http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/AliQ/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from AliQ en-us Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:48:39 BST Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:48:39 BST CHILE Torres del Paine After driving for days of nothing but flat lands til the horizon we suddenldy see in the distance rugged snow capped mountains that are the Torres Del Paine. We did a full day hike up to Torres which I wouldt lie was pretty hard but the views were well worth it. It was foggy and rainy when we 1st started off but when the rain and fog lifted it left way for some amazing vie http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/blog-262141.html Well it039s my last country and although I should be home in Ireland right now I039ve stayed on for two more weeks to go tro the Gollapogas Islands.Quito is a really bizzare city. Standing high at 2850m above sea level it has a new town and an old town both of which couldn039t be any further from resemling each other if they tried. The old town is steep poor and full of oranatly decora http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/blog-258905.html After a 3030km drive from Beunos Aires we arrived in Ushuaia the end of the world. Yes i've been here before 2 months ago last time I flew from BA to here and it took 3 12 hrs this time i went overland which took 7 days. it was 7 days of very long and boring drives with the flatest land i every seen with nothing for 100s of miles no town no petrol staion no trees or plants nothing but http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-254011.html Well Ive been in Buenos Aires BA for 2 days now and so far I love it. When got into our hotel Hotel Tribeca I was actually in awww for at least half an hour. I've been to one or nice nice hotels in my time from the Four Seasons NYC to the Claridges in London but getting to any hotel this is 4 star after 3 weeks camping and hostleing it is a dream. There's 3 of us in thr room with a massiv http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-250816.html Leaving Campo Grande on Monday armed with 2 bottles of bug spay I was off to the Pantanal which is the wetland region of Brazil. We stayed in a modest hostel and our room rested on 2m high stilts its called the wetlands for a reason. After a small buffet dinner our group sat around for a while in the dinning hall chatting and drinking the local bear Skol which costs a whole 80c . All http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Pantanal/blog-246596.html Well since my lastblog i have found sun and my skin in no longer white it is slowly going froma bright red hue to off brown colour. My nose was soo redtheother day that Santa rang me up wonderering would i guide his sleigh So i left Rio on an overland truck with 19 others on boardmade up of mainly ozziez but also english dutch american and 3 other Irish and drove a short drive South Paraty. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Paraty/blog-245105.html Well im leaving wet and rainy Rio 2moro in the search of some sun. I got here on Friday and it was sunny for a few hours as was Saturday but now its Tuesday and its almost been raining solid since But dont worry I have enjoyed some of Rio.When i planned to go to Rio in the 1st place I was really scared hearing all stories about robberies and the like actually we met these American guys w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-243286.html Well i left Ushuaia Argentina at 9pm on Monday and got to Florianapolis Brazil midday on Tuesday after 3 flights 3 checkins 5 airports had to change airports in Beonas Arues got a taxi to bring me from one to the other and being 2am in the morning my head wasnt screwed on so i left my handbag in the car and only realised 5 mins later when i went to check in and had no bag that had my pas http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Copacabana/blog-242098.html Well where to I start to describe where I have been and what I have seen for the past 12 days Imagine a place as big as the US Europe combined sunnier than California yet colder than your freezer drier than Arabia higher than mountainous Switzerland emptier than the Sahara the quote was stolen from a book i read . A land bigger that Austraila with no roads no cars no banks no per http://www.travelblog.org/Antarctica/blog-239318.html Im still in Ushuaia although in 24 hours ill be on my way to the Icewhich is the local term for Antartica. Ill be gone for 12 days and I cant wait I had this trip in my mind since I saw it on RTEs travel programme No Frontiers 2 years ago. Its really warm here and today I sat out reading my book with just a tshirt on. Yes you read right I was reading I finished a complete book on t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-235013.html After two days 3 flights and 19 hours in the air I finally arrived to the end of the World Ushuaia Argentiana. I had to change airports in Buenos Aires which was a shock to the system as I was dressed for the cold but there it was 28C. The 3 and 12 hours flight to Ushuaia was amazing. We flew over Tierra del Fuego which was breathing taking the snow peaked mountains were sharp and formed som http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Tierra-del-Fuego/Ushuaia/blog-234661.html