Uruguay

We are in Uruguay! Whilst staying in the hostel in BA we met a couple who had just come from here, and we decided it would be an interesting way to get up to Misiones. At the moment we are staying in Colonia del Sacramento. We took a rather hairy one hour ferry ride across the estuary from BA yesterday. We arrived in the morning and had a relaxing day wandering through the streets of the old town, looking at handicrafts, eating ice cream and empanadas (not all at the same time). We decided to stay here another day, with the beach in mind, but it is raining so we may have to rethink. Either way it will be a slow relaxing day adjusting to the pace of travelling, and enjoying the peace after busy Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires

We have arrived! yesterday was our first day in South America, and it was a great place to begin. It is hot and sticky here, and very different from what we are used to, especially this tiem of year! We visited the famous Recoleta cemetary yesterday, which was an insight into Argentinian culture. Each mausoleum was like a small architectural marvel, and there were stray cats everywhere, eating cat food. Someone must have left it there for them, perhaps they are the guardians of this maze like city of the dead. Evita´s grave was anticlimactic (no fanfare or fireworks, just tourists), but the rest of it was fascinating.



We spent the rest of the day basking, wandering, and pootling, it way a joy after the rushing we have been doing recently in preparation to get here.



Today is a day for exploratrion of some of the other districts in BA, San Telmo and La Boca, and for a big juicy Aregentinian steak!

Computrer is acting up a bit, so we will add the pictures later,

Have a great day everyone, (we certainly will)!

El Plan

Tomorrow evening we board our plane Buenos Aires, Argentina, and begin 6 months of adventure and discovery. What lies ahead, even what tomorrow will entail, feels beyond the horizons we know today. It is amazing to think that in 6 months we shall be looking back with familiarity, understanding, and fresh outlooks. So here we'll put down the plans we have now, with the details to be sketched in over the months to come.

We will spend 2 days in Buenos Aires, exploring the streets and sampling the steak. It may be a shock to the system, the new language, the foreign smells, not to mention the hot summer weather of the southern hemisphere.

Following this we plan to make or way by bus up to the province of Misiones, we have already ear-marked a few national parks to stop by on the way (one boasts anaconda and wonderful bird life)!

As long as we aren't eaten by the anaconda we will then make our way further north to the small town of Campo Ramon, and to the farm where we will spend 8 weeks(http://mamaroja.blogspot.com/). By this time it will be the 2nd of February, and the suntan will be well underway.

Following this, and with advice and stories to guide us, we will head south again, through the gaucho country known as the Pampas, and into Patagonia. We will have 2 months to explore Patagonia and head up towards Peru.

Once in Peru we will ascend into the Andes, were our base will be the 'gateway' to the Inca heartland, the Gringo capital of the continent, Cusco. It is here that we hope to purchase our first ponchos, and perhaps some mountain alpaca yarn. We will be working for a small, locally based charity whilst in Cusco, helping children prepare for the public school system in the mornings, and teaching adults English in the afternoons.

After 6 weeks in Cusco, we have 2 weeks to make our way back to Buenos Aires. We are not sure how, but Rachel would love to see the rainforest & Ben wants to see Lake Titicaca, other options include Uruguay, which is a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires, hopefully we will be able to agree! or, failing that, toss a coin.

Our last day on the continent, will be Rachel's first wintry birthday, and then we will head back to London and a fanfare of adoring family and friends who have missed us...a bit like you miss a migraine!