This morning, I crossed the Cook Strait from the North Island to the South Island. It was an early rise, the ferry left at 8 am and check-in deadline was 7 am. We left Wellington just as the sun was coming up, but it wasn't yet strong enough to warm me up on deck so I put on a sweater and a jacket and spent the entire crossing outside in the lovely fresh air. I also enjoyed a lovely cappuccino with a sandwich I bought yesterday as I watched Wellington disappear in our wake. I made the same crossing about six years ago, only with a different ferry company, but I remember the scenery along the Marlborough Sound on the South Island being quite breathtaking - and it still was.
Arriving in Picton, there was a local shuttle bus to collect the checked baggage and transfer over to the Interislander ferry terminal to catch the bus to Nelson. The bus trip went through Marlborough wine country (worth NZ$1 billion in exports, according to the bus driver!) and over the mountains, which was quite picturesque.
Trying to locate the hostel, I was immediately assisted by two very friendly female locals. One of them offered to walk me to the doorstep as she was going in that direction anyway. They say the Kiwis are a friendly bunch. I haven't had that much in-depth interaction with them, but I will certainly confirm that statement based on my experience in Nelson! I was actually looking forward to getting to know some locals using AirBnB, but the prices on there are comparable with official accommodation, so no financial gains to be had.
I am less impressed with this hostel than the one in Wellington. The location is perfect, right in the city centre within walking distance of everything, but there are young people milling around barefoot and it's not my kind of vibe. I'm not sure what the social etiquette is in this kind of environment, and I expect to be kept awake by loud music, slamming doors, and shouting tonight. I haven't stayed in this type of establishment in decades and I haven't missed the experience. I'm also discovering that only females can choose to live in same-sex dorms (maybe that is why most of the guests here are female?), whilst us men are discriminated - as usual - and can only choose mixed dorms. Not that I would anyway, bad enough that I have to share ablution space with the hoi polloi, I draw the line at sharing sleeping quarters. One does have one's standards, after all.
The guy working in reception seemed to be the result of decades of inbreeding. The wi-fi doesn't work in my room, so I have to sit in the public area. There are not many showers and toilets, but there seems to be loads of people staying, so this should be interesting.
To cheer me up, good old booking.com sent me an offer to upgrade my room at my next destination, from a single room with shared bath to a twin room with en-suite and TV - for only NZ$15 for three nights! That was a total no-brainer, and I look forward to having my own facilities for the first time in New Zealand.
It's been yet another glorious sunny day, but the weather forecast for the next few days threatens rain... Even though this is the sunniest region in NZ! Well I suppose my luck could never last for ever, rain keeps this country green and lush, so bring it on. Maybe it'll turn out to be an April Fool's joke and the sun will shine again tomorrow!
In Nelson, I will visit the "Centre of New Zealand" and the supposedly famous Saturday market. The major destination around here seems to be the Abel Tasman National Park, but I will give that a miss. From what I have pieced together, you first need to take a one-hour bus ride for NZ$20 each way, then a boat along the coast for another NZ$70. I am happy to support the economy in this beautiful country, but that is what we Brits call a "piss-take". There is also a vintage train line running on weekends, I might check that out as it is affordable but very short.
New Zealand's capital has a reputation for strong winds. Over the past few days, it has been windy but by no means unpleasantly so. I'm sure that changes with the seasons. Autumn has only just begun here, and it's been sunny and cool during my stay.
I decided to give myself an extra day here. I still have plenty of time to see the South Island, and I needed some extra time after all the hassle with the credit card. Yesterday I invested in a day pass (only $9.50 and no plastic card required! Go Wellington!) and went up on Mount Victoria for spectacular views of the city and harbour. I then caught another bus to Eastbourne, which is on the coast across the bay from Wellington. I was pleasantly surprised to reach the end of the bus route to find the bus garage right on the beach, with picnic tables set out for me to bask in the glorious sunshine! I don't think I've ever enjoyed waiting for a bus so much. In fact, I let several of them go without me...
I also took a tour of the Parliament buildings yesterday. Mostly because it was free. Tours depart every hour on the hour weekdays 10 am to 4 pm, but apparently the 11 am which I went on is the last to enter the debating chamber. On my extra day, I felt compelled to visit the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. I say "compelled" because I don't like museums as a rule, I prefer being outside and drinking in the atmosphere. But the museum is always given high praise and admission is free, so I decided I had to check it out. I went in, had a look around, and left. I'm sure it's very interesting if you're a Kiwi and don't know much about your country and its history. I must be brutally honest and say I'm not that interested in NZ's history, I'm here for the nature and scenery. But if you're in Wellington and have some spare time on your hands, this could be a way to while away a few hours. Especially if it's raining. After Te Papa I walked on to the small city beach at Oriental Bay and enjoyed some more wonderful sunshine. I have been incredibly lucky with the weather on this entire trip! I can't remember when I last saw rain. Now that I head further south that may change. I did the cable car, botanic gardens, and the zoo during my first visit here nearly six years ago, so no need to repeat that. Wandering around Courteney Place, I instantly recognized a building from last time and even remembered the name of the restaurant: Molly Malone. Funny how random things stick in your memory... Wellington, despite its much smaller population, does feel like more of a big city than Auckland did. The very busy downtown streets are packed with people, and even the shops seem bigger. I seem to be giving Auckland a hard time here. I'm sure it's perfectly nice as well, I'm just sharing my impressions and I'm sure others will have different views.
