Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Instead of watching fireworks, Jack and I took the pooch to Sequoia National Park and camped at Lodgepole for a few days. This was the seventh notch in our camping belt in the last year and I have to admit I am all camped out! Jack reserved the site back in March and reaaalllly wanted to go, so I couldn't refuse. Site #144 was pretty incredible. We had front row seats to the Marble Fork section of Kaweah River and each night the sound of the river lulled us to sleep. We didn't do any real hikes this time because Yuki isn't allowed on trails, which I guess was a good thing because we were really able to relax and enjoy the campsite. The nights were nice and warm... we didn't even need our sleeping bags (quite the opposite of our Grand Canyon trip!) and it was nice to beat the heat back at home where it hit the 90s and we enjoyed nice 70 degree weather camping at 7,000 feet. Lodgepole in particular was one of the more peaceful campgrounds we've been to and one of the most picturesque (although the latter is site dependent). We were able to check out General Sherman and Moro Rock, not to mention braved one really intense thunderstorm! Overall a really nice trip, but I wouldn't mind taking a break from camping for awhile! 

Site #144. Great site!


Sunset on our first night. Beautiful!


Breakfast the next day, Jack is making his version of the English McMuffin


One of many deer sightings at camp


General Sherman (SALUTE!)

Tunnel Log

Moro Rock


Hiking to the top of Moro Rock


Lots of stairs!


At the top of Moro Rock




Yuki enjoying the car ride


Auto Log (I guess before cars were able to drive on the part where I'm standing)


The other side of the Auto Log


Follow the pilot car


After the crazy thunderstorm which left us stranded at the marketplace after we showered. Finally back at our site after the rain and Jack is making his yummy ribs.


Hehe funny Yukster


Later in the day, poor girl was pooped


Where's Yuki? I was tired and took a nap in the tent and she came with. Jack took some really nice sunset photos.


Kinda bummed I missed out on this while napping!


Last day, time for breakfast




Another deer!


Bye bye Lodgepole, you treated us well!


Time to go home!

A couple of weeks ago, we set out on a journey to celebrate Mother's Day, our 4-year anniversary, a friend's graduation from USC, and the union of two of our good friends in Dana Point. I think I'm still exhausted from all the driving we did... and I was the passenger most of the time!

Mother's Day
My mom is an absolute warrior. She has sacrificed so much for us and has been through a lot, especially in the last ten years. Yet she's still here, pushing through, persevering and staying strong. She has the purest heart of just about anyone I know and I love her so much! We almost never have the opportunity to spend Mother's Day with her anymore, so it really meant a lot to her that we were all together this time. I planned a dinner in her honor at Wildfish Seafood Grille with the entire family. She couldn't have been happier!

Flowers and gift Jack and I got for Mom


The Kans and Esguerras at Wildfish

4-Year Anniversary
The following Monday, it was off to The Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon to celebrate our 4-year anniversary. Jack planned the trip singlehandedly as part of his anniversary gift! It was mighty tiring driving 7.5 hours to The Grand Canyon, then 2.5 hours to Antelope Canyon, and then 10 hours back home (because we stopped through Zion National Park), but it was an adventure all worth it. We experienced moments that were laughable only looking back, haha. The two days we happened to be spending in The Grand Canyon just happened to be two of the coldest days that week. Jack was monitoring the weather closely about a week before our trip and the weather was supposed to be nice and mild, in the 60s during the day and 40s at night. For some strange reason when we arrived the weather took a turn for the worst! Our plan was to camp and hike, and camp and hike we did... while dodging a snowstorm and sleeping in temps in the 20s! We almost waved the white flag and stayed at a lodge nearby, but as luck would have it there were no rooms available and we were forced to stick with our original plan and camp in the freezing cold. Sleeping in our tent all bundled up using each other's body heat to stay warm was pretty amusing, and if there was one person I'd have to be stuck with in a situation like that, I'm glad it was Jack! In the end it turned out to be quite fun and brought us that much closer together... literally! 

Welcome to Arizona!




Mather Campground, the only campground in the park and one of the nicest campgrounds we've been to. Super clean with hot showers and a laundromat, not to mention a bank, general store, and cafeteria all within walking distance. Overall, we were really impressed by the park facilities.


Our cute little campsite, site number 317.


The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn to see the sunrise at Yavapai Point.


After the sunrise, it was time to hike. Almost started our hike in this snowstorm but decided to play it safe and wait until it cleared. You are supposed to be able to see the canyon behind me, haha. It took two hours for the weather to clear up. The delay kept us from hiking as far down as we wanted.


Weather's clear. Let's go!


