The Leaning Tower of Pisa

May 1, 2012 Europe Italy

We couldn’t argue with Sonja’s logic:  How can you go to Italy and not see the Leaning Tower of Pisa?  Off we went by train to Pisa one morning, only an hour from Florence and only 7 euros per person each way.  By now we were getting the hang of the train system which was very easy to use.  The trains were fast, clean, comfortable, and most important, on time.  Tickets could be booked online or purchased at the ticket machine at the train station.  We each had a euro rail pass which we used for the more costly trips between the major cities.

We arrived in Pisa without a map and without any idea where the Tower was located.  Luckily, there was a large tourist map outside the train station where the path to the Tower was actually worn out from use!  We studied the map for a minute, committed the route to memory and set out for the half hour walk through streets that were lined with many chic shops and restaurants along with a few churches which of course we popped in to see.

 

Suddenly, while walking down the street, the Tower appeared before our eyes, leaving me with a memorable first impression. I have seen pictures of the tower, but nothing prepared me for this first glimpse of it.  Quite simply, it was beautiful.  It was also much larger than I had expected.  For some reason, perhaps because all the photos I have seen the Tower stands alone, I wasn’t expecting it to be part of a large complex of equally stunning buildings which are now museums, open to the public. I don’t know what I was thinking because, after all, the tower is the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa’s Cathedral Square after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

The photo to the right is not an illusion.  It accurately illustrates the degree to which the tower is leaning – 3.99 degrees to be exact.  Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. The top of the tower is now displaced horizontally 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from where it would be if the structure were perfectly vertical.

Just like in Florence, this place was swarming with tourists, tour groups, and school children on class trips.  It was difficult to take a photo without a dozen strangers in it.  And of course everyone was posing for photographs pretending to “hold up” the leaning tower to prevent it from falling. The illusion is created through the principle of forced perspective.  We didn’t even bother trying to take such a photo mainly because we thought it was pretty cheesy but also because there were just too many people in the way.

Given our time constraints (we wanted to be back in Florence by early afternoon), we walked around the area, taking lots of pictures, before heading back to the train station.  Although our time in Pisa was short, we all agreed it was well worth the trip to see the Tower in person.

Of course, Chris and I were secretly content with the knowledge that we could return for a day to explore the Tower and the museums in depth later in May.

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A walk back in time on the Italian Riviera

April 30, 2012 Europe Italy

Cinque Terre is comprised of five quaint fishing villages connected by ancient rustic paths that hug this rugged part of the Italian Riviera coastline.  A century ago, the trails and boats were the only means of transport to and from the villages.  Today trains link the five villages offering visitors and locals more convenient access.  This area is now protected within the boundaries of a National Park ensuring the region retains its historic integrity. The lack of modern development gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy the charm and beauty of these villages that date back to the Middle Ages. Grapes are grown on terraced gardens perched high on the cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea.  Lemon trees dot the hillsides in abundance.

We booked our tour through Viator which is a third party agency that offers access to tours worldwide.  The local tour company was called WalkaboutFlorence.  We would recommend both Viator in general and this tour in particular.

As we travelled 2.5 hours by bus to the starting point of the tour which would begin at the second village, Manarola, our tour guides Alex and Chris introduced themselves and offered excellent information en route such as clarifying the white mountains we saw in the distance were not covered in snow but were actually glistening with Carrera marble.  It then made sense why we saw so many yards along the highway full of huge slabs of marble ready to be cut.

We began in the second village, Manarola, where we had the opportunity to walk along some of the ancient paths along the edge of the terraced hills, overlooking the village.  We took the train to the next village, Corniglia which was perched about 100 metres above sea level.

 

 

After climbing 382 steps, or the equivalent of 33 flights of stairs, we were rewarded with spectacular views.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch on a terrace overlooking the town and the sea we returned to the train station, yes, back down those 382 steps, and on to the next town, Vernazza.

 

 

View of Corniglia from the restaurant terrace where we had lunch.
Notice the lemon tree in the foreground. 

 

 

Vernazza was the town which was greatly affected by the floods and mudslides last November.  They have made tremendous progress cleaning up the mud and the damage – mud went as high as the first story of many buildings.

 

 

It was from here that we hiked to the last town, Monterosso.  The hike was challenging as we traversed the hills following rather narrow and sometimes treacherous and slippery paths.  It was no surprise that Sonja lead the pack setting a rather quick pace.  As she pointed out, the sooner we got there the more time we would have to do some shopping and sample the local food and wine. The two hour hike only took us one hour!

 

In Monterosso, we discovered a lovely little shop where the shopkeeper encouraged us to sample everything in the store, including several of the wines from the region.  Sonja found many items to purchase as souvenirs.  With a half an hour to spare, we parked ourselves on a patio overlooking the sea and enjoyed a couple of glasses of the local white wine.  I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.

Dipping our toes in the Mediterranean Sea.

Back on the train, we returned to the first village, Riomaggiore where we explored for a little while before we stopped for another glass of wine on yet another beautiful patio overlooking the sea.  This time, our guides treated the group to compensate for not being able to take the boat from Monterosso due to high winds which was hardly their fault but we appreciated the gesture of goodwill nonetheless.  We did one final walk along the coast back to the train station which took us to La Spezia where we boarded our bus for the journey to Florence.

It was a long day – almost 12 hours – but well worth it.  The weather cooperated with a mixture of sun and cloud, comfortable temperatures and most importantly, no rain.  Our tour guides, Alex and Chris were knowledgeable, energetic, and very attentive to the needs of each member in the group.  They were some of the best tour guides we have encountered in our travels.  The entire tour was well organized; we would highly recommend it to anyone who is tight on time and wants to see Cinque Terre in a day.

 

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Rained out in Sienna

April 28, 2012 Europe Italy

Our trip with my sister Sonja began in Florence where we met at the train station; we came from Venice and Sonja came from Rome.  We stayed in an apartment in the historic centre, across the street from Santa Croce Basilica.  In fact, our living room windows looked out to the Basilica.  It was a perfect location and a wonderfully charming apartment, with more space than we needed or even used.  We walked everywhere from the apartment, including to the bus and train stations.  The apartment was on the third floor of an old building that did not have an elevator.  While the apartment boasted all modern conveniences it was filled with antiques, wonderful artwork, and lots of interesting knick knacks giving it a very authentic feel.

Santa Croce Basilica – Our apartment is to the left of the church.

