Adventures with Julia

Patagonia is spread between Argentina and Chili and is the southernmost region of South America, including Tierra del Fuego.  Patagonia is famous for its variety of wildlife, unspoiled nature, and ancient Indian cultures.  Archeological findings date back to 8,000 BC, from Pre-Columbian civilizations to the skilled Mapuche Indians known for their mastery in weapons making and agriculture in the 16^th century.  In addition, part of the Andes, one of the longest rock formations on earth, are found here.  Within the Andes is the tourist destination and trekking paradise of Torres del Paine National Park located in the Cordillera del Paine mountain chain. 

Massive exposed, granite rock features, formed in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs wandered the planet, raise among turquoise lakes, rapids, waterfalls, and flatlands.  They are the remnants of the sedimentary stratum, which has been eroded away in the Torres del Paine Park.  Hopefully, I will have some photos to share soon.  

Meanwhile, the park was established in 1959 and is 70 miles north of Puerto Natales. At 593,000 acres it is one of the largest and most visited in Chili.  In 1978, the park became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  It is known as the most beautiful park in Chili for its famous Grey Glacier, two popular treks and the most photographed attraction called the Torres del Paine, the three distinct 11,000 foot+ granite towers.  The word Paine is from the Tehuelche Indian word meaning “blue”blue towers.

We arrived at Puerto Natales in a driving rain storm and zero visibility. After a lengthy arrival process we finally departed in a van with another couple and headed for Explora Lodge, an hour and a half away. The road was a mix of asphalt and gravel. Very rough and bumpy and the rain did not let up. The other couple never said a word to us and it was a very quiet rode. We could see only the scrub, brush and low tree cover near the road and the occasional lake. Eventually we passed the large and very turquoise blue Rio Paine. Very pretty even through the rain. Once we arrived ate the lodge, we were greeted by the receptionist and activities director, who walked us through the activities options for our 3 day stay. Tomorrow’s suggested options include a short hike for Mark and a horseback rode for me, followed by lunch and a break before the afternoon activity of a looping drive to see the Torres del Paine hopefully. It all depends on the weather; wind, rain and fog. The lodge is very light and airy and spread out. Our room is very close to the dining room, thankfully. We quickly unpacked and went to dinner. Finished unpacking and went to bed.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

We landed in Montevideo at 9:30am and got to our lodging, the Alma Historical Boutique Hotel, in the old town by 10:30am. Our guide, Hans, told us he would be with us until we leave Montevideo. He spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. He waited for us to get settled into our room, which was a small space named for Geraldo Rodriguez, a composer of Tango music. The small inn was very much in the heart of the old city and perfect for walking around and meeting people. The weather was a perfect summer day, not too hot, when we walked in the shade, and a slight breeze. Hans told us the population of Uruguay is 3.5 million and that of Montevideo is 1.5 million. It is indeed a small country. Products they export include leather, meat, wool and agricultural products. They also have paper mills and timber and sell paper products and cellulose. The country also mines amethyst. Their biggest imports are vehicles and fuel. The country is 45% Catholic and there are about 20,000 Jewish people. The country has been a democracy since 1985. Hans shared a lot about the history of the country and I will try to remember some of it.

First of all we did a walk about the old town of Montevideo and saw buildings with different architectural styles, including colonial and European neoclassical. A dominant theme was Art Deco. The country was most prosperous during the 20’s and 30’s and Art Deco was big in that era. The only city with more Art Deco is New York. One particular building we stopped at was an Art Deco front with a frieze of Artigas.

We stopped there awhile as Hans wanted to tell us about the man who was an Uruguayan hero and the father of Uruguayan independence, Jose Gervasio Artigas. He lived from 1764 to 1850 and was a political leader, a military general, and a statesman. Among other things, in 1815 he designed one of the three Uruguayan flags still used today. It is blue-white-blue horizontal stripes with a red diagonal stripe going from upper inner to lower outer corner of the flag, representing federalism. It is especially connected to the Armed Forces of Uruguay.

