Sharing our Traveler's Diarya

After visiting Thailand’s gulf islands we wanted to pop over to Cambodia to see the historic Angkor Wat in Siem Reap and the capital, Phnom Penh. We read that you can take a bus from Bangkok over the border directly to Siem Reap and that this option would be significantly cheaper and take about as much time as flying since all flights stop over through Phnom Penh. So, we organized our exit from Koh Samui based on this plan. We decided to get a ferry + night bus from Koh Samui to Bangkok’s main bus station, called Mochit, so we could get a bus from Mochit over the border and save money on one night’s accommodation.

Friday, April 22

In preparation for the long journey ahead we went to the Whole Foods-like grocery store for snacks, also grabbing some weird pastries for breakfast (one involved a powder I described as “essence of hot dog”).

The ferry from Koh Samui to the mainland took about 1.5 hours. After disembarking the ferry we stumbled around the parking lot looking for the company we booked with. There were people crowded around a woman shouting ‘Bangkok’ so we showed her our email itinerary and she gave us a piece of receipt paper with a QR code on it and told us to wait. Less than a minute later she boarded us, and the crowd, onto a mega bus, taking our QR codes (without scanning it, a common occurrence in our travels).

After we had all boarded she came on the bus to count us and found her count was off. She recounted a few more times and then must’ve realized a resolution because we took off. We were on this bus for over an hour, making local stops for people to get off.

Approximately 5 non-Thai gringos were also with us and we kept glancing at each other nervously wondering if this bus was part of the ticket, since no one ever confirmed or told us what would happen next.

After an hour the bus stopped and we got out into the parking lot of a closed bus station. Not a word was said of what was happening. Of course, I had to pee, so I tried to pry open the locked station doors while looking longingly inside. The driver of the mega bus got out and into the driver’s seat of a taxi truck. As he walked by Carl asked where we were supposed to go and the man pointed at the locked doors of the station. About 6 Thai passengers got into his taxi truck and they drove away.

Another official looking guy appeared and eventually directed all the gringos into a passenger van. We drove through the town and he seemed to stop on a random road. As we got out of the van we joked that they were going to load us into Tuk Tuks, to continue the trend of putting us into smaller groups in smaller vessels all the way up the coast.

Then we realized we were across the street from the real (open) bus depot, where a big overnight bus waited for us. We went across the street to get dinner at a greasy chopstick and I pointed to the wrong translation on the menu (and Carl didn’t correct me!) so we got some rice and pork and a side of fried egg, which ended up being pretty good. At the depot we got onto a very fancy overnight bus. I’m not joking about the very fancy part. The front of the bus said ‘VIP’ in swirly pink font, and we did feel as if we were treated like very important people.

First, there was a bus crew member that spoke to us in English and told us about all the features of the bus and when we’d arrive in Bangkok. There was pretty good wifi and chargers. They provided pillows and blankets and the chairs went back almost 180 degrees. They also gave us water, cookies, coffee packets, ice tea, and moist towelettes. This treatment was night and day different from our experience at the closed bus stop. But good experiences feel ever better after bad ones, so maybe it was worth it.

Saturday, April 23

At 5:30am we rolled into Mochit station. We got out and wandered around, looking for the main terminal. Finally a woman in a fluorescent vest told us, in pretty good English, that we need to walk ‘that’ way, ‘far’. Through the maze we found the main terminal. The blog we’d read said look for orange signs with 999 written on it that signify the company ‘Transport Co Ltd’ who have buses to Cambodia. We walked all around and asked several people before finding the right window. At one point I asked the guy at the information booth and he just said ‘no’, held up his hands in an X, and left through the back of the booth, closing the door lightly on his way out.

Turns out he went to ask another lady (and two more confirmed) that buses were not going across the border because it was still closed because of COVID. We had read on multiple sites (including the Cambodian immigration site) that the land border had indeed opened again but the Cambodian representative at the DC embassy had not replied to our email to confirm.

We were presented with the option of taking a bus up to the extent of the Thai border from where we’d have to take a Tuk Tuk and walk to get to the entrance to the Cambodian border, and then find a bus from there. We’d read that this land crossing can be dodgey, with lots of scam artists ready to walk you to the wrong building and ask for money for a Cambodian visa.

Even though we had our e-visas, and we knew to expect dodginess, we weren’t sure the adventure would be worth it especially if the border was, in fact, still closed. So, using our limited phone data in the bus terminal we booked the cheapest flight that we could find for the following day.

We’ve been using the Marriott Bonvoy credit card for all flights and hotels and this has paid off in the form of Marriott hotel points. We are overflowing in points. So we opted to use some of these points to book a nice place in Bangkok for the day/night. We picked the Surawongse Marriott (named after the road it’s on) and were so happy with this choice.

We showed up to the hotel lobby just before 8am with no reservation. The desk staff let me connect to their wifi in order to reserve a room through the Marriott app, using points. Then they said the room was ready for us to go in to AND they upgraded us to a higher floor.

We cruised up to the 25th floor and ogled at the views from our room. Even though we were exhausted, we wanted to eat something and see a little of the area before giving up on being tourists for the day.

We walked to a place called ‘(Not just) Another Cup’ for breakfast. I had an iced caramel latte that tasted like a milkshake made of dreams come true and Carl had a Coco Americano (americano with coconut juice). Then we split a ciabatta egg sandwich with avocado, bacon, and a lemony pesto sauce and had a smoothie bowl for desert. It was pricey, but worth it.

Then we walked in the opposite direction toward a place calle Warehouse 30 that I’d seen in google maps. The place was a grouping of art galleries and fancy shops that reminded us of our beloved Industry City in Brooklyn. We looked around the galleries, at the street art, and the wayyy overpriced vintage clothing store. Then we headed back to our hotel.

Carl took a nap while I went to the pool. I sat in a couch lounger behind an infinity pool that looks out over the city. I ordered an overpriced Chang and cooked myself in the sunshine, grateful for every decision we made leading to this moment.

Eventually Carl came to join me. A man next to us overheard our loud American accents and we ended up finding out he has lived in Davis for nearly 50 years. He and his wife (who told me I must go buy some knock off handbags and told Carl to ‘let me’ buy them) were on their 45 wedding anniversary trip. He is a civil engineer and he had some unique (mildly crazy) ideas for how to preserve Californias limited water supply.

For dinner we decided to look for the nearest night market. One had closed due to COVID but we found stalls lining another street. We got some barbecued pork, sweet beef soup, and rice with fried chicken on top. We also played our new favorite night market game where we point to things that we have no idea what they are and ask, ‘Is it Cake?’ As we walked around we passed by several strip clubs and bars with red lights and later realized we had been in the red light district!

Unfortunately the hotel TV did not have Netflix to watch more ‘Is it Cake?’ but we entertained ourselves with watching the end of Harry Potter (the same part we watched in a hotel before!) and a show about an exotic zoo in Scotland.

Tuesday, April 19

Because of the tropical storm moving through the area, wind speeds were higher than normal, and the sea was choppy. We got to the ferry dock with plenty of time and eyed the rain clouds- hoping they’d let us get settled on the next island before breaking. After over an hour delay we finally boarded for the 30 minute ride to Koh Samui. Especially after experiencing how calm the last two ferry rides had been, this one was especially bouncy and I worried that we’d tip over or that I’d barf, or both. By the time we disembarked and got a taxi to our hotel, it still hadn’t rained but the sky was dark and ominous.

We’ve developed a bad habit of not figuring out what activities to do in a place until we arrive to the place itself. Koh Samui, like the other Kohs (islands) in Thailand’s gulf, also has turquoise water and white sand beaches, with a dense jungle in the middle. Unlike the other islands, Koh Samui is more developed. As the taxi drove us around and we saw real streets and shopping malls we realized how remote the other islands had felt. Unfortunately, for tourism’s sake, Koh Samui seems like the fancier island for resorts and richer tourists. In these early days post-COVID it feels like the only tourists are the young or the fully retired, but mostly backpackers with low budgets. So although Koh Samui should’ve been the busiest island, it felt especially like a ghost town as all the glamorous resorts and stores were empty or closed. We decided to regroup before trying to find a travel agency to see what activities would be worth doing.

When we checked in to our hotel, Baan Samui Resort, they gave us pineapple juice in champagne glasses and a cold towel that smelled like jasmine! It was a magical surprise. We chugged the juice and held onto the towels like they were cherished baby blankets while they showed us to our room which was steps away from the pool and the beach.

We decided to hang out by the pool until it rained, but then it never rained! So we enjoyed the slightly cooler weather and gave ourselves permission to do nothing.

We realized we were suffering from traveler’s burnout: when nothing sounds fun anymore, nothing feels genuine, people hassle you because they think you have money and in reality you’re going broke day by day…We were probably just having a long hangover, existential crisis post full moon. Also, of all the first world problems, traveler’s burnout has got to be the most non-problem type of problem. Still, we recognized the need to slow down and do something mundane like binge watching terrible Netflix shows.

When we got hungry we walked along the main street. Most things were still shuttered. Tourist agencies had their roofs falling in. Restaurants were closed. Bars opened later. Massage parlors seemed to be the only thing open and every place we walked by they yelled ‘massage? massage??’. Normally I wouldn’t want to stay in a resort near a mall but with everything else closed because of COVID, the mall was one of the few places we could go. It was also shady and cool so we could walked around it for a bit. We ended up getting grocery store sushi and some Thailand-produced IPAs from the Whole Foods-like grocery store in the mall.

Later we got dinner at the resort’s restaurant and it was fine. The shrimp was mealy but the chicken was a little better than normal. Back in our room we watched ‘Is it Cake?’ and balked at the audacity of Johnny Hats putting fake tomatoes on the taco decoys. I had mixed emotions because on the one hand I think he totally cheated but on the other he’s obviously the nicest guy on the show.

Wednesday, April 20

Weather forecasted another day of rain. We got breakfast at the resort restaurant, giving them another chance. For 200 baht ($6) per person we got coffee, tang, water, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, toast, eggs, bacon, chicken hot dogs?, and cold ham slices. The bacon was surprisingly good and we realized we haven’t had bacon since we left the US, so that was a nice treat. The chicken hot dogs and ham rolls weren’t terrible, but wouldn’t ask for those again unless I was feeding a stray dog or cat under the table.

We had another chill day by the pool and took advantage of the resort’s stunning WiFi to check in with some friends and family. Then we went back to the mall looking for tourist information. We found an open air shop that had dozens of pamphlets displayed. We picked up a few and the women working there helped us to decipher differences between the limited options. We chose an elephant spa tour for the following afternoon.

As we left the mall, it finally started to rain. We ducked into a massage place. I got the back and shoulder special with tiger balm and Carl got the standard Thai massage. The last Thai massage that we got in Bangkok had been a bit brutal as they tried to stretch and contort our not flexible bodies into impossible yoga poses. This place was better, but they still tried to twist me too much at the end and I had to say “that’s not for me, thanks!” It was a great way to kill an hour of time as it continued to pour rain outside.

On our walk back we stopped at Tropical Murphy’s pub for a couple of happy hour drinks. Using the WiFi from our hotel next door we did some travel planning while we sipped on cheap margs and beers. Afterward we walked across the street to a place offering 90 baht Thai food for happy hour. We got curry and noodles (same thing we always order it seems) and it was pretty good, especially for the price. Back at the hotel we had some more pool time and watched a cheesy movie before venturing out later to get a late dinner. We ended up going to a fancy burger place called Stacked Burger that was overpriced but really good. We got a cowboy burger that had onion rings and a Thai burger that was a pork patty with a fried egg and Thai flavorings.

Thursday, April 21

We went over to the mall to a place called Coffee Club for breakfast. We got coffees, eggs Benedict with salmon, and an açaí smoothie bowl.

Around 1pm a van came to pick us up for our tour. It took about 30 minutes to drive to the other side of the island, to the elephant sanctuary. When we got out they directed us to a table piled with fruit (passion fruit!!), cookies, and soft drinks. A very animated guide named Pong came over and spoke about the sanctuary and the elephants. He was SO enthusiastic and kept breaking off into jokes that didn’t always land. We realized he was stalling for time, but it didn’t really bother us and we just went with the flow.

Also on the tour was an Australian couple, a French couple and their daughter, and an Israeli family that had two daughters with them. The Israeli family had been waiting at the sanctuary when our van arrived with the rest of us, and the dad was very annoyed that they’d had to wait. Our guide gave him an ear to ear smile and said things like “don’t worry so much! You’re on vacation! You should smile!” And you can imagine what an already annoyed (and miserably sweaty) dad of two complaining girls did when he was told to smile (he didn’t). It was like watching a Vince Vaughn movie and the annoyed dad actually made the goofy, over-the-top guide seem even funnier.

They wrote our names on our arms in Thai which helped the non-English speaking workers call to us later on. Then we were given rice, pumpkin, and banana and told to mush everything together into food balls to feed to the elephants.

