Mendoza

On the bus to Mendoza I met a great couple from England, Lisa and Allen. During the ride the attendant tried to keep everyone entertained and not with just the normal movies. We played bingo. Yes, bingo and the winner got a bottle of wine. As it turns out Allan won the game and being the upstanding gentleman that he was, he shared. Sharing IS caring.
For those of you that don’t know Mendoz a is Argentina’s wine country. You go there for two reasons, well actually one reason, to drink the wine. That is all I had planned while being there. After the hard times I had in Bariloche I was ready for some beverages.
As it turned out the girls that went to Pucon arrived later that night. The next morning we woke up ate breakfast and made out way to the vineyard area. There are two ways to go about seeing the wineries, you can rent a car and have some poor sucker be the DD or you can rent bikes and let the shenanigans begin. We opted for the bikes, no one volunteered to be DD. It wasn’t that big of a shock with this crowd. Mr Hugos Bike Rental came highly recommended from numerous people that I had traveled with. When we got off the bus the sky was grey. As soon as we paid our 25 pesos each , about $6, rain poured down on us. Rain would make any bike ride interesting but a drunken bike ride even more so. Mr Hugo being the gracious host that he was saw our look of disappointment and proceeded to feed us glass after glass of wine free of charge. What a guy. It was a great start to the day. After about 30 minutse and 4 glasses of wine later the skies cleared. I already had a buzz going and we hadn’t even hit our first winery. Dios Mio.
The first winery was a short bike ride away. It was hilarious watching who had rode a bike in the last oh 5 years and those that hadn’t. The swerving had already begun. When we arrived at the winery we missed the English speaking guide by minutes so we opted for the Spanish tour. Why not? We really didn’t care much about the process we just wanted to free samples after the tour. Sick I know. After the short tour we had our free wine and were off to the next place. I forgot to mention that at Mr. Hugos they give you a map and point out where all the free tours and samples are. Bad news.

The next stop was the Absinthe and Chocolate store. I can safely say that this is where the day took a turn, not for the worse but it was all downhill from here. The absinthe presentation was pretty impressive. Who needs chocolate when you have free absinthe available? I don’t know either. After the sugar was lit on fire it was dipped in the shot glasses. Bottoms up. I have had absinthe before and don’t remember it tasting like turpentine. The wheels were officially coming off.

In order to be more efficient we opted to ride 6 km to the last free winery and work our way back up to Mr Hugos. It seemed like a great idea at the time. I mean we just took a couple shots of Absinthe why not shoot it straight into our blood stream. The group fragmented at this point. Megan, Michelle, and I were at the front of the pack. We had all said we were going to go to the last winery. Well when we arrived we waited and waited and waited for the rest of the group. While we waited we decided to crush a bottle of Malbec between the 3 of us. Another smart decision.

After the bottom was gone we went out looking for everyone. As it turns out they were across the street at another winery eating and drinking. Not to be out done we joined them in the libations. All I needed was more wine, water wasn’t an option. After completing two tasting menus I was good and lubed up for a bike ride. The group headed over to the winery we just came from. Megan decided to join them. Kim, Michelle, and I headed to the beer garden. It was almost like water.

I should have noticed something was seriously wrong at this point. I was designated proctor of the group. I sent Megan on her way. She was doing great. I turned around just in time to see Michelle ride her bike directly into the ditch. Jesus!! As I was about to help her I hear a crash just down the rode. Megan, who looked like she was doing well, took a differ about 30 ft from where I left her. She was laying in the road yelling for assistance. There were cars coming but she didn’t seem to mind. It was official there were no more wheels.

After about 10 minutes and one wrong turn Kim, Michelle, and I arrived at the beer garden. It was nice to have something different than delicious red wine. We waited for the rest of the group to catch up. As it turned out, Sam’s bike got a flat and the group caught a ride to the beer garden. It was probably a good thing. The group now had a police escort. Sweet.

After about 3 high alcohol beers it was time to end the day. What ensued was nothing short of hilarious. The cops had had enough of our antics and saw the state that a majority of the group was in and started loading bikes into the back of their truck. Megan and Kelly couldn’t ride. Michelle tried. I gave her an A for effort, not achievement. She mounted her bike and put both feet on the pedals but forgot to peddle. TIMBER!!! There was another bike in the truck. Michelle didn’t even fight it.

Sam, Kim, and I are the only ones that rode back to Mr Hugos. I was more than happy to get off the bike. Mr Hugo being the great guy that he was offered us more wine. Why not throw gasoline on the fire. The ride back to town was interesting. Some people passed out others drink smuggled wine on. When we reached town it was like a bomb detonated in the middle of the group. People went in every direction. I decided going solo was a better idea at this point. I was the 3rd person to arrive at the hostel. Other people kept strolling in slowly.

The hostel had a parilla going. After a long day of drinking wine what’s better than to gorge yourself on mass quantities of meat? The answer is NOTHING. During dinner Sam had a meltdown. Between crying bursts she came back to the table. I ignored it and never did get a reason for the meltdown. The meat was more important.

The next morning the band officially was breaking up. Megan, Kelly, and I were heading to Santiago Chile. Michelle was heading to Salta then Iguazu to get a Brazilian visa. Sam was sticking around Mendoza. Kim was off doing her own thing in Salta.

Off to Chile!!!!!

Bariloche – El Bolson

When we made it back to El Calafate, Michelle and I had a couple of hours to regroup with the gang and chill out.  The rest of the group from Torres had finally caught up with us.   We got to hear how there hike ending and shared stories about the trail.  It is funny how people can have completely different experiences walking on the same trail.  Remember the morning we woke up early to see the Torres, well the other group did the same thing and had completely different pictures.  No red Torres just a light orange.  I was happy that I hauled ass around the circuit when I heard that.  I mean imagine getting to the finishing line thinking you are in first place the whole time and finding out only steps from the line that you were second.  Tough break.

