Buenos Aires (ARGENTINA) - melancholy and the infinite sadness

Buenos Aires (Argentina)
01 JULY - 05 JULY 2015

...And here we now were, back where we started 3 months earlier. 

Below I've included an email that I wrote to Inga on the evening of 18 NOV 2014. It was just an idea at the point, formulating slowly, but when I look back at what I wrote I can see that what we framed in our minds pretty much came to fruition, and not just in terms of things eventuated but in terms of the plan, the way we moved, even the timings of where we thought we'd be and how long we would stay.

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Ok, so this is my 'rough' idea of how we should attack South America. In my thinking process I've considered what we both would like to see, the ever changing weather and the time we need. I think we're going to have to take a few flights internally but that's ok, I'll organise that, so no need to worry there......so here goes.

Arrive Buenos Aires 28/29 March - stay 5 nights, including a very important birthday!!

I think from there its best to head south. If we want to do some hikes around Torres del Paine or Monte Fitzroy then its would be best to do that early, in April where we're still ahead of the Southern Winter. So, for travelling south I have two options;

Option 1 -  Fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate - take some time to see Torres del Paine, Monte Fitzroy and Perito Moreno. After that, a bus up to San Carlos de Bariloche (which is a beautiful town on lake Nahuel Huapi), then up to Mendoza (wine growing country, great vineyards and red wine, especially Malbec). From there take a bus across into Chile and see Santiago and the coastal town of Valparaiso.

Option 2 - Bus from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, stay there for a few days (red wine hangovers), bus across the Andes to Santiago and then Valparaiso. Come back to Santiago and then fly down to Punta Arenas where we can base ourselves to see Torres del Paine, Monte Fitzroy and Perito Moreno. After that, bus up to Bariloche and then continue north

I anticipate this first part in Argentina and Chile will be close to three weeks - up to nearly the third week of April.

 

Heading North

After this initial section I was thinking of heading north either through Salta in Argentina or San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. From there we would aim to go for Uyuni (Bolivia) and see the Salar de Uyuni, then perhaps go to Sucre if we are ok for time, if not, then straight to La Paz where we'll be able to ride the Death Road and maybe do a hike or two. From there go to lake Titicaca and walk across the Isla del Sol. From there we could head up to Puno (Peru) and see the famous floating Uros reed islands. From there we would head up to Cusco, which is where we can base ourselves before heading up to Macchu Picchu. After that we could head to Ica, perhaps see the Nazca lines and then make our way up the coast to Lima.

I'm guessing that this part may take us to up to almost the middle of May.

For me personally, I'd like to head north and see Colombia for a few weeks. So I would probably buy us a couple of return flights from Lima (Peru) to Bogota (Colombia). I'd like to spend about two weeks in Colombia - specifically I'd like to see Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, and some of the beaches up to Santa Marta. Depending on how we're doing for time, perhaps also Medellin and Cali.

I'm guess a couple of weeks in Colombia would take us to the end of May. I'd prefer seeing only Bogota, Cartagena and some of the Caribbean beaches than running around too much.

Heading South

Right at the end of May we could fly back to Lima and then fly from Lima to Iguazu Falls in Argentina/Brazil. This I think would be the start of June. After 2-3 days seeing the falls we could go either to Curitiba ..or Sao Paulo, or preferably along the Costa Verde,  perhaps seeing either Paraty or Ihla Grande before getting to Rio on the 11th of June. As you know we have about 8 nights in Rio, but that can be a shorter time if we don't feel we need to stay there that long. From there I think we could head back down the coast, see Paraty if we haven't already, Florianopolis, 'maybe' Porto Allegre and then head down to Uruguay. I personally don't think we need to spend a lot of time in Uruguay, I'd like to see Cabo de Polonio, which a kind of bohemian/hippie commune, then perhaps head to Montevideo, Colonia de Sacramento and maybe even Carmelo.

I would imagine getting back to Buenos Aires in early July, either the  3rd/4th or 5th. Stay a couple of days and then get ready to fly home on the 7th.

