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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: International Travel (page 2 of 8)

Liechtenstein – The European Country Everyone Has Heard of But Nobody Visits 

October 17, 2024 / / 37 Comments

After Mark and I made plans to go on a ten-day vacation with my cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, we needed to pick a place. The four of us briefly considered Eastern Poland plus part of the Czech Republic (too much driving) and Denmark (too expensive), destinations within the 900km radius we set as a maximum distance. Together we’d already been to northern France and the Netherlands during long weekends, so we settled on the Black Forest in Germany for one week and Liechtenstein for two days. Adding all the driving, we’d be gone for eleven days and ten nights.

Part of Europe, with tiny Liechtenstein
The country of Liechtenstein

Why Liechtenstein? It sounded mysterious, I’d never been there, neither had anyone I know, it can be visited in a short time, and it wasn’t too far away from the Black Forest.

Liechtenstein flag
Liechtenstein emblem

Because Liechtenstein is very expensive (as is Switzerland), we opted to stay nearby in Austria for three nights and use a roomy, well-equipped, but hot apartment in Koblach as a base. Not that we were home a lot! Most visitors peruse this tiny country in one day, but we managed to keep ourselves entertained for two full days; enough if you don’t plan any hikes in the Alps. 

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Entering Austria at an old border gate
One of the two balconies at our Airbnb
Dining room
Our bedroom – this was the only rental that had two bedrooms

Liechtenstein is a German-speaking, 25km-long principality (ruled by a prince) between Austria and Switzerland, officially called Principality of Liechtenstein ((Fürstentum Liechtenstein). Hence the letters FL on license plates. 

Crossing the Rhine river between Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein license plate

The country is double-landlocked, which means that its neighboring countries are also landlocked. There are only two of those in the world: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan. It has around 40,000 inhabitants and consists of just over 160 square kilometers (62 square miles). It is Europe’s fourth-smallest country and one of the few nations in the world without debt.

While Liechtenstein is not a part of the European Union, it has a close (financial) relationship with Switzerland, which explains the local currency being the Swiss franc. Credit cards are widely accepted. To save money, we brought sandwich lunches on those two days in the country. 

Swiss scenery
Driving through Switzerland every day
Maya gets comfy on my feet in the back of the car

On day one, we skimmed along Switzerland’s eastern edge, crossed the border, and focused on the bottom half of Liechtenstein. We started at its southern tip, in Balzers, where we climbed a hill and visited the deserted Gutenberg Castle. The inside was not accessible but we still enjoyed the looks of this typical castle and its views over the mellow city. 

First glimpse of Gutenberg Castle in Balzers
The Liechtenstein-weg is a trail that crosses the entire country.
Hiking up the hill to the castle
Approaching the castle
View over the town of Balzers
Perfect spot for a bench!
Family portrait in front of Gutenberg Castle
We were the only visitors to this castle.
Path to the castle gate
Within the grounds of the castle
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A Week of Vacation in the Black Forest of Germany

October 11, 2024 / / 27 Comments

Followers of this blog might have come across the names Griet and Wim in the past. My cousin and her husband are more than just family; they are friends and fellow travelers who have visited us on many occasions. Every year or two, they joined us on our sailing catamaran Irie in the tropics (once with their then teenage children), they stayed at a house sit in California, and, last fall, they traveled with us in Peru for three weeks. Whenever we are in Belgium, we spend a lot of time with them (two weekends this summer, involving beer brewing) and – when time permits – we go on trips together.

Since Mark, Maya, and I dedicated two full months in Belgium, we decided on a ten-day vacation in Germany and Liechtenstein with them. If you know us, traveling the world is our lifestyle; we combine chores, work, driving, visiting, and leisure. Vacation time – strangely enough – is rare. To be honest, this trip with Griet and Wim was my first real holiday in 21 years and Mark’s first week off, since he started his current job two years ago. So, it was a special occasion!

Hexenlochmühle in the Black Forest

Being from Belgium, it is hard to believe that I’d never set foot in the Black Forest! And, even my cousin and her husband had never vacationed in Germany before. Mainly because none of us speaks the language, although we did just fine and knew enough German to get by. Other than Mark. 😊

We broke up the 7-hour drive to the Black Forest with a walk and sandwich lunch stop at the popular and crowded Geierlay suspension bridge. It is the second-longest one in Germany.

(As always hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

The Geierlay Suspension Bridge
Mark walks Maya across the gorge on this narrow bridge.
Gorge that holds the suspension bridge
Wim and Griet on the suspension bridge

Our group spent four nights in the northern part of the region, in an apartment in Enzklösterle, which was surrounded by woods. Ideal for walks with Maya.

Morning walk with Mark and Maya in the forest
Soaking up the early sunrays
Forest walk near our first Airbnb

The Airbnb was well equipped and we especially liked the outdoor space. The weather was good enough to have happy hours on the balcony. We cooked some meals at home, often packed sandwich lunches. and ate out every other day or so. This routine kept the trip affordable.

