Yeon Deung Hoe: Seoul’s Lotus Lantern Festival

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Shelley

Every year, sometime in the month of May, South Korea lights up to celebrate the day of Buddha’s birth. The exact date falls on the 8th day of the 4th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, and must be calculated anew each year. It’s also one of the country’s few official public holidays (perhaps another cause for celebration in a nation known for the longest working hours among the OECD countries).

In Seoul, 석가탄신일 (Buddha’s birthday) or 부처님 오신 날 (the day when the Buddha came), means a whole month of streets and temples beautifully lit by colourful lotus lanterns. For me, (along with the blossoming of the silvery pink cherry blossoms), this kaleidoscope of lights stretching dreamily down and across the wide streets of Seoul, has always signified the coming of Spring – their romantic glow banishing the grey of winter from memory.

Lovely, lovely cherry blossoms

The Yeon Deung Hoe Festival’s events span a full month and include an exhibition of traditional lanterns, folk music performances, a Buddhist Street Festival and the highlight – the Lantern Parade, during which more than 100,000 illuminated lanterns and floats flood the streets of downtown Seoul.

The monks get things started

This seeing eye dog got a big cheer during the parade!

A never-ending parade of lights in the distance

A fire-breathing dragon

Inside Jogyesa – one of Seoul’s most famous Buddhist temples

La Recoleta Cemetery: Burial Ground of the Rich and Famous

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Shelley

Spending an afternoon wandering around a graveyard isn’t really high on my list of fun activities, but I made an exception for La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The high terrain of the Recoleta area first attracted wealthy families trying to escape deadly yellow fever and cholera outbreaks in the late 1870s, (it was thought that the height reduced the number of insects that transmitted the diseases). These powerful families settled into the area, and today, Recoleta, along with the neighbouring communities of Palermo and Retiro, form the most traditional and affluent residential zone in the city. The area is full of expensive and stylish homes, family mansions, foreign embassies, luxury hotels, and of course, La Recoleta.

Inaugurated on November 17th, 1822, the Cemetery was built atop the convent garden of the disbanded Recoletas Order of Monks. With approximately 6,400 above ground vaults organized by ‘street,’ it feels more like a crowded, miniature city than the final resting place of Buenos Aires’ most elite citizens.

The streets of Recoleta Cemetery

Designed by French architect Prosper Catelin, at the request of President Bernardino Rivadavia, the cemetery has a mind-boggling display of luxurious family crypts and mausolea. The remains of rich and famous Argentinians like Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Bartolomé Mitre can be found there, as well as the most famous of them all, Eva Perón.

Wandering through the labyrinth of streets, we are confronted by delicately carved marble and stone angels looking skyward beseechingly, grand cupolas and the forlorn figures of those long ago buried and gone. It’s eerie and beautiful and majestic and sad all at once, a mournful reminder of Buenos Aires’ long gone Golden Age.

When we chance upon Eva’s vault, we are surprised by it’s modesty. Hidden deep within the heart of the Cemetery, her tomb is adorned with fresh flowers. It’s clear that Buenos Aires has not forgotten Evita.

Eva Peron’s Humble Tomb

Visiting Recoleta Cemetery

The Cemetery is located at Calle Junin 1760 and is open from 7AM to 6PM. Admission and twice weekly guided tours in English are free.

The nearest Subte (metro) stations are Callao on Line D and General San Martin on Line A, however neither of these stations is actually close to the Cemetery. You’ll have to walk for 15 minutes or more. Alternatively, you can take a collectivo or city bus, but make sure you have exact change for the fare.

La Recoleta’s website can be found here (only in Spanish).

Fully lay flat beds on Crucero del Norte will cost you $162.50 each!

Buenos Dias, Buenos Aires? Bus Travel in Argentina

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Shelley

A rainy morning in Buenos Aires

We rolled into Buenos Aires’ Retiro bus terminal on a damp, grey morning, after nearly 24 full hours on a bus from Puerto Iguazu. Buenos Aires was the last stop on the South American leg of our world tour, and definitely one of the most anticipated. I couldn’t wait to start exploring the city, and truthfully, to get off the damn bus.

