SAN TELMO SUNDAY MARKET DAY

Here are a couple of pics of the busy street where the San Telmo Market is held each Sunday!














Day 303

SAN TELMO Buenos Aires, Argentina

Market Day!

36'C and raining!

Today is the last day in our Apartment!!!!

No more private kitchen where we can cook SOUP like we did last night for dinner!!!

No more lounge with cable tv...

No more private bathroom...

No more $120 pesos a night!













Today, we stay in our new abode! It´s 65 pesos a night (AU$25) and it´s great!!! It´s the ´dingy´one we booked last week thinking..oh well, it´s close to our apartment so we don´t have walk with our packs in the heat and it´s just a room!

But..it´s not just a room....it´s really cool. The apartment had a fan..but this room has THE FAN!

Am i just being positive and optimistic hehe..or is this really a great hotel. haha!

Nah..it´s not my imagination. I reckon it´s great. Sometimes a cheap hotel can have more character! And we think we´ll book this when we come back to Buenos Aires after we´ve been to Patagonia and Uraquay..

It has a little courtyard too....we took a couple of pics before we came to the internet place today..here´s our courtyard!














That´s the courtyard where we´ll bring our New Year in..

What are you guys doing for New Year???

After we checked into our new abode we went down to San Telmo square and trapsed through the crowded markets..it´s so hot today...but it was fun at the markets! So much singing, tango, and stalls....here´s a couple of the stalls, below.















Now..we´re escaping the heat here in the Internet Cafe...it has airconditioning!!!!

NB: I´m just reading an online Australian news article reporting on the 25 strong gang (aborigines) that killed one man and assaulted another man in Gero on Christmas Day...

It says two boys of 14 and 16 have now been charged with the father of five´s death. Another guy, 21 is awaiting trial for the assault, causing grevious bodily harm, on his (soon to be) son in law.

I still wonder if justice will be done...what about the other 23 in the gang that swooped in to intimidate this family.

What about the ´real´issue (mentioned in a previous blog) surrounding this, and other attacks on innocent people?

OUR SAN TELMO FRIENDS!!

We have many friends here in San Telmo...and here they are....:-)

San Telmo pussie..Sitting on San Telmo cobblestones...















Sitting inside the door of an Antique shop at the San Telmo markets today!















Local street birds! Eating leftover scraps...













Our neighbour....behind bars as well! ha! (All of BA has bars on the front of their premises!













Another neighbour who greets us as we walk by....

TIGRE BA ARGENTINA

Day 302

Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina

As we walked through Florida Street, the street we pass daily and a street that has more than 800,000 people walk through daily, we saw the streets being cleaned up after yesterdays litter fest! Apprently the locals get a few pesos for the recycled litter so it´s not as horrifying for the local cleaners that i originally thought...at least the offices get rid of their 2007 papers and the locals get a bit of money to clean it up!

Our walk ended, for the moment, at the Buenos Aires's Retiro Station. We were going to travel 28km´s to the famous Tigre.

Tigre is a gorgeous little town in the Buenos Aires province that lies on the Parana Delta. The whole town is built on land that is a river silt build up..and that land is still growing, depositing silt at 0.7 metres per year! They say it will extend to Uraguay by 2100!

It took us about 45 minutes to get there on the train..and cost $1.20 pesos! (It cost 95 centimos to get the train back to BA!) It´s the cheapest train journey of the trip!

When we first got off the train it felt like we were entering another world. It was light and breezy. It felt like a holiday place. And we found out later that is precisely what it is! A lot of people from BA go to Tigre on the weekends and stay either in their own holiday homes or in a hotel for about 100 pesos a night. Which is about AU$37 a night! The pesos is about 2.7 for one aus dollar at the moment. A cheap price for the beautiful island it is!

After feeling overwhelmed by the breezy, beach atmosphere and thinking we should be staying there instead of where we are...we headed for the centre of town, usually the spot where all the activity is found!

The focus of activity was at the River Terminal (the Estación Fluvial) and there we saw lots of boats taking locals and tourists on these long flat boats...they were laden with people with shopping bags, luggage, and dogs sitting on the top! There was no other way to get to their homes or accomodation except by these boats!

I felt sorry for the dogs, when they first got loaded on board! It was so hot on top of the boat..and there was one dog that couldn´t sit down..every time he did..his boy goods knocked the ground and you could see they were heating up!!! If it wasn´t so shocking..it would have been comical. He yelped and stood up...and repeated this until i couldn´t look! Minutes later we did see that boat steaming down the waterway with that dog laying down looking happier....(see pic above!)

After strolling along the leafy lanes we found the ´tourista´, the tourist centre, and asked what was the best way to see Tigre in a day.

We found out..being a delta...with an extensive river system, the only way to get anywhere is by boat! We both quietly decided we´d stay put because lugging the increasing weight of our backpack did not seem very appealing!

We found out where the restaurants were..and what to see..and we headed off!

Our stomachs were grumbling as usual..so we found a great little restaurant on the parana river and order picada..which was a plate of mixed nibbles including the yummy empanada´s..fritas..(naughty i know!) and mixed meats and cheeses....It came with a cerveza (beer) and there we sat....and watched the world go by. All for 28 pesos. It´s incredibly cheap here in BA. We could live here, collect rent for our property and make money!!!

We saw this grey straggly cat on the side of the footpath..and when i went to take a pic it started talking to me!! I´m sure it was asking for food!!













After lunch we passed Grey Scraggles and gave him a piece of the meat from our Picada...and he loved it...awww













We headed out to the boat the tourista suggested, Catamarane Tur, and headed out for an hour and a half cruise of the Sarmiento River. It was absolutely gorgeous! And for a hot day, the perfect thing to do!!!








It was so strange to cruise along the river and see all the boat craft zipping by..whether it was the carrier boats or jet ski´s, or ritzy speed boats (i´m sure this is the playtown for the rich and famous of Buenos Aires!). We were so glad we got on the right boat because our boat was for tourists..and we cruised the river. Other boats stopped at every jetty and landing to let people get off! That would have been ok..but we wouldn´t have gone as far down the river as we did if we had to stop all the time!













Along the way we saw superby riverside mansions built on plush green grass and trees...and lots of different sized boats from each jetty along the river. We even saw antique boats that looked like they were just dumped on the side of the river...

Such an interesting cruise....with so much to take in. I´ve never seen anything like it...and can only compare it to the canals in Gouda...or in Venice. Only prettier!

After we moored we walked passed the fruit and craft markets that were by the Lujan River and found a resting point at the Tigre Casino!

We watched people mesmerised by the pokies..and at one stage (while Greg was in the loo) i got asked by the Security guy..to do something..not sure what..I couldn´t understand him..but i guess there´s no place for waiting there..you bet, or you go! Just as well Greg came out just about at the time when i was trying to point to the loo (banos) and explain...in spanish...that my husband was in there!!!!

What a beautiful day...

Tigre, a special place in Buenos Aires that´s for sure.

I felt so compelled to buy a little tiny baby suit that hung up just outside the Tigre Train station...It said, ¨Tigre, Argentina!¨

Anyone having a little Tigre anytime soon??

haha!

EVITA MUSEUM and FINAL WORK FRIDAY FOR BA!

Pictures of Eva and Juan Peron that are hanging inside the museum...