Finally we went out into the field and fed the elephants our handmade rice balls and some bananas. The sanctuary has three elephants: the largest is a female that is 30 years old, the smallest is a female that is 5 years old. They both have Thai names that I couldn’t pronounce or remember. The middle one, named Johnny, is 7 years old and has tiny little tusks. Among Asian elephants only the males have tusks so the staff called Johnny their lady boy because he was stereotypically prepubescent. He also was the hardest to coral from spot to spot, but the handlers didn’t seem to care too much as they yelled and moved through the forest like “fine eat that bush but then follow us this way”.

After the feeding we walked into the forest and the elephants grazed on the bushes around us. It wasn’t well explained that we were just walking into the forest to hang out with the elephants for a bit and when the Israeli family realized there was no planned activity they became annoyed. The rest of us marveled at the chance to go on a little walk with these ridiculously large creatures. The charismatic guide told us more about elephants and had us smell their poop, which smells like mulch. We watched the big mama ellie rub her belly against a palm tree as she annihilated a bush that she munched on.

When we walked back we got into our swimsuits and went over to the mud bath to rub mud on the elephants and ourselves. The mud was so soft and it was so cool to just hang out with a giant elephant in the mud. Then they led us over to the creek where we rinsed off the elephants and ourselves. The younger girl elephant was like a little kid in a tub – she loved the mud and the water and she seemed to enjoy goofing around with the humans trying to pet and cuddle her.

After we got out of the water they gave us fresh towels and directed us to pretty nice showers. We killed some more time looking at photos and drawing on the walls (they asked us to) before loading into the van. They took us to a restaurant on the top of a hill that had 180 degree views of the island.

We got a brief cooking lesson on how to make Pad Thai. The secret, we learned, is all about the tamarind sauce that’s used. Of course, they didn’t tell us how they made their tamarind sauce. I guess they have to keep the tourists coming back for more somehow. Then they served us dinner of Pad Thai, rice, spring rolls, soup, and fried chicken. We ate and talked to the other tourists as we watched the sun go down over the ocean.

As we talked about our travels we realized we had all ridden elephants on mainland Thailand before and now felt very guilty for having done this because of how the elephants are treated at those types of places. The elephant spa was my fourth time doing some kind of elephant tour and it was by far the most interactive activity in addition to treating the elephants humanely and with respect. I highly recommend this tour to anyone that comes to Thailand and wants to see elephants. I hope the success of tourist activities that respect elephants like this one start to pull demand away from the places that mistreat them. Besides being more humane, feeding and bathing elephants was way more fun than riding one, and we felt like we learned more and got to know their personalities better. We also helped break our travel-funk by knowing we were putting money toward a really good cause.

So if you or someone you know goes to Thailand make sure you go to Koh Samui’s elephant spa! (Instagram: samuielephant_spa)

The van took us back to our hotels and just before we got to ours we asked to jump out because we wanted to check out the night market. We were so full from dinner that it was like torture to see all the delicious street foods. We got some mango and coconut sticky rice for desert later and walked back to our hotel. We ate desert while packing and binge watching ‘Is it Cake?’ There were more people messing with the decoys so I guess Netflix ruled that behavior as ‘not cheating’ though I’d disagree.

Wednesday, April 13

We woke up, finished packing, and checked into the ferry dock for our morning ferry. We weren’t sure whether booking ferries through an online site called 12Go was legitimate but when we checked in we saw most of the passengers had also used this site to book. While we waited we went and got one last pancake from our favorite guy on Koh Tao. I got a Nutella with banana and Carl got the mango and coconut again (mango coconut for the win). Finally we boarded the ferry and it was about an hour ride to Koh Pha Ngan.

As soon as we disembarked there were taxi trucks waiting for us. A bunch of people were going to Haad Rin, where the Full Moon Party takes place once a month, so we piled in with them. The taxis here are trucks with metal cages on the back, on top of the truck bed. I guess the metal cage makes it safer? About a 30 minute ride later-through crazy up and down hills- they dropped us off at our hotel.

We stayed at Rin Beach Resort which is located on the western side of the peninsula and seemed mildly quieter and nicer but still close to full moon activities. We got some lunch at the restaurant that’s part of the resort. The place is more like a cafe with many coffee drinks and breakfast options. One spot on the menu said ‘food’ and offered just two things: Pad Thai and fried rice (think someone forgot the descriptor ‘Thai’, perhaps finding it redundant). So we got one of each and they were ok.

We decided to walk to the beach to see what everyone was doing. The streets were mostly deserted but there were some people playing music and spraying each other with water to celebrate Songkran.

We bought some water guns for Songkran and some fluorescent gear to prepare for Full Moon. For dinner we walked up the hill a bit to a place called Lost Paradise. We thought it was closed but as we circled back the owner came out and said he had kept all the lights off because of all the bugs. Sure enough, when he turned them back on there were swarming clouds of moths around each bulb. We ordered some cocktails and Thai food and were pleasantly surprised with how good it all was.

Thursday, April 14

We rented a motorbike for the day. We were happy we spoke with a British couple in Koh Tao that warned us not to be cheap on motorbikes and to rent the more expensive 155cc because anything less and the two of us would not make it up the incredibly steep hills. We got the bike as a cheap mode of transportation for the day, always keeping in mind how dangerous motorbikes are. It was annoying to realize how much fun the motorbike was and we tried not to think about how much we enjoyed it, continually reminding ourselves how dangerous they are.

Our first stop was at Bubba’s coffee house in Ban Tai. I can’t remember how we heard about this place but because the name is the same as our beloved cat, we had to try. They had really good coffee and western brunch, which we hadn’t had in a while so it was a treat. There was also a sleepy cat sitting in the seat next to us, very serendipitous.

We cruised up to Haad Yao beach and stopped at a dive shop to see whether anyone was going to dive Sail Rock the next few days. Just our luck, Haad Yao divers was going the next day and they had spots open so we signed up.
After we meandered down to the beach area. The sand here was soo nice and soft and it seemed like there was less trash. We found a bar that had some spots in the shade (a rare commodity on Thai beaches). We ordered some beers to pay our rent on a hammock tied to a big tree hanging over the beach and a wooden lounge chair. The ocean water here is so warm – about 86 degrees- so it wasn’t very refreshing to swim but we continually dunked ourselves in water and then sat in the shade, praying for a breeze.

After a couple hours we decided to take advantage of having the bike for the day and went to explore one of the waterfalls. The road up to Paradise waterfall was steep, and the road was falling apart, but Carl was an excellent driver and I tried not to squeal from fear too loudly. They charged 30 baht entrance to the waterfall and included a free cold bottle of water! Because water bottles cost about as much, we considered it a worthy price and went in. There’s supposed to also be a trail to a view point but the trail quickly disappeared into steep, rocky, viney terrain. Hiking in flip flops, I decided no view point was worth falling into a bush full of who knows what kinds of jungle plants and animals so we opted to stick to the pool at the base of the falls. The water in the pool was cold! Most refreshing part of the day. As we submerged ourselves we started talking with a nice German girl, exchanging travel stories and tips.

Eventually we got out and dried off and headed back downhill toward the night market.
The night market has rows of stalls of different street food options. We wanted to see all the options before deciding what to eat but when we saw sushi we couldn’t resist and got a few pieces to start us off. Then we perused and decided to get some barbecued pork, takoyaki (fried squid balls), chicken satay, spicy papaya salad, fried chicken, coconut pancakes (mind blowing) and we ended with some mango and sweet sticky rice. There were also some artsy stalls but we kept our focus on food that night. Finally, stuffed, we hopped back on the bike and rode back to our hotel just as the sun set.

Friday, April 15

We woke up super early to get picked up at 6am. We got in the back of the same kind of taxi truck and the driver drive us up the island to the dive shop. I think there was some miscommunication because then we waited there for over an hour for everyone else to show up before more of us piled into the truck and we drove to the pier. We met our guide, Reka, an older, small, blonde Hungarian woman. We finally got to a small pier and they had us throw our shoes into a box and climb aboard one of the two boats docked there. It was about an hour on the boat out to Sail Rock it they fed us breakfast of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, bread, and lots of fruit. As we cruised out we noticed a bunch of dive boats from Koh Tao. Sail Rock is about halfway between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan so there was a good mix of dive companies from both islands.

When we got closer Reka gave us a briefing and we learned we would be diving with two other singles: a German girl named Marriane and a German guy named Max. I warned everyone that my ears take a long time to equalize, but perhaps because we had dove a couple times recently (and I’ve been practicing equalizing!) I went down just as fast as everyone else! Immediately as we descended we saw tons of fish. On the first dive we swam counter clockwise around the rock. We saw a bunch of batfish, banner fish, butterfly fish, groupers, barracuda, nudibranchs, and a couple tiger cowrie. After the first dive they fed us a buffet Thai food lunch of green curry, rice, and fried spring rolls. They offered Coca Cola in glass bottles that really hit the spot.
On the second dive we swam clockwise and the current was strong pushing against us. I’ve never swam against a strong current for that long and I found myself getting a little out of breath, which is a weird sensation when you’re sucking air through a tube. On this dive we saw a really cute pufferfish (they are all really cute though), and a big — jellyfish. We also swam over to the chimney, which is an underwater rock formation that you can swim into, up, and out of a hole. The description sounded scarier than it was. It was about as wide as five chimneys and the holes were close together so we could swim in, enjoy being surrounded by rock and coral, and swim out. We also saw another triggerfish but it didn’t seem to mind us.

As we recovered from the second dive and prepared to head back to Koh Pha Ngan, the crew noticed that another boat was having trouble. We ended up throwing a rope to the other boat and towing them all the way back. This made the trip much slower, but it was a beautiful day out on the ocean so we really didn’t mind. Back at the pier we did the trip in reverse and rode with a bunch of people back to the shop before getting our private ride all the way back down to Haad Rin. By the time we got back it was 8pm. We went out to dinner at a place called The Best, and despite the customer service it really was the best. We had Pad See Ew and Tom Yum soup (we ordered Tom Kha which is creamier because of a coconut milk base but were happily surprised with Tom Yum which is more like sweet and sour soup).

Saturday, April 16

The day of the Full Moon Party. The true full moon was actually on the night of the 17th but when we got to the island we learned the party was on the 16th because this was the Saturday after a Thai holiday week so they were putting the party on a date when more people would be there. The timing worked out for us but I warned everyone (Carl) that the pagan gods would not be pleased with this allegiance to capitalism over the natural order of things.

Being over 30 we had to plan and prepare to spend the whole night awake on the beach and partying. First we slept in. Then we went to our resort cafe for a small breakfast sandwich and coffees. We spent a couple hours laying by the pool before we ventured to the beach to get some lunch. It was about 3pm and a lot of restaurants were preparing for the evening festivities. We got turned away from several places that said they were closed even as we looked and saw people dining and drinking in them. We ended up at a cement hovel on the beach that had fans and didn’t have loud techno music blasting in our ears. We got no name vegetable which is fried balls of mixed veggies, and some coconut soup that tasted like someone dumped a can of coconut milk onto some raw veggies. Then we wandered back and took a nap for several hours.

When we woke up it was dark outside. We got our full moon outfits on and wandered out to get dinner. Again a bunch of places were full. We decided to go back up the hill to Lost Paradise where we had been before. We were happy to see the place much busier than before. We got pork Laarb, which is spicy minced meat, coconut soup, and pad Thai. The Laarb wasn’t too spicy to eat and we were happy to stuff ourselves before a night out.

Then we walked down the hill, onto the beach, and into the chaos. There were SO many people. Estimates said there were 10,000 people on the beach, the most since full moon party shut down because of COVID. Every bar on the beach had their own DJ blasting music and there were cocktail bucket stands everywhere you looked. Everyone seemed brimming with joy and relieved to finally be able to party like they did before pandemic times.
We started off with an overpriced bucket that had rum, OJ, and Red Bull and was actually drinkable. We wandered up and down the beach checking out the different fire dancers and beach parties. I overpaid for someone to draw some glow in the dark hearts on my arm. We danced as we moved from bar to bar but we found we actually liked the weird hippie trance part of the beach best. The music was weird but there was fewer people and cool glow in the dark sculptures. We got a couple more cocktail buckets and then switched to beers. We saw some people standing by themselves in the ocean and wondered what they were doing. We realized that all the bathrooms in the area required a fee to use, so many people were using the free natural bathroom. We hopped in the ocean a couple times, also to cool off from the heat.

All of a sudden at 2:20am the music shut off. After all our preparations I was sad the music didn’t go until dawn but in retrospect it was a good thing it stopped when it did. We wandered back to the narrow streets to find some late night snacks before heading home. We found some shawarma burritos that hit the spot. Then we wandered back to the hotel.

Sunday, April 17

We woke up around noon but the world was a terrible, trashy place. We went back to sleep and eventually in the afternoon set out to find something to eat. We went to the first restaurant nearest our hotel, called BT’s, and got fried rice and Pad Thai. It was fine. I probably wouldn’t have balked at an old fried shoe with ketchup on it. We limped back to the hotel and somehow went to sleep at 7 and slept through the whole night.

