One last "completo" at the Chile/Argentina border...and it was a Grande!!!!! Yum.

Hasta Luego Chile!!!!!
We will forever hold you close to our hearts. So many amazing memories made in Chile I couldn't even begin to describe them. We will be back, oh yes...we will be back.


San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina

We were reluctant to leave our beloved Chile in the dust but Argentina had been serenading us with her sweet song for several months now. She had been whispering sweet nothings in our ears, eluding to future rendezvous involving juicy steaks and robust Malbecs. Are you ready Argentina??? Because here we come!!

Getting crispy in the sun

   

View from our Hostel

Bariloche is a resplendently beautiful city that is situated at the foothills of the Andes, located on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is absolutely gorgeous here. We arrived in Bariloche in the middle of the summer, which for most is the least desirable time to be in Patagonia due to the lack of snow, however, Aesha and I were more than happy to spend hours upon hours soaking up the sun at some of the most pristine beaches we have ever seen. Even Hector and Jugo de Naranja came out to enjoy the crystal clear waters and 100 degree heat!!!

Hector and Jugo chillin at da beach!

     The hostel we stayed in was one of the cleanest, almost to a fault...("I'm gonna put you in the oven"), relaxed, and delightful hostels we have stayed in with a grande kitchen loaded with everything your heart could desire. The hostel was located in the penthouse of a highrise building and offered spectacular views of the lake and city. It's a damn shame there was no AC so we cooked in our 105 degree room every night. I was hoping to sweat out some of the toxins...who am I kidding.
      Our first matter of order was steaks and Malbec. We have been waiting for what seemed to be an eternity to devour some steak. As many of you know from reading this blog the food in Chile sucked. Plain and simple. It was awful. I'm still confused as to how it could be possible that two countries so close in proximity to one another could have have such wildly different scales of food. Chile is a 1 out of 10 and Argentina is pushing a 9.5.

Yes, we ate all of this. Yes. It was freaking delicious

Let's talk about steaks man...
In a country with 35-40 million people and 50-55 million cattle you know they are just going to know how to cook a steak. The food was brilliant! We gained quite a few lbs (which we are both still desperately trying to lose), but it was worth it! On to the beer...

Berlina Brewery, Patagonia

 

     Aesha and I consider ourselves to be somewhat of craft beer snobs so when we stumbled upon Berlina Brewery in Patagonia we decided it would be a shame to pass it up. Located directly across the street from one of our favorite secluded beaches, Berlina provided us with much needed  frosty libations and delicious food. We believed we had gotten away from the dreaded "completo" of Chile...so when we ordered their "German style Sausage" we thought we were getting...well, German style sausages. What we received were "Argentinian style completos" All we could do is laugh and eat our damn completos. I mean, who doesn't like hot dogs with beer???

     We arrived at Berlina around 5pm and somehow mananged to stay until well after midnight. The staff was friendly, the beers were tasty and freely flowing, and we were lucky enough to meet the owner. He invited us to the actual brewery the next day for lunch and a private tour! Awesome. 

   At our hostel we met another amazing German girl named Anja who is super cool and was also traveling alone. Once again Aesha and I kidnapped a German and decided to take a 26 mile bike ride around the  Nahuel Huapi National Park and to make Berlina our lunch desination spot!

Me, Anja and Aesha...right after I fixed  the flat tire!

   The bike ride was insanely beautiful with the scenery constantly changing as we inched our way up mountains, sped down the hills through forests over bridges with sweeping lake views. The ride was intense and exhausting. Within 30 minutes of the ride Aesha got a flat on her back tire. The girls were freaking out because they had no idea how to change a flat tire on a mountain bike and we were in the middle of nowhere. Little did they know I know how to change a flat tire!! However, it was quite messy and took a bit of concentrating. I was covered in both oil and sweat, but I changed that tire and off to Berlina we went!

     When we arrived at the brewery we we immediately offered shade, an icy brew, and a tour of the facility. It was over 100 degrees outside and we were overheating! The three guys who ran this place were hilarious and made jokes about everything. They offered us insight to how and why they started the brewery and how it has become so successful. They are one of only several breweries in the region and believe they owe their success to the dedication and hard work of their team, the tastiness of the local water sources they use, and the rising demand for craft beer. 

