(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Next, we were off to see the penguins! And, yes, it was another gorgeous, sunny, calm day—perfect weather for a boat ride! Mother Nature sure was kind to us throughout our travels!
When we arrived at the boat launch, I was surprised to see that vehicles were permitted on the beach. We drove right up to the site, collected our life jackets, and boarded a cart that was pushed down the shoreline directly to the boat. No wet shoes on this boat trip! I had never seen anything like it.
Punihuil Wildlife Preserve is comprised of three rocky islets off the coast declared a National Monument to protect the breeding colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. The best time to visit is October thru mid-March, so we were fortunate to see the penguins before they ventured back out to sea.
On our way out to the preserve.
Although the boat was able to maneuver quite close to the islets for a good look, there was some boat movement with the current making photography of the birds a challenge. I needed to back off the zoom to get sharper shots, so these photos have been cropped.
These cuties are Magellanic penguins. They grow to be 24-30 inches tall and weigh 6-14 pounds:
Humboldt penguins, which range in size from 22-28 inches, have some pink in their face, so this is one here:
It was so exciting to see the penguins in their natural habitat, rather than at Sea World!
When we returned to the beach, our group had a seafood lunch at this restaurant with a beautiful view:
It was a lovely day for a walk on the beach afterwards, and Andrea snagged us for another “seeing double” fun photo:
Visiting Chiloe Island was a wonderful experience, but it was time to take the ferry back to the mainland for more adventures. We returned to Puerto Varas and were ecstatic to see a clear view of the volcanoes! Bruce and I grabbed an ice cream and headed out to enjoy the amazingly clear views, savoring one last evening in Puerto Varas before flying south to Punta Arenas, our southernmost city of the tour.
Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #12: PLEASANT PUNTA ARENAS
I’m big on taking notes when I travel, but I need to remember to read them thoroughly before I post a blog! I just now read that those “moonrise” and “sunset” pictures in my last post were actually moonset and sunrise pictures I shot on this day. (That’s what I get for continually forgetting to reset the day and time on my camera before traveling!)
Anyway, breakfast was a treat this morning as we enjoyed the beautiful view as well as a buffet that included a warm Marraqueta (traditional Chilean bread) with delicious fresh guacamole and cheese—a common Chilean breakfast.
Happily fortified, we were off for a brief stop to photograph the palifitos we had visited the previous day. (We will see more later in the afternoon.)
(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Next, we were off to the Rilan Peninsula for our Day in the Life adventure, beginning with a visit to the main square to see the Church of St. Mary, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Monument of Chile.
Keeping with our buena onda tradition, Andrea gathered us for another cheesy group photo:
Now, this next shot was something I had never done before. We played follow the leader—in this case, our local guide, Daniel. As soon as Andrea panned past us, we quickly followed Daniel behind Andrea and got back in front of the camera—the reason you are seeing double!
While the others went inside to explore the church further, I hoofed it up the hill to take a closer look at houses I had seen on the bus ride to the square. I had been captivated by the artistically cut house shingles since arriving on Chiloe Island, and I wanted to see more.
When I returned to the church, I had just enough time to take a quick look at the interior before we walked across the square to Isle and Raul’s home and farm.
Raul & Ilse
Our “Day in the Life” experience with them was a day to remember! We first gathered in the fogon—a covered structure separated from the house—where family and friends meet to share mate or tea and socialize. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Isle and Raul’s life on the farm and hear their perspective on how their traditional ways of life are being threatened due to politics, technology, “progress,” the economy, and salmon farming. Now that Chile is the second-largest producer of salmon in the world, it has had a huge impact on their community.
Another possible threat (or benefit, depending on which side of the debate you are on) to the island is the bridge that is going to be built to connect the island to the mainland. Will the increase in traffic, pollution, and tourism affect the people and Chilote traditions on Chiloe Island?
It was time for Isle to start preparing our lunch, a traditional meal called a curanto, so the group pitched in. Curanto is a stew—this one including mussels, sausage, meat, potatoes, and greens that is cooked in a huge pot. The group also prepared chapalele, which are potato dumplings that are wrapped in plastic wrap before they are added to the pot to be cooked.
Ilse preparing chapalele
One of the most important Chilote traditions is the “minga,” which is sharing essential tasks. A minga is a gathering of friends and acquaintances to roof a house (or even move a house!), build a fence, harvest a field of potatoes, or another project that requires a lot of labor. The reward? Curanto! It reminds me of back in college when buddies helped each other move apartments or out of the dorm, except pizza and beer was the reward.
