Argentina - Iguazu Falls

Sancha with an amazing view

Rowan, Michelle, Ellie, Kara & David soaked at Devils Throat

















We have spent the last two days wandering around Iguazu Falls in the sweltering heat and humidity and loving every minute of it. The scenery is stunning, the waterfalls are amazing and the heat is wonderful - we only have a week and a half to go before we get back to the wintery weather of December in Dublin.

We "splashed out" and did a speed boat trip into the Falls and got soaked to the skin, we thought initially we would just get splashed on by a little bit of spray, but No ..... the guy took us right into the falls and soaked every stitch on us ...three times too. It was the best craic ever.

Back in BA

We´re back in Buenos Aires, now part of an impending posse of partygo-ers. Joining us in holding the fort (rented apartment for the week) on Rodriguez Pena Street are Rowan and Kara (who joins us for the remainder of our three weeks on the RTW). We have gained and lost: Barry is off on his travels around Argentina, whilst we await the return of Gareth & Vic and Ellie & David! Friday night sees this posse hit the tango tiles of this great city!!

Uruguay - Punta del Diablo

Pics above ..... pub life in punta del diablo

homemade pizzas......we ate well

sancha chilling on the beach

the Uruguayan flag

more food...... a typical breakfast

diary writing

(Pics: dinner at El Viejo y El Mar - the old man and the sea; Mitster and Patrick; Michelle at Punta del Este)








First of all, it´s green here. This is a bit of a shock to the system having spent two months at quite high altitude, dry and deserty environments! Secondly, the spanish is spoken at the speed of light, so just when we thought we were making progress on the lingo, it´s like being back in Santiago in week one!

We caught the Buquebus ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia, a pretty town which we hope to spend some time at on the way back to BA. From the ferryport, we caught the bus to a place called Punta del Este which is like the Marbella of this part of the world. The countryside en route is quite green and really flat. Except for the palm trees and occasional swamp areas, it almost looks like the Netherlands :o) In Punta del Este, we observed fancy shops like Fendi, Louis Vuitton and mercedes cars driving around. It´s such a change from the other side of the continent and felt quite odd being in somewhere so monied, but dead quiet. It´s not quite summer here yet!

We stayed one night and then decided to move on further up the coast to Punta del Diablo (Devils´s Point) where Rowan and Barry had been hanging out for a few days already. The place is described in the LP as "off the beaten track", so much so that the buses are of the "one-a-day" variety so we took to hiring a taxi instead....not exactly backpacker style, but in the interests of reaching the sunny beach in a good mood, you understand right? Rowan and Barry raved about the place and we have liked the vibe so much we are still here a week later! The locals are fab, so friendly and welcoming: "swing by for food and drinks later, my friends". We have found much to do with our days, including:

1) diary writing
2) book-reading
3) sun-tanning
4) shopping at a variety of stores so as to spread our pesos about town
5) cooking fantastic meals (all boasting aside, we have done amazingly well)
6) visiting the local border town in order to find an ATM
7) walking the local dogs, there are so many of them and they are so friendly. They include Duke (aka Mitty as his owner is called Walter) and Dago (neighbourhood puppy who is really clumsy!)
8) dipping into the freezing cold atlantic and fighting mega waves (the beach is a good surfing spot)
9) thinking about our return home on 10 Dec.

It´s a tough life!!

Where we are now: Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

We flew from Florianapolis (located by the island of Santa Catarina, below Curitiba in the south) to Rio on Monday 04/12.

IRL - Hong Kong - Thailand - Laos - Cambodia - Vietnam - Thailand - Malaysia - Singapore - Australia - New Zealand - Chile - Bolivia - Peru - Argentina - Uruguay - Argentina - Brazil - IRL

Argentina - Buenos Aires

We landed in this country at 6am on Monday morning after flying with the local Aerolinas Argentinas airline - not a bad airline either, the airport in BA on the other hand could do with a serious facelift !! Customs and visas were a walk through ... no bothers at all.