Aesha, David, Anja, the owner James and myself in front of the brewery

Sharing laughs with Brewmaster Javier

As much as we wanted to stay and chat about beer all day we knew it was time to say goodbye. Our ride had only just begun and we had plenty more to see and do!

Who doesn't love jumping into strange waters in the middle of the forest??

 We decided to bike to several beaches along the trek and took the advice from a local and stopped at this very hidden gem, appropriately called Emerald Lake. We took turns jumping into the lake off of a rickety pier while cooling our extremely hot extremities.

Kayaks on Nahuel Huapi Lake

I attempted to take in the sheer natural beauty of this wonderland as I rode along but even as I gazed at the mountains in the distance, listened to the crack-crackling of the hot timber, smelled the sweet aroma of the surrounding flora, and breathed in the misty air coming off the fresh water basin, I just had this feeling that I was moving too fast. I just didn't give myself enough time in this magical playground. At that moment I knew that I will be visiting Patagonia again sometime in the near future. There is just too much to explore and we didn't give ourselves enough time to do it proper. This was just a teaser...a trailer for what's around the corner.

We were exhausted but finished the ride like champs! I could move here and be a very happy person. I truly did not want to leave this magnificent place. It envelops you with serenity and creates an inner peace that calms the soul. I love you Patagonia and I promise I will be back!!!! Next stop...Mendoza for wine tastings...oh my!!!

-The Savvy Nomad

      

PUCON, CHILE

Villarrica Volcano

     500 miles south of Santiago lies an alluring little city that is surrounded by lush forests, exquisite lakes and a few active volcanoes. Pucon is Mecca for adventure tourists with white water rafting, skiing, snowboarding, canyoning, hiking and  much more available right at your fingertips. Due to the active volcanoes in the area Pucon is also home to various hot springs that are relaxing after a long day of hiking...our only problem was that we visited the hot springs the day before our treacherous hike to the top of the Villarrica Volcano...Silly girls.

Villarrica Lake in Pucon

 Geometricas Termas -Geometric Hot Springs 

     The Geometric Hot Springs, located in Villarrica National Park in Chile are a combination of 17 geometrically carved pools that are fed with over sixty springs of  pure hot thermal water. The architecture was created in an almost Zen like design to enhance natures beauty while separating it from its unique and irreplaceable architectural  design. Simply stated, the place is fabulous. We felt as if we were on a movie set. The springs are situated in the middle of a tropical rain forest and the mist from the water entices you in. Each natural pool boasts a different temperature and although we tried all of them we both agreed that our favorite was the hottest pool...reaching temperatures of 113 degrees...awesomeness. We wandered down winding paths and dipped into pool after pool until we found a waterfall. The water cascading down was Arctic cold and I thought it would be a splendid time to test my courage. Wow...It was freezing!!!!! Yet oh so refreshing. 

Arctic waterfall!

The day was rainy and dreary yet absolutely perfect for hot springs. Javier and David, our favorite Couchsurfing hosts, gave us a little send off present from Santiago that we enjoyed thoroughly whilst bathing in the incandescent aguas calientes. Muchas gracias por el caño...

Villarrica Volcano

Ahhh. the beginning.

Villaricca is one of the most active volcanoes in Chile and has erupted 82 times throughout history with the latest eruption occurring in 1984. The hike to the top of the Villarrica volcano was one of the most challenging hikes of my life. It came as a complete surprise to Aesha and I. We arrived in Pucon not knowing much about this hike and booked it without any previous research. Once again...silly girls. We figured, how hard could it be? I mean, we did survive The Inca Trail and The World"s Most Dangerous Road...how hard could a measly day hike be. Where do I begin...
     From the moment we arrived at the Adventure Sport office in Pucon at 6:00am we felt charged with hurried energy. These guides were no nonsense. We had to pack our backpacks with crampons, which are sharp, razor like clips that you clip on the bottom of your hiking books when you are going to be climbing mountains covered in snow and ice. Also, we needed gloves, waterproof pants and jackets, a spoonlike sled, and ice axes. Yup.
 Ummmmmm what? Snow? Ice? Ice axes??? Wait a minute.... what have we done???

