Dear all

Well, when we last left you we were patiently awaiting our Brazilian visa and merrily updating our blog. What we forgot to do was check the closing time at the embassy. So, we wandered back at 2:05 only to find it closed at 2:00 and doesn´t open again until mañana - 8:00am. So, we wandered around Puerto Iguazu and headed down to the port. I found it quite amazing that we could sit above the river having a cold beer with Brazil only a short swim away. We then walked a bit further around the point and came to ´Le Hitos Tres Frontiers´, which is essentially a y junction in the river, bordering Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. You seriously could have swum to any of the three countries. Given how big this continent is and how long the bus rides are to get anywhere, I find it quite astonishing that I could be this close to two other countries. I guess maybe because that isn´t something we experience in Australia.

So, having explored the local area, we headed back to the campsite for a relaxing beer by the poolside - marred only be the most annoying children ever who insisted on bombing everyone in the pool to the encouragement of the parents on the sidelines!!

The next day (we think this was the 19th) we were up early, got the Brazilian visa´s and headed off for Parque Nacional Iguazu and the key drawcard, Iguazu Falls. I simply cannot muster the words to describe this place - amazing, overwhelming, awe inspiring, incredible - just throw in the thesaraus and you will get the general idea. We do have photo´s which I really will learn to upload! There are a number of walks and a train ride that enable you to see the falls from pretty much every angle and get close enough to feel the spray and power off the water.

On the 20th, as we had gone through the process of getting the visa we thought, why not head to Brazil and see if their side of the falls is any good so we took five buses and about three hours to get there and I have to say, it was worth the trip. You see the fall from a differently completely angle and get a much more panaramic view, as opposed to the close up view from the Argentinian side. I don´t think there is any real debate about whether one is better than the other - they are both just simply spectacular just different.

I forgot to say, we met our Swiss friend Pete at the campsite and we all went together to Foz do Iguacu (Brazil). This was his first use of bus rather than bike to travel and I wonder if he had moments of regret although the bust trip back only took 1.5 hours!

From Iguazu we got on another bus (20 hours - semi-cama - not as luxurious as the first bus, no hot food or alcohol) and headed to Cordoba on our way to San Juan. Yesterday we topped up the culture meter and checked out a few churches and cool local architecture. So today, we sit at the hostel updating the blog before going for a wander around the park and river front before our 23:30 bus to San Juan where we will remain for Christmas. As this region is renowned for its white and sparkling wine we should be okay here for a few days - and I suppose we should also find some time to check out the parque nacional with its ´surreal rock formations, dinosaur remains and glowing sunsets´.

Feliz Navidad y Año Nuevo

Hasta luego

Tim and Tracey

Well, we´ve moved on a bit since we last spoke but I shall start from the beginning. We spent three days in Montevideo, taking it easy really, walking around the city and checking out the beaches. The city wasn´t so different than most other cities but the restaurant area around the old port (Mercado de Puerto) was really quite cool and we had two interesting meals there. The first one was at one of the bbq places inside, where all the meat is grill on this big, open wood fired bbq. The photo´s provide a much better description so once I work out how to upload the photo´s you´ll get a better idea!

The second meal, in the same area but outdoors, we thought we would try some seafood as we had spent the day checking out the local beaches. I had grilled cod which was really quite tasty and fresh. Tim ordered calamari, thinking it would be grilled or shallow fried or similar. When it arrived, however, it was actually rubberised squid stewed in tomatoes and green peas. It actually didn´t look that appertising but even though Tim will usually eat anything the sight of all those peas was simply too much!

We spent one day just checking out the beaches that line the coastline and although you could see the potential, when we were there they were a bit like a frothy chocolate milk shake colour. The Lonely Planet also gave some dodgy advice on buses so we spent about 1 hour heading towards the beach but never quite seeing it and after getting off when the bus went no further we walked for a couple of km´s and finally found the beach. By this point there was a really strong onshore wind and so after persevering for some time we found a bus (one that actually went along the beach) and headed back for lunch. For information sake, should you ever be in Montevideo and want to head to the beach take bus 104 not bus 64.

Having had our fill of cities we headed, on the advice of an Irish couple we had met in Colonia we headed off for La Paloma, described as a surfer´s dream. We camped again here for three nights at La Aguada campsite and did very little other than walk along the beach, Tim got a nasty case of burnt belly after we fell asleep in the sun for about 30 minutes. Met a guy, Pete (Gday Mate), from Switzerland, who is travelling around South America on his motorbike and we had dinner with him, which meant for at least one evening we had someone other than each other for company! Depresingly, Pete had probably seen more of Australia than most of us, having cycled the Stuart Highway and also spent time travelling around Australia on is motorbike.

Just before you think it was all relaxation and not much else, Tim was rather pleased to find that there was a motorcross event being held next to the campsite.

We finally left La Paloma on the 15th and headed to Salto (Uruguay) to check out the thermal springs and find a bus to Puerto Iguazu. The springs were a bit of a let down, they were really just a water park. After that it was time to leave and begin what was supposed to be a relatively difficult journey to Puerto Iguazu. We missed the bus and the launch and so spent the afternoon lazing by the river waiting the next boat. Tim made friends with the Customs man, who had lots of fun reading his passport. I think we established that he was the Customs officer when he pointed out the sign to us telling us not to take fruit and veg with us to Argentina! Anyway, it seems like he was a bit like a good luch charm for us. Since meeting him we have been incredibily lucky with taxi´s, buses and visa´s.

