Kerry from Derry

So I left behind the natural wonders of the living world and moved on to a monster.....the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are several other glaciers but this is deemed the most impressive (hence my reason for the visit and another 16/18 hours on the bus).

So the facts then: The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina.

The 250 km² ice formation, of 30 km in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This icefield is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.

The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 km wide, with an average height of 60 meters above the surface of the water, with a total ice depth of 170 meters. It advances at a speed of up to 2m per day (around 700 m per year), although it loses mass at approximately the same rate, meaning that aside from small variations, its terminus has not advanced or receded in the past 90 years. At its deepest part, the glacier has a depth of approximately 700 m. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating. Periodically the glacier advances over the L-shaped "Lago Argentino" ("Argentine Lake") forming a natural dam which separates the two halves of the lake when it reaches the opposite shore. With no escape route, the water-level on the Brazo Rico side of the lake can rise by up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure produced by this mass of waters finally breaks the ice barrier holding it back, in a spectacular rupture event. This dam/rupture cycle is not regular and it naturally recurs at any frequency between once a year to less than once a decade.

OK - there´s the facts...now what did I think of it? Well I have to say it´s one of the most impressive natural wonders I have ever seen, the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand whilst pretty damn cool just don´t compare. If ice is your thing then this is definitely the place to come.

Our trip was with a company who apparently do things an alternative way to the big tour companies - in practice that means we take the back roads and don´t have masses of people in each group (max 20 per bus). The back roads mean you get to spot a little more wildlife and again get to wonder at the miles and miles of tundra that make up this part of the world.

As you get closer to the Los Glaciares National Park the scenery becomes much more interesting - you get up and close to the Lago Argentina and feast on the views of the sparkling blue waters set against the back drop of huge snow covered mountains, very reminiscient of the South Island in NZ. As you go into the Park the road snakes and winds with the promise of getting closer to the Perito Moreno and suddenly, you round a corner and there it is in the distance, a snaking white river against a brilliant blue sky - in the true sense of the word....awesome! And it only gets better - as you get closer it draws you in and leaves you opened mouthed in wonder at the world around you.

I opted for a day that involved a little bit of hiking to get you closer to the glacier and sure enough after 2 hours of trekking along the shore and up and down a couple of gullies there we were just 50 metres from the monster. Its hard to describe it up close and personal.......the main thing that will strike you is the noise. It´s like a living breathing creature - constantly moving, it roars as even small pieces of ice drop off into the lake below. We were lucky enough to witness a large piece fall off - the sound of first the crack, and then what I can only describe as an eruption, is truly fantastic, if I can be given a little artistic licence here please......it sounds like what I´d imagine to be the beginning of the end of the world (if that´s not too dramatic!). The other interesting thing was the wave that it created - the boats arn´t allowed to get close for particularly this reason, its enough to capsize them. So after that it was back to the main area and time for a stroll along the terraces where particular view points have been set up for maximum viewing pleasure.....if you can manage to squeeze in past the other hordes of tourists that is!

After a spot of lunch it was time to hop on the boat and go take a look from a different perspective - again highly impressive. From the dock it was a half hour journey there and back but definitely worth it and makes for great photos if that´s what you´re after. Coming back in to dock was a Titantic moment - was expecting someone to start ringing a warning bell and screaming iceberg ahoy! Well maybe not that dramatic but was good craic anyway - an ice berg had managed to lodge itself against the dock barring our way....so what now I hear you ask? Well obviously you get a rope and sling it around it and then tow it out of the way trying not to capsize under the weight! An amusing finish to an awe inspiring day.

Now El Calafate itself - I think this is probably the most touristy place I have been too and the prices reflect that. There literally is nothing to do - one street worth walking up and down and that´s it! Not a place to spend a lot of time I´d dare say but definitely worth the trip for going to see the glaciers and the National Park.

Moving on from Bariloche then and across the country from West to East to Puerto Madyrn - one of the best places in Argentina to spot acquatic wildlife.

The main attractions in the area...ie: the Southern right whales, Orcas, sea lions and seals, and the ever so cute Magallanes penguins can be found in the area called Peninsula Valdes which can be reached on day trips from nearby Puerto Madyrn. More about the wildlife in a mo - just a couple of words about the town.

