Hey, hows it going? thought i'd write you an update,seen as the last one was a while ago. I've uploaded some photos from the journey so far in Argentina, which let me say, has been amazing. Expensive, but amazing. Anyway, since i last wrote, well its been probably two weeks?? and a lot can happen in two weeks, so here goes....

SALTA

From my longest day ever, i thought my stay in Argentina was going to be a stressful one, but as soon as i arrived in a place called Salta, that changed. I turned up in a place that was so much like a small european town its untrue. I put my bags down and headed out to go find the centre. The centre here is very pretty, and surrounded by various bars, and restaurants. All of them have approached the square with various outdoor terraces, which is something i havent seen in S.America for a long time, if at all. So i was going to stay in Salta for three nights.

Salta has a nice hilly backdrop, one of which you can get to the top of via cable car. You could walk it if you wanted, but that would be silly wouldnt it!! so yeah, i took the cable car to the top later that day. to be honest, it wasnt that great the view, but what they had done to encourage visits was install all these man-made waterfalls, which were actually pretty good. put me in good sped for when i was to visit Iguazu on my way back through after Carnival. So yeah, instead of getting the car back down, i decided to walk, which was a bit of a mistake, as by the time i got to the bottom, i had no idea where i was, and had to get a taxi back to the centre. oops. Later that day i met with a guy called Tino, which if you remember, was a guy i met on a bus somewhere in Bolivia, and turns out he was staying in the same hostel as me, which is strange, as we seem to have a nack of choosing the same hostels to stay in. It happened in Sucre, in La Paz, and now again in Salta, but hey, that was cool,at least i knew someone during my stay. So anyway, the rest of the day was spent lazing on the terrace in the hostel, with a few of the local beers.....Quilmers. Quite a bitter lager, but really nice if its warm outside, which is was. then it was time for the BBQ, which the hostel were laying on. 20pesos, all you can eat, with salad, bread, and red wine.......bargain. anyway, what unfolded from that was quite a messy night, with a bad head the next day. Tino was leaving the next day,so we grabbed some ice cream, and i actually think that that was all i did in the day. My time in Salta, although reletivaly short, was spent most of the time relaxing, and taking in the culture. so yeah, thats bout it for salta, then it was time to head to Cordoba

CORDOBA

Well i spent 2 nights in Cordoba all together, and during that time i went through my cant be arsed with meeting people stage, so i just walked around a bit, which, again was quite nice, although Cordoba is a massive place, and isnt easy to do, but its about all you can do. i didnt even go out at night, so yeah, wasnt much happening in Cordoba, but thought i'd give it a mention anyway. Then it was onto Buenos Aires!!!

BUENOS

Right, got there way to early in the morning on the Thursday. About 5 am i think, so got to my hostel,after being ripped off for my taxi, then went to bed in the hottest hostel room in the world. The Room was scorhingly hot, so when i woke at about midday, i had to swap. BA is so different to anywhere i have been for a while. Its really really hot, and very humid, with very little wind. So as you can gather, it wasnt pleasant sleeping at night, just as well i spent most of my nights there out hey!! So i met a guy in Cusco at new year, German, and he was to be my "guide" of the city,as he lived in Buenos Aires. Thing was he was working in the day, so we ended up going out in the evening instead. We met at 9pm, and from what i can remember, we didnt get back until 9 in the morning! oops, but the good thing was,it was just in time to see my friend Simon, who i also met in Cusco, arrive at the hostel. Then it was bed time. So i didnt want to do very much in Buenos, as i was coming back after carnival, the rest of the day then was spent as a lazy day, and oh yeah, booking my tickets to my next desitnation, which was a place way down south called Bariloche. So a quick walk around, and then to a place called Recolecta, which supposedly has a famous cemetary where Evita was buried, but ill see that when i get back.