Switchbacks on the trail


Mules: the most reliable form of transportation into the rim. Apparently mules are more stable than horses and donkeys.


Where's Jack? He's camouflaged.




View from the Bright Angel Trail




After the hike, we checked out the viewpoint at Kolb Studio

The next morning, we took it easy and checked out several of the viewpoints on Desert View Drive.


Started the day off with lunch at El Tovar Hotel. The waitress spilled beer all over the table and on my purse, haha.


Elk sighting on the way to Yaki Point


Jack snapping away at Yaki Point


Yaki Point


You can see a bit of the Colorado River


Jack made me do this. I was so freaked out.


Colorado River


Tusayan Museum


The Watchtower


One last fill up in the park before heading to Page, AZ. Blubaru loves Chevron. 

On our way to Page we saw this raven. There are a lot of ravens in Arizona. They are as pesky as squirrels and raccoons in trying to steal your food at campsites!

Once we got to Page, we checked into our hotel and woke up in the wee hours of the morning yet again to watch the third sunrise of our trip. This time it was at Horseshoe Bend. It was the morning of our anniversary, and I must admit, quite romantic. 

The morning of our anniversary, I woke up to this. 


At Horseshoe Bend, after the sunrise.


Jack's stitched panorama of Horseshoe Bend, better seen here: Horseshoe Bend

Later that afternoon, we went to Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon. We got to Lower Antelope Canyon right when it opened, around 8:30 a.m. We got tickets on the spot without a problem. A lot of people tend to skip out on Lower because there are steep ascents and descents and a lot of squeezing through tiny crevices so it's not easily accesible to all. I personally found it to be much prettier, more interesting, and much more peaceful than Upper Antelope Canyon. The guides from Ken's Tours were native Navajos who were super helpful and friendly and one of the guides continued to play traditional Navajo music which echoed through the entire canyon while we were walking through. Amazing!

The short trail down to the start of Lower Antelope Canyon. A group of tourists were killed here due to a flash flood in 1997. They are forever memorialized on a plaque sitting just outside this shot.


The entrance into the slot canyon. Talk about a tight squeeze!


But once you get inside, the entrance opens up to this. Unbelievable! That's Jack at the top of the steps near the entrance.


This guy took his large format camera everywhere he went. We also saw him at Horsehoe Bend earlier tha morning. Better view and backstory here: Lower Antelope Canyon


Someone was curious, hehe.


Can you see "The Chief"?


Squeezing through more tiny crevices


It just got narrower and narrower...


... and steeper and steeper!


At the end, one of the guides playing Navajo songs on his flute

Upper Antelope Canyon was just a short drive across the 2-lane highway from Lower. It was nice to experience the light shafts shining down into the slot canyon firsthand, but man, the whole process was so so hectic! There are a ton more tour groups trying squeeze as many people as possible into one tiny little slot canyon, which really is a recipe for disaster. Everyone wants to get into the canyon between the hours of 10am and 2pm when the beams are at their most impressive. After you get your tickets (we opted for the photo tour over the regular tour), a truck drives you across a sand bed to the entrance where you meet your guide and then the frenzy begins. In spite of all the madness, I must say the guides (at least the ones on the photo tour) do a really good job of managing all the crowds and making sure people do not get in the way of photographers trying to get their shots.


The madness!


Jack in the middle of the photo frenzy


At the end of Upper Antelope Canyon. We made it out alive, phew!


Back at the entrance of Upper Antelope, being silly


Trying some local Navajo eats! 


Navajo Nation


Time to head back to Cali


Passed by Glen Canyon Dam


Closer view of the Colorado River


Passed through Utah on the way home


We had no choice but to drive through Zion on the way back. Paid $25 just to drive through the park. We HAVE to come back here!


Cute little goats at Zion


My gift to Jack




Since 4 years is the Fruit/Flower anniversary, I got Jack and Edible Arrangement and made a boudoir album with Bllew Photography


Fruit! One of the "safe" photos 

Alan and Steve's Graduation
We got back to LA just in time to attend our friends' graduation from USC Marshall School of Business. So happy we were able to share in this huge achievement with them!

Congrats Steve!


Congrats Alzie!


Celebratory dinner with Al at Park's BBQ after the graduation


Drinks at Bohemian after dinner


The two grads. Woo hoo!

Frank and Jane's Wedding
The day after on May 14, we watched two of our friends tie the knot at The Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Frank and Jane are just so darn cute together! The ceremony was lighthearted and reception absolutely beautiful. But most of all, the wedding was a lot of FUN!

Groomsmen


The bride was SO beautiful!

First kiss!


Mr. and Mrs. Chang!


