Ubud (Bali) & Yogyakarta (Java), Indonesia...

Ello ello! So we thoroughly enjoyed Ubud on Bali, it's such a laid back place, and we stayed in a hostel with our own veranda and chaise longes outside where we had banana pancakes and java coffee every morning. It's monsoon season at the moment so there have been some spectacular storms too, but its still so hot we just sit outside watching the rain pour down. In Ubud we caught a traditional Kecak fire dance which was based on an old Hindu myth and used 100 dancers with the women in extravagant, beautiful Hindu outfits, went to the Monkey Forest where you can't MOVE for monkeys (and to think in Iguazu I spent hours searching for a glimpse of one!) and just took in the temples that stand on pretty much every street corner. I didn't want to leave.

But leave we did, heading back to Kuta for christmas. This time our room at the Sari Bali Cottages cost about 3 pounds each a night, and for that we got a double room with en suite, breakfast and a huge pool. We visited the idyllic Jimbaran Bay on the Bukit peninsula in the very south of the island on Christmas eve, watching the sunset there and then heading back into Kuta for arctic cold Bintangs (always necessary, the heat NEVER lets up) we also explored the island on a moped (don't be mad mum!) and I found the holy grail... a REAL Topshop! Obviously I was so excited I almost wept. On Christmas day we found a bookshop and swapped all our old South American guide books for new ones lazed on the beach before heading into town for a - sort of - traditional roast dinner. There was turkey, there was stuffing, but there was also mango, which was unexpected. I also got to speak to my mum very, very briefly on the quietest line ever in a room full of strangers. Not the best of conditions but so comforting to hear her voice on the big day when we are so far apart.

On boxing day we took the 3pm bus to Yogyakarta on Java, a 16 hour journey that goes onto a car ferry between the islands. The bus was new, air conditioned and comfortable, but the drivers here are crazy and certainly don't stick to 70 like the drivers in South America (in Argentina they have a monitor on the bus that automatically makes it slow down if they go too fast) so it was a sleepless night. We arrived in Yogyakarta at 7am and took a cab to the Sosrowijayan district of the city and went from hostel to hostel being told they were all full because it's Christmas (weird, seeing as it's a predominantly Muslim nation). Eventually we found somewhere, small and a little overpriced but fine to rest our weary bones for a night until we found somewhere better. Which we just have, the new place has a pool with a waterfall and a lovely little room, but it is my first experience of... deep breath... a squat toilet. Eek! But hey, I've been to Glastonbury. I can do this.

Yogya is the political and cultural centre of Java so we've been exploring the batik galleries (and learnt all about the process) and trawling the buzzing markets and riding around on tuk tuks. It feels incredibly authentic here, much more like the 'real' Indonesia than Bali. There aren't any other Western tourists around, but as usual the Indonesian people are charming, relaxed and polite. The only problem is it's still as hot as Bali, but as the island is Islamic we have to cover up, so I'm wearing jeans and long sleeves in the sweltering heat. There are mosques everywhere, and the soundtrack to the island is the haunting muezzins call to prayer which starts at 4am every morning and never really stops. But actually I find it quite beautiful, we got up at 4am this morning to visit Borobudur and I popped out onto the dark balcony to listen to the singing and watch the monsoon rains.

So, to Borobudur! One of the seven wonders of the world and the largest Buddhist Temple in existence. It's so huge you can't take a picture of the whole thing at once, and covered in ornate carvings and Buddhist stupas. It was built in the 8th century, but covered in volcanic ash in 1008 and only rediscovered by the rather amazing sir Stanford Raffles in 18?? (I can't quite remember the date). Look up Raffles if you can, he was the most extraordinary Englishman and did an awful lot for Java. After we arrived back in Yogya we visited the Kraton, the palace of the Sultan, then had a great lunch at Via Via. Tomorow we plan to check out a few more markets, catch some traditional dancing and Gamelan and maybe go to the Kota area of the city which has been a huge centre for silver for almost a century, so I'll sharpen my bartering skills (which are getting better by the day) and treat myself to a bangle.

Right, I've gone on quite enough (although I'm sure I'm forgetting loads) so i'll say goodbye for now. I think it's dinnertime. Noodles anyone? I can't remember ever eating anything else...

Kuta (Bali), Indonesia...

Right, sorry I am going to focus today and tell you a little about Indonesia where we've been for the last five or so (god knows) days. Firstly it is the hottest place I have ever been to in my entire life. Possibly Hawaii was as hot but we stayed in an air conditioned hotel whereas here we are staying in a very pleasant place with lots of Hindu offerings and sculptures and beautiful flowers in the garden, but the fan in our room will not be rushed. It goes round at a most leisurely pace and simply doesn't do a whole lot. We also have a cold water shower (but in this heat that is just fine with me) and a few companions staying with us known as Mr Gekko and Mr Cockroach. But it's 2 pounds a night, just a stroll from the beach, so whatcha gonna do?

We're staying in Kuta which is the party capital of Bali and the place where the Bali bombings took place in 2002 and 2005. We have visited the memorial on the main street which is very sad. Many of the names of the 202 people who died in the 2002 bombing are English. The next beaches are called Legian and Seminyak and we've spent alot of time strolling up and down the bath-warm waters and checking out bars and restaurants along the way. We found Ku-de-ta in Seminyak last night which is like something out of Wallpaper magazine, all reclining sofa bed and pools and fountains and lights looking out over the beach, so we splashed out on a couple of cocktails and lay on our beds looking out to sea watching the sun set and the sky turn pink and then deep red. Bali sunsets are the most beautiful in the world.

What else? Well Kuta is mainly windy cobbled streets and absolutely teeming with locals and tourists on motorbikes whizzing through the streets and also hundreds of hawkers shouting 'Mister, mister, surf lesson? T-shirt? Fruit? Motorbike? Yes?' But to be expected in such a touristy place. Tonight is our last night in Kuta and then tomorrow we're off to Ubud which is supposed to give a better sense of what a proper Balinese village is like. We'll be back in Kuta for Christmas and there is a bar called the Secret Garden Inn which does an English Christmas dinner for 100,000 Rupiah, which is about 10 dollars so we'll probably book that.

