PATAGONIA: WORLD’S EDGE

Dates: 20.04.2023 – 05.05.2023

RIX-HEL

20.04.2023: After a demanding winter — juggling my Master’s studies in Structural Engineering, finishing my master’s thesis, and at the same time completing the certification exam to become a
licensed structural engineer, all while keeping up with everyday work — it felt like I had
earned something truly exotic for the next trip.

Patagonia wasn’t the very first place that came to mind, but somehow, quite organically, we
ended up aiming for the very edge of the world — Tierra del Fuego. I managed to find
reasonably good flight tickets without brutal overnight airport layovers. €700 round trip per
person felt like a fair deal, considering the sheer distance. Since Patagonia is famous for its completely unpredictable weather, the preparation process turned into a long and careful one: clothing, route planning, gear research — all the homework. Whether we prepared well enough, we’ll find out starting April 23, when we land in Punta Arenas. It’s one of three cities — along with Ushuaia in Argentina and Puerto Williams in Chile — that are sometimes called the southernmost city in the world. And there’s a reason for that: all three lie on the Strait of Magellan, less than 1,000 kilometers from Antarctica.

In the morning, I head out to pick up the carshare for getting to airport — this time a Škoda
Kamiq. At the airport, we learn that before traveling to Chile, an entry declaration must be
completed — something that wasn’t mentioned on the embassy’s website. Thankfully, the
airport employee calmly explains everything and reassures us that it can be filled out after
passing security. Including baggage drop and security, we’re sitting in the café within 15–20 minutes. The airport is unusually quiet this morning. Good thing we were allowed to complete the declaration later. Sitting calmly at a café table while waiting for the flight, we fill it out in about ten minutes. And that’s it — we’re ready for the adventure on the other side of the world!

HEL-MAD

20.04.2023: It’s our first time flying with Finnair. The aircraft is tiny — a 2×2 seating layout. I’m no Kristaps Porziņģis height-wise, but even so, my cap is already brushing the ceiling. A proper little
Bombardier. It’s a loud plane, but my noise-canceling headphones come to the rescue, and I end up sleeping through almost the entire 1 hour and 10 minute flight.

Vantaa Airport is quiet and calm. Entertaining ourselves here for another ~5 hours might be a
challenge. A 0.33L Brooklyn Lager costs €9.50. Looks like serious beer tasting won’t be part of the plan here. We grab a coffee and eat our toasted sandwiches while trying to download everything we still can using European internet. Travel excitement probably makes time pass faster than
expected, and soon it’s already time to board our flight to Madrid, Spain. Let’s hope this enthusiasm survives the 13.5-hour Madrid–Santiago flight as well.

MAD-SCL

20.04.2023: It’s also our first time flying with Iberia, so another new airline experience. In Riga, they couldn’t issue boarding passes for all segments, which meant we had to collect the boarding passes for
the final flight to Chile separately in Madrid.

Madrid Airport is huge, and the departure information isn’t quite as clear as we’d like. So we start asking at every information desk in sequence — where, what, how — until we finally end up at a very small counter tucked away at the edge of the terminal, where a single woman issues our boarding passes. Getting between terminals requires a train ride, but overall the airport feels modern and well maintained. This time, Finnair’s excellent app saves us — it clearly shows that we need to take the train to Terminal 2 and where to find the train stop.

Departures are heading to an impressive number of South American cities: Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, São Paulo, Buenos Aires — and of course our Santiago is on the list too. We pick up a few small bottles of wine to make the 13.5-hour flight more interesting, then grab a Whopper at Burger King. Not exactly fine dining, but at least it’s the first warm meal of the day.
Now we’ll see how we survive this mega-long 10,700 km flight.

SANTIAGO, CHILE

21.04.2023: Quite logically, it’s also our first time flying with LATAM (Latin American Airlines). The plane is massive. We’re seated all the way at the back, in row 44. Nine people per row. Next to us sits a proper Chilean auntie — exactly the kind of madre you’d expect from Spanish soap operas. It’s immediately clear she speaks only Spanish, but that doesn’t stop her from enthusiastically
engaging us in conversation. She asks: “¿No Español y Chile?” and then dramatically shakes her head with a loud “Ay, ay, ay, ay!” At least we now know what to expect at the destination – language wise.

The flight is extremely long — we spend around 14 hours on the plane. I manage to sleep for about 6–7 of those hours. Madara doesn’t have quite the same luck. That said, the seats are genuinely very comfortable — probably the most comfortable we’ve ever flown in. Bonus points for LATAM. I had preloaded movies for the long haul, but in the end, I only watched one: Nobody.
Food-wise, Turkish Airlines still does it better. But overall, LATAM’s aircraft felt more comfortable, and on a flight this long, that’s what really matters.

We arrive at our destination without issues — border control first, and then we’re officially in.
Everything moves smoothly and efficiently. Plenty of people, but no real queues anywhere.
Since no food is allowed to be brought into Chile, inspections are strict — and we treated that rule seriously. Anything we hadn’t eaten, we threw away to avoid filling out any import declarations. I did have bananas in my bag on the plane and ate them, but the airport sniffer dog picked up on it from a distance and sent me for more detailed inspection. All good in the end — apparently, I’m acceptable after all.

Originally, I planned to take an Uber to the hotel. But once we exit the terminal, taxi drivers descend on us faster than vultures on a dead carcass. We try to brush them off at first, but since the Uber app refuses to accept my Latvian payment card, taxi driver Luis eventually “captures” us.
The app showed a fare of 16,000 pesos. Luis offers 23,000, which is roughly within the range I’d read about beforehand. Fair enough. He’s official too — a black-and-yellow taxi.

SANTIAGO: PLAZA DE ARMAS

21.04.2023: On the way, the taxi driver warns us that our hotel — Hotel Brasilia — is located in a rather rough neighborhood. Or as he put it: “muy complicado.” According to him, the area is full of Colombians, Dominicans, and Venezuelans with “a tear tattoo” — in other words, former prisoners. Long story short: not the safest district, and definitely not one you’d want to wander into too deeply. I had googled areas you definitely shouldn’t stay in beforehand, and this one didn’t come up. Geographically, though, it made sense — convenient for heading back to the airport the next day. Surely one night will be fine.

Since it’s still early morning, we can’t check into the hotel yet. We arrange to leave our bags there and head out into the streets. I have to admit, the neighborhood feels seriously depressing in the morning. But it’s still not even 10 a.m., and practically everything is closed — that might explain part of it. As we get closer to the city center, more street vendors begin to appear. A few minutes later, we spot our first Lada (Russian made car) on the street (which, it turns out, is also the only one we’ll see during the entire trip). Reaching what seems to be Santiago’s main avenue — Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins — we’re greeted by a gigantic Chilean flag at Plaza Bulnes, right across from the government palace, Palacio de La Moneda.

We follow the pedestrian street Paseo Ahumada toward the central square, Plaza de Armas. This is the first street that truly feels alive. Plenty of street vendors. What immediately catches my eye are the shoe shiners — which instantly reminds me of that classic Frank Drebin (Police Squad) tv series scene where all kinds of professionals come to the shoe shiner for advice. Life school.
The people on the streets are incredibly diverse — ethnically and stylistically. I’d like to think we don’t immediately look like tourists. At least not until we open our mouths.

