The End of the World.

In 24 hours we travelled nearly 1500 miles by taxi, foot, coach (through no less than 28 hairpin bends just past the Chilean border) and aeroplane, moving from a place where there are 300 days of sunshine a year, to a place renowned for its excessive wind and cold. I was beginning to think we were all slighty mad for attempting this following 5 weeks of bikinis, shorts and at worst...a jumper and a waterproof. And all this before we have even headed into the National Park of Torres del Paine.

After arriving in Punta Arenas, which is the most southerly place I have ever been...and the end of the world (okay slight artistic license use there...Ushuaia is actually the end of the world but Punta Arenas is pretty close). And all the Northerners reading this blog will be pleased that I can report it is grim down South! Cold, windy and the front actually looks slightly like Morecambe...amazing clouds aplenty!

The houses are unlike anything I have ever seen and well worth a mention. A mix of wood, corregated iron and sheets of metal stuck together somehow and defying the force of the weather, and all painted different colours give the place an even more otherworldly feel.

After realising we were infact in the wrong place (add this to the list of places we try to find but never do....) we realised we should make the trip to Puerto Natales, from there we would make the trip to Torres del Paine. The bus journey was a treat...nothing for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see, except the odd Emu, llama, sheep and wind battered trees. The bus would stop occasionally, at a lodge in the middle of no where and sometimes someone would get on, but overall just miles and miles of nothingness.

So off on my trek tomorrow, and I am excited, nervous and wondering if maybe doing all this with just 12 kilos of clothing and no hiking boots was maybe a silly idea...I will let you know in 3 days!

Mount Aconcagua and the Andes

Argentina...a country which tells me off!

So having been a bit relaxed on updating my blog...I may now blast you with information. Apologies for that!

Argentina. A lovely country, very European, cheap, hospitable and lots of...erm...rules! I get told off almost daily in this country (in fact there have only been 3 days I haven't been told off for something or other!) It ranges from not having a tidy enough dorm room to the military police boarding our bus yesterday and telling us off for not carrying our passports (but that was all we got, a telling off I mean! It could have been much worse!)

Buenos Aires was great, very European and looked like Madrid. I know that that should have been mighty exciting, and although I liked it, I felt a city is a city really and 5 days there was more than enough. I was so happy to leave and get on another 16 hour coach (which doubled as a sauna) to Mendoza, in the foot of the Andes (at the end of my armies....ha ha ha)

Mendoza has been incredible. First I faced my fears and went horse riding. After tears and having an elderly gaucho (argentinian cowboy) lead me by the hand to stroke the terrifying monster (Sebastian the Horse) in front of me, i finally got on him. And we went for a stroll in the Andes. He was lovely and now I want to do it all over again!

Then we had a BBQ (or a plate of tomatoes - yep I ate them out of politeness) we then found a tarantula and chased that around for a while! Great stuff!

Yesterday I think could have been my favourite day of the trip so far. We took the bus to Puente del Incas (part of the Inca trail) and then walked up the hill towards base camp of Mount Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the Americas!) Whilst the other girls puffed, panted and wheezed due to the altitude, I felt smug as I was running and dancing around. I am going to attribute this to usually having less breath than everyone else (asthma) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Note-this was not the reason this was my favourite day....just being smug about breathing! So after worrying that we were inadvertantly wandering into Chile without our passports (and having been told off once already!) we finally found the track to walk to base camp. We cam arounf the corner and behind already huge mountains there was Aconcagua, looming over the valley, somewhat how I would imagine Everest looks out over Nepal. Snow capped and foreboding, I set off running with Sheryl in pour excitement (and had to stop out of breath after 10 metres.)

All in all a stunning place. Breathtakingly beautiful and reinforcing how lucky I truely am to be here. I would not change this for the world.

Peter at Iguazu Falls

Ciao Brazil...Hola Argentina!

One country down, nearly one month in and one of the (possible) new seven wonders of the world completed....along with a big jesus on a hill, nearly 35 hours on coaches and 1500 miles. And still no explanation of the duck in the byline, OR photos! I am hoping the eternal promise of photos and the allure of Peter the Wingless Duck keeps everyone following and reading.

We entered Argentina at Puerto Iguazu, after being subjected to Furry Vengance (if I wasn´t entirely sure that Brendan Fraser should be made redundant for the rest of his days...I am now), and not being able to escape from this terrible film, whilst cramp set into my body from the waist down, I was desperate to arrive anywhere. A hole in the floor or a garden pond would have been the perfect stop at this point...Actually I make it sounds worse than it really was for dramatic effect - it was actually fine (the coach, not Brendan Fraser).  

However, arriving in Puerto Iguazu, we felt lucky...leaving cold Sao Paulo behind, and blasted by humid 33 heat. Off came the fleece and socks, and we went for an explore around the town, which was dusty and orange, comprising of about 4 streets of shops, restaurants and a megadisco (which yes we did go to and party until 4 am - it was exceptional, in a rubbish sort of way, but made infinitely better by the presence of a pole! Brilliant). 

The following day we went to the Iguazu Falls, which is trying to be voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world (the natural ones that is). I don´t think I quite have enough vocabulary to explain how stunningly beautiful it is. Bigger than Niagara and louder than a train, with green areas that rival the scenery of Avatar. Its incredible. Stunningly beautiful, peaceful (despite the hundreds of tourists) and quite unlike anything I have ever seen. I think it is my favourite things so far, mesmerising at every step.

After leaving there we endured another 18 hour coach (worse movies, but with food - hurrah!) to Buenos Aires. BA is nice, but very like Madrid, although we are staying here to rest and relax for a few days before heading out to the countryside again to do fun exciting things in Mendoza...cowgirl Jane here we come (if I get over horse fear that is!)

The Fiestas of Paraty

Returning to Paraty was like returning to a well loved holiday spot - welcomed at the Backpackers Hostel with a new group of people, whilst giving the hammocks longing looks - after an interesting 2 hour bus ride through a tropical storm on a leaky bus.

It was the anniversary of the town, or something like that, and with people from the hostel we braved the rain like good old gringos (complete with flip flops and rain mac - Thanks Kate...the pack a mac is a godsend!) and went to a concert in a car park next to the beach. "Dani" - he can only be described as sounding somewhat like Ricky Martin Love Ballads, on bad Karaoke - and accompanied by some very interesting backing films, provided a beautiful soundtrack for possibly the wettest evening out ever. We danced in puddles and got absolutely soaked, singing along (making up the words) whilst others ate meat on a stick.

The next few days were quiet, collecting ourselves for Sao Paulo - the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere. I was sad to be waving goodbye to Paraty, and its weird cobblestones, techno supermarket, hammocks and constant rain! Paraty...you will always be in my heart!