Don't cry for me Argentina

This set of posts started with a song, passed by others and should finish by using another one whose title I used above and it fitted well because I didn't let many pesos there due to my broken budget :-(
Below Casa Rosada

The day before ...

... going back home is time for some shopping and the Tigre suburb that you can reach by taking a train is a good place to spend some time .... and money :-)

Nearby, there is Puerto de Frutos but, instead of its name, most of goods aren't fruits :-)

Finally, if there is something missing you can finish all at Calle Florida :-)

Back to BA ...

... to look at Madres de Plaza de Mayo which happens every thursday at half past 10a.m. but schedule can change so keep informed before.

After I went to La Boca where is located Boca Juniors stadium

and instead of walking around Uruguay I changed to Caminito :-)

Uruguay operation aborted....

.... take it easy because there is no link between me and the former brazilian president charged to be involved in Uruguay Operation.
Due to the lack of time, my walk around Uruguay will not be possible ... at least for a while :-)
I'm flying back to Buenos Aires which is about 3000km away from Ushuaia. If I had paid more attention at geography class I could plan better my travel.
By writting about politics, at this part of the country you'll find more signals about the feeling of Islas Malvinas war in car's and home's windows and monument like below.

After being surrendered by british forces, in 1983 argentines elected civilian Raul Alfonsin and today they are celebrating 25 years of return to democracy.

El Tren del fin del mundo

In the beginning it was used for the transport of materials used by the prisoners.

Nowadays, another kind of prisoner who gets a month freedom per year uses it to reach a track in which he can walk along Beagle Channel in order to not be kept walking in circle :-)



Ushuaia is better than El Chalten in 2 situations, it's possible to take a bath and there are no starving mosquitoes due to a logical reason.... how can they survive in such low temperature and windy weather ?

some flightless ducks can be seen during the track. There were three of them :-)
At the end of the trail, I ate the best 'milanesa' in the last years while I was listening to imagine

a bad weather...

... joined with a holiday are a dangerous invite to stay at warm bed but in order to keep syncronized with the blog I put myself up and take a picture of calle San Martin which is Ushuaia business street.

Then start boating at Beagle Channel


and land on Island 'H' to look at birds on the rock like an enterprise in which the top ones drop shit down on the lower ones ... I've seen things like this :-)


And a final question: how could a starting rainny day become a pleasant evening ? :-) Maybe I'm lucky

Even in the end of the world :-)

fonte: Gazeta Esportiva
Please Jardel, start preparing my winner .... better ... champion bohemia because I'll drink it as soon as possible and also I say goodbye by sending you three-colour greetings :-)

Below Jardel, paying the bet ... while smiling ...who knows the reason ? :-)
published on 16th december, 2008

At the end of the world

Has somebody ever sent you to the end of the world ?
If you get the challenge then take your patientness because you'll use it a lot :-)
The bus was scheduled at 9a.m. but when it was half past 9 I asked to the bus office girl about the delay and she replied me:
- un ratito
that literally translated to english:
- one little mouse
which means:
- just a moment
The bus departed at 11a.m. then the correct girl's answer should be:
- un ratón .... or one big mouse :-)

After running about 2 hours it stopped for about 3 hours on the road. By this time I gave up to understand the reason and followed the former brazilian minister advertisement ...
- I just relaxed and enjoyed myself :-)

Then boring border burocracy we crossed Strait of Magellan that is in Chile and arrived at Tierra del Fuego which means something like "Land of Fire".

We reached Ushuaia at 4a.m. or 7 hours later and below a picture of the bus station about one hour after.

From now on I'll try to understand why some .... perhaps many people wants to send me to the end of the world :-) and I'll tell you later.

on the road, along Patagonia

Where it's possible to look at arid plain, lake, glaciar and mountain in just one frame when you're moving along Patagonia

Learning by making mistake :-(

"Learning by knowing others' mistake" would be better :-)

First, the location of El Chalten is in a valley so whatever direction you take you'll walk up then I took a transfer to El Pilar which is 17 km away ... and up :-)

Second, I follow the track along Rio Blanco flow in order to not walk in circle like a stupid one :-)

After some walking you'll find Laguna Piedras Blancas on the other side of the track.

Then start walking up until reach the frozen surface of Laguna de los Tres and Fitz Roy behind with some clouds around it so I couldn't climb it up :-)

Some meters left there is the emerald green Laguna Sucia

I hope this post may be helpful ... anyway mistakes are always coming so let's just remind Bob Marley :-)

The day after

Due to the day before I decided to hike a shorter track and put myself on the way to Laguna Capri.
During the track I met condor looking for food... better it was not me :-)


Going forward I saw a sign with 2 directions and, sure, the shorter was choosen and took a picture from there

I turned back to the sign and started the another way when I found a second sign with an 'U' designed in it and understood as a walk around the lake but after walking about one hour I was almost giving up when I saw another sign but .... suprisingly it was the first sign .... shit ! I walked in circle... shit !
Again I took the same way but this time I didn't make the same mistake and reached the lake :-)

After resting for a while I came back but no more shit at all... just 'p* que o p*' and the higher I spoke it more relaxed I became :-)
When I was coming back .... suprise.... shit ! shit ! and more shit!! to the humankind :-(
We don't deserve it ...


or do we ? :-)

Laguna Torre

It's an easy hike ... to write about because 'copy and paste' pictures and links is a piece of cake. Add to them a lazy mind and you've got a blog :-)
But in order to do it you'll fight against starving mosquitoes, get through the temptation of taking bath on clear water and so on :-)


It starts from a beech forrest and you walk along Rio Fitz Roy to reach Mirador Laguna Torre where you'll have a look of Cerro Torre and its mushroom of snow.


