Chasing Waterfalls

This morning, we woke up and worked with our hotel travel agent to book transfers to the Argentine side of the Iguaçu Falls.

Our transfer picked us up at 9 am. We went through the border with no issues and the weather overall held up. It did rain at times and we decided to term it as rain forest weather. We headed our way to the top via a train and various walkways to Devil's Throat. The falls were beautiful and the mist that the falls generate got us refreshingly wet.

We headed down the train midway and walked / hiked the superior trail and the lower circuit. Here, we had closer views to various single falls. The Bossetti fall was my favorite with the impressive rush of water. There are about 275 different falls spread over 3 miles and up to 266 feet high!

At the bottom of the lower circuit, you could take a boat to the falls. We plan on doing this tomorrow on the Brazil side. Today, we took a ferry to Isla San Martin. This island is in the middle of the falls and had several lookout points. We were told the climb up to the lookouts was 12 stories. After what I had thought was only 3, Lizzie advised me we were all done - thank goodness as these steps were steep!

All the lookouts and views were wonderful and the falls are definitely a sight to see. Being back on the Argentina side was also comforting as I got to use a little of my Spanish. Carlos, my former Spanish teacher, would be so proud as I did well with my object pronouns.

For lunch, we ate at one of the cafés on site and had sandwiches and empanadas. A bird, called an Urraca, took my mustard packet and then dropped it. There were animals all around the park including monkeys and coatis which are like raccoons.

After hiking and walking all day, we headed toward the bottom and grabbed coffees and alfajores. Alfajores are an Argentine treat that I brought back last year as well from Buenos Aires.

Our transfer picked us up at 5 pm and we headed back to our hotel. We were exhausted yet hungry from our day. We had walked over 18,000 steps according to my iPod Nano pedometer! Nowhere near the amount of steps in Montreal with Caitlin, but definitely a tiring amount!

We ended up venturing out for dinner to a restaurant called Chef Lopes, recommended by my guidebook and 1 block from our hotel. It ended up being renamed Gaucho (my guidebook is a few years old). This restaurant was also a churrascaria with a salad buffet. It was half the price of our dinner yesterday and definitely more of a local hangout. We enjoyed beer, the various meats, fried zucchini, and of course, the roasted pineapple.

Again, we hope the weather will hold up tomorrow as we explore the Brazilian side of the falls!

End of Trip Ruminations

So I arrived safely back to the US and I'm so glad to back. As I contemplate the trip, I have come to some conclusions....

1. I want to go back! - There were so many things I wish we could have seen. Northern Argentina, Iguacu Falls, and the wine region, but with our short timeframe we had to make some choices. Also, since it was the summer, the soccer and opera seasons were on hiatus and I would have loved to experience both in Buenos Aires. With that being said, my entry visa is good for 10 years!
2. Antarctica - Many folks were headed to Antarctica. Although the thought of extreme sea sickness does not entice me, I hope some day I get to go. We did not go or make plans to go, as the cost would have been pretty much our entire trip put together. We had even met Israeli backpackers in Ushuaia who would head to the dock regularly to see if they can score a free ride by working on the boat!
3. Food was great - Every meal was enjoyable, some better than others, but all in all it was great. Also, bread and butter is a given in the US, but in South America, the butter was often replaced by tapenade, humus, pate, cheese, and etc. As such, it kept me on my toes on what we were going to have next! Also, all our domestic flights had food. Clearly airplane food is not a highlight, but if the South Americans can manage that, why can't the US airlines?
4. Next Cyn & Amanda trip, Mammoth Lakes? - Sherry and Jeanne whom we met at Ecocamp, organize an annual Fall Colors trip to Mammoth Lakes, California and have invited us. As Sherry is a biologist, I'm sure she would have great insight on the season change and the area. Weddings and other obligations aside, Amanda and I would like to go. Thanks Sherry and Jeanne for the invite!
5. Where are you really from? - Surprising enough, not many people asked as they do in Europe and elsewhere. The Korean innkeeper in El Calafate said that South Americans don't seem to be as interested in your nationality / heritage or ask you to make a distinction between North and South Korea. He agreed with me that most Europeans inevitably ask. I found that interesting and it's probably because of the diversity and immigrant history of South America, similar to USA. 
6. People so great - Everyone was incredibly hospitable, friendly, and patient. They obliged when I tried to speak in Spanish and seemed to really appreciate it when they couldn't understand English. I was amazed by everyone's humor and kindness!

Anyway, as I get settled and mentally prepare for going back to work, all I can think about is that I can't wait to go back to South America! Who's coming with me?!?!

Last Day in Buenos Aires

After breakfast, I received a few directions from my hotel on how to get to the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, also known as MALBA. Their website did not include directions, but the hotel had a copy of the Guia T which is an extensive bus map the size of a mini binder. The subte is ok, but the buses or collectivos are the main source of transport in the city. I made the 4 block walk to the main avenue and flagged down (you have to wave), my bus - #130. Was pretty proud of myself as I enjoy taking public transportation, especially in new cities! Just ask my Sweep the Leg football team when I decided it would be fun if we took the light rail in Salt Lake City...