As you know, I've had a trip like this in my head for a while, so this was the 'sort' of plan that I had. It's rough, it doesn't need to have any fixed dates. I think we can travel how we want, stay where we want etc. If we like a place we stay, if not,we move on, and I know very well that plans change and things come up. Also, if you don't like any of my ideas then please tell me, or if you don't like parts of what I've added, or if you think I'm missed something, then just tell me :)

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We arrived in Buenos Aires on the 1st of July, one day in advance of my 40th birthday, which was the next day. Checking into the Pan Americano on Aveninda 9 de Julio, somehow felt like an achievement. Additionally, Buenos Aires to me feels like a home, and it felt like I had returned home. I understand that saying that out aloud seems odd. Sydney has always been my home having grown up there, and Belgrade is a sort of home as a lot of my family reside there but there's no attachment or connection to Buenos Aires other than the experiences I've had. I can't even say why but I've adopted this city in a way and relate to it in a way that can't be compared to other places I've only visited. Some places are special for reasons that you can't define, so, that's the way Buenos Aires is for me.

View from the PanAmericano - Avenida 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Avenida 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Happy 40th birthday! PanAmericano - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Aveninda 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires - Argentina

The view from the PanAmericano - Avenida 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Our final days were somewhat poignant, filled with plenty of time to reminisce, to reflect and to also enjoy the last few days that we had left. Of course we returned to Plaza Dorrego and stayed in a great place across the way. We investigated new areas in Palermo and even made it to a few tango shows, which by the way, were fantastic! The two that we went to on this occasion, and that I would recommend for different reasons, were Querandi and La Ventana.

Querandi was more for those really wanting to experience the different elements of Tango. It give you a historical journey of tango and provides an insight into its development, changes and impact on BA society. La Ventana on the other hand is a show, in that tango supports various additional elements of the entire performance. The show at La Ventana is entertaining, humorous and also quite powerful. At one juncture they had images of Evita Peron being displayed on the screen, and then all of a sudden the entire audience was surrounded by flag bearers waving large Argentinian flags with fervor whilst the anthem played and was overlayed with audio of Eva delivering a speech to the masses. I'm not sure what exactly caught me, whether it was the power of the imagery, or the meaning encapsulated in what was happening, or the fact that it was just our last night but I started to tear up...who really knows why...and Inga admitted to me a little later that the same thing happened to her.

Plaza Dorrego Bar - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Plaza Dorrego Bar - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

I love this place

Bar Federal - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Aveninda Defensa - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Querandi Tango - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

For our last drinks we headed to Todo Mundo bar, a place right on the edge of Plaza Dorrego. A cool joint, full on weekends, but quite empty at the time we wondered in. We ordered up a few Negroni's and washed it down with a healthy dose of melancholy, because there we were, reality had returned to meet us. We didn't have months, or weeks, or even days left, we only had hours. In the morning I was only a flight back to Australia and a day later Inga was on her way back to Riga

Evita on Avenida 9 de Julio

Don Ernesto parilla - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

We've been back since then...and we'll be back again

 Todo Mundo bar - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 I've taken my photo in this mirror a few times - it resides just outside of the La Ventana tango show - I like to think that a little part of us stays here every time we stand here.

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Hanging out with Mafalda and friends - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Only Negroni's - Bar Seddon - another San Telmo favourite - Buenos Aires - Argentina

When the morning broke it was all there for us absorb. I don't remember how we got to the Tienda Leon bus station, maybe we walked, perhaps we took the Subte to Retiro, that I can't say, all I know is that there's a strange sort of anticipation that comes before you say your final goodbyes. It's kind of like going to a rock concert. There's excitement and noise all around you but when the band leaves the stage and the crowds exit, there you are, in an empty space, with your own thoughts and in silence. To me that's what it felt like. Saying goodbye and having the bus roll out of the bus station after spending literally every single moment with a person for three months....well...that sucked. We knew it was going to happen but preparing for it doesn't make it easier.

Lima airport - Peru

The last ride home - Santiago airport - Chile

As the bus made its way down Eduardo Madero and onto Autopista 25 de Mayo, my head was full of thoughts. These months since my father has passed away had been monumental. Huge decisions had been made, life changing ones, and not just for me but for people around me. I was now going back to that, but also, I was leaving something behind. I didn't want that something left to be a permanent goodbye, but for right now it had to be left. My next steps, wherever I was going to be taking them now had to be about how I could bring all that I wanted back together. 

Paraty (BRASIL) - beneath the southern cross

Paraty (Brasil)
22 JUNE - 26 JUNE 2015

The Costa Verde is about as spectacular as you'd imagine this part of the world to be. Lush emerald green jungle that cascades from mountains into an island studded bay, whose waters also shimmer emerald green. Where the jungle meets the sea is basically where Paraty is situated. A small colonial town whose beauty has also been very well preserved, the pedestrian streets of the town are lined with whitewashed buildings, one or two storeys in heights, colourful and brightly painted doors and a feel of boutique elegance. It's a Brazilian style of cool, interesting and chic, and yet still preserving its heritage.

