Leaving Puerto Iguazu on a 40-degree day had seen us sweltering all day with no access to our air conditioning and a 6 pm flight. We had hiked the falls on both sides with temps around 37 degrees but on the day we left it really cranked it up. Anyway, we were out and on our way back to Buenos Aires. Having blitzed it pretty well last time around we thought we could just kick back and enjoy.
How wrong were we. For all that we had seen there was so much more that we missed. This became painfully obvious when we (finally) got to our Air B&B apartment (more about the finally comment in a minute) and found that this was a whole section of town that we had missed (Plaza del Congreso). Jill had us booked in to a stunning little studio apartment right in the heart of town.
So we hopped off the plane, grabbed our Uber ($8) to the apartment and all was going swimmingly until we were about 650 meters away from it. When we tried to turn right, there was a motorbike policeman blocking the road banning access.
Now we have been using a learn Spanish App called Duolingo which has been great and has taught us some great stuff. I can now identify a green dress (la vestido verde) but needless to say that the content of the following conversation was not covered in our learn a language app.
In conversations with our Uber driver and later the motorbike cop we found out (with the help of live translate apps) that apparently there was a major demonstration that had turned into a riot, right in front of our accommodation. The protestors were throwing rocks at police and the police were responding with rubber bullets and water cannons. We were told that it was being dealt with and to grab a coffee or a meal and when the bike moved then it would be safe to head to our apartment.
Needless to say, the language app did not cover this level of detail. The news the following day had the photos below.
So we found a restaurant, had a couple of (one litre) beers a steak, a quarter chicken and some unplanned but delicious calamari all for about $33.
After the feed we headed out and the cop was gone, so we lugged our bags the other 650 meters to the site of riot. Along the way the local council was out with water blasters and leaf blowers cleaning up the streets and within around an hour you could barely tell anything had happened. By the next morning, apart from a few stray rocks, all evidence of a protest was gone and the Plaza del Congreso was back to being a tourist mecca.
The temperature in Buenos Aires was also in the mid-high 30’s and hiding in the air conditioning seemed like an awesome option. But breakfast awaited. So I hunted about and found a place just to the side of the congress building (scene of the riot) for three coffees, a smoothie and a couple of croque madame’s (under $16).
Argentinian Economic Crisis
Argentina was once a booming and brilliantly functioning first-world nation and remains a member of the G20. The infrastructure that is here and the efficiency of the systems reflects this. It is the second-largest economy in South America but decades of economic mismanagement, has placed it in an economic crisis.
Argentina nosedived into economic crisis in 2018 and has never fully recovered. Annual inflation has been above 50% most of the time since then; it reached 103% in February. This has resulted in soaring inflation and a booming black market for American dollars.
Since the 1950s, Argentina has spent more time in recession than almost any other nation, according to the World Bank. Nearly 40% of Argentines live in poverty, compared to about 25% at the start of the crisis. Between 1989 and 1991 Argentina experienced hyperinflation when it surpassed 3,000%, until they defaulted on their debt.
Recently the central government borrowing has gone from $63 billion to over $140 billion. The government has been introducing increasingly harsh austerity measures in the country. This has included spending cuts and privatisation which have been increasing interest rates, reducing employment, and massive devaluations in the peso.
Argentinian Food
To say that meat is king in Argentina would be the most ridiculous understatement ever made. Barbeque (Asado) commonly known as parrilla is at the heart of this. It originated with the gauchos, or cowboys, who would subsist on the abundant cows dotting the country. You can easily expect to find beef, pork, ribs, sausages, blood sausages and sweetbreads hot off the fire.
Chimichurri is the national go to. It is a green salsa made of finely chopped parsley, oregano, onion, garlic, chilli pepper flakes, olive oil and a touch of acid, such as lemon or vinegar.
I have had it in Australia and never got what the fuss was about, but now I understand.
Provoleta is a dish of pungent, sharp, discs of the cheese, topped with chilli flakes and herbs, then grilled. The nearly melted cheese is served slightly caramelised on the outside while being gooey and smokey on the inside. Top it off with olive oil or chimichurri.
Dulce de leche (loosely translated as ‘milk jam’,) is a thick caramel, the result of condensed milk being slowly reduced until sweetened and sticky.
It is used in almost every desert and is amazing.
We had it in so many forms it wasn’t funny, and they were all good.
Alfajores is one of the uses for the Dulce de leche. They come in any number of ways but are essentially two melt-in-your-mouth biscuits with dulce de leche in between. Some are dipped in chocolate others are rolled in coconut, but they are all good.
Empanadas are not solely Argentinian, but having had them in multiple countries, I think that the Argentinian ones so far have been the best.
They are basically the south American version of pasties. They can be filled with virtually anything that you want.
The Argentinian ones I have had seem to have had the pastry to filling ratio right.
Yerba Mate is a local version of a herbal and caffeine type drink. It is everywhere.
Leaves from the yerba mate plant are dried, chopped and ground into a powder, or steeped, like tea as whole leaves into hot water.
It comes in little pots with a metal straw that doubles as a sieve. Not being a tea drinker, we never tried it, but it is absolutely everywhere you look, so there must be something going for it.
And of course, papas fritas or more commonly for us, chips.
These are everywhere, and come with everything. It is almost impossible to find any other type of vegetable.
This is truly the land of meat and carbs, maybe one of the reasons I have grown to love Argentina.
Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls (depending on which country you are in) are waterfalls on the Iguazu River at the border of Argentina and Brazil. The falls are taller than Niagara Falls (in Canada) and wider than Victoria Falls (on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border). It is truly one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world and lives up to all the hype.
Some context
The falls are on the tri-border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, however there is no views of the falls available from the Paraguay side.
In fact Paraguay is a bit of a tax haven and is cheaper (than Brazil at least) and has no sales tax. So if shopping is your thing then planning a quick trip across the Friendship Bridge (over the Paraná river) to Ciudad del Estefor some tax free items might be on your list.
It was not on ours, although we did toy with the idea.
Foz do Iguaçu is the Brazilian town of the tri-national region, bordering the Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este. Our trip saw us having 2 days on the Brazil side and 3 days in Argentina.
The semicircular waterfall is a bit over 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. At one point along the edge of Iguacu Falls, an observer can stand and be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls.
Around 80% of the falls are on the Argentinian side, while the remaining 20% is on the Brazilian side. The falls are made up of 275 individual waterfalls that drop water anywhere between 60 to 82 meters (depending on what they hit on the way down). In the local language (Guarani/Tupi) the word Iguazu means “big water”.
Some Animals
Both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides of the border are surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest National Parks. The parks are home to over 2,000 species of plants, an impressive array of birds, thousands of butterflies and mammals such as tapirs, jaguars and monkeys (not that you are likely to see anything resembling a jaguar or puma in the tourist areas). And a new one for us was the Coati.
When listening to the tourist spiel on the bus they kept saying don’t feed the monkeys or the Coatis. We heard Coyotes and were perplexed. As it turns out, a coati is a scavenging racoon-type thingy, that is overly inquisitive, a touch aggressive and not at all afraid of humans.
