Friday, March 15, 2019

Argentinian cities of Ushuaia and Buenos Aires (3)


Patagonia around El Calafate (1) 
Patagonia around TDP (2) 

The blog below covers our stay in two of the cities in Argentina, Ushuaia and Buenos Aires. 

Day 10: Explore Ushuaia town; trip to Martillo island to see penguins; stay at Hotel Canal Beagle
Day 11: Ushuaia - trek to Esmeralda lake; flight to Buenos Aires (late night); stay at Hotel Park Tower
Day 12: Buenos Aires - explore Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, Puerto Moreno waterfront; stay at Hotel Park Tower
Day 13: Buenos Aires - explore La Boca and Caminito, Cafe Tortini; see tango performance; stay at Hotel Park Tower
Day 14: Buenos Aires - explore Recoleta cemetery, central Buenos Aires; New Years Eve at Puerto Madero; stay at Hotel Park Tower
Day 15: Flight from Buenos Aires to London (afternoon)

The grand Buenos Aires
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and we spent two days there, exploring the town, do a short trek and take a trip to Penguin Island. In hindsight, we could have skipped it altogether. Then I spent 3 days in Buenos Aires which I totally enjoyed. For its culture, its beauty, its liveliness and its sun. It is a city with a soul of its own, a character of its own, a city I can see being enjoyable for longer periods of time too, not just as a tourist. 


Day 10: Exploring Ushuaia town; trip to Martillo island to see penguins

This day was quite a relaxed one for me, where I walked around and explored Ushuaia at my own pace. First and foremost, I woke up to Spanish music being played in the streets outside our hotel, which was a great way to wake up and kept me in bed longer as it was quite enjoyable to sleep to 😜.

Waterfront in Ushuaia
I walked all along the waterfront in the morning as it was quite charming. It was lined with lot of huge yachts and boats all along, with the sea channel and snow covered mountains behind it. As I kept walking, the other side of the waterfront past the port looked even prettier, with widely spaced coloured houses on the hill across the channel and small boats all moored in the water. It was quite a picturesque walk all along, changing from the commercial to a more rural feel.

On the way, I also walked into one of the local handicrafts markets and was surprised with the kind of things I found. They were the kind of stuff found in India and Africa, and was totally in contrast with how how developed and first world Argentina felt otherwise. Also, they were surprisingly quite cheap, so I bought a few to get back home. 

Ushuaia
Then I walked a bit in the city, and the high street. Ushuaia didn't look like a typical European town , which all look pretty no matter which country they are in. Even though all around there was nature, with high mountains on one side and the sea channel on the other, I still had to find beauty in the photos I was taking. That was because the city was so commercialised and looked industrial, that a lot of buildings were not pretty. There was beauty, but you had to look deeper to spot it.

Penguin Island
Some of my friends went to see the penguins on Martillo island which was a half day tour from 830 am - 4 pm. The tour was too long and apparently not as impressive as you only got to see the penguins from afar. My friends however, unexpectedly ran into a humpback whales and a few sea lions on the way, which turned out to an unexpected benefit.

Sea lions
Humpback whales









In the evening, we had dinner at Kalma and it was one of the best dinners we had in the country - very tastefully made food in a nice little place hidden among the residential parts of the city. A great find again.


Day 11: Trek to Esmeralda lake; flight to Buenos Aires (late night); stay at Hotel Park Tower

Wide valley in trail to Esmeralda lake
Today we did a short trek in one of the nearby forested areas, and then were off to Buenos Aires late at night. We took a shuttle bus to take us till the start of the Esmeralda trek from the tourist centre right in front of our hotel. It took us about 30 mins to get there and was through pretty mountains and scenic forests. It was the easiest trek we did on this trip, almost felt like a walk in the park 😀. It was 1.5 hour walk one way, 5 kms long with only 200 metres of total ascent. So we could enjoy the views around more than usual. 

Trail to Esmeralda lake
The walk was again picturesque, through green forests filled with huge tall trees. And then we walked through two huge open valleys with mountains on both sides which had been created during the glacier period of our earth's history. And the last part of the trek was right next to a small stream coming from the lake we were going to. All in all, it was an easy walk through very open paths and quite crowded with lot of tourists taking advantage of the good and warm-ish weather. 

Esmeralda lake
The end of the trail was the lake which had a unique greenish hue to it. Behind the lake were huge snow covered mountains which were feeding the lake. We were there for an hour, I sat at one end of the lake admiring the view and taking in the sunshine. It was great to sleep in the sun even though it was cloudy and dark in between. There were some grassy areas with stones against which you could sit. There were also lots of people there as it seemed like a popular place for tourists. Some of my friends went for a walk around the lake which was a bit of a obstacle race. And the walk back was also quick, and soon we were back in Ushuaia. 

