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PataGONEia

October - December 2017
A 49-day adventure by Delaneys to Go Read more
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  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 1

    ... in Burlington

    October 24, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Well, as we get ready for our South American cruise to Patagonia, I am learning a new travel blog platform. Be patient! We will get the hang of it, in time.

    We are travelling with Kathleen and Peter Hadley, Bonnie Pietras, Barb and Ralph Trodd and Wendy Walker. We plan to include their stories and you will see them in lots of them in our pictures.

    Over the years, our following-family has expanded which helps motivate Brian and I to keep blogging. This year, our followers include all ages from an 80+ Grannie (my sister's mother-in-law) to a six year old (our granddaughter, Lilian.)

    So for now, adios.amigos! Our trip starts on November 7th; we hope you will travel with us.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 17

    Beautiful Buenos Aires

    November 9, 2017 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    “God is everywhere but his office is in Buenos Aires”. With that, our tour guide, Fabian from Tours by Locals, began our 4 hour city overview.

    It is a beautiful day, sunny and mid-80’s. Our tour focussed on 2 parts of the city, downtown and La Boca. Both have historic significance.

    Downtown Buenos Aires has 3 million people who are joined each day by another 6-7 million commuters. Despite wide boulevards, the traffic is stop and go on a good day. On a protest day, which happens more often than one might expect, traffic is gridlocked. Playa de Mayos the site for protests, including the “mothers of the disappeared” who have been protesting every Thursday since the late 70’s. They protest the government’s murder of their son’s and daughters. The government of the day attempted to discourage them by disallowing groups of people standing around. So they circle a monument in the centre of the square. There’s are so many protests that most BA citizens just accommodate them and the traffic gridlock which is created.

    Playa de Mayos is circled by banks, insurance companies etc. and is home to the cathedral. San Martin is buried in the cathedral. Surprisingly, he is not a saint, rather a revolutionary who envisioned a united South American. He was not successful but is still revered for his role in the independence of Argentina, Peru, Chile and Uraguay.

    The downtown has hundreds of Jacanda trees which bloom twice per year. Right now they are covered with wispy purple-blue flowers which will last for about 10 days.

    A significant monument in the downtown is a whir obelisk erected in 1936. It is one half the size of the Washington Monument.

    Most native citizens have some Italian and/or Spanish heritage. So, with the comment that a BA native has been described as “ an Italian who speaks Spanish and thinks he lives in Paris”, we were off to La Boca.

    La Boca is the site of the first port (it has been moved twice) and where most of the immigrants in the 1800s, settled. It is colourful maze of twisty streets with cafes, artists and little stores. The original house’s were built out of corrugated sheet metal and painted with whatever colour could be had. Many of the original houses remain. It also claims to be the birthplace of the tango so actors are on-hand to pose with tourists. Lots of fun for a stroll on a beautiful day.

    Soccer is a national passion and La Boca is home to a successful soccer team. I learned more than I needed to know about soccer!

    Tonight Brian, Wendy and I are going to a Tango lesson and then on to a malanga (Tango Club).    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 18

    Tango with an Irishman in Argentina

    November 10, 2017 ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Our first Tango lesson in BA was a huge success....until we had to put it all together at the end of the class (in front of the class). Too much pressure!

    Lucía and Gerry were wonderful teachers. Lucía is from Argentina and Gerry is from Ireland. We will forever hear their voices in our heads saying, “Relax, enjoy”. Still working on that! Wendy came with us and picked up the steps quickly. Our classroom was a studio on the second floor of an old building in the San Telmo area. Floor to ceiling French doors opened to a Juliet balcony. With the chandelier and the highly polished floor, it looked like a movie set from the 30’s.

    After a 90 min. lesson, it was off to the milanga, a tango dance club. Did I mention that our class started at 8:00 p.m.? We arrived at the club around 10:00 ( my usual bedtime). Even on a weekday evening the floor was packed. The dress code seemed very broad; not many of the women had “tango dresses”. But the shoes! Not a bad pair to be seen. As Wendy said, a shoe lover’s heaven. Gerry gallantly danced with all 5 women from the class and Lucía got most of the men on the floor. There was a second, small floor which Brian and I used to practice.

