We arrived here on Saturday and man was it cold! It felt like winter and yet it's the middle of summer! We got to our place, a nice Bed & Breakfast run by a friendly couple whose boys are all grown up. We were exhausted from our 13 hour bus trip from Rio Gallegos. Rio Gallegos isn't really that far away but Ushuaia is on an island and the quickest and cheapest way onto the island is a ferry, which is controlled by Chile. The process of crossing into Chile (for a travel time of only one hour) took at least three!
After relaxing on Sunday we went to a couple of museums, the coolest of which was the old prison that was here. Argentina had tried to turn this place into a penal-colony a la Australia but in the end just put a prison down here. People didn't really try to escape because there was nowhere to run. Overall the museum was very good, and hopefully the pictures and videos we took are enjoyable.
Suzanne is going to finish this one for me since I'm lazy. :) ~Michael
So let's see. . .yes we filmed a little video in the old wing of the prison that you should check out if you have the time. The crazy thing about the prison was how much of a difference they made to the city of Ushuaia. The prisoners were responsible for building roads, the train line to the forest, laid electrical lines, and built many of the cities civic buildings. Some of the prisoners were transferred to this prison because they had special skills (mechanics, engineers, etc.), others were brought here because they were literally insane (mass murderer that killed many children under 6 years old), or political prisoners (who oftentimes were just forced to stay in the city of Ushuaia but were not in the prison or under house arrest). It is amazing how much good the prison brought to the town. We were contemplating how this could work elsewhere. One thing that Ushuaia really had going for it is that if people escaped they usually returned to the prison rather than die of starvation and cold. Only those that had good behavior were allowed to work outside the prison and these were guarded by one or two people. Regardless, it was very informative about the history of the town during the time the prison was open from 1902 to 1947.
We also went to another museum the Museo Fin del Mundo where we learned more about the maritime history, the native Yamana people, and saw the animals of the region (stuffed). There were so many shipwrecks around Ushuaia that it is hard to even show them on a map. The basic history of the Beagle Channel is that it was discovered by Colonel Fitz Roy in 1830 and he returned with Darwin in 1832. Once sail boats were replaced by powered boats they believe that some shipping companies would stage crashes in this region to get insurance money which they would use to modernize their fleets. Since accidents were so common in this region it was hard for insurance companies to dispute the accidents as real. Nowadays most cruise ships bound for Antarctica stop in Ushuaia. There are 5 ports to visit Antarctica but Ushuaia is the closest being only 1000 km away (the others are Christchurch in New Zealand, Punta Arenas in Chile, Capetown in South Africa, and Tasmania in Australia). Most boats too big for the Panama Canal go through the Strait of Magellan and stop in Punta Arenas but there are some cargo ships here as well. The entire city of Ushuaia is tax free to encourage commerce. Michael was strongly contemplating buying some duty free scotch but in the end decided maybe it would be difficult to carry.
My favorite day in Ushuaia was the day we took two tours! It was a very sunny day so we decided to book both a boat tour and penguin tour. The boat was very small so we could get very close to see the sea lions, birds, and the lighthouse at the end of the world. Much of the boat path was on the border between Argentina and Chile. There was some dispute on this border but it was resolved without war in 1984 (we learned that the Pope helped with this peace and also that Argentina didn't want another war after the Falkland Islands). It was the perfect day to be on a boat. The climax of the day for me was walking amongst the penguins. My only complaint would be that the hour on the island went by too quickly for me. There were three kinds of penguins there. We saw Gentoo penguins, Magellanic penguins, and one lost King penguin that would stay until it had finished molting. They were all mating so they were very loud. It was so fun to watch them walk around you and swim. The key thing was for us to walk slowly and sometimes kneel down so we didn't tower over them. I also think it would be fun to go back and see them in October or November when they have their chicks. By now the babies are nearly as big as their parents so it was hard to tell them apart. The best part of seeing animals in the wild is it reminds you of the unique habitat you are traveling through. Once these penguins finish molting they will migrate to Peru for the winter. All in all we had a great time in Ushuaia. The bed and breakfast where we stayed was so welcoming that it was easy for us to relax and feel at home. Alejandro and Frances have two dogs and they had five day old puppies! Maybe someday we'll go back on a cruise to Antarctica if it becomes cheaper. . .
