So where were we.... actually thats a question we asked ourselves often on the way to Bariloche. We had opted to take the notorious Ruta 40 bus trip from El Chalten to Bariloche a 33 hour bumpy, dusty, smelly, unispiring trip that sits right up there for worst things to do with your time right after water torture and just below pulling out your finger nails. Lets just say we didnt enjoy it....
But like the israelites coming out of the desert after wandering for 40 years to the land of milk and honey so we arrived in Bariloche and our favorite city of the trip so far! Bariloche is the kind of city we could move to, life would include eating lots of boutique chocolates from Del Turista (a 2 storey chocolate factory and ice cream palor), skiing on some of the best snow in the world, ice climbing hanging Glaciers and sipping cáfe´s while starring out at the enourmous lake that Bariloche faces onto.
Bariloches setting is world class! The town faces the lake which is big enough to look like an ocean with large Andean peaks in the background.
Our introduction was slow to the city, after 33 hours on a bus we just wanted to chill. Our hostel was awesome and we met plenty of brilliant people, played poker and drank the famous argentine wine (avoid the 3 peso bottles unless making catembas). We also enjoyed the local Chorripane vendor (argentine version of a boerie roll) and fell in love with Dolce del Leche (they put this caramel condensed milk heaven on everything here, from morning toast to ice cream to yogurt to milk to chocolate to bannanas to....).
After recharging our batteries and soaking in the sun for a few days we decided to go do some trekking (thats what they call hiking out here).
We met up with El Chalten / English Joe and caught an early bus out to Mount Tronador and the national park. A mere 4 hours later of sustained 60 degree hiking and almost 1000 meters up from where we started we reached Otto Meiling refugio. This little oasis set literally in the middle of two huge hanging glaciers and just below the peaks of Tronador helped us warm up again and really start to enjoy the scenery, there is something about being at the top of the world with ice and mountains all around that makes you just want to sit and stare...
The next day Vix spotted our first Condor from the shadow its 2 meter wing span cast on the ground we trod, this was to be the first sighting of many and everytime they seemed to float closer, never flapping their wings always flaoting or racing around with ease.
After doing some Glacier hugging we decided to book an actual Glacier hike and climb for the afternoon and stay one more night at Otto Meiling refugio.
Later that afternoon we got kitted out with heavy duty boots, crampons and big ass ice axes and set out on our 3 hour trek and climb adventure! Walking through the glacier field was brilliant, nothing but whites and blues everywhere with the sound of the rushing melting glacial river below us and Tronador cracking all around us. After some fun jumps over Crevasses that must go down some 20 meters we waited for our guide to go find a suitable crevasse to climb. The glacier is melting so quickly this year that he struggles to use the same area from week to week, the landscape is changing so quickly, he would often lament that it wasnt always this way but every year the glacier gets smaller and winter gets warmer...
We then got lowered into one of the crevasses and were expected to climb our way out using ice axes and crampons, a tiring system that involves kicking your shoes into the glacier wall and stabbing the ice with your axe...arrrgg. The Mavrix were naturals of course! By the way being surrounded by turquise blue ice over 100 000 years old is crazy good!
On the hike back we got blessed with a combination sunset / full moon rising. Believe me the pictures dont do it justice.
The next day we trekked down the mountain through bamboo forests and along glacier blue rivers before camping out in the forest. The day after was Easter and the Mavrix completed lent and got to eat chocolate for the first time in 40 days - Nutella flavoured cake & Nutella flavoured jungle oats is a great way to start the day.
The next few days involved walking round Bariloche and eating loads of chocolate with the odd bike ride around Bariloches lakes and mountains.
Next Mendoza....
Friday 28 March 2008
Monday 17 March 2008
El Chalten - 12-15 March
We arrived in El Chalten and stared getting really sad!!!
The town is on its way up from a tourist point of view but right now its a little sad and akward like a teenager just hitting puberty. When we eventually found our "hostel" we felt even worse, one tiny little room with 2 and a half bunks round the back of a small telephone store manned by a funny looking non english speaking local who looked scared all the time. We spent the day walking up and down Avenada de San Martin (EVERY main road in Arg is Av de San Martin) looking for camping equipment and another place to stay, no luck on either of those.