    The highlight of the evening was the tango demonstration. Beautiful, intricate foot work in 3 very different versions of tango. The live band was scheduled to BEGIN at 12:30 but we made excuses and got back to the hotel at 1:15. Really fun! We are looking forward to our next lesson on Sat. evening.

    This morning, we dragged ourselves out of bed and Wendy and I went to the Palermo region for cooking class. Palermo is an increasingly desirable neighbourhood. Heavily treed along narrower streets; it reminded me of the Bloor West area in Toronto. Fernando and Veronica welcomed us into their apartment for 4 hours of cooking, wine and conversation. Fernando, the chef walked us through making bread, chorizo sausages, salsa rosa, chimchuri and a wonderful Argentine shortbread sandwich cookie with a con leche filling. All outstanding. We brought home cookies for everyone.

    We also learned about mate, the green herbal tea that is part of Argentine culture. It is grown only in the extreme northeast. It is a morning and afternoon beverage, drunk very hot and filtered through a special straw. The traditional cup is made out of a small butternut gourd.

    Brian went with the rest of the gang to the cemetery to see the grave of Evita. Acres of tombs and mausoleums challenged our map reading skills and we only saw about 10% of the grounds in an hour and a half of wandering.

    BA has impressed us all with it’s progressive approach to celiac disease. One of our group has made us very aware of the challenges this disease presents. In Argentina, however, restaurants are required to have at least one item on their menu that is guaranteed to be gluten free. Also, all restaurants and food producers must clearly identify all gluten free items with the symbol TACC. No symbol, no eating for our friend. Fernando gave us some tips for substitutes for flour in a variety of recipes so Wendy and I are planning a post-trip dinner for the group.

    After a lengthy nap, we are off for a steak dinner. Tomorrow we move to the ship.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 19

    We move to the Sirena

    November 11, 2017 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The main event today was leaving the hotel and moving onto the Sirena, our cruise ship. But we had a few hours between, so our group split up. The Trodds, Bonnie, Brian and I went to the Teatro Colon to try to get a tour of this world famous opera house. As it was Sat. there was a show for children at 11:00 a.m. sadly, no tour.

    The Teatro Colon is a magnificent building from the time in the 1800s when BA was considered a world cultural centre. It covers an entire city block and would fit in nicely in Paris or London. It is the premier venue in a city that takes performing arts very seriously.

    We reset our plans and walked the downtown, particularly the shopping streets. A few near misses, but Brian came away unscathed (i.e. I did not buy anything.). We also walked through San Martin park which is a lovely green space in an upscale residential neighbourhood. It has, of course, a massive statute to San Martin. Looking around at the apartments here and you can imagine that you are in Paris. Beautiful white 3 story buildings with intricate wrought iron balconies. But don’t try to walk while looking up! All of us are dismayed by the condition of the sidewalks. Originally surfaced with tiles, many now have large holes and broken tiles. An accident waiting to happen and a not-so-subtle reminder of the economic collapse that Argentina is recovering from.

    Wendy, Bonnie and I made a quick trip to a lovely boutique that sold designer clothes and beautiful arts and crafts type jewelry; all very unusual. Brian now was 2 for 2, much to his relief.

    The trip to board the ship was exceptionally smooth and after a delicious lunch in the buffet, we unpacked and relaxed. This is a small ship of 600 passengers. It is quite new and beautifully appointed.

    After a drink in the forward lounge, Brian and I went back to tonight’s Tango lesson with Lucia and Gerry. All went well until we tried to get a cab back. In all, 4 taxis stopped but could not understand “Cruise terminal”. After much pantomiming, Christine returned to the dance studio and got our instructor to translate. Ironically, after we returned to the ship, Christine found a map in her purse with the dock marked on it that we could have shown our driver.

    All in all a good day made even better on learning that the temperature in Toronto is -6 C!    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 22

    Montevideo, Uruguay

    November 14, 2017, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Montevideo is a lovely, small city with a rich history. Like BAs, the citizens of Montevideo have an Italian/Spanish heritage with strong French influences in the architecture.

    Michelle and Gabriel from Tours by Locals gave us an overview of the city which included Plaza Constitucion, Plaza Independencia, the seashore, Teatro Solis, the cathedral and the parliament buildings.

