Blogs from San Juan, Argentina, South America - page 2

So why all of the suffering to get to San Juan? Well near there is another national park, this one called ‘Ischigualasto’ or ‘Moon valley’ So we woke at 5am. Like I said, it is near, but not close, still another 3 hours in a van. Anyway, we woke early and had breakfast, stale bread and coffee. And then jumped into the van and headed off to the national park. Wow, another truly spectacular event. The national park is full of fossils (though you only see them in the museum) and the scenery in out of this world, which is why they call it ‘Moon valley’. I’ve done scuba diving before and I’ve had the privilege to dive in amongst some great rocks and caves. All shaped and twisted by the constant currents moving backwards and ... read more

One thing I never thought I would find myself doing is banging on the door of a cave looking for champagne. But this is exactly what we did on the eleventh of January this year, as on this day twenty-eight years previous, a terrible beauty was born! (I know she will appreciate the Yeats reference.) This birthday couldn't be more different to that cold snow white morning in 1982 that Joy once told me about. 2010 in San Juan, Argentina was a clear muggy day, roasting hot with temperature of over 45 degrees. A public bus had dropped us close to the cave. It all looked so strange and deserted. We tried the bell a few times but got no answer. A sign read ¨Be patient, it may take a while for someone to answer the ... read more

San Juan is one of the most western provinces in Argentina, bordering with Chile and occupies a mountainous region. The area is dry with little precipitation and where the temperature during summer can rise to unbearable level, especially when there is a 'zonda wind' blowing through the surface of the land. It is a province in Argentina that is full of sunlight most of the time. (Note: Zonda wind (in Spanish, viento zonda) is a regional term for the foehn wind that often occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes, in Argentina. The Zonda is a dry wind (often carrying dust) which comes from the polar maritime air, warmed by descent from the crest, which is some 6,000 m (18,000 ft) above sea level. It may exceed a velocity of 40 km/h (25 mph) Source:wikipedia) ... read more

1) A sign in the hostel bathroom tells you to keep the floor dry but there´s no shower curtain 2) You pay $40 US for a hotel, a lot in Argentina, but there´s no shampoo in the bathroom 3) The city buses are so crowded you have to trample poor old ladies just to get out (half kidding) 4) The candidates for Congressional Senator are not trusted by the average local....oh wait, that´s everywhere in the world 5) Paint is so expensive that a local orphanage could only half finish a job, and even then the paint was mixed with water 6) There is two-tiered pricing for foreigners in certain cities and national parks 7) You CAN drink the tap water AND flush toilet paper down the toilet, almost unheard of in Latin America 8) If ... read more

More El CHalten, Argentina (Fitz Roy) pictures. South Argentian Patagonia : p... read more