World's Largest Salt Flat - Salar de Uyuni

Well after three days, minus 15 degree winds and one bitterly strong case of altitude sickness, I'm mostly alive and have managed to make my way into Bolivia! Three days of driving in a rugged Landcruiser with simple accommodations and a lack of internet has left me with one of my new highlights of the trip. 

Three full days driving through Bolivian wilderness on the way to Uyuni was simply breathtaking. White lagoons, green lagoons, red lagoons, all sorts of lagoons. Andean flamingoes, condor flamingoes, chilean flamingoes, only three sorts of flamingoes. Small potholes, bathtub sized potholes, hidden potholes, many potholes. And salt. Miles and miles of beautiful salt. 

To say that we drove on a road would simply imply that the Bolivians had built a road to begin with. It was in fact more of a path that EVERY single jeep/landcruiser followed and took slight deviations from trying to find the least bumpy way. As I said, accommodations were simple. The first night was at about 4300m above sea level with -15 winds howling outside, zero heating and 20lbs of blankets ontop a thin bed with a concrete base. The secound night was slightly better inside of a "salt hotel." Seriously only slightly though. 

My lack of sleep through Chile decided to catch up with me all of the sudden and deliver a one-two punch on the first night. Or maybe three.. Or four? Waking up multiple times throughout the night to sweats, chills and a horrible headache I couldn't wait till morning. Yet morning came along with a raging headache, barely enough energy to run to the bathroom and a stomach that could only accept hot tea. Did I mention I could barely keep warm? I definitetly wore more than half of my clothes that day. 

Despite a hiccup throughout the secound day I was able to rally pretty hard and get all the snaps I still wanted. Waking up before sunrise the final day we departed in the complete darkness and raced off to make it to Salar de Uyuni for sunrise. Salar de Uyuni is just as epic as all the hype surrounding it makes it out to be. 

Never ending. Totally white. Completely flat. Until you reach the far side. Besides the rubber tire trails. Except for Isla de Pescado. Almost an oasis in the middle of the Salar, a great mass erupts from the Earth studded with giant cactus and an easy 15 minute hike to the top of the mound. Furthur past the Isla we stopped to take photos. The Salar is perfect for funny shots as the depth of field is completely destroyed here. 

One last adventurous stroll through the Train Cemetery on the far side of Uyuni and I was on the most eventful bus I've ever been heading deeper into Bolivia and continuing my journey north. 

Currently In Sucre, planning on bunkering down for a week or so to learn some more spanish! Ciao. 

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 28 - Celtic Cross Hostel, Sucre, Bolivia

Final Week in Chile - Me Gusta

Chile has been good fun. Period. With  my final hour in the country today I thought it might be a good time to catch up on what I've been up to lately instead of the tangents I like to write about. From the beginning of the week then.

Santiago

Arrived in the city only to find that I had missed my good friend Euan by a few hours.. However another friend from Ushuaia was actually there in my hostel so it was a good surprise instead. I spent my first day exploring the city by foot, discovering the city barrio by barrio. Not going to lie when I wasn't too impressed by it. Big cities all look like other big cities in my opinion. I awoke the following day to Fiesta Patrias! The 18th of september is Chile's version of Independence day. With huge parties called Fondas, everyone in the city is either at one, at a park bbqing or hawking their wares to tourists and locals alike.  I literally spent a solid two hours eating street food in Parque O'higgins, everything from mussel and fish ceviche to goat and chorizo sandwiches! Later that night I met up with Max, a friend from Valpo and had a blast late into the evening. Even ended up meeting 3 Vancouverites who lived about 15 minutes from me! Travelling eh?

Mote con Huesillo - Peach nectar, barley, rehydrated peaches

Cue the best 24 hour bus ride of my life. 

San Pedro de Atacama

A gringo town in the middle of the Atacama desert. Literally just built on the backs of restaurants, tour shops and bike rentals. I was lucky enough to spend 4 solid days in the dusty town. On my first day in the city, I actually ended up bumping into a friend that I met in Ushuaia (another one) and we immediately made plans to go sandboarding later that day! After an evening of finding sand everywhere and sweaty legs, we arrive at day two which was quite a relaxing day. Slept in, got some coffee with amigos, biked through a few canyons and had my first proper meal in about two weeks. Two more full on days of tours, good snaps and a complete overhaul of my Bolivian "itinerary" and now I'm off to Salar de Uyuni! It's been funny hanging out with new friends from different hostels these few days however I've literally not stopped to say hello to anyone in my own hostel.. Oops! 

Sunset from Valle de la Luna

Laguna Altiplanica

Anyway I'll be crossing Salar de Uyuni in a 4x4 Jeep for 3 days without internet! Expect some awesome photos from the Salar ;)

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 24th - Aji Verde Hostel, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

A Few of My Favourites - South America

Well. I´ve gotten a little tired of writing. More and more throughout this trip my photography has gotten slightly better each and every day. I thought I´d like to showcase a little more of that throughout my blog. Thus here are some of my favourites so far from South America, with plenty more to come!

Iguaçu Falls - Brazil

I was lucky enough to see the falls from both Argentina and Brazil with my sister Rosalyn. We arrived in the park after a miserably long bus ride to find sunshine, a slight breeze and gorgeous rainbows. Of a full afternoon of posing, taking selfies, running through the crazy mist to the platform in the bottom right corner, this was my best shot of the day.

Rio de Janerio - Brazil

One of the few days I wasn´t baking away inside the Fifa Fan Fest, I managed to actually explore the city.  I spent the day exploring Ipanema and Copacabana beach before heading to Arpoador which is a huge rocky cliff in between the two beaches. Climbing all over I was able to take this shot of a young Brazilian debating whether to jump in or not a few hours before sunrise.

Easter Island - Chile

Ahu Tongariki. Battling the grogginess of a 6am wake up, intense patches of rain and wind, we managed to drive our 4x4 to Tongariki only find a bitter, dark and cloudy sky. However as the sun started to rise, the clouds started to evaporate. A dusty rock, my phone, and the camera strap provided a perfect tripod setup for this long exposure shot.

Easter Island - Chile

Two from Easter Island?! Obviously you need to get your ass out here then! Eating a Rapa Nui Ceviche at La Kaleta in Hanga Roa with an Aus couple, the sun was falling into a spectacular cluster of clouds. Excusing myself and getting out of the way of an American group eating dinner, I managed to snap this photo just before the mains arrived.

San Pedro de Atacama - Chile

I actually didn´t take this photo, although I did configure all the settings myself. The credit for the photo goes to Henriette my German friend who I met in Ushuaia and was lucky enough to find again in San Pedro. After a good few hours of sandboarding, we made our way over to Valle de la Luna and walking around barefoot, made my way to the end of Mirador de Kari where I was able to catch the end of a sunset.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you do. Like, comment, share, retweet, follow me. You can not do me a greater compliment than by doing any of those for me!

Channy
Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan
September 22 - Aji Verde Hostal, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

The City of Street Art and Graffiti

Graffiti. Street art. Murals. I love it all! One of my favourite things about travelling through South America is finding beautiful street art in the most obscure places. I've seen some thought provoking art in Sao Paulo's Beco de Batman/Batman Alley, some horrible tags in dreary Rio Gallegos, and even vivid murals and tags throughout Patagonia, especially in Bariloche.

One city kept getting raved and raved about though especially as I came closer and closer to it. Everybody whose passed through has fallen in love with it, and that gets me quite excited. Seeing the photos wouldn't do it justice, I had to go. Being two hours west of Santiago, it was not exactly far out of my way, even though I had been planning all along to go..