Art at the MALBA

MALBA is 3 floors and there was a retrospective of the last 100 years of Latin American art. They had a few pieces by Rafael Jesus Soto. I knew I recognized the name and realized it is because NYU Women's Alumni Initiative is holding an event at a NY gallery featuring only her work in February.

Kahlo, Rivera, Orozco, Xul Solar, Torres-Garcia are all well-represented. The 2nd exhibition was Carlos Cruz-Diez's "El color en el espacio y en el tiempo". Very cool uses of color. Also an Andy Warhol ironic photo series of Argentina repaying their debt to US in corn was also quite humorous. The benches, also super decorative, added to the modern ambiance. Amanda would have enjoyed the exhibit where an artist, Luis Fernando Benedit used plants, in his "Fitotron".

I headed back on the same bus and caught it just in time. I headed towards my hotel but got off a few blocks before so I could try Broccolino - I was in the mood for some pasta. I ordered the black fettuccine in arrabbiata sauce. Anyone who knows me knows I love black pasta and it was super fresh.

I headed back to the hotel to put on some warmer clothes to prepare for the northeast weather and waited for my taxi. My ride to the airport was less than 40 minutes when it should take about an hour - there were practically no cars on the road. As such I was early for my flight, but had wanted to make sure I had enough time. Amanda had a tough time getting to the airport on Wednesday because the highway was closed. My driver said Wednesday was a complete mess. But as I had to check out already, either I sat at the hotel or at the airport.

So I have a bit of time as I sit by the gate and wait to board my overnight flight! Buenas noches!

Palermo and Puerto Madero

So the coffee from last night kept me up last night. As such you might have noticed me online as I used the Tryp's business center. However, I could not sleep in and got up for breakfast. I made my way to Palermo via the subte. I was surprised to know that the subte fare had more than doubled since New Years Eve. The hike was effective January 6th and went from $1.10 to $2.50 pesos - from less than $.30 to around $.60 USD.

After walking a few blocks, I was asked by a local where the zoo was. Not sure why she thought I would know, but I pointed it out to her. Allison had mentioned she really enjoyed the zoo, and it looked nice through the fence, but I was not particularly interested as I had seen lots of animals in Patagonia.

I headed to the Evita museum that was interesting with her clothes on display and old footage of her speeches and funeral. The museum is housed in the building of her foundation and only opened relatively recently in 2002.

Afterwards I headed to Plaza Serrano, supposedly the center of Palermo life and plopped a seat at a cafe to rest and read for a bit. The neighborhood was cute with various Asian restaurants, furniture stores, and etc.

I then headed to the most eastern part of the city, Puerto Madero. This old port is lined with fancy restaurants, hotels, and a few corporate complexes. There is also a famous women's bridge that is quite artistic.

Puerto Madero with the famous Women's Bridge

I decided to have a lunch / dinner at Cabana Las Lilas, considered one of the best steak restaurants in the world as they maintain their own estancia, or ranch. It was included in my "1,000 places to see before you die" book. They brought me the wine list on an iPad and immediately a gazpacho shooter and a plate of antipasto and bread rolls. As such, I opted not to order any appetizers and just got a ribeye. Probably the juiciest steak I have ever had! The glass of wine I ordered was an Alamos of Catena Malbec and they gave me a very heavy pour. The service was great too.

"Estoy Jugoso"!  (Translation: I am juicy)

To walk off the food, I did a bit of last minute shopping and walked around for a bit. Boy was my Spanish tested - most of the people did not speak English, but were quite patient.

After a full day of walking and lots of eating, I returned to the hotel to organize for tomorrow and rest up for my travels back!

Pool and Tango

Woke up this morning and headed down to the Novotel's breakfast. Every place we went included breakfast, but the Novotel was by far the most extensive with waffles and typical American breakfast items like bacon and eggs. I spent about 4 hours laying by the pool and reading. It was sunny with a light breeze - so relaxing!

After a late checkout, I made my way to the Melia Tryp hotel about 7 blocks away. The Novotel is in the theater district so just like Times Square, plenty of people to navigate with my rolling luggage. The Novotel rates jump closer to the weekend and I had picked the Novotel to enjoy a pool in the city, but wanted to make sure I did not become too lazy and lay only by the pool for the next few days.

On my way, I walked a few blocks out of the way to see the Teatro Colon where it appears they are doing some construction out front. Considered one of the top 5 opera houses in the world, I would definitely have opted for a night at the opera if it was in season. Gotta remember it is summer here, so both the opera and soccer seasons (would have loved to have seen a Boca Junior game) are on hiatus. The acoustics in the opera house are suppose to be incredible.

