tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96377231175808202024-03-12T20:57:33.310-04:00From Sea to Shining SeaThe story of a Navy family on a non-Navy boat (and beyond!)Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.comBlogger834125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-90269628613182610722023-08-31T11:07:00.006-04:002023-10-03T12:13:54.105-04:00Boat Habits Do Not Die!<p>Today the remnants of hurricane Idalia are dumping rain over the Carolinas and we are under a flood watch as we live in a low-lying, swampy part of northeast North Carolina. School is cancelled, Frank is off working at the Coast Guard base, and what was I up to this morning? Using nature's bounty of water! Maybe it's because we lived on a boat for over a decade, or maybe it's because I've been a "tree hugger" for as long as I can remember, or maybe it's because sea water amazed me as a little (and older!) girl, but I am always looking for ways to best use this precious resource. </p><p>While cruising and making our own water, we found lots of ways to conserve and really only washed the boat when we had a good downpour. As we prepared for this rain yesterday, I connected hoses to our rain barrels that were sure to overflow given the forecast and ran them to the pool which has been low since we haven't had rain in a while. The spigots are open and water is flowing from our roof to the pool! I had to adjust the hoses this morning to get a little better flow, but the pool water level is rising nicely.</p><p>We live down a gravel road so I've mostly given up on having a pretty car (which pains this Midwestern girl's heart), but with this steady rain I decided to go out with a rag and wipe some of the dirt off knowing that she will get another few hours of rinsing! Of course, both neighbors across the street were leaving their houses during this time and no doubt think I'm absolutely crazy. So it's probably good that they left before I continued on to wipe down the mailbox, painted fence posts, porch railings, front door, and porch siding, but guys, it's BRILLIANT! Now I don't have to tap into our water table and run our pump (we are on well water out here in the sticks) to get the clean house that I love! No electricity to run the pump, no wear-and-tear on the pump, no sucking water out of the ground when I can use it as it falls from the sky. My apologies to my new neighbors, but this is me!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHlJPwsme9Hs7xWtjpJ7uSzbENF6qDlSMB89HRW8nu26vwT3D429ODq3_kJZcD-RkjLH-FDPN4K45l_zv4y_F2z6cO-VROKNn5kjDzN_JQkqUGqgOHTuLcz5MNqdMJhJvIXMY_0S5h9cO8ZNvSYdf1HDAnlfSzFRPZaSOzBXIlKbOp61KjYXD-PjKjw/s3024/95838531-C6F9-48B3-9A91-950C6BC65516_1_201_a.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHlJPwsme9Hs7xWtjpJ7uSzbENF6qDlSMB89HRW8nu26vwT3D429ODq3_kJZcD-RkjLH-FDPN4K45l_zv4y_F2z6cO-VROKNn5kjDzN_JQkqUGqgOHTuLcz5MNqdMJhJvIXMY_0S5h9cO8ZNvSYdf1HDAnlfSzFRPZaSOzBXIlKbOp61KjYXD-PjKjw/s320/95838531-C6F9-48B3-9A91-950C6BC65516_1_201_a.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may have looked insane, but I'm always happy to clean!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>And for anyone that is curious, I did visit the boat yesterday to make sure all was well. We weren't super worried, but I did take down the sunshade, added a few lines (as the marina had requested everyone double up), and checked for chafe. She's looking good (albeit maybe a little lonely) and the MWR Norfolk Naval Sailing Center crew is keeping a good eye on her and the docks!</div><div><br /><br /><p></p><p>~Jo, Country Domestic Engineer </p></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-71667064528616322132023-08-16T19:07:00.004-04:002023-10-03T13:05:43.142-04:00 Land Life--Hall Bath RefreshOur land life home is very dated, so much of our time (and money) is spent right now updating it. I'm at the point where I think I can say we have two complete rooms (others are close, but need trim painting and new flooring)--the laundry room and the kids' bathroom! And I just wanted to remember what we did in that bathroom so here it is!<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjZLEEpcHNpml7-6qUIGvYRPPym_iHwm3uMsCM7oExU-mnlSxQuINAxEFuIuag57maVw-FtY0dQB1A4Yu9X6xCQk7-tAVZfnqg6Eo3ZLtyYPk9ksd27sBPonpyqQL7m-dx3tYKeXIqRsvqInUqSAv110teue5spDrsu-l7u_yD9ErR9OrXJRu-GiP8w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjZLEEpcHNpml7-6qUIGvYRPPym_iHwm3uMsCM7oExU-mnlSxQuINAxEFuIuag57maVw-FtY0dQB1A4Yu9X6xCQk7-tAVZfnqg6Eo3ZLtyYPk9ksd27sBPonpyqQL7m-dx3tYKeXIqRsvqInUqSAv110teue5spDrsu-l7u_yD9ErR9OrXJRu-GiP8w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVE how this room turned out!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div><div>We began with a builder-basic bath that was almost 20 years old and complete with peachy fixtures, bright blue paint, vinyl flooring, mis-matched light bulbs, and a super short vanity. They goal? A "John Wick"-worthy space that could be done quickly (while our daughter was away in France) and preferably for a reasonable cost. The plan was for Jody and Trent to do most of the work, with Frank helping out on the weekends and after work as needed. It ended up taking just under four weeks, but given that Frank was away for the first weekend and we headed to a NASCAR race and had a full soccer schedule in there, I think we did okay!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_ffd7_7e48_cc92_6f4a" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2aa4_bf67_4b08_87a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-xwFVcX1kuHULJtL5VLzEJR9VLysiVOaHAlwM1v6sdtDCXlJCklMgCR_AZhWo-6oTIlKsAFnRbxJ-x-mAcNfDUyZnhd" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original bathroom.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>The design was a mix of stuff we chose (Trent chose the mosaic that is featured and drove pretty much every other design choice, and the kids picked out all the faucets), stuff we had (the vanity), and stuff we scored crazy deals on (paint and vanity top). And everything else just sort of fell into place.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_c4f9_fb0f_91e5_1d0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_368d_9726_52a9_94c5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-z-HWN52jwF0IdHQCYqDPmQTt5J6HtdEtz3oPKpnRoouezUSNlv4CFKGI_lZTiY9NpbPamILWU-yXBKTutM3iLktULPyQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE tile that drove the design, along with the flooring and vanity paint chip.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Summary of changes:</div><div>- The bath. We tore out the old one and chose to go with a tub/wall system. While we prefer full tile, it's been over a decade since I last tiled and really just wanted to keep this project moving along. Therefore we chose the Bootz Nextile 4-piece wall system (available at Home Depot) so that we could at least add a little pop of tile. This required us to pick a tub with an edge that would work with the wall system and as we weren't fans of the shallow tubs they market with it, we opted for an American Standard tub that curves out a bit. The Nextile back wall actually comes into the shower space about 4" to create the niche (rather than having it set back in the studs) so the curved tub helps to regain that space so the shower feels spacious. Paired with a curved shower rod it's just perfect! But...this choice led to some issues. The subfloor was in good condition, but there was luan under the vinyl flooring and not under the old tub, and since the new tub curved out over where the old vinyl floor was, we had to pour some self-leveling concrete to match everything up. We also had to cut the subfloor to drop the old drain about 2" to accommodate the modern tub. And totally not related to our tub choice, we had to fix the framing around the tub--we had always noticed a curve in the wall and discovered that 1x4 "shims" had been used on one wall and we honestly think it was done because the ceiling drywall was cut short and they had to fill the gap somehow! Gah! I removed all of that unnecessary wood, we shimmed the sides equally where needed, and I fixed the drywall. While we were in there we also ran the water lines correctly through the studs rather than outside of them like we found them. And just for fun, I added rockwool to all of the shower walls to help keep shower sounds out of the adjacent bedrooms. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_82e1_c36a_89ff_f96c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-wxBzJbPRzGjR31zoG-wxxX24t3WuVTe3YZ8ylhW4cHHJMOAnCI_iyp5Ipu8qmazI5Dc1KmZ7JOZLUbZTVVZVKE_1_V-Q" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick before/during/after.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2033_368e_60d4_5557" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-ytckg4m1bmjPe8M49BWne1W4zBSAPY3wP0G0KO0f7Deyp_fty0Q_t5t7R_pkQzqENnHUdjFi6Hzmwpv3k4Eo1bnd1SCA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plumbing issue (top left), the "interesting" shims (bottom left), and the view of the drainpipe from inside the crawl space--just had to adjust this a little!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7055_cc48_38f1_bbc8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-zHVDCaLf6rmB9_UGI50xeyhjn13mtmnuB92iYzvGb0Pi-anX561d2ikunaQy3Zh7fkY18DAFkhg8PVu5WJd3wfnw3ipA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The build!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>- The tile. The Nextile walls gave us the opportunity to add an accent to the shower and we opted to use that same tile as the backsplash for the vanity. I love how it ties the room together! This was a bit of a splurge, but as we didn't need too much of it we went for it. The tile really set the mood for the other design choices. We also finished out the tub with a border of subway bullnose tiles. For the grout, I chose the grey color from a selection of $3 "open bags"--we didn't need much and that stuff is normally $19.50 a bag! We also had to get some white grout for the tiles around the tub.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2bf8_a3ad_1372_4696" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-z-mJmgaYPF5-Jv0PEPF63XD4vMGIGjXxWy4V50EKgaytMndcTuh7AwoQnhOMAIilPA870-ImoVb8Yv-mxOd7FIStlb5g" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A splurge, but I LOVE this shiny/matte/cracked glass mosaic!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>- The vanity. The old vanity cabinet was only 30" tall and basically hit Trent mid-thigh, but it had lots of drawers that the kids liked. And since I don't like trashing stuff if we don't have to...we made it better! The vanity was "lifted" 4.5" on a wood base and we cut a new side panel and toe kick for it. We had scrap material from another project and only had to purchase two 2x4's to make this work. It was all painted with an oil-enhanced latex furniture paint in a gorgeous dark green and given new, matte black hardware. I am very happy with how modern this old vanity looks now and super happy that Trent can brush his teeth without doing a deep squat!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_29d9_f53d_5c65_4d5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-zeMJyP6PcfuJChI8ZonvNwM6Hqjjtam1rRkh2ruN4O_fG6Ye9K-OYkY77TMJwv3zGmsS5ZWQp8CqMw8FZ_4-jMlQ2lKg" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little project brings me so much joy! So happy we could make the old vanity work!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>- The vanity top. This is noteworthy for just how crazy this item is! We had purchased the basic $200 white vanity top at Lowe's when I saw a FB Marketplace listing for a 48" black vanity top that looked sharp. But there was a catch--it was only 48" (normally you have a 49" top on a 48" cabinet). I chatted with the seller who had installed one (he had a spare!) and his contractor had shimmed the top a bit to make it hang over a little on the right edge. We looked at our tile mosaic and realized we could use the tiles from it to make a little shim, too. I went for it and ended up with a vanity top that retails at $1300 (but was on sale for $900 at the time) for $150! Cheaper than the Lowe's basic and it looks so good! </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ee7a_d8e0_bef9_6a19" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-wcNPSzg6dT32rE2ks7iwFXqyyZz0AN6G6k7sPOhr5vHeCCwG4WDuGau7-8y8n-af1ggDYH9AC3eFUv6J7FMlA0J6ly" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The surprise bargain of the project!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>- The floor. I didn't really need to pull the old vinyl out for the flooring we chose, but I did anyway just to get eyes on the subfloor. We went with a Pergo Wet-Protect LVP flooring. Having used a similar product in two other spaces, I was excited to avoid the 2-day tile/grout process and looking forward to the feel of this floor. The curved tub added a bit of a challenge to the install, but nothing Frank couldn't handle! While the product doesn't require an underlayment, I still had some from those other projects so we used it here, too, just for some extra cushion and sound abatement. Am I worried about the edge that meets the tub? No. We don't have little kids that make big bath messes and we have a nice, flexible trim to help keep water off the edge of the LVP. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8e34_5625_9294_1c41" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-w9gncsHraqFitrxWf0QBjhFL9SuJSLRK7Ghfya65VLe3eMZizA8NZ8JFLQJr5nlvTv6fPtyLrkCKzRBWXWMV-yfrpyuA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank did a beautiful install one afternoon while I was out of town!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>- The mirror. I had a plan! I was going to cut down the old builder-grade mirror and frame it in the same color as the vanity. Well, my second cut sent a huge crack through the mirror so I had to scrap that plan and start shopping, soooo....</div><div><br /></div><div>- The lighting. With the mirror "fail" my shopping took me to a few modern, LED lit mirrors. Oh. My. We had a stayed at some AirBnB's with these mirrors and I liked them. When I priced it and compared to getting a new mirror and a new light fixture, the mirror/light combo was honestly not too much more. Installing it the way we wanted to required us to remove the old light box and wire a receptacle behind the new mirror. It was very easy as the old light had plenty of extra wire to it so I just added the new receptacle box about 10" lower on the wall. LOVE IT. This mirror has a defogger and three different light warmth settings which can also be dimmed. We also trashed the old, loud exhaust fan and replaced it with a low-profile Braun fan with an LED light. As both LED lights have selectable warmth settings, we are able to "match" the light tones in the room to make it a cohesive look. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7cb_ba69_57e0_5111" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-yT8bMmNwnpKBjZZf8hNLEi-3aY6mwmUHoy6bCfkzDX3vxLsJvBmXs33lWfBRY0gSWEszdzDToyFKzwtsxwIf065dCWkA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never been so happy that I cracked a mirror! This one is sweet!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>- The commode. The toilet was upgraded to an American Standard "Champion" and we added a Tushy bidet (seriously, I WILL find a way to get a bidet on the boat!). And of course we swapped out the flusher so it matched the fixtures. This toilet may seem pricey when you first see the cost, but it comes with the wax ring you need to install it and a soft-close lid (another thing I think is a "must").</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a9b5_45cb_81de_4090" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-wJSqnwK30bwtnvvU_K8zdLsdOmMh8CcRDOuJEQUD0EbgyaAFzDJf65c9iNsf4-i4Aqw42ZAravufA0MNRNP-nnHtX8Mg" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>- The fixtures. All the plumbing and hanging fixtures were changed to matte black. Most are Allen+Roth items from Lowe's, but a few are Amazon finds. I also updated the receptacle and switches to decora-style (expect to see more of that throughout the house!).</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2b8b_b064_739b_a7d5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AITFw-ye6EoWvfm2YxFGO5eQsnLRHmz50igA7OJeRtKLIEp8u3Wvtl0Hd_0WsAk29IRwg6zEtjn1oE6Pyx409r5WAm6jW_gf" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /></div><div>- The paint. Of course we were going to paint, but this was another "find!" We make a habit of passing by the "oops" paint rack at Lowe's anytime we are in there. This is a great way to get 50% or more off of paint if you're doing a small project that only requires a gallon. While we were picking up the tub there was a grey color that looked like it might work and at $20, we figured we could try it. Well, we're all happy with it and very happy to not have paid $50 for it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Cost (approximate; note that we get a 10% military discount on most items at Lowe's and Home Depot and that's reflected here):</div><div><span> </span>Tub<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span> </span></span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> $300</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Shower walls<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span> </span></span><span> <span><span><span> <span> $460</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> Rockwool<span> <span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span><span> </span> <span> </span></span> <span> <span> </span> <span> $70</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div><div><span> </span>Mosaic tile<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> </span> <span> </span></span> <span> <span> $180</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Trim tile<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> $30</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Tile supplies (mastic, grout, caulk)<span> $95</span></div><div><span> </span>Floor leveling supplies<span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span><span> <span> $60</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Drywall supplies<span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> $75</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Lumber (framing, shims, trim)<span><span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>$50 (and also used some scraps we had)</span></span></div><div><span> </span>Vanity paint<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> $30</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Vanity top<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> $150</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Flooring<span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> <span> $135</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Mirror<span> <span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> $240</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Exhaust fan<span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> $150</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Toilet<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span><span> <span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> $229</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Bidet<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> $76</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Wall paint<span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> $20</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Ceiling paint<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> $0 (had on-hand from another room)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Cabinet hardware<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> <span> $14</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Tub and sink faucets<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span><span> <span> <span> <span> $240 <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Towel bars/hooks<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> $90<span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> </span>Shelves<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span><span> <span> <span> <span><span> <span> $20</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div> <span> Plumbing supplies<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> $200</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span> Electrical supplies<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span> <span> <span> <span> <span> $20</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div><div><b><span> TOTAL<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span> <span> $2934</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></b></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>It's probably fair to say I missed a few things so let's call it <b>$3000</b>. We have quite a few tools on hand that will be used throughout the house so the cost of those isn't included, but that's a big part of any renovation project as well. We were also fortunate to have neighbors who let us borrow the perfect hole saw to make our cut for the tub faucet! We could have made this project more affordable as cheaper options were available for the tub, toilet, flooring, fan, mirror, faucets, fixtures, and backsplash (and I guess some would say a bidet isn't a necessity, but IMO it is!), so this could easily have cost $600-$800 or maybe even $1000 less. But this isn't a flip, it's our home. And I'm ok admitting that some of our choices were made simply because we wanted to make them! And because seriously folks, a bidet IS a necessity. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>~Jo, Country Domestic Engineer</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-70687676180419272742023-06-07T10:41:00.001-04:002023-10-03T12:33:20.152-04:00Joy! And heartache.The boat's spa time was coming to a close...the bottom had been sandblasted and faired, the waterline was raised, and the paint was on! Last weekend the boatyard splashed her, we showed up after hours to swap out the house bank batteries (HEAVY!), and before they opened the next day the delivery crew (everyone but Jo) cleared the slings and was underway! The boat was soooo dirty from a winter on the hard where there are a ton of trees and birds, but we decided to just wait until she was in the new slip to address it.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRpeQl9LPCKBn1vbpIEMyqP89ycgjexhQJSTRTMkAB1piUhZ98xh5mX2vpjtuaxLJJqAKkXAtqQXe2FGT5R8dQaYgzU35AVfYTvRz-ZACK-wxABWn5EkH8KPKTFzYwVdqmrDuLiUQE6E9CFqt7JBxbHc050Rd_ceNNYnWChu5kD79Y73-vdAXT1znM_w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRpeQl9LPCKBn1vbpIEMyqP89ycgjexhQJSTRTMkAB1piUhZ98xh5mX2vpjtuaxLJJqAKkXAtqQXe2FGT5R8dQaYgzU35AVfYTvRz-ZACK-wxABWn5EkH8KPKTFzYwVdqmrDuLiUQE6E9CFqt7JBxbHc050Rd_ceNNYnWChu5kD79Y73-vdAXT1znM_w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They splashed her and left her at the slings--we can only come/go at this yard at high tide!</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCo36nv4AfdFRgCk1y8bGqtSPwev9_E4WMmv0NdwqVH5ayLyu0kxC3iOhNVjBTVkY1E-nc9fNvo8W_zrXGQ9NGdgHe74bTTiTkuP8s_LiroRBlLb9yHJwU8bWoYvPjVpPKIybjAIUMNxEvyOl0Km7JwPqQPhqso1yMnTAsOc4l-XGzkkCXjaXFXExSgg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCo36nv4AfdFRgCk1y8bGqtSPwev9_E4WMmv0NdwqVH5ayLyu0kxC3iOhNVjBTVkY1E-nc9fNvo8W_zrXGQ9NGdgHe74bTTiTkuP8s_LiroRBlLb9yHJwU8bWoYvPjVpPKIybjAIUMNxEvyOl0Km7JwPqQPhqso1yMnTAsOc4l-XGzkkCXjaXFXExSgg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cockpit dinner at sunset with my favorite peeps. Only being at anchor would have made it better!</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYvyFHkNQ0hPEqC6IrUoI8L2RIT6LO9XHNq8XXH_PtqQmndrVEfNFLjQkBxOY72CXRFiD-75VA_t3SYWVX3epnvBDEWilX9ztY-jqqo1Z2_HP3K18dCNasOEZhP7K04S7m03mKu2GMXluyzvxriiTAYscyUeEr2Kiafw-bQgSV45E_ZO3k2ep53Z-gOg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYvyFHkNQ0hPEqC6IrUoI8L2RIT6LO9XHNq8XXH_PtqQmndrVEfNFLjQkBxOY72CXRFiD-75VA_t3SYWVX3epnvBDEWilX9ztY-jqqo1Z2_HP3K18dCNasOEZhP7K04S7m03mKu2GMXluyzvxriiTAYscyUeEr2Kiafw-bQgSV45E_ZO3k2ep53Z-gOg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuck, yuck, YUCK! I can't wait to clean her!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div>The crew arrived at NAVSTA Norfolk just as the predicted increase in wind started. We got tied up, met a few neighbors, and set to work getting tanks filled and systems aligned. JOY! It was so nice to be in a slip with water and power and to see her floating again instead of in stands. We weren't going to stay long so we just did some tidying topsides and would plan to return later in the week for a deeper clean. But then...</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvCaK6grooyIUFUh2sxIPeP-KVditzIl1eFSSItq2oQ7pIaPW42vSvIFuUfareFj5NPJje6SUkMJnvwrBaqxeEKvb6Srw3Xlv0dOLw43H_fWjtifJ3VUD3o53dFeHyl-uAFpJADJbA3MWPFXMfqvNbEgVHn2dHq_emxLd28QDfnWn_rP9LQzuTb3vddA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvCaK6grooyIUFUh2sxIPeP-KVditzIl1eFSSItq2oQ7pIaPW42vSvIFuUfareFj5NPJje6SUkMJnvwrBaqxeEKvb6Srw3Xlv0dOLw43H_fWjtifJ3VUD3o53dFeHyl-uAFpJADJbA3MWPFXMfqvNbEgVHn2dHq_emxLd28QDfnWn_rP9LQzuTb3vddA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new slip is awesome!