Argentina & Chile

This is my second travel Blog, which is on a more recent trip I took with my entire family. We visited Latin America in the month of December 2018. We visited two countries in Latin American, namely Argentina and Chile, and I am sharing my experiences here…

---

Day 1 : We started off our trip by visiting Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires. Our stay was at AQ Tailored Suites (www.aqsuites.com), a modern little boutique hotel located in the heart of town. We reached by evening after almost 36 hours of travel, so we retired early for the day.

Day 2 : To begin with, we started exploring Buenos Aires. We first went to Florida Street which is a popular shopping street in downtown, after which we went to Plaza de Mayo, which is a famous square. Over there, we spotted the Pink house. For teatime, we chose Pertutti café, a small quaint café with delicious food. In the evening, we roamed around town seeing the popular opera and the national congress. Finally for dinner, we went to Sarkis that turned out to be an average Mediterranean restaurant.

Day 3 : This was going to be a long day as planned. Early in the morning, we took a flight from Buenos Aires domestic airport to Iguazu. Declared as a UNESCO world heritage site, Iguazu falls is a cluster of cascades and cataracts as far as the eye can see. At Iguazu airport, we headed straight for the falls. At the tour starting point, we took a train to Cataracts station which was the start of the devils throat trails, the most popular trail in Argentina. The trail is beautiful and we could see the water splash up to about 250 feet. We had lunch and signed up for the boat ride. We were given life jackets to wear, and our 30-minute boat ride took us into the meandering waters of the Iguazu falls. Occasionally, we went very close to the gallons of downpour of the smaller falls, which got us drenched. Make sure to carry an extra pair of clothing as you are surely going to get totally wet! They literally take you under many small waterfalls from various angles. The experience was unforgettable!

Day 4 : We planned to visit La Boca and its surroundings that day. La Boca is famous for its colorful houses, street tango dancers and its soccer team. It makes its way on to every traveller’s list. We also visited the famous stadium of La Bombonera, which is the largest in Argentina. We choose to have lunch in La Pecora Nera Grill, which is a nice little casual fine dining place. It serves classic grilled dishes with a nice modern twist. We also visited the flea market in the afternoon to see a fantastic display of local handicrafts and products. Later, we wandered around Puerto Madero, which is a cosmopolitan neighborhood. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Obelisco which is a monument built to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the city of Buenos Aires.

Day 5 : We were to head for our Chilean fjord cruise now. This was a 4 day sail showing us the most exotic sights which one could only see though this cruise, and I was really excited for it! Our flight at 8:25 am took us to Ushuaia, the southernmost inhabitation in the world. As we landed, we took a taxi to the cruise center where we filled up a few forms and dropped our luggage. We had time in hand for lunch and to explore the city, so we strolled around the streets and went to the small shops around there; it is one of the best place to buy camping and trekking gear. We also went to a coffee shop where they gave us a taste of fresh Argentinian coffee. The highlight of Ushuaia is the point that marks the southernmost tip of the habited world, and being there was a truly amazing feeling. We eventually headed towards the harbor as it was time to board our cruise ship named “Ventus Australis.” It had a total capacity of 210 passengers. The cruise had 2 small lounges and 1 main lounge as well as a restaurant. Our rooms were spacious (as compared to all other cruise liners we have been in) and offered beautiful views of the Chilean fjords. At the very onset, we were briefed about the cruise and all the safety measures as well. We were told that breakfast and lunch would be buffets, while the dinner would be a 3 course set menu. Since we were vegetarians, the gourmet chef had planned to customize the menu for us to suit our palette. We were also told that we would have no connection to the outer world, which meant no Internet and no mobile phones. At first, I felt a bit restless, but as time passed by in days to come, I realized it was a blessing in disguise. Nothing would distract us from this amazing experience of a lifetime!

Day 6 : Early morning, we were woken up by the announcement made by the crew and we were briefed on our excursion to Cape horn. Cape Horn is the southernmost point in the world, and we were told that this site can be visited only if weather permits as the water is very choppy around there. We were extremely lucky as the weather was nice and we had an absolutely clear day. Upon reaching, we climbed the hill to visit the iconic monument, and on route we visited the lighthouse and the church. The views were spectacular from the top. Every excursion ended with hot chocolate for the kids, and the same with an added shot of whiskey for the adults! I loved drinking hot chocolate in the cold climate as it gave me the warmth I needed. The same evening, we had another excursion to Wulaia Bay. We were given three choices – easy, intermediate, challenging. Seeing our fitness :), we chose the intermediate one. It was a short trek with stunning views, which ended with a visit to the museum of artifacts of the Darwin people. The day ended with the usual dinner.

