Itinerary:
London - Buenos Aires (via Madrid) - Uruguay (Colonia, Montevideo, Punta del Este) - El Calafate - Ushuaia (End of the World) - Iguaçu Falls - Rio de Janeiro - Natal - Fernando de Noronha - Fortaleza - Jericoacoara - Lençois Maranhenses - Rio de Janeiro - Buenos Aires - London
I flew to Buenos Aires with Aerolineas Argentinas via Madrid in July 2007.
What a disaster... It shall be known from now on as the airline from hell...or Aerolineas Aaarrgghhh...
The flat was in the Juramento area of BA and I enjoyed the calm of a residential area. I went to the supermarket in the corner and had a lovely expresso in the coffee bar just at the entrance.
What a disaster... It shall be known from now on as the airline from hell...or Aerolineas Aaarrgghhh...
My flight with Aerolineas Argentinas was delayed 2 hours at Gatwick then a further 40 min inside the plane because we missed our slot, which meant that my connection flight in Madrid at 11pm left without me (me and 40 other passengers). As if that wasn’t enough the flight at 1am was cancelled and we had to wait till 4.30am then 5.10am then 7.30am... the plane was full to the last seat and everyone was complaining... everyone was angry and stressed… hilarious!
Unfortunately, like one lady was saying, complaining to Aircomet wasn’t going to change anything. I wasn’t bothered at all... holiday mood I guess...
Anyway as if all of this wasn’t enough we had to stop in Natal (in Brazil) to re-fuel… that meant we arrived extra late in Buenos Aires. As the bags started coming out I realized something was not right, a few bags were missing… mine included. I was lucky to be the second at the counter to complain as when I turned to leave there were at least 50 people waiting.
My first though was that I had tried to put all my stuff in a small suitcase and even said I would not bring anything and buy everything here. It seemed I was guessing that my suitcase would not follow me…
Then my international sim card code was nowhere to be seen… I forgot it at home… that will teach me not to leave everything till the last minute, especially now that I am 40…
Well my first impression of Buenos Aires was plain as there was no nice smell in the air as I stepped out of the airport. Where did I learned to do this? Somewhere in Australia I guess I became aware of smells everywhere, nice ones I may add. So I decided to do that everywhere I go. The first thing I do when I get out of the airport in any city is smell the air. In Buenos Aires it did not produce any smell, good or bad… it just didn’t have a smell.
So after all the troubles with my luggage I settle in the flat I rented and liked it better, maybe because it felt almost like home, it did not have the impersonal feeling of a hotel room.
The flat was in the Juramento area of BA and I enjoyed the calm of a residential area. I went to the supermarket in the corner and had a lovely expresso in the coffee bar just at the entrance.
That first night I went to dinner at the local Pub just around the corner, which had wifi... I remember thinking that I never go to Pubs in England and here I am in BA in a Pub... lol... I had the most fantastic lomo (steak) and a glass of wine. Well life must go on, so it was either go about town naked or resign to the fact that I had to wear the same clothes… I did... wear the same clothes I mean.
My first adventure on the ‘subte’, that is the underground for you and me was painless. The underground is fairly easy to navigate as it only has 4 lines that converge at the centre of town, at the Obelisk, apparently the main landmark of Buenos Aires, but is nothing but… an Obelisk… in the middle of a huge avenue, three times as large as Avenida da Liberdade (for those who know Lisbon) and about seven times as large as Brighton road… well although it seems one big avenue, it’s in fact three avenues in one…
So I headed to Florida Street, a shopping pedestrian street, catering for everyone’s taste. I did not find Buenos Aires glamorous and people were not beautiful so it made walking about pointless. The highlight was finding the office of Aerolineas Argentinas, going in and ask about my bag… they told me that my bag arrived and would be with me the following day… well that was great news.
I was still hopeful that Buenos Aires had a lot more to offer…
Saturday was city tour day and tango show / dinner.
Argentina was turning out to be somewhat a bit of a disappointment… I was expecting a vibrant city where in every corner someone danced the tango but no, unfortunately you need to pay 100 dollars for the privilege.
City tour started with an adventure. Someone was mugged as he was about to board the city tour bus, which meant we had a delay of one hour inside the bus… the tour was okay, like any other city tour, except that BA is not a beautiful city by default… could it be because it was winter? I wanted to find an excuse for it. Don't get me wrong BA has some charm here and there but I have seen some pretty amazing cities to decide that this one does not have a lot to offer. The only posh place - Puerto Madero – was not properly visible from the bus because it was already dark when we covered the area so I decided to go there another time.
At the end of the tour I left the bus near some galleries and near Florida street. I wanted to buy a new top for my dinner show. I am glad I did because I was given one of the tables at the front next to the stage. Amazing show. I loved it. There are thousands of tango shows in Buenos Aires. From small café shows or street performers to huge cabaret performances, there is in fact something for every taste.
