Around the world in 242 days...(plus a bit more): November 2011

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Uruguay & Brazil: Caipirinha Time!

It's been a while since my last update and I've now been through Uruguay and into Brazil. The nightbus to Buenos Aires really wasnt that bad and took 20.5 hours in total and BA was really great fun! We had three nights in total, the first afternoon Helen and I went for a wander around the city but not having a map we could only go in straight lines in order to find our way back to the hotel! We managed to get as far as the Obelisk and then headed back ready for a night out...we ended up getting back to the hotel at around 6:30am the next morning. As a result, the next day was pretty much a write off before meeting our new guide and additional (and final) group members for the trip to Rio. Our new guide, Guillermo, is great...heaps better than the previous one, and the new additions to the group seem to fit in really well too. That night it was out for dinner (more steak) and then onto another club. Several of us eneded up heading back to an Argentinian guys apartment with an amazing view over BA before getting back to the hotel at around 7:30am...two nights in a row of seeing daylight before going to bed was starting to take its toll! The following day Helen, Zoe and I went shopping to replace my handbag due to a broken zip...not ideal in a city where my bag had already been opened in a pickpocket attempt! It was an early night that night before the boat ride to Uruguay.

Firtst stop in Uruguay was Colonia, a really lovely town just across the border. After heading to the hotel we went out for lunch before hiring golf buggies and driving around town all afternoon. We headed to the beach for a while before I spotted some horses and went off for an hour's ride along the beach (for less than £3!!). That evening there was a storm and it absolutely bucketed with rain so we stayed in the restaurant where we had dinner and had a few drinks. It was an adventurous trip back to the hotel after getting lost and walking around much of the town but we eventually got back and went to bed. The following day was another bus ride onto Montevideo, this was probably the worst place we have stayed so far and we had two nights. On arrival we were told not to be in the old town past 8pm becuase the police leave the area and its really unsafe...great first impressions! Luckily for me we didnt do a great deal in Montevideo becuase I eneded up with a temperature, cough, cold and generally felt pretty rubbish. We did head to the beach (Punta del Este) one afternoon and to top off my illness I also got ridiculously sunburnt.

After Montevideo it was onto Salto for one night, this was pretty much a stopover to get to Iguassu Falls. I went straight to bed when we arrived and started to feel better the following day after heading to the farmacy to stock up on medicine. We did go to a water park in Salto which was pretty fun with water slides and a lazy river, although I'm pretty sure we were the only foreign tourists in the Uruguayan water park! That evening we had a 13 hour night bus to get to Foz de Iguassu, Brazil. After arriving and checking into the hotel we headed off to see the Brazilian side of the falls, Brazil owns only 20% of the falls whereas Argentina has the majority. Before reaching the falls there was an optional helicopter ride, I opted for this and it was amazing to see the waterfalls from the air! Seeing the Brazilian side was great but it wasnt until the next day when we headed back into Argentina yet again (6 Argentina stamps in my passport now!) to see the falls from the otherside that you realise how different it is from Argentina. When we arrived on the Argentinian side we headed straight for the boat ride, we had a 30min tour through the rainforest before arriving at the boat. The boat initially took us close enough to get photos but not get wet, then it was time to put everything into dry bags before the boat took us into the waterfalls and we got absolutely soaked!! It was actually really nice given that it is BOILING in Brazil so far, around 32 degrees every day! After the boat ride we walked over the top of the falls along walkways. It was increadible to be above the waterfalls watching the water tumble over the edge! We also saw lots of Coati's (Racoon type animals), tonnes of butterflies, a stick insect, an armadillo and lots of giant lizards plus loads of bugs. That evening we had a bbq and pool party with unlimited caipirinhas which meant a fairly quiet day the following day with a trip to a bird park before a night bus to get to the next stop, Paraty.

We arrived in Paraty at around 5pm this afternoon after travelling for 23 hours, but on first impressions it definitely seems worth it. The bus journey really wasnt too bad, a little cold but other from that it was fine, plus we saw an amazing electrical storm along the way! There was no rain just constant forks of lightening in the sky, it was incredible!! Paraty is great, not quite as warm as the 32 degrees we left behind in Foz (not such a bad thing!) and the sea is really warm...which will be perfect for our boat ride with unlimited caipirinhas tomorrow. Only one week left in South America now...cannot believe how fast the past 2 months have flown by, very depressing!!

Photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370843521491.352317.516011490&type=1&l=e859bf9da0

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Monday, 14 November 2011

Argentina: Land of Red Wine, Steak and Horses!

I am now in Argentina and I have to say it already seems nicer than Chile. I really enjoyed Chile and the beautiful scenery but we didn't have a lot of luck with the weather and didn't really get up to much to make it that memorable.