    A brief history, a la Christine.... Montevideo (View of the Mountains) was originally settled in 1794 by the Spanish who established a fort where Plaza Constitucion is now. Jockeying for control between Spain, Portugal and France began immediately as Montevideo has a much better port area than BAs. The only remaining piece of the fort walls is in Plaza Independencia where the original gate still stands. The remaining walls were destroyed to allow the city to expand. Currently 1/3 of Uruguay’s population lives in Montevideo.

    But things really got interesting when Artegas showed up. He was a shady character who was given a captaincy in the Spanish Army on condition that he go to Uruguay to defend Spanish interests. Sometime after arriving, he reverted to his past, turned on the Spanish and led the rebellion for independence. Although they describe him as the George Washington of Uruguay, he got tired of the rebellion and moved to Paraguay to farm, never returning. Eventually, through the diplomacy of Lord Ponceberry (I might have this name wrong), Spain, Britain and France got together to decide the fate of Uruguay, and declared it an independent nation, without any input from the citizens of Uruguay.

    Uruguay is a small country which currently has more cows than people, 450 kinds of birds, an infrastructure built by the British, a legal system modelled on the French, mandatory voting laws, and the first opera house (Teatro Solis) built in S. American. An interesting country!

    Both BAs and Montevideo impressed us with their commitment to promoting healthy living. In both countries, there is no salt on restaurant tables, and in Montevideo, one sees exercise stations in the public parks. We exercised on the dance floor till after 11 pm.

    We sailed away around six and now have 2 sea days so we will probably not do another post until The Falkland Islands.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 24

    Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

    November 16, 2017 in Falkland Islands ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We expected a desolate, windswept island and instead found a strangely attractive island with a variety of flora and fauna. We saw many species of ducks, geese and birds and tall grasses, gorse, hedges and even the odd palm tree. It is early spring here so a few brave flowers were in bloom. And we saw a couple of families of geese with a clutch of goslings.

    But the main draw is the penguins. We had 2 choices: a very bumpy (and expensive) ship excursion to see a large penguin colony on the other side of the island from where we docked or a $20 USD shuttle to Gypsy Cove. The Hadleys and the Delaneys opted for the shuttle to Gypsy Cove. It is a lovely bay where some of the Magellan penguins come to nest. We were lucky to see a few penguins as well as some lovely sea birds, some impressive raptors and a couple of gun emplacements left over from the war between Argentina and Great Britain.

    We elected to walk part of the way back and happened upon the Lighthouse Mariners Mission run by a lovely woman and her husband (who we did not get to meet). Not actually open to the public, we were invited to have a cup of coffee and warm up before we continued our walk back to town. Despite the inference of the word “mission” this appears to be a not-for-profit, non-affiliated refuge for merchant sailors on the boats that dock in Port Stanley. They see many sailors from East Asia who work, primarily, on the fishing boats. The Falklands have a robust squid population which attracts boats from the Far East. The mission provides a safe, alcohol free social club with some services such as WIFI, clothes, coffee and games such as chess, football and pool. For injured or sick sailors, accommodation is offered in which to recover, paid for by insurance.

    Today was windy, overcast and about 45 F. Much as I enjoyed the day, I cannot imagine living here year round, with my 2700 neighbors and not much else. A great example of “Great place to visit....”. You know the rest. However, if you need a job, we're told there are more positions available than there are people!

    Tomorrow we were to go to Ushuaia but just learned that port is to dangerous to visit (huge waves) so we're headed for Punta Arenas.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 25

    Ushuaia...not

    November 17, 2017 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On our last sea day, before the Falklands, we had a rough sea day. The swells were in the 25 ft. range, with winds close to 50 kms per hour. All the outside decks were closed and walking on the upper decks was very tricky. I (Christine) had a mild case of sea sickness and did not eat until the seas calmed down, around dinner time.

    So imagine the fear and trepidation felt by all when the captain announced that there was a significant storm around Ushuaia and we would be bypassing that port. Winds of 50 kms and swells twice as high as the last time were predicated. So we are bypassing the Beagle Channel and heading straight to Ponte Arenas.