Meanwhile, Raul gave us a tour of the farm, which wasn’t just an ordinary farm. Everywhere I turned, it was a feast for the eyes—at least my eyes! I am always in awe of the creativity of crafters, and I love to see (and sometimes purchase) the folk art and crafts of the countries I visit—especially if I can interact with the artist or crafter rather than purchasing from a souvenir shop. Between Isle and Raul, they seemed to make everything! From knitted wool clothing and baskets, to wood carving and models, to hand-built food processors and presses; to… just everything! I was simply in awe.
Raul’s workshop
Raul built this food processor and is mashing apples.
After helping Raul dig up some potatoes, he took us on a little nature walk through his property to see his life-size wood carvings. Of course, he built his own bridge across a pond as well as the walkway. Just look at this man’s talent! His carvings depict famous mythological characters that are very much a part of the Chilote culture.
While the curanto finished cooking, Raul taught us how to play rayuela, a traditional Chilean game similar to bocce or horseshoes, except tejo (small disks) are used. We also enjoyed a pisco sour, which became a popular drink among our buena onda group!
Our visit with Isle and Raul concluded with our sharing of the curanto for a wonderful lunch of good food, good company, and music performed by Raul and Daniel. It was such an enjoyable experience!
We weren’t done yet, though! After departing Rilan, we returned to Castro and hopped on a boat (for just our group) to go see more palafitos.
On the way to the palafitos, we could see our hotel and room facing the water.We were able to get quite close to these Red-legged Cormorants, and I zoomed in. I think they were quite used to boats coming by, because they didn’t fly off.A view of Castro and the Church of San Francisco.Palafitos, the houses on stilts.A closer view of this bird in flight. The sign reads, “Between sea and land.”Captured from the bus window while heading back to the hotel.
What a fabulous and very memorable day!
Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #11: PHOTOGENIC PENGUINS AT PUNIHUIL
Chiloe Island, a ferry ride away from the mainland of Chile, was a place I looked forward to visiting after learning about the native Mapuche people and their values. During our home hosted dinner, Carolina told us her mother lived in Chiloe and described the island’s people as humble and giving. As she explained, “Being wealthy [in Chiloe] is having a meal to share with family and friends.”
Chiloe, “Land of the seagulls” in Mapudungan, is an archipielago located at the southern end of the Lake District of Chile with about 40,000 residents. It’s a rainy place; it rains 75 inches a year. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any of it—well, except when we were on the bus for a short time.
After driving along the Pan American Highway, we arrived at the landing and embarked the ferry, bus and all, to Chiloe Island.
(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Once we pushed off, we were all permitted to vacate our vehicles and enjoy the one-hour crossing. It was another lovely day, so we all went up on top to enjoy the views. I always have my camera with me, so I took advantage and grabbed a shot during this quick pit stop in the head:
Following our arrival in the town of Chacao, we took a walk along the waterfront to the town square. Along the way, we saw so many gorgeous birds, including this large beauty high up in the tree:
These are black-necked swans:
A unique characteristic of the architecture on Chiloe are the intricately cut house shingles. Each builder has his own design, and locals can tell by that design who built which house. The colorful buildings made me smile as did the warm and friendly people.
Translation: “Where the magic begins”
We popped into the community center to see what the local crafters were selling, and I had a wonderful interaction with a fiber artist who didn’t speak English. Thanks to Jay, a fellow member of our group, I was able to learn the price of this adorable sheep and complete the transaction—only 2,000 pesos, which was just over $2! The fun part, though, was trying to communicate with her in my limited Spanish. I knew just enough to tell her how beautiful her work was! She was flattered when I asked for a photo, and she made my day. Her sheep keeps me company as I write these posts…
As I photographed the gigantic Chilean flag in the square, Andrea came running up to me and Bruce and exclaimed, “Come quick!” She didn’t want us to miss an impromptu performance by a young music and dance group that was on tour. They delighted us as well as the locals, including this woman and these shop owners who warmed my heart:
Mary, giving stickers to the children
Following our visit to Chacao, we made our way through the rugged, windswept island to Castro, the capital of Chiloe Island. We checked into the Enjoy Chiloe Hotel, which was a huge surprise given that Andrea told us not to expect it to be as nice as the Radisson in Puerto Varas. (Evidently, she had received some complaints from past travelers, something I could not understand AT ALL after we arrived.) Just look at this floor-to-ceiling view from our room! Our jaws dropped! We looked around and tried to figure out what was not to like. Sure, there were some stairs going down from the door and closet area to the bedroom; and, the location wasn’t as walkable as Puerto Varas, but look at his VIEW! Just wait until tonight…
Meanwhile, while admiring the fiber arts pieces on display throughout the hotel (which made my heart sing, because my mom used to create beautiful fiber arts pieces), we made our way to the restaurant for a delicious lunch—with a VIEW!