The Eva Peron Museum











Day 301

Buenos Aires, Argentina

*************
We felt very sad today...to hear of the assasination of Benazir Bhutto, twice prime minister of Pakistan...and,until her assassination, leader of the opposition of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Was this because she was a woman? A woman campaigning for the 2008´s elections?
*************

Today we did the same as the last couple of days (since being in our wonderful apartment!)..we ventured out about 3pm...and headed to Palermo to see the Evita Museum via Florida Street! And on the way home..to Plaza de Mayo.

We originally wanted to go to the Plaza de Mayo to see the Mothers and Grandmother´s mourning march..but when we read the BA newspaper, Englais Edition, we found out we had missed it. It was on yesterday! And we were down there yesterday, Thursday at 3pm..but too late. We felt so annoyed with ourselves.

This march is a reminder of all the children who disappered (kidnapped and murdered) during the revolution (so called the Dirty War!) in the 70's. The group of mother´s are known as the Madres de la and they come to protest the kidnapping of their children and to protest the lack of a complete accounting of their death and lack of justice by the Argentine Government.

Anyway..we missed it unfortunately...so headed to Florida Street.

Florida Street in FLorida. Last WORK FRIDAY in Buenos Aires!

We arrived to floating bits of shredded paper streaming over us!!! People were throwing it all out of their windows! At first we thought it was only one building..and we thought...those kids need to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck, told not to litter and then told to sweep the streets!

But we soon realised..and felt it floataing upon us...that ALL the buildings were snowing shredded and unshredded paper and documents! The streets were literally littered with massive amounts of paper!















We couldn´t work it out! The only thing i could think was....this must be a traditional thing to do..perhaps on the last Friday of December, before the New Year..because the paper was shredded diaries and hand written privileged information written on desktop diary pages (i got worried seeing this!)...and old used 2007 papers!

There were even toilet papers streaming out of the buildings...quite a sight to see i can tell you!

We stayed for a while watching this...then continued our journey to Eva Peron´s museum in Palermo. IT was about a 5km walk.

We finally found it..thanks to Greg´s impeccable directions (i have crap directional sense!) and as we approached the area...we soon felt we were pretty much in a ritzy area. The buildings were spectacular..so beautiful....this place certainly has beautiful buildings...all so european...you feel like you are in Paris or Madrid!

The Evita Museum, Palermo

The Evita Museum is just as decorative and beautiful. It was french architecture adn bought by her Foundation, The Fundacion Eva Peron, to use as a temporary home for women and children and later redecorated to become the museum to house her belongings and life and was only opened in 2002. Fifty years after her death.

We learned so much about Eva Peron..and her incredible life. She was such a powerful humanitarian and women´s rights advocate for Argentina. She founded so many schools and women´s houses...and did so much for the people of Argentina.

After she died, at aged 33, (1952) of cervical cancer, her body was stolen...and then shunted around for 16 years (firstly buried in Milan!?) and then finally brought back to Buenos Aires, her place of birth...and some of the footage we saw at the museum was quite disturbing. Her body looked mutilated by the time she was placed at rest. Her sister made an impassioned speech.

She was so loved...and so hated (because she was not the First Lady Argentine people expected!)....

And to see her museum was very poignant....albeit much of the writing was in spanish...

We also learned about her president husband, Juan Peron, who was a workers president. He ´felt´ for what they called the ´shirless workers´. Together they made quite a pair...battling for the humble..and they were both loved and hated.

We were glad we went today. We learnt so much more about the Peron´s. And their lives and their deaths.

Now, when we hear Don´t Cry for me Argentina...or watch Evita...or listen to Andrew Llloyd Webber´s songs from his hit, Evita...it will mean a whole lot more to us.

Back to the Plaza de Mayo...

On the way home we caught a taxi to PLaza de Mayo. The taxi driver had never heard of our hostel (!) so we thought..we´d come and have another look at the ´Argentine White House (althought it´s pink!) where Eva Peron made her last speech! It´s not really called that...just me comparing! It´s actually called the Casa Rosada and is in the The Plaza de Mayo...

When we got there...the place was full of Riot Police with shields, batons and vests...about 50 of them...and standing by an armoured truck with two high pressure water jets mounted on the roof. There was steel grilled protection on all the windows and wheels of the truck. It even had a grader blade at the front of it!

We actually walked through this thick paddock of police to get to where we were going..and when we surfaced on the other side..we could see a mob of demonstrators with signs and yelling words in spanish. We still don´t know what it was all about! I wanted Greg to take photos but he..and i..thought better of it. The police didn´t look that friendly!

I did notice there were a few of them at the back..leaning against other trucks....and drinking the mate tea out of their metallic straws!

That always gets me..to see that! They love this tea...we see people with their pots and metal straws everywhere....at shopping counters....in parks....everywhere..and we´re learnt that they don´t change their tea leaves until they´re refilled their pots about 10 times...ew.

Cultures are so different..the teas..and the shredded paper that is thickly littering the streets right now......the grilled and locked gates on all the buildings everywhere you go...and the vast numbers of security and police around the place....

All so different to what we´re used to...!

We had dinner at our fav pizzaria tonight.....they have such good pasta (canneloni and ravioli and legumes!! (vegetables!)

New Year´s Day....We diet!

xx

PS We found out the littering of the streets is a thing Bueonos Aires does every New Year!!!! Weird hey...

SAN TELMO PARILLA

Day 300

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Whoohooo...we´re onto Day 300..amazing that we´ve been away from home that long! And here we are thinking of all the places we´d like to go when we return in a couple of years!! We´d love to go to Central America next time..and do the trek in Nepal....yes, we still have dreams...and no, we won´t be bored when we get back to wonderful Perth because we will have time to reflect on this wonderful adventure..as well as to plan our next one!!!

We´re still in Buenos Aires, and loving it. We´re really enjoying our apartment and spent practically the whole day just lapping it up...and catching up on our laundry and cooking up food in our kitchen! The only thing is...utensils are limited...so i had to cook porridge in a teapot this morning..but that´s just a minor thing...(I wonder what our pumpkin will be liked cooked in the teapot?). Pity there´s no microwave..

But! No time for quibbling. Today we headed out about 3pm (the place seems to wake up about that time!) to Florida Street where life was buzzing as usual...and watched life go by there...

Then we headed to Plaza de Mayo where there are so many wonderful buildings...and where Eva Peron did her famous and empassioned speeches....

It´s such a busy place down there....and everytime we go there i always feel a sense of exitement for some reason..i can´t explain it..but can only liken it to going into central perth and seeing familiar buildings and being amongst the hum of the place. We´re truly getting so familiar with the Plaza de Mayo and FLorida St that it´s becoming like the city we go to from home (san telmo, where we´re staying).

Every now and again we get a soft tap on our arm...pretty little girls in raggy clothes, usually with a baby on their hip, asking for some pesos...it´s so heartwrenching..and difficult to refuse. My heart really goes out to these girls...they look so forlorn and desperate..and to be beggars at that young age is so tragic.

Always, at about 5pm, the indian pan flutes start playing which is nothing short of magical...we boutht their cd today...for 15 pesos..which is about $5 Aus.












A little indian boy in the troupe...in Florida Street...

And NOW: The highlight of the day...

