Tourist First

Travel notes and advice from around the world. Above, the daily flight from Managua at the San Carlos, Nicaragua, airstrip.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Contents & Quick Links

 Travel in 2024:  A spring (November and December) trip to Chile including Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Atacama,  Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.  One night at Usuaia, Argentina. Buenos Aires, in brief.  San Diego's big swinging organ. A family visit to Milwaukee.  A quick visit to Red Rocks outside Denver. A July visit to San Francisco and its oysters. Six weeks in Spain, with links to Madrid, Valencia, Seville and other cities. Plus Joshua Tree and Death Valley, two California desert wonderlands.

Welcome to Stephen M. Bailey's Tourist First! I hope these photos and impressions from my travels will help you plan your own trips. 

These blog posts are not updated once they're posted. For example, my post about a July 2019 visit to Venice does not reflect the terrible damage done by flooding in November 2019. And some hotel links may no longer work, though I try to delete them when that happens. Small hotels and lodges, especially in less developed destinations like Nicaragua and Laos, often are short-lived and the ones I've visited may no longer exist. Please leave a comment or email me (stephenmbailey@gmail.com) if you have questions about any post or if you see errors. 

General Travel

In the Air, a Caste System
Here's What I Want in a Hotel Room 
And see what more than 1,000 of my New York Times readers want in a hotel room
Favorite hotels: Tripadvisor's list 
Travel Experiences With Minimal Expense
Strategies for Saving on Travel
My 2008 New York Times column on travel in a motor home or RV
My 2004 New York Times article on eco-resorts in the Caribbean (not all are still operating)
It's Easy to Avoid Credit Card Ripoffs Abroad
Road Trip: Though the Rockies on Interstate 70

Weekend Homes
This blog is primarily devoted to tourist trips and vacation explorations, but some people prefer to make the same trips over and over ... to their weekend homes. Instead of a month in Italy, they choose almost every weekend at the lake or in the mountains. Here are some of my New York Times articles about weekend homes: 
A Chesapeake getaway is an HGTV Dream House. 
A weekend home without beeps? Ditching technology.
Owning your own place in Mexico or Canada.
Thinking of a weekend home at a lake?
Dealing (or not) with problem guests.
Always pampered: A weekend home at a resort.

African Safaris
Itinerary for Six Weeks in Africa
My 2019 New York Times Article on Tips for Your First Safari
The Safari Experience
Botswana: Kalahari Desert
Botswana: Okavango Delta
Namibia: Chobe River
South Africa: Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Tanzania: Ngorongoro Crater
Tanzania: Serengeti

Argentina
Buenos Aires: Cafes and More

Australia
Itinerary for 10 Days in Tasmania
Freycinet National Park: Beaches, Trails and Shellfish
Lake St. Clair: Not a Platypus in Sight

Britain
Wales: "Retiring" to a Canal Boat

California
Road trip: San Diego to Healdsburg
Anzo-Borrego State Park: A Desert in Bloom
Central Coast: Big Sur and Route 1
Idyllwild: Mountain Retreat
Joshua Tree: A Desert Adventure
Lassen Volcanic National Park: The Landscape of Disaster
Malibu: The Getty Villa and More
Palm Springs: A Fall Getaway
Paso Robles: A Focus on Wine
Point Reyes National Seashore: Isolation on a Grand Scale
San Diego County: Potato Chip Rock
San Francisco: Oysters and Alcatraz

Cambodia
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia
Elephant Valley: Saving Asia's "Living Tractors"
Kep: The Place for Crabs (My Apologies to Chesapeake Bay)
Phnom Penh: Where the Past Is Past
Siem Reap: Gateway to the Angkor Region
The Angkor Temples: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Banteay Srei, and Ta Prohm. 

Canada
Montreal: Frenchy but Not Exotic
Niagara Falls: The Canadian Side, Please
Toronto: First Impressions
Toronto: Second Impressions

Chile
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Spring (November and December)

Colorado

Croatia
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Dubrovnik: Beach Resort and History Theme Park
Hvar: The Blue Waters of the Adriatic
Split: Ruins and 20th-Century Art
Zagreb: The City of Broken Relationships

Czech Republic
Prague: Music, Art and Architecture

Dominica
My 1997 New York Times article on the Caribbean's greenest island
An Island Everyone Seems to Love

Ecuador
Otavalo: My 2002 New York Times article on a New Years visit to the Andes
Quito: Mountain Capital

France
A Family Road Trip Finds the Best of France
Bordeaux: Wine Capital
The Loire Valley: Chateau Visits 
Paris: Trying to Avoid the Crowds

