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Jul 7

LA Attractions: the ones less visited (Part 1 of 2)

by ccue

There are so many touristy attractions in Los Angeles. After many trips to LA, these tourist attractions are no longer attractive enough for a return trip. This June, we decided to visit the attractions less visited after attending the Rush concert there. 

The Huntington Library, the Reagan Library are unique attractions in the LA area. They are independent research libraries. The public do not come here to read books. They visit the art galleries and beautiful gardens.  In a way, these “Library” are a celebration and immortalization of the celebrities which the Library is named after.  It reminds us of the legacy of the ultra powerful, like former presidents, and the ultra rich, like the railroad tycoons.

Located near Pasadena, the Huntington Library was founded in 1919 by railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington and his wife, Arabella. It has been open to the public since 1929.  The Library has gift shops, and a surprisingly good offering of eateries, including one that serves high tea in the middle of the garden areas. We were too late for the high tea. The collection of gardens are impressive. For half of the day, we visited the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Rose Garden, all aesthetically pleasing gardens each with a culturally representative landscape. There are other gardens too. Among these gardens are the indoor art galleries. The European art gallery made a good stop. These art galleries are not quite in the same league as the carefully curated arts found in world-renowned museums. They are still very impressive for a private collection over the years. It reflects what money can buy but maybe money still cannot buy time nor personal taste.

After the Huntington Library, I thought we had an idea of what was to be expected in a “Library”. I could not be more wrong when I got to the Reagan Library. Reagan Library is a presidential library, one that a former president can raise funds to establish. This is my first visit to a presidential library. Reagan, as a president, was not popular internationally, yet, he was considered as a great president in the States. He was powerful and commanding. Just reading about his life, and watching his recorded speeches, he was no doubt a very very charismatic leader. His narrow escape, from an assassination, remained miraculous. Reagan seemingly had a lot of influence on international politics, especially Gorbachev. The two were recognized very differently by their own country in the history books.

The Reagan Library is no doubt a place to celebrate his story. We particularly enjoyed having the internal view of the Oval Office, the menu and the toast when the president hosted the visiting head of the state/government. The state dinners, the diary, the gifts all are reflections of the international relationship at the time.

Like several memorials I have visited in the United States, the Library’s historical exhibits focus on what happened from an American perspective, and offer few insight into why events unfolded as they did. Without that context, it is difficult for Americans to know the different perspectives and then learn from the real lessons of history.  

It is an engineering feat to move the Air Force One into the Reagan Library as an indoor exhibit. That plane has been retired and replaced by newer models. The plane was rather small, reminding us once again how lives have become more comfortable over time, just like the bed we sleep on is more comfortable than the beds of the royal families hundreds of years ago. Inside the Air Force One, there was no bed other than a couple of sofas. The media always accompanied the president, sat at a different section further away, allowing the president to “summon”. The plane also carried some motorcades. 

Unlike the Huntington Library, the Reagan Library has only one cafe with rather plain offerings.

Both the Reagan Library and the Huntington Library are impressive “libraries”. 

It was fun to visit the futuristic one-and-only-one Tesla diner in a mixed neighborhood of LA and the flagship Panda Inn, located at the very location of the very first Panda Express. Both are shining examples of unbelievable business successes. Yet, the Panda Express resonates more with its humble beginning and its successes remind us that there are hopes.

Next: Channel Islands National Park 

Dear Diary Misc. Travel

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Jun 25

Safari: Amboseli National Park

by ccue

Amboseli National Park, the only Safari we visited on this trip, is a famous Safari. Amboseli National Park has more open plains than hiding places. It makes a good habitat for the African elephants and birds, but not so much for many animals who would rather have natural protections. On a clear day, the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro is visible. We have seen the peak of Kilimanjaro, some herds of elephants 🐘, zebras, lion and lioness 🦁, wildebeests, hyenas, buffalos, hippopotamus, gazelles, antelope, impala, waterbuck, baboon, rock python and more. We had related Safari to mammals, and did not quite expect to see the beautiful birds. There were many: Crown Crane, Blue heron, Egret, Colorful Stork, Spoonbill, Blacksmith plover, saddle-billed stork and many others I could not name. Giraffes are less common, likely due to the flat plains. On the way to the Park and at the border of the Park, where there are taller bushes, we have seen a few giraffes 🦒. 

