Costa Rica

Leaving Barranco, Lima to head to the airport gave us a few extra heartbeats. There was a lot of traffic, and we went to a wrong address before finding our way to the airport. I was horrified because I thought it was a major hub and the security lines must be horrendous — but luckily it was a smooth cruise once we finally got there.

The flight to San José, Costa Rica took about 4 hours and there was no drama. Sometimes when there's turbulence, our son actually gets excited for the “homppupomppu” — like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh. I, on the other hand, tend to grab Matias by the leg and squeeze tight 😅

Once we got off the plane, I noticed that this time the junior was missing his cap, and we had to wait a few minutes to get it. This meant we were the last in line for immigration. And the line was a loooong one :/ There were also no restrooms anywhere along the corridor, which made the waiting even more uncomfortable.

I suggested the junior run around a bit to burn off steam — and also kind of hoped he’d be noticed by airport staff. Luckily someone did notice all the little kids in the line, and soon enough we got moved to the kids’ priority line. A very smooth and easy way into the country, luckily.

We had booked two nights in San José, and the idea was to explore one full day, visit travel agencies and book transfers to the destinations we had chosen. (We also pondered renting a car, but then weighed how much we actually wanted to drive around…)

We found two agencies that actually had offices, just like the good old days — but sadly, no nostalgia here. We were knocking on the doors but there wasn’t anyone there to welcome us. Matias WhatsApped one or two places, but the prices were high and the shared transfers weren’t leaving at a reasonable time.

So we turned to our hotel receptionist — Joseph, or something — and he was a gem. He really helped us out and asked around. He went above and beyond and finally got us a driver named Marlon from Costa Rica Transfer.

But before our road trip began, we did visit the city. I felt a little bit uneasy walking through some less crowded areas before reaching the city centre, but all was good — and once again we got our daily steps in.

We wandered around, visited the San José Central Market and bought some souvenirs, and enjoyed the vibrant music and colours of the street. 

San José Central Market vibes

After awhile we wanted to have a break and sit for a bit. I had searched beforehand and found a great coffee place in the centre — and Matias did not need much persuasion with this one. The place is called La Mancha Coffee Shop, and I had read they have coffee tasting sets so you can choose three different local beans and styles.

There were two sets of three to choose from, and we actually didn’t get the one we wanted, which was a bummer because the reviews kept saying how great the Henry blend is. But luckily they made our own Henry-style tasting for us to try. It was interesting — almost like iced tea in coffee form. Not bad at all!

Coffee, coffee, coffee!!

After that there was more walking and wandering ahead. We almost ordered an Uber, but we had a deal with the kid: 10 minutes of YouTube/TV screen time per 1 km walked, so after a discussion we got the steps in again. This tactic really helped us along the way :)

Road trip: San José to Manuel Antonio

After a meaty breakfast with gallo pinto, we were ready to get the road trip going. We were greeted by our driver Marlon in the lobby, and we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the ride: we had a spacious van all to ourselves! We hopped in the van and started our way to the southern side of the country. Marlon spoke some English and we spoke some Spanish, so this was a great trip for both of us to practice and learn some more.

The wheels are here

The drive was smooth and we enjoyed the scenery and Marlon’s insider stories about his country.

We stopped to eat some empanadas and to see a big, chunky crocodile at Puente Tárcoles. The journey took several hours and the roads can be scary — one lane in many places, and unfortunately a lot of people die on the roads. But Marlon was a great driver and we didn’t need to worry. We also stopped shortly for groceries and saw some toucans nearby on the tree.

When we arrived at our hotel, Villas de la Selva, it was around sunset and wow — what a view we had! It was astonishing. Our balcony had a hammock and it was so lovely to bask in the sun and really enjoy the beauty this country (and this world) can offer. We were told that near our balcony there was a “monkey highway”. So cool! This was the first real indication that we were properly in nature now.

Manuel Antonio stunning balcony views

We stayed in Manuel Antonio for 4 nights. The first full day was more for exploring: seeing the nearby beach and enjoying the warm water. And we did see monkeys — smaller ones jumping from branch to branch, heard howler monkeys roar, and also saw a couple of the bigger ones too.

But the closest we got to them was when they entered our balcony! We had a staring competition with them, and after losing that game one monkey… well… sh*tted on our balcony. Thanks, mate... After that we made sure not to leave the door open.

White-faced capuchin monkeys were our regular visitors

The main reason to come here was Manuel Antonio National Park. We hoped to see wildlife (sloths in particular), waterfalls, and enjoy the beautiful beaches.

When we visited the national park it was a hot day and we decided to first walk 1.3 km to the entrance of the park and then start the journey inside. Many people had guides to help spot wildlife, but we opted to save the money — Costa Rica was turning out to be quite an expensive country. But whenever crowds stopped, we sometimes stopped too and listened to their explanations. One nice guide even took my phone and made a video of a sloth to show our son, because it was quite difficult to see anything clearly.

We did see a tiny waterfall too — but after Iguazú, what’s the point anymore, right? Still, we appreciated it, and the step count (and junior's YouTube timer) kept climbing. On the way we saw a deer, some bright red legged crabs on the ground, monkeys, birds etc.

Inside the park there was a cafeteria so we could refuel before heading to the beach. There were two sides of the beach: the first (Playa Manuel Antonio) was crowded and a little dirty (maybe just leaves, but anyway), so we decided to walk just a tiny bit more — and that paid off. The other beach (Playa Espadilla Sur) was less crowded and very beautiful.

