Well after a near 24hr flight from Santiago via Auckland and Sydney it was wonderful to be back in Melbourne. The flights in themselves weren’t too bad. The LAN flight from Santiago to Auckland didn’t have seat back in-flight entertainment as anticipated but that was OK, as there was plenty of leg room (hmm can’t remember the seat pitch being that big for any other airline I’ve flown) and I managed to get some zzzz’s. Plenty of coffee at Auckland International and on the trans Tasman flight with Qantas had me set for the day.

Melbourne greeted me with a nice haze from but it was nothing compared to Santiago. After some time for reflection it’s now back to real life, flat and job hunting. Both are pretty much sorted with a move to Melbourne in place. Spanish lessons/Salsa lessons here we come!

Getting back to South America, did it live up to my expectation’s. In a word YES. My highlights would have to include:

1. Patagonia (Argentina/Chile); in particular El Chalten, Fitzroy and Cerro Torre. Torres del Paine National Park was wonderful apart from the droves of tourists but that’s to be expected in the height of Summer!
2. Ice trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina); the only time where I’ve had whiskey where the ice is older than the whiskey itself!
3. Buenos Aires (Argentina); spectacular food, steak and ice cream
4. Iguazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil); one of the natural wonders of the world, it’s hard to describe in words but overwhelming might be one of them
5. Rio de Janiero (Brazil); Amazing city of contrasts, beautiful people, beaches and city. A definite one to return to
6. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Animals galore, both on land and below the sea. They are so oblivious to humans, it’s uncanny
7. Machu Picchu; Wow, stunning Inca Ruins worth the 45km trek or at least a bus ride from Aguas Caliente
8. Worlds most dangerous road (Bolivia); Great ride but very very cold at the start. Lucky we couldn’t see the drop over the side
9. Salar de Uyuni; Eerie scenery, a land of contrasts, salt flat, desert and volcanoes all in one 4WD trip. It was cold here too!
10. Easter Island; a land thousands of kilometres from civilisation where the Moai made their home. Neat.

Any low-lights you might ask. Probably only a couple. My locks getting stolen off my bag in the hostel in Rio and my camera getting wet (Also lost 2 hats, one alarm clock, another piece of clothing, an umbrella, and another lock!). They were nothing to sweat over, compared to some of the stories that you hear. My luggage all arrived in one piece on the 20 plus individual flights that I took, phew! The gear I sent home from Argentina all arrived.

Is there anything you really need in South America? In countries such as Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia you can’t do without: toilet paper! plus maybe some antiseptic hand cleanser. The old adage about taking less luggage and more money always rings true. I probably took more clothes than necessary, laundry is so cheap over there (it varied from $AUD3-16 to do a load), you just launder them weekly or fortnightly. It did pay to take my thermal underwear and at the end of the day my own sleeping bag as it was extremely cold at times (Salar de Uyuni). A fold up Kathmandu day pack and duffel bag proved really useful too.

Well back to reality now and planning for the next trip…..Perth in June!

The Sunday morning church service in Hanga Roa was very sweet with the service in both Spanish and the Rapa Nui language. Guitars and Ukuleles accompanying the hymns. Straight after church (and then breakfast), Gonzalo (the proprietor of Kona Tau) dropped me off at the airport for my flight to Santiago.

Santiago (Pop 6.293 million ) is situated near the foot of the Andes, not that you could see the Andes that clearly from any point of the city. It seems that the city is enveloped in a cloud of smog. The visibility at best is 10km on a clear sunny day. It’s the most polluted city in South America on a par with the likes of Beijing (Ok maybe that’s being a little bit harsh but you get the point).

Picked up from the Airport by my friend Maria-Paz, whom I met earlier in my trip on the island of Chiloe, we had a quick dinner at a mall in the suburb of Las Condes before being dropped off at the Bellavista Hostel in Bellavista, a bohemian neighbourhood close to the CBD.

The next morning Maria-Paz gave me a quick walking tour of the city stopping by the La Moneda (Government Palace) and Plaza de Armas with the Basilica De La Merced before winding our way through pedestrian malls. The malls are crowded with people, something you don’t see say in the Bourke St Mall in Melbourne on a weekday. A quick visit to Cerro Santa Lucia, a hill oddly situated next to the CBD with a lookout, gave me a limited view of the city. My tour concluded with a lunch back in Bellavista. Maria-Paz and I went our separate ways after lunch. I then made the climb up a nice ascending path to the Virgin Mary on top of San Cristobel for a more panoramic view of the city.

Bellavista is teaming with good eating places at very reasonable prices (compared to say Easter Island) so is an excellent area to base yourself in when visiting Santiago. Just down the street on the corner from the hostel was a nice pasta place with fresh pasta and fresh sauce. Dinner was bellisimo!

My last day in South America will be spent at lunch with Maria-Paz and her parents before my long (read 24hrs) flight back to Melbourne in the evening, something to look forward to…..

April 15-19

Well leaving La Paz was a breeze, 50 Boliviano’s to the airport. Flying over Chile into Iquique you could see snow capped volcanoes out of the window, the Salar de Uyuni off the left wing into the distance and the Atacama desert down below. Iquique, my stop for the next 8 or so hours before arriving into Santiago is situated right by the sea. Large sand duns/escarpments overlook the city. The airport is located some 40km south. Venturing into the city, the Mall las America’s I took in a movie to kill some time. Finishing the movie I walked into town via the ocean front. Near the waterfront of the CBD are situated old Victorian era buildings with a wooden boardwalk and old tramline. The city sort of reminds me of Las Vegas in a way with the desert setting, it only has one casino in this case! A quick dinner then winding my way back to the mall I was whisked back to the airport by shuttle bus. All in all a flying visit.

Eventually arriving into Santiago Airport around 12.30am, I spent the next few hours resting among other travellers in the metal backed airport chairs catching one or two hours of shut eye. Checking into my Easter Island flight around 5am I spent the next few hours wandering the confines of the airport. Bound for Easter Island (or Isla de Pascua) at 8.10am, the 5hr flight was very good, a change from American Airlines. We flew a 767-300, each seat equipped with AVOD (Audio Visual on Demand), the film “Kite Runner” was the order of the day, an excellent film with a happyish ending (don’t want to give too much away) to those who may want to see it.

Easter Island, appeared as a speck in the middle of the ocean (it is 3700km west of Santiago, and 2000km from the nearest inhabited island of Pitcairn) growing ever larger as we set down on the runway located adjacent to the main population centre of Hanga Roa.

Greeted by the proprietor of the hostel Kona Tau, with lei’s I joined Mahema, Kati and Andrew for a brief tour of the town, the 1.5km long main street dotted with tourist operators, rental car agencies and supermarkets of varying sizes. Dropping our gear off we made it into town, a short walk from our accommodation’s for a lovely empanada lunch. One thing I can say for Easter Island is that if it is not one of the most expensive places to stay and eat in in South America, then it is certainly up there. OK it’s probably priced about the same as Australia! An empanada will set you back around $AUD 5, a can of coke $2.50. You compare this to Bolivia, where I had a 4 course lunch (small salad, soup, main of pork chop and rice, small ice cream) for $AUD 1.25.