Flying off from Ushuaia
Our flight was in the evening, so we had some time in between and we had a late but heavy lunch at Hard Rock cafe. I realised then that as much as bad press food chains get, they are perfect when you are looking for comfort and quick food options. Our flight was an hour late, so we spent a lot of time at the airport. It was a very small and simple airport right next to the ocean. While taking off the views were incredibly beautiful. Of the city spread out between high mountains and the sea. And even while landing in Buenos Aires, you could see the neatly laid out streets in squares, all lighted up. Half of it in yellow street lights and half in white! 

Ushuaia had a few other touristy things to do, like trekking up a glacier, taking the boat to a lighthouse, taking the train to the national park and so on. They also have loads of winter snow activities here. But in hindsight, I would say that Ushuaia has stuff to do but more so in winter than in summer. 


Day 12: Buenos Aires - explore Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo and Puerto Moreno waterfront; stay at Hotel Park Tower

I spent three lazy days in Buenos Aires and they were all lovely, spent in exploring all the interesting areas of the city, eating different kinds of food, seeing the tango dance and so on. The first day started late though as we had reached the city at 2 am in the morning and the hotel only by 3 am. We were surprised though to see how much of the city was active and alive even that late (or early!). The local airport was located right in the middle of the city though and it was very convenient to get to our hotels.

It was raining in the morning but got sunny and warm in the afternoon by the time I got out. And it felt so amazing to be out in the warm sun, especially after all our time in the mountains in Patagonia. Though I had to deal with mosquitoes, lots of them. Something I haven't done for years, being in London.

Paris of the East
BA is a very pretty city with a lot of depth. It is known as the Paris of the East and you can see how it was built with love and care. The central area is full of grand stone buildings with wide tree lined streets and lots of open spaces everywhere. It was a pleasure to explore it though it was easy to see how it has gone down over the years. Especially with all the overhead wires spoiling all the views.

It has many different areas for tourists to visit, all of which have a different character. The main ones popular with tourists are Retiro (the central area with touristy buildings), San Telmo (with antique shops), La Boca (football stadium and lot of street art), Puerto Madero (for the waterfront), Montserrat, Recoleta and Palermo. They are all closeby and easily walkable or uber-able. Though I later learnt that uber is illegal in the city!

Paris of the East
The first day, I had a lazy breakfast at the hotel and finally got out only at 4 pm. It wasn't so bad though as there was light till almost 11 pm as it was summer, so there was still a lot of time to explore around. Most of my day was spent in walking and seeing the sights nearby. I first walked from Retiro (where my hotel was) to San Telmo and then Puerto Madero. I first got onto Florida street which is a shopping street and apparently the oldest street in BA. It was pedestrian only, had nice shops and was very cheap. There was a very laid back vibe to it, with the sun shining bright and I already started enjoying being in BA already. I also noticed people were offering 'cambio' (currency exchange) everywhere, I wonder why as I had heard that blue dollars which were the higher rate you could get in Argentina for USD was not available anymore. Still it seemed to be the biggest business for all the guys on the street.

Casa Rosada
Then I wandered around in the tourist area around Plaza de Mayo which had a huge tower in the centre of the garden and Casa Rosada next to it, famous for Evita’s balcony presence. On the same square was the cathedral (Cathedral Metropolitana) and the city hall called Cabildo. Both was huge and pretty. You can walk to the Congreso building on Avenida del Mayo but I decided to move towards San Telmo. The whole ambience was enjoyable to walk but it get too hot at times too. I did not mind it much though 😊. 

Then I walked on Bolivar Street on my way to San Telmo, which was an area famous for its antique shops and free tango dancing. On the way I passed some awesome buildings including another church which was quite charming. The street felt like a bad area, so I changed to a parallel street called Defensa which felt more touristy. And safer! Even though it was just the parallel street. It had lot of antique and clothes shops all the way, which were fun to browse. The whole walk was through small but grand cobbled streets, lined with trees everywhere. It was quite a pleasure to walk by and felt like I was back in Europe, just a bit warmer. The street leads to the square called Playa Dorrego, which is where apparently Argentinian independence was first declared.

Tango on the streets
At Playa Dorrego, there were lot of small stalls selling stuff. And a restaurant which had free open air tango dancing. I saw one of the performances going on, where the lady sang a few songs and then danced along with a partner. It was the first time I had seen tango and was surprised why I hadn't seen more of it before. It is a lively dance, with quite pronounced and sensuous steps. It was good to just sit there in the sun and chill for a bit, watching the dancers come and perform. It inspired me to go and watch a proper show too, something everyone had told me to not miss but I hadn't booked yet.

