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Dear everyone, After my last email I thought this one was going to turn out a little on the boring side as we spent soooo much time on buses. But donīt worry, we managed to fit some very exciting and fun stuff in between the gazzilions of travelling hours, so keep reading! I hope you donīt find it boring because this email is more diary like than the others, itīs almost a day by day thing. Sorry, but this is as much for me as it is for you guys, so hope you donīt mind. We left Chile (for the first time) on New Years day, and headed to a town called Trelew where we met an Aussie girl called Sharon who we hung out with for a couple of days. Funnily enough she knows someone Iīve worked with at Macquarie Bank. Nicko, Sharron and I took ourselves off to a nearby Welsh village called Gaiman and went to a tea house owned by a very interesting 2nd generation Welsh woman. We were served a multitude of different home made cakes and pasteries and hot, sweet tea. The next day the three of us went on a tour to see a Magellenic Penguin colony. These penguins are different to the ones we saw in Antarctica for many reasons, but the most obvious is īcause instead of building a nest on a pile of stones, they nest in burrows. We saw heaps of chicks which was great. Theyīre funny to watch, they shuffle backwards out of their burrows, do a projectile poo and then waddle back in and topple over onto their tummy and go back to sleep. The next day Nicko and I went to the beach at Pueto Madryn, at the base of Peninsula Valdes, roughly half way up the east coast of Argentina. The sand is black and the beach wasnīt very nice, but it was good enough to sunbake for a bit and then bring out the frisbee. That afternoon we hired a couple of mountain bikes and did a 30km return trip to a sea lion colony. This ride was soooo difficult as the road was loose gravel so not overly stable, and every time a car drove past weīd be lost in a cloud of dust. The only good thing about this was that it felt like it was helping me achieve my goal of growing dreads. Donīt worry, Iīve got over that phase of my life, it only lasted 2 days. When I got back from the bike ride I had to wash my hair. Anyway, on my bike, when I went into 3rd gear the chains came off, and Nicks bike didnīt have breaks. Interesting experience. Very hot and uncomfortable and a challenge to say the least. The next day we went on a bus tour of the penninsula. Saw a sea lion and an elephant seal colony, but overall found the tour fairly boring. Our next destination was a cool little town called Esquel near the Western Argentinian border. We stupidly went on a 1 hour walk in the National Park Los Alerces in the pouring rain and then spent 3 hours waiting for a bus. Thankfully the Park rangers made us a fire in the information office to keep warm. We did return to the park for a sunny 5 hour walk a couple of days later and the place looked totally different. At first when we got to the bus station at 8am when the bus leaves, they told us the only daily bus was full (even standing space had been sold). This totally stuffed our plans, so we were sitting at the bus station wondering what the hell to do, and I noticed that the bus people kept glancing at us and then talking. We were about to leave but I said to Nicko we should just sit and look miserable and confused for a bit longer īcause I think theyīre trying to organise something for us, and sure enough, they put on a new bus just for us, and then picked up any other people along the way who also couldnīt fit on the official bus. I hope he doesnīt mind me writing this, but I think Nicko, unlike me, prefers to have things more planned and going to schedule. I had to explain to him that I donīt just believe in miracles, I rely on them. This is how I get by, incidents like this... it was quite funny. Anyway, the 5 hour walk is called Cinco Saltos (Five Waterfalls). It was very beautiful, and half the fun was going off the track and actually into the waterfall and following it back as far as we could. This wasnīt very far, but it involved moving largish rocks and smallish tree trunks and all sorts of navigational manouvers to avoid having to go in the water (which we werenīt entirely successful at). And it was freezing! The main reason why we went to Esquel was itīs the closest base for white water rafting in the Chillean river Futaleufu. We did this and it was awesome. Grade 4 and 5 rapids, the only problem was, even though it was a full day excursion, only 1.5 hours of it was rafting. The German rafting guide, Oli, realised that we were expecting to be rafting longer than this and that we thought the rapids would be more challenging (but it also had to cater for the three other