South America Wrap-up...

Summary:

South America is a true gem that still seems to be discounted by US travelers due to political unrest and rumored violence in several countries. Yes, some countries are not as safe as others; however, you are just as safe exploring Chile and Argentina as you are walking through the streets of New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Flights to Buenos Aires or Santiago are the same price as to Europe and the flight time is nearly equal. But don’t forget, when you head south, the prices are more reasonable especially with the very weak dollar. If you’re coming from the Pacific Time Zone there’s only a four or five hour time differential; thus, making the adjustment to local time much easier. Also, going south of the equator is a perfect way to escape the cold winter days and find a little sun since it is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere.

The National Parks in South America are pristine and rival the National Parks in the States. The majority of the parks are well organized and cater to the tourists—especially those who want to trek.

This trip, combined with our past positive experiences to Central America, ranks as one of our favorite destinations. We’re positive we’ll be back and have more adventures to South America in the future.

Top Sites in South America:

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile—spectacular scenery throughout the park reminiscent of Yosemite National Park and Emigrant Wilderness. However, Torres brings sites such as the Paines and Glaciers that top anything in California, including Half Dome. Puerto Natales, the staging town for the park, is a great place to let your body recover after the beating it takes after trekking and the food is better than anywhere else in Chile, especially the pizza at Mesita’s.

Iguazu Falls National Park, Argentina—mind blowing waterfalls stretching for over 2 ½ miles between Argentina and Brazil. We visited the pristine Argentina portion of the falls and did not walk away disappointed!

Nahuel Huapi National Park/Lakes District, Argentina—near Bariloche, this area parallels Lake Tahoe for natural beauty. The town of Bariloche itself overlooks the beautiful, crystal blue lake. The town has two seasons—one for skiers, one for sun seekers.

Isla Magdalena, Chile—the island, in the Straight of Magellan, where humans are visitors and the penguins are the residents. It is well worth the one hour trip across the Strait (each way) to see the 60,000 pairs of penguins.

Top Meals in South America:

Montanita, Ecuador. Ceviche on the beach from one of the beach vendors.

Montanita, Ecuador. Restaurant next door to Casa del Sol. Peruvian chef cooking up tasty dishes like trout stuffed with shrimp and crab, fresh Dorado, and other South America inspired dishes with fresh ingredients.

Guayquil, Ecuador. El Toro Asado. Serving up plates of local specialties such as grilled chicken, beef, or pork with menestra which includes lentils or beans and rice. We shared a plate at lunch that was so good; we came back for dinner.

Punta Arenas, Chile. Masitas Sandwiches and Bakery had the best empanadas in Chile; possibly the best we had in South America. A single empanada in Chile can be a meal especially with the chunks of beef, egg and green olives like those at Masitas. Watch out for the pits!

Puerto Natales, Chile. Mesita Grande Pizzeria. Superb pizza with fresh, local ingredients cooked in a brick oven with a crispy thin-crust with a consistency similar to A16 or Pizzeria Delfina.

Bariloche, Argentina. El Boliche de Alberto is possibly the best parrilla in all of Argentina. If you think you have had a good steak, think again…

Bariloche & El Bolson, Argentina. Jauja. (Ice Cream) This is unarguably the best ice cream in Argentina with a large selection of flavors including our favorites such as Banana Split, Dulce de Leche, Almendras and Coco.

El Bolson, Argentina. Cerro Lindo. This place serves excellent Patagonian fare with the freshest ingredients possible. We tried the beef and the lamb, both delicate, tasty and worth ordering.

Mar del Plata, Argentina. Dena-Ona. A small and out of the way asador. The fresh meat includes lamb, pork and, of course, beef which are slowly grilled before your eyes. We had the pork and it flaked off the bone—really top-notch.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Biwon. The place was full of Korean locals on a Monday night and is a welcome break from typical Argentinean food.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Green Bamboo. Reservations are required at this quirky Vietnamese restaurant. Perfectly situated on a corner in trendy Palermo SOHO, it’s decorated with bobble head tigers, cats with moving arms and Asian lava lamps.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sudestada. The cuisine at this Asian fusion restaurant stretches from Vietnamese, Thai and Indian. Don’t hesitate to ask the chef in the open kitchen to “spice it up”—they know what to do with chili peppers.