Valparaiso

This city is ridiculous. Built on a great concave hill, the base starts in the huge port district and works its way up through the banking district, the restaurant and bar district and then all the way up into the favelas. On every single street you'll see graffiti and street art. From simple tags to elaborately detailed murals. I spent half my time in the city just taking snaps! This city is easily one of my favourite places on this trip so far not only for the snaps, but also for the speed and vibe of the city. Why keep trying to describe it when a picture is worth a thousand words after all? While my photos may or may not be worth a thousand words by themselves, here are five. They definitely count for at least a thousand.

Oscar the Chilean born in Sweden brought me here

Along Rua Alemania

Close to Pablo Neruda's house

Somewhere in Valpo

Apparently taken in a very dangerous neighborhood

Currently in Santiago however leaving for San Pedro de Atacama in about an hour. Seriously need to sleep. So badly. Yay for 24 hours of bussing..

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 19 - Landay Hostel, Santiago, Chile

Six Days On Easter Island

Iorana means Hello in the Rapa Nui laungage. Iorana to my Easter Island post! A tiny little island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes this one of the most isolated regions of the world. Just the idea of Easter Island (or Isla de Pascua in Spanish) was enough to set me off and send tingles down my spine. Definitely worth every dollar of that expensive plane ticket.

I spent six full days on the island, and I think that was a perfect amount of time considering how much there is to do for such a tiny place. The history and culture is as intriguing as it is mysterious and is plagued with guesswork as no one was actually there to document it all. Essentially the Moai were carved and erected on platforms where important figures of society would be buried, always turned to face a village as to protect it.  In the final years, clan battles wiped out many Moai as they would destroy the moral of the opposing clan.

7 Moai at Ahu Akivi

I ended up camping in Easter Island, renting a tent on site and using my jacket as a pillow because all other accommodations were ridiculously expensive. While my accommodations were simple enough, the water side location was simply stunning. Costing about 11$ dollars a night for the tent, across the street was a 400$ a night Eco-Lodge just to put things into comparison.

My evening view

I was fortunate to do quite a bit with my more than sufficient amount of time. I was able to go scuba diving for the first time, try Rapa Nui ceviche and drive a stick shift SUV across the entire island. Here are my three favourite things abouts the island.

Orongo 

An abandoned village on the edge of an inactive volcano. Hiking up the trail leaves impressive views of Hanga Roa (the only village on the island) as well as a topside view of the old crater which is now a wet marsh. Taking about an hour from the village, I was tossed around by strong winds and was barely able to get an acceptableish photo at the top. On the far right side of this photo lies Orongo, but the true beauty was from the mirador/viewpoint.

View from Mirador Rano Kau

Caving

The island has an impressive array of caves throughout the island, mostly on the west side. The most memorable one had the smallest possible opening I've ever seen. Popping on a head torch I squeezed in and was instantly forced to make myself as tiny as possible to not smack my head into the damp cave roof. I made it about 30 meters before the tunnel split into two and at the end of both is a sheer drop with a fantastic view of the coastline. Straight up Lord of the Rings Frodo buisness going on here.

Sunset from the caves

Ahu Tongariki

In the southeast region of the island is the famous Ahu Tongariki site. 15 Moai line a huge platform and make for an impressive view. Originally meant to 16 Moai and all with a hat, the Japanese team who was in charge of restoring the site ran out of money before completion, leaving the hats and the final Moai on the ground right next to the already erected Moai. The location itself is jaw dropping. Craggy ocean rocks get pounded by the waves behind the Moai while hills surround the entire platform leaving Tongariki as a centerpiece. I was fortunate enough to see it twice, once in the daytime and once for sunrise. Words really can´t do justice to the beauty of it, but I think a picture can.

Sunrise at Tongariki

Currently in Santiago, made a quick stop in Valparaiso which I loved and it is pretty unfair to Santiago. After coming from three places I loved, Santiago has absolutely no chance of tickling my fancy. Chilean Independence day tommorow and then off on a 22 hour bus to San Pedro de Atacama!

