FLYGVA

Wow, I am once again impressed by this detailed trip report. And again, it provides helpful information. My brother and his girl friend plan a trip to Ushuaia next year and I think to join them. They were in Chile in 2004 and my brother in 2003 on a tournee with a youth orchestra in Argentina and Uruguay. The photos they took in 2003 and 2004 look beautiful as the reports of them sounded to me.

I will show them your report and then decide if I can join them in 2006 and their schedule fits with my schedule.

Also, I have to admit, I am surprised to hear about this sort of bus travel. This sounds very good and very comfortable.

I hope to read about you travel experiences as soon as possible; it always better that working

Jan

PresRDC

I find the 767 seats softer and more plush than the A340, although either one is perfectly fine by my standards. I sleep much more soundly on LAN than I do on any other airline, don't know why.

I too now want to jump on LAN. This is my first year in since 2001 that I will not have any LAN First Class flight. I am suffering withdrawal.

Bretteee

wow fantastic report. I really enjoyed it. This trip was always in my plans. I visited Argentina but it was winter time so decided not to visit the lake area.

24 hours in a bus from BA to Bariloche seems a bit long. If price of air ticket is not an issue would you still recommend taking the bus? By the way I have never seen such gorgeous busses!

CharlesMD

What a great trip report! I really like the pictures! This is such an adventure! It kind of reminded me of the Motorcycle diaries. Thanks so much again for sharing it with us!!

QF WP

Seat 2A, there's almost nothing I like better than seeing one of your Trip Reports show up. It's been a while since I graced the Trip Report pages, so I sat down this evening after dinner, with a glass of Cloudy Bay (NZ) Sauvignon Blanc 2004 and re-filled it twice before I had finished your Report.

As usual, you capture the true essence of travel whether it's a plane, a bus or even a taxi - taking us, your loyal readers, along with you. It almost makes me want to try a bus one day again as a mode of travel...

Look forward to hearing that you have topped the 100 airline mark - truly, few could have flown with more airlines than you. Looks like I have my work cut out for me ...

Look forward to your next Down Under trip. You put my humble Trip Reports to shame

Seat 2A

Thanks one and all for your kind comments and even corrections on this Trip Report. As any author would tell you, it's always nice to read via the comments that people actually enjoy what I've written. With my style of reporting in particular, one can only wonder how many FTers get a few paragraphs into the report and say "What the - this is nothing but a bunch of talk about flying there! I was hoping for a travelogue." Thankfully, given the diversity of our members and their travels and interests, there are plenty of travelogues as well, where comment on the flight is limited to a line or two about the comfort of the seat or the meal.

In any event, I'm sitting here on a rainy day in Prince Rupert, B.C. with time to answer a couple of questions. Interesting that last week at this time, I was in Punta Arenas, Chile - latitude 54S. Here in Prince Rupert, we're at 53N, almost the exact opposite distance from the equator. Anyway, on to the questions:

I work seasonally (4.5 months per year) in a National Park. Most years, I work another job in the winter and don't get out until mid-March or April.


This, I've gotta see! Or better yet, read about!


That depends on your interests and time available to you. You can fly from BA to Bariloche in about an hour and a half. For sure that'll give you alot more time in Bariloche, especially if you've only a few days available. As to taking the bus, especially if the cost of an airline ticket is not a concern, I would say do it only if you really want to ride this style of bus. Fancy seats, movies and meal service not withstanding, it still takes twenty hours vs. less than two for the airplane.


Now THAT's the way to enjoy a good Trip Report! By the way, I actually logged my 100th airline about four years ago. It was aboard Spirit Airlines on a $54.00 LGA-FLL flight and the aircraft was DC-9-80 N814NK. Check out the color scheme HERE. Fate dealt me a most appropriate aircraft for my 100th airline flown.

FromMaine

Seat 2A:

What a great trip report. You have captured much of the nuance of travel I so quickly forget and managed to write about it. No small feat. I very much enjoyed reading about your experiences in Argentina and Chile as I have spent quite a bit of time there recently and can only agree with your observations. Your comments regarding the bus service available there is spot on. If I may politely point out, Puerto Williams in Chile across the Beagle channel and about 40 miles east of Ushuaia on Isla Navarino is the southernmost town in the world. I have been to both, Ushuaia is a far better destination. I hope myself and others can look forward to a return trip report in the near future.

SMART51

Please keep it coming.Excellent report.Enjoyed every word.Thank you

sftrvlr

Thanks to Seat 2A!

Great to see the latest installment of your travels that have many of us green with envy. I'm lucky enough to have seen many far flung parts of the world, but don't have the luxury of spending too much time there. Your report has made me think that it's time to return to South America in the near future. I was last in Argentina in the 1980s in the days when Canadian Airlines International flew to Buenos Aires. Los Angeles-Vancouver-Toronto-Sao Paulo-Buenos Aires ... standby for me in those days, and I managed to get business the entire way! I visited Bariloche and Ushuaia on that trip, and your report brought back fond memories.

Thanks for taking us along with you ... waiting for the next adventure.

tomashi

Just read the first half of your report. WONDERFUL! What a great read!

I always enjoy your exotic, entertaining and insightful reports here on FT! You should send your stuff to some publishers, there are not too many good travel writers out there!

Happy and safe travels! + keep the reports coming!

Regards, Tom

fallinasleep

Oh my god! That was a nice looking bus seat! Brought back nightmares of my worst bus ride ever in a seat that barely reclined (40 hours between BA and Rio Gallegos).

Thanks for sharing another one of your great trips. The flashback to LAB and Ruby at the Dead's ticket office was nice.

PS
Nice touch with the $5 tip to the bus driver in Calafate. Small things like this matter when traveling.

ylwae

Fantastic report! Utterly absorbing.

The hiking inside Torres del Paine ('paine' = 'blue' in the Aonikenk language) National Park really is spectacular. For those who like the idea of going back to comfortable accommodations after a full day of hiking, there's always the Hotel Salto Chico (Explora en Patagonia).

QF WP

Thanks Seat 2A, got a most unexpected surprise in the mail today ^ .

I thought "who is sending me a postcard from Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina - which of my friends is travelling at the moment??". Turned it over to read the and saw your unmistakeable handwriting. My wife was impressed so you've won another fan....

Seat 2A

Howdy, Gang

Thanks again for all your comments and kind words. Looks like a coupla return comments are in order...


You can. It's 26,000 words and counting so far, but then it involves alot of travel too.


What a great routing between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires! In Business Class no less. I seem to recall Canadian's Business Class was pretty good for awhile as well. This is one trip I would have like to have done on CP Air aboard the old DC-8 Empresses.


Thanks, Tomashi! Alas, outside of FlyerTalk the interest my style of Trip Report is just not enough to warrant a book and my reports are too long for a magazine. On the plus side, everything I've written is right here on FlyerTalk for you to read for free.


It's about time those cards started arriving! I was talking with some friends in Alaska just a couple of days ago and they still hadn't gotten theirs.