Author: Tim

Tuesday, February 12 – transit from Santiago to La Paz, Bolivia

My day started with the 2:30am trip to the airport. I booked a car service through the hotel for the ride. It was kind of expense ($37, and you know how I hate spending money on taxis!), but I figured at that time of night it was the safest route.

The flight to La Paz took about 2 1/2 hours (I think I told you the cost of the flight previously, but just in case, it was $181). And after I wasted money on my last seat upgrade, I chose to roll the dice on this flight. It worked out fine, I had a window seat in the very last row of a full flight. Seriously, it was fine!

At an altitude of 13,300 ft, the La Paz airport is the highest international airport and the fifth highest commercial airport in the world. And, of course, the safety warnings regarding the arrival are about taxi scams. They have “official airport” taxis, which are the recommended method to get into the city. So that is what I used, and was actually happy with the fare for the 30 minute ride: $10!

I arrived at the hotel around 10:30am, fully expecting a 2-4 hour wait for my room. But it was available immediately. Awesome! I really like the hotel. I have a room that overlooks a quiet courtyard. I also like the rate: $51/night, including breakfast. I originally booked it for two nights, but added one more after I checked in.

Food and water concerns are now in play in Bolivia. The usual precautions: no tap water, ice, peeled fruit, or raw vegetables. Another health warning here is altitude sickness. I’ve visited other high elevation areas (hike to Machu Picchu, Nepal, Bhutan), and it’s never been a problem for me. Until today. It hit me hard! Headache, light headed, and slight nausea. One recommended remedy for altitude sickness is coca leaf tea. They offered it in the hotel lobby, so I tried a couple cups, but to no avail.

I think the lack of rest is one of the factors that contributed to my being impacted by the high altitude. I had the early checkout from the hotel this morning, and I’ve been pretty much on the go in the several days leading up to the flight. So, I need to remind myself to take rest days along the way! And speaking of that, I booked the next segment of my trip to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca. My hotel here in La Paz has a sister hotel in Copacabana that is right on the lake. So, I booked that for three nights starting on Friday. They gave me a great rate of $71/night (incl breakfast), which is less than I could find online. I plan on kicking back there. (and here in La Paz too)

Wednesday, February 13 – La Paz

I awoke after more than 11 hours of sleep feeling pretty good. Nice! My plan was to have a low-key day, but I wanted to mail a card to the U.S. Fortunately, the post office isn’t too far from my hotel. And it turned out to be an interesting experience. I had sealed the envelope, but because the letter was to be sent out-of-country, the contents needed to be inspected. So we had to cut open the edge of the envelope and then tape it back shut. I was also asked to provide my passport, but I had left that at the hotel. Luckily, the woman that was helping me was very nice and just let me tell her my passport number. I guess that is also part of the documentation process when sending mail overseas. Anyway, the letter is now on its way. When, or if, it arrives is yet to be determined!

I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to do a little roaming around the area close to my hotel. (forgot to mention the temperatures here are in the 50s) Here are some pictures…

The day was not without incident though! One of the arms on my glasses broke. Fortunately, I had brought along my old pair as backup (Traveler Tip!), and the prescription isn’t very different. I need to vent though! This is the third time in just under six years that these glasses have broke. (I guess after six tears though I’m probably due for some new glasses – and getting my eyes checked!) They are Silhouette brand, made from titanium and supposedly indestructible. Right! To be fair though, my previous pair of glasses (the ones I will now be using for the rest of the trip) are also Silhouette, and I’ve had no issues with those. Must be a more recent problem with quality. So, in addition to Traveler Tips, I am now also offering a Consumer Tip: avoid Silhouette glasses!

Saturday, February 9 – Santiago

Today I took an all-day excursion from Santiago to the neighboring cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, both located on the Pacific Ocean. (Excursion cost: $50)

The day started out early with a 7:10am pickup at my hotel. (Really? I’m on vacation!) We then picked up other customers and were on the road at about 8am. It was an 1 1/2 hour drive to Valparaiso. And what a difference in the weather in that short trip. Very warm Santiago turned into cool Valpo (per the local lingo), thanks to its proximity to the ocean.

