Honestly, when I first heard that I would be heading to South America I was expecting to arrive in the middle of nowhere, just lots of land covered in dead grass. What I did not know is that Argentina and Chile are the total opposite of that.
Starting off, Buenos Aires is hot and humid. The heat took a toll on me and I instantly jumped into a pair of shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Instead of keeping my hair down I had it in a long french braid that stretched down my back, damp with sweat. I stayed in an old, vintage Airbnb with this amazing vintage elevator. The one you might see in a Marilyn Monroe movie that has the self-slide door.
San Carlos De Barloche is like a Swiss town. It amazed me how much this place stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the country. Every corner had a chocolate shop and it was right along the water. The breeze was powerful and unlike Buenos Aires, it was quite chilly. I bundled up in a pom-pom hat and a winter jacket, but was still freezing.
The view was gorgeous, which I can also say for every city I visited in South America. Even with the icy winds, I would of stayed in Barloche, just for the chocolate.
Now for my little Italy, welcome to Valparaiso. This amazing city looked like Italy from any rooftop, with the buildings piled onto the side of mountains. The graffiti was stunning. Yes, I am well aware graffiti does ruin ancient buildings and can turn a city trashy, but not this graffiti. It was all so incredible and I couldn't tuck my camera away without pulling it out seconds later.
I would say that Valparaiso was warmer, but not nearly as hot or humid as Buenos Aires. I mostly wore layers, short sleeves with a windbreaker either on or tied around my waist.
The city had amazing shopping too. Now, if you are more of a Chanel or Gucci girl, this might not be your number one shopping location. Mostly, unique items sold out of suitcases or carts on the side of the road. As shown in my picture, the ring I am wearing on my thumb was originally a butter knife that was turned into a piece of jewelry. I bought it from vendor on the side of the road. The man, who I barely could communicate with, because of the lack of one another's language, adjusted the ring to my size. The people of Valparaiso were all kindhearted and tried to communicate even if they didn't know a single word of English.
In Puerto Varas, I took an incredible hike featured on National Geographic. The hike took around three hours but was so worth it. I must warn you the hike becomes very steep while going down, but the view from the top featured incredible mountains colliding into the clouds.
My trip was around ten days in total, including travel days. The flight was cramped as I sat between a total stranger and my cousin, but I would take the trip over and over just to experience beautiful South America.
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