African elephants are amazing animals. The adult elephants are huge yet gentle and graceful. They let the cattle egrets freely stand on their back. The egret and the elephant look surprisingly harmonious with each other.  As elephants walk, their massive weight flushes out insects from the grass, giving the egret an easy meal. In spite of their weight, their strolls look slow, steady and effortless while covering distances effectively. They are not bothered by the jeeps parking on the road nor by the audience watching them, and simply mind their own business gracefully. The baby elephants are cute and walk close to the adults. I still have not figured out how the babies can catch up with the adult, but they do. The tour guide shares that the African elephants typically go through six sets of molar teeth in their lifetime. Each set lasts a few years. African elephants typically live to about 60 years of age. The final set lasts for roughly 20 to 30 years. When the last set of molars wears down, the elephant sadly faces starvation, which is a major cause of death in older elephants. Just watching the graceful elephants, the zebras, and the giraffes in nature is worthy of visiting the Safari.

Every Safari tourist loves spotting wild animals. As much as we love spotting a male lion, it has not been as chilling when all the Safari jeeps sped to the same spot on the bumpy roads once the jeep drivers got the news of a lion sighting from the radio. When these jeeps parked along the road, it started to feel like watching a lion in a zoo. In spite of its ferocity, the lion on the day was not huge. He walked fast and covered a good distance simply by strolling. When the lion wanders around to claim the territory, the lioness is the hunter. That lioness, we witnessed, lied low and waited patiently in the short grass for the two zebras, almost within striking distances. On that day, the zebras did not wander close enough for the lioness to attack and we avoided a bloody scene. 

The movie “Lion King” has given hyenas a bad reputation. Their appearance has not helped. Hyenas just look hungry, wild and dirty. In actuality, hyenas are the “environmentalist” in the animal world. They are not picky in their diet and will finish cleaning up the leftovers. They are frugal and do not kill when there are leftovers available. On this trip, we saw these hyenas pretty closely. In that relationship between lion and hyena, on this trip, we witnessed, from afar, a hyena and a lion taking a nap in each other’s company. 

We did not know about the wildebeest until this trip. The wildebeest, an African antelope, is such a unique animal that it should be more famous. It is a combination of many animals. The joke is that God runs out of the raw materials for the wildebeest, or that it was created using the leftovers from the other animals. It has the zebra stripes, the buffalo horn, the horse body, and the slender antelope legs. There are quite a few “confusion” (i.e. “herd”) in the park, and often they are accompanied by a couple of zebras. The wildebeest are herbivores and are gentle animals.

The diets tell more about the aggression than the size. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests are gentle and graceful on their plant-based diet, while omnivorous or carnivorous animals come across as more dangerous. Regardless, our jeep, with a capacity of 6 to 8 passengers, is safe, and capable on the rather bumpy roads leading to and inside the park.

Safari makes the perfect place to see the diversity of the mammals and birds in nature. 

On our last day in this Kenya trip, we were back to Nairobi before flying back to the US. We visited the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. I wish I had visited the museum before the Safari and had more visiting time, to understand more about the animals, the 1000 species of birds, the butterfly in addition to the unbelievable exhibits and the history of homo erectus.  

The National Museum is a not-to-be-missed for any tourists in Nairobi or Safari visitors. 

Unlike our travels in many other parts of the world, Africa felt different to us. We found comfort in leaving the logistics and guiding to those who know the land best. We never felt we had enough confidence to venture out entirely on our own—at least not yet. felt the confidence enough to venture out entirely on our own, at least not yet.

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May 14

The Michelin Experience (Cont’d)

by ccue

Michelin is an experience to share, to appreciate, to enjoy.

The Latest California 3-Michelin-stars Experience

I don’t remember when we started celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with fine dining in Michelin restaurants. In the birthday celebration earlier this month, we had an amazing experience at the Single Thread. Located in Healdsburg,California, Single Thread has its own organic farm and serves a set menu.  It comes across as a fusion of 20% French with cheese/butter, 10% California, and 70% Japanese Kaiseki style. 

The 3-Michelin-stars Single Thread in Healdsburg has been arguably the most expensive birthday dinner.  Without wine, it costs about $700 per person for a set menu. At the end of the day, do I remember $700 more or do I remember the very memorable dining experience on my birthday? The latter without a question.  

