Ice Ice Baby
So, onto El Calafate. Like Bariloche, it's much more geared up to a wealthy Argentine crowd and rich (or short of time) tourists who fly in (as opposed to humble backpackers such as myself who trudge everywhere by bus) from Buenos Aires for two days to see one thing,...
Of Hobbits and Near-Death Experiences
It's been a long time since I read the Hobbit so I can't remember the name of the town where Bilbo Baggins lives (apart from it being in The Shire), but in Spanish it's called Bolson Cerrado, they would like to think in honour of El Bolson, a little mountainous slice...
Switzerland on Steroids
I'd been warned about Bariloche. Having lived in Switzerland for the best part of 5 years, people told me that I wouldn't find the scenery that special, and I wouldn't be seeing anything I hadn't seen before. The town is on Lago Nahuel Huapi which is about the same...
Livin’ La Vida
I've been here over 2 months now, so what do I make of it all? I chose to come to Argentina based on a 2 week holiday I spent here in 2007. Buenos Aires felt then, as it still does, like a place I could spend some time. It's a big, noisy, smelly place certainly,...
Back in Buenos Aires
Yes, yes I've missed you too... Haven't been able to write an entry for the last few weeks as I've been travelling round and the internet in the house is a little temperamental. I left Buenos Aires for a well deserved break after Christmas to go to the falls at...
Not Angry, Not Sad, Just Don’t Like Shaving
Six things I learnt in Paraguay Chickens and ducks like mangoes If you try to get out of Paraguay without an entry stamp in your passport they fine you 363,000 Guaranis (about $90). If you tell them the bus on the way in didn't stop at Customs, makes no difference It...
Happy Christmas
Ok, so I'm a day late, but Happy Christmas anyway. I'd often heard that Christmas in the sun doesn't feel right, and it's certainly true. There's been very little build-up, hardly any decorations anywhere and certainly no constant playing of festive tunes. But, for...
Back from Uruguay
Back from Uruguay, only to find that the internet in the flat no longer worked. Was fixed today hence the delay in updating my exciting adventures. It was a amazing trip, if you're not on Facebook you can see the pics here, The beaches were empty, weather amazing if a...
I’m Off
After 5 days of nothing but beer and steak, I've managed to get myself into some sort of organisational order and am off to Uruguay tomorrow. There's 3 of us and we're heading across the River Plate on a boat to Colonia first of all then on Thursday onto Punta del...
Bottles
They sell beer in bottles over here, with a deposit on the bottle. Yesterday we decided to tackle this little lot stacked next to the grill, so we could buy beef and more beer. We had to find a shop happy to take 350 empty beer bottles, which, after a lot of...
Moment of clarity
Just then, sitting out on the terrace, it's just hit me that, at this point in time, I do not have a single worry in the world. Must say, it feels nice.
Lunch at the Flat
For all you Europeans freezing your various parts off, thought you would like to see some pictures of my new flat that I took today... La terraza El asado El luncho