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Argentina
We picked four cities to visit in Argentina after arriving in Buenos Aires for a few days. Bariloche, El Chalten, El Calafate and Ushuaia are all in the Patagonian region. Although the locals in El Calafate really don’t consider Bariloche as a true Patagonian experience, Bariloche is in northern Patagonia. We looked up a variety of tour companies to help us figure out which activities they offer at each city with our limited two week schedule. This helped us decide how many days to stay at each city. When you tell friends and family that you're going to Argentina, the most popular response may be about all the great food you'll be eating! Even though I grew up eating Argentine food with my parent's recipes, I wondered if the food actually tasted the same in Argentina. It tasted better, because the vegetables, fruit, meats, etc. was so fresh and much more flavorable. The following list is the most popular items to try and there are many gourmet variations of each one. |
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche is a popular mountain community with a ski resort, Cerro Catedral, the largest in the southern hemisphere similar to the Swiss Alps with its' many chocolate shops along with European buildings and architectural style of rustic wood and stone. The town surrounds Lake Nahuel Huapi and the Nahuel Huapi National Park at the foothills of the Andes mountain range. Prior to the turn of the century, Bariloche was established as a significant importer and exporter of goods by German immigrant, Carlos Wiederhold, crossing through the Andes to the port of Puerto Montte in Chile. The geography so resembled the German climate and topography that after WWII, many Germans and Italians fled Europe and settled in Bariloche. What makes Bariloche interesting and mysterious to some is the lore and legend as a Nazi hiding place. The 2 1/2 hour flight to Bariloche from Palomar Airport in Buenos Aires was quick and smooth. While we were waiting for our flight to Bariloche, I used Whatsapp mobile application to reserve an airport transfer through Patagonia Transfer. Even though I sent the text message as we were boarding our plane, the company had a driver waiting for us when we landed at the Bariloche airport. As he drove to our destination, he gave us some history and points of interest. The apartment we chose was two blocks south from the Main Street, Mitre and seven blocks east of the main civic center. Any accommodations overlooking Lake Naheul Huapi, meant walking uphill each time we wanted to reach the main street of Mitre where most of the restaurants and chocolate shops are. On the same day we arrived, we walked on the main street for lunch, then met our tour guide for the German Footprint tour. The German Footprint tour, provided by Diego Bonardi, is a walking historical tour of the Germans who immigrated to Argentina after WWII, which included Nazi war criminals. To understand what happened during those years, you may need to familiarize yourself with a former SS Officer, Reinhard Kopps, and SS Commander, Erich Priebke. There is also an interview by TV news reporter Sam Donaldson regarding Priebke’s former life in Germany and the Ardeatine executions in Italy which he took part in. Sam Donaldson is relentless with his questions and during the interview, Erich Priebke unexpectedly acknowledges his involvement in the killings. We actually walked by Erich Priebke's home where one of his son's now lives. Diego Bonardi informed us that the other son moved away and changed his name. The son that is still living in the home has been in seclusion and is hardly ever seen outdoors. After the German Footprint tour we also did a Bariloche Flavours Tour trying the best foods Bariloche has to offer with Diego, tasting lamb, beer at Bachmans, ice cream at Juaja and chocolates at Rapanui. By the end of the tour, we were ready to call it a night. Diego has many different walking tours available each day and was absolutely a charm to listen to. The following day we stopped at the corner and picked up some fresh milanesa sandwiches from El Topon, to take with us on the boat tour to the national parks. We arrived at the Cau Cau office, boarded a tour bus to Puerto Panuelo for the catamaran to Victoria Island in the Nuhuel Huapi National park. During the one hour drive to the port, the bus picked up passengers from various hotels. Once we all arrived at the National Park entrance, we paid $600 pesos each and boarded the catamaran. If you don't have time to pick up lunch, the boat has a small selection of food and drinks at a reasonable price. When we arrived at Puerto Anchorena, on Victoria Island, we had a guided tour of the plants, trees and vegetation. The island has 100 year old redwood trees and the tour guide informed us that the seeds were brought from California. They also had a few sequoias and stunning pine trees. We then sailed to Quetrihue Peninsula in the Arrayanes National Park to see the famous Arrayanes trees, with cinnamon colored bark, featured in Walt Disney's movie Bambi. We walked along a wooden path about 1/2 mile long through these stunning trees. A young Arrayanes tree is gray, but after about 20 years, the tree turns to an orange color with orange blossoms. The forest is about 300 years old and while we were there, we noticed that mountain biking is allowed through the forest. By the time we sailed back to Puerto Panuelo, we were ready for a hot chocolate at one of many of the chocolate stores lining the main street in town. |
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For breakfast each morning we would walk uphill to the next corner to Valentino's for fresh facturas (Argentine breakfast pastries) and purchase 1/2 dozen for about $120 pesos. On our last day, we had a small breakfast at the Coffee Store with eggs, toast, coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice for $140 pesos (about $5), located on the corner of Mitre Street and John O'Conner. Our taxi picked us up at 9:30 am to take us to the Bariloche airport. The airport had several chocolate and souvenir shops as well as a good size cafeteria with a great view of the planes landing and taking off. Security allowed shoes to be left on, water bottles and food to go through on carry-on luggage.