So much so that after examining one of the trails, we opened our backpack to get a drink of water and the nearest Coati made a beeline towards us looking for food. We grabbed the bag and moved away from the biting, scratching oversized rat-looking thing. Reading about them afterwards, if you leave your bag they will open it and ransack the food and beverages within.
The Brazilian Side – Foz do Iguacu
OK, so our first entry was into the Brazilian side and it must be said that Brazil is by far the most expensive of these three countries.
Our day trip to go to the falls cost us about $400 to do, but it did include a car to and from the park, all fees and even saw us on a boat ride getting soaked by the waters of the Iguaçu.
Looking on the map we got soaked by the Salto dos Mosqueteros and Salto Tres Mosqueteros.
Foz do Iguacu is a city of around 250-300,000 people and as you would expect, the majority of the town is geared around the falls. The tourism and transport sector is strong and the restaurants, shows and cafes also thrive here.
Anyway back to our trip, our car took us to the National Park where we hopped a bus for a 20 minute or so ride to the boat ride. From here we hopped an electric train thing (buggies pulled by a big golf cart) through the forest so as not to disturb the animals, where we got delivered at a rainforest walk that saw us hiking the last kilometer or so to get to the river for the boat ride.
From here you got changed (you were to be going under the waterfall and would be soaked) and left all your important gear in the lockers (for an additional fee). Then it was onto the short funicular down to the pontoons and onto one of the waiting boats. And this is where the fun starts. A quick 10 minutes or so up the river, through a series of about 4-6 rapids and all of a sudden the forest open up to expose the Argentinian side of the falls.
While only 20% of the falls are on the Brazilian side the best views can be found from the Brazil side as you get to see all of the falls. In addition to this, you actually get to walk out onto platforms over the bottom of the falls and get wet from the spray (more about this later).
After the boat ride (and soaking) you go back to dry off, and get your things before taking a petrol jeep up the hill (too steep for the golf buggy) where you meet the electric cart, back through the forest and out onto the road again to wait for the next bus to take you to the next viewing point.
And what a spot to drop you off. Outside the Hotel das Cataratas, the closest hotels to the falls on the Brazilian side. Sadly our budget did not stretch to this.
Not to be outdone, the Argentine side also has the Gran Meliá Iguazú. Needless to say, we didn’t stay here either.
From this point, you head down to a cliffside nature walk along the river where you get amazing photos of the Argentinian side (without the bumping and thumping of a moving boat). To say that this is amazing is an absolute understatement. Everywhere you look the angle changes and they are all stunning. Our photographs just kept clicking the whole time as every sight seemed somehow different.
This walk along the cliff takes you up and down stairs, along dodgy paths and will have your calves and thighs burning as this is a day that you will easily get your 10 thousand steps up (and many of them vertical).
The path eventually spits you our at Salto Santa Maria which is the base of what would be considered the main falls. This area has a walkway over the top of the water and has amazing views of the biggest attraction, the devils throat (Garganta Del Diablo).
The legend
And of course, like any great natural feature, there has to be a local legend to explain its existence. In this instance the serpent god (M’Boi) was considered the God of the waters, protector of the river, nature and son of Tupã, the God of the Indians. But M’Boi fell in love with a local girl (Naipi) who was already engaged. He demanded that instead of marrying her fiancé (Taruba), she be sacrificed to him.
They decided to run away but M’Boi chased them and in a rage sliced the river, creating the falls and condemning the lovers.
Eventually, he transformed Naipi into a giant stone and Taruba into a tree on the other side of the falls, so that they would forever be apart.
A rainbow often forms from Taruba’s tree on the Brazilian side to Naipa’s rock on the Argentine side, which is said to symbolise their love.
However, the Serpent God is believed to still jealously watch the lovers from one of the deepest parts of the river, which is also known as the Devil’s Throat. Approximately one million litres of water per second is known to flow over the falls at the Devil’s Throat (or Devil’s Cauldron).
The Devil’s Throat is the most impressive of all of the 270 odd falls. It is a U-shaped cataract which has 14 falls plunging more than 350 feet. About half of the river’s flow falls into a long and narrow chasm. The canyon is 80–90 m wide and 70–80 m deep. It is estimated (by wiki) that almost 13 million litres of water flow over the falls every minute.
Having monstered the falls on the Brazilian side we had a night of Brazilian BBQ (cos you gotta do that) where too much meat is never enough. What we learned was that an all you can eat BBQ might have been fine in your 20’s, but in your 50’s it is too much of a stretch. After this we got ready for the ride over to the Argentinian side to check it out from over there.
Crossing the border
Going from Foz do Iguacu to Puerto Iguazu is a 15km ride that involves crossing a land border. There are several ways to do it and the price ranges from $7 (for both of us) to well over $100, depending upon how cheap, easy, quick and efficient you want it to be. As it turns out we chose the cheap, slow and completely inefficient option.
As we are dodgy cheap backpackers, the $100+ private car was not an option (although after our nightmare probably should have been) so we grabbed ourselves an Uber to the local bus station. Here we stuffed around for about 20-30 minutes trying to work out what bus to catch. Having found the bus we needed we paid $7 and waited in the heat for the next 45 minutes for our bus (they come every 30 mins according to the spiel).
Once on we rode for about 10-15 minutes when we got kicked off to clear Brazilian immigration. The information was to clear immigration and get on the next bus with the same ticket.
After taking about 6 minutes to clear immigration, we saw the next bus departing (I guess he was early). So we sat in the sun for another 45 minutes waiting for the next bus (which did not stop) and then another 15 minutes until another arrived to drive us about 2km so we could clear the Argentinian Immigration.
Everybody off the bus and then out the other side (at least this time the bus driver waited for everybody). The next bus arrived at the same time and they consolidated the two buses taking us the next 10-15 minutes into the town of Puerto Iguazu.
Thankfully, our hostel was a short walk (in 37-degree heat) and we settled in and hid in the air conditioning until after 4 pm when the money exchange opened.
Side Note
Usually when travelling the use of credit or debit cards is the king. In every country, using a money exchanger at the airport (Travelex comes to mind) is almost always the worst and most expensive way to exchange your money. In some nations where cash is preferred (notably in Asia) getting the cash is usually best done from an ATM and then spent in the small stalls and trinket shops that deal solely in cash.
But not in Argentina. In Argentina there are two rates of currency exchange, the official one (where $1USD=827AP) and the black market one.
The black market rate is much higher (20-25%) and often changes based on the type of bill you swap out (eg a $50 bill will change at 940 while a $100 will change at 980).
This rate goes up the further you move away from Buenos Aires too. I got 940 in Buenos Aires but got 1050 on day one in in Puerto Iguazu and 1102 on day three (all considerably better than the official rate in the low 800’s).
This means that a meal for two costing 50,000 pesos (a very expensive and lavish meal with drinks) would cost you $93 Australian if you paid by credit card or only $69 Aussie if you paid cash.
Sadly, the bank notes come to you in 1000’s. So changing out money on the streets sees you walking around with huge wads of essentially $1 bills.
The Argentine economy is almost single-handedly ensuring the future of the rubber band industry.
