One my concentration areas in the urban planning school at the University of Michigan will be in public transportation. I´m not quite sure why I find this subject so interesting. Is it the little kid in me still fascinatied by these neato busses and trains? Is it my compulsion with doing things efficiently, carrying the maximum amount of people across town in the least amount of time for the lowest price? Whatever it is, I can see it clearly reflected in my recent obsession with the Guia T. The Guia T is a guide to the over 300 busses that crisscross the metropolis of Buenos Aires. It comes in a pocket form (what I have) and a larger full size guide. It consists of a grid map that devides the city into tiny sectors. In these sectors there is a list of all the different numbered busses that pass through that quadrant. You look up the place you want to go, find the busses that pass through there, then cross reference that with the quadrant where you are starting. The trick is to find the same number for your starting box and your destination box. If you find that magic number, you have found the bus that will take you pretty close to your desired destination for usually about 30 cents.
They also provide illustrations of each numbered bus, so you can try to learn what color trim that 151 or 37 bus has. I find myself treating the Guia T like a game, picking a destination on the opposite side of the city and tracking down which bus can get me there most efficiently. Énough of my geekiness for now!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Circuit complete
Well, I´ve completed my several thousand mile circuit of southern Argentina and Chile and I find myself back in Buenos Aires. A 14 hour bus ride rolled me comfortably through the pampas from Mendoza to BA. I´m staying with the same aspiring opera singer that I stayed with during the first week of my trip. This time I´ve actually met his parents (who he lives with) as they were on vacation during the first week of February when I was last here.
I don´t have any grand plans for my last few days here. There is a very large international book fair this week so I might check that out and I might try to find a few nice things to bring home for souveniers but other than that it will just be relaxing and growing more anxious each day to see my friends and family back home.
I don´t have any grand plans for my last few days here. There is a very large international book fair this week so I might check that out and I might try to find a few nice things to bring home for souveniers but other than that it will just be relaxing and growing more anxious each day to see my friends and family back home.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wine and water
This is my final day in Mendoza, so I figured I had to make it out to a tour of at least one winery, being that this is the wine capital of Argentina. The winery I visited was founded in 1885 and had a nice little museum tracing the history of wine making from the 16th century to the present. A free guided tour and tasting was also included. My new favorite wine is Malbec
There is a silky smooth quality to it that I just can´t get enough of. I´m hoping I can find some once I return home.
Menodza has been a nice place to spend the past 4 days. The town itself is actually located in thehuge desert that is the Andean rain shadow. Because of this, every street has water diverted from the Andes that is diverted into ditches running parallel to the sidwalks, creating a constant but subtle reminder that if it were not for such an elaborate man-made irrigation system this town would not be a very pleseant place to be. Large cyprus trees line most of the street, creating a loverly tunel of greenish yellow leaves to protect you from the sun. The architecture is not particularly notable but these noble trees make it so you don´t even notice.
I haven´t done a lot during my time here, mainly relaxing among the half dozen or so plazas, frequenting the internet cafe, eating yummy ice cream. I feel like while traveling it is easy to fall into the ¨I always have to be doing something¨ trap. Sometimes the most rewarding thing to do for a few days is exactly what I have done here, just relax and soak up wherever you are. I love walking in figure eights throughout the city with no particular direction, simply seeing where my feet take me.
There is a silky smooth quality to it that I just can´t get enough of. I´m hoping I can find some once I return home.
Menodza has been a nice place to spend the past 4 days. The town itself is actually located in thehuge desert that is the Andean rain shadow. Because of this, every street has water diverted from the Andes that is diverted into ditches running parallel to the sidwalks, creating a constant but subtle reminder that if it were not for such an elaborate man-made irrigation system this town would not be a very pleseant place to be. Large cyprus trees line most of the street, creating a loverly tunel of greenish yellow leaves to protect you from the sun. The architecture is not particularly notable but these noble trees make it so you don´t even notice.
