http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/SnakehipSi/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from SnakehipSi en-us Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:42:23 +0000 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:42:23 +0000 San Pedro de Atacama in the desert of the same name . A small town with a reputation for being a touristy place where they quickly separate tourists and travellers from their cash. This was to be our last stop before heading home and the main reasons for going were that it was on the way back towards Lima for the dreaded flight to London it was a region of Chile we had not seen before it supp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Antofagasta-Region/San-Pedro-de-Atacama/blog-48759.html And so it was time to move on from the city of Salta to Tilcara a small adobe village set in the Quebrada Humahuaca valley in Northern Argentina. As our Balut Bus AP16 made its way up the valley the journey became more and more spectacular multicoloured mountains on either side with layers of colours from terracotta to copper green to cream and adobe villages clinging to dusty hillsides punct http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Jujuy/Tilcara/blog-48396.html Leaving Asuncion in Paraguay we are headed for Salta in northern Argentina. A midmorning bus from Asuncion and another lengthy border crossing made worse by immigration officials trying to get me off the bus and alone to coerce me into paying them a tip for stamping our passports us being the only gringos on the bus and Paraguay being bribe hungry followed by another luggage search five miles http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Salta/blog-46680.html Paraguay our tenth and last new country of our trip to South America. Landlocked by Bolivia Brazil and Argentina and to coin our phrase very bloody hot 41 degrees today. Cant go on too much about Paraguay as we were only there for a short time and as you can see from the photos we saw most of it from a super fast busBrazil and Paraguay share an enormous Hydroelectric Power Plant called I http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Paraguay/Asunci%F2n/blog-45813.html Brasil Brasil its carnaval time and those patriotic Brazilians were in full on party mode when we arrived in Rio in a huge storm. Well most of them were we stopped at the Riotur desk in the airport for tourist information and the Carioca on duty got out a map circled the Sugar Loaf the Corcavado Christ statue and said well there isnt really much to do here except for the beaches h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/blog-45551.html As we are now so close to the end weve been rushing about like mad things in Brazil for carnaval and now in Salta for winefood so the blogs are a bit delayed. As a result I cant remember much about this bit so Irsquoll bluff it quickly and wersquoll move onto the Brazil one...Left Punta Arenas amid a hearty final booze up and fancy dress party with the other volunteers and went to Puerto http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Santa-Cruz/El-Calafate/blog-45549.html Punta ArenasJust a quick one because people keep asking to see photos of where we have been living and volunteering for the last month.First things first where are we Punta Arenas is in Chilean Patagonia.Punta Arenas is a very pleasant town of about 125000 inhabitants hugging the shores of the Straits of Magellan. Its origin back in the 19th century was as a trading port mostly for wool and a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-39548.html So we get to Punta Arenas for a months volunteering and Irsquom all revved up to work on a project to make walking trails through the countryside. Irsquove got the cold weather gear and thinking that once I get to see what itrsquos all about I can be a little less on the manual labour side and a bit more project management Hummhellip no such luckhellipsoon as we meet the organizer Jua http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-36876.html Instituto de SerabalesldquoSo well meet at 9 outside the school helliprdquo said Juan little did we know that by 10am we would be on our feet in front of our first class. That was it no teaching expertise no lesson plans no teaching guides and no teachers to shadow. Just the merry band of TAPA volunteers and an expectant bunch of Punta Arenan students.And so began my month as an Engli http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Punta-Arenas/blog-39550.html Wow. National Park Torres del Paine. Geologically speaking not much more than rocks but amazing to look at and even better to walk around. We came here when touring patagonia three years ago but only managed to walk around two thirds of the accepted route called the W because it goes up into the three valleys in a W shape. So this time we are back again to complete the unfinished.We had a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Torres-del-Paine/blog-39150.html I...am...never...taking...another...night...bus....again...understandThis was the question posed to me as we arrived in Cordoba a mere nine hours by bus Chevallier from Buenos Aires but given that the movies and lights were on most of the night and then we were woken early by music not the best trip. This wasnt good...How the 'eck were we going to get back to BA walk I decided to let t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Cordoba/blog-35983.html So we checked out of the Hilton in BA. It was a struggle we could have stayed for weeks We caught the Buquebus which is not actually a bus but a high speed boat which crosses the Rio Plata to Colonia del Sacramento Uruquay our 9th South American country of 2005.We really didnt know what to expect of Uruguay the guide books bill it as the Switzerland of South America. We also knew that Ur http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Uruguay/blog-33650.html Thanks for all your cards and messages and really thoughtful pressies it was great to recieve a bag full of goodies via Andrew and Susan and really exciting when we arrived at the Hilton and there were christmas cards waiting for us.As you know we had been disappointed with the lack of Christmas cheer in the run up to Christmas as we faithfully towed our own mini chritmas tree arbolito around w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/blog-33644.html I need a new lexicon. I have just spent 5 hours on a bus ride that isnrsquot even mentioned in any guidebooks and I cannot find the superlatives to describe it. I should have paid more attention to the thesaurus I was given many years ago trouble is I never understood what it was for for about 10 years by which time it was too late to use.Anyway imagine if you can towering mountains brushfil http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Rio-Negro/San-Carlos-de-Bariloche/blog-31694.html Ooops its been a while since we updated the blog. Not that wersquove been having too much fun to write quite the opposite wersquove been working hard taking Spanish language lessons in Argentina.Anyway where were we Oh yes just about to set out on our expedition to Angel Falls. We were met at Caracas airport by Ben of Osprey Expeditions who whisked us to the bus terminal for our overnigh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/Guayana/Canaima-National-Park/blog-29942.html Last you heard from us we were taking a 7 hour flight from Chile up to Venezuela for a little ldquoholidayrdquo within our big holiday.First stop Los Roques. An archipelago of picture postcard coral islands in the Caribbean sea off the northern coast of Venezuela. To get there you take a small plane to the main island of Gran Roque where we spent our first two nights before Bonnie and Steve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Venezuela/Insular/Los-Roques/blog-29932.html There are allegedly many things to fear in South America spiders diseases strange people mugging falling off mountains etc. But the only thing we have come to fear is the magic hammer ldquoel martillo magicordquo. Unlike Thors hammer which I believe was used to protect the common good the magic hammer is eeeeevvil. It is a timetested fact that however comfortable your accommodation an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Los-Lagos/Puerto-Varas/blog-26197.html You know other peoples holidays right Well theyrsquore like dials that go up to ten on normal amps. Well we've got an amp called the intenseometer. Our holiday right it goes to eleven in intensity see eleven. And that means that its much more intense I hear you ask. Well its one more isnrsquot it its not ten its eleven. So while most people will be holidaying at ten wersquoll b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Pucon/blog-23892.html Since arriving in Chile we have done nothing but eat drink wine and do extreme things long may it continuehellip. Santiago turned out to be the nicest of the South American capitals that we have been to. Very reminiscent of Paris in architecture we felt quite at home especially since the Best Western Hotel has an INDIAN RESTAURANT Of course we over ordered and bravado got the better of us http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Mendoza/blog-24026.html Its a 5 hour flight across the southern pacific from Santiago to Easter Island the most isolated inhabited spot on earth home to hundreds of mysterious Moai statues and the birdman cult. On arrival at the airport which has been upgraded to take emergency landings from the space shuttle but unfortunately was not needed whilst we were there we were met by Teresa our host from Cabaas Vianni wit http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Easter-Island/blog-21587.html