We’ll be gone till September, gone till September

Arriving into La Paz I have never been so relieved to get to a hotel and Sleep!! After our short flight from Rio to Santiago, we then had a 12 hour over night weight at the airport until our flight to La Paz, plus the hangover, being generally tired after missing a night’s sleep, then the attitude. Damn. La Paz is one the highest cities in the world at 3,650 meters above sea level, plus being built in a natural bowl formed by the mountains means lots of hills. Steep hills and high altitude is a killer, walking around La Paz‘s many tourist streets with stores selling everything and anything. Which’s market is a site in itself with Dead baby Llamas for sell, try getting them past customs. It also has some fine architecture, with its cathedrals and churches. 

By far the best thing about La Paz is the shopping and the ice cream, down the main strip are two large ice cream parlors, very cool, everyone should try the orio ice cream.  

So we got sun in Rio!!! Went handgluiding off the third highest mountain in Rio and lnded on the beach, pritty sweet. The onlycity in the world where you can handgluid over the city, the views of rio where amazing. will add pictures when we can.

We also visited the man, great views from up there. Jesus looked good loking down on the city

After 25 hours on a bus, we arrived in Rio.

We have been to the Favela´s the local slum shatty towns surrounding Rio city. Total different world to Cobacobana beach, where we are staying thank you very much. The streets if you can call them that are narrow passages more like allyways that run off in all directions down the mountain, you could easy get lost there for days. We took the tour up there, no way you go there on your own. We reached the bottom of the favela and took motorbike taxi´s to the top of the mountain up very windy roads, at a very fast speed. GTA in the real world but when you die YOU DIE!! Had nail marks in my hand from holding on to the motorbike so hard, undertaking a bus around a bend is an interesting moment. There ae parts of the favela where we were told not to take pictures as so and so is a drug dealer, and isn´t a big fan of having is picture taken. Never felt unsafe did see a few people walking around with guns, but in the same area we visited a day care centre that the tour supports, helps families with cheap or free childcare. The kids like being lifted up into the air, had a Q form at my feet to pick them up over my head, they loved it and I got a free gym work out. 

 We have been out clubing in Rio, visited he holly grail of tourist attractions the hard rock cafe, a freinds birthday. and just chilled out. we live a street of the beach, we plan to handgluid over the city, visit jesus, and chill out. Once it stops pissing rainning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So After a very long bus ride from Salta, we headed east and north a bit to Iguacuu Falls. unfortunatley there has been the lowest rainfall in 12 years a few miles north in Brazil, hence the falls aren´t all that raging. many of the falls are totally dry and look more like a cliff face than a water fall, never mind the always inpressive Devil´s Throut was spilling the water at an imence rate. Still won´t lie we were both a little disapointed, and in the end didn`t bother to go to the Brazil side of the falls. The falls run across the Argentine and brasil boarder, so you get a different veiw of the falls from the Brazil side than the Argentina side.

Still just because the water isn´t running doesn´t mean that there aren´t things to do around Iguacu. The three boarders is near by, it is were paraguay, brasil, and Argentina´s borader´s meet split by the river. So in one photo you can get three countries into frame, not bad really. We took a short trip into Paraguay via Foz in brazil, well we walked across the bridge to the city of  something something and took a look around. It is basically set up as a cheap place for Brazilians and Argies to buy electrical goods, and knocked off gear. So in the true spirit I went over and brought a new camera. Strange thing is we left Argentina into Brazil, getting an exit stamp for Argentina, no entry stamp for Brazil, no entry stamp for paraguay, so on exit we had to look for the boarder control and asked for a stamp. Due to having no Brasil stamp he wouldn`t give us a stamp, you can walk around the country in and out just no stamp. We then went to brasil no entry stamp from paraguay, no exit stamp from Brasil into Argentina. We did get anouther entry stamp for Argentina, so i have exit and entry stamps into and out of Argentina, I just didn´t go anywhere.  

 Had a few good nigts out with are mate Jo how we meet in NZ, was showed a few salsa moves. Two left feet and I´m right footed, still got to give it a try.

