see the penguins in ushuaia, argentina

Guys, I promised you I would see penguins and I did.

In Ushuaia there were so many amazing things to do, but in a rare moment of single-mindedness I pushed all the other possibilities aside and booked a trip to visit the penguins.

PiraTour is the only company with a license to land on Martillo Island, the home of two breeds of Penguins: Magellanic and Gentoo. So, we had the lucky chance of hanging out with the amazing birds for over an hour.

The Magellanic Penguins build their nests by digging holes in the ground big enough to house three or four fat penguins. The babies do nothing but eat for the first 3 to 4 weeks of their lives so they get impressively fat in a remarkably short time. And to top off the adorable factor, they're fluffy.

I'm lucky I made it off the island alive - the cuteness almost killed me.

Watch more of the penguin action here:

PiraTour

Av San Martin 847

Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
info@piratour.com.ar
www.piratour.com.ar

bus travel in argentina: buenos aires to ushuaia

I was told that Argentina has the best bus travel in South America. Hearing this, I was all over it - I really, really love long road trips.

Starting out in Buenos Aires, a complete newbie to the South American continent, the prospect of how to go about getting tickets and figuring out where to go in the first place was a bit daunting.

I finally narrowed it down to Ushuaia. Tierra del Fuego. The end of the world.

Destination decided, I went online to get a better idea of how to go about getting the right bus tickets.

Can we pause for a bit and discuss how overwhelming the Internet can be? Sometimes having a world of people telling you how to do something can be the opposite of useful. Which is why I was profoundly thankful to the ever helpful Adam Seper for his straightforward overview of the Argentine bus system.

Having a better idea of what the heck I was doing, I made my way to the Retiro Bus Station. At the Andesmar window, I bought my tickets to Río Gallegos, then another to Ushuaia.

This had been the first step I’d made as a solo traveler. I left the station inordinately proud of myself.

Since then I’ve done a lot of bus travel in Argentina. I still love it and have learned that it’s important to do your research before. Finding yourself on a bus at hour 10 with no book, no movie playing and the last paved patch of road a distant memory, can make you long for the luxury of cama seating (the seats that recline to 180 degrees!) and the magical words of “meals included”.

I made this video a couple of weeks go, but haven’t had a chance to share it yet:

Before I go, here's a crazy fact for the day: Did you see all that open space in the video? Yeah. That's cause approximately one-third of the Argentine population lives in Buenos Aires. That leaves a huge country with a lot of empty space.

what to do when you're abroad and the atm eats your card

I was at an ATM in El Calafate, Argentina when I made the dumb mistake of taking my cash and leaving my card. Genius.

The bank had already closed and I had just taken out enough money to pay for my hostel. I was off on a three day bus journey up to Bariloche first thing in the morning. The trip was paid for, but I had no cash.

Here are a few tips I have to share after this experience:

#1: There’s no crying in baseball

Actually, I don’t care. Go ahead and cry. I know I did.

#2: Take your card!

Try avoiding my mistake. ATMs are different everywhere. Some places give you your card back, then your cash. Or they’ll flash lights or make obnoxious beeping sounds so you know to take your card with you. Some places (Argentina) give you the cash and in very small writing in the corner of the screen ask you if you’d like to make another transaction. Very easy to miss. My advice: don’t be dumb! Always take your card. Wiser words I’ve never spoken.

#3: Talk to someone at the bank

If you’re still reading, it’s probably because you’ve failed to take my advice in #2. If this is the case and if the bank’s open, talk to someone about what happened. They might be able to help you.

#4: get some cheap food with whatever cash you have

I had 7 Argentine pesos (USD1.70). I was looking for the biggest bang for my buck and settled on a sad bag of cookies that did a pretty good job of tiding me over for a couple of days. Of course, now I feel like if I ate a cookie I’d barf, but I am grateful to the little suckers for keeping me alive.

#5: The first town you get to with a bank, ask for a cash advance on your credit card

If you have a credit card, of course. I have one (but no pin - hence the hassle), but I was stopping at small towns on my trip to Bariloche and there were no banks to be found. But on the third day I made it to Bariloche. Banks galore!

#6: If that doesn’t work, you can cry again. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Apparently banks in the city of Bariloche don’t give cash advances. #&@^$!!.