The Argentinian Side – Puerto Iguazu
The Argentinian side of Iguazu is way cheaper than the Brazilian side, for accommodation, food, drinks, ticket prices and tours. If we had known this differential beforehand we would have scheduled our visit considerably more different (but more about this later).
Our first meal in town was not our usual cheap and cheerful but a flash joint with table cloths and table lighting. The night before we had done the Brazilian BBQ and were in a meat coma and then we found the Argentinian Parrilla (basically the same thing but cheaper).
The next morning it was off to the falls from the Argentinian side. Thankfully this was much cheaper and much easier. Rather than the $400 that we paid the day before, we paid $52. This did omit the private driver and boat ride but included the bus rides to and from the National Park and all entrance fees.
Fair warning, the Argentinian side does have even more walking than the Brazilian side. But it is considerably flatter, with fewer hills, less stairs and is on better paths. There is a train to take you some of the way, but there will be much walking.
Iguazu Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, and for good reason. Wandering its grounds is pretty special and the attention paid towards protecting the National park is excellent. As you head through there is a myriad of boardwalks, pathways, platforms steering you through and allowing you to discover the waterfalls pouring every which way, while also stopping the hoards destroying nature.
Bring a rainforest there are critters. So using the best of safety concerns the Argentinians have put up a sign that basically translates to…don’t be a dickhead.
The rest it up to you.
I am very ok with this sort of approach to stupidity.
Because the Iguazu Falls straddles the border there are very different vantage points and views from either side. And all of them are gorgeous.
The Argentinian side has two main trails, the upper and the lower. There used to be an extra train stop that took you to the a platform above the Devil’s Throat but major rains and flooding took out the platform and it is unlikely to be reopened. The upper trail takes you up high and you get to see the top of the falls (which really isn’t that interesting as you see a cliff with water running over it).
The bottom trail however offers the best views with the water falling and cascading and the rainbows and all of those things that that you expect and come to see when you head to a waterfall.
After our blitz around the falls, we were off to another Parrilla for yet another meat fest. We really tried to order vegetables, but meat really is king here. My favourite part was that they served my 740ml beer in a high hat on ice. We got the mixes seafood entree and followed it with a 900gram tomahawk steak to share. While we may have been at a flash restaurant, my inner caveman came out and I gnawed upon that bone like my life depended on it. Something that my wife was more than eager to immortalise on film.
The best way to do it
Having seen the falls from both sides we felt that we were well placed to offer our insights and suggestions of how best to go about this if we were to do it again.
The bus transport from Argentina is efficient, reliable, clean, cheap and airconditioned. The Brazilian side however is woefully inefficient. But from Puerto Iguazu, there is also buses that will take in the Brazilian side without having to deal with buses taking off and leaving you to wait.
Point number one…you need to see both sides. It is amazing and every view is different and all angles are amazing. But the Brazilian side is absolutely the best, but it is also the most expensive (not prohibitively though so don’t be too scared). If you wanted the 5 star experience you could still do it on the Brazil side without destroying a budget.
So if we had our time over we would have stayed the 3-4 days on the Argentinian Side (saving money on both food and accommodation) and visited the Argentinian side first. We would have done the boat ride from the Argentina side, saved a ton of money and got wet at exactly the same falls.
The next day we would get up early and catch the Argentinian bus over to Brazil and do that side of the waterfalls. Over here you get better views (even if farther away) of 80% of the falls and you also get up close and personal with the remaining 20%.
But any way that you choose to see the Iguazu (Iguacu) Falls I am certain that you will not be disappointed.
Our first trip to Santiago was just a sampler to see if we would like the place and this time around we weren’t even planning on stopping. But the earthquake in Valparaiso saw us popping in for an extra couple of days.
The thing that I had forgotten was just how close to the Andes the city was. And that you could be at ground level sweltering at mid 30’s temperatures while staring at snow covered peaks. By rights the long vista would indicate a cold climate, but I wandered around in shorts sweating.
Upon arrival, what we found out was that we had gotten pretty good at identifying and visiting the main tourist sights of a city. We pulled up the things to do in town pages and found that the lists were basically made up of all the things that we had done the first time around.
Clearly, #1 on the list was to make your way to the top of Cerro San Cristobal. This is the hill overlooking the city with the broad views, the funicular to get up and the statue of the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion. Well, we clearly ticked all of those the first time around.
#2 on the list was to shop at the historic Mercado Central Santiago that dates back to 1872, well big tick here too, we even got the version of the shopping centre that included the dancing girls. #3 was to take a stroll in the various parks and squares around the city of Santiago, notably the Parque Forestal, that was another big tick.
#4 was to visit the Historic Museo de Bellas Artes. This was more a check the pretty building from the outside than a go in and wander about thing for us.
Needless to say that the list went on and the ticks kept on racking up. It was interesting to me that the main square (Plaza de Armas) only came in at about #8 on the list and the main cathedral was even lower.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, tick.
La Moneda palace is the Presidential Palace and pseudo parliament house area, tick.
Basilica de la Virgen de Lourdes and Gruta, tick.
So for the most part, we had seen all that there was to see (of note) in the city of Santiago. So with that in mind, it was time to bounce about and experience the food, wine beer and general feel of the place.
We liked Santiago our first time around and nothing on this trip has changed that opinion. The prices are relatively comparable with Australian prices (maybe a little cheaper). The graffiti that we saw in Valparaiso was here too but more effort had been put into cleaning it up. The streets felt as though they were safe (as long as you are aware of your surroundings) and the food is good (if a little heavy on the carbs).
We found a nice little spot and Jill got her much overdue ceviche fix. And before you knew it our second Santiago stint was over. And as we flew out of the airport, once again we were met with the snow capped peaks of the Andes within minutes.
Our lead-in to coming here was filled with expectation as the research on this city seemed to promise so much. We were coming off a long period on the ship so were looking forward to being on land and eating dodgy street food again. So much so that we factored a whole week into staying here exploring the olden and current wonders that it had to offer. Even if it meant having to schlepp our bags again.
Lets set this up a bit, Valparaiso sits on the Pacific coast of Chile and was considered one of the most important port towns in the world, up until the building of the Panama Canal. In its heyday, the city provided respite to thousands of sailors heading from Europe to California.
Prior to the Panama Canal, ships from Europe would travel south down the coast and cut through the Strait of Magellan (to avoid rounding Cape Horn) in order to get to the Pacific Ocean.
During the gold rush it was a major trade route and became known as “the jewel of South America”. It is the home of Latin America’s oldest stock exchange, the continent’s first volunteer fire department, Chile’s first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world (El Mercurio de Valparaíso). In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Because of all of this trade in the 18th 19th and the 20th centuries some amazing colonial and post colonial-style buildings were built, along with palaces and estates of wealthy businessmen.
Well, Valparaiso was a bit of a disappointment. Since the building of the Panama Canal, the place has pretty much gone to pot. The stunning old buildings are now just crumbling down, are boarded up or are in just a disgraceful state of disrepair and neglect. What promised so much yielded a city in neglect.