Was our Parilla adventure.....to El de Nivel steakhouse (parilla) for a lomo (steak). It´s an old colonial building in San Telmo..and a parilla that we´d heard cooks the most succulent and wonderful steak. We ordered medium cooked bife de lomo (grilled tenderloin steak) and it WAS the best steak we have ever eaten. How they cooked it perfectly the whole way through so it was like fairy floss to cut was nothing short of miraculous! It was very yummy!!! And so was the simple salad and red wine.

Such a simple meal..that was so satisfying and perfect. We´re heard Argentina cooks the best steak. Now we KNOW it does! Beautiful!

One thing we´ve noticed since Christmas, when all the streets were deserted....is that the streets are once again populated and crowded...

Buenos Aires has 13.6 million people..and today..we noticed it!!!!

We headed home after our dinner...

VERY HAPPY.

If nothing else..and there has been a lot, the steak here in BA..is to DIE FOR!

I wonder how Mum and Annie are going in Esperance.....I miss mum´s emails!!!!!!!

Awwww....

BOXING DAY IN BA!

Day 299

BOXING DAY, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

We´re still loving our apartment!

And loved making our own breakfast..which was leftover panetone and banana´s!

We arose to a beautiful morning....and we heard the noise of the streets, hum of the cars...and movement of people in adjoining apartments....

Christmas is over.

The quiet and deserted streets of yesterday are, once again, alive.

We felt safe to go out.

We did some grocery shopping...so nice doing normal domestic things! We also bumped into our neighbour who said she got our room with the balcony so that was great to hear!

So we went walking around San Telmo..and up to Puerto Madero, the new part of Buenos Aires. It was almost too new for my liking! The buildings were all apartmentised..in that there were hundreds of blocks of flats...and lots of ritzy restaurants lined up along the river.

I realised i like the old...and not the new. The old part of town has soul and feeling..and people and music and it´s not all sparkling and fake.

We walked over the Women´s Brided, named because all the streets on one side of the harbour is named after famous Argentinian women....

And then decided to take a tour (coin donation) on the ship Frigata ARA Presidente Sarmiento which was an old Argentinian Naval ship. It even had the Commander´s dog preserved in a glass case....called Lamazo!!!!

We tried to look for a restaurant and after looking at the rip off prices settled on one called ¨Fridays¨ which had good menu including seafood and dishes with picante! (chile, which i love!) Greg had a pollo dish and i settled on a pollo enchalada.....we must really love our chicken! It was really nice sitting watching the Presidente Sarmiento that was moored, permanently, on the river.

We walked back through Palermo where we bought my new jacket for the freezing El Calafate weather!! (Going there next week...Greg´s dream place to go!!!)

It was a great Boxing Day....

Apart from hearing the news from Elise, of the murder in Gero...

Which...just makes me feel so angry...

Anyway...apart from that...

Ciao....

Hope you all had a great Christmas and Boxing Day!

Love and Hugs,
xxx

TRAGIC KILLING of an INNOCENT MAN

26th December 2007

My heart goes out to the family of Bill Rowe, a Yalgoo farmer, bashed and murdered in Geraldton on Chrismtas Day.

It is reminiscent of when my son was bashed, unprovoked and in defence, in the same town, on New Years Eve when he was only 19 years old. His jaw was broken and he had to come to the city to have it operated on. The feeling that he always felt he had to look over his shoulder took a long time to pass...emotional scars never soften overnight.

It makes me very angry that this behaviour continues to exist up there.

My question is, why is it happening?

And why is it getting worse?

Does it take a murder for something to be done?

This is the realism of life in this town. Innocent people are becoming victims of violence when they respond in defence to initiating aggressive behaviour. In Bill Rowe´s case, because he reacted when they tried to steal his beer from his esky.

My son´s attacker was found guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm. He didn´t receive any ´real´punishment for his crime.

Will the people who murdered this man get away with it as well?

The problem is escalating.

Something has to be done...

But...what?

I hope vigilante groups do not take it into their own hands..and i hope this latest attack and murder does not increase racist intolerance in this town..

This behaviour is not indicative of the the town. Many perpetrators been abused themselves and some of our people in Geraldton are still fragile. The town's tolerance needs building up. It does not need representatives such as those who have killed this man to destroy further destroy the equalibrium of the town. It's the danger of a single event which can magnify a situation.

There is one thing for sure, things like this happening contribute to a boiling monster in the town.

And...I just really fear the safety of people in the town.

Especially my own children.

XMAS DAY IN ARGENTINA!

Day 298

Christmas Day, Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Last night we had the most beautiul night on the balcony of our matrimonial suite! After we made phone calls home to our darling family, on their Christmas morning, we spotted a fruit place over the road from the phone booths and went over there to buy some veges to go with our panetone, fruit, wine and crackers!

We ended up forgetting our tomatoes and the young fruit guy came running up to give them to us which made us feel really good after hearing all about the crime in the area...

Most of the buildings had been barred up by the time we´d finished our phone calls and the street was looking decidedly deserted! Of cars at least...there were still a few odd bods about...and we felt secure walking back to our abode. The grills and gated houses really do look ominous tho..and make you think..there must be so many break ins in Buenos Aires. Even the more prestigious areas have the bars, grills and gates outside their homes...

Our balcony became the window to the celebrations going on! We met a gorgeous Israeli woman who spoke excellent english and she sat with us for a while watching the world go by...She was waiting for her daughter who´d she´d come to BA with. Once her daughter arrived she lent us a plate and a knife to put our festival ´bits´on..so we were set, drinking our wine, eating our cheese and panetone with the tomotoes and capsicum...it tasted so good. And healthy too...

We thought of home..and what everyone would be doing. It seemed there would be too much food, and too much indulgence and we were glad we were being simple. It´s the way we like it. No hassle, no feeling bloated and full, no regrets. Just a peaceful reflective evening looking out beyond our walls...the balcony opened out from our room so it was like our own private party! For two! The Israeli woman and her daughter left..and later a french couple arrived to share the balcony with us.

We wondered what Christmas breakfast would be like..and what our Christmas lunch would be!

That night..at 10pm...the fire crackers started flying heavily. Remember how i said we could hear a bang and a scream the other night? And then the next night there was a scream and then a bang....and we thought it sounded like shots....which really wouldn´t surprise us at all...in this neighbourhood!

Well...we worked out they were firecrackers. IT was the same noise that went off all of Christmas Eve!

IT went on and on and on...the firecrakers were LOUD..and the screams were loud! We went out to our balcony to watch..and there were kids, teens and adults all lining the street outside letting off crackers!! It was so funny watching them.....crack, bang, scream! And there were a lot of cracks, bangs and screams! They even had the crackers going off in 2L plastic drink bottles...hmm...

This went on ALL NIGHT LONG.

Nanna, who owns our rooms in the building we´re in...started preparing a meal for her family and friends downstairs at about 11pm....and they were still eating and singing and dancing when i woke up (again) and peered over the staircase to where they were sitting at 4am! (They were eating icecream by then!)

Buenos Aires was going mad on Christmas Eve!

At about 6am on Christmas morning the celebrations started to subside...

And the next morning..Christmas morning at about 7am...it was DEATHLY QUIET in the streets...we looked out of our balcony..and there was nothing going on. No people, no cars no noise. Rubbish all over the roads, shops and apartments all barred and locked, old cars parked on the edge of the road, some with homeless sleeping within.

Quietness.