Time for a laundry stop! I handwash our laundry as we go, so we took a pass, but on OAT tours, they always try to arrange somewhere for the group to have their laundry done along the way. Drop it off, see the sites, and then return for a clean stack of clothes.
Our tour of the church included the attic where we were able to get a look at how the church was constructed. From there I found a hole large enough for my camera to capture this unique view.
Returning to the main square of Castro, we visited another UNESCO site, the Church of San Francisco, built in 1910. It is painted yellow to represent the sun, and the purple trim represents royalty.
Going to church is the big social event of the week for residents of Chiloe Island, but they are also helping immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti to settle in Chile.
Andrea loves taking group pictures, so she took this cheesy shot at the Castro sign. There were two ladies from Santiago watching, and they wanted a picture with our “Buena onda” (good vibes) group, so we invited Sarah and Veronica to photo bomb our shot as honorary group members. They were a hoot!
More scenes around the main square:
The afternoon concluded with a visit to see Castro’s iconic palafitos—colorful homes built on stilts that have become Castro’s biggest attraction. Andrea and Daniel, our local guide who was with us in Puerto Varas, had a friend, Hanover, who lived in one, and we were invited to stop by for a look. Hanover built the house himself and used 80 stilts to support it.
Most of the house is built on stilts, which are not pictured. You will see many more palafitos in a future post!
Several of the palafitos had decorative hand-cut shingles like we saw in Chacao. A very hard wood is used and lasts about 40 years. When the shingle wears out on one side, they just flip it over. Bright paint colors are used (except for the one below) to contrast the cold, gloomy, and rainy weather that usually plagues the region. But look at this day! Our luck continues…
Hanover
Our “buena onda” (good vibes) group having fun on Hanover’s deck. The stilt side (water side) of the house is considered the front of the house.
Orsano Volcano can be seen across the lake from Puerto Varas if it’s a clear day. Fortunately, the 8,000-foot-tall volcano hasn’t erupted since 1869. There is another volcano that can also be seen from town, Calbuco, that erupted in 2015—the first time since 1972. This morning, we got a peak at the volcanos in between the clouds that were forming and threatening to douse us with our first rain in eight days. Fortunately, as it turned out, it didn’t rain until late in the day, when we were indoors, and it didn’t matter.
A rainy morning would have made for a messy and slippery hike—our first activity of the day. It rains a lot over ten months of the year at Petrohue Falls in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park , so we were lucky this wasn’t a wet day.
The park is a popular tourist destination, so Andrea made sure to get us up and out early to beat the crowds.
Following our guided hike with Daniel, our local guide, we took a break for another “discovery” (we were getting good at the traditional toast by then), before having free time to explore the falls on our own. The sun broke out from the clouds revealing a beautiful landscape and a snow-capped volcano. Bruce and I spent almost all our time just watching the clouds pass by, listening to the water, and hoping for a better view of the volcano. It was lovely!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Scenes from our hike:
Mary caught me in action!
Andrea with another “discovery” joining our guide, Daniel
The volcano kept peaking in and out of the clouds; a very dynamic sky!A close-up view
After we returned to Puerto Varas, we had a few hours of free time to grab lunch and enjoy the town. We quickly grew fond of empanadas when we were in Argentina, but the ones we picked up at Café Danes were the best!
Here are more scenes around Puerto Varas:
I just love these mosaic stairs!
The view from Kunstgarten (Garden of the Arts), located at the top of the mosaic stairs.
These, uh, interesting(?) wool fiber art sculptures were hanging from the tree at the entrance of the garden.
Rose bushes lined many of the sidewalks.
This is what the Chilean currency looks like. Their peso was valued a bit stronger than the Argentinean peso; however, they print larger denominations, making our wallets less bulky! Today’s exchange rate: $1 USD = 975 CLP. So, that green 1000 note is worth a little more than $1.
Later in the afternoon, we visited the Combas Music School, a wonderful school that is supported by Grand Circle Foundation. This was the first performance for the new music students—so charming!
The evening was spent doing what Bruce and I look forward to each time we travel with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT): a home hosted dinner. It is always a great opportunity to visit with a family, enjoy the cuisine of their country, and have meaningful cultural interaction.
Our group of 16 was split in half to visit two different homes. Bruce and I were assigned to Carolina and George, a warm and wonderful young couple. As soon as we stepped into their home, I felt comfortable, and I loved much of the décor! It felt almost too familiar; they were listening to American classic rock played by their local radio station!
Throughout Argentina and Chile, we had enjoyed Pisco Sour cocktails—a South American favorite—and learned how to make them at our hotel. Carolina and George welcomed us with their version, which they make with whatever fruit they have available at the time. Delicious!