passangers who hadnīt rafted before), so Oli gave us back $US50 each, which was great... we didnīt even ask or anything. Iīm getting closer to the sadder part of my email, as we now arrive at the touristy Chillean town of Pucon. Here we went Hydrospeeding which is kind of like Riverboarding. For those of you who donīt know what that is, itīs going down a white water river (Trancura River) on a boogie board. This was awesome too. The rapids were grades 3 and 4 and it was just heaps of fun. Then in contrast to the cold white water (which wasnīt so bad īcause we had wet suits and booties etc), but late at night we went to the Termas Los Pozones which are natural thermal springs. It was really beautiful, in a valley surrounded by low cloud/mist covered mountains, the area was nearly all dark, lit only by the occassional lantern. There was a light drizzle which was very welcome because there is only so long that sitting in a really hot water is tollerable, however being half in really hot water and half in a cool, light rain is totally comfortable for eternity (If you donīt mind coming out looking like a proon). We got back at about midnight and went out for dinner and some Viena (that fantastic cinnamon drink). Itīs a wierd feeling being able to have a choice of restaurants at midnight. In South America, things close for siesta between about 1 and 3, and then open up again until about 11ish. Argentinians donīt usually eat before 10:30 pmish, so restaurants usually donīt even open until about 8:30. Since hearing about a day trek climbing Volcan Villarrica, on our Antarctic cruise, Iīd been looking forward to doing it, and that was why we had come to Pucon. However the day we booked the trek, it was cancelled īcause the volcano was smoking too much. We had a very nice day hanging out in the town of Pucon instead. We spent a few hours sunbaking on another black, volcanic rubble beach on the shore of Lago Villarrica and, lo and behold there were people playing beach volleyball. So of course we joined in, despite not being able to communicate with our Chillaen team mates. Beach volleyball on rocks is a very painfull experience! The next day the volcano was in an appropriate state to be climbed, however the tour wouldnīt get back to Pucon in time for Nicko to catch his bus back to Buenos Aires in Argentina for his trip back home to Sydney. So this is where our trip together ends. At the place where I get on the tour bus to climb the volcano alone. Well, with bunch of strangers. As I was getting my boots and other equipment fitted I met an Aussie girl and her Israeli boyfriend, Anat and Alberto, who were also on the excursion. At the base of the volcano, nearly everyone caught the chairlift up the first 3rd or so, which is the hardest bit of the climb. Berto and I were the only 2 that climbed it and it was difficult. A guide waited for us at the top of the chairlift and we trekked quite fast up the snow steps to catch up with the rest of the group. The views were amazing both behind us, overlooking Lago Villarrica, Pucon and the surrounding mountains, and ahead of us, the 2,850 metre high, partially snow covered peak of Volcan Villarrica. At the top we had to use gas masks, but unfortunately we couldnīt see any lava bubbling down in the massive abyss of the volcanoīs mouth. But it was a magnificent sight anyway. The trip back down the side of the volcano was heaps of fun. Lots of long runs of bum sliding down the slopes, gaining some serious speed and some great spray when not using the ice axe to slow yourself down. After the tour got back, Nicko had gone, heīd been kayaking earlier in the day, but then had to catch his bus to get back home. I changed hostels to where Anat and Berto were staying and we went out for dinner. Yesterday, the three of us went on a really nice walk around some turquoise waterfalls called Ojes Del Caburga and Salto Carileufu. The local buses are funny, their automatic doors involve the driver pulling a rope tied between his chair and the door of the bus. And then last night and all of today Iīve spent on a couple of buses, from Pucon to Santiago, capital of Chile, and then straight on to Mendoza in Argentina. And thatīs where I am now. Well, thatīs it folks, but before I sign off, Iīd just like to put in a bit of a personal to Nicko. Chook, itīs been a fantastic 6 weeks adventure, so thanks for putting up with all my hours of packing and unpacking and repacking and sorting and organising and re-organising, and resorting, and moving and changing my mind, searching, and losing and finding and wondering and forgeting and remembering. And for just being a great travel buddy. Hope all is well for everyone back home or where ever you are in the world. Take care, until next time... Nique |