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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Travel (page 1 of 29)

Spectacular Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls in Brazil & Argentina

July 13, 2025 / / 25 Comments

Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about these gigantic waterfalls before arriving on the South American continent, which is strange, since they belong in the same category as majestic Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls. Like me, you’ve probably heard of those natural wonders. Yet, Eleanor Roosevelt is known to utter the words “Poor Niagara!” when she first saw Iguazu Falls. 🙂

Following a boardwalk on the lowest level in Brazil

Iguaçu/Iguazú Falls are recognized as a natural wonder of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.” The area is known for its immense scale, with 275 individual cascades spanning nearly two miles (3 km), making it the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu River and have heights of 200 to 263 feet (60–82 meters).

The amazing vista opening up after our walk – a great way to approach this site in Brazil

I had no idea that Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls straddled a border between two countries or that their name was spelled differently, depending on the side of the border. Heck, I didn’t even know just how impressive and numerous the falls were until we showed up!

Best view of the Argentinian falls

Mark and I prefer not to research highlights much or look at photos ahead of time. Just like with other spectacular sites, like Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks in Utah, we arrived at this site “unprepared” and gazed in wonder. “Wow! Those waterfalls keep going as far as the eye can see.” Impressive! When you don’t have expectations, you can truly be surprised, awed, and inspired.

Overview of some falls at a lower level in Brazil

Iguaçu Falls in Brazil

As I mentioned in my recent expense report for June, Mark and I only planned to visit the Brazilian side of the falls, after asking among our friends which side they preferred (and why), reading comments in our free iOverlander camping app, and considering fees and logistics.

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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 2: Friends, Cities, and Eastern Explorations)

July 3, 2025 / / 29 Comments

In Part 1, we shared our first impressions of Paraguay and explored its historic Jesuit missions. Now, our journey continues with reunions, big cities, muddy roads, and a deeper look at life in this underrated country.

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Back to Encarnación: Reunion Time

On May 19th, we reunited with our American friends Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Apeman, who’d just finished backpacking South America for a year. They had booked two Airbnbs — one in Encarnación, the other near Areguá, an hour from the capital — and invited us to stay.

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

Our first apartment and its small yard
Using the car as transportation device
Doing heaps of laundry
Yay! The Airbnb has a washing machine!

We quickly separated the camper from the truck, parked on a concrete pad, and shut down our fridge to enjoy house life for a change. The next few days were cozy and productive: we took turns cooking dinners, I did heaps of laundry in the available machine, Mark and I ran errands and caught up on work, and our group explored the city and waterfront with Maya.

Stack near the waterfront
Walking along the river with our friends
Happy hour at the beach bar

We also followed a boardwalk to the colorful city “letters” and strolled past Encarnación’s cathedral and central plaza.

Sunset over “the letters” of Encarnación
The cathedral of Encarnación

Sapucai: An Old Train Yard

As our friends stayed behind for another night, we hit the road towards Asunción, because we required two days of driving to reach the capital area. We stopped in Sapucai, known for its old train yard.

Potholed roads of Paraguay
Old train in Supacay
Camped for the night in Supacay
Sapucay along the old railroad tracks

Unfortunately, the train museum closed earlier than indicated (we managed to visit in the morning), our fresh water tank ran dry (so we struggled with the little bit of drinking water we had left), and loud traffic and fireworks made sleep impossible (we should be getting used to this.)

Visit to the railroad workshop
The old railyard is now a museum
Old train engine
Part of the museum: old office equipment
Railway museum
A walk on the grounds of the museum

Still, we walked Maya on a bike path and tried to stay flexible, adjusting our plans due to impending rain and muddy red dirt roads.

This cat stayed with us the entire time.
The railway bed is now a walking and biking trail
Persistent cat

Yaguarón: The Wooden Church

Before reaching the capital region, we visited Templo de San Buenaventura in Yaguarón, known for its ornate wooden interior. A local guide explained the church’s intricate design for a tip.

The interesting church of Yaguarón
Interior of the church
Intricate altar
View from the interior of the church towards the outside
The old bell tower with the antique bell in the foreground
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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 1: First Impressions and Jesuit Missions)

June 28, 2025 / / 31 Comments

Paraguay is a country often skipped by overlanders and tourists alike. With no world-famous attractions and sandwiched between popular Brazil and Argentina, it remains overlooked. But after traveling through increasingly expensive countries, Mark and I were more than ready for a change. Paraguay promised affordability, authenticity, and, according to our friends — sushi!

