Romping and Nguyening

Buenos Aires: The Overrated City

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

“I’m worried that 11 days won’t be enough time for Buenos Aires,” I told an Argentinian friend, who lives in Cordoba. Everyone says there are endless activities in Buenos Aires (BsAs).

“It’s just a big, ugly city,” he simply responded.

I assumed that as an Argentinian outside of BsAs, he was just resentful toward BsAs the same way many if not most Americans are toward San Francisco.

My parents also visited BsAs last year for 2 weeks and despite being avid tango dancers, they seemed to not care for BsAs either. I took their opinion of BsAs with a grain of salt since we tend to favor opposing things.

Having heard such incredible things about the capital of Argentina, I was excited to experience the hype. Despite my love for adventure and the outdoors, I truly am a city girl at heart, and I couldn’t wait to be spellbound by one of the largest metropolises in the world.

After bouncing around Patagonia for the previous three weeks, we were ready to settle into a city again for some normalization. Our home for 11 days in BsAs was this lovely studio apartment for $28/night in San Telmo:

…But after a week I hate to admit that I was underwhelmed and disappointed. Before giving Chris my opinion of BsAs, I asked him for his opinion. After a bit of silence, I got, “Meh.” It’s not that we hated or disliked BsAs. No, it’s far from that. The stereotypes of the “passionate, seductive, captivating, inspiring” city simply proved to be false compared to other major metropolitan cities. It truly is “just a big, ugly city.” I enjoy taking photos of gorgeous landmarks and emailing/texting them to friends, but throughout my 11 days in BsAs I could not find anything decent to take a picture of. It’s not even that my picture-taking skills are poor. Even professional photos of BsAs on the internet weren’t interesting or epic enough to send to friends.

No, I don’t think I came here with high expectations. Even the common statement, “BsAs is the Paris of South America,” is a claim I cannot comprehend since I have never been to Europe. Upon arrival I researched multiple blogs and posts on Trip Advisor on what to see and things to do, and found that all discussions shared common suggestions: steak and wine, the Casa Rosada, tango, churches, theaters, steak, strolling through certain streets and parks, wine, some cemeteries, maybe a zoo, some touristy street fairs, some clubs/bars, and more steak and wine. Many have also claimed, “Like New York, BsAs is a city that never sleeps.” Such lies! The subway shuts down between 10-11pm (earlier than San Francisco’s BART!), and on weekends BsAs is a ghost town. I expected BsAs, one of the largest cities in Latin America, to captivate me like the largest cities in the US or Asia such as San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Bangkok, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. I honestly hoped that the suggested itineraries were only boring on print, but after checking each activity off the checklist, it became clear that the “special energy” of BsAs was a tame one.

Except for the steak and wine.

Steak and wine is the highlight of not just BsAs, but all of Argentina. The quality for the price just cannot be beaten in this country. I cringe at the idea of vegetarians coming to Argentina; looking for vegetarian options is like going to India and looking for beef burgers. It’s like someone who hates the cold and snow spending a week at the world’s finest ski resort. I’m sure that person can still have a good time, but he won’t be able to take advantage of what the place is world-famous for.

We dined on steak and wine multiple nights. The typical price for succulent steaks, crispy fries, a bottle of Malbec, and maybe dessert amounted to ~$25 USD pp after tip!

Bread, pastries, and cake shops can easily be found within minutes of strolling down the street. Having a sweet tooth myself, I simply adore pastelerias. In addition to stuffing my face with red meat, pizzas, and empanadas, I gorged down on chocolate cakes more often than I should have. My favorite chocolate cake was dubbed Torta Guilt or Guilt Cake.

And now on to the touristy things…the “highlights” and “must-do’s” of BsAs.

San Telmo Sunday Street Market

We arrived on Easter Sunday, and little did we know that the San Telmo Sunday Street Fair was happening. It was the only thing going on that day (Easter Sunday meant a ghost town in a predominantly Catholic country) so our accidental stumble into the cobblestone streets of Avenida Defensa led us through the heart of San Telmo. While we were mildly entertained for about an hour, I’m not sure I can say it is worth visiting more than once. The arts, crafts, and souvenirs were definitely catered toward tourists (I can’t say there were many locals there). I actually didn’t even realize it was a highly suggested tourist attraction until I later researched things to do in BsAs.

European Architecture

They say that the European buildings are pretty, and the corner cafes and restaurants are charming. They are, but after several photos, we moved on.

The Skyline…Sort Of

For a major metropolis with a world-famous reputation, I was expecting an awe-inspiring skyline. Okay maybe that was too much to expect. The closest thing to a skyline is the waterfront/pedestrian bridge along Puerto Madero, the once-abandoned cargo port that wasn’t revitalized into an upscale waterfront until the 1990s.

We saw it in the late afternoon:

I thought it would look more spectacular in the evening, so we returned on a later day. Nope, it was still the same simple skyline that is comparable to smaller, lesser-known cities back in the U.S. such as San Jose, CA or Austin, TX.

And here is the “iconic” Avenida 9 de Julio with the obelisk:

Perhaps it is the North American arrogance within me that expected such a grand skyline. Tall buildings represent the affluence and grandeur of a city, don’t they? Hell, even if you look outside of America, you’ll find the KL Tower and Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Don’t even get me started on Hong Kong. Come on, Latin America!

Casa Rosada

One cannot come to BsAs without taking a photo of the Casa Rosada. How many pink government buildings are out there?

During the weekends free 1-hour tours are offered through the Casa Rosada. Photos can be found below.

From the balcony where Eva Paron made her famous speech:

It’s funny that the Casa Rosada is surrounded by an ugly fence. Apparently the fence was meant to be only temporary, typically being assembled and disassembled for riots. However, protests and riots are so frequent that the fence is now left there permanently.

Recoleta

Apparently the Recoleta cemetery is a must-see while in BsAs due to the giant monuments, detailed statues, and the tomb of Eva Peron. It was similar to the cemetery in Punta Arenas, Chile, but not as world-renowned. Chris and I are not too fond of cemeteries not because they are deemed as morbid and/or creepy, but because we find that the idea of preserving a body in a box to take up space on this earth is the ultimate form of hoarding.

Not far from the cemetery is the Floralis Generica, or “that giant metal flower,” similar to Chicago’s “The Bean” but not quite as surreal. It was under construction during the time period I was there, but there was no need to stay long after a quick, obligatory photo. I believe the renovation was for the mechanics of this sculpture; its petals were intended to open upon sunrise and close upon sunset. It was expected to function by March 2015, but like everything in Argentina, delays are frequent as a result of budget cuts and financial disarray.

La Boca

Albeit touristy, the neighborhood of La Boca is a colorful area worth a brief visit from San Telmo. Two main attractions are the futbol stadium known as La Bombonera, and the alley of Caminito. Many people know that “La Boca” means the mouth. La Boca earns its name due to its situation at the mouth of the river that runs along the southern border of BsAs. Back in the day the neighborhood consisted of shipyards and those who worked in them. They used remnants of ship material such as sheet metal to construct their homes, which still stand today.

La Bombonera

I read that spectating a futbol game in BsAs’s La Bombonera is an unforgettable, amazing experience since the fans go literally insane/batshit crazy for their team. However tickets are reserved for local fans in dedicated clubs (which have a 7-year wait period!). By the time tickets are available for foreigners, they have been sold from club members to locals, to friends, to relatives, to hostels, to tour companies, etc. In other words, foreigners pay a premium to watch a live futbol game. Quick research found tickets ranging from $150-$200 USD. Because I don’t even enjoy spectating sports games in the states, especially soccer, I couldn’t justify blowing that much money on a futbol game. We walked around the stadium instead.

Caminito

In the 1960s, a local artist covered the sheet metal walls of this abandoned alley with pastel-colored paint as a setting for art and performances. It quickly became a haven for artists, and now a tourist trap filled with hawkers, hustlers and “fake” tango dancers. (I’m calling tango dancers who only perform for tourists fake tango dancers, as opposed to the true, passionate tango dancers who are in it for the lifestyle, dance, art, and music.) Caminito is a tourist destination by day, and a dangerous alley by night. We didn’t stay long.

Nightlife

Nightclubs don’t open until midnight. Crowds don’t start forming until 2am. Alcohol is served until 5am. Parties until dawn are often spoken of. With these facts in mind, we knew we had to party at least one night.

From 9-10:30pm we took a powernap, and we headed out around 12:30am for Niceto in Palermo. Never before had I done so much research about taxis in a city; sure there’s always the longer-route scam, or perhaps the broken-meter scam, or the meter that runs faster than others, but I’ve never heard of the counterfeit money scam before coming to BsAs. Apparently there are stories where cab drivers will take your high bill and hand you back a counterfeit bill and accuse you of paying with counterfeit money. Or they’ll give you your change in counterfeit bills, depending on how intoxicated you are. We did our research and fortunately our cab experience was seamless (“radio taxis” are recommended).

