Culpina K
7 февраля 2023 г., Боливия ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Today it was relaxed enough to get up at 8 for breakfast and depart at 9 for today's trip leading us further North. We first stopped at several different rock formations, then at another laguna with flamingos. It was nice but similar to the things we had already seen yesterday. A stop in the morning was named "Italiano perdido" because apparently a few years back an Italian tourist had been lost there and never found 🙈 We stayed there for about an hour exploring the rock formations and climbing up for great views. Before lunch we were dropped off at a green valley, named Laguna Negra, opening inmidst of red steep rock formations. Right when we got off the Jeep, we saw a group of Llamas strolling along a little stream. And a little further into the canyon there were a lot! And due to the stream the whole valley was covered in beautiful green 💚 grass standing in stark contrast to the red rocks!
While looking out for birds I saw movement in the rocks on the other side of the stream and encountered a rabbit hopping on the rocks 🐇 It was one of the viscacha, known for their tired/sad facial expression 😁 A little bit later there was another one really close by so I sneaked up on it and took some close up pictures. Encountering wildlife like that is always a highlight! Then we spent almost an hour taking pictures of the Llamas 🦙 with their cute little babies.
Then it was lunch time and they prepared an amazing tasty Shepherd's pie. It was a huge dinner and we only managed to eat half of the portion. Then we continued our way to the Anaconda Canyon with a pretty little overlook. A Mexican said that it looks a bit like the Barrancas del Cobre, just not as deep and green 😁
Our last stop of the day was in the village "Culpina K" for tonight's hostel. We were lucky again to get a room for ourselves and even with a private bathroom. It was still early, so we had a walk through the whole town and stopped at a shop for wine. When we came back to the hostel we exchanged US Dollars to Argentinian Peso with the German couple because they'll be traveling North. Afterwards we were called to tea at the salon where we had a few cookies and a tea. Then we switched to beer and wine and by the time dinner was served I was feeling a bit tipsy 🥴 It was a fun evening together and unfortunately already the last because the German couple stays in Uyuni while we continue back to San Pedro de Atacama.Читать далее
Salar de Uyuni
8 февраля 2023 г., Боливия ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
At 6 in the morning we were at the breakfast table that had unfortunately only a limited selection. But at least I got my morning coffee ☕☺️ Then we had a little time before we started our two hour drive to the outskirts of Uyuni and the train cemetery 🪦 These trains were used for mining operations that at some point were abandoned. They were quite rundown but that made it all the more charming and had some amazing artwork. But we just stayed 15 minutes before continuing on to the highlight and end of our tour, the Uyuni Salt Flats.
On the way it had been raining but by the time we reached the beginning of the Salt Flat it was just clouded. The whole flats are flooded currently because it's rain season. The shallow water creates amazing, perfect reflections where it's hard to differentiate where the earth ends and the sky begins. We got off the Jeep at a hotel in the middle of the flats which is completely built out of salt 🧂😲 In the store we found an Uyuni beer and took it right outside for a photoshoot. Then we made some photos of us and the flag poles. Afterwards we hopped on the Jeep and drove further on the Salt Flats until we were by ourselves.
The sight of endless, white reflections was breathtaking and the weather had improved so much that it started to be sunny but still with some interesting cloud formations. We spent more than an hour, posing and taking pictures. It was such a beautiful day now and we had a lot of fun taking the pictures and videos together. But after an hour we continued on to a small artesanal market where we shopped patches and gloves for Julia. Back in the city of Uyuni we were dropped off for lunch which was tasty but too less... Then it was time to say goodbye to the German couple that we have grown very fond of in the last two days and we're looking forward to seeing them again somewhere in the world 🌎❤️ We also said goodbye to our amazing driver Vladimir and then got picked up by a different driver.
He was going to bring us back to the first hotel, which would take around 3 hours. He was quite talkative with Julia and rushed us a bit because there was a storm coming up and the road can get dangerous when it's raining. We weren't as lucky with the room as before but we could at least share a quadruple room with the couple from Poland that are a great company. We stayed in the Jeep together and were joined by a couple from Brazil. He had gotten sick and wasn't feeling well. They were super nice as well ☺️
We had a shower to get rid of all the salt that was sticking to our legs. Then we made ourselves comfortable in the common room which was pretty cold and they didn't have tea or anything because it was our last day 🥲 We didn't even get a table so we just sat down with a group of friends from Belgium that are travelling for a month together. They were really easy people and friendly so we sat, laughed and drank together. Overall we've got to say that we were lucky with the tour group.
For dinner there was spaghetti with an onion sauce and a sprinkle of cheese 🧀 It was a small portion with an interesting taste but we were just glad that we got something at all. Soon after we went to bed because we needed to get up at 4am to drive to the border crossing with Chile. But this way our drivers said that we can make some stops on the way that we missed due to the changed itinerary. This was surprising and really nice because we had been told in the beginning that they cannot be visited on the way back.Читать далее
Calama
9 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
We started getting ready at 03:30 and everyone was walking around like zombies. At some point we noted that we hadn't seen the couple from Brazil yet this morning 🙈 We wanted to check on them but realized that we don't know which one was their room... So we started knocking on every door shouting their names which was either returned by an angry NO or silence. Shortly after 4 we had found them and were on our way to a Geysir field just 10 minutes later so it wasn't a big issue. the drive to the geysirs took 2 hours and on the way we saw the beautiful sunrise 🌄❤️ But also the car had trouble shifting the gears, so directly when we arrived the driver and two other drivers started working on it 🙈 The geysir field was beautiful in the morning sun colouring the area. But it was pretty cold up at 4960 metres... Luckily they had fixed the issue (or at least did something) so we could continue with another 20 minutes delay.
Next up we made a short stop for 10 minutes at hot springs right next to a laguna. As we didn't have a lot of time, we just put our feet into the warm water and enjoyed the views over the laguna with snow covered Andean mountains in the background. Then it was time for breakfast at the border crossing where our drivers did the paperwork for the National Park. After breakfast we walked to the first checkpoint where the paid fees were checked, then we were driven to the Bolivian border control. There we needed to pay a little fee and got the exit stamp. Afterwards we switched to the busses to go through the Chilean border control and get ultimately dropped off at the bus terminal back in San Pedro de Atacama 😌 The tour was great but also very exhausting. The people who we met were amazing and made this tour better 🙂
On the bus to Calama we were together with the Polish couple, Lukasz and Julia. They'll take a flight to Santiago tomorrow morning and we're trying to get on the next bus. Unfortunately this turned out to be more difficult than expected because all the busses we asked were completely full for today. The last one, Turbus, had luckily two spots left for 10pm. We booked it and then had 8 hours time to kill before our 20 hour bus ride 😁 First we went to the main street and walked along searching for a spot to get a late lunch. It ended up being a beer and burger place which was decent. Afterwards we searched for a supermarket to get some supplies for the bus drive. The first ones were small corner stores until we went to a Jumbo Supermarket. It was huge, super clean and had a huge variety, especially of German articles... From small town beers to chocolates but also baking stuff 🤨 We used a bit the free Wifi until we went back to the bus terminal to repack our luggage.
