Last Journey post....Home sweet Home

Well, I have just a couple more stories I need to share in order to wrap up "Carl and Bev's Great Adventure." We are home now but we had a couple of last days with, again, some stories.

Our journey from Explora to Calafate took about two hours, but our flight was much later that evening so we had about 3 hours in town, which we were both pleased about for two reasons. One, we could have a long, leisurely lunch, and two, we could look around the town a bit more since we only had 30 minutes the last time we flew through.

Our driver was Juan, the same driver we had for our first Patagonia transfer to Helsingfors. He lives in Calafate and took us to the best Parilla (Grill) and Asado (BBQ) Restaurant in town. BBQ does not mean the same thing as in the States, i.e. ribs, chicken, and beef smothered in BBQ sauce. BBQ in Patagonia refers to the method of cooking which is basically hanging up a lamb over a fire pit to slow cook it.

We decided to have Empanada's (we love them!) for appetizers and then shared a steak. We ordered a beef, caprese (cheese, onion and tomato) and vegetable. Well, we sliced open the vegetable empanada, and of course, wait for it....yes, it was ESPINACHE'. Could not have been more perfect ending to our trekking adventure. We were literally LOL!!!


It was a long flight back to Buenos Aires because we made a stop along the way and were finally at our hotel at about midnight. We hadn't had dinner, but luckily, restaurants are open very late in BA and most people don't even go to dinner until 10:00. We found out the great steak house we went for lunch the first day would have their kitchen open until 1:00 A.M. We heading over and had just ordered our food when I looked across the room and saw this guy that looked very familiar. That didn't make any sense because how could I know anyone in BA? Then, I realized it was Seth and Ephram--the two guys from New York that we met at Los Notros and had dinner with!!!!! Unbeleiveable. We went over to their table and as I am walking up I am saying "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you two are here", they both turned around and about fell off their chairs!!! "OMG! no way" "OMG!!"

Then, we find out they are also staying at the Sofitel (where we are staying) and also leaving the next evening. They had just arrived in BA about an hour before we did. Now people, understand, Buenos Aires is a city of 10 MILLION PEOPLE!!!

We saw them at breakfast the next morning at the hotel and we all set off separately for a last day of shopping. Carl and I had been shopping for over half the day and had just finished a fantastic lunch at Cabrerra (see the photo above of the fantastic side dishes that accompany your steak - mashed potatoes, pumpkin/squash, olives, applesauce, etc.) and he was trying to find this great ice cream shop that Ephram had told us about. We had been walking for some time when we saw a coffee and ice cream shop and Carl decided he would just go there since we couldn't find the other one. Just as we head to the front door who walks out? SETH AND EPHRAM!!! Unbelievable again. You will also see a photo of the ghetto rental car we had to use for shopping ;-).

By now we realize our paths are fated to cross so it is no surprise to any of us when we run into both of them again at the hotel when we return from shopping and they have just checked out and are getting ready to go to the airport. We look forward to a trip to New York where I am sure we will run into them the very first night at dinner! If not, we will surely reach out to be sure we do.

As we headed to the airport, we had to cross through two toll stations and it was "rush hour" in BA (this is at 8:00 p.m. - they eat til 1:00 a.m. and then don't go to work until 9:00 or 10:00 a.m.). People begin to get impatient and start honking horns loudly because if they honk long enough, the operators will open the gates and just let everyone drive through. Carl got a great video of this action - see below.

From there, it was just a very, very, long journey home - total of about 20 hours with wait time, travel and layovers, but otherwise uneventful. 14 loads of very smelly, very dirty laundry packed the weekend along with getting the house ready for Christmas and our Sons arrival.

Back home is bittersweet and a bit melancholy. There is nothing quite as delicious as ones own bed. Nor the familiarity of knowing where everything is and the beauty of a common language. That being said however, the excitement and challenge that is part of traveling in foreign lands cannot be replaced. Sometimes it's OK not to know all the answers. Sometimes, just sometimes, it is also alright to be off balance, a bit uncomfortable, a little disoriented. That is when true adventure actually begins.....

Until next time, we bid you adieu

Ciao.