The bus to Bariloche would be the longest bus ride I had taken since traveling.  That is saying a lot.  When we purchased our tickets we were given two options, travel up Route 40, (the road that stretches from Salta to Ushuaia) or take the less direct but more comfortable route out to the coast to Rio Gallegos then up north.  We opted for the latter.  I had heard horror stories about Rt 40.  After El Chalten the road turns to gravel and buses lumber along at 30kph for 10 hours.  It sounded horrible.  There were 4 of us that booked tickets on the bus.  Michelle, Samantha, Kimberly, and myself.

After about 28 hours on the bus we arrived in Bariloche.  Yes, that is 28 hours.  It was an eventful ride really thanks to Ambien.  You pop a couple of those and you can go through just about anything and still catch a good 8 hours of sleep.  I didn’t know it at the time but Bariloche would be my nemesis.  I had a couple strings of bad luck and hard times.  Nothing too serious but it was a black hole of bad karma.  Why I have no idea.  I kicked zero puppies. I swear.  This is the abridged version of my experience there.  Only the good stuff

Sam, Michelle, and I booked some rafting for our first day in Bariloche.  Now I have rafted a lot of cool places.   High water usually means fast water and well you guessed it the water was high.  After a short bus ride to the river we disembarked and made our way down to for our pre departure briefing.  I have been in a couple of these and honestly they are never the same.  Sometimes they give different commands, other times they forget to tell you what to do when you find yourself in the water.  Well this one had both, different commands and a lack of what to do when the shet hit the fan.  Our guide seemed confident enough and he gave me the first position in the boat.  I know I have mentioned this before but you are the pace setter as well as the first one to hit the rapids.  Walls of water coming my way.  Sweet!  The guy sitting on the other side of the raft had never paddled before.  I could see a look of worry in his eyes.  I told him not to worry as long as he paddled there wouldn’t be any problems.  Whoops.

Going down our first set of rapids our guide decided we all needed to get wet.  He told us to go high side so the boat wouldn’t tip over but gave the wrong side.  I hesitated at first but he was the boss and just like that the whole raft was out of the boat.  Great start.  The guy next to me didn’t have the same look on his face anymore.  It was more of panic.  I wondered if he even knew how to swim.  Oh well.  After flipping over the boat and yanking everyone back in we were off again.  After a little calm water we made our way to a set of about 4 rapids.  There was a small hole in the first one that if don’t right you can ride in.  After barely making it over we turned around and paddled our way back upriver to ride the wave.  Once we made it up the frontside of the raft was swallowed by the river.  Did I mention I was on the leftside.  Yup, you guessed it, mister I don’t know how to swim was there.  Just like that he was gonzo.  He wasn’t alone though.  A girl a couple people back from him was gone too.  They popped up to the surface about 15 meters away.  He made it to the boat.  She made her way to one of the safety kayaks while the rest of us paddled out of the hole.

When everyone was back onboard the guide asked if we wanted to go again.  I think the two that just came out of the water thought he was joking.  The girl was in bad shape.  I think she wanted to cry.  When he looked at me I had an ear to ear smile and nodded my head.  Just like that we were paddling back up.  Again the frontside of the raft was swallowed but it was flung me out of the boat.  Wow what a rush not know where the hell you are under the water.  I popped up and nearly jumped back into the boat.  The other guy again was down river.  I don’t even think the girl that fell in paddled that time.  She just held on for dear life.  Michelle and Sam were having a great time with it.  They loved how I just ate it.

On the next set of rapids the boat had to be rearranged. Michelle was now sitting next to me and the no swimming guy was back by the guide. I guess he had had enough fun at the front of the boat.  Off we went.  The rapids going down weren’t that bad.  A couple 4+ and 4s but mostly 3+s.  At one point Sam involuntarily went in the water.  She handled herself a lot better than the other girl.  She was smiling when she hit the surface.  At one point the guides said we could jump off and do the next rapid on our own.  Never one to miss an opportunity I leaped off the boat.  I had my camera on video and off we went.  At one point when I was taping I got caught in a whirlpool.  Despite having a lifejacket on it still pulled me underwater.  I dropped the camera to stop myself from drowning.  The video is great.  All you see is me cruising down the river then at one point the camera goes underwater and you can see my arms flailing to get back to the surface.  Priceless.  We exited the river a little further down where there was an parrillo waiting for us.  BBQ.  Delicious.

The next day the band broke up again. Megan, Kelly, and Kim were off to Pucon, Chile to climb a volcano.  We were going to be a couple days behind them.  In the meantime we wanted to check out El Bolson.  Its a chill little hippy town about 2 hours from Bariloche.  When we got there we booked a hostel just off the main square. El Bolson Hostel.  Nice place.  We were only going to be there a day so we travelled light.  I only had my day pack with a shirt, fleece, and pants oh and my passport and other important financial info.  I threw the important stuff under my bed.

We made our way around the town walking around the Sunday market.  Well at this market they sell everything including microbrews.  Michelle had to try a sample of some of them and just like that we were off on our slippery slope.  Food was replaced with beer.  I think we ate some French fries but that was about it.  When we got back to the hostel we made some more food and played drinking games.  Tough to do with only 3 people but I kid you not we played the most intense game of shethead alive.  So many rules = lots of beer.  Before we knew it we were hungry again.  We came back and passed out.