The Berlin Facil Michelin Experience

Located close to the venues of the Berlin Film Festival, this 2-Michelin-star restaurant is among my very favorites. It is not a set menu. We all can pick what we like the most.  Some fine dining restaurants do not strike the balance between attentive service and put the diners at ease.  Facil just strikes the perfect balance in its service.

The Buenos Aires Don Julio Michelin Experience

Some consider this as the best restaurant in Latin America and ranked in the top ten of the world. Located in the Buenos Aires Palermo area, Don Julio lives up to the 1-Michelin-Star rating. It is not easy to get a reservation but not impossible. Even with reservation of the first evening slot, foodies can expect to line up outside of the restaurant before the restaurant opens at 7pm; and be prepared that some servers may not be very fluent in English. 

The Unique Manresa Michelin Experience

Manresa was a restaurant in Los Gatos, California that specialized in California cuisine. It was founded in 2002 by chef David Kinch. It earned three Michelin stars in 2016. In one year, Forbes rated Manresa the best restaurant in the United States. In November 2022, Kinch announced Manresa’s closure with its final day being December 31 of that year. 

 Manresa was among the first Michelin-star restaurants we visited during special occasions.

Manresa was among the first Michelin-star restaurants, if not the first, we visited during special occasions. It was many years ago, when it was a 3-Michelin-stars restaurant and was arguably closest to our residences. We went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We did not know what to expect and ended up more than impressed. The dining memory has unfortunately faded over the years; and at that time, there was not yet the practice of taking photos using mobile phones to immortalize the experience. After a good number of fine dining experiences, the detailed experiences become hard to recall.

We would however always remember Manresa. Like other 3-Michelin-stars restaurants, its exterior is not eye-catching. We overshot and needed to make a U-turn in some side street in a seemingly residential area. Our wedding anniversary is in October. It was somewhat dark in the neighborhood. That was before Google Maps. We had to find a safe spot to make a U-turn.  Maybe there was a sign that said no U-turn.  Just when we did the U-turn, a police car showed up out of nowhere. The police ended up giving us a traffic ticket!!!  We went ballistic. Traffic tickets in California are never cheap. Thankfully we recovered just before the dinner to have a good time, and not let that spoil the occasion. Over the years, sometimes, I still ponder that had we told the police that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, would he let us go without a ticket. We would never know, but in the grand scheme of life, this forever memory may just be worth more than the ticket. 

The Best Price-Performance Michelin Experience

Among the Michelin restaurants, this 1-Michelin-star Yat Lok Roasted Goose definitely is a living evidence of how foodies can compromise comfort for tasty food. Located in Central, Hong Kong, the street is not well maintained. The restaurant’s exterior is unassuming and looks no different from many BBQ shops commonly found in Hong Kong. There is always a line outside across the street. The service is at best a 3 out of 5.  The restaurant does not take reservations and in fact, they do not have individual tables. The interior is so crowded that we are just a couple of feet away from other diners, complete strangers, sharing the same table. The food makes the wait worthwhile, and the price is affordable for this 1-star Michelin experience, so that I would return on my next trip to Hong Kong. This Yat Lok is among the most unique Michelin Experience. Yet, in Hong Kong, there are just so so so many restaurants serving super delicious roasted ducks. If it is not for its Michelin star, would I visit Yat Lok? And how many Michelin Stars would the Michelin Inspectors give to the many many other shops in Hong Kong serving roasted ducks?

Within the same central area, there is a 3-Michelin-stars restaurant Caprice. Located in the upscale Four Seasons hotel, Caprice stands tall with its Michelin stars and its harbor view.  The harbor view and busy harbor traffic are scenes that one would not get tired of watching. The harbor view pairs perfectly with the fine cuisines and the perfect service. Its location makes it a great place for business or executive lunches. Its price is attractive compared to other three-Michelin-stars too.  Ask for a window seat on your visit.

Dear Diary Hong Kong Misc. Travel

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May 12

The Michelin Dining

by ccue

Over the years, we, foodies, have enjoyed the wonderful dining experiences of 35 Michelin Stars. In every way, these experiences live up to the Michelin star system definition. 

1-Michelin-star  (★) brings a very good restaurant with high quality cooking, consistency and is worth a stop.
2-Michelin-stars (★★) bring excellent cooking, with skilled and inspired cuisine, and is worth a detour.
3-Michelin-stars (★★★) are exceptional, a destination in itself and worth a special journey.