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>HEARTACHE. As I was picking up topsides I saw it. Why, oh why, didn't I see it before we left the boatyard??? There was no mistaking--we have a crack in the mast. Again. Yes, again. A class issue on this boat is small drainholes in the base of the deck-stepped mast, which can cause serious problems during a freeze/thaw cycles. This happened to us before over a decade ago (<a href="https://seatosea-powers.blogspot.com/2012/03/picture-says-thousand-words.html" target="_blank">2012 mast crack</a>) and when we repaired it we also enlarged those drain holes. We have sailed and lived in cold areas for half of our time since then without incident. But this one winter on the hard in southern Virginia seems to have been too much and now we have a nearly identical crack on the other side. So, yay, the old repair held! I swear this is the boat telling us how pissed she was about being left on the hard.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7i4wuXlm0ZE8tGqTT6O5DV0d8EKuvOS8k6t5Nle1cYzFd8_gOo8ADHTa6ApzDzUfNO-VIwLwU3VdSVYPHvKuWUnsSWyguGEvfi0Rvf_Do5nqgQo8MSpJWm4KQazLqZq5qXsB2yNPn7o8b1vhBd2_v4wV5SIKfQnVQPqtW7EEAYCfTN0KV6i90Ftlc8g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7i4wuXlm0ZE8tGqTT6O5DV0d8EKuvOS8k6t5Nle1cYzFd8_gOo8ADHTa6ApzDzUfNO-VIwLwU3VdSVYPHvKuWUnsSWyguGEvfi0Rvf_Do5nqgQo8MSpJWm4KQazLqZq5qXsB2yNPn7o8b1vhBd2_v4wV5SIKfQnVQPqtW7EEAYCfTN0KV6i90Ftlc8g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new crack. We will drill holes at the ends of it until we can get the mast taken down.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRDhPurjDkCJWcKDjbd64hDdisAQEB3ciGBnZbO5vShJvuUeglgKFb45I32FvfWeIZOjbZvAjqPRo6Qn-b7udzg2ma4wAtwK3HhxvVgY117NXWV_yzAnuF1PmAEhpY82rkR9BtYQGRhWU8bh7m_ZYWqcJ7JDomnHsesfPEoIh04XvYF4HICkr-IwzpgA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRDhPurjDkCJWcKDjbd64hDdisAQEB3ciGBnZbO5vShJvuUeglgKFb45I32FvfWeIZOjbZvAjqPRo6Qn-b7udzg2ma4wAtwK3HhxvVgY117NXWV_yzAnuF1PmAEhpY82rkR9BtYQGRhWU8bh7m_ZYWqcJ7JDomnHsesfPEoIh04XvYF4HICkr-IwzpgA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inner sleeve and weld on the original crack have held up great over the years! </td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>What now? The good news is that this time we aren't living on the boat like we were during the first crack so we have more flexibility. We will clean the boat up, look at our options, research yards that can do this job well, and plan another haul out period. Ideal? No. But we honestly have a lot going on this summer with the kids/house and spending a ton of time on the boat was a bit of a stretch anyway. We will fix it when we can and we will go from there. And who knows? Maybe in the next haul out I'll get to do some more hull work that is on my long-range plan!</div><div><br /></div><div>~Jo, Country Domestic Engineer who is hopelessly in love with a temperamental boat </div></div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-69651957870642260382023-05-11T20:36:00.002-04:002023-10-03T13:12:00.301-04:00Did we swallow the hook?<p>And just like that...we have a house! It's not our first time owning one, but it's been a while since we've lived in one or furnished one. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjltRuLN33BTBRpW6YjbZWUAoNBy5Pd-cV4eEBbuY9OQ8Ul6pSasFd84PxwQ8ZhJ31KgPMkQ_Tb3QZo88irqZ_iuD-6Fy98q9GOIxvWc6Tfg6y3hCv8AUjVjFwBekHP4WLPw4PVDsaWkhJjcoC3d8CPDxoPIvpcn3r-6b59Kte4uxl19fq15ypu5EsV0Q" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjltRuLN33BTBRpW6YjbZWUAoNBy5Pd-cV4eEBbuY9OQ8Ul6pSasFd84PxwQ8ZhJ31KgPMkQ_Tb3QZo88irqZ_iuD-6Fy98q9GOIxvWc6Tfg6y3hCv8AUjVjFwBekHP4WLPw4PVDsaWkhJjcoC3d8CPDxoPIvpcn3r-6b59Kte4uxl19fq15ypu5EsV0Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little home in the country.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD0GpDYqz8jggpd1B-1H2Sc85oAi-ZdieTQfjbDsbpEmLq7PyCuesoebHJtIpruBUZFJ_6-FqwEdTswW5ZrdlaenHH0IIS8Gz5tWjzgvucxBjjtwoBVxeCAr-bN7wj_Er_btRfegnh2MINxp826b3zzJNn8xh_cXhfSxcKx00LrD6aUGJacy9WidCojQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD0GpDYqz8jggpd1B-1H2Sc85oAi-ZdieTQfjbDsbpEmLq7PyCuesoebHJtIpruBUZFJ_6-FqwEdTswW5ZrdlaenHH0IIS8Gz5tWjzgvucxBjjtwoBVxeCAr-bN7wj_Er_btRfegnh2MINxp826b3zzJNn8xh_cXhfSxcKx00LrD6aUGJacy9WidCojQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had NOTHING on the first day!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Let me back up just a smidge. See, we always expected that we would stay put for a few years (perhaps on the boat!) while the kids did a little normal schooling. Frank planned to go back to work during that time while the other adult tended house and tried to figure out what she wants to do when she grows up. While we were in South America Frank set to out to find a job and we all chimed in on where we prefered to end up. There were many options considered (the blessing and curse of having no constraints), with most being back with his former employer. But something unexpected happened...an opportunity aligned with the right time and place to be near family and after a good bit of discussion, we have settled in northeast North Carolina in the county Frank grew up in! This was definitely NOT on our radar when we first talked about setting our anchor for a few years, but we are near family, friends, the boat, and the "normal" the kids were anxious to experience. And we are all experiencing something we haven't been able to as a military or traveling family--routine dinners with grandma! </p><p>So there you have it. We have dirt. Ironically we have the same number of beds and baths as we had on the boat, but there is definitely more room here! The boat will still be in our lives, just an hour away in Norfolk. And as we are right between the AICW and the Dismal Swamp Canal and near the "Harbor of Hospitality" of Elizabeth City, NC we hope to still see and interact with the cruising community.</p><p>In our first month Frank has started work, he bought a great old truck, we have bought three beds, the kids have started to attend driver's ed, we've learned about our well pump, we've learned how to take care of a pool, we've somehow acquired enough seats to sit on and plates to eat off of, we have mowed grass, Katreina somehow talked us into getting a cat, and paint has begun to coat every surface of the home (and about a million other little things). </p><p>Did we swallow the hook? I don't think so. I prefer to think that we have just dropped the anchor in a very secure anchorage for a bit...</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-26202438732694383182023-04-18T13:12:00.012-04:002023-11-14T13:22:16.589-05:00Farewell, South America!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have taken my sweet time in getting to the point where I would write this post. Our South American adventure is officially over. In fact, it's been over for about a month! It ended with a day of travel that would have tested many travelers, but I feel like we handled it well. </div><p></p><p>We flew from Iguazu to Buenos Aires, with Frank dealing with work and home buying calls in both terminals. Our flight out of Buenos Aires got delayed, causing a chain reaction that added a flight and several hours to our trip. We enjoyed lie-flat seats on the first flight, several hours in a nice lounge in Bogota (with more work and home calls!), and a very quick layover in San Jose before finally touching down in Washington, D.C. around midnight, a mere 36 hours after we left Iguazu. We checked back into the country, got an Uber, and settled in at our sister's house in Maryland.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxE4hLvNNtZpWy4gRDMdt8aoVnmobL3zRm5sApYC4hax9ShgSLtNKzQtv19WqC4FA9anpKzEb7hYJmDZcp57MR3Udf_80eJPjcH0fUOM56t3YWjwSj-hw66Hb0o2BDcazji2qHAAgaZbwAmaqD8iUrxR06m276NEaFZ0UpRVuHxJ83C9WP4f9wkZO2uA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxE4hLvNNtZpWy4gRDMdt8aoVnmobL3zRm5sApYC4hax9ShgSLtNKzQtv19WqC4FA9anpKzEb7hYJmDZcp57MR3Udf_80eJPjcH0fUOM56t3YWjwSj-hw66Hb0o2BDcazji2qHAAgaZbwAmaqD8iUrxR06m276NEaFZ0UpRVuHxJ83C9WP4f9wkZO2uA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lie-flat seats and lounges kept this crew's spirits up!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>It's done. A whole new adventure begins now and to be honest, I think I was more prepared for a year in South America than I am for this next journey, but with my awesome crew I know it will be memorable.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX8sp03w0APL1NqH3KZ7h-5_vrl0_zyxPMdP-0XIxFoVUjQmC01-4uCqyIRX7eaPo4uoa7gj9hmXRzlubhRtipNDFw_iONFZVJAfI5OLYh39lPGrI50ckZHl6rQE0yCNt8eSQSOb7MYT6R834YMcJnP0E7WZmzZE5P4PIletZj-kF7HV3vOotY2moCsA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX8sp03w0APL1NqH3KZ7h-5_vrl0_zyxPMdP-0XIxFoVUjQmC01-4uCqyIRX7eaPo4uoa7gj9hmXRzlubhRtipNDFw_iONFZVJAfI5OLYh39lPGrI50ckZHl6rQE0yCNt8eSQSOb7MYT6R834YMcJnP0E7WZmzZE5P4PIletZj-kF7HV3vOotY2moCsA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last sunset of the trip, taken on our last flight.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><p></p><p>~Jo, the former nomadic momma ;)</p></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-33128487525858327082023-04-04T11:54:00.001-04:002023-04-30T12:58:37.207-04:00 Amazing Iguazu<p>When we originally made our decision to travel in South America, one of the "must do's" was Iguazu (or Iguaçu or Iguassu in Portuguese) Falls, and we did it! In a word, it was AMAZING!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="263" id="id_1cd9_ea33_20aa_a194" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81pnr-4N7QbMmVof6RHsPO-sCk19mzrVCoqSzM2MQptnW-Oy8AxCkO_Rz_lIccexTotwX9DJhP4v5XAGZpe3b9OQzOCx8A=w640-h263" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e868_1dbe_675e_4699" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81pLxvReQG27qnk3pMPzeVDB-NbUCtgW8WTXe1GUJdZU2ja_RzGLKKpvo7T4sEYEx1YyQoRA578NHACBBr7z8nH-frB9" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_7a7c_defb_a3ec_ccdb" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_f438_2a05_327e_a1b9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81olod1IE8L3p4YYq447nVeKSobKzrSJdo-mFGd2-YIcTB-ess0c8aarfoYqM3XU6I5kVKoNGM_OFOuhz5v6_80UV9F_" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The falls from Brazil (top) and Argentina (middle and bottom...bottom is "Devil's Throat").</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We hopped on our first airplane in months and flew from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu. Flights on this route are actually pretty affordable on local carrier FlyBondi (like Spirit or RyanAir), even with checked bags and seat selections. We also opted to splurge on a rental car for our visit so that we could have maximum flexibility with our limited time. So our first adventure was crossing the border to Brazil! This actually wasn't much of an adventure (unless you count the many speed bumps in Argentina and big potholes in Brazil) as it's a well-traveled, easy border.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4185_1463_10b9_dda4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81pfjeoxmfE_uMt010Ms5wdk8U2LhFg0L9tf1Zdt73WxWtjZo0SvRlRBA92CDAK4y1K7F-RRSHsmK9ASUaouQcqlgYzabA" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Iguazu National Park actually consists of two parks--one on the Argentinean side that is home to 80% of the falls (and boasts some up-close-and-personal trails both at the bottom and top of various falls) and one on the Brazilian side that is home to 20% of the falls (but some of the best views of the entire falls system). The gouge on the falls is that you can do it in one day (Argentina side), but if you have two days you can spend one on each side (the experience is different!), and if you have three days you can do some things outside of the parks and take your time while in the parks. We planned to spend four nights in the area so we had lots of time to take it all in!</p><p>Our night in Brazil was spent at Iguassu Eco Hostel where we relaxed in the pool, enjoyed amazing caipirinhas, and had a great dinner. The next day we visited the Brazil side of the falls which really does provide an amazing panoramic view of the Argentinean falls as you walk along the trail. There is also a catwalk that basically puts you mid-falls, with water rushing down towards you on one side and water rushing past you to the river on the other side. We could almost touch the raging water from some of the platforms! My photos will never do it justice, but will hopefully inspire you to put it on your list! We didn't do all of the nature trails in the park as we had some other things we wanted to get to, but we did see coati!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e90b_7de6_977b_69a0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81oyibGiL-f1elPOQ-OQeEtcunCKVBtF-W0C7BTwDbOtISCx2mrfyMelBYIxztVGK83pAIiRvzht9BEPG9YYfQlu70GexQ" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_89cd_69fd_e52d_678e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81qedP9rNU8MIdSUagqUmS1POxuAptBLxwedwTrcvQr61wKM3ol5nj5EiTaHAlYUjmrEZqhTJJdLs9GZTh1WDdoKDfrc4Q" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_7619_a344_1bbf_b42" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_d166_f70c_9891_5c0e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81rhNj71SC7T6FNlTPoMARBeUbkXfoqiuEYpvQSxHdas1JULxzRmfHouUg9moDqvIGjSW_kECABBM6nynb0u4Rb5hab2" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The panoramic views of the falls from the Brazil side are amazing!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Our next stop in Brazil was the Parque de Aves. It's a bird park with several aviaries that house birds that were rescued from illegal trade or injury. It's really well laid-out with informative signs and knowledgable staff. We saw so many birds, but the standouts for me were the alagoas currasow (only five left in the world, all in captivity), the harpy eagle, and the very photo-ready toucan. There is also a really good cafe at the park so we were able to have lunch while watching some birds, too! </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_74ff_36c9_9a62_7f43" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3ccb_9bda_bdeb_9c94" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81pmcWCcr9pG-y70Xt6FEYsM2xqGyf2di01fLkLENXzIGISmAv2m0_l-RslpxKEEgJVwytxmeRTdqgVBSZZpz8C9c5HJFg" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a sampling of the very educational park!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our final stop in Brazil for the day was the Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Plant, and it was awesome! This project isn't just remarkable for its size as it's the second largest hydroelectric facility in the world, but what really impressed me was the true binational nature of the project. It was built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay and continues to be operated as a joint venture, with all of the output being shared 50/50. The result is that Itaipu provides Paraguay with 75% of its nation's electricity needs while it provides much larger Brazil with 17% of its needs. Such an inspiring partnership! And while we were there the spillway was open which happens pretty infrequently so that was cool to see, and as part of the tour we dipped our toes into Paraguay! </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7899_b400_53ad_3f79" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81oP5wnfRQF1Bjmjq8Ch13X5dGePHWNamQYcgh8zBCpV5o0i5YKrHh5ug07LOsK0lqi5mYvjM0l-y_KYClC5xqDxzg2R3w" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_a095_c59a_99fd_50e7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_fee4_db0f_3b4e_2579" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81qN9jc__ulocVSGFCpuztKNsq_z3I81_CBXj2SKjeX2PmSjzN4YMo6LJU1pCfoqHqsB4HCAMw9iun2fj2bFwN7qYw1v" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was such a great tour, and the open spillway really put the power of the plant on display.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After our busy day in Brazil we headed to the Argentina side of the falls for three relaxing, final nights in South America. We had a very cozy room at a hotel outside of town that put us in a good spot to visit the falls. It was super easy to buy tickets to the falls and to the boat ride which was CRAZY! We got sooooo soaked, but it was just awesome to get to view the falls from the water and feel their power. Over two days of visiting this side of the park we did the boat ride, walked the upper and lower falls routes, and visited the Devil's Throat. And even though a few of the trails/experiences we hoped to due were closed due to the high water flow, we really felt that we got to experience the falls from so many angles and didn't miss a thing. We even walked (rather than take the train) back from the Devil's Throat for one last jungle experience and saw more butterflies than we have in some butterfly gardens! <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6d57_a077_5994_f2f3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81rL1lCQIOyMif0uoKiskWlLDaZhHxhSuhVdQ5DROmgKsYDA5uCcWpfgtxPzAkwfXJ5bdDRG29Dul2llV_PznPC0bWZA1g" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy Brewery, a pool, and a hotel cat--we had a great stay on the Argentina side!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5054_ec2b_350b_e0d4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81qD7wy5WRWZKFC8y32NIrgG_-kINei4eZK33riclAEnyjdwmz2eAdkWBERVN9L6TIlddjXGUXF-SbodxIR5z2S-WIFQHw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The videos from the boat ride were crazy. We went INTO the falls!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_bf73_cc2c_efab_3c6a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81rlmePBTH5oNY-mr3dOnTfbJrgDKk13yZ2xRyG1Q51APQ_rQL1peTFzoPTKNNSNHjqE-NWKdSG4jkOesIIMphQAeYIvgA" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7ff5_3263_57a4_8746" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81qkULWTUHGaHoxPNTvFii448-nd6iCLmCSFBaE1qD8fyG0T4V-cPCO9tkjglPiPAynO5mAewMIX28Ujnm0RoWdjIUhwEQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 on the Argentina side was boat ride, the lower falls trail, and the upper falls trail. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e302_6c5e_6f95_cb23" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81qutUXdGKdHUFGRnNwlqafX2b4jzq85iUTBt2OlbRdvd525EcBpV5DcWD8lQu1odUPZ8z42xyM892CS-Rew8sBA1edI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2 we visited the VERY busy Devil's Throat walkway.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I would 100% recommend visiting Iguazu Falls once in your life. Sometimes it is drier and more rock outcroppings show. Sometimes the water is flowing so much that many walkways are closed. While we were there for a "heavy" flow, I bet it's stunning no matter what. And with so many things to do around the area you can easily spend a few days and not get bored. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7e63_fa52_1848_3165" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AFGJ81p4VOhhOgEWVdK8eiURVncn1MjBzkr7OGtyWkGiDxJxPiADiz7MTwb-viOwmm6vB_EAmMe7qRvLZUhkNX09UVa_9iG-" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Tres Fronteras, where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina all meet in the middle of the river.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-33191429403849715622023-03-28T08:35:00.002-04:002023-03-28T08:35:46.512-04:00 Adventures in Buenos Aires<p>Several months ago we realized that timing could work out so that we would be in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, around our daughter's birthday. As she loves all things European and especially French, we made it happen! We also opted to have this time be "spring break" from homeschooling for the kids so that we could just enjoy the final few weeks of our travels (more on that later!). So after an overnight bus from Mendoza, we arrived in Buenos Aires to stay in a gorgeous three-bedroom apartment in the San Nicholas neighborhood and spend a week as tourists!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_4503_84e5_5437_3859" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_af3c_d805_49de_94fc" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VPK8YMLTGplx4Dy-uoPtYAB7_yS7Ea0oKciJvF7U7h9nWYQle_PbBcTtMRVgocAKEeU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ended with one of our best, most comfortable bus trips (and a birthday surprise on the bus!) and an amazing apartment!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Birthday celebrations during the week included visits to the stunning Galerias Pacifico shopping mall, the Obelisk, El Ateneo book store, the Caminito in Boca, and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano. That's what the girl wanted, and that's what she got! It was super hot all week, but we made it all work.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_b60e_8199_ae2c_3cf9" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2d05_a415_36e1_5b8c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BjZEdb34ANa8wFp0LUPfCBCkEeMgJi8SACwk7reGNpYNnyXydV8weAQ9tovzyQ9QBWE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday, kiddo!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_6018_fbb8_52b4_fc59" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_dafb_9fb9_8dda_dd96" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FTQoUnpuqu1nHOjqb8fsJGCqZ1Hc1yS8-wsvjo20VqHSAqqPDxwUpsMuhxp3_Hja5uE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galerias Pacifico, the Obelisk, and El Ateneo bookstore.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_4006_2428_4b67_2dab" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_93f2_a1b8_e932_fd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oMCQOmadMouhEcyYXarlLBnAt0n_0zFz5KcVJXYC6viITt0C3zIEagPCdAKIOh7sAC4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colorful Caminito (and the best choripán we had!).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_256a_a643_b3e3_8003" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a506_b59_e225_2d2" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/S5xayDNqz5UD3Js8PabGo2JB-6Aw0msC8Ii1_Z8E9GD5ZLqOqKdnyo59skbzhNShncw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frida Kahlo exhibit was my favorite at the museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The birthday surprise she didn't know about until the bus ride to BA was tickets to a Boca Juniors fútbol game! The local team plays in a stadium called "La Bombonera" that is famous for its loud, energetic home crowd! Fun fact--in Argentina there are ONLY home fans at the fútbol games so that there aren't fights and problems. It was CRAZY! The crowd sang and screamed for the entire 90 minutes of play even though the final score was 0-0. Our night also included a stop for choripan and beers before the game and other than the fact that our tickets weren't all together (but we managed to wedge into a spot together) it was an awesome experience! The kids have really gotten into fútbol/soccer and I think we all had a good time. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_3c6a_1aab_c687_513" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_37cd_9fa1_ccb4_79ea" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/P3_rx3dMGz-v-BnCoN6qpYpwp-BKFUyr8E7pMSyj16qqd3QkehLahlTmiIfMuF_E4xc" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">¡Vamos Boca! So much energy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of our "big" events was to go to a traditional Argentinean asado. Only the adults did it (and I opted to go full meat-eater that day to get the true experience) and it was such an amazing experience. We joined two other couples and our host for a walking tour of the Palermo neighborhood where we learned about its history and street art. We also picked up some meat from the famous Don Julio carneceria and had a tasting of local wines. And all of that was before we did much with asado! We learned about the fire, the parilla (grill), the meats, and we learned how to make chimichurri sauce. And the food! Oh man, every single thing we ate and drank was so delicious. And our companions were so nice...it really made for a very fun day.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_c94e_d635_f5e3_ee69" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_777a_306e_ac3d_fc83" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s4Y6aSiJZ0enm3U3tMrC9EeP-UOpnLLSWl7w7jILxUFTqT2tC6eZTvRLA_FE9hyIDY8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are so many interesting stories behind the street art around Palermo.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_a507_501e_5655_aeb9" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_76dc_b2e8_4f7d_9acf" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Ve9CpOvNPjtftV3bCi5ENMV3JflaOzNBJ4KxTATDuHSwYbq99d-AIsO0AJnJmOOJDas" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine, fernet and cola, more wine, and mate!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_ff9e_64a3_fa9e_df38" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ebd4_f82a_161d_67b7" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AB3yvkzd-OjIggP1Y7O11GzS3WuD_mf3bKdnBXKFQaN1IjsANFVHqlaLzspxUggw2Tw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food was AMAZING! Provoleta, blood sausage bruschetta, matambrito de credo, chorizo and sweetbreads, chimichurri, steak, salad, and sweet potato with ice cream and candied nuts. Just WOW!