Recife to Salvador

When I booked the car online, the cheapest option was a flat bed truck - which was tempting! However, I opted for the sensible option of a small car, a Ford Fiesta or similar. What we ended up with was somewhere in between, and made me feel a little like I was driving a family car, or perhaps a taxi. It was a VW Passat, although they call it a VW Voyage here. I've noticed before the different names for cars in South America, for example a Golf is a Gol and this new name for a VW salon car does fit rather well with the name of this blog at least!

I said that I would make some comment on the Brazilian driving so here goes. My worries began primarily when I asked Monika who had the priority at junctions and got the reply that no one does, it's just whoever gets there first and makes the first move. Apparently, the driving license test consists of a written test, and a purely off road course, with no on road part to it at all. Flashing your lights does not indicate "please go ahead" but rather "move out of the way, I'm coming through". They use the horn for just about everything: when coming up to a junction to warn other drivers of their presence;  to warn someone that you have arrived outside their house; to say hello to friends on the road; and of course to attract the attention of passing attractive girls or boys. Indicators are largely ignored, mainly because there appears to be no rhyme nor reason to their use. In addition, once they are switched on they are almost never cancelled. 

The cities are built in blocks, meaning that virtually all of the streets are one way. As a European driver, this posed us some navigation questions, and several times we had to take longcuts in order to find a "retorno", make a u-turn and go back the way we came. Perhaps it's just that I am not used to it, but several times there did not seem to be any obvious indication as to when the streets became two-way or indeed went down to one-way. 

You can't park anywhere in city without being harassed by a handful of "parking helpers", men who hover around the streets making a couple of reales from helping motorists to park and, supposedly, keeping an eye on their car while it is parked. In addition, you are confronted by the more usual steer sellers, whose wares range from the useful (water, snacks etc) to the slightly more odd (cloth, socks etc). 

With regard to their actual driving, it's as you'd expect: fast and erratic. They straddle lanes, undertake, and often simply try and move into a space which isn't there, forcing other motorists to make way for them, or risk damaging there own car, or indeed risking their lives. Perhaps this goes some way to explain the religious slogans on all the vehicles, ranging from "This is a gift from God" to "I am driving, but God is guiding me". I had to adapt quickly to this style, as the idea of defensive driving means something else entirely here. This became even more cleat after being told off once by a Brazilian friend for breaking at an amber light, not putting my foot down. He said that if I carried on like that, I was likely to have someone crash into me from behind. 

The other challenge facing motorists, is the state off the roads. Particularly in the northeast (we noticed a huge improvement generally the further south we drove) the road surface is unpredictable. There are pot holes everywhere, even on the motorways, which cause lorries, buses and cars to served at a moments notice, at over 100km/h. 

Nevertheless, we we excited and felt prepared by the time we left Recife in the mornings, bound for Peroba, a small beachy village where one of the family have a beach house they had kindly let us use. The weather was less than ideal, with strong winds and heavy rain making the drive slower and the visibility poor. The road and journey was fairly straightforward, with the exception of a detour on a bumpy dirt track, where we had to make way for a passing gaggle of geese. We had planned to stop off at Porto de Galhinhas, a pretty beach resort but decided to push on due to the weather. 

We were meet at the beach house by Sandro, a neighbour who had the keys of the house. Once again, we could have been made to feel more at home, with the family inviting us into their home, feeding us spectacularly and sharing stories and pictures. The houses are scattered around a large plot of land which you can tell is being developed quickly. The place still has a wonderful authentic village feel, and consists of not much more than some shops, a few hotels, and a shop, but as Sandro pointed out, this is likely to change quickly. We had our first swim in the wonderful, warm sea in the afternoon, before heading back up to Sandro's house for a peaceful, charity evening. We were taught how to cook tapioca, and drank plenty of coffee and "vitaminas", a fruit milkshake. 

The next day, we arose early and headed down to the beach for sunrise, and stated the day with a long walk down the beach. After breakfasting on black coffee and "bolas de Maragogi" (flaky pastry biscuits from the local area), Sandro was kind enough to take us out to the natural pools which from out in the bay at low tide. The sand shelves a few hundred meters from the beach which are easily reached on foot, or swimming. We took a raft out with us, complete with parasol, and headed out. We arrived at a tiny island, our own private beach and spent a wonderful couple of hours sunbathing, taking pictures, and snorkelling. 

Hard as it was to move on, from the paradise private beach, Sandro and his family were heading to our next stop, Maceio, too to visit his oldest daughter who lives there and we thought it might be a good idea to drive in convey. We probably made better progress like this (I had to keep up with a Brazilian driver), but we still had time to take in the excellent views. Everyone now and then we would get a peak of the sea as we followed the coastal road, but most of the time we were surrounded by great expanses of sugar cane fields. We passed through Maragogi, a larger town near Peroba, and countless small villages and towns, some very rural and full people and animals going about their daily routine. 

We arrived in Maceio on late afternoon, and checked into to our hotel quickly before heading down to the beach for a bite to eat. After some tasty fish and cheese croquettas, we tried to meet up with Sandro again for some drinks but unfortunately it didn't work out that evening for them with the family they were staying with. We said goodbye and thank you over to phone to yet another kind and generous person we have met on this trip. 

We set out in the car that evening to have a little tour of the city, as we were due to set out early the next day. The centre was small but pretty, with a couple of impressive buildings however most of the action seemed to be on the water front in the evening where there was a long promenade lined with restaurants and market stalls. It reminded me of what I imagine Miami to look like. We took a slight wrong turn on our driving tour at one point and I'm fairly sure we drove straight through the red light district which was less than ideal! Thankfully we made it out safe and sound and headed to the recommended restaurant in the city, which turned out very different to what we imagined. All of the waitresses were dressed in a sort of fancy dress loosely based on the traditional dress of the interior of the state, with headscarves and full skirts. The strangest thing was what the place was decorated with: teapots! There were hundreds of them, covering every available surface. However, the food was decent, and there was a full buffet to choose from, so we were able to try some of the traditional dishes we had not been able to yet. 

After a good night's sleep, we set out early for what we had planned to be the longest driving day of the trip. The first half was tough going: the road was terrible, despite being a motorway, with holes everywhere and speed bumps which were regularly not signposted, causing everyone to break suddenly.  We saw lots of roadkill, including a couple of horses. The trucks and buses were aggressive, and my defensive driving had to be taken to a new level. The scenery was once again very different as we were much further inland to the road down from Recife to Maceio. The strangest thing was that they appeared to be building a new road and seemingly from the signs, the military were responsible for it, but it seemed to have been abandoned. There were several bridges and flyovers already built at different stages, but very little else, and there were no building materials or machinery, or indeed men working.