Pictures to come. We took a lot so we have a lot to go through.
~Suzanne
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thoughts
Thoughts on Change:
It is always interesting to talk with other travelers. All of the people are strangers. However, oftentimes the conversation moves quite quickly from the basic 'who, what, when, where' to the much deeper how. On our long bus trip down Ruta 40 we were sitting next to a man from Italy. He had showed us his high tech phone and the GPS showing us that we were on the road (Ruta 40) and that there wasn't much around of note. We talked a little about Italy and then discussed where in Italy he was from. He stated that he was from the town of L'Aquila. Then it clicked with us about the earthquake that had destroyed the town and I was struck by his answers. He was telling us that both his home and shop had been destroyed. Since most of the town was 1000 years old it would take a long time to rebuild. So instead of waiting around for things to be normal he was going to travel. I began to wonder if I would have had the same reaction. If all that I had was destroyed would I travel or would I wait? It is never easy to see these types of life changes as an opportunity.
Last night we met a great couple from the UK who are going to bike (pedal) from Ushuaia to California. I can't imagine planning such a journey but agree that it would be an amazing thing to accomplish. We began to discuss how they had decided to do this. It came up that one of them had their job removed from them and so it seemed as good of time as any to embark on the trip of a lifetime. I realize in both cases the individuals had the ability to travel which not everyone is fortunate enough to have. However, I hope I can recall these examples of optimism when my life does not go as 'planned.' Perhaps that is the hardest part of this journey. We do have a plan but it is not a rigid one. We do know the general route we want to take but not the specifics. So as we journey now into Chile I'm looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
~Suzanne
Thoughts on beer:
So on a lighter note, I have also been reflecting on the cultural origins of beer. It seems to me that there are certain locations in the world where the conditions are perfect for beer making. I know many people will probably disagree with me and these statements are purely based on observation. If a person lives in an extreme location that is cold, wet, windy, but also has a beautiful landscape several people will decide that it is a good idea to make beer. Skeptics may say that people make beer all over the world. Whereas this is true there are some landscapes that encourage several people to think of making beer and then due to the larger number of home brew fanatics a few of them will actually be good. The two most obvious examples of this are Colorado and Germany. Some might say that it is the mountain water that makes these such good beer making locations. However, I think that after a day of being outside and soaked to the core people are inclined to want beer. A drink that makes them a bit warmer but not instantly ridiculous. In warm, sunny, beautiful places the conditions are perfect for growing grapes to make wine. People in these cultures can take the time to relax and enjoy it while basking in the sun in their courtyard. In the more extreme places that boast beautiful landscapes but also days of cold, wet, and wind if they relax too much they might die. Further examples of well known beer making locations that also have cold, wet, and windy days would be Boston and Dublin. I believe that the real luck of the Irish was looking around on a cold, wet, and windy day at their gray stone buildings and contemplating how they could create their own real gold to make the day brighter. I am not saying that these places are terrible places to live. Places that are truly miserable will find a cultural solution to numb their pain with hard alcohol (Russia and Scandinavia). Down here in South America I was not surprised that El Bolson had created a local brewery. During our time there we saw beautiful sights but had also been chilled to the bone with rain and wind. I was also not surprised when I heard a fellow traveler describe the best beer in all of South America. He stated that it was made on the other side of the Andes in Chile. We haven't been there yet but I'm sure when we arrive we'll find a town that can have extreme weather but also has an inspiring landscape that draws you out into the elements again and again. Against your better judgment you decide to do another hike or ski another trail knowing at the end of the day there will be beer.