Keep on the track and you'll find Laguna Torre with same name hill on the back together with some sculptures made by the pachamama :-)
If you're ready then take a breathe and go north to Mirador Maestri but from here the path is on the rocks and I'm not writing about drinks :-)


From the mirador you are closer to Cerro Torre, Glaciar Grande and can witness ice falling down



And the best... the feeling of victory ... a special victory because there is no loser at all :-)

This feeling will last until you realize that you must go back .... oh!!! shit, my feet are hurting :-(
But the worst was coming because as a lazy guy I didn't carry enough water so when I arrived at the village I was completely thirsty and no water nearby then no choice :-)

Argentina 1 x 1 Brazil

Instead of being an argentine tip, this city looks like worthwhile for spending some days.
Then the '1x1' score is much better than boring '0x0' one as Djavan plays in his song :-)
So worldwide trekkers, including Birgit, the heaven is here but I don't know about Elisa who is almost walking by herself ... anyway there is a brazilian aphorism that says "fish's daughter is little fish, too"

From the top of Mirador de los Cóndores, I took a view of the youngest argentine city ... city ? ... village could be better :-)


Finally, after climbing up to mirador I consider myself as one and I'll let my thoughts take me far away ... I went :-)

An argentine tip

By following an argentine tourism tip I moved 200km north to El Chaltén... and if it isn't good then
Argentina 1 x 0 Brazil :-)

Perito Moreno

As one but not the only attraction of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares you should ... better you must not miss the breathtaking Perito Moreno

It's possible to get a boat to be closer to it.
When you're surrounding it it's possible to hear sounds of blocks of ice breaking with birds singing as background. But you can be lucker and also see blocks of ice dropping down into the lake

El Calafete

It's the gateway city to the southern sector of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and below a small view of it with Lago Argentino and park on back. The picture was taken after 9 p.m.

Strictly, on the road :-)

It took 24hs to move from Esquel to El Calafate because beyond the distance between the two cities there were also maintenance work along the road

From inside the shaking bus I could enjoy the sunset that happened almost at 9p.m.

And the best, neither cell phones nor snoring people... at least while I was sleeping :-)

Las Hermanas

I've got male audience :-)
But as I said before ... my poor english vocabulary doesn't allow me to describe them correctly so come here and look at by yourself. I assure it's much better :-)
Meanwhile I wait for the bus, I keep on writing about argentine behaviorhood...
First, I've found few places which are cigars free and, in those where there are, the smoky air doesn't follow the rules so be prepared to breathe smoky air when you get in any indoor place.
Second and better, I've found separated littery, green for recycle garbage like papers, cans, glasses and so on. And another red for no recycle one. It looks like they care about the environment.
For a while is all :-)

La Trochita

I arrived in Argentina by airplane and moved until now by bus so I had the opportunity to travel by train then I went to Nahuel Pan which is about 20 km away :-)

Patagonia

I arrived in Esquel one of the cities of Patagonia which, accordingly Marcelo, is pleasant all year long but I'm not able to assure this because I'm not so lucky as he is for wandering a year... perhaps years here to be so sure about it. Anyway I shouldn't complain for spending few days here :-)
But the landscapes are outstanding and I can't describe them with my poor vocabulary and even if I own a rich vocabulary I couldn't do it so join me and look at them by yourself :-)

7 lakes

It is a tours that as its name suggests goes through 7 lakes including Lake Falkner below ...

... a stop at Villa La Angostura for stretching legs and arms...

... and finishes in San Martin de los Andes to turn back

Lake District

It reminds me Queenstown in New Zealand due to snow mountain, lakes and radical activities like paragliding, rafting and sure I did the most dangerous .... chocolate circuit at least to my body shape :-)

Anny, if you keep falling in love with it you should visit Bariloche and spend some time in Brazil :-)

I hate cell phone :-(

By trusting in Diva's touristic tip I moved south to Bariloche but badly surprised I travelled beside an old couple with the ubiquitous mobile :-( and it kept ringing all the time and once... twice... uncountable times the same answer. Why the telecom enterprise doen't sell a service in which the message is recorded and then it can be broadcast to all the relatives ?
But last and now worst after stopping ringing the old man started snoring ... neighbours keep bothering me :-(

So I arrived tired and took a quick picture from the civic centre but from tomorrow on I'll try to get better ones.... if weather and mood permit .... brrrrr!!!

Late, last but not least I recommend Malbec from Mendoza because it's good for memory.... delayed memory :-)