The next morning we woke up groggly and in a little bit of a hurry so we packed fast to make the bus.  We made it with 5 minutes to spare.  When we got back to Bariloche we had already booked tickets to meet the other girls in Pucon Chile.  Well this is where the Karma kicked in.  In my haste that morning I neglected to pack my important documents, namely my passport. It was back in El Bolson.  SHET!!!!!!!!!  Just like that I was no longer going to Pucon and instead was going to take another 2 hour bus ride there and another one back to Bariloche.  Great way to spend the day but we had called the hostel and all my stuff was there.  Could have been worse.

I made it back to Bariloche and found Lolo.  He was the only left in town.  We decided the next day that we were going to hitchhike to Pucon. It was the only feasible option as there weren’t any tickets for a couple days.  It was only a 10 bus ride and honestly that means it’s a 6 hour car ride.  We woke up the next morning and waited just outside of town. Within 20 minutes we were in a car heading towards the border.   Alright.  30km before the border we were dropped off because the nice people that gave us a lift were heading to the 7 lakes region.  We made great time, 100kms in just over an hour and a half.  At this rate we would be there in 6 hours.  Well this is where we hit the wall.  We waited and waited and waited and waited.  Cars went by us without even glancing at us.  After about 4 hours of waiting I started to worry about getting back to Bariloche.  We called it quits and took the bus back.  Defeated.

That was the second bad karma event.  When I got back to Bariloche I said screw it. I had had enough of it.  I decided to skip Pucon. It wasn’t meant to be so I bought a ticket to Mendoza.  A nice healthy 18 hour bus ride.  Nothing to worry about except the fact that when I was paying for my ticket I lost my ATM card.  Karma strike number 3.  It can’t get any worse.

I didn’t do anything the rest of the day. I sat at the hostel bar with Lolo and we drank.  I didn’t want to risk anymore Karma events.  The next day I hopped on the early bus to Mendoza.  Ah wine country, here I come.  I need you right now.

El Chalten

The bus ride from  El Calafate to El Chalten lasted about 3 hours.  On the way there you wind in and out of the lakes and mountains.  On one long stretch of road Mt. FitzRoy comes into view.  I was busy trying to take pictures out the front of the bus when the driver decided to pull over to a Mirador and let everyone take a picture.  Thanks a lot.

El Chalten is a little town situated in a river valley.  It is a small town, maybe 1,000 people live there in total.  It was a great break from the masses that flock to El Calafate and Puerto Natales.  Don’t get me wrong it is still a magnet for tourists but it had a small town feel to it that both Michelle and I appreciated.  When we arrived at the bus station we hopped anticipating a long walk with our packs.  (Yes, we brought everything despite it being a short trip.  Why I have no idea and thinking back it was moronic.  Live and learn.)  We were wrong.  When we booked our bus tickets with Caltur we purchased a ticket that included both transportation and lodging.  I asked the attendant in my broken Spanish where the hell we had to go.  He informed me that we needed to hop back on the bus with our packs.  I was a little skeptical getting back on as Michelle and I were the only people that took the transport and lodging option.  As it turns out it was a gold mine.  The bus driver took us right to our lodge 8 blocks away.  In fact, our driver was staying at the same place.  Always a good sign.  Now, 8 blocks might not seem that far to you but let me tell you that walking with a pack that weighs 20 kg gets a little boring after a while.

The lodge was nestled in the middle of town.  I can’t remember the name of it to save my life but it only cost us 20 pesos to stay the night.  It was cheaper to take the bus to Chalten and sleep there then it was to stay El Calafate.  It was a no brainer.  Michelle and I dropped our packs and went out exploring.  Like I said before the main reason is to hike around the Fitz Roy national park.  It took us no time to reach the trail head at the edge of town.  From there we walked and walked and walked up the path until we reached Laguna Capri about an hour and a half later.  From there, Fitz Roy overlooks the lake.  It was a warm calm day and the reflection of the peak in the lake was stunning.  We parked it for an hour or so before deciding to head back down.  We both wanted to continue on further but after just finishing the Torres we needed a break from self sustained camping.  Next time…  On the way down we had an unobstructed view of El Chalten.  It was a quaint little town but its beauty was enormous.

After we made our way back down to town and back to the hostel we were greeted by a surprise.  The mad Brazilian Lolo had showed up from El Calafate.  Yes, he hitchhiked his way up to El Chalten.  Of course he did.  It was a pleasant surprise.  We were all hungry so we made our way to Patagonicus Pizza in town.   Here we mowed a pizza eat and drank delicious beer.  Umm beer.  Nothing beats a cold beer after hiking a couple hours.  Afterwards, we still had some daylight left so we made our way to El Bodegon Cerveceria.  Here that brew their own beer.  I should mention that Michelle has a thing for beer.  No, she is not an alcoholic well no more than me but she loves trying new beers.  I think it rubbed off on me because I found myself always trying new beers, bad or good.  We ended up staying at the brewery a little longer than expected.

The next morning we had to catch a bus back to El Calafate to hop on yet another bus to Bariloche.  That morning I woke up and was blinded.  The person in the bunk next to me looked purple.  I started to wonder what the hell was in the beer the night before.  When I turned over towards the window I was blinded by one of the most dramatic sunrises I had ever seen. It looked like the sky was on fire and every minute it kept getting better and better.  I snapped a couple pictures on my phone before it disappeared.  The sunrise alone was worth the short trip up to El Chalten.  The hike was just an added bonus.

Just like that our trip to El Chalten was over.  Michelle and I were there for less than 24 hours but the hike to Capri and the sunrise made it all worth it.  We were heading back to Calafate to catch a bus.  Lolo was going to make his own way up there.  Yup, you guessed it by hitch hiking.