Sonja had a “must see” list that included excursions to Sienna and Pisa.  We also had a full day tour already booked to Cinque Terre.  We were cramming a lot into our four days but first we had to get ourselves oriented.  I am always surprised at how we drop ourselves into a new place that is completely foreign to us and within 24 hours I know my way around sufficiently to feel like I have been there for a month.  In short order, we found a grocery store to stock up on provisions, ate an over-priced and not very good lunch on a patio, and we were unpacked and had the first load of laundry on the go.  And then the rain began.  It rained on and off for the next four days.

Sonja snapped this photo after we ducked into a cafe to seek shelter from the relentless rain.

We awoke the next morning to steady drizzle.  Chris suggested it might be a good museum day, but Sonja made the astute observation (of which we reminded her frequently afterwards):  We’re going to get a little wet no matter what we do.  And so we stuck to our original plan and took the bus to Sienna which was only an hour away – on the express bus – and an hour and a half on the local bus which we inadvertently took.  By the time we arrived, it was pouring buckets.  We wandered around for a while browsing through the infamous “Tuesday Market” and stocking up on some local cheese, salami and vegetables.  But when the thunder and lightning began and the rain turned to hail, and we were soaked to the skin, we all agreed it was time to go home.  Sienna was a bust as far as I was concerned, but Sonja was satisfied that she had at least caught a glimpse of it and saw the beautiful countryside as well.  I comforted myself with the knowledge that Chris and I would go back later in May while we were on the farm which was only 50 km south of Sienna.

Soaked to the skin and ready to go back to Florence.

Travel Tip:  If travelling with three or more people, consider staying in an apartment of which there are many to choose from.  It can be very cost effective and offers a lot more space than a traditional hotel room not to mention full kitchen and often laundry facilities too.  Airbnb.com is a great site for accommodations – we found all our South American apartments through this site as well as those in Italy.  Click here to see the airbnb listing for the Florence apartment.

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A whirlwind through Italy

April 25, 2012 Europe Italy

We have been in Italy with my sister Sonja for just over two weeks and have visited the major tourist destinations: Florence, Venice and Rome.  We even managed to squeeze in a weekend in Milan so that Sonja could run the Milan Marathon.  We did as much as humanly possible so that Sonja could see and experience everything on her bucket list. What a time we have had!  The history and architecture, the plethora of art, sculptures, churches, mosaics, tapestries – it has left us in awe. We have discovered Italian coffee – cappucino is my absolute favourite and I may never go back to drinking American coffee again.  And the gelato – divine! We have tasted what “al dente” really means and now understand why Italians think we massacre pasta in America.  The cheese and salamis and abundance of cheap but good red wine – we love it all.  Was I Italian in a former life??

This was the first time I have travelled for more than a weekend with my sister and while the pace was much more intense than what we’ve been used to these past few months, I was pleasantly surprised at how well we all travelled together.  We all seemed to be in agreement most of the time as to what to see, where to go and what to eat.  And when we didn’t agree, we were quite happy to go our separate ways for a few hours to pursue our own interests before regrouping later in the day. Amazingly, our itinerary was executed perfectly: we never missed a train, we always found our apartments, all our accommodations were better than expected, we never got lost unless it was intentional (more about that later), we never lost each other.

Everything was perfect, except, of course, the weather.  We arrived in Venice to cold temperatures (below 10C which felt freezing cold to us after spending the last two months in the tropics) and cloudy skies but at least it didn’t rain on that first day in Italy.  The rain began the next day and it rained on and off for a week! Some days were downright miserable like the day we visited Sienna and got soaked to the skin as the relentless rain turned to hail accompanied by thunder and lightening.  But then the sun came out in Venice and continued to shine right through to the end of Sonja’s visit.   I’ve been told temperatures are going to hit 30C by the weekend!

Sonja left yesterday and we have now resumed our slow travel pace.  Today is a national holiday in Italy and most things are closed so we are taking a welcome break from sightseeing.  Besides, my brain is so full right now, I don’t think I can absorb anything new, and my feet are still aching from wearing the wrong shoes for hours on end on those ancient cobblestone streets in Rome. The price of vanity I suppose.

I will now take some time to write about what we did during these past two weeks and share some of the amazing photos that have been taken.  There is so much to tell but I will try to stick to the highlights.

In the meantime, check out the latest addition to our website: the photo gallery.  After much discussion and many debates, this part of the website is finally coming together in a way that I have always envisioned it.   It can be accessed from the header image at the top of the website – it is the first item listed on the sign post – or you can access it from the left hand column, about half way down in the “Other Info” section.  We have created a Flickr account to host all our photos and we have linked our website to Flickr via a slick plugin very appropriately called “slickr flickr”.

The main purpose of the photo gallery is to showcase more of the amazing photos taken by Chris.  While the photos in the blog support the narrative text, they are a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of photos that Chris has taken. But the photo gallery offers so much more.  Chris manipulates many of his photos using a variety of techniques that transforms them into veritable works of art.  He is continuously finessing his technique and striving for the perfect shot. As his biggest fan, I am thrilled to have a forum in which to display his wonderful work.

The photo gallery is a work in progress and we’re still trying to figure out the best way to organize the photos to make them easy to access and enjoyable to view.  You’ll notice that Chris has added a watermark to his photos, also something that we’re experimenting with in terms of size and location on the photo.  The purpose of the watermark is to prevent his photos from being reproduced without his permission.  You’re free to enjoy them on-line but if you wish to print them or use them in any way, we’d appreciate hearing from you beforehand.  We’re also exploring commercial opportunities and it’s important to retain ownership of the photos in order to leverage such possibilities.

You can expect a lot more photos to be added to the gallery in the coming days and weeks. We’d love to hear your feedback on the photo gallery both in terms of how we have organized the photos as well as the content itself.

 

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Getting to Europe the old-fashioned way

April 11, 2012 Brazil Europe South America

We took slow travel to a new level as we spent 21 days travelling by ship from Santos, Brazil to Venice, Italy.  Along the way, we stopped at six ports of call in Brazil and five ports of call in Europe.  We spent a total of nine days at sea of which five were consecutive days as we crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

From the moment we made the decision to travel to Europe by cruise, we had been looking forward to it.  Even the tragic accident off the coast of Italy and the untimely incident in the Indian Ocean just weeks before our departure date could not dampen our enthusiasm.  Settling into one room for three weeks instead of the usual three nights, eating  familiar food that would be readily available, making no travel arrangements, taking a break from being tourists – this is what we were focusing on.  Yet within minutes of boarding, or maybe it was in the long line-ups during the tedious embarkation process, I recalled how much I don’t really like these mega cruises.  The crowds, the line-ups, the pushy tourists, the lack of personal space, the loud obnoxious cruise director who thinks everybody wants to play bingo or learn how to salsa by the pool, the absence of peace and quiet – it all gets on my nerves after awhile.  And we would be on this ship for 21 days – what was I thinking??

