There were spectacular mountain views as we crossed the Andes. At first, the ascent was gradual but it became much steeper as we approached the final 4 km tunnel into Chile. From there, an extended series of hairpin bends descended into this very long (4,600 km) narrow country, penned in between the mountains and the Pacific. Our Trans-Andean bus had broken down a couple of times, so it was approaching 10.00 pm when we arrived in Santiago, but our smart hotel (Hotel Bonaparte in Providencia) more than smoothed any lingering ruffled feathers. Santiago has some elegant colonial buildings, wide boulevards and green plazas. The main thoroughfare is improbably named 'Avenida Bernado O'Higgins' after one of main liberators who helped defeat the Spanish in the war of independence (1810-1818). In fact, the name 'O'Higgins' crops up everywhere ... read more

Buenos Aires is, quite rightly, known as the Paris of the South. Such a beautiful city, full of beef and wine! There are many 19th and early 20th century buildings and wide boulevards with a definite French air. We have an apartment overlooking Plaza San Martin, right next to Retiro station which means we can jump onto the subway easily. The smarter art and residential areas of Recoletta and Palermo have spread to the north and are not served on the subway so we have walked miles - best way to know a city! Portenos, as residents of BA are called, are on the whole, very friendly and helpful - when looking discretely at a map, one has to assure quite a few folks that we are indeed ok! The 19th century parks are a joy ... read more

Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu To reach the Colca Canyon we crossed the altiplano through a Vicuna reserve. These small animals are smarter than the others (Alpacas, Llamas and Guanacos) in that they won't breed in captivity, so they are free to roam except for a once-a-year shearing. At one point in our journey we reached an altitude of 4,800m (about 15,600 feet) before descending into the Colca valley. The high altitude affects almost everybody, and we were no exception. Next morning we set off early to Cruz del Condor, to see these huge birds (with wingspans up to 15ft) as they soared up on the thermals. To say the Colca Canyon is deep is a bit like saying the Himalayas are high - it's 10,700 feet deep (over 2 miles), but unlike the ... read more

San Juan del Sur has a beautiful white sandy beach and clear, warm water. There are palm-thatched restaurants on the shoreline, while up above the little town there's 'Pelican Eyes' - a private resort with three infinity pools, with bars to match. After all our travels it was delightful to laze by one of the pools as the sun set, and then to ease down to the shore for lobster ceviche followed by grilled sea bass. We could have happily spent more time here, but Costa Rica called. As ever, the border crossing was confused and chaotic. Leaving the bus, we were quickly mobbed by money-changers, people offering to carry our luggage, others trying to sell the (free) forms needed to exit Nicaragua and many more unwanted 'helpers'. There were no official signs showing where to ... read more

We met our travel companions in Antigua over a meal with lots of drinks, which seemed to set the pattern for the next few days. This didn't affect our 4.00 a.m. departure the following morning for Copan, just over the border in Honduras. We've quickly learned that any journey involving a Central American border crossing will take longer than you think. Sometimes much longer. Still, it's fun to see the money-changers surging up holding improbably huge wads of notes, and deciding who looks the least villainous. Copan (actually called Copan Ruinas) is a pretty little town, totally dependent on tourism to the Mayan site of the same name about 2 km away. Copan is much smaller than Tikal (see earlier blog) but compact and easily accessed, with some excellent carvings. The museum on the site is ... read more