Greece
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Athens: Better Than I Imagined
Chania: Walls and Charm on Crete
Delphi: The Oracle is Silent
Heraklion: The Capital of Crete
Hydra: Quiet and Carless
Santorini: Island as Shopping Mall
Thessaloniki: A Party Town With Few Foreigners

Iceland
Reykajavik: Geothermal Wonderland

Iran
A 2016 Family Visit
What to Expect If You Visit Iran

Italy
Itinerary for a Three-Month Visit
Agrigento: Sicily's Valley of the Temples
Alberobello: Home of the Trulli
Capri: Another World
Catania: Gateway to Mount Etna
Lecce: Baroque Wonderland
Maratea: Italy for Italians
Masala: More Than Wine
Matera: Modern Cave Dwellers
Naples: One Night Isn't Enough
Palermo: Beyond "The Godfather"
Pompeii (and Herculaneum): What Vesuvius Wrought
Rome: The Palaces
Rome: The Churches
Rome: The Ruins
Rome: Dining
Rome: Walking
Siracusa: Outpost of the Ancient Greeks 
Taormina: Mountains and Sea in Sicily
Trieste: The Least Italian City in Italy
Trani: On the Adriatic
Venice: A Summer Visit

Laos
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Luang Prabang: Monks and Tourists 

Maine
Georgetown: Do it for the lobsters.

Maryland
Assateague: A Fall Afternoon
Annapolis: My 2008 New York Times article on Maryland's capital city
Baltimore: My 2002 New York Times "36 Hours" article on Charm City
Blackwater: My 2012 American Forests article on Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Chesapeake Bay: A Fishing Trip
St. Michaels: My 2004 New York Times "36 Hours" article
Tilghman Island: Where I Lived for 10 Years

Mexico
Ajijic: Expat-Friendly Town on Lake Chapala
Baja California: Cabo Crowds and Peaceful La Paz

Minnesota
Boundary Waters: My 2011 American Forests article on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Mississippi
Ole Miss: My Alma Mater
Oxford: My 2008 New York Times article on Faulkner, Football and Food  


Montenegro
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Kotor: Small but Choice 


Morocco
Itinerary for a Three-Week Visit
Ait Benhaddou: Kasbahs and Movie Locations
Rio San Juan: Howler Monkeys and River Huts
Selva Negra: Ecology-Minded Coffee Plantation
Solentiname Islands: A Poet-Priest's Art Project
Solentiname Islands: My 2012 New York Times article and a photo slideshow

Panama
Bastimentos: Nature Inn and Chocolate Lodge
Bocas del Toro: Surfers and Backpackers
Boquete: A Coffee Estate in the Mountains
Panama Canal: An 11-Hour Trip Through an Engineering Marvel
Panama City: My 2014 New York Times review of the Panama City Waldorf Astoria 
Kuna Yala: A Cabin on the Water

Pennsylvania
Adamstown: My 1999 New York Times  article on Shopping for antiques in Amish country
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob

Peru
Itinerary for One Month in Peru
Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu: Mountain in the Rain Forest
Amazon: River and Wildlife Cruise
Amazon: Fatal Fire on a River Cruise Boat
Arequipa: Juanita's Story
Colca Canyon: In Search of Condors
Cusco: The Inca's Capital
Lima: Museo Larco's Amazing Pre-Colombian Pottery
Lima: Ancient Culture, Modern Life
Ollantaytambo: Life Amid the Ruins
Paracas: An Ancient Mystery Beside the Sea

Portugal
Itinerary for a Three-Week Visit
Belmonte: Mountain Retreat
Evora: Cusine and Cork
Douro Valley: Where the Grapes Grow
Lisbon: Riverfront and Seafront
Obidos: Old Walls and New Buddhas
Porto: The Sweet Life
Sintra: Royal Aerie

St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Bequia: The Moonhole Experience
Bequia: A Happy Island
St. Vincent: My 2004 New York Times article on Petit Byahaut and Other Eco Resorts
St. Vincent: My 2004 New York Times Slide Show on Petit Byahaut

Slovenia
Itinerary for Two Months in the Balkans
Ljubjana: Cozy Capital
Piran: At the Concrete Beach

South Africa
Robben Island: A Visit to Mandela's Prison
Sabi Sand: Safari Satisfaction Guaranteed
Western Cape: Beyond Cape Town and the Wine Regions

Spain
Itinerary for Six Weeks in 2024: Madrid, Valencia and Southern Spain
Valencia: Is There a Better City in Spain for Food?


