501 Places

Plaza Islas Malvinas, Ushuaia

While hitchhiking around Europe in the 80s I met a German guy who pretended to be an Icelander, and even had the Iceland flag on his backpack. He was keen to  escape the negative perception he feared he would get as a German on the roads of France or Italy. (He also presumed that young ladies would be more curious about an Icelander and want to know more about his homeland, but that’s another story). He even told me how well his cover plot had evolved over the summer he’d spent on the road, and could now repeat a string of useful facts about his newly adopted nation.

I’ve met more than a few Americans who try to pass off as Canadians on their travels to avoid hostility (long before the Bush years), and I’ve met Canadians who proclaim their un-American identities as their first utterance, for fear of being mistaken for their southern neighbours. The maple leaf flag is used as the unspoken symbol to ward off evil.

There is an irony here, in that many Americans I’ve met have been humbled by the overwhelming hospitality they have received on their travels, ESPECIALLY in countries with whom their government has quarrels (I’m thinking particularly of Syria here, but I’m sure American readers can add their own experiences).

Last year we hired a driver to take us from Damascus to Beirut, and this articulate young Syrian shared with us his experiences of meeting people from around the world. When I asked him if he had many American visitors, he replied that they didn’t. “They don’t like Syrians; I don’t know why”. On the other hand I read on countless blogs written by Americans travellers who declare that they would like to go to the Middle East but feel it’s too dangerous, the implication being that they might be kidnapped or killed by terrorists.

Too often we fear that people will hold us, as tourists, responsible for the actions of our government. That we will be made to pay for the wrongs that people feel have been inflicted on their nations. But the reality is thankfully much more pragmatic.

From our experience people are intelligent enough to separate the consequences of a nation’s foreign policy from the welcome they give to an individual traveller from that country. We received nothing but warmth and kindness on our visit to Argentina, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of their conflict with the UK.

I might have some very strong disagreements with the policies of the UK governments, but I still feel priveleged to hold a British passport and would not choose to hide my identity on my travels. In fact, being open with others about our opinions on international politics has led to many memorable conversations along the way.

It might suit the US and UK governments not to have thousands of tourists visiting the countries with which they are in dispute. A open flow of tourism can, after all, lead to a mutual understanding and a certain interdependence over time.

For those visitors who would like to visit a part of the world where they worry about their national standing, I would say look around and find out what those who have actually been there are saying. It’s quite likely that you will be safe to go, you won’t need to adopt an alter ego, and you will be greeted with open arms.

Think of Argentina and think of passion. What spring to mind? For most people it will be the tango. The sensual dance, the elaborate costumes and the alluring sounds of the distinctly Latin music. Staying for the few days in the city it is impossible not to see the tango in action. Even if you avoid visiting a tango club, you will see many impromptu performances on the streets of the city.

But there is a passion that rivals the tango with the Porteños (natives of Buenos Aires). We arrived in the Argentinian capital the day before the Superclasico: Boca Juniors vs River Plate. One of the fiercest rivalries in world sport. These two old Buenos Aires clubs, Boca from the rough side of the tracks and River with somewhat wealthier roots, were due to play on the Sunday afternoon. Of course I would have loved to attend, and of course there was no chance of getting a ticket. The morning of the match we had a wander around the La Boca region of the city, saw the ground and the early arrival of many of the fans, and eventually walked back into the city centre.

Arriving at our hotel, we found this crowd of excited young men blocking our entrance. A member of staff advised us to use the side entrance, and he told me that La Boca were using our hotel as their base. When we switched on the TV we even saw live coverage on national TV of our hotel lobby! This was more of a build up than we see in England for the Cup Final.

We went out to find a quiet place for lunch around 30 minutes before the game was due to kick off. As Sam is not a football fan and not wanting to be mobbed by supporters, we ventured into what appeared to be a sushi bar that was almost deserted. We should have known better from the large screens around the place. Although they were playing MTV at the time, within 15 minutes the place was packed, with standing room only. Supporters of both clubs filled the bar, and although we did get our sushi, the barman who was attentive at first soon got swamped by a flood of drinks orders.

And so we did watch most of the first half. For the record Boca Juniors scored in the first minute, and the game eventually finished 1-1. What I did notice though, was how seamlessly the two rival groups mingled in this bar. When Boca scored of course half the place erupted, but soon the others were cheering on River Plate and both groups tolerated each other without any aggression. What price to see that inter-mingling during an Old Firm match in Glasgow?