Main Dining Room

The ship

Costa Fortuna excelled in mediocrity; from the food to the entertainment, everything was completely adequate yet nothing was remarkable or memorable.  Only nine years old, this ship already seemed rather dated in its gaudy décor, but maybe that’s just the Italian style.  It had all the standard amenities you would expect on a large ship – two restaurants for sit-down meals, one upscale restaurant (for a surcharge), a large cafeteria style dining room for breakfast and lunch, a multi-level theatre for nightly entertainment, a large casino, several bars and lounges, a couple of pools and a few hot tubs, a spa and gym, and a children’s play area.

Main Theatre

Of the 3,000 passengers on board, the majority were Brazilian, followed by Europeans.  I would guess the average age was 60+.  We were definitely in the minority based on country of origin, language and age.  The nightly entertainment in the main theatre seemed to target the majority demographics – think Lawrence Welk and you’ve got the picture.  There were plenty of activities planned each day if you were into that sort of thing.  You know, things like arts and crafts (let’s paint ceramics or make paper boxes or paper flowers), dancing lessons by the pool, daily bingo, and games like “Tiles Tournament”, “Belly Smackers Championship” and “Hula Hoop Championship”.  Sorry I can’t offer more details – we were too busy relaxing to get involved.

Ports of Call in Brazil

We explored all the ports of call independently using local transportation that included taxis, buses and metro systems.  We had several electronic guide books to help us figure out what we should see in each port of call as well as the research that I had done in advance when we had internet access.

Ipenema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Of the six cities we visited in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Ilheus, Salvadaor, Maceio, Recife, and Fortaleza), Rio was our favourite and we wished we had more time to spend there.  In Rio, we walked along the infamous Cococabana and Ipenema beaches, enjoying spectacular scenery from Sugarloaf Mountain and sipping refreshing coconut milk which came complete with a lesson from an English-speaking local who showed us how to eat the soft, unripened coconut flesh afterwards.  Simply delicious.

Salvador, Brazil

While every city had miles of beautiful beaches, we enjoyed the beaches in Maceio the most.  The turquoise waters were crystal clear and warm like the Caribbean; no signs of pollution like the other beaches.  The worst port of call was Recife which we visited on a Sunday when everything was closed; perhaps this only served to highlight the filth and decay in the historic part of the city where we were saddened to see so many down and out homeless people.  Salvador’s historic district, Pelourinho was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.  This area dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries and boasts numerous richly decorated baroque churches, tiny squares, beautiful old colonial mansions, and cobblestone streets. Yet when we visited, I felt like I was on a set in a theme park – it was so contrived and touristy including the ladies dressed up in local costume offering to have their picture taken with you – for a fee of course.

Maceio, Brazil

Our appreciation of Brazil deepened as we visited each city.  While we may not have been wowed by every port of call, they all shared some things in common: gorgeous beaches, cleanliness (except for Recife), friendly locals who were always happy to help you in spite of language barriers, and beautiful climate (hot, humid and sunny).  We definitely want to return to Brazil one day to explore it in more depth.

Lazy, hazy days at sea

I got a cold again on this cruise but somehow timed it perfectly to align with our days at sea which were spent lazing around, amusing ourselves with books and movies, working on our computers (writing and photography) and working out.  It was idyllic as was the weather: sunshine every day and hot (low 30’s) at the beginning with the days gradually getting cooler (low 20’s) as we headed north.  We adjusted to the European time zone gradually by setting the clocks one hour ahead for six consecutive days which for a while really messed us up – we were staying up until two or three in the morning and sleeping almost until noon – easy to do with an inside cabin and no natural light, but we had nowhere pressing to go or things to do so it didn’t really matter.

Ports of Call in Europe

We loved every single port of call in Europe to the point where we are fantasizing about how we can relocate to any of these destinations: Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), Malaga (Spain), Valletta (Malta), Corfu (Greece), Dubrovnik (Croatia).

Malaga, Spain

Puerto de la Cruz, San Tenerife, Canary Islands

We docked in Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the seven Canary Islands. After exploring the downtown area for a couple of hours, we hopped on a local bus and headed to Puerto de la Cruz, on the north end of the island.  It was love at first sight for both of us; the European architecture, the charming café’s along the pedestrian-only streets and the gorgeous waterfront completely enamored us.  Just as we were thinking this was the place to retire to, we stopped in Malaga next, on the southern coast of Spain in an area known as the Costa del Sol (coast of sun), and we fell in love all over again.  Picasso’s birthplace offered a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral, an ancient castle and fortress, plus the beautiful European architecture, charming café’s and a gorgeous harbour.

Valletta, Malta

We were disappointed when we arrived in Malta on Good Friday to find everything closed for the holiday. Luckily we had been there on a previous cruise so we had already seen many of the highlights.  Our afternoon took an unexpected turn when we met a very nice English couple (Angela and Harry) and their two grandchildren (Skyler and Joseph) while we were enjoying a beer on a patio.  As we engaged them in small talk, we learned they had retired to Malta five years earlier. This was a great opportunity to learn about what life was like on this small island.  Much to our surprise, as we finished up our drinks, Angela invited us back to their place to see where they live. Harry took us on a bit of a walking tour to their maisonette which was a lovely 2 storey home similar to a townhouse.  After a short visit over a cup of coffee, Harry kindly offered to drive us back to the ship, taking the scenic route and pointing out all the highlights along the way.  It turned out to be one of our most enjoyable ports of call!

Corfu, Greece

Our visits to the last two ports of call, Corfu (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia) were only a few hours long – just enough to get a glimpse of each city but not long enough to really see or do much.  We still enjoyed these cities.

While this cruise had its shortcomings, it was perfect for what we needed – transportation from South America to Europe and some rest and relaxation. We arrived in Europe feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the next continent, starting with Italy.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

After spending just one day in Venice, we headed to Florence, Italy, where we met up with my sister Sonja.  It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks as we try to cram as much in as possible.  I’ll share the highlights from Florence, Milan, Venice and Rome in the next few posts.

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

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Leaning towers of Santos

March 19, 2012 Brazil South America

About 80 km from Sao Paulo, Santos has the biggest seaport in Latin America and it is from here that we board our transatlantic cruise.  So it made sense to spend our last few days in this area, even though we had been warned this was not the nicest tourist destination.