Tanzania
Zanzibar: As Exotic as Its Name

Thailand
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Bangkok: River Metropolis

Turkey
A 2010 Vacation, Istanbul and Beyond
Aboard a Gulet for a Blue Cruise
Istanbul: Seth Kugel Does It on the Cheap
Istanbul: Visiting a Hamam

Utah
The Marvels  of Arches National Park

Vietnam
Itinerary for Three Weeks in Southeast Asia
Small Airlines for Touring Southeast Asia
Religious Images: The Divine in Southeast Asia 
Ha Long Bay: Two Nights on a Junk 
Hanoi: Swarming and Sophisticated
Hoi An: Fine Dining, Fine Silks 

Virginia
My 2008 New York Times article on Virginia's Eastern Shore

Washington, D.C.

Washington State

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park: Morning Glory Pool and Other Wonders   

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Argentina: Cafe Life in Buenos Aires

 

"Flora Argentina" by Emilio Andina (1875-1935)
is one of many artworks at Carlos Thays Botanical Garden.

      Buenos Aires, the city of fair winds, is not what it was. From 1880 into the Depression years it was wealthy, mostly due to foreign trade, nearby agriculture and the development of railroads. It was a magnet for Italian and Spanish immigrants who turned the city into a multicultural center with a world-class opera house, broad boulevards and the tallest buildings in South America as well as the continent's first subway system. The post-World War II decades also saw the city prosper. Today it seems to me to be a city of shadows. Wisps of its former glamour glimmer here and there, but the mood seems to be one of diminished expectations.

      That said, it's not a joyless place. The cafes and nightlife that people associate with Buenos Aires are still here, though maybe not so crowded in late 2024 as the country endured an austerity program that has led to a poverty rate above 50 percent. We stayed in the Palermo neighborhood, which has about a quarter-million people (the whole city is about three million). When we visited Buenos Aires in 2007 we stayed in Palermo Hollywood, a part of Palermo known for film studios, nightclubs and polo. This time we stayed in the adjacent Palermo Soho, which is known more for cafes, restaurants and shopping. Like the rest of the city, Palermo is in need of maintenance, particularly the rough-and-stumble sidewalks. Commercial buildings are a mix of the sparkling brand new, the well maintained or restored, and the how-is-that-still-standing.  Shade trees stll make many streets photogenic.

        Our hotel, the Miravida Soho Hotel & Wine Bar, was pleasant enough, though the wine bar that we were expecting wasn't there.  We signed up for a 6pm wine tasting, which was conducted by someone brought in from the outside and shared with six other people. There were five wines, at least three of them quite good but none especially memorable.  In a city where good wine is everywhere, we expected more. On the plus side, the breakfast that came with the room was made to order and pretty good. I liked the medialunas, sweet rolls shaped like croissants.

        We arrived in Buenos Aires in time for dinner on Saturday, December 7, 2024,  had two full days here and left late on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to fly home to San Diego. We spent one day walking almost three miles to Casa Rosada, the pink mid-19th-century government palace with the "Don't Cry for Me,Argentina" balcony overlooking the Plaza de Mayo. We briefly visited a small history museum that had only Spanish signage and had a pleasant lunch at a sidewalk table near the plaza. Then we made the long walk back to our hotel, passing through the Recoleta district, which is where Eva Peron is the most famous resident of a large cemetery. We saw her tomb in 2006 and didn't stop by this time.

      The second day we visited the Carlos Thays Botanical Garden, a short walk from our hotel, and strolled many of the streets of Palermo Soho and Hollywood, including Arcos District, an upscale outlet mall where many Americans should feel right at home.  Fortunately or unfortunately, our bags were stuffed with the cold-weather gear we had needed in Tierra del Fuego and we had no space for new purchases.

      Lunches were all at sidewalk tables, one at Plaza de Mayo and the others in Soho. Finding a pleasant cafe in Palermo Soho is easy. Dinners were within short walks of the hotel. We had an outdoor table at La Pescadorita (the Fisherman), just over the border into Palermo Hollywood. We ate indoors at Casa Barro, which seems more like a bar than a restaurant. When we arrived, we had to push through the young crowd around an improvised bar outside and another crowd inside where a band was just finishing its happy hour set. 

      Here are some photos.

Our flight from Usuaia, Argentina, landed at the international 
airport, which is much nicer than the domestic airport here.
All the other planes I saw here were at gates with normal
jetways, not stairs on the tarmac.










A sidewalk cafe at lunchtime in Palermo Soho.

