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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure
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Fifi Flipflops Big Adventure

An open-ended adventure by Fifi flipflop Read more
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    The Immaculate Conception

    April 3, 2016 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We are only in Santiago for a day, which is not enough really and i feel like my feet havent touched the ground for days. We cannot book into our room until this afternoon so we put our bags in storage and weve been recomended to go and see St Christobel . We take a lovely walk which encumbers most of the main sites that the city has to offer so we walk the streets, following yet another map. As we walk through the city it reminds us of Paraguay. It is really warm here, and its nice to be in a pair of shorts again . The city traffic is manic , but i am more than pleased to find a Starbucks , i actually dont order my usual and opt for a Dulce de Leite latte , it is delicious and we make our way around to Plaza Armsa which has the most beautiful buildings and we sit and enjoy our drinks . A short walk from here is the Market which sells evrything and anything and compared to the south is really cheap. We cross the bridge and once again the poverty divide is very apparent, beggars everywhere and the cleanliness of the city in this area is totally different from around the palacial and government areas. We stroll past a chuch with a hollow steeple and down a street which takes us to the Fruit and vegetable market. Thre is a shop here selling pot growing equipment and claims to be the winner of the best crop. The colour , standard and choice of vegetables is captivating and we wonder round here for a good hour , before heading out the other side to make our ascent to the Plaza Cauolican. There is a small castle a little park and the funicular that takes you to the top. You can stop half way and get off at the zoo, but we take it straight to the top. Cerro San Cristobal owers above the whole city and the arque Metropolitano gives us views of the sprawling city below. The smog hangs heavily over the city and it really makes me aware we are back in the real world which i thought i waanted , but now were here i definitely prefer the tranquil side of life. The craziness of this place is they have erected a telecoms tower directly behind this huge monumental figure that 1000's come here to worship, but i suppose thats the old and the new. There is also an old church here that is vey different from most we have seen and we sit in here just taking in the ambience of the place.
    We decide to catch a metro part of the way back as Marks knee is now playing up on him( i suppose thats what i get for bringing an old man with me) and the metro system is pretty easy to use. we descend two stops later and make the short walk back to the hostel where we can now check in.
    The rest of the evening is spent uploading the gopro videos to my google photos and an early checkout as we are catching a 24 hour bus to a place called San pedro de atacama.    Read more

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    White Water Fun

    March 30, 2016 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    I return the car first thing in the mornig as we have booked to go white water rafting, the weather is forecast for rain all day and with us getting wet anyway it seems like the perfect activity to do. We have some breakfast and get into our swimsuits and make the short walk to the agency we have booked the trip with. The weather is really cloudy and just starting to spit, but im glad it didnt rain last night as this could have taken the river higher , im up for fun, but not putting our lives in danger. The company we are doing this with is not the one we have booked with so a minibus picks us up just after 11. Its only a 15 min drive to the site where we pick up our safety gear. We are given a vest style wetsuit that has seen better days and a air of booties a thin windroof jacket, a helmet and a life jacket. Once evryone is dressed we get back on the bus to drive to the river. The rafts are lowered over a bridge and onto the water and the safety brief starts and the situation of us falling out the boat is gone into in great depth (is this really a possibility) ah well its a bit late to worry about getting wet now. We are in a boat with 3 Chileans and one of them has a go pro so were actually going to get video of us in action. The start of the rafting is practising our manouveres which is all done in Spanish i understand most of it but on the things that i ask when i dont understand the instructer tells me to copy my amigo , does that include falling in? We paddle down the river listening to the birds while we practise paddling forward paddling bacwards, and jumping in the boat. As we float down the river we come to our first grade 4 fall and to say i get a little bit wet would be an understatement. we are the first boat of 3. One has Germans in and one has Americans two of them are really big girls and as we wait for the other two boats to come down the boat with the Americans gets stuck the guide in our bus jokes about mcdonalds and finally after a lot of rocking they are free. We continue down the river getting swallowed by the falls until we come to one that we are unable to cross, so we take the raft to land and walk around while the guys lower the raft down on a rope, even theyre not willing to take the raft down. When we come to the end of the trail we are told that we have to jump of the ledge into the water. I honestly think they are joking but when the first guy jumps i realise thats not the case . Its my turn and i hold my nose and jump out as far as i can i hit the water and the coldness takes my breath away. I swim to shore and climb out of the water , im so cold i can barely feel my hands, another small walk and we are back in the boat.and heading for our biggest fall yet. As we head towards it the guy is telling us to paddle faster , and my heart beats faster, we decend the fall and water fills the boat, i hold onto the rope like my -life depends on it. and we make it through , i honestly didnt expect it to be this full on , my heart is pounding ot of my chest , we descend over several other waterfalls and when we arrive at the end were told to jump in the water and swim to shore , once againn i am shivering, we climb out of the water and carry the boat out, the changing rooms are here and once in dry clothes its back to the bus. Today has been brilliant and now its back to the hostel for our night bus out of here . The plan is to go and grab a bite to eat at the place we ate yesterday, but the rain has been relentless all afternoon , and the though of getting on the bus alnight in wet clothes doesnt appeal so we decide to go hungry instead and catch a taxi to the terminal . Hungry but dry we board the bus to Santiago and were soon on our way.Read more

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    Road Trip

    March 30, 2016 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    So today we hired a car for the first time since we left home, and even though they drive on the opposite side of the road here it wasnt strange as its so long since i drove in the uk, the only hard thing was having the gear stick on the opposite side. The first place we went to wanted 45 quid for the day , but after shopping around we managed to get a Suzuki Alto for 25 quid. The car was a bit clapped out, but would do us the job of getting us to the thermal springs. We drove out of Pucon and headed for Villaricca and onto Licanray where we stopped to have a restbite and a sit on the beach. The sand here is all black as its volcanic but the view at the lake was beautiful. Back to the car for the hardest part of the journey as once we arrived to Conaripe we had a 16km drive up a dirt track. When i say dirt track it is the remnents of the volcanos erution from last year with loose gravel everywhere and the steering on the car left much to be desired as it was. As we were driving up ther were a number of distractions, the first being a group of piglets literally just wandering along the verge. The next was a herd of goats and then a bloody great big bull, the question was what could beat that, there was bearly enough room for our little car. We passe the first thermas and i could quite literally have stopped there as the bone shaker was doing my old body no good, but we persisted on for the next 5km and finally arrived at the therma geometrica. We were really shocked as the trip in town was 35,000 chilean peso the equivalent roughly of 35 pound which we thought was really expensive, but when we got to the thermas it was 24,000 so the transfer was only a tenner and we had spent 25 quid hiring the car, but the beauty was we got to stop as and where we wanted along the way. Arriving at the thermas you get allocated a locker , a towel and away you go. There are over 15 ools all of varying shapes sizes and temperatures so you can take your pick on the one most comfartable for you. We make our way up to the top trying each pool along the way, and at the top is a huge waterfall with contrasting freezing cold water. This place is definitely therpeutic and the 45 degree pool is hotter than any bath i have had and i like my baths hot. We while away a good 3 hors before heading inside for some hommade chicken broth and a coffee. The drive back doesnt seem to take so long and we head down to the lake to watch the sunset. It drops an amazing reflection onto the water and we drink an ice cold beer to enjot this beautifl view. It has been a day of pampering and we agre that we might as well finish off with having dinner out tonight. Mark orders a caesar sanwich and i opt for the steak. When it arrives it looks amazing, even the presentation is nice. I can honestly say this is the best steak i have ever eaten and when igive mark a taste hes so impressed he says we will come here again tomorrow. The meal is finished off with a couple of cocktails . When we arrive back to the hostel we have no keys but lucky enough the guy is just about to leave and lets us in another wonderful day .Read more