Best friends for life

From the beginning of the trip one of the guides began hounding Aesha and I . Due to the ongoing, overt, and daily presence of advances from South American men, we have almost become immune to their shenanigans, but this guy was out of his mind. We kept hitting me on my helmet with his hiking pole and he even grabbed Aeshas jugoso culo. What a jerk. Aside from his immature behavior, the hike was incredibly dangerous. It was the most dangerous thing I have ever done. It takes a lot to scare me and I was genuinely petrified. When we were less than half way up the volcano, they decide to tell us about the three lost hikers. They went missing sometime in November. Dear Lord.

The Hike

   The ascent to the summit of the volcano is a climb straight up of almost 4,000 feet. You must be in excellent physical condition to reach the crater and the fact that Aesha and I had been surviving solely off of vino tinto and completos for the previous month surely didn't help our cause. We focused on advancing slowly and cautiously and took short steps in order to conserve our energy. This was going to be an exhausting 8 hours. The guides were continuously screaming at all of us "Vamos!!!!Vamos!!!!" which means "Let's go!!".

We look happy but we want to punch our guides at this point!!!

They had little or no concern for our safety, yet our lives were in their hands. As we climbed Aesha and I would occasionally glance at each other and silently mouth " I fu**ing hate this". The view, however was spectacular.  After about 2 hours of steadily climbing in the snow, we stopped for lunch. Before my third bite was swallowed I heard those famous words "Vamos!!! Vamos!!!"...I wanted to push him down the mountain.

   As we cleared the scatted cloud cover we were treated with the most outstanding view of Lake Villarrica and the surrounding forests. It was truly a breathtaking sight and almost made me forget that we still had hours to go.

3 hours into the hike

The Summit
We finally reached the summit 5 hours after we began this perilous journey. The toxic gases being released at the crater allowed us only a short stay at the top. I was suffering from a combination of headache, excitement, adrenaline rush, anger, and fear....how were we going to get down???
     I would now like to take the time to apologize to my mother who, has always supported my erratic, insane and sometimes just plain idiotic adventures. I'm sorry that I did this very dangerous hike, and I am even more apologetic that I sat on a sled like disc, and sledded my ass down that volcano. I had no idea Mom,...I promise. Love you Mom, and thank you for your patience with me.

The Sled

   Oh, the sled. This lovely spoon like contraption to the left is the tool we were expected to sit on while sliding down a volcano at alarming speeds, using only an ice axe for a brake.

We sledded down this too!!

 You think I'm joking ?? 
 Nope. It was by far one of the most dangerous, yet exorbitantly exciting feats of fate I have ever dared to attempt. One of the guys on our trip broke his leg by crashing into another stupid tourist like ourselves. That may have been because the guides were screaming at us the entire time to hurry up and we were constantly crashing into one another. It was ridiculous. Just get me down the damn volcano already...

The Aftermath
We made it out alive but scarred for life. At least I now know that hiking volcanoes is just something I am not interested in doing...EVER again.

"Gecko", me, Aesha and Ruben

We decided to get cleaned up and have a glass of wine at the hostel. Enter Ruben and Eneko (I called him Gecko because it just made me laugh over and over again for some reason.)

They too braved the horrific hike that day and were just as disappointed and freaked out as we were. Horrible, just horrible they said!!!. We instantly made new friends and decided to head out for some late night dining to share our war stories from the day.

                                                                          The Beach

We really lucked out by making friends with Ruben because he is a local Chilean and rented a car to get around Pucon. The next day he was heading to a beautiful beach and invited Aesha and I to join. WooHoo!! We actually get to go somewhere cool without having to take a bus!!! Ahhh the simple things one really does miss... Thanks Ruben!!! You are the best!!