Choosing an ice cream is one of the many challenges of foreign travel.
Lucciano's is one of many ice cream shops in Palermo Soho.








A Patagonian pinot noir was 
among the offerings at our
hotel's wine tasting.

The Casa Rosada (Pink House), orginally a customs building, has been the seat of the
national goevernment in Argentina for about a century. In the movie "Evita,"
Madonna sang "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from one of the smaller balconies.











The Plaza de Mayo is often the scene of protests, most
notably perhaps when mothers of people who "disappeared"
during the 1970s-1980s so-called Dirty War would 
demonstrate here for the "alive reappeared" return
of their children. They helped topple a brutal military
regime. Today, rocks bearing the names of people
who died during the covid pandemic serve as a protest
against the national government, which is seen as
having done too little to protect people from the virus.













A shopping street near Plaza de Mayo on a Sunday afternoon.

Buenos Aires has many reminders of its prosperous past.








The Carlos Thays Botanical Garden is off busy Avenida Sante Fe 
within easy walking distance of Palermo Soho.

Nile lilies at Distrito Arcos, an open-air shopping mall in Palermo just a few
blocks from the botanical garden.














Many retailers in Palermo Soho, such as this clothing store,
use English for a bit of cachet.  

This shop seems to be going for attitude as well as cachet. We were there during
 the Christmas shopping season and many stores were decorated for the holidays.


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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Argentina: The End of the World at Ushuaia

 

Ushuaia is squeezed between the Andes and the Beagle Channel.

     Our December 2024 Tierra del Fuego cruise began in Punta Arenas, Chile, and ended in Ushuaia, Argentina. We disembarked after breakfast on Friday, December 6, and stayed one night. That gave us one afternoon to explore the area. We think we made good use of the time. 

     If you go to the southernmost extremes in Africa, New Zealand or South America, you usually can count on seeing penguins. We saw African penguins nesting on a beach at Simon's Town, south of Cape Town, South Africa. And we saw little blue penguins swimming in the Pacific off Dunedin, New Zealand (as well as other penguins in a rehab center). But we saw none in Chile despite going as far south as Cape Horn. So on arriving here we booked a several-hour tour to an island penguin colony to see magellanic and gentoo penguins. The tour involved a long van ride with a group of young international travelers and a cold ride in a covered but unheated boat.  We could not get out on the penguins' beach, but the boat nosed in so closely that we got a great look at the birds. 

     Adventure outfitters in Ushuaia equip visitors who want to climb the nearby Andes. A host of souvenir shops offer mementos of visits to "fin del mundo," the end of the earth, as Ushuaia bills itself. Expeditions to Antarctica often start or end here, along with less adventurous cruises like ours, and there are plenty of restaurants and hotels catering to short-term visitors. We stayed at the Lennox, a short walk from the dock where we landed and close to everything anyone would want here. The "downtown" is little more than a dozen blocks. Our one dinner was at a parrilla (barbecue) place called La Estancia (the Ranch). It was the last of several parrilla meals we had during our weeks-long trip to South America, and I'll share with you that the anticipation of a parrilla feast is usually much better than the meal itself. 

     We left the next morning for a couple of days in Buenos Aires and then home to San Diego.

     Here are some photos.

That's our ship, the Australis Ventus, at right, after we docked in Usuaia. 





Tour companies at the harbor compete for visitors. We
found our tour to see the penguins here with one of 
several operators offering essentially the same thing. 












Bundled against the cold, our fearless group raced
over the waves to reach the penguins.

We passed a number of rocky islets going from a marina, into the Beagle Channel and
to the penquins' island. It was a misty, overcast day (which may be as good as the 
weather gets here) so these beasts weren't exactly sunning themselves but they were
napping and nursing their young. We live on the harbor in San Diego and there
are always California sea lions, such as these, somewhere in the harbor.
Nonetheless, it's always nice to see them since their presence
 implies that the envionment hasn't totally gone to hell.  
















These are megellanic penguins. There were dozens of
them on the island.

A gentoo penguin (notice it has orange feet and beak, unlike the magellanic) heads into the water.


















Another gentoo penguin decides to go swimming. 








Ok, let's all just act natural until these tourists go away.

This is a the marina where we got on the boat to see the penquins.













King crab (el rey de la centolla) is big in Ushuaia,
but it's also very expensive. We didn't bite.

Inspired by the nearby mountains, some builders in Usuaia 
tried for a Swiss look.










Parrilla restaurants, such as La Estancia, draw in hungry carnivores like me
by roasting whole lambs in their windows.


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