After years of wanting to visit the Scandinavian nation of Norway, but my plans always being scrapped last minute, last year, I finally made it to this luscious land. As I expected this country was a green heaven of rolling grasses and waterfalls, that I would be happy to get lost in.
My journey took me along the coastline to some key port towns and inland to some beautiful scenic locations, which wasn’t hard as it seemed everywhere I turned, there was heavenly landscapes to see. I felt like I had walked into a movie with little wooden houses, and waterfalls everywhere you turned, it just needed a viking or two and the dream would be complete!
Waterfalls
I really am not exaggerating when I say I was seeing waterfalls everywhere, this was really the scenario. From little trickles, to huge falls, there was simply one waterfall after another. Norway is actually nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand waterfalls’ and has some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.
Whilst I didn’t actually have to go any distance to see a waterfall, I did make the effort to visit a few big ones. I visited Kjosfossen, Tvindefossen, Manafossen, and Langfossen. So here is a clue I worked out… anytime you see ‘foss’ in the name, it means waterfall. Before you start thinking that is where we get the word ‘faucet’ tap from; I already thought of that and the evidence is not there to support it I am afraid, but it would make a lot of sense…
All the waterfalls had their own charm but Langfossen was particularly impressive. A road bridge has been built over half the fall and so you can get pretty close for photos from there, but even closer by boat! After viewing it from the road, I jumped on a tour boat that literally mounted the waterfall as it entered the fjord, (so much so that I was concerned), and the tour guide picked up a bucket and scooped up some falling water for me to taste. The guide said that there was a legend that if you drink from the falls you would become more fertile, particularly the men, so of course, the men on the boat were taking extra servings.
Reflections
I know that ‘reflections’ is a strange subheading but I feel that it is something special about Norway that I can not describe another way. I have never been to a destination that has provided me with so many mirror or kaleidoscope like views. I saw these trippy images whilst sailing on the fjords, which are Norway’s famous sea inlets, that are characterised as long,narrow and deep, and formed from glaciers, that left behind beautiful valleys.
At multiple times during the trip, I would get up early to look out at the water, and it just messed with my head to see the crystal clear reflections that these fjords created. The water is so still and glimmered and it is really hard to tell where land and water meet as everything is just mirrored endlessly. It’s really magical and I loved it, next time I go, I want to do some kayaking so that I can get closer to the water and get even more amazing photos.
Wide spaces
Of course, not only are the waters spectacular, but the huge green landscapes are a great match to them. I was struck by how much of the area was perfectly trimmed rolling grasses, miles of picture perfect lawns, and its no suprise that there is a big tradition of insulating houses with turf covered roofs.
Beyond the grass, there are many smallholdings, vast pine forests, and brilliant ridges and mountains to hike. Some of the most popular are Pulpit Rock, a huge mountain plateau for the perfect Instagram shot, or another similar one is Trolltunga (troll’s tongue)! I would love the opportunity to return to Norway and spend more time exploring the big landscapes here, on foot.
Scenic Railway
In the beautiful little town of Flam, I had the opportunity to travel on one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys. I boarded the Flam railway train from Flam and took a round trip via Myrdal, with a stop to see a huge ‘foss’ with classical music in the air, and a dancing actor jumping out to welcome me and the other passengers. There to portray another waterfall legend of a lady of the falls, the guide later told me that the ‘lady’ dancing around was actually two different local men dressed up as the same lady, to fool the tourists by quickly jumping out in different locations.
The journey was pretty pleasant and the views were great, but it was crowded, which makes it hard to enjoy when everyone has their cameras pressed against the windows!
Overall, I just loved Norway. As a nature lover, and someone that is keen to go for long walks in the fresh air, I could almost see myself relocating to Norway. The only thing keeping me away is the cold winters, but there is no question that I will be visiting again. Next time for longer, and hopefully with my someone special to enjoy it with.
An archipelago of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I visited two of the nine islands in the Azores, and explored beautiful villages and towns, natural landscapes and learnt about an authentic culture of people.
I had wanted to visit the Azores for over a decade, and hoped that one day I would be able to go for my honeymoon, because it looked so beautiful in all the images I had seen… Well, many years later, and no ring on my hand, I decided I could wait no longer, and I booked myself a trip from Lisbon to Sao Miguel, and a group of tours to enjoy across two of the main islands.
Sao Miguel
The main island of Sao Miguel is the largest of the group of nine islands, and has the main gateway airport to the other islands. It is also the busiest. The island’s capital, Ponta Delgada, has a vibrant feel with many shops, restaurants and a few hotels. I stayed away from Ponta Delgada in a 5* hotel near a beach, but it was fairly remote. Thankfully, I had two tours booked to see the island, as well as being able to access a local walking trail nearby.
The walk that I decided to do near the hotel was following the river nearby uphill and leading to a set of abandoned hydro-electrical stations in the forest. The Azores islands are known for their efforts in alternative renewable energy, especially hydro electricity and wind farms.
These old stations, combined with a dip in a gorgeous little waterfall, made for an interesting walk with a lot of interest in photo opportunities. I felt like I was in scenery that I remember from the TV series ‘Lost’, with abandoned stations locked between the trees and pipes running through the ground. Like at any moment, I will discover a secret hatch!
On the tours I’d booked, I was able to visit a variety of lookout points, and some beautiful villages/towns, such as Ribeira Grande (Big Stream) which had lovely scenery. We visited an active volcano area where our lunch (a traditional portuguese recipe) was buried and slow cooked by the warm ground.
We also visited a geothermal spa, and the well known patchwork viewpoint where you can see thousands of smallholding farms stitched together from above.
Terceira
A few days later, and with a 45 minute flight, I was in the second island of Terceira. This lovely round island, has a lot to offer and is not yet as built up as Sao Miguel. I was in a lovely hotel in a secondary town away from the capital of Angra do Heroismo.