These Michelin stars are reviewed and updated annually. The restaurants must prove their quality and consistency every year to keep, gain, or lose their rating. Some award winning chefs get so burned out by these ratings and other similar cuisine ratings that they sometimes will start new restaurants. The ratings for the world’s no. 1 restaurant has been revised such that when a restaurant gets awarded the no. 1 in the world for the year, the restaurant stays on the list of no. 1 for good. I am almost happy for the chefs!

Our 35 Michelin Stars comprise over twenty restaurants, five 1-Michelin-star restaurants, two 2-Michelin-stars, and others 1-Michelin-star.

Dining at the 3-Michelin-stars restaurant is a one of a kind experience. They are for very very very special occasions. Even after the menu and the fancy dish names escaped our memory, the total dining experiences remain in the memories for a very very very long time.  

The Best of the Best

Dining at the world’s no. 1 restaurant, Noma in Copenhagen (2016) and French Laundry in Yountville, California (2023), have proven a lifetime experience.  

These top restaurants differ in their cuisines, there are some unexpected commonalities.

These best of the best don’t look like a palace on the outside, they are not gold-plated. In fact, they are almost hidden. They are often located on a street with pedestrians. They almost make an effort to hide them from the crowd. It exudes “I am the best of the best, and only those who make a special trip and pay special attention will find me”.  They are thoughtfully designed inside, but not fancy nor luxuriously high class decor that sometimes can make one uncomfortable or distracted. It is as if the decor cannot take the attention away from the cuisine they prepare, and that the diners can be comfortable and be served attentively to enjoy the offerings. The serving crew is nicely dressed up, they anticipate the diners’ needs, but skillfully leave the diners alone to enjoy. What a skill to have!

The best of the best have their own farm. It is a message that they are so particular about their creations that they have to start with growing their own ingredients. It is also a message that the ingredients have to be fresh. Foodies can relate that food tastes the best when fresh—corn, strawberries, tomatoes to just name a few. Their farms are mostly herbs and vegetables. If there are choices, they would like to raise their livestock and animals. I highly recommend signing up for those tours before the meal, and have a chance to ask some questions about the restaurants. 

The best of the best also welcome diners to visit their kitchens when schedule allows.

The best of the best offers dishes like pieces of art pleasing to the eyes, to the palate and to the senses.

These experiences often remind me of the limitation in language expressions. These experiences also remind me of the limitation of our memory storage and retrieval to share the food innovations and creations, the meticulous preparation, the beautiful presentation and the tastes. 

More on Michelin restaurants and experiences here.

Dear Diary Misc. Travel

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Feb 25

Bariloche, Patagonia in Swiss Style

by ccue

Bariloche has a lot to offer for a relaxing vacation and makes it a popular destination for travellers in the region.

San Carlos de Bariloche is about a two hours flight north of El Calafate.  Having lived in the Northern Atmosphere for my whole life, we believe going north means going to cooler weather, only to discover it works the other way in the Southern Atmosphere. We were met with warmer weather in San Carlos de Bariloche. We rented a car for the first time in Argentina with the places we plan to visit being more spread out. The car rental experience cannot be more different from the rental experience in the States. It took us over an hour, mostly waiting with only us in the line, to get the rental. When we finally got to the parking lot, the Avis rental lady took a lot of pictures of an unassuming Fiat. She carefully showed us the repair kit and spare tire, reminded us of the speed limit and the police camera before emailing the rental contract with all the pictures she had taken. It turned out the extra caution is not a sign of danger, more that the city has narrow roads, and is not always paved.

We safely arrived at our Airbnb which is on a narrow street. Fortunately, our Airbnb host Mariano met us outside and there was a very small parking garage. Airbnb reminded us of the beautiful Airbnb we had in Buenos Aires. It is a 2-story unit on the 7th floor with a great view of Nahuel Huapi Lake. Nahuei Huapi Lake is a massive, crystal-clear glacial lake in Argentina’s Patagonia region. The Chilean Border is only about an hour and a half drive. 