That's another thing, Bali is so ridiculously, ridiculously cheap, especially compared to Australia where we were shedding money by the minute - here you can get a delicious meal of pad thai or nasi goreng and a bottle of Bintang beer or Bali Hai for about one pound fifty! And I've never had so many yummy fruit juices and noodles and prawn crackers (they even eat them for breakfast out here). If you ask for a pineapple juice they don't go to a carton and pour it out, they pick up a pineapple and stick it in a juicer. Anyway, we're off to spend our last day in Kuta on the beach and catch some waves with our body board. Byesy bye...

Sydney, Australia...

Goodness me, BIG slap on the wrist I have been terribly slack on here. I think last time I wrote I was in Chile, well I've since been to Australia and I'm now in Indonesia. Let's back track... so Valparaiso and Vina del Mar were wonderful, my favourite South American cities. The Chilean people are fantastic, so funny and dry and smart. I found Chile to be very sophisticated, you can see why it's on the brink of becoming South America's first first world country.

Next we headed for Australia which was a 14 hour flight to New Zealand followed by a connection onto Sydney, so quite exhausting, and nightmarish when we arrived and found no space in ANY hostels at all (some festival or something). Anyway, we finally found a friendly little place called the Sydney Star in a gay area in Darlinghurst and kicked back for a week. Mainly we shopped and ate and saw the sights (Opera House, Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, caught the ferry to Manly beach) and spent lots of time eating fish and chips and drinking fruit smoothies on Bondi which I have to say is my favourite beach in the world thus far, even better than Copacabana in Rio. I also thought the women on Bondi were the most beautiful I had seen anywhere. They all seemed to look like leggy, tanned models, in an impossibly 'un-efforty' way.

I also had nights out catching up with two friends who I used to work with in London and now live in Sydney, and my friend Gina took me on a night drive through Valcluse, a.k.a. the Australian OC. With all the sparkly lights and the sea it was very romantic! Finally we spent our last night at Watson's Bay with some old colleagues of Danny's, which was breathtaking at sunset. I adored Sydney, it had most of what we have in London but with wonderful weather and a perfect beach aswell. I'd love to work out there for a year or so. But much as I loved oz, we couldn't really afford to travel there (we seemed to be burning money, even though we were being very careful) so I was quite relieved when we moved on, if only for my wallet's sake.

Anyway, we were then supposed to fly to Darwin and connect on to Denpasar in Bali, but there was a cyclone in Darwin so we were rerouted to Melbourne (which is in the opposite direction) so after a very long day of travelling we landed in Bali at about 11pm where it was about 30 degrees. And it hasn't dropped anything below that since, it is ridiculously hot here, so much so that we were over the moon to find a tiny air conditioned ATM booth and have spent as much time as possible in there. Anyway, we've been staying in Kuta in Bali which is kind of like the Balinese San Antonio, packed with clubbers and suchlike so we'll head off soon to Ubud, which is a more authentic Balinese town and has lots of Hindu architecture and a really laid back vibe. There is much more to tell but this is costing me so I'll have to cut it short for now... With love from Indonesia!

Arica, San Pedro de Atacama, Valparaiso & Santiago, Chile...

Ok... What have I been doing... Lets think. Yes, so we took an overnight bus from Cusco to Arica in Chile, which was all a bit drawn out with the border formalities. The bus company arranged for a nice man (to be fair he could've been a dodgy man, how do you ever really know? But at least he didn't run off with our passports) came and met us at the bus station in Tacna, on the Peruvian side, and took us in a taxi to the International bus station, where we filled out all the obligatory forms and then he put us in a collectivo (fixed price shared taxi) which takes you the 50 kilometres or so to immigration, where you get stamped (your passport stamped obvs, not stamped on) and your bags scanned, and then back in the collectivo to Aricain Chile. We got to Arica at about 11am and the next bus to the Atacama desert wasn´t until 10pm that night so we took an unscheduled stop and stayed the night in Arica. It´s un-touristy as there isn't a lot there, but it was a great for relaxing on the beach for a day, and sitting in the lovely outdoor bars and restaurants watching Chileans go about their day.

The next night we took the bus to San Pedro de Atacama, which is a tiny little oasis town in the desert, and my favourite place in all of South America. Oh and the bus journey there proved that I have learnt some patience during this trip - it´s pretty normal in all the countries we´ve been to so far for the police to come on board the bus and check your passport and stamps several times in one trip, but this time we had to get off the bus, twice, once at midnight and once at 4.30am and everyone had to take all their luggage out of the hold and have it searched. Bearing in mind most of the people were Chileans who obviously lived in the desert and had popped over to Arica (a mere eleven hours) to do their Christmas shopping, this took hours. But the police were very nice to us (the only foreigners on the bus) and I didn´t even get irritated. I´ve changed!

Anway, back to San Pedro, the place is only a few dusty streets and houses (situated in the world´s driest desert) that look like they´re made out of mud (I think the population is about 2000) but it´s got a gorgeous little plaza with a whitewashed church, and it´s a great jumping off point for exploring the geysers, lagoons, moonscapes and salt flats nearby. We stayed at hostel Florida, a cute little place with a hammock strewn courtyard and hot water. We booked two trips, one to watch the sunset over the Valle de la Luna or Valley of the Moon, and another to watch the sunrise at the El Tatio geysers.

For the Valle de la Luna trip our lovely guide Gustavo (who I thought looked a bit like a Chilean version of Russell Brand) took us to Death Valley and showed us rock formations and volcanoes, and then we walked up a huge sand dune to reach the top to view the changing colours of the lunar landscape for sunset. The next morning we got up at 3.30am for pick up at 4am to head to the geysers. We had a lovely guide called Ignacio who but a big bag of raw eggs and chocolate milk in one of the bubbling geysers when we arrived, which boiled the eggs and heated up the milk so we could eat breakfast while watching the sunrise. Despite it being minus two degrees at 5am it was categorically the best breakfast I have ever eaten in my life! The geysers are most active in the morning, and some of the holes in the ground seem to do nothing until a huge surge of water bubbles up and steam rises into the air as far as the eyes can see. The steam isn´t too hot, just warm so you can disappear into the steam (and pretend you´re at a disco, smoke machine style). Once the sun came up (and thankfully the temperature heated up very quickly) we all headed to a nearby thermal mineral pool for a dip, before travelling back to San Pedro via a tiny little village (I forget the name now) which has just 40 residents and the main economy is llama. So we saw some cute llamas in the village (they are domesticated like pets and just munch on grass all day and wear little accessories so their owners can recognise them) and then we had some llama on the... barbecue. Which obviously we felt a little guilty about, but my my did it taste good.

