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Tag: Patagonia

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – February 2025 (Argentina & Chile)

March 9, 2025 / / 16 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.

In February, Mark, Maya, Thirsty Bella, and I explored an attractive part of Patagonia. The first week, we drove north in Argentina and the rest of the month, we bounced on the gravel, potholed Carretera Austral (Ruta 7) in Chile.

Driving through pretty Patagonia National Park
A sunny day is reason for a smile
A decent gravel road
Border crossing in the middle of nowhere
Arriving in Chile again on another rainy day
Maya is getting used to the roads again
Following the Carretera Austral southwards in Chile

While it is still summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the rainy weather has made our time here less pleasant. But more about that in future posts.

A windy and particularly bumpy part of Ruta 7, aka the Carretera Austral
Crossing a wooden bridge
Road construction worker reading a book!
Driving inland to check out a couple of lakes
Driving north on the Carretera Austral in Chile
These bridges look narrower than they are.
Beware of falling rocks!
Crossing a pretty river in Chile
Can you pick out the dog? He’s there to keep pumas at bay.
Tunnel along the way
Yes! They are grading the road…

This expense report could well be the most straightforward one ever. Nothing complicated, unexpected, or weird happened. And, despite fuel being at an all-time high (I say this every month) at $670 (!), we stayed on budget. This record amount accounted for more than half of our expenditures in February! Blame all the driving, the awful roads, and the high fuel prices in Chile ($6/gallon).

This town’s gas station ran out of gasoline, so we needed to buy it elsewhere…
The only place in town to buy gasoline!
These five gallons held us over until the next town with a gas station.
Another visit to another Copec fuel station along the Carretera Austral
Prices at the Copec gas station in southern Chile: $1.60 per liter.

Our grocery bill is back on track at around $300. We didn’t come across “real” supermarkets, so have been buying our bread at bakeries, our produce at vegetable shops, and other necessary goods at convenient-store like establishments. We buy what we need, rarely what we want.

Finally! A decent-sized produce store in a decent-size city, Coyhaique
Our healthy bounty for $15

Once we reached Chile, we ate out again! Empanadas in Cochrane that consist of ground beef, boiled egg, an olive, and a raisin (beware of the pit in the olive; yes, many dishes containing olives down here, like pizza, still have pits); a tasty fish lunch in Tortel; an incredible pizza in Puerto Rio Tranquilo; and a set lunch menu in La Junta. None of this was cheap, but the total remained under $100.

Salmon lunch out!
Our restaurant of choice in Tortel didn’t open for lunch until 1pm.
Dinner out in Puerto Rio Tranquilo: : Mark’s (vegetarian) pizza
Dinner out in Puerto Rio Tranquilo: my pizza
The set day dish in La Junta consisted of a stew topped with egg and a side salad
The restaurant we ate lunch at in La Junta
Maya rests under the table of the La Junta restaurant.

As usual, most of our meals were cooked and eaten at home. I’ll never tire of Mark’s cuisine, but when he’s busy, working, or tired, I take over.

Pizza in our little oven! This is only possible when we have excess power.
Couscous, falafel, and eggplant with a bun
Eggplant dish with egg noodles
Pasta with corn and pepper, anyone?
An appetizer of crackers and artichoke dip
Maya’s dinner is augmented with vegetable compost whenever possible
Vegetarian lentil dish
Fried eggplant with quinoa, fish, and cucumber salad.
And when I cook, our meals are simple: quinoa, coleslaw, fried potatoes and a veggie burger (for me) / chicken thigh for Mark
Back to Mark: spaghetti with a cherry tomato sauce
Hamburgers on the grill, French fries in our oven, and coleslaw

We also paid for excursions in February. An intended highlight was a boat tour on stunning General Carrera Lake to the famed Marble Caves ($54). The trip didn’t really go according to plan, but we still enjoyed the experience. And, the three of us walked up to Las Manos in Cerro Castillo, to observe rock art in the form of hand paintings ($6). I’ll report on these Chilean attractions later.