View from our balcony in Enzklosterle
Relaxing on our porch in Enzklosterle (Photo courtesy of Griet Collaert)
Mark cooks dinner in our first Airbnb
One of our dinners at home in Enzklosterle
On chilly nights, we ate dinner inside

From Enzklösterle, we made daytrips to the surrounding villages and natural sites. Our rough schedule during those ten days was to leave around 9:30am and return by 5pm; quite busy for Mark and me.

Day one:

  • A viewpoint over the region

First view over the Black Forest

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A Break from the Road – In Massachusetts (USA) and Belgium

July 24, 2024 / / 45 Comments

Many of you know that I, Liesbet, was born, raised, and educated in Belgium. But, did you know that it has been 21 years since I actually lived there (July 2003)?

Goodbye party invitation front
Goodbye party invitation back

That’s right, I have officially been a nomad for over two decades now. During that time of sailing, RVing, house and pet sitting, and overlanding (a fancy term for roughing it internationally in a vehicle), I tried to return to my home country once a year or every other year. During Covid, it took three years before I was able to see my family and friends again. Too long!

For me, it comes easy to leave everything behind, because I have an adventurous streak and do just fine on my own (and with my husband and furry companions). If I were to get homesick easily, miss my loved ones too much, or crave familiarity and routine, this roaming lifestyle would not be a good match! That is not to say I don’t enjoy summer visits “back home,” usually for two or three weeks at a time.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Ready to fly to Belgium
Departing Boston
On the plane – we were the only ones wearing a mask!

Mark, Maya, and I are currently in Belgium. For two entire months! This is beyond exciting and special. For once, there is no need to rush, have an overfull schedule, and feel more tired when I leave than when I arrived. It’s not a vacation – Mark and I still perform our jobs – but to be living in comfort with a healthy dose of routine, convenience, and luxury is something we don’t take for granted and enjoy immensely.

It’s like Christmas! Opening the many packages we ordered while still in Argentina.
Two new pairs of jeans for Mark. Exciting!
One of the slow feeders we ordered for Maya in Massachusetts
Maya with one of her new toys, which holds frozen peanut butter
Most toys are boring to Maya
This new toy contains food nuggets that are dispensed when Maya moves the toy around.
Maya’s first real dog bed. She likes it!
At the dentist – many issues with my teeth

This visit to Belgium follows a hellishly busy three weeks in Massachusetts, USA, during which we combined tons of health visits and follow-ups (22 between Mark and me; two for Maya) with work, taking care of my mother-in-law, dealing with (extra) issues regarding her car, running errands, preparing for our trip to Belgium, buying gear for Thirsty Bella in Argentina, and squeezing in leisure time with friends.

Mark hard at work
Our new living quarters, since niece Jo and her husband moved in with grandma
Hanging out on the patio with Mark’s mom, Carol
Maya loves tight spots!
Maya and a neighbor’s dog, Wetzel
Mother-in-law Carol had a little fall, so 911 checked in on her and Jo, our in-home nurse practitioner family member, took care of her. Luckily, nothing serious…
Visit from the fire brigade
Cooking healthy meals every day
Quick visit to friends Joe and Elsa in Newton, MA, after a specialist’s health check-up
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Reaching Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Capital

June 26, 2024 / / 23 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I had plenty of time to reach Buenos Aires when we left San Rafael earlier than planned, as we bid farewell to our friends, who needed to prepare for their departure from South America as well. Our flights to the US wouldn’t leave from Argentina’s capital until June 11th and it was only May 22nd when we began our boring three-day ride east, across the continent and country.

Our route in Central Argentina
Buenos Aires and surroundings

Realico

Our first driving day consisted of five uninspiring hours in the car on this flat stretch of Central Argentina. Because of the decent, straight roads, we could let our “pothole guard” down, listened to Spotify music through our Starlink antenna, and clocked decent fuel mileage.

Play on words in the province La Pampa

In grey, rainy, and cold Realico, we found many mosquitoes, a free municipal campground where we spent two nights, and the cheapest gasoline in months. Especially since the exchange rate for the peso had finally gone up. Three weeks out from temporarily leaving our life on the road behind, we started to plan meals around getting rid of all our food – dry and fresh.

Free Municipal Campground in Realico

Junin

As I mentioned before, Mark and I never know what to expect when we pick a potential campsite in our iOverlander app. We usually have a back-up in mind, when things don’t turn out upon arrival. Well, after another boring drive east, Laguna de Gomez in Junin offered extensive areas of green grass, level spots, and a peaceful atmosphere. We loved it from the moment we arrived, took Maya for a walk, and settled in for a few days.

Colorful town sign of Junin

Except, this was the night I described in my expense report of May 2024; when the temperature dropped well below freezing, the butane in our propane tank failed to produce gas, and we couldn’t cook or heat our camper anymore. Mark poured warmish water over the tank after heating that up on the struggling pilot-size flame of our stove, which saved us from shivering more. We needed a better solution!

(As always, click on or hover over the photos in galleries to read their captions.)