The villages and towns in Terceira are very traditional, and still have many unique customs that they uphold. For example they have a program of events where they have a ‘running of the bulls’ in the streets. This is not to copy the ones in Spain though, it is a unique memorial event to celebrate the farmer and bull heroes that drove the Spanish out of Terceira during a big battle, where the bulls were let loose on the army! Led by a woman villager too! Very cool. You will also find beautiful chapels in every village that are purely for the devotion to the holy spirit, and used at only one time of the year.
Angra do Heroismo is a beautiful little city with colourful buildings and a pleasant marina area. The colours of the buildings are apparently routed originally in the island’s link to trades with India and the spices and materials that were brought. The island also has been home to an American airfield and base since WW2 and so is rich in an international community. The city is actually a UNESCO Heritage Site due to its historic importance as a transatlantic crossing point, it is head of the diocese of the Azores, and it was actually capital of Portugal twice, replacing Lisbon!
The city also has an active military base for Portugal on their Monte Brazil connected to the main city, it is actually an extinct volcano and now a nature reserve for walkers and family picnics. I spent a morning walking around this mountain where I found there to be a lot of stops to enjoy on the trail, including fort ruins, an old whale watching tower, a viewpoint of the city, and a set of aviaries. When you visit the cross statue viewpoint, you will also find a set of military guns pointing towards the city. I thought this was quite strange, until I discovered that the military base was actually built by the Spanish when they temporarily took over the island, and pointed the guns back on to the city as a way of warning off the very unhappy Portuguese people below!
This mountain is just one of many volcanos on the island, the entire Azores group is a collection of volcano eruptions, and have plenty of collapsed, active and also extinct volcanoes. One volcano in Terceira is very special because you can visit the lava canal directly via a tunnel. and walk around over the top of the solidified lava from the last eruption around 2000 years ago. Algar do Cavao is very special and one of the more unique attractions I have been to. It was discovered only in the last century, when a farmer’s cows kept going missing… it turned out that they were falling through the huge crater hole!
Finally, speaking of cows, there are about 2 cows for every inhabitant on these islands. The biggest industry for these islands is dairy produce, and the amazing thing is that it is all made up of smallholdings and many family ran farms pulling together their resources with other farms across the area to make cheeses, milk, ice cream and more. You are never short of a cow, and someone that knows a lot about them!
Overall, I loved visiting the Azores, and now feel determined to visit all of the nine islands and find my favourite. It is an easy place to visit from Lisbon and I am in Portugal often, so I don’t think it will be long before I am back!
I spent the Winter of 2022/23 sailing around the Eastern Caribbean, and discovering what this part of the world has to offer, other than the expected white sandy beaches and sapphire blue waters.
Local life and culture
The Caribbean may dream up different images to different people. Perhaps the white sandy beaches, palm trees, men in dreadlocks and lots of rum. Whilst, this part of the world does have all those things, it’s actually much more complex than just that, with a rich diversity of culture as well as differing social constructs throughout the different islands.
The different islands are grouped and governed separately, some independently and some by European powers. Many of the islands’ native tribes were wiped out by European colonisers and much of this influence still shows today. Some islands speak French because they were once French, and some such as Martinique still are a part of France. There are also islands that are spanish speaking and ones that are Dutch or British.
The influence of a European governing body, will of course affect wealth and opportunities too. Many British influenced islands, have the British legal and education systems. The French and Dutch islands also benefit from the additional European funding and the ease of movement of tourists from the mainland.
In most cases, where islands have separated themselves from their colonizing parent country, they are living in developing world status. Consistent and devastating hurricanes and natural disasters add to this reality.
The situation means that the cost of living can be very high for locals and many people have to be entrepreneurial in order to make an income. That may mean selling tours, setting up a bar, selling coconuts or even offering photos with captured monkeys. It is understandable that locals need to make the most of the incoming load of tourists arriving each year.
The people are also very relaxed and generous. Whilst they can be direct, I have always found the caribbean people to be very uplifting and kind. They follow generally one of two main religions, Christianity or Rastafarian. I never previously realised that this is an actual religion but it very much is. For example the reason for the dreadlocks is because it is considered against the religion to cut your hair as it represents your strength. It’s not just a fashion statement!
I have had some really great interactions with locals whilst working in the area. From direct business partners to a handsome rasta that broke an aloe vera plant in half and massaged me with the sap on the beach. Conversations about life, culture and family. It helps me open my eyes to new ways of living. A more relaxed lifestyle that takes each day as it comes, because in a moment everything can change.
Safe to say, keeping the drinks flowing, the music loud, and the air smelling of ganga is a part of the way of life and it certainly seems relaxing.
Nature
Outside of sandy coastlines, many of the islands I have visited have been full of nature. Especially rainforests.
I have been fortunate enough to bathe in mud pools inside an active volcano in St Lucia, discover thorn covered trees and hang from vines in the deep rainforest of St Kitts, as well as cruise past the TV set of ‘survivor’ in a jungle in Dominican Republic.
One of my favourite experiences has actually been flying over Antigua by helicopter. In that short flight I was able to see the shape of the island, the changes in the land from recent hurricanes, a good view of large coral reefs and coastal cliffs not accessible from land. During a flight, you can be lucky enough to see dolphins and whales, and you can also get a great bird eye’s view of places like Oprah’s holiday home!
I was surprised that it was not as easy as I expected to see wildlife. Whilst, iguanas and pelicans are commonplace, exotic fish, monkeys and mongoose are not as easy to track down. My best option to see the fish was by snorkelling or submarine, where i had the fun experience of seeing stingray and turtles, not always the easiest to spot when crowds of tourists are also trying to spot them..!
Of course, I can not neglect to mention the coastlines. Not every beach is like the postcard, many are on the Atlantic sea and can be choppy and unclear. But… the ones that are in the Caribbean Sea are magnificent. Antigua and Barbados won the beach lottery, but they also are bitter sweet for me, as the sea claimed two pairs of specs and a hat from me in only a few weeks!
Overall, I liked the Caribbean. It was not everything I expected but in some ways it was more. I think the people are my favourite part of the place, and I will be happy to return again next year!