El Calafate

The bus to El Calafate was uneventful. Any bus ride under 10 hours is now uneventful no matter what happens.

The gang consisted of Michelle, Megan, Kelly, Lolo, and myself. I should tell you a little bit about Lolo. We met him the night before doing the Torres and you know the rest of that story. What you don’t know is that this crazy Brazilians main source of transportation while traveling has been hitchhiking. He hitched from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia then to Puerto Natales. That in itself is a feat. He covered over 2000km and it doesn’t stop there. More on this later.

Anyway the main reason to go to El Calafate is to view the Perito Moreno Glacier. For those of you that don’t know what I am talking about this is the glacier where you can sit and watch huge bus size chunks of ice fall into the water causing massive tidal waves. It is also the largest glacier in the world that isn’t receding. I think someone told me that.

To get to PM you have two options, you can book a tour like a sucker or you can rent a car and do it on your own time. We opted for the latter. I crunched the numbers and it was the cheaper not to mention more fun option. We were all about fun. The girls ran to get food while Lolo and I rented the car. It was about 400 pesos for 24 hours. Between Lolo and I, I was the only one with a license. The car was now my responsibility. Scary. The rental policies in South America are a little lax. I mean the guy asked me for my license and credit card. I don’t think he really looked at either. I know for sure he didn’t write any details down. Just like that we were pimpin a VW wagon 5 speed. It had been a little while since I had driven. Not gonna lie I stalled it once.

We picked up the girls from the food run and we were off to PM. It takes about an hour and a half to get there. It took us an hour. Speed limits are for suckers. Haha. It was a great journey. We jammed out to the radio the whole time and recounted funny parts of previous trips. At the gate to PM you have to pay a park fee of 100 pesos. Usually I hate paying for this stuff but as soon as we parked the car and took the shuttle to the glacier I was mesmerized.

At the top of the parking lot we could see nothing but blue ice. Lolo, the gentleman that he is, decided to get a beverage at the restaurant before exploring. I joined him. He was excited to get a whiskey on glacier ice. I had had enough bourbon on glacier ice in Antarctica so I opted for a beer.

We made our way down to the front of the glacier sipping away. The day was perfect. Literally, we couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sun was shining making the ice bluer and the drinks that much more refreshing. When we got to the observation deck it was packed with people. People literally set up shop all day to witness an ice chunk falling into the water. We waited patiently sipping away. The whole time you can hear the ice cracking. Little bits constantly fall off but we wanted mayhem. After a couple minutes we witness a chuck about the size of a duplex detach from the glacier. It made a thunderous noise and crashed into the water causing a wave to crash against the shore. I actually called the piece that fell. Cool stuff. We were lucky, after a little while longer we started betting on which piece would break off next. Our patience got the better of us and we moved onto another part of the glacier with no one winning the bet. ADHD maybe.

The PM glacier is huge. It stretches as far as the eye can see and is about a kilometer across. On the other side of the glacier boats can be seen waiting for the ice to break. Again we lucked out, another huge piece broke off this time a couple hundred meters away. It was a phenomenal experience. Before we knew it it was time to move on. I mean waiting for ice to fall off is equivalent to watching grass grow. You can only do it for so long before you get bored. We saw two huge pieces fall off. We had our pictures and a rental car to take advantage of.

Back at the car we had a sweet lunch prepared by the girls. We jammed out and voted on what to do next. We opted to make a detour on the way back to check out a lake. It came recommended by the tourist office. We had nothing else to do. Off we went. I should have mentioned that the rode to PM winds along the coast. If you get behind a tour bus you are in for a long ride. Wouldn’t you know it, we got behind one. I wasn’t having any of it. On a not so sketchy turn I dropped the 4 cylinder VW from 4th to 2nd and made a daring pass. It was gutsy move but needed to be done. No harm no foul. Everyone in the chair was officially wide awake.

The road to the lake was a bumpy one. It was mostly dirt and not knowing where the hell we were going made it that much more fun. When we came over the hill we knew we made it. The lake was unreal. The mountains in the background made it that much more beautiful. We hiked around a little bit but made it a quick detour. We had an little drive ahead so off we went.

On the way back the kids in the back seat decided to sleep. I was just as tired so I figured I would even the playing field and make them too scared to sleep. It was only fair. Once they passed out I hit the rumble strip and yanked on the wheel HARD. Needless to say everyone was up after that.

When we arrived back in Calafate we still wanted to make full use of the car. We drove around town covering every square inch. We came upon a gem when we took a wrong turn. There was a local carnival in town. The kind that only stays in towns until one of their rides malfunctions injuring someone and then moves on. We had to go. We parked the car and made our way in. To my disappointment there were zero carnie games. In their place were sketchy amusement rides. You know the kind. The ones you always see on “Amazing home videos” or real tv. They looked like they were being held together with duct tape and paper clips. We had nothing better to do so we bought 2 tickets each and headed for our first deathtrap I mean ride. The ride reminded me of the Yo Yo back in the states. You know the one with the single chairs hanging on chains in a circle.

