KingKezza Update
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- sexypixel
just thought i'd post this, got it today as Im dure many of you did, but for those who didnt:
"hello all, as promised (whether wanted or not), here is my updatefrom
Argentina.For those who dont know, im travelling. The current itinery is South
America, New Zealand, Austrailia, SE Asia, China, Japan, and I promised to
send updates, opinions and stories from each country Im in. Last month I was
in Argentina.being brief, this time with some photographs attached...
On crossing the first boarder brazil to argentina we arrived in Puerto
Iguazu. The main reason to go there is to go to the Argentine side of Iguazu
falls. As mentioned in the Brazil update, these have to be one of the
natural wonders of the world. As far as you can see are huge waterfalls,
cascading hundreds of metres and with a noise you can hear from hostel I was
staying in 3 milesaway. On the argentian side you get much more up close to
the falls by powerboating it upto a couple of them, so much so you get wet
through, but its worth it. Nature can make you feel so small sometimes,
especially when you are a crap swimmer.>From there it was a non stop bus to Buenos Aires for a couple of days.
>The
bus took 24 hrs non stop. Big country. Our main reason for arriving in
Buenos Aires was to get a flight out of there. Icame back to the capital
later so Ill tell you about that later.>From Buenos Aires we flew three hours south to El Calefate, Which is as
about as far south as you can get on the Argentinan mainland. El Calafate is
the gateway to the national glacier park, and in particular the Moreno
Glacier, another of Argentina´s natural wonders of the world. Of course I
carried fleeces, waterproofs, walking boots, wooly hats, gloves, as it is
near the south pole, but no need, it was 30 degrees. I thought Patagonia was
going to be cold!The Glacier, which we reached by a short trek along Lake Argentina (A lake
the size of Wales), is stunning. It moves down a large mountain valley about
6miles long to reach the lake, at which is measures 1.5 miles across and
about 60-80 meters high. As its the worlds only advancing glacier, bits
reagularly break off, and the sound is just like thunder, it is incredible
the noise it makes.The two days after that were spent on an overnight trek to another glacier,
at the foot of Mt. Fitzroy (as everywhere in South America, named after a
Brit). First day was spent walking through mountain valleys, drinking water
straight from crystal clear streams, in 25 degree heat. At night we stayed
at a base camp of Mt Fitzroy, and we were cooked steak and plied with red
wine, something Argentina seems to do well. Up at 6 though for an incredible
walk up to the glacier, like something out of Lord of the Rings, clambering
up near vertical paths, crossing rope bridges, walking through clouds,
before getting to a ice blue glacier. We were give crampons and walked
across the glacier for a couple of hours before trying our hands at ice
climbing, with ice axes. Of course the efficient German waltzed up the blooy
ice wall, whilst I did some freestyle falling. Anyway really nice way to
spend a couple of days.>From there we had to get out of southern Patagonia, which isnt easy
>give
there are only two roads, which I think is a bit of a liberty calling them
that, seeing as they aren´t. Straight after getting back from trekking was a
3 am bus to Rio Gallegos, on the atlanic coast about parrallel with the
Falklands, and as such has a multitude of Falkland war memorials. From there
it was a 18 hour bus journey to Puerto Madryn. 40 hours without sleep is
something I wont be doing again especially after walking for 2 days.Puerto Madryn is a Welsh colony, and is the the main town to stay in to go
to the Peninsula Valdes.Instead of having a sun in the centrew of the
Argentine flag they have a Welsh Dragon, and in the bars some people speak
Welsh, it´s almost like they are proud of a Welsh heritage or something.