Anyway, I am babbling on, so I shall cut this short. But we just took a 22 hour bus from San Pedro to Santiago, and then a two hour bus on to Valparaiso where we have just arrived to. It's gorgeous, all multicoloured houses and winding streets in the hills, and we´re staying at an adorable family run hostel called en Cerro Residencia. We´re off to explore Valpo today, then tomorow we plan to hit the white sandy beaches at the fancy resort of Vina del Mar, about 15 minutes away, and then it´s back to Santiago and to the airport to head to Australia. Sniff. South America you've been wonderful. I'm going to miss you!

Cusco & Macchu Picchu, Peru...

From Puno we caught the bus to Cusco, a very pretty seven hour journey through lush green Peruvian farmlands dotted with cows, sheep and women working the fields dressed in their bright embroidered outfits and elaborate hats. We got to Cusco in the afternoon and checked into Casa Grande, where our private double room with breakfast, free internet, tv and ensuite was a bargainous 7 pounds each. Then we wandered around the beautiful town, centred around the Plaza de Armas (why does no one ever mention how gorgeous Cusco is? All monasteries and churches and lit up fountains and colonial architecture) before finding a British pub where we had a roast dinner and read English papers and magazines - quite the treat! Later we checked out the cobbled side streets of Cusco, some of them with original Inca walls, and found the most incredible little sandwich shop in Plazoleta San Blas called Juanitos. Best philly cheese sandwiches we have ever eaten in our lives. If you´re ever in Cusco, GO!

The next day it was a very early start for our big day in Macchu Picchu. We left the hostel at 5.45am to head to Poroy station just outside Cusco, and caught the three hour Peru Rail train to Macchu Picchu Pueblo station (previously Aguas Calientes). And thanks to my wonderful, wonderful parents we weren´t in economy class for once, we went in the Vistadome class which meant a breakfast of bread, fruit, juices and coca tea on the train. The tracks follow the Rio Urubamba all the way through Ollantaytambo to Macchu Picchu, and it´s the only way of getting there unless you do the Inca trail, as the valley gets so narrow through the mountains. Once there you take a 25 minute bus journey up to the ruins which was the first of many hair raising parts of the day. The road winds higher and higher and higher around a mountain until it reaches the top where you get off to explore Macchu Picchu, which is just breathtaking.

Even though it is actually lower than Cusco (about 2500 metres) it feels so much higher as you´re right at the top of a mountain (god knows how the Inca´s got up there to make all this stuff in the first place) and by the entrance you get a panoramic view of the ruins below which is just mindblowing. I was a bit scared by the broken railing we saw on the way in, but actually that was the safest part of the whole place, nowhere else has any railings at all. You are left at the complete mercy of the place, with 3000 metre sheer drops on the sides of the pathways (I had horrible visions of one of us tripping over our shoelaces). But the upside is that the landscape looks completely untouched and natural so you can imagine it just as it was centuries ago. So we wandered through the enormous ruins of the Temple of the Sun, Ancient Cemeteries, Royal Tomb, Palace, Prison Quarters and more, all flanked by the imposing backdrop of Huayna Picchu peak, and lots of llamas hanging around the munching on the grass.

After that we decided to take a trail marked the Inca Bridge trail. BIG mistake. I have never been so terrified in all my life. I can categorically state that the Incas did not suffer from vertigo. This few feet wide path clings to the edge of the mountains with sheer thousand metre drops on one side, and it has only very low stone walls for about three metres of it, the rest has nothing. I suppose I should have been suspicious when a man in a little booth made us sign in (presumably so if someone falls off they know about it). I´ve never been scared of heights before but this was the most jelly legged I´ve ever been, and about five times I stopped and told Danny I couldn´t do it anymore and we´d have to turn back, but I do so hate being defeated so we trudged on, especially as all the people coming back kept saying ´not far,´just a couple more minutes.´ There were also builders working on the track who seemed completely oblivious to the height, leaning over the edge to tamper with bits of rock, at one point I couldn't help but screech at one of them to come away from the edge when I was sure he was going to fall to his death. And the climax of all this? the path just gets narrower and narrower until you can see in the distance a tiny wooden plank which joins it to the other side of the mountain (you can´t walk this bit but you can see that the Incas did). The Incas were mad. Anyway, we sweatily made our way back, with me freezing just a few times and declaring I couldn´t go any further, and I have never been so happy to see the ground in all my life. Moral of the story? Don´t take the ground for granted, it is excellent.

We then caught the bus back down the mountain to Macchu Picchu Pueblo and strolled around the markets there, before heading back to the train station for the three and a half hour return journey (where we were treated to Peruvian dancing and a fashion show of all the latest Alpaca designs, modelled on the train staff. Absolutely hilarious and much more fun than fashion week!) We met a lovely Australian lady on the train who was with her sister and son who had just done the Inca trail. She has been living in South America for the past five years and told us all about Chile (where we are headed today) sorted us out with extra food when we were hungry, gave me a book, and then when we arrived at Poroy persuaded her hotel-transfer driver to take us too, so we got a free trip back to the hostel. She was a great mum-substitute for the day!

Lake Titicaca, Peru...

Right well we didn´t get to go to Sopocachi... I`m not going to dwell on it i´ll just quickly say that as soon as I got better, Danny got horribly ill, so much so that we had to have the Bolivian doctor come round to the hostel. But, a few antibiotics later and he is fine, so all good.

The next day we set off for Puno in Peru. The bus stopping at the border town on Desagudero for entry and exit stamps which as usual was a bit of a faff, first we made our way through the throngs to Bolivian immigration, then over to an enormous queue on the Peruvian side before those of us who had been on the same bus realised we had no idea how we were supposed to find it again. Luckily a while later the bus turned up, with the whole process taking about two hours before we were back on our way. We arrived at Puno in the afternoon and checked into the Qoni Wasi hostel and then had a great lunch on the balcony in the sunshine at a restaurant called Balconys of Puno, our first proper meal since sicknesses. We chatted lots to our Peruvian waiter and then headed off to book a trip to Lake Titicaca for the next day.

