For the last month I have been travelling through Argentina and Chile. There is a question and a debate that comes from this travelling. I have visited Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina for the second time and discovered Puerto Williams, Santiago, Isla Negra and Valparaiso, Chile for the first time. I also revisited Punta Arenas, Chile twice. The question is, which is better, Argentina or Chile?

They are both different but similar countries. Argentina is larger geographically whereas Chile is longer. Chileans speaker faster and slightly different Spanish than Argentinians, at least that is my impression. Argentina is generally less expensive than Chile. The bus journeys are just as long in both countries and they share the magical wonder that is Patagonia.

The people, well the majority of both Chileans and Argentinians I’ve met, have been wonderful, kind and friendly, eager to laugh and helpful with directions. I would say the Chilean people are possibly slightly more friendly because I have met them in smaller cities and I have met more Argentinians in the large cities. However, on the whole, they are as warm as each other. I don’t know if I could tell the difference between a Chilean and an Argentinian if met them together but there must be slight differences in voice and temperament.

The cities and towns are different in each country due partly to the geography. Argentina has the space for large populated cities like Mendoza, where I am at present, whereas the narrowness of Chile makes for smaller towns with coastal features and/or steep streets. Valparaiso, north of Santiago, on the coast is a fine example. The hostels also vary, but on the whole I have found hostels in both countries unique and relaxed with few rules and no door keys!!

Puerto Williams in perhaps the most southern town in the world, although it is disputed. All I will say is that it is very far south and on an island south-east of Ushuaia. Puerto Williams is part of Chile and there is a small naval presence. I would describe it like a frontier town, gravel roads with mostly wooden buildings. The town is coastal but with no beach and two small harbours, one being a yacht marina. I found it a pleasant stay for two nights. A lady named Loreto owns a hippy café named Cafe Angle, which anyone who visits must check out. The food is good and reasonable.

For a capital city, Santiago is not too bad, the main plaza, square is worth a visit, and the Park San Cristobal with the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of a small cable car ride is also worth visiting, even if it is touristy!!

My favourite place visited on this South American trip so far has to be Isla Negra. A small town of roughly 500 souls, it grew out of the fame of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who built his last house here and lived there on and off during the 1960s and early 1970s. A tour of the house, which looks out over the sea, is given in English and Spanish and is excellent. It is an amazing place full of collectable items and atmosphere. Neruda wanted it built like a ship and the doorways and stairs are very small! An amazing interesting man of the mid-twentieth century and definitely worth further investigation.

Neruda’s house in Valparaiso is also interesting and visitors can take an audio guided tour at their leisure through the house that he lived in during the early 1960s.

I stayed at the Poet Madness Hostel in Isla Negra with a lady named Sandra and her daughter Pea. It was a really great experience. A wooden house in the countryside up dirt road tracks above the small town. You descend rock steps, cross a wooden bridge, ascend more rock steps, then climb up wooden steps on to a wooden porch and that is before entering the house. Once inside, you are greeted by the lovely aroma of burning incense candle and the scattered objects of Sandra’s personal collection. Decorative lampshades to coloured stones and necklaces. Cushions dot the floor and the atmosphere reminded me of the hippy communes I had read about of the 1960s counter-culture generation. Truly relaxing and homely.

Sandra refused to take my money for any of her hospitality, which included an evening meal of beans and bread, cheese and cookies for breakfast. Tea was offered frequently. I met Pilar, a lady from Santiago, who was with her lovely daughter Margarita, aged 10. The kids became my friend and looked after me for the evening.

I visited a friend of Sandra, a man named Roberto, who has wooden sculptures in his garden. After feeling up all the sculptures on view I entered the large wooden house to hear a band practice for a weekend gig. They let me play the drums and everyone applauded my efforts!! The young people were all really friendly and cool. I gained a small insight into Chilean small town life and also received a cultural and social experience.

Some days later I met-up with Sandra by chance in Valparaiso, she just saw me on a street corner, amazing, especially in a city like Valparaiso with its many hills and winding streets that go in all directions!! Now I am in Mendoza, Argentina, a nice city with several squares, hot weather and friendly people. I next head to Salta then towards the Paraguay boarder.

That is all for now, more picture available soon. Tonythetraveller

After making the first landing on Half Moon Island during the first evening in South Shetlands it became even better. We enjoyed many more landings, nine in all, with only Port Lockroy being missed as the time of evening was too late for a landing. The wind with us constantly became horizontal on more than two occasions and was at its most devastating during our visit to Deception Island and on Hannah Point.

The return journey from Hannah point on 3rd February was breathtaking! The Zodiac was tossed up and down like a toy and on attempting to reboard the Ushuaia, I nearly fell back into the inflatable! Leandro said it was the roughest landing he had done thus far and he was concerned for me.

In between this adventure, we had fun in Niko Bay where many of the group took an Antarctic bath at a pleasant 1.72 degrees C! I sat on the stoney beach and listened to their shouts!! I heard Chinstrap, Gentoo and Adelie Penguins at various times on most of the landings and the Adelie made a hell of a noise! It sounded like laughter!!

