From London to San Francisco

Santiago

kashton_jdennis — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:30:00 GMT

April 11 - 14

Originally we had a bus ticket for the journey from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile scheduled for 11pm (overnight buses mean that you save a night on accommodation and you don't waste a day) but after everyone telling us that the drive through the Andes is too good to miss we took the trip through the day. I'm so pleased that we did. The landscape was so barren but incredibly beautiful and made for one of the nicest bus journeys that I have ever taken. We were both pretty sad to be leaving Argentina as our time here has been amazing and I don't believe that we will beat it. On arrival at the border into Chile we were greeted with pretty harsh security. You have to have security checks on every piece of luggage and you can't take in fruit, veg, meat blah blah blah. You then stand in a line with your hand luggage on a table and a dog walks over everything, sniffing out any suspicious items. One woman got in big trouble for being in possesion of a lemon. I mean a lemon of all things, they had a real go at her. Thankfully Ashton left her banana on the bus but when we got back they had taken it. Rob dogs. We have heard many funny stories about this border from other travellers. One was a guy who had 2 machettes in his bag and was removed from the bus and never seen again and the other one, a personal favourite, was the girl who had a bag of eggs (god knows why) and instead of giving them up she stood and boiled them so that she could keep them.

We had no expectations of Santiago as Lonely Planet said it was a non descript city backed by beautiful mountains, some people hated it and others merely shrugged and said it was ok. We arrived at night so our first impression was the hostel. It was impressive and by far the best hostel that we have stayed in. It had good music, a lounge, a lovely terrace and feather down quilts and pillows. It was amazing but unfortunately we only had one night there. On day one in the city we went to Pablo Neruda's house. I had no idea who he was a noble peace prize winning poet and politician He built the hosue for his mistress turned wife and it was beautiful and we felt like we actually learnt somehting which is always a bonus. That night we stayed at The Aubrey which is a lovely boutique hotel in a cool district called Bella Vista.

April 13th was my birthday and although Santiago would not be the city of choice to spend it in I had a nice day. I initally thought that people had been too harsh about the city as I loved the graffiti, the colourful houses and the backdrop of mountains (you could barely see these as it is so smoggy) but then after a day of going into the city centre I found that I just didn't really feel it. It was redeemed by a visit to San Christobel which is a mountain viewpoint which overlooks the city. Now as many of you know, I love a good viewpoint (Arthurs seat being one of my favourites) and sitting up there under the statue of San Christobel listening to choir music I felt a little soft spot for the city. The birthday night was fairly quiet although we were treated to champagne and chocolates so that was a rela highlight of the day.

Mendoza

kashton_jdennis — Thu, 7 Apr 2011 21:00:00 GMT

April 7 - 11

Next stop, the wine capital of Argentina, Mendoza. As I have a new found love for red wine it would be rude not to visit. Mendoza isn't as pretty as our trusty Lonely Planet made out but it was a refreshing change to be back in the warm sunny weather and back into shorts and tshirts. Our hostel choices so far have been rather good, until now. We chose Break Point whose name is very apt. The hostel itself was fine and has a swimming pool and lovely garden but it is not the cleanest place that I have ever stayed and if it wasn't for the nice people in our dorm we would have left after one night. After the initial freak out of the state of the 80s bathroom and grimy kitchen we (that`s me really) decided that I could put up with it. The days in Mendoza were spent wandering around, eating 1/4 kilo tubs of ice cream (at the beginning we shared this but have moved onto having one each eek) and having lots of fun with our new friends in the hostel. On Saturday we decided to do an exciting wine tour, not just any old wine tour...a wine tour on a bike. Oh how this could have gone spectacularly wrong especially considering my accident prone nature. We set off in a pack of 6; Tony the london lad, Ibs his side kick, Rich, the very english essex lad and Oli, the year long traveller, plus Kate and myself. It turned out to be a lovely day and thankfully there were no injuries incurred. We cycled in total about 20km and we were all mildly disappointed at the ratio of time drinking and time spent on the bikes.