The Iguazu Falls meaning ‘big water’ in the native Guarani language, is a huge set of waterfalls set within the Misiones Jungle, at the Iguazu National Park. This world wonder provides a border between Argentina and Brazil, and a unique habitat for plants, trees, birds and other rare wild animals. I visited Iguazu for two days of exploring in the jungle and relaxing with good food and company.
Arriving in Puerto Iguazu
After a fifteen hour bus journey from Corrientes, I finally arrived at Puerto Iguazu. This town is the nearest settlement to the Argentina side of the Iguazu National Park. The town has several hotels and plenty of restaurants for relaxing evenings after exploring the jungle. I met up with a travel companion at this point, and we stayed in a hotel that was surrounded in jungle plants and had a very nice pool!
The jungle by day
During my two days in Iguazu, I visited the national park on both days. The national park is under 30 minutes from the town, and on arrival there is a large visitor centre, cafe, and ticket offices. The park also has paved pathways to lead you through specific parts of the jungle, and various refreshment points. The most surprising piece of infrastructure was the park’s jungle train. It runs on a 3km track to take visitors to the largest fall that is furthest away, and is included in the admission for the park. It is also worth knowing that your second day in the park gets a discount if you show your previous ticket.
Whilst there was some human structures, the park in no way looked ‘well kept’. It is a very wild area and I was amazed at the amount of animals that I was able to see roaming around. In my short time there I was able to see monkeys, capybaras, coatis, toucans, parrots and condors. There were also beautiful insects to see such as colourful butterflies, and huge ant hills with ants carrying leaves back and forth. There were also pumas and jaguars in the park, but they kept to themselves!
The jungle path led us through overlapping canopies of huge and unusual trees, until we reached the huge Iguazu river that flows through the park. To cross, there is a number of metal bridges to lead visitors to the largest fall ‘Giganta Del Diablo‘ (Devil’s throat). From here you can view the huge fall from a platform. There are several other paths to the other falls and other features of the park too. It seemed that everywhere you turned, there was a new wonder to behold! We only chose to walk around but other experiences are also offered, such as a river cruise, 4×4 drives, and repel experiences.
The jungle by night
Once a month, during a full moon cycle, there are a few days when you can visit Iguazu Jungle during the night, for a moonlight walk. I was excited to book this, and emailed the national park administration in advance to arrange my moonlight walk, followed by a traditional Argentine buffet.
There were at least twenty people in my group walk, and a guide that gave us a little information, but mostly warned us to not stray from the group, as the Jaguars would be out hunting! Slightly terrifying!
The tour used no lighting at all, not even a flashlight, we were entirely guided by moonlight. This made it quite special, as we could mainly just rely on the sounds of the jungle. We made our way through to the Devil’s Throat, over the many bridges, with the moon reflecting over the river water. The humidity in the jungle during the day had now dropped down to the ground, causing the bridges to be wet and slippery, which really added to the fear factor.
When we finally arrived at the waterfall, it was absolutely beautiful to see by moonlight. It shimmered in white and silver as it fell to the depth below, and the noise of it was deafening amongst the silence.
After the moonlight walk, we wondered to the national park’s restaurant for our traditional buffet. The restaurant was quite fancy, and had a huge parilla barbeque cooking meat of all kinds. I must have had at least three plates of food at that restaurant, as well as a dessert. I was stuffed, but it was also absolutely delicious!
After my weekend in the jungle, I set off to return to Buenos Aires for my final two weeks in Argentina. Iguazu certainly earns its title as a natural world wonder, it is an astonishing place with an abundance of wildlife, and I would be happy to revisit!
Mendoza is located in the North of Argentina, close to the border of Chile and it’s capital city of Santiago. It is well known for being Argentina’s key wine making region, as well as being a small city with several suburb neighbourhoods. I visited Mendoza for a few days on my way across the North of Argentina.
I travelled to Mendoza from Ushuaia over several days, mainly by bus. My main overnight stop being in Bariloche again, where I enjoyed an unexpected hostel party before my final bus. On arrival to Mendoza, I checked into my hostel, (which was not very desirable), and relaxed quite a bit on my first day, but the humidity of the city did mean that I was eaten alive by mosquitos.
Following my rest, I began to explore. Mendoza is a reasonably small city with many small suburbs and hills surrounding it. The city has plenty of restaurants and shops, and of course several opportunities to taste wine along side Argentina’s famous asado dish. Unfortunately, the city is lacking in other things to do and see. There is a museum dedicated to the city’s foundations, which was somewhat interesting, but it is quite small and with little information in english. Next door, are the ruins of the original church, but the entire experience takes less than an hour.
The other thing to see is the Parque San Martin. This is a huge park which you can relax within, it has a huge lake, and a museum of natural sciences. I did enjoy a pleasant lunch in front of the lake following the one exciting thing there is to do in this city… paragliding!
I decided to ‘tale the leap’ and enjoy a short paragliding experience from the 100 metre cerro (mountain). I thought it would be more scary, but you did not have the chance to get scared, you are simply strapped in and pushed off! Then you can float over the city for 15 minutes, and enjoy some complimentary acrobatics from the pilot, which were fun but almost made me vomit!
As well as paragliding, there are other adventure sports available around Mendoza, for those that do not want to spend their time just drinking and eating. Rapid rafting, repellling, climbing and hiking are all available, and Mendoza provides accessible trips to the tallest mountain in the Americas, Mount Aconcagua. I was happy with the paragliding as my bit of adventure for that time, as I was only there a few days.
I realized that I could not come to Mendoza without visiting the wineries, even though I do not drink much wine normally. There are countless tours selling full day and half day guided tours to the ‘bodegas’ which are the wineries. These were quite pricey, and as I knew this was not very important to me personally, I decided to find a cheaper way to do it. I found out that some of the bodegas offer tours for free, so I made a reservation directly with one of them.
