Central Missouri to the tip of South Amerca from winter to summer, freezing to balmy, down jackets to shorts and sandals in 48 hoursHospedaje Lautaro is a small B&B/hostel a two-minute stroll from downtown, a short walk to the bird reserve, with a continental breakfast served daily 6:30 a.m. to 11. HL is essentially two homes situated next to each other in an older neighborhood. The dogs patrol the streets at night, so bring your earplugs. The owners Dario and Belen run the lodging with the help of their too cute children, Andina and Leon. Other than the dogs, also too cute, a peaceful lodging. | I'm touring South America (Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, possibly Peru and Bolivia) for approximately four months. For the first six weeks I'm traveling with my daughter, Maggie, who is currently on summer break from her studies at the university in Mendoza, Argentina. I'm carrying every stitch of clothing I'll need on my back. It feels much lighter than what I hauled through Spain for less than six weeks. And I'm even packing jeans, warm weather gloves and a jacket for the glaciers and mountains of Patagonia, as well as fall hiking in the Andes. Traveling Light, or at least I'm attempting to practice what I preach. I sandwiched the bare minimum into plastic compression bags that claim to increase luggage capacity by 70 percent, with an additional fannypack strapped onto the top and my multi-pocketed laptop travel bag. I extended my trip to return from Buenos Aires and touchdown in St. Louis on May 25. My reservation is still flexible but for now, I'm sticking with that plan. My stay will include a four-week intensive language course in Buenos Aires with Road2Argentina (road2.com). I'll live with una familia porteña and attend classes Monday through Friday. The course will provide me with a certificate to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) and an amazing opportunity to learn more Spanish, experience the culture of Buenos Aires, and Tango! So along with all my minimalist items scrunched into my REI Women's Lookout 40-liter bag, I have shoved my dancing shoes into a tiny pocket. I stood for about an hour in the congested meeting space past customs at Buenos Aires EZE anxiously canvassing the stream of fellow travelers tumbling by. I relived my fluttery anticipation when my belly first swelled more than twenty-one years ago. Then I saw that beautiful tanned face with the asymmetrical hazel eyes, a gorgeous sight I'd missed these past six months. Mi bambina MAGGIE! She was almost as excited to see me as she was to see the bag of Reeces Pieces I'd packed for her. Flying together from Buenos Aires to El Calafate in southernmost Argentina, we cruised over the dry, windswept Patagonia steppe covered in desert shrubs and grasses. By afternoon we landed in the small town of El Calafate, a major travel hub in southernmost Patagonia, complete with souvenir shops, tour agencies and stores selling everything from chocolate to backpacks to jewelry. We're staying at Hospedaje Lautaro, a small, quiet bed & breakfast. Maggie has the top bunk. For our first full day in El Calafate, we chilled, hiked around town and planned our visits to the glaciers. Travel notes to self: visit los banos prior to EZE customs, then connect with travel companion immediately after passing through the x-ray machines rather than exiting to the miniscule transit area. You can rest on the benches and check your e-mail while your buddy's delayed flight taxis into the terminal. Also, use an eyeglass chain (duct tape if necessary) rather than storing your specs in your pocket so they slip out unnoticed. And attach your beach sombrero to your backpack as the flight attendants won't always rescue it so you find it waiting for you upon your return to your arrival gate. |
1 Comment
joan
2/7/2015 10:17:59 am
Sounds like a great start on your amazing adventure! Feeling just a little regretful I'm not meeting you along the way ;(
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AuthorKarene Horst is a writer and wanderer currently with a home base out of Sugarloaf, California. Categories
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All photos and content on this blog are the experiences, opinions and property of Karene Horst and may only be used with written permission.
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