I finally made it to the Tryp and bought a soda on the way since it was so hot. Laying by the pool had not only gotten me so tired but engrossed in my book so I finished it up and took a quick nap after checking in. The Tryp hotel is smaller than the Novotel, but the room is bigger and has less lights. Seriously the Novotel was really into ambiance lighting with a ton of switches everywhere. Amanda and I had a fun time trying to figure them out. I mean, I guess it is nice to have the option of green or red lighting?

I headed out late afternoon to wander and to eventually make my way to Cafe Tortoni to watch a tango show. There was a line down the block for the famous cafe which looked like it was straight out of a Toulouse Lautrec painting - very European. As I had time before the show and was not allowed to enter, I went across the street to eat some pasta at a cafe and have some coffee. I had been lethargic all day and wanted to make sure I stayed alert during the show. Seriously need a vacation from my vacation! :-)

The show was great and I hope to upload videos when I am back in the states. There were couple dancers, solo male dancers, and a singer who sounded great. The guy next to me kept singing along so I assume they were well-known ballads. He definitely reminded me of Julio Iglesias. The music was also great - I forget how good the accordian can sound.

Can't wait to share the videos!

Back to Buenos Aires

The overnight bus went smoothly except for when an lady asked if we could switch seats with her so her mom can sit on the lower level and not have to climb to the upper level. I asked if the seats were the same and she said yes. When I went up to see, at the same time a nice lady told Amanda they were not, so we had to politely respond to her that we wanted our seats back. It was ok but a little awkward. While a Cameron Diaz / Ashton Kutcher movie played, Amanda and I fell asleep and woke up in Neuquen around 5 am. Neuquen is supposedly a transportation hub and about 5.5 hours from Bariloche.

We hopped on our flight at 7 am and made it back to Buenos Aires. This time I had opted to stay at the Novotel for the night so that Amanda and I could enjoy their pool before Amanda returned at night for NY. Unfortunately the weather was a little rainy and very cloudy. We took naps and rested in the room.

Around midday, we headed over to Calle Florida, a street famous for shopping and to Plaza San Martin. We were now in the business district and for Amanda's last meal, we opted for a steakhouse called Al Carbon. We had beer, salad, mashed potatoes and squash, a sirloin and ribeye. Delicious!

We headed back to the hotel and made our way to the pool where we were entertained by a family with small children using the pool.

After a few daiquiries by the pool, Amanda got ready for the airport and I opted to stay in tonight and rest as we had traveled all day yesterday on the lakes crossing, then an overnight bus, and early morning flight back to Buenos Aires.

As I explore Buenos Aires the next few days and rest up for the flight back, I will surely miss Amanda who has been by my side for the last 11 days and friend for almost 11 years. Thank you for an unforgettable trip - you are an amazing companion and wonderful friend! Safe trip back! Hope you appreciate I am watching House as it seems to be the only thing they play here...

Lake Crossing from Chile to Argentina

Amanda and I did not sleep very well last night due to howling dogs and street noise which was so odd as we stayed at a B&B on a very residential street. To top it all off, there was no hot water in the morning. Amanda and Cyn not for the win. But it was bound to happen as I had seen multiple reviews where water seemed to be a problem.

We made it down to the harbor area where we took the 1st bus as part of our scenic lake crossing into Argentina from Chile. It is a mixture of bus and boat rides that take about 12 hours to go from Puerto Varas, Chile to Bariloche, Argentina. Your luggage is entirely handled so it is quite convenient between the transfers. A true bus would take about 6 hours, but with our limited time we wanted to take advantage of seeing both the Chilean and Argentine lake districts.

The bus drove along lake Llanquihue which is the largest lake in Chile and the 4th largest in South America. The lake was beautiful and we learned that Chile is the 2nd largest exporter of salmon. We passed a canola field and visited the 1st national park of Chile called Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales. Here we saw the Petrohue river and some rapids that are created from the glacier water.

We then hopped on our bus that took us to our catamaran at the Lake Todos los Santos which was discovered by Jesuits on November 1st many years ago. The boat ride lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and the view of the Osorno volcano was 90% viewable despite the mist. The sun did manage to peer through and the glistening water was beautiful. We passed a few waterfalls and even picked up a local resident off of their tiny boat. The Chilean government opted to allow the original habitants maintain their homes when they converted the land to a national park. These folks use the waterfalls for energy and take advantage of the lake crossing boats to travel / commute for free.

We arrived in Peulla where we lunched at the Natura hotel for a few hours. There were excursion options which we opted not to take. After lunch we went to the Chilean customs house and checked out of Chile.

Then a 2 hour ride through the Andes and on windy / switchback roads, we reached Puerto Frias where we checked into Argentina and had a hot chocolate with cognac. The boat ride was about 20 minutes. Then a quick 10 minute bus ride for a 1 hour boat ride in a part of Lake Nanuel Huapi which is the lake Bariloche is located. Then a 45 minute ride into the center of Bariloche.

