Back to Real Life

After three months away...I'm back home again. It seems like everything should of changed, but things are still the same. I miss traveling the Gringo Trail, but it's still good to be back. I desperately need to do laundry.

It feels strange being behind the wheel again. Driving. Filling my car with gas--all these mundane things that I never thought about while on the road and traveling dirty-backpacker-style. I need to go for a drive and think.

I catch myself slipping in a "gracias" to the clerk when he hands me my change. Things are a little different, but I think it's me who's changed.

Art for Peace: United Buddy Bears

We have to get to know each other better, it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully





We stumbled upon an art exhibit in the middle of one of the open-air plazas of Buenos Aires, Plaza San Martin.  It was hard to miss the colorful, life-size, fiberglass bears all lined in a circular row.  I love the idea of art with a social message.  

The United Buddy Bears, are a traveling world exhibit intended to promote world peace, understanding, and tolerance.  Each of the bears is uniquely designed by an artist from one of the 140 countries recognized by the United Nations.  The bears started their world tour in 2002 in Berlin, and since then have made their rounds to 17 international cities, with the latest being Astana, Kazakhstan.  


The bears are always arranged in a circle to look like they're holding hands.  Too bad peace and cultural acceptance isn't this easy in real life...  

Bikes and Wine

Wine tasting on bikes--what a novel concept!  The town of Mendoza is outfitted perfectly for this activity.  Timmy and I rented bikes for the day from Mr. Hugo's Bike Shop.  It's 50 Argentine pesos for the day, which gets you a map of the wine route and the use of a rickety old bike.  

The late start had us determined to see as many vineyards and do as many tastings as time would allow. We stopped at a food and liquor tasting first, then it was on to the vineyards.  We toured a working vineyard and got to see some of the inner workings of the wine making process.  Then we sampled many glasses of good Argentine wine.  I lost count as the distinctions of each place seemed to blur together past the bucolic scenery. 

The police in Mendoza are very tourist friendly.  Since wine tasting on bikes is such a common activity, they patrol the area looking for wine tasters that have had a few glasses too many, and offer rides to the riders and their bicycles.  When Timmy and I had trouble finding one of the vineyards, a police officer on a motorcycle offered his help.  He ended up giving us a police escort--leading the way on his motorcycle in slow speed so that our bikes could follow--right up to the front doors of the wine tasting room!

At our second to last stop we met Wally, a crazy, fun-loving Canadian from the Yukon.  It was clear Wally came to Mendoza with two goals: to get a tan and to get as drunk as possible while still retaining the ability to ride a bike.  Wally turned everything into a big party.  We joined him and the two girls from New Zealand, shared a bottle or two at the next stop, and marveled at the view of the sun-drenched vineyards from the patio.





Wanting to savor the moment, we lingered a little too long at the last place, and had to race back to return our bikes to Mr. Hugo's on time.  When we got there, Mr. Hugo was throwing a party of his own for all the people who had rented bikes from him.  We sat in his yard, talking, laughing, and drinking some cheap table wine supplied by Mr. Hugo who made everyone feel like family. 

San Telmo Sunday Market

I'm back in BA--and at the right time--just in time to see the streets come alive for the Sunday Market in San Telmo. The streets are littered with blankets of rasta jewelry for sale, food vendors selling baked bread, mate, and fresh squeezed juice, and an antiques market in the public square selling everything from old buttons to chandeliers. Beautiful music floods the streets and tango dancers perform for the crowds. There are enough street performers to make Venice Beach seem like a sideshow.

I can't help but smile, getting swept up in the festive mood of San Telmo. This is the Buenos Aires that I've been waiting to see!




I try to navigate the busy streets with the Australian girl I just met, and we go in search of the fresh fruit stalls. The only thing that could interupt the festivities of the day is bad weather. It starts to pour and we duck into the antiques market to wait out the storm. The tables get folded up, the blankets of jewerly wrapped up, the musicians begin to pack up their instruments, people start scatter like ants--And just like that, the party disappears.

