With all the farewell parties still fresh in the memory, we
spent a final emotional night in 77 Irving Place apt 5A, with only our
backpacks and a sleeping bag for company. It was a little sad to see our cosy
little apartment, where we had shared so many fun and drunken evenings with
friends and family alike (not to mention the scene of my romantic wedding
proposal), reduced to the bare bones. This, however, was the culmination of
weeks and months of back and forth deliberation and emotional turmoil. Extremely
conflicted about leaving New York City, our home for almost 10 years, we were nevertheless
tremendously excited about the prospect of taking a “time out” to go and travel
and take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
To start our adventure we decided to go to the southern tip
of Argentina, to the scenic, but rugged, little town of Ushuaia. Stepping off
the plane in to the freezing wind there was no disguising the fact we had
arrived with winter not far away. Here, we took a fantastic boat trip out
through the Beagle Channel passing huge colonies of sea lions and penguin
look-a-likes along the way. The air was bitterly cold but the scenery was
breath-taking and it was while relaxing outside on the deck of this boat that
the decision we had taken to leave everything behind really sunk in. The fact
that we were at the beginning of our adventure, though, was very evident when
it came to choosing somewhere for lunch or dinner as we struggled to come to
terms with the budget constraints I had laid down.
The following day we were to see just how quickly the weather
can change in this part of the world. We had decided to go for a hike up to a
glacier near the town and set off happily in the cold, but clear sunshine. As
we scrambled higher up the mountain the wind grew stronger and then the snow
started to fall just as we had reached a relatively exposed section. With the
snow becoming heavier and the conditions increasingly slippery underfoot, we
were faced with the choice of struggling further up the mountain or heading
back down for a steaming hot chocolate in the warmth of the little coffee shop
at the bottom. Having fallen on my backside once too often, we opted for the
hot chocolate!
Veronika had made no secret of the fact that during our
travelling sojourn she would like to do as much hiking as possible. As long as
there were not too many high ledges and edges I was all for this idea too, as a
means of staying fit and healthy of course! To this end, we then made the first
of several border crossings in to Chile, this time ending up in the small town
of Puerto Natales.
An otherwise sleepy little town, Puerto Natales is the
gateway to the fabulous Torres Del Paine National Park, all mountains and
glaciers. (Many people choose to hike the W circuit here, so called because of
the direction in which the trek leads you but we had, conservatively, decided
in advance to just enjoy a few days hiking and also to stay in one of the
wooden tea house “hostels” along the way rather than camping.) As an
experienced hiker in these parts, Veronika had ensured me there is no need for
a guide here as the paths are so clearly marked. With that in mind, we set off
one morning, laden with our backpacks, in absolutely torrential rain. Still
trying to convince ourselves it was only a heavy shower and would pass, one
hour in to the hike, it became clear that either our now sodden map was wrong
or we had missed the very first marker on the trail. A local, who fortunately
happened to be passing nearby, confirmed it was the latter and we were, indeed,
off course. An hour later, via a waist-deep grass meadow, we were back on course
as the rain continued to hammer down. We battered on in to the driving rain and
wind for four hours with no sign of the tea house in sight. At this point the
scenery changed as we trekked alongside the most beautiful of crystal blue
lagoons, stunning even in the driving rain. On and on we went, hoping after
every corner there would be the tea house but to no avail, till finally after 7
hours there it was in the distance. To my horror, in order to reach the welcome
shelter, the relatively easy path seemed to vanish into thin air and we were
forced to scramble over slippery rocks on the side of the ridge to reach the
lodge. Once inside, we discovered that the lodge was not really operational
this time of year other than merely opening its doors, so we had to make do
without light, hot water, blankets or warm meals. There was, however, one log
fire burning and this is where we, along with half a dozen fellow intrepid
trekkers, spent the entire evening huddled around doing our utmost to dry our
drenched boots and clothes, stay warm and keeps our spirits up. Never before,
have I been so happy to have my hipflask full of heart-warming whisky with me.
By the following day the heavy rain had eased off to a light
snowfall and we were able to enjoy a hike through a striking valley before
climbing up to a stunning view point of one of the glaciers nearby. Even in the
somewhat wet and snowy conditions the scenery was incredible and I can only imagine
how nice it must be in the clear blue sunshine. As planned, on our third day we
hiked back to the base and were joined by many of those who had set out to do
the longer W circuit only to have their optimistic plans curtailed, not to
mention their spirits broken, by the harsh weather we all encountered on day
one. At this point we had only been travelling for a week but already had lived
through an unforgettable experience and the next one was just around the
corner.
