Category: Argentina

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Argentina South America

Cachi

This tiny little village is South West of Salta on Route 33. The drive there is also spectacular, with winding roads that are first covered in thick jungle vegetation, that then changes again as we again gain elevation; however, it is different to the drive to Cafayate. Here there is greenery but not thick jungle type trees. We are lucky to see a few condors throughout the day, being so huge they are easy to spot. As we wind up the dirt road mountain pass the scenery gets pretty breathtaking, and not only because itā€™s so high! We stop at the highest point in the pass- where the Millerā€™s Stone is, left hundreds of years ago when it could not be loaded back onto a cart. This is at 3,348m and surprisingly there is cattle grazing here. From here we can see the whole Enchanted Valley as it is named, well at least in theory as the low clouds are coming in fast and furious and cover and uncover the view all the time.

As soon as we cross the pass the scenery and vegetation is entirely different on this side of the mountain. It is what is all over Argentina- and called Pampa. Very low dry shrubs. Soon starts the Parque Nacional de Los Cordones, which protects the giant cacti along this stretch. These cacti only grow about 1cm per annum when they are young, and a maximum of 4-5cm when they are significantly older. Judging by the height of most of them we are talking several hundred years old on average.

Passing the Tin-Tin road which is part of the straightest 12km of the Royal Inca Road across South America (and the old Incan Empire) we reach a lookout of the Cachi peaks- 9 peaks over 5,500m but they are covered by clouds. Just before Cachi we pass Payogasta, which is famous as growing the worldā€™s highest vines at 3,400mā€¦ however recently Tibet has planted vines at an altitude of 3,563m and thus take the record.

The village of Cachi is very small and quaint, 30 minutes is enough to walk around ā€¦slowly.

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Argentina South America

Cafayate

Cafayate is located south of Salta on route 68. The drive there is also through scenic and fertile farmlands and villages of Valle Lerma as well as mountains covered in jungle. This however changes as we gain elevation and vegetation is sparser and thorny. What is becoming a more desert landscape is eroded by thermal changes and water. Our first stop is by Devilā€™s Throat, which is steep rocky tube, eroded by water. Ā We also stop by Tre Cruces (Three Crosses) look out which is spectacular with all the deep maroon and red mountains as well as greenery by the small river flowing through the valley. There are many other named and non-named rocky outcrops, one even known as the Titanic- near where our bus driver played the theme song for us so that we can get a hint as to what the name was J. Ā 

Just before lunch we stop by a vineyard named Vasija Secreta (Secret Vase) for a tour and wine tasting. The vineyards there are located at 1,600m and are known for their Cab Sav and Torrontes varieties.

We have 2 hours in Cafayate for lunch and a look around, which spend at the wine museum. It is a pretty interactive museum with the first part describing the climatic and soil requirements for good wines, written in poetry and the second part of the museum covering the history of the area.

On our return we stop by the rock formation known as The Amphitheatre, where we have a local musician playing and singing so that we can appreciate the sounds within.

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Argentina South America

Humahuaca

Humahuaca is also located north of Salta, and also includes a trip to Pumarmarca. I didnā€™t mind visiting it twice though. Over and above this we visit a view other places of interest. One of these is Pucara de Tilcara, which is next to the town of Tilcara. These are rebuilt Incan ruins, though not correct historically. They are rebuilt to give visitors an idea of the buildings of the time.Ā  The site is an archaeological site and excavation took place over many years in the early to later 1900s. The monument is there for the archaeologists who worked on the site- something that was somewhat strange to me.Ā 

We have a very brief stop in UquĆ­a. There is a church here that has a rather unique set of paintings. When the Spanish arrived they asked the Incans to paint angels for the church, however the Incans had never heard of angels and thus asked what they looked like. The Spanish replied that: ā€œThey look like usā€. Thus, the paintings of the angels are those of Spanish military personnel, with rifles and wings! No photos are allowed inside though.