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Encarnación: Entering Paraguay

We crossed into Encarnación on May 11th without any issues — unless you count Mark knocking over the customs officer’s mate cup. That moment confirmed a fun fact: in Paraguay, mate is served cold, unlike in Argentina. Another surprise? The now soaked and hand-written vehicle permit had to be recreated.

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

Crossing the international bridge between Posadas, Argentina and Encarnacion, Paraguay
We have arrived in a new country!
Filling out the car permit for a second time
Paraguayan license plate

The city gave us a place to run long-delayed errands, save on gas prices, and visit a grocery store that had many items we couldn’t find or afford for a year. We loaded up, grabbed BBQ from a Sunday street stand, and sat by the river feeling like we’d finally entered another budget-travel paradise.

Our first meal in Paraguay is take-out asado
A friendly face and friendly prices at the gas station
Well-stocked grocery store Super Seis
Celebrating our arrival with a drink
Our first (free) boondocking spot in Paraguay
Sunset over the river

But reality hit that night: loud motorcycles, thumping music, and little chance of sleep reminded us that we were still very much in Latin America.

Waterfront boardwalk
The main beach in Encarnacion
Old warehouse
Old silo
Lifeguard station on the main beach
A pretty river beach in Encarnacion
Beach sign with the skyline of Posadas in Argentina in the background

Life on the Waterfront (and a Sushi Dream)

Knowing Paraguay would be cheaper than Argentina or Chile, we’d saved up chores and repairs. In Encarnación, we tackled a camper ladder repaint, installed a mirror, and found transmission parts — choosing to do the work ourselves to save $400 in labor. The waterfront became our “work station.”

A new mirror
Picking up and installing our freshly painted ladder

Despite the chaos, one night stood out: Mark and I finally went out for cocktails and indulged in a sushi boat at Hiroshima, a Japanese restaurant. We hadn’t felt that luxurious in years.

Cocktail time!
The Japanese restaurant in Encarnacion
Sushi for dinner!
A pretty and tasty sushi boat

Jesuit Mission #1: San Cosme and Damián

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Wrapping Up a Year of RV Travel in Argentina – From Mendoza to Posadas

June 4, 2025 / / 34 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I set foot in Argentina for the first time on March 6th, 2024, coming from Chile and Bolivia. Sure, we hopped into Chile a few more times, and we enjoyed a three-month break in our home countries since then, but we feel we gave our explorations of Argentina a valiant attempt. So much so that, in the end, we couldn’t wait to leave. We realized that slow travel—while it has many advantages—can also wear you down in third-world countries.

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

Bumpy roads as always
More crappy roads in Argentina
One of the police checkpoints. In Argentina, they usually let us pass without hassles.

After saying goodbye to our friends Heather and Jon in Mendoza, our trio headed east, with the Córdoba region as our first main destination. We stopped at a couple of places beforehand, but didn’t sleep well due to traffic noise and encountered restrictions in national parks because of Maya. After that, we gave up on Argentinian parks altogether.

Walk in the dunes with Maya
In this area, Maya was allowed
We had hoped to go for a few hikes in this national park, but …
… dogs aren’t allowed. Not even when they stay in the camper. We were told to board our dog if we wanted to stay.

What follows is a realistic account of our life and discomfort on the road, with a few sights thrown in. It wasn’t the best month we’ve had.

Route Northern Argentina

Dique Luján

We searched iOverlander for a quiet spot over Easter weekend and found a reasonable option by the dam of Luján. Coincidentally, we had picked a campsite close to a pilgrimage site with Stations of the Cross.

Pilgrimage to the top of the crosses
Top of the crosses route
Procession on Easter Friday
One of the stations of the cross

We managed decent walks with Maya and the sun finally gave us the warm weather we’d been waiting for after our coldest and wettest summer on record. But because of the heat, our fridge started acting up again—running too much, too hard, and draining the camper battery.

Our camping spot by Dique Lujan
Walk along the canyon
Sandy Maya after a swim
Reflections in the reservoir
Maya’s favorite spot in the house

After one warm day, the clouds returned, power became precious again, and the wind picked up. The incessant shaking of the camper upset both Maya and our sleep. We had finally found a quiet place, but ended up moving in the middle of the night to find better wind protection among trees.