We walked up thinking the ride was going to be a joke. We were in for a surprise. The “attendant” aka the 15 yr old kid holding the throttle ushered us around the circle spreading us out properly so one side wasn’t heavier than the other. He knew safety. After settling into out chairs it was go time. I think I might have antagonized the kid a little bit. Once we started I knew we were in for a ride. It started off all nice and child like then the little bastard threw it into high gear. Literally if anyone of the chains on my chain would have snapped I would have died a very painful death. I would have probably been hurled into thr tiltawhirl next door. It didn’t stop there though. Faster and faster we went. At first I was egging him on yelling MAS RAPIDO. Not a smart move. After about 10 seconds the G forces had my tongue checking to see if my stomach lining was still intact. Motha-*#^*! And the rode continued. Just when I thought it was over and it was slowing down the punk head faked us and threw it back into high gear. No child under the age of 15 could have survived it. I was sure I was going to die at any second. The punk had nothing else better to do than torture the 5 gringos that were harassing him to go MAS RAPIDO. Well deserved and definitely worth the 1 ticket cost.

We all got off the ride and stumbled a little bit. It happens to me sometimes when I think my spine is going to double over on itself. I had been humbled. I smiled at the punk when I walked by him. Carnies 1 Gringos 0. Next up was something a little more tame. There was a ferris wheel but like the Yo Yo it looked like it had last been inspected around 15 years ago when it was shipped over from god knows where, my guess was the former Soviet Union. Oh well. It was our last ticket and all the other rides looked lane except for the damn Yo Yo. We split up into pairs. Kelly and Michelle, Megan and I, and Lolo solo. Before we got on Megan mentioned she had a thing about heights. Not a smart move telling me that. Weakness found. After a bit the rickety wheel started moving and I mean moving. It was a small wheel with a radius of maybe 15 meters but it was hauling ass. I thought at one point we were going snap off the hinge and go for a stroll into downtown Calafate. Megan had a death grip on the bar. Unlike the Yo Yo I was loving life. So much so that I started to tilt the bench back and forth, I had to get my monies worth. The screams that followed were both terrifying and hilarious. I guess Megan really did have a thing about heights. She waited until the ride had ended to let go of the bar to hit me. Ah good times.

We left the little carnival happy we still had our dignity and all our appendages. It was a risk worth taking now that I look back on it. There is no way in hell I would ever take my child there. Not that I have a child but if I did, you get the point.

After parking the car it was time to grab a quick bite to eat and pass out. Michelle and I were booked on a bus to El Chalten early the next morning. The rest of the group was either heading to Bariloche or Buenos Aires. Off we go!

Puerto Natales/Torres del Paine

Tap here to begin writing.I called Puerto Natales Antarctica 2.0 because at least 15 people from the boat went that way. It was like we traded in a boat for a bus.

Puerto Natales is the jumping off point for the Torres del Paine National Park. The town is full of shops selling trekking gear and camping supplies. It is kind of like Pohkara in Nepal but not as serious.

We stayed at the Danicar Hostel. It was a quaint little hostel run by a family. It was not the nicest place I have stayed but not the worst either. It was for a limited time so it would do.

That afternoon we attended a free briefing at the Erratic Rock on what to expect while trekking in Torres del Paine. It was given by a guy named Chris from Seattle. He was a little bit of a dick but the information was good. Afterwards we scrambled around town trying to find everything we needed for the trek. I had intended on doing the “W” but after being on the boat a guy named Tim convinced me to do the circuit. For those of you that don’t know TDP is one of the premier destinations to go hiking. The W is a 5 day hike while the Circuit is 8-10 days. Unlike Nepal this is self sustained trekking. You take all your food and camping supplies with you. Remember what I said about light is fast well a tent adds at least 2kgs to your pack and food isn’t light either. On the plus side I bought a lot of Ramen. Is it wrong that I missed that stuff?

Anyway we were booked on the bus the following morning to head to the park. We scurried around town trying to find anything we thought we needed. In the end my pack was damn heavy. I think it actually weighed more than what I carry around while traveling. Not a good sign.

The bus ride to TDP park took about 1:30 hrs. Once at the gate we paid our 15,000 pesos and made our way to the starting point. Here’s how the days broke down. Ah to be on the trail again…..

Day 1
As soon as we started off I knew we were in trouble. We had 12 people with all different degrees of hiking ability. For some this was their first trek. Talk about trial by fire. The circuit whines up and down the park and covers over 100kms.

Within the first 10 minutes we made our first error. I will take the blame on this one because people thought I knew what I was doing. Suckers. At the beginning of the circuit you have 2 options, take a path that starts immediately from the entrance or take a short microbus to another starting point 7.5 km away. Both paths are roughly the same length. What we did was take a “shortcut” and miss the first path and adding a couple kms to the day. My bad! We walked the 7.5km in about an hour. I was afraid the girls were going to retaliate after that mistake but they took it quite well.

Now to start the trek. The first camp we would be staying at was called Seron. This way we planned to finish with the the highlight of the trek, the Torres. On the map given to us at the ticket office it had 8 km to the camp. Okay not too bad. When we got to our first trail marker it said 12 km. Now that doesn’t seem like a lot but keep in my we had already done 7.5km and the girls were having second thoughts. About 15 minutes into the trail the group had fragmented. Tim, Camilla, and I were up front. The rest of the group was scattered over the first couple kilometers. Everyone knew where we were going though so it didn’t really matter.

About 3 hrs into the trek I looked at Tim and Camilla and ask them if they thought we should have been there by now. They agreed. It was tough first day getting the rust off. About a half hour later we rolled into Seron. For that last 30 minutes Camilla put it into high gear. I had enough walking for the first day. We were the first couple people at the camp. We dropped our packs exhausted. Damn this was just the first day. We met a guy that was camped right next to us, Stewart. Like the AC you see a lot of the same people on the trail. He was a nice guy from Australia. We would see each other a lot over the next couple days.