The bus was perfectly on time and we made ourselves comfortable in our home for the next 20 hours 😁Читать далее
Calama ⏩ Santiago de Chile
10 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
We had slept so well on the bus, you could lay completely flat (if the feet part was used correctly 🙈). The bus had a pretty good suspension and the road was flat and straight, so we barely woke up during the night. In the morning we stopped for breakfast at the bus terminal in Copiapó. The options were limited but a hot coffee and a sandwich with an unidentifiable intensly flavoured chicken paste was still nice 😅
The day went by pretty quickly chatting, napping, watching series, reading, planning, playing games on the phone. The landscape didn't change a lot, dusty coloured mountains with occasional green brown patches and sepia villages.
We arrived on time at 8pm in Santiago de Chile and took a taxi to our hotel. It wasn't very far but too far to walk with all the luggage and we didn't feel like checking the metro 😁 The hotel was pretty old with rugs everywhere but pretty clean and the receptionist was very nice. We dropped off the luggage in the room and went directly to the neighborhood for a dinner because the bus had skipped a lunch stop 🥲 We tried a typical dish, Chorrillana, fries covered in cheese, caramelized onions and several other stuffs thrown on top! Afterwards we went back to the hotel and unpacked, had a shower and relaxed 😌Читать далее
Путешественник
Sigan disfrutando del Amor de Dios en toda su creación, y de tantas hermosas culturas, Son una pareja especial!!! Todos deberíamos disfrutar así la vida, Dios hizo tantas cosas bellas para nosotros, rezamos por ustedes, Dios los bendiga 🙏🏼
Valparaiso
11 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We set out early to have breakfast and then go explore the highlights of the city center by foot. The first stop was at a hill near the center overlooking the city center with a beautiful hip neighborhood on the way. Overall Santiago has given a very artsy and hip vibe. We stopped at the house of a famous poet, Pablo Neruda.
We thought about walking up but there was the possibility to take a funicular up to the statue of the Virgin Mary. As we had limited time and it was pretty hot already at 10 am in the morning it was a solid choice. The views were pretty good even though a bit of smog in the distance. We walked on top for about half an hour and then took the walkway down. It was pretty well made but quite dusty 😁
From there it was a relaxed half hour stroll to the historic city center with another little hill right across our hotel. There is a little castle, chapel and viewpoint on top all inmidst a beautiful lush green park. But the highlight was a guy on top of the viewpoint carrying his cat on the shoulders 😍 We spent some time getting lost in the labyrinth of little walkways crisscrossing the whole hill.
The rest of the city center had a few nice buildings, especially on the main square. But they were scattered around and most other buildings were either rundown or seemed more like a high security prison. At the main plaza we noticed a banner that said free entry to the national museum. It was pretty hot so we were glad to have a little fresh walk inside which was done in less than half an hour. It handled mostly the more recent history which wasn't that interesting for us. Another part was dedicated to clothing 🤨 Unfortunately climbing the bell tower wouldn't open until two hours later, so we decided to go to the nearby port town of Valparaiso.
We had checked the driving time upfront but just for cars, with the bus it took us almost two hours... So we had only about three hours and the interesting part in the city center was half an hour walk away. The way there was pretty rundown and unimpressive. But when we arrived and made it up the hill we were rewarded with beautiful colourful buildings nestled close to each other. The small passageways are covered in cobblestone and around every corner is a piece of art boosting all colors. We strolled through the streets for more than two hours until we made our way back to the bus terminal with a short stop at a beer house 😁🍺. At the bus terminal I've tried one of the popular completos (a hot dog with a variety of fillings).
The drive back was equally long and we fell asleep several times 😴 Around 09:30pm we had made it back to the hotel 😌 But that wasn't all for today, we scheduled to meet up with a good friend who is from Santiago of Julia from her time as an Au-Pair in Aalen. At 10:30pm we were at the Irish Pub she had suggested for some beers, get to know each other and just to chat. I've talked to her boyfriend, Alejandro, for a while about football. They'll probably come to Germany soon to visit her mother, then they maybe come by in Switzerland to visit us 🥰 We were thrown out of the bar after 2am and took an UBER back where we booked our bus ticket for the next (actually this) day and fell asleep exhausted.Читать далее
Puente del Inca
12 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
We were tired but needed to get up for breakfast and to check out. When checking out we needed to pay the second night and had issues with the card. Already last night I couldn't pay for the bus ticket. We had enough cash to pay but when I checked the balance I noticed that it was close to the credit card limit 🙄 So first we went to a bank and withdraw some Chilean Pesos with the other card and then went to a nearby bus station to meet up with the Belgian guys we had met on the trip to Salar de Uyuni. They had invited us the last two days but it didn't work out so we were glad to see them again even though it was just a quick stop.
Because our next stop was a little bit South out of town, the winery Concha y Toro. It's mostly known for the popular Casillero del Diablo. We had a tour through the gardens and a (way too) short stop in a small area with 24 different grape varieties where we could try all of them. That was a super cool concept but we barely managed to try around 15 in the 5 minutes. It was interesting to experience the differences in terms of taste and also texture 🍇 These differences are not really representative though because the terroir and climate is not ideal for all of them. This means that for example the Cabernet Sauvignon here has a thinner skin and therefore less tannins than it's supposed to have. Then we tasted 3 wines, of which one was pretty good and finally went to explore the wine cellar. It looks like a dungeon and the legend says that the devil himself lives there. Afterwards the main part of the tour was over and we were guided to a separate part where a sommelier level 2 (?!) named Tony was waiting for us. Besides the wines there was also a cheese platter prepared 🤩 The tasting was absolutely amazing, he took a lot of time explaining all the wines, origins and combinations. You could really see that he is passionate about his job and we enjoyed it very much. By the end of it we were happy and a little drunk 🍷😅 Our initial plan to walk back was discarded and we took a taxi until the metro station 😁
We stopped at the hotel for our luggage and then went to the main bus terminal after a quick stop at a fancy french fries 🍟 place. We got some (non-alcoholic) drinks and then waited for the bus that departed on time in direction of the Argentinian border. There we arrived shortly before midnight to process our data on exit and immigration. The countries had merged this so you only needed to go to one agent to do this. And after 1.5 hours out bus was done and on its way to Mendoza.Читать далее
Mendoza
13 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
We arrived 4 hours earlier than the schedule said. We had specifically booked the bus because it was supposed to arrive in the morning 🤨 But luckily there was a bus terminal where we could lay down and get in some more sleep. This worked more or less for another 2.5 hours but then it got too noisy and we walked a bit out of the terminal to a nearby McDonald's for breakfast. There we also got in touch with the money, so they have a really bad inflation currently which means that the official exchange rate is bad:
1€ = 190 Pesos, inofficial rate 1€ = 395 Pesos
This means that we can't pay by card because it'll cost double the actual amount. You get the inofficial rate only by cash currency exchange (best is with clean, 100 USD bills) or by sending yourself money through Western Union. Just as some background... After a little McDonald's breakfast we walked to our hostel, checked in and dropped off our luggage. The receptionist was really friendly and explained us the city detailed. We were excited to have a look around...
