If you’re a traveler, or even just an arm-chair fantasizer, odds are you have at one time or another lusted dreamily over the magical land of Patagonia. This slice of paradise is at the tail end of South America encompassing 260,000 square miles of pristine and breath-taking beauty between Chile and Argentina. It is known for electric blue glaciers, mountains that look like icy daggers, marble caves, abundant wildlife and unbelievable trekking opportunities. According to Wikipedia, the name Patagonia comes from the word patagón. Magellan used this term in 1520 to describe the native tribes of the region, whom his expedition thought to be giants. The people he called the Patagons are now believed to have been the Tehuelche, who tended to be taller than Europeans of the time.
We went to Patagonia, as well as Buenos Aires, for 21 days during that stint in our life when we had full time jobs and three weeks was considered a very long holiday graciously granted to us by our employers. It was quite a whirlwind that took us through Chile first (see post one) and took us to Puerto Natales where we hopped on a five-hour bus ride ($20/each) to the town of El Calafate, which included an easy border crossing. El Calafate is a town near the edge of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field which seemed to predominately be a tourist haven resembling a sophisticated ski town in the US Rockies. For us, this was nothing to write home about. But the experience on that ice field? A whole different story.
Perito Moreno Glacier
Although we had seen glaciers in Alaska, this was a whole other ballgame. Firstly, you can’t just wander up to the glacier and go for a look around. A tour is mandatory. The tour we chose was through Hielo & Aventura and was called “The Big Ice” Tour. Now for Mandy & Greg, even with gainful employment, this 10-hour physically demanding tour and trek cost a pretty penny at around $300/each. But, wow, are we glad we did it because it was truly one of the most incredible tours and places we’ve experienced in all our travels.
The Southern Patagonia ice field is the third biggest ice field in the world (following Antarctica and Greenland) and within that ice field is the Perito Moreno glacier.
Early in the day, we were taken to a viewing platform to soak in our first glimpses of Perito Moreno, a 257 square km glacier which is advancing, not retreating, at a startling rate of six feet per day. While there, we were inundated with cracking and popping sounds like fireworks and occasionally sonic booms filling the area. Undoubtedly, climate change happening before your eyes.
This was clearly just to whet our appetite. Afterwards, we took a boat to a forest near the edge of the glacier. This was when we got stuck three times trying to dock. Forget parallel parking, Apparently, icebergs are not easy to park around either.
We survived the boat. Now it was time for the real fun to begin.
The trek began by hiking about 30 minutes through rare forest next to Perito Merino glacier, which was a very surreal experience and played tricks with our eyes.
Getting fitted for our crampons before making our way onto the glacier.
We were in a small group of eight with Americans and one Korean. Unsurprisingly, we found our fellow Americans were all allotted just 1-2 weeks while the Korean girl was traveling Patagonia for a month. Just the previous day we had run into some French backpackers who immediately said “TRUMP!” snickering at us when they discovered our nationality. These fine lads were taking six months… practically the norm for Europeans, of course. We continued our vow of…”That will be us one day.” (YES!!!! It is!!)
As we surveyed the ice and our fellow glacier trekkers, we noted the average age must’ve been close to 30, and as the tour company put an age restriction on the trek of 50, we looked at each other and commented on how fortunate it was to be doing all these amazing physical experiences now. Sort of embarrassing that Hielo & Aventura puts such a low age cap on their trips, considering many 50 year old are in terrific shape. Come on…at least allow a doctor’s note or something! Geez.
A strenuous but exhilarating trek of six hours on the ice in all.
Walking on blue tinted ice was like walking on water. Very unnerving!
Greg was the first of many to break a crampon. Here he gets operated on.
A view looking down to our group.
Our first peeps of the electric blue of the deep ice was absolutely captivating!
Screw you, Evian. Now THIS is what water should taste like. Straight from nature in its purest form….what all the water bottle companies would kill for.
Practically iridescent shades of blue in the pools… unbelievably hypnotizing!
Best lunch break spot of our lives!!
Oh yeah….still one of the top three Explorer Genes days of all time. Wow.
El Chalten
In 2015, we saw an article featuring some of the most incredible places to visit on our planet. The drive into the tiny Argentine town of El Chalten and Fitz Roy mountain was listed. The three-hour drive, and the place, certainly more than lived up to expectations and wasvmore than worth the $22 bus ticket. Every single camera or phone on the bus was furiously clicking away. In short, it would be a real pity to sleep through this journey. And we had scored as we always try to do…the best seats in the house. Top floor, front seats.
The entrance to El Chalten. The town was built around tourism in 1985, and offers a spectacular setting to visitors right at the foot of Cerro Fitz Roy. It’s still developing, and at a rapid pace. The town was chock full of backpacker hostels and backpackers. Traveller’s Note: We found only two ATMs and like everywhere in Argentina, the fees to withdraw were insane; about $6, plus a maximum withdrawal of about $80 per transaction! (Thank goodness we have Charles Schwab now with NO fees!!) Oh, but what a majestic setting El Chalten lies in!!