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 17 - Landay Hostel, Santiago, Chile

The Travel Stories No One Talks About

Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Racing through Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. These are some of the epic (and often lofty) stories you hear from fellow backpackers doing the South America circuit. While stories such as these are everywhere for the epic factor, it makes me wonder - What about all the untold stories? All the stories that get bumped behind scuba diving on Easter Island? The ones where you're actually not doing something as epic as climbing volcanoes? Maybe doing something that everyone does like taking a bus but no one talks about? Doing something that you would never have thought of doing before your trip? Well, here are a few of mine.

Remember that time I bussed for 56 hours in 3.5 days?

Bussing. Long distance busses. They're quite different from local transit and even from Greyhounds back home in South America. Quite comfy, usually with some sort of meal service, leg rests and ridiculously foggy windows. After a busy week in Buenos Aires, I hopped on my first one to Puerto Madryn. 20 hours. Sleeping through most of it, I did enjoy my non-sleeping time watching the barren landscape fly by, reminiscing about Buenos Aires and watching two horrible movie in spanish with subtitles that were also in spanish. Waking up in Puerto Madryn, did a day on the tourist circuit, and then back on the bus tour, this time to Rio Gallegos. 19 hours However this bus was two hours late, and an hour after departing we changed busses adding on another hour. We arrived at the bus terminal to bitterly cold winds and freezing rain A fair amount of spanglish later and I was sitting in a metal caged bus bound for Ushuaia. 11 hours. Quickly ruining my first four immigration papers, I was slow to fill out my secound round of papers. Exit Argentina. Enter Chile. Get onto a barge. Sail for an hour. Back to the bus. Exit Chile. Enter Argentina. Get locked in the bus with Elysium playing as the driver visits a friend at his house in Rio Grande. Arrive in Ushuaia 4 hours later than planned. 2 degrees outside. Birthday in an hour and a half. No idea where my hostel is. Sweeeet.

Sketchville Bus

It was really fun getting lost walking through Sao Paulo without a map

Arriving in Cafe Hostel in Sao Paulo after spending a few days couchsurfing with Bruno, I was left in a bit of a situation. I didn't want to be in the city any longer, and there wasn't any place worth going to as I had to meet my sister in Iguaçu in a few days. Stuck. I decided to kill one of my days in the city by walking to an Art Exposition about an hour walk from the hostel. The map I was given only had main streets listed thus making it a pretty ineffective map.. Leaving it behind I set off in the general direction, knowing the address and neighborhood it was in. I walked. And walked. And got thoroughly lost. I asked a nice older lady for directions and she kindly wrote down perfect instructions for me.. in Porteguese.. and to the wrong location. About two hours later, one giant bridge crossing, many jeering hobos and a very sweaty back, I arrived at a Hyundai dealership. Going into the blissful air conditioned building I proceeded to get directions in english for the last part of my journey, a mere two minute walk to my destination. How ironic to get english for the final stretch while stumbling through Porteguese instructions for a few hours.  It was still a pretty cool art exposition. Worth it. 

Art.

Do you like waiting? Welcome to travelling. 

I HATE waiting. For anything, anyone, all the time. Punctuality is a mantra I run by and when things are late and I have to wait, I'm put into a terrible mood. Working as a cook for the past four years has instilled a sense of punctuality in me. Whether it be 90 secounds out for a pan of brown butter gnocchi or setting a 4 minute timer on the deep fryer for spicy chicken, being on time counts big time. Which is great when I missed my connection in to Pucon and the next bus was full. Stranded in Osorno. 7 hours in a rainy city I had no interest in.  Good fun. Or when I woke up at 6am to hike up to Christ the Redeemer only to hit a massive horde of tourists at the ticket office. They all turned and stared as I approached. I was dripping sweat from the hike as they were adjusting their safari hats and fanny packs which I guess makes me the gringo. Also good fun. Ros and I went from Puerto Iguazu to Concordia on an overnight bus and we tried to get into Salto the same day. Arriving at about 630am in Concordia, we found out the bus was at 11am. I asked where to buy tickets and unfortunately thought that we were to pay on the bus. So at 11 we checked our bags in and hopped on the bus. Only to be asked to leave because we didn't have tickets.. Running to the newly discovered ticket office across the street and not insidethe  bus terminal, they wouldn't quickly sell me tickets even though there was heaps of space. We then caught a ferry later in the day. At about 6pm. My fault really. About 12 hours of waiting, eating horrible pizza, and searching for wifi. Sorry sis :)