San Carlos de Bariloche downtown has a street lined up with many chocolate stores. Even though the chocolate is not as world renowned as Swiss Chocolate, the quality is equally good, and we recommended “Nanpui” for their chocolates. Almost all the chocolates sold have warning signs of “too much sugar” and “too much fat” on the box. These signs do not deter any customers. From the chocolate street, it was an easy stroll to the lake front.  There were some antique cars events on the day, and the city center was crowded with spectators. After a month in Argentina, we craved Chinese food and had an early dinner at Wong, one of the only two Chinese restaurants in town.

If you only have a day, the Circuito Chico is a convenient one-day road trip. There are chairlifts and hiking trails to walk up to enjoy some gorgeous views of lakes and mountains. The Llao Llao hotel is a top 5 star hotel with rustic cottage decor and a good place to enjoy snacks. Its service does not live up to the 5 star standard. The Colonial Suiza, a small Swiss-style town, can only be reached through gravel roads. We drove so very slowly that the rental Fiat handled the gravels without causing a flat tire. There were small ships good for getting some souvenirs, and we got some Patagonian tea bags. In Patagonia, the animals do not seem to be scared of people. We saw a small fox stopping in the middle of the road and did not seem to care.

If you have more than one day, the seven lakes road trip would take you to Nahuei Huapi and Lanin National Park. It makes a full day trip on a scenic 110-120 km stretch of the famous National Route 40. There are lakes after lakes, small and large. Living up to the Patagonia wilderness, there are only two big towns: Villa de Angostura and San Martin de Andes; there are hardly any other small towns or inhabitants in between. Angostura is a charming small town with shops and eateries, and better roads. These lakes remind me of Lake Tahoe, equally beautiful. The seven lakes are enhanced with the surrounding forestry landscape and at times the beautiful bright yellow Scotch Broom and purple Lupines lining up along the freeway. It is an easier road trip with the well paved National Route 40 that connects the national parks of Argentina in Patagonia.  

If you have more than two days, there is a boat trip to Victoria Island and Forest of Arran where Sequoia Trees, Black Sand Beach, Native Trees and Hiking trails await. 

Bariloche is Patagonia with peaceful lakes, Swiss atmosphere, chocolates and National Parks connected through a myriad of roads, from unpaved to well paved, with speed limit from 20, 40, 60 and 80 km per hour. 

Few travellers spend five weeks in Argentina on their first trip to South America.  We had experiences for a life time.

The End

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Feb 18

El Chaltén is Patagonia – Laguna de Los Tres Iconic Hike

by ccue

The ultimate hike Laguna de Los Tres is a 20km (10km one way) full day hike, and many consider the last 1km as very very very tough. I have a bit of acrophobia, and receive reassurance that the hike is not next to a cliff or any of the dangerous treks, but have little idea how tough the trail is. We are slow hikers so we started early at 7am in the morning, with some bottles of water, raingears, and a pole. 

Along the trail, there are signs for each kilometer. In the first few kilometers, we took the time to enjoy nature, admire Mount Fitz Roy from afar, take pictures, let other hikers pass by, while carefully avoiding patches of muddy terrains to keep our shoes dry. Along the way, we ran into Jackie, the solo British traveller we met at the Nibepo Aike Estancia, the second time in two days. After a few hours, we got to the 9km mark feeling pretty good. There is a warning that the next 1km requires top fitness level. The last 1km uphill has taken us over 2 hours over very tough terrains, and hiking down was equally not not tougher.  Laguna de Los Tres certainly lives up to its reputation. 

It was still Spring time, the main Laguna de los Tres, directly below Mount Fitz Roy, was not yet defrosted. The frozen lake was connected seamlessly with the snow on the mountain. It was super beautiful and the air was refreshing. The frozen lake has not shown its turquoise charm we often find in pictures.  We were rewarded with the snow-capped Fitz Roy peaks in a comfortable chilly weather, with a lone fox wandering among us, hikers. We took the views all in at the summit. Fitz Roy towers above us, on the other side, we saw the beautiful larger blue Laguna (Laguna Sucia/Laguna Capri/Lago Argentina).  

We could have stayed here for much longer, but it was time to head back. With our slow pace, it was getting dark. The hike started at 7am and we returned by 9pm. This is arguably the longest hike we had done since the Half Dome at Yosemite decades ago. This one feels tougher. At the end, we could feel that we lost some belly fat and some weight. It was such an experience that it felt like if this Laguna De Los Tres became our very last tough hike, it would be all right.  Do we still have more in our tank for future hikes of similar challenges?  Only time will tell. 