Playa Manuel Antonio inside the national park

Our son loved the ocean and built sandcastles, and I swam, floated and enjoyed the water and the view of the beach from the sea. I really tried to take “mental pictures” to return to later. I loved it there.

Then it was time to head back out of the park. We knew we still had a fairly long walk ahead if we headed back up the hill towards the restaurant cluster near our hotel, so we were happy to spot a nice-looking place by the beach not far from the park. Matias had been dreaming of eating lobster somewhere, and Restaurante Marlin turned out to be the perfect beach side stop. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was spot on.

Yummy seafood

Then more walking up the hill and we were back at our hotel, enjoying that beautiful view once again.

Road trip to La Fortuna

We had been weighing different options for getting to La Fortuna, but our first drive with Marlon had gone so smoothly that the choice started to feel obvious. We messaged back and forth and ended up booking him not only for the ride from Manuel Antonio to La Fortuna, but also for the later transfer back to San José where we had our flight out.

So the next morning Marlon picked us up again, and as always, the drive wasn’t just “getting from A to B” — it came with spontaneous stops and little surprises along the way.

We pulled over at random viewpoints just because the scenery demanded it. At one stop Marlon casually turned the whole break into a mini jungle mission.

He disappeared down a little path and into the bushes like he was on a secret assignment, moving around for a while as if he knew exactly what he was looking for. We stood there half amused, half curious, watching him rummage through the greenery.

And then he reappeared holding a tiny, exotic red frog in his hands.

Even better: the junior bravely held it too, and we got some great photos before the little guy was safely returned back to the jungle.

The roads climbed and twisted through the mountains, and the landscape kept changing. At some point we stopped for a tasty lunch at a buffet-style place that also had a butterfly house and some bigger animals on the backyard. 

Little stops like that made the long drive feel easy. Instead of just counting kilometres, we kept collecting small moments, and suddenly five hours on the road didn’t feel like a big deal at all and soon we found ourselves in La Fortuna.

La Fortuna itself felt like a classic Costa Rica postcard: warm air, lush surroundings, and the famous Arenal volcano watching over everything in the background. Once again it was around sunset when we arrived, so the timing was spot on and almost immediately after getting in to our Airbnb apartment we left to check out the neighborhood.

The Arenal volcano seen from La Fortuna

The apartment itself was interesting too. Every now and then we’d hear faint rustling behind the walls because, as it turned out, there were bats living in there. From what we understood, bats are protected wildlife here, so the “just poison them and be done with it” option wasn't an option for the owner. On top of that, the upstairs air conditioner kept acting up. A repair guy even came by once, but the Spanish conversation was short and efficient and the AC still shut down again after a while. At least we learned where the fuse box was located and which fuse we needed to reset to make the AC work for another 30-60  minutes at a time.. All in all, a very authentic stay, for better or worse.

There were tour guide stands all over the town. We chatted with one guide just next to our apartment and booked a sloth spotting tour (Tour Mundo de Perezosos, we highly recommend) for the next day and a chocolate & coffee tour (Don Olivo Chocolate tour. Also nice, but the kid got bored there) for the day after that. In hindsight the commission was a bit much considering the sloth tour was a short walking distance away. If you're around, just check Google Maps and go straight to the place or check their website to book.

The next morning after breakfast, we walked to the sloth tour place. Besides us there was an American couple and a guide. The first stop of the tour was just around the corner. There were some sloths in the trees, and the guide set up a telescope so we could get a better look — the sloths were high up. He explained that sloths usually stay up in the canopy and only come down to ground level about once a week. Even though they were far away, we got a surprisingly good look through the scope.

After a while we took a small path leading into the rainforest. We saw a long trail of ants, big birds, hummingbirds, termites (did you know some species smell and taste like peppermint? We do now…), and all kinds of plants and trees.

The tour ended at the same place where it started. It was a little disappointing that the sloths were all so far away, so after the tour we decided to take one last peek around the corner where they’d been in the trees. On the way, the junior called out excitedly. Matias turned, half expecting he’d found a nice rock or something similar — but to our very big surprise, there was a sloth right in front of us on the ground, slowly making its way towards the trees!

I ran back to the tour office to tell the others, and soon the guides and the American couple came with us to see this rare sight. We stood there for a good while and the sloth seemed unfazed by the little crowd watching it and taking pictures.

Perezoso

Next day we did the chocolate tour. There we got to sample different fruits covered in chocolate, homebrew rum, coffee and chocolate and learned about the process of chocolate making. The junior was not so interested though, I bet he would have enjoyed running in some playground more. He did like the chocolate though.. After the tour we just lingered around the town a bit, and got ready for the car ride next day.

In the morning when it was time to move on, Marlon picked us up once again and we started heading towards Alajuela. And yes, more stops again. A stunning waterfall, views all the way back towards San José, and a moment where Marlon got his well-deserved thanks for being such a great driver and guide.

Marlon & Matias

In Alajuela we still had the evening to explore after checking in at the hotel. We found a nice, affordable restaurant, a good playground nearby, and a generally easy, friendly atmosphere — it was a good place to slow down for a moment before the next chapter.