We explored the township, down to the wharf and back around to the main street before heading back to rest. That evening we all had dinner at Aloha Bar, an exquisite cerviche for $20. Tired from the previous days journey I was in bed by 10.30pm whilst the others continued on.

Easter Island is laid back, people meandering around. Scooters and small 4WDs predominate the main street. You have the occasional horse or two being ridden down the street. The Island is reliant on tourism and the 4 or so flights to the island by LAN either from Papeete or Santiago. Most of Rapa Nui is National Park, with an entrance fee of $US10, not too steep by South American standards. This gives you multiday entry.

It was late in the afternoon of my second day on the island before I garnered the energy to make the trek up the ceremonial village of Orongo, atop a hill South of Hanga Roa. The road winds it´s way past the end of the airport runway before slowly making it´s way towards the crater of Rano Kau. A dirt track veers off the road at the CONAF (Chilean National Park Service) Office and slowly makes it way up initially through Eucalypts (Yes, they are one of the predominant trees in South America, bought to the continent by the Spanish. It´s a little bit of home away from home) and then through ankle/knee high grass before emerging on the edge of the Rano Kau Crater. Inside the crater is located a marshland with a variety of plant life. It´s not unlike the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania albeit on a much smaller scale. The Orongo ceremonial village is only a shadow of itself, a few buildings having being restored . The most spectacular aspects are the rock petroglyphs (pictures) carved into the rocks facing out into the Pacific. Spending time around sunset makes for wonderful viewing before winding my way back down to Hanga Roa via Ana Kai Tangata (for some more petroglyphs, this time carved into a cliff facing the ocean!!). All in all a perfect day with the sun setting through cloud over the horizon.

One of the best ways to see the Island, as it is relatively small at (164 Square kilometres) is to rent a 4WD or scooter. So it was that I rented a scooter for a self guided tour of the Island. It´s low season at the moment, but renting a 4WD (Suzuki Vitara/Daihatsu Terios) is about 30,000 pesos for the day, while a scooter will set you back about 20,000 (450 peso=$1US)

Riding around the Island is fairly easy with limited traffic but some of the roads are gravel and need some time to negotiate. Riding around I made my way to Vinapu, where there are fallen Moai (at one end of the Airport runway) then around the coast to Hanga Havave before heading back inland to Puna Pau. This is a volcanic crater where most of the red scoria top knots (placed on top of the Moai heads) were carved. It was then a bumpy ride through wet puddles to Ahu Akivi, where some 7 Moai are situated in a line. My tour concluded back in town at Tahai, again with a number of Moai (which invariably almost all face inland, towards a village). The Museum was the last stop, informative and to the point. It should be the first stop on any visit to the island.

The next day began with returning the scooter. It should be remembered that Easter Island has limited banking facilities but they do have an ATM, however it only accepts Mastercard, Maestro or Cirrus Cards. It´s bad luck if you have Visa or Plus cards. So bring enough money to the Island if you can. US dollars are widely accepted too, with change given in Pesos. After returning the scooter I joined a tour with Kiakoe Tours. A full day around the remainder of the Island I had not yet visited. All in all we were a group of 10 with Guy from Kona Tau joining me and we met a German girl, Simone. The weather was showery, with the first stops at Vaihu and Ahu Aka Hanga damp. These consisted of fallen Moai. The highlights were just around the corner at Rano Raraku Volcano, where most of the Moai were carved. Some near 400 are still in the quarry, one near 21m in height and weighing more than 160 tons. A picnic lunch was had here before progressing to the impressive site of Ahu Tongariki. This is where 15 Moai are sited in a line, restored in the early 90´s after a Tsuanami in 1960. They vary in height from 5-9m or so from the ground. Amazing. Each one has a different face, no two are alike.

Moving to the Northern side of the Island the penultimate stop was at Ahu Te Pito Kura, each of us touching the magical magnetic rock. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my head! Finally we ended at Anakena Beach (one of only two beaches) and Ahu Nau Nau (where 5 Moai have been restored) along with a lone one raised by Thor Heyerdahl. The heavens opened up on us once more before we headed back to Hanga Roa, at 4.30pm. A wonderful tour (only $US60 including lunch).

Just one more thing to see before I leave and that´s the Church service in the Rapa Nui language on Sunday morning, something to look forward to before the flight to Santiago and the end of my journey to South America. It´s been a truly amazing experience, so many wonderful people and places…..

The bus trip from Puno in Peru to La Paz, Bolivia was not without it´s inconveniences. We had to change buses at the border and after formalities (at least we didn´t end up having to pay the $US100 Visa fee that Eric and Rhonda had to) boarded a local bus (who could have thought you could fit 16 people plus luggage into a minivan) to Copacobana (yes set on a beach but not located in Rio). An hour or so for lunch and then it was another bus, smaller in size to the one we caught with Tour Peru to the border. A 3hr ride and one ferry journey later we entered La Paz, seemingly set on a flat with snow capped mountains rising behind until you gently descend into a valley (very much like Quito in Ecuador). It’s still sited at around 4050m in altitude.

Since we had only one full day in La Paz before heading to Uyuni and the salt flats I decided to join Pete and mountain bike “The World’s Most Dangerous Road” from La Paz to Choroico, with Gravity Bolivia. Not too bad at $US75 including all your gear, Kona mountain bikes with full suspension, wet weather gear, snacks and a pasta lunch at the end, plus the hot showers.

We started at 7.45am and didn’t arrive back at the Hotel Rosario until 8.30pm. A full day’s adventure with the accompanying four seasons in one day. Driving up to 4700m in sleet/snow, we dropped 3000m in altitude over 62km of sealed and gravel road, rain greeted us further down followed by sunshine. At times, the group of 12 led by Damon (a New Zealander) and Javier (a Bolivian) were completely drenched (from the rain).  The gravel section is no more than 3m wide in parts sometimes blocked by rock slides and covered by splendid waterfalls.  On one edge is a sheer drop of up to 600m. It’s chilling to note that people have been killed on this road riding it. That made it even more hairy. The guides were however excellent making the experience fun yet safe.  Highly recommended.

The very next day we made our way to Uyuni via local bus (3hrs) then train (a further 7 hrs), arriving near 11pm, exhausted.

After a hearty breakfast at the Tonito Hotel, boy the Minuteman Restaurant is a credit to the owner, Chris, an American. They certainly do a mean breakfast, even if it doesn´t include bacon plus the pizza is to die for (as we would find out after our trip, only 35-65 Bolivianos for either a 25cm or 40cm dia pizza))

The sun in the Altiplano is striking in it´s brilliance with clear blue skies. Our 4WDs duly arrived at 11am in convoy, 3 Toyota Landcruisersof early 90´s vintage, each capable of seating 7 passengers plus driver but gladly for us there would only be 5 passengers. Sited on the top of each vehicle was a roof rack for our luggage and supplies, fuel (petrol), propane gas for cooking and food.  Comfortably tucked inside our 4WD with Philippe, a 60yr old odd Bolovian gentleman at the helm, Pete, Emma, Tone, Heydi and I  made our way through the dusty streets of Uyuni, first stop Cochani, a small village making it´s living off the salt production of the Salar (plus the usual small tourist gift shops) complete with a spitting Vichuna (a Llama like creature).  A brief stop and then off to the Salt Hotel for Lunch. In the middle of the Salar, it´s completely made of salt and use to be tourist accommodations but due to the poor hygiene it´s now a tourist attraction only, price of admission, a piece of chocolate, 5-12 Bolivianos.