Waiting for Football

Backpackers have all these connotations of being awesome at travelling. Super well organized when it comes to transportation, accomodations and everything in between. The epic rugged economic traveller who knows the best way through it all. 

In reality though, we're probably the worst at it. Missing flights or buses because we can't keep track of days. Not having a hostel for the night because we couldn't be bothered to book one online. Scrambling to pack everything in the morning because there was "tons of time" before having to leave. Having no idea how long to stay in one place or where to go next, because no one has a clear path, only a general direction to go in. Epic times eh. 

Decompressing from Easter Island. On the  way to Valparaiso right now. Pretty flustered. Many many bus tickets were purchased in about 15 minutes. Like 4. I think. Or 3..

 Next post will be about Isla de Pascua once I figure my life out in Valparaiso!

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September.. something, Ruta 68, close to Valparaiso, Chile

The Unwritten Rules of Hostels

Hostels are a wonderful thing. Cheap, filled with like minded travellers and if you're lucky, a decent hot shower. The whole idea behind hostels is that by being in community with everyone else, you not only get to cut down on costs but also exchange stories, pass on knowledge and share a beer or two! The unfortunate side of community though, is that there are always a few who could care less about everyone else is the hostel. After being awoken at 7am (really early for a hostel) by a Brazilian guy packing his one million plastic bags while stomping around the room, I present my guide of the Unwritten Rules of Hostels.

Do Not Be Gross

Have dirty sweaty underwear? Don't leave it lying around. Have an unfortunate case of perpetual body odor? Learn to shower and use deodorant. Have to shave your back hair? Don't leave your fallen hair ALL OVER the bathroom. Have incredibly long toenails that need clipping? Don't leave them on the floor. It's mostly common sense here. But for those who've never had a roommate, or are a bad one to begin with, you should probably just be a little more aware of what you're doing. Don't be gross. 

Just unfortunately gross

Don't Touch Someone Else's Food

Everybody at a hostel isn't exactly a rich person, thus the reason they're at a hostel to begin with. When groceries are bought, labeled and stored in the communal fridge, I like to come back to it at dinner time and find it to all be there. Instead of finding my hot sauce stolen. Or a huge knob of butter disappearing. Everybody has worked hard for their precious money and essentially everything in that fridge has a price tag on it. Just don't be that guy. If you're missing something, most of the time someone won't mind sharing. Don't touch someone else's food. 

Breakfast with a view in Pucon! No one stole anything here

If Someone is Asleep, Shut Up

You're not the only one sleeping in a room. Normally you'll be in a room of 4 to 6 beds but occasionally up to 20 in a dorm. Meaning that people will be coming in and out constantly. It also means that generally people will be going to bed before and after you, as well as waking up before and after you. It is the WORST waking up in the middle of the night listening to people (drunk or not) stomp around, have loud conversations or pack their bags for an early bus out. Seriously. Take your hiking boots off, shut your mouth when you come into the room and pack the night before or in the hallway. Plastic bags are also probably the worst thing to rummage through when you have people sleeping all around you. Be nice, and respect the fact that a proper sleep is hard to come by while travelling. Learn to shut up.

A little common sense goes a long way in hostels. Just be nice, and have a little respect for others. 

