Author Archives: beatbrokebackpacking

This Is What We’re Doing Now.

What was the longest bus ride you’ve been on? 

For backpackers, this question can become a subtle pissing contest. 

Eight hours between Berlin and Warsaw quickly becomes “nothing.”

Try 15 hours from Hoi An to Hanoi. 

Or 24 hours from El Chalten to Bariloche 

24 hours? That’s nothing, says the Brit sipping the Chang beer. He starts his story. (The true test of endurance begins.)

Long bus rides are truly a badge of honor for the Osprey-wearing soul. You haven’t really been backpacking and really been on a budget until you’ve crammed your frame into a single seat for the better part of a day.

Hungover.

Sitting alone with someone you just met the day before. 

One of you will be able to sleep, and the other won’t.

That’s just the rules. 

There will probably be a movie playing at full volume in a language that you have not bothered to learn.

That’s just the rules.

The length of each trip alone is usually enough to scare off any “non-travelers,” any comfort queens or sensible human beings whom backpackers show their nostrils. But there is real beauty (and discomfort) in these bus rides: they truly prepare you for anything.

At some point during your bus ride, you will have to say to yourself, “Oh this is what we’re doing now? Okay.” 

Upon searching for “bus” in my photos, I came up with two results pleasing to those with an affinity for alliteration. This is a bus in Bangkok.

I chose to learn French in middle school because I thought I would use it the most. My other options were Spanish and German, but I had no interest in visiting South America at the time and I never expected to be on an overnight bus from Copenhagen to Berlin. 

Night buses made the most sense for my dwindling bank account, which had gotten a true pounding from a month in the United Kingdom. If I could combine my accommodation and travel costs into one, I was truly outsmarting the system. I was travel-girl-extraordinaire. Watch out world, I’m rolling in Euro. No need to stick to appetizers when I get to Germany – I can treat myself to a whole entree (only one, next week, following six dinners purchased at convenience stores.) 

Travel -girl-extraordinaire became travel-girl-very-scared at 3 in the morning when I woke up to a German announcement from the bus driver. It was followed by a Danish announcement from the bus driver. And then it was followed by everyone on the bus shuffling around and standing up. 

The bus wasn’t supposed to get into Berlin until 8am! It was not 8am! I was not ready to start my life as a lady of the night in either Germany nor Denmark, wherever I was. 

Did I get on the wrong bus? 

Am I stranded?

Why didn’t I choose to learn German for two semesters in middle school? 

Why is everyone leaving their newspapers and blankets at their seats?

Just in case, I took everything with me.

I stepped off the bus into what looked like a warehouse. Or, possibly, the place where you go when you get trafficked. Sleepy bus riders shuffled in a line to somewhere, and I had to follow. My mind rode the spectrum of dramatic and reassuring thoughts. As the winner of CB West High School’s Most Dramatic Award in 2011, I was vowing never to go backpacking alone again…

…if I made it out alive. 

Up the stairs and through the door was a pristine, white building. Maybe heaven, but with a food court. Where the hell was I? 

I looked around and saw pamphlets at the food court advertising an ocean view. 

It was then that I remembered I had a phone and decided to check my Google Maps. 

Water. 

There was a whole bunch of water between Denmark and Germany.

Bus in Buenos Aires.

I clearly did not recognize the German word for ferry when I booked the trip or heard the announcement. 

This was the first of many “this is what we’re doing now” bus rides of my travels. But every time the bus stopped or something didn’t go as planned, I thought back to this trip. 

I thought about the relief of arriving in Berlin when, on the way from Mendoza to Cordoba, a rock shattered the back window of the bus and we needed to wait on the side of the road for an entirely new bus.  

I thought about Berlin when a bus stopped in the middle of the road in Valparaiso for 25 minutes. (The driver was waiting for a friend.)

Once, a bus stopped at a bathroom between Da Lat and Saigon. The stalls were a different kind of stall, containing only tile, a bucket, and a hole in the corner. 

Any time I found myself in a Greyhound station, I reminded myself that at least everyone around me spoke English.

I took a five-hour bus to Penang three times in three weeks just because I thought the city of George Town was cute and enjoyed Love Lane. (Love Lane is probably not what you’re picturing – simply a cute street of bars and restaurants that had a charming, up-and-coming air to it.) 

Once, the bus equivalent of a flight attendant tapped me on the shoulder and told me that we would now be playing Bingo. 

(It was a great way to practice my Spanish, even if it was at 6 o’clock in the morning.) 

—

Ten times out of ten, (okay, maybe 9.5,) what seemed like a grave mistake ended up being a game of patience.

The bad job at the hostel in Malaysia led to good jobs online.

The delay at the station led to a conversation with a stranger who had a similar taste in tattoos.

The panic of being led down the wrong roads by a taxi driver in Egypt became a satisfying dinner at his family home. (This did not happen to me, but it was quite a story.) 

As the amount of hours you’ve spent on buses adds up, the amount of time you’re willing to wait does too. Follow the rules, trust everyone getting off the bus around you, and you’ll be okay. You’ll get to your destination, learn a word or two in a different language, and walk away, shrugging your shoulders once again at the slight change in plans. 

So now I’m being told to stay at home for the foreseeable future? Oh, this is what we’re doing now. Okay.

This Is The Best Credit Card for Free Hotel Stays.

This Is The Best Credit Card for Free Hotel Stays. Period.

I have a limit for how many nights I’ll sleep alone in a van right off the side of the road. It’s three. The first two nights I managed to find a crowded BLM campsite right outside of Zion National Park. Multiple cars and parties makes me feel more comfortable than just one lone school bus across the road. That’s what I saw at the BLM campsite outside of Bryce Canyon. 

This road trip was spontaneous. I booked the flights with a significant other, and then rebooked them when I got dumped. It wasn’t until I arrived at my Las Vegas (airport) hotel that I realized that I would be going by myself. And there I was, by myself, in a sleeping bag that could handle 32 degrees, in a campervan called Eucalyptus. It was definitely colder than 32 degrees on that November night, and it was only going to get colder. 

I’ve just recently upgraded to renting cars for travel. Before that, I would drive free cars that needed to be transported to one city or the next. Before that, buses or car shares were my only option for getting around. But now I’m evolving, much to the relief of my parents. I drive rental cars when I don’t want to use my own. And instead of relying on hostels and Couchsurfing, I stay in hotels here and there. 

So, in a fit of anxiety, hormones, or maybe just good sense, I booked hotels for the next two nights of my road trip. They were both free, thanks to my credit card points. 

A little picture of Bryce Canyon, just for fun.

My Favorite Credit Card for Travel Points: American Express Hilton Honors Card 

I had my Hilton Honors American Express Card for almost a year before I booked some extra nights in Las Vegas with it. The card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, so it was kind of a no-brainer to apply before traveling to South America. 

The Hilton Honors American Express credit card comes with a sweet deal – if you spend $1,000 in three months, you can earn 75,000 points. My flights and campsite reservations on the O trek quickly added up, and I had my points! 

Hilton Hotel Points: A Breakdown 

How many free nights have I gotten with my 75,000 Hilton Honors points? At least two. But I’d be able to get more if I was traveling outside of the states. 

Here’s been my experience booking at Hilton brands using their hotel points: 

  • Hampton Inn Las Vegas Airport, 1 King Bed Studio Suite: 30,000 points 
  • Hilton Embassy Suites Nashville Airport, 1 King Bed Mobility Access W/Tub: 32,000 points 
  • DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 1 King Bed Guest Bedroom: 10,000 points 
  • Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, 1 King Bed Deluxe Room: 50,000 points 
  • Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre, King Guest Room: 33,000 points

Okay, the Kuala Lumpur stay was a gift from the parents. But now I get why it wasn’t such a big deal to let me stay two nights.

(Obviously, these were all for different trips.) 

With the Hilton Honors American Express card, you also get Hilton Honors Silver Status. I’m not going to lie – the benefits of being a silver member don’t tickle me that much. I don’t usually stay in hotels for more than one or two nights at a time, so I never redeem the 5th night free deal. Late check-out and free wifi is nice, but you can also get that as a Hilton Honors member without applying for any cards. 

I’m pretty happy with just getting a free hotel here and there. And it’s not hard to do with the Hilton Honors card, because you get points with every purchase. 

What Else Can You Put Points Toward? 

Not interested in staying in a Hilton? No worries. You can also transfer your points to different airlines and even your Amazon account. 

If you’re traveling, you can also check out various Experiences that Hilton offers. I was actually impressed by some of the deals available, including: 

  • Mezcal Tasting in Cancun for 25K points
  • Chef Tasting in LA for 50K points (I’m assuming you’re tasting the food, not the chef) 
  • Two Halsey tickets for 100K points 

I haven’t redeemed them yet, but if there are any in Santa Fe when I do a road trip this summer/fall, I’ll let you know…

How to Earn Points With the American Express Hilton Honors Card

How do you get these points? I mean, you spend money. Here’s the breakdown: 

  • 7x Points on all Hilton Purchases
  • 5x Points at all U.S. Restaurants 
  • 5x Points at all U.S. Supermarkets 
  • 5x Points at all U.S. Gas Stations 

If you spend $20,000 in 12 months, you can get upgraded to Hilton Honors Gold status. Or….

I’ve Upgraded to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

I’ve been very satisfied with my Hilton Honors American Express card. I wouldn’t be writing about it if I wasn’t. So I recently bumped myself up the Surpass Card. If I can get a few free nights in a hotel during my next road trip, I’ll be a happy goose. 

There is an annual fee of $95 when you get the Surpass card. But with no foreign transaction fees and more points with every purchase – it’s worth it. 

Remember the whole 75,000 points for $1,000 worth of purchases? The Surpass Card has an upgraded offer: 125,000 points for spending $2,000 in your first three months. (I know that $75,000 x 2 is a little more than 125,000, but spending $2K in three months hasn’t been something I’ve really had to worry about.) 

How to Earn Points With the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card

Each purchase also hits harder with the Surpass card: 

  • 12x points on all Hilton purchases
  • 6x Points at all U.S. Restaurants 
  • 6x Points at all U.S. Supermarkets 
  • 6x Points at all U.S. Gas Stations
  • 3x Points on all other eligible purchases 

With the Surpass card, you automatically get bumped up to Gold Status. Whoop! I haven’t used this card at a Hilton yet, but I’m excited to have the upgraded status and maybe more snacks. (With most Hilton brands, you get the choice between snacks on arrival, complimentary breakfast, or extra points on your card. I’ll take the points, but who doesn’t love snacks?) 

Spend $15,000 on your card during the year and get a Free Weekend Night. I’m hoping that won’t be too hard. 

If you can make it up to $40,000 a year, you can get Diamond status. I don’t travel that much (anymore,) but I’ll keep you updated if having Gold status is the best thing in the world. 

Where to Apply For the Hilton Honors American Express Cards 

Full disclosure: I will be getting points for referring you. Duh, kinda. 

Here’s where you can apply for both cards:

Hilton Honors American Express Card: spend $1,000 in three months for 75,000 points 

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: spend $2,000 in three months for 125,000 points 

Other Credit Card Recommendations? 

I’ll write an update once I’ve used my Surpass card to get free hotel stays on my next trip. In the meantime, what are your recommendations? What credit cards give you sweet benefits when you travel? Share them, leave a comment, or follow my Instagram (@climb_and_flow) for more travel content. 

Cheers!

Bonus picture of Las Vegas.

Gentle Cycle

It’s 1 p.m. I’m in New Mexico or New Zealand or New Brunswick. But nothing is new. Everything is old and everyone is smelly and the paint is literally and figuratively chipping. I’m in a laundromat. My phone is charging in a locker during the wash, so I stare into the laundromat, and think of the places that I’ve been on this trip. 

The washing machine spits out Brunswick, maybe 10 minutes into the cycle. As I stare into the washing machine, that’s it, I’m in Brunswick. My body was wearing black under a grey sky, grey buildings and grey bike racks and white-grey sidewalks that lead from the grocery store to Sydney Road, Sydney Road to the hostel. 

I don’t remember the name of the grocery store. I can’t remember if I encoded this memory while leaving the grocery store to cook the Sunday roast, to buy emergency hangover Paracetamol, or to make a routine run when my routine was based in Melbourne, Australia. Which was it? Why this grocery store run? 

Silly, selfish memory. Make way for the good stuff, hey? Formal attire, please. 

Before I took on the thankless job of staring into this washing machine, I told myself I’d read. My copy of Tibetan Peach Pie is lying open next to me with highlighted names and notes. Behind a bright pink curtain is the name Barnett Newman. Robbins mentioned the success that Barnett Newman had exploring vertical lines. 

Between my visits to the Tate Modern and the MOMA, I could bet that I’ve taken in the visual stimuli that comes from Newman’s work. I might have stood directly in front of one of his vertical masterpieces, scanned horizontally to take in the name of the artist, and contemplated the effects of his looming lines.

But I put those clothes back on the rack.

Or maybe I wrote his name down in my notebook, optimistically believing that in the midst of plane rides, train rides, insurance payments, cousins’ birthday parties, crying, building blanket forts, and picking up emergency hangover Paracetamol, I would look Newman’s name up and stuff more seemingly productive knowledge about modernism into my head. 

My notes from the Tate Modern serve as a prologue to the notes in my Europe notebook. My Europe notebook is sitting below my notebook from my time in Australia is sitting below my Southeast Asia notebook. They’re in a bin, next to incense and mugs and towels and all the souvenirs I bought and DIY souvenirs I collected. 

When I’m in my new apartment, I plan on hanging all of these souvenirs off of mini clothespins, but not the clear, pink mini clothespins that I saw at Target earlier, mini wooden clothespins that would hold my memories as I take them out of the washing machine of my memories.

One of the souvenirs waiting in the wash comes from a temple in Malaysia. Like the grocery store in Brunswick, the name never made it in with the detergent. I spent my afternoon at this temple with people whose names must have ended up in the dryer lint must have ended up in the bin. The temple was beautiful, but that’s not what arrived in my mind as I sat in meditation.

It was the gift shop. 

The gift shop sat at the base of a cable car. Remembering one single gift shop in Malaysia is an accomplishment. Trying to remember everything that this gift shop sold would be impossible, so the whole operation is…a wash. 

But I have another few minutes before the clothes are ready for the dryer. 

Snow globes, definitely. Spatulas, the rubber kind. I don’t think they had patches but they had a backpacks. Everything was inanimate, wrapped in plastic. So much plastic. Crinkly plastic notebooks, crinkly plastic keychains. Crinkly plastic magnets, crinkly plastic posters. 

I don’t remember every item in this gift shop, but I remember the feeling that I was witnessing infinity. The rows of souvenirs and household items, wrapped in rows of plastic, touched by rows of hands feeding rows of families, using their fingers to tap rows of keyboards to friends and colleagues and strangers, with their own washing machine set of memories – 

What I’m trying to say is that there are a lot of things that I can recall. Long-term memory storage is unlimited. There are a lot of grocery stores in Melbourne. There are more artists featured in the MOMA than clothes in my wardrobe. There are a lot of gifts to buy in Malaysia.

But as my clothes became fluffy in the dryer, I scrolled through my phone. I stopped on an Instagram that asked me to think of one thing that made me happy. 

And of all of the snow globes I could have shook, the places I could have gone, and the clothes I could have taken off the drying rack, all I can think of is you. 

How to Create a Budget For One Month In Chile

Want to go backpacking in South America? Money is the primary obstacle for most travelers, so I wanted to offer some tips on budgeting for Chile and how to know that you’ve saved enough for a trip down to South America. 

When I first planned my budget, I told myself that I wouldn’t spend more than USD50 each day in Chile and Argentina. When I told other travelers that, I was met with some eyebrow raises. Traveling through Chile was a lot more expensive than I thought. 

(Luckily, I had recently taken on a few consistent freelance clients and was able to cover the extra expenses. You can read more about how I save for travel here.) 

Use this guide to plan out your budget for Chile. Keep in mind that I traveled to Chile in February 2019, so things might change slightly depending on the season. February’s a pretty popular time to head down South, so you might find yourself saving more when it comes to accommodation and excursions. 