BARILOCHE

Well, after a 24 hour bus ride, we got there, and what a place it is. Its so much like switzerland, its not funny. they even had St.Bernards with small puppies in the main square that you could take photos of. For a price of course! Bariloche is one of the prettiest places i have ever seen. It is very touristy, which i dont seem to like, but like i always say, i guess i am a tourist. Now i was with simon by the way, we had decided to come down this way together. Anyway, like most bus rides, it got us in pretty early, so we went to check in at our hostel and grab showers, but instead of going to sleep, i was eager to explore. I say its very swiss, having never been there, but i have seen that many photos and films, i guess its what i would depict (spelt right) a swiss town to look like it.

The hostel we were staying in was called 41 Below. the reason i later found out was we were 41' below the equator. by far the furthest south i had been in the world. So after some exploring, and getting soaked on a jetty by unusually large waves in the lake, we went for lunch, and bumped into some other people from the hostel. That was one of the great things about this hostel. There were loads of people to meet. It was pretty small, but big enough to meet a load of people. So by dinner time we were sat around a table with 4 aussies, 4 brits, one indonesian,a swiss guy, and and american. all of them nice people. and what started out as a group of people having a civilised meal, was a group of people playing drinking games, and making loads of noise. Again the local beer here is called Quilmers, which was taking a liking to my taste buds, until the morning that is, when it gave me the furriest tongue in the world,but it was a good night. The only bad thing was, that today we had agreed to all go riding, so it meant getting up at 8, oh well, i like the old bike riding, so it was ok for me. And unlike the others, me and simon didnt wimp out of the whole bike ride by getting the bus to half way, oh no, we did the whole thing, which was in all about 65kms. A good ride anyway. So we got to the "meeting point" way before the others, so had a nice rest, then it was a steady ride around the various lakes and forests, riding through some of the most beautiful scenery i have ever riden through. Some of which actually reminded me of Wales. We stopped for lunch in a biggish hotel right on the edge of a nice lake, again with an amazing backdrop, then it was a steady ride back, although straight out of the hotel, we were greeted by a steep hill that went on forever, which nearly killed our recently "food" up bodies. then it was goodbye to the others, and back along the road to the village, being beeped by various angry drivers, who didnt seem to think it was ok for cyclists to ride on the road...crazy people. Should send them to Holland and teach them a lesson or two.

Anyway, by the time we got back, by arse was killing, but i felt so high having done a pretty long ride, and enjoyed all of it. Plus we did get back before the others who had taken the bus. Result. So yeah i was pretty proud, and also glad that i had done some exercise.

Next day i awoke to a sore arse, and a stiff right leg. My left leg was fine for some reason, strange, but yeah, today was to be a relaxing day, do i headed down to get a bus ticket for the day i was leaving, two days later, and then didnvery little. snoozed a bit, ate a bit, and watched a film of three. Then it was out again at night, this time with a couple of other people. The beer like i said was Quilmers, but in a bar just down the road was a beer calle El Bolson Frambuesa, which although i was getting called a girl for drinking (as the foreign people i have met so far, seem to think that the english people are the biggest drinkers in the world), but it tasted nice, and of raspberries!! yum.

Next day, another furry mouth......Sorry nan, but it was ok, we were going to a place about 3 hours away from Bariloche where there was a national park with some lakes, and a black Glacier. So after 3 hours of driving, 2 of them over dirt tracks, we got to it. We were in a swiss guys car may i add, we didnt get the bus, or that would have been hell. Anyway, we got to the Black Glacier. The pics say it all!! then when we got back to the hostel, to say thanks to Dan (swiss guy) for driving, i cooked the four of us a nice meal, and nice it was!! i think there is a pic of it also! Paul (the indonesian) guy loved to take photos!! then next day we were to leave, which is where i write this from. Half way between Barriloche and a place Called El Calafate. About four hours away from the latter, 24 hours away from Bariloche, so way way more down south than there, but here in El Calafate, i think more photos will be taken, as its meant to be beautiful again, and full of nice white glaciers, maybe why its in a national park called "Glacier National Park"!!

So from, here i hope to get to carnival in time, which is in 6 days from now, and it about 3000 miles away!! hummmmmmm

Ciao for now!