I booked a one hour tour with the Lopez family Bodega in Maipu which is only a 25 minute bus ride from the centre. Down the road from there is also an olive growing farm where you can also access tours directly. So my day became sorted for very little money at all, saving me around £100, and I still got to have the tastings. The winery had giant wooden barrels storing their oldest wines, and a small museum about the history of the bodega, and it was quite interesting to learn a little about the process. Equally, the olive farm was very pleasant, and I learnt that to have a mature olive tree that produces enough olives to be commercial it takes several decades, so they have to be quite dedicated.
Overall, I think Mendoza is a pleasant city and especially well suited to those visitors that like a little luxury and love their wine and grilled meat, but if you are a little more of a commoner like myself, it is best not to visit unless you are prepared to part with a good bit of your cash and have some adventurous activities!
After a month in Argentina, I made my way on foot through one of the only open borders into Chile. I spent five days in Punta Arenas in Southern Chile and a few nights enjoying the hiking base of Puerto Natales, before heading into the wilderness for my 8 day hike of Torres del Paine’s ‘O’ Circuit.
Crossing the border
The pandemic is still a serious issue in South America, and Chile is probably the most strict country on the continent when it comes to entering and leaving the country. This has caused many borders to be closed, so there are limited places to cross over land from Argentina, and many people are paying extra cash to take multiple flights instead.
Border crossing at Intergracion Austral
I took two taxis (as buses are currently not allowed through) to get through the border and this was a three hour process on the way in, and a six hour nightmare on the way out. At least I have loads of stamps in my passport now though! The strangest parts of it were that so much of the process still relied on paperwork and physical paper stubs (not ideal when standing outside in high wind). Also, the fact that the crossing at Integral Austral is in the middle of nowhere and has a kilometre of no man land between the two countries.
Punta Arenas
After crossing the border, I made Punta Arenas my base for five days, this large Chilean town is not very touristy but it does offer some good cafes, and stores to gather supplies for the upcoming trek, for better, local prices. There is a promenade of sculptures that runs along the shoreline, and a very strong maritime vibe, but the best local thing I did was visit a nearby national park, for some practice trekking. The Magallanes National Reserve is a twenty minute taxi ride to the top of the town, and as you travel higher you start to see various safety signs, to tell you that this is the place to be if there is a tsunami. A little off putting..
It is about £5 to enter the park, and then there are several trails available with many lookout points that can keep you busy for hours. I went on a very misty day so I did not see many views but the plants and trees especially were cool to see.
From Punta Arenas you can also take an excursion to see penguins and sea lions. I did this on thankfully the warmest day of the week. It is an early start followed by a few hours on a coach and then an hour journey to the main island by boat. Dotted around this small island are thousands of penguins, meandering within their couples. You can walk very close to the birds and follow a trail around the island to the lighthouse and back to the boat.
The tour then travelled to an even smaller island that was home to hundreds of roaring sea lions clambered together on a beach and swimming close to our boat. It was very nice to see these animals in their natural habitat as oppose to a zoo, and it was great to get out from the town and be on a boat for a few hours.
Puerto Natales
The next town which is the base for the Torres del Paine National Park, is Puerto Natales. This small town is full of hostels, camping shops and restaurants. I only spent a short time here to sleep and eat at the beginning and end of my trek, but there was little else to do than that as it is just set up to drain tourists of their leftover pesos.
My trek bag vs my regular bag
Prepping for the ‘O’ Circuit trek
There are two main overnight treks that can be done at the Torres del Paine National Park. They are the ‘W’ and the ‘O’, named after the shapes their routes make on the map. The ‘W’ is the most popular and is known around the world for its views, but some people that have longer and want to see more of the park, choose to walk the ‘O’. this is the full circuit. It has several campsites on route and most people do it over 8 days. Each day of the trek varies in landscape, and the walks are between three and twelve hours, more or less.
Feeling like an experienced trekker, I decided to push myself to complete the ‘O’. I must say though that I forgot how out of shape I am, again. To prepare for the trek, I had to book my reservation to the campsites about three months in advance. I was able to use a new booking website that pulled it all together easily for me, instead of going to several different suppliers which could be quite complicated.
I decided to pay for my meals to be cooked and provided to me everyday, to avoid carrying a stove and heavy food. There is also an option to pay extra to have a tent provided and set up for you. I didn’t do this but met several people who did, and their tents varied in quality but their walks were obviously much easier than those of us carrying a tent. I rented a tent, sleeping bag, mat, and 65L rucksack from Rental Natales in town, and they were really helpful in getting everything sorted and providing me with advice.
I stocked up on nuts, cereal bars, and a bar of chocolate for some snacks for the first day, and midnight treats. I also took a Swiss army knife (although I never used it), a first aid kit (I did use part of this), and my phone power bank (charging is limited in the parks and signal is non existent, air plane mode was switched on the entire time). There are not any laundry facilities so a decision needed to be made about how many clothes to bring. I went with 4 outfits, and I made the conscious decision to smell rancid after half the week. Unfortunately, I still did not find an open launderette for two days after I had finished. Very gross.
The campsites
The campsites on the ‘O’ varied in quality, but I am happy to say that they all had real toilets. I was very thankful for this. I was scared I would be falling into a poo hole in the ground in the middle of the night. All the campsites had some sort of kiosk which sold snacks and most of the campsites had a bar/restaurant where you could buy drinks or enjoy your prepaid meal. Some of the campsites have refuges or domes as well so that you can sleep in luxury rather than a tent if you have the right reservation, and some of the sites had wooden platforms to pitch your tent on instead of the ground. I would argue that the ground is better though, as you are less likely to trip, and its easier to set up the guidelines, and pegs, and its actually a bit warmer than having a void underneath you.
Seron campsite at sunrise
The food I was given during my stay was generally excellent and although it was pricey to do this option, it was well worth it, to not have the hassle. I always had more food than I needed because the portions were very generous. There was always a warm breakfast, a large lunch pack and a four course dinner with different dietary options. The only downside was that hot chocolate was extra and I don’t drink coffee!