~Suzanne
It is always interesting to talk with other travelers. All of the people are strangers. However, oftentimes the conversation moves quite quickly from the basic 'who, what, when, where' to the much deeper how. On our long bus trip down Ruta 40 we were sitting next to a man from Italy. He had showed us his high tech phone and the GPS showing us that we were on the road (Ruta 40) and that there wasn't much around of note. We talked a little about Italy and then discussed where in Italy he was from. He stated that he was from the town of L'Aquila. Then it clicked with us about the earthquake that had destroyed the town and I was struck by his answers. He was telling us that both his home and shop had been destroyed. Since most of the town was 1000 years old it would take a long time to rebuild. So instead of waiting around for things to be normal he was going to travel. I began to wonder if I would have had the same reaction. If all that I had was destroyed would I travel or would I wait? It is never easy to see these types of life changes as an opportunity.
Last night we met a great couple from the UK who are going to bike (pedal) from Ushuaia to California. I can't imagine planning such a journey but agree that it would be an amazing thing to accomplish. We began to discuss how they had decided to do this. It came up that one of them had their job removed from them and so it seemed as good of time as any to embark on the trip of a lifetime. I realize in both cases the individuals had the ability to travel which not everyone is fortunate enough to have. However, I hope I can recall these examples of optimism when my life does not go as 'planned.' Perhaps that is the hardest part of this journey. We do have a plan but it is not a rigid one. We do know the general route we want to take but not the specifics. So as we journey now into Chile I'm looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
~Suzanne
Thoughts on beer:
So on a lighter note, I have also been reflecting on the cultural origins of beer. It seems to me that there are certain locations in the world where the conditions are perfect for beer making. I know many people will probably disagree with me and these statements are purely based on observation. If a person lives in an extreme location that is cold, wet, windy, but also has a beautiful landscape several people will decide that it is a good idea to make beer. Skeptics may say that people make beer all over the world. Whereas this is true there are some landscapes that encourage several people to think of making beer and then due to the larger number of home brew fanatics a few of them will actually be good. The two most obvious examples of this are Colorado and Germany. Some might say that it is the mountain water that makes these such good beer making locations. However, I think that after a day of being outside and soaked to the core people are inclined to want beer. A drink that makes them a bit warmer but not instantly ridiculous. In warm, sunny, beautiful places the conditions are perfect for growing grapes to make wine. People in these cultures can take the time to relax and enjoy it while basking in the sun in their courtyard. In the more extreme places that boast beautiful landscapes but also days of cold, wet, and wind if they relax too much they might die. Further examples of well known beer making locations that also have cold, wet, and windy days would be Boston and Dublin. I believe that the real luck of the Irish was looking around on a cold, wet, and windy day at their gray stone buildings and contemplating how they could create their own real gold to make the day brighter. I am not saying that these places are terrible places to live. Places that are truly miserable will find a cultural solution to numb their pain with hard alcohol (Russia and Scandinavia). Down here in South America I was not surprised that El Bolson had created a local brewery. During our time there we saw beautiful sights but had also been chilled to the bone with rain and wind. I was also not surprised when I heard a fellow traveler describe the best beer in all of South America. He stated that it was made on the other side of the Andes in Chile. We haven't been there yet but I'm sure when we arrive we'll find a town that can have extreme weather but also has an inspiring landscape that draws you out into the elements again and again. Against your better judgment you decide to do another hike or ski another trail knowing at the end of the day there will be beer.
~Suzanne
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Michael's Travel Tips #1
1) You should really make sure your ATM cards don't expire while you will be traveling.
2) Don't forget to take your ATM card out of the machine when you are travelling. This is not a good thing.
2) Don't forget to take your ATM card out of the machine when you are travelling. This is not a good thing.
Since we have done both these things (#2 twice now), we feel they are worth mentioning. Luckily the later was solved by the former but at a significant cost. Did you know UPS can ship a small package around the world in only 2 days for $70? Now you do. And since we had a card waiting in Ushuaia, we were able to activate our new card (and deactivate the old one) once it arrived. Problem solved!
