Tag Archives: Argentina

Bottleneck

24 Sunday Feb 2008

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Luckily right before I arranged my trip down to Chile, I also contemplated how the heck to get back up north. It had taken me several weeks to work my way down to this point in Patagonia now the trick was to find a way back up. Since busing it all the way up will no doubt take at least 3 days straight. I decided to fly part of the way. I went to LADE, which is an Argentinean company operating in Patagonia and has flights up to Buenos Aires.

It was fairly difficult to find anything up to B.A. everything was fully booked. So right there standing in front of the attendant I decided to make a pitstop on the Northern Patagonian region (on the Atlantic coast this time). I knew that the national park outside of Puerto Madryn had the biggest Penguin colony outside of Antartica. Flights to P. Madryn and nearby Trelew were fully booked as well but I managed to find a flight to Comodoro Riv. (4 hours South of Trelew). Since my options were limited I bought the ticket right there and then and went next door a bus booking company and purchased a bus ticket for the rest of the journey up to Trelew.

The day of my flight, it was pure madness. Areolineas Argentina (which isn’t even an Argentinean company, from Spain) was on strike and numerous delays. So you can imagine the matchbox of an airport in the small town of El Calafate and lots and lots of angry tourists. I was thankful I wasn’t traveling with them. Especially since they charge 3 times as much as LADE and apparently provide worse service on top of that. But due to their incompetence, all other airlines suffered as well. Here I was thinking I was on top of things. For the first time ever in this trip I had pre-purchased a bus ticket before arriving to that city. My trip thus far has been planned city by city. It was kinda ironic, the first time I plan ahead, something like this happens. I thought I had a lot of wiggle room to get to the airport in Comodoro to the bus terminal to get to Trelew. But the delays continued. Luckily we made it out and bargained with a cab driver at the airport to shoot straight for the terminal. THANKFULLY, I made exactly 3 mins before the bus was set to leave.

I arrived in Trelew around 10pm and headed for a small hotel I had quickly looked up. Honestly it was the worst place I stayed at and the most expensive. But since it was late and close to the terminal I paid without much argument. I was very thankful I took a shower at night as there was no water in bathroom in the morning. Angry as I was I packed up my things, paid and left find an internet cafe to update the parentals and wait for the bus to see the penguins at Punta Tombo.

Finally with some decent internet connection I was able to add more updates and upload photos yesterday. I got a bit carried away and completely lost track of time. Realizing I had only a few minutes to get to the terminal to go to Punta Tombo, I packed my things in a haste and like an idiot forgot my camera at the internet cafe!!!! I was extremely depressed throughout the ride and the excursion to see the little waddling critters. Unfortunately no pics for this one.

One thing i must say, penguins smell, no they outright stink! and are fairly snappy. A man got pecked by one. On the way back we stopped in the small village of Gaiman for a little bit of Whales in Argentina. This city and surrounding region was settled by Welsh settlers. We stopped in a Welsh tea house and were stuffed with unlimited tea and Welsh desserts. Returning back I made what seemed to be a lost endeavour to find my camera. I was thinking for sure someone had stolen it by now. I was extremely surprised when I returned to the internet cafe to find that someone found the camera near the computer and gave it to the shop attendant. I was so relieved!

From there I went straight to the main bus terminal to find a way up to B.A. I asked around the various companies and luckily there was a service leaving 30 mins from when I came to inquire. I bought the ticket and boarded the bus immediately.

17 hours later, I arrived here in B.A. and to be honest I really wish I was back south in Patagonia. I don’t think I can stand B.A. for too long. Don’t get me wrong it is a great city but after the surreal experience with Patagonia´s natural wonders, I don’t think the buildings and roads of BA can suffice or even come close.

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Glaciers!!

