melting in the sunshine. Upsala, 10 kms wide where it reaches Lago Argentino's North Arm, and Spegazzini, were just as fascinating as Perito Moreno - the colors were amazing, and the shapes intricate. The deepest blue was so intense as to appear unnatural, as if some kind of chemical spill had taken place.
If you're planning a trip to Argentina the glaciers really are a must-see - just like the Iguassu Falls at the other end of the country. It's hard to think of a bigger contrast than that between the arid steppes and majestic glaciers around El Calafate, and the hot, humid forests and roaring falls at Iguassu. But the power of water, liquid or frozen, is on full display at both. I enjoyed the glaciers so much that I moved Alaska and Antarctica further up my "must-see" list, where they had been languishing near the bottom. (I had figured I would save Alaska for when I was more decrepit, and Antarctica is just plain expensive.)
I had good luck with the weather. Although it was seriously cold out on the deck, and the wind was fierce when we were moving, the rain held off and the sun showed the glaciers at their best. I could hardly complain when it rained the next day, when I took the bus to El Chalten. I had enjoyed staying at the Hosteria Hainen, although it was a bit of a trek back from town, but it rose even higher in my esteem when the owner, declaring that taxis were unreliable, drove me to the bus station himself. I was half an hour early and able to claim the front seat. The bus left full, mostly with people in their twenties and thirties, toting hefty backpacks.
<b>Nov 4-5, 2012: Glaciers, and More Glaciers</b>
Aside from the airport, El Calafate has probably become tourist central because its attractions are accessible without effort. The energetic head for El Chalten, a few hours north, where you need to hike to see the high points. In El Calafate you just book a tour and board a bus and a boat. I booked two, one for each of my days in town. I could have walked down the main street, and compared all the different companies, but instead I had my hotel book me, and their choices were fine.
My first day I took a tour to the Perito Moreno glacier, which involved a bus ride out to the southern sector of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (100 pesos admission, I think, on top of the tour price), a boat ride along the south face of the glacier, and a further bus ride to where you could walk down to a series of balconies practically touching the glacier. (This trip has changed a bit recently. The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the few that is still advancing, and the south and north faces now require separate boat trips as the glacier has made contact with the shore.)
The Hosteria Hainen had provided me with a packed lunch (including an excellent chicken and cheese sandwich), and I ate it while sitting in the sunshine admiring the glacier - the rain had cleared overnight. The tour allowed for two hours on the balconies, and really I could have used more, but I also enjoyed the boat trip, which I don't think I could have done with public transport. We got a long, slow, up-close look at the face of the glacier, a sweep of pinnacles and vertical crevices, with the colors shading from purest white to electric blue.
Perito Moreno is just one of the glaciers flowing down from the Southern Ice Cap, the world's third largest (after Antarctica and Greenland), and the next day I took a much longer boat trip to see two more, plus the other face of Perito Moreno, and a whole series of smallish icebergs, gradually turning translucent and melting in the sunshine. Upsala, 10 kms wide where it reaches Lago Argentino's North Arm, and Spegazzini, were just as fascinating as Perito Moreno - the colors were amazing, and the shapes intricate. The deepest blue was so intense as to appear unnatural, as if some kind of chemical spill had taken place.
If you're planning a trip to Argentina the glaciers really are a must-see - just like the Iguassu Falls at the other end of the country. It's hard to think of a bigger contrast than that between the arid steppes and majestic glaciers around El Calafate, and the hot, humid forests and roaring falls at Iguassu. But the power of water, liquid or frozen, is on full display at both. I enjoyed the glaciers so much that I moved Alaska and Antarctica further up my "must-see" list, where they had been languishing near the bottom. (I had figured I would save Alaska for when I was more decrepit, and Antarctica is just plain expensive.)