In the afternoon we stop by MaimarĆ” ā€“which is a stop to view ā€œLa Paleta del Pintorā€ (Palette of the Painter). The coloured mountains look better in the late afternoon sun. On the way here we also glimpse the Mountain of 14 Colours, which looks fabulous and was featured on National Geographicā€™s cover recently.

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Argentina South America

Salinas Grandes

The amount of vegetation and farming north of Salta is a surprise- such fertile lands here and even jungles are present. This is in complete contrast to the other side of the Andes, where the Atacama Desert is in Chile.

We head north from Salta, towards our first stop of Pumarmarca, a lovely quaint village that is located next to the mountain of 7 colours. Since this site has been named a national treasure the village has been transformed into a tourist hub. The colours are really quiet brilliant leading up to and past the village as well.

Salinas Grandes is the largest salt pan in Argentina. It is located north of Salta. There is active salt and lithium mining taking place at the moment. The salt flats are at an altitude of 3,450m and we travel through a pass of elevation 4,170m in order to arrive at the pan. It has a surface area of 212km2

The road to and past the Salt pan has been paved due to the large amount of trucks that pass here from Iquique port, Chile to Paraguay filled with second hand cars from Asia. It makes this road very busy and somewhat dangerous with the trucks taking all the windy corners pretty sharply.

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Argentina South America

Salta

I spent nearly a week in Salta, I made it my base to explore the northern parts of Argentina. I was pleasantly surprised as to the diversity that this part of the country has to offer.  Salta is also a nice city, spread out and no towering apartment buildings. It is over 400 years old and is one of the first towns founded by the Spanish.

On my first full day I set off to join the free walking tour and bumped into another girl that I had met in Cordoba on the walking tour there. She was with a friend from her hostel, and we spent much of the rest of the day together. 

After the walking tour we visited the MAAM (high mountain archaeological museum) that houses four children that were sacrificed by the Incas and buried at over 6,700m amsl on the volcano Llulliallaco. The children were all under 15 and were of privileged descent. The children were given a brew (chicha) and were buried after they fell asleep. They thus each died from suffocation. It was considered a privilege for ones child to be sacrificed as their souls would live with the ancestors. The bodies are extremely well preserved due to the environment in which they were buried-little oxygen and bitterly cold. Only one of the children are exhibited at any time.

The museum also brings up the ethical problem of retrieving bodies of ancient cultures for the purpose of scientific studies.

In the afternoon the three of us walked up to Cerro San Bernando to get a great view of the city from above. There is also a cable car available to get up.

I had four full day tours coming up to explore the region.

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Argentina South America

Tucuman

I flew into Tucuman from Buenos Aires after my Uruguay trip. Ā The weather was rainy and cool- a change from Uruguay for sure. The taxi driver talked me through some of Tucuman as we drove from the airport. When he found out I was Polish he told some four times that Pope John Paul II had flown into Tucuman airport for a few hours in 1987.

I stayed overnight in an Airbnb with a lovely lady who spoiled me a lot. She introduced me to homemade humitas. This is a corn and goat cheese mixture boiled in maize leaves, and she had many desserts. We sat and had a chat- I should say that she chatted and I tried to keep up with the Spanish! She showed me her art studio in a separate portion of the house and some of her artwork- it was beautiful.

Being a Sunday I didnā€™t see much of Tucuman, and the rainy weather continued into Monday. I did visit the sugar museum ā€“ Tucuman is the center of sugar cane industry for many decades.Ā  It is also the largest exporter of lemons.

I caught a bus to Salta that morning.

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Argentina South America

Buenos Aires

A completely stinking hot Buenos Aires welcomed me! It was 40Ā°C and humid!! Arriving at the bus terminal and valuing safety I decided to take a taxi to my accommodation, which wasnā€™t far, rather than walking through a really dodgy looking part of the city. Iā€™m glad I did, but not glad that I was ripped off by the driver. I want to learn Spanish just to be able to argue with these type of people!

I walked around the city, to get some exercise as I havenā€™t been hiking in a while. Many kilometers later and sweating buckets in the heat; I did a revisit of the places that I had been to on my trip 10 years ago.

