My stay in Argentina signalled the start of my digital nomad venture. I wanted to take the opportunity to visit as much as possible. I didn’t want to limit my experience to Buenos Aires only. So I planned a 20-day trip across the north and south of the country. It is still one of my fondest memories. After all, it was my first road trip after empowering myself into this incredible new lifestyle. My chance to be free and location independent.
Patagonia
Exploring Patagonia seemed like an incredible opportunity and put me one step closer to Antarctica, which I would want to go to one day. The trip started with taking a flight early in the morning from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world. It was the second half of September and the temperatures started going up to +5 degrees Celsius. Nature was awaking from the winter hibernation, even though for my Mediterranean taste it was freaking cold!
The plan was to stay for a few days in Ushuaia, take a boat trip across the bay in hope to see some sea lions. Then on to visit the National Park and ride on the Tren del fin del mundo (train at the end of the world). Next up would be continuing to El Calafate to see the glacier Perito Moreno and El Chalten for the famous hiking experience to the Fitz Roy. Finally, I would finish off in Bariloche to try their famous artisan chocolates.
Doing my best to keep the trip inside the limits of responsible travel, I focused on direct flights or bus rides. Given the great distances inside Patagonia (over 1 million m2!) that was a real challenge!
Responsible digital nomads
Thinking of the inclusive economic growth, I booked accommodation with local families. When eating out, I chose family owned restaurants or authentic regional food made with local ingredients. Argentina produces a lot and imports very little so in terms of buying locally you always have a chance to support local economy. All smaller towns and villages across Argentina have artisan markets. Here you can enjoy local food or hand made souvenirs that you can check out and support small local businesses.
A must have in Argentina is a hand made mate (special kind of cup made for drinking the Argentine green tea made of yerba mate leaves). You also need the bombilla (straw-like utensil) that enables you to sip your mate tea the way locals do it. It is extremely popular in Uruguay as well. An insider tip is that the best bombillas are made in Uruguay, made of stainless steel. If you get yours there it should last for a couple of years minimum.
Appreciating nature
The nature in Patagonia is simply breathtaking – lakes, woods, mountains, thousands of years old glaciers, snow in winter and a cool breeze in the summer. Its vast fields and scarce population are a reminder once again that people have to adapt to the nature and its mercy and not try to tame it. Almost the entire surface of Patagonia is covered in national parks and areas of protected nature. You can feel a special connection with the Earth when hiking through the Fitz Roy mountain. The silence dominates through the woods and the only thing you hear is your own footsteps making their way up through the snow. Sometimes you might hear the sound of wind passing through the trees and branches, and your breathing.
Another hike worth taking is the ice trekking through Perito Moreno glacier. There is only one local adventure travel agency who has access to the glacier. This is because it is a protected area inside the national park “Los Glaciares”. There is a limited number of people that can get onto this 18,000 year old glacier at the same time. In turn this prevents possible ruptures and accidents. Protecting the nature, protecting the visitor.
At the entrance you get a special set of crampons that you have to attach to your shoes. They ensure you can walk safely on the iced surface. There is, of course, a local guide keeping the group together and assisting if necessary. They make sure everyone is ok and that the glacier is intact. Making this hike is a bit of a gray area. There is a thin line between doing it mindfully, while honoring nature, and doing something that might harm it. That is why it’s extremely important to follow the rules of environmental stewardship. Especially when starting adventures that involve spending time in nature.
Appreciating your surroundings
It is a special feeling being at the bottom of the Earth, knowing there are just a few miles (620 to be precise) in between you and the Antarctic Peninsula, and around 2,000 to the South Pole. As I stood in the port in Ushuaia, I looked down the bay. I felt the cool wind on my face and sensed some sort of stillness in the air at the same time. It was as if the time just stopped and the only thing that mattered was nature and the ocean. The freezing waters that stood in between me and the Pole.
I wonder how many expeditions sailed off from that very spot throughout history and how many of them came back. How many of them looked down that bay, glanced at the church and the same wooden houses in the background, finding comfort in the stillness of the scenery that said goodbye to many.
In that moment I truly felt like a visitor, not only in Ushuaia but on this planet. More than ever I felt so small in the face of nature and its course. It was a true reminder that we are just a tiny drop in this massive universe. In the blink of an eye we will be gone and someone else will be standing right there in the very spot I was standing on.
Maybe they would have the same thoughts and realizations as me, looking at the same scenery, the never changing mountain tops and vastness of the freezing ocean down the bay, dreaming of expeditions to the Pole.
Our responsibilities
As digital nomads we have a special responsibility to be respectful of the places, people and cultures we explore. Within the concept of responsible travel that is setting up certain limits. This in itself is not limiting, yet full of opportunities – to help the environment, others and ourselves.
Next week I will share with you my experience with building communities through co-living and co-working spaces, designed primarily for digital nomads. If you are wondering where you can find one of those in Croatia, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for recommendations.
by Antonija Bosanac
Antonija was born and raised in Split, Croatia. Now a restless traveller gone digital nomad in 2019, she’s passionate about building communities, volunteer work, education and human & civil rights. She is currently working as a coach in the field of interpersonal communication and self development. She promotes change through individual work with clients; as well as being en route to getting a degree in psychotherapy. For her current location, check her Instagram profile.