I had good luck with the weather. Although it was seriously cold out on the deck, and the wind was fierce when we were moving, the rain held off and the sun showed the glaciers at their best. I could hardly complain when it rained the next day, when I took the bus to El Chalten. I had enjoyed staying at the Hosteria Hainen, although it was a bit of a trek back from town, but it rose even higher in my esteem when the owner, declaring that taxis were unreliable, drove me to the bus station himself. I was half an hour early and able to claim the front seat. The bus left full, mostly with people in their twenties and thirties, toting hefty backpacks.
Nov 19th, 2012, 08:58 AM
#76
Original Poster
<b>Status:</b> Am now in Puerto Varas, great view of volcanoes. Just booked the two day bus and boat trek to Bariloche in Argentina and leave on Thursday.
<b>Nov 6-8, 2012: Must Exercise, Must Exercise</b>
El Chalten, founded quite recently as an outpost to further Argentina's claims in a border dispute with Chile, has found a new purpose as the gateway to the northern section of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, but retains its frontier feel. It's much smaller than El Calafate, and without the latter's souvenir shops. Only the main streets are paved, and there is little action during the day, when most visitors are out hiking.
I had booked three nights in El Chalten, and was fortunate to have one beautiful, sunny day, as apparently it had been raining, and even snowing, for weeks. I had booked a double en-suite at the Albergue Patagonia, an HI hostel, with some doubts, and was pleasantly surprised by my comfortable room, and by the good bistro next door, owned by the same people. The only problem was wifi, as the whole town is run off a satellite link, and access was abysmally slow.
The day I arrived was cold and wet, and I only went out for lunch - a hot and filling bowl of lentil stew at the closest place that was open. It was also election day in the US. I had voted absentee before I left, happy to avoid the last three weeks of frantic campaigning (I live in a swing state), but had forgotten that I might want TV for the actual election. In the event, the one TV in the hostel was tuned to a rock concert, and I had no idea of the results until next morning, when I was able to read some of the news websites.
That morning I put on my warmest clothes (although not my thermal underwear), packed ear muffs and a woolly hat along with lunch, and set off in sunshine on the trail to Laguna de los Tres to take a look at Mt. Fitz Roy. (I discovered later that when it wasn't raining you could actually see Fitz Roy from El Chalten, but it was nothing like the views from the trail.) The helpful guy on the desk at the Albergue Patagonia had offered me a "cheat" for this trail. A car would drop me north of the mountain and I could hike in along a river and then down, instead of up, the Laguna trail. However, he said it would take five hours, and I figured that not only would it likely take me significantly longer, once I started I would be committed. If I went in on the Laguna trail, I might start out uphill, but I could decide if and when I needed to turn back. (I had no intention of tackling the last leg, steeper and more difficult than the rest.)
The weather was so good, that, aside from the sections where the wind hit me, I was over-dressed, and shed layers. I even saw a few people hiking in shorts. But at times the wind felt fierce enough to blow me over. The weather was also so good, the view from the first mirador so clear, and I sufficiently out of shape, that I did not go on to the second mirador. Instead I took a side trail to a lake, where I found another good viewpoint. I had thought that the trail would be in full sun, but instead much of it was shaded by trees, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk in the woods and the marvelous views. But there was no question that I was out of shape. I needed to get into better condition before coming back.
The weather forecast for my second full day at El Chalten was iffy, and I booked a tour to Lago des Desierto with the thought that if it rained I could at least look at the lake. Bad plan! After we reached the lake I had not gone far up the trail that would supposedly lead me to a view of a glacier when it started raining. And then raining hard. I retreated to the only shelter available, a small hut where an elderly woman sold admission tickets for the trail, and some drinkable coffee, but with no view of anything. Fortunately, I had taken my smart phone/iPod, and wasn't as bored as I might have been. The other people from the minibus continued up the trail, but when they returned some time later conveyed (they didn't speak English), that they hadn't seen the glacier, it had snowed, and, with some indignation, that the trail was "periloso". On the way back we drove through snow, and then rain, to return to a village enjoying sunshine....