Santos is known for being the country’s coffee exporting capital and home of Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer star who played most of his career here. The 100,000-plus seat stadium that dominates Santos’ skyline is regarded as much a shrine as the city’s historic Coffee Exchange, now a museum, where farmers once haggled with barons over the price of their crop.

As possibly the only foreign tourists in this city of about half a million, we enjoyed being immersed in the local culture, a little off the beaten tourist track.  We joined the many locals who headed to the beach in droves on Saturday and Sunday, although we did stand out in our beach attire.  I simply could not convince Chris to buy a speedo, the standard for all males regardless of age and physique. Contrary to common belief, not all women wore skimpy micro bikinis, in fact they were in the minority. Much to my surprise (and perhaps Chris’ disappointment), most wore rather modest bikinis.  Things might be different when we get to Rio.

Our hotel, Ibis, was ideally situated about 50 m from the beach giving us quick and easy access. The beach was long and wide, with a 5 km beachfront garden that made it in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest beachfront garden in the world.  We joined runners of all shapes and sizes for two morning runs along the firm sand at the water’s edge.  What a fabulous running route!

Setting up for the day.  Each weekend morning, vendors set up
their chairs and umbrellas along with a mini bar to serve their clients.

Packing up at the end of the day.

The beach cleared out by dusk, but as night fell, the beach was illuminated
by large flood lights; we saw people strolling along the beach
(from out hotel window) well into the night.

Taking a stroll in the early evening,
watching the cruise ships sail away into the sunset.

While walking along the beach, we noticed a strange phenomenon – many of the buildings appeared to be leaning.  At first we thought it might be an optical illusion, but on closer scrutiny, we confirmed these buildings were definitely leaning. I later learned that the problem became manifest back in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and is the result of a combination of poor soil conditions and shoddy workmanship. Below a seven-meter layer of sand is a 30-40 meter deep bed of clay that doesn’t cope well with the weight of the structures. Almost 100 buildings have been affected, all of which are inhabited, and which authorities are quick to assure are completely safe.   Some speculate that if one building were to collapse, it could trigger a domino affect that could literally wipe out the beach front. It is possible to correct these structural problems but the cost is prohibitive; only one building has been repaired thus far at a cost of over half a million dollars.

We arrived in Santos with back packs full of dirty clothes; we were in desperate need of doing laundry.  While travelling for six months in South America, laundry services have been available on practically every street corner. But now, when we were in desperate need, not one could be found. There were plenty of dry cleaners around our upscale neighbourhood, but not a single laundry service.  And so we washed our clothes by hand in our hotel sink and made some makeshift clothes lines to dry them out.  Not ideal, but at least we had clean clothes before our cruise.

Today, we are boarding our ship, Costa Fortuna, and we will most likely be off line for the next three weeks.  If that cruise line sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve read about some cruise related accidents in the news recently.  The ship that went aground off the coast of Italy in January was part of Costa’s fleet as was the one that drifted for days close to the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean because a fire killed all electrical power on board.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this ship will sail without incident and we’ll make it across the pond in one piece.

Here’s our itinerary:

Mon 3/19 Santos (Brazil)
Tue 3/20 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Wed 3/21 At Sea - -
Thu 3/22 Ilheus (Brazil)
Fri 3/23 Salvador Bahia (Brazil)
Sat 3/24 Maceio (Brazil)
Sun 3/25 Recife (Brazil)
Mon 3/26 Fortaleza (Brazil)
Tue 3/27 At Sea - -
Wed 3/28 At Sea - -
Thu 3/29 At Sea - -
Fri 3/30 At Sea - -
Sat 3/31 At Sea - -
Sun 4/1 St. Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Mon 4/2 At Sea - -
Tue 4/3 Malaga (Spain)
Wed 4/4 At Sea - -
Thu 4/5 At Sea - -
Fri 4/6 La Valletta (Malta)
Sat 4/7 Corfu (Greece)
Sun 4/8 Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Mon 4/9 Venice (Italy)

See you in three weeks in Italy!

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Scratching the surface of São Paulo

March 18, 2012 Brazil South America

With a population of 11+ million in the city and almost 20 million in its metropolitan region, to say São Paulo is big would be an understatement.  In fact, São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and America, and the world’s sixth largest city by population. We spent four days in São Paulo and barely scratched the surface of this vast city.

Our hostel, Telestar was located in the Vila Mariana neighbourhood, and was well situated within a few minute walk to the metro, which was our primary means of transportation as we explored various parts of the city.  This hostel catered to a younger crowd of primarily solo, male travellers, many of whom were working in the city. Like every hostel, there were things we liked and things we didn’t like. I found the level of cleanliness to be seriously lacking, we didn’t have wifi in our room, and the general atmosphere was more of a frat house than a commercial hostel. The best part of our stay was the food. Breakfasts included freshly squeezed orange juice, delicious brewed coffee, fresh fruit, and a choice of ham omelette or melted cheese and ham sandwich.  Dinner was provided by the resident chef who prepared delicious meals each night that represented typical Brazilian cuisine.

Posing with the chef at our hostel.

The second largest park of the city and probably the most popular, Ibirapuera Park was within walking distance from our hostel. Reminiscent of Central Park in New York City in terms of its location in the middle of a city, its size and its beauty, we visited the park twice – the first time for a touristy run (run, take pictures, walk, take more pictures, visit the art gallery, run a little more, etc.), and the second time for a real run.

A large main roadway (closed to traffic) provided a perfect running track as it passed around two man-made lakes that were home to black and white swans along with a variety of other birds.  A choreographed water fountain entertained us for almost an hour, reminding us of the water fountain in front of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The park features several pavilions, museums and galleries; we visited the Afro-Brazil Museum which honored Brazil’s rich African heritage. Both times, we visited the park mid-morning in the middle of the week and it was full of people engaged in all forms of physical fitness: walking, running, cycling and exercising in the many exercise stations located throughout the park.  Paulistanos, as residents of São Paulo are known, take exercising seriously!

Choreographed water fountain.

Exercise station in the park.

Video:  Dancing waters

We discovered Parque Trianon while walking along Paulista Avenue, which was in the heart of the downtown financial district. This small park was a  tropical oasis in the middle of the city, offering a lovely escape from the traffic, noise and pollution.  In fact, while walking through this jungle-like park, one could easily forget that you were in the middle of a city since even the buildings were obscured by the thick vegetation.

Architecture along Paulista Avenue.

