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| Argentina - Luna de Miel |
Patagonia – flying through the horizon, sky and land competing for one’s attention – natural diversity evincing Pachamama’s finest. Look ahead; a sea of wispy clouds invites you. Look again; a massive mound of mountains challenges you to enter their shadows. The guanacos casually run off. The condor effortlessly rides the wind. The shepherd trots by on his horse, weatherworn face displaying the constant contradiction – physical challenge and sensory reward.
For six days we explored the Torres del Paine national park on the Chilean side of the Patagonia region. Its namesake three towers of rock draw sightseers from the usual suspects – Western Europe, North America, Japan – many of whom we met along the way and happily shared tips, gas, photo-snapping and the like. Although viewing the towers and Glacier Grey – second-most well-known natural wonder of the park - has been facilitated by excellently marked trails and three rather nice lodges (the kind that make one feel sorry for the chaps that’d weathered the construction process) strategically placed to access the mountains, taming the mountains, winds and wildly volatile weather remains, happily, beyond man’s/tourism’s grasp/ambition.
Day one was a struggle – to put on a windbreaker without it blowing away, to walk through the open fields without oneself blowing away, reminding the body that the tent and week’s food are necessary – and an inspiration – Paine Grande grew evermore majestic as we approached; Lake Pehoe flashed a brilliant glacier-green; Laguna de Patos rippled in an afternoon sun. Reaching the campsite, the body happily rested on the sands aside Lake Grey.
Day two changed the scenario – we traded marching along with the house & home on the back for frolicking through an obstacle course of rivers, rope & ladders amid a barrage of frosty sleet – as we hiked up to a new campsite a short distance away, set-up camp, and proceeded walking along the ridges of Grand Paine next to the Glacier Grey. The cold was a nice change, the rain heavy with anxiety, the views chilling raw art.
Day three was a day to cover ground – from Glacier Grey to the center of the “W” at Camp Italiano – Christmas Eve turned into an ideal evening: delicious glacier water from the river alongside, rather tasty tea time, mediocre tortelloni made delicious by the wine in a box. We slept refreshed under the easy sound of swaying slender trees.
Day four - picture-perfect morning hike up the “French Valley” made for a memorable Christmas day: scrambling up rocky riversides, bouncing, along with the sounds outside, through the funky forests, and each turn challenging the preeminence of the last view. The mountains and glaciers appeared crisp and clear as we hiked under the sun in t-shirts to Camp Los Cuernos. The wind that rolled over the lake at night as semi trucks passing over our tent, made for a sleepless night.
Day five – Up early to get started on a long day. The wind continued to pound so much that we held on to rocks to keep our balance. A couple times the rocks didn’t help and we ended up on the ground with bruises. The rain started as we crossed a fast flowing river and then soon turned to snow. Six hours later we arrived to Camp Torres. A quick nap and warm beverage and we scrambled 45min up rocks to the towers. All we saw was a wall of clouds . . . .same view as five years ago. We waited, 20 minutes and the sun peeked through the clouds, opening the sky and finally the towers. Three rock towers jetting out of a coppery green lake! Worth the wait.
Day six – packs light, we hiked out of the park with achy knees as we walked down, down, down.
The next day back on the Argentine side in the small town of Calefate we feasted on lomo . . .Argentine beef . . .”when in Rome” . . .or better, when in Argentina where some of the best beef comes from, where the cows eat grass and have space to walk around the Patagonian steppe. Yum.
Buenos Aires – A city of music, dance, parks, people, food, and wine. Our days we spent walking down the streets with eyes wide and enjoyed walking and walking some more with coffee breaks now and again at the many cafes along the way to keep us charged. . .its like Disneyland compared to Managua.
We visited the Oriental gardens, the Botanic gardens and all the gardens of Palermo where we ran every morning and sat on benches with the paper to people-watch.
We visited the neighborhood of Boca, where the Boca Juniors have their stadium and the buildings are brightly colored with Gotan Project coming from every storefront.
We visited the neighborhood of San Telmo where the parks turned into art fairs and people danced tango under the sun.
We visited the Plaza de Mayo and saw la Casa Rosada – the presidential palace, as well as the obelisk downtown.
In Recoleta we went to the Recoleta cemetery, where the rich and famous are buried in mausoleums and crypts bigger than our apartment in NYC was.
Along the way we stopped in museums to stare at South American contemporary art including Xul Solar and Diego Rivera.
At night we always found some yummy food to sit and enjoy with a glass of wine followed by an ice cream scoop or two ☺ From the favorites of variations on rice, beans and plantains, the options offered made us giddy.
So now we are back in Managua, still look at pictures and talk about our trip as we sip on mate - definitely an unforgettable honeymoon - and begin life with Nika, stay tuned to meet her...
