Mabs & Tim Travel Adventures

We then headed into Chile for the second time, making our way to Torres del Paine National Park. We had 3 nights here, and we were camping again this time in a nice thicket of trees as the wind is quite powerful in these areas.

An option on this part of the trip was to do the W-trail, which involved doing a 3-5 day trek, doing Los Torres, followed by Valle de Frances, and Lago del Grey, 88 km all in all. Both of us opted out of this one as we just wanted to take it easy for a bit, opting instead to do the V part of the W, the Grey and Frances trail.

We stayed in our campsite after we dropped the others who were doing the W, and during our first night there we had a bit of an adventure with some of the native fauna- mice! They had somehow crept into some people’s tents and had either eaten the food or their toiletries! Luckily Tim and I had not been as quick to bring our things in, and so our tent wasn’t invaded. There was a fair bit of screaming and scrambling as the others tried to clear the field mice from their tents. Poor things.

The next day was extremely windy. Maria had a bad feeling about this 2 day trek, she was feeling a bit sore throat-ish at the time. Tim was still quite enthusiastic though and so they decided to give it ago and if it was really bad that they would turn back. The boat ride across was crazy! This normally placid lake became quite wavy because of the wind and therefore massive amounts of water kept splashing onto the window and glass ceiling. Tim was absolutely loving it while Maria muttered some prayers under her breath. When they finally got across it had started drizzling and they hurried to set up their tents.

A comedy of errors then ensued as everyone tried to put up their tents. The wind was quite strong coming down from the glacier, and as we were setting it up, a massive gust of wind came down and completely disassembled what we had put up. Tim decided then and there that we would pay the exorbitant fee required by the lodge to stay there rather than risk getting blown away. Considerably poorer, we returned to where the others were trying to set up their tents, and did so with some success, at least initially. They had added big rocks to reinforce their tent pegs so that it would not be uprooted and blown away. However while we were eating lunch a short while later, 2 more tents blew away and collapsed. The others then disassembled the remaining tents and a few of us booked into the same lodge we were in while some went back to the other campsite as they did not want to pay the exorbitant fee required.

We were all exhausted after that ordeal and decided to just stay indoors that afternoon. The next day we went to Lago Grey while the others went to Frances Valley which was supposed to be more difficult. It was a decent hike to Lago grey, and we travelled for about 2 hours to the viewpoint. We saw loads of icebergs on the way and then had our first glimpse of the glacier. It was magnificent. The sheer force of the wind as we stepped up onto the rock to get a better view was staggering. We had to hold our jackets and hoodies down as well as maintain a wide base of support to keep ourselves standing. The crisp glacier air burned as it hit our cheeks but despite this we managed to smile as we posed for our photos and take delight in our achievement.

We then headed back to our campsite across the way with hopes that the tents there at least would be standing and we were pleased to see that they were. We had loads of soup for dinner and got warm by the coals.
The next day the W people were returning and we were celebrating with a great big lamb spit roast. It was quite delicious, but most everyone was exhausted and Maria had herself some patients after the grueling hike. That’ll keep her in practice!

Ushuaia was amazing. The town, the beagle channel, and the towering mountains surrounding it. Absolutely fantastic. Tierra del Fuego- the Island of fire. Just fantastic.

The first night we were there was after the big 4 ½ day trek- Tim and I thought we deserved something good after that and so we headed out to town to have one of their world famous Centollas- king spider crabs. We went into a place called La Cantina de Freddy and had the most amazing crab ever- it was male and yet it was soooo juicy and sweet- lots of meat and yummy fat- not good really, but we’re only in Ushuaia every so often. Haha! Washing it down with some Patagonian Sauvignon Blanc was good as well. We actually had a photo before and after as we selected it from the live tank and held it before it was cooked in the kitchen. So good…

The next day we went on separate excursions-Tim went on a sailing boat and Maria-due to her not wanting to experience seasickness- went on a much larger catamaran. They both went down the beagle channel- Tim’s boat took 4 hours, and Maria’s boat took 6 hours- a bit longer.

