Go Green Travel Green

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Overall, the Ivy backpack is great. A sleek design and awesome color make it look amazing. But the folks at Mountainsmith clearly care about more than just looks — they’ve got the littlest details nailed.

I did some research into greener options and was surprised by the lack of backpacks made of eco-friendly materials… So I was psyched when I found Mountainsmith’s line of recycled packs… All in all, the recycled Lily is a great pack for anyone who’s looking for a small pack for extended travel, or a large daypack, and I applaud Mountainsmith for leading the way with eco-friendly backpacks.

We’re leaving Mendoza tonight on another 20+ hour bus ride. In less than a day we’ll be in Patagonia, where we’re hoping for some great scenery and good hiking. To tide you over, here are some of our favorite Mendoza moments and sights.

Sure, the empanadas are 10x better and 4x cheaper than Julia’s empanadas in D.C., the steaks are so fantastic it’s hard to believe meat this good is possible, and the helado /ice cream, while not as inexpensive I’d like, is quite good…. Having no clue what “alcayota” is she explained that it’s like spaghetti squash inside only it’s the size, shape, and color of a green baseball.

The wine route turned out to be a run-down major road, with cement trucks whizzing by at 70 mph, barely swerving to avoid us and kicking up dust and spewing exhaust in our faces…. We tagged along for 15 minutes during which I learned 1) you should always store wine on the first floor of your house and the bottle should be kept horizontal and 2) when you buy wine at the store, take a bottle from the back of the shelf because it’s been exposed to less light.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not easy to learn a language just by being in a country where it’s spoken. If you want your language skills to grow, you have to make an effort after you arrive. These tips will take you from timid beginner to confident pro.

During our hour long tour of Guira Oga we got to see many animals up close that we saw while hiking in Iguazu (see Kimberly’s post about the animals we saw at Iquazu Falls ) as well as others we didn’t get to see such as the Capuchin Monkey and Oso Melero (both pictured below)…. Unfortunately, because it was a Sunday and during siesta hours we didn’t get to see any of the hospital veterinarians in action, but we learned a lot about the animals and the park during our tour.

Six months ago I watched a PBS documentary about animals in South America. It featured the capybra, which — at 140 pounds — is the world’s largest rodent… Luck was on my side and a capybra did come out to pose for a photo, along with lots of other exotic animals — from toucans and kites to coatis and lizards.

Iguazu Falls were indescribable. The rushing sound of the Devil’s Throat waterfall was unlike anything I had ever heard and the overall expansiveness of the waterfalls was gorgeous. On our second day visiting Iguazu Falls National Park we decided to get off the tourist path and hike the Macuco Nature Trail through the jungle.

After a 19 hour bus ride, we spent the night in Rosario, a medium sized town we’ll explore today. Tonight we’ll hop on another bus and head to Mendoza, the heart of Argentina’s wine region.

It took us a while to realize the simple problem: in our pre-departure packing fervor, we’d taken no time to mentally prepare for our travels… Learn from our mistake. Take these steps to get ready for your extended trip so you can start enjoying your destination as soon as you arrive.

Elizabeth’s words when she saw this bird flying around right outside of the Jardín Japonés (Japanese Gardens) a few days ago in Buenos Aires…. Today we’re on a bus destined for Iguazú Falls (awesome waterfalls in northeast Argentina), where hopefully we’ll see many more colorful birds — though probably not any green cardinals.

So we hopped on a Buquebus ferry near Puerto Madero in BA for the one hour journey to Colonia, a small town on the Rio de la Plata. There’s not a lot to do in Colonia but enjoy the view and wander the cobbled streets, so that’s just what we did.

It was a cold, rainy morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon and the crowds rushed to trendy (but still cool) San Telmo Market in Plaza Dorrego, where you can buy everything from antique keys and original paintings to hand-knit scarves and glass necklaces. Some vendors were out in the morning, but many more came to enjoy the sun — and the tourists it brought with it.

Sometimes I wonder what in Buenos Aires I have missed by spending so much time looking at the ground — trying to avoid loose tiles, potholes, and lots and lots of dog shit…. These dog walkers don’t walk 1 or 2 or even 4 little dogs, I’ve seen one dog walker that probably had about 12-15 large dogs with him.

On Saturday, along with porteños (what people from Buenos Aires are called) who didn’t leave the city for the weekend, we went to Puerto Madero and the Reserva Ecológica Costenera Sur (also known as Reserva Ecológica de Buenos Aires or the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve).
It’s the only ecological reserve in the city. There are three [...]

Chris packs a lot of tips in his ebook and I know from experience the information he provides in one place can save you dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of scouring the internet for travel tips and tricks. The Unconventional Guide to Discount Airfare is a good resource for almost all travelers.

Photos from Recoleta Cemetery / Cementerio de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Running on 4.5 hours of plane-quality sleep (we got sucked into Baby Mama on the flight so we didn’t rest as much as we’d hoped), we stumbled through customs, acquired pesos from a bank, and found our way to the bus stop for collectivo 86, the bus to Hostel Arrabal — all in just 30 minutes…. I sat by the window and, had it been open, I could have easily reached out and touched the people in the bus next to us. Fortunately, I was too exhausted to be afraid.

At this moment we are on our way to Argentina.
Once we get there our schedule is wide open, but here’s what we’re thinking for an itinerary.
We’re booked for our first week at a hostel in Buenos Aires. Then during October we’ll hit some of the northern sites like Iguazú Falls, Córdoba, and Mendoza.
As it starts [...]

We’re in the final 24 hour countdown to Argentina and our bags are officially packed. I’m proud to say, after much pruning of our packing list, we stuffed all of our travel gear into two carry-on size recycled packs — so it’s better for the environment and for our backs. We’ll be spending the next 4 months traveling through Central and South America, getting to know the region, and practicing our Spanish. Since Argentina is a huge, geographically diverse country, we’re bringing clothes for every climate. The only things I’d add to this packing list for a longer round-the-world trip would be a scarf and a pair of long underwear.

So, four weeks ago (when I thought you had to give 30days notice on everything), I called ATT to tell them I wanted to find out about canceling or suspending my service. The nice man at customer service told me that unlike other service providers (who charge about $5-10 month to suspend your service and keep your phone number) ATT doesn’t have program that allows you to suspend your service.

Transient Nature In part because of the changing politics and to high cost of living, moving is the only constant in D.C. If you’re not from D.C. and/or you don’t have family there, chances are you arrive in D.C., stay for maybe 3 or 4 years, and move out of the city…. Safety Issues Most parts of D.C. are safe — despite the tourists who clutch their purses and backpacks to their chest like anyone of the fellow metro passengers will rip it from them — but you know the city isn’t totally safe when USPS/UPS/FedEx refuses to leave packages on stoops in the city as they may get stolen.

I’m determined not to let that happen to me, and I’m a bit nervous because I need to pass a “knowledge test” about Minnesota driving laws in order to get a new license…. I even correctly answer the question about how to pass a snow plow (hint: you don’t flash your brights and honk to let the snow plow know you’re coming, nor do you floor it and speed blindly through the snow cloud).