Boat ride to the Marble Caves
Part of the Marble Caves
Las Manos in Cerro Castillo

Our engine still contains two generic injector coils that we purchased new in Bolivia over a year ago and that we ideally replace with OEM ones. Mark ordered one on Amazon (he always waits for the best available price – one more to go) and, when discovering that an unopened tube of caulk had gone off after we separated our camper from the truck for a repair, we had to hunt for caulk locally. Again, we only found a temporary solution. These two items brought the camper repair category to $58.

General store in Cochrane, where we bought our new caulk
Re-caulking some seams

Life is more enjoyable with a glass of wine, so we spent $54 on alcohol: some local beers for Mark and a few bottles of wine for both of us. The $39 for utilities went to our monthly Starlink subscription. The exact amount depends on the exchange rate for Argentinian pesos. Our company pays the other half. Filling up with potable water was free.

Because the line was so long for gas, we filled with water first.
More potable water is needed.
Topping up with potable water at a gas station

For once, we needed to stay at a campground, because we had to wash the car, take our camper off, and fix parts of the box. We managed to keep it to one night.

The owner begrudgingly let us wash our car.
We took the camper off to fix something underneath.
This is why we don’t like official campgrounds – they are often busy and loud.

In general, we wild camp and avoid official campgrounds for several reasons (just like marinas when we sailed). Boondocking/wild camping is free, offers privacy, flexibility, and natural surroundings; you don’t have to reserve or register; and there is no check-out time. So that’s what we did the other 27 nights in February. Although we were rarely alone then, too!

The very popular free camping spot in El Chalten, with Mount Fitzroy in the background
We camped here by ourselves to be protected from the insane winds. By evening, we had a lot of company!
Camped across the border, in Chile, since the check-in procedure took much longer than expected.
Camped by one of the many rivers in Chile
We loved our river camping spot in Tortel.
A rare moment of being able to sit outside for happy hour
Camped by the Rio Baker, one of our favorite rivers in the world!
Cerro Castillo on a sunny morning
The afternoon we arrived, it was sunny at Lago Paloma. But this was followed by two days of solid rain.
Another rainy day and burs in the grass, so we only stayed one night here.
Meeting Swiss overlanders at Puente Piedra
Another nice river campsite
We hoped for beautiful weather in Puerto Raul Marin Balmaceda for Mark’s birthday, but it was not meant to be.

The last item of this month’s expense report is laundry ($10). Mark and I have been washing, rinsing, and drying our clothes and linen in nature most of the time. The river water in Patagonia is extremely cold, but the sense of accomplishment – within our own time and space – after finishing a load, or three, is immense. That being said, we do wish laundromats get cheaper as we head north, especially since it has been raining non-stop, lately. This means lots of dirty clothes and no option of drying anything out.

Hand laundry by the river
Mark rinsed the clothes in the river, after I washed them in a bucket.
Without trees around us, we connected our washing line to a parked truck on a Sunday.
Of course, the truck had to leave for a few hours…

The grand total for February was $1,307, so right on track. But we do need to start spending less on fuel!

February 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel):

Groceries:

Dining out:

Entertainment (Marble Caves & Las Manos):

Camper repair:

Alcohol:

Utilities (Internet):

Camping:

Laundry:

 

TOTAL:

 

$671

$306

$94

$60

$58

$54

$39

$15

$10

———

$ 1,307

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: The real Patagonia!

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – January 2025 (Argentina & Chile)

February 17, 2025 / / 24 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.

My apologies for posting two expense reports in a row, but we have been very busy driving, sightseeing, and dealing with the demands of life on the road. I returned from Antarctica a month ago and I still haven’t had time to organize my 1,000 photos and videos. That highlight post will take days to create and it’s already the second half of February, so first: our expenses for January 2025!

Protected from the wind in Puerto Almanza, Argentina
Camped by our familiar river spot with Jeff and Sheri in Ushuaia
Camped at Beaver Pond near Ushuaia

Mark, Maya, and I spent January in Thirsty Bella, split between Argentina and Chile. The first part of the month, we explored the bottom of the world. Then, I “cruised” to Antarctica for ten days. From the moment I disembarked again, we left Ushuaia and traveled north, crossing Tierra del Fuego and entering Chile. We finished back in Argentina. During these exploits, we paid $500 for fuel.