~Mike
Monday, February 15, 2010
Giant wall of ice
El Calafate is at the south end of the same park (Parque National de los Glaciers) that El Chalten is in. It has only one real attraction, and that is the Perrito Moreno Glacier. And what an attraction that is! It is not the only glacier in the world but its circumstances are truly amazing. It is “stable” which means its not receding and its terminus extends into and almost across a lake that is easy to get to, which means that all you have to do is drive to this little peninsula and you can see the glacier up close! The park has a series of balconies that you can walk on to see the glacier from different angles and different heights. Since the glacier is still moving but not really making progress, it has to be melting into the lake. This causes parts of the glacier to break off and fall into the water as ice-bergs which causes mini-tidal waves and flying ice which as one sign told us has killed 36 people since the 30's. Our first day we watched and waited for these occurrences and every once in a while you would hear a huge CRACK and you would frantically search for where along the several kilometer face the chunk of ice would be falling and if you were quick enough (you didn't have much time at all since the sound got to you too slowly anyway) you got to see it fall in the water and the wave. Sometimes you'd get lucky and happen to see it before the sound and you could watch it fall.
It was truly amazing just sitting there and studying the glacier, waiting for something to happen, but after awhile of just staring you start to see shapes and forms in the ice. We try to point these out in the pictures. But after four hours of almost continuous rain we were cold and wet and we went home.
The next day has become the highlight of our trip for me so far. There are several tours you can do at the glacier, but the best tour (and most expensive) was known as “Big Ice” (translated to big ice). We threw our budget to the wind and went for it. It was the best decision we've made! On Big Ice you get to hike up alongside the glacier to some point and then strap on crampons and hike on the glacier for a full four hours! I'm sitting here trying to describe what it is like to hike on a glacier but I'm coming up short. Even the pictures below can't really give more than a glimpse... All I can remember is over and over just laughing with pure joy at what we were doing. We would straddle a crevice with our crampons to get across or check out an incredibly blue ice cave and through it all I would just laugh. The highlight was definitely the sink hole, where melted water that had formed a river would just fall in a giant waterfall into the glacier. The guides had to hold our harnesses so we wouldn't fall in from the shock of it all (It's also constantly widening so they didn't want us to fall in.) It was just simply incredible.
We are now in Ushuaia, the southern-most city in the world in Tierra del Fuego. Here there are penguin colonies and tons of birds and sea-lions. We're waiting for the weather to clear as its a bit rainy now. More details to come soon.
~Mike
It was truly amazing just sitting there and studying the glacier, waiting for something to happen, but after awhile of just staring you start to see shapes and forms in the ice. We try to point these out in the pictures. But after four hours of almost continuous rain we were cold and wet and we went home.
The next day has become the highlight of our trip for me so far. There are several tours you can do at the glacier, but the best tour (and most expensive) was known as “Big Ice” (translated to big ice). We threw our budget to the wind and went for it. It was the best decision we've made! On Big Ice you get to hike up alongside the glacier to some point and then strap on crampons and hike on the glacier for a full four hours! I'm sitting here trying to describe what it is like to hike on a glacier but I'm coming up short. Even the pictures below can't really give more than a glimpse... All I can remember is over and over just laughing with pure joy at what we were doing. We would straddle a crevice with our crampons to get across or check out an incredibly blue ice cave and through it all I would just laugh. The highlight was definitely the sink hole, where melted water that had formed a river would just fall in a giant waterfall into the glacier. The guides had to hold our harnesses so we wouldn't fall in from the shock of it all (It's also constantly widening so they didn't want us to fall in.) It was just simply incredible.
We are now in Ushuaia, the southern-most city in the world in Tierra del Fuego. Here there are penguin colonies and tons of birds and sea-lions. We're waiting for the weather to clear as its a bit rainy now. More details to come soon.
~Mike
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Ruta 40 & El Chalten
Route 40
Route 40 is Argentina's longest highway. It stretches from the north of the country all the way south along the western edge. Its famous in the same way our Route 66 is famous, huge long highway across the largely untamed country. Its still mostly just a “ripiro” or dirt road and the trip to Bariloche to our next destination, Chalten took 2 full days of driving. Most people just fly but we had the time and it was just slightly cheaper than flying.
