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    Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    We're Flying

    April 4, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    We had a great few months in Argentina, 3+ for Sam (he over stayed his visa by a week, oops!) and 2 months for me. We spent most of our time enjoying Buenos Aires's great neighborhoods and and spent a few weeks in and around Bariloche, a small town in Patogonia. We'll definitely miss BA, but we're excited to be heading home for a bit. Hope we get to see some of you soon.Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Happy New Year!!!

    January 1, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Great finale to a memorable year!! Thanks to you all for being a part of our journey. Wishing you all lots of joy, love, abundance and new adventures in 2024. Feliz Año from Playa Mar del Ajo, Argentina🌈❤️🎉💃🏿⭐️!!!Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Did We Quit? Trip & Camper Updates

    November 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 39 °F

    Hey everyone! We know it's been a very long time since we posted, and you're all wondering where we disappeared to. Check out this video for the latest updates:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=theRcFYwhSA    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Bye Bye Argentina - Africa Here We Come!

    July 22, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    The next week and a half went by quickly. With more repairs for the camper, work, and planning for our upcoming trip. We left Santa Fe on the 18th headed toward Buenos Aires. We stayed 3 nights in Tigre, about 45 minutes outside Buenos Aires, which was close to the place we had planned to store the camper. We found a really awesome vegan restaurant called Mudra walking distance from our hotel there. It was so good we went back two nights in a row.

    We finally got all of our bags packed for our trip and got the camper ready to store on Friday. We had an unexpected surprise when we arrived to drop off the vehicle. Mike and Geneva were there! We hadn’t seen them since we got back and we’d been so busy after the camper fire that we hadn’t really connected. We were so excited that we got to visit with them briefly before we left.

    After the camper was all situated we ubered to Buenos Aires. We had 24 hours before our flight and we were determined to make the most of it. We stayed the night at the beautiful Park Hyatt Palacio Duhao. It was quite luxurious and felt like just what we needed after a hectic few weeks.

    One of the hotel's 5 restaurants, Gioia, is completely plant based, offering a unique fine dining experience.
    We really enjoyed the variety of dishes and we were both surprised by how filling it was. We spent the rest of the evening and most of the following day exploring the city, before our flight at midnight. We’ll have 24 hours in Paris and then on to Senegal and Ghana.

    Now I must say, you’ve been getting the optimist's version of events. I asked Sam how he would sum in a word or two how he felt about the fire and the past few weeks and ‘shook’ and ‘distraught’ were some words that came to mind. I think these feelings were particularly strong for him in the days following the fire. We have a lot to think about while we’re away.

    Despite all of the frustrations with the camper, we both agree that we love Argentina and we’ll be excited to return.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Pullman Rosario

    July 11, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    We stayed overnight at the Pullman Rosario City Center Hotel and Casino on the way to and from Chilvilcoy. If you ever find yourself passing through Rosario, it's a nice place to stay. The hotel is conveniently located just off the highway. The rooms were nice and spacious and we enjoyed the restaurant. The casino was in a different building so there was no smoke and it was relatively quiet. They also had a really nice sauna which I always enjoy. The massages in the spa were about 30 usd for 50 min.

    As a side note, prices in Argentina for imported items like clothing and electronics are more expensive than we would pay at home, but for essentials like food, medical care, and education, prices are much less expensive. Public medical care and education at all levels are completely free. You can choose to pay for private medical care but compared to the US it's still very inexpensive. I paid 10 dollars to see a doctor in Santa Fe. She spent a half hour with me and ordered imaging (ultrasound and x-rays) which cost another 20. Self care treatment like waxing, massage, manicures and such are between 5-10 USD outside of the large hotels and spas.

    We didn’t venture into Rosario, in part because we didn’t want to take the time, but also we heard there was not much to see there and that is not considered safe for tourists.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Santa Fe, Argentina

    July 9, 2023 ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    July 9th is Día de la Independencia here in Argentina. This year the country celebrated it’s 207th year of independence from Spanish rule. We had been planning to get started on our drive to Chivilcoy, a small town a couple of hours west of Buenos Aires, to talk to a camper manufacturer about rewiring the electrical and maybe doing the interior updates, when Mauro messaged to tell us that we weren't far on of Santa Fe’s indepence day celebration. We decided to walk over, but didn’t find much going on there, just some families out enjoying the day and a few street vendors.

    Before I knew it Mauro was there to swoop us up and show us where the real action was. I say “before I knew it” because I was distracted with our weekly zoom family call where I get to spend an hour plus with my mom, aunts, uncles and cousins each week. It’s always a blast and I try not to miss it. While I was distracted Sam must have been chatting with Mauro.

    We ended up at a lively street festival with blocks and blocks of food booths and vendors. There were lots of booths selling grilled beef and other meats. Beef is an important part of Argentinian culture, cuisine, and economy. Argentina is one of the largest producers of beef worldwide and is widely known for its high-quality and traditional grilling techniques. Most cattle in Argentina is pasture raised and grass fed, compared to the grain fed cattle in the US. I’ve seen the cattle, both in the field here and scarily close up, and I must say they do look quite happy. All this makes for some pretty tasty beef.

    We had fun browsing the various booths and enjoying the energy of the crowd. After hanging out for a while we decided to eat before getting on the road. We found food and a grassy area to sit down. Mauro chose a variety of meat empanadas which are also one of mainstays of Argentinian cuisine and Sam and I opted for grilled veggie sandwiches which were really delicious and much better than we expected.