The YPF gas station in El Calafate, Argentina
A full tank (97 liters) in Argentina cost $90 – Our tank holds 120 liters
Gasoline is more expensive in Chile than in Argentina.
Following the “End of the World” road back north

The car category was the highest, as always. In addition to fuel, we handed over $10 for a self-serve carwash in Ushuaia after driving on wet gravel roads for weeks and 7,000 CLP ($7) went to a tire repair center when entering Chile. It was the exact amount of cash we had left from a previous visit. Lucky!

A needed and deserved car wash for Thirsty in Ushuaia
Getting our tire fixed for $7 in Chile. I wonder how much this would have cost in Argentina.
Mark installs the patched front tire.

What was not lucky was how we happened upon this tire puncture… I swear, you can’t make this up. On that first night after leaving Ushuaia, we camped along a remote dirt road in Tierra del Fuego. All the rattling had loosened a screw from our camper, which had fallen on the ground and landed in our track. You guessed it… We backed up onto the screw and discovered a flat front tire in the morning!

Back on the road – camped along a dirt track on Tierra del Fuego where we caused a flat tire!
Flat tire on my first night back!
The tire repair kit didn’t work…
Installing the spare tire

The tire repair kit we purchased in the US didn’t work. We had to solve the issue before the strong Patagonia winds started, which would make it unsafe to jack up the car. Mark succeeded in putting the spare tire on in an efficient manner and after an hour (30 minutes wasted on trying to insert a plug first), we were back on the road. Good thing we didn’t have a ferry reservation!

Mushrooms cost half the price of Argentina. Yay!
Look at all these bananas – and much cheaper than in Argentina.

Groceries cost the same as last month ($366) – we finally discovered decent produce in Punta Arenas, Chile, and its cost was half than in Argentina – and we cooked pretty much all our meals as per the usual.

Mark’s amazing mushroom burgers from scratch; my favorite homecooked meal.
Mark made a yummy frittata one evening
Freshly made English muffins…
… for an eggs Benedict breakfast
A hearty soup with pan-cooked bread

We managed to find another bag of Maya’s special dog food (salmon-based without chicken) in the same city. That stuff is pricy at $100, but it’s a big bag (18kg/40lbs), which should last two to three months, depending on us adding brown rice to her diet. We embraced this particular bag, since it was the last available one in the city!

Dog food store in Punta Arenas
The last “Pacific Stream – Taste of the Wild” bag in the city!

Our utilities category was higher than usually. The monthly Starlink subscription ($40; the other half is paid by our business) and propane gas ($13) were similar to other months and all our potable water was free, but I spent an extra $35 for internet access on the MV Ushuaia to communicate with Mark. This was a high fee, since I only planned to send one WhatsApp message per day, but it was the lowest amount of data I could buy. This service was through Starlink as well, which meant Mark and I were chatting solely via satellites.

Topping up with free potable water at a gas station in El Calafate
Parked briefly to obtain more propane gas
Ushuaia has the best propane gas company we have ever encountered: fast, professional, and affordable!

We had medical expenses of $79, since we were both due for teeth cleanings. It was easier spending this money than planning around dentist schedules, as we were both sick and camped at a lovely spot across from the spires of Torres del Paine in Chile. We had to postpone the appointment once.

Our dentist in Puerto Natales, Chile
Camped for almost a week along the river across from Torres del Paine National Park, Argentina
Evening light over Torres del Paine

I believe our alcohol cost ($64) was similar to last month, except, this time we focused on liquor instead of wine. Punta Arenas in Chile – a shopping paradise after dealing with little food availability and high prices for months in Argentina – has a duty-free area, so we stocked up on special booze like coconut rum, Amarula, Tito’s vodka, and 7-year-old Flor de Caña rum. Each of these bottles cost less than $14 apiece. If you know anything about rum – and our favorite brand – you’ll agree this is awesome. Ironically, Mark and I stuck to a mostly “dry January,” which means we still have all of this alcohol! It’ll last a while. 😊

Enjoying one of Jeff’s amazing gin & berry cocktails for our postponed New Year celebration. Can you tell who’s on his shirt? 🙂
Camped by Laguna Margarita with friends
Our alcohol bounty in Punta Arenas, Chile

There was a “drinking out” category for January as well. All me. I treated my roommate to a shot of old-fashioned, Argentinian “Old Smuggler” whisky, enjoyed one traditional, Chilean pisco sour, and shared a bottle of red Malbec with table mates on the ship. This added up to $25. You only live once!