Wilma (our cook for the trip) whipped us up a great lunch of pasta and then we sped of across the  Salt Lake to Isla Inchahausi, an island of rock in the middle of this great lake. As we drive along , the reflection of the sun from the salt acts like one giant mirage, as to entice us with a never approaching lake of water. Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are mandatory in this environment, if one is not to experience salt blindness (did I make this up) or a very bad case of sunburn (as Pete had done on one or more occasion). The air is thin and the sun is strong. It wasn´t too many times that I wore short sleeves on this adventure.

The Isla, volcanic in appearance is dotted with cacti plus low growing bushes of varying descriptions.  Spending a casual hour  on the Isla and then it´s just over an hours drive to Bella Vista  where we lodge for the night. It´s an old mining settlement. The lodge has fairly basic accommodation with 4 rooms off a large atrium. The beds are crammed into the room with 9 singles in ours each with 2 blankets and a pillow and sheets of questionable cleanliness. At least there´s a bathroom off the room with warm/hot water.

Dinner is a vegetable soup followed by meat balls and rice. We have the aid of a generator for lighting  for a couple of hours. Hugo (our tour leader the this leg of our trip, Lulu left us in La Paz) springs a surprise for us after dinner in the clear crisp (read freezing) air of the Salar with a firework (singular) show on the basketball court. It´s brilliance lights the night´s sky as does the thousands of stars visible to us. I´m in bed by 10pm , the others not much later.

The very next morning after a breakfast of eggs and bread we set off early at 7.30am, destination the desert part of our trip. Passing through the town of San Juan we pick up a few supplies, treats really. Where can you buy a 750ml bottle of Lemon Bicardi Rum for the equivalent of $AUD5! It´s here that I meet a couple of Australian girls who were on the bus from Puno to La Paz with us. They have a horrible story to tell of their trip from Ururo to Uyuni by bus (we took the train by the way). Their bus crashed onto the side of the road in the middle of the night and they miraculously escaped fairly unblemished to catch a ride with another bus. We´d actually heard of another bus crash also from Cusco to Puno the same day we travelled that route. It was a local bus but 23 people were killed.  The girls also had trouble with their 4WD expedition the previous day. They´d set off and their 4WD broke down 5 times, returning for another 4WD, that also broke down 3 times! Finally they had one that worked!!

From San Juan we travel along dusty stony roads (the 4WD´s rubber seals have seen better days with dust pouring in through the back where I´m sitting inundating the other occupants, it´s lucky I´m not an asthmatic!) to the military checkpoint at Chiguana where soldiers are housed in mushroom shaped accommodations. Stopping not ten minutes along upon entering the Desert of Siloli we view the Volcano Ollagtres, railway tracks passing into the distance of the horizon, the border between Bolivia and Chile.

As we progress we pass by many small lakes of various colours, volcanoes in the background. It´s very much like the central North Island of New Zealand, Rusty iron colours top the cones with various shades of grey/brown progressing downwards. Occasional snow caps are seen indicating the altitude that we are at. The lakes are turquoise green or pinky reds often inhabited by flamingoes and other species of small bird.  A brief stop for then we hit the Arbol de Peidra (Rock tree formation) It´s a brief stop as by now many of us are tired from the bumpy, warm and dusty journey. It´s deceptive being inside the vehicle as when we disembark at our photo opportunities we’re often blown about by cool winds.

By around 4pm we reach our final destination for the day, Laguna Colorada, a large red lake, again with Flamingos (James Andean and Chilean species), flanked on all sides by mountains of various heights. The lodgings for the night are more basic with no showers and no running water but dinner is a welcome treat, Fried chicken and chips with salad, a credit to Wilma. It´s supposed to be the coldest night here as we´re now at 4200m, but it doesn´t feel that cool.

It´s 5am when I slowly awake. Today is a really early start for our view of the geysers in the early dawn when they´re at their most majestic. At least the geyser´s are themselves warm! I´m dressed with 4 layers on top, 2 layers down below plus hat, gloves and scarf but it´s ruddy freezing outside. It´s gotta be some degrees below zero with windshields frozen. Definitely feels as cool as Kilimanjaro, and that´s without any windchill too! An hour and a halves drive in the frigid conditions and we reach the Sol de Manana, the Geysers are at full steam as it were, the first one blowing directly into the air, an excellent picture opportunity. As the sun rises to produce an azure sky we make our way around bubbling mud pools and more geysers before driving to Laguna Chillvari and the hot springs. Beside the lodge are parked about a dozen 4WDs their occupants basking in the hot pools. The weather is still cool although the sun is out, my toes are slowly coming back to life! Breakfast then another hours drive to Laguna Verde  (The Green Lake). Passing along some of the rocks made famous by Salvidor Dali. Beyond the Laguna Verde is Chile and San Pedro de Atacama, 5hrs drive away.

We drive back to the hot springs for lunch and for those brave or energetic enough a soak in the springs. Only Pete and Emma are game (little do they know that the sun´s stength at this altitude is enough to burn with sunscreen, even for but a half an hour)

Lunch is had in the comfort of shelter before an extended drive to our final night´s accomodation at Villa Mar, a small village of 500 odd people 2hrs north of our current location. Again we pass by snow capped peaks topping 5000m along dusty tracks sometimes going off road. Phillipe knows his stuff and we´re glad to have him as our driver.

Basic lodgings are again the theme for the day at Villa Mar but we do have hot showers if anybody wishes to avail themselves to them. Most of us decline. That evening we´re treated to a musical performance by a group of 5 music students from the local school and their teacher. A fitting end to our desert adventure.

Next morning a short drive to some rock formations outside town for some ad hoc rock climbing plus photo taking before driving to San Christobel, a town moved 5yrs ago to accommodate a silver mine! A brief stop then more driving before lunch, it´s then a short 1hr journey to Uyuni and the makings of civilisation, the road becomes better formed although still gravel, as high tension power lines guide the way adjacent to the now apparent salt flat of the Salar de Uyuni. 

Just outside of Uyuni we have time to stop at the train cemetery, a collection of old rusting steam locomotives of the Bolovian Railway long since cannibalised for parts. They now lie rusting in the dry desert air.

At last we finish our journey into the Bolivian wilderness, thanking our drivers and cook, Wilma, we have but two hours to prepare for our departure for the next leg of our trip. Hot showers, Hot pizzas and cold beers are the order of the day as we depart at 5pm on board our private bus for the 8hr drive to Potosi (it´s only 215km!), gravel all the way. More adventure in the making…..