At the main square, we immediately go into Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago de Chile. The doors are open, so we step inside. The cathedral is impressive, of course, but after last year’s Andalusia trip — with its endless lineup of famous churches — this visit doesn’t trigger any particularly strong emotions. We move on. By now it’s well past lunchtime, so we find a place to eat. The tourist streets are only just starting to wake up. It’s interesting — technically it’s a weekday, but no one seems to be in a hurry to work. Even though we initially resist climbing a hill — after 14 hours on a plane, walking isn’t exactly appealing — we somehow end up at the top of Santa Lucía Hill anyway. The park is lovely, like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a big city. The panorama is impressive; the Andes are hidden behind what looks like clouds (later we realize it’s smog, not clouds).

I was hoping to spot Torres de Santiago, the tallest skyscraper in South America, but it’s not visible from here. At a kiosk, I try to buy some drinks. I realize I don’t understand Spanish numbers at all — especially when everything is counted in thousands. That doesn’t help. In these situations, I just hand over a medium-sized banknote when the price isn’t clearly marked and trust the vendor’s honesty. What other options do I have? We settle into the hipster-friendly Lastarria district for a wine and cerveza break. After the long journey, we don’t have much energy left for walking, so it’s time to slowly call it a day. We still need to stop by a shop for some food.
And, taking the taxi driver’s advice seriously, we decide it’s best to return to the hotel while it’s still daylight — or later by taxi.

SANTIAGO: HOTEL BRASILIA

21.04.2023: After refueling in the hipster-ish and, in some ways, surprisingly European-feeling Lastarria district, we head back toward the tourist pedestrian streets. In the morning they felt extremely depressing, so we decide to give them a second chance now that there are noticeably
more people and life on the streets.

Locals are selling absolutely everything imaginable on the street — at full scale. Underwear, TV remotes, napkins, socks, oranges, shoes, hats, grapes — you name it, it’s here. Apparently, you can even buy a car inside a shopping mall. Chileans are serious traders. If instead of
throwing away an old T-shirt you manage to sell it, you’re probably winning — assuming you can afford to sit on the street all day waiting for that one lucky buyer.

At Plaza de Armas, we sit down at a café for a bit before heading back “home.” Outside a grocery store, there’s a local beauty salon — right on the street. Women of all ages sit on plastic garden chairs against a graffiti-covered wall, receiving beauty treatments. Makeup, eyelashes, eyebrows — whatever you want. The quality must be decent by local standards, judging by the queue.
On the way back, it’s very clear that the neighborhood where we’re staying isn’t exactly the most welcoming. At least now it’s alive — street vendors, people around, shops open. That helps.
The hotel itself, at first glance, seems okay though.

SANTIAGO: CERRO SAN CRISTOBAL

22.04.2023: First thing in the morning, we take the metro to Universidad de Santiago, where we
accidentally stumble upon an interesting area — Patio Bellavista. It’s a lively-looking quarter full of cafés and bars, and we’ll most likely come back here later today for lunch. For now, though, it’s still early morning and everything is closed.

The main task for now is taking the funicular up to San Cristóbal Hill, where the Statue of the Virgin Mary stands. It’s Santiago’s own version of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer. From up here, there’s a panoramic view over the entire Chilean capital — or at least as far as the smog and the Andes allow. This is where you can really grasp how enormous the city is. Somewhere, those roughly 5.6 million inhabitants have to fit. Since Santiago lies in a seismically active zone, the city is built mostly horizontally rather than vertically, which explains its impressive sprawl.
There’s a slight haze, so the Andes aren’t visible in their full glory, but the silhouettes of the
mountain peaks are enough to hint at their scale.

We take the funicular up to the statue and sit there for a bit, then continue by cable car to
the next stations, walking through the park. Since it’s Saturday, the park is lively — full of
pedestrians and cyclists. After the walk, we want to buy ice cream in a waffle cone, but thanks to our limited Spanish skills, we end up with ice cream served on a Belgian waffle instead. Honestly, not a bad outcome at all.

SANTIAGO: PATIO BELLAVISTA

22.04.2023: After our rides on funiculars and cable cars, we head purposefully toward the
neighborhood we had already scoped out — Bellavista. It’s a modern, hipster-style quarter filled with colorful, lively cafés all in one place. Somewhat similar to Tallinas Quarter back in Riga.
We pick one spot and head inside. Wine options are a bit limited here, so even Madara agrees to a Patagonian cerveza. We eat well — I go for a beef burger with Chilean potatoes, Madara chooses gnocchi. Prices are fairly European, but still reasonable. Honestly, so far nothing has been noticeably cheaper than back home — and it probably won’t be.

After refueling, it’s time to walk off those newly acquired calories. We stroll over to Plaza de Armas, where a local “bright force” (aka — a homeless guy) starts scanning us quite attentively. Still, with the heavy police presence around, there’s no real sense of danger. Maybe just a faint background note of urine in the air. We decide to head back once more to the Lastarria district we explored yesterday. Street musicians are everywhere again. The same guy from yesterday is still there, blowing into his flute — just as enthusiastically and just as off-key. More interesting are the drummers, who manage to play a surprisingly solid rhythm while simultaneously doing pirouettes. These guys definitely deserve a few hundred pesos tossed into the hat for the show.

SCL-PUQ

22.04.2023: Before heading to the airport, we manage to squeeze in one final round of drinks right at Plaza de Armas, and then it’s time to move on. Honestly, the later we arrive at the airport, the better — our flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas is in the middle of the night anyway.

We arrange with our taxi driver Luis to pick us up at Plaza de Armas at 7:30 p.m. First stop: the hotel to collect our bags, then straight to the airport. We pay 30,000 pesos for the whole ride, which feels reasonable. Judging by the neighborhoods outside the city center, two white tourists with large backpacks wandering around unnecessarily doesn’t sound like a great idea.

The airport is fairly quiet at this hour, so we’re through security in about 15 minutes. It is a
domestic flight, though, so security isn’t particularly strict. My bag does raise some suspicion
— it contains both matches and a corkscrew, neither exactly ideal carry-on items. The security officer doesn’t even blink at the matches. The corkscrew gets more attention, mainly because it also has a small blade attached. I casually mention that it’s a wine opener. She immediately responds: “Wine opener? Ah, OK! You’re good to go.” You can’t leave someone without the ability to open a bottle of wine, after all. Now we’re ready to wait out the remaining hours until our flight to Punta Arenas.

PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE

23.04.2023: While waiting for the flight, we even manage to get a few solid hours of sleep. After
landing, a roughly 700 km drive from Punta Arenas to the Argentine city of El Calafate awaits us, so rest is definitely needed. It still feels slightly unreal to write a sentence like that.