Carolina taught us how to make empanadas, which we enjoyed with our cocktails. We all took turns making our own and George fried them while we chatted in the kitchen. They were eager to learn where we were all from and to tell them something about our state. Carolina had a map marking where all the OAT travelers they had hosted were from, and she was eager to see if we were from any new states.
In between the laughs we all shared, we learned a lot about the two of them and their views about Chile. Carolina is a former English teacher and now has her own business raising and selling plants. George, also a business owner, is a landscape builder.
They explained that much like many countries throughout the world, including Argentina and the U.S.A., Chile is very politically divided. Their current president, Gabriel Boric, is far left—opposite of Argentina’s far-right president. Asked what their top concern is for their country, Carolina and George agreed that crime and safety worry them the most. In October of 2019, there was a “spontaneous” (organized?) uprising in the city centers throughout the country. Young people burned churches and city buildings causing major destruction. They doubt it was spontaneous at all. After all, ten metro stations in ten different cities burned at the same time. Speculation is that it was connected to mafia.
As we learned about our hosts and their concerns for their country (which sounded all too familiar; they echoed concerns we have in the U.S.A.), we enjoyed delicious corn pie with chicken—a traditional Chilean dish, followed by a German dessert. German? Yes, many Germans settled in Puerto Varas and the region, just like they had in Bariloche.
The evening ended too soon, as it always does during a home hosted dinner. It was so enjoyable; the time flew by!
Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #9: CHARMING CHILOE ISLAND
This was a big travel day by bus. We drove into Chile by crossing over the beautiful Andes Mountains. The Chilean border station where we stopped to have our passports checked and our luggage scanned for fruits, nuts, and other banned foods, was in Argentina. The border itself, however, was technically at the top of the Andes at an elevation of 4,000 feet, 80 miles from Bariloche where we had departed. When we arrived at this invisible border, we got out of the bus and had a decision to make: Should we stay or should we go? The group was split at first:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
To Chile we go! (Fortunately, we escaped being obliterated by an 18-wheeler that sped by following our border-straddling stunt. We celebrated our ultimately unanimous decision with another “discovery,” made a toast to Chile, and ventured on.
Along the way, while taking in the gorgeous views, we learned about our new country. Andrea summed up the differences between Argentinians and Chileans with this comparison: Argentina is the Italy of South America, and Chile is the England of South America. In other words, Argentinians are loud, disorganized, (and drink mate); and, Chileans are humble, more conservative, organized, follow the rules, and drink tea. As an Argentinian married to a Chilean, Andrea and Julio both agree on that assessment!
A wildfire had destroyed the forest, but it’s coming back!
Chile is a funny-looking country on the map. It is very long (2,625 miles!) and narrow (averaging just 10 miles wide). An arid desert is located at the north end, and the south has glaciers and a rugged terrain. In between, there is everything from mountains and cliffs to valleys, and lakes as well as forests, islands, and canals. The Andes separate the country from Argentina to the east, with the highest elevation being at 21,000 feet. We were going to see Patagonia, in the south, beginning with the Lakes District, one of Chile’s five regions. The region is famous for its wonderful cabernet sauvignon wine as well as copper and lithium production.
Daniel, our local guide, told us a lot of interesting information about his country as we made our way towards Puerto Varas. We learned that Chile is the second-largest salmon producer in the world after Norway. Surprisingly, it’s not Pacific salmon they are farming, even though Chile faces the Pacific Ocean. They are farming Atlantic salmon, because the Norwegians brought it over and taught the Chileans how to farm it successfully.
We also learned that Chile experienced the biggest earthquake (9.6) ever recorded. That was back in 1960, and it lasted ten minutes! 1,500 people were killed, and the earthquake caused a tsunami with 120-foot waves!
Since then, Chileans have gotten used to earthquakes and have strict building codes. The last big quake was in 2010—an 8.8—which also caused a tsunami and left many people homeless. These days, Chileans consider a 7.0 earthquake no big deal.
More about Chile in the posts to come, but it was time to stop for lunch. Fortunately, we didn’t get held up at the border station, which often takes three hours to get through. It was quiet there, so it only took about 75 minutes to process our group—a good thing, because we were getting hungry!
Our lunch stop was a cute little family restaurant where we were served the most tender chicken I had ever eaten. I felt a little guilty, though, because we could see those farm-raised chickens just outside the window as we enjoyed their former relatives. Which one was going to be the next victim?
Before hitting the road, we stopped in to see Moncopulli, the auto museum located next door. I just looked it up on Trip Advisor; it gets a 4-1/2 out of 5 rating. Bruce and I agree; it was worth a visit if you are in the area! The museum’s owner is a collector of Studebakers, and he opened the museum as a tribute to his father who owned a Studebaker. Tragically, his parents were killed in a car crash when he was just 11 years old. Now, the museum features his car collection as well as an assortment of Studebakers that were donated to the museum.
