We picked a guide up on the way who would be with us at the Fazenda (farm). We arrived around noon. We were originally allocated a four-bed room shared with the other couple but after a chat with Dave and Ivan, we managed to get our own room. Lunch on arrival was a large buffet with two different cuts of beef being sliced up. Salads and rice, a bean stew with rice pudding and fruits for dessert. Following lunch,we were given a talk in an Auditorium/lecture hall by one of the people on the farm about the flora and fauna and importance of the animals in the overall ecosystem. Around 3pm, we had a two-hour safari round the estate (which was a vast number of hectares) on the back of a lorry that had been converted ... read more

If anyone wonders why we try to upgrade from camping in tents to a hotel/hostel double room with shower and toilet, today is a very good reason. Had to be ready to leave at 4.45 am and who wants to stuff a sleeping bag into its stuff bag, a mat into its stuff bag and a pillow into its stuff bag and sort ourselves out for the day in the dark purely with torchlight and finally, take down and pack up a dirty damp (on the outside) tent into its bag and cart it with all the rest of our baggage to the bus before bumbling in the dark to the (not always clean) communal facilities several metres away? Bus finally drove off at 5.30am - 30 minutes later than planned as organising everything and everyone ... read more

Yet another leisurely breakfast at the hostel and on the bus by 9.30 am. A short drive for Cooking Group 4 to buy ingredients for lunch for today and tomorrow and tomorrows dinner. (Sorry apostrophes all missing as cant find one on this foreign keyboard!!) Whilst they were doing their shopping Ivan accompanied us to a private Medical Centre as the Falda Medical Centre advised that Jo takes a further sample to check the position 3 days post antibiotics. All very straightforward and cheap..... We stopped off at a supermarket with a good wine selection on the way back to the bus as Ivan wanted two bottles of wine recommended by Kevin from the Estancia which we treated him to as it is his birthday tomorrow and as a thank you for being our translator and ... read more

Awake bright and early....... well early! Tent packed away in a none-too neat bundle but fitted into the bag and away by 6.30 am. We set up the gas burners and put the kettle on so at least we would get cooks' treat of 3 cups of coffee. Cereals, yoghurt and some melon amd pears and apples cut up. Alll healthy stuff but we would have liked something different as it was more or less the same every day. We would have been happy to cook something different if there had been time but had been advised this was a 'get up and go brekkie'. On the road by 8.00 am and the weather was becoming much hotter. We stopped for the usual comfort breaks then lunch at San Ignacio de Mini where there were also ... read more

Sorry - a location is required to Publish the blog. We think the above is probably incorrect but couldn't find anything else more likely and we know we are in Colon in the Entre Rios area............... New cooking groups have been selected and guess what, we are in Cook Group no 2 and had to go shopping after breakfast with a new person named Elisa and Branca (who was on the first leg of the trip and came back for the third!). Packed the coach up by 8.00 am and walked 100 yards up the road to the nearby Carrefour supermarket. Bought for lunch, dinner the following day and breakfast the day after. We are not sure if we have bought enough food but hopefully people will eat too much today!! Left for a five hour ... read more