-Sini & Mateo

Lima

Premium flight to Peru

When we booked our flights out of Mendoza, we went for LATAM’s Premium Economy. Mostly because the price difference to a flex ticket wasn’t huge and on a long trip you learn to value small comforts. The first leg, Mendoza → Santiago, was short and smooth, just a quick hop over the mountains.

Our layover in Santiago was long enough for a proper meal at the airport, and then it was time to board the next flight heading towards Lima, Peru.

That’s where the surprise hit.

As we stepped onto the plane, the crew looked at our boarding passes and guided us left, towards the front of the aircraft. And instead of the usual “premium-ish” seats, we walked into what felt like a completely different category: proper little pods, huge armchair-style seats, and enough personal space to start wondering if we had accidentally boarded someone else’s flight.

It honestly felt like a small travel lottery win.

Only afterwards did it make sense: due to unscheduled maintenance, the aircraft had been swapped from an A320 to a 787-9 Dreamliner — and there “premium” actually felt premium. At that point our upgrade didn’t feel like a overpriced slightly nicer seat… it felt like we’d been handed a tiny slice of business class without asking and we definitely got our money's worth.

Traveling comfortably

Arriving in Lima

The only downside of our good seats: we had so much space that Sini accidentally left her cap and sunglasses behind on the plane. We only realized it later, so after collecting our luggage at Jorge Chávez Airport we stopped by a couple of LATAM desks and asked for help. Someone started looking into it, and by the time we finally got the confirmation that nothing had been found, two hours had somehow passed and we walked out empty-handed.

When we finally got out and tried to book our ride, Cabify refused to cooperate with credit card payment. After a bit of fumbling and quick problem-solving, I managed to switch the payment method to cash instead. Luckily we had exchanged a little bit of Argentine money into Peruvian soles at the airport — at a pretty terrible rate, of course — but at least it meant we could actually get moving.

Our Airbnb building had its own reception desk, and after check-in we finally stepped into the apartment — pleasantly spacious and comfortable. It was already getting late and we needed to get some groceries. Luckily there was a supermarket just around the block and I made a quick expedition to fill the fridge.

Barranco to Miraflores: Garúa, Markets, and a Very Good First Bite

When the next day arrived, Barranco opened up in front of us — a neighbourhood that immediately felt easy and pleasant. As time went by, there was a surprisingly thick fog which was closing in, and the phenomenon even has a local name: garúa. Little by little it lifted, and we set off towards another area with a great reputation: Miraflores.

Barranco. Now you see it... Now you don't

We had barely walked a couple of blocks when we noticed rows of stalls along the edge of a park. It was Sunday and there was a market, Feria Ecológica de Barranco. We wandered through the stands, and of course didn’t leave empty-handed: a bottle of chili sauce and a couple of yellow pitahayas came with us.

Feria Ecólogica de Barranco

Tasty pitahaya

From there we continued over the pedestrian bridge towards Larcomar shopping centre, and Sini solved the most urgent travel problem of the day by getting a new pair of sunglasses.

Next up: food.

Lima is often called South America’s culinary capital, and we got our first proper taste of that at Saha Peruvian Kitchen. The ceviche was so good — and so sharply acidic that it almost made your tongue hurt. In the same way spicy Thai food sometimes sits right on the edge of “is this too much?”, this ceviche was right on the edge of “is this too sour?”… and yet, after every bite, you still wanted another.

We also tried papa a la huancaína, which was excellent (and Peru really does boast over 4,000 varieties of potatoes), and lomo saltado that was properly melt-in-your-mouth. A cocktail tasting flight — three small cocktails (Chilcano, Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour) — topped it all off.

Culinary delights of Peru

After lunch we walked through Parque 7 de Junio, where we found cats lounging around the park and artists working on their paintings. From there we finally made our way back to the apartment.

Based on the first full day, Lima was already exceeding expectations.

Bohemian Barranco (with a sketchy detour)

The next day we explored Barranco in the other direction. It felt bohemian and pleasant — cafés, street art, and relaxed vibe.

After lunch, on our way to Playa Barranco

After wandering around for a bit we ended up making our way down to Playa Barranco. We figured the pedestrian bridge connecting Barranco and Miraflores was probably reachable from the beach so we started walking north towards the bridge.

Little by little the atmosphere changed. There were fewer people, and the buildings around us started looking abandoned. We got to a point where the route ahead led into a narrow little alley that felt so sketchy we decided it was better to turn back.

Later, from up above, we noticed that right on the other side of that alley there was a large police station meaning we probably would’ve been perfectly fine. But down there there was no indication of that and it was yet again another good exercise day with almost 10 km walking. So forget step counters. If you want to walk more, just buy a plane ticket...

Speaking of plane tickets, we had originally only booked three nights in Lima and our flight was closing in. After this second full day, the city was still feeling good — and we didn’t even have accommodation in Costa Rica yet. The flight was flex, so I started looking into what moving things around would mean for both the tickets and the Airbnb.

A bit of checking later, it turned out our apartment had a new guest arriving on January 15th, and we were originally supposed to fly out on the 13th — so we had a small window to extend our stay. And to our surprise moving the flight two days forward didn’t just work, it meant we’d get almost 500 euros back from the ticket price. At that point the decision to extend our stay was not a decision at all and just a few moments later we got a confirmation about the new flight schedule.

