Mmm Valparaiso

Expectations are funny things, especially when they aren't met. We left Pucon feeling a bit virtuous, we were going to night bus ten hours to Santiago, then take the first bus to Mendoza, saving a night s accommodation and time. Good plan, unless the pass across the Andes is closed. So we got the bus from Santiago to Valparaiso, touted as a quaint hilltop place of steep streets and funiculars (or ascensors) overlooking the twinkling ocean. I can't blame a town for not looking its best when the weather is hideous, especially a seaside town. It bucketed like nothing else. But, give me Cinque Terre any day.

We were lucky our hostel man was so lovely and helpful, pointed us in the direction of restaurants we would never have known about, but for me Valparaiso is going to be about the dog that followed me for 5kms and incited other dogs, and jumping at shadows at every alley way.

However, I don't want to be negative so some cool things - the poet Pablo ummm n's house (name to be completed when I google). So whimsical and what a life he must have lived in the 50s, what a cool bar and view he had. The central mercado is certainly no Borough market, but the meal we had there was some pretty good seafood for a pocket full of pounds.

The story of Brit Thomas Cochrane helping the Chileans at sea is fascinating, and even more so how they prepared his 'house' (that he never lived in) for the Queen's visit.

We rode a couple of the famous ascensions,I liked El Peral and the story that goes with it (I don't give a pear what it is called, the mayor said in the end).

I didn't bottom out however why Neil Armstrong takes his place alongside Magellan and Copernicus in the stained glass window map of the world in the Maritime Museum.

So other travellers we have met proclaimed Valpo amazing, awesome- for us it was wrong time, wrong weather, but our hostel guy did his best to help us and we gave it our best shot. I did like my chocolate caliente at cafe con letras a lot.

Pucon activities

I liked Pucon, at the foot of the Villaricca volcano, even though continuing my theme of dogs, five of them were following us at one point.

Our hostel, La Tetera, was very good. Excellent local venison at Trawen and Chef Pato was fun. It was soo quiet around town.

One day we mountain biked around, lots of hills, passed sheep and pigs and waterfalls, the second day Chris climbed the volcano and on the third we headed out to the natural hot springs, Los Pozones.

Puerto Varas to Fruitillar drive

I needed a day's break from boot camp (ha ha just kidding, I mean from hiking and biking) so we took a day trip with one of our lovely hosts, Maurisio.

Mauriso took us on the pretty country road from Puerto Varas to Fruitillar - the whole are was first settled by Germans 100 years or so ago, and Fruitillar still has a lot of a German feel.

There was volcano after volcano on the drive on the lake road, and Maurisio was full of facts and figures.

It was a very chilled day, we popped into the German museum, one of the first settlements - of course a friendly dog followed us everywhere.

We also got some time to chill by the fire at Compass del Sur, our cool hostel. It is an old original style Puerto Varas house run by Maurisio and Malin so a combo of Chile and Swedish.

Also had some excellent local seafood in Puerto Varas - the waiter was great with his suggestions.

Peterohue, Puerto Varas

We arrived in Puerto Varas on a really chilly, foggy night, struggled to understand the currency or communicate with our hostel receptionist and so just went to bed. Next day things seemed easier and we bussed it 90minutes out of town to Peterohue and the waterfalls for a days hike at the foot of the Osorno volcano. It was not such a well trodden loop but we persisted, again among a few drops of rain, and it was another satisfying day of exploring.

Big thanks to the nice bus driver who got us to the waterfalls and waited to take us back to town.

Cafe and Kuchen

Cafe and kuchen in Chile's German-pioneered town, Fruitillar

From Buenos Aires to Bariloche

We treated ourselves to carma class on the bus for the 20 hours south to Bariloche and it was a sweet ride. Our front row, second-story seats were so comfy and we got a really good meal (much better than airline food) and a good night's sleep - we were even offered champagne!

We didn't warm to Bariloche on our fist scoot around town, but in the following days, once we got some great advice from our excellent mountain-bike hire guy Daniel, we got amongst the best of Bariloche.

Once we got to grips with the buses, we headed out of town to get our bikes to navigate the Circuito Chico, the road around the lake. For me on the hills it was a bit of a case of 'i think I can I think I can' and well yes with a lot of encouragement from Chris and some whinging I made it, but on that last hill I knew I had my own definition of Phil Leggett and Paul Sherwen's Tour de France expression 'cracking'. But I made it and it was a good feeling. Maybe I will invest in some bike shorts however : )

The weather was not so kind the next day when we did some national park walking, we scaled Llao Llao hill in the rain...so of course we had to do it the next day to get the views! But I did insist on the nice slower pace of a lake cruise after that. We headed to some really beautiful forests with the oldies for a look around.

Eating and drinking highlights in Bariloche were Albertos, where we had excellent steak,chorizo and provoleta and we enjoyed happy hour at Antares.

After hiking and biking our way around Bariloche,the Switzerland of Argentina , we were busward bound again, this time for Puerto Varas, Chile

Little quirk - people take thermoses (a real word?) everywhere for their mate (like tea but more bitter and strong). You can top up your thermos anywhere!

Buenos Aires

So with boxes finally away and paperwork sorted, and plenty of draining but wonderful goodbyes, it was onto the Heathrow Express (what a treat for my departure) headed for Buenos Aires.

A partied- out Bulli was there to meet me on a very dreary early morning. We had a quiet start to BA but once the jet lag and post-tour come down subsided we were off and running. We explored most neighbourhoods, and stayed in San Telmo, the fleamarket district. Really nice and lots of traces of old style Buenos Aires from the days when the tango was born out of the large but overfilled homes of immigrant families who filled the neighbourhood when the upper classes fled the yellow fever plague.

We visited the cemetery in Recoleta which is renown for its ornate chambers, I think Evita's is one of the best known tombs.

And speaking of Evita we got the deets on why she is so beloved in Argentina on our excellent walking tour. We got a rundown on Argentina's turbulent modern history and visited the union building which is like a 1950s time capsule. This incredibly dedicated and beautiful old man has created a museum to Evita and it was moving to hear him speak 60 years later about the impact she had on him and others (shows his impact and passion given I can't understand Spanish but could feel how important it was to him!)

Another highlight was visiting the brightly coloured La Caminita in The Boca neighbourhood. We also went to a game at the famous Bombonera to see Boca Juniors. Outside the stadium the atmosphere was expectant and a bit eerie, everyone is very orderly and you are searched before you go in. Inside there is an explosion of colour and fun and the singing is awesome. The most boring football game we have ever seen but the atmosphere did deliver.

We had a couple of famous Argentinian steaks, rare was the best way for us, and enjoyed malbecs and empanadas. Had a fun night out with some of Bulli's tour mates and visited Palermo on a Saturday when all the locals come out for shopping and coffees.

La Poesia was a favourite cafe - pages and pages of sandwiches and a lovely colonial 50s style feel. We also visited the famous cafe Tonino.

So Buenos Aires was not a big tick list of sights, more about people watching and soaking up the modern history and current way of life. It looks like a city that shone in the 50s and 60s and now is a little ragged around the edges as they've had other things to worry about, but beautiful in its way.

Little quirk - people sell all sorts of things on the metro! Socks, colouring books, street directories! They pop it on your lap, you like, you buy, you don't, you leave!