I arrıved in Turkey around mıdday on Friday when Deger pıcked me up from the airport and drove me to his home. He lives with his Mum Gulnur who is a univeristy student, his sister Duygu a lawyer and his Dad Hikmet an engineer. They live in a three bedroom apartment in an area right near the Bosphorous Sea. Houses are very expensive and its common for children to live with their parents until marriage. The apartment is so neat and tidy and i have been given Duygu's room while she has to sleep on the lounge or whatever bed is not been used. I'm been waited on hand and foot, meals appear and dishes are done, washing done and ironed even and fed like a king. Lunch was served and Gulnur had made us a ... read more

Having an Asado is an Argentinian institution. It is an ideal way to feed heaps of people, has a social element and means a lot of work for the cook. You have a pit area with a grate, and start by building a fire and making hot embers. Usually this is done in the pit if large enough in one area away from where the food is cooking. In our case the pit and grates had to feed 11 people so we needed to make embers in another place nearby. Wood and coal is used for building up a solid base of glowing embers and these are then put under the grate and the meat placed on top. The meat is slow cooked for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours with it being turned only once ... read more

Food here was not what i expected. I had thought there would be more of a Latino influence but really the diet is very European. Meat and potatoes, lots of pasta and cakes and pastries galore. Coffee and cake is a regular pastime for many people around 5 or 6pm, as the evening meal is eaten around 10pm or later. The day starts with coffee and pastries around 9am to 10am with a cooked lunch somewhere in between. Bread is white but crunchy and quite full of substance. Eating meat is an expected thing, being a vegetarian is not a popular option around here. Asado is the Argentinian BBQ, and the meat is slow cooked over hot embers. Butcher shops are everywhere in La Plata selling great hunks of steak, chicken, some pork but lamb is ... read more

About 50 kilometres away from Esquel is Los Alerces National Park. This is the name of the tree that the area is famous for. They are very old, 300 years plus, have a bright orange trunk, and are significant in this area. The park also has many fine lakes and rivers as well as view to The Andes and one of the glaciers. Autumn is a lovely time of year here, quiet, with few tourists and little traffic. Temperatures are around 10-15 degrees, the forests quiet and the walks well set out with great viewing areas, plaques with information and seats and set aside camping areas. There are various hostels and hotels but many are closed off as summer is the peak time for this area. Walking in the forest is so quiet compared to Australian ... read more

Went for a little bus ride yesterday, 26 hours from Buenos Aires to Esquel which is in Chubut province near the bottom of Argentina in the area known as Patagonia. Buses seats can be got with various classes so i went Cama class which is bed. Double decker bus with only about 30 passengers spaces, 1 across then aisle then 2 across with a toilet and food storage areas much like the first class area of a plane. The seats almost fully recline, with a huge footrest, pillow and blanket. But wait there's more.... You get fed... Ham and cheese croissants for a late afternoon snack and coffee, followed by a 3 course meal including wine at 9pm, salad and something, with roast beef and veges and dessert, all served to your seat with much courtesy ... read more