    All in all, Independence Day turned out to be a lot of fun. I really appreciate that Mauro called. We likely would have gotten on the road and missed the celebrations.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Pumas

    July 7, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    We spent the next couple of days removing the thick layer of power left from the three fire extinguishers we used to get the fire out. Since everything was a mess, I was totally ready to take out the sander and sand down the cabinets. We had been planning to brighten up the camper by painting the cabinets white and replacing the flooring and wallpaper. But starting a remodel project in the wake of fire was way more than Sam could process at the moment, so we focused on cleaning up the mess on hand..

    We used a small hand broom and dustpan which seemed better than the vacuum at keeping the dust from going airborne. We then wiped everything down with dry cloths to collect remaining residue and again with a cleaning solution. After washing everything down we took the upholstery and bedding to be laundered.

    On Thursday afternoon we met Mauro for ice cream which was a really nice break from thinking about the camper stuff. The last time we were in Santa Fe he ordered the most delicious ice cream from a local shop and I had been craving it while we were away. Of the four flavors he ordered my favorites where dulce de leche and vanilla with dulce de leche swirl.

    Here in Argentina dulce de leche, which is like caramel, and alfajores (which contain dulce de leche :) are like culinary ambassadors. They meet you at the airport when you arrive and you see them everywhere you go. I actually first had alfajores in Chile. My friend Soledad bought us some when she heard we were on our way to Argentina. It might be the primacy bias, but I honestly prefer the ones that were made in Chile to the ones I’ve had here, but I am enjoying dulce de leche.

    The highlight of our visit with Mauro this time came after the ice cream when we got to feed baby pumas! That’s right, pumas!!! Mauro is a veterinarian and works with the animal wildlife rescue team here in Argentina. Just the day before four newborn pumas had been delivered to him at his office. Unfortunately, the mother had been killed and her cubs needed special care to stay alive. They weren’t old enough to be taken to a sanctuary so Mauro would care for them for them for about a month until they could be transferred.

    We were both giddy with excitement. Mauro helped to open their little mouths so we could bottle feed them. They were so cute and cuddly, but they were only still long enough to eat. When they finished we had a hard time keeping them from crawling all over us. You could tell they missed their mama, they seemed to be searching for her. They made loud squawking noises that sounded more like birds than baby cats.

    After they were done eating Mauro massaged them to help them excrete waste like their mother would have. After all four cubs had been taken care of they were placed back in their small crate with a large hot water bottle wrapped in soft fur to help comfort them. It was awesome to watch the way Mauro cared for these cute little orphaned cubs with so much passion and skill.

    He’s keeping them at home in his apartment where he and his partner Mariana can make sure they get all of the attention they need. It was such a joy to be able to help out a little. What a privilege to have had this rare opportunity.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    So Hot🔥

    July 5, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Our first days back in Argentina were eventful to say the least. We arrived in Buenos Aires early on July 4th after an 11 hour overnight flight. We debated as to whether we’d stay overnight in BA and get a fresh start the next morning or head to Santa Fe where we left the camper. We were both anxious to get back to the camper so we took a taxi to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery where we could get a flight out later that day.

    It was evening when we arrived in Santa Fe so we stayed the night in an airbnb and got up early the next morning to pick up the camper from Raul, the mechanic who had been working on it while we were away. It felt good to be back in Argentina. After a whirlwind month of coast to coast travel in the States, getting back to the camper felt like coming home.

    The day had started off nicely - an unseasonably warm 30℃. We spent the late morning cleaning, unpacking, chatting with Raul about our upcoming trip to Salta, and discussing the repairs he had made to the vehicle while we were away. We were eager to get on the road again and had planned to head north the next day.

    Later we took the van for a quick test drive, picked up the laundry we dropped off before we left and headed to our preferred street camping area to finish unpacking and take a quick afternoon nap. Although Malaika’s flight benefits got us business class seating on the flight back to Argentina, making it the most comfortable overnight flight I’ve ever had, we were still pretty tired from all of the travel .

    After waking up, we realized it was getting dark and we had no electricity. The batteries had drained during our time away so we decided to return to Raul's shop where we could plug in and recharge. We had dinner plans with Raul and Claudia at 8 pm (a little early by Argentinian standards, but bearable for us), so we headed out together leaving the camper to charge.
    We had a great dinner at Verbena, one of the city's best veggie friendly restaurants. We sat outside on the beautiful back patio/garden for a fun filled evening. We even ran into Mauro and his family who we had planned to see later in the week.

    We got back to the garage around 11:20 pm. After saying goodnight to Raul and Claudia, we unlocked the camper, expecting to turn in after the long day, but that’s when things got crazy. The camper was filled with smoke!!

    We went inside to investigate and saw it was coming from the battery compartment. Sam unplugged the charger while I opened the windows. We cleared a path to the electrical area under a bench which seemed to be the smoke's origin.

    Escaping the fumes momentarily we step outside to catch our breath and think through a plan of action. That’s when I saw a huge spark and flames!!! Sam grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran in while I rang the bell for Raul’s help.

    Over the next couple hours we alternated between rushing into the smoky camper to suppress the growing fire and stumbling back out for air, as the fire continued to reignite. By about 1:30 we had it reasonably under control, but the batteries were still smoldering.

    Raul helped to detach the problematic batteries from the exterior. By about 2:30am the main threat was removed and we decided to called it a night. I had made some calls to find a hotel room once the fire was out and Raul drove us over around 3am. We were exhausted, but so thankful. We were both okay and the camper was largely fine too as we were able to keep the fire confined to the battery compartment.

    Even in the most challenging situations you can usually find a little bit of humor which was the case for us. As we were checking in we were happy to find that the desk attendant spoke some English which he seemed eager to practice. He asked where we were from and we answered St. Louis. “Oh yes St Louis.” he says. “They have good music there right?”