Puerto Madero waterfront
My next stop of the day was the waterfront area of Puerto Moreno which was a bit of a walk from San Telmo. It was all along a small river that flows through the city, lined with restaurants on both sides and a few bridges crossing it. The walk was quite pleasing, with lot of people on both sides enjoying the walk. There were also a few war ships kept there as museums which were full of people exploring them. The mood of the waterfront was calmer around sunset and changed suddenly and became livelier when the place was all lighted up.

Quite and serene
I had dinner at a seafood restaurant called Sorrento which had a nice ambience. But was also a lot more expensive than other places because of its location. After dinner, I did some more touristy stuff like walk to the Obelisk (a symbol of BA) and the Teatro Colon. The whole place was quite lively still, with people wearing summery printed clothes and being out in the streets at night. It did not feel that anyone wanted to call it a night, even at 11 pm!

About the Park Towers hotel

Breakfast with a view
I was staying at the Park Towers, a luxury hotel near most of the places to visit. It was in Retiro and a great place to stay, with panoramic views of the city outside. The breakfast there was amazing, with a nice view of the city outside. And I loved the service and relaxing environment it provided. They had a nice open pool which was shared with the adjacent Sheraton hotel. And the massage even in such a high end hotel was relatively cheap by London standards. 


Day 13: Buenos Aires - explore La Boca and Caminito, Cafe Tortini; see tango performance; stay at Hotel Park Tower

My second day in Buenos Aires, I thought I had figured out what to do, so was planning to have a long day of things to do. However, I again started out late after a breakfast in the hotel and left my hotel only at 2 pm. My first stop of the day was the La Boca area. The uber I took there had a driver who spoke English, so I learnt a lot from him. Apparently uber is forbidden but not illegal in Argentina. So you need to sit in front when you order one. He said Argentina looks like Europe and is like India. Even though it looks grand, it’s people are poor and the politicians corrupt.

He also scared me a bit about the La Boca area. He said La Boca was an unsafe area, especially after 4 pm. And that he even though was a local would not go there after that time. He also told me that in the two block area around the stadium, you can walk around and nothing happens to tourists. Outside of that, there were no guarantees 😁. I think he scared me a bit more than was needed, but I did see the point he was making, as the area was a lot more run down there than the other places I had seen in the city.

Around La Boca
The Boca Juniors stadium was huge, painted in its yellow and blue colours. The shops all around were selling football stuff and had graffiti of Maradona, Messi and other players painted on their walls. The area was full of football fans who had come there to see this famous place. For me though, as I didn't know much of the history, it was just a colourful and lively place. 

Caminito
Two blocks down from the stadium was the Caminito area which was a tourist hot spot. It was like an outdoor market full of tourists, shops, tango and a total riot of colours. People were selling local paintings and handicrafts, all so colourful and attractive, at quite cheap prices. There were loads of Pope Francis statues there, I wonder if he was from the area. A lot of the bar had windows with famous Argentinian people peeping out. And there was tango dancing going on everywhere, in all the restaurants.

Caminito
People were sitting out and eating the whole time. It was like a street fair and party there. Its a place to spend a lot of time, just enjoying the vibe and liveliness there. I could have spent hours here but I left around 4 pm given what the uber driver had said. And it turned out to be true, it took me 15 mins to find an uber driver to take me out of there! 

More tango dancing
My next stop was the famous Cafe Tortini which was listed as the meeting place where lots of Argentinian history has happened. When I reached three, there was a queue of about 20 people! But I got in within 15 minutes. It had a very parsi-cafe feel to it, with the old world charm, a cosy setting and an interesting food menu. I had a late lunch there, the typical thick crust pizza that is an Argentinian specialty. And I liked the time spent there.

I stopped at Galerias Pacificos for some errands which is a high end mall and could have been anywhere in the world. And my last stop of the day was a Tango show at Aljibe. My hotel had booked it and it costed 60 USD for the show, without the meals. The restaurant sends a shuttle which picks up the guests from the hotel. The dance show is for about an hour with about 4 musicians and 8 dancers performing multiple pieces over this time. 

And the performance was totally outstanding and mesmerising! I don't have words to describe it, how time flew watching the performance. It is a very active dance with a lot of energy and keeps you enthralled throughout. One of the performances was with two ropes with a stone at the end which makes a sound when it hits the ground. And that was an unexpected fabulous performance. I think I enjoyed it even more than the tango dance! Very soon the performance was over and the shuttles again drop you back to your hotel. While coming back, I was again amazed by how fabulous the city looked at night, with its twinkling lights and liveliness, even at night.