Bariloche

kashton_jdennis — Mon, 4 Apr 2011 21:00:00 GMT

April 4 - 7

As I dragged us so far south it meant that we then had to get back north. Considering that Argentina is the size of India we knew that these few weeks were going to be a whirlwind of long bus journeys, lots of checking in and out and the much-readed packing and unpacking. We took the bus from El Calafate and embarked on our longest bus journey to date...a 28 hour one! Now many of you have asked how on earth you can sit on a bus for that long but believe me they aren't what you imagine. The key is to choose the cama seats which basically are huge comfy armchairs that go horizontal. Add in the fact that you get served steak and red wine (on a previous journey even champagne) and there is a constant flow of movies. Ok so the movies so far have been Machete and a dreadful horror but we are finding the more buses we do the better the films get. Ashton sleeps for most of the journey (there are more pictures of me sleeping but that's only because I haven't taken any of her), we chat very little, take pictures of the changing landscape, discuss what on earth we are doing with our lives, sleep a little more, eat, watch a film and before you know it you're arrived at the next destination. The destination of choice this time was Bariloche, a sleepy little ski village in the middle of the Lake District. Maybe it is the fact that it has the same name but it feels very much like our Lake District but bigger. Bariloche also wouldn't look out of place in France really and again it was totally different to El Calafate. We had a lovely few days here and did a few walks through Llao Llao valley, ate lots of ice cream and just relaxed that little bit more. Unfortunately when we went to book our bus ticket out of Bariloche to cross into Chile we couldn't and so we had to change the itinerary (missing out Pucon) and head north to Mendoza in Argentina.

El Calafate

kashton_jdennis — Sat, 2 Apr 2011 21:00:00 GMT

April 2 - 4

This morning we got up at 6am to take a flight to El Calafate, which if you look at our route map is right in the south of Argentina. Now after a week long party in BA we were both broken and very, very tired. After a flight of 3 hours we landed in a place that was in total contrast to BA. It felt like the highlands of Scotland, rolling hills and beautiful blue lakes. The temperature took a dramatic drop and was about 10 degrees brrr. We stayed in a beautiful hostel called American Del Sur which wouldn't have felt out of place in a ski resort. It was like a chalet with wooden beams and a huge open fire - we both agreed that it was exactly the type of place to dry out and get back to normal after a week of pure madness. El Calafate has long been on my list of places to visit, not only because it has amazing lanscapes but because it is home to the biggest glacier in the world, Perito Moreno. We opted for a boat tour which takes you right beside the glacier and then the tour throught the national park. Neither of us were up to glacier hiking, no way jose! The boat rie was made entertaining by a random man asking to have a picture taken with Kate, god knows what that was about. Once in the park you can view the glaciers from various platforms and as the day goes on and the light changes the glacier looks different. The size of this thing is just epic (it is bigger than the city of Buenos Aires) and even though it doesn't do much you can't help but just be amazed by it. It's weird as well as it creaks and groans and we were lucky enough to see pieces of ice fall off and as they fall they rumble and then crash into the water. I absolutely loved being there and it was well worth travelling all the way south to see it.

Buenos Aires

kashton_jdennis — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:00:00 GMT

March 26 - April 2

After a long bus journey of 24 hours we arrived in Buenos Aires. This is what Ashton has been looking forward to for a very long time, for me it looked cool but I had no idea what to expect. Even though we were shattered from the bus we thre down our bags and went off to explore. As it was Sunday we headed down to the markets in San Telmo and I instantly fell in love. It's a lovely combination of Barcelona, Paris and Argentina and it just has a European vibe about it. After a few markets we had one beer, then another and another. Yes it was quite the boozy afternoon and as we stumbled back to our hostel we both agreed that Buenos Aires was the best place ever. The week just kept getting better and better and after days of exploring the different districts we then headed out to explore the nightlife. We were recommended a cute tango hall called La Catedral. In Kate's words it's like something from a Baz Luhrman film; it's a warehouse with higgedly piggedly chairs and tables, random canvases hung on the walls and fairy lights draped all over the ceiling. In the middle tango classes were taking place and people just sit around the edges watching. The music was incredible as it was played on like a 1920s gramaphone. Now even though I hate red wine (or vino tinto as the locals say) we rattled through 2 bottles of beautiful Malbec and I am now a fully fledged red wine drinker. Local drink once again. Tick.