Have to say its nothing special - basically a small industrial town with a beach, lots of restaurants, etc but not much life in the place. Saying that though its a good base for accessing the Peninsula and cheaper than staying at Puerto Piramides.

So the wildlife then, I´ll take them one by one and attempt to educate you!

Southern Right Whale - (Eubalaena australis) comes to Golfo Nuevo to breed mostly during September and October but can be seen up to December, our guide reckoned that they have on average 1500 per year so if you´re there at the right time your chances of seeing them are pretty high. Early on they can even be spotted from the beach in Puerto Madyrn. They can grow up to 18m in length and apparently can weigh up to 60 tonnes. They are the complete opposite of Free Willy - not quite so cute but pretty awesome to look at, particularly when they´re breaching, they just look HUGE! I took a boat trip so got up quite close and personal, definitely the way to go but only if you have sea legs.....otherwise you might find the surge a bit much to deal with, pretty strong winds down this part of the world when I was there.

I will try to get around to posting some pictures one day.....

Orca´s - well these are Free Willy whales. We were lucky to see some swim around but unlucky to miss the feeding frenzy of an hour before we arrived (high tide). This is one of the only places in the world where Orca´s hunt seals on land (I know that sounds wierd....just wait a minute!) Basically they swim in on a wave and try to grab a seal before going out again by using their hughly powerful tail and the backward motion of the waves. Gutted we missed that but good to see them all the same.

Seals and sea lions - don´t think I have to give you too much info on these...do I? Suffice to say they are numerous, the male sea lions are huge and the babies very cute.

Magallane Penguins - (Spheniscus magellanicus) reach 45 cm high and 4 or 5 Kg weight; the males have a bill longer and thicker than the females. In September, the male penguins arrive in Punta Tombo after spending 6 months at sea where they feed (penguins are excellent swimmers); they build a nest or occupy the same nest they had the year before, and condition it. Later, the females arrive (penguins generally are monogamous). These lady penguins know a thing or 2 about keeping their men in line eh??? In October, the females lay two eggs inside the nest, and both members of the couple incubate them for 40 days. The baby penguins are born with grey feathers, and change them ten weeks after, but the characteristic black and white plumage appears when they are one year old. When I was there in mid-November they were still in the nesting phase so didn´t see any babies, just a lot of penguins milling around with that adorable waddle and many more nesting. (Again photos will be forthcoming at some stage in the future......).

Has to be said - an excellent way to spend a day!

Some mentions - Wolfgang (Swiss), Natalie (French) & Bernard (French Canadian) who for some reason took to calling me Carry On for 3 days......apparently something to do with my sarcastic sense of humour.....ummmmm!

Not much else to say about the place - next stop El Calafate and the glaciers!

Moving on from Mendoza it was a short overnight trip to Bariloche (or to be more accurate San Carlos de Bariloche), 16 to 18 hrs if memory serves me correctly..... with some fabulous scenery on the way. This part of the country really reminds me of New Zealand - snow capped mountains, dazzling azul lakes and enough sporting options that you can shake a stick at.

The hostel of choice this time was a little place called Marcopoloinn on Salta, highly recommended if anyone is in a mind to go. Very sociable little place with a dangerous little bar! More about that later.....

Bariloche sits in the foothills of the Andes and is one of the most popular places to go skiing in Argentina - in fact due to a late winter I just missed the slopes, they only closed the week before I arrived. It is consistently likened to a swiss ski resort and whilst I haven´t been to one of those I can imagine the comparison to be accurate in that the hotels, restaurants, etc have that ski lodge feel to them and of course the snow capped mountains help as well! Bizarrely enough there are also a lot of St Bernards around....just in case you get lost in the mountains and need a little nip of brandy to keep you warm until the rescuers arrive (or possibly to enable the toursits to take ´cute´photographs and part with a few pesos for the privledge).

Here´s the official blurb: ¨Bariloche is located on the shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake, 770 metres above sea level. It is 1650 km from Buenos Aires and has a population of approximately 100,000 inhabitants, making it the biggest city in the province. Bariloche is one of the most important tourist resorts in Argentina with around 1,000,000 tourists visiting it every year, which has lead to the city being home to the most important tourist centre in Patagonia. The city also has the ‘Cerro Cathedral’, which is one of the most popular snow skiing resorts in South America¨.