I haven´t done a lot during my time here, mainly relaxing among the half dozen or so plazas, frequenting the internet cafe, eating yummy ice cream. I feel like while traveling it is easy to fall into the ¨I always have to be doing something¨ trap. Sometimes the most rewarding thing to do for a few days is exactly what I have done here, just relax and soak up wherever you are. I love walking in figure eights throughout the city with no particular direction, simply seeing where my feet take me.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Playing on an island
Though it ended in a 0-0 draw, the game last night was a ton of fun. The stadium, built in the late 70s for the 1978 world cup held in Argentina, was an interesting place. It sat about 40,000 and was a typical bowl shape. There was a tiny contingent of Chilean fans who had made the hop across the Andes to cheer on their boys. The authorities were not messing around and had riot police (complete with plastic shields and batons) completeing closing off on all the sides the small section the Chileans had occupied. Occasionally the Chilean supporters would attempt to do a group chant or song and the rabid Argentenians would start whistling and making whatever noise they could to drown them out. The Argentines were in great voice and they continued to sing, chant, whistle, jump up and down, wave flags and even occasionally get into fisticuffs among themselves. The game was almost immaterial as I took in all these sights around me.
One other unique feature of this stadium was that the playing surface itself was literally on an island. A dry moat, maybe 10 feet in depth and 10 feet across, circled the entire field. I had never seen this at a sporting venue before and though it was obviously an excellent way to keep the fans off the field, there was just something about it that seemed a little disconcerting.
Tomorrow will by my final day in Mendoza, I will then take another overnight bus, this time back to Buenos Aires. Arriving in BA, I will have about 5-6 days to enjoy the city before I have to hop on a plane back home.
One other unique feature of this stadium was that the playing surface itself was literally on an island. A dry moat, maybe 10 feet in depth and 10 feet across, circled the entire field. I had never seen this at a sporting venue before and though it was obviously an excellent way to keep the fans off the field, there was just something about it that seemed a little disconcerting.
Tomorrow will by my final day in Mendoza, I will then take another overnight bus, this time back to Buenos Aires. Arriving in BA, I will have about 5-6 days to enjoy the city before I have to hop on a plane back home.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
International friendly
Walking around Mendoza yesterday I noticed a chalkboard sign at a bar advertising a soccer match between Argentina and Chile that would be broadcast on their giant screens at 20:00. I thought to myself, hmmm that might be fun to go to a place like that and watch the game with some locals. Well, it turns out this international friendly match is actually taking place in Mendoza tonight! I probably would have never even known if it were not for a couple guys staying in the same room at my hostel who I overheard talking about it. They said the people running the hostel were selling tickets. I thought this sounded like something I had to do and I quickly asked the owners about it. They made a few phone calls and reserved an additional ticket for me. I think they are making a really fat profit on the ticket, they charged me about $25 and I´m sure if I asked around locally I could have found it for about $5. However this is my first soccer match in latin america and I will feel a little more comfortable being seated in a section with my fellow hostel mates, instead of duking it out with firework tossing, crazed Mendozians. I think sitting with the locals would be an experience and I hope to do it sometime but I think it would be a bit much for my first time.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A Thai heartthrob
While my dad and I were having dinner our first night in Bariloche, a funny thing happened. We were the only people in the restaurant to start (our 8:30 arrival time was a good hour before even the first Argentines would ever trickle in). While we were noshing on some bread a trio came in and were seated at the table directly beside us. It was clear they were speaking neither Spanish or English and I was almost sure I had heard some Thai. I focused my ears on them, trying my best to hear their soft tones and after another minute I was positive, there were 3 Thai people sitting next to me in a random restaurant in Bariloche, Argentina!
To put this into perspective, I have met one person from Asia during this trip, Alex from Taiwan. I could see running into some Japanese, Koreans, or maybe even an adventurous Singaporean, but 3 Thai people forget about it! Interestingly, as I listened intently to them, picking up a lot of what they were saying I could feel my heart racing. It was that feeling where you put your hand on your heart and it feels like it is about to bust through to the other side.