Whilst in Buenos Aires we stayed at the recommended party hostel, Milhouse. Now everyone along the way so far has said 'you must stay at Milhouse'. Well on arrival we felt ancient. It was like walking into the student union on Hollyoaks. Loads of mental 18 year olds running around and the ones not running around were sat nursing their 2 week hangover. it was crazy. Luckily we got put in a dorm of 3 lovely girls and a mental Russian (she just grunted) so thankfully it worked out well. Each night the hostel hosts a party (yes everyone stands around the edge and waits for the drunkest to hit the dancefloor) but after someone asking Kate's age and getting a 'F*** that's old' in reply we decided to go in search of our own mid-20s fun. We hit Palermo which is very much like being in London and after much fun (much more fun than the party) we decided to hit Club 69. Well first we got taken to Club 74 by a mental taxi driver but luckily Kate's combined Spanish, Italian and French argument we arrived at the right place. Many hours later, a fake 50 note and a drag queen show we left the nightclub at 7.30. The Argentines know how to party!

Our last night in BA was indeed a sad one as neither of us wanted to go and even though we have weeks of travelling ahead we both got the holiday blues. Things were made a little better by a visit to the much-recommended La Cabrena; a famous steakhouse in Palermo. We arrived at 8.30 and got our names on the list (people wait hours to get a free table) and luckily we only had to wait 15 mins to be seated. The wait, although only short was worth it as we had the best steak ever. See photos below to see the delight on our faces. All in all it was an amazing week and you should all put BA on your list of places to go.

A special day for one little traveller

kashton_jdennis — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:00:00 GMT

March 25 - 26

March 25 was a special day as it was Kate Ashton's 27th birthday. After her initial sadness about saying goodbye to 26 (a good year all round) and being that one step closer to 30 we packed up, waved goodbye to Brazil and crossed the border to Argentina. 1 country down bosh. Instantly you can see the difference in the countries and on arrival into Argentina we were greeted with that familiar 'Hola' which was a refreshing change to the confusing Portuguese that is spoken in Brazil. Again we checked in and dashed off to Iguazu Falls to see it from the other side. Thankfully it was really sunny and so the feel of this side was totally different to the day before. The view from this side is incredible (I preferred it) and I can't stress enough that this is one thing that you all have to try and see at some point in your lifetime. It is out of this world and we both agreed that it is byfar the best natural wonder that we have ever seen. After a lovely day there we celebrated Ashton's birthday by having a good old Argentinian BBQ (this is where two Germans thought Kate was French) and a few more caprinihas. The end of the night was somewhat of a disappointment as we got back to our private room to find two very odd people face down, half-naked and snoring on the beds next to ours. Not ideal.

Foz de Iguazu

kashton_jdennis — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:00:00 GMT

March 24 - 25

Today we headed over to Foz de Iguazu, the town next to the Iguazu Falls. After yet another check in (our 6 hostel in under 2 weeks) we went to see Iguazu Falls. As the falls borderboth Brazil and Argentina you can see them from both sides. Everyone has their own opinion on which side is their favourite and we wanted to do both and I'm so pleased that we did. To say that it is a tourist attraction the trails leading up to it was bizarrly quiet which was a refreshing change from any usual touristy places. The first glimpse of the falls is breathtaking. Again the weather was pretty gloomy but it added to the whole experience. The sound of the water is immense and you just can't, without being there, graspe just how huge the waterfalls actually are. We walked through the Devil's Throat which is a bridge going underneath the falls and we got absolutely drenched.

Florionopolis

kashton_jdennis — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:00:00 GMT

March 21 - 23

So it was bye bye Rio and hello Florionopoliois. After an 18 hour bus journey we arrived in the surfing paradise of Brazil. Again on arrival it was grey but we stayed at a lovely hostel called Backpackers Sunset. It was like arriving at uni, lots of 20-somethings all looking beautiful with their sun-kissed tans and travelly style clothes. Although our time here was short we managed to have an amazing time and we both felt incredibly relaxed by the end of it. Another day on the beach meant that I (Jen) got back to the delightful shade of crimson and once again it was spot-the-brit for everyone else. Unfortunately we didn't do any surfing but we managed to squeeze in a beach party and lots more of the lovely caprinihas.