Still relatively early in the morning we started the exploration of the city which turned out after a short while to be a real jewel! Broad walkways, all covered by the big old trees standing along the streets. Plazas with mosaics, fountains and large seating areas. Old colonial style buildings mixed with newer architecture. A huge park in a 15 minutes walking distance from the city center with an artificial lake... All of this gives Mendoza a real unique and interesting style. Besides that it felt super safe. So our first impression that we had by walking more than 15km through the city was more than good. This first excursion was concluded by the omnipresent Pancho's from a chain named Mr. Dog 🐕😁
We went back to the hostel to complete the check in and inform ourselves about the tours that are offered. Today there were two, horse riding and a wine tour. We wanted to do the horse riding but unfortunately it didn't fit in so we decided to do the wine tour and olive oil factory... An hour later we were picked up by a mini tour bus and brought to the olive oil factory. There we got to taste a large selection of olive oils after she explained the process and the meaning of several terms like virgin etc. The tasting was pretty good, especially because we were a little hungry 😁 But it wasn't exceptionally good 🤷♂️ Afterwards we drove to a winery which is pretty small and got a short tour through the production and then had a wine tasting again 🍇🍷
The wines were great and if I'd had the chance I'd have taken a box with me. The last stop was a larger winery which mainly just exports its wine. The wines weren't really good here and we were glad that we didn't book the tour with three wineries 😅 But we're slowly getting the hang of wine tasting and the differences are getting clearer. So we had fun at the tour even though we were the only ones that didn't buy anything 🤷♂️
When we came back to the hostel we needed to go to the bus terminal to book our next leg. Luckily he accepted our (not perfect) US Dollar bills because it's been hard to use them and we're not sure when we can get Argentinian pesos again. From there we went directly back into town. We had looked up the Argentinian restaurants and found two that sounded interesting. The first one turned out to be quite expensive and had mainly Italian options. The second one looked amazing right from the start! An old school decor paired with a small but interesting menu that had only portions for two or three people. So we decided on a shared first course of salad and a potato pie as main. Of course it needed to be accompanied by a local wine 🍷☺️ It was an amazing, delicious dinner with a tasty wine. Happy but tired we walked back to the hostel and fell exhausted in our bunk beds.Читать далее
Mendoza ⏩ Bariloche
14 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
We got up for breakfast and checkout but somehow mixed up the times, so we had only time for a quick snack and then packed our stuff. We stayed a little bit in the lounge area at the top floor to plan our next steps, book our hostel for the night and then headed out for a longer walk.
The goal was the top of a hill about 7km away that lead us again to the park that we had seen yesterday. Today we crossed it and continued on to the hilltop even though it was very hot in the direct sun. Luckily we had cover from the trees for most of the time ☀️ On top is a statue dedicated to the military of the Andes and a little food stall selling smoothies. We definitely deserved one of those and made soon afterwards our way back. We crossed the park and walked back next to the university where we passed a bar/restaurant with lots of pretty cheap offers.
So we decided to have lunch there with a dozen empanadas (the Argentinian ones are supposed to be one of the best) and a litre of beer 🍻 Even though the empanadas were cheap, they were well made and we liked most varieties.
After that relaxing break we needed to go back to the hostel and grab our luggage. On the way to the bus terminal we made a short stop at McDonald's for an ice cream. Then we boarded our next 20 hours bus ride 😁 Unfortunately this time without a proper bed as they were sold out. But at least with big seats and they're called semi beds 🤷♂️ Not very comfortable but we'll see if it's sufficient to sleep 💤Читать далее
Bariloche
15 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
It wasn't exactly comfortable but we managed to get in a few hours of uneasy sleep. For much of the time the street conditions were pretty bad and the drive was very bumpy. And when we woke up it was just a few hours until we get to Bariloche where we're going to stay for the next few days (how long exactly is yet to decide). About four hours before arrival the landscape changed to a mountains with low grass and only scattered trees. The scenic seats in the front of the upper level were empty so we enjoyed the scenery from there but we were glad when the town of Bariloche came into sight after 21 hours of bus ride. We arrived an hour later but still had half the day left to plan and explore.
First up we needed to check for buses to continue our travels further South. We had checked that before online but it turned out there's only one company going once each day. There were only three sleeping seats left for Saturday but we didn't have enough cash left and paying by card would cost us double the price. Therefore we took a taxi to town and our hostel, then Julia went to the nearby Western Union where you can send yourself cash and has a good exchange rate. Meanwhile I checked us in, paid the first night, extended for two more days and dropped the luggage off in the room. I joined Julia in line (about 25 persons were waiting earlier) who was almost in front then. She mentioned that a smaller exchange amount is better in case they run out of money you'd still get it. As my card limit had been reset today I could also make a quick transaction with half the amount. When it was our turn we were able to get both, so we'll be safe for the next week or so. Next up we took a taxi back to the bus terminal and were lucky to get the last two beds 🤩 Especially because that'll be a 27 hour bus 😁
Relieved that everything worked out so fine, we relaxed with a sandwich in the sun in front of beautiful train station next to the bus terminal. To stretch our legs we decided to walk back the 5km into town. Especially around the center the Malecón is very well made to enjoy the scenic views over the lake and the impressive mountain ranges. The town center is a big plaza with massive rock and wood combination buildings. The general view has a lot of resemblance with the small town in the European Alps. We continued through the main street, went window shopping and booked a tour for tomorrow. We had some small bread and cheese balls as a quick snack because the restaurant we're planning to go (a recommendation from the tour agency) opens at 20:00.
We refreshed in the hostel, put on more layers (It's a little cold, especially with the wind) and dropped off our laundry. Shortly before 20:00 we arrived at the restaurant and were surprised by a loooong queue of at least 60 persons 😱 We overheard people talking that they start waiting there already at 7 and sometimes you won't even get in... We had nothing really to do at the moment and if that many people are waiting, it seems to be worth it. So after about 45 minutes we made it to the front and left our names there. We were told that it'll be around 1.5 hours until we could get in, so we walked to a nearby supermarket to get some supplies for the tour.
After about 2.5 hours we finally got a spot in the busy, crowded restaurant. The menu offers just a few options: Empanadas, grilled cheese, meat, mashed potatoes, french fries and salads. But each piece was super delicious! Especially the steak was probably the best I've ever had 🤤 The desserts were okay but fell behind the main courses. By 11:30 we walked back to the hostel at almost minus degrees with the wind chill. Tired from the lack of sleep in the bus and the busy day we fell asleep exhausted 💤Читать далее
San Martin de los Andes
16 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
After a few hours of good, deep sleep we got up and ready for today's tour to San Martin de los Andes. And on the way to there we make stops at seven lakes along the famous route 40. First up we drove along the lake Nahuel Huapi for 1.5 hours until the scenic little town Villa La Angostura which gave us Banff vibes. Due to the small but expensive little shops and wooden structures along the main street. We had a little rest stop for half an hour there but an older couple decided to take its time so we waited for almost half an hour for them 🙄
There started the "Camino De Los Siete Lagos" with the first one Lago Espejo (Mirror lake) which didn't have any reflection 😒 But it was still a very pretty sight, especially the water color! The next one is Lago Correntoso, where we had just a short photo stop. The third lake, Lago Escondido, is the smallest of the seven lakes and is completely surrounded by trees and we didn't make a stop. Next up the fourth lake, Lago Villarino was skipped as well. So we got off the minibus at the 5th lake, Lago Falkner, with a nice little pebbly beach. The 6th lake, Lago Machónico was also skipped because we're going to stop there on the way back. The 7th lake and destination of today's tour is located next to the town of San Martin de los Andes. Lago Lacar is the biggest of the lakes and offers a lot of activities, especially for adventure seekers. We got off the bus and had two hours to explore the town and its surroundings.