    Imagine our relief to wake up this morning to relatively calm seas. So the captain's plan is working, so far.

    I thought this might be a good time to describe the ship and a typical day. All cruise ships have their own personalities and rhythms. Sirena is a smallish ship with 600 passengers and about 400 crew. The cabins are a typical size but the public areas are all, as you might expect, just a bit smaller. There are only 2 dance floors (one in the forward bar on the top deck) and one in the theatre, where the evening shows are staged. We feel the absence of the dedicated dance floor that we are used to on the 1,000+ ships.

    The music/entertainment is provided by a string quartette which plays in the main foyer and in the forward bar, once per day. The stage band is 6 pieces; with a woman who plays saxophone. Almost no one dances. As a result, as soon as the band sees us, they play a chacha in the hope that we will get up and encourage others to join us. So far, we pretty much dance alone! We expected lots of tango music but so far, it has been limited to the formal shows.

    As expected, this is an older crowd so given that (and the weather), there are no pool games, pool dance band, late night dance parties etc. Pretty much everything stops at mid-night..

    But during the day, there are bridge lessons, a needlepoint group, lectures from a visiting professor, trivia games, shuffleboard , and indoor bean bag toss and putting contests. One of the much appreciated innovations, is a subscription for a daily newspaper. The ship receives the news by internet, prints it and delivers to our cabin. We are getting USA Today (daily) for Brian and The New York Times (3 times per week) for me. Unlike other ships, there are no dance lessons, which we miss.

    So, on a typical day, we all get up and go to breakfast independently and then go off to different activities. Wendy joins the needlepoint group, the Trodds do the bridge lessons. Brian hits the gym. Kathleen and Bonnie walk the deck before breakfast. I usually go to the library to read (and listen to people snore!) Peter and Kathleen love the afternoon high tea. We all meet for team trivia at 4:30 p.m. We are not dong very well but it is fun. Then drinks in the forward bar before dinner at 6:30 p.m.

    The food is fabulous and it is a real challenge to keep from overeating. Ralph has gotten special consideration for his dietary needs. He is given a special menu to choose from and then he is reassured each time he is served that the dish is gluten free. Very impressive.

    Next port, Puerto Arenas.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 26

    Punta Arenas

    November 18, 2017 in Chile ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Punta Arenas is on the Straits of Magallan and in the 1900's was a wealthy maritime port. Originally established in 1848 as a penal colony and the remains of the original fort and colony can be found north of town.

    In its hay-day, wealthy citizens from Europe, escaping WW I, came to make their fortunes in sheep framing, coal, gold and shipping. The wealthiest families built mansions around the central square, Plaza Munoz Gamero. The most opulent of these was built for Sara Braun by her husband, Fernando Menendez. It is not open to the public as it has been taken over for use by an exclusive club.

    The Braun-Menendez family were the Vanderbilts of their time and place. Having made a huge fortune, she sponsored the town cemetery (amongst other civic projects). The cemetery is ranked as one of the Top Ten in the world by CNN, so of course, we had to go see it. I do not know if it deserves to be in the top ten but it was a lovely cemetery with some pretty impressive tombs.

    Just south of the cemetery, is the statue to the sheep herders who helped to settle the land, driving out the indigenous people as they went. The native people were nomadic so the Europeans saw huge swaths of land that looked unclaimed, only to have the native peoples wonder back in after they had established ranches and herds. The Catholic church contributed to the decline of the native people by placing the children into schools and spreading contagious diseases. A "plus ca change..."

    A eye-opening stop for our group was the Nao Magellan, an open air museum of famous ships. The park has a full scale replica of The Beagle (Charles Darwin's ship), the cutter used by Ernest Shackleton when he fled the Endurance on the arctic ice, and Ferdinand's ship. Our unanimous conclusion was that we could not be paid enough to sail these ships away from Europe and into the unknown. Truly awe-inspiring!

    We also went to two museums: 1) Museo Regional Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello (established by the Silesian missionaries as a record of the flora, fauna and cultural history of the Magellans) and the Museo Regional Braun Menendez (a Braun-Menendez house converted to a museum of how the family lived - think gold gilt, silk, and crystal chandaliers).