Continue reading→

stay an extra day in valparaiso

Stay An Extra Day in Valparaíso

My three-month Chile and Argentina itinerary was built through recommendations from backpackers. We tend to follow similar trails up and down continents. It wasn’t a surprise that my stop after El Calafate was El Chaltén, and it wasn’t a surprise to run into people I met in Bariloche a few days later in Mendoza.  

But for most backpackers, it was a surprise that I carved out a week of my trip just for Valparaíso. Travel agents offer day trips to Valparaíso from Santiago to see the coastal city’s famed street art, take photos from the top of the hill on which the city is built, and visit (the most famous) Pablo Neruda house.  

A day or a weekend is perfectly acceptable for bohemian and quirky Valparaíso. I stayed for 11 days.

If you’re going to be in Santiago for any reason, stay at least four days in Valparaíso. Stay for the street art, stay for the beaches, or stay just to recover from your hangover. Valparaíso is more than just steep hills and street art; it’s a truly beautiful city that provides a great introduction to Chile through music, history, and empanadas three times as big as Argentina’s.

Stay For The Street Art

If a building in Valparaíso doesn’t have a mural on it, it will get tagged, so homeowners might as well commission someone to paint something beautiful. This is one of the biggest draws to Valparaíso, and even on cloudy days, the street art doesn’t disappoint.

Valparaíso’s street art has its own Greatest Hits album, including, “The Piano Stairs,” “We Are Not Hippies We Are Happies” and “That’s An Emu, Right?” Spend an entire day on a scavenger hunt of these Insta-bucket-list-items. You’ll have the chance to take dozens of additional pictures between each stop.

At the 10 a.m. street art tour, our guide showed us landmarks where street art turned a kids-smoke-here-and-cause-trouble alley into beautiful works of art. He pointed out 1UP and other international artists who came to Valparaíso. And he picked the best route for escaping stray dogs that become very attached to tour groups.

(Stay for the love and protection of the stray dogs. Strays in Chile are well-fed, old, and a more pleasant sight than most stray dogs around the world, but they are also stage-five clingers. Pet them once and you’ll have a walking companion and faithful protection for your entire Valparaíso trip.)  

street art in Valparaiso, Chile

street art in valparaiso, chile

This is the tallest piece of street art in the city. It was done by a couple. The wife was 4 1/2 months pregnant at the time.

Stay For the Rooftop at Planeta Lindo

The street art extends throughout the entire city of Valparaíso, including the doorstep of the Planeta Lindo hostel, where I stayed for the entirety of my trip.

Two white angel wings frame whatever guest or tourist walks by and poses. The wings are right next to the door, where Guti, Sergio, and their friends are usually hanging out and having a chat. I still have a sticker with these angel wings on the bottom of my laptop that Sergio gave me after I checked in. The stickers cost money, but hey, I had a nice laptop, so I could just have one. (Chileans have a generosity that remains unmatched after visiting 20+ countries.)

planeta lindo hostel in valparaiso, chile

Excuse the 2. a.m. photoshoot lighting.

Great staff, free laundry, and comfy beds aside, the reason I booked Planeta Lindo was for the view. The kitchen was on the top floor of the hostel – and steps away from the kitchen was a rooftop where you could chill out, have a coffee, or (in my case,) get some work done.

It wasn’t easy to leave that view. One day, a group of guests and I decided to enjoy a rooftop Happy Hour around the neighborhood. Those were our conditions: a rooftop and Happy Hour prices. 

Well, wouldn’t you know, after about a half hour of humming and hawing and flaunting empty pockets, we decided that Planeta Lindo was the best rooftop with Happy Hour prices we could get. The corner store was still selling bottles of wine for two U.S. dollars, and we never had to get up from our chairs until it was time to go to bed.

view from Planeta Lindo in Valparaiso, Chile

The views were beautiful morning…

view of valparaiso from planeta lindo hostel

…and night.

Stay for the Beaches

The bus system in Valparaíso is a true test of the backpacker attitude.

Valparaíso was not present at the conference where grids were chosen as the best way to arrange a city. Looking at the bus route from the hostel to downtown gave me flashbacks of the highly-dreaded, Dramamine’s dream of a bus trip between Chiang Mai and Pai. Along the way, the bus driver might pull into an alley and wait 10 minutes for a woman and child (presumably, someone he knows) to get on the bus. Vendors will come on and introduce you to the South American selling cycle: they put a pencil or tissues or a chocolate in your hand, only to take it back five minutes later if you’re not going to buy.