Old Smuggler whisky
The bar tender pours shots of Old Smuggler
A very tasty pisco sour – Dare I say the Chilean version is better than the Peruvian one?
And it was a tasty Malbec!
Our last meal aboard deserved a bottle of red wine

Mark, Maya, and I took a $20, 30-minute ferry with Thirsty Bella, leaving Tierra del Fuego to return to mainland South America. We managed to just drive on without waiting. Thanks to that time spent on our flat tire, probably.

Taking the ferry back to mainland South America
It’s a tight squeeze!

As is becoming habit, we washed most of our laundry by hand in January. And, while it is summer here, I can assure you that the glacial river water is freezing cold. Sheets, towels, and jeans were dropped off and picked up clean and fresh in El Chalten, Argentina, for $15.

Doing laundry at a river in Puerto Almanza
The wind and sun (if present) in Patagonia dry clothes quickly
More laundry in river water
Ready to drop off laundry (which failed in Ushuaia)

Mark and I paid entrance fees ($13) for Glacier National Park in Argentina, to witness the incredible Perito Moreno glacier. That will be for a future blog post. Other hikes and excursions were free.

A spectacular backdrop!
Perito Moreno glacier
The Lasifashaj falls near Ushuaia were a free attraction

The last category is “gifts.” I bought myself a magnet with our route through Antarctic waters when I was on the expedition ship. I couldn’t resist.

My Antarctica magnet; the only souvenir I bought on this trip.

Actually, the three of us enjoyed two take-out dinners as well, both from the same place, a “bakery” in Puerto Natales, Chile. Their burgers and seafood empanadas were delicious! We used the last of our donation money (except for a special occasion one we are still saving) for these splurges.

Our favorite restaurant – bakery in Puerto Natales, Chile
Amazing burgers and fries from a place in Puerto Natales
Another take-out meal from our favorite restaurant/bakery in the city

Oh, and we camped for free everywhere in January. It was a mixed bag of quiet and not-so-peaceful nights.

Camped near Punta Arenas, Chile – There is a story regarding this small boat…
Camped by a river along our route – it was much louder with traffic than expected.
Our preferred campsite in Puerto Natales, Chile – It was relatively quiet for a city.
Moving spots due to heavy winds in the Torres del Paine region – protection was needed!
Camped by a lake for the night
Camped for one night near El Calafate, for an early visit to the nearby glacier
Camped in El Chalten, Argentina

And that wraps up a decent month, financially. We stayed under our average of $1,300, probably because I left for ten days and Mark stayed put in Ushuaia during that time.

Early drive through Torres del Paine National park – a freebie

January 2025 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $481; maintenance: $17):

Groceries:

Dog (dog food):

Utilities (Internet: $75; propane: $13):

Medical (dentist):

Alcohol:

Drinking out:

Transportation (ferry Chile):

Laundry:

Entertainment (Perito Moreno glacier):

Gift:

Dining out:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$498

$366

$100

$88

$79

$64

$25

$20

$15

$13

$5

$0

$0

———

$ 1,273

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Antarctica! (Hopefully.)

If you are enjoying these posts, please consider donating to Roaming About in support of our website and lifestyle. A big thank you to all our readers who have helped out in the past!

Monthly Expenses of a Nomad in South America – December 2024 (Argentina & Chile)

January 8, 2025 / / 16 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.

Mark, Maya, and I spent the entire month of December with Thirsty Bella in Argentina, apart from two days in Chile during which we only paid for a ferry.

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

Leaving Argentina to then cross into Chile
Welcome to the Land of Fire
Getting closer to Ushuaia
Reaching the bottom of the continent
Lake along our route
The scenery got better and better as we reached Ushuaia

True to form, the car category was the highest, with about $500 going to fuel to cover the 700-mile (1,000km) distance from Puerto San Julian to Ushuaia and then exploring the southern tip of the continent in earnest. As you will notice in an upcoming post, Ushuaia has a lot to offer!

