yatra

Adventure Culture Tours To El Bolson Argentina

2009-08-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

Feeling a bit groggy from travel, or the bottle of vino rojo, ok, maybe the last two cold QuilmesI drank, I woke to chatter in the hallway of our quaint inn. Three flights and 20 hours later, we are waking up in El Bolson, Argentina, a town surrounded by the Andes Mountains on the cusp of Patagonia.

James despises the bed and breakfast scene. It is the breakfast part he doesn’t like - the forced conversations of small talk when he isn’t quite awake yet. Due to this aversion, I am allowed to choose just one B&B (“two evenings max”) per vacation as a compromise and this was our first night’s stay on the trip. Here we are at the end of the world and I think I hear in accented English through the wall, “There’s another couple from Montana”. I decide not to tell James what I hear because I am sure it will ban me from choosing a B&B ever again. So I stir him awake and we get ready to start our vacation with a hardy Argentine breakfast spread.

We stumbled into the dinning room and I could sense James’ relief that we were the only diners. Gustavo, the friendly inn owner, greeted us with a pot of coffee. Much to my chagrin Gustavo confirmed my keen hearing and said, “We just served breakfast to a couple also from Montana”. Yes, it is a small world, but really, from Montana? We came all this way to “get away” but, sure enough, another couple from our hometown of 35,000, who also love to fly-fish and needed a break from the harsh Montana winter, came to Argentina for a fishing trip. Also like us, they were meeting their guide the next day and wanted a day to get a feel for the Argentine culture and landscape, outside their fishing adventure. A region’s customs and environment can be missed while in a camp or lodge the entire stay. El Bolson provides a great taste for what Argentina can offer. This region is very attractive to fly fisherman because of the pristine rivers and hungry trout but it is also attractive for the foodie, hiker, biker and/or camper. It offers gorgeous landscapes, not too different from the Rocky Mountains, but this time of year, without the 30 below chills and the chance to enjoy summer activities, in the winter. El Bolson is also a gateway to Patagonia which makes it a destination for all types of travelers.

About El Bolson
El Bolson is a 120 km drive from the lovely but touristy Bareloche. The drive covers an easy mountain pass providing great scenic shots of the Andes. El Bolson is tucked in the valley bordered by the mountains, surrounded by azure lakes and rivers, and is said to resemble a large bag (bolsonin Spanish). It is made up of a friendly population of about 18,000, mostly involved in agriculture, but is known for its scenery and warmth towards tourists. It has a reputation of being a hippy town by tour books and Argentines for in the 1960s hippy populations flocked to the area for its natural offerings and to live in peaceful community. As years have past, generations of these families still reside and others have moved to El Bolson to escape the tensions of the city life.

In addition to the natural appeal, El Bolson and the area offers true cuisine and a variety of delicacies. This is an ideal family segue to the landscape offering gentile mountain strolls, rides and lakeside picnics. It is also inviting to the adventurous for it is known as the best hang-gliding and rafting destination in Argentina. For those who like to keep their feet planted, some key attractions include the artisan market, quickly accessible hikes and a national park not more than 15 kilometers away.

The Artisan Market
We planned our travel so we could experience the local craft market held in the town center, Plaza Pagano. It is a good way to get to spend a couple hours browsing for hand made souvenirs and observing the town’s culture. Strolling the park and market, you can see the hippy culture so frequently described. Dread-locked, skinny young people trying to make ends meet selling their hand made jewelry or carved trinket. It reminded me a bit like a Grateful Dead or Phish concert parking lot, just missing the grilled cheese sales person.

The market runs on Tuesday, Thursdays, Saturday and a few optimistic vendors appear on Sunday. Artisans and vendors line the park selling their works varying from jewelry, wood working, and mate gourds. The park surrounds a bright green pond equipped with paddle boats ideal for family entertainment. In addition to local artworks, vendors are selling locally prepared jams, cheeses and microbrews. The valley’s climate is similar to the Pacific Northwest therefore making it ideal growing habitat for hops. As a result, home brewing has become a popular activity and has quite the audience for their flavorful and potent beers. A handful of food vendors provide empanadas, fruit smoothies or slices of handmade pizzas for a perfect lunch destination. After a snack of Argentine pizza washed down with a homemade brew, we sought out the artisan cheese monger for a nice hunk of locally raised cheese to take in our pack for our afternoon plans.