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_8d47_4aa4_7f9_704c" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4afa_2a1_7175_a0e0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AFU2CBqU42mploWoCSHjziKJPNSYS0oPcVX46J-PFltDqh9qlCpIj1NmrFv4wyLeJ5o" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We learned so much and had a great time with our group!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>And since we were in Buenos Aires we simply had to go to a tango! We opted to head to Tango Porteño as it was only a 10-minute walk from our apartment. The show included traditional folk dance along with the tango numbers, and the six-man bad was amazing! So glad we did it! But tangos start after 10pm so between the fútbol game and tango we had to get used to late nights.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_78d4_c1e9_dfdc_5392" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_72f_fed9_1a24_e8b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gV5w-IBFXy5oE_cK7p_hru_UqyzRCba1MVCbdbGac0Sd2GfVMLRvxhjH-UdFRdE8xBc" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tango Porteño was fabulous!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next night we had another surprise/unplanned event. As were were walking around town early in the week we saw a poster for an Imagine Dragons concert and decided to check out tickets. Well, they were available and we didn't have plans for the day of the show, so we went for it! It was a great show! It was all general admission on the polo grounds so we were just in the crowd out on the grass, but it was so good! Katreina and I were too short to see anything on the stage, but it really didn't matter. And I was a little surprised at how much of the band's music I actually knew!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_fd32_221d_1f34_abe5" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_af0_ce23_d640_2aa2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/h-_WvoVHNlyfDIG-tr5MpPVTwcF02qUd8tKytwzrsB_FgWhTcn2GYmjS8dM-zHzh2CQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This show was so good and so much fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The day after the concert we had another adventure--a day trip to Uruguay! Our original plan was to spend a week in Uruguay, traveling the tannat vineyards and beaches via car, but with an end date set for our travels we had to scale it down. Lucky for us, a ferry port was a 10-minute walk from our apartment and they ran day trips to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay! You check out of Argentina and into Uruguay before you even board the ferry, so that was convenient (it's a little more drawn out on the return). We arrived around 2pm on a very hot day, found a place for a lazy lunch, visited the lighthouse, walked the cobblestone streets, and enjoyed some tannat. It was a nice little trip to a new country!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_223a_a063_269f_b4c8" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2xFRBl8UTylb3ByYuR5hqnzbIi3YlVpHbrLj_MDHilutX8F4gmfSXh3vsJKAQGe8_iI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it easily! Great spot for a lazy lunch and for Frank to try the local speciality sandwich, chivito.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a621_9953_c6af_1770" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sU5cv7MHsXxJ9MZ8uB7AsgOiWVbP1ZCdf11wZW2loWueKEfwSYsIh6LANKZWzzCY_Kw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We explored the little lighthouse and the local wine.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ecda_6366_3c50_cc1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cL2kHo8VV4VV4GJR5erBPmQzbOlVjx8wDI8lxppDaq2mlNDeAS6TBRKuArftZ2bcshQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a cute little town to wander around, especially as the sun went down.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Our our last full day in BA Katreina and I visited Teatre Colón. It was stunning! It was fascinating to learn about the eclectic design of the building and its use over the years, and it really made us want to see an opera there. <p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ac97_6527_4757_9778" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xNP46_Bx11bLgXWDBUbYzHhRbfSOeNTXNtOHo5mkSUVA6cnzlQ99STxixPST4GZVYV8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was all so beautiful and the tour was very informative.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />With the heat we definitely didn't explore as many parks as I would have liked to, but we did have a good time in the city (NOT our normal habitat!). I could definitely visit again. There are so many neighborhoods to explore, so much food to eat, and so much culture to experience in Buenos Aires!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5e45_e93_9e79_1bb8" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cBZvLU7oyRvOmRzVKnRt6hPAQEoiIukIeL4IwdteqWz7hNE-jDYq21ZJuliYNSgzbaE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Buenos Aires.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-18358111507274912762023-03-05T16:18:00.002-05:002023-03-05T16:19:18.802-05:00 Mendoza...as tourists!<p>While we really enjoyed living like locals in Mendoza for a whole month, we did throw in a few "touristy" things.</p><p>First off was a trip our to Potrerillos for a day of rafting on the Mendoza River and zip lining across it! The rafting wasn't challenging, but it was fun and the kids got to try out being boat "captains" for the first time. The river is brown and rich with sediment from the mountains, but that sediment quickly settles out in the blue lake below. But we did have to rinse all the grit off in the really nice facilities at Argentina Rafting. They have nice-sized changing rooms with hot showers so you can de-river. We enjoyed a reasonably-priced, delicious multi-course lunch (a surprise since this was the only food game around and we are used to over-priced uninspiring food at places like that in the U.S.) with a great view of the river before setting off on a half-dozen zip lines. The final two were super long and crossed over the Mendoza River. It was a really fun day overall!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5408_348b_7a2c_ab15" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vzIe6Z11QoDpYNlULcAEIS3svhbSiTzPmP8AHJHPZseWBRiqX8FrU1ORRcmNb882pSY" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5ff9_6ad9_cae_c224" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vCrR248GXA1r-hWmTPvhi4FhNyMH8PK6-HIK5esbzpqD0HnbBbhOXPAdcKMqEa9jogY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a fun day with Argentina Rafting!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Let me start off by saying that bus tours that shuttle you around to viewpoints aren't normally my thing, but since we didn't have a car we opted to book the High Mountain tour so that we could see Aconcagua, the tallest summit in the Americas at 6962m, up close. This tour took us back to Potrerillos and into the southern extent of the Incan empire. It's like our trip is coming full circle! The landscape in the foothills of the Andes was stunning, and we had great views as our bus climbed to the Cristo Redentor Monument at 4200m. This was a really cool (cold and windy!) stop that symbolizes the union between Argentineans and Chileans and allowed us to peek back in to Chile. We also stopped at Puente del Inca, a natural rock bridge. It was a long day on the road, but wine and alfajores and a big Argentinean lunch got us through it!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_1ef7_2244_5f7e_499" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZMlg2N8PQWsaDCpHZw3H29UgvFGDMZ7EMBm_tliSR_9JS4gz6aEZZvqYbxn2LR1N5fY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saw the sites, learned about the area, and relaxed!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Frank and I snuck away for our own adventure at Bodega Santa Julia one day. We aren't super wine snobs, but knew we wanted to visit at least one of the famous Mendoza wineries and this one offered a harvest day! We learned about the wine industry of the region and how to harvest grapes, sipped wine while we harvested Malbec grapes, toured the wine production facility, tasted several wines, tried some olive oils from the adjacent grove, and finished the day with the winery's famous empanadas and wine in the courtyard. It was a full, fun, perfect adult day!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_fcac_253b_e708_b69b" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/gL4f1XkLSH30YnPWoDp2iBBrv4zy23g8PXiUXwcEv3I5G-7ZhwKgiJzPflt1HE2gNag" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Day Camp was so fun (and educational!)!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Near the end of our stay we headed about 40 minutes out of town to Lunlunta Valley for a sunset horseback ride with Los Pingos Horse Riding and it was AMAZING. This was honestly probably my best horseback ride experience ever. My horse, Padrillo, was super sweet and the trail took up into the hills over the wineries as the sun set. Then we headed back to the ranch under a clear night sky with the glow of the city lights of Mendoza in the distance. The night ended with a traditional asado meal, decent wine, and good conversation with fellow travelers. Everyone really enjoyed it.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6133_379_1bbb_8f94" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BgiPZdlEZOIWNxrR9w46uHRo7o_Q7YA427ZtY-96a_sH-87zddTeIbIhKN-YKzZ_xJY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunset horseback ride was a family favorite!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While we walked in General San Martín Park almost every day and enjoyed its many statues, one day Frank and I went the extra distance to climb Cerro de la Gloria to see the Monument to the Army of the Andes. This impressive monument celebrates the Army of the Andes, led by General San Martín and later Simón Bolivar, and its role in the liberation of Chile, Argentina, and Peru. As those are the three countries we have spent over six months in, it almost felt like we were bringing our trip to a close right there.<p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_df08_317_b4cf_dcec" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5grYcxAiQ1s4sC0MvGk59SlSTPnK41fm95FQeZgzl4xfjPdjpfaYhe0R1wEtdW1gNcM" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br />And while not a touristy thing, our time in Mendoza did overlap with Festa in Piazza, a celebration of Italian food and culture in Plaza Italia, and Vendimia, the region's wine harvest festival. We enjoyed dinner in the park with Festa en la Piazza one night, and that same night the main street in our neighborhood was closed to traffic and was full of people partying while DJs played music. It was awesome, but really loud! Then on our final day in Mendoza we had to wait seven hours between check-out and our bus, but there was a parade and sidewalk cafes, so we were good for several hours! We even talked to a local during the parade that told us a bit more about it. Of note--all the kids were excited to get stuff from the floats, but what did they toss? Water, fruit cups, grapes, pencils, trail mix, a few sodas (and two lucky adults near us got wine), garlic (a gift of agriculture from one of the regions represented)...not a single piece of candy! But they were all so excited! I loved it. Vendimia is a great celebration of the agricultural wealth of Mendoza and I would highly recommend being in town for it if you want to experience a non-touristy, local celebration!<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e7b3_f135_45af_4b6c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Oq7Jlzln5jYPhCtc5ebD12j_38xkQrGMZkEQKI2aW9TK8oSf-8gBv1prfC0H9GKpkmQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festa in Piazza was delicious and fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c728_fe3e_e413_99d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MbxOA2nkCx30rwT_UE_PjXhxOF7s3rPbCECCJXAC_GX6bxoKVtwSpsPmBOxdVs8UHxU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, Vendimia...what a great party!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Oh, and we ate. We ate lots of great food in Mendoza! We didn't go out a ton, but when we did, it was good and very affordable. Many dishes are meant to be shared, and sometimes we misjudged and over-ordered. But leftover fries are always good with eggs the next morning.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_accf_5692_c952_26a4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OYPiKZgG9ark8xqu3Oqlrp6PhmqLdCJmA8rwbfHXY3z3Yla4g7wQbAWDTa64KTNHSgU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just looking back at some of these pics makes my stomach hurt, but we tried picadas, the empanadas, the milanesas, the papas, the calzones, the cafes, the beers, the wines, the Peruvian food, and so much gelato!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We have talked a lot about how much we enjoyed our very slow time in this great city. We didn't "do" all the city has to offer, but we did feel perfectly comfortable in our neighborhood, got to really observe a non-American lifestyle, and even learned about some locals' feeling about the U.S. We are a bit reluctant to leave, but there is a lot more adventure in store for us in the coming weeks!<p></p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma </p><p><br /></p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-32698427857627097082023-02-11T14:05:00.005-05:002023-02-11T14:19:10.583-05:00Slow travel in MendozaWe arrived in Mendoza after a wonderfully comfortable 18-hour bus ride a week ago. What have we been up to? Absolutely nothing! Ok, that's not totally true, but when most people arrive at a new place they are out "doing" and that's just not how we are all of the time. <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_324d_22c2_2b3e_fd28" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u8qP5VybS1kOq1ni1JugRAQ6VYkBH9f_MeJVgoEFbKXolIdi7lWwvOzedeO2iahH-kE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful neighborhood of Arístides.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>We have planned to be in Mendoza for four weeks so we have time to slowly take it all in. We got a very affordable apartment right near a very nice park and a street full of amazing bars and restaurants. In this first week we've found a fantastic fruit and veggie stand, our empanada guy, a few great happy hours, amazing ice cream, crazy affordable spa services, and several mini markets that have tables and a big screen so you can drink beer and watch fútbol there. And the best part? The park. I have been there every single day. There are so many walking trails, workout stations, statues, food trucks, weekend markets...I am so happy here!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ceac_64f1_1914_75f2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BwWTo5lqYq2UZKzPcAajV15KyjQAhgBteJyUAj8PNTpR2ULEEg4gaMAsKlEp_yKpxHI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No problem finding food and fun around here!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8f48_7196_9d72_11a1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nX20hgaTe-NaNva-OFystxounVu7kqzBOVfCHEJL2hpcNwIoU9w2C42b3bMXqqefPPU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our workout circuit sometimes has food stands! And an artificial lake that adds some ambiance.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_458c_3832_dc86_a4fe" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UzvdeJ8hKL_w7X4vghFeeIguPbI0xW_zU5cC3efFyoLscc1kt1wL3ggFcxCVDg3PC0Y" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We haven't even explored all of this park yet, but isn't it pretty?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Ok, but it IS Mendoza. And why is this significant? It's the heart of Argentina wine country! Malbec is the star here and we have definitely been enjoying it and we do have plans to go to at least one winery. We have a few other "touristy" things planned for our time here, but this apartment has been a perfect spot for getting lots of school done and just taking time to prepare for our next moves. So standby for not much happening with us!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-30950690264071792032023-02-02T16:22:00.002-05:002023-02-03T07:37:58.442-05:00 A mountain escape to Bariloche, Argentina<p>By now we've learned to expect that 20+ hour bus rides will arrive a few hours past the scheduled time, and our 23-hour (27-hour) trip to San Carlos de Bariloche, also known as Bariloche, was no exception! Thankfully our AirBnB hosts welcomed us at 2230 and had pasta that we could cook up!</p><p>This is our first time in the lakes region of Argentina so we planned to stay for two weeks in this mountain town and enjoy its Bavarian-influenced culture, natural beauty, and of course, chocolate. I chose our AirBnB about three kilometers from the city center because it was one of the most affordable I found for the time we wanted to be there and from the pictures it looked like it had amazing views of Nahuel Huapi Lake. We were not disappointed! We found the place to be comfortable with a great kitchen and crazy good views, it was close to a decent grocery store, and we could walk into the city center in 40 minutes or take a bus. All good, plus the kids had a great space to do school. And that's just what we did for our first few days! </p><p>Our first "excursion" was to a mate (mah-tay) lesson that I found through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/504163" target="_blank">AirBnB</a>. We opted to book this as a private experience and I'm so glad we did. It's not that we don't want to meet other people, but we've had mate before and love the taste, but had so many questions about how to prepare it correctly. This way we got to do the whole lesson in English and really experience the ritual of Yerba mate, which is a social ritual that involves sharing the drink and sharing a straw and with COVID they have altered the class. Since we are a family, we were able to practice the full, shared social experience (fun fact--we definitely shared a mate with several people 16 years ago). Our instructor, Melanie, was amazing! We learned about the history of Yerba mate, where yerba is grown and how it is dried, about different mates (the cups) and bombillas (the straws), how to properly prepare the drink, and how to share it. We tried three different types of yerba, both alone and paired with a snack specifically chosen for each type. It was an AMAZING experience and we learned so much. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_198_6343_56f1_7dbb"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_21b9_ef5f_8d64_1ffd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8ys2Q-XuGPl6aQD3te068fFIkHtywv73bXSsBY2TK9eDVg7RHTAiYRmIKXOzVghKwJQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We really loved learning about yerba mate with Melanie!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We also booked a local walking tour, "German Footprint and Nazi Presence in Bariloche" with Diego as the guide. This one is available through AirBnB experiences or local travel agencies (we used <a href="https://www.zigzagtravel.com.ar/es.html" target="_blank">Zig Zag</a>). Though the group was pretty big (maybe 20 people) and the information was delivered in both Spanish and English, it ended up being a super informative, super engaging walk with some really nice travelers from all over the world! Diego is a master at delivering bits of info in each language, rather than huge chunks, so that we all were listening for the next tidbit. We learned all about how the town was founded by German-Chilean Carlos Wiederholdt, the three waves of German immigrants to Argentina, and the Nazi's who were caught living in Bariloche. We really loved that it wasn't just about Bariloche, but rather incorporated what was going on in the world during each of the immigrant waves so there was much more context. And this was a fabulous tour given what the kids are currently studying in history (and Trent just finished "The Diary of Anne Frank" in English). We also watched "Operation Final" on Netflix the night before this tour and Diego enhanced much of what we learned in that film. We were honestly very pleased with this experience.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_e837_a72a_bd03_6139"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4782_ea03_397b_d267" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/RvwX9GzimC77iLC2397yfPPEoUJ8Xd0-MFjwRxiwEVGx63SUYLjMvYxTXShvLJ4C-Vw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diego was a fantastic guide and taught us so much about the German presence in Bariloche.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>While in Bariloche we also had to try some chocolate! It's the chocolate capital of Argentina and honestly I would die if we tried every chocolate shop, but we hit Patagónico, Del Turista, Rapa Nui, Mamuschka, Frantom, and the Museo de Chocolate Havanna. The museum tour was actually pretty cool--all done in Spanish (but we understood most of it!), they served an amazing hot chocolate, and at the end they have an exhibit of local animals carved from chocolate. We picked up some alfajores from the museum (think cookie sandwich of dulce de leche dipped in chocolate or meringue), and while they are popular in Argentina, they aren't really our favorite. But they were good. Since it's so hot here we actually hit up the ice cream stands at the chocolate places more than the chocolate!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_b88c_5f8e_4d5b_cd12"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_469d_ce93_b0bd_626b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/71_1V_Sa5CHOF1OdXAEoy-GX--jAMTAah6qfpvXSgQWhdJuAl--ZoUw28UbiGQOaVyo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHOCOLATE!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hiking is also pretty big around here. We didn't do nearly as much of that as I would have liked just because of family preference and the desire to focus on school, but the boys and I did do a nice hike that combined the Sendero de los Arrayanes with the Lago Escondido Trail. A few hours on the trail and lunch on a lakeshore was just what I needed!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_30c7_f8b7_654d_3e7f"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_34e2_64d8_37d8_946e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FpEMJjaN86ZxTXanXXWKRzCUlkxPv4Xt0tRzhXEKP8cTp8xNZS-3YjvI9A57qNITBL8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved this day on the trail with my guys.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Top marks for fun went to Cerro Viejo, a small, cheap, old teleférico close to our place that gives you stunning views of Lago Nahuel Huapi. You ride an old ski lift to the top the hill, then you have the option of walking down or riding the giant toboggan slide, and of course we chose the slide. It was such a good, old-fashioned fun time! There was also a little forest of arrayanes (myrtle) trees on the hillside and it was beautiful! We actually went back for another visit on our final day to determine the toboggan champion. Frank won, but only after Trent wiped out in the final corner, skinning every joint and tearing his shirt!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9afb_bbc_64ab_cb21" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2FXGHVFKn9pmVV1ZeP_4EgVkHs3BS8ZoDU1rAGSINuZFusY3mER0wdqYzsw_QOldHfQ" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_8877_751d_ade0_a4f"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3fa_24bf_78cc_def4" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/clSIj7zGETx1TXrEn0V-s1QCj6Q6Pi7Z55LWxUK3Thprvr3AUKZHfeTV1nxiZ3AcgSI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much simple fun, but dang, Trent!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We also headed out to Colonia Suiza (the Swiss Colony) one day as it was rumored to have great Swiss architecture and was famous for its curanto, a local meal of meats and vegetables that is cooked in the ground. We ended up really enjoying the meal experience at Colonia Suiza Resto-Bar. You book a table for the curanto and they explain the whole thing--how Polynesian influence came to Chile which then came over to this little town, how they layer the meats and veggies, how it is covered with dirt and burlap, and then they uncovered the glorious spread of food! We went to our table and they came around with platters of food...three times! We gals had the vegetarian version which was honestly awesome with potatoes, yams, apples, onions, corn, carrots, and squash. The guys had all of that veg plus, chicken, pork, stuffed pork belly, lamb, lamb ribs, and chorizo! It was a crazy amount of food! The rest of Colonia Suiza? Uh, not really our thing. We walked all around and I can't say we saw a ton of interesting architecture. All we found were a ton of food vendors, a few small craft stands, restaurants, and a crazy crowded beach. It also took us a ton of time to get there and return via bus as the busses were full and infrequent. Add in that we had to wait for them in the blazing sun and I'm not sure we would do this again, at least not at this time of year. But the curanto was good.