When it rains in Buenos Aires, it really pours! I'm kind of disappointed, but at least I still got to catch a glimpse. Maybe when the rain calms down, I'll get off the computer, and take another look around.

Montevideo, Uruguay

I packed my small daypack and took a three-hour bus from Colonia to Montevideo whose crowded urban sprawl is such a dramatic change from the quiet life in little Colonia. I fall asleep on the bus, and suddenly I'm surrounded by the noise of traffic and car horns. Montevideo's terminal surprises me--it's one of the biggest bus stations I've ever seen (it's also connected to a huge shopping mall).

I head over to the tourist information area, and ask the lady what I can see in Montevideo in ten hours. She starts circling things on the map, telling me excitedly about the big modern shopping mall they have on the edge of the city. She starts rattling off expensive Western brands, and hands me back the map.  I thank her, and smile politely, hoping that it conceals my disappointment.  I didn't come all the way to Uruguay just to shop at stores we have back home.  Instead, I opt to do some exploring on my own.

I exit the station and look around for the intercity buses. I spot one that is marked "Ciudad Viejo." Sounds interesting.  I hop on the bus and hope it will take me somewhere that isn't a mall. As we pull away from the station, the big windows pass views of skyscrapers, old stone buildings, and street markets.  I have no idea where I'm going or where I'll end up, but I'm excited!

Colonia de Sacramento

A short ferry ride from Buenos Aires (1-3 hours) will take you into Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay. Colonia is a charming little Portugese town officially declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The cobblestoned streets, fortified walls, and old churches make it seem like you have stepped back in time. There are no traffic signals or stoplights in town. The pace of life is relaxed and mellow--a world away from the chaotic movement of Buenos Aires or even Montevideo, Urugauy's busy capital city.

Another Chinatown

For Mom and Dad: Yes, there is a Chinatown in Argentina.

On almost every family vacation I can recall, the first thing my parents want to see is Chinatown. And there seems to be one in even the unexpected places across the globe. This one is just outside of Buenos Aires, right off of the Belgrano train stop.

So, Mom and Dad, this picture is for you:



It kinda looks like all the others.

Train to El Tigre

For about 80 cents (U.S.) you can catch an hour train ride from Buenos Aires to El Tigre. It's a great day trip to escape the hectic city, and service runs fairly frequently from the Retiro train station.

El Tigre is like Tom Sawyer Island. It's a city that straddles the delta on el Rio de la Plata, and the waterways are the main thoroughfare. Big boats, little boats, and barges that pick up garbage go up and down the river. You can buy fruit and vegetables from the small boats, or watertaxi your way down through town.

All of the houses have their own makeshift little docks, and there are campsites right along the river. People were fishing, swimming, playing volleyball, and doing bellyflops off the small docks. El Tigre is a fun little town to see if you have an extra day in Buenos Aires, especially on the weekends when they have there big markets.

Recoleta Cemetery

The famed Recoleta Cemetary in Buenos Aires is the burial spot for some of Argentina`s rich and famous.

I`ve always found cemeteries to be a bit creepy, but this one is actually one worth visiting. The elaborate tombs and mausoleums are really an incredible sight. There are narrow passageways that lead to even more ornate burial rooms. It's like a small city of graves, which sounds a little morbid, but it's actually more like visiting a museum with all the marble statues and Gothic-style architecture. The rich and famous went through great lengths to try and outdo each other, so you can imagine the intricacy of all the fancy tombs.



The last plots in Recoleta filled up in the 70s. In some graves, whole families are buried together. Some of the mausoleums have clear panels of glass that you can see right through to the coffin...those were a little creepy.

In Recoleta the dead are not forgotten--instead they're visited by hundreds of tourists every day.

Otto Meiling: the mountain outpost

We heard about a party up at Otto Meiling, and decided to join in on the fun. Otto Meiling is a remote mountain outpost near the tronador outside of Bariloche. The little refugio was celebrating its 35th anniversary, which meant a lot of locals and a party somewhere up in the mountains. It sounded good to us!