I must share my very positive impression of my hostel, Hotel Waterloo and Backpackers. It's right across the road from the railway station, the Parliament, and the Bluebridge ferry to Picton, which I'm taking tomorrow morning. The railway station is also the hub for both local and long-distance buses, so very easy to get everywhere. The staff are friendly and helpful, and especially Manuel is very knowledgeable about travel and helped me book my Intercity bus pass. Despite there being a pub on the first floor, and my room facing a busy road, I've had no problems with noise and have been able to sleep without problems. So well worth checking out if you're in Wellington!
My jet lag is working for me at the moment. I had a 7:30 departure this morning and I was wide awake at 5 already. My hostel in Auckland was within walking distance from the Britomart Travel Centre. The Northern Explorer train has recently moved to another station, Strand, which isn't close to anything as far as I could tell, but they do run a free transfer bus from Britomart, so that worked perfectly for me. Not sure if that is a permanent thing, the notice at Britomart station only mentioned specific dates this week. So anyone planning to catch this train should check with KiwiRail.
The train departed Auckland 07:45 and was due to arrive in Wellington 18:25. A long day, but made worse with a 50 minute delay due to track work. Was it worth it? Well, that depends. If you have plenty of time on your hands, why not. The price for a flight over the Easter weekend was about the same, but that would only have taken an hour (plus airport transfers of course). Was the scenery along the way beautiful? Yes it was. Was it spectacular? Not in my opinion. You have a good view of Mount Ruapehu, but the view from the road is just as good. The seats are standard train seats and do not recline. The first carriage was an open viewing platform, but if you're tall like me, you'll need to stoop to see anything. Food and drink was available to purchase on board.
The train does have the advantage of ease of walking around, to the buffet coach or the viewing platform. But as an alternative, consider the Intercity coach. The fare is only $49, and it seems you can choose a very comfy seat with wi-fi for the 11.5 hour journey.
On arrival in Wellington, I only had to cross the street to my hostel. Great planning, hey?! The room is quite nice, still a shared bathroom, but only sharing with one other room this time, and I have both a sink and a TV in the room. The hostel in Auckland was more basic at around the same price, no TV or sink in the room, and toilets and showers shared with the whole floor. Both hostels give limited free wi-fi, then you have to pay. Both offer a 24-hour pass, $10 in Auckland and $8 in Wellington.
On my last day in Auckland, I caught a local bus to Western Springs, a nice park near the Museum of Transport and Technology, MOTAT. A single fare was $4.50, quite pricey in my opinion. I couldn't really get my head around how the ferries work. It seems none of the regular ones run on weekends and Bank Holidays, only the more expensive ones to Devonport and Waiheke Island. I had my baconator burger at Wendy's, and a walk through Albert Park.
If I get my new credit card tomorrow, I will head over to the South Island on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!
I was a lot happier after my full-day tour of Easter Island on Wednesday. We got to see a lot of moai and got plenty of exercise in the sun. Toward the end of the tour, we stopped for an hour at the island's only beach, but the hotel owner hadn't told me anything about the tour so I was completely unprepared. I would have loved to go in, it had been a hot, sweaty day.
I flew back to Santiago in economy, but with the onward connection to Auckland in business, I could spend a few hours in the airport lounge. It was nice to have some functioning wi-fi again. We did get a hot meal on the flight from Easter Island, but it was nice to have some free snacks and drinks in the lounge too.
The 13-hour flight to Auckland was fine. I watched the latest Star Wars movie, which I found rather disappointing. It not only revivedmost of the original actors, it also rehashed old themes. I've clearly outgrown this franchise. I love that the Boeing 787 has individual air-conditioning. I always feel warm and uncomfortable on long-haul flights where you can't control the temperature, but not so in this case. The food was OK, but they didn't have my favourite wine Shiraz on board, despite it being promoted on the menu. Breakfast was a little disappointing. The only hot options were omelette or scrambled eggs. No bacon, no sausage, and one tiny bread roll with no condiments. I did like the fresh fruit but wish the yoghurt had been flavoured.
We arrived in Auckland at 5 am on Saturday morning. Of course I couldn't get into my room so early, but I'd booked a single room with shared bath at a hostel so they did let me have a shower, which was nice. I then headed out on the hop on, hop off tour. NZ$45 for one day on two circuits, about an hour each. I got to see some places I didn't see on my last visit, and the weather was predominantly sunny. I especially enjoyed the view from the top of Mount Eden. At the end of the day, I was very happy to get my head down.
Today is Easter Sunday, and I've already been warned that all shops will be closed. I wanted to get a day ticket for the public transport in Auckland but have thrown in the towel. First you have to buy one of those wretched plastic cards that are now the norm pretty much everywhere you go. The card costs NZ$10, which you DO NOT get back if you return it! So that money is gone for ever. A day ticket then costs NZ$16, which is more than you pay for London zone 1-2 with Oyster! And the deposit for the Oyster card is refundable. In fact, NZ is pretty much on the UK level, price-wise, sometimes even more expensive. Haven't checked the price of a Big Mac yet, but will let you know. Anyway, you can also buy single tickets with cash, so I'll select a couple of destinations to visit today. I also want to take a ferry to somewhere, maybe Rangitoto island.
