tales of wander
colleen f
Patagonia: Ushuaia
Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, which is an island that marks the southernmost tip of South America before Antarctica. For this reason, it is often referred to as “El fin del mundo” (the end of the world). In truth, I’ve heard there’s dispute over which country (Chile or Argentina) actually lays claim … Continue reading
Patagonia: El Calafate and El Chalten
El Calafate: Perito Moreno glacier When we stepped off the plane in El Calafate, I was immediately struck by the cold, dry air. After six weeks in Buenos Aires’ subtropic humid weather (where it always felt about 10-15 degrees warmer than it actually was), it was a refreshing change to be immersed in the cold … Continue reading
Uruguay and the trouble with Chile…
Though I like Buenos Aires a great deal as a digital nomad destination, a city of three million people begins to wear on a person after a fashion—particularly someone like me, who loves a certain amount of urban life, but who needs the great outdoors and easy access to peace, quiet, and nature. I prefer … Continue reading
The downside of Airbnbs…
I love renting places when I travel. I rented my first apartment when I was in Greece years before Airbnb was a “thing” and fell in love with how different it feels from being in a hotel. While hotels are inherently sterile and practically reek of “temporariness,” renting gives you access to real places in … Continue reading
Stormy weather…
As I’ve already mentioned, it’s spring here—which is mostly warm, sunny and beautiful—but on some days, there are thunderstorms that remind me of the ones I experienced growing up in my hometown. In Portland (where I currently live), the rain is incessant and without purpose—long weeks and months of it at a time, lacking sound … Continue reading
It’s all about the little things…
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve had a rough start to this trip, health-wise. However, things are starting to look up: my cold is finally gone (Longest. Cold. EVER.) and now all that remains is a raging case of allergies, courtesy of all the springtime pollinators—such as the Platano tree, which is busy … Continue reading
On the economy and the fine art of waiting in line…
I didn’t do my normal amount of research before this trip. Caught up with life and the lure of summer activities, I didn’t read up on my typical pre-travel array of currency, local hotspots, or even a language refresher. Sure, the August crash of the Argentine peso was international news, but it didn’t occur to … Continue reading
Bienvenido a Buenos Aires…
Let’s see, where should I begin? I suppose I could do my normal “hello from so-and-so” entry, full of details about this trip, but maybe I will do something different this time. This time, I think I’ll start from the very beginning. This trip began like many others: with a Lyft ride to the airport. … Continue reading
A harsh re-entry…
After the trek, I spent my last days in Chile in a recuperative mode, resting my feet and knees, catching up on naps, and aside from work, lazily doing nothing much at all. I met with Fernanda for one last time so we could say our goodbyes. As I grow older, I find it’s harder … Continue reading
Trekking the Torres del Paine… (subtitle: The Goldilocks Trek)
I’m not gonna lie: my last few treks have been hard. I’m not just talking about the physical part either, which was challenging enough on its own, but within my range of ability. What made the last two treks difficult was everything else that goes with any outdoor activity—the stuff that you can plan for, … Continue reading
tales of wander 