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The South American Odyssey
  • The Craze for Travelling
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The South American Odyssey

147-päiväinen seikkaillu — The Craze for Travelling Lue lisää
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    Icebergs near Uppsala glacier

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    The catamaran was extremely fast and within 30-40 min we were deep in the fjords. We first encountered the icebergs at the opening of the fjord towards the Uppsala glacier.

    The Upsala Glacier is a large valley glacier on the eastern side of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The Upsala Glacier is well known for its rapid retreat. Its retreat has been ongoing since the glacier was first documented in 1810. The name comes from the old spelling with one p of Uppsala University, which sponsored the first glaciological studies in the area. The University is located in Uppsala, Sweden.

    Due to the rapid retreat of the glacier, the front of the glacial wall keeps breaking at regular intervals and so the fjord can have a huge quantity of icebergs floating everywhere. This could get very dangerous for the tour boats if a huge chunk of ice breaks off causing a tsunami. The rangers at the National Park continuously monitor the glacier and decide on a daily basis if the boats can enter the fjord or not. For the last few months the boats had got permission only to go till the mouth of the fjord and it was no different when we were there.
    The icebergs were huge. They looked a bit small from the catamaran but when we saw the other catamarans next to them, we realized their massive size and how deceptive they can be.    Lue lisää

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    Icebergs up close

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    Our catamaran moved in closer to the icebergs. It was a very touristy thing with a "professional" photographer taking pictures of people in cheezy poses in front of the icebergs and an assistant going around all over the catamaran trying to induce everyone to come over to take pictures. The idea was to get oneself pictured in different poses with no obligation. The pictures would be displayed on a screen in the catamaran rowards the end of the 5 hour journey and one could then purchase the paper copy or soft copy at a mindblowing cost of 100$ USD each. They were displaying pictures from the previous day and honestly the quality of the pictures and the composition was pathetic in most of the pictures.
    So, while they wasted around 20-30 minutes posing and taking pictures of people, I got enough time to take some amazing pictures of the beautiful blue striped icebergs.    Lue lisää

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    2Upsala Glacier

    Upsala Glacier

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    After the icebergs, the catamaran moved in a bit more into the fjord going towards the Upsala Glacier. We saw a panoramic view of the glacier from quite far and didn't really see any icebergs in the fjord that could be a hazard to our boat. Our gut feel was that we could go in almost another 5-8 kms with no problem but we had to turn around towards the fjord leading into the Spegazzini glacier. We even suspected that the catamaran company could be fooling all of us by saving on fuel by not going in and blaming it on the national park rangers.Lue lisää

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    2Ice from the lakeThat ice is hundreds of thousands of years old

    Another round of icebergs

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    At the start of the fjord going into the Spegazzini there were some more icebergs so, the catamaran stopped again to take more pictures.
    They even managed to catch a big chunk of floating ice from the lake to use as ice cubes in whiskey drinks which they were selling for 50 USD a glass. The charm being, the ice cooling the drink is from hundreds of thousands of years ago 🤤🤤 They certainly weren't leaving any chance to make money aboard this boat.Lue lisää

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    Spegazzini glacier

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    Spegazzini Glacier is a hugely impressive sight, if for no other reason than the sheer size of its wall, which can tower as high as 135 metres (440 feet).
    Spegazzini Glacier has a high calving face, giving origin to icebergs of very different shapes and colors. The glacier is grounded on the bottom of the lake, which in this area is around 150 meters. Spegazzini Glacier is another exception to the general retreat of Patagonian glaciers: From 1968 to 2010, the ice front retreated just 150 m, with a loss of only 0.07 km².
    Due to the stability of the glacier, the boats are allowed to go much deeper into the fjord almost right next to the glacier wall.
    Here we saw much more icebergs and after taking a lot more pictures near the icebergs, our catamaran went much closer to the glacier wall.    Lue lisää

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    Spegazzini up close

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    The usual touristy thing followed again, with the photographer taking pictures of almost everyone on board the catamaran with the glacier wall in the background. While they wasted another 30 minutes taking pictures of people, we got a good opportunity to take some nice pictures of the glacier wall.Lue lisää

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    Back in El Calafate

    29. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After the Spegazzini glacier, the catamaran came back to Puerto Bandera and from there we were dropped off back at El Calafate by the bus. Overall, the tour had been quite fantastic with beautiful sights but a bit too touristic for our liking.
    Back at the town, we had a fantastic dinner at Casimiro Restaurant. After that we went back and slept. We had a flight to Iguazu next morning and Melinda to Buenos Aires to Montevideo to Lima in the afternoon.    Lue lisää

