If I don't come back, I've moved to PUCON

DAY 12

As I mentioned, we missed our bus from Mendoza to Santiago.  As we had been warned about South Americans’ sense of time (or lack thereof), we were ready for our bus to arrive at any moment.  What we weren’t ready for, however, was South Americans’ lackadaisical sense of location in addition.  So if 9 a.m. is the ETA, it is just that--an estimate. 9:30 is more likely.  Also, if “Platform 17” is printed on your ticket, “Platform 16” is a viable option as well.  Oops!  We caught the next bus out. Lesson learned.

Traversing the Andes:  At first, we thought we could not have chosen a worse day to do this trip.  It was cloudy, raining, and foggy--making it difficult to see the mountains.  Furthermore, our stomachs turned as the driver of our top-heavy double-decker bus rounded narrow switchback turns while simultaneously passing gravel-spitting 18 wheelers and other double-decker buses.  I can only imagine that he was in the front giving each cautious driver on the road the finger as he whizzed past. 

The rain eventually lifted and the fog faded away to reveal that the scenery was incredible! There were odds and ends-- houses, old railway posts, and cows--dotted alongside the road. Other than that, the landscape is untouched.  The mountains became grander with snow speckled atop its highest peaks as we rolled along into Chile.

DAY 13

Pucon:  An 8 hour bus ride from Mendoza to Santiago, a 7 hour layover in Santiago, and another 11 hour bus ride to Pucon really makes a person lose her sense of time.  Although the layover was not fun, we were able to sleep well on the bus ride to Pucon, and boy were we treated by the scenery when we arrived!

As much as mom and I have raved about places thus far, Pucon is BY FAR the best!  We liked it so much that we extended our stay for two more days.  I might just extend it until forever.

There is an active volcano, a crystal-clear lake, and the Andes mountains right outside our window.  Pucon has a classic mountain town look to it that reminds me of Vail in the summertime.  There are 12 major lakes in the Lakes District with numerous others dotting the region, and the volcano--which mom likened to Mt. Fuji in Japan--is in clear view from anywhere in the small town.  Activities here include mountain biking, trekking one of three active volcanoes, canyoning, rafting, kayaking, and many, many more.

Before hitting up the lake and Saturday crafts market, mom and I had the best meal of our lives--smoked salmon with herbs, yogurt with chives, wheat toast biscotti, eggs, red onion, pickled roots, a roasted veggie sandwich, and a local beer.

Afterwards, we hit the black sand beach for a little sunshine.  The lake water is comprised of snow runoff from the mountains, so the water was freezing!  It's the kind that not only wakes you up after you submerge, but also takes your breath away for a few seconds after you come back up.  Very refreshing! 

DAY 14

Lake Caburga to Pucon:  Today, mom and I embarked on quite a trip—a 21 km. mountain bike ride.  We started our trip at another beautiful, crystal-clear lake in the area and made our way to Ojos de Caburgua—a pristine quadruplet of waterfalls that pool into a sparkling river that winds its way down the mountainside.

From then on was the tough part (“from then on” still being about 18 km. or so).  The path was a mix of gravel and dirt winding its way up and down the mountain at steep angles.  The scenery was something out of a storybook.  The weather was perfectly sunny but breezy due to the cool river air that misted upwards alongside the road.  Only occasionally did we see another bike or car pass by.  For the most part, we had all of the scenery to ourselves. 

After a particularly difficult upslope, we were rewarded by a stunning view of the river, my future lake cabin, and a clear view of three active volcanoes in the background. 

After a particularly difficult downslope, mom had a small spill where her tires shot out from under the loose gravel.  After her spill, she just rode up to me and said “take a picture!”.  Tough woman, that one.

Before reaching town, we passed alongside a town of Mapuche—a horse-riding people indigenous to the Andes and southern Chile.  Boy, do they have some good real estate!  I plan on being their neighbor one day.

DAY 15

Los Pozones:  Mom and I took a local bus to Los Pozones, secluded natural hot springs in the mountains.  We spent about 4 hours going from one stone and mountainside enclosed pool to another, then into the bone-chilling river, then back to another hot spring.  It was such an awakening, yet relaxing experience.  We were entirely surrounded by lush green trees, steep mountain slopes, flowers, and the crystal-clear river.

