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Argentina and Italy 2023/2024Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
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Argentina and Italy 2023/2024

December 2023 - April 2024
This year we're doing a rare follow-up visit to a place we visited less than a year ago. Argentina dug her way into our hearts in 2022 and we felt like we needed to do a deep dive into her capital city, Buenos Aires. Read more
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  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 38–41

    Iguazu Falls

    January 13 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    My beautiful wife's birthday present to me this year was an excursion to visit a Unesco World Heritage site, the Iguazu Falls.

    THE WHAT?!?

    Most of us in North America know, or have visited, Niagara Falls, and have likely heard of Victoria Falls. But Iguazu, Nah.

    The Falls are located at the borders of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, and form the border of Argentina and Brazil.

    The Iguazú Falls are a set of 275 waterfalls that reach up to 80 meters in height, and are declared one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

    While Niagara is surrounded by tacky neon signs, Iguazu is seated in the midst of a lush tropical rain forest, forty minutes from the nearest town. Niagara consists of three Falls, The Horseshoe, The American, and the Bridal Veil, all easily accessible on foot. The hundreds of falls in Iguazu are spread out over 3.5 km of the Iguazu River. There are 8 km of trails in Argentina available to explore the site and another 1.5 km in Brazil.

    The tallest waterfall at Iguazu Falls is called ‘Devil’s Throat’ and it has a drop of 82 meters. On the other hand, Niagara Falls,  has a maximum drop of 51 meters. 

    Apparently, when Eleanor Roosevelt visited Iguazu, she said, "Poor Niagara".

    Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the Devil's Throat trail was closed, but what we got to see was nonetheless breathtaking. The pictures and video posted here really don't show the magnificence, nor the magnitude of this wonder of nature. Despite temperatures in the low thirties, we hardly noticed the heat thanks to the shade provided by the rain forest canopy and the awesome vistas at every turn.

    The Argentine government has done a remarkable job by installing easily walkable pathways in very remote areas, even over water.

    And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the throngs of coati that were hanging around food stalls and food courts. One of them was sniffing around Brenda's backpack, hoping she'd hand it one of the apples it contained. They're very cute, but there are many signs posted reminding us that they are not pets and warning of their bites.

    We've read that one goes to the Argentine side of the Falls for the close-up experience and to the Brazilian side for the views. I can't imagine them being more beautiful, but we'll find out for ourselves when we visit Brazil tomorrow!    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    11
    Day 40

    As Cataratas do Iguaçu

    January 15 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Puerto Iguazu, the town we're based in for our visit to the Falls, has very little to offer other than a lot of tourist shops, a slot machine casino, and parrilla restaurants. We struggled to find vegetarian food on menus, forget about vegan. On Saturday, we were kind of regretting having booked a three night stay here.

    Sunday's spectacular trip to explore the Argentine side of the Falls did a lot to ease the pain and reinforced our desire to visit their Brazilian side.

    Sunday night, we set our alarms early and caught the 7:30 bus, hoping to beat the crowds on this Monday morning. The forecast was calling for light rain all morning, but we found blue skies above when we arrived at the Falls' Brazilian visitor center. From there, we rode an open topped bus deep into the rain forest and then walked along a concrete path, taking us deeper still.

    Through the forest canopy, we began catching glimpses of the spectacle to come, eventually arriving at a platform that gave us an unrestricted view.

    Wow!

    Yesterday, from up close, we thought the Falls were impressive, but viewed from the Brazilian side, one sees just how vast the entire waterfall system really is. On top of that, with the early morning sun shining down, the mist created by the cascading water supplied us with rainbow after rainbow.

    At one point, the path extends out over the water and offers an unrestricted view of the millions of gallons of water pouring down from above and rushing under your feet. Enjoying this view, however, comes with a price: no one escapes without a good soaking by the mist.

    There truly are no words to describe this Wonder of the World, and sadly, the pictures CANNOT do it justice, but the memories will remain.