Having made the 15 minute boat ride from Uruguay back to Argentina we met a local man who shared a taxi with us and took us to the bus station, refusing to allow us to pay. We then had a really nice ticket lady who got us on the next bus to Iguazu, leaving in about 20 minutes. This, however, involved a taxi ride across town to flag the bus down on the highway. The taxi driver made it his mission to get us there on time and we pulled up as the bus was approaching. It was a bit of a white knuckle ride - they do like their speed bumps over here!

When we were finally settled on the bus we were pleasantly surprised to find that we got a three course meal and wine, coke and whiskey and seats that almost laid flat so we could sleep for most of the 12 hour ride. Very cool.

Just a note, if you are ever wanting to travel from Uruguay to Iguazu, through Argentina and not Brazil, it can be done and is really very easy. Don´t listen to all those stories of people who say it is impossible without going back to Buenos Aires.

So, anyway, now we are in Puerto Iguazu waiting for our Brazillian visa´s (again, really easy despite only hearing stories about how hard it is) having checked in our campground - yes mum, the mosquito repellant was entirely necessary!

We shall sign off for now and will catch up again from ....... now that we have our Brazillian visa´s we may just make the most of it and spend some time there for a while.

Bye for now

Tim and Tracey

We arrived in Buenos Aires on 3.12.2008 and spent the next 4 days exploring the area. Our exploration was made quite slow due to Tracey finding the one thing the lonley planet didn´t say to watch out for. They tell you about the dog poo, the traffic that doesn´t stop and the pollution but they neglect to highlight the crater-like pot holes that invade the footpaths. Needless to say, I found one and was rewarded with a very bruised, sore and twisted ankle. As you could imagine Tim was not impressed and hasn´t allowed me one day of rest since. I am hoping we will find a nice beach soon and I can just sit and rest for a few days to allow my ankle to go back to it´s normal size!

So, I soldiered on and Buenos Aires felt like a really eclectic city; old mixing with new and wealth mixing with poverty. You could really feel the difference as you moved from one area to another. Fortunately, we had sunshine and blue skies the whole time we were there although we were slightly under-prepared and experienced sunburn for the first time in quite a while!

From Buenos Aires we got a train to Tigre, which is a really lovely riverside town that is the weekend getaway for Buenos Aires locals. It had such a relaxed and calm feel to it but we only spent the afternoon before boarding the boat to Carmelo, in Uruguay. This was a truly amazing 2 1/2 hour boat trip along the Delta. To say it was simply a great expanse of water surrounded by trees, swamp and reeds doesn´t do justice to how stunning it was. Nevermind, we have photo´s and video!

Carmelo is a very small town, quiet and friendly but eerily similar to an outback queensland town. We certainly stood out with our backpacks and I am sure that we were the topic of dinner conversation at more than one home that night. This was also our first night of camping, not to bad but motorbikes without mufflers driving by most of the night made sleep sporadic. Again, this was another town full of contrasts. Cars that looked like the first ones ever made travelled the roads and moored by the campsite were boats ranging up to the $2, 000, 000.00 mark.

From Carmelo we went to Colonia del Sacramento which is a small, World Heritage listed town with cobbled streets, colonial architecture and a fantasic position on the Rio de la Plata. The colours in the sunset were amazing; bright pinks, oranges and reds.

Bus trip from Colonia to Montevideo, where we are now - so more about that later.

Hope you are all well

Adios Amigos

Just less than a week to go. Work is over and we really are getting organised now. Thanks to those who joined us on Saturday afternoon / evening - very enjoyable. Tim says thanks to those who helped him enjoy last Friday, following his last day at work - I am slightly less thankful!! Although I am sure he felt the same way when he picked me up from the station on Thursday night ....

For those we haven't actually had a chance to speak with / email / catch up with, yes, we are now on our way back to Oz but it may take a while!

Planning - progress

Well, that's it. Tickets are booked, packs are bought and and coats are on. Less than two weeks to go and we will be on the plane to Buenos Aires to begin our adventure - the long way home. Starting now to look at accommodation and tour options and trying to work out how we will get to be in the places we need to be on the days we need to be there. Still, we have got a bit of time on our hands and we're not really in a rush to be anywhere, although there are key things that we want to see - galapagos islands, inca trail.

4 days of work left and then one week to make sure we see all the things that we haven't seen in the last 6 1/2 years!

Planning - phase 1

Well, 17 days until EDD and still so much to do. Tickets to book, tents to buy, hiking boots to wear in (although I do need to buy them first ...). Still so much to do and time is moving very quickly. Feeling better though that we now have a clear plan in place.

All going according to plan, we will depart from London Heathrow on 01.12.08 flying Iberia, via Madrid to Buenos Aires. We plan to spend a couple of weeks in Buenos Aires, maybe cross the border into Uraguay for a week or so before making our way overland down to Ushuaia. So far, the rest of the trip is still kind of vague but obvioiusly will involve the Inca Trail, Galapagos Islands and the rest of South America, before heading over to Central America and then just working our way as far up as possible before heading home.