Sube Sube Stephen

El Calafate and Ushuaia

stephen_koehler1316 — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 20:00:00 GMT

Now I know that all readers are on the edge of their seats after the cliffhanger ending to my last post, but the story goes chronologically so hold tight. The four of us arrived in El Calafate late morning ready to rent a car and drive the hour to see the Perito Moreno Glacier, a staggering 250 square kilometers in size. The town itself is a complete tourist town with endless shops, restaurants and bars commanding prices some steep prices, but when one of the most sought after sights in the region is within a short distance, it is what it is.

After stopping at the store to get fixings for sandwiches of dreams (editor’s note: coined by Norma in which adding avocado to any sandwich transforms it into a sandwich of dreams), we drove the hour plus to the glacier via the hot tip route Norma learned about from a fellow Irishman. Turns out the way had no traffic because it was a gravel road for most of the way. The people need to know that Tommy is a pro when it comes to driving a manual transmission car in all conditions and in all fairness, the scenery and lack of traffic was awesome.

At first glance, the sight of Perito Moreno inspires pure awe. The sheer size of the thing is almost unfathomable. From the highest platform, it stretches to the outer reaches of the horizon with no end in sight with heights ranging from 40 to 70 meters as the towering, jagged pieces of ice reach towards the sky at intimidating angles. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it is definitely The Wall from Game of Thrones. No doubt about it...also, have I not mentioned the colors yet? I think it’s pretty clear by now how fascinated I am by the all variations of the color blue I’ve seen during my trip. I think this glacier took it to a whole new level. The colors of the glacier range from deep blue within holes in the ice to the beautiful highlighter blue to the classic white. And as pieces break off from the glacier and melt, the lake on both sides was also incredibly blue.

Speaking of the process of chunks breaking off the glacier and falling into the lake (known as calving), this is definitely the highlight of the visit. As the ice melts and cracks, large pieces break off and fall into the water below creating thunderous sounds and large waves, respectively. In hopes of seeing this ourselves, we found a sunny spot on a bench and enjoyed our sammies with attention focused on the glacier and the intermittent cracking sounds. Within five minutes a large sheet of the ice on the face of the glacier came crashing down, enveloping the area with thunder and a splash followed by cheers. There were also people on a boat in the lake who got an up close view of the calving. Woah!!

The rest of Friday was for relaxation, empanadas and gin and tonics. Oh, how do those Brits love a good G&T! Now, onto the second main event of our time in El Calafate. So remember how finding available rooms was so difficult for Saturday night? It’s because every summer there is a summer concert series every weekend in El Calafate and we had incredibly good luck to be there when two internationally famous reggaeton bands/artists were performing: CNCO and Luis Fonsi. CNCO is a boy band and I don’t think I need to tell you who Fonsi is. Despacito crushed all kinds of records over the past year and while weren’t going to see Daddy Yankee in concert with him, we jumped all over getting tickets for Saturday night.

Quick side note: given that finding a place for that night was such a pain, I chose to take a 3 am bus to Ushuaia that same night, the city at the end of the Earth. I figured what the hell, I’ll be drunk and just sleep the whole time. Eh, it was an ok decision on my part…

The pre, during and post concert night was unbelievably fun. More people we had met in El Chalten arrived in town that day and after a couple hours of pregaming, we got another drink or two at a nearby bar and headed in. While I don’t think anyone knew any other songs than “Echa me la Culpa” and “Despacito”, I could not have had a better time. It was a bunch of drunk gringos dancing and trying to sing in Spanish and of course, it was all horribly off key. I apologize to those of you who witnessed all my greatness on Snapchat!

Concert over, back to the bar because you know, one or three more won’t hurt! At 2:00 I begrudgingly...and drunkenly said my goodbyes complete with hugs and kisses and headed to the bus. In retrospect, I definitely should have stayed another night, though I probably didn’t have as bad of a hangover in the end.

A somewhat miserable 18 hours later, which includes entering and leaving Chile I arrived in Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia: el fin del mundo. I had a day before Norma and Eleanor were arriving. Sadly our boy Tommy went his own way into Chile. Hoping to cross paths with him again in Peru, Ecuador or Colombia. Beyond just being really far south, Ushuaia is probably best known for being the jumping off point for cruises to Antarctica. At one point earlier in Argentina I had a pipedream of buying a last minute ticket to do that; however, these tickets are at least five grand for a ten-day trip. Yeah, not so much…

Of the three or four days I spent in Ushuaia the highlights were a four hour boat tour of the Beagle Channel and a great hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park. On the boat tour we saw an old lighthouse and an abundance of wildlife: sea lions, penguins and an expected visit from a whale! The highlight is of course the penguin island. The three of us wanted the best view so we sat down on the deck and hunkered together in the relative cold for the ride to the island playing some boggle type game on Norma’s phone. Wooh, really expanded my vocabulary!

On the approach to the island we could see the little guys frolicking around on the beach and in the water. This island had two types: the small black and white Magellanic Penguin and the slightly larger Gentoo Penguin, which has orange feet and beak. They were incredibly cute, waddling and scurrying around on the beach and swimming along the shore. The funniest thing by far was when a woman leaned completely on top of Eleanor to take pictures. Eleanor was slightly hunched down to get a better view and this woman took complete advantage. If you know my occasional obnoxiously loud, cackle laugh, it was out in full force! So god damn funny.

Our last day in Ushuaia and Argentina (woah seven weeks flew by!) was earmarked for an amazing hike in the aforementioned Tierra del Fuego National Park. There was also another wrinkle thrown in however. Since it was our last day, we needed to strategically budget our remaining pesos so we didn’t have to take out more money. This meant our first attempt at hitchhiking. We didn’t know where the best spot would be to be picked up so we just guessed that the gas station opposite the bus station made sense. Right? We were incredibly lucky and almost immediately we were picked up a local guy in his sixties who drove us to the road leading to the park. Okay, halfway there. After walking towards the park for ten minutes, we got picked up by a Brazilian couple who took us to the point where we could start the hike. Spirits high and $15 saved, we were on the top of the world figuratively. The literal part would come hours later.

Among the four trails in the park, we chose the Guanaco Trail, the shortest but by far toughest in the park. Roundtrip it’s only 10 kilometers, about half of the treks we did in El Chalten just a week before; however, the steepness and differing terrain was something not for the faint of heart. The first two kilometers are in forest where you have to take the big, stair like steps with the assistance of tree roots. After that there is a clearing, which is a bog. I was really surprised to learn that the national park is characterized as a sub-antarctic forest. It was way wetter than I would have ever expected. The ground was mushy and sloppy, leading to the last and most difficult portion of the climb: climbing the steep cliffside of the peak and slick shale.

Once at the summit, the view was as beautiful as any I had yet seen. The 360 view included the Beagle Channel expanding east to the sea. Across the channel we could see the remote wilderness of Chile. We could also see amazingly beautiful green and blue lakes within the park along with the forest. The combination of the channel, the park and the mountains remains one of my favorite views throughout the trip and I’m writing this seven weeks later. Since we were riding so high, we easily hitchhiked our way back. I went solo with a super sweet Argentinian family. Got to learn about them in Spanish and their eight year old son got to practice a little English with me. The next day we took a 5:00 A.M. bus to Chile to start the equally amazing W Trek in the Torres del Paine National Park and since I didn’t have any camp sites reserved, we had to get a little inventive.

Argentina, you were very good to me. Big, beautiful cities and unfathomable nature of all kinds: waterfalls, desert, mountains, lakes, glaciers. And most importantly of all, great people and new friends I will continue to stay in touch with and hopefully see for many years to come. Muchisimas gracias!!

El Chalten

stephen_koehler1316 — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 11:00:00 GMT

So it has been an embarrassingly, ridiculously, unacceptably long time since I’ve written, which is definitely a detriment to me more than anyone else. Hopefully I can recall the amazing details of tiny El Chalten and relate them to you! The most important thing to know is that there are great hiking trails minutes from town and that they are all free. We would come to learn that this is not the case in most other parts of Patagonia.

As noted in the last post, we arrived in town after a 24-hour bus ride, somehow not too cranky or tired. Apparently this 5’9’’ frame is well-suited for those half-reclining bus chairs. We knew that El Chalten is on all backpacker’s must-go lists for having amazing hikes right outside your front door; however, I think we were all ready for an easy day after that looooong ride. So after checking into our respective hostels, I headed to the store to get some groceries for breakfast and lunch for the next few days. Luckily I was quick on running out, because as soon as I got back I was informed by Tommy that we were going to do the world famous Laguna de los Tres trail that day as weather conditions were perfect since the rangers don’t let you climb the last kilometer if it’s too windy. This trek, better known as the Fitz Roy Trail, is famous as view from the summit is the logo for Patagonia Outdoor company and after seeing the view, I know why.

So we made our lunches, gathered up our gear and hit the trail with three other people from Tommy’s hostel. Shannon and Alex, a couple from Australia, and to alter your gender predispositions, Shannon is the guy and Alex is the girl. And for the first time on my travels, I randomly ran into someone I had previously met. Meet Dirk, a tall, big and super friendly German from Munich, whom I had met at a hostel in Rosario, Argentina, four weeks earlier. What up Dirk!

The trail itself is a relatively easy to moderate 20 kilometer round trip, with the last kilometer being a pretty damn difficult total uphill climb. We had an absolutely perfect day with minimal wind and endless sun. The Fitz Roy peak was fixed in front of us along most of the trail providing the motivation anyone would need to push through any difficult portions. Also, one of the coolest things about all the hikes in El Chalten is that you can drink the fresh running water from the streams as it is glacial melt filtered through the rocks and the way down. Pretty amazing how sweet and delicious it was. I’m really big on raw water now.

After the three-hour plus hike to reach the summit, the reward was absolutely stunning. While you can only see one at first, there are two glacier lakes, which have a color that defies the human eye to go along with the three separate peaks. I’ve never seen this color before in any body of water, whether it be the turquoise of the ocean, the deep blue of lakes, the brown of rivers in Asia or whatever color the Chicago river is. To me it looks like the bright blue highlighter, which I’m pretty sure comes through in the pictures. Some of my favorite pics were taken there, including a group shot with about 20 people capturing both lakes and all the peaks. After sitting for hours taking pictures, eating and doing some good ole relaxing, we had to make the trek back down, which led to more amazing photos with the sun going down. I could definitely see why some people camp along the trail to climb the last kilometer at sunrise. Simply beautiful.

Another great perk of the hiking trails being so close to town is that you get back in time for happy hour! Given that this is a small town in Patagonia in the relative middle of nowhere, most prices are higher than normal. So when you can get two good micro beers for $6 or $7, you jump on it. I’m talking pale ales, IPAs, blondes, reds, porters, etc. After some drinks and dinner, I was more ready than ever for a hot shower and a lot of sleep.

Next morning was a slow one, but after getting in motion, Norma, Eleanor and I did the Laguna Torres trail, another 20 kilometer round trip hike; however, this one was mostly flat. The payoff for this one is an up close view of a glacial lake with a bunch of broken off ice chunks floating in it. We did have the additional challenge of a damn windy day. Our resident meteorologist Tommy was so concerned, he decided to hit the trail earlier with some people from his hostel to beat the wind. We just said screw and started an hour plus later. It was pretty damn windy out there in some parts, but not too bad; though we ran into Tommy and friends on the return journey and he said he saw a girl fly backwards about ten feet when a big gust hit her and her open jacket. I did have a major/minor casualty on the trek though too (depends on how you look at it I suppose). After I stopped to take a picture on the walk back, I jogged past a group of people to catch up and my sunglasses blew off from my shirt over the edge, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN! Those babies were prescription and while I can still see, it’s still sad. I hope they find a good home. After more happy hours and a solid burger, day complete.

Day 3 brought a reunification with Shannon, Alex and Dirk to complete the Loma de la Pliegue Tumbado trail; another 20 kilometer hike. Not sure why I was up for another long hike, but the weather was beautiful again and my legs felt fine. This trail ran was a mostly gentle uphill climb the whole way through mostly open fields and a slight patch of forest. The last two kilometers were more challenging, including the summit, an unforgiving steep, giant hill composed of shale. Since the footing was not the best you had to use a switchback trail to push it to the top. After a good 20 minutes of one-minute spurts and rests, I made it to the top! And from on high I had a 360 degree view of Fitz Roy, Cerro Torres and wide open plans and giant lakes. It’s crazy how open and far-stretching the world seemed in that moment. We spent a quick half hour up there shielding ourselves from the wind to eat lunch and take some great photos before heading back.

I spent the last day resting and basically just hanging out. I ended up doing a piddly three kilometer walk to view the town from the south with a hostel pal before really turning the tables and having some wine and dinner at the hostel instead of happy hour and bar food. Gotta mix it up sometimes, ya know?

Next morning Norma, Eleanor, Tommy and I took the bus to El Calafate, home to the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the largest in the world. Leading up to our departure there, we were having a devil of a time finding available rooms for that Saturday night and we didn’t know why. When we figured it out, we were both annoyed and excited. The reason for the troubles had to do with a concert from an artist responsible for the most popular song worldwide the previous summer. Intrigued? We were...

Bariloche

stephen_koehler1316 — Wed, 7 Mar 2018 10:00:00 GMT

Ah crap, I'm beginning to get pretty bad with writing timely updates. That's a good sign, yes? Anyways...

Lush green forests, deep blue lakes, unreal vistas, good beer and an overpriced Main Street designed specifically for tourists. Five days in Bariloche was the beginning of the next four weeks of my Patagonia. After narrowly surviving and making the flight from Mendoza, the first day in town was used to conduct a self guided walking tour to get our bearings. The hikes and outdoor activities are west and south of downtown, culminating with an amazing 25 kilometer loop with hiking, biking and the renowned Cerveceria Patagonia. The lone noteworthy occurence on the first night was the big ole family feast at the hostel, where everyone made food, native to their country. There were Americans, French, German, English and of course Argentian. I’m not really sure what “American” food is so I just made chicken fajitas as best I could. Felt good to do some cooking since it hasn’t been a regular thing during this trip beyond some breakfasts and salads. Beyond that we had empanadas, meatballs and rice, some german potato dish, guacamole, etc. Quite the good and varied spread!

Day 2 meant time for some serious hiking so instead of doing an easy one first, I just dove right in. After waiting a little longer than expected for the not so “regular” local bus, Norma and I arrived at the trailhead for the Refugio Frey hike with a couple other people who had been waiting for the bus. I don’t recall the exact roundtrip distance, but we took our sweet time enjoying the hike on a beautiful sunny day. We started at about 11 and barely caught the 8 PM bus back into town. The first hour plus of the hike follows the western edge of Lago Gutierrez, which like the rest of the lakes in Bariloche, is a brilliant royal blue, providing an amazing contrast to the green trees of the forest. After this portion, the trail cut into the forest on dirt trails flanked with tall trees, yellow wild flowers and a stream from the mountain top. Then we hit the hard part. The last 30 minutes or so were uphill, climbing over rocks and sections of shale to get to the Refugio Frey base camp. After the cool air in the forest, this bit was a sweltering mess in the cloudless sky. Thank goodness a refreshing swim awaited. Past the little hostel/campsite sat the small, shallow Alpine Lake. I unfortunately didn’t have my trunks on, so I only went knee deep but the girls; however, went ahead and dove all the way under. Lucky bastards!. After a good chicken, cheese, avocado and tomato sandwich, two hours of lounge time and countless photos, we headed back. After logging all those kilometers and being in the sun for the majority of the day, we needed a rest day.

After the rest day, it was time for more activity! One of the most popular day trips to do in Bariloche is to rent bicycles and do the Circuito Chico Loop, the 25 kilometer loop around several of the lakes in northwest Bariloche. For us; however, the roundtrip was closer to 40 kilometers as we were a little east of the starting point. Also unfortunately for us, the bikes at the hostel were mountain bikes and not road bikes, making some of the uphill parts ridiculously difficult; as in we needed to walk the bikes up the hill difficult. We did benefit from not being charged for the rental; 20 bucks well saved!

The ride was unbelievably fun and beautiful. You go past forests, lakes and beaches with numerous viewpoints along the way as well as downhill sections where you can whip around bends in the road. While the mountain bikes weren’t ideal for the road, at least the brakes worked quite well! It was good practice for the Death Road in Bolivia! After four plus hours of riding around, walking to viewpoints and eating lunch, we had to cap of the day with a few pints at Cerveceria Patagonia, possibly the best located bar I’ve ever been to. And if it’s not, than it definitely has the best beer garden in the world. The back of the brewpub looked out onto a lake, with the whole scene covered in the late afternoon sun. We grabbed a couple of pints and plopped down on a couple bean bags. Nothing could beat the view and good ales in that moment and with an atmosphere like that it was impossible to not make friends. Tommy and Eddie, an Irish and a British lad, respectively, were a couple of good blokes to have a beer and an empanada with. Tommy ended up joining Norma and myself on further travels to El Chalten and El Calafate. Seems we’re all going to the same places in Patagonia, just potentially in different directions.

On the last day I did one last minor hike, only about three hours total called Cerro Loma. It was supposed to just be a solo thing before going back to town to meet up with Norma, Tommy and Eddie, but of course I met people at the top also enjoying the amazing views and lunch. In the end, the four of us rode the bus back to town to go to this good brewpub called Manush. There were so many cervecerias in Bariloche but this one was a favorite: twice in five days. Just like Tommy did, one of the newbies, Eleanor from San Fran ended up joining along on additional travel destinations as well. Our party just keeps on growing.

Next day, Tommy, Norma and I caught the 6 am bus to El Chalten, just your average, run of the mill 24-hour bus ride. It sounds terrible and while it wasn’t great, between sleeping, watching Netflix, podcasts, the scenery and movies in Spanish on the bus, it was somehow tolerable. I must say that Bridesmaids in Spanish without subtitles wasn’t too hard to understand and is still hilarious. Ted not so much; and two of the Twilight movies? No chance I was watching that garbage, hot young co-eds and all.

The journey was absolutely worth it. Tiny El Chalten and its 2,000 person population is the mecca for amazing hikes five to ten minutes outside of town. And best of all, the parks are free, you can drink the water straight from the stream and there are good happy hours starting as early as 3:00 PM. This is where the might and epic beauty of Patagonia was experienced for the first time.

Cordoba y Mendoza

stephen_koehler1316 — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 19:00:00 GMT

Being the second largest city in the country, I wanted to at least pop in for a couple days in Cordoba to break up the onward journey to Mendoza. Cordoba is known for having a fun, young atmosphere since there are five or six universities throughout the city. And what to young people like to do after school and/or work: eat good food and go to cool bars. As such, the hip sopts were plentiful within the Guemes neighborhood, which had the familiar vibes of Wicker Park and Logan Square. Tons of good places with outdoor seating, colorful decor and art/paintings on the wall.

After the night bus from Tucuman, I headed to the main square in the center to do a free walking tour. The tour itself was alright, but I’m glad I went as it led to a good night in town as the guide Analia was great and I met a new friend, Norma, whom became a travel partner for a couple weeks thereafter. The most interesting part of the tour was the old Jesuit Block and an underground Jesuit meeting place, which contained some cool history and architecture. At the end of the tour Analia asked if there were any questions about the tour or places to eat or drink in town. Naturally Norma and I wanted to know about a good bar for later that night and Analia delivered and then some. She told us of a place and offered to meet up later.

The night ahead was going to be a long, boozy event as Norma tasked us with having to stay out until 3 AM so she could just go back to her hostel to grab her bag before a 6 AM flight to Mendoza the next day. Ouch!. We started the night at Chili Street Food, where the happy hour deal was on point. Two beers or two Cynar and grapefruit juices for five bucks. Norma and I each threw back a couple before Analia and her friend showed up. After one more drink, Analia led the group to a bar around the corner with live music every night. That night it was some funky jazz collective. We sat on the upper level grooving, speaking Spanglish and treating ourselves to pizza and wine. So for those of you keeping score at home, that’s beer, liquor and wine mixed in my belly by 10 PM. Smart.

After a few hours we went to one last place for a night cap at this really good cocktail bar. They had every single liquor and spirit available, which is pretty great I guess, but I kept it simple and got an old fashioned. The drink was nothing fancy but as the classics usually go, they are a classic for a reason. About 3 AM (we did it Norma!) we all went are separate ways. Never did I imagine I would go out for drinks with a city tour guide, but it was a great night and we were able to check out some great local spots. Also, really glad to not be Norma the next day.

I spent the next day in Cordoba walking around a little and hanging at a park before catching the night bus to Mendoza, wine central in Argentina. Mendoza is also the first place in Argentina where there was noticeably a lot more English being spoken in the hostel. While there were still Argentinian travelers as well, it seemed I was at the northern tip of the tourist trail. I spent the first day in Mendoza taking it easy. Got some ceviche mixto and went the the giant Belgrano Park on the western edge of the city. This bad boy has all kinds of trails, a lake, tennis courts, a professional soccer stadium, etc. Perfect place for a walk and some podcasts. That night I went to dinner with the new hostel gang at a parrilla and bar hopping thereafter. The place was trying and succeeding in selling a certain Malbec as you got a takeaway bottle of Rose with every bottle purchased during dinner. The eight of us devoured the steak, ribs, chorizo and morcilla with no problem and moved onto to a couple of bars. At this point I was really hitting my fernet con cola stride.

Next day we did the obligatory and insanely fun bike riding around the Maipo Valley in Mendoza. Our crew of four got a bit of a late start due to the night before, arriving at the first and best bodega in the afternoon. Domiciano is a quaint, family run joint that had a great cellar and tasting room. The person who gave us the tasting just let us walk around the property at our own leisure and told us to go to the tasting room when ready. The tasting was $10, which is pricier than most there, but the pours were tall and the quality of the wine was so good. We got a sparkling wine, a Malbec, a Cab Sav and I tried something similar to a Port for my last one. This place was hands down the best of the three we went to that day so no need to talk about the others.

What we do need to talk about is how beautiful the day and the area are in Maipu. We had a 90 degree, sunny day and the roads have bike lanes making it easy to navigate and get around. While the other two wineries weren’t as good in comparison, they were however located along one of those postcard perfect side roads. The tall, skinny trees were all in row on both sides stretching to the sky, providing us with quite the scenic boulevard. The imagery was only enhanced as the sun moved across the sky throughout the day. The bike shop we rented from was also great too. It was just this guy Hugo and his wife with a bunch of cruiser bikes. He gave us some fresh juice when we arrived and left and could not care less when we came back over 30 minutes late.

Next day was for the pool and the superbowl. The hostel I stayed at, Gorilla, had a good sized pool and apparently cable as well. Definitely more amenities than most of the places I’ve stayed at during this trip. After enjoying yet another hot, sunny day our biker gang cooked up roasted chicken and veggies. Not the traditional superbowl spread, but we needed some good healthy food after all the red meat and wine. I watched the game with some Aussies, Brits and an American as the Argentinians and others could not have cared less about the game. The only downside was that the ESPN feed in Argentina meant I didn’t get to see the commercials, which I still haven’t watched weeks later. Can’t say I”m too broken up about it though.

My last day in Mendoza was, let’s just say a mixed bag. After being drunk and lazy for three days, I wanted to do something active. One of the most popular day trips from Mendoza is a four hour bus west to the base of the Aconcagua Mountain, the highest or second highest peak outside of Asia. We had the best intentions to do the three hour hike to the base camp where you can hang out for a couple of hours before heading back to Mendoza; however, mother nature threw a wrench into the plan. So after staying up past midnight the night before to watch the superbowl, we woke up at 5 to catch the 6 AM bus. No biggie; we can sleep on the bus and we’re going to see some amazing scenery, right? About an hour or so from the entrance though the bus pulled off the road, where we would then sit for the next two to three hours. Apparently it rained hard the night before and some mud and rocks fell into the road at some point making it temporarily impassable. KInd of a big deal as it the main border crossing point into Chile from Mendoza; however, we had no idea how long it would take for the road to be cleared. In the end we just had to turn around and go back as Norma and I were flying to Bariloche the next day and now we wouldn’t have had time to hike to the base camp and back. Total bummer.

When we got back to the hostel we decided to share some wine, which ended up snowballing into a full-fledged party. We drank a lot of wine and out of no where there were two big bottles of fernet con cola. The local custom is to buy large bottles of coke, pour it out into another vessel and cut the bottle in half, turning it into a large glass easy to pass around and share. After burning the cut edge to smooth out the plastic, it gets filled up with the tasty concoction and everyone imbibes. After too much of this along with vino and loud music and card games, the whole hostel went out for more. I had a beer and then said my goodbyes as the flight the next morning was at 7:00 and it was about 1 AM already and I was hammered. This did not forebode well…

My alarm was set for 5:30, but wouldn’t ya know I just went ahead and slept through it (I have since found the most annoying alarm sound on my new phone!!). Somehow Norma woke up at 6 as she overslept as well. In a rush of panic we grabbed our stuff and got a timely cab. The roads were clear enough and the airport was close enough that we made the flight. I didn’t anticipate flying much during the trip, but a new low cost airline, FlyBondi, started this year and there were some crazy cheap promo flights. Instead of a 17 hour bus ride to Bariloche costing $70, I got a sub two-hour flight for $55. That’s a no brainer right there, guy!

We had now arrived at the northern tip of Patagonia, and oh my goodness, what beauty awaited!

Cafayate y Quebrada de las Conchas

stephen_koehler1316 — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 11:00:00 GMT

Time to drink some vino! I arrived into Cafayate the following afternoon ready to soak up the valley sun and pull the cork on some good vintages; however, I had to wait a couple days to visit some wineries as I wanted to do some activity and sight seeing first. Cafayate is a lesser known wine growing region in northwestern Argentina, which has perfect climate for wine. Over 300 days of sun each year makte for hot, dry days and cool nights, ideal for growing grapes. They also have a reputation of making tasty goat cheese too! The town is the centerpiece of a green valley flanked by red mountains and hills. There are numerous wineries and bodegas with grapes growing with ease in the backyards of homes and hostels. Those bad boys are deliciously sweet with a slightly tough skin to seal in those flavors.

That first afternoon I took a five-hour walk along a trail southwest of town up into the hills. The lookout point supposedly has seven small waterfalls; however, to get to the end of the trail you have to criss cross the river several times. I was able to jump across rocks for the most part, but I turned back when the light began to fade since I didn’t want to have wiat for my shoes dry out over the next day or so.

I woke up early the next day to walk over to a local farm to see what this goat cheese craze was all about. I ended up taking the short tour with an Argentinian family with the whole thing being in Spanish; however, it was pretty basic. Different pens for different aged goats, how much milk is produced daily, the pasteurization process, etc. As my reward for understanding everything mas o menos (and the $2.50 tour cost), we got to taste so many different types of cheese at the end: natural goat cheese, smoked goat cheese, goat cheese with pepper, garlic, basil and cheese made from a blend of goat’s and cow’s milk. Que rico! I’m not a souvenir person, but I couldn’t resist buying a block of natural goat cheese. Made for some great tomato, cucumber, avocado and goat cheese salads during my stay.

That afternoon I did the five hour tour of the Quebrada de Las Conchas, a 60-kilometer stretch of unique and colorful rock formations, green valleys and viewpoints north of Cafayate that has been developed over thousands of years. It’s similar to the Quebrada de Humahuaca north of Salta; however, Las Conchas has a more diverse colorscape as the valley and river adjacent to the highway are lush and green, providing a spectacular contrast to the red, brown, yellow, blue, green and gray of the mountains and rock formations.

Over the course of the tour our minibus stopped at around ten different spots to view and stroll through the amazing and diverse landscape of the Quebrada, which of course have quite an array of names as well as colors. There is the toad, priest, three crosses, ampitheater, castle, locomotive and of course, another garganta del diablo. This had to be at least the third attraction with a garganta del diablo, but the viewpoint of the falls in Iguazu remains the best. Nonetheless, it’s amazing how the wind and sand have carved these unique formations over millennia, especially the one that looked like the perch in The Lion King. I could picture Rafiki and Simba with ease. Seeing much of this as the sun was setting was even more spectacular. The photos I took and posted will make you agree I’m sure.

The next two days were for wine tasting and parrilla. The first day I set off with two guys from my hostel: Thess, a Brazilian, and for the life of me I cannot remember the German guy’s name. I think it was something similar to Paul or Sam. Sorry German guy...Anywho, we grabbed a cab and set out for two bodegas outside of town where we would experience of couple of hiccups. The first place we wanted to go to was closed as the gravel road leading to the entrance was slightly flooded as apparently, the 60 days of rain this year had been uncharacteristically heavy. No biggie, there was another one a half hour walk away until there wasn’t because it was closed on the Lord’s Day. That didn’t make a ton of sense to us given that this is a wine and tourist town and we were there in the high season. What do a few bros have to do to get some wine around here?

At this point the next closest bodega was another hour’s walk away, but thank our lucky stars, there was a family in a pick up truck that was disappointed as well by the second place being closed. We were able to hop in the bed of the truck and ride down the hill to the bodega that was actually open. Huzzah! Once there we finally got to drink the famous Malbec as well as Cabernet and a dry white wine only grown in this region called Torrentes. I usually don’t prefer whites, but this one was quite good. Dry, crisp and with a touch of sweetness. The views were amazing with the mountains and the town serving as the backdrop. After this, we didn’t want to try our luck at any more bodegas on a Sunday so we bought a couple bottles and headed back to the hostel to indulge. Later we picked up some steaks and salad to share for dinner at the hostel. So good!

New day, new wine tasting partner. Lissette from Holland arrived a day earlier and was up for some wine as well. With places now open on Monday, we walked to four different places near town as well as return to the goat cheese shop. Apparently the Dutch have an affinity for good cheese. She bought two blocks even though we were both leaving the next day. The wine tastings were tall, cheap and delicious. Cafayate set the bar high for the Argentine wine scene. That night, five of us at the hostel returned to the parrilla in town that I frequented three times in five days. We gorged on a mixed grill of steak, ribs, chorizo and blood sausage along with fries and salad. We had two plates and since the restaurant was BYOB, the grand total per person was, drum roll please...eight bucks. Absolute insanity. Mendoza, you’ve got quite the challenge ahead of you!

Salta and Quebrada de Humahuaca

stephen_koehler1316 — Thu, 8 Feb 2018 17:00:00 GMT

Humidity and water of Iguazu Falls be damned! Time to visit northwest Argentina, a land of dry climate, mountains, indigenous culture and the wine region of Cafayate. The jumping off point for all of this is Salta, in its own right a nice little city. I only spent a couple of days here to get my bearings and plan out the next week or so. I walked to the top of Cerro San Bernardo to experience sweeping views of the city, maxed on some delicious beef and chicken empanadas and tried the aptly named beer “Salta”.

In the morning, I took the bus north roughly three hours to experience the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a multi-hundred mile valley with many small towns in the middle flanked by multi-colored mountains. The drive was picteresque and these small towns are all unique in that they maintain a lot of indigenous culture; way different from the big cities to the south and east, which have a little European flair. First stop was in Purmamarca to see El Cerro de los Siete Colores or the Seven Colored Peak. This tiny tourist town has a peak and an accompanying multi-hour walk with the main attraction being the beautiful mountain side looming over the town. On the amazingly sunny day, the pinks, whites, browns, purples, reds, greens and yellows were absolutely stunning. I forget all the elements and minerals that give the peak this amazing layered color, but some include sulfur, iron, limestone, copper, etc. After walking around for several hours and taking too many pictures, I hopped on the bus to Tilcara, an hour north.

Arriving in Ticara, I took my first leap of faith during this trip in not having accomodations booked ahead of time. There was a hostel I wanted to try with good reviews, but I rolled the dice and tried to get a room walking in. I rolled snake eyes! They were full and the sister hostel down the street was full too. I ended up finding a place in the end and much like most of the trip thus far I was the only American. Unlike other parts of the trip, English was not spoken much at all and I happily joined two separate groups of Argentinian friends. Even after having a dinner of lentil stew with alpaca cubes, which was delicious, they invited me to have some homemade polenta and some beer.

After hanging out for a few hours and understanding a fraction of the conversation since they talked so fast with each other, we headed to the pena around midnight to listen to some traditional folk music. The music is what you would expect with acoustic guitar, drums and flute; however, the traditional dancing was brand spanking new to me. The choreography with your partner consists of keeping your hands above your head, turned up with arms outstretched. Finger snapping optional. The dance itself consists a bunch of twists and turns, though you don’t always switch places with your partner. It’s almost like graceful, fancy walking in a way. The funniest part is there’s a ten second part where you kick and drag your feet against the floor with your arms at your side of you’re the man. The woman does a more graceful solo dance. As always, the women looked much better dancing than the guys. The whole dance takes less than a minute and then you repeat. Certainly interesting and not too hard to learn. After some shared beers and fernet and cokes, I had it down for the most part.

Around 2 A.M. the band changed and the cumbia came out. Add in the brass instruments, take out the flute and pick up the tempo and you’ve got it. It was so much fun attempting to dance. I am absolutely and entirely jealous that so many people learn to dance to this type of amazing music at a young age. One of the girls, Augustina was a peach and I think we were actually able to hold our own. So much fun footwork and spins. MUST LEARN!!!

Getting back around 4 A.M. the previous night, I went for a couple two hour hikes to sweat out the booze and get some exercise. Again, the mountainous views were absolutely stunning and it was a good way to spend the day. We went to the pena again the next night, but it was only folkloric music and I went home earlier, so nothing groundbreaking to report.

The next afternoon was the beginning of the three or four-day indigenous fest that happens every January in town. In the main square a bunch of little girls and boys were dressed up in traditional costumes to perform a dance. The girls had pink jackets, tights and hats while the fellas were dressed in studded turquoise shirts/jackets, blacks pants and black boots. The girls didn’t do a whole lot when they danced beside moving their feet, but the boys’ dance included parts where they did high kicks, air punches and a little grunt. Both funny and quite impressive at the same time. Everyone in the crowd was having a great time snacking on tamales, humitas, kabobs and of course, the drink of choice for the men and band: Budweiser. It’s nice to know that I’ve got so much in common with northern, indigenous Argentinians.

The cherry on top in Tilcara was when Augie and I walked past a little sports court with some kids and they invited us to play soccer with them. It was a perfect example of the kind of spontaneous thing you hear about people doing while traveling. It didn’t matter that I was a total gringo. It was just a nice, good moment that takes you back to when you were a kid playing outside and enjoying life. I grabbed the bus that night to return to Salta for the night so I could head to Cafayate the next day to experience some world famous Argentine wines.

Cataratas del Igauzu

stephen_koehler1316 — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Post the hustle and bustle of BA, I took my sweet time getting to Igauzu Falls, one of most impressive in the world. Suck it Niagra! No chance I was taking a 20 plus hour bus ride to get there. I’m on vacation damnit!. The falls are 82 meters tall, twice as wide as Niagra, and have a volume of 450,000 cubic feet of water per second between November and March. Woah. On my snapchat story I said it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world; however, I goofed. It’s not on the official list but it is both natural and wonderful, so there’s that.

After spending a few days in Rosario and Posadas, I got to Puerto Iguazu ready to get to view this waterworld. The park itself is pretty small with only three main trails and another one that near the entrance that not many people even walk. The three trails are the lower, upper and Garganta del Diablo (The Devil’s Throat). Compared to the other national parks I’ve been to thus far on this trip, this one was definitely the most tourist friendly. It had paved walkways, real bathrooms and little restaurants. I actually didn’t care for how commercial it all seemed, weirdly enough. I must be getting too used to roughing it a little bit.

Anyways, me and a random British girl I met in line got the show on the road. Raj, myself and everyone else must have figured that the upper trail was best, as that path was obnoxiously crowded. For that reason we decided to switch it up and do the lower trail first, which I’m glad we did. Each trail offers different perspectives and great views; however, you get to feel the awesome power of the falls on the lower trail. There are multiple places where the mist completely envelops you and oh my, does it feel good. The weather was hot and humid, so any respite was absolutely welcome. I would have happily gotten soaked to the bone, but I needed my phone to work for all the pics we were taking so we had to keep on moving.

The upper trail is also really cool; however, I’m not sure what else I can say beyond the views continued to be amazing. I’d say the best part is the view of the San Martin island in the middle of the falls, which you can actually visit via boat if you want to see it up close and get absolutely drenched by the falls. Turns out the mist and the forthcoming afternoon monsoon would be more than enough!

The cherry on top of the falls is the Garganta del Diablo, with the viewing area essentially on top of the falls at the point where the majority of the 450,000 cubic feet of water cascade into the abyss. To get to the viewpoint you have to walk across multiple steel walkways connected by little pieces of land in the river. Since I’m not an engineer, I have no idea how they built these bridges in the middle of a flowing and at times, raging river; however, walking across these was surreal. All you could see in front of you was the water on the bridges leading to a giant plateau where mist continued to rise. After the 20 or so minute walk with the noise of the falls ever growing, we made it! And what an amazing view it was! Beyond the deafening roar of the water, we could see Brazil on the other side and the occasional rainbow as the sun kept peaking in and out of the clouds. We made it just in time too as on the walk back we were completely drenched head to toe by a torrential storm that lasted the next four hours. No other trail at the beginning for me.

You can add Iguazu Falls to the list of the simply amazing things I’ve seen on this trip. I do like big cities, but there is just something else about big time nature. I think the videos I took did a good job of showing just how powerful and deep the falls are, as well as how brown the water is! Apparently the water used to be more clear, but it’s become brown due to deforestation as there are less tree roots to absorb rain water. Thus, additional sediment gets washed into the river. Science. Moving on from the rainforest like conditions of Puerto Iguazu, let’s get to northwest region of Argentina, where more beautiful landscapes and some indigenous culture await. Only another combined 20 plus hours of bus rides to get there...

Buenos Aires

stephen_koehler1316 — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 21:00:00 GMT

Lovely flight on Aerolineas Argentinas completed, it’s time to enjoy all the things that I like in a big city: architecture, parks, restaurants and bars. BA has all of these things aplenty and is specifically known for great steaks, good wine and a club scene that doesn’t end until six in the morning. As a proper traveler and world citizen, I was obliged to dabble in all of this at least once...or twice.

At the recommendation of a couple people in Colombia, I booked my first few nights at Milhouse Hostel, which I was told had a party vibe and organized daily excursions. All true, but I can get into that in a bit. In terms of what all tourists choose to do in BA, it consists of exploring five or six different neighborhoods: Centro, San Telmo, La Boca, Puerto Madero, Recoleta and Palermo. Each has its own charm and character and I was able to explore all of them over the course of my six days via walking or bike.

Centro seems to be the hub for most travelers given its location near to the other neighborhoods and subway lines. It has big boulevards, beautiful plazas (Mayo and San Martin) and great people watching (especially along Calle Florida, the main shopping thoroughfare). Speaking of people watching, the locals seem to have a certain flair about them. People walk confidently, dress sharply and the rumors are more or less true; the women look good. Another rumor is also true, that Argentinian accent is damn hard to understand. Yikes!

San Telmo and La Boca are south of downtown and still have a working class vibe to this day. San Telmo has a more artsy feel with the oldest market in the city. I don’t really get into kitsch, but the cafe and leche I had there for my afternoon kick, was quite tasty indeed! La Boca was founded by poor immigrants from Italy and is the one ‘hood that even locals said to be wary in; however, it seemed pretty safe to me. It had all the tourists trappings of people selling junk on the street, people trying their damndest to get us to eat lunch at their restaurant and two people dancing tango for tips. This is the neighborhood where tango originated; however, the how it began is a good short story. Prostitutes used to show up at houses on request and would find themselves in a room with multiple men. To see who got have sex with the prostitute, the men would dance tango with each other, with the best of the bunch winning the lady for the night. Not sure who paid in the end, but you know she didn’t leave empty handed. Since tango began in this unseemly manner in a poor area, it wasn’t outlawed by the government until after it became popular in Europe. I hope you have learned something new today now. My hostel had some free tango lessons one night, but only 12 steps or so. It’s definitely a lot harder for ladies with all the twirling and fancy leg lifting. I liked it a lot. Something new to get into for sure.

Puerto Madero is at the eastern edge of the city near the riverfront and is much newer than the rest of the city. There are new office buildings along with restaurants and bars to cater that clientele; however, the best part in my opinion is a massive park along the waterfront with trails and little parks to waste away the day in. I hopped on the BA city bike and rode all around the trails one afternoon. A good way to work off a hangover and enjoy a lazy day.

Recoleta and Palermo are where the upper crust of BA live and have lived for a long time. For some reason Recoleta reminded me of Lincoln Park in Chicago with Palermo reminding me of Wicker Park, Lakeview and Logan Square. Both neighborhoods have amazing parks, good food and fun bars. Recoleta also has museums, is slightly more residential and has a cemetery for the city’s old, rich and famous. Each family or person has a massive mausoleum up to over 20 feet tall with ornate carvings and sculptures. I saw tombs for generals, doctors, statesman, but I couldn’t find Evita’s. It’s ok though, I’ve seen the movie. Well done Madonna.

Palermo is the where the young, hip people (of which I still consider myself to be a part of thank you very much) go out until the wee hours, drink at craft brew pubs and munch at old standby and posh new restaurant hot spots. Told ya it sounded like Lakeview, Wicker and Logan. So every night at my hostel, they would create the party atmosphere with music starting around 10 or 11 and then would take people to clubs at 2. Sounds insane I know but that’s what they do there. Probably helps when the party starts late and happy hour goes until midnight. Yep, midnight. One night I stayed out after in the Centro hanging and drinking until some time after three and the another night we took the ride out to Palermo and I came back some time before five. I didn’t make it to the sunrise, but that’s pretty damn good. So much dancing, so much drinking and so much tiredness the next day. When in BA!

A post about this city would not be complete without a little food recap. You know I talk about food more than your average Guy Fieri. The parrillas or asados are legit. These are the restaurants that grill up some real tasty meat treats. I’m talking steaks, pork, chorizo and blood sausage. I tried it all and it was all amazing and priced to move by American standards. A massive medium rare beef tenderloin (lomo), fries, empanadas, blood sausage and wine for each person split among three including tip was less than $30. Easily would have cost three times more in Chicago. I also had some good gelato, pizza, milanesa sandwiches and alfajores. Alfajores are tasty cookies sandwiched between dulce de leche and dusted with powdered sugar. This tasty little morsel is completely OUT OF BOUNDS! I don’t know why some place named Latino Sandwich had such a good one, but when in BA go there for the milanesa completa and an alfajore. You will not be disappointed my friend. When it comes to drinking, the red wine is cheap and good. Drink up some Malbec and Cab Sav. They also drink the Italian digestif Fernet Branca with Coke. The Coke is to mask the bitter taste with some sweetness. I really liked it and am looking forward to going to Cordoba where they apparently drink it a lot. First things first though, Iguazu Falls and Northwest Argentina. Ciao!

San Gil

stephen_koehler1316 — Mon, 8 Jan 2018 18:00:00 GMT

Whew! 14-hour bus ride complete; it was now time to explore Colombia’s adventure capital of San Gil. For such a small town of only about 50,000 people, there are numerous things to do: paragliding, rafting, mountain biking, bungee jumping and little days trips to surrounding towns. Oh yeah, I also rang in the new year here too! I spent five days here, the longest stay of anywhere on my trip yet, and while I didn’t do everything, I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I stayed at a great hostel right on the main square from which we could watch the people, the Xmas lights and the fireworks from the third floor balcony.

The first activity on the agenda was rafting Rio Suarez, an hour and a half trip with Class IV plus rapids on New Year’s Eve. The sun was hot, the water refreshingly cool and our six-person crew ready to go. There were two other boats, and I’m happy to report, that our boat was not the worst. Nobody fell out the entire time even though we had a couple first timers who refused to sit up front. That’s ok, more for me! Speaking of that other boat though...the first rapid they went through less than 30 seconds after starting, two people fell out. There was one instructor in a kayak who was quite busy throughout the run. Among his saves included a couple people, one paddle and a shoe. Tip that man!

The rafting was exhilarating; I sat in the front the whole time, constantly getting splashed in the face with water as we dropped down through rapids and paddled vigorously at times throughout the run avoiding big rocks, whirlpools and probably some other rafting dangers of which I don’t know the terms. There was one Class V rapid and I don’t know what the hell happened, but after we passed through it, I turned around to find our guide on his ass the middle of the boat. After watching the Go Pro video, turns out the drop was so big, he lost his balance and fell right on top of one of the people in the middle. Amazing. There were also a few calm parts in the river where we jumped out of the boat and just floated down, peaceful as could be. A couple guys, more adventurous than me, even went through a small rapid on their backs feet first. One of them wasn’t even wearing shoes. Frickin’ crazy Kiwi!

Everyone survived and we got to celebrate by maxing out on a lunch of chicken, yuca, potatoes, fresh fruit and a local treat of cheese with guava paste. Not too shabby. This was all a precursor of course to celebrating new years. So on the way back from the river, we stopped at the grocery store to stock up on booze so we could get good and liquored up on the balcony before going out. I got my first taste of aguardiente and we also found some surprisingly decent sparkling wine, which passed the first test, no one went blind! Aguardiente is similar to ouzo in that it’s a liquor with a licorice or anise flavor. I happen to like it, but I know it’s not for everyone. Better drink it chilled, warm would be a little rough to say the least.

Our night consisted of playing musical Jeopardy with a Spotify playlist and pre-selected categories and card games while waiting for midnight to approach. When the clock struck 12, we popped open our bottles of bubbly and headed to the one bar/club in town, which truly is a gem. It’s part bar, part food court and like all good places, part gas station. I think we got there around 1 AM and joined the mix of other travelers and locals. I’m not sure how a I was able to do it, but I was there until the place closed at 5 AM. I lost my hostel friends at some point, but shared a cab back with a local guy and a girl from Chile that I befriended. We made him sit in front!

New Year’s Day was rainy, which could not have been better. I worked off my first true hangover of the trip and took it easy. Beyond a couple day trips to small towns in the area to go swimming in a river with natural pools (Curiti) and to see a gorgeous colonial town with white-washed stone houses adjacent to valley (Barichara) the other big activity I did in San Gil was paragliding. I had never done it before, but apparently the Chicamocha Canon, an hour outside of town is perfect for it, a little too perfect on the day we went. The thermals were so good that day, making it very easy to take off, but difficult to land.

The process is pretty simple. You get strapped in, and then start running toward the edge of the cliff until you don’t feel your feet on the ground anymore. No jumping required, just run and let mother nature do the rest. Once you’re up, you just sit back, practice speaking Spanish with the guide and enjoy the views of the valley, which are absolutely stunning. The valley was covered in sunlight with a few puffy clouds in the distance. Apparently sometimes you are even able to fly into the clouds if the conditions are just right; however, I think we had too good of weather for that unfortunately. My trip was 40 minutes, but other people’s times varied quite a bit. A few of the girls in our group who weighed less had trouble landing and were up for over an hour. The flight is supposed to be only 30 minutes. One of them got sick in the air from all the twists and turns. Pobre cita!

After I landed, there were still quite a lot of people that had to go, but after waiting another hour or so we were ready to go; tired, sunburnt and hungry. The whole experience was so amazing. The only downside was that we got so much time in the air, that we missed all the delicious lunch specials once we got back into town. Que triste! San Gil was great. I really enjoyed being in one place for more than two or three days. Got to meet and hang out with some great people and did not have to pack up quickly. That bliss was short lived as I have since taken another night bus to Bogota where I spent only two nights before flying to Buenos Aires.

I’m not going to write much about Bogota. For it being the capital of Colombia and having eight million people, the tourist stuff is a little limited. I did a free walking tour hitting all the major destinations in the historic city center, hiked to the top of Cerro Monserrate to get a panoramic view of the city (which went on forever), tried the interesting combination of hot chocolate with cheese and bread (pretty good actually) and went to bar/club with the hostel gang. I’d say two or three days is probably enough there for those wanting to go to Colombia, and if you don’t want to go by now, something is definitely wrong with you!!

Next up, a change in the itinerary and onto Argentina...

Parque Nacional Tayrona and Minca

stephen_koehler1316 — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 19:00:00 GMT

After finishing the Ciudad Perdida trek, taking down eight beers on Christmas Eve with my new-found Aussie pals and resting for a couple of days, it was time to move on Parque Nacional Tayrona on the northern Caribbean coast. I had bookmarked this place as one of the top destinations during my trip on account of the turquoise sea, beaches and hikes replete with sections of massive boulders, palm-fringed paths, hot sun and sea breezes. It did not disappoint! And to extend my time there and to really get into relaxation mode, I tried my hand at two more nights in hammocks...with mixed results.

The park itself is pretty big, spanning 150 square kilometers; however, most people enter on the eastern side where the best hiking and beaches are located. I am most people. After walking for about an hour to the first site where you can camp, Arrecifes, I decided to take another path, which appeared to be a shortcut on the map to get to my destination: Cabo San Juan del Guia beach, where I’d stay two nights. BAD choice. Turns out this path is primarily used for horses. I am not horse. The path had been beaten up pretty bad and had recently gotten some rain as a couple of times the mud went up to my knees, but I still managed to keep my footwear somehow. After going barefoot and washing off in a river, I made it, and oh my goodness, the views were absolutely spectacular. Words and pictures can do no justice to how truly beautiful it all was. Two beaches flanked by massive boulders on the cliffs and in the water, a campsite bordered by palm trees and a lookout point to see everything bathed in sunlight.

After walking around for an hour or so to check it all out from different angles and vantage points, it was time to do what I do best at the beach: layout, listen to some podcasts and cool off in the sea as necessary! I slept the first night in the hammocks on the lookout point. Again, BAD choice. I was warned that it would be cold so I made sure to bring pants, long sleeves and to have a dry towel to act as a blanket. I also tried to wrap myself in the hammock like a little cocoon, but the wind was so strong that none of it helped much. Pretty sure I would have needed one of those parkas that all of you in Chicago are using right now. Ha, just kidding!. Somehow I managed to get five or six hours of sleep for which I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over some of the boulders.

The next day I did a little hike to some old indigenous site in the park, El Pueblito, with some new Brazilian pals. Much like there’s no chance of me learning Dutch or French, Portuguese is off the table too. So many J sounds and I’m pretty sure my mouth can’t make some of the other sounds I heard over those threes days...El Pueblito is similar to Ciudad Perdida with terraces and palm houses, but a lot smaller and less impressive. Thus ends my transcendent description of El Pueblito. Back to the beach! The second night in the hammocks away from the beach was much better needless to say. I actually slept for eight hours comfortably and still got to enjoy the sunrise. After breakfast, it was three hour hike back and onto Minca.

Minca is a tiny, tranquil mountain town in the Sierra Nevadas. After being in the heat for three days, it was a great place to cool off and continue to relax for two more nights. I spent the first night in a forgettable hostel; however, the wifi signal was surprisingly strong and the family running the place was super sweet. Just like all grandmas, that grandma could cook! I spent the second night at Casa Elemento, a hostel way up at the top of a ridge with impeccable views and three, eight to ten person oversized hammocks from which to soak up the valley views. To get there I hopped on the back of a moto taxi and rode the 30 minutes up. A little bumpy but so fun and hell of a lot better than a two hour plus walk uphill.

Casa Elemento is basically a twenty something’s mountain retreat dream. Yeah, yeah, I know I’m 30 now. There’s the aforementioned hammocks, a pool, fire pit and a good bar with bartenders partying along with the guests; all surrounded by green mountain views. The fresh passion fruit puree rum cocktail I had was sooooo good. After the late lunch I had that day, I drank my dinner that night. And I certainly got after it that night, but not as much as the group of ten Dutch guys that were there. Their bills the next morning were more than double mine. I’d say $40 for lodging, breakfast and a night of healthy drinking ain’t too shabby. This place is a popular destination and felt like a getaway for the young party version of the UN. There are some good hikes too in the morning to work of that hangover, which I certainly needed to prepare for my first uber long overnight bus ride to Colombia’s adventure capital, San Gil: 14 hours. Ouch!

El Trek Ciudad Perdida

stephen_koehler1316 — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 10:00:00 GMT

It took a total of four days to cover about 44 kilometers (28 miles) of up and down hiking in the summer heat and humidity to complete the round trip to the archaeological site Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of northern Colombia, but it was totally worth it. Great views, great adventure and a great group of gringos to boot. Our 16-person motley crew consisted of nine Dutch, three French, two Aussies, a Kiwi and yours truly along with a couple of guides.

Ciudad Perdida is a small site founded by the Tayrona tribe around 800 AD, about 650 years before Machu Picchu to give you some context (thanks Wikipedia). It is well hidden in the jungle and is only accessible via a 1,200 step staircase, which is both steep and has small footholds. People back then must have had some small feet as I'm certainly no giant of a person but I had to walk up and down those puppies sideways and on my toes. Anyways, the site was rediscovered in the early 1970's by treasure hunters who did some good old fashioned looting and was later opened to tourists for hiking in 2005.

The start of the trek begins with a two hour drive from Santa Marta with the last hour consisting of a lovely off-road, bumpy drive to the small town of El Mamey, or as the locals know it, Machete. No, I did not see any machete wielding locals or any horror movie favorites with a tan. Sad! After lunch we began the three hour hike to the first camp, which could have started at a better time. There's hot and then there's 1:00 PM hot with no tree cover. When we made it to camp, we immediately made our way to the ole swimming hole, jumping of a ten meter cliff into the refreshingly cold river water below. This routine would become my daily batheing ritual over the next three days.

The three camps we stayed at were relatively the same in form and function: bunk beds with misquito nets for sleeping, long tables for eating, bathrooms and most importantly, next to rivers for swimming (and showers). In my defense, the showers definitely used the same cold river water; however, with the added disadvantage of a couple creepy crawlies and a not so lemon fresh scent. While the lodging certainly was basic, it was also very tidy for the location and better than expected. I was happy to not have to sleep in a hammock and they had modern washing machines for the bedding. Yay! No bed bugs! The food was also good too. We got three squares (meat or fish, rice, plantains, salad and funny enough, oreos or some other chocolate bar for dessert) along with endless snacks along the trails. Remember getting orange slices, capri suns and other treats after soccer games when we were kids? Of course you do! Well every couple of hours we'd get fresh fruit: pineapple, oranges, watermelon or bananas. Que rico!

To beat traffic and the sun I suppose, we were waking up at 5:00 in the morning every day and walking by about 6:00. I know this was necessary given the seven hours of walking every day, but I still cannot remember the last time I woke up that early when it wasn't for a flight. My circadian rhythym is still off. Besides Christman Eve when I was out past midnight, I've been going to sleep before 10:00 and up between 6:00 and 7:00. Soy un viejo ahora!

The moring we arrived in Ciudad Perdida was just like the others; however, with the added benefit of the grand prize within a 30 minute hike. After conquering a small river crossing and the 1,200 stairs, you enter the city. The site itself is amazing with over 200 terraces of varying sizes and elevations, which used to house the small lodgings of the Tayrona people. Only a handful remain now. After walking to the top, it was so pleasant and peaceful to enjoy the views of the surrounding forest in the cool morning for a couple of hours while the warm sun began to rise over the mountains drenching the city in light. Oh yeah, we also got to enjoy even more snacks! I know the pictures I post never fully do justice to the amazing views in person, but hey, I try.