Day 14: Buenos Aires - explore Recoleta cemetery, central Buenos Aires; New Years Eve at Puerto Madero; stay at Hotel Park Tower

Recoleta cemetery
The last day I first visited the Recoleta Cemetery which is listed as a place to visit. It was a huge area which had huge mausoleums of the rich and powerful of the city. Though impressive, I wasn't sure about what the big thing is to see there. Eva Peron's tombstone there though is very popular with everyone.




Congreso
We then walked to one of the art museums nearby, Museo National de Bella Artes, but since it was New Years everything was closed that day. There was a walking tour also that I wanted to go to which was again cancelled given it was New Years (apparently the walking tours are must-dos when in BA). So we decided to just walk around and see some of the sights around as most of the places would not be open. We walked to the Obelisk through some very posh areas like Retiro. The place was full of huge mansions, just like in Europe. We then also saw the National Parliament, the Congreso which looked just like the Palace building in Budapest.

Puerto Madero, before the fireworks
For the evening, we hadn't booked a place for dinner and it turned out to be a problem as it was New Years and none of the places were taking any more bookings. I walked to Puerto Madero and walked around a bit on the waterfront for some time. It was quiet till about 9 pm and it looked pretty before all the crowds came in! None of the restaurants had any tables free though. I also tried two of the cafes but they both had a very long queue and were only offering meat burgers. So that option didn't work either.

Meal for the day
We were about to give up when I reached the Dandy Deli, a small cafe kind of place in Hilton hotel. It was on the waterfront itself and had a long queue of people outside (no wonder given everything else was closed). It was offering a very expensively priced meal of sandwich, salad, pepsi and ice cream - but at least it had food 😆. They took an hour and a half to serve but it was totally worth it. I ate there and sat outside for some time. It was awesome! With the wind blowing, not so cold weather next to the river, crowds walking past, music playing and the promise of a new year. It felt amazing and uplifting just being there.

New Years fireworks
And soon around midnight, the fireworks started and the whole place became even better! There were fireworks everywhere, behind the ships, from the shops, around the bridges and the whole place lit up. Lot of people were still partying till late, as a lot of the restaurants had outside music playing and everyone was still dancing till later in the night. There was a huge crowd there suddenly though which was a quite scary. But overall, it was a nice way to bring in the new year. And I was happy.


Day 15: Flight from Buenos Aires to London (afternoon)

Architecture in central Buenos Aires
Today was our last day in Argentina and time to bid goodbye to the city. We took cabs to the airport and were on our way home. During this ride, I also realised that BA is not all grand and perfect. The areas outside the central areas are not the same and don't have all those huge stone buildings we had seen earlier. Outside it was the a lot more rundown, with simpler brick houses and the real life. And I realised what the uber driver had told me, Argentina is an interesting mixture of the first world and the developing world.

And while leaving, I felt a bit sad to say goodbye to all the fun experiences we had in the country, all the way from trekking to tango dancing. Argentina is definitely a place I can see myself coming back to someday. 


Impressions and some interesting observations during the trip
  • Chile felt like quite a religious christian country. It was also much greener than Argentina. Maybe because of the direction of the rain carrying winds which blow from the sea
  • Most people here speak Spanish. Its a bit tough getting around with English at times
  • Most people in Argentina and Chile are white, with very few mixed people (I observed at least). There seems to be very little native influence left in Argentina. Also people are from different European lineage, with quite a few from Italy. Both countries promoted European immigration hugely, leading to this mix of people
  • I observed lot of pictures of native Americans at multiple hotels, of them being painted head to toe in very interesting patterns. I read later that these were the Selk Nam people who used to roam Patagonia in the olden days and they are extinct now. Imagine, an entire race of people vanishing, just like that?
  • When I talked about my trip with friends, it turns out everyone did the same activities and visited the same locations when they went to Patagonia. So its a good idea to not see others' photos before going, else the place may lose its novelty factor 😜
  • Tourism in Argentina is expensive. Otherwise its not an expensive country, like eating local food, buying local handicrafts, for taking cabs etc.
  • Blue dollars (where you get a much better rate changing cash dollars with local dealers than the official rate) are no more available in Argentina. So don’t bother carrying those USD notes everyone told you to
  • When you enter Chile as a tourist, you get an entry pass with the passport. Keep that safe, as whenever you show that to any of the hotels and restaurants you go to, you don’t need to pay the local tax
  • Service is very very slow here and everyone takes their own time. There are long queues everywhere, which move very slowly. So be patient!

