El Chalten, Argentina – Laguna & Cerro Torre trek

I purposely saved this long hike for last. It’s “relatively flat” which isn’t true at all but it does have an easier initial uphill climb than the Fitz Roy hike & then it is relatively flat. After 2+ straight weeks of trekking, despite the massage & my amazing hiking boots, my feet were real sore even before starting. So I thought “relatively flat” would be real good for me. I also had been blessed in El Chalten with unusually great weather – sunny blue skies, no rain, minimal wind, warmish weather – as everyone I met in town repeatedly told me how incredibly lucky I was this late in the season. They explained this lovely weather on consecutive days is unusual in the summer much less when winter is coming. So when planning my days, I purposely first knocked out difficult hikes as well as those I’d rather see with blue skies in case my luck ran out. So this hike came last bc of its relative ease & I figured the closer you are to the mountain, the more you can forgive clouds. It was cooler on this hike & yes, grey skies, but yet the views of Laguna Torre right smack dab in front of Cerro Torre were pretty outstanding.
Winter is indeed coming (yes, a not-so-subtle nod to the best show on tv that I can’t wait to watch come July). It was certain the very next day. I had intended to take it somewhat easy, as I was hopping on an incredibly long bus north on Ruta 40 that night, & by easy I mean awake pre-dawn to head up to the Fitz Roy mirador (again) for one last great pink sparkling sunrise. Only that morning, I awoke to find wind, rain, clouds & my hotel’s manager telling me “this was El Chalten weather” & suggesting I head back to bed & skip it. Even hailing from the Windy City, I don’t think I’d ever seen gusts of wind like this before so I stayed warm inside as the mountains weren’t even visible from town due to the cloud cover & the park service shut down difficult passes due to high winds (including the last summit of Fitz Roy).
Not only were difficult passes shut down, but also a bunch of businesses in town as more than half of the town’s inhabitants head elsewhere for the winter. I found myself in El Chalten not really wanting to leave but essentially being forced out as most services, including bus services, were shutting down at the end of the week but for 2 local restos, 1 grocery & the spa that stay open all year long for residents. So while I’m leaving, I will definitely return to El Chalten & when I do, I think I’ll have to come in the fall again. The changing colors of the leaves added so much beauty to this place. I think I’d be a bit disappointed not to see all of these colors.

First mirador & the super cool Cerro Torre (largest of 3 spiked mountains on right) plus a massive glacier

El Chalten, Argentina – Laguna de Los Tres trek to Fitz Roy

This is the hike. You get up close & personal to Fitz Roy. You also are able to obsessively stare at it for all but the first & last hours of the 4.5hr hike there which is helpful motivation. After the steep uphill first hour, Fitz Roy reveals itself to you in pretty spectacular fashion at a mirador & if you get your ass up before dawn, you can hit it for sunrise. Then you get to enjoy its beauty as it nears before disappearing again as you duck under the forest & then straight up the face of the mountain scrambling up boulders for the last 1km – the longest, most difficult 1km of my life. It’s because of this 1km that many people skip this hike – & the park service discourages it unless you’re in great shape & a very experienced trekker. I don’t fall into either of those categories but I figured how hard could it really be? Many people take a bus around (& up in elevation) to a different access point to skip the initial steep climb (& mirador) to save their legs for the last climb. Many people do the hike & then just refuse the final climb as they review all of the warning signs & head back (it’s still over a 7hr day minus the last climb). And many people who do the full trek, take 2hrs to make the final climb. I didn’t cut any corners but that last 1km was no joke. It took me 45mins for that climb & I was making pretty good time vs others around me. Now the same hike down took me 1hr thanks to my fear of heights & worthless knee but oh well. After you reach the plateau, & hike up another little tease when you just want to be done, is this amazing teal colored glacial lake, Laguna de Los Tres, views of 2 different glaciers, Mount Fitz Roy & Mount Poincenot right in front of you, & surrounded by a chain of mountains. It’s glorious really. But my goodness was it a long day, the hardest trekking day I’ve ever done in my life by a long shot that totally kicked my ass, but accomplishing it felt so great. I ended my trek at the spa where I promptly booked a massage for that very night as I wasn’t sure my body & feet could go on without one. And there were more treks to do.