4 buses, 3 boat rides, 2 Argentine lakes, and 1 Chilean lake, over 12 hours we were able to view volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, and gorgeous scenery. The forecast had predicted rain, but we got a mix of mist, sun, and overcast. But more importantly we were able to take in the sites as the fog would clear up.

We stumbled upon a fondue restaurant called La Alpina, but ended up not ordering fondue. It is quite appropriate as Bariloche is known to be like a Swiss town that has been transplanted in the Andes. The town is very active and touristy, but would love to come back in the future to soak it all in.

With our flight from Bariloche canceled tomorrow, we take a 5 hour overnight bus to Neuquen to catch a flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow morning. Should be fun! We are currently waiting at the Bariloche bus station and sitting in our cama seats that recline fully in our double decker bus. Buenas noches!

Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round Tierra del Fuego

First off, happy birthday to Anne, my college roommate!

We woke up around 4:20 and headed out to the port where the buses are for our trip from Ushuaia, Argentina to Punta Arenas, Chile. We were smart enough to wear our clothes to bed and packed last night so we could literally just roll out of bed. We did warn our bunk mates of early departure which did not seem to phase them. Just the night before, our other bunk mates left for a 5 am bus as well.

You might wonder why we opted for the long bus ride. Buses in Argentina are considered one of the best buses in the world because of their service and accessible routes. Also the small airports cannot handle international travel so you cannot just fly from southern Argentina to southern Chile. You get rerouted back up north in Buenos Aires or Santiago.

The drive out was breathtaking as we drove around the harbor and through the mountains. And yes the sun was already up as we have been enjoying around 18 hours of daylight everyday.

We reached Rio Grande which is in northern Tierra del Fuego and had to change buses and move our luggage. This is where all our passports were collected, we had to complete a few customs forms, get exit entry stamps from Argentina, and were served croissants and coffee (The bus has a coffee machine on board). This took about an hour. They also put in a movie called G-Force about guinea pigs that are also spies. A captivating Disney movie as any movie can be on a long bus ride dubbed in Spanish. Afterwards they put in Fast Five? Part of the Fast and Furious series and then later Latin VH1.

As we drove on, we were no longer in the mountains, but on the shore and then through some flat lands and rolling hills. We saw plenty of sheep, cows, and birds. At the Chilean border, they collected all our passports again, we got off the bus, scanned all our luggage, handbags and backpacks, and received entry stamps into Chile. We did not have any real problems, but getting on and off the bus through 2 customs all under Spanish - only instructions, Amanda and I did our best not to stick out or get in trouble. I was a bit worried as I had heard they can be very strict about the food you bring in (I had a bunch of granola bars but they were ok) and because when Jamie crossed into Chile, the bus had left a person behind. Oops.

We then drove on unpaved roads that weaved through hills and could only fit one lane of traffic. There were no cars or people in sight, but lots of sheep. Once we hit pavement, we were served ham and cheese sandwiches and 2 rounds of local lemon-lime soda. Soon after, we drove on to a ferry and they let us walk around the boat - our first experience in the straits and a nice man was kind enough to point out a dolphin to me. I told him I saw it, but totally missed it.

Magellan Statue in Punta Arenas, Chile

After 2 more hours of driving, we arrived in Punta Arenas, the southern most city in Chile. After being on a bus for 12 hours, I felt like a backpacker even though my luggage has wheels. ;-) Long bus rides do seem to be a prerequisite for South American treks and vacations.

We walked around the town which is a lot less touristy than the prior towns, down to the port to see the straits again, and saw the main plaza which has a statue of Magellan. We wandered for a bit and found a diner-type restaurant. We had hake, fries, a hamburger, and delicious Austral beer which is from Punta Arenas.

Our hotel Chalet Capital is really lovely - clean with a nice large bathroom. Punta Arenas hotel options were a bit limiting, so I am glad we found this hotel which is actually a converted mansion.

Fun fact, as we have had to tell people our names, I have found it amusing that they call Amanda, Amanda Burk-ay (i.e. The bus driver redistributing our passports or airline agents). Did not know that Burke could be made into 2 syllables, but makes total sense in thinking about Spanish pronunciations - you pronounce everything and if or where the accent is placed makes a big difference. It is like I have a new friend.

As we left Argentina, I thought about how wonderful the people have been to us. Everyone was incredibly hospitable and patient. A great example of this is when we went to a churro shop yesterday in Ushuaia and we could not decide which one to get; they can fill them with chocolate, dulce de leche, egg cream, fruit, and so on. We ultimately decided to get one of each kind and split them. Don't think a Dunkin Donuts would have been as patient. Nonetheless, I look forward to Chile and see if the people will find us or at least me amusing as well.

Side note: we seemed to have fixed Amanda's bag temporarily with a carabiner replacing the blue duct tape from the Korean innkeepers. The Burk-ays should be so proud of their Macgyver daughter.