We’re already in Chile — and we’re about to drive to Argentina. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet. We want to grab a quick McDonald’s bite before the flight (the domestic terminal doesn’t offer many other options), but the guys don’t seem particularly eager to open at three in the morning. Our schedule is a bit tight, so we settle for an expensive and not especially tasty panini at Starbucks, which appears to operate 24/7. I wash it down with a gigantic mug of café americano. At least the coffee is good. That’s the last thing you’d expect — bad coffee at Starbucks.

The flight itself is quick and calm. No issues with the bags. Sleeping on the plane doesn’t really work out, but on the bright side, we arrive almost an hour early — probably a strong tailwind.
A nice surprise: the car rental guy has checked the flight status online and is already there waiting for us. It’s great to walk out of the airport and find the car ready — even warmed up. A bit of paperwork first, but everything is sorted within 10 minutes, and we’re good to go. We hit the road in our white Chevrolet Cruze. First stop: Puerto Natales, where we need to rent trekking poles — and most likely grab some food before crossing the border.

RIO TURBIO, ARGENTINA

23.04.2023: We make a quick stop in Puerto Natales for a short visit to Rental Natales, where we rent trekking poles. This guy is also very open to chatting and, for a change, speaks excellent English. We talk for a bit, pick up a few useful tips on where and how to drive — and what to do or avoid. Apparently, we’re the first Latvians of the season, though not the first ever. First of all, it’s genuinely nice that he immediately knows where Latvia is — especially at the edge of the world. Even more amusing: he once ordered some kind of insulation tape from Latvia via eBay. From Latvia to Patagonia! Supposedly, it’s really good. Fair enough — we believe him.

Next, we head toward the Argentine border crossing at Dorotea, near the town of Río Turbio on the Argentine side. After gathering information from people and reading online, this part has me slightly nervous, so we throw away all remaining food to avoid unnecessary trouble. Practically any kind of food is forbidden to be taken out of or brought into Chile. Technically, sealed roducts may be allowed in some cases, but why risk it? Everything that’s left goes into the trash. In reality, the border crossing turns out to be incredibly smooth and straightforward — no delays, no issues at all. We get our passport stamps and move on.

Before continuing, we need to refuel and buy some food for the upcoming four-hour drive to El Calafate. We also have to pay by card — at inflated prices — since we’ll only be able to exchange cash once we reach El Calafate. The official Argentine peso exchange rate is 1 USD = 215 ARS, but on the street you can exchange at roughly 1:400. The catch: US dollar bills must be perfectly
clean and new. Luckily, ours are. Not a bad feeling to essentially double your money.

EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA

23.04.2023: Considering that we had planned to cover 700 km — an absolute personal record for solo driving in a single day — I was expecting a pretty tough one. But between the mild tension of the border crossing, the extremely monotonous yet somehow overwhelmingly vast landscape, and the sheer amount of wildlife along the road, time and kilometers passed surprisingly quickly.
First of all, we didn’t expect to see so many guanacos (animals that look a bit like llamas). We had no idea there would be ostriches at all. Equally impressive were the eagle-like birds we kept spotting along the roadside — later we learned they’re called caranchos, mostly busy inspecting various carcasses.

Once in El Calafate, we take the obligatory photo next to the city sign and check into our hotel. A cozy little room with brick walls, close to the main street. Technically more of a hostel — $40 per night for both of us — but since we have our own bathroom and toilet, we’re perfectly happy.
Exchanging local pesos is also high on the priority list. A pleasant surprise: shops are currently offering 1 USD = 420 ARS. When I checked a couple of months ago, rates were closer to 1:350–370. This, of course, works entirely in our favor.

For dinner, we head to Cerveza Patagonia, where I try two Patagonian-brewed lagers and order a delicious guanaco burger. Madara goes for a Caesar wrap. The food is excellent, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Price-wise, it’s basically on par with home. For the meals and two rounds of drinks, we pay around €30 — thanks to the favorable exchange rate.
Tomorrow, we’re heading to the region’s undisputed star attraction: the Perito Moreno Glacier. And if luck is on our side, we’ll try to get out on a boat as well.

PERITO MORENO

24.04.2023: In the morning, the first task is to get hold of more Argentine pesos, which turns out to be not quite as easy as expected. Early in the day, shops simply don’t have enough cash yet. In the end, a drugstore-like shop agrees to exchange money at a fairly decent rate — 1:380. We’ll try again in the evening, hoping for 400+ pesos per dollar.

In town, we get successfully “caught” by an Italian student named Giacomo, who studies
international relations in Buenos Aires and is now traveling around Patagonia on holiday. I ask
how a student from Europe ends up studying in Buenos Aires — not exactly the first destination
that comes to mind when you think of studying abroad. Turns out there’s a University of Bologna branch in the Argentine capital, and he’s taking full advantage of the opportunities it offers. A genuinely interesting conversation companion for the roughly one-hour drive.

First, we buy boat tour tickets — 8,000 ARS per person for the 2:30 p.m. departure. Then we
head off to see the ice ourselves. This is something that’s incredibly hard to describe with photos or words. Absolutely EPIC! A gigantic 70-meter-high wall of ice towering above the water, from which chunks regularly break off, creating thunder-like booms. Only about 10% of its true volume is visible — meaning roughly 700 meters of ice extends below the water’s surface. The total area is said to be around 730 hectares, making it the third-largest glacier in the world, “losing” only to the Greenland ice sheet and Antarctica itself. Wooden walkways have been built along the glacier, allowing you to get as close as safety permits. Every now and then, you hear a deep cracking sound as the ice shifts and breaks. If you’re lucky, you can actually witness a massive chunk calve off and crash into the water, creating surprisingly large waves. We get lucky! And I even manage to film it!

At that exact moment, tour boat happens to be relatively close. It immediately turns around
and speeds away — understandably, since a falling ice block creates waves big enough to be
dangerous for a small vessel. Spectacular view! There’s really no other word for it. This has to
be the most impressive natural wonder that we have witnessed so far!
After the walk, we briefly catch an internet signal and manage to make a FaceTime call to my
parents. The image is pixelated, but it’s enough to share a glimpse of this ice giant for a
moment. The first-ever Argentina–Grobiņa, Latvia video call.

SAFARI NAUTICO

24.04.2023: For 8,000 Argentine pesos each, we book a boat tour along the glacier. The ride lasts almost 1.5hours, taking us impressively close to the massive ice wall. It seems this is the western face of the glacier. The northern face is where most of the ice chunks breaks off — that’s also where we witnessed the earlier calving event.

Absolutely epic! I’ll repeat myself and say there’s really no better way to describe it. You just stand there in awe, not entirely sure what you’re even looking at. Once on the boat’s open deck, we truly feel the power of the Patagonian wind. Surprisingly, the wind itself is quite warm — no real need for gloves. But the force of it is something else entirely, strong enough to knock you off your feet if you’re not careful. Easily well over 35 m/s! In the distance, we can see tiny, ant-like figures — people who’ve chosen the glacier trekking tour, walking directly on the ice.

LAGUNA AZUL

25.04.2023: This morning we get up and roll on toward the next Argentine stop. Around 7 a.m., we set off for El Chaltén, a small village 220 km away, where two short hikes are planned.
A kind of warm-up before tomorrow’s first proper trek.

