Zoe Harrison Travel Web Site

What a fantastic town. Bariloche is beautiful - set on the Lake Nahuel Huapi and surrounded by picture postcard snow topped peaks. We spent our first 2 days relaxing, taking it easy and eating. Our first proper trip out was a 5km walk to Cerro Otto where we took a cable car up to the peak, and a very Austin Powers revolving restaurant. I´m sure the views would have been more spectacular but the snow started coming in and the wind was blowing a gale! With our ever expanding waist lines in mind we then decided to take a 2 hour trek around Llao Llao in the national park (which, apparently has the most famous hotel in Argentina - never heard of it!). And...the 2 hour trek turned into a 5 hour hike. The map advised us that a number 10 bus passed the trail but alas it did not. Still, everything happens for a reason and without the extended trip we wouldn´t have been able to take in such stunning scenery - Lagos Moreno, Cerro Lopez, Goye, Campariano, Cria Suiza. It wasn´t until we got back to Bariloche we realised that the tour companies offer this whole trip as a package.

Whilst in Bariloche we had an "interesting" evening of hair depilation - Jason to the barbers and myself to the waxers. For those of you familiar with waxing in the UK rest assured that in Argetina they have a, shall we say, slightly different and much more efficient yet unhygenic system. Imagine if you will a pot of wax above which another heated pot is suspended. Here is the procedure. Place copious quantities of wax on hairy regions with a wooden spoon. Leave to set for approximately 3 minutes, then peel wax off in one swish. Place used wax in the suspended pot. Once wax has melted pour into pot below and re-use. Mmmmmmm. Lovely.

Volcan Tronador and The Black Glacier, 4th May

No this is not the title of a new Star Wars film. It was an organised tour by boat and bus to this most impressive volcano - look at the pictures on the website. My creative writing skills have gone again.

Bariloche to Puerto Madryn, 5th - 6th May

So who´s idea was it to have our first proper drinking session the night before a 24 hour trip to the east coast? Hazard a guess. The first leg of the trip was to Esquel, south of Bariloche. Esquel has a real pioneer feel and you half expect tumbleweed and John Wayne to walk down the street at 12 noon. Esquel is also the departure point for the Old Patagonian Express (La Trochita) made famous by Paul Theroux (for those literary types amongst us). We just stayed half the day since the whole town seemed to be closed for the season then it was on the overnight bus to Trelew and an extra hour then to arrive in Puerto Madryn at 7.00 am the next morning.

After only each other´s company for 2 whole weeks we checked into the El Gualicho Hostal with the prospect of meeting fellow travellers. Before you start conjuring up thoughts of dorms and shared bathrooms - rest assured we had a double en-suite room! I would highly recommend this place, it´s been so nice we ended up staying for 5 nights. It also gave me the opportunity to do some cooking again - surprising how refreshing it felt not having to eat out in restaurants and cafes. And food is so cheap to buy - 20p for a good beef steak, 8p for a butternut squash, 4 hand made sausages for 60p....

The day Zoe hired a bike!, 7th May

Yes, for those of you who know my exercise aversions this truly was a very special day. A 30km round trip on a bike. And I thoroughly enjoyed it! Yes, I may have finally been converted. It was pretty tough going since the roads are mostly gravel but we made it to Punto Loma (a sea lion reserve - see pictures on website), and then back to the Eco Centre for apple cake and a beer in their cafe. And I slept really well... (despite my conscience of running over a tarantula en route)

Afternoon tea in Wales, 8th May

After visiting Trelew and it´s dinosaur museum, we truly did have a Welsh afternoon tea in a small town called Gaiman. In 1865, 153 Welsh immigrants arrived in Gaiman and created a Welsh settlement with the intention of making a "Little Wales beyond Wales" and the Welsh language is still spoken by some of the people we met. We visited a very tiny and quirky museum called Museo Historico Regional Gales run by a sweet old lady and also took in cakes, scones and tea at Ty Nain tea shop.

A trip to the other kind of Whales, 9th - 10th May

We were warned that it was unlikely we would see any whales on this trip around the Peninsula Valdes since it´s the very start of the season. The "Right Whales" head here between the end of May and September to breed and have their young. However, luck was on our side and we got a fantasitc close up view of about 6 whales from the cliff tops around Playa Doradillo. One breached out of the water and Jason got a fantastic photo of it. The rest of the trip was just as stunning with bleak Patagonian scenery and lots of wildlife- armadillos, mara, guanacos, elephant seals and more sea lions. And to top the day off an incredible sunset. We fancied our chances of seeing whales again the next day so organised for a boat trip with a couple of others. It was a long shot afterall and unfortunately didn´t see any whales. Just as we gave up hope and headed back to Puerto Piramides we were so lucky to spot about 200 dusky dolphins jumping, flipping and diving. Fantastic sight and so close to our small boat.

Puerto Madryn to Buenos Aires, 11th May

Well it´s time to move on from the amazing Patagonia and onto the big smoke of Buenos Aires this afternoon - to the home of the tango. And... Boca Juniors football team - well it has been 3 weeks since he watched a live football match. Incidently Liverpool haven´t lost a match since we left. Perhaps Jason leaving the UK has turned their luck!!

Buenos Aires 12th - 16th May

Well, the 18 hour bus journey was worth it. From the fresh air of Puerto Madryn to the hustle and bustle of what amounts to a very European city. But there were obvious effects of the devaluation of the peso. We stayed at the Hotel Marbella in the heart of the city for a snip at only 10 pounds a night....and dined like royalty. The restaurant next door sreved us about 1lb roast lamb and the same of beef, with beer and dessert for only 8 pounds (including tip)!

Boca Juniors 12th May

OK, ok! Yes, our first night in Buenos Aires and the first real chance to watch a football match. So it was off to La Bombonera stadium to watch Diego´s old team Boca Juniors (www.bocajuniors.com.ar) beat Sporting Cristal (from Peru) 2:1. I´ve been to watch Liverpool a few times but this game was nothing like anything I´d seen before. The stadium has really steep sides so you feel like you are literally next to the pitch, and the drumming and singing never ended, everyone singing in unison. Fantastic atmosphere! And not a hint of trouble.

The Mother´s March 13th May

On Thursday afternoon we went to the Plaza de Mayo to watch the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo march in remembrance of their children who disappeared during the "dirty war" of the 1970´s. It was incredible to see so many women, perhaps in their 60´s, 70´s and 80´s, with such dedication. They march very peacefully, wearing headscarfs, and carrying pictures of their loved ones every single Thursday at 3.30pm.

Recoleta Cemetry 14th May

Morbid it sounds..but truly fascinating. The Cemetry Recoleta actually has streets and alleys filled with all kinds of mausoleums for the rich and famous. It almost looks like a miniature city. There are in fact tours of the cemetry! But we just opted to visit the most visited family mausoleum - where Eva Peron (Evita) lies.

Theatre and Tango 15th May

Just down the road from the hotel was the Teatro Colon and having never been to opera before this was going to be a must..unfortunately no seats were available for the time we were in BA!! Instead we took a behind the scenes tour. It is said to be one of the world´s great opera houses and it certainly lived up to it´s name. The theatre is full of marble, gold, and red velvet. Backstage there are stores of costumes and shoes - 22,000 pairs! Puts my shoe collection to shame (which by the way I´m beginning to miss).

We were lucky to get tickets for a table in front of the stage in the Cafe Tortoni www.cafetortoni.com.ar for an evening of music and tango. The salon was really intimate, and the music and dance very powerful and emotional. We met a couple from Brazil who took us for a drink and postre (pudding!) after the show in the main cafe by which time we were all a bit worse for ware on good value, high quality Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon!

San Telmo 16th May

After nursing a heavy hangover and a visit to the second hand book market (for some desparately needed English reading material), we headed for San Telmo - which had a feel of Covent Garden and Portobello Road rolled into one. San Telmo still has colonial and rosista buildings, which are crammed full with antiques and paraphanalia. The streets are not only littered with entertainers performing tango and playing music but also with stalls selling art and crafts. I had been reminded that what you buy has to fit in the backpack - so no purchases so far!

