Day 120 : 23.5 hours

Spent the last 23.5 hours of my life on a bus from Vina del Mar to San Pedro de Atacama… the longest ever bus ride I had taken in my life!  My butt was getting numb from all the long hours of sitting, and to make it worse, cama seats were sold out, so I was left with just semi-cama.

Thankfully mid way through the journey, passengers got off, and I had a spare seat next to me to stretch my legs. 

I have to say though, Argentinian buses are definitely more service oriented and better than the ones in Chile.  First of all, for a 23.5 hour journey, one would expect that they would be serving 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).  Turned out that only breakfast and lunch was served, and there was no information prior to taking the bus about what meals would be included. 

Meals provided were also much simpler than those of their Argentinian counterparts. 

Breakfast comprised of a juice and a biscuit, and for lunch a small pathetic bun with a packet of apple juice.  It was fortunate that I usually have some biscuits of sorts in my bag, which lasted me through the rest of the journey.

Toilets were also appalling.  18hrs into the journey, the stench of the toilet could be smelt on most of the deck, and there was no ventilation in the later few hours of the bus ride!  Not pleasant at all, and especially after being on the bus for so long, the least is to have some clean air!

So I was truly glad to have arrived in San Pedro de Atacama late in the night.  I am now officially in the desert!

Day 116 : Santiago

As I walked around the streets of Santiago, I find myself comparing very often between Santiago and Buenos Aires in Argentina. 

Overall, Santiago is more compact and with lesser sights to see, though I found it more pleasant walking around the town and got better vibes here than in Buenos Aires.  Perhaps its because it is cleaner and the weather here is much better now, than when I was in Buenos Aires. 

Transportation system in Santiago is also definitely much more efficient than in Buenos Aires.

I managed to cover most of the major sights on foot within 5 hours, including lunch.

 

Day 108 : More Ashes

I thought the ash situation in Bariloche was bad, but as I made my way on bus towards Pucon, Chile, the roads near the border crossing was much worse.  At some points it looked as if it was covered with snow!

There were also piles of ashes in some parts, and the air was extremely foggy!  It sure looks like it is going to take months before it will clear.

There were some really beautiful scenery along the way though, which I could imagine the town / villages would have been a really pleasant place to visit if without the ashes.

Day 107 : Swollen Ankle

I think I must be over ambitious in hoping that I could possibly still go out to cycle a circuit with great views.  However after looking at the range of movement of my ankle and as it was still swollen, I had to trash the idea.

It is a good thing I could still walk!  So I continued my icing, and seeing that it was still inflamed, I made my way to the pharmacy to get some Arcoxia to help with the swelling.  

I crossed my fingers and hope that it does not need to be prescribed (I would have needed a prescription for this back in Singapore!)

I was in luck!  It wasn’t cheap though, but it definitely worked out cheaper than having to see a doctor!

Popped by the supermarket at the same time, to get some dulce de leche for a friend I was visiting in Chile.  On the way back, I passed by Rapanui and couldn’t resist having more ice cream, especially with ice cream that great!  This time I went for just a 2 scoop cup ice cream but of different flavours! 

Equally Yum!  Rapanui is a definite MUST visit if in Bariloche!

Day 106 : Mishap in the Mountains

I took a bus to Cerro Cathedral, in an attempt to do a full day trek to Refugio Frey with plans to subsequently come down on a different route to visit the waterfalls before heading back to the city (route in red in picture). 

Cerro Cathedral is where everyone goes skiing during the ski season, and is located about 45 minutes away by bus.  I took a walk around Cerro Cathedral, which was mostly shut since ski season is over, before heading over to the start of the trek to Refugio Frey.

Day 105 : Ashy Bariloche City

Over the last few days, I had heard first hand account from people residing in Bariloche about the volcano eruption that happened 4 months ago. 

It was strikingly bizarre when the city fell into complete darkness within seconds on a brightly lit afternoon. 

Everyone could not explain the sudden darkness and didn’t know what had happened until much later when they discovered that the volcano in Chile had erupted. 

