Nov 2005

Carmelo again is a neat little town, it was also an old smugglers port, cobblestone streets, and a mixture of old and new with really old cars lining the streets and being driven around. There was also the horse drawn work carts being driven around.
Hired some push bikes and rode around the town, and then did a ride into the surounding country which comprised vineyards, cattle, and horses, and an exclusive resort which had a polo field and golf course - didn't go in just looked. It was quite a hot day but it was flat riding although the bikes were pretty basic and couldn't be adjusted too well for us. Sat around the main plaza on the last evening watching the world go by, and trying to get some photo's of the sights that you see like baby's being carried under one arm whilst mum rides the motor scooter, and kids doubling each other in the most unusual ways on pushbikes. It was amazing watching the people arrive at the main plaza around the same time with their maté and thermoses under their arms and then all just sitting around sipping their tea.

Off to Buenos Aires via Tigre on the 0500 ferry which took 3 hours across the river delta, and through chanels around islands. From Tigre we were put in a taxi with a couple of young Uruguay guys who helped us out at the ferry terminal making sure we got on the right transport and we had a good joke about the soccer with them. A fast 1 hour taxi ride into Buenos aires - put our backpacks at the bus terminal and then a bit of window shopping, and coffee shops in the city area watching the clock tick down until our bus. Got on the bus at 8.00pm for our 16 hour trip to Mendoza - and on this trip we upgraded to first class which gave us totally lay down seats so you could sleep on your side - not bad for a bus. We were downstairs with an english couple, a swedish guy with his mum who was from Mendosa and us so there was only the 6 of us downstaris. It was very comfortable. On the way out of Buenos Aires we went through an amazing electrical storm with the associated hail and heavy rain. enjoyed a steak dinner and a glass of wine before getting a few hours sleep before waking with the bus engine stopping. Apparently they were having trouble with the fuel transfer so we ended up waiting on the side of the road for a few hours whilst they tried to fix it and then waiting for another bus to come and pick us up. Finally got picked up but it was by an all stops bus so it took us an extra 6 hours all up befor we got to Mendoza. Pity because our original bus was really comfortable. The bus trip, first class cost us A$40 each for a 1,500 bus trip including wine and hot meal and breakfast - not bad.
Mendoza is a really pretty place with tree lined streets, and our hostel is the best that we have been in on our trip. It is only newish so is nice and clean, with a great kitchen, dining and lounge rooms, and a bar.b.que which we used a few times. Met up with another aussie couple returning home from england and a south african couple on their honeymoon on their way to australia for weddings and wind surfing. The staff at the hostel were really helpful and welcoming. On sunday night the owner and his girlfriend who was an emerican from Chicago had a barby for the guys family and we were included in the gathering and they showed us how to do a barby argentinian style. They were eating these huge rabbits whilst we had the local steaks which were just as huge. Had a good night with the family, trying to communicate with each other. One of the family worked in Sydney in Campsie, and his son went to Campsie Primary the school that Penny went to so that was pretty exciting. Did a wine tour of a small and large winery, and the large one had a really big musuem of wine history which was pretty amazing.
Started our extreme sports here, with a trek to 3 rapelling rock faces of 7,12, and 45 metres in height - Penny did all three. This was followed by watching the Dutch girl, who accompanied us, whilst she did some rock climbing - she was pretty good and climbed some pretty amazing faces free climbing. The rapelling was followed by a relaxing time at some thermal springs, which unfortunately were not that hot although they had a heap of pools and were still quiet refreshing. They had this one circular pool that was about 300m long, and 2m wide, that flowed in one direction so there was a clockwise current that was quite hard to walk against.
The next day was white water rafting - Dib was up the front and we had 7 of us and the guide - 3 other aussie chicks, a german couple and us. The guide was great and had been doing white water rafting around the world and he said the rapids were 3 plus a couple of 4 class rapids - it was really great fun and we ended up totally drenched. This was followed by 'canopy gliding' a series of wire rope runs across gorges and you are hooked to the wire by a carriage system and you control your speed by pulling down on the wire with a leather strip on your gloves. The last two runs are across the river 380m long and 30m high, and then 450m long and 80m up and these are great with the last one where you do not do any slowing down it is just a free speed run across the river. The company was really professional and safety conscious which was good. Got another CD of photo0s from todays events so more to bore you with at some stage. Last day in Mendoza spend in the city area as we don't leave on our bus until 8.00pm tonight, to Bariloche from where we will write again. Last weather report was that it is raining heavily down there and has been for a few days - oh well we have had pretty good weather for awhile so may get to do a bit of reading.