But there are definite signs that I am back in civilisation! Everyone speaks English, of course, and my mobile phone not only has reception, but it also tells me which street I'm on! Never seen that before on my old Nokia! There's also plenty of fresh milk in the supermarkets, something that was challenging to find especially in Chile, and the wi-fi in the hostel is really good. Also, there is plenty of printed information for tourists, something that was lacking in South America, as well as detailed and informative web sites.
I was in Auckland around six years ago, so I know there isn't a great deal to see or do around here. It can all be done in two days. Despite being New Zealand's biggest city with 1.5 million inhabitants, it does not feel like Stockholm or Amsterdam with similar population. The weather forecast for today is 24 degrees and 94% humidity...
Shortly after I started on this trip, I got an email from my credit card issuer about fraudulent activity. So I called them and they cancelled my card. They were going to send out a new one, so I gave them my address in Easter Island, but the card never arrived. I called them again and told them I'm moving around every few days so it's difficult to give them another address. They said they could send it to a British High Commission as an alternative, so I asked them to send it to Wellington. If all goes well, it should be there after the Easter weekend. The customer service people couldn't send me an email to confirm or give me a DHL tracking number, which I find extremely poor, and the only contact is by phone, which is costing me a small fortune by now. This kind of thing must happen quite a lot and they really don't have a good system in place to deal with it quickly and smoothly.
So tomorrow morning, I'm taking the Northern Explorer train down to the Kiwi capital. It's a 10-hour trip through the interior of the North Island, and the views are supposed to be spectacular. On my last visit, I drove a campervan along a similar route, so this time I hope to be able enjoy the scenery and take some photos instead of staring at the tarmac.
Once I have my new credit card, I can start planning for the rest of my stay in Aotearoa. I was agonising how to spend my time on the North Island, but with the credit card situation, I just have to get down to Wellington as soon as possible, so that kind of solved my dilemma. I already visited Rotorua, center of maori culture in NZ, and the Waitomo glowworm caves on my first
visit. I am not a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, so I don't mind
missing Hobbiton. There are however a number of places I would like to
visit on the North Island, but they really require a car and I've
decided not to rent one this time. Guess that means I'll have to come back to NZ again then! I've been to Wellington before as well, so no point hanging around longer than necessary. Instead, I'll focus on the South Island. I'm loosely planning three weeks in NZ, and then two weeks in Australia to finish off this adventure. I would be quite happy to find a nice scenic spot and spend a week in one place. I've heard a lot about Queenstown, and it's also a good base for excursions.
Easter Island is exactly as I had expected: a small tropical island with nothing else to see or do except the moai. The "town", capital, Hanga Roa is small enough to walk around in 20 minutes - slowly. The main street, Atamu Tekena, has a supermarket, some restaurants, pharmacy, bank, and tourist tat shops. It's not a place to spend an afternoon shopping. Maybe 10 minutes. Many places, including the tourist office and post office, close for a few hours' siesta midday (I've actually never seen the tourist office open - yesterday they had their hours posted, although it was still closed, today the sign was gone...). Meals seem to fall between 6.000 and 10.000 for a main course, so not extremely overpriced. The beaches here are nothing special either, certainly not worth travelling all this way for. There is only one officially designated beach where you can swim, at the northern end of the island.
Tomorrow I'm going on a full-day mystery tour of the island. I say "mystery", because I have no idea what I will be seeing. The guesthouse owner pounced on me the first night and wanted to sell me a full day and two half days. I said I'm only interested in a full day, but I can't get out of him what it will include. Only that it will cost 20.000 pesos, plus 30.000 park entrance fee.This is the same man who didn't collect me from the airport and asked twice for my name. I've also had another pointless discussion with him which I won't go into detail on. I've read one review online from some French visitors who said that as soon as he realised they weren't interested in booking any tours through him, he completely ignored them. I can believe that. He's never around and he's not interested in giving any advice or making my visit enjoyable in any way. He's only interested in how much money he can get out of me. The wi-fi is deplorable.
I suppose when you live on an isolated island and probably never travel yourself, you take the tourists for granted and don't care about how they experience their very expensive once-in-a-lifetime holiday. It doesn't matter how they treat visitors here, they will still come, and every day a new plane with hundreds of new visitors will replace the leavers and fill up the accommodations. When I went to the Galapagos many years ago, they had put up notices saying "Sonrie al turista, le da vida a tu isla" ("Smile at the tourists, they bring life to your island"). And I must say, the people on the Galapagos were some of the grumpiest I have met, also taking the tourists for granted. Some Easter Island service providers could well benefit from some customer service training.
It's often said that Easter Island is the most isolated island in the world. All marketing and not true. With daily flights, sometimes twice daily, from Santiago, and twice weekly to Tahiti, it is anything but. Yes it's way out in the Pacific, but it's infinitely better connected to the continent than e.g. Pitcairn, Tristan da Cunha, or South Georgia. Take Pitcairn as an example. To get there, you need to first get to Tahiti, then fly on to some remote place called Mangareva, then catch a ship that only runs once every three months! And the sea crossing takes 32 hours! The only way to get to Tristan da Cunha is by sailing for five-six days from Cape Town, South Africa! So I think Easter Island can strike that statement from their brochures.
Ironically I'll be leaving Easter Island on the Thursday before Easter... Looking forward to New Zealand now! Fish & chips, Asian food, and a Wendy's baconator, washed down with L&P! Sweet as, bro!