While in South America, we traveled by bus A LOT. On such a huge continent, flights are definitely the best option, if you plan in advance. We didn’t, and had we flown, the cost of the flights would’ve blown our budget completely out of the water. Flights in South America are seriously EXPENSIVE.

Fortunately, buses are abundant and can be booked just days or hours before the date of intended travel. It helped that online accounts of bus travel in Argentina were glowing and included mentions of wine, steak and other undreamed of luxuries.

Happier times on Cruz del Sur in Peru

We’d already experienced the impressive bus transits across Peru and were totally stoked to get ourselves onto an Argentinian bus. Argentina is more developed than Peru, right? That means, bus travel in Argentina should be even better than bus travel in Peru, right? RIGHT?!

Wrong. An uncomfortable, long, sleepless, steeply-priced, vinegary wine and tasteless meals wrong.

Of course, we didn’t take every single bus route in Argentina, nor did we travel with every single company. But out of the 4 long-distance trips we did take, not a single one matched the service or quality of the trips we took in Peru…and were 4 times the price!

On the Andesmar bus from Cordoba to Salta

Our bus from Cordoba to Salta on Andesmar cost $170. This was in the highest class of service (cama class), and included meals (no wine), but forget about blankets or pillows. Not to mention that it took almost 20 hours to travel a mere 861 kilometres. The bus stopped and started so many times, it was virtually impossible to get even 1 hour of continuous sleep.

Our second journey, again on Andesmar, from Salta to Puerto Iguazu, required not 1 bus, but 2, because no direct route existed between the 2 cities. There was wine though. Cheap, vinegary wine. And lukewarm chicken milanesa and packaged mashed potatoes. Oh and did I mention that the bus attendant stole my Apple iTouch when I left the bus for 5 minutes. Was it worth the $325 we had to pay for the tickets? I think not!

Fully flat beds on Crucero del Norte will cost you $162.50 each!

Our last trip on Crucero del Norte between Puerto Iguazu and Buenos Aires was the only journey that came close to the standard set by Cruz del Sur in Peru. For $296, we had fully flat seats, individual television screens, warm blankets, pillows and decent meals. The voyage still wasn’t very restful because like I said before, there’s no such thing as a non-stop trip in Argentina, and I’m sure the bus must’ve stopped at least 300 times.

Tips for Argentinian Bus Travel

Understand Argentinian bus classes
There are 5 different classes of seats available on Argentinian buses, with characteristics that are prescribed by law. For long distance travel, Semicama (half-bed), Cama-Ejecutivo (executive bed) and Cama Suite (bed suite) are the best options. Each class increases in comfort, and of course price. Semicama will be 4 across, have seats that recline partially, and may or may not include meals and amenities. Cama Suite will have much wider seats that recline flat, a bit of privacy with curtains, blankets, pillows and meals. Cama-Ejecutivo will fall somewhere in the middle of these.

Omnilineas has a summary of these classes on it’s website.

If you can afford it, book at least Cama-Ejecutivo class for long-distance journeys. You’ll survive a night in Semicama for sure, but you certainly won’t be comfortable or too well-rested.

Book in advance
Most of the time, you can show up at the city’s main bus terminal and get a ticket to your destination right away, especially if you’re booking in Semicama. There are a lot of bus companies and many different schedules available. Sometimes it’s even better to follow this strategy, because it allows you the opportunity to check out the different buses in person.

If you’re booking in one of the higher classes, it’s safer to book at least 1 day in advance. If you’re traveling on a popular route, like Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu, the earlier you book, the better. That way you’ll have the most choice of buses and seats available, and the seats do sell out.

We mostly used Plataforma 10 to book our bus travel in Argentina. The website compiles bus services from all over the country, is easy to search and accepts foreign credit cards.

The Andesmar bus counter in Salta

Do your research
Not all buses in Argentina are created equal, with some having a better reputation than others. Some of the major bus companies are: Via Bariloche, Crucero del Norte, Andesmar and Flechabus.