Local Hikes
The tourism office, gas station and inns have maps with easily accessible hikes and walks. Gustavo told us about some of the local paths and recommended the site called Cabeza del Indio (Head of the Indian). The trail location is about 8 km from town and is an easy drive up some dusty dirt roads. Some may enjoy walking it from town, renting a mountain bike, or you can even arrange horseback. Just be cautious of the heat and dust – especially when there is wind. The drive to the trail is longer than the trail itself. There is a small fee for the trail walk to this interesting site. About 10 minutes on a well worn path, you reach the destination. It is a metamorphic rock formation, carved by nature, giving the appearance of a man’s face with his mouth slightly open…whether it is an Indian, can be debated, a unique formation nonetheless. The walk to the Cabeza del Indio is more of a scenic landmark versus a hike. It does provide great views of the landscape including the Rio Azul and the Lago Puelo verifying that you are in Patagonia.

We were hoping to feel a bit more exerted to extend our appetites for the evening. We headed back to town and on the other side of the city center drove to the trail head of the Mirador Cerro Amigo. From the town center you can see this large white cross adorning the foothills. The road to the trailhead is on a steep dirt road - always fun with a small rental car and we smoked the clutch a few times. From the trailhead, it is about 1.5 kilometer walk. The path has many arteries leading to the destination which was a terrific view of the town and surrounding hills. This was also a short jaunt the lending us hours more for exploration.

Lago Puelo
About 15 minutes driving, you can access the National Park Lago Puelo. $6 Argentine pesos you can access this breath taking glacial lake that borders Chile. We took our fishing gear in case we felt inspired by the rivers that feed Lago Puelo. However the lake and Patagonia winds made casting debatable and we decided this was a perfect location to take a lake side walk and eat our packed cheese and bread.

The lake claims to be suitable for swimming and would be inviting if the wind wasn’t so fierce. We did not see anyone being so brave to test the waters. For the trekker, the park also offers a ferry that takes travelers on a 3 hour ride to the Chilean border for a few day walk to the town of t Puerto Mont. For the camper a quicker ride to the other side of the lake to a camp ground at El Turbio. If you camp, don’t forget stakes for your tent.

Drinking and Dinning
All the fresh air, made us thirsty. It was time for a beer. I am a fan of the local brews but I love drinking the beer of the nation. In Argentina, it is Quilmes. A full boded lager, easily purchased at all cafes and convenience stores. When ordering an aperitif, frequently a bowl of peanuts is served, providing enough calories to hold out until dinner, usually starting around 9:00. There are a handful of bars and cafes on Avenue San Martin, across from the Plaza. It is an ideal place to people watch and watch the sun set behind the hills.

I rarely order steaks while dinning out in the States since I could never find one that that beats my husband’s signature dish. However, Argentina is the beef country of South America and I wasn’t going to miss parilla, South American grill, the signature taste of the nation. As much as Argentina loves their beef, they also love their pizza. El Bolson offers a handful of dinning options, mostly falling into these options.

When driving to the Mirador Cerro Amigo we drove past the restaurant Pasiones Argentinas. We didn’t see this one mentioned in our guide books and research. We were attracted to its dark log, mountain house architecture and corner location. Once seated, we were more attracted to the choice wines and the starter plate of dried meats and cheeses. I typically like to follow all courses (or events) with a good brew and Passiones also serves the local microbrews. However the signature flavor of the grilled steak, was the taste of Argentina we were looking to savor. “I am sorry to tell you this, but you no longer prepare the best steak in the world”, I regretful told James while wiping chimichuri sauce off my chin.

