Poorly Planned But There She Goes....

Okay,

So I'm finally in Buenos Aires after a 14 hour overnight bus, semi carma (semi sleeper) alright for me but glad I'm not as tall as Rory-he's planning a massage tomorrow.

I've got a fair bit to catch up on so sorry if its not really detailed.

Santiago, Chile (April 13 - 16). Cool city, great place to land and get my feet but a few days is sufficient! I got here on a dangerous lack of sleep and God Bless Rory for finding me a clean and comfy bed. The hostel was cute and homely, clean sheets and my bed was actually comfortable. All well and good, if you manage to find time to get in to your bed! We spent the afternoon, wandering and tasting the mirriad of new and exciting cervezas (okay, we sat in the sun and drank long necks!). The price of everything was fantastic and the continual reminder that its all cheaper in Argentina was even better. 1lt of Heiniken (cerveza of choice, certainly not Escudo as I hear its as good as overdosing on laxettes) $2 Aussie, not to mention the ever anticipated steaks (and meat in general) all awesome quality food and cheap cheap cheap!!

Useful sentence #1 "Dos cerveza por favor, shopp por favor??"
Useful sentence #2 "Agua, por favor, sin gas" pronounced 'Awa porrr favorrrr si ga'

Mendoza, Argentina (April16 - 22) After a few days, it was off to mendoza. A 5-8hour (can't really remember) bus, best view of the Andes, from a comfy warm seat! They{re pretty impressive mountains and its quite strange actually as theres no real homes along the way, just huts occasionaly that the guys who work up there stay in i guess. Lots of crosses and memorials dotted along the side of the road (I was glad ours was a bust taken in daylight, lots of hairpins).

Our hostel Indepencia was like cramming 6 people in a matchbox with a ceiling fan the german chick wouldn't let us use and a serious mosquito issue (its easier to pretend all bites are mozzies as the alternative is much more worrying).

So we moved. To Hostel Lao, further down the road, with a pool! Swanky!! Then off we trundled on bikes (yes pushies) to see the beautiful sunny countryside, full of vineyards, olive groves and glorious fun to be had. Yes all this was true, except the sun thing (and 30kms on a push bike, in thongs...not so good. Really bad seat too-you get the idea). The lovely lady at one of the wineries proudly told us 360 days a year of sun in Mendoza....sure, we had 5 cloudy ones!!

The wine and olives were fantastic and guilt free due to the mode of transport. So good infact we went back on saturday on the bus and had an anti-pasto to rivial any in Melbourne in the one sunny afternoon we got since day 1, with a beautiful local Sav Blanc. How sweet life can be!!

Then basically theres been a lot of wandering, absorbing the beautiful surrounds (yes they are) the city id full of tranquil parks with tiled fountains and towering statues and (if you can kick a lovesick couple off) heaps of benches to park on to!

Buenos Aires, Argentina (April 23 - )

We have really good job prospects with an interview tomorrow at a translator company. If it all works out Rory and I plan to stay here a month or so, fingers crossed. If no jobs by friday we book a ticket outta here! The weather is cold but this a bloody crazy amazing looking city on first impressions - nearly as big a popultaion as the whole of Australia.

Metting up with a 2nd cousin I haven't seen since 1985 tonight, nice to to share a bottle of vino with a relative so far from home. I start Spanish lessons tomorrow which will ease some frustration I hope and in turn, ease the expectation Rory orders anything harder than beer, steak or water.

Theres much much more so heres a short list of likes and dislikes to bring you up to speed:

DISLIKE: That I wrote heaps of likes and dislikes and left them at the hostel.
LIKE: The way everyone says "De Nada" like no worries, my pleasure.
DISLIKE: Never getting used to looking left, right then left again when crossing the road (i'll try harder Mum!).
LIKE: EMPANADAS (South Americas answer to the humble meat pie)!! Little pastries filled with all sorts of goodies (not usually made for vegos though, they don't fit in here) jamon y queso, carne mmmm.
DISLIKE: Clafarte (the man, not the place. Long story, stinky man in La Chimba, Santiago, made it hard to sleep and breathe!)
LIKE: Siestas!
DISLIKE:Waking up after a siesta.
LIKE:The way Argentinans speak slower than Chileanos
DISLIKE: Packing my damn bag - I officially have 7 times more stuff than any traveller who has gone before me.
LIKE: Travelling here, its been awesome so far and I expect it will only get better!

Miss you all like my left arm thats been lost in thewar (wrong city and country oops) but I'd rather you were all here right now than I came home for winter thats for sure!

Becxo.

P.S. Some of you are having trouble finding my photos, go to bec3688 under authors on the right hand side of this page...you'll see.