Trip Notes

Our itinerary was prepared by Argentina For Less
Here are few thoughts on the package:
This was one memorable trip and - Argentina For Less made it smooth and I would never organise trip like that on my own!
I'll definitely use this company again and recommend it to my friends when we go back to Chile or Peru.
Top notch operation.

Buenos Aires
The city tour happened on 3 PM the next day after our arrival, so we didn't have the chance to follow up ( we flew to El Calafate next day)
and explore in depth a few areas we visited on that tour, which was a pity.
We could only do that much prior to the city tour on our own, even though we had plenty of time, but general city tour gives the highlights.
Punta Arenas
We found about trip to Isla Magdalena (Penguins Island) by pure accident.
This trip was one of the biggest highlights of our tour. For a lousy $100 extra I wish that tour would have been included too, as some people might miss it.

Ushuaia
The best hotel and the least organized city. We weren't met at the bus terminal, by mistake they waited to us at the airport. We were promissed reimbursement for $5 taxi ride,
but never got it. Not a biggies, but...one should never make promises one can not keep, even my children learned that :)

The voucher to the boat trip was missing, and if I didn't ask for it, we'd never get on the boat. They forgot to issue it.

Few notes of the daily activities

1) So far, so good. The seats on Lan Argentina convert into 180 Degrees beds, so we slept like babies from dinner to breakfast.
2) Buenos Aires, the land of meat and honeys.

We haven't had the city tour yet, but walked some on our own and met my ex-pat friend. Impressions of the city: crowded, homogeneous, predominantly white with very few other ethnic groups. After USA it doesn't look right.

The women here are just stunning. Seems like grass fed beef went in all the right places and those places are put on the display and framed better than Mona Lisa. I enjoy the view as much as I did in Oslo, one women is more beautiful than another. Lots of good looking men too.

Lots of pregnant women on the streets, stunning contrast to Europe.

I totally re-evaluated my outlook on grass fed beef. The steak I had for lunch was just a killer and under $10 US.

Tango Show - City Tour

Both would be worth your while. I was thinking of my father during the tango show, him was the first I saw dancing tango, he'd enjoy it tremendously. Still, even after the city tour, I didn't see Buenos Aires and what it makes different from other cities I've been to. BA just doesn't have "something special" lots of other capitals do have. Oh well.

3) El Calafate

We are in Patagonia and it's 10 PM and the bright sun light, just like in Alaska this time of the year.
It's colllllddd! 45F, windy and tomorrow we'll be hitting the biggest glacier in the area.
Patagonian lamb, intestines, kidneys, check!
2008 Catena Malbec - delicious!

Xmas Day The day spent at Perito Moreno Glacier, words can't describe the beauty,
pictures tell the story.

Xmas Day Dinner at the hotel- one of the best meals we had in Argentina. Gourmet cook outdone himself and delivered the meal to remember from canapes to the desert. He is wasting himself at the hotel restaurant and I told him that. He liked the compliment.

4)Puerto Natale, Chile

Sea food restaurant near water, menu in English and Spanish.

Ordered:
Oysters with Scallops.
Brought to the table: River scallops (small ones) with no oysters

Ordered:
Pan Fried Mackerel.
Brought to the table: some sweet water fish no ID was possible.

Ordered: Pan fried eel.
Brought to the table: some big ocean fish resembling cod.

Things were not what they seemed at that restaurant but on the positive side:
they accepted my credit card which was earlier rejected by the bank ATM! ;)

5)The full day at Parque Nacionale Torres Paine, magnificent views, waterfall, young mountains only 20,000,000 years young. Took lots of pictures. Miladone Cave is a MUST SEE!

6)Ushuaia

Lots of seals, birds, nice boat cruise in the afternoon.Terra Del Fuego Park is less impressive compared to what we saw before.

Flying back home today from Ushuaia, and we'll do it naked to pass thru airport security with flying colors, pun intended.
I have some ideas where I'll put the camera though....