I spent time with a great mix of people whilst staying on the ‘O’ circuit campsites. I befriend a group of US visitors, a man from New Zealand and many groups of Chileans. It was great practice for my spanish, especially as in Chile, they have a unique slang. For example the word for egg is what you might call a
Dickson campsite
Favourite campsite: Dickson. This campsite was on a piece of land surrounded by lake and glacier, and also had a beautiful ranch feel with horses roaming around amongst the tents.
Least favourite campsite: Frances. Frances had what was needed but it is located in a shady and damp forest, and all the facilities are far away from the tents and down a hill…
The landscape
The trek itself is over 100km of varied landscape, and climates! The first day I was walking through long grasslands in hot weather, on the fourth day I was shivering in the snow and wind whlilst gazing over the Patagonian Icefield. Many people will simply do their chosen circuit, whilst others may add in the extra viewpoint trails, or you can even just do a full day walking, sailing or riding excursion through the park.
I found the hikes very challenging at times, especially as a solo walker. This was mainly because of some of the heights of the rock faces on the trail. I had to throw my very heavy bag ahead of me and boulder a couple of times which was nerve wracking with no one there. Whilst the paths are very rough, the way markers are very consistent and I was impressed by the placement of some of them.
There is a variety of plants and animals to see, I was very nervous about coming face to face with a puma as they live in the park, but in the end my only animal sightings were a noisy woodpecker above my tent and the poo left behind by a fox! If you are determined to see a puma though (I was not) you can join special expert tours to track and watch them.
Having done the full circuit now, I would definitely recommend the ‘O’ to anyone that thinks they could manage it. The authenticity, and atmosphere were better than the ‘W’ circuit which is much more commercial. The park is absolutely beautiful and I would love to visit again and do more activities there.
Following my visit to Argentina’s Lake District, I continued my journey South into the center of the Patagonian region and one step closer towards the bottom of the world. This area is full of mountains, and glaciers, and many national parks!
Perito Moreno
After a 13 hour bus journey from El Bolson, I made it to the small town of Perito Moreno. I was the only person to exit the bus at 1am and make my way to my little wooden cabin in the town centre. I had come here for only one reason, to see the Cueva de las Manos, only accessible by car or tour.
Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands)
I joined a tour group of Argentine people, and we made our way across some very bumpy roads and past wildlife and huge canyons, before finally arriving at the UNESCO site of Cueva de las Manos. This world famous spot has an amazing collection of ancient cave paintings and hand prints, not inside the cave but across the front of it, along a huge rock face. The guide on the site escorted our group through a long boardwalk running across the side of the paintings and with views of a canyon on the other side.
These amazing paintings crowd the walls and include handprints of adults and children from possibly three different times. You can also see illustrations of animals that they would hunt, geometric shapes, that are suspected to represent a map, and there is even a suspected paw print of a puma! The whole collection is made up of different colours, including yellows and bright blues, and are made from different natural materials. I imagine that the person that discovered this must have been completely astonished by all the haunting raised hands.
Patagonia Park
The tour also included visits to other interesting locations nearby such as the Patagonia Park, which had huge salt flats to see.
The locals prepared a lunch for our group of traditional and locally produced food. It was delicious and in true Argentine style, the portions were huge. I tried to tell the people in the group that I was full, but the little old ladies in the group said they wanted to fatten me up and they are like my ‘abuela’ (grandma) and want to look after me! haha
Coloured mountains
The last stop was an hour hike over some amazing hilltops/mountains that were brightly coloured in oranges, red and yellows. This is due to the properties in the rocks and all the minerals being brought out by rainfall. It was pretty awesome, and the short walk to the top gives you an amazing view!
El Chalten & Fitz Roy
Next stop on my trip was to the little town of El Chalten. Getting there was a struggle. It had been raining the night before, and so they rerouted the bus to the only other motorway that took us to the bottom of the country then we turned back around and went back up… A 10 hour journey took 18 hours… craziness.
On finally arriving, I headed straight out for a short hike to a nearby waterfall. It was great to get some fresh air and put my head under the flowing glacier water. I also got great views of the landscape and the town. El chalten is a part of this natural landscape and is an absolute haven for hikers and climbers.
Laguna de los tres
The next day, I started the strenuous hike of Laguna de los tres to Fitz Roy mountain. This hike is only 20 km but it took me about 9 hours. The final km took about two hours as the climb was a directly up ascent on difficult terrain. Normally I walk 4-5 km per hour.
The trail passes through forests, rivers, lakes and grasslands, as well as going through two campsites. It was a very warm and busy day on the trail, but this gave me the opportunity to meet many people. During my day of trekking, I befriended two different groups from Argentina and a girl from Spain. Making conversation with strangers is one of my favourite parts of solo trekking, as I meet so many interesting people from all around the world.
On reaching the top, I collapsed in a pile for a few minutes, then made my way to the lake that was formed by the melting glacier, and took an icy drink, before taking a dip. I spent a few hours here, relaxing and enjoying the sights of the Fitz Roy mountain and the falling water to the drop below.
El Calafate
Next day, I was off to Calafate, on the other side of the National Glacier Park from El Chalten. This town is bustling with tourist shops and restaurants. I have a dwindling budget so I cooked whilst I was there, but still managed to admire the Patagonian Lambs being roasted over the fire through the restaurant windows.
Perito Moreno Glacier
The main excursion to take from El Calafate is to see the huge Perito Moreno Glacier. You have to take a tour which costs about £35 to get to the glacier which is a few hours away. There is then a small charge for the entrance to the park. We were given four hours in the park. I was given a choice to pay extra for a one hour boat ride that takes you closer to the glacier, but I chose not to take this option, and just enjoyed the various boardwalk routes around the front of the glacier.
This huge glacier is very unique and larger than the entire city of Buenos Aires (which blew my mind)! The glacier is apparently in balance,meaning that it loses the same amount of ice each day as is returned to it, due to how the water flows around it. There are three different routes you can take around the glacier’s boardwalk, and they vary by height and length. I did all three, and found the boardwalk system to be very efficient and plentiful in relaxing balconies where you could eat your lunch and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the water below. This phenomenon was amazing. I saw not only the ice fall and splash against the lake, but also the lower layer of ice boil up to the surface and spin around in circles. Very cool.