Since we were in a foreign country I knew the music would be hit or miss. Having that expectation was important, because the music was a miss. It also didn’t help that everyone was chain smoking inside the venue despite all the NO FUMAR (NO SMOKING) signs taped all over the walls. The DJ played a mix of rock’n’roll, circus music, indie, folk, mellow electronic, and genres I couldn’t even identify. The live performance at 2:30am did it for us; while everyone else was jamming to the music and filming his terrible performance (awful vocals and awkward dancing), we knew it was time to leave. Chris even said, “If this was the U.S., he’d be booed off the stage.” I hate to admit he was right.

In the trendy district of Palermo, there were a number of other nightclubs and bars we walked by on our way out. What surprised us the most was that all the restaurants and parillas were closed. Not even one street food vendor could be found. I thought this was the city that never sleeps! In the club/bar districts of San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, and Bangkok, yummy food can easily be found within minutes of walking. I was hungry and we had to walk for a long while until we found an open restaurant…McDonalds!

Tango Shows?

I often wondered if tango was in BsAs because there are enough people there who share the passion for it, or if tango was in BsAs only because the locals know tourists will pay for it. Perhaps it is a little bit of both. Even then, there are numerous hustlers (on Calle Florida, along the waterfront of Puerto Madero, and all over Caminito) passing out fliers for tango dinners or shows. Although there are an abundance of tango opportunities (whether dancing or watching), we did not come to BsAs for the tango.

Milonga

Okay, we did try a bit of tango by going to a milonga. (In its simplest definition a milonga is a place where tango fanatics dance tango.) Actually, it was more of a tango class for noobs at La Viruta in Palermo. Not really our thing, but we’re in BsAs, so why not? We had fun, mas o menos, but it didn’t give us the OMG WE HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN vibe that reviewers were gushing about. I’m assuming most tourists don’t come to BsAs only for the tango, just like how tourists in Hawaii don’t go to Hawaii only for hula dancing. But for those tourists who specifically go to BsAs for the tango, then I’m sure BsAs satisfies their desires.

Side story: I had asked my friend from Cordoba, “Do a lot of Argentinians tango?”
“NO!” he cried. “The music and lyrics are depressing. I rock’n’roll!”

I have to admit I also prefer more upbeat music.

Uruguay Day Trip

We went to Colonia, Uruguay for two reasons: 1. To explore another country within the vicinity of BsAs and 2. Stock up on US dollars! (Yes, all the ATMs in Uruguay spit out US DOLLARS!!!) We needed more cash to exchange at the dollar blue rate back at Calle Florida in Argentina. Upon arrival in BsAs we had run out of US dollars, but we used Xoom without a problem to pick up cash at a better rate than ATMs. We highly recommend using Xoom if you’re a U.S. citizen without cash in Argentina.

Two reputable ferry companies were Buquebus and Seacat. It seemed like most people travel to Uruguay with Seacat because their prices are half of Buquebus’ prices. We walked to Seacat’s office and pleasantly discovered that Seacat usually offers a special price for round-trip 1-hour ferry tickets 24 hours before departure. We bought our tickets for the next day at $68 USD each.

Colonia was a stark contrast to BsAs, a delightful and relaxing getaway from the bustling city. Some will find it boring, some will find it charming and pleasant. In the historic center of Colonia were cobblestone roads, vintage cars, and floral trees.

Historic lighthouse:

Dirt roads and the quiet “beach” were reminiscent of Southeast Asia.

Five kilometers from downtown was a historic derelict bull-fighting stadium.

And on the way back to BsAs, we were amazed by how large the ferry was. Our morning ferry was much smaller and could not compare to this one:

Our day trip to Colonia, Uruguay was a pleasant one, but I would not recommend making the trip there if you have less than 4 days in BsAs.

Random Quirks

Argentinians love their protests. I can’t blame them. The country paints a first-world façade, when the sad reality is that it is still developing. I think this is what people love about BsAs…the “it’s the same but different” philosophy. On the cover it looks and feels modern and prosperous, but it really isn’t. Their government, financial crises, and banking system says it all. Not to mention the dog poo everywhere. Literally everywhere.

In addition to protests, the people of BsAs love to block the streets. During crazy traffic jams, it seems as if every bus driver or truck driver enjoys blocking major intersections, and everyone gains satisfaction from honking their horns in the middle of cluster-fucks. And when there isn’t enough traffic or protests to block the streets, the people will say fuck it, let’s get 12 friends and do some kind of march to block more traffic!

I was also amused by the vendors on the subway. They walk up and down and toss their products into your lap, and come by again to retrieve payment or their product. So far I’ve had packaged gum, a toy flashlight, and a bundle of highlighters tossed into my lap. I’ve seen a man make 2 sales to two elderly women after pitching some type of cleaning fabric.

I have no idea what this guy was pitching…I think it was educational health laminates targeted for children.

Bosques de Palermo

After completing the short list of to-do’s in BsAs, the last remaining suggested activity was a visit to Bosques de Palermo, or the Woods of Palermo. The fountains, small lakes, manicured lawns, trees, geese, and colorful rose garden provided a peaceful environment within the traffic-congested city. Although a relatively small park, locals enjoyed biking, jogging, and rollerblading along the curved paths. Definitely a good place to sit and do nothing.

So there you have it. The highlights of one of the most major Latin America cities with 14+ million inhabitants include steak, wine, cake, buildings, a pink government building, cemeteries, a futbol stadium, a colorful alley, and some neighborhood parks. And if you’re into tango, there’s that too.

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Bariloche

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

Bariloche, the “Lake Tahoe” of Argentina, is packed in the summer and winter seasons with internationals and locals. Having the only true ski resort and village in the entire South American continent, Bariloche boasts quite the reputation for its terrain and is slammed during the snowy months. In the summer months, local families and teens flood this city to enjoy the only “nightlife” in Patagonia along with outdoor gems such as hiking, boating, mountain biking, camping, paragliding, and rafting. Boutiques, breweries, chocolate shops, and restaurants are scattered throughout. Backpackers, tourists, and city dwellers can all easily find something in the small city of Bariloche to satisfy their desires. Upon planning an itinerary for Bariloche, I stumbled across the problem of figuring out what to do in Bariloche, only because there was too much to do.

Despite the giant gap of land between El Calafate, Southern Patagonia and Bariloche, Northern Patagonia, flying was out of the question since airfare was not economical. It was going to be bus. The direct Route 40 that connects El Calafate to Bariloche takes vehicles across an unpaved gravel road. Adding 20+ hours of drive time, a dingy bus, and seats that hardly recline easily adds more weight to the misery. We opted for a much less direct route via Route 3 with the bus company Taqsa, but in exchange for more miles, the tradeoff was a newer bus, comfier “cama” (bed-like) seats, and paved roads throughout the journey.

Although cheaper than airfare, bus tickets were still not cheap. It was $230 ARS (~$26 USD at the government rate) from El Chalten to El Calafate (2.5 hours), and $1580 ARS (~$180 USD at the government rate) from El Calafate to Bariloche (28 hours). Yes, you saw that right. 28 HOURS. In a BUS. Driving in South America is not economical; I did the math and realized that with the cost of gas, tolls, time, and snacks/food, taking a bus was probably cheaper than driving one’s own car. Yikes.

Meals were served on the bus, but they were definitely not first class. We were glad that we brought our own fruit and snacks.

Dinner, served at 9:30. Argentinians eat so damn late!

Breakfast was just tea or coffee with a bite-sized muffin and cookie. Lunch:

The 28 hours of driving through the flyover states of Argentina dragged on. Even with the reading, studying, and 4 consecutive movies I watched, each hour slowly trickled onto the next. The bland views pretty much sum up the experience:

During the final hours of the drive into Northern Patagonia, the views began to look promising:

After a departure of 4pm the day before, we finally pulled into Bariloche’s bus terminal at 8pm the next day for a total of 28 hours. We cabbed it into the city center, wandered around and stumbled across a hostel where we ended up spending the next 5 nights. With 4 whole days and somewhat poor weather, we enjoyed Bariloche at a relaxed pace. After having unreliable internet for the prior 2 weeks in Southern Patagonia, it was also the perfect place and time to catch up on life.

Day 1: We rented bikes from town and rode about 18 km out to the popular Cerro Campanario, whose views are apparently ranked by National Geographic as the top 10 in the world. The slight drizzle and 25mph+ headwinds made for an adventure!

