Colome Vineyard & Town of Cafayate

Day 10
February 14, 2014

James Turrell Museum at Colome Vineyard

Salta MapAfter an overnight at Hacienda Molinos and a morning to tour the village of Cachi, we pack into the van for the winding explore to the infamous Donald Hess vineyard, Colome. It is the 7th vineyard he started and it is at the highest altitude. Here he designed a museum in honor of the light by the American artist, James Turrell.

on the road againour groupcactiIn the remote village of Colome, down winding roads from the small village of Molinos, we will find Hess’s winery and art museum designed and built to exhibit excluively the works of American light artist, James Turrell. We are in the midst of the culture that continues in the traditions of the Inca’s. The village has benefited from the generosity of the Hess Family, the economy of the wine production and the impact of tourist dollars.

What contrasts! In two days we have absorbed a span of time and a rainbow of human cultural art and artifacts across more than 500 years. Most of what we have seen has been displayed for less than 10 years. The winery, the art museum, the archeology museum are all new, each describe life from a different view point: the present, the future and the past! The power of curiosity!

Salta Colome MuseumTurrell (b. 1943) is a Californian who attended Pomona College before going to art school in Los Angeles. His light and space installations include the Roden Crater, a natural cinder cone outside Flagstaff Arizona where he spends a good deal of his time now. His installations use beams of artificial light and natural light to create new spaces. His work is admired all over the world. But Colome, Argentina?

Donald Hess, owner of 7 vineyards, lives in Switzerland. He had collected 12 of the artist’s works that consisted of 12 books with designs and instructions that described how to install the light fixtures to recreate the installation! This provoked Hess who wanted to see his art! So he built a museum!

The building is plain, brick with simple, small windows that let in light to each of the nine galleries. In the first room is a large open carefully lit exhibit of Turrell’s drawings displayed. The lights are set at a specially low setting on each drawing bringing a new atmosphere into this space. Then we all proceed down a long corridor to the different light exhibits. The rooms connect to each other. Each has a different color that is a combination of natural light, artificial light and room design. The different lighting creates completely unique experiences in each room. We feel like we are at the edge of a cliff that doesn’t exist. We see a white space that looks like a hole. We transition from one color into blackness that becomes a new experience as our eyes adjust. It is magical.

The natural light in this inaccessible part of the world impressed Hess who was intrigued by the “terroir” for his vineyards. Hess says that he enjoys the long drive here when he returns. He travels for hours throughout the canyons, many of which he owns; the vineyard acreage is massive.

Salta VineyardBy contrast, when the museum was ready for the art to be installed, Turrell, who has a pilot license, arrived by helicopter, stayed two nights, and left.

The Winery and Vineyards

ColomeThe Colome Vineyard is known for the torrentes grape that thrives at this altitude. We taste the Torrontes 2013 of 100 per cent torrents grapes. It is a clear light white wine. Aromas of citron combine with tastes including a touch of tropical fruit combine with oregano and apricot. There is an acidic finish! The torrentes are made in stainless steel barrels, not aged in wood.

learning more about wineIn the middle of nowhere, we receive the finest hospitality and more beautiful food accompanied by locally produced, world renowned wines.

cheersFor the main course of our lunch, we taste the Estate Malbec, 2011. It is aged for 15months in French barrels. The aroma of straw, prune, vanilla combines to make a beautiful bouquet. There are flavors of thyme and oregano. The malbec grape is 85% of this vintage combined with 15% of cabernet. The meal is a round cut of beef with mustard and herbs and tomatios.

 

Malbec in Argentina

 

Salta Colome casksAfter lunch, the “director of euphoria” pours tastes of the reserve wines for the few who are able to taste a little more. With the palate awake and informed; the translation of the wines becomes complex. So many choices! We take the brochure knowing that we can order these exquisite tastes on line!

As we descend to our next hotel in Cafayate tonight, we weave through the arrowhead formations of canyons. We see parrots clustered on bare branches of barren bushes. We see striations of warm toned sandstone, but no vegetation and apparently no rain. It is in the middle of summer here.

Salta rocks

the roaddrivingbridgeIt's all good! Cafayate Wine Resort

the vineyard

our room

For the main course of our lunch, we taste the Estate Malbec, 2011. It is aged for 15months in French barrels. The aroma of straw, prune, vanilla combines to make a beautiful bouquet. There are flavors of thyme and oregano. The malbec grape is 85% of this vintage combined with 15% of cabernet. The meal is a round cut of  beef with mustard and herbs and tomatios.

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Road Trip! Cardonnes National Park & Cachi

Day 9
February 13, 2014

It was a crystal clear day. This is an enormous statue, a monument to Martín Miguel de Güemes. He came from a wealthy family in Salta. He was a central figure on the Argentine War for Independence. He organized resistance against the Spanish Crown with assistance from local gauchos who fought using guerilla tactics. Interestingly, for this region that in itself is not new. The natives of Quilmes used the same tactics with great success against the Spaniards.

monument to Martín Miguel de GüemesDirt roads for over half of the 130 mile drive

road tripRoad tripDirt roads for over half of the 130 mile driveIMG_6836road trip road trip

The Park is less than 20 years old, very few “facilities. Roads follow the Inca trails – straight through the middle of the valley.

road trip road trip

parrots IMG_6874Parrots love cactus

winery stop for lunch

We stop for lunch at the Isamendi Winery where food is cooked in the traditional adobe fire pit. It is certainly well done!

adobe fire pit adobe fire pitWe don’t order the wine, but a glass of tannat is offered. Very strong dark red wine!

lunch IMG_2128Casa Molinos – an old hacienda still run by the family! A welcome destination! The church was built after the hacienda (very unusual) and it has hand woven “stations of the cross” framed in cardon cactus wood…beautiful.

Casa Molinos IMG_6907 IMG_6920 IMG_6929 IMG_6930

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The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology MAAM!

Day 8
February 12, 2014

Salta is still on the go this morning as we take a half day city tour. Hassam drops us near the pink church of San Francisco, undergoing a cleaning, and pulls his van around the corner to avoid blocking traffic! This street is filled with upscale shops featuring hand woven pillows,beautifully crafted silver and brass items, silver candlesticks with leather trim, traditional dolls, and down the street we find designer clothing shops and shoe stores; Lots of shoe stores in Salta.

All of us want to cross the intersection to see the yellow and red Church of San Francisco. As soon as there is a break in the traffic, local folks are darting across the road. There are no stop signs so the first car at the crossing keeps on rolling through. The pedestrians look for a quick moment, not forgetting that cars right beside them can turn right – then they make the dash! After a few good walks, we get the hang of it! Wow!

Salta from the cable carIt takes 30 minutes to drive up curving roads to see the park, the view, the cable car. Michael will climb the hill this afternoon. San Bernardo hill has 1,000 steps with landings at 12 stations, each with a picture of a station of the cross. The cable car is another way to experience the view, but none of our group are eager to do this. We choose to walk about at the top enjoying man made waterfalls, the families with children playing, an exercise area with stationary bicycles and rows of typical outdoor market stalls.

getting some excercisestationary bike rid

Salta beautySalta parkAfter an enjoyable drive through the lush local park, we return to the city for an afternoon “on our own”.  Hassam suggests a lunch spot before saying so long for the day – Damas Salta turns out to be most enjoyable local lunch spot. Our waiter patiently helps us order the local dish, loco, a porridge of lamb and vegetable stew.  It matches nicely with a green salad that could be served in any country and the local brew, Salta. Very tasty. Large portions, as usual!

By now, some of us are ready to drop, and some of us muster our curiosity to continue to explore those museums we saw on the plaza this morning!

The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology MAAM!

 The High Altitude Museum of Archeology is on the 9 de Julio Plaza in Salta, Argentina.

Up a flight of stairs, past the ticket booth ($10 or 40 pesos for tourists) murals describe the layers of indigenous civilizations; the 3,000 mile long civilization of the Tahuantinsuyu or Tawantinsuyu. No pictures! But see links below.