My now new fave photo of the trip – I may have made my own path to get to the other side of this adorable little pond

You can see, just above my right ear, a plateau – that’s where I’m headed. Just over that plateau is a lovely little turquoise lake.

Last view of her before I duck into the forest & then take that straight uphill path to the top

I needed a break halfway up. This is where I cam from

In phenomenal timing, I got to the top just as this couple jumped off that big old rock down on the left into the water naked. It was amazing. I let them have their time, get dressed & then I scrambled down the rocky hill to the lake & yep, just as I expected… freezing cold. They’re my heroes.

El Chalten, Argentina – my kinda trekking town

So I’m just going to come out & say it. El Chalten in Argentina is my favorite place I’ve visited on this trip. Yes, that just happened. It’s this perfect little quaint charming town of 1,000 situated inside the Northern end of the same Parque Nacional Los Glaciares that El Calafate borders from the South. In its backyard are these unbelievable mountains dominated by Mount Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre. The hiking trails start right from this darling town. You just throw on your daypack & walk out the door. You don’t have to give a thought to transport. It’s so easy. Well not the treks but the accessibility. It’s obvious I am a massive fan of Torres del Paine. But Torres del Paine is not nearly as accessible as El Chalten. The closest town to Torres del Paine is Puerto Natales, 2hrs away. Unless you’re tent camping in the park, nearby lodging is quite expensive & it’s still a 45-75 min transport to/from the trails (or ferries leading to the trails). I would also argue the treks, mountains & views in El Chalten are just as challenging, rewarding & beautiful as those in Torres del Paine. That’s why it’s number 1.

Merely 30 minutes into the 4hr drive from El Calafate, the bus comes around a bend & perfectly highlighted by the sunrise 75 miles away is Fitz Roy sparkling far above everything else in sight. Fitz Roy getting increasingly large as we neared town only made the rest of the ride go pretty quickly as did passing an estancia previously owned by Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid where they chilled for a few years prior to heading to Bolivia (where they supposedly weren’t killed – I never before knew there was controversy here – now I don’t have to cry anymore at the end of that movie).

The town itself is only 31 years old & still small but I’m told is unsurprisingly expanding. It already has some wonderful tiny local restaurants, cervecerias, supermercados & 1 lovely spa I frequented & made friends w the owners. But the town is solely focused on the trekkers. The quarter-full bus arriving makes its required first stop at the national park’s visitors center for a debrief, trail maps & open Q&A session. They know why you’re visiting & want to make it as easy as possible & also make clear they care about preserving the park. But unlike El Calafate, which is much bigger & not shy about sticking it to you, there’s no fee in El Chalten for the SAME national park (the one where I paid $35 a day to visit on top of the expensive glacier tours). In fact, El Chalten is in a fight with the Argentine Parks system to keep it no-fee as the town itself is within the park’s borders.
After a 15min walk from the bus station to my hotel, where I had already booked for 3 nights, I immediately doubled my stay before I even ventured on a single hike. I just had a feeling about the place. And because I’m so enamored, there’s going to be a few blog posts – based on my 3 favorite treks. The first was a hike to a vantage point w a lovely panoramic view of the area. Then after seeing that view, I of course, had to get up close & personal to Mount Fitz Roy together with Mount Poincenot, Mount Torre & the chain of mountains that surround them.

The view arriving to town. Was there ever a doubt I’d get stuck here?