Ushuaia

U-swy-a is how it is pronounced and I have been practicing to correct my bad habits for months when I only read the word and never heard it pronounced. Amanda reminds me to think of Annie Lennox's song, Why, so I correct myself. ;-)

The hostel is pretty clean and bustling with lots of backpackers - many folks are on long trips seeing South America. We seem to run into lots of Aussies, Europeans, and other South Americans. I am also glad the hostel is working out as our original hostel which was ranked highest on tripadvisor.com over booked us. I knew they were wrong too when they assured me they had space because their online booking system would only allow for 1 guest and not 2. C'mon, who do they think they are dealing with? ;-)

We headed to the town where we walked along the port to enjoy the views and the fresh air. Most visitors to Ushuaia visit penguins and sea lions in the Beagle channel. But we decided we would see Magallen penguins in Punta Arenas, Chile so we can say we were "on the Magellan straits" where he declared this area, the land of fire or Tierra del fuego.

Map of Recorded Shipwrecks around Tierra del Fuego

Ushuaia is also well known for the naval base and the former prison. As with many countries, penal colonies were established in inconvenient areas or islands in order to house their convicts, but also to establish settlement and sovereignty. The maritime and prison museum are housed together and was really interesting. A former prisoners' latrine is now well-decorated by miniature model boats. In the main exhibit, the first boat model was called the "Trinidad" sailed by Magellan in the 1500's. Cannot wait for my next international trip to Trinidad and Tobago for Ryan and Siobhan's wedding! Also a map with all the recorded shipwrecks was quite impressive and how daunting it must have been navigating the channels.

One case I thought was interesting was that of the political prisoners who were sent here from Buenos Aires as they watched helplessly while elections were organized without them. One professor, Ricardo Rojas, opted for Ushuaia over exile as he did not want to leave his homeland. Real patriotism.
Leaving the museum we were able to see more of the town, even peeked into a local casino and found a place to eat. Amanda and I both ate salads at a local restaurant where we were stared at by young children. We have both remarked that people have stared a little too long at us and I often try to diffuse the awkwardness by waving or saying, hola. (This also included waving at the same hotel bellhop 2 nights in a row while embarassing Amanda) We perused a bookstore and returned to our hostel for some napping and recharge.

We soon woke to Belgian guests who were quiet, but lovely. They had to skip Torres del Paine due to the closure from the fire, but Amanda and I are still hoping everything will be ok by Saturday. We had received word from our camp that they were returning to the park today. I hope Carlos, my Spanish teacher appreciates when the Belgians struggled to speak English, not one French word came to mind as I could only recall Spanish. This is often the opposite problem in my Spanish class.

Prior to venturing out for dinner, Amanda and I enjoyed a cup of mate tea in the communal area where we met 2 Israelis making dinner. Both were impressed that I, a non Jew, had been to Israel. I had explained that my best friend from college, Rachel, was a diplomat. They totally knew Clara which was an awesome beach bar in Tel Aviv and the white nights celebration.

Amanda and I had decided to dine at Volver, famous for their King Crab and located on the waterfront. The ambiance was amazing with a fireplace and we tried Torrantes which is the distant 2nd most famous wine in Argentina next to the malbec. The stunning white wine complemented our King Crab with mushroom dish, seafood paella, and of course, flan. The servers were again charmed by our Spanish and gave us 2 shots of limoncello on the house. Amanda and Cyn for the win!

An amazing night to a non-eventful day as we prepare for a 5 am bus ride to Punta Arenas, Chile - the southern most city in Chile. Our bus ride will be 12 hours and our very 1st border crossing where we cannot carry any fresh fruit and be scrutinized by border control. 12 hours seems like a lot and is our longest scheduled bus trip, but others seem to travel much longer by bus. Just today we met a University of Scranton grad who leaves tomorrow for an 18 hour bus ride to El Calafate. Oy.

Perito Moreno Glacier

After a solid night's sleep, Amanda and I made our way to breakfast where we met another Korean family. The 2 children were grown and we learned that they live in Santiago, Chile. The woman was clear to point out she was a diplomat and her last post was Paraguay and her next post will be back in Korea. They were lovely as was the innkeeper who asked the usual questions: Were you born in Korea? How old are you? In turn when I asked him why he chose to immigrate to El. Calafate, he said he got that all the time and did not give me a straight answer.

The hotel arranged our glacier tour which was about 30 pesos less than any of the other quotes from travel companies. The hotel had lunch box options which people suggest as you're at the glacier all day. Amanda chose the ham and cheese sandwich and I picked the KIMBAP option! Staying at a Korean inn clearly increases the probability of having traditional Korean rolls which are like California rolls! So excited as this is a very common picnic treat and I have brought kimbap to my Spanish class on several. occasions.