The transfer to the port picked us up at 6.50am this morning so it was a very early start, then we made our way onto the motor boat (reclining seats inside and a deck at the top), and headed for our first stop, the man-made Uros floating islands. It is very bizarre to be floating through the sapphire blue waters of the lake and then suddenly see 60 small islands made of totora reeds, covered in little houses and teepees made of reeds, full of people cooking on, weaving with, and eating the reeds, while others float past in boats made of reeds. We disembarked on a little island with 6 families on it and it was very odd to walk on at first, really springy. The president of the island (each island has a president and mayor) then gave us a demonstration of how they create the islands, and anchor them so they don´t float into the Bolivian side of the lake, as none of the islanders have passports! He also said if they don´t like their neighbours they can move their islands, or for big parties or weddings join two islands together for dancing. The floating islands are inhabited by Aymara speaking indigenous people (they also speak Spanish) who wear elaborate, bright costumes and, the women also showed us their embroideries dedicated to Pachamama or Mother Earth, and let us take a peek inside their tiny houses made of reeds. I couldn't help but think they must get very cold at night! And it's so strange once you've left that all the islanders still there, that that life is their day to day reality.

With that we set off for the two hour journey to the permanent island of Taquile, inhabited by indigenous Quechuas. The island is like something out of a fairytale, or lord of the rings, with the men and women all wearing the traditional dress they have worn for centuries, the women with a black cloak over their head complete with big bright pom poms if they are married, and smaller ones if they are single. The men weave their own hats and wear a particular type of red, patterned hat if they are married, and with a white section if single. The children also wear hats made in the shape of an inca flower. First we headed up a stony path (very tough when you´re on the world´s highest navigable lake at 3810 metres) to a local family's house at the top, where they treated us to music and a demonstration of traditional dance, and then lunch, which consisted of the best soup i´ve ever tasted (made with quinoa), as well as trout from the lake and a cup of pepperminty Murya tea made from a herb that grows on the island and is said to combat altitude sickness. Next we headed up further to the main square, the Plaza de Armas where the local children sold us brightly coloured bracelets and we took in the beautiful view. It`s interesting that the islanders life expectancy is 80-85 as they live very healthy lives and only eat meat on special occasions. Finally we walked along the island to the port by the sparkly blue lake and headed back on the boat for the 3 hour journey to Puno.

La Paz, Bolivia...

Well, I just wanted to do another post because I was feeling quite inspired by the Bolivian people. Had some coca tea this morning and felt much better, so we headed out into the city for lunch at a lovely little place called Alexander Coffee, my first solid food for three days, yes! Then wandered very, very slowly around the city, checking out the colonial architecture along Calle Jaen, then to the Plaza Murillo which has even more pigeons than Trafalgar Square, and all the kids were letting them land on them, yuk, then to the Plaza San Francisco and up the incredibly steep Calle Sagarnaga to Gringo Alley and the Witches Market, where you can get the most beautiful Bolivian textiles for next to nothing. Oh, and the odd dried llama fetus if that takes your fancy! Back at the hostel now, needed to have a lie down from the altitude, and we're going to have trout from Lake Titicaca for dinner and spend the evening in the bar.

But anyway, my point was that La Paz, and Bolivia as a whole must be a very difficult place to live in. It's the poorest country in South America and the people have been worn ragged by poverty, but what strikes me is how they just 'get on with it.' You don't see people lying naked in the street begging and groaning, (and there was a fair bit of that in Brazil), you see the people trying desperately hard to make a living. All the women sit on the street with their babies in slings selling fruits or saltenas or woven textiles and they all dress very proudly in their elaborate pleated skirts and bowler hats and long plaits. But it must be incredibly hard, the altitude is punishing, it's below freezing at night, the pollution in La Paz is hideous and alot of men still work in the mines. Makes me think how lucky we are and how much more resilient we could be.

We're off to explore the posher, lower neighbourhood of Sopacachi tomorow, La Paz is shaped like a big bowl with the poorer houses clinging to the perilously steep cliffs up the sides of the city, and the more wealthier residents living at the bottom. Then on Friday we head to Puno in Peru to see Lake Titicaca.

Tupiza & Uyuni, Bolivia...

Right again I am a little behind with things as I've been in the desert! The border crossing between La Quiaca and Villazon was a little hairy, we got our entry and exit stamps easily enough, but then we looked in the guidebook and realised that Villazon doesn't have any ATMs and neither of us had any cash. Not that Villazon was a bad place, its just a dusty, bustling frontier town and we had no desire to stay there, just wanted to get on to Tupiza. So anyway, we asked a friendly looking policeman and he pointed us in the direction of an ATM, which must have been added since the book was written, phew, and then went off to the bus station.

In Argentina the bus station is a very slick, organised operation so we were a little bewildered when we got there to people shouting 'Tupiza! Tupiza!' Anyway, it was getting dark so we hopped on a bus and kept our fingers crossed. Which wasn't much help, as there then proceeded to be an enormous electrical storm, which made the dirt track roads virtually impassable. The bus even slid into a ravine on the side of the road and tipped sideways just to the point before it would have toppled over. Then we were stopped for half an hour while the road was being cleared ahead, all in the pitch black darkness with our fingers crossed that we were in fact heading for Tupiza. It's times like these that you have to master your calmness. And I think we both coped admirably well!

A few hours later we arrived, and the hostel was a nice little place right by the bus station, and 30 Bolivianos (about 3 pounds a night) with a double bed and en suite which would never be possible in Brazil or Argentina. We organised a horseriding trip with the guy at our reception for the next day and finally went to sleep, exhausted.

