Good morning Friends and Family!
I´m all checked in for my evening flight, and my bags are near max-occupancy as I find nooks and crannies into which to stuff my stuff. I always plan to travel light, but never seem to accomplish it!
In an hour, the tourist bus is scheduled to pick me up for a day at a real(ish) estancia, just outside the city. I´m not sure exactly what to expect, but I'm hoping I can learn more about the gaucho. Plus, I´ve heard the bar-be-que is not to be missed!
I´m schedule to go straight to the airport after the excursion, so my next post should be from my humble living room, with my sweet little kitties on my lap!
Love T
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Hangin out at the bus station
Today wasn´t quite the glorious globe trotting day I had imagined... in fact, it was downright dull! Hours of research had assured me the Gaucho Festival in the small town of San Antonio del Agreco was taking place during my time here in Argentina. Further, it was just 2 hours away by public bus, just US$7 or so each way. Fantastic! Adventurous! Wonderful departure from the touristy every-day!
Yep, I should probably stick to the toursty. I arrived at the bus station an hour early for the bus. This is saying something -- the place was massive, and not a little, um, sketchy, at that hour of the morning (note, no town is most beautiful at its bus station). Unfortunately, the friggin 9am bus was already sold out, so I settled for the 11am. Long wait. Then the 11am was delayed an hour. Long wait. Then the bus caught heavier than normal traffic. 30 minute delay.
I arrived in San Antonio after all the morning festivities had ended and siesta had begun. I had yet to eat lunch, and it was already getting late in the afternoon.
I´d met another stranded traveler, an older gentleman from Swiss diplomatic circles, who spoke Spanish and was able to find us a small cafe that was still open even at that hour. Each of us devoured excellent hamburgers. There was no sign of the 10 day "all town" festival, except for some flyers distributed about. Immediately after my hamburger, it was time for me to retreat to the bus station for my return to Buenos Aires.
And yep, no surprise, the return bus was delayed too. This one, 1.5 hours. The sun was nice, though, and I met at the San Antonio bus station a really nice British lady with whom I swapped stories of public transportation woes from around the world (hers were *so* much worse than mine, the poor soul!).
Back in BsAs, I forgot the way to my hotel, and wandered for a long time, needing to use the (ahem) banos quite urgently. Yep. From art gallery princess yesterday to the girl who finally gives in to pay extra for toilet paper. That would be me :-)
My flight out is tomorrow night. I have a day planned at an Estancia not far from the city. I´m a little nervous about making my flight, but determined to make the most of my last precious day in Buenos Aires. Sending my love,
Love T
Yep, I should probably stick to the toursty. I arrived at the bus station an hour early for the bus. This is saying something -- the place was massive, and not a little, um, sketchy, at that hour of the morning (note, no town is most beautiful at its bus station). Unfortunately, the friggin 9am bus was already sold out, so I settled for the 11am. Long wait. Then the 11am was delayed an hour. Long wait. Then the bus caught heavier than normal traffic. 30 minute delay.
I arrived in San Antonio after all the morning festivities had ended and siesta had begun. I had yet to eat lunch, and it was already getting late in the afternoon.
I´d met another stranded traveler, an older gentleman from Swiss diplomatic circles, who spoke Spanish and was able to find us a small cafe that was still open even at that hour. Each of us devoured excellent hamburgers. There was no sign of the 10 day "all town" festival, except for some flyers distributed about. Immediately after my hamburger, it was time for me to retreat to the bus station for my return to Buenos Aires.
And yep, no surprise, the return bus was delayed too. This one, 1.5 hours. The sun was nice, though, and I met at the San Antonio bus station a really nice British lady with whom I swapped stories of public transportation woes from around the world (hers were *so* much worse than mine, the poor soul!).
Back in BsAs, I forgot the way to my hotel, and wandered for a long time, needing to use the (ahem) banos quite urgently. Yep. From art gallery princess yesterday to the girl who finally gives in to pay extra for toilet paper. That would be me :-)
My flight out is tomorrow night. I have a day planned at an Estancia not far from the city. I´m a little nervous about making my flight, but determined to make the most of my last precious day in Buenos Aires. Sending my love,
Love T
Thursday, November 10, 2011
My list
Good evening friends and family!