Our tour bus picked us up at 9 when they were suppose to come by around 9:20. A surprising example of not being on Latin time. The tour bus could definitely use some WD-40 as it was super squeaky, but our guide was great. I think I liked her because her Spanish was slow enough and her annunciation very clear. We made a few stops to get a beautiful view of Lago Argentino and then at the "lookout of sighs", we took fun pics of the glacier from afar.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Everyone on the bus had an option to take a boat ride to the glacier which Amanda and I opted to do. The ride was incredibly neat and we were able to take some nice photos in front of the glacier. The glacier is the size of Buenos Aires and breathtaking. It is considered unique for its accessibility and the fact it grows and recedes at the same rate so it maintains a stable formation. Afterwards we were taken to viewing balconies where we can see different views of the glacier. We were allowed to wander the different viewing decks for about 3 hours. This was quite wonderful as we could see condors flying above and listen to the crackling of the glacier. At the right moment, we could see the glacier crumble in different spots into the lake. Amazing. The sound is so loud and the moment so fleeting.

We ended up sitting at one of the decks so we could enjoy the scenery. This is where I wrote Kim and Joe in response to their happy new years news - "we're sitting in front of a glacier." Congrats again on baby Hayes! Here, we also decided we would break out our kindles and read as we had seen all the balconies and had over an hour left before our bus departed. At this point, Amanda realized her kindle had been on all day so it was out of power. She then opted to write some postcards and her pen exploded on her. On top of her backpack problems, we realized El Calafate was not for the win for Amanda.

Subsequently, we had a delightful conversation with 2 senoras, Susanna and Edelweiss. It started when Edelweiss opened up her jacket to pose in front of the glacier and revealed a hot pink tank top - mind you she looks over 60. So I said "muy sexy!" And they got such a kick out of it and I said "un chiste" or a joke - a common thing for me to do in Spanish class. I guess in any language as I often declare my own jokes as funny. But the ladies had sass and were from Ushuaia, our next destination. One owns a hotel and the other a lawyer for air rights. The lawyer had actually participated in exchange programs in Australia in order to study English. They invited us to their hotel in Ushuaia. When I asked them how to properly pronounce Ushuaia as it is a native word and have heard different pronunciations, they asked me to pronounce Nueva York and declared it was a chiste. Clearly, lots of sass which Amanda and I can appreciate.

Today I got to try mate, the local tea, 2 different ways. At breakfast in a tea bag and again on our way to the glacier as our guide had some and was drinking it traditionally through a silver straw with a filter at the end. The tea had a nice earthy flavor to it and enjoyed that another culture had found a different method of filtering their tea.

We returned to our hotel which arranged for our cab to the airport. Our flight was delayed about 40 minutes, but we safely made it to Ushuaia and our luggage was the first to come out so we got first dibs on cabs at this very small airport. I tried my first alfajores (Argentine cookie with dulce de leche) that Jamie had suggested at the El Calafate airport. So delicious. Also when I received my juice box on the plane which was branded Cepita, I remarked to Amanda, "it sure looks like the minute maid logo" and it was indeed a minute maid product. It totally reminded me of when Mike and I spent lots of time looking for Hilton Beach in Tel Aviv and walked by the Hilton Hotel about 4 times and remarked about the Hebrew logo / sign: it sure looks like a Hilton. ;-)

After arriving in Ushuaia which is the southern most city in Argentina in Tierra del Fuego and the only Argentine city west of the Andes, we arrived at the Hostal Yakush. This is my very first hostel experience where we are sharing a 6 bunk room for about $18 per night. It's super clean and in the town. We opted to experience a hostel as we've stayed at 4 star hotels to B&B's and Tierra del Fuego is known to be very pricey. After settling in, we walked around main street, the port, and ran into some Aussies - one from Tasmania and one from Brisbane. They were adamant we not eat at the restaurant that we were about to enter as they had an awful experience. We then chose another crowded restaurant which had a lovely buffet and delicious lamb. Definitely reminded me of buffets in Nevada and wished that Liz M. was here!

So off to sleep in our hostel and to get some rest as we prepare to see "el fin de mundo" or the end of the world!

El Calafate

Today started super early as we head to El Calafate in Patagonia which is a famous stopping point to see the Perito Moreno glacier. We woke up after 4 am as we had arranged for a cab to pick us up at 5 am. As we waited in the lobby, we saw a few folks returning from the night out including the 2 Canadians we had been eavesdropping on at the Recoleta restaurant. We chatted for a bit and learned they are headed north to visit the salt flats of Bolivia.

Our cab arrived about fifteen minutes past 5 and this driver seemed to enjoy club / dance music early morning and then switched over to a mix station of 80s and 90s music. We arrived at the airport a little before 6. We were told the ride should be an hour, but both yesterday and today were around 40 minutes due to the empty roads as it's a holiday. Upon arrival, we were a bit shocked by the massive lines. Not since Korea in the 90s have I seen such monstrous lines pre-web check-ins. We learned that self check-in would make no difference due to the baggage check-in. We were in line for over an hour.