Needless to say we all survived the trek back and I'm sure everyone went to bed early that night just like I did. Throughout the trip I learned a couple interesting things. The mix of dry coca leaves and ground calcium that the locals chew throughout the day and put in their lip is quite terrible. Sure, my mouth went slightly numb for about ten minutes but it also cut up the inside of my lip. Totally not worth it. Also, custom dictates that this is only for men. You're welcome ladies! Also important to note is that the wonderful card game Uno has not made it across the pond to Holland but has successfully landed in Australia, and I have no chance of picking up Dutch or French. I'm sticking to Spanish for now!

Cartagena and Playa Blanca

stephen_koehler1316 — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 22:45:00 GMT

Diclaimer: I've realized that the website I'm using for this blog stinks when it comes to uploading pics so I'm going to likely use Insta (srkoehler13) and
Snapchat (skoehler1316) solely. Now, without further ado...

Within the first few hours of walking around Cartagena on my first night I was told by several "friendly" street vendors that anything is possible in Colombia. After some not so deductive reasoning, I was able to surmise, that according to these guys, anything is possible with the purchase of coke, weed or ladies for hire (so much classier than whores). Now maybe it's my gringo charm, but I think I averaged a minimum of ten solicitations per day. That kind of attention would make anyone blush! But it's ok mom, I passed every time; though I can see how a nice bender or a night in a lovely Colombian jail is certainly possible.

Now all of that being said, I have to say that Cartagena is pretty damn cool. The old part of town teems with colonial architecture with narrow streets, brightly colored houses and overhanging balconies filled with flowers and Christmas lights this time of year. There's also a giant stone wall surrounding the perimeter of the city that you can walk across from end to end if your heart desires. And my heart desired it so. I spent my first night walking the wall after dusk when the ocean breeze seems to pick up in strength, making it extra refreshing. Now I'm not much of a museum or church guy (unless we're talking Church's Chicken of course); however, these old buildings always amaze me with their beauty and Cartagena had a couple gems.

I spent my three nights in the Getsemani neighbornood, next to the Plaza de la Trinidad, a meeting point for locals and travelers alike to hang out until two in the morning; drinking, eating and grooving the night away. There's live music, random local acts (Michael Jackson, a mime and some random groups of dancers to name a few) and delicious street food priced to move. Fresh mango with lime juice and a pinch of salt for $1.00 or less, empanadas for 67 cents, kabobs for $1.33 and a liter and a half of beer $1.15. With prices like this, I'm not sure how I'm going to spend my money. Coke habit?

On the days I didn't wander aimlessly throughout the old town and its many plazas and alley ways, I went to El Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and Playa Bocagrande. The castle itself, which is just an old fort is ok, but the views overlooking the city are definitely worth the $8 admission. So those of you who know me, know the I am a child of the sun and sand and oh boy, I'm getting my fill of that right now. When I tell you that the weather here is hot, I mean it's red hot! It's been 90 and humid every day with very little cloud cover. It's even a little much for me; yeah, I'm surprised too!

Now onto Bocagrande. While the old town is colonial, Bocagrande reminds me a little bit of South Beach in Miami with tall condos and apartment buildings along the beach; however, South Beach does not have the endless parade of vendors selling food, massages and kitsch. Seriously, I needed a stick to beat these people off the five or so hours I was there. I tell ya, it's that damn gringo charm again! I'm sad to report they did get the best of me here. I tried a little piece of crab meat and before I knew it some random woman was rubbing lotion on my arms and neck. Damn! they got me, but after a few bucks, they left me alone. Lesson learned, womp womp!

After Cartagena I spent two days at Playa Blance on the isle of Baru outside Cartagena. Seeing how my future consists of lots of bus rides, I wanted to get there using a combo of the public bus and a shared taxi. And with a little help from a local at the bus stop I was able to do that. The trip took a little bit longer this way but it was worth it. And you certainly know that yours truly was the only gringo on that bus!

Playa Blanca is one of those stereotypically beautiful beaches with fine sand and turquoise water that is the perfect temperature any time of day. It's cool during the day when the sun is unwavering in its intensity and warm after the sun sets. The isle is a day trip for most people, so the beach becomes deserted and tranquil starting at five, totally changing the atmosphere. This night was my first foray into sleeping in a hammock, and I'm glad to say it wasn't the worst thing in the world! It actually wasn't that bad in all honesty, but then again I was pretty tired from being in the sun all day and I had some drinks with a great Chilean couple I met. Big ups to Raymundo and Daniela! They were so friendly and I got to practice Spanish and learn some Chilean phrases while we drank beers and Pisco and coke on the beach.

Over the first week, a pattern has definitely developed where I seem to do whatever I want solo during the day and then somehow at night I end up talking to random people out and about at night or at the hostel. I'd say it's a good and bad thing. It's nice to have the freedom to do whatever I want, but getting to know people for one to three nights is somewhat unsatisfying. Oh well, as Tupac said, "that's the way it is". And while I haven't met any Americans yet (and don't really expect to), you can trust in me to maintain those smooth international relations.

Next up for me is Santa Marta, the jumping off point for the four-day Ciudad Perdida and Parque Nacional Tayrona. More pics and stories to come!

And so it begins

stephen_koehler1316 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 09:00:00 GMT

It's T minus two days until I take the plunge and over the course of the last week,the anticipation within me has been building to something akin to a fever pitch. As I'm writing this, I've got that nervous, exciting butterfly feeling in my stomach and I know it's only going to grow, so hopefully I can keep it check. The next couple of days are going to be a whirlwind, and I'll likely need to take a few deep breaths to handle the goodbyes and not forget to pack anything vital. Of all the mixed emotions I have right now, I'm more excited than anything, knowing that I've prepared the best I can to take the leap and do something I've always wanted to do. And I say this fully knowing that there are going to be some lonely, homesick filled days ahead. At the same time, I also know that this will probably be one of the most amazing, eye opening, lifechanging things that I ever do. The places I'll see, the people I'll meet, the memories I'll make will stick with me for years to come, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Now just that I'm flying the coop until June doesn't mean that I'm going to forget the people back home. When I first started discussing this trip with friends and family, the reactions were great and varied, but everyone has always been supportive, so please know how grateful I am to all of you. I know some of you think I'm a crazy person (you may be right), some of you have pangs of jealousy (damn right you do) and some of you thought "This sounds like something he would do". Whatever your reaction was, I plan to stay in touch as much as possible; however, I apologize in advance for not being a big facebooker and no, I don't have a myspace!

So, why South America? That's a great question friend; I'm glad you asked! First and foremost, I love Latin culture: the people, the language, the food, the music, the history... I think you get it by now. Of all the places I've been, the people in Latin America have been welcoming, warm and helpful. And no, I'm not naive, I know those American greenbacks in my pocket may have occasionally helped, but by and large, I don't think they did. People may not have a lot, but they seem to be genuinely happy with what they have and it's utterly contagious. So if I don't come home speaking Spanish well or knowing how to dance a little salsa or tango, I give you full permission to not be mad at me, but disappointed!

I'll be spending roughly one month in six countries starting in Colombia and going to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. There are so many things that I want to see and do. On the top of the list are the beaches in Colombia, the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia, the Atacama Desert in Chile, Patagonia, Iguaczu Falls, Buenos Aires y mucho mas! And if you have the itch to come visit and see any of these places or countries, I would love to see a familiar face along the way. It's winter in Chicago, so come on! It'll be warm and the pace of life slow for at least a week or two. Plus, I'm a good travel companion. Trust me, I have plenty of references!

To wrap this first post up, I just want to recognize how lucky and fortunate I am to have the opportunity to do this. I know I've worked hard, but I've had a lot of advantages along the way with such a great family and group of friends. I hope you enjoy reading along the way as much as I'm sure I will writing about it. I haven't done this before so they'll only get better, so be kind and gentle at first! Of course, if my brain starts to convert to Spanish, I'm definitely going to take that trade off and an apology won't be forthcoming. Another thing I'll get better at is taking more pictures. I don't have a lot saved up right, but I wanted to upload some photos of some good memories from the past couple years. Hopefully you can see them in my photo gallery and you are just as fond of them as I am.

Disfruta y adios amigos. Hasta luego!

Photos: Profile

stephen_koehler1316 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 05:11:00 GMT

Selfies

Photos: Friends and Family

stephen_koehler1316 — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 13:23:00 GMT

Friends and Familly