Hans told us Uruguay is the only country in the world that has and uses three national flags. The primary flag was designed in 1828. It is white with 4 blue horizontal stripes. In the upper inner corner is a white canton with a golden sun with facial features and 16 golden rays.

The third flag is called the Flag of the 33 as it was used by a military group of 33 men that started the fight for freedom against Brazilian rule in the Oriental province, which is present day Uruguay. In 1828, after 8 years of being a Brazilian province, Uruguay’s independence was recognized. THe flag is a blue-white-red tricolor. On the white stripe is written LIBERTAD O MORTE (Freedom or Death).

We stopped at Cafe Brasilero, an Art Nouveau establishment dating from 1877, serving Brazilian coffee. The photos on the walls were most interesting. There was even one of Audrey Hepburn.

We learned that the name Uruguay comes from the river by that name that marks the western boundary of the country. It was named by indigenous people, who called it the River of Colorful Birds, or Uruguay. Although there are only 3.5 Million people in Uruguay, there are 12 million cows. The country is mostly flat and green and great for cattle. The tallest hill in the country is 1514 meters. The Coat of Arms depicts agriculture, commerce, the sea port, sunshine and forestry, all of which have served the country well.

From the Cafe, we walked to Matriz Square, the first open space in the Fronting on it is the Colonial style Metropolitan Cathedral. It has a beautiful modern alter. In the center of the square is a fountain built to commemorate the coming of potable water to the town.

The city was founded in 1724 by Bruno Zabola, who kept the city from the Portuguese. The far side of the plaza is a remnant of the town’s original fortifications, built in 1742. Looking through the gate into Independence Square, we see a beautiful eclectic building called Salvo Palace. The horse rider statue in the middle of the square is of the independence hero Artigas, 1764-1850, who is buried on the spot. Behind the statue is a modern building called the Executive Tower, built in 2009.

Meanwhile, in 1680, the Portuguese founded a town they called Colonia del Sacramento directly across the Rio de las Plata from Buenos Aires and north of Montevideo. The fresh or “sweet” water, Rio de la Plata was discovered in 1516 by Juan Dias Desolys.

Buenos Aires was founded in 1536, but burned down and was rebuilt in 1580.

In 1806-07, the British invaded Uruguay and Argentina, but the local Spaniards fought them back. In 1816 the Portuguese took all of Uruguay by land and sea. Brazil gained its independence in 1822 and, in 1825, Brazil fought the Portuguese. In 1828, England, Argentina and Brazil made a contact to create a new state, which they named the Republic Oriental of Uruguay. Oriental meaning all the land east (or oriental) of the River Uruguay. The official date for the creation of the country is July 18, 1830. The Main Street tin the city is called “18 July”.

We did a lot of walking and eventually took a city bus to get us to the Mercado where Hans wanted us to have lunch in one of his favorite places. It had been a fish market before the Mercado was converted into a collection of restaurants. I had pasta with fish and Mark had fish and rice. Both were good, but huge portions. Hans told us to get to go boxes so we could give the extra food to the homeless, who hang out around the place. It was the perfect solution. After the hand off, Hans walked us to our hotel and departed. I worked on the blog and Mark went to a shop Hans had recommended to buy a leather bag for himself. The store was owned by a Jewish woman and Mark had a nice conversation with her.

We were so full from lunch that we decided to pass on dinner. I was still working at 8:30 when we began to hear loud music outside our 4th floor window. A crowd was gathering until it was obvious that something organized was happening as floats arrived along with people in costumes. Drumming became intense, so we went down stairs to watch the activities. Turns out a Carnival parade was developing and our street corner was the starting point. It was fun to watch as they formed up and marched off one group at a time. About 9:30 we got a little hungry and dropped in at a local cafe, Jacinto, and had some of the best gazpacho we have ever eaten. While there we met a Brazilian couple who spoke good English and we had a fun conversation. Soon the parade was really getting rolling and by 10:30 it was all over. I could hear the drumming fading away. It had been a lovely day for weather. Not too hot, or windy–a very nice day. In the morning the port-o-potty was gone and the street totally cleaned up.