My dad and I quietly speculated on why there may be 3 Thai people in Bariloche. Surely they wouldn´t be tourists, I really think the small number of Thai people who do travel internationally don´t often find themselves in South America. We then thought maybe they ran a restaurant in Buenos Aires or that they were diplomats. Turned out the later was the correct guess. We chatted with them for a few moments and they all work at the Thai embassy in Buenos Aires (one of 5 Thai embassies in latin America along with Mexico City, Brasilia, Lima, and Santiago). They were visiting the lakes district and patagonia for a week or so. I told them I would be studying Thailand in graduate school and asked if I could stop by and say hello when I was back in Buenos Aires. One of they guys said sure and gave me his business card, saying: ¨You can have a tour of the Thai embassy¨!
To put this into perspective, I have met one person from Asia during this trip, Alex from Taiwan. I could see running into some Japanese, Koreans, or maybe even an adventurous Singaporean, but 3 Thai people forget about it! Interestingly, as I listened intently to them, picking up a lot of what they were saying I could feel my heart racing. It was that feeling where you put your hand on your heart and it feels like it is about to bust through to the other side.
My dad and I quietly speculated on why there may be 3 Thai people in Bariloche. Surely they wouldn´t be tourists, I really think the small number of Thai people who do travel internationally don´t often find themselves in South America. We then thought maybe they ran a restaurant in Buenos Aires or that they were diplomats. Turned out the later was the correct guess. We chatted with them for a few moments and they all work at the Thai embassy in Buenos Aires (one of 5 Thai embassies in latin America along with Mexico City, Brasilia, Lima, and Santiago). They were visiting the lakes district and patagonia for a week or so. I told them I would be studying Thailand in graduate school and asked if I could stop by and say hello when I was back in Buenos Aires. One of they guys said sure and gave me his business card, saying: ¨You can have a tour of the Thai embassy¨!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Travel day
Sunday was my final day traveling with my dad. Thankfully we had a beautiful day weather wise, which was not the case for the majority of his visit. We decided to rent some bikes and do a 10km roundtrip cycle to a nearby lakeside beach outside San Martin de los Andes. Within minutes of pedaling out of town by chain decided to rupture and I was left with a lame bike. I was really bummed because I knew the ride was going to be nice and I thought it would be a great way to spend our last day together. We returned to our hotel and after confiring with the owner decided that we would take a boat ride do a different beach, supposedly even more beautiful than the one we were planning on visiting.
Turns out we had a really nice time. The boat took 30 minutes to arrive at the beach and we made a short walk and lunched with views of the white-capped lake and the surrounding mountains. We spend the rest of the afternoon walking, reading, and napping in the serene sun. He caught a 6am back to Chile this morning, as he is due to fly out of Santiago tomorrow and I caught a 6 hour bus north to the city of Neuquen. I am only hanging around here for a few hours before catching an overnight 12 hour ride up to Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina. I plan to spend several days here, as lonely planet claims it is one of the nicest cities in all of Argentina. My bus ticket for the overnight journey up there is in coche cama class, the Argentine bus equivalent of business class. For about $7 you get a set that reclines almost 180 degrees, I´ll be sure to tell you if it was worth the extra expense.
Turns out we had a really nice time. The boat took 30 minutes to arrive at the beach and we made a short walk and lunched with views of the white-capped lake and the surrounding mountains. We spend the rest of the afternoon walking, reading, and napping in the serene sun. He caught a 6am back to Chile this morning, as he is due to fly out of Santiago tomorrow and I caught a 6 hour bus north to the city of Neuquen. I am only hanging around here for a few hours before catching an overnight 12 hour ride up to Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina. I plan to spend several days here, as lonely planet claims it is one of the nicest cities in all of Argentina. My bus ticket for the overnight journey up there is in coche cama class, the Argentine bus equivalent of business class. For about $7 you get a set that reclines almost 180 degrees, I´ll be sure to tell you if it was worth the extra expense.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
San Martin de los Andes
Greetings from San Martin de los Andes, a small town of 20,000 nestled in the mountains of the northern Argentine lakes district. The town has a very coloradoish/ski town type feel. All the signs and street numbers are made of carved wood and the town has an expensive look and feel to it. Tomorrow is my last full day with my dad and we plan to rent some mountain bikes and cycle around the surrounding lakes and viewpoints. The weather is actually supposed to be clear so I think it should make for a nice day.
