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You are browsing the archives of 2008 November.

We’re on the road again. After spending a warm sunny week along the Atlantic Coast seeing whales, penguins, and elephant seals we’re headed south to El Calafate and the El Chalten.
Be sure to check back Monday for our holiday shopping list for green travelers!

photo credit: longhorndave

Sweet Potatoes or Yams Butter Brown Sugar (white sugar or honey could also work) Orange Juice (we used juice fresh from an orange) Bake sweet potatoes in oven until very tender…. For 2 large sweet potatoes we used 3-4 tablespoons of butter, 1-2 tablespoons of “black sugar” (which happens to be just white sugar with coloring, but we didn’t know this until after we came home from the market), and juice from 1 orange.

Christine at Almost Fearless writes about Crossing Through to Colombia from Panama with a car. I love this photo of Salt Pans in the Andes because we recently saw a giant salt patty on Peninsula Valdes…. We’d love to participate, but we’re trying to get a sponsor to donate a prize — so Calling All Potential Sponsors: Do you have a prize to donate for this cause?

Peninsula Valdes is the only place on the planet where Orcas beach themselves to catch seals. Of course, that only happens at certain times of year and even then it’s rare… We didn’t see any Orcas, but the elephant seals, penguins, ostrich-like rheas, llama-esque guanacos, seals, and seal lions more than made up for it.

During our two-hour whale watching excursion off Peninsula Valdes, near Puerto Madryn, Argentina, we floated in the ocean and watched as the Southern Right Whales (Ballena Franca Austral in Spanish) nursed, played, and swam under our boat…. While this whale let them nurse off her on this particular day, it was unlikely she would continue to do so as each baby eats over 200 liters of milk a day.

After volunteering for five days on small farm– complete with ultra fresh meals and a bit of farming work in a picture perfect setting — I’ve learned a good bit about WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). In retrospect, there are a few things I wish I would have known before going. You Don’t Have to Work Long Hours Because some farms don’t need all the volunteers they have at one time, or if you are paying for part of your stay, you don’t necessarily have to work long 8+ hour farming days…. Your answer, be it “I spent all my money and need to live for free until my plane ticket home” or “I want to know how to garden” or “I want a different experience” should help you figure out what type of farm you want and how long you want to stay.

We took a public bus from nearby El Bolson to the tiny town of El Hoyo, then taxied out to Chacra Millalen, a small organic farm in Patagonia, Argentina where we’d spend the next 4 days volunteering.

…It’s also possible to bring a tent and camp on the land, but we don’t have a tent with us. Then Josephine showed us the three showers and encouraged us to use one of the two that was heated by wood-burning stoves (instead of gas).

After volunteering for 5 days at the foot of the Andes in western Argentina, we’re crossing the country to the Atlantic Ocean. Another long bus ride and we’ll spend a few days in Puerto Madryn before heading to Peninsula Valdes where we hope to see some whales, penguins, and more.

We are now off to volunteer on an organic chacra (farm) just outside of El Bolson…. We’ll be on the farm for 5 days, likely without internet access, and will share stories with you when we get back.

We split a “mixed grill for 2″– an entire grill full of steaks, sausages, blood sausages, intestines, and sweetbreads for about $14 US. Once he had cooked the meat on the large parrilla, the owner brought a small grill table side to keep the food warm…. This meal cost a whopping $36 US. Because this parrilla was so amazing we went back a second time; this time limiting ourselves to a half portion of bife de lomo, a beef empanada and some delicious thin cut french fries.

And because it’s the low season we’ve really lucked out on our accommodations; we’ve stayed in comfortable cabins for less than hostel dorm beds cost in Buenos Aires…. Check out these views from the windows of our cabins in Bariloche and El Bolsón — with no zoom.

Here are some things I do with my time and my reflections on them: Sleep I used to sleep 8 hours a night and feel pretty well-rested on most days….But right now I can’t help but wondering if all the time I spending sleeping and dreaming and thinking and eating is excessive.

A few weeks ago I had a cold. Not a terrible one, but the kind with intense sinus pressure that a spicy meal alone won’t kick.
So I went to the local pharmacy. The dictionary we brought didn’t translate “cold” as in sick, so instead I tentatively asked the pharmacist “Tiene Sudafed o pseudoephedrine?” (”Do you [...]

Shimmering lakes, snow-capped mountains, and dozens of cows provided the stunning scenery for our bus ride along the Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Route of the Seven Lakes). We weren’t sure the weather would hold out, but aside from some clouds and a few sprinkles of rain, it did.

With all the misinformation floating around out there about voting — like skeezy people telling Virginia Democrats to vote on Wednesday — we want to do our part by spreading the word…. We won’t tell you who to vote for — though you can probably guess who we (progressive, feminist, gay environmentalists) support.

After experiencing the amazing Lake Agnes Tea House in Lake Louise, Canada, I was excited to learn that San Martin de los Andes, Argentina has the Mirador Arrayán Tea House…. A gorgeous spring day with just a few clounds in the sky provided the backdrop for our hike and within 15 minutes of our hike we had a spectacular view of the city below.