Rioting and protests (over inequity) took place between 2019-2022 after economic assessments identified that 1% of the population in Chile controls 26.5% of the country’s wealth, while half of the population have only 2.1%. The trigger to the conflict and protests was the raising of metro fares. But this 3 years of unrest have left virtually every surface of the city scarred or vandalised.
But the recent rioting belies the decades of neglect that preceded it. To say that Valparaiso is poor is an understatement. Makeshift street markets are everywhere with people trying to sell the most inane low-value items just to make a buck. Used clothes and shoes, toiletries, and even used phone chargers lay on blankets on the streets while someone tries to turn over some cash from them. It is like a permanent car boot sale on every street (without the car boot).
Plazuela Anibal Pinto is the practical if not official heart of town. It features the statue of Neptune that was built in 1892. From the plaza as you look up the hill you will see a bright yellow house perched on the top of a cliff.
This house is on the corner of a barrio (neighbourhood) known as Concepción. The Concepcion neighbourhood is the home of all art in Valparaiso. Everywhere you look is street art of varying kinds. Some are mere graffiti that gets reinvented almost daily while others are exceptional murals by well-known artists. This area is the key to revitalising and reinvigorating the town.
We took a funicular up the steep hill to the Concepcion Barrio to check out some of the amazing street art. We wandered the streets and took our happy snaps and dodged the tour groups as they similarly checked out the artworks.
As great as this neighbourhood (Barrio) was, and as much potential as it held for revitalising the city there was still work to be done. From high on the hill, surrounded by artworks, there was only about 2-3 places to sit and have coffees, cakes and lunch. There was not a bar in sight and restaurants were almost invisible. An entrepreneurial spirit could set this place alight.
And then of course the whole thing was ruined by a recent trend of mugging tourists. The short-sightedness of people astounds me more and more often every day.
Funiculars
Between 1883 and 1916, around 30 funiculars (bizarrely, sources seem unsure of the exact number) were constructed to connect the businesses of the Lower Town with the residential districts on the hills above. Many of these still survive and are officially listed as National Monuments, although not all of them are currently in service.
These Funiculars save some serious leg work for the princely sum of about 50c. As we were at the bottom of the plaza, we took the Ascensor Concepcion, one of the first funiculars built in Valparaíso.
Palacio Baburizza is the former residence of Croatian businessman Pascual Baburizza located in Valparaíso, Chile. It was built in 1916 by Italian architects, and eventually turned into a museum in 1971, and declared a historic monument in 1976.
The Plaza Sotomayor is the original customs square and is lined by the old buildings of the city that fill the full blocks of the surrounding streets. But mostly it is dominated by the palatial blue-coloured Edificio Armada de Chile (headquarters of the navy). The focus of the square is a monument that honours the Chilean sailors who fell during two battles that took place in 1879.
At the northeastern side of the square are two similar towers, which create a sort of gate entrance to the port from the city.
The statues were nice, or they would have been if they were not all covered in spray paint and pigeon shit. The parks were nice, even if mostly used as urinals and beds for the homeless. It is not that this place was terrible because it wasn’t. It was just the disappointment of how far it had fallen from where it once was and where it could be.
Despite the poverty and threats of muggings, at no point did we feel unsafe. The town was nice, if a little dishevelled and mostly friendly. The prices were pretty comparable with what you would pay for things in Australia, but the quality of what you would get was lesser.
I guess the thing for us was that our accommodation was substandard. We were paying a high price for a place that had no interest in having guests. It was a hostel, but in reality it was more of a rest home for lazy millennials. They had carved themselves a beautiful niche for themselves where they listened to music with noise cancelling headphones and ate free food and did nothing. They had multiple wifi options but only theirs worked. The ones for the paying guests would not even connect.
The list of what was wrong was too long to get into but suffice to say the place was terrible. So after a couple of days when we were woken at 3am by a massive thump that was enough. As it turns out, we had just experienced our first earthquake. The town was set against an ocean and on the side of a mountain. Neither places you really want to be in the case of a major earthquake.
A mere 5km from where we were was the epicentre of a 5.0 magnitude earthquake. So we got up at 3am, packed our bags and dressed for a rapid departure (in the fear of aftershocks etc).
The rest of the evening/morning was drama-free but with all else going on in Valparaiso, we took this as a good enough sign that it was time to move on. So we found our way downtown and hopped on a bus and went to the capital of Santiago.
Valparaiso could have been an amazing experience, and can again be one. I am certain if our accommodation was not so shitty we might have been less inclined to dash away. A quick investment in some urban renewal and a curbing of petty street crime and this place could once again be fantastic.
A few public toilet blocks, some paint given to those seeking jobs and this place could be very different. They are already trying. There has been an addition of market stalls along Avenida Argentina where the open-air food market takes place every Wednesday or Saturday. If this was open to the other marketeers in between times the place would be tidied up and given an aura of legitimacy rather than the current version.
It would be interesting to come back in 3-5 years to see if progress is made. It is now on the cruise ship ports of call so there is regular trade starting. A clever plan, well executed could see this place getting back towards its former glory.
Leaving Antarctica we started heading back north towards the South American mainland. As we did so however we arrived at the unpopulated area of Tierra del Fuego as our first landfall. Here we were met with a brutal, unforgiving and unprotected landscape that had a single lighthouse perched exposed to the elements.
High on the hill, up from the lighthouse is the Monument to the Albatross. The monument is a large sculpture featuring the silhouette of an Albatross in honour of the sailors who died while attempting to ’round the Horn’.
It has been estimated that 10,000 lives and 800 ships have been lost in this region alone.
It was erected in 1992 through the initiative of the Chilean section of the Cape Horn Captains Brotherhood.
From the outcrop we continued through the Beagle Channel past some of the most amazing arctic landscapes that you will ever find. We were headed west towards the southernmost city on the planet, Ushuaia, Argentina.
Ushuaia has a population of around 82,000 and sits below 54 degrees south latitude. The name is derived from a native word meaning “bay towards the end”. The city sits on the bay and is surrounded on the north by the Martial mountain range and on the south by the Beagle Channel.
The area had been inhabited by indigenous people for more than 12,000 years. It was first encountered by a European in 1520 when spotted by Ferdinand Magellan. Even after Argentina achieved independence, this territory remained under indigenous control until the 1870s. European immigration followed due to a gold rush and rapid expansion of sheep farming on large ranches in the area.
With so many maritime deaths and such hazardous wind and ocean conditions it is unsurprising to find a naval station in Ushuaia and a heap of statues dedicated to the lost souls of mariners who have perished in these waters.
The people are friendly and the welcome is authentic. A smallish town with some very odd choices of architecture, given the temperatures that are about. I was very surprised to see tiny little houses made of corrugated iron. Some had the steep roofs that you would expect but others just seemed out of place, especially when the Martial mountain range, with its snow-covered peaks, loomed everywhere.
Along with being the southernmost city on the planet, Ushuaia is known as the launching point for two main forms of adventure tourism. These are the many Antarctic Cruises (noting that only ships of under 300 people can get onto the ice) headed south and the many motorcycle tours headed north through Patagonia. So arrival here will see a bunch of both boats and adventure tourer motorcycles.