I stayed in Recoleta, a famous and rather posh neighbourhood. It is close to the Recoleta Cemetery- where Evita Peron and many famous Argentinians are buried. There are goliath tombs/vaults here- unbelievably so! The area is also close to the law faculty and Belles Artes Museum, but unfortunately it was closed until April. There is a park close by which has a modern art piece- a flower, made from metal which opens and closes with the sun.

The following day I did a huge loop around the city and took in many notable sites.

A beautiful old theater (El Ateneo Grand Splendid) now host to a bookshop- such a great idea!!Ā 

The Plaza 25 de Mayo terminates on one end with the Casa Rosada (pink house) and is home to the president. About 10 blocks west of the Casa Rosada the National Congress building stands on the other end of a grand Plaza -aptly named Plaza del Congreso.Ā 

The Catedral Metropolitana is a huge cathedral located on Plaza 25 de Mayo and its most important feature is that it is the resting place of General Jose San Martin- the most important figure in gaining the independence of Chile, Peru and Argentina. He is thus a hero among all these nations. His mausoleumĀ has its own ‘chapel’ and is guarded; I was there inadvertently when the changing of the guard took place.

The Obelisco, which is located in the center of 9 de Julio Street and commemorates the foundation of the city. It sits on one of the widest streets in the world- I think I counted 16 lanes of traffic! Close by to this monument is the Teatro Colon – a majestic theater that i did not do a tour of due to the long lines of interested people.Ā 

Puerto Madero is now a modern, skyscraper filled, business and apartment location. This area has been refurbished from an old port and railway stations. It is lined with trendy and expensive restaurants and bars. Also the place that I have had the yummiest and smoothest passion fruit mousse ice cream ever!

On my second full day I walked to two well-known neighbourhoods- San Telmo and La Boca. San Telmo is the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires and is home to a great old style market. I had a pear cider to help with the heat.

La Boca is the most colourful suburb of the city- it was originally painted many colours as the people used leftover ship yard paint to paint their houses. There are many couples dancing tango. It is now a must on any personā€™s travel itinerary. Having said this, it is extremely kitsch and there 100% for tourists.

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Argentina South America

Rosario

I was really excited to go to Rosarioā€¦ and itā€™s not quite what you may be thinking. I was excited because for once in my travels I was actually going to have someone pick me up from the bus terminal! I need to rewind a bit hereā€¦a few months ago, at my friendā€™s wedding in South Africa, I met up with a friend from primary school- Frank. He reminded me that he has family in Argentina and Uruguay and during the past months we planned a get together. So it was Frankā€™s uncle, aunt and cousin who came to pick me up!

Our first excursion was a walk to the flag monument and monument of the unknown soldier. Ā Here you can take an elevator to the top of the monument for 360 degree views of the city. Itā€™s impressive- the city is huge and the Parana River that runs alongside it is also a large tributary to Rio de La Plata that flows alongside Bueno Aires. We take a walk along the river and take in some of the popular neighbourhoods.

The next day we visit the city center and explore some of the old colonial style buildings- there are many of these and the detail in this architecture is exquisite. My favourite must be the stainless glass ceiling of the Club Espana. It extends across the top of the whole staircase and central area of the building.

In the afternoon we go for a drive and walk to another part of Rosario- the re-invented railyards and agricultural silos. It is the newest and trendiest part of Rosario with the most expensive apartments. We also check out the Rosario Victoria Bridge and sunset over the city from Costa Alta.

Between walking, driving and eating out in the city I enjoy the vibe- similar to Cordoba with the students in the city too. On my final night we also went out to eat at Rock&Feller ā€“ where I finally have a great Argentinian steak- medium! I have not had any luck with steaks, ordering them medium and getting them well done! One should note that most people in Argentina eat their steaks well done L

I am so grateful to the family for having looked after me so well, their fantastic hospitality and taking me to see so many great places in their home city!

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Argentina South America

Cordoba

Cordoba is a great city with a super student vibe and a few up and coming neighbourhoods. The architecture is rather European and there are many cultural events and museums around.