    We will also remember the weather. The wind was pretty relentless and the temperature hovered around 46 F or 6 C. But in the 5 hours we were in town (mostly walking), the sun came out 2-3 times, it snowed twice, it hailed once or twice, it rained once and it snowed. Thanks heavens for down jackets and toques!

    As we gained a day bypassing Ushuaia, we have another day in Ponte Arenas tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 29

    Chilean fjords

    November 21, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Sailing through the Chilean fjords yesterday on a rainy, misty day reminds us of scenes from Lord of the Rings. The Alps are obscured by low cloud but the hills on the edge of the fjord was have a strangely compelling look. The rolling foothills are covered with shrubby trees and little else. Rock faces rise straight from the water or form small islands dotted along the way.

    The Captain informs us that this is a tricky transit. In spots the channel is not deep, in other parts not wide. We have two pilots on board to assist the captain. (The pilots are local experts who know the fjords and their tricky parts, well).

    We entered the fjords from the Straits of Magellen. The Andes are to our right (as we go north) and extend well into Columbia. This far south, there are two spines of mountains formed eons ago through volcanic activity (the Andes and Nazca plates) and glaciation. The professor on board tells us that the Andes rise 2000 ft. above the water line and 2000 ft. below the water line. They are considered immature mountains which mean they are still adding about 100 ft. each year. Between the spines is a broad plain. In Peru, this is where Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca are situated. Brian and I had the adventure of visiting them both a few years ago and it is interesting now to learn their geologic history. (Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world at 12,000 ft. above sea level).

    We sail through the Shoal Narrows and see the Leonore shipwreck and then sail through the Grey Narrows. Other than a few birds and a small pod of dolphins, we do not see any wildlife in this bleak environment. The ultimate destination today is the Skua glacier (sometimes called the Amalia glacier). Unfortunately there is a light (cold) rain when we get to the glacier face so the view and our pictures are disappointing. Even Kathleen's good camera found the low grey skies, grey rain, grey water and white glacier a challenge to figure out.

    One of our Canadian in-jokes is the people who expected the cruse to get warmer as we headed south. We see people every day in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops as we walk by in our toques and gloves. Who knows what they are thinking now that we are headed north! It continues to be in the mid-40s F. or 9 C. and is very windy.

    Today is a sea day getting us in position to visit the glacier at Laguna San Rafael on Wednesday. More bridge time (Trodds), walking (Bonnie and Kathleen), gym time (Peter, Brian and I) and of course, eating...the main cruise activity Bonnie added line dancing today and we will all show up for our daily humiliation at Team Trivial Pursuit.    Read more

  • TravelerPataGONEia
    Day 30

    Laguna San Rafael, Chile

    November 22, 2017 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Cruise time-zombie-ism has set in so I am starting to mix up my days. Sometime between the Chilean Fjords and Laguna San Rafael (also a fjord), Brian and I caught a cold. After getting norovirus (a particularly nasty intestinal bug) a few cruises ago, I am compulsive about not touching common surfaces. I punch elevator buttons, use stair rails, and open doors with a scarf or the edge of my shirt between my hand and the surface. So I am particularly unhappy that I caught this cold.

    Bonnie, Wendy and I went on the catamaran trip to the face of the San Rafael glacier. The fjord was discovered by Diaz-Gallarde in 1575. It is 10 miles long by 7 miles wide. It is part of a national park (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve), much loved by hikers and adventure travelers.

    It is described by tourist information as a place of "stunning natural beauty" which may be true but on the day we were there, the clouds were low, the wind was cold and mostly we looked at mist. It was an hour down the laguna to see the face of the glacier and we were not hopeful. But, as luck would have it, the sky cleared when we arrived and we were able to see the glacier covering the hillside. There was not enough contrast for my camera but I did get some ok pictures of small ice bergs (which the tour operator calls 'burgy-bytes')

    The ice bergs varied from quite black to white to a very intense blue and in size from a loaf of bread to a bus. The catamaran captain threaded his way through the ice bergs, in a calm sea and got us fairly close to the glacier itself.

    I was dressed for a bad Canadian winter day and glad of it when the mist came in off of the glacier itself.

    Seeing the sun made us hopeful for the next couple of days as we continue to head north.    Read more

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