Argentina 6-24 November 2014

Stunning scenery and Italian cuisine.....

The 2 weeks in Argentina provided me with the perfect opportunity to practice my basic Spanish, top up my tan, test my skills in charades and build up my stamina by walking from dawn to dusk on most days.

As Argentina is predominantly populated by Italian and Spanish migrants, much to my disappointment, we didn't get to try many new weird and wonderful dishes as pizzas, pastas, steak and empanadas (mini Cornish pasties) were the usual suspects in most restaurant menus. Argentinians seem to love spreading dulce de leche (a sweet milky caramel) on everything - bread, pastries and desserts. They are also very fond of their mate tea - lugging 2 liter thermos flasks everywhere they go so that they can top up their mate cups.

In the days leading up to the trip, I was anxious about how I would make my own way from the airport to the hotel where I would be reunited with my friends. South America has always had a bad reputation for illicit drug trafficking, crime, violence and corruption. Fortunately, over the course of the two weeks I was there in November 2014, I learnt that my pre-conceived ideas about how unsafe Argentina were unfounded. Sure, one has to be street smart and extra cautious in certain parts of the country, however generally, we found Argentinians to be friendly and kind.

Our journey started in Buenos Aires where we explored its suburbs - Palermo, Recoleta, San Telmo and La Boca. We snapped photos of Casa Rosada from all angles; including from within its famous balcony where Eva Peron (Evita) addressed the crowd who came to support her and her husband Juan. We walked along Avenue de Mayo, Florida, Defensa and Avenue 9 de Julio at least half a dozen times, in day light and at night over the course of 3 days. Plaza de Mayo, Palace of the Argentine National Congress, Obelisco de Buenos Aires, Piramide de Mayo and Plaza San Martin became familiar landmarks as we criss crossed the city to visit its tourist attractions. Plaza Dorrengo, Feria de San Telmo (San Telmo Sunday fair), the Mafalda statue and the San Telmo markets quickly became favourite spots that we found ourselves visiting again and again - predominantly to watch the tango performances and pick up little souvenirs. I loved how the crowd of people had fun spontaneously participating in the tango dances and cheering on the dancers. We also made time to visit the La Recoleta Cemetery (contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Peron, presidents of Argentina and Nobel Prize winners), Museo Del Bicentenario, Floralis Generica or made a day trip out to Tigre Delta (a popular tourist attraction by the mouth of Rio de la Plata).

 My friends and I unanimously agreed that the highlight of the trip was the mini trek on the Perito Moreno glacier. Despite a delay to our flights, we made it safely on the 3+ hour flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. It was then a short drive from El Calafate to the Parque Nacional los Glaciares. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. The glacier was named after the explorer Francisco Merino who sadly never got the chance to catch a glimpse of the glaciers before his passing away. Equipped with crampons and a brief training session on how to walk on the ice, we marched forward to explore the blue-white terrain. It felt surreal be in the middle of the winter wonderland terrain of uneven meringue like peaks, streams, crevasses and lagoons.

For me, the view of the granite Fitz Roy range from the top of Laguna de los Tres came a close second favourite and was well worth the 1 hour steep hike up from its base. We were astounded by the force of Mother Nature when we visited the Iguazu falls both from the Argentinian and Brazilian borders.

In Chile, we were treated to panoramic views of the glacier sculptured snow capped Torres del Paine mountain range and its turqouise coloured lakes. To top it all, we also spotted the Argentinian black and white tegu, condors, coatis, wild boars, guanacos, a woodpecker and a cayman.