BA to BKK

Buenos Aires to Bangkok. Wow. I had thought that the more you have travelled, the less you become affected by culture shock. Well, I was proved wrong by this cross-atlantic trip - really I had a tough time adjusting to being in Asia at first, and the transition, definitely more than if I just went back to the US, and I've even been to Bangkok before! I think part of it was that I wasn't ready to leave Latin America. I had gotten so used to the rhythm of life there, my Spanish was good enough to get what I needed - it had become so stress free! Ended with a bang in B.A. with visits by Ana, Molly and Todd and we had a busy week of sight-seeing. B.A. is such a vibrant, lively city - the steak, the markets, the art, the dancers, the steak! Don't think I was quite ready to leave. And suddenly, well not so suddenly - Sao Paulo, Dubai and layovers, I was in Bangkok. I was met by my friend Renee at the airport and spent some time catching up with her and her husband Rick and their daughter Raina. About 2 hours after arriving we headed out to dinner and who should come walking down the street as we're waiting for a taxi, but this big fella. Jet-lagged and delirious, I'm sure I blinked a few times. Didn't know how to handle that groping trunk of his either. Can you see how freaked out I am? The next few days I was a bit overwhelmed. Felt strange to be in a foreign country, yet they weren't speaking Spanish. Frustrating to suddenly not be able to communicate. And I couldn't recognize any street food either! But, I gradually adjusted, of course. Lots of nice relaxing down time at Rick and Renee's. Even picked up a bit more Thai, and have returned to one of my favorite travelling hobbies - adventurous street food eating!
Street market in B.A., including a pic of my cousin Deirdre and I. We ran into each other on the street. Unplanned, she lives in Chicago - crazy small world.
Art in B.A.:






















Cemetery famous for Evita's grave and eating Steak at Desnivel...


















Me and my new friend. My stylin' new hat and mode of transport, yes that is a Hello Kitty bike! These hot pink Barbie taxis are all the rage...

The ¨W¨

The "W" trek in Torres del Paine, Patagonia. I'm pretty sure this is what people have in mind when they think about "Patagonia", big big mountains, glaciers and unpredictable weather (not cutesy swiss chocolate shops!) The trek starts near Puerto Natales, Chile, not far from the bottom of the continent. I couldn't get over how much that town reminded me of the flip side - AK! Anyway, in Puerto Natales I found my way to a hostel there which is well known for preparing people for Torres, and went to their "info session". There is a whole culture around preparing for and making this trek! People follow the advice the guy gives like a guru, funny story about that later. The talk is also a good place to meet up with other trekkers if you are alone, which I was. Rumors of winds so strong they blow people to the ground and deaths in the park made me think heading in alone wasn't the best idea... So, I met Alice, from London, and Carine, from Holland. We were a bit of a motley crew, but set out to prep for this trek. We followed the advice word for word - he tells you what food to bring, how to dress, how to handle the weather, what direction to hike, where to camp, etc. I will say it was all good advice and I definitely learned a few things that will help me in future mountain adventures....
So it is called the "W", because it literally looks like a W. It typically takes 5 days, but you can extend it to include the "circuit" which takes another 2-3 days. We stuck with the 5 day trip. The weather there is so variable, and you really have to be prepared for anything. And it changes so quickly! I heard some horror stories from friends who had done it, with trails washed out, etc. So, given that - we really lucked out. Spectacular sunny days for most of the trip - and views and views. Glaciers and peaks on almost every trail. Spectacular. I will say - the winds lived up to the hype. Up to 90 miles per hour at times. I met a guy who must have weighed 225lbs or more who had a big laceration on his chin from being blown down to the ground by the wind. Trekking poles definitely helped. And I finally saw condors!!! I actually got swindled into paying to see condors in Peru and never saw one. Have been hoping my entire time in South America and, finally, saw 6 in Torres. They are giant, wing span up to 4 meters, and magnificent. So, in following the advice, the recommendation is to spend the final night up near the Torres "towers" and then wake up before sunrise to see the towers with the red glow of the sun coming up. People listened to his advice so religiously, that I met some people that planned on hiking up there at 4 am, even though sunrise was currently around 7 or even later (he hadn't adjusted his lecture for the season changing.) It was so difficult to convince them of this! But finally, they altered their plan. They were there at the top, with sleeping bags and stoves, cooking breakfast - another recommendation. We did not bring breakfast, and I have to say - I was jealous, it was a long wait for sunrise! Hiked 90km's in all. Whew! Great trip!









Here is a shot of people at the towers for sunrise - it was quite a crowd!

Post-trek dinner...

Enchanted El Bolson

El Bolson, "the big bag" in Spanish. Rumored to be Tolkien's inspiration for the Hobbit village, this is truly a special place. Still within Argentina's Patagonia it is set apart from the typical Patagonia tourist towns famous for their cutsy Swiss-style architecture and chocolate shops. I can see where there rumor about Tolkien came from - it is Hobbitesque for sure.






Guys wearing felt hats, hippies galore, beer and jam making, a giant craft market, live music in the park, organic veggie farms and nestled in a valley with big peaks all around. What a great spot. And what made it even better was the super chill retreat-like hostel I stayed at. A big log cabin, a bit outside of the town, on a river, lots of hammocks. So relaxing.



I went on a great hike up one of the mountains in the area which started in the Bosque Tallardo, sculpture forest. Local artists carved sculpures into the trees, which you encounter as you hike through the woods - so cool! It ended in a steep climb up to a great panoramic view (you could see Chile!)