November 17, 2025 by Richard
Food, Glorious (and Sometimes Surprising) Food When we first arrived in El Chalten in 2006, the dining scene was simple: one restaurant. Return today, and you’re met with a dizzying array of choices. The catch? The options have become decidedly "Americanized." The menus are a familiar chorus of pizzas, burgers, fries, and pasta. You can, of course, find authentic Argentine gems if you look, hearty "Locro" stew, simmered with corn, squash, beans, and meat, or the famously sublime steaks, which are, as expected, completely out of this world. But no discussion of Argentine food is complete without mentioning the humble...
November 15, 2025 by Richard
We’ve been housebound, or more accurately, apartment-bound, for the last few days. The reason? Patagonia is showing off outside our window with hurricane-force winds and driving rain that could strip paint. Suddenly, being here for a month instead of a few rushed days feels less like a booking and more like a brilliant, prescient survival strategy. The pressure is off; we have nowhere to be but in. The apartment itself is… basic. My wife, Kiersten, likens it to a student pad, and she's not wrong. But to me, it’s a warm, functional fortress. It does the job. Its greatest asset...
November 6, 2025 by Richard
Sometimes, the most challenging part of an adventure isn't a gruelling hike or a blizzard on a pass—it's the patience required when your plans are put on hold. Today was a lesson in exactly that. A familiar feeling of frustration crept in as we, once again, had to postpone our long-awaited trip into the mountains. Kiersten is still fighting off a stubborn bug, and in a place as wild and unforgiving as Patagonia, the "better safe than sorry" mantra isn't just a saying; it's a essential rule to live by. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when the weather outside...
November 5, 2025 by Richard
Greetings from the bottom of the world, where the weather is as predictable as a coin flip and the beer is cheaper than a decent cup of coffee. First, a mission statement. We’re not here to sell you a lie. You won't find a single photo of us, tanned and serene, doing yoga on a sun-drenched glacier. No, sir. We’re here to bring you the raw, unvarnished, and often damp truth of Patagonia. Think of us as your friendly, slightly shivering reality TV show from the Andes. So far, the "good, warm weather, sun and blue skies" package has been...
November 4, 2025 by Richard
A symphony of artisanal, sun-dried durum wheat pappardelle, generously enveloped in a slow-cooked passata di pomodoro. This foundation is elevated by a confit of sweet, translucent gold shallots, offering a delicate sweetness that harmonises with the tender, hand selected broccoli florets, roasted to al dente perfection. The dish is a testament to the beauty of simplicity, allowing the purity of each curated component to resonate on the palate. The reality ... Pasta, Italian sauce packet, onions & broccoli mixed together A fiercely dedicated smoke-kissed sauté pan, bearing the profound, smoky patina of a blisteringly high-heat finish.
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November 3, 2025 by Richard
Today marked a little shift in our Patagonian adventure. We said a temporary goodbye to the wonderful Gabriella at the Hotel Confin Patagonico (thanks to Claudia and Jorge who gave us a fantastic deal ¡mil gracias! and moved to a new base camp. Through their recommendation, we’re now settled into a compact and brilliant apartment run by their good friend, Fernando. The service was seamless help with our bags was included, a touch we can’t recommend highly enough! While our stay at Confin Patagonico was great, Fernando’s place on the main drag is exactly what we were looking for, and...
November 3, 2025 by Richard
Patagonia is known for its ferocious winds. Today they were generally light but there were occasional strong gusts. Kiersten took advantage of this to give her hair some styling.
