After leaving Bariloche and the chocolate behind, we took the luxury of a flight down to El Calafate in southern Argentina, deep inside patagonia. The views from the plane were spectacular and got us very excited to be there. El Calafate is a nice but very touristy town. Everyone there is here one reason only... Glaciers. The town is the perfect spot to base yourself to do trip the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, home to the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. We quickly booked our trip as things book up quickly here. The tourist demand can outweigh the supply so prices are [View Full Entry]

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Our arrival in Bariloche was marked with disappointment when we found out our accommodation had been double booked. Luckily for us, we were given an apartment for the same price, due to the error. Having shared bathrooms and kitchens for 3 months now, we got a giddy thrill from having our own fridge and microwave...if only for a few days! Bariloche is located in the lake district of Patagonia, and is quite frankly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.The lake district is the holiday region for the Argentinians, so it was a perfect choice to settle down [View Full Entry]

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After leaving a blessed but expensive Chile we were on our way into Argentina. I was really looking forward to this country and was one of the main reasons on coming to South America. We arrived late into Salta and didn´t see much until the next day but the steakhouses after steakhouses impressed me! The next day we went on the teleferico, I know, another cable car! At this stage we are expert cable car users and this one didn´t let use down with it´s piped in music and random information of what to do in Salta (and in English no [View Full Entry]

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It was a bit odd to arrive, having travelled around the Andes for the past two months, in Uyuni. It´s completely flat. Uyuni a gateway to the world´s largest salt flats- Salar de Uyuni . We had a full day to wander around Uyuni and it was definitely enough as it's a bit of a dump. Our tour began by squashing into a jeep with five other people and making our way to the train cemetery. It´s a place for the old trains to lie and rust at the side of the tracks, while the new shiny ones drive by. It's [View Full Entry]

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After relaxing time in Sucre, we were off to the nearby mining town of Potosi. The town itself is lovely and quiet sitting with snugly against the mountain of Cerro Rico and revolves around the mining industry located in the mountain. Potosi being the highest city in the world we really felt the altitude as we walked around. The town was made famous for it´s silver mining in the 18th century and at it´s highest point of productivity was more populated than the largest of the european cities. Our reason for coming was to go on a mining tour, to see [View Full Entry]

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We have had a tendency to talk about our bus at the beginning of each blog, but this one deserves a mention. An hour and a half into our journey, we were nice and settled when suddenly the majority of the people got off. The driver said nothing. As one or two others stayed, and it definitely wasn´t La Paz, we figured we were ok to stay on the bus. There was only water ahead but I figured we would turn back onto the road. Wrong! Turns out we were supposed to get on a boat and meet the bus on [View Full Entry]

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We arrived into Arequipa after a sweltering hot night bus. It was a particularly uncomfortable ride. After finding lodgings near the Plaza de Armas, we relaxed, slept and wandered this pretty town. We investigated the possibility of doing a trip to Colca Canyon but due to time constraints, it just wasn´t feasible. On the upside, there was plenty of things to do in town. First off, we visited the Museo Santury where we saw "Juanita, the Ice Princess". Juanita is a mummy which had been discovered in 1995. She is approximately 12-14 years old girl who had been sacrificed 500 years [View Full Entry]

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After a torturous 15hr bus journey from Nazca (cliff edges anyone?) we eventually made it to Cusco. First thing that hits you is the altitude (3500m above sea level). Coupled with the steep valley walls on which cusco is built, it´s pretty exhausting walking around! We checked ourselves into the Loki hostel, which turned out to be the Irish backpackers Mecca- could be something to do with the mashed potatoes and ham and cheese toasties they churn out on a regular basis! Luke, having been to Cusco previously, offered to bring us on a tour. Funnily enough we ended up right [View Full Entry]

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Having booked all the way back in Dublin last May, it felt very odd packing our duffle bags for our impending Inca Trail trek! The trail is one of the major milestones of our South American leg, to do it was not only an indicator of how far we had come, but also how time is flying! I was more than a little worried about the trek, given I had been suffering symptoms of altitude sickness in Cusco and practically coughed up a lung every time I climbed the steep steps to Loki hostel but with our geeky runners and wet [View Full Entry]

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After our jaunt in Lima, we were headed for Pisco. It was a 2 hour bus ride south from Lima and we enjoyed the transition from bustling city to desert. We knew about the earthquake that happened about 3 months previously but nothing prepared us for reality of the situation. As we drove into town, we saw blocks of buildings reduced to rubble and people living in temporary accommodation, ranging from pre-fab wooden houses to tents. Our bus pulled into the station and the friendly bus manager told us what hostels were still standing/operating. We were unsure whether or not to [View Full Entry]

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