Up and down the moutains

Considering how much I've slated Chile the whole way through my trip it seemed an odd choice to decide to have my birthday there. But hey, after 21 they all just blend into each other anyway so what the hey.

Seeing as I was in Chile we thought we might as well indulge in a few local offerings... But you see Chile is a big thieving country. They steel their surrounding countries culture and imitate it, badly. So Chile's national drink, the Pisco Sour (stolen from Peru); they serve up empanadas and steak (stolen from Argentina); and if that wasn't enough they apparently stole Bolivia's coast line too (that's just mean!)

On closer inspection of the guidebook we found there was a local delicacy in which we could indulge (for the life of me I can't remember the name), a genuine slice of Chilean culture with which to celebrate my 27th year. It turned out to be chips with stuff on it (specifically, fried onions, eggs and bits of sausage).

That's right folks, I managed to have a birthday meal on the other side of the world of sausage, egg and chips. Classy? (Ps, was actually really tasty and may get served up round my house in the near future)

This was pretty much the last main event before my journey home, which was an emotional event.

When the plane touched down in Heathrow, 24 hours of no sleep, 7 hours with out food or water, and three and a half months of no England all kind of impacted and I found my hands shaking and my eyes glistening as I walked through customs (not a good look if you are trying to avoid looking like your up to something).

Worryingly having now been back about 4 hours it all seems bizarrely normal here and South America already seems like a hazy memory. I think it's all going to take a while to settle in before I know how I feel about the whole thing, but for now a brief summary...

I have:

-Danced in the street at Rio Carnival
-Walked on a glacier
-Stared into the crater of a live volcano
-Been soaked under Iguazu Falls
-Ridden horses through the Argentinean mountains
-Danced the Salsa in Santiago
-Drunk cocktails all night in Buenos Aires
-Tasted wine in the vineyard where it was grown
-Cried at a beautiful puddle
-Had some of the worlds best steak
-Been to 5000 meters altitude
-Eaten fresh seafood on the beach in Brazil
-Been to the end of the world
-Seen the Tango danced on the streets of Buenos Aires
-Eaten a million asado barbeques
-Stood on the Salt Flats in Bolivia
-Been to the worlds highest city
-Been in a hot tub with two fit lesbians
-Seen a football (futbol) match in Brazil
-Lain on Coppacabana beach
-Seen the sunrise over steaming geysers
-Been bloody freezing
-Been bloody boiling
-Been so high and so remote that the sky literally shines with a million stars
-Received a proposal of marriage
-Laughed till I cried
-Seen a meteor
-Eaten Llama
-Been all the way there
-And all the way back
-Been totally stranded
-Been totally alone
-Been totally happy

Over and out.

Heading further south so a town I had heard fantastic things about, Mendoza. Even people from Buenos Aries rave about this place and as that`s the best place I´ve been to so far I was excited.

On our first night we met a crazy Chinese boy (who is quite possibly the most enthusiastic person I have ever met), a couple of English girls, a scotsman with crazy eyes, a Belgum boy who`s name neither of us could remember (and thus dubbed Belgy), and a yank called Andrew who became yanky doodle Andy (yak yak yak). This was the group that we took with us on our tour of the local wineries.

Trying to organise this many people to do anything always turns into a nightmare, and I realised how relaxed I must have become when I only got a tiny bit irritable and snippy... what a result.

The day consists of hireing bikes and cycling round the numerous vinyards and wineries around Mendoza. It`s supposed to be a nice leisurely day out but of course ended up being a mad dash through the rain to try and get as much red down you in the small amount of time we had left of the day.

We were however rewarded for this at the end of the day by the most beautiful rainbow I`ve ever seen.

Next on the agenda was more white water rafting. After hours of typical South American waiting around we set of with a guide who seemed to think it was a great idea to wear his shorts over his trousers. This should have been a warning. This guy turned out to be a world class nutter.

We launched ourselves onto the water and rowed along for a while, skitting over a few sections of rapids. After every rapid the guides would yell, 'celebration', to which we were supposed to bash our paddles together in the air and cheer. Fine. Our guide however seemed to tire of this after a while.