I landed on Easter Island yesterday, so I'll have to come back later with my impressions. So far I've had a taste of "island time"; it took an hour to get off the plane and get my bag, then there was a mix-up at the airport where the guesthouse owner should have picked me up, so another kind gentleman from another guesthouse drove me instead... It was 26 degrees when I arrived, so temperature is absolutely fine, but it's proper humid here. First the owner wanted to put me in a room with just a fan, but I wasn't having that! Air-conditioning in this climate is not an option, it's a necessity. I'm having my doubts about this man... I was the only guest to arrive yesterday, and I think I may be the only guest resident at the moment. Still he's asked me for my name twice...
Reflections on Santiago: it wasn't as unbearably hot as I had feared. The weather forecast was for around 30 degrees every day, but either it was totally wrong or the cooling breeze made a huge difference. According to outdoor thermometers it was even as low as 19 one day! But a few blocks away another thermometer was showing 29... Either way, the weather was quite pleasant, mostly sunny, and with a nice cooling breeze.
I had some issues with the apartment I'd rented. It was facing the street and it was ridiculously noisy. I didn't sleep a wink the first night. I'd also asked them to leave the wi-fi password for when I arrived - and it was the wrong one! So I had no way of communicating with the outside world. My mobile has only ever had reception twice since I arrived in South America, in the most random places. Despite their page on booking.com saying they accepted credit cards, surprise surprise, they didn't! So a lady came around the following morning and got my money and got me online. I also got to move to another apartment in the same building that was more quiet - and again, they left me with the wrong wi-fi password! I won't bore you with all the details, but I had my issues... Location was however spot on, walking distance to everything in the city centre and a metro station just around the corner.
As mentioned, I have been to Santiago before so I took it easy with the sightseeing. I went up on Santa Lucia hill, San Cristobal hill, walked around the city centre to Plaza de Armas, the Moneda palace, etc. I found Santiago less green than Buenos Aires, perhaps because autumn has started, perhaps for other reasons. The spectacular view of the city from San Cristobal was somewhat diminished due to the pollution. On clear days you should be able to see the Andes in the distance. I wasn't so lucky.
I did save a bundle on cooking my own meals, and only splashed out once on a restaurant meal. I went to a Mexican restaurant called Plaza Garibaldi. The food was OK, not exactly like in Mexico, but close. I had tacos al pastor, enchiladas con mole, and of course, guacamole. However, during the night, most of it came back up again... How ironic that I should suffer Moctezuma's Revenge in Chile! As a result I didn't sleep a wink all night and felt like the walking dead the following day. At least I flew business class so I could stretch out and get some rest on the way to Easter Island, but all I wanted was to put my head down and sleep. So when I finally arrived at the guesthouse yesterday around 4:30 local time, I didn't get out of bed until this morning. At least I've had some breakfast today, so I should be on the mend.
Going back to the airport early Sunday morning, I took a taxi to the airport bus terminal, and then the Centropuerto bus to the airport. Total cost 3100 pesos, less than half the shuttle I took on arrival. But I was happy to pay more for a door-to-door service when I arrived so late. Once I had the lay of the land, I was far more comfortable choosing the cheapest option.
About the flight: although I was flying business class, there is no fast-lane security in Santiago for domestic flights, and no business lounge! Very disappointing as I had to queue up with the riff-raff, and I was looking forward to having my morning coffee in peace in the lounge. They want you to be at the airport 2 hours before departure as Easter Island is considered an international destination (why?), still, it departs from the domestic terminal and there are no special considerations for premium travellers. Only by asking at the check-in counter could I avoid the long queue as there is no priority check-in either, and the counter was shared with people flying to Lima (which is international but departing from the domestic terminal..???). Easter Island wasn't even advertised on the screens above check-in, only Lima. Confused.com! Once on board the Dreamliner Boeing 787, it did have a long-haul configuration with flat beds and proper in-flight entertainment. Although I mostly saw the inside of my eye-lids...
I have reached Santiago de Chile, my final destination on the South American continent. I now have four days in the Chilean capital, the longest stretch since Buenos Aires and it will be nice to not have to pack again for four days.
My flight got in at 9 pm last night, and I took a shared shuttle to the apartment I've rented. The journey took about an hour and cost 7000 pesos. The apartment is also quite affordable and very central and well comparable with a hotel room, but with the added comfort of a kitchenette so I can keep drinks cold and do some cooking to save money. The temperature here will be around 30 for the next few days, so plenty of cold drinks will be consumed! I found the Peruvian classic Inca Kola in a supermarket in Puerto Varas, so hopefully I can get a large bottle of that while I'm here. I didn't think it was ever sold outside of Peru. It's a sweet, citrony, chewing gum type taste, but quite refreshing on a hot day.
I have actually been to Santiago twice before, so I won't be ferretting around this city of 5 million during my stay. I'll do some sightseeing but take it easy in the heat, the point is to enjoy the experience, not to stress. There is a neighbourhood called "Suecia" (Sweden) which of course I want to visit, and my guide book recommends two Mexican restaurants I also want to check out. I LOVE tacos! Not the Tex-mex hard shell abominations most people think are tacos, but the authentic, soft-tortilla Mexican variety, filled only with spicy meat and salsa, not with bunny food. If they have tacos al pastor, I might never leave!