The coldest night we’ve had so far!
Even the windshield was frozen!
Opening and airing out all our cabinets to fight condensation and mold

Our options: top up the now half-empty butane tank with propane, which would make everything function again in cold weather or move to a location where it wouldn’t freeze. Since it was a holiday Saturday, nobody would be able to sell us propane. So, after a nice walk with Maya and the discovery that our electric lock had a problem, we left our wonderful spot by the lagoon.

Cold but spacious Junin
Soaking up the sunrays by the reservoir in Junin
Funny bathroom symbols in Junin
Taking our electric lock apart

San Antonio de Areco

After another three hours of driving, we reached San Antonio de Areco, an attractive town not too far from Buenos Aires. Due to a parking ban, there is really only one decent place to wild camp, near the museum on the edge of town. The weather forecast promised above-freezing temperatures here and we would top up our propane tank first thing on Monday. Due to all the cold weather, condensation had become a problem and mold was growing in the seams of Bella’s walls. We attacked it with a bleach-water mixture and lifted the mattress with a fan blowing underneath.

A new friend for Maya
Airing out the mattress

The center of town was relatively attractive as far as Argentina goes (but still nowhere near as cute as its Colombians counterparts) and within walking distance of our camper. The nearby park was great for dog walks as well. A restaurant in the neighborhood threw awesome Sunday asados (grilled meat fests). While appealing, we passed due to the frigid weather. We hope to return for this meal in the future.

Cute historic bridge and river in Areco
Historic center of San Antonio de Areco
Church at the town square
San Antonio de Areco is a nice town to stroll around in.
Sunday asado at a local restaurant
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Mendoza Province, Argentina, Part Two – Atuel Canyon & San Rafael

June 14, 2024 / / 27 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I would meet our Vermonster friends Heather and Jon in Tupungato, where we’d spent a few chilly nights previously, and travel together through Atuel Canyon and San Rafael for a week or two. If I complained about the cold in a previous blog post, well, winter seemed to have arrived early. That’s when living in a poorly insulated, solar-powered camper becomes less enjoyable.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Winter arrived in Central Argentina
Snow!
It is freezing outside

Tupungato

After hugging our friends from Meat Around The World goodbye in Mendoza, our trio drove back south to Tupungato. We would have loved to meet Heather and Jon at Bodega Giaquinta to buy more wine, but the new, restricted opening times didn’t fit our schedule, so we returned to the municipal campground. Our friends would buy extra wine and meet us there.

It might be cold, but it is pretty!
Fall walk in the campground with Heather and Jon
Maya making a new friend
This cute girl loved Maya!

We parked in the same spot, were accompanied by the same, wagging dogs, and enjoyed more walks among the fall colors. But, by now, it was way too cold and cloudy to sit outside or walk to the shower block. We used our own amenities, filled up with drinking water afterwards, and managed to plug into the electric system of our friends. This allowed our Lithium battery to finally charge to 100% – a huge help – which hadn’t happened in six months or so!

And, another campground dog enjoying Maya’s company
Our battery is 100% full; an anomaly in our camper this season!

It was wonderful to see our friends again and spend more time together. On this first evening, Mark made ossobuco and squash risotto for the group. Delicious!

Ossobuco dinner in Bella with friends
Mark cooked ossobuco with a tomato-parsley sauce and squash risotto

Manzano Historico

It was grey and it was cold, so we weren’t in a rush to explore the canyon yet. On the drive to Manzano Historico, we made a brief stop at Bodega Azul. We managed a little wine tasting and bought a couple of bottles of wine (Mark and I really like their Chardonnay), but the place was expensive and fully booked for lunch, so the atmosphere wasn’t ideal. We moved on early afternoon.

Brief wine tasting session at acclaimed Bodega La Azul
Wine selection at La Azul

Little did we realize our next destination was even higher up… That dawned on us when I saw all the roofs in town were white and wondered why. Snow! To our horror, the picnic tables were covered with the white stuff when we pulled into the municipal campground. We needed the heater here during the day as well.

The roofs have snow on them
Driving through the vineyards of Central Argentina – The background shows snowy Andes mountains on a clear day
Camped in Manzano Historico and plugged into our friends electricity set-up
Heather and Liesbet dressed up for winter!
It has been ages since I made a snowman!
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Valparaiso in Chile – A Colorful Day Trip from Santiago

May 10, 2024 / / 26 Comments

I had it all figured out: I’d walk to the closest metro station from our wonderful free camping spot in Santiago, ride the line to the bus station, take a two-hour bus trip west to Valparaiso, explore the town during the day, and return home the same way.

Valparaiso in Chile
Valparaiso and Santiago de Chile

Then, our friends Abigail, Richie, and Zoe from Meat Around The World were interested in joining me. Great! Last minute, we realized that if we rented a car for the day, Mark and Maya would be able to come as well, plus this would give everyone more freedom and comfort than a return journey by public transportation.

