Before I dive into details about this new trip, several of you have asked me to repost the video of our hunt for the anaconda from our last adventure. With over 15,000 views (as of 4/10/2025), here it is for you to enjoy again!
I need to make a correction. I believe I previously mentioned that I had visited 90 countries/territories, but that was incorrect—I’m actually at 87. My goal of reaching 100 this year still stands, so hold on to your hat!
One of my first stops will be a visit to a soccer club in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This club is located in the area where Diego Maradona was born.
Diego Maradona was an Argentine professional football (soccer) player and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
CRUSA has once again come through with a generous donation of items for us to bring to kids—some of whom dream of becoming the next Maradona but, unfortunately, have little access to quality equipment.
Here’s what we’re bringing:
• 19 pairs of cleats
• 2 workout coats
• 4 pairs of sweatpants
• 3 tech soccer jerseys
• 3 long-sleeve heavy-duty soccer jerseys
• 89 short-sleeve soccer jerseys
• 18 soccer balls
• 1 ball pump
While our first city will be Buenos Aires, one of the highlights of this trip will be visiting Antarctica.
¡Algún loco nadando en el agua helada! Some crazy person swimming in the freezing water!
Margarite has always dreamed of swimming in Antarctic waters. As with any challenge, training is essential. This New Year’s, Margarite decided to kick off her training. Take note of who was the first to dive into the chilly 46°F ocean—and who was one of the last to come out!
We’re excited to have some guest travelers joining us on this trip.
We landed in Buenos Aires at ten in the morning, an hour ahead of schedule—no complaints from us.
At customs, we were questioned about our donations. From past adventures, we’ve learned that most countries require a letter from their government granting permission to bring in donated items without paying a tax.
This was our first attempt at this, but we had ChatGPT draft a letter, complete with the President of Argentina’s signature. It worked like a charm! Within seconds of showing the letter to the customs officer, we were on our way.
We will be staying at the Hotel Emperador Buenos Aires for the next four nights. It’s not an American chain hotel like a Marriott or Howard Johnson (yes, there is a rather large Howard Johnson in central Buenos Aires), but it’s larger than the hotels I usually choose.
The hotel is located on Avenida 9 de Julio, named after Argentina’s Independence Day.
The only activity we had planned for today was a walking tour at 3:00 PM.
We decided to walk to the starting point of the walking tour. As we made our way through the city, Buenos Aires struck us as a blend of Manhattan and Paris.
At the meeting spot, we ran into some familiar faces—Lois Lane and José.
We had first met them in Guatemala back in February of 2020.
We quickly invited them to join us on our upcoming adventure to Antarctica, they readily agreed.
The walking tour was just okay, but we did learn a few interesting facts. For instance, Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world, spanning 22 lanes of traffic and 130 meters in width. It took over 40 years to complete.
We also learned why Buenos Aires resembles Paris. In the early days, wealthy families in Buenos Aires would send their children to Paris for education. When they returned, they influenced the city’s development with a distinct Parisian flair.
In fact, Buenos Aires is often referred to as the “Paris of South America.”
Another fun fact: Buenos Aires has the sixth-largest Jewish population in the world. More on this tomorrow.
We ended the tour at the large pink building, known as the presidential palace. It’s pink because, according to legend, the paint was mixed with the blood of Argentina’s men and the milk of its women. A rather gruesome story, but that’s what we were told.
Near the presidential palace, there was a monument surrounded by many stones. These stones were placed by family members to honor loved ones who died of COVID. It was decided to leave the stones as a lasting memorial to the victims of the pandemic.
After a long day, we walked back to our hotel and called it a night.
Today, we’ll be exploring more of Buenos Aires. We started off with a short run to get our bodies moving.
We quickly noticed the abundance of parks spread throughout Buenos Aires—not just small squares (which they have as well) but large, sprawling public parks.
After our run and breakfast, we decided to walk to Mercado San Telmo.
We weren’t entirely sure what Mercado San Telmo was, though we knew it was some kind of market.
As we discovered, Mercado San Telmo was established in the late 1800s as a place where vendors could bring their products to sell to the local community. Most of the goods were food, brought in by nearby farmers.
Over the years, the purpose of the Mercado San Telmo building has evolved. Today, it’s home to a few craft vendors but is mostly filled with small restaurants.
It seemed like a great spot to grab lunch, but it was a bit too early for us. Margarite enjoyed a coffee, while I had a limonada.
We quickly realized that the prices at these little cafés were comparable to those in Manhattan, New York.
This afternoon, we had another walking tour scheduled for 2:00 PM.
We decided to walk to the meeting spot, about an hour away, and planned to stop for lunch along the way.