I did two walking tours in the city. The first was around New Cordoba and Guemes. These are the student and bohemian neighbourhoods respectively.

A funny story relating to the polar bear statue in one of the photos: The statue was made to commemorate the polar bears in the Antarctic! The only problem is that there are no polar bears in the Antarctic! When the politicians found this out they tried to keep it secret. However, some revolutionaries stole the statue and it ended up left in the middle of traffic for 4 monthsā€¦so not much of a secret!

The second tour was around the historical centre. Ā 

I had noticed in Mendoza, and now also in Cordoba, that half the city parks and many sidewalks are all dug up and being improved and wondered why- for a country in economic crisis. The answer is pretty simple: it is election year this year :).

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Argentina South America

Mendoza

After a 16-hour night bus ride, that was 1.5 hours late, I arrived in Mendoza. I had a short nap and headed out to explore the city. As I was walking around I couldnā€™t believe how a whole city completely shut down for siesta- something I am not used to. I did not particularly fall in love with Mendoza- my favourite part was the large park west of the city centre- which is not very city like šŸ™‚ . Av Sariemento, from city centre towards the park is also pleasant and filled with houses of the rich.

The first day trip that I did from Mendoza was to hike to the Confluencia base camp of Mt Aconcagua- the highest mountain in the Americas at over 6,900m above sea level. I decided to take a tour to cut down on the travel time, but with 3.5 hours one way I donā€™t think that I got that right! The walk is 5 hours return. Itā€™s not difficult- and you get to an elevation of 3,400m. The route is through a valley and surrounded by rainbow coloured mountains. We only got a quick glimpse of the peak of Aconcagua- when we first arrived, and then she disappeared behind the clouds. I was hoping for a few more glimpses at least to help encourage the next high altitude peak challenge. 

The second day trip was out to Maipu Valley- one of the wine growing regions near the city. It is in a flat area, with the Andes as a background in the far distance. Mind you, each time I visit vineyards I compare them to those in the Cape, in South Africa, and I still havenā€™t seen vineyards that are placed more scenically than those in the Cape!! The full day trip was on Valentineā€™s Dayā€¦and I think that I have found a new way to celebrate this dayā€¦ starting with the first glass of Syrah at 09h30 šŸ™‚ . I did very much enjoy the Malbecs, a variety that Argentina is very well known for. I had a three course lunch at Espacio Trapiche, which was tasty. We went to the following wineries:

  1. Trivento (which is actually associated with Concho y Torro, Chile)
  2. Frutta Roja (also does plum, cherry and other organic produce)
  3. Tempus Alba
  4. Trapiche
  5. Bodega la Rural (had a great museum attached and you can exchange the value of your entry ticket for a bottle of wine and only pay the difference if required.)
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Argentina South America

Bariloche

It is not my first time in Bariloche- I came here 10 years ago, on my first trip to South America (Argentina & Peru). It has definitely grown, especially the centre from what I can remember. The masses of holiday makers also take away from the ā€œvillage feelā€. So what are the masses here to do? Well, Bariloche is a Swiss style town known for its ice cream and chocolatesā€¦mmmmmā€¦ oh yes, and for those who want to work off all those calories, also hiking and skiing in the winter!

I did all the above- and happy to say that the chocolates and ice cream are totally delicious!! A few nights I enjoyed some Malbec wine and chocolatesā€¦ while updating and catching up on the blog J .

I also spent two full days out and about. The first hike I did was to Cerro Campanario. It is a fairly steep and dusty 30-minute hike to a lookout and top of a ski lift (yes you can just take the ski lift!). The view is great though. Once back down I jump onto another bus- further out to the peninsula ā€“ Llao Llao. Here there are several walking options and I take a walk through the forest and down to the lake.