The Liberdade neighborhood is home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan and we spent one day wandering through this area and the neighbouring Centro district.  It was here that I decided to do a little bit of shopping in preparation for our cruise and trip to Italy. And it was here that I faced head on the challenge of not knowing a single word of the local language, Portuguese.   How to ask for another size, or a different color?  The majority of the boutiques were staffed with zealous assistants who made it their mission to help you.  As I entered a boutique, I would be greeted by one of the sales staff who would ask me, I assume, if she could help me find something.  I immediately said I spoke no Portuguese, only English.  Nobody spoke English.  Undeterred, the assistant would stay by my side, making suggestions even though I didn’t understand what she was saying, holding any clothes that I wanted to try on.  Somehow I managed with a creative use of sign language and facial expressions to find the things I was looking for: a pair of high heels, dress pants and a dressy top. It was exhausting!

Centro district in Sao Paulo.

Metropolitan Cathedral

View of the plaza from the cathedral steps.

Shopping in downtown Sao Paulo.

As we walked around the city, we wondered why there were no billboards or advertisements anywhere to be seen.  Apparently, the city passed a Clean City Law in 2007 which resulted in the removal of about 15,000 billboards, 1,600 signs and 1,300 towering metal panels. This law even extends to the air space above São Paulo.  The goal of this law was to remove “visual pollution”, which resulted in exposing both the beauty and ugliness of Brazil’s bustling business capital. For the first time in decades, the ornate facades of old downtown buildings have been revealed in all their glory; on the other hand, the slums, or favelas, that line the expressways are no longer hidden behind gaudy billboards.

In spite of its formidable size and reputation as a dangerous city, São Paulo made a favourable impression on us.  The areas we explored were extremely clean, probably the cleanest South American city we have visited, and we always felt very safe.  Police presence is strong throughout the city which has gone a long way towards curbing petty crimes.  The extensive metro system was modern, clean and air conditioned.  Brazilian cuisine was delicious; no matter where we ate, we always had a great meal.  The people were friendly and helpful despite our lack of basic language skills.  All in all, we enjoyed our few days in Sao Paulo, even though we know we barely scratched the surface.

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Getting to Iguazú Falls in style

March 13, 2012 Argentina Brazil South America

Much to my great dismay we arrived in Iguazú Falls a full hour ahead of schedule.  This meant one hour less on the most luxurious bus I’ve ever been on.  Perhaps I’m being a little facetious, but I’m not kidding about our very enjoyable 17 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú (Bus company: Via Bariloche, Full Cama Service, if anybody is planning a trip).

Each pair of seats was ensconced in its own cubicle, complete with individual television monitors that offered a range of videos and music to entertain, and plush red leather seats that were more comfortable than our Lazy-Boy recliners at home and these seats fully reclined into a perfectly horizontal position.  We were issued cozy fleece blankets and pillows.  The only thing missing was a remote control which really would have been handy when you were fully reclined, but my toes provided a suitable alternative, much to Chris’ amusement.

I’m not sure what you call the guy tending to all our needs; I’ll call him our butler although he looked more like an airline pilot in his smart uniform, but he acted in a very suave manner much like I would imagine a butler would act.  (Maybe I’ve been reading too much fiction lately.)   We knew we were in for a treat when our butler offered us an array of candies as soon as we sat down.  They don’t do that on the buses in Ecuador!

Once we were on the road, dinner was served – salad, bread, and a delicious hot meal (beef casserole with mashed potatoes), and of course dessert.  We had our choice of refreshments including wine.  Coffee and biscuits were served after dinner, followed by a shot of Irish whiskey.  We all slept like babies throughout the night. The next morning we were greeted by our ever friendly and obliging butler who served us coffee and a typical South American breakfast of croissants along with white bread and jam. Doesn’t this sound like a civilized way to travel?  Now do you understand why I didn’t want to get off the bus, especially an hour earlier than scheduled?  I’m sure we are ruined for all future bus travel.  It’s just as well we’re leaving South America soon.

The first thing we noticed about Puerto Iguazú was the heat.  The relentless sun beat down on us without a hint of a breeze to offer any relief.  It was almost unbearable.  We were drenched in sweat when we arrived at our hostel, just a short three block walk from the bus station.  But what a delight to discover our hostel (Garden Stone in case you’re looking for a place in Puerto Iguazú ) had a pool – something that saved us each day.  A funny thing about our hostel:  our room was very small and right next to the office so rather noisy, the bed was terribly uncomfortable, the breakfast was mediocre at best – yet we loved our time there and wished we had booked an extra night or two.

Our hostel felt like a mini resort or a friend’s back yard.

Behind the hostel was a lush, tropical garden, complete with hammocks in the shade, garden chairs, the pool, and a lovely open air, common kitchen and dining area. At the end of each day, guests would hang out around the pool, getting to know each other, sharing where they’ve travelled and where they’re going next. It was here we met Russ who was one year into a two year journey.  He had walked the Camino de Santiago last June – something we are planning to do this June. I had never met anyone who had done this walk before so naturally I peppered him with questions about his experience and am now even keener than ever to do this pilgrimage.  Yet, I still can’t answer the simple question, why?  I just feel I want to, maybe even need to do it.

I digress from the main purpose of our trip to Puerto Iguazú which was, of course, to visit Iguazú Falls, the second largest waterfalls in the world (Victoria Falls in South Africa are the largest and Niagara Falls in Canada are a very distant third).  Declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the early 1980’s, these falls are comprised of 275 individual falls spanning three kilometres. cascading up to 70 m into a giant gorge amidst a lush, subtropical rainforest.   Its normal flow is about 1.3 million litres per second.  The falls straddle both Argentina and Brazil; catwalks are built on both sides providing closer (often times mistier and wetter) views of this impressive waterfall. On November 11 of 2011, Iguazú Falls was declared to be one of the seven winners of the New7Wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation.

Igauzu Falls MapMap of the walking trails and boat routes (red dots) on the both sides of the falls.
The island in the middle, San Martin, was closed to the public the day we were
there because a film crew was shooting a movie at that location. 

We spent one day on the Argentine side and one day on the Brazilian side.  We were relieved that our Brazilian Visas passed the scrutiny of the immigration officials.  These were the visas we had obtained in La Paz, Bolivia (doesn’t that seem like ages ago?) and we always wondered, and maybe worried a little if we would have any problems with them since they had been produced so quickly, and in a third world country no less.

Lookout from the Brazilian side of the falls.

Close up of the falls.

Rainbow at Devil’s Throat (La Garganta del Diablo)
as seen from the Argentine side.

An impressive network of walkways often passed right over
the water as it spilled over the very edge of the waterfall. 

The view from the Brazilian side – note that these are just
some of the falls.  It was impossible to capture it all
in a single photo! 