With the newly betrothed


First dance


Cake cutting


Love the expressions of all the guys (there are married men in that crowd, haha)


Garter toss


Photobooth fun from Table 9!

It seems like we've been on a hiking kick lately. A couple of weeks ago we went to Muir Woods National Monument. We've driven by here several times but never actually checked it out. I've been to Big Basin before and Muir Woods is essentially the same thing except more touristy. There is a well paved trail that most tourists frequent but it's boring, haha. In order to get some real hiking in you have to go on the the trails less traveled. The redwoods are beautiful and it is a great place to hike once you get away from the touristy areas.

I love banana slugs!

After our hike we stopped by Drake's Beach.

After spending some time camping and hiking at Yosemite last summer and loving it, we decided to experience Yosemite in the winter. We went a couple of months ago and rented a nice cabin near Bass Lake. Bass Lake is a little far from Yosemite which made it a bit inconvenient for us to go back to the park on consecutive days so I think next time we'll probably try and find a place that is either closer or inside the park.

Yosemite in the winter is so different... different yes, but not any less beautiful. There aren't hordes of people bringing their families and dogs and RVs. It's definitely less crowded than in the summer. Most of the people you will find at the park in the winter are landscape photographers. No matter what season it is, I always seem to leave Yosemite completely awed.

We had two objectives. For me, it was to hike to Dewey Point. For Jack, it was to photograph Horsetail Falls. When the sun sets on the falls in the late afternoon/early evening, it emits a bright orange glow that creates an illusion of lava flowing. The catch is that this phenomenon only happens from January until the last week of February each year because the sun sets in the right position to create the effect. In addition to that small window of opportunity, the weather conditions have to be just right and the falls actually have to be flowing. Sadly, Jack's attempts were not successful. The first day it was snowing and visibility poor; in fact, we couldn't even see the falls at all. The second day we went back and although it was clear, not enough water was flowing to create a bright enough glow. How much do you want to bet Jack will make us come back next year? 

En route


Mischievous Yukster


Our cabin




Yuki felt at home right away


Tunnel View in the winter


We saw deer as we drove around the park

More bucks running free near Yosemite Falls


The first night waiting for Horsetail Falls to do its thing. You can't even see it in this photo, and it never cleared up. Not many photographers were here the first day for obvious reasons. It was freezing and snowing.


Jack made us some tea to stay warm while we waited


The next morning, the gorgeous view from our cabin's master bedroom. It snowed!


How nice would it be to wake up to this every morning?


Yuki loved playing in the backyard


Hiking to Dewey Point




Dewey Point, just breathtaking (click to enlarge)






Heading back


After the hike, we went back to "the spot" for another chance to capture Horsetail. It was clear the second day... look how many more photographers were there!


Can see the falls, but the effect was not so bright.


The next day, back at the park for a third day in a row


Tunnel View during the day

Among giants, on the way to Lower Yosemite Falls


Lower Yosemite Falls


Half Dome


Upper Yosemite Falls to the left




Yuki was so so happy. She loves the snow as much as she loves the beach!




Having a quick lunch before heading home




Merced River




A stop for froyo on the way home

It has been quite awhile since I've last blogged. It's hard for me to blog consistently because I don't feel continuously inspired to blog anymore like I used to, but I really want to try my best to at least blog about family events, trips, or any special/memorable moments so I'll have a record of things I may forget in the coming years. There were so many amazing moments from our trip to Argentina that I've already forgotten because I've waited so long to document it.

Back in November, Jack decided to accept a fellowship at Stanford, which meant he wouldn't have to use his time off in January to go on job interviews. With just a couple of months to plan a vacation, we settled on Argentina as our next vacation destination. I suppose Argentina isn't the most obvious choice for most people, but I had previously read and seen photos of the Patagonian glaciers and knew it was definitely a place we wouldn't be able to do with kids in tow, so what better time to do it than now?

Argentina was all that we expected and so much more. We hiked and glacier trekked in Patagonia, romped around the city in Buenos Aires, and got soaked from the waterfalls in Iguazu. It was two weeks of tiresome traveling to three different parts of the country, but it was all worth it. Not a bad way to start off the new year, and to ring in Jack's 30th birthday!

Day 1:

By the time we arrived in Buenos Aires, we were exhausted. We checked in to Soco Buenos Aires and after taking a two-hour nap, had enough energy to see parts of the city: Plaza de Mayo, Microcentro and San Telmo. I remember feeling really nervous about the language barrier on the first day. That never completely went away, but everyone in Argentina was so friendly and responded kindly to our broken Spanish. 

