The finally leg of my 2006 South American journey brought me to Bariloche, Argentina.
Apparently there are two vegetarian restaurants in this town. However, they were not within distance or timing of my arrival. I did find a restaurant that served vegan pasta and a cafe where you could design your own sandwich. At least, I did not starve. :)
The town is simply gorgeous. It resembles an old Swiss village with its chalets, chocolate shops, ski mountains, and general atmosphere. I took a ski lift to the top of a hill overlooking the village. Simply gorgeous! This village is heavenly!
My tour made a stop into the forest to view some ancient trees and check out the landscape of this magical land of gnomes. At various viewing stops along the way, you can take your photo with a big ol' Saint Bernard wearing a whiskey jug under its chin. Being an animal lover, this was one of my favorite experiences of the trip.
A popular beverage in the region is Rose Mosqueta tea. This flower grows extensively here and is used in many products. I purchased Rose Mosqueta tea several times and a Rose Mosqueta moisturizing cream to bring home.
The following morning, we flew to Buenos Aires. There are several vegetarian restaurants in this cosmopolitan capital city. However, again I was limited in time between tours so I had to dine at a closeby cafe prior to my tour. They made some vegetable side dishes for me, so again I did not starve. Its not the easiest city to find vegan options, but if you have time and look hard enough, you can indeed find some.
The main government plaza area is a sight to see. The Casa Rosada, "Pink House" building is the infamous spot where First Lady Eva Peron made her speeches. It is a beautiful example of Spanish architecture. The remainder of the tour consisted of driving by the various architectural structures of historical importance.
We then drove through the Boca neightborhood. Its truly unique. The buildings and shops are brightly colored and funky. This is where tourists love to shop, eat, and listen to street performers. Its an artist colony also.
In the evening, no visit to Buenos Aires is complete without attending a performance of tango dancing. It was thoroughly enjoyable to watch!
In the morning our group hopped on another plane and arrived at our final destination, El Calafate. This old gauche region village is a quaint, little tourist stopover on the way to the glacier region or to Tierra Del Fuego, the furthestmost, southern city in the world. Much to my surprise and DELIGHT, my hotel was almost next door to a fabulous gourmet, veggie-friendly restaurant! This is right in the middle of gaucho (cowboy), beef country.
I don't recall what I ate there. However, I recall that the appetizer, beverage, entree, and dessert were spectacular! The restaurant is called "Pura Vida". They serve alot of whole grains and pumpkin dishes. It was delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant!
The next morning we set course for the drive to Perito Moreno Glacier. Your mouth will be wide open in awe as you view the landscape along the way. If you arrive in Fall, the mountains will contain colors of green, orange, and snowcapped at the peaks.
We arrive at the glacier and take advantage of the two options available for tourists. We first took a ferry around the edge of the glacier. The ice sparkled a blueish color against a white backdrop. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.
We then got off the boat and walked along a pathway fairly close to one side of the glacier.
This was a wonderful trip culturally, visually, and gastronomically!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Eating Vegan in Chile
Santiago, Chile..This city is known for fish and seafood, like most coastal regions. My tour group actually stopped at the popular, huge, indoor fish market called "Mercado Central" which contained many cafes and restaurants serving seafood. It first appeared that it would be impossible to find vegan fare here. I walked through cafe upon cafe, row upon row in the central market and no veggie-friendly fare in sight! FINALLY, I found a small restaurant there which served a few vegetable dishes. I'm glad that I stumbled upon it, as there were local strolling musicians playing instruments and singing during my lunch there. The meal they served me consisted of several veggie-friendly side dishes which were indeed tasty and filling. YAY!
In the evening, I ate dinner at one of the city's vegetarian restaurants "El Huerto". The meal was wonderful and vegan! The staff does speak some English.
Popular sights to see include a visit to Plaza De Armas,the catherdral, and several beautiful, historic buildings. We also drove to the top of San Cristobal Hill for a view overlooking the city.