Day 7 : We woke up in a hurry as we had our excursion to our first glacier experience, the Pia Glacier. We went to the glacier on zodiac boats (small lifesaving boats). It was the first time ever that I saw such a HUGE glacier and it totally stunned me! We also saw an entire block of ice melting and breaking off the big glacier, falling down making a thundering noise and creating ripples in the water. The scene was spectacular! My dad managed to capture it in his video camera, and it was a wow moment for all of us. Any number of words I use to describe the amazing scene is less. Once back in our cruiseliner, we had lunch and then went on a short visit to the engine room of the cruise. Make sure to wear your ear buds, properly as it is pretty loud in there. In the evening, we had another excursion, this time navigating toward Garibaldi glacier. It is the second largest glacier of South America (I suppose you know the biggest one!) and as tall as the New York skyscrapers. These glaciers in the Chilean fjords are probably the best piece of untouched nature I have ever seen.

Day 8 : Early morning, we sailed through the Cockburn channel and entered Agostini sound, where the glaciers descend. We disembarked and went for an easy walk around the lagoon, which was formed by the melting of Águlia glacier. The walk was peaceful and this experience was a nice touch to the cruise. The evening excursion was a zodiac excursion to the Condor glacier. Since weather permitted, we were lucky to get as close to the glacier as in about 3 years, as told by our guide. The glacier also had a small waterfall towards its right corner, which made it more unique. The cruise had interesting things going on board too. To pass time, the cruise staff hosts several video screenings and games. The lounges have interesting drinks and snacks being served all day long. This night, the captain gave a toast and the cruise sail flag was put for lottery. Guess what? We won!! The cruise sail map was also put up for auction, which got sold for $900!

Day 9 : At break of dawn, we went ashore Magdalena Island inhabited with an immense colony of Magdalenic penguins. Before each excursion, you are briefed about the history and the do’s and don’t of that place. During the excursion, we also hike up a path that leads us through thousands of penguins to a small museum lodged in a vintage 1902 lighthouse. The experience is surreal. After a last and final short cruise along the strait, we were scheduled for disembarkation at Punta Arenas at 11:30 am. I can’t end the cruise section without giving my acknowledgements to Chris (our fantastic guide for most of our excursions), and to Ian and Julian who I made good friends with. We disembarked at Punta Arenas and we’re now on Chilean land where the celebration for Christmas had already started. After snacking on caramel roasted nuts, we decided to shop for a little bit. After that, we went to the most famous pizza chain over there called La Mesita Grande where the pizzas were outstanding. After lunch we drove to Puerto Natales, a small town in the south of Chile and checked in our hotel “Australis”. The rooms were small and average according to me, but on the positive the view was brilliant. It is a small town with a church and just a couple of restaurants and shops. We chose to dine at el living, which is a vegetarian restaurant with nice and simple food.

Day 10 : Exploring Torres del Paine was the plan for that day. We set off in two cars to the national park, listening to Bollywood songs and taking in the nature. We visited various places inside the park but the main attraction was Lake Grey. We watched the glacier and walked along the beach, but it was the windiest place I had ever been to. It was so windy that my Uncle and papa’s hat blew off. Such was the wind intensity that my sister and I had to run half a mile back to retrieve the cap! At one point, it almost became impossible to walk any further as the wind was blowing us all away. So we decided to turn back. Just to add here, we also had to cross an interesting hanging bridge to reach the beach of Lake Grey.

Day 11 : We went to the famous bear monument of Puerto Natales where we captured a few group pictures. We also went to the famous Fingers monument where we snapped a few shots as well. We were hungry, so had lunch at La Mesita Grande again (remember the pizzas)! We then boarded our bus and crossed the border over to El Calafate, an Argentenian town which has a nice vibe to it. Our hotel Lagos del Calafate was great with spacious rooms. For dinner we went to La Lecuza, which served brick fired oven pizza, probably the best one in a while I have had.

Day 12 : Early morning, we were up and ready for a full day tour of the famous Perito Moreno glacier. It was an hour and a half away from El Calafate. On route, we stopped at a lovely viewpoint to get the first view of this majestic glacier. Upon reaching the final point, we took several catwalks to view the glacier from different perspectives and through different panoramic balconies. Post lunch, we boarded a boat taking us in close proximity to the glacier for more stunning views. The boat ride was fun and a nice touch to enhance the overall experience. We also spotted a small piece of ice block breaking from the massive ice wall. While exiting the place, we had to buy a few souvenirs from here to remind us of this beautiful experience, and fulfil my hobby of collecting a souvenir of every country I have visited. Arriving at our hotel, we all dived into the pool to rejuvenate. Almost everyday, we walked approximately 15,000 steps which was tiring, so this was the most relaxing end to a hectic day of sight-seeing!

Day 13 : Next morning, we packed and headed towards our final destination Bariloche, the heartland of Argentina. The flight was in the afternoon, so we arrived by evening. We chose to stay at Cacique Inacayal, which is an awesome sea facing hotel. It has a pool, a spa and a games room as well as a disco. The choice of hotel was fantastic, and we all lauded my Uncle for booking this one! After unpacking, we headed out for the main city square which is the hotspot of Barioche, a short walk from our hotel. The square leads you to the famous pedestrian street with all the shops and restaurants. Also to mention, it is famous for its unique and mouth watering chocolate stores. Few of the most legendary chocolate shops are Mammushka, Rapanui, Frantom and Del Turista. These stores present you chocolates in every way you could imagine – Chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, chocolate ice-cream, chocolate éclairs, chocolate cookies, chocolates with different cocoa percentages, and the list is just unending! My favorite was RAPANUI because of its fantastic ice-creams, which were the best ice-creams I have tried in my entire life (tiramisu). That night, we had dinner in a Swiss restaurant which was also very authentic.

Day 14 : Next day was our first full day tour. First, we went to Villa la Angostura which a small town on route 40 which is the most famous highway of Argentina. From there, we headed to Vila Traful, a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. We had lunch and a delicious lemon meringue pie and strawberry shortcake. That night, we were craving Mexican food, so we decided upon el Mexicano , which is an underground restaurant with mouth-watering food and drinks. We had our fill and then over-indulged in churros, a classic Mexican desert.

Day 15 : This was our free day, so we woke up lazily and had a nice swim. After that, we went to the main street and to do some shopping. We bought souvenirs, clothes, food and of course a lot of chocolates. After having lunch at a nearby café, we headed in true brioche fashion to Rapanui to have some ice-cream. It is impossible to stay in Bariloche and not over-indulge in chocolate. It is a chocolate haven! After a short afternoon nap and as planned, we changed into our dress code for a photo shoot near the seashore of our hotel. This photo shoot captured the memories of our trip in a more memorable way. After the shoot I was craving sushi, so we went in search of a Japanese restaurant. We finally found one, and closed the evening with a nice and sumptuous dinner.

Day 16 : I was very excited the next morning as it was my father’s birthday. We decided to do the half day tour to discover Bariloche and its surroundings, heading towards Cerro Campanario (1050m) crossing Nahuel Hampi and Bonita beach. On reaching Cerro Campanario, we took a chairlift to the top. The views of the lakes and the mountains were spectacular; one of the best views I have ever had. From there, we headed towards the Llao Llao peninsula, where we had lunch at the famous and grand Llao Llao hotel. This is a luxury 5 star hotel with all the facilities you could imagine. We chose to have the salad buffet which was a gourmet spread of fine salads and a few mains and deserts, enough to fill us to the brim. The food and the service here was exemplary! We were also given a complimentary chocolate tart, to celebrate my father’s birthday. After roaming around Llao Llao for a while, we retracted to our hotel. At night, we went for a final round of the city square for a last walk in Bariloche, to experience our last few hours in Argentina, before finally heading back for home the next morning.

THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO LATIN AMERICA, AND THERE ARE MANY MORE INTERESTING COUNTRIES HERE FOR WHICH I WILL BE COMING BACK SOON!