On the way back, our bus broke down.   As we were in a remote area, the next bus didn’t come for another hour or so.  We were so unwound from the hot springs and enjoying the scenic countryside, that we didn’t care.

DAY 16

It was a bit cloudy today, so we decided to nix the sea kayaking idea and just hang out on dry land by the lake.  We rented some beach chairs and kicked back with a good book.  We stayed there from midday to sunset just relaxing. 

DAY 17

Yes, we did eventually leave this little haven, but I promised myself that I will return.

Today, we walked around town picking up fruits, pastries, and other goodies for our trip north.  Reluctantly, we said goodbye to our awesome hosts and caught an overnight bus to Santiago.

Getting lost in the vines of MENDOZA

DAY 9

We got lost.  A lot.

After getting to Mendoza, we got lost on our way to the hostel.  After getting to our hostel (a beautiful, antique hostel with a lush garden sitting area), we decided to stroll to town, only to get lost again.  Hungry, hot, and tired of turning the same corner again and again, we finally found a bus that took us in the right direction.

The town of Mendoza is a compact square filled with dessert cafes, wine and cheese shops, and hotels surrounding the main Plaza Indepencia.  In the plaza, there were vendors selling nuts, drinks, and jewelry. To ensure that we didn't starve, we grabbed lunch and a bag of peanuts and headed back.

DAY 10

We left early to go to Maipu, a small vine-growing town outside of Mendoza.  Of course, we missed our bus stop (as there are no real stops, just people hopping on and off country dirt roads).  So with the help of two English girls who were also lost, we all found what we were looking for--Mr. Hugo's.

Mr. Hugo is a big friendly Argentine who rents bikes and gives away homemade wine.  He gave us a bike, a bottle of water, and a map and sent us on our way. 

Biking on the country roads was as big of a treat as tasting the wine.  Trees that reached across the road to one another shaded our path, and alongside the roads were streams, vineyards, and cornfields all set against a hazy blue vista of the Andes Mountains.

For hours, we biked and sampled wines, chocolates, chocolate liquors, and jams.  After drinking enough wine (on my part), we decided to head back.  Twice on the way back to Mr. Hugo's, we were pulled over by police officers.  Like any good officer, they just wanted to make sure that we made it to the next beer garden or vineyard before it closed. One set of officers escorted us to the beer garden, where they proceeded to have a drink. Not quite like officers in San Diego who issue BUIs (Biking Under the Influence)...

DAY 11

We went to Parque General San Martin, a park that is twice the size of Mendoza central.  The park was huge, but just okay scenery-wise.  We walked from one end to the other without actually seeing that much.  There was supposed to be a "mountain" to climb to get a good view of the city.  Turned out to be just a hill.

After making ourselves a great dinner at the hostel, we had a pseudo-crisis moment when mom thought she lost her passport.  We spent hours tracing our steps trying to figure out where it could be, calling the U.S. Embassy in Chile to see if we could get across the Argentina-Chile border to get it reissued in Santiago (we couldn't), making a list of things to cancel (two hostel resos, two bus tickets, and a flight), making a list of things to purchase (bus ticket back to Buenos Aires, hostel resos, appointment at the U.S. Embassy in BA, flight from BA to Santiago). 

After all of that, she found it.  It was such a relief, but a good test to see that we'd be able to handle the worst even if it came at the most inopportune moment (when we're right at the border of a country that they won't let us out of, with a bus ride first thing in the morning, and accommodations booked for the next week).  In fact, I think it made us closer because we realized that through thick and thin, we're in this together.  Also, issues such as missing an international bus (which happened the following morning) didn't seem like such a big deal anymore.

Had to leave ya with a cliffhanger... Sorry.

Til the next episode.

Big ol' fat rain in IGUAZU

"We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain...and big ol' fat rain, rain that flew in sideways, and sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath." --Forrest Gump

DAY 6
After landing in Iguazu, mom and I decided to explore the town a little. Most of the stores were closed for siesta, so we walked down to the river.  The streets, the river, and our hostel were all the same dirty shade of brown. At the river, we watched fish literally jump onto children's stick-and-string fishing poles in hopes for a better, less contaminated life on a platter.

(We later found out that the water was brown not from contamination, but from the red clay sediment beneath. In the 1970s, the jungle around the falls was cleared out for its timber. Despite efforts to counter the effects of deforestation, the river has slowly collected sediment ever since and turned its color from a crystal clear blue to a murky shade of brown.)