Most tourists pay the expensive $120 ARS (~$14 USD) for the short gondola ride to the top of the hill, but we opted for the short but steep 20-minute walk to the top. Albeit windy and mostly cloudy, we still managed to take decent photos of Campanario’s award-winning views:

Chris found his happy place with real coffee (none of that Nescafe crap):

And I later found my happy place during lunch with my first taste of yerba mate:

The tailwind back into town, followed by scrumptious chocolate at one of the numerous chocolate shops and our first home-cooked dinner on the trip (yay hostel kitchens!) meant a solid first day.

Day 2: rain, rain, rain. So we chilled. And for dinner, we ate at El Boliche de Alberto, a restaurant notorious throughout Argentina for their steak.

The chefs are also the butchers:

Giant rib-eye steaks, half a bottle of wine, bread and olive tapenade, and a generous stack of fries, all this for less than $30 after tip:

Day 3: We were finally granted some sunshine…at the sake of gnarly winds. Public buses in Bariloche are fantastic, and we took one from town to Cerro Catedral for a 5-hour round trip hike to Refugio Frey. Of all the hikes available in Bariloche, we were told that the hike at Cerro Catedral was the one to do. Although the hike to Refugio Frey cannot even remotely compare to the hikes we had done in El Chalten or Torres del Paine, there were still some photo-worthy views from the top. Unfortunately we could not enjoy the mirador for long; the biting cold and slashing wind forced us to retreat.

Day 4: Two friends recommended traveling the route from Bariloche to Villa La Angostura to San Martin de los Andes (The Seven Lakes Route). Numerous excursion shops offered bus tours through this area, but we rented a car to enjoy the drive at our own pace. Despite the drizzly and windy weather, we enjoyed a day of driving and exploring Bariloche.

That night we even found Argentina’s version of San Francisco’s Lombard Street!

Day 5: Ciao, Bariloche! Farewell, Patagonia. It was gorgeous, breathtaking, cold, windy, and expensive. Next up: another 20+ hour bus ride to Buenos Aires, the huge “European” city with over 14 million inhabitants. With our thirst for outdoor adventure now shelved for at least another week, we now look forward to steak and wine everyday. Well, almost everyday. 😉

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Cerro Fitz Roy

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

El Chalten, the sleepy quaint town 215 km (2.5 hours) north of El Calafate, is home to the awe-inspiring peak of Cerro Fitz Roy, whose famed silhouette helped inspire the logo for the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia. As we approached El Chalten in the fleeting sunlight, we were able to witness the spectacular outline from the best seats of our bus:

Upon leaving the bus terminal, everyone is welcomed with this sign:

Food in both restaurants and markets are expensive because everything is hauled in, and lodging can be equally as expensive as lodging in El Calafate. We originally booked a private room at the Rancho Grande Hostel, but because they overbooked, they sent us over to their neighboring Poincenot Hotel instead…for the same price! Win! We looked forward to returning to this room after an exhausting day of trekking:

Despite the price markups, it was quite the trailer trash/hippy town, with a number of small trailers scattered throughout the streets. We also found internet in El Chalten to be worse than internet in Myanmar; do not expect reliable internet anywhere in this town. (Tip: We were able to find an exchange rate for $11.5 ARS to the dollar at La Waffleria, but we were later told that a hostel closer to the bus terminal had a rate of $12 ARS to the dollar. We didn’t know which hostel it was, but we imagine if you searched a bit more off the main San Martin strip and more along Lago del Desierto, you can find the rate of $12 ARS.)

We squandered our first full day ice trekking on Glaciar Viedma with Patagonia Adventura, and we reserved our second day for trekking. Because clouds and rain were projected for our third day, we decided to combine two treks into one: El Chalten to Laguna de Los Tres/Cerro Fitz Roy, then down the shortcut through Laguna Madre e Hija, to Laguna de Torre/Cerro Torre, and then finally back to El Chalten, a total of ~35km roundtrip. It was a beautiful day for hiking, perfect for fantastic photos, but our feet definitely felt as if they were going to fall off by the end of the day. Worth it? Of course!

Shortly before 9am we set off north for Laguna de Los Tres. After about 45 minutes of a decent uphill, we were rewarded with views of the valley. The sun had only recently climbed up over the hills, indicating the start of a beautiful day.

There were plenty of lookouts along the trail that offered fantastic views of Cerro Fitz Roy. The bright, warm sun highlighted the splendor of autumn in Patagonia; the golden hues of fall foliage were eye candy for the soul.

I’ll admit the final 2 km up toward Lagunna de Los Tres was no easy task. Everyone trudged along painfully and slowly in a single file line.

But look at the reward on the other side of the rocky hill!

Shortly after eating lunch, we reunited with a couple of friends from Torres del Paine:

And on the way down, we ran into more friends!

Autumn orange in the valley:

Along the Laguna de Madre e Hija shortcut:

Hiking toward Laguna de Torre:

Laguna de Torre:

Who knew such a beauty could exist?! Just the sight of the bobbing icebergs in the lagoon and the sound of the gentle, milky waves were soothing for the soul.

After a relaxing break along the lakeshore of Laguna Torre, we stood up one last time for our return back to town. It was a fairly quick and easy trek back, and the trail ended with a view of El Chalten from afar:

We dragged our feet across town in search for a hearty dinner (soup, mashed potatoes, bife de chorizo, and beer!) before finally staggering back to our hotel room. After ~35 km of a full day’s hike, our legs and feet were heavy with pain, but our hearts were filled with joy and accomplishment. Most stories of El Chalten and trekking to Cerro Fitz Roy involve cloudy skies and frigid days; I’ve even heard of people waiting around for days and even weeks for decent weather in El Chalten before leaving El Calafate.

With the conclusion of our days in El Chalten, our days in the far south of South America/Southern Patagonia were finally at a close. We’ve experienced tumultuous winds, chilly days, warm days, seemingly endless rain, and a bit of snow. Still, there is more trekking in Bariloche (northern Patagonia) and Machu Picchu in June to look forward to, but the bulk of our hardcore trekking in the wilderness was over. As we venture further away from the remote south and head closer toward the equator, our concerns for escaping winter will subside. Until then…just one more stop in Patagonia…San Carlos de Bariloche!

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Glaciers

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

No trip to Patagonia is complete without a close encounter with at least one of the several glaciers in the southern region of South America. And, like in Punta Arenas (and mostly in Torres del Paine), the weather was in our favor when we visited the glaciers: blue skies and sunshine.

The afternoon after our return from Torres del Paine, we departed Puerto Natales, Chile and headed for El Calafate, Argentina. ARGENTINA!!! WOOO! We didn’t check into our hostel until a quarter before 9pm, but we had planned ahead and notified the hostel staff of our interest in booking transportation to Los Glaciares Nacional Parque. Our awful, broken Spanish proved to be sufficient enough to get the message across on the phone, and we headed out for the famous Glaciar Perito Moreno early the following morning.

Logistics were pretty straightforward, albeit pricy. From El Calafate to the national park took about an hour by bus (RT bus tickets were ~$35 USD pp including pickup from our hostel). The entrance fee for foreigners was ~$25 USD pp, and the optional 45-minute boat ride was an additional $20 USD or so pp. Food and beverages were available for purchase, but of course overpriced and bland-looking, so we packed water, snacks, and bomba de papas for lunch the night before.

Here are some of my favorite photos from Glaciar Perito Moreno:

No words can describe the sound of giant ice chunks calving off the glacier and plummeting into the water. Thanks to the warm sun that day, the glacier was quite active. Chunks of ice cracked, crumbled, or plunged into Lake Argentino about every 15 minutes or so. We agreed the roar and boom of the active glacier was comparable to a bomb or firework. The massive ripple effect was incredible.

El Calafate doesn’t offer much else other than the excursion to Glaciar Perito Moreno, so our stay there was minimal. We left the next afternoon for El Chalten, another trekking mecca along awe-inspiring mountains.

Before we started trekking, we spent a day ice trekking on Glacier Viedma outside of El Chalten. The trek itself was incredibly underwhelming for the whopping ~$150 USD pp (it is advertised as a 2-hour trek, when in reality you only walk on the ice for about 25 minutes and spend the rest of the time hanging out on the ice and waiting in line to take a picture from a lookout). Nevertheless, we managed to take a few interesting photos from Glacier Viedma.

Before boarding the boat on Lake Viedma:

I’m on a boat!

Walking along the polished rocks the glacier carved out:

Crampons:

Glaciar Viedma!

Ice canyon! (Like Antelope Canyon, only ice!)

We had never seen a glacier prior to coming to South America. I never knew how unbelievable they were, in size and sound. Hopefully we’ll see more glaciers on this trip (such as in the mountains in Ecuador), and if not, Alaska has some glaciers worth seeing too!