    So, in the end, we're glad we spent the extra day to look at Falls from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow.....d'oh!

    Sorry Joni.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 49

    El Gordo Vegano

    January 24 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Both of us have been dragging our butts for the last ten days or so because of one of those nasty summer colds.

    Feeling a little more human today, we ventured to Belgrano, a new part of town for us, to try out another highly rated vegan restaurant, El Gordo Vegano (The Fat Vegan). Not a Michelin Guide restaurant, but a cozy little place that serves us really good vegan versions of comfort food.

    Brenda had their spinach and mushroom omelet, and I had an enormous "Churrasquito" sandwich, a grilled slab of grilled seitan smothered in chimichurri, grilled peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, ranch dressing and crispy potato matchsticks. As if that wasn't enough, it came with a side of slaw and a heap of roast potatoes.

    At the end of the meal, our server tried to convince us to try one of their small croissants for dessert, but we cried uncle. We did, however, opt to bring two "little" croissants home to have with dinner. When the waiter handed me the bag they were in, I almost dropped it because they were so unexpectedly heavy. Each croissant filled a bread plate, was filled with pastry cream, and was topped with vanilla icing and diced almonds. There was no dinner tonight, only the croissant and a cup of tea.

     The Fat Vegan indeed!    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 59

    Find Penguins

    February 3 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    I've never been able to figure out why this app is called "Find Penguins," but, with good reason, I'm borrowing the name as the title to this post.

    I guess it takes a special kind of stupid to travel over 11,000 kilometers to escape our Canadian winter only to hop on a ship en route to the Antarctic, but that's exactly what we've done.

    Ok, it's not going to be anything like Shackleton's expeditions, but over fourteen days we will be stopping in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and cruising around Cape Horn, before heading back North for stops in the Falklands and Montevideo.

    We're not sure if we'll see any penguins way down at the end of the world, but we're pretty sure to spot some icebergs and maybe some whales.

    As for finding penguins, the Falklands are home to more penguins than people, so we're pretty certain we'll find some there. 🐧 🐧 🐧    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 63

    It's The End Of The World!!!

    February 7 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    After four days at sea, we awoke this morning to our first glimpse of the rugged and craggy but very beautiful Marshall mountains of Patagonia. Now I understand the clothing line's logo

    The ship docked in Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the planet, whose motto is "the end of the world, the beginning of everything." Located right at the bottom of the continent, the city is renowned for the high winds that frequently buffet the city, today being no exception. Surprisingly, despite being so close to Antarctica, the lowest temperature on record is -21 °C! I've experienced much colder days in Montreal and Ottawa.

    Also surprisingly, this extremely remote city is home to over 82,000 people.

    After exploring the town a little, we went for a ride on the End of the World Train, a short sightseeing tour through the Tierra del Fuego National Park just outside the city. The railway was originally built to transport prisoners from Ushuaia to the Patagonian prison twenty-five kilometers away. When the prison was closed in 1947, the railway ceased operations and fell into disrepair before being resurrected as a tourist attraction in the 1990s.

    In the end, the ride was a little underwhelming, although the scenery was quite beautiful.

    Sadly, the only penguins we found today were in shop windows.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 64

    The REAL End Of The World

    February 8, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    Before going to bed last night, we were informed that the ship would be arriving at Cape Horn at 6:00am.

    Brenda and I are almost always conscious by that time of day, but just to be certain to see the Cape, we set an alarm for 5:55. Well, wouldn't you know it? The only morning we were sleeping soundly that early, we were awakened by an alarm!

    We threw on some warm clothes, made our way up to Deck 15 and braved the wind, cold and sleet to see the lighthouse and Cape Horn Monument that are built on the very tip of the continent. The Monument honors the mariners who lost their lives on the more than four hundred ships that sank here.

    And now it's on to Antarctica.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    1
    Day 65

    Found Penguins!!!

    February 9, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    We sailed below the 60th parallel last evening at around 8:00 PM, which pretty much brought us into Antarctic waters. The temperature has been steadily dropping and I've had to start layering the few pieces of warm clothing I brought to Argentina.

    This morning, Brenda woke up, pulled open the curtains and said, "Oh, there are two ships out there." The thing is, she hadn't put on her glasses and the ships were actually two large icebergs! We were officially in the Antarctic.

    The ship continued sailing south until about 12:30 we arrived at the Schollaert Channel where we found a waddle of penguins (yep, that's what you call a group of penguins) floating along on a small iceberg. Listening to the attached video, you can hear our excitement.

    As we continued through the channel, we saw more and more, and larger and larger ice floes, spotted some humpback whales, and some breathtaking scenery before we arrived at our second stop, Paradise Bay. Here we saw another waddle of penguins perched upon a distant hill (too far off to photograph) and more humpback whales feeding in the distance. Aside from the fact that the bay is an inlet protected from the sometimes harsh waters beyond the bay, I really wouldn't consider it paradise by any stretch of the imagination.

    Being here is almost like being on a different planet, so rugged and inhospitable is the environment. But it is also strikingly beautiful in its own way. Sadly, because of we foolish humans, the continent is rapidly disintegrating and, unless mankind acts responsibly and quickly, will not be around for future generations to enjoy.

    We're glad we got to see it, cold, snow, and all.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 66

    Ice Sculptures

    February 10, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    From Le Carnaval de Quebec to Winterlude in Ottawa to the Ice Magic Festival in Lake Louise, ice sculpture competitions have been a winter tradition in Canada for decades.

    As good as we humans are at producing amazing works of art from blocks of ice, Mother Nature has it all over us.

    Zoom in to see the intricate lines carved into some of the bergs.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 66

    Elephant Island

    February 10 in Antarctica ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Over one hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton set out on a trans-Antarctic expedition with a crew of twenty-seven aboard the Endurance. After six weeks at sea, on January 19, 1915, Endurance became frozen solid in an ice floe, where it remained until spring arrived in September. Unfortunately, as it thawed and shifted, the ice put extreme pressure on the hull of Endurance, resulting in her sinking on November 21. Shackleton and his crew floated on ice floes and lifeboats until April 14, 1916, when they set foot on Elephant Island 557 kilometers from where Endurance sank, and 497 days from the last time they had been on dry land.

    Because Elephant Island was so far from any shipping lanes with virtually no chance of rescue, ten days later, Shackleton and five crew set off for South Georgia in search of help. He eventually succeeded, but the remaining twenty-two members of his crew spent four and a half months stranded on Elephant Island before Shackleton was able to return to rescue them.

    Today, from the warmth and comfort of our ship, we got a glimpse of the harsh and desolate land where those twenty-two poor souls endured more suffering and hardship than I can even imagine. Their story is an inspirational testament to the strength of the human spirit and our inate survival instinct.

    The land was beautiful and awesome to look at, but I wouldn't care to spend even one day stranded there, not even on a beautiful summer day like today.    Read more

  • Argentina and Italy 2023/2024
    Day 67

    Lost Penguins

    February 11, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Our ship's captain announced this morning that weather conditions in the Falklands are rapidly deteriorating, with winds gusting to 50 knots and 7 meter high waves. Because there is no dock for cruise ships, passengers are tranferred ashore on forty-passenger tenders. For the safety of the passengers, crew, and ship, we will sail past the Falklands and their hundreds of thousands of penguins and will head straight to our next port of call, Puerto Madryn.

    On the positive side, there are still penguins, elephant seals, and sea lions to be found there, so we can't be too disappointed. The most disappointed passengers on board are the Argentines, who, since the 1982 war with Britain, can only access the island via cruise ship.

    The ship is already rocking side to side and bouncing up and down, so the next two days should be an interesting ride. I just hope the satellite transmission of tonight's game isn't interrupted, especially in the fourth quarter.    Read more

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