I must say that my original plan was to ride through Patagonia on motorcycles, but if this is the summer temperature, then I might rethink that plan. On the flat at sea level the wind is brutal and the temps are chilling. I can only imagine what they would be like on some of the windy and icy mountain passes.
And of course, in this part of the world, you will see your fair share of albatrosses. With 11 foot wingspans, they are the master of gliding and picking up wind currents. We watched some soar for over 20 minutes without a single flap of their wings.
In the Beagle Channel, there are several small islands that are inhabited by a range of seals, cormorants and penguins. And there are tours operating daily that will happily take you out to get your fill of photographs.
As has become a thing for us, we took note of some of the very cool street art that is dotted around the town. It really is a way of adding interest to otherwise drab walls and when done well can be an attraction in its own right.
The refreshing thing for us about being in Ushuaia (as it has been throughout Argentina) was the pricing. Things are not obscenely priced. Being so remote we expected to be destroyed on the prices being charged but were very pleased to find that a beer could be obtained for as little as $1.50 and $10 would get you a meal as well.
For about $22 there was an all you can eat crab and lamb shack. The lamb was on racks, roasting over open fires while the smell and smoke filled the air. But having been on a ship, this sort of eating was unnecessary, even if incredibly tempting.
We were here in the height of summer and the place maxed out at about 8 degrees Celsius. This was a once in a lifetime style destination and while it was nice, I cannot see us making our way back here anytime soon.
If you are anything like me you had never heard of the Falkland Islands prior to 1982 when Argentinian military forces invaded the islands.
This triggered the Falklands War.
At various times prior to this, the islands have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. While Britain asserted its rule in 1833 Argentina maintains its claim to the islands. After the Argentine invasion in 1982 the British sent troops and took back control within 2 months.
But not before 907 lives were lost: 649 Argentinian, 255 British and three Falkland Islanders.
In 2013 when given a choice (via referendum) almost all Falklanders voted in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory. There is very little on the islands and I cannot see any reason that 907 people had to die over it. The islands made its name as a “Wrecking Trade” (the business of selling and buying shipwrecks and their cargoes). However, this declined after the phasing out of sail ships.
The chain is made up of East and West Falkland Islands along with a further 776 smaller islands. In 1881, they became financially independent of Britain (on the back of the wool trade), but the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs.
There are less than 4000 people actively living in the Falkland Islands. While this is true, it is one of the world’s great penguin capitals with as many as a million penguins nesting in the Falklands every summer.
The Falklands and us
Well, this was a bit of a fizzer for us. We made it all the way over here only to stare at the islands from the ship. The port is not big enough to allow the ship that we were on to dock. When this is the case we typically get on the tenders (lifeboats) and have a series of them running, ferrying us to and from shore.
Sadly, on the day we arrived the wind was howling at 45 knots (83 kph). The tenders do not operate safely (being lowered and getting people on and off) in such high winds and the decision was made to move on instead of risking injury. We were not alone, another cruise ship was in the same predicament and the overall consensus was to move on.
Jill did manage to get one good photo of the other ship and a rainbow in one of the few moments of calm but most of that particular day was pretty bleak.
Because I had already done my prep-work on the Falklands (and there was not really that much to see and do) I figured that I would post anyway, even though our experience was fleeting.
We were due to land in the capital Stanley which is rainy and cool all year round with strong westerly winds (isn’t this the truth). The other way in is by plane, but the airport is 56 km from town. The list of things to see and do is pretty slim and included.
The Falkland Islands Museum which provides a brief history of the Falklands (including the conflict) and some exhibits of flora & fauna.
Christ Church Cathedral (southernmost Cathedral in the world) which was built in 1890-92.
Outside it is the monument made from the jawbones of two blue whales and was made in 1933 to celebrate 100 years of British rule on the islands.
The Government House was the mid-19th-century residence of the governor.
1982 memorial – Falklands War memorial, erected to the memory of the British troops. There are several other War memorials around the town
Gypsy Cove is a 15 minute drive from town and is the closest point that visitors can encounter penguins.
Penguins
There are five of the world’s seventeen species – King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Magellanic and Macaroni (pictured in order L-R). Falklands Conservation work to protect and monitor the penguins by annual monitoring of breeding penguins, advocating for sustainable management of Falklands marine areas, and caring for penguins which have been oiled at sea.
And because I have decided that I like penguins here are some basic facts shamelessly stolen from the Falklands Conservation website.
The idea of coming to visit Antarctica appealed to me. More to add to my ever-growing list of places that I had been to, than anything else. By now you must have guessed that Jill and I are about going to as many new places as we can and exploring some of the less visited places that our planet has to offer. And Antarctica was too good to pass up.
And it really was good.
As part of the Ultimate World Cruise that was being run there was a leg that went down the east coast of South America, around Cape Horn (the bottom bit of South America) and up the Western coast. Along the way the ship would be visiting the Falkland Islands, stopping in the southernmost city on the planet (Ushuaia, Argentina) and then going into Antarctica. Specifically it would be going to:
Drake Passage
Gerlache Straight
Dalhan Bay
Paradise Bay
Elephant Island
This itinerary took in a fair chunk of going past the South Shetland Islands and took us into the Antarctic peninsular proper. You need to note that only little boats can port at any of these, so we were there without landing.
Lets be honest right up front, my knowledge about Antarctica before coming here was almost nothing. It was big, cold and full of seals, whales and penguins. That was about it.
I have never been a sailor, know very little about navigation and only had a cursory understanding of latitudes and longitudes and knew nothing about winds. But until I started getting close to and experiencing some of the seas as we rounded Cape Horn I was oblivious as to how little I actually knew.
To say that this is a foreign environment to me is possibly the biggest understatement yet. So this post will be about following me on my journey of discovery about just how ignorant I was about anything nautical, navigational, or Antarctic-related. So lets start with some basics.
How big is Antarctica?
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent and is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size. It is the world’s highest continent, with an average elevation of about 7,200 feet (2,200 meters). This is the same height as Australia’s highest peak (Mt Kosciuszko).
It is also the driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent. If all of the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels would rise by around 60 metres.
Who owns Antarctica?
There is no single country that owns Antarctica however there are seven nations (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom) that claim rights over some of the territories.
In 1959 the Antarctic Treaty was signed by the twelve countries that were active in Antarctica during the preceding years. This included the seven with territorial claims and also Belgium, Japan, South Africa, the United States and Russia (USSR). The treaty designates Antarctica as a continent devoted to peace and science.
The main aim of the treaty was to ensure that no nation militarised the region (during the cold war). Most importantly to establish it as a zone free of nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste.
Article 1 of the treaty was that it is used for peaceful purposes only; Article 2 was that they promote international scientific cooperation and Article 3 agreed to the sharing of all scientific observations made.
Since 1959 a further 44 countries have acceded to the Treaty.
Many other nations are joined in multinational projects conducting research in the Antarctic.
How cold does it get?
Almost 98% of the continent is covered by ice that is around 1 mile thick. Antarctica has the lowest ever recorded temperature on the planet. In 1983 the Vostok Research Station recorded a temperature of −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F ).