The tiny little town backed by the big ol’ mountains

The afternoon I arrived, I did a little 2-hr hike to get me real excited for the next day

My fave part of every (clear) day (& I was blessed w a lot) was the 5 mins just as the sun is about to peek over the hills at 8:30am (right before winter, days start late). Fitz Roy is this crazy cool glittering sparkling pink. For 5 mins only. I’d purposely get up early & start hiking w my headlamp while dark so I could make it to a place (maybe not quite the best spot but I had 8-10hrs of hiking each day) so I could enjoy it. Since I visited in the offseason, I usually had trails to myself that early. But everyday there was an exception & while this amazing magical event was happening, I was firmly planted in one place to enjoy it, but a group of hikers would trod past me barely looking up from the trail. I sometimes wanted to shake them & yell that life isn’t about the destination people, it’s about the journey & you’re missing the best 5 mins of every day!!! But I’d keep my mouth shut & silently enjoy it while they beat me to the top to enjoy a lovely view – but one not quite as beautiful as the one they missed.

5 mins later. The sun is fully up. It’s still spectacular but it’s not glittering sparkling magical pink

There she is. I couldn’t see her for awhile. Nice to know where I’m headed.

How happy do I look? I’m even genuinely smiling for a selfie after an all uphill 4hr hike.

There’s nothing better after a long day of hiking than digging into a rich, delicious, warming bowl of stew – or “locro” – served in a red clay earthenware bowl with white beans, sweet potatoes, hominy, carrots, beef, pancetta, onions, red peppers, garlic, paprika, cumin, etc. It reminded me so much of a French cassoulet & so I thought a lot about my bro, as we’ve enjoyed a few lovely cassoulets together in Seattle at the cafe. The locro & the most perfectly homemade empanada along w a couple of freshly brewed beers or a glass of an Argentine Malbec was the perfect end to amazing days. Did I write a post lately bitching about the food in SA? Bc that seems so preposterous right now. Perhaps Argentina will save me after all. I must say, I’ve been stomach-problem free for the last month… knock on wood.

El Calafate, Argentina – blessed by glaciers

Only a 6hr bus ride from Puerto Natales, Chile, 2 of which is spent at Chile & Argentina’s border crossings in the Andes, is El Calafate, Argentina. El Calafate is known for being the closest access point to the Southern end of Argentina’s Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. This park, hence the name, is jam-packed with glaciers & glaciers are prettty dope so I was super excited. There are 3 biggies on the Southern end of the park, Perito Moreno, Upsala & Spegazzini. Perito Moreno is the most famous as it’s the only glacier in the world that’s advancing & of course during this time of vast climate change, scientists have no idea why. Hehe. Nature. Because it’s advancing, it goes through a repetitive process very 4-10 years in which it collides with land, dams a branch of the lake causing water levels to rise significantly, water, as it does, forces its way through forming an ice bridge that then ruptures & comes crashing down. If you’re bored, you can google a video as it’s pretty cool. Upsala is Argentina’s largest glacier & like all other glaciers in the world, it’s retreating & rapidly so it makes perfect sense to the world’s scientists but that means when viewing it on a boat, we have to keep our distance which kinda sucks as far as getting close enough to see & document calvings. The 3rd glacier, which no one ever really talks about, is the Spegazzini that’s standing strong & stable & I happen to think it’s just stunning.
So by far the coolest thing about watching glaciers is watching large ice peaks shear off, crash to the water quite dramatically creating large waves & bobbing icebergs. If you hear it, you’ve already missed it as 3-5 seconds is the span of a glacier calving. I discovered the really big ones tend to give off a bit of a “thunder” maybe 1 second before it crashes to the water & if you’re still quite lucky, you can have your camera trained on the spot to capture it on video. I happened to catch one on video at Spegazzini by total happenstance which I think is how it must typically happen because I sat watching Perito Moreno for 5 hours – I understand that sounds incredibly boring perhaps to many but I could’ve spent much longer bc it’s just fascinating – & while I was lucky enough to see 5 glacier calvings including 2 pretty massive ones, the only one I was able to catch on video, even though my camera was always poised & ready, was a small inconsequential one that I still find super cool. So hopefully you enjoy those videos.
A couple comments about the town of El Calafate itself that is not coincidentally located as it’s geographically blessed by the glaciers. And boy does everyone in that town know it. It’s a pretty small town w population of 20k & very obviously has a lot of money. That’s bc they charge you an arm & a leg to take these glacier tours & then on top of that, they charge you to enter the national park every single day (I’ve been at my fair share of national park’s down here & it’s real unusual for a pass to NOT be good for 3-5 days in a row & typically you get to actually do something – hike, camp – but here it’s stand & watch). As a topper, on the boat to view Upsala & Spegazzini (the only way to view them), there are professional photographers trying to get the best (cheesiest, tourist pleasing) shots of people to sell them afterwards (I forcefully declined when offered & kept my distance). El Calafate is well aware they have a goldmine on their hands & does it’s best to extract its pound of flesh from you during your visit. So while the town, resplendent with nice restaurants, ice vodka bars that I’ve only otherwise seen in trash Vegas, gourmet chocolate, cheese & jam shops, lovely clothing stores, spas, etc, pretty closely resembles a Rocky Mountain ski town, its charm was lost on me & it wasn’t a place I wanted to linger for long. So I spent 3 days visiting the glaciers which really were stunning & then promptly left for another town that happened to take a starkly different approach… and one that I loved. Would I return to El Calafate? If in 4 years there was another massive rupture at Perito Moreno due & I was in the area & could be reasonably assured of timing so I’d get to witness it live (yeah right), I would probably swing by to check it out. Otherwise, I’m good.