Nearing the end of my South American adventure, I can take stock. I have written about the desmadre, which means you have to expect the unexpected here. There is only so much research and preparation you can do online, most things you will only find out once you are here. One thing is, never trust booking.com if it says "We speak your language" on a hotel's page. Chances are they don't. And that is a general rule, don't bother visiting South America if you don't speak Spanish (or Portuguese if Brazil is your thing). You will constantly struggle to communicate and you will not enjoy it. The only reason I've been able to get around at all is because I still speak the lingo.
Argentina is a country obsessed with cash. Partly because of the economic chaos that still seems to mar the country, but also because tax evasion is as normal as brushing your teeth. From my posts from Buenos Aires, readers will know that the Government doesn't make it easy to get cash out of the ATM's either, and I couldn't find anyone in the UK who sold Argentinian pesos.
In Chile, cash is of course also King, but so is the US dollar, apparently. I've never really understood this, but there is some rule that if you pay your hotel in USD you avoid a 19% surcharge, which should be levied if you pay in Chilean pesos. One hotel charged my credit card in USD, while the next claimed they couldn't and charged my card in CLP instead. Like so many things in this part of the world it makes no bloody sense, but that is something you have to learn to live with here. Or indeed leave, as I did a while ago.
I've also mentioned the comfort of South American long-distance coaches. Look out for the semi-cama if you're travelling long distances, they are actually quite comfy.Pullman means a normal seat with limited recline and legroom. Even if several bus companies ply the same route, they seem to be leaving around the same time, so not sure how much competition that is. ALWAYS reconfirm schedules, and keep in mind tickets are not interchangeable so you have to stick to the bus company you bought the ticket from (usually).
So for all the challenges, Patagonia is a beautiful place on this Earth! Well worth visiting and the more time you spend, the more you will marvel. There is some stunning scenery, and if you're the outdoors type, plenty of untouched nature for you to explore. The summers down here are not as warm as in the northern hemisphere due to cold winds from Antarctica and no Gulf Stream, but I've been quite happy with temperatures between 10 and 15 at the tail end of summer here.
I will also say that people overall have been very friendly, but again, without Spanish, you will be very isolated indeed. People here love a chat and they also like to know where you're from and what you do, so it's not difficult to break the ice. Also, if you speak Spanish, they are less likely to take advantage of you as a tourist and rip you off.
Argentina and Chile are not the cheapest countries on the continent, I actually just read that Chile is now the most expensive. Some years agoit was Brazil, but I suppose their recent troubles have impacted the real. If you want cheap, Peru, Bolivia, and probably Paraguay are the places to go. On this trip I think I have visited thesafest and most developed countries on the continent.
Yes you can pack all that into two days and still manage a lie-in! I was incredibly tired when I arrived in Puerto Montt on Sunday evening, so it was a struggle to get out of bed the next day. Therefore I only managed an afternoon trip over to Chiloé island, and visited the first town, Ancud. The landscape around this area is very reminiscent of Sweden. Although I don't think there is anything special or unique to visit on the island, it has plenty of natural beauty to make for a very scenic trip.
Puerto Montt is just a city. The biggest city I've been to since Buenos Aires. The hotel I booked was within walking distance from the bus station, which was my main priority. It was cheap and cheerful, and the wi-fi worked fine. On first arrival, the area seemed a bit dodgy, as you might expect around a bus station. But I went for a walk through the city centre the next day and it was just a normal downtown. Of course much busier during the day than at night, and with several budget restaurants to choose from. Apart from finding a llama lying down on the pavement on a pedestrian street (not just a random llama, I'm sure it belonged to someone although it wasn't clear who and why it was lying there), nothing much to report.
On day two, I had a late evening flight to Santiago, so a full day at my disposal. After checking out and leaving my luggage at the hotel, I caught a minibus to nearby Puerto Varas, 20 minutes to the north and on the shores of the massive Lake Llanquihue. Puerto Varas was much nicer than Puerto Montt. A bit like Varas was the smart sibling that went to college and got a nice career, while Montt was the stupid girl who got pregnant at 15 and had to drop out of school. It's clear where the money is in the area.
I caught another minibus toward Petrohué. It followed the lake shore and we had a great view of the Osorno volcano with its snow-capped top on one side, and Calbuco volcano on the other. The trip to Ensenada along the lake was gorgeous, and there were plenty of campings, B&B's and hostals along the way. Also a number of picturesque little churches. Clearly a very popular tourist destination. The buses run every 30 minutes and although there are fixed stops, they seemed to stop where ever necessary.
Petrohué is not a town or even a village, it's just the end of the road, and a place to change from bus to boat if you are travelling to Bariloche over the lakes. I initially wanted to cross over to Bariloche in Argentina for the views, but decided against it. The bus-boat-bus-boat-relay costs US$280, so that was out of the question, and the direct bus-only journey was about 7 hours each way, meaning I'd have to spend one night in Puerto Montt and one in Bariloche. Too much hassle. I still have a cold. The view over Lake Todos los Santos from the shore in Petrohué was gorgeous, however, as was the view of the Osorno volcano.
On the way I also stopped off at the waterfalls Saltos de Petrohué. Can't help but feel they have been rather hyped up on Tripadvisor. They were not that impressive. But admission was free, so why not.
I'm quite happy with the stopover in Puerto Montt, I got to to see some very nice scenery and also taste the local specialty, salmon. Pto Montt is the salmon capital of Chile, apparently.