Finally I had started my tour with G.A.P. in Lima. Our group consisted of a number of nationalities; The Norwegians, Heydi, Tone (pronounced Tuna), Hans and Melanie; The lone Brit, Peter; The Americans, Eric and Rhonda (later to be joined by their 2 sons, Lars and Brent) and last but not least the New Zealanders; myself, Emma, Don, Fay and Susan. We varied in ages from early 20´s through to mid 50´s.  Our leader was Lula, a 30yr old lady from Peru.

Winding our way down coastal Peru (It´s like one giant beach full of sand stretching for literally hundreds of kilometres) through Pisco (flattened by an earthquake last August, I was surprised that the hotel we stayed in was still standing!) then Nasca (Famous for the lines in the sand of various animals) we eventually arrived in Cusco, the base for some of us for the better part of a week. From here we ventured to the Sacred Valley and Ollambotaymbo.

Our Inca Trial trek started on Easter Sunday (There is definitely less of a commercial significance and more of a spiritual/religious celebration then there is say in Australia i.e. Not a lot of chocolate Easter eggs being sold!)

From Ollambotaymbo we were dropped off at Kilometre 82 (82km by rail from Cusco). There 10 of us doing the trail, myself, Pete, Emma, Eric, Lars, Brent, Heydi, Tone, Hans and Melanie. Our guide was Humberto assisted by Illiana. Also helping us in our quest and doing a fine job were some 14 porters and 2 cooks.

Each person was allowed a maximum of 6kg in personal gear including sleeping bags. The rest we would have to carry ourselves in our day pack. It was no big deal as each of the porters were carrying between 25-30kg each, including their own personal gear plus what we´d require, food, tents etc….

The 45 odd km Machu Picchutrek usually takes 4 days, with arrival at Machu Picchu on the morning of the 4th day. Our aim was to arrive at Machu Picchuon the afternoon of the 3rd day giving us the opportunity to visit on both the afternoon and morning. It is the rainy season and there is a good likely-hood of rain on any of the days that we would be walking.

The trail starts just after crossing the railway line at km 82 where there is a checkpoint to ensure that all the trekking permits are in order (Only 200 trekker and 300 Guides/porters are allowed on the track per day). The porters gear is also weighed at this point to ensure they don´t carry too much (I´m sure that in the past scrupulous operators have over burdened them). From here you cross a suspension bridge spanning the Rio Urabamba. The track slowly climbs along, giving well graded and easy walking. Passing by some Inca ruins at Salapunku we make our way to Llactapata for lunch, a 1.5-2hr walk. The porters as they would do through our trek would run on ahead to set up the dining and cooking tents to have our lunch ready for us when we arrive. Lunch consisted of two courses (soup and a main) , while dinner would be a 3 course affair. The cooks were fabulous, we even had pancakes for breakfast!

Following lunch we climbed slowly to the small village of Wayllabamba (Altitude 3000m). Another control point. At this stage permission had to be garnered from the track officials before we could proceed onto our intended campsite at Yunkachimpa. Permission granted we slowly climbed the 400m in altitude to the campsite, porters racing on ahead. By 4pm most of us had arrived with wonderful views of CasamientuyocMountain where we were sited. We were provided with excellent Doite 2 man tents. After a hearty dinner we all quickly dozed off, tired from an exciting and long day. The weather had been picture perfect, not a drop of rain in sight.

We awoke the next morning with a knock on our tent at 6am, porters serving a choice of beverage as a morning wake up call! Breakfast at 6.30am and just a touch after 7am we were on our way up towards Dead Woman´s Pass (4200m), about a 800m climb over the space of about 6km by my estimate. It was tough going but the weather provided a welcome respite, overcast and cool with low cloud rolling in.

With the other side of the pass came a 400m descent, hard on the knees, as the walking was on a stone path, down to Paqaymayofor lunch. The first of us arrived at 11am withthe rest of the group strung out over the course of an hour. Lunch bought with it fairly heavy rain which had subsided by the time we left at 2pm. Another steady climb after lunch and another pass, from 3600m to 4000m. From Runkuraqay High Pass another steady 400m descent past Sayacmarca Inca ruins before making our campsite at Chakiqocha. Down from the pass came a distinct change of scenery from alpine to rain forest, resplendent with an array of miniature orchids and lush plant life poking through the mist.

The toilet facilities at all the campsites are very good, with concrete amenities blocks and flush toilets. It definitely makes camping a lot easier, although they are squat toilets and not sit down. I suppose some compromises have to be made!

The next morning would be our final push to Machu Picchu. Another early start ensued. The weather again was overcast but progressively became worse as we entered the “cloud forest” Drizzle slowly became rain as we climbed from the campsite then made our way down to Winay Wayna (Often referred to as Little Machu Picchu) a steady 900m drop over some 2000 steps, hard going for some of us in the wet conditions but the porters were literally running down the stairs passing us on narrow staircase, hurtling at breakneck speed.

Finally arriving at the restaurant near to Winay Wayna (Forever Young), most of us were drenched from the rain. Some of the conditions walking down those steps were trecherous. Lunch, a final farewell to the porters, some which were to leave us and head home (as we’d effectively finished a half day early), then a 5 min walk to Winay Wayna, only discovered in the past 60yrs. A brief wander then it was off to our main objective, Machu Picchu, an hours walk again along a forested track found us at the Sun Gate or Inchi Picchu.

The weather by now had cleared up. This afforded us an exquisite overview of one of the natural wonders of the world. In front of a backdrop of surrrounding mountains with Waynu Picchu off to the right. We spent a while immersed in the view before a 1km walk down to the ruins itself. By now it was approaching 3pm. From the upper parts of the ruins we were slowly guided down to the lower parts by Humberto. Words cannot describe them and pictures hardly do them justice. Machu Picchu is one of the largest Inca ruins discovered. It is swarming with tourists, although the site is large enought that you can find a spot just to yourself. During the tour our group were spotted by one of the plain clothes guards at the site and eventually ordered out (This was because we didn´t have tickets for entry for that day, Tues).

Disappointed the group made their way down to Aguas Caliente (the town where all trips to Machu Picchu are based from), about a 25min ride down a switchback road (400m drop to the Rio Urabamba down below). Because we´d finished early we´d be staying Aguas Caliente the night. Humberto organised a cheap hotel for 15 sols each, a little over $US5, not the best of accommodations but satisfactory nonetheless, a clean bed and warm shower for some at least (Please beware of the electric showers in some developing countries which must be turned on, it´s eye opening to see electrical wires going into a shower head. I was always taught that electricity and water don´t mix!). A surprise dinner at a pizza restaurant but we had our chef from the trek cooking for us, essentially the same meals as we´d had on the trek.

An early night for me and Hans, next day bringing with it an early start. 5.30am breakfast and by 6.30am we were up at Machu Picchu again. The train had been booked for 10.45am, so we had precious time left to explore the remainder of Machu Picchu. My aim was to reach the top of Wayna Picchu for a majestic overview of the complex. There were only 400 allowed up per day. Peter, Hans and Melanie also made the effort to go up, the 360m climb a taxing effort, up dome fairly precarious slopes, guided by wire ropes. The view from the top was utterly breathtaking, only a few clouds in the sky over the surrounding mountains. I stayed up there nearly contemplating what was Machu Picchu below.