El Calafate
Our flight was on time and we arrived in El Calafate to see the Perito Moreno glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recommended by TripAdvisor, we hired Indigosud for 5 days. Ivan and Lucia were very helpful and knowledgeable. They handled our transfers, tickets and tours for all our activities. Our driver with Indigosud was waiting for us when we arrived at the airport. For lunch, he recommended Lechuzas. We had a lovely meal, raviolis, chicken and a hamburger. A short walk from our hotel, this place is well known to the locals for pizza and empanadas. For dinner, we walked about two blocks to Isabel Cocina al Disco where you should have reservations. All the locals we spoke to advised us to try lamb, because lamb is Patagonia's specialty. Since animals in this region are grass fed, the lamb is less gamey. We ordered both lamb and chicken (just in case) and each meal serves two people. I thought I would never eat lamb, but it was excellent. |
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El Chalten and Butch Cassidy
El Chalten is well known around the world for excellent hiking trails and spectacular views of Fitz Roy. We decided to try the three hour drive from the city center in El Calafate, enjoying the majestic views of lakes, rivers and mountains. We stopped at the legendary La Leona Hotel, infamous for welcoming Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was crowded and the season was not at its' peak yet. Here, we grabbed some empanadas and torta fritas which is their version of indian fry bread. This was a great stopping point to relax a bit and spend some time in their small museum. We continued to the small town of El Chalten, found a bakery with fresh sandwiches to take with us and hiked the Laguna Capri trail (about 7.5 miles) for a nicer view of Fitz Roy, then back down to meet our driver at 3:30. There is a shorter trail, Los Condores and Las Aguilas viewpoints at 3.5 miles. We thought we were done hiking for the day, but our driver surprised us with a two mile hike to El Chorillo del Salto 60 foot waterfall and we enjoyed some traditional mate together. This is the perfect hike for beginners or families with small children. During our drive back and forth, we saw pink flamingos, horses, cows, a red fox and an armadillo. Seeing wildlife was just as exciting. |
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Upsala and Spegazzini Glacier
Indigosud suggested we do the Glaciers Gourmet boat tour and they handled the payment and reservations for us. Leaving at 7:30 am from the hotel, the catamaran sailed at 9:00 am. As we boarded we chose upstairs, but the seating towards the front was already taken and to go outside to see anything, we would have needed to go up and down stairs. We ended up in the main level in the front next to the exit doors. Each set of seating has a large window from where you can snap some beautiful photos without having to go outside. It’s very windy and cold to be outside unless the boat is anchored. I would recommend being in the back of the boat as it's easier to escape out the back doors in order to get great photos of the glaciers. If you miss any shots, the boat tends to rotate so that all passengers have an opportunity to get some spectacular images. Also, most of the passengers run up to the front and may block your views and the exits. Towards the end of the trip, the crew will harpoon a chunk of ice and offer whiskey with it for about 200 pesos. |
Hielo y Aventura Mini Ice Trekking
Indigosud driver picked us up at 7:30 am for our one hour trip to the Hielo y Aventura port near the Perito Moreno glacier. At 9:00 am we had a 30 minute boat ride to the trekking location, the mini trekking costs about $100 each. For about $15 each, Indigosud also provided a premium lunch with wine to take with us. We boarded the boat about 8:45 am. The boat ride travels by the Perito Moreno glacier so the photo opportunities are amazing. Once we arrived at the edge of the glacier, we were given instructions to secure our items and lunch in the rustic cabin. The blue of the glaciers is the strongest color that shines through. Standing next to the glacier, you can hear the cracking and crashing to the water. The ice melting underneath creates streams under the ice and it sounds like the drain in your bathtub. We walked many steps uphill to the section where you put crampers on, practiced walking in a single line first, then started trekking on the glacier. The leader provides a turn around point for people who change their mind. It was a weird sensation walking with crampers, similar to ski boots but with more traction. It’s easy to twist your ankles if you’re not looking where you’re stepping. As we hiked, the leaders used a pick axe to make a wider path for us, but still it was challenging not to twist your ankles. The natural tendency is to side step up or down, but they advise us not to do this for our own safety. The best way is to come down forward. We went to areas where the ice and water was deep blue. One area where we saw a pool of water, you could look deep down, but there was no bottom. At times, the hike uphill was strenuous, legs burning, but at the end with a piece of chocolate and glass of glacier with whiskey was worth all the effort and exercise. They recommend wearing waterproof clothing and shoes, but we were fortunate that the weather was sunny and perfect. Sunscreen is always a must. The next day we relaxed, did our laundry, last minute souvenir shopping and arrived at the airport about 2:00 pm for our flight to our next city. |
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Ushuaia
We arrived in Ushuaia late in the evening and met the representative for the apartment that we rented over looking Ushuaia Bay. The apartment was beautiful, however we discovered it was only a one bedroom, with four beds, instead of a two bedroom and we needed to find a hotel for other family members. We found the nearby Tiera Del Fuego Hotel available on a holiday weekend. The hotel was very comfortable and offered a breakfast buffet. Similar to Bariloche, the main street is uphill from the waterfront. If you rent an apartment or find yourself needing breakfast, the Hotel Tierra del Fuego offers non-registered guests a continental breakfast with pastries, ham and cheese, toast, fruits, oatmeal and cereal for 160 pesos which is about $5. The receptionist at the hotel was very helpful, gave us advice for the tours and called taxis for us. That night we walked around the town and found a nice place to eat dinner at Moustacchio Parrillada. We had homemade gnochhi, steak, milanesa and canneloni ....with a stop for gelato at Freddo's. |
Beagle Channel and Walking with the Penguins
The next day we walked down to the port to meet Piratour that takes us to walk with the penguins on Martillo island, which we purchased through a 3rd party, Grayline Argentina. Several tour companies on TripAdvisor charge $200 each, but I found the best price through Grayline Argentina with a discount code. We ended up paying about $520 for four people for this once in a lifetime adventure. There is no food available on this tour, but since the tour meets about 2:00 pm, there is plenty of time to grab some empanadas or jamon y queso sandwiches to take. Piratour is the only company licensed to land on Martillo Island, restricted to 20 people per day to walk with the penguins for one hour. You’ll need to be aware that other tour companies will sell their tour at a much higher price or they will sell the boat tour that travels around the island, but does not land on it. If you have no other option but to purchase the latter, the penguins can be easily seen frolicking on the shores of the island. The 1 1/2 hour bus ride started at 2:30 pm in a small bus each way to and from Harburton Ranch, then a 30 minute ride on an Zodiac type inflatable boat to the island. When we arrived on the island it was a beautiful sunny day, but within about 30 minutes dark stormy clouds descended upon us and we were pelted with hail for the next 45 minutes until the boat came back for us. We had an extra 15 minutes with the Gentoo, Megellen and a King penguin, but we were freezing and I could barely move my fingers to take any pictures. The penguins continued to swim in the water, most likely laughing at us humans. Once we were on the canopy-covered boat back to Harburton Ranch, the water was very choppy and the ride was frightening as the boat skated across the water in a hurry to maintain our schedule. At the ranch we had a few minutes to enjoy our lunch or purchase refreshments such as homemade hot chocolate and other tasty treats. We continued to a marine museum which was very educational then on the journey back to the port of Ushuaia, arriving at 8:30 pm. |
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Tren del Fin del Mundo