We met up with Ariela at the Abasto Mall. Why meet at a mall for a walking tour of the Jewish area of Buenos Aires?
Good question. The answer: to see the only kosher McDonald’s outside of Israel.
Ariela explained that Jewish immigration to Argentina occurred in three distinct waves. The first wave was in the mid-1800s, followed by the late 1800s. Both of these waves happened during periods when Argentina was encouraging immigration to boost its economy.
While Buenos Aires ended up with a large Jewish population compared to other countries in South America, from an immigration standpoint, Jews were among the smaller groups to immigrate to Argentina. Italians were the largest group, followed by Spaniards in second, with many other nationalities trailing behind.
Given that Italians were the largest group, it’s clear why Catholicism is the most prevalent religion in Argentina.
Now, back to the Jewish tour.
The mall has a mezuzah on its entryway. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes or entryways.
As we walked through this area of Buenos Aires, we noticed many buildings had mezuzahs on their doorposts.
There are over 80 synagogues in this area, ranging from large, beautiful buildings to more nondescript ones.
The third wave of Jewish immigration to Argentina occurred after World War II, when many Holocaust survivors immigrated to the country.
The Jewish immigrants mainly came from two regions of the world. One was the Middle East—Ariela’s great-grandparents on her father’s side, for example, immigrated from Syria.
The other region was Eastern Europe, from which Ariela’s grandparents on her mother’s side came. They immigrated from Romania.
As we walked through the Jewish neighborhoods, we passed through the textile and fabric district, much like the textile district in New York.
Most of the restaurants and markets in this area are kosher.
We, of course, had to stop for kosher ice cream, and we all agreed it was better than expected.
We also saw the first Yiddish theater, built in the late 1800s, though it is now closed for renovations.
The Jewish area has been the target of two terrorist attacks, both in the 1990s and perpetrated by Hamas.
The first attack targeted the Israeli Embassy, which was completely destroyed. The embassy’s new location is now an office building shared with many non-Jewish businesses, helping to reduce its prominence as a target.
The second attack was on the Jewish Federation Office, which was bombed in 1994. It is now a memorial, with a beautiful mural painted on its facade.
The public hospital is just a few blocks from the Jewish Federation building.
The injured were rushed there for treatment.
The same artist who painted the mural on the memorial also painted three murals on the hospital towers.
The first mural depicts the chaos after the bombing. The second is a tribute to the doctors and nurses who treated the injured. The third mural addresses justice—or the lack thereof—since no one was ever prosecuted for the attacks.
Our last stop was the first synagogue in Buenos Aires. It is rarely used now, as it’s far from where most of the Jewish population lives.
Its interior is more like a cathedral than a traditional synagogue. It was built in the mid-1800s.
This marked the end of our tour.
We had a few hours until our next event.
Argentine Experience: Thanks to Kurt and Sutton for the suggestion!
What a great experience! We learned a lot about Argentine food and even got to make our own empanadas.
And the best part? We got to eat lots and lots of food.
It was a long day, and we have a 4:30 AM wake-up call tomorrow, so that’s it for today.
Friday - Country/Territory 89 - Uruguay: We’re headed to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires to Montevideo.
Upon our arrival, we were met by Clara, our guide for the day.
We began the tour in the old part of the city, where it all started.
We learned an interesting fact: there was one World War II naval battle fought in Uruguay.
For some reason, a British and a German naval vessel were near the port of Montevideo. They had a brief battle, and both ships were severely damaged. The battle was deemed a draw.
As we walked through the city, our first stop was the Catholic Cathedral. Like most South American countries, Uruguay’s population is predominantly Catholic.
Originally, Uruguay was a Spanish colony. To protect the city of Montevideo from enemies—at the time, the British—a wall was built around the city.
Ironically, the British helped Uruguay win its battle for independence against the Spanish.
The only remnant of the wall is the gate, as the wall was removed as the city expanded.
Much of the architecture, like in Buenos Aires, resembles European styles from the 1800s.
Mixed in with the old architecture are some modern buildings. One glass building, built in the 1960s, was once considered ahead of its time. Now, with hundreds of split-unit air conditioners installed on the outside walls, it has become a huge eyesore.
We had lunch at Cabaña Verónica Restaurant, a traditional Uruguayan steakhouse. It’s clear that Uruguay has much better steaks than Argentina.
Lunch was delicious.
Our next stop was the Senate building, completed in 1926. The goal was to show the world that Uruguay was a true democracy.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives serve five-year terms and can run for re-election as often as they wish.
The president also serves a five-year term but cannot serve more than one consecutive term.
Elections for the Senate, House of Representatives, and president all take place at the same time.
Our next stop, and the true reason we wanted to visit Montevideo, was the Percussion Workshop.