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Torres del Paine

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never actually backpacked in the woods for multiple days at a time. Sure, I’ve done a lot of hiking, but I’ve never had to traverse valleys and mountains with sun and rain while carrying all my food and accommodation on my back. All it took was incredible stories and photos, a different country, and a well-visited and straightforward backpacking route to convince me to jump aboard an approximately 100 km journey by foot. Getting to Torres del Paine in Patagonian Chile was quite a hassle (a couple of flights, several cities, and numerous bus trips), but we all know some of the most magical places are the most remote.

In addition to transportation, things to consider were clothing, gear, and food. Proper research on clothing ended up being worthwhile; my Marmot Precip jacket and rain paints and Saucony Gore-tex trail running shoes kept me 100% dry during an entire day of rain. We rented a 2-person tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and mess kit (bowls, mugs, pot, and stove) in Puerto Natales for our camping gear. And as for food, we purchased a Mountain House freeze-dried food bucket from Amazon prior to leaving the states. The meals from the bucket ended up being more than enough for all our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, accompanied by bread, chocolate, chips, dried fruit and nuts, beef jerky, and more snacks purchased from town. We even attended a Q&A session at Erratic Rock, a hostel that hosts daily talks at 3pm to prepare hikers for their epic adventure.

Unpacking 5 months of shit to repack for 5 days of shit:

We opted for the classic 5-day, 4-night “W” trek. The 9-day, 8-night full circuit was a bit tempting, but I didn’t want to sign up for that having no experience backpacking. Below is the W route, which can be hiked in any direction, though most people including ourselves hiked from west to east, saving the “finale” of the torres for the last day.

Day 1: Puerto Natales to Refugio Grey
GREY: 7:30am-9:30am bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine Nacional Parque. Pay admission fees, watch quick video of park rules. Continue bus ride to Pudeto.
PURPLE: 12:00pm From Pudeto, take catamaran to Refugio Paine Grande.
RED: 12:45pm Arrive at Refugio Paine Grande, hike to Refugio Grey.

Although we had an early start to our day in order to catch the 7:30am bus, we didn’t actually start to hike until almost 1pm. Add long bus rides, standing in line, waiting around, a catamaran ride, cold, wind, and rain. By the time we started trekking, I already felt like I had a long day, nevermind the awful weather that laid ahead.

Before boarding the catamaran:

I’ll admit, Day 1 sucked ass. We kept our heads down most of the time to protect our faces from the wind and pellet-like rain. Most of the hike was like a march, woefully trudging toward our destination. The typically beautiful valley was socked in by murky clouds, preventing any glorious landscape from being seen.

At least we saw remnants of icebergs.

After we set up our tent at Refugio Grey, we contemplated hiking another 2 hours up to the Mirador at Paso to spectate Glacier Grey but after quick consideration we agreed that a 4-hour roundtrip hike in the cold rain wasn’t worth it. (We found out later that others went and couldn’t see anything anyway due to the low clouds. However, I still regret not checking out the Mirador the next morning prior to heading back down toward Refugio Paine Grande.)

Quickly preparing a hot meal after a 3-hour cold, wet hike:

Day 2: Refugio Grey to Campamento Italiano

During our first night we endured howling wind and rain, but it reduced to a slight drizzle the next morning.

What was nice about backtracking down to Refugio Paine Grande was that we were able to see the beauty we missed out on the day before, such as Glacier Grey in the distance:

After lunch the clouds thinned out, the sun made its first appearance after days of solitude, and the temperature warmed up.

And we continued east toward our next campsite.

The campsite was nestled in the woods beside the river, just across this bridge.

Not long after we set up our tent, it began to rain again. We spent the rest of our evening huddled in our sleeping bags to stay warm.

Day 3: Campamento Italiano to Refugio Cuernos

Thanks to sleeping early, we awoke the next morning practically before everyone else for our trek up the valley. We left our heavy gear at camp, packed a day pack with snacks, and ventured up the center of the W toward Mirador Britanico.

Patches of frost grew to an abundance of snow the further we hiked up. Apparently it had rained and snowed for 3 consecutive days and we received the tail end of it. Due to the weather, the pass had been closed for the possibility of avalanches, and now it was open again! Because it hadn’t been hiked for a couple of days and we were up so early, we were the first to stamp fresh footprints into the snow.

It was cold and windy, but the dramatic clouds and lighting made for gorgeous photos:

After viewing the miradors, we returned to Campamento Italiano to eat lunch, tear down camp, pack up, and trek to our next campsite at Refugio Cuernos.

It got much warmer as the day progressed.

We couldn’t help but hang out on the lakeshore for a bit. The weather was just too perfect.

Refugio Cuernos literally sat along the lake. We enjoyed reflecting upon our day on this lakeshore after dinner.

Relaxing after the perfect day’s hike at Refugio Cuernos.

The sky was clear that night, and we even laid in our sleeping bags outside for a bit of stargazing. The number of stars we saw was incredible. Every black patch of emptiness we focused on became an open window for even more stars.

Day 4: Refugio Cuernos to Campamento Torres & Mirador Torres

This day was the most difficult day, with seemingly endless steep ascents along with the warm afternoon sun. However the day began with a lovely start–a clear sky with cascading sunshine on the famous mountains.

We enjoyed several flat miles before descending into the valley.

By around noon, our legs were fatigued from the steep hills and the weight on our backs, but the view down the valley into Refugio Chileno lifted our spirits.

We lunched at Refugio Chileno, and continued for another hour until we reached Campamento Torres. After setting up our tent and taking a short break, we continued up to spectate the wonderful, the mighty, the famous Torres del Paine. It was quite a technical trek on the way up; most of the hike consisted of scrambling over rocks on top of a narrow stream just wide enough for one individual.

And oh how the Torres (towers) were breathtaking. Like everyone says, photos do not do them justice. The enormity, beauty, and tranquility of the site was surreal. And of course, the amount of effort it took to get there made the experience more rewarding.

Day 5: Campamento Torres to Puerto Natales
RED: Hike back up to the Torres for sunrise, return to camp, hike back down the valley to Hotel/Refugio Las Torres.
GREY: 1:30 bus from Hotel to Administration, and final bus at 2:30 from Administration to Puerto Natales. Arrival to Puerto Natales ~4:30pm.

This was it. This was the final day. This was the day for the notorious hike in the dark to witness the sunrise on the Torres. Our excitement wiped the burning pain from our calves that lingered from the previous 4 days of hiking. We were glad we hiked the path the afternoon before, so scrambling over rocks wasn’t too unfamiliar in the pitch darkness. Once again we left behind all our gear, packed a day pack, and ventured on up.

The weather was perfect. It was cold as fuck, but the air was still, the wind was dead, the skies were clear. Climbing up heated our bodies, but within minutes of being seated on one of the many boulders at the mirador, our hands and feet became instantly numb from the cold.

Waiting for the sunrise:

As the sun climbed, the Torres slowly came into view.

And finally, after what felt like ages in the nibbling cold, the Torres glowed a brilliant red.

Hundreds if not thousands of trekkers all around the world come here each year to witness this magical sunrise. Not all are lucky enough to have even the slightest fair condition; I’ve heard stories of rain and snow that prohibit the sunlight from hitting the Torres. Planning the Torres del Paine trek is a crap shoot. The weather is so unpredictable, and we were fortunate to only encounter 1 day of rain over our 5-day trek.

YAY!

From the mirador, it was downhill the entire way back to camp. Then it was mostly downhill to Refugio Chileno, and then it was again mostly downhill to the hotel, where the trek finally concluded.

Below is a final picture with some friends we made along the journey. You can see Hotel Las Torres (for those inclined to spend $300-$400/night) and the mountain we just descended:

And just because Patagonia isn’t complete without a derpy llama pic (click on the pic to enlarge and enjoy the derp in all its glory):

After not washing my hair, wearing the same clothes, and trekking through rain and mud and cold and heat for 5 days, I couldn’t wait to return to the hotel for a proper shower and a comfy bed only to leave again the next day for Patagonian Argentina.

Posted in Chile | Tagged torres del paine | Leave a comment

Punta Arenas

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

Our main destination for the start of our South American journey was Torres del Paine Nacional Parque, which meant the following itinerary:

– A long flight from San Francisco to Santiago, Chile (with a layover)
– A 4-hour flight from Santiago (central Chile) to Punta Arenas (the southernmost town of Chile)
– A 3-hour bus ride from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (the nearest town to the park)
– And finally, a 2-hour bus ride from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine Nacional Parque

Instead of completely skipping through Punta Arenas and heading directly for Puerto Natales, we spent a brief amount of time in the southernmost town of Chile. Due to its location, this town faces unpredictable rain and wind at all times. And I’m not talking about what we know as wind. I’m talking about 100-150 km winds that can force the city to put up ropes between telephone poles for people to hold onto when walking down the street. Fortunately we lucked out and only endured mild winds. Here is Chris proudly pointing out where we were on a map!