Monday, April 18

We booked an all day tour to Ang Thong National Park which is a collection of islands to the west of Koh Pha Ngan. Apparently there was a big storm coming in and the forecast said 100% chance of rain on Monday at 11am but supposed to by sunny in the afternoon. We took our chances, and at 8am the driver for the tour showed up at our hotel to pick us up. As we waited for another passenger, the rain started. By the time she got in the truck at 815 it was pouring. The other truck taxis had cages that fit onto the back snugly, with no space between the roof of the truck cab and the cage. Of course, this truck on this rainy day had a wide gap so as we cruised along all the rain water came in and smacked us in the face. We put our rain jackets on and were soaked by the time we reached the pier.

We got out and checked in before boarding an old old wooden ship. No really, the ship was all wood and looked like something Jack Sparrow would’ve traded in. We were lucky to nab some dry seats in the bottom, covered deck, and were surprised by the amount of people that had gone to sit on benches above deck. The crew informed us that, because of the storm, we’d be taking the slow boat and it would take 2 hours (rather than 45 min) to reach the park. They served us breakfast of pineapple, watermelon, granola, cookies and coffee.

We took off and all peered around nervously at the dark, choppy water. The sea was angry that day my friends. We heard the grumblings of thunder and it seemed to be getting louder. Lighting flashed in the distance, seemingly ever closer. I guessed it was because the full moon partiers had partied on the wrong day and the celestial gods were angry. It seemed a little crazy to be venturing out to remote islands in the middle of a tropical thunderstorm, but we knew the forecast predicted sunny skies in the afternoon.

At one point a guy came downstairs and said there were people upstairs voting to turn around. He asked everyone what they thought. Two European families were very adamant to not turn around, pointing to their fancy weather forecasting apps. The guy left but came back a few minutes later with a very scared looking girlfriend. They had put life jackets on and were visibly frightened. The guy told everyone that the crew was pushing rain water off the deck. He seemed to think this was evidence the boat was sinking and he urged everyone to change their minds about turning around. Carl and I didn’t know what to think. We would’ve accepted either fate but we just watched as the groups passionately argued. Finally the girl with the life jacket seemed to be crying and the European families tried to reassure her everything was going to be ok. Seconds later the rain stopped and the sky got brighter, as if the gods wanted to reassure her too. As the sea calmed, the couple did too. They ended up finding a seat right in front of us and we talked with them. They were from Amsterdam and introduced themselves as Nicoletta, a belly dancer, and Amadeus, a DJ. Turns out Nicoletta had experienced a near-sinking boat experience in Indonesia and she was still traumatized.
After a long ride we started approaching big rocky islands.

The boat stopped between two islands and we were told we could swim and snorkel around for an hour. The water was shallow and although most of the coral seemed dead it was amazing how many fish we saw. We saw tons of Sargent major fish, a few parrotfish, needle nose fish, banner fish, and a long nose butterfly fish. We even saw a puffer fish and it was as cute as they come. When we climbed back on board they had lunch waiting for us. They served green curry with rice and fried chicken strips. It was really good, and Carl even went back for seconds.

On the next stop we got out and took smaller boats to the beach. They gave us kayaks and we kayaked along the rocky bluffs along to the next beach. The sun was starting to come out and we could see how turquoise the water was. The ocean has eroded the cliffs at the base allowing us to kayak right up underneath the rocks.

At the next beach we got out and followed signs up ‘steps’ (a ladder) to a viewpoint of Emerald Lake. The lake is saltwater, formed as the mountains rose from plate tectonics and the seawater ate away at limestone. The lake was a deep green color and looked sooo inviting to jump in. Unfortunately (but probably for the best) we weren’t allowed to swim in it. Instead, as everyone climbed back down the stairs (ladder) everyone ran into the warm ocean and sat there until the tour guide told us it was time to go.

Finally they packed us into tiny boats again and took us back to the old old wooden ship. We cruised on the boat for a short time before getting to the next beach. Again they unloaded everyone into smaller boats to go ashore. This beach offered camping, a restaurant, a hike to a view point and some caves. The guide showed us where the view point trail was and wished us luck. The hike was only 500 meters (.3 miles) but it was straight up a stone staircase covered in vines and the air was so humid it felt like we were breathing in fire. We went for it and had to take a few breaks to huff and puff. Luckily, given the beach tour we were on it was totally socially acceptable to be hiking in just a swim suit. As we dripped with sweat it looked like we’d just jumped out of the pool. Toward the top the steps became steeper and less maintained. Finally, we made it, and were rewarded by 360 views of tropical island paradise. Standing up there and peering down on the Sandy beaches and turquoise water, it was hard to remember how ugly and gray the day had started.

We descended the trail and were thinking about going for a swim but we ran into our Dutch friends. They said they were going to look for the caves. Ever down for an adventure, Carl and I could not not follow them. The signs said 280 meters to the cave but the path quickly became treacherous. It was very steep and there were no steps, just thick ropes that you could hold onto with all your body weight. I don’t think the Dutch couple wanted such a hike so they decided to turn back. Carl and I could not turn around, we had to know what lay ahead. We asked our friends to hold the boat for us, in case we were late returning. This was said as a joke but it ended up being a serious concern.
Carl and I trail bashed our way upward, the trail only got worse from there. We kept seeing signs for the cave entrance so we pushed on. Finally we came to a big open cave with large openings. The advertised cave was actually behind this one, but it was so dark and we were out of time so we turned around. We admired the giant stalagmites in the big open cave and then started crawling back down as fast as we could.

I could hear boats in the distance and I sensed they were boats from our tour. Sure enough as soon as we got out of the jungle and onto the beach, we saw a boat leaving. Luckily there was still a whole other boat of passengers boarding, so the timing worked perfectly. We saw our Dutch friends and they said they were starting to worry about us but that they had been prepared to tell the boat to wait for us. Lucky we had them!
Back aboard they served us simple but good tuna sandwiches and we pushed off back toward Koh Pha Ngan. Because the weather was still miraculously nice we decided to sit upstairs. We watched the sun go down over the islands as we made the slow journey back.

Saturday, April 9

The night bus stopped at about 3am for bathrooms and snacks. It stopped at the same place we had stopped at before, 10 years ago, but the place had gotten A LOT nicer since my memory and it seemed like a mall food court instead of a fish market by the side of the road.
Back in the bus. At about 5am we arrived to the ferry dock. They checked our COVID vaccination cards and we got some pretty good hot coffees while we waited for the ferry.

Finally the ferry came and we all boarded, taking off just as the sun was coming up. With all the hazy air it wasn’t so much a sunrise as a sun up, but it was so cool to see the bright red globe of the sun shining through the haze and reflecting off the water.

We were on the catamaran for about an hour before we saw a glimpse of the island. Even though I had only been to Koh Tao once before and for only a few days, I felt really nostalgic. The dense green jungle and huge smooth boulders crept right up to the water’s edge. The water was bright blue, and so clear in some places that we could see colorful tropical fish from the pier.

We disembarked and walked to our hotel, the Blue Diamond. They let us check in super early at about 7am. We dropped our stuff and got some breakfast before we started asking around dive shops about diving the next day. We started with the shop next door, Scuba Birds. When we walked in a very ugly shaven poodle-like dog greeted us. Despite its bad haircut it was very sweet.

A tall guy with bleached blonde hair came out from the back and stared at us. I asked him if they were going diving the next couple of days and in a very casual tone with a thick Russian accent he said ‘sure, sure, take a seat’. Eventually the owner, a shorter woman with blonde hair and also a casual tone and Russian accent, came out and gave us the spiel. They offered a two-tank reef dive the next day so we signed up. Then we decided to walk to the northern end of Sairee beach to get a lay of the the land. It was further than I had remembered and so SO hot. We were dripping with sweat when we got to the final dive shop. We asked everyone where they were going the next couple days and how much their dives cost. Scuba birds ended up being the cheapest at 700 baht/tank ($21 USD) or 1400/day ($42 USD) per person. On our walk back we got a mango and coconut pancake (crepe) from a street stand. It was really fried and really good. The guy who makes the pancakes always has music playing and he seems to be loving life. The stand has a sign that says ‘for sure you will come back’ and for sure we did, many times.

Back at our hotel we grabbed our swimsuits and newly purchased very cheap snorkels and went swimming in the beach in front of the hotel. There was a ton of trash in the water but also a surprising amount of fish! We saw parrot fish, sea cucumbers, needle nose fish, and a bunch of others that I don’t know their names!

Then we went back up to the hotel and read on the patio for a bit. Finally, when I went to take a shower, I was so exhausted I thought I was going to pass out. As a safety precaution we had to take a nap. Of course, taking a nap at 5pm was dangerous and when we woke up to an alarm at 6, we decided we needed just one more hour. Then at 7 the last thing I ever wanted to do was get out of that bed so we set our alarms for the next morning and slept another 12 hours.

Sunday, April 10

When our alarms went off at 7am we woke up easy and felt great! We wandered over to the main pier to look for the owner of Scuba Birds. Instead, the blonde guy from the day before showed up on a motor bike with the biggest smile and a couple of dive bags. He told us our boat was tethered the furthest from the dock so we had to walk across the other boats to get to it. We felt like pirates as we held onto wooden post piles and hopped from deck to deck, through hoards of people getting their scuba gear ready. Finally our boat was all aboard and ready and we took off toward the northern part of the island, Mango Bay.

Our guide that day was named Olga and she was very easy going and obviously had a huge passion for fish. The first dive was very shallow and went over a forest of different coral. Although there were tons of fish, we were actually more impressed and surprised with the different coral, sea cucumbers, clams, and nudibranchs that seemed like aliens trying to pretend they belonged on the sea floor. Toward the end of the dive we saw a hoard of parrot fish having a feeding frenzy and I was so happy because these are my favorite fish. We also saw a turtle hanging out just under a rock, scratching its back on the rock like it had an itch. There was one fish with beautiful yellow, ruffling back fins and a big yellow nose that I didn’t know what it was. Later we learned this was a titan trigger fish and they can actually be very aggressive and territorial so its good we didn’t go for a closer look!
We got back on the boat and had a little rest as we jetted over to the next spot, called Twins, named after the two massive rocks underwater that host a variety of coral. This site was a little more clear and had better visibility and we saw tons of different fish. In particular, the angelfish were stunning with vibrant purple, orange and yellow blocks interspersed with fluorescent blue stripes. Pictures of these guys do not convey how gorgeous they are.

After the dive we got lunch at a place just up the road called Bam Bam which is known for quality Thai food that tastes like your Thai grandma just made it. We had pad thai (again!) and a fried fish with garlic pepper sauce. It was really good but it was so hot and the flies wouldn’t leave us alone so the ambiance kinda lowered the score for me.

Afterward we decided to walk to Shark Bay, located on the southern tip of the island. Google said it was a 6 minute drive and a 30 minute walk. Normally, Carl and I wouldn’t bat an eye at a walk of anything less than 2 hours but this was up and down hills and in tropical heat, so it was a bit rough. We noticed no one else chose to walk and everyone zipped by us on motorbikes. Even grandmas holding babies would zip by us as we walked like peasants along the road. We also noticed that all the tourists had skinned knees and elbows and I’ve heard stories about getting scammed on preexisting damages when you return the bike, so we stuck with the decision to be pedestrians. Finally we made it and found a steep staircase leading downhill to a resort located on the big rocks right next to the water. Even just sitting on the rocks I could see parrot fish in the water.

We took turns snorkeling and Carl saw a huge turtle the size of him! It was so shallow that Carl floated right above it, so close he probably could’ve touched it.
We walked back as the sun set. For dinner that night we walked along the beach to find Thai and seafood BBQ. We had Massaman curry and a barbecued tilapia that was in some kind of amazing sauce. We could hear people partying up and down the beach but we were proud enough just staying awake until 10pm so we went back to our cute hotel and got some more sleep before the next dive day.

Monday, April 11

We agreed to meet our Russian scuba friends of Scuba birds in their boat at about 7am. On the way to the pier the pancake stand was open so I opted for an egg and cheese pancake and it was just as good as the mango coconut one I had before. I could eat those pancakes for every meal.
At the pier we found Olga and she directed us to the boat. Our guide for that day was Nelly, another Russian woman with short blonde hair. Nelly seemed more frantic above water than Olga but she was so much calmer underwater. She’s obviously one of those people who was a fish in her former life. She was also very conscious of our safety.

The dive we did that morning was called Chumpon pinnacle and it is a big rock formation that you can swim around. The rock goes very deep, 30 meters (90 ft) so there were divers with advanced certification that were with us to dive that deep. Even though Carl and I have dove even deeper before (don’t ask me about Florida), Koh Tao is really strict on their rules and they wouldn’t let us go deep without being advanced certified, which is fair. Even circling the rock at slightly shallower depths (18m or 60ft) we saw SO much. Immediately as we came down the buoy line we were surrounded by a school of yellow and silver fish and saw a pair of purple Angelfish fighting (one of the women in our group asked why they were fighting and Carl replied, ‘maybe they are in love’). Almost immediately after, Carl spotted a Moray eel and pointed it out to everyone just before the eel slipped away into a rocky cave.