The Inca archeological museum opened very recently (2004) after the 1998 discovery of 3 young Inca children discovered wrapped in blankets,  entombed at 22,000 feet on the top of Llullaillaco, the second highest volcano in the world, in the Andes 300 kilometers from Salta.   Because of the sensitive subject of the fate of the children, the museum opened with no fanfare, no celebration, no fiestas.  Now, it is still a quiet, unassuming entrance. We choose to walk up the stairs to the first exhibit from the front entrance where there is only the ticket window, and the choice to take an elevator.  Past the entrance, I feel the power of curiosity – what a lure. We have come so far! I am eager to see the actual bodies of the wrapped Inca children. Only one mummy at a time is on display. In the third gallery I find the 7 year old boy displayed in double thick pressurized glass container that can be moved if necessary at any time (for instance in the event of an earthquake or extended period without electricity.) His face is perfect, his forehead elongated, as was the custom.His blanket is bright red, his head is curled in towards his knees. He is real. We stare and stare. (See him here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/science/11mummu.html?_r=0)

Leather thong sandals and painted ceramics and gold icons with braided hair are among the ornaments the Incas put with their children. These displays making the children’s lives as present as my own.

Capacocha was the name for this ritual of transition. The sacrifices were to safeguard the transition to the next world when an Inca leader died. Select children from a prominent family were sacrificed to offer the leader safe passageway to the next world.

MAAM Mummy

Music plays from the next gallery where the lights are carefully toned, the descriptions are clear in Spanish and some in English. Many full wall size maps depict the enormity and complexity of the Inca civilization, the diversity of their activities and their craftsmanship, and their trade routes and roads.

There is a video of the discovery of the three children. We watch the mountaineers extract the contents of the deep tunnels in a precarious maneuver. Somehow, they manage to maintain the wrapped mass of the body and blanket as they pull it out of the very deep hole. It is believed that the children, while not actually dead when they were entombed, were probably frozen at that altitude. But we just don’t know for sure. The new field of high altitude archeology takes knowledge of mountaineering technique and this business of archaeology!

The three children were found in one of the remotest parts of the Chilean/Argentine border at 6,720 meters – The location is significant because we know the Inca sites at Lake Titicaca, in Cuzco and of course at Macchu Piccu. They were walked here over hundreds of miles. There are more burials up here, but excavation is now suspended in respect for the local peoples and the Inca culture. After these three were discovered, if they had not been brought to a safe place, the graves would be easy to loot. So it was decided to exhume them.

The next gallery is a room used as a classroom with students doing a project there – we don’t interrupt . And two more rooms show more maps of the whole of Argentina and more objects from pre industrial local culture; farming of sheep and hunting of guanaco, etc.

In the back of the last room is another “mummy”. She is a 15 year old. There is a warning not to look if you don’t want to see the child. I push the button for the light to go on to see her. Her face is much more distorted. She is larger. And she was also sacrificed. Was she in agony?

Here we are. We see, but only begin to understand this southern pinnacle that is the ultimate placement of the human sacrifice of the Inca civilization. The children came from the prominent  families in the Inca hierarchy. They were paraded through Cuzco in celebration, then filled with food and drink before they were offered to the gods, who, in the Inca culture, exist within the mountains.

Until now, it was not believed that Inca’s scarified people, though there was evidence of animal sacrifices.

MAAM ArtifactsThe museum does an excellent job setting a respectful tone and extending the layers of stories to what we know from our travels to Cusco, Peru, to Quito Ecuador and to the desert areas north of Lima in the Mochica region and the Atacama desert in Peru. A most sophisticated civilization. This is the farthest south that the Inca region extended. Salta later grew into a center of trade where Peruvian goods and Bolivan goods were brought to be exported to the mother country: Spain.

http://www.patagonia-argentina.com/en/maam-museum-salta

 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/11/science/11mummu.html?_r=0

Gail and I are still going: we think about an ice cream cone….as we continue around the 9 Julio square founded in 1592! We  pass the spectacular architecture of the Americas Cultural Center to the continue on to the largest example of a colonial architecture anywhere: it is now the “Northern Historical Museum” once the town hall. We pay the price of admission and stride on through – a beautiful overview of Spanish colonial life in this wild, remote part of the country.

We will leave the bustling capital of the region tomorrow to explore the vast,  incredible scenery; to visit the  oldest, continuously operating winery in the country, and to see the remarkable art collection of Swiss vintner  Donald Hess. In the remote village of Colome, we will find Hess’s museum designed and built to exhibit exclusively the works of American light artist, James Turrell.

In two days we will span a rainbow of human cultural art and artifacts across more than 500 years; yet most of this part of the world has developed in only the last 10. It is all very new.  This is a case when seeing is believing.

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Salta

Day 7
February 12, 2014

Our plane arrives in the late afternoon at the Salta airport, just under 4,000 feet. We meet  Hassam, our new guide! We make visual and auditory adjustments to adapt from Anna’s soft blonde beautiful manner to his charming, Lebanese manner.  He meets us with warm hello’s as he tosses our heavy luggage into the back of his tan van that will be our transport for the next four days. In 20 minutes, we are at the hotel!

Hassam is from a Lebanese family, one of the groups that settled here, good a trade, during and after WW2.  He is a new father, an excellent driver and always, a gentleman!

Salta architectureWelcome to Salta, a city of half a million nestled in the northwestern mountainous region of Argentina. Salta means beautiful in Quichua, the language of the Incas; and it means jump in Spanish. We are at the jumping off point for trade between the Grand Columbian countries of Peru and Bolivia to the north and the coast of Buenos Aires hundreds of miles to the southeast. From here, the infamous Rte 40 weaves north and south, much of it still unpaved through canyons and deserts; it is the main thoroughfare connecting over 5,000 kilometers that is the length of Argentina. We’ll be going there soon!

The memorable features in Salta are our hotel, The Legado Mitico (Mythical Legends); the Museum of High Altitude Archeology (MAAM), the Plaza de 9 Julio and the dramatic  San Bernadino mountain only steps from the city.

Legado Mitico Hotel is a welcome change of pace from where we were last night – the hacienda in the vineyard outside of Mendoza . I would definitely stay here again. There is a sister hotel in Buenos Aires to check out, too.

Salta architectureThe Mitico was once a fine private residence belonging to Jose Belgrada. It is  five blocks from the famous 9 of Julio square. Each guest room is updated with a decor that includes mixture of paintings, photographs and stories describing their mythical feats! All types of peoples are included: gauchos, poets, merchantmen, women and indians. I remember the writer, Juana Manuele Gorriti; and a poet, Manuel Castill (d.1980) who described the rugged landscape and lifestyle of the gaucho. Gail and Richard’s room is dedicated to all of the Wichi peoples. “Thanks to their millennial wisdom, Wichis made use of the abundant nature around them without destroying it; and they were also able to survive the tough climatic variability of the area. This people knew the world they walked on every day. They also knew the underworld below the ground where the dead lived, and the world above, the sky, where their ancestors lived forever as stars. However, they were completely unaware of the existence of another world, which was completely different from all others, that of the white man. The Wichi legacy is their wise view of the world which vibrates in unison with nature; our challenge is the recovery and preservation of its value”.

SaltaSaltaMichael and I are staying in the room called La Capitaina for Martina Silva de Gurruchage. She supported and fought for the patriotic ideals of the revolution to gain independence.  “She formed a fervent platoon of soldiers; with them she advanced to meet General Belgrano, who had already engaged in battle. This fearless lady went beyond the limits imposed to the women of her time. Her commitment and passionate devotion have left us the legacy of invaluable exemplary civic-mindedness. “ Wow! It is a wonder I can sleep!

The two spacious libraries downstairs still feel like a private home! Behind big sofas are wide, spacious oil paintings, leather books, and framed photos of the mythical legendary people of Salta!