Later on our luck started to change, we met a really cool guy called Joe from London, had a great meal with a steak as thick as my arm and our room turned out to be well heated and really Ko-zee after all our complaining. Plus a bottle or 2 of vino helped warm us up and restore our spirits (pun intended).
The next day we also managed to find camping equipment and set out on an absolutely magnificent hike! The Fitz Roy mountain range is a truly spectacular thing to see, something that we both feel has been a privelige(sp?) to see. That day after walking through pristine forests we had lunch next to a water fall with the mountain in the background, you couldnt ask for a better setting! That local bought sausage and crackers sure did taste good...mmmm.
after walking thru Lake Capri campsite we headed off to Cerro Fitz Roy camp (4hrs) which was situated deep in the forest at the base of the mountain. We hiked from there to a lookout point and watched the Glacier Blanco for a while (did I mention this park is called Parque de los Glaciers so there are a lot around). This park is just amazingly beautiful with lakes, rivers and mountains and glaciers everywhere you look. You also cant get colder cleaner water out of the freezer as you get from the rivers formed by the melting glaciers. One sad thing is that one of the ladies in town showed us a picture of one of the glaciers we visited and it must have receded about 15m in 2 years! Damn global warming, once again what a privledge to have seen them before they are gone.
The next morning we begrudgling woke up at 6am with headlamps and sniffles on board to climb to the lookout for sunrise. Bloody hell that was cold! The next 2hrs has to be the hardest hike the Mavrix have ever done, steeper than this / and longer than "M's" whiskers the walk was not fun but a good experience that we are both glad we had! Making coffee at the top of the lookout with the glacier almost blowing us and our little stove over was major effort itself! Plus once we had boiled the coffee and put it in the mug it took only a couple sips and a few precious seconds before it was icy cold like my nose. With the sunrise turning out to be average we entertained ourselves by doing jumps and funny photos - good fun that the Mavrix can recommend.
Next we hiked to Cerro Torre and got to see more beautiful forests, lakes and a really wicked glacier in the most barren of settings.
The next morning we woke up like little worms, tighly rolled into our sleeping bags unable to make any moves other than caterpillar like squirms. We headed back to the glacier lake and got to lick a bit of glacier that had broken off... yummy!
Unfortunately the weather was bad and getting worse so we headed off to town wrapped in dustbin bags, what a site we were.
First thing in town we foud a place to shower, the first one in roughly 4 days for the both of us. Vix took full advantage and spent an hour with what she called the best shower of her life! We went for a great pizza dinner and then found the 12h15 *midnight* bus on Ruta 40 to Bariloche.
But that was to prove to be an adventure all of its own...
The town is on its way up from a tourist point of view but right now its a little sad and akward like a teenager just hitting puberty. When we eventually found our "hostel" we felt even worse, one tiny little room with 2 and a half bunks round the back of a small telephone store manned by a funny looking non english speaking local who looked scared all the time. We spent the day walking up and down Avenada de San Martin (EVERY main road in Arg is Av de San Martin) looking for camping equipment and another place to stay, no luck on either of those.
Later on our luck started to change, we met a really cool guy called Joe from London, had a great meal with a steak as thick as my arm and our room turned out to be well heated and really Ko-zee after all our complaining. Plus a bottle or 2 of vino helped warm us up and restore our spirits (pun intended).
The next day we also managed to find camping equipment and set out on an absolutely magnificent hike! The Fitz Roy mountain range is a truly spectacular thing to see, something that we both feel has been a privelige(sp?) to see. That day after walking through pristine forests we had lunch next to a water fall with the mountain in the background, you couldnt ask for a better setting! That local bought sausage and crackers sure did taste good...mmmm.
after walking thru Lake Capri campsite we headed off to Cerro Fitz Roy camp (4hrs) which was situated deep in the forest at the base of the mountain. We hiked from there to a lookout point and watched the Glacier Blanco for a while (did I mention this park is called Parque de los Glaciers so there are a lot around). This park is just amazingly beautiful with lakes, rivers and mountains and glaciers everywhere you look. You also cant get colder cleaner water out of the freezer as you get from the rivers formed by the melting glaciers. One sad thing is that one of the ladies in town showed us a picture of one of the glaciers we visited and it must have receded about 15m in 2 years! Damn global warming, once again what a privledge to have seen them before they are gone.