We swam around and over the tops of the rocks covered in coral and sea anemone. At one point I was in a big cleft of a rock that was covered in an anemone field. I was very tempted to roll around in the soft tentacles, but decided to save the hospital visit, for now.
Nelly had a go pro and a flashlight so she kindly took a ton of photos of us and used the light to show us creatures hiding in rocks. She pulled out teeny tiny shrimpies and held them in her hand to show us. As we moved from the rock we saw a massive school of barracuda. Olga motioned for me to swim through them (which seemed like a bad idea but I trusted her). Carl and I swam into the swirl and then found ourselves completely surrounded by a column of encircling barracuda. We also saw a huge white sea cucumber with little black feet. It was cute and disgusting at the same time. We also saw some varicose wart nudibranch which are prettier than their name suggests.

The next dive was to a wreck, which itself wasn’t that interesting except as a platform for taking photos. After we swam over to another rocky/coral area and continued to see a bunch of fish and weird sea creatures.

After the dive we got some lunch at a place near our hotel called Coconut Monkey. On the dive we met two girls that live and teach in Bangkok and they had recommended Coconut Monkey for lunch. When we walked in we saw them there with our dive guide Olga having lunch so we joined them. We ate and talked about diving, fish, and nudibranchs. The place was geared toward hippie vegan westerners but it was really good food. We had a grilled veggie wrap, fresh spring rolls, kombucha, and a smoothie! We like to eat Thai food in Thailand but this was the best hippie western food we’d had in a while.
Afterward we went back to our hotel and chilled on the balcony and explored the hotel pool which was soooo nice and not too cold.

With no plans to dive the next day we opted to ‘go out’ and get dinner and drinks and watch a fire dancing show. We walked about half an hour along Sairee beach down to a place called Lotus, where they have fire dancing every night. The sun was still up and festivities hadn’t started yet so we went one door down to a Thai restaurant and got a table on the beach. We got chicken cashew fried rice which was good, prawn crackers that were fine, and some spicy pork curry that was a little too spicy for me! Then we walked back to Lotus and got there just as things were heating up…
We ordered two mai tais and they tasted like they had Red Bull in them..too sweet and not good. So we switched back to Chang and got some loungey beach seats toward the back while we watched the guys dance with fire ropes and sticks. They were so good, that we sat enthralled watching them for 2 hours. At one point they pulled out the fire jump rope and some gringos were drunk enough to try. We watched mistakes but it seemed like no one was too badly burned, or maybe they didn’t feel it yet…

We decided to save the rest of our partying for the next island and walked back to our hotel for the night.

Tuesday, April 12

We slept in and went back to the coconut monkey for breakfast. We got a mixed berry smoothie bowl that was so good it felt wrong. We also got a divers egg wrap that had some grilled veggies in it that was simple but good.

We meandered over to the taxi stand and got a water taxi out to the island Koh Nang Yuan, just off the coast of Sairee beach. The round trip taxi cost 400 baht per person ($11) and the entrance fee to the island was 250bht/person ($8) so more of an expensive day in Thailand than we expected, but it was worth it. The taxi boat man asked us to wait as he went and for two more passengers (a Thai couple there for the holiday week) and with his gout-ridden feet he hobbled toward his brightly colored long boat and motioned for us to follow.

When we got to the island we immediately went to hike the viewpoint. The hike is very short but it’s straight up the hill on a cement staircase (and remember, hot as hell). We got to the top and took some pictures just before a hoard of people arrived after us. We were lucky we got there when we did and then we had some trouble getting back down as we skirted around people on the one-way staircase.

From here we went to the beach next to an underwater area called Japanese Garden, which is a popular shallow diving site. We figured we would try to snorkel it and see if we could see the same things. We left some stuff on the beach and put our valuables in a dry sack to bring with us and we waded out into the clear water.
Immediately we saw a bunch of parrotfish, Angelfish, longfin banner fish, sergeant majors, groupers, wrasses, Christmas tree worms, and some sea anemones with clown fish hiding within. We floated around for a bit and I tried to take pictures with my phone but failed. I was able to take a surprisingly good video of parrotfish hanging out in the shallows.

As we turned back toward the shore we saw a big triggerfish that freaked us out, but it didn’t seem to notice us and swam away.
On shore there were ten sets of two chairs and an umbrella and otherwise no shade at all. I asked a couple how they rented their chairs and they said ‘sorry you should’ve come earlier, we took the last one’…
So we went over to the restaurant that had a big tree providing shade and some decaying wooden picnic tables and stools. We got some overpriced Changs and Pad Thai and enjoyed the views and a rare blow of ocean breeze.

As we sat, we noticed a family that was leaving their chairs so I ran over and asked if we could use them. The lady was so nice and said ‘of course! Stand closer so no one else steals them!’ So then we had some beach chairs and much needed shade.

We read on the beach for a bit and took turns snorkeling. On my turn I saw many more triggerfish and it freaked me out. On Carl’s turn he went to the other side of the beach (which was only about 10 feet wide). He also saw some triggerfish but then he saw three black finned reef sharks and decided to call it a day. At 4pm we had to leave the island and meet our taxi boat guy to take us back.

When we got back to the hotel we went to the pool to cool off for a bit longer before taking showers. As we got in, there was a British couple swimming that noticed our sunburned backs and they said ‘looks like someone went snorkeling today!’ We ended up talking with them for a while and they gave us some tips on the next island we’d be visiting (Koh Pha Ngan) and on Cambodia.
For dinner that night I wanted something quality so I did some research and found a place called The Gallery that had good reviews. On the map it looked like it was located a little inland and would be a 30 min walk walk to get to, but didn’t seem too bad. The walk ended up being along a major freeway for a bit, which was terrifying, and then up the steepest hill of my life. We should’ve known that inland on an island like this means upland!

We finally climbed our way up the steps to the restaurant. There were several couples having drinks on a balcony overlooking an amazing view of the jungle and the ocean. The guy told us the place was reservations only and fully booked and then gave us such a look of pity when we told him we had walked all the way there. To make the journey worth it we got a couple of beers and watched the sundown (not much for sunset) over the ocean.

Then we walked back down the hill and along the highway for a little bit down to Sairee Beach. The bartender at The Gallery had recommended a restaurant called Whitening so we headed toward it. The place was packed and a waiter rudely dismissed me when I asked for a table but eventually we were connected with the hostess and she said there may be hope. Finally one of the waiters said “just sit there” pointing to a 4 top, and we didn’t argue.
We ordered cocktails. I got the Tom Rum which was designed to taste like my favorite Tom Yum soup. It was close, but needed more coconut. Carl got the Sairee Sunset and it was like a fruity rum punch. For a starter we ordered prawn and avocado crostinis. They brought out sliced baguette pieces with cream cheese(?) spread on top with one shrimp and two small pieces of avocado on each bread. The ingredients were good but it seemed like something I would’ve made while standing in the kitchen wondering what to make for dinner. For mains we got a spicy salad and a seafood stew. The salad was amazing. It had some kind of shredded citrus fruit (orange?) with big shrimps, peanuts, basil, and all in a vinegary coconut sauce. The seafood stew had a garlicky black bean sauce that was nice but too spicy for me. For desert we had mango with coconut sticky rice and I vowed next time to order this desert at the same time as the rest of the food so I could have something besides a fancy cocktail to cool down my poor burning mouth.

We walked back to our hotel and packed our bags to prepare for a ferry to Koh Pha Ngan the next morning.

Carl and I have both been to Bangkok before, separately. I came to Thailand with my parents almost exactly 10 years ago when I was teaching English in South Korea. Carl had been with his sister in 2016 and they went to Bangkok and Chang Mai. Even though I went to Koh Tao before, we knew we wanted to dive there so we decided to see all the gulf islands: Koh Tao, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Samui. We’ve both done all the touristy things in Bangkok already: the Wats, the floating market, etc. So we decided not to repeat these things and spend as little time in the city as needed to get to the gulf islands.

Thursday, April 7

We made use of our newfound freedom from quarantine by first going to the mall (6th biggest in the world apparently) to find an ATM. We found that the 4th floor of the building across the street was the bank/atm floor and we had so many to choose from! Then we got an iced latte and I’m sorry to say it was the best coffee I’ve had in a while (sorry Nescafé of South America).

We got a tuk tuk to the touristy street, Khao San road. We’ve been waiting until we got to Thailand to buy some cheap clothes that we’ve been needing. Carl bought a tank top and brightly colored short sleeve button up so that he can morph into full bro. Then we went over to the bus ticket office and got two tickets to Koh Tao for the following eve. The lady said there were only four left and we realized the next week was a Thai holiday (new year!) and probably everyone has the week off. Good thing it’s still so hard for non-Thai tourists to get in to the country otherwise the tickets may have been sold out for us!

Then we went to a restaurant on Rambuttri road, right across from the Rambuttri House hotel where I had stayed with my parents before. On that trip I had eaten a papaya salad at the same restaurant and it was so spicy that I almost blacked out. There was no papaya salad on the menu anymore but besides this change, there were many things the same on Khao San and it was fun to reminisce. As we ate we eyed the Thai massage place across the street.

Even though our bellies were full, a massage seemed like a good idea. They led us upstairs to a nice air-conditioned room. We both agreed that the massage was closer to a physical therapy session and although the elbows in our backs felt good, the part where they pulled our arms back to stretch us nearly broke my back in half and I had to politely say “please stop”.

Having done all the touristy things on Khao San road we felt fulfilled and ready to go back to our Courtyard Marriott sanctuary. We explored what was on tv and settled on watching the RBG movie. We were both so exhausted and still jet lagged that the movie made us cry. When RBG came on screen at the end I laugh-sobbed because of how ridiculously tired and emotional we felt. So then we went to sleep.

Friday, April 8

I woke up at 430am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I listened to my book on tape, Little Women, for an hour and a half and realized that if that didn’t make me fall back asleep, nothing would. Eventually Carl stirred and also could not sleep so we decided to get up and look for some food. We walked along the busy street and immediately found food carts. One had iced coffees and another had veggie spring rolls (the not fried kind) and a kind of rice with fried chicken. It had a fried egg on it so we said ‘close enough to breakfast’ and took everything back to our hotel room to munch on. If possible the coffee was even better than the one I had the day before. Also fresh spring rolls for breakfast may be my new thing- they were great!

We didn’t have to check out until noon so we took advantage of our fancy pants hotel and sat by the pool for a bit. Already at 8am it was SO hot and dunking into the unheated pool water felt so refreshing.

Eventually we had to say goodbye to this paradise and checked out. The hotel let us leave our bags for the day so we went out to explore.
We headed to the mall to find a unique food court experience but as we tried to cross the street a nice old Thai man stopped us and engaged us in conversation. We told him we were looking for food and he recommended an area called Thai Town that he said had food options near the pier. I tried to look it up on a map but couldn’t find it. Then he showed us pictures of a boat, the famous temple, the floating market, etc. He advised us to get a tuk tuk for 40-50 baht down to the area. This is when we smelled a scam and we politely thanked him and left.
As soon as we got across the street another nice Thai man stopped to chat with us. He told us about his daughter who lives in South Carolina. This man also dissuaded us from going to the mall and told us to check out the local food market instead. He said we should tell a tuk tuk driver to take us to Sawadee (hello) pier. He seemed more convincing than the last guy and we did want local food so we took his advice and got a tuk tuk to this area. And it was all a scam.
When we got there, there was only one restaurant next to a shabby looking pier. A man was waiting for us out front. He had a laminated pdf describing the tour package he wanted us to buy: take a water taxi across the canal to the temple, see the floating markets, etc. We were disappointed in ourselves that we got scammed, especially because my parents and I had been similarly scammed 10 years ago! So, we had already seen the things he was offering and we politely refused and walked away. At least, we told ourselves optimistically, we were in a new part of Bangkok we had never been to before and we didn’t lose any money in the scam.
As we walked ‘back’ we walked toward China town to find somewhere to eat. It’s likely that no western tourist has walked on the streets that we did which were lined with hardware shops selling strips of metal, cleaning supplies, industrial equipment, etc- everything a tourist could want!! Eventually we came to something resembling China town and found a place selling pork buns that were ok.
We came upon a clothes market that was geared toward Thai customers. Everything was super cheap but all the t-shirts had terrible things in English written on them. My favorite was one that said ‘glock’ on the right pec and had a sad drawing of a gun below it. We didn’t see anything that appealed to us, but it was fun to look. Eventually we came to some food carts parked in front of a 7-11. I went into 7-11 to get us some cold bevies and Carl got us lunch of pad Thai and fried spring rolls for 70 baht ($2). We were close to the canal with water taxis so we decided to test one out. We had to wait a bit but when the boat finally came it speeded down the canal and we were back to the mall area in no time. And it only cost .25 cents/person!

