Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina...

Mar del Plata – Costa Atlántica Argentina

Puerto Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata es una ciudad con una costa de más de 17 km de playas y es la ciudad balnearia más importante de la Costa Atlántica Argentina. Mar del Plata está ubicada a 404 Km de la Capital Federal, en el sudeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina) y es la cabecera del partido costero de General Pueyrredón. Es una ciudad moderna y posee una excelente infraestructura de servicios. Las características de los balnearios en la ciudad de Mar del Plata son diversas, se pueden observar tanto balnearios sofisticados como populares, modernos conglomerados edilicios como áreas residenciales, agitada vida nocturna como zonas para la reflexión y el sosiego.

Mar del Plata, importante ciudad turística, balnearia y portuaria, ubicada en la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

La región estuvo habitada por nativos, luego de la llegada de los españoles fue establecida una reducción jesuítica llamada “Nuestra Señora del Pilar de los Puelches”(1) que luego fueron abandonadas por la repentina hostilidad de la tribus nativas.

Años después llegaron nuevos pobladores y se instaló un complejo saladero(2) de carne vacuna. Al incrementarse las relaciones comerciales con Brasil, la población creció y se hizo mucho más estable. Esto enriqueció la región, aumentó la actividad del saladero, e impulsó el desarrollo de la agricultura.

En la década del 20 se inauguró el puerto de Mar del Plata, desarrollándose una importante flota pesquera. Poco tiempo después Mar del Plata se transformaría en el principal centro de la Industria Pesquera Argentina.

Mar del Plata se encuentra junto a otras localidades, dentro de un corredor turístico costero, algunos de ellos son: San Clemente del Tuyú, San Bernardo del Tuyú, Pinamar, Cariló, Villa Gesell, Miramar y Necochea.

Algunas de las  playas “marplateneses” mas visitadas son: La Perla, Punta Iglesias, Playa Bristol, Playa Varese y Playa Grande, entre otras.

La ciudad recibe cada temporada millones de visitantes. Cuenta con la infraestructura hotelera más amplia del país, además una variada oferta de servicios, como son: turismo deportivo, de aventura, y eventos culturales como también un interesante patrimonio histórico y natural.

Mar del Plata posee infinidad de atractivos, algunos de ellos son: “La Rambla“, Los Lobos Marinos (en la Rambla se encuentran las dos esculturas de lobos marinos, símbolos de la ciudad.), Torreón del Monje, Banquina de Pescadores o “muelle de pesca”,  Parque Camet, el Casino Central, Faro Punta Mogotes, Avenida de los Tilos (corto paseo céntrico de dos vías separadas por grandes canteros en los que se encuentran plantados tilos) y el Monumento a Alfonsina Storni, entre otros.

Cuenta con varios e importantes museos, algunos de ellos son El Archivo Museo Histórico Municipal, El Centro Cultural “Victoria Ocampo”, El Museo Arqueológico, El Museo Municipal de Arte, El Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales y El Museo Municipal

“José Hernández”, entre otros.
Hay diferentes eventos programados anualmente, la Fiesta Nacional del Mar (da inauguración a la temporada estival), la Fiesta Nacional de los Pescadores (se pueden degustar platos típicos con pescados y frutos del mar), la Fiesta Nacional Semana Fallera Marplatense (termina con la quema de la falla construida según la costumbre valenciana), la Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata y la Feria de las Colectividades son algunos de ellos.

Su clima es templado y húmedo con precipitaciones abundantes durante todo el año. Los veranos son suaves y lluviosos. Los inviernos son frescos y fríos.

The Art of Traveling with Your Loved One...

As a couple that has been traveling together for over 10 years, we have certainly mastered the art of negotiation. We can’t both love the same things all of the time in life.  But if you take a chance and actually try something that your partner wants to do – even if you don’t want to – you may discover that you like it.

Chances are, you fell in love with each other because you admire your spouse’s qualities.  Compatible couples tend to compliment each other’s personalities and bring out the best in one another. The same is true for activities: If your partner likes something and you are willing to give it a try, it will most likely bring out a love for a new hobby or adventure that you didn’t even know was inside of you.

You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone for each other to truly enjoy traveling for long periods of time together.