Rio Gallegos
My last stop in Argentina for a while, was Rio Gallegos. I came here to the bottom of mainland Argentina, to cross the border into Chile. There is not much to see here but it is a good supply stop, and there are some sculptures along a promenade walk and a small house that you can visit as a free museum.
For now, I am off to Chile, for some more trekking and to see the other side of Patagonia, before I return to Argentina, to visit the bottom of the world…
After a few days of bus journeys via Bahia Blanca and Neuquen, meeting a group of hippies and enjoying a local music festival, I finally made it to Patagonia and the Argentine Lake District. A ‘postcard perfect’ landscape.
Argentina’s Lake District sits within the Northwest of Patagonia, near the border of Chile. Patagonia is the Southern region of Argentina, world famous for its scenery, and trekking, climbing, and general adventure sport opportunities. The climate and landscape varies throughout the region and within the lake district are obviously several lakes and rivers dotted around the Andes mountains.
I visited three spots within the lake district, as these were major points on the coach route. They were: San Martin de los Andes, San Carlos de Bariloche, and El Bolson. I stayed in each for 1-2 nights.
San Martin de Los Andes
San Martin de Los Andes sits in the Lanin National Park, named after the local volcano. It is the gateway town to Patagonia for many people, and it is very touristy as a result. It is full of cabin style buildings that make you feel that you have somehow arrived in the Swiss Alps. The town is small but has plenty of bars and restaurants, a few rose gardens to sit in, and San Martin sits on a huge lake named Lacar. You can enjoy swimming in the lake or take a boat out to different places along the shoreline.
I decided to do a short hike of about 10km (about 3 hours) to a viewpoint and then onto a small beach with a little island. I enjoyed a swim here and basked in the sun, although the beach is very rocky, crocs are advised! I looked like a fool sliding around on the rocks. The water was really lovely and clear though, and everyone was respectful of the environment.
San Carlos de Bariloche
Bariloche is a working city that is less tourist heavy, but it’s scenery is absolutely postcard perfect. The town is surrounded by a huge lake and endless mountain scenes. There are not many attractions in the town, and I really just used this for a rest day and to save a little money by cooking from the supermarket. I did manage to visit the local cathedral though. This was a very pleasant building with lots of stonework. You can also walk right up to the lake and sit on the stony beach if you want to.
El Bolson
On the bus to my third stop in this region, El Bolson, I continued to travel along the famous route 40. This very long highway, connects all of these beautiful locations from the North to South of the country. It has now become well known for its gorgeous scenery, and thankfully, the buses use this road too!
Along the way, I saw the damage of the forest fires in the national park the day before. This was quite shocking to see, It seems that it is a common occurrence here though. It created a foggy atmosphere among the mountain scenes.
On arrival to El Bolson, I stumbled upon a huge feria (market/fair) with lots of artisan stalls and food vendors, besides a lovely river scene where people were enjoying pedal boats.
I think El Bolson is my favourite stop of the three, as it had a lovely mix of authenticity and fun for tourists. It was clean, and had lots of facilities. A lot of people that stop here do the 1-2 day hike to Cerro Piltriquitrón but I only had a day here and so not enough time. If I could do it again I would stay up to 4 days here. I did manage to make use of some other nearby hikes though.
I took a cheap local bus out to a natural site that is part of the aboriginal Mapuche territory called La Pasarela. On arrival, I had no idea where I was. I approached a local aboriginal girl, in my best spanish, and she led me there, explaining that it is hard to find on a map. When I found the right spot there was a river with people swimming, and a little information point. The site is completely free to visit, and has many trails and things to see. I visited a waterfall, and then took a second hike to sit by the River Blanco. It was really refreshing on such a hot day.
After visiting La Pasarela I hopped back on the bus for another 15 minutes down the road to Lake Puelo and enjoyed the views of this huge lake among the sunset.
Overall, the Lake District in Argentina is absolutely stunning. There is plenty to see as a nature lover. If I had the chance to travel in my own car, then I would definitely visit more smaller communities, and I would perhaps do more camping, as many people were spending long periods of time in each place whilst camping. For now, I travel further South!
This week was my final 100km to Santiago de Compostela. Many people begin their entire route from here, for me, it was the beginning of the end, of a very long walk.
Now that I am in Galicia, a new language has been introduced again, a subtle change in culture and architecture. It is so interesting to see the subtle changes. The terrain is flatter and now includes many forests, and little services.
The week began great, leaving before sunrise to walk to Vilalba, I enjoyed my first walk in mostly sunshine for many days. I got some brilliant photos, and whilst my foot was sore, I was full of positivity. Especially once I saw the first road sign to Santiago! It finally felt within reach!
I made my way to a cafe, which I found then to be closed, but hung around outside looking sad until the nice spanish lady let me in! She opened up just for me and I had a hot chocolate, and a long conversation in spanish about politics and Galicia. Very good practice.
Before I knew it, I had made it to the hostel. I was all on my own at the hostel, and it was 1km outside of town, so I had an interesting attempt at ordering a delivery. After a long struggle, I finally had my cheeseburger and chocolate brownie, snuggled up in my sleeping bag.
Vilalba is a nice town, with lots of shops and services, a little castle. It would make a good rest day stop, if I had not been so eager to finish!
The walk to Baamonde was very rainy and had many roads, except at the beginning where there was a pretty boardwalk route through a park along the river. It was ‘only’ 22km but a big struggle with an already very sore foot and knees. Thankfully, I had some company in the second half, in the form of a lovely pilgrim from Switzerland. He had already walked 2000km, and was already ready to get to Santiago by now. I love walking alone, but it is nice to have someone else to listen to other than your own thoughts sometimes. Eventually, we made it to our hostel, and enjoyed a lovely dinner together of baby squid again, of course.
Baamonde is a very small place, but it is also the marker point for being 100km from Santiago de Compostela. This makes it a starting point for many people’s journey. For me, it was a beautiful sign that my journey was almost complete.
The next day I had a choice to make. I could do one long day of at least 32km to the next stage, or take another route over two days (doing 15km, then 25km). The guy from Switzerland wanted me to join him for the big hike, but my foot hurt too much. I decided to stick with my plan of long afternoon rests and went with two days. So we went our separate ways, with an agreement to celebrate together in Santiago.
The 15km to the little village of Miraz, turned out to be really enjoyable, despite my pain. The sun came out for me, and I could take lots of breaks as the walk was shorter. I walked with a herd of cows for at least 1km which was a fun experience, and I even came across a house where the owner made his own special pilgrim stamp. I knocked on the door, and he especially came out, lit a fire, melted some wax and stamped my passport.
On arrival to the village, I relaxed, soothed my feet and counted the days to Santiago.
The next day was my last walk over 25km, to Sobrado dos Monxes. The weather was very bad again, and the poncho was on all day. There were very little places to sit and no bars to use as refuge until I was an hour from the end. The landscape was quite different, more boulders and I could sense that I was now very high from sea level, making it much more windy.
I did spend two hours of the walk with three local spanish guys. We chatted in espanol, which was great practice for me. They walk the last 100km of the camino every seven years (on holy years) on the run up to christmas. So, they were fresh to the walk, on their first day, and so much quicker than me, who at this point is limping! I have been limping for about five days now… After a few hours I told them to go ahead of me, so I could take a break. Several hours later I arrived in Sobrado.
I was in a lovely hotel this night that overlooked the monastery in town. There was an option to sleep in the monastery with the monks, but at this point I just needed comfort and a hot bath. It was amazing to lay in hot water and soothe my muscles. The next day I left a bit later so that I could explore the beautiful monastery. I wanted to take the mass but the timings did not work with my schedule. The monastery is beautiful, and I almost missed a massive section of it where the door was out of sight! Thankfully, a nice monk pointed me in the right direction, and we had a good chat. Apparantly, they don’t use the large part of the church for masses anymore, instead it can be used for weddings. Very fancy!
Then by 11am, I was on my 22km walk to Arzua, and on to the home stretch now!
I cannot say anything good about this stretch of the walk. The rain never stopped, and I was in agony. I actually attempted to change my socks (in wet shoes) at one point, and squeezed about a pint of dirty water from them. There were many roads, and little places to rest. When I made it to Arzua, I was relieved and exhausted.
Arzua is quite a big town, and the joining point for the camino del norte with the more popular camino frances. This meant I would finally be able to send my backpack ahead of me for two days. Now that my entire body is sore, this is great news!
The next day started with irritation to get my backpack sent off, and with trying to fight for a chance to use the one plug outlet to charge my phone, that was shared by 40 people.
The rain this day was the worse there has been throughout, plus strong wind. I did not have my backpack though, so I felt light and quick for the first time in months. It was great. Whilst, I was still in pain and very wet, I found myself feeling very grateful, for life. Grateful to have the opportunity to be alive and here.
I also saw many other pilgrims along the way now, and I was able to get some sick satisfaction that I was not suffering the path alone. I can now identify a pilgrim with ease. The key identifiers are:
Backpack and poncho
Obsession with stamps
Hiking boots and poles
Tortured look in eyes
Broken spanish or use of the phrase ‘tanta lluvia’
Sports wear
Dirty and smelly looking
Walking with a limp, we all have the same one.
This day I spent the afternoon walking with a very lost looking 20 year old girl from China. She had only started a few days before, and was not well prepared. She only had a small puffer jacket, trainers,a little bag, no sleeping bag, and an umbrella that consistently turned inside out. She was struggling to find her way, and so I offered to help. We walked through absolute rivers to get to the next stop in Pedrouzo but whilst I was ankle deep in water, all I could do was accept it, laugh and keep singing along.
After one final night in a pilgrim hostel, a very cold damp night, I finally made my last big walk to just outside Santiago, Monte del Gozo.
The walk was a lot drier, only raining half the day. It was also an even mix of walking through woodland and road, which was good for the feet.
The best part, came at the end, when I visited the pilgrim monument overlooking my final destination, Santiago de Compostela. The monument is 600 metres off route on a hill, but worth the view. After this, I took a well deserved rest at a hotel outside the city, and found some much needed moisturiser for my poor feet.
The last part of my pilgrimage came the next morning, with a final 4km walk to the cathedral, and to receive my certificate!
Santiago de Compostela
The outside of the city is modern and industrial, with many neighbourhoods as you would expect. The exciting part is when you arrive in the old part of the city. There are many small plazas, arch covered walkways and historic buildings. I began to see the towers of the cathedral from quite far out, and as I approached it, the streets became more winding and maze like. The closer I got to the cathedral, the more pilgrims I saw, from all over the world, and with all the different gear on their backs or bikes. No one arriving on horseback though!
A large plaza faces the breathtaking cathedral, with three other historic buildings, one of which is a very pricey hotel. I was lucky to arrive when it was not raining, and we were all angling for the best shots. After admiring the outside decoration for a while, I made my way to the Pilgrim’s Mass.
All in spanish, the mass was difficult to follow, but the vibe was still nice, and unexpectedly they swung the Botafumeiro (big incense burner) across the cathedral transcepts, which is a well recognised symbol of the church.
After mass, I spent some time admiring the cathedral, and went a little crazy buying souvenirs. I then wondered around a little and came across another christian building that seemed to be quite intriguing. The monastery of San Martín Pinario, now partially used for a hotel, school, and museum. The main church is actually magnificent! Possibly more impressive in artwork than even the cathedral.
The choir sits behind the main altar, which is unusual, and so you can actually go to the back of the main altarpiece, and admire some amazing fine carpentry. You can also go upstairs and view the church from the galleries where a second choir resides! This was a lovely surprise. There is also an opportunity to look directly at the dome ceiling art. The museum also had some good pieces to admire, and this large attraction was only a few euros.