We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of Pucon, the amazing friends we met there, and even the horror of the volcano hike... but alas, it was time to say goodbye to Chile and Hello to Argentina!!!!! First stop...Patagonia.
Signing off,
The Savvy Nomad 

A special note to my wonderful followers-
As most of you know I am now home safe and sound in one of the greatest cities in the world...Chicago. Due to the ridiculous amount of electronic mishaps, thieveries, and misplacements I encountered on this trip, writing this blog has been extremely challenging. My computer died about a month before I came home, making it almost impossible to post the type of blogs I have been accustomed to writing, however, I didn't give up!!! The South America blog will be finished, just in a different fashion than in the past. It will be a bit retrospective but hopefully you will still find it entertaining. There is a story to be told and I still wish to tell it.
 Argentina turned out to be my favorite leg of the trip with Patagonia, Medoza, and Buenos Aires as major highlights. Stay tuned and I promise I will bring you the story...well most of it anyway...there was a wee bit of vino consumed...

COUCHSURFING- Santiago

Jasmin and I on "Da Couch"

Let's discuss Couchsurfing shall we?
When most people hear the word couchsurfing they are usually slapped with a not-so-fond image of a unemployed, lazy, dirty friend that stayed on their couch for what seemed like an eternity. "Dude, get a place already!!"
 That is not what the Couchsurfing I speak of is all about. Couchsurfing, best described on their website, https://www.couchsurfing.org/ is a community of travelers from around the globe that connect online to share experiences, hospitality, languages, adventures, and their couches and/or spare bedrooms.
I've couchsurfed several times in various countries but this was Aesha's first experience with the concept.                       First, we needed to make a profile. The profile is not unlike a FaceBook profile. You want to be honest, intriguing, and interesting to others. You can go to the Couchsurfing website and search Aesha Shapiro to find our profile if you are interested. Next, the lingo. There are two types of couchsurfsers: hosts and surfers. We needed to find the perfect host. It is a tiresome process reading hundreds of profiles and trying to find the best match for us as well as for the host. Hosts get reviewed by their surfers and can not remove a review, regardless if it is positive or negative. Also, hosts have the option to "up" their profile by paying a fee to get verified. Verification is not mandatory but I would never choose to stay with someone who is not verified. Verification consists of several background checks and it the safest way to ensure your host is honest and does not have ulterior motives...or felonies.
Why couchsurf??
Couchsurfing is not about a free place to stay. Yes, it is awesome to not have to pay for a hostel, but if you are surfing just for a free place to lay your head, you are missing out on what Couchsurfing is all about. It is an wonderful way to experience local cultures as well as meet new people, try new foods, share travel stories, and to get the inside scoop of the area.

Our experience

View from the apartment

We are the luckiest surfers on the globe. We simply could not be happier with our gracious hosts Javier and  David. We spent hours upon hours reading profiles before we selected these guys. They had tons and tons of marvelous reviews and not a single bad one. They are both engineers, world travelers, excellent English speakers, unbelievable cooks, and they genuinely love opening their home to fellow travelers. They are magnificent...and they even love Dubstep!! (For those of you who don't know, it's a type of gnarly electronic music.haha) I simply can not say enough fantastic things about these guys and their genuine passion for hospitality, but I'm sure going to try...

The Surf

Sunset from our room

If you have been following the blog you know about Jasmin, our adopted new best friend. If you haven't been following ..well shame on you. I kid, I kid. Jasmin is a kick ass chic from Germany and she has quickly become one of our favorite people. She only had one more night left on her trip and we dragged her to Santiago with us. She was completely ready to get a hostel but when David picked us up from the train station he insisted she stay with them as well. Awesome. That means the "Three Musketeers" would stay together. Brilliant.

Middle Eastern food...Chilean Style

 Their place is remarkable. Open layout with a sensational view of Santiago. Aesha and I were set up with our own private room and bathroom and Jasmin now gets the neon green couch, right next to Kendra. Kendra needs her own section so keep reading and you will find out all about her.
     We arrived in Santiago with ferocious appetites and these guys knew it. I love to try new and exciting foods and they hooked us up with what Javier calls "ethnic middle eastern food...Chilean style". I've never heard of such a thing but I rolled with it. Freaking unbelievable!!!!!

The Sheesha (Hookah)...and her name is Kendra
I've smoked hookah before when I was in Cairo, Egypt, but none as beautiful as Kendra. I don't smoke cigarettes. Never have, never will, but there is just something so enticing about Sheesha. It's smoked with flavored tobacco and it's actually an ingenious social tool. It brings people together and requires them to connect with one another. In a world that is dominated by electronic devices and mass media it was nice to stop and actually interact for a while. Not to mention, for a non-smoker, the buzz is incredible.