Tuesday, February 16, 2023

Hans picks us up at 9am for another sightseeing day. The weather started out ok but was cooler and a bit windy. This day is of the city at large with less walking. We started with a scheduled visit with a famous drummer, Ferdinand “Lobo” Nunez. He met us at his workshop called “El Power”. It had been in his family since 1837 and was where his ancestors, enslaved people, bought their “freedom”. As a way of living they made brooms that were sold on site. His grandfather was a prominent musician, who taught him how to play the drums along with his father. The workshop was full of musical instruments that make a multitude of sounds. He demonstrated a number of them to us and some of them made us laugh. In addition to playing in a group, he teaches drumming and manufactures drums as well. He makes them from pine planks that are shaped into curved staves, chamfered, assembled and polished. Then rings are placed and sliced. He is very proud of the wonderful sounds his drums make and played some candombe music for us on three different drums. It is lovely style to listen to whether played loud or soft. He made a drumming convert of me. He talked about his personal history, especially how his own children are learning to play in a group with him. We happened to show up on his 67th birthday and he recollected that Mick Jagger had showed up to celebrate his 60th birthday with him. We shook hands and got a nice photo.

From Lobo’s place Hans took us to City Hall, where we road an elevator to the 20th floor for a 360 degree view of the city. The city view was nice, especially of all the sycamore trees, but I mostly enjoyed the old photos of Montevideo from the 1920s and 30s.

From City Hall we drove to the Parliament Building. Two of the three flags are showing. The neoclassical building was constructed in 1925. It is the seat of legislative power and houses 30 Senators and 99 Representatives for 19 states. It seems the Uruguayans copied our constitution. All citizens over 18 must vote every 5 years or be fined. Can work off the fine. Uruguay is the most democratic country in Latin America. 62% of the population is middle class. Formal employment in Uruguay is at 80%. (Formal employment is any employment that has an agreed to work contract.)

Also facing the square were a beautiful Silk floss tree in full bloom. There are many around, but few we saw in bloom.

On the fourth corner of the square was a well painted group of murals of Uruguayan artists: Mario Bernadette, a writer; Rosa Lima, a guitarist; Alfredo Zitarrosa, a singer-songwriter; and Juana de Ibarbourou, a writer and poet. The muralist was Joaquin Torres Garcia, a painter and sculptor.

From this square we drove to a huge Mercado and walked through it. It was spotless, full of different shops loaded with merchandise and fascinating to observe so much variety. When we walked by a jewelry and stone store, I was attracted by very purple amethyst stones and ended up buying some, which I had promised myself not to do. Oh well. At least it will go with a lot of my clothing.

We came across a shop selling Mate Tea paraphernalia and took this photo so you could see that it is very popular in Uruguay and other South American countries. I tried it once, but did not like it, even though I like tea. It tasted too much like straw to me. The name “mate” comes from a Quechua word meaning calabaza or squash. To make mate tea, use an aged mate tea cup, which has been made from part of a dried gourd that has been transformed into the shape of the cup. Fill of 2/3rds the cup with dryYerba mate tea, a wild herb primarily from Paraguay. It is a stimulant, a diuretic and a tonic. It has about as much caffeine as tea or coffee. Leave empty space on the side of the cup from the bottom to the top. Pour warm water into the empty space keeping the mate to one side until the yerbe absorbs the water and expands. Place a metal straw with a filter at one end into the cup where space has been left and pour hot water onto the mate to create an infusion. Enjoy.

From the Mercado, Hans took us back to the Cafe Brasilero for lunch and then we drove around more old and new neighborhoods including the high end beach area with lovely sycamore lined streets, beach condos and apartments, and the Montevideo beach.

Some miscellaneous notes I took and hope you appreciate.

Hans told us Uruguay was the only port of entry for slaves in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in 1791. Most of the slaves were passed through to other countries. Slavery was totally abolished by Uruguay in 1842, the first country to do so. Brazil ended slavery in 1880.