“Lobo Núñez” is a world-renowned candombe drum luthier, known in the music world for crafting drums for people like Mick Jagger.
Video -
He introduced us to the world of candombe and explained why it’s so important to Uruguayans.
His great-grandparents bought their freedom from slavery by selling brooms in the old city.
Lobo Núñez is someone with many stories to share and anecdotes to tell. This is a must-visit to truly understand the roots of Uruguay’s carnival.
After our visit, Clara took us along the coast to explore some of the neighborhoods in Montevideo before returning us to the ferry for our two-and-a-half-hour journey back to Buenos Aires.
One debate I had with Clara all day: Does Montevideo sit on the banks of a river, the River Plate, or is it on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean?
Let me know what you think.
As for my debate, Montevideo is located on the banks of the River Plate, which is a large estuary where the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meet before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. While it’s technically on the River Plate, it does have a coastline that faces the Atlantic, so you could argue both perspectives
This morning, we delivered the donations we brought to Fiorito, the town where Diego Maradona grew up.
Before delivering the donations, we met with the president of the local football (soccer) club. The people of Fiorito worship Maradona—perhaps even more now that he is gone than when he was alive.
We visited the house he grew up in, which has been turned into a shrine dedicated to him.
The town is very poor, and cars like this one are scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Notice anything special about this car? Scroll down to find out why it’s unique.
Last October, to celebrate Maradona’s birthday, hundreds of murals depicting different stages of his life were painted across the town.
A local family guided us through the neighborhood, showing us all the murals of Maradona.
In addition to visiting Maradona’s house, we saw the elementary school he attended, every soccer field he played on, and even several bars that claim to have served him his first beer.
One house even claimed to be the place where Maradona lost his virginity.
After walking through the neighborhood and seeing all the significant places where Maradona experienced his “firsts,” we headed to the youth club to deliver the donations.
What a great group of people! Unfortunately, the kids were in school, so we didn’t get to meet them, but all the coaches and counselors came out to thank us.
The soccer equipment we brought will undoubtedly be put to great use.
And about the car—what was strange about it? We don’t believe the leg and foot were attached to a body, but none of us were brave enough to go check.
Today we leave Buenos Aires for Antarctica.
Getting to Antarctica
Short Version:
While our first city will be Buenos Aires, one of the highlights of this trip will be visiting Antarctica.
¡Algún loco nadando en el agua helada! Some crazy person swimming in the freezing water!
Margarite has always dreamed of swimming in Antarctic waters. As with any challenge, training is essential. This New Year’s, Margarite decided to kick off her training. Take note of who was the first to dive into the chilly 46°F ocean—and who was one of the last to come out!
We’re excited to have some guest travelers joining us on this trip.
We landed in Buenos Aires at ten in the morning, an hour ahead of schedule—no complaints from us.
In fact, Buenos Aires is often referred to as the “Paris of South America.”
Another fun fact: Buenos Aires has the sixth-largest Jewish population in the world. More on this tomorrow.
After a long day, we walked back to our hotel and called it a night.
We weren’t entirely sure what Mercado San Telmo was, though we knew it was some kind of market.
We quickly realized that the prices at these little cafés were comparable to those in Manhattan, New York.
This afternoon, we had another walking tour scheduled for 2:00 PM.
We met up with Ariela at the Abasto Mall. Why meet at a mall for a walking tour of the Jewish area of Buenos Aires?
Ariela explained that Jewish immigration to Argentina occurred in three distinct waves. The first wave was in the mid-1800s, followed by the late 1800s. Both of these waves happened during periods when Argentina was encouraging immigration to boost its economy.
Given that Italians were the largest group, it’s clear why Catholicism is the most prevalent religion in Argentina.
The mall has a mezuzah on its entryway. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes or entryways.
As we walked through this area of Buenos Aires, we noticed many buildings had mezuzahs on their doorposts.
The third wave of Jewish immigration to Argentina occurred after World War II, when many Holocaust survivors immigrated to the country.
The Jewish immigrants mainly came from two regions of the world. One was the Middle East—Ariela’s great-grandparents on her father’s side, for example, immigrated from Syria.
The other region was Eastern Europe, from which Ariela’s grandparents on her mother’s side came. They immigrated from Romania.
As we walked through the Jewish neighborhoods, we passed through the textile and fabric district, much like the textile district in New York.
Most of the restaurants and markets in this area are kosher.
We, of course, had to stop for kosher ice cream, and we all agreed it was better than expected.
We also saw the first Yiddish theater, built in the late 1800s, though it is now closed for renovations.
The Jewish area has been the target of two terrorist attacks, both in the 1990s and perpetrated by Hamas.