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    Iguazu falls11

    El Calafate to Iguazu

    30. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Today was the day when stopped our journey south and flew all the way across Argentina to Iguazu falls on the Argentina - Brazil border. Our flight was around 9:30 am so we had booked a taxi for 8 am in the morning. We had tried to call our driver who we had used in the past but we couldn't get through to him when we tried calling him the day before. The airport shuttle too was starting a bit late for us on this day. So, eventually, we had managed to book a taxi for 400 ARS for all of us.
    The taxi arrived on time and we were off at the airport. The flight was to Iguazu with a short stopover at Buenos Aires. It was a long flight over mostly flat land with unimpressive features below. We landed in Buenos Aires around 2 pm and had our lunch at the airport. From here we took our connection flight to Iguazu.
    It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the flight reached Iguazu about 25 min before scheduled arrival time. The pilot decided to show us all the Iguazu falls from above and made the announcement that while waiting for a landing slot he'll fly over the Iguazu falls making an 8 so people on both sides could see the falls. What luck!!!
    We all got a lovely ariel view of the most impressive falls on this planet. It was mindblowing.

    The Iguazu Falls or Iguazú Falls (as its called in Argentina) or Iguassu Fall or Iguaçu Falls (as its called in Brazil) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentina and the Brazil.
    They are the largest waterfalls system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the river flows through Brazil; however, most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil.

    From the airport, we took the local bus to the center of the town Puerto Iguazu some 20 kms away. Just across the town over the border bridge is the town of Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil.

    The next hour or so was spent trying to find a reasonable place to stay. It was quite hot and humid in Iguazu. The whole area was a pure rainforest with thick foliage before the trees and bushes were cleared off to make place for the Puerto Iguazu town. It is just about 150 mts above sea level. We booked ourselves into San Fernando hostel just opposite the bus terminal. The evening was spent figuring out the best and cheapest way to get to Iguazu falls the next day. There were local buses going to the park entrance starting every hour from the bus terminal near our hostel so we bought our tickets for 150 ARS per person. Then it was time for some cash withdrawal, then dinner and then back to the hostel for an early end of the day.    Lue lisää

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    On the green trail
    On the green trailA huge spider above the trailThe electric trainCoati at the stationJungle taking over

    Parque Nacional Iguazu

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We took the 9 am bus to the Iguazu National Park gate. Here, at the entrance we learnt that the free boat ride to the San Martín Island in middle of the river was closed due to the level of the water.
    We started on the green trail 1st. Most people head straight for the electric train that takes people to the final station near Garganta del Diablo, the main attraction of the Iguazu falls, so this place is generally crowded in the morning and the afternoon. We decided to go there later in the day when its a bit less crowded.
    The path has been cut through thick forest and despite the stone covered track maintained at a regular interval, the jungle takes over from time to time. There were spider webs over the track with huge spiders hanging in them. At the Estacion Cataratas, the 2nd station on the train track, there were many Coatis. These animals though, totally wild are used to human presence and have learnt to live off them. They were all over the station and the outdoor restaurants nearby trying to snatch and steal food from the people. It was fascinating but at the same time a bit sad as well. Fascinating to see these animals that are so hard to see in the jungle and sad to see them totally dependent on humans. There were boards everywhere indicating not to feed the animals but a lot of people totally ignored these signs. Emboldened, these coatis sometimes would jump on the tables and snatch food and items from people's bags and plates. Much like monkeys in India. The restaurants had kept an interesting piece of equipment to scare them off. They had tied a bottle full of stones at the end of a stick and would shake these near the Coatis when there were too many and too aggressive. The stones would make a rattling sound, much like that a rattlesnake. This would send them scurrying.    Lue lisää

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    Dos Hermanas
    Dos Hermanas3

    Salto Dos Hermanas

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We had decided to do the Upper Trail or the Paseo Superior 1st, then go the Garganta del Diablo and then come back to the Lower Trail or the Paseo Inferior towards the evening.
    The 1st waterfall we came across was the Salto Dos Hermanas (The 2 sisters waterfalls). Its a pair of waterfalls that have their viewpoint on the Lower Trail. From the Upper Trail one can only see the top of the falls. From here, the path continues further towards the Salto Bosetti. Between the two falls, there were quite a few places on the way from where there are fantastic views of the chain of waterfalls that form the Iguazu falls. The sight is truly breathtaking. One can see waterfalls till as far as the eye can see.Lue lisää

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    View from above Bosetti Waterfall
    View from above Bosetti WaterfallSan Martín waterfall ;)

    Upper Trail Waterfalls

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The trail then continued across the Bosetti Waterfall. From the other end, we could see the top of the waterfalls and also the viewpoint on the lower trail. The track continues further along the upper trail passing many waterfalls like Adan, Bernabe Méndez, Mbigua. The last of the waterfall on the Upper trail was a bit far off. It is the San Martín waterfall. Funnily, on the board to the San Martín falls, some one had scribbled No Falls with a black marker 😁😁 That actually turned out to be true. The final viewpoint is bang above the waterfall and a bit back from the edge so one can't see any waterfall from there.Lue lisää

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    Garganta del Diablo

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The name of the waterfalls Iguazu means "great water" in the Guarani language. The Spanish explorers renamed it the Santa Maria cascades in the 16th century, but they couldn't get the name to stick.