The Lujan dam
Crossing the dam on foot
Staring down the dam
View of the reservoir above the dam
Maya poses next to a condor mural on the dam

The following morning, we moved away from those same trees, fearing they might drop particles on the roof that would upset Maya. We found an open-air spot, but that didn’t help with power since it rained all day. We had to run the car for an hour just to charge the battery enough to work—our computers and Starlink need a lot of electricity. Mark and I also cleaned the fridge’s compressor with Q-tips and improved its ventilation. That helped it run more efficiently.

Ready to clean the compressor tubes of our fridge
Relaxing by the river
River view from our camp spot

On Easter morning at 8am, teenagers in two cars pulled up next to us, opened their doors, and blasted music. We had planned to leave anyway, so we took off for a long day in the car.

Capilla del Monte

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Coming Full Circle in Mendoza, Argentina

April 28, 2025 / / 28 Comments

While we were camped at a peaceful lake in Central Chile, snow was predicted in the mountains, where the border stations are located. Since Maya’s international health permit was expiring soon, we needed to prevent getting stuck because of road or frontier closures. So, at the end of March, Mark, Maya, and I left Chile with no intention to return. Unless we decide to sell our truck camper in Santiago, its capital, whenever we are done with this adventure. 

Region in Argentina covered in this post
Southern part of our route to Mendoza
Middle part of our route to Mendoza
Northern part of our route to Mendoza

Loncopué

Entering Argentina for the last time was smooth, but involved a lot of bumpy roads and disappointing campsite hunts for one reason or another; the strong winds, incessant traffic noise, and an anxious Maya being the main culprits. We encountered countless sleepless nights on our drive north. 

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

Returning to Argentina one more time
Sunset before the winds picked up
Camped in Codihue, before moving to a less windy region

When we moved to a different town and found a relatively peaceful, wind-protected, and grassy spot among the herds and shepherds moving their animals from their summer grounds in the Andes Mountains to the winter valleys and farms, we felt better. It was cool to be a part of “the pack.”

Our camping spot along the river in Loncopué
Being part of the herd
People, horses, and dogs crossed this river throughout the day.
Sunny and still morning, before the winds picked up
Still cold enough to freeze at night!

Here are two videos to get a better feel of the camping scene:

Caviahue

Then, it was time for an unexpected highlight in Argentina. Caviahue contained a few attractions based on our resources, but it was located at an even higher elevation, meaning it would freeze at night. Since this causes condensation and discomfort issues, we wanted to keep our time there to a minimum and managed to complete all our excursions within 24 hours.

Memorials inside the rocks and mountains
A remote existence
First glimpse of Volcano Copahue

First, we drove to this fascinating, beautiful, and diverse area and hiked along a clear lake to a stone bridge. Erosion had impacted the volcanic rock here, creating this natural arch.

Walk to the stone bridge or arch
Explanation for this natural phenomenon
The natural bridge with Maya and me on top
A cool volcanic feature
Mountain reflections in the lake
Scene along the lake

Then, we reached and admired patches of monkey puzzle trees. Also called Araucaria (or Pehuen in the local language), it is the national tree of Chile and of the Argentinian province, Neuquén, where we found ourselves. 

Driving towards a monkey puzzle forest and waterfall trail
The skinny canopy of monkey puzzle trees
Monkey puzzle trees come in many sizes
Close-up of the spiky branches of the monkey puzzle tree
Monkey puzzle trees
Local, indigenous name for the monkey puzzle tree
Among the branches of the monkey puzzle tree
Staring up the monkey puzzle tree
Patterns on a monkey puzzle tree bark
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The Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile

April 21, 2025 / / 25 Comments

Leaving Chile

It was a bit tricky, but Mark and I managed to get a vet check-up and international dog permit for Maya in Futaleufú over the span of three hours and for a total cost of $28. Unfortunately, unlike her other permits, this one was only valid for 30 instead of 60 days. It would keep us moving!

Location of the Lake Districts in both countries
Lake District in Argentina
Lake District in Chile

The same afternoon, we left the country and crossed into Argentina on washboard roads, aiming for six things in one week: sunnier weather on the other side of the Andes Mountains, better roads, cheaper fuel, no ferry schedules/costs that were mandatory on the Carretera Austral, an affordable laundromat, and a full propane tank. After accomplishing those goals, we’d return to Chile for about three weeks.