By this point in the day I was really feeling my jet lag early morning wake up. We got another ice coffee but it didn’t inspire anymore adventures. So we went back to the Marriott, sent fond goodbyes and got a taxi back to Khao San road to get the night bus.

We opted for a different restaurant than the one we had been to the day before but really all of them are exactly the same. We sat outside on hip hippie furniture and took advantage of the happy hour deal to just sit and use the WiFi while we waited for time to pass. We ordered some food- pad Thai and fried rice- which was surprisingly good for how touristy the place was. Despite the jet lag blurriness we also managed to down 3 large Thai beers. Feeling good, it was time to check in for our bus.

Somehow the bus company still uses chaos as their organization model. They gave us all different colored stickers that corresponded to different buses that were parked down the road. We realized that many of the tourists were actually Thai and so it was even more miraculous that we heard them call our group to the bus because they just yelled in Thai at everyone standing around. We saw some other blue sticker peeps and they confirmed, in English, we were going to the right bus.

When we got on I put in my earplugs and put on my eye mask and fell asleep almost instantly.

To plan where we wanted to go in SE Asia on this trip we made a spreadsheet with the countries we wanted to visit, looked up current COVID entry requirements, and assigned a value of easy, medium, or hard for each one. For example, only needing to show proof of negative PCR test before arrival would be easy. Having to book through certified tourism agency and quarantine for 5 days would be considered hard. The next step was researching price of flights from South America to SE Asia. It seemed that across the board the cheapest hub to fly into was Bangkok so we decided to go to Thailand. Even though we’ve both been there before we haven’t been to all the places we wanted to see. Plus, you’re allowed to go diving and partying in Thailand more than once in your lifetime.

I rated Thailand as medium COVID travel difficulty because under the Test and Go Pass scheme you need to obtain a Thai pass before departure (can take a few days to be approved) which requires uploading several documents including certification of paid hotel in a government approved hotel for one night, private airport transfer to hotel, COVID test upon arrival and test kit for 5 days after arrival. We decided to stay at the Courtyard Marriott in Bangkok and (after I filled in a complaint form to get an email address that worked) we were able to sort out all the details and pay with them.

We first flew from Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo. We checked out of the hostel and had an amazing breakfast of French toast and salmon-stuffed hashbrown at a place called Adorado Bar Soho.

Then we got a cab to the airport. We made it through security and passport control with 3 hours to spare and just enough pesos left to get two beers at Outback Steakhouse, two takeaway sandwiches, two alfajores (Argentinian chocolate pastries), and two candies that were 10 pesos each so we only had 10 pesos left over as a souvenir! We were proud of our Club WU money management.

When we started to board they were cleaning the bathrooms nearest to our gate so I ran down to the next bathroom. When I ran back, our zone had already been called so we rushed to the front. Even though we were given mobile boarding passes (not sure why) they stopped us and asked to check all our required documents to get into Thailand (fair). Keep in mind this was a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Sao Paolo, Brazil and it was operated by Air Canada. The plane was scheduled to go to Toronto after. So, when the man at the desk argued with us about Thailand entry requirements, we understood it was not his field of knowledge. We showed him everything but his documentation said that we needed 5 night paid hotel stay (a different entry scheme) while we showed him the Thai embassy website that clearly said only 1 night is needed under Test and Go. We argued for a bit but then I could tell they held all the cards (our boarding passes!) and were not relenting. So we tried to book the same hotel for 4 more nights. The airport WiFi had worked great at Outback Steakhouse but, of course, was essentially not working in front of the gate. Everyone else had boarded and they looked like they were getting ready to close the gates. I started to freak out. Luckily, a nice staff person offered for us to use his hotspot (bless you sir!). We were able to book the Courtyard for 4 more nights, show the confirmation email to the other two staff who were not as helpful and get on the plane right before they closed the gate. When we got to Thailand we confirmed we just needed the one night and I was able to cancel the other nights, without penalty (thanks Marriott!). During the three hour flight we watched Nightmare Alley.

In Sao Paolo they disembarked everyone and funneled us into a hallway. We were supposed to have a 2.5 hour layover but the plane was late by an hour so we only had 1.5 from landing until next take off. They asked for passengers going to Toronto and Montréal to go through security first. We figured their plane was taking off before ours so we obliged. Then we realized we only had 30 minutes before our boarding time and a long line ahead of us. The girl behind us had a connecting flight that was already boarding. Using her, we asked staff if we could jump the line, and they let us. We rushed through security. They threw out my water (not Carl’s) and our bug spray. Carl started to protest the bug spray and I said “there’s no time, man!!” so he let the woman take it and we charged. When we made it to the gate they had just started boarding. We were zone 2 and well placed to board the plane early. When we got to the front of the line they looked at our Air Canada boarding passes and made us go to their agent.

Qatar airlines had to recheck all our requirements for Thailand. I said ‘fair’ but wondering how we would be allowed to get stuck in Sao Paolo but not Doha…The man questioned our travel insurance, like they had done before in Bolivia. I showed him a letter from World Nomads (for Argentina and our last travel policy that ended in March) that explained that health coverage includes COVID coverage. Why people don’t see that health coverage includes COVID (is it not a health problem??) I don’t know. But I recommend you purchase insurance that specifically has the words COVID coverage to avoid this ridiculous issue. The guy took both our phones (Carl’s had the coverage, mine had the letter) to show his manager. I prayed to the travel gods and they came through, they accepted it.

Then they asked for proof of exit for Thailand. I had read that we might need to show this, depending on the person working deciding to ask for it. We told them we had a bus to Cambodia scheduled. They asked to see the ticket and we had nothing to show. So again, with minimal internet – only LTE- I somehow used the Hopper app to buy a plane ticket to Siem Reap. A lot of people were transferring in Doha to go to Australia so at least we weren’t the only ones frantically trying to prove we met requirements at the gate. Our confirmation email came in minutes before they closed the gate and they let us board. When we got on the plane I canceled the flight but did incur a fee.

The flight from Sao Paolo to Doha was 14 hours. We watched Last Night in SOHO, Gattaca, and the new Scream. They fed us dinner, snacks and breakfast. When we asked for beer the steward said that because of Ramadan she had to bring two cups of foamy beer from the back instead of a can. I still don’t understand how that skirted Ramadan rules but it was funny to drink out of several plastic cups, especially because the young Brazilian guy next to us was taking selfie videos and going ‘woooo!’ We tried to sleep, but I wasn’t very successful.

In Doha, touted as the gateway to the world, we had about 1.5 hour layover. The transfer was easy, we found the gate, and stood in line to check in. They had us check in before boarding (smart) and only asked to see our Thai pass (should’ve been this way the whole time!). We were quickly and nicely approved and we waited in a separate room until boarding.

The flight from Doha to Bangkok was 7 hours and we watched Split, another scary movie to keep our theme going. They turned the lights on to give out food at about 2-3 am plane time because they had to wait until sundown to serve the meal. We had no idea what time it was anyway so we didn’t mind but Split was such a dark movie that we could barely see it when the lights were on. SPOILER!!! (did he just eat her?)

Upon arrival in Bangkok at 6:15am they asked to see the Thai pass again and some paperwork we had filled out on the plane. It was quick and efficient. Then we went to the area where hotels pick up passengers for private transport. We only had to wait a little while before they escorted us to our driver, in a nice black car. When we got to the hotel the driver drove into the parking garage. There was a poor woman sitting in the dark garage wearing a face shield, white coveralls, and gloves. She had our names on stickers and was ready to give us our COVID test. She reached into the car to give us our tests and afterward the driver pulled around front and we checked in as if it were normal times. They didn’t explain where the pool was or what time breakfast was served because we had to go quarantine ourselves until we got our results back anyways. We went upstairs and had the BEST showers of our lives. I felt reborn. We then took a nap until just after 1pm when the front desk called to tell us our results: Not Detected. I said, “negative?” and she said “yes!”. Then we were free to explore.

Saturday, April 2

We got the morning bus back from El Chaltén to El Calafate and arrived in town about 11am. After we checked into our hostel, named Schilling, we walked down to the Patagonia brewery taproom. We shared lamb empanadas and two IPAs: a citra for me and a milkshake IPA for Carl.

The empanadas and beers were surprisingly good and we might have stayed longer and had more but we are on a tighter budget with this Blue Dollar/Argentinian cash situation so we walked back to the hostel and hung out until dinner time. For dinner we walked down to a restaurant called Pura Vida which was touted for having tasty lamb dishes. We shared the lamb stew and lamb pie and the cheapest Malbec on the menu.

The food was good size portions and the lamb was quite, well, lamby. Overall we thought the lamb pie won because the mashed potatoes on top were delicious. We walked home and went to sleep early, preparing for the next day’s big adventure…

Sunday, April 3

We woke up at 6 and got dressed quickly, making it to the breakfast room by 620. In the reviews for Schilling hostel one person commented that the included breakfast was the best meal they had eaten in Argentina. This was quite a statement, so expectations were high. The staff person made us some scrambled eggs and we had cereal, pastry bread, and coffee. It was nowhere near the best meal WE had in Argentina, but it was a great hostel breakfast nonetheless.

At 6:45 a big bus pulled up outside the hostel and Martin, the bus guide, checked our names off a list and welcomed us onboard. The bus stopped at several other hostels and hotels and I took note of where the fanciest places were, for next time (The Mirador looked swanky).

Martin explained some things about Patagonia and the Perito Moreno glacier, most of which we had heard when we visited PM before, but some information was new. After we entered the park at about 8am the sun was rising. The low hanging clouds made for a beautiful sunrise over the lake with colors of hot pink, electric yellow, and a nice rosy orange color lighting up the clouds from below and reflecting off the lake.

We stopped at the glacier boardwalks for everyone to get the views of the glacier before we went to it. This was the same spot Carl and I had gone to before by bus. The last time the weather had been perfect, sunny, and high 60s. This time it was cloudy, kinda rainy, and really windy. The rain was coming sideways and blowing our hoods off our heads. This answered my question from the previous week of why the covered area had a glass window to look at the glacier. Now I understood that the rain in Patagonia doesn’t always fall down, it flies sideways. So we took advantage of the shelter and sat on a dry bench, watching the glacier to see if any ice would fall. It was also interesting to see how much the shape of the glacier had changed since the previous week. We could see that huge chunks of wall had fallen and there were giant icebergs floating nearby. It seemed the glacier had been more active when the sun was out -perhaps the melting caused more falling?- and we didn’t see any movement while we sat. We had a good talk with Martin though and he told us that the middle of the glacier (which is the fastest part, just like a river) moves about 2.5 meters per day!

We all climbed back aboard the bus and drove down to the dock to get the ferry. This ferry ride was really similar to the one we had done the week before but instead of lingering in front of the glacier it took us ashore onto the other side.

We disembarked and met our hiking guides. We decided to go with the English speaking group because, as much as we like to practice speaking Spanish, when our life depends on hearing instructions correctly I ask that we listen to our native language, when possible. The guides for our group were two men (and I didn’t catch their names!!). One was a little older, more serious, and much calmer. He lead us the whole way and would occasionally stop and tell us something about the glacier. He was extremely knowledgeable and obviously very passionate about hiking and his chosen home of Patagonia. The other guide was a little younger, with an English accent that he attributed to his English-speaking parents. He was the more erratic of the two, joking around and literally jumping around at points. He followed the group and would come up along the side to help push people up hills or lend a hand as we jumped over a crevasse.

We followed the guides up a dirt trail to an equipment hut. They gave us helmets and a harness to which they affixed a rope with lobster clamps on it. Then we hiked further along the dirt trail, parallel to the glacier, before reaching another hut where they outfitted us with crampons. We held our crampons and descended toward the glacier. The wind was so strong at points that we though we’d get blown off the mountain. The younger guide demonstrated how to walk in the wind, legs wide, knees bent, upper body crouched down. I half-listened thinking he was being dramatic.

Then we reached the point where we needed the lobster clamps. We clamped ourselves to the metal wire along the mountain, in case we slipped, so we would not fall into the glacier below. This sounds really intense but actually the ledge here was pretty wide and felt much safer than even the hikes we had done in El Chaltén. The lobster clamps seemed a little overkill. However, the guides mentioned that the hill adjacent to the glacier is eroding, so we think the extra precaution is preparation for the day when this tour does have only a rocky ledge to traverse.

Finally we left the metal safety rope and walked down toward the glacier. The glacial moraine was soft and at some spots very unstable. When we were close to the glacier the wind gust picked up. It felt like we were walking through a hurricane. It was so strong that we couldn’t walk and we all had to crouch in place and wait for it to pass. We crouched there, wind blowing tiny bits of sand into our faces and I realized the weather was going to make this more of a Tier II fun type of day. When finally the gust subsided we stood up and the older guide called us over to talk. I was certain he was going to say, “hey guys, sorry, the winds are too strong and it wouldn’t be safe to walk on the glacier today.” I would’ve been disappointed, but understood, and enjoyed going back to a warm hut to wait for the boat back. Instead he said, “hey guys, the wind does not always blow the same. When there is a big gust, you need to crouch down and wait for it to blow over. Also make sure to keep your crampons in the ice so you don’t slide away”. And then we walked down, onto the ice.