23 Saturday Feb 2008

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Fortunately the trip from El Chaltén to El Calafate wasn´t too long, again continuing on Ruta 40. I wasn´t really sure how long I would stick around here. The first day was spent roaming around the city. At this point in time El Calafate is the most expensive city in Argentina. Sadly I realized the sad fate that awaited El Chaltén. It was overrun by tourists who came on cruises. Everything was mostly organized tours, no room to really go out there and do it yourself. the age demographic of the visitors changed as well. As opposed to El Chaltén which had a fairly young, backpacker vibe, El Calafate was overrun by rich retirees wanting to see the glaciers from a far.

The following day I had a tour to the Parque nacional de Los Glacieres. Once again the same group of people I had been shuttling with since Bariloche were on this trip. We joked some more about this encounter over lunch. Despite the hoards of tour buses it was worth it to go see the Perito Moreno Glacier. One of the very few growing glaciers in the world. The trip was amazing and getting the opportunity to hike a bit in order to trek the glacier was an unforgettable experience.

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I returned back to El Calafate and contemplated my next move. Originally I had written Chile out of my plans but along the way I met other travelers venturing to and from Parque Nacional de Torres del Paine. I initially thought I wouldn’t make it down there because if you truly want to experience it you would need a minimum of 4 days to do the classic “W” circuit. Time that I did not have, but once I got down to El Calafate and being oh so close to Puerto Natales, Chile, I decided to go for it even if just for 2 days just for a bit of trekking and back.

The same day as my excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier, I got back into El Calafate and made plans to leave. Luckily for me there were buses leaving daily at 5am. So i purchased my ticket, went back to the hostel and backed a lighter bag for the journey and left the rest of my belongings there until I returned.

El Chaltén

23 Saturday Feb 2008

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Spent 2 days in this little village along ruta 40. This dot on the map attracts hoards of hikers and climbers who are enticed by the infamous Fitz Roy (standing at 3441m) and Cerro Torre. The big draw is the nearly vertical, granite appearance of the Fitz Roy that makes it a fairly difficult challenge to summit. Not to mention the unpredictable weather which can make or break your journey.

The village is rapidly developing as the tourism industry grows. Everywhere you look more hostels/hotels are being built. Also construction is underway to pave a main road. Ironically the main road of this little village is built right against the prevailing wind. Talk about poor planning. To think you have a clean canvas and yet there is still room to screw it up. But that just goes to show that really there is no coherent development plans just the notion of get it done as soon as possible.

Sadly I didn´t really have much time here and I wanted to make the most of my stay. on my Second and only full day there I started my hike to Lago Torre to see the glaciers. In total it was an 8 hour endeavour. Fairly exhausting I must say. I started off with very windy conditions. Along the way I met a few people huddled under a ridge trying to wait out the gusts of wind. Sure enough the wind subsided and the sun came out. That gave me encouragement to keep going.

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Although I started the hike alone, I met many people along the trails who were headed to the same destination or to the base camp to get to the Fitz Roy.

Half way through the hike though, the weather changed once again. It began to rain and rain. I contemplated returning but by then I had walked over 4 hours and I was determined to get to the glaciers. It was fairly foggy and the rain just kept on pounding. Finally made it but near the base camp at the higher altitude the rain turned to freezing rain. During this entire process I kept on thinking that the purchase of my wind/rainproof jacket back in Bariloche was the best decision I have made thus far. Thankfully otherwise I would be suffering from a severe cold.

Getting to the glacier despite the weather made my day. Sadly the full view of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy were obstructed by the fog. nonetheless I know I made it. Then started the grueling hike back to El Chaltén. This trip would normally take about 6-7 hours but the slippery trail conditions and the strong winds. I had to wait out these gusts and then continue.

Got back to my hostel and my pants, shoes, socks were completely soaked! and I was freezing cold. Luckily I had time to change and grab something to eat before catching my bus further south to El Calafate.

By this point I had formualated a travel group. We started the trip together back in Bariloche and ended up taking the same buses or staying in the same hostels throughout the way until El Calafate. It was a Welsh couple, a guy from right outside London and 2 Isreali guys. It was nice to have company during the looooong and painful drive down to each city.

