THE BIT THAT COMES AFTER

Well... like all good things... our South American odessey has come to an end.

It's hard to believe, but we've been on the road for three months, travelling from the northern most tip of Colombia, down into the heart of Argentina and looping back up to Brazil.

We've seen floods, deserts, lakes, rivers, beaches, jungles, volcanoes, snow, hail, sunsets and a good few sunrises. We've battled mountains, mozzies, mules, and drunken englishmen... and lived to tell the tale.

Here are a few things we learned:

1. Thongs are not all terrain footwear

2. Implanting your ATM card in your arm is probably the safest way to travel

3. Dancing like Beyonce isn't acceptable in any part of South America

4. Xanax is a travellers best friend

5. Hickeys are not acceptable on women over 25

6. If it sounds dangerous... it probably is

7. If it looks like poo... it probably is

.... there's bound to be more, I will keep adding as we remember them!

We would also like the thank the following people who all played a role in our journey... in no particular order:

Lauzy, thanks for being part of the trip... and for always, always being up for one more drink!! xo

Luke & Shane, two of the biggest kids going around - thanks for keeping us in our place, our trip wouldn't have been the same without you (.... and we have to live with that)

Colin the cheeky Irishman, watch out for low flying parachutes and moving bus violations

Our Inca brothers, thanks for trying not to fart around us (most of the time)

Hazman and Phil, my liver hates you and memories of christmas eve may never return... great time, thanks!

Fast Eddie, keeping pushing those limits buddy!

Scotty, best storyteller we met in three months

Kate & Griff, thank you for making it ok to drink cocktails after breakfast

Niall, Ken, Stagg, Johnny and Dave, the best thing to come out of Sligo since Westlife

Hockey tarts, for making us laugh with your debaucherous behaviour, we really were no match

Small-Prawn, you did get on my nerves but no hard feelings

Junior, the loosest hostel owner this side of the equator (Sunset Hostel, Floripa)

Bruno, the Inca host with the most (but for the record saying 'almost there' when we're nowhere near camp, not so helpful)

Jules, thanks for the salsa lessons and large hangover in Bogota

Ronaldo, thanks for not killing us in the 4WD

Justin & Sam, thanks for the pisco lessons

Gorm the hot Danish boy, thanks for keeping Kim entertained

English Kate, for looking after Kim as well

The Melbourne girls, Tess, Mirna and Amy, for partaking in Cusco and La Paz festivities

Byron and Yuri, for the mexican fiesta in Floripa

Conor, Paddy, Mariah, Iva, Belinda, Terry, Craig and everyone else who participated in Aus-ilian Day

Daniele, everyones friendly neighbourhood tour guide in Rio

Nice Security Guard in BA airport who gave me lunch money

Skater-waiter at Cafe Cultura, for his daily dose of frozen cappucino goodness

I hope you all enjoyed reading the blog... and if nothing else it made everyone at home feel like miserable when we were all having the time of our lives!!

Stay tuned for other assorted adventures... coming soon.

WE GO TO RIO

JAN 31 - FEB 5

In honour of our last overnight bus, Kim and I wet the whistle early by having a few cheeky caipirinhas prior to boarding our Rio bus. We were feeling festive and had been churning out renditions of 'I go to Rio' for days. Yes, we were pumped.

The alcohol seemed less of a good idea at 6am when we stopped over in Sao Paolo, but nonetheless we eventually arrived in Rio at 3pm, slightly dishevelled... and looking forward to Saturday night activities.

First impressions of Rio, or morerather the Copacabana-Impanema beach strip: steaming hot, too buzzing to feel beachy in a traditional sense - but everything is certainly happening on and around the water. Which was fine by us. You can buy absolutely everything from the comfort of your beach towel... food, water, cocktails, clothes, sunglasses, ridiculously small bathers... just click your fingers and it appears.

