In the past 2 days I have talked to at least 3 restless people who are planning trips. One of them might move to California for a job opportunity. The news media keeps telling us that coronavirus is spreading, so I have to admire these brave travelers who, unlike Ruth, are willing to hit the road. I understand this wanderlust because I’m experiencing it too. That’s why I have been thinking of international places I would like to go back to.
Argentina is near the top of my list of return-tos. I would like to see Patagonia’s glaciers and the town of Calafate, which is near both Los Glaciares National Park and Lago Argentino. Calafate seems to be the ideal place to locate for tours. Neuquen is the fastest growing city in Patagonia and the capital of an Argentinian province; but Ushuaia, which we have been to and love, is listed as one of Patagonia’s larger towns. When we were there, Ruth & I took an all-day bus ride to Punta Arenas, Chile, and spent some time there before returning to Ushuaia. The most interesting thing we did in Punta Arenas was to take a six hour sail to Isla Pinguinos to see an actual penguin colony. This was both worthwhile and fascinating despite 12 hours on a local boat. Later we saw another and less healthy penguin colony much further north near Patagonia’s Peninsula Valdes. This colony is pictured above. Quarantining, as you can see, leads to daydreaming.
We would have gone back to Australia this year if it hadn’t been for the pandemic virus. We long to visit our friends there and see, among other attractions, the town of Tamworth, Australia’s country and western music capital, and explore the Eyre Peninsula. We have done neither. Our favorite Australian place, however, is The Kimberley region. On our first trip there, we met 2 brothers from Tamworth, and I shared some excellent experiences with them. The fountains above are in Melbourne.
I read yesterday that the US-Canadian border might reopen on July 21. However, Canada might extend its closure for a bit longer. I was sorry to have to tell Ernie just 2 days ago that it was still closed. He was possibly planning a trip to Victoria. Ruth & I will return to The Gulf Islands in autumn 2020 if this border reopens.
Another country we would love to see again is Lithuania. Ruth & I have been there twice, and we really like the fast-food hamburgers at Hesburger in Vilnius. I took the photo above in Vilnius’ Cathedral Square. The Devil’s Museum in Kaunas is a genuine hoot.
And finally, I yearn to return to Iceland. The last time we were there, we drove the circle road around it and had the best trip of our lifetimes. I joke that we almost died only one time while there, but this could have been true. We did not know that more than half the roads in Iceland are gravel, and we were on one of them very late at night in heavy rain with a plunging temperature outside in the 30s. Luckily, we made it to our destination.
Hank
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