I have been looking forward to the Refugio Frey hike- it is after all the most popular hike in this area. Popularity comes at a price though- crowds- so to try and avoid them I took the first bus out -07h00 and arrived at 08h00 at the start of the trail with 5 other hikers only. It was great when we all spread out you felt all alone. There were few people who actually passed me on the whole 3 hours up- just some trail runners. The hike is pretty pleasant, until the last hour or so- where itā€™s pretty heavy going. Yes- this is a definitive trend with all the hikes I am going- when you are half dead, and not at the top yet then you have to push a hell of a lot more!! After some good huffing and puffing I finally got site of the Refugio, and upon arrival had a pleasant view of the area.

I took a different route down- along the Lago Gutierrez ā€“ though it was somewhat disappointing as the path is far from the lake and has little to no view of it, for most of the trail. I did get to soak my feet in the lake when I eventually reached the end of the 24km hike.

It was really pleasant, and having left early I missed all the crowds. Walking through the forest I saw many pretty birds and saw my first woodpeckers ā€œin actionā€. It was both a female and male magellanic woodpecker. The male has a crested red head, the female only a little red at the beak. That male woodpecker was hammering so hard; it took that tree from all angles- it was amazing.

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Argentina South America

El Chalten

I caught a three-hour bus from El Calafate to El Chaltenā€¦lucky to have gotten a seat with all the people! From when we left the bus station though, the bus was not sounding too healthy and the driver struggled to put it into gear. We freewheeled down the hills tooā€¦until two hours in, the bus finally gave up the ghost. We all shuffled out, grabbed our bags and squashed into a bus that had been behind us. So there were passengers in the aisles and down the stairs, I shudder to think how overloaded we were- but got there safe an hour later.

El Chalten is north of El Calafate, as the crow flies. It is a small village set up for backpackers, hikers and rock climbers and has many beer gardens to relax in after a single or multi day hike! Whatā€™s great is that the hikes our nearly outside your doorstep, and thus no buses have to be caught first to get there.

While here I did two, single day hikes. The first was to Laguna de Los Tres. It is a 20km return hike (excluding the part you walk in town) and is rated as moderate, and the last 1 km is difficult as there is an altitude gain of 400m. I headed out nice and early in the morning- to ensure I get there- unlike my disappointment in Torres del Paine! This was a great decision as it was cool and for the first few hours I had the trail to myself. I loved this trail much more than the Mirador Torres trail in Torres del Paine. The main reason for this is that you have regular sightings of Fitz Roy and neighbouring peaks and glaciers; and they are a sight to behold. The last 1 km is also a bit less strenuous than the Torres hike; and it is not constantly uphill. The peaks were covered with a few passing clouds, but the turquoise waters of the lake in the foreground and the spires in the background, made for a superb view!

The next day I embarked, early, on another 18km hike to Laguna Torre. This hike starts off with a hilly start but then is a bit easier going. The day was so clear, with blue skies and not a cloud to be seen- a rarity in these parts, as the peaks are often cloud covered! I was glad to arrive to the lake, with views of the three towers that lure rock climbers, without too many people being there. The lake contains a few small icebergs from the glaciers that feed these waters up above. On the return trip I pass masses of people, and am glad to have missed them. The temperatures also increase and I finally begin my defrosting process in 24C weather (I have been in the cold south for over 6 weeks now J)

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Argentina South America

El Calafate

After a painless 1-hour flight from Ushuaia, I landed in El Calafateā€¦ it was that or a 20-24 hour bus trip!! The town is located near the edge of the Andes Mountains and is most famous for trekking and the Perito Moreno glacier. I spent my first day exploring the town and doing a long walk down to and alongside Lago Argentino ā€“ a huge glacial lake, with stunning blue- green waters. The town, though touristy, is pleasant and filled with cosy cottages. The next day I went to the main attraction: Perito Moreno by bus, as it is 80km west of the town, towards the Chilean border. The drive there is really very scenic, with snow covered mountains and sheep Estancias. The road follows the shores of Lago Argentino. It was also exciting as there was a large group of condors feeding on a sheep close to the road. These birds are spectacular- and so large- with wingspans of 3m!