Most of today was spent bussing it up here from Bariloche, through a stretch of dirt road dotted with small lakes tucked into snow clad hills. Strangely we had a huge bus all to ourselves so we could stetch out and take in all the views at our leisure. Monday I plan to head much further north after parting ways with my dad, likely all the way to the wine country of Mendoza, a 18 hour bus ride from here!
Most of today was spent bussing it up here from Bariloche, through a stretch of dirt road dotted with small lakes tucked into snow clad hills. Strangely we had a huge bus all to ourselves so we could stetch out and take in all the views at our leisure. Monday I plan to head much further north after parting ways with my dad, likely all the way to the wine country of Mendoza, a 18 hour bus ride from here!
Friday, April 13, 2007
hippys and microbrews
Greetings again from Bariloche. Yesterday was spent touring the countryside south of here, with the town of El Bolson being our featured stop. About two hours or 120 km south of Bariloche, El Bolson is considered to be the hippy capital of Patagonia. Walking around town it is impossible not to notice the dreds, ponytails, and the occasional wiff of weed. This is quite different from Bariloche, where the chocalate shops and other tourist trappings have reached an almost kitch like quality. El Bolson is also known for its microbrewerys. At a local street fair I asked a woman working one of the beer stands how many microbrews originiated in town and she responded by saying ¨too many to count!¨ Amazingly over 75% of Argentine hops are grown on the farms surrounding town.
We spent the night at a refuge/cabin perched at 4600 feet overlooking the town. It involved a steep 10km drive over a rough road and than an additional steep 45 minutes by foot. It was very relaxing up there, reading New Yorkers and Sports Illustrateds, occasionaly looking out to town and the mountain ridge opposite us. We returned north this morning, hoping to do a few walkes to some local glaciers but once the rain started it only increased in strength and thus most of the day was a wash. Tomorrow, we will likely head north to the town of San Martin de los Andes.
We spent the night at a refuge/cabin perched at 4600 feet overlooking the town. It involved a steep 10km drive over a rough road and than an additional steep 45 minutes by foot. It was very relaxing up there, reading New Yorkers and Sports Illustrateds, occasionaly looking out to town and the mountain ridge opposite us. We returned north this morning, hoping to do a few walkes to some local glaciers but once the rain started it only increased in strength and thus most of the day was a wash. Tomorrow, we will likely head north to the town of San Martin de los Andes.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Adventure nearing an end....dreaming about another
I left Chile this morning, crossing the snowy andes and arriving in Bariloche http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariloche , the dominant city of the Argentina lakes district. It feels great to be back in Argentina. I think I may have spent a tad too much time in Chile (the country was starting to wear on me a bit) and it feels great to be back to a place where the spanish is much easier to understand and everything is just a little bit less expensive. We plan to spend about 4 days exploring the Argentine lakes district and then it will be time for my dad to head home and I will have about 10 more days after that before I too will be returning to Michigan.
I am starting to get to that point where you are anxious to get home but also aware that another great adventure is almost over and you are already nostalgic for all the great things you have seen and done the past 2.5 months. I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about my future as well. It is exciting to know that I have an adventure of a different sort (graduate school) on the very near horizon. I will be living in Madison, Wisconsin for two months this summer studying Thai language and then in September I will be starting my dual masters program in Urban Planning and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan.
Tomorrow we hope to make it up to some local mountains that offer great views of glaciers and the surrounding lakes. We will see if the weather cooperates with us. Enough for now, time to find a good steak to celebrate being back in the land of the gauchos.