First we went to the beach and walked along the shore until the end. There we expected a walkway leading up to a viewpoint but it was a dead end. Instead of searching further we decided to walk through the scenic little town center with nice parks and interesting architecture. The time flew while doing so and soon afterwards we needed to get back on the bus. The drive back was pretty uneventful for most of the time and we both got some good naps 😴 We made a 30 minute stop again in Villa La Angostura and had a delicious ice cream 🍦
When arriving back in Bariloche, Julia went to El Boliche De Alberto Pasta to queue an hour before opening time for dinner. Meanwhile I went back to the hostel to pick up the laundry. This worked out perfectly fine and I came back a few minutes before opening time while Julia had the first spot. They have a similar concept just instead of meat they offer pastas. Having learned from yesterday we queued early and ordered fast. I've had the house speciality lasagna and Julia the Gnocchi with a tomato sauce. It was tasty and fresh but not as spectacular as yesterday. But at least our choice of wine was better 😁 We shared a dessert but after having tried three, we have to say that it's not their speciality...
On the way back to the hostel we stopped at a supermarket for some snacks for tomorrow. We also decided to get some eggs and cheese that we can prepare for breakfast. Tomorrow we're planning to rent a bicycle to do the small circuit, a nearby ring road of at least 27km.Читать далее
Circuito Chico - Llao Llao
17 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
We had time this morning to get up because the bike rental opened at 10 and we wouldn't need the whole day anyways. So we took our sweet time to prepare a good breakfast 🍳 Then we made another Western Union transaction because Monday and Tuesday are holidays (Carneval) and we're not sure how much we're going to need for hotels and tours until Wednesday. There was a super long line which would've taken definitely 2 hours so we checked out another location just 3 blocks away... And there was no one!! 🤩 The only downside was that they only had 500 Argentinian pesos notes (1.28€) which means double the stacks 🙈 But we're not complaining, we can be glad to get that exchange rate 🤷♂️ It's just annoying that we're not able to use the credit card.
From there we took a public bus to Cerro Campanario, a recommendation by the receptionist of our hostel. He said it's either a half hour walk up or taking the cable chairs. When we arrived we quickly checked the price but there was also already quite a long queue. The walk was pretty nice with about 200 metres uphill and was rewarded with beautiful views all around: Over the lake Nahuel Huapi, back to Bariloche and the mountain ranges giving the backdrop 🤩
We got back down and it took us overall just an hour. From there it was just a short walk to the bike shop where we got our bikes within 15 minutes and were on our way.
We had been warned that the terrain is a little hilly and the first 8km there was basically not a lot to see. But it wasn't that exhausting and we soon reached a cute little chapel on a hill. Nearby is the harbor from where the ferry goes to an island in the center of the lake, Victoria and also to the town we had visited yesterday, Villa La Angostura. The area of the harbor is very pretty with viewpoints, picnic tables and beautiful views over the lake. A perfect spot for a little snack break 🥟🍪
Continuing further along the circuit we stopped at viewpoints, a nice little lake within the forest and a beach with a single hotel. From there it was a long uphill stretch that started to get exhausting but right afterwards was a reward waiting for us, the Patagonian brewery 🍺 They had their beer varieties and also some pub food. So we got a Hoppy Lager, a Red Ale, a lamb and a vegetable empanada. The whole area is amazing with spectacular views, little corners to sit, relax and enjoy your beer. It was a nice break from the cycling and beer is always a good idea to rehydrate.
The last stretch offered another panoramic viewpoint but soon after there wasn't anymore to see and we completed the ~28km cycling trip! It was tougher than expected, also because it was pretty well advertised but there were no bicycle paths. The views make up for it but if someone had to choose, I would recommend taking a tour or the public bus. When taking the bus back into town we both fell asleep immediately 😁😴
After a shower and a little relaxation I made my way to the city center to in the queue once again for El Boliche de Alberto for our last night here in Bariloche. It was the third location we visited but the same concept as the first one, so a meat based menu. And we've learned from the last time and ordered just a salad to the steak and mashed potatoes. And also no dessert 😁 In the evening we started packing our luggage for the next leg of our journey.Читать далее
Путешественник
Ist wahrscheinlich wie das Schwabenland, da will jede Region dabei sein 😜
Bariloche ⏩ El Calafate
18 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина
The night had been a little uneasy with pretty loud live music until 2am but we had been super exhausted from the bicycle ride so we slept pretty well anyways. We finished packing, prepared a breakfast and then made plans for El Calafate.
We've been checking for hostels already for two days but there were limited options and today there was none in Booking.com 🙈 Also we wanted to do a tour called "Minitrekking" on the Glacier Perito Moreno. This is the most popular option and when we investigated yesterday night at a few tour operators there were no open spots. We had booked one online but this turned out to be just an inquiry and therefore it was cancelled. I looked up the tour agencies in El Calafate and send inquiries around 15 companies which either returned that it's full or didn't answer at all. We already had our bus ticket so we went to the bus station to check for an accomodation when we arrive in El Calafate. At the bus terminal we had time so Julia asked out bus agency about a flyer that they have a 3 star hotel in El Calafate. 20 minutes later they said that we can have a spot for a decent price 😌 At least we knew that we would have a place to sleep tomorrow night ☺️
Then we boarded the bus for the 27 hour journey South through the Patagonian landscape. Even though the advertised beds weren't completely flat they were still pretty good and comfortable. In the beginning I tried to chat with more tour companies but eventually just accepted that there is no space in the tour. We had a nice little lunch on the bus with salty crackers, olives and cheese. For dinner the bus stopped at a gas station where we thought we were clever to buy an instant soup but it tasted pretty awful 🙈😅
Around midnight we arrived in the town of Perito Moreno (not to be confused with the glacier) for pickup and dropoff. Directly afterwards we got into a police control where they sent a dog (probably drugs?) on the bus and afterwards everyone needed to get off with their luggage. So we stood there for about 15 minutes in the cold at 1 AM while they walked their dog alongside the luggage 😒 Afterwards we could continue our trip...Читать далее
El Calafate
19 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ 🌬 12 °C
After the interruption at night we continued our way quite peacefully and we both slept well until around 9 in the morning. The only issue we had with our seats was that there was a fan right behind us 😅 But we got used to it, almost like white noise. The landscape had changed a bit and got more scarce. Our breakfast was a continuation of yesterday's lunch which tasted pretty amazing ☺️ Around midday we arrived in El Chalten, a small town surrounded by impressive mountain ranges and the "Trekking capital of Argentina". We've had it already on our schedule but didn't know our bus stopped there 😬
So we continued on to El Calafate at last! Situated nicely next to the Lago Argentino with small houses and just a few paved streets, it's mainly used as a hub to the nearby attractions. First we walked a few minutes to the hotel and were surprised by a old but chic hotel with all amenities and even a bathtub. But we just had a quick stop because we needed to check for tours in town!! The receptionist had recommended to go to Hielo y Aventura because they're the only tour operators at the Perito Moreno glacier but that you should book a month in advance for busy days 🙈 When we got there it was the same as before: Currently no space in the Minitrekking 🥲
But he said he'll explain us the options and check for cancellations meanwhile... During this Julia overheard someone else in the agency cancelling and told Gonzalo right away. He went to the booth and gave us a little thumbs up on the way but said it'll take a few minutes. And really, we got a spot!!! 🥰 We're soooo lucky 🙈😂 And we could even pay with our unwanted US dollar bills!!