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Exploring Chilean Patagonia: W trek in Torres Del Paine (2)


Patagonia around El Calafate (1)

This blog covers the below part of our Patagonian itinerary. We spent 4 days in the national park of Torres Del Paine (TDP) in Chile, doing the W trek and it was amazing. It was quite a touch and strenuous trek, but the views there were mind-blowing and totally worth it.

Day 4-7: 4 days W trek / TDP sightseeing
--- Day 4: Drive rental car to Refuge Centro Torres; trek to Base de Las Torres and back; stay overnight at Refuge Centro Torres
--- Day 5: Drive to Pudeto; 9 am catamaran to Paine Grande; trek in Frances Valley to Mirador Britanico and back; stay overnight in Refuge Paine Grande
--- Day 6: Trek up to Glacier Grey; ferry to Hotel Lago Grey; stay overnight at Hotel Lago Grey
--- Day 7: Drive around TDP to explore other spots and return to Puerto Natales; stay at Hotel Aqua Terra
Day 8: Bus transfer from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas (3 hours); stay at Hotel Great Western Finis Terrace
Day 9: Bus from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia (12 hours); stay at Hotel Canal Beagle


About the TDP park

Landscapes in TDP
The whole national park of TDP is centred around the W trek which is extremely popular among tourists. There are three main valleys where people trek. The first is to the Base del Torres. Second is in Frances valley. And third is along Lago Grey. There are other trails too across the park though W remains the most popular one. All along the trails and in the park, there are huge lakes in brilliant green and blue hues, lined with very high snow covered peaks rising much higher than the small hills and Patagonian landscape around. These peaks have a very interesting history, of being formed of igneous and sedimentary rocks which give it its different colours. And all around, the views are magnificent.

View from Frances Valley
The park is very well maintained and convenient, with a comfortable setup for tourists to visit. There are shuttle buses within the park to make it easier for people to move from one place to another. Also there are loads of refuges at the base of most treks for people to stay. In addition, there are multiple ferries which run across the lakes to connect these places. The park is very popular with tourists and so the administration tries to control the number of people visiting it. They have hiked up the prices artificially higher within the park, with even the refuges with bunk beds charging $200 per night per person! But it hasn’t been able to discourage visitors, with thousands visiting every year still.

The W trek is quite strenuous, with up to 11 hours of trekking per day (all the times are based on 2 mph speed, which is quite do-able). Given not all of us were that fit, we researched and found that its possible to do only parts of the trek too if you want, as each day you would go up and come back to the same base location. So it was very easy to do only part of the trek if anyone was too tired. We did a slightly modified version of the W trek given we were not able to book accommodation at all the base camps (even though we had looked to book it all 7 months in advance!). So what you will read of below may not be exactly the same you find on other sites, but its definitely an easier option.


Day 4 - Trek to Base de Las Torres; stay at Refuge Torres Central

We got up early and left from Puerto Natales for TDP before the tourist buses got to the park entrance, to avoid the crowds. The drive was about two hours and through the usual Patagonian landscape. There were also loads of purple flowers on the sides which was true of most of the Chilean side of Patagonia. There were also loads of cows and guanacos grazing everywhere on the sides of the road. One guanaco even ran on the road and we had to avoid it.

The weather was not too bad that day but we could see dark angry clouds where the park was supposed to be. We also saw a couple of rainbows on the way which were pretty. Today was a very windy day though and we finally got to see what the famous Patagonia wind is all about. There was so much wind on the road, that we felt that our car will fly off!

We drove towards the Lago Amarga entrance to the park which is located right next to a small lake. There we paid the entrance fee and then drove to our first refuge at Torres Central. After checking-in we quickly started walking on the trek.

About the trek

Start of trek
The first day’s trek was about 23.5 kms one way, with a total ascent of 1300 metres though the net height gained during the day was only 750 metres. So there was quite a lot of up and down on the way. The walk was fun and had great and varied views all the way, though it did get a bit taxing by the end of the day. The weather was awesome that day, it was sunny for the most part, quite warm at times with very less wind and no rain throughout. I really enjoyed the trek today, which could also be because it was the first day and we weren’t as tired yet 😀.

Windy pass and spring below
There were almost multiple phases of landscapes on the trek. The first part was mostly about going up the mountain where we got panoramic views of the lake and vastlands beyond. We saw some very interesting shapes of the clouds in this area, some of them were shaped like UFOs. Then we crossed a windy pass area where we walked on the edge of the mountain for a bit. It was extremely windy there and we were followed all the way by a gurgling river in the valley. On the other side of this valley, we saw lot of sedimentary formations showing up as lava layers in the mountain. Once we got past this, we got to the first refuge on the trek which has a beautiful location next to the stream in the valley. You can even ride horses all the way up to here, to avoid walking. We filled water in our bottles from the streams multiple times on the way, which was much tastier than the water we were getting from the taps 😀.