The city was completely shut down for days and power was also out in some places.  People could walk out for a few moments and be covered entirely with ash when they walked back in.  The streets were also covered with ashes about 20cm deep. 

The most unfortunate thing is that it happened just as the ski season was about to start, and as Bariloche is a touristic town that survived on tourists during the high winter and summer months, the ski season for the year was destroyed.

Day 104 : Cerro Camponario

I was invited to join Augustina and a French couple (Orianne & Aurelian), who arrived into Bariloche earlier today, to trek up to Cerro Camponario.  Cerro Camponario is a famed attraction in Bariloche where one can get one of the best panoramic views in the world. 

Although the trek up took only about 40 minutes, it was not easy as the climb was rather steep and left the French couple and I panting.  But the climb was all worth it. 

The views were completely magnificent!  A total 360 degrees view could be seen of the mountains and the numerous lakes around the area, which left us all captivated!  And I truly have to agree that this is one of the best panoramic view of mountains and lakes I have seen!

Pictures doesn’t quite do it justice, especially when we had the sun at an angle which compromised our photo taking. 

Day 103 : Trip to Bariloche

I didn’t realise there was a change in flight details until 2 days ago when I tried arranging for my airport transfer from the hostel to the airport, and the lady at the airport transfer office mentioned that it was impossible to fly to Bariloche, and that there was no flight with my departure timing on that day and suggested that I checked with the Aerolineas office a few blocks away.

It was then I was told that the airport in Bariloche is closed, and the flight will arrive into Esquel airport instead, which is located about 250km away from Bariloche.  From there, a bus will bring us to Bariloche. 

Reason for closure : Airport is closed for repairs as ashes from the volcano eruption in Chile in June this year has affected the airport, with ashes apparently still in the air. 

Day 101 & 102 : El Calafate

Everyone who visits El Calafate are here for one main attraction – Perito Moreno Glacier. 

There isn’t a lot more to do in this city as the town centre is rather small and compact.  Other than 1 main road with shops, restaurants and a casino, there isn’t a lot more the town has to offer.

The one other sight which I felt was worth visiting was the Lagoon Nimez Nature Reserve.  It is famed for bird watching and when I was there, I saw flamingos! 

Big Ice Tour on Perito Moreno Glacier

After much contemplation, I decided to do the “Big Ice Tour” on Perito Moreno Glacier.  Much contemplation, because it was expensive – the most expensive day tour I have done till date (ARS770, approx. S$240). 

However I know that if I don’t choose to to do it now, I will live to regret it much later in life – something I am intending to avoid.  And indeed it is a once in a life time experience!  Perhaps prices will go up even more in future!

There is only one company (Hielo y Aventura) in El Calafate which offers this trek, and I heard that the prices of the tour had doubled in just 1 year, due to the devaluation of the Argentinian Pesos, which is also pegged to the USD.  I guess it is a good thing that the Singapore currency is at one of its high at the moment!

There was also the option of another ice trek, called “Mini-Trekking”, which was slightly cheaper than the “Big Ice”, but between the two, I felt that perhaps “Big Ice” is much better as it allows you to walk closer to the centre of the glacier and probably better views than “Mini Trekking”. 

Hostel Recommendation : El Calafate – Hostel Los Manos

This hostel was booked through the travel agent whom arranged my bus ticket from Ushuaia to El Calafate.  I had previously checked on prices of hostels in El Calafate online, and this was probably one of the cheapest hostel, and for the price I paid I think I got a really good deal.

They offered free pick up from the bus station, and they are just located 7 blocks away from the town centre. 

It is a rather cosy and nice hostel and the staff try to speak to you and make you feel comfortable. They are also able to assist you with arranging tours and buses to various places from the reception.

Day 100 : Journey to El Calafate

The bus trip from Ushuaia to El Calafate was rather interesting, though long, as we had to go in and out of Argentina and Chile borders, cross the Magellan straits (which belonged to Chile), and then transit at Rio Gallegos for 4 hours before catching the next bus to El Calafate.

The streets were certainly very quiet as I walked towards the bus station where the bus to Rio Gallegos departs at 5am in the morning.  All seats on this route were only semi-cama but as the bus was not crowded,, I got to have 2 seats to myself. 

We were given a form with 3 carbon copies on the back to fill for clearing the 2 Argentinian and 2 Chilean border crossing which we will be doing shortly.  Good!  Less paper work!

Day 99 : Last Day in Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a small town with not too many attractions.  I was told that Ushuaia is very popular in winter because of all the winter sports one can do here, or in summer as tourists flock here for the boat trip towards Antarctica.  Other than that, it is not a cheap place to visit as one has to pay a lot of money for tourists attractions.

One of such attraction was the 4hr boat ride into the Beagle Channel where we would be able to visit a couple of islands and possibly see sea lions and some other sea creatures.  I contemplated on doing it, but finally decided against due to the cost.

There was also the ex-prison and museum, but with the cost of the admission fee I could have gotten a really good meal!

So I decided to sleep in today and settle some personal stuff before coming out and settling down in a cafe to utilise the wifi and clear some emails. 

Enjoying a good cup of hot chocolate with baileys, and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings indoors on a cold windy day, is definitely way much better and cheaper than visiting a museum / ex-prison, and just the perfect way to end of my last day in Ushuaia!  Yum!

Day 98 : Road Trip Around Ushuaia

I am actually really glad and thankful to have met Jesus, because without him, I would not have gotten the chance to see so much of Ushuaia. 

Though I only suggested to visit Playa Largo together, he subsequently drove us around to visit other attractions, which without a car I would not have been able to do so.

The amazing wonders of chance occurrences…

Day 97 : Hitch Hiking Adventure to the National Park

I did my first solo hitch hiking today, and the whole experience was really fun!

I have hitch hiked when I was with Aliang in Paraty a couple of times, but never on my own.  It was daunting initially, and I wouldn’t have done it, if Federico had not assured that it was safe.  Furthermore he mentioned that it should be easier to hitch hike on a Saturday as more people will be going there.

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Visiting and trekking around the Tierra del Fuego National Park is a must do when in Ushuaia and so I put on my new trekking shoes to test it out. 

I decided to take the Costera Trail, which took me 3.5hrs to walk along the “coastal” route of the National Park.  I was not a big fan of long treks, but with scenery like here (wonderful scenery of the lakes and snow capped mountains), it was just extremely pleasant walking and taking in the stunning views and capturing some pictures along the way. 

Day 96 : Shopping Spree

I woke up this morning and found that it was drizzling outside, but it seemed to look different from the normal drizzle.  As I took a closer look, I realised that it was actually snow flakes and not rain! 

Gosh, it looks like it is going to be cold to go out today, but this slight snow is not going to stop me from exploring Ushuaia, promoted as the most southern city of the world (we can even go to the visitor information centre and have a stamp on our passport to prove we have been here!  Yay!)

Ushuaia also receives almost 90% of the world’s tourist to Antarctica (Antarctica is about 1,000km away!)

Making Home Made Pasta

I had my dinner at slightly past 12 midnight, which was pasta in tomato based sauce. 

The difference about this dinner was not only did we eat at 12 midnight, but we made the pasta from scratch, and it was fun!

 

Day 95 : Flight to Ushuaia

About 45 minutes before the plane was due to arrive in Ushuaia, I looked out of the window and saw incredible views of snow capped mountains. 

Day 94 : Last Day in Buenos Aires

I think I was being a little too ambitious in wanting to cover most of the south-eastern part of the city in one day.  The initial plan was to visit La Boca, San Telmo, Centro, Puerto Madero and in the midst of all that, pick up my passport from the Bolivian Consulate near the centre of Buenos Aires! 

The plan to visit all the sights in mind was also dampened by heavy showers in late afternoon, which lasted through the whole night and made it impossible to complete visiting the sights of Buenos Aires. 

So I ended up just visiting only the Centro area, which was extremely big and contained most of the main touristic sights.