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_d9e5_cd73_b00c_b16f"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_dd57_ab29_1f6f_9e86" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CweNd5Eb6JR8mR-XitYVf5V-Z014vLR5KUGzVXL8xfZCc__aJFQezxelFvVF6-FQnG4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat is a big deal in Argentina and curanto is the way to eat it in Colonia Suiza!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our house is about a three-to-four minute walk to the lake. It's beautiful. The water is honestly a bit cold for me to head out and go for a swim (I saw one guy swimming in a wetsuit!) and the shores are rocky, but it's lovely. We are right by a marina so we get to stare dreamily at boats every day, too. And we can walk all the way to town on the road that runs along the lake. It's not bad! We spent a few afternoons walking around town and seeing all the touristy things there.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_25e_e7b2_52cb_2cb1"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ac61_1b66_4b3f_7cbd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/PvNVnq1-_pwXpRF4QgVtMq0NhdE-Nuh3OI6ThswIXxqFbtxlalwjgDWpy1vAopgVhXs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach days at the frigid lake. Frank made it in the furthest!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_3b71_2a7c_7ba3_7d01"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9485_e5b0_3307_489f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/huQCel0zK6z0w1w1AYDjDhBnuOhmsvr0uw7PkvCnYUjXMzuIBifQ7kMrSxdKNaZHLcs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Bariloche...the Civic Center, the Cathedral, the lakefront, and the most awesome waterfront skate/bike park I've ever seen!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Restaurants here are supposed to be good, too, but honestly we only went out once for burgers after a tour! Why? Well, Argentinians complain that the food it expensive in this town, but it's honestly because we have a really awesome place! Every time we think of going out for a drink at one of the bars down on the lake, we realize that we can get drinks cheaper at the grocery store and enjoy them in the peaceful comfort of our own home with fabulous views of the lake. And I like to cook and this kitchen is good so yeah, we were homebodies. I think we will dine out a bit more in our next place...</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_74ac_f821_8f1b_980e"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_24b4_39f5_ad4e_fb8d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P4UvoDLV56rOSzZqXsWw4HsLmuUDsGgrSzaq4djBZLSW0MFaYSOpnSUfPsnOMd2yS1c" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little house was just perfect for us!</td></tr></tbody></table><br>There is really so much more to do in this area and if we did it again, I would come during shoulder season and have a car to reach further and explore the many trails in the area without relying on tours on the public transit. </p><p>A word about the bus. Argentina public transportation requires the use of a SUBE card--they don't take cash--and it's not like in D.C. where you just get a card from a kiosk. Here, you have to get your card from an official distributor with your passport in hand, then go somewhere else to charge it usually. I've read there are some automated top-up places in Buenos Aires, but mostly you have to go to kioskos (think convenience store) to top-up your card. The good news is that as long as you have money on the card, multiple people can use it. Frank and I set off on a SUBE card expedition only to have the official place be out of them, then about 10 kioskos that were supposed to have them also be out of them. The last place we tried said they didn't have them, but the guy next door did. Here's where big warning flags should have gone off--no "SUBE" sign in that guy's store window, but he had them and was selling them at only twice what they should cost. We paid $3 for the card, then went back next door to charge them with $3 each, and we were off! We boarded a bus, tapped our cards, and all was good. A few days later, we walked to town with the kids, but opted to take the bus back and...whammo--cards wouldn't work. We kind of knew they were used cards, but a trip to the "official" place the next day confirmed they were registered in someone else's name and had been blocked, the balance transferred away. Ok, so we got duped to the tune of $10. But you know what's awesome? The official place had cards again so we got two real cards and haven't had any problems since! But seriously, this "register with your ID" method and short card inventory makes it pretty hard for tourists to use the public transit system. Makes me miss the ease of use in DC, NYC, and Athens.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_b1e2_e55c_e72c_1800"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3c9c_7811_c4e1_c42b" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XDD3fF31YDNRhDsuAZfMrXIGFbygd2Lbt59ENrJkFJH-oY0-iNkfEeUBp8rTWHoK46g" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the more empty buses we rode on.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This also marks the end of our two months in Patagonia as Bariloche is the northern end of the region. It was wild, wonderful, and there is so much more to explore. Next stop--Mendoza!</p><p><br></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-90776581404810437242023-01-24T07:34:00.003-05:002023-01-24T11:39:09.934-05:00 El Chaltén, ArgentinaFrom El Calafate it was a pretty quick 3.5 hour bus ride up to <a href="https://elchalten.com/indexen.php" target="_blank">El Chaltén</a>, the village that marks the north end of Los Glaciares National Park and is known as the National Capital of Trekking in Argentina. Why? Well, walk in just about any direction from town and you are on the free trails to amazing views of the Andes, glaciers, rivers, lakes, and so much more. It's definitely the "high season" in Patagonia and even though we booked a long time ago, we were only able to get four nights in a place that met our needs/budget. No worries--we skipped school and made this a hiking/birthday celebration vacation! Given our bus timetables, we were actually able to work in five solid days of hiking along with ample rest. Our home base at El Chaltén Aparts was perfect--space for everyone, very comfy beds, fabulous shower for post-hike recovery, a small yet functional kitchen, a short walk to groceries, and the most amazing daily breakfast that was so big, it also provided our daily trail snacks! So how did we spend our time?<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_4be2_1df1_4042_329d" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_1688_b333_495c_4708" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RPr8mbSUZW5PRsJ47Jz4U-rP8BUfCgH80JjlHGB9_XhCEwI7jkYPAzkJyTxZZCr8Zl0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The area we focused on for hikes around El Chaltén.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><u>Day 1: Check in, check out the grocery situation, hike!</u> We opted for a short hike (6km round-trip) to Chorillo del Salto, a nearby waterfall. We were going to go to the "Condor View" hill, but we saw condors right from town so opted not to! The walk was hot and dusty as part of it was along the gravel road, but the waterfall was spectacular. It was also super crowded! This is definitely one of the stops for the day-tour buses so the crowd ebbs and flows if you just hang out. It was also a beautiful Sunday afternoon and many locals were there enjoying yerba mate. But the best part? On the way back to town we saw a flock of Austral Conures (parakeets)! Frank has been wanting to see them in the wild and we finally did!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3ff8_9f38_9e33_c7fd" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XwfFbSauW-AIM09n96RAKKOlVa_QRxdTdfWNew2q-eeo_LiO1uZZX--I1mxrkQ7J40s" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a nice afternoon at a waterfall, with a bonus bird sighting!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div><u>Day 2: Loma del Pliegue Tumbado.</u> On the recommendation of our apartment host (who is also a mountain guide), we set out on the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail. The draw? Rather than being at the edge of Laguna Torre, this trail leads you to a viewpoint over the laguna more at the level of the mountains. It was labeled as a "hard" trail, 24km round-trip, and should take us 7-8 hours. It ended up being a hot, hard hike! There were a few nice, wooded sections, but most of the climb was done out in the open under the full sun. Add in tons of horse flies and uneven, rocky terrain, and it was definitely a tough one. Unfortunately, Cerro Torre remained covered in clouds the whole day, but Fitz Roy made some nice appearances! The best part of the trail was getting to see down into Laguna and Glacier Torre, with a clear view of where Frank and I hiked and did ice climbing on the glacier 16 years ago. The glacier is definitely smaller now, and it doesn't seem that they are doing the climbing there anymore, but it was still fun to show the kids how we made it through the valley from the viewpoint above. But oh, the heat and the flies! </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_f87d_f908_605_3a4e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QS2JSllSPwsfmnpv7mmmn-C4cvniTFE6Gxheb8I8AcD7MU8J03LKVVdgYpR7oVEftX0" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_d72d_703d_786c_91d3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lbp52U5ajGCI2KtR2LvkBhsJ6pjyluT0_ZCHS2hvYlqSPNggDShEHrxvsRomtjw9zc8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not so easy on a hot day and Cerro Torre remained shrouded in that cloud to the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Day 3: Recovery/Birthday at Laguna Capri!</u> After those first two hikes we laid out a plan for our remaining time and decided that we would sleep in, do a "moderate" hike, relax, and celebrate Frank! Our chosen hike was Laguna Capri, a beautiful lake that has great views of Fitz Roy when the weather cooperates, and we had a FABULOUS weather day! It was hot again, but the climb out of town on this trail is shaded in the woods so that helped. We opted for the full loop of Laguna Capri, putting us around 9km on the trail for the day, and also putting us face-to-face with another of Frank's target bird species, the Magellanic Woodpecker! We had such a great view of two stunning, red-headed males and a female and lingered for several minutes. It was a perfect birthday present for our guy! We found a peaceful spot on the shore of the lagoon to enjoy our lunch and then found a geocache in honor of Frank's mom on his birthday--she is a serious geocacher! We left the lagoon just as a large group showed up (this is also a usual day-tour trail) and enjoyed a fairly peaceful hike down. Then Frank and I enjoyed a beer at La Cervecería Chaltén which we are 99% certain is where we first connected with our guide, Pedro Fina, 16 years ago! (We happily learned from our host that Pedro is still in the area with his family!)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_989b_e37f_e544_8ca2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iQClSGKIJHs24eD4JsK8cUYZPEjRqq3-8b25XYmPkHDnRRdzSMIhNW6uNBjHp0mhxv4" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6c22_85e0_e2b0_fd11" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nOTd2z8dbJ8Z5ztmqdH-zm6w-8F_EGTpsoYfkwmtUH9B9JyTfDmOGwWv6i008t6vOeo" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5b86_adfe_ec25_abe9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PtJEla9PyHPWJSu9MYx4j1EwPP8eL-3sVW7Epaq6mvGREIM50GoMgVIYJVE1hH_WeCY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed this hike and celebrating Frank!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Day 4: The long loop--Río Eléctrico - Piedras Blancas - Fitz Roy view - Laguna Madre y Hija - Cerro Torre view.</u> It took some time on the trails, some wine, and a trail map to figure out what Frank and I had done the last time we were here. We are pretty sure this is the path we followed, staying at Camps Poincenot and D'Agostini, but also doing the full treks to Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre. We opted to do the loop without those treks to the lagoons and ended up having a wonderful day with spectacular views and lots of good memories! We started out by getting a ride up to the Río Eléctrico bridge, 15km outside of town. We definitely remembered that bridge! The hike began along the Río Blanco valley, passing Laguna and Glaciar Piedras Blancas with great views of Cerro Fitz Roy. The second third of the hike took us south for a lunch with stunning views of Fitz Roy and then along the shores of Lagunas Madre y Hija. It was fun to visit this area with my hija! We chatted with a couple from Maryland along the way and saw more Magellanic Woodpeckers. As we approached the junction that would take us on the final third of the trail and back to town, we instead opted to head up toward Cerro Torre for a bit. The views continued to amaze us, but after getting distracted by a low-flying condor for a solid 10 minutes, we opted to take our tiring feet back down the trail and toward town. Besides, it was one of only two days a week that the Mexican restaurant is open and we needed our Mex fix! The trail back to town was rockier and harder than I expected, but it was probably just because we were tiring. 2/3 of the day's trails had been advertised as "moderate" and as we went over the 20km point I think we were all feeling it. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c564_7f1a_267c_242c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Tn67P_PBl5ouzv4Xam1050J8bDEwWYttdEpEO9zOrlzoFidKnjT9yRkHSmfbUQaPooM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Río Eléctrico to Laguna y Glaciar Piedras Blancas. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5902_c61e_d0b7_9db5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OEeO-OHzdujaUQTNUoB0fY73KVvtW_OL13EZY238vbQ1ANwqBUCQgSr1VIe-ZsBaQXo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views of Cerro Fitz Roy all morning led us to a nice lunch spot near the junction of the trails.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_db88_79bc_38ac_cf3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ENp9wXTbxm0dEBxAO4eP1W2KXXcEJQIazQsZvSDh7O7ncShnCxNaeq2vYmduNgmezac" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madre y Hija!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_101b_aab_e02e_1e3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XdqNOeQPbbd4nFzvMvnfPhhWXRds2xUkvbXymkG1wyl0sHz_nyULl-L6yPV0Y194z0c" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madre y Hija connector trail between Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre (and our first great view of Cerro Torre!).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_f4da_607e_f3a0_bad5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3_W9vjzs6A4xCD2kjvMdrbHFDpWmxriUhmyHZ5SXQG7SvRqE77f3lXS4sTCZIcWgRRU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cerro Torre was simply stunning that day!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div><u>Day 5: Check out, hike, depart!</u> We slept in, packed up, and slowly made our way back to Chorrillo del Salto for a lazy afternoon at the waterfall. We spent about two hours there having lunch, chilling our feet in the water, and watching the hordes of people come and go. It was super hot that day so we made our way back to town for ice cream, a little shopping, and finally settled in to La Vineria for drinks, dinner, and games before getting cleaned up and boarding our overnight, 24-hour bus.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9f8_8132_8cf9_bec0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/M1PvHmPBj9yzgm5cV9TcAwDtsBxpmJMKNjICIdN36DJlPZKitFZVGtHllS9T6g3cyhg" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last trip to the waterfall!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c783_f896_b08_1baa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tcivRjsR6Bo7Cbs9o7yr7iufdy9snolCbQjzUur7eDyhFTYs8fJP-0NcAUZviG4Bq1Y" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacks, games, and our final look at Southern Patagonia from the bus.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div>This stop was almost all that the parents dreamed of, and was enjoyed by at least one kid! We definitely adjusted our plans as we went to account for the health and happiness of the crews. Did I want to hike the lagoons? Yes. Did I want a happy daughter? Also, yes!</div><div><br /></div><div>At the risk of making this a ridiculously long post, the following are Katreina's reviews of the hikes we did. We showed her the funny U.S. National Parks reviews and sometimes would make them up for the trails we were on to try to lighten the mood. I am pleased to offer her contribution to the blog and really hope you enjoy it!</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><i>These hikes have been rated as if they are out of five stars--keep in mind I am not a huge fan of hikes. ~Katreina </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>Chorrillo del Salto, 4/5:</b> This hike was definitely not bad, very flat and a short hike (one hour). Once you find a good rock, it's very easy to spend hours looking at the waterfall. However, it's often busy with tour buses coming in and out, several people running around for photo ops and often times you end up staring at someone's arse instead of the waterfall. Not to mention for about 0.5km you are walking on the dusty road, which is very unpleasant with cars speeding by. This can all be looked over though once you have some quiet time with few people at the waterfall.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, 1/5:</b> This hike is 12km going up for 4hrs to a lookout of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy. The entire hike is a gradual uphill, which got tiring after the first hour. Upon reaching the 3hr mark, we were able to see Fitz Roy from where we were, which was good enough for me (it was very pretty at this point).</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b02b_aaac_412d_98a7" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DkzP4ys9XSN3ZdWubVhaErosvlaDiS7P4eq_zwcRBxghCxtKhZABR00MaImr-I_DU7Q" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div></div><div><i>BUT my loving family decided that we would keep going, there was a lake that we would see at the lookout, creating the perfect scene. Thus we moved up into fly hell. Horseflies were on us as if we WERE horses, I had had it. I was screaming every five seconds as one entered between by eyes and glasses. My parents asked if I want to go back, I said "I mean we've already seen it, I'm good." But we continued. There was a steep increase, my legs were dead and walking along a bunch of tiny rocks was horrible. We got to the viewpoint, seeing the lagoon, which I had hoped would look better considering the difficulty to get there. Overall, it was a nice view but it did to outweigh the flies, steepness, and rough terrain (near the end). </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>Laguna Capri, 2/5:</b> The hike wasn't bad, but there was a lot of uphill at the beginning. It's also one of the busiest trails, making it hard to maneuver around other people. The lake was very pretty, and we saw interesting birds along the way. However, what was really horrible about this trail was the amount of poop you find on the trail--human poop. When we got to the lake we found a nice little spot to have lunch, but the mood was ruined when right behind us we saw a large turd with toilet paper right next to it on a rock--needless to say, we moved. The amount of poop just ruined the vibe and even at lookouts it was hard to enjoy because right next to us we would find poo. The lake is beautiful, but it's ruined by those who pass by. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>Cerro Fitz Roy (Piedras Blancas to Torre trail), 3/5:</b> This hike also wasn't too bad in terms of steepness, it was just long. We got to see Cerro Torre, which was pretty, along with Fitz Roy. However, the viewpoints I really likes (Mirador Piedras Blancas and just on the Cerro Torre trail) were either near the beginning or end of our hike. It's easy for a long hike, but it seems like I could've seen the same views in less than ~7hrs. That being said, there were less horseflies and poop (great success!).</i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7f75_2caa_fa28_5d92" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FdQryI4HcB1un6X85Ul8n0q5P1dAuTyuTNazy7da97M9u3LLgNCiIB40M__ta--2dwU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love you, kiddo, even if you don't love all the activities we do!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>~Jo, Nomadic Momma (and apparently over-hiker to good views 😁)</div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-22369698780924910952023-01-16T13:26:00.001-05:002023-01-22T13:47:54.514-05:00 El Calafate, Argentina<p>The next stop for us along our Patagonia adventure was El Calafate, a town (or at least an airport) we remembered from our previous travels yet almost immediately didn't recognize. Having arrived by bus, we opted for a taxi to our AirBnB since it was over a 20-minute walk away and learned from our driver that the town was four times bigger now than it was when we had previously visited! Seems that airport, which had been new when we were here last, really opened the area up to more tourism.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7f5a_9a40_1dbc_7b1e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g3J-_1lTGQG5-4FcaLviNv_VKJj_vIXd23Zl1dkOrE536X6aFVok0bDwEXsHSxNzF90" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /><p></p><p>Our plan for El Calafate was simple--do school and see ICE! El Calafate is known as the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and specifically, access to Perito Moreno, Spegazzini, and Upsala glaciers. There are other things to do in the area (estancias, a petrified forest, day trips to El Chaltén), but the glaciers are the main draw and you can see them from boats, catwalks, or treks onto the ice. And having fond memories of our previous trek on Perito Moreno, we booked the Mini-Trekking expedition for our family (there is another trek, Big Ice, but the kids were just shy of the age minimum for it)! The expedition began with a walk along the (very crowded) catwalks. This is a great feature of Perito Moreno, really letting people get up close to the face of glacier without a ton of physical effort. Our guide provided information about the lifecycle of the glacier and led us to the catwalks with views of the north face--the most active area of the glacier--where we saw several calving events! We ate lunch watching this spectacle and just listening to the creaking and cracking of the this massive, active, glacier. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2be7_3fef_f40d_7f6f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WGbQ7Xs3tsEhGl79fdgZi6w3UP5socZM5R0Y4FEUxjbMoKLGxcZnAO1CecmAsEIzDz0" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_192c_f250_ee8a_a804" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9223_dcb7_3e47_5a41" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P8LjGBaMS6M-rtSzpyxp5muxX_sIoXzZlwl-k3iQcRnbncCNJUSFxgWuNxmY4O_AplM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perito Moreno Glacier, as viewed from the catwalks. Stunning!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>From there, we headed to the port, boarded a catamaran, and sailed along the south face of the glacier on our way to the trekking portion. We hiked through the woods and along the beach for about an hour before arriving to the outfitting area where we were fitted with crampons and helmets. And then, we were off! Our guides led us over the glacier, around forming crevasses, through old crevasses, and up to a "peak" to get a good view. The kids loved it! And then we wound our way back down to happy hour! THIS is a part of the experience I definitely remember--whiskey on glacier rocks! The guides chipped away fresh ice and served up drinks and bon-a-bons (and I realized that THIS is where I first had one of those tasty little treats--love them!). While water was available, our entire crew had whiskey because, well, why not? How often in life will the kids really get the chance to sip whiskey over glacier ice? We wrapped up the experience with another hike through the woods, a return boat and bus trip, and our first night dining out in a while--pizza! What an amazing day. I'm just so thrilled that we could do this with our kids and even more thrilled that they really enjoyed it!