Stubborn Travel

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Dearest Stubborn Travelers,

Firstly, hello! I’ve noticed a few more subscribers recently, so if you’re new, welcome. I’m Jules, a freelance writer with itchy feet. I’m based in London (loosely), but try to visit new places for a couple of months every year.

Most recently, I finished a stint working remotely with my partner in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Today’s post is a quick one – a bit of a brain dump on what we learned from a few months away. Here’s hoping you can learn something, or just indulge a little curiosity on what it’s like to work from the road.

🌎 The Route: Chile, Argentina and Brazil 🌎

• Main stops: Santiago > Puerto Varas > NaviMag ferry > Puerto Natales (for Torres del Paine National Park) > Ushuaia > Buenos Aires > Puerto Iguazu > Florianopolis > São Paolo + a few shorter stops in between

Next up when we return: Atacama Desert, La Serena, Vina del Mar, Chiloé, Aysén, too many to name in Argentina and Brazil, but will call out El Chaltén, Calafate and Perito Moreno because they’re Patagonia

General lessons:

• We knew going into Patagonia that things would be expensive. We were gone for around three months and spent around £90-100 per day between the two of us (a little more if you include flights). Considering what we did, this is an estimate on the lower side.
• We saved by doing three main things: visiting during the shoulder season, working remotely (meaning we couldn’t do activities all the time), and cooking. We traded eating and going out often for apartments with nice kitchens and strong WiFi.
• Santiago was a delightful surprise. I went in with low hopes, but found it to be safe (following capital city precautions), easy to get around, pretty, and with lots to do. The down side is that it’s pricier than other places in the region.
• Work was super busy and I often found myself working much more than I wanted. The travel/work balance was off (as it often can be DNing), which seeped out into other parts of the trip and meant that I was sometimes more stressed than ideal. On the other hand, I earned more than usual so was rarely concerned about money.

• Patagonia is as beautiful as they say. The wind can be biting, but it will take your breath away.
• The weather was unpredictable, but I loved traveling in Patagonia in March. It meant fewer crowds and a lower cost, although eventually the wind/cold got too much and we fled to warmer climes.
• We had a one-way ticket to Santiago, and wanted to plan everything as we went. The flexibility was amazing and genuinely allowed us to do so much, but it did come at a cost. Popular activities or hotels were occasionally sold out, and reasonably priced options for flying back (which we booked around 3-4 weeks before returning home) were much more limited. We wouldn’t change it though, as not having plans is what meant we could suddenly take the infamous Navimag ferry and extend our stay in places we really loved (Santiago, Puerto Varas, Florianopolis).

• We had to return for weddings, or we would have loved to stay out more. If we had more time, we would have traveled through Argentina, the north of Chile, and Bolivia (next time!)
• Sadly, Argentina’s economic problems persist and it is an increasingly expensive destination. I really feel for Argentinians trying to survive the nightmare fluctuations of the peso. As a tourist, USD is king here. Check the blue rate for the latest exchange, but don’t get pesos unless you really need to.
• I had previously written off Western Union as an expensive way to transfer cash, but in Chile and Argentina, wiring a transfer to yourself is often cheaper than withdrawing at ATMs, and the rates are more transparent. You’ll see it has a real presence in these countries.
• We were going to enrol my partner in a Spanish school, but were warned against it. I’m sure there are some great ones, but Chileans speak notoriously quickly and the Argentinian accent can be tough for novices. For beginners, Bolivia and Colombia were recommended.
• Facebook groups are super popular for exchanging Patagonia advice, arranging car shares and selling camping gear. For more on that, see my article on Puerto Natales.
• We traveled light (see photo below). I will always, always, always suggest doing so.

🏆 Trip awards 🏆

• Favorite places: Torres del Paine, Florianopolis
• Favorite hostel: MaPatagonia (Puerto Varas)
• Favorite hotel: Hostería Pehoe (basic and pricy compared to normal hotels, but with an unbeatable location)
• Favorite apartment: Florianopolis
• Favorite experience: Torres del Paine, Navimag Ferry

I’m working on the full write ups (and will link them here when done) but in the meantime, do you have any questions? Pop them in the comments (or reply if you’re getting this by email) and I’d be happy to answer them.

Happy travels,

Jules