Best Experience:

Torres del Paine goes down as the single best experience in South America. The park, with all of its elements (snow, rain, sleet, high winds and hail) was truly challenging mentally and physically, but the beauty of the park and the spectacular sites made every single ache and pain worth it during the 8 days we spent in the park.


Don’t Miss these Towns:

Montanita, Ecuador—lather up with sunscreen before hitting the beach of this cool little hippy/surf town on the coast of Ecuador. The waves are killer during the day for surfing and the town is perfect for partying at night. The white sand beach is very comfortable to lounge around during the day with bathtub warm, water only a few feet away. Numerous vendors on the beach are always there for anything you might need—umbrella, beer, ceviche, and, of course, helado.

Puerto Natales, Chile—low-key town where trekking enthusiasts prepare for, or recover from, Torres del Paine National Park. This little town has some of the best food in Chile (which isn’t saying much) including some vegetarian options.

Mendoza, Argentina—a relaxing small town where you can sample numerous Malbec wines while in perfect proximity to explore the Andes. Mendoza has some descent restaurants to grab a steak and toss back a bottle of Malbec.

El Bolson, Argentina—this quaint little town is nestled in a canyon surrounded by magnificent mountains in the Lake District. It has some great microbrews that are a nice break from Malbec. The proximity to the mountains allows for day hikes and other natural activities. Best of all, there’s a Jauja ice-cream shop!

Buenos Aires, Argentina—yes, this is a large international, growing metropolitan city, but it is really a great place to get acquainted with Argentinean culture. It is rich with history and Argentinean tradition such as Tango. The buildings, many of which are currently being renovated, have a noticeable European influence. Some people say Buenos Aires is a European city that just happens to be in South America.

Not Worth the Stop :

Guayquil, Ecuador—do not stop here unless absolutely necessary. The poverty stricken city is not very safe to walk around at night; the city center doesn’t have any real attractions, except for pollution mixed with humidity. If you do stop here, go to El Toro Asado listed above for an authentic Ecuadorian meal.

Valparaiso, Chile—this is Chile’s most important seaport, and it is just that, a seaport, comparable to Oakland, CA. The ascensors, or hillside train carts, are worth a ride if you make it to this city for a day. Valparaiso is located 120 KM northwest of the capital city of Santiago.

Puerto Montt, Chile—As you walk around this small port town you can feel an element of crime, it’s not scary, but it always keeps you on your toes. There aren’t a lot of attractions in Puerto Montt itself, but the surrounding areas are nice especially Puerto Varas. It is a great stop off point to see Chiloe Island for a day or two.

Bahia Blanca, Argentina—the only reason for stopping at this mid-sized town, slightly inland in the Southern Pampas region of Argentina, is to break up the bus ride from Bariloche.

Best Cervecerias (Beer):

El Bolson, Argentina. Cerveceria El Bolson. Several excellent microbrews on tap; a sampler platter is available if you can’t decide which one to order.

El Bolson, Argentina. Cerveceria Kelly. Located at the opposite side of the trail-head for Camp Hue Nain, just over the bridge. Kelly sells the beer out of his house in returnable bottles—you just have to hope he's home.

Colonial Suiza, Argentina. Cerveceria Gilbert. Freshly brewed beer with a three month shelf life is sold throughout the little town of “Little Suzy.”

Mar del Plata & Buenos Aires, Argentina. Antares. We preferred the low-key, relaxed location in Mar del Plata to the one in hopping Buenos Aires, but regardless of which one you go to… get there early, they are packed by 8:30 PM.

Best Lodging:
Note: These are places we personally stayed. All prices are estimates at the time of our visit and are displayed in USD.

Quito, Ecuador. Hostal Charles Darwin. We absolutely loved this comfortable place in Quito, our first stop on our South America journey. The rooms were clean with a private bath, a book exchange, and a breakfast with either fresh fruit or eggs. The owner speaks English. Price: Around $35/night, includes breakfast.