On the road again

23 Saturday Feb 2008

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The extra days in Bariloche were well worth it. I really enjoyed my time there. Plus the hostel was great. It was by far the best stay I’ve had thus far. Not only was it a great hostel (La Bolsa del Deporte for anyone who is thinking of coming into the area) but the vibe was absolutely amazing. During my entire stay in Bariloche I have never seen the city at night. Mainly because each night after a hike or day trip, I came back to the hostel cooked dinner with friends I made there and chilled out for as long as I could keep my eyes open. It was the first place that I really connected with people there and not have the feeling of passing travelers. My last night there I was persuaded to practically stay up the entire night chatting instead of getting a bit of sleep before my 6am bus down south.

Ruta 40
the trip down south, I took the infamous ruta 40 instead of heading to the Atlantic shore and following the paved roads down south. This is the road the legendary Che Guevara took on his journey. This road extends all the way down southern Argentina. Judging from its current unpaved condition not many changes have been made since Ché himself embarked on his trip. Its fairly desolate with the Andes in the distant view. I am kind of glad I took the journey on it now as plans are on the way to pave it, which will surely change the landscape and the level of traffic through the region.

Perito Moreno
After 10 hours of this back-breaking journey we stopped in this little village for the night. nothing really much to say but for the fact that it was nice to sleep in a bed. The morning after joined in an organized trip to the Cuevas de los Manos (caves of the hands). Caves with prehistoric paintings over.It was really interesting to see. The paintings tell the story of inhabitants of this region and their hunting practices.

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The tour dropped us off along the way further south where I took down to El Chaltén via Ruta 40 once again.

Change of Plans

16 Saturday Feb 2008

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Yesterday before starting out on my hike, I went out to the bus terminal to buy my ticket to Puerto Montt, Chile only to find that of the 5 companies that run services to there non had anything until Monday. The only company that had a Sunday bus was fully booked 😦 I was fairly disappointed. If I left on Monday then I would only get to spend a day and wont be able to go to other cities and islands as planned. So i sat down and recalculated my moves. I ultimately decided it is not fair to just jump into Chile for a day and not really get to know it as I wanted. I looked into other options.

Finally I decided just to keep heading down south in Argentina. The new plan is to continue as far south as El Calafate (glaciers!) then head back up north along the eastern coast. Stop at Puerto Madryn and then head to BA and return to Montevideo. I think I was trying to cramp too much in a very short period of time.

Since I love Bariloche so much, I decided to stay an extra day, relax and prepare for my next trip tomorrow. (hence all this time to sort out my photos and update my blog).

Bariloche

16 Saturday Feb 2008

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Yesterday I took the time to hike and trek a bit closer to Bariloche. I took the bus out to Puerto Pañelo on the edge of Lago Huapi. From there I walked until I found the trails to the Bosque Arrayanes. That was by far the best trek yet. This trail was absolutely beautiful with outlooks onto Lago Moreno Oeste. I walked the entire trail and then continued onwards along the paved road until the edge of Lago Escondido. Honestly I can´t get over these lakes and my camera doesn’t do them any justice. They are usually a shade of brilliant blue-turquoise. All of them are glacier-fed.

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After stopping for a bit, I continued onto Bahia Lopez. I could have taken the bus from there but it was such a nice day, I kept on walking until the colony of Colonia Suiza. There Swiss immigrants first settled in the region. That is probably why most of Bariloche and surrounding villages/towns retain this Swiss log cabin feel with that very distinct architecture. Also why Bariloche is so famous for its chocolate.

At one of the outlook point I ran into an Argentinan couple and got to talking to them. We parted ways and I kept walking. I ran into them later on up ahead at a little snack shack near Arryo Lopez. Ended up sitting down and chatting with them for ages about politics, culture. We exchanged info and hopefully try to stay in touch.

In total I probably walked about 15 miles. I was sooo exhasuted by the end and just wanted to find a bus. Some of the hiles were brutal. Luckily I caught the last bus back from Colonia Suiza to Bariloche and there I went to visit a friend who I encountered on the ride from Mendoza. She was staying at another hostel.