Hurrying down to explore the remainder of the complex as best I could before joining the rest of the group down in Aguas Caliente to catch our train then bus back to Cusco for further adventures…..

The flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Quito, Ecuador had been horrendous. No in actuality it was the flight from Miami down to Quito via Lima that was bad. The American Airlines plane up from to Miami from Sao Paulo was a fairly new Boeing 777-200, near empty flying during the day. Flying down to Lima I was stuck in an aging (must have been 20yrs old) Airbus A300-600 that was choka block, leaving at 12.00am local time arriving into Lima at 5.30am then connecting with a LAN flight for Quito at 12.40pm. American Airlines really must update their aircraft (Plus they charge $US 5 for alcoholic drinks on international flights)! They have pretty much lived down to my expectations. I´d left Sao Paulo some 24hrs previously so the Hotel Rio Amazonas inj Mariscal Sucre (A 4 star establishment) was a sight for sore eyes.

Quito sits in a valley some 2800m in Altitude so it is in a literal sense breath taking. Rain greeted us upon arrival. Meeting my fellow tour mates in the Hotel I weas joined by John, Lucy, Annie, Nikki, Laura Tony and Claire. They were all Brits varying in ages from early 20´s to early 30´s.

It would be an early start the next morning for the flight to Baltra in the Galapagos. Leaving on AeroGal to Baltra via Guayquil was a pleasant surprise. Even though it was only a 30min flight to Guayquil )the largest city in Ecuador a muffin and liquid refreshments were served. This continued with a lunch service from Gualquil to Baltra.

In entering the Galapagos we were required to pay a $US100 park entry fee on top of our tour costs. Yes, it is expensive to visit the Galapagos when you take account of tour costs and flights but I think that it is worth it (What else would I say after coughing up all the dough!)

One hour, two bus rides and two boat rides later our group was safely on-board the Pelicano (or Gap Adventurer I) anchored in Puerto Aroya Harbour on the Island of Santa Cruz. Onboard our group met the remainder of the passengers )The tours were structured in such a way that an 8 day tour on the boat consisted of two 4 day tours combined stopping off on Santa Cruz-Baltra mid way though) Tom, Mona, Renee, Gwenda and Lee and finally a man who would make or break our trip, Maurisimo, Grade III guide with 25yrs experience (He was excellent, very enthusiastic and gave wonder briefings of our landings including hand drawn maps of the islands on a whiteboard)

The meals on board the Pelicano would follow a similar routine every day. Breakfast of fresh fruit, watermelon, rockmelon, bread with jam, cereals with milk and yogurt then maybe scrambled eggs. The lunches and dinners were a 3 course affair. Soup to start, a main of meat and veges (Often fish but also beef, chicken) then desert, jelly, fruit, creme caramel, yum. Chico our chef was a star, dishing up those meals for 14 plus crew in cramped conditions.

Our first excursion was to be up to the highlands. No guarantee of seeing the Giant tortoise as they were migrating to the lowlands to lay their egg but better than seeing them at the Charles Darwin Institute caged up.

Situated at an altitude the highlands on Santa Cruz are lush and green with native flora in contrast with some of the other islands. Volcanic in origin each island has a unique ecological niche for flora and fauna alike. Journeying by bus we entered one of the many private farms located within the national park. Walking along the trail we spotted a small giant tortoise from behind, it quickly retracted it´s head into it´s shell sensing the strangers from behind. As Maurise would tell us, approach slowly from the side and so it was further along the trail more and more giant tortoise were spotted. Their shells were their rib cages, who knew how old some of them were.

So it was then that the afternoon bought with it rain, a theme to be repeated over the next few days. At the moment in the Galapagos it is the rainy season but the seas are warm. Later the weather is fine but the seas are cooler. This is probably the best time to visit the Galapagos then if you are into swimming and snorkeling plus maybe diving.

Later in the evening we navigated to our second Island, Floreana, just over 40km. By early morning we were at anchor just off Point Cormarant. Our first wet landing beckoned after breakfast, jumping off our rubber dinghies into the sea then onto the green tinged olivine beach, walking the trails we viewed Pink Flamingos, cousins to those in Africa but not so abundant then progressing to Flour Beach, an important nesting site for sea turtles. Many were spotted in the sea just off the beach with a few of them actually mating! Heads bobbing in the water they made for difficult photographic subjects.

Towards late morning the Pelicano motored towards a rocky island just off Point Cormorant for our first snorkeling experience. It must be said that water is not my best friend but as Maurisimo said if you do not snorkel then you have only seen half the wildlife in the Galapagos, He was definitely right. A truly amazing experience, although the water clarity may not be as good as say Sharm el Sheik or the Maldives, it is just a thrill to swim amongst and play with the sea lions. One that has to be experienced. A highlight of my trip and given the opportunity to snorkel I would take up the challenge every time that it was given to me. Nothing ventured northing gained as they say.

The afternoon saw another landing to Post Office Bay, post cards are dropped in a barrel to be picked up and hand delivered by other tourist heading to the adressees destination (I hope that Post card finds you Harriet!) Don´t expect them to be delivered to too far flung a destination though!

Exploring a Lava tube we then found ourselves snorkeling off the beach, however this time sea turtles were spotted. If you have any intention of travelling to the Galapagos and diving or even snorkeling then a waterproof camera or one with a waterproof housing would be highly advantageous for taking photos of the wildlife that abounds. I´d picked up a cheapy Kodak waterproof disposable, so we´ll see how those shots turn out, if at all.

An overnight navigation to Punta Suarez on Espanola (Hood) Island. The morning landing gave us a walk along a spectacular cliff top spotting Masked boobies and Blue footed boobies (they are birds). Marine iguanas diving into the sea and surrounding pools to feed (they´re vegetarian by the way). In the afternoon we sailed to Garner Bay where the crew of the Pelicano played football against other crews. This also gave us another opportunity to snorkel off the beach spotting a more sea turtles and numerous sea lions out to play.

Given the opportunity we elected to leave Espanola and sail to Santa Fe Island, only mean´t to be some 4-5 hours sailing away, alas we must have got lost as we only made to there in choppy, wet conditions 3hrs behind schedule! Tyhe following morning some of the group were shall we saw a little green around the gills. The landing on Santa Fe was wet due to the rain with the track a quagmire in places, hard going but we were able to spot some land iguans not too distant from the track. Landing finished we had one last snorkel before sailing off to North Seymour with Frigate Birds in tow above the boat as we cruised along

At anchor at North Seymour we said goodbye to the crew with cocktails and later a dance or two to some salsa beats.

Rising to watch the early morning sunrise, the dinghies dropped us ashore for an early landing. Greeted again by sea lions for our dry landing we proceeded to walk along the shore of the island. As the sun rose and the air started to warm, Land Iguanas were making their way across our path towards the sea to bask in the morning light. In amongst the bushes were dotted Male Frigate birds with their red gullets puffed up in their mating ritual.