Perito Moreno Glacier calving: https://youtu.be/bGArnwgRXvc

Spegazzini Glacier calving: https://youtu.be/aAOAI1vj270

For a bit of perspective, the viewing balconies

It was quite windy & chilly on those balconies

Upsala Glacier, 70m high, on the right & massive iceberg in foreground

Torres Del Paine, Chile – the W trek Muse style

During my extensive pre-trip research after reading multiple travel books & reviewing several online sources, I devised a massive list with my notes on anyplace that sounded somewhat intriguing. I still use it as a guide to this day as I discuss with fellow travelers their favorite spots & I decide where to go next. Some of those places just stuck with me for various reasons – a quirky description, a can’t-miss experience or breathtaking photos. Torres Del Paine in Chile’s Southern Patagonia region fell into the last bucket. Googled photos of the national park’s mountainous massif had been implanted in my brain & I would literally dream about this place. So there was no chance I was missing it. After only visiting Santiago in Chile & skipping some other places up north I really wanted to visit, I hopped a flight to Punta Arenas in no man’s land on the Southern most tip of SA, then a bus to Puerto Natales, & finally another bus to Torres Del Paine. I felt like I couldn’t spend any more time further north as the high summer season in Patagonia ended with March as April brings fall weather & that means 3 things: (1) fewer tourists which is great for me bc I don’t have to book in advance (this is a recurring theme) as trail access & lodging typically shut down after April; (2) colder temperatures & more unpredictable weather as you often see 4 seasons in one day although I clearly missed out on summer; & (3) leaves changing color so even prettier photos. Yes please.
Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine is famous for this great massif contained within consisting of sheer granite towers of Las Torres on one side & the multicolored Los Cuernos on the other side. And oh yeah, the famous massif is surrounded by other mountains, glaciers, lakes, pampas & the entire park is just drop dead beautiful. You see it, you want to be in it. So of course, trekking is the thing to do & there are a ton of hiking trails. The most popular backpacker trek is referred to the “W” hike – 4-5 days of hikes taking in a glacier, a steep valley & the mirador Las Torres. So most backpackers who do this come equipped with tents, sleeping bags, mattress pads, cooking stoves, all food & drink, etc & camp outside in between the hikes. Now I manage to pack a lot of shit in my relatively small Kelty backpack to take me from oceans to mountains & everyplace in between but I sure as hell do not have room for that crap & I don’t happen to own any of it anyways. However, most people I met who were camping came specifically only to TDP or spent 2 months doing the same in Patagonia or elsewhere in SA. Camping’s not really my thing. Especially in freezing temperatures & high winds as it was every night overnight while I visited for a week accompanied by periodic snow & rain. No thanks. But I love trekking & I wanted to do the trails. So with a little bit of research & a lot more money, you can do a comfy version of the W & stay in lodges at the base of the massif & in the pampas & do the exact same treks but sleep in a bed with heat & hot showers. Doing the hikes as daytrips after a good night of sleep & with only a daypack enabled me to make great time, as did hanging out at high-altitude for 6wks prior to these hikes that start at sea level (what a breeze), & I’d knock out 8-9hr hikes per day as opposed to 4-5hrs the crazy folks suffer through each day. So that’s what I did. Happily. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

My first view of the massif driving into the park

I sat in this valley for a lunch break on a long hike & ended up sitting for 1.5hrs as I watched 3 different avalanches from this mountain. Amazing.