In the morning we got up and had breakfast (included in the price), and were then taken to a farm where we were met by a guide (well, a young looking boy) with three (lets be honest, slightly mangey looking) horses. Never having got on a horse before in my life and without helmets or any of that health and safety nonsense, I was a little apprehensive, as was Danny, (don't tell him I said that), as we trotted off into the barren desert, also known as the Bolivian 'badlands'. Needn't have worried though, we soon got used to the horses and the landscape was incredible, all burnt red and rainbow coloured rock, giant cacti and huge canyons set against a blazing bright blue sky. It's also the place where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid died. By the end of the day I had even jumped over a stream on my horse (not out of choice exactly, he decided to go, so I went with him!)

We spent the rest of the day checking out the little town and taking in a huge fiesta that went on from about 2pm til 2am (Bolivian's take their partying seriously) with singing and dancers and drummers all wearing traditional and hugely elaborate costumes. And perhaps weirdest of all was wandering down the street to hear an English voice go 'Danny! Holly!' And there were Ed and Kim, a couple we had met in Iguacu falls in Brazil, thousands of miles away! They were also with an Australian couple that we had met on the horseriding trip earlier in the day. Small world! So we caught up with them and they told us they were suffering quite badly with altitude sickness (it's about 3500 metres there) and Ed's blood pressure had gone right up so he was being kept an eye on by doctors. Danny was also feeling a bit headachey after the exertion of the altitude and horseriding, but I was cocky as you like, sure it wasn't going to affect me... Ha...

The next day we took the incredibly bumpy 7 hour bus ride to Uyuni, home to the Salt Flats. Again it was a pretty hairy journey, travelling through unsealed dirt tracks up high in the mountains with vertical drops of thousands of feet on either side. All the locals nodded off straight away but Danny and I stayed awake with tension, gripping our armrests for safety! Thankfully, we made it to Uyuni with no trouble and then headed to the Hotel Avenida hostel, again only 3 pounds a night, and went to Cordillera travel, who had been recommended to us, to book our tour of the Salt Flats for the next day. Usually people take 4 day tours but it's only the first day you visit the Salar de Uyuni, the rest is lagoons and geysers which we'll see in San Pedro de Attacama in Chile so we opted for a one day tour and set off the next day in our Lexus jeep, nice.

Not so nice that I started to feel horrendously sick just as we reached the enormous expanse of the Salar miles and miles and miles from anywhere. But even while vomiting behind the salt hotel I couldn't help but marvel at the landscape. The Salar is the remnants of an ancient lake and absolutely enormous, and so blindingly white it's almost hallucenogenic. We also stopped at a local market in a remote village where the women with their long plaits, bowler hats and babies tied around their waists in bright coloured blankets were selling their local wares (so strange to think people actually live there), saw a volcano and the Cemetery de Tren which is an old railway line that hundreds of years ago ran to Chile, but is now disused and just full of old decaying trains. We stopped for lunch, well, everyone else stopped for lunch, I lay down in the back of the jeep feeling sorry for myself, and then headed for our last stop by which point I couldn't get out of the car but figured I'd seen enough anyway, so I lay there sweating and chewing coca leaves that a French guy had given me as I assumed I had altitude sickness and they are supposed to be a good natural remedy. I also had a raging temperature so some Japanese boys gave me the Japanese equivalent of a Kool 'n' Soothe head patch (from that annoying advert) an Argentine girl gave also gave me a sickness tablet, and the driver some aspirin. They were all so sweet it made me cry, you'll have to let me off on that one, I was feeling very emotional!

Back in Uyuni I was still feeling horrendous, and thanks to all the medicine, on a different planet. Still, we had no choice but to get on our overnight bus to La Paz which we'd booked earlier when I was feeling fine, and things went from bad to worse! The first four hours were ridiculously bumpy, so much so that if you got in a comfortable position it immediately knocked you out of it, plus because it gets so cold the kindly driver had whacked the heating up which with my temperature made me feel as if I was about to spontaneously combust. Lets also just say thank god there was a toilet on board.

12 hours later we arrived miraculously in grey, rainy La Paz, with me looking and feeling like absolute death! We grabbed a cab to the hostel which we wouldn't normally do but I was feeling so dreadful we decided to treat ourselves, and for the rest of today I have been lying in bed sleeping off what I think is a combo of altitude sickness and food poisoning. No more street Saltenas for me! At breakfast here they do mate de coca tea which is supposed to be a good herbal remedy so I'll try some of that in the morning and hopefully will be well enough to walk, very slowly, around the city and maybe head to the witches market tomorrow. Just trying to remind myself right now that we travellers have to take the rough with the smooth, and this was pretty much inevitable. Right, thanks for listening. Bet you enjoyed that one didn't you...

Mendoza & Salta, Argentina...

Next up, we headed by bus (a mere 22 hours) to the wine region, Mendoza. We stayed at Hostel Lao and were very happy to be greeted after another night on the bus to blazing sunshine and hammocks strung around the pool in the hostel. Then we took a walk around the city, checking out the main squares of Plaza Independencia and Plaza Espania and huge parque San Martin to the top of Cerro Gloria, where you get a fantastic view of the whole of Mendoza. Back at the hostel we met some lovely girls who were staying in our room (one Cambridge graduate and a nurse from Portsmouth) and made a steak dinner together at the hostel. The next day the four of us hooked up with another group of four travellers and took bikes around six different bodegas in the area, doing a tour and a wine tasting at each one. The wineries and vineyards were beautiful and it was interesting to see the huge barrels and machines they use to make wine and learn all about the process. So all in all an educational and tipsy day in equal measure!

Next (sorry I am rushing here, queue of people behind me) we took a bus to the scenic, chilled out town of Salta, where we are now. We're staying at a hostel called Terra Oculta and just had a great lunch of local cuisine at a restaurant called Donas Salta. Salta is a great jumping off point to cross over the border into Bolivia (via La Quiaca and Villazon on the Bolivian side) which we are doing tomorow, so fingers and toes crossed that all goes smoothly. I'm looking forward to Bolivia, but I think it will take some adjusting as it's the poorest country in South America and I hear it can be a bit of a shock after Argentina. We'll also miss the Argentinan people who have been absolutely delightful. So thankyou Argentina, we've had a ball!

El Calafate & San Carlos de Barriloche, Argentina...

