Trekking in Patagonia and other adventures

Memories of the big tour of South America in November 2019.

I am often asked why I love trekking, why I am ready to sacrifice comfortable accommodation, go with a heavy backpack and eat sublimates at the end of the world. Probably the best answer to these questions will be this post. I love trekking, first of all, for those incredible beauties that it gives you the opportunity to see what is hidden from the eyes of most people on the planet, for that feeling of freedom and complete unity with nature that you always feel in the mountains without Wi-Fi and gadgets, for the fact that there are always like-minded people around you, for whom it is not a problem to travel tens of kilometers to see unplanned beauties on the route and you will never hear complaints that it was hard and inconvenient, and for the fact that not a single gym will give you have the strength and endurance that you gain by hiking in the mountains with a backpack, and for many other things that cannot be explained in words, but from which you always get a thrill.

Rio de Janeiro

First day in Rio. We went up to Sugarloaf and saw all the sights of the old center, and in the evening we walked along the Kapokobana embankment. The city is amazing, large, diverse, a city of hills and beautiful viewing platforms, there is the Selaron staircase, made of tiles all over the world, and the church was built in the shape of a Mayan pyramid, here people dance Samba on the street, and it is also a city of murals that simply inspire admiration. This is where the mural is located, included in the Guinness Book of Records. Rio is a city that makes you fall in love at first sight.

Flying over Rio on a hang glider was a very old dream that today has become a reality. Despite the fact that the day was not bright and sunny, luck smiled on us and the flight took place. The flight from Mount Pedro Bonita is in the top of the most beautiful places in the world for such flights.

Corcovado Hill is probably the most visited and photographed place in Rio. The statue of Christ towers over the city, and there is also a wonderful observation deck over the city. Of course, there are always a lot of tourists here. A little lower than Carcovado Hill there is an observation deck of Santa Maria, which offers excellent views of the city and Corcovado Hill itself.

The journey continues, but I want to talk about one more part of Rio, about the favela slums, for all the beauty and fantasticness of this city, it has its own seamy side. There are 3 favelas in the city - the largest is Rocinha, the smaller ones are Santa Marta and Vigigal. We visited the Vijigal favela with a local guide. What can I say, people live in terrible conditions, poor shacks built illegally on the slopes without basic living conditions. Before the Olympics, order was restored a little in Rio, the favelas were cleared out, but now drug trafficking, arms sales, and so on are flourishing there again. We didn’t see any horrors or people with weapons in the favelas, although we walked along the slope of the entire favela from top to bottom, but, obviously, they don’t show everything to tourists. Probably, we need to periodically see the conditions in which people live in order to appreciate what we ourselves have.

Iguazu Falls

You need to set aside at least two days to explore the Iguazu Falls, since it is impossible to say which side is more beautiful. On the Brazilian side there is a single road where you see all the panoramic views of the falls, and on the Argentine side you walk directly above and below the falls. Therefore, to explore the waterfalls you need at least 2 days to explore from both sides. On the Brazilian side, next to the entrance and helipad, there is a bird park that is also interesting to visit.

A must-do when visiting Iguazu Falls is to fly a helicopter over the falls. There are always a lot of people willing, regardless of the weather, time of year, etc. The flight costs $105, but the view from above is worth every dollar spent. If possible, it is better to fly in the morning, since later the queue can stretch for several hours. Another nuance - you can only fly from the Brazilian side

In addition to the Iguazu Falls and helicopter flights over the falls, on the Brazilian side you can also visit the bird park. The park is quite large and interesting. There is a pavilion of butterflies, reptiles, parrots, the area is quite large and all the inhabitants are in natural habitats, especially an interesting aviary with large parrots, they are very talkative. You can also eat food at reasonable prices within the park.

Iguazu Falls look completely different from the Argentine side. If with the Brazilian there is an inspection mainly from the side, then with the Argentinean you are in the thick of things. On the Argentine side, there are 3 main routes - a loop along the upper falls, a loop along the lower falls and a train ride to the Devil's Throat. The feeling is indescribable!

If you have time left before your flight, on the Argentine side of the waterfalls you can stop by a symbolic place where 3 countries meet at the crossroads of the river - Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The place is very symbolic. You can also stop by and see how Indians live in traditional villages. Children here don’t run around with a phone in their hands, but strive to catch a bigger bug and show it to tourists

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires greeted us with the smell of blooming jacaranda, the sounds of Argentine tango and the taste of magnificent Argentine steaks. The city is very elongated from north to south, so we moved from south to north through the center. The south of Buenos Aires is more authentic, here is the old port district of La Boca, with brightly decorated houses, in the city center there are both historical buildings and new modern high-rises; Lionel Messi stays in one of the penthouses when he comes to Argentina to visit his brother. Buenos Aires has its own face, all our stereotypes about Argentina are fully represented here

