We had to start early again today, this time for our bus transfer to Puerto Natales. We were picked up from the Michelangelo Hotel and driven across town to the bus depot where we had to change our vouchers over for our actual tickets. Then we had to hang around in the freezing cold waiting for the bus to be unlocked. Hmmn, just us, a few stray dogs and all the young back packers! When the driver arrived we were able to load our bags in the luggage compartment at the rear of the bus and then take our seats upstairs. Our seats were at the top of the stairs so there were no seats in front of us - just the void over the stairs. What a bonus! No-one sitting in front to recline their ... read more

Another early start this morning for our tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier, the most important of the 13 glaciers within the Los Glaciares National Park. Ahem, once again we didn't need to be up quite as early as we were. The person on the desk last night failed to alert us to the fact that the tour operator had telephoned to advise us that our pick up time this morning would be half an hour later than we were previously advised. Eventually the minibus arrived to collect us and after a few more pick-ups between our hotel and the outskirts of town we were on our way to Los Glaciares National Park. As we drove along Route 11 we were able to look back towards El Calafate and watch a beautiful pink sun rise over ... read more

We breakfasted early and then repacked our bags before retiring to the hotel lobby at check-out time to wait for Ricardo and Marcos to arrive with the bus. Although our flight back to BA was scheduled to leave a little earlier than everyone else's Santiago (and then Auckland and then HOME!) flight we all travelled to the airport together. Actually, not all of us - Geoff and Lyn planned to spend another week in Brazil before heading home to country Victoria so we all said our farewells to them in the hotel lobby before boarding the bus. At the airport Ricardo facilitated our check-in and then asked us all to wait in a group to receive further instructions. When Meredith joined us she told us that Ricardo had told her she should write a book. On ... read more

We had agreed last night that we would go for an early (-ish) morning walk along the canyon path beside the falls for one last look at the amazing Iguaza Falls before we departed for Rio. Ha, this plan coincided with Richmond's first game of the season this morning (Thursday night in Oz) so Bernie and Meredith weren't doing anything until the game was finished. Bernie was watching it live on Foxtel Go and Meredith was following it on the AFL App. Phew, a win to Richmond so, finally, two happy Richmond supporters could be dragged away from their electronic devices to go for a walk. It was lovely and quiet on the canyon path just after 8.00am this morning before the park was opened to visitors. It was quite overcast, but the falls were still ... read more

When we left home a month ago we had been to see Icehouse and Alex Lloyd the night before and I couldn't get the chorus from Alex Lloyd's song 'Amazing' out of my heard. I think the phenomenon is known as an ear worm? Anyhow, after last night's performance I have a new ear worm, I just don't seem to be able to get 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' out of my head!! Annoying ear worm aside, this morning we took a short flight from BA to the airport on the Argentinian side of the Iguazu Falls which is spelt variously: Iguazu, Iguasu, Iguassu or Iguaçu Falls. That's probably the Argentinian, Brazilian, English and Paraguayan spellings?! Humph, it was a short flight, but our 11.15am flight was delayed until after noon. Just what we needed, more ... read more