The next day, we chilled at a nearby meme cake cafe, enjoyed an excellent chocolate mint tea, served in an iron pot. Thigh and hip muscle fatigue aside, our joints felt good. Thanks to Taichi practice in the last few months.  After a day of rest, we felt ready for some easy short hike.

The day after, we started the day with a Cappuccino and Mocha at the Macchiato cafe right across the street. Talked to the barista about their sold out beautifully designed t-shirt that reminds us of the T-shirt displayed in a similar coffee shop in one of our Hawaii trips.

Some hikes stay with you forever — Laguna de los Tres is one of ours.

Next: San Carlos De Bariloche, Nov 26 to 30.

Literature... Misc. Travel

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Feb 18

El Chaltén, the Hikers’ Paradise, is Patagonia

by ccue

El Chaltén is the hikers paradise. It is the place where hikers meet and it has the iconic hike of Lagoon de Los Tres. Laguna de los Tres offers breathtaking, close-up views of Mount Fitz Roy and its glacier. The 20 km round trip takes 7–9 hours. Laguna de los Tres, “Lake of the Three”, is not about three lakes, It refers to the three prominent peaks towering above the lake, which are Mount Fitz Roy, Poincenot, and Saint-Exupéry, located in Los Glaciares National Park near El Chalten, Argentina. Fitz Roy captained the HMS Beagle Charles Darwin was on almost two hundred years ago. He explored the El Chaltén region with Charles Darwin in 1834.

We are not among the rock climbers who scale the Granite Wall of Mount Fitz Roy. Chouinard and team did that back in 1968 (Pg 45 to 52 of Dirtbag Billionaire) before he founded the Patagonia company. The Patagonia logo is based on none other than Mount Fitz Roy.

El Chaltén is a convenient 3 hours bus ride from El Calafate. El Chaltén has a different vibe and is like a village where visitors have just one thing in mind – outdoor exploration/hiking. It takes less than 30 minutes to stroll from one end to another. San Martín is the main avenue, not one of, in El Chaltén. Strolling in the town, we can see the different faces of Mount Fitz Roy from afar.  The town is filled with hostels/hotels/airbnb, coffee shops, gift shops, grocery stores and choices of restaurants. Our Airbnb, a comfortable unit next to the host family,  is in a perfect location.

El Chaltén’s itinerary is very simple – hiking followed by day(s) of rest.

A day after the arrival, we did the primary waterfall hike in El Chaltén, Chorrillo del Salto (Waterfall) to test our hiking gear. It is a relatively short forest trail, located at the north end of San Martin Avenue. It offers a view of, 20-meter high waterfall at the end. On the day, it was windy and dusty, creating a slightly unexpected challenge than an easy and flat trail that it is known for. After the hike, we went for an early dinner at a Parrillo restaurant, which displayed pictures of communist leaders Fidel Castro, Ernesto “Che” Guevara. “Che”, an Argentinian, has been a hero. “Las Malvinas son argentinas” is another discovery how some Argentinians still believe Las Malvinas (i.e. the Falkland islands) belong to Argentina.

Argentina Correo (Post Office) is undergoing changes so much that the Post Office looks terribly run down and it stays closed during opening hours. There are one or two gift shops selling stamps. To mail a postcard, it costs more than $10 USD, equivalent to 15000 Argentina peso, in 5 different stamps. I mailed two postcards. We then had lunch at the restaurant next to our Airbnb served with Parrillo lamb, salad, we enjoyed and had enough left over for dinner. Our star gazing plan faltered after knowing that the time for it would be after midnight. 

Next: The iconic hike Laguna de los Tres, Nov. 23

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Feb 15

Nibepo Aike Estancia, an experience for a lifetime (cont’d)

by ccue

In Nibepo Aike, through the windows of our room, we have a perfect view of the snow-capped mountain ranges, the beautiful scenery, sometimes chickens and birds outside. We could stay in our room, sitting on the sofa, zipping tea, reading books and from time to time, look up to appreciate the beauty of nature. 

