Brel at a Chilean Volcano…no, not THAT volcano
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 
We´ve crossed the Andes and entered Chile at a most interesting time – the Chaiten volcano is erupting for the first time in over 9,000 years and it´s all over the international news. The smoke and ash is being blown 12 miles into the sky, and it´s quite a sight. While there are 2,000 volcanos in Chile, 70 of which are currently considered active, the area hasn´t seen activity like Chaiten in recent memory.
We are staying in Puerto Varas, and aren´t actually that far from the volcano – just over 200 km away in fact. Chaiten residents are being evacuated to Puerto Montt, just 20 km away.
The volcano we have come here to see – Osorno – is historically one of the most active in Chile. At 8,701 feet, Osorno´s perfect conical shape is easily recognizable – and the snow-capped mountains surrounding it are impressive. Thankfully, it hasn’t erupted since 1869, so you won´t be seeing us on CNN anytime soon.
Bariloche, in northern Patagonia, Argentina, is home to more than 50 artesan chocolate shops and over a dozen microbreweries.
How do you spell Brel heaven? B-A-R-I-L-O-C-H-E.
Set amidst the Andes, Bariloche is also a world-reknowned ... 
You know Mel is the one writing this blog when this photo actually makes it onto the site. I just can´t help laughing out loud every time I see it...do I actually date this person?
Of course this ... 
Gaining an understanding of Argentina means more than just hanging out in trendy restaurants and binging on beef and wine in Buenos Aires. (Not that there´s anything wrong with that.)
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We find ourselves in La Cumbre, a posh town in the northern part of the province of Cordoba, about 800 km from Buenos Aires. Known as a groovy, artsy town, La Cumbre is ... 
1. Unpacking your bags once and settling down for a month: brilliant.
2. Don’t mess with the farmers. See previous blogs on beef strike and field burning.
3. You can never buy too many leather coats, ... 
The literal translation of Buenos Aires is Good Airs, which is kind of ironic given what’s going on right now. The farmers, having recently given up their plight to restrict beef in Buenos Aires, have taken to ... 
I realize that as an animal lover, I’m supposed to be anti-zoo. But I'm not afraid to admit it: I normally really, really like them.
The Buenos Aires Zoo, located in the heart of the ... 
We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog reading to bring you an important beef bulletin.
We’re not sure why, but there’s some sort of reprieve going on with the whole beef strike. No need to lose ... 
Some of you may have noticed the repeat appearances of two scruffy and dishevelled 18 year olds in our photos over the last few months. ... 
Buenos Aires is a vain city by any standards: 1 in 10 women have an eating disorder; 1 in 30 people (that’s people, not women) have had plastic surgery; stylishly dressed and perfectly preened people ... 
Tango is the soundtrack to Buenos Aires – whether it’s old school tango dancing in the streets, or the sounds of pop/rock songs that have been tango-ized, tango is everywhere. At once both seductive and ... 
At long last (sorry Brazil and Uruguay), we have arrived in Buenos Aires, the Paris of the Americas; the land of beef and wine, where history meets style and where thanks to a ... 
With 275 separate waterfalls and 23 kilometres of foaming water, Iguassu Falls is about as spectacular as it gets. The falls lie on the border of Argentina and Brazil, ... 
Cachaca – Ever indulged in a caipirinha? Well it ain’t a capairinha without cachaca. Brazil’s answer to rum, cachaca is a sugar-cane liquor that basically goes down like burning gasoline – even ... 
...from the world's largest Catholic country.
Brel 
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Note to Mel’s parents: don’t worry, we come out of this alive and well.
Ok, we’ve officially lost all sense of reason (if B ever had any….)
Today we ... 
While Mel was communing with the Mayans, I pulled myself away from my computer for a little adrenaline. Belize has the largest underground cave system in the world, some sections of which have collapsed, creating ... 
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