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    Volcana Bound

    March 29, 2016 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We leave the hostel at 9 in the morning and take the 5 minute walk to the station, the station at Valdivia is having a makeover, but even as it stands s one of the most modern we have encountered snce being in South America , While we wait there is a massage chair in the foyer and i idulge myself with having a go. It is well worth the 500 chilean pesos(50p) and im tempted to have another go , but opt for a cigarette before i board the bus. We make our way out of the city promtly and yet again really could have done another few days here,. The traffic is quite bad, but we soon find out this is due to roadworks and are on our way soon enough. We arrive at a small place called Vallarica where a guy from Dovecote in Liverpool gets on and we chat with him and his girlfriend about where they have been and any recomendations they can give us. Its strange to not talk about home with him, but when your travelling your home is where you lay your rucksack (doesnt quite have the same ring as hat) and it is all about the next places yo are heading. Within half an hour we arrive to the town of Pucon and as we get off the bus the view of volcano Villarica imonopolises the landscape. The volcano last erupted in December 2014 and is one of the most active in South America, and dotted around the town are evacuation points and signs for emergency exits. We arrive at the hostel and the room is ready. We are sharing a room with 2 guys from Korea and ask them which is the best places for tours etc, then have a walk into town accustomed ourselves with the huge amount of tourism companies and to decide what we will do in our few days here. We are absolutely spoilt for choice, and after walking the whole of o'higgins were still undecided. A lot of what you can do is governed by the weather and it is too late to do anything now so after a walk down the plaza and to the edge of the lake we grab a quick empanada (similar to a pasty) and do a shop as tonight were cooking curry. Hostel french andes is really well equipped and the set up here is one of the best we have come across with a full organisation for recycling etc, which has become so much more important for me since we have been travelling.
    Mark starts the preparation for the food and I look online for our options of the next part of our trip, and find a flight from Santiago to calama for 18 quid which will take 2hrs (on the bus 23hrs and 40 quid) and I'm jumping round for joy. This soon stops when after 20 times of getting to the payment page I am constantly kicked out. Mark by now has cooked the curry and we invite a girl from Holland and a girl from Nantwich (England ) to join us as they have been helping me try to book these amazing tickets. After much frustration I am beaten and decide to try again early tomorrow.    Read more

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    Crossing The Border

    March 28, 2016 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    We have agreed to give Bariloche a miss also as we just dont have the time and when we get up early the next morning we ask the guy to check on times to Pucon which is where we are headed in Chile. There is no direct bus and he advises us that we will have to go to Osorno first and then change here for Pucon , this sounds perfect and the bus is at 1030 so we run down,pack our bags and head out in a taxi to the terminal. The guy in the hostel say the company is Andesmar but when i ask at the counter they arent going till 2pm i make my way along the kiosks and there is a company going at 1030 so tickets booked and were on our way. The journey takes us through the immigration, and its goodbye to Argetina, i can really say its been a pleasure , all the doubts i had about the Argetinians going to be rude etc are banished and they really do have a beautiful country, no wonder they wanted to fight for it. The scenery once again is beautiful as we wind around huge mountains and ast wonderful lakes. Half an hour later the bus stops and we are given forms to fill in stating what we can and cannot take into Chile , we fill the forms in accpting we cannot take any animal products herbs spices and large amounts of cash(we actually havent got a penny in cash so i hope we can find a cash machine in Osorno) The bus pulls up and we wait our turn to be cleared. We are all chauffered off the bus and have to take all our belongings. We form an orderly queue in the immigration office and things feel like they have stepped up a gear here. A sniffer dog is brought in and is taken to go over all the bags, its really strange how you watch with baited breath hoping he isnt going to stop at ours but he passs them but stops at another and pats his paw on the top of it. The policeman asks whos bag it is and a young guy steps out from our line, i can only imagine his backside is twitching faster than a bullet and as he opens it up its searched but nothing is found. The dog is then taken on the bus and within half an hour we have just about cleared border control. The journey to Osorno is literally another hour and i get off to go and get our tickets for Pucon while Mark collects the baggage. Inside the terminal i search for companys that make the journey to Pucon. There are just 2 and they are both full for today and tomorrow the earliset bus is 1845 . The Santander cashpoint is out of action, but i manage to get cash out of the Chilean one. After a brief discussion with Mark i suggest we head further North and hopefully can get a bus from there. We opt for a place called Valdivia. Our bus is in a couple of hours so we drop our bags in storage and head out to get a bite to eat. We order something off the menu that we dont know what it is and are pleasantly served with steak egg and chips and a homemade sauce that has chillies in which is absolutely delicious. We have really missed a bit of spicy food so Chile is going to be a very welcome change. Dinner eaten and back to the terminal , it feels like we have been travelling on buses forever without a stop so i really hope we caan get to Pucon and relax for a few days. The bus is really full of young guys dressed in suits and if it were a guessing game id say tonight is some sort of graduation as Valdivia is a large town renowned to be full of excellent colleges and universities. The amount of people heading in our direction is massive and i worry we will struggle to find a hostel. The Valdivia bus station is probably the biggest and most modern we have come across and is still under construction, but really impressive. once again i abondon Mark with the baggage while i go off to book our tickets, and manage to get one to Pucon for 10 in the morning. Its 8 oclock and we decide the best plan of action is to walk towards town and go to each hostel to see if there is any room in the inn. The first hostel we arrive to a lovely lady comes out and beckons us in. We are shown a double room that is 12 pound each for the night and is a stones throw away from the station. This place is really lovely though and the bed is beautifully made up with a private bathroom . The internet connection here is really good so i touch base with Ambi as she hasnt heard off me in a few days with having no internet and then trundle off to the supermarket to buy a few bits and bobs. We buy our essentials as well as a bottle of Pisco sour which is the local beverage here and the drink the Chileans clame to have invented (when in Rome) and make our way back to the hostel to consume our goodies.Read more

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    Leaving Los Antiguos

    March 27, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We buy some lunch and hop oboard the bus that will take us to Bariloche at last. The bus is really packed and im relieved that we managed to get a seat. The coaches out here are pretty good and i would definitely recommend paying that bit extra to travel First class for the really long journeys , but for this one were back to working class as its only 10 to 12 hours. I know that seems long to some of you back home , but thats a day in the life of travelling South America.Its really weird how things like this become part of your day to day routine and i am well ready to get to Asia so we can afford the cheeap flights but there are a few things we still neeed to explore here first. The inflation rate in Argentina is ridiculuous and the new lonely planet guide that we bought and planned our budget from has been smashed as everything is nearly 3 times the price printed in it. I honestly dont know how the Argentinians afford to live.
    Luckily the bus driver smokes so after every 2 to 3 hours or so we stop and he gives us time for a quick puff. Mark and I are well prepared this time as on every other bus we could hardly hear the film and with spanish subtitles as well our concentration levels were pushed to the limit. Armed with our headhones we manage to watch the first few films succesfully and this definitely helps to break the journey up. The scenery as we travel is also breathtakingly beautiful with lakes and forests as we weave the Ruta 4o, definitely prettier and more comfortable than doing the journey up from El Chalten on the gravel highway. We stop in a place called Esquel which Mark and I had considered a stopover but time has caught us up and if were going to do any of Chile we need to push on. Another hour into the journey and the bus pulls over on the side of the road , as i look out the window all the busmen have the engine compartment pen and are banging inside it with a big hammer, right tool for the right job, im sure they know what they are doing. Fifteen minutes later and we are on the road again arriving in Bariloche just after 11. We had agreed to catch a cab, but end up walking and find the hostel pretty easily. There is only one thing for it .......BED    Read more