The next morning we begrudgling woke up at 6am with headlamps and sniffles on board to climb to the lookout for sunrise. Bloody hell that was cold! The next 2hrs has to be the hardest hike the Mavrix have ever done, steeper than this / and longer than "M's" whiskers the walk was not fun but a good experience that we are both glad we had! Making coffee at the top of the lookout with the glacier almost blowing us and our little stove over was major effort itself! Plus once we had boiled the coffee and put it in the mug it took only a couple sips and a few precious seconds before it was icy cold like my nose. With the sunrise turning out to be average we entertained ourselves by doing jumps and funny photos - good fun that the Mavrix can recommend.
Next we hiked to Cerro Torre and got to see more beautiful forests, lakes and a really wicked glacier in the most barren of settings.
The next morning we woke up like little worms, tighly rolled into our sleeping bags unable to make any moves other than caterpillar like squirms. We headed back to the glacier lake and got to lick a bit of glacier that had broken off... yummy!
Unfortunately the weather was bad and getting worse so we headed off to town wrapped in dustbin bags, what a site we were.
First thing in town we foud a place to shower, the first one in roughly 4 days for the both of us. Vix took full advantage and spent an hour with what she called the best shower of her life! We went for a great pizza dinner and then found the 12h15 *midnight* bus on Ruta 40 to Bariloche.
But that was to prove to be an adventure all of its own...
El Calafate - 9-11 March
El Calafate is one of the most touristy towns we've been in so far! Very cute with little cafes and chocolate shops (that we cant afford). We styed at the Marco Polo inn at the top of the hill just outside of town, its quite a walk into the town but the view is good.
The only reason to go to El Calafate is to see the Perito Moreno Glacier, so with that in mind the Mavrix booked a bus, boat and trip to go see the beast!
We rushed off to our 07h30 bus transfer with the sun still not sure if it wanted to come up or not. A mere hour or so later we were entering the park with runny noses and cold toes (thanks Sandy for the gloves). We took a boat that takes you right up close to the Glacier so you can see the sheer size and scope of the thing, not to mention the intense blue that seems to radiate from it as if someone had placed a giant blue flash light underneath it! Really awe inspiring! We saw and heard some carving - thats when some of the glacier actually cracks and big bits fall off it into the water. You find yourself standing and watching the glacier in awe, willing it to break again just so you can hear that intense thunder punctuated by the splash after.
From there we went to the walk way (did I mention our battery on the camera went flat and we had to "bum" cameras with our memory stick from people we hardly knew), this was really spectacular and one of the real highlights so far! Once again the sound was intense and the scenery even more so as you get a brilliant top side view of the glacier which seems to go on for ever (official figures have it at roughly 60km in length). I dont think that any camera could ever do this beast justice, we could have sat there all day just watching and listening but unfortunately we were only allowed a measly 2 hours there.
Just quickly a note on food - the steaks here really are as good as everyone says but what has suprised us is just how good their pizzas are - moi bueno!!
The next day we RACED down the hill to catch our 07h30 bus to El Chalten, we must have been quite a site overloaded with backpacks, Vix in her slops with sox running down the main street waving our ticket and barely arriving in time all because Vix had to have her coffee that morning... not that the "M" begrudges her the coffee, we have a new love for coffee and any homely pleasures now that we are on the road.
Next - El Chalten (promise)
The only reason to go to El Calafate is to see the Perito Moreno Glacier, so with that in mind the Mavrix booked a bus, boat and trip to go see the beast!
We rushed off to our 07h30 bus transfer with the sun still not sure if it wanted to come up or not. A mere hour or so later we were entering the park with runny noses and cold toes (thanks Sandy for the gloves). We took a boat that takes you right up close to the Glacier so you can see the sheer size and scope of the thing, not to mention the intense blue that seems to radiate from it as if someone had placed a giant blue flash light underneath it! Really awe inspiring! We saw and heard some carving - thats when some of the glacier actually cracks and big bits fall off it into the water. You find yourself standing and watching the glacier in awe, willing it to break again just so you can hear that intense thunder punctuated by the splash after.
