Would you let this guy into your country?
With no plan and no agenda, I often find myself surprised (sometimes painfully, but mainly pleasantly) at the places I am in.
And so it was with El Calafate, Argentina.
While in Torres del Paine (in Chile), backpackers would tell us of the beauty of Southern Argentina and that it was “not to be missed” since we had already made our way so far south.
Only needing a few words of encouragement to try anything once (somehow I survived college), I convinced Meg of El Calafate’s epicness and we were heading across the Chilean border.
So what is in El Calafate, Argentina you ask? You might regret asking me that…
El Calafate – The Perito Moreno Glacier
Please bare with me while I nerd-out. Just remember that when you do not even begin to understand what I am about to write… you were duly warned.
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After our week in the wilderness of Patagonia (both in Chile and Argentina) we are back in the land of wifi… hurray!
While we make our way north through the Chilean lake region, check out what some of our favorite travel writers have been up to in an accidentally book centric Weekly Roundup!
- I have a passion for books that some might say is borderline creepy. But how can you not drool over this incredible bookstore in Buenos Aires made from a converted theater? If you love books, than you might just find yourself with a jealous girlfriend giving you the stink-eye as soon as you walk in the door.
- Is it hypocritical of me to love books, but only buy books on my Kindle now? HELL NO! The Kindle holds thousands of books at a time, lets me buy a book from anywhere in the world, and lets me type notes and highlight my favorite passages (nerd alert). Get over your love of paper and hatred of trees… get a kindle for your next big trip and never look back!
- I have never been, what some of you may call, “organized.” I consider myself to be more “flirting with disaster” when dealing with a project or deadline. But Lillie’s tips on getting organized are great for everyone, whether or not you are on the road or still in your cube. Also, buy Getting Things Done by David Allen… just doing 2-3 of his hundreds of suggestions will you help function in normal society (if you need the help like me at least).
- I love me some DFW (David Foster Wallace), especially his essays for hire. Check out this great deconstruction by David Miller of DFW’s inspired travel article on cruises. Make sure you read DFW’s original essay as well. Really interesting and highly relevant for travel bloggers dealing with sponsored posts and their responsibility to the audience.
- Hell Ya BOSTON!!! I always love when Boston gets some love from the travel writers out there and so I just had to spotlight a couple. Brittany goes the extra mile for her boyfriend and dives into Red Sox culture and realizes that yes, Fenway is that awesome. Over at Pause The Moment, Ryan shares a gem of a spot for travelers looking to stay at an inexpensive, yet comfortable, hotel in Boston. Free tix to the aquariam? I’m in!
Meg enthusiastically mocks me everytime I say it, but since getting off of the plane in Punta Arenas, Chile, I can’t help but be overwhelmed by the remoteness of Patagonia… We are at the very end of the world!
There, I said it. Maybe now I can try and get past it.
Yeah… it’s wayyyy down there. And yes, that is Antarctica just below us.
Catching up on the news
After a brief coffee break in Punta Arenas after we landed, we hitched a ride on the last bus to Puerto Natales, which was going to be our launching point into Torres del Paine.
You might have recently heard of about Torres del Paine as a good chunk was burned in a savage forest fire only 3 weeks ago, with many parts still closed to the public. Newsflash: Don’t burn your TP when in a forest… as an Israeli tourist just learned.
While fairly new to me as a must-see destination, it quickly grabbed my imagination as the land that time forgot. For hundreds of miles in any direction, it is mountains, rivers, and shimmering blue lakes.
Torres del Paine – The Towers Trek
Those three peaks to the right are just 5 hours of trekking away....
With the high expense of getting to the park and our aversion to renting camping gear to stay overnight, we thought it best to get the most bang for our buck and do the route to Las Torres (AKA The Towers) as a day hike.
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You know that look other people give when you accidentally, yet very publicly, let a noxious emission slip from between two tightly clenched butt cheeks?
Look familiar?
Of course you do (don’t lie ladies… it happens at least once to everyone).
Well get ready… because this is the exact same look you will get when trying to stumble through a new language while in another country.
You: “Pardoname… Donde es bus.” (Trying to ask for directions to the bus)
Them: …
You: “Puedo comprar dos boletas por el train.” (Trying to buy two tickets for the train)
Them: …
You: Accidentally letting a fart slip in public… Whoops!
Them: …
Well that last one is universal. Let it go, people! Sometimes it just can’t be helped!
But my point is that no matter where you go, when you don’t know the language you will be greeted with the same face.
Don’t be intimated!
Don’t be shy!
The key to enjoying your foreign travels is to become comfortable with these faces and to relish in the learning opportunities. Travelers that not only survive, but thrive, on their RTW journey’s attack their language difficulties aggressively and with a good sense of humor… ego be damned.
Realize that:
- 95% of most people on planet earth are kind, patient, and willing to help a polite and eager foreigner stumbling through a new language.
- That awkward face being made in your direction is 99 parts confusion at your terrible pronunciation and vocab, while only 1 part is mild judgment at your lameness.
- Nothing bad happens when people laugh at you… especially when you cannot understand what they are saying!
So get over any embarrassment you might have and get humiliated early and often by trying the new language whenever you can. Believe it or not, it is much harder to be embarrassed when you don’t understand the language.
Don’t believe me? Try letting one rip next time you are in a foreign land and see how little you care what others think.
Or just start speaking the new language… whatever you prefer.