Argentina is famous for enormous steaks, the tango and of course Maradona. We have sampled the steaks, watched professionals dance the tango but havent met Maradona yet .. (He´s probably still in rehab!) We went to see the pink presidential palace where Evita made her famous speeches but have minimised our sight-seeing for the moment as we will be redoing everything in a couple of weeks when our friend K arrives so we checked out the city shopping/restaurants instead. Such a treat to find big stores (incl. Zara !), big pharmacies, shoe shops, bag shops and all things that girls love.

Buenos Aires is a city of 13 million people but its doesnt feel it and its very easy to navigate through once you understand that you have absolutely no rights as a pedestrian !! They drive like lunatics here especially the bus drivers who think they are driving Fiat Unos instead of 50 seater buses !! The city has a nice European feel to it and thats a nice change from Peru. Plenty of coffee shops around the city for the 4pm coffee and cake break in the day ! People go out to dinner here after 9pm - they are a bit strange that way !

Otherwise enjoying the sights and all that Buenos Aires has to offer.

Tips for Travellers

The following is a random list which we would like to share with you, some of which you will no doubt find useful in your future travelling careers. These items are those which we have benefitted from hugely on our travels. Feel free to add a comment or drop us a line sharing your thoughts and perhaps other recommendations.

So in no particular order of importance:

Lip Balm - used EVERY day regardless of clime, ensure spf-ed
Masking Tape & Sellotape - Masking for blocking holes in mosquito nets and screens, sellotape for sealing boxes and envelopes being sent home
Hot Water Bottle - for cold nights in New Zealand and South America
Needle & Thread - thread should be strong enough to repair a backpack
Antibiotic combined with hydrocortesone cream - for those UTIs (unidentifiable travelling injuries) and mozzie bites
Earplugs - useful for when the nightclub is IN your room... :o)
Scanned copies held on email of all important documents - a tip we have learned from others
Sarong - acts as towel, curtain, pillowcase and makeshift bathroom screen (when in the desert and you can´t even find a rock) amongst many things...
Moisturiser with spf saves you applying thicker sun screen lotion (which accumulates on clothes faster and adds to laundry pile sooner...)
Black Pepper or other condiments you really like, bring them with you or buy locally and carry, cos it´s amazing how rare they are!
Security (1) those climbing clips with which you can strap your wallet and bag to yourself, a frame, anything. (2) chain a la hood - you know the ones boys in baggy trousers wear, for same reasons as number one (3) padlocks with NUMBERS on them, preferably not from the local market, but a known brand ie Samsonite, ie strong! and carry spares...
Small bottles - cos they are just handy.. for side trips of 3 days etc.
Just get used to a different pace, the buses may not leave on time, accept it!
You will get used to dodgey bathroom conditions, as a result... always carry tissues, baby wipes and hand sanitiser :o)
Men do not carry covetable items such as sportshirts and jerseys, highly nickable by the laundry people!
Major brands such as Coca Cola, Pringles and Pantene are universal, fret not... author´s note: commendation goes to south-east Asia where toiletry bottles are supplied in easier-to-carry smaller sizes.
Buy drugs locally (save $$), but always check the drug name and manufacturer name online beforehand
Spare laces - prove highly useful when the zip holds on your bag decide to break.
Tiger Balm - acts as air freshener, bug repellent, decongestant, aids aches and pains and is simply a nice scent to fall asleep to!
Sleeping bag liner acts as sheet when the bed linen in situ is less than satisfactory, also acts as a sleeping bag liner!! (as in to add extra heat)
Get your frequent flyer membership organised in advance.
Ensure currency exchange rate check to ensure limited number of rip-offs
Plastic / Zip lock bags for leakable items, keeping items dry if you do not have a backpack cover, laundry etc.
Learn to live without: Boots The Pharmacy, "compulsory" cosmetics, full range of earrings, most things you have come to know and love in your habitual life
New USD dollar notes, small denominations, preferably ones, in MINT condition so they are not mistaken as fakes in another country
Baggage before purchasing your baggage, check the "day bag" for handy utilities such as external pockets to hold bottles of water and other need-to-access items. Ensure zips can be locked tightly, ie it has a socket for conventional lock. You may also consider carrying a "cheat bag", a soft foldable bag for occasional extra items.