Filled with euphoria we walked through the pretty main street for a little bit of window shopping and sightseeing. At a little corner souvenir shop we found a great quality Argentina flag patch. Afterwards we walked back in direction of the hotel to a restaurant that the guy at the tour agency had recommended, La Parrilla de Don Pichón. It is located on a little hill and offers amazing views over the Lago Argentino and the mountain ranges in the background. Especially the cloud formations were spectacular! As a starter I had a Guanaco (like llamas or vicuñas) empanada which had a different, intense flavor. For the main course I tried a local speciality, grilled lamb in a Calafate reduction (a fruity sauce) with sauteed vegetables. It was pretty good, especially the ribs. It just starts getting dark at around 09:15pm which is nice because we can do more in daylight.
When we arrived back at the hotel it was already 10pm, so we postponed our shopping plans to tomorrow and went to bed 😴 Tomorrow we're going to get picked up at 10am for the trekking tour 🤩Читать далее
P.N. Los Glaciares: Perito Moreno
20 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We set our alarm to prepare our gear for the trekking tour and to buy some snacks for the afternoon. We took gloves and warm hats to be prepared. Also we put on the sunscreen now because the sun hits different if it's reflected from the ice. For lunch we went to a nearby gas station that offered sandwiches, which turned out pretty expensive but super big 🤩 We managed to do that on time so we still had plenty of time to enjoy the big breakfast buffet. There was also enough time to ask the receptionist about tickets to go to El Chalten the next day. She said that it's not a problem and she'll take care of it by the time we return from the tour. And the bus came to pick us up by 10am sharp. So everything went pretty smooth ☺️
We were transferred from the minibus to a big bus in a group of around 30 people. On the minibus we got into a conversation with a man about insects, how he got attacked by swarm of bees in Tunesia and that there are small insects in the glaciers 😁 Very random and very entertaining! Also our tour guide was very entertaining with bad puns and just a natural charm. She just kept on bubbling over the speaker whatever came to her mind 😅 Our first stop was after about an hour at the entrance of the National Park Los Glaciares where we paid the fee and shortly after we got the first sight of the magnificent glacier Perito Moreno at a viewpoint. It was a stunning sight of intense shining blue in contrast to the white top layers.
We only had 5 minutes then we continued on to our first proper stop, the walkways "Las pasarelas". They are a network of 4 boardwalks on the opposite side of the glacier leading to different views 🏔️ We were quickly on our way to the coastal walkway which offered views on the North face of the Perito Moreno glacier. We were lucky as the clouds opened every once in a while and let the sun through to illuminate the ice walls. The broken pieces swimming in the water had all kinds of blue shades 💙 It was an amazing experience and we spent almost an hour just sitting there, eating our lunch and watching the glacier. Every now and then you could hear it cracking and sometimes some parts fell into the water.
We got picked up by the bus again and brought to the docks where we boarded a boat that brought us pretty close by to the walls of the glacier. At the point where we passed it was around 50 metres high and massive! Deep in the crevices the intense blue color was shining bright... The boat docked at a beach near the glacier and we got off board. We made a short stop at a hut to drop off unnecessary packs and then continued on to get the crampons. Fully equipped we walked on the glacier with the crampons crunching the ice under us and the omnipresent blue whites 🥰 It was surreal and absolutely beautiful how the ice colours changed constantly. We walked for about an hour with many stops for taking pictures and drinking glacier water straight from the source 💧 Shortly before leaving the ice field there was a little ice bar with Whiskey on the rocks, chocolate and ice cold glacier water. A perfect finish to the glacier walk!
After leaving behind the gear we walked back to the beach and had some nice, hot coffee. Half an hour later we were rushed to the boat, when Julia asked why they're hurrying the sailor said that the ice is coming. We joked about it but as we were on the water I saw the ice pieces closing in on the beach and the boat drove slowly close to the shore... Still we hit some ice pieces that scratched loudly at the hull 😱 Quite the scary sound but we made it through safely and back to the other side 😌
On the way back to town we slept a bit and got dropped off at our hotel at 8 where we got the bus tickets for the next day. Then we grabbed our luggage and walked for 1.5 kilometers to the hostel where we're staying tonight. There was an issue with the payment and we got it deducted from the credit card which means that it costs double for us. We tried to explain that it's possible to pay in cash but she said she didn't know and needed to talk to the manager 🙄 But we were hungry and didn't want to bother with it right now, so we dropped our luggage in the room and went to town for dinner. Yesterday we had seen a burger place with Guacamole and Diablo burger so we checked that out 🍔 Afterwards we went to the main square because it's the last day of the 10 days lasting lake festival with live music at night. Tonight a Mexican band named "Los Angeles Azules" are playing. They're quite famous in Mexico and Julia knows a few songs. We were there for about 1.5 hours and danced a bit but we were also very tired from the long day and came back around 1 at the hostel.Читать далее
El Chaltén
21 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
We got up at 6 to finish packing and have a quick breakfast at the hostel. I went to the reception again and got a little bit further with the refund on the credit card. Then we walked 20 minutes to the bus terminal to catch the bus at 08:00 to El Chaltén. The drive went by pretty quick, we even made a stop on the way at a former station and now hotel. It's a popular spot along the famous Argentinian Route 40 that goes through the whole country. 3 hours later we arrived at El Chaltén, a small village consisting mainly of hostels, restaurants and bars.
The first thing you see when arriving is a large wooden sign welcoming you to El Chaltén, the "National Trekking Capital" 🥾🎒 And after a few minutes there we felt like being in a trail town of the Appalachian Trail... Everyone completely geared up with poles, people laying around on small patches of green, massive portions in the stores and smelly hiking boots 😅 It was fun and weird because just everyone is a hiker. Our first stop was the hostel we had booked a night at the other side of town. We were too early for checking in but they said we can store our luggage and use all the facilities. We discussed the options for hiking today because it was rainy with strong winds. The receptionist gave us recommendations for hikes, one a waterfall (Chorillo del Salto) and the other a laguna. We decided for the waterfall because we're going to see the laguna tomorrow on the way to one of the highlight hikes in town. As tomorrow's hike will take around 8 hours we decided to stay for another night but this hostel was fully booked. Luckily the one across the street had some free spots ☺️ So we booked it and then hiked to the waterfall...