A funny little Beemer!
Onward ho to Puerto Varas we go! It was a beautiful afternoon when we arrived—much different than the cold and windy weather we were expecting. The remainder of the afternoon was free, so we headed out to get some Chilean pesos and explore the town before meeting up with the group at a local restaurant for dinner.
The city was founded by German immigrants, which was evident in the architecture and vibe of the town.
Here are a few scenes I captured while visiting the craft markets and walking along the waterfront of town:
Better views of the volcano in the background will appear in a future post.Families enjoyed the beach on this rare warm and sunny afternoon and calm evening.
Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #8: PETROHUE FALLS, A MUSIC SCHOOL, AND HOME HOSTED DINNER
The morning didn’t start blissful—that came later. First, a local gal, Nora, came to talk with our group about the Nazi presence in Patagonia following WWII. It was interesting history I never knew about.
During the 1920’s-1940’s, Germans developed the ski industry in Bariloche and tourism grew. During WWII, Argentina wasn’t exactly anti-Nazi. Juan Peron was elected president during that period, and although he wasn’t a Nazi himself, he was pro-fascist. Argentina was the last to declare war against Germany.
Following the war, Peron allowed selected Nazi war criminals to get fake identities, emigrate to Argentina, and blend in with the other Germans in Bariloche. Peron only wanted those with science and technical backgrounds that could help develop technology in Argentina. By having fake identities, these criminals were able to evade the courts. Between 1947 – 1950, 300 high-ranking war criminals and 5,000 collaborators emigrated to Argentina and were protected by Peron. Disgusting.
Moving on to much more blissful subjects, Bruce and I enjoyed the remainder of the beautiful morning by exploring more of Bariloche:
(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Tourists lined up to photograph the Bariloche sign!This is the “beach” just up from our hotel and before the Bariloche sign. The water was frigid and the rocks didn’t look too comfortable to lounge on!
We stopped into the community center and looked down at the maze below.
The most blissful of that exploration, of course, was the Bariloche chocolate and gelato! There’s good chocolate in Argentina? Well, yes, as a matter of fact! And, Bariloche, has the best in the country. Remember all those Germans and Swiss who fled to Bariloche? Well, as I mentioned in previous posts, there were a LOT of Italians who fled the devastating aftermath of the war as well, and some of them were fabulous chocolatiers. They had brought their recipes with them to Argentina, so they could continue making chocolate in their new country. When these expats saw how Bariloche was developing into an attractive and successful alpine-like tourist town, they headed to what’s now known as “Little Switzerland.”
There are a lot of chocolate shops in Bariloche! It reminded me of Brussels, Belgium; everywhere I looked, I saw another one! Andrea had recommended Rapanui and Mamuschka, and my blog and Trip Advisor research came up with those two being rated among the best. Rapanui, if you remember from my first post, had a location near our hotel in Buenos Aires. We enjoyed some very delicious gelato there! What I didn’t admit at the time, however, was how much chocolate I also enjoyed from Rapanui. The truffles! The dulce-de-leche filled chocolates!! Pure heaven.
Well, I just had to compare Rapanui to Mamuschka, so I stopped in to purchase a selection—the cutest being these dulce-de-leche bears. We had a gelato at Rapanui, too.
Rapanui gelato with dulce-de-leche
This cup of two gelato scoops will only set you back 2600 pesos or $2.60!
How can I choose the best? Rapanui and Mamuschka were both blissful!
Bariloche had heated up quite a bit by the afternoon, topping out at around 90 degrees—our hottest day in usually cold Patagonia. Horseback riding and a barbeque at a family horse farm was on the afternoon agenda, but it was just too hot for me. I opted to stand in the shade to see the group off, and then scampered back inside for a cold face-dunk in the sink.
“Los Haneck” was a very cool Patagonian ranch where we were warmly welcomed. Bruce passed on the horseback riding as well, and we had a great time just hanging out with Andrea, Letti (our local guide), Monica Haneck, and her dogs. Meanwhile, Chango and Pancho prepared a barbeque dinner of lamb, sausage, and chicken. Served with salad (veggies—yay!) and a delicious dulce-de-leche-topped traditional flan; it was a fabulous feast!
We also learned how to make and drink mate (“mah-tay”), which is an acquired taste, to say the least. A caffeine-infused herbal drink traditionally served in a vessel made from a gourd, it’s very much a part of the Argentinian culture, especially in the northern part of the country where yerba mate is grown and harvested. The favored drink of the gauchos (cowboys), the tradition began with the indigenous Guarani in what is now Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay.
The etiquette attached to drinking mate is just as much a part of drinking mate as the mate itself. It is drunk in social settings, with family and friends. The same gourd and metal straw is passed around and shared by all, so you can imagine how much COVID disrupted this tradition! Instead of passing the gourd and straw, they resorted to passing the thermos of hot water.