    Usually this brings to mind great jazz or blues artists, but after the night we had the first thing that came to mind for Sam was Nelly.

    “Yes, like Nelly. Do you know Nelly? It’s Gettin’ Hot in Here??

    Blank look from the attendant.

    Sam sings, “It’s gettin’ hot in hurr.”

    Still no recognition on the attendant's face.

    I thought he would leave it at that point, but he pulls up the song on his phone. And sings along with hands up for emphasis.

    I wish I had a camera going at that moment. It was hilarious. When I think about that night this is the image that comes to mind, Sam with hands raised singing “So hot in hurr” to a sleepy small town hotel desk attendant in the middle of the night in Argentina. This was just the comic relief needed after the long night we had..

    We’ll be staying in airbnb or hotels for the next couple of weeks (we have an upcoming trip to Senegal and Ghana at the end of the month). The camper is still drivable, but we will need to rewire the electrical system which will require new batteries and other components from home.

    The adventure continues.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    Hanging out with family on the cruise ship!
    We visited an amazing Kehinde Wiley exhibit in SF with Nia and Mel.Walking the High Line in NYC.Walking the High Line in NYC.JapanFes!

    Escape from New York

    July 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    I guess I don't really need to say that we're a bit behind on our updates, but there it is, it's been said. 😳

    We're currently in New York City in the back of an Uber, heading to the airport, to return to Buenos Aires and then Santa Fe, before doing it all in reverse in a couple of weeks for another month outside of Argentina.

    The past month-and-change in the States was originally only supposed to be a few weeks, but one thing led to another to another to another, and well, the weeks passed quickly.

    We flew to Florida at the end of May for a family cruise that had been on the books for a while. There were 36 of us in total and it was a ton of fun!

    The following week, I (Sam) had a work event in California that we traveled out to. We planned to stop back in St Louis for a few days after that to organize some things before flying back to Argentina.

    The errands we needed to handle at home definitely expanded in scope once we got there, but really we spent much of the unplanned time just enjoying seeing family and friends.

    With the California and St. Louis visits, plus a drive down to Tulsa coinciding with a storm that knocked out power to half the city for a week, we got to see all the kids on the trip, which was amazing.

    We also had a great time visiting friends here in New York while waiting for a couple of seats on a flight back to BA.

    While we didn't do much of the usual tourist stuff, we spent time in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Jersey; walked from the first to the second, and from 59th to 1st and back; and hung out at JapanFes and the African Arts Festival. We're leaving NY exhausted and with sore feet!

    Next time you hear from us we'll be back in Argentina. ✌🏽    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    1

    Entering Malbecistan

    May 4, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    It was getting late in the afternoon by the time we pulled out of Cacheuta. I (Sam) had a late Zoom scheduled, but I was also quite eager to transition to the *ahem* more refined segment of our Argentinian adventure (or so I thought), so we picked a random winery off our list and headed in that direction.

    When we got there we learned that winery visits, like hot springs on Tourbus Tuesday, are by reservation only. We successfully talked our way to the other side of the gate for a visit to the wineshop though. We pulled up in the Renacer (“Rebirth”) winery parking lot just in time for my meeting, and found a nice spot right next to another camper van.

    The meeting was thankfully quick, and we were off to check out the soon-to-be-closing visitors center.

    Leaving the camper though, we saw that the camper van next to us now had a guy underneath it. We stopped and chatted with its owners for a few minutes. They were an Australian-and-Czech couple on a similar tour of South America in a van they also purchased in Chile. (@Nia: I asked the woman where in Czechia she was from and she said, “oh a small town in the countryside that no one’s ever heard of” and I responded, oh Cesky Krumlov? and her jaw dropped.)

    Apparently, their rear differential started leaking diff fluid and he was trying to figure out a way to minimize the damage. We asked if there was anything we could do to help and started offering some ideas, but soon someone from the vineyard came over and helped the guy get in touch with a mechanic, and they were off.

    By the time we made it to the visitor’s center—really a sales office with a bunch of wine crates—they were closing up shop. The guy working there was really interested in our story and where we were from, and pulled out a bottle for us to taste. Of course, it was a Malbec, the Mendoza region’s signature red wine. The Renocer was a great first bottle to taste, and we purchased one for the road.

    Next task was to figure out where we’d spend the night. It’d be dark soon so we really wanted to head to a specific destination so we wouldn’t be looking at possible spots in the dark. I’d remembered reading about a wine tour agency in the Lujon de Cuyo area that had an open invitation for travelers to park in front of their office and use of their facilities. We headed in that direction.

    The town it was in, Chacras de Coria, was very small, but seemed to cater to wine region visitors with upscale shops and restaurants. The area seemed like it would be very safe, and we were assured of this by the guy closing up shop at the wine tour place as we arrived. We settled in a bit and then set out for dinner.

    Argentinians eat dinner LATE, so finding a place open at a decent hour can be difficult. We found a place in walking distance that looked like it’d be nice, and set out in that direction.

    Along the way we came across a swanky bakery and we went inside to check out the treats. We selected a bunch of different breads, cookies and pastries, all of which were priced by weight. When the guy added everything up, the total was 990 Argentine Pesos, or about $2.50. We left the place quickly like we just stole all that stuff. This was our first real purchase of goods Argentina—up until then we’d only paid for meals and snacks at tourist-district restaurants and shops.

    In spite of the fact that Argentina is experiencing crazy high inflation of late, over 100% year over year in April 2023, the exchange rate still means that the dollar goes pretty far. In the past, tourists needed to do seedy back alley cash exchanges to get a good exchange rate, the so called Blue Dollar Rate, but since the beginning of this year, Argentina has implemented a favorable rate for tourists using credit and debit cards in the country. This rate, the MEP rate, is about 400:1, vs around 470:1 for the blue rate, and around 200:1 for the local interbank rate. It’s not quite as good as the Blue Rate, but it’s close enough that the simplicity and convenience of credit card use means it’s our go-to.