We topped up our fuel tank again in Chile, because we didn’t know how many detours we’d make on this part of the island and there was only one fuel station!
Driving across the island of Tierra del Fuego
We’d been driving on Ruta 3 for 3,000 km (2,000 miles)

Over $150 went to maintenance for our truck. Mark finally bought a complete repair manual for our 2016 Ford F350, since we try to do all engine work ourselves. We shopped locally for brake cleaner and a C-clamp in order to replace our rear brakes. Of course, during that process, we faced an issue when one of the brake caliper pins appeared to be seized.

Our first day in Ushuaia was used to do car maintenance.
The brake caliper has a seized pin!
Mark aims to replace the rear brakes and rotate the tires.

After trying to get the part unstuck with heat, twisting, and banging, Mark managed to remove the caliper and – after more attempts to loosen the pin – I wrapped it and hitched a ride with our friends to town, where I enlisted the help of a mechanic to separate the parts. It didn’t look promising, but after an hour of blasting heat, banging, and some mate drinking, Edgardo from Gato Garage in Ushuaia succeeded to separate the caliper pin. Cost: $50.

Edgardo uses heat to loosen the pin. Unsuccessfully.
Edgardo uses a hammer to loosen the pin. Unsuccessfully.
After an hour of this combination, he finally manages to get the pieces separated. It was a good moment!
Here, he’s cleaning the insides of the caliper, while drinking mate.
Mark installs the new brake pads.

Mark also ordered two new sets of caliper pins in the US, to start fresh in the future. We used the pristine ones we brought to finish the brake job.

The camper and the truck are united again.

The grocery category was less than last month. Prices in Argentina are still soaring, but the exchange rate against the USD is improving and we didn’t splurge as much as other years for our Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners.

For the first time, Mark is cooking orange chicken in the camper.
Making our own “take-out” Chinese dinner of orange chicken, which is like sweet & sour chicken
Mark makes his own granola, as it’s impossible to find healthy granola. Unfortunately, our oven is too small for this frequent event.
We always buy whole chickens, which Mark then butchers into the different parts. It’s the cheapest way to eat chicken and you don’t end up with two-boned thighs this way.
Yummy Philly cheesesteak sandwich for lunch
Stir fry dinner
Meatloaf, flattened to fit in our tiny oven
Lots of grocery store visits when heading south along Ruta 3
Grocery shopping in Rio Grande, Argentina
Appetizer platter on Christmas Day

We cooked and ate all but one of our meals at home in December, including special dinners on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Plenty of fresh mussels along the seashore
Preparing a mussel fest on Christmas
Mussels as an appetizer for our Christmas dinner
Mark prepares the main course: ossobuco and squash risotto
Maya still enjoys her moose antler bone
A Dutch couple joined us for our Christmas feast
Dinner on NYE, just with my husband

My annual tradition in December is to create calendars for dear family members. Every month of the year has a page-size photo of Mark and me (and, ideally, Maya as well) in different locations of our travels. It has proven to be a perfect gift for loved ones and, this way, we are somewhat close by.

Sunset at 10:30pm or so on Christmas Day

As mentioned before, throughout December, Mark moved all our email addresses, domain names, and webhosting services to different companies. What prompted this mammoth task was BlueHost’s annual rates going through the roof, with the three-year subscription more than doubling in price.

Mark dealt for weeks with switching our hosting, domain, and email services.

Because of the research and switch, this blog has become cheaper to maintain and should load quicker with Easy WP. The sign-on year is affordable ($20), but prices will go up to about $100 a year. We also paid the annual fees for our email hosting ($10) and the other $30 went to our domain registrations for 2026, as we had already paid for 2025, which was transferred. We hope to recover the fees for Roaming About blog maintenance through donations within the next three years. One person already helped out, so our thanks go to MD.

It can be pretty cold down here. Even in the summer.
It’s pretty cold during the day and close to freezing at night. Where is summer?
Posing on a snowy patch at the Martial Glacier site

Now for the less boring stuff… We stocked up on wine and beer for the holidays ($55), paid for half of our monthly Starlink satellite internet subscription (the other half is paid by our business), and topped up our propane tank. This happens more frequently now, since we run our heater quite a bit in the cold south. Even though it is summer!