That night I met up with my new friend from Switzerland for our celebratory dinner, and we toasted to our success in making it to the end. He had arrived a few days before me, and told me where he had been shopping for new clothes. Now that I had walked into the city in literally rags, I decided I needed to prioritise a bit of shopping.
I took a bus from Praza Galicia for only €1 out to a big shopping mall, and spent a long while tracking down the right pair of jeans.. 😍 I don’t know why the Spanish only sell skinny jeans?! I have now walked 828km and these thighs still cannot fit in them! In the end I found some ‘mum style’ ones, a bit embarrassing but oh well. It is good to be back in denim.
After my shopping spree, I decided to make a visit to the Museum of Pilgrimage. This museum is four floors and pilgrims can enter for free. 👍The museum holds a mix of photographic exhibitions, historic artefacts, and paintings. The collections explain the origin of the Camino de Santiago (way of St James), who James was, and how his tomb was discovered in Santiago. The museum also explains how the pilgrimage route has become more popular over the centuries and many pilgrims’ experiences. The other pilgrimages from around the world and different religions are also discussed.
This was very inspiring to me, and I was glad to see that the reasons I chose to walk the journey were echoed by others.
Something else not to be missed at the museum, is going to the top floor. Here, I found up close views of the cathedral towers.
The final thing I did before I went to bed, was visit the cafe casino, opposite my hotel for a little cheesecake. This is a gorgeous building that is now a swanky cafe and even has a grand piano being played, to really make you feel at peace.
Overall, the Camino de Santiago has been a very unique experience. It has been a great opportunity to travel slowly, and see beautiful landscapes, as well as small villages and towns, that you would not likely stop in, if you were travelling to your destination directly. The people I have met, and culture and traditions experienced can never be replaced. I had said that I could never walk so far again, but the more I think about it, the more I think I could be convinced…
After two months walking Camino del Norte through all sorts of weather and terrain, these are my top tips.
1. Walking poles
Lots of people walk without trekking poles, and it is a personal preference. For me, after so many consistent days of walking, I don’t think I could have finished without them. They take the pressure off your legs, offer you something to lean on when there is no dry seat, allow you to test the depth of mud, catch you when you fall, and make good weapons if you need them!
2. Getting used to bread and ham
Always keep a little bread and some snacks in your backpack. There are many stretches without services, and the walking schedule does not match the spanish eating schedule. Supermarkets close on Sundays and many restaurants are shut on mondays. Restaurants will not serve meals until their meal times (3pm and 8pm). The only thing you will get is a ham sandwich. Get ready to get sick of ham real fast!
3. Energy drink powder
I never used to use energy drinks or add anything to my water before the camino. I decided to buy some on the way and start using some strawberry flavoured powder. I ended up really being able to tell the difference between days I had it, and when I didn’t. It also helps to supplement the lack of access to meals as I mentioned above.
4. Sending your backpack on
Correos, Spain’s postal service, offer a backpack transport service for pilgrims. This runs all year on the french way but only up to the end of October on other routes. I used it for my first three days and final two days. If you can do it, I would recommend doing it for the beginning at least, so you can gradually get used to the trek. Especially, if doing the North route, with lots of mountain climbing at the start! The service is really good, and cheap!
5. Download the Buen Camino app
I used the Buen Camino app every few hours. It was really a great tool. The app has an up to date map, with the official route and alternative paths and shortcuts. Also, up to date information about issues on the route, attractions and accommodation. I cannot recommend it enough.
6. Bring a portable charger
My phone is a little on the old side, but regardless, bringing a portable charger is a really good idea. You are likely to be without a plug outlet for up to 10 hours at a time on some days, whilst draining your phone with music, photos and apps. This helped me out a bunch of times.
7. K-Tape
I used K-tape on my sore muscles for the first few weeks. It really helped me to feel better, and prevent hiker’s knee. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to apply it.
8. Paper tourist map
When in a city or large town for more than a day, it can be a good idea to get a paper map from the tourist office. This is a prevention method like the portable charger. When all your devices fail you after a long day out sightseeing, you will still be able to find your way back to your bed. Plus they are fun!
9. Plastic bags and newspaper
If you are walking during a wet time of the year, although you can still expect rain at some point, have plastic bags and newspaper handy. I have now learnt that there is no such thing as a waterproof shoe. No shoe can stand up against the rain of the autumn/winter camino. Putting plastic bags around your feet is a temporary prevention that helps. To dry your shoes overnight, stuff them with newspaper balls, this sucks out the water.
10. Have small change
Spain has not yet become a cashless society. Do not kid yourself that you will be able to wonder around with only ‘contactless’. Many shops, cafes and albergues will not accept card payments, and will be moody if you give them big notes. Many of the washing machines and dryers are also coin operated, so you will need to keep some coins handy if you want to wash your two outfits!
11. Check your check in times and leave early in the morning
Many accommodation providers have random check in and check out times, and if you turn up late they will not let you in! There is also likely to be situations where you have to phone the reception from a locked door outside, as many do not man the receptions full time. Additionally, I would recommend leaving early in the morning. You never know how long a walk is really going to take, and you want to maximise daylight hours, and rest time in the evening.
12. Take lots of short breaks and dont sit for long
I tried to sit for about five minutes roughly every two hours and up to 30 minutes for lunch half way through. If you sit too often or for too long, it will just keep getting harder to get up and going again!
13. Don’t think too far ahead
Don’t think about how far away it is to Santiago, or even the town you are trying to get to at the end of each day. It is too overwhelming, and frankly discouraging. It is better to think of lots of short distances whilst walking, for example the next town or landmark. Then when you have done that, you look at how far to the next one. It makes each one, a little win.
14. Accept that there is a good chance that you will need to take public transport sometimes.
You may well do the camino entirely walking, but don’t beat yourself up if one day you just have to take the bus. There will be days when you just have nothing in the tank, or the weather is too dangerous to walk, or you might have an injury.
15. Don’t forget to stretch and take your ibuprofen!
Pretty self explanatory, but I forgot to stretch often, and it makes a difference. I also really needed ibuprofen by the end!
Go Go Chlo 