Valparaíso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its dozens of steep hillsides containing endless streets and cobblestone alleyways with colorful buildings. It was a neat place, but I also found it dirty, with much graffitti, and sidewalks covered with dog poop. It that way it kind of reminded me of Rome, except of course without the benefits of things like the Colosseum, St. Peter’s, the Pantheon, etc.!

Vina del Mar is located adjacent to Valpo, but they couldn’t be more different! VdM is a very clean resort town with a casino, highrises on the beach and flowers in the lamp posts. I was impressed! Apparently others are too, as I was told that beachfront apartments can go for seven figures (in USD!).

Traveler Tip: Typically on a full-day excursion like today’s, lunch is not included in the price. When that is the case the group is usually taken to a high-end restaurant where a couple hours is spent dining. I’m guessing that the tour operator receives a commission for this, and I know the tour guide’s meal is gratis. That is what happened today. However, I opted out. It was great. I had two hours to roam around VdM on my own, with my own agenda.

Sunday, February 10 – Santiago

A pretty low-key day (as Sunday’s should be!). I took a walk through the parks lining one of the city’s major thoroughfares and ended up at the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts.

Monday, February 11 – Santiago

Today was a busy day – spent entirely in my hotel room working on trip planning and booking! A dirty job, but it’s got to be done. I have now booked my flights from Bolivia to Ecuador and then Ecuador back to Santiago in mid-March. I also booked a hotel for my arrival tomorrow in La Paz (smart!). I still need to come up with a game plan for both Bolivia and Ecuador though, with the one major known activity being a Galapagos Island adventure. I’m thinking I’m going to book that last-minute (to save $$).

I have a 6am flight tomorrow to La Paz. I need to be at the airport 3 hours early, so that means a 2:30am departure from my hotel. Ugh! It’s my own fault though, I chose that flight! (and not just for cost, but also because it was the only non-stop)

Thursday, February 7 – Santiago

It was kind of warm today, high of around 90 degrees, but I still ended up spending a lot of time walking and exploring the city (one of my favorite things to do). My first impressions of Santiago? I was spoiled by Buenos Aires! That’s not fair, I know. Unfortunately, the architecture in Santiago has been influenced by leaders trying remove references to history and having to rebuild due to earthquakes. I found some impressive areas though, and I really like the neighborhood in Providencia where my hotel is located.

Here are some pictures from my day of 27k steps…

Friday, February 8 – Santiago

Another 90 degree day in Santiago. But it’s a dry heat! I ventured to the northwest of the city centre to explore some green space.

My next stop was Parque Metropolitano de Santiago. The park covers around 1,800 acres, making it the largest urban park in Chile and one of the largest in the world (for reference, Central Park is 840 acres; the combined Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens is 625 acres). The park contains San Cristobal Hill, with an elevation of 2,900 ft. On one side of the park, a two stage cable car system takes visitors to the summit, on the other side a funicular is used. I was on the side with the cable car, so let’s do this! (This is now my 3rd cable car / chair lift ride of the trip!) And it turns out I showed up at the park at an opportune time, as it was half-price Friday for the cable car ride. My cost for the round trip journey? $2!

Wednesday, February 6 – transit from Puerto Varas to Santiago

I flew today from Puerto Montt to Santiago. Puerto Montt is about a 20 minute drive from Puerto Varas. To get to the airport I ended up booking a ride through my B&B. That was probably a mistake. The cost was $30! I should have done more research on something like a shared minibus service. Likely would have been half the price. The cheap me is mad at the lazy me!

Although it was only a 90 minute flight, I went again with the upgrade to an exit row seat with early boarding. The price went up this time though to $10! And it turned out that the flight was only about 3/4 full, so I could have gone without the upgrade. Another wasted expenditure!! This day is not going well!