After the next rapid he stands up on the sides of the boat and trys to get us all to do the same. Four people all balanced precariously on a raft heading swiftly for the next rapids. The next one was to stand up and slap our arses at the bemused looking fisherman on the banks of the river. And as we finished the course he had us all wedged into the front of the boat, sitting on top of each other in what appeard to be an attempted to flip the ratt.

What an awsome time! I don`t think I stoped smilling once. Topped by going arse over tit into the water and being bodily hauled out by the guide, after which I don`t think I could actually stop giggleing.

I think Mendoza is now definatly my favouite place of my whole trip. Every one of it`s wide avenues is lined with beautiful trees, all the people we met were awesome, it`s full of beautiful plazas with fountains and little markets, just outside are some of the most fantastic mountains, our hostal had a pool and a great garden, your stopped by men on the street at least three times a day just so they can tell you how beautiful you are.

I even recieved a marrage proposal when I was there. A man who must of been at least 60 stopped us in the street and told the belgum boy I was with that I was 'bonita', and that I should marry him as he was single and had lots of money. He then proceeded to get caught up in a playful tussle with his friend and run off giggleing. I love this place!

My last night there (as well as my last in Argentina) was marked in the only way it could have been, by a huge amount of steak and red wine. Today we caught a bus back to Chile. The road to the boarder is one of the most beatiful I´ve travelled. Scores of weeping willows and bright green and golden poplars sat onto rich red earth and intense greens of the plains. This on a backdrop of dark green mountain with snow capped peaks visible behind all lit with the warm golden sunshine of the start of the Argentinian autum. There were tears as I crossed the boarder and a heart felt promise to myself to return.

I really can`t describe how I feel about this country except to say that it`s a feeling as close to romantic love as I can imagine. It has so many levels of warmth it`s almost tangible. I can`t imagine a better place to be.

So left Salta with another English girl (Rachel) in tow, who through complete lack of planning didn`t really know where she was going so decided to come with me on the rest of my trip. It`s nice to have the company but I was just getting into staring at the sky for hours on end and not talking much.

So we head south to a little town called Tucaman where there wasn`t much to do but wander round in the rain and eat empanadas (an Argentinian delicacy, kind of like a pasty but better). We got a hotel room but on the first attempt to lock it realised that it was stuck. Litterally seconds after this discovery, the Argentinian boys from next door came stampeeding out of their room to come to our aid. Then afterwards seemed intent on acting as tourist information for us.

We ended up meeting them for a drink later but seeing as the one I was chatting to spoke no English what so ever and an almost incomprehensible accent conversation was somewhat limited. I got a huge amount of millage on how beautiful the mountains of Argentina are. Every now an again I would glance jelously over to the other one who was speaking in perfect English to Rachel and having a conversation that extended beyond the present tense and wasn't punctuated with hand waving and blank looks.

Despite the limited depth of our conversation `Gastone` seemed to become rather attached to me over the next hour and a half and when we told them that we were leaving on the bus the next evening I found my hand clasped to his face which was wearing an expression of deep hurt. This was followed by lengthy protestations and offers to cook me the best empendadas I`d ever had. This was repeted for the rest of the evening accompanied by cries of, 'no no no, you can`t leave´.

Bless him, but it was very hard not to laugh. I mean I suppose that I had known him the sum total of about four hours.

The next stop was a town called Cordoba which is famous for outdoor activities. However as we arrived we realised that the rain had followed us. When we finally managed to get out into the country side, we went quad biking. As we rode up into the hills I couldn`t help but compare it to the horse trek we`d been doing the week before. As we passed through the beautiful unspoilt moutains we ripped into the calm with the roar of four noisy, dirty, polution belching beasts. In stead of the smiles and salutations of passing locals you are met with scouls and silence (I don`t blame them). However as time wore on you do get kind of into the raw power of these little beasts, it`s easy to see how you could become a bit of a petrol head.

That afternoon when we returned to Cordoba we were wandering around looking at what we though were parades for the start of holy week. It was strange though to see such a large military presence. Rachel was really keen to take some snaps of the hords or uniforms standing around the main plaza. We thought better of it and headed home.

It was here that we finally discovered what the parades were actually for. Comemorations for 25 years since the end of the Falklands war. Oh my god! I`m amazed we didn`t get linched. Note to self, read the history section in my guidebook next time. We stayed in for the rest of the evening.