    Anyhoo, we got to the restaurant around 6:30 and were informed that we wouldn’t be able to order dinner until 7, but there were some items we could get started with, if we wanted to eat now. We said sure and were directed to the breakfast menu! Well, it said breakfast on top, but also included some snack items. We ended up pulling together a great meal featuring Osso Buco empanadas for me, an avocado toast with kale for Khalilah, and some Batatas Bravas to share. With a glass of Malbec for me and some homemade Mint Lemonade for Khalilah, the total came to just under 6,000 pesos or about 15 dollars.

    We walked back to the van under the light of the full moon, just as the town was starting to liven-up for dinner.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Mike and Geneva

    May 4, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    We’ve been asked a few times now what the best part of our trip has been so far, and the answer, without a doubt, is the people we've met! You’ve read about many of them in other posts, but I want to tell you a little more about Mike and Geneva.

    Sam met them via the PanAmerican Traveler’s Association facebook group. They started their travels about seven years ago, selling most of their belongings and heading due south, starting from Arizona. When they found out that we were buying this vehicle (it turned out from some friends that they’d met along their travels) they offered to meet us in Santiago and travel with us for a while to show us the ropes.

    Now my mother and grandmother are the two most generous people I’ve encountered in my life, and Geneva and Mike are not far behind. Those of you who know my mother or were touched by my grandmother's kindness know that this means a lot! Geneva and Mike have been invaluable in helping us adjust to life in the camper, but the real gift has been watching and learning from their way in the world. Here are a few things we’ve learned from their example.

    1. Share more - If you’ve read Deepak’s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, you remember the Law of Giving. Deepak says “always have something to give” and Geneva and Mike embody this principle. They’ve shown up at our camper with fresh baked bread (made in the Omnia camping oven - delicious!), fruit, snacks, tools, meds, and more. And their giving doesn’t stop with us. When we were in Pomaire just rolling into town, before Sam and I were parked they had already met a couple of bikers, offered to have them set up camp behind their vehicle (for safety and wind protection) and invited them over for coffee in the morning. Giving seems to be a natural way of being for them, and also serves as an icebreaker when meeting new people and navigating language barriers.

    2. Invite often - Maybe this is an easy thing for you, but for someone with social anxieties the simple act of inviting can be a big deal. Mike and Geneva are masters of making the invitation: Hey let’s meet in the garden for lunch? Come on over for breakfast! Let’s check out this museum! Hey, how about we do dinner at your place? (Wait what?! I didn’t even know you could do that!) After a few weeks of hanging out with them, I too aspire to master the art of inviting.

    3. Make friends - When you live in a camper, there’s not much room to collect physical things, but with their open hearts Mike and Geneva collect friends. Everywhere they go they’re not just meeting new people but making new friends. One day we were parked in Vitacura, outside the hostel where we picked up our camper. A man that they had met while traveling in the South of the Chile recognized their camper and pulled over to say hi. It just so happened that he lived in the neighborhood! He and his wife invited them over for dinner, and of course, they invited us. You never know where your new friendships will lead you. They've shared that some of the people they've met on their travels are as close as family.

    4. Be optimistic - Mike and Geneva have great trust that things will workout and that help will be there when you need it. They shared that any time they’ve had issues with their vehicle it happened at an opportune time or place where the help they needed was available. Luckily they’ve been around to help us through our mechanical challenges. It was this belief that led to us finding Zuko. While Sam was working under the hood and I was online looking for shops we might try, they took a walk, talked to some locals and found the help we needed.

    5. Trust your network - Mike and Geneva are not afraid to rely on their network. They are fast with the Whatsapp messages and don’t hesitate to shoot a question or request to someone they’ve met. When it looked like we’d need to head back to the city to see a mechanic, before we even had time to think about where we’d be going, Geneva had already messaged Claudia, explained the situation, made arrangements for us to park at her place, and got her recommendation for a mechanic. That's how we met Milenko.

    6. Help where you can - How often do you get an unprompted message saying, “Hey what can I help you with?” Or “I’ve love to spend a few days helping you figure that out?” Well these are everyday occurrences with Mike and Geneva. Helpfulness is in their blood.

    Early in our trip we wondered when they’d get tired of all the mechanical issues and leave us to get on with their travels. We messaged them a couple of times to let them know that we’d understand if they wanted to get moving. Their response: “We are with YOU like a tick on a street dog!”. They committed to hanging with us through our first border crossing (which Sam wrote about previously), and they did just that.

    They live up to their surname Saint-Amour. We feel so blessed to have their help and support on our journey! Huge thanks to you Mike and Geneva!!

    I hope all of you are met with such extraordinary kindness on your next journey and in your everyday life.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    Cacheuta. You can see the springs facility to the far left.
    The springs at the Termas Cacheuta Hotel. A more expensive option tham the regular spring facility.1Pastel de Humita, a corn-based casserole.Pollo asado.

    Cacheuta Hot Springs

    May 4, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Leaving Jerome, our next stop was a small town called Cacheuta that is famous for its hot springs.

    Though Potrerillos and Chacheuta are very close to one another, by the time we left Jerome, stopped for lunch, found our way there, and got settled into a parking spot, it was already well after 4 pm and the springs were about to close at 6.

    In our infinite wisdom we decided we’d wait until the following day, Wednesday, to visit the springs, so that we could get the most out of our $6.50 per person.

