From Puerto Varas it was a hop, skip and an 8 hour bus ride across the border to Bariloche - which means Argentina! My second country of South America, and within minutes I could tell it was going to be a good'un - the landscape instantly transformed into a lush and rocky landscape with looming mountains and deep blue lakes. The bus journey was nice and comfy, and gave me a good chance to catch up on some sleep (so I guess I probably missed out on some of the best views, and at the same time no doubt managed to annoy my neighbour by snoring and dribbling on his shoulder - I'm such a lady when I sleep).

As a first taste of Argentina, Bariloche was a great place to stay. Again, it felt like a European ski resort, and was very touristy, but I loved the wooden lodge-style homes and being surrounded by lakes and mountains was such a treat. Plus there was an abundance of chocolate factories and shops selling all kinds of delicious treats for me to stuff my face with. As it goes my arrival in Bariloche fell quite perfectly in time with more cash issues and a rotten cold, so I ended up being stranded there for about 5 days. Of all the places to be stuck, I can think of much, much worse than Bariloche.

I'll take the time here to discuss Dulche di Leche It's basically amazing. It's like a spread/sauce thing that's incredibly sweet, a bit caramely and super delicious. I love it. It's good on sandwiches, in cakes and desserts, and it's good for breakfast, lunch and dinner (well, for those with a sweet tooth like mine anyway). In Bariloche I had it in ice cream, and injected into teddy-bear shaped chocolates. I would recommend both.

Back to Bariloche.

Whilst waiting for my dearest darlingest mother to wire out some more cash (Nationwide are swines and I curse them AND shake my fist disapprovingly at them), I was able to make some minor explorations of the local area. I was extremely happy to discover a troupe of St. Bernard dogs being paraded around the town square, who were more than content to slobber all over anyone who gave them the opportunity. Which means me. There was also a pleasant group of builders just down from my hostel, who, without fail, would cat-call every time anyone mildly female walks past (even the 80 year old Betty wasn't immune from their attentions). This meant that every time I went to or from my hostel I suffered a series of awkward moments in which I would flush with embarrassment and nearly trip over my own feet in my haste to get away from an incident as simple and un-threatening as a builder shouting 'hola'. I'm hard as nails, me.

A short distance away was the beautiful Cerro Cathedral, with a ski lift running to the top. I was left completely speechless by the views when I reached the top. The Andes were everywhere, with lakes and islands and rivers and beautiful things in every direction you look. It was honestly one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. And if that wasn't enough, there was a cafe at the top that served English tea - PROPER tea - so it basically couldn't have gotten any better! I drank three cups of tea and soaked up the view for as long as I felt I could comfortably milk my stay in the cafe before making my way back down.

With a snotty cold simmering in the background I enjoyed spending my last few days soaking up some heat by the lakes in Bariloche. From here it would be a hasty journey southwards, which would mean chilly times ahead. I bought a waterproof jacket, a hat and some thermal gloves in anticipation. This, of course, means that I am now loaded up with so many belongings that I have a backpack rammed full of clothes, as well as a variety of forms of hand-luggage with everything else stuffed in. On the plane from Bariloche to Ushuaia I was lucky enough to be allowed on board with the world's largest plastic bag, with hats, shoes and jackets spilling from its openings every time I placed it anywhere.

And thusly I arrived in Ushuaia, 'the world's Southernmost town' (although someone once told me that it isn't really - apparently there's another town further South, but no-one really cares about it... I am yet to confirm this rumour). Seemed like an odd little place, where nothing really seemed to match anything else, but there were shops for shopping in so I was happy. I purchased a watch which has since been described as 'really 80s looking'. I was sort of going for funky retro, but I guess that's close enough. I then ate more steak too. Can't go wrong with steak.

After settling what can only be described as a 'waterproof trouser fiasco' (far too intricate and stressful to describe here, but needless to say I overcame it diligently and shrewdly) I was finally ready for the next step of my journey. I headed down to the port, armed with fifteen bag-loads of winter wear and boarded the MV Ushuaia, which was to be my home for the next 11 days for Laura's Wacky Antarctica Adventure! (Hmmm.. think I might make that the title of my next novel)