It´s evening in Buenos Aires, and my hotel is a-buzz with artistic folks. They have an art gallery in the ground floor, and tonight´s the opening of their latest exhibit. As a ´resident´, I´m invited (of the unwashed and touristed) and how could I say no? Free wine and bread with cream cheese, and modern art. I can appear to appreciate the art while not understanding a word anyone says to me, no problem. Who says I´m not a woman of this world?? This place rocks!
This morning I was chagrined to have to pay 14 pesos for my simple sliced bread and coffee breakfast so I made the most of it with 5 pieces of toast, 3 cups of coffee, and 2 thingies of marmalade. Leaving my hotel, I think I could have leaped tall buildings. I toted my bags to my hotel for the next 2 nights, the Art Hotel (hence the gallery), ditched them with a very friendly staff, and bolted onto the streets with an ambitious itinerary.
First on my agenda was the Recoletta Cemetary, so beautiful. I circumnavigated the friggin cemetary first (thanks to my exceptionally bad sense of direction) and can attest, the exterior wall is really dull compared to the inside. Anyway, Evita´s grave is simple and had lots of flowers, and the cemetary itself is both historic and poignant. I took snaps.
Next I headed to Once district, lesser traveled by tourists-- advertised in my guidebook as having a blend of Korean, Jewish, and South American cultures. Seriously. I found, it´s kind of like the Meat Packing district of NYC. Every block had a specialty: I passed the chinese food block, the fabrics block, the hair accessories block, the scarves block, and really weirdly enough, the mannequins block, before I finally found the pizza block (a main street). There I lunched.
I had visited only 2 of the planned 8 stops on my itinerary and I was beat. I splurged on a taxi back to my hotel and siestaed for a few hours before resuming my trek of Buenos Aires' most beautiful sites. I found the subway which expedited my travels to the rest of the items on my itinerary, including the Obelisk, a famous opera house turned bookstore Murray recommended, Congresso, and finally to Florida street, where I was overwelmed by the copious quantities of high quality tourist crap to add to my bulging bags.
And now I´m at an art gallery opening in the lobby of my hotel. Excuse me, but I must dash, to get another free glass of exceptional wine and admire art :-)
At this moment, may I say with all humility, I´m the coolest person I know!
Love T
PS What´s all this about flint something in Rock Creek? Someone give me the 411!
It´s evening in Buenos Aires, and my hotel is a-buzz with artistic folks. They have an art gallery in the ground floor, and tonight´s the opening of their latest exhibit. As a ´resident´, I´m invited (of the unwashed and touristed) and how could I say no? Free wine and bread with cream cheese, and modern art. I can appear to appreciate the art while not understanding a word anyone says to me, no problem. Who says I´m not a woman of this world?? This place rocks!
This morning I was chagrined to have to pay 14 pesos for my simple sliced bread and coffee breakfast so I made the most of it with 5 pieces of toast, 3 cups of coffee, and 2 thingies of marmalade. Leaving my hotel, I think I could have leaped tall buildings. I toted my bags to my hotel for the next 2 nights, the Art Hotel (hence the gallery), ditched them with a very friendly staff, and bolted onto the streets with an ambitious itinerary.
First on my agenda was the Recoletta Cemetary, so beautiful. I circumnavigated the friggin cemetary first (thanks to my exceptionally bad sense of direction) and can attest, the exterior wall is really dull compared to the inside. Anyway, Evita´s grave is simple and had lots of flowers, and the cemetary itself is both historic and poignant. I took snaps.
Next I headed to Once district, lesser traveled by tourists-- advertised in my guidebook as having a blend of Korean, Jewish, and South American cultures. Seriously. I found, it´s kind of like the Meat Packing district of NYC. Every block had a specialty: I passed the chinese food block, the fabrics block, the hair accessories block, the scarves block, and really weirdly enough, the mannequins block, before I finally found the pizza block (a main street). There I lunched.
I had visited only 2 of the planned 8 stops on my itinerary and I was beat. I splurged on a taxi back to my hotel and siestaed for a few hours before resuming my trek of Buenos Aires' most beautiful sites. I found the subway which expedited my travels to the rest of the items on my itinerary, including the Obelisk, a famous opera house turned bookstore Murray recommended, Congresso, and finally to Florida street, where I was overwelmed by the copious quantities of high quality tourist crap to add to my bulging bags.
