Chile & Argentina – 2016 | The Adventures of Dave

This Christmas I traveled to Chile and Argentina. My adventure began in Santiago, Chile for 4 days. It was nice to be able to wear shorts again. Arriving 2 days before the formal tour started I spent these days enjoying a food tasting and markets tour, wandering throughout Barrio Bellavista and exploring the city center.

The first day of the main tour we drove to the Undurraga Winery in the Maipo Valley for a tour of the vineyard, winery and finished with wine tasting. Our final day in Santiago included dinner at the Como Agua para Chocolate (like water for chocolate) restaurant in Bellavista.

Then we were off to Patagonia for seven days. We flew from Santiago to Punta Arenas. It was time to put the shorts away and get out my jacket and “layers”. Patagonia can be very windy and rainy, but we lucked out for the most part.

After visiting Punta Arenas we headed to Puerto Natales for 3 days. We took a catamaran to view the Balmaceda Glacier and later walked through a forest to the Serrano Glacier. This was followed by a BBQ lunch at an estancia (ranch) on the lake. The next day was spent exploring Torres Del Paine National Park and viewing the peaks for all angles. What an amazing place and we were fortunate to have a mostly sunny day.

Our next stop was El Calafate, Argentina. It was a long drive to get there but certainly worth it. Our hotel was on the shores of Lake Argentino. El Calafate is a small city named for the Calafate berry that, once eaten, guarantees that you’ll return one day to Patagonia. I certainly hope to follow the tradition.

Another catamaran cruise brought us to the Upsala and Spegazzini Glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park. Our final day in Patagonia (Christmas Day) was spent visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier. The massive ice wall is almost three miles wide and over 240 feet high.

We bid farewell to Patagonia and flew from El Calafate to Buenos Aires for our final two days. There we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral and the colorful La Boca neighborhood. Our final stop was at the Recoleta Cemetery. The grounds cover over four city blocks, with more than 6,400 hand crafted mausoleums, including the tomb of Eva “Evita” Peron. Our final night in Buenos Aires was celebrated with dinner and tango show at a local restaurant.

Another excellent vacation. This is a part of the world I definitely want to return to. Chile is as long as the U.S. is wide with much more to be seen and experienced. I hope you enjoy these photos from the trip.

Dates: Dec 14 – 29, 2016
Tour Operator: Gate 1 Travel

Click on any of the images below to open a slideshow.

Trip Map – Chile & Argentina with Patagonia’s Glaciers

San Francisco Church, Santiago

Santiago, Chile

La Moneda Palace, Santiago

Metropolitan Cathedral, Santiago

Reflection of the Cathedral

Mercado Central, Santiago

Locking away their love, Pio Nono Bridge, Santiago

Cerro Santa Lucía, Santiago

Playing chess at the Plaza de Armas, Santiago

Metropolitan Cathedral, Santiago

Santiago

Sampling from my food and market walking tour of Santiago. Pisco sour, empanada and corn pie.

It slices, it dices. Santiago

Metropolitan Cathedral, Santiago

Santiago Municipal Building

Flower Market, Santiago

Murals and Street Art in Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

Murals and Street Art in Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

Barrio Bellavista, Santiago

My visit with Santa in Santiago

Plaza de Armas, Santiato

Mercado Central, Santiago

Metropolitan Cathedral, Santiago

The people of Santiago love their hot dogs. There were shops everywhere. I was told that Dominó would not dissapoint. The Rodeo with queso and bacon. Yum!

Undurraga Winery. I’ve never seen a bougainvillea tree before. Just beautiful.

Undurraga Winery

La Moneda Palace, Santiago

Mercado Central, Santiago

Santiago

Shopping cart chicken! You have to admit these folks are ingenious.

Changing of the Guard, La Moneda Palace, Santiago

Out the window on the flight from Santiago to Puerto Arenas

Replica of Magellan’s Nao Victoria, Punta Arenas

Lupines

Conquistador Dave

Punta Arenas, Chile

Our hotel in Puerto Natales

Chips and guacamole. Dinner appetizer at the hotel.

Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins

Serrano Glacier in Bernardo O´Higgins National Park

Serrano Glacier

Our ride in Southern Chile. The driver kept hot water in the back for instant coffee or tea on the road!

Lunch stop at an Estancia in Bernardo O´Higgins National Park

Yes, the wind blows a lot.

No, my Texas friends, this is the flag of Chile.

Lunch stop at an Estancia

I called him Woody!

Mesita Grande Pizzería, Puerto Natales

Torres del Paine National Park

Guanaco

Baby guanaco…awwww!

Torres del Paine National Park

Dodge D100, Circa 1967. Puerto Natales

Getting the sheep ready for shearing at Estancia Cerro Guido

Lunch stop at Estancia Cerro Guido

BBQ lamb…it’s what’s for lunch

The finished product.

Estancia Cerro Guido. The gauchos wear berets as hats.

Estancia Cerro Guido

Welcome to Argentina! Sorry, our baños are broken!

Christmas Eve cruise on Lake Argentino, Los Glaciares National Park

Spegazzini Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park

Christmas Eve cruise on Lake Argentino, Los Glaciares National Park

Gelato…muy bien!

Santa arrived in El Calafate in a Fiat pickup truck

Christmas Day at Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Los Glaciares National Park

Christmas Day at Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Los Glaciares National Park

Christmas Day at Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Calafate berries. These made for wonderful jams, liquor and even scented shampoo at the hotel.

Welcome to Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

The hat store. I decided not to get any new bling here.

El Ateneo Bookstore. Just your basic theatre turned bookstore in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was formerly the Grand Splendid Theater.

El Ateneo Bookstore, Buenos Aires.

San Francisco Basilica, Buenos Aires

Metropolitan Cathedral, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

La Boca neighborhood in Buenos Aires

Fresh squeezed OJ

La Boca neighborhood in Buenos Aires

Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires. Where Eva Peron is buried.

Recoleta Cemetery

I always stop in grocery stores when I travel. This is the first time I’ve seen security tags on items. Maybe because it was downtown. Who knew A1 Steak Sauce was such a highly pilfered item?

Buenos Aires

Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires

Basilica Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Buenos Aires

Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge), Buenos Aires

Love my bakeries. Buenos Aires

Santo Domingo Convent, Buenos Aires

I’m pretty sure this phone hasn’t functioned for a while.

Buenos Aires

Russian Orthodox Church, Buenos Aires

Will tango for Pesos!

Galerías Pacífico, Buenos Aires

Just your basic mall Christmas Tree sitting under basic mall frescos. At Galerías Pacífico, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Metropolitan Cathedral, Buenos Aires

Tomb of General Jose de San Martin with military custody guards, Metropolitan Cathedral Buenos Aires

Headed for the changing of the guards at the Tomb of General Jose de San Martin

Buenos Aires

Farewell dinner and tango show

Our Group

A festive Baños at the Buenos Aires Airport bids me farewell and hasta la vista to another great adventure!

3 thoughts on “Chile & Argentina – 2016”

Nancy on January 18, 2017 at 4:46 pm said:

Hello David,
Thank you so much for sharing your photos. What a beautiful place to spend Christmas. The murals on the walls were incredible, so much nicer to look at than the gang graffiti we have in some of our cities. Welcome back.
Nancy

Reply ↓
- Dave Taft on January 18, 2017 at 5:03 pm said:
  
  Thanks much Nancy.
  
  Reply ↓
Anonymous on January 25, 2017 at 1:01 pm said:

Amazing pictures David. Appears was a great trip!!
Thanks for sharing the pictures.
Shirley

Reply ↓