Can things live there?
There are about 800 species of plant and plantlike organisms (mostly moss and lichens) in Antarctica. The cold climate (officially categorised as a desert) and lengthy winter periods of total or near-total darkness support only limited plant and plantlike organisms. The Antarctic holds about 90% of Earth’s fresh water but it is locked up in 30 million cubic kilometres of ice.
Do people live there?
There are no actual cities or villages as 98% of the continent is covered by ice but there is a permanent population of around 1000. These people are employed at one or other of the (70 odd) research stations (operated by 25 countries). This can swell to around 4400 in the summer and there is usually another 1000 doing research on vessels in the region.
Wildlife
It is the only continent on Earth with no terrestrial (land) mammals but is home to a range of marine wildlife and birds, mostly made up of penguins, seals and whales. There are no polar bears in Antarctica.
Of the 18 different species of penguins on the planet, 8 of them inhabit Antarctica. These are the Emperor and Adélie that can only be found on the Antarctic continent, while Chinstraps, Macaronis, Gentoos, Rockhoppers, Magallanics, and Kings can also be found in sub-Antarctic locations. Info and photos from www.penguinsinternational.org.
There are 8 species of whales that are commonly seen in Antarctic waters. Southern Right, Sei, Humpback, Fin, Antarctic Minke, Sperm, and the enormous Blue whale spend part of every year near Antarctica, as do Orcas (Killer whales).
The Antarctic waters are also home to 6 different species of seal. Ross, Weddell, crabeater, leopard, fur, and elephant seals are all found here.
The South Pole(s)
There are two South Poles. The Geographic South Pole – where the Earth’s surface intersects the Earth’s axis of rotation and the Magnetic South Pole – where the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field is vertically upwards. The Magnetic South Pole lies almost 3,000km from the Geographic South Pole and moves at the rate of about 5km/year.
Daylight – Almost all of Antarctica lies south of the Antarctic Circle. This means that during the summer, the Sun never sets below the horizon, no matter where you are on the continent. Our days had about 3 hrs of darkness(ish) between midnight and 3am.
Antarctic Winds
Up in the rest of the world, there are mountains, buildings, cities and general stuff that wind hits, slows down or diverts around (generally west to east). At about 40° latitude (from the equator) this stuff largely goes away. Sure Tasmania, New Zealand and a bit of South America are in the way, but for the most part, the winds just hoot around the world unimpeded. Between the latitudes of 40° and 50° south these winds are known as the roaring 40’s.
To explain this movement of air I will steal and paraphrase from experts because I will likely bugger it up. Hot air at the Equator rises while the air at the poles is cooler and therefore sinks. Equatorial air is pushed towards the poles by cooler air travelling towards the Equator. This happens beautifully until about the 30° mark. If Earth wasn’t rotating, this differential heating would cause warm air to rise near the equator and flow towards the poles in the upper atmosphere, while cooler air flowed from the poles to the equator near the surface.
At about 30°S, the outward-travelling air sinks to lower altitudes, and continues toward the poles closer to the ground (the Ferrel Cell).
At about 60°S the air joins the Polar vortex and rises up again creating a wind circulation thingy (the last bit was me again).
This travel in the 30°–60°S zone combines with the rotation of the earth to move the air currents from west to east, creating westerly winds. So, the Roaring Forties howl around the world with minimal interruption between 40-50 degrees. This was great back in the day that you had a sail boat and wanted to sail east, not so much if you wanted to go the other way.
By the time you get to 50° New Zealand and Tassie bugger off and all there is to hit is the tip of South America. So 50°-60° has become known as the Furious Fifties and 60°-70° the Shrieking or Screaming Sixties.
I found an old sailors saying that claimed that “below 40° South there is no law and below 50° there is no god“.
But what does all that mean?
It means that the wind in the roaring 40’s hurtles along at 15 to 35 knots (27-65 kph) with gusts averaging around 70 knots (130kph). And the further south you go the faster the winds get. I could not find a quantification of how much faster for the 50’s and 60’s but I did manage to find that the gusts reached over 100 knots (200kph) during the spring and autumn months.
The difference in temperature between the Antarctic ice and water creates turbulence, which in turn results in intense depressions. These all combine to produce open ocean waves of up to 10 meters (33 feet). Add to this the phenomenon of “rogue waves”. These are unusually large, unpredictable, and suddenly appearing and have been measured at over 30 meters (100+ feet). Old mariners’ tales had claims of up to 200 feet but this is unlikely.
So what about Us
Education over… holy crap this place is amazing. Our first introduction to this (and the reason for the lengthy educational setup) was when we popped out the bottom of South America (around the 55° mark) to where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet. At this point we were smashed in the face by the wind.
This phenomenon is known as a williwaw wind which is described as ‘a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes’. What it meant was that we were hit with these gusts that come suddenly, frequently, and unpredictably.
With bigger winds come bigger waves. So we bounced and bobbed around as we crossed the Drake Passage (the gap between South America and the Antarctic peninsula).
Having reached the relative calm of the Antarctic peninsula and the South Shetland Islands we found ourselves in the realm of icebergs aplenty. Add to this some pretty spectacular icy cliffs and mountainous shorelines and we were having a damn good time.
The first really big iceberg that we came across was a stunning one with arches that had formed as the ice broke away from the main block. We also learned that Jill and I both suck at selfies.
This continued for the next 3-4 days. In this time we stopped at the various places outlined in the itinerary (earlier) and spent most of our time hunting for wildlife. The combination of stunning scenery and the frequent burst of a whales blowhole that prompted the search for the rest of the whale created some pretty good times.
The second morning we woke to a deck that was covered in snow and a very excited crew who typically hang out in Asia and the Caribbean and for the most part had never seen snow before. This made for some amazing scenes as they ran about trying to eat snowflakes as they fell, built snowmen and generally just frolicked about.
As the cloud burnt off we resumed our wildlife hunt. The first obvious ones to be seen were when we sailed past flat icebergs. You could see little specks on the icebergs. Thankfully Jill has a 50x zoom on her camera, which revealed that these little dots were something a little more interesting.
And while on the same topic, as the boat belted along you got to see these specks shooting off either way to avoid being run over.
This became a common occurrence as the day progressed.
After our penguin escapades were the whale sightings. And there were many. Most of the sightings were limited to the blowhole bursts and the dorsal fin and back arch as they cruised on past. But every now and then you would get the full show with the tail popping out of the water. We even got a couple of breaches where they come right out of the water, but getting these on film is a whole other matter.
Oh, while Jill’s selfie skills might be lacking, she does capture some pretty damn fine videos though.
And some more…
On day one we saw southern Right Whales and Humpbacks. On day two, around sunset, we had about 25-40 minutes of Blue whales rocking past. Not an orca in sight sadly. Oh and did I mention the random stunning icebergs…Yeah, I probably touched on it.
At one point when we stopped in Paradise Bay the captain sent down a small boat with a professional photographer to get some PR shots for the ship. While doing that they also lassoed a small iceberg and wrangled it up on deck for us all to play with.