Las Torres, unfortunately clouded over by the time I made it up there. It was probably the toughest hike that ended with an hour long steep scramble up boulders on the side of the mountain (in the rain). Just another reason to go back.

I stayed in this gorgeous 10-room lodge on the pampas overlooking the massif & they own a bunch of horses & offer horse riding trips. I thought that would be a different way to see the area so I inquired about doing one. Twice. Both times they “couldn’t find the horses”. I’m sorry what? There’s a stable. But the stable is only for the racehorses. Every morning the cowboys, guides & bucaneros go in search of the tour horses as soon as the sun rises (at 8:30). Sometimes it’s quick as they haven’t gone far but sometimes the horses make it across to the other side of the (deep) river bc the grass is better on the other side (isn’t it always!) & every now & then, they make it to this other place they like that’s 20km away. So sometimes it takes hours so morning rides are not possible. Umm. Why not just expand the stable so they don’t have to chase after the horses everyday? Thoughtful pause. Well part of the culture here is to chase the horses every morning. That’s the job I want. A bucanero in Chile chasing horses every morning. I’m not sure it gets any better than that.

Political opinion travel blog post – read at your own risk

The one topic that went unspoken in the prior blog post (originally included but it really got away from me after a massage & a couple glasses of wine) is the repetitive topic I’m so goddam tired of talking about but I have to at least pay attention to weekly US headlines or I’ll find myself out of the loop on current events when a cab driver in a tiny little Colombian town or a cowboy in the pampas of Patagonia brings it up… good ol’ Donny. I can’t yet refer to him as the president bc my denial runs deep. It’s not like he’s living up to the title as his actions to date have been downright mortifying as a citizen traveling the world. It’s so unlike traveling while Obama was president – wow did the world love & respect him. It was even loads better when W was pres (& I recall some tough convos in Europe) but while he blew Iraq & Katrina, he at least brought with him some decorum, restraint, an established agenda, & (I can’t believe I’m saying this but wow have my standards changed recently) intelligence that comes with experience. Locals here primarily need some kind of assurance that Americans don’t favor or support Don’s racist isolationist policies. My response is those that do wouldn’t be traveling abroad like I am so I suspect they’ve never met any (the answer is no they haven’t). In my broken Spanish I’ve successfully conveyed that our new US President, no longer the “leader of the free world”, was elected bc a lot of US citizens who bothered to take the time to vote see themselves in a very bad place, are tired of the same old DC politics & were looking for change. It also means those same people are one or more of the following:

Politically stubborn in this time of broken partisan politics so they support their party’s candidate bc they are unwilling to admit he’s atrocious;
Stupid bc they voted against their interests as if the lying narcissistic Trump cares about anything but himself & his rich friends;
Secretly racist & scared of foreigners bc of the fear culture we’ve lived in since 9/11 or bc they’re bad people & I’ll just stop there;
Secretly sexist & misogynistic & not only can’t see a woman running the US but rationalize blatant sexual assault & harassment by the Don (this may be my fave bucket);
Selfish for thinking any potential financial savings as a result of Trump’s (current) Republican leanings are worth selling your soul on social issues; or finally
Short-sighted & self-centered & couldn’t be bothered to think that any of Don’s crazy beliefs would ever apply to themselves or anyone in their circle but only to bad people who deserve it (this is the saddest & most frustrating bucket IMHO bc I suspect they now regret their decision & could’ve reshaped the election).