Sky Airline also impressed with spanking new Airbus 320 and very spacious overhead bins. It's a low-cost airline so all refreshments on board came at a price. Legroom was also very generous, especially when I got an exit row seat from Pto Montt to Santiago.
It's been so windy down here lately that I've caught a cold... I started coughing on the bus trip from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas, and yesterday I decided to take a day off. A holiday from my holiday. Although I don't have to go to work every day, I'm still busy doing and seeing things, and moving from place to place every few days, and that can also be quite tiring. Now I have two full days in Punta Arenas and there isn't a great deal to see or do here, so I afforded myself the luxury of staying in bed most of yesterday. I feel a little better today, but the cursed cough is back...
Punta Arenas is the southernmost city of Chile and the South American mainland. I have actually been here once before, about eight years ago, but that was in winter and it was freezing. It's quite mild now, around 15 degrees, but windy. For the second time during my trip I have booked accommodation with a shared bathroom. Luckily the high season is pretty much over so the hostal isn't very busy.
The only tour I wanted to do from here was to visit the penguin sanctuary at Otway. To my disappointment, it has already closed for the season as the penguins have left! The other option was to catch a boat to Magdalena Island, which would take two hours each way and required a connection with a shared taxi from the city centre. I decided it was too much trouble and didn't fancy travelling for up to six hours, four of which on board a boat on choppy waters, just to see some penguins. I can see penguins for free in Slottsskogen in Gothenburg. I also saw some in South Africa last year.
The tourist office told me the bus to the airport has been suspended. There was a tender process that ended in some kind of failure, so the buses stopped running three weeks ago! Instead, I have now booked a shared shuttle from a local agency, Scott, for the same price, 3000 pesos.
I decided to have a long overdue haircut today. In this wind, my long flowing mane always get in my eyes, so high time to trim it. The hairdresser was not the chatty type, which suited me just fine. And at the end I even got a receipt! Don't think I've ever had a receipt for a haircut before.
I've also noticed that cars actually stop and let you cross at zebra crossings here. That's never happened since I arrived in South America.
24 little hours... The weather yesterday was cloudy and very windy. Today, radiant sun and very pleasant indeed! Although you'd still have to put a sweater or a jacket on, it's only around 10 degrees.
Yesterday in the afternoon I went on a boat trip on the famous Beagle Channel, separating the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego Island and the southernmost Chilean islands, just south of Ushuaia. The sea was quite rough in the high winds, and tops of the mountains on either side were shrouded in fog. The waves were so strong the boat was bobbing up and and down like a rollercoaster. Some older ladies at the front were having the time of their lives. Bless.
Had I gone on that trip today instead, the sea would have been calm and the mountain tops would have been clearly visible and made for some great pictures. Oh well. My take on the Beagle Channel cruise: only do it in fair weather and if you want to take some pictures of the scenery. The trip itself is nothing special. As on Lago Argentino, they take photos of you during the trip and try to flog them to you at the end. The onboard cafeteria is of course also fully stocked for the captive audience. We went close to a few islands with cormorants and sea lions, and a lighthouse. I paid 750 pesos, mostly for the bragging rights. You got a stamped certificate at the end, so that's something to show the grandchildren, I suppose.
This morning I went on a half-day tour to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. An altogether much nicer experience, partly because of the vastly improved weather conditions. About half an hour outside of Ushuaia, there is a narrow-gauge railway that used to transport prisoners but now is packed like a sardine can with paying tourists. A nice enough little trip of just under an hour one way, but by no means a religious experience. Those who didn't fancy the train stayed on the bus, and we all met up again where the track ended.
We then went on to a few beauty spots in the park. Green Lagoon, Lapataia Bay at the end of the Panamerican highway that starts in Alaska, Lago Roca (stunningly beautiful!), and finally the southernmost post office in the world, adjacent to Isla Redonda. I did a typical tourist thing and paid 30 pesos to have a special stamp in my passport!
So I have learned that Antarctica is still 1000 km to the south from Ushuaia, and the South Pole is 4000 km away. If you are interested in spending a couple of weeks seeing nothing more than snow, ice, and the same faces, be prepared to cough up at least $5000 for the privilege. Even if I had that kind of money sitting around gathering dust, the last thing I would think to spend it on would be the above. I could very well imagine a cruise, but in a more pleasant climate and with a proper stateroom that I never had to leave.
There are more expensive experiences to be had around here. The 3-4 day cruise between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas runs you a cool $3000, and it is the only way to see Cape Horn and the southern fiords of Patagonia. They were advertising last-minute discounts so for a laugh, I sent them an email. They still wanted almost 3 grand for the privilege, but for a single cabin that actually is a good discount! Even the very basic ferry service from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt runs you several thousand dollars, and the accommodations are abysmal. The best (?) "bargain" if you fancy seeing Patagonia from the sea is the 30-hour journey between Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams on the south side of the Beagle Channel. This is about 100 quid including food, but accommodation is only a reclineable seat. Getting to Puerto Williams is another story. You can cross by ferry from Ushuaia, which is another 100 quid! My conclusion is that travel between Chile and Argentina is quite difficult and expensive. If you stay within one country, it gets cheaper and easier. There are for instance no flights between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas, the only direct option is the 11-hour bus journey I'm about to embark on tomorrow.