At SFO, waiting for our flight to Houston, then to Argentina


Soco, our hotel in Buenos Aires


Trying the Subte for the first time


Piramide de Mayo


Casa Rosada  


San Telmo


The weekend fair on the streets of San Telmo


Puerto Madero


Puente de la Mujer bridge at dusk


Our first meal in Puerto Madero at Bahia Madero. We were wondering why we couldn't even understand the Spanish on the menu... turns out they gave us a menu Portuguese menu!


Our first taste of helado from Freddo: dulce de leche, cafe american and mousse de limon. We ate soooo much helado on our trip! It's because the healdo is so good, kind of like a mix between American ice cream and gelato.

Day 2 and 3:

In the morning we took a flight to Patagonia where we would stay for the next four days. Our first stop was El Calafate to see the wonder that was Glaciar Perito Moreno and do the Big Ice Glacier Trek with Hielo y Aventura. It was SUCH an incredible experience! I was really torn between doing the Mini Ice or the Big Ice and I'm so glad we went with the latter. It was an all day excursion. You wake up early in the morning and get picked up, spend an hour or so on the viewing platforms in front of the glacier, then take a boat ride to the trail that takes you to the center of the glacier. The hike/glacier trek itself took about six hours roundtrip. It was exhausting and the hike/glacier trek was on the challenging side, but nothing too strenuous. The most difficult part was having to walk with crampons for such a long period of time.  It's much harder hiking with those claws than without and your feet get sore much faster with them on.

In the shuttle on the tarmac at Aeroparque Jorge Newberry


LAN, the airline we used for all our domestic travel
 

En route to El Calafate!




The snacks were so much better on LAN than any American airline (L-R: mini alfajore, ham flavored crackers, and Havanna orange biscuit)


Bienvenidos!


Casa de Grillos, our B & B in El Calafate. It was our favorite place to stay in all of Argentina. It almost felt like we were staying with family, and their breakfast couldn't be beat!


After we checked in we walked to Laguna Nimez, a nature reserve which was just around the corner from the B & B

A calafate plant, which the city is named after




Flamingoes are the last thing I thought we'd ever see in Argentina

The next day it was all about Perito Moreno!

Beautiful, majestic, enormous!




Boarding the boat for our Big Ice Glacier Trek


On the way to Bajo de las Sombras, the starting point of the trek, with a nice view of Perito Moreno along the way




If you don't want to hike, you can take a boat to get a closer look of the glacier


Arriving at Bajo de las Sambras


Small orientation from the guides


Starting our hike to the lateral moraine


Just the beginning of the lateral moraine... this is where it got somewhat challenging


Lateral moraine, walking alongside the glacier




Tiny mini trekkers we saw while on our own hike






Crampon and harness point


Looking down at a waterfall in one of the many chasms of the glacier


So this is what we needed the harnesses for...


What we were looking at. Amazing.


Our lunch spot was near a small glacial river. All the water of course is potable and Jack filled up his water bottle so we could enjoy the glacier water with our lunch. Who knew water could taste so good? It was the perfect temperature too.


Onward ho




Waiting for the guides to make "steps" in the glacial ice for us.




On the way back


Spotted more Mini Ice trekkers on the way back


Base camp for Mini Ice trekkers




Back at home base


After a looooong day of hiking and glacier trekking... lamb ravioli and salami pizza... so good! And $9 half bottle of wine! Wine is so so cheap in Argentina.


After dinner... more helado! Crema americana again, like frozen whipped cream


Streets of El Calafate, very touristy

Day 4:

We woke up early (again!) to catch a bus to El Chalten. This was BY FAR our favorite leg of the trip. The scenery was quite possibly the best we've ever seen on any of our travels and it was that much more rewarding because of all the hard work we had to do to see it! It was great fun interacting with people from all walks of life on the trail and being able to share in the camaraderie, physical pain and ultimate success of completing the hikes. We have even kept in touch with the people we befriended there. Remembering our experience now makes me feel pangs of sadness.  I want to go back and relive it all over again!

It took about three hours to get to the quaint little town from El Calafate. The village was built in 1985 to secure a border in the border dispute with Chile. Now, though still small, it is used primarily as a hub for hikers, trekkers and climbers from around the world in the summer time (our winter is their summer). In the winter, weather conditions are particularly harsh and the town is nearly deserted. There is virtually no cell phone service, very shoddy wi-fi and only two ATMs in the entire town. The town is so small that almost everything is within walking distance, including the trailheads. We stopped by the ranger station at Parque Nacional Los Glaciares to get some trail information from before heading into town, then checked in to our B & B and started the first of our two planned El Chalten hikes shortly thereafter!