I was very glad to come to our planned stop just outside Aracaju, in a pretty, small town called São Cristóvão. We arrived about five hours into the drive, and enjoyed a quick lunch in a lanchonette (snack bar) and a pleasant wander around the cobbled streets, pretty churches and squares. One of the churches is now a resting home for elderly nuns, and the local history museum was worth a peek in. The town is famous for a type of sweet biscuit, half way between a macaroon and cheesecake, made with lots of coconut. It was delicious and helped fuel us for the next part of our journey.

Unfortunately, our 3G network failed us upon leaving São Cristóvão, and we ended up driving a significant distance down the wrong road.  In fact, it wasn't really a road at all, but a dirt track which eventually turned into a stream, forcing me to turn the car around. The surface was terrible, especially after a few recent downpours, and the road so narrow to make passing local buses, we flew down there at incredible speed, fairly interesting! At that point, I wished we had hired the truck I mentioned before as a 4x4 would have been very useful!

Eventually, we had to ask a couple of passersby which way lead back to the main road, and, after passing through the town once more, we were finally on our way again. Thankfully, the road was significantly better south of Aracaju, as we lost the light very quickly.  In fact, the road was spectacular, very straight with steep climbs and drops meaning you could see for miles ahead. 

Around four hours after leaving São Cristóvão, we finally arrived at our destination, Praia do Forte, and were immediately struck by how different it was to other places we had been so far. It's a veritable holiday resort frequented by the polo shirts and chino short sporting Brazilians and Argentines, which you enter through a security gate before driving along a pretty, tree-lined road bordering the lagoon.  We stayed in a simple hostel right in the centre of the resort and marveled at how much money we could have spent in the swish hotels and condos surrounding us. In fact, I am sure that we could have spent a lot of money there in the lovely clothes, jewellery and beach shops. We did all buy tiny Brazilian bikinis, although I am sure that I will never wear mine!

The local delicacy this far down in the coast into Bahia is a fish stew, Moqueca, which is heavily influenced by the West African culture so noticeable in Bahia.  It is made with onion, tomatoes , peppers, coconut milk and palm oil which gives a wonderful, vibrant, red colour to the sauce. As with most Brazilian food, it is served with rice, farofa (fried yuca, or manioc, flour known as farinha) and pirau (a thick sauce made in farinha and stock). We wasted no time in trying some, and it was very tasty. We rounded off our first evening in Praia do Forte in a local bar, as it was Friday night after all, where a local band was playing, and we were treated to some fantastic flashy dancing by the local diva. I've never seen such great moving hips on a man! We were also entertained by the grandmother in the bar, who took to making friends with the local drug dealer and hiding behind a watermelon, all while dancing to the music.

There are several tourist attractions in Praia do Forte, including whale watching for which we were unfortunately we were not in the correct season for.  We limited ourselves to just one, the Projeto Tamar, a turtle preservation programme.  We weren't really sure what to think of it; as my guide book says: "the turtles do not seem all that happy, but at least they are alive". In addition, we were suspicious as the main sponsor is an oil company currently in the spotlight for embezzlement claims. That said, the research it funds is important, and the figures showing an increase in the numbers of turtles released into the wild seem well backed up.

We left the hordes of well heeled holiday makers the behind after a much needed two night rest and completed the last, straightforward drive to Salvador, perhaps one of our most anticipated stops of our trip. We had booked our one slash out night here, in a highly recommended hotel called Casa do Amarelindo. It was justly recommended, and was run by two Frenchmen, one of whom, Didier who we spoke to mainly, could not have been more helpful, nor more friendly. I couldn't help but have an "industry" chat with him about his wonderful hotel, which was hard to fault. Of particular note is incredible, and enormous, breakfast served to you at any time of the day. In addition, it was a real treat to have such large, comfortable beds, hot, powerful showers, not to mention the roof top bar and swimming pool!

In fact, a little bizarrely, we noted a large number of French people and businesses in Salvador, although you can't help but not the strong Afro-Brazilian culture which is apparent in their dress, food, religion and music.  Traditionally dressed women, Bahianas, in white dresses and brightly coloured turbants, serve fresh Aracaje (fried prawn balls) on the street, and the music and religion are fused together in Candomblé. Although we didn't have time to see a demonstration, or Candomblé mass, one of the highlights of our first evening wandering around the city's historic centre, Pelourinho, was listening to and choosing some music in a fantastic little music shop.

Besides this wonderful cultural heritage, the whole city is famed for it's countless churches, which are found on almost every street. The large São Francisco convent was very grand, with lots of ornate, gold plating on the alter, a pretty courtyard decorated with Portuguese tiles as well as some rather unlikely objects such an old gramophone! The picturesque cobbled streets of the Pelourinho are lined with brightly painted shops and houses and it was especially pretty in June as they are decorated with colourful bunting for the festival of São João, celebrated particularly in the North of Brazil as we had discovered already in Recife.

We dined in the hotel that evening, where unsurprisingly the menu découverte included steak and chips as an option (!), which we enjoyed with caipifruta cocktails, and a bottle of Malbec. The next day, we enjoyed the view from the rooftop pool, and Anna even made use of the hotel gym, before heading out for a few more hours exploring the city. Highlights included the iconic art deco Lacerda lift, which links the higher and lower parts of the city, and the church of Nosso Senhor do Bomfim which is famous for an important religious procession in January where the Bahianas wash the steps of the church. All over the city, the famous ribbons of Bomfim are sold, which you traditionally tie  around your wrist and three knots, making a wish for each. The most interesting part of the church itself is the miracle room, where injured or ill people or their relatives ask for pictures of themselves to be hung to the walls, and even offer wax models of the parts of their bodies affected by ailments to ask for miraculous cures. The affect of over a hundred wax models of body parts, everything from lungs, to hearths, limbs and brains, hanging from the ceiling of the small room is quite eerie. 

As we drove towards the airport, we had one final surprise in store in the form of a beautiful bamboo lined driveway leading up the the airport building, It was then goodbye to the car, and a further two planes to finally arrive in Florianopolis, the next stop on our three week trip.

Recife

Since last posting here, I've still been travelling in one way or another. Directly after coming home from Buenos Aires two years ago, although I did spend some much needed time at home in the first instance, I was soon out on another ski season, this time in Austria. I then made another move, albeit much closer to home, to London. I still work in travel however, which has lead to many wonderful experiences across Europe - which I will perhaps address in a future blog.

However, this particular blog has always been about another kind of travel. One that fits the cliché about the journey meaning more than the destination. And I have been craving that kind of travel since the moment I got back from South America in 2013. It took two years, but here I am again! 