Ushuaia is reputed to be the most expensive city in Argentina. I can certainly confirm that accommodation is severely overpriced. Eating out, however, is not too bad. Seafood is surprisingly expensive, but you can have the staple milanesa with chips for about 110 pesos, or a pasta for about the same price. I happened to walk past a pizza restaurant yesterday that advertised 50% discount on all pizzas on Wednesdays. Guess where I had my lunch today! I tried Argentinian pizza in Buenos Aires and found it very bland. I think it's because the cheese, which they call mozzarella but I have my doubts, is quite tasteless. Anyway, for half off, I wasn't going to turn my nose up. First the waiter brought me the wrong pizza. Then I got the one I actually ordered, with spiced sausage to at least give it some flavour. I was still left disappointed. But hey, half off is still half off, and I'm economising with my last Argentinian pesos before leaving tomorrow. I now have only 72 pesos left to spend in the supermarket in preparation for my long bus journey tomorrow.
I have enjoyed my two days in Ushuaia (especially today), but two days is enough. One more day and I would have been bored. I will be in Punta Arenas next for three days, then start heading north to Puerto Montt and finally Santiago. The Chilean capital has around 30 degrees now, so after the cool weather in Patagonia, that will be a bit of a shock to the system.
I'm a little behind on posting, simply because I haven't had time. So let's travel back in time a few days now...
Puerto Natales, Chile. About five hours by bus from El Calafate. I had a laundry list of things I had to organise once I got there, so as soon as I had left my bags at the hostel, I had to get busy.
1. Book a day trip to the national park of Torres del Paine for the following day (only had one day before I wanted to continue to Ushuaia) 2. Book the bus ticket to Ushuaia, since it can't be booked online 3. Change my flight dates from Punta Arenas to Santiago - this had to be done by phone, and since it's a Chilean airline, it would be significantly cheaper to make a domestic call
So I got cracking and first booked the tour to Torres del Paine. I'd had a quick look at viator.com, a site I usually like since they sell a lot of local arrangements all over the world and are often the only option to book these online. I found a day trip to Torres, but people also said they had paid over the odds. And I can certainly confirm that. The price on viator.com was £46. I paid £25! The guide only spoke Spanish, and perhaps that means a lower price, but someone seems to be skimming a juicy profit off this!
Torres del Paine was beautiful! Tall mountains, including the famous three towers that gave the park its name, plus a lot of lakes. It was quite a long day, however, 12 hours in total. 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. In addition to the beautiful scenery, we saw guanacos, rheas, armadillo and some small foxes. One of the larger lakes in the park were named after a Swedish explorer, Nordenskjöld, and Lake Sköttsberg also has a Scandinavian ring to it but I haven't found any explanation as to where that name comes from. It doesn't really sound Swedish.
It was ridiculously windy on the afternoon of my arrival. Luckily the wind died down overnight, so the day out in Torres was perfect.
Yes folks, I arrived in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, tonight! There is one small settlement (Puerto Williams, belongs to Chile) across the Beagle Channel that is slightly more to the south, but it's not a city and crossing over there costs around £100 each way so I will give that a miss.
I was more than a little apprehensive about getting here, though. All the signs were telling me not to. Accommodations are ridiculously expensive here, and the only way to get here from Chile is by bus - 12 hours no less!!! I asked at the bus station when I bought the ticket if there were any rest stops on the way, but the girl insisted it was a non-stop service. I did not relish the prospect of 12 hours uninterrupted arse-sitting (Deep Vein Thrombosis is real, people, and it's a killer!), but I have come this far, I can't not visit Ushuaia. So up I got at 5:30 this morning and at 7 am, I braced myself for the long journey ahead.
Now I must say, it certainly was a long journey, but it was not as hellish as I thought it would be. First of all the girl was talking bollocks. We had a total of four leg-stretchers en route, which made the whole experience just about bearable for me. I did look for other travellers' accounts of this journey online, but no one addressed the intense wear and tear of the buttocks I so dreaded. I will therefore give you the low-down on my experience. This may be an internet exclusive, so remember where you read this!
07:00 - Departure from Puerto Natales 09:30 - Changed buses at Kon Aiken - the bus we joined came from Punta Arenas, and after some 20 of us got on, it was completely packed! So no space to spread out... 11:20 - Arrived at the ferry taking us across to Tierra del Fuego Island (15 minute crossing and we had to board on foot, so leg stretcher #1) 14:30 - Arrived at the border control in San Sebastian - first the Chile exit (leg stretcher #2), and quite a few miles later the Argentina entry (leg stretcher #3) 16:10 - All immigration formalities completed and we're back on the road 18:15 - Refuelling for 20 minutes in Tolguin (leg stretcher #4) 20:15 - Arrived in Ushuaia Yes call me Mr. Knackered Knackeredson... And in only three days, I get to do it all again in reverse! But I'm jolly well here now, at the very bottom of the world! Antarctica is still a very long way away, and if you compare the latitude to the northern hemisphere, I'm only in Newcastle! Which explains why it rains so much here... The weather forecast for tomorrow is rain and 6 degrees, for Wednesday partly cloudy and 11 degrees, then rain for the rest of the week. So hopefully I'll have one clear day to take some photos before I leave. March should see 52.3 mm of rain according to Wikipedia, the third wettest month of the year...
