It doesn't get much better than a world renowned music festival in the heart of South America with your best bud and one of your favorite Grammy award-winning bands. Which is why we thought it would be cool to team up with Intrepid Travel to send Propeller winner, Anthony, and his bestie on the long road to meet Alabama Shakes at Lollapalooza Argentina.
We caught up with Anthony afterwards to hear all about it!
Anthony, you began your Journey in Santiago, Chile. We hear it's incredible -- What was the nightlife scene like? Find any unusual goodies at all the artisanal market? How was the food?
Now that I'm back home, the trip feels like a dream. I've never been to South America and I already want to go back. Santiago was so much fun! We were located right next to all the cool nightlife spots.There's always something fun going on and spontaneous dancing in the street at any given moment! We got to go on tours of the massive meat and fish markets, and then grub down. They give you so much food! While we weren't 100% sure what we were ordering, we wanted to try new things and the food was delicious.
Tell us, what did it feel like seeing the Andes Mountains in real life? Paint us a mental picture!
The Andes Mountains were so majestic, the scale of which I don't think I can ever fully describe. They were beautiful. The roads were long and curvy through the mountains, and seeing a place that is so remote, away from the comfort of our tour bus was awesome. Not to mention, experiencing the second highest mountain Aconcagua really puts your life into perspective; you realize how tiny you are!
In Mendoza, you went on tours of the wineries and vineyards. How cool was that? What was your favorite wine? Did you leave a connoisseur?
What was my favorite wine? All of it! The vineyards had amazing views of the mountains in the distance. We learned a lot about how to make a good wine, and despite the beautiful weather when we were there, apparently Mendoza gets hail during certain seasons which is why some of the more precious and expensive vineyards are covered with netting to protect it from the elements.
We hear Mendoza is a serene town with tree lines streets, cafés and parks. Is it a relaxing as it sounds?
Mendoza has beautiful, picturesque sidewalks. There are deep gutters in the streets that are meant to bring water into the city as it melts from the snow covered mountains. Really ingenious! The weather was perfect, and for the majority of the trip we ate outside on patios and sidewalks.
You got to stay on an Estancia and live like a real life gaucho! We're going to pretend we know what that means. Tell us, what does 'living like a gaucho' entail? And what is an Estancia? How did you like living the cowboy life?
An Estancia is a farm! The first night there was a thunderstorm, which was so cool. We got to see each and every flash of lightning. It was beautiful. There was horseback riding through the fields and soccer games. We shared delicious hearty meals (and more wine) with the tour group and people living on the farm, much like a big family. Everything was fresh and we learned how to make empanadas. Then we were sent off with a massive outdoor BBQ!
You next stop was the crown jewel: Lollapalooza Argentina! How was hanging with the Alabama Shakes? Who were you most stoked to see preform?
The Alabama Shakes were the best. They are so friendly and talked to us about their new album, their Grammy wins, and playing on stage with Paul McCartney. And of course, we took like, a million selfies. It still doesn't feel real. Lollapalooza Argentina was incredible. Brandon Flowers really stole the show for me. Also Eminem, and Mumford and Sons put on really solid performances. It all went by so fast, I would love to return someday. Not to mention, being a VIP at Lollapalooza was rad.
We're so happy you got to experience the best of Chile and Argentina. Any other memories you want to share?
What really stuck out for me was the architecture of Buenos Aires. There are so many great old buildings and churches, as well as their local street markets where you can buy random goodies and little knick knacks. Santiago had a great museum and beautiful capital. I can't wait to go back!