Contrary to what most people say, I think the Brazilian side of the falls was just as stunning as the view from the Argentine side, it just offered a different perpsective.  The Brazilian side offered a panoramic view that helped you appreciate how large these falls were.  From the Argentine side, one feels and hears the thunderous power of the falls more intimately.

Another view from the Brazilian side.

My favourite lookout on the Argentine side.  I felt very small
next to these powerful falls – and I was only standing at the
mid-point – half the falls were still below me. 

Chris and I at the same lookout as above.  Can you believe
we had the lookout to ourselves – well, at least for about
thirty seconds! 

View from the Argentine side from the upper walkway.

A great view from the Brazilian side.  
Devil’s Throat is in the background. 

My favourite view from the Brazilian side plus we got
soaked from the spray which cooled us off nicely. 

Another shot from the Brazilian side.

We succumbed to the lure of a tour offering a grand adventure under the falls.  Very much like the “Maid of the Mist” tour in Niagara Falls, this tour brings you by boat very close to the falls, even dunking you under a few times just for the thrill of it.  This was followed by a quick ride down the river through some fast moving water that they called “exciting rapids” (hardly!) after which we were transported by open truck through eight kilometres of rainforest during which we saw absolutely no wild life, not even a bird (contrary to the brochure’s promises of encounters with exotic wildlife like orangutans).  It was all over in less than an hour.  I think the best part was getting completely drenched and thoroughly cooled off; otherwise, it was really just another cheesy tourist attraction that we got suckered into. When are we going to learn?

No animals on this “jungle tour” which was quite ridiculous
when we encountered wildlife just walking through the park.
A few samples are below.

Video:  Experience the power and force of Iguazú falls with us.



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The sights and sounds of Buenos Aires

			

				March 5, 2012
								
				Argentina South America
			

		

		
		

			

				
								
					
Our time in Buenos Aires has passed by far too quickly.  We are spending our days wandering around the various neighbourhoods and visiting some of the tourist sites, walking endlessly. I discovered the Reserva Ecologica which is a beautiful ecological park about 2km from our apartment and a perfect place to go for a run.


Speaking of our apartment, we are staying in a 2 bedroom walk up (3rd floor) in San Telmo, the oldest, most historical district in Buenos Aires.  Our apartment could best be described as shabby chic, with a bohemian twist, very reflective of this neighbourhood.  I must admit that as each day passes, both the apartment and neighbourhood look a little more shabby than chic, but that’s the real Buenos Aires experience. One of the best features of the apartment is its location; not only is it in a trendy, hip neighbourhood, but it is within walking distance to most tourist attractions and other equally trendy and interesting neighbourhoods like La Boca and Micro-centro.  While a bit of a hike, Ricoleta and Palermo are also within walking distance, although much easier and faster to reach by subway (when it is running that is – it was closed at least once because of striking workers).


Hanging out in the apartment. We’ve really enjoyed the space

and the location.  Aside from an infestation of ants in the kitchen

(gross!) and a roof that leaks like a sieve when it rains,

it’s been a great place from which to explore the city. 


The Paris of South America




Buenos Aires is aptly nicknamed the Paris of South America with its large, tree-lined boulevards, European style architecture, elite shopping districts and a rich cultural heritage.  This city reminded us of Havana, Cuba, the French District in New Orleans as well as New York City.  Home to hundreds of bookstores (one such gem in our neighbourhood, Walrus Bookstore, is devoted entirely to English literature), public libraries and cultural associations (it is sometimes called “the city of books”), as well as the largest concentration of active theatres in Latin America. I was disappointed to learn that the new season of the Teatro Colón, an internationally rated opera house, was beginning on March 8th, the day after we leave.  The theatre district was reminiscent on a small scale of Times Square and the theatre district in New York City.


Typical city  bus – rather vintage looking!


The Obelisk in the centre of Avenido 9 de Julio – a busy, 20 lane

boulevard (I counted) that was tricky to get across. 


Avenido 9 de Julio, near the Obelisk.


To the side of the Plaza de Mayo, where people gather to demonstrate about 

anything and everything.  Since being the scene of the 25 May 1810

 revolution that led to independence, the plaza has been a hub of 

political life in Argentina. 


Typical architecture.


The Obelisk near the end of the day.


Grafitti is common place.  We actually saw a guy on our

street walking along with a can of black spray paint.

Every now and then he stopped and tagged a wall. 


San Telmo neighbourhood where crumbling old buildings

stood alongside newer ones.  This is the area we stayed in.


The old architecture and tree lined streets and plazas

made walking around the city a real delight. 


View of modern buildings from La Reserva Ecologica.


Waste management and recycling are handled rather

strangely here.  Garbage is put out on the street, and people 

rummage through looking for recyclable materials (plastic,

 cardboard, glass).  The garbage is then left in a messy pile as shown above. 


An art exhibit at The Recoleta Cultural Centre.


One of many statues in the Botanical Gardens.




Tango music’s birthplace is in Argentina and reminders of this are everywhere, from the artwork sold in the markets, to the tango dancers on the street corners.


There was no shortage of things to do each day. Perhaps because we had two weeks to explore, or maybe we’ve just become used to a slower pace, we explored the city leisurely. We shifted our clocks to more closely align with the Argentine lifestyle, getting up late and going to bed equally late. A typical day began with us waking up around 10:00 am (unheard of for us!), followed by some coffee and breakfast at the apartment. We lounged around each morning, reading, surfing the net, researching and making bookings for upcoming journeys. We headed out in the early afternoon and usually stopped into a cafe for lunch around 2:30 or 3:00 (very typical time for lunch).  One day, we wandered into a restaurant which we were lucky to find open at 5:00 pm and were welcomed for lunch without question.  That’s damn near dinner time in Canada! Restaurants are usually closed between 4:00 and 8:00 pm when they re-open their doors for the dinner crowd which doesn’t really get going until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. Our usual bedtime was around 1 or 2 in the morning.  Quite remarkable for us!


The local beer on the counter at the apartment. Refreshing!


Enjoying a pint of “chopp” (draft) on a patio in San Telmo.


Eating out on patios reminded us of summertime in the

market in Ottawa. 


Wouldn’t we look good in this little darling?


San Telmo Market:  Every Sunday, just two blocks from the

apartment, La Defensa is closed to traffic and is transformed

into one great, big outdoor market full of antiques,

tacky souvenirs, artwork, jewellery, clothes, etc. 


Soda bottles for sale at the San Telmo market.




The market in La Boca was so touristy,

it looked more like a set for a movie rather than

an authentic neighbourhood.


More of La Boca.  We hated how contrived this neighbourhood was

and didn’t spend much time there as a result.


