ARGENTINA
Ushuaia
stay: Utaka Cabanas (9)
best food: everything @ Kalma resto (10)
Coined el fin del mundo, Ushuaia instantly became a repeat destination. The bright blue nighttime sky, the serenity and seclusion all instantly put me at ease. The archipelago of Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) was named by the Spanish colonizer due to the smoke they witness from the Indigenous people. Though I've never been, my mom equated the snowcapped mountains huddles around a quaint town to that of Switzerland.
Our last-minute decision to wake up at 4 a.m. to hike Laguna Esmeralda was the best decision we've ever made. Zero people, sunrays beaming through the cool, crisp air; it has shaped how I approach my future hikes. We endured many slips and slides, but the hiking poles made all the difference. (Don't wear white pants like me!)
El Chalten
stay: airbnb (7)
best food: Pastel de cordero patagonico @ Roots Patagonia (9)
It was Miley Cyrus who cornily stated, "the journey is usually the part you remember anyway", and this leg of the trip proved this to be true. Our luck of great weather ran out, and we got hit with some drizzling, fog and a little snow. Of course, that had to mean an obstructed view of the coveted hike of the trip, Laguna de los Tres. Hiking back from the viewpoint (or rather a blank piece of paper), the fog dissipated and the foliage gradually vivified.
Once, again the impulsive decision truly was the best; after disposing of the idea to visit Parque Nacional Los Glaciares due to a change in flights, we successfully pushed the boundaries of my sleep pattern. Things needed to be accomplished before noon: drive 3 hours to see the glaciers, drive an hour to the airport, and be in the air for our next leg of the trip: Puerto Madryn. Time was tight, but it was a risk that we were all willing to take (more so my dad for not being at the airport 4 hours early). I will never forget the beauty of the stars, the sunrise over the mountains and the alpacas of course.
Puerto Madryn
stay: airbnb (which was a fiasco — 4)
best food: any pastry @ Manjares Cafe; sandwiches @ Sandwiches De Miga
I think the best way to plan a trip is to put all the extraneous activity in the beginning, so that the end is just pure relaxation and reminiscing. And what better way to chill that to chill with sea lions, whales and (most importantly) penguins. Out of all the places we visited in Argentina, this city was the least catered to tourism (not to say it wasn't at all). The locals even mentioned that the people in Ushuaia weren't real Argentinians.
The highlight of PM was the Punta Tombo, the largest penguin colony in South America. I've only seen penguins in zoos or aviaries (beyond depressing and abusive); walking amongst the colony dressed in my ivory and black outfit proved to be the only humaine way to be amongst them. We were informed to respectfully keep 2 meters distance, and while I am an adult with basic comprehensive skills, there were some children whose parents' have blatant disregard for simple instructions! At a certain point I shamelessly was putting these children in their place: well deserved.