Part of our group in Valparaiso
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)

The reason we didn’t want to take our own campers was the bad reputation Valparaiso has regarding petty crime, car beak-ins, and tire slashings of foreign-plated vehicles. All of us had just installed new tires in Santiago, so now was definitely not a good time to take extra risks. There certainly is a grimy side to this port city.

Screenshot of Valparaiso in iOverlander – all the red and white warning signs mark robberies, break-ins, or tire slashings!

After a late start, a two-hour drive on fantastic toll roads, and finding a safe and covered parking spot for the rental car, the six of us set off on foot to discover the colors, murals, and old ascensores (elevators) of Valparaiso during the afternoon. Here is a photo gallery of our day as full-blown tourists.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Pastel-colored row houses
View from Cerro Concepcion
Look over the harbor of Valparaiso
A stately hotel on top of the hill
Colorful alley on Cerro Concepcion
Murals abound in alleys and streets
Girls will be girls – Zoe easily makes friends everywhere she goes.
A stand-off between Maya and a cat
A street on Cerro Alegro
Fountain on the main square, Plaza Sotomayor
Armada de Chile building
Scene along the busy downtown of Valparaiso
Church
Painted main street
Walking near the waterfront in Valparaiso
Another cool mural in downtown
Approaching our first elevator of the day
The Espiritu Santo elevator was built in 1911
The two cabins operate via steel cables
View from our glass-walled elevator
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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – April 2024 (Argentina & Chile)

May 7, 2024 / / 17 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

In April, Mark, Maya, and I divided our time between Argentina and Chile in our truck camper Thirsty Bella. We made some headway south, to Mendoza, and decided to hop over to Santiago de Chile for car maintenance. After two weeks in Chile, we slowly drove back to the Mendoza area in Argentina.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Rock formation along the highway
Roads in the valley
Police checkpoint
Descending a crazy mountain when arriving in Chile
Approaching the Chilean border which is located past a tunnel and the actual border line
Driving back towards Argentina
And then, we had to drive back up the zigzag road towards Argentina
Following a semi truck up, up, up
The trees are changing color in Central Argentina!

Our car category was huge; over $1,100 in total! A lot of that went to fuel, as always, but the biggies last month were two new tires ($326) with a $26 installation and balancing fee, a new battery for the engine ($137), and an oil change at a garage, which we did ourselves ($92). We also bought seven quarts of oil extra for our next time ($80). Mark found a spot to store those in one of our utility boxes.

Oil change in Santiago
Installing our new car battery in Santiago
The balancing of our new tires in Santiago
Attaching Bella back onto Thirsty
One of the two brand-new “Chilean” tires
Thirsty’s engine takes around 7 quarts of oil & we bought an extra 7 for next time

We paid a total of $11 in tolls and spent some pesos on parking in Santiago when leaving the camper behind and for our rental car in Valparaiso.

Cost for a full tank of gas in Argentina: $105
Topping up with fuel in Argentina before crossing the border
Gasoline is still much more expensive in Chile than in Argentina, so we filled a 5-gallon jerrycan as well, before the border crossing.

Groceries were quite expensive in April as well. We joined a couple of potlucks, prepared a special dinner for seven, made daily walks to the fancy grocery store Jumbo in Santiago, and splurged on some goodies at the El Milagro vineyard early on.

Goodies bought at the shop of El Milagro
Buying groceries at Lider
Fantastic produce stand in Santiago
Potluck with a group of international friends (Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)
Mark and Maya wait for me to get some shopping done in the mall
The massive Jumbo grocery store
Mark prepares a fabulous pasta dinner for our group in Santiago
The meal easily filled us all up and we had leftovers!

We bought wine in both countries, since, you know, we are in wine heaven here. The Santiago area is well-known for the red grape, Carmenere, and Central Argentina produces fabulous Torrontes (white) and Malbec (red or tinto in Spanish) wines. Mark and I enjoy them all. We used half of a $25 “drinking out” donation for three bottles of wine at the store.

Free wine tasting at El Milagro
Tasty wine from Bodega El Milagro
A great little stop along our drive south
Happy hour with new friends Kilian and Marcia
A great bottle of Carmemere for $3, recommended to us by Abigail
Happy hour with more friends

While in Chile, we decided to buy one more bag of dogfood for Maya, since that’s the place where we can find her Taste of the Wild – Pacific Stream for a “decent” price ($66 for 12kg/26lbs) and we were one bag down. Also, our remaining bags are bigger than the new one and we don’t want to leave open bags of food in the camper during our summer escapade to the US and Belgium. Maya’s new toy lasted all of ten minutes!

Waiting to order our preferred bag of dogfood online to obtain a discount
Maya’s dogfood
Mark and Maya play with her new toy
It didn’t take long before Maya destroyed the rope toy.

We didn’t go out for dinner much in April; twice, one of which was a take-out pizza in Santiago the day of our arrival ($13) and the other a lunch in Valparaiso ($12). Both times took place in Chile, which, believe it or not, is now cheaper than Argentina for most things. The devaluation of the Argentinian peso is still worsening, leading to continued price increases. We didn’t eat out here at all, last month, and cooked almost all our meals at home. The other $25 in the report was a delayed credit card charge for a dinner out in March.

