To the end of the world
Latin America was a completely new region for us. It was unknown, unexplored, a bit daunting and complicated because of language barriers. We landed in Buenos Aires and before starting the great drive, we decided to spend a few days exploring this fascinating city.
Our first stop was a popular tourist area called La Boca where we saw the typically colourful South American buildings and local performers doing the Tango! “Look into my eyes and don’t smile,” said a gorgeous Tango dancer when I asked her to teach me some steps. Wearing a silky one-piece dress with a slit from her thigh down, she wrapped her perfectly toned leg around my waist. “Hold me firmly and don’t let go,” she said to me very seriously. I ‘Tangoed’ with her for a few minutes and enjoyed every bit of it. “I think my visit to Argentina is complete now. I have nothing more to experience,” I laughed.
Early next morning, we packed our bags, loaded the car and switched on the ignition to hit our next destination — a small town called Bahia Blanca, which was around 700 km from Buenos Aires.
El Calafate, Argentina
The goal in mind was to reach Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world in the next four days. After a quick transit in Bahia Blanca, we continued our journey south towards Ushuaia.
For anyone who is absolutely passionate about road trips, driving cross-country and exploring remote terrains in the world, Ushuaia is a must visit. It is a challenge to get there and only a few people can claim to have done it. But once you are there, you will have achieved a landmark in your adventure trail.
We reached Ushuaia late in the evening and after struggling to find a hostel for nearly two hours, we settled in at a popular hostel right in the middle of the city. I went to sleep with a smile, feeling satisfied and knowing that a dream has come true. Next morning, we went down to the port and saw the signboard, “Ushuaia, Fin Del Mundo” meaning “Ushuaia, End of the World”.
Once we had explored the southernmost tip, we headed north. Our journey started with a stopover in a town called El Calafate, famous for the Perito Moreno Glacier.
I have seen deserts, mountains, forest, oceans, I have seen incredibly beautiful cities, palaces and forts, I have driven on amazing highways in unique terrains, but I had never seen anything as gorgeous in my life as the Perito Moreno Glacier. Have you ever felt that maybe your eyes are fooling you? That maybe what you are seeing is not actually real but maybe you are just imagining it? Have you felt spellbound, speechless, emotional, looking at something? Have you felt like wanting to continue staring, lost in the grandeur, the beauty, the magnificence of a place? I have. At the Perito Moreno Glacier.
El Chaltén, Argentina
A gigantic 14-km-long and four km wide glacier, the absolute silence all around it, the deafening sounds it made from time to time as huge chunks of ice melted and dropped into the water underneath it, the crystal blue shadows, the towering ice towers, the absolute white, the ships that appeared like toys in front of the two km tall ice towers of the glacier — it was Mother Nature in all its glory. It can make you smile, it can make you cry and certainly leave an everlasting impression on you.
The final leg of our Argentine adventure took us en route 40, the highway in Western Argentina that goes all the way north and is considered to be one of the most beautiful drives in Western Argentina.
We took Route 40 from El Calafate to Bariloche, the town from where we would exit into Chile. Route 40 shocked us more than it surprised us. We drove on the highway for close to 10 hours and I think we must have seen close to 10 cars throughout the day. Just one car per hour! No villages, no gas stations, no birds, no animals, only mountains, lakes, winds so strong that we could feel it pushing the car sideways.
We had to actually take a tight grip on the steering wheel fearing that if we don’t, the wind will toss the car off the highway.
Driving through Argentina was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The friendly people, the gorgeous food and wine, doing the Tango, driving through remote terrains of Patagonia and Route 40, witnessing natures’ marvel at the Perito Moreno Glacier and of course, driving down to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world!
Founder of an adventure company, Tushar has driven through diverse terrains of China, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Andes, and Alaska among others. He has also authored a book called Road Affair