Argentina — December 2009

Victor and friend in Trelew

(Note that there are four separate web pages of photos. Each photo link is different.)

Victor had been intrigued by Patagonia, and had long wanted to touch snow. I had been to Buenos Aires, Iguazu, and Bariloche in 1987 (more here), but never to Patagonia. The trip was arranged through Wildland Adventures. It was their 2009 version (Argentina-based) Best of Patagonia plus a two-day extension to Iguazu Falls.

It took a long set of flights to get there: first to Mexico City, then to Panama City, then to Buenos Aires. After a brief overnight stay there, we were off to Trelew. Link to photos (1^st set). We stayed at a lovely B&B with lots of land and a friendly dog.

The next day, we were off to Punta Tombo and Península Valdés. It was a long day of driving, but we did see penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals. Penguin holes were new to me. We were careful to stay on the paths and not try to approach the penguins, but, as you can see in the photo, one penguin walked right up to Victor.

We next flew to Ushuaia, at the southern tip of the continent. We visited Tierra del Fuego National Park (including the end of the Pan American Highway), and had a boat ride in the Beagle Channel. Because Victor had never seen snow in person, I specifically asked ahead of time if we would see some snow while we were in Ushuaia. Despite their assurances, we did not. So we cancelled one afternoon's scheduled city tour and took a cab to a nearby park which still had a patch of snow. See the photos (2^nd set). 

Next was El Calafate and Perito Moreno glacier in the Andes. We walked on the glacier and were served Scotch on the rocks with glacial ice. Link to photos (3^rd set).

The tour concluded with a return to Buenos Aires. A friend had suggested a "molecular cuisine" restaurant, La Viñeria de Gualterio Bolivar (since closed, apparently), with a chef who trained at El Bulli in Barcelona. It was a bit pricey, but certainly unusual.

I had added must-see Iguazu Falls to our trip. I loved it when I first saw it, and we both enjoyed it this time. See the photos. (4^th set).

Our return flights had an unnecessary complication. I didn't realize there were two airports serving Iguazu, and the itinerary I chose started from the Brazilian airport. I later realized that required Brazilian visas. I went to the Brazilian consulate in L.A. to pay for and receive my visa; Victor had to send away to the Brazilian embassy in Mexico City for his.