</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ab3a_e0d_979c_a2e0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PZ_MXT6dWvD2_NzSkkKv-7mRb9wvjQvoQXuVSI7rFVNUV81Ilp0xjhiQybMhPsVPVhE" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3df6_3834_b1ab_f4cc" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B2pznWtcRJkd4IwbFrvZPia2uLTx-z_ALglZkVs-EtBD0PRu4l634y4BjPsjXkl0kEo" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_673_db3d_8cf4_2467" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/w5UQBuXjCoCbE3l6ue6sNE58_XzsoxDUIzh6mbkLSYxSb-_QsJaurL1M3apeCHUIv1U" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_f60e_6565_d353_e6f" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_1508_351f_6e9b_a710" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2uWHRf-J2eek6CV0HEUGgis85iqKFfbv5IIEH6b7UfaLT1ME5JmQunKggL4N86WYH9c" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_34fb_6031_51fe_e67e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rRDzDw90g4M6OGz5AMoaptm5MuIohExekd8htg2LEIcF3N7rPnbvn6_lVwm5t0BJ-Fc" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /><br />Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier with the whole family was EPIC!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>As for the rest of our time in El Calafate, it was mostly low-key. We walked around town, shopped various local grocery stores, watched lots of fútbol, went bird-watching along the lakefront (flamingos!), completed a puzzle at our AirBnB, and worked on school. But we also had an awesome surprise--we got to hang out with some of my former coworkers (fellow retired Navy METOC's and super world travelers!). Thanks to the joys of social media, my friend Amy and I realized they would be passing through town on their way to Antarctica while we were there so we made plans to meet up. Amy, her husband John, and our family passed a lovely evening at a local cerveceria catching up and swapping travel stories. It was great to meet up with familiar, like-minded people and the evening really filled my "happy" cup!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9c1d_4701_7018_f92d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Z8wMpTbN-4BClWSzf3DwcZi-3NOUufMp8fSUaUqSah8aMk6FhFxTD2liVqS2C-zF4QA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out around El Calafate was pretty fun! And we made a cute friend while bird-watching!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5bbf_d8f9_c32d_1c56" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KhGdpigDCIyxVZTtVqVXwCyS-2AEB_RwbxdunYLwftUx0XUil8Q8i_7THLSouvtvo1k" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy that we got to spend time with Amy & John!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-75962579597556424852023-01-11T19:44:00.001-05:002023-01-11T20:28:56.878-05:00It is not all planes, trains, and automobiles!Planes, trains, and automobiles? More like buses, cabs, ferries, and feet! Since we started our land travel over four months ago we have used planes three times--when we first flew to Peru, to Santiago from the Atacama Desert, and to Puerto Natales from Santiago. We've rented a car once in the Atacama Desert. Otherwise, we have relied solely on buses (both local and long-haul), remís/taxis/Uber, and our own feet. Has it always gone smoothly? No! But we have learned a lot, collected plenty of "remember that one bus/taxi" stories, saved some money, traveled with the locals, and seen some amazing scenery. <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_1b49_b042_d39c_a709"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b978_cbe1_4d8d_36f2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kQslXXF7lTEnOJGQKQYyJRXKwZx81Yd9R1gT6kvRToMYWFnbAGmDRnvcSeTs6x1OkNc" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The planes, the one rental care, and that bus/van ride in the desert that we will ALL remember! </td></tr></tbody></table><br><div><br></div><div>Taxis aren't just for getting around town down here. In Peru, we took a two-hour taxi ride to Ollantaytambo, and another several hour ride back to Cusco that included a few hours touring some ruins while our driver hung out. And at less than $50 each those trips were a steal for our family! Even the smallest towns we've been in have taxis or remís (like a private taxi/chauffeur), but we don't use them much. We tend to take taxis/Uber anytime our stay is more than a 15-minute walk from the transportation terminal. We can each handle our backpacks just fine, but we (Frank) also carry a 15kg of school books--need I say more? Those rides usually only cost us around $5.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_cada_dea8_1006_bd49"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_16cc_1263_14_7261" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/glci-dOt_nvQhYW9eRg2VxUlsrkgy76H2bMQ7ACuGWz9Ndh5DHLLy_dYgRtgAL6J0xU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That cute bag has 15-16kg of books in it! Taxi drivers are always a little surprised! Our taxi experiences have all been pretty awesome so far.</td></tr></tbody></table><br></div><div><br></div><div>Peru was definitely where we learned that long-haul bus schedules weren't to be trusted when it came to arrival times! Road work and traffic often had us arriving later than planned, but only once so far has a bus delay caused us to miss a connection and a night of booked accommodations and required me to cancel/buy bus tickets, book a hotel, change border crossing plans, and cancel/book a rental car! That one experience has led us to take our slow travel even slower, intentionally adding an overnight stay between bus connections rather than trusting a five-hour layover. This also gives us time in towns that we would have otherwise skipped (like Rio Gallegos, Argentina, where locals really liked hearing about where we were from and what we were doing in their town!). </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_a9fb_2e89_38a3_fbef"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_cc90_11f7_6f10_1de3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aMd1UKYKob-evDOnRbTDAWE6aNqJAFnvGds60BaUvSfVkYpLC21W3YW8-NxUuxnNFV4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#buslife can sometimes mean a lot of traffic delays, patiently waiting for hours between buses, and getting coffee as soon as the cafe opens, but the crew is holding up well! Our rides have been a mix of boring, fun, and oh so memorable. #whatisthatsmell </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Peru is also where we learned about the seat options! While some short routes only have "classic" seats that recline a smidge, most routes we have been on have at least semi-cama (semi-bed) seats and the really nice ones are full cama (bed)! The semi-cama seats usually recline somewhere between 120 and 140 degrees and have some sort of footrest. The full cama recline a full 180 degrees with a footrest that extends the full bed even further! We have decided that full cama is pretty much always worth the extra money, and pretty much a requirement for any route over 12 hours. It's like you have your own little cocoon! And since I travel with an eye mask and earplugs, I have actually been enjoying these bus rides. We also get to see so much of the country, including lots of animals that some people pay for tours to go see (I mean, we have seen LOTS of llamas, alpaca, guanaco, and ñandu!).</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_b76a_1448_73f5_5813"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6ff4_9d17_c928_c3c6" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6fWYsOEEBdUBLGF0XJuxlisNhCDtF7WZvMBB9B2eJnazK012MWeRsgcGmHHUo0xqV-Y" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While the semi-camas are fine (top), the full cama (bottom) has spoiled us!</td></tr></tbody></table><br></div><div><br></div><div>We have crossed four international borders via bus so far and each was done a little differently based on the customs and immigration procedures, but one thing has been consistent--the bus drivers are PROS at moving people along and helping direct everyone (including international travelers) through the process. Sometimes they basically go to the counter, get a window cordoned off just for the bus, then we all skip a huge line of other people crossing. That's helpful! Our most recent border crossings in Patagonia added a new dimension--ferries! Twice we crossed the Strait of Magellan while riding a bus. The bus just drives onto the ferry and off we go! We can get off the bus and enjoy the fresh air during the crossing, too (really appreciated on the "hella hot" bus). And being boaters and having lived in Seattle, we always enjoy a ferry ride. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_3bfa_6490_cd49_f00f"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_58eb_f34c_fe39_a12e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7x2-GVKmI6h4-oNCWR7d4KairRH7OXnkWgV3pGrWhopnKsBbLA3eGvylawBXdYQLX_E" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We're on a boat!" Crossing the Strait of Magellan via ferry at Bahia Azul.</td></tr></tbody></table><br></div><div><br></div><div>While in Cusco we took the local bus quite a bit, but haven't really had a need to since then. I think that will change as we head to more cities in northern Argentina, so that will be fun to learn! You can also take "collectivos" in some towns, where a mini bus fills up with people and heads along a route. We actually used a collectivo for our border crossing between Peru and Chile and it worked out really well. </div><div><br></div><div>And...we walk! Once we check in to a new place we head out and grab some food or groceries and get the lay of the land. Everywhere we have stayed has had a supermarket or bodega within a five minute walk. When we need something, we just go grab it! I love that there are so many small stores serving the communities so that the streets don't have to be full of cars heading off to big-box stores. Do they have those? In some places, yes, but they have so much more, too. Let's take our current place in El Calafate, Argentina as an example. The home is across the street from a park and two blocks off the main tourist street. Within a less than five-minute walk I can get to a grocery store, two different fruiteria/verdulerias, a panaderia, a school supply store, a sex toy shop, a hardware store, two barbers, a few pharmacies, a candy store, a health food store...and that's all without even stepping foot on the main tourist street that is full of shops and restaurants. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" id="id_da88_eeca_1d94_64d1"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7af0_41be_a67f_d2e5" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xuKR-3q1IZ0QMrzAg8Lv3yPGz5Io_-2DoVWY3eGuqvQ31Y3NDhv0sH4Tlv6Mv448zro" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, it looks like a lot when piled on the ground together, but for four people it's not bad! When we make a move we each have our big backpack, at this point we each use a purse/daypack for "other" stuff, we have a computer bag, Frank carries the book bag, and I usually have a bag that we use for our lunch/food for the journey. As crazy as it seems, we are some of the lightest-loaded tourists we see!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br><br></div><div>I guess there is one other way we get around and that's tourist transportation. When we've booked tours (like Rainbow Mountain, the Inca Trail, Nazca flight, penguin tours, etc.) we've either been picked up at our lodgings or at a meeting point and taken buses/boats to the sites. Some places won't pick you up from an AirBnB so we just walk to the nearest hotel, but otherwise all of the tour pickups have been easy since we are usually staying right in town. </div><div><br></div><div>Ok, I think that covers the "how the heck are they getting around South America" question! But if I've left something out, just leave us a comment or hit me up on Instagram and I'll get back to you!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-49201635708255448662023-01-06T21:11:00.001-05:002023-01-06T21:14:32.943-05:00 El Fin Del Mundo--Ushuaia, ArgentinaWe executed our second border crossing via bus (which included a ferry ride across the Strait of Magellan) and successfully landed at "El Fin Del Mundo," Ushuaia, Argentina. This is our first time in Tierra del Fuego so we were all pretty excited. Why did we come here, the main departure point for cruises to Antarctica, if we weren't taking a cruise to Antarctica? Because...why not?!?! Tierra del Fuego is known for its natural beauty and fantastic hiking, and we thought it would be neat to spend New Year's as far south as you can go in South America (ok, you can go the wilderness a little further south in Chile, or visit Puerto Williams, Chile, but Ushuaia is regarded as the southernmost city in the world!). <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c564_a7d3_bd56_330d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/o7JFy46lu75JJ61FQh7TR3cP3ZykOexF6bwLgP-O6O7qEGkm1o4e6ZCGqPQlAIl7uOM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ushuaia (oosh-why-ah)! Love the spring flowers here!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>After a 10-hour bus ride we arrived around 7pm and settled into our AirBnB, giddy with joy at our view of Beagle Channel! Looking for an easy evening, we stumbled upon Cerveceria Grut '84 and had a great night of games, beers, and delicious food! The next day we settled into life--school, groceries, laundry--and were treated to a stunning rainbow over the channel. It really lifted my spirits!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b337_9847_a170_d08a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yqRlkAotKkCCzWG974IKyG5nSvm3PIhxbBUwP64MEKZWt7z7gfJMQ6E4O5zEy2oZZDA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My super perky crew handled the border crossing and long ride in a semi-coma (almost lie-flat) seat well! A stunning view of the Beagle Channel and a cerveceria at the end of the ride certainly helps...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_afd0_f5aa_15f3_cf62" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SvVIgvxHykfT4Ux_UrpSQ0rx-yb04zLf14bwXEEjUY6IsyICgKZC0s6Mi-syEm6VbgI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My AirBnB selection was highly influenced by this balcony and the views of the Beagle Channel from it! We got to see several stunning rainbows during out stay.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>We skipped school for a day, hopped on the local shuttle, and headed to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We started our day of hiking at the old Post Office, hiked for three hours along the Beagle Channel and through the woods, and had lunch at the visitor center. We hiked a little past the center for a great view our bus driver had told us about before heading down trails #1 & #3 to Bahía Lapataia. We had a spell of rainy/windy weather while we were on trail #1 and realizing we were approaching six hours of hiking, we opted to catch the shuttle back to town. It was so great that Frank and I went back again the next day while the kids did school so that we could do trails #4, #5, and #6, as well as do #1 again. That second day was very leisurely and we arrived back at the visitor center as the weather deteriorated. We visited the interpretive display inside the center before settling in by the fire with some beers to wait for the shuttle. Talk about a nice couple of days walking in the woods! </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4331_24fe_873b_fa65" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/At1zEsIhmxQEp0Z9g9DnXy7SUTdMZQljnzWIuDJNL7NP1mrJrpyh_xoeDb3dM73gkKg" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_13d7_2070_9f31_cf17" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kdQzRHOCi35prw65u0uOvxFmXufwWYU7ibXvePV4YY0kmbjqYp7iMpsYJfpYhbLTQwM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking at the End of the World is magical!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few tips on TDFNP:</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can get there via rental car, local shuttle, taxi, or a tour. We opted for the shuttle as there were multiple pickup times and locations which gave us flexibility with our return. There is no cell coverage in the park so if you taxi, you have to arrange a pickup location and time. The trails are really well marked and we don't like big groups, so we did not do a tour. Guides are probably awesome, but the visitor center gives lots of information about the flora, fauna, and history and we don't feel like we missed out.</li><li>You can buy a two-day ticket that gives you 50% off for your second day. I'd highly recommend this if you have time in your schedule as there are plenty of trails to keep you busy.</li><li>There is a restaurant in the visitor center if you don't want to pack in your own food. We didn't see any picnic tables/shelters on the trails we were on or at the visitor center, and you can't bring your own food into the restaurant tables. If it's raining, your best bet is to find a semi-protected area in the woods (or hang out in the vestibule of the visitor center, which is what we did briefly to enjoy our sandwiches). </li><li>If cruise ships are in town the more popular spots near the parking areas can be crazy or the visitor center can be packed. This happened on our second day--all of the restaurant tables were reserved for a Disney cruise and they came all at once! Any non-cruise diner was relegated to some cramped tables in a loft that had no view. We lucked out and eventually found some seats on the lower level in a little lounge room, but the crush of people was shocking after our peaceful hike!</li><li>You can camp in the park! We didn't have a car or gear, but I would totally go for that option if I did. It's majestic.</li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ce64_7393_320e_9138" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XX_tqW9-gmile5LHt3bNHx5OXkcirmwW1x7XH7POI52RG4xVnNAQYGKNs47E5iuAv4Y" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parents' Day Out! I think all parents should escape like this every once in a while. We had a peaceful day, a nice lunch on the water, and adult beverages by the fire. Ahhhh....</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Our NYE dinner plans didn't exactly pan out, but we found empanadas, chips, and wine so it worked out! Local NYE action consisted of some air-raid sirens from the naval base and some ships in the harbor blowing their horns. We toasted, kissed, and were off to bed! New Year's Day we were back at school, but Frank and I walked the waterfront during a strangely wind-free period of the morning. The boys and I were going to head to Martial Glacier in the afternoon, but apparently most of the taxis are off for the holiday so we scrapped that plan and turned it into an afternoon/evening of relaxing and games. All good!</div><div><br /></div><div>We also decided to splurge on another penguin excursion and it was totally worth it! This time we boarded a bus in a dreary, windy downpour and headed out to the Haberton Estate (the first Argentinian estancia in Patagonia back in the late 1800's). The rain had mostly stopped as we boarded a covered 400hp RHIB boat and zipped (ok, pounded into the waves) across the Beagle Channel for 20 minutes to arrive at the rookery on Martillo Island. This experience was somehow smaller and more intimate than the one we did on Magdalena Island in Punta Arenas (though we would still recommend that one, too). We again saw tons of Magellanic penguins (and their downy chicks!), but also saw a colony of Gentoo penguins! And the real treat? A pair of King penguins that found their way to the island six years ago and have been trying to establish themselves there (one egg last year, but the chick didn't make it). So amazing and despite the daily visitors these penguins just don't seem to care that you're there and walk all around you. We saw them walking, swimming, preening, mating, snoozing...loved it all!</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6a83_f700_2bbb_fb3c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OSwt4G6Kd4kc3lEG7zs0f8gB0yiPK4KnnqR6wsalThQMMjcBZ8OH4x-r2Dj8Qd4u-js" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3194_547c_764b_eb79" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hZvV3E-0Gnxk_6Q1KWxPBqi4s7BkDZXVMQ9Eeu1mLh4RwJcVNbf3cJV7FD5LKaEre48" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Beagle Channel boat ride AND PENGUINS! Can't believe we got to see a pair of King Penguins and we loved the Gentoo penguins and their unique, rocky nests!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>There really is plenty to do in Ushuaia. Even with a week here we aren't hitting all the attractions because we have school and like to take things slow, but we did hit the Prison/Maritime Museum (Ushuaia was originally a penal colony) and hiked up to Martial Glacier.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_307c_ab00_6c6e_98fa" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SKm_65eW1UKh_IO4CCWnXyr9mE80AqVgw5Jd1PQPm-8HLp8cxG4mhNvKQ2lJkjEy_wY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had snow and crazy winds (maybe 70kmph?) to get there, but it was worth it! The weather cleared as we approached the glacier and we had a fantastic view of Ushuaia below us! </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Being in Patagonia for over a month now has given us many opportunities to learn about the natives of the area and how explorers and missionaries "helped" the native Tehuelchans to extinction. Just as Peru reminded us of our nation's history with our natives, so has Patagonia. While we can't change it, we can recognize the atrocities, learn from them, and work to preserve the memory, beliefs, and even skills of the native cultures. For my part, I will continue to tell the story of "Lehe Paine" and the Tehuelche language that inspired it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-49687104794153488012022-12-28T07:00:00.012-05:002022-12-28T07:00:00.225-05:00 Punta Arenas--53 South<p>New city! Punta Arenas is definitely a little bigger than I was prepared for after Puerto Natales, but our place here is within walking distance of the city center and plenty of grocery and restaurant options. Our host offered up some good suggestions of things to check out in the area, too. We spent the first few days in Punta Arenas making sure we were all set for a cozy Christmas and learning more about this immigrant-rich area.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_ecbd_897_3d3d_5241" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_cf42_6687_cc18_584c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Sq0uEFZhOmSvu8mGmDrPQHFSQ7hFlwWks01c-UNYStH3CCo_fL05wm_ilyAGCiQYPgQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All around Punta Arenas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>One of the suggestions we took was to visit Fort Bulnes. We joined a Brazilian couple for a cold, windy tour of this site of strategic importance. On the way there we stopped at the geographic center of Chile, which seems crazy at around 53S latitude until you realize that Chile claims a slice of territory in Antarctica. We also stopped in at the fishing village of Bahía Buena (Good Bay) and passed by and learned about Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine which is where, you guessed it, lots of folks died of famine trying to settle here). We visited the fort, walked through the forest and along the strait, and toured the Museum of the Strait. While the history of the fort and Chile's claim to the area was interesting, the highlight for us was talking to our guide, Eduardo, who shared a lot of information about the general history, people, and politics of the Magallenes region and we appreciate his openness. We also learned a bit about Brazil from our tour mates so that was a bonus!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_53b2_3dc8_2e7e_7afb" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7b98_f6d9_3268_be39" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nbgAv5LRfV7eG1bkNQqmNYJNkEDn0V8wDEStNfu_g76OZRV16jzu26sYbvjOAPg1Dw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Center" of Chile and Bahía Buena</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_c41_cebb_b86d_d034" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_66de_89b8_174a_a17" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JhTSFdfs9V74ZxI5LijVASjlcaEgDe7xg6naR0Ni3_YHKoJmObXcV00jbWYTA8YYzbo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Bulnes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Christmas Eve night is actually when Chileans have their big family gatherings for the holiday, but in the morning and early afternoon, everything was open and bustling! We were up super early to board a boat for a ride in the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island to see PENGUINS! This tour did not disappoint. Upon arrival at the island would could see thousands of Magallenic penguins and gulls. Tourists are kept on a very strict walking path, but the birds cross it freely and we were amazed at just how close we were to the birds and their nests. We were there durning a very special time--chicks had been hatching for three weeks and there were a bunch of cute, fluffy baby penguins and gulls! We also saw geese and skuas while we were there. It was awesome. Next we headed for Marta Island for observation of sea lions and cormorants from the boat. It was a little "brisk" and the ride was rough, but the whole experience was really great. I definitely enjoyed this Christmas present!