It’s wise to research the different bus routes before you plan your Argentina itinerary. We learned this the hard way, when we tried to travel from Salta to Puerto Iguazu. It’s not impossible to do it, it’s that there’s no direct route. Bad planning cost us both time and money.

We ended up taking Andesmar for most of our trips simply because it was the only company that serviced a lot of the routes, but honestly, I would’ve preferred not to. The price to quality ratio of Andesmar’s buses and services were nowhere close to Crucero del Norte’s.

Crucero del Norte: Our best bus ride in Argentina

Be prepared
Amenities and services vary greatly from bus to bus and from route to route. Even when you are booking in higher classes of service, don’t assume that blankets or meals will be provided. The best strategy is to ask in advance…something we really wish we’d done before our first ride.

On our first trip from Cordoba to Salta, there were no blankets provided, even though we were riding in Cama Ejecutivo class. A minor problem since the air conditioning standard on South American buses is ice-cold. Thank goodness I had a pashmina with me, or it would definitely have been a long and teeth-chattering journey.

Another quirk of bus travel in Argentina is the late dinner time. Argentinians eat late, and a meal likely won’t be served until 9:30 or 10pm. Bring snacks if you can’t make it till then.

And finally, bring something to entertain yourself with. There are usually televisions and movies on the buses, but on all our trips, the movies weren’t worth watching. I get nauseous reading in moving vehicles, but if you don’t, bring a book. You’ll definitely make good headway.

An iPod is my trusted travel companion, with music really helping to pass the time…just don’t get it stolen.

Watch your belongings
Being in the highest class of service, with only 6 other passengers and the bus attendant, didn’t protect me from theft. Argentina is going through a huge financial crisis, with 30% inflation and its citizens tapped out, and Apple products are major thief attractors.

I stupidly abandoned my iPod on my seat for 5 minutes and left the bus, with only 1 other passenger and the bus attendant in the cabin, and when I came back, my iPod was gone. At the time it didn’t occur to me that the bus attendant would’ve been the culprit, but given that the other passenger allowed me to search his bag, guess who was left?

Point being, watch your stuff.

And my final tip? If you can, fly

In a Seoul Whirlwind

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Shelley

It’s back to reality for us. Our year long trip around the world has finally come to an end. I thought we’d experience some post trip let-down, people usually do after an extended journey, but frankly we just haven’t had the time.

We’re back in Seoul and it’s been quite the whirlwind. Moving house, looking for work and reconnecting with old friends and family has kept us jumping, never mind the insane pace of life in this uber-modern, 24 hour mega-city.

Before we took off on our global adventure, we’d lived in the decidedly ex-pat Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul. Upon our return, we wanted to integrate more into the culture and society, (and to be honest, live in a more modern home), so we moved our life south of the Han River and into contemporary Seoul.

A Quick Seoul Geography Lesson: The city is basically bisected by the mighty kilometre wide Han River. The areas north of the River are considered to be the more historical parts of Seoul. This is where you find traditional hanok style housing and the 5 palaces of the Chosun Dynasty. South of the Han River or Gangnam (Gang means river and Nam means south, so south of the river in Korean, for all you Gangnam Style fans out there), is the modern part of Seoul. Forty years ago, Gangnam was nothing but agricultural fields, but since then, it’s developed into the most affluent, dynamic, and influential area of both Seoul and South Korea as a whole. It’s south of the River that you find modern apartments, huge malls, commercial complexes and the powerful chaebols (LG, Samsung, Hyundai).

Living on this side of the River requires some adjustment. We used to live on the 3rd floor of a 3 story walk-up, surrounded by other similarly sized houses (called villas in Seoul), with a view of Namsan, the mountain in the middle of the city. Now, we’re on the 33rd floor of a building that’s part of a huge complex of apartment buildings. We don’t even have keys for our front door here. It’s pass card or code only. Sometimes, I look out the window and feel like I’m in some sort of dystopian reality, but these apartments are, in fact, very modern and comfortable. Thousands of families live in these buildings.