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    Exploring Los Antiguos

    March 25, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After a good nights rest we wake earlyish to see the sunrise over the lake. This place is so tranquil i could stay a few more days. After the sunrise we go up for breakfast and then back to the room to pack. We have decided to leave after breakfast and buy our tickets for the bus to Perito Moreno drop our bags and explore the town here. We arrive at the bus station at 930 to find the ticket office has a sign saying it doesn't open till 10. There are a couple of girls here from Israel so we sit talking and at 10 oclock still no sign of life in the ticket office. Today is Good Friday and I wonder wether they will open at all so I ask the cleaner and she advises me that they will open at 11. Pretty much on time a lady comes and opens the office and with tickets booked and bags stowed we walk down town. The town is so small we will have no problem exploring it all before 2, when the bus will leave. Its a quaint little place with lots of artisan pieces and a big memorial to the Falklands war. Over 600 men died from this small town alone and once again I think of how many families have been affected. We sit and take a coffee before heading up to a Yamana indigenous carving with a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding this small city. The exploring finished it's back to the terminal for our short one and a half hour journey to Perito Merino. When we arrive in Perito Moreno I get the bus tickets out to check the time we will be leaving in the morning to see they have today's date on? The lady at the station told ne there was no service today, but after a confused spanish conversation I realise they're was no bus from los antiguous and our bus has a ready left from here. This has been an expensive mistake as we now have to buy another 2 tickets for tomorrow at a cost of 50 quid each and the hotel is another 50. The lack of not understanding Spanish has cost me dearly and I'm physically sick. Mark as usual is don't worry there's nothing we can do. The ticket office isn't open till 5 so we walk down to drop our bags at the hotel. Mark tells me to chill and get a shower ( guess I must smell) while he goes to get some more cash as we've brought enough to pay for the hotel and a bite to eat but not enough to pay for another set of bus tickets. The day gets worse when mark returns and tells me that one of the banks is out of money and our card doesn't work in the other. With just enough cash to pay for the bus I ask at reception if I can pay by card and he advises they accept MasterCard, but as we've found out before our card doesn't necessarily work even in this case so I ask if I can pay now . The guy uses our card but says it won't work because the connection is poor and we should try again tomorrow. ?? What is the internet faster in the morning, also we have a bus to catch and I definitely don't want to miss this one. Mark tells me to calm down and we ask the guy if there's anywhere we can eat that we can pay by card. We arrive at the restaurant/hotel to find they don't start serving food till 8 so dinner tonight is crisps and an apple. On the way back we go into the banks again and with much perseverance it works. I am so happy at the fact I can draw money out of my account I couldn't care less they are charging me 2 quid to do it. The maximum withdrawal here is 50 quid but you can repeat the process as many times as you want but have to keep requesting to do another transaction when it prompts and it charges you each time. Money aquired to pay the hotel we go back to the room. There is only cold water so a brisk shower and radiator on full blast and I jump into bed. I'm so exhausted I sleep like a baby?Read more

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    A Day Of Luxury

    March 24, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We get of the bus and when we look at the schedule realise there are no buses out of here tomorrow. After a quick discussion we decide that we need to forego the expensive hostel Mark has booked here and get on the waiting bus to Bariloche . I go in to buy the tickets, but unfortunately there is only one spare seat, so it looks like we are staying here after all. We book our tickets for the day after tomorrow, but its a bit of a nightmare as we need to catch the local bus from here to a place called Perito Moreno(the same as the glacier, but nowhere near it) and then from there to Bariloche. Tickets booked we make our waynto find our hostel. The lady in the terminal has given us a hand drawn map and tells us it is in 10 minutes walking distance. It is still really cold here and after nearly an hour of searching for the hostel we have to ask the police. Ahe ays its 3km away but theee is a taxi company just along the street and we have to opt for the easy option. We arrive at the 'hostel' to find its actually a hotel and i think the taxi driver has taken us to the wrong place, but they have a reservation for us in a twin room (no wonder it was so expensive) but to be honest i am really glad, and no longer annoyed at Mark for spending so much money My freind Shahla had said to book ourselves into somewhere nice and watch films all day and thats exactly what we do. Mark uses the hotels bike to go and fetch something to eat while i hand wash the clothes in the bath and catch up with the family on skype. The connection is not so good, but is good enough and i feel a whole lot better just having been able to see their faces and speak with them even if it was itermitent. We discover a sauna in the hotel and after an hour of waiting for it to warm up we go in. There is a bucket with a proper ladle in it but Mark being Mark thinks its a good idea to pour the whole bucket on and blows the fuse so even the lights go out. After an hour or so i head back to the room and take my second bath of the day just because i can and this one even has a plug.I have a nice pamper session and feel like new, ready to face the world again. I eat the other half of the burger and chips that Mark brought back and we chill for the rest of the evening watching some more movies. The hotel has a walkway out to the lake and the view is gorgeous we take a few piccy and later in the evening the moon shines onto the lake, its like a picture postcard. Sometimes when your travelling you have to treat yourseldf occasionally and even if by mistake im so grateful to Mark as this is just what we needed. The past few weeks have been non stop. We ask at reception if we can book for another day as we need to catch a bus at 6am to Perito Moreno but they have no availability and after going online realise that nowhere else here does either. The only available place is actually in Perito Moreno and is 40 quid so with no other option we have to book it, but i suppose another day of luxury wont kill our budget too much.Read more

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    A Day To Recover

    March 24, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    I wake at 6 to check he weather again, but it is obismal and in a way im glad. I am determined to do as much as i can whilst travelling an a sunrise at the waterfalls would have beenperfect but with the weather being so bad there is little possibility for seeing anything other than clouds. I get back into my bed gratefully and curl up till 9am. We have to be out the room by 10 so a quick pack and we find a comfy spot in the rest room of the hostel. Racho Grande is a hostel right at the end of town , but close for the treks and serves reasonably good food . We have eggs for breakfast and literally just chill for the rest of the day. I catch up on my blog and head to the supermarket to see what ingredients they have as to what we will be eating today. With this place being so out of the way the stcks delivered here are minimal, so it varys on what they have in . I opt for good old cottage pie so buy carrots potatoes mince and onions and a pack of stock cubes that are guarded behind the till like razor blades are back home. (who would want to shoplift oxo cubes). Purchases made and i take the short walk back to the hostel to start the prep work . There is something quite homely about cooking but the facilities in the hostels are minimal, not even so much as a wooden spoon. There is no oven here so cottage pie turns into mince and mash, but tastes delicious all he same. My homesickness has really had a grip for the last 3 week and the lack of internet here makes it impossible to touch base with anyone, so the taste of home somehow makes it feel a little better.
    My whole body aches today from the balls of my feet to my head but i can honestly say i would do it ll again in the blink of an eye. Mark marvels at the pictures as we prepare for our ten hor bus journey that will take us to the town of Los Aniguos at 8 oclock tonight. The buses here are prettty comfartable but when you are sat in the same position for ten hours it takes its toll on the older body(now i know why most people do this in their gap year rther than in their 4os. We board the bus and im freezing, no blankets issued on this one but within minutes the heating kicks in and the air con is also blowing? After an hour in we hit the unpaved part of Ruta 40 it is literally just gravel, but the bus driver seems pretty comfartable with this , tearing along at about 70 miles an hour with chips fling in all directions. Most of the buses here have cracked windscreens or big holes in the , and it now becomes apparent why. As we travel along the bus stops and we start reversing , its a nother bus on the other side of the road thats stopped. A guy jumps on a we are off again. A brief stop and were back on the road, a few sweeties in the bag . There are a few empty seats down stairs and every one spreads themselves out so we all have a seat each. This doesnt make t easier to sleep but i grab an hour here and therand wake at 7 in the morning in Los Antiguos.    Read more