I think the thing that amazed me most about the trip is how much wildlife we saw on the way down. You'll see some of the pictures but Patagonia looks and feels like a total wasteland. There are no trees and the vegetation that survives is the very tough and usually dead-looking tufts of grass and tiny hardy plants that go on for miles and miles. But as I said, we saw tons of life. Alpacas were constantly on the side of the road as were sheep. We also saw an armadillo sort of animal, some flamingos, ostriches, ducks, jackrabbits, and lots of birds (we think they might have been condors). I think some reasons for seeing this diversity is that we couldn't go faster than 40 km/hr on the dirt road and the roads aren't generally the death traps that they are for animals when they're paved.
The tour also included a tour of the “Cueva de las manos” or “Cave of the hands” which is an UNESCO world heritage site where the natives a long time ago did a lot of rock art on these cave walls. The interesting thing is that the main feature, the hands, were painted in the same way you would spray paint a hand. They got their pigments into a dust, put their hands on the wall, and then put the paints in a hollowed out bone and with their mouth blew over their hands, creating a stenciled hand on the wall. It was very interesting and I thought of my Mom and her studies of rock art out in New Mexico. I think she would like this place a lot.
Chalten
Chalten is the “Trekking capital of Argentina”. It sits on the north end of a national park dedicated to the glaciers. It's main attraction is Mount Fitz Roy which is a very impressive set of spires jutting straight up from the ground. Unfortunately for us the weather never did clear all the way so we only got an occasional glimpse of the mountain but we did get to capture some of the crazy weather that goes on here. Both days we were here, in Chalten it was nice and sunny but up at the mountain it was always shrouded in clouds. And the wind was like nothing I've experienced. At Laguna Torres, which the site of our first day's hike, we were almost literally blown off our feet, which you can see in some video we shot in our photo album. The wind here is pretty much constantly strong.
The second day we tried to get a view of Fitz Roy and headed up a different way. However, as you can see, while we got some good shots, we didn't quite get to see the whole thing. While we waited for it to clear, I got to make some time lapse movies of the clouds while we chatted with a young family from southern Colorado that we met. Eventually, we gave up and headed back. On the way back (as well as the previous day) we encountered some woodpeckers looking for food.
I think the more expensive and more touristy a place you go to, the more the locals dislike you. I sense that here (the most expensive place we've stayed) where most of the locals are a lot more impatient and seem annoyed with the fact that you're even there. I guess we can't help that, but its definitely something to remember as we head to places like Machu Pichu and the Galapagos. So far we're going a little bit over our budget but we're hoping to make that up once we get to some of the cheaper countries (not Chile or Argentina).
Route 40 is Argentina's longest highway. It stretches from the north of the country all the way south along the western edge. Its famous in the same way our Route 66 is famous, huge long highway across the largely untamed country. Its still mostly just a “ripiro” or dirt road and the trip to Bariloche to our next destination, Chalten took 2 full days of driving. Most people just fly but we had the time and it was just slightly cheaper than flying.
 |
| Ruta 40- Headed South |
I think the thing that amazed me most about the trip is how much wildlife we saw on the way down. You'll see some of the pictures but Patagonia looks and feels like a total wasteland. There are no trees and the vegetation that survives is the very tough and usually dead-looking tufts of grass and tiny hardy plants that go on for miles and miles. But as I said, we saw tons of life. Alpacas were constantly on the side of the road as were sheep. We also saw an armadillo sort of animal, some flamingos, ostriches, ducks, jackrabbits, and lots of birds (we think they might have been condors). I think some reasons for seeing this diversity is that we couldn't go faster than 40 km/hr on the dirt road and the roads aren't generally the death traps that they are for animals when they're paved.