After leaving San Pedro de Atacamba we headed onto La Serena on at 14 hour night bus (really getting used to these now!). The hostel in La Serena was one of the worst so far, we have been really lucky with accommodation so guess we have been a bit spoilt, but it was pretty much a building site...so not that great. We stayed in La Serena for two nights and didn't get up to all that much there. The first afternoon Helen and I went for ice cream and to the 'animal park' at the end of the street. The following day we went to a river and spent the day sunbathing and attempting to go in the freezing cold water! Following this was a trip to an observatory where we got shown many of the star signs in the sky and go to see the Moon really clearly, this was definitely a La Serena highlight! We did go out for a lovely meal on our last evening, I had an amazing Paella, and then we went out for a few drinks at the local casino. This was the only place open in town due to the public holiday. The following day we had a 6 hour bus onto Santiago.

First impressions of Santiago were great, I really liked the city and we had four days/3 nights to explore which was good. The first night out in Santiago was pretty drunken, firstly we went for dinner, Helen and I shared a bottle of Chilean red wine and a cheese fondue with meat and vegetables (so good!) then it was onto yet another 'Irish' bar called Dublin before moving across the road to a club. I'm not too sure what happened that evening but I could well have had my drink spiked...so funnily enough I spent the whole of the next day and evening in the hotel recovering whilst the others went out exploring. That evening was the last one with 7 people in the group, the following day we were to be joined by 6 new additions.

Before meeting the new arrivals in the group in the evening, some of us headed out on the metro to a huge shopping mall. I managed to buy a few new clothes (so that I don't feel like I'm always wearing the same outfit!) and some perfume :). We spent most of the day having lunch and wandering around the shops before heading back to the hotel ready to meet the new people. Everyone seems really nice and after a few days its like they have been travelling with us for ages which is great. The following day 6 of us got a picnic from the supermarket and headed to the local park opposite our hotel to sit in the sun and kill some time before out 10 hour night bus to Pucon.

Pucon was really lovely (tip of Patagonia), the scenery was amazing and there were loads of 'Swiss Chalet' style buildings dotted around the town with mountains and a snow capped volcano in the background. On arrival we were told about the activities and all signed up for things. Most people opted to climb the volcano (weather dependent), there was a horse riding option, rafting, canyoning (zip lines), hot springs and quad biking. Unfortunately it rained pretty much our whole time in Pucon so not many activities went ahead. We did manage to get to the hot springs which were incredible in the rain...5 pools of different temperatures, the hottest reaching 35 degrees C! We did come across another GAP group staying in the cabin opposite ours, but we soon discovered they were not quite up for the night out we had planned. They invited us into their cabin for a few drinks but things soon went downhill and so we got kicked out and sent back to our part of the hotel...we didn't really hit it off too well with them. Due to the rain and lack of activities, we spent a lot of the time in Pucon drinking which was fun...however not good when you have to get on a 6 hour bus after 2 hours sleep! This bus took us onto Puerto Varas, another really pretty town on a lake a bit further into Patagonia. We had two nights in Puerto Varas, the first day we got the local bus an hour and a half to a volcano on another lake, we went for a wander around before finding a boat to take us out on the lake for an hour, we then got the bus a short way back towards Puerto Varas to see the 'river falls', these were lots of waterfalls and fast flowing water...the water was SO blue!

The next day it was another bus (only 6 hours this time) across the Chilean-Argentinian border to get to the next stop, Bariloche, Argentina. As we drove from Puerto Varas to Bariloche we saw all the ash and dust that has settled as a result of the Chilean volcanic eruption, it has killed miles of trees and plants and just covered the whole area in ash, even the air was full of it. Luckily for us the effects were less obvious in Bariloche and the town, again, has amazing scenery, set on another lake. That evening we went for steak, it was definitely the best steak I've ever had but the portions were ridiculous - three of us shared one portion of meat and it was plently, we are planning another trip back here before we leave! The following day after our arrival to the town nearly everyone opted to do two activities with a BBQ (as a package). I went with Kayaking on the lake in the morning followed by horse riding in the afternoon, it was really good to feel like we were doing something again other than drinking and the scenery was amazing! After both activities we stayed by the lake for a while drinking beer and playing with the owners dogs. Last night it was out for yet more drinks so today was a quiet day lazing by the river. Tomorrow we get a 24 hour bus to Buenos Aeries where we have one more night before another three of the group leave and more join us for the final leg. Cannot believe I've now been away for 7 weeks and only have another 3 left in South America before have the dreaded 38 hour travel to Fiji...its all going WAY to fast!

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