The next leg of the tour was the visit to the southern Patagonia region of the country. Our hotel overnight was in a small village. You could purchase many local crafts and gifts here. Lucky for me, the town had a Govinda's restaurant. This is the popular Latin America restaurant that serves mainly Indian food. I filled up on vegan soup and veggies. I love this place in every country I've eaten there. In the afternoon, we drove for a short while then arrived at a volcano. We took a lift to the top of the volcano. I walked in the volcanic ash right below the snowcapped peak; pretty cool!
Our final destination in Chile was the national park in which there were deep wooded forests, unusual flowers, and beautiful waterfalls.
Next came the infamous "Lake Crossing". I can't tell you how many buses, trains, and boats we took to get over to the Argentinian side of Patagonia.
Chile surprised me with its vegan dining options and breathtaking views of the Patagonia region!
In the evening, I ate dinner at one of the city's vegetarian restaurants "El Huerto". The meal was wonderful and vegan! The staff does speak some English.
Popular sights to see include a visit to Plaza De Armas,the catherdral, and several beautiful, historic buildings. We also drove to the top of San Cristobal Hill for a view overlooking the city.
The next leg of the tour was the visit to the southern Patagonia region of the country. Our hotel overnight was in a small village. You could purchase many local crafts and gifts here. Lucky for me, the town had a Govinda's restaurant. This is the popular Latin America restaurant that serves mainly Indian food. I filled up on vegan soup and veggies. I love this place in every country I've eaten there. In the afternoon, we drove for a short while then arrived at a volcano. We took a lift to the top of the volcano. I walked in the volcanic ash right below the snowcapped peak; pretty cool!
Our final destination in Chile was the national park in which there were deep wooded forests, unusual flowers, and beautiful waterfalls.
Next came the infamous "Lake Crossing". I can't tell you how many buses, trains, and boats we took to get over to the Argentinian side of Patagonia.
Chile surprised me with its vegan dining options and breathtaking views of the Patagonia region!
Vegan Dining in Brazil
A couple of years ago my travels brought me to Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. I will talk about my experience in Brazil here. Then in following entries, I will speak of my dining adventures in the other two countries.
Obviously I was a little intimidated beforehand, wondering if ANY restaurant options existed there for me. Prior to my trip, I turned to my trusted HappyCow website and found several vegan options for me in Rio. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed a meat-loving town. However, you can find wonderful vegetarian meals.
For dinner, I chose to dine at Vegetariano Social Clube. Its located in a safe, centrally located shopping district near Ipanema Beach in Rio De Janiero. The restaurant itself is a funky, brightcolored building on the street corner. The staff is friendly and helpful. You can actually try some local Brazilian cuisine..vegan style!
I tried the Feijoada - whole rice, black beans with half-smoked tofu and tempeh, crispy manioc flour and “mineira” thin sliced kale. Its served on Wednesdays and Fridays - so if you want to try this popular national dish, visit the restaurant on either of those days. The tofu and tempeh was neither too tough or too mushy. The beans were good also, not overly watery. For an appetizer, I tried the vegetable empanada, a small tasty treat. The meal was delicious! I would definitely go back there again! They even serve a variety of fruit juices, teas, and coffee. I don't remember which dessert I selected, only that it was amazing! They have a large variety of cakes, flans, and pies from which to choose.
I highly recommend this place!
There are many sightseeing options in and around this city.
My hotel was located on Copacabana Beach actually overlooking the beach. What a fantastic way to start the moring as you go out to your private balcony to view the ocean. I took the tram up to the Christ The Redeemer statue. You get a glorious view overlooking the city. For a similar yet different experience, hop on the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain for another view of the city, mountains, and ocean. In both locations, there are gift shops at the top where you can shop or eat. I purchased a local necklace made of glazed kidney beans. My favorite souvenirs to purchase are always local jewelry, statues and crafts that are unique to the region. At the outdoor cafe, I drank a glass of the acai berry juice. This dark red berry grows only in Brazil and is thought to have the highest antioxidant properties of anything you can consume.
In the evening there are rows upon rows of street vendors at Copacabana Beach selling their local goods such as clothing, sandals, jewelry, and crafts. It is recommended not to walk alone in Rio during the evening. However, I walked around the vendor stall area alone in the early evening and felt perfectly safe. Just make sure you do not wear expensive jewelry.