Slowly but surely everyone came made it into camp. We got a little worried when Megan didn’t show up for 1:30hrs. She was having a little trouble with her knees. Not good on the first day. As it turns out her pack was heavier than mine. How you ask? No she didn’t have an industrial size hairdryer but close. She had a glass bottle of booze in her bag with 2 liters of mixers? WTF! I was a little upset at this. She was carrying an extra 4kg. It was her and her sister, Kellys, first time doing any trekking. I guess I forgot to tell them that I have never brought booze with me and if I did maybe a flask. As it later turns out Megan had yet another bottle in her bag to celebrate Kellys birthday. Thoughtful but it would cost her dearly.

That night we finished off one of the bottles and most of the mixers. I was drinking it just so she didn’t have to carry it not because I wanted to. Haha. Day 1, 17.4km 4.5hrs

The next morning we woke and made breakfast, oatmeal in a cup. Yummy. I love the simplicity of trekking. It would be a long day. We broke camp but before leaving I weighed my pack on the scale at the camp. I am not sure how accurate it was but it said 19.5kg. 43lbs!?! Damn but oh well it would get lighter as we ate. We started off and again, Tim, Camilla, and I were in the front. Soon everyone was in their groups. Nicky, Michelle, Kelly, and Kim. Megan and Sam. Ben and Sarah. The next camp, Dickson, was 19km away. We were going to try to make it to the camp after that, Perros, another 9km by the end of the day. Here we go.

Along the circuit you get to see the backside of the W. The terrain changes a lot. At one point you are walking in a field of daisies and the next you are traversing loose rock. The views were beautiful. It was a nice day. The sun was shining and our legs were moving, slowly but surely.

When we rounded a bend and saw the Dickson camp it was like we discovered nirvana. We were worn out and the camp looked so inviting. When we walked up we were ambushed. Looks were deceiving as hundreds of mosquitos swarmed us from every direction. These weren’t your regular Mosquitos. They were like small birds. I quickly applied 100% Deet to all exposed extremities. This stuff is supposed to burn through steel yet I put it on my face and the bastards were still landing on me. Not nice.

We waited until the rest of the group arrived and quickly told them we would not be staying here. They agreed and pushed on. We were still short 4 people. Ben, Sara, Megan, and Samantha. I waited for about 2hrs for them to get there. My joints were beginning to lock up with the lactic acid with every passing minute. At 2hrs I had had enough of the mosquitos and my body was about to shutdown. I moved onto Perros.

The trek to Perros was 9km and the map said it would took about 4.5 hrs. I wanted to get there asap. I didn’t have a watch so I used my iPod. The weather had turned and it started to rain. Why god, why? About 3 hrs into it I hit a huge wall. I didn’t know how far I had come or how far I had left. At one point I just sat down on a log and spaced out for a good 10 minutes. I was tired. Minutes seemed like hours. I ended up passing some of the girls I sent through at Dickson but didn’t stop. I couldn’t I was too tired. About 30 minutes later I sat in front of a huge glacier. It was still raining but I didn’t care it looked surreal. This is why I was trekking. 15 more minutes and I wondered into camp. I was tired and more tired. I popped a 600mg ibuprofen and set up my tent. Damn that was a long day. Day 2, 28km in 8:15hrs.

This would be the point in the trek where the band broke up. The 4 that I waited for didn’t make it to Perros. I was glad they didn’t try. It would be the last time I saw them on the trail. It wasn’t all a loss though. Stewart had made it and I met a group of trekkers who called themselves the Gypsy Train.

The Gypsy Train was a bus that Alex, a guy from Minnesota, had bought in Peru and ripped out some of the seats. It was essentially a traveling hostel. They had 9 people all together from all over. They had made their way down from Peru crossing over into Chile then Argentina. A great group of people. We saw a lot of each other.

On the third day god created…. Just kidding. The sun was shining and despite the crew not all being there a group of us decided to push on. From Perros you cross over the John Gardner Pass. It is a long uphill of 600 vertical meters to a long downhill of 800 meters. The weather is sporadic up there. It can be calm in camp and snowing on the pass. Michelle, Kim, Tim, Camilla, Lolo and I pushed on. Nicki and Kelly stayed behind to wait for the other 4. This would be the last time we saw them on the trek as well. Just like that we were down to 5 of the original 11 from the boat.

We were shooting for Los Guardos camp. 18kms away. It took me about 2 hrs to reach the summit. It was a hard climb up. Loose rock made it tough on the ankles. I actually took a wrong turn but quickly corrected myself by doubling back. I learned my lesson on the AC about shortcuts. The wind was blowing at the summit. I waited for 20 minutes for Michelle and then another 10 for Kim. While I was waiting the A team of the gypsy train made it to the summit. These guys and girls moved fast.

Once over the summit we were awestruck at what was in front of us. Glacier Grey is one of the largest in the world and it was ginormous. The rest of the day we descended next to it. The downhill was painful on the knees but thankfully the trekking poles helped. The views were amazing. I think I took over 50 pics of the glacier. I have so many pictures of ice now. I think it’s a problem.

At the next camp we ran into Lolo. How he got ahead of us is beyond me. I was watching everyone pass me on the summit. He was enjoying some cheese and crackers. I should mentioned that Lolo’s pack was feather light. I don’t know how he did it. He always had cheese or cookies to offer. It was a riddle I never figured out.

We made it to Guardos in just under 2 hrs. The whole time we were staring at the glacier. I was so happy we had good weather on the pass. At the camp we set up and waited for Tim and Camilla. In the meantime we checked out a mirador, a lookout, at the camp. From here you were even with the front of the glacier. Unbelievable! All and all day 3, 18km 6hrs

Day 4 would be another long day. We wanted to make it around the circuit in 6 days. It meant long days but the views were unreal. I had a selfish reason for doing this. I wanted to catch the Superbowl. It was on the following Sunday and we had 7 days to finish.