It has been a long day. By the time we are cleaned up after our travels, it is 9 pm. We enjoy our by-now customary complimentary glass of wine before braving the streets to find a restaurant.

Salta is still bustling tonight when we walk to the hotel’s recommended local stop. On the street outside, the folkloric music is starting up! There are long lists of choices on the menu that all look like red meat and salad to me! Empanada is another very safe bet. They are delicious here. A soccer game is playing on the television.

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City Tour of Mendoza

Day 6
February 11, 2014

Today, we decide to add on a city tour of Mendoza with our guide, Anna, before flying this afternoon to Salta. We see 3 of the incredible plazas here and end up at the Hiatt Hotel on a street with many shops and cafes.

Mendoza city tourMendoza: This enormous city features trees and canals to keep them watered. Located in the desert to the east of the Andes, it boasts a luscious central park and rows of cool tree lined boulevards with statues and plazas.

Five plazas are situated in a five dice pattern – one central and four on the outskirts. We get to two of them today, including the beautiful central square. In addition, there is a large park with a large pond – near a stunning sculpture that is a water feature here in the desert.

water feature vineyard artwater feature Anna also has us stop the van at a viewpoint over the city. She is particularly proud of the enormous sculpture here that represents the fight for independence and freedom of the peoples of Mendoza and Argentina.

Statue of freedom

Statue of freedom

Statue of freedomsymbol of freedomsymbol of freedom

Actually, Mendoza is not much to look at from a distance!!

Flight to Salta. We check in to the Hotel Legato Mitico

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Winery Tours

Day 5
February 10, 2014

For our second day, we start this morning at 10:30! to the Maipu area on the dry side of the Mendoza River across the “other” Chipolete Dam. ALL the water is diverted here to irrigate the province. The canal sluices are locked because farmers will divert the water to their own property if they can. All the houses have their own water tanks on their roofs.

Wine tasting was over-the-top-delicious-carefully-balanced-beautiful wines. Yesterday started in the Uco Valley with Clos del Los Siete – a French family started this vineyard building one a year since 1998.

“Smaller, exclusive” but the place seemed enormous. Drip irrigation send precious water in minute doses across acres of vines growing on wired fences.

First winery of the day – ACHAVAL FERRER

Our first vineyard is down a 5 kilometer dirt road past shacks with plastic rooftops and cars in driveways with chickens and dogs.  The buildings become brick houses when we are on the vineyard property where some of the vineyard employees live.

vineyardAchava Ferrer is a 115 year old vineyard with thick trunked olive trees and vineyards expanding in all directions – except in this case towards the river bed which is a dry wasteland of rocks.  The owners planted a complete new malbec grape vines in rows (always north south orientation for optimal sun). And they built the entire place on the old property ten years ago.

Our upbeat, cheerful hip young host Philippe has quite a time getting our group of six to respond to his offer – “would you like to taste the wine in our cellar?” It is 11 in the morning. Even though Phil speaks perfect English, two of the small group are under the weather!  And one of us announces they are not interested in looking at one more stainless steel container! (It is day 2)

Philippe

Philippe explains the processPhilippe tosses his head, “ok, but we might be interested because they don’t use stainless steel!” His vineyard has a unique philosophy; the result is a different production process. They want to have the grape be the best it can be from the terroir. So that means this vineyard produces differently.

To produce the wine in harmony with the terroir, grapes are cultivated differently and the wine is processed differently.  Grape clusters are cut as much as 80% off the vine and left on the ground. These grapes simply rot and become fertilizer and leave more room for the select grapes to absorb sunlight and grow the most flavor. Also, at this vineyard, the wine is fermented in cement tanks lined with epoxy paint as a sealer. This fermenting is rapid, taking only a few days because the juice is constantly circulated and it is heated to 94 F degrees! This gets a “better expression of the grape” Then 100% of their wine is fermented in oak. … See?…Sniff sniff … It is unfiltered, so there is sediment. Sulfates stop the fermentation process and kill bacteria. Unlike yesterday’s vineyard, they do add yeast.

Will this be a good year we ask? looking for a good question. The year doesn’t matter in Mendoza. The climate is so uniform year to year, the only question is:  Will it Hail before the Harvest? Expensive netting made of KEVLAR is sometimes used. This is the same stuff used as sails for the America’s cup racing boats. Only the affluent are able to afford it. With less than a month to go, it looks like a good year i.e. No Hail!

Every vineyard we see is rows of straight, uniform, perfect vines with large bunches of purple grapes draping near the ground. The harvest is only a few days away, depending on which grape it is. The vines are in either a long row on an upright fence, or in the umbrella shape making walkways of shade. The pergola vines are designed to let the grapes grow slower with more shade from the leaves.

The wine tasting today begins in the cellar. Our guide siphons the “entry level” juice poured directly from the barrel with a large stainless steel straw into each of our glasses. A malbec – mid level – so 50% of the grapes were “sacrificed” for this lowest level wine. The color is dark and aromatic.

malbec

Michael tasting winePhilippe has us swirl our first sample in the glass, smell the smooth scents which he explains as we watch the drips slowly drop down the inner side of the glass. The streaks on the glass are the “legs” of the wine. Slow drips mean more structure like this one. We throw away the first pour. Our glass is clean from any soap residue. Time for a taste!

A chardonnay is light wine and by contrast will have fast legs!! Parker gave this 2012 malbec a 92.

The age of the wine is the year it was harvested.

A malbec is usually in the store 2 years after it is harvested, and in another 4 years is really mature.

Next we taste a Guyamera 2013. It hasn’t gotten to the market yet. It is a blend of varietals: a mixture of malbec, merlot, pinot, syrah and cabernet grapes. Here they are blended before they are aged in the French oak barrels.  We learn that Guyamera (get correct spelling – it was dark in the cellar) means “impossible dream”. It will be in the wine shops in 2015. They make 250,000 bottles of this one. By comparison, the Salentein Vineyards where we had an exceptional lunch yesterday makes 20 million bottles a year so this is indeed a small vineyard.

We emerge from the barrel rooms into the clear dry light of the open vineyard. Just as the sun feels a little warm, a white awning unravels above us and bar stools appear. We are in luck, “Sit down please,” Philippe says. Their top wine, the Mirador 2011 is open for a distributor who came this morning. We can taste this.  These are the grapes grown in the toughest terroir in thick clay soil and watered only once a week. (Pinot noir grapes are watered every other day). “They need to suffer”. The barrels are smaller for a higher contact surface. French barrels cost $600. At this top level, barrels are used only once. 7,000 bottles of Mirador will be made this year. They sell the Bella Vista 2013 for $150 – $240 bottle in the US. The Mirador is a little more.

Maybe it is Phillippe, or maybe it really is the wine before lunch. We buy a case and have it shipped to our home in the US. It will take 8 weeks to arrive! We can only guess if it will make it!

DOMINION DEL PLATA

Domino del PlataRefreshed with new ways to taste wine and new words and descriptions (not just the pretty pictures) to look for on the labels, we head off for a 20 minute drive to lunch at the Dominion del Plata, the only vineyard in Argentina owned by a woman, Susana Balbo. She has two children, now grown in their late 20’s who have decided to go into the business and work with her.

The vineyard is even more welcoming than the others so far. The tasting room was once Susana’s home. Several tables are set. Ours is ready with places for 7 of us, including Anna who heads the table. (Gail and Richard bravely hold their own thru the meal, but they are not feeling well today – nonetheless, they are here!)

Del Plata makes 22,000 cases per year, a medium size vineyard. After El Duena Susana is a success story! She trained in the wine business, working nine years in Salta vineyards. As a woman, she was not accepted in the business. So she bought this place with investors. (Argentinians don’t take out mortgages we learn!) Her distinction is including food pairings with the wines. And she ferments many more barrels than she grows on these 22 hectares (54 acres) buying many grapes from other vineyards to do this.

