No pasa nada especial ...

Muchachos ... long time no talk, disculpamos and we hope you will forgive us cucarachas one more time. Did you have a nice christmas, maybe you find some time to recharge your batteries these days since it has been a tough year for all of us. We hope the good moments outnumber the bad ones if you look back at it and wish you a perfect start in 2009. We are so grateful for your support, following our steps all the time and giving us the feeling that you care about us.
So, que paso in the meantime, after having learned to speak spanish fluently in Mendoza we were roaming down south, direction dramatric Patagonia. Here the South American continent falls away in a dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains. It is truly one of mother nature's grand finales. We pitstopped in Bariloche, situated in the foothills of the Andes. This city and its surrounding mountains and lakes are unquestionable tourist attractions, it looks like American Switzerland (and so are the prices). I can only strongly recommend to jump on a bicycle, horse, Lama and explore the landscape, leave all the bustle behind. A bit more charme was awaiting us in El Bolson, a true Hippie paradise where everything- and one is inching in lowest gear. Coincidentally we stranded there in the middle of a famous open Air Jazz festival where some top bands and musicians from all over South America were feeding our ears with the finest stuff.
In one of the super-deluxe Overland buses we cruised down to Calafate, national capital of the glaciars and further to El Chalten where you can trek and climb extreme mountain ranges like the prominent Fitzroy. So, we pulled almost all slots, but it was time to leave dusty, windy Patagonia behind and check the real deal of Buenos Aires where we still are right now. B.A. is a class of its own, fully packed with lively action, stunning architecture, huge parks and gardens, pure hectic, 40,000 !! taxis, pollution, bloody tourists (like us :), peligro (Danger), Asado and Bife de Lomo, superb wine, gente gente gente, some serious and sad memorials, art of any type and a slight flavour of revolución ... y mucho mas.
Time to say goodbye, los gringos have to carry on as usual. Another long busride is just ahead, if everything works well and the drivers drink enough Mate to stay awake, we will arrive in Encarnacion, Paraguay tomorrow on the 31st of December.
Yep, again it has to be said, holiday is over, trying to bargain for a stainless blue steel 44 on the blackmarket, there's no other option to cope with the conditions in the Chaco.
Coming to an end, enjoy the new foto material and 3 x Suerte and Feliz Año Nuevo.
Tonyboy and Iri

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