That day we officially started the W part of the Circuit. We walked for 1:15hrs to see the front of the glacier and throughout the day we would see it disappear from view.

I made it to the camp Puehue after a long downhill. It was a welcoming sight as it has legitimate lodging, a restaurant, and store. Michelle and I bought some sausage, cheese, and bread. It sounds plain but once you have been eating Ramen and oatmeal for the last couple days anything else is delicious.

Originally we wanted to make it up to a camp called Britanico in the French Valley in middle portion of the W but it wasn’t meant to be. The kilometers were catching up to us. The long days had our bodies wanting a break. Tim and Camilla were going to stay at Puehue. We were down to 4, 3 originals.

It was decided that the rest of us would regroup at the next camp, Italiano, and make a decision to camp or push on. On the way to Italiano I spotted a Porcelain Lotus. Unique flowers that grow only in this part of Chile, at least that is what someone told me.

On the way to Italiano I was amazed at the beauty that surrounded me. The trek to the French Valley threads you between some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth. You have mountains on you left and a beautiful turquoise lake on your right. When I got to Italiano a part of me wanted to push on to Britanico. The view coming into Italiano was memorizing. It was a perfect bluebird day and the mountains that loomed overhead were inspiring.

As soon as I put my pack down I knew we weren’t going to make it to Britanico. It had been a long day. I pitched the tent and waited for everyone to arrive.

By not making it up to Britanico that day we committed ourselves to a real long day the following morning. We passed out as the clouds rolled in. When we woke up the clouds were still there but had decided to pour rain. Not the type of morning you want to wake up to. Regardless we set off up to Britanico. No packs, just water and a camera. It’s amazing how fast you can move without a pack weighing you down. I made it up to the camp in 50 minutes and up to the mirador in another 15. Once I got to the camp I was secretly glad we didn’t make it up there the previous day. The trek up after a long day would not have been enjoyable. I was disappointed that we missed out on the views. Up at the mirador all I saw were the bottom half of the mountains as the tops were covered by clouds. The view was still spectacular. It had snowed the previous night giving the landscape a white contrast against the mountains.

I headed back down to Italiano after a couple minutes. I had already covered over 10 km and the day hadn’t even begun. Our goal was Camp Chileno. It was another 22 km away. Damn that was a long day. Luckily the skies cleared up and it was a perfect day for a long hike.

I made it to Camp Cuernos in about an hour and a half. It was nestled on the shores of the lake. It looked very inviting. I could have spent the day there but that would have meant just putting off the long day again. Between Cuernos and Chileno there is a shortcut. If you miss it you add at least an hour to your day and I didn’t want that. I was constantly second guessing myself. Did I pass it? I didn’t know if it was going to be marked or not. Missing shortcuts is like volunteering for shock therapy. You just don’t want to do it. As the day worn on I really thought I missed it. Dammit! Why? About 30 minutes later I saw it. It was very clearly marked. Thank you lord.

About 2 hours later I made it to the trail that linked to Chileno. I had done the 17 km in just under 3 hrs. Almost there, 15 minutes later I crawled into Chileno. My feet were killing me. My Achilles on my right foot had started to hurt pretty bad towards the end. There is no better feeling after a long day of hiking then taking off your pack and boots. It’s right up there with sex, maybe.

Michelle and Kim rolled in a little while later. We were all exhausted. The total for that day was 33.5 km. That is about 21 miles. We deserved a beer and that is what we had. We also treated ourselves to a double pack of Ramen. Lived like kings.

It’s funny what you value after days like that. We went into the lodge to grab a beer and at the table there was a couple eating a delicious dinner. We could tell they weren’t W or circuit people. You can just tell because they don’t have that look of exhaustion. Well when they finished their dinner they left some bread on the table. Me, being in an incoherent state, decided that we needed the bread. They were just going to throw it out anyway. I am not proud of stealing it but it was beyond delicious. If it was the last thing I ate I would have died a happy man. Worth it.

The next day was a lazy one. We only had about 5 km to go before the next camp, Torres. We woke up at 10 and made it up in less than an hour. We could see the Torres from the camp. This would be the last time we camped. Tomorrow we would be hiking out.

Once at Torres we had a lot of time to kill. It was noon and we had nothing to do. The Torres were in the clouds all morning until about 1:30. We decided to take a dry run at the hike and see the towers during the day. We would be waking up for the sunrise the next morning, weather permitting. Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as we got to the top the clouds rolled back in. We waited for about 2 hours just lying on a rock slab. Despite the clouds the view marked the end of the Circuit for us. It was a great sight to see.

We made our way back to camp and low and behold Tim, Camila, and Lolo were setting up there tents right next to ours. We were back to 5 originals and Lolo. We passed out early that night as we would be waking up at 4:30am, again weather permitting, to hike for the sunrise. If it was raining the three of us that went the previous day were sleeping in.

4:30 came extremely early the next morning. I was secretly hoping to sleep in but when I poked my head out of my tent I saw nothing but the stars and a crystal clear sky. Off we go. I was one of the last to leave. I packed my sleeping mat and bag into my pack along with the stove and some provisions. I was so glad I did the dry run the previous day. With the headlamp obvious parts of the path weren’t so obvious. I passed numerous groups on the way up taking the wrong way. Rookies. I actually ended up connecting with Tim and Camila just before the summit. It’s clutch to get up early and secure a good spot to catch the sunrise. We had the same rock slab as the previous day.

