San Pedro, Chile to Iguazu Falls, Argentina

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We transferred across the Chilean border to a small town called San Pedro and we had our bags searched for the first time but all was A OK. San Pedro was a nice little oasis in the dessert however it being in Chile and miles from any other town made it expensive, especially when coming from Bolivia. We found a relatively cheap hostel and had some lunch and the rest of the day was spent chilling out and sorting stuff for the next few days.

Tuesday 24th November

We spent most of the day traveling with a 9 hour bus from San Pedro to Salta in Argentina. The bus was very comfortable and we were even given food! There was a lengthy queue at the Argentinean border control but apart from that the journey went pretty quickly.

We arrived in Salta and it was hot, hot, hot! We stayed at the Backpackers Soul, a nice little hostel that is affiliated to another one a few blocks away. At the other hostel we were allowed a free dinner so we headed down and indulged in the yummy burgers that they had on offer whilst chatting to some of the people staying there and getting some handy recommendations for Rio and other places we are going to.

The morning of Wednesday 25th we went back to the bus station to change our bus ticket as it turns out there was a direct bus to Iguaçu Falls our next destination. We stopped for lunch at a mini street market and ate some tasty empañadas (mini Cornish past type things). After lunch we wandered into the main square, stopping off for an ice cream. Many of the shops were shut for a siesta and the sun started to get hot so we headed back to the hostel stopping off at a supermarket for some food for tea. We queued for 50 minutes for some steak from the butchers counter and then stood in a queue at the checkout whilst the till was out of order. A very stressful contrast to the beautiful palm tree filled Main Square we had been in just an hour earlier.

That eve Doddy cooked his fist Argentinean steak and enjoyed and every last mouthful although it was just a shame he got to see it again just a few hours later when he awoke to be sick just a few hours later. Somehow he had managed to give himself food poisoning but luckily it was short lived and by lunchtime the next day he was feeling much better.

Doddy writing now…

Yep, I gave myself food poisoning, what a donkey! Certainly wasn’t ideal when we had a 23 hour bus journey to contend with leaving late that day. We left Salta at 3pm after nursing my tummy better and having one last wander not the town centre so that Bowks could sample a Pancho (an Argentinean hotdog). The bus journey was the longest yet but surprisingly went quickly and was aided by the fact that the seats opposite were free so we were able to spread out and have two seats each (I’ve also decided it’s surprising what positions you can find comfortable on a 23 hour bus journey!)

So, 2pm, 27th November we arrive at the bus station in Puerto Iguazu to weather that topped Salta and was now hot, hot, hot, hot and humid! We boarded a local bus to take us to our hostel 5km away. The hostel was great with rooms with air conditioning and better still a nice large swimming pool in which we were soon in sipping cold beers.

We gave the buffet dinner on offer at the hostel a miss that eve and instead to take a trip to the local supermarket and cook for ourselves. Surely pasta and sauce I can’t poison myself!?

Well no food poisoning but Bowks awoke not feeling the best (possibly a side effect of the malaria tablets) so after a bit of deliberation we decided to chill for the day and do Iguazu Falls the following day instead.

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