I came back to my hostel to find an Asado (bbq) in full swing. Spend a great evening chatting with other travellers and eating roasted corn on a cob (wasnt really interested in the meat).

Hippies Rejoice

16 Saturday Feb 2008

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So a few days ago I headed down south to the hippie colony of El Bolsón When people talked about it, I really thought they were exaggerating but there was no exaggeration on their part. Its original inhabitants made it an ecological municipality. I went on one of the days where the market was in full swing. All stalls were selling handmade crafts or foods (breads, jams, etc). By mid-afternoon, I had grown tired of the market and the flood of people coming into town.

Attempts to make it to Bosque Tallado to hike the Cerro Piltriquitrón failed. I couldn’t find suitable transport to the base and heavy rain the previous night and morning would have made the trails very muddy and slippery.

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Instead I took the collectivo an hour outside of El Bolsón to the Parque Nacional Lago Puelo. Trekked through the trails and finally stopped by one of the outlook points, ate my packed lunch and took a nap near the beach before heading back. This lake is simply amazing. Sadly I didn’t take enough photos to show but at you get closer to the Chilean border, the lake’s color changes (probably because of the sediments). But there is a clear and distinct line that seems to divide the lake.

After a full day of trekking and exploring this hippie colony, I headed back to Bariloche for the night exhausted as ever. I wanted to crash but instead I ended up chilling for a little while with others in the hostel and then went to bed.

Lake Hopping

14 Thursday Feb 2008

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After a greuling 20 hour bus ride, I finally made it into Bariloche yesterday. The view from every direction is breath taking. Altought most enjoy this region in the winter for skiing and winter sports activities there is plenty to do this time of year. The city itself has fallen to the immense amount of tourism. It has become somewhat of a gimmicy town. It has a rustic Swiss Alps town feel, with houses and buildings incorporating heavy log for the foundation and structure.

I was so glad I booked my hostel in advance this time because there are so many hills that trying to find a hostel when I got here would have been a nightmare plus most hostels are fully booked. The place I´m staying is great. Chill, laid back and close to the centre without being right in the action. Yesterday not knowing really where to start I wandered about the city. I encountered a guy who runs various excursions. Since it was fairly late in the day to start on any long haul trekking/rafting, etc he suggested checking out the other lakes in the area. Bariloche is located in the southern tip of the lake district on the banks of Lake Huapi. He suggested a few of the local buses that run rural regions outside the city. I hopped on bus 50, not knowing really where I will end up. I asked the driver about a lakes and he said his route stopped by Lake Gutierrez, so lake Gutierrez is where I headed.

The water was so prestine and clean and interesting shade of blue-turquoise. Simply beautiful. There I met a bunch of people chilling by the banks of the lake chatting. Got to taking to them and got a few tips about regions further down south. Got back from that trek around 9ish (and the sun was still bright). Sunset was nearly 11pm.

For the evening I got to chatting with a bunch of people from the hostel. It was by far better than the hostel in Mendoza. Also more nationalities represented. Ended up going to bed far too late, especially since I planned to get up and catch the first bus out to the city of El Bolsòn (2 hrs south of Bariloche).

Needless to say somehow I did wake up in time and barely made it to catch the 8am bus into El Bolsòn. I wandered about the feria (market) that´s held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately my plan to go trekking in Cerro Piltriquitron isnt going to happen due to heavy rain, plus no means of getting close to the ridge. I wanted to go see the famous carved statues up at the submit. For now I am sitting in an internet cafe waiting for a bus to the Parque nacional Lago Puelo.

more on El Bolsòn and surrounding regions to come.

Mendoza

14 Thursday Feb 2008

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A few days ago I got to spend time in the city of Mendoza after exploring the surrounding regions. The city is beautiful and what struck me the most are the water canals. The city is located in a region, which at one point was primarily desert. Indigenous inhabitants of this region created canals and planted roots of these trees in the canals. Today the city is green everywhere and the canals have been expanded to bring in more water from the Mendoza River.