    Wednesday came, and we set about our usual morning routine, not in any particular rush to get going, because the mornings were cold in the mountains and we’d have all day.

    We noticed though, from the window of the camper, busload after busload of tourists heading to the springs. We would soon learn that Wednesday was apparently tour bus day at Cacheuta.

    By the time we walked over around noon, a bold type sign on the gate read SOLO RESERVAS - Reservations Only. We tried to talk our way through, but we were behind a few other groups unsuccessfully attempting the same. Our foreign mystique did not help one bit.

    We spent a bit of the day exploring Cacheuta, had a nice lunch at a local restaurant, did a bit of work, and worked on some camper projects. We wiped down the solar panels to see if that’d help them to charge the batteries faster, and I replaced an old USB-A outlet in the cab with one of the USB-C chargers I brought from home for that purpose. We also bought tickets to the springs for the next day.

    Tickets notwithstanding, from time to time we walked by the gate to see if the Solo Reservas sign was still up. Earlier, the bouncer (which he effectively was) told us there was a chance they’d open things up later in the afternoon, but that didn’t happen until like 5 pm. We decided to pass, but Mike and Geneva decided to go in to use the showers.

    Anticipation was high when our turn at the springs finally came on Thursday. The springs were fabulous, especially since it was a pretty quiet day there. We each spent a couple of hours there—in shifts it turns out—because Khalilah had an early call and I wanted to get a jump on my springing.

    It was early afternoon when we finally reconnected with Mike and Geneva. They had some errands to run in Mendoza City and we wanted to visit some vineyards before heading to the city, so with much sadness it was finally time to split up the convoy.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Cerveza Jerome

    May 2, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F

    This microbrewery was on Mike and Geneva’s list and we were excited to go there for lunch before heading to our next stop. We made our way through the small town enjoying the autumn leaves and the beauty of the mountains. We had been planning to visit for a couple of days and had even called the day before to confirm that they’d be open. We were surprised to find when we got there that they were closed for the day. Luckily, we caught an employee just about to leave as we arrived and he let us in to have a look around.

    The brewery is set in a beautiful location with great views of the mountains and the river running behind it. It also has an interesting story behind its founding. The founder Eduardo Luis Maccari helped to save the life of a young Czech man who had gotten lost while hiking in the mountains. The young man was so grateful that he invited Eduardo to Czechia where he met and became friends with a brewmaster, who taught him the craft and shared his family's recipes. Eduardo continues to honor his teacher by producing high quality Czech inspired beer in a tiny town in Argentina.

    We had a great time learning about the business, its history, and their plans for expansion. What made our visit feel super serendipitous though, is that I have a cousin who loves beer and guess what his name is?…Drum roll…You guessed it! — Jerome. And where do you think he lives?… Right again — Czechia. I had a great time sharing the story of Cerveza Jerome with him. He thought his friends there would really love hearing about this Czech inspired brewery all the way in South America.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    I love this picture of Sam on our way down from our hike.
    If you look really closely you might be able to see two campers along the river bank.

    Potrerillos

    May 2, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    We camped our first few nights along the Mendoza river in the small city of Potrerillos. It was Labor Day weekend here so during the day the lake was bustling with locals enjoying their time off. On Monday a father and son out for the day pulled up next to us to block the wind and started grilling some really tasty chicken which they were nice enough to share with Sam. At night the locals mostly cleared out leaving just our two rigs, so we had the lake to ourselves.

    While we were there we got in another geocaching adventure with Mike and Geneva, one which we found easily the other despite a lot if effort and a pretty dangerous climb we never located.

    On our third and last day at the lake Sam and I took a hike. As we started the trail we were joined by 4 dogs who went all the way up with us. At one point Sam went ahead on the trail and I stayed back to rest. Three of the dogs went ahead with him and one waited with me.

    As we were ending our hike we met another traveler just beginning the trail. I thought they would choose to follow her up but instead they escorted us all the way back to the camper. Not usual a dog love but their escort felt special.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    Geocache sites in St. Louis

    Geocaching and more!

    April 30, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 32 °F

    Inca Bridge

    Our first stop in Argentina was the Inca Bridge Natural Monument, just a little ways past the border. This natural geological formation creates a crossing over the Mendoza river that Incan’s used in pre-Colombian times. The Inca developed an impressive road system extending 25,000 miles (40,000 km) and passing through Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. A second road system ran along the coast from Ecuador down to Chile.

    The red and yellow colors seen on the hillside are mineral deposits from hot springs that run through the area. In the early 1900s the brick structure pictured was built to house thermal pools, along with a hotel for visitors. The hotel, Puente del Inca, was quite popular and drew crowds for decades before being destroyed in 1965 by avalanche. This site is now a Unesco World Heritage site.

    Puente de Picheuta

    We took some time to relax by the Picheuta bridge. This bridge was said to have been used by José de San Martín and his troops in the early 1800s. San Martín led, the Liberation Army, a group of Argentinian and Chilean soldiers over the Andes and into Chile in a fight to end Colonial rule. They eventually defeated the Spaniards gained independence for Chile 1818. San Martín later led the Army of Peru gaining independence for Peru in 1821.

    The river looks to have changed course since the bridge was built, but it was a very relaxing place to hang out and listen to the sound of the water rushing by. Several people had set up tents right along the river to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

    Geocaching

    Did you know there was a global game of hide and seek being played by people all over the world every day? Mike and Geneva introduced us to geocaching which they’e been playing for over a decade. The way it works it that someone hides a small container call a geocache, with log a book and small trinkets. The geocaches vary in size, some as small as a pill bottle others a little larger. You use gps coordinates in the geocache app to find (if you’re lucky) the hidden cache. Once you’ve found it you sign the log and take something out if you find something you’d like and leave a little something behind for the next person.