 Fruterias were on practically every corner and offered

a great selection of fresh fruits and vegetables

at reasonable prices.




Florida street, a popular outdoor pedestrian mall.

This place was bustling during the week but

on the weekend it was dead (reminded me of

Sparks Street in Ottawa).


Professional dog walkers were a common sight.  This

crew sat quietly waiting for the walker to return. 


The entire floor of the Metropolitan Cathedral was done 

in mosaic tiles.  It was absolutely stunning.




La Recoleta Cemetery contains the graves of notable people, including 

Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.


Set in 5.5 hectares (14 acres), the cemetery contains 4691 vaults, all above ground,

of which 94 have been declared National Historical Monuments 

by the Argentine government and are protected by the state.


Evita’s family tomb.  Her body was finally laid to rest here

after many years of controversy and a period of interment in Spain. 


View inside one of the vaults at the cemetery.


The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is home to  a permanent collection 

that includes 688 major works and over 12,000 sketches, 

fragments, potteries and other minor works.  


A little bit of history


The Casa Rosada (Pink House) is the building from which Eva Peron made her emotional speeches to her adoring fans in the 40’s and early 50’s. Today, it is home to the offices of the current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who arrives by helicopter each morning during the week.  I must admit, I had a foggy recollection of who Eva Peron was and felt it worthwhile to research  this iconic figure in more detail.


The President’s Office. It seemed strange that they opened up

her office to the public each weekend even allowing us to take pictures.


Changing of the guard in front of La Casa Rosada.


A visit to the Eva Peron Museum offered a fairly accurate picture of this remarkable and controversial woman’s life story – a modern day rags to riches fairy tale.  In her short life (she died of cancer at the age of 33), she was a successful entertainer (radio, theatre and film) who then met and married a rising political figure, Juan Perón. When her husband became president shortly after their marriage, she decided not to assume the traditional role of a president’s wife. It was at this time that she began to call herself Evita.  She became a tireless advocate for the poor and disadvantaged classes.  A woman ahead of her time, she worked alongside her husband the President, rather than in a more submissive, supporting role.  It was largely due to her efforts that women won the right to vote.  She is an iconic figure in Argentine history and was adored by the masses, and hated by the elite.  Even after her death, controversy continued, and it took many years before her embalmed body was finally put to rest in her family’s vault in Recoleta Cemetery here in Buenos Aires.


Interesting art on the side of an apartment building – a tribute to Evita.


A local milonga just around the corner 


It was midnight last Wednesday night and things were just heating up as the sultry sounds of the live band enticed couples onto the dance floor to tango. Those dancing were of all ages and abilities, a blend of locals and tourists.  It was mesmerizing to watch the language of tango expressed by some of the better dancers, the nuances and subtlety of their moves, the fancy footwork, and the perfect harmony between dancers and the music.  As we sipped our wine, careful not to make eye contact with anyone lest someone might think we wanted to dance (such are the rules of a milonga), I felt transported back in time and place and was completely lost in the magic of the evening.


Video: Professional tango dancers




Video: Amateur tango dancers at a local milonga.




This milonga, a term for a place or an event where tango is danced, was the Argentine experience we were looking for in contrast to the contrived tango shows advertised on the streets and targeted to tourists. Throughout the evening and well into the early morning hours, we listened to the band play several genres of music, in the typical milonga format of four songs in a row followed by a short break. We shared our table with Grisela who had arranged the evening and another couple, Stuart and Vanessa who were from Australia/New Zealand.  And no, in case you were wondering, we did not take to the dance floor.  Porteños, as locals are called, take their tango dancing quite seriously and while dancers of all abilities are welcome on the dance floor, it is definitely not the place for beginners or non-dancers such as ourselves.


Video: The Milonga Band.




Something a little louder and hipper


What a contrast the above-mentioned Milonga was to the show we enjoyed on Monday night at the Ciudad Cultural Konex, which hosts a weekly percussion extravaganza called La Bomba del Tiempo in an old oil factory. In the summer months, the show is held outside except if it rains, as was the case last Monday night, when they quickly reorganize everything onto a stage indoors.  The pre-show (a group of energetic, lively drummers) begins just after 7:00 pm, the main band takes the stage around 8:00 and it all wraps up around 10:00, just in time for dinner, Argentine style.


Although surrounded by a much younger, hipper crowd of both tourists and locals, we had a lot of fun listening to and watching this band perform.  The band’s leader directs the group through a series of intricate hand signals that was quite fascinating to watch.  Somehow we ended up near the front and centre, right in the middle of the party where the wildest dancing was taking place.  This was the closest I had ever come to being in a mosh pit – just crazy!


Videos:  La Bomba de Tiempo










Dining delights


Beef is a mainstay of Argentine cuisine and we were determined to get our fill.  Reputed to be some of the most tender beef in the world, probably because of the grass based diet versus grain based, we ate several steak dinners with varying degrees of success. Without a doubt, the beef is very good, but we find the cuisine in general is quite bland. We had some wonderful meals and some mediocre ones. We generally ate in mid-priced restaurants, with the odd splurge now and then, and the odd cheap dinner of empanadas or pizza to help even things out.  We made a few simple meals in our apartment, but with a kitchen infested with ants, we preferred to eat out most of the time.


On Thursday night we had dinner at an underground supper club, our first such experience, but apparently a movement that is growing in popularity in many countries worldwide, including Canada. Jueves a la mesa promised and delivered a lovely plant based meal void of refined flour and sugar.  An enterprising young American, Meghan opens up her apartment every Thursday night where she cooks a tasty vegetarian meal for 13 paying guests using local, easily available ingredients.  We shared the table last night with a large group of young American university students, and a German flight attendant, Beatrice who lives in the Thuringen area in Germany, just a stone’s throw from where my cousin Detlev lives in Jena. Interestingly, Beatrice’s mother who is now 83 was originally from Königsberg, East Prussia, the same area where my mother is from.   It appears that both our mothers had similar wartime experiences where they fled from their homes, losing everything, and then found refuge in western Germany via ship passage in the Baltic Sea.


We have a couple of more days left in Buenos Aires after which we head north to Iguazu Falls, a 20 hour bus ride away.  Yes, we’re taking the bus, our longest bus ride yet, but we secured top notch seats on a first class bus, so we’re thinking (hoping) it will be bearable.  We’ll be sure to tell you all about it when we get there.


Have you noticed the change I made to our website? I have reorganized some of the information in the left hand column and added a new section called:  My travel diary.  This is where I will share my thoughts about our travels, as opposed to the blog that describes where we have been and what we have done. I have moved the “journey before the journey” pages to this area under the heading “Getting Ready” and I have added some new material about my thoughts on the last six months on the road (Checking in after 6 months).  Enjoy!