The rain and wind got stronger on the way there and it was super uncomfortable and cold. Also I led us on a little an unwanted detour 😬 But after more than an hour getting soaked and frozen the rain ceased and when we arrived at the waterfall there were small sunrays breaking through the clouds. The waterfall was really nice with a free fall and then cascading down into the pool. On the way back the combination of sun and winds almost completely dried us by the time we arrived back at the hostel. We checked in, moved out luggage and then had a late lunch at the restaurant. We couldn't finish the huge portions, so we stored them in the fridge for tomorrow.
As the sky had cleared we decided to go have a walk to the other side of town where there are two viewpoints located. Even though it was uphill it was an easy walk and the views were great from both. Only the cold wind made it a little uncomfortable sometimes. We enjoyed the scenery and on the way back we came by a camper parking lot. There I spotted a vehicle that looked familiar, it was the remodeled ambulance with Swiss license plate that had been in the harbor in Hamburg with us. Funny coincidence and somehow a full circle 😁 At the hostel we had a shower and chatted a bit with our roommates from the US about hiking and the AT. As we wanted to grab the leftovers from lunch they were gone 🥲😡 Someone had stolen our precious Pizza... Lesson learned, next time we're going to take it to our room. We got some sandwiches then for tomorrow's hike and ordered Loaded Fries for dinner ☺️Читать далее
Laguna De Los Tres
22 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C
When we woke up at 06:30 it was extremely windy and we considered going on the hike later. But upon checking the weather sites, the wind is supposed to intensify later and also that it could rain. Therefore we packed the luggage and moved it to the other hostel (if food gets stolen, it's likely that the luggage isn't safe as well 🙄).
Then we started the ascend of 400 metres over 2.5 km. The day was beautiful with clear skies, just around the peaks that are today's highlight were a bit of cloud cover. After 3 km we came by Lake Capri that offered a first closer look up and there was a beautiful rainbow in front 🌈 Then the hike was pretty flat for 6 km along rivers and through low vegetation. The last bit was the toughest with another 450m ascend on 1km 🧗♀️But we were prepared and it went pretty well... After 3.5 hours we were on top of the viewpoint overlooking the laguna and the famous three peaks in the background. More clouds had moved in and the biggest peak was almost invisible. But the view was still impressive. We had a nice lunch there but it was windy and the wind was blowing little ice particles in our face 🙈 While having lunch Julia spotted a fox a little distance away coming pretty close to the people which means that people have been probably feeding him.
Due to the weather we cut our break time short and walk back down. On the way there were A LOT of people hiking up and we were glad to be down when the weather worsened. We had decided to take a little detour to a viewpoint "Las Piedras Blancas" of which we weren't sure what it is 😁 It turned out to be overlooking a beautiful ice blue glacier tongue. We took a few pictures and then turned back and made our way down with a short stop at a little stream to refill our water. Just at this moment a wind gust threw off my cap 💨🧢 and right into the water where it started flowing down 😱🥲 But luckily after a few metres it got stuck in shallow water and I could ford and recover it 😌 The remainder of the hike was pleasantly uneventful and we arrived 7 hours after starting back down.
First we checked in to the hostel and then laid down for a much needed half hour nap 😴
Refreshed we needed to take care of our next most important basic need which was being hungry. We visited the restaurant of our hostel again to try other meals, the taste was unfortunately rather bland. Especially the interpretation of my Cordon Bleu was rather weird: chicken (not breaded) with a piece of bacon laying on top and swimming in a blue cheese sauce 😒 For dessert we went to a cafeteria which we had seen yesterday offering Super Hot Chocolate 🤩 Which was just hot chocolate with a foamy top. Julia had the Submarino, hot milk with a piece of chocolate to be directly melted in the cup. For a proper coffee time we ordered a lemon pie and a little cone with dulce de leche.
Back at the hostel we took a shower and then go to sleep 😴 In my shower there was no hot water running at all so I went back across the street to our previous hostel and had a shower there 🚿🔥Читать далее
El Chaltén ⏩ Puerto Natales
23 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Once again we needed to be at the bus terminal by 07:30 which meant getting up at 06:30 to pack and walk to the terminal. But we were in for a goodbye treat: The morning sky was beautifully illuminated in red and pink 🌄 Also the weather was really nice without any wind and the views to the surrounding mountain peaks were perfectly clear 🥰 At the bus station we got a coffee and empanadas and soon afterwards boarded the bus to El Calafate. With a short change at El Calafate we continued on to the border crossing to Chile.
The drive was pretty uneventful, there were no landscape features, just Steppe plains with yellow, low grass and an occasional Guanaco 🦙. We sorted out our pictures from the Perito Moreno glacier and watched series and time passed pretty quickly. Then came the border crossings... Getting out of Argentina took us a bit more than an hour, weirdly enough checking our passports took a minute. So we have no idea what was the holdup but then the bus driver walked in and said that someone didn't do the passport check 🙄 On closer inspection the one missing was a 1 year old baby that's wasn't even on board... So we continued on to the Chilean border expecting it to be pretty strict from the last experiences. But it was in fact super quick and we didn't even need to get all the luggage off the bus.
When we arrived at Puerto Natales we had already made a plan what we needed to do:
The first item: "Book a bus to Torres del Paine National Park" was easy and done within 5 minutes for the day after tomorrow. Then we checked for tours but the only company offering tours was too expensive. At last we needed to walk to the hostel which is located about 20 minutes away. There we checked in to the beautiful, clean and welcoming hostel and tried to book a tour through the owner... Still no luck 😒 So our last resort was to find a tour operator in town but it was already 20:30 and the two ones we found open said that all spots are full. And one mentioned that the weather is supposed to be pretty bad in two days and that we should consider going to hike tomorrow 🥲
So we hurried back to the bus terminal to reschedule our bus ticket which luckily went well. On the way back to the hostel we stopped at a pizzeria for a late dinner. The pizza was really good and enough to take the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch 🤩 Back at the hostel we just took a quick shower and then went to sleep because our alarm will go off at 05:30 😴Читать далее
Torres del Paine: Base de Torres
24 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Barely awake we packed our day pack and went to the breakfast area where a little selection of items waited for us. We ate quickly, stored our luggage and walked to the bus terminal to catch our bus at 06:30. On the bus we tried to sleep a bit and partly succeeded 😴 On the way we saw several beautiful rainbows over the barren landscape of Patagonia's plains. We got dropped off at the entrance station where our tickets were scanned and then we continued with another shuttle bus for about 20 minutes.
Shortly before 09:30 we started our hike which is about 22km and is estimated to take 7-8 hours. There are several bus companies dropping off hikers from Puerto Natales, so the first 1.5 hours it was super crowded on the trail. The weather was fine even though a little windy and cold but the first ascend warmed us up sufficiently. Afterwards it started to rain slightly and the trail led down a slope to a mountain hut. It got pretty cold 🥶 but most of the people stayed there so we saw our chance to get out of the crowd. For the next few kilometers we walked along the river with lots of shorts ups and downs. Pretty wet we started the last ascend up to Base de Torres.