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_bbf7_19e1_c9e6_84e1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_801c_b164_3b96_ab35" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7x1Dx7SOwNT-uepzKzmhlAQERFzC5RMSlwkRF3ABsSunebNUa4D1jwAg7uxvhfe9Lig" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">¡Los pingüinos!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>After grabbing some amazing empanadas on our way back home, we had a relaxing Christmas Eve. We played some games, I made a simple cheese/bread/veggies spread, and we watched a movie before the kids gave gifts--I received a beautiful bracelet they'd had tucked away since Peru and Frank got whiskey. Christmas morning we ate pie and cake for breakfast, the kids got to open their gifts from us (snacks, a movie, and some makeup for the girl), and I was surprised with a gift of maté straws. It was simple and wonderful. That afternoon we enjoyed a nice late lunch/early dinner at La Yegua Local with amazing views of the city and the Strait of Magellan. The weather was spectacular so we enjoyed a nice walk through town before returning home. It was indeed a very merry Christmas.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_bec1_3fa_4255_a62b" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4476_d8bc_1c74_bc17" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/78aAxq2zQfKtv6WISPRR_dVH5ew2sf1LffAiFpMuR_5tbaJXKT6aQfwHqJOrYFU0lwM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing quite like a relaxing Christmas Eve with my crew.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_80d4_32c1_184b_df12" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c473_887_3f73_e227" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dSwpwSi5UrKRmU1nNtT8RJ4SajZxqUJCL4Ow0cG5qJj3kj-9dkapD1-AFMVfporY1KI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous weather for our relaxing Christmas Day!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>We got back to the school grind to finish out our time in Punta Arenas, but also squeezed in a little more culture. We visited Museo Nao Victoria and toured replicas of the Victoria (from Magellan's expedition), the Beagle (from the FitzRoy/Darwin expedition), the Ancud (from when Chile took possession of the Strait of Magellan) and the James Cairn (lifeboat from Shackleton's journey to save his crew in Antarctica). The Uber rides and $5000 pesos per person were definitely worth a visit to that very interesting, educational museum on the shores of the Strait of Magellan! </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_932b_573a_8f0f_3d97" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1ZsbRozfseNwJSvDfa2O5HJm1rrTlgLks9cdbUo-e6EP2rslN1HKCSZzlcEKtTLwpPc" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ff88_bccc_ed85_9015" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PuUkASAhx9u_Vf0dRA4zBsdfmbhMmOnWIpCMJ6yyDkcnnns-cid9TcG-reOgNSuhP7E" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /><p></p><p>On our last day in town Frank and I visited the Museo Naval y Maritimo, the Chilean Navy's museum, while the kids did school. It was a small museum highlighting the Armada's role in exploration and navigation of the area. We loved seeing a plaque from UNITAS in one of the rooms and I especially liked seeing a meteorological room. And being big geeks over the Shackleton expedition, we were really excited to learn more about the ship, Yelcho, and her Captain, Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón, who undertook the journey to rescue the crew of the Endurance. Later we all visited the Museo Maggiorino Borgatello, a diverse museum with exhibits about natural history, indigenous cultures, the southern expeditions and religious missions, regional history, and Antarctica. And on the way home we popped in to the municipal cemetery which is renowned for its beauty. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_91f1_d7ae_9e4_2703" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9b8_dd37_66ca_b932" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/YjYZPGk8pNUTFjnX2pMDgzdA2s1aZYoljRTL5K9owmimljnSPnPoxM6dqTr_jIt2exs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't keep two Navy veterans out of a naval museum!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>And with that (and one more crazy good meal at El Alambrado), our time in Chile has come to an end! A day-long bus ride will see us across the border to Argentina and on to new places, new currency, and new adventures! But there is no doubt that we love Chile (and would return to all of the places we visited) and have so much more to see of this beautiful country.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7c2_a14a_5fa6_2acc" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8X2JCPv5gP2m8NAvxlpWHXZ_q34xoaWlo4RDy9QhrJ1h15UDflxjQlaWFob-DLZ_Uh4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetarian Pichanga and Meat Chorillana from El Alambrado. It's a ton of food, even with two people sharing the mediano! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p><p><br /></p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-31924613706091900152022-12-25T08:23:00.002-05:002022-12-25T08:25:48.325-05:00A bit of Last Hope, a sloth, and a move<p>We closed out our time in Puerto Natales with a week of school, relaxing, fútbol, enjoying this cute town, and history! We returned to the same AirBnB we stayed at before the "W" as we really enjoyed being in this local neighborhood, the house worked out great for school, and the house had great TV's for watching the World Cup final (hey, you pick you places your way and I'll pick mine my way!). </p><p>We treated the kids to a night out at <a href="http://www.lasthopedistillery.com" target="_blank">Last Hope Distillery</a> for drinks (FANTASTIC mocktails!) and tapas and also took them with us for a night out at Indigo Hotel's restaurant which is where we originally learned about the meaning of "Paine" and the Tehuelche language so many years ago. While I love eating in and stretching our travel budget, it was really nice to have some nights out. The adults had one last date at Last Hope where we officially closed out our tour of the menu, having tried ALL of the cocktails and food on the entire December menu. We look forward to returning in a few years when their whiskey is ready!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4b03_c2cd_68bd_35f1" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SYCjsHxxkxC7AkXzvci6KDjXFcUXIvJVLchFfh63g6ee1vmDKVg37e1f4ZjH3AWbosk" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We simply love Last Hope! Comfortable, friendly, and delicious!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2949_ae77_72a4_d9af" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/h9CIAAaKX0AdJGaiErDFJXFygXFL6etS9Rw289qod9DTrjbjj09805k8KgoKBlRlCJs" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We don't do "fancy" very often, but we enjoyed this trip down memory lane.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>We decided to get one last tourist site in before we left town--la Cueva del Milodón! The cave was discovered at the end of the 19th century with skins and bones of a milodon, a giant, extinct sloth. We spent an afternoon exploring the big cave, as well as two smaller caves (which we actually preferred) and climbed up La Silla del Diablo, "The Devil's Chair," to take in the views and enjoy a snack. It was a nice, easy day of hiking in the hills. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2dc_80ce_e0ec_2999" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sZc6x7UCLJWkhlCUVE40WEWu0nAIku270Q-MT33p8D5I3p5Na7848E-4zyMfvScny3Q" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cueva Grande and the milodón.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_fbd0_4c36_e0ed_7801" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KIWuA7e5YkUhkhZ3e-C4IYHeOQofr0L6CVLozajbEPqbQC8twMYD53zi8beWW0nV-GI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cueva del Medio and the trail tunnel.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_57dc_950c_2e58_df8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QkXgJP-Xf_ptpeHw3GlwkuDEHKU5MRvsAsyeJdmu7V0oorBnrZQ9Ec3n3oVwezn0zFY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep inside Cueva Chica.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_73f6_2362_6a3d_a1d7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TQHA0btZahY_CxjtdMxX_16Kf7WKdcSZ_Ej2LCbb6HUPwlJyxL9lIqdzdeysBqW1zk8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Silla del Diablo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>When it was time to leave our comfort in Puerto Natales we packed up some sandwiches, grabbed our bags, and walked 10 minutes to the bus station. We enjoyed a three-hour ride south through beautiful country and saw tons of guanaco, nandu, and sheep along the way. And after another 10-15 minute walk, we were at our new home in Punta Arenas. This was a super easy transfer.</p><p>And then there was a bit of crazy! As we were being welcomed by our host, it was clear she was an American ex-pat so I asked where she was originally from. When she said "northern Illinois" I had to dig a little more. Turns out she was from Peru, Illinois, a whopping 30-minute drive from where I was born and raised. We live in such a small, wonderful world and I love the adventurers that we are meeting along the way!</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-14205701546795326262022-12-23T19:12:00.003-05:002022-12-23T19:19:31.278-05:00 The W--Torres del Paine National Park<p>We did it. We really did it. We hiked the "W" in Torres del Paine National Park with our children. Almost 16 years ago (and when we only had one kid), I remember lying in a tent on this very same trek and saying to Frank, "I want to bring our kids here someday." And we did it. A real dream come true.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c321_160a_91fd_e8bd" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ignCbHTcm0NNLs14j2Daiu61_W6_28V-P7cGtgKctbARw3hxIT1D36saDpxX_GMF-yI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "W" trail (in yellow) and the "O" trail (in red) in Torres del Paine National Park.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Our 5-day trek started with an early morning walk to the bus station, a bus to Laguna Amarga where we checked in to the park, then another bus to the Welcome Center for Torre Central. We only had to walk about 10 minutes to the camp registration office where we checked in, got our meal tickets, and were able to drop our bags for the day's hike to one of the most famous views in the park, The Towers. We crossed a hanging bridge that we totally remembered from 16 years ago and we were off on our trek by 1000. We hiked about two hours to Refugio Chileno, then about an hour through the woods (my favorite!), then began our final hour's climb to the towers. This is where we got the first big surprise of the trip--SO MANY PEOPLE! With people coming down and people going up, there were several points of stand-still bottlenecks. The wind was whipping for our final 20 minutes of climbing, but we were blessed with clear skies and amazing views! But with so many people clustered around the lake we opted to hang back and enjoy a little solitude on a big rock with a pretty awesome view. I cried! It was so great seeing our kids there and seeing them witness the majesty of Torres del Paine with their own eyes. Our hike back down took just under four hours and we "moved in" to our tents just as hot water was turned on at at the campground. Perfect! And the tents were cozy! We opted for the full gear campsite--tents, pads, and sleeping bags all included. And dinner? Delicious AND there was a bar! I think this was "glamping" rather than camping as we had fabulous weather and slept under a glorious southern sky.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_adeb_e763_177a_49a4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6e83_d5b1_f831_6297" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ae8g_sI2CpeoJxAQt8RxvqeEyDHs2oBLjWPH8tA5Dum6FebXLrBdSVt2gjz-yRQH3A8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bridge brought a flood of memories! I remember starting our other trek here!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_2db0_ed5f_fd4e_fff1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2a13_a605_43fa_fcf6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AWNjRBEk3WgMP0kHtKuAmpy9Z6tbyaBqkJmKeuTHXX5nauYiLNgMo5Ort_apmGQLCj4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the park and hiking up the valley along Rio Ascencio.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_4b0c_e40d_9eff_afa6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3225_17ad_ffa2_f8e0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/AeeyEYHxLVw7rHqrfwS2QMbdwBoTtIm6OnrQb23i8bPeu5ya7zNnHboVTTz9b-MhPQA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous Mirador de las Torres!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_3b52_7818_d2f2_d3d2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_69d3_374a_37_94ab" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QW5F_0Sj0DTa9hFoAYyHthbyskuth7jzAXstzs45Q6Cbm__gm0pfk9lfLb9UTjnLvU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first campsite had a wonderful view of the towers!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Our second trekking day was an "easy" day with a five-hour hike to the Cuernos campsite. While short, the trail had plenty of ups and downs to keep it interesting. We arrived at the Cuernos Refugio about an hour before campsite checkin so we ordered some anniversary margaritas and settled in for a family game of Farkle under the Cuernos. It was awesome and I definitely think I remembered this place! Our tents were far from the refugio and the bathrooms, but the campground was small and it all worked out fine. We napped, showered, and relaxed. Dinner was excellent again (both the food and the company of a nice couple from Park City!) and we slept great ahead of our next long day on the trail.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_ce58_e716_5fe5_ea26" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_2655_90fd_8675_5f0e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/C7aTdL05jBsvcffjUWVL8CYwzB-3g8QGV9IPtzaU3YtInyNmSJzN35ROXuUzNkKeqYY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had great weather and amazing views of Los Cuernos as we hiked past Laguna Inge and along Lago Nordenskjöld for the day.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_fad5_1d48_c551_1493" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9737_2491_a6b7_cbff" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ynBR7eIcX-Y03kbkVl8d_EtPk5-epj-PVkm4hZt1DKWwNg944hdqO4QrFQAb84Gpx7A" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to the other Americanos for our pic with Lago Nordenskjöld!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_b6d8_7a0c_b706_bbaa" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c5d2_118a_971_ef93" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IWt_jnKFAG6sYDTYXgumYxuYwupns_l_cyFPpkQ_LDcB-Y-P0pp4b_rQq7ZvYSyYWJY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campsite at Los Cuernos was super fun and cozy (and was a nice place to mark our anniversary!).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>We expected the third day to be a challenge and...it was! But it was also amazing and Frank recalled it being his favorite day from our previous visit. We hiked a few hours to the new Camp Italiano, dumped our big bags, and headed for Mirador Frances, location of a very cool <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/play" target="_blank">Earth Cache</a> with stunning views of Frances Glacer! We heard and saw many ice falls on our way up the valley, and got hit with some strong winds right at the viewpoint for the glacier. We opted to continue on another two kilometers to Mirador Británico which we didn't visit during our previous visit due to poor weather and a lack of time. The hike was through some pretty gorgeous woods and the view was absolutely worth it. But 1/4 of our crew was done with heading further for more views so we had lunch (BTW, box lunches were AMAZING) at Británico and made our way back to Camp Italiano to collect our big bags. From there, we had a 7.5km hike to the Paine Grande Refugio. I totally recognized this one! We checked in, picked out our four beds in a six-bed room, showered, and went to enjoy our free welcome drinks at the bar. We again had fabulous view of Los Cuernos and Paine Grande, and could see the wind whipping up the water. We ignored the 70+km/h forecast for the next day, enjoyed a big buffet dinner, and slept like babies in super cozy, warm beds. I think the kids were sold on refugios!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_e7b9_26bb_81f3_16d7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6337_b021_d164_5e6" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Lpv7ldQ6YuHUy13mb7SOL7vCgQupF4oeZQE2Ubk6fj1Nk-efPrmbsslmigEOk6xH6Pc" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early start took us right along the shore of Lago Nordenskjöld on the way to Camp Italiano. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_630d_2c21_77d6_c1dc" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b008_e8be_1eed_5b43" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v_VaSeHxzUWqDCFVVYLCeIeM-ZkfnVWgRPvsfG0LldazSRV78bGd91FqPJ232qAFOx0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A windy stop at Mirador Frances!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_c748_b9c2_51a2_8284" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8a1f_c359_5878_2980" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/o_e_8CQ584lts1yiKN6IMn-SHGxTu8N8gJjxNnTAAsnjUj43Up8afSEKIVYlHvY3eAo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirador Británico was amazing!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_76ca_6842_32f3_3904" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_f4a2_b537_747d_f099" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hCezWsVHOO-eOAi8hOXckpPCvNMbJ7GS0Lolo6cTBiLXuNonK5OLsO1RVetNOW3El6g" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packs back on, over some bridges, and into the wind as we made our way to Paine Grande.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_de10_8617_bf28_529" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_cc84_a846_ad7a_a714" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1yt78EiSfR9X7mlJdkKQNZLUYNTpbnFy64UO0FxssFhkOitpNsDCHXwhpdgbVgW44iM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refugio Paine Grande was sweet (and very familiar!). We had great views of Paine Grande and Los Cuernos from our room and saw a beautiful rainbow over Lago Pehoé!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Day four FINALLY brought us some "real" Patagonia weather! We had to hike 11km into that sometimes 70km/hr cold wind to get to Refugio Grey. It was cold, hot, windy, sunny, rainy, hard on the face...everything we wanted the kids to experience from this trek! We arrived at the refugio ahead of check-in, but that was ok--we ate our lunches and hiked about an hour north (and uphill) to a suspension bridge with an amazing view of Glacier Grey! It was so windy on the water, but the hike through the woods was nice and afforded lots of time to reflect on the journey so far. When we returned to the refugio we were surprised that the rooms were four-man and we had one all to ourselves! After hot showers we settled in to the bar for a round of Farkle, snacks, and a World Cup semi-final! Argentina beat Croatia and the bar was lit!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_64f6_7b42_1c60_e622" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_fee3_c03d_18b_a94b" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1A3d16z1P8xHbO-A47ehxiHJrpFxPbJuteKtKA2xtmSQtHv_N_taK34hJyUy1Eo1wDY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking into 70km/hr was a challenge at times, but Lago Grey was spectacular!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_5d4_a0bd_b24_3468" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_efa_cc8d_2900_382" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ni4CH_ZxxJSdWU0qt8pmHrPQXiicxs32sabt9t8UQzB0vCXTwRxB8bAulUqyBUzLOnE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just enjoying the view of Glacier Grey.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_714c_3493_a6df_67a8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a468_9732_311f_bbee" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ni7MFKhc_7z0Fe2RTBGfEk7esoRHBqcnOp1J9fZngHAbIisyEuTXG7CduaekjASXXXw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had time before check-in (and the fútbol game) so we hiked up to one of the suspension bridges for better views of the glacier. I loved it!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_670e_afa1_991e_e8d2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_50f_51c6_b3c6_663f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yDYFsw4dvfxsVYKce26bIP8tjRp_bHHMWFw6GJu9whT8L-JJTwa_l6lERIGwipQy6UQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refugio life...satellite tv, cold beers, fellow travelers, and plenty of relaxation.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>The last day was...easy! We had a late breakfast, a slow hike back to Paine Grande refugio, a fantastic game of Farkle with our hiking friends Oscar and Sofia, and another crazy World Cup semi-final where France beat Morocco before we had to catch our ferry out of the park. I cried again. I love Torres del Paine. I love the challenge it gives my body, the time it gives my mind, and the beauty that it leaves in my memories. And after a half-hour ferry ride we were on the bus that would take us back to Puerto Natales. That bus ride has some stories of its own that I will leave for the boys to tell when they are ready... ;) </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_950_cb4e_2f4e_7a73" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6c9b_a02a_5cd_7ff8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GKJ3_I6t2j4mRY05JfVqp3lP56XrGXxgYWF4noxDZ8vRYjJuhWyxOLq-6mpH6r-hi7U" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful hike along Lago Grey (with the wind at our backs!).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_1ecd_8a46_9372_9439" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c9c1_84f5_2681_1afa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/O0rtz7nzdY5snDddqdIHclkvgBIkVPw3_JuJd7j0S1IvqQvdcBBnbMaDoANUc64a3so" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in the forest and our final look at Los Cuernos before boarding the catamaran to cross Lago Pehoé for our return to Puerto Natales. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Did the trip live up to all of my expectations? No. I had built this up so much in my head…full of romance, life-changing for the kids, glorious views, new traveling friends, tons of laughs…that’s a lot to ask out of any trip and it’s part of the danger of dreaming about something so hard for so long. But it was many of those things, and that’s enough.</p><p>Thank you, Torres del Paine. You were, and remain, a dream come true.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_bfb2_ee02_3481_6176" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OzGYq8h_nZ_i-d1SnTqwxWbHVVIqcAVBvZppsJwXBuFEXoJYHeX8sltzn0UHxwG6Hf0" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><p><br /></p><p>THE DETAILS: There are so many ways to hike the "W" or the "O" in Torres del Paine that fit a range of budgets. When we were here 16 years ago we had a guide, private transportation, didn't worry about any tickets of any sort...we blissfully hiked from bed to bed and were fed! You can also self-book transportation, refugio/tent sites, carry all or some of your own gear and food, and follow the well-marked trails. Or you can go somewhere in between, which is what we did this time. I was trying to self-book the trip, but the booking site was down for quite a while and we were busy enjoying Peru so I started to shop for a tour company. We ended up booking the Classic 5-day W Trek through <a href="https://www.vertice.travel/paquetes/" target="_blank">Vertice Travel</a>. You can opt for camping with or without your own gear, refugios (think hostel) with full bedding or use your own, and with as many meals as you want. Given availability, we ended up with two nights at campsites with full equipment (tents, nice mats, and sleeping bags all set up and ready to go) and two nights at refugios with full bedding. The package included bus tickets from Puerto Natales to the park entrance, the park tickets, tickets for a shuttle bus within the park, catamaran tickets across the lake at the west end, and bus tickets back to town. We opted for the "full board" option, provided us with breakfast, a bag lunch, and dinner every day. And I can honestly say, it was worth every penny (hit me up for price details if you want, but the tour websites all give pretty detailed quotes). Vertice is VERY organized and at our orientation meeting the evening before we left, they gave us a perfectly ordered packet of tickets and vouchers for the entire trip, just like how I would have done it! They gave us some dry bags, water bottles, buffs, maps, and our lunch for the first day (fun fact--the vegetarian sandwiches were often better than the meat ones), then stored the luggage we weren't taking with us. Easy peasy! I personally am comfortable booking all of that myself at this point, but for those new to the park/area, we can definitely recommend Vertice as a reputable tour outfit. Also, no matter how you do it, BOOK EARLY! The best weather is limited to about two months and that overlaps with Southern Hemisphere summer vacations so popular routes/tours can sell out.