And now I´m at an art gallery opening in the lobby of my hotel. Excuse me, but I must dash, to get another free glass of exceptional wine and admire art :-)
At this moment, may I say with all humility, I´m the coolest person I know!
Love T
PS What´s all this about flint something in Rock Creek? Someone give me the 411!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back in the big city
Hey Friends and Family!
I´m back in the big city, where it all began. Though my heart aches for the stillness of the wilderness, the city air restores my bones. The streets are awash with young and old competing with the frantic traffic to wind their way home. My hotel is more an apartment, complete with kitchen, in the Recoletta district. For the night, I will sleep like a real Porteño!
I supplied myself from the local Super Mercado for a quiet dinner in. I´m still craving vegetables like you can´t imagine, but I think I will never tire of Argentinean wine. The local people are so kind, a nice man holding my place in the long line so I could get the veggies properly marked. His generosity was poorly rewarded, though, as I held up the line unable to provide the 20 cents in change the lady needed to round up to the nearest peso, and we had to wait for someone to bring her pennies. Sigh. Friggin tourists! :-)
My flight from El Calafate was a bit of an ordeal. I showed up at the airport early and was bumped onto an earlier flight, due to the extensive delays of my scheduled departure. The new schedule was less direct, transporting me first into the deep south to Ushisia, the southernmost city in the world. Though it added 3 hours to the commute, I was delighted to see the it, if only for a short time. The buildings are pastel colored, just like it shows in my guidebook!
Tomorrow I have a long list of places that I simply must see (Murray´s given me the tips on the ones absolutely not to be missed), so I bid you a good night!
Love Tory
I´m back in the big city, where it all began. Though my heart aches for the stillness of the wilderness, the city air restores my bones. The streets are awash with young and old competing with the frantic traffic to wind their way home. My hotel is more an apartment, complete with kitchen, in the Recoletta district. For the night, I will sleep like a real Porteño!
I supplied myself from the local Super Mercado for a quiet dinner in. I´m still craving vegetables like you can´t imagine, but I think I will never tire of Argentinean wine. The local people are so kind, a nice man holding my place in the long line so I could get the veggies properly marked. His generosity was poorly rewarded, though, as I held up the line unable to provide the 20 cents in change the lady needed to round up to the nearest peso, and we had to wait for someone to bring her pennies. Sigh. Friggin tourists! :-)
My flight from El Calafate was a bit of an ordeal. I showed up at the airport early and was bumped onto an earlier flight, due to the extensive delays of my scheduled departure. The new schedule was less direct, transporting me first into the deep south to Ushisia, the southernmost city in the world. Though it added 3 hours to the commute, I was delighted to see the it, if only for a short time. The buildings are pastel colored, just like it shows in my guidebook!
Tomorrow I have a long list of places that I simply must see (Murray´s given me the tips on the ones absolutely not to be missed), so I bid you a good night!
Love Tory
Off to BsAs!
Today I´m off to Buenos Aires! I´ll have a busy morning, wrestling my accumulated belongings into my long suffering luggage, and trying not to undo the folds of beautiful clean laundry. My flight is already delayed a bit, scheduled to depart at 213pm.
El Calafate has been beyond my expectations, but I´m excited to be back in the press of the city of Tango. My hotel in Buenos Aires is not far from the famous cemetary, which comes highly recommended by Murray :-) I will try to post when I´m safely arrived (in the city, not the cemetary, natch).
Love T
El Calafate has been beyond my expectations, but I´m excited to be back in the press of the city of Tango. My hotel in Buenos Aires is not far from the famous cemetary, which comes highly recommended by Murray :-) I will try to post when I´m safely arrived (in the city, not the cemetary, natch).
Love T
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Puerto Marina Glacier & etc
Good evening Friends and Family!
I awoke early for my morning transport to the glacier, and used the extra time to indulge in El Calafate´s excellent caffe con latte, plus assorted and sundry breads and sweets -- carbohydrates designed to fuel a day trekking (sheesh, I could have climbed a mountain on those calories)!