Flying into Santiago it seemed pretty hazy. I was wondering if it was smog, or maybe some dust in the air? Sadly, it turns out it’s the former. I did a little research and discovered that the air quality in Santiago is the third worst of major cities in the Americas. Lima, Peru is the worst, followed by La Paz, Bolivia (my next stop, great!). Cudos though to the baggage handlers at Santiago airport. My bag was waiting for me by the time I exited the plane, made a bathroom break and reached baggage claim. Nice! (Good luck with that happening in Houston!)

I haven’t talked about safety in a while mainly because it hasn’t been an issue. Since Buenos Aires, I’ve solely been visiting small tourist towns where crime hasn’t been a concern. Well, that changes with Santiago. I noticed signs in the baggage claim area warning travelers to book their airport transport using the the vendors within the baggage claim area, and to not use taxis waiting outside the arrivals area. I read about this problem as well. It involves a scam of overinflating fares to the city (even when meters are used). So, following that advice, I was able to book a shared minibus transport to my hotel for $11 (as opposed to $30 for a taxi). My cheap self is starting to cheer up a little!

Upon arrival at the hotel, I was pleasantly surprised. A nice place, including a good size room with a little kitchenette, a small indoor pool, and fast internet. All for only $59/night, including breakfast! The cheap me is ecstatic!

I spent the rest of the day going for a swim, working on my journal, and watching a movie.

Sidenote 1: All of the places I’ve stayed so far have been 100% smoke-free accommodations, which is both surprising and awesome!

Sidenote 2: I’ve watched a little TV on the trip. Mainly the NFL playoffs and some stuff online, when the internet speed permits (which isn’t very often). I discovered though that I still have online access to HBO and Showtime, even though I cancelled my cable when I left Madison on January 9th. So, with the excellent internet service at this hotel, I took advantage and streamed a movie offered on Showtime, Den of Thieves. Wasn’t too bad.

Sidenote 3: It was 4 weeks ago today that I departed Madison. It’s been a busy month, but I still have 7 weeks to go! I have gotten a little homesick though, so thanks again to everyone for their comments. It’s nice to hear from you!

Tomorrow my exploration of Santiago begins!

Monday, February 4 – Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a small tourist town (pop. 40k) located along Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile’s Lake District. It was founded in the 1850s by German immigrants. And I just happened to arrive during a massive heat wave! Yesterday it was around 90 degrees, and today was more of the same. (For reference, the highs beginning on Wednesday will be in the upper 60s – and apparently even that is warm for this time of year!) So, of course nobody has air conditioning. It didn’t turn out too bad though, as it cooled down significantly at night. I left the windows open when I went to sleep, and after starting with just a sheet on my bed, had to pull on a blanket in the middle of the night. (see related travel tip below) Plus, I prefer this heat to the alternative – Puerto Varas averages 200 days of rain per year.

Breakfast turned out to be a two hour affair. Shortly after I sat down I was joined by two other couples who were guests at the B&B. I ended up having wonderful conversations with the two english speakers in the group. One, Eduardo, is a biology professor at the University of Chile in Santiago. He spent his senior year of high school as an exchange student in a small town in northern Minnesota, having arrived speaking minimal english. Very fascinating guy, and he gave me some great tips on sightseeing in Santiago. The other guest, Guerillmo, is a law student at a university in Vina del Mar, near Valparaiso, Chile. He spent two years in the UK while his mother worked on her PhD. Also gave me some good info on visiting Valparaiso. Finally, our hosts kind of hinted that is was time to wrap up breakfast! I’m really enjoying this aspect of the trip – interacting with the many friendly locals that I’ve met along the way.

Following breakfast I stopped by an excursion office to book a couple trips and did some walking around the town. (Also went to a bank to use the ATM, where they were very helpful in getting me through the spanish menu!)

In the afternoon I took a half-day excursion to Osorno. It was about an hour drive to the base of the volcano. Upon arrival, there was an option to take a chair lift in two stages to higher elevations. Of course I did both! The cost of the excursion was $30 and both segments of the lift were $25. Funny story: there were about 15 people in the group – myself and a couple from Switzerland, the rest were from latin america (LA). When we arrived at the volcano we were left to explore on our own, with our bilingual guide telling us to meet up at 5:20pm to go back to Puerto Varas. The guide then took us three non-LAs aside and told us the real meet time was 5:30, with the earlier time stated to take into account the “LA” factor. Well, the Swiss couple and I were back and ready to go at 5:20. The rest of the group showed up at 5:45!