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 7 - Pucon, Chile

Hydrospeeding & Volcanos

I've officially left Argentina and made my way to Pucon, Chile for my first stop in the country. Pucon is a volcano and lake side town about 780km south of Santiago. Surrounded by rapids, mountains and waterfalls, the natural beauty of the area speaks for itself. After rushing through a grueling 95 hours of bussing and 5 cities in the last two week minus layovers, I'm quite ready to settle down in one city for a little bit. That city being Pucon! After jamming the fridge full of my own groceries, I began my awesome "relaxing" time in the city.

Hydrospeeding

Think 8 degree celsius river rapids, a wetsuit, a helmet, a bodyboard/raft, flippers and Diego, the crazy Chilean guide. I've actually never heard of hydroing before and was recommended to check it out by my mate Dimumu just before he left the city. Teaming up with another dozen backpackers, we all took the plunge into the cold cold Liucura River. The first bit is pretty relaxed, slowly getting comfortable with the gear but quickly you plunge head first into Class 3 rapids! Heading left, right and head on through the river, you dodge shallow patches, hidden boulders and get absolutely drenched in the process. 45 minutes later and the final rapid approaches, two rivers join together into one HUGE rapid sending you tumbling head over heels until you pop out the far side grinning ear to ear while nursing a huge adrenaline rush. 

Pre Hydro Selfie

Volcan Villarrica

When I found out that you can attempt to summit the nearby volcano I was instantly excited. Obviously. However It's still winter in South America.. Even though I've been wearing shorts, beaters and flip flops through most of my travels. But that means that the weather isn't ideal for climbing a 2847m volcano. Two Irish lads, an American, an Uruguayian and myself decided to hire a private guide instead, as the normal tour wasn't running.. because of the weather. The forecast was looking bad all week, with thursday looking like the best of the worst and so our guide gave us a run down Wednesday night emphasizing that we'd be going as fast as we could to beat the rain. He left us with the fact that the decision to climb or not would be decided at 6:45am the following morning. 6:45am rolls around, and for the first day in the city I see blue skies and a clear view of the Volcano! Boo yah!

View of Volcan Villarica from the base

Gearing up, we head to the base and begin our ascent from 1400m. 1.5 hours later we arrive at 2000m and I literally collapse into the snow. Five hours of sleep was probably the worst thing I could've done to myself. Anyway, a litre of water and most of my lunch later, I'm feeling energized and off we go again. Bein the first group up, it was simply just pristine snow that we were trekking through. Zig zagging our way to the Glaciar at about 2/3rds of the way up, the views of the landscape was phenomenal. By that point the weather turned south on us and unforunately we were forced to turn around. Just another reason to come back though!

Let the ascent begin!

Good times. Loving life, two more days in Pucon and then off to Easter Island!

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 5 - Chili Kiwi Hostel, Pucon, Chile

When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?

That's not my quote but one that I heard for the first time from Spencer Palfreyman's mouth after finishing Tough Mudder in Whistler. As the five of us guys crossed that line fresh from Electroshock Therapy, high fives were passed around, protein bars were swallowed and we all struck a pose for a great before and after photo. Later that day beside a lake Spence uttered that line and something about that quote really struck a cord in me and it got me thinking. Two months later that is.

A flattering photo of Spence

Disclaimer - I don`t have any photos that pertain to the following.. so enjoy my random ones!

If I was going to answer this question honestly, I'd say I'm doing pretty alright. Within the last few months I've done quite a few new things, and individual destinations aside here are a few of them. Hitchhiking across Canada, learning how to ride a motorcycle, completing a marathon, completing Tough Mudder, and travelling solo to South America are all definitely up there. 

El Calafate Sunset with un perro y Lea

While I´ve already talked about all those, not everything I do is rad and awesome, in fact far from it. Some of my more awkward firsts include taking a nap at a tango show, attempting to buy a bus ticket in porteguese, sewing a button onto my shirt and walking over a couple fiercely exchanging saliva to get into my dorm room. Good times. 