Tim went with a group of 10 people- all our mates from the trip and went with a boat that had Jacques Costeau’s oceanographer on it. Apparently it wasn’t choppy at all, and the beagle channel was beautiful with views not only of Ushuaia, but the surrounding Andes and the World famous lighthouse at the end of the world. They went to where there were birds that looked like penguins called Cormorans, but still had flight. They then sailed around and got off one of the islands and headed back to shore. It was an enjoyable half-day out for Tim

Maria went with another group of her friends along with a few more tourists in a bigger catamaran where they approached the cormoran island, as well as the sea lion island where she saw loads of big ones playing and making loud noises.

The boat then travelled to the more distant penguin island- where they actually beached themselves and so we had great photo opportunities. There were 2 different types of penguins on the rock- the other one looks like the Mexican penguins in Happy feet. Very cute. If you want to get even closer, you can pay another boat to take you on the island and you can “walk with the penguins”- all staying at least one meter away from them as well. We chose not to do this as we had already seen them in the penguin reserve in Chile.

The next day we had our first museum visit. The Museo del fin de Mundo was ok, but a bit small and mostly in Spanish so we both struggled to understand most of it. The Maritime museum though was quite interesting- it had 5 different exhibits on, and used to be the old jail in Ushuaia. It was quite eerie seeing the prison as we could just imagine how cold it would be- we were there in summer/fall time and we were quite cold. We also saw part of the maritime history, and how the different types of ships were used and the many accidents in Ushuaia Harbour. Tim also had to check out the pescar exhibit which was minimal but still satisfying.

Tim went fly fishing the following day, enjoying a full day out from 8 am until 11 pm! It was also St Patrick’s Day so the merriment could be felt everywhere, with everyone wearing a bit of green and orange but unfortunately no Guinness could be found anywhere! They had to make do with either Bailey’s or some other beer but it was much fun anyways.

Meanwhile, as mentioned Tim had been out the whole day and Maria was getting quite worried as the guide had said that they would be back by 4-8 pm at the latest and it was already 10 pm! After another hour Tim finally walked in looking windswept and tired, but cheerful. Alas, after all that- no fish! The only one who caught anything was the guide and according to Tim they were tiny ones. A bit disappointing but Tim enjoyed it immensely, nonetheless. It was a great few days for us all in all.

The drive down to Ushuaia started as we headed out of BA. The geography after the first 200km farms was lots of cattle and trees, and the further south we went the colder the air got, and the smaller the trees and bushes became. The first night we camped on a soccer field behind a police station. The policeman was nice enough to let us use his toilet. It was quite interesting as there were lots of cars that were on the lot which were involved in car accidents. Bit morbid but fascinating at the same time. Maria also got her first taste of mate which was quite bitter without sugar, otherwise good. It is a drink shared through a straw that filters water from the tea leaves. It is fascinating to think that this might be the same tea Che Guevara drank in his travels so long ago.

The drive days started the same. We would get up at 5.30am and have breakfast. The truck leaves the campsite at 6am, and we would then drive and drive and drive. We would stop every 2.5 hours for a pee break on the side of the road (sorry ladies no facilities) then we would continue on the Journey. We ate lunch on the truck, then set up camp again around 9.30pm. Then we would do the same thing the next day again. We crossed into Chile and back into Argentina constantly. The borders down to Ushuaia are not constant. One area is owned by one country and then you cross a river and you’re in the next one.

The geography changed into large open plains. As far as the eye can see, there is no vegetation higher than around 30cm. Just small shrubs and grasses such vast expanses of nothing, although we saw lots of llama, rheas and the occasional sheep.

The wind in this region is notoriously powerful because there are no trees or vegetation. The wind comes from the storms around Antarctica and is freezing cold.

The second day was similar driving. We stopped in a little town called Puerto Madryn which has a Welsh speaking population. Very cool- this is where Tim swore he had the best sausage sandwich ever. We then camped near a sea lion colony in the evening-quite rocky, but no sea lions unfortunately.