Inga and I stayed at the Resort Croce de Sud, a beautiful placed perched on top of a hill with  fabulous panoramic views sweeping views of the Baia Carioca and the island Ilha do Aroujo.  Serenity here is at your beck and call. It's so easy to sit in the hammock on the verandah, have the winds sweep over you and drift off with sound track of small fishing boats heading out from the village below.

Resort Croce del Sud - Paraty - Brasil

Resort Croce del Sud - Paraty

Resort Croce del Sud - Paraty - Brasil

I'd been to this place once before, with Janelle and Jet back at the start of 2012. The owner somehow remembered me, although when I started talking to him it wasn't hard to figure out why. First of all he told me that it was a rarity for Australian visitors to stay at his place and secondly, I was the only returning guest that has come back from that far away. He was already prepared for my arrival and even discussed the little kangaroo that I'd brought for his kids on my last journey here.

Down the hill from the resort are two great beaches, Praia Grande & Prainha. Both beaches. The first actually being a little fishing village that has its own bars, restaurants and half decent accommodation, the other being almost completely deserted, except for a cool open bar which at the time of year we were there was unfortunately closed. Not that Winter in this part of the world is bad. If you can handle low 20's for Winter then this is the place to be. I think Inga found it relatively easily to find a place on the beach to occupy and soak in the southern rays. As for me, being brought up in Australia, we're almost fearful of the sun. I don't mind being out in direct light, other than the boredom, its the idea of sun cancers that stick in my head the most. All those now infamous ads over the years are so ingrained in my fabric that I'm sure they've become somewhat of a nuisance to Inga at those moments when she just wants to sunbake (...but not on my watch...).

Praia Grande - Paraty - Brasil

This restaurant had THE BEST selection of hot sauces out of any place I've been - it was incredible...then randomly, just bottles of champagne, ready to go - Paraty - Brasil

We were located around 10kms out of Paraty itself but being on a direct bus line it made things relatively easy in terms of coming and going into town. Not that we spent a lot of time in Paraty, there's plenty of other things outside of the town such as waterfalls, water slides, boat cruises on the bay, etc. Definitely a town worth visiting but also an area worth discovering because of its natural beauty.  Coming to the end of our trip I would say that it ranked in the top five areas that we had encountered in terms of pure natural attributes - putting in the same class as places such as Torres del Paine, El Chalten, Salar de Uyuni and Iguazu Falls. The only thing missing is it doesn't have that stellar attraction, that 'stand out' feature that draws the tourist hoards, which in a way can only be a good thing, because as long as this area remains relatively under the radar is as long as people like me can enjoy it in its current state. Selfish....yes....but sometimes you have to be.

Paraty - Brasil

Paraty - Brasil

Paraty - Brasil

Paraty acted as the last real turning point for us. We'd been travelling for a couple of days short of 3 months at this point but now we were heading back to Rio for just a few more days of sunshine and to catch our penultimate flight to Buenos Aires. Even thought we didn't want to think about it at that point, the flight out of Buenos Aires was going to be the great unknown.  Perhaps it was going to act as the full stop on what inevitably would be a lifetime highlight, or, it was going to be just a comma, a short hiatus that was going to lead us on to a great many other things. Of course, writing from my position now I know exactly what's brought us from then until now, but back then, it was all undecided and was still left to be played out.

Ilha Grande (BRASIL) - Serene emerald green

Ilha Grande (Brasil)
19 JUNE - 22 JUNE 2015

A sweet, small coincidence occurred when we hit Ilha Grande. We'd been traveling close to three months by then and wandered into a small bar in the area of Abraao on the island. As we entered a pair of eyes looked up from one of the tables and we recognised the person as being one of the guys

that had also completed the Death Ride with us in Bolivia some two months earlier. I enjoy those oddities, those happy coincidences. It shows you that the world is still not big enough to be able to hide and disappear from everyone, well, unless of course it's intentional. Over the years of traveling I'd had events like this punctuate my travels. Sometimes with people that were well known to me, others just random acquaintances. When you think of the chances of those encounters and wonder about the odds you really do get amazed that they happen at all.

Ilha Grande - Brasil

Ilha Grande - Brasil

Crystal clear beaches, luscious Atlantic forest, emerald coloured waters. When we turned up at Conceição de Jacareí to board our ride across to Ilha Grande there was none of that. We boarded a pontoon with an outboard motor that was open to the elements, and then, just headed out into the Atlantic. Pressed down by heavy clouds, relentless, annoying rain and some choppy water, our little vessel of hope cut through the mediocre waves as the spray soaked all on board. It literally felt as though we were heading to the edge of the known world. The shoreline disappeared from behind us and nothing visible in front, there was a certain unease to the situation. Sometimes you just need to place your trust in the people in charge and accept, or at least think, that what is happening at this exact moment is totally normal. The funny thing was, just a few days later on our return journey, under blue skies and calm seas, we could easily see the shoreline and were a little dumbfounded that the journey out to the island felt like a tunnel to the abyss.

Ilha Grande - Brasil

Ilha Grande - Brasil

Vila do Abraão, Angra dos Reis  in the State of Rio de Janeiro is just a small town. Basically a combination of hotels, restaurants and business set up for water activites. It has a population of about 2000 inhabitants and is the largest on an island that has so far remained relatively untouched. The reason for that, up until now, was that it had at one time been a leper colony and also housed a prison where the 'baddest of the bad-asses' of the Brasilian penal system would be dumped. Since the mid-90's its been opened up to tourists and thankfully, to date, has stringent development restrictions that protect it from development. I hope that will remain the case. The island has an abundance of all things - beauty in spades, both flora and fauna. The beaches are untouched, unspoiled, mainly accessible by boat or those intrepid enough to hike the island trails. I say 'intrepid' as rumour still has it that there are still booby traps scattered around the island that were place there to prevent prisoners from making their escapes. It could be just urban legend, but would you take the risk?

Do you think the post came first or the bench?

That's how far the mainland was away 

This is a place where you could easily spend a week or longer, and its in those times of contemplation that you do wonder whether a simple life would be satisfying. Sun, sand, water, tranquility. You ask yourself, 'could I do this every day?', obviously some people do and are satisfied, or even happy. It's in those moments that the eternal thought of 'opening a bar' comes to mind. I wonder how many people have thought of this method as being their out to happiness in such idyllic locations. When it comes down to it though, 99.99999% of the time its those 3-4 days that fill the cup of prospective sea-change. Still, there are those that do it, and they seem happy making caipirnhas for people like me.

Rio de Janeiro (BRASIL) - Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea

Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
11 JUNE - 19 JUNE 2015
26 JUNE - 01 JULY 2015

The Portuguese first cruised into Guanabara Bay on the 1st of January, 1502. What a New Year's Day that must have been. Rolling over the waves of the Atlantic, the beams of sunlight hitting the seamen through their portholes, swimming in their own seas of semi-consciousness, green wine mixing with copious amounts of port, it was no wonder that when they made the turn into the bay even the best and brightest called it a river. In fact, Rio de Janeiro should have been known as Baia de Janeiro - but hell, what's in a name, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, 'apparently'.

Dramatic mountains of emerald green rising directly from the sea and the molding of the urban landscape around those immovable features makes Rio a visually stunning city. Of course, like many places around the world, be they cultural, historic or geographical, the part of the city that encompasses the Tijuaca mountains, to Guanabara Bay, down to the coastline that includes Copacabana, Ipanema, and all the other great beaches heading south, are UNESCO Heritage listed. I get the feeling these days that UNESCO Heritage listing is a bit of laugh, apparently 'Vienesse coffee culture' is also on a 'list'....BUT...with that said, the outstanding universal value contributed by the Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea are undeniable.

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

View from Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Some cities have a power, an allure, a vibrancy. If they were people you would call them charismatic. Places of charm and energy (New York), romance and beauty (Paris), seductive vivacity (Buenos Aires), and then within that group, but also standing aside, you have Rio. This place is special in its own right.  Rio takes hold of you immediately and as you move eastwards from the airport to the coastline and as you do the small 'dot' of Christo on top of Corcovado draws you into its arms. You see the powerful conical shapes of Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf), Urca, Caro de Cao and of course the famous mountain top of Corcovado. All those iconic images come into focus and you can't help but be drawn into its powerful allure.

Nestled between the mountains and the sea the urban landscape bends and is warped by the immovable objects in its way. The beauty of the city is undeniable and this, along with the more than acceptable weather, formulates the lifestyle and temperament of the people.