Kishtwar Ladakh Zanskar heaven for trekkers

2008-05-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

Two of the sectors most attended for trekkers and climbing foreigners were the valleys of Kishtwar and Suru-Zanskar de Ladakh. Kishtwar was the majority of favourite that the destination for the climbing British as him implied a long voyage week to reach the base camp. The mountains in the group included Bramah, Shivling, Barnaj, the moon of sickle and much of other anonymous peaks in the range from 5000 to 6000 meters which offer good to raise Alpine. In the same way Suru and ZanskarValleys in Kargil have the nun, Kun, the white needle, the pinnacle, Z-8 and a crowd of anonymity and unclimbed of the peaks. On an average there were 30 to 40 foreign forwardings rising with this sector each year. The number of trekkers was in the hundreds. Worms of the years ' 80 late a certain activity of winter had also started in the area of Lidderwatt. A certain number of Australian groups would go remote alpinism of ski. In fact, the winter rising in Kashmir can be a formidable challenge. Some of the peaks can become as difficult as the highest peaks of the Himalayas in summer! The ski across country has unlimited possibilities in whole valley of Kashmir. The majority of these activities do not require for refined infrastructure and if envisaged correctly, those are friendly environment.

Hill Stations in Maharashtra

2008-02-11T01:31:00.000-08:00

Maharashtra tourism is also popular all over the world for its hill stations holidays especially
in the Western Ghats which run parallel to the coast of Maharashtra. Some of the famous hill
stations of Maharashtra are Amboli hill stations, Bhandardhara hill stations, Chikhaldara hill
stations, Jawhar hill station, Khandala, Lonavala, Karla hill stations, Mahabaleshwar hill
station, Matheran hill station and Panchgani hill station.

Wildlife Tourism of Jharkhand

2008-01-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

Jharkhand tourism is also famous all over the world for its wildlife tourism that include Dalma
wildlife sanctuary, Betla National Park, Jaivik Udyan or Zoological Park, Hazaribagh National
Park, Palamau tiger reserve and Topchanchi wildlife sanctuary. However the Nagi Dam Sanctuary near Jhajha is the smallest sanctuary in the state and also a place to spot migratory birds.

AYURVEDA IN DAILY LIFE

2007-12-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Ayurveda is a complete principle of spending the life in orderly way. It imparts all the lessons of life and philosophy. However, these various principles of spending the life are broadly divided into two categories known as Dinacharya and Ritucharya.

1. Dinacharya
The word Dinacharya is derived from two words dina which means ‘day’ and ‘acharya’ which means ‘behavior’. So, Dinacharya prescribes for each individual a specific daily routine. The various stages to this daily routine influenced by the specifics of Prakriti are Arising at sunrise in perfect synchronization to the natural clock. Natural Urges involved the process of elimination of the body's physical waste without suppressing the natural physical urges like hunger, thirst, sleep, sneezing, yawning, vomiting, flatus and ejaculation, for it will lead to discomfort and even disease. Some other components of Dinacharya are cleanliness, exercise, massage, meditation, clothing, work environment, choice of pet, choice of partner and sleep.

2. Ritucharya
The word Ritucharya is composed of two words ‘ritu’ which means ‘seasons’ and Acharya means ‘behavior’. Thus, Ritucharya prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the Doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season therefore, there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara) and routine living (karya). These keep your Doshas in a state of equilibrium and help to cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons. According to Ayurvedic literature, the year is divided into six ritus (seasons) – Varsha (monsoon), Sharada (autumn), Hemanta (winter), Shishira (late winter), Girshma (summer) and Vasanta (spring).

Christmas Holidays in North East

2007-12-12T03:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas holidays in North East have been celebrated for 300 long years imbibed with family traditions, greetings and gifts. People of North East celebrated the Christmas holidays with full enthusiasm because Christianity played an important role of uniting the people of these regions.During this festival of Christmas holidays people sing their special carols whole night to givethe message of peace and love throughout the country.