On the full-to-bursting tourist bus I met two New Yorker attorneys, young women, sharing the excursion. We each strapped on our crampons, snapping cheezy pics the whole time, and our experienced guide leaped upon the glacier, with the lot of us in tow. It was a riot! The staff carefully prepped us in the proper use of equipment on the ice, advice largely ignored (or, frankly, completely misunderstood) by the quartet of Korean tourists, bent on securing photos of every minute. The New Yorkers and I chuckled quietly, indulgently at the attempts of our experienced Argentenian staff at reigning in the antics of the foursome, who skittered and slid across the glacier as if wearing ice skates instead of spikes, while they were recording every moment. At the end of our glacier trek, we were treated to a taste of whiskey on the rocks, aged (averaged) 200 years -- that is, 1 year for the whiskey, 400 years for the `rocks` which our guide harvested with an ice axe from the top of a nearby pinnacle. I don´t generally like whiskey alcohol, but this bit was absolutely delicious, and a fitting end to the wonderful day.
An extra souvineer, I am now evidenced with a bit of the glacier, my face now rosy red with the effect of the sunshine off the ice, and the strong wind. Shoudda worn sunscreen. Sigh.
This evening, my last in El Calafate, I began my painful goodbyes. I visited the receptionist from my hotel, learning German and preparing for an oral exam, whom I helped (not particularly helpful) with accent and vocab. I visited the baker with whom Murray and I connected, in appreciation of the precision of his crossiant and flavor of his scones. He pressed upon me the Argentenian kiss on both cheeks, four of my favorite scones gratis, and an offer for the disco tonight (I politely declined the last :-) ). Tomorrow I fly back to BsAs, heartbroken at leaving this most special of places, but elated to return to the city where my adventure began.
Sending you my love,
Tory
I awoke early for my morning transport to the glacier, and used the extra time to indulge in El Calafate´s excellent caffe con latte, plus assorted and sundry breads and sweets -- carbohydrates designed to fuel a day trekking (sheesh, I could have climbed a mountain on those calories)!
On the full-to-bursting tourist bus I met two New Yorker attorneys, young women, sharing the excursion. We each strapped on our crampons, snapping cheezy pics the whole time, and our experienced guide leaped upon the glacier, with the lot of us in tow. It was a riot! The staff carefully prepped us in the proper use of equipment on the ice, advice largely ignored (or, frankly, completely misunderstood) by the quartet of Korean tourists, bent on securing photos of every minute. The New Yorkers and I chuckled quietly, indulgently at the attempts of our experienced Argentenian staff at reigning in the antics of the foursome, who skittered and slid across the glacier as if wearing ice skates instead of spikes, while they were recording every moment. At the end of our glacier trek, we were treated to a taste of whiskey on the rocks, aged (averaged) 200 years -- that is, 1 year for the whiskey, 400 years for the `rocks` which our guide harvested with an ice axe from the top of a nearby pinnacle. I don´t generally like whiskey alcohol, but this bit was absolutely delicious, and a fitting end to the wonderful day.
An extra souvineer, I am now evidenced with a bit of the glacier, my face now rosy red with the effect of the sunshine off the ice, and the strong wind. Shoudda worn sunscreen. Sigh.
This evening, my last in El Calafate, I began my painful goodbyes. I visited the receptionist from my hotel, learning German and preparing for an oral exam, whom I helped (not particularly helpful) with accent and vocab. I visited the baker with whom Murray and I connected, in appreciation of the precision of his crossiant and flavor of his scones. He pressed upon me the Argentenian kiss on both cheeks, four of my favorite scones gratis, and an offer for the disco tonight (I politely declined the last :-) ). Tomorrow I fly back to BsAs, heartbroken at leaving this most special of places, but elated to return to the city where my adventure began.
Sending you my love,
Tory
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mountain Town and Adventures to Come!
Good afternoon Friends and Family!
This morning I nearly sprinted to the laundry, catching them just as they opened their doors for the day. The lady was so polite, barely flinching as I pulled out layer upon layer of filthy tees and jeans, and socks still shedding bits of the wilderness on her clean floor. This afternoon I returned to two huge bags of the freshest and cleanest and whitest tee shirts, pressed blue jeans, and my socks, my glorious socks, restored to their original colors from the uniform dusty dirt color they´d acquired over the past week. I was so happy I nearly cried. It cost $12. Priceless.