#7: Keep an emergency stash of US dollars


You can exchange these anywhere. Just get to the bank before they close. Which is 1pm in Bariloche. #&@^$!!

Seriously guys, can’t something work in my favor??

In the end, perhaps my most important bit of advice:

#8: Make friends

I don’t think I could have gotten through this without the amazing people I’ve met along the way. The Irish couple who bought the sobbing girl a drink. The Norwegian lady who shared her dinner with the now no longer sobbing, but thoroughly sugar-happy girl (eating nothing but cookies for an entire day can have a curious effect). Then there was the wonderful American girl who had the genius idea of doing a Paypal transaction so she could take out my money for me.

So that’s how I have money today. Not with a credit card, not with American dollars, but with the help of my new friend. And the Internet. Thanks, Internet!

A pin for my credit card and a new card is on the way. Until then I'll just enjoy Bariloche. There are worse places to be stranded, let me tell you!

congratulations, you’ve reached the end of the world. have a beer.

photo credit: Ju125

There are all kinds of End of the World fun and games to be had in Tierra del Fuego’s Ushuaia - hiking, sailing, kayaking, penguin watching and so on. This is about as breath-takingly beautiful as these sports can get (yes, penguin watching is a sport. probably the best sport ever). And what better way to end a day of physical exertion than enjoying a beer from the world’s southern-most microbrewery (thanks for the tip, Lonely Planet!).

**disclaimer: I know next to nothing about beer, besides the fact that I really like to drink it. So, those of you who are at home making your own beer, cut me some slack if my terminology isn’t up to par.**

Cerveza Beagle, is named after the channel on which it's brewed, which is in turn named for the HMS Beagle which Darwin traveled on.

This brewery has 3 different offerings: Rubia-Ale, Negra-Stout and Rojo-India Pale Ale. I’ve been trying to find some information about the brewery itself, but there is very little information to be had on the Internets - the Cerveza Beagle website has been under construction since at least 2007. Asado Argentina, who’s writer is based in Tierra del Fuego has a decent write-up of the Beagle beers (ales?).

In any case, I was impressed with Cerveza Beagle’s offerings. My personal favorite was the Rojo. It was, like, hopsy and yeasty.

Ok, that’s all the beer talk you’ll get out of me.

tierra del fuego by the numbers

Everyone I've spoken to about my trip to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires thinks I'm crazy. I took the bus and after 2+ days of travel I made it to Tierra del Fuego eager to stretch my legs and walk around. That being the case, I couldn't have come to a better place - Ushuaia is rife with some of the most breathtakingly beautiful hikes in the world.

Here, by the numbers, is what I've learned about this fascinating archipelago at the end of the world:

3 is the number of buses it takes to get to Ushuaia (the capital of Tierra del Fuego) from Buenos Aires (+ 1 ferry)

2 is the number of countries Tierra del Fuego is divided by (Chile and Argentina)

1520 is the year Magellan discovered the islands. Tierra del Fuego is separated by the mainland by the strait of Magellan

60,000 is roughly the number of wild guanacos (a relative of the llama and the alpaca) that live on the islands.

63,280 people is the population of Ushuaia, the capital city of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego.

4 is the number of native Fuegians who, in 1830, were taken from their home and brought to London. They were given the English names of Jemmy Button, York Minster, Fuegia Basket and Boat Memory. Boat Memory died early on, but the remaining 3 Patagonians were dressed in European clothes, taught the ways of Christianity and went on to become celebrities. After two years, they were returned to Tierra del Fuego on the HMS Beagle by Robert FitzRoy and Charles Darwin.

map-generator.net

top 10 buenos aires

My time in Buenos Aires is coming to a close and I wanted to share a list of my Top Ten Buenos Aires with you all.

By juanpol

10. Belgrano

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been staying with my cousin’s friend, Sarah who is a teacher here. She lives in a largely residential area that I've had 3 lovely weeks to explore. Belgrano is certainly off the beaten tourist path, and that's part of the appeal. For a "where am I?" experience check out Belgrano's "barrio chino" or Chinatown (see number 8).

9. Shopping
Porteños, as people from Buenos Aires call themselves, are a fashion-conscious bunch and this is especially evident in neighborhoods such as Recoleta and Palermo.