One evening some of us witnessed nature and its best and most destructive. When visiting Peterman Island. Leandro and I visited a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and listened in near silence as they chatted among themselves and wondered about. Leandro described the action and I enjoyed the sound of sea and penguins. Many of the others watched the sun setting. As darkness fell, a bird, an Arctic Skua common among Penguin colonies attacked. These birds eat penguin eggs and young chicks when ever possible. Leandro told me what occurred: The Skua went back and forth along the line of penguins tying to find and take eggs and chicks, while the adult made hissing sounds and tried to ward off the birds. It reminded me of stories I had heard of the naval convoys during World War II heading to Russia and being dive bombed and picked off by single German bomber planes… Just before we left, and after the penguins giving an impressive defence, one chick was taken and killed. Apparently, one lady found this too disturbing and returned to the ship. It was sad to learn about but part of nature.

The white continent is impressive as we learnt and discovered. The science bases and historical harbours and science museums I visited were fascinating and provided extra insight to the wildlife on the most southern and cold of continents. Hearing how scientists lived and worked, undertaking meteorological and other scientific research in an environment as remote and extreme as Antarctica can be, was amazing.

Leandro and I spent a fascinating hour on Niko Bay exploring, and in my case, touching every object in the former British scientific accommodation. Established in the early 1930s by the British and eventually bought for £1 by the Ukrainians in 2009, the former lodge, now museum, illustrated the harshness and also toughness of people two or three generations earlier. Five to seven men living and sleeping in small wooden cabins, which were only a few inches higher than me, for over two years was amazing.

The Russian station, however, held the best of modern comforts including the most southern bar in the world. We were offered early morning vodka, sadly I declined! Apparently, under British occupation, ladies who visited the station often left their bras as a souvenir! Only a couple were on display and I was unable to feel any!!

Although Antarctica was the seventh and final continent I visited, it was so much more. All my senses – sound, smell, touch, skin nerves, spacial awareness, temperature, feet textures and facial muscles – exposed and tested by all the elements in Antarctica. I was so privileged to be there on the snow and ice, in penguin poo, hearing birds and penguins talk, elephant seals grunt, Humpback whales blow for air. Feeling the icy wind slash through my four layers of clothing, the snow giving way time and again under my feet causing me to loose balance and fall into the snow, often on my arse.

It was climbing up the volcano on Deception and walking the beaches on Peterman and Paradise, just being there, that made it so special. The Zodiac – crazy, speed frilling, wave crashing, wind chilling rides – only add to the adventure and hearing about the history of whaling or feeling icebergs in the sea as we speed by was an even greater pleasure. Going with such great people like the two Greek boys, Leandro, Danny, Andrea, Cecilia and everyone else I met made it so much fun.

I loved sliding down the snow onto the beach or handling whale bones on Half Moon Bay and hiking the volcanic clad glaciers, paddling in rubber boots in the sea, hoping a penguin might swim by, listening to the lectures and adding colourful questions and provocativeness, when requested, it was so fantastic. What a blast, what an adventure, what such kind, friendly people.

Now I am in Santiago de Chile for one night before heading up into north Chile, first along the coast and eventually inland to the world’s highest desert. Since the Antarctic expedition, I’ve explored Puerto Williams, Chile, flew to Punta Arenas where I held everybody’s attention at the hostel Backpacker Paradise. Christina and Migel, from Spain, and Ronny from Switzerland did their best to look after me!! Then it was to the Falkland Islands for a week of relaxation, expensive but interesting tours and nice, kind people. I have now been on Falkland Radio which was fun and heard King Penguins make trumpet sounds at Volunteer Point. If anyone goes or is thinking about going to the Falklands, I recommend staying at Lookout Lodge with Caroline Cotter. Three meals a day plus free laundry for only £30 per night. It is a little way from town but very walkable.

Today I visited Parque de San Cristobal and the statue of the Virgin Mary. It was an interesting trip. Another backpacker and I took the subway, metro, then a cable car to the top of the mountain to look over the city and take in the tranquillity ad peaceful religious environment. Its now getting warmer as I begin my travels through northern Chile and further into the heart of South America. About 28 degrees C, 90 or so Fahrenheit, in Santiago today and set to get hotter!! Well that is all for now. Happy travels, Tonythetraveller.com

So my trip has begun. I am on the road for just under three months, visiting Argentina, Chile, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru. However, my real challenge is to get to Antarctica, the white continent. I began on 20th January and flew to Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina via Texas, USA. Four relaxing days were spent with friend I had met six years ago when in Africa. Rodrigo and Inma showed me around B.A, took me to great restaurants for meat, which is beef in Argentina, and made me feel like part of their family. It was hot in Buenos in the mid 30s Celsius, but my next trip took me to colder temperatures.