That may give you an idea of the temperature - it was bloody cold! Not what I was expecting it has to be said, I even had to go and buy some gloves and even if I say so myself - a very stylish hat (think balaclava.....). It also sits at the top of the region of Patagonia which is world famous for its more southern delights. Anyway back to the weather - how windy! Some days it was a real struggle to walk down the street, really could have blown you of your feet if you´re not weighed down like me with a few layers of the old blubber (it took a lot of work to get into this very fine shape....). I think the funniest sight relating to this was seeing a girl have her glasses blown off and then running down the street after them trying to find them whilst being basically blind! I did step in to help once I had managed to stop laughing, she was ever so grateful.

So things to do....well there´s a 60km cycle track you can do around the lake which I attempted to do and then the good old wrecked body stepped in and stopped me yet again. Did something to my coccyx bone and had to turn back after 12km´s and spent the next 5 days in severe pain, particularly when attempting to stand up or sit down! Amusing eh? Well not really but since I had done the same in New Zealand I knew it wasn´t too serious and that it would pass soon enough and sure enough it did.

So what´s a girl to do when its difficult to stand up and sit down? Well walk a lot obviously! So that´s what I did - walked my little legs off and then rested them with a beer or 2 at the end of the day. Met some wicked people in Bariloche and had a great laugh with them - so much so that I´m still in contact with a few of them and have bumped into others as I continue my travels - always nice to see a familiar face and all that.

Now mother don´t get excited....it was also the place of my first romantic liasion in Argentina but as with the nature of travelling that´s long over as we headed off in different directions! Still a nice way to spend a week!

Now due to the old pain in the ass I didn´t get to do all I wanted here but the options are: climbing, white water rafting, mountain biking, trekking, trips and camping in the mountains, eating chocolate a plenty and boat trips out on the lake. There are 7 main lakes in the region and it is also the starting point for Ruta 40 - probably the most famous driving route in the country.

Well that was my Bariloche - next stop Puerto Madyrn.

Again I´ll mention some people so I don´t forget (age creeping up on me and all that): Kara, Carola, Becca, Ian, Joanna, Roc, Fabien & Juan.

After 3 weeks in BsAs it was time to head on and I have to admit I did spend a couple of days pondering what route I was going to take. I decided to head across the country to Mendoza, centre of Argentina´s wine growing region.

So time for my first experience of the famous Argentina bus system and pretty impressive it was too. There are 4 classes of travel: super cama - basically a full stretch bed/seat where you get to lie flat; cama - not quite flat but not upright either, flat enough that you can sleep on your side; semi-cama - bit more upright but comfortable enough to sleep and finally normal which I don´t think I need to explain! For this journey I opted for cama - a mere 20 pesos extra and as I was going to be on the bus overnight for a 13 hour journey I figured it was worth it. I think the only bad thing I would say is that the food is pretty disgusting - powdered spuds and some non-descipt milanesa meat which I think was supposed to be chicken.....maybe...

Anyway got there at 8.00 in the morning and made my way to the Dama Juana Hostel, excellent place to hang out and meet some new peeps and get this it even had a swimming pool - fancy eh? Mendoza city made a nice change from the hectic BsAs, tree-lined avenues, enforced siestas (can make shopping a pain in the backside), street cafes, plazas a-plenty and an altogether more relaxed atmosphere.

I decided to get stuck right in and spent the afternoon doing a wine tour although I ended up feeling a little cheated, for something advertised as a wine tour what the hell were they doing taking us to a olive oil refinery eh????? Thankfully only the one olive oil joint, the other 2 places were bodega´s, one a pretty big place and the other a small family run vineyard - both had their own merits but preferred the smaller one myself, believe it was called the Don Juan Winery or something similar. From speaking to others though probably best to do it by yourself and either have a designated driver or hire bikes and do it that way! Not as expensive and no restrictive time lines (or annoying Aussie woman on the bus complaining loudly that everyone speaks spanish....imagine that - speaking spanish in their own country, how VERY dare they! The most amusing bit though was that she had bought an apartment in Buenos Aires to holiday every year - what??) Anyway I digress....

That evening I bumped into a guy I had met in BsAs and after a beer or 2 to cool down we went off to dinner with another few guys we had met at the hostel - Roc from Barcelona and Frederic from Paris - of course it had to be steak and yet again it was buenisimo.

