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Published: November 4th 2007
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Hola chicos!
Its been a little while since I gave you a real update into what we've been doing so here goes. We've mainly been in Argentina with a quick, expensive but amazing week in Rio de Janeiro. We did so much in Argentina I'm only gonna tell you about the first couple of weeks, mainly because I'm a little on the lazy side (in fact I was once described as lazy to the extreme, but I digress). Ok, after a weekend in SanTiago de Chile we headed across the Andes for Mendoza. For those of you who like wine, Medoza is the largest wine producing area in Argentina and has somewhere in the region of 300 bodega's (wineries). We we're keen to relax for a while after New Zealand - it's a hard life you know, so the only things we did were meet people and drink wine. There is a company called Bikes and Wines, effectively a bicycle hire shop that also supply a map of Bodega's in the area that have a guided tour and of course, tasting. Normally I swear by operating heavy machinery after paralysingly large amounts of alcohol but bikes were pretty fun too
and we were drinking fine wines after all! So for a full day we peddled from Bodega to Bodega sampling 5 glasses of premium grape juice at each stop and becomimg all the more informed on all matters wine related. It was a great day that ended in the police suggesting we take the bus home - we weren't riding at the time you'll be pleased to know. (I was actually pondering how someone was skilled enough to change the depth of an individual step in a staircase inbetween my toilet breaks!) On a more serious note Mendoza is a great city, very bohemian, full of cafes that spill out onto pedestrianised walkways etc etc (see pics).
Next stop was Bariloche in Patagonia, around 20hrs south of Mendoza. Bariloche's back-drop is very similar to the south Island of New Zealand only on a much grander scale, put simply, amazing! We stayed in La Bolsa del deportes (the sports bag??), a really cool Hostel full of great people, some of who we met again in Rio but more of that next time. Bariloche itself is a strange town full of Chocolate shops and dogs that really want to be your
friend. We stayed for 2 weeks, for one of which we took a Spanish course. Most tourists/travellers (we're not the same!) are there for the skiing/snowboarding so I guess it would be a different vibe come the end of the season though I wouldn't know for sure. We took a trip up the mountain to catch the views from the top, it was a little expensive because you have to pay for a lift pass but it was worth it - I'll let the pics do the talking. At this point I feel it necessary to mention the steak available in this country and in particular a chain of restaurants in Bariloche. ENORMOUS and really, really good too.
Straight after the course ended we headed for Puero Madryn, a Welsh settlement on the Atlantic coast, bellies full of chocolate, heads full of Spanglish. Here, or more specifically Peninsula Valdes is one of the best places for whale watching in Argentina. We saw a whole host of Southern right whales, Elephant seals, Penguins and one armadillo (the only one they haven't turned into a small guitar). The whales were incredible though, so close to the shore they almost beach themselves.
We took a boat trip but you can sit on the beach and be almost as close to them, really crazy (unless your Canadian or South African of course. To those of you who are, I apologise. We are trying but we don't have these things on our doorstep, we get a little excited sometimes). The pictures we got of the whales don't really do it justice, they really don't perform to a crowd when your camara's are out - where's Shamu when you need him! On the Orca front I would suggest to anyone thinking of going to leave it until February. Thats when the Orcas come to feast on the sea lions. They actually beach themselves trying to catch them and have to bounce back into the water, by this time the Southern right whales will have gone though so I guess it´s whatever your into.
Hope all is well.
For more on Buenos Aires, OKtoberfest and Igaçu falls tune in next time!
Ps for those interested we're heading for Bolivia tonight.
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Nick Dobson
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Hi guys, great update! God how I loved South America. We've been back in vey dark and cold UK for 3 months and am very jeolous. Enjoy the rest of the trip