Bus stations of Argentina

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Ten days in Argentina and lots of bus trips. It's such a huge country we really didn´t have enough time to get very far. Even so we seemed to spend most of our time on buses or waiting for them.

Argentina really has the bus thing sorted. For not much more money than a standard coach, you can go overnight on a sleeper bus, with fully reclining seats - think first class airline - hot food, steward service, films, champagne... Fantastic!

Our first few days in Argentina were a write-off. The weather was terrible - cold and relentless rain. We had decided to stay at a rural hostel to get some kind of Gaucho experience. Horse riding, meat over the charcoal fire, that kind of thing. We ended up being dropped on the main road by a taxi driver because the rural lanes were impassible. We hiked through miles of mud the consistency of sarah lee chocolate gateau, and eventually arrived at a deserted hostel with pretty limited electricity, let alone heating. It was the kind of place that would have been lovely in the summer, but was hard going in the winter. And the rain didn´t stop, so we cut our losses and headed off after one night.

Another overnight bus trip (not so good this time - the bus broke down at about 3 a.m.) but we arrived safe and sound in Mendoza. A peek through the rescue-bus windows at sunrise revealed pink mountains on the horizon and acres of vineyards. More like it!

We spent a lovely few days hiking and abseiling in the mountains, driving almost to the Chilean border for a view of the high peaks, relaxing in hot springs and touring a selection of the hundreds of bodegas in the area. Graham delighted our tour guide at the Weinert bodega when he explained he had sold their wine in the UK. We bought a fabulous bottle from there too and I tried to cook a steak to go with it one night. It was nowhere near as good as the cheapest roadside restaurant and didn´t do the wine justice at all. We stuck to eating out after that.

We knew the beef was good in Argentina, but it really is outstanding. We couldn´t believe how different it tasted - and how huge the cuts were. And how cheap! I had the most magnificent fillet steak for about three quid. Cooked to perfection. The food and wine were definitely the highlight of our stay in the country.

We headed to Buenos Aires for our last few days before flying out to Peru. We both had mixed feelings about the place. While Mendoza had been bright and sunny, if cold, it was a refreshing place to be. Buenos Aires was hard work. Humid and dank at times, the city is really filthy. I have never seen so much dog poo on the streets. The whole city seemed too busy to notice how run down and grimy it had become. Of course, it is a place with problems and economic difficulties and huge amounts of poverty, but this is juxtaposed with a sophisticated city population obsessed with plastic surgery and psychoanalysis. It felt very European on one hand, but as chaotic and dangerous as any South American city on the other.

We walked in the parks of Palermo and enjoyed our regular breakfast of cafe con medialunas - strong coffee and three little croissants. Watched tango in the streets and indulged in a bit of light shopping, but resisted the temptation to buy lots of leather goods that would take up far too much space in the backpacks. The famous cemetary at Recoleta was quite extraordinary. Rows of one and two storey tombs, some immaculate, some derelict. You could peer through the windows and see half a dozen or more coffins neatly lined up. Only the very well connected make it here. If only as much money and attention was spent on the living population of the city.

We left on 5th July driven to the airport by a magnificently named taxi driver - Sosa Eduardo Washington - no doubt a hitman in his spare time. We were both quite relieved to make it to the check-in desk!

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