What do you do when you reunite with a couple of new friends you spent three days with way back in Colombia? You crash in their living room for a month. We figured since Cam and Summer shared their tiny van with a second rescue dog that they picked up in Peru, they would barely notice us.
We were wrong. We whooped it up for the holidays. Got crafty making stockings, painting balls, finding the perfect gift. Crooning Happy Birthday in the world's best operatic acoustics, the Teatro Colon. Slurping Margaitas in Palmero Viejo, turning the apartment into a games room, our very special hats, and strangely enough Pilates.
Enjoying our journey?
Click Here
to donate
Sponsors
- Jimmy Martin
- Sandy & Beau Wasiluk
- Karin & Fritz Korn *
- Lee Wampler
- Margo Metz
- Cynthia Thrash
- Diana Warner Studio
ABOUT US
Current Trip
- Start: Cartagena, Columbia 04/11
- Finish: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 02/12
Argentina
Everybody Loves Penguins
Travelling South America by road will teach you many surprising things. Like, it's a big freaking continent. We finally arrived in Ushuaia — the southern tip — after too many bus hours to count. It was a striking city. Surrounded by jagged peaks and filled with hokey penguin carvings that were obviously left over from the 80's. Not content to simply turn around, we set off to hop a last-minute cruise to Antarctica. Unfortunately one of the ships broke down, spilling passengers over to other ships. It left squat for availability and killed the chances of a real deal. Optimists, we decided the incident was equal to making a small pile of cash and treated ourselves to a fancy dinner before day cruising to a penguin colony. With a responsible limit of 20 people on the island at a time, the penguins were undisturbed. Singing to the heavens, cleaning nests for picky mates, beak slap fighting for the honour of having to clean said nests for their future mates. Waddling, waddling, feeding tiny chicks, and an assortment of x-rated activities. Ahhh penguins.
I'm thankful for ice.
We spent American Thanksgiving marveling at the crackle and thunder of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Southern Patagonia. Laced with massive ribbons of bright blue ice it crept forward undetectably until gloriously huge chunks broke off and canonballed into the lake below. Almost as impressive was the high pitched glee from the Japanese tourists with every momentous event.
Grape Drink
Argentina´s perfect weather makes for perfect wine. And since we do try to immerse ourselves in a country´s culture, the only responsible thing to do was open our mouths. First up, the sun-kissed village of Cafayate. And although we tasted some ridiculously good Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Tannats, the local white wine varietal of choice is the Torrontes. It did not disappoint.
Next we traveled 1,000 kilometers south to the beautiful province of Mendoza which produces two-thirds of the country´s vino. We were in heaven. Delicious Malbecs starting at five dollars a bottle - you have got to be kidding me! Not to mention some really special Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrahs. So we rented a few bikes and rode straight to the source tasting at Carinae, Familia Di Tomaso, Vina El Cerno, Tempus Alba and possibly some other ones. Salud.
Road Trip
We crossed into Argentina aboard Suzie. A big red van purchased in the great state of California and driven 28,000 miles south by Neil (of South Africa) and Miin (of Malaysia). They have been traveling for 3 years, but are now sharing their last country with us - Argentina. The first part of our journey together involved coulorful landscapes, delicious food, lots of laughs and of course wine wine wine.
Recent Comments