Before I begin this post in earnest, I'd like to make mention of two intrepid travellers who were almost certainly the most avid readers of this blog - my paternal grandparents. The praise I received from them, and encouragement to keep writing was wonderful, and they are part of the reason I enjoyed it so much last time. Although sadly they have both passed away in the two short years since my last post, I often think of them when I write, and I hope they would be proud that I am still following my travel dreams, and documenting it too. Thank you both for reading, listening and for sharing your travel stories with me too. 

But now, back to the subject of this post. The opportunity for this trip arose when Anna, my best friend from childhood, announced that she was going to be spending her medical elective in Recife, in the northeast of Brazil and asked if I would like to join her for some travelling directly afterwards. We recruited Hannah too, one of my best friends from university and, after a long few months after booking the flights, my "out of office" was finally on and Hannah and I were boarding a flight to meet Anna at the tail end of her time in hospital here. 

Anna had been staying with a Brazilian family, the family of some friends of hers who live in Belgium too (where Anna's parents, sister, brother in law and nephew live). We had heard from her before we arrived to join her about how welcoming, enthusiastic and joyful the family were but we had perhaps not expected the most incredible welcome we received. We were met at the airport by the daughter, Monika, a friend and a very Brazilian-afied (dress, heels, makeup) Anna. We were most grateful for this as the last part of the journey was less than smooth (our last flight allegedly didn't exist and it was touch and go at one point that we were going to make it that day). We went straight to the family's house in Santo Amaro, a district in Recife. There ensued a lot of greetings, food, questions, laughter, beer and a couple of large shots of cachaça. We didn't leave until gone midnight when we finally checked into our hotel in Boa Viagem and crashed out. 

The next few days were filled with spending time with the family, and exploring the city. We spent the first morning soaking up the sun on the local beach and was lovely to spend just a short amount of time relaxing after the flight. Everything is set up for pure convenience: you hire a chair from a vendor, who brings you coconuts. You can buy anything and everything from wandering sellers - the usual sunglasses and towels, but also fresh fish, oysters, whole plates of food, soup, drinks and, my favourite, grilled cheese. The sea itself however is not safe - the way the port was built in the city has attracted sharks and, despite all the signs to warn against swimming, there are still fatalities every year. 

Another very Brazilian experience followed that afternoon when we went to Spettus for lunch with Celina (the mother), Monika, her son and cousin. Spettus is an all you can eat restaurant where waiters swarm down on you with  great big skewers of meat, fish and cheese, and there's a buffet with everything imaginable from salad, cassava, cold cuts, more cheese and sushi. Thank you so much to Anna's parents for this excellent meal! 

I then had my first driving experience in Brazil as Monika was kind enough to let me have a go in her car so that she could show me around. The Brazilian's live up to their reputation as erratic drivers, and more! But I'll write more on that another time. 

That night, we taken out by Monika and some other friends to a club, ironically called the UK Pub and entirely decorated with "British" or, more accurately, London themes. Highlights were Freddie Mercury hovering above the Gherkin, Harry Potter and a strangely jolly looking Beefeater. We had a great night, and certainly made the most of the excellent caipirinhas and local beers! 

Despite the late night, we were up early to pick up our hire car. With wheels of our own we headed out to a neighbouring town to join the family for another celebration - this time the birthday of one of the nieces. There followed more feeding and Hannah and I were almost force fed chicken, meat, rice, beans, pasta, ice cream, brigadeiro (chocolate and toffee bonbons) and brownies. It was even too much food for such a greedy person as myself! 

The Brazilians are very outgoing, loud, expressive and, it seems, very emotional! There is never a dull, or quiet moment, and even if one of them is talking, another will simply talk louder as if it's the most normal thing in the world. Anna did a wonderful job of acting interpretor, while I simply sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere. I understand a lot of the conversation but frustratingly have no way of responding! 

The hustle and bustle, and the concentration needed to try and understand an unfamiliar language can however become very tiring and we left the party in the late afternoon to go and find some tranquility and to explore Olinda, a gorgeous town next to Recife. The name literally translates to "oh" ("o") "beautiful" ("linda") and really is charming. The historic centre is full of cobbled streets, pretty colonial houses and impressive churches. There is a lift you can take to take in spectacular views across Olinda and Recife (a very lazy, dare I say, Brazilian, "mirador"). We were even able to see a collection of the impressive large puppets used for Carnival, some of which are modelled on famous people. For a mere 3000 to 5000 reais you can even have one made to your own likeness! 

We went out for dinner that evening to sample even more local delicacies, this time with Anna's professor, her husband and one of the nurses from the hospital she'd been working in. They were kind, engaging and welcoming, and we enjoyed an excellent evening conversing and feasting on crab, carne do sol (salt dried meat rehydrated in milk), and escondidinho (almost like Cottage Pie). 

The following day was jam packed with "touristing"! We had to whole old town or Recife yet to explore and many sights to see. There are several excellent churchess which we were shown around by some very in helpful and enthusiastic guides, and Anna once again spent most of the day explaining the many stories to us.  We also took a trip up the observatory, and visited the "First Synagogue of the Americas". We fuelled our walking with a delicious tapioca pancake from a street vendor, filled with cheese and coconut. 

That evening one of Anna's friends organised a great surprise for us by getting us into a "quadrilha" rehearsal in a Frevo (a type of dancing) school. The troop were practicing for the festival of São João - described as the worlds largest barn dance! It's celebrated in June across the northeast of Brazil and the traditional dress involves checked shirts, and even "Pippi Longstocking" pigtails and freckles. The dancing was excellent, and varied from slower religious chanting to super fast paced, and lively numbers. The troupe leader asked for the dancers to show us the energy of Brazil - and they did not disappoint! 

We might have rounded off such an action packed day with some down time. There was no time for that however, as the local running club which Anna has been going out with asked us to join them for a run. Even though we opted for a shorter 5.5km route and we set out at around 21h00, the heat was certainly a notch up from anything I am used to in the UK at around 28 degrees. We were rewarded for our efforts though with an excellent spread of fruits and fruit juices - including Anna's favourite, passion fruit, and several new fruits for me (acerolas, cashew fruit) back at the family home. 

The evening ended the only way it could in Brazil - full of the Brazilan emotion! Anna could not have asked for a more inclusive and kind family, and they certainly made a huge, positive difference to her time here. I too feel privileged to have been able to spend some time with them and catch a glimpse of their lives. We could not have been made to feel more welcome and I cannot thank them enough for that. 

We went to bed tired that night, but ready to begin the 650km drive down the coast to Salvador, with various planned stops, beaches, towns and cities to explore! 