If you can handle all of this without complaints, eye rolls, or panicking, congratulations, you can handle the rest of your confusing, ever-changing backpacking adventure.

Take the bus from Planeta Lindo for about 40 minutes and you’ll end up at Viña Del Mar. Stay on a little longer and you’ll end up in Reñaca. A fair bit longer brings you to Concón. It’s a sandy choose-your-own-adventure – I’ll let you peek through the pages so you can plan ahead.

About The Beaches Around Valparaíso

Viña Del Mar is the most famous beach of the three. If you don’t know that before arriving, you will as soon as you navigate the sea of umbrellas to find your gringos. (Hint: they are the only group without an umbrella, and sorely regretting that error.) It’s the spot where rich families spend their summers – the high-rises facing the ocean are a spectacle.

Reñaca is a little further out, much less crowded, and personally my favorite beach. You might be able to surf if the waves aren’t too aggressive, and you definitely can stroll down the boardwalk and find somewhere to eat for lunch and dinner. (Good news for heavy sleepers: even the sun takes its time in South America. Valpo mornings tend to be foggy, with the summer sun peeking out around 1 p.m.)

What about Concón? Save this for an evening, as per Sergio’s suggestion. Three girls and I from the hostel opted for an Uber out to the dunes. We drank wine, watched sandboarding attempts, and gossiped about Chilean guys and American celebrities and who we left back home. The sand dunes at Concón may not make the “# Reasons to Visit Valparaíso” lists, but it makes the list of places where “Wow, I’m backpacking and meeting people from all over the world and life is pretty cool” really hits you. 

vina del mar, chile

A snapshot from my time at Viña Del Mar…

…Reñaca…

Sunset at the Dunes in Concón, Chile

…and Concón.

Stay For Your Hangover

“I spent 11 days in Valparaíso.”
“Opppaaaaa, party time! Much party. Time for detox, aaay?”

Valparaíso has a reputation amongst Chileans as a place where tourists go to tour and locals go to party.

The top spot in Valparaíso is Terraza Bellavista, or simply called “Terraza.” The Chileans in our group were at Terraza to dance, the Germans were there to pull, and the girls were there to hold the cards and giggle amongst themselves. I coined a few dance moves at this rooftop spot: among them were the “Take-Your-Jaw-Off-The-Floor,” the “Try-Your-Best,” and the “Keel-Over-From-Laughing.” 

Terraza is a great night out if you enjoy a mix of reggaeton, pop, and adjusting to South America’s “pay for your drink, get a receipt, hand the receipt to a different person, get your drink” system at the bar. You can get those drinks until 5 a.m., so it’s best to extend your stay now. 

Stay For Whatever Event Comes Up When You Arrive

Clubs are typically not my jam, but the dancing in South America was too good to stay away. Usually, I bombard hostel staff with this question upon check-in:

“Where I can I see some live music?”

“You want music? Oooopaaaa.” At Planeta Lindo, Sergio pulled out a brochure for a free, four-day music festival hosted by the Rock and Popular Music Schools of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

Oooopaaaaa indeed.

On Saturday, I grabbed a gang of backpackers and took them on a bus to the festival grounds. We hopped around each of the four stages, dancing to a “Chilean Post Malone,” traditional Latin music, and Niños Del Cerro. You can take a listen below. Niños Del Cerro was probably my favorite band that I saw in South America, but that might be because I’m used to the indie scene in Austin. I could almost taste the kombucha while they were playing. Is it too late for them to apply for SXSW?

But That’s Not All…

Rocko Dromo was not the only event that pushed its way into my itinerary. Red Bull’s Cerro Abajo was taking over the city three days after my departure. I was/am not hip to the world of competitive biking. But, Red Bull tends to be the flag-bearer in the world of wacky, once-and-a-lifetime extreme sporting events. You won’t see this in your home city.

Three more nights, please.