When we first started traveling, I didn’t want to spend all of my time trekking through the jungle. Dave, on the other hand, didn’t want to spend all of his time shopping at the local market. But through our travels, we learned to plan and discuss what each person wants to do, and then we compromise: “I will do this if you will do that.”  In other words, we learned the art of negotiation.

Now, after several years of being on the road together, we both love it all.  I can’t wait to climb my next mountain, and Dave loves making a perfect deal while bartering in the markets.

Have an Open Mind

The key is to have an open mind.  It won’t work if you automatically shoot down each other’s ideas.  That will only put a strain on the relationship and you may end up never traveling together again.  You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone for each other to truly enjoy traveling for long periods of time together.

But as long as each of you is willing to give and take, traveling as a couple can be the most fulfilling experience of your life.

When we were in Bali, Dave really wanted to climb Gunung Batur, an active volcano. For some reason, I was terribly afraid of the unpredictability of being on a mountain that could explode, and didn’t want to go.  He said that if at any point I was uncomfortable, we would stop, turn around and go back together – but that I should at least give it a try.  I ended up loving it and would have really missed out if I didn’t go.

Communication is Critical

Communication and understanding is important however.  Dave could have said: “Fine I will go without you”. And I could easily have stayed in town.  But by talking it out and keeping our goal of experiencing life as a couple, we both ended up having an incredible time that strengthened our relationship.

After our climb up the volcano, we went to the spa together the next day and had a massage and hot floral bath.  I negotiated with Dave that if I did something that he really wanted to do, then he should do something that I really like. Even if it was something completely out of character.  He ended up loving the pampering and he felt great afterwards.

That is the great thing is about traveling with the opposite sex.  We are made up completely different from one another.  To travel with someone that has your exact interests would be boring.  You wouldn’t be inspired to try anything new.

By keeping our minds open to each other’s suggestions, we end up exploring things that we never would have tried in the first place. And we end up liking things that we never thought possible.

Travel can profoundly change a person, and to have the chance to change and grow with your spouse, can only strengthen the relationship and create an unshakable bond that will last forever.

Chill Time — Kathmandu, Nepal...

Kathmandu, Nepal

After
a 13 ½ hour drive from Lhasa to the China-Nepal border yesterday
and a 4 hour drive today from Kodari, Nepal to Kathmandu we are spent
and we need a break. We both have colds and are feeling a bit run
down. The worst part of the driving was actually the last hour when
we hit greater Kathmandu. The dust and exhaust fumes were
extraordinary – this is the first country where wearing a mask not
only makes sense but it’s a necessity. At times it was hard to
breathe and our throats were so dry we each drank a huge bottle of
water – and we were just sitting in a car! Honestly, if it was 30
degrees hotter – the last hour of that drive would have been my
version of hell. Catalytic converters are beautiful things – and
Nepal definitely needs them. Tomorrow off to India and some chill
time!

Alsace Wine Trail — Strasbourg, Alsace, France...

Strasbourg, Alsace, France

Pretty towns & vineyards

Burgundy to Alsace — Colmar, Alsace, France...

Colmar, Alsace, France

Farewell to J&L, Dee & Nick

Dropped M&M to Dijon station

Rainy drive to Colmar

Puerto Madryn — Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argent...

Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentina

Swimming, sandboarding and donkeys — Siwa, Egypt...

Siwa, Egypt

Early start (again!) for a fairly tough 500km by 4WD to Siwa.

We met at the appointed time to form a convoy with 4 other vehicles to Siwa – because of the proximity to the Lybian border travel is by convouy with a military representitive, not for our protection, but to make sure we don’t do anything naughty, like sneaking into Lybia. Of course, in true Egyptian style we waited around for 30min while they tried to find the army guy who was coming with us – about 23 phone calls later we took off to another checkpoint and finally found our man.

The road to Siwa is mostly non existant, there is the remnants of a sealed road but in many cases it is smoother just to drive on the sand, our drivers have disconcerting habit of swerving onto the sand at 120kph when things get a bit too bumpy, and even at that speed we are berated by the army guy for not keeping up.

There are patches of brand new road, they seem to have started in the middle of the desert and are building towards Bahariyya and Siwa.

We stopped at an oasis for lunch – was just like  the movies, sand everywhere the a small lake with reeds around it.

We made good time and hit Siwa around 4pm, time to check into the hotel and head up to the top of the old town to watch the sunset.