No church bells ringing either. We wanted to hear them...

We were still getting xmas messages on our mobile...from my very special friend Silvia....her bulk xmas message got stuck in a loop. We have, so far, received the same message, a christmas greeting message, 46 times!!!

I think she loves us....hehe

No really...one of these telephone carriers really has something to answer for here..whether it´s the Aussie one, or the Argentine one...I hope Silvia doesn´t get charged that many times for sending it!!

Anyway, it will be a Christmas we´ll definitely know she was well and truly in our minds..and at all hours of the day and night!!!!

I guess that is a warning not to send bulk messages...the reality is..they can get caught up in a loop!

We exchanged our pressie..which was a Mate piped straw each..with a mate pot that has Jenny and Greg Xmas 2007 Argentina on it and sent Christmas text messages.

We went to breakfast at about 8am and the receptionist said she hadn´t slept all night. And a couple of party goers who were staying at the hostel also said they didn´t sleep all night. All because they were partying.

I suppressed a comment that we also didn´t sleep due to the partying!!! And it wasn´t our partying!

The dining room at the Hostel was buzzing..and everyone was full of complaints. I was thinking...there was definitely NO Christmas spirit abounding in this place, this morning! The coffee was cold, there was no wholemeal rolls and there was only a few white rolls that did not go around, and there was no milk!!!

After saying all our ¨Merry Christmases´ we all made the best of enjoying our Christmas breakfast. We had high hopes for this, thinking they may put something special on..but it was exactly the reverse! And probably because the staff were all hung over!!!

We were thinking later that we should have bought more fruit and some yummy breakfast fare the previous day, to take over the road to the breakfast area in the main building. We didn´t think of it! We were thinking they would do something nice! We also didn´t have a fridge or anything to prepare it with! Which is why they supply breakfast. Those in the apartments don´t go to the main building for breakfast as they have a fridge!

In the end this South American guy, from Brazil, shared his milk so at least we had cornflakes with milk!!!

We filled our Mate pot with Mate tea...half full like we´d been told....(we had a lengthy discussion with the receptionist about how to drink mate and how to make it and when to change the tea etc).

And then added water..and expected to enjoy our first mate tea...just as the Argentinians do. They LOVE their mate tea and you don´t find many without a little pot of it, with a thermos of hot water in waiting, next to it....

We sipped...

And found it was DISGUSTING!!! So bitter..and like nothing we´d ever tasted before! Arrgh...

I can only liken it to foreigners trying our vegemite for the first time. It´d say it´s an aquired taste!!!!!!

We had a giggle..

And talked about how there are so many peculiar things that make the world go round!!!

After breakfast we went back to our room and packed up ready to go to our apartment next door!

We wondered what it would be like!

Regardless, for better or worse...we decided we wouldn´t give up our barred, gated accomodation in this neck of the woods for anything....we love living in the ´real´ Argentina....

I often think people go on holidays to a country, live in a flash hotel, and never see the real life. They go on tours and back to a hotel that could be anywhere in teh world and go home saying they have been to a country. But have they really seen that country?

I have been on holidays like that..and i know what my preference is. And that is to mix with other travellers, talk to the locals in the best local language we know, and see how people really live.

And it has been a revelation.

Anyway..surprisingly, our apartment is not what we expected!!!!!!

Before we left to go, we said goodbye to our newly acquired Israeli friend...and told her we were going next door and that we could wave to her on the balcony, from our balcony..and she said she was going to see if she could have our room because it has a balcony and she was in the room one back from the balcony....

We lugged our packs up the stairs (no lift in these old buildings that are 6 floors high!) and opened the door...

And.....our apartment is nothing short of FANTASTIC!!!!

As we walked in..we were overwhelmed by the spaciousness of the place! There was a huge wooden table in the dining..with a sideboard to match..and there was a lounge with a large tv that we later found out had cable..and the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom were all equipped with everything we needed!´

It´s an old apartment, colonial, and gorgeous! Such character.

The only thing is...we don´t have a balcony..to observe the world from our room we have to peek through the shutters. But the compensation is our own fridge!

IT´s great....!!!

We spent the rest of the day watching Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Ice Age 2!!!

SO that was our Christmas...basking in English movies....in our own apartment!

Who could ask for better than that? :-)

OUR NIGHT BEFORE XMAS!!!!! In ARGENTINA!

Day 297

************************
Temp 30 C and lovely :-)
************************

Last night Greg and i were at the shopping centre writing ¨The Night Before Xmas¨..which is was for you guys...but for us...TONIGHT is the night before xmas...It´s 2.30 in the afternoon here..and yet, for you, it´s 2.30 xmas morning!

So....happy Chrismtas!!! (Again!!)

I guess all the kids will be waking up soon...to see what Santa has brought..gee, i remember the days..and the 4am mornings...when Andy and I would get woken by Annie...then we would scamper out to our lounge to see what was there..exciting days!

And Christmas time is still exciting!

This morning Greg and i bought our wine glasses...so we have two wine glasses to toast to each other, and to you, tonight! Our wine is in Nanna´s fridge, who looks after our ´matrimonial´rooms!

We also bought each other a pressie at the tango last night...argentinian branded mate (pronounced mah-tay)straws! See pic. The pots are lined with pumpkin skin and we´re not sure if we can get that through Au quarantine or not..but that´s part of the mate experience apparently...to get the infusion through the pumpkin skin.

We´ll test it all out tomorrow morning as the breakfast room in the main building (there are 3 buildings..the main admin one, the matrimonial building and the apartments) have a bag of mate tea for the use of people staying in the hostel.


















We will be thinking of all the people who can´t be with their families...especially David who is working up on the Chaser boats..i know it will be a lonely time for him. Also we´ll be thinking of Angie and David and their kids in cold Edinburgh!

And of all those who are struggling with sickness....our arms go out to you. You are in our thoughts..and we sincerely pray 2008 will be a better year for you.

I guess Christmas is what we make of it..and it´s up to us to make it as wonderful as we can. Greg and I feel sort of excited by having Christmas in Argentina. We have each other and although we´d love to be with our family and friends, this is our choice. And we feel privileged to be living the dream we have for the past year. It´s such a different experience..

So..we´re looking forward to Christmas here!

We´ve stocked up with fruit and a panetone in case all the restaurants are closed! Our breakfast will be in the main building and if it´s like it has been the last two mornings, it will consist of wholemeal rolls in a large basket to be shared, jam in a big shared pot, and cornflakes in a large basket, also to be shared. The people we´ve met there are mainly British and Brazilian. I wonder if they´ll have anything special for breakfast tomorrow????

We´re hoping to find a church that has the Christmas hymns....

And we´ll go downtown Palermo to see what´s happening there...

HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS!!!

We´re thinking of you all....(and yes, we´re homesick! And miss you all SO MUCH!!!!)

SABOR a TANGO Buenos Aires

Day 297 Saturday Night!
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last night we went to the TANGO!

And what a wonderful experience....

The taxi picked us up at the main building at about 9.15pm, an hour before the show started and dropped us off in Palermo, outside the Sabor a Tango show house.

When we entered there was a bit of confusion as to whether we were eating dinner or just watching the show (we wished we knew more spanish!) but eventually we got seated at our two seater table...next to a group of Japanese looking businessmen. They were already eating dinner....and it looked like they had steak, chips and coleslaw that were practically untouched. I´m sure they would not be used to the great slabs of steak that the Argentinians are famous for!