The third afternoon we crossed into Chile, and then we had to go to Punta Arenas to register the next day as the government in Chile has made it mandatory since the earthquake that all foreigners have to register at a local municipality once they clear the border. It was a cool little town with lots of small shops. Tim bought a pair of tracksuit pants that was bright red however it cost $2Aud that was the important fact not the fact that they are bright red!!!

Maria bought a llama scarf and headband, as well as a fleece. Tim also bought a pair of gloves as it was getting really cold.

We then went to a Penguin colony where there were gale-force winds and after we paid for the tickets they were blown out of Maria’s hand, after which she had to run after them-she found them though- very lucky.

The Penguins were awesome, we saw many baby penguins hiding in their burrows waiting to be fed. We also had a good video of two penguins walking- they are called Penguinos de Magallanes, after Magellan who discovered the straits.

We crossed the straits of Magellan on a ferry transport which was quite cool- we saw dolphins and a seal as we were being ferried along the way. The waves were quite lively- and numerous persons were splashed- lucky we were in waterproof jackets and pants. We then went into Argentina- this border crossing took us a really long time as once you cross over the straits of Magellan the road is still Chile so the Argentine Government does not maintain the road.as the area is pretty much in Chile. The road was not sealed and it was covered in potholes. It was supposed to take us 2 hours however it took us 6 we finally made it to the Argentine border crossing. Loads of people wanted to use the facilities as we didn’t stop during our drive to the border. We discovered that the toilet was being cleaned(on the Chilean side), but after the cleaning was done they let us use it. They must have used industrial strength bleach as it was so powerful you couldn’t see what you were doing because it was so excruciatingly painful to keep them open. Not a fun experience but when you gotta go, you gotta go.

We then crossed over into Argentina and stayed in a sailing club where the floors were heated. We had cold pizza as we were expected heaps earlier. We both showered that night- even though it was 4 am by the time we arrived as we knew there was no way we were getting up that early to shower.

We left at 9 am(very late for us), and got into the halfway mark where we stopped at Tolhuin in one of the best bakery’s we had ever been in- very yummy dulce de leche filled donuts and croissants and pastries in general. After that sustaining break we finally made it into Ushuaia that afternoon.

Massive drive. Total distance in 4 1/2 days: over 2365 kms.

Buenos Aires was all we expected and more- we had 5 days in this beautiful city- the first night of which we spent eating a nice big steak washed down with a Malbec. Very nice- although the style of cooking was quite good- we both agree that Australian meat is definitely more tender and of a better texture than the steaks we’ve had in South America so far.

The next day we went to a football game at La Boca- at their home ground Bomboneira?- this was our first soccer match in South America and the experience did not disappoint. We were first taken to a parilla where we could eat and have a few beers and Tim won a Boca team T-shirt as a door prize! Quite lucky! We were then shepherded in buses and given strict instructions not to cheer for any other team other than Boca Juniors-on pain of death. The game that night was Boca vs Rivers, and although everyone was expecting Boca to win, Rivers won 3-1, sad to say. The game turned a bit scrappy in the second half, but despite this the Boca fans spirit did not waver- they sang and cheered until the stadium actually shook. We were left wondering what they would have done if their team had actually won.

It was a Sunday the next day and all the markets were open. This time it was Maria who was in seventh heaven. The antique markets in San Telmo were something else- everywhere you looked there were was something interesting- jewellery, genuine furs as well as fun trinkets such as the yeah-yeah’s car which still worked and some not so fun stuff such as genuine Nazi memorabilia- reminding you that South America was where a lot of them fled to after the war. Just a bit scary. Maria picked up a pretty silver ring-not an antique at all but cute enough.
After this we headed down to Recoleta church and cemetery. We wandered along the markets first-Maria picking up a silver necklace this time, and Tim getting some puzzles. We went into Evita’s grave which after seeing the big mausoleum’s in the beginning seemed utterly unremarkable aside from the number of people queued up beside it.
The last market we hit was in Palermo, a trendy part of BA. Tim had finally given up to boredom and headed off to get a café con leche. Maria was then able to do her biggest shop yet of a dress, body spray, earrings, and a necklace for Tim. Very therapeutic. That night they hit a Thai place at 11 pm and finished eating at 1 am. Gotta love Buenos Aires!!