They helped us put our crampons on and we walked up a big ice hill for our first view across the glacier. It was breathtaking. It was like standing on an ancient river transformed into ice, frozen in time. The icy hills and weird formations went on as far as we could see. Peeking out from crevasses and holes in the ice were spots of vibrant, gorgeous, deep blue color. Where the glacier was melting and forming tiny rivers the surface was a soft, lighter blue, exactly the color of the Gatorade flavor Glacial Freeze (someone did their homework).

The guides instructed us to take wide steps to avoid crampons getting caught on each other. We were told to walk like a penguin with feet out when going uphill and like a skier (hot dog) with feet parallel when going down. Again, they said, crouch down when the wind blows too hard.

They led us along a ridge and then through undulating ice fields while we got used to the crampons. At various points the sun came out and we would look around and enjoy our collective miracle. It was like being on the moon. Then the wind would pick up and the rain would come again. The rain came at us sideways. We thought we felt hail but I think it was the wind picking up tiny bits of ice from the glacier and throwing them at the 1 cm sq of exposed skin on our faces. We all wore sunglasses to protect our eyes but soon I couldn’t see through the water. We wore gloves to protect our hands from being cut on the ice in case we fell and the gloves were soon soaked with ice cold water.

The guides led us around to various spots for photo opportunities including a deep crevasse with dark blue water flowing through it, a mini ice cave that we could walk inside of, and a pond -again- filled with that deep blue colored water that was unreal. As we walked the weather cycled through bouts of windy rain (we called it ‘snow wind’) before another sunny period again when we’d forget all our troubles and stare with awe at the surrounding icescape.

The guides found a nice spot sheltered by the wind and the sun came out for long enough that we decided to have some lunch. Everyone sat on their backpacks on the ice and got out their sandwiches. I made the mistake of taking my wet gloves off and exposing my hands to the air. By the time I was done with my sandwich I couldn’t feel my fingers. And then the bad weather came back, so we started to move again. My hands were so cold they ached and I thought to ask what getting frostbite feels like but it was too windy for anyone to hear me. Needless to say, after lunch I was feeling miserable and ready to get the heck out of there and back to a warm hut. Even Carl said his hands were cold, so I knew we were too exposed to endure any longer.

They led us back. We took off the crampons and carried them up the hill. Again we traversed with lobster clamps but this time our hands didn’t work as well because of the cold so it took two hands doing what one used to do, and twice as long. Finally we got back to the equipment hut and then walked to the refuge hut near the shore. They had bathrooms and hot coffee waiting for us.

When the boat came we all boarded and to our delight they handed everyone a tumbler glass of whisky with a giant ice cube in it- ice from the glacier! They also gave us chocolates and a keychain* of a golden crampon, to remember the tour fondly forever.

We said goodbye to Perito Moreno and sailed back to the ferry dock. As we climbed aboard the bus to take us back, my favorite Coldplay** song was playing on the radio. A good end to an adventurous day.

We had them drop us off in town and went to the last brewery we hadn’t tried. We got a milanesa to split and good thing we split it because it was huge. We indulged and let ourselves have 2 beers, one of which was a Calafate beer that was really good- not too sweet- like carbonated calafate-infused water. We trudged home and had hot showers before going to sleep early again, exhausted.

*in every country in South America we’ve serendipitously received keychains, and it’s become kind of a joke for us. In Colombia, our travel agent surprised us with a gift bag at our hostel. In Bolivia, we were given little fighter women as a momento from the women’s wrestling tour. In Peru I had given up on getting one but as we were sitting in a cafe on our last day in Cusco a little boy came around to every table and sold me a llama keychain with only one eye that was so cheap it was basically free.
**as a joke I said my New Year’s resolution this year was to listen to more Coldplay. Carl did not think was funny. I’m probably the only person in the planet that has so easily stuck to my resolution because every single place we go in South America they are playing Coldplay, and a lot of it.

Monday, April 4

Woke up at 6 again, ate breakfast at 630 again, got a taxi to the airport. It was an easy 3 hour flight back to Buenos Aires. We decided to stay in a private room in a hostel because this seemed the cheapest and easiest option. We stayed at Play Hostel in Arco district. The place was a little run down, but suited our needs. We were given the Red Hot Chili Peppers room which had just one tiny picture of RCHP on the wall and otherwise no indication of the theme, which was funny to us. We checked in and then rushed over to get some PCE tests (negative again!!) before getting some fancy coffees and going back to the hostel.

They had a roof terrace which we sat on for several hours, reading our books and drinking some new IPAs we had found at a nearby beer store.

Then we went to our last Argentinian dinner. We went to La Cabrera which Lonely Planet had described as being a casual spot for tourists wanting an authentic meal. They also opened ‘early’ at 6, unlike truly authentic Argentinian restaurants which don’t open until 7 or 8.
The place was fancier than we had expected but they had an amazing happy hour deal where if you ordered and finished between 6-8pm everything was 40 percent off. We got a steak done rare, ceasar salad and puréed pumpkin. They had so many side dishes (not free, they include them on your check called cubiertos) that were really good like marinated garlic, a chickpea and bacon mix and even stewed pears which were sweet and different. We ordered the cheapest Malbec to pair and it was probably the nicest wine we’ve had in Argentina. Given the early hour of dining there were three families with small children also eating outside. At one point a couple sat behind us and were playing their own music, loudly, on their phone. With that, and the screaming crying children we decided to hurry up and get our bill – just before 8pm – and enjoyed the great happy hour discount as we shuffled home with extremely full bellies.

We went to sleep early to prepare for the next day when we would take a flight from Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo to Doha to… Bangkok!! Just 28 hours of traveling to get from South America to SE Asia and the next chapter of our big adventure.

Today we woke up very sore and slightly hungover. After close to 40 miles of hiking in three days it’s amazing we aren’t feeling worse. As I waddled to the coffee maker – saying ouch, ooh, ouch, ugh with every step – I noticed it’s not raining yet like the weather forecasted for today, but it is still extremely windy. We’ve been so lucky with our timing and the weather on this trip. El Chaltén was the name given by the indigenous people to the mountain range here and means ‘smoking mountain’ because the mountains are usually covered in a thick blanket of clouds. While we were in El Calafate it rained, which meant snow on the peaks of El Chaltén. Friends that had done the same hikes just a couple weeks prior said the trails had been totally dry while we dealt with snow fields and icy slopes. Still, when we were on the trail, the skies were mostly clear and the weather not too cold. We were lucky enough to clearly see the mountain range every day on our three hikes. Hence why we did three hikes in three days and took the (supposedly) rainy day today to rest and do laundry.

Monday, March 28

We got a bus from El Calafate to El Chaltén. El Chaltén is a tiny town that sits at the base of Mount Fitz Roy, one of Patagonia’s most distinguished peaks. El Chaltén was born from tourism brought by the many epic hikes and climbs in the area. Some tourists just do day trips from El Calafate but it is recommended to come to El Chaltén and stay a few days to be able to time the weather and get in some long hikes.

Our bus left on time at 12:30pm. About an hour before we arrived in El Chaltén we got a flat tire. While the bus driver frantically tried to figure out a way to raise the bus without a jack, all the passengers got out and took photos, playing in the strong winds that seemed able to knock a person over. Finally a maintenance truck showed up (presumably with a jack) and after only a two hour delay we were back on the road.

Just outside the town we saw signs for the national park entrance. The bus slowed down and we thought we’d have to pay to enter the park but instead a couple of officers boarded and asked to see everyone’s identification. When they looked at our passports they asked to see our entry stamp to verify how much time we had left in the country. Despite the hassle, they were very polite and efficient. They waived us on and finally the bus rolled into town. Everyone was taking pictures out of the bug-smeared window of the amazing peaks looming in the distance and of the mint-blue, milky glacial water in the rivers running alongside the road.

Carl and I were delighted to find our Airbnb had self check in and when we went into the little apartment it was cozy and warm and smelled very fresh. Turns out the heating system is heated floors – just like in Korea! And so nice to put all our hiking clothes on the ground to warm up for early morning departures.

We then went to the town’s main grocery store. It was a stereotypical mountain store with lots of pasta options but questionable looking produce. The place was packed with people – all scrambling to get lunch supplies for the following day. There were few price tags for some reason so we chose items that seemed the cheapest (and yes, we got bebible yogurt again). Perhaps as the only grocery store in town they know you can’t look for the cheapest price anyways!We got a mountain of meat and cheese from the deli and some fresh looking French rolls to make sandwiches for the next few days.

We went to one of the backpackery looking pubs for dinner, hoping to get something cheap and easy. We ended up going to Nomade and getting the panchetta pizza and it was SO good. If you eat meat and you visit El Chalten this pizza would be our #2 recommended ‘must do’ after the Fitz Roy hike.

Our friends in Ushuaia had warned us of terribly slow internet speeds in El Chalten so we were very happy to find that our airbnb had a smart tv that worked well enough to watch Netflix, even if it took a minute or two to load episodes.

Thursday, March 29

Over the next three days we did three different hikes that all started in El Chalten town and went west, toward the mountain range and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

For our first hike we did the most famous one, the Sendero al Fitz Roy, to Laguna de los Tres which brings you to a lake at the base of Mount Fitz Roy. We had heard that it’s best to get on the trail early to avoid crowds. At this southern latitude at this time of year the sun doesn’t rise until after 8am, with first light at about 730am. So we woke up at 7 and did our best to get out the door early, arriving at the start of the trail just at 8. No one was around us when we started but as we ascended we passed several groups and I later overheard people saying they had started at 630 – in the total dark!

As we hiked the sun rose and revealed a perfectly clear day. The sun hit the peaks of the mountains and as we got nearer, more of the forest was illuminated revealing the dramatic reds and yellows of the changing leaves. We did not plan to visit Patagonia in fall, it had just worked out that way, and we were grateful for the pretty leaves without the bad weather just yet.

The first 9km of the hike had been a gradual ascent through forest and brush lands. The last 1km was very steep and on a rocky slope. The path had been designed with large rocks as steps but the snow had melted and created an icy layer over the main trail, making it like treacherous ice steps for most of it. There were many signs warning us to stay on trail and not go into areas that are being recuperated. For the most part, we followed these signs but there were times that it was my life or the plants’ and we had to deviate to avoid walking up icy luges.

Near the very top the snow was less melted which made it easier to gain traction with each step. We rounded a final hill to all of a sudden see the glacial lake below and Mount Fitz Roy looming above us like ‘hey guys, what took you so long?’ We walked down to the lake to take a million photos and find a nice rock to lunch on. Our homemade sandwiches were fire with a key ingredient being a chimicurri sauce we had bought at the grocery store. With tasty sandos, a marvelous view, and good company – what more could you ask for?

We wandered up another hill for a bit before making the journey back down. We thought it would be an easier descent as the sun and all the hikers would help to melt the ice. Well, the ice luges were melted but the areas that had been packed snow were now slushy slip-and-slides. Plus there were about 100 people coming up at the same time that dozens were trying to get down. It was disorganized chaos in the snow. We saw a group of three (Americans of course) that went way off trail so they didn’t have to wait for a big group to ascend. They loosened the dirt and several plants were dislodged as well as a large rock, about the size of a head, which tumbled down and hit the American girl in the back. She looked embarrassed but we watched them continue to tramp down the hill and I prayed they and others like them stayed down mountain from me.

After the 1km horror zone we were back on the good trail and it took about as much time to descend the rest of the 9km as it had to descend the steep 1km at the top. The red, orange, and yellow leaves were even more vibrant in the afternoon sun. We said goodbye to Fitzy for the day and walked back into town. I liked the idea of a post-hike beer so we stopped at the first cerveceria we saw and got a couple pints and ate the rest of our snacks outside, on the wooden deck, in the sun. The beers were very strange. My IPA tasted nutty and Carl’s hazy IPA was flat and mildly soapy. Given our remote location we were impressed they could bring any beers into this town, but now we tasted the consequences.

We tried to go to a notable restaurant for grilled lamb but were sad to find it closed for the day so we went back to our favorite grocery store and got some pasta and chorizo to make for dinner.

Wednesday, March 30

On our second day of hiking we did the next hike south which follows the Rio Fitz Roy and ends at Laguna Torre which sits right at the base of Torre (tower) peak, just south of the great Fitzy. This is the second most popular hike in El Chalten and much less strenuous. The first kilometer was steep uphill but the rest was very gradual ascent, almost flat, following the river. There were several sign posts warning that if the glacier moved it could cause the glacial lake to spill over and could cause a flash flood. So, of course, I was very attentive to any glacier-moving sounds and keeping an eye on how far away from the hillside we were.