We leave while it’s still dark, so we need to watch out for guanacos and other creatures. Luckily, it seems they wake up together with the sun. At sunrise, the cliffs glow beautifully in soft pink tones — unfortunately, in photos they end up looking like tiny specks. As daylight arrives, the rocky massif with Mount Fitz Roy right in the middle finally reveals itself — tomorrow’s main objective. Sharp, dramatic rock faces, still dusted with snow. And honestly, what else could possibly grow on mountains like these year-round?

After about 2.5 hours of driving, we reach El Chaltén, grab a small bite, and then head toward our first hike — Laguna Azul in Los Huemules Park. Getting there requires another 30 minutes of bouncing along a fairly wild gravel road. Rocks underneath, smaller stones piled on top — instant road. Definitely not a place to drive fast. Along the way, there are also a few questionable-looking bridges, only slightly wider than our car. But since jeeps and even small buses cross them without hesitation, we decide not to overthink it and keep going.

It turns out there’s also an additional 4,000 pesos per person fee, as two endangered species live in this area. One is the huemul, a deer-like animal found only in the Patagonian Andes of Chile and Argentina. The other is the protected torrent duck — basically a duck-like bird with a red beak. The hike itself is about 6 km and takes roughly 2 hours. Wildlife sightings are modest —
just two hares. But the water of Laguna Azul is such an intense, crystal-clear blue that it looks artificially colored. A perfect warm-up hike, and a good chance to figure out what clothing actually works in these conditions. Now we’re keeping all possible fingers crossed that tomorrow’s weather will be just as good as today’s. Apparently, it poured with rain yesterday, and nothing of the mountains was visible at all.

MIRADOR LOS CONDORES

25.04.2023: After the day’s first warm-up hike, we head out for a second one — a very short one. In total, about 40 minutes on the trail to Mirador Los Cóndores. Along the path, there are informative signs about condors — the gigantic birds of the Andes. They stand almost one meter tall, and in flight their wingspan can reach an incredible 3.2 meters. Because they’re so large and heavy, condors prefer to live and fly in windy areas, letting the wind do most of the work while they simply hold their sails open while gliding.It’s hard to imagine a more suitable place than Patagonia.

We start to think we won’t actually see any condors in real life — but on the way back
down, we spot two of them. At the top viewpoint, there’s a beautiful view of the village of El Chaltén in the valley below, backed by the royal-looking Andes, with Mount Fitz Roy standing out in all its glory. A sharp, dramatic, and extremely photogenic peak. Tomorrow, we’re going to meet it up close.

EL CHALTEN, ARGENTINA

25.04.2023: After two shorter hikes, it’s time to check into tonight’s accommodation —
Tranqueras Lodge. We get briefly confused while trying to find it, but eventually manage by matching it to the photos on Booking. There’s no sign on the building indicating it’s a hotel at all.
A noticeably round-built guy in his early forties, wearing a dirty orange shirt, checks us in. The hostel is clearly a step down from our place in El Calafate, but it is what it is. We pay $63 USD for one night.

In theory, everything essential is there — but the overall vibe is so-so. The room is uncomfortably hot, the bedding is only moderately clean, and you have to wait about 10 minutes for hot water in the shower. Individually, these are minor issues, but taken together… it could definitely be better. After a short nap, hunger kicks in and we head out into the streets. Walking along the main road around 6 p.m., it’s still very quiet. You can tell that part of the cafés have already shut down for the off-season. We eventually settle on a place called Bandidos. I order a beef steak with potatoes — it’s fine. Not great, not terrible. Madara’s Napoli pizza, however, is pretty bad — to put it mildly. The dough isn’t even properly baked. But there’s not much to do about it. When you know about seven words in Spanish, you’re not exactly going to start a debate. The bill comes to 13,500 ARS. After dinner, it’s time to prepare for tomorrow’s early start. Another early wake-up is coming.

LAGUNA DE LOS TRES – FITZ ROY

26.04.2023: Today’s agenda is a packed one. An ~8-hour hike to Laguna de los Tres, plus a 240 km drive back to El Calafate, which we’d really like to complete while there’s still daylight. So we start early. At 7:40 a.m. we’re already at the trailhead. The first 1–1.5 km we hike in complete darkness, headlamps on — but we’re not the only ones doing it. That’s reassuring, especially for our first proper hike in the dark. It’s harder to wander off when there are others around, and in any case, the trail is very well maintained and clearly marked — clearly designed so tourists don’t get lost in the dark.

Quite a few people start at this hour. Some fight the darkness with phone flashlights, others walk behind better-prepared hikers with headlamps. We’re well and properly equipped. Although, it turns out that many of the “well-equipped” hikers are dressed too warmly. The trail begins with a fairly steep ascent right away, so after about 20 minutes, layers start coming off. With the first daylight, Fitz Roy reveals itself — first in a soft pink hue, then, once the sun fully rises, the peak
stretches into the sky bright and white. The hike up to 9 km is surprisingly easy — just steady walking. But the last kilometer is a killer: 400 meters of vertical gain in a single kilometer. But if you want to see “Ficuks” (our affectionate nickname for Fitz Roy), you have to climb. There’s even a warning sign before the ascent that roughly translates to: if you’re weak, better turn back now.
We keep going!

Bonus difficulty: during the night, a small stream running over the rocks we have to climb has frozen. So at times, we’re basically hiking on slanted ice. Not exactly the conditions for setting speed records. At the top, the view is spectacular! The turquoise waters of Laguna de los Tres perfectly reflect Fitz Roy’s jagged spire and its smaller “cousins” nearby. We sit down, eat our sandwiches — but strong, cold gusts of wind don’t allow us to stay long. Even sheltered behind a rock, it quickly gets chilly. The descent is challenging too. On one steep section, the same stream has started to melt, meaning we’re now going down over wet ice — somehow even more entertaining than climbing up on it. Still, everything ends well.

It’s interesting how people keep coming up toward us, even though in daylight there’s realistically no way for them to finish the hike. And it doesn’t look like many are camping in the park either. On the way down, we run into three large caranchos. It’s hard to tell who’s the bigger attraction — us to them, or them to us. We take some photos and move on. Schedule matters.
By the end, the hike becomes noticeably exhausting. Autopilot mode kicks in. One step after another, all the way to the finish.
Final stats: 1,300 m of elevation gain, 25km, 8 hours.
All that’s left now is 240 km to El Calafate, where we’ll stay at the same little hostel as before.

EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA

26.04.2023: Our last evening in Argentina. El Calafate feels noticeably livelier and cozier than the
small village of El Chaltén, which is clearly already heading into winter hibernation. El Calafate, on the other hand, is still buzzing with life. We need to exchange a bit more cash. Interestingly, over the past few days the exchange rate has shifted even further in our favor. Now you can get 430 Argentine pesos for one US dollar — and in one shop we even see 440. From a local perspective, that’s honestly pretty brutal. From ours… well, we’re not complaining.

