Blogs from South America - page 8

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South America » Chile » Magallanes » Torres del Paine November 22nd 2023

Wednesday was our big hike. Patagonia is known for a few things, but hiking is a big part of it. They have a huge nature preserve in Chile called Torres del Paine national park. There are numerous day hikes you can do and many varieties of camping, but we set our sights on the most famous hike: Mirador Las Torres. We left the Airbnb at 6am (so nice not to have to repack before leaving!) in order to make it to the trailhead by 8. There are a few places you could stay closer, or in the park, but they were extremely expensive. Despite the drive we were happy with our choice to stay in Puerto Natales. We had read that it can be a 6-9 hour hike, so we wanted to start early. We got ... read more
Horses at the Hotel Torres
Beautiful views
Lake Nordenskojld

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas November 21st 2023

We are going to Patagonia! John and I do a lot of trips to try to get Delta credit for diamond status (most requiring business class fares), but this might be our last because of some changes Delta is making. We are going out with a bang! Jamison is a great sport and has joined on all of our recent adventures (and just made platinum status himself!) Business class flights to Chile from Seattle are pretty cheap in Nov-Dec each year. This is our second year. Last year we just saw Santiago (capital of Chile) and went to the coast for a few days. This time we are going to Patagonia! It's the Sourhern-most part of South America (the bottom 1/3rd) and has a Chilean side and an Argentinian side. We read that flying within the ... read more
Very lifelike ad
Amazing tacos in Mexico City airport
Postres

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas November 21st 2023

Tuesday was an early day. We grabbed our bagged brunch from the hotel (what a nice thing they did!) and walked the 2 blocks to the office for our penguin tour. We were supposed to get there at 6:15, but we stood in the line to pay for the tour until at least 7. They would really benefit from a online payment system. I thought there was only the 1 tour company that went to the island but we saw a couple there. Ours was Solo Expediciones. After a very warm bus ride to the marina, we boarded boats to head to Isla Magdalena. There are several species of penguins in the area, but the Magellan penguins are what nest on Isla Magdalena. They mate for life and come back in Sept each year to the ... read more
Pinguinos
Chilling on the beach
Penguin burrow

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires November 19th 2023

City of Rich Cultural Heritage, Stunning Architecture, Abundant Artistry, Warm, Passionate People, and Turbulent History Once we began exploring, we were out for several hours every day. But to simply list our activities, without sharing what we learned about the city, and the country, would be too shallow an offering. Hence, this blog entry is a long one, as the intent is to provide some historical and political context, as well as information about the places visited. We often take the hop on hop off city bus tour to get introduced to large cities, as their vastness can be intimidating, and Buenos Aires, with its population of over fifteen million certainly fits that description. The bus tours give us perspective and help us identify the places we want most to return to later. There were so ... read more
El Quarandi Tango Show
Teatro Colon
Cafe Tortoni

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires November 16th 2023

Taking a Trip from Dismay to Delight It will be a challenge to share all we have experienced of Buenos Aires, as we have experienced so much in the past 18 days. But before I take on that challenge - which will be the subject of a subsequent post - I wish to reflect upon how I felt upon arrival into this new culture, in this new country, on this new continent where everything was unfamiliar, including the language in which everything is communicated, lest you get the impression that it has all been fun and games. Stan of course felt bewildered also, as it was all new to him too, and he speaks not a word of Spanish. But he was confident I would proficiently look after everything. As was I. And prior to departure ... read more
Our  Neighborhood Fruit & Vegetable Family Store
Our Daily Coffee Stop
Our Favorite Neighborhood Bakery

South America » Colombia » Bogota November 14th 2023

Located just a few minutes from Bogotá, you'll find this environmental gem called Tenjo, a destination full of color and sweet delights, which was nominated for those villages that captivate. According to what I've found on the internet, the name Tenjo, which evokes memories of a compatriot from Salazar, means 'in the Boquerón', (in the wide opening), but without further explanations. There are various ways to reach Tenjo; my friends and I chose the bus, a budget-friendly option at only $1.5, which we boarded at Portal 80. In just 20 minutes and after enduring 15 jolts on the bus, we found ourselves immersed in the beauty of this enchanting town. A pocos minutos de Bogotá, se encuentra esta joya ambiental llamada Tenjo, una destinación llena de color y delicias dulces, que fue nominado como uno de ... read more
Me pensaría en Cuba
Mucha cicla por aqui
Ahi van las Yolamanndas escalando

South America » Argentina » Corrientes » Esquina November 13th 2023

There is peace in the valley. It is as if all the rogues and ruffians, grifters and lifters, shovers, shouters, looters, corrupters and flouters of social norms had been redirected at an earlier junction. As if diablo's little imps and thieves and torturers and bandits had been lured to greener pickings, to richer spoils; leaving a few near-heavenly acres of remote urban existence to play out a parallel-style universe (at least to the casual eye) of quietude and gentle calmness, tucked up along the banks of a currently seething, flooding 3km-wide Parana River. The little Argentine town of Goya (Godja, to the tongue) plies its slow trade alongside the 4,880km-long waterway that in turn divides Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, harbouring the Iguazu Falls halfway along its stretch for good measure. A flat river-plain town, ... read more
Downtown Hong Kong, on a Sunday
Mob do Iguazu
Flooded walkway

South America » Argentina » Misiones » Iguazú National Park November 12th 2023

Visually and Acoustically Stunning Natural Wonder of the World Every day I try to consciously practice reverence for nature, appreciating it more and more as I age and realize how small and insignificant we are, and yet also how connected we are to this great life energy. But I prefer to believe that we are only insignificant if we perceive of ourselves as separate from nature, and much prefer to believe that we are part of this life system called nature, that is also known by other terms - creation, the universe, cosmic energy, God. Well, for one whose respect and reverence for nature grows every day, a visit to Iguazu Falls is a year’s worth of growth - or perhaps a lifetime’s. Witness energy in movement. Power. Force. Abundance. Flow. Symmetry. Symbiosis. Tenacity. But words ... read more
Tenacity
Ingenuity
Adventure

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires November 11th 2023

A Remembrance Day Flight to Forget This was an adventure that Stan and I have never before experienced. Currently traveling in Argentina, we arrived at the Puerto Iguazu airport at 5 pm Friday evening to catch our 90 minute flight to Buenos Aires at 7 pm. We did not know that Buenos Aires was experiencing heavy rain storms: the very same storms that caused Taylor Swift to cancel her November 10th concert in Buenos Aires that evening, and that caused the domestic airport in Buenos Aires to be temporarily closed. As a result, our flight was repeatedly delayed, until finally, six hours later - at 1 am Saturday morning - we boarded the plane that would take us, along with close two hundred plus other very tired passengers, to Buenos Aires. But it did not - ... read more

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires November 4th 2023

Soccer, Tango and Vibrant Street Culture On our first four days in Buenos Aires we laid pretty low. The twenty five hour flight left us jet lagged and in need of rest, as the pre trip preparations had us exhausted even before we departed. But on day five we began our explorations. And this city is so beautiful, the people so kind and accommodating, and the culture and history so rich, that we soon compiled a long list of things to do while here, and immediately started the process of checking the boxes. Our first venture out of the apartment and into the big city of two million plus was to La Boca, an area of the city known for its large and colorful murals, tango street culture, and most significantly, its being home to one ... read more
La Boca Soccer Club Stadium
The heart of Caminita, La Boca
Street Mural, La Boca




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