Laguna Torre was impressive but we had been spoiled by the views the day before and so were not as much awe-struck. A fun difference was this lake had floating icebergs in it and a few had landed ashore so we could touch and play with them.

On the way back down we took a slightly different route and admired the changing forest before coming to a viewpoint of the margarita waterfall. The color of the water looked like a frozen lime margarita and made me realize how thirsty I was.

After the hike we tried again to get a post-hike, happy hour cerveza. The beers weren’t cheap and again a bit off. We cheers and zipped up our coats to sit outside in the sunshine but then the wind picked up and so we cut our losses and got out of there. That night we tried the lamb place again but it was still closed. We decided to try a German-looking cervezeria that made their own beers. Somehow we got a table and watched as couples arrived minutes after us to news that there wouldn’t be openings until 9 that evening. If you go out to eat in El Chalten we recommended you make a reservation or get there exactly at 7, when most places open. The beers were German style and were pretty good. We shared lamb meatballs and the house stew which tasted very homemade but was surpassingly flavorful and filling. Perhaps the best part was the bread and the sauce they served with it. They served a pink mayonnaisey sauce and something that was thicker and spicy.

Thursday, March 31

For our third day and third hike we decided to do the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado. This one was about as long as the first day, 18+km, there and back, but we planned to summit the peak for an elevation gain of 1,130 meters. This hike was straight up the whole time and after two days of hiking my legs were yelling at me.

Once we got out of the windy brushlands we were deep in a forest, surrounded by fall colors. Eventually this forest broke open to the higher grasslands where we could see mountain peaks in almost every direction. We went to the lookout point first and ogled, again, over Fitzy and Torre. Then we decided to summit the hill. The hill would’ve been steep and slippery on a good day. Covered in snow it was hard to see where the trail even was and we found ourselves crawling on all fours up the hill.

Alas we made it and enjoyed the 360 views. From this vantage point we could see the mountains behind Fitzy and peak into the Patagonian ice field with all its frosty-blue glaciers. Again, back down was worse. We had to stick to snow fields to keep from slipping in ice or slush and everyone we passed asked if the hike had been worth it (Vale la pena!)

After a long way up we had to go a long way down and my legs were shaking a bit as we walked back into town. We had given up in my post-hike, happy hour beer dream but we compromised. We went to the grocery store and got a large bottle of a session IPA for less than a third of the cost of the beers we had had days prior. We went back to our Airbnb and reminisced over photos before making the journey outside again to get dinner.

The lamb place was STILL closed so we went to an Italian restaurant called Maffia because we figured with a name so bold, the food has to be good. Again we were lucky to get a table when we did (right at 7) and we sat in the front and watched many people get turned away or make reservations for the upcoming days. The wait staff was nicer than average and we liked that the wine menu was a wall of wines on display so you could look at the bottles before deciding. We focused on the price tags and chose the cheapest one we saw, a Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region for 1200 pesos (about 7 dollars, not bad for a nice restaurant!) Again this place served bread with great sauces including smoked (!) mayonnaise and pickled eggplant. To start we had Guanaco empanadas. Guanacos are lower elevation wild llamas that are abundant in southern Patagonia. Then we shared lamb raviolis and for desert had a strange, but good, tiramisu. I think they used stale bread instead of lady fingers.

As we ate dessert the wind-swept clouds outside started to turn pink from the sun setting. Even the wait staff took turns to go outside and look at the view. We were happy to be inside, warm, with good food in our bellies and an amazing sky full of color as our backdrop.

Thursday, March 24

We flew out of Ushuaia in the morning and landed in El Calafate in the early afternoon, again to unseasonably nice weather.

Our Airbnb host, José, was at the apartment ready to great us. He told us how to get to important places and recommended the best tour of the nearby glacier. We had several errands to do before we could enjoy the town. First on the list was getting a bus ticket to El Chaltén, a town in Patagonia just north of El Calafate. We were able to walk from the Airbnb to the bus station, just up the street. As we crossed a bridge a big black dog started to follow us. He heeled next to us like he was our dog, all the way to the bus station and he even came inside with us. At the ticket counter we got round trip tickets to El Chalten for exactly the price we had budgeted, which is always a relief when dealing with limited cash.

Then it was back downhill with our new dog and into town to the tour agency to see what treks were available. When we crossed the street, Martin (our new dog) got distracted so we said we’d catch up with him later.

We went to Hielo y Adventura (ice and adventure) which was recommended by several people. They didn’t have any tours available for the time we were in El Calafate. But, with some creative reshuffling we figured out how to go to El Chalten and come back a day earlier, to be able to do the ‘Big Ice’ tour. So we booked and paid and then had to walk back to the bus station (about a 10 minute walk, uphill) to change the dates of the buses we had just booked. The lady was very nice and understanding and, although we had to pay a change fee, it wasn’t a hassle to change the bus dates. Plus, while we stood there we saw day trips by bus just to go see the Perito Moreno glacier (and next week we’d hike on it). So we booked a bus trip for the next day when the weather was supposed to be nice.

Then it was back down the hill (again) to (finally) get something to eat. We went to La Zorra tap room and got two IPAs (duh) and a surprisingly good chicken ceasar salad.

Finally we needed to get some groceries. After eating out at fancy restaurants every night in Ushuaia we needed to balance out our budget with some homemade meals in our lovely Airbnb. Plus, going to grocery stores in foreign places is always fun to see what kind of weird or unexpected cultural differences there are for making food. We got two bottles of red wine to test whether the $1.00 or the $2.00 bottles had any notable difference.

Back at the Airbnb we made a humble dinner of raviolis and chorizo and tested out the cheaper wine.

Friday, March 25

We had breakfast of granola and drinkable yogurt (we didn’t know it was drinkable but it was the cheapest one and now we’ve read the label and it definitely says ‘bebible’ which means drinkable and is very fun to say). Then packed ourselves some sandwiches for the day ahead.

We walked over to a nearby hostel, Schilling, where we will stay when we come back into town for the glacier hike. A few minutes after 9:30 a huge bus rolled up and we got on with another guy staying at Schilling. The guide spoke in Spanish and English and explained the flora and fauna of the area and then some of the history of the Perito Moreno glacier.

The glacier is named after Francisco Moreno, an explorer and surveyor who helped protect Argentine interests in border disputes with Chile, especially around the Patagonia region. He was an expert in his field so he was often referred to as Perito, or expert.

The Perito Moreno glacier empties into Lago Argentino. PM is unlike other glaciers in that it’s actually growing, or retaining its size every year, not retreating. The glacier spreads across the lake and every couple of years dams it so that the lake on the south side has no where to flow. Water builds up and floods the surrounding area. The pressure of this water pushes against the glacier and creates a tunnel of water under it. Every couple of years this tunnel collapses and all the water flows to the north side. When we visited the glacier was a good distance away from the edge of the lake, so there won’t be any collapsing parties any time soon.

The bus stopped at the Mirador de los suspiros (the viewpoint of gasps) where we were able to get out and see the first look of the glacier. Indeed, everyone gasped or said ‘whoa’ or ‘wow!’. Then back into the bus to the actual viewpoint.

The park is well designed and has a series of metal and wooden boardwalk trails that loop around the side of the hill, offering many different viewpoints of the glacier. We started on the south side and took a bazillion photos. Then we ate our lunch while glacier watching – watching to see if any bits broke off. When a chunk would break it would seem like a tiny piece until the sound of its breaking would hit your ears seconds later. Again when it crashed into the water we’d wait to hear a loud crash seconds later, making us realize how far away we still were and how colossal the wall of ice in front of us was.

We walked to the north side and took another gazillion photos and JUST missed a huge chunk breaking off that everyone was excitedly talking about. The color of the lake water on the north side is that perfect glacial milky blue/green and it contrasted so well with the intense blues of the glacial icebergs floating in it.

Then we went back to the drop off point and the bus ferried us to a catamaran on the southern lake. We paid a little extra to take the boat and it was definitely worth it. The boat took us up to the south side of the glacier and even crossed over icebergs as it got close to the most southern edge. We could see hikers that had just been dropped off, about to start their hike onto the ice. Having humans in the foreground again made us realize how massive the glacier is, and our tiny brains struggle to comprehend it.

We prayed for the sun to come out one more time as we took a zillion more photos and then sailed back to shore. The bus drove us back into town and dropped us off near one end of the city center. We walked through the city center scouting for a place to get a small bite. We ended up at Oveja Negra (black sheep) which is a chain we’d seen before and which offered good price happy hour beers. We got a couple of beers and some chicken fingers and took advantage of their high speed WiFi, which our Airbnb sadly lacks. When we went to pay they said the beers we got were not happy hour sized (would’ve been nice to know before) so we vowed to never return.

Saturday, March 26

The weather was forecasted to rain all day and I woke up with a cold (not covid, I tested) so we decided to lay low. We ended up walking to the downtown area and to the bordering lakefront on Lago Argentino. In the middle of the traffic circle they’ve built the nicest jungle gym out of wood and metal. We tested out their slides and swing sets and gave it high ratings. On the walk back we bought some chocolates-which the town is known for- and Calafate jam. Our happy hour was happily spent at Wanaco pub where we split a lamb burger and tried beers from a Patagonian brewery.

Sunday, March 20

We landed in Ushuaia at about 3pm and were welcomed by an unusually warm autumn afternoon. Ushuaia is the (debated) southernmost city in the world (Chile claims Puerto Williams is but PW is more of a town with 2,000 people while Ushuaia has 70,000). At the 54th parallel south, cold temperatures and high winds are persistent year-round. In summer, the average high temperature is 55F. So when we showed up to low 60s with clear skies and high winds, it was nearly magical.

We got a taxi directly to our hostel, Antartica Hostel. Perhaps because Ushuaia is one of the five gateway cities to the Antarctic, the tourism industry seems geared toward that venture and therefore toward the wealthier more so than the backpacker. To save some pesos we opted to sleep in single beds in mixed dorms for the week. Even though this hostel was even nicer than expected we’ve decided to get airbnbs for the next two places in Argentina because it turns out I’m too old and tired to be sharing a room with 5 other strangers, let alone a kitchen with 20.

The hostel gave us sheets and towels and showed us to our dorm. Carl and I were both given top bunks. I went ahead and made my bed and we went back downstairs to ask reception about booking day trips. When I came back to my bed I noticed my pillow and blanket were wet. I looked up to the ceiling and saw a water spot. When I touched it, more water dripped out. To the hostel’s credit, they quickly responded and let me change beds immediately. I was moved to another room, away from Carl, but with a bottom bunk. I guess the leak stopped because they ended up putting a new person in my old bed while I remained content with my bottom bunk surrounded by strangers.

With daylight fading away we decided to walk around the town and enjoy the nice weather. It was sunny with temperatures in the low 60s. We hadn’t eaten all day so I demanded we get a nibble before I fainted whilst walking around. Of course we were searching for food at the exact wrong time of the day. All the restaurants here do a late lunch and late dinner and are generally closed from 4-7pm. We were able to find a cafe, Cafe Van Gogh, that offered to make small items so we got some bruschetta toast with salmon and a couple beers to fill us up. The bruschettas were good but overpriced.

With bellies satisfied we walked around the town and took photos of the town sign and the beautiful mountains encircling the city.

Eager for dinner we walked up to a seafood place called Volver that we had read reviews for online. We went in just minutes after they opened at 7pm. There was just one waiter who was overwhelmed with the 3 tables that had sat all at once at 7 so it took a long time to get seated, get the menu, order, etc. We nearly dined and dashed because it took ages to get the check. We ordered the Ceviche de Puta Madre and the Garlic Sea Bass. The ceviche was spicier than average but was otherwise a little disappointing. The sea bass though -!!!- the skin was crunchy with garlic and the flesh was tender and flavorful, like butter of the sea. We don’t often order white fish so this was a very pleasant surprise. Quality seafood for too much money and served with bad service would prove to be a theme of our dinners in Ushuaia.

Monday, March 21

For our first full day in Ushuaia we opted to do a boat tour that cruises the Beagle Channel and the chance to see penguins. I wore my very warmest outfit with two sweaters and a puffy but made the mistake of only wearing one layer of thick leggings so ended up tying my scarf around my waist for some more layers over my very cold behind.

The catamaran left promptly at 9am and headed east along the Beagle Channel. We were immediately awed by the views of the encircling mountains. A guide spoke over the audio speaker in very clear, slow Spanish but still it was difficult to understand everything she said. We soon came upon an island of birds and sea lions (which are called sea wolves in Spanish). We thought the island was covered in black and white penguins but then realized they were Cormorants. Still cute, but not penguins.

