Buenas dias de Buenos Aires, todo del mundi! Can’t believe how far I’ve travelled and where I have been in the last four weeks! It seems no time since I was sitting in Pucon, Chile and writing to you about all the things I had done in Bolivia and here I am in Buenos Aires. The time has flown and been full of highlights so I shall just have to be as concise as I can or this email will be a book in itself.

After leaving Pucon, we had the trip from hell to get started on the Carraterra Austral (Southern Highway) and the first really bad weather of the trip. It poured! And blew! and the ferry was so many hours late that we thought we would have to retrace out route and enter Argentina near Bariloche (they told me later that this area was famous for its cherry brandy chocolates – damn!) but at the last minute we caught the ferry. Then got the next ferry which was also running late and spent the whole night trying to find space to sleep in the truck, whilst on the ferry, and then while our intrepid drivers drove through the night to make to next planned camp at dawn. We put up our tents in the rain and crawled into them and didn’t come out til noon.

There was a spectacular glacier nearby (which probably explained why it was so cold!) and the rain continued. Next day was more of the same but the rain held off for short periods and that included when we stopped to set up camp beside a gorgeous lake, and the third day was a repeat too with no let up at camp time. I was cooking that night and had the privilege of sleeping on the truck but first I had to get everyone else off, as no one wanted to go out in the rain. Last day on the highway and the day was clear and bright and we could finally appreciate why our driver was so keen to come this way. Stunning! Amazing! Beautiful! No words can tell you how lovely it all was. Fields of lupins, wild llama, birds, cattle, not very many people and even less traffic, blue skies and sunshine. Well worth the three days of rain and perhaps appreciated even more because of them.

We crossed into Argentina for a few days to visit the Patagonian area of El Chalten and Calafate that are known for their mountains and proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier and Lago Argentino respectively. I went hiking in El Chalten and managed a long days walking so my ankle must be all but healed as it still aches when I am tired. And we took a tour out to the glacier and it was thoroughly worth seeing. I took loads of pictures so – you have been warned!

After this wee sojourn, I went back to Chile for the best part of a week so that we could visit the National Park of Torres del Paine. It was spectacular, glorious and any other superlative you can think of. I tried to do a hike there that out leader claimed was ´not technically difficult´ but only got half way as he failed to qualify his statement with ´but it’s all uphill¨. Great day though and I had a great picnic view when I stopped to have my lunch.

After Torres, it was back in the truck and head further south for Tierra del Fuego. By this time the days were very long and even though it was cold at night, the days were sunlit and generally warm, so, eating at 10pm was not unusual. The mornings were cold and the early starts were not always welcome but the scenery changed every mile so it was always exciting to get further south. We took a ferry across the Magellan Straits and onto Tierra del Fuego, crossed into Argentina half way across the island and got to Ushaia with no trouble at all.

More camping and a boat trip around the harbour to see the wildlife and the shores of this remote place. It is a pretty place, with multicoloured houses and built around the bay at the foot of the mountains that ring it. The weather there changes by the minute and is never the same for long and the people I met were friendly and from all over Argentina. Because of the unstable nature of the peso here, things were much cheaper than a month ago so I did a bit of shopping. Great fun and not something I have done a lot of this trip. Honest!

After all this it was time to head north and we got to Buenos Aires in four days of very long drives with only a visit to a penguin colony as distraction. The country could not have been more different to the Chile Patagonia we were used to. The land was flat and no mountains or trees to break up the horizon. The roads were generally good but like outback Australian roads were long and straight and seemed to go on forever.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BA was a welcome break and despite our concerns for the ongoing political problems there, we encountered no violence except what we saw on TV. A city tour, a group meal for two birthdays, a Tango show and it was time to move on. I could have spent longer and would liked to have visited Uruguay, but the need to move on and the lack of a visa made that impossible. We left BA in sunshine but the rains soon caught us. It cleared for the evening but at 5am the heavens opened and once again, my being on the truck saved me from the fate of my co-travellers. The tents fell over as the torrential downpour undermined the pegs and soaked everything: soggy people, sleeping bags and possessions straggled onto the truck. We skipped breakfast in an effort to out run the storm and finally did so at about 2pm that day.

We got to Puerta Iguazu and stayed in cabanas as everything was too wet to use. It took about a week before everything was thoroughly dry as we have well and truly hit the tropics now and evening and morning rain are the norm rather than the exception. The Iguazu Falls are spectacular from both sides of the Brazil/Argentine border and I feel privileged to have seen the big three: Niagara, Iguazu and Victoria. All amazing but I have to give the honours to Victoria Falls. After Iguazu, it was time to head for Rio. Another three long days driving to get to the town of Paraty, where we all got to chill out a little (and clean the truck, our clothes and repack and reorganise ready for the next leg of the journey). And now we are in Rio. It”s hot. It”s humid and it”s Carnival! Watch this space!

Thanks Jacqui and keep us posted! If anyone would like to contact Jacqui, her e-mail is: jacquitrotter@yahoo.com

What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle!