Recently, Leigh and I along with two great friends, Judy and Scot, backpacked in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park for eight days and then proceeded to the Patagonia Eco-Domes near El Chalten in Argentina to do some hiking in Los Glaciares National Park. We were well advised that Patagonia would be windy, rainy, sunny, cold and cool, might snow and did I mention windy. So our post-Patagonia plan was to fly to Buenos Aires…
Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is located in the Austral Andes of Argentina. The gateway town is El Chalten, about a three hour scenic bus ride from El Calafate - where there is a decent sized airport. Los Glaciares National Park is best known for its day hikes rather than multi-day backpacking trips, though there is a three day trip that is recommended. There are seven main hikes in…
Mendoza, a city of about 115,000 inhabitants, sits east of Aconcagua - the highest mountain in South America, in an area of plains and foothills. With the Andes as a backdrop and a sunny climate with low rainfall, it's no wonder Mendoza draws visitors from around the world. They come for the wine and the food but there's more to Mendoza than spectacular Malbec's - the signature grape of the area. Accessible by plane, it's…
The city of Salta in northern Argentina has beckoned for years. Through the travel grapevine I'd heard it was a must visit city. It wasn't what I expected. Salta is a medium- sized city and absolutely lovely around the town square. And the bird's eye view from the top of the Teleferico is beautiful. But it's noisy. Traffic is bad and the fumes from the cars aren't pleasant. Crossing the street is an exercise in…
Crossing the Andes from Mendoza to Santiago by bus, or vice versa, is a superb way to see some stunning countryside. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than flying. It's only going to cost you $US20-25 one way for a reserved seat. Buying Bus Tickets We purchased tickets about five days before our departure when we were in the Tucuman bus station from the Andesmar Bus Company. There are many bus companies to…
Outstanding. Brilliant. Incredible. Fantastic. Perfect. All adjectives to describe the drive between Salta and Tucuman, Argentina. In fact this drive was another highlight of our recent trip to Chile and Argentina. I'd read reports of other travel bloggers about how wonderful this region is but it has to be seen to be believed. It's only 450 kilometres between Salta and Tucuman but most of that is on rough, dirt roads so the going is slow.…
Every trip you take teaches you something - whether about yourself, the country you're visiting, the culture or hard topics like the impact of overpopulation or rising food prices. It all depends on what you're open to learning. My recent trip with my husband, John and good friends, Jo and Ted, to northern Chile and Argentina taught me plenty. Here are 8 lessons I learned over 18 days. Interact with the locals whenever possible. Most…
I've seen Yerba Mate in the grocery stores and remember reading Che Guevara's biography which had frequent references to drinking it. But it wasn't until I got to Argentina that I discovered what a love affair the people have for this drink. What is Yerba Mate?? It turns out Yerba Mate is the dried leaves and small stems of Ilex paraguarensis, a plant that needs a sub tropical to tropical environment to thrive. It can…
Our goal while in Chile and Argentina is to move between the two countries using public transport wherever possible. Not only is is much less expensive but its a great way to absorb some of the local flavour. A few days ago we traveled from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to the city of Salta in northern Argentina by bus. I was less keen on this ride, mainly because of its length - 10.5…
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