Buenos Aires

All good things come to an end. Four months had flown by and, suddenly, we were on board our last bus back to Buenos Aires for our final week of the trip. We had decided to devote this time to getting to know the city, which we had fallen in love with last time we were there. 

It felt as though we reallt had to make the most of our final few days, so we got straight to it when we arrived. We spent the first day exploring a part of the city we hadn't been to before: Palermo. This pretty neighbourhood is the centre for good restaurants, bars and shops and is also home to some of the best parks in the city. It was a warm day, bright and sunny day and so it was perfect to be able to wander around the busy green spaces, which were packed with families also enjoying the lovely weather. There were a couple of places of interest in the parks, such as a art museum and a Japanese garden which kept us quite busy. 

That evening we headed out to a music night which had even recommended to us by many people called Bomba el Tiempo. Its a performance every Monday night by a percussion band, which turned out to be just as good as we had been told. The whole crowd is drawn into the rhythm created by the fantastic performers and the atmosphere was excellent. As we left, more artists were performing outside the venue, who then set off for the after party. This lead to a line of people following them through the streets, dancing and cheering until we reached the chosen bar! It was great fun!

The following day we devoted to leather shopping, one of the most important activities when visiting Buenos Aires. There is a particular street in Palmero called Calle Murillo, which is filled with leather outlet shops. While at first we felt as though we were being rather unsuccessful, just as I was ready to give up any hope of finding anything I particularly liked, we walked into a shop selling leather biker jackets. It was not really the place I thought I would find the simple design I was searching for, but the leather was incredibly soft, and the styles fitted very well. In fact, Tanya and I fell in love with the same jacket and I ended up buying it, with Tanya placing an order for another one to be made for her for the end of the week! This just shows how local and small scale the production is, and we now the lucky owners of beautiful Argentinan leather jackets. 

We decided to celebrate our purchases and headed out that evening. Firstly, we went to a restaurant which we had heard has a "happy hour", which entitles you to 40% off the bill, between 7 and 8 which is aimed at tourists as locals would never eat so early. It was perhaps one of the first steaks we'd had here which we were really happy with, although the speed at which you have to eat it is a little off putting. The discount made the meal very reasonable for a reataurant with such excellent food and reputation. After leaving the restaurant, we stumbled across an excellent wine shop, whose owner was extremely chatty. We ended up staying there for nearly an hour, learning about wine and their makers. This is really one of the things which I love about this city: the friendliness of the people and their ability to chat endlessly. We then carried on the evening when we arrived back at the hostel after meeting two travellers from Luxembourg who, it transpired, went to the European School there! 

Predictably, as Argentinan nights start late and end late, we needed a short lie in the next day. We were out by late morning however, Tanya with sketch book in hand. She wanted to go back to the cemetery in Recoleta which we ha visited on our last stop in the city, in order to make some sketches of the stunning architecture. Meanwhile, I took the time to visit a few museums, including the church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar museum, which features some interesting religious art, and the Palais de Glace for the second time (it was there that the war photo journalist photos were up which I mentioned in a previous post) where the exhibitions had changed. One of the exhibitions was particularly interesting. Supported by Amnesty International, it displayed photos of various Argentinian women who had had an abortion (which remains illegal here), along with a brief story. Additionally, I learnt of the history of the building which, as its name suggests, was once an ice rink, followed by a theatre, before finally an exhibition centre. I also had ample time to explore the fine art museum which includes woks by Monet, Van Gogh and Goya. 

That evening we had tickets for the Marriage of Figaro at Teatro Colon, voted one of the best theatres for its acoustics in the world. We somehow managed to use the few last pieces of decent clothes we had left to make ourselves vaguely presentable and set out for what was to be a fantastic evening. We had excellent seats, high up but with a great view and the performance was top class. We went to bed that night tired, but happy. 

It was back to sightseeing the next day, and we were intent on fitting in as much as possible of the areas of the city we had not yet visited. With this is in mind, we set out on a long walk, starting with a wander down the prett cobbled streets of San Telmo, which are teeming with antique shops and bars famous for impromptu tango nights. From there we walked over to one of the most well known areas internationally thanks to it being home to the most famous Argentinian football team: Boca. We walked past the stadium and carried on towards what we were far more interested in seeing, a little street called La Caminata. This street became famous when it inspired a famous tango writer to use it as the setting for a tango. The reason for his fascination with the street is due to the incredible bright colours of the houses. The story goes that the residents of the street, although very poor, used to beg paint off the boats which pulled into the nearby port to brighten up their houses. Nowadays it is purely a tourist destination, with tango dancers posing or photos and figurines of characters in the tango hanging out of balconies but its definitely a sight to behold. 

We then carried on our tour of the port area, heading down to the equivalent of the City in London. Here we had one of the best lunches, in an excellent all-you-can-eat place were you can choose food off an incredible salad bar, including cold meats and cheese, the grill, included the best steak I had in Argentina (so tender!), a bottle of wine each and a dessert. We could barely move afterwards and only just about managed to roll ourselves home! 

The following day we headed out of the city for a getaway to a nearby town on the Delta, the river networks in the surrounding area. Tigre can be described as Argentina's Henley. Most of the property down along the river seems to be owned by the Buenos Airwa Rowing Club, and the rest are holiday homes for the wealthy city folk. Many of the pretty riverside houses are on stilts, to prevent damage from flooding. We started the day with a visit to the Museum of Mate, the tea which is drunk in incredible quantities in Argentina. It is drunk out of a single mate gourd, shared around the group and filled up from a thermos of hot water over the Yerba (herb or tea). The gourd has a metal straw with a filter on the end which keeps the leaves out as you drink it. Wherever an Argentinan travels, chances are he will have a little shoulder bag with a thermos, a mate gourd and some Yerba, ready for when he needs a pick me up!

We then wandered down past the naval museum and the beautiful building which houses the fine art museum before heading off to find some lunch in the Puerto de Frutos market. After lunch, we took a boat down the river, hopping off to have a walk around a little neighbourhood on the delta. The houses were enchanting, and you can see why this is a favourite holiday destination for Porteños. 

It was back to the leather shopping street the next day to pick up Tanya's jacket and a few last souvenirs. We had an excellent lunch in a little restaurant in the area, where I had my pasta and cheese cravings cured with an enormous plate of gnocchi (spelt ñoquis here!) in a cheese sauce. Not needing dinner that evening after that, we set out for the city's exhibition centre to catch a show at the Tango World Cup and Festival, which was on the week we were in the city. Unfortunately, that night's show was cancelled due to a force majeur, however we were happy to browse the stalls selling beautiful tango shoes and dresses and watch the large group of people dancing impromptu dances on the large dancefloor in the centre. We vowed that we would come again the next night for the show as the atmosphere was so good. 

Our final day in Buenos Aires, and indeed in South America, was a Sunday. We spent it as Sundays should be spent: wandering around the antique market in San Telmo, having a last steak lunch and walking through the ecological reserve on the edge of town. We returned to the tango festival that evening and saw a fantastic show which told the history of tango in various scenes. The dancers included on of tango's great modern heroes: Juan Carlos Cepos who was instrumental in creating the modern tango show concept and the worldwide revival of the dance. It was a truly special night and we could not have planned a better way to end our trip than being present at such an iconic Buenos Aries event. 

I am currently sitting at the international airport in Buenos Aires. I cannot quite believe I am going home, but I'm sure it'll sink in when I board the plane. I hope you have enjoyed my updates as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Perhaps I will carry on posting when I am lucky enough to travel again. I just hope it's not in the too distant future as I have many places in mind which I wish to visit! Here's to planning and to future posts! Thank you for reading. 

Lots of love,

Emma

The Iguazu falls

Although we didn't start this trip with a definite plan in terms of the precise destinations we were going to visit, the Iguazu falls, along with handful of other places, were always on our list. There are 275 waterfalls, between 62 and 80 m high and steed over 2.7 km and are considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It was certainly not to be missed! 

We arrived in Puerto Iguazu, the nearest town to the Argentinian side of the falls, early in the afternoon and set about organising ourselves to visit the national park the following day. We then wandered down to the Hito Argentino, an obelisk painted in the colours of the Argentinian flag, which is situated near the edge of the Iguazu river at the point where both Brazil and Paraguay are visible. The two other countries mirror the obelisk with ones of their own.

The following day we were on a bus heading to the national park by 9 o'clock in the morning. The park is quite large, with several circuits which you walk around offering different views of the falls. The immense size and power of the water, cascading down waterfall after waterfall was mind boggling. Additionally, throughout the morning the sun shines directly on the water, creating stunning rainbows which only add to the beauty of the place. 

You can get right up close to a few of them, and we felt the spray and the power up close. We were therefore very glad that the weather so far north is much more pleasant during the day, reaching 25 degrees during the day. The heat was especially appreciated after we finished a boat ride on the river, where they take you directly under two of the falls. We were completely soaked, but the experience was like no other. Additionally, this allowed us a view of more of the falls from the river, which are normally viewable from an island reached by a boat from the main land. Unfortunately, the island was closed during our visit due to high water levels. On the bright side, this meant the falls were at their most impressive, which can be hit and miss during the dryer months of winter. 

We ate lunch in the sun on the lawn of the Sheraton hotel on the complex (imagine staying in the national park!), far away as possible from the thieving coatis! These small mammals, related to the raccoon, are notorious for stealing food and bothering tourists. They had already tried to grab a sandwich out of Tanya's bag as she took some photos, and there were warnings everywhere that they could become quite dangerous (on the Brazilian side, the warnings also included that they might transmit rabies!). 

During the afternoon, we jumped on the train which leads to the "pièce de résistance" of the argentinan side: an incredible view over the "Garganta del Diablo" or "Devil's Throat". At this point half of the river's flow converge at one point ibto several falls and there is so much water that all you can see as you look down is white froth and foam. Again we were soaked and unfortunately this was the last straw for my camera, which now refused to close it's zoom! This is a little annoying for the rest of trip, as we now do not have a camera, however iPhone will have to do for the last week! 

We finished the day walking the "Sendero Macuco", a path which leads to a small hidden waterfall set apart from the main strip. The real reason for the walk however is for the wildlife you see along the way. We spied several colourful birds, butterflies and a few interesting mammals. Of the latter, the most common were, as a fellow walker so eloquently put it, like gigantic rats! They had large, round ears and no tail, but besides that the description was very accurate. Most interestingly, we caught sight of a tapir in the under growth, and as we left the trail at the end of the day, as if they'd been placed there on purpose, there was a group of monkeys swinging the in trees above us. 

We were very excited the next day to set off for the Brazilian national park. From what we'd heard, you get a completely different view of the falls, it's much more panoramic. Additionally, it would give us a very brief taste of Brazil, a country we would have loved to have devoted some time to but which we'd had to leave off the list. It was very strange to suddenly be in a country with a different language, and it made me realise how "at home" I'd become in Spanish speaking South America! 

The views from Brazil are indeed more panoramic, and you get the sense for the scale of the place. As you walk along the trail past the falls, the views seem to become more impressive with every turn. At the end of the walk, you can walk out on to a platform which mirrors the platform on the Argentinan side of the Gargana del Diablo. Once again, the morning sun played tricks on the water, and several rainbows were often visible at a time, reaching out over the water. 

The park on the Brazilian side of the falls is significantly smaller, and we completed it with a couple of short hours. We therefore had ample time to visit the excellent "Parque das Aves" (bird park), across the road from the national park. Here we were able to get up close to some amazing species, including the colourful toucans and macaws. The park is laid out with avairies you can walk through for excellent views and photo opportunities. All the birds in the park have been rescued and are very used to human contact. They don't even mind if you stroke them as they sit on the banisters of the walkways through the aviary! The macaw cage is particularly fun as they fly around quite oblivious to the people inside, meaning that often you have to duck to get out of their way!  We were able to hold a bird on our shoulders for an obligatory tourist snap (which ended badly for me as my macaw decided the charms on my bracelet looked very tasty and bit my wrist!). In addition to the birds, the park had a butterfly enclosure with several gorgeous species as well as adorable hummingbirds flying all around as you walked through. 

We decided to make the most of our very short stay in Brazil and take a look around the local town of Foz do Iguaçu. Here we tried the local cheese bread balls, accompanied by fresh fruit juice, and soaked up the culture of the country and it's extrovert residents. It was then back over the border at the end of another wonderful day, filled with beautiful sights. With all this border hopping, we now have 7 stamps from Argentinan immigration! 

We spent the evening in the company of an Argentina couple who currently live in Brazil, who introduced us to some of Argentina's comedy scene via YouTube. Highlights included a long lived advert about "la llama que llama" (the llama who talks) which was very amusing. The next day, we were able, for the first time in a while, to get up when we liked and to spend the day catching the rays by the pool and lunching in the local market. 

We'd thoroughly enjoyed our time in Iguazu, but it was soon time to head back to Buenos Aires for our final week. I hope to have my last post of the trip up by Monday next week, just before we board out plane home. What a strange thought!