So we witnessed the passion of the tango in the streets and tango clubs of Buenos Aires. But the excitement generated by this most famous of derby encounters certainly brought about a collective passion that rivalled, and if only for one day at least exceeded, that of the dance.

Having watched many nature documentaries that have shown the magnificence of glaciers, I was still in awe from the first sight of Perito Moreno. It’s not just the height or the mind boggling mile width of this enormous wall of ice. Looking back at the glacier it stretches as far as the eye can see, and is over 1km thick in places. It is hard to fathom its gigantic size.

We had arrived at El Calafate airport around lunchtime and I had planned on checking in to our hotel before finding a bus or other transport to take us for a trip to the glacier, which is around 90km out of town. However our taxi driver was a savvy entrepreneur and offered us a price for an afternoon at the glacier that seemed reasonable, so we agreed to meet him after a quick lunch. We conversed in my limited Spanish, and I tried to keep the conversation flowing to stop him turning up the volume on his Bonnie Tyler CD.

We took the boat ride to the edge of the glacier, and even while there we witnessed several hairy moments of calving – where the ice breaks from the glacier face and crashes into the water. Often it was preceded by a cracking sound, rather like distant thunder, that echoed around the glacial bay. Seconds later we would see chunks of ice (some many metres high and weighing over a tonne) crashing into the sea in a spray of mist. Our boat skipper was clearly familiar with how far away he needed to be, although there have been serious accidents here before.

It was a spectacular sight, and is a must on an Argentinian trip if you haven’t yet witnessed the beauty of a glacier at first hand. But be prepared for many scary moments as the ice cracks before your eyes. And don’t be fooled by any smooth talking taxi driver… check out his music collection before you agree to go!

(Apr 2007)

Walk down the main pedestrian streets in BA, and you won’t go far before you see a tango troupe. Usually a couple of guys and a girl, and they carry an old stereo. Without warning, the music starts, and a couple take to the floor. You will see countless such displays in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina’s lively capital and a place where it’s very easy to believe you’re still in Europe. The architecture, the shops and the temperature could easily be Madrid or Barcelona. Yet this is certainly Argentina, and it is one of my favourite cities.

A stroll through any of the city’s central areas will provide you with a unique experience. San Telmo with its bohemian antique-filled streets; La Boca with the colourful houses and ubiquitous dancers; and Puerto Madero with its stunning modern buildings and flashy marina. Many people stopped to talk, there is a welcome for visitors that other countries only offer in less populated areas. And the food (and especially the ice cream!) were top quality and very cheap. Having been brought up on British beef, I would not have recognised what was put on my plate as steak. The meat melted in the mouth, was so full of flavour, and had a perfect texture. Was this really beef??

A great city to hang out for a few days, and some decent day trips nearby make this a great base for a South America trip. Just don’t forget the dancing shoes!

(Apr 2007)

At the tip of the American land mass, Ushuaia is a busy little town in southern Argentina. We spent a few days exploring the town and the surrounding part of Tierra del Fuego. We even stood at the port from where the Antarctic ships depart. Although it was not the time of year where people take this journey, I took note of the spot and vowed to return, as the white continent is high on my list of places we have to visit.

The autumn colours were stunning, and the almost hourly shift between warm sunshine and snow blizzards is reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. Argentina may not be the most obvious destination for observing the fall colours, but you will be amazed at the stunning landscapes here (the peak of the colours is in late April)

One abiding memory was stopping talk to a couple of cyclists who were on their final day of a bike ride from Alaska – 18,000 km through the whole of N and S America. What a feeling it must be to come to the end of such a journey! (and how sore they must be…). We saw them riding up the steep and relentless incline that ended at a snowy pass before a 25km freewheel into Ushuaia and the final few kms.

Our departure from Ushuaia turned out to be anything but straightforward. A six hour delay with almost no communication from the airline. But what a treat the delay turned out to be! Only a short walk from the aiport terminal into the town centre, and a fantastic cake shop in which to while away the time… no pictures of the cakes sadly.

A mention of honour to our accommodation. We stayed at Tierra de Leyendes, (www.tierradeleyendes.com) and the service was outstanding. If people doubt the veracity of TripAdvisor this is one place that can support the review website’s credibility. We booked solely on the outstanding reviews, and they were every bit as good as everyone said. A highly recommended stop if you’re staying in Ushuaia. (my thoughts on the property are featured on the travel website  101 Holidays).

(April 2007)