Something that we didn’t see but that fascinated me when researching was the Bloodfalls.
Blood Falls is a waterfall where the water is high in salt and oxidised iron. When the water comes into contact with air, the iron rusts giving it an amazing red colour.
To say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience is probably pretty redundant. But wow, if you are looking to build a bucket list, then this needs to be pencilled in there somewhere.
Puerto Madryn is an Argentine city of a little under 100,000 on the coast of northern Patagonia. It is known for its sandy beaches and restaurant-lined promenade that faces Golfo Nuevo Bay. Between May and December each year, the bay is overrun by southern right whales that come to the bay to breed. In the late summer months, right whales come so close to land, you don’t even need a boat tour to see them.
Looking at the tourist blurbs, the main things to do (when we were there) was to check out the Magellan penguin colonies and swim with the seals. The prices for doing this from the boat were exorbitant so we chose to wander about instead.
As we wandered along the pier towards town we heard a barking sound, only to look down and see a bunch of seals resting on the steps and landings on the main pier. After wandering about for a few hours we checked again and the few that were there were joined by some friends and about 10 seals were kicking back on the platform.
Continuing to walk along the pier we got great city views and upon reaching the foreshore we were met with a wide beach stretching for around 3 km complete with seven set up beach resorts and free space in between.
The promenade is lined with statues, cafes, restaurants and bars. It is clean and safe with a really relaxing feel. There were markets set up (probably to relieve the cruise ship patrons of their funds) and there was even a couple of teenagers putting on a (very impressive) tango performance as a form of busking.
The thing that struck me most about the place was just how cheap it was. Everything that we looked at was very reasonably priced. We went to the grocery store to get some necessary items and in poking about found out that we could buy 1 litre bottles of beer for between $1.50 and $2.
As we headed around the corner I stopped for a haircut ($4) and then we settled into a little microbrewery for lunch and a couple of beers. The portion sizes were excessive but my steak sandwich came with bacon,egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato and a side of chips, while Jill’s burger required a jaw that detached. Huge meals coupled with two pints (each) and the bill saw us getting change from a $20. We even got unshelled peanuts while we contemplated our options.
While only small, this place was fantastic. Nothing was overpriced and the place just felt right. The more we see of Argentina, the more we like. Our shopping expedition saw Jill scoring a new singlet and satisfying her chocolate fix with a stockpile of Kit Kats for next to nothing. I even found the rugby shop.
I did some looking to see how much the accommodation costs were, given that everything else was so cheap. I found nice cheap hotels with beachfront views coming in in the mid 30’s and higher end options maxing out at about $100. I can absolutely see us coming back here and setting up camp for a week or two, especially when the whales are mating.
Buenos Aires is the capital and main city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast. “Buenos Aires” is Spanish for “fair winds” or “good airs”.
According to the blurb it was the Spanish coloniser Pedro de Mendoza (in 1580) that established the first settlement there, which he named Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire (“Our Lady St. Mary of the Good Air”). Buenos Aires locals are referred to as porteños (“people of the port”) because so many of the city’s inhabitants historically arrived by boat from Europe.
Our arrival into Buenos Aires was similar to those, and we came in through the port. We were just one of several ships in that day, and to say that the port was bedlam, would be an understatement. We had teamed up with our dinner buddies (Kurtis and Mark) who had a thing for gardening, so we got out of the port and Ubered our way to the botanical gardens (for about $4).
I am much more a statue guy than a garden guy, and the photos clearly reflect that. That said, the gardens were nice, with the exception of the mosquitos that absolutely loved by high quality Aussie blood. There were trees aplenty and even a butterfly garden buried among all of the foliage.
To say that Buenos Aires is a dog friendly city would be an understatement. The sheer number of dogs in public parks and on leashes wandering the city was astounding. And these pooches are seriously pampered.
Sadly the wealth and influence of the city far overshadows the rest of the country. But as with all cities Buenos Aires also reflects Argentina’s economic and social problems. Homelessness and drug use were evident, although at no point did we feel unsafe or uneasy.
After the gardens we found a few little holes in the wall that fed and watered us for a ridiculously cheap price. Jill and I had 3 empanadas each washed down by a pint of the local brew (and a sampling of some others – including an on tap gin and tonic) for the princely sum of $8.40. After that we found a local deli and then a bakery, damn I think I might be falling in love with Argentina.
One of the major attractions of the city is the Recoleta Cemetery. In 1822, the former garden was turned into the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires. Known as the “city of the dead” or “city of angels”, Recoleta cemetery has a layout similar to a city with one main street, diagonals, narrow corridors and internal passageways.
It is set in an area of 5.5 ha (14 acres) and you will find around 4800 vaults and mausoleums. The cemetery is more of an open air museum than anything else. As soon as you walk through the doorway you are met with amazing architecture, works of art and sculptures.
More than 20 presidents, 25 city mayors, 40 governors, Nobel prizes, writers, politicians, engineers and even a caretaker are buried at Recoleta cemetery. But the most famous is that Recoleta Cemetery is the resting place for María Eva Duarte de Perón (known as “Evita”).
Outside the cemetery is a park known as Intendente Torcuato de Alvear. This area turned into a huge market on day two of our exploring.
Plazoleta Chabuca Granda (the oldest tree in town) also sits in the square outside the cemetery. It even has a statue of a dude holding up one of the super heavy branches.
Just next door to the cemetery you can find the Nuestra Señora de Pilar church. Built in 1732 it is one of the oldest in the city.
In reality I got a bit turned around when exploring here. On day one we were at the cemetery and on day two we were at the Nuestra Señora de Pilar church (to follow). In reality these are side by side but I entered and exited the cemetery from the same way and did not even realise this. The next day we came at it from the opposite side and took a photo of the church that I had almost sat on the steps of the day before.
Buenos Aires is an amazing city with wide avenues and a true cosmopolitan flair that feels more European than Latin American. There are some huge colonial landmark buildings but the real feel of the city is the differences between the individual neighbourhoods. Each one has its own distinct feel and have their own meeting places, generally coffeehouses or bars.
At night Buenos Aires’s nightclubs (boites) come alive as people flock together to dance the tango.
This famous dance originated in the lower-class areas of the city and is said to ‘reflect the soul of the Argentina’.
While we didn’t go to a tango club, the ship did bring some of the best dancers on board that evening to put on a show.
If you want to do the full tourist thing there are any number of these boites that will offer you dinner and a tango show.
But in reality, if you wander about a bit at night, you almost cant help but run across random tango breakouts.
As we were in town for two full days and day one was taken up with gardens and the cemetery, day two saw us hitting the major sights and the neighbourhoods. Lets say up front, two days was not enough. But it was what we had, so we hopped a cab ($5) to Plaza de Mayo which is the oldest public square in Buenos Aires.
The square is named after the Argentine revolution, which began on 25 May 1810. It has been the scene of many of the most important events in the city’s history, from the second founding of the city in 1580, through the revolution of independence, to more recent political demonstrations.