El Calafate bus station

Patagonia: the backpacking mecca of the world. Backpackers getting their bus tickets.


On the bus en route to El Chalten


Our bibles for the next two weeks


The ranger at Parque Nacional Los Glaciares providing trail information


The sun sets so late in Patagonia in the summer, which means lots of hiking time!


These bikers biked from El Calafate to El Chalten, battling crazy headwind along the way. What took them an entire day was a three hour bus ride for us. They were hilarious, and made this photo much more interesting!


The first of two trails we did in El Chalten: Laguna Torre.  Pretty easy hike with a few stretches of climbing.  About 12.5 miles roundtrip.


Up, up, up!




Can you find me on the bridge?


This last stretch was rough. It was flat, but the wind was so strong it was literally blowing us away and blowing sand into our eyes.


Most of this hike was spoiled due to bad weather. That's how it is in Patagonia... the weather is notoriously unpredictable.  Some climbers wait WEEKS for a window of good weather just to climb, can you believe it?  It was hard to even get near the lake because it was so darn windy.  we had to huddle behind this rock shelter to escape the wind. This is also where we met Rebecca and Neil, who became our official Patagonia buddies!

Respite from hiking: Patagonicus was the pizza place just downstairs from our B & B. It was bustling! And they made their own beer. To the left of the beer is ice. They won't serve ice with your drinks anywhere in Argentina unless you ask for it "con hielo", in which case they will bring out a separate bowl of ice with tongs for you.


Lamb pizza on the right, Salami pizza on the left. SO. GOOD. Olives on pizza in Argentina were always whole and seeded.

Day 5:

The single best day of our trip and the most memorable hike we've ever done: Laguna de los Tres.  The route we took was just over 12 miles roundtrip with a 2,300 ft. elevation gain. Most of the hike is relatively easy until the last mile, which is a steep 1,300 ft. climb while exposed to the elements. The rangers will tell you not to do this hike in inclement weather because that last mile is just too dangerous when the Patagonian winds pick up and it starts raining or snowing. Luckily for us, after horrible weather plagued our first hike, we were blessed with a clear, cloud free day for most of this hike (until it was time to go back). Even so, Fitz Roy remained shrouded in clouds for most of the day. You can imagine our frustration when we were walking to dinner later in the evening and saw Fitz Roy, clear as day.  The following morning?  Also clear as day. Ah well, you win some you lose some.

We started at Hosteria El Pilar because 1) It made for a shorter and easier first half and 2) This route provides an incredible view of Glaciar Piedras Blancas. I look back on this day fondly for so many reasons - the friendships we made, the sights we saw, everything was just marvelous and beyond magnificent, and to make it back and share in the accomplishment of finishing this hike together made it even sweeter.  

Early morning breakfast at Latitud 49 before the Laguna de los Tres hike. The typical spread of jams, medialunas, toast, and teas/coffee. Sometimes there is also ham and cheese.


On the way to the trailhead by taxi. Beautiful everywhere you look.


At the "alternate" trailhead.




Glaciar Piedras Blancas


Our first (cloudy) glimpse of Fitzy. Little did we know we had a looooong way to go.


Entering the forest towards Camp Poincenot... mossy smilies!


Camp Poincenot, base camp for hikers


Onward to Rio Blanco


Bridge crossing, one at a time


Beautiful grassy area at Rio Blanco, perfect lunch spot before the painful ascent. Hikers posing for us, hehe


Jack collecting water for our lunch. I loved having potable water everywhere we hiked!


Lunch time!


Rio Blanco is the base camp for climbers. They separate climbers and hikers because climbers tend to rise earlier in the morning than hikers.


Bellies full and bladders emptied... time to go up!


Slowly ascending...


Starting to get steep... eek!


The painful 1,300 ft. climb


Looking down at where we came from. Crazy!


Almost to the top! Couldn't help but look around on this hike... gorgeous panoramic views everywhere! Felt like you were hiking on top of the world.


Rounding the corner to the final hill. One more hurdle before we reach our destination!


The faint gravel trail on the right was the last of the trail before we finally saw Laguna de los Tres and Fitz Roy.


Final destination. Fitz Roy behind clouds to the right, Cerro Poincenot to its left, Laguna de los Tres in front. If you click on the photo to enlarge you can see teeny tiny hikers on the ridge which provide a good sense of scale.


Our buddies, Rebecca and Neil, whom we met the day before on the Laguna Torre Trail. We joked about seeing each other the next day... lo and behold we ran into them at the summit! So awesome. We stuck together for the hike back.




Hiked further down to the edge of Laguna de los Tres. More drinkable water.