We check into the hotel and, to celebrate our first successful big hike, open a bottle of
Patagonian white wine we bought the day before yesterday. A good wine, “enjoyed” from beer glasses, because that’s all we have available. It has to be finished tonight anyway — tomorrow we won’t be allowed to take it across the Chilean border. Once the wine is defeated, we head out into town. As a thank-you for taking care of our ginger cat back home while we’re off roaming the world, we buy my mom a guanaco wool scarf. Considering how many of these animals we’ve seen around here, it could’ve been cheaper — but it’s a nice gift. For our goddaughter Enija, a
guanaco T-shirt. I consider buying myself a Patagonia-branded cap, but €50 for a hat feels like too much — even with the favorable exchange rate.

For dinner, we go to Nina Restaurant on the town’s main street. I order a guanaco stew (cazuela), Madara goes for Patagonian trout. Everything is excellent. A bottle of 2020 Patagonian white wine in the restaurant costs 3,700 pesos, roughly €8–9. Not bad at all. The restaurant is very pleasant and welcoming, with quite a few people inside. It’s also the first time we really notice that in Patagonia you can walk into even the nicest restaurant in town wearing hiking boots, sweatpants, and a hoodie — and you won’t stand out at all. Dinner comes to 13,500 ARS in total — about €32.

VILLA RIO SERRANO, CHILE

27.04.2023: This morning we’re up again and, without much lingering, back on the road — a long drive ahead. El Calafate – Puerto Natales – Villa Río Serrano in Torres del Paine National Park, where we’ll spend the night. All in all, another ~350 km to cover. At some point today, Patagonia’s surprisingly excellent asphalt will give way to the famous Torres del Paine gravel
roads. Before leaving, we stop for photos at Lago Argentino, by the El Calafate city sign — and to our surprise, we spot flamingos. If I think about it, I do remember that they live here, but in theory they should have already migrated for the winter season. Only a few are left — but still, better than none.

Second stop: Río Turbio, near the border, to fill up the tank at a ridiculously cheap price — about €0.35 per liter for diesel. The full tank costs around 6,700 ARS. I have 7,000 pesos, and I tell the gas station attendant he can keep the change — the remaining 300 pesos is less than a euro, and I wouldn’t be able to spend it anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so genuinely happy about a tip. He even washes our windshield while the tank is filling. Well deserved.

Next challenge: getting back into Chile. At the border, there’s only a small crowd, and since we’ve already filled out the entry declaration, everything goes smoothly. This time they also “check” our bags — quotation marks intentional. He opens my backpack, asks if there’s any food inside, and after my no, closes it again. Good to go! In Puerto Natales, we quickly grab food for ourselves, stock up on supplies for tomorrow’s hike, and continue on. Another 1.5 hours to our accommodation — the only downside being that it’s all on gravel roads.

The lodge is located just outside Torres del Paine National Park. The road leading there is… challenging, to put it mildly. But the entire way, the view is dominated by the cloud-wrapped, massive cliffs of Chilean Patagonia. When we reach the gate, it’s closed. There’s no mobile signal, so calling or messaging the host isn’t an option. We open the gate ourselves and drive in. Nearby, horses are grazing on fresh, rain-soaked grass; chickens wander around; dogs bark;
cats sleep. A proper local farm ecosystem. None of them seem particularly concerned by our arrival. Only the host comes out to greet us.

We step into a cozy-looking two-story wooden house. Downstairs: living room and kitchen. Upstairs: our apartment. It turns out we’re the only guests tonight, so effectively, the whole house is ours. For the night at Vista al Paine – Refugio de Aventura, we pay €165. Definitely on the expensive side — but the views from the windows are absolutely epic. Too bad it’s cloudy.
Sipping a few Austral Cervezas and some vino blanco, we sit in semi-darkness, taking in the breathtaking view through the windows until it gets completely dark. If only there were fewer clouds — it would be jaw-dropping. We spend about two hours chatting with the host, who turns out to be Colombian and has moved to Patagonia. We also pick up some useful tips for the coming days — for example, that Chilean Patagonia follows Argentine time, meaning all our
clocks are one hour behind. Very useful to know, especially when heading to the airport.

Despite the fact that only the living room is heated, the accommodation is wonderful. We’re prepared for the cold and sleep in thermal layers. Tomorrow is an early start — heading toward the kings of Patagonia — so we turn in early. The start will once again be in the dark. Our host has arranged breakfast for 5 a.m., so we can set off by 6.

MIRADOR DE LAS TORRES

28.04.2023: To fit everything in today, the schedule is tight. We’re up at 5:30 a.m. to start at 6:00. Our host prepares eggs, sandwiches, and coffee for breakfast. There’s not much appetite this early, but you have to put something in your stomach before a day like this.

In the darkness of night, we need to drive about 55 km to Lake Amarga, where the 12 km trail
to the rock giants begins. The drive takes roughly 1.5 hours, but doing it in the dark on gravel
and extremely winding roads is quite a challenge. So winding, in fact, that the navigator leaves
what little breakfast he had on the roadside. I keep my hands on the wheel — from my seat,
the car doesn’t feel like it’s shaking that much. When we arrive, it’s pitch black outside. Even with the car lights on, it’s hard to tell where or how to park. We’re the first ones there, so there’s no one to copy from.

We start hiking around 7:30. Light rain, relatively warm, no wind — but dark as hell. Even with
headlamps, it feels like we can’t see farther than the tip of our noses. After about 30 minutes,
we’re already peeling off layers — the body warms up quickly. Overall, the trail is very walkable and interesting. That said, it’s constant up and down, so every now and then it really hits you. After about 1.5 hours, we still haven’t met a single other person. Once daylight starts to break and the scale of the landscape becomes visible, it genuinely feels like we’re the only people in all of Patagonia.

About halfway in, we pass Refugio Chileno, where multi-day hikers stay on specially built tent
platforms. It looks quite amusing — like an ant colony clinging to the mountainside. Toward the end, there’s a steep but well-laid-out climb over rocks. At one point, it starts snowing quite heavily, and it becomes pretty clear that today we’re not going to see the Three Towers. Still, we cling to a bit of naïve hope until the very end.

At the finish, the fog is extremely thick. We can barely make out the mountain lake sitting at
the base of the towers. A British group arrives just ahead of us, doing the final section of the W
Trek with a guide. One guy stands out — he’s walked the entire W Trek in shorts. It’s snowing
now, but apparently that’s just a minor detail. Tough Brit — though it looks like he may not fully
understand where he’s come.

After waiting about 30 minutes, the fog briefly lifts, and we manage to see at least one and a
half towers — what seems to be the northern and central ones. Time to head back. It’s unlikely today will give us anything more. The descent is quick and efficient. Once again, today clocks in at 25 km, 8 hours, and 1,400 meters of elevation gain. The trail is incredibly beautiful and very well maintained. I’d happily hike this again — and there’s motivation to do so, since we didn’t really see the main attraction this time. Honestly, I liked this hike more than the Fitz Roy trail.
Madara feels the same.