Next day it was a trip into the mountains and through some spectacular scenery, multi-coloured layered rock formations (just in case you don´t know the mountains are part of the Andes). The trip basically starts in desert territory and ends up in the freezing cold, biting winds and snow about 5km away from the border with Chile !

We made our way to Puente del Inca, an attractive calcareous ochre formation over the Las Cuevas River which has thermal waters. Due to erosion and the damage caused by tourist feet they had closed the crossing over so we were only able to view it from the viewing place across the road but still a pretty nice spot. Next stop was to view the highest peak in the continent - Aconcagua, nicknamed the ´Sentry of America´ and standing at 6962m above sea level. Its a big draw for climbers from all over the world and is apparently pretty challenging....well as you´d expect at that height! We also got to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer which at 4200m above sea level is probably the highest holy statue in the world. An excellent day out and fantastic scenery.

Back at the hostel it was of course time for refreshment and sustenance once again and with my companions of the night before went and found more steak and much more wine - a fine night had by all!

Next day I bumped into another couple of friends made in BsAs and after hiring a car took another trip into the mountains - lot different this time as we only had our own schedule to stick too. We found a delightful little restaurant in a small town that although it wasn´t open she decided to open up just for us - how nice is that eh? Then we found ourselves near the lake and although it is for some reason prohibited the others decided a swim was in order (fricking freezing - water from the mountains and all that.....no way you were getting me in there!) On our way back to the car we did spot someone over the other side shouting at us and waving his arms furiously and wearing what looked suspiciously like an army uniform - time to hightail it out of there! Not content with just the one brush with the law we got pulled over when Yves (the guy driving) decided to take a short cut the wrong way around a roundabout - we got pulled over by the police and some quick talking later were on our way again - much hilarity later we made it back in one piece.

So that was Mendoza or at least my experiences of it - it is also famous for white water rafting, horse-riding, canopy swings-climbing & mountain biking so loads to do on the adrenalin junkie front.

Again I´ll mention a few names just so I don´t forget - Mark, Roc, Frederic, Kate & Kate & Yves.

The time has come for a new beginning - the beginning of a new country and my entry into South America, welcome to Argentina!

So I´ve finally arrived in the place that was caught in my imagination for the last 6 or 7 years and in truth was my main motivation for dropping everything and heading off around the world with not a care in mind. Don´t ask me why - I have no idea, I just had this calling to come here (almost sounds religious eh? My mother would be proud...).

After all the delays in New York I arrived in Buenos Aires on the 5th Oct at 10.00 in the evening, sailed through customs and out into arrivals where my taxi was waiting to ferry me off to Portal del Sur - the hostel that was to be home for the next 2 and a half weeks. Very nice it was too although the fact that they have an in house bar made it very difficult to be self controlled although I think I managed ok on that score - during the week anyway....

Anyway you´re not interested in that bit are ya? On to the actual city itself - a city who´s population is somewhere in the vicinity of 13m souls (one third of the population of Argentina) and is famous for football, tango and great steaks as well as a few other little things. Can you think of any? I´ll let you in on them later if you haven´t fallen asleep reading the first couple of paragraphs.

So first things first - how´s a gal supposed to get around if she doesn´t speak the lingo? Well naturally she has to sign up for some spanish classes (or as in my first weekend use sign language and keep your fingers crossed that what you ordered is something edible, in most cases that was true...although when I got fish back instead of steak it was a bit of a surprise!) Little word on the steak - sublime and very cheap.

I signed up for 2 weeks of classes with a school called IBL situated right in the city centre, only a ten minute walk from my hostel so no worries about having to get up too early to make it to class. In terms of expense Buenos Aires is a bargain place to learn spanish - 20 hrs a week for 360 pesos (around 60 pounds). There are a lot of options too so its a good idea to just ask around, most hostels can point you in the right direction and they´ll almost always have someone who comes in to do 1-2-1 lessons if that´s what you´re after, typically you´ll pay 25 pesos an hour.

My lessons were conducted almost solely in spanish which is a good way to get an ear for the language if somewhat challenging! The class was usually in a group of 5 although slight variations were not uncommon - shared a classroom with people from the States, Germany, Norway and England although when chatting to others during break time it was obvious that there were people form all over the world there - a truly international flavour. I took lessons for 2 weeks and left confident in my ability to converse in the local lingo - of at least being able to order food, buy bus tickets and exchange pleasantries anyhoo!

