This is the tail end of our 2-day visit to Santa Cruz, Patagonia. We flew from Ushuaia to Rio Gallegos and then drove 3 hrs by private car to our sister ciudad. The drive was over the expansive flat pampas and the air is so clean/clear that the ends of the pampas actually curve with the earth. We have never seen anything so expansive and clear. There were many wild ostriches and llamas along the way.
The town is located on the east coast of Argentina and sits on an estuary of the Rio del Santa Cruz. It is like no other town we have visited. No one locks anything, everyone is friendly and knows everyone else. They all say hi to all the visitors. One 83 yr old Indian invited us in his home and posed with his arrowheads and animal skins.
There are no road signs. The houses are mostly what we consider very poor but they say they are all middle class and no one is rich nor poor. We are always greeted with a warm handshake and for Jean, with a side kiss like the French but only one side.
Our motel is a trip! Very new and you can tell they try hard to please. The towels are twisted into swans with flowers in them. The toothpaste holder has real flowers and greens. There are chocolates and candies everywhere, along with a kitchen and food. There is a “disinfected” tape across the toilet.
The town is very flat, arid and reminds us of New Mexico (it is a desert). There is no stress here. People sleep late, eat late and take their time. However, everyone is employed and most work more than one job. There few no stores as we know them—businesses are inside homes.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner