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 

Mendoza

Once again we were on a bus heading towards a border crossing. This time however, only for a short hop over to Argentina before heading back to Chile within a few days. After having consulted a map, we realised it would make more sense to tick Mendoza off our list from Santiago, with it only being 8 short hours away. Therefore, we set off for wine country, only to find that the bus journey alone was almost worth the journey for the views it offered. The pass between Chile and Argentina at this longitude climbs straight over the Andes (something which was to cause us some hassle later on).  At one point, I looked up and saw a chair lift climbing steadily right above our heads, and we went past several other ski resorts on the way. At the border crossing itself it became apparent that we had arrived in Argentina as the only snack available was a Milanese, which in Argentina means a sandwich filled with steak (of course), cheese, ham and salad. 

We arrived in Mendoza just as dusk was falling and had some trouble finding a room, as the local holidays were still on. However, when we did find a hostel, we found it to be a friendly place and we meet some people from Buenos Aires. They took us out to some bars where, to our delight, they played rock music of all types. This made a big change from the usual mix of Spanish/American hip hop/rap and Andean music, which was getting rather old!

The next day we spent walking around the town, which turned out to have a beautiful park. It reminded me of European parks, half way between Hyde Park and the Retiro in Madrid. We spent the entire afternoon there, finally reaching the Cerro de Gloria, from the top of which we had a fantastic of the city, even though the day was slightly grey. Right at the top of the hill, there is an enormous statue, with everything from horsemen to mythical creatures to dinner party scenes depicted in the form of bronze statutes and murals. We also stumbled unwittingly across the art museum, which was exhibiting some Joan Miró paintings, with free entrance for the holiday period. The rest of the day was taken up with boring errands, mainly surrounding out attempts at buying bus tickets back to Chile. The problem was that there was heavy snow over the pass back over, and the company could not guarantee that we would make the journey without having to turn back. 

This worry nagged us for the next two nights but we put it to the back of our minds for the following day's excursion to the wineries which Mendoza is famous for. The typical tourist trail which we followed is generally done in the summer, as it involves hiring a bike and cycling several kilometres between the "Bodegas". The girl in the tourist office seemed genuinely surprised that we were willing to attempt it in the cold (until we explained that we were English and were used to the cold!). 

We meet an English couple on the bus over to Maipu, the base town for the tour, and joined up with them for the afternoon, with our first stop being a small olive oil manufacturer. We learnt about olive and olive oil production but the best part of the tour was the tasting session! We dipped bread into different oils, vinegars as well as tapenades. We then had a chance to try the farm's homemade jams and spirits. We sampled chocolate vodka, with chocolate chips floating around, as well as Dulce de Leche with banana and finally absinthe. 

Our second stop was the Familigia de Tomasi winery, founded by Italian migrants. There we learnt much about wine production and the processes involved, especially about the ageing processes and how it can change the character and flavour of wines. After the tour was the tasting, which included, among others, a Malbec (of course), an a delicious dessert wine. We visited one further winery, which was founded just under feb years ago by a French ex-pat. He had been working in Mendoza for an international company and simply decided to retire and set up a wine making business! There again we sampled some gorgeous wine, and learnt more about how to appreciate the sublte differences between them. 

Bright and early the next morning, we made out way to the bus station not sure if the pass would be open and whether the journey back was possible or not. After several hours of waiting, they sent us on our way and, thankfully, the journey went as planned. The scenery was even more beautiful that the way out, with the new snow making everything look fresh and clean. After that 8 hour journey, it was onto another (12 hour!) bus from Santiago as we headed south into the lake districts. Pucon was our first destination, and I will be sure to have you updates soon with news of our adventures on the edge of Patagonia! 

Lots of love, 

Emma 

Santiago and Valparasio

We arrived in Santiago one rather grey morning and quickly settled into our lodgings, and got ready for the activity we were most excited about based from the city: skiing and snowboarding. My godfather Steven deserves a special mention at this point, as we were afraid that this sport was going to be beyond our budget on this trip however he was incredibly generous and offered to gift the excursion to us. It was certainly one of the things highest on my list to do in South America, being a little obsessed with snowsports, therefore I would like to take this opportunity to thank him once again: thank you Steven! 