Our luncheon is in the building she designed in 1998 and where she lived until recently. (She moved to the community of CC where we are staying). Now this home has become this fine restaurant, The Osadia which means The Daring.

lunchThe first wine is an entry level Torontes served with the first course. It is labeled CRIOS which means off spring. We will find it when we get home in the Stockbridge wine shop. The logo is a hand with two hands inside, representing her two children working with her. The torrentes is served with a lamb pate on focaccia bread.

lunchNext came a Ben Marco rose malbec. Ben was the first vintner on the estate years ago. A rose is a wine of dark purple grapes made without the skin. The color is lighter. The perfect food match is cured trout with an avacado mousse and strawberry carpaccio. Carpaccio is a very thin slice of something. The presentations of small portions are perfectly beautiful.

lunchA premium Ben Marco Expresivo, an exclusive blend of 6 varietals is served for an entre, basically a fourth course. The pairing is a grilled ribeye with a crispy mashed potato and chimichurri of mushrooms with swishes of malbec viniagrette, bernaise sauce and a green wasabi type sauce in just the smallest drizzle. In a small section of the ribeye, we found a heap of salt and herbs that left an explosion of taste.

I can’t say a thing about the vegetarian alternative. Nobody chose the spinach tomoato fettuccine with sateed green onions, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

(By now, even those feeling poorly were joining in the conversation and they were able to nibble a bit. Memo: don’t drink the water in South America!)

cheese plateServed for the fifth course with the “House version of cheeses and sweets” that included pumpkin slices and apricot squares, we tasted the Susana Balbo label of the Brioso 2009. It is made in the “French style” which means aged in French oak barrels, if I remember correctly at this stage of the game! It received 91 points from Wine Spectator. It is a sweeter dark wine from the malbec grape.

And now – time for the tour of the wine cellar!

Latticia, the manager of wine tours here, does a lovely job answering our questions and taking our picture as she leads us through the cellar, explaining more interesting facts about another large stainless steel holding tank! The barrels are up from the cellar, rolled into the stainless steel area, because the harvest is next week. They are getting ready for lots of work.

the barreltouringtouring groupSteel tanksHappily informed and completely satiated, we hop back into our van. Ed had seen his fair share of stainless steel tanks, he thought. But these were pretty impressive. We walked through the rows of the most enormous tanks that held 44,000 liters each. The floors were wet after a good cleaning. This is the time of year to prepare before the harvest that takes place in the next two weeks. The smell of cleaning product was a new overtone to the wine soaked barrels in the next room.  For here, only brand new oak barrels are used – 3 times only. And the barrels are labeled carefully reflecting what type of flavor they impart.

We might have headed back to the Finca, our hotel, at this point…BUT we were in the area of a “must stay” vineyard & hotel. We asked Anna, our guide what we might do?  She called ahead to the Wine Lodge. And yes, they would be delighted to have us visit! Off we went to look it over.

CAVAS WINE LODGE – Add on surprise at the end of the day!

The Cavas Wine Lodge is tucked away down a long dirt road defying the luxury we were to find. Far from Mendoza, far from the village town of Chacras, we arrived in the middle of rows of grape vines!

more tastingCrios WineCheers, again!We are welcomed with a glass of sauvignon blanc by an attractive concierge. He hoped we would enjoy a tour of the entire facility. “The first luxury lodge, at the foothills of the Andes “offers privacy, quiet, exceptional service, a fine spa, and simply beautiful designed rooms in the midst of a working vineyard with pergola vineyards (the kind that grow like umbrellas). Entertainment is offered regularly including tango and salsa and performances. The rooms are contemporary decor with televisions, vineyard views, private soaking pools, private decks, and rooftop terraces. And the wine cellar is filled with a fine collection! There is a maitre d’ to attend to every sip!

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Mendoza Wine Tasting

Day 4
February 9, 2014

Wine tasting in Mendoza can start with a pick up time of 8:30 AM!

We beg off for half an hour due to our late arrival at this boutique estancia outside of the city: Chacras de Coria, a family owned vineyard. The planes from Buenos Aires to Mendoza were overbooked and in chaos from unexpected rain storms that knocked out the power in many neighborhoods, including exclusive Recoleta.

The hotelFinca Adalgiza will be our home for three nights. The full breakfast in the morning is nicely presented with a sleepy staff keeping up with the guests’ requests . The “chef’s choice” of tapas is our “dinner” and we enjoy trays full of nuts & cheeses or roasted vegetables with our complementary glass of wine.

 

hotel settinghotel poolWe are within a few short blocks of the central square of Chacras, an upscale town outside the bustle of the city of Mendoza.

The Fulotti Family still lives here on this little vineyard producing wine and olive oil. An older woman still enjoys her home, while we stay in attractive connecting rooms along the edge of the vineyard where water flows thru black tubes to water the roots.

hotel vineyardWater is the key to the success of the Mendoza wine region we learn on our first day with beautiful guide Anna. She travels with us to the small vineyard to the famous UCO Valley where the water is controlled by the Lujan de Cuyo department. All the water is diverted from the river thru locks and canal sluices to the farms. For the last 7 years, on one side of the road is a swirl of water and on the other side of the road it is completely dry.

 

Salentein WinerySalentein Winery was our second winery – they make 10 million bottles a year – yes, that is a big winery!

The building is a contemporary clean monument with a full basement of storage for the barrels and stainless steel tanks and bottling facility AND three art galleries.

Salentein WineryWe had a memorable lunch here: a set menu of 3 courses beautifully presented, small elegant portions with wines that were described – sabroso! super delicious.

Lovely LunchYum!The outdoor sculpture is a welcome addition, as you can see from these pix. Look at Michael and Ed clowning around here! The museum of art was a nice addition – one gallery is dedicated to art for sale.

Clowning AroundBy the end of the day, with Anna our guide’s careful explanations, we were well versed in the vintner’s vocabulary: the scent, the flavor, the finish, the terroir that result from a variety of processes, timings and transitions from one barrel to another: steel first, new oak or old oak second, then finally – at the right moment of fermentation after being harvested at just the right day – the product is put into the bottle with a label, and sealed with a Portuguese or plastic cork.

What a lot to remember!

Back we travel to Chacras de Coria, a small town north of Mendoza, we return to our finch, a little vineyard with casitas for the guests. We learned abit more about Mendoza and winemaking from our guide, Anna;

Anna(Did I mention that Anna is a gorgeous blonde? She was wearing a see thru top with lacy bra and stacked heels in tight jeans! She kept our guys in line, even tho they complained they couldn’t understand her English. So I translated the English! What a circus! She has friends at Lan Air so she’ll ask them about my lost journal!)

WATER in Mendoza is a right. For the last 7 years, the river has remained completely diverted to the city cisterns. One side of the dam is desert, the other a deep dangerous channel of swirling currents being diverted in two directions. In the 1450’s, the Incas brought the system of canals they learned from the Nasca peoples. In 1561, the conquerors from Chili came across the Andes. They were from La Rioja Valley in Sapin that they called Mendoza.

In the vineyards, water arrives by allocation. People create their own ponds to hold the water. Some grapes only need to be watered a little once a week. The “struggle” makes them tastier.

In the 1900’s, Italian families discovered the region east of the Andes in these enormous valleys. They brought their malbec grapes and wine making techniques and the olive branches! The original root balls of vines can be grafted onto the imported malbec branches.

At our “hotel”, the Finca Adalgesia, small batches of wine and olive oil here at the Finca Adalgisa, which is in an upscale community outside the bustle of Mendoza.

(As usual, there is no internet in the rooms – we saw signs along the road of the new conduits bringing high speed). This is a very clean place, beautiful grounds. The matriarch of the family still lives in the main house that is right in the middle of the grounds. A younger woman who is a niece is running it.

All is well with our group. We have another time out tomorrow afternoon! Left my journal on the plane here – dumb de dumb dum. I have a few stories in my ipad, but many notes on the little notepads they give out at each hotel…The journal might come back – Anna has friends who work at LAN.

VineyardtravelersIMG_6612vineyard artvineyard artvineyard artvineyard art

Cheers!