We arrived in the town of Tucuman to find once agaun we were a walk from the town centre. We seem to be good at picking hostels that are a half dozen blocks from the central plaza, but the YHA in Tucuman, has the best staff anywhere in Argentina FACT! For those that don´t know, every town in argentina is built around a main square then has the grid system in place. so all the town hals museams are around the main square normally called San Martain, or July, De Mayo etc. All to do with Independance and the dates, leaders etc. Any new town that gets built I expect will have the Maradoona plaza somewhere.

Tucuman was a nice town, smaller than Cordoba, and Mendoza, which gives it a better atmosphere. plus on the first evening A went shopping and found shoes and jeans inside an hour. She is now a very happy lady as on the odd occation we do go out, she can where a pair of shoes and jeans, not trekking boots and trousers. Not such a big deal in other countires, here in Argentina Everyone makes an effort, sure they get dolled up just to take the rubbish out. While in Tucumon we added to our list of adreniline sports and moads of transport, paragluiding. basically you have a Mucho Granda Parashoot and a bloke tired to you and you leg it really fast off the side of a mountain. then gluided down to the fields below, you are in the air for around 20-25 minutes very cool. Cafayeta is a very small tourist town between Tucumon and Salta, the place is sooo small you can walk everywhere and we were even next to the main plaza. Saying that the furthest house out of town is near the main plaza it is that small. Cafayeta is in the middle of the desert think Nevada USA and the landscape is very similar, middle of winter and it is high 20s centigrade. Middle of winter!!! So England is in a heat wave like we care.

Cafayeta is the little town in which I (Miller) turn vienicuatro, thats 24 for those who´s spanish is worse than mine. It was a good Birthday: We went trekking through the mountains, following the river, a little rock climbing, waterfall swimming (if you a mad german or loco Argie water was frezzing). Ranks up there with the best trekking we have done on this trip, had dinner with friends, Angus and Miriam. The food was Outstanding, a fat-man’s-dream: is a mexican dish with chips covered in melted chesse with mushrooms and bacon. Not called fat-man’s-dream but I can´t remember the name of it and Angus´s jibe for it seems fitting.

Well we are now in Salta and looking forward to hitting iguazu falls, just got to go on 27 hour bus. just need to book the tickets etc.

Had an ok time in Cordoba, very nice city, the second largest in Argentina after B.A of course. Did a lot of walking around, bit of shopping which was nice, Miller found a pair of shoes and t-shirt, we are starting to get very heavy backpacks! Found a great food market which sold freshly made empanadas, dolce de leche (we love this stuff, it´s like caramel, yum!) Miller loves it so much he bought two jars from the girl who could speak very good english one was chocolate and the other original, you all have to try it when we get back if Miller doesn´t get through it all first!

We have added to our very long list of transportation methods, this time we went horse trekking! Neither of us had done it before but had a great time, bounced around a lot on the saddle! The horses were very well behaved, i wasn´t too keen when they started galloping though, could hear me coming a mile off – lots of nervous laughter which the local kids laughed at. We really felt it the next day – sore bums and legs!

Next we headed off to Tucuman on a DAY bus for a change!Still took 8 hrs though and was three hours late.

Mendoza is a nice city closer to the Chilein Capital of Santiago, than BA. It was nice to get out of BA and start doing some activities, for which mendoza is good at suppliying. We headed off on a wine tour hitting 3 wineries and 2 choclolate factories in one afternoon. The wine was alright nothing soooooo good we just had to have a bottle, Amanda enjoyed the Australian wine experience more, over there they get straight to the testing and skip the tour of the factories, i.e. she got to drink more wine in Oz.

The next day was trekking and absailling. Trekking if you call walking up a really big mountain a trek wasn´t too much fun but what goes up must come down, and we absailed down three cliff faces. The last one being around 70ft and you can´t see down when you start due to a ledge so you walk backwards over a ledge with no idea whats below or how far down it is. Still very cool, and the hot outdoor spar at the end was a nice way to finish it off.

