As we gathered up our belongings, said goodbyes to our fellow companions for the last 10 days, and made our way down the gangplank, we realised that the weather in Ushuaia was nearly tropical - after the Antarctic!Before we sailed, we'd made arrangements to hire a car for our 2 remaining days in here. We'd also planned to send a parcel home with some of our wet/cold weather gear, old guide books, etc which would lighten our loads for the final few weeks travel. W...

Today was to be another long journey and nearly as far south as one can travel independently in the world. After our early breakfast we wandered along to the bus office where we were soon joined by hoards of locals and backpackers. Where was the bus though? At 7am a bus turns up - yes this is the 6:45 bus for Punta Arenas and the connection for Ushuaia - so everyone scrambles to get their gear stowed away and clamber onboard. No this is not the bus for Ushuaia, t...

El Calafate is situated in the Andes - yes we're back there - in a wonderful setting among snow capped peaks and glaciers. We've progressively been getting into an area where travel is difficult and journeys south often have to mean road travel between Chile and Argentina. El Calafate was to be our launching pad into the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. The town was much more pleasant than we were led to expect - and consequently, as we have found to our ...

The 3 leg bus journey from Bariloche to El Calafate via Comodoro Rivadavia and Rio Gallegos was to be tiring - and traumatic. We made our way from the mountainous western side of Argentina to and through the flat Pampas to arrive at the Atlantic Ocean and Comodoro Rivadavia in the early, sunny and windy morning. Our connection meant a couple of hours sitting at the bus station so it was good that our bus came in on time. The journey down the east coast was a litt...

Back from Chile and back in Bariloche after a wonderful drive on a clear sunny day. More to follow. E & M xxx