The tour also included a tour of the “Cueva de las manos” or “Cave of the hands” which is an UNESCO world heritage site where the natives a long time ago did a lot of rock art on these cave walls. The interesting thing is that the main feature, the hands, were painted in the same way you would spray paint a hand. They got their pigments into a dust, put their hands on the wall, and then put the paints in a hollowed out bone and with their mouth blew over their hands, creating a stenciled hand on the wall. It was very interesting and I thought of my Mom and her studies of rock art out in New Mexico. I think she would like this place a lot.
 |
| Cuova de las Manos |
Chalten
Chalten is the “Trekking capital of Argentina”. It sits on the north end of a national park dedicated to the glaciers. It's main attraction is Mount Fitz Roy which is a very impressive set of spires jutting straight up from the ground. Unfortunately for us the weather never did clear all the way so we only got an occasional glimpse of the mountain but we did get to capture some of the crazy weather that goes on here. Both days we were here, in Chalten it was nice and sunny but up at the mountain it was always shrouded in clouds. And the wind was like nothing I've experienced. At Laguna Torres, which the site of our first day's hike, we were almost literally blown off our feet, which you can see in some video we shot in our photo album. The wind here is pretty much constantly strong.
The second day we tried to get a view of Fitz Roy and headed up a different way. However, as you can see, while we got some good shots, we didn't quite get to see the whole thing. While we waited for it to clear, I got to make some time lapse movies of the clouds while we chatted with a young family from southern Colorado that we met. Eventually, we gave up and headed back. On the way back (as well as the previous day) we encountered some woodpeckers looking for food.
I think the more expensive and more touristy a place you go to, the more the locals dislike you. I sense that here (the most expensive place we've stayed) where most of the locals are a lot more impatient and seem annoyed with the fact that you're even there. I guess we can't help that, but its definitely something to remember as we head to places like Machu Pichu and the Galapagos. So far we're going a little bit over our budget but we're hoping to make that up once we get to some of the cheaper countries (not Chile or Argentina).
 |
| El Chalten |
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
El Bolson pt 2
So yes, from the posters about eastern religions, the mountain views from town, and the homemade beer selections El Bolson is a lot like Boulder (except no major university to be had). Although despite the large amounts of people who chose not to wash their hair here I haven't seen any frisbees about town. So if they are hippies they're not the types of hippies Mike likes to hang around.
Today we had booked a horseback riding trip. The night before it rained quite a bit and snowed up in the mountains. The horseback riding trip began normally enough until the driver taking us to the horses just stops and gets out of the car for about 20 minutes talking to another driver. He comes back and tells us that there is a lot of water so we'll wait and see. So we wait and then are told that it is okay. So we arrive at the camp and others are already mounted on their horses. Mike and I put on our rain pants, fleeces, hats, and coats to prepare for the wet ride. The other two people who came with us decided that they would come back tomorrow (we're leaving here tomorrow so this was not an option). Then once we're on our horses the other five people also decide that they'd rather come back tomorrow. We ask if getting a refund is an option. However, there is no refund option- just today or tomorrow. So our tour of two plus our guide, Eduardo commences.
The first big difference we notice between this and similar tours is that we're not required to sign a waiver indicating that our free will allows us to embark on this potentially hazardous adventure. The second thing that is different is that there is no extended lesson on what to do or discussions of the horses names, etc. We just start going. My horse seems to like going fast so I ask about the best way to slow him down (since I didn't think I had given him any signal to encourage faster movement). With my reins ever slightly choked up on we continued our adventure. I feel like I'm getting the hang of riding a horse again just in time for our first river crossing. My horse is hesitant (for the first time) and needs to be led into the freezing four feet deep water. There is some unsteadiness with the variety of rocks underfoot but we make it across the water. Step by step across the river we go. At this point Mike is now in the lead since his horse walked straight across. However, this is not a problem. Mike is now leading the tour. Eduardo, the guide, is continually whistling which seems to calm both the horses and me. The closer we are to the whistling the slower Pedro, my horse, wants to move. Therefore the new focus is staying close to the guide. The rain is getting progressively worse as we continue our journey. Nothing much is said due to the language barrier removing the need for pointless small talk. We just keep following Mike and our guide just asks us if we're okay every once in awhile which we are. There are no buildings to be seen- just us and the path climbing alongside the river. I pondered questions about how long we would be riding and whether or not we should be especially careful of anything due to the conditions. But we never stop riding. I feel like on most other horse tours I've been on it is like follow the leader with continual stops to make sure the line is up to standard. This was not that kind of trip. At some points the guide is in the lead, then Pedro my horse and I have a go, and Mike is in the front as well. Sometimes we ride side by side making quick comments about seeing a little sun or about how we wish it would stop raining.