"Kendra"

Our first night was full of chistes (jokes), sheesha, phenomenal food, wine and music videos. Yup you heard me right. These guys certainly like their music videos. Exhaustion crept up on me and I surrendered early. The girls could be heard in cheerful spirits for hours.
     Jasmin had to leave the next day so we gave her a crash course on Santiago as we had already spent five days there. Our day was jam-packed and we tried to show her all of the hot spots that we knew of as well as follow Javiers itinerary. Somehow we ended up at this "Cafe" of sorts. It was a compilation of Senoras whipping up greasy food for tourists and locals alike. These broads sure know how to cook a Completo! I went out on a limb and ordered a Churrasco, not knowing what it was but hoping it was delicious. Oh ...it was...Was I actually a vegetarian for 21 years?????

Churrasco

Tres chicas locas

We cruised the city for hours, getting lost several times. We ventured back to the mall (of course), drank strange street drinks made with wheat, sipped our daily vino allowance, and had a blast doing all of it! Adios Jasmin!!! We miss your beautiful spirit already!
     It won't be long before we see Jasmin again. You see, she has invited both Aesha and myself to Oktoberfest in Germany this year. We will be there!!!! Ahhhhh yeah!

Yeah, that's right. I made this, and I'm a bad ass.

The Pasta
These guys sure know how to cook. The first night we gorged ourselves on homemade pasta. It was smothered in a delectable broccoli and garlic puree and was unlike anything that I have ever tasted. Delicious!!!! Thanks for all of the ambrosial food guys!!!!! The night before our departure David even baked us homemade chocolate chip cookies. Are you kidding me?

Attention all other couchsurfing hosts... you better step up your game if you want a chance to compete with these guys!!!

Second evening feast of sauteed chicken with a butter cream sauce and spiced rice

All good things must come to an end

 We want to thank our hosts David and Javier for their knowledge, laughter, hospitality, Kendra, "Chilean Reserve" Malbec, delightful intellect, mouth watering comida, insight to Santiago, music selection and videos, and most of all... introducing us to the "Game of Honor". A game which we will undoubtedly teach to others around the globe. One word. Hilarious.

You guys rock. Keep doing exactly what you are doing. You have made friends for life and are welcome in our homes anytime. Thanks again!!!!!- Love The Savvy Nomads

VALPARAISO, CHILE..."The jewel of the pacific"

    

   ”Valparaíso es un montón, un racimo de casas locas.” (Valparaíso is a 

heap, a bunch of crazy houses.)

- Pablo Neruda

 Valparaiso ranks as one of Chile's most valuable seaports and is a cultural cornucopia of artists, musicians and performers. It's a genuine feast for the eyes. Its distinctive history combined with its unique architecture has allowed it to be deemed as a UNESCO World Heritage Cite. Precioso!!! We were lucky enough to visit this stunning city during the Festival de las Artes, which is a festival dedicated to the arts, culture, and global sustainability.  The city was transformed right before our eyes!! We simply could not have chosen a better time to be in this enchanting place. The city entices you with its charm, dazzles you with its magic, and relaxes you with its sweet song. I simply can not say enough about Valparaiso  I love love loved it!!!!

Interactive Art focusing on the importance of recycling

    Only a short bus ride from Viña del Mar, we arrived in Valparaiso relaxed and ready to explore. Our hostel was perfect! A much needed reprieve from the utter chaos of the beaches. Hostel Jacaranda is run by a very lovely couple and we felt immediately at home upon entering. We stayed in a dorm that was supposed to be mixed but lucked out because it ended up being all girls. Yay for us!!

Valpo by boat...amazing!!!

Enter Jasmin...
You know when you meet someone and there is that instant connection, things just click? Impossible to describe? That's how both Aesha and I felt about meeting Jasmin "Jazz hands" from Germany. Jasmin arrived in Valparaiso the same day as us and she was travelling alone, until she met us. Once we met her we decided that we were going to adopt her and she did not leave our side until the day she left to go back home to Germany. We miss you Jazz hands! What an amazing five days the three of us had together!