It was about 5 am when we got up to the top. Despite it being pitch black we could still make out the shapes of the towers. With each passing minute the view of the towers became clearer. At around 6:30, yeah we were a little early, the sun started to crest over the hills. Despite what people think you don’t want a cloudless day for sunrise. In order to get the red hue on the Torres you need some clouds. Well we had the perfect amount. The sunrise was perfect. At 6:45 the Torres lit up in the most beautiful red imaginable. It lasted about 5 minutes and then was gone. We all had smiles on our faces on the way down.

We packed up camp in minutes. We were already to get back to civilization and maybe a shower. We let gravity do a lot of the work on the way down. Despite injuries and exhaustion we made it down in no time. At the base is the Hotel Torres. It was a welcomed sight to see. It meant real food and better yet REAL FOOD. We walked in looking like death. I should mention that this is a nice hotel. Rooms go for $400 a night. We smelled and looked dirty. Not really their type of clientele. Oh well.

We were smacked in the face twice, first the next bus to Puerto Natales wasn’t for 3 hours and second the restaurant wasn’t open for another hour and a half. WHY?? Everything on the menu sounded phenomenal. Despite the outrageous prices we wanted it all. We waited ever so patiently and when it was time to eat like kings we were kicked again. The restaurant had no gas to cook with. What the hell was happening? We were defeated until the guy at the bar told us about a lodge 5 minutes away. We were off. The fat guy at the bar must have been on a damn jetpack because the 5 minutes turned into 20. The last thing you want to do after trekking for 7 days is to be smacked with another surprise trek. Oh well, right? Wrong. When we got to the lodge they were closed. I could have killed that guy at the bar. What a dips%#~. Lead us astray twice, teasing us with delicious food and getting nothing.

By the time we got back and I cooled off it was time to catch the bus back to reality. I dreamed off a hot shower and steak. 2 hours later we were back. The group had decided to call an audible and stay at another place. We had to pull a stealth mission to get our stuff out of the old hostel without paying for it. People had their jobs. Decoy and grab and go. Despite the planning all we did was walk in and grab our stuff.

While there we got a note from Megan and Kelly. We found out what happened to the other group. Turns out Kelly and Megan had to call it quits at Puehue. I guess the extra weight caught up with them. It was nice seeing them but I had a shower on the brain. At our new hostel it turned out there was no hot water. Michelle screamed when she got in. It was too much for me to handle. I bailed and pulled a stealth mission of my own back to our first hostel and took a hot shower there. It was glorious. The water running off my body was a not so nice color.

The reason I hurried back and subsequently dragged a group with me was to watch the Super Bowl. The Steelers were playing in the big one that night. I didn’t have time to waste. I dropped off my rented gear and inhaled a steak. The bar we ended up watching at was the Erratic Rock. The place was packed. I think I was the only true fan in the crowd. Despite carrying my terrible towel with me the result I wanted didn’t happen.

I trekked over 100 km in 6 and a half days to see my team lose. It not the perfect ending but it was a great week. The next day a majority of us made our way back over the border to El Calafate, Argentina, home of the Perito Moreno glacier. Off we went.

Random thoughts

Mopeds are the SUVs of Asia. They are used for everything. I have seen an entire family on one scooter. That is mom, dad, sister, brother, and baby in front basket. Liability doesn’t exist in Asia neither do child safety laws.

In most SE Asia and S America the plumbing systems are very fragile and can’t take the build up of paper. To alleviate this problem they ask that you dispose of all toilet paper into the garbage basket. Talk about a crappy job having to clean that out.

Its funny when I told people I am from US and then Chicago in SE Asia they would automatically say Obama. In S America when I say that they say Chicago Bulls. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.

So far Argentina has some of the beat sunrises and sunsets I have ever seen. The way the sky lights up is like nothing I have ever seen before.

The buses in Argentina and Chile are by far the best I have ever rode on. I don’t know what the hell Greyhound is thinking. The companies down here making choosing between a flight and bus hard. Seriously, it like first class. I still haven’t had another Scotch nightcap though. I once took a 30 hr bus ride from Erie, PA to Denver, CO (you’re welcome Nicole). It was hell on earth. Greyhound sucks and sucks to suck. I vowed never to ride a bus again after that trip. Now I don’t even blink unless it’s over 20 hrs. Hallelujah, I am saved

I don’t know how people in Argentina live past the age of 50. All everyone eats is beef and all they drink is wine. Vegetables are in short supply and if you can find a salad you have struck gold. That said the wine and the beef are delicious.

While traveling you think that you are crossing stuff of your list of stuff to see. I have found just the opposite is true. I think I have enough places to see on my list to justify at least another year of travel.

It’s amazing what you become numb to after a while. Hairs in my food, eat around them. Cockroaches in the room, stay on your side. Bus 3 hours late, could have been 4. Cold showers, it’s hot out any way. Shirt too dirty, it can make it one more day. To shave or not to shave, some times I forget to look in mirror to see my appearance. I have seen so much that used to bother me. Now it is par for the course. Heres to backpacking.

Again, vegetables don’t exist in S America either that or they are hidden in some remote region with the Fountain of Youth. Seriously, not to sound gay, but it’s damn hard to find anything that resembles a good salad.

I have started falling behind on the posts. It’s becoming harder and harder to write them. I don’t want it to feel like work. You know what they say about pictures……

I am so far behind on current events it’s scary. I only hear about big big big news items like the earthquake in Japan or things that are happening right around me.

Since arriving in S America I can count the number of days I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage on my hands.

Pictures updated

All pictures up through Antarctica have been uploaded.  Sorry I am slacking on the posts.  The buses are too nice in Argentina and Chile.  Posts coming.