Wednesday 18th December (Odyssey Day 40) This morning we were meant to depart Mendoza at 0800 but typically, Emma’s bus had broken down at the border and so we delayed until 0930 instead. I think everyone really enjoyed the lazy morning, especially with the breakfast this hotel puts on. We did managed to pick Emma up on the way out of town. It was a very hot day today and the windows stayed open as wide as possible. It makes a nice breeze when driving, but as soon as the truck stops, the heat is instantly there. When the truck sits out in the sun for any length of time with the door and windows closed, the inside temperature can top 50°C, especially in the cab. After our brief lunch stop, it started to rain. Well ... read more

Friday 13th December (Odyssey Day 35) We left our beautiful riverside camp today at 0600 because we all wanted to get in to Santiago at a decent time. It was still dark when we got up and had to use our head torches to pack away our tents for the first time on this trip. A combination of the rather early start, and being so much further north. My ankles and feet are really swollen today, a reaction to the sunburn from yesterday. I believe I was also suffering a bit from the heat after falling asleep in the tent yesterday afternoon. At any rate, I was rather cold on the truck and spent the morning wrapped in my duma sleeping and trying not to bump my legs into anything. Ellie, sitting next to me, was ... read more

Sunday 8th December (Odyssey Day 30) We headed out for yet another border crossing this morning. We had fresh watermelon for breakfast, a really nice change, and the guy from the camp brought us fresh walnuts as well. It was interesting to see Ellie try to crack one open before Maddie told her she needed to have two in her hand to manage it. I think she might have been there for quite a while otherwise... We crossed the border with ease here. We still needed to unload everything to get it scanned, but they were much better organised at this crossing than any previous one and it was accomplished with relative ease. Having crossed into Chile again, we made a quick stop at a shop to buy some food before making a lunch stop. The ... read more

Wednesday 4th December (Odyssey Day 26) This morning we drove out to Cueva de las Manos (Cave of hands), which was about a couple of hours away. Half of the drive was on a dust road and really steep slopes. When driving over that sort of dirt track, billows of dust come into the truck through gaps around the door and stairs. We have taken to blocking the gaps with scrap pieces of cardboard to keep it to a minimum, and wearing scarves to cover over our lower face. What we could see of the valley below us was beautiful though, with the Pinturas River winding through. The famous artwork is on the walls of the cliffs, under overhangs which shelter them from the elements and keep them in good condition. There are lots of coloured ... read more

Friday 29th November (Odyssey Day 21) We were shuttled into town at 0830 this morning by Simon and the first thing everyone did was organise a trip out on the Beagle Channel for the afternoon or tomorrow. I really wanted to do it today so I could have a relaxing day tomorrow. The weather was beautiful but it can change rather quickly here. A few managed to get on to a sailing boat but there were only a few places left. Joanna and I booked onto a short 2 ½ hour catamaran cruise around a few of the small islands on the channel. It didn’t leave until 1530 though so we had a few hours to spare. The one place in Ushuaia that I really wanted to visit was the old prison, which had been turned ... read more