Promised Travel Tip: I mentioned leaving the windows open during the hot weather in Puerto Varas. Well, there is a drawback to that – outside noise. My solution – custom made earplugs. I happened to buy these when I was working in London. They were made by taking molds of my ear canals (I had to have the wax removed first!). Kind of pricey – I think $150-200, but one of the best investments I’ve made. They fit and work great! I’ve used them countless times while traveling. And not just in open window environments. We’ve all stayed at hotels with thin walls or located on noisy streets.

Finally, here are some Chilean peso banknotes. I know what you’re thinking, Tim’s rich! NOT! The conversion rate is about 650 pesos to the dollar.

Tuesday, February 5 – Puerto Varas

Today was a full day excursion to Isla de Chiloe. The island is known for its old world culture and traditions. And the Churches of Chiloe were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. It was about an hour drive from Puerto Varas to the ferry that went to the island. Below are some images from the trip with a few comments. (The excursion cost was $58)

Sunday, February 3 – transit from Bariloche to Puerto Varas, Chile

I’m writing this as I watch the Super Bowl at my B&B in Puerto Varas. The NFL is everywhere!

Today was my bus trip over the Andes into Chile. Before I get into the details, a bitch session! When checking on the trip, I spoke to both the reception staff at my Bariloche hotel and a representative at the city’s tourist office. I told them I wanted to take the bus to Puerto Varas. Their response was that I needed to take the bus to Puerto Montt and then transfer to a local bus for the 15 mile trip to Puerto Varas. Ok, thanks for the info. Ticket to Puerto Montt bought. Fast forward to this morning. I’m waiting to board and happen to notice the electronic sign on the front of the bus scrolling through the stops along the route. As expected, the last stop is Puerto Montt. But, the second to last stop is…Puerto Varas! So, I talk to the bus driver and he confirms that I will be able to exit at Puerto Varas, even though my ticket is to Puerto Montt. Unnecessary extra effort averted! (no thanks to my friends in Bariloche!)

Now, on to the trip! I was actually looking forward to a day of kind of doing nothing. Just relaxing, enjoying the scenery, and maybe doing a little reading. That’s basically the way it turned out, except it was all scenery watching and no reading!

We departed Bariloche at 10:15 and arrived in Puerto Varas at 5:45. Seven and a half hours. However, we spent one hour at Argentina border control and another hour and Chile border control. So, a little over 5 hours on the road. Not that bad really.

Interesting arrival in Puerto Varas. There is no bus station, just a bus stop (this is a pretty small town!). After being dropped off, I’m standing on the corner using Google Maps to try and figure out the location of my B&B. While I’m doing this a women drives up and starts talking to me (in spanish, of course!). I really have no clue what she’s talking about. Ultimately though I realize she’s offering me a ride! Very nice. Gracias! For a price. Oh. How much? Four dollars. Sold!

Here are a couple pictures of the B&B…

Friday, February 1 – Bariloche

I had a somewhat leisurely morning. I did do some trip planning though. I booked my flight from Puerto Montt to Santiago for Wednesday. That was $116. I also booked my lodging for Puerto Varas (arrival on Sunday, depart Wednesday). A little bit of glitch here though. After I made the reservation through booking.com, I received an email from the hotel operator stating that they were overbooked and that I should cancel the reservation. One problem: booking.com is going to charge me a cancelation fee if I do that. So, I ended up having to call booking.com to sort it out. Kind of a hassle, but it all worked out in the the end, Puerto Varas accommodation is on the pricier side – I booked a B&B for $99/night. (I think I might have used the word “book” a little too often in this paragraph!)