Not only this but the residents seem to be playing out many aspects of their lives down here. Sporting pursuits, working out, group exercise, dates, birthdays. (At this point I would perhaps mention the swimwear experiment which Kim and I embarked upon, except that I have been banned from doing so. Suffice to say, these incredibly small pieces of material which pass for bathers are not exactly sturdy...).

The city skyline itself is a little more surprising. The less-famous tourist attraction - of course after the imposing Christ the Redeemer monument - is Sugar Loaf Mountain, which juts out oddly over the bay. As thought God just tacked it on the end as an afterthought. Admittedly it is the vista from the Christ statue which confirms Rio de Janeiro has one of the most unusual, compelling urban sprawls I've ever seen.

And of course this uniqueness is matched only by it's intriguing inhabitants! Rio is an explosion of colour and sound, from street conversations to billboard advertising, nightclub lights and leafy streets. Yes it's intense - and absolutely f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c!!(By no means is the entire place beer and skittles, but this was one city where we were content to stick to the sensible areas. I was pretty disappointed that we didn't have time for a favela tour as I'm sure the 'real' Rio emerges there).


After our dismal Saturday night effort (asleep during second cocktail) we met up with a fun crew of ex-Floripa kids on Sunday and took the party bus out to a Favela Funk Party. The infamous 'festa' is a weekly rave, held in a hot, steamy warehouse, with up to 1,000 people all getting down and groovy - it sounded brilliant! In reality there were significantly less people, most of them gringos and the music was beyond-a-joke loud... but hey, they sold vodka by the litre, and we shook our booties until the wee hours.



It broke my heart to leave Rio, but it was only fitting that my final days of this adventure were spent in such a fun, fiesty city. Although I will always regret my money running out a mere WEEK from Carnivale!!

I *HEART* FLORIPA

JAN 24 - 30

After originally planning to fly south to Patagonia after BA, we decided  to change course at the last minute and head north into Brazil. All I can say is thank heavens for that stroke of genius. I can't believe we nearly missed out on this country!! Amazing, amazing, amazing... and the best possible way to spend our last fortnight.

After hearing great things along the Gringo Trail our first stop is Florianapolis, a cool coastal town about 16hrs south of Rio de Janiero. Flori is heaven on a beach... starting with our hostel, Sunset, which sits hillside overlooking the bay (see the view from my bed below).

The gregarious and fun owner Junior is 100% dedicated to showing his guests a good time, every day of the week... and we arrive just in time for 'Aus-ilian Day' (a huge fiesta in honour of Australia day, Brazilian style).



The Brazilians certainly know how to do beach culture... in fact the vibe around Floripa is not unlike coastal beach towns in Oz. Cafes, restaurants, surf shops, board and jet ski hire... plenty of things to keep you amused. And you can certainly see why people get stuck here... although it's not a place you can sustain uber cheaply. As a notable beach haven the eating, drinking and shopping price tags are up there with the most $$ of our trip (which is not handy for someone who is literally wringing the last droplets out of her savings!).

Yes I probably could have lost a month of my life here... but we have to keep moving. It's the final countdown!!

CHASING WATERFALLS

We sadly farewelled Buenos Aires and headed north to one of South Americas most visited sights, Iguazu Falls. Taller than Niagra and twice as wide, the falls cast an impressive divide between the Argentinian and Brazilian borders and are listed as a World Heritage site.

The sight of 3 million litres of water thundering over the edge and falling 25 storeys into the gorge was out of this world! You can walk right up to the edge at several vantage points, and it was particularly mind blowing standing over the top of Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), the largest of section of the falls. It was loud, dramatic and just incredibly stunning.

Daredevils that we are, we even jumped on a boat and cruised in and out of the spray at the bottom. It was absolutely freezing and a little hairy having all that water coming towards you to be honest! I will let pics speak for themselves on this one... but Iguazu was absolutely spectacular, and a must-see for anyone riding the Gringo Trail.

BA BABY!!