Laguna Sucia, to the left of Laguna de los Tres


Time to go back... sad. You can kinda make out the rainbow on the right in this shot... it got a lot more vibrant later and we were hiking above it for awhile.


It looked just as sunny and mild on the way back as it did on the way up, but the return trip was much windier and we were pummeled with snow flurries all the way down. I can't imagine what it would be like to ascend on that last stretch in worse weather.


Back on flat ground, looking back to see Fitzy for some last minute views.


One of my favorite shots of the trip, taken by hubby 


We passed by beautiful Laguna Capri on the way back. At this point our feet were in pain... had to take my boots off for a brief moment here.


One last gorgeous view before reaching El Chalten


This is all of El Chalten. Tiny and cute.


Smiling through the pain, haha. Now happy we are back! 


Sendero al Fitz Roy = Conquered. WOO HOO! It was past 9pm when we took this... still so bright out!  It's a good thing Argentinians eat late because we were starving!


Dinner with Rebecca and Neil. We saw them again at the airport and Neil took the same flight back with us to Buenos Aires.

Day 6 and 7:

The next day, it was time to fly back to Buenos Aires. It was a day dedicated mostly to traveling by bus and plane. The following morning, we went to Recoleta to see the cemetery and other sights nearby.

Bye bye, Argentina


El Calafate International Airport


Jack carrying our duffel bag on his back, hahaha. That was all we brought with us to Patagonia... four days of crap for the two of us in that little bag (backpackers clearly we are not... as close as we got)


Pit stop at Ushuaia, located on the southern tip of South America. People fly to Ushuaia for cruise departures to Antarctica.


Back in BA... the famous La Biela in Recoleta


Unfortunately, the food at La Biela was overpriced and not good


Street tango in Recoleta




La Recoleta Cemetery




Old and new


So many stray cats make the cemetery their home.


The cemetery is literally right smack dab in the middle of the city, you can see high rises from all angles.


The line to see Eva Peron's grave... wasn't always like this, only when big tour groups would come.






Street fairs at Plaza Francia on the weekends. We got most of our souvenirs here. Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar on the left.


Inside the church


Centro Cultural Recoleta






Checking out more of the street fair


Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes


Inside the museum, we ran into Tae Woong Chung, another friend we met on the trails in Patagonia. He's a Korean national that works for the Korea Economic Daily. After seeing him in Patagonia and in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in BA, we ran into him again in Iguazu. I can't believe we saw him three different times in three completely separate regions of the country. Now I wish we had taken a picture with him in Patagonia to complete our collection! 


Floralis Generica, a very cool sculpture




Cumana, probably our favorite meal of the trip, recommended by my friend Roxy




Jack had gnocchi with tomato cream and basil. Looked more cheesy than tomato-y to me. I had to switch entrees after he offered me a taste, it was so delicious. My locro was really good too, but gnocchi and anything cheesy? I'm all over it. Sorry Jack!

Day 7 and 8:

We took yet another flight, this time to the opposite side of the country to see Iguazu Falls. Flew out early in the morning, checked in at Los Troncos and headed straight for the park. We knew it would be hot up there with it being summertime in Argentina in January, but it was still hotter than either of us had expected... and oh so humid! We went from cold to hot in a matter of days all in the same country. There was a lot of walking and we were dying from the heat most of the time, but that didn't take away from the wonder of the falls.

Iguazu National Park is huge. Most people will spend at least two days exploring the park, but the park will give you half off admission for the second day. We spent the first day on the more extensive Lower Circuit and explored the Upper Circuit and Garganta del Diablo on the second day. While at the park, it also became clear to us just how ubiquitous mate is in Argentina. We saw a lot of mate drinkers in the city, but at Iguazu it was like 90 degrees out, yet people were still toting huge thermoses around so they could drink it all day!

The rooms at Los Troncos are HUGE. Room for six people total. Upstairs was the queen bed loft with balcony.


Downstairs

View from the balcony in the morning




The Rainforest Ecological Train takes you to the lower and upper circuits, as well as to the Garganta del Diablo


Cute little bug on the train

Salto Alvar Nunez. Jack's up on the bridge.

Salto San Martin, Salto Mbigua, and Salto Bernabe Mendez seen from the Lower Circuit


Cute coatimundi! They were everywhere.


Salto Santa Maria, Salto Floriano and Salta Union. Garganta del Diablo is back there somewhere, can't be seen yet.


Salto Bernabe Mendez






On Jack's birthday, we took a raft to go under the falls and got wet!


On the way down to board the raft




This ride was so thrilling!


Everyone is bracing themselves before we go under the falls. No photos past this point... had to pack our gear in wet bags.