    Our first geocache was about 100 feet off the side of the road, part way up a rocky incline. Maybe beginners luck or maybe Mike and Geneva passed it by to give us a chance, not sure, but I was excited to find the small plastic container hidden under some rocks. Mike and Geneva carry a bag of small things they can leave behind like stickers or bracelets. They signed the log and added something new to container. I took out a tiny magnetic compass that looked like it might come in handy. We stopped at a couple of other geocache sites in the coming days, some we found and some we didn’t. I was shocked by how many locations there were. There are probably some near you.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    The leakTight switchbacks in the Andes1Amazing peaksEntering the border complexInside the border complexWaiting for Mike & GenevaVendors outside the border complex1First stop, Inca BridgeAndean vistasPuente de Picheuta1Hanging with Pacha and NicaFirst geocaching stop1Overnight at the lake

    Border Crossing!

    April 30, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 27 °F

    We finally crossed the Andes into Argentina on Sunday! You would think we’d summited Mt. Aconcagua* on foot by how excited we were.

    You may recall that we initially tried to cross this border two weeks ago, before experiencing vehicle issues that lead us back to Santiago.

    I’m not exactly sure where those two weeks went, but we were all set to try again last Friday, having left the garage with a rebuilt fuel pump the day before. Unfortunately, our pre-departure checks revealed some fluid leaks (diesel and coolant), so it was back to the garage for us on Friday afternoon to get those taken care of.

    In the midst of all this, we learned that the border would be closing on Friday due to weather conditions in the mountains, and could possibly stay closed through the weekend.

    We agonized about what to do, but ultimately decided to head north on Saturday to position ourselves closer to the border, should it open sometime on Sunday.

    We’d hoped to make it to one of several riverside camping spots we read about located 20 km from the border, and we got close, but we ran into a blockade in the road about 12 km before our planned stopping place. As we stood considering our next steps, we saw a car bypass the blockade and decided to follow (don’t judge us – we figured the blockade was meant for the trucks we saw lining up off to the side up ahead).

    We proceeded another couple of km and found another blockade, this time with a short line of stopped cars leading up to it, and several bunches of people sitting and standing around over on the opposite shoulder of the road.

    We pulled up and we jumped out to survey the situation. The first group we encountered was a Chilean family traveling together and we learned from them that the border might open in early evening, but if it wasn’t open by 6 or 7, it wouldn’t open until 9 the next morning. We also learned that the folks in line were planning to spend the night right there, and be first in line to cross in the morning.

    Khalilah and I looked at each other and exchanged a few words to seal the deal: “Looks like as good a camping spot as any…,” and “Looks like fun!.” We’d be spending the evening in the middle of the road in the Andes.

    A bit later in the evening we met Daniel and Jacqueline, who were a few vehicles ahead of us and first behind the barricade. They were traveling in an instant conversation starter—a Ghostbusters themed camper. Though they spoke no English, we managed to have a great conversation with them, first on the roadside, and then in their camper over coffee and cookies. They pulled out a deck of cards and we tried to identify a game we had in common, settling on them teaching us Carioca, which we learned is a Chilean game similar to Rummy.

    We offered to move the party over to our camper which was a bit more spacious and were walking over together when I noticed a puddle of liquid on the ground coming from the front of our vehicle. This was another coolant leak, this time even more significant than the last.

    I opened the hood and started to investigate and Daniel jumped in to help me. Before I pulled out my own, he ran to his camper and grabbed a mat and flashlight, and was on the ground trying to help find the source of the leak. I got down there and eventually found it—the coolant was leaking due to an apparently loose hose clamp, but I couldn’t access the screw to tighten it from the bottom, nor could I see it from the top.

    Removing the heat shield didn’t do the trick but I figured it was under the big hose that turned out to be the turbo intercooler hose. After removing that one, the culprit was in plain view.

    The clamp on the radiator pipe, I believe was replaced the day before at the garage, was indeed loose. I started to tighten it but Daniel had the good idea to turn the clamp so that I’d have easier access if I ever needed it, but I couldn’t turn it so I loosened it a bit more to make that easier.

    Bad move. Coolant started streaming out at a much higher volume while I tried to turn the clamp, until I gave up and just tightened it up where it was. After tightening everything back up and adding water to the radiator fill line. Khalilah turned the key and she started right up. We didn’t see any fluid leaking, so we shut it down and started cleaning up and putting away tools.

    We briefly discussed continuing with the original plan but unanimously joked that perhaps that was our game for the night, and said buenas noches to Daniel and Jacqueline.

    After a decent but cold rest, my 7 am alarm went off. We were told the road would open at 9 at the earliest but for whatever reason I thought I wanted to make sure to be ready and set my alarm a ridiculous two hours early. Rather than jumping up, I reset the alarm to 8 and tried to go back to sleep but I just couldn’t, and so I was up and dressed by a quarter after 7.

    At about 7:20 we started to hear some commotion outside and less than 5 minutes later the police are driving down the long row of cars with horns and loudspeakers blaring, yelling “Andale! Andale!”

    We shoved everything we could into a cabinet and a few minutes later were once again headed up Ruta 60 towards Argentina.

    The morning and the pass were absolutely beautiful, and we arrived at the joint Chilean-Argentine border control complex, located about 20 minutes on the Argentine side of the frontier, at around 9, pulling in right behind Daniel and Jacqueline, who we caught up to and trailed about halfway through the journey.

    The paperwork part of the crossing, while complex due to our vehicle situation**, was pretty painless thanks in large part to an excellent prep session that Mike and Geneva did with us. After about 30 minutes, most of it spent waiting, we exited the complex with our first bureaucratic win in-hand–the all important TIP, or temporary import permit, allowing us to bring the vehicle into the country. The sun shone bright on the mountaintop that morning.