In the afternoon I took a little hike into town. First stop: Holly Restobar! I wasn’t all that hungry, but I had to check out the menu (they even had one in english!). The Holly Burger was about $10. Seemed kind of pricey for Argentina (but then again, this is a tourist town!). There was also a Holly Salad, Holly Steak and a Holly Hot Dog! Yumm! I was also checking to see if they sold any merchandise, but sadly no.

Next, I was on a mission to buy some chocolate. I stopped in a few different shops, but ultimately I went with the place that gave me a free sample the other day (and again today!). Plus, their salespeople were friendly.

Now, the question is, how strong is my will power as I ration this purchase?

Miscellaneous ramblings…

• I been asked often where I’m from. I always answer the same – Estados Unidos (United States, and never “America”, that’s seems like an offensive thing to say when I’m in South America!). I cringe a little when I respond, expecting the worse. But I’ve never received any backlash, which is kind of surprising.
• No stomach issues so far. And I drink the tab water, have drinks with ice cubes, and eat raw vegetables and peeled fruit. You’ve also read about my street food purchases. It’s my understanding that the situation in Chile is similar. Bolivia and Ecuador? Not so much!
• I’ve put together a spreadsheet with several sheets tracking my bookings, forward planning, ATM withdrawals, credit card purchases, etc. (Kait can relate!). Another thing I’m tracking is my steps (thanks Fitbit!). From day one of the trip, January 9th, through the end of January I’m averaging 17,400 steps per day. Doubt I’ll be able to keep that pace up!
• I have a travel insurance policy for medical and emergency evacuation only. I didn’t bother with trip cancelation or any of that other stuff (lost luggage, theft, interruption, etc.); mainly because I knew I wasn’t going to cancel! And those are the expensive parts of the policy. I have coverage for $50,000 in medical expenses and $1,000,000 in emergency medical evacuation for 11 weeks from Berkshire Hathaway at a cost of $27.

Saturday, February 2 – Bariloche

Today was a HUGE travel planning, research and booking day. I probably spent five hours working on this. It’s not something I enjoy, but obviously it needs to get done. My mantra on this trip has been “no itinerary”, but I’m at the point where certain things need to be finalized.

So, I booked the following: Easter Island flights and accommodation, flight from Santiago to La Paz, and accommodation in Santiago. I know this doesn’t sound like much, but seriously, it took a lot of time to sort through. I was also trying get the rough timing (and flights) to Ecuador somewhat finalized.

Finally, late this afternoon I had had enough with the planning and took a walk into town and stopped by an ice cream/chocolate shop outside of the tourist zone.

Then it was on to the supermercado to pick up some dinner.

Well, tomorrow it’s goodbye Argentina (for now, I’m hoping to make a trip from Santiago into the wine country of Mendoza). I’ll be taking the bus over the Andes into Chile. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, January 30 – Bariloche

Today was pretty low key. I spent the morning doing some trip planning and working on the journal. Then in the afternoon I decided to take a short hike to the west of the hotel along the lake (the city centre is to the east). My ultimate destination was a little beach called Playa Bonita.

Travel Tip: For international travelers who obtain cash via ATMs, I highly recommend that you open a Schwab checking account. Using their ATM card incurs no foreign transaction fees, and, this is the big one, at the end of each month they refund all ATM fees. Huge! My first two stops on this trip, Argentina and Uruguay, have low limits on the amount of cash that can be withdrawn during each ATM transaction. I therefore ended up utilizing an ATM five times in January. Each time I was charged a fee of a little over $6. On February 1st I received a $30 refund from Schwab. Nice! I also have a Capital One credit card that charges no foreign transaction fees.

I forgot to mention a funny story from my flight to Bariloche. When we landed several of the passengers applauded. I was trying to remember the last time I experienced that. I’m pretty sure it was when I flew from Moscow to Yerevan on Aeroflot Airlines. In that case though the clapping was fully justified, considering parts of the plane’s interior were held together with duct tape!

Thursday, January 31 – Bariloche

I took an excursion today to Puerto Blest, which is a part of Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. This is the first national park of Argentina, established in 1934. Ironically, I’m currently reading a book about Theodore Roosevelt’s 1913 excursion into the Amazon, and prior to entering the rainforest he toured other parts of South America and visited this area.

The day started with a pickup at the hotel around 8:30. We then took a short drive to Puerto Panuelo on Lago Nahuel Huapi. From there it was about an hour boat ride to our destination of Puerto Blest.

Puerto Blest (and Bahia Blest) is the starting point for three different hikes that are part of today’s excursion. The plan was for the group to go with a guide on each of the trails, but there was also the option for individuals to go off on their own and then meet at a designated point and time (maps were provided and the trails were well marked). So, of course, I took the latter option (I was one of the few). It worked out great because I had the trail (and photo spots) to myself (plus I’m anti-social!).

The first hike was along a river that branches off Bahia Blest and formed a lake called Lago Frias.

The second trail wrapped around the bay, first along the water, and then moving to the interior.

The final hike went uphill along a waterfall, culminating at another lake. I took some pictures of the waterfall, but frankly, after Iguazu I didn’t have the heart to post any. (that sound pretentious, I know)

The return boat ride to Puerto Panuelo originated from a dock opposite to where we were dropped off at Puerto Blest, but adjacent to the last trail of the excursion. The was called Puerto Cantaros.

I was on the outside part of the boat again for the return trip. It was warmer than this morning, but more windy, so I sat on the leeward side.

The excursion ended with a drop off at the hotel around 6:30. A full day!

Tuesday, January 29 – Bariloche

My plan for a restful day started out so well. So how did I end up putting in 25k steps?!? I spent the morning updating this journal and doing some trip planning. The latter is what put my low-key day in peril. I was originally going to book a trip that utilized multiple boats and buses to go from Bariloche to Puerto Varas in Chile on Sunday. It would take about 12 hours and the cost would be around $350. Supposed to be a beautiful journey. Well, after reading some not-so-great reviews (crowds, herding, weather issues), I decided instead to book a 7 1/2 hour bus ride. Now, this isn’t Greyhound were talkin’. South America is known for quality bus service (I’ll verify that for you on Sunday!). I reserved a seat in what’s called Executive Cama Class. It’s like business class on a plane, and includes leather seats with a reclining angle of 140° and a foot support. The cost? $21.59!

Interesting Cost Comparison: Bus to Puerto Varas is $22. My cable car ride on Monday was $18.

And to make my decision even easier regarding the boats/buses trip versus the bus-only is the fact that there is a one day excursion available that hits most of the prime spots covered in the trip to Puerto Varas. The excursion cost is $54. I’ll be doing that on Thursday.

How did all of this end up in me putting in so many steps? Well, my hotel is to the west side of the city centre, and I needed to go to the bus station to get my ticket for Sunday. The station is on the east side of the centre. I could have taken a taxi (right, too cheap!), or there is bus service. But that is kind of erratic, plus I needed a prepaid card in order to ride. And where do I get the card? The bus station. So, I decided to walk. It took around an hour. But I was making stops along the way to take pictures. Plus, it was another great weather day (low 70s, just rather windy), so it wasn’t really a bother.

After hitting the bus station I returned through the city centre, stopped at the tour operator’s office to book my Thursday excursion, and did some more roaming and picture taking there. I left the hotel around 1:30 and got back about 6:45.

Here are some pictures from my day’s journey…

You’ve probably noticed the new header picture. It was inevitable, right? Sorry Colonia, it was fun while it lasted!

Saturday, January 26 – transit from Puerto Iguazu to Buenos Aires

I had a flight around 3:30pm today, but check out was at 10:00am. Mmmm, what to do? Honestly, it was too hot to get motivated for any outdoor activity. So, I decided to camp out in the hotel lobby and review my pictures (literally 100s) and work offline on my journal. I surprised myself and was actually very productive!