Going back to the dock, totally drenched


All wet, hehe. Happy 30th Birthday babe!


Trying to wring out excess water, haha


Salto Bossetti and Salto Dos Hermanas... where you can get wet without going on the raft excursion


Salto Dos Hermanos... the brothers are much smaller than the sisters. These falls would be impressive anywhere else but here.


Coatimundi up in the trees


Gila monster? Not sure, doesn't look quite like one.


Later that night, we continued Jack's birthday celebration with dinner at a Piacere. Most enjoyable! This is when Jack's addiction to sausage began (haha) and he was really excited to eat a pacu for the very first time.


After dinner back at the hotel, enjoying the rest of the evening out on the Los Troncos patio


Welcome caipirinhas... delicious!

On the second day, we thought we'd check out the Sendero Macuco Trail before heading out to the falls. We were hoping to see some toucans... kind of a fail


Went halfway and it started to drizzle, so we went back


In front of the entrance to the Garganta del Diablo walkway, we saw these colorful butterflies taking advantage of a small pool of water. This adorable baby boy was so enamored with them.  




The Garganta del Diablo walkway was super long


Along the way we saw this bird capture a fish. It continued to whack the fish on the rock continuously until it was limp enough for the bird to eat. Such a cool sight.


Garganta del Diablo. Frightening and magnificent all at the same time.




Photo op




Butterflies were attracted to the color of my shirt, hehe


On the way back from Garganta del Diablo, we ran into Tae Woong again! hahaha


Butterflies liked him too


From the Upper Circuit. You can see little people on San Martin Island.


Rainbows everywhere!


A horde of coatimundis


Coatimundis were fearless. Oh, and that is a thermos full of hot water for mate!


Not supposed to touch them or pet them because they can bite... obviously these people didn't listen

Day 9 and 10:

The next morning it was time to go back to Buenos Aires. The next couple of days we spent gallivanting around in the city: Palermo, Belgrano, Plaza San Martin, Retiro, and Microcentro. Lots of walking!

Early morning breakfast at Los Troncos


Flight back

Dragonfly at Jardin Botanico


Jardin Botanico


Yerba mate growing at the botanical garden

Eating at Las Cabras, an insanely popular parilla in Palermo. We only got prime seating because we ate at 6pm... super early by Argentinian standards. Ordered the parrillada completa (mixed grill), which included pollo, various cuts of carne, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), chinchulines (small intestines), tripa gorda (large intestines), and molleja (sweetbreads). We promised to be adventurous and try everything at least once... and try everything we did!


After 8-9pm, packed to the brim with hour-long waits.


The next day was gloomy and rainy. Kind of a mish mash day. Snack time at the famous Cafe Tortoni




Cafe de Gelly!


I normally find museums boring but i really loved MALBA!


MALBA's impressive interior


Marta Minujin exhibit


Cool artsy museum benches


Where's Jack?




Jack and the 221 ft. Obelisco


Galerias Pacifico


Calle Florida - street vendors galore


Having Peruvian food at Status before the tango show. Huge portions!


Palacio del Congreso. The sunset was breathtaking.


Back to Cafe Tortoni in the evening for the (mediocre) tango show




Guess who got pulled up on stage? haha




On the way back to the hotel, wooden rickety subway

Day 11:

We spent a day in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. The only way to get there from Argentina is by boat, so we took the Subte to the closest stop to the ferry terminal. However, we didn't bother to check departure times before we left, so by the time we arrived at the ferry terminal we were rushing to make the boat that left at noon all while still having to go through security and customs. Talk about a nightmare!  To add insult to injury, no one bothered to tell us that Uruguay is an hour ahead of Argentina so we ended up missing our boat back to Argentina in the afternoon, haha. Nothing seemed to go our way on this day!

Lunch al fresco at Casa Grande


Gnocchi stealer! Pasta was always fresh and made from scratch everywhere we went, so I was always inclined to get either meat (duh) or pasta. The gnocchi was particularly delicious.


Loved seeing all the accordions everywhere 


Harbor front




Lighthouse built in 1845


View from the top


Ruins


Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs)








We ran to take a photo of this boat leaving... found out later it was the boat we were supposed to take back to Argentina, haha


We had dinner in Colonia since we missed our boat

Day 12:

It was off to Tigre. Getting there was yet another adventure. From our hotel, we took the Subte to the Mitre, then took the Mitre to another train station called Tren de la Costa, which finally took us to Tigre. Our guidebook told us Tren de la Costa was the nicest way to get to Tigre, but it really wasn't that much nicer than the Mitre, took much longer because we had to switch lines, and was slightly more expensive. I found it amusing that even though all of our travel arrangements with our flights and car/taxi transfers to Patagonia and Iguazu went off without a hitch, we had hiccup after hiccup traveling locally.  It started with Colonia and lasted through to our last day (read: La Boca). Anyway, we had lunch in Tigre, took a boat ride on the Tigre Delta, and checked out Puerto de Frutos (a local crafts fair) before heading back to Palermo in BA for dinner.