There is much more to mate and its consumption than I have written; it’s quite elaborate! If you are ever in that part of the world, though, watch for somebody with a thermos held in the bend of their arm. Chances are that same hand is holding a mate vessel with a metal straw, and they are on their way to share it with a friend! (You will see what I mean in a future blog post.)
Meanwhile, let’s eat!
Monica and Chango with my photo notecards I gave them as a gift. Bruce gave Monica a gift of his fused glass jewelry.
Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #7: OVER THE ANDES TO CHILE WE GO!
Looking over the trip itinerary, this was one of the days we were especially hoping for good weather. A chairlift ride up Mount Campanario was on the agenda, so we could take in the views of Bariloche below. Rain or fog would have been a big, bad, bummer! This is what we got instead:
(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)
This sunrise view from our hotel room got us excited for the sunny day ahead!
We were surrounded by these tall trees as we made our way to the chairlift at the base of Mount Campanario.
Southern Lapwings were poking around for breakfast.
That’s us waving to you, dear readers!
We were told there would be a local guy shooting photos when we arrived at the top, so just smile and let him take the photo, because there would be no obligation to purchase it. Bruce and I are not into selfies; we typically want just a shot or two taken of us at our favorite vistas of each trip and leave it at that. At 3,000 pesos ($3), though, I decided to buy our photo as an insurance policy, just in case… If the guy followed through and e-mailed the file, at least I would have one picture of the trip! As it turned out, Andrea shot a ton of photos of us and the group throughout the tour, so I will be including more shots of us than usual in my upcoming blog posts.
Just look at these views!
We were absolutely in awe with gratitude!
Following our visit to Mount Campanario, we went to Brazo Tristeza and did a beautiful hike around Lake Moreno. Seeing it up close and personal was a different perspective than the birds-eye view we got atop Campanario, and we enjoyed seeing the flora and fauna of the area.
Make sure to click on this shot of Lake Moreno for a larger view. The lake was stunning!The water was so clear, we could see fish swimming around by the shoreline.
We were rewarded with a little treat too—another one of Andrea’s “discoveries.” This one was my favorite: Cusenier Dulce de Leche liqueur. We all agreed it would taste delicious poured over Argentinian gelato!
Our group lunch was at Gilbert Artesanal Brewery, where we first learned about their brewing process, and then tasted a few different offerings along with our lunch.
Ice cream with dulce de leche, of course!
We stopped at this view point on our way back to town.
Included lunches on these tours are like dinners, so when they are followed by “dinner on your own,” Bruce and I head to the local market or bakery and pick up something light to bring back to the hotel. In this case, the weather was lovely and the views from the hotel patio were gorgeous, so our little patio picnic of bakery sandwiches was a delightful way to enjoy the evening.
Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #6: Blissful Bariloche Bonbons and a BBQ at a Family Ranch.
“Bariloche” (San Carlos de Bariloche) was about a two-hour flight from Buenos Aires and well worth the effort it took for our group to get there. There had been a strike of airport workers the day before, so all flights had been canceled, leaving the airlines having to deal with a big mess the day we flew out. There was a long wait to check in; however, we made it to our gate in time for our flight.
Located in the mountains of northern Patagonia, we had expected it to be cold and windy, the typical weather for the region, even in the summer. As a matter of fact, on the windiest days in Bariloche, cars line up in the parking lot next to the lake for a free car wash!
I was shocked when the forecast showed a high of 79 and no wind on our day of arrival, and we were warned that we could experience all four seasons in a single day. Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes, and it will change. Except, it didn’t change much during the entire three days we were in Bariloche. It was warm and sunny our first day and got even warmer! So much for the cold-weather clothes and rain gear I had packed; I wore shorts and t-shirts in Bariloche!
Upon our arrival at Cacique Inacayal Hotel, we were greeted with this breathtaking view of Nahuel Huapi Lake, a 40-mile long lake surrounded by the foothills of the Andes. The hotel was beautiful—interesting architecture and a lot of wood and stone fit in perfectly with the Alpine vibe of this city settled by the Germans and Swiss. Nicknamed “Little Switzerland,” it’s the second-most visited destination in Argentina, and I instantly could see why. The city sits in the center of Nahuel Huapi National Park, which offers many outdoor activities and sightseeing, which we would be doing the following day. Stay tuned!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view. Desktop computer monitors are best!)
Meanwhile, we settled into our room before Andrea led us on a walking tour of the town. We were fortunate the top-floor room we got was unwanted by the couple it was assigned to, because of the stairs required to reach it after the elevator ride. We prefer taking stairs rather than elevators for the exercise, so we gladly accepted the switch. This is our room with the gorgeous view:
The view of our top-floor room from the bar patio.