El Calafate has been a wonderful spot to linger. The weather is unmatched -- probably around 75 degrees, clear skies, and a light cooling wind off the glaciers. Inviting restaurants and cafes abound -- stay too long here at the risk of your waistline. I love the mountaineering shops with trekking gear, fancy ropes and tents- they have everything you could desire to rough it in the highest style! But it is all at a price-- this place is dang expensive! The tourist shops have crazy tee shirts, sheep shaped trinkets by local artists, leather goods, jams and wine made from the El Calafate berry, etc, etc, etc. Without blowing the budget, the tourist in me still found way to get a few treasures here and there (watch for them in your Christmas stockings)!
Also, after serious debate, I decided on an excursion for tomorrow´s industry. I´ve been dreaming about it since I heard it was possible, so I´m taking the leap and am joining a group to go trekking on the Puerto Merrino glacier itself. They supply the crampons, included in the price :-) I´ll take tons of pics.
A minor hitch in my plans, I read my email to discover there was a building collapse this morning in Buenos Aires. My hotel was closeby and is now closed indefinitely until they can bring down the rest of the collapsed building and clear the debris. Zipes. I´m going online now to find a new place. I don´t like to think about the timing of it, just a few days before my arrival.... but a miss is as good as a mile :-)
I heard from Murray. He´s fallen in love with Buenos Aires too, and is giving me inside scoop on where he loved and where to skip, so I can maximize my time upon my return on Wednesday. Insider info!!
Thanks for the notes-- I´m thinking of you all, and dragging you along every step of my way. And I am sending my love!
Love T
This morning I nearly sprinted to the laundry, catching them just as they opened their doors for the day. The lady was so polite, barely flinching as I pulled out layer upon layer of filthy tees and jeans, and socks still shedding bits of the wilderness on her clean floor. This afternoon I returned to two huge bags of the freshest and cleanest and whitest tee shirts, pressed blue jeans, and my socks, my glorious socks, restored to their original colors from the uniform dusty dirt color they´d acquired over the past week. I was so happy I nearly cried. It cost $12. Priceless.
El Calafate has been a wonderful spot to linger. The weather is unmatched -- probably around 75 degrees, clear skies, and a light cooling wind off the glaciers. Inviting restaurants and cafes abound -- stay too long here at the risk of your waistline. I love the mountaineering shops with trekking gear, fancy ropes and tents- they have everything you could desire to rough it in the highest style! But it is all at a price-- this place is dang expensive! The tourist shops have crazy tee shirts, sheep shaped trinkets by local artists, leather goods, jams and wine made from the El Calafate berry, etc, etc, etc. Without blowing the budget, the tourist in me still found way to get a few treasures here and there (watch for them in your Christmas stockings)!
Also, after serious debate, I decided on an excursion for tomorrow´s industry. I´ve been dreaming about it since I heard it was possible, so I´m taking the leap and am joining a group to go trekking on the Puerto Merrino glacier itself. They supply the crampons, included in the price :-) I´ll take tons of pics.
A minor hitch in my plans, I read my email to discover there was a building collapse this morning in Buenos Aires. My hotel was closeby and is now closed indefinitely until they can bring down the rest of the collapsed building and clear the debris. Zipes. I´m going online now to find a new place. I don´t like to think about the timing of it, just a few days before my arrival.... but a miss is as good as a mile :-)
I heard from Murray. He´s fallen in love with Buenos Aires too, and is giving me inside scoop on where he loved and where to skip, so I can maximize my time upon my return on Wednesday. Insider info!!
Thanks for the notes-- I´m thinking of you all, and dragging you along every step of my way. And I am sending my love!
Love T
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunshine in Patagonia
Greeting friends and family!
