Clare writes: I had to visit Montevideo... it all dates back to when I worked in a bank and if people rang for their balance I had to ask loads of security questions so I felt like i was grilling them: What's your DOB? What's your mother's maiden name? What was your postcode before last? First pet? etc tec.... so I always used to finish with: What's the capital of Uruguay for a laugh. Well, it made ME laugh!! Never was cut out for banking! And I liked the city...

Clare writes: My cold has really kicked in now - mainly a cough but also weak and shivery. And despite the fact that I'd be ill in bed if i could, we'd got expensive (for an hour's boat trip) tickets booked to Colonia across the River Plate in Uruguay, so it's 2 paracetamol and country number 12!! It's a sweet place - cobbled squares, low-stature buildings along streets lined with many different kinds of mature trees pushing through the pavements. Pricey to st...

Clare writes: We arrived on the night bus from Mendoza. I had certain conceptions of what 'South American Buses' would be like and,as far as the south is concerned, my conceptions were almost entirely wrong! IN fact Argentina is famed for its luxury buses - semi-cama comfy recliners with big footrests, or the fully recumbent cama buses... we even got 3 course dinner with Cabernet Sauvignon and movies! Not that pricey either! Despite not slepping particularly w...

Sheila writes Crossing the Andes by bus from Santiago (Chile) into Mendoza (Argentina) was a fantastic trip. At first we were hardly climbing at all, just driving through vineyards in the foothills in Chile. Then we could see the snow-capped peaks ahead, incluidng the highest mountian outside of the Himalayas: Aconcagua, at around 6900m high. Then the real climb began, winding up through the mountains towards the famous pass of La Cumbre which is the highes...

Clare writes: We were watching 'There's something about Mary' the other day on one of Bolivia's 125 TV channels, and there is a line where the phoney architect, admitting he has made everything up, says: 'Who does to Santiago twice in one year?' This will be our third visit this year. How we laughed!