Below are some of the highlights of Punta Arenas. We strolled up a hill to check out the vista point that overlooked the town and the notorious Strait of Magellan. During the summer cruise ships typically disembark at the port of Punta Arenas en route to Antarctica. You can see a cruise ship in the distance below.

In the center of the town square stood a giant statue of Ferdinand Magellan.

As odd as this seems, the town housed an “internationally renowned” cemetery that was recommended by travel guides, books, and tourist information centers. Apparently this cemetery was designated a National Monument of Chile in 2012. And what did we think? Well, we loved the Twinkie-shaped trees! The garden reminded me of some wonky yet magical secret garden.

We were shocked at the size of some of the tombs specifically designed for individuals and their families. I mean shit, these structures were grand enough to be mini mausoleums!

Our primary reason for visiting Punta Arenas was the excursion to Isla Magdalena, a tiny island in the strait of Magellan only accessible by boat. Each year Magellanic penguins come to this island around October to breed. Between November and December the eggs hatch, and by January and February (peak season), over 60,000 penguins can be seen on the island in their own wild habitat. In March the penguins begin to head south for the winter, and all the penguins are gone by mid-April. Since it was mid-March, we thought we’d give the island a shot and hope for the best.

There are two primary ways to get to the island: the ferry through COMAPA for 30,000 CLP per person, or the Zodiac boat through Solo Expediciones for 52,000 CLP per person. We ended up going with Solo Expediciones because the ferry ceases its tourist excursions to the island at the end of their high season in mid-March, which was March 14 (missed it by 2 days–DOH!). Because this excursion is dependent on weather (50% chance of cancellation due to weather), we had to keep our fingers crossed for the trip to happen. Rain, wind, and boats do NOT mix, and the entire area was notorious for rain and wind…

…except for the morning we set out for Isla Magdalena! The morning was muy perfecto. There was surprisingly NO wind and the sun climbed over the Strait of Magellan as we boarded onto the boat.

It was a smooth ride all the way to the island.

We only had 1 hour to explore Isla Magdalena, so Chris and I took off as soon as we stepped foot onto land to get away from the crowd. Within the first 15 minutes or so, the clouds parted and we were granted blue skies and sun for perfect lighting. I kept reminding Chris how much we lucked out with the weather. Because it was mid-March, there weren’t thousands and thousands of penguins, but there were enough to captivate our hearts.

An hour of “Aaawws” quickly passed by and we were on the boat again. I’d like to mention that the wind picked up shortly after the sun came out, which called for a rocky boat ride on the way back. Fortunately the Drammamine we took that morning prior to boarding the boat saved us, whereas others got seasick. Whoo!

Punta Arenas was a quiet, small town with not too much to do. I can only recommend going there for the Isla Magdalena penguins, but even then, it’s hit or miss due to the weather. Exactly 24 hours after visiting Isla Magdalena, we awoke to strong wind and rain, and I immediately pitied those who booked the tour for that day. Chris and I knew how lucky we were to not have turbulent winds during our penguin excursion, and that truly made our experience in Punta Arenas and Isla Magdalena a memorable one.

Posted in Chile | Tagged isla magdalena, punta arenas | Leave a comment

First Class to Santiago

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

Currently there are no direct flights to Santiago from San Francisco. Since we were flying via United, our best options were flights with a layover in Houston with Continental Airlines or a layover in Toronto with Air Canada. We ended up choosing Air Canada for a couple reasons: 1. I was able to book flights using 1/2 the normal amount of points (55,000 instead of 110,000 for business first class) on a date that worked for both of us (March 12). 2. Air Canada’s 2-class 777 was decent enough. I know this is going to sound snobby, but I conduct extensive research on aircraft and international flights prior to flying to ensure the most comfortable experience. I read nothing pleasing about Air Canada’s 3-class 777 and I confirmed with the airline that we were flying the 2-class 777. =D

We arrived at SFO around 9:40am for our 11:45am departure. After printing our boarding passes and going through security, we sat ourselves down in the Air France KLM Lounge by around 10am (thanks TSA pre-check!). Breakfast time!

Coffee, tea, orange juice, snacks, and pain au chocolat in the business class lounge:

We made sure not to eat too much–knowledge gained from flying a number of international first class flights last year. Long, first class flights are a feast and we had not one but TWO international flights to Santiago!

Upon being seated in the first leg from San Francisco to Toronto (~4.5 hours), we were immediately handed menus for lunch.

Wine and warm nuts shortly after takeoff, accompanied by Totoro and research on Torres del Paine. There was no nut rage on this flight. =D

Appetizer of bread and quinoa salad:

I selected the mushroom ravioli as my main course:

And dessert was a cookie and vanilla ice cream:

Honestly, the food wasn’t great. It was okay. It’s a meal on a plane, what can you expect? At least the flight attendant passed around free Lindt chocolate bars.

Our layover in Toronto was a bit long (4 hours) but the Maple Leaf Lounge was large and accommodating. There was a complimentary bar and buffet.

I regrettably overstuffed myself with salad, pasta, hummus, and cupcakes. Lots of cupcakes. I also had what they called “Vietnamese pho” but it was nothing close to it. They tried, though.

Little did we know that our next international flight had TWO meals: dinner at 1:30am and breakfast 90 minutes before arrival. More food AGAIN?! OKAY!!! Chris asked for wine at midnight. Heehee.

Here we are pondering over what to eat (again):

Appetizer of prosciutto and melon with bread and salad:

Dinner of steak and potatoes. The steak was as awful as it looks, but Chris devoured his. I think he devoured it because he was so absorbed in his movie, he didn’t notice how terrible it was. I mean, just look at him.

Cheese, crackers, and grapes.

Warm brownie with whipped cream. Oh yeah.

Stretching our legs in our spacious international business first class seats wasn’t so bad.

The complimentary swag bag was okay. We’ve had better. =P

Inside the swag bag were socks, an eye mask, lip balm, lotion, earplugs, a mint, and toothbrush/toothpaste. No pen, though. Where the hell is my pen?!

After the brownie I literally passed TFO. I only woke up again because I heard the flight attendant serving breakfast. It was nice to have 6-7 hours pass by so quickly.

I hate omelettes (especially airline omelettes) so I opted for the pancakes and Canadian maple syrup. Yummy!

The plane landed around 11am Friday the 13th and the weather was FUCKING INCREDIBLE. It was like Northern California in September–warm and dry with a cool breeze, and amazingly pleasant in the shade. And to top it off…I inserted my travel debit card in the ATM and realized I forgot my PIN. DOH!

Accommodation for our first two nights in Santiago was an apartment with a couple of dudes we found on AirBnB for $25/night. Directions to the apartment via local bus and metro were simple enough. After all, Santiago’s metro is considered the most extensive metro in all of South America.

After dropping off our luggage, we set out to explore downtown Santiago. The metro was super easy to use, clean, reliable, and cheap (~$1 USD pp, depending on what time you ride), but hot (no AC!).

Strolling through the pleasant Bellas Artes neighborhood on a Friday afternoon:

We stumbled upon the Santa Lucia Hill, walked up to the top, and saw this view of Santiago. The Andes is to the east (left center of the photo), but the smog kept it hidden. Pretty damn big city of ~7 million people!

I heard a lot about the completos, or hotdogs. These hotdogs were served with a generous amount of mayo (gross!), avocado puree, and tomatoes. It was interesting to say the least.

Jet lag between Chile and California wasn’t so bad (4 hours), but our lack of sleep from the flight caught on and our minds slowly scampered off into a slight daze by late afternoon and we promptly returned to the apartment for a nap.

The following day was our first full day in Santiago, but definitely not our last. (We will be returning again in late April en route to Easter Island.) We returned to the historical Plaza de Armas for lunch. From left to right, the buildings below are the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, the post office, and a national museum.

Took a peek in the Metropolitan Cathedral:

Empanadas! About $1.75 USD each. Small but packed with flavor and kept me full for hours.

Mote con huesillos, a refreshing drink/dessert with wheat and peaches. I’d say this is the Spanish version of Vietnamese chè .

Mercado Central, apparently ranked by National Geographic the 5th largest market in the world (mostly catered to tourists):

Street cart ceviche! I wasn’t hungry enough to try it, but damn, it looked yummy.

La Vega Mercado was the real deal. It was literally on the other side of the river north of Mercado Central, hustling and bustling with locals doing their shopping and eating. I read that prices at La Vega for groceries and food are a fraction of the cost of what you can find at Mercado Central.