JAN 14 - 20

I managed to keep myself out of mischief on the next bus ride, and we arrived in Buenos Aires early Thursday morning. We had all been hanging out for the bright lights of BA and jumping out of our skin to have a week traversing the city... and walking off over indulgences from the past fortnight.

First impressions of BA... modern, vibrant, busy and lots and lots of fun! The city oozes culture with lively squares, outdoor cafes and restaurants, tango theatres, museums, parks and gardens... certainly the kind of place I could live (it's now number 2 on the wish list, behind New York). I am instantly in love and almost frantic in my desire to absorb every possible sight, setting a cracking pace that loses several members of our group.

This in itself is ironic as usually I'm the one content to people watching from a cafe` or park bench. But this place! It is just bewitching, and has me throwing superfluous adjectives all over the place.





We stayed our first night in the smart, funky Palermo Soho neighbourhood which is renound for boutique stores and first class night life. However central BA is where much of the activity revolves around and we moved there in time for the weekend... which of course was the beginning of much shenanigans! A good crew had formed at our hostel, and the precursor to each nights activity was many, many happy hour drinks at the bar... getting everyone cherry ripe and ready to unleash on the town.



In fact after shaking it at Crobar on Friday night, Luke, Kim and I decided it was a good idea to check out a late club (late as in 'its too late to turn back', the kind of place that only gets cranking once the sun comes up). A decision that was questionable at best, and took us to a seedy, dank place which contained every misfit in Buenos Aires... so we called it a night, caught some zeds and backed up at happy hour a few hours later, before onto a tango show and out on the town again.

Monday and it was time to put our tourist hats back on... we seedily traipsed to El Tigre, a port province north of the city. At times like this my fluent Spanglish came in handy, and after deciding the tourist boat wasn't for us, I approached a local sitting in his speed boat and asked if he could take us for a spin. He obliged and we headed out along the deltas for two hours... enjoying the forrested islands, holiday houses and a dip along the way.





We also visited Recoletta Cemetary in the heart of BA - aka the burial place of the city's favourite daughter, Eva Peron. It was intriguing reading the scripts on some of the old vaults and tombstones, and I found myself feeling nostalgic imagining what loves had been lost over the years.





And speaking of love. I'm quite happy to confess that BA is one place where I have actively checked out the real natural beauty - the women. Oh my, there are some amazing creatures roaming the streets. Both Kim and I found ourselves stopping mid-conversation on a number of occasions, to shake our heads and say wow, she was an eleven! Credit where credit is due as they say.

Our final day in BA was spent visiting the colourful artistan neighbourhood of Boca, with its famous painted houses. Whilst it's clearly a tourist mecca, the houses were cheerful and we had a lovely catch up with old friend Jo (...thanks for the coffee!).

Sensational weekend, first class city... can't wait to return one day!

WINE COUNTRY = GODS COUNTRY

We spent a few 'tough' days lying by the pool and cruising the sights in Mendoza... a highlight of which was the bike tour of local wineries.

What we envisaged would be a relaxing jaunt through the region, turned into a drunken, zig-zagging, hot trek along truck highways, with half the battle being to stay on the bike and the other half trying to dismount decently. It was (of course) absolutely cracking fun, and we were spoiled rotten sampling the local delicacies and drops. A highlight was being told by a local policeman that we were forbidden from riding our bikes back to the rally point, at which point we had to surrender them and wait for a local bus. "Sure Officer, we've had a few but..."

We found our way back into town and to a restaurant for our nightly beef injection, along with or a lovely irish couple - Kate and Griff. To top off a truly fabulous day we were treated to the musical stylings of the very talented Griff, and some cocktails by the pool...

... ah the good life, it's for me!

THE POO BUS

What should have been a relatively smooth 18hr bus ride to Mendoza, the heart of wine country, ended up being 'one of those nights' and forever known to Kim and I as the poo bus.