While there are too many things on my grand bucketlist to do and try out, here are a few big ones that if all goes well, will be smashed out before I travel home.

Ski

I've been snowboarding for the last 6 or 7 years now. I've always laughed and despised skiers. For a variety of reasons. But talking to a local in Ushuaia and leaning that he both skis and rides got me thinking, "why not just try it?" I love snow. Love everything to do with it. Skiing is just another way to fall in love with snow all over again! Right..? Saturday seems to be the day that I'll attempt to teach myself to ski in Pucon, Chile!

Slow shutter in Grand Central Terminal

Scuba Diving

Too many awesome photos, videos and stories have gone by me now that inevitably will lead me into the ocean with air tanks strapped to my back. Considering that there is more ocean than land in the world, this one seems like a no brainer. I plan to try it out in Easter Island, and if all goes well, will probably get my PADI while in the Galapagos! Because that´d be pretty cool to say I got my license in the Galapagos.

Porteguese Museum, Sao Paulo

High Altitude Climbing

I'm a hiker, a trekker, and a climber. These have all been easily satisfied growing up in Beautiful British Colombia with our never ending supply of wilderness. There's nothing more challenging than starting at the base of a mountain, looking up at it, shaking out all doubtful thoughts and starting the acsent. While I've done my fair share of mountain conquering, I've never actually done anything over the fabled 6000m line. Huayna Potosi in Bolivia has now been marked for my first attempt. I'm sure it's just as crazy as it sounds, battling altitude sickness while struggling up a steep mountain in crampons with 30lbs strapped to your back. But it's all about that epic photo no?

Tribeca, New York at Night

Those are my goals, those are my plans to fufill my goals. Now, really just take a minute and think about it, when was the last time you did something for the first time?

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 3rd, Chili Kiwi Hostel, Pucon, Chile

Why is Argentina so Amazing?

Well this is my último día/final day in Argentina. I've officially spent every single Peso I have and I don't plan to take out anymore. Which works perfectly because I had just enough for my bus ticket to Chile, just enough for my local bus ticket around Bariloche, but was unfortunately one peso short of a zucchini for dinner.. But the lady took pity on me and let me have it anyway! I'm excited for what's to come, for bigger and better things. However Argentina was RAD. So lets just talk about that for a little while.

Rad sunset over Lago Nimez, El Calafate

Buenos freaking Aires

Where do I even begin..? If you go to BA, and you want to have a good time, go stay at a Milhouse hostel. Guranteed fun. I got to spend a week in the city with the Chan Clan exploring the city, smashing through choripan and steaks, learning how to tango and in general discovering what the night life was all about. 

Pictured - Buenos Aires

Argentinian football is unreal, and being able to see a game was a highlight. Imagine if Rogers Arena was filled with Canucks fans without a single away fan and they all knew the same 25 chants. That´s Argentine football for you. Wandering through La Boca, Palermo and Puerto Maderno were all sweet and the latter is now one of my favourite neighborhoods in the world, and it should be yours as well. 

The sweet little walking bridge in Puerto Maderno

Peninsula Valdes

Only spent a day here, and while I didn't really get under the skin of the place, I definitely saw exactly what I was looking for. What a day it was.. After several hours of trying to figure out what to do after arriving, I finally made it out the door with two Irish ladies (Coleen & Tara) and one Japanese fellow (Daiki). Immedietely getting into the rental car a horrible smell overcame us and we realized that one of us had stepped in a TON of dog poop and brought it into the car. For the record, it wasn´t me.

Whale watching with a bunch of legends

Hours of driving through crazy flat lands reminded me of the praires back home. We kept seeing all sorts of strange animals but the awesome part of the day was finally getting to Puerto Piramades and seeing Southern Right Whales! While I`ve been whale watching before, here they literally get within meters of them which was absolutely surreal to be so close to such a huge beast.