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    Laguna De Los Tres

    March 23, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    We set the alarm for 3 am as the view of Fitz Roy with the sunrise is supposed to be spectacular. I reluctantly got out of bed and made my way outside to find the wind howling and even though it was only a shower the rain hit hard against my face. There was no way i was going to climb a mountain in that. We all agreed we would reset the alarm for 6 and head out then regardless. Luckily when we awoke the weather had changed for the better and it was actually quite warm. Prepared for the worst we carry additional layers and set off with our headlamps on and make our way to the start of the trek. It is still really dark and the first part of the trek is really steep. I have struggled with this part and really worry that i am holding Aaron and Sue up but they assure me i am doing ok so we continue . After 2 hours of full on trekking we reach a Mirador (viewingpoint) and directly in front of us is the range . The sun has started to come up and you can see it rising behind us , but hasnt quite hit the range yet. There are two other girls here from Geneva, and are very kind sharing their hot tea with us. We are all greatful for this as when you are on the move you are warm, but once you stop and the wind catches hold of you its bitter. The tea is shared and we layer up including hats gloves and stormproof jackets and knuckle down for the hour ahead as we have decided this is going to be the best place to view it, There are a few clouds over the range but we are really lucky the weather has changed for the better.Aaron sets his camera to do a time lapse and we sit and watch the clouds roll over until eventually the sun rises onto the peak. The beauty and size of it leave me speechless and we decide that we have to push on as we want to reach the summit of the trek sooner rather than later. At 7km we come into a vast open landscape and the wind is enough to blow you away, ask we walk past the stream a sudden gust of wind blows my sunglasses off sraight into the stream. We stand looking but they are swept downstream in seconds. Im more concerned at the fact ive pollutedbthe water than losingbmy sunnies.When you have stopped for any amount of time your limbs struggle to move again , but after half and hour i am back in the swing of it. We stop alittle while later for a toilet break. There are two on this route. I thought festival toilets were bad , but this takes things to a new limit , its a portaloo cubicle laced over a wooden pit in the ground with a hole cut out of the plywood floor. This task is generally a lot easier for guys than girls and because i have trousers on you have to make sure for a clear passage. Eseentials executed and its onwards and pwards. We arrive to the 8 km point where there is a campsite and by all accounts the guys and girls here have had a pretty rough night, talking about there tents floating and the wind blowing them around like leaves. The next km is really pretty with varying landscapes rivers and beautiful views . I am really apprehensive about the final km as even the young fit people on their way down say its tough but worth it. My god is it hard i can barely catch my breath . There is no path its just loose rock that are really uncomfartable on your feet and keep moving and rolling down hill. I keep looking at my watch and cant believe how slowly time is passing, and really doubt that i can pull this off, but the guys push me on and as we near the top i am so breathless i could cry. When we reach the summiit i actually do cry and Aaron ans Sue leave me to have my moment. I dont know whether im crying because of how i feel or for what my eyes can actually see, a mixture of both I think. I gather myself and we head down to the lake a beautiful turquoise colour that just lays at the Base of this awesome piece of natural wonder. We share our lunches and the mount the small peak in front of us to find another lake that is fed by this one via a trickle of a waterfall. We take an hour in our own places and I sit at the Base listening to the water trickling down into the other lake below. I don't know how to put into words and no pictures can describe this spectacle it is one of those things that if you are lucky enough in your lifetime you must see. The trek back is a lot easier, but still hard going and we see things we never saw on the way up as it was dark. The last km semi like 3 but when we reach the bottom I feel so proud and blessed to have done what I did, and we were certainly blessed with the weather. We arrive back at the hostel and I order a coke and steak egg and chips and eat every moral, a hot shower to bath my aching muscles and straight to bed as I want to try and get one more mini trek in tomorrow with mark if he feels up for it.Read more

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    Laguna Torre

    March 22, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We board the bus for an 8am departure and the bus pulls out the station at 745 talk about being pronto, im so glad im always early. An hour and a half into the journey we pull off the baron landscaped road down a dirt track and i think the bus is about to be hijacked lol. There is a little cafe here and it is packed , it seems every bus that takes this route stops here even though the journey fro El Calafate is only 4 hours long. We arrive in El Chalten shortly after 12 drp our bags in the hostel and head straight out for a trek. the trek is six hours long and 15 miinutes in Mark turns round, he is bright red and really not feeling well at all, he just cant shake this bad chest so the best thing for him to do is rest. I am so gutted for him, and feel slghtly guilty that im not going back to nurse him, but he doesnt want that and i really want to do the trek. We say our goodbyes and I continue on with a Malaysian guy called Aaron and a South Korean girl who lives in California called Sue. We enter the national park, speak with the park ranger and start our accent. In the first 45 minutes its all uphill and i have to stop to catch my breath. This is going to be hard work but like ive said before you earn your rewards. After the first part the trek is pretty easy going and takes us through so many terrains and landscapes. I am carrying like a satchel bag and this is really not ideal, my back and shoulders are killing me. Aaron was really struggling too as his knee was playing up and sometimes with the rocky terrain its just as hard going up as it is down. There are lots of people on the trail, and along the way you give way to people that are coming in the opposite direction or people that are faster than you, which is most in my case. Lots of water is consumed on the trek and we make the mistake of filling our botte up from the river rather than the stream . The water is almost a milky colour and further along the trek we replace it with spring water. This tastes so good, its ice cold and so fresh. You also have the task of taking clothes off and quickly replacing them when you get to open areas , because although we are blessed with a beautiful sunny day in the open areas it is really windy. After 3 hours we arrive at the glacier and it is truly magnificent the lake is a beautiful turquoise blue and we walk down to the lake and take the obligutary selfies and hotos of each other as well as penguin. After a quick bite to eat and some cookies we make the journey back. Mark took the cigarettes with him and i am absolutely gaping for one as well as to see about Marks welfare. I joke that Mark will be in the bar having a beer , but when we return he is still in bed and we have been gone well over 6 hours. I wake him and finally persuade him to come and at least have a bowl of soup. we eat dinner with Sue and Aaron and we are all exhausted and the plan is to get up at 3 to trek to see the sunrise on Fitz Roy. Our whole dorm is tucked up by 9pm and to be honest im ready for it. Im hoping Mark will be better by tomorrow, as it seems a long way for him to have travelled to not see anythingRead more

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    Ice Ice Baby

    March 20, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    we wake at seven and i can barely contain my excitement. Today is the day we see Perirto Moreno. This is one part of the triip i have really been looking forward to. When i have seen pictures in books it has given me goosebumps and the fact i am going to see it with my own eyes fills me with excitement. We are so blessed to be doing wht we are and these things will stay with us forever. We board the bus for the short journey (one and a half hours ) and the scenery on route is breathtaking in itsself.There are a couple of treks here and the bus drops us off at canal de los tempanos which is a lake at the rear of the glacier. We have decided to take a boat up to the glacier and decide to do this first. The boat takes us pretty close to the glacier (or so it feels) in reality its about 400 ms away but its close enough to see huge shards of the glacier dropping into the lake below. The wind here is bitter although the sun is shining but wrapped u in our scarfs hats and gloves we are comfortable. Whiilst we are on the boat a huge surge of water like a geyser comes up in front of the glacier foloowed by what i can only describe as a little island appears , bright blue in colour , this is due to the ice underwater overturning on the surface and the lack of oxgen causes huge compression leaving it bright blue in colour. As the day goes on this will change colour to white as it is oxidised but this sight is truly amazing ( i have been having chemisry lessons) The boat takes us back to land about an hour later and we start the trek of the park. The trek is a very well laid wooden walkway that passes along side the glacier and around the northern side , with several viewing points both above and below the glacier , unfortunately part of the trek is closed for security reasons? so we head up to the to trail and find ourselves at the wrong bus stop. A we try and make our way down we come to a lift that can only be used by the old or pregnant woman so im a naughty girl and tell the guy im pregnant (sticking my belly out to emphasise the point)so at least we can get on the right path. Back on the right pathe we make the journey back to the start. There are no toilets through the trek, and you are not allowed to smoke , and I cant beleive how far we have walked it feels like forever getting back. finally we arrive and enjoy the remainder of ourpacked lunch and a nice cold coke before heading down to the lake to spend our final hour. The scenery on the bus back is even more spectacular as the sun is shining and it makes the water look a beautiful turquoise blue , Perito Moreno is a must if you are in Argentina. We arrive back in town and book our bus out of here for the morning at 8am so another early night is in order. Its really crazy how we haven't stopped recently but we need to do this and push on up north as time is starting to run out. We stop off at the supermarket and buy a couple of steaks as Mark is cooking and soon we will be leaving Argentina so want to make the most of it while we are here. We are tempted in for an ice cream to a shop that is called Tit the dolce de leche ice cream is to die for and dinner will have to be served later as I'm a now full. We eat our dinner at ten and literally get straight into bed.Read more