It all began innocently enough wth the obligatory bottle of wine keeping us entertained during the afternoon. Things started getting a little more exciting during the second bottle when the bus attendant (trolley dolly) invited me to sit in the drivers cabin and smoke cigarettes out the window! After a while, having convinced Sergio and Daniele to put a Ben Stiller movie on, I returned to the relative safety of my seat... and promptly went to sleep.

A stop well after midnight brought the bad news that Kim and I would now be in separate seats, after a bus company error with our booking. Groggily, we began to gather our things, when I noticed a series of brown deposits in the aisle. Closer inspection (and a quick glance at the grubby little kid behind us) proved that yes indeed, there was poo all over the floor. Then Kim started pointing at my sleeping bag and handbag, which having been on the floor had collcted a significant amount of poo.

The culprit sat grinning in his seat like a smiling assassin, and had I not been busy controlling my gag reflex I would have rubbed his cheeky face in it! Lucky for me the station toilet attendant has probably seen far worse in her time, and she kindly cleaned my things while I was violently ill.

There was a lesson from this experience, maybe even two...

1. One bottle of wine on an overnight bus is probably enough, and
2. Always, always be wary of a 2 year old looking pleased with themselves.

THE GOOD LIFE

8 - 24 JAN

After a brief interlude in Northern Chile, our bellies rumbled all the way across the border into Argentina... the land of steak and wine.

And we weren't disappointed. Within an hour of arriving in Salta we hungrily devoured the first of many tender steaks... spurred on by the boys who were notably silent, except for their groans of delight across the table. Maybe it's the sheer size or the fact that each steak comes out solo, in all it's glory on the plate... but I can saythat eating a good steak in Argentina is another-worldly experience. They are damn good!

And what else would complete the perfect meal, than a bottle or three of locally produced wine. From light, sultry rose` to the darker more mysterious malbec, every sip of wine was like a drop of heavenly goodness... and my love affair with Argentina was in full flight.

After spending almost a week staring at rock and desert, the landscape once we hit Argentina was lush and stunning. The city of Salta itself is brimming with lovely old buildings, a stunning central square and an abundance of green gardens and parks. It was the perfect place for us to stretch our legs which were still aching post 4WD confines, and just exhale for a few days. Salta actually exudes quite a European vibe, and the local restaurants turned up some of the most memorable meals to date. Spicy tomales, steak, more steak, fresh vegies... it was the perfect refuelling stop!

It's funny how travellers manage to amuse themselves in such places... and I want to make note of one particularly fun day in Salta. 'Coin Day' as it was dubbed, was a day in which all our fates were decided by the flip of a coin. Steak or salad? Left or right? And as the day progressed, wine or beer? One highlight included Luke successfully redistributing his worn havianas in a local department store.
Ah good times... and sure as hell more fun than being at work!

(Photos to come... welcome home traveller number 2!)

SOUTHERN BOLIVIA & SALT FLATS

JAN 5 - 7

A few days after our NYE razzle, and our sad farewell to Lauren (thanks for visiting! x), we headed south to Uyuni, for a tour of the salt flats and Bolivian wilderness. Whilst spending 3 days in the back of a 4WD was slightly tedious, the tour was definitely a highlight of our trip. We passed through an everchanging landscape, from salt flats to snowy peaks, mountains and volcanic rock to desert sand as far as the eye could see.


As you can see from the pics, the road was often quite sketchy but with a large convoy of vehicles we always managed to find a path. Accomodation was very basic, but with the novelty of being in the middle of nowhere, a fun group of people, and several decks of Uno cards... we enjoyed a laugh at camp each night.




After three memorable, but long days, we were happy to see Chilean soil (or bitumen morerather), and the came to an end in San Pedro Attacama - a quirky, bubbly little town reminscent of a wild western. In fact I spent most of our time there whistling the tune from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Enter our new travel buddies. Luke (Aus), Shane (NZ), Kate (Eng) and Scotty (Can)... a random bunch of mates who would provide much hilarity and good times over the next few weeks