Aesha, myself and Jasmin on "Daddy"

 Time to explore... The most outstanding phenomenon of this city is the plethora of graffiti art. It's everywhere. Almost every inch is boldly painted with wildly eccentric graffiti. It's magnificent. Excitement ran through our blood as we turned each corner, anticipating the next masterpiece. The winding streets are dotted with local art studios, cafes, handicraft markets, and more unique little trinket shops than I have ever seen. This city is full of amazing artists, craftspeople and musicians alike.

 Funicular lift to the panoramic viewpoint

Valparaiso boasts fifteen antiquated funicular lifts. They are archaic and actually date back to the 1800's, but they are also a great way to avoid exercise, and let's face it...who really likes to exercise??  We would much rather sit and sip vino as we discuss our daily shopping conquests.

Vino time at our favorite hotspot. The view is perfecto!!!!!

The vino...
All three of us love wine, so we decided that everyday around sunset we should get a bottle of Sauvingnon Blanc, sip it slowly as we digest our afternoon, and allow our palates to be teased by the flavor of crisp apples, pears and grapefruit. Shopping with a wine buzz..look out!!

Denise Quijada and a very happy Samantha!!!

The shopping...

And a very happy Aesha!

If I had a million dollars... OK, I don't, but I sure did shop my face off here. Every time I travel abroad I purchase a special piece of artwork. My personal collection of art is expansive and I am more than proud to say that my newest piece came from an incredible female artist from Valparaiso. Her name is Denise Quijada and I fell in love with her work immediately. I knew that I must have this painting as soon as I walked into her studio. Aesha became immediately attached to another one of her pieces. A deal was struck and all of us were ecstatic ! Now Aesha and I each own a one of a kind piece of artwork from the same artist. It reflects the beauty of our trip and will forever remain in our hearts and minds that we share this special connection and remind us of our spectacular trip to Valparaiso together.

You got it Jasmin!!!!

The Hooping...
What would a day in the park be without Aesha teaching someone how to hoop? Ocne again, we drew a curious entourage of onlookers as Aesha taught Jasmin how to: stand straight, use her muscles, and hoop her little but off. All of this was done in the coolest park on earth. It doesn't have a name but it is completely constructed of mosaic hearts. Mosaic art is one of my favorite forms of art, and hearts...well anyone who knows me knows how much I love hearts!!!!! So much that I'm contemplating getting two mosaic heart tattoos on my wrists. Feel free to discuss this in the comment section at the end of this blog. I would love some feedback.

The girls...right before we found a myserious package that smelled like a skunk. Weird.

Six piece rocking band!!!!!

The Festival de las Artes-
The city was alive and buzzing with excitement. The first night we headed to the plaza to watch the Cuban musician and Latin Grammy nominee Aldo Lopez Gavilan perform. We met a very sweet Chilean couple who took us to a local hot spot where we continued to watch and listen to outstanding live music until the wee hours of the morning. The music was eclectic, original and completely enchanted me. I did not want to leave!
I was completely enamored with this band. So much so that I purchased their CD. Awesome times!!! Check out this video. http://youtu.be/I6xo6TblpjU

Girls night out!

One of the remarkable things about this festival is that it is completely free. At anytime throughout the day you can witness live performances by musicians, poets, and artists... and at night, we headed to the theater.We selected an outdoor theatrical performance to entertain us the second evening. It was an Cirque de Soleil like interpretive dance piece that blew our minds. The show was a creative interpretation of the epic "Altazar", written by the Chilean poet Vincete Huidbro.  This poem has been deemed "untranslatable" which made this performance extraordinary. Fire dancers, aerial contortionists in silk, lyra, and acrobatics occupied the sky while the narrator, an extremely large birdlike creature transformed the stage into a world of passion, hatred, love and new beginnings. It was completely in Spanish, and I loved every second.

Altazar performance

Aerial performer!!

Basically...we loved Valparaiso. From the graffitti art, local artesan shopping to the music, vino and theater...We will be back, oh yes, we will be back.
I enjoyed the street art so much I feel the need to share some of my farites with you...enjoy!
-The Savvy Nomad

Bad girl Aesha!!!

Yup...thats my artist!!!

Hola!!!

Creepy!!!