Take-out pizza in Santiago ($13)
Gnocchi – pesto meal at home
Mark grilled a few meals in April
Many snacks and drinks were consumed at home in April.

Some of our followers have been generous with one $25 dining out donation (which we will use this month) and two “$25 for drinks” donations, most of which we will enjoy in May as well. For the first time ever, someone walked by our camper (in Santiago de Chile), noticed our Massachusetts license plates, checked out this blog, and treated us online to drinks, because he is also from our state! Thank you to all our supporters, followers, readers. and contributors!

Our propane tank is a tight fit in the cubby hole
Walking to the store in San Juan to get our propane tank filled
The friendly family that helped us out with propane gas

As usual, $35 went to our Starlink subscription, while the other half is paid by our business. And, we topped up the propane tank for $10 in San Juan, Argentina. That usually lasts three months. We managed to fill our water tank multiple times for free in April as well.

Our water thief didn’t work so well here, as I got soaking wet from the back push and spray
Adding more water into our tank in Santiago
Free water fill along the road

Transportation costs consisted of splitting a rental car for the day with our friends from Meat Around The World, to explore Valparaiso (see next blog post) and the expensive fuel to get there – they paid for the tolls and we covered parking – and a useless taxi drive in Santiago. We were dropped off in the wrong place and had to walk back!

Mark ordered household items and camper parts on Amazon in the US, to fix a few things upon our return next September and we bought a new frying pan and spray bottles in Chile. Did I mention yet that anything imported on this continent is cheaper there than in Argentina?

The mall near us in Santiago, that contains every shop we could have wanted
New non-stick frying pan for the galley

We also paid $12 for two baskets of dirty laundry in Uspallata, Argentina, after waiting through the weekend because the laundromat wasn’t open and hearing from our friends that this cost $2 six months ago! Not willing to spend even more, Mark and I washed a basket-size worth of linen and clothes by hand in river water.

A massive bag of dirty laundry!
This is where we dropped off our dirty laundry in Uspallata
Hanging our hand laundry to dry in the strong sun and dry air of Uspallata

The other categories were low. Entertainment ($7) was had on two different transportation methods in Chile, namely a cable car in Santiago and two old-style elevators (ascensores) in Valparaiso. Mark ordered an app for his tablet and I needed throat medicines after being sick for over a week. A bad bug/cough had me in its grip for two weeks. Once, we had to leave our quiet camping spot in nature to find a pharmacy in town.

A cable car ride to the top of the hill
Mark, Maya, and I shared a car along this line
Our friends traveled in the cable car behind us.
One of the old elevators we took in Valparaiso
The two elevators work in unison – one comes down, while the other one goes up along a steel cable
View from our elevator going up

The only money Mark and I spent on drinking out was $3 at a pricey café in Valparaiso, where we split a juice. We also gave a small donation to the firemen (bomberos) and had our car sprayed for $1 at an agriculture spot.

Sticker from the firemen in return for our donation
Fumigation station in Argentina
We paid $1 to get the underside of our car fumigated

We boondocked the entire month and therefore camping was free for us in April.

Our attractive camping spot in El Mollar over Easter
One-night stop at the park of Catamarca
Overnight spot on our drive south in Argentina
Free night at El Milagro winery
Free parking and camping in San Martin Park in Mendoza
Camped in front of colorful mountains before crossing into Central Chile
Parked among a row of other campers for two weeks in Santiago
Last (free) night in Chile, at a super busy and loud fuel station
Quiet, but chilly spot along a river, back in Argentina
A nice, grassy camping spot in Uspallata, Argentina
Our last night of April was spent along a river towards Mendoza

Our total was high again, but most of the $1,844 went to car maintenance and fuel, which were needed and made us feel productive. Without that vehicle attention, we’d have been back at our monthly average. After reaching the high numbers in that category, we really refrained from splurges and eating out. We will see what May brings!

Our group on the last night together in Santiago: Mark, Liesbet, Richie, Abigail, Zoe, Heather, Jon, and Maya

April 2024 Overview:

Car (maint.: $655; fuel: $432; tolls: $11; parking: $8):

Groceries:

Alcohol:

Dog (food: $66; toy: $4):

Dining out:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $35; propane: $10):

Transportation (rental car: $29; taxi: $4):

Camper (tape, drain USA):

Household (blade, pan, spray bottles):

Laundry:

Entertainment (elevator, cable car):

Computer (tablet app M):

Medical (meds L):

Drinking out:

Miscellaneous:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$1,106

$384

$74

$70

$50

$45

$33

$27

$24

$12

$7

$4

$3

$3

$2

$0

———

$ 1,844

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: A colorful day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso, Chile.

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A Surprising Side Trip to Santiago, the Capital of Chile

May 1, 2024 / / 35 Comments

As overlanders, Mark and I are not city people. Being camped in nature without any human presence or noises is our happy place. Yet, the three of us spent a full two weeks in Santiago de Chile, a capital city of 7 million! This was our all-time “stationary” boondocking record after a year and a half in South America. Jardin, Colombia, is now the runner-up at nine nights. What happened?

Country of Chile with its capital, Santiago
Location of Santiago de Chile

Well, this lifestyle is full of surprises. Bad ones and good ones. It had been a while since fate smiled down upon us, but Santiago – which is expensive and not even an interesting tourist destination – ticked some of our required boxes. With ease. We were quite happy there. Read on to learn why…

Group shot in the park
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)

Why back to Chile?

If you’ve been following our blog, you might have noticed that some hardships were encountered in Northern Argentina. Nothing disastrous, really, but after getting tired of similar issues in Peru and Bolivia, mostly regarding loose, aggressive dogs, dusty and dirty surroundings, and third-world living conditions, we had hoped for a reprieve of those in Argentina, especially after finding cleanliness and modernity in Northern Chile. When not finding that quite yet, we opted to return to Chile for a bit.

Another consideration was Maya’s international health certificate we obtained in Chile, the end of February. It was valid for sixty days, allowing free entries and exits for our dog between Argentina and Chile until the end of April. We figured we’d take advantage of that permit again, three weeks before it expired.

But the most important reason for our little sojourn back into Chile was truck maintenance. Imported parts are much cheaper there than in Argentina, as we realized when buying our first set of two new tires in Iquique a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, we didn’t purchase four at the time.

That being said, we chose Santiago to replace the other two tires, install a new battery, and do another oil change. Yeah, our expense report for April won’t be pretty again…

Our Providencia neighborhood in Santiago by night
(Photo courtesy of Richie Gubler)

Our fantastic camping spot

The biggest surprise that greeted us in Santiago was the place we opted to wild camp at, based on reviews in iOverlander. It was easy to see why every overlander seemed to flock here!

Our camping spot for two weeks!
Lots of company for Thirsty Bella!
Gathering more water in the park (Thank you, John, for the bags!)
Adding four more gallons at a time

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

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A Month in Northern Argentina – Dusty Towns, Pretty Vineyards, Wonderful Wine & Scenic Drives

April 21, 2024 / / 45 Comments

“The scenery is amazing!” “The people are so friendly here!” “Everything just works!” “Argentina is dirt cheap!” – These were the sentiments shared by fellow overlanding friends when they arrived in Argentina, many months before we did. People loved the change of scenery, culture, attitude, and quality of life, once they crossed that “last” border.

View of a windy mountain road in Northern Argentina
A dusty neighborhood near our camping spot in Maimara
Many old cars litter Cafayate’s streets

Mark and I couldn’t wait to visit. But, sometimes, slow travel bites you in the butt. In March 2024, when the three of us finally arrived in Northern Argentina, prices for everything had doubled, if not tripled or quadrupled, and the excitement of other travelers was lost on us. Because we are on a tight budget? Because we travel with a dog? Because we came from “westernized” Chile with immaculate paved roads, leashed dogs, friendly drivers, clean cities, and modern feel?

Argentinian money comes in many colors and denominations – the biggest one being 2,000 pesos ($2) and the smallest one being 10 pesos (1 cent). The 1,000-peso bill is used the most. There are no coins!
The longest line at an ATM (cash machine) we have ever seen ocured in Tilcara
Line for an ATM in Cafayate

In a nutshell: We had expectations when we crossed the border (and that was our mistake, really; we know better than to have expectations). Yet, what we – initially – found were dusty towns, lots of trash, dangerously grooved roads, ear-piercingly loud motorcycles, the smell of burnt garbage, and loose dogs. There were also a lot of indigenous people, unlike in Chile. Northern Argentina felt like an extension of Peru and Bolivia, and it was NOT cheap.

Maya is sick of the barking, loose dogs and doesn’t want to budge anymore.
Loose dogs on every road in every town of Northern Argentina
Some loose dogs in the park next to our camper in Cafayate

Apart from those experiences as vehicle drivers, long-term travelers, and dog owners, of course there was beauty, joy, and excitement to be found as well. Why else would we still be on the road?

Our destinations in Northern Argentina

Susques

After a beautiful drive, a smooth and efficient border crossing in Pasa Jama, and a disappointing money exchange (our crisp U$100 bills weren’t as crisp as we thought, and the blue dollar “tourist” rate had dropped a lot), we spent our first night near the town of Susques, which has a cute adobe church.

Welcome to Argentina!
The one administrative building that houses all the stops and officials for a border crossing into Argentina
Ready with all the paperwork

Here, we had to choose between the famously pretty but bumpy Ruta 40 South or the paved comfort of Ruta 68. We picked the easy solution and are happy we did as it delivered beauty in the form of scenery and new friends.

Cute adobe church of Susques
The unique interior of the adobe church.
The famous Ruta 40 starts in Susques, next to the restaurant we spent our first night at.