Here is my small collection of photos from La Vega Mercado. Meow:

Once we exhausted ourselves from walking all over downtown, we relaxed at Parque Forestal. Like San Francisco, the major metropolitan of Santiago has a handful of parks sprawled throughout the city.

We took it easy the remainder of the day, primarily getting ready for another flight the following day to Punta Arenas, the southernmost city of Chile. We were now going to leave Santiago’s perfect summer weather for the south’s frequent rain, strong winds, and unpredictable cold (cold to Californians with high 50s and low 40s), but the wonders of the Patagonian outdoors awaited us.

It had only been 2 days in South America, 2 days in Chile, and my observation is that it’s not that different from home. Southeast Asia was such a drastic change and I guess I had a similar expectation in South America only because we were traveling internationally again. How is it like home? For starters, no one gives a shit that I’m an English-speaking Asian. I don’t get too many awkward stares. People wear flip flops, short shorts, and mid-drift tops. Young adults aren’t shy to show public displays of affection. Traffic is manageable; drivers and pedestrians obey traffic rules. Drivers don’t abuse their horns. Sidewalks are wide, and people drive large cars. There aren’t any squat toilets, and toilet paper is provided in bathrooms. The weather is pleasant. I haven’t had to bargain yet, and it seems as if everything is a fixed price. And, like in California, Spanish can be heard from anywhere. It really isn’t that foreign. It’s still the west, after all.

In any Southeast Asian country, the smart businessman or businesswoman knew that speaking English was the key to their success. From Vietnam to Myanmar, it was actually quite common to converse in English with natives. Hell, even the Hmong tribes in Sapa were more fluent in English than Vietnamese! Chris said he didn’t really have a difficult time at all communicating in Southeast Asia. Even when I spoke Vietnamese to the Vietnamese locals, everyone was just so delighted that I could speak and understand their language. Southeast Asians simply don’t expect foreigners to know their language. On the contrary, Spanish speakers expect you to speak Spanish. If you do happen to speak it, no one is impressed. Spanish is so widely spoken throughout this massive continent that it’s not necessary for businessmen and businesswomen to speak English in order to have a successful business. As a result, almost no one speaks English. Thankfully Chris has an ear for Spanish, and I have a pretty basic Spanish vocabulary due to my 2 months of cramming.

I’ve studied Japanese for 6 years, but the most time I’ve spent in Japan was about 2 months. Vietnamese was my first language, but the most time I’ve spent in Vietnam was also about 2 months. Now, I’ve spent about 2 months studying Spanish, but I’ll be in Spanish-speaking countries for 5 months. We’re both pretty excited to see our Spanish progression from now until the end of this trip. Next stop: Patagonia!

Posted in Chile | 2 Comments

Packing and Preparation for South America

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

From December 28, 2014 to March 11, 2015 (about 2.5 months) we took a “break” back home in San Francisco. As sad as this sounds, the California drought made our winter in Northern California like a fantastic summer vacation. The daily sunny 70-degree weather allowed me to do what I love most during the short time span I had at home.

I got to cycle and run in my favorite place in the world:

Spring skydiving with fluffy white play things is another favorite.

We enjoyed wine country with our best friend. Spring vineyards and flowers are so beautiful.

We got to hang out with the many friends we have back home. Good friends from our triathlon club even had an organized farewell potluck dinner for us!

Many of my friends asked me what I did during the day, since my lifestyle was comparable to a retired person’s. To satisfy your curiosity, I’ll answer that question here. When I wasn’t swimming, biking, running, hiking, and yoga-ing, I experimented with many new recipes (I LOVE being in the kitchen!). I even went through a 25-lb bag of flour from Costco in practically a month. I also worked on 3 separate, personal art projects. But more importantly, I crammed a whole year’s worth of Spanish into 2 months.

This book is awesome. And now it’s less than $8! I definitely got more than $8 worth of a new language out of this book. After having studied Vietnamese, Japanese, and a bit of Chinese, I was excited and fascinated to learn my first Latin language.

The most stressful yet most essential part of my 2-month sabbatical was trip planning and preparation for the Romping & Nguyening Adventures Part 3: South America. I planned on starting our trip with Patagonia in the deep south during their remaining weeks of summer warmth, and I knew getting there would not be a straightforward task. For now, I can tell you it’s an international flight from San Francisco to Santiago, Chile (which is NOT direct). Then it’s another flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas (also not direct, and about a 5-hour flight). Then it’s about a 4-hour bus ride to the next major city, and finally, a 2-hour bus ride to Torres del Paine National Park, our first destination. Don’t worry — these legs are broken up over the course of several days. I’ll blog about it after we fly (first class, WHOO-HOO! Thanks Chase Sapphire Preferred!).

Not having an itinerary is the beauty in this sort of trip, but there are of course a few exceptions. Due to the skyrocketing popularity of trekking in Machu Picchu, we booked our Inca Trail tour in January for June 7-10, 6 months before departure. They say to book that far in advance; otherwise, tours quickly run out of permits.

Chris and I also dreamed of visiting Easter Island in Chile, perhaps one of the most remote places in the world. After some quick research, I discovered that pre-planning for Easter Island was essential for the budget traveler. The cheapest plane tickets, which must be booked in advance, run for about $500 roundtrip from Santiago. If booked on short notice, plane tickets easily go for $1000. The cheapest accommodation on the island also gets booked in advance, so last minute booking on the island means expensive lodging. In addition to pre-booking our Machu Picchu tour, we bought our plane tickets and booked accommodation for Easter Island for the last week of April.

After pre-booking these two excursions, I faced the next dilemma: figuring out what the hell to pack. Unlike our 5-month trip in Southeast Asia, we would be camping and backpacking for multiple days in the mountains, and more importantly, would need to prepare for all possible weather extremities. It was easy to get by on shorts and T-shirts for all of sweltering hot Southeast Asia, but our South America trip required much more: beanies, gloves, leggings, rain jacket/pants, thicker socks, etc. I literally spent hours researching and comparing ultra light weight outdoor products on travel blogs before settling on the “perfect” outdoor clothing and gear. When you’re limited to just that one jacket or one pair of shoes that must last for 5 months, it’s crucial that each item be of quality.

My wonderful 50L bag that I used for Southeast Asia fit everything below (and still has plenty of space!), which totaled to about 10 kg:

Clothes! An ultra light Marmot Precip rain jacket (clearance for $50 from $100), Uniqlo ultra light down jacket ($60 from $80), Marmot Precip rain pants ($55), sweater, 2 zip-off convertible pants (1 Marmot and 1 REI), 2 thermal leggings (Icebreaker and Patagonia), 2 tank tops (Nike and North Face), 2 T-shirts (1 Icebreaker merino wool and 1 tech tee), and 2 long-sleeve shirts (1 Helly Hanson tech tee and 1 Icebreaker merino wool base layer).

The rain and down jackets compressed and packed into their own pouches:

All my clothes (except the down jacket which I will be wearing) stuffed into a large packing cube:

Undergarments and a bikini. 3 sports bras, 4 pairs of socks (all wool), 3 undies (all Icebreaker wool), 1 pair of thin wool Icebreaker gloves, and 1 pair of fleece mitten gloves. They all fit into one small packing cube.

A Pacsafe bag protector, sleep liner, and ultra light hiking daypack that packs into itself:

Gore-tex Saucony trail shoes ($80 from $120), a pair of New Balance super minimalist trail shoes, flip flops, a foldable water bottle, ultra light towel, and poncho.

Headwear: beanie and balaclava for warmth, and visor for sun protection.

My only electronics: my Macbook Air and my iPhone, which I also use as a camera. I plan on stealing Chris’ Kindle. =)

A bath sponge, pull-up cords, a small wallet (only carrying 2 debit and 2 credit cards, leaving the rest of the unnecessary cards at home), some pens, a small packable purse, and travel document case (passport, vaccination history, international drivers license, etc.)

A bunch of small miscellaneous crap/toiletries that fit into one small packing cube. Headlamp, batteries, medicine, bandaids, moleskin, a tiny bit of makeup, sewing kit, tissue packets, hand warmers, cotton balls/Q-tips, chapstick, liners, hair ties, eye drops, ear plugs, deodorant, electrolyte drink tablets, nail clipper, razor and blades, moist towelettes, and LADIES…a menstrual cup.

Some extras for camping, such as a spoon/fork, toilet paper roll, and garbage bags.

All my liquids and gels. Sunblock, insect repellent, castille soap and some Woolite, coconut oil (to replace Neosporin, makeup remover, and lotion), itch cream, body soap, shampoo, hand sanitizer, lotion, toothpaste, and a lighter (for camping). We’ll obviously have to buy more toothpaste, soaps, and creams as our journey progresses.

I like to keep a travel pouch in the outer zipper of my bag in order to have some travel essentials nearby, such as Dramamine, my inhaler, tissues, eye drops, toothbrush, etc.