PUERTO NATALES, CHILE

28.04.2023: After the hike, there’s still about a 2.5-hour drive to Puerto Natales, once again on the same gravel roads. Along the way, we encounter especially large numbers of sheep and guanacos. Madara photographs everything she possibly can.
A big part of the route is under road construction. If we ever come back here, the drive from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park will likely be on a road comparable to a highway. That alone will save a huge amount of precious vacation time. The combination of hiking and driving is exhausting, and by evening the tiredness really sets in. I still feel like heading out into town, but Madara is completely done. So we stay in.

MONUMENTO NATURAL CUEVA DEL MILODON

29.04.2023: We’re looking for alternatives for today. The originally planned trail lies quite deep inside the park, which under normal conditions would mean at least 2.5 hours of driving each way on the same winding gravel roads we bounced along yesterday. On top of that, we learn that one road section will be closed in the afternoon, meaning the return drive in the evening would be at least two hours longer. After so many long driving hours, the fatigue is real, so we decide to stay put in Puerto Natales. Honestly, it would be an awful surprise to find out only on the way back that the road is closed for two days…

Flipping through our Chile guidebook, we come across a small national park — Monumento Natural Cueva del Milodón. The park features caves carved out by glaciers. At first, we think
about comparing them to Latvia’s Gutmanis Cave, but that turns out not to be a very fair comparison. The first and largest cave — Milodón Cave — is genuinely impressive. The others
are… so-so. If we had started from the smallest and worked our way up, the impression might have been different. We spot a pair of condors. The fact that you can clearly see a bird sitting on a cliff from such a distance really tells you how massive they really are. Their wingspan can reach up to three meters, and when one of them takes off, you can distinctly see the “three fingers” (3 feathers) at the ends of its wings.

Overall, our legs feel like boiled spaghetti today after yesterday’s climb. Even the small ascent up to the Milodón Cave viewpoint requires real effort. Here, we buy three guanaco wool scarves for the same price we paid for one for my mom in El Calafate. It is what it is.

PUERTO NATALES, CHILE

29.04.2023: Since the day ends up being more relaxed than originally planned, we finally get around to properly walking through Puerto Natales itself. The town is actually quite interesting. First of all, almost all streets are one-way, which is pretty confusing at first — especially for newcomers. I felt that firsthand. All the houses are fairly small and low, almost pancake-flat. I’d guess that has something to do with the famous Patagonian winds.
Given the huge range of weather conditions here, it’s quite surprising that most buildings look like cardboard houses. No real insulation to speak of. Everything seems to be heated with some kind of electric heaters. Only rarely do you see an actual heating system. I guess energy must be dirt cheap here. The exterior walls feel about as thick as a window frame.

After the internal debate in El Calafate, I finally decide that yes — I do want to take a Patagonia cap home with me. And it turns out to be a good call, because here it costs almost half the price compared to Argentina. In the evening, we head to the famous Last Hope Distillery, where an Australian couple, after an epic journey through Patagonia, decided to settle here and open a small bar serving their own gin and whisky in various cocktails. The place is extremely popular, so
we end up waiting almost an hour outside on the street for a table.
Once inside, we each try two cocktails. We come to the conclusion that we prefer a London Dry–style gin over the calafate berry version. After the second round, Madara starts seriously nodding off again, so we head back “home.”
The night, however, takes a noticeable hit in sleep quality thanks to the neighbor’s dogs, who — seemingly halfway over the fence — bark relentlessly for half the night. Not ideal, especially with an early start to Punta Arenas planned for tomorrow.

PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE

30.04.2023: This morning we leave without breakfast. We head out earlier than planned, earlier than we’d told the hosts — and there’s no one around to warn anyway. A coffee would’ve been nice. Breakfast itself isn’t much of a loss though; Chileans aren’t exactly early risers, and breakfast here is usually just toast with butter and maybe a psychologically symbolic slice of ham.

The first hour of driving is in complete darkness. You can really feel how alive the roadsides are. Hares and foxes dart across the road and along the shoulders. One hare’s final sprint unfortunately ends under our Chevrolet. We slightly damage the bumper — but since it wasn’t the first scar it already had, returning the car causes no issues. To be fair, we didn’t exactly
highlight the incident either… and he didn’t ask.

Before returning the car, we manage about two hours of walking around Punta Arenas. It’s noticeably larger than all the other towns we visited in Patagonia. Apparently, it’s the largest city in Patagonia, with around 125,000 inhabitants. Looking at the map beforehand, it didn’t feel that way — but in reality, it’s a proper city. It’s still early, so many shops are closed, but the streets look very tidy and well kept. We park near Plaza de Armas. It seems like every self-respecting Chilean city names its main park exactly that.

After breakfast at the only café that’s open, we take a walk along the promenade. At first, we don’t fully register it — but then it clicks: this is the Strait of Magellan. Visually, the view isn’t all that different from something you might see in Liepāja or Pāvilosta back home. But mentally? That’s a pretty stylish checkbox for the traveler’s CV. Especially when you open Google Maps and realize Antarctica is less than 1,000 km away. Antarctica!!!

Before returning the car, we top up the tank. The Chevy is thirsty — but it’s served us well this past week. The return process is smooth and hassle-free. The guy does glance at our slightly damaged bumper… but says nothing. We get our deposit back and move on. This concludes our
adventure part in Patagonia. But I’m confident that we will return here!

VALPARAISO, CHILE

01.05.2023: After quite a long period of indecision about what to do with May 1st, we finally decide to take a semi-calculated risk and head to Valparaíso. Today is May Day — a public holiday pretty much everywhere — but down here in the south it’s taken especially seriously,
so there’s a good chance that everything will be closed. About 30 minutes from home, we head to the central bus station, where — surprisingly — getting tickets is very easy. I suspect the cashier and we are thinking of the same destination. We’ll see if that theory holds.

A fun fact: Madara was responsible for planning today’s agenda, but let’s just say it didn’t go particularly well. So I decide to be modern and ask ChatGPT to plan our day hour by hour — I simply don’t have time for it myself anymore, and traveling completely without a plan doesn’t feel right either. That’s how we end up heading to Chile’s third-largest city – Valparaiso. The Santiago bus station is impressively clean. For 500 pesos, we enter a restroom that is also spotless — an extremely rare phenomenon for station toilets anywhere in the world. No “bright forces” (homeless people) in sight either. Just the usual dogs wandering around, giving you hopeful looks while searching for potential ”victims” for food. We easily find our bus and get front-row panoramic seats on the second floor. Like a Swiss watch, the bus departs exactly at 10:00. About 1.5 hours on the road in an extremely comfortable coach.

Arriving in Valparaíso, it’s immediately clear that all the classic shops are closed — but the streets are taken over by a massive local market selling absolutely everything. From two-day-old underwear and worn-out shopping cart wheels to the “latest collections” of Gucci and Prada, all laid out on grandma-knitted blankets along the sidewalks. After about 30 minutes of walking along Avenida Pedro Montt, we reach the historic center. The city is famous for quite some elevation. Now we get to see why. Stairs, strairs and stairs everywhere. Since it’s a public holiday, the funiculars aren’t running, so we rely on our own legs, climbing steep streets surrounded by
colourful graffiti. And the graffiti really is something else — vibrant, creative, and thoughtful. Not just random scribbles or crude drawings like you sometimes see elsewhere. You genuinely want to walk every street twice just to see both sides properly. After climbing the Piano Stairs, we settle into the small bar at the Brighton Hotel for a panoramic drink. We’re definitely not the only ones with this idea.