Salinas Grandes

Before reaching our first real tourist town, we stopped at the salt flats of Salinas Grandes. We’d hoped to visit the Ojos, clear pools in the middle of the Salar, on a short van tour, but because of recent rains, this part was too wet to drive on. So, the three of us just walked around the salty terrain with its clear-blue canals – and Maya was a mess!

I believe these channels are formed from mining the salt.
One of the clear canals of the salt flats
Taking Maya for a salty walk on Salinas Grandes
One of the mountains is reflected on the wet salt flats

Purmamarca

In Purmamarca, we only anticipated a hike among the colored mountains. It was a hot afternoon, but the fee for the trail was low and the surroundings bright and attractive. When returning via the center of town, we liked it so much that we decided to spend the night on the sloped parking lot we had pulled into earlier. The pleasant atmosphere of downtown – and the prospect of dinner at a pizza restaurant that didn’t open until 8 pm – had us change plans.

Purmamarca is famous for its colored mountains
Colorful hills surround the trail in Purmamarca
Hiking under a hot sun in Purmamarca
Colorful and hot walk with Maya
Splurging on an excellent pizza and tasty bottle of wine at a local restaurant
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Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – March 2024 (Chile & Argentina)

April 10, 2024 / / 35 Comments

Expenses - image

Every month, I post a report of our expenses to show that it is possible to live a comfortable, exciting, and adventurous life without breaking the bank. The less money you spend, the less you need to make. 🙂

This report includes ALL of our expenses, in US$, for two adults and one 60-pound dog (we adopted Maya on June 4th, 2019). Under groceries we incorporate food, produce, and non-alcoholic drinks predominantly bought in supermarkets. Toiletries belong in that category as well. Dining out means eating at a restaurant/event or purchasing take-out food. The health category covers non-prescription medicines and vitamins/supplements; medical contains prescription drugs and doctor’s visits. Because of our income level, Mark and I are eligible for free health care within the state of Massachusetts. For check-ups and extensive care, we return to the US East Coast. Other health issues are resolved locally  and out of pocket where needed and possible.

Apart from the first five days, when we were still in Chile, Mark, Maya, and I explored Northern Argentina in March with Thirsty Bella. This year, prices in Argentina have doubled if not tripled for gasoline, entrance fees, restaurants,… Mark and I had really looked forward to visiting this country to splurge a bit more, but inflation and the devaluation of the peso make that less affordable.

Driving on the high plains
High-altitude desert route towards the border with Argentina
Crossing into Argentina
Driving the beautiful road between Salta and Cachi in Argentina
Camped by the cactus canyon near San Pedro, Chile
Counting all our bills to write down expenses

March was a very expensive month, but for a good reason. We bit the bullet and bought return plane tickets from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to Massachusetts and from there to Belgium. We will store our camper for 3.5 months in South America and look forward to seeing family and friends again. The three of us need a break from the road and developing countries. We hope that the high cost for the tickets ($2,300) allows us to save money in fuel and other expenses this summer. There will be another substantial price to pay for Maya’s multiple international health certificates and check-ups.

Pulling up to our last gas station in Chile – for now
Filling up at the first fuel station across the border in Argentina
Filling up with fuel again in Salta
Filling up with fuel on the drive south in Argentina
Fuel prices in March of 2024 – 1,000 pesos is currently a little more than $1.

The car category ended up in second place due to our extravagant spending on flights. We bought about $360 of fuel, with one super pricey fill-up in Chile to reach the border and a few top-ups in Argentina. It hurts to know that the current price of around $1 a liter used to be 50 cents last year. We can save by not eating out or buying expensive entrance tickets, but we can’t get around our need for fuel. The $127 for repairs went to a tire valve fix and necessary car parts Mark purchased on Amazon. They will wait for us in the US.

Getting the valve of our spare tire fixed – again – in Cafayate
Homemade mushroom burgers – my favorite meal by Mark!
American pancakes with different fruit
Pancake breakfast on Sundays – usually only bananas are added
Fresh baguettes from a French bakery in San Pedro de Atacama!
ChangoMas is the cheaper grocery store (as opposed to Libertad) in Northern Argentina
Visiting a tiny store with preserves, beer, and hot sauces in Maimara, Argentina
My favorite bakery in Cachi
Breakfast by a peaceful pond – pastries from Cachi!
Decent produce market in Tilcara
One of my favorite meals at home: spring rolls with omelet, vegetables, and fresh peanut sauce

Around $270 bought us groceries in March and were careful with other expenses, because so much of our budget went to the airlines. We cooked most of our meals at home, as always.

Meagre dinner out on our first night in a new country
Amazing pizza – and night – out in Purmamarca
Wine and lunch out with new friends, Shani and Todd
The menu of one of the restaurants in Cachi. As you can see, new stickers are added as prices keep rising. This place offers a discount for the locals (and for us).
Pizza with fried eggs and French fries, anyone?
Our first parilla – grilled meat – platter in Argentina!
A dozen tasty beef empanadas in Cafayate

The eating out category was $80. It would have been higher, but a nice reader of this blog sent us a donation of $25, which we used for dinner and drinks at the Puna Vinyard in Cachi. Despite very hot, it was a super enjoyable experience.