Lots of love,

Emma 

Cordoba and Salta

By late morning of the day we reached Cordoba, we were out and about hitting up as many museums as possible! The city is home to many, and they are generally of excellent quality. Additionally, the "Manzana Jesuita" or Jesuit quarter, is home to many beautiful and impressive buildings ranging from churches to school and university buildings. One of the countries most important university is in Cordoba, and the student population brings art, science and culture to life in the city. We visited many student exhibitions during our time there, and that first afternoon we checked out the fine art museum housed in an old palace, as well as the contemporary art museum on the same square. The latter had some particularly interesting exhibitions, my favourite being a photography exhibition of frozen flowers from the region. 

The next day, Tanya fulfilled one of her dreams: she jumped out of a plane at 3000m! I'm so happy for her, as I know that this was something she really wanted to do on this trip. She has a video of the jump, which I cannot wait to see, and came back looking super happy! I personally have no desire to try this particular adrenalin rush (I suffer from a fear induced by watching a TV programme which followed a storyline involving a parachuting accident!), therefore I amused myself taking in another couple of museums that morning. I learnt about the history of the city in the Municipal Building's museum, and took some (hopefully) pretty photos of the cathedral in the sunshine. I also visited the "Museo de la Memoria" a chilling museum which chronicles the arrests made by the secret police, the D2, during the "Dirty War" in the 1970's. It was very well done, and indeed I returned in the afternoon in order for Tanya to visit it too. A couple of final art museums later, we rounded off the day lying in the sunshine in the park. 

Having satisfied our hunger for museums, we jumped on a bus to the nearby town of Carlos Paz for our final day in the region. We got some good exercise in there by climbing to the top of a hill over looking the city. All along the pathway up, the story of Jesus carrying the cross is told in stages ending with a huge cross at the top of the hill. We had a picnic lunch at the top, making the most of the incredible view of the town and the river. 

We spent the rest of the day walking down by the river side, which slowly turns into a lake. The day was very windy and we enjoyed watching the dinghies, windsurfers and kite surfers out on the water. After a well deserved ice cream, it was time to get back to the city and catch our bus heading for our next stop.  

Salta is in the north of the county, not far off the Bolivian border. There are perceivable differences between the people and culture of the north and the south. For example, many of the people, understandably, bear a stronge resemblance to those from Bolivia and we were once again surrounded by Coca leaf sellers and stalls laden with alpaca goods. 

The weather on our first day in the city was blissful. We quickly changed into shorts and tshirts, and after a tasty lunch in the sun on the square, we hiked up to the town's mirador for the excellent view over the city. We spent the rest of the afternoon dozing in the heat at the top of the hill, finally getting the sunshine we have been craving for some time now! 

The next day we were picked up at 10 o'clock by a gaucho who drove us out to a ranch outside of the city for a riding tour we had organised the day before. The horses were rounded up and tacked up when we arrived, and I took the oppurtunity to ask about the local tack,particularly the saddles. Although I have ridden in South American saddles before, I have never had a chance before to properly see how they are made and used, and was very interested. We spent the morning riding through the dry, mountain region, which, our guide explained, is green and fertile during the summer, but during the winter they have little grass to speak of. The horses were a little on the thin side, which I put down to this vast difference in precipitation between the seasons. During the summer, they put on plenty of weight on the lush grass, which sees them through the harsh winter. When I asked, it was explained that the horses are corralled during the day but roam freely at night, and they were clearly well cared for and fed with what was available. 

We finished the ride through the plains at the foot of the hills, where we even had a few races! After all the rides we have been on on this trip, Tanya is getting very good! She rises perfectly to the trot and has excellent balance. I have a couple of videos of the races (one of which I think captures the moment when my horse took advantage of my preoccupation with the video to crash through some trees... I always get the silly ones!). The loser was supposed to buy all the drinks for the winner, but I think the guide decided to drop that idea after what would have been a photo finish between me and him...!

The tour was rounded off with a great barbecue, complete with salad and potatoes and, of course, lots of red wine from Salta. There were four playful kittens on the ranch which begged for ever scrap we left. It was a lovely end to the tour, only to be completed by a gorgeous Italian ice cream when we returned to Salta. 

We timed our stay in Salta perfectly as, having enjoyed two days of perfect sunshine, the following day the clouds hung low over the city and the temperature dropped radically. We therefore visited the churches the city has to offer, including a beautiful one painted sky blue and pink. It was then on to the museums which included the contemporary art musem, which houses some interesting exhibits mostly by South American artists, and the Musuem of the High Mountains. The second museum was very well presented displays including its highlight: three mummies of Incan child sacrifices discovered and excavated from the Llullaillaco Volcano, which stands at 6739m. They are excellently preserved, and although only one is displayed at any one time, the explanations of the sacrifices and the displays of the objects buried with them fully make up for it. During our visit the "lightening girl" was on display. She was only about six years old when she was chosen to make a pilgrimage to Cuzco and symbolically "marry" the son of another important family from a different region within the Incan empire, before travelling back to her region and being drugged and buried alive at the summit of the volcano. These sacrifices aimed to united families and regions, as well as appease "Mama Huaca" or Mother Earth.    Her name comes from the discolouring on her face from a lightning strike which occurred at some point during the 500 years she lay in her tomb. 

As the day drew to an end, we once again packed up our bags, which really do seem to be getting heavier and heavier, and made our way to the bus station, trying to mentally prepare for the next 24.5 hours which we had to spend on buses across most of the country's length to Peurto Iguazu. The beauty of the falls which awaited us there made the long hours bearable, and when we arrived we checked quickly into a hostel to get ready to visit them the next day. Keep an eye out for the next post to see how we got on! 

Lots of love, 

Emma

South Eastern Argentina and Uruguay

We left Patagonia one afternoon and fourteen hours later woke up to find that we appeared to have arrived home in England. The views from the bus showed expanses of farmland, mostly cows in lush fields, and it was raining, well drizzling, just like at home! Ironically, we were actually arriving at the most popular beach destination of the porteños (the people of Buenos Aires), however we were completely out of season. Mar del Plata (which translates as Sea of Silver) is a large, bustling place and its main attraction is the long sea front whose beaches are packed in the summer (in fact the guide book recommended a visit in the summer simply to never be able to say that a beach is packed again!). We checked into a hostel and into a room with a lady and her young daughter, whom we promptly found out were running from the father with whom the mother was in a custody battle over the daughter. We do meet some interesting people on our travels! 