The mountains, including the resort we were to go to, Valle Nevado, are just a short two hour drive from Santiago, and we booked up for two full days on the slopes leaving each morning from the city and returning at night. It seems amazing that this is possible and the perks of Chile's capital were beginning to become apparent to me! That afternoon we were also able to squeeze in a little bit of sightseeing, taking in the beautiful main square and the old/new architectural contrasts.   

We awoke early the next day, very excited to be heading off up the hill. The scenery on the way was amazing in itself: never have I driven past cacti in the hills on the road up to the ski slopes before! As we climbed we also drove past small herds of cows, donkeys and horses which would occasionally wander across the road, seemingly unaware of the distress they were causing to the drivers on the road. About two thirds of the way up, snow started to appear on the ground and before we knew it (and just about at the point where we thought the driver's terrible taste in music might have driven us crazy!), the resort appeared in front of us. The main building was very modern and included the entrance to Chile's first gondola type ski lift. We were kitted out in there with much better equipment than I had expected and headed out into the snow! The snow this year has been less good than what was hoped. After a very good start to the season, they have had little more to top up, however the base layer is solid and there is enough to get round a lot of the mountain. On the (very) bright side, the weather was absolutely fantastic, there was not a cloud in the sky either day and it was just cold enough that the snow was not turning to slush but not cold enough to need more than a few layers. By Southern Hemisphere standards, the resort is large, and there was certainly enough to keep us more than occupied over the two days. The resort boasts an excellent variety of runs, nothing super challenging bit mostly sweeping and wide which is perfect for a short trip. I cannot explain how amazing it was to be back out on skis, especially, as we kept noting with disbelief, as it was July - so strange for us, coming from the Northern Hemisphere!

The two days came and went far too quickly, however we knew there was plenty more that Santiago had on offer so the next day (albeit after a bit of a lie in!), we went in search for some sights and culture. The rather grey picture we had perceived the first day was shattered under a glorious sun. As we walked through the centre of the city, we saw more beautiful buildings, such as the national theatre and many stunning modern glass structures. We then came to the Cerro Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Hill) and climbed right to the Castillo at the top for wonderful views over Santiago. We also visited both the National Fine Art gallery and that of Modern Art. The former was certainly better at the time of our visit, as the latter was having some building works which only left onlu one exhibition on display. That evening we sampled what the city had on offer in terms of a nightlife. This included trying the infamous drink known as a Terremoto, or Earthquake, made up of a concoction of pineapple juice, wine,  Fernet (a herby dark liquor) and a couple of scoops of ice cream on the top! We spent on final day in Santiago the following day, resting up and making plans for our next stages.

First on our list was the holiday playground of the wealthy of Santiago: Valparasio and neighbouring Viña del Mar. We arrived with just enough time in the afternoon to take a walk around the latter, past casinos and castles built by the wealthy of the past and present. We finished off the day watching the sun set over the sea on a beach packed with holidaying Chileans (it being the winter holiday period) with an ice cream. It was perfect. 

The next day also involves lots of walking as we took in the sites of Valparasio. The walls of the main tourist and residential "hill" neighbourhoods are covered with intricate and, mostly, beautiful graffiti. The Cerro Bellavista (Bellavista Hill), even has a Museo de Cielo Abierto or "Open Sky Museum" of wall paintings by previous students of the art museum, some now well known artists. In the same neighbourhood we visited one of the houses which previously belonged to the Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda, from which there is a wonderful view over the bay. The view from the, otherwise somewhat disappointing, Museo del Mar de Lord Cochrane was also superb, looking directly over the main square. We also rode in one of the infamous elevators which take you up to the various hills and lunched on seafood soup. I've never seen so many different types of seafood in one dish! 

That evening we sat watching the world go by, on some steps near our hostel looking at a beautiful view over the sea and drinking mate (herbal tea) with two Argentian girls. The hostel, as we have found in more and more Chilean hostels, had more Chileans and Argentinians, which means we are practicing our Spanish more and more! We spent the evening therefore chatting with the other residents over piscocolas (pisco mixed with coke) and beer. 

Early the next morning we left on a bus bound for Mendoza, Argentina - yet another country on our list. We plan to return to Chile after our visit there, as geographically it makes more sense on our route. I look forward to telling all about this area famous for its wine production in the next instalment!

Lots of love,

Emma