From there we went to the walk way (did I mention our battery on the camera went flat and we had to "bum" cameras with our memory stick from people we hardly knew), this was really spectacular and one of the real highlights so far! Once again the sound was intense and the scenery even more so as you get a brilliant top side view of the glacier which seems to go on for ever (official figures have it at roughly 60km in length). I dont think that any camera could ever do this beast justice, we could have sat there all day just watching and listening but unfortunately we were only allowed a measly 2 hours there.
Just quickly a note on food - the steaks here really are as good as everyone says but what has suprised us is just how good their pizzas are - moi bueno!!
The next day we RACED down the hill to catch our 07h30 bus to El Chalten, we must have been quite a site overloaded with backpacks, Vix in her slops with sox running down the main street waving our ticket and barely arriving in time all because Vix had to have her coffee that morning... not that the "M" begrudges her the coffee, we have a new love for coffee and any homely pleasures now that we are on the road.
Next - El Chalten (promise)
Monday 10 March 2008
Ushuaia - 6-8 Mar
So we`ve fallen behind on my blogging but then its not the first time weve fallen on our behinds!
Ushuaia is pretty in a bleak, end of the world kind of way. Our hostel was practically 5 star and so were the staff there especially a big dreadlocked argentinian that calls himself RastaMax!! We got the lay of the land in Ushuaia and decided to walk up to the Glaciar Martial, what was supposed to be a quick afternoon outing turned into 7 hours of walking up and down a bloody mountain. We had no water and when I fell down into a bunch of blackjacks I added my patience to the things I didnt have anymore. Victoria thought it was hilarious!! She still does.
The Glaciar itself isnt a real Glaciar but the views are really brilliant and it was good to get a big hike under our belt.
The next day we went on a very expensive 4x4 tour that turned out to be worth every Peso. It inculded a funny guide who thought that driving straight into the water while he was talking to you in the back was hilarious! It was good fun though. The highlight we`d have to say though was the best fillet steak Mavrix have ever had! Soft tender and cooked for an hour infront of our eyes on the braai - argentine style. After some big bumps and jumps in the 4x4 we headed off to do some kayaking in a beautiful lake, wicked!
The next day was a rest day as the jet lag had really hit the Marino hard and he was worse than a toddler woken up too soon. The only exciting thing we did that day was going out till dawn, we had a 5h30 bus ride and felt that we could sleep on the bus and make the trip faster. Getting back to the hostel that early we found RastaMax and he gave Vix her first Dreadlock....shes taken it out now but it looked really permanent at the time and I think that its only determination and Pantene that allowed the hair to be released back into normal civilization.
The bus ride was loooonnnnggg - 20 hours !!! With a 2 hour stop in one of the biggest holes the Mavrix have ever seen - UGLY!!! The only thing uglier than Rio Gallegos is the inbreeders that inhabit it.
Next time...El Chalten!
Ushuaia is pretty in a bleak, end of the world kind of way. Our hostel was practically 5 star and so were the staff there especially a big dreadlocked argentinian that calls himself RastaMax!! We got the lay of the land in Ushuaia and decided to walk up to the Glaciar Martial, what was supposed to be a quick afternoon outing turned into 7 hours of walking up and down a bloody mountain. We had no water and when I fell down into a bunch of blackjacks I added my patience to the things I didnt have anymore. Victoria thought it was hilarious!! She still does.
The Glaciar itself isnt a real Glaciar but the views are really brilliant and it was good to get a big hike under our belt.
The next day we went on a very expensive 4x4 tour that turned out to be worth every Peso. It inculded a funny guide who thought that driving straight into the water while he was talking to you in the back was hilarious! It was good fun though. The highlight we`d have to say though was the best fillet steak Mavrix have ever had! Soft tender and cooked for an hour infront of our eyes on the braai - argentine style. After some big bumps and jumps in the 4x4 we headed off to do some kayaking in a beautiful lake, wicked!
The next day was a rest day as the jet lag had really hit the Marino hard and he was worse than a toddler woken up too soon. The only exciting thing we did that day was going out till dawn, we had a 5h30 bus ride and felt that we could sleep on the bus and make the trip faster. Getting back to the hostel that early we found RastaMax and he gave Vix her first Dreadlock....shes taken it out now but it looked really permanent at the time and I think that its only determination and Pantene that allowed the hair to be released back into normal civilization.
The bus ride was loooonnnnggg - 20 hours !!! With a 2 hour stop in one of the biggest holes the Mavrix have ever seen - UGLY!!! The only thing uglier than Rio Gallegos is the inbreeders that inhabit it.