The town center was a short walk away, and I found it to be quite charming—and, a bit (pleasantly!) distracting. Not only does Bariloche have the nickname “Little Switzerland,” but it lives up to that name with all its chocolate shops! Stay tuned for more about that, too, in an upcoming post…
White scarf symbols of the Grandmothers of May Square were painted throughout the square, along with names of those who were “disappeared”– a memorial to those who were never found.
Black-Faced Ibis
Following our walking tour, we gathered at the hotel to meet Christina, from the Mapuche Nation, to learn about the struggles and culture of her native people. MAPU (land) CHE (people) were the first people of the region which today covers the southern half of Chile and Argentina. Throughout their history, they have had to fight fiercely to maintain self-determination and freedom—first, against the Inca Empire, and then for over 400 years against the Spanish, Chilean, and Argentinian authorities.
Why do native people always get the shaft? American Indians, Alaskan Eskimos, Australian Aboriginals, New Zealand Maoris; and; the Mapuche, which evidence proves, have been in Patagonia for 16,000 years! I could go on and on; there are many more natives just like them throughout the world getting the shaft. They all have this in common: They were there first, but they are treated horribly by those who followed, and they get no respect.
In Chile, there is a law that doesn’t allow the Mapuche to protest. If they do, they are considered “terrorists” under the anti-terrorist law. The bottom line? They have less rights than American Indians.
Learning about the Mapuche history and culture fascinated me, and I was most intrigued by their spiritual beliefs. As Christina explained, they only believe in what they can see; they do not believe in God. Our trusty guidebook explained it this way, “The spiritual belief of the Mapuche people is closely linked to the land and their natural environment from which the power of life emanates of a divine family that creates and sustains man and nature. Man is perceived as a part of nature that is interconnected with all the surrounding elements.”
Our first day in Bariloche concluded with the group enjoying dinner together at the hotel—the best part being this exquisite chocolate dessert:
View of the sunset from our room
Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #5: BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF BARILOCHE & A BREWERY
Our (very!) full day began with a city highlights tour led by Nora, an excellent local guide. The first destination was Plaza de Mayo (May Square), the main foundational site of Buenos Aires. This is where history is made. It has been the site of Argentina’s largest and most important political demonstrations.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view. Desktop computer monitors are best!)
An afternoon view of the plaza when we returned following the city tour.
Metropolitan Cathedral on Plaza de Mayo
Plaza de Mayo is also the meeting site for Grandmothers of May Square and the location of their headquarters and museum of memory of 30,000 citizens who were detained during the military dictatorship of 1976 – 1983. We learned about the human rights organization and their work in trying to find the 30,000 young people who were “disappeared”— either kidnapped or born to mothers in prison, stolen, and illegally appropriated. Assisted by United States geneticist Mary-Claire King, the Grandmothers have located about 25% of the estimated 500 children kidnapped or born in detention centers. The kidnapped babies were part of a systematic government plan to have them appropriated to “correct” families that supported the dictatorship.
Our group met one of the victims, Guillermo, and heard his heart-wrenching story. He is one of the (now adult) “disappeared” children who had been born to a Jewish mother but stolen and given to a Catholic couple and given a new identity. He learned the truth at age 21. Both of his grandmothers were part of the original Mothers of May Square. He was found because his sister had provided DNA to find her parents. It was through that match that he was found as well.
You can imagine how the truth destroyed Guillermo’s relationship with the couple he thought were his birth parents. They had committed crimes by taking him, and then lied about it for 21 years. As a result, his “father” served seven years in prison, and his “mother” served three years. Neither sentence was long enough; car thieves serve more for their crimes.
Ultimately, he learned that his birth parents were “disappeared” for being student political activists who protested the dictatorship. They were kidnapped, tortured, and killed.
While we were at Plaza de Mayo, we saw the changing of the grenadier guard, marching from Plaza de Mayo to the monument of Argentina liberator San Martin inside Metropolitan Cathedral.
Next, we visited the colorful La Boca neighborhood where the Argentine tango was born. “Colorful” is an understatement, really, because bright colors pop from every building and mural throughout the streets of this neighborhood settled by mostly Italian immigrants. Blue and yellow are especially popular—the colors of their soccer team and neighborhood “futbol” stadium.
Everywhere we looked, there were these funky life-sized statues on balconies!
Boca Juniors Futbol (Soccer) StadiumSeveral shops and houses were painted in the Boca Juniors team colors.
Argentinians love their meat…
…especially steak.
This newer business fit right in with its colorfully-painted facade.