There were signs all along the trail noting the time when the next section is closed for the day. So for the last 1.5 km the estimated time was a minimum of 1 hours and around 450 meters of ascend. It was a bit of rock scrambling but not too tough and within less than an hour we were at the top and the laguna. There were some views with occasional sunrays breaking through the clouds in the beginning but then it got quickly worse: From rain to hail to a little snowstorm 🌨️🙈 All while enjoying the leftover pizza 🍕 from yesterday. It got very cold while sitting there and we decided to move back down... After 10 minutes the rain stopped and almost immediately the clouds moved, the sun came out and offered views to the magnificent Torres del Paine. Even though we didn't see them from the laguna, we were still super happy. We were lucky to get at least a glimpse because afterwards the weather got significantly worse.
On the way down there were still a lot of hikers coming up and it was tough to climb down with the crowds of people on the trail. For the amount of people that walk the trail it's in surprisingly perfect shape! It was pretty much raining all the way back and we got pretty soaked. After 7 hours we arrived back at the base station where we got a hot tea and a Torres del Paine Beer 🍻
Then we took the shuttle to the entrance of the park but we had 4 hours left until our bus would bring us back to Puerto Natales. After seeing another hiker at the side of the road we also decided to try to hitchhike. There weren't a lot of private cars around but after half an hour a van stopped and took us ☺️ They were two Chilean friends around our age from Santiago and on vacation with their families. But the children are too young for the hike so they did it without them. They were super nice and fun and the two hour drive went by pretty quick. The highlight of the trip was definitely the cute little armadillo crossing the street 🤩
They dropped us off at our hostel and we grabbed our luggage to walk to the other hostel because they were fully booked for the night. Besides that our day tour to see the highlights of the National Park Torres del Paine was confirmed for tomorrow.
For the evening we visited a restaurant with local food options. We were pretty exhausted from the long day, so we just made a quick stop at the supermarket for shopping some lunch and then fell asleep 😴Читать далее
Torres del Paine: Salto Grande
25 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
Today we could get up an hour later because we were supposed to get picked up by the tour company between 07:00 and 07:45. Breakfast time in the hostel is starting at 7, so we quickly prepared and ate a bit. And right on time when we were done the mini bus arrived. After everyone was gathered the bus was pretty cramped and we made once again our way to the Torres del Paine National Park entrance. During the drive our guide, Javiera, told us about the landscape features, flora and fauna. Our first stop was just before the park at some cascades. They looked pretty neat but unfortunately the weather wasn't that great (just as expected though), so we couldn't see the mountain backdrop.
We checked in at the park entrance and then made several stops at viewpoints where it was rainy and windy. So the stops were kept pretty short and once again we couldn't see the mountain ranges with the Torres del Paine. Then we've had a longer lunch stop at the Grey Lake fed by the Grey Glacier. We used the available time for a quick walk to the beach and a viewpoint overlooking the lake and all the way over to the glacier. The rain had stopped and the view got pretty clear all the way to Grey Glacier. We had calculated that we would make the loop trail on time to get back at the scheduled time. And we really made it one minute earlier 😌⏰
Then we were already on the way out of the park again but made two stops to take pictures of the - now - perfectly visible mountain peaks. The next and last stop was two hours away: The Milodon cave. This is a uniquely formed and well conserved structure where a German colonist found the skin of a giant sloth, the Milodon. Since the discovery in the 1800s the cave has been thoroughly searched for other artifacts. It was interesting and a good end for this day tour :)
When we arrived back at the hostel we extended for another night and then went to to the bus terminal to book the bus to Ushuhaia. Unfortunately it was already fully booked for the next three days 😒 And we didn't want to stay longer, so we'll be taking a bus where we need to change 🤷♂️ At least we'll be able to continue on ☺️ Then we walked to the city center for dinner, the Chilean classic dish and comfort food: Chorrillana.
Back at the hostel we planned the next days, booked flights and hotels. There's a little issue with the credit card and I couldn't pay online. I've had received an SMS that there have been irregularities and therefore the card will be exchanged 🙄 I've already contacted the bank to see what we can do about it but as it's the weekend, that'll take until Monday.Читать далее
Puerto Natales
26 февраля 2023 г., Чили ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Today we had planned something different: A day of relaxation ☺️ We slept in until 9 and then had a relaxed breakfast. Afterwards we stayed in the room for another nap and by midday decided to explore the town of Puerto Natales. There's not a lot to see so we strolled all along the almost empty pier. At a scenic spot we wanted to take a picture and stumbled upon a sling bag with passport, money and cards 😱
The nearby restaurant and cafe were closed and at the parked cars were no people around. So we checked the passport and it belongs to a french woman around our age. We tried to find her on Facebook and Instagram and wrote messages. Just when we thought it's probably best to bring it to the police and woman walked quickly in our direction. From the picture we recognized her immediately and waved the bag 😁 She was super relieved because she needs to catch a flight in a little bit...
We continued our walk through the town and stopped at the main plaza for lunch. Then we bought a few things at the supermarket for later and returned back to the hostel. Overall we made a 8 km loop, so not completely a rest day ☺️ In the afternoon it started raining so we spent some time inside and had another nap 😴
For dinner we visited a pizza place 🍕 And of course it was too much of a portion so we had already our lunch for tomorrow's bus ride 😁Читать далее
Rio Gallegos
27 февраля 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ 🌬 18 °C
After a little breakfast we were finally back on the bus continuing our way South. Well kind of South, because our next stop Rio Gallegos is mainly just East of Puerto Natales but that's where we need to be to go South 😁 The bus was just half full so the border crossing out of Chile and back into Argentina went really quick.
So we arrived half an hour before the estimated time in the town of La Esperanza. Not exactly a town, just a gas station, hotel and a few huts. There we waited for more than an hour in the nice, warm sun for the bus that is bringing us to Rio Gallegos. Also a perfect spot to enjoy the leftover pizza 🍕 I was able to get in touch with my bank regarding the credit card issue and they are working on a solution. At the scheduled time a bus came with destination Rio Gallegos but it was apparently the wrong one and that ours is coming a little bit later 🤨 We were a little concerned that there wouldn't be another one coming but it really did 😁
A quick two hour drive later we were in Rio Gallegos and walked a kilometer to our hostel where we got a tiny but cheap and comfortable room for the night. We decided to go for a walk to the city center and the main plaza. The plaza was really well made with comfortable benches and large green areas. Besides that the city was rather rundown with messy streets and ruined buildings. The waterfront to the river was better in shape and had some upscale houses. Also the walkway there was nice and offered views to the river and some flamingos in the laguna 🦩
On the way back to the hostel we stopped by a supermarket and decided to buy food to cook later. We also had a nice bottle of wine that we had brought from Chile, the Concha y Toro Shiraz 🥰🍷We had decided for fresh made gnocchi with a nice tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Honestly one of the best pastas we've had since we're traveling ☺️ And it was especially great with the wine. Happy about that great meal we went to our room and soon afterwards to sleep.Читать далее
Strait of Magellan
28 февраля 2023 г., Чили
New day, new bus, new destination, same time 🙂 At 8 we were at the bus terminal to catch the bus South to Ushuhaia. When we boarded the bus I got a call from my bank how we're going to proceed about the credit card and it looks like everything is resolved. Also I got the notification that I can pick up the cash from Western Union 💸
Relieved that this is resolved the bus made its way to the first (of 4) border crossings, the exit from Argentina. This went quick and efficient, same as the entry to Chile. Half an hour later we arrived at Punta Delgada and already saw lines of trucks and cars waiting. Soon afterwards we knew why: The crossing of the Magellan Strait was closed because of stormy winds so the ferry can't cross until 5 - 6pm. So we've had to kill time for the next 6 hours at least ⏰😴
First up we went off the bus and checked the area, there was a pretty cool sign post with different cities and a sun clock. Nearby is a lighthouse which is now a museum (unfortunately closed) with the inscription "Boca Oriental" meaning that here is the Eastern opening of the Magellan Strait. After half an hour we had seen literally everything and also the wind blew dirt in our eyes. So it wasn't that comfortable walking around 😁 Afterwards we had the lunch that we carried with us consisting of 3/4 of a baguette, slightly melted and sticky mozzarella cheese and a super fluid pasta sauce. Sounds worse than it tasted though 🙂 Still more than 4 hours left, so it was good that I had to catch up on writing in Find Penguins, reviewing photos for the Torres del Paine post and playing games on the phone. Julia watched series, read and watched series. Occasionally we went to have a walk but it was just too windy to be comfortable.
