Roadblock, this is when all that you have planned and payed for does not go to plan, and the only way through the roadblock is to part with money (lots of it) and time. I think at our last entry we were in El Calafate ready to leave Patagonia and back to Buenas Aires for 1 night before flying into Bolivia and the next phase of our journey. Sounds great in theory, right?Something about the best laid plans of mice and men rings true from here on in. Arrive at airport on time, confirmed (twice) ticket in hand. LAN (not LAN Chile but a new division in Argentina) inform us our travel agent in Australia hadn´t reserved our seat on the plane. (we later find out that LAN have a history of overbooking flights). So handing ... read more

Happy Australia Day. TORRES DEL PAINE - back in Chilean Patagonia with the obligatory rise in prices back across the border. Forget the cost Yeatesy and enjoy the ride, the long ride just to get into the National Park, including a particularly scenic ferry jaunt across a lake with a colour I can´t describe - better to leave that to the guys who label those paint colour charts - something like cream of cobalt or Patagonian perfume. Checked into our $35US each bed in a 6 bed dorm (YEATESY, FOEGET THE COST!!!) and set off. I think we bit off more than we could chew on the first day - 23 klms. I kept telling myself it´s only 2 Sutherland to Surf runs plus interest. A bit more demanding carrying about 8 kg over, through, under ... read more

IGUAZU FALLS- took off from BA and almost made it to Iguazu at the first attempt. We had just about landed (we were virtually level with the tree tops) when the pilot realised the airport was closed due to fog. You'd think someone would have told him beforehand. So 90 minutes back to BA and 102 minutes in cold storage before the 90 minute return trip back to Iguazu.These falls had be worth it. They are.We hooked up with this great Italian guy Giorgio (its an Armani Gerry - as Giorgio explained to us - same name, different bank balance) and had a sensational day gawking at these THINGS. One second of these falls could power all the turbo flush bidets in Argentina for a week.The amount of water being flushed over these crevices gives rise ... read more

CORDOBA - a biggish city with a biggish city feel. Nice mix of modern and colonial with a funky little arts market on weekends. Tried a glass of white wine. The waiter didn't know what grape, just that it was white and its brand name - I think it was straight from the wandering vines of Chateau de Baghdad - urghhh! I´m sure there are some very cheeky whites in Argentina but I´ll avoid that minefield in future and stick to the extremely reliable Malbecs and Cabernets. Did we mention earlier about no more overnight bus trips? So with some trepidation we boarded the midnight red-eye express to Buenas Aires. 9 and half hours and Penny slept 10 hours. I don´t know hows she done it but I knows shes done it!!! We arrived in BA ... read more

Left Santiago with a 6 hour bus ride to Mendoza in Argentina. Really scenic trip up, over and through the Andes. MEN- DO-ZA!!!(I just cannot say it without thinking of Ranier Wolfcastle/Mcbain in the Simpsons) is like a ghost town at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. The only thing missing was a couple of tumbleweeds rolling down the streets. However by late afternoon the town was full of people enjoying life. It's a lovely city- great parks and plazas and tree lined streets - VERY European. Nobody - not even the people working in the tourist industry - speak English. Time for Yeatesy to step up to the plate. All those hours spent subliminally absorbing those Spanish radio shows have finally paid off. Mendoza is wine country and Argentina is hog heaven for meat lovers. A ... read more