(as it's been over a month since our trip to Lima, I asked Chatgpt what have I been asking during our stay there to freshen up the memory and get some details about the plane ticket thing. The first thing it reminded of was not of plane tickets, but instead of me asking about clocked toilet. I had totally forgot about that. There is a reason why somewhere around the world paper shouldn't be flushed 😁)

Miraflores Miles, Seafood Wins, and a Barbershop Bonus

The next day turned into another long walk in Miraflores. We hit our “regular” playground, Larcomar shopping center and then made our way to find a post office to send a postcard.

Larcomar shopping center

Junior's favourite

After the post office was done for, we started to find a cuy (fried guinea pig, a traditional delicacy dish in Peru) restaurant. It turned out be a little bit harder than expected and we were getting hungry so I checked Google Maps and there was a place nearby I had previously saved: Cevichería Barra Maretazo. We decided to go there instead and postpone the mission to find cuy.

The cevicheria turned out to have fish dishes that were genuinely excellent. To make it even better, we got a complimentary chef’s greeting to the table — a little trio that included ceviche, leche de tigre (a citrusy, spicy ceviche “marinade”), and a third fish bite. And to our surprise the junior basically inhaled it all without a second of hesitation. No suspicious sniffing, no “what is this?”, just straight in. A pretty impressive performance for a five year old. In my opinion Lima's South American food capital reputation was holding out strong.

We finished the day with a very local-feeling errand: both boys got haircuts at a barbershop next to our place we had spotted earlier. The haircut was affordable and came with a drink of your choice. When we paid Sini was offered a beer too (my choice of coffee didn't feel that good anymore..). Not a bad deal at all.

Last Day Rooftop and the Mission Cuy

I managed to go for a few runs during our trip, and the next morning was one of them. The park areas in Barranco on both sides of the pedestrian bridge made for great running routes — easy paths, greenery, nice views and a nice change from city streets.

Barranco morning run views

It was also a fairly sunny day, so we finally tested our apartment complex’s rooftop terrace and the rooftop pool.

The last-day mission was clear: find cuy . And yes, Miraflores eventually delivered — we found a restaurant that actually served it. And once again the junior ate like a seasoned foodie and asked for more guinea pig.

The elusive cuy, finally caught

Btw, like many “exotic” foods, I'll have to go with the classic line also with cuy: it tasted like chicken. Tasty chicken. 

Then it was time to pack our backpacks again and prepare for an early morning. Lima had originally been just a stopover on our way to Costa Rica, but three nights would have been way too short. Extending it to five turned out to be a great call in retrospect — and Barranco was a really nice neighbourhood to call home for a few days.

Salta & Mendoza: Higher Altitudes, Slow Days, and Balcony Views

Salta: Balcony Views and an Empanada Victory

Salta

We arrived in Salta on December 30th. After a welcoming Cabify ride with a chatty driver, we were greeted by an incredibly warm Airbnb host and a lovely apartment that immediately felt like home. The balcony alone could have convinced us to stay longer — wide views, warm air, and that quiet mountain-city feeling that makes you slow down without even noticing.

We didn’t waste much time before heading out again, though. Our host’s first recommendation was empanadas, and honestly, when in Argentina, you don’t argue. At La Nueva Criollita we hit a small but meaningful jackpot: they had a cheese empanada without egg. Victory. The junior’s first empanada was met with a very serious taste test and an equally serious double thumbs up.

Later that day, things took a less triumphant turn. A mild headache crept in, slowly but stubbornly, until I found myself very much out of the game and far too close to the toilet bowl. Whether it was dehydration, a bit of altitude, or the two lunch beers (or all of the above), Salta made it clear that it wanted to be taken seriously. Sitting at around 1,200 meters above sea level, it’s not that high — but bodies are individuals, and mine clearly had opinions. Locals swear by coca leaves or candies to ease altitude symptoms but we didn't have luck finding those at the supermarket.

The next day was better, but somehow my entire time in Salta was shaded by a slightly off feeling — not terrible, just… not quite right.

New Year’s Eve, the Quiet Edition

New Year’s Eve matched my energy perfectly: calm, quiet, and uncomplicated. We wandered through a nearly deserted city, bought coca candies, played air hockey, and let the junior try an arcade car racing game. Later, we stocked up on snacks and watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie. After the kiddo fell asleep, we opened a bottle of red wine and sat on the balcony, enjoying the warm evening air and distant fireworks. No pressure, no big parties — just exactly right.

That same day, we also sorted out our rental car. Both old colleagues and our Airbnb host recommended the same place, Activa Rent a Car. After a bit of Googling, we realised it was literally across the street from where we were staying. Travel luck at its finest. We booked the car for January 2nd–4th, with the plan to return it straight at the airport. With limited time and my energy levels in mind, it felt like a good compromise.

Road Trip North: Flexible Rules and Big Landscapes

On January 2nd, we headed north toward Purmamarca, climbing up to around 2,200 meters. Matias had the honour of being the first — and only — driver on this leg of the journey. It didn’t take long to realise that driving rules here are more… flexible. Lanes are optional, pedestrians fend for themselves, and confidence is everything. Whoever has the most cojones goes first.

The drive itself was stunning. Lush green hills slowly transformed into dry, dramatic landscapes filled with cacti and layers of colour. Hunger eventually kicked in, and we started searching for food — which led us through tiny villages frozen in siesta silence. In Volcán, we finally found an open shop selling coca leaves and ice cream. The elderly man behind the counter asked where we were from, genuinely interested, and the whole moment felt unexpectedly wholesome. And all in Spanish, of course — though his accent was thiiiick.