To enter the island of Tierra del Fuego, we needed to hop on a ferry in Chile and cross the Strait of Magellan. The $21 ride lasted about half an hour. Just enough time to cue and pay for the privilege. Hence the transportation category in December.

Driving to the port to catch a ferry to Tiera del Fuego
The ferry – with us – would cross the Strait of Magellan
Approaching the ferry
The entire ferry ride (30 minutes), we waited in line to pay for the crossing – Passengers ride for free on this one.
Price list for the ferry
It was a smooth ride, but we couldn’t see the water.
Driving back on land; an island

I am going on a “solo” adventure in January, which I will detail in our annual expense report for 2024, and for this, I needed warm, waterproof pants. Our friend, Jeff, could miss a pair, so I bought them from him.

Layering up for my 10-day expedition to…

We lucked out with laundry last month by finding the cheapest laundromat of Argentina in Rio Gallegos. Because of this, we dropped off four baskets of clothes and linen and had about everything we own washed, dried, and somewhat folded for $13. If only we’d pass through again on our way back north!

Two big bags of laundry for $13, a score!
Checking out several hardware stores – The wares are located behind the counter.
“One inch,” I said to Mark… At least it was a free haircut!

And, because we had to cross through a small part of Chile to reach Ushuaia, Maya needed another health certificate from a registered vet in Argentina, plus an official international permit from the agricultural department SENASA. The trick to save money here is time. If you want this permit on the day of application, it costs $40. To retrieve it the following day, you hand over $20. And, if you are willing to wait three business days, the cost drops to $2! Guess what we did?

Another vet office visit to obtain paperwork for Maya in Rio Gallegos

Mark went to a bar with our friend, Jeff, one afternoon, hence the drinking out category, and the three of us enjoyed a decent meal at the same “pub” (La Cabaña) in Ushuaia after a streneous hike in the mountains. Mark and I used “old” donation money for our burger dinner and accompanying drinks. It had been a long time since we found eating out worthwhile in Argentina! Thank you, MB and MD for this lovely splurge!

Cute setting for a bar
Sign in the women’s bathroom of La Cabana
Enjoying a local gin cocktail – It was the best one I’d drank in years!
Finally going out to dinner again in Argentina!
It was a tasty meal and a fun evening.
Camped by the glacier attraction for two nights with Jeff

All our hikes and entertainment last month turned out to be free activities.

Sealions below the cliffs on the coastal route
Replica of the Victoria – one of Magellan’s ships in an attempt to circumnavigate the world
Walking among Magellanic penguins
Watching penguins at a pebble beach
Hiking to Twin Lakes north of Ushuaia
Hiking to Martial Glacier with Jeff
Turning-around point on the coastal trail for me. The men and Maya kept going.
Relatively insignificant waterfall along Ruta 3 in Ushuaia.
We spotted our first King penguin
Hike to spectacular Laguna Esmeralda with Jeff
A scenic drive to the real end of the road

Filling our water tank with potable water came without a cost as well – at fuel stations or the fire station (los bomberos).

Filling Bella with potable water
Water spigot by a fuel station
Filling up with potable water every ten days or so
Getting water at the fire department of Ushuaia

We didn’t pay for camping in December and I am happy to report that most of those sites were pretty, quiet, and peaceful. Yes, we are enjoying Ushuaia! 😊

Camped with Jeff and Sheri at wind-protected Playa La Mina
Camped for a few nights – waiting for the wind to settle – at Puerto San Julian
Camped for one night near Punta Quilla
Camped in the middle of nowhere along “boring” Ruta 3 in Patagonia
Quiet camping spot over the weekend in Rio Gallegos
Meeting Jeff and Sheri for one night, where they planned a penguin tour
Beautiful spot by a Chilean lake, where we wish we could have stayed longer.
Not a bad camping spot next to a fuel station (Rio Grande)
Spending a few days at a pretty lake, before tackling Ushuaia
Camped with Jeff along a dirt road next to the Beagle Channel
Our base in Ushuaia, a free and relatively quiet (at night) camping area along Rio Olivia.
Puerto Almanza would become our favorite camping area at the bottom of the continent.
Our campsite over New Year. Unfortunately, it rained throughout NYE.