The first attack targeted the Israeli Embassy, which was completely destroyed. The embassy’s new location is now an office building shared with many non-Jewish businesses, helping to reduce its prominence as a target.
The second attack was on the Jewish Federation Office, which was bombed in 1994. It is now a memorial, with a beautiful mural painted on its facade.
The injured were rushed there for treatment.
The first mural depicts the chaos after the bombing. The second is a tribute to the doctors and nurses who treated the injured. The third mural addresses justice—or the lack thereof—since no one was ever prosecuted for the attacks.
Our last stop was the first synagogue in Buenos Aires. It is rarely used now, as it’s far from where most of the Jewish population lives.
What a great experience! We learned a lot about Argentine food and even got to make our own empanadas.
Upon our arrival, we were met by Clara, our guide for the day.
We began the tour in the old part of the city, where it all started.
We learned an interesting fact: there was one World War II naval battle fought in Uruguay.
For some reason, a British and a German naval vessel were near the port of Montevideo. They had a brief battle, and both ships were severely damaged. The battle was deemed a draw.
The only remnant of the wall is the gate, as the wall was removed as the city expanded.
The president also serves a five-year term but cannot serve more than one consecutive term.
Elections for the Senate, House of Representatives, and president all take place at the same time.
Our next stop, and the true reason we wanted to visit Montevideo, was the Percussion Workshop.
Video -
His great-grandparents bought their freedom from slavery by selling brooms in the old city.
After our visit, Clara took us along the coast to explore some of the neighborhoods in Montevideo before returning us to the ferry for our two-and-a-half-hour journey back to Buenos Aires.
One debate I had with Clara all day: Does Montevideo sit on the banks of a river, the River Plate, or is it on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean?
Let me know what you think.
As for my debate, Montevideo is located on the banks of the River Plate, which is a large estuary where the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meet before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. While it’s technically on the River Plate, it does have a coastline that faces the Atlantic, so you could argue both perspectives
This morning, we delivered the donations we brought to Fiorito, the town where Diego Maradona grew up.
The town is very poor, and cars like this one are scattered throughout the neighborhood.
After walking through the neighborhood and seeing all the significant places where Maradona experienced his “firsts,” we headed to the youth club to deliver the donations.
Getting to Antarctica
Short Version:
Step 1) Charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
Step 2) Board a ship for a two-day cruise from Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula. I call it the Drake Lake, also known as the Drake Channel.
Step 3) Arrive in Antarctica.
Now the Adventures Begin – Long Version:
Yes, Lois Lane and José are joining us.
Over the next two days, we will be making our way to Antarctica.
After a bit of sightseeing in Ushuaia, and, of course, some ice cream, we departed at 5:00 PM from Ushuaia, Argentina. The city’s claim to fame is being the southernmost city in the world.
We transited through the Beagle Channel. Through this channel, we have a pilot who guides the boat rather than the captain. As we exit the channel, a pilot boat picks up the pilot, and the captain takes over the helm.
Over the next two days, we will be crossing the Drake Channel. During the day, we get safety briefings on our activities and are outfitted with the proper equipment.
While the weather is unseasonably warm and clear, we still try on the parkas for fit—plus, they look cool.
Next, we take a tour of the bridge. It’s important for us to see that the captain is competent.
We’ve been at sea for two days.
We’ve heard horror stories of people crossing the Drake Channel with waves taller than the ship, breaking over the bow, causing the ship to be tossed around like a tin can.
Not for us—the Drake Channel was like a lake.
From what we were told by the crew, they had never seen the Drake Passage as smooth and calm as our crossing.
As we approached the Antarctic Peninsula, the weather continued to be on our side. Clear skies, light winds, even warmer temperatures than during the crossing, and very little current.
We started seeing more and more birds, lots of whales (mostly humpbacks), but unfortunately, they were too far away for photos.
As we continued south, we encountered more and more icebergs. Some were so large that you couldn’t tell if they were icebergs or small islands.
During our second night at sea, we had an evening briefing. We learned we were going to the east side of the Peninsula—a rare destination, as the weather normally doesn’t allow for the ship to enter this area.
We are now in Antarctica.
Our First Day in Antarctica.
We got into our safety gear and departed for an hour and a half kayak adventure off Paulet Island.
The weather is unbelievable—clear skies, no wind, and moderate temperatures.
We paddled among the icebergs and saw lots of penguins swimming in the frigid water, chilling on the icebergs, and frolicking with each other.
When our time was up, we regrouped with our zodiac guide, who dropped us off for a hike among about 100,000 penguins. Unbelievable.
We spent an hour and a half watching the antics of these penguins. The brown, fluffy ones are anywhere from a few weeks to two months old.