(global brands "rule"!)

Peru - Arequipa, Nazca, Huacachina

We took an overnight bus from Cuzco to Arequipa - 10 hours, overnight. the over-eager travel agent that we booked the seats through put us upstairs in the front two seats...... well we nearly got "seasick" sitting there as the bus weaved its way over the Andes. To make matters worse the TV screen was in the middle of the aisle and we had sore necks from straining to watch it.

Arequipa is known as the white city due to sillar - a light coloured volcanic rock that dazzles in the sun and that is used in the huge cathedral on Plaza de Armas and other colonial churches and buildings across the city.

After a day of rest, we took a two day trip to the Canon del Colca, the worlds second deepest canyon at 3191mtrs. We stayed in Chivay the first night and after a dip in the hot srpings nearby we were entertained by local dances and music during dinner (think a peruvian bunratty !).

The second morning we were up at 5am, breakfast at 5.30am and left at 6am for our 2 hr drive to reach Cruz del Condor. We were not disppointed either, after waiting 20 minutes, we saw 4 condors flying low across the canyon, in total I think we saw 7 condors. These birds have a wing span of 3 mtrs and are very impressive as they glide across the canyon.

Another day of rest saw us visit the local Monastery - so called by the locals although its actually a convent, the "old part" is now open to the public and gives a glimpse of the life the nuns had back in the 1600´s - the second girl of every well-to-do family had to become a nun in those days !!! The eldest boy got the land/money and the second boy either had to join the military or become a priest !

Another uncomfortable overnight bus ride brought us to Nazca where we saw the famous lines, some of us from terra ferma and others from a tiny 4 seater (incl the pilot) plane. We travelled from Nazca to Ica (2hrs) in a big old american style car, emerald green and rusted brown. a true antique of americana, which fitted 6 of us in not including the driver (4 of us in the back and 2 in front with the driver), and all 6 backpacks fitted in his boot along side his sparewheel.

We can currently be found in Huacachina (4 hrs south of Lima), in a little oasis surrounded by huge sanddunes (great for sandboarding and driving sand buggies) ; Sancha was also found tutoring english to local secondary school girls for a day (nice school, had an outdoor pool, posh!); our really cheap hostel has a lovely back garden for sunning oneself and a pool to cool down when the afternoon sun gets a bit too hot for us !!

Peru - Machu Picchu

6.30 am - Dracula discovered at Machu Picchu ?





























After a 2 hr guided tour of MP in the mist and rain.... the mist starts to lift.














Michelle and Patrick admire the views














as does Sancha and Patrick......














the sun starts to come out about 9.30am...














the legendary Inca ruins affects people in different ways...

The local town/village nearest to Machu Picchu is called Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs) where all the shuttle buses to MP run from .... you cannot drive up there yourself. The little village is a hub of activity with plenty of tourists coming in by train or bus from Cuzco .....the train line that runs right through the main/only street in the village !

Running in Aguas Calientes....why ? ...why not !

Peru: Puno to Cuzco

Sancha enters Peru (with Pringles !)














Tuesday 17 Oct saw us make the move from Bolivia to Peru. We had heard a few stories about having hassles at the border, but in fact encountered none whatsoever. One of the most straightforward crossings ever!
Puno is a decent sized town located on the western shores of Lake Titicaca.

Coming from Bolivia into Peru was a bit of a shell shock, so many more people, bigger towns and loads more tourists! Though it does mean the chances of finding a proper coffee has increased tenfold! Puno´s notoriety comes from it´s proximity to the Floating Villages of Lake Titicaca, islands literally made of reeds by the Uros people - more on this fascinating part of the world anon!
(Michelle ponders on the Isla Taquile)















Michelle´s path blocked by local eager vendors















Sancha on Isla Taquile ....

(Sancha and Michelle on the Isla Taquile on Lake Titicaca)

From Puno, we travelled via tourist bus to Cuzco stopping at a number of interesting historical Inca sites along the way. Cuzco is Peru´s equivalent to Blarney, gringos and tourists everywhere! Currently, we are enjoying the warmer climes of Machu Picchu town (otherwise known as Aguas Calientes), awaiting our sunrise trip to the legendary ruins tomorrow.