 


 


 


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Roughing it at Cerro Fitz Roy

			

				February 24, 2012
								
				Argentina South America
			

		

		
		

			

				
								
					
Camping means different things to different people.  For some, it means driving the luxury trailer complete with all the conveniences from home to a nice camp ground where setting up is a simple matter of hooking up your electricity and sewer.  For others, you load your car with all your camping gear which may include a few conveniences and comforts from home, drive to your camp ground where you then pitch your tent, unload your gear and crack open an ice cold bottle of beer as you sit back in your comfy lawn chairs.  Our usual camping style is the latter although once we loaded all our gear into a canoe in Algonquin Park and paddled our way to our camp site.  We thought we were really roughing it that time, especially when Chris inadvertently (that’s his story to this day) tipped the canoe while I was in it waiting for him to get in….but that’s a story for another day.


We have just returned from our latest camping/trekking trip in Patagonia, which again was 5 days/4 nights in duration. Our starting point was El Chaltén, a small village located at the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy, both popular for climbing as well as trekking and camping. El Chaltén is the youngest town in Argentina, built in 1985 to help secure the disputed border with Chile. Today the sole reason for its existence is tourism. It is 220 km north of El Calafate.


We arrived in El Chaltén around noon last Friday and immediately headed out into the mountains to our first camp site, only a couple of hours away at the base of Cerro Fitz Roy where we set up camp and stayed for 2 nights.  We spent the next 2 nights in a camp ground at the base of Cerro Torre.  Spending a couple of nights at each site allowed us the opportunity to do day hikes without our packs, making the trekking much more enjoyable.

The trails in this area were much easier than those at Torres del Paine (perhaps with the exception of the trail to the lookout at Fitz Roy which was pretty tough going) and are very popular as they can be done as day hikes directly from El Chaltén.  So during the day, the trails got a little busy, but early morning and evening we had them virtually to ourselves.  Even so, the number of tourists was far less than those encountered in Torres del Paine.  The camp grounds were pretty sparsely populated with about a dozen or so tents set up each night.


The weather throughout the five days was absolutely perfect for trekking.  With the exception of one day when it was cloudy, we enjoyed clear, sunny skies, comfortable daytime temperatures around 15C along with no wind and no rain. The nights got a little cool, around 5C, except for the last night when there was frost on the ground. And the early mornings were downright chilly, giving us good reason to sleep in each morning.


Typical weather enjoyed each day.


Cerro Torre obscured by clouds on our only cloudy day.


The weather cleared the next day, giving us great 

visibility to Cerro Torre.


While conditions were absolutely perfect for this trek, we took roughing it to a new level, at least for us. Our camping gear was similar to our previous trek in Torres del Paine which included:


    

  • 1 three-man tent that provided barely enough space for each of us and our packs (I have no idea how three people, especially men, would actually fit into the tent);
    • 

  • 2 foam sleeping mats that provided some insulation from the cold ground but absolutely no comfort value;
    • 

  • 1 inflatable sleeping mat that we shared – well, actually, Chris used it for the first three nights since he was still complaining about his sore ribs (wasn’t that nice of me) but then damn his ribs, my bruised hips couldn’t take another night on the hard ground so I got the mat on the last night;
    • 

  • kitchen gear consisting of one pot, one metal spoon that we borrowed from our hostel (and returned I might add), 2 metal cups, 2 bowls and 2 “sporks” (combination spoon, fork and knife); and,
    • 

  • 1 ultra light burner with 2 cannisters of fuel.
    • 



We didn’t bring any heavy camera equipment (shocking, I know, but Chris decided the point and shoot camera would be sufficient this time around) and we kept our personal belongings and clothes to the absolute minimum.  Of course, Chris regretted not having his camera with him, and I regretted not bringing my binoculars.  Oh, and a deck of UNO would have helped pass the time away but without our steerage companions from Antarctica around to remind us of the rules, maybe it was just as well not to have the cards.  We had lots of time on our hands, so besides hiking and bird watching, we spent a lot of time talking and reflecting on the past six months and what’s coming ahead.  When we got really desperate to amuse ourselves, we played Rock, Paper, Scissors and a few rounds of hang man in the dirt.  I bet you didn’t know that limiting your words to just 4 characters makes it a rather challenging game?


All our gear and food for 5 days of camping

fit into our packs with lots of room to spare.


There were absolutely no services in this park.  Zero.  Well, unless you count the disgusting (and therefore unusable) outhouse which was basically a shelter around a pit in the ground, conveniently located in each camp ground.  No refugios, no kitchen shelters to protect against the elements. No running water, no sinks,  no toilets.   Nothing. Just us and the great outdoors.  Did I mention how grateful we were that we had perfect weather?  We washed our dishes in the mountain streams using sand to scrub them clean – something I remember doing on canoe trips with my dad when I was a kid. We washed ourselves in the same icy cold streams, careful not to rinse any soap into the clear, glacial waters as these were the same streams we were drinking from.


The first campsite – not too crowded here!


Eating in the “dining room”.


Each night we put all our food in a sack and

hung it from a tree.  The absence of wildlife in the

park was noteworthy, although we had been warned

that mice ran rampant and were a camper’s worse nightmare

as they would chew through anything if they detected food. 


The chef at work:  food was basic, after all we only had one pot and spoon.


Enjoying a hot drink to keep warm.

Dead logs on rocks made a great table.


And so we camped and trekked for 5 glorious days enjoying spectacular scenery, basking in the warmth of the sun, restoring ourselves amidst the serenity and beauty of our surroundings.  It was one of the best camping trips we’ve had, and definitely the roughest camping yet.  Would we do it again? Definitely!


Climbing over boulders to get a better view of a glacier.




The view on the other side of the boulders.


The trails took us through forests such as this one as well

as through marshes and meadows (below)

and up and down rocky hills and mountains. 




Of the many birds we saw, this tiny Austral Pygmy Owl 

(at least that’s what I think it is) was the most unusual.


We arrived back in El Chaltén on Tuesday morning at 11:00 am with two hours to spare before our bus returned us to El Calafate.  After making a few enquiries at some of the trekking shops in town, we successfully sold all our camping gear (excluding the ultra light burner) for about $80 US.  Considering we paid $110 US for the gear and camped for a total of 8 nights, I think we did quite well.


View of Cerro Fitz Roy from the lookout.  Well worth

the difficult one hour climb to the top. 


View of Cerro Torre as we were leaving on the last day, just before

the camera’s battery died.  How’s that for timing! 


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