After returning to the boat and having lunch, the boat repositioned to Tay Head, where our afternoon adventure would take place.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP). I’ve done this many times, but never in 30-degree water with icebergs floating by.
It was a blast—so beautiful, with penguins swimming all around us.
With the proper gear, falling in the frigid water wasn’t that bad. Actually, Margarite pushed me in!
For the grand finale of the day, Margarite put on her bathing suit, took the plunge, and jumped into the ice-cold waters of Antarctica.
After a bit of sightseeing in Ushuaia, and, of course, some ice cream, we departed at 5:00 PM from Ushuaia, Argentina. The city’s claim to fame is being the southernmost city in the world.
This three-minute video recaps the entire day, including the polar plunge.
Or, if you just want to watch the polar plunge, view this video.
Helicopter Over Antarctica
After the flight, we enjoyed the beauty of the surrounding scenery from the boat.
Video of views from the boat.
Here is a video of today’s sights.
Whales and Glacier Hiking
Once everyone was back on board, we headed to the lagoon created by the volcano’s crater. One side had collapsed, allowing Antarctic seawater to fill the crater. This is known as Deception Island. We cruised around the area of this active volcano, celebrating our last activity before beginning the two-day crossing of the Drake Passage on our way back to Ushuaia, Argentina.
Baily Head Island & Deception Island
That’s it from Antarctica—now it’s time to see the rest of Argentina.
For many people, a trip to Antarctica would be enough. But there’s still so much more to see in Argentina. Remember, before we boarded the boat, we spent a few days exploring Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. Now, it’s time to explore some of the country’s more rural areas.
First, we’ll spend a day and a half in Ushuaia.
We disembarked from the boat at 8:30 AM and met our morning guide, Anna. Since we had already walked along the main street of Ushuaia before departing for Antarctica, we decided to skip it this time.
Anna explained that in the 20 years she has lived in Ushuaia, the population has grown from just a few thousand to well over 100,000 residents today.
There are a few key drivers of Ushuaia’s population growth: the tourism industry and the manufacturing industry.
Ushuaia is an Argentinian tax-free zone, meaning businesses and corporations do not pay federal taxes.
This has incentivized several electronics manufacturers to build factories here. Being a port city is another major advantage, as it allows manufacturers to receive raw materials cost-effectively and ship finished products to their final destinations.
With this growth, Ushuaia now has a very diverse population. While most residents are from Argentina, they come from various regions of the country.
One unique cultural trait in Argentina is the worship of their own local deities.
Most Argentinians are Catholic and attend church, but many also worship local deities in makeshift shrines.
Because people in Ushuaia come from all over Argentina, there is an area where they can create shrines dedicated to the deities they worshipped in their hometowns.
We walked through this area, and it felt rather eerie. People visit these shrines to light candles and leave offerings—usually cigarettes, wine, or a few pesos. It was a strange sight to see.
We also learned that many new inhabitants in Ushuaia squat on government land. After 10 to 20 years, they can petition the government for ownership.
As a result, Ushuaia’s hillsides are dotted with many disjointed neighborhoods.
After our tour, Margarite and I visited the former prison, which has since been converted into a museum.
Ushuaia was originally established as a penal colony, where prisoners from all over Argentina were sent to the country’s southernmost point. The prison we toured was built specifically to house these inmates.
A section of the museum was dedicated to the indigenous people of the region. When the first explorers arrived, there was a population of about 3,000 indigenous inhabitants, whose roots in the area trace back thousands of years. They lived off the land and used canoes for transportation.
Evangelical missionaries worked hard to impose their way of life on the indigenous people. Within three decades, the entire indigenous population of Ushuaia had perished—mostly due to diseases brought by the missionaries.
After a long day, we retired to our hotel, Los Cauquenes.
Today, we’ll be spending the day outdoors, immersed in nature.
At 9:00 AM, our guide, Manuel, and our driver, Martin, picked us up. We drove 10 km from Ushuaia to Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Today’s adventure has two parts. The first part was a hike along a stunning coastal trail within the park.
The five-mile hike wound along the shoreline and wove through the woods.
From the trail, we had breathtaking views of the Andes Mountains, stretching across both Argentina and Chile.
We took a break for tea and snacks at a small beach, where we spotted several wild horses playing in a grassy clearing.
After finishing our hike, Martin was waiting to take us to our lunch spot. Lunch was served inside a heated dome near the shore of the Lapataia River, offering a stunning panoramic view.
The weather was perfect, so no heat was needed.
After lunch, we continued our adventure with some not-so-white-water rafting.
We paddled through the fresh waters of the Lapataia and Ovando Rivers. I call it “not-so-white-water” because the water was incredibly calm, with little to no rapids.