From the end of our walk we quickly returned to the Pelicano as we made our way to Baltra from North Seymour for our impending departure. A quick breakfast then we were quickly whisked to the airport, albeit a couple of hours early. By noon we had our last glimpse of the Galapagos, sighs of disappointment (that we couldn´t stay longer) could be heard as the aircraft rose from the runway…..

If there is a city that I have felt unsafe in so far during my trip through South America then that city must be Sao Paulo (Pop 11,000,000). I don’t know if it was the stories that were told to me by Paulistano´s (residents of Sao Paulo) whom I´d met in Buenos Aires or what I’d read.  The taxi that I took from Terminal Tiete north of the city drove through near empty streets and red lights sometimes with some fairly dodgy characters hanging around. Arriving at my hostel in the CBD, Sao Paulo Hostel at 10.30pm the taxi was greeted by a security guard at the door. There were shutters on the windows of the hostel along with most of the other shops in the CBD (This is common though through virtually all of South America!). Warnings not to walk around outside the hostel by myself at night on the warning sheet given by the hostel  plus a few other tips for keeping safe like keeping your valuables in their complimentary personal safe deposit box sort of gave it away that Sao Paulo (CBD at least) was not the safest place to venture around (by yourself).

The number of homeless people that were around, they were much more apparent than anywhere else. It was the weekend and the CBD was completely devoid of many people (so this did provide more of a contrast). 

Strolling out on the Sundaymorning many shops were closed.  Deciding to err on the side of caution I only ended up taking the cash I was going to use for the day, no wallet, passport nor moneybelt although I did carry my camera with me (In hindsight later that day it was a little overcautious not carrying my wallet with me). Walking to Praca da Republica a few blocks away from the hostel  a Sunday market was on, with many stalls selling precious gems, various stones and the like.  Along the South-eastern edge the plaza was dotted with many homeless people. Further South by Metro the Japanese Market at Praca de Liberdale was abuzz with both tourists and locals sampling soba noodles (Fried with Chicken/Beef or both), tempura seafood, and fresh juices.  All the while they were picking out those bargains you like to find at Markets, bonsai trees included.

Away from Praca da Liberdade towards Praca da Se you felt a little less safe as the streets were again barren. Straying towards another bus terminal (often located in the poorer parts of town) I quickly made my way back the way I´d come to Praca da Se and it´s Cathederal. Just around the corner is Pateo de Collegio, the birthplace of Sao Paulo (founded on January 25, 1554). A nice museum it gives a rundown on the general history of Sao Paulo and surrounding environs. Towards the city centre is Edificio Banespa, akin to The Empire State Building (although not as tall!).  It was early afternoon by now and I happened to run into Marian (a guy) and Dante who were my room mates. Winding our way back towards the hostel we happened upon a small shopping mall, which I would say was dedicated to fans of heavy metal. Many fans going to the Iron Maiden concert (later that night) were camped there. Of note were the numerous tattoo parlours, some with windows displaying their artist´s skills.  Walking along a tatoo artist no older than 15yrs of age was placing a flower on a girls leg!

As happens from time to time I felt rather run down from my travels. Having caught a cold the previous week from the frigid air conditioning in my room at Hostel Bambu it was time to return to the hostel to rest up. Sao Paulo has a lot to offer in a cultural sense. It doesn´t have the beaches or beauty of Rio but it is a place that I´d like to return to explore further, given the limited time I spent there (nearly one full day)

Next morning it was a quick ride on the airport bus (not the cheapest but certainly one of the most convenient ways) to Guarulhos International Airport (30km east of the CBD). So began my long (yes long!) journey to Quito….. 

It was exciting to finally be arriving into Rio de Janiero, a city that I´d heard so much about. So many expectations, some good, some bad. We landed at  Galeao airport, North of the city centre in the late afternoon. The airport reminded me somewhat of Nairobi´s in that it was something out of the 70´s i.e. requires updating!

The Real airport bus is the cheapest option of getting to Ipenema, which is situated in the South zone (richer part) of the city. It was inexpensive (8 reals I think) but it took an inordinate amount of time due to congestion near the city centre, nearly 2.5hrs all in all to my accomodation at the Mango Tree Hostel. 30min was spent navigating a 200m stretch of road outside the domestic airport 1km from the CBD.

Mango Tree Hostel sited on a main street of Ipenema just down from Garota de Ipanema Restaurant (famous for the Girl from Ipenema song) was secure with a 2m plus high wall. Secure from outside intruders at least, or so I thought! A quick check in at this clean well run hostel and I walked (alone) a few blocks to a plaza where  another excellent meal was had at Carretao. At least 10 different kinds of beef served off swords, just like Carnivore in Nairobi but with buffet salad bar (12+ kinds of salad plus condiments), sushi, sushimi. They also served side dishes of rice, fries, fried banana, and fried onion rings or was it squid? (didn´t have room to try it!), Also entrees of bread, olives, dips! All for 35 reals (Just over $AUD 20)

Unfortunately it was after dinner when I returned to my room in the hostel that I noticed that somebody had stolen two combination locks off my pack! Accidentally leaving one unlocked in my haste to get to dinner they took that one and undid another on my pack. Luckily these were the only things taken. It made me more aware of the security of my belongings as I had been fairly trusting up to that point! Beware thieves travel too, would be a good motto for the remainder of my trip!

The next morning at breakfast, which included fresh juice and fruit,  I met Francesca, an Italian girl (she looked very South American though due to her tan) who reccommended a tour of Rio with Brazil Expedition, their Carioca (an expression for the residents of Rio) Expedition. Because of her glowing reccomendation a tour was booked for later that morning.  Wilson picked Sarah (who I also met at breakfast), and I up mid morning to bring the total to 9 for the tour.

The first stop was a 30min drive south to Tijuca National Park. Hiking through lush rain forest to the top of Pedra Bonita (696m high) afforded us spectacular views of Ipanema, Leblon and down to Barra Tijuca further south. Across the mountain we could see hanggliders and paragliders elegantly making their way in the thermals of the late morning sun to Sao Conrado Beach below.  Interspersed between the rich suburbs  were the Favela’s or slums, a stark contrast to some of the wealth. You literally had a golf course for the rich next to a slum for the poor.

An hour or so later after our hike we drove to  what is definitely one of the icons of Rio, Christ the Redeemer. Sitting upon a 710m high mountain, it can be seen by most of the cariocas and is symbolic of the City. It too gave us terrific views over the city.

By now it was early afternoon. We wound our way down to Santa Teresa, an older suburb of Rio full of cobbled streets and aging mansions. Wilson stopped mid way down as we approached the tram which ran through the suburb. This gave us the opportunity to ride part way down to our lunch stop.  Dating back to the early 1900′s the tram  was  canary yellow.  60 cents gave you a ride, open air style, either hanging our the sides swinging your body in to avoid oncoming traffic or sitting on the wooden benches inside, exhilirating!

Most of us decided to take the option after lunch of being dropped off at Pao de Acucar or Sugarloaf. This is another symbol of Rio. Standing at 396m high, it is reached by 2 cable cars or you do have the option of climbing up Sugar Loaf itself (Climbers could be seen ascending the near shear face as we made our way up). Sarah and I ended up staying until sunset as the city slowly lit up. Eventually a group totalling 8 of us piled  into a taxi (a car sized taxi mind you!) for the ride back to Ipanema.