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Los Patos to Mendoza

Day 3
February 8, 2014

Los PatosWe spend a morning in the small town of San Miguel del Monte, founded in 1864 on the edge of the untamed regions of eastern Argentina. We find an internet cafe and a shop with blankets and bridles and bags of the gaucho. At a small adobe hacienda,  Angel explains the lifestyle on the frontier from the view of the ruling Rosas Family who were in opposition to his own forefathers.

JuditThere is is interesting travel plan circulating: not for a person but for a horse! Judit is planning to take Girlie back to Austria. She has “found” a new farm for the young horse that will join her other horse there. Angel says she can breed her here and have a colt there.   As the plans sound preposterous, Judit continues her devotion to the horse: three times a day, she nurses Girlie’s leg.  Every day, her mane braided in a different style! Girlie has found trust.  Judit’s energy is infectious. Angel calls her crazy!

The life of the household was a joy to join. As we pack up, huge storms roll over the skies the morning we are leaving. We make a dramatic exit to our van that is here in a deluge of rain.

Learning about Los PatosHistory of Los PatosLos Patos HistoryWe are off to catch a plane to Mendoza. We are on to new and different climates:

From: the first nights in the flat and hot pampas region with excellent horses, beautiful riding and warm loud generous Argentine hospitality – that means bigger than you can imagine…

To:  today, flying from BA to Mendoza amidst huge T storms.

Michael boards the plane

Flooding had closed the finest sections of BA so luckily we were out in the flat prairies – equally drenched. All the planes were delayed. The six of us were bumped from our reservations by Aerolineas Argentina to a  LAN flight 3 hrs later?! The delay of two hours tired all 3 couples who will be traveling these 8 days: Ed and Wendy are  from Lenox. Wendy’s sister Gail and her husband Richard from CA and Mass (bi coastal snow birds) are also in their 70’s; and Michael and I.

The PlaneWe are having a great time – nonetheless.

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Estancia Los Patos in the San Miguel del Monte

Day 2
February 7, 2014

Estancia Los Patos is in San Miguel del Monte, a quiet turn off of Rte 41, south of Buenos Aires. This is a two hour drive to the flat expansive pampas region of the country. There are no hills or mounds anywhere! What a contrast to our treks thru the Patagonian Andes only 2 days ago!!

 Angel greets visitors at the gate

Angel Estrada, el dueno, the owner, greets our van with enthusiasm and hospitality that will not wane for the next 48 hours. His horseman and his rancher and his nephew are there to meet us as well. Later, his wife Lili, an architect, will arrive from the city. And his house guest, Judit from Austria adds her cheerfulness and by now, her own sense of cheerful hospitality.

brightly colored quartersEvery building here is painted a bright eye popping rosey red, except the barn! We settle into our rooms, as if we are moving in. Michael and I are in the main house; Ed & Wendy; Gail & Richard have a casita off the front patio. We are offered drinks before lunch and within an hour, we are in the rhythm of a day on an Argentine estancia.

La Senora de la Casa, Lili, is an architect by profession. She also decorates the house and rooms and plans the menus, cooked by a rotation of capable staff in a well managed kitchen. Each meal is set with new linens and china; lunch is an abundant three course affair, tea is cookies and cakes; olives and cheeses and chutneys are presented on long boards with drinks before dinner that is a welcome  light vegetarean dish for supper…

The stream of delicious food is interrupted by relaxing long horseback rides, swimming, polo practice with horses or in our case, without the horses), bird hunting in season (luckily not now) and most importantly, long siestas to digest the mid-day meal. In Argentina, there is a second dawn!

IMG_6513After lunch and a nice siesta, at 4:15, it is time to ride. The beautifully trained horses are ready and saddled up by the capable stable master of 40 years. The system is different than I have seen before: first comes the blanket, a woven pad; then a leather saddle, then a sheepskin layer, then the girth wraps up the whole package. We wrap suede chaps around our lower legs. The horses respond well to western style, tho there is no pummel on their saddles. And they do very well, even with new riders. Richard is proof of this. Having never ridden after unpleasant experiences when he was young, he ends up looking like a natural riding three times before we have to leave.

The horses are criollo breed. They are strong, good workers in the field. Judit’s horse is a cross between a thoroughbred and a criollo. “Girllie” was caught in a fence, injured her leg. She had run wild for 2 years. Judit has charmed her and has “broken” her with the help of Angel and his nephew who is 24 years old…… He is a master horse trainer and breeder on his own 300 km farm who is living the life of a gaucho.

long flat roadsThe ride takes us across the estancia  past a huge manicured polo field, a swimming pool, across acres of grasslands and through woods, poplars that that rustle all the time, planted by Angel and his son 30 years ago. The cattle are herded here during the hot days. Last week the temperatures rose well over 100 F. this week, we are cooler, thank goodness. The non riders are brought along in a horse drawn carriage driven by Angel. He keeps up a continuous chatter of friendly conversation in his excellent English.  We ride down long straight dirt roads past other farm houses mostly owned by other family members. There is a windmill, more horses, and flat farmland extending as far as the eye can see.

Horse drawn carriage

Bright colorslovely libraryBeautiful accomodationsLovely lunchhappy tableguitar

horse back ridingridershorseridinggiddy uphorse drawn carriageeasy trails

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A Wine Tasting Adventure through Argentina!

Day 1 continued
February  6, 2014

We meet up with our New View Tours group to tour the Pampas, the wine region of Mendoza & mountains and wineries of Salta! It is our Wine Tasting Adventure with Ed Baptiste and Wendy Philbrick of Lenox, Mass. They are joining her sister Gail Davis and her husband Richard from CA & MA.

Taxi RideLast night in pouring rain on our first night, we navigate by taxi to a dinner at the Mirabelle Restaurant, recommended by friends who live here and in the US.  Try as we might to split the order and manage the oversized portions, we were astounded by the amount of food! The Mirabelle Restaurant is one of several restaurants under one large canape, so it was easy to confuse it with other places nearby. And that is just what happened. Finally the six of us convene in one place. It was nearly 10 pm!

Filled with a wonderful breakfast from the beautiful Hotel Club Frances, we set out for the Paramo, the enormous flat grasslands area. Our reservation is at Los Patos, “The Ducks”, a ranch or a working, classic estancia. El dueno, Angel Estrada has graciously emailed us with welcome words, arranging our private transfer that will take a couple of hours to escape the capital city of 3 million – Buenos Aires.

Eva Peron's mausoleum As we check out of the hotel, our driver is waiting for us at 9:30. He gladly makes an impromptu stop for a quick look at the expansive Recoleta Cemetary. Dick wants to see the Evita Peron grave, a huge mausoleum among many others. Eva’s remains returned  here  after years of controversy. She is buried here with her family, the Durantes. I recall quite remember where the plot is, but a man tending the infamous cats, shows us.

The freeways are open going out of the city at this time of day. Not so in the other direction. Traffic is a serious issue here making 2 hour commutes a regular way of life.

The Los Patos sign is a small rectangle on the edge of a thin fence – easy to miss.  It is a hard left turn off Rte 41 to the south and the west of the city. The town of San Miguel del Monte, 15 minutes from the estancia,  has 25,000 residents.  This small place still exerts a  powerful influence on the government. We are on the edge of the frontier that in the 1800’s   marked the border between the gauchos and the indigenous tribes.

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Begin Tour # 2 – Pampas/Mendoza/Salta

DAY 1

Monuments abound in Buenos Aires – this one across from the Fine Art Museum always with contemporary architecture in view…

Monuments abound in Buenos Aires – this one across from the Fine Art Museum always with contemporary architecture in view…

ARGENTINA:
Pampas & Menodoza & Salta!
Three Views of the Country

Buenos Aires: We are packed and ready to leave the well appointed Club Frances Hotel at 9:30. Filled with a second wonderful breakfast, we set out for the Paramo. Our reservation is at Los Patos, “The Ducks”, a lodge on a working, classic estancia. El dueno, Angel Estrada has graciously emailed us with welcome words, arranging our private transfer that will take a couple of hours.

