Finally, some time to sit down and try to update y´all with what´s ging on over here. Maybe also an excuse to stay out of 30+ degree heat here in Ipanema beach (Brazil already). It´ll be interesting for both of us as well, to see how much good and bad we can remember in our post-Rio-Carnaval state of (blurry) mind. Anyway, here goes..... Leaving Pucon with some mixed feelings, and via a dirt road, heading towards the border with Argentina. For some reason these 2 countries like each other so much that they don´t bother paving the roads into the neighbouring [View Full Entry]

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We´re still not working the Spanish lingo correctly. The bus back to Santiago was just under 7000 Pesos, being 14US. We got nailed for a short collective (fixed rate taxis), and then a 10 min cab ride in Santiago cost us more than the same 7000 Pesos for a 1.5 hour air-conditioned bus ride. Even funnier, an evening taxi taking 15 mins cost half of the other taxi ride, go figure….. Entonces, we joined for our booked tour, Santiago to Rio via Ushuaia (southern most city in the world) with Dragoman Overland on January 3rd. Both very much looking forward to [View Full Entry]

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A short story of the dogs, cats and rats (of the sky) of Valparaiso:- With a pisco sour in hand and 4 hours until the fireworks display and the ticking of the time clock here in Chile into the new year I have time to reflect on the dogs, the cats and the rats of Valparaiso. You see there is a pecking order here in this wee port town about two hours west of Santiago. As in all typical port towns there is the seedy underbelly by which everything ticks. the cats. and the palatial prestige that sit above it, just [View Full Entry]

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We'll start with the management summary: great pick from Bin to book the Cascades de las Animas (waterfalls of the spirits) for Christmas. Magnificent canyon, with the Maipo river running wildly at the bottom of it. Bit cloudy on arrival, but clear blue skies offsetting the canyon for the next 3 days. Very quiet and comfy room, no facilities, so eating most meals at the restaurant overlooking the Maipo, and plenty of time to relax and take in the fresh air. There was a pool, as the river was too wild, to sandy, and too cold to swim in. The pool [View Full Entry]

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What can I say, there's only so much you can do when you know you arrive late in the evening, in an unknown city, with an unknown language. So booked the accomodation and the shuttle ahead, only to find out that it was a general commercial bus shuttle service, who actually didn't have a clue of where we wanted to go... But somehow we managed to get to the Hostel Bellavista, in the suburb of Bellavista. All's a bit of a guessing game still, with every day a new adventure (or challenge for that matter), but the Bellavista being a good [View Full Entry]

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So the 5 hour overnight express got us into Easter Island quite smoothly. With that once in a lifetime stroke of luck we actually got of the back of the plane, through immigration (almost a manual process by a mere 2 officers), were almost the first to get our bags, almost definitely the first to get our flower necklaces and our booked ride to the accomodation in probably less than 15 minutes.... There might have still been a few people still on the plane.... Entonces.... Anyways. We had booked the Kona Tau hostel ( hostelling international affiliated, but nothing like a [View Full Entry]

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Just a little interlude here, we've arrived in Santiago, and are trying to adapt to the local mindframe of using telephone, internet, e-mail..... or none of the above. It's quite nice to use any of the above and know that you will arrive somewhere, and will actually have a bed to sleep in. The below is an actual kind hearted reply to a simple e-mail to check for availability. Enjoy.... Hola Hey Fellows, how are you this beautiful friday evening. So, i dont have more availability in my hostel, but i have a full flat with one matrimonial room, kitchen, living [View Full Entry]

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What do you do during a 24 hour stop over in French Polynesia (ok, Papeete is better, we did not see much more of Tahiti)? Je ne sais pas. Even better, we flew in on Saturday night, so next day would be Sunday, which in most French dictionaries reads as FERMEE (that´s closed in English, and lacking the accent on top). So we just hooked up with Sunny and Emma (Ireland) for a few pitchers of local brew on the Saturday night, admired the dressing style of the local female basketball team, and headed back to the hotel for a good [View Full Entry]

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Hi guys, Just trying to see if I can get our map on the website.. 2 weeks and counting, as per usual, the last days seem to last the longest. Work gets in the way, and catching up with friends should be a priority anyway right now. Planned Countries Map Not sure if the above link will get you to the world map, but we'll keep updating it anyway! Venezuela I've been to, and seems politically a bit iffy. Paraguay isn't described anywhere as a must see, and we'll have a think about the Guyana's. [View Full Entry]

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