My hotel’s front desk staff told me getting to the airport by 2pm for my flight would give me plenty of time (this is a small airport). The minivan was booked (Taxi? Too expensive, of course!) and I indeed arrived at Mayor Carlos Eduardo Krause Airport by 2. But wait, there was a HUGE line wrapped around the arrivals area waiting to check in for my Andes Airline flight. And it’s not moving very fast. I’m seriously wondering if I, or my luggage, are going to make this flight. And the folks behind me in line are looking a little worried too. But then I happened to notice the Arrivals display and realized the Andes flight from Buenos Aires was running late. A quick walk over to the departures display confirmed my hope – my flight was running 90 minutes late. Whew! One of the few times I was happy for a delay!

Sidebar: I should have done my homework on Andes Airlines before booking. The departure from Buenos Aires was late; you now know the return was late; and while at the airport on Sunday for my departure to Bariloche, I notice that the Andes flight to Puerto Iguazu had been cancelled. Yikes! Dodged a bullet there!

When flying into Puerto Iguazu, the pilot had announced that the passengers on the right side of the plane would have a brief view of the falls about 2 minutes before landing. Unfortunately, I was on the left. However, on the return I luckily was again assigned to the left, with a window seat (double lucky) and armed with this knowledge was able to get the picture below of the falls. It’s not the greatest shot (the hazy window didn’t help), but still kind of cool.

Sitting next to me on the flight was a young man named Mbaye. He had immigrated to Brasil from Senegal 6 years ago. He is now the owner of a business selling tools, with shops in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aries. Impressive! He spoke French, Portuguese, Spanish, but very little English. So of course we talked for most of the flight!

I spent the night at the same Apartment Hotel as my previous two bookings in Buenos Aires. Even had the same apartment! I really like this place and the city. I will seriously consider returning here next winter.

Sunday, January 27 – transit from Buenos Aires to San Carlos de Bariloche

This flight was booked on LATAM Airlines. Much better experience than Andes! Their online check-in was very efficient. Sadly though during the process I noticed that I was assigned a middle seat on what looked like a fully-booked flight (duration: 2 1/2 hours). I did see however that a window seat on the exit row was available for an additional charge. As I’m rather frugal, I really didn’t plan on taking the seat. But, couldn’t hurt to check. The cost for the seat PLUS priority boarding? $4.30. Ahh, yes please!

San Carlos de Bariloche (Bariloche) is in Argentina’s Patagonia region. It borders Lago Nahuel Huapi, a large glacial lake surrounded by the Andes Mountains. Bariloche is a popular base for hiking and skiing the nearby mountains and exploring the surrounding Lake District.

The hotel I chose is across the street from the lake on a hill and is about a 20 minute walk to the city centre. I took Holly’s advice and splurged a bit by upgrading to a lake view room. Glad I did! The rate, including a nice breakfast buffet, is about $97/night. I’m booked here until Thursday.

I walked into town this evening. Bariloche is known for its Swiss alpine-style architecture and chocolate. There was plenty of both on display! Overall though I wasn’t impressed (Hence, I didn’t take any pictures. I’ll get some though before I leave). Very touristy (which you know I love!). But I will be trying the chocolate (I’ve read that a company offers a factory tour with free samples!)! And this is a good place to be based for excursions. For dinner I stopped in a little shop run by a Hungarian family and had a falafel wrap.

Monday, January 28 – Bariloche

After two long days in Iguazu Park, followed by two travel days, I’m pretty much exhausted. It’s such a beautiful day though (clear skies, temps in the low 70s), I willed myself outside!

About two miles down the road from my hotel is Cerro Otto (Mount Otto), with cable cars ascending to the summit (around 4,500 feet above sea level). At the top is a revolving restaurant (apparently the only one in Argentina), and hiking trails. To get to Otto I take a walk along the lake. This turned out to be a great few hours! There was beautiful scenery along the way and on the mountain. Below are a few pictures.

Besides being exhausted, I’m a little tired of moving every few days! So I decided to extend my stay here in Bariloche until Sunday. I even got a lower rate for the extra three nights ($92 per)! Whoo hoo! Now I need to decide which excursions I want take while I’m here. I also need to do some advance planning for the rest of the trip. And I have to remind myself once again that this is an 11 week journey, not a 10 day vacation! Rest days are a good thing!