Next morning a trip to the centre of the city was planned, supposedly one of the dangerous parts of the city, especially in the weekends. Dropping my laundry off at the laundromat around the corner from the hostel after breakfast I ran into Francesca, we decided to go to the centre together (it’s sometimes easier for 2 people to travel together than it is for one plus it´s safer). The laundry cost an exhorbitant 26 reals ($16 or so) compared to the most that was paid in Argentina (20 pesos or about $7).  Travelling with limited clothes is no problem in South America as laundrys are dotted all over the place and they´re usually very reasonable, wash and dry same day, plus folded (If only I could get that done back home!)

The easiest way into the CBD from Ipanema is a combination of both bus and metro. The subway is clean, safe and fast. I only had a couple of hours before I had to catch up with Sarah back at Ipanema for a Favela tour, so it was a brisk walk around the CBD. The CBD of Rio holds some of the early history of Portugese settlement, with churches and municipal buildings along with residential buildings painted in bright colours.

Arriving back at 2pm in Ipanema we were picked up by Christina of Favela Tour.  I suppose I expected more of an edge as per the movie, City of Godbut at the end of the day, the take home message is that the Favelas are on the whole about normal people trying to make a living and live their daily lives. They are commmunities within themselves with the amenities that you would normally find, hairdressers, a bank or two, fruit and veg shops, furniture shops, small minimarkets even internet cafes. Buses even run through the Favelas. Yes there is crime, no doubt but it’s  hidden just below the surface, for us tourists at least!

Finishing up at the Favela I met Tim and Brooke (A couple of Australians I met in that taxi), along with with a couple of their hostel mates at New Natural, a per Kg restaurant. After a filling meal and a few drinks at a bar around the corner, Tim, Brooke, Francesca (I invited her to tag along with us) and I took one of the many minibuses (Usually Transit type vans)  that skirt along the main streets to Lapa.  Lapa is a not too celubrious suburb located next to the CBD. It´s decidedly dangerous during the day when there are few people on the streets but on a Friday and Saturday night, it really lights up.   Reknown for it´s street party, thousands of people party to the salsa beats, beer and caipirinhas (the famous Brazilian drink). We walked around the area to take in the mood and atmosphere which has to be seen to be believed!  Tired we were back in Ipanema by 2am.

Breakfast the next day gave me the sight and sound of rain. The only time that it rained while I was in Rio. This literally put a dampener on my plans for the morning. A stroll of Ipanema beach and a few photos had been planned before journeying down to Sao Paulo by bus.  Thankfully the rain eventually cleared enough for a walk along Ipanema beach towards Copacobana.  The beach was scarce with people but as the sun broke through towards lunch time the Carioca´s started making their way down. A quick bite to eat in Copacobana then a bus journey back to the hostel to pick up my gear I made my way via bus/subway and taxi to the main bus station. It was by now late afternoon, hmm I would arrive into Sao Paulo at night, not as per original plans (always try to arrive in your destination during daylight hours).  So it was then, the 4.40pm bus with Expresso do Sul in their Executivo class, reclining seats, snacks and a guarana drink all inclusive. 5.5hrs for the 400km or so journey. Not too bad for 67 reals. If only they´d played the DVD´s on board in English, can´t have everthing I suppose! The road down from Rio was fairly twisty with heavy perisitant rain virtually the whole way down. A 30 min dinner break and we were in Sao Paulo by 10.20pm…..

Arriving into Puerto Iguazu, we were greeted with the airport surrounded by jungle and patches of red clay dirt. Landing in the late afternoon I shared a taxi with Murray and Erica at a fairly exorbitant 60 pesos into town. about 15km away. They were dropped off at Hostel Inn, 5km or so out of Puerto Iguazu (Population 32000) as I proceeded to Timbo Posada, a quaint hostel situated only 150m from the main bus terminal. Formalities sorted, the staff member who checked me in, we´ll call him Fred was very jovial, gave me directions to the local supermarket. For the first time in my trip I bought food to cook with, a meal of fettuccine with a beef ragout sauce. Beef is very inexpensive in Argentina, about 16 pesos per kg or a little over $AUD5 and of good quality, you can´t find that in Australia. Beer is cheap too, a 1 litre bottle of Quilmes for 3 pesos (but that´s after the 2 peso refund for bringing the bottle back). A cheap dinner all up.

The next day was planned, a visit to the Argentine side of the falls. Following an early breakfast of cereal, fresh juice and danishes plus the obligatory cafe con leche I made my way to the bus station for the 30min or so ride on the public bus to the falls (a reasonable cost of only 2 pesos), although crowded it´s one of the most convenient and cheapest ways of getting to the falls. A taxi was in the region of at least 40+ pesos return.

The Argentine National Parks has to be congratulated on the organisation at the Falls and you don´t begrudge the 40 pesos that each foreigner has to pay to enter. From the entrance gate there is a small train that takes you to the beginning of the falls with 3 tracks you can walk. At the top end of the falls is the Paseo Garganta del Diablo which is reached by the another train. This affords spectacular views of water cascading into what´s termed the Devils Throat, literally a giant hole into which water disappears, the spray drenching you in the process.

Further down along the falls are the Superior or Upper circuit, giving you views along numerous waterfalls (among the 275 that make up the Iguazu Falls) while the third Inferior or Lower circuit gives a view up to the cascading water from below. All in all it is one of the wonders of nature and is spectacular in it beauty and sheer size.

You can take a ride under the falls with Iguazu Jungle Explorer, 120 pesos for what´s termed the Gran Aventura culminating in a splash and dash in a rigid inflatable underneath numerous falls. In a word of warning, don´t use your camera when it´s wet. Unfortunately my camera got wet during our deluge. In short, it stopped working which proved somewhat of a problem. A problem I would have to fix…

The next morning I decided that after repeated attempts at reviving my camera (water and electricity don´t mix, it would intermittently switch on then off, but not always when I wanted it to go on) I decided to buy another camera. Peurto Iguazu I thought wasn´t the place to buy a camera, in short it´s somewhat of a backwater, smaller cities in Australia have more of a range. As luck would have it (Thanks to Google) I found a large duty free shop at the border of Puerto Iguazu and Foz do Iguazu on the Argentine side.

The border crossing between Argentina and Brazil was a breeze although drawn out. There are international buses between Puerto Iguazu and Foz do Iguazu, they are either Argentinean or Brazilian and cost 2 or 3 pesos respectively (the same in reals, Brazilian money, so pay in pesos, it´s half the cost of paying in reals). On the Argentine side you leave the bus (which waits for you), get an exit stamp then re-board the bus to drive over to the Brazilian side where it drops you off (it departs). You obtain a Brazilian entry stamp then reboard a Argentine or Brazilian bus (whichever bus you took to come over) to drive you into Foz do Iguazu.