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I also met up with a few people I encountered the previous day to go visit the Parque nacional de San Martìn. The park as well as most of the greenery around the city is maintained by a series of canals and boasted hundreds of species of trees and plants. Trekked upwards towards the Cerro to see the statue of Glory and get unbeatable views of the Andes.

I also got a chance to chill back at the hostel and meet up with other passing travelers. At one point a conversations between an Argentinian, Brazilian, Italian, a few Chileans and a German took place where so many languages were flying by and each trying to translate words for the other to understand. It was an interesting gathering. I am convinced that Chilean spanish is incomprehensible most of the time. ¿Chachay? It will be interesting to see how things go once I cross over the border to Chile in the next few days.

Andes High

12 Tuesday Feb 2008

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So my project in Uruguay wrapped up early and having a few weeks of free time I thought to take a trip. Initially I was thinking to stay later on to March and head to Peru and Boliva. That plan didn´t really pan out as planned. So I made an impromptu decision to trek through Patagonia (Southern Argentina and Chile). I roughly mapped out cities of interest and bought a ferry boat ticket to Buenos Aires.

Got into BA early Sunday morning and roamed around Retiro Bus Station to find companies with services to the city of Mendoza. I bought a ticket for that same day, put my large backpack in storage and roamed the neighborhood surrounding the bus station until it was time to leave.

The trip to Mendoza was a hefty 15 hr bus ride; it was a long sleepless trip. Got into town yesterday at 6AM. A friend has told me about day trips that go up to the Chilean border stopping at the national park for trekking and other geological interest sites. I asked around and found a company that runs such a service. To my luck or misfortune (how ever u see it) they had a bus leaving in 30 mins (6:30AM). I decided to go for it. Bought my ticket right there and had them save my large backpack in their offices until I returned later on in the evening.

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The trip was well worth it. From Mendoza we headed northeast to Uspallata crisscrossing through curvy roads through the Andes. From there we headed to the Aconcagua Provincal park, near the base camp of South America´s highest peak. Summitting it was out of the question as for someone as unexperienced as me it would take a 20 odd days and some serious cash.

The drive and Trek was spectacular and we continued on further east towards the Chilean border to Punte de Inka. A natural stone bridge over (at 2750m (7000ft) above sea level) the Mendoza river. The bridge which was part of the Ancient Inca route crossing the Andes and upwards towards Peru was a sight to be seen. The presence of sulfur deposits and its subsequent oxidation has turned the entire rock formation an incredible shade of bright yellow and orange.

Continued upwards and definitely began to feel the affects of the high altitude. Stopped at various other peaks to take a look at natural rock formations or just trek a bit through the Andes.

Finally we crossed over the Chilean border and hit our highest altitude at 4,200m (about 12,600ft). There was Chile´s own verison of Christo ( a gigantic statue of Christ). The views from here were unbeatable looking at the snow capped peaks. To combat the altitude sickness I was passed a sample size cup of this liquid (yellowish in colour). It was called Agua adriente. I should have guessed its contents since the alternative to combat these symptoms is chewing coco leaves. I downed the drink and that stuff was damn strong. But I gotta admit it was helpful definitely helped with the nausea and the light-headedness.

Got into town and walked around to 3 diff hostels until I found a place. Chatted a bit with a bunch of Chileans I met and then crashed for the night.

Today I´m planning to check out the city of Mendoza proper and the Parque Nacional de San Martín with a few ppl I met at Andes trek yesterday. This evening since I clearly didnt learn my lesson the first time, I´m taking a 19 hr bus ride further down south to Bariloche. The lake district just north of Patagonia. Not sure how many days I will spend there, depends on how much I like the place. I am enjoying taking it city by city and making definitive plans as I go. The people I´ve met thus far have been a great. It doesn´t feel like i´m traveling solo.

I´ll keep u updated.