Next day was a bit more relaxed, the aim of which was to find Tim a cheap pair of trainers-and he got some for less than 30Aus$! They caused him massive amounts of blisters but he declares they’re worth it. We also decided to go up the tigre delta- beautiful weekend getaway for the local buenos aires people-where we saw houses along the delta and had lunch in a nice riverside restaurant where we were the only ones in there! Really nice day out.

We had a karaoke night which was for the benefit of Chile- we gave them water which was quite essential now apparently. Tim had a great time performing Bohemian rhapsody and Enter Sandman with the group. He then proceeded to go out with them to a crazy place near the airport which housed these giant rave parties- there were queues of up to a hundred people per club- no exaggeration whatsoever. In the end they gave up the attempt and went home as they were still waiting at 4 am.

The last day in BA comprised of a lazy breakfast, followed by a day of chores. This was when we tried to call flights and arrange hotels in the next few destinations. We had a few breaks wherein we tasted the most delicious ice cream in the world-I tried the banana split and it was divine. I hate to say it but it was wayyy better than anything I have tasted in Sydney(Haberfield and Bar Italia included) or in Haagen Dazs. Shocking, but true! We also checked out this interesting mall called Gallerias Pacifico which is probably like David Jones cum QVB in Sydney and Rustan’s in Manila. Tim quickly gave that up in favor for sleep as he had a late night the day before. The last night was capped off with a nice romantic dinner at Restorante Sorrenti, a great seafood restaurant where we had oysters gratin(OMG!!!), Maria had trout with saffron sauce stuffed with spider crab, while Tim had squid ink ravioli with caviar sauce. Sooo good. Perfect ending. Maria has decided we are coming back just for shopping. She reckons she held back quite a bit. Haha!

Now to the Argentinian side of Iguazu. As the language is Spanish and the exchange rate is better and cheaper we are a bit more confident. Brazil was beautiful but definitely a bit expensive. Argentina definitely seemed a bit cheap and cheerful.

Here we had our foray into the Argentinian side of Iguazu falls. Where the Brazilian side was magnificent in its panoramic view, here you could get up close and personal and actually feel the magnitude pounding down on you-Tim was actually afraid to get the camera out as it was quite wet. Maria struggled as well as she had to walk huge lengths of see-through bridges in order to get to La Garganta del Diablo or devil’s throat. Tim had to hold her hand all the way through it, poor man. It was worth it in the end though.
Next to come was the Gran Adventura where we had 30 minutes in a zodiac boat which actually came directly underneath some of the smaller parts of the falls so we got completely drenched. That was the best part of the tour, unfortunately- we went on a 30’ Safari ride where the most we saw were a few spiders and the heart of palm tree.

That night there was more to come- our fantastic tour leaders Nats and Susie organized a wine and cheese night. We both helped with the food preparation and consumption of course- Maria was helping introduce the wines to her table- very funny indeed!

We had an interesting experience the next day when Tim’s foot still remained swollen after a few days. We suspected he had an ant bite that got infected or something- he had a mild fever the night before and so we decided to get some medicine from the chemist who promptly informed us we couldn’t get antibiotics unless we had a prescription. Not wanting to use the Augmentin prescribed in Sydney and at Maria’s insistence, we finally went into the public hospital. It looked like it was built in the 1950’s and was quite run down but we were seen much quicker than any doctor in Royal North Shore- we were in and out in an hour with a doctor who prescribed him some antihistamines, anti-inflammatories and the anti-biotics he needed.

All in all it was an interesting experience.