To be part of this environment even for a week changes your whole mindset, even for the shortest period of time. Inga and I occupied a small apartment on a street named Rua Djalma Ulrich. Located a block back from Avenida Atlantico and therefore one block back from Copacabana beach, it was the perfect location for us, beach, sand, sun, surf. It's a hell of a lifestyle to throw yourself into.

 Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Pao de Acucar - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Copacabana beach from the Porto Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

For me personally, there's no argument to be made between Copacabana and Ipanema -  its the former that wins hands down. Of course, Ipanema is beautiful in its own right, the sunsets there are fantastic, but its just not Copacabana. What the beaches do have, and what you get pulled into, is the beach life culture. All activity revolves around what occurs on the sand, or just off it. From early morning, pre-dawn, the early morning fitness freaks are already making their way up and down the running paths of Copacabana and Ipanema. As the morning lengthens and the rays start to peak over the mountains of Pao de Acucar, the mix of runners, cyclists, walkers and alike morph into a continuum of  mobile fitness obsessed ornaments. Of course there are shapes, sizes and oddities but the fact that you live most of your life half naked here means that you need to also do as much as you can to take care of yourself - that part is obvious.

The beach itself is a hive of activity during the day.  Those that occupy the sand attract those that are trying to make a quick dollar by selling absolutely everything and anything, from hammocks to fried cheese, to sunglasses, to passionfruit caipirinhas. Those that sell are relentless in their pursuit of acquiring your Reals, and gradually, one by one, you get broken down into parting with them. For us it was the mobile caipirinha vendor that had us reaching for our wallets. And the product - WHOA - literally rocket full. At the best of times a caipirinha is cachaca mixed with lime juice, ice and brown sugar. The way that the guys on the beach made it was something altogether different. Within two drinks you were transported to an alternate universe where Barry Manilows 'Copacabana' was on endless play and where Borat's mankini all of a sudden seemed to be kind of 'legit'.

Rio de Janeiro from the air - Ipanema

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The entrance to Guanabara Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Of course, Rio isn't just about the beaches, there's a lot of other mind blowingly stunning places that need to be experienced in this part of the world. It's a virtual cornucopia of stunning vistas. First there's the most famous 'hill' within the most famous status of the big J-man in all of the world.  Cristo Redentor is a 30mtr high cultural icon. Not just of Rio de Janeiro but of Brazil. As recognisable as the Eiffel Tower or the Opera House,  its pride of place on Corcovado overlooking the city, arms outstretched, is a treasure for humanity. That is not an overstatement. Unsurprisingly included within the list of the New7Wonders of the World, this overwhelming symbol of Christianity occupies a position that is dramatic, wonderful and special on its own right. Standing at the base of Christo the city of Rio unfurls itself before you. From the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, to Lagoa de Freitas, to Humaita, Botofoga, out to Sugarloaf and then Guanabara Bay, on a sunny day the views here are priceless .

Cristo Redentor

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 The view from Sugarloaf mountain - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The view down the beaches to Copacabana and Ipanema from Sugaloaf

Cristo Redentor

View of Rio from the air

In much the same manner, the oddities of Pao de Acucar are an incredible drawcard. Rising nearly 400mtrs directly out of the Atlantic ocean, these granite and quartz mountains provide the perfect support cast to a vista to a scene that already has a plethora of riches. The peak is accessible by a glass window cable car, which once again, as you'll come to expect in Rio, provide such gorgeous scenery that its hard to absorb everything at once. Its easy to spend a few hours at the top of Sugarloaf, looking down the beaches, across to the mountains and out to the bay.  You also grasp an idea of the views that domestic travelers have when arriving in Rio. Most flights swooping low over the mountains, dropping in over the bay in front of Botofogo, turning sharply by Sugarloaf and then landing on the runway that juts out into Guanbara Bay - its a hell of an introduction.

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Rio literally has an embarrassment of riches. We spent many days on the beach or at the rooftop bar/pool the Porto Bay Hotel, which to me, has one of the greatest views over Copacabana. At night it was places like Lapa, or visiting the Esacadaria Selaron, or heading to one of the many churrascarias (like Rio's or Mario's), or in fact heading to an outstanding restaurant like Aprazivel in Santa Theresa.

 Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 View to Ipanema from Pedro de Aproador - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

It's easy to fall for Rio, it is a beauty, but also, it's the way of life that captures you also. If you don't watch out then you may find yourself spending a lot of time here, which isn't going to be a bad thing.