December 2024 turned out to be an average month regarding our expenses.

Note: I will be (mostly) offline for the next ten days, so I won’t be able to reply to comments here and on Facebook until I return. Thank you for being patient! 

December 2024 Overview:

Car  (fuel: $502; maintenance: $160):

Groceries:

Gifts (family calendars):

Computer (web hosting & domain fees):

Alcohol:

Utilities (Starlink internet: $40; propane: $11):

Transportation (ferry Chile):

Clothing (warm pants Liesbet):

Laundry:

Dog (vet: $10; permit: $2):

Drinking out:

Dining out:

Camping:

 

TOTAL:

 

$662

$364

$78

$60

$55

$51

$21

$20

$13

$12

$10

$0

$0

———

$ 1,346

(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, check out the blogs of our nomad friends Duwan and Greg at Make Like An Ape Man.

Next up: Unexpected Ushuaia

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Wind and Wildlife in Patagonia – Heading South along the Argentinian Coast

January 3, 2025 / / 39 Comments

Happy New Year, everyone! Mark, Maya, and I wish you all a healthy, productive, inquisitive, comfortable, and adventurous 2025. Thank you for following Roaming About and appreciating that crazy lifestyle of ours.

I finally finished my Patagonia wildlife post, which contains lots of photos and videos. This footage hopefully gives you a better representation of our incredible encounters. Enjoy!

Route South to Ushuaia
Northern Part Route
Southern Part Route

After “killing” a month of time in and around Uruguay in anticipation of less cold weather in the south, Mark and I deemed November 1st a good time to cross the border into Argentina again and head to Patagonia along the Atlantic Coast. It was still spring in the Southern Hemisphere, but the goal was to reach Ushuaia, the bottom of the continent, by December 21st, the start of the austral summer.

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

Group of youngsters partying behind our camper, playing loud music and driving their motorcycles on the sidewalk.
Almost at our next destination to finally go to sleep!

We had a rough start of this 2,500-mile (3,750km) southbound journey in Gualeguaychú with lack of sleep due to a motorcycle event with revving engines until 2am and youth partying behind our camper at 4am. We packed up and moved in the dark to settle at a fuel station by 5:15am.

This park was quiet!

This was followed by hours of driving and eventually settling in a nice and free municipal campground for a few days to work. After that commitment, the three of us started to cover miles along a boring Ruta 3, stopping at a few points of interest and stocking up on groceries before reaching a more remote and expensive Patagonia.

Eerie camp spot

One of the interesting sites we picked for a visit was Laguna de Epecuén, which draws tourists because of its eerie appearance. On November 6th, 1985 (exactly 39 years prior to our visit), an unusual weather pattern destroyed the dam and dike protecting the village of Villa Epecuén, flooding the area. This resort destination was never rebuilt and became a ghost town. Skeletal trees stand guard day and night, enhancing the barren scenario.

Signs in Spanish and English offer information and sketches of what was before.
A glimpse into the past
Remaining bars
Stairs to nowhere
Old playground
Rumble and ruins

Most overlanders drive to Ushuaia via the Andes Mountains that straddle the Argentinian-Chilean border, which is a more scenic route than our choice near and along the Atlantic Coast. There are three reasons we picked this “faster” and “boring” side of the continent: we were already located in the east when starting the last stretch of our journey south, we hoped to spend most of the summer in the Andes on our drive back north, and this route offered wildlife encounters.

Flamingos on Epecuén Lake

Besides the random flamingoes, no interesting animals had crossed our path yet. That was about to change in Balneario El Condor, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. This, we learned after going through multiple agriculture checkpoints. We arrived in the province of Rio Negro on El Dia de la Tradicion (November 10th) and were greeted by cute children offering goodies and cheaper fuel!

Local treats for Dia de la Tradicion

El Condor might be located off the beaten track, but we really recommend a stop here if you have your own vehicle. This is where the biggest colony of burrowing parrots in the world is situated.

Homecoming
Flying parrots
The beach in El Condor

Miles of cliffs are inhabited by these pretty, squawking birds that are a delight to witness. Yes, they are loud! Luckily, they go to sleep at night, but the nights at this time of the year are short. They made sure we went to bed with them and woke up with the first sunrays!

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