Whales. So close

Beautiful Patagonia

Winter is my favourite season of the year and I was quite happy to have an August winter in Patagonia. While I choose not to go snowboarding in Ushuaia, I did get to go hiking in Tierra del Fuego and take a boat tour around the Beagle Channel. We ended up getting lucky with a sunny and calm day for the Beagle Channel and it ended up actually turning into one of most beautiful things Ive ever seen, with the water clearly reflecting back the mountains as we glided past sea lions and leopard seals

Ushuaia from the Beagle Channel

In El Calafate I was blown away by Perito Moreno Glaciar and in El Chalten left with an itch to climb Mt. Fitz Roy. After a full on day exploring Nahual Hanui National Park today in Bariloche, I simply can't wait to return to this part of the world. The air is fresh. The sounds are strictly of nature. The beer is as fresh as the crystal clear water. And the backpackers are all a little bit more out there, for you have to be a little crazy to run away from the sun. In a good way. Obviously. 

Lago Nahuel Haupi on the left - Lago Moreno on the Right

To all the friends I've made in Argentina, to the ones that I've danced with, laughed with, trekked with, drank with, you made Argentina that much more special for me. You know who you are, Love you all.

See you all in Pucon, Chile! Time to get my volcano hiking game on ;)

Channy

Instagram & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 2nd - Jumbo Mercado, Osorno, Chile

Quiet Days

I've finally arrived in Bariloche! I was surprised with a direct bus from El Calafate, shaving off a grand 14 hours off my travel time! 28 hours of straight bussing leads to a stupid amount of thinking though. Especially while reading Lord of The Rings by Tokien. Thus..

Far and few between, somedays I'll wake up, blink my way through the fuzziness and realize that I want nothing more of my day than to do absolutely nothing. I usually get my free hostel breakfast and then crawl right back to bed. Somedays I'll make the trek towards a familar beach and proceed to read and nap my day away. Other days I'll make my way to the common room and attempt to learn a little bit of spanish, but usually succumb to the desire for another nap not long after. Most days I'll try and go out for at least a small stroll. Most days though I can barely make it to a cafe from dinner.

My only quiet day on Copacabana

Unfortunately I'm travelling, not on vacation. I don't spend my days lounging around a 5 star beach side hotel sipping Mai Tais, having servants cater to my every whim whilst eating surf n' turf. Although that would be quite nice considering how I feel right now. I spend the majority of my time exploring the streets and alleys, hiking in the chilly mountains, moving from hostel to hostel and always trying to get another epic photograph. While that´s not exactly something to complain about, It's still physically tiring work. 

Not pictured above - Stress

Why no, I'm not always rushing from one activity to the next, yet travelling still takes a toll on the body and mind. It's a little difficult getting off of a 28 hour bus ride, settling into a hostel and then NOT proceeding to fall right asleep! In fact last night I actually couldn´t sleep until 4am, and then being politely awaken by my oh so quite roommates. I'm not trying to complain about it, far from it actually. I know from cooking that life can definitely be more stressful and wearisome. In fact when my biggest problem is figuring out when to leave and where to travel to next, you know life is actually going pretty well.  

While I live life thinking that you can always just sleep once you're dead, I'm starting to realize how important quiet time really is. You can't be sprinting through Rio de Janerio, getting destroyed by Buenos Aires, or exploring the chilly wonders of Patagonia without taking a day off somewhere to go and rest. However today is not one of those days. I´m off to change hostels, buy my ongoing bus ticket and head into Nahuel Huapi National park for a bit of easy hiking. All this rest has actually started to make me a bit flabby believe it or not. Thus begins a bit of a lifestyle change. Time to start working out again, and eating way more vegetables instead of all the spaghetti and rotini. Six months travelling isn't so much of a race as it is a marathon, and even marathons have water stations and port a pottties along the way.

Channy

Ig & Twitter - itsnathanchan

September 1 - Onelli 158, Bariloche, Argentina