Hotel Club Frances

Last night it was just pouring rain on our first night, so we navigate by taxi to a dinner at the Mirabelle recommended by the Ogilvy’s. Try as we might to split the order and manage the oversized portions, we were astounded by the amount of food! The Mirabelle is one of several restaurants under one large canape, so it was easy to confuse it with other places nearby. And that is just what happened. Finally we convene the six of us in one place. It was nearly 10 pm!

Eva Duarte Peron cript, Recoleta Cemetary - Wendy, Gail & Angel

Eva Duarte Peron cript, Recoleta Cemetary – Wendy, Gail & Angel

This morning, we are not in a rush. Our driver agrees to an impromptu stop for a quick look at the expansive Recoleta Cemetary. Dick wants to see the Evita Peron grave, a huge mausoleum among many others. (Eva’s remains returned here after years of controversy. She is buried here with her family, the Durantes.) I recall quite remember where the plot is, but a man tending the infamous cats, shows us.

 Enormous skyscapes – these clouds must be predicting the enormous rains we will get tonight.

Enormous skyscapes – these clouds must be predicting the enormous rains we will get tonight.

The freeways are open going out of the city at this time of day.Not so in the other direction. Traffic is a serious issue here making 2 hr commutes a regular way of life.

 Angel greets visitors at the gate

Angel greets visitors at the gate

Historic map of frontier communities west of BA - red is "no man's land"

Historic map of frontier communities west of BA – red is “no man’s land”

The Los Patos sign is a small rectangle on the edge of a thin fence – easy to miss. It is a hard left turn off Rte 41 to the south and the west of the city. The town of San Miguel del Monte, 15 minutes from the estancia, has 25,000 residents. This small place still exerts a powerful influence on the government. We are on the edge of the frontier that in the 1800o’s marked the border between the gauchos and the indigenous tribes.

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Buenos Aires – Museum Endurance!

Fine Arts MuseumDay 16

After a morning to recover, we are off by 11:00 AM to walk to the National de Bellas Artes Museo (The Fine Art Museum) on the Avenue del Liberator. It is free. We walk about awaiting the opening at 12:30pm.

I am struck by an era of Italian paintings “Los Macchiaioli”. These works preceded the French impressionists. They pave the way for a new vision of emotional reality; a new appreciation of light and a new look at the cultural ways of the times. Filippo Carcano paints rows of laundry hanging from the buildings along the river bank.  Emilio Gola also has wash on the waterfront. Mancini’s portrait of a woman pensively reclining on a red pillow leaves us doubting her state of mind. There is lots of paint liberally applied, breaking with the conformity and iconography of the times.

An Argentinian artist,  Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires (1823 – 1870) painted a portrait of Manuelita Rosas from the iconic era reflecting the political correctness of the times.  She also painted landscapes of the country life from the paramo with flat horizons, carts, horses and cows that reminded me of Grandma Moses paintings.

MADRE is a temporary exhibition of photographs by Marcos Adandia. He photographed the mothers of those who disappeared and were never found again. They wear white kerchiefs in one frame beside another similar photo of the mother without the scarf.  The oversized black and white square images cover the walls inside the upper galleries and continue outside in the courtyard. The cue card reveals the name of the mother, the name of her lost son and the date of his disappearance. The photographer’s reflection is visible in some of the reflections of the mothers’ eyes.  I will not forget this museum exhibit: as a mother, as a daughter, as a citizen.

We find ourselves ready to walk to The Museo del Arte Decorativo on the edge of the Polermo district. It is a stunning structure. We stop at the Croque Madame, the restaurant in the front building of this triple story edifice. Resting the feet, catching up thru wifi, processing the last exhibition and preparing for the next.

rodinFine Arts Museum – one collection displayed salon style includes this Rodin sculpture….4 more rooms!

fansA display of fans made of horn…

more fansA few more fans

Madam RosaMadam Rosas

I have not pictures of the family home: more to come on this one.

TONIGHT: WE ARE SET FOR A 7p.m.  Dinner with the 2 Couples taking the Wine Explore!

OUR INDEPENDENT TREK IS OVER!  WE READY TO START A NEW TOUR – AGAIN!

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Punta Arenas

DaHotel Jose Nogueiray 14

Transfer by van to Punta Arenas. The Hotel Jose Nogueira is on the main square of the one time international austral cross roads of the world founded by Magellan in 1520. Until the Panama Canal opened in 1919, this was where peoples of the world docked as they circumnavigated the planet.

The architecture is French neo classical. The wifi works in the lobby! The restaurant is a glass covered greenhouse with grapevines growing in a beautiful interior arbor that seems to drop green stuff all over the table tops. Nobody minds.

Breakfast includes several choices of rich fruit pie, a triple layered dulce de leche cake, cup cakes, cookies, nuts, fruit in syrup, sugar coated cereal and plain yogurt. There is chese and ham. And you can ask for eggs!

A torrent of emails & downloads as we get in line with being on line again.  I start sending pix to family and posting stories on this blog. The laundry gets sorted for hotel maid who promises a noon return tomorrow. I buy some soap and get going in the sink. We string a shoelace across the window pane.

The Marita Restaurant is a delightful find. I have the zuccini and MP get the specialty of the house, King Crab.

We process what we have learned from such a trek: the focus, the use of energy, the commitment, and actually the sense of freedom.

Magellan MuseumWe stop around the corner at the Megellan Museum, a beautiful home that still has the art and furniture of the family. We could be in Paris! Every room is filled with brocade, a collection of portraits, fans, sculpture. On one side of the grand foyer is a library for men, on the other is the sitting room for the ladies.

The Hotel is in the mansion that belonged to Sarah Braun who married Sr.N. They lived in a grand style, long gone, and had a greenhouse (on the left) where we ate our meals under grapevines. An exclusive Union Club is in the basement (see the orange sign). Entrance to the hotel is now on the other side street, but this was the entrance. We were on the third floor and kept our tall windows open with the breezes blowing in to dry the laundry we finally did in the sink.

Before the Panama Canal was opened, this city was the port of convenience for trade, including gold and oil and the wool trade from here. The buildings are beautiful especially around this main square.

The Catholic Church bishops took it to be their mission to  civilize the native people, documenting their building of the church a few blocks from the main square here on the wind swept penninsula. The museum is the Museo Regional Salesiano, the name of the order. thanks to their record keeping, there is a extensive  collection of artifacts from the tribes and first settlers leaving abundant documentation of the Yaghan and Ona peoples and the first explorers and frontiersmen. A mountaineer and priest named Agostini explored the region with steel cramp-ons, a pick ax and  heavy wool clothing. (Wrapped up in my down  and fleece, I can’t imagine how he did it).

The guide book doesn’t give this musuem enough credit! We left only an hour and a half, but I could have stayed much longer….before heading to the airport to fly thru Santiago back to Buenos Aires.  We glanced at the two rooms of Patagonian animal life (taxidermy) and touched on the exploration of Antarctica – both well documented as is the exploration of the ocean life, including large whale bones! The construction of the church grounds and the architect’s designs took up a large room. A video of the Pope visiting was the occassion to replace the white cross marking the farthest southern land point on the Chilean continent 90 Kilometers to the south.

flag of PatagoniaFlag of Patagonia this is the regional flag flying out the window of our hotel

MagellanStatue to Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who made it around the world crossing these waters through the Straights in 1520 (approximately)

monumentContemporary monument in honor of the port – with dog sleeping in the lee of the terrific wind that blows all the time!

monumentCloser pix of this huge cement and copper installation that was installed here Jan 2013

Southwest side of the main SquareSouthwestern side of the main square – this building used by the government.