Puna vineyard
Early dinner and drinks at Bodega Puna, outside of Cachi
Lamb dish for Mark
Local locro (stew) dish for me
The current wine list – with recently changed prices

Alcohol – mostly Argentinian wine – added up to $61 last month and we devoured every drop of it! Eating and drinking out might have become expensive in this country, but we just as well enjoy a good bottle of wine with some tapas at home. And we can honestly say that each bottle in the $3-$4 range that we have opened has been good to excellent. Mark and I kept our drinking out to a minimum: $24; all at vineyards. 🙂

Cheese platter in Bella
Sample platter and a bottle of Torrontes white wine at Bodega Isasmendi
Sharing a bottle of red wine at Bodega Puna in Cachi town
A sampling of cheese with a glass of wine at a goat farm in Cafayate

Our monthly subscription for unlimited Starlink satellite internet fluctuates with a dollar or so, based on the exchange rate. We bought this system last fall in Peru and half of it is paid by our business, hence the reasonable $36 fee.

 

Belgian beer for Mark and white wine for me
A splurge of a cocktail in Chile: coconut rum and 100% orange juice. We couldn’t find pineapple juice.
A selection of Belgian beers in Northern Chile

I spent $30 on goodies for Mark’s March 1st birthday. This included an array of Belgian beers, which I located in a grocery store in Chile. We had a lovely tapas plate for dinner that day, after a relaxing afternoon in a pretty canyon. Before that, I made him crepes with fresh fruit for breakfast and a goat cheese sandwich for lunch.

Tapas on Mark’s birthday

The entrance fees to parks and hikes added up to $16 for the two of us. I had been interested in a particular museum in Salta, but eventually skipped it as the price had quadrupled from $2 to $8. Maybe another time.

The new rates at the MAAM in Salta
Devil’s Throat hike in Chile
Visit to Salinas Grandes in Northern Argentina
The San Isidro church is only accessible after paying an entrance fee to the canyon.
Walk among colored mountains in Purmamarca, Argentina

While Maya’s three-year rabies shot from the US is still valid, the countries in South America require dogs to receive those vaccines yearly. We had hoped to get her shot in Uyuni, Bolivia (where this costs $4), but the vet didn’t have it in stock, despite us arranging the appointment ahead of time.

We started looking for another vet in Tilcara, Northern Argentina, but only – and with much difficulty – found a shady office on a dead-end alley. This vet had missing teeth and said he didn’t have the vaccine. When I mentioned, “Rabies shots are important to have, no?” he rummaged through a drawer. Not a fridge. Enough red flags had piled up for us to leave.

This is the entrance to the vet office, which was hard to find.
Apparently, the vet is located down this alley somewhere.
The only vet office we could find in Tilcara

So, when we were in Salta, Mark and I stopped our camper along a busy street to get another one-year rabies vaccination for Maya and the accompanying certificate, which we would need at border crossings. The cost for both was $14. Done!

Our campsite for one night in Salta, Argentina

We bought AA and AAA batteries, which belong in the household category, had two loads of laundry done for $6 in Cafayate (super affordable) and paid for one night at a campground in Salta ($5), where I also took a cab to get into the town center and back.

Camped in the dusty town of San Pedro, Chile, for only one night
Camped in Maimara, Northern Argentina, for one night
Our free camping spot in loud and smelly Tilcara for a couple of nights
Looking for an elusive peaceful night, we found this quiet parking lot by hot springs. It was too hot to actually visit the termales.
Camped for the night between Salta and Cachi – still pretty hot
Our hot campsite in Cachi for three nights – we would have liked to stay longer.

The other 30 nights of camping were free, as well as all the potable water we filled our tanks with.

Camped in the desert outside of Cachi for one night
Our free campsite by a pond in Argentina for a few days
Camped near Los Estratos park heading south towards Cafayate
Boondocked by a park in Cafayate for three nights
Camped in an upscale neighborhood in Tafi del Valle for one night, before we were chased off
Topping up our fresh water tanks for free

Our expenses in March 2024 added up to a whopping $3,332 – it was a bad month! But, if you take out the plane tickets, we stayed around $1,000, which is our goal.

March 2024 Overview:

Travel (plane tickets US & Belgium):

Car (fuel: $357; repairs: $127):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet):

Gifts (B-day Mark):

Drinking out:

Entertainment (park entrance fees):

Dog (rabies shot):

Household:

Laundry:

Camping:

Transportation (Salta):

 

TOTAL:

 

$2,297

$484

$267

$80

$61

$36

$30

$24

$16

$14

$8

$6

$5

$4

———

$ 3,332

(It might be easier to read the table when turning your device in the horizontal position.)

Find all our expense reports here. To learn what other full-time nomads spend each month, check out the blogs of our vanlife friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

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