For the adventurous, there are hang gliding options off the Rio coast. I should have tried this. However, I chose an optional tour to visit an artist colony in a Rio suburb. This was a nice choice as I did not have much time in Rio during my whirlwind South American Tour and I wanted to see as much as possible of Rio and its surroundings.
For the shopaholic ladies out there, you must pay a visit to the world famous H. Stern jeweler. You can tour the factory to see their huge collection of gems and learn about the jewelry making process. As you exit, the staff gives you a box of several souvenir stones/gems. Cute souvenir. I purchased (albeit a tiny) gold necklace containing one of the national gems.
In the evening, there is musical entertainment which is truly Brazilian! My tour group selected a Brazilian Samba performance. The stage show consisted of an array of samba performers doing dances from various regions of the country. Each set of performers wore unique, multicolored costumes. The show was spectacular!
All in all, the sightseeing and dining were wonderful!
Obviously I was a little intimidated beforehand, wondering if ANY restaurant options existed there for me. Prior to my trip, I turned to my trusted HappyCow website and found several vegan options for me in Rio. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed a meat-loving town. However, you can find wonderful vegetarian meals.
For dinner, I chose to dine at Vegetariano Social Clube. Its located in a safe, centrally located shopping district near Ipanema Beach in Rio De Janiero. The restaurant itself is a funky, brightcolored building on the street corner. The staff is friendly and helpful. You can actually try some local Brazilian cuisine..vegan style!
I tried the Feijoada - whole rice, black beans with half-smoked tofu and tempeh, crispy manioc flour and “mineira” thin sliced kale. Its served on Wednesdays and Fridays - so if you want to try this popular national dish, visit the restaurant on either of those days. The tofu and tempeh was neither too tough or too mushy. The beans were good also, not overly watery. For an appetizer, I tried the vegetable empanada, a small tasty treat. The meal was delicious! I would definitely go back there again! They even serve a variety of fruit juices, teas, and coffee. I don't remember which dessert I selected, only that it was amazing! They have a large variety of cakes, flans, and pies from which to choose.
I highly recommend this place!
There are many sightseeing options in and around this city.
My hotel was located on Copacabana Beach actually overlooking the beach. What a fantastic way to start the moring as you go out to your private balcony to view the ocean. I took the tram up to the Christ The Redeemer statue. You get a glorious view overlooking the city. For a similar yet different experience, hop on the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain for another view of the city, mountains, and ocean. In both locations, there are gift shops at the top where you can shop or eat. I purchased a local necklace made of glazed kidney beans. My favorite souvenirs to purchase are always local jewelry, statues and crafts that are unique to the region. At the outdoor cafe, I drank a glass of the acai berry juice. This dark red berry grows only in Brazil and is thought to have the highest antioxidant properties of anything you can consume.
In the evening there are rows upon rows of street vendors at Copacabana Beach selling their local goods such as clothing, sandals, jewelry, and crafts. It is recommended not to walk alone in Rio during the evening. However, I walked around the vendor stall area alone in the early evening and felt perfectly safe. Just make sure you do not wear expensive jewelry.
For the adventurous, there are hang gliding options off the Rio coast. I should have tried this. However, I chose an optional tour to visit an artist colony in a Rio suburb. This was a nice choice as I did not have much time in Rio during my whirlwind South American Tour and I wanted to see as much as possible of Rio and its surroundings.
For the shopaholic ladies out there, you must pay a visit to the world famous H. Stern jeweler. You can tour the factory to see their huge collection of gems and learn about the jewelry making process. As you exit, the staff gives you a box of several souvenir stones/gems. Cute souvenir. I purchased (albeit a tiny) gold necklace containing one of the national gems.
In the evening, there is musical entertainment which is truly Brazilian! My tour group selected a Brazilian Samba performance. The stage show consisted of an array of samba performers doing dances from various regions of the country. Each set of performers wore unique, multicolored costumes. The show was spectacular!
All in all, the sightseeing and dining were wonderful!
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