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Gray Glacier

Day 11

Today the trek is only 4.5 hours or 11 kilometers, but we have to be at the  boat before it “sails” at 1:00 to return us to EcoCamp.  EcoCamp is where we left three days ago and where our belongings are, where we started, and where it feels like a luxury hotel compared to the refugios.

Making Good TimeAfter 29 kilometers yesterday, it is pretty amazing that I CAN walk. At first, it is painful, actually funny to watch, because we are so stiff. But warmed up muscles literally hit their stride before too long.

Hiking has become a way of life. I have not looked at my watch all week, unlike Lena who keeps track of the time and her rate and her kilometers. Pamela has a wrist band that says she slept an hour and a half last night in her bunk bed. Is the truth harder? Michael, too, just keeps on putting one foot in front of the other. All day.

On this kind of trail, after only a few minutes. I am in the middle of the pack with a lift in my heels again,  which means pretty much on my own. I can carry the camera.

We nibble on calafate berries. Big blue ones grow in abundance this time of year on knee high thorny bushes. We have to pick them very carefully. They taste yummy with little black seeds to spit out or chew on.  We also see lots of the red berries that taste like miniature apples.

Konkon OwlEvery hour there are more birds to add to my list. In the buffeting winds, their adapted life styles are fascinating: the American Kestrel (falcon), the white throated katta katta (walks like a penguin making the sound katta katta), the konkon owl, the pigmy owl, the black neck swan, a flamingo, and the condor whose wings look like long fingers.

We all see a grey fox and I see a brown huge fox that is larger than a big dog. I think it is a wolf. Luckily it was scared to the other hiker who was chasing it with her camera. Oh my.

Rainbow headed to the ferryThe temperatures change with wind, rain, sun and new ecosystems all day long. I am always zipping and unzipping my fleece and light parka. I pull up my neck band to cover my nose in the wind. Take off the hat, put it back on. I dream up a parka that will scrunch neatly into my day pack. Maybe like a venetian blind or a roman shade. Why do I have to keep hassling with this thing? my raincoat, shoved in my waist pack, doesn’t breathe at all. I get more water from condensation on the inside of the jacket than it rains on the outside!

We stride right along the edge of the lake on a smooth trail – the feet are grateful for this –  arriving at a rock where the ferry will be by 12:30. The wind is strong, there are white caps on the lake, but the boat can still sail. 5% of the time, they have to cancel the crossing because of the weather.  Roberto is one relieved guide.

Ferry DockThe ferry docks in the lake waters at a mooring, then sends a mettle dingy with a beat up prow to bounce against the rock where we are standing on the edge of basically nowhere. In two round trips,  all the passengers are lowered into the dingy  in rows of 5 across with life jackets.  Half an hour later, we are motoring along the glacier among the white caps and ice blocks that float under the surface in this turquoise  Grey Lake.

Life JacketsOur cruise includes a close-up view of the edge of the ice flow. It  is receding like all the others in the world, except for Perito Moreno (that we saw in Argentina a few days ago). The boat stays to the sides of the massive body of ice.

Ice Flow Ferry Ride

There are icebergs the size of the dingy floating all through the water that is actually pretty gray and only show 1/8 of their size. The glacier melts 8 cms a day on its surface. The black is polvo dust from the surrounding land surface that blows across it. The deep blues are the denser parts that are melting to become water; the white is where more air is pocketed.

A van is waiting. It is the new one from EcoCamp. The disparate group shares the feel-at-home camaraderie as we make the drive back into our domes. Shower, change and walk back to the main dome where we join our group to enjoy a pisco sour and delicious dinner with red wine… pretty good way to camp.

On the Boat

Happy to be off the boat

 

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Long Hike to French Valley

Day 10

The staff at the privately run Los Cuernos Refugio has prepared a lunch for us to pack. It is last night’s cottage pie in a sandwich. Pretty darn good.

Today is the big, big day.  29 kilometers. I put the camera in the duffel bag for the porters who will not make the trek up, but hug the lake for a shorter run. Porters run. Gabriel offers & I accept. He carries my lunch. We leave the lush Refugio by 8:30 after a delicious breakfast in perfect weather conditions.

We will hike to the Italian Camp and decide from there on the weather. This is also a possible turning point for any of us who feel ready to turn back. Later, when I get to this junction , I don’t stop to think. I just keep on going straight on up. At the end of the day, there are several others who chose not to climb up.

Roberto has not been to the top all summer. He is in the lead with the first four of the group chomping at the bit to go faster. Juliette is very fast. Eric, a contractor, about 40 something, is incredibly fast and his wife, Ester, treks right along all week until her stomach acts up. Todd is from Chicago. He and his daughter Julie are always at the front of the bunch. Julie is on the off season from her work in the Tetons National Park as a nature ranger. It is Lena who always takes the head to the line. Her pack is most prepared with moleskin, water, snacks and other essentials. Her watch clocks the pace of steps and the distance. She treks at over 3.5 kilometers per hour.

French Valley HikeI am at the back of the pack. Dead last and working hard. Along with me are Michael, Eric and Pamela. We swap stories about our trips, our poodles, our homes. Gabriel has enormous grace on the rocks, hopping ahead if he thinks he can be helpful…holding back to take pictures since he is assigned this role at the end of the line….as we slowly plod along.

The snack time view is absolutely breathtaking. I have never seen so many mountain peaks at the same time. Roberto says are you ready to climb? I call out – “More Mountains?” Can there be more?

Bariloche PeakBy the time I get to the very top it is yes, even more spectacular. The clouds dance around leaving plenty of views of the Cuernos/Horns are on one side, the Bariloche range on the other, then the middle section of mountains include the Towers and the Twins and the Cathedral and the Shark Fin. The wind is very strong. I sit on my own rock enjoying my sandwich and twisting a bit one way, then the other.

We don’t talk very much. Other groups are here too – scattered all over the rocks.

There is an odd moment after stopping. After keeping a destination in mind for so long,  that feeling comes around that awakens the urge: it is time to go. I think I will stay for hours to soak up the experience, but instead,  I hop up with the rest of the group to move along. Because it is basically unliveable up here!

French Valley MapBut I will never forget the French Valley of the Torres del Paine range.

The downhill is a scramble of loose rocks for an 800 meter descent – in reverse obviously – of what we just did. The views are completely different, as is the pounding on the body.

After the fire 2 years ago, these foxgloves moved in - beautiful & invasive.

At Italiano Camp, many back packers are settling in for a windy night. Somehow they will heat some food on a gas stove – carefully avoiding the risky business of a fire. Two years ago, a third of the park burned. after the fire, these foxgloves moved in – beautiful & invasive.

FoxgloveWe will walk through acres and acres of the recovering landscape where new growth includes invasive grasses, dandelions, foxglove and other beautiful flowers. This terrain is uneven and challenging – up and down.

The last 2.5 kms are relatively flat, rolling hills with low lake views of the Grey glacier.

 

Rocky PathOh my, oh my. It is one long way.  My feet walk for so long, they have their own personality down there. I make up my mind that I am going to make good time and start to push the pace a bit. It all feels the same and I get there sooner!

I am so glad to be free of the blisters that are plaguing the others. Gabriel calls me a goat. I get a hug from Roberto.

I finally see this structure in a field. It is a huge 2 story wooden hotel looking place. It is run by the Argentine park service. I keep walking towards it forever.
How did it get in the middle of nowhere – here

It is Refugio Paine Grande – 7.5 kilometers from the Italiano Camp.

The early arrivals were kind enough to leave me a lower bunk.  It would have been a one way trip after all that hiking. In any case, when I finally arrived,  I dropped onto the mattress and closed my eyes for several minutes to recover feeling the blood recirculate through my body, feeling the momentum slow down. I drag myself into some warm water in one open shower stall.  The dinner is practically over by the time I straggle in near 9 pm. I eat less now and don’t feel my appetite!

Tonight, the men have a harder time in their bunk room than the women. Their door won’t shut and the bar crowd at the Refugio rocks on for half the night. I sleep through all of it.