We spent that Sunday morning following Guti to the top of the track and then back down to the bottom. The tour featured ice cream sales in one-person-wide alleys, whispered stories about local characters, and neighborhood kids giggling and yelling out to Guti from balconies across the racetrack. When crowds got sticky, a Chilean guy would “moo” with such accuracy that everyone had tears of laughter cooling their faces. Laughter, pranks, and the sweet sound of vendors filled the air between each biker’s run. We made it back just in time for a siesta.

At the time, I was hanging around with a group of German, Australian, and Dutch travelers. Friday night we had piscolas and watched a band at Mascara. Saturday was for Terraza. What were the plans tonight? We were all leaving the next day. I was heading to Vicuña on an 8 a.m. bus and everyone else was making their way toward Bolivia. But Guti and Sergio had wristbands for Terraza, which was open for the Cerro Abajo afterparty. Us girls had been eyeing a few of the bikers at the starting line. The boys didn’t need anything to convince them to go out. Terraza (before 1 a.m.) it was.

Before you travel, I advise convincing yourself that two hours is a fine amount of sleep.

It was hard to pull myself away from the night of dancing under confetti, making fun of the boys for their sad attempts to pull, and flirting/signing with Chileans. With an hour of sleep under my belt, I managed to creep out of Valparaíso before the sun came up.

For the rest of my trip, I would shock people with the length of my stay in Valparaíso. But five months after leaving, I still swear that I could enjoy at least a month in the hipster paradise that is Valpariaso.

A month is a long time, but I recommend staying at least an extra day.

 

Summer Joy Flow! (With Free Playlist!)

Ah, it’s finally summer time…up in the States!

I spent a fair bit of the winter down in South America this year, but it was still nice to arrive home in late April and see that I had time to help my parents out with their vegetable garden! Warmer weather is always a reason to smile, so I put together a Yoga flow that would allow you to twist off the winter and feel fresh before beach season.

This flow was filmed in Jasper! This May, I (impulsively) rented a car and drove from Vancouver to Banff to Jasper and back. It was a lovely drive and I’ll have an itinerary with tips up soon!

Enjoy!

As usual, I have a Spotify playlist that you can pop on while you flow! It’s got a wee bit of explicit language, sorry (not really that sorry)!

More Yoga!

I’ve got a few flows online – and as always, I welcome all feedback/questions/suggestions on my YouTube channel!

I’ve also got an eBook out if you want to flow on your Kindle! The book offers flows and poses for different activities and exercises to help you get to know your body. Whoo-hoo!

Best Places To Stay In Puerto Natales

Going to Torres Del Paine? You’ll probably have to spend a night or two in Puerto Natales. Buses take you from this sleepy little town to the park every single day, but it’s more than just “where you go before going to Torres Del Paine.” It’s got quite a bit of charm.

When I booked the O trek (my first multi-day hike!), I was relieved to know that there was a daily talk in Puerto Natales that explained everything you needed to know about going to Torres Del Paine. At 3 o’clock, the staff members at Erratic Rock hostel go through the ins and outs about what gear to bring, what food to pack, and what routes to take. I was also able to book my bus ticket to and from Torres Del Paine (15000 CLP.)

I didn’t actually stay at Erratic Rock, but if they are as helpful to hostel guests as they were to people going to TDP, I highly recommend staying there.

Also, I highly recommend the two places that I did stay (and another place where I had dinner.) If you’re heading to Puerto Natales, consider booking any of these options.

(Disclosure: If you do book through the links I provide, at no extra cost to you, I make a little commission. Whoop!)

Three Places to Stay in Puerto Natales, Chile

For Backpackers on a Budget: Hostal Treehouse

I spent three days in Puerto Natales before I left for Torres Del Paine. This was a bit excessive, considering I only needed to go to one 3 o’clock talk to get the info I needed. But Puerto Natales is a surprisingly cute town and I was very satisfied with the Hostal Treehouse.

Hostal Treehouse is a small hostel, with one four-person dorm and a handful of private rooms. You feel like you’re staying at someone’s house; the main common room has a long table that is always set with plates and coffee mugs for breakfast. The fridges are stocked and if the coffee pot isn’t brewing, you can still get a decent cup with the French presses stored throughout the kitchen.