Needless to say watching Ireland beat England in a bar full of welsh exiles
was much more fun for them than it was for me.Anyway Peninsula Valdez is nature central, and again ANOTHER Argentine
natural wonder. Basically the peninsula is full of humback whales, killer
whales, sealions (which we snorkelled with), Sea elephants, penguins, and
rather abstractly, armadillios, which run around everywhere like remote
control cars. For those that have seen it on TV, it is where the killer
whales (Orcas) swim up onto the beach and grab a baby sealion for lunch. We
could see them swimming out at sea, but unfortunatley they weren´t hungry
enough to come in for some killing.>From Puerto Madryn, it was on to Viedma, with Camen de Patagones
>sitting on
the otherside of the River Negro, which we and the population of Viedma. As
luck would have it there was a festival going on, celebrating the defeat of
the Brazilians in a war a couple of hundred years ago. Fairs are all the
same everywhere you go, gypsies running death trap rides, people selling
rubbish, drunk musicians playing pan-pipes and bongos, and 14 year olds
getting rat arsed and dancing to said panpipes. Needless to say I drank like
a 14 year old and danced like my dad.Another bit of luck with Viedma was an overnight train to Bariloche, on the
otherside of Patagonia at the foot of the Andes. The train was fantastic,
out own sleeper compartment on a 1950´s British train. It had a cinema, a
restaurant, and drinks brought to your compartment, at last I felt like
Michael Palin. It took 18 hours across Patagonia, which is just flat and
full of nothing but shrub land, quite spectacular though. We were called to
supper in the dining car and plied the steak and red wine combo. When I
drank the second bottle of red wine, with a few whiskeys, I chatted in my
newly mastered pig spanish to the waiter, although he must have been drunk
too as he didnt understand a word, and about midnight staggered back to the
compartment, hammered.A hangover on a train is an experience I wouldnt recommend, its loud, and
nothing stays still. vomitting into a train toilet isnt easy whilst being
slammed around the 4 by 4 cubicle. It was with some relief we arrived in
Bariloche.Bariloche is basically like the alps. Mountains, lakes, ski resorts,
chocolate factories, fondue restaurants, and St benard dogs, and equally as
beautiful. Time there was spent up mountains, taking boat trips, and on one
night drinking. I had previously arrange to meet a guy I worked with at DNA
before I left. We found ourselves an Irish pub in the centre of town and
proceeded to drink till 6 am. I was sure that when I stepped out of the pub
it should have been covent garden, but instead, there was mountains and
packs of hounds running about the place. Good session though.Or at least I thought so. I spent the remaining 5 days in the Bariloche
area, through El Bolson (a hippy hangout), Angostura, and San martin de los
andes, in bed or a toilet. It had taken 7 weeks, but now I had dehli belly.
Apparantly it was all very nice though, more moutains and lakes etc.Then once feeling better, it was another 23 hour overnight bus to Buenos
Aires.BA is like Barcelona, Naples, New York and Paris all rolled into one. Has to
be the best city Ive been to. did all the usual sightseeing, of which the
best thing was the Recolleta cemetry, and just spent time eating and
drinking, of which there is ample opportunity to lots of. One night was
spent in ´the best bar´in BA, a bar called Mundo Bizzaro, where the bar
staff all wore wreastling masks and 70´s árt´ films played on a big screen.
I think it was a bar! Anyway the nightlife is incredible. It doesnt even
start till 1am and goes on till 7, and at breakfast time there are a lot of
people lying in gutters and parks.One day was spent watching Boca juniors. The most insane football ground Ive
ever been to. The guide books say not to go as it is too dangerous, and just
the week before a couple of people were murdered in the ground, but I was
reassured othewise and went anyway. I was beginning to regret it at 1-1 with
10 minutes to go, things were being thrown etc... but luckily Boca put 3 in
in the last 10 minutes to win 4-1. The best thing about it was when they
scored, the ground did the avalanche, where everyone ran forward and crushed
themselves on the fence.Anyway I can fully recommend Buenos Aires and Argentina in general. It is
incrediabally beautiful, huge, and lots to see. The food is fantastic and
the people very friendly, even though as one elderly lady said on the bus
´we used to be enemies dont you know´. Somewhere I´ll go back to for
certain.Im writing this in Quito - Equador, where the hostel has a guard with a pump
action shot gun. I think this side of the Andes will be different. Im off to
the amazon jungle for a week tomorrow, and i´ll send another email about it
all in a months time.hope you are all well...
Ian"
Lucky fucker.
- pascii0
indeed. weee
- CyBrainX0
Where are the pix?
- rasko40
yeah we wanna see the gingers milkbottle legs!
- dave_bxcr0
rasko haha im astonished you have many english expressions that correspond with flemish ones!
'benen als melkflessen'
hehe this time of year milkbottles are my part aswell
- rasko40
heheh.. mine are certainly in need of a sun top-up
- mitsu0
sexypixel, would you mind having kezza put me on his mail list. i enjoy the updates.