Volcan

Our accommodation was Mai Jaii, a few kilometres before Purmamarca. When we arrived it felt almost abandoned — door locked, no movement, just silence. Then we noticed a bell by the parking lot. One loud ring later, someone emerged from the back of the building, and suddenly the place came to life.

Purmamarca: Llamas, Layers of Colour, and a Change of Plans

Purmamarca was touristy, but also incredibly charming and beautiful. After checking into our hostel, we headed into town, following in the footsteps of colleagues who had been here before. Dinner included llama meat at del Sol, and afterwards we wandered to the starting point of the Seven Colour Hill trail. There were two llamas there (we didn't tell them about our dinner choises...) and the scenery seemed nice. We planned to hike it the next morning — the sun was already setting — and the junior still had energy left for the playground before bedtime.

That night, my body once again had its own plans. Stomach cramps, very little sleep, and by morning it was clear that pushing through a scenic hike wasn’t the right choice. We decided to skip the trail, do a quick visit to the nearby market, and head back to Salta.

Back to Salta: Half-Speed Days

The rest of the time was spent gently: a rooftop pool, Matias going for a run, and everything happening at half speed. It wasn’t the “full itinerary” version of Salta we might have imagined — but it was still Salta: warm air, mountain-city calm, and the kind of travel days where you just listen to what your body is saying and adjust.

Mendoza: Balcony Views & Malbec Nights

Our final stop in Argentina was Mendoza — wine country, wide skies, and a much-needed softer landing. Even the arrival had a story: our Uber driver looked exactly like my dad. The kiddo stared at him for a long moment before asking why that man looked just like grandpa. After a brief pause, he decided it couldn’t be him — grandma wasn’t there with him. Case closed. (Btw the resemblance was so spot on that even my grandma chuckled 😁)

We stayed in a high-rise a little outside the city centre, which meant lots of steps but also one of the best balcony views of the trip. The city stretched out beneath us, the full moon glowing above — it felt almost unreal. A perfect setting for a bottle of Malbec and absolutely no plans.

Wine, Moonlight, and Doing Less

We debated renting a car to explore wineries ourselves or organising something more structured. In the end, travel tiredness won. The constant planning and decision-making had quietly piled up, and slowing down felt like the real luxury. Days passed with walks, pool time, card games, and wine enjoyed without rushing anywhere.

Good Wi-Fi kept us connected to family back home, which grounded everything in a comforting way.

The Tomahawk (and Completing the Holy Trinity)

On our last night we did end up going for the tomahawk in Mendoza — at Chama Santuarion — and it was the perfect way to complete what now feels like the trip’s unofficial steak trilogy.

First came Buenos Aires: the melt-in-your-mouth ojo de bife at Don Julio. Then La Cabrera, with a table so full of sides it practically turned into a buffet. And finally Mendoza: a tomahawk that didn’t apologise for anything — bold, smoky, and unapologetically rich with that glorious fat-and-fire flavour. A perfect last meal for the meat country known as Argentina.

The Laundry Incident

On our last day, we made the classic mistake: last moment laundry.

It started innocently enough. We loaded the machine, picked a wash program, and added the drying cycle too. The display happily announced a total time of… hours.

On the way back to the apartment we asked reception how long our laundry slot was valid. Turns out it was more than an hour shorter than the program we’d chosen. Great.

When we finally went back down, we were hoping for just slightly damp clothes and a quick exit. Instead, opening the door released a cloud of steam… and inside was a hot, heavy pile of clothes that was still basically soaking wet. Not “a little moist”. More like: “a quick test of how much water a piece of clothing can possibly absorb.”

So we hauled everything out in small handfuls (so we wouldn’t burn our hands), and the rest of the evening turned into a proper drying operation: towels, improvised hanging, ironing — and a surprisingly effective YouTube lifehack involving a hairdryer and a plastic bag. It probably would’ve worked even better if we’d only had a few items, instead of half a wardrobe.

Lesson learned forever: never do laundry the day before departure.

Goodbye, Argentina

And then, just like that, Argentina came to an end. On the drive to the airport, No llores por mi Argentina by Serú Girán played on the radio, and I quietly teared up — the perfect, slightly dramatic soundtrack to a country like this.

Because Argentina gave us a bit of everything: the big-city buzz of Buenos Aires, the overwhelming force of Iguazú, the dry colours and altitude lessons up north around Salta and Purmamarca, and finally Mendoza’s slower rhythm — views from the balcony, a couple of glasses (ahem bottles...) of Malbec, and a much-needed pause from constant decision-making. It felt like we only caught glimpses of a huge, intense, warm country… but somehow those glimpses were enough to leave a mark.

We barely scratched the surface — but we’re leaving with full hearts.

But now we’d better get going. The next destination is already waiting.

-Sini

Two Countries, One Overwhelming Natural Wonder: Iguazú Falls

Tropical Christmas Eve

No white Christmas this year.

We flew into Puerto Iguazú on the 24th, trading urban streets for warm air, dense greenery and an entirely different kind of landscape, and took a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Saint George. During our drive we saw roadside warning signs that pointed out local wildlife: coatis, wild cats, things you definitely don’t expect to see on a normal city commute.