Luckily, in the tourist areas, cafés and restaurants are open. Santiago has a lot of great street art too, but here in Valparaíso you actually have to try to find a viewpoint without some kind of
artwork in it. These really deserve to be called art, not vandalism. Valparaíso is Chile’s second-largest port and was once an internationally important stop for ships traveling through the Strait of Magellan around the continent. The city declined sharply after 1914, when the Panama Canal opened and shortened shipping routes dramatically. Still, Chile’s growing export economy over the last few decades has helped the city maintain its character and importance.

It definitely helps that today is sunny and warm. At least the tourist districts feel colourful, lively — and importantly — clean. The area around the bus station, however, looks exactly like what you’d expect from a South American city. No comparison to Santiago. After walking, climbing, sliding downhill, and taking an unreasonable number of photos, we start looking for lunch. I had spotted a place earlier with a view over the harbour, so we head there to avoid the infamous “restaurant decision paralysis.” After eating, it’s time to slowly make our way back toward the station and return to Santiago. Despite the public holiday, the city treated us well.

In the evening, we unsuccessfully try to hunt down a grocery store before heading back home. We only manage to buy some yogurt and bread at a tiny corner kiosk near the hotel. This time, at least, we’re staying in a much better neighborhood of the Chilean capital. We’re staying at Maktub Brasil – Hostal Boutique, paying €170 for three nights. It’s an apartment with a small terrace. The kitchen is shared between several rooms, but overall it’s a really pleasant place to stay. A good ending to a surprisingly successful holiday gamble.

SANTIAGO: GRAN TORRE DE SANTIAGO

02.05.2023: This morning we head out to hunt flamingos at Parque Bicentenario. A quick metro ride gets us to the business district Barrio El Golf, from where we walk to the park. The park itself feels fairly empty, but the weather is perfect, so the walk is great. Not a cloud in the sky. We reach the pond where the pink birds are supposed to be. No flamingos this time — but we do spot plenty of other birds we don’t recognize. For 200 pesos, you can buy bird feed, and the moment we do, we suddenly become everyone’s best friends. Since we’re almost the only visitors, we get their undivided attention. A full-on photo session with our feathered friends begins. After producing a massive collection of blurry bird photos, we move on to the day’s main attraction — Gran Torre de Santiago, the tallest skyscraper in South America, rising 300 meters into the air.

I have to admit, I thought it would be taller. Probably because almost all other buildings here are very low, and this glass tower, set against the Andes, really stands out. We wander around the mall a bit before finally finding the entrance. Either way, 12,000 pesos each, and we’re up. The vast, incredibly flat city of Santiago stretches out at the foot of the massive Andes mountain range. The snowcaps have already melted. Even though it doesn’t really look like it — the peaks all appear to be roughly the same height — what we’re seeing in the distance behind the city
smog are mountains over 6,000 meters above sea level. In theory, the highest peak in the Southern Hemisphere, Aconcagua, should also be visible. But since it doesn’t have a very distinct pointy shape, it doesn’t really stand out among the others. So… we’re not quite sure which background we’re supposed to pose in front of. To linger a bit longer with the view, we slowly enjoy a drink at the tower bar.

After that, we head downstairs for lunch. Plenty of options, but — as usual — a Latvian eats what he knows. I go for a beef burger, Madara for a Caesar salad. For a touch of exotic flair, I pick a Peruvian beer, Cusqueña. Today’s remaining tasks: stock up on some beers (souvenirs) and pick up a few more souvenirs for the folks back home. I also need to buy a T-shirt — otherwise I’ll be living in a three-day rotation for the remaining three days of the long journey home.

SANTIAGO: BARRIO ITALIA

03.05.2023: On the morning of our last day, we head to the Italian district — Barrio Italia. First, we
need to sort things out with our host so we can leave our bags behind, since our flight to New York isn’t until the evening. It honestly feels a bit unreal — over the next three days, we’ll be on a different continent every single day: Santiago – New York – Riga.

Once the logistics are sorted, we head for the metro. Today it’s Line 5 (green) to Santa Isabel station. Stepping out, we immediately see colorful streets and small houses — but for now, everything is still closed. We decide to head for a breakfast beer in the familiar and relatively nearby Bellavista district and come back here later. Because… why not?

On the way, Madara spots a barbershop and instantly decides that I need a haircut and beard trim. That thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but to be fair, it has been a while since my last “technical face service,” and it’s starting to show. I Google Chip & Rock Barbershop, and that’s where we go. Madara plans to get her nails done in the meantime. The barber’s approach is very skilled and professional. Despite my extremely limited Spanish, with images from Google we somehow manage to communicate and agree to a desired result, and I get a full head-and-beard work. An interesting experience. Afterward, I reward myself with a solo beer while Madara is still deep into her manicure.

I try to order a second beer — but apparently, that’s not allowed unless you also order food. What a system. Fine! I order a snack — something resembling crispy dumplings or mini potato pancakes. Honestly, not bad at all. Once Madara joins me, we go for a proper lunch. And what else would you eat in an Italian district if not pizza? This one is good — unlike the only pizza we had in Argentina.

Slowly, it’s time to make our way back toward the city center, where we’ll later head
out to the airport. One last city stroll. One last Chilean day.

SCL-JFK

03.05.2023: Just like last time, we arrange with the local taxi driver Luis to pick us up in the city center at Plaza de Armas and take us to the airport — stopping by the hotel on the way to collect our bags. For some reason, he refuses to use the main highway. Both times, he takes us through backyards and side streets instead. Probably trying to avoid paying for the toll road. As long as he gets us there on time, I don’t really care which way we go.

We arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare, so we can go through all the security
procedures calmly and without stress. There aren’t that many people around either. Within about 20 minutes, our luggage is checked in and we’re free to wait for our flight from South America to North America. This airport is interesting in that baggage drop is completely self-service — almost no staff involved. You scan your passport, print the luggage tag yourself, attach it to the bag, and send it off on the belt.

As far as shopping goes, it’s not the most exciting airport if you’re trying to kill time. We buy a bottle of wine to enjoy on the plane and sit down at a café for a while. Next stop: a whole new continent.

Thank you Chile! We really liked it here.

NEW YORK, USA: CENTRAL PARK

04.05.2023: We fly with LATAM again. Even though the ultra-long flight earlier had more comfortable seats than this one, it’s clear that South Americans understand a thing or two about comfort in long-haul transportation. These seats are still noticeably more pleasant than what you usually get on European flights. Of course, the time spent on board also matters — this is
another 10.5-hour flight. You can even draw parallels with how comfortable long-distance buses are in Chile compared to buses back home in Latvia.