Our first excursion will be the “W” 50-mile circuit in Torres del Paine. I read that freeze-dried foods aren’t available down there for purchasing, and grocery stores there are pretty expensive. Chris and I ended up splitting a bucket of freeze-dried meals from Amazon. (I had never actually tried a freeze-dried meal, and I tested one out a week before the trip. The lasagna with meat sauce was delicious!!!) I threw in a couple bars, some tea and hot apple cider mix, oatmeal, instant noodles, and beef jerky. We plan on buying bread and cheese to supplement our meals.

The bucket the freeze dried food came in was HUGE!

We ended up taking out the individual packets, splitting them, and putting them in our packable hiking daypack.

And we couldn’t forget to bring our little friend.

Once we arrive, we plan on renting all the camping gear we’ll need (tent, sleeping bags and pads, cooking stove, pots, etc.) We actually considered bringing our own camping gear but decided it wasn’t a good idea to lug it around for 5 months.

Well, that’s that. Not only are we ready for some more international travel, I’ve somewhat learned a new language, and I sort of have an idea for what it means to be retired. It’s important to keep yourself busy with activities you enjoy; otherwise it would be too easy to go crazy for lack of routine. Though I won’t be able to spend the next several months running, biking, skydiving, and baking, I’ll at least be able to trip plan, take pictures, practice my new language, and write. We leave in 13 hours. OMG I can’t wait!!! =D

Posted in California | 1 Comment

Living in a 16′ Trailer for Three Months

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Jean Nguyen

Well here you go. Thanks to www.tripline.net, I was able to create a map of our complete route while touring around the U.S. for 3.5 months.

We set out during the late summer of 2014 from Northern California and finished at the end of the year back home. The greater part of the first month was spent in California and the national parks of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, where the autumn months are most enjoyable. In the second month we hurried through the cities of the Midwest, Northeast, and a bit of the South with the goal of escaping the region’s brutal cold. By the third month we were cruising through the South and eventually reconvened with national park territory and the familiarity of the California coast.

Some of the wonderful scenery while on the road:

We even lucked out with the lowest gas prices I’ve seen in years: 2.27/gal at Chevron!

Throughout this journey our legs were chiseled by arduous hikes, our tummies were filled (and expanded) by authentic local cuisines, our ears were rewarded with various genres of music, pitches of laughter, and inspirational stories, and our souls were touched by other citizens, young and old, of this massive country. Our eyes were treated with the diversity of America–from the trees, canyons, waterfalls, and mountains of nature to the bridges, skylines, museums, and nightlife of urban grandeur, we embraced it all. One day we’d be resting on boulders and covered in sweat and dirt, gnawing at beef jerky, apples, and Chex Mix for lunch, and the next day we’d be dining in some swanky fine-dining restaurant in the big city. Regardless of our adventure, whether dressed in the same cargo pants the last four days or a trendy hat with makeup for a night of dancing in downtown, we both returned to the same place every night: Scromp, our Scamp, our trailer, our home.

A final photo bidding farewell to Scromp after the journey:

There have been more than several people who have asked me, “Your road trip looked amazing, but it couldn’t have topped 5 months in Southeast Asia, right?”

I begin my answer with this statement: There is so much naivety in those who claim international travel > domestic travel. America is absolutely fucking amazing, and Americans should see their own country. I can’t think of another country that boasts so much public land, national forests, and open wildernesses for anyone to explore and temporarily reside in. As one of the largest countries in the world, one cannot see it all in a given lifetime…there is too much to do and too much to see. The whole region of mainland Southeast Asia is merely a fraction of the entire U.S! Each state is practically like its own country in terms of its size, people, food, culture, music, major city, and even time zone! 3.5 months was hardly enough. I need to do this again. Soon.

This entire massive area in Rockville, Utah was public land. That white dot in the distance on the center left is Scromp.

Yes, our 5-month Southeast Asian tour from March to August was incredible. Attempting to communicate in different languages (such as the number of times we conversed with a Vietnamese man who only spoke Vietnamese and French–I’d speak to him in Vietnamese, Chris would speak to him in French, and Chris and I would speak to each other in English), broadening our food choices (yes, we ate dog in Vietnam), and getting a taste of everyday life (having dinner with a Laotian family when a fierce thunderstorm knocked everything out) was just a small part of it. We each lived out of a 50L backpack for 5 months, constantly unpacking and repacking all our belongings every few days.

We lived off of 2 pairs of pants, 3-4 shirts, and 3 sets of socks and undergarments, hand-washing clothes as we traveled. We weren’t even sure if we were going to be in the same country or a different one the following week. Home was always a dingy motel/guest house, and we never knew how shitty it was going to be (mildew in the bathrooms were almost always a given, and a cockroach crawled across Chris’ face just once). Sometimes we’d score on $15/night hotel rooms:

Yes, these were all memorable moments…

…but we never had a place called home.

That’s why we loved traveling across the U.S. so much. That’s why we loved living out of our 16′ trailer so much. Everyday we had a place called home. We’d dig for the familiar key, unlock the rounded door, and enter the little home on wheels with fuzzy walls and little propane stove and miniature cozy bed. Even our “pet” stuffed animals awaited us.

Within our first month of traveling, between Wyoming or Utah or wherever during a long drive, I turned to Chris and said, “I knew I would enjoy this road trip…but I didn’t expect to love it this much.”

In Southeast Asia, we’d have amazing days and return to our unfamiliar hotel room. Clean, decent, free wifi and breakfast, but still, unfamiliar. While roadtripping the U.S., we’d also have amazing days but at the end of the day, we’d hang out in our familiar home, eat home cooked meals, and be surrounded by our favorite possessions. Our wardrobe was slightly larger since we weren’t living out of a 50L bag, which allowed us to have a larger variety of clothing. Our sports equipment included swimming, cycling, running, skydiving, and camping gear. Albeit miniature, I had a full kitchen, and Chris had all the electronics he needed. Our solar panels kept us independent, water was easy to retrieve, and our toilet/shower was handy when we camped in the middle of a desert. Unlike in Southeast Asia, we had more than what we needed. We had our passions and a home.

The length of the Scamp trailer is 16′ long from tongue to bumper, which makes the interior living space only 13′ x 6′ wide. Living in a trailer and driving across the country entailed not just adventure and fun, but also lessons on conservation and maximizing space. Imagine living in a 13’x6′ home and sharing it with your significant other for three months. With a single battery and solar panels, 26 gallon gray water tank (sink/shower runoff), 9 gallon black water tank (human waste such as pee and poop), and 12 gallon fresh water tank (potable water), we learned a bunch of things in order to conserve water and energy. I kept notes on what we did and how we did it because I found them humorous, helpful, and environmental.

***

FREE CAMPING

The idea of paying $25/night just to park our vehicle was absurd to me, and the fact that RV camping with full hookups averaged $40-$50/night was even more ridiculous. Thus, I relied heavily on www.freecampsites.net and other state websites to find free dispersed camping areas, BLM land, and other miscellaneous parks that offered free parking. If we simply needed a place to park and sleep for the night between long drives, we spent the night at a Walmart parking lot. We always let a manager know, and we felt safe because there were other trailers, trucks, and 24-hour security vehicles. Throughout the entire trip, we only paid for 5 nights at 4 different campsites: 1 night at Canyonlands National Park for $10, 1 night at Bryce Canyon National Park for $25, 1 night at Rocky Mountain National Park for $20, and 2 nights at T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis for $20/night. (T.O. Fuller had full hookups, free showers, and super cheap laundry facilities.)

Our favorite places to camp were dispersed areas. Not only were they free, they were seldom known about which granted the whole area to ourselves:

The Tetons:

A desert outside of Goblin Valley State Park:

The Wall outside Badlands National Park:

WATER

– In addition to our 12 gallon water tank, we always kept a spare 7 gallon jug in the car. When we boondocked for 5 days outside of Grand Teton National Park, we would drive into the park everyday to hike. On our way out of the park we would fill up our jug for free, return to Scromp, and fill him up. Most visitor centers and parks had water spigots. In cities, we’d fill up at a friend’s house, but if that convenience wasn’t there, it was easy to find a water machine for 20¢/gallon. For 3.5 months, we only paid for water three times, each time costing us around $2 to fill the jug.

– While at a visitor center or park with water spigots, we also filled up a couple of our water bottles in addition to the jug. With so much hiking, we didn’t want to tap into Scromp’s fresh water tank or the jug for drinking water.

Filling up Scromp and the water jug at a random water stop along a highway near Kanab, Utah:

– If we had the luxury of boondocking in front of a friend or relative’s home, we’d take in our pots, pans, and dishes to wash them. Our cleverer idea was bringing in vegetables to wash before heading out to a remote area. It was nice having clean mushrooms and lettuce upon arrival at a dispersed camping area. I wouldn’t need to use our own water source to wash all the damn vegetables!