Apart from border controls, one reason it takes so b***dy long is the horrendous roads on the Chilean side of the island. Just gravel and dirt, and when it rains as it did today, the windows are soon covered in mud and you can't see a thing. Not that there was much to see anyway, bleak steppe and a whole lot of nothing best sums up the scenery... Only for the last hour and a half were there some trees and some views of the lakes, and by then the bus had had a wash.
Further info for anyone planning to make this trip: on the ferry to the island, you can purchase hot and cold drinks and hot dogs (called panchos in Chile and Argentina). At the border exit from Chile in San Sebastian, you can buy a variety of hot and cold snacks, sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks. And they're not ridiculously expensive either. I used Bus Sur and the ticket cost CLP41.000 from Puerto Natales. From Punta Arenas I think it's 35.000. Sounds like a lot, but there is 1000 pesos to £1.
I will also tell you about the conductor on the bus from Puerto Natales, Pedro, who for some reason seemed to take a shine to me. He found out I was from Sweden and he told me he had Swedish currency! And sure enough, he soon came back with a wad of bank notes from all over the world, including a couple of Swedish ones! They were gifts from tourists, he had never been to Sweden (nor anywhere else outside his bus route I suspect). He was very chatty and enthusiastic, but no idea why he chose me. There were plenty of other tourists on the bus. Unfortunately I had nothing to contribute to his collection from the currencies I carried.
On the inconsistency of South American long-distance coaches: I took a 3-hour trip from El Calafate to El Chaltén and the double-decker bus was equipped with semi-camas that really reclined, quite comfy. On a 12-hour trip - regular seats! And legroom that makes Ryanair feel like business class! Not to mention the headrest was at the level of my shoulderblades. I don't often wish I were a short-arse, but when it comes to travelling, it would certainly solve most of my problems. I swapped my window seat with the French chap next to me, and popped my legs into the aisle. Much better!
I'll come back to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine tomorrow, I just wanted to post this scoop asap. Dodgy wi-fi still haunts me.
So this is my last night in Argentina - but only for a few days. The way Chile and Argentina split up Patagonia between them makes it all but unavoidable to criss-cross the border to get around. My next destination is Puerto Natales, which is in Chile. From there I want to go to Ushuaia, which is in Argentina. After that it's Punta Arenas, which is in Chile. If all goes to plan, I will cross into Argentina one more time, and then finally back into Chile. Good thing I have a brand new passport with plenty of pages for all the stamps!
I did my 8 km trek yesterday, to see a waterfall. Perfectly nice as waterfalls go. I was feeling quite perky when I started on my return, and was thinking if I should maybe walk to the other end of town and up a hill to a viewpoint. But on the way back, my energy levels fell quickly and when I got back to the hotel I just collapsed on the bed. Now before you all judge me, I can tell you I have done PLENTY of walking already on this trip, so I think I should be forgiven for calling it a day after one hike along a dusty, rocky gravel road.
I've realised I shouldn't feel guilty about doing nothing. I constantly feel a pressure to do things, because I'm on this amazing YOLO trip and I want to see as much as possible. But it's also important to relax and rest, something I was very good at back in England. Well, there wasn't much else to do in Nottingham. Of course I want to see as much as I possibly can, but I also don't want to burn myself out. This trip is meant to be enjoyed, and if I push myself too hard, I won't enjoy it.
The latin desmadre strikes again. When I arrived in El Chaltén, I needed a taxi to get my heavy luggage and myself to the other side of town. The guy on the information desk was kind enough to try and call one for me, but in the end there was none available! OK it's a small town, but the tourist map had a list of at least 10 taxi companies! Unless it's 10 companies sharing one car, I don't understand how nothing was available. So I had no choice but to hit the pavement, dragging my heavy suitcase behind me. Luckily it only took 15 mins or so. Having learned that lesson, I asked the hotel yesterday to book a taxi for me for this morning, so I could catch my bus back to El Calafate. 10 o'clock, I said. No problem, they said. So come this morning, 10 am, what do you think happens? No taxi! I started getting a bit nervous, and the hotel of course just said, don't worry, it'll come. So around 10 past 10, this private car rolls up and wants to take me to the bus station! I still have no idea who the guy was, but he spoke decent English and he didn't charge me a penny for the ride!
I've also sorted out the hotel double-charging me for my stay. Unsurprisingly, the owner never made a manual refund, so luckily I was back again today so he could swipe my card. No word of apology, and when I told him what I thought of their organisation, he decided to ignore me. Read my review on Tripadvisor.
There are decidedly some people here who are in the wrong industry. Apart from not speaking any English, they just seem bored and tired with people. Some of them will blatantly ignore you and continue chatting with their mates. Then there are those who treat you better. The lady at the bus station in El Chaltén this morning was quite nice and smiled. Her colleagues in El Calafate are a mix of both, some nice, some grumpy. Luckily I speak the lingo, and if I need to criticise someone's performance or attitude, I have plenty of vocabulary for that. I sometimes have to bite my tongue as I could easily let rip with all the colourful Mexican insults that seem to have settled permanently in my brain's darkest recesses but are now ready to come out and play.
There are plenty of street dogs in both El Calafate and El Chaltén. Most of them just ignore people, but some of them seek out human contact. Primarily hoping for something to eat, of course, but I had a cuddle with some of them. One morning I was having breakfast and a cat wandered in, so I got to stroke that as well.
It suddently dawned on me today that the sun is in the North here! Freaky.
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