Either way, a bit stiff and not particularly well-rested, we find ourselves back in New York once again. This time, we’ll have to get to Manhattan on our own. But first — the endlessly long passport control lines. We stand and shuffle forward for at least an hour before reaching the
officer. I’m waved through immediately, but Madara is asked for fingerprints again. All good in the end. The only downside on the way is that Madara isn’t feeling great — likely a result of the not-so-great wine we “dealt with” on the plane earlier this morning. Not a great combo with bouncing trains and subway rides. Honestly, that was by far the worst Chilean wine we had. Sweet like syrup.

As you’d expect in the US, there’s someone on every corner of the airport happy to point you in the right direction — and we gladly take advantage of that. We’re looking for the AirTrain, which for $8.25 takes us to the E subway line, an express straight into Manhattan. Just over an hour later, we’re back in the concrete jungle!

NEW YORK, USA: ROCKEFELLER CENTER

04.05.2023: Things didn’t go entirely smoothly with Rockefeller Center this time either. It turns out I had bought our Top of the Rock tickets for one day too early. Luckily, while we were feeding birds in a park back in Santiago, I managed to sort it all out via email. They issued new tickets for the date and time we needed — no extra charge. Crisis avoided!

After returning to the Big Apple, we start with a walk through Central Park, ticking off a few
spots we missed last time. For example, Bethesda Fountain, which I recognize from the John
Wick movies — and probably many others too. Interesting place. We wander along smaller
paths and through Strawberry Fields. At Bow Bridge, there’s a full-on wedding photoshoot
happening. Once again, we run into plenty of squirrels — each busy solving its own personal problems and completely unfazed by humans. We also make it to Belvedere Castle and Cleopatra’s Needle.

At times it’s hard to understand why such wildly context-free objects exist here. What exactly
is an ancient Egyptian obelisk doing in New York’s Central Park? After the walk, hunger kicks in. We stop at the Central Park Zoo café to keep things simple and avoid diving straight back into the city streets. I go for a cheeseburger. Madara’s stomach still hasn’t fully recovered, so she sticks to yogurt with muesli. That recovery happens quickly once the possibility of visiting Macy’s appears. We have about an hour, which Madara uses very efficiently. One Michael Kors bag later — happiness achieved.

Time for the main event of the day: Top of the Rock. It’s lightly raining, but from street level it
doesn’t look like it’ll interfere too much with the view. Our tickets are for 4:50 p.m., but we arrive
much earlier. With so few people around, they let us in right away. Back in October, both inside
and outside, the lines were endless. This time, we stroll through empty corridors like VIPs on
our way to the elevator.
As soon as we reach the top, the Empire State Building appears in full glory right in front of us.
In the distance, we can also see the massive One World Trade Center. There are only a handful
of people on the terrace, so we’re free to move around. On the other side, almost the entire
Central Park is visible. Between rain clouds, occasional sun rays break through, lighting up the
park’s greenery in vivid colours. It’s drizzling, but after this trip, we’re more than prepared for rain — so it doesn’t bother us at all.

Since we need to head back to the airport after this, there’s no rush. We sit, take our time, and
simply enjoy the New York skyline. The view is truly unique — perhaps comparable only to
some of Asia’s megacities. We really like New York! Even though this time we’re seeing this view much sooner than we expected — especially compared to October, when we first visited NYC — the feeling is the same as back then: enjoy it while it’s here. You never know when you’ll see something like this again.

JFK-HEL

04.05.2023: Some unexpected luck shines our way on the trip from Manhattan to the airport. At the end of the subway line, we’re supposed to buy another $8.25 AirTrain ticket. When it’s our turn, the employee simply says we can go straight to the train — it’s free right now. Slightly confused, everyone instantly rushes toward the platform without any further persuasion. Obviously, the train is packed, but we’re happy about saving $17.

JFK Airport itself is fairly boring. Not many ways to kill time. Before the flight, we sit down for dinner at a restaurant. And once again — no matter how you twist it — a burger ends up on the plate. Tasty, of course, but still… With tips included, dinner comes to $80, and then it’s time for
the final long-haul flight. New York turns out to be a very pleasant refresh stop on the long journey home. For the return flight, we’re on a mega Finnair aircraft. We think we’re in the last row again — row 60 (which would’ve been the third time on this trip) — but nope. This plane has 70 rows. You can tell the aircraft is brand new: clean, modern seats; a bigger-than-usual entertainment screen; and a touchscreen that’s actually fast and responsive. Visually, it feels
like you could fit small town inside here. That said, since this is our second night in a row on a plane, there’s no energy left to watch anything. I end up sleeping for almost the entire 8-hour flight.

The only downside with Finnair is the food — noticeably weaker compared to other airlines on this trip. A very minor downside, though, since I don’t exactly feel like eating at half past midnight anyway. In the morning, there’s just one final act left before home. The one-hour flight from Helsinki to Riga feels like a drop in the ocean. Not even worth properly settling into the seat.

HEL-RIX

05.05.2023: After flying 33,620 km (for comparison, the Earth’s equator is about 40,000 km), spending a total of 48 hours in the air, driving 2,120 km, and hiking roughly 200 km through mountains and cities, we’ve made it home safely. Just reading those numbers feels mentally
hard to grasp. Add to that the fact that during the last three days we were on a different continent every single day — and it all starts to feel slightly insane.

Overall, this was a very successful South America warm-up trip, leaving us with a strong desire to return. Including Patagonia meant spending a lot of time on the road — but what we saw along the way… Those kinds of landscapes and sights probably don’t exist anywhere else in the world.
To hit the full jackpot, we were missing just one thing: the three granite kings of Patagonia — the Torres del Paine towers, which shyly hid behind clouds this time. But that’s nature, and it’s something you have to accept when traveling in the mountains. We also missed out on penguins, who have already headed off to warmer places for the winter. So yes — there are still unfinished chapters here, which gives us a very good reason to come back.

Santiago, simply put, is a megacity — a regular one, but with a very distinct South American feel that gives walking its streets a completely different atmosphere compared to any major European city. The city surprised us multiple times as a world-class modern metropolis and, despite our complete lack of Spanish, proved to be a warm and welcoming place. The ethnic diversity, personal style, and visible wealth gap on the streets are visually comparable to New York. The difference? New York runs on business-driven urgency — everyone clearly has somewhere to be. Santiago, on the other hand, radiates pure calm. Before noon, stepping outside feels like walking through an abandoned, post-apocalyptic city. Life only really starts buzzing after 6 p.m.

On the way home, I came up with a new saying: “New York is a city that never sleeps. Santiago is a city that’s barely awake.” At times, it’s hard to understand how businesses survive when shops and restaurants are open just a few hours a day — but it doesn’t seem like anyone (except us) is particularly worried about it. The stopover in New York on the way back was refreshingly familiar and genuinely pleasant, even though it lasted just one afternoon. We visited the Central Park squirrels again and finally made it up to Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center — something we missed on our October visit. A perfect little bonus. Coming home, our conclusions are simple:
We want to return to South America. If future trips include more countries on this continent, learning at least basic Spanish is absolutely necessary. Another South American journey might be exactly the motivation needed to finally do that.

Trip costs:
Days: 16
People: 2
Total cost: €4,207
Cost per person per day: €131
Not bad at all — for a journey that crossed continents, climates, and expectations.