stavi and kevin

..we´ve got fun and games! Or, as we discovered, an incredible variety of biting insects - and folks, they´ll bite you just about anywhere! Rather than a gruelling 18 hour bus journey, we opted for the spectacular flight from La Paz to Rurrenabaque. The plane was essentially a cigar tube with a row of single chairs down each side, all with an excellent view of the cabin and the pilots. A few minutes after take off and a glance out of the window revealed that we were the same height as a number of the local peaks, incredible, if just a little scary! A mere 32 minutes later we landed in a field just outside the town. Given the nature of the landing strip, the weather is critical - as we were to discover! Mapajo Lodge ... read more

Don´t cry for us Argentina.... Leaving Iguazu, we stopped briefly in the sleepy little town of San Ignacio to see the ruins of the "best preserved" Jesuit mission in north west Argentina. While the entrance to the former church was reasonably well preserved and the the detail in the facade was still visible, the rest is best described as ruins of ruins! Twenty hours after leaving San Ignacio on the sweatiest bus imaginable, we arrived in the picturesque town of Salta. We stayed in a beautiful little colonial hotel right on the central plaza. We headed straight for the rather chilly, anthropological museum to see the mummies of the three Incan children found at the top of one of the nearby mountains. The cold had preserved the bodies perfectly, such that when we saw the body ... read more

Leaving BA All packed and a little sad to be leaving our little flat, our trip to Patagonia didn´t get off to the most auspicious start. Stavi was unwell, though whether it was the quantity of red wine consumed over the week or something she ate, I don´t think we´ll ever know! Stavi slept through the flight down and for me the boredom of the three hour flight, having finished all my books, was broken only by the delight of a double helping of lunch! El Calafate Recommended by Dave and Carolyn we´d booked the America del Sur hostel (thank you!). It´s the first time I´ve ever had to introduce myself to every member of staff in a hostel! Albeit a little full on, in the absence of my interpreter, I quickly found them incredibly friendly, ... read more

Mendoza Took the overnight bus from La Serena to Mendoza. Got to see far more of the Andes than I was expecting thanks to the large, elderly gentleman behind me who had the largest variety of snoring noises I´ve ever heard! Believe it or not this was my first ever land border crossing. It wasn´t as problematic as expected and the overly cheerful Argetinian Customs officer (it was 5 in the morning, not time for whistling) marvelled at Stavi´s passport and all the Greek wonders displayed within.... Arriving in Mendoza, buoyed by the Rough Guide´s assurance that Mendoza is overflowing with accommodation, I spent a couple of hours in the Plaza Independencia while poor Stavi searched most of the city for a room for tonight (Thursday). Seems while we´d taken care to arrange accommodation for the ... read more

Just sitting in our lounge very comfortably still not wanting to believe that the time has come!!! Very excited now but still not as excited as Kevin... Trying to decide what are the odds our luggage gets lost at Heathrow tomorrow and not joining us in Santiago. Be positive! ... read more