There was an additional war Hans told us about, the Uruguayan Civil War, which was a series of armed conflicts that lasted from 1839-1851. It was the longest and hardest fought in the country’s history. The struggle originated in the rivalry between the Colorado (Red) Party based in Montevideo and led by Fructuoso Rivera and the business interests in the city and the National (White) party led by President Manuel Oribe and the agricultural interests of the countryside. Eventually the Red forces defeated the White forces and peace was negotiated. It is a long story to google if you are interested.

Abortion was legalized in 2012.

Recreational and medicinal marajuana was legalized in 2013.

Gay marriage was legalized in August 2013.

This is all I have for Montevideo. I hope you have enjoyed our two days there.

The park was beautiful in the forests and in the mountains. Here are more images from Mark’s camera.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Early yesterday morning a non English speaking driver, Victor, picked us up and we headed for El Calafate, Argentina. The drive through thee Patagonia steppes took 6 hours over mostly good, paved tarmac and was very uneventful, including our passage out of Chile and into Argentina. The scenery was nearly all steppe, similar to what we experienced in Mongolia years ago. Very flat with low scrub and brush. Monotonous. Mark buried himself in an audiobook and I in a podcast. The time flew by. We did spot a red Patagonian fox, many guanacos, several lesser Rhea, a small ostrich-like bird, a buzzard eagle, several Crested Caracara birds and an Aplomado falcon, Sorry, no Puma or Armadillos.

By mid afternoon we reached El Califate, gateway to Los Glaciers National Park and on the shore of Lake Argentina. We checked into Los Ponchos, our home for 2 nights. It is a small Inn near town. We went for a long walk along the lake and saw many Black-Necked Swans but did not reach the town center before my legs gave out. We decided to have salad and pasta dinners in our hotel, as it was offered to us and I did not want to walk any more. We were in bed by 9pm.

Next morning we had a light breakfast at 7am. I sipped on a Mate tea popular with South Americans. But I did not like it. Tasted like I was sucking on dried grass. Anyway, we were met at 7:30 by our driver, Andrea, and guide, Paula, for the day. Paula spoke good English and was very knowledgeable about our activities for the day. As we drove the 80 kilometers to the park, Paula talked about the flora and fauna we had been wondering about. I was interested in the trees that grow along the sides of the mountains. They do not start at the bottom and end before the top and are mostly beech trees. There are three kinds of Beech tree. Two that are deciduous and one that is evergreen. The deciduous ones are the Nire, which is an antarctic tree, and the Lenga, which is a tall deciduous tree. The third beech is an evergreen called a Gungo. They thrive on a specific amount of precipitation that is found at certain elevations. They especially like the cold damp temperatures near glaciers. My favorite plant siting was a Notro, or Fire-Bush. Reminded me of the Indian Paint Brush we have in the Sierras.

Then we got into discussing the glacier. Not only is Moreno Glacier the third largest in the world behind Greenland and Antarctica, it is probably the most easily accessible to see, measure and study. Lago Argentino, into which the glacier flows, is 80 kilometers long, 20 kilometers wide, 900 feet average depth and 1,466 square kilometers. Three times larger than Tahoe. At some time in the past, the glacier covered the entire lake. And yes, we were cold. Even though it was a sunny day, the air was cool, and the wind made it feel much colder. From the parking lot at the glacier, we walked down and around the hill facing the glacier on a well constructed catwalk and got some nice photos and even saw it drop a few pieces of ice into the lake. Then we got on a boat that took us within 300 feet of the ice wall. There was more calving that we almost got to witness a second too late. Such an easy way to see a huge natural wonder.

We returned to El Calafate late afternoon, rested and got warm. Took a taxi into town to have dinner at a place called Mako. It had been referred by one of our guides and was a fabulous find. Every bit as good as the best in San Francisco. Mark had perfectly cooked rib eye and I had an equally fine local Hake fish. Best meal of the trip, so far. The town is also quite charming and full of locals and tourists enjoying an evening stroll. Our waiters said they come to Calafate for the summer season every year because the pay is better than anywhere else in Argentina. They cannot afford to leave the country because the peso is worth so little. Argentina is the second poorest country in South America. It is only ahead of Venezuela. Although a small town in the middle of nowhere, El Calafate is a tourist Mecca for its access to Moreno Glacier, the third largest in the world and certainly the easiest to visit.