After dropping our bags, we walked to a nearby restaurant we’d spotted on the way to the hotel. No big Christmas feast, no long plans — just food, tired legs and a calm first evening in a completely new setting.

Later that night closer to midnight, fireworks started going off. Mostly we heard them rather than saw them, but from the balcony we could catch glimpses of light above the treetops. Not a traditional Christmas by any stretch — but somehow very fitting for this trip.

Butterflies, boardwalks and a growing roar

The next morning, it was finally time.

We headed to the Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls after breakfast. The park itself is well organised, with wide boardwalks, clear routes and a small train that takes you deeper into the area. We hopped on the train towards Garganta del Diablo, knowing that this was supposed to be the highlight — but still not quite prepared for what that actually meant.

It was only after stepping off the train, at the very start of the walkway towards Garganta del Diablo, that the jungle truly announced itself. Butterflies appeared seemingly out of nowhere — swirling around us, landing on clothes, backpacks and shoulders — turning the walk into something straight out of a nature documentary.

Butterfly here, butterfly there, butterflies everywhere

Garganta del Diablo 👹

The closer we got, the louder it became.

The river widened, the air grew heavier with mist, and then suddenly the ground seemed to end. Garganta del Diablo isn’t just something you look at — it’s something you feel. The noise is constant and powerful, the water disappearing into a massive drop right in front of you.

Garganta del Diablo

We stood there for a good while, watching the water crash down and rise again as spray, before slowly making our way back.

Around us, coatis — raccoon-like animals native to the area — wandered around with impressive confidence. They were clearly used to people and showed little fear, strolling past backpacks and legs as if this were their living room. Still, reminder signs were everywhere: wild animals nonetheless, and not to be fed.

Coatis

Walking it back

On the way back, we walked the lower trails as well. More views, more water, more butterflies — some of which seemed determined to hitch a ride on our clothes.

By the time we headed out of the park, everyone was tired in the best possible way: full of impressions, slightly damp, and quietly impressed.

And this was only one side.

Brazil: Borders, Birds and Bargain Ubers

The next day it was time to switch countries again.

We hopped on a Rio Uruguay bus heading towards Foz do Iguaçu, ready for our Brazilian chapter. Crossing the Argentinian border went smoothly and without any drama. So far, so good.

Argentinian border crossing

Not long after, the bus stopped again. Most passengers stayed seated, looking completely unbothered. We exchanged slightly confused looks — was this it? Was this the Brazilian border? A quick bit of Googling revealed that locals don’t even need to get off the bus for Brazilian immigration.

Just as the bus started moving again and we realised we were about to miss our stop entirely! Sini sprang into action, rushing forward and urgently asking the driver to open the doors. A small moment of chaos later, we were out, backpacks with us, and heading for border formalities.

By the time we were done, the bus was long gone.

There was no clear information about the next one either, so we waited for a moment, weighing our options. Then I checked ride apps — and there it was. An Uber, ready to pick us up for the grand total of two euros. Decision made instantly.

A few minutes later we were cruising towards Hotel Golden Park, amused at how absurdly easy (and cheap) that solution turned out to be.

Small joys of modern travel

One of the quiet pleasures of travelling these days is just how effortless some things have become. Ride apps in particular have been a constant favourite: open the app, type in the destination, hop in, and the payment takes care of itself in the background.

(With the notable exception of our earlier Cabify episode, where a card got temporarily locked for “suspicious activity”. Luckily after getting things solved with the bank, that was easily worked around by switching the payment method to Google Pay or PayPal).

The same goes for staying connected. Using an eSIM like Airalo has made things refreshingly simple: data works across borders without hunting for SIM cards or worrying about surprise roaming charges. Maps load, ride apps work, quick Google searches settle small uncertainties and make sure the nearest restaurant doesn't have tons of one star reviews.

It’s hard not to think back to travelling around Southeast Asia almost 20 years ago (woah!), before smartphones were everywhere — with a Lonely Planet stuffed in a backpack, flipping through dog-eared pages, circling guesthouse names with a pen and then walking around town asking door to door if there happened to be a room free. Sometimes there was, sometimes there wasn’t — and that uncertainty was just part of the deal.

Shawarma in Brazil?

But enough of memory lane — back to the current trip and Brazil.

After check-in, hunger hit fast. We wandered out and ended up at Shawarma Star, which was not exactly what we expected to find in Brazil. Sitting there, eating Middle Eastern food in South America, felt a bit odd — but the service was incredibly friendly, the shawarma was delicious, and the bill was very modest.

It turned out the area has a noticeable Middle Eastern influence, and shawarma places are actually quite common around here — so maybe not that strange after all.

So far, Brazil was making a very good impression.

Birds, Boardwalks and the Brazilian Side of the Falls

The following day we Ubered to Parque das Aves, the bird park right next to the entrance of the falls. It turned out to be a fantastic stop, especially with a junior traveller in tow.

Flamingos, parrots, toucans, and even a couple of freely flying hummingbirds to mention just a few — all set in lush tropical surroundings. A calm, colourful way to ease into the day before heading to the waterfalls.

A cute toucan posing for the photo

At the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls the queues were long. Very long. Thankfully, years of Finnish upbringing had prepared us well for disciplined waiting. After lining up, hopping on a bus, and waiting some more, we finally reached the viewpoints.