A bit of a surprise at check-in as I learned that I had been upgraded to business class and Amanda and I wouldn't be sitting next to each other. Due to my hobby of joining loyalty award programs and tracking mileage, I enrolled in the Aerolineas Argentina club program especially in case they had some perks or discounts since they also own a tour company. Clearly they do and got upgraded on my very first flight with them. Cyn for the win!

We were delayed about an hour, but finally departed. The view from the plane of the Andes and the lakes was absolutely gorgeous. Breath-taking with snow capped mountains hovering over lakes and vast land. Again customs in El Calafate was odd as they scanned our carry ons, but not our suitcases for fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. The weather in El Calafate is particularly windy or maybe it's normal for Patagonia and I'm just not use to it.

The airport is about a 20 minute ride from the town and we bumped into a couple of guys who went to Lehigh and one of them lives on the Upper East Side. Small world. Also at the time we realized Amanda's backpack shoulder strap was torn off due to airport baggage handling. Amanda's backpack not for the win.

Upon arrival at Linda Vista Hotel which was ranked #1 or #2 on TripAdvisor.com, we were greeted by very eager Korean innkeepers. I was pretty sure Koreans owned the place, because there were 3 language options on the website, but the Coreano link didn't work. I had also been conversing with a Juan Alberto Kwon in making the reservation (Kwon is very Korean). The young girl around 16 at check-in was adorable switching between her Korean, English and Argentine Spanish. She moved to Argentina at the age of 4. The mom was sweet and the father peered out of the beautiful garden. He said he heard Korean, but only could see Amanda so he came by our room when the girl was taking us there, to see the white person speaking Korean. Alas, he saw me and learned that I was the one chatting.

Our room is actually like an apt with a living room with a bed, pull out, and separate room with a queen bed. We have a kitchenette and microwave too. Wish we were staying longer!

We ventured into town for some lunch where the main street was beautifully tree-lined. There were few options as places were still closed for New Years. We did however stumble upon a crowded restaurant where we were seated in the middle of 2 other couples at a 6 person table. 1 from Canada - the man was Italian and the woman was Mexican. They have traveled through Bolivia, Chile, and will be going through Uruguay and Brazil. They were leaving today for a 24 hour bus ride to Puerto Madryn. The 2nd couple lives in London - the man was Spanish and the woman was Bulgarian and Russian. They had arrived by plane from Puerto Madryn. Both couples had flown into Santiago, Chile as it was cheaper and the 6 of us traded stories, itineraries, restaurant and sight-seeing suggestions as we all had overlapping cities. The London woman had even worked at Oliver Wyman (a Marsh sister company) for 3 years! Hence the conversation was more interesting than the two Lehigh grads who asked "what is there to do here?" And after the stark realization on my part they weren't joking, I said "the glacier of course."

After lunch, we parted ways and Amanda and I walked down to the Laguna Nimez where you can supposedly see flamingos off of the incredibly turquoise Lago Argentina. We did not see any flamingos, but we enjoyed the beautiful views and wind.

We returned to the lovely hotel and took naps starting around 5 pm. I woke up around 8 pm thinking it was around 6 pm, because it was super sunny outside - I had forgotten we would have longer days here. Ultimately it wasn't dusk until past 10 pm! We didn't feel bad for sleeping over 3 hours - it was the most consecutive sleep we had in days.

We ventured out and visited the other part of town we missed and stopped by a grocery store to pick up some waters and gatorade (it was manzana flavored or apple!) We found a great parilla and we enjoyed lamb empanada, salad, steak, Patagonian lamb, some grilled vegetables, flan and wine (Malbec of course). So South American. Yesterday's Malbec was Trapiche's Fonde de Cava and today's was called Argento. There was even a cervezeria or brewery next door where I thought of my Spanish classmate, Katie Heineken who loves beer and has an apropos last name. However, the pub was closed by midnight when we had finished our meal.

We returned to the hotel to rest and got ready for the exciting day ahead at the glacier!

Buenos Aires

We arrived safely in Buenos Aires this morning. Our flight was quite lovely thanks to the best flight attendant ever, Ramiro. I failed to mention last night that we were pacing the Washington Dulles terminal because Amanda had been bumped from her confirmed seat that was right next to me. After speaking with several United service representatives (via phone and in person) they would only offer the Economy Plus seats for a charge or put us on standby for a seat change so we could be together. Ultimately we got seated together, but in the very back and therefore SURROUNDED by children. Not what we wanted on an overnight flight especially since the boys near us were continuously fighting and playing noisy video games with no headphones.

When I asked the flight attendant, Ramiro if it was possible to move,he asked if I liked children. I replied that I love them, and they behave when I'm their Sunday school teacher, which I was not of the children on the plane, and I still wanted to enjoy my single hood. I even said "yo soy una soltera" which means a single lady. He laughed and gave us the Economy Plus seats for FREE and even got in trouble for it. He then proceeded to say it was Amanda's birthday and gave us free beers. We were in front, with extra leg room, no screaming kids, and free beers. Plus Ramiro was nice to us in the non sketchy way, which is most important. Amanda and Cyn for the win! Take that United!