We still have 9 months of travel adventures to write about, and we’re committed to doing it. It just might take a bit longer than anticipated. After all, we’ve got important things to deal with in our new house, like figuring out what all these buttons on our toilet mean…

Anyone wanna take a shot at deciphering this for us?

Majestic Iguazu…wow!

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Bear

There are three major waterfalls in the World: Niagara, Victoria Falls, and Iguazu.

Looking out over Iguazu National Park

Niagara Falls (pronounced nahy-ag-ruh) is the biggest of them all, draining from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario with a whopping 2.8 million litres of water per second and falling 50 metres below. It sits on the border between the United States and Canada, and it’s within an hour’s drive from Toronto or Buffalo.

There’s a little debate about which side of the falls is more spectacular – the American or the Canadian – but not much. Simply because there’s not much comparison – the Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border is a truly awe-inspiring sight not to be missed in summer or winter, when ice and snow covers a big chunk of the River. The American side – not so much. Having been raised in Mississauga, a stone’s throw away from Niagara, I checked that box off my bucket list early in life.

It was about time to check off another one and with our travels taking us to both Africa and South America, all we had to do was pick which curtain of water to visit – Victoria Falls or Iguazu. It wasn’t an easy choice. Both falls are spectacular in their own right.

Victoria Falls is neither the highest nor widest waterfall in the world, but it spans a fantastic 1700 metres wide and falls a total distance of 108 metres. It’s claim to fame is that it’s comprised of the largest continuous falling sheet of water in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mosi-oa-Tunya or the Smoke That Thunders (as it’s called by the locals), is situated on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, a fair distance away from our hub in South Africa. So, as much as I wanted to hear the thunderous sound of all that water, we decided it was a better idea to skip it on this trip and leave it for another time, when we’re older and richer and can really do it right.

That left us with the Cataratas del Iguazú in South America, considered by many to be the most picturesque falls in the world. A series of 275 individual falls spanning over 2.7 kilometres with tropical rainforest as the background, it presents a jaw dropping scenery that’s difficult to top. “Poor Niagara” is what the American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said when she first encountered the sight of them.

Having been wowed by Niagara early in life, I was eager to see just how Iguazu would measure up.

Sitting on the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and basically in the middle of the rainforest, getting there was a day’s journey by bus from the nearest metropolis in any of the 3 countries…not the simplest journey to make.

It wasn’t until we found ourselves in Cafayate in northwestern Argentina that we were able to get ourselves to Iguazu. After a disastrous few days of travel, where we missed our first bus, had to pay for a second set of tickets ($250!) and got our iPod stolen, we arrived in Puerto Iguazu, the little Argentinian town that sprang to life to host the myriads of tourists that visit the Falls.

Buying our 2nd set of bus tickets to Iguazu

After our full 24 hours on the bus, we were completely exhausted, so we decided to spend the day relaxing and exploring Puerto Iguazu. It didn’t take long. Made up of restaurants, coffee shops and tour companies geared towards tourists, we were able to cover the red roads of the town on foot pretty quickly.

The red streets of Puerto Iguazu

After a good night’s rest, it was time to see what we’d traveled so far to see. A quick 30 minute local bus ride from town and we were finally at the entrance of the Iguazu Falls Visitor’s Centre.

The Iguazu Visitor Centre

Lush, lush rainforest

Iguazu is actually a national park, with the falls surrounded by beautiful rainforest lush with green, tropical trees. Walking through the trails, it’s possible to see birds of all sorts, parrots, blue dacnis, toucans, eagles and many other predatory ones. You also see unusual land animals you didn’t know existed – the funny looking coati being a very common one, the jaguar a less common one, and thank goodness for that.

Animals roaming around the Park

Beautiful Bird

Brave Butterflies

From the Centre, the Rainforest Ecological Train takes you to the various falls in the Park, with the star attraction being the enormous Garganta del Diablo or Devil’s Throat. We decide to wow ourselves with the Diablo last (a mistake), and begin with a walk through the Sendero Verde and a boat ride over to Isla San Martin.