Around the square are several important buildings: the Cabildo (old town hall now national museum), the Metropolitan Cathedral (where Pope Francis conducted mass for 20 years), the Casa Rosada (Pink House or Presidential Palace and site where Evita gave some of the more famous speeches), the national revenue office, the national bank and the intelligence secretariat.
As a random bit of knowledge, apparently, they used to do a version of running of the bulls in the square, prior to the revolution.
The Pirámide de Mayo is at the hub of the Plaza de Mayo and is the oldest national monument in the city.
It’s construction was ordered in 1811 to celebrate the first anniversary of the May Revolution.
It was renovated in 1856 and in 1912 was moved 63 metres with the idea that a much larger monument would eventually be constructed around it.
Having done the plaza we walked past the bank and along one of the many parks to explore the city more fully. We wandered along wide avenues and took in the interesting mix between the old and new parts of the city.
La Boca is a colourful neighborhood of Buenos Aires that is characterised by the street artists, narrow streets and brightly painted buildings. In the middle of La Boca is Caminito, a narrow alley flanked by zinc shacks that reflect the district’s early immigrant days. Caminito is more of a street museum than a traditional alley and the area gathered significance as the inspiration for the music for the tango “Caminito (1926)”.
Asado is the term used for South American barbecue. This type of meal is common in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay and usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla (blood sausage). These are cooked on an open fire or grill (called a parrilla) and usually eaten with side dishes and red wine.
Buenos Aires is the city with the highest number of football stadiums in the world. The city has at least 18 professional teams, and the passion for the sport is visible on almost every street corner.
The passion of Argentine football fans is legendary creating an electric atmosphere at each game. The fans choreograph chants, design tifos (giant displays), and ignite the stadium with their undying passion. When doing some research I found the following “Argentine football stadiums are not just structures made of bricks and cement. They are temples of passion, history, and culture. Each corner echoes with tales of legendary matches, iconic goals, and unforgettable moments. Every seat has witnessed emotions ranging from the ecstasy of victory to the heartbreak of defeat.”
How can you really argue with that.
Our last part of the day involved a run down the hill from the cemetery past the Recoletta, through the park (and the market), past the statue in honour of Carlos María de Alvear a military revolutionary (and the towns first mayor).
Across the bridge, through the park, past the bizarre statues of kangaroos and to the massive law school building. I tried to get the story behind why there were kangaroo statues in Buenos Aires but had absolutely no luck.
We didn’t get here but in the Parque Tres de Febrero you can find the 1960s-built planetarium. Looking like a UFO it has projection room with a 20 meter dome and reclining seats for viewing projections of the stars.
And our final port of call before heading out of town was to the Floralis Genérica. This is a sculpture made of steel and aluminum located in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas (United Nations Plaza) that was donated to the city by the Argentine artist.
Buenos Aires was amazing. It was neat, clean, friendly and extremely cheap. Meals, taxis and ubers were all incredibly cheap and we have already decided that we will be coming back here many more times.
Uruguay is a country of about 3.5 million people with half of these concentrated in the nation’s capital, Montevideo.
It is one of the most stable governments in the world (unlike some of its neighbours).
Before we get into our meanderings it must be said that visiting Uruguay was more like visiting some European capitals than being in South America. It has the longest history of democracy of any Latin American country and has been politically stable most of the time.
Montevideo
Leaving the port we walked straight across the old town part of the city to the other side of the peninsula where we landed upon La Rambla. This is a waterfront promenade that continues (22.2 kilometres) along the Río de la Plata down the entire coast of Montevideo. The promenade, passes fish stalls, piers and parks.
Along La Rambla for a while and a quick break left saw us heading back into the heart of town.
As we climbed the hill from La Rambla we came across the Teatro Solis, Uruguay’s premier concert venue that was originally built back in 1856. The theatre was named after Juan Diaz de Solis, who was the first European explorer to land in modern day Uruguay.
From the Teatro Solis, a quick pop around the corner delivers you directly into the true heart of the city, the Plaza Independencia. This is truly the beating heart of the city and at the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue that stands atop the underground burial chamber for Uruguayan revolutionary José Artigas.
At one end of the square is the Palacio Salvo which is a lavish historical building that has been turned into the Tango Museum of Montevideo.
To the right of the square is the Palacio Estevez which was designed in 1873 and was once the working place of the President but has now been converted to a museum that houses artifacts and mementos of the Uruguayan presidency and its office holders. Ads to the mix some government buildings and big hotels and you have almost circumnavigated the Independence square.
At the opposite end to the Palacio Salvo is the Puerta de la Ciudadela or Gateway of the Citadel. Founded in 1724 the plaza was once the site of the original citadel.
The Puerta de la Ciudadela is virtually all that is left of the wall that surrounded the original city.
The citadel was torn down in 1829.
Leaving the square, through the gateway, you find yourself on a pedestrian mall that wanders down the hill through the heart of the old town (Ciudad Vieja). The main drag is full of impressive colonial-style buildings. Roads and laneways spur off in each direction, landing you in unexpected parks, galleries and nooks.
While probably not a permanent fixture, while we were there there was a display of famous paintings from renowned artists all up and down the mall. Add to this the tourist fare, ubiquitous hat sales, and high end fashion brands and you have a mall.
As impressive as all of this was, possibly the most impressive was Parliament house (Palacio Legislativo). This place is the home of the Uruguayan parliament and is massive. Constructed between 1904 and 1925 it was launched in commemoration of the centenary of the Declaration of Independence. The facades, interior walls, vaults and columns are all covered with different marbles from Uruguay.
Oh yeah, as you would expect there were some pretty impressive churches and cathedrals laying about the place too. To say that they were a mouthful to pronounce and say would be an understatement. The main cathedral is officially named the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción y San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo.
The other main gathering point for the city is the Agricultural Market (Mercado Agrícola de Montevideo). Packed with just what you expect, the freshest of local products and artisan wares.
While we did not get anywhere near them, the beaches of Uruguay are also popular as tourist destinations. , too, are beach resorts such as Piriápolis and Punta del Este.
Our way out saw us back down at the port and past the local markets. We walked out this way but the hoards of people getting off the ship and hunting selfies meant that we power walked through and caught the images on the way back without the throngs of people.
A bizarre element to the city was a veritable ship graveyard that lined much of the port of Montevideo. Apparently there are around 50 derelict vessels (weighing up to 1600 tonnes), that have been abandoned and left to rust away in the harbour. They are mostly fishing boats but also include tugs and even larger freighters and tankers. This has created an island of iron, with rusty hulls listed on the seabed, while others barely float.
According to what I could find out, disputes between foreign owners and local employees or with other companies, has seen these boats just abandoned. Many of these still have fuel in their tanks or other polluting liquids in cold chambers. there was an article back in 2015 suggesting that there was a plan to remove them, there was another article in 2022 suggesting that the plan would be revived, but as of today, they continue to rust away in the harbour.
Our brief introduction to Uruguay was nice. It was very clean and safe and was more reminiscent of wandering through European towns rather than Latin American ones. This change in feeling also translated to a change in price tag too. This was a much more expensive place to be than is the case for its neighbours.
Travelling the world in a pre and post COVID state