Matheran Light Railway

2007-12-09T22:30:00.001-08:00

Matheran means “The Wooded Head” or the jungle topped. Over its length of 19.97 Kilometers, there are 221 curves, the sharpest being 1270 equal to 18.25 m., 121 bridges, only one tunnel and a steep winding gradient. Neral, the starting station of this line, falls nearly midway on the Mumbai-Pune route of the central railway. The journey up to Matheran from Neral takes about one-and-a-half hours.

Coastal and Beach Tourism In India

2007-11-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

Beaches in India provide the most perfect destination of sun, sand, sea and surf that is too hard to resist for any beach lover and water sport adventurer. Almost in every parts of this subcontinent, one can enjoy the beach holidays. Some of the famous beaches of India are Anjuna Beach, Bogmalo Beach, Benaulim Beach, Calangute Beach, Chapora Beach, Colva Beach, Cavelossim Beach, Candolim Beach, Dona Paula Beach, Majorda Beach, Palolem Beach, Vagator Beach, Varca Beach, Velsao Beach all in Goa; Mahabalipuram Beach in Tamil Nadu; Ganapatipule Beach in Maharashtra; Kovalam Beach in Kerala; Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach, Porbandar Beach in Gujarat; Puri Beach and Gopalpur-on-Sea Beach in Orissa; Digha Beach in West Bengal; Andaman and Nicobar Beaches, Daman and Diu Beaches and Lakshadweep Beaches.

west bengal india yatra

2007-11-03T00:51:00.000-07:00

The name Bengal or Bangla is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga or Banga and this name came to denote the entire linguistic region However, the term West Bengal came only after the partition of Bengal province in 1905, when the British made two separate provinces of West and East Bengal West Bengal is situated in east India with its capital as Kolkata, stretches from Bangladesh in eastern border to northeast states of Assam, Sikkim and the country Bhutan, Orissa to its southwest, Jharkhand and Bihar to the west and Nepal to the northwest It is a land of varied charms subjected to a variety of influences from diverse cultures and wonderful nature’s gift like verdant plains, hilly terrains, forests and mangrove forests.

PLACES OF INTEREST For Yatra
There are three distinct types of landscape in West Bengal First is the Red Soil famous for its rich color to the terracotta temple of Bishnupur, second is the Ganges Delta in lower Bengal where the Bengal tigers meander and the third is the charming Rajera Hill Stations of Darjeeling and Kalimpong lies in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of West Bengal Some of the famous India Tours and tourist destinations of West Bengal are Kolkata the capital of the state offers Birla Planetarium, Fort William, Botanical Garden, Zoological Garden, Eden Gardens, Nehru Children's Museum, Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Indian Museum, Nakhoda Mosque, St Paul's Cathedra Church and Kali Mandir of Kalighat Some other excursions are Digha, Diamond Harbor, Haldia, Barrackpore, Chandernagore, Bande, Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary etc। Darjeeling one of the most magnificent hill resorts in the world with breathtaking beauty crowned by the majestic Himalayas Siliguri the gateway of Eastern India as it is the main transit point for going to Darjeeling hill region, Sikkim, Bhutan, Eastern Nepal and Assam Kurseong a quiet township between Siliguri and Darjeeling noted for its secluded charm and Eagle’s Crag Kalimpong secluded and tucked away in the corner under big Darjeeling umbrella, offers a quiet and relaxed holiday, against the backdrop of the Kanchenjunga. Mirik a nest in the hills, a long lake, a floating fountain and the glory of Kanchenjungha reflected in the lake waters. Dooars Valley forms a gateway to the hill stations of North Bengal and Bhutan and famous for unending stretch of virgin forests. Lava commands panoramic view of Jelep La and Rechi La passes, also the gateway to the Neora National Park. Lolay Gaon gives panoramic view of Kanchenjunga. The East Himalayas land of infinite charm with scenic views of Kanchenjunga, bewildering greenery, tea gardens, adventure spots, trekking ,yatra and lots more.