The rainforest ecological train

Cascading waterfalls

Tree after tree, and trail to trail, we venture deeper and deeper into the rainforest until we catch our first sight of the falls. WOW. Wow. One of those words rarely spoken but that in three letters captures the feeling of beauty and amazement. Wow. Roaring sheets of water draping entire cliffs, surrounded by beautiful rainbows. Crazy.

We take our time shooting pictures and literally soaking in the majesty of the falls, as we are misted by it’s spray. It’s 4pm by the time we make it back to train stop, and despite the fact that the Park doesn’t close until 6pm, the train has stopped running up to the Garganta. And no, despite the fact that there’s a trail, you’re not allowed to walk there either. ARGH! Would’ve been nice if that information was posted somewhere. Anywhere!

Though we’d originally planned to visit the Brazilian side of the Falls the next day, we now have no choice but to return to the Cataratas del Iguazu, just to see the Garganta.

Walking out to meet the Garganta del Diablo

We’re glad we didn’t miss it, because as we stand atop the highest and biggest fall in Iguazu, I am hypnotized by the sheer beauty before us. The energy of the falls is astounding, deafening and mesmerizing, as if it has a life of it’s own. The power of Mother Nature, raw beautiful nature, right in front of our eyes. Wow.

The rushing water of the Garganta

Getting to Iguazu (Argentina) / Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil):
On the Argentinian side, the closest airport is the Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport (IGR). On the Brazilian side, the airport is called Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (IGU).

If you plan on flying, book as early as possible. This is one of South America’s premier tourist destinations and flights sell out quickly. If you aren’t lucky enough to get a flight, you’ll be stuck on a very long and expensive bus ride, like we were (minimum 12 hours, and probably more like 24 hours).

Where to Stay:
In Argentina, Puerto Iguazu is the closest town to Iguazu National Park. It’s possible to simply show up, wander the streets and find somewhere to stay. We found a reasonably priced room close to the centre of town for just 120 Argentinian pesos (about $28).

Visiting the Falls:
From Puerto Iguazu, it’s a 30 minute, 10 peso, bus ride from the central terminal to the falls. Admission to Iguazu National Park for non-Argentine residents is ARS $130 per day. If you make the mistake of missing the last train to Garganta del Diablo like we did, you can re-enter the park the next day for ARS $65, provided you get your ticket stamped before leaving the Park on the first day. Hours are from 8AM to 6PM between April and September, and 7:30AM to 6:30PM between October and March.

2012: Our Year of World Wonders

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Shelley

When I was young, my parents bought us the Childcraft series of encyclopedias from a door to door salesman. I guess my siblings and I were a wee bit nerdy, because we devoured these books. We thumbed through the volumes about animals of the world, the human skeleton and scientific achievements until the pages were fully tattered and bruised.

I still vividly remember the encyclopedia’s description of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Reading about these early marvels captured my child’s imagination and to this day, visions of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon remain firmly etched in my memory. Created by King Nebuchadnezzar as a green gift to his homesick wife, the lush gardens had to be irrigated by water from the Euphrates River, and it fascinated me as a child, that the water was lifted to the top terrace, so that it could spill downwards and water the plants below.

Riding Horses next to the Pyramids of Giza

As I get older, the wish to feel that same sense of wonder hasn’t diminished. And in 2012, without realizing it, Agri and I were lucky enough to visit 5 of the 7 New Wonders of the World, as well as the Honorary candidate – and only surviving Ancient World Wonder – the Pyramid of Giza. Voted on by the public and tabulated by the 7 New Wonders organization, the New Wonders are:

Machu Picchu, Peru
Cristo Redentor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Petra, Jordan
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The Great Wall of China
Chichen Itza, Mexico

In 2012, the first World Wonder we encountered was the culmination of 4 days of trekking up, down and through the stunning Andes Mountains. Though the ruins were initially covered in fog (we couldn’t see a thing!), Machu Picchu is one of those rare tourist sights that actually lives up to the hype, rain or shine.