At 6pm it was still nothing happening and the bus driver said it can be that the bus won't be driving today. So we went in line for the restaurant/shop to get some more snacks because we only had salted peanuts 🥜 left 🙈 We stood for about two hours in the queue without making a lot of progress and they didn't make anymore sandwiches. In the queue we talked to two women from another bus that live in the province and they said it's pretty normal to wait but the ferries usually go in the evening. And in fact, at 9:30pm the first ferry came and took a load of cars to test the crossing. Apparently it went well and we were on the next trip and crossed the famous Magellan Strait. It took just about 20 minutes and with 12 hours delay we continued on to cross the border once again 🇨🇱 We had been told that the border closes at 12, so we had already expected to stay there for the night. To our pleasant surprise they had kept it open 🥳 And once again the Chilean border was well prepared: Everyone needed to hand their passport and immigration form in, they processed it and half an hour later we drove on while the passports were given back. Very efficient!
Next up the Argentinian border crossing, where nothing happened for the first 30 minutes. So we feared that they had already closed the border... Buuut then we were called to the border control, stamped and off to Ushuhaia 😌 Finally a little bit time to sleep 💤Читать далее
Laguna Emeralda
1 марта 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
At 05:30 we arrived at the main bus terminal in Ushuaia. We weren't sure if we still had our hotel reservation because the credit card had declined 😅 But we still tried and the very confused and unwilling receptionist accepted our money so that we could get three hours of sleep 🥲 It could've been a little bit more but we didn't want to miss out on the breakfast 😁
Then we checked out and walked to the new hotel where we're going to stay for the next three nights. At least when we arrived we could already go directly to our room and drop off the luggage. Because next up we needed to get the Argentinian pesos from Western Union. There wasn't a long queue but we saw a sign that they accept rapidpay, a system to pay invoices in cash. We had seen that for a connection flight we needed and booked the flight while waiting and directly paid it after getting the money. Very efficient planning 😅 Also we're set again for the next time... Then we returned back to the hotel to refreshen up and unpack our backpacks.
Next up we went to the tourist information to see what we're going to do today and tomorrow. They helped with some information and we booked the "End of the World" train for tomorrow. At the bus stop we asked for transportation to the Laguna Emeralda and they had a departure at 2pm, so just half an hour later. We grabbed a quick lunch at the gas station next door and then departed to the trailhead of the laguna about 18km away. The height profile looked pretty easy but it was estimated a 4 hour roundtrip for the 9 km. The biggest issue was that the trail consisted of mud for most of the way and we had the 4 seasons changing, from nice, warm sunshine over cloud cover to hail and rain 😵💫 But luckily by the time we reached the laguna it was sunny and we had some snacks enjoying the scenery. When we came back to the trailhead we still had more than 2 hours left before the bus would've picked us up. So we decided to split the taxi fare into town with another one waiting there...
Back at the hotel we settled in and relaxed. Julia caught up on some missed sleep in the evening while I went out and explored a bit the town center (basically just one street 😁). At the supermarket I got some snacks for tomorrow's tour and I returned soon afterwards to also catch up on sleep 😴Читать далее
Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
2 марта 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
We got up at 07:30 for a nice breakfast and then to the bus terminal to catch the bus to the train station. From there the popular "End of the World" train departs for its 7 km journey into the Tierra del Fuego Nacional Park. The train station is beautifully and charming prepared with steel and wood combination. At the roof there are flags from countries all over the world.
The train was first used for transporting the wood that the prisoners (Ushuaia was founded as a high security prison) logged. After about a century where the train was abandoned it was renovated as a tourist attraction. It's pretty expensive for the short distance it rides but it still takes more than hour 😅 In our cabin was an older man from Australia who organizes tours and is expanding his offers to the Antarctica.
After we got off the train we immediately began our walk/hike into the National Park. The first 9 km led us around the Bahía Lapataia along the shore with beautiful views over the bay. It was quite cold though due to a chilly wind. Afterwards we switched on the road to cross the bay and the last bit was on a little trail again. At the end we arrived at the end of the road which was also the end of our hike further South ☺️ It continued just on a short little boardwalk loop trail. There we had our lunch with pretty views and even a bit of sunshine. Reviewing our time we were a little late to make it back on time for the last train so we asked a taxi which was pretty expensive. Therefore we decided to try to hitchhike and actually the first car stopped and took us about halfway through the park 🤩 This was sufficient to make it back to the train station for the last train at 4 pm. We even had some time left which we spend snacking ☺️ The return was a lot quicker and we arrived back at the train station for a nice cup of hot coffee. Our bus was supposed to depart at 5:30 but didn't arrive so we texted them and they replied they the van had more people than expected 😭 So we send them a WhatsApp and half an hour later were finally back in town.
We have been feeling a little unwell the whole day and it seems like we're getting a cold. Hopefully it'll get better soon or not break out completely at all. After consulting our receptionist we went to some shops to check for missing winter gear and found two yellow boat parkas.
For dinner we went to restaurant that a woman had recommended we were waiting with at the crossing of the Magellan Strait. In particular she had recommended the lamb ravioli. Back at the hotel we went to sleep early to get some rest.Читать далее
Ushuaia
3 марта 2023 г., Аргентина ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
We were feeling worse than yesterday with sore throat, cough and general weakness 😭 But we had quite a lot to do, so no time to get rest. First up we checked out second hand shops for the remaining missing gear. As it turned out, the shops didn't exist 🙄 Meanwhile we had written several people on Facebook Marketplace for it and one had answered that she has a ski pants available. So we picked it up near the naval base ☺️ Then we got waterproof gloves at one of the shops and we were set.
After finishing these things we had time to walk the town and do some sightseeing. This took the whole afternoon and we stopped at the hotel for a quick hot tea and to rest a bit afterwards. For dinner we decided to go to a pizza/burger place and a artesanal chocolate manufacturer for dessert. The hot chocolate and truffle chocolate cake worked wonders for our throats! Tomorrow morning we're going to pack up the luggage and then check out. In the evening I felt a little better while Julia's cold got worse. The next few days we'll hopefully have a little time to get back to 100%Читать далее