The glacier is located in southern portion of Los Glaciares National Park. There are a series of walks in front of the glacier- on the opposite side of the lake and ablation area. All of these are stainless steel boardwalks, with lots of stairs interconnecting the levels and viewing platforms. You can actually thus get pretty close to the glacier- and she is a beauty to observe as she calves often and if the tourists are not noisy, you can hear the popping and exploding of the ice inside the glacier. It actually sounds like an approaching thunderstorm. The ice is released off the face (calving) with explosions rather than it just falling off. The face of the glacier is 40-70m high and it is 5km wide! It also contains many ice peaks and crevasses- which makes it a very aesthetically pleasing glacier to see!

As I was satisfied with my glaciology for the day I decided that it was nearly time to go and catch the bus, so I made my way up to the waiting area at the end of the trails ā€“ the top car park. I asked four people whether my bus company picked up people from top and bottom car parks and they all said yes. So I waitedā€¦and waited and no bus showed up. This is now a problem, as I saidā€¦80km is a bit far to walk!! So I took the shuttle bus to the lower car park and decided to try and hitchhike for 45min with no takers L ! So I changed my strategy and stalked an English couple that were making their way to the car park. I excused myself and plead my case to see if they would take pity on me- and the great Paul and Claire Weeks did!! So grateful that they didā€¦best English couple ever!! We also had a very entertaining trip, I told them about my trip to Antarctica and gave them some tips about their southern travels and they shared stories of their travels and rubbing shoulders with Kit Harington.

The funniest was when Claire nearly grabbed the steering wheel every time Paul took a corner- which was all the time on the windy road!! The usual conversation of trusting your partner driving came upā€¦I just said that thatā€™s what wives are for. Just before we entered El Calafate again, Paul wasnā€™t slowing down for a speed bump ahead. So I said ā€œHey Paul, speed bump aheadā€¦ oh and sorry, now you have two wivesā€; we laughed so hard we cried. Not a few minutes later and Paul confesses that they havenā€™t quite figured out how the right of way principles work in Argentina. I was likeā€¦ā€ This is not making me feel safe or confidentā€ and again we burst into tears. So happy that I missed that bus in the endā€¦all is well that ends well and makes you laugh!!

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Argentina South America

Ushuaia

Marketed as the ā€œEnd of the Worldā€; Ushuaia was in essence done in two parts: one prior to my Antarctica trip, and the other, post. As it turned out, my Czech friend and I met up on the same bus from Puerto Natales, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina! This made a 12-hour journey that much more enjoyable, once we swapped seats with our allotted neighbours. The distance is only 600km, but the border crossings take a bit of time. The day after arrival we headed off to Laguna Esmeralda, approximately 25km east of town. There is a 4-hour hike here to a small glacier and glacial lake through some peat bog. The weather played along until the end of the hike when it started raining, and earlier being windy as it gets here!

That evening I went to check into the pre Antarctica departure hotel, just outside of the town. It is a very fancy hotel, definitely not normally what I would sign up for. It is situated on a hill overlooking the city and port. I was also going to take advantage of all the amenities on offer, and thus spent the evening/night in the indoor pool, the outdoor heated pool, Jacuzzi and sauna!! I also met my roommates, for the duration of the trip, and we hit I off straight away- which is great for 3 weeks in 1 room! We had the morning and early afternoon to discover some more of the city, which didnā€™t take too long. It is not a particularly beautiful city- the main street is lined with outdoor gear shops and it is overall very industrial. We embarked on the ship at 5pm. And the rest of the update will be under the Antarctica section of the blog šŸ™‚ .

I had a few days in town after the Antarctica trip- which was good as I had a lot of sleep to catch up on!! So I had a fair bit of planned spare time to just process all the sights and experiences and also to visit the main attraction in the area- Tierra del Fuego National Park. On a sunny and warm day (15C which was considered a heat wave by the locals) I headed off for a very tranquil 8km walk called the Sendero Costera. It is located along the waterā€™s shores, through the beech forest. With not many people on it, it was lovely to just listen to the birds and to the lapping waters and admire the clear waters and mountains in the background.