Hi everyone,
We've had a fabulous time in Bariloche/Villa La Angostura. it's the northern tip of Patagonia and a lot like Tahoe in September. Perfect weather, glacial lakes and mountains and very few people.
Wireless access is tougher to come by, so sorry we haven't written in awhile.
We all immediately decompressed when we arrived at our cabin (god bless Home Exchanges). IT's heavenly. See the pictures.
Rob went fly fishing for a whole day, kids and I explored the beaches, we went to the ski area and rode a chairlift to the top.
Other than that, we've been muy tranquillo and bbq'd lots of $4 steaks. we've all been very happy here and it's difficult to leave.
In fact, I sit here in a cafe on the lake (10 steps from the water) with a very large, cold beer, while the kids and rob are braving the cold water.
Life is good.
We don't want to leave but head to Chile in two days.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Buenos Aires Day tres
Day Three was fantastic. It is also the 10th anniversary of when Rob and I met. Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Jen hired URC, Urban Running Club to lead her on a personalized 10k run through the city. Her guide listed the historical facts and points of interest in the city while she panted and sweat through the humidity. It was fantastic.
Family trip to the zoo: Much better than Recoleta cemetary for us. We should have known the children would be more interested in the live animals than dead people. However, note to self, one does not need to search the metropolis to find large zoo animals, as children were equally entertained by the flock of pigeons, ample capybaras (i.e. large Argentinian rat), ducks, mice, and stray cats that roam the zoo.
The zoo just celebrated it's 120th anniversary. We don't think they've updated the cages since then. You can feed the animals and get remarkably close to several. The liability in this country is a far cry from the US, but it made for a wonderfully intimate experience for us visiting. Not to mention, it was a relaxing atmosphere in the middle of a big, bustling city.
Lunch at Voulezvous. Excelente!
Jen hired URC, Urban Running Club to lead her on a personalized 10k run through the city. Her guide listed the historical facts and points of interest in the city while she panted and sweat through the humidity. It was fantastic.
Family trip to the zoo: Much better than Recoleta cemetary for us. We should have known the children would be more interested in the live animals than dead people. However, note to self, one does not need to search the metropolis to find large zoo animals, as children were equally entertained by the flock of pigeons, ample capybaras (i.e. large Argentinian rat), ducks, mice, and stray cats that roam the zoo.
The zoo just celebrated it's 120th anniversary. We don't think they've updated the cages since then. You can feed the animals and get remarkably close to several. The liability in this country is a far cry from the US, but it made for a wonderfully intimate experience for us visiting. Not to mention, it was a relaxing atmosphere in the middle of a big, bustling city.
Lunch at Voulezvous. Excelente!
Family B.A. Highlights
Summary of Buenos Aires
Kai: My highlights are the subway, (subte), riding in taxis instead of walking. Staples (yes, it is the one and same office supply chain store), the zoo, finding "Captain Underpants" in english in the bookstore, the bodee (aka the bum cleaner) and the playground inside the restaurants.
Mia: My highlights are putting my head out the window of the taxi like a dog while the driver yells at me in spanish, feeding all the animals at the zoo, the chocolate that mommy and daddy feed me when I'm too tired to walk, quiet time in the apartment with my pillow.
Rob: My highlights are steak 1, steak 2, steak 3, steak 4, fried cheese, $1.75 stella litres, feeding the hippo at the zoo. Malbec 1, 2, 3, and 4 with my wife and the bodee (again , the bum cleaner)
Jen: My highlights are playing "go fish" with my family at the restaurants, all the meals, the restaurant with the playground where Rob and I had a romantic dinner and pretended we didn't have children, my hour long run with my personal Argentine guide/triathlete/ironMAN.
Kai: My highlights are the subway, (subte), riding in taxis instead of walking. Staples (yes, it is the one and same office supply chain store), the zoo, finding "Captain Underpants" in english in the bookstore, the bodee (aka the bum cleaner) and the playground inside the restaurants.