Our hostel, which we loved. Very small, and cozy with our own private room with a view. ($55USD). Included breakfast too!
The kitchen… which we used a lot. Fruit and veg in the markets were all quite sad, however. With limited options we still got them, along with bread, bread, bread and pasta. We’re not usually so gluten friendly, given the choice.
The key to our room as well as the menacing shark fin of Fitz Roy as seen from our room.
The town of El Chalten viewed from the trailhead to Cerro Torre mountain.
There was lots of new building going on… half finished houses/hostels. This was 2016, so I’m sure it has changed dramatically.
Box cars also seemed to be a residential option while working to build a more permanent option. Thank goodness they have their satellite Direct TV though…
Oddly we counted at least four Nanobreweries in town. Or as they call them, Cervezeria Artisenal. Quality of the brew was so-so, but it definitely beat the mass produced swill and it was super exciting to find craft beer thriving in such an out of the way small town in Argentina. Plus, what an atmosphere to enjoy a fresh microbrew in, at La Cevezeria!
Patagonicus Rubia was one of the best local brews we found.
Apparently, building codes are loosely enforced.
Rio Fitz Roy separates the town from the mountain range.
Mandy kept eyeing this hostel, simply because of the color, I think.
Hiking Fitz Roy was absolutely remarkable because you could go directly from the town into the mountains. Our first hike into Glaciers National Park was on a very lucky sunny day.
Cerre Solo loved her solitude. (Blech, over edited, as our many of these pictures! Sorry!)
It’s hard to believe with your eyes a peak so cruel and impossible as Cerro Torre mountain can stand. It was not summited until 1974, although a few incomprehensibly tried before. What a sight!
At the edge of Laguna (Lake) Torre, Greg nearly flies away from the wind ripping down off Cerro Torre!
The beautiful and ancient Patagonian forest accompanied our trek in the mountains.
The first glimpses of Mt. Fitz Roy up close. Finally, after seven hours of hiking.
Awwww…..you can see how alone we were as we turned our backs on our camera.
After some camera time, Mandy prepares our gourmet tuna lunch. Doesn’t matter where you go in the world…there’s always tuna…and oatmeal.
Simply breathtaking mountains!
Decisions, decisions, and not a bad trail to take except the one that leads back to civilization.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, the Paris of the South, was our final stopping point on our Patagonia adventure before we had to head back to “the real world” in Portland, Oregon. Grand and beautifully historic, Buenos Aires was block after block full of character, vibrant culture, and always with a tango heartbeat. Not to mention, it exuded a slice of Europe that we just felt at home in.
Striking and grand Plaza Fuerza Aerea backed by this colonial beauty, Retiro Train Station, which we desperately wanted to take a train out of…to somewhere…but settled for just a coffee in a cafe instead.
Truly unbelievable mosaic tile work at The Metropolitan Cathedral… it covered the entire cathedral floor!
These Legs were how we found our way back to our Airbnb home every day… we stayed four doors down the street. Our fifth floor city center room was $40/night.
If you are a pastry/bakery lover… Buenos Aires is your city! We counted at least one (sometimes 2 or 3) every block!
Every city block is just dripping with elegance!
According to Culture Trip, the 1928 Palacio Barolo constitutes one of the largest monuments anywhere in the world to the work of Dante Alighieri, (as in Dante’s Inferno), the major Italian poet of the Middle Ages. It is a unique example of an attempt to marry literature and architecture. What a work of craftsmanship!
We loved stumbling into this gorgeous antique local market in San Telmo neighborhood. We also stumbled out with more fruit than we could possibly eat over the next two days.
Out for a walk one morning we stumbled into this HUGE local bankers and financial workers labor protest… complete with fireworks, lots and lots of confetti (flyers to trash up the planet some more), and even a parade float!
Another of the highlights in Buenos Aires is Teatro Colon. It took 18 years to build, and has over-the-top ornate fixtures showcasing incredible craftsmanship. This seven tier main theater is enormous, with a grand chandelier consisting of 700 twinkly lights! On our tour we learned that Pavarotti, said it has only one flaw… that the acoustics are so good that every….single…mistake…can be heard.
Inside the grand art deco interior of Cafe Tortoni… soon to be our venue for tango dancing later that night!
Tango awaits!! The view from our amazing balcony at our apartment before going out.
The pros show us how Tango is done during our Cafe Tortoni date night!
The Cemetery of the Recoleta. Wandering down the maze of “streets” in this city of the deceased where some families spent more pesos on having a swanky mausoleums than they might have on their houses was certainly creepy, yet is an absolute highlight of our time in Buenos Aires. Happily we got lost here for several hours. It’s still one of the most beautiful cemeteries we’ve ever seen.
Buenos Aires from the airplane… the best perspective to see just how truly huge this city is. Until we meet again! After all, our visas don’t expire until 2026!