WELL, I've been awol for the last 11 days so here`s the catch up. The Perito Moreno glacier, which is the world`s last advancing glacier was mindblowing. It`s very active, particularly in the mornings and evenings, and enormous blue chunks crack off into the water below which creates a sound exactly like thunder/how you would imagine an earthquake to stand. I feels like nature at it's most powerful. We spent 5 hours there ogling it before heading back to El Calafate on the bus to warm up.

The next day we headed to Barriloche. Also known as the bus journey from hell. Because route 40 is so bone rattling and bumpy it takes 36 hours to travel there by bus, or you can take the slightly shorter 28 hour bus (which is also much more comfortable) which goes back to Rio Gallegos, then North to Como Rivadavia and then diagonally across the country to Barriloche. So thats what we did, and in the entire time we have been travelling so far we have always found a bed at the first hostel we've turned up to. This time, at our most exhausted, hungry and freeezing - it gets very, very cold in Barriloche - the hostel we had set our hearts on was full. So off we traipsed back into the snowy darkness to the next one on our list, a place called 41 below. Which by this point was what it felt like my body temperature was. We had a quick shower on arrival, met a very nice Welsh boy and headed back out with him into the cold for a delicious Mexican dinner at a restaurant called Zapata. We then collapsed into bed and slept incredibly well (despite the fact that I was in a precarious top bunk which felt about 50 feet from the floor). Anyway, the next day we went back to our first choice of hostel, the Penthouse, and booked in there for two nights. It´s one of my favourite hostels so far: cosy, welcoming and on the 10th floor with awe inspiring views of the lake.

Our first full day in Barriloche was spent cycling the circuito chico, a 6km bike ride which takes you to some of the most beautiful spots in Barriloche. The famous Llao Llao hotel, hidden beaches and lakes, and even streams fed by snow melt from the Andes. They`re so pure you can drink from them (it´s basically mineral water) which we did. Best water I've ever tasted. After that, despite 10 hours of cycling and having very sore legs, we walked to the top of another Cerro Campanaro to see the grand finale, an incredible view that had been recommended to us over the whole of Barriloche. As a result we were frozen to the bone and could barely walk the next day, but it was totally worth it. Best day so far.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina...

O.K. we have some catching up to do! Been rushing about like crazy so haven`t had time for a catch up in a while but here goes. So our last night in Buenos Aires was fantastic, we went to an underground Millonga (tango club) at a place called La Catedral, and my lovely Australian friend Gina came to meet us with her boyfriend Eddie. Unfortunately Gina and Eddie were much better at the tango than us which sent me into a bit of a strop, obviously, but red wine helped me get over it.

The next day it was back on the bus (after my hero Danny carried both of our bags as I was too hungover) for the long 20 hour-ish journey into Patagonia. It´s such a strange place, you can drive for hours and hours and hours and not see anything apart from shrubs and barren land. It´s so vast it´s just mind boggling. But when the sun goes down and the stars come out it´s just stunning. Being on a bus you wake up every hour or so, and I was fortunate enough to wake up as the sun was rising over the endless horizon which was so beautiful. On the way Danny met a German guy who was spending the next six months WALKING from Bahia Blanca (a few hours south of Buenos Aires) to Ushuaia which is known as ´the end of the world´ being the most Southerly town in the world. The only thing further south is Antarctica.

So we arrived in Puerto Madryn and stayed at a homely little hostel called Posada Catalejo, and for the first time since we started our travels we had a room to ourselves. I´ve so missed my personal space, to the point where it is a relief to be in the shower or the loo - the only place I know I can really be on my own! Speaking of which, travelling has really given me back an enjoyment of life's simplest pleasures, not only does being in a room alone feel like a luxury now, so do bus journeys (I love watching the scenery go by), bottles of Pepsi, lying down flat (after said bus journeys) or getting a well thumbed old novel in a book swap.

After getting to Puerto Madryn we unpacked and headed out to the Welsh towns of Trelew and Gaiman, visiting a museum which told the history of the 153 original (and very brave) Welsh families who originally settled in the area around 1865, which was fascinating, and although the women who worked there weren`t Welsh (bit disappointing), one of them was half Italian, half Chilean with an Irish husband and living in Patagonia. What a mix! Gaiman was very small and quaint with little Welsh tea houses which Princess Diana visited in 1995.

The next day we visited the Peninsula Valdes, which is known as a breeding ground for Right Whales and also has tons more wildlife in abundance, from elephant seals and penguins to orcas and dolphins. Being poor travellers we couldn´t take one of the expensive tours of the area, but we took the local bus to the beach at Puerto Piramides where you can take a boat trip out, or if you are said poor traveller, laze about on the beach all day watching the whales from there, which was incredible. It was a blazing sunny day so we stayed warm sheltering from the wind behind the sanddunes, and having a drink in the bars in the little town. Heavenly.

Our bus to Rio Gallegos wasn`t until 5pm the next day, so we spent the morning wandering round the town looking at the local handmade goods, then lounged on the sofa in the hostel until it was time to head to the bus station. It was 17 hours to Rio Gallegos, where we had to disembark and then catch another bus to El Calafate where we are now. We got here at about 5pm and were met at the bus station by staff from the America Del Sur hostel who organised a free taxi for us, and it`s wonderful here. The rooms are small (only four to a dorm) but look out over the snow capped Andes and a beautiful bright blue lake and lagoon. We`ve just had an `All you can eat BBQ` and sat and chatted with lots of other travellers at dinner while watching the sun set out the big windows, and they`ve organised for a bus to pick us up and take us to the Perito Moreno glacier in the morning, which I have wanted to see for a very, very long time.

Bye for now! Sorry it was such a mammoth post but I don`t want to forget a thing.

San Antonio de Areco, Argentina...

The internet at the hostel has been out of action for two days, so plenty to catch up on. On Sunday we caught a bus to the Feria de Mataderos, which is about an hour away from central Buenos Aires and traditionally where the city´s slaughterhouses were located. Now home to the most incredible gaucho market on Sundays, where you can watch traditional dancing (and the locals who dance in the streets) and listen to singing, eat amazing steaks and sausages straight off the estancias and shop for local leather, silver and assorted trinkets. We wandered about for a few hours enjoying the atmosphere and beautiful sunny day, then headed back to the hostel in the afternoon to catch the Superclassico. That being a football match between rival Argentinian teams Boca Juniors and River Plate, also known as the biggest football derby in the world. As we strolled back to Millhouse the streets (except around the Obelisk, the big monument in the city where the fans celebrate after matches) were practically deserted as people watched the match. 70% of all Argentinians support one of these two teams so it´s a HUGE deal.

