Hi all!
Just a quick update to let you know I safely crossed the border into Argentina (thankfully reasonably hassle-free this time!), and have spent the last three days exploring northern Argentina. The area is a maze of tiny villages set in countryside very similar to the wild west of the United states. In fact, I travelled through the very setting of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (The area bordered a lovely little town called Tupiza).
The Argentine people in these cacti-surrounded villages are the friendliest I have come across on my entire trip. I need never sit alone sipping a local mate tea, as there will always be a friendly local who approaches for a chat. I even managed to make a friend at the local ice-creamery yesterday, who offered me spanish lessons for $1 an hour, and spent 30 minutes planning me a route around the small town to see all the main attractions! Unfortunately, I had to leave the next day, so no cheap spanish lessons there for me! :(
Last night signified the end of my Argentine desert explorations, as time is running short, and I had to head back to the city. I stayed the night in little Cafayete, one of the larger semi-desert towns, and spent the afternoon frollicking and sunbaking at the local swimming pool with a couple of Austrians who I met the day before. Complete with a large waterslide, free of charge, this swimming pool was a fantastic find, especially given it was 33C!
Tonight, I am in the city of Tucuman, in Northern Argentina. Although a perfectly pleasant city, with very friendly locals, I must make tracks tomorrow if I am to reach Iguassu Falls in comfortable time. Tomorrow night, I am therefore boarding a night bus to Posadas, in far north-east Argentina. Right now, however, my stomach is calling, so I am off to dine in a nearby eatery for what will be, by argentine standards, a VERY early dinner (8pm!). Hasta Luego Amigos!!!!