There are horseback riding activities from one hour to three hours. The first day we did a 3-hour horseback riding in the afternoon around the area. The pasture and the lake are tranquil and beautiful; the horses, the cattle and the birds look relaxed. Patagonia Criollo horses are renowned for their endurance. Criollo horses are intelligent, steady and calm, often forming deep partnership with the riders. The tan-colored horse I rode on the first afternoon lived up to the reputation. It was the best. She was gentle, experienced and responded well to the rein. Its narrower body was comfortable to ride on. I connected with it right away. This afternoon in Patagonia Estancia gave me the best horseback riding experience ever. Unfortunately “my horse” needed rest in the following days. The next afternoon, I rode a black horse with a broader body. It was not as comfortable. We did an hour of horseback riding to herd the sheep back to the barn in the evening. It was fun even though it was mostly the staff riders who guided the sheep back to the barn. The third day was a morning ride. My white horse was the most active. It just wanted to gallop, especially when she saw other horses galloping. I had to keep reining it in. Three horses in three days, even in a short time, it is apparent these horses have very different temperaments. I am most connected to the gentle tan-colored horse on the first day and the other two horses seem to sense my preference. 

We got to know a few of the Estancia staff. We met the owner when we looked for the directions to the hiking trail up the short hill overlooking the ranch. The owner looked older. He was so tall and energetic that he walked three times faster. We needed to jog to keep up with his walking. He is a happy fellow. The general manager Silvano took such good care of us. We chatted with him whenever he was not as busy. He makes a wonderful hotelier with good knowledge of the ranch operations, and endearing people skills. There is a native, the know-it-all, taking care of all kinds of chores in the farm and he is everywhere working all the time. There is also a gentleman and a young lady taking care of the horses and are very knowledgeable about them. The female tour guide spoke arguably the best English and handled multiple languages at ease as she took us around on the ranch day.  Even for a few days, I came to know the ranch staff better than the staff of other accommodations, as we saw each other throughout the days.

The Estanica experience gives us a true connection to the animals, the caring staff and nature. It is an experience of a lifetime. 

Next: El Chaten, the hikers’ paradise, Nov 21 to 25.

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Feb 14

Nibepo Aike Estancia, an experience for a lifetime 

by ccue

We had great experiences in Patagonia, visiting Glacier, hiking scenic trails, strolling the lovely towns, enjoying Patagonian tea and Argentinian cuisines. The best of all belonged to our three days and two nights at Nibepo Aike Estancia. The Estancia experience is a childhood dream come true. I felt like I was living in a fairy tale, the kind of experience to freeze time just to stay there for a bit longer.

Estancia in Latin America is similar to a ranch in America. Nibepo Aike Estancia offers an all inclusive package, covering the transportation, the room, the boarding and all the Estancia activities. Nibepo Aike Estancia is about an hour drive from El Calafate. The Estancia staff picked us up from the Airbnb we stayed in El Calafate. There were only three guests in the van – the two of us, and Jackie who stayed in a hostel in El Calafate. J, short for Jackie, was a retired Math school from England. J is tall, fit and is a seasoned solo traveller. Being a British, J insisted that the way to prepare milk tea properly is after brewing the tea, we should pour the tea into milk, not the other way round. I have changed our milk tea preparation ever since. We ran into J a few more times in El Chalten. I remember her fondly and sent her New Year Greetings weeks after we all returned home. 

We arrived at the Estancia and experienced a change in pace almost immediately. It accommodates only about 20 guests in a big ranch. It was quiet on the day of our arrival. Still it has taken us quite a while to check in. No one was in a hurry. We settled ourselves comfortably in the cafe. It was not meal time yet, there were hardly any other guests. While waiting for our room to be ready, we were treated with the coffee offered by the General Manager Silvano. It was not any ordinary coffee. It was his own coffee beans and his own coffee maker. Silvano went out to milk the cow to get the freshest milk possible. That cup of coffee made one of the most delicious coffee in the quiet cafe listening to relaxing music.

It may be a slow pace for travellers. Life in Estancia is very busy and is full of errands for the staff. Nibepo Aike Estancia is one of the very few that remains functional, with sheep, cattles, horses, chickens in a beautiful and peaceful landscape. The grass is greener. The lakes are clearer. The snow-capped mountains are changing daily with the snow-cap shrinking daily with Spring arriving in this part of the world. There is a short hill that the guests can walk up to appreciate the ranch. Imagine Heidi in the Swiss Alps, that is the kind of life – the freshly produced milk from the cattles, the sheep, the sheep shearing and the scenic landscape. We participated in a ranch day with a tour guide. We had a chance to milk the cow. To keep us safe, the hind legs of the cow had to be tied for our milking. The cows produce less milk in the Estancia than those milked by the machines in cities. I am convinced the milk tastes better when the cows are more relaxed in the Estancia. In the morning, hundreds of sheep were let out of the barn. The sheep were in such a hurry to feed on the pasture that we often found the nearby shrubs caught their wool. We also had a chance to feed milk from a bottle to a baby sheep. A native know-it-all demonstrated the sheep shearing. I am not much of a lamb eater, but the whole lamb asado, as part of the ranch day, made the best lamb dish with its fragrance, its tastes, and its warmth. 