Now I know there are those people who blame his ascension (I purposely chose that word bc he really wants to be a dictator – to hell w the judicial system or the press) on the fact that “crooked Hilary” was running bc she wasn’t a “viable candidate” or “good alternative”. Now she may not be a Bernie but my goodness, there is literally no one worse than the man we have elected. So come on. I suspect those people really belong in another category noted above (or if I’ve forgotten any, pls let me know!) but aren’t quite yet ready to admit to such.
This nonsense going on at home has not only resulted in me having to at least glance at the news headlines on a semi-regular basis, but it also has taken up valuable time convincing SA locals that all US citizens aren’t racist assholes & inspired me to write this heated post that I’m sure all of you are annoyed at by now. You were warned.

Reflections at the midpoint

So I’m 3 months into my trip across South America & I’m thinking it’s pretty close to my midpoint as I’m tentatively targeting end of June / beginning of July for my return. Let’s be real… Chicago is an amazing city, especially in the summer, & I need to minimize the missed Cubs games, boat days, street fests, etc (my life is real tough right now I know). I thought I’d take the time to (quickly) reflect on a few things as people recently have been asking me what I prefer: South America or SE Asia. I respond by saying the 2 trips are completely different but then I’m left unable to explain myself. So I did some thinking & came up with the following:

The food – A big part of traveling for me is experiencing the food. I love to eat. I can’t overestimate how much I miss the food in SE Asia, especially the soups & noodle dishes of Vietnam & the curries of Thailand. The food here in South America? Bleh. It’s nothing new, thought provoking or life changing like Asia. Inland it’s a lot of meat & potatoes. On the coast, it’s a lot of fresh seafood. Have I had good even great meals? Of course. But it’s so familiar that it just doesn’t get me excited & I oftentimes find myself daydreaming about Bun Bo Nam Bo in Hanoi & wondering how much a flight to Vietnam would cost.
My stomach – So this is related to the food but it’s much more than that… something about the food, beers, wine, booze, etc in SE Asia just agreed with me. In 6 months I never had travelers’ stomach issues & no matter if I over indulged a bit, never suffered from a hangover. Neither are the case here. So not only is the food more boring, it far too often leaves me feeling like shit. Same goes for the booze. In SE Asia, I inquired about ingredients or lack thereof & people responded the countries had different laws regarding preservatives (as in much more strict) & everything was very fresh. Now I don’t pretend to be a knowledgeable health nut but something is different down here & it’s unfortunate for me. Now I’ve only just arrived in Argentina so haven’t yet tried their “amazing beef” but there sure is a lot riding on that if it’s going to totally change my opinion.
The sights – With the exception of the Northern coast of Colombia & the Galapagos, which are both phenomenal trip highlights, most of the places I’ve visited & things to do on this trip are land based. Obviously it’s driven by this little ol’ mountain range known as the Andes that runs the length of the continent. That terrain is without question more varied than SE Asia as it includes mountains, deserts, cloud forests, salt flats, lakes, etc. & I’ve enjoyed it immensely but I’m going on 2 months at altitude with no view of an ocean & while I’m loving it, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss my remote island paradises every now & then. I’m thinking of ending my trip in Brazil wandering the northern coast from tiny beach to tiny beach, after swinging by the Amazon, so hopefully that’ll give me my fix.
The activities – This is obviously related to the above. There’s a helluva lot of trekking & hiking in South America while I’ve only gone diving once. Ask me before my trip & I’d be bummed about it but I am really enjoying getting outdoors & getting dirty, perhaps more than I even imagined (I’m in Patagonia as I type this & I’m fucking loving it) & I keep extending my trekking stays bc there’s never enough time. After days here filled with challenging 8-10hr treks & incredibly beautiful mountainous views, I feel more physically accomplished much more often than I did in SE Asia. But there is something about being underwater in this crazy different world & totally reliant on this stupid air tank that really gets me going so I’m going to have to find a good spot for that before I leave.
The language – So this is going to seem counterintuitive to just about everyone but my elementary knowledge of the Spanish language & ability to communicate & have basic conversations obviously has its perks but I kinda miss having to really work hard at communicating. It’s crazy I know. I’ve thought long & hard about this but I really think it’s true for me. Now it certainly makes functioning on a daily basis much easier. I can read menus & signs / trailheads & ask questions & understand the answers which is all great. But it also means there are fewer surprises, misunderstandings & challenges throughout the day & I apparently somewhat miss those. I fondly recall communication struggles in SE Asia & I don’t think I’m rewriting history or my memory is failing me. Traveling in SE Asia was much more difficult than traveling in South America & i think it made me feel a bit more accomplished. Not that I mind the ease of traveling here.
The culture – I feel as if the culture in SE Asia was overwhelming. The Asian cities screamed culture as they were vastly different from what I know while many big cities in SA are obviously more westernized. The food, the language, the religion, the cities in SE Asia are all very different from what I know so it seems a bit more foreign or exotic. And many of the places I visited in SE Asia seemed very remote & rather untouched by tourism. The only place that nears that so far in South America is Punta Gallinas in Northern Columbia. I’d love to find more of that down here. But so far, South America to me is less about the culture & more about these incredible outdoor adventures around every corner. And that’s an amazing thing.