Katie, Andy, and I planned our meals and stocked up on food from the grocery store then went back to pack our bags. After Torres Del Paine, the weight of my pack hardly seemed like anything.  


The next morning, a two-and-a-half hour bus ride brought us to the trailhead, and we quickly set off for Otto Meiling. The switchbacks looped back and forth and there were steeper short-cuts to shave time off the main trail--we almost always chose the shortcuts.

The hike was steep, with a 1900 Km elevation gain. It was a tough trek, but we were rewarded with incredible views and perfect weather.

When we reached Otto Meiling, there was a tiny tin lodge. It looked so remote sitting on top of the mountain surrounded by nothing but snow and the open air. We were above the clouds and the treeline, so there were perfect 360 degree panoramic views of everything above and below, set against a perfect blue sky.

We laid out on the rocks watching the sun go down, and did a little reading. I don't think we could've asked for a more perfect setting.



A live band came to play for the party. They managed to haul their amps, guitars, microphones, and drums up the mountain somehow, so we were rewarded by live music on top of the mountain. The backdrop was surreal--it made it feel like we were in a ridiculous music video.



This was one of those rare moments that you just want to bottle and hold on to the memory of forever. The audience kept singing along in Spanish and English. Everyone was caught up in the moment, and nothing existed except for the lyrics and rhythmic melody. The band was very talented. Nobody could stop smiling.  In more ways than one, it felt like we were on top of the world.



Dinner for the three of us that night was prepared mostly by Andy. (It's so nice when a guy can cook.) He made chile con carne with rice, and we devoured it along with the two boxes of red wine that we packed with us up the mountain.

Later that night, we brought the leftover wine with us outside and sat atop the rocks looking up at the blanket of stars that had lit up the night sky. We talked about how special it was to be part of the entire experience, and watched as a couple of shooting stars shot overhead.  

At night the little cozy lodge was transformed into a dance floor, and we danced along to the vibrant latin music and raegaton.

So many people had turned up for the party that it made the sleeping arrangements interesting, but it only added to the experience. Up in the tiny attic was where the 70 plus people were supposed to sleep. Backpacks had to be left outside, and mattresses were laid out completely covering the floors. It was two mattresses for every three people (a good thing we had come as a threesome), but it was basically 70 strangers sleeping shoulder to shoulder in one massive slumber party. Getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night was tricky though...

Small Circuit Bike Ride

One of the best ways to see Bariloche and all its splendor is to rent a bike for the day. We chose to do the 40 km circuito chico, which makes a loop around the mountains and lakes area.

The bikes we rented were really well-equipped. They had excellent brakes, good tires, and the rental company even provided us with locks, helmets, and an emergency repair kit.

Katie (England), Andy (England), and I all met on the 28-hour bus ride from El Calafate and decided to do the bike ride together. I was feeling pretty good, taking in the pretty scenery and cruising right along...then came the hills...and I quickly realized 40 K was not going to be as easy as I thought. My quads were feeling it after the first killer hill.

We were so lucky to have such good weather, and the viewpoints were amazing! The best part was flying down the hills, feeling the wind in our faces, and the surge of adrenaline as we kept picking up speed on the endless downhills. It made the struggle of going up the massive hills worthwhile. It was also a good thing our bikes had such responsive brakes.



There are all sorts of different little trails for day hiking and camping, and our bikes gave us the freedom to see what we wanted. We biked to different lake areas, and hiked to some spectacular miradors. We even made our way to the famous Llao Llao hotel, an exclusive place at the top of the hill given the prestigious title of "hotel of the world."



We also biked through Colonia Suiza (the Swiss town). The wooden handcrafted buildings were so quaint, and we had the best ice cream.

Bariloche, Argentina

Bariloche is a small Northern Patagonian town set in the mountains over a sparkling lake. In the winter time it transforms into a bustling ski village. In the summer, there's an array of outdoor excursions to choose from.


The town has a heavy Swiss influence that is noted in the architecture and the delicious chocolate. The streets are lined with choclaterias and ice cream shops. I met up with a bunch of other travelers from the hostel and we did a midnight chocolate run. There are so many things to love about this place.