(to be continued)

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Jan 25

El Calafate, first stop in Patagonia

by ccue

Patagonia’s snowy mountains, the glacier and natural beauty can remind us of Alaska (My 2021 trip to Alaska). They are different from each other. Alaska is about 1.6 times the size of Patagonia and its glaciers are about 4 times larger. South America is far different from North America in culture, their languages are different, and the history is very different. Patagonia has comparatively milder weather, and has some world famous hiking trails such as the W trek and the Laguna De Los Tres trek. For us, both Alaska and Patagonia offers once-in-a-life experiences.

The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered the land and coined the name Patagonia five hundred years ago. Was he in awe of the natural beauty? Did he admire the Perito Moren Glacier? Did he track the strenuous  Laguna De Los Tres trek to get a good look of Fitz Roy? Or simply  treasure its vastness? The term “Patagonian” (or Patagon/Patagón) historically denoted the “giants”, the tall natives with big feet compared to the Spanish colonist. Patagonia has not been useful in commercial purpose until the industrial revolution hundred years later, with the consumer interests in wool. Patagonia spreads itself across Chile and Argentina. Argentina has the majority share of Patagonia but the smaller neighbor Chile has arguably  the more famous Torres del Paine National Park, the popular W trek. Last November we flew into El Calafate from Buenos Aires, and had a memorable two weeks in Patagonia, Argentina.

Travelling to Patagonia requires some good planning. There is no easy international direct flight to El Calafate, Patagonia. It took us 8 hours to fly from Iguazu (IGR) to El Calafate (FTE) via Buenos Aires (AEP). El Calafate is the southernmost city among the places we have been to, so far. It has a lot to offer but is more known as the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and the massive Perito Moreno Glacier within. 

Perito Moreno Glacier

My first impression of El Calafate is the beautiful turquoise color and the tranquility of the huge Lago Argentino (Lake Argentina). I hoped the car, taking us to our Airbnb, moved slower so that I could appreciate the lake and the first Patagonian impression slowly from afar.

The Airbnb is a comfortable unit, located 15 minutes walk to the downtown. The proximity to the touristy downtown area is why we picked it. It turned out that to walk to the touristy downtown, we needed to pass through the neighborhood with a few run down houses, some half done construction and several stray dogs that were not particularly welcoming. I am afraid of dogs so that did not help. I made a mental note to check the neighborhood of future Airbnb carefully and not just rely on its proximity to touristy areas. (Fortunately, we picked another Airbnb when we came back a few days later to El Calafate. That other Airbnb is arguably one of the best decorated Airbnb cottage with a colorful garden of beautiful Lupines and a remote view of the Lake).

The next day, we joined a one-day tour, inclusive of all transportation and a boat ride, to Moreno Glacier inside Los Glaciares National Park. Moreno Glacier looks like a gigantic flat top “icy mountain” with jagged landscape that look like cliffs and spires on its sides. Because of its vastness, the glacier does not look like its average height of 240 feet above the surface of Lake Argentino. In a direct comparison, the Perito Moreno Glacier is larger than the city of Buenos Aires! 

To take the Moreno glacier all in, we spent a few hours on well paved boardwalks and stairs built across the Glacier. There are plenty of photo opportunities of the different sides of the Glacier. On these boardwalks, we occasionally heard the cracking and thundering noise that reminded us of the glacier calving and the power of nature. To get closer, we took a boat ride to fully admire the gigantic Glacier, its beautiful blue and white floating ice blocks everywhere and its chills. It is a scene to remember for a very long time. Perito Moreno Glacier alone would have been worth the long trip to Patagonia. But there is much more waiting in Patagonia.

Next: Nibepo Aike Estancia, a functional estancia (farm), Nov 19 to 21 2025

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