On 25th January, I caught a 6 AM flight to Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world and waited!!! This was my second visit to Argentina and I had stayed in Ushuaia before so I knew what to visit and where to go. I stayed at hostel Cruz de Sur in the centre, a great place with very friendly staff. I told them on arrival I was searching for a boat to Antarctica, all the companies I had contacted when in the UK had requested I take a companion or pay double for a guide. They were all charging too much. However, the guys, Alexandro and Vicie at Cruz de Sur, were able to help. They contacted a company that had a cruise leaving on 28th January for nine nights. I had to pay for a personal guide but the cost was much less than I had been quoted by other companies. I decided it was worth paying and prepared for what I hoped would be an amazing adventure.

Writing this blog 12 days later, I can confirm it was, and much more amazing than I could ever have a imagined. The ship was called M.V. Ushuaia, 85 metres long approximately with a forty person crew and staff. The passengers numbered in all sixty four, with another twenty joining later, but more about that further down. I took plenty of gear, warm hat, two different pairs of gloves, a couple of pairs of trousers with warm linings and tops and jumpers made with material designed to keep one warm in the cold and cool in the heat. I also had a fleece jacket and a water resistant jacket and water proof trousers. We were all given rubber boots and life jackets on board for the various landings.

On the afternoon of 28th January 2011, I went off on my adventure to Antarctica. Leandro from near Buenos Aires, Argentina, was my guide and companion for the entire trip and I must say now he was a star. We shared a cabin together and he looked after me as if I was his own son. He took photos of me in the various locations, of wildlife, described the animals in their habitat in broad detail and ensured I had a fantastic time and experience. I cannot thank him and the rest of the staff on board the Ushuaia enough. I met many of the passengers during the cruise and many became friends and although suffered my odd sense of humour seemed to cope with me for the majority of the trip.

It was fun, going to lectures about nature and the continent, hearing about the penguins we would spot and smell and hear in my case, god all the penguin poo!! It was so informative and interesting. Dannies, Andrea and the others all gave tremendous informative lectures.

After two days crossing Drakes Passage, really a large expanse of the Southern Atlantic Ocean, looking for Albatrosses and Petrels and trying to tell the difference between a royal and a wondering Albatross, we eventually arrived in the Southern Shetlands, the most northern part of Antarctica. On the early evening of the second day, we made our first landing by Zodiac, rubber inflatable boat, to Half Moon Island.

So I finally set foot on the Antarctic, was so emotional as I stepped from the sea onto the rocky pebbled beach, what a frill to reach the last of the seven continents. The next instalment of my adventure will have to wait for another week. Happy reading to all who experienced the trip with me, many, many thanks for an amazing time…

Tonythetraveller

Hi to everybody who reads this site regularly and for anyone new to this blog page.
Below is advertising for the publication of my first travel book
Seeing the world my way
Enjoy this article and tell everyone you know – spread the word.
Tonythetraveller

 

SilverWood Originals
silverwoodbooks.com/originals

MEDIA RELEASE OCTOBER 2010

For immediate release:

Englishman Tony ‘Sees’ the World His Way

Tony Giles (30) from the southwest, has travelled the world and seen more thrills and spills than most of us will in a lifetime – despite being totally blind.

Tony, like many young people craving adventure, sets out to explore as much of the world as possible. While travelling countless countries with pleasure-seeking in mind might not be unusual for most twenty-somethings, Tony is totally blind and partially deaf. Yet this does not hold him back or hinder his carpediem attitude to fulfilling his dreams. Sky-diving in Australia, bungee jumping in New Zealand and staying out all night in New Orleans are just some of the tales Tony has to tell of his young but action-packed life. Nor does he believe that being blind has diminished the opportunities he has had: “For somebody who can’t see, beauty has a lot to do with what you smell and feel. I’ve learned to use all the senses of my body – my nerves, my touch, my sense of smell.” Tony sums up his unflinching thirst for discovery and excitement by revealing what keeps his feet itchy: “Really, I want all the freedom I can get.”

Tony has travelled across North America, Asia and Australasia, dealing with disability whilst encountering new cultures and living life to the limit. He has decided to document his inspirational, jaw-dropping tale in a new travel biography. “The book contains basic history and geography of the countries visited while mainly concentrating on an adventurous story of drink and adrenalin activities,” says Tony.

Tony recounts his many globetrotting experiences in Seeing the World My Way, which will be published this autumn by SilverWood Originals (£8.99). It is a frank, honest and self-deprecating story of – in Tony’s own words – one “guy’s global adventures”. His no-holds-barred style of writing features plenty of drama, danger and discovery as he traverses cities, islands and wilderness, moving from one thrill-seeking enterprise to the next. This biography promises to be a unique read as Tony takes you travelling around the world and experiencing life in a whole new way.

Notes to Editors:

Tony Giles is available for interview via his publisher: SilverWood Books, 30 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HJ. Telephone Helen Hart on 01179105829 or email helen@silverwoodbooks.co.uk.

Tony Giles can also be reached through his user comments page at website

www.tonythetraveller.com

High-resolution images are available to accompany any published article.