Santiago is the capital of Chile, home to over 6 million people. The city is nestled in a valley between the Andes mountains, and the surrounding hills dipping towards the west coast. Fortunately, my grandpa’s cousin (on my mom’s side), Karin, lives in Santiago, and after connecting on Facebook, she kindly opened up her home to Ryan and I for a visit. [Read more…] about Exploring Santiago, Valparaiso & Isla Negra
travel
El Calafate & the Perito Moreno Glacier
We had another early start to the day on Sunday, as we walked to the bus station in Puerto Natales one final time. I was happy to say goodbye to the numerous stray dogs roaming the streets, as well as the poorly insulated aluminum houses. The bus ride from Puerto Natales was 5 hours north, a pleasant ride with nice scenery. The area between Puerto Natales is mostly praire/desert, barren, yellowing grass with small, low growing shrubbery. The horizon met with the jagged mountains, which were impressive even from a distance. Fortunately, we had a beautiful sunny day, and one of the clearest blue skies I have ever seen. [Read more…] about El Calafate & the Perito Moreno Glacier
Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine National Park
Where do I even begin when it comes to writing about Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park? First of all, the reason that tourists flock to this area of Patagonia is due to the famous “W” trek in Torres del Paine National Park. The park is famous for it’s towers, which have a very interesting geological background (of which I don’t know enough about to discuss). This area attracts individuals who are passionate for the mountains and for trekking, and it is almost guaranteed that if they have not already been, these individuals have Torres del Paine on their list of places they would like to visit. [Read more…] about Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine National Park
Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
Prior to our 2 weeks in Buenos Aires, we made a list of everything that we wanted to see and do while there. One of the things that I really wanted to see was a tango show. Some of the people that we had become friends with from our class said that they were going on Tuesday… and then when Tuesday fell through, they said Wednesday…. and then they were tired on Wednesday, and that fell through, so Ryan and I were going to go on our own on Thursday… but then there was a traffic strike on Thursday. For those of you who know me, I am a bit of a control freak, so this type of thing drives me mental. It’s one of the things I’m attempting to work on while traveling, so I was trying to not let it bother me, even though it definitely was bothering me. [Read more…] about Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
Bienvenidos a Buenos Aires!
Now that another few days have passed in BA, I have begun to feel more at home in the city. I am familiar with our host, her home, her cats, the closest subway stop, and even the cafes I enjoy best in our area of the city. We spent the past weekend trying to play “tourist” and soak up as much of the city as we could before an intensive week of spanish learning. [Read more…] about Bienvenidos a Buenos Aires!
Life in BA
After our first week in Buenos Aires, it is safe for me to say that this is one Latin American city not to be missed. The city, with a population of 13 million (nearly half off Argentina), is thriving at all hours of the day, everyday of the week. The subway is almost always packed with people of all different races, ethnicities and backgrounds going to all different parts of the city. In BA’s downtown or “microcentre” the people are trendy, and well dressed, and if you stop for a moment on the street, you are trapped between the waves of business people rushing here and there in either direction. [Read more…] about Life in BA