Sancha in Cuzco

Michelle in Cuzco

Bolivia - Rurrenabaque

While Michelle ventured from La Paz to Lake Titicaca and the challenges of high altitude walking and climbing, Sancha headed Amazon basin direction and to the challenges of low altitude heat and humidity. Rurrenabaque is a small town which one can access via the death road and 16 hours bumpy road trip, or rocky 15-30 seater planes and 1 hour trip. No prizes for guessing what this flashpacker opted for! Indeed, TAM (military aircraft) there, Amazonas (15 seater heave stomach flight) back for about 70 USD... I travelled with Gareth and Vic (our two Kiwi partners in travel crime).

Our flight out of La Paz was delayed - no surprise as apparently the weather conditions over the Andes can play havoc with small planes´ plans! . By the time the planes managed to get going, they were seriously behind schedule. We landed on a grass airstrip (cool!) and were immediately vamoosed off the plane, and I mean "vamos, vamos, vamos!!" (go, go, go!!) by the crew and groundstaff. People heading back to La Paz were almost overlapping with us trying to get off!! But it was good to be back in a tropical kind of place - all the sounds of the pampas and the bush and the green lushness was good to see after 6 weeks of desert and brown. We had signed up for a three day Pampas tour and we knew we were going to see lots of wildlife. There was so much though it was almost like they were perfectly placed for our viewing!! Three hours of a boat trip and we had seen alligators, birds of paradise, monkeys, vultures, turtles, capabaris, pink dolphins, so many birds of all shapes and sizes, we lost count, we were in awe... (alligator across the river; capybara, the world´s largest rodent)
We swam in the river near the dolphins, knowing alligators were only a few metres away, but apparently in dolphin territory you are safe as the dolphins know the alligators´weak spot, so the allis stay away! Other highlights included getting up close with a wild cobra and searching forthe elusive anaconda (no joy for us! but our guide put in a great effort of looking for him!), fishing for piranhas and watching the losing gringos play the bolivians at the footie. Our chef Magali looked after us really well on the foodie front, so many fresh veggies and everything else, like fluffy pancakes!

So after 5 days of there and back, we made our way to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca (once we managed to get out of Rurre - flight delay...) to rejoin Michelle who acted as tourguide for us, so well did she know the streets and people of the town at that stage!!

Bolivia - Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is over 9000 sq kms and at an elevation of 3820m is the place where the sun was born (according to legend). I (Michelle) arrived here by local bus - great place to meet the most interesting local characters. My current location is Copacabana - a small town on the lake again at over 3800 mtrs. Its a cute little town with two main streets leading down to the lake. At the top of the town is a huge Moorish-style cathedral where I saw several weddings taking place everyday. The rules to get married in this cathedral are strict even by RC standards !



(nice weather for ducks!)
North of the town is a hill called Cerro Calvario (3966mtrs) where locals make pilgrimages doing the stations of the cross. Its a tough climb but the view is worth it at the top. There´s a local guy stationed there called Ernesto who for want of a better word is the local "holyman". For the price of 5 bolivianos I got a blessing from God, the Virgin Mary, Pachamama (mother earth) and the sacred lake itself. The ceremony itself is worth the money just to see him in action.



Isla del Sol is an island in Lake Titicaca (on the bolivian side) - a two hour boat trip from Copacabana where you can see many Inca ruins, the tables they used to sacrifice humans and animals and the Chincana complex where the sacred rock lies. There is a network of walking tracks around the island but the sun and altitude does make things difficult. We decided to walk the 8kms across the mountain ridge (from north to south) - it took the 3hrs (as per the guide) and we were absolutely shattered after it. We did get to walk down the Inca stairway - Escalera del Inca and we got the boat back from Fuente del Inca. That evening as a reward for our strenuous climb that day we had pancakes with melted chocolate, ice-cream and strawberries !

(views leaving Copacabana)