I was *so* sad to wave goodbye to Murray this morning, as he settled his overstuffed pack in the taxi, airport bound for Buenos Aires. His pack is heavy due to his generosity of spirit -- he´s heavy an extra pair of hiking boots (mine) to free room in his sweet sister´s luggage for tourist souviners she plans to acquire in the coming week :-)
I remain in El Calafate for 2 more days, before returning to Buenos Aires myself, and though a little blue with missing Murray, I am reveling in hot running water, abundant restaurants (more chocolate shops than you can count), and the deliciousness of wearing tennies instead of those hulking hiking boots which were a constant companion for the past 5 days. I found a laundry in this small town, miracle of miracles, and hope to have the unthinkable -- clean socks -- by this time tomorrow.
This afternoon I also said goodbye to two exceptional women who became friends of ours on the trek, Laura and Sarah, of Boisie and Fairbanks. We four met on the tourist shuttle to the park at the beginning of the week, and during the trek our paths crossed often along the way, as they also followed the W course East to West. Fellow adventurers, we swapped stories of our funny (mis)adventures, and compared bruises, blisters, and the strategies employed to not blow off the trail. This afternoon, they helped keep me company after Murray had departed, over local draft beers, we liquid lunched, and crafted list of advice to give Lonely Planet for their next update to the Trekking in Patagonia guidebook!
Now that it´s just me left in El Calafate, I´ve decided on a quiet, well earned, evening in. I stocked up on dinner supplies at the local supermarket, pulled out my iPod and Kindle, scoped out the TV remote, and confirmed the readiness of my bath soap (which doubles as bubble bath). After a most exceptional week, a most exceptional evening planned. More ambitious adventures can wait for the morning :-)
Sending you all my love!
Love T
I was *so* sad to wave goodbye to Murray this morning, as he settled his overstuffed pack in the taxi, airport bound for Buenos Aires. His pack is heavy due to his generosity of spirit -- he´s heavy an extra pair of hiking boots (mine) to free room in his sweet sister´s luggage for tourist souviners she plans to acquire in the coming week :-)
I remain in El Calafate for 2 more days, before returning to Buenos Aires myself, and though a little blue with missing Murray, I am reveling in hot running water, abundant restaurants (more chocolate shops than you can count), and the deliciousness of wearing tennies instead of those hulking hiking boots which were a constant companion for the past 5 days. I found a laundry in this small town, miracle of miracles, and hope to have the unthinkable -- clean socks -- by this time tomorrow.
This afternoon I also said goodbye to two exceptional women who became friends of ours on the trek, Laura and Sarah, of Boisie and Fairbanks. We four met on the tourist shuttle to the park at the beginning of the week, and during the trek our paths crossed often along the way, as they also followed the W course East to West. Fellow adventurers, we swapped stories of our funny (mis)adventures, and compared bruises, blisters, and the strategies employed to not blow off the trail. This afternoon, they helped keep me company after Murray had departed, over local draft beers, we liquid lunched, and crafted list of advice to give Lonely Planet for their next update to the Trekking in Patagonia guidebook!
Now that it´s just me left in El Calafate, I´ve decided on a quiet, well earned, evening in. I stocked up on dinner supplies at the local supermarket, pulled out my iPod and Kindle, scoped out the TV remote, and confirmed the readiness of my bath soap (which doubles as bubble bath). After a most exceptional week, a most exceptional evening planned. More ambitious adventures can wait for the morning :-)
Sending you all my love!
Love T
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The Grandest of Adventures!
Greetngs Friends and Family!
It´s been a long time since I´ve been able to post to the blog to tell you Murray and I are safe and sound. But we are, and we are returned from our grand adventure!
With minutes to spare from Murray´s taxi dropping him at my hotel door, we sprinted to a cafe then to the domestic airport for El Calafate, the small mountain town north of our destination, Torres del Paine. Plane to bus, we were finally settled in our humble hostel for the next few hours before our 530 am transport to the park.
Poor Murray had slept none on the plane here, little on the flight to El Calafate, but we were both satisfied with a 3 course pizza dinner in town, sustaining us till midnight sorting our backpacks and assorted sundries, in preparation for the trek.
At noon, we arrived in the Torres del Paine, having crossed to the Chilean border with scraps of paper attached to our passports we were at pains not to lose.
Murray helped me off the bus with my pack, and I held his aloft as he settled his on his shoulders. And thus we were off on our trek!