I am starting to get to that point where you are anxious to get home but also aware that another great adventure is almost over and you are already nostalgic for all the great things you have seen and done the past 2.5 months. I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about my future as well. It is exciting to know that I have an adventure of a different sort (graduate school) on the very near horizon. I will be living in Madison, Wisconsin for two months this summer studying Thai language and then in September I will be starting my dual masters program in Urban Planning and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan.
Tomorrow we hope to make it up to some local mountains that offer great views of glaciers and the surrounding lakes. We will see if the weather cooperates with us. Enough for now, time to find a good steak to celebrate being back in the land of the gauchos.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Lakes district rain
Blogging this evening from Pucon, the tourist capital of the northern Chilean lakes district. Today was a wash, literally. After two days of beautifully clear skies we had to slog though a wet Monday, severely limiting any outdoor activities. Unfortunately the area around Pucon is based on exactly this type of activity (hiking, mountain biking, rafting, zip-lining, etc.) so having a day like this forces you to just sit around and catch up on your reading. Here´s hoping the weather will allow us to do something productive tomorrow.
Yesterday we had a great day exploring the Pacific coast town of Valdivia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdivia%2C_Chile
The botanical gardens at the local university were spectacular, full of an amazing variety of tree species from around the world. We also walked through a great little fish market and even managed to visit a local microbrewery founded by 19th century German immigrants to the area. Due to unforeseen paperwork problems related to taking our Chilean rental car into Argentina we have had to shuffle our plans and we will have to return the car withing the next two days and then take a 6-7 hour bus ride over to the Argentine side of the lakes district. I feel like I have been in Chile for quite some time now and I am eagerly awaiting my return to the land of steaks and mate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29
Yesterday we had a great day exploring the Pacific coast town of Valdivia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdivia%2C_Chile
The botanical gardens at the local university were spectacular, full of an amazing variety of tree species from around the world. We also walked through a great little fish market and even managed to visit a local microbrewery founded by 19th century German immigrants to the area. Due to unforeseen paperwork problems related to taking our Chilean rental car into Argentina we have had to shuffle our plans and we will have to return the car withing the next two days and then take a 6-7 hour bus ride over to the Argentine side of the lakes district. I feel like I have been in Chile for quite some time now and I am eagerly awaiting my return to the land of steaks and mate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Around the lake
Today was spent circumnavigating Lago Llanquihue, something that took my dad and I about eight hours to complete at a leisurely pace. Luckily we had great weather and because of this we were treated to constantly changing views of Volcan Osorno: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcan_Osorno
We drove up to just below the permanent snow line where there is a small ski resort with several chairlifts. From here we were treated to a great view overlooking the enormous lake. We moved on from here to a neighboring lake, spectacularly located in the shardow of the Volcan. We were interested in a boat ride, but decided to pass due to the very steep prices. We continued around the lake, taking a 2-3 hour break to munch on a Salmon enpanada and take a short hike to a 40 meter waterfall that envolved a short wade to reach the final thunderous pool. My dad said it reminded him of a similarly impressive falls he had once visited in the Dominican Republic. The next hours were spend zooming through gravel roads set among strikingly green fields. I stopped to take a photo of a white horse grazing among these fields with the snowy cone of Osorno looming in the background. Our final stop was in a small town called Fruittiliar, which has a heavy German influence. Most of the architecture looked like it belonged more in Bavaria than Chile and there were cafes offering all different types of German pastries.
