Much of the enjoyment of a place for a traveller depends on luck and I guess it was the nice weather and the great company that made El Chalten my favourite spot in Patagonia. Unlike El Calafate, this little village is still developing and has not yet turned into a tourist trap. As soon as we arrive, the people who manage the national park - the entry to which, incidentally, is free on the ground that nature belongs to everyone - explain very clearly the treks that can be done in the area. Since it is already mid-day, we (the Swiss [View Full Entry]

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Yesterday I arrived at El Calafate, the entry point to visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. I was told the town is nothing special and it's true, it looks like a ski resort, but I still prefer it to Ushuaia. For starters it has a bus station and an information point inside it, which makes things a lot easier for the traveller. Secondly, it's considerably warmer here. And despite being very expensive I manage to find a hostel for the very reasonable price of 30 pesos (about 10 dollars). Finally, I had the first decent empanadas since I got back to [View Full Entry]

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After spending New Year's Eve and New Year's day at Puerto Natales it was time to plan my trek to Torres del Paine. I didn't like the idea of going on my own and for a moment I considered going on a day tour, where you sit confortably on the bus looking at the beautiful landscape. I had even made a reservation but in the end I couldn't do it. That tour is exactly the type of thing that I hate. The lovely Swill guys at my hostel were going on the trek and they accepted to take me on board. [View Full Entry]

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After a few days at Puerto Madryn I made my way to Ushuaia, the end of the world, where I spent Christmas. I can't really say I am crazy about this place. OK, the treks inside and outside the National Park are nice and I enjoyed the boat trip on the Beagle Channel, but this town is far too expensive and too touristy for my taste. Or maybe the reason I am not liking it so much is that I am stuck here. In my four months of travelling I never had to book transport in advance, while here I have [View Full Entry]

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Another mistake today. I went on a tour to Peninsula Valdez and did not go on a boat trip to see the whales because it's expensive and it's not really whale season anymore. When the other people came back from the trip all excited, proudly showing me pictures of the whales they had seen I felt really bad. I decide that Puerto Madryn is not a lucky place for me so I am not going tomorrow to see the penguin colony as originally planned - I saw quite a bit of penguin in Peninsula Valdez anyway. Instead I am off to [View Full Entry]

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I should have learnt by now to always trust my guts, and my gusts were telling me, "Don't do it." And instead I went for it, I joined my room mate on a scuba diving trip because it was too late to buy a tour, too windy to rent a kayak or a bike and with today being Sunday there was nothing to do in town. When I boarded the boat I began to feel scared and I knew I was making a mistake. But I had already paid quite a bit of money for the trip and I guess I [View Full Entry]

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People have been asking why I haven't written in my blog for a while. The truth is I feel totally unispired but so that you know I am still alive I decided to make a list of what I do and do not like about Buenos Aires, where I have been for the past week. Things I like - It has beautiful squares and buildings - People are generally friendly unless you try to purchase a cheap item with a big bill, in which case they instantly become rude and almost invariably refuse to sell you said item unless you present [View Full Entry]

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If the Brazilian side of the falls was impressive, the Argentinian one is beyond impressive, it's by far the most beautiful place I have seen in my life. No matter how many people tell you about it, nothing can prepare you for the spectacular view that opens up in front of you. The magnitude and power of the water take your breath away. It is so overwhelming that I almost cried. I think if you haven't seen the Iguazu falls you haven't lived and if you have seen them and are not moved by them you are probably dead. [View Full Entry]

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Tonight I went back to Argentina. The delicious wine, the empanadas, the mate tea... how much I have missed this country. I'm so happy to be back, it feels like coming home. [View Full Entry]

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..For yesterday I saw the Iguaçu falls and I only have one word to descirbe them: WOW! [View Full Entry]

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