From this side, the experience was very different. Standing across the river, we could see places we had walked through just two days before on the Argentinian side. The scale really hit home here — waterfall after waterfall stretching far into the distance.

The final boardwalk led straight into the spray, soaking everyone who dared to walk all the way to the end. The bridge was packed with people, so it was time to enjoy the queues again. There was no escaping the humidity, but at that point the cool water mist felt refreshing rather than annoying. 

More waterfalls, this time on the Brazilian side

After that came a gift shop, a short walk — and naturally, more queuing. This time to get out.

Heat, Hunger and a Very Good Decision

By the time we made it back to the hotel, hunger had fully caught up with us. We hadn’t managed to eat properly all day, the temperature hovered around 35°C, and the step count was… ambitious.

So we did the sensible thing and headed straight to the hotel restaurant.

It turned out to be an excellent call.

The food was ridiculously good, the prices almost suspiciously low, and the whole experience left us wondering if maybe we should’ve planned to stay in Brazil a bit longer...

As if the falls hadn’t already set the tone, the night came with a proper tropical thunderstorm. The kind you only really encounter in tropical parts of the world — loud, intense and close enough to be felt as much as heard. Thunder rolled, lightning lit up the sky, and the hotel itself was vibrating along with it. A fittingly dramatic send-off.

I might have mentioned this before, but I find that kind of weather fascinating. There’s something about the raw power of it that’s hard to look away from.

Sini, on the other hand, would much prefer experiencing it from three layers under the duvet, closed in a soundproof chamber in complete darkness, as far away from windows as possible.

And the boy wasn’t even aware there was thunder at all — he slept like Cinderella on industrial-strength sedatives, despite the storm shaking the whole hotel. Impressive stuff!

One More Day in Brazil: Pool Time and a missed Tomahawk

Our last full day in Brazil was intentionally low-key.

After a fairly full-on stretch of borders, waterfalls, heat and walking, we slowed things down properly. We spent part of the day at a nearby shopping mall, and the rest mostly by the pool. Enjoying the sun, the water and some well-made caipirinha. Not bad at all.

This trip also happened to mark my 50th country visited, and the idea of celebrating that milestone with a massive tomahawk steak had been floating around for a while. But after eating at the mall and letting the relaxed afternoon drift into evening, we decided not to force it. The tomahawk would have to wait.

Back to Argentina: Easy Borders and Heavy Metal

The next day we went for the easiest option possible and booked a direct transfer from our hotel in Foz do Iguaçu back to the Argentinian side, to Raíces Esturión Hotel.

After checking in, we headed out on foot to see the Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. It’s one of those places that’s more about the idea than the spectacle itself — but still worth seeing when you’re already there. We also paid a visit to the Iguazú sign, wandered a bit, and grabbed something to eat before calling it an early evening.

Iguazu sign around sunset

With an early flight coming up, at the hotel we booked our airport transfer in advance and kept the night calm.

The next morning started early. 6:00 am Breakfast, collecting bags, and then into the car. As we drove towards the airport, the driver had Metallica and Rammstein playing on the stereo. The music earned him a bigger-than-usual tip and the fellow metal-head seamed very pleased.

That wrapped up our Iguazú chapter. Beautiful waterfalls and nature, lots of walking in the heat — and worth every step. On to the next one.

Crossing Río de la Plata – from a village to a metropolis

Buenos Aires

After spending two nights in the beautiful Colonia del Sacramento, it was time to set the sails and hop onto a… well, a ferry. Without the sails, but you get the idea. Matias had booked Buquebus ferry tickets online, so it was an easy check-in at the counter, our big backpacks went onto the belt, and we encountered passport control. First Uruguayan, then just a few steps to the next counter that read Entrada Argentina — and hey, we were cleared to enter Argentina.

(Ok, we might have taken a few missteps and even checked the second floor before returning to the right place, as we didn’t catch the sign or the language barrier got in the way a bit.)

After some chilling, it was soon time to board the ferry. I had actually done some research beforehand thanks to @woltersworld — fun guy, lots of helpful travel videos and he seems to love Turku too which is always a bonus). I’d learned that you could pay a little extra and sit more comfortably on the second floor of the ferry — but I forgot to mention this to Matias. Well, luckily the tourist seats were fine and the wind wasn’t too bad. The trip took a little over an hour, so quite manageable.

Arriving at the Buquebus terminal was a bit confusing. I did see a sign that said immigration, but didn’t see anything or anyone in that direction, so we just continued with the others, got our backpacks screened, and suddenly we were in the terminal. It seems Argentina doesn’t really do stamps anymore or double-check passports or fingerprints, so this was a very easy entry.

What wasn’t fun — or easy — was when Matias tried to order a Cabify and it got declined. Shortly after, he received a message from our bank saying the card had been blocked due to suspicious activity. So he had to call them to clarify the situation. After 16 minutes and roughly a 40-euro call, we were finally able to continue our journey and actually see Buenos Aires and our Airbnb in Palermo Soho.

Buenos Aires – the big city

Montevideo was not very touristy — colonial, yes, but we hardly heard any other languages. The first time we did was actually in Colonia, on our first day at Restaurant Picasso, when I heard a distantly familiar tone… and yes, the first language (other than Spanish) we heard on this trip was Finnish 😆. So we knew things were about to change.