Back in town we took a few snaps to show you the lay of the land. El Calafate has a population of 29.000. It felt like Grasw Valley and Nevada City in one metropolis. There is a photo of our dinner restaurant, Mako, and a few of town and Lake Argentina.

Patagonia is spread between Argentina and Chili and is the southernmost region of South America, including Tierra del Fuego.  Patagonia is famous for its variety of wildlife, unspoiled nature, and ancient Indian cultures.  Archeological findings date back to 8,000 BC, from Pre-Columbian civilizations to the skilled Mapuche Indians known for their mastery in weapons making and agriculture in the 16^th century.  In addition, part of the Andes, one of the longest rock formations on earth, are found here.  Within the Andes is the tourist destination and trekking paradise of Torres del Paine National Park located in the Cordillera del Paine mountain chain.  The lodge is called Explora

Massive exposed, granite rock features, formed in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs wandered the planet, raise among turquoise lakes, rapids, waterfalls, and flatlands.  They are the remnants of the sedimentary stratum, which has been eroded away in the Torres del Paine Park.  

The park was established in 1959 and is 70 miles north of Puerto Natales. At 593,000 acres it is one of the largest and most visited in Chili.  In 1978, the park became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  It is known as the most beautiful park in Chili for its famous Grey Glacier, two popular treks and the most photographed attraction called the Torres del Paine, the three distinct 11,000 foot+ granite towers.  The word Paine is from the Tehuelche Indian word meaning “blue”. Among the peaks we ww were beautiful blue lakes in different sizes. Every day has been windy and today was the worst. It was up to 50 mph as we tried to do a hike and gave up.

Yesterday, our first day in the park, I went for a horseback ride while mark went on a hike. Worked well for both of us. My horse was named Tequila and we got along fine. He did all the walkai9ng and I enjoyed the scenery, while trying to keep from being blown off. I was in a small group of folks from other American states.

After lunch we went on a 3 hour drive through the park to get a fuller picture of the sights and especially to see the towers, that is the Torres del Paine. In spite of the wind, there is a lot of fog and many of the peaks are shrouded in white. Here is a selection of what we saw, including animals. We saw mostly guanacos, large South American natives that are related to the camel, a handful of flamingos, who seem totally out of place, one ostrich and a couple of mice our guide enticed out of their hole.

Today, we set out at 8:45 to do an easy hike to a scenic place in the French Valley. Our first stop was a waterfall, a short walk from the car. However it was so windy that we could barely stand. A park ranger arrived and took a sample of the wind. It was gusting to 50mph. We debated about going further and our guide decided it was not worth the effort so we turned back and managed to make it to the car without anyone falling. On the way back to the lodge, we stopped at a small clamping facility, got out of the wind, had a tea and coffee and admired the view. There was even a black sand Bech as well as a long boardwalk to cross over the lake. It is called Lago Pohoe.

Once back at the lodge, we shopped for Patagonia jackets on sale, had lunch and spent the afternoon reading and writing. The mountains out our window were the clearest we have seen. I’ve included a plan of the lay6out of the peak names. The far left cluster is called the Cerro Paine Grande. The low point, called the Valle Frances

We leave SFO mid-day on February 2, Ground Hog Day, and fly to Houston for a 3.5 hour layover. After leaving Houston we fly 9.5 hours to Santiago, Chili for an overnight. Then on to Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales in Southern Chili. This will be our most southerly point. This map is a nice image of what we fly over. The second map is more clear as to our destinations.