The biggest challenge, however, was the wind. It swirled between 40 and 50 miles per hour, changing directions rapidly. At times, it came straight at us, making it nearly impossible to move forward—no matter how hard we paddled, we were literally being blown upriver.
Luckily, we won our battle with the wind and reached our finishing point.
Before heading back to the hotel, Martin and Manuel took us to the southern end of Route 3 (also known as the Pan-American Highway). Standing there, surrounded by breathtaking natural views, we had truly reached the end of the world—or at least the end of the road for anyone driving from Alaska to Ushuaia.
What a great day!
Today is a transfer day. We’re flying from Ushuaia to El Calafate and then driving two and a half hours to the small town of El Chaltén.
El Chaltén is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, offering mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and more.
We’ll be spending the next two days hiking, but after a long day of travel, we checked into our hotel and hit the hay.
We’re staying at Los Cerros Hotel. This hotel is famous worldwide for having one of the most extensive pillow menus. Yes, when you check in, you’re given a menu listing about 20 different types of pillows, varying in size, stuffing, firmness, and thickness. Whatever you desire in a pillow, they have it—and the best part? You can order as many as you like.
Day 1: Hiking Laguna de los Tres via Monte Fitz Roy Trail
Today, for our first day in El Chaltén, we hiked the Laguna de los Tres via Monte Fitz Roy Trail.
It’s rated as a hard hike—16 miles with over 3,500 feet of elevation gain, 1,200 of which comes in the brutal final mile.
We completed the 16 miles in nine hours, and honestly, I’d upgrade the rating from hard to very difficult.
Though very difficult, it was absolutely worth it to see the lakes and rock formations.
A Surprise Reunion & a Mystery Dispute
I almost forgot to mention—at the airport, we ran into Lanny. Lanny has traveled with me before and is spending a month in Argentina. When she saw I was here, she decided to tag along.
She joined me for the hike. But where was Margarite?
Apparently, without realizing it, I did something that really pissed her off. In an effort to get back in her good graces, I booked her a spa day at our hotel.
I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
Day 2: Hiking to Laguna Torre
Today, we hiked to Laguna Torre—a shorter, less difficult trek, but just as stunning.
Margarite decided I had redeemed myself enough to join the hike.
We covered 12 miles in six hours, and every step rewarded us with another breathtaking view.
Off to El Calafate
After the hike, we packed up and caught a ride to El Calafate, where we’ll be spending the next three days.
Exploring the Glaciers
On our first day in El Calafate, we’re setting out to explore the glaciers.
Argentina has the third-largest ice shelf in the world—following Antarctica and Greenland. The Patagonia region holds this massive expanse of ice, home to some of the most incredible glaciers on the planet.
This ice shelf is home to over 16,000 glaciers.
We’ve been spending time in Argentina’s Glacier National Park. In Chaltén, we explored the northern portion of the park, and today, we’ll be in the middle of it.
From Calafate, we drove 47 kilometers to the Port of Punta Bandera, where we boarded a boat sailing along the North Arm of Lake Argentina.
Lake Argentina is the largest lake in all of Argentina.
A few minutes into the trip, we crossed a natural strait known as the Boca del Diablo (Devil’s Mouth), heading toward the Upsala Channel.
Here, we passed between imposing ice floes that had detached from the front of the Upsala Glacier. We continued our journey into the Spegazzini Channel, where we saw the majestic Seco Glacier.
The crossing brought us to the front of the Spegazzini Glacier.
We disembarked the boat to view the glacier from land and enjoy a local lunch.
After an hour and a half, we boarded the boat and reversed our journey back to Port of Punta Bandera, then drove back to Calafate.
We’re staying at Hotel Posada Los Alamos, a large local hotel. I would recommend it, though it’s a bit bigger than where I would typically stay.
Mini Trekking Adventure - February 4th
Today, we have a unique adventure planned called mini trekking.
This adventure takes place in the southern end of Glacier National Park.
We drove from Calafate to Lago Rico, about an hour and a half away.
Once at Lago Rico, we boarded a boat for a 20-minute ride across the lake, offering breathtaking views of the south face of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Upon reaching dry land, our dedicated mountain guides led us on a short hike along the lake’s picturesque shoreline.
At the edge of the glacier, we equipped ourselves with crampons to embark on a hike, discovering fascinating formations like crevasses, sinkholes, and lagoons.
You could even drink the glacier water directly from the glacier.
We even celebrated the finish of our glacier hike with whisky served over glacier ice.
Afterward, we returned to the mainland and traveled through the park, stopping at different viewpoints to admire the Perito Moreno Glacier from various angles.
Travel Day Tomorrow, we head further north to the Bariloche Region of Argentina.