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

Back to Argentina
More potholed, gravel roads on the Argentinian side

In Esquel, our first town in Argentina, we failed dropping off our laundry and it took multiple attempts to find a decent camping spot. We did manage to fill our fuel and water tanks for almost half the price than in Chile!

This was a problem… We couldn’t enter our intended camping area in Esquel this way.
After a big and bumpy detour, we reached the camping spot a different way.
Another victim from the uneven roads – We are down to two cereal bowls now (from four).
Pretty and peaceful park for the night
A nice park to walk with Maya

The next stop was Rio Azul, where we planned to take a mini-break from the road for a few days and sit out bad weather. We did have to move once, because it rained so much that the river rose rapidly and we worried about being flooded.

Can you believe this track crosses the river?
We enjoyed this spot, before it started pouring!
Nice camping spot for a few nights
Cleaning our pee container in the river
And then the river rose! Mark put a stack of rocks on the edge to monitor the flood level.
Walk to the other side of the river with Maya
Our walking destination was this pretty waterfall.
Crossing the suspension bridge
We had to move to a higher spot when the river kept rising.

Bariloche, Argentina

The idea was to – urgently – fill our propane tank at a depot on the way north to Bariloche. We were now on paved roads, the sun had returned, and progress was smooth. We had confirmed this depot was open on a Saturday morning, but when we arrived, desperate for gas to cook, shower, and heat Bella, the people capable of filling international tanks didn’t work during the weekend. The facility was only open to swap Argentinian tanks… Right.

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Rafting the Rambunctious Futaleufú River in Chile – From Exhilarating to Life-threatening

March 30, 2025 / / 35 Comments

My previous blog post about the Carretera Austral in Chile was getting too long, so I’m reporting on our rafting trip in Futaleufú separately. This cute town is located near the border with Argentina, two hours from the Carretera via a really bad dirt road. Mark and I booked a tour with Rio Futaleufú Rafting for March 3rd, which would have the least amount of rain in the forecast. We left Maya at home for six hours, a record for her, and looked forward to this exciting adventure.

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

Office of our rafting company
Mark and I booked our 2.5-hour rafting trip with this company.

I love, love, love rafting. In my book, it is the most fun and thrilling excursion one can experience; the more rambunctious and frequent the rapids, the better. The action of rushing through the water, frantically paddling to the instructions of the guide, and being one with the elements is invigorating. And that’s how this ride started out.

Our group consisted of two rafting guides, two rafts, eleven rafters, and three support crew in individual watercraft. Everyone was equipped with a wetsuit, undershirts, booties, a rain jacket, a life vest, a helmet, and a paddle.

In full rafting gear
Ready for a cold day on the water
The two groups of rafters and guides

After some instructions ashore, we practiced commands on the water and got to know each other better. Each of our six-person team had rafted before. Mark and I did so in Costa Rica 19 years ago and my first rafting trip was in New Zealand, when I backpacked in Southeast Asia and Down Under at age 25. It had been a while, since rafting isn’t cheap.

Listening to instructions
Pampa preferred to practice the moves on the water
Here we go…

Every river is different and the Futa is famous for its high density and frequency of Class IV and Class V rapids. Mark and I had never rafted a Class V stretch of water, so we’d paid for the longer session ($92 per person, including photos) to experience them. Within the first five minutes of floating down the foamy river (the water level was quite high), we were soaking wet and loving it. We rushed through the sequences of Class IV rapids, smiling wide, and most of our group jumped down a 20-foot-high cliff just for the fun of it.

The first rapids were benign
Once we reached the foamy parts of the river, we got soaking wet.
Down the rapid
Both groups rafting downriver
Navigating the river
So much fun!
Quick sequence of rapids
Down another Class IV rapid
Hold!
Forward!
Photo moment
Rafting down more Class IV rapids in different positions
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The Carretera Austral – Chile’s Famous & Scenic Road through Patagonia

March 25, 2025 / / 32 Comments

Paso Roballos Border

After a quick clearing out process at the remote Paso Roballos border in Argentina – and receiving a rare exit stamp – entering Chile was supposed to be easy. Fast. Straightforward. Uneventful. Well…

First, about twenty people were waiting to clear out of Chile, filling out forms and not having applied for the right paperwork online. Mark and I were the only ones entering, but we couldn’t cut the line in front of the one window. So, we waited for over an hour.