Headed to Tanta Waa restaurant at Cleopatra’s Spring for dinner, super cool location and great food. Travelled by donkey cart which was ok but the donkey pulling Andrew and my cart was struggling and the driver was beating crap out of it which we weren’t happy about so we told our tour leader we wouldn’t be going back in it.

Back to town and a relax in a coffee shop with Flora, Phil and Callina with a tea and strawberry sheesha.

Next morning was a cruisy late start, 9am brekky then onto bikes to se the sights of Siwa, the main transport in Siwa is donkey cart or bike, so while there are cars, the best way is by bike.

Took our time around the sights, saw the tombs at Mountain of the Dead and then to the Temple of the Oracle, Alexander the Great visited here to consult the oracle.

Getting pretty warm by then so luckily next stop was Cleopatra’s Spring – whether Cleopatra ever swum here – who knows, but we certainly did. It’s an idyllic and peaceful location, when not infested by a bunch of Aussies and Kiwis doing bombs

After we had cooled off we retreated to Tanta Waa cafe again for fresh mango and pomegranate juice and lunch.

Next adventure was into the desert again. Picked up at 3pm in 4WDs ti head for the Great Sand Sea on the edge of town – this is proper dune desert with massive windblown dunes. As usual our drivers were mad and took us up and down some massive dunes – we stopped for a bit of sandboarding which was fun, but the climb back up the dune wasn’t. On to some hot springs and some tea the back to town for dinner.

Great dinner in a BBQ restaurant, BBQs out in the street – kid sitting turning rotissere chickens by hand. Finally had camel – yummy.

Burgundy vineyards — Beaune, Burgundy, France...

Beaune, Burgundy, France

Farewell to J&K

Day with Dee & Nick

Beaune

Nuits St George

Vineyard visits

Lovely autumn scenery – wine harvests

Dinner at the Chateau

Burning Lungs at the Potala — Lhasa, Tibet, Chin...

Lhasa, Tibet, China

This
morning we visited the Potala – seeing it in person it truly is a
magnificent architectural sight. It is a massive fortress in white
and burgundy-red. In the sun against the blue sky it is very
imposing. And seeing it for the first time is something that we will
always remember. However, entry to the Potala nearly killed us. Ok
a slight exaggeration – but the entrance is up 2 VERY steep ramps
that left us gasping for air. It’s bad enough that the Palace is
high up, but add the cold air and the fact that we have colds made
the burning in our lungs somewhere between really intense and
excruciating. But we did it and when we got there we rested and
watched Tibetan pilgrims walk in – it did our egos good to see that
they were huffing and puffing too. Traditionally, the Potala is the
home of the Dalai Lama and the seat of the Tibetan government but
since the current D.L. is in exile in India the place feels a bit
dead. It’s more like a museum or a cemetery – since most of the
rooms that we saw were chapels holding the remains of the previous 13
Dalai Lamas. What we enjoyed the most was watching the Tibetan
pilgrims move through the rooms and chapels with us. As they muttered
their prayers, bowed, gave alms, touched their hands to the forehead
and chest they gave the place some energetic vibe that otherwise was
lacking.

After
resting from our Potala workout – and of course eating – we
finally visited the Jokhang – the most sacred building in Tibet –
where we have watched hundreds of pilgrims walk around and prostrate
in front of. The air inside is thick with the smoke of incense and
burning yak butter candles– the statutes and murals are beautiful
but again what has us enthralled are the lines of pilgrims throwing
money at statutes, praying and kneeling to touch their heads to
certain sacred spots before being pulled off the statutes by monks
who act as body guards for the statutes. On the top of the building
– there is a wonderful view of the square and the Potala in the
distance. We simply try to take it all in…

To
end the day and our Lhasa experience we went to our favorite coffee
shop – that we have visited every night we have been here: Summit
Cafe. It’s owned by an American and is very Starbucks-esque: nice
comfortable seats, art on the walls, very good music, great coffee
(amazingly good vanilla latte)– but here’s the biggest selling
point for us: the best bathrooms we have been in since we left
Bangkok. Spotlessly clean, with toilet paper, soap, and a nice smell
– Hallelujah! It’s been our oasis! Sometimes it’s all about the
little things!

St Leger to Chateau de Gilly — Chateau de gilly,...

Chateau de gilly, France

Ruilly

A touch of luxury at Chateau de Gilly

Great to see Dee & Nick