I heard about the restaurant in the type of hushed whisper that is reserved for quasi-spiritual experiences like natural wonders or ghost sightings. If the nameless establishment had not been mentioned in the public domain of the web, I would swear it was part of an underground gastronomy-lovers cult that met once a week to eat dolma and kufta. However, the “Friday Night Dinner,” as it is so-called, is frequented every week by hundreds of Armenians and food lovers in a cultural center located in the heart of Palermo Viejo.

Photo by Ricardo Carreon

I must admit: I have never been much of a hiker. My usual trek entails 40 minutes of prep time (both mental and logistical), 45 minutes of walking, and then a strong desire (often expressed verbally) to descend to base camp and seek out the nearest place to get a foot massage and a cider. So, I actually surprised myself when I agreed to go to Bariloche, the land of mountains and hiking, with my sister in mid-May. Little did we know that the fall weather would produce rain for an entire week, and all my mental and logistical preparations would be rendered unnecessary.

“A white unlike any other” was how our chauffeur, in Spanish, described the brilliance of Aconcagua’s peak. Of course, “chauffeur” is a bit of a generous term for the couple we had hitched a ride with, the beginning of a series of misadventures that ultimately should have placed my traveling companion in a hospital. But for the moment we could only stare at the icy blue-white cap, and eagerly wait for the moment that we could disembark and begin a hike through the provincial park towards that ultimate destination

Thanks to Cl@udi@ for this photo of Valparaiso.

Mendoza is often described as a quaint wine-producing city, snuggled up to the base of the Andes Mountains. Many fail to elaborate that the other side of that mountain range offers the perfect weekend getaway, and some singular sites. We crossed the border and took in a three-day, whirl-wind tour of Valparaiso and Santiago.

Buenos Aires is a city that prides itself on its Italian heritage- they play futbol with flair, have twelve different pasta sauces on every menu, and they undoubtedly have the best gelato this side of the Atlantic.