Machu Picchu in all it’s foggy glory

By the time we visited Rio de Janeiro and the Cristo Redentor statue in May of 2012, we’d completely forgotten about the grey weather at Machu Picchu. Standing atop sunny Corcovado Mountain and looking down at the glorious Brazilian harbour with the wide open arms of the Cristo behind us was a definite highlight.

Cristo Redentor

Our October 2012 visit to the Colosseum in Rome was not our first. I first saw it in 2007, and then again in 2010, and Agri lived in Rome for 6 years, and has seen it so often, it’s ceased to have the wonder it does for most people. 2012 is the first time we braved the lines and ventured inside though, and it’s from inside that you get a sense of how massive the Colosseo truly is. You can really imagine the gladiators running into the arena and picture the fights and massacres that must’ve occurred there. For the ultimate entertainment, Nero flooded the Colosseum and had full scale sea battles inside, complete with ships and soldiers.

Our visit to the Colosseum in 2007

In 2010

And finally inside in 2012

Our stop at Petra in November of 2012 was the fulfillment of a long dreamt travel wish. I’d longed to walk through the towering rose coloured stones of the Siq ever since seeing Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in my teens. It did not disappoint. Our first sight of the famous Treasury through a sliver of rocks in this ancient capital city of the Nabataeans was riveting.

In the Siq

Our first view of Petra

We ended our year of World Wonders on Christmas Day, in front of the glorious Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Despite the fog that coated the entire city (what is it with us and fog!?), I gasped when I initially saw the Taj from afar. It seemed to rise mystically into the sky and appeared mirage-like. Up close, you can see the intricate carving work of the unfortunately brilliant artisans who lost their hands upon the completion of the Taj, so that they could never create anything again.

Agri posing for the locals at the Taj

At the Taj on Christmas Day

We actually saw our 6th Wonder, the Great Wall of China, in the bitter cold winter of 2008, before we settled in Korea permanently. We went to Mutianyu – a section of the wall that is less touristed – but with the weather being as it was, I don’t think we would’ve had much trouble at the more famous Badaling section of the Wall anyhow.

Seeing the Wall stretching out as far as the eye could see and knowing that it has a total length of more than 20,000 kilometres from east to west was mind-boggling.

On the Great Wall

The Wall stretching out as far as the eye can see

To check all of the 7 New World Wonders off our list, we’d have to take a trip to Mexico to see Chichen Itza. This would’ve been super easy when we were living in Canada, but isn’t so much now that we’re living in Korea. Another reminder to take those easy travel opportunities when they’re available.

Travel Memory: Barcelona

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Shelley

August 2007: One Week in Barcelona, Spain

Leaving on a jetplane – Toronto to Barcelona

Interesting architecture by the beach

Ah youth, how I miss it. Us 5 years ago.

A grilled seafood feast

Inside Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia

More fantastic Gaudi architecture

Late night Las Ramblas strolling

Fooling around on Barcelona’s statues

5 Reasons Why You’ll Love Cafayate Too

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Shelley

Peaceful Cafayate Streets

We don’t plan on spending a full week in Cafayate (pronounced Ca-fa-shate). We’re only supposed to spend a few days there, take our rental car back the 190 kilometres to Salta, and then hop on a bus bound for the Jujuy Province and the multicoloured mountains of Humahuaca. From there, we’re supposed to visit Bolivia, the massive salt plains of Uyuni and the silver mines of Potosi.

All of these sights are hugely tourist-worthy, but there’s something about this sleepy little town that lures us back. Perhaps it’s the blissful way the sun drenches the streets every single day? The tasty little empanadas? The peace that pervades the town and it’s friendly locals? Whatever it is, it makes us drop off the rental car in Salta and get our butts on the first bus back to Cafayate, as fast as we can.

On the road back to Cafayate

Truth is, we’re at the 3 month mark of our trip, and we’re feeling a bit tired. The thought of packing, unpacking, boarding buses, finding new places to stay and worst of all, re-acclimatizing to the high altitudes and cold of Bolivia, is daunting. We just don’t have it in us. Besides, the warmth of the sun, it’s just too seductive.