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    Temorary Stopover

    March 20, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We arrive at 8 in the morning and our bus out of here is 9, so just enough time to have a quick wash and brush my teeth, grab a coffee and wait for our connecting bus to arrive. I am really glad we havent opted to stay here as its like a ghost town, and im pretty sure this place is just used for passing through. Our bus arrives on time and within minutes we are on the road again. Sometimes i feel like im never off buses but im just enjoying being chauffered for a change. There are only people on the whole bus 2 in first class and 4 of us upstairs and Mark and i both say wouldnt you have thought they would have just put us all downstairs, but i suppose thats not fair on the people that have paid for it. The journey is only 4 hours but in the first hour we stop so the driver can have a coffee at a restaurant literally in the middle of nowhere. The landscape here is so baron and dry its hard to believe were remotely close to glaciers.Another hour in and the glaciers come into view, a truly astounding site with their snow capped peaks Watching as they become closer whiles the time away and before we know it we have arrived. El Calafate is quite a small town very set up for the touristy scene with prices to match 5 quid for a beer(mark is t total for the next few days) We check into the hostel which are all within walking distance of the bus staion and head straight out to explore town. We do a bit of saerching about for the best way and cheaest to see Perito Moreno and opt for catching a local bus there and trekking on our own. We book the bus and price u our onward travel to El Chalten while we are here. We walk back through down picking up a sandwich and empanada and stroll down to the lake. The wind is howling and the warm clothes are out for the first time , including hats gloves and wateproofs. The view is beautiful here and after a go on the swings we walk back to the hostel and prepare dinner. Catching up with friends and family is key tonight as ive had a bit of bad news from home and feel a lot better once ive spoken with mum.We head to bed early as we have an early start in the morning and to be honest the bus journey has wiped me out.Read more

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    First Class Travel

    March 19, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    We awake and pack our bags, and yet again we are leaving another wonderful place. The hostel Chepatagonia is a perfect example of how it should be done. Its the cleanest hostel weve stayed in and the staff and owners have been wonderful. We have shared times with great people including Mateus, Marie and Ali. Just as were packed we see 3 people who had been in the same hostel as us in Rosario, and you wouldnt expect this as there are so many hostels in town, but its a small world and im grateful to be seeing so much of it. I try once again to get hold of mum as i havent spoken to her in several days and still have no joy, so i call my sister to see if she has spokennto her recently. She tells me mum is at the hospital as one of our oldestnfriends and my godmother is on a life support machine and there isnt any chance she will pull through. Its at times like these inwish i coild just timewarp myself back home, even for a couple of hours just to give mum a big hug.
    Thenshow must go on though and we have a bus to catch in an hour. Todays journey involves 20 hours on our first bus to Rio Galleous and a 4 hour connecting bus to El Calafate ....We are off to the glaciers
    The bus is late and Mateus has come to the station to see us off. As were stood on the platform i see someone waving erracticly on the Mendoza bus to realise its Ali. We bid her farewell and beforw long our bus arrives. For the first time we have opted for first class as Mark is still not well . There is always an option to fly but this is considerably more expensive and when there are 1 of you its doubled .We board the bus and really it's luxury there are huge leather seats with foot rests that can be lifted wwup so you have a 180 degree bed. Dinner is served as soon ss we are seated and we tuck in to ham and cheese , cakes and a potato tortilla and the complimwntary glasa of vino. An hour into the journey and we pull iwnto a yard, we are here for nearly an hour and its to get a tyre changed but our connecting bua leaves at 9am from rio galleous and on time we were due to arrive at 7 so now are going to be cutting it fine. I take a amall siesta and were woken by the bus stopping and being asked to get our passports out. A federal soldier inspects them and asks where we are from I reply England and he's now talking in Spanish ro the female federal soldier that has joined him , he starts asking questions in Spanish and luckily one of the bus staff join us to translate . My bum is proper twitching and I wonder whether it's because I look so different from my passport. Ten minutes pass and we are let on our way again. We arrive at Comodoria Riviera and I can't wait to get off and have a cigarette. My nerves are shot, I really must step up my Spanish as I am pretty sure the language barrier will get worse the further south we go. Back on the bus I set my seat for sleep mode only for our trays to be brought out fo dinner. This time we are served chicken escalope with mashed potato and of course ham and cheese on top. They also have cheese ham and a cherry on a stick. Dinner is served with wine followed by champagne, first class really is the way to travel full up and tired I recline my seat and sleep for the remainder of the journey awoken at 5 am to a breakfast of coffee and cake.    Read more

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    Rest Day

    March 18, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today i wake u and the plan is to hire a car and head to Punta Tumbo . This is a penguin breeding colony and as much as i want to go , my body is saying no. I feel exhausted and havent felt great through the night, so as dissappointing as it is we are going to give it a miss and just have an easy day. To be honest there is a lot we can be doing like the mundane task of uploading photos and preparing for the journey ahead.
    When you are travelling there are times that you have to listen to your body, and as wonderful as it is not going to work everyday, the days are still filled with long walks and normal day to day stuff like washinng clothes and making meals. As time goes on things do get easier as you learn along the way but things like managing all thephotos you take are so time consuming, and anybody thinking of travelling should put a lot of thought into this before they leave. We have literally taken thousands of photographs(i will bore you with them on my return) and each time i take one now i question myself do why do i want a picture of another shoreline or another sunset , but they are all so special and im sure over the years to come each one will be appreciated.
    Mateus and marie have invited us to take lunch with them at the seafood restaurant across the way from the hostel. Today is Maries last day before she heads back towards Buenes Aires for her friends wedding and yet again these two people are what has made our stay here special. We agree to let them order and are served with the freshest Calamari i have ever tasted , salad , and frittata and of course an ice cold bottle of stella to wash it down. The setting here is perfect sat just slightly off the shoreline, watching children and adults alike frolicking in the sea, and its at moments like this I appreciate how blessed i am to be doing what im doing. We finish lunch and take a stroll along the shore dipping into the sea. At the start of the sea is a thick algae and it feels like im walking through mud not unpleasnt but not pleasant either but once you are through this the water turns really clear, and really cold. Once again we aquire a temporary dog who follows us all along the shore where at the end is a monument for all the fallen soldiers of the falklands.
    No matter which country you were from the lives that were lost were those of somebodys son or husband or dad and i spend some time saying a rayer for all the families caught u in the battle. Back along the beach we arrive at the hostel and collect Maries belongings and walk with her to the station to catch her bus . Thwe wind is really picking u and im glad i came armed with my sunglasses as its like the tazmanian devil is in town with the dust flying everywhere. The Liverool game is on the television and watching the red men beat the Mancs makes my day . tonight i go to bed a very happy girl.    Read more

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    Everything Welsh

    March 17, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The area we are in is renowned for its Welsh connections, and i find it really strange how that Argentinians here actually celebrate the fact that many nationalitys immigrated here. We walk the 1 blocks to the nearest bus station and while we are here we decide to buy our ticket out of here. We go through the whole process only to find the card machine is not working. There is only one cash point in the terminal, so i get in the long queue of people that are in the same position as me. Finally after 3/4s of an hour its my turn, and when i try to use the machine it tells me that i have exceeded my daily limit. I try both cards but to no avail and leave the cash point empty handed. I return to the ticket kiosk and she tells us that if we go to the kiosk at the end of the station they accept cards (why didnt she say that in the first place). Finally an hour and a half later we have are ticket booked for rio galleous and we are able to board the bus to Trelew .
    The journey takes about an hour and the town itself is quite pretty. We have read in lonely planet that there is not a lot here but we have a little woander around and visit the museum of art and the couple of parks that are all very similar wherever you go, statues benches and little fountains. Back at the bus station we attept to buy our bus ticket to Gaiman, but for some reason we need a bus card? Bus card aquired and tickets booked and we are finally on the bus to Gaiman. No one tells us we are here but everybody seems to be getting off the bus(there is no terminal) so we follow the sheep. It is like an old western town here and the main point of interest is the Welsh tea rooms. There are big signs with arrows guiding the way, but after half an hour we are walking down a dirt track that doesnt feel right. We all laugh because as we are walking here tumbleweed is literally blowing down the gravel street and we joke that its like something out of a hitchcock movie. Another 15 min walk and there is still no sign of the tea house but we have come this far and as i have always saiyou earn your rewards and i think we will be pleasntly surprised. We seem to have aquired a dog from somewhere and out here they literally follow you. We walk ast aplace that is stocked high with wooden logs and the only life here is when 2 dogs come out barking and snarling, to say i nearly died would be an understatement but we kee calm and just carry on walking. There are moments in the trip that we actually think to ourselves WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE but within a few more minutes it becomes apparent. The sight that meets us is beautiful, like an old english garden with fountains a little brook running alongside and The Welsh Tea House. Princess Diana visited here in 1995 and they really like to shout about this. The tea room is adorned with pictures and The chair that she sat on. I go to the toilet and sit on both of them, she must have gone to the loo here so lets just say we have sat on the same throne. The afternoon tea is brought out and our eyes nearly o out of our head. Its like afternoon tea at the Ritz , the cakes are all homemade and the tea is just like home to a point where i have 5 cups. There are ham and cheese sandwichs with the crusts cut off , homemade bread and homemade damson jam and cakes ranging from apple pie like gran used to make, lemon cake welsh cake christmas cake and dulce de leiche meringues. Truly scrumtious . With full bellys we decide to get a taxi back to the bus and arrive home at 8 with our doggy bag tucked tightly under my arm. We share our remaining goodies with Maty and Marie who both agree they are the best cakes they have eaten. We sit chatting till late in the evening and head to bed.    Read more

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    11

    We Found Penguins!

    March 16, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today we have a tour booked and when the guide comes to pick us up we are only wearing shorts and t shirts, he suggests we go and grab some warmer clothes. To be fair the wether is not great, last night a fog descended on the town and this morning is still hanging. Most of our clothes are in the laundry so i grab the thin jumper with a hole in it and my waterroof jacket and off we go . There are 4 italians a couple of argentinians a couple of germans and an english girl . It is an hours drive to the entrance and when we arrive the fog is still thick and it is freezing. We wander around for a short time and inside the centre is a skeleton of an orca whale. The rest of the journey is via a dirt track and to say that its hellraising would be an understatement. We make several stos along the way,. The first stop lets us of and as we walk along the small path and we cant beleive it the is a small group of penguins. To see these creatures in their natural enviroment is breathtaking and i cant describe how this makes me feel to see them free. Its a crazy idea that i have that penguins like the cold and trot around on ice all day as this is really not the case they have holes in the ground like rabbit burrows that they return to every year to lay their eggs. The males play a big part as they take they're turn on minding over the eggs, doing the hard work of digging the holes because sometimes theybreturn to find theyre burrows have collapsed and they have to start from scratch. We move further along the coast to find groups of elephant seals lying on the beach they are mainly pups and a few adolescent ones as they dont become full adults until they are 10 yrs old. When they are fully grown they can spend upto 9 months in the sea feeding and preparing to mate. The trip also features sightings of armadillos, rheas, birds of prey and playful sealions. After severall stops our final one wiĺl be at punto norte where we have our best opportunity to see the orca whales. As we stop my heart races at the anticipation of seeing these amazing mammals in action, that will be brought to the beach in the anticipation of feeding on the seal pups who are in the water learning to swim with their mothers. One pup seal in particular is struggling to get a grasp of the swimming and its ironic that his nievity could get him eaten. We wait aroud for over an hour, but to no avail and in a way im glad not to have witnessed motger natures cruel ways, but a little dissapointed to have not seen an Orca, for now i will have to leave this to David Attenborough, but having seen all the animals i have in their natural environment leaves me warm inside. We arriive back to the hostel and I prepare dinner for us and Marie and Maty just a carbornara with a bit of salad but its delicious , a little practice of spanish and my bed is calling as tomorrow we are going Welsh.Read more

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    Travelling South

    March 15, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I wake at 7 and can honestly say ive had a pretty good sleep. We are served breakfast and I cannot wait to have a cigarette. The bus pulls into the station shortly after 10 and while we wait for the bags to be offloaded , Mark makes an attempt to try and find our directions from here to the hostel. Bags collected we opt for a taxi which costs us 2 quid so is well worth it after the long journey. We arrive at the hostel and were really pleasantly surprised it is really nice. We need to make the most of our time here so we stow our bags and hire a couple of bikes. There is so much to do here that walking just isn't going to get us there quick enough. The cycle along the coastline is wonderful, there is a nice breeze which is good as the sun is really Warm , and after the journey is think we would be collapsing without it. This area was the first settlement for the Welsh settlers back in 1867 and there are lots of historical areas here as well as the names of places that show this, they even have the Welsh flag flying along the Argentinian one. We cycle to the end of the peninsula in hope of seeing elephant seals, but to no avail, ah well maybe tomorrow. Mark is not feeling well, the 20 hrs of air conditioning have written him off so we go back to the hostel ans he goes ro bed. Theyre are two Argentinians sharing our room Mateus and Marie , they invite me to eat with them, as Mark will not be eating tonight. They cook homemade pizza which is delicious and after dinner i treat myself to a bath .... yes a bath, I havent had one since I left england , although a little improvisation is in order as for some reason they dont have plugs here. I look around the room and think maybe i need to look for some sort of material to block the plug hole. Then i have a brainwave .... my little pot of vaseline is the ideal size , i place it over the plug hole turn on the shower and wait, the bath fills up perfectly although i cant see for the steam , and with a good squirt of shower gel the scene is set. I lay in it for nearly half an hour and for the first time in a long time my bones are relaxed . I will head to bed as we will have an early start tomorrow, we have a trip booked to see the Orca whales (well maybe, no guarantees) .Read more

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    Graveyard Visit

    March 13, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We wake early as at 3pm we will cath a bus for 20 hours down south so we want to make the most of our time here . One of the biggest visitor attractions here is the cementerio de la Recoleta, it houses argentinas dead elite, in the grandest splendour. Its like a small town of houses that are actually tombs , but rivals some of the grandest architecture in the city. There is a starbucks just opposite and i grab one of my favourites before starting my wander around this necropolis. The countrys presidents, military figures and of course Evita lay here, and Mark and i spend severalnhours just exploring.Its crazy because some of the tombs are literally open with just coffins lay between the crumbling slabs. This place is so mesmerizing that these graves that cost 200,000 pounds per 100 years(rent) are left to rack and ruin, but i guess theres more to this than i will ever know. We leave the cemetery and stroll down towards the river, this place has so mamy beautiful areas, and buildings to explore and really is a beautiful city. In tge park is a huge metal flower that cleverly uses solar panels to open and shut its peals, so as the sun rises the petals open and as the light dissapears they gradually close. We take a walk back, passing many beautiful statues, pieces of art work and gorgeous parks , Buenes Aires really does have i all and i am quite disspointed that i havent assigned more time here. The problem is we have tried to avoid the big citeis for the plain reason they are so full of the arrogant touristy types, and my patience runs a little thin with them. Our ideal so far has definitely been getting of the beaten track and exploring the hard to reach places, and the idea of getting on a bus for 20 hours is maybe the rason why i want to stay, but back to the hostel a quick bite to eat and over to the terminal it is. Everything is so accesible here by tube (subte) that even with our luggage we find it easy. There are lots of ways to travel here bus train subway and walking, as when you are travelling taxis become a thing of the past (or maybe a little treat when youve been on a bus all day) so arriving on the tube we take a ten minute walk to the bus station. This place is huge and has over 70 platforms with no real warning of where your bus will pull in until ten minutes beforehand.
    Our bus is due to leave at 3 and at five to there is still no sign of it and im really starting to panic that were going to miss it. Marks attitude is if the bus isnt here how can we miss it?? But after our experience at missing a bus before, im not fancying having no seat for 20 hours . I ask the guard and he just points to where it should be and says soomething that i dont understand. My stress is relieved when our bus pulls in to where we are standing and as Mark say we are in South America, they are allowed to be late. We jump on the bus and are greeted by the biggest leather reclining chairs and a blanket and pillow, so Im pretty sure we will be able to sleep later. Within 10 mins of the bus departing bingo tickets are handed out and the guy starts calling numbers, here is where i came unstuck i cross numbers off while trying to guess what they actually are , every one on the bus is waiting on 1 or 2 numbers , but im still waiting for 5 so i guess i missed a few, i feel like shouting house just to be told its a false call , but i restarin myself and accept the fact im not going to win. Dinner is served, and its just like being on a plane, a little tin foil carton with meat and potatoes a bread roll and a little cake and we snuggle up to catch some sleep.    Read more

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    Buenes Aires

    March 13, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    So this is the 4th time we have been in Buenes Aires and the first time we will actually spend a night here. Its crazy becuse i am not overly excited about spending much time in any of the big cities, but we feel we can do a full day and a night justice , it would be rude not to. We drop our bags after getting a tube to the hostel and were pleasantly surprised to come across a festival in the streeet hosting countries from all over the world (aart from England) ven Ireland were there. they had stalls lining the streets selling streetfood of the various countries national dishes and everyone was dressed in authentic outfits . We sampled the Korean food, and enjoyed it that much that we went back for second helpings . We had a plan to go to see the cemetary but agreed as it was getting late we would just stay here and soak up the atmosphere. We bumed into some Australians that had stayed in one of our first hostels in Rio and exchanged our tales of where we had been and what we had done. It really is crazy how small the world is, and i know we are all generally travelling the same route you would think the chances of our paths crossing would not be that great. We walk the streets for another few hours and I have to admit there really is something quite special about Buenes Aires . Everywhere you look, every corner you turn there are amazing buildings, and this place really has a way of mixing the old with the new. The hostel itself is set in a 200 yr old building, but the interior and facilities are the most modern we have come across yet. In the Plaza of the old town , veterans are sleeing rough under canvases and yet again this is something that brings me back to home. Theses men and women sacrifice their lives for theyre country and are still left with nothing in the end. To be honest there has been a lot of overty as wty and begging in the streete have travelled South America but its far worse than we have at home and on a much bigger scale. My heart is always pulled when i see the young children dirty and begging in the street. No child in the land shouldbe without an education, let alone without food to eat. Travelling has really made me want to make the change and people we meet feel the same . Surely there is something that can be done??? I go to bed with a heavy heart and a busy head.Read more

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    Good intentions

    March 13, 2016 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    So we wake up at 1030 and it is absolutely chucking it down, so as good our intentions of exploring are, tthere is no way we can go out with the weather. When you are travelling, there is now ay that you can plan more than a few days at a time as things change on an hourly basis let alone a day. I must admit I have found this really had to get used to as my head is stuck in a regimental format that no matter how long i travelled for i dont think id get out of it(but i will updtate you on this throughout the trip) luckily at 3 pm the weather clears up and we finally get to discover the pretty town of Carmelo. It literally takes all of 2 hours with a walk across the crank handled swing bridge down to the beach. The beach has lots of greenery and not very clean water , and little fishing boats and a bloody huge yacht line the other side of the Peninsula. We walked a different way back, and stumbled across The Zoo. To be fair for the size of the little town, it was quite impressive. They had llamas ducks sheep, goats , coatis ,pheasants ,peacocks and even beavers. The zoo was surrounded by a large fence and there was no actual access, but everything was visible. As we walked ast the entrance one of the workers opened the gate to collect the grain left outside and he was so busy making sure the llamas didnt escape he didnt see the goat run through his legs. Well for the next ten minutes he made avery attempt to get this goat, but totally unsuccesfully so me mark and another couple put our herding skills into practice eventually getting the goat back into the zoo. Mark and i laughed that he would still be chasing the goat after dark had we not been there. We went from here to book our ferry to Buenes Aires only to find the 1330 one wasnt running and the only ferry back was at 430 in the morning. Change of plan again, we dicide to take the bus back to Colonio and get the ferry from there at 9 . A couple of drinks finished our evening and an early bed for a busy day tomorrow.Read more

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    Carmelo

    March 12, 2016 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    We arrive in Carmelo just after 3 in the afternoon, and as i step off the bus it is apparent that this isnt a big touristy area. Two guys in the street jeer us and the place is so small we can definitely get this done in one day. A couple of blocks later and we arrive at the Carmelo hostel. We are greeted by a really nice guy who speaks good english and makes us feel at home straight away. He ugrades us to a double room for no extra charge and just goes out of his way to make us feel at home. The hostel is actually an extension on his home , with the quaintest garden housing lemon , fig and orange trees , with a large marijuana garden to the rear of that. Marijuana is totally legal in Uruguay and by god do they make the most of it. Our first night here comprises of us chilling out and having a few beers with the owner. Its really easy to take so many things for granted out here , just another museum , another beutiful beach, but I am adamant that i wont let this happen to us, but today i do just need to relax. We get up the next morning and its late, Mark and i ended up drinking till 3 in the morning and to say imfeeling a little bit worse for wear would be an understatement , so we agrre it will be a good idea to stay another night. Bomba asks us if we would like to join him and have something to eat and to be honest i think its just what i need . He serves up an absolute feast of a big pork shoulder cooked with onions and potatoes and chimmichurri sauce , just like a roast dinner without the veg, but absolutely delicious. Once again the rain has scuered our plans so i send time catching u with the family until that plan is scuppered by a power cut. This is really disappointing as there is a pool chapionship planned for tonight, and Mark and I fancy showing them how the gringos can play, but without light tha might prove a little difficult. We sit by candlelight(mark and i have never had so many romantic nights) and exchange stories. Bomba has been quite a charachter in his day ( a bit like catch me if you can) and then as if by a miracle at2130h the lights come back on and we head over to the bar. The lotteries are drawn and we are assigned our players, it is the best of 3 and sadly I am knocked out in the first round. Mark however makes it through to the semi final and lots of money is exchanged with most people in the bar, waging money on who they think will win. Theprize however is a pool cue, and somehow i cant see how we will fit this in our luggage. Mark is a little worse for wear by now and sadly gets knocked out , so we head back home as tomorrow we really must see Carmelo (even if it is by candlelight).Read more

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    Montevideo

    March 8, 2016 in Uruguay ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    I am keen to exlpore the city , so after a shower we walk towards the historical centre. There are so many places of interest in this beautiful place and as soon as we step out the door the buildings on route attract our attention. Its really quite sad that so many of the wonderful buildings are left empty and with ony a small amount of money could be restored to there former glory. Glorious parks line the route and the city has a real ambience and hustle without feeling to hectic . We stop for a few minutes watching two guys playing chess in the street, they are mesmerising to watch and they play with a timer ,smashing there chess pieces down in a matter of seconds then smashing the clock with the same speed to keep within their time, they could honestly be proffesionals. As we continue our walk there is a huge building that dominates the skyline in front of us, this is the entrance to the plaza independencia. Artigas is a hero of Uruguay having defeted the English and giving Uruguay its indpendence his statue dominates the square astride his horse and behind this is where he is buried. We enter the crypt which is underground and has a real eeriness about it , two statues of guards are either side of the urn dressed in military attire and as i go to take a photo i am impressed with how life like they look......then he blinks.. i let out a gasp of fright and it takes him all his time not to laugh, but proffesionally remains perfectly still. Our next port of call is the theatre Solis, which was built 200 years ago for entertainment for the Europeans that had now inhabited the city. We ot for he guided tour here as its so beautiful we want to know a little more. Today is Womans Day and the philarmonic ochestra are laying here tonight, the tickets are free and have all gone, but we are treated as when we enter the presidents box they are rehearsing for tonights performance . The theatre has a program that allows people from the surrounding small towns (who would never be able to afford to come here ) to come here and experience a day at the theatre, they pay for their travel and even throw in lunch before they watch the evenings performance. All ticket prices in the theatre are the same as they dont want just the rich people having the best seats which reminds me of Ed sheeranspolicy at his concerts and is a fantastic idea. We contine exploring the endless museums and walk all the way to the river before stopping for a bite of lunch in a restaurant close by. We decide to treat ourselves and order a steak, which isnt cheap, but i am desperate to have one cooked how i like it Medium Rare . Although we have eaten a few steaks here they have generally been well done, and when it arrives it doesnt even touch the sides. It literally melts in my mouth and is worth every penny. We explore a little more before heading back to the hotel to pack. on the street is a mime artist, who really catures my eye and i stand mesmerised by her for several minutes , as i place a few coins in her ot she comes to life and softly beckons me over placing a small piece of paper in my hand when i open it up it has a spanish quote in it which translates to " the diffuculy common people have prepares them for extrordinary destinations " ........how true xRead more

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    Sad To Leave

    March 8, 2016 in Uruguay ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    I wake early in the morning even though I spent two hours shivering with cold when I went to bed (or maybe it was the adrenalin ) so in total have had only 2 hours sleep. I am keen to make the most of this idyllic place . Its strange because I have split thoughts about leaving today. I would love to stay for longer because of what I witnessed earlier this morning but it's like chasing the dragon , some people have been here numerous times and never witnessed what I saw , so there's no guarantee I will see it again, and would it be as good second time around. We make coffee and juice and head down to the beautiful beach to relax for a couple of hours before getting on the bone shaker to catch our bus. The sand is the softest I've seen and I lay down my blanket while Mark goes off looking for crabs. The weather is deceiving as the wind is cool and strong but the sun is scorching. At midday we take the 3 minute walk back to the hostel to eat the pasta left over from last night. We board the 4x4 and enjoy the 20 minutes bumper ride back to the bus pick up point. The ride takes us out of the village and along the north beach which at a guess is about 20km long, over the sand dunes and to the information station where we will be picked up. I bought the tickets for our return journey yesterday as we've been caught out before. The bus arrives on time but we are told that we have to get on the other bus it's no issue as they are both going to the same place. The 4 hour return journey seems endless, but we have a bonus of witnessing the most amazing sunset . We arrive at the bus station at 8 oclock and are in no mood for the 30 min walk to the hotel (only cos it's the same price as a hostel) so we grab a cab and arrive shortly later. We are both starving and desperate for a shower. The shower here is one of the best I've had, hot water and complimentary toiletries, I'd forgotten how the other half holiday. There is a supermarket just down the street so after we pick up a few nibbles we get back to our room eat our picnic and sleep.Read more

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    A Night We'll Never Forget

    March 7, 2016 in Uruguay ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Luckily I remembered to set the alarm an hour early due to my hone still being an hour out. We wake at 6 and literally have a quick wash and brush our teeth before heading for the terminal to catch our first bus of the day to Monteveido. The town is so quiet , but still as beautiful as i rememered it yesterday and when we arrive at the station I'm surprised at how many peole ar waiting to catch the bus. The bus to Montevedio takes just under 3 hours and is in perfect timing for us to be able to catch our onward coach to Cabo Polonia. We board the second bus which takes just under 4 hours and were heading to a place we have heard mixed reviews about. Its always difficult to know what to do as when you read reviews of places ,peolple may not like the things you do and without knowing them personally its hard to judge. We ahve read that the place has no water and no electric, but we decide that is only one day so wont be so bad. The bus drops us at the end of a dirt track and there is a really well established tourist reception and having learnt the hard way we book our tickets for our return journey tomorrow . We then buy tickets for our 4x4 ride to 'camp' . Two jeeps are waiting to take us all , but they are pretty packed to the brim, so we will have to wait till the next one in an hour. Someone must have radioed over as within minutes another jeep pulls in and the remaining passengers climb aboard. The journey is hilarious everyone is being thrown all over the place as we head through the sand dunes forest and shore line until we arrive at the plaza. Cabo Plonia is a little hippy village with literally shacks scattered all over the place . We book into the hostel and as its later in the afternoon head out to explore this tranquil little spot. We pass a convenience store which is little more than a wooden shed with bare essentials and fresh fruit and veg and a set of old fashioned scales to weigh evertything with. We forget how easy life is with electric and the guy adds our shopping bill with a pencil and paper. It feels like I have been transported to another century and the sense of this gives me a feeling of total freeedom. I love this place already. We walk along the coast as there is the promise that we might see sea lions and seals. the coast is beautiful with waves crashing against the rocks below us, the isolation and the immense feeling of freedom are overwhelming . The walk takes us along to the lighthouse and we purchase tickets to enter that have $40 written on them but we are charged $50 we laugh thinking that the 2 guys have ripped us off but the case is the admission fee has gone up but they are still using the old tickets. The view from the lighthouse gives us panoramic views of the whole island as well as the little island just of shore that houses the seals and sea lions. The sealions come ashore when they have been ousted by the chief seal on the island, or have fought and lost the battle. As we arrived on the jee there was a dead seal on the beach, and that was the ultimate loss. Although sad to see, its all nature.
    A short walk back to the hostel takes us less than ten minutes and we reare some pasta for tonights tea and tomorrows lunch. Yet again we sit chatting with some really incredible people from all over the world, but i am very aware of my lack of Spanish. The sunset is pretty non existent so we all sit around the table chatting as the night draws in . The need for candlelight is soon upon us , however it is not so bad here as they now have wind turbines(which is broken and solar panels but beacuse of the lack of sun today the slar energy soon runs out and we are back to the bare basics. This is so atmospheric and i do believ i could honestly live this way. The night life here doesnt start till after 10 and we take a walk out to a "local" bar that has thepromise of folk music. Walking in the dark in this place is no joke and within minutes im on my knees in the sand. Withe nothing happening at the bar we head back to the hostel and a camp fire with guitar. Everybody in South America loves the beatles and Uruguay is no acception.
    Slowly people head to bed , but one of the guys tells us that at 3am the whole of the milky way will be visible and its things like this i dont want to miss. the night turns colder but the fire keeps us warm and just sitting here gazing at millions of stars is breathtaking, its hard to oint out constellations as there are so many but one of the guys has an app on his phone which shows where they all are. (i must download this when i get internet) Just when i hink things couldnt get any better a girl comes from the beach and tells the reamining 3 of us that we must come to see . As we walk to the beach 100 yards away the sight that beholds us is one i will never forget. As the waves are crashing in they are filled with an illuminous blue what i believe are organisms ( i will do my research when i get wifi) as each wave crashes the smie on my face gets bigger and bigger to a point i have smiled so much my cheeks hurt . The crazy thing about this is my sister sent me a picture of this since ive been travelling and when i researched it they said they could only be seen in Costa Rica but here i am witnessing it. We go back to the fire to have a warm and Mark retires for bed but it is only another hour till the full milky way and igo down to the beach to continue watching this phenomenen. The 360 % view is just filled with twinkling stars and a glowing sea and although i was unable to get decent photos that would still not have done it justice it is something I will remember till the day i die.    Read more

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