The northern part of Buenos Aires is considered more comfortable for tourists to visit; there are many different parks, wide avenues and squares, a very beautiful rose park and a Japanese park (although the Japanese ones, of course, are better to visit in Japan itself). A separate attraction is the cemetery, where local celebrities are buried, including Eva Pero, famous in Argentina. In the evening, be sure to attend one of the quality tango shows, as this spectacle can only be seen in Argentina

Santiago de Chile

The capital of Chile, Santiago, pleased us with good weather. Now there are protests in Santiago, so the impression of the city is now twofold, there is no curfew, but tourists are not recommended to go out into the city in the evenings. All demonstrations and protests take place in the center, while the rest of the areas are quiet. There are many beautiful places in the city. The central square is Plaza de Armas, there is a New York quarter, very similar to New York Wall Street. One of the most beautiful places in the city is the Santa Lucia hill, which offers wonderful views of the city against the backdrop of the snow-capped Andes. In the evening, we still walked around the city and saw the beginning of a protest demonstration, which ended that day with burning tires and tear gas. I would like to hope that the country will soon get out of the crisis.

The city of Valparaiso is truly the pearl of Chile. I was surprised by the number of murals. The murals here are a real work of art; they are often painted by famous artists. I recommend everyone to visit!

Viña del Mar is a small but very nice resort town located near Valparaiso, similar to many resort towns in the world - quiet, cozy, like many seaside towns.

Easter Island

On this journey, I realized one very old dream. Now I very often remember my school geography lessons - it was always one of my favorite subjects at school - one of the brightest memories, another survey on the map and a tricky question from our teacher Maria Semyonovna - show Easter Island on the map, half the class got bad marks then, but I always knew where the most remote and interesting places on our planet were. In the Soviet school there was no thought about ever visiting these places, and now, many years later, I flew to Easter Island and it did not disappoint me one bit, it greeted me with wonderful weather for all 4 days that we spent there.

I heard some reviews that there is nothing special there, but no, there is a special energy there, and just imagine, this is the most remote inhabited island on Earth, located 3500 km from the coast of South America, a flight of 5.5-6 hours.

Easter Island's most famous attraction is, of course, the moai idols scattered throughout the island. It is known that the statues were made from stone in the crater of the extinct volcano Ranu Raraku; here is the largest concentration of statues in one place, and unfinished statues were also found on the slopes. The largest statue weighs about 200 tons and is 20 meters high. Of course, it is impressive how such colossus could be made with primitive tools.

Sunrises and sunsets on Easter Island. Sunrise and sunset on Easter Island, if you are lucky with the weather, is always a special spectacle that attracts many people, like a good performance. In our case, the island gave us an indescribably beautiful sight.

Usually, no more than one or two days are devoted to the study of Easter Island and are limited to examining the moai idols, but there are also interesting places on the island that I want to talk about - these are kilometers of caves, where you can walk nearby with a flashlight, or you can take a tour with special equipment and explore them deeper. There is also a very beautiful Anakena beach on the island with palm trees and yellow sand and warm water. Of course, people don’t come here for the beach, but it’s a very nice addition. The rest of the coast is lava fields everywhere, in some places there are small baths for swimming, you can stand for hours and watch the movement of water in frozen lava flows, it’s mesmerizing...

About a little trekking on Easter Island. Renting a car on Easter Island is a must if you plan to explore the island in a short period of time. But there is one very interesting place where you can get without any vehicle. If, like us, you live near the airport, a walk to the crater of an extinct volcano is a great idea. In addition to the caldera itself, from above we saw the very island where the adherents of the cult of the bird man sailed. There are also petroglyphs depicting bird people and traditional houses of local residents. Amazing is close!

Tierra del Fuego

Finally we arrived in Southern Patagonia, in the town of Punta Arenas. Instead of the usual shorts and T-shirts, we put on jackets and boots. Here, the further south you go, the colder it gets. We walked around the city, everything was closed on Sunday, the city seemed to have died out. I didn't see anything special in the city. Everyone comes here to go to Penguin Island. It was difficult to find an excursion on Sunday; it is better to book them in advance. Penguins are amazing, very cool creatures. The island itself is quite deserted, except for the lighthouse on the top of the mountain, seagulls and penguins, but thanks to this you can watch the life of these cute creatures without any obstacles.

Tierra del Fuego National Park is the real End of the World - this is where the southernmost post office is located, where you can put several thematic stamps on your passport. There is a real riot of nature and colors here - rivers and lakes, stunning viewing platforms and trekking routes that allow you to climb to the peaks and see stunning views around. It is at such moments that you realize the beauty of our planet, what we call northern beauty - here the beauty is southern and the harsh beauty of the Patagonian region takes the place of oceans and palm trees.

Ushuaia-Edge of the World, a sign about it, is installed right on the embankment and is one of the attractions of Ushuaia. This is the southernmost city on Earth. There are no special attractions in the city itself - a central street with shops, a port and an embankment. What can you do in Ushuaia? You can go on a cruise to Antarctica - this is the main starting point, you can go to the southernmost lighthouse, as well as to the island of penguins and sea lions. We decided to take a walk to the Martial Glacier, where the harsh beauty of the Patagonian region opens up, and look at Ushuaia from a bird's eye view.