So I still don’t have an answer but all I know is I’m having a great time & not even close to ready to returning. So on to the next adventure.

Lollapalooza – Chile style in Santiago

Chile was my first post-Bolivia stop & specifically, Santiago, & it was no coincidence that Lollapalooza Chile was going down that very same weekend. Those who know me know I love music & live shows typically in small venues but I make the exception for outdoor music festivals as they are one of my happy places. I’ve attended Lollapalooza Chicago every year with friends who happily tag along so attending Lolla Chile felt a little bit like going home, & although I was on my own this time, it didn’t disappoint.
So I enjoyed Santiago but I’m not sure how much of that was driven by my music festival love hangover versus the city itself. I did quite a bit of touring but probably not as much as I should have as I had to take some time to research my next stop (Patagonia!!!). I found it to be a modern city with a phenomenal metro system, really great food, buzzing plazas yet quiet spots in the middle of the madness to take a quick hike up to a beautiful viewpoint.

The primary difference bw Lolla Chile & Chicago? There are no Andes Mountains surrounding the city of Chicago. So there’s that.

I was unable to buy a ticket beforehand as Lolla wouldn’t sell online tix to foreigners. So I arrived in Santiago on Saturday evening, checked into hotel & immediately went in search of the nearest mall for this department store that also has a ticket office selling Lolla tix. It surprisingly went smoothly as the most difficult hurdle was deciding bw regular or VIP upgrade for a very reasonable amount. Difference bw the 2? Special viewing sections close to stage & open bar. Done. Thank goodness bc there actually was no bar for regular folks. I walked up to a beverage tent when I first arrived enroute to my first show & ordered a beer while the lady laughed at me & explained there was no beer sold anywhere. After the first 2 shows, I went in search of the VIP Lolla Lounge & found a lovely shady oasis w free Coronas & Jack. Home. Oh & free food.

The VIP oasis w massive hammocks, piles of floor pillows & shade. It seemed to me some people never left.

Even VIP has foosball. No time. Shows to see.

Bolivia should be on everyone’s can’t miss lists

Bolivia is landlocked, 1 of only 2 countries in South America that are, so I understand why people skip it. It doesn’t yet have the massively popular draws like Machu Picchu, Galapagos or Patagonia that puts other countries at the top of tourists’ must-see lists. It also doesn’t yet have the buzz, mystique or romanticism in travelers’ eyes that a country like Colombia has (since visiting there I’ve met countless travelers who are quite anxious to visit). But I’ll tell you one thing… it is no question the most beautiful country I’ve visited in South America. It’s not even close.
The showstopper is Uyuni & all it has to offer but then throw in Lake Titicaca’s Isla del Sol, an impressive fun city like La Paz & 4 equally charming but vastly different cities I also visited in Potosi, Sucre, Samaipata & Santa Cruz. The vistas while traveling between the cities are stunning so unless it was a night bus & my sleep was aided by a pill, my eyes were glued to the scenery outside the windows. I didn’t even get to a place that was tops on my list… Rurrenabaque… Bolivia’s charming little town serving as a launching point for trips to the Amazon & Madidi National Park. It was far too deep into rainy season & I felt as if my luck just couldn’t carry me to the Amazon & would soon run out.
The people are as charming as the country itself. When told how long I was traveling in Bolivia (3 wks), they were happily taken aback & almost humbly incredulous that I’d spend that much time there. They’re quite a passionate & resolved people too as in nearly every city I visited (weo one… Copacabana), I ran into protests, environmental rallies & parades. Sometimes multiple events in a city. I really like their spirit. And I love their country.