Rio de Janeiro

kashton_jdennis — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:30:00 GMT

March 16 - 20

The arrival in Rio wasn't as I imagined. It was grey, rainy and all in all not ideal although Ashton was reunited with her bag so it was smiles all round. Thankfully as we learnt over the few days that we spent there, Rio has tropical weather and from glorious sunshine comes terrential rain. By the time we collected our bags and boarded the first of many buses the sun was shining and our excitement set in. Initial impressions of Rio were the fact that it is amazing. You have beautiful beaches with an amazing backdrop of mountains and forest. The first thing we did was hit Ipanema beach and the rumours are true, people do wear thong bikinis. Gross. I managed to get suitably burnt to a crisp which as everyone knows is not a surprise. Over the next few days we went to Sugar Loaf muntain which has this incredible view of the whole city, the christ reedmer, which is supposed to have an incredible view but didn't (watch the video) and spent a couple of nights in La Suite which is an amazing boutique hotel. One of the highlights of Rio was the local drink - caprinihas. They are amazing!

An unexpected day in New York

kashton_jdennis — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:00:00 GMT

March 15

Today the excitement of a day in NY was hindered by the loss of Kate's bag, a very late night and the fact that it was extremely cold and we had nothing to wear, oh and throw in the fact that the New York transport map has nothing on the tube map. After a confusing start we eventually managed to get into downtown Manhattan and did the oh-so touristy thing of a city bus tour. Yes that's right, the whole of New York in a day! From there we went to see the statue of liberty. Not an easy task. We queued for hours in the freezing cold and once over there did a circuit of her (she is much smaller than what I had imagined) and then queued to come back - we wasted 3 hours in total. From there we ran 3 blocks one way and up 4 and who should we find but young Daisy Carrington (for those of you who don't have the pleasure of knowing her, she is our lovely little friend from Dubai). It was a flying visit of 20 minutes and we sat in one of the 183 Starbucks in the city and ordered nothing (we learnt that fact on the tour). Next it was back to the airport to locate the lost bag and get the flight to Rio.

Let the adventure begin

kashton_jdennis — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:00:00 GMT

March 14
Monday 14th March was the beginning of the 3 month adventure. The start of caprinihas, big fat steaks and trying to figure out the spanish lingo. The date had slowly been approaching and weirdly enough came along without a nervous, excited feeling in sight. We are off to South America. Really? It all seemed a bit surreal. Somewhere I had dreamt about going to forever, and here was the chance to make it a reality. We made our separate ways to Heathrow airport, thankfully without a glitch occurring. Me with my mini hiking rucksack (god knows how I managed that) and Jen with her err not so mini rucksack, (who would have thought a denim waistcoat would be needed at some point of this trip!). We flew American Airlines (avoid these guys at all costs, they are the worst airline in the history of the world) and landed in New York at 9pm. As Jen had never been to NYC, she hovered at the airport doors watching the yellow taxis fly past, where she uttered the words 'oh if only we could just go and explore for a day'. Little did we know that this exact wish would come true. Lesson 1. Dont mess with the Denster. Some words come out of her mouth and within a few minutes that exact thing miracously happens!
Sat waiting at the gate, watching our plane infront of us, this AA announcement happened seconds later: ´The flight from New York to Rio de Janiero is overbooked. We need seven passengers to give up their seats in exchange for an 800USD travel coupon to use within a year to any destination, and free overnight accomodation and meals´.
A few hours into our 3 month trip, the answer was easy. Yes please. An hour later, hungry, tired and waiting for our bags to turn up I was wondering if this was actually as good idea as it first seemed. Two hours later with no bag, (which not one member of staff in the airport knew the whereabouts of) and forgetting that it is March, meaning New York would be COLD compared to Rio, was this actually a good idea? New York, 5 degrees. Rio, 30 degrees. Rio seemed a more appealing place at that point in time. Clothed in only leggings, a tshirt, new walking boots (that hurt and were too big and bulky to pack), this next 24 hours would not be the greatest ever!