    After completing our paperwork, we waited for Mike and Geneva, who pulled in shortly after. Once they completed their crossing, we ventured on to explore a bit of Argentina together.

    * At 6,961 meters or 22,838 feet, Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Americas, and lies just north of the Los Libertadores border crossing, on the Argentina side.

    ** We’re traveling under the previous owner’s registration until ours is finalized, requiring a document called a “poder” that’s essentially a power of attorney, that was notarized and apostilled (notarizing the notarization)    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    I didn't take pics a dinner so this is a stock image of locos.

    Locos!!!

    April 23, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    On Sunday my friend Soledad invited us to her house for lunch and what a great time we had. First I loved meeting her husband and two sons, one in high school and one in college. Her husband Manuel started honing his cooking skills during the pandemic and we got the benefit of our first authentic home cooked Chilean meal.

    Now y’all know I’m not a very adventurous eater. My diet is pretty simple. Mostly fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes, and occasionally fish if it’s cook perfectly to my liking. But when Soledad brought out the locos I couldn’t not try it. What is locos, you might be wondering? Well I was wondering too, and she didn’t know the English translation. I knew I it was some kind of sea food and was really worried that I wouldn't like it, but it turn out to be so delicious I asked for seconds. I know you’re all proud of me, aren’t you?

    It turns out that locos is abalone, a type of large sea snail. It’s traditionally served with mayo and lemon juice, as Soledad served it. Yum. The main course was reineta, a popular local Chilean fish, served with salad, rice pilaf and veggies. Now how Manuel managed to make a fish that was a perfect match for my picky taste buds I will never know, but thank you Manuel. It was delicious. Perfectly browned and seasoned so that every bite was bursting with flavor. Another great day in Santiago!    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    11111

    San Cristobal Hill

    April 22, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Each time I've asked a local what sights we shouldn’t miss they mentioned taking the funicular up San Cristobal Hill. Something about funiculars awakens my inner child and I was really excited to go. The ride up was fun and the views at the top were spectacular although the pics don't really capture it. We enjoyed getting a feel for the scope of city and loved the majesty of the mountains around it.

    I was enjoying the view so much that it was a while before I noticed the huge statue of the Virgin Mary further up the hill. We hadn’t done much research before coming and I was really surprised that no one had mentioned it. It stands 22 meters or 72ft high, making it one of the largest statues of h Virgin Mary in the world. The Virgin Mary is revered by Catholics throughout Chile with many festivals and tributes in her honor. I’m not catholic, but I appreciate the powerful symbol of love, compassion, motherhood and femininity.

    After the San Cristobal Hill we walked to Costenera Center. This 62 story skyscraper is the tallest in South America. It’s 300 meters tall (that 984 ft!) about 354 ft taller than the St. Louis Arch. The observation deck had 360 degree views of the city with a second open air deck above. On the lower levels of the building there’s a mall which on Saturday evening was packed!

    
We had dinner with Gabriel and Yamilla at a nearby bao restaurant called Bao Mambo. They had never had Bao so Sam described them as Chinese Arepas, which we all thought was really funny but true :). It turned out to be a great meal and great company!!.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    111

    Lastarria

    April 21, 2023 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    We ended the day back in Lastarria where we did our photo meetup shortly after we arrived. We saw a woman who looked to be enjoying some delicious papas fritas and asked where she found them. The line was long, but they were worth the wait!Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    21

    City Center

    April 21, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Our walking tour continued with downtown Santiago. The streets were bustling with lots of people working, shopping, and going about their day. You might not be able to tell from the pics we've shared so far, but Santiago is a very cosmopolitan city. It reminds us both of NYC, but maybe a bit cleaner and a little less edgy. Sam is definitely feeling at home and I'm enjoying the vitality of the city.Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Street Art - Yungay and Brasil

    April 21, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Waiting for repairs gave us a great opportunity to explore the city on foot. Santiago has great street art. Here are some pics from our walk through the Yungay and Brasil neighborhoods.

    We later learned that the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, when he took office in 2022, chose "to live among the people" in Yungay, a low income area where crime was high. Here's an article written shortly after he took office https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-04….

    We stayed the weekend in a nice airbnb in Yungay.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Video: An Unforgettable Night

    April 20, 2023 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlV08IDb66g

    A bunch of folks have asked when we're going to start a Youtube channel! Well, we're not quite there yet, but we love the idea of sharing our adventures via video. Here's a quick one about the unexpected night we spent in an auto garage. Check it out!Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    1

    Surrender

    April 19, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    A while back a friend recommended a book by Micheal Singer called The Surrender Project. I really love his book The Untethered Soul (well worth a read), but hadn’t read this one. As the name might suggest, he tells the story of how amazing his life turns out when he makes it a spiritual practice to pay attention to what life offers and embraces it. We all have our plans and preferences, but Micheal decided that rather than giving in to personal wants and desires he would flow with life, recognizing that the divine plan is so much bigger than he could see in the moment and so much grander than he could have imagined. This didn’t mean that he didn’t have challenges, but the rewards were great and he was constantly called to give his best. And that’s the spirit in which we’re embracing this trip.

    
My Mom always says everything that happens when you travel is a part of the adventure and that’s definitely the case here. Every new challenge gives us the opportunity to let go of our expectations and find the beauty, grace and magic in the moment. We saw this over the weekend. We were so thankful that we stalled before we were high in the mountains on a switchback. We also stalled just down the road from a “truck stop” where we made a great friend, Zuko, who looked out for us and made sure we had everything we needed. I included some pics from the truck stop which despite being quite rudimentary had beautiful sunsets, a surprisingly beautiful river running behind it, a food truck, and showers that were only slightly scary.