I’m not much of a shopper myself, but I did enjoy shopping for food in the city. Unlike the US, grocery shopping is not a one-stop affair. It’s all about stopping at the fruit vendor, then the vegetable vendor. Need some eggs? That’s the next stop, right by the fish vendor. And of course, we can’t forget a visit to the cheese and sausage man, can we?

Of course, there are supermarkets here if you’re interested. I frequented one called Disco. Yes, that’s really it’s name. But in general, the products were fresher from the various vendors, and if you don’t have to do it every day, it’s more fun that way.

By teipsum

8. Chinatown
That’s right. Chinatown. Bet you weren’t expecting a Chinatown in Buenos Aires, were you? Well, there definitely is one, albeit a small one, Chinese gate and all. Immigrants from mainland China and Taiwan arrived after World War II and have been arriving in waves since.

If you ever find yourself in Belgrano, head over to Arribeños right by the train station. Chinatown has established itself as the place to go for Chinese restaurants (of course), stores selling produce, spices and foods a little different from the traditional Argentine, as well as one of my all time favorite things, street food. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, Happy Year of the Rabbit!

By blmurch

7. Dog Walkers
The Argentines love their dogs. There’s no doubt about that. You’ll see professional dog walkers walking down the street with anywhere from three to fifteen dogs on leashes. They are hired by families who have neither the time nor inclination to walk their beloved pooches themselves. It’s quite a sight to see!

By gatiusse

6. The Night Life
Jeez. What to say about the night life? It’s legendary. They have this thing called a “disco nap” without which you wouldn’t be able to dream of keeping up with the Argentines. This nap usually takes place anywhere from 10pm to 12am so you can be well rested for the night ahead. After that, take a swig of your Vodka Speed (the equivalent of Vodka & Red Bull) and be on your way. You should have everything you need to enjoy your time in the clubs until around 7am, when you’ll grab a quick bite to eat and finally head home to crash. Or head to the office if you’re Argentine. No really, I have no idea how they do it.

By a song under the sugar sugar

5. Free Wi-Fi
One thing I caught onto and came to appreciate very quickly is all of the free wi-fi to be had around the city. Granted, that’s free with a coffee or something to eat, but still it was reassuring to know that in my first few weeks in Argentina, I was sure to be connected. I know this won’t be the case so much as I move on to other parts of the continent.

4. The History
Now, I realize that Argentina has had its share of dark and violent times, but despite that, there are some parts of the country’s history that they make the effort to remember. Be it the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo as they march around the historic square every Thursday at 3:30 determined to remind us of their children who were kidnapped and tortured and they will not be quieted, they will never forget. Or maybe it is the fierce devotion of some to Evita or even the tango singer Carlos Gardel. Gardel’s fans still maintain that even though he died tragically in a plane crash, “he sings better everyday”. Whether it is a monumental effort or a simple case of denial, the porteños keep the past with them.

3. Buskers
Every city has buskers. But it’s not on every city that you’ll see some of the most sensual and passionate dance take place on the streets. And it’s not only tango, the musicians are something to write home about too. From the kid with his accordion to the old man in his gaucho attire strumming on a guitar, a stroll through San Telmo on a Sunday will satisfy the listener in all of us.

By paradoxengine

2. Beef
I will avert Elvie’s eyes for this next part - she’s a vegetarian after all. Oh man, the beef! Ever since I was a little girl I’ve had very carnivorous tendencies. I’m sorry if hearing this upsets my vegetarian friends. But so it is: I love my meat. So what better place to visit than Argentina? You can get an amazing steak dinner for $10. I was reading somewhere that Argentine’s eat fifty percent more beef a year than the average American. That’s a lot of beef.

And last, but not least:

1. The expat community
Perhaps one of the things I’ve enjoyed most since coming here is getting a chance to hang with the expat community. Sarah has introduced me to her friends, a fun and wacky group of expats living in the city. I’ve enjoyed hearing about what Buenos Aires is to them - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Quite possibly this that I love most about traveling. It makes you shed your defenses and get to know people you wouldn’t have the chance to meet otherwise and in turn teaches you something about yourself.

Well, that's it for my list. There are of course countless wonderfully unique things about Buenos Aires that I left out. Have you been to Buenos Aires? What are your favorite things about the city?