We tried to make the most out of the city, despite the drizzle and the cloud. As we wandered down the beach front, it was easy to see why it is so popular with holidaymakers in the summer months. There is plenty of lovely sand to lie on and there are restaurants, bars and clubs abound. There are also supposedly some good swells for surfing just along the coast. However convienent it may be, the whole city/beach set up just made me nostalgic for childhood holidays on country beaches in Cornwall. The beaches may get crowded there too, but I have to admit, the traffic and the general hustle of Mar del Plata did not inspire me. As there seemed little point in hanging around too long out of season, we spent the evening at the cinema (a proper rainy day activity!) and were up bright and early the next day, en route to Buenos Aires. 

Although it was still a little drizzly when we arrive in BA, the city had a great feel form the start. When we checked into our hostel, we found out that there was a free tango lesson that night in the bar. It was only short and covered just the basic steps, but it was good fun and ticked one of the must do activities in Argentina off our list. The next day we spent in a mall out of nessecity as we had both run out of trousers through wear and tear! 

We were therefore keen to get lots of sightseeing in the following day. Our first stop was the Retiro district, where we wandered through a Saturday market. This is also where the city's famous cemetery is and it's fascinating to walk around it to marvel at the splendour of the tombs. Many of the country's famous personalities are buried here, including Evita whose tomb was definitely the most visited. Wandering through the surrounding area, we stumbled across an interesting photo exhibition, containing in the most part photos taking by war photo-journalists in Syria. It was haunting but very interesting. We wandered back into the centre of town via one of the most uptown streets in the city, which lead us past the Teatro Colon, the city's opera house. We had been thinking about going to see a performance, as it is acoustically cconsidered to be among the five best concert houses in the world. We obtained some information on performances and have subsequently bought tickets for when we return to the city for our flight home to see the Marriage of Figaro, which we are very much looking forward to. 

Our last visit of the day was to the "Casa Roja" or "Pink House", Argentina's equivalent of the White House (although the president does not live there, only works there). After wandering around looking at the exhibition of paintings of South American heroes, we decided to take the tour of the building as it only runs at weekends. It quickly became apparent why, as we were taken through the rooms used to welcome visiting officials, to inaugurate new officials and even the President's office itself! We learnt that the iconic pink hue of the building's exterior was due to the type of paint used when it was built. They used to use a mixture of limestone and animal fat, in order to offer some protection from the weather. The animal fat often had some blood left in it, hence the pink colour. There were several further interesting rooms, such as that which was dedicated to the most influential women from Argentina, and the room which contained Evita's desk, and from which lead to the balcony she used for her speeches. We were unable to go out onto that balcony, but we did go out onto the neighbouring one, which afforded us a fanatic view of the main square below. 

The next day we ventured out into one of the cities outlying districts, where each Sunday a "gaucho" (the equivalent of a cowboy in Argentina) market. We had a wonderful time wandering through the stalls selling everything from nic-nacs, to everyday clothes, leather goods and artisanal products. There was a stage in the main square of the area where local music was being performed as well as improvised music down little streets and on one of the smaller squares. This produced a fanatic atmosphere with impromptu dancing and clapping. There was even a mechanical bull and Shetlands dressed up in full western gear for children to have their photo taken on (of course I got my pony fix with a few cuddles!). We feasted on Choripan (a chorizo sandwich), Dulce de Leche filled pancakes and candy floss. Additionally, later that evening upon our return to the centre, we went out for a genuine Argentinean steak. This is certainly not the country to be trying to diet in! 

We were back on the road the next day, or, more accurately, back on the water! We took a ferry across the river to Colonia in Uruguay, which we found to be a picturesque small town, bordered on three sides by the river. We were starving by the time we arrived at three in the afternoon having not had a chance to eat lunch yet. We settled therefore for an all you can eat "asado" or meat grill. It included sausages, black pudding, ribs, pork steak, chicken and offal. We ate (probably more than) our full and subsequently felt revived for an explore. We wandered down by the river side and eventually settled down to watch the incredible sunset from a look out over the water. 

More exploring followed the next day. We climbed the lighthouse which gave us some great views of the leafy plaza below and of the surrounding river. The town is full of old cars, most of which look totally abandoned, but try provided some fantastic photo opportunities! They ranged from little Renaults, to American muscle cars, to black beasts you could see mafia bosses in! The cobbled streets made me nostalgic for my childhood, and the narrow streets and sheltering trees complete the charm of the place. After lunch, we regretfully left on a bus bound for the capital: Montevideo. We arrived too late to do much more than cook and head to bed, however we did walk through the large main square on our way to the hostel, which peaked our interest for sightseeing the next day. 

We only planned to stay one day in the city, therefore we set off early the next morning in order to squeeze in as much of the city's sights as possible. I think we did remarkably well. Our first stop was back to the Plaza de Independencia, which had looked so impressive the night before and it did not disappoint during the day. It is dominated on one side by the Palacio Salvo, finished in 1928 and which, at 100m, was the tallest building in South America for decades. We wandered around the "Ciudad Vieja" (Old City), taking in the various churches, plazas and palaces eventually reaching the port where stands the dark and ominous port customs building. On the other side if the road lies the Mercado del Puerto, a market which is filled with one parilla (grill) restaurant after another. We were offered a glass of "medio y medio", the local drink containing have white wine, half sparkling wine. The grills were already laden with meat and vegetables and we were sorely tempted to return to eat there later in the day. We finally decided however to head to the less touristy (and therefore better value) Mercado de la Abundancia. Here we had yet another steak, washed down with some wine and finished off with a pudding for under ten dollars. It is worth noting at this point that we are still searching for a truly excellent steak, as although up until this point they have been tasty, we are yet to be completely blown away by them. We have a couple of recommendations for restaurants in BA however, and are looking forward to trying them out when we return! 

In the afternoon we took the time to visit a couple of museums: the History of Art Museum and the Automobile Museum. The former was interesting and extensive by South American standards, but lacked an abundance in original prices. It's saving grace was the original Egyptian mummy on display. It was bought originally by a wealthy Uruguayan before eventually being gifted to the museum. Owning to our aforementioned fascination with the number of old cars in the country, the latter was a perfect end to the day. It included examples of the first cars (one allegedly built in Belgium!) through to Ferraris and huge American muscle cars. 

That evening we boarded yet another night bus back across the border, our short adventure in Uruguay over. We were heading to Cordoba, known as Argentina's cultural centre. I will make sure to keep you up to speed soon with all the culture we amass there, and what comes next!

Lots of love, 

Emma

The Lakes District

Over 18 hours after leaving Mendoza, we finally arrived in Pucon, Chile and I felt at home straight away. It felt like a little ski village in the Alpes, but "South American-ised". Lots of wooden chalets lined the definite blocked streets with ski rental shops and tour agents occupying a large number of them. The whole town is in the shadow of the impressive Villarrica volcano, which we were lucky enough to see at sunrise the morning we arrived. It also lays on the shore of the Villarrica Lake. A quick stroll around the lake and it is easy to see why this place has become one of the lost important tourist destinations in southern Chile. The sand is black, as it comes from volcanic rock, which might not make the best sunbathing surface, but the views are really very special. 

The town was completely deserted when we arrived. At about 9 o'clock we finally found a restaurant whose owner, although they were still closed, was up and about. He kindly let us in for a coffee and to figure out somewhere to stay. We found a hostel called Emafequen, run by perhaps the nicest hostel owner we have come across so far (and her name was Ema!). We ended up with a cabin on the property, with our own room and a kitchen, bathroom and (most appreciated) a sitting room complete with a TV and a wood burning stove which we shared with some lovely holidaying Brazilians. It was fantastic to have a place which seemed almost like a home for a few days, and we made full use of it kicking back each evening to watch films and even toast marshmallows over the fire! 

An ascension of the volcano is one of Pucon's most popular tourist attraction. Having recovered from Huyana Potosí, we were keen to get the top of a volcano, as we had heard that you could see right into the crater. However after speaking to several tour agents, it became apparent that reaching the top in the middle of winter was rare: the ice during the last stages of the climb is so hard that crampons and ice picks cannot pierce it. Eventually, we decided that the money would be better spent elsewhere. We therefore spent out days trekking through the incredible landscape, including a day in the Huerquehue National Park. The hike involves a few hours of uphill walking to reach to top of a ridge. From there, you reach a series of lakes: the Lagunas Chico, Toro and Verde. The are beautiful, made perhaps more picturesque by the snow and ice laying atop them.  The hike itself was also stunning as the path wound its way through the snowy forest. It was a veritable winter wonderland! 

It was difficult leaving our lovely cabin in order to move on to our next stop, however keeping up a good pace is key to travelling the way we are! Therefore, it was back on a bus even further south to what is known as the gateway to Patagonia: Puerto Montt. The town itself is rather drab and grey, but the lodging was cheap and it was only a short bus ride away from Puerto Varas which is much more geared towards tourism and outdoor pursuits. From there we spent a day hiking to another jaw droppingly gorgeous lake and a set of awe inpiring waterfalls. They were by no means the largest, tallest or even the most powerful falls I've seen, however they all fell together to make the water coming out of the falls pure white against the incredibly clear, turquoise water of the river. 

This was to be our last stop on Chile, and it seemed like our time there really flew past! It's an amazing country, and even though we were there a few weeks, we went to the desert, skied and boarded on a mountain, we went to the beach and walked the shores of lakes surrounded by volcanoes. My preconceived notion of a country which has everything was not tainted, and I had a fantastic time there. However, we wanted to give enough time to our last two countries, Argentina and Uruguay and with only a month left, it was time to move on. 

The first city on our list was Bariloche on the edge of Patagonia. In the winter, tourists flock here from far afield primarily to ski at one of the largest and modern of South America's resorts called Cerro Catedral. It is particularly popular with Brazilians, who, as we were informed by a Brazilian we meet on the bus into town, jokingly call it Braziloche as you are more likely to run into a Brazilian than an Argentinian! 

On a bit of a whim, and using the money we had set aside for the volcano in Pucon which we never climbed, we decided to head up on the hill! We knew that money would come in handy somewhere! This time, instead of skis, I joined Tanya on a snowboard. We had a brilliant day and were again lucky with the weather. I was particularly grateful for this, as the views were first class, and certainly the best I have even seen from a ski resort. Two lakes are visible from the top of the mountain, as well as the city below and the mountain range behind. I am struggling to find the words to describe just how wonderful the scenery was, and there were times when you felt like you were boarding into the void of the lake. Simply beautiful. 

We spent our second day in Bariloche cycling around the "Circuito Chico", a popular bike ride around a peninsula which juts out into on the lakes. The views were even better than the lake views we had seen so far, and the 28km flew by in a blur of pine trees and clear, blue water. There were several viewpoints along the way and we were hopefully able to capture some of the beauty on the camera. We also made a couple of stops on the way, one to a smokery where we were able to try smoked venison, cheese, salmon and trout; and one to a path over a "roman bridge" (built in the 1930's) which also lead to the Laguna Escondida (Hidden Lake), where the reflection of the mountain behind shone perfectly in the middle of the clear water. That night we ate a cheese fondue which, amusingly, included hot dog sausages, apple pieces and potato balls to dip in the cheese alongside the usual bread! 

We left our big bags at the hostel the next day and headed off for a two day excursion to San Martin de Los Andea. The bus over follows the "Ruta de los Siete Lagos" (the Route of the 7 Lakes), which, as the name implies, provides incredible views of (more) beautiful lakes. We only had a few of hours of daylight left once we arrived in the town, so we walked a couple of hours up to a mirador which had great views over the town and the lake. On our way we passed through a little village where we saw a farmer driving his oxen and cart home, with a chainsaw in the back suggesting that he had been logging. That evening we pottered around the town for a while, sticking out heads into some of the exquisite chocolate shops the region is well known for. After telling the owner of one shop that I was from Belgian, we even scored a sample of a delicious Ducle de Leche filled chocolate. Yum!

The next day we managed to hitch a ride with a family headed to Villa la Angostura, the next town on the way back to Bariloche. They had some brilliant anecdotes about the surrounding area, for example one of the rivers which adjoins two of the lakes is know as the shortest river in the world, being only 100m long! It was also great to see the views of the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos from a car rather than a bus as it was easier to strain a look at the various lakes. 

From Villa la Angostura we entered the

Arrayanes National Park and hiked the 26km round trip to the "Bosque de los Arrayanes", a wood dominated by the Arrayane tree. We had already come across this unusual species, easily identifiable by its orange coloured, peeling bark, but this wood was dominated by these particular trees. Allegedly, the Arranyanes forests of the region were visited by Walt Disney and inspired the scenery for Bambi. The other side of the wood there were some fabulous views over one of the surrounding lakes. The day was drawing quickly to an end however and we had to make the return journey at a swift pace in order to be back before dark. We made it to a viewpoint over the lake for sunset, which made the hard, fast walking completely worth it! Back in the town, we managed to scoff a rather large pizza each before jumping on a bus back to Bariloche. 

The following day, our adventure on the edge of Patagonia came to an end, as we were keen to move up north for the chief reason that we wanted to escape the bitter cold! It was another day and night on a bus, all the way to Mar del Plata. I will leave our stories from there and beyond to the next post as I fear I may have gone on a bit with the current one. However, I hope you enjoyed it and rememeber to keep an eye out for the next! 

Lots of love,

Emma