Following the city tour, we opted to be dropped off back at Plaza de Mayo to shoot a couple of afternoon photos of the square before walking to San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood of Buenos Aires. We got a kick out of Paseo de las historieta, a four-block section of Balcarce Street full of street art dedicated to Argentina’s most popular cartoon characters.
Andrea’s Buena Onda OTT group: Notice what they are drinking! I’ll get back to that in a future post!
The posh and hip Puerto Madero was where our group enjoyed our Welcome Dinner. Argentina is world-renowned for their steak, but Bruce and I opted for Pacu, a local fish.
The view from our restaurantReflections
This was the first of many delicious varieties of dulce de leche desserts we enjoyed throughout the tour. I was hooked!
Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #4: BEAUTIFUL BARILOCHE
For a quick Cliff Notes background on Argentina, I will shamelessly extract information here and there from the wonderful Overseas Adventure Travel guidebook Andrea gave us during our briefing: “Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina experienced periods of internal political conflict between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military factions.”
Sound familiar? What country is not experiencing political conflict between conservatives and liberals? Like the U.S.A., their country is very divided, and that division played out while we were in Argentina.
Fortunately, none of the numerous strikes and protests had a detrimental affect on our group or travels, but a lot was going on while we were in Argentina. Javier Milei, the current president, has made a lot of people quite angry since being elected last December– especially those who don’t subscribe to his far-right point of views. It made for some interesting discussions with Andrea, our trip leader, and her insight and passion added so much to our experience in her country. As she explained, Argentinians are just as passionate about talking politics as they are soccer!
More about Argentinian culture will be revealed throughout my blog posts, but if I had to sum up my impressions in just a few words, I would describe it as passionate, eclectic, and European. Settled by the Spaniards and Italians, their influences permeate all aspects of Argentiniann culture. There is also a large Jewish community—one of the largest in the world.
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is known as the “Paris of South America” or the “Cultural Capital of South America.” It has a population of approximately three million people, but adding in the populated suburbs brings that total to ten million, ranking it in the top ten most populated cities in the world.
The safest area of this massive city was where our hotel was located, so Bruce and I focused on exploring the Recoleta neighborhood, since our feet were our mode of transportation during our first full day in the city. One of our 16 group members, Diane, needed to get pesos, so we offered to show her where she could exchange her dollars and asked if she wanted to join us on our walk. Andrea had given us a map with suggestions on what to see, so we set out on what proved to be the first of many beautiful days to come. (As cliché as it is to talk about the weather, our group couldn’t help ourselves, because the weather was amazing throughout our three weeks in Argentina and Chile—even in Patagonia!)
Here are some scenes of the Recoleta district:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view. Desktop computer monitors are best!)
Avenida 9 de Julio (July 9 Avenue) is one of the widest avenues in the world. It has nine lanes with a leafy, gardened median between opposing flows of traffic. It is nearly impossible to cross it on foot on one green light!
This curious sculpture was in one of the medians
We passed by the French and Brazilian embassies as we made our way through the posh area of the city, in Recoleta.
I was surprised to find these two British-styled phone booths at Placia Francia!
I loved this clever sculpture!
Basilica Nuestra Senora Del Pilar
Colorful tiles in the foyer.
This museum was located adjacent to the basilica.
It was summer in Argentina, and the flowers and trees were gorgeous!
We were too early to see the jacarandas in bloom, but the trees were still beautiful!
This professional dog walker had his hands full!
Before our group set out for dinner, we met with Andrea for our welcome briefing. We learned that throughout our trip, we would be traveling 5,000 total miles, crossing the Andes at an elevation of 4,000 feet, seeing 7 destinations, 1 capital city, 4 national parks, 1 UNESCO site, and 1 natural wonder. We also enjoyed our first “discovery” of many—a sampling of one of Argentina’s “adult” beverages, a glass of Argentinian wine. (We soon learned when Andrea announced a “discovery” that a local liqueur, wine, or food was soon to follow. I love discoveries!)
Speaking of discoveries, we all discovered that Andrea was not wrong when she said there was great pizza (and gelato!) in Buenos Aires, thanks to the Italians! Pizzeria Guerrin was muy bueno!
On the way to Pizzeria Guerrin, we stopped to see the world-famous Teatro Colon, considered one of the most important opera houses in the world.
The obelisk of Buenos Aires is a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires. It is THE meeting point for political protests and celebrations, including Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory.
Pizzeria Guerrin, a popular theater district hangout for locals and tourists alike, was a fun and funky place. We passed through several smaller rooms before we arrived at our table in this larger room at the very back of the restaurant.
Their theater district is much like New York’s Broadway.
The Obelisk was lit up colorfully at night.
A night view of the opposite side of the opera house.
Next up: ARGENTINA & CHILE #3: MORE OF BUSTLING BUENOS AIRES
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 