Brazil

Argentina part II

The "Good Air" capital would only be Raul's host for a number of hours. He claimed he had to get back to Bolivia to see his girlfriend Paola and get a job, but the truth was, Mireya was landing in Buenos Aires the next day and he was too scared to confront her after we ditched her.

At least he got to catch up with Gina who'd just flown in from Colombia and we all had a farewell steak. Steaks here are famous the world over for being the best. I can report this is no Myth.

The short time Raul was is in Buenos Aires (notorious the Americas over for being full of snotty, uptight, vein peoples), was long enough for him, and Gina, to quash this miscast. The people were the friendliest we'd come across. In trying to relay this back around Latin America people would only say that it's their recent economic crisis which has humbled them. These people of course have never been to Argentina.

With Raul gone, we copied 3 million people and relaxed in a cafe to catch up and see who had been cheating on who etc.

Ever demanding and wanting the control, I decide for once to let Gina do the reading and figure out a sightseeing plan. Though I did have one stipulation (of course) and that was Evita's grave.
She took me to El Caminito, birthplace of Tango, where aspiring young Tango artists "busk" their dance on the streets. In one restaurant where I thought I was heckling the accordian player who made jokes between dances, I was made to get up and do some moves with the resident dancer.

Mireya flies in so we go looking for steaks and Tango shows. The norm in Bs As.

All of us big fans of Argentine rock legend Fito Paez, we make a day trip to his birthplace Rosario. This town is also famous for being the birthplace of revolutionist Ernesto "Che" Guevarra. We visited his house when it ocurred to me that it would be nice to buy a t-shirt of the hero here, rather than in Cuba. The little known fact of his upbringing in Rosario meant having to hunt for shop which actually sold one.

Easily recognized as one of Earth's top ten natural wonders: IGUASSU; lay await at the end of an18 hour bus journey. It had surprised me back in the capital how few people I had met in hostels who were including this stop off in their travel plans. I guess cooped up for 18 hours on a bus is not everyone's thing.

On the border of Argentina and Brazil (and very close to Paraguay) Iguassu is a set of spectacular waterfalls with "The devils throat" a gigantic thundering waterfall as the centre attraction. It can be best summed by a comment made by U.S. President Roosevelt's wife "Poor Niagra".

Another friend Fernanda had taken a 15 hour bus ride from her town in Brazil to meet up with us. Together we walked around the national park which aside the water thrills was teeming with wildlife. We saw many exotic birds like toucans and hummingbirds. There are panthers but sadly we didn't see any.

Argentina

ARGENTINA FLAG

Fresh out of Chile and fresh out of a travelling companion, Raul and I skirt some lakes, pass some volcanoes and alight in Bariloche. Mireya was somewhere filing reports in a police station back in that ridiculously long and thin country.

At passport control there was a big Argentinian flag behind the immigration desk. It had the regular blue and white stripes, only the picture of the sun had been replaced with a map of the Falkland Islands. On it was written,: "Fueran y Serían: ARGENTINA". Once were and will be again!!!
I kept my head low and coyly offered my British passport up for inspection.

San Carlos de Bariloche is known as the Switzerland of Argentina. It makes its own world famous chocolate, most of the houses are made out of wood and it's on a lake surrounded by snow capped mountains at least 4km high.

SIPPING ON MATE WITH LOCALS

There are three ways to get from this "Swiss" town to the tip of the continent.

A ferry:

Five or so days going in and out of Fjords, Volcanic Glaciers; past islands, rivers and mountains which are 23 times higher than the Eiffel tower.
It costs 300 dollars at a budget, and oh, something you might want to consider doing for your honeymoon. Though a nicer room for newlyweds might crank it up to a 500 dollars each.

Route 40:

An elite highway for the backpacker who also carries a briefcase (if you know what I mean) at a whopping 130 dollars.

The alternative:

The public transport route which on a map would look something like driving from Brussels to Paris via Moscow. That's right, another buddying up with Raul on a 40 hour bus journey.

National Glacier Park

7am we arrive in an enchanting retreat. El Chalten, set aside the spectacular Parque Nacional los Glaciares (do I need to translate) with its famous peak Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick Peaks

The next town along is host to the thing which has impressed me the most over my short career.

APPROACHING THE GLACIER

Perito Moreno: I'ts a massive profound blue ice coloured glacier wedged in between two mountains on the shore of a lake. We got there in the afternoon, which meant it had spent the whole day heating up. Sporadic pieces would break off and come crashing down into the lake making a thundrous splash. Then you would watch these mini iceberg, some bigger than houses, float off into the lake.

PERITO MORENO

Being in South America, specifically in Argentina, and with Raul, did not happen by chance. Many a night 3 years previous was spent talking about doing a very special trip. A trip to the end of the Earth. To the island at the Sothern most tip of the Southern most continent: Tierrra del Fuego........the land of FIRE.

To get there you have to take a ferry across the Magellan Strait, where ironically we saw a Cargo ship with PANAMA written on the back. Maybe they couldn't afford the 400,000 dollar cash charge to cross their local canal.

Magellan Strait

Because Fireland is half Argentinian half Chilean, the bus journey takes you from out of Argentina into Chile, then back out of Chile into Argentina. Before the journey we had bought two humongous beef sanwiches and to our dread we saw that big sign BANNING foods to be taken across the border. I stashed them in the back of the bus. I didn't care about the risk of deportation or the 1000 dollar fine. I wasn't going to abandon my sandwich.

When the border patrol officer came on the bus I saw what looked like a whisper going on between him and the driver. They were looknig at me. Or was I just being paranoid. Luckily nothing happened, except further on down the road I had to sneak them back into Argentina and go through the whole thing again.

Ushuaia

After checking into our hostel in Ushaia, we managed to catch a glimpse of the last ferry of the season which had just come back from Antartica. Maybe one day I will come back to conquer this ice continent when I'm through with all the others. Though at a cost of 5000 dollars, no time soon.

Prices to Antarctica

Antarctic Ferries

I surprised Raul with a bottle of Champagne to mark this landmark success. We hugged and celebrated the accomplishment of what most drunken plans never materialise to. We had reached the end of the Earth.

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Actually we reached the end the next day when we took the bus to the national park, and where it dropped us of was in front of metal bolards, which officially marked: YOU CANNOT DRIVE FURTHER SOUTH ON THIS SACRED PLANET OF OURS. I felt like I'd just reached the south pole.

The furthest road south

Next: Argentina part II - Buenos Aires and Iguassu (including a reunion with Mireya and her reactions about the whole Chile thing)

Argentina Plate