We saw the most spectacular mountain ranges, trekking humbly in their midst, under cover of a bit of rain, a bit of snow, brilliant sunshine, and strong winds that swept the breath from our noses, and the threw us onto the rocks. We crossed rivers on bridges meant for one person at a time (um, does that include the pack?!), crossed streams leaping rock to rock, traversed plains of brush, fields of boulders, climbed small walls of granite to achieve steeper hills on the top. We were stretched to our breaking point, not to mention tripped ankles, sore toes, bruised shoulders and backs. We saw wildlife, birds of all sorts, emu, llama type creatures, fox. All told, I think we traveled 56 miles during our 5 days trekking. Every evening we arrived at our destination, I swore I was done, for I hadn´t another step in me. And each morning we re-tied our laces for another 20 kilometers or so.
Then suddenly, it was ended, and we had arrived at our destination. Bittersweet, we celebrated our endurance, our determination, simultaneously mourning it was ended. But then again, boy oh boy did we need a shower!!
We´ll fill you in on more of the details later, like the time Murray tripped on the pathway and landed upside down turtle-style limbs akimbo, flailing, while I watched on, helpless with laughter. Or the toenail on my right big toe which, injured by repeatedly stubbing my toe descending from the 3rd day´s ascent, formed a blister which separated my toenail from the nail bed -- we performed minor surgery by headlamp that night on my offended toe, trimming the nail and excising the blister. It was *so* gross!
Murray flies out tomorrow and I am staying in El Calafate to relax a bit, instead of heading straight to El Chalten (another trekking town north of here). We will post more later but I am overdue for my first night in a real bed :-)
Sending you hugs and kisses,
Love T
It´s been a long time since I´ve been able to post to the blog to tell you Murray and I are safe and sound. But we are, and we are returned from our grand adventure!
With minutes to spare from Murray´s taxi dropping him at my hotel door, we sprinted to a cafe then to the domestic airport for El Calafate, the small mountain town north of our destination, Torres del Paine. Plane to bus, we were finally settled in our humble hostel for the next few hours before our 530 am transport to the park.
Poor Murray had slept none on the plane here, little on the flight to El Calafate, but we were both satisfied with a 3 course pizza dinner in town, sustaining us till midnight sorting our backpacks and assorted sundries, in preparation for the trek.
At noon, we arrived in the Torres del Paine, having crossed to the Chilean border with scraps of paper attached to our passports we were at pains not to lose.
Murray helped me off the bus with my pack, and I held his aloft as he settled his on his shoulders. And thus we were off on our trek!
We saw the most spectacular mountain ranges, trekking humbly in their midst, under cover of a bit of rain, a bit of snow, brilliant sunshine, and strong winds that swept the breath from our noses, and the threw us onto the rocks. We crossed rivers on bridges meant for one person at a time (um, does that include the pack?!), crossed streams leaping rock to rock, traversed plains of brush, fields of boulders, climbed small walls of granite to achieve steeper hills on the top. We were stretched to our breaking point, not to mention tripped ankles, sore toes, bruised shoulders and backs. We saw wildlife, birds of all sorts, emu, llama type creatures, fox. All told, I think we traveled 56 miles during our 5 days trekking. Every evening we arrived at our destination, I swore I was done, for I hadn´t another step in me. And each morning we re-tied our laces for another 20 kilometers or so.
Then suddenly, it was ended, and we had arrived at our destination. Bittersweet, we celebrated our endurance, our determination, simultaneously mourning it was ended. But then again, boy oh boy did we need a shower!!
We´ll fill you in on more of the details later, like the time Murray tripped on the pathway and landed upside down turtle-style limbs akimbo, flailing, while I watched on, helpless with laughter. Or the toenail on my right big toe which, injured by repeatedly stubbing my toe descending from the 3rd day´s ascent, formed a blister which separated my toenail from the nail bed -- we performed minor surgery by headlamp that night on my offended toe, trimming the nail and excising the blister. It was *so* gross!
Murray flies out tomorrow and I am staying in El Calafate to relax a bit, instead of heading straight to El Chalten (another trekking town north of here). We will post more later but I am overdue for my first night in a real bed :-)
Sending you hugs and kisses,
Love T
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