We were thinking..thank goodness we didn´t pay a further 260 pesos for dinner!!! (we´d already eaten!)

The colonial theatre was so beautiful. And it was all decked out with little tables...with about a hundred people in the theatre. There seems to be a lot of old colonial buildings with antique furniture in Buenos Aires, including the main building of our hostel which is beautiful furnished.

Then the tango dancers made their dramatic entrance. To the music of Carlos Cardel. So dramatic and intense.



This is the stage!









We´ve learned a bit about Carlos Cardel as he was so famous and his music is played in the main building of our hostel constantly. He was apparently raised in poverty in Buenos Aires and eventually became the king of the tango!

He was a genius..into music and film...and his musical ability and baritone voice...as well as the charm and passion he had for the tango combined with his colourful life...made him a HUGE hit in Argentina!

He is now considered Argentina´s biggest icon! He ended up dying in an plane crash in 1935...and the whole of Buenos Aires shut completely down to mourn him. But he still ´lives´ today and his music and films are played everywhere!

Anyway..his music for the tango was resonating in the air.. while the dancers were doing the erotic and quickstepped energetic tango!

The show went for about 2 hours...and in between the dance couples dancing the tango in the most vigorous, dramatic and passionate way..which was just incredible to watch..(we wanted to learn tango..but now, i think it´s too energetic!!!!) there were female and male singers and different acts.

One guy came out and played the pan flutes which was beautiful...

I think the most poignant song of the night was Don´t Cry For Me Argentina....i had tears..it´s such an emotional song. The girl who sang it came out in the white wedding like dress, just as we all know it and sung it in Spanish...sining ¨No llores por mi Argentina´....

So, so beautiful!

Of course the tango was the highlight!! And so riveting to watch! Their feet flipped and jerked and acrobatic´d (if that´s a word!) all over the place....such a powerful dance. And all told a story...

After the show we went to the little shop and bought our argentinian mate metal straws!!!

Was a great night!

TANGO really is Argentine´s dance! (Was founded here in Bueonos Aires in the 1880´s!)

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS....

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...


We´re thinking of you...

And we hope you all have a great Christmas!










Love you heaps..









jen & greg xxx
Buenos Aires, Argentina
SOUTH AMERICA
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

TANGO IN BUENOS AIRES!

Day 296
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Temp: Raining but mild 27C
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AU$1 = ARG PESOS $2.71

San Telmo, Bueonos Aires, Argentina, South America

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The place of TANGO, MEAT, SOCCER..CARLOS CARDEL and MATE tea!!
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We´ve done a bit more exploring around Buenos Aires.

Last night we had dinner at an italian, argintinian place and have ravioles de ricotta and canelones de pollo...yummy! The food, as i said before, has so much flavour! Even the ensalada´s are tasty...one salad we had last night had beetroot, grated carrot, boiled potato cubes and tomatoes...and of course accompanied, as always, with oil and balsamic vinegar. SO simple, yet so tasty!

Yes..the food here is fresh and extremely fresh, succulent and tasty!

At the moment we´re in a huge shopping centre called Pacifico..and it´s massive! We ate dinner here, which was this bread encased tuna and salad dish...and you eat the plate and the utensils! (made of pastry!) Greg had some argentinian meat...which they´re famous for.

Some locals have told us of a great place that has succulent meat...at what they call a ´parrillo´ (meat house) which we´re going to see if we can get into tomorrow. They have live tango as well!

On our explorations today...we saw a lot of street shows going on...and they seem to have expert tango dancers in the street and people (gringos..tourists!) pay to dance with them!

IT´s really busy here on a Sunday...lots of people painting and dancing in the streets. A hive of activity!

We watched a street guy paint with metallic paint using a phone book and the pages of it all crumpled or folded or scrunched...as well as discs of all shapes, dvd´s, cd´s, records, as his paintbrush! So amazing to watch..I felt like buying one of his works but didn´t have anywhere to store it to take it home! Story of my life...i see thngs, wish i could souvenir them, but know i can´t!

We´re getting used to the smells in our area, San Telmo, and after reading more about the place, we realise we´re in the ´real´ Argentina!

And don´t we know it...Last night after we´d gone to bed..we heard these really loud bangs..and screams..and i thought..ok, now i know why we have been warned by everyone, including the hostel staff, not to walk around here at night.

We´ve been warned....

Having said that, tonight we´re off to a Tango show...at 9.30pm! But...it´s organised through the hostel so we´ll be in a group..It´s 90 pesos for show and drinks (malbec, they´re local drink) so it should be good!

Will tell you all about it later...

We´re also planning to go to the Evita museum in Palermo here in Buenos Aires. It´s devoted to everything there is to know about Evita..or Eva Peron...an icon of the twentieth century and an important historical figure of the twentyfirst century.

The song¨Don´t cry for me argentina´was based on Eva Peron´s life...

And..Remember Madonna in the movie, Evita..and Andrew Lloyd Webber´s musical Evita...?

It´ll be interesting to learn more about her anyway...

Okies..must go...will let you know how the Tango goes!!!

SETTLING IN...BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Day 295

San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We have arrived in Buenos Aires!!! Buenos Aires means ´Mouth of the River Plate!

Our last night in Iguazu was spent it the town having a yummy argentine dinner (Gosh they can cook here!!)..the Empanada´s are so yummy! They´re like a meat pasty. They also have milanesa´s that are breadcrumbed meat or chicken and are similar to ´stick´s which i cook. There seems to be quite an italian influence here.

Even the pizza´s are beautiful and taste like nothing on earth! The only thing they can´t understand is, half and half pizza...it was 15 pesos for a small pizza and 22 for a large. We ordered a large, with half of one topping and half of the other..and the bill came out for 2 small pizza´s because we had two toppings!!! They seemed to understand our spanish enought to have two toppings but when it came to understanding that we should only be paying for one large they did not comprehend! So frustrating sometimes...

The morning we left Iguazu was so funny...there was not a taxi driver at the hostel taxi stand, so while greg finalised the bill inside, i was outside, adorned with my front and back pack, trying to hail down a taxi on the road..it was 8am and our flight was 10am!

Then the three hostel dogs appeared...in the middle of the road, and they did not want to move! The taxi finally came in to get me and had to stop right in front of them..and wait for them to move.

We reckon they knew it was bbq day..and were waiting for the meat truck to arrive. It was Friday and on Fridays and Wednesdays it was bbq day!!! And the meat truck delivered the meat. SO funny...That´s a whole story in itself..these three hostel dogs..at our last bbq i spent ages just watching them patiently awaiting meat from the tennants...

Once we were at the airport we were welcomed with some MATE tea. The Argentinian tea that everyone drinks out of a little coconut pot with a metal straw. The airport tea were in tbags...apprently argentinians can´t get going without their mate tea. Just like we are with coffee. It´s interesting to watch them...they all seem to have their little pot, like a small handleless cup and metal straw and a thermos with hot water in waiting so they can fill their pot again. They put about half a pot full of mate tea leaves..and then keep adding bits of water and drinking...the tea leaves seem to last all day...

Our plane arrived on time..and took off on time..and we arrived in Buenos Aires..negotiated a taxi after telling him we knew the price was no more than 25 pesos. He put the metre on after he realised we´d done our research! (we always ask a local about how much first because we don´t like being ripped off with the tourist prices and they always try to double it!)