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

Driving to Chile in the rain
The remote border crossing at Paso Raballos, Chile, is manned by police officers.

When we finally approached the booth, the officials seemed to be surprised we were actually arriving in Chile. I guess they hadn’t seen our giant cow-like camper through the window, on the Argentinian side?

Since this is a police-manned post instead of the usual offices of immigration, customs, and agriculture, reports of 5-minute crossings abound. What we found, however, was a team of unhelpful and inefficient cops. Our paperwork was in order, yet, we were told to wait in our car until “Interpol confirmed our identities.” How long would that take? What about them keeping our passports and original car title? Oh, and it was raining as well.

After another hour of sitting in the cab of our truck, one of the uniformed men opened the gate and motioned us to drive forward. He handed us back our important, now water-stained documents. Because it was after 5pm already and too late to make it to our next destination of Cochrane, we spent the night by a historic building in Patagonia National Park.

At 1am, when the relentless wind shook the camper violently, preventing us from sleeping, we moved behind the protection of trees. Our neighbors did the same.

The heavy winds at night created blue skies in the morning.
Entering Patagonia NP

Patagonia National Park

Usually, dogs are not allowed in national parks and there are steep entrance fees, but because pretty Patagonia NP envelops the bouncy dirt road to the border, anyone can drive through. So, that’s what we did. We kept Maya in the car and skipped the trails. Instead, we observed this special and somewhat spiritual park through our car windows.

Driving through Patagonia NP
Scenery along the route
Immense mountains along our route through the park
The scenery was super enjoyable.
Snowy mountains not too far away

We stopped by the visitor center to pay our respects at the grave of Douglas Tompkins, an American philanthropist and conservationist, who was responsible for founding this park and preserving millions of acres of land in Chile and Argentina.

Wild guanacos in close proximity
Douglas Tompkins’s gravel in his favorite part of the world
The most docile guanacos we ever encountered
Grazing guanacos with a spectacular background
Unfortunately, we didn’t’ spot any pumas

Cochrane

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The Real Patagonia – Welcome to the Mountains of Southern Chile and Argentina

March 19, 2025 / / 34 Comments

Ushuaia, the southern-most city of the South American continent, was a pleasant surprise with its excellent free camping, well-developed trails, and beautiful mountain scenery. But, by the time we left in our camper, Mark and Maya had been there for five weeks and I for over three, due to my 10-day trip to Antarctica.

Topping up our propane tank once more at Sartini Propane in Ushuaia – the best place ever!
Leaving Argentina on my first day back to shore
Back to Chile!

Needless to say, Mark was more than ready to head north again, especially since the weather had turned rainy. So, from the moment I disembarked the MV Ushuaia, we topped up our propane tank, received copies of our dog paperwork from the friendly attendant after asking for this favor, and left. Mark had taken care of groceries, fuel, and drinking water during my absence.

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

Still driving at the end of the world.
Monument of the wind

We made decent progress that first day I was home, but I felt like I was thrown right back into our challenging lifestyle. Extremely strong headwinds made the drive dangerous and ruined our fuel economy. We lost an hour at a fuel station near the border with Chile, because they were out of gas. We waited for the tanker to supply the station and filled up our truck and a jerrycan. This container travelled at my feet and was leaking profusely, spilling liquid and fumes. At the border in Chile, officials took all our beans and lentils, which had never been a problem before. And, the next morning, we woke up to a flat tire!

Quiet night along a dirt road in Tierra del Fuego
We woke up to this. Ooops.
Before the relentless wind started, Mark put our spare tire on.

Day two started with a tire repair kit that didn’t work, us installing the spare tire before the relentless wind picked up, and Mark discovering that the flat was caused by the car reversing onto a screw that had fallen off our own camper due to all the bumpy, gravel roads! Irony is ever a big part of our lives. We left Tierra del Fuego on a ferry and continued our journey north to the real Patagonia, covering a chunk of miles every day.

A guanaco jumping over a fence: we hated watching this as some of them get caught this way and die a horrible death.
Taking the same ferry off Tierra del Fuego from two months prior
It was a tight fit!