Through TripAdvisor we planned our last activity, the "Train of the End of the World". We chose the first class ticket which included a meal for about $54. There are other combination tours available through TripAdvisor to spend the full day sightseeing. After breakfast we hired a taxi to take us to the train station near the Tierra Del Fuego National Park. We arrived just in time to board the southernmost train in the world. The historic railway represented history from 1883 where the president, Julio Argentino Roca, presented a project to create a penal colony here. Prisoners were happy to get away from the Presidio in the city of Ushuaia and travel by train to chop firewood in the forest as it was their closest feeling to freedom. By 1947, the prison closed and while traveling on the train, you can still see the "tree cemetery" where prisoners felt they were rewarded by being outside chopping trees for firewood. The train makes it first stop where you can hike to a waterfall for a nice photo opportunity. After the journey, we took a taxi back to the hotel and relaxed in the lobby until it was time to go to the airport. |
Buenos Aires
We took a late plane back to Buenos Aires and finally fell asleep about 1:00 am. After traipsing around glaciers and mountains we decided to rest the next day. We had an American breakfast at La Victoria in Buenos Aires. An American breakfast included eggs, bacon, fruit juice, pastries, coffee, fresh fruit salad and toast. Their version of fresh fruit salad is simply chopped fruit and it was very refreshing. After breakfast, we dropped off laundry, did some errands and went back to take a nap. It was a great day with no plans and then the perfect dinner at Boliche de Nico for an asado where I tried my first Provoleta. Provoleta is a slice of provolone type cheese grilled over coals as a piece of steak with olive oil and seasoning. Afterwards, we walked across the street to the Heladeria (ice cream shop) for some dulce de leche ice cream. The next morning, we grabbed a taxi to see the most beautiful cemetery in the world in La Recoleta neighborhood. The cemetery is comprised of over 4600 vaults on 14 acres. After another excellent breakfast, at La Continental near the cemetery, it started pouring rain, but it was a nice break from all the heat. We continued to the cemetery admiring all the vaults and of course, looking for the most famous, Evita Peron. Overall, you could spend the entire day here looking at the beauty and creativity of each vault. The last thing on our list was to find an excellent pizza place. A YouTube video mentioned El Cuartito as the best pizza, but when we asked a taxi driver to take us there, he said "La Mezzetta is better, you won't regret it". As we approached the restaurant, our mouths watering in anticipation, we discovered there are no tables to eat, people eat standing up at the bar after you stand in line to order the pizza (or slice). It was truly a different experience than expected and I think La Mezzetta was actually the best pizza we've ever had. On our last day in Buenos Aires, I was craving fresh gnocchi's and we ended up at Cervecería La Unión at 2998 Cuenca. After lunch, we picked up some pastries to sneak in our luggage and visited with family members before our taxi picked us up for the airport. |
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We flew on LATAM, the planes were Boeing Dreamliners with TV screens, plenty of movies, and a USB charger behind each seat. They served us two dinners with optional wine or beer. It was a comfortable flight round trip. We flew on Aerolineas Argentina to the other destinations and it seemed that they were on strike every other day, but we were fortunate that the strike didn't land on our travel days. We stopped in Chile and Peru and both airports are nice, clean and have plenty of shopping and modern conveniences available. Santiago airport has a Starbucks Coffee and Lima airport has a Friday's Restaurant. The airport in Lima has you exit directly into the Duty Free Shopping area. If you walk past the cash registers and turn left into the main path, you'll find more affordable shopping. To keep in touch with our family and pet sitters, we ordered a global wifi hotspot and we were able to check on our pets and use Skype to make calls to anyone in the U.S. as well as communicate to transfer and tour guides using Whatsapp mobile application. This was a very nice trip, packed full of excursions and food tasting. We didn't have time to visit so many other cities in Argentina, but that's just fine because we will need to come back in the future!
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