As the boat got moving again, Carl spotted something in the water that looked dolphin like. The creature blew air out of its blow hole and we realized it was a whale! The boat slowed down and we could see two whales, though we couldn’t tell what kind they were. I luckily caught a photo of a tail and we later identified it as a Minke whale (or so we think!). Not too long after I was sitting inside to get warm and Carl was out on the upper balcony when he spotted a huge whale surfacing right next to the boat. He pointed and said “oohhhahhh!!” the universal phrase for ‘look there’s something in the water!’. Again they slowed the boat almost to a stop. I came outside to take a photo and before I could get my camera on, the humpback whale leapt out of the water and rotated, showing us its belly before splashing onto its back-right next to our boat!! It was the most glorious moment. I was able to get a video of its tail just as it dove back into the deep again. Later I asked the guide if she could make an announcement to see whether anyone got a picture of the whale breaching but she dismissed me saying she was done announcing. I thought of asking everyone on the boat but my Spanish is just not good enough for that much convo so I settled with looking up photos on google later, vowing to never forget the mental image of such a close encounter.

After the whale leap (life was forever changed) the whole boat seemed to be unimpressed by other wildlife. We saw hoards of sea lions swimming next to us and we’d say, ‘oh it’s just sea lions again’. On the way back we saw a huge pod of dolphins and the boat slowed. The impressive thing was how many there were and how close to the boat they were. Plus, many of them seemed to be playing as they leapt out of the water, sometimes rolling over and landing on their backs.

The boat came up to the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and stalled, allowing the professional photographer to take pictures of people on board. Then we finally made it to ‘penguin island’. We were so excited to see so many and then realized- they were all cormorants still! The guide announced that there were some penguins hidden in the crowd. It was like a game of Where’s Waldo to find the few penguins waddling around. We saw about ten Magellanic penguins and just two King penguins. The King penguins sat there stoically looking like, well, kings. Meanwhile the Magellanic penguins wandered around like single guys at a party, trying to not look like a loner while looking for their buddies.

After the penguins, the boat dropped people off in a town called Harberton. Such an English sounding town name was bestowed by Thomas Bridges who was a missionary and said to be the first white man to permanently settle in Ushuaia in the 1860s. Of the dozens of missionaries that came to Tierra del Fuego, Bridges actually learned the language of the indigenous people, the Yámana, and tried to create a written alphabet to document it. He was more successful with getting along with the Yámana than others before him had been. Still, most of the indigenous population was wiped out by diseases brought by these missionaries so there was not much of a population here- something that will matter for the story about the prison tomorrow.

For the boat ride back we bought some coffees and a dulce de leche pie that helped us warm up. We got into a conversation with the announcer and she chided us for not asking for English translations earlier on the ride and wouldn’t accept our defense that we didn’t know that was an option and would never assume it would be. But, for the rest of the way back she said everything in English and Spanish, so we were able to learn a little more about the area.

Upon docking back in Ushuaia in the early afternoon we decided to get a small bite but again realized it wasn’t great timing. Ironically most of the tours end in the afternoon so the Ushuaia tourism board would be wise to encourage more restaurants to stay open at this time. We were able to find a place that was open called Bar Ideal that advertised fast and cheap food (neither of which were true). We opted to share a bowl of crab sorrentinos. Sorrentinos are like raviolis but bigger and perfectly round. They were good and just the right size for a late lunch.

After we decided to walk to Club WU (western union) to try our luck with taking out just a bit more money to last us for the rest of Argentina. The big Club WU is on the other side of town in a French grocery store chain called Carrefour. When we got inside we balked at the line – about 15 people – and thought it unlikely we’d be able to get cash. While Carl waited in line I went shopping and got us some cheap items like floss, granola bars, etc. The challenge of having to use our limited cash in Argentina has made us extra budget conscious and I actually had fun looking for the cheapest version of everything- reminiscent of my poor days in FEMA Corps. By some luck, Carl was successful and we were able to get just a bit more cash, hoping it would last us until we flew out of Buenos Aires.

We walked back to the other side of town and to a restaurant called La Casa de Mariscos. They had just opened for the night and it was packed. The host had one two top open but she said we had to finish by 930 which was funny to us because we would normally never be eating that late anyways. Of course we finished on time but it took her so long to bring us the check. We probably waited for 30 minutes with dirty plates in front of us, again fantasizing about dining and dashing but knowing we would never because we believe too much in karma. We ordered calamari and Haddock de Roquefort which was basically just haddock baked in a blue cheese stew -AKA delicious. Best part of the meal may have been the cheap Chardonnay we ordered which came in an adorable penguin-shaped pitcher.

Tuesday, March 22

We started the day with a quick trip to the history museum which we heard was worthwhile. Turns out we went to the wrong one. The travel bloggers had raved about Galería Temárica which pairs history with life size figures demonstrating the historical scene such as prisoners building the railroad and people hunting and catching fish. The museum we went to was nice, a pretty standard small place history and natural history museum. We spent less than an hour and then walked back to our hostel to get a taxi.

We got a taxi to the Train at the end of the World train station. The railway was built by prisoners from the Ushuaia prison in order to access the interior forest of what is now the Tierra del Fuego national park. The prisoners would chop down trees to use as fuel to heat the prisons and other establishments in Ushuaia.

Ushuaia’s prison was established in 1902 with the intent of placing more Argentinians in the far south to hold their claim to the land. This sounded over the top to us but then we recognized the dispute over the Falkland islands was a hot simmering subject around this time, so Argentina was extra conscious of securing their land.

Given the extreme climate of Tierra del Fuego, it was difficult to convince people to move to this area willingly so Argentina settled with relocating prisoners, who didn’t have a choice. Plus the harsh environment of cold temperatures and strong winds added an extra element of torture to the prisoners’ repentance. The prisoners spent their time building the city of Ushuaia, which likely wouldn’t have existed without their hard labor.

The train station itself is adorable and somewhat kitschy. While we waited in line to board the train we could peek through a window into the workshop where workers fixed train parts. As we boarded men dressed in prisoners outfits posed with us for a photo. The man asked me to put him in a choke hold and the absurdity of it made us laugh so hard that our picture did not turn out well at all.

After the prison closed the railway was used for extracting resources for a little while longer until an earthquake hastened it’s dissolution into disrepair. In the 90s some bright person thought to revamp the railway into a tourism venture so the train now only runs along 7km of rail, from the train station into the national park and back.

Our train, named Camila, was forest green and hobbit sized. We climbed aboard with two other people in our cabin and were given headphones to plug in and listen to audio guide in English. The first stop was at La Macarena station where we were given the opportunity to get out and take pictures. There was also a short hike to an underwhelming waterfall that all the train passengers crowded around taking photos of.

Then we ventured into the park. I was surprised the last stop had very little infrastructure. We got out and found a trail that led down to the water. We looked across the Beagle Channel to the small islands in the park and large mountains looming in the distance in Chile. It was forecasted to rain all day (hence our decision to take the train) but when we got to the shore it was only partly cloudy and nearly warm!

We walked along the coastal trail for a bit, admiring the mossy, gnarled, twisted trees that leaned precariously over the rocky bluffs. It reminded us of Monterey, CA. We had the option of walking along this trail for another 2 hours and getting a national park bus back to the entrance but without WiFi or enough snacks we opted to stick with what we already knew and walked back to the train.

The train goes three times a day. Some people stay on the train for both the forward and back journey. Most people take the train just one way and then meet up with tour guides to hike or stay in the park. We were amongst a handful of people that opted to get off the train, walk around a bit, and come back for the last return trip back to the station.

There were only a few people on the 3pm return trip but they still had an audio guide that described more about the park’s flora and fauna. We learned that beavers were introduced to the area to create a fur trade but the beaver population exploded out of control, without any natural predators in the area to keep the population in check. As the population exploded the beavers decimated large parts of the old growth forest. We saw beaver on a menu in one of the restaurants and I had been appalled but now realized it was helping reduce pests.

A shorter train ride back and we ended up at the main station again. We were able to have the office call us a cab back into town and we ended up sharing it with a guy named Glen who was from Kansas City but lives in Mexico doing nonprofit work. We ended up seeing Glen later in town and again on the trail the next day.

Back in town we redeemed vouchers for free hot chocolates that we had gotten with our train tickets. The hot cocoa wasn’t very good, but it was hot and free so we were happy.

For dinner we went to El Viejo Marino. They opened at 7pm and didn’t take reservations so we got there at 6:50 to try to secure a spot. There was a line in front that went all the way to the street corner. The restaurant is located on the street closest to the highway and waterfront so it was colder and windier out front. I questioned whether waiting in line would be worth it. Carl walked toward the front and asked whether the food was any good. Several people in line yelled back, emphatically, how good the food is and that it would be worth our wait. So we got in line. The doors opened just after 7 and to my surprise they let everyone in at once. They sat every table in the restaurant and we were the second to last table to secure a spot.

We decided to go big and get the king crab. They boil the whole thing and bring it out to you, letting you take pictures before they demonstrate how to open it using very sharp scissors. There was so much meat in the legs and it was good! Surprisingly they didn’t serve any butter or sauce so it was good the meat itself was so flavorful.

After successfully eating all the legs, we got to the body. Carl and I poked around, wondering if our Maryland crab opening skills would come in hand to help us look like we knew what we were doing. Wrong. The waiter quickly came over and cut the top of the crab open, exposing two sides of meat for us.

We had also ordered a seafood stew appetizer that was good, and the crab came with sides of rice and salad. The rice was undercooked and had no seasoning and the salad lettuce was wilted. Still, the fresh, flavorful crab meat overshadowed the rest of the meal, and we were satisfied.

That night we bought some cans of beers from the hostel front desk and we invited a couple of the guys in Carl’s dorm to play cards with us. One guy had food poising but the other, Rajiv, came out to the common area and sat with us. We ended up not playing cards and just talking -sharing travel stories and recommendations. We had heard Ushuaia was a fun place to party but at 11 we were all yawning so we went to bed, accepting our fate as the elderly hostel-goers we are.

Wednesday, March 23

At 10am we got a shuttle from the hostel to the trailhead for Lake Esmeralda. The shuttle driver loved his job, he was cranking Argentinian rock and pointing out all the pretty mountain views to us. He told us to be careful walking around the lake because the peat bog area could suck your foot down and steal your shoe.

At the start of the trailhead there were about 40 people starting the hike altogether. We went off trail slightly to get around the hoard and to avoid the biggest mud patches. The first 40 minutes of the hike was flat, walking through dense forest, and trying to avoid huge mud fields.

Eventually we broke into a valley and could see a range of beautiful, snow covered mountains ahead of us and behind us. Despite the colder temperatures, we were grateful to be in Patagonia for the fall season because we got to see the fall colors. Many of the trees in this valley were changing and the bright yellows and reds contrasted starkly with the cloudy sky and white and black mountains.

Across the valley we ascended a little before walking along a creek to reach the lake. Some areas had wooden boardwalks but much of the trail did not, leaving us to strategically plot our own way through giant mud fields and peat bogs. I made one wrong step and my foot sunk into the bog up to my ankle but luckily not into my boot.

As we reached the lake the sun came out and revealed the beautiful cloudy green color of the glacial water. We walked east around the lake to try and get the sun behind us. Given the extra time delay from mud hopping we decided not to go all the way around the lake (not sure if that would’ve been possible) and began our descent back down.

The way down we zoned out into rock hopping flow- avoiding mud patches but also not caring as much because we had seen the worst of it.

We got back to the parking lot at 230 with plenty of time before the 3pm shuttle back to town. Lo and behold there was a man in the parking lot who had a plastic table and a grill. He was making Choripán and hamburgers and the smell of grilled meat wafted across the parking lot, up the trail. We got two Choripanes for 400 pesos each and asked for all the toppings. He put a vinegary chimichurri sauce on top and it was so good that I went weak in the knees on my first bite. Carl took a photo of me eating but I looked terrible because my eyes were rolling back into my head with sheer joy and choripán amazement, so that photo was quickly deleted.

We got the shuttle back into town and decided to get some hot drinks to pass some time in the afternoon. Then we went back to the hostel for some WiFi time before going out to our last Ushuaia dinner.

That night we went to Parrilla La Estancia. Parrilla means grill and refers to a place that serves up big portions of grilled meat. As we walked inside we peered into the big glass windows to see grilled lamb roasting over an open wood flame. The butcher looked like he was having a great time as he pulled out huge chunks of meat and wailed away with his super sharp cleaver.

We got the lamb, a blood sausage and a side salad. The salad was unsurprisingly abysmal, as all sides at restaurants in Ushuaia had been. But the blood sausage was amazing. It was very obviously hand crafted in house, crumbling as we cut it open. The meat was well spiced and soft, like pudding.

But the lamb. Our waiter hooked us up with a giant order, so big we were concerned he had ordered us two portions rather than one to share as we asked for. They put two big chunks on our plate and we couldn’t tell which part of the animal they were. I pulled a bit that was hanging off the side and I nearly fell out of my chair because that little bit tasted so good. Carl thought something was wrong with me because I was acting so dramatic but then he tried a piece and did the exact same. We paired it with a bottle of the cheapest Malbec they offered (990 pesos so about $5.50 US dollars) and cheered to the great eats and great scenes of Ushuaia.