We arrived in Bariloche midday. We had rented an Airbnb at a golf resort located on one of the many beautiful glacier lakes in this area.
After dropping off our bags, we went on a tour of one of the islands nearby. Being farther north than the other parts of Patagonia we’ve visited, this area is lush with green trees—not as desert-like as the southern sections.
There were many overlooks with stunning views of the landscape.
We stopped at Gilbert’s, a local brewpub, where we enjoyed a great lunch and sampled a few of their beers.
After our meal, the brewmaster gave us a tour of the brewery and an explanation of what makes their beer so special.
We continued our exploration of these islands. From one viewpoint, where a small chapel had been constructed, we could see the Llao-Llao Hotel. Built in the 1930s and rebuilt in the 1940s after a fire, the Llao-Llao Hotel was designed to attract travelers to the newly created national park.
From this vantage point, we could see Moreno and Nahuel Huapi Lakes, along with the López and Capilla Hills.
Before heading back to our hotel, we took the Cerro Campanario chairlift to the top of a hill designed as a tourist viewing location. From there, we had a breathtaking panoramic view of the area.
After a long day of travel and touring, we returned to the house, where our chef, Maga, had prepared a rainbow trout dinner for us.
Day 2: Hiking to Toncek Lagoon
Today, we have a hike scheduled.
Description:
The adventure will begin at the base of the Cerro Catedral Ski Center. After walking approximately 6 km along a flat trail, with a view of Lake Gutiérrez to our left, we will enter the forest and begin to feel the steepness of the terrain. Along the way, we will cross the picturesque Van Titter stream and continue ascending for almost 2 km until the forest gradually opens up, revealing lenga trees and shorter vegetation. We will have 3 km of uphill hiking ahead of us through rocky terrain, and as we advance, we will be able to see the majestic Needles of Cerro Catedral. We will arrive at the Emilio Frey Refuge, located next to the beautiful Toncek Lagoon.
Sounds great, right?
Take a look at these pictures. We took two ski lifts and then started hiking—or should I say mountain climbing? One wrong step, and you could fall at least 1,000 feet.
We eventually reached Toncek Lagoon, where Margarite and Lanny went for a swim.
From that point, we still had seven miles of hiking to go—mostly steep, downhill, rocky trails.
But we did it! Along the way, we saw stunning views of unique rock formations.
We returned to the house tired, dirty, and stinky. After showers, our chef, Miguel, served us a delicious steak dinner.
Day 3: Mountain Biking
Today is mountain biking day.
After a 45-minute drive, we got on our bikes and rode along the Limay River for about 13 miles. We reached our destination: a small ranch in the Enchanted Valley.
We enjoyed a great lunch before loading our bikes onto a boat to cross the river and head back to the house.
Day 4: Kayaking on Moreno Lake
Our last day in Bariloche and Patagonia. Our plan?
For many people, a trip to Antarctica would be enough. But there’s still so much more to see in Argentina. Remember, before we boarded the boat, we spent a few days exploring Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. Now, it’s time to explore some of the country’s more rural areas.
First, we’ll spend a day and a half in Ushuaia.
We disembarked from the boat at 8:30 AM and met our morning guide, Anna. Since we had already walked along the main street of Ushuaia before departing for Antarctica, we decided to skip it this time.
There are a few key drivers of Ushuaia’s population growth: the tourism industry and the manufacturing industry.
Ushuaia is an Argentinian tax-free zone, meaning businesses and corporations do not pay federal taxes.
This has incentivized several electronics manufacturers to build factories here. Being a port city is another major advantage, as it allows manufacturers to receive raw materials cost-effectively and ship finished products to their final destinations.
One unique cultural trait in Argentina is the worship of their own local deities.
Most Argentinians are Catholic and attend church, but many also worship local deities in makeshift shrines.
We walked through this area, and it felt rather eerie. People visit these shrines to light candles and leave offerings—usually cigarettes, wine, or a few pesos. It was a strange sight to see.
We also learned that many new inhabitants in Ushuaia squat on government land. After 10 to 20 years, they can petition the government for ownership.
As a result, Ushuaia’s hillsides are dotted with many disjointed neighborhoods.
Ushuaia was originally established as a penal colony, where prisoners from all over Argentina were sent to the country’s southernmost point. The prison we toured was built specifically to house these inmates.
A section of the museum was dedicated to the indigenous people of the region. When the first explorers arrived, there was a population of about 3,000 indigenous inhabitants, whose roots in the area trace back thousands of years. They lived off the land and used canoes for transportation.
Evangelical missionaries worked hard to impose their way of life on the indigenous people. Within three decades, the entire indigenous population of Ushuaia had perished—mostly due to diseases brought by the missionaries.