We drove up to just below the permanent snow line where there is a small ski resort with several chairlifts. From here we were treated to a great view overlooking the enormous lake. We moved on from here to a neighboring lake, spectacularly located in the shardow of the Volcan. We were interested in a boat ride, but decided to pass due to the very steep prices. We continued around the lake, taking a 2-3 hour break to munch on a Salmon enpanada and take a short hike to a 40 meter waterfall that envolved a short wade to reach the final thunderous pool. My dad said it reminded him of a similarly impressive falls he had once visited in the Dominican Republic. The next hours were spend zooming through gravel roads set among strikingly green fields. I stopped to take a photo of a white horse grazing among these fields with the snowy cone of Osorno looming in the background. Our final stop was in a small town called Fruittiliar, which has a heavy German influence. Most of the architecture looked like it belonged more in Bavaria than Chile and there were cafes offering all different types of German pastries.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Puerto Varas
Just a quick update: I met up with my dad this morning at the Puerto Montt Airport where we rented a car and headed up to Puerto Varas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Varas where we are spending the night. This town is supposed to be quite scenic, located on the 2nd largest lake in Chile and 3rd largest in South America but we weren´t able to see much today due to an extended rain shower. Hopefully we will wake tomorrow to clear skies.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Lazing in Castro, daydreaming of rental cars
Today was a lazy day in Castro, sleeping in, plodding around the city, and enjoying fast internet speeds. There really isn´t that much to see or do here but it is a nice enough town, not too large but still big enough for the sidewalks to be busy with pedestrians and old ladies selling empanadas. I will hop on a bus tomorrow morning and leave Chiloe, arriving in the large city of Puerto Montt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Montt I will spend Thursday night there and then go to the local airport and pick up my Dad Friday morning, something I have been looking forward to for the past few weeks. There is even talk of a rental car, I can´t even imagine how it will feel to have such freedom.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Trekking where Darwin once trod
I returned to Castro, the defacto capital of Chiloe, this evening. The previous two nights were spent in Parque Nacional de Chiloe. This park is located on a rugged and very scarcely populated section of Pacific coast, about a 1.5 hour bus ride west from Castro. I shared my time there with Alex, a 28 year old from Taiwan. I hadn´t thought of it until I met him, but he was the first (and will probably be the only) traveller I have met from Asia during this trip. I got a huge reaction from him when I showed off my very limited Mandarin vocabulary. He turned out to be a really nice guy and I enjoyed the 25 miles of costal trekking that much more because of his company.
The trek itself was a mix of broad beaches, dunes, and costal rainforest. We camped along a crecent shaped beach that received a constant flow of 6-8 foot breaking waves. The resulting roar had a rather pleasent quality to it and when mixed with a nice sunset and full moon, it make for a memorable camp spot.
In an interesting side note, Chiloe is one of the places Darwin describes as part of the second journey of the HMS Beagle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle Actually, almost all of the Patagonian locales I have visited during this trip were also visited by Darwin during this trip, and I hope to read his journal of these travels when I return home. In one exhibit at the park visitor center there is an excerpt from his journal where he states something akin to ¨I doubt there are many other places on earth that recieve more rain than the Pacific coast of Chiloe.¨ Before arriving in Chiloe I had read and heard the same thing, you will get rained on and most likely it will be for every day of your visit there. Well, beginning with the great sunset ferry arrival into Quellon, the weather has held steady and there has been no rain at all. On the contrary, most of my 3-4 days here has been under warm and clear skies. If only Mr. Darwin could have seen these green hills and coasts with the warming sun at his back!
The trek itself was a mix of broad beaches, dunes, and costal rainforest. We camped along a crecent shaped beach that received a constant flow of 6-8 foot breaking waves. The resulting roar had a rather pleasent quality to it and when mixed with a nice sunset and full moon, it make for a memorable camp spot.
In an interesting side note, Chiloe is one of the places Darwin describes as part of the second journey of the HMS Beagle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_voyage_of_HMS_Beagle Actually, almost all of the Patagonian locales I have visited during this trip were also visited by Darwin during this trip, and I hope to read his journal of these travels when I return home. In one exhibit at the park visitor center there is an excerpt from his journal where he states something akin to ¨I doubt there are many other places on earth that recieve more rain than the Pacific coast of Chiloe.¨ Before arriving in Chiloe I had read and heard the same thing, you will get rained on and most likely it will be for every day of your visit there. Well, beginning with the great sunset ferry arrival into Quellon, the weather has held steady and there has been no rain at all. On the contrary, most of my 3-4 days here has been under warm and clear skies. If only Mr. Darwin could have seen these green hills and coasts with the warming sun at his back!
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