Trekking in Chilean Patagonia

A few more words about another miracle of Patagonia - the Perito Moreno glacier. The spectacle is truly grandiose. No matter how many glaciers I have seen before, this one is by far the largest, brightest and most mobile.

We were very lucky with the weather - the bright sun was shining and the glacier sparkled with all shades of bright blue light. Blocks of ice constantly abandoned the glacier and fell into the water with a roar. There was a complete feeling that the glacier was living its own life. When visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier, you should definitely take a boat ride to look at the glacier up close and set aside enough time to walk at the upper and lower viewing platforms.

In Patagonia we went on 2 of the most beautiful treks on the planet and the first of them was the famous Chilean W-track in Torres del Paine National Park.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather, the bright sun shone all days, we saw absolutely all the famous peaks on both routes, not a drop of rain fell on us. On the first day of the Chilean trek, we went to observation platforms along Lake Nordenskiöld and the famous horned rocks opened up from the most unexpected angles. This was the only day when the wind blew, and not very strong, all other days we walked in T-shirts or light fleeces. To say that it was beautiful is to say nothing. Of course, the photos show only a small part of the beauty of this region, but they still give an idea of ​​how beautiful and unique the nature of our planet is!

The second day of the Chilean W trek was almost easy. We left our things at the Italian camp and moved along the French Valley along the most beautiful viewpoints against the backdrop of the stunningly beautiful Paine Grande cliffs to the Mirador Britanico lookout. The walk was about 20 km with a gain and loss of altitude of 800 m. The bright sun was shining, and avalanches were constantly falling along the rocks, there was a constant roar, like peals of thunder from a clear sky. The majestic beauty of the mountains and wild untamed nature...

The beautiful third day of the Chilean W trek route went along Lake Nordenskiöld, the weather was again pleasing and the lake shone in various shades of blue. Walked a total of 16 km with backpacks

On the final day of the Chilean trek, we went to the most famous peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park, in fact, to the Torres Towers themselves. The timing was perfect, we went early in the morning and walked the entire route almost without fellow travelers, but when we returned back, the path was full of people coming towards us, who had to constantly give way. Also, the trick of the route is that the famous view cannot be seen from the middle of the path, you only need to go all the way to the end, although the road itself passing along the gorge was very picturesque

Trekking in Argentine Patagonia

We returned to Argentina again and from the small town of El Chaltén set off on a trek through Los Glaciares National Park. The visiting card and main peak of this national park is the magnificent Fitzroy. Unlike the Torres Towers in the Chilean track, Fitzroy is visible from many points in the park, but we will definitely get closer to it. The first day of the route passed along the beautiful Capri lagoon.

Probably the most popular event of the Argentine Patagonia trek is the climb to watch the sunrise over Fitzroy at the observation deck at the Laguna de los tres lake. When the weather is clear, the magnificent Fitzroy is painted a bright red. For the sake of this event, we got up in the middle of the night and at 4 am we set out with flashlights to greet the dawn. The climb was steep in the dark and it was very cold at the top, but the spectacle was definitely worth it!

On the final day of the Argentine Trek we descended into the charming town of El Chaltén. Lost among the mighty peaks, this is still a full-fledged civilization with Argentine steaks, shops and comfortable accommodation. Along the way there were several more beautiful observation platforms with views of the glaciers, and for those who came to this town without serious trekking, there is an excellent opportunity to see the city from a bird's eye view by following very simple routes.

After the hike

Returning to civilization is always nice after a good hike. We left a bonus day in Buenos Aires before heading back home. We have already walked through well-known and new places. Great atmospheric city. I'm glad that I was able to walk around it again.

I was haunted by the thought that very close by, just 40 minutes by train, there was the small town of Tigre with a huge extensive network of canals, a kind of Argentine Venice, so the decision to visit this town was made unanimously. The town itself on land turned out to be nothing particularly remarkable, once there was a large fruit market, but now there are ordinary shopping arcades, a local Chinatown, but canals!!! The channels turned out to be simply wonderful, a huge, extensive network. We went on a small boat, so we looked into even the smallest canals. Who was not on the water!!! And tourists and children and old grannies were working with all their might with the oars, couples, children, what kayakers - just a whole life on the water. Buildings are a separate issue - there are also huge villas and small shacks. In general, the town is very atmospheric, and it was definitely worth coming here just for the walk along the canals!

We fly back again via Rome. The Eternal City is beautiful in any weather, but how nice it was to be here again on a connecting flight on a great sunny day and walk again through long-familiar favorite and new places. This is why I really like long connections. We walked around the Trastavere district, here are the best and very authentic cafes in Rome, looked into the Vatican and walked around the city at night.

Marina Kolyubakina, February 2, 2020