Mia: My highlights are putting my head out the window of the taxi like a dog while the driver yells at me in spanish, feeding all the animals at the zoo, the chocolate that mommy and daddy feed me when I'm too tired to walk, quiet time in the apartment with my pillow.
Rob: My highlights are steak 1, steak 2, steak 3, steak 4, fried cheese, $1.75 stella litres, feeding the hippo at the zoo. Malbec 1, 2, 3, and 4 with my wife and the bodee (again , the bum cleaner)
Jen: My highlights are playing "go fish" with my family at the restaurants, all the meals, the restaurant with the playground where Rob and I had a romantic dinner and pretended we didn't have children, my hour long run with my personal Argentine guide/triathlete/ironMAN.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Buenos Aires, Day Dos
Today, we made it to the Recoleta cemetary. It was about an 8 block walk that took us a mere 3 hours to complete. We ran low on energy immediately and needed an m&m and yogurt fix. We finally made it to the outside wall of the cemetary on a sugar rush that promptly crashed before we reached the entrance.
Luckily, there were several restaurants that could accommodate us. We sat at a table on the sidewalk of a delightful restaurant, playing "go, fish" and eating empanadas. Well, all of us except Mia. After an hour of fun, followed by a 20 min temper tantrum, we ended up at McDonald's, three doors down (still right outside the cemetary wall). Mia was satiated with chicken-ish nuggets, fries and ice cream. Rob and Jen were ready to hit the bottle and throw in the towel without ever seeing the inside of the cemetary. Kai was disgusted altogether with the junk food that Mia was consuming.
Finally, we made it in the cemetary, after purchasing a map and making all sorts of donations to unknown charities.
It was a unique experience. A visit that was well worth the effort. Kai and I had lengthy discussions about death, heaven, and souls. He finally asked if we could not talk about it anymore.
Cats were all over the place, lounging on tombs. Mia loved the kitties, wanted to take one home. When she got tired, it was the only way we could keep her going. Rob would spot a "kitty" and Mia would take off after it.
Oh, and we saw Eva Peron's place of rest as well.
We're home now. The exhausted kids were rejuvenated the minute we returned to the apartment, while Rob and I collapsed on the couch with glazed eyes, trying to muster the energy to find a babysitting service. He's asleep while I write this and the kids are sprinting in circles.
Luckily, there were several restaurants that could accommodate us. We sat at a table on the sidewalk of a delightful restaurant, playing "go, fish" and eating empanadas. Well, all of us except Mia. After an hour of fun, followed by a 20 min temper tantrum, we ended up at McDonald's, three doors down (still right outside the cemetary wall). Mia was satiated with chicken-ish nuggets, fries and ice cream. Rob and Jen were ready to hit the bottle and throw in the towel without ever seeing the inside of the cemetary. Kai was disgusted altogether with the junk food that Mia was consuming.
Finally, we made it in the cemetary, after purchasing a map and making all sorts of donations to unknown charities.
It was a unique experience. A visit that was well worth the effort. Kai and I had lengthy discussions about death, heaven, and souls. He finally asked if we could not talk about it anymore.
Cats were all over the place, lounging on tombs. Mia loved the kitties, wanted to take one home. When she got tired, it was the only way we could keep her going. Rob would spot a "kitty" and Mia would take off after it.
Oh, and we saw Eva Peron's place of rest as well.