Next time...El Chalten!
Saturday 8 March 2008
Sao Paulo 3 March - 5 March
So we land safe and sound in the BIGGEST city we have ever seen - seriously Sao Paulo is massive! After a bit of immigration fun we go looking for a taxi and run into some S.African tannies - the 3 of them are on a trip round argentina and havent booked a damn thing, problem is that they look like 3 koek sisters with giant targets/signs on their heads saying ROB ME PLEASE! So we split a taxi with them to the Hostel - Praca da Arvore and try to avoid them for the rest of our stay, we even pulled a sneaky and asked to be in seperate parts of the hostel.
The hot and heavy Brazillian sun greated us the next morning and got Vix out of bed way before we thought possible. Tuesday inovolved learning the Sao Paulo Metro system (really good!), going to a brilliant art exhibition (Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, Matisse, Degar and some wierd Japanese bread guy and his elastic chihuahua faced gran), finished the night off with some drinks and a trip to the local Kareoke spot - you have no idea how funny Kareoke is in Portueguese, apparently rythm and talent are not necessary when doing Kareoke in Brazil. With that in mind we all stepped up the mic. I managed to kill one of Bob Marleys biggest hits...but I didnt shoot the deputy and Vix brought sexy back to an old >Roxette classic.
Next day we spent a very unexciting morning in the S.Paulo park before heading off to the aeroporto on our way to Buenous Aires and Ushuaia.
The trick to this was we were landing in B.Aires at 21h30 and flying out at 05h30 the next morning. With no place to stay we decided to make the aeroporto our home for the night, bad idea! Their chairs were made out of wire and were possibly recycled from old torture devices used by the Spanish when they colonised this part of the world, so we slept on the granite floor which was only slightly warmer and more comfortable. The next mornings flight was the first time we actually managed to sleep so by this time jet lag was hitting harder than Mike Tyson on Red Bull.
The hot and heavy Brazillian sun greated us the next morning and got Vix out of bed way before we thought possible. Tuesday inovolved learning the Sao Paulo Metro system (really good!), going to a brilliant art exhibition (Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, Matisse, Degar and some wierd Japanese bread guy and his elastic chihuahua faced gran), finished the night off with some drinks and a trip to the local Kareoke spot - you have no idea how funny Kareoke is in Portueguese, apparently rythm and talent are not necessary when doing Kareoke in Brazil. With that in mind we all stepped up the mic. I managed to kill one of Bob Marleys biggest hits...but I didnt shoot the deputy and Vix brought sexy back to an old >Roxette classic.
Next day we spent a very unexciting morning in the S.Paulo park before heading off to the aeroporto on our way to Buenous Aires and Ushuaia.
The trick to this was we were landing in B.Aires at 21h30 and flying out at 05h30 the next morning. With no place to stay we decided to make the aeroporto our home for the night, bad idea! Their chairs were made out of wire and were possibly recycled from old torture devices used by the Spanish when they colonised this part of the world, so we slept on the granite floor which was only slightly warmer and more comfortable. The next mornings flight was the first time we actually managed to sleep so by this time jet lag was hitting harder than Mike Tyson on Red Bull.
Friday 7 March 2008
The beggining - a good place to start - 3 March 08
Well actually the real begining was one night over a bottle of wine with Vix and me when we hatched the idea to go conquer S.America and beyond. But that would take too long so lets start with the flight!
Arrived at OR Tambo with plenty of time to spare and 2 very stressed Mama´s, well we we´re stressed too but we held it in better...slightly. We said our goodbyes and went through check in etc no problems...or so we thought. Standing in line to buy some eye drops Vix and I realised that we had forgotten her wallet with her Mom. After some fantic phoning (without a a phone, we left the sim at home) we finally got the wallet through immigration- security. Thanks Vodashop guy!
Arrived at OR Tambo with plenty of time to spare and 2 very stressed Mama´s, well we we´re stressed too but we held it in better...slightly. We said our goodbyes and went through check in etc no problems...or so we thought. Standing in line to buy some eye drops Vix and I realised that we had forgotten her wallet with her Mom. After some fantic phoning (without a a phone, we left the sim at home) we finally got the wallet through immigration- security. Thanks Vodashop guy!
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