Well still in Buenos Aires to start. Had a nice birthday tea for dibble (thanks for all the cards) at a local restaurant that they call a bar b que restaurant. We had a table right at the front window so had a good view of the world going buy and of a bloke out the ront who was touting for business for the restaurant - I think I found Tiko's twin a dead ringer. Had a nice meal, a couple of bottles of red and then a wobble home - luckily it wasn't too far. The area we are staying in close to the city, in an antique and arty area and is pretty nice with lots of intereting buildings. Walked along the waterfront, which has the university situated there, and lots of restaurants but it hasn't been over commercialised. Got a taxi out to a suburb called La Boca, the home of Maradona the soccer star - the area is an arty area and all the buildings have been painted bright colours and manequins hanging out of windows and doors and off balconies. Its not a big area, lots of restaurants, artists, and they have tango dancing out the front of the restaurants and in the street. Had a walk around the main city streets of Buenos Aires, lots and lots of people but no dramas, we walked down the main mall that goes for about 10 blocks but couldn't go all the way because of another protest at the law courts - we seem to find all the fun.

Todays Pennies birthday - and she also thanks all for the cards and e.mails. Had a late morning, omelette for breaky and then a walk to the boat terminal to book our boat to Colonia to get caught up in a bomb scare there. Met a couple of aussie's who were on the way to watch the soccer in Uruguay so ended up having lunch wih them on the river side of the buildings. After beig allowed back into the ticket office, had another walk through the city - lots of looks but didn't buy anyhing. There is just too much to buy but we don't have the room to carry things around or another month or so. Had dinner for Pens birthday in a restaurant overlooking a little plaza, we both had shazlick - chicken, beef and vegies - very nice - a bottle of red and then home. One of the strange things of Buenos Aires is the amount of dog poop that is all over the place - you have to keep an eye out where you are walking.

The ferry to Colonia left at 11.30am and we had to get there by 10.30, however we ended up there early and just as well we did, as it was a saturday there were heaps of people getting the ferry to Uruguay for the weekend. Customs and Immigration was slow, but continued to slowly move. The boat is very flash - we had to got first class as the cheap classes had all been booked out - why they need first class for a 1 hour boat trip is a bit strange. The boat is a very big cat and takes cars as well. On arrival had a little walk to our hostel.

Colonia is a great little place - it was an old smugglers port in the 1800's, and there is still an old world feel about it - itis like Port Fairy in Victoria for anyone who has been there. Lots of tree lined streets, lots of very old vehicles parked around the place. Not sure if they have been abandoned or they have put them there for effect, although we did see some driving around and one restaurant had tables in the back seat section of a couple of cars. feel very safe here, and contented could stay longer. Lots and lots of motor bikes, and people everywhere including whilst they are riding the motorbikes sipping mate^ tea. Had 3 interesting days in Colonia and today got the bus to Carmelo which is just to the west of Colonia still in Uruguay. We caught the local bus, which was very comfortable, and which stopped along the way picking up passengers. It must have been the time for the schoolkids to either go home or to school and we picked up heaps of them and they were all very polite and the bus driver was talking and joking to them all. The counrty side was farming with heaps of cattle, horses, and crops - quite flatish with rolling hills and very green countryside.

Carmelo is a lot smaller town, not a lot to do it is more just a stopover point. Will stay here tomorrow and then get the 0400 hrs ferry to Tigre, then Buenos Aires, and then ann overnight bus to Mendoza which is back on the western side of Argentina.

Talk to you from there.

So for those that are still with us our journy continues.

Well still in Salta to start with. For tea we went for a walk around the city trying to find a cheese shop that we were given directions to from the staff in the hotel - no luck. We went to this restaurant for tea and they had the local dish advertised on special for 19 pesos (A$6.00) for the two of us so we took it. The meal came out amd it was this huge amount of meat on a bar b que hot plate -not sure what all the meat was but it had kidneys, liver, something that looked like bar b qued tripe, ribs, something else which Penny thinks was tongue, some really tender steak, blood sausages ( which we didn't eat) overall it was really nice and the meat was eally great - we didn't get sick from it which was also a bonus.
The next day we took the sky lift to a hill overlooking the town of Salta and had lunch up there - all pretty nice. Tried to download photo's with no luck. Booked trip onwards. Had beer and nibbles in the main plaza watching the world go by.

Slept in the next day as it was our last day in Salta and we had a long bus trip in front of us. Had lunch in town and took the bread they give out with every meal and bought some meat on the way back to the hostel so we had something to eat on the bus trip.
Got on the bus in Salta to Resistancia, and very quickly realised that we had booked the wrong bus as it was stopping at every bus top along the way picking up people - still managed to get a few hours sleep along the way. Arrived in Resistencia around 0530 am and were dropped off in the street outside the bus terminal. Got a taxi into town and found an early opening restaurant and had breakfast. walked to the tourist office around 0730am and after talking to them decided to head off to Pasadas as we didn't feel too bad after the bus trip and we could save a day. We had pre booked accommodation in Posadas via the net, and got there about 5.30pm. Accommodation was in an old building, although we had our own room self contained it was very basic and was in need of a lot of maintenance - the kitchen was that bad that we could not cook or eat there. Had dinner in town at a flash restaurant - penny had hawaiin steak, and dib steak with mushrooms and potato. Steak was terrific and it still only cost us A$10 for both. There was no-one in the restaurant when we got there but when we left it was packed - they eat late over here.

Not too good the next day - gout struck dib!!! had a slow walk up to the main plaza and late breaky in the main plaza street and watched the world go by. The local school kids put on a drum,dancing display, not sure what it was all about but they were having fun anyway. Had a wait at the bus terminal for our bus to Puerto Iguazo, and whilst waiting had some empanada - wrong move. about half hour into the bus trip the stomach cramps started, and we also realised that we had picked the wrong bus as it ws stopping at every bus stop picking up people. There were people sitting on the floor, standing up and there was no room at all. In addition the toilet on the bus didn't work so couldn't be used. The only benefit from the bus being a local bus was that it stopped regularly so we were able to use the toilets at all the bus stops. The trip was only 260 klms but took us 6 hours of misery. Finally arrived at Puerto Iguazu and got to the hostel we had booked around 7.30pm - got directions from the tourist bureau and they got us lost and then a young guy that we asked took us to where we were meant to go. Hostel was pretty good.

Had a arest day with a short wander around the local town. Nice quiet town - found bank - organised bus trip onwards. For tea had a local dish - lumps of meat on a great big sword that is stuck into wood on the end of your table - you slice the meat off the sword onto your plate - all very nice.

Were driven into the Argentina side of the Iguazu falls by the owner of the hostel we were staying in. Had an open army style truck trip thru the jungle, then a jet boat ride jup the river to the falls thru the rapids, then into the spray under the falls - everyone got totally wet and it was all great fun. back onto land with everyone dripping wet but no'one really cared as everyone was in the same boat - luckily dib didn't notice the wet clothes competition that was going on all around him. we then had a walk along the top of the falls right t the point where the falls tumble over the edge. Really quite spectular and incredibly noisy. Had a steak in town that we shared and some mashed spuds - had tea with an american from texas who had done a lot of work in queensland working on cattle stations - surprising who you meet around the place.

The next day we went to the brazillian side of the falls, and realised that we had wasted our money on our visas as they were not even needed and on the brazillian side they didn't evenn look at our passports. Went to a bird aviary before the falls and that was very interesting with birds from all over the world. The falls on the Brazillian side of the falls are diffferent from the Argentine side but just as amazing - you seem to be able to see them from different perspective as you are looking at them rather than down on them. Back at the hostel met a guy from Scarborough (perth) who gave us some tips for buenos aires.

Had a really nice trip overnight from Puerto Iguazu to Buenos Aires in a pretty amazing bus - fully lay back seats with wine served with dinner. Not sure why but we had a large amounts of stops and being searched by the Police on the way - they didn't seem to find anything or take anyone off so not sure what it was about. The trip was around 16 hours long and managed to get a few hours sleep. arrived in Buenos Aires to find that the accommodation that we had booked had been double booked - a bit of a drama but we finally ended up in a really nice apartment that has its own kitchen that we are able to cok breaky's and tea in so that has been really nice.

Thats it - we are in Buenos aires and will report in due course. Its OK if anyone wants to corespond with us as we don't mind reading any mail - any mail will do!!! please someone talk to us..