Our hostel is really nice. We have what they call a matrimonial room for 3 nights and then we go into an apartment.. the interesting thing is, the apartment is only 5 pesos more and we have a private bathroom and a kitchen! We tried to get the apartment for the whole time but it was boooked out.

Even New Years is booked out!

So after we dumped our backpacks off..and orientated ourselves a bit we decided to go looking for accomodation for new years because our alternative, camping at the airport for the night, didn´t seem like the greatest thing to do for New Years! We decided to stay in the area and not go into the upmarket area and spend quadruple the money because we don´t spend that much time in our hotel room anyway...and we´d rather spend our money on flight so exotic places..and on going to TANGO Shows..haha

Not far from where we are...we found a hotel. The man at reception was old and skinny and was smoking....The place is dingy as all heck..paint peeling off the walls and creaking doors...but it has a room with a bathroom and a courtyard!! Even the dingiest hotels here in Argentina are a LOT better than in Europe! The price is AU $22 a night.....so you can imagine!!!

But we´re happy...we have somewhere for New Years Day!

We move to our apartment at the hostel on Christmas Day, in the afternoon after 2pm... so that´s our xmas pressie. It has a kitchen and a bathroom..so we can do a bit of cooking for the week we´re here!!! More vegesoup! haha (Greg is groaning!)

IT´s so weird not buying anything in preparation for xmas...no shopping for food, pressies, decorations or anything! Greg and i really don´t have any room in our packs for anything materialistic...and whatever clothes we buy..we chuck something out or have to post it (which is so expensive!) so we can fit it in!

We have decided to buy ourselves a little argentinian tea and metal pipe to drink mate from tho!!

And tomorrow, Monday, we will go shopping for a few bits in case everything is closed here on Xmas Day! Not sure if i t´s open on Boxing Day..restaurants will be though so that´s all we´re worried about. If it´s not..then we´ll just eat breakfast!! That´s included!! (IT was cornflakes and buns with jam this morning!)

We tried to ask a guy in the restaurant we went to last night, in our broken spanish, if the restaurant will be open on xmas day..and after pointing to a statue of father xmas and using my arms to represent ópen? he said, ´si!' so hopefully he means it´s open and we can have dinner there on xmas day!!!

ANyway...we´re here in Buenos Aires..and we´re getting settled in...

IGUAZU FALLS BRASIL SIDE

Day 294

Iguazu, Argentina

Spellings range from-Iguazu Iguacu Iguassu so you can take your pic!!! No wonder my spelling has gotten so bad since i´ve been away, nothing is spelt in only one way!!!!

We caught the bus to the Brasil side of Iguaz Falls this morning with eight others from the Hostel and once again had to show our passports at the Argentina and Brasil borders. It´s ok at the Argentina border because they don´t have strict controls and just want to enter the information of people leaving and entering the country into their computers...

But, the Brasilian border is a totally different matter.

We all have to get out of the bus at the control point and show our passports individually. And Greg´s and my passport always gets checked closely. Maybe that´s because it has 17 pages of stamps just for 2007!!! Brasilian control doesn´t help much, they stamp the book 3 times to get in, and 1 time to get back out! It´s so strict.

When we asked why this happens and why they need a visa to get into the country we got told it´s because they have imposed visa´s upon any country that demands a visa for Brasilians to enter a country. British don´t require a visa. The US and Australia are the ones that are checked more religiously and have to pay more for visa´s! We got ours in Chicago and we got it cheaper than the US citizens because we were Australian. It cost us US$40 for the visa as opposed to US$100 for American citizens!!!

Anyway, we got through the border ok this morning even though it did take an hour to get to the other side. There are so many people waiting.

And as we crossed from Argentina to Brasil we could see lines and lines of traffic going from Brasil to Argentina! And we were told the reason for this was because everything is so much cheaper in Argentina than Brasil! Fuel is half the price..so the Brasilians go reguarly to Argentina to buy their fuel. They don´t need a visa as they don´t require one to enter their country. Interesting politics!

It took an hour, by bus, to get to the Brasilian side of the Falls and once we were there we realised yes, everything is more expensive! It cost more to get in, it cost more for water, it cost more for sandwiches. And we thought Brasil was cheap! Argentina, we have found out, is so much cheaper!! No wonder we´re so surprised at the quality and the price of our accomodation.

We´re paying very little for our accomodation and we´re supplied with breakfast, our own bathroom and a tremendous view. The Hostel has entertainment, free computers which you can never get on, i might add, and it´s a beautiful place..i´ll show you photos if i can get them downloaded onto the blog..the computer is acting up a bit!

Once inside the Falls we were expecting very little. We thought we´d seen the best on the Argentinian side..

So, we caught the bus to a trail that we decided we´d walk on...it was a 1200m walk against the backdrop of the Falls...

We got out...and once we got onto the trail..

We were absolutely BLOWN AWAY!














The falls...covered the whole distance of the walk, and the falls were so breathtakingly beautiful...even better than what we saw yesterday! The Devi´s mouth of course was spectacular yesterday..but to see the falls just going on and on forever..and to be able to see them in this panaramic view..was just very outstanding!

View of the tropical jungle from the trail..














We´ve learned a bit more about the history....

The Falls on the Brasilian side were created in 1939 and the whole rainforest area covers 185,000 hectares of subtropical rainforest!

The bus we were on had an english commentary and it said the national park was declared by UNESCO as Natural Heritage of Mankind site in 17th November 1986 and they are very proud of that...Argentina was declared in 1984!

The waterfalls cover both sides and all up there are 275 falls, which is just phenomenal. We really saw this on the Brasilian side because you can walk right along side them, whereas on the Argentinian side you can see the tops and bottoms of them..and get wet, like we did...and of course they are also quite spectacular!

It´s a bit like seeing the Niagara falls from the American and the Canadian side..with the American side being more like the Argentinian side.

The falls are higher in the Argentinian side, 1900m than on the Brasilian side, 2700m...

Once you do get to the top of the falls..by elevator on this side, you can view the Devils Throat up close...and it ROARS!!! REALLY ROARS!! I would have to say...that whenever they say the falls roar..it has to be here at the top of the Brasilian side.

We took the lift down...and the bus back..and headed back home after spending the day here..and we really felt good after...


Here, on the bus back! See the tropical jungle in the background..so beautiful!














There is something about waterfalls....they just make you feel like you´re really living..

This one looks like a huge curtain don´t you think














Now we want to go to the Angel Falls in Venezuela!!! We´ve become waterfall mad!

But not this time...maybe when we do our Central America trip.....didn´t know we were planning that hey...hehe

THE JACKET...THE DVD...and ASSERTION

Day 294

Iguazu, Argentina, South America

Well...we got home last night in a taxi for 10 paesos (one paesos by bus but the bus only runs in the day!) and after i finished looking around the large hostel dining hall with my suspicious face on (Anyone wearing my black Mont jacket??) we looked up the Insurance we have. It´s travel insurance for a year..and it doesn´t cover loss of garments..well it does, but it looks at depreciation...and we were thinking..ok, i´ve been wearing it for almost 10 months, every day....so....i think i´d end up owing them!!!!