Buenos Aires to Cafayate 16th May

There just doesn't seem to be the perfect overnight bus journey. Our first, from Puerto Madryn to Buenos Aires, had the most luxurious cama seats but a smell of diesel, and this journey had comfortable semi-cama seats but no heating. So we froze ourselves to Tucuman, arriving at 1.30pm. Fortunately we got the next bus out to Cafayate at 2.00pm!

We came this way heading ultimately for Salta since the guidebook suggested that this was the more beautiful - it didn't let us down. It was 6 hours, first stopping at Taffi del Valle (with its cool microclimate) through stunning scenery of mountains, a cloud forest and jungles. Over the 3,040m Infiernillo Pass which then gave way to a grand arid landscape with fascinating rock formations and incredible cacti.

Cafayate 17th - 18th May

We stayed in the rather chilly Hostel del Valle (www.nortevirtual.com) which my gradually worsening cough and cold didn't welcome too fondly. However, it didn't stop me climbing to the top of Cerro San Isidoro for the views of the bodegas; and more importantly didn't stop me visiting the Etchart bodega to try the regions' exclusive torrontes wine (they produce 600,000 litres a year!). And at only 80p a bottle who could resist. Can't admit to being a fan - a little to fruity for me, I'd rather have a Chardonnay any day!

Following in Michael Palin's Footsteps 19th - 22nd May

I can't admit to seeing very much of Salta since I was holed up in the hostel Hostel del Cerro (www.hosteldelcerro.8k.com) for the most part with my stinky cold.

I dragged myself out of bed on the friday morning to take the Train to the Clouds Train to the Clouds (www.trennubes.com.ar) . I'd wanted to do the trip since I saw Michael Palin travel on the train on the TV during one of his world adventures and been planning it since leaving the UK. There was no way I was going to miss this.

The track for the train was built in stages between 1921 and 1948 and includes 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 31 bridges, 2 loops and 2 zig zags to help the train climb to 4475m. It was somewhat reassuring to know that there were medics and oxygen on board for altitude sickness but instead we opted for the local remedy of chewing coco leaves and tea. Not sure if it helped - tasted a lot like privet bushes but didn't suffer to much anyway.

The train came to a standstill after 7 hours and 10km before the spectacular viaduct at La Polvorilla. Brakes failure stopped us making it to the end of the journey. Everyone off!! You must have heard of the phrase "if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, then the mountain will come to him". Incredibly shortly after the trip was aborted and buses were being organised from Salta to come and pick us up, what seemed like the whole of San Antonio village arrived to sell us their wares. I couldn't hold off my purchasing habits any longer and indulged myself by buying a wool shawl for 4 quid. I think the sun must have got to me - a rather foolish purchase since our next stop is the scorching hot Brazil!

Still, at least I wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Jason's Spanish couldn't have come on as well as we thought since the same evening he managed to unknowingly order baby goat and eat at least one of it's testicles!

Salta to Iguacu 22nd May

We thought the quest for a perfect overnight bus journey was at last ours. Front seats, top deck, comfy semi-cama seats...until the guy two seats behind started coughing, and didn't stop for 24 hours. Oh apart from when he got off the bus for a cigarette. The search will continue but after three 24 hour journeys we've decided to treat ourselves and book our next long trip from Iguacu to Rio by air.

Iguacu Falls (Puerto Iguazu and Foz do Iguacu) 23rd - 25th May

Our hostel for the next couple of nights was nothing more than a hell hole - mouldy, wet walls, no flush on the toilet, damp bed sheets and luke warm showers. I guess there had to come a time when we came down to earth and become real travellers. The whole experience wasn't helped by 48 hours of non stop rain (and when I say rain I mean monsoon).

It was great to meet up with a couple of Jason's friends (Greg and Julia), two very welcomed friendly faces, and head to the falls.

"Mighty" would be and understatement for these overwhelmigly magnificent waterfalls. They completely rule over The Niagra Falls. The 275 falls over a frontage of 2,470m are the result of 30 rivers feeding into the Rio Iguazu. And we dared to take the speed boat under a couple of them just to "feel the force". No more descriptions - there's lots of photos on the website.