Potosi is generally considers the highest (large) city in the world which was no big deal for me bc by now, I was totally acclimatized. It’s known for its near perfect conical Cerro Rico, rising high above the city, & pockmarked w thousands of mines. Silver mining led to the wealth of this city & the deaths of many due to unsafe conditions. You can tour the Cerro Rico mines but I opted out as even safety conditions of the tours are questionable & I didn’t feel comfortable paying money to celebrate the workers’ poor conditions. So instead, I lazily toured the city, boasting some fine Spanish colonial architecture, as I made my way over 1.5wks from Uyuni NW to Santa Cruz.

I came across these 2 boys playing foosball at an outdoor table in a plaza, silently watched them for awhile, then not so silently so they kindly asked if I wanted to play. And then I proceeded to school them both, much to their shock & delight. Oh the gaming skills you pick up in your basement as a kid. I still got it.

Protests around the main square above by kids ranging in age from 5 to 10 to improve working conditions in the mines & in doing so, reduce the suffering from tuberculosis.

Sucre, former seat of Bolivia’s govt as independence was proclaimed here, is a beautiful white colonial city w grand plazas, an independent spirit & spring-like temperatures which was a welcome change for me.

The main plaza (above) was constantly buzzing w gatherings & protests. This one, an environmental rally, was my favorite as leaders from the environmental council split up the teenagers into groups & spoke to them about what they can do to help the environment. And the teenagers actually seemed really excited & into it.

There is a whole lot of nothing going on in Samaipata, a super laid back town surrounded by lush cloud-forest of Amboro National Park & nearby Incan ruins. So of course I loved it. I relaxed so much that I kept forgetting my phone in my room when going on hikes. Oh well. I still have the pictures in my mind.

If I’m going someplace tiny (that’s not very accessible), why stay “in town” on the plaza when I can rent a room in a lovely house down this little dirt road w beautiful views of the countryside?

Breakfasts like this everyday? Yes please.

Santa Cruz is Bolivia’s most populous city but still feels like a small town as it doesn’t seem to have any massive highrises, has small winding streets & great big buzzing plazas w a lot of green space. It also has direct flights to several international cities.

Uyuni, Bolivia tour – Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa national park is no slouch – it’s make-believe-land

I must admit, I was expecting a bit of a letdown after the salt flats on day 1 of the 3-day Uyuni tour but the wildlife reserve brought it. A little bit of everything including snowcapped volcanoes, eerily shaded lagoons, desolate deserts, steaming hot geysers, perfectly warm hot springs (enjoyed for hours on night 2) & altiplano wildlife (flamingo, (formerly endangered) vicuna, ostrich). The tour was incredible but in the harsh environment careening across vast expanses (sometimes salt) on previously barely worn tracks (I’d never call them roads), it was a normal occurrence for our big 4×4 with massive tires to breakdown for a bit. One of those massive tires sprung a leak once too. But we were never stopped for more than 30-45 minutes as our driver / guide also proved to be a capable mechanic & when he needed assistance, other drivers gladly jumped into help. In the middle of nowhere, folks come together.

Turns out I’m a bit obsessed with flamingos. On one lagoon, I estimated a thousand. On this lake, maybe 5k. The red lake below tracks them with chips so they know there are 18k. Woah. They are skittish little things. You get too close, they get nervous & fly off. So I was purposely gettin a bit too close for the shot fully expecting them to freak & fly off so I was prepared with video to capture their escape. It was amazing.