At last we pull up to a refugio (where backpackers can stay for the night or you can get something to eat). Damp and cold we both appreciate the tea and opportunity to eat our lunch that we brought. After lunch it was time to take a walk. Luckily the rain had let up and the sun was now shining. We come upon a bridge and he tells us to go one a time. Mike goes first and then he tells him to look down. Mike is suspended above the river at a narrow gorge with fast rapids 60 feet or more below. Then it is my turn to go across. We each go across the bridge and back and continue our walk along the Cajon de Azul. Our guide tells us to be careful of the slippery rocks and notes the dangerous signs that mark the edge. He told us that because of the conditions today we wouldn't go down one path to be on the safe side. I tell him that that is perfectly okay and that I'd rather be safe then sorry. He agrees and then goes on to tell us that last Monday someone had died here. At first we both thought that maybe this had occurred at the bridge and I was relieved that he told us after we had already crossed it. But no, eventually we came upon another spot and he point to a particular rock and said that the guy was taking a picture of his friend there, had slipped then died. Needless to say we were particularly careful and I was appreciative that we would be erring on the side of safety. It was quite an amazing spot and we did take some pictures (with my camera though instead of Mike's which was left behind from this trip)
After the walk we headed back on the horses. The ride back was fun even though Mike's horse and mine each wanted to lead the way. We crossed the river two more times and even had a brief time of galloping before the 2 hour trip back was completed. Luckily our horses picked the more straight level parts for going fast. It really was a lot of fun to see this trail and have a personally guided tour. At least now I know that the best way for Mike and I to go the same speed on a long hike is to both be riding horses.
~Suzanne
Today we had booked a horseback riding trip. The night before it rained quite a bit and snowed up in the mountains. The horseback riding trip began normally enough until the driver taking us to the horses just stops and gets out of the car for about 20 minutes talking to another driver. He comes back and tells us that there is a lot of water so we'll wait and see. So we wait and then are told that it is okay. So we arrive at the camp and others are already mounted on their horses. Mike and I put on our rain pants, fleeces, hats, and coats to prepare for the wet ride. The other two people who came with us decided that they would come back tomorrow (we're leaving here tomorrow so this was not an option). Then once we're on our horses the other five people also decide that they'd rather come back tomorrow. We ask if getting a refund is an option. However, there is no refund option- just today or tomorrow. So our tour of two plus our guide, Eduardo commences.
The first big difference we notice between this and similar tours is that we're not required to sign a waiver indicating that our free will allows us to embark on this potentially hazardous adventure. The second thing that is different is that there is no extended lesson on what to do or discussions of the horses names, etc. We just start going. My horse seems to like going fast so I ask about the best way to slow him down (since I didn't think I had given him any signal to encourage faster movement). With my reins ever slightly choked up on we continued our adventure. I feel like I'm getting the hang of riding a horse again just in time for our first river crossing. My horse is hesitant (for the first time) and needs to be led into the freezing four feet deep water. There is some unsteadiness with the variety of rocks underfoot but we make it across the water. Step by step across the river we go. At this point Mike is now in the lead since his horse walked straight across. However, this is not a problem. Mike is now leading the tour. Eduardo, the guide, is continually whistling which seems to calm both the horses and me. The closer we are to the whistling the slower Pedro, my horse, wants to move. Therefore the new focus is staying close to the guide. The rain is getting progressively worse as we continue our journey. Nothing much is said due to the language barrier removing the need for pointless small talk. We just keep following Mike and our guide just asks us if we're okay every once in awhile which we are. There are no buildings to be seen- just us and the path climbing alongside the river. I pondered questions about how long we would be riding and whether or not we should be especially careful of anything due to the conditions. But we never stop riding. I feel like on most other horse tours I've been on it is like follow the leader with continual stops to make sure the line is up to standard. This was not that kind of trip. At some points the guide is in the lead, then Pedro my horse and I have a go, and Mike is in the front as well. Sometimes we ride side by side making quick comments about seeing a little sun or about how we wish it would stop raining.