On the third day, told you we were happy to be doing activities, we had a snow ball fiight in the Andes mountains. How do you attract attractive girls from Mexico? Answer stand at the bottom of a mountain with snow up to your ankles and take off the 4 top layers you are wearing. Loco Inglaterria. unfortunately although there was plenty of snow we couldn´t ski as there wasn´t quite enough, wait a week we are told or head 14 hours south. So no skiing on this trip.

Mendoza was good, enjoyed our time there on to another overnight bus and cordoba.

We have now been in Buenos Aires for a few days, all is well. Bit sick of being in a big city but really enjoyed the weekend markets which sold lots of locally hand crafted things, including lots of silver jewellery, heaven! We have finally figured out exactly where we are going to go in the next month which is nice, off to Mendoza on Wednesday to do a bit of wine tasting and mountain climbing, strange combination, don’t think we will do both at the same time! We then travel through the north of Argentina for the next month and end up going over to the Igaccu falls towards the end before we head up to Rio to fly out on the 6th of August.

We have been learning Spanish over the past few days which has been good fun, don’t think Miller is quite as keen as i am! Still as long as we know “dos cerbesas por favor” and “gracias” i don’t think we can go that far wrong.

We watched our first tango show tonight at the famous Cafe Tortoni, ok i had never heard of it either but Hilary Clinton has been there! Anyway the show was brilliant, the tango dancing and singing was amazing and the bottle of wine we had while we watched was fantastic, must remember – San Telmo, Cabernet Sauvignon, made in Mendoza, here we come!

As i type this the party is just kicking off and it is 12am, still early!! Here the parties go on til 5am. Takes some getting used to, especially at the same time as sleeping off the jet lag, aaarrrghh!

See you soon! 

A

Hola

como estas?

it’s 270 odd days into our small trip and we have arrived in Buenes Aries,
Agentina. Currentely jet lagged, New Zeland to BA takes 3 hours on paper due
to crossing date line, in reality: 5 hour delay in aukland so we played mini
golf, after 36 holes amanda won on strokes played, 18 holes a game each. 12
hours in the air from Aukland to Santiago Chilie, 3 hours in airport, 2 hour
flight too BA. Jet lag kicked in about 1am ish last night, Miller and A both
awake for most off the am hours not Sweet.

Ba after two days seems a nice city, massive with many individual local
areas, boca, city of the dead etc. We are taking Spanish leasons at our
hostel, so far we can do the spanish alphabet 27 letters not 26, and count
to 100, well miller has a hard time with 5,6,7, all soud the same and keep
switching to french for some reason, random! After two leasons in spanish
i’m (miller) is glad Amanda is around her spanishn is better than mine, yet
in BA many people speak spanish which doesn’t help learning, but makes
ordering a beer easy as….

really enjoying Argentina, BA feels like a europen city, Amanda likens it to
Rome, small streets, big colonial builings in parts, and everyone is up
until dawn. It is currentley 12:03am and the hostel bar is packed many
people will not have had their evening meal yet! the bars and clubs don?t
open until about now and will stay open until 6am!! plus everything is kinda
cheap so that goes down well. 4 peasos for a 650 mil botle of local beer, or
10 for a litre of stella. homework work out paesos to sterling or dollars
etc. tip its good.

We a flight out of Rio Brazil, on the 6th August, So will spend the next 4
weeks hitting Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, prob amazon basin, before
flying to La Paz in bolivia. Form there it is a 31 day tour of duty around
south bolivia and north in to peru and the inca trail, up into lima, before
flying to New York. will be home for those who don’t know, don’t care on the
15th september. Thats 77 days from July 1st.

its all good
miller & amanda

p.s. spanish keybord is hard work too many leters and shift doesn’t do what it does at home. since when does holding alt and 2 = @ ?

ok at 9am this morning myself and Amanda went for a sort plane flight, so sort we didn’t land in the damn plane. 12,000ft, 200km per hour, and a 45 second free fall. SkyDived, tandem so was attached to a professional who jumps 5 to 100 times a day so it was very safe promise mom. So cool, can’t expalin in words very sweet.

total rush want to do it again,