Once you’ve finished eating or doing work at your computer (the wifi is decent, especially considering you’re in Patagonia,) you can sit at the long bench near the heater and curl up with a book. Hostel libraries are always changing, so you might not see the copy of Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl that I picked up and left at the hostel (it was a captivating three-day read that gave me something to do in Puerto Natales.) But you will always see Pancho, the owner of the hostel who was wonderfully accommodating.

Ahh, pre-hike relaxation.

In addition to the free breakfast and good wifi, Hostal Treehouse also has luggage storage (you may be able to get a huge locker to yourself, provided that you bring your own lock.) Each room has a clean, private bathroom (the dorm has one next door, but it’s reserved for the dorm guests.) The hostel is a 13-minute walk from the bus station and less than a 10-minute walk to everything else in Puerto Natales. For USD $20 (around 13000 CLP) a night, I wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

I did, however, have room in my budget for a “Congratulations, you didn’t die on the O trek” celebration at a hotel. So I splurged.

If You Want To Splurge With A Spa – NOI Indigo Patagonia

The spa pretty much sold it for me. NOI Indigo is a hotel, spa, and restaurant right on the sea. I reserved a Junior Suite Double Room with no plans other than relaxing and patting myself on the back after the O trek (more like massaging myself on the knees, which were destroyed after the hike.)

When I arrived, I was greeted with a complementary pisco sour, which was the perfect start to my lazy day of recovery.

The Junior Suite Double Room at the NOI Indigo Patagonia.

The Junior Suite Double Room at the NOI Indigo Patagonia.

I spent the afternoon buried in four comfy pillows catching up on Drag Race. (The hotel had wifi, but it didn’t work in the spa.) I treated myself to an extra-long time in the waterfall shower before and after heading to the spa upstairs.

The spa is free for hotel guests (and non-hotel guests can purchase a few hours there for 24000 CLP) and contained two large pools with great views. A cup of tea, some music, and a chance to soak my sore knees. Ah. This was a perfect post-trek afternoon.

Spa time!

The room itself was sleek and modern, boasting a nice combination of steel and wood decor. Unfortunately, there was no room service available, but it gave me a chance to stretch my legs and get dinner at Vinnhaus (which you’ll read more about next!)

Puerto Natales is a quiet town, so I had a wonderful night’s rest and took advantage of the late 12 o’clock check-out time. I only left the room for breakfast, which had eggs, the usual breakfast options, and a large array of sweets. 

breakfast at noi indigo patagonia

(A lot of sweets for breakfast is surprisingly commonplace in South America – if you have excessive sugar cravings at breakfast time, you’ll really enjoy Chile and Argentina.)

There are a few different NOI hotels throughout Chile, and if you’re looking to treat yourself or just have a bigger budget than me, I would highly recommend any of their locations.

For A Budget That’s Not Quite Balling – Vinnhaus

When I was on the O trek, I met a Canadian couple that recommended Vinnhaus to me. Excellent food and service aside, the story of Vinnhaus brought me there.

Vinnhaus is the dream of a German man and a Finnish man, who I got to meet at the restaurant. You can tell they poured their hearts and souls into this place – it’s 1920s-themed, and every detail is beautiful. From the gold silverware to the uniforms (where can I get those suspenders, seriously,) this has to be one of the best restaurants in Puerto Natales. Plus, the couple owns a very well-behaved dog named Novia (which means “girlfriend,” the cutest name for a dog ever,) so you get to hang out with a dog.

For dinner, I had a glass of Chardonnay and the spinach gnocchi. If you are heading to Chile, be prepared to eat a surprising amount of Italian food. This dish, however, was the freshest pasta I had; it’s all homemade. I could have ordered three more servings because it was so delicious.

spinach gnocchi at vinnhaus in puerto natales

YUM.

I didn’t stay at Vinnhaus, but if the detail of the restaurant is any indication of the care they put into the hotel, I say go for it. Enjoy homemade pasta in the evening and a delightful list of coffees in the morning. (I’m talking pumpkin spice latte, people.) The Canadian couple that recommended it really enjoyed their stay, and I am always down to support a business that is so clearly built by passion and a dream.

If you stay at any of these places, let me know! I absolutely enjoyed my time in Puerto Natales and I hope you have a similarly wonderful experience!