Base de Las Torres
The last part of the trek goes through ups and downs till the next refuge and then you have a 1.5 hour trek walking through bare stones on the mountains. The views on this part of the trek were impressive, but this was also the toughest part of the trek. Once past this, you reach the end of the journey, where you can see the blue green lake at the base of the three mountain peaks - the 3 towers, Las Torres. It was a stunning view on the top and a good place to sit and enjoy the serenity there. Though it was extremely cold and windy on the top and after a quick photo and water break we left soon for the trail back.

Stream on the way
The walk back was a bit easier but still long. It felt great to have done the trek and it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be initially. The good weather definitely helped. On the whole, there were lots of people on the trek but not that much that it feels like a crowd. There were some horse shit smell half the way though which smelled a bit. We also noticed that on the trek, the trees in the middle had very smooth barks, unlike the rest of it. As people who walked on the trek would touch the tree and pass it, making it much smoother. It was very interesting to see this all the way.

About the refuge Central Torres 

The Central Torres refuge was quite simple, with bunk beds in each rooms and some common areas to chill. The toilets were not the best or the cleanest though. There was no free wifi and there were no electric plugpoints in the refuge either. At $180 per person, it felt a bit overpriced given the facilities they had. But after seeing the next refuge, this felt definitely worth it 😆.

Food was included in the price, with dinner and breakfast served in the common cafeteria, and packed lunch provided for the trek. The food in the cafeteria was tasty and served well. There were also nice areas outside to chill and relax, with views of the mountains and lakes around, but given how tired we were after the trek, we did not use the facilities much. Once back from the trek, we would eat dinner in the first round and quickly get to bed as it would be an early morning again the next day.


Day 5 - Drive to Pudeto and ferry; trek to Frances Valley up to Mirador Britanico; stay at Refuge Paine Grande

Today we were trekking up the Frances valley (some of us including me part of the way, up to Mirador Brittanico) and we had to drive to another refuge to reduce the walking we had to do during the day. So after breakfast and taking our packed lunch from the refuge, we drove up to Pudeto and then took a catamaran across lake Pehoe to get to our refuge for the second night, Refuge Paine Grande.

Drive to Pudeto, with dried trees
The drive through the park was picturesque, with green rolling hills, guanacos and views of green and blue sparkling lakes next to the high peaks. The road was quite bumpy though. We drove through many places with lot of dried out trees next to the lakes. But never understood if they were dried or just seasonal trees. We parked our car at Pudeto and took the catamaran from there.

View from the catamaran
We passed by loads of very small islands all along the huge Lake Pehoe. We stood on the top of the catamaran for a bit and got fascinating views of the main peaks of the park and the valleys which make up the W trek. Though it was extremely windy on the catamaran, with water from the lake splashing on the people standing on top. And we could not stay on top as much as we wanted to.

About the trek

Lake Pehoe and UFO clouds
Once we got out at the refuge which is located right next to the lake, we left our luggage there and started on the long trek of the day. The trek for the day was about 11 hours but I decided to go only till the first lookout point at Mirador Brittanico. So I covered about 22kms of the trek, in about 8 hours, with a total ascent of 900 metres. The start of the trek has panoramic view of the Lake Pehoe behind, which looked green in the sunlight.

Wind picking up water on the lake
Then we passed along lake Skottsburg which looked dark blue in the light, lined with dried out trees all along it. It also had water blowing along it when the winds were too high and we were able to capture a few photos of it! At times there was so much wind on the trail that it was tough to stand still at one place. After this lake, we crossed a few smaller lakes on the way. The path was mostly narrow on this trail and there were less tourists than the previous day. Also there were lot of small irritating insects on the path. We also crossed a few wooden bridges on the streams most of which had a maximum limit of 1-2 person at a time!

Glacier view from the viewpoint
We then got to the Italiano lodge in about 2.5 hours (7.5 kms) after which you start climbing steeply along one of the peaks. Then you can get views of the Frances glacier and the fast flowing river on the bottom. At the Brittanico viewpoint on the top, we got majestic views of the glacier on one side, dramatic mountains on another side and a faraway view of Lake Pehoe behind. The lake looked even greener from this far. The viewpoint felt like a bowl and clouds were coming into it soon. It got very very cold and windy at the top by this time and even started raining. So we again had to hurry back quickly.

