Amazing Iguazu

When we originally made our decision to travel in South America, one of the "must do's" was Iguazu (or Iguaçu or Iguassu in Portuguese) Falls, and we did it!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!

The falls from Brazil (top) and Argentina (middle and bottom...bottom is "Devil's Throat").

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.

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!

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!

The panoramic views of the falls from the Brazil side are amazing!

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! 

Just a sampling of the very educational park!

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! 

This was such a great tour, and the open spillway really put the power of the plant on display.

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! 

Holy Brewery, a pool, and a hotel cat--we had a great stay on the Argentina side!

The videos from the boat ride were crazy. We went INTO the falls!

Day 1 on the Argentina side was boat ride, the lower falls trail, and the upper falls trail. 

Day 2 we visited the VERY busy Devil's Throat walkway.

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. 

Las Tres Fronteras, where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina all meet in the middle of the river.

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

A mountain escape to Bariloche, Argentina

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!

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! 

Our first "excursion" was to a mate (mah-tay) lesson that I found through AirBnB. 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. 

We really loved learning about yerba mate with Melanie!

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 Zig Zag). 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.

Diego was a fantastic guide and taught us so much about the German presence in Bariloche.

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!

CHOCOLATE!

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!

Loved this day on the trail with my guys.

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!

So much simple fun, but dang, Trent!

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.

Meat is a big deal in Argentina and curanto is the way to eat it in Colonia Suiza!

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.

Beach days at the frigid lake. Frank made it in the furthest!

Around Bariloche...the Civic Center, the Cathedral, the lakefront, and the most awesome waterfront skate/bike park I've ever seen!

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...

Our little house was just perfect for us!

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. 

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.

One of the more empty buses we rode on.

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!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

El Calafate, Argentina

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.

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. 

Perito Moreno Glacier, as viewed from the catwalks. Stunning!

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!

Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier with the whole family was EPIC!

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!

Hanging out around El Calafate was pretty fun! And we made a cute friend while bird-watching!

So happy that we got to spend time with Amy & John!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Punta Arenas--53 South

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.

All around Punta Arenas

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!

"Center" of Chile and Bahía Buena

Fort Bulnes

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!

¡Los pingüinos!

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.

Nothing quite like a relaxing Christmas Eve with my crew.

Gorgeous weather for our relaxing Christmas Day!

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! 

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. 

Can't keep two Navy veterans out of a naval museum!

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.

Vegetarian Pichanga and Meat Chorillana from El Alambrado. It's a ton of food, even with two people sharing the mediano! 

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Return to Puerto Natales

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. 

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. 

Around Puerto Natales and visiting old favorites.

Last Hope Distillery is amazing! Great tour, creative drinks, and tasty bites. We are going to enjoy our few weeks here for sure!

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! 

This year's birthday experience was a chilly blast!

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!

Happy Birthday, Trent!

And now, back to washing all of the splattered mud from our clothing!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma