My Trip May Have Ended, but the Blogging Hasn't

Now that 2013 has arrived, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope the holiday season was good to everyone. My travels have now taken me to Williamsburg, Virginia, which is about 3.5 hours south of my home in Baltimore. I was supposed to have started my new travel physical therapy position on New Year's Eve, but delays in my background check have postponed my start until Friday. A grueling 1 day work week now awaits me. The powers that be must have been so impressed by my phenomenal ability to avoid the workforce over the past 11 months that they just wanted to see me in (in)action a bit longer.

So what did I do after I left Antarctica? Well, I flew to El Calafate in order to do some sightseeing of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Some of you astute readers might be thinking to yourself, "This dude just spent a week in Antarctica staring at glaciers and now is taking more time to see another glacier?" Yup. Totally worth it too. This glacier is massive. 19 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 588 feet deep (240 feet of which is visible above water). Add to the fact that this tidewater glacier is nestled in the Andes Mountains, and you have a truly stunning backdrop worthy of a stop if you happen to passing through Patagonia.

From there, I took an absolutely amazing bus ride to El Chalten on the famed Route 40 which runs through many national parks as it winds its' way through the Andes Mountains. I remember thinking to myself as I was staring out of my bus window that I was witnessing a deconstructed rainbow right before my eyes. You had a ground cover of green and yellow grasses dotted with red plants, ever changing shades of blue in Lake Argentina, and a setting orange sun which created shadows of indigo, violet, and gray within the jagged Andes Mountains. The main attraction in El Chalten is Mount Fitz Roy. It is a mountain which is quite popular amongst rock climbers. I am not a rock climber, but there loads of hikes in the region which promise amazing views of this striking peak. During any hike you also have the opportunity to enjoy raging rivers, bustling creeks, serene turquoise lakes, imposing glaciers, sprawling valleys, and pristine waterfalls as you soak in all the region has to offer. When I hiked to Lagos Los Tres, I was even greeted by gently falling snow, which along with fog, created an eerie visual over the turquoise lakes and imposing, albeit obscured mountain backdrop. Also, in a country known for its' wine, this region is also filled with tasty craft beer selections which combined well with the wide ranging cuisine you can find in this small town. After a year of drinking mainly disappointingly similar lagers, drinking beer with complex flavors was a nice treat.

The final stop on my trip was Iguazu Falls. I arrived on Dec. 16, 9 days short of Christmas, and the temps were in the mid 90's (33ish degrees C) with a ton of sweat inducing humidity. Not my idea of Christmas weather, and also quite a shock to my body given I was in Antarctica with freezing temps only 1 week earlier. In spite of the hot and humid weather though, Iguazu Falls was hands down the best set of waterfalls I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. It was light years better than Niagara Falls and significantly better than Victoria Falls. Iguazu Falls is such a massive complex it even has a passenger tram to take you to various places inside the park. You can also get everywhere on foot, if you choose, as there are footpaths everywhere which allow you to explore your surroundings more intimately. There are waterfalls seemingly as far as the eye can see which can be viewed from up above and from down at their bases. There is lush foliage and dramatic rock outcroppings which provide an even more idyllic setting for the multitude of cascading falls. Tropical birds, dozens of colorful butterfly species, mischievous croatis, stealth lizards, and many other animals added to the experience as well. And if that isn't enough, the falls can be seen from 2 countries, Argentina and Brazil. I only explored the Argentinian side (which was more than adequate), but should any of you decide to visit, consider getting a visa (if necessary) so that you can experience everything that region has to offer.

There are other activities to do in the Puerto Iguazu region as well. You can do bike tours through the jungle, explore nature parks to get an even closer look at the flora and fauna of the region, visit a hummingbird garden, take a helicopter tour of the falls, and do some of the adrenaline activities popular to many tourist attractions. There is even a spot where you can be standing in Argentina and look across the river to see both Paraguay and Brazil. Staring into 3 countries at once would have been a fitting unique visual to end my 11 month trip but then on my plane flight from Buenos Aires to Panama City, I stared out my window and saw a rainbow poking up through the clouds. I couldn't see it reach the ground, and there wasn't a big arc, but there was a huge chunk of rainbow that I was witnessing from thousands of feet in the air. Lots of symbolic meanings can obviously be drawn from that visual, but needless to say, it was a special few minutes which gave me more reason to pause and reflect on the year that was.

And now, the final visuals for you to enjoy.

Outside deck of our cruise ship to Antarctica. Also was the place for the outdoor summer BBQ.

Gentoo penguin

Adelie penguin

These were the zodiac boats we rode from cruise ship to land and the vessels we used to explore the waters around the Antarctic peninsula.

So many glaciers

One of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see, especially considering it is a sunset in Antarctica

Had ice like this been so thick, or packed too closely to our shore landing sites, we could have spent most of time in Antarctica viewing it from the boat. Instead....

....we got to do lots of hiking with those amazing views of mountains, glaciers, and animals.

7 continents. Seen 'em all.

That little red house is part of an Argentine base on the peninsula. If the weather is miserable, that must be a miserable existence. On days like this, it has to be one of the most spectacular views on the planet.

Mirrored reflections everywhere

Penguin porn

The result of penguin porn

These penguins take great care in picking out rocks to add to their nests. Often when they go to pick out the next rock to add, another criminal penguin will come and steal the rock which was just placed on the nest and take it for its' own.

My home for the night I slept on the Antarctic peninsula

Brave campers

Mr. Yum Yum, our toilet for the night.

Loo with a view

Those trails in the snow are known as 'penguin highways.' They often have quite a distance to walk from waters edge to their nests.

The remains of vessels and structures of an old whaling station. Also the sight of our polar bear plunge.

Chinstrap penguins

Old sunken ship

Back in Ushuaia, this is the Beagle Channel Lighthouse.

Our ship cabin. Extraordinarily comfortable bed.

Dining hall

Lobby

Lounge

Main presentation room

Perito Moreno Glacier

Mount Fitz Roy in El Chalten

Iguazu Falls

Croati

Standing on Argentinian soil. The left side of river is Paraguay. The right side of the river is Brazil.

There will be more blogs to come over the coming weeks and months. I'm compiling some interesting facts about my travels. I'll be taking road trips to visit/with friends in 2013 whom I met during my 2012 travels. There will be a road trip to see Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, a trip to Hawaii, and perhaps a trip at the end of the year to Europe to visit some Christmas villages. I will be spending tons of time this year editing photos and writing a book. Once I'm done editing photos, I'll post them for all to see and get those photo DVDs out to some of my travel mates. My brother and I also will be showing/selling photos in local shows this year. Starting on Jan. 13, we (Whynotfoto) will have about 15 photos on display at The Meeting House in Columbia, MD. for about 2 months. If any of you readers are ever in the area, stop by and check it out. Promises to be a busy year, albeit a much different kind of busy than last year. I wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2013. Cheers.