Puerto Natales, Chile. Erratic Rock 2. There are two Erratic Rocks in Puerto Natales. The original one, Erratic Rock, focuses on backpackers and hosts nightly events to prepare trekkers for the brutal conditions in Torres del Paine. Erratic Rock 2 is more of a couple’s joint with private bathrooms and double beds. The owners are very accommodating due to their clientele—backpackers/couples. They will even serve breakfast in your room if you think you might not be up in time (just let them know the night before). Both locations have English speaking staff. Price: $50/night, includes breakfast.

El Bolson, Argentina. La Posada de Hamelin. This charming little, four room, place in El Bolson has very comfortable rooms with all kinds of little shelves and storage places. The warm and accommodating owners make you feel like their house is yours. Price: $33/night, no breakfast.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. One Bedroom Apartment from Alberto Sona. We were delighted to have a place to cook after being on the road for 2 months. Alberto and his wife Sonia have a few places they rent out short term to travelers. The rates are very reasonable, the places are clean and the experience of being in an apartment makes you feel more like a local than a tourist. The average price per night is around $40, excellent for Buenos Aires. Interested? Contact Sonia at sonia0426@yahoo.com.ar.

Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Hotel Argos. If you do stop in Bahia Blanca, this is a great place to stay. The staff is very friendly and really goes above and beyond to make your stay comfortable. Price: $60/night, includes breakfast. This is listed as a four star hotel.

Things We Take for Granted:

1. Flushing toilet paper down the toilet
2. Paper napkins instead of waxed-paper
3. Stop signs and other means of traffic control
4. Ice
5. Tap water—not only for drinking, but for brushing your teeth too.
6. Black pepper. This is completely non-existent in Chile. It is hard to come by in Argentina, but some places do have it if you ask.
7. Newspapers, especially the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle!
8. Enjoying the scenery while walking down sidewalks instead of dodging the various piles of dog poop!
9. Wearing perfume instead of DEET!
10. Bandwidth! You don't understand how painful it is having navigate with only 124k/sec.

Miscellaneous Items:

Ecuador uses the US Dollar as their currency since their economy was near collapse a few years ago. It really helps to have bills of all denominations, especially $20 and below. We brought $300 in fives and tens and it saved us a few headaches.

Any time you visit another country it’s important to learn at least a few words in the local language to prepare yourself for arrival. They speak Spanish in South America and many don’t speak any English. Dust off your high school or college Spanish book and do a quick review—it will be worth it!

Most of the grocery stores in Chile and Argentina don’t have scales at the checkout counters for fruits, vegetables and bread. To avoid confusion during checkout make sure to get these items weighed before heading to the front to pay for your goods. There is typically someone near a scale in the produce section and the bakery, but sometimes you have to hunt them down.

Argentina’s ATMs were a big challenge for us on several occasions. To avoid frustration, look for banks with the “Link” network and get the maximum out every time, $1050 pesos. This maximum has nothing to do with the limit placed by your bank, but the limit the “Link” network puts on its users. Avoid getting money on the weekends when ATMs are typically out of currency all together. Don’t plan on paying with plastic, not everyone takes it, especially outside of Buenos Aires.

Women—there’s a very limited selection of tampons, if any, in South America. If you like a special brand besides OB, bring them from home.

Siesta is a very real concept in most areas outside of the capital cities. Retail businesses close between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM and restaurants usually close at 3:00 PM and re-open for dinner. It takes a few days to get use to this concept, but after you understand and plan around it…it isn’t a big deal.

Water purification: We bought Pristine water purification treatment to treat our entire water supply. This proved invaluable for both economical and environmental reasons. We saved several hundred dollars by not buying plastic bottles of water everywhere we went and, at the same time, we prevented hundreds of plastic bottles from going into landfills to sit forever.

We mentioned Nalgene bottles in the Torres del Paine wrap-up, but I want to discuss how invaluable these bottles were during our trip. We brought four bottles that we used daily; treating local water with Pristine for potable drinking water, storage for breakable items such as sunglasses, storage for treats such as trail mix and a warm-up to our sleeping bag at night by placing boiling hot water in our bottles. These bottles are well worth the investment!