In my case I left the bus at the Argentine side to buy my camera (A Canon Powershot SD850 IS/Canon IXUS 950 IS(Australian equaivalent). Not the cheapest at $US 499 but only $AUD20 more expensive than the Australian list price (I would later see the same camera in Sao Paulo Airport for $US599 duty free!!) It uses the same battery and memory card as my old Canon camera, so for the sake of convenience and cost it had to be a Canon (The Olympus Tough1030SW which is waterproof would probably be more of an ideal choice as I would find out later on…..see Galapagos entry when written).

Eventually arriving in Foz do Iguazu (Population 295,000) and my hostel Hostel Bambu in the early afternoon after a somewhat I thought expensive taxi ride I was just in time for lunch. By now it was 1pm (Brazilian time, 1hr behind Argentina, so I had gained an hour). A change of country came with it a change of diet (for the better, plus a change of language, Portugese) Lunch, a home cooked meal of rice, black beans (common in Brazil), pork stew with potatoes, ravioli and watercress with tomato. None of this was found in Argentina (Hamburguesas and Milanesas (breaded meat) were all too common place). A handy meal for 8 reals.

It was at Lunch that I met Casper (no not the ghost) but a Dutch guy, and two Hungarian brothers. A visit to the Brazilian side of the falls was organised over Lunch.

The bus ride to the Brazilian side is as simple as the Argentine side. Waiting on the same road as the bus travelled which bought me into Foz, the four of us caught the #120 bus for Cataratas (the Falls), it also stopped at the airport (2.10 reals) 30 or so min and we arrived at the park entrance. The entry fee of 20.50 Reals gave you a bus ride to various points along the Brazilian side of the falls. We got off mid way along and made our way slowly towards the Devil´s throat. The Brazilian side affords a general overview of the falls and must be see in conjunction with the Argentine side to really appreciate the true immensity and scope of the powerful forces of nature in producing what is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. You don´t have as intimate a contact with the falls but nonetheless it is again well organised and structured. This time I didn´t have the opportunity to get my new camera wet!

Back in Foz later that evening I treated myself to a Japanese meal with Brazilian Sushi chefs! Excellent set sushimi meal. There is a large Japanese population in Brazil and hence a proliferation of Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, even in Foz.

The next morning I pondered a visit to Ciudade del Este in Paraguay (renowned for cheap electronic goods) and only 30min by bus but that plan was burst by the need of a visa (one that I didn´t have and couldn´t be garnered at the border either)

Following lunch at the Supermercado (supermarket around the corner from the hostel) at their per kilo restaurant (12 reals per kg, a bargain) . Something unique to Brazil is the per kg restaurants, essentially a buffet with a range of meat dishes,stews, empanadas, quiches,salads, the obligatory black/brown beans plus in some cases sushi and sushimi and you pay per kg (They range from around 8-26 real per kg depending on range of food available and quality sometimes).

A bus to the airport and it was off to Rio de Janiero via Porto Alegre with Gol (interesting uniforms for the stewardesses I have to say, if skin tight Lycra for the tops is your thing). Good service and nice plane compared to say Aerolineas Argentinas…..

It was a log jam after landing at Aeroparque Jorge Newberry. Our aircraft was parked on the tarmac waiting for buses to disembark. The temperature was a marked change from El Chalten that morning, 35 degrees with an inordinate amount of humidity. A quick taxi to Hostel Obelisco (25 pesos) and I’m shocked to find my booking has been cancelled!! I didn’t confirm 24hrs or more beforehand. The best laid plans of mice and men, hey! Some quick phone calls from the staff eventually found me at Hostel Mantengase, at the southern edge of the CBD in a suburb called San Telmo (typical working class area). It had what you would call character. Three nights at 33 pesos per night. The staff were colourful and it made me aware of other suburbs apart from the centre.

The next two days involved exploring Buenos Aires. I walked from San Telmo to La Boca and the Caminito (a distinctly poorer part of town). They advise not to walk through La Boca during the day as people have been mugged etc….I’m nobodies fool and decided it was safe enough especially walking down main roads (Buenos Aires was great in the fact that there were police present on nearly every block in the touristed areas, so safety was not really an issue while I was there, even during late at night) La Boca is home to the world famous Boca Juniors and the legendary son, Diego Maradona. People come to play homage to the man who bought us the infamous “Hand of God” goal. The Caminito is a bit touristy, an arty district with vividly painted buildings and many cafes/restaurants offering live Tango Shows outside on the footpath. The dancing is electric and brings alive the spirit of Buenos Aires.

Following my journey into La Boca it was then off to Palermo and surrounds on the other side of town (the North). A combination of bus (1 peso for all rides, payable by coin only in machines on the bus) and the use of a metro pass (given to me by a fellow traveller in El Calafate) found me in Palermo about one hour later.

Palermo contains the Eva Peron Museum, dedicated to what is arguably the first lady of Argentinean Politics. A quick visit to the museum and then began my walk along Ave del Libertador, towards Riccoletta and Riccoletta Cementary which houses Eva’s Mausoleum. Whoever said that Argentina was in the middle of a financial crisis, which was the case in the early 2000′s had better stop at the BMW and Mercedes dealerships in Riccoletta. Just shop fronts they indicate that there are some very wealthy people indeed in Buenos Aires.

Unfortunately Riccoletta Cementary was closed by the time I arrived, 7pm (It closes at 6pm) Here’s me thinking cemetaries never close (Mental note check opening and closing times before heading off to see something!) Back by bus to Palermo, this time Palermo Viejo. It’s akin to Fitzroy/Prahran in Melbourne. A vast array of clothes shops interspersed with restaurants and cafes. I ended up at Lo de Jesus (Gurruchanga 1406) for dinner. White table-clothes. It was one of the fancier places I’d visited for dinner but still only around 45 pesos, steak with pepper sauce, gratin potatoes, one beer. It’s neat to see that virtually every restaurant I visited (cheap or expensive) offered fresh bread at no charge. Something that Australian restaurants should take a leaf from. Dessert was a 250g tub of ice cream at a local ice creamery for the princely sum of 7 pesos. (Freddo´s which I´d been to a couple of nights earlier was considerably more expensive but they delivered!)

Eventually arriving home in the late evening, central Buenos Aires was just coming alive. They do like leaving things late here! My hostel was definitely in the party mood but I slipped off to bed, only to be woken at 4am by a roommate turning on the lights and packing!! So much for sleep.

Sunday in San Telmo is market day in the local plaza. However my aim was to visit Riccoletta cemetary. Rising early and a couple of blocks later I was on a bus speeding towards Riccoletta. My advice is to get up early if you want to avoid the crowds. There was hardly anyone there when I arrived, around 9am. The mausoleum (where all of Buenos Aires rich and famous are buried) is fairly innocuous given her status to the Argentine people, a little underwhelming.

Back to San Telmo by bus, a quick breakfast at the hostel (coffee and danishes) with a quick visit to the antiques market which by now was packed with tourist. A whole street stretching at least 5 blocks was closed off. I however had a flight to catch to Puerto Iguazu. The flight was with LAN instead of Aerolineas Argentinas, a welcome change given the mixed reports about Aerolineas (lost luggage, very average food, no entertainment on long haul flights) I happen to bump into Murray and Erica again at the airport, they were on my flight up to Iguazu. Small world…..