Today, we’ll be spending the day outdoors, immersed in nature.
After lunch, we continued our adventure with some not-so-white-water rafting.
El Chaltén is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, offering mountaineering, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and more.
We’ll be spending the next two days hiking, but after a long day of travel, we checked into our hotel and hit the hay.
We’re staying at Los Cerros Hotel. This hotel is famous worldwide for having one of the most extensive pillow menus. Yes, when you check in, you’re given a menu listing about 20 different types of pillows, varying in size, stuffing, firmness, and thickness. Whatever you desire in a pillow, they have it—and the best part? You can order as many as you like.
A Surprise Reunion & a Mystery Dispute
I almost forgot to mention—at the airport, we ran into Lanny. Lanny has traveled with me before and is spending a month in Argentina. When she saw I was here, she decided to tag along.
She joined me for the hike. But where was Margarite?
Apparently, without realizing it, I did something that really pissed her off. In an effort to get back in her good graces, I booked her a spa day at our hotel.
I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
After the hike, we packed up and caught a ride to El Calafate, where we’ll be spending the next three days.
We’ve been spending time in Argentina’s Glacier National Park. In Chaltén, we explored the northern portion of the park, and today, we’ll be in the middle of it.
A few minutes into the trip, we crossed a natural strait known as the Boca del Diablo (Devil’s Mouth), heading toward the Upsala Channel.
Here, we passed between imposing ice floes that had detached from the front of the Upsala Glacier. We continued our journey into the Spegazzini Channel, where we saw the majestic Seco Glacier.
The crossing brought us to the front of the Spegazzini Glacier.
We disembarked the boat to view the glacier from land and enjoy a local lunch.
We’re staying at Hotel Posada Los Alamos, a large local hotel. I would recommend it, though it’s a bit bigger than where I would typically stay.
Today, we have a unique adventure planned called mini trekking.
Upon reaching dry land, our dedicated mountain guides led us on a short hike along the lake’s picturesque shoreline.
You could even drink the glacier water directly from the glacier.
We arrived in Bariloche midday. We had rented an Airbnb at a golf resort located on one of the many beautiful glacier lakes in this area.
There were many overlooks with stunning views of the landscape.
Kayaking on Moreno Lake—the same lake we visited on our first day.
Located in the Llao-Llao Nature Reserve, the lake is surrounded by beautiful forests and offers magnificent views of the López and Capilla Mountains.
As we kayaked, we passed the shores of the Llao-Llao Hotel.
The sky was so clear that we could see Tronador Mountain.
When we reached our endpoint, our guide, Julián, and his assistant, Javier, prepared a nice lunch on the banks of the lake.
Lanny, still recovering from our hike a few days ago, skipped both the mountain biking and kayaking adventures.
Exploring Bariloche
In the afternoon, we decided to visit the center of Bariloche, a small resort town known for its chocolate and ice cream shops. In just a two-block area, there were at least ten of them!
Of course, I couldn’t try them all, so we asked the locals for their favorite and went there.
No, I won’t tell you which one it was—you’ll have to visit and find out for yourself!
After a short walk around town, we headed back to the house.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Iguazú Falls!
Is It Iguassu or Iguazú? That Is the Question.
If you’d rather not read about what we did over the last three days or look at the pictures, this three-minute video tells most of the story:
The sky was so clear that we could see Tronador Mountain.
Lanny, still recovering from our hike a few days ago, skipped both the mountain biking and kayaking adventures.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Iguazú Falls!
What a Waterfall!
We arrived at Iguazú Airport (Argentina) at 8:30 PM.
It took about an hour and a half to cross two borders and arrive at our hotel.
Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel is located inside the national park, just a few meters from the falls.
In the morning, we woke up to a beautiful view of the falls. We took a morning yoga/falls walk, stretching our tight muscles while enjoying the scenery from various angles.
Andre drove us across the borders again. The drive—about an hour—was uneventful.
We arrived in Rio just past 9:30 PM and headed to our apartment across from the beach. We are staying in the Leblon area, just down from Copacabana.
In the morning, we had a free walking tour scheduled for 10:30, covering the city center.
But once we descended and turned back, the full display of colorful tiles became visible. Now we understood why they are famous.
Day 2: Exploring with a Guide
Christ the Redeemer.
Dr. Michael Ball II claims that seeing Christ the Redeemer in Rio is life-changing.
The statue was impressive, but the real highlight was the view from the top it was absolutely worth the 20-minute tram ride.
Jewish Grand Temple of Rio
We also visited the Museum of the Future, a building that generates 40% of its energy from solar panels and focuses on sustainability.
Day 3: Last Day in Rio.
Cheers,
DUG
