Backpacking South America

Traveling for a year never seemed like a possibility, only an unattainable dream.  I love people and love hearing their story, regardless of how big or small it may be.  Everybody has a story to tell or something in their life that shaped or even defined who they are.  What I appreciate most about people is how they use those experiences and circumstances to create and become the person they choose to be.  I believe that we all have the power to define who we are in light of our circumstances.

So for me, this adventure, traveling around South America, would have never happened if I had not met my husband.  He’s the real dreamer.  I’m just a doer.  If you want something done, I’m the one to help you accomplish it.  My motto is “If there’s a will, there’s a way.”  Ask any of my friends, I’m the responsible one; I’m a realist; I’m a planner – I have a schedule; I have responsibilities; and if you need me, I’ll always be there.  But, I haven’t shirked my responsibilities – I just quit my job, sold the car, gave up our apartment and packed everything I need for one year in my backpack.  I’ve liberated myself and I’ve given myself the freedom to be irresponsibly happy and take advantage of living life and seeing the world with my best friend.

We shipped out to Pampa Linda, right outside of town from Bariloche, for a few days. We decided to hike Paso de las Nubes, which is at best a two day hike, starting in Pampa Linda, which is supposed to be the easier direction to cross. We found a really cute Hosteria (Hosteria Pampa Linda), like a Bed & Breakfast, with a long, rich history that we just couldn’t pass up.

It’s this cute little Inn that can accommodate about 36 people. It’s now run by the granddaughter of the original owner. They are at the base of the massive Mount Tronador, which is located in the southern part of the Andes Mountains between Chile and Argentina. It’s popular with mountaineers, but it’s serious work to get to the top and is only open to the most experienced climbers. The final ascent, we were told, is only done in Spring, when there is ice on the last face. In Summer, the rock is so fragile that it crumbles when you try to climb it. The mountain is about 3400 meters, which is over 10,000 feet. Sorry, but you couldn’t pay me enough money to walk across a glacier.

We finally arrived in Bariloche, and it’s as beautiful as every Argentine said. Until now, we were always asked, “have you been to Bariloche?” Now we can finally reply, “Yes, we have.” It seems that Bariloche is every Argentines favorite place in Argentina.

We had a feeling we’d like it here and we do. The only downfall is that right now at this time of the year, it’s extremely busy, but that is still an understatement. As travelers, we generally don’t plan too far in advance, because our schedule seems to change day-to-day. Up until this point, it hasn’t proven to be difficult when finding a place to stay. Well, Bariloche and all spots further south in Patagonia are very popular places, especially during January and February, and I kid you not, every place is booked! We arrived with one-day booked, and struggled to find accommodations for another 3.

Bariloche

Situated on a massive lake and surrounded by towering, snow-capped mountains, it’s no surprise that Bariloche is the destination of choice of Argentine’s seeking to escape the summer heat of the north. Originally settled by German immigrants, the architecture and layout of the city has a very European look, but it is definitely with the Argentine flair.

Some days I feel like I am, like the day I packed up my whole life and said yes to travelling South America, without any real agenda or true knowledge of the language. Sure, some might not classify that as fearless, but I think maybe you would if you knew me. That was a big step. But then, some days, I am so far from fearless that you could touch my fear with a 10 inch twig – it lingers and is on full display. What can I say, some days I’m more chicken than others? But FEAR is something we all have. We’re all afraid of something. It’s just that some of us are better at hiding it than others. And some fears, like eating guinea pig, aren’t as big as other fears, like never allowing yourself to get too close to somebody because you’re afraid to get hurt or never attempting to reconcile differences with people because you’re afraid of how it will change your life. I could go on and on.

But for me, I’ll be honest. There are lots of things I fear. I fear disappointment, change, mostly the unknown, totally mice, but most definitely heights.

Packed with world-ranking wineries, the Colchagua Valley of Chile is its most famous wine region. On our recent stop in Santa Cruz, Chile, we spent a couple days enjoying Colchagua, including a day-long tour featuring three of its top wineries. Crisscrossing the valley, we were able to get a sampling of why the Colchagua Valley is so highly regarded internationally.

While not quite as extravagant as our day in Mendoza, we did take in our fair share of beautiful wineries, delicious wines and even made some new friends in the process. Working with the Ruta del Vino office on the main plaza in Santa Cruz (recommended), we were able to arrange three tours and a lunch.

In Chile, it seems that all wineries require a reservation at least 1, but sometimes 2 days in advance – which requires the foresight we often don’t have.  The morning after arranging our visits, our driver, Patricio, showed up at our hostal shortly after 10am and we were off to our first stop, Montgras.

Montgras

Now almost 20 years old, Montgras was the perfect start for our day.  We met our guide and first made our way into the vineyard to learn the differences between the leaves, grapes and bunch structure of the grape varieties.