Our neighbourhood in Palermo was very lively and felt safe. Our Airbnb was perfect for us and had a balcony where we could sip mate or coffee — or watch the Christmas peace declaration early in the morning. It also had laundry machines and a rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi that needed a reservation beforehand. We tested the jacuzzi once and it was a dream.

   Christmas peace declaration broadcast from Turku to Buenos Aires

Hola!

But there was no time to just sit in the sun — there were playgrounds to be found, empanadas, steaks and choripán to be eaten, steps to be taken, and touristy things to do.

We spent a total of eight days in Buenos Aires and really loved the place. Writing a day-by-day diary would be too much, so I’ll try to sum things up a bit.

We visited Ecopark to see some cute animals for free (maras, a sea lion, giraffes, a monkey, birds etc.). We also went to the Japanese Garden, which was full of tourists with Instagram pictures in mind — cute, but to my taste, meh.

Recoleta Cemetery was creepy, but a must. Our son was intrigued, but I personally struggled a bit with checking out different coffins up close. Amazing place, nevertheless. 

Recoleta

Almost next to it was a museum with a Prohibido no tocar exhibition — basically like Heureka (Vantaa, Finland), where you are encouraged to touch, test and learn science. The area was a bit weird, though, as you had to first pay a small amount to enter the museum area and then more money to access the exhibition itself.

A little pricey maybe (especially if you try to keep costs down), but it’s important to keep the balance when travelling with a kid.

And in Buenos Aires, we — and by we I mean Backpacker Junior — were in great luck: there were truly awesome parks and playgrounds everywhere we went. Highlights in Palermo included the lighthouse park, science park, Ecoparks otter park, palm tree park, and the kid’s favourite: big tree park. Lots of slides, swings and space to run. Hands down the best playgrounds so far.

Buenos Aires playgrounds are 🔥

Hop-on, hop-off and colourful streets

We also did our first-ever tourist bus tour. Ever since following my ex-co-workers world tour on facebook (2022 ish) and picking up clues, tips and tricks, I liked the idea of seeing a big city on wheels. Second floor, roof open, sun shining, wind in your face — ah, I really enjoyed cruising around.

We stopped to see El Caminito. At first it didn’t look like much was happening, but then the colourful streets and tourist traps opened up, tango dancers appeared, and music filled the air. Such a lively and colourful place. We walked around, grabbed a bite to eat, and continued to the next stop.

La Boca's Balcony of Messi

We actually meant to go straight to San Telmo Market, but after spotting a playground in Parque Lezama, we were obligated to do a test round and stop for a while.

Whii!

After that, it was wandering around San Telmo and the Puerto Madero area before hopping on for our final stint back to Palermo Soho — really handy this hop-on hop-off tour — and we can recommend it! Fun to hear more info through the headphones, plus some nice music along the way.

Then I think it’s time to talk about the meat.

I’ll let Mateo write about that 🙂

The Bite That Silenced All Doubt

I’ll happily do the honours for the last chapter, especially when the subject happens to be so meaty 😋. Because in Buenos Aires, you have to talk about the meat. And yes — we did our homework.

At some point during trip planning, I found myself googling the world’s best steak restaurants — partly out of curiosity, partly because meat culture is such a big deal in this part of the world, and I wanted to see if any of the “best of the best” spots would realistically fit our route. And there it was — right at the very top of the list. The best of the best. The world’s number one steak restaurant, sitting perfectly along our route: Don Julio.

A quick look at Google Maps made it even better. Not only was it along our route — it was actually just a couple of blocks from our Airbnb. That sealed it. We booked a lunch table almost two months before the trip.

And as if that wasn't enough, the credentials didn’t stop there. Don Julio has also been ranked #10 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list, and it holds a Michelin star. As our reservation date got closer, a few doubts started to creep in — at least for me. With that kind of hype, could it really live up to expectations? Could they really turn a piece of meat to be an experience? 

Turns out, that question was answered very quickly.

Even before we got to the table, the place was already doing its thing. While waiting outside, we were offered champagne at the front door — a small detail, but it set the tone instantly.

Not all queues are created equal 🥂

Fast-forward to the moment the steak arrived: Ojo de Bife. There was a brief pause before the first bite — that tiny moment where expectations are sky-high and you’re almost bracing yourself for disappointment. 

Then came the bite, and any doubt I had disappeared instantly. The meat practically melted in my mouth, and at one point I literally got chills. 😄 Looking back now, it’s hard to argue — this was very likely the best steak I’ve ever eaten.

This is why we came 🥩🔥

The service was also excellent throughout, and the sides weren’t just an afterthought either — the arugula and cheddar side in particular was muy rico, perfectly complementing the steak.

Premium quality comes with a premium price tag, and that lunch definitely pushed our daily budget well above average. Still — I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience was unforgettable, and without a doubt one of the highlights of our time in Buenos Aires.

A few days later, on our last full day in Buenos Aires, we made our second big steak stop at La Cabrera, another place with a strong reputation. The meat itself wasn’t quite as perfect as Don Julio’s (still really good — it’s just that the bar has now and for the future been set extremely high...), but the overall experience was excellent: genuinely warm service, and sides kept arriving until the table looked like it had been upgraded to a buffet. The value for money was outstanding, and we left the restaurant very, very full.

The La Cabrera experience, sides very much included

-Sini & Mateo