After the trauma at the Mendoza pool Rob and I caught an overnight bus to Buenos Aires. I know that bus travel is susposed to be much more ecologically sound than air travel (maybe I'll get some additional carbon credits for my journey through Latin America) but does this still count if the bus (a double decker no less) only carries 26 people.......I'd booked a Primero class bus for this 12hour jaunt and I can catagorically say it was the best bus yet, seats tha...

For the next three weeks in Argentina/Chile/Urugary my mate Buzzard will be contributing his comments to my blogs just to add a different slant and prove that I'm not biased and don't exaggerate (well at least not all the time). His input will be in italics. After a few good days chilling out and enjoying the civilization in Santiago I said goodbye to most of the group I had traveled south with too Chile and headed over the border to neighboring Argentina w...

I think La Serena means 'place of the giant supermarkets' as they seem to abound in this Chilian beach side resort. Though the beach ispretty crappy and crowded it isn't a bad place as everything is about a third the price of in San Pedro and it generally feels pretty civilised. After Peru and Bolivia its amazing to be able to cross the road at pedestrian crossings with cars actually stopping (they stop at red lights too!!!). I think the drivers here may t...

Crossed the boarder from Bolivia into Chile where the customs guys actually search every bag. After three days in the desert with no showers I guess we all look (and smell) like dodgy backpackers short of money who'd faciliate movement of Bolivia's most famous export for a hot meal! New year's eve was a hoot with a good time being had by all in San Pedro 'the town of contrasts'. San Pedro is a weird place, most of the streets are dirt but the proces are St...

Potosi is a Bolivian city that has had a number of bylines since the Spanish found silver and settled there. Located at 4,060m above sea level it has claim on the highest city in the wolrd and at one stage most of Spain's silver was mined here, Spain's silver currency was minted here and it was known as the richest city in the world. Today its lost a lot of its former glory but it's still a mining town with manyBolivian miners still working the earth for lead, ...