Arrival was pretty uneventful. Despite warnings that customs could be difficult, our x ray machine guy couldn't even be bothered to collect our customs forms.

With a taxi ride into the city, filled with American lite FM music, we arrived at the Wilton Hotel in Recoleta. There were very few options for New Years Eve that were affordable and in Recoleta no less, but so far the people have been hospitable and the room is very clean.

We rested for a bit and I strolled out looking for cash. Amanda hung out in the room as the night before she had taken the red-eye back from Nevada. Recoleta is replete with shops and restaurants. Totally adorable and very Parisian looking apts. The buses are zippy and the people very shi-shi.

I returned to the hotel and Amanda and I ventured out. On our way to the famous cemetery, we stopped for some delicious ice cream. It took us a bit to figure out we pay first, then order, but 2 Georgetown grads put together can do anything. I got dulce de leche and Amanda got marscapone. We also even ran into a nice gentleman who was from Perth, Australia which is where Amanda was born. We later learned he was really from Kalgoorlie. He told Amanda to move back to Australia immediately and she agreed to think about it.

At Recoleta park, we visited the Pilar Church and walked around the crafts stalls. We finally visited the famous cemetery with gorgeous mausoleums, very similar to the Parisian cemeteries. Some of the mausoleums are larger than some NYC apts! They say it's important to live in Recoleta, but more important to be buried in Recoleta. We made our way to the tomb of Eva Peron and the Duarte family, where tourists crowded, and also the Sarmiento tomb of the 7th president of Argentina.

By the way, in front of the cultural center, there was a sign for a play / show and on the bottom, it said "ojala". My Spanish class will appreciate that I spotted that as we spent extensive time discussing the Arab root of this word which is often used to exclaim with a bit of jealousy or means "I wish!"

At this point, we decided to grab a snack and ate outside at one of the restaurants along the Recoleta park. We shared chorizo and a margarita pizza with olives. We were surrounded by a variety of tourists and got to hear a little about their itineraries which sounded similar to ours. When I mean hear, more like eavesdropping. We decided post afternoon snack to head down to Plaza de Mayo where there are a bunch of government buildings and the Pink House - the president's house. Kind of interesting - White House - American, Blue House - Korean, and Pink House - Argentine. Presidents making up the rainbow in more ways than one.

Also, here from one of the Pink House guards, I got my first - "where are you from?" Me - "NY." "No, where are you really from?" It doesn't bother me, but definitely expect to hear it a few more times. Happens every time I travel.

Bottle caps to resemble the
Argentine Presidential symbol

We got to the Plaza de Mayo neighborhood via the subte which is the subway system. It's nothing too special, but definitely very cheap - 1.10 peso per ride or less than 30 cents. Nearby we also visited San Ignacio, the oldest church in Buenos Aires which is going under some renovations and then the Metropolitan Cathedral. I even got to take communion as they were finishing up mass. Inside the Cathedral, there is a mausoleum for General Jose de San Martin who helped liberate Argentina, Chile and Peru and fight for independence. The tomb of the unknown soldier is buried here as well. We accidentally missed the door to the Cathedral as the building looked like any government building that surrounded the plaza. We ended up walking a little through Microcentro - financial district trying to find the door. Your typical financial district on a Saturday - empty streets with lots of banks. It was especially interesting and sad, though, to see plaques in the sidewalks memorializing individuals who worked at the various banks and "disappeared" (were taken by the regime) in Argentina during the 70s.

Afterwards, we walked over a few avenues exploring the neighborhood, walked by the Obelisk which helped celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city in 1936, and took the subte back to our hotel in Recoleta. Flipping through tv, we did stumble upon a Korean channel and various movies dubbed in Spanish. However we ended up watching 3 episodes of House.

So for New Years Eve, we went to a charming, white cloth, BBQ restaurant in Recoleta around 10:30. The 4 course meal came with champagne, malbec, and unlimited beverages. Amanda and I were truly stuffed and had a wonderful time practicing our Spanish with the waiters who spoke little English. They were very kind to us. We tipped them even though the prix fixe included tip. We said it was to thank them for our poor Spanish.

So you might be wondering why we're not partying it up. We have to wake up at 4 for a 7 am flight to El Calafate and both our feet are swollen from all the walking. Upon our return to the hotel, we found ourselves locked out. When the security guard came to let us in, I said, "you're like my parents - locking me out when I return late." I said it in Spanish and he laughed. A lot. However, technically my parents never locked me out. I think I become more charming in Spanish.

Happy New Year or Prospero Ano Nuevo! Please ignore the fact that I do not have an accent over the n. I am not trying to wish you a new body part, but the blackberry is very limiting.