Taking the Subte to the Mitre


Mitre station


Train to Tigre


The Tigre Delta


Ham & cheese sandwich and pizza, you can find either anywhere in Argentina


Tigre Delta boat ride






Beverage delivery by boat


Puerto de Frutos (I'm eating a juice bar... it was so hot, we bought juice bars anywhere we could find them)


Back in BA... Coke ads everywhere!


Back in BA for dinner. We ate at Don Julio, an upscale parilla in Palermo. Lots of English speakers. We heard more English while dining here than we did our entire trip.


Lots of wine bottles inside 


More of the same... gnocchi and MEAT

Day 13:

Our last day.  Our flight was in the evening, so we had one last day to spend in the city. There was only one area of Buenos Aires that was left to see: La Boca. Throughout our trip had been getting around the city mostly by foot, subway, or taxi. On the very last day, we decided to try taking the bus to La Boca because the Subte didn't have any stops near La Boca and taking a taxi there from our hotel would have been a lot more expensive. What you should know about the buses in Buenos Aires is that they have machines in them that only accept bus fare in the form of coins. We read in our guidebook that coins are highly prized in Argentina and that they are ridiculously hard to get, so if you happen to have them you should probably guard them with your life. Luckily, we had accumulated quite a bit of change since we arrived because we never took the bus previously. The problem was we only had enough to get TO La Boca, but not to get BACK.  Well, we took the bus anyway and decided not to worry about how to get back until later.

It was especially crowded in La Boca on the Saturday we went.  The barrio is vibrant, alive, and most known for its colorful buildings.  What I didn't like was how touristy it was. It turned me off so much. There were solicitors everywhere trying to entice you to eat at their restaurant or book some kind of package with them. Probably my least favorite place in Argentina, but it was nice to have seen it.  La Bombonera is also nearby, but we skipped out on it because we wasted so much time trying to get coins for the bus...

After a couple of hours, we wanted to head back to Recoleta to pick up some souvenirs at the weekend fair before packing for our flight home. This is when we realized just how difficult it was to get change. Jack went into numerous shops and asked several taxi drivers if they would be willing to exchange our bill for coins to no avail. Then we went to a currency exchange kiosk but it was closed. Jack even walked up to a STREET PERFORMER (who CLEARLY had coins in his basket) and asked him if he wanted to make a PROFIT by exchanging his 2 peso bill for 2 50 centavos and even the street performer denied him! Is that rejection or what? I guess you're wondering why we didn't just suck it up and take a taxi back, but at this point it had turned into sort of a challenge and Jack was determined to get his coins, haha. That and the taxi would have cost so much more and we only needed one more 50 centavo. Yes, only ONE 50 CENTAVO! In a final act of desperation and determination, Jack approached a man selling helado and asked him if he would do an exchange. At first the man said no, even though we saw he was wearing a waist pack made for holding coins! Jack told the man he would be willing to buy something from him if would give him change in coins.  That must have softened the man's heart because after that he took pity on us and decided that we didn't have to buy anything and willingly exchanged our bill. You should have seen the joy on Jack's face, lol. He was so happy, he ended up buying something from that man anyway as a gesture of thanks.  Phew, what a way to end our trip!

The dreaded coin machine on the bus. It took Jack forever to feed the coins in. I'm sure we stuck out like sore thumbs... "darn tourists don't even know how to use the coin machine"


Colorful streets of La Boca. The tourist trap of all tourist traps, but pretty much the only safe place for tourists to be in this part of the city.

I don't know how Jack managed to get this shot with no on else in it. There were so many people in La Boca that day.




Woo hoo! VICTORY! This was after we got our change, now making sure we don't miss the bus haha


Finally got back to the Mitre, where we were able to take the Subte to Recoleta


Browsing for souvenirs at Recoleta's weekend fair


Our last meal, went back to Las Cabras. Had to try mate at least once. It is disgusting! Soooo bitter. I don't know how anyone can drink it! (Although Jack has been drinking it regularly now ever since we got back... gross)




Chau Chau, Argentina!

I know this is a really long post. I tried to leave out some photos (unsuccessfully). You can see more here: https://picasaweb.google.com/gellibelly/Argentina?feat=directlink