    We're continuing our surrender journey with some wild accomodations for the night. We'll post a video telling you all about it tomorrow.    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler

    Hosed!

    April 16, 2023 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    Yesterday we ran into more car problems on our way to the Andes and Argentina. Similar to our previous issues, all of a sudden we lost power and stalled out. Fortunately, since we were rolling solo this time, we were on a local road and able to easily coast to the shoulder.

    Losing power is unfortunately a familiar experience with this rig, and my immediate fear was that replacing the fuel regulator didn't work, and we were back to square one chasing down an unknown problem.

    I jumped out of the van to see what I might be able to figure out. I immediately noticed a strong diesel smell. Squatting down to look at the ground under the engine revealed a fluid leak of some sort. I reached down to touch some but it wasn't clear what it was--it looked like oil but smelled and felt like a mix of oil and diesel.

    I opened the hood next, but nothing jumped out at me beyond the strong smell of diesel. I investigated a bit more by the light of my phone, to no avail. Then I asked Khalilah to turn the key, which would start the fuel pump. If the leak was diesel related, I might see it continue to leak to the ground.

    A couple of seconds after the key was turned, the pump turned on and the problem was clear. Fuel was streaming from a hose on top of the engine.

    As crazy as it might sound considering the circumstances, what I felt next was relief and gratitude more than anything else. This was a clear problem with an easy fix. What's more, it could have happened in a much worse place, like that mile-long tunnel on a steep grade we'd just passed through.

    Khalilah, along with Mike and Geneva who had been about 30 minutes behind us, set about trying to find some fuel hose, while I worked to loosen the Mercedes click clamps without the Mercedes tool typically required. I was eventually successful with this task.

    Finding a replacement hose proved more difficult. A passerby directed them down the street to what amounted to a very basic truck stop where they met Zuko, the facility's friendly and helpful caretaker/security guard who happened to speak good English. He looked at the fuel hose and cut a piece of the air hose that they use to fill truck tires, and gave it to them, suggesting that we use it to get going and drive the rig over there to get off the main road.

    Mike and Geneva then took a trip into town to see if the local auto parts store had the hose, while Khalilah and I got the air hose installed and drove over to the lot.

    The auto parts store was a bust, and pretty much our only shot at not spending the rest of the weekend at the truck stop, since all of this unfolded late in the afternoon on Saturday.

    To be continued...

    ✌🏼    Read more

  • Little House On WheelsSouth AmericaTraveler
    1
    21

    Mobile Starlink!

    April 15, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Today I completed our first big camper project: I mounted our Starlink dish on the roof of the camper!

    Consistent internet access is a big part of what makes this trip possible for us. One can manage to stay connected in some places with 4G mobile data and with wifi in others, but there are many areas where neither can be found.

    Enter Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk. Starlink has become a game changer for many, offering fast internet access almost anywhere, at a very reasonable cost. This would definitely be the case for us. I did my first video podcast interviews using Starlink this week and it performed very well, though I do wish it offered faster upload speeds.

    Shortly before we left for South America, Starlink announced new Roam plans that fit our needs well. I ordered the new Flat High Performance dish several weeks in advance of our departure, but just before leaving I realized that it couldn’t actually be used with the Global Roam plans the way I thought. So I left it to be sent back and crossed my fingers that I'd be able to figure something out when we got to Santiago. Turns out not only was it easy to order to where we were staying, but I saved about half off both the upfront cost of the dish and the monthly service fees.

    The dish as shipped is designed to be portable. The dish has a mast attached to it that slips into a stand. There are motors inside the dish that aim it towards the Starlink satellite constellation when it turns on.

    There are a couple of challenges with the standard setup for our needs. First, it needs to be set up when you arrive at your destination and torn down when you hit the road. I was able to get the setup and tear-down process down to only a few minutes, but it was still a bit annoying. (I know, first world problems.) Plus we needed to store it when we were driving, and it’s a bit bulky. Finally, because the setup was only temporary, we’d have wires running out our roof hatch when the dish was deployed. The other big one is that you can’t use it while driving.

    So, I knew from the beginning that I’d ultimately want to mount it on the roof of the camper.

    I initially found a guy who I thought might be able to build me something, but when he quoted me a price that was equal to what I paid for the dish I took a pass on that option and decided to build it myself.

    A quick trip to the hardware store told me what I had to work with: Aluminum angle extrusion was plentiful and pretty cheap, and would be easy to work with.

    I put my engineering education to work and sketched out a mount. I then figured out what materials I’d need and went shopping. (Just like any home improvement project, I made at least four trips to the hardware store.)

    We have a decent collection of tools that came with the rig, so I didn’t need to buy anything major to complete the project.

    The basic structure was finished in one long day and turned out pretty much how I’d envisioned and sketched it. Over the subsequent few days I mounted it to a crossbar on the roof, installed the dish in it, and completed the installation by routing the Starlink cable from the router inside the camper, through cabinets and the camper’s sidewall, up to the roof, and then under a solar panel and across to the dish.

    The scariest part of the project was drilling a hole into the back of the dish itself, which is necessary to disable the motors. There’s a very active Starlink Hacks group on Facebook and others before me had determined that the dish performs fine if mounted flat with the motors disabled, as well as where you need to drill to easily access the motor connector.

    I finished running the cable to the dish just in time for a long drive towards the Andes mountains. The dish worked great on the road, though unfortunately in-motion use isn’t supported by Starlink and could be shut down at any time. We’ll enjoy it while it lasts.    Read more

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