So..we´re not bothering about insurance..but i tell you...it had just been washed..and was in great shape! haha

Secretly, i´m glad i can justifyably go out and buy myself a cool new jacket because we´re going to need one in Calafate, which is in Patagonia, way down south and is very cold. It´s home to glaciers and mountains..so that´s where i´ll find my new one i think. It´ll be a good momento too. As you can see, i´ve recovered! Does make me think you can´t leave anything in a hostel, especially not one that has about 300 under 25´s who know the value of Mont!

We also arrived back to the hostel last night to find our picture from the Falls was there..and we could take it..because yes, we´d paid 5 reais for it.

But..the dvd was there..and no, we could not take it because we owed 30 reais for it!

Talk about scammers...

The guy said he´d come back to collect the rest of his money...

And Greg was LIVID!

He waited for the guy..and had it out with him.

Greg was very assertive! And we ended up with our video after Greg explained that he paid with a mix of paesos and reais and he was TAKING HIS DVD!!!

The guy...went off with his tail between his legs..

But it does make me think you do have to be assertive in countries like this.

Even while we were sitting at the cafe last night having dinner i was watching and listening to this guy, german i think, sitting on his own at a nearby table. He was having an infusion and just looked like he was soaking up the atmosphere.

An infusion is a metal or ceramic cup that has a pipe looking device in it that you drink tea made from leaves from. It´s common for tea drinking here in Argentina.

Anyway, a local guy walked up to him and asked him for a cigarette. German guy said ok and got out a cigarette for him. He then lit it up. Local guy sat down and started smoking the cigarette. Then he asked if he could have some infusion...which seems to be common, people do share them, but with strangers?

He then brought out his rather large cylindrical pipe he was carrying strung to his back. It had woven bracelets, a bit like the friendship bands you can make, circled all around this cylinder.

He then asked the german guy if he´d like to buy one. How could he not. So he gets out some monety to buy one while local guy produces one for him. Local guy had no change so he asked the waitress of the cafe if she had some. No, she didn´t.

So, German guy gave his cigarette, his tea, his money and ended up with a little friendship bracelet!

I was thinking...How vulnerable can tourists be?

We see it all the time..people getting conned and scammed...it really makes me want to go over and say..hang on a minute, don´t do that!

I think we´ve become cynical travellers..because we´re constantly looking out for scammers and even think a smile from a local means, ´´Do you want to buy?

Sad isn´t it...

Oh well, i guess we´ve learned that´s the way it is in these countries. To survive, you must take advantage of the have´s.

It´s pretty good that Greg and i are now considered the have not´s..because we rarely get scammed ore even asked anymore!!!!

Maybe they can read the band on our forehead that reads,

¨Seasoned¨!!!

IGUAZU FALLS - ARGENTINIAN SIDE!

Day 293

Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

Last night we had a bbq fest at the hostel which was fun. They provided samba dancing and music as well...the hostel we´re staying at certainly knows how to be good hosts. Apart from the all night music we´ve enjoyed staying at this hostel, which is a converted casino.

We met a guy last night at dinner called Ben, who is about our age, and who has been riding his motorcycle through South America! Certainly meet some interesting people!

At least it was until he and Greg got into the state of the South American aircraft and the mechanics of them..and how small they are.....I ended up in nervous hysterics.....

It was a good night...although we sampled the local drink called Caipirinhas...which tasted like it had pisco (remember peru had pisco sour!) and lime in it...which was nothing less than rocket fuel. It was included in the bbq prices..so we had a couple...and...we shouldn´t have!

Gawd..this morning we managed to get up and have our breakfast by 7am... But...just as we were about to leave to go to the Iguazu Falls...and were back in our room after breakfast....and i was all dressed up in my travel pants with zips galore, shoes for trekking...and hat, sunscreen etc and i thought...maybe i should take my coat seeing we´ll get really wet when we go under the falls...

Then, I realised....i couldn´t find my coat!

It´s GONE!

I´ve lost my beloved, well travelled, good for all occasions coat...ohhh....

All the way on the bus to the Falls..i was trying to work out what happened to the blimin thing!

I had it at the Dam, got it out of the locker where we stored it while we were on the tour of the Dam...had it in the taxi back to the Hostel...and had it when i got out...had it at the computer.....

And didn´t have it next the morning when i went to put it on again! All i can think of is...someone from the Hostel is now the proud owner of a great Mont coat that cost me over AU$200!! I think it was about $300!!

Geepers...it was a beauty!

Anyway, I got over it when i started thinking..maybe i can claim it on insurance...and maybe i can get a new coat!!! It did compensate for the loss i was feeling...honestly, it´s been one of my most valuable assets. I was just grateful i didn´t have my mobile and wallet in it!

Unusually, i zipped them in my pants because i was considering not taking the coat seeing it´s so hot here..so that was a blessing in disguise!

Today we decided to to to the Argentinian side of the Falls.. We were told the Argentinian side of the Falls was very spectacular...and wide...whereas the Brasilian side has the overview of the whole falls.

We arrived at the Falls, on the Argentinian side, early, to avoid the crowds and because we had the Ädventure Tickets¨ (P100 ea) it meant we had passes to the boat that goes under the biggest fall as well as to the train and access to all areas of the park (which was another additional admittance fee of 40 Paesos once we got to the gate!).

We decided to go do the daring thing first and lined up for the boat under the biggest fall..Salto Rivadavia. The truck we hopped on before we got to the boat was a lot of fun. It veered through the jungle and rocked and rolled and a guide told us the history of the park which was really interesting.

After arriving at the spot near to where the boat took off.. we were given canvas bags...so weput all our valuables in the canvas bag and headed for the boat ride....and yep, we got really WET!!!

Drowned in fact.














Much more than in Niagra where they provided ponchos!

It was great fun.....we bought the video for a nominal fee and will view that later tonight when we pick it up! Gosh, we´re such touro´s!!!!

Iguazu National park is huge...it took us all day of walking through the jungle and walking the trails to see all the Falls..and there are lots. I think someone said there were about 275 individual falls!

We stopped for a lunch break..which was a ham and cheese sandwich and an apple in a plastic bag provided by the hostel who organised the tour for us (which was basically a drop off at the park and a pick up with tickets for entry and boat ride!).

And....guess WHAT?

We were sitting at these tables admiring these cute little creatures called Coatis which look like mini anteaters...and one stuck his sharp claw into our plasic bag that had our lunch and our hats, extra shorts, etc and ROBBED us of our lunch!

What a thief!












Such a cute thing..with a mean set of claws and teeth. It scampered so fast away, with my sandwich in it´s chops! I couldn´t believe it!

We found out later that he also damaged Greg´s glasses in the process! Talk about quick as lighting!!

We walked the Upper Walk which is a 560m long walk that took us to the upper lip of the falls...

Then.. We took the Rio Superior trail..

And finally, at the end of the day, and the most spectacular part of the day..we walked the trail to Garganta del Diablo...or to the ´´Devils Throat´..and that was the most amazing part of the Falls.

It´s 1100m long and started at the Garganta station where we took the train from Cataratas station. We then walked through the jungle on the pathways to stand on the viewing balcony.

The water thundered and roared down..and swirled and fell in monstrous amounts..and we decided these falls by far surpassed any that we´d previously seen..we were riveted and mesmerised by them!