We're home now. The exhausted kids were rejuvenated the minute we returned to the apartment, while Rob and I collapsed on the couch with glazed eyes, trying to muster the energy to find a babysitting service. He's asleep while I write this and the kids are sprinting in circles.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
1st steak experience
Rob:
Our first dinner/steak experience here was amazing, which started at 10 pm , which down here is like going out for the "blue hair special at 5 pm).......I think I might bring the restaurants concept back home. As you walk into Payuca, you are greeted w/ the brillant aroma's of beef , chicken and sausage, which u see grilling on an open fire immediately to your left. Huge slabs of beef, up to 2 feet are sloooowwwllly cooking to perfection while small, stout little blood sausages slow drip juice and make beautiful crackling noise's. The hostess brings you upstairs to another seating area next to a play ground! Yes parents, an upscale restaurant w/ a playground, with an arcade w/ the likes of Ms. Pacman and Gallaga.....(rob stay out, it is for the children only), a huge seaworld like jumpy w/ thousands of plastic balls, arts, crafts, and finally a childsize phoosball table(I had visions of Alasdair hogging up the table, bumping kids and screaming victory chants at them while schooling the poor little things at fuseball). Jen and I had a nice quiet dinner while the kids went nuts. We started off the night w/ local beers and a beautiful mixed green salad. We opted to try two different cuts of meat, the flank steak and a large slab of beef tenderloin fillet. Both were incredible, with a hint of game but nothing like the free range beef we buy in the US. The fillet was extremely juicy and cooked to perfection. The Flank was a different cut then we are accustomed to back home. It was delicious, especially when dipped into the various salsa's and chimmichurri sauces. We also had papas fritas that were to die for.....Steak and french fries...what else do we need? Dinner was washed down w/a La Linda 07 Cab, very nice but a lot different than the Napa Cab's we are accustomed to. The kids had delicioius pumpkin/cheese ravioli's with a red sauce. Back home this meal would have been $150+++ , we snuck out for $80 - we weren't allowed to tip.....with left overs which I am enjoying for breakfast at 1 pm..........until our next meal........just remember, "It ain't easy....being Cheesey!"
Our first dinner/steak experience here was amazing, which started at 10 pm , which down here is like going out for the "blue hair special at 5 pm).......I think I might bring the restaurants concept back home. As you walk into Payuca, you are greeted w/ the brillant aroma's of beef , chicken and sausage, which u see grilling on an open fire immediately to your left. Huge slabs of beef, up to 2 feet are sloooowwwllly cooking to perfection while small, stout little blood sausages slow drip juice and make beautiful crackling noise's. The hostess brings you upstairs to another seating area next to a play ground! Yes parents, an upscale restaurant w/ a playground, with an arcade w/ the likes of Ms. Pacman and Gallaga.....(rob stay out, it is for the children only), a huge seaworld like jumpy w/ thousands of plastic balls, arts, crafts, and finally a childsize phoosball table(I had visions of Alasdair hogging up the table, bumping kids and screaming victory chants at them while schooling the poor little things at fuseball). Jen and I had a nice quiet dinner while the kids went nuts. We started off the night w/ local beers and a beautiful mixed green salad. We opted to try two different cuts of meat, the flank steak and a large slab of beef tenderloin fillet. Both were incredible, with a hint of game but nothing like the free range beef we buy in the US. The fillet was extremely juicy and cooked to perfection. The Flank was a different cut then we are accustomed to back home. It was delicious, especially when dipped into the various salsa's and chimmichurri sauces. We also had papas fritas that were to die for.....Steak and french fries...what else do we need? Dinner was washed down w/a La Linda 07 Cab, very nice but a lot different than the Napa Cab's we are accustomed to. The kids had delicioius pumpkin/cheese ravioli's with a red sauce. Back home this meal would have been $150+++ , we snuck out for $80 - we weren't allowed to tip.....with left overs which I am enjoying for breakfast at 1 pm..........until our next meal........just remember, "It ain't easy....being Cheesey!"
Buenos Aires, Day Uno
Jen: Our apartment is great. Bars, restaurants, subway and grocery stores all within a block distance. Kids were so happy they didn't want to leave the apartment. After a long afternoon nap, we made it out for dinner. As the excellent navigator that I am, we walked 10 blocks in the wrong direction, then had to catch a cab to our restaurant.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)