    The Iguazu Falls are located where the Iguazu River tumbles over the edge of the Paraná Plateau, 23 kilometres upriver from the Iguazu's confluence with the Paraná River. Numerous islands along the 2.7-kilometre-long edge divide the falls into many separate waterfalls and cataracts, varying between 60 and 82 m high. The number of these smaller waterfalls fluctuates from 150 to 300, depending on the water level.

    About half of the river's flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese). The Devil's Throat is U-shaped and 82 m × 150 m × 700 m. The falls are so high with such a large amount of water that the mist can rise as much as 150 metres in the air.

    As we walked towards the Devil's Throat, the anticipation increased. We could see the spray and hear the sound of the water from far. The final sight just blew us away. The sight has to be seen by one's own eyes to really appreciate it. The roar of the huge amount of water falling down was deafening. The spray of the water covered half the waterfall. It was a mesmerizing and a humbling sight at the same time.    Lue lisää

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    Around Garganta del Diablo

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The path continues from in front of the Garganta del Diablo to along one of the edges of the U shaped formation. This offers a slightly different angle to the stunning falls.

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    Capuchin Monkey
    Capuchin MonkeyTrain to Garganta del DiabloCatfish in the river

    To Garganta del Diablo

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Argentiina ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The Upper trail looped back to the train station. Here we saw more Coatis and even a Capuchin monkey. From the station, we took the train to the final station of Garganta del Diablo. Near the station, we saw many butterflies near a portable water tap. From the station, a trail 1 km long goes straight into the middle of the river where the massive Garganta del Diablo falls are. The path crosses the Iguazu river to its middle, via a chain of bridges connecting the islands in it. Here, we saw quite big catfish in the water at some places.Lue lisää

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    Alvar Nunez from above
    Alvar Nunez from above2

    Iguazu a panoramic view

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    At Salto Alvar Nunez, the track loops back in a small circle such that it goes above the falls as well. A bit further on the trail, is a beautiful viewpoint of the full Iguazu falls. Right in the middle is San Martín Island and on either side of it are the falls. The Garganta del Diablo is hidden behind the island but the spray can be seen above it on the left side.Lue lisää

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    Black Monitor Lizard

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We stopped for a while near the viewpoint. When we had got off the train and before we started the walk on the Lower Trail, Maria had accidentally burnt her hand under boiling hot water outside one of the restaurants. There was a machine for hot water that the locals use for the mate they always seem to carry with them. Maria didn't notice the sign and put her hand below the tap and badly burnt her fingers. Luckily, the toilets were nearby where she put her hand below cold water for a while and that seemed to help for a while. Now, at the viewpoint, her hand started having boils and was still paining so Hristo went back to the restaurants to find some ice or something to get for her. While we sat waiting for him to return, a huge black monitor lizard came out of the forest. We got some nice pictures of it. After a while Hristo returned with a bottle of frozen water. This seemed to ease Maria's pain a bit, so we continued further.Lue lisää

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    Below Bossetti Waterfall

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The walkway on the Lower Trail ends just below the Bossetti Waterfall. Its a totally surreal feeling, with a lot of spray from the falls totally drenching anyone standing there. The water rushes down along the cliff face in a thunderous roar and the spray totally fogs out anything nearby. The water spray felt really good after the heat and humidity of the day, so we spent a few minutes standing and enjoying the feeling.Lue lisää

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    Dos Hermanas falls again

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The trail then went past the Dos Hermanas (2 sisters) waterfalls that we had seen from above when we had walked on the Upper Trail earlier in the day. The slanting rays of the setting sun were casting a beautiful rays effect in the spray of the falls. This sight was as wild and spiritual as it gets. We even saw a Coati come out of jungle to forage nearby.Lue lisää

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    Last sight of the falls
    Last sight of the falls2Maria showing the hot water machine where she burnt her handCoatiLike mini dinosaurs ;)Capuchin wars2

    The wild forest around

    31. tammikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    On the trail back to the Estacion Cataratas, we passed through some more thick forest where we saw Coatis and Capuchin monkey. We even saw a gang war between 2 Capuchin monkey clans. All this, reminding us that despite the massive presence of humans, this place is actually quite wild still.Lue lisää

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    Chile customs
    Chile customsOver the international borderBrazil customs2Hammocks sold along the roadOur bus

    Drop off at Iguassu Airport

    1. helmikuuta 2018, Brasilia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The border crossing was quite easy. The bus stopped at the Chile customs. The bus driver came along inside and informed the officials that we all were on the bus so they stamped our passports quickly. Then we crossed the international bridge across the Iguqzu river. The Brazio customs was on the other side. We went in and got our passports stamped. Then our bus proceeded to the Iguassu National Park and dropped us on the road just opposite the road coming from the airport. It was about 2:40 pm by now.Lue lisää

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