So apart from studying for the first time in 10 odd years what else is there to do? Well for one thing you can go to a football game and see the passion of the argies for their local boys - and what passion! I´ve never been in an atmostphere like it at a sports event, it was more like being at a U2 concert. I went to see Boca Juniors v Newells Old Boys. All through the game the crowd didn´t stop singing and taunting each other, jumping up and down so much you could feel the terraces shuddering adding to the edgy atmostphere, apparently it was designed that way so you feel the heat of the game coursing through you - although it has to be said that Boca fans are known the world over for their passion - in fact the crowd is called Jugador Numero 12 - Player Number 12, so much is their influence on the visiting team (intimidation) and of course on their own team (encouragement). Suffice to say it was a great experience and one you should definitely consider if you find yourself in BsAs. Oh and Boca won 2-0 just in case you were wondering!

What else? Well as I assume you are aware Eva Peron is buried in BsAs (the lady who inspired Evita) and is buried in Recoleta Cemetary - so thought it was only polite to drop by and say hello as you do. Never mind that it is one of the most ornate cemetaries in the world, nothing to do with that....and boy is it ornate. Its like stepping into an old vampire inspired gothic film - full of old ornate crypts and narrow pathways where you expect someone to jump out at you and yell BOO! But at the same time its serene and very beautiful. Not many people get buried there these days but it still happens occassionally but you do need to have a lot of money to get in there - its probably argentina´s most expensive plot. Definitely worth a visit - and when you´re done walk outside and have a stroll through the market where if the weather is good and it´s a weekend you´ll find a 100 or so arts and crafts stall selling all manner of things and tempting you to part with your cash - word of warning though keep an eye on your wallet at all times, markets are the prime place to get pickpocketed and the professionals in BsAs are particularly skilled at it.

Talking of markets if you find yourself at a loose end on a Sunday pop along to San Telmo where you find all kinds of wierd and wonderful antiques and being the centre of all things tango you´ll usually see a few performances in the square (is it me or do the ladies wear so much make-up they end up looking like drag queens??) They are excellent performers however and it is a pretty sexy dance when its done properly. There are loads of options in the city to watch tango and take lessons although I´ve been told the best idea is to go to a local millonga and watch the ordinary boys and girls going at it - more authentic than what´s put on for the tourists. Haven´t done it yet but going back next week so will definitely do it then.

Talking of dancing.....BsAs is renouned the world over for being a party city, if you´re out before 2.00am you´re considered an old biddy! Although you are allowed to go out to eat dinner around 11 and then of course you hit the clubs after that - the most famous of which is Opera Bay. Of course I had to check it out in the name of research.....arrived at 3am (am I trendy or whaaaa) and boogied the night away until 7 in the morning where it was a stop for breakfast and then home to bed! I do think I´m getting far too old for this though! There are lots of bars and clubs to choose from and again worth getting a recommendation from a local - girls watch out, the boys can be pretty persistant...

Lets see other things......if you go to Plaza de Mayo on a Thursday around 3.30ish you^ll see the Madres de Plaza de Mayo march around the square. The Mothers' association was formed by women who had met each other in the course of trying to find missing sons and daughters, abducted by agents of the Argentine government during the years known as the Dirty War (1976–1983), many of whom were then tortured and killed. The numbers still unaccounted for is estimated at somewhere between 11,000 and 30,000. The Madres estimate the number at 30,000. Pretty harrowing eh?

Palermo is worth a looksee too - one of the richest areas in the city so has lots of nice houses and apartments, etc as well as some really good restaurants and bars and a rather nice park.

I could go on but needless to say if you ever get there yourself you´ll find a city with a lot to offer and endless things to get you occupied. I´m looking forward to going back and seeing what trouble I can get myself into!

Just a quick mention of a few people so I can look back in a few years and remember their names and where I first met them....Carrie & Abran from USA, Dana from Alaska, Graham & Ewan from Scotland, Siri & Brigitte from Norway, Dave from NZ, Catherine from Canberra, Vicky from Manchester, Chris the geordie, the brasilian girls and not forgetting Lili and Sebastian from BsAs.