We were also spoilt by seeing a beautiful rainbow on the falls...so, so, glorious! You can see it in the pictures..but nothing like how it was to be there..just incredible to be looking down into this huge expanse of water and then have a huge arc of a colourful rainbow to appear...out of the devil, appears the ray of god!

Dinner was in Iguazu township...where we tried typical argentinan food...little pastry type pasties with vegetables and mince..and a tapioca savoury cake..which was delicious!

Was a great day..not many tourists to compete with..and being in the rainforest under a waterfall..what more could we ask for...so...apart from the loss of my coat..and the robbing by the coatis it was a perfect day!

Tomorrow..we go to the Brasilian side of the Iguazu Falls...

ITAIPU DAM! BRASIL SIDE!

Itaipu Dam, Foz Iguazu (Brasil side)





Puerto Iguazu, Argentina Side, South America

Day 292

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Happy Birthday Amelia!!! Hope you have the most beautiful day..we´ll be thinking of you..and gorgeous Sophia and Santos as you celebrate!
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1 Aus = 3 paesos
Language = Spanish

Itaipu Dam, Foz Iguazu (Brasil side)

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Iguazue means, Big Water¨ in Guarani (the local indian language)
Parana River means, ´Parents of the Sea´in Guarani
******

Itaipu which means The Rock that Sings in Guarani is where the largest hydroelectric dam in the world is..and we saw it today. It was amazing.

We caught a taxi there and back for 100 paesos and the taxi driver, Freddy, was really helpful. We had to stop at the Brasil/Argentinian border on the way there and they somehow didn´t get it right and only stamped our exit from Argentina to Brasil..and forgot the stamp the re entry...so we were glad he checked for us.

He also waited at the dam while we went on a 2 hour tour which we were really grateful for....he wanted our business, but we also liked having him there waiting. And it ended up being 3 hours because we had to wait an hour to get in (the time in Brasil is an hour behind Argentina!!!)

The dam is located at the Brazilian-Paraguaian border and is very close to the Argentinian border! We stopped on the way there..and took a picture of the three borders from the bridge..it´s so strange!

The hydraulic resources of the Parana river (owned jointly by Brazil and Paraguay) form the Dam, which was started in 1975 and officially opened last year!

Thirty thousand people worked on the dam..and it is said that two of Rio´s Sugar Loaf mountains is how much was filtered away to make the dam! There was 15 times the amount of concrete used to built the Eurotunnel in Europe!

It stands 196 m high and is 7.76 km long! There was a lake created by this which is 170 km long and contains 29 billion tons of water...

The reason why they say a hydropowered plant is good..is for the environment..and so there are less emmisions!

Apprently each year Itaipu generates 75 twh of electricity which saves 67.5 million tons of carbondioxide emissions that would come from coal poer plants!

The cost of this dam was amazing.....we heard costs of US$ 20 billion!

We also heard there was a lot of damage to the area..and the animals..but the Brasilian and Paraquan govenments are trying to rectify this by regreening the area...

We learned so much about dams today...more than we did at the Hoover Dam....

It was just amazing to watch the films, footage and hear what the guide had to say...

I can see how it is the largest in the world, (until the one in Beijing opens).. Aparently this dam generates 95% of Paraquay´s power and 20% of Brasil´s power! It´s just huge.

We donned our hard hats....and looked over the plant closeup!












We got to look over the inside and outside of the plant which was good too...and actually crossed the yellow line which was the border of Paraquay and Brasil! We stayed on the Paraquay side for about an hour looking at the plant.

It´s so strange..we watched the Brasilian computer scientists watching the electricity output on the Brasilian side..and we also watched the Paraquay workers watching the electricity output on their side. It´s all very separate..but from where we were standing..which was on a balcony overlooking all the activity going on below..we could see them working for their respective countries!

Brasil actually pays Paraquay for the use of their plant as Paraquay only use one of the nine generators!

An interesting thing they told us..while we were standing on top of the inlet gate on the dam wall...was...that it was clogged with chinese barnacles that were causing a problem because they couldn´t close the gates properly and they were causing problems with the mechanisms...due to the fact that they breed so much...for eg they can fit one million baby barnacles in one mil of water!!!

Scary hey!

Anyway, all in all..it was a dam good day!!! Weird speaking (Greetings and thankyou´s etc) both spanish and portuguese (Brasil)!!!

And even more weird that they answer back in English!!!

xx

PUERTO IGUAZU, ARGENTINA

Day 291

Iguazu Falls, Puerto Iguazu which is on the Argentina side!

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We are now dealing with Paesos currency and back to Spanish speaking!
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Well who knows what happened to last night! We don´t even know what happened to it...one thing we do know is we have lost a whole night´s sleep!

We left Salvador by taxi last night at 9pm after the hostel staff said we could freshen up by using their showers (we´d been at the beach all afternoon!) which was nice of them...

And we got to the airport..and of course, our flight to Sao Paulo ' where we went via Iguazu ' was delayed..as it always seems to be in South America! SO, we did what we do..read our books! I bought a Prevention magazine for 18 reais...a rip off but i just love to read magazines on the plane...to distract me mainly...from Greg´s takeoff paranoia...

Gosh...when we were taking off at one point, from Sao Paulo to Iguazu at about 1pm after not sleeping all night and spending the morning hanging around the boarding lounge...and the second flight on this mammoth journey to ´Foz´ i was actually wondering whether Greg was a flight pessimist or a flight cynicist....(have´t quite worked it out!)

As we were walking down the runway tunnel, he spotted 3 flight manuals, with the title, ´Maintenqance Analysis´ laying open with an empty suitcase laying open next to it...and he says, ´They´re trying to work out which loose wire goes where!!!´

Now...that made me feel very secure as we were boarding a plane in a country that always gives a resounding clap whenever a plane lands!!!!

Gawd..

Then, as we were in the plane, Greg looks out..and says ¨The plane we´re flying in is very small....¨ I said, änd your point is´ hahah gosh....

No wonder his blood pressure goes up prior to take off...poor thing!

Anyway, we made it into Foz Iguazu on the Brasil side at 5pm and turned our clocks back to 4pm...and then caught a taxi over the border from Brazil to Argentina..and here we are in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina side!

We´re going back to the Brazil side to see the Falls..and will see them from this side as well..We´re lucky we have a Brazilian passport to see both sides!

We´re also going to the Itaipu dam that we saw while we looked outside the plane..the dam walls were so impressive from the plane,..SO HUGE and wide and meandering...looked funny really. Billions of dollars were spent on this dam..and we´re really keen to see it....This particular one is one of the seven engineering feats of the world!

Should be good here..it´s raining and we can hear kids singing church songs from the little church..we think practising for xmas next week...

Fancy that..xmas in ONE week!

Seems surreal doesn´t it...

Although we haven´t had any sleep at all for the last 24 hours..we still managed to organise some flight here in town this evening (the shops here and in brasil and agentina seem to stay open all day and night!) so we´ve finally sorted out where we will be for xmas..

Which is Buenos Aires...

We´re there for a week..calafate for a week..and Montevideo (Uraquay) for a week...

So..at least we know where father xmas can find us to give us all our pressies..hehe...i wonder if we´ll get vegemite..the thing on the top of the wishlist!!!

Remember we told him when we were in Rovaneimi we´d be in Bueonos Aires...!!! haha

I wonder if he will find us...haha

xx