At last we pull up to a refugio (where backpackers can stay for the night or you can get something to eat). Damp and cold we both appreciate the tea and opportunity to eat our lunch that we brought. After lunch it was time to take a walk. Luckily the rain had let up and the sun was now shining. We come upon a bridge and he tells us to go one a time. Mike goes first and then he tells him to look down. Mike is suspended above the river at a narrow gorge with fast rapids 60 feet or more below. Then it is my turn to go across. We each go across the bridge and back and continue our walk along the Cajon de Azul. Our guide tells us to be careful of the slippery rocks and notes the dangerous signs that mark the edge. He told us that because of the conditions today we wouldn't go down one path to be on the safe side. I tell him that that is perfectly okay and that I'd rather be safe then sorry. He agrees and then goes on to tell us that last Monday someone had died here. At first we both thought that maybe this had occurred at the bridge and I was relieved that he told us after we had already crossed it. But no, eventually we came upon another spot and he point to a particular rock and said that the guy was taking a picture of his friend there, had slipped then died. Needless to say we were particularly careful and I was appreciative that we would be erring on the side of safety. It was quite an amazing spot and we did take some pictures (with my camera though instead of Mike's which was left behind from this trip)
After the walk we headed back on the horses. The ride back was fun even though Mike's horse and mine each wanted to lead the way. We crossed the river two more times and even had a brief time of galloping before the 2 hour trip back was completed. Luckily our horses picked the more straight level parts for going fast. It really was a lot of fun to see this trail and have a personally guided tour. At least now I know that the best way for Mike and I to go the same speed on a long hike is to both be riding horses.
~Suzanne
For me, I had a lot of fun doing the horse ride. I felt like I actually got to learn how to ride a horse. Obviously I was no expert but the lack of any real constraints on us gave me a lot of time to learn my particular horse and experiment with him. My other big impression of this is how obsessed with safety the US is. Never in a million years would we have done something like this in the States. Suzanne once took me “horseback riding” out while we were dating, and we had a lot of fun, but it was really just a mule on the flattest and safest path possible, whereas this time, I had a real horse under me!
~Mike
Note, We have pictures from all of this but the internet connection we have now is satellite which seems to be as slow as dial-up! They'll hopefully come later.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
El Bolson
We are now in El Bolson. It is known as the “Boulder”of Argentina. It is known as such because it is a place that is liberal and open to alternative lifestyles. A group of hippies established a community here in the 70's and they still seem to be going strong. Here there is a market every other day that showcases the crafts and food of the people of the region. We walked through it today and had a great time. The climate is good for berries and barley and all sorts of tasty things so they also make some very tasty beer as well as berry-flavored beers, which Suzanne likes. The beer is quite strong, a bottle of it can make me slightly tipsy, but also quite good. Today we went to a cerveceria or brewery and sampled some of their hand crafted beer and had a good time. We're staying in our cheapest hostel yet (only 110 Ar pesos a night or $29 US) but the view from our room is fantastic (see below). Overall I think this place is best suited to our friend Jing, who would not only love the 100% organic and fresh food, but also the amazing amount of stuff to do around this place. Every direction there is hiking and waterfalls and miradors or viewpoints. Tomorrow we have booked a tour with a local agency to go horseback riding all day and see some of the sights outside the city. More on that later. From there we are starting our adventure south down Routa 40 which is kind of like our Route 66, but still unpaved. The major attraction down there is the not-receding glacier that calves mini-icebergs into a lake daily in the city of El Calafate.
In other news, we have found a replacement for the Little Man. He is not quite a little man, but we're going to call him El Chico. You will hopefully see him in pictures later on. We have also caught up on our picture uploading. You can see them at our public gallery. There is the Bariloche Pt. 2, Seven Lakes Drive, and Villa La Angostura.
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