The Countdown Begins...

I’m leaving for Argentina in five days. Roughly, the plan for the month is to do big city cultural things in Buenos Aires, see the supposedly better-than-Niagara falls and a bit of jungle in Iguazu, hang out with the penguins in that southern-most city in the world called Ushuaia, climb a glacier in El Calafate, trek up Fitz Roy from El Chalten, bike around to the bodegas and sample some delicious wine in Mendoza, recover at a relaxing estancia somewhere in the Pampas, and head back to Buenos Aires to celebrate my 28th birthday with one last fiesta before the flight back to Canada.

Crazy? Why yes! But you’re talking about the same two girls who, once upon a time, during a 10-day trip to Peru managed to: paraglide off the cliffs of Miraflores, eat ceviche, drink Pisco Sours, try the best restaurant, buy new underwear because our luggage got lost, and see the art gallery and the old town in Lima; drink the special tea and acclimatize, mountain bike through the Sacred Valley, see the Pisac ruins and market, eat alpalca steak, and buy alpalca shawls in Cusco; and embark on a five-day trek through the Andes to Machu Piccu. During the trek we made due with our less-than-optimal (non-existent) trekking equipment and survived the cold (we definitely weren’t expecting that snow at the peak and were continually surprised by the children who appeared out of nowhere in bare feet) by drinking mulled wine and practicing our Spanish and card playing with our lovely guide, who believe it or not was named Socrates. We camped under eucalyptus trees and passed through several small villages on our way, and in comparison Machu Piccu was somehow almost anti-climatic with its uber-touristy atmosphere. But still magical. The whole thing was an amazing experience. Here’s to hoping my second time in South America is equally as memorable.