– After meals we wiped down all our plates, bowls, pots, and pans with a paper towel. Excess sauces and crumbs went into the trashcan, and this made washing our kitchenware much easier and faster. At home, we’d always run a shit ton of water over our dishes just to clear them. Not here. Water was a luxury and we couldn’t let our water run endlessly just to dissolve some sauces.

– Most people cook in a systematic way, with the goal of using as few pots and pans as possible. In addition to thinking this way, our method of washing dishes also became methodological to conserve water. How can I reuse water run off from this plate for the greasy pan? I’d ask myself. I’d place the pan in the sink and wash our utensils and plates over it so the water runoff could dribble into the pot. Chris would even plug the sink and wash everything in it, do a quick rinse, and only end up using about a half gallon of water to wash dishes from dinner.

– My favorite tactic for conserving water was our method of showering. I’m not just talking about doing a quick rinse, turning off the water to soap myself, and turning back on the water for another final rinse. Like at home, we had to let the shower run for a while before the water got hot. I hated the idea of letting our precious potable water run down the drain for the sole purpose of heating up. So what did I do? I brought a kettle into the shower, let the shower head run water into the kettle until the water got warm, turned off the water, and then returned the kettle to the stove. The water in the kettle amounted to about 3-4 servings of hot tea/coffee the next morning. If we didn’t want tea or coffee in the morning, I would pour the water from the kettle back into Scromp’s freshwater tank.

POWER

– Solar panels were a must. We really only needed a single 100W panel, but having two panels completely charged our battery within a few hours. While we filled up on propane about every 2 weeks for cooking and heating, solar energy powered the battery which fueled the fan, the furnace, all our LED lights, the water pumps, and inverter. Yay solar power!!!

– Because we primarily boondocked, we hardly ever used the power outlets in Scromp. All the outlets are only usable when properly hooked up to an electric source. Chris ended up installing a 12V outlet, which we used heavily for charging our phones and laptops. Solar power fed our battery, which produced energy through the 12V outlet, which kept our electronics running on our “work” days.

– We took advantage of long drives by recharging our electronics in the car. If Chris needed the 12V outlet in Scromp, I’d let my laptop battery run low. Chris’ 2012 Toyota RAV4 not only has a 12V outlet (standard on all cars) but also a standard 110V AC power socket. Within a couple hours, our laptops, phones, Jambox, or other electronics would be fully charged. Between visiting sites, we each took a zillion photos which in turn drained our phone batteries. We kept 12V USB cables for our phones in the car at all times, so by the time we arrived at our next destination, our phones would be recharged and ready to go.

GARBAGE

– We had the smallest trashcan in order for it to fit in the bottom cabinet. It would fill up daily, which meant I had to throw out a small bag of garbage bag everyday. Even in my regular home I use small trashcans. Throwing out garbage more often means less garbage in my home, less rotting food, less stink. The idea of holding onto giant garbage bags for long periods at a time is disgusting. Garbage also becomes more difficult to dispose of as it quantifies. The basic rule of thumb with garbage: the smaller it is, the cleaner your home and the easier to get rid of.

– My typical garbage disposal routine was leave the garbage bag behind my car seat, arrive at a gas station or park, and dispose the little bag in one of the many garbage cans available. I can’t imagine doing that with a giant bag of garbage, especially at a gas station.

POTTY

– One of my biggest fears of trailer living is clogging the toilet with toilet paper. At home we always use quality toilet paper, but in the RV, it must be single ply. To conserve TP and ease my fear of clogging the toilet, I usually counted out each square of TP before use: four squares for #1, and 5-6 squares for #2. Unraveling limitless toilet paper was a luxury only in the home.

– I never had to buy toilet paper on the trip. Not once. Maybe it was me being cheap, but every time I spotted a mostly used roll of toilet paper sitting on top of the canister in a public bathroom, I would just pocket it. Most places (gas stations, parks, fast food restaurants) had a roll with 20-30% of toilet paper remaining, but patrons would never use them anyway. They always used the fresh roll. So why not, right?

– We tried to avoid doing #2 (pooping) in our toilet as much as possible. Our morning routine typically consisted of holding it in until we arrived at a nearby gas station or at a park visitor center/trail head. Chris would even strategically hold off on his morning coffee until we relieved ourselves at the nearest restroom.

LAUNDRY

– Like in Southeast Asia, we mostly wore merino wool shirts and undergarments. Their durability, warmth, and quick-drying, anti-stink fabric made up for their hefty price tags. I’d wear the same shirt for 4-5 consecutive days.

– Initially our plan was to bring enough clothes to last us 2 weeks to avoid frequent laundry trips. I even kept a hamper bag in the closet to store our collective dirty clothes. In the end we only went to a Laundromat once because we had the luxury of doing our laundry at our friends’ and family’s homes.

***

Trailer living is absolutely fun, but with the freedom comes a number of minor inconveniences that we discovered along the way. We’ve upgraded and are constantly upgrading Scromp; the trailer is always a working project. Scromp is only 13’x6′ and we can’t imagine what it’s like owning a home.

Not only did we explore the wondrous parks and splendid cities of America, we also visited more friends and family than we imagined seeing. Between us, we had no idea just how many people we knew scattered across the whole country. Stops at friends and family’s homes included (in the following order): Salt Lake City, UT, Castle Valley, UT, Longmont, CO, Des Moines, IA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Chicago, IL, East Lansing, MI, Brooklyn, NY, Lansdale, PA, Germantown, MD, Richmond, VA, Turners Station, KY, Elgin, TX, San Antonio, TX, Phoenix, AZ, San Diego, CA, Palm Springs, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, and Napa, CA.

Would we do this trip again? In a heartbeat. I’m already thinking about our next 3+ month road trip–I think we’ll travel around the Pacific Northwest next time around. I expect we’ll keep learning as we (Chris, Scromp, and I) progress further in our travels, and I’ll definitely share it in blog posts. In just a couple months we’ll be heading for South America for some more international adventure, and I’ll write more when that time comes. Until then…keep traveling, and always keep learning! =)

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Big Basin Redwood State Park

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Jean Nguyen

Once we approached Santa Cruz, we were so close to home. But I didn’t want to go home. Not yet. I wanted to take Scromp to the giant redwood trees of Big Basin Redwood State Park, up in the Boulder Creek wilderness. There was so much more to California than just the picture-perfect beaches. Our days of state or national parks and hiking trails were finally drawing to a close and Big Basin Redwood State Park was our last park before finishing up with Christmas at a friend’s in Napa.

An early arrival was required in order to reserve a campground and hike a longish trail with the very few hours of winter sunlight remaining. Due to the heavily shaded woods, the campground (and park) were perpetually dark and damp. It was quite dim as we prepared for our hike inside Scromp, but as soon as I opened the door and stepped out at 9am that morning, I was awestruck by the myriad of rare morning rays of sunlight streaming through the trees. Normally the Santa Cruz region is consumed by fog, preventing any bit of sunlight to trickle through the way it did that morning. We definitely lucked out with this rare treat. I made Chris move the car for a better photo opportunity.

And finally, the hike. We hiked along the 11.5-mile Berry Creek Falls Trail, which brought us up close to giant redwoods, a plethora of mushrooms, slimy banana slugs, and three waterfalls. Here and there majestic giants staggered, ranging anywhere from fairly young to more than 2,000 years old.

Fallen trees:

Hollow trees:

Burnt trees:

Fluffy trees:

Simply giant trees:

Waterfalls:

Mushrooms:

Overlooking the trees, at the peak of the woods:

Scromp and redwood tree comparison:

Although we completed the hike before sunset, darkness soon awaited us as the heavily forested woods and looming trees kept the low sunlight away. Within a couple hours it was pitch black and nibbling cold outside, and we enjoyed the cozy warmth from the interior of Scromp. Even simply listening to the stark silence of the woods was magical.

The next morning we headed out for Napa. Without any more exploration and discoveries on this 3.5 month journey around the U.S., it felt like the trip was over, especially when we passed through the Bay Area. But still, there was one final destination, a destination filled with love, familiar faces, great company, hospitality, and friendship, perfectly timed for the holidays.

Memories from the 5-month Romping & Nguyening Adventures Part 1: Southeast Asian Tour have been shelved, and now new memories from the 3.5-month Romping & Nguyening Adventures Part 2: U.S. Road Trip are about to sit alongside Part 1. Soon, we’ll be getting excited for Part 3: South America!

This post is part of Travel Tips Collection: California.

Posted in California | Tagged #Travel Tips Collection, redwoods | 3 Comments