Today was a bit of a disaster frankly. In the morning we caught the bus to San Antonio de Areco, which is supposedly the spiritual home of the Argentine cowboy and a great little town (not that we saw it). After three hours on the bus we started to wonder if we´d missed our stop. We had. As usual the lovely and accomodating Argentinian people helped us out, putting us on a bus back to Areco free of charge. Unfortunately by the time we got there, we only had half an hour until our return bus arrived. So we had a quick steak sandwich from a local parilla and then got back on the bus. I can tell you that part of the country (it´s about 110km North of Buenos Aires) is very beautiful and full of estancias (ranches) and horses and cows. But unfortunately that's really all I can tell you.

Right, off to get an early night as we have a big one tomorrow, heading to a Millonga (tango club) with a friend who is visiting, to learn some moves and I´m sure enjoy a glass or three of local wine...

Buenos Aires IV, Argentina...

Despite a rubbish weather forecast it was a beautiful day in Buenos Aires today, with the sun was beating down, so we strolled down Calle Florida for a pizza picnic in Plaza San Martin at lunchtime, then headed to Retiro station to book our bus to our next stop - Puerto Madryn in Patagonia. It´s a 19 hour bus ride and I´m so excited about the place. After the bustle of Buenos Aires I can´t wait to get out into the wilds and hopefully see whales, penguins and walruses. There are also two little Welsh towns nearby called Trelew and Gaiman (which I find really bizarre... Wales, in Patagonia?) which will be fascinating to see.

Next we wandered to Recoleta, a very fancy area of the city (I felt a bit ´travelly´ to pop into Louis Vuitton or Hermes) and into the beautiful cemetery, where Eva Peron is buried. After getting lost in the maze of incredible tombs (this isn´t like your average cemetary, each tomb is basically a mini church) we came across Evita´s grave which is still covered with flowers and had a drawn a little crowd. On the way home we stopped for some Mango Maracuya ice cream at Freddo´s, which I´m told is the best in Argentina (it was amazing) and listened to a fantastic Bossa band in the street which drew a huge crowd of very ´Friday feeling´ looking locals. We´re back at the hostel now ready for a bit of a siesta before we head out for dinner and drinks at a very popular bar called La Cigale. Happy Friday everyone!

Buenos Aires III, Argentina...

Thursday was spent exploring La Boca, home of the Caminito and Boca Juniors´ famous football stadium. Also home to some quite unsavoury characters and scary looking dogs. It became rather apparent that we were in the wrong part of town when someone cycling past shouted 'Get out of here, what are you doing here!' and an elderly Argentinian woman, obviously fearing for our lives, grabbed us by the arm and tried to steer us towards the bus station.

So, after an incredible lunch of lomo steak at a local and hugely popular restaurant called El Obero we caught a taxi to the Caminito. I loved seeing the colourful buildings, created in the 1950s by Benito Quinquela Martin, but the Caminito is a real tourist trap. You can´t walk for three metres without someone shoving a leaflet in your face for a free tango show or cheap meal. So we checked it out and then headed swiftly back through the lovely old streets of San Telmo and to the Millhouse for a siesta.

In the evening we discovered Guerrin, an old-style Buenos Aires pizza parlour from the 1930s on Avenida Corrientes where we had a delicious grande Napolitana for the equivalent of about 2 pounds 20 each. Today we plan to head to the bus station to check out buses to Patagonia (we leave in a few days) and then on to Recoleta to see Eva Peron´s grave. Don't cry for me Argentina...

Buenos Aires II, Argentina...

So yesterday was spent sampling all the delights Buenos Aires has to offer. We headed to Cafe Tortoni for coffee and medialunas (mini croissants), the cafe is over 150 years old (it opened in 1858) and famous writers like Borges used to frequent it. More recently Hilary Clinton has popped in for a coffee.

Next we took a long walk to Palermo, which is the fancy part of the city, and stopped at a very English-esque pub on Humboldt called (ironically) Bangalore, for a couple of pints of Quilmes. Finally we went to La Cupertina which is an amazing little restaurant where Danny had an Argentinian stew and I had incredible steak and queso on flat bread, all washed down with a bottle of Malbec red from Mendoza - I of course promptly smashed my glass and spilled it everywhere - but when the whole meal plus wine cost less than a fiver each who cares! (Probably the poor waitress who had to clear it up I hear you say... Well, yes there is that).

Right, we´re off now to explore the La Boca area of the city (and maybe see if we can get tickets to Argentina´s biggest football match this weekend, Boca Juniors V Riverplate) and also check out the Camanito. Oh, and we´ve learnt a few beginner steps of tango in preparation for La Catedral, the Milonga we are heading to next week. Strictly Come Dancing watch out...

Buenos Aires, Argentina...

Right, in the spirit of keeping this bad boy up to date I am reporting from day two of Buenos Aires. As previously mentioned we arrived after a 20 hour bus journey and checked into our hostel, which is gorgeous (apart from irritating American partyboy roomates who make you do shots of whisky the moment you walk in the door) and right in the centre of BA. You get free breakfast and the room for less than seven pounds a night which can´t be sniffed at!

Anyway, yesterday we settled in and then headed out for a drink at about 5.30pm, when the sun was still blazing, and sat at a little pavement cafe drinking Quilmes (Argentinian beer) and enjoying the rays. Then we walked up Avenida Defensa towards the San Telmo area of the city which is all very pretty nineteenth century buildings and found a little piazza outside, where we came across some live tango dancers. Next we headed to a really popular parilla (steakhouse) called Desnivel for dinner where we had the most beautifully tender sirloin steaks for next to nothing.