Peaks from the viewpoint
View of Lake Pehoe from the viewpoint









The trail
The trek back felt very long and difficult, as it was extremely windy and we ran into quite a bit of rain while coming down, all the way till the Italiano camp. After that it got a lot sunnier and brighter though. Overall today’s trail was more narrow and rocky most of the way. There were also less tourists than the previous one. And I found the views less impressive too. My favourite was still the first day to Base de Las Torres.

About the Refuge Paine Grande

The refuge was located right next to Lake Pehoe with breathtaking views right outside. We got bunk beds, and the rooms were clean. The price included breakfast, packed lunch and dinner. The cafeteria and food was fine but nothing great to write home about. There were nice places to sit outside in the sun. And the common areas comfortable to hang around. with a fire burning every evening. There was a lot of wind at night which disturbed our sleep at night with the windows making a lot of noise but I guess that is to be expected given its Patagonia! As expected there was no free wifi and you had to pay for it.

The toilets in the refuge though were definitely below par. And they did not have towels or bathing soaps in the toilets either. Though all this wasn’t the worst of it all. The service at the refuge was even worse than the toilets. None of the receptionists or the cafeteria workers smiled, even while answering questions. They were almost rude a lot of times and it wasn’t a great experience. And I definitely think this refuge was very overpriced at $150 per person. So not a great experience at all.


Day 6 - Trek to Glacier Grey; ferry to Hotel Lago Grey

About the trek

Lago Grey
Our day started much later today than other days as we started trekking only around 9 am. It was about a 4 hour trek up to Refugio Grey, for about 11 kms till where you can get a view of the Grey glacier. And then we were taking a ferry back to our hotel across Lago Grey. The trek today was the easiest of all the days, with a total ascent of only about 450 metres over the 4 hours. It almost felt like child’s play after the last few days 😜.

Icebergs on the lake
The trail from the refuge first goes towards Lago Patos and then you reach Lago Grey. This is a huge lake extending for more than 15 kms and most of the trek now is along the lake. There are load of viewpoints along the trail which give panoramic views of the lake from different vantage points. The lake had snow covered peaks on the other side. And loads of deep blue icebergs floating on it, coming from the Gracier Gray which feeds the water in this lake.

Glacier from a nearby bridge
Again the trail today was quite narrow and there were not many people around. On the sides was the usual stream and river flowing plus a few patches on the way were covered with flowers. The day was cloudy for most part of the trek, though it was warm and windy alternately. There were also loads of flies everywhere which were a bit irritating as they kept sticking to the jacket!

Dead ice from the glacier
Once we reached Refuge Gray near the end, we walked to a nearby viewpoint where you can get a nice view of the Glacier. And can see loads of dead ice floating on the side. The glacier was huge and you could see it till far when the weather was better. But the edge wasn’t as high as the Perito Moreno we had seen earlier. Some of my group also trekked to two bridges ahead of the refuge which gave even closer views of the glacier, though I didn’t make it till there.

Glacier from the boat
We then took the 2 pm ferry from the refuge. It lands at the beach near the Bigfoot camping ground and it was an effort getting there as the weather had turned and the winds got very strong and heavy by then. The ferry then took us closer to the glacier but it had got very rainy by that time. So it wasn’t as fun to stand outside and enjoy the glacier views. The glacier is actually split into three because of 3 small islands on the lake. And the icebergs there were very pretty there.

Huge icebergs on the way
The boat ride was about 2 hours total and it dropped us on a black pebble beach from where we walked to our Hotel Lago Gray. We first stopped at the cafetaria to get hot food given how much we had been out in the windy and rainy weather. And then we walked 1 km more to get to our hotel, the Lago Grey.

About Hotel Lago Grey

View from the restaurant
The hotel felt like paradise to us after the two refuges we had stayed in the last two nights. It was almost like a luxury hotel where people who did not want to trek but still enjoy a relaxed experience would come and stay in. It also costed about $200 per night but at least it was better value for money than the refuges we stayed in! The rooms were huge, all with views of the lake and the glacier behind. There was free wifi and we almost felt like we had come back to civilisation after days of being in the wilderness (i.e. no data 😜).

The rooms had a nice decor, individual bathrooms, heating and everything else that a normal hotel has 😆. The dining area also had great views of the glacier and we had a nice evening getting back in touch with the world outside while enjoying views of the glacier till late. It was still windy and rainy that day though, so we couldn’t go out much.


Day 7 - Drive around TDP; stay at Aqua Terra hotel

We had a late breakfast today as we were just happy about finally being back in civilisation, and with no need to wake up very early. We enjoyed the view outside of the glacier from the window and then spent most of the day driving around the park. We first drove next to Paine lake and river which looked absolutely stunning in the sun - blue green in colour with the snow covered peaks in front.

Views of TDP
I spent some time next to the lake, around Camp Pehoe. I walked down to the lake and sat there for some time on the rocks, finding a less windy place to be. There were a few interesting birds to watch there too. Then we drove to Salto Grande waterfall where the water flows from the higher lake Nordenskjol to the Paine lake. We walked up to the viewpoint and it was crazy windy there.

Salto Grande waterfall
Views of TDP









Lake Toro on the way
And then we started driving back to Puerto Natales. We drove a long time next to Lake Toro which was outside the park and quite mesmerising. It appeared green and had huge bare peaks on the other side. On the way we ran into patches of rain and then sunny times all the way back. The roads were mostly ok though some patches had gravel. We also noticed a small airport on the way, so it looks like there is a way of reaching here by plane too, though it might be through a chartered flight only.

About the Hotel Aqua Terra

Once In Puerto Natales we checked in to a small hotel, the Aqua Terra. The hotel was a boutique hotel and quiet cute. We tried looking for laundry around but as it was christmas, none of the places were open that day. Thankfully the hotel offered to do it for us! We had a quick dinner at the Pizzeria La Guanaca which offered great food and was nearby. And didn't really explore the town today.


Day 8 - Bus to Punta Arenas; stay at Hotel Great Western Finis Terrace

It was Christmas today and it looked like the whole city was shut. There were no people on the road and the cabs also charged double the fare. Even at the bus station, there was only one bus company plying buses. We booked a bus to Punta Arenas and were on a 3 hour ride though the typical Patagonian landscape. And very quickly we were in Punta Arenas.

Punta Arenas
The town of Punta Arenas seemed like an industrial place while coming in. But then we saw some very pretty and huge buildings closer to the city centre. It actually felt like the prettiest of all the towns we had been to till now, El Calafate and Puerto Natales. We walked around a bit to get to a restaurant open on Christmas day but there were very few options. We finally had lunch at a gastro pub called Fusiones which had quite bad food and service.

While walking around, a friend of mine also ran into a Hindu temple and a square with Tagore, Gandhi and Mother Teresa’s statue! In the middle of a small town in Chile! That was really something. There wasn’t much to do around here though today. There were trips to a Penguin Island nearby but given it was christmas, they were not running tours today. And so we had another quiet evening.

About the Hotel Great Western

We spent most of the day relaxing in the hotel itself, at the Great Western Finis Terrace. It was 2 mins walking from the bus stop. The top floor of the hotel had a fancy restaurant which had a nice view of the town, with its small houses, colourful roofs, church spires and sea on one side and the hills on another. The view seemed quite charming in the morning especially with the sun rising in the background.


Day 9 - Bus to Ushuaia; stay at Hotel Canal Beagle

Today was a very simple day for us. We had a 12 hour bus ride all the way from Punta Arenas in Chile to Ushuaia, the southernmost town on the continent, in Argentina. We took one of the Bus Sur buses which we have booked beforehand and were in the bus from 8-8.

Lighthouse at the edge of the mainland
The drive was the typical Patagonia drive, with grasslands on both sides, fences, and sheep and cows. On this drive, we also saw some ostriches in the farms. And as we drove from the mainland to the island of Tierra del Fuego, a lot of the drive was next to the sea. To get to the island, we had to get onto a huge ferry along with the bus and were lucky to spot some dolphins jumping on the sides of the ferry.

Typical flowers on the drive
The island had a lot more gravel road and was less developed. Again we had to go through Chile and Argentina visa check at the San Sebastien checkpoint. And keep driving forever…. The last one hour of the drive was through mountains and had lakes, so that was a change in scenery, and felt a bit more interesting. The whole journey was a bit tiring though.

Ushuaia is almost at the edge of the South American continent and is the southernmost city in the world. It is the location from which ships leave for Antarctica tours and hence important on the tourist map. It is a huge place surrounded by snow covered mountains and the sea coming in through a channel.

We walked a bit along the high street and the waterfront as we really need to unfreeze our legs after the long bus journey. Both places felt quite lively and touristy. The high street had loads of designer shops which felt surprising. I am guessing a lot of the cruises here bring in rich tourists who like to shop. And the waterfront had great views of the mountains, the docked boats and cruise ships. There was a cool breeze following and the walk felt very refreshing.

About the Hotel Canal Beagle

Our hotel, the Canal Beagle where we were staying for two nights (after a long time) was located very centrally and quite convenient. It was quite average and nothing much to write home about. We went to Maria Lola for dinner and it was quite a fine dining place though with tasty sea food.

Argentinian cities of Ushuaia and Buenos Aires (3)