<b>Nov 6-8, 2012: Must Exercise, Must Exercise</b>
El Chalten, founded quite recently as an outpost to further Argentina's claims in a border dispute with Chile, has found a new purpose as the gateway to the northern section of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, but retains its frontier feel. It's much smaller than El Calafate, and without the latter's souvenir shops. Only the main streets are paved, and there is little action during the day, when most visitors are out hiking.
I had booked three nights in El Chalten, and was fortunate to have one beautiful, sunny day, as apparently it had been raining, and even snowing, for weeks. I had booked a double en-suite at the Albergue Patagonia, an HI hostel, with some doubts, and was pleasantly surprised by my comfortable room, and by the good bistro next door, owned by the same people. The only problem was wifi, as the whole town is run off a satellite link, and access was abysmally slow.
The day I arrived was cold and wet, and I only went out for lunch - a hot and filling bowl of lentil stew at the closest place that was open. It was also election day in the US. I had voted absentee before I left, happy to avoid the last three weeks of frantic campaigning (I live in a swing state), but had forgotten that I might want TV for the actual election. In the event, the one TV in the hostel was tuned to a rock concert, and I had no idea of the results until next morning, when I was able to read some of the news websites.
That morning I put on my warmest clothes (although not my thermal underwear), packed ear muffs and a woolly hat along with lunch, and set off in sunshine on the trail to Laguna de los Tres to take a look at Mt. Fitz Roy. (I discovered later that when it wasn't raining you could actually see Fitz Roy from El Chalten, but it was nothing like the views from the trail.) The helpful guy on the desk at the Albergue Patagonia had offered me a "cheat" for this trail. A car would drop me north of the mountain and I could hike in along a river and then down, instead of up, the Laguna trail. However, he said it would take five hours, and I figured that not only would it likely take me significantly longer, once I started I would be committed. If I went in on the Laguna trail, I might start out uphill, but I could decide if and when I needed to turn back. (I had no intention of tackling the last leg, steeper and more difficult than the rest.)
The weather was so good, that, aside from the sections where the wind hit me, I was over-dressed, and shed layers. I even saw a few people hiking in shorts. But at times the wind felt fierce enough to blow me over. The weather was also so good, the view from the first mirador so clear, and I sufficiently out of shape, that I did not go on to the second mirador. Instead I took a side trail to a lake, where I found another good viewpoint. I had thought that the trail would be in full sun, but instead much of it was shaded by trees, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk in the woods and the marvelous views. But there was no question that I was out of shape. I needed to get into better condition before coming back.
The weather forecast for my second full day at El Chalten was iffy, and I booked a tour to Lago des Desierto with the thought that if it rained I could at least look at the lake. Bad plan! After we reached the lake I had not gone far up the trail that would supposedly lead me to a view of a glacier when it started raining. And then raining hard. I retreated to the only shelter available, a small hut where an elderly woman sold admission tickets for the trail, and some drinkable coffee, but with no view of anything. Fortunately, I had taken my smart phone/iPod, and wasn't as bored as I might have been. The other people from the minibus continued up the trail, but when they returned some time later conveyed (they didn't speak English), that they hadn't seen the glacier, it had snowed, and, with some indignation, that the trail was "periloso". On the way back we drove through snow, and then rain, to return to a village enjoying sunshine....
Nov 19th, 2012, 11:02 AM
#80
Just returned form the Chilean Embassy in DC where they have a great photo exhibit of Patagonia. Your photos would fit right in -- fabulous!
Raading your blog is making me so sorry we passed on el Chalten.
Did you hike on the glacier at Puerto Moreno? That was fascinating and quite exhilarating. FYI all the tour places in town seemed to be connected to the same central place so prices were the same. We did check out quite a few as we strolled thru el Calafate.
Raading your blog is making me so sorry we passed on el Chalten.
Did you hike on the glacier at Puerto Moreno? That was fascinating and quite exhilarating. FYI all the tour places in town seemed to be connected to the same central place so prices were the same. We did check out quite a few as we strolled thru el Calafate.