Today we got up early and enjoyed the free breakfast, including the local speciality Dulce de Leche (which is a caramel/milk thing that they put on croissants and in ice creams) mmmm, then headed out for a walk along the shopping area of Calle Florida which ends at the Piazza San Martin, a lovely park to chill out in and have a bit of a picnic (which we did, obviously). Then wandered into San Telmo to check out more antique shops - this place is a vintage shoppers absolute heaven, and so cheap - and I got a gorgeous hand knitted alpaca sweater for the equivalent of 11 pounds. I love Buenos Aires! Finally we stopped for a little vino tinto refreshment (well, when in Rome!) before heading back to the hostel where we are now. We´re going for Burritos tonight, and strolling through the parks in Palermo tomorow. So until then...

Iguazu Falls, Argentina...

Right, I have been a bit slack on this thing so just trying to rack the old brainio on what´s new since last time(we´re in Argentina now). So here goes. For my first ever football match we headed to the Maracana stadium in Rio to watch Sao Paulo play Flamengo, which was incredible. The atmosphere was absolutely electric with the fans chanting, drumming, letting and off flares (the home team won). Its the biggest stadium in the whole world, at 110,000 capacity.

Next we went to the Corcovado to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer which looks out over Rio, and after a mere five hours of queuing, (yep we picked a public holiday - during which time we met a very friendly Indian doctor who Danny discussed all matter of subjects with from history to religion to sport while I looked on in a mixture of confusion and boredom) we chugged up the mountain until we reached the top and saw the 1000 tonne Jesus and lots of nuns and a chapel. The view from the summit was absolutely beautiful - you can see the whole city as well as the lagoon, the Guanabara bay and Sugarloaf Mountain. It got even better after sunset when all the twinkly, sparkly lights lit up the city.

And so we left Rio, and headed up to the breathtaking Iguacu falls on a 24 hour bus journey, which actually wasn´t bad despite several noisy coughers on the bus, (they always make me feel ill by association) and a bit of a toilet smell. We checked into hostel Bambu, a very cute homely little place and then headed out to see the unbelievable panoramic view from the Brazilian side of the falls, getting absolutely soaked in the process from a storm and the falls which spray out gigantic clouds of water.

Next we packed up and crossed the border into Argentina. You can get much more up close and personal with the falls on the Argentinian side and on the second day when the sun finally came out we walked the Sendero Macuco trail, spotting monkeys, multicoloured butterflies, toucans and iguanas, before taking a dip in the natural pool fed by a waterfall at the end of the path. Unprepared as usual in flip flops, the walk was horrendously muddy and every step sent a spray of mud and assorted jungle creatures - giant ants, frogs, crazy spiders etc - up into the air and then back down onto us with a splat. But it was all worth it!

The next day we took a 20 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires where we´ve just arrived to. First impressions are that the people here are incredibly friendly (at the metro a man asked me if I needed help understanding the map, you wouldn't get that in London) and the staff at the hostel (we´re staying at the Millhouse in the centre of town) are uber helpful. So so far so good. Right I´m off to get my bearings, take a shower and reward myself with some Argentinian red wine and maybe a little steak. Yes! Bye for now...

Rio de Janeiro II, Brazil...

Rain rain go a-bloody-way! It´s been raining now for two days, but that hasn´t stopped us from getting out and exploring. Since the last post we´ve been to Uruguaina market, which was pretty crazy and full of locals, rather than tourists. Great, but no chance of finding a postcard of bikini clad Brazilians to put a smile on grandad's face! Today we´re heading to Hawker Stalls market in Sao Cristovado and the food and flower market in Ipanema, and tonight up to Lapa to join the samba party in the streets. Areeeeeeeeeba! Then when the sun comes out on Sunday we´ll go and see Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, the hippy market and escadaria selaron (the tiled steps where Pharell and Snoop Dawg filmed their 'Beautiful' video). Would love to take a trip to Maracana stadium, but Danny would rather wait until Argentina and go and see Boca Juniors play River Plate. (Look at me all knowledgeable about football and stuff).

FOOD NOTE: Love, love, loving the street food, especially tapioca, very bargainous way to fill up. And the vitaminas (fruit juices with milk) and sucos. Will also try one of the many ´weigh and pay´buffets today.

BEAUTY NOTE: Brazil´s voltage is too low for my hair straighteners. Disaster! We have now entered a ´no pictures´ zone.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...

Oi (that´s Portugese for hello) from Brazil! So we made it after a very teary goodbye to the parents at the airport and 11 hours of trying to avoid deep vein thrombosis and enjoying free nerve-calming gin and tonics/red wine on the flight - thanks BA! And now we´ve been here five days, waking up to the sound of monkeys and tropical birds (rather than foxes and pigeons), slowly adjusting to the jetlag - although I´m still waking up at 6.30am everyday - and just generally getting to know Rio slowly but surely; our motto for this trip being, ´It´s a marathon not a sprint.´ (Because we.are.cool.com).

Highlights thus far: Cinelandia and the financial district (dodgy on a Sunday but packed with suits in the week), catching the tram up into the favelas and Santa Theresa and stopping at a little bar which was possibly the cutest place ever, and walking all the way from Leme to Leblon on the sand (which covers all of Copacabana and Ipanema). It took 6 hours in 30 degree heat (so we needed to stop off for Brahma and drink green coconuts, obvs) and I now have the most exfoliated feet ever, a tan and tight bum muscles - a recommended beauty treatment!

We´ve figured out the buses and the metro (it´s amazing how quickly a place starts to become familiar) despite the only word we seem to have learnt so far being ´thankyou.´ Well, Danny has... I´m still wondering if I'm supposed to say 'Obrigada´ rather than ´Obrigado,' (so I´ve taken the sensible approach and started to mumble the end bit). We´ve also just moved into a 24 bed dorm in Mellow Yellows. For 8 quid a night you get the bed, free breakfast, free internet and a free Caiprinha at Happy Hour. Bargain!

Today´s plan... If it´s clear, a trip up to Sugarloaf mountain (I want to go at sunset). Tchau for now!

FASHION NOTE: (Because it wouldn´t be right if I didn´t)... Brazilian women wear mismatching bikinis and embrace their curly hair. Not quite ready to let go of the straighteners yet, but watch this space...

I can add pictures and everything...

Not a fashion writer anymore! Bye bye clean clothes, beauty products and heels...

Countdown to Rio - 23 hours and 16 minutes. Waaaaah!

Does this work?

Testing, testing, 1,2,3...