</p><p>FUN SIDE STORY: When we first visited Patagonia (and did the W) in 2007 we carried LLBean packs and trekking poles. We have that same gear with us on the return trip in 2022! (I mean, why else would I have a purple pack?!?!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_138e_8f0b_bd6e_9e56" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c0ad_bf5_3aaa_5ca1" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tCb2tMiQSvbOfdVJwmLTdtvbw0PwzNXfQ174bY-W6EJf5RaxRdxMoeOytgkwT4e9_YQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me in 2007 (upper left) enjoying my first trip to Patagonia with my LLBean pack! And here it is again, in 2022 (and Frank's equally old pack) along with our 16 year-old LLBean Vario Hikelite trekking poles. Good gear lasts (even if the colors are a bit dated!)!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-81067154348735802882022-12-07T09:55:00.000-05:002022-12-07T09:55:02.985-05:00Return to Puerto Natales<p>After almost 16 years, we are back in Puerto Natales, Chile! When we first came to Patagonia we said we wanted to return with our kids (we only had one at the time who was home with her grandparents) and it is happening! This feels so right. We are starting off with over a week in Puerto Natales to get used to the cold/wind and get a bunch of school done. </p><p>This is truly the slow part of our journey. We take walks to explore town most every day, shop at the local grocery stores, stop for a coffee or drink, and we do school, cook, clean, pay bills, research locations, discuss future plans, watch some TV...just boring normal life stuff. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_788f_1dfc_9507_e7be" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/X7q8dBipWhTA_3jPEPOSzMVJYbnljkBDdtM4NIxQPMJlF9M_22bigcS1onYArdZamuU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Puerto Natales and visiting old favorites.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a4e4_e5ac_2d46_2c72" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/c1DkNiLNbD27EBqmM2urocqrPkYtVf0X5qcK32h1MTdYsZM6rUpwEX-V3rnGsrlhU_k" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Hope Distillery is amazing! Great tour, creative drinks, and tasty bites. We are going to enjoy our few weeks here for sure!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ok, it's not all boring life stuff...sometimes we get to celebrate! This week we celebrated Trent's 15th birthday. We rented a few ATV's and spent half a day exploring the dirt roads outside of town. It was sunny, rainy, windy, snowy...all the Patagonia weather! But it was awesome, even if we were super cold for a good chunk of it. We made it our to Laguna Sofia where we hunkered behind a rock to eat our lunch, and found some good, muddy roads by the Mylodon Cave. We were hit with sleet as we made our way back into town so we headed for Patagonia Dulce for some hot, chocolatey coffees! Frank and I actually had coffee there back in 2007! </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4e89_c00a_94ce_4d35" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZoJTAhsk85Scj021ZgzcgM7sI52Sjf7QRmjkKqUrLtJcQD2kkIF7aXA3jYxNXDk1Mg8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's birthday experience was a chilly blast!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>After hot showers and a few episodes of Andor, we headed to town to buy better gloves for our future outings and to enjoy an amazing Italian dinner at Pizza Napoli--Trent's choice! Then it was back home for more Andor, some bad singing, and cake! Still can't believe my baby is 15!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7afa_8f49_e815_8055" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2MuQKblA28pUYhKoKm_BkpF878chbG6Tm_AZyFUMf0Fz3lgiXMSxqXDlLSrHGtIZgpM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday, Trent!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />And now, back to washing all of the splattered mud from our clothing!</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-25094198223905864382022-12-01T19:25:00.001-05:002022-12-02T20:01:40.619-05:0035 hours in Santiago<p>On our way from Calama to Puerto Natales we opted for a brief, two-night, stop in Santiago and it was awesome! We stayed in a family room with a private bathroom at Hostel Merced 88 in Barrio Lastarria. How did we choose it? Well, it was priced well, had great reviews on HostelWorld, had some tempting amenities, and I saw a few parks nearby in Google Maps--that was it. As we were due to arrive at 1830 and wanted an easy trip to the city, we booked a transfer through the hostel and it was a breeze! By 1930 we were checked in to our room and headed to dinner!</p><p>So what was our first dinner out in Santiago? German food! Bierstube was a three-minute walk from our hostel and we were delighted to have some amazing house beers and tasty German food. We ended the night with some rounds of pool at the hostel. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e834_86f1_7664_9f2c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WNh5_h7SiT3lb5oxd-nUMUj8_Qeam2YrhBXix5KeTUuvwTAeE9k_zwBhO1C7t9g0-n0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hostel worked well for us!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>After a late wake-up we grabbed some coffee for a walk through Parque Forestal to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. This awesome (free!) museum features classical and modern art by Chilean artists. I personally loved the sculpture work and the modern exhibit where light strings were woven in traditional ways. It's not a huge museum and you can cover it in around an hour. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_236e_69c4_b5f3_dfcf" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3B7fMm8M2abLnskYjQtRQMlq_IYe1pFUT7V0iFyg_276UNNjogEfW-IDJpdWFYWVJG8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Right across from the museum is Castillo Forestal, a French restaurant. Of course, our Frenchy girl wanted to go, but the rest of us ended up loving it, too! We dined on the patio, essentially in the park, and the food was fantastic. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7e8d_f521_7be9_883" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BmSFDXLDBm6ZH8oCyZyy8NRZ8NuHqA1e_kj7DpEmHf-kiZJRqRmCo97QjtTLvy4RPUU" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful food in a beautiful setting! Trent discovered that he really likes Chicken Cordon Bleu.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Next up...WINE! The kids stayed at the hostel to watch the World Cup and play pool while the adults headed to Concha y Toro vineyard for a tour and tasting. We toured the grounds, sampled Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenere, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and got to visit the Casillero del Diablo cellar. It was a nice way to spend a date afternoon!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_3e57_9897_179e_7f5c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q7rnRR0choX3Mq4N3oHcuOOKhLv-NluCaV2x0RY4cOQfQ7WfiotdlqpxTMtqirIh8uY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult time and wine!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c467_95b7_b015_f15f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/czTmCmWsZ76Jz8g0bAKDcQDQ_JOvv-aVyi6vVfJB_Fy5yDr2JqNRoKd8PQBs4dfRUYA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Casillero del Diablo cellar was a treat. It's all naturally climate-controlled.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We opted for an easy night back at the hostel, dining and enjoying $6 bottles of wine at the rooftop Restobar before binge-watching shows on our last night of Amazon Prime access. It was a horrible plan as we needed to catch a taxi to the airport at 0500 the next day, but it was fun!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7341_5a46_3481_6127" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PbwvOef5h2vd-bNtHyipVFIPHv7K_S5zIDDgblVIZF29MrTVCoRtAyxBWxJPv5reOp4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hostel life was great! And the Restobar food was good and cheap.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We would definitely return to Santiago someday. The brief glimpse we got of the art and food scene was good, and we'd like to see more...and maybe even try Chilean food there. Someday...</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-23573932465828037412022-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:002022-12-01T11:59:46.035-05:00An EPIC finale to the Atacama Desert experience<p>We had an epic goodbye to the Atacama Desert! After four cancellations and rescheduling due to weather, we were finally "on" for our astrophotography tour in the desert! We were so happy as that ended up being our final night there before we started our journey to southern Chile. We were picked up at 11pm and driven out to the middle of the desert near San Pedro de Atacama...and that's where the magic began.</p><p><a href="https://atacamastargazing.com" target="_blank">Atacama Stargazing</a> has a great little setup in the desert with three dedicated stations which are linked by gentle ground lighting. We started at the telescope station, which was fortunate as the moon was about to set and we managed to get a brief, very clear view of the waxing crescent. We've looked through lots of telescopes and that first peek made it clear that the viewing in the Atacama Desert was remarkable. We then viewed Saturn, Jupiter, and the Orion Nebula through the telescope, all while the guide detailed the lifecycle of a star. We could also see nearby galaxies and saw several shooting stars. Even looking at familiar constellations was new and different! Orion appeared upside down and WAY more stars were visible throughout the constellation.<br></p><p>From there we moved on to an "Andean Cosmovision" station where we tried some traditional Andean food, teas, and wines before learning about how the Andean people used the stars. Fun fact--the familiar constellation, "Pleiades," was viewed as a sack of potatoes by the Andeans and they used it to assess how the potato crop would be and whether they needed to ration food (based on how much of the constellation they could see as moisture levels varied). And Orion was not Orion the Hunter to them, but a God of all things. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_fccf_3a00_5226_54f7"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b2d6_988c_5944_a801" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5I58nTUJXjTWgO-_JpM2mIqikPuIHR3O4tnxaHOQRAygpWX10q9OaA3S3aKh7kkQbQI" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My non-pro photos from the first two stations.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Our final station was Astrophotography. In this little spot we all got photos taken by a pro and while we aren't models (ok, we adults aren't), these photos were amazing! They almost look fake, but I swear they are real! We sat still for several seconds for each one!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_cfe3_1a41_331f_db30"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6f88_2d53_54f2_63de" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UwwzQs-DejKNbiPR_dTFZ0h5XPZrHsabWPIndU78ixyIChOtANr1B9tw5mpyP-4mxn4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first family photo in forever!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_bca8_e133_db79_dab7"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_87eb_548c_44ef_8558" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DUcXaGM0_hfYWBR1eWuLEjI9ZiPdpXXNSGPSgySJ7A6UKDrZU97UE1mazwTsp5PU0ag" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful girl against a stunning backdrop.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_2216_9274_3d4f_de42"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_615f_1ec8_12f9_6de8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/74OCc8CdccWgTIxehAETV_JR_ZtYPf0Q2sUX-1QlE1zeT3FdjKT6Iql59ITIS1d9wms" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our handsome guy (who is about to have a b-day!).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_2bec_e666_ba98_210c"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_bebb_6f88_4c7c_6257" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zIp5dXDDeW-VwNuYN5cstlvUmIMkfki6eYyXciWHHyrJFlboC0OMgN1J_VM_DGU1VAw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip=""></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to be all cute like the kids.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This is the one experience we booked before going to San Pedro de Atacama and I'm so freaking glad that it finally worked out. We would HIGHLY recommend doing this if you're ever in the area as we learned so much and had a wonderful night of stargazing!</p><p>The final goodbye was also epic, but rather in an epically bad way! We arrived at the tiny Calama airport with plenty of time to spare, but as we had to check our big backpacks, we couldn't move along until they opened that counter two hours before departure. No big deal, right? Especially in an airport with only three gates. But...some flight had been "reprogrammed" and the passengers were physically blockading the doors to security! What?!?!?! What in the world did they hope to accomplish by blocking other people traveling on other airlines to other places? It mad absolutely no sense. We were baffled that the tons of people trying to go through couldn't just push by them, but since the airport security team was also rather small, it took a while to get the situation cleared up. By then, we were beyond tight on making our flight and didn't know that way up at the front, our flight was being told to come on up and get through security. We were assisted by another family who knew we were on the same flight and flagged us down, and we in turn grabbed a lady that we recognized from when we had checked baggage. Suddenly this cute little airport was turning into my worst nightmare! And I HATED going around others who had been in line for over an hour with us, but we did it and squeezed through to an incredibly quick security screening. We went straight to the gate and immediately through boarding. With all of the flights getting held up, there was actually no gate for our plane to go to so we were walked out on the tarmac to it, loaded up, and miraculously pushed back only a few minutes late. What a freaking adventure! We were so tired from the late night in the desert the night before and I was getting bummed that we only had two nights in Santiago that looked to be in danger and I was NOT excited about having to rebook a bunch of stuff, but it all worked out. Really hoping we don't have to repeat that anytime soon, but that's travel. We just have to be flexible and have our credit card ready!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="id_1d89_4529_8576_e51d"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" id="id_bd28_d64f_3f0f_4db8" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wd5Hnl6NoCOmerITJl54dt6wovCLPPi6XywKOGcjh4FDUOp4hC_hvqXZmCu7mXmX5hk=w240-h320" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" tooltip="" width="240"></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My word, that was NOT how I expected our departure from a tiny airport to go!</td></tr></tbody></table><br><p></p><p><br></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-29213445661813617462022-11-27T16:20:00.002-05:002022-11-27T16:20:34.989-05:00 Chile: Part 1--the Atacama Desert<div class="separator"><div style="text-align: left;">We made it to Chile! After boarding a collectivo in Tacna and crossing the border, we arrived in Arica, Chile with plenty of time to spare to catch our night bus, even with the time change (Chile is GMT -3). Our 7hr bus ride started fine, but was interrupted with lots of mid-night stops and we were all pretty tired by the time we arrived in Calama. We loitered at the bus station for a few hours before grabbing an Uber to the airport (in hindsight, I would have left for the airport earlier--it's nice!), picking up our rental car, and driving the final 1:15 to San Pedro de Atacama and our AirBnB. We checked in and immediately relaxed/crashed! Grocery shopping here is a little like the Bahamas--not a ton of fresh stuff--but we stocked up for a few meals pretty easily. Our AirBnB is perfectly cute with a functional kitchen and even a wash basin outside for clothes.</div></div><p style="text-align: left;">Given the warmth of the afternoons, we've decided to explore in the mornings and do school in the afternoons. Wednesday we set out to visit the Valle de la Luna, but got sidetracked with a visit to Valle de la Muerte and Pucará de Quitor. This pre-Incan fort is located just outside of town and boasts spectacular views of the valley. We also got to visit the entrance of a cave used by the Atacameños people. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e7af_4a09_8d10_b45" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eobfJzkgy9Kkw6Omv62hCQMZx-mrdtJuys-FnWYKWtDdjf7hIAZlhnwZwlTrEI24c8s" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pucará de Quitor</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Thursday we did make it to the Valle de la Luna! We weren't entirely sure what to expect, but about 2km into the park we began to fully appreciate how it got its name. There are so many interesting geological features to observe, including giant sand dunes, huge salt deposits, and impressive sedimentary features. And even though we came home to do school and chores, I did manage to pull of a version of an American Thanksgiving dinner, complete with a bird product and tons of veggies!</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5cfd_a1b7_83ee_12fa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BCFUS6n2qdpWh8JBsgMq1tZS6jReLEgdrwBn4RxHSmbet2WtdUg8OshLEQLNLJVwiLE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's impossible to capture the vastness of this valley in photos.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_c82c_7a65_7e82_c1cd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/aVQiJAWGdMkb0jO-S1zTsLeVBAq-kAAJAybqnwGGcHSduIwAEIktnWSFWE-pw2QfqaM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#nailedit Our AirBnB was perfectly comfortable for our needs and had just enough dishes for me to be able to cook a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving meal.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Friday we got up a little early (but not 0300 like the tours!) and headed two hours north on a very rough road to get to the El Tatio Geysers. Tour groups go early to be there as the sun rises, but we arrived at 0900 and still thought the 80+ geysers were pretty spectacular (and we were almost all alone!).</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_18e9_d1c8_9b5d_bca5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hzQJU0Kz6kBtg5pdx3g26pQWo-35w2K_242xS92I88xvzMvlcGdNIVKUabx5TPLZxtE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such an amazing, steamy place!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Considering the need to do school, the bumpy roads, and just a general desire to chill, we stayed "home" for the weekend. Saturday we walked into town to walk around, watch a World Cup game, get some amazing ice cream, and visit the Meteorite Museum (I know it sounds nerdy, but it was cool!). Sunday was a bit of Saturday on repeat! </p><p>Tonight, weather permitting, we will be heading out on an astrophotography tour! Stargazing was one of the reasons we came to the Atacama Desert and it's been cloudy! But tonight is looking good so far so we are optimistic that tonight is the night! I hope so because tomorrow we head to Santiago after a pretty fabulous week in the desert.</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p><p><br /></p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-36716484109389139792022-11-21T10:29:00.001-05:002022-11-21T10:36:48.972-05:00Southern Peru: Arequipa - Nazca - Huacachina - Paracas - Lima<p>It's official--white water rafting > trekking for most of our crew! After knocking out a few hours of school last Sunday we headed 20 minutes outside of the city for an amazing paddle down the Chili River (which was chilly!) with <a href="https://www.kanuwarafting.com" target="_blank">Kanuwa Rafting</a>. Easily one of the kids' favorite experiences in South America so far. The river valley was just gorgeous and the rafting was Class II-IV so it was had just enough challenge to make it exciting, but at the same time wasn't terrifying. The kids even jumped off a rock into the river for a little extra fun! This is an activity that each of us has done before all over the world (in Malaysia, Washington state, West Virginia, Maine...) and each time we go it's like we remember all over again that we love it. Keeping this in mind for our travel options next year...</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_961b_f23e_7a95_3df5" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/bJA5YGii9yZdhH-E4JjWDJwj7duYourl4tK2RhmKl2kZzBE7GJXp19vSy84l2HsiQvw" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_883b_1e02_c0f8_2c8f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/PCuVf0V1Hth4mLbWCBcBqBFaIMc4aG20P2m9a0NtEiok8n5X5kT_j3kgfef4rpvWkKY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had so much fun on the Chili River! It's beautiful!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We did manage to get a good chunk of school and laundry (and eating) done while in Arequipa, so that was good, but after a week it was time to move on! Next stop--24 hours in Nazca! There was a ton of construction along the route (a theme that would be repeated several times this week) so we arrived there about three hours later than scheduled. I wasn't too crushed...we only had one activity planned so we rested up for our flight over the Nazca lines! We boarded our little six-passenger plane for a 30-minute flight around Nazca to view the images that have been there for over 500 years. Both the themes and the scale of these drawings is amazing. We saw the astronaut, spider, compass, triangles, monkey, hummingbird, condor, heron, hands, tree, lizard, and cat (and probably a few others I am forgetting) before flying over the aqueducts which are still used today by local farmers. The flight wasn't easy on the stomach (I had to close my eyes quite a few times and Katreina was in rough shape...didn't help that her first set of headphones had vomit on them!), but I'm glad we did it!<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_6622_3c24_64c7_b5f7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NSEc_sr-1JlKDx2SkiN_r0NCS6VzaE1b2XjdbCY--uVD07MytjW98DbAcIRsXO_86N0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth the stomach-turning flight to see these spectacular images!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />With the construction issues holding up the "big bus," Peru Hop offered a shuttle from Nazca to our next stop, the oasis of Huacachina. Our shuttle stopped at the viewing tower for the Nazca lines and a roadside fruit stand before losing its transmission somewhere on a detour backroad in the mountains. We all piled out while our driver used some bits of trash from the side of the road to fashion a usable wire to someone fix the transmission! About an hour later the bus filled with smoke and fumes from (maybe?) some other issue, but we all opened the windows and it went away so we crossed our fingers and willed the shuttle along the last hour and a half of highway. We arrived after dark and decided to pass on the hotel pool, but had a great meal with our travel mate, Nic, at her hostel before crashing. <p></p><p>Our day in Huacachina was pretty nice! We had a wonderful breakfast on the roof of our hotel with amazing views of the dunes before heading off with the Peru Hop gang to Nietto, a pisco vineyard, for a little info on how they make pisco liquors and wines before a very generous tasting (which included some drinking games) of pisco, pisco wines, and pisco creams. And yes, our kids did sample a little. We had a surprisingly good lunch at the vineyard and met lots of interesting fellow travelers. We spent a little time just walking around the little oasis, surprised to learn it had been a tourist destination since the 1920's. You can rent little boats to paddle in the lake, walk the dunes, or just relax by the many pools. But finally, it was time for our next adventure--dune buggy rides and sand boarding! It was AWESOME! The buggy ride part was like being on a roller coaster that fishtailed a bunch and boarding down the dunes was a totally fun, new experience. And watching the sun go down over the dunes was beautiful. Totally recommend hitting this touristy are just for that experience. We barely dusted the sand off before boarding another bus for just a few hours to our next stop...