DAY 7
Iguazu Falls: We visited the falls with a British couple that we met at our hostel in BA. The park was covered in lush green and there were animals everywhere.  We saw birds, iguanas, butterflies, and these cute, but conniving little raccoon-looking creatures. At lunch, one jumped on our table and tried to steal our friend James' empenada.

Unfortunately, the riverboat ride beneath the falls was inoperative. And for good reason. There was no "beneath the falls" per se, only a massive load of water dumping into the river then rebounding up in a shifting mist. The "mist" looked quite tame from above; however, when we ventured lower it absolutely pounded us.

Soon thereafter, it began to rain. Hard. But we still had one more sight to see--the Garganta del Diablo--the Devil's Throat. This was definitely worth our venturing out into the torrential downpour to catch a glimpse of this beast with less of a crowd. The incredible size and ferocity of this waterfall is amplified during the rainy season. The water was flowing inches beneath the bridge that we walked over, and the lookout point for Garganta del Diablo made us feel as if were could be swept away by the strength of the falls at any second.



DAY 8
We thoroughly enjoyed being dry today. Lots of travelling. Plane back to BA, then a 15 hour bus ride to Mendoza.

Hola from BUENOS AIRES!

Wow, mom and I have had quite a packed last few days!

DAY 1
One crazy subway ride: When we first arrived in BA, we took a shuttle to a subway to another subway to a bus then walked a few blocks to our hostel. Although the transit itself was somewhat navigable, mom's rolling backpack was not. The subway system here is very similar to that of D.C., which I find to be confusing enough in English. Try it in Spanish. And with luggage.

Arrival at the hostel: ChillHouse Hostel is absolutely amazing! Owners Antonio (The Frenchman) and Kato (The Argentine) are by far the nicest, most helpful people that have ever existed.  Tony, a flamoyant and highly personable host, took quite a liking to mom immediately after she walked in the door. He'd give her his left arm if she asked for it.

Recoleta Cemetary: This is by far the most beautiful cemetary I've ever seen. Families of notoriety compete to have the grandest gravesites, so there are quite a few huge and elaborate tombstones that house generations of families.

DAY 2
Plaza Congresso: Downtown BA is like Washington D.C. but with beautiful European architecture. We walked from Congress to the equivalent to the White House (but Pink instead) to the Washington Monument-esque statue.

La Boca: Mom describes this neighborhood full of color, charicatures, and tango as the "Disneyland of Argentina". The saying in this neighborhood is “recuerdo los colores”—“remember the colors”. They certainly live up to that motto. There are colors everywhere, tango music and dance outside every café, and cartoon-like characters hanging out of every window.

DAY 3
Japanese Gardens: Eh, they were ok. It’s strange to see the contrast between a serene garden in the midst of a bustling city street. Mom got to have green tea and red bean cake, so that made the trip worthwhile.

Tango Show: This was by far one of the highlights for both of us on our trip so far. We went to Café Tortoni, an elegant restaurant on the street level with a small tango venue underneath. This famous tango venue has been visited by many legends including Carlos Gardel (the Frank Sinatra of Argentina), Evita Peron (the Hillary Clinton of Argentina), and Hillary Clinton (the actual one). The live music, show, and vino were incredible!

DAY 4
Tigre: This river delta town is an hour train ride north of BA. It is as a porteno weekend destination for good reason. We walked all along the river looking at crafts, snacking on yummy empenadas, and sipping fruity drinks. We also took an hour boat ride around the rivers that surround the town. There were Huck Fin style boat docks, beautiful vacation homes, a casino, and an amusement park lining the river. We walked all around the town, got a little sunburnt, got back to the hostel, and made ourselves dinner from groceries we got at the local mercado.

Unbeknownst to mom, I was serenaded by the green-eyed Argentinian guitarist who works at the hostel at night as I wrote this blog. Even the simplest English words sung in Spanish sound so much better!

Day 5
Boring day of logistics… Well, it would be boring if we were in America. Figuring out the next step of our trip, confirming details, buying tickets, exchanging money, and doing laundry is a much more challenging to-do list in another country.

An update on our Spanish—Yesterday morning, instead of saying “Buenos Dias!” to the cleaning lady at the hostel, mom said “Buenos Aires!” …Obviously, we’re still working on it

Off to Iguazu tomorrow!
Ciao Ciao!