From Puerto Natales (the red dot near the southern end of Chile) we drive to Torres del Paine, a National Park in Chili (the lower green star). Our accommodations are at a place called Explora Patagonia, somewhere in the park. From the airport we will be driven 112 miles to our hotel. We will stay at Explora four nights and do our activities from there. Then we will be driven to Glaciers national Park, a 9.5 hour ride, to another hotel for a few more days. More on all that later. We do end up in Uruguay for several days before coming home from Monte Video.

The third image is a dense topographical map of Patagonia. It demonstrates the attraction to the area for people wanting to hike, take awesome photos and get away from crowds. I have read that we will not be hiking above 3800 feet in elevation even though there are several tall peaks and many hikes of multiple lengths. Hopefully my knee will be able to hike all we want.

This map makes the land look daunting. I believe we will be near 54 degrees latitude and in the middle of the mountains. I will be more definitive when I know more.

THE TIP OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO IS THE MOST SOUTHERLY POINT ON EARTH TO WHICH MAN HAS WALKED.  HE ARRIVED THERE SOME 10,000 YEARS AGO, BASED ON ARTIFACTS FOUND IN THE AREA.

January 8, 2023

We are getting ready to make our first major adventure since or trip to Pakistan in 2019 and the beginning of the pandemic.  in early 2020 Covid appeared on the world stage and caused us and along with others to put our lives on hold.   We had planned to visit the Congo and revisit Botswana and Namibia.  We also hoped to start touring South America: in particular, Brazil, the Amazon and Patagonia. Instead, we hunkered down and stayed in our own back yard.  

Among other things, we sold our beloved airplane after 46 years of wonderful flying, I had left knee replacement surgery, Mark had right shoulder replacement surgery and I developed macular degeneration in both eyes. Meanwhile, I continued to walk every day with the local “street walkers” as we call ourselves. We had great conversations while walking, regardless of the weather.

We closed escrow on a Lake Tahoe house in Kings Beach in November 2019.  When we occupied the property, we soon realized it needed work and lots of it.  With no opportunity to travel and a house needing repairs, we jumped in and began what became a major remodel project.  Here you can see our first experience of stormy weather in the back yard. The waves splashed on our windows with each storm through the winter of 2020-2021.

This is the house as it looked when we purchased it

 By March of 2020 we were working with an architect, a designer and a contractor and became so engrossed that we did not think about Covid.  Our crew did not think much about it either.  The time flew by, the work unfolded, and the house was rejuvenated.  Here we are installing a new hot tub on the roof. We finally moved into the finished house in October of 2022, just as Covid was winding down.  The timing could not have been more perfect for us.  As for catching the virus, we each had a mild version of it in July 2020. Below is the finished living room and dining area, the view from the upstairs bedroom, our first Christmas in the house with Mark’s mother and sister and the boat dock in the summertime.

Half way through the remodel, we took a vacation to New England to see the fall colors. It was my first time in New England and the colors were spectacular. Both of us love lobster and we took every opportunity to eat the crustaceans. We visited Boston for a week and took in the historical sights. Then we headed north visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum and Dr Seuss’s sculpture garden. When you look at our house photos you may notice a few Dr Seuss pieces. We really enjoy the color and fun in his work. The Rockwell classics are so numerous I could not help including several.

Further north and west we visited the Stowe ski resort, where the color was over the top. Then we stayed at Mt Washington, hiked in the local hills and took a train to the top of the Mountain. Lovely all the way.

Near the end of the remodel, we went on another vacation. This time to Tahiti for 10 days. We had a super time enjoying water sports and relaxing. Actually finished reading a few books.

Now we are ready to travel again.  We have selected South America as our first destination.  Beginning on February 2, 2023 we plan to visit Torres del Paine in Chili and Moreno Glacier Park in Argentina, two Patagonian Parks for several days each.  (Look for the green stars on the map below.) We will fly to Buenos Aires for a couple of days, then on to Uruguay for several days in that country.  We fly home from Montevideo, Uruguay on February 20, 2023.  Hopefully, I can still document and post our travels.   I’ve developed macular degeneration in both eyes and had my left knee replaced.  Will I manage the rigors of hiking in Patagonia?  We shall see.