After a brief visit to the charming little town of El
Calafate to visit Los Glaciares National Park, home of the remarkably
eye-catching and much visited Perito Moreno Glacier, we found ourselves back in
Puerto Natales as this is where we would board the Navimag Ferry bound for
Puerto Montt. Three nights aboard the Navimag Ferry is a truly unique
experience. It is essentially a ferry full of trucks, hundreds of cows and a
smattering of enthusiastic backpackers. Luxurious, it certainly is not. After
being shown to our berth the first thing that hit us (apart from how small the
beds were) was the noise of the cows and then the smell, which only intensified
the longer we were aboard. However, these are really only small grievances when
measured alongside the breath-taking scenery we cruised through. Dolphin, seal
and even whale spotting and chatting to fellow travellers out on the deck were
popular ways to spend the time, as was sitting in the warmth of the bar
drinking a beer or glass of Chilean red. If we had been unlucky with the
weather in Torres Del Paine National Park, then our fortunes were reversed here
as the sun shone almost the whole time, only emphasising the beauty that
surrounded us as we travelled through the never-ending labyrinths of islands
and channels. The highlight, for me, was
unquestionably the morning of day two when we cruised for hours ever so slowly
through the narrow fjords in an incredibly misty sunny haze which created the
most serene landscape imaginable. Our luck continued on the second night as we
made the notoriously rough Golfo de Penas crossing (known to throw tables and
chairs around, as well as people) but a heady mix of beer, wine and
sea-sickness pills ensured a reasonable night’s sleep. Back in calmer waters we
journeyed on to the rather uninspiring gritty town of Puerto Montt where we
disembarked for the first time in four days.
Back on dry land we then hired a car to explore the island
of Chiloe (Chile’s largest island), reached by a short ferry crossing. On the
island we were then free to explore, at our leisure, the many fascinating
characteristics that it possesses; rugged beaches on the wild pacific coast,
rainforests, national parks, quaint fishing villages (and the accompanying
tasty seafood) and the many wooden houses and churches that would make you
believe you had just been transported back in time to a little Swiss village. With
a rich mythology thrown in for good measure it all added up to a charming and
relaxing place to visit for a few days,
even with yours truly driving on the “wrong” side of the road.
Our Patagonia adventure continued as we crossed the border
yet again and through the scenic lakes region till we finally reached
Bariloche, or rather San Carlos de Bariloche to give it its rather grander
name, a winter playground for all tastes. Set on the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi
with snow-capped mountains looming in the background it has an enviable
location. Our activity of choice was, of course, hiking and we found this a great
way to really enjoy the surrounding countryside. In truth, one of these early
morning hikes was endured rather than enjoyed given that it came after a night
of serious catching up in the local Irish pub with some friends we had first
met on the Navimag Ferry. A map and a compass were needed just to find our way
back to the hotel, never mind in the mountains.
There are few things in life that Veronika likes more than
hiking out in the fresh air and, luckily for me, one of them is wine.
Therefore, a memorably scenic flight over the magnificent Andes then took us to
the city of Mendoza, the original home and heart of Argentina’s wine country.
With me especially keen to temporarily switch gears away from hiking, rather
than heading for the mighty Aconcagua Mountain we, instead, chose to go on a
fantastic wine-tasting tour of the region. Not a difficult choice in all
honesty. The wineries we visited, all with fantastic locations in the foothills
of the Andes, were just terrific and somewhat educational. As is the way on
these wine tours, they like to tease you first with a tour of the facilities
and a few brief explanations as to how it all works before they let you get
stuck in to the bit you really came for….the wine-tasting. It is almost always
worth the wait, however, and here was no exception as out came the Cabernet
Sauvignons, the Sauvignon Blancs, the Torrontes (a tasty dry white wine), and
of course the Argentine speciality, the fabulous Malbecs.
Security is without exception near the top of the priorities
when travelling. As an experienced backpacker in South America, Veronika had
instilled in me the importance of being especially vigilant in and around bus
stations. Therefore, when we decided to take the overnight bus from Mendoza to
Buenos Aires, I took it upon myself to add an extra layer of protection between
me and any would-be pickpockets or thieves by stuffing some dollars into my
hiking boots, firmly wedged under my feet. (The old ones are the best after
all.) When we finally boarded the bus and took our seats the waitress (it was a
lovely bus!) pointed out there was a $20 bill on the floor near me. No, that
cannot be mine I assured her till I suddenly remember my ingenious plan from
earlier in the day. Then a sickening
thought came over me….and sure enough, as it turns out, in my quest for
heightened security I had been walking around Mendoza all day with dollar bills
leaking out of my boots!!! Mercifully, a
quick check on the accounts revealed I had been lucky and “lost” only a little
but my pride had taken a more severe hit and I was a very quiet companion for
Veronika for the first couple of hours of that long bus journey.
Still trying to shake off my utter stupidity, we arrived the
following late morning in Buenos Aires, a city I had heard so much about and
had always wanted to visit. I was not disappointed. Renowned for its European
architecture, rich cultural lifestyle, red wine, steak, beautiful women, not to
mention the football, there is a lot to like. Despite being a huge city, we
found that there was so much we could see and do on foot which we both
absolutely loved. In this most vibrant of cities, we sipped champagne watching
a Tango show, ate delicious steaks in small local eateries, drank red wine in
hidden colonial buildings converted in to the hippest bars and even danced the
night away in an 80’s nightclub. This is one place I could have stayed much
longer but, alas, this was the end of our stay in Argentina and Chile. It had
only been one month but we had already seen and done so much that the decision
to leave and take a “time out” now seemed like a distant memory.
