I am writing this after 10 days at sea and during force 3 hurricane winds (what else can you do on a day like this?!). This post is pretty much in reverse chronological order as I write about the Falklands last when we actually visited first. Aboard the MS Expedition I have visited the Falkland... Continue Reading →
Before I set sail on my Antarctic Voyage
That's her! That's my boat!! First cruise in my life and I choose over 20 days at sea on the roughest sea in the world. Haha this could be interesting. That said, I have packed sooooo many pills for this trip - sea sickness, altitude sickness, malaria, vitamins... I thought I was going to be... Continue Reading →
Hiking the Martial Glacier – epic views of the Beagle Channel
Today is one year since I lost my friend Parik and it is to his sad demise that I owe this world trip. It was quite a wake up call for me. So I often hike solo in his memory and today is no different. First thing in the morning I moved from Hosteria Foike... Continue Reading →
Ushuaia – the end of the world
I am now at el fin del mundo - the end of the world. Coming in to land in Tierra del Fuego was an incredible experience. Stunning beauty all around. Ushuaia, the world's Southernmost city, is surrounded by the Martial mountain range and the Beagle Channel, leading to its phenomenal vistas. I've never seen snowcapped... Continue Reading →
Montevideo and Buenos Aires
We decided to stay for an extra couple of days in Montevideo as we really enjoyed that city. The couple we were staying with, Fernando and Claudette, were lovely hosts and their house was lovely. Claudette did all the interior design herself so the place was lush. Our breakfast was the most delicious of the... Continue Reading →
Buenos Aires – the city of tango
There are lots of faces to Buenos Aires so it's worth spending at least 4 or 5 days here to see all the major sights without rushing. I've got until 9th January before I fly down to Southern Argentina so we're splitting the time between Buenos Aires and a few days in Montevideo, Uruguay. On... Continue Reading →
Buenos Aires for New Year
When I first dreamt up this trip all I knew was that I wanted to be in Buenos Aires to celebrate New Year, so our two week road trip of almost 3,000km ended here on the 30th. Today was our shortest drive day so we didn't rush at all. We found a place to exchange... Continue Reading →
Iberá National Park – the world’s second largest wetland
We spent two days at Iberá in a tiny lakeside village called Carlos Pellegrini, with 1000 inhabitants on the shore of the largest lake in the park. There aren't actually very many trails to walk but you can see so much wildlife that perhaps it's not a big deal. There are quite a few ranches... Continue Reading →
Paraguay and the drive to Iberá
First impressions of Paraguay were great! It's totally different to Brazil and Argentina despite being just across the river. As you cross the bridge the cars and motorbikes decide to make four exciting lanes rather than two mundane ones so you're absolutely surrounded. The city itself has a wall of high rise shopping malls and... Continue Reading →
Christmas, a helicopter at Iguazu Falls and into Paraguay
Alongside our adventuring at the Iguazu falls we stayed in both Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). On our way over the border from Brazil we stopped at the Monument to the Three Borders in Brazil, with great views across the river to Argentina and Paraguay. It was a nice place to chill... Continue Reading →
Iguazu Falls – a natural marvel
The monumental power of the falls has to be seen to be believed. We spent a day exploring the Brazilian side and another day on the Argentinian side. It's worth having a day or two spare to allow you to pick a day with good weather. Park Entrance Prices Entry in Brazil costs 63.60 Reals... Continue Reading →
Drive day to Brazil
The 8 hour drive from Corrientes to Foz do Iguaçu across the border into Brazil on December 23rd was phenomenal. The weather at the start was apocalyptic. We also came across a large wildfire and had to drive through patches of smoke which totally obscured the road! But as we headed East along the Paraguayan... Continue Reading →
Corrientes – off the beaten track
Corrientes is a great place to spend a few days! An unexpected gem when really all we needed was a stopover to break up a 1,400km drive. It's a chilled out place where you could easily get lost for two weeks unwinding. We spent our time walking along the huge Paraná River and going to... Continue Reading →
Rosario – hitting the steak and wine hard
I arrived in Rosario bus station on time at 7am and had completely run out of money so I had to walk 3.5km with my bags to get to the hostel in the city. It was nice and cool in the early morning but my bags weigh a tonne and I was exhausted when I... Continue Reading →
Uspallata – a real gem in the shadow of the Andes
At the end of my last post I arrived at around 9:30pm in a village called Uspallata. I only intended to stay overnight and leave early the next morning but I loved it so much I stayed for the weekend. Close enough to the Andes for them to dominate the horizon, and at an altitude... Continue Reading →
The High Andes – hiking to Aconcagua basecamp
Today, 15th December, I caught the bus from Mendoza to a national park and hiked to Aconcagua base camp and back. It was a really long day but it was fantastic! I decided to catch the 10:15 bus (more details about the practicalities later) and it takes you almost all the way back to the... Continue Reading →
Mendoza – all the yummy wines
Today, 14th December, was my first full day in Mendoza. It's flat and surrounded by world class wineries producing millions of litres of wine per year, including my favourite - Malbec. What better way to explore than to take a bike and wine tour!! The tour started at Bodegas Lopez, one of the best in... Continue Reading →
Mendoza – gateway to the Andes
Mendoza is the first sizable city you reach in Argentina and from here you can look back to the Andes and see the looming giant, Aconcagua, on the horizon. I plan to stay for about 4 days to enjoy the Argentinian steak, wine and some hiking. My hostel, Punto Urbano, is fairly central, the staff... Continue Reading →
Bienvenidos Argentina!
We passed through the Christ the Redeemer tunnel deep in the Andes and crossed the land border into Argentina, with cars and buses beeping their horns as they passed the flags. This cool metallic pod houses immigration! It was such a nice shelter from the scorching sun. The border guards were really friendly and we... Continue Reading →