So, we toss aside all our ambitious plans and instead, spend the week strolling the calm streets and getting re-energized for the travels still ahead of us. It’s time to recharge and Cafayate is the perfect place to do it.

Five Reasons You’ll Love Cafayate Too

1. 330 Days of Sunshine
Located at 1,683 metres above sea level in the central zone of the Calchaquies Valley, Cafayate enjoys an unbelievable 330 days of brilliant blue skies and bright life-giving sunshine every year. With less than 250 millimetres of precipitation falling on the heads of it’s 12,000 residents, the town also enjoys low-humidity, meaning no suffering with damp clothes and sticky skin. If you make the choice to stay in Cafayate, I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for perfect weather too.

Sun, horses and vineyards – yup, pretty much sums up Cafayate

2. Walking Distance Wine Tours
All of this amazing sunshine, low humidity and high altitude has benefits other than a lack of sweat. It also happens to provide the perfect growing conditions for the Torrontes – a white Argentinian grape known for producing aromatic wines of moderate acidity, smooth mouthfeel and notes of peach and apricot in the nose.

Vineyards mean wine tours and in Cafayate, a glass of vino is never more than a short stroll away. In this little town, you’re literally spoiled with choices. We only toured (and tasted at) Bodegas Etchart, one of the biggest and oldest Calchaquíes Valleys wineries, and Bodega Nanni, best known for it’s production of organic vintages, but it’s literally possible to spend entire days just going from winery to vineyard to winery to vineyard.

Bodegas Etchart

Wine tasting

Agri can’t get enough wine!

3. It’s a Lovely Landscape Launching Point
If you drive just a few kilometres out of town, you’ll find yourself on Ruta 68 and immersed in some of the most fascinating geography in South America. Huge stone formations, sublime configurations and vast multi-coloured rock ranges make up the Quebrada de las Conchas, and Cafayate is the closest town to it.

Multi-hued rocks inside the Quebrada

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can take Ruta 40 and travel the more perilous 165 kilometre road between Cafayate and Cachi. You’ll be rewarded by sights of the Quebrada de las Flechas (Arrow Gorge) and amazing views from atop the 3500 metre Cuesta del Obispo mountain road.

4. Tasty Little Empanada Treats
The Salta region is known for having the most appetizing empanadas in all of Argentina. In Cafayate, you can try a sampler of 6 different types of empanadas at the wonderful House of Empanadas. Add your voice to the ongoing debate about whether the baked or deep-fried version of this stuffed bread is the most divine. We tried both versions, and we think the deep-fried version wins hands-down.

Inside the House of Empanadas

A mountain of baked empanadas

5. Fabiana and Hostal La Morada Cafayate
I blame our inability to make it to Bolivia partially on the Hostal La Morada Cafayate. Some places just have good vibes, and this was one of them.

Soaking up the sun in Hostal La Morada’s Courtyard

Owned by Buenos Aires transplants, Fabiana and her husband, rooms are simple, comfortable and seriously great value. And when we discovered a costly bus booking mistake, Fabiana did everything in her power to help us out. She also provided a sage piece of wisdom that I remind myself of whenever confronted by financial stress: “This is just a money problem and money problems are always solvable.”

Enlightenment and a tranquil environment, what more can you ask for in a hostal? Say hi to Fabiana for us when you visit.

My Destination’s Biggest, Baddest Bucket List Competition

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Shelley

Anyone interested in 6 months of all-expenses paid around the world travel? Yes, it’s possible!

Enter My destination’s Biggest, Baddest Bucket List competition and you could be traveling to your choice of 25 different countries by June 2013!

Check out a great summary of the competition on the Bucket List Publications blog, and get cracking on that video application!

You upload your video, application and blog entry at: http://www.mydestination.com/bbb.

You’ve got 62 days to make it happen! Good luck!

Read

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Shelley

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. ~ St. Augustine

Travel-Stained

Because Wandering the World Leaves a Mark