That day ended unexpectedly as well. We had parked at the only level spot, in front of a small, seemingly abandoned boat that rested on the grass, not on a trailer. At 10:30pm, commotion outside had us up and about. You guessed it. Exactly on this particular Sunday evening, someone needed to pick up this particular boat! So, we moved. This one had us laugh out loud…

Camped in front of what appeared to be an unused boat…
Right! At 10:30pm, someone decided to pick up this boat, so we moved.

A detour to Punta Arenas was necessary to get our tire fixed with the last local cash we had and to stock up on groceries, Chilean pesos, alcohol, and Maya’s dogfood. You have no idea how much Mark and I had been looking forward to visiting these decent, affordable stores. We could finally splurge on a few items that are unavailable or unaffordable in Argentina!

Getting our punctured tire fixed in Punta Arenas, Chile
One more time, Mark installs a tire on our truck. It was cheaper this way, especially since we only had so much Chilean pesos in cash left.
Splurging on some favorite booze
Mushrooms are affordable in Chile. Yay!
And another massive bag of dogfood for Maya, which we have only been able to buy in Colombia and Chile thus far.

The next town in Chile, Puerto Natales, also required a stop for more errands. We dropped off our dirty sheets, towels, and jeans, made dentist appointments for teeth cleanings, topped up with potable water, took Maya for a walk, and did work and research while waiting for our laundry to be done. I started to feel sicker and realized I must have picked up a bug on the expedition ship.

Welcome to Puerto Natales!
Old train engine in Puerto Natales, Chile
Church in Puerto Natales
Another historic building in town
Taking Maya for a walk in this clean and attractive town
Decent camping spot, despite being in a city
The harbor is full of fishing boats
Now this is a much cooler monument to commemorate the wind!
And we found another “Hand” sculpture by artist Mario Irarrázabal. We spotted two before, in Chile and Uruguay.

One of the main attractions in this part of Patagonia is Torres del Paine National Park. We had found an amazing free camping spot in iOverlander, one that friends had recommended, and looked forward to resting up and working in this pretty location, across from a river and the incredible park.

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Antarctica – A Taste of the Frozen Continent

February 25, 2025 / / 43 Comments

Some facts:

  • Antarctica is called the Frozen Continent or the White Continent, because it’s covered by a thick layer of ice that measures about 2,000m (6,500ft) and all the snow gives it a white appearance.
  • It is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on earth.
  • Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent on earth at almost twice the size of Australia.
  • It’s the only continent without year-round inhabitants – While there are research stations on Antarctica, no permanent human population lives there due to the harsh climate and remote location.
  • The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 by twelve nations, is a unique and unprecedented agreement to keep peace in Antarctica and act towards its best interests. It applies to the area south of latitude 60°S.
  • The Antarctic Peninsula makes up a small fraction of the continent, but is the area where tourism is concentrated, due to its unique landscape, abundant marine life, milder climate, and decent accessibility.

The continent of Antarctica with the Antarctic Peninsula

My fascination

I don’t like being cold, so I can’t say going to Antarctica has been a life-long dream, but my interest about it started when travel became my life (which it has been for 20+ years) and I discovered “the world was my oyster.” My curiosity about new experiences and places is insatiable. The few people who visited this continent a decade ago, raved about it and their photos were stunning.

Gentoo and Adelie penguins in front of the MV Ushuaia

In 2015, I discovered the UK had a post office on the continent that needed staff. After some research, I applied for a job as a Port Lockroy assistant to work in Antarctica for five months during the 2016-2017 season. I don’t know what I was thinking. The logistics would be quite difficult for us and only four candidates would make the cut. Needless to say, I didn’t even reach the second round, but my fascination to visit grew.

At some point (December 2019), my blogging friends Steven and Annie Berger posted about their journey to Antarctica (here, here, here, here, and here) and my heart jumped. They inspired me to keep the desire alive. I recently discovered they were actually on the same ship (Ushuaia) than me!

Returning to our ship, MV Ushuaia, through ice floes

And then, in November 2022, the three of us arrived in South America with the goal of driving all the way to “the end of the world,” namely Ushuaia, which is the gateway to Antarctica. I’d never come this close to the seventh continent and I would never be able to visit for less money than from there. Overlanding friends had enjoyed a cruise to Antarctica in the 2023-2024 season for the last-minute price of $5,000 or less, depending on the comfort level of the ship. I could swallow that; I had savings. The plan was hatched for austral summer 2024-2025. We only had to find a solution for Maya. Or so we thought.

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