 

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Torres del Paine Towers

Day 12

Last LegToday we are headed out on the last leg of the W (on the left side of the letter). We will be at the base of the Torres Towers that you can see here in between the other massive mountains.

 

 

Scree Rock PathWe can’t predict the views. The trails weave around the mountains on scree rock paths, packed trails and rocky stepped trails. This is the most popular trek in the whole park. We see people coming at us all day. This is our group checking out the next segment.

 

Day 12 Hike

We can drink the water from the streams that are coming from the glaciers throughout Patagonia – everywhere. There are no livestock or people or farming here. Just us. So we only carry half a bottle of water and refill often.

 

 

Torres LakeTo be at this lake was one of the highlights of my entire life. It is so beautiful. The wind is impressive, but there are places to find stillness.

 

 

Torres BaseMichael and I at the base of the Torres del Paine Towers.

mementoComing back down, I leave a my addition to the stump sculpture, a token rock as a memento. We will trek back through this old forest of lengue trees.

HikingEC3Hiking out of EcoCampHeading out from Eco camp.

horsesThe horses kick up the trails making the first kilometers uneven hiking. After this, the trail bed flattens out.

Refugio StopWe stop briefly here at a refugio. Wind is very strong. This is the last bano all day. Many other hikers on the trail.

RobertoRoberto is a trekker, not a climber. He says this place is very dangerous for rescuing injured people. Helicopters can’t make it in. The mountains are very high.

AvalancheThe avalanches make thunderous rumbles all the time. This is almost to the tree line.

Snow Field DebrisLoose rock from huge melting snow fields have carved out valleys of boulders.

Which Way?It isn’t always obvious which way to go!

Last Big ClimbThe last big climb is up through this stuff. With all the trekkers, the pathway is pretty stable, but I pick my steps for hours – up then all the way back down.

Scree OutSee the people crossing the mound of dirt? The look smaller than the size of ants in the middle of the sandy mound. They are crossing the last 100 meters of scree rock before the Towers – two of which are visible now.

Closeup ScreeHere is a close-up of the people!

The Towers Clear!I am thrilled to make it to the base!

YeahGabriel is thrilled to make it!  I can’t fit him in the pix!

GabrielGabriel was a porter. This is his first summer as an asst. guide. He studied biology and knows all the plants and trees on the trail.

Heading Back HomeFeels pretty good!

Dome HomeWhew! Dome feels pretty good now!

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First Night at the EcoCamp; Second night at Cerros Cuernos Refugio

Day 8

Cuerons RegudioToday was an extreme contrast to yesterday when we took a long bus trip across endless desert, strong winds, intermittent rain, blocked foggy views and freezy breezy temps. We stopped at the Malodon cave which was cold. Maybe the Maladon lived here with his big claws like a bear, his red skin that had a layered texture, with sloth like paws and a head like a horse with a flat nose. Maybe the stalactites angle into the 200 meter laguna because of the strong winds – but I didn’t care. All I could think of was maybe I needed another layer to last 8 more days in this bleak place!

By now, this morning, our new group of 10 hikers and 2 guides heads out for a carefully explained trek after another delicious meal of yummy food that seems to arrive out of nowhere. We packed up a small duffle bag issued to each trekker to be carried ahead by the two porters who RAN to the next camp. Today my lunch and my camera feel pretty heavy in my waist pack, but as long as I can keep shifting it side to side, it seems ok.

Two of the three horns of the Torre appear early in the trek. These are not the Towers that we will see in 6 days. Roberto, lead guide, age 38, sets comfortable pace that the group adopted easily. Gabriel, assistant guide this year, age 24,  took up the rear post where I learned from him 4 names of the main plants I repeat over and over: lingue, choiway, nirre, firebush. We easily handled the gentle rises and dips along the crest of land that borders a very deep turquise lake (colored by sediment from the glacier). We get water right from the stream today and every day, only filling the bottle half way since we don’t need to carry more.

We stopped for our hand-made-by-yourself lunch on a rock barely knowing each other’s names – albeit we had done that introduction game last night before dinner. Beautiful view. Good first day vibes that I won’t hold anyone back. Life is feeling outstanding – when a pack of Japanese descend on the same rock for their lunch. Juliette and I had a grumble about this. She couldn’t find a place to pee or wee as she said from Dorset, England, with all these people here. (I know now she is a 35 year old anesthesiologist – we had two of them in the group! Eric is mid 50’s and came with his wife Pamela. They have 2 poodles in Utah). We will be sharing the trail.

Bariloche PeakThen off we trek again for another view of Bariloche, the southen (on the left) peak of these Torres. In 1957, 2 of 4 climbers from Bariloche were killed in an avalanche on the east side where they are bad. I gotta get my mind around the compass points down here where I am up side down near the bottom of the world.

After settling in, finding the duffle, etc. I have climbed up behind the camp. I am sitting on a rock above a 4 story waterfall above our rhot tubefugio camp. Lena arrived first. She will be at the front of the pack all week. She is single from Sweden where she is in charge of a corporation. It is her 50th birthday. She is one very happy lady. So am I.  She and Juliette hop in the hot tub with a beer that they find pdq.  Michael and I have our own cabin with a sky light and a pot bellied stove. Michael joins them! Great pix. I wait til the water is really warm and have the tub to myself. Ahh.

The sun will be up another 4 – 5 hours. It is playing with a huge dark cloud that is kicking up snow storms on top of the glacial ridge of Bariloche. The three horns to the right side of the valley are completely visible. Their sides look like elephants; this is wind worn granite that is a band of white/grey that makes up most of what I can see. The tops are a striation of sandstone that is very dark. Looks like igneos rock to me, but Chilean translation is sandstone.

We’ve seen condor, a small American kestral (hawk), a fifi (sounds like that) that hops in the matte barrosa. Matte barrosa (mud) is a mound of thorny green vegetation where birds and insects live so protected from the wind, some of the bugs don’t learn to fly.

Maybe we will have wind soon? None today. Dinner at 7. Wine is on the table.  Pumpkin soup is white and thin. Everyone loves it.  It turns out there is a boat that comes across the lake to bring supplies that are brought up in a little all terrain vehicle. The water is hot in the bathroom which is in its own little cabin for all of us to share. It is a heck of a long way away in the middle of the night. So I sleep with shoes and parka propped by my pillow. Be prepared.

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So long to the Andes

Day 13

guanacos

Guanacos are wild llamas. They seem to keep watch or pose on the hilltops!

baby guanacoBaby guanaco puts his head down as if to practice the motion for charging!

rheaRhea running as we hike through the high Sierra desert of Patagonia.

transitionTime to make the transition from the EcoCamp to Punta Arenas, the most southern city in Chile.

el CalafateStop into the EcoCamp office in El Calafate before the 3 hour bus ride along arrow straight roads across empty land. Desolate and beautiful and very windy.

the AndesSo long to the Andes…

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Ecuador!

Today, the New York Times offers 52 top travel destinations for 2014

Guess the #7? Ecuador!

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Happy Travelers!

We had 18 join us at various stages of the Ecuador High Sierra Tour this year. Some went on to the Intag Cloud Forest for a couple of days. A small group continued to the Galapagos Islands for a tour. And another family joined the group two days late, but found the time to take their own journey to the wild life park of the Pacific finding a boat that toured different islands within their time frame.

What a treat to receive this letter of appreciation today from the Sundbergs – makes the planning all worthwhile!

They write: “We are very grateful to New View Tours for selecting the ‘Galaxy’ tour of the Galapagos to complete our visit to Ecuador. The ‘Galaxy’ is a very attractive, well maintained, stable, and safe ship. Our cabin was larger and more comfortable than we expected. The crew was cautious, capable and courteous. Roberto, our Galapagos-born guide could not have been better; he is perfectly fluent in English, extremely knowledgeable about the islands and the wildlife, and has a love for the Galapagos and deep respect for the animals who live there. Homero, our chef, and his staff presented three wonderful, balanced meals each day, with a nice variety of selections.

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