January 2004 Newsletter

Argentina

Patagonia, the Andes, Tierra del Fuego, Iguazu Falls, beef, wine, glaciers and gauchos - indelible impressions from my recent trip to Argentina, a vast country of five regions, each with its own fauna, flora, landscape and culture.

You will be unprepared for Buenos Aires, a vibrant, Parisian-style city. Marvel at its classic treed squares, spotlessly clean streets, plush shops and elegant people. Feast on famous Argentine beef and wines, and the intense, instant passion of Latin tango and soccer.

Exploring Argentina was entirely different to anything I have experienced in Australia and Africa. A two-hour flight in any direction within this unrelentingly dramatic, 3,500-mile-long country only takes you part way to anywhere!

Safari Experts has sought out unique estancias throughout the country, each off the beaten track, personally hosted by their owners, and accommodating just a few people. Guests become new friends, finding welcome respite in the rugged beauty of their hosts' remote, everyday lives. In planning your Argentine safari, it will be hard to decide just what to leave out - an entire vacation can be enjoyed within any of its five distinct regions.

Patagonia, rugged and beautiful, is both a dream and an unknown mystery. Its endless curving skies reach for unseen horizons in a sparsely populated region bigger than France. Today Patagonia presents a benign face, belying its tough history and struggles for survival by its colorful and ruthless gauchos.

On the Atlantic coast, the Valdes Peninsula offers a wildlife extravaganza. The huge gentle southern right whales come here to rest, give birth and play in powerful and emotional displays. The beaches at Estancia Rincon Chico are home to the world's only continental colonies of the southern elephant seal. Alpha bulls unashamedly perform their annual rituals of procreation, while aggressively defending their harems against intruders. Magellanic penguins also breed here in large colonies, unaffected by close human observation of their quaint courting and family antics. Only here do orca killer whales dramatically beach themselves to grab their prey of sea lions and elephant seals.

From toucans to rheas, you will enjoy several hundred species of birds, the most powerful of which is the Andean condor, thankfully no longer endangered. A condors appearance overhead is a royal command performance that compels you to stop each time one soars effortlessly above on its 12-foot wingspan. Widely-spread tip feathers twitch to eke out any additional up currents to contribute to a long day's search for carrion.

An end of the earth feeling is everywhere, especially in Tierra del Fuego's remote Ushuaia. The world's southernmost town is an almost quaint, sprawling hodgepodge nestled amongst jagged mountains and icy blue fjords. Crossing the Andes leads you to the surprise of an old sheep estancia where the Anglo-Spanish Apollinaire family warmly welcomes you to Cabo San Pablo. Their sure-footed ponies carry you along ocean cliffs as condors inquisitively circle above and timid guanacos scatter.

Fly two hours to the northwest to find Calafate, a small town nestling at the base of the Andes. This is your jumping-off point to explore vast glaciers that crack and groan under unimaginable forces of nature. A primeval feeling overtakes those who cruise across iceberg-filled lakes to trek atop a 150 foot tall glacier. You can hike or ride into the remote and rugged Mount Fitzroy, seen in the popular Patagonia clothing logo - or cross to the aquamarine Lago St Martin to stay with the Leyanda family at La Maipu, a quaint sheep estancia that seems to defy time.

Opportunities abound. Adventurers - power upriver to a soaking within the vast horseshoe of Iguazu's 256 waterfalls. Thrill seekers - charge through rivers and tropical forests on horse or ATV's staying at La Alegria. Those who look for remote tranquility - float from Bariloche through an enchanted gorge to end up fly fishing on Arroyo Verde's famed Traful River. All ages can ride in comfortable sheepskin saddles far up into the mountains to camp out.

In the northwest province of Salta, climb to 13,000 feet on the Train to the Clouds and immerse yourself in the Andean culture, always overlooked by the mighty Andes. You stay at personalized estancias such as El Bordo de Las Lanzas, wineries such as Bodega la Rosa or a restored mill El Molino del Cachi, each owned by a family who has worked the same land for many generations. Consider exploring the prolific vineyards of the Mendoza province or crossing the Andes into Chile to cruise through dramatic fjords.

You can travel throughout Argentina at anytime of the year, although the spring and the fall are perhaps the most beautiful times. Catch-and-release fly fishing is of course seasonal.

This newsletter should peak your interest! Options are unlimited - Contact Us to plan your safari to Argentina now, especially while the peso is dramatically in your favor!