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_4424_1f45_9596_ae3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IiwvcYSpwavIFbC-R_GTsoweXJHEuoTS3vTvG5uAijmIsHiiBeDpfpoZWTvKyrwH6do" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oasis was definitely touristy, but peaceful. Didn't expect to be calling out "shot, shot, shot!" with my kids, but when in Peru at a Pisco vineyard...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_b33b_5a3b_2085_9365" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9lq87sjRrT_LM3x8vkb--HYXi1J5QS48Fcbayn6chjShNQcAjej0utXbYcgCarCygUo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The videos of the buggy ride are way better than the stills! (On IG)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_ffb6_fbfc_d0f_b322" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w432KWNd1pWXUQ_F_qbOSNET_n52AO8cIyKoTh7_VUphskfPsTAgWsVlgFxDxbVwZo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all managed to safely board down four slopes. The last one was super steep!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>Paracas! We only spent one night here but had a fun-filled day in this little seaside town. First up was a boat ride (yay!) out to Las Islas Ballestas, a.k.a. "The Poor Man's Galapagos." On our way we passed "The Candelabra," another pre-Incan line drawing with many theories as to when/who/why it was made. The islands themselves were clearly active bird rookeries and right away we saw Humboldt penguins! There was also a ton of Peruvian boobies, Inca terns, and gulls, and it was easy to see how these islands were important to the local guano trade. We also saw a few seals, including a baby! We had a nice cruise back to town where we dropped the kids with some complete strangers for paragliding! They both wanted to try it so we took advantage of a break in the day to let them go and fly over a beach. They liked it! After a quick lunch we rejoined the Peru Hop gang for a tour around the Paracas Nature Reserve, which took us to stunning seascapes and through Martian-esque terrain. Then we headed out for drinks and dinner at a seaside restaurant with Nic (she really is an awesome travel companion!), watching the sunset and swapping stories about life until we had to board our final bus.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_727c_8b42_4294_6e63" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ZiQyHmgyspsHlIz5m4fKVyFGxJ_-yHzJBW08bIoKW4W2xlt9M1-tNT6jpHaO370UBvw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Islas Ballestas were stunning!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7e12_654e_f598_6ec4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fm9a20oezI2irlluAQT2N-1J3Iw24bt09670rg_IVAQVwRVoWQ4EeQP3fGMrvIauBkQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids got to try something the adults have never done.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9f8b_868a_65af_ed4d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yc4aVKWLtxrJJYxhOQItGuMEO3wK9uL0D7uLH7biwFTVCRoyAiIhAqF4AgkFnZ8cgj4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course, Katreina found a kitten in town before we went on the tour of the reserve.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Our Peru Hop journey ended just before midnight in Lima. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. The busses (other than that one shuttle!) were cozy and the company includes some nice bonus tours and makes it pretty simple for even inexperienced travelers to make the trip. Our time in Lima was short (and I wasn't feeling awesome)--we walked around town a little but that was it. It seemed very "city."<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_50aa_e6c6_8554_345a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eYr5-hxuu-EebOO9zpuPdqId-69DWuH_Vu4Qu9RkCWum5t5qCgSMH-7VV8aTOnxteW4" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wee bit of Lima...and our cozy bus (which is great since we were on it forever).</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Saturday night we boarded a super cozy bus with lie-flat seats for a trip that was scheduled for 20 hours--it took 25.5. Why? Traffic around Lima, extensive construction projects, hour-long stops for food, life. My four hours of "fluff" before our next bus was gone so we cancelled our next bus, informed our AirBnB that we would be a day late, got a room in Tacna for the night, cancelled and rebooked our rental car, got bus tickets for the next night, and enjoyed a great dinner and comfy beds at a nice, clean, $38/night hostel. We have "lost" a day in the Atacama desert and incurred some more expenses, but it's not all that bad. Tonight's bus is only supposed to take seven hours and we don't have the fancy bed seats, but I think it's going to be ok. I think...</p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-6629824513605064292022-11-13T07:53:00.004-05:002022-11-13T08:12:02.127-05:00 Time to see more of Peru! Puno y Arequipa...The first stop on our bus adventure was Puno, a town on the coast of Lake Titicaca. As the highest navigable lake in the world at 3812m above sea level, we boaters just had to visit! We opted for a 2-day/1-night tour that first took us from Puno to the nearby Uros floating islands. These 120 islands were created from 2m chunks of land topped with 1m of dried reeds which are then tied together and anchored to nearby shallows. The residents refresh the reeds routinely and also use the reeds to craft boats (and now crafts for tourists). While the islands helped save the people from conquistadors 500 years ago, younger generations are heading to the mainland and cities and it's not likely that the community will last for too many more generations.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_c4bc_6528_aee9_14b0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5a8a_eb02_6ee1_2394" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DQChoyiSOzaOyDIk_oeeiqm8bL5jCgwX0V5n7KSaX7FJLpiD9n87bcZdf380F1VGCzQ" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Uros island of Waliki</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Next we transited a man-made channel out to the "big" part of Lake Titicaca. The lake really is large and while you can see the distant mountains of Bolivia, the water seems to extend nearly to the horizon sometimes. Our next stop was Amantani Island where we would stay with a local family for the night. We stayed with Rosalia and Bautista (the community President!) and their two kids and while Quechua is their main language, they knew some Spanish. The island is agriculturally rich and we talked with the family about farming, fishing, family, food, houses, and local and global politics. The family eats mostly vegetarian (though some neighbors have sheep and chickens, and sometimes they fish) and Rosalia only goes to the mainland one or two times a year. After lunch we hiked up to the top of Pachatata (Father Earth) for sunset, had dinner with the family, and headed to a touristy-yet-fun fiesta in the town hall wearing traditional dress. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_88a4_3ae9_ee71_c600" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_58c0_6e24_4b46_a90a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ESkbF7CGScUe83yxa5ZYCCfRSNk3zDirJLxsTzIEJ_BLquox4c0pr-gcS_06pkFZ2dM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chatting with the family was the highlight, but the views and getting to try the traditional dress was awesome, too! The skirts were warm!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>After a quick breakfast and goodbyes to the family we were off via boat to the island of Taquile. Here we hiked a trail with amazing views of the lake to arrive at the town square for a dancing demonstration and a lunch where we learned all about the island's farming history, use of natural materials for crafts and daily life, and about the social structure of the community. The island reminded me of some of the small islands in Greece! After that, we enjoyed the boat ride back to Puno. Love a good day on the water. Oh, and right near the pier Frank got to hold a black-chested buzzard-eagle! Our bird guy was happy! And after having a lazy afternoon walking around Puno and enjoying a long dinner, we ran into an old classmate of ours from Cusco. Always great to see Alex!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_e14_e3db_a5b0_72f7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_f7af_4677_7793_4e32" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/F7GAN7k6XCJFs2fxzEAHWlgGCJebbienbqQYPdh2pkuI7QcOvU-RMiBuUyZPufkJNh0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The island of Taquile.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_f3b5_f462_2eda_38af" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_195e_698a_d5b9_969c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ziNhmgU92VmgeID_Gfv7YUqBohHIKk8O32zjNx714yRY6T3WarUXrUr66usJulUfQQY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of fun in Puno (especially for Frank!).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>We boarded another overnight bus from Puno to get to Arequipa, "The White City." The goal for this stop was to do a little sightseeing, but also to get caught up on school. We arrived at the hotel at 0500 and while we couldn't check in for a few hours, they had a lovely garden we could sit in and plenty of hot tea. We had a great breakfast, got into the room, showered, and slept! Later in the afternoon, the adults went to an on-site cooking class where we learned how to make traditional Peruvian ceviche and chorrillana, a fried fish dish. It was so delicious! After a quick dinner for the kids we had to turn in as we needed to be up at 0300 the next day for...</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_a86f_bf4e_cac_1b4f" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_33a1_6e88_9696_c8d0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6rjt609v7-QCX1E_MrxMocrWaQoIPLHCdccM74evXZFbEhQdiYdtKfo4fvCDj6bGSfo" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "hot" date night! (P.S. Don't cut rocoto peppers and then touch your eyes even if you have washed your hands about 10 times with soap. Just trust me on this one.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>...a trek to Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world! With a bird nerd and geology geeks in the family, we thought this trek with a night at an "oasis" on the canyon floor sounded great. While I was mentally prepared for the 1100m descent to the canyon floor, I was not prepared for the insane amount of up and down we did in intense sun and heat to get there! It was a long, hot day and I swear we ended up descending and ascending the entire canyon twice by the end of the trek, but it was nice to take a sunset swim in the pool at the oasis at the end of day one. We also had a lot of fun introducing our Austrian hiking buddies to the game, Farkle! The next day we were up early to hike up, up, up out of the canyon. Amazingly we managed to do it in less than 3 hours. While we did see condors at a roadside stop on the first day, we never did see them while we were in the canyon so that was a little crushing! But the views were great and there were some really interesting basalt formations. On the way back to Arequipa we stopped to relax in some hot springs, saw the areas volcanoes, and saw wild vicuña, but I'm not sure I'd do this one again. Maybe I'm just a little worn out!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_8d15_9a9f_83a0_7831" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/20pGDADjSOpaBPUqrpswuBLEDPOhC8lj-kpOCYQ7zFn2W1aUoV1phbsgeBNUXuV2fSM" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hot day of steep up and down ended in a rustic lodge with a pool at the base of the canyon.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_eaf1_5d72_c2c9_7dde" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ph84etMv5CU2KbBlFARtfh6cwFyO2NffDwAcDOUSW0qp1LwsoVimDzntPIh_bbbSpyw" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it! Had another great group for a trek. We really enjoyed the post-trek relaxing.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>We are at an AirBnB in Arequipa now and are only two blocks from the main plaza on a local side street known as "the music street" as it is lined by instrument shops--we love hearing all of the music! We are cleaning all of our stuff from the dusty trek, walking around the city, and eating all the yummy food! After school one day we visited the Museo Santuarios Andinos to see learn more about Incan traditions including child sacrifices and to see the mummy "Juanita," a well-preserved mummy of a girl of only 12-14 years old who was sacrificed atop a nearby mountain. You can't take photos there, but trust me when I say that the level of preservation achieved in cold, arid climates of the mummy and her belongings (and those of others found on the mountain) is amazing. We also hit up La Capitana, a popular picantería, to try some famous Arequipeño dishes (sadly they were out of rocoto relleno for the day)--so much good food!</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDWqKwhW2Qw9Ww1yYzyMOyqSRVtReBA8VBInpJH5b-ctdKtTVji8_nVcBGxGdUmX_xCAaTKXBhZl9nkW7ij40fJ16FUt7tQUCH4Pw7maie95reRXaSIBVqtiiVk1HBxO_K2G94gXL64f_ftrRcnre1HKLNW3uGSxJxEe5uZzTX99UTk7uilF3Nck/s2048/3A110178-953F-4C5D-8022-451B636A6A5F.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDWqKwhW2Qw9Ww1yYzyMOyqSRVtReBA8VBInpJH5b-ctdKtTVji8_nVcBGxGdUmX_xCAaTKXBhZl9nkW7ij40fJ16FUt7tQUCH4Pw7maie95reRXaSIBVqtiiVk1HBxO_K2G94gXL64f_ftrRcnre1HKLNW3uGSxJxEe5uZzTX99UTk7uilF3Nck/s320/3A110178-953F-4C5D-8022-451B636A6A5F.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picantería goodness and getting some queso helado on the street (trust me, it's not cheese!).</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Few more days here before we move on. Where do you think we will stop next?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~Jo, Nomadic Momma</div>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-34600475728812069272022-11-06T11:29:00.004-05:002022-11-11T11:45:33.785-05:00Cusco: Week 8--Last Call!<p>We closed out our time in Cusco with a week full of celebrations--Halloween, All Saints' Day, and Day of the Dead--and final visits to favorite places we've found over the past two months. </p><p>Monday we got back to volunteering and school, and we enjoyed a walk through the crowded Plaza de Armas to see Halloween costumes and browse a book market. Dinner was Trent's pick--Burgers and Beer (he's not wrong--it's good!).</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_660b_fd8a_50f0_a5d4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_256d_f509_7e3e_2bf0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VzvvJUsYSBvrrSV9UurrUQjECCW9YEt39W-bGk_M5-BGfH7IHhwETOHKxrFByzJwD9w" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween on the Plaza de Armas</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Tuesday was a holiday and the volunteering program was closed, but we did join the Amauta Spanish School students for a tour through Plaza de San Francisco, Mercado de San Pedro, and el Cemeterio de Huancaro with Professor Hans to learn about the Peruvian traditions of All Saints' Day and Day of the Dead in Peru. The markets were full of vendors selling lechon (pork), pan wawa, and flowers and offerings for graves. We enjoyed the markets so much during our morning visit that we went back in the afternoon to try some food. On the way we ran into the Caminos del Inca Road Rally as it ended in the Plaza de Armas--it was pretty cool! Later we hit Nick's Food Co (Katreina's pick) for Indian and Mexican food (trust me, it works) before heading back to the plaza to gawk at cars a little more. Then it was time for one last trivia night at Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado! We managed to tie for 2nd place this time and stayed for part of Alex Leran's set before heading home.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_1d8e_5669_cbfa_6181" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_5ed3_86ef_fbfc_157" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7QVdaf5rDlZEY56caJmkAll0RZO8BlqQbh0s-OGRubkg61iqqpVktXvh1q1FLIV7mk0" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning all things about All Saints Day and Day of the Dead in Peru.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_525_2811_cf5c_a75e" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_a49d_1c89_6e9a_d686" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1oWH7dcu2oY2LlH4HdEVJIJKqvmXQYqpOqcN-p9cGJK3AE7IxxjoV8MXxAN70HybdGE" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun night out! Korma Sutra vs. Tacomania at Nick's and rally cars in the Plaza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Wednesday was a bit of an odd day...we did school, ran some errands, and headed to volunteering. But only two kids showed up! We ended up getting done early and hit the markets again for some street snacks. Cookies, salchicha on a stick, quail eggs, popcorn, and pineapple were all a hit! We walked and relaxed for a while before heading out to dinner and finding many places were closed. We ended up at Mullu for some Thai food (and a little Peruvian)--no complaints!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_5d7b_ce1e_df8b_17e" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7337_1da6_dcb7_7d7a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zeNvwbpC939lWTE3DgFCj8Z6EWJ9Adpk61yB4RDyghB9qi6CJHYOWFnYAH1yieGikzk" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street food throughout the week.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Thursday we finally visited Qorikancha, an amazing 15th century Inca temple that was once covered in gold, but was destroyed by the Spanish and replaced by a Catholic church. It was so easy to see the brilliance of Incan architecture and the cruelty of conquerors. There are so many similarities between the Incans and the Native Americans and the fates their cultures suffered at the hands of the colonizers. We admittedly passed quickly through the Spanish portions and lingered in the Inca portions. It was a VERY busy day at the aftercare program and afterwards we had to unwind with dinner and drinks at Jama.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" id="id_6738_517b_cd39_3142" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_612a_d123_5ccb_7726" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HyFkX10oRCoMtj4ja-kIyJ9IG5t1w50uk9qbA70ucaJsbZpB4WvACPWRvXShw-_gQHY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qorikancha. Cusco means "navel" in Quechua and is the center of the Incan empire.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Friday was a "routine" morning with the kiddos wrapping up school and the adults off to run some errands in the morning. We headed out to Wanchaq to a sports store to get a new soccer ball for the program we work at and afterwards took Katreina to an art cafe in San Blas (because who doesn't love art AND coffee?). We had our final lunch with our host mum (Lomo Saltado, of course!) and our final, emotional day (at least for me) at the Colibri Program. We helped with homework, went to the park for some great outdoor fun, then I headed to Amauta to pick up our huge load of donations to the program with an agree Uber driver, and all the volunteers and some kiddos helped to carry the load from the car to the program (you literally cannot drive to the door--you have to go down and up steps). Then there was a really nice farewell celebration for us, complete with kind words, songs, and dancing. And yep, I cried (no surprise to anyone that knew me in the military). We got so many hugs from the kids, the coordinators, and even the moms as they came to get their kids. But I felt like we were the ones that should be thanking all of them. We learned so much from this experience, and I don't just mean Spanish! We learned about Peruvian culture, the working class of Cusco, the government/social programs in Peru, how kids are kids no matter what country you're in, that cursive is alive and well in Peru, and that positivity, at any age, is contagious. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_9762_4b82_d3d4_afb0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KDxkSMdou2lzDjnVHHk00LduTxQb81l5czW-_tZy_itHPKLIk8ZyeXiY8L_ADcm37a8" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last day of work and fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_1c2a_facb_80df_57b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Ckg0QQCi4DD9oZUqEUydwQhD_g8nSq1YjnSacH5TbCkML_KaJDkMGG9v4-BebTsW7dk" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As part of the program we gave a financial donation to the program which bought food and school supplies. It was so much, but the kiddos all helped carry it up the steps before sending us off!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Saturday we simply walked around, got some farewell gifts for our host mum, ate all the street food, packed, and had one final meal at Nero de la 375. And then, it was time to go! We took a taxi to the Peru Hop terminal and at 2100 boarded our first overnight bus of the trip. Destination--Puno. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_7a2_fd8f_7847_589e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ks8jm7FCIBCoxDKquV8S5W_weCl0Sl-6EwoWQpJVhdM90enJmWSAFswWljiF6BwH0aA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye, Blanca and Cusco!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_855e_fe0b_eb44_9610" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SC2jtbnx_8y3HbEPrug_6FUDACyzaabFGqZiyNFm_39fx65Fy43IPFl_UVd2uwswjMY" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This first bus was pretty nice and cozy! We have opted to use Peru Hop busses for our slow trip from Cusco to Lima for the next two weeks.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>Jo, Nomadic Momma</p><p><br /></p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9637723117580820.post-69219377136105266132022-11-01T23:24:00.001-04:002022-11-03T13:46:37.088-04:00It is time to vote! But how?<p>As we are just about a week away from Election Day in the United States, I figured it was worth talking about how we do that as full-time travelers. In short, we opt to vote by mail.</p><p>We are residents of Florida and request to vote by mail. Our county even offers an online tracker to show when your ballot was mailed, when they receive it back, and when it has been counted. We have used <a href="https://www.sbimailservice.com" target="_blank">St. Brennan's Isle</a> mail forwarding service since 2019. They offer different levels of service, but we opt to have the front of our mail scanned. From there, we can choose to have the contents scanned, have the item mailed, or shred the item. This honestly makes voting (and filing taxes) from anywhere fairly easy. </p><p>As soon as we saw our ballots in our inbox, we requested a shipment to Peru (also helps to be "stable" in a location during the month of October to make this easier). We had time so we used USPS Priority International mail to send our ballots (SBI lets you choose your shipping method). This cost us $38.85 and took about two and a half weeks to arrive.</p><p>We retrieved our mail on October 25th, completed our votes, and sent them out via DHL Express on October 26th for $52.75 (DHL was having a 30% off sale so we scored there!). Our ballots were delivered to the county office in Florida on November 1st, with a whole week to spare. Now we will track to see when the county logs them as "received" and "counted."</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_19a4_41c1_321d_d303" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8SS9_y9ekJT9EAOFZhwyFAMWwzq9NrsZSUp1-JTA2Spus5iWRre6elwQHk2k9h69Vas" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /><p></p><p>Is it worth our monthly mail forwarding service fees and an additional $91.60 to vote? Absolutely. It's a right that many fought for and though we are away from our home country for long stretches at a time, it's still very important to us to vote in our local elections. We really hope that other full-time travelers make it a priority, too.</p><p>UPDATE: As of November 3rd, our votes have been counted! Love that we can track this info so easily through our county.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="id_e294_14f4_ce06_8ad4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/97iiccDYaIBkhtCTOyyJexuC6SDyQ04bnsM5MpBPuraGtdIoOPn9tzgRzFXTZH3Ge18" style="height: auto; width: 353px;" title="" tooltip="" /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>~Jo, Nomadic Momma </p>Jodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07088421936341393148noreply@blogger.com2