I was lucky because initially I tried to book the dinner/show at the tourist info office but the line was engaged and I had to go for my rendez vous point at hotel Panamericano for my city tour. While waiting there I asked the concierge which tango show was the very best in BA and I asked his opinion about Esquina Homero Manzi, the one I wanted to go to, he said it was a nice one and he offered to book it. I guess they must have a better choice of tables than the tourist info office. I was pleased. I might go to another one next weekend…
Sunday, reminded me of England… it was cold and miserable, rained for most of the day and after calling the kids I went to the Pub… yes me in a Pub… and I was making a habit of it… went there the very first day I arrived, the following day and that sunday. They provide free access to the internet so it’s 40 pesos well spent… not for the net… for dinner with drink and desert…
The following day I woke up early to go to Uruguay. I took the ferry to Colonia and rented a car. Toured Colonia for an hour, took me 30 min to exchange some money at the bank (Alentejanos here would be considered too much in a rush) and after I decided to eat lunch in a restaurant in the old part of town, by the river with a nice view. Decidedly these are my favourite moments, discovering and stumbling across great restaurants with magnificent views. I love to enjoy my food in an amazing place.
Full for the day I drove to the capital Montevideo and spent the night. The weather was atrocious, well it was winter after all... and the day after I drove to Punta del Este…
Well this must be the place for frolics in summer but in winter is dead, I drove around for 40 min trying to find a restaurant open at 7pm. The place could be compared to Brighton and / or Worthing but with more high-rise buildings. I am sure in summer it makes a lovely drive along the sea front, but definitely not in winter, it is just too cold and too empty.
I decided to drive back to Punta Ballena, to a cool place called Casa Pueblo. Built by an artist inspired by Santorini in Greece, It is built in a cliff and to go to my room I had to take the elevator down to -7, yes down 7 floors… how cool is that!
The highlight of Uruguay was indeed Casa Pueblo (http://www.clubhotelcasapueblo.com/)
In my haste to leave this cold place I almost fell asleep at the wheel so I though I would better stop and buy a chocolate… well better said than done, is this country closed for winter?
I managed to pass down one busy stretch of road with shops and restaurants and so I decided to stop for lunch. Luckily enough I found a restaurant near a petrol station, for a split second I thought it was all a dream. I stopped before I woke up and saw it wasn't a dream. I am glad to say it wasn’t a dream and I had yet again another marvelous steak… yes this is the best meat ever, even better than the Portuguese meat.
I saw the first and only Audi in the country on my way out of the country, and it had an Argentinean plate… Billboards for BMW and Audi are there but this was the first one, a really nice one, I saw there. I saw a Mercedes and a very old BMW which does not count. Most people here have a Fiat Uno or something with a make and model from the 70’s and which I do not recognise anymore. Funny how we get used to new car models and then fail to recognise old ones…
Well I was brave enough to drive in Uruguay but then again the country is quite small and safe with good roads, so a pleasure. And this is what I really like to do, feel the sun shinning, me driving on the open road leading to… somewhere.
I had enough of cold by then, so I just wanted to go back to Buenos Aires and go to Ushuaia in Patagonia, see the end of the world and suffer my last days of cold before I headed up to sunny Brazil.
Back in Buenos Aires for the conference I engaged my brain into work mode. The day was amazing. I met an old colleague and made 3 new ones, one interpreter from Paraguay who had lived in England in the past, and 2 Portuguese interpreters who live in Cape Town, South Africa. We had the normal chat 3 Portuguese women have when they meet, we talked about work, kids and just about touched on the subject on men…all over food, what else...
I had to miss my 2nd conference day to go to El Calafate, my first stop in Patagonia before my trip to the end of the world - Ushuaia. The sheer beauty of the place was a surprise.
Yes, my first glimpse of Patagonia… WOW!
What an amazing place… (I am not going to mention the delays in getting there or out of there…too many beautiful memories, so I do not want to ruin them by mentioning the inevitable).I am talking about arriving in El Calafate, a lovely pueblo in the middle of nowhere. The town arises out of nowhere 15 minutes away from the airport, a bay side town of a few thousand.
First impressions are important but as I drive through the whole town to my hotel I notice two important and really amazing things (apart from the unfinished roads), a frozen blue/green lake turned into an iced ring.
Lake Argentino bathes the bay but the lake area right next to land is frozen so they use it as a skate ring, an open skate ring where everyone turns up in the afternoon, those brave enough skate and family and onlookers sit and have a chat sipping a Yerba Maté tea.
I like places like this where a community spirit still lives, where tourism hasn’t rob all of what is left of pure nature and real life.
My hotel was amazing… it seemed to me it had been finished the day before and I was the first client as even the access road was not finished yet. However my first impression was a bit overshadowed by the second impression… when the guy open the bedroom door the room had not been made… oops… there goes a Michelin star... I wasn't the first client afterall...
I was offered champagne, which I don't drink (but it's the thought that counts), and had a free coffee while they upgraded me to one floor up, with a view over the bay and lake come skate ring… the backdrop featured white tip mountains and the sun complemented my amazing view. To top it up an interior swimming pool with water so hot one had to come out to cool off a bit… Speechless!
I was offered champagne, which I don't drink (but it's the thought that counts), and had a free coffee while they upgraded me to one floor up, with a view over the bay and lake come skate ring… the backdrop featured white tip mountains and the sun complemented my amazing view. To top it up an interior swimming pool with water so hot one had to come out to cool off a bit… Speechless!
The next day another amazing site awaited me – Perito Moreno Glacier. WOW! I had never seen a glacier and I was amazed by the sheer quantity of agglomerated snow between mountains. Perito Moreno is very popular because it is the only glacier that is not receding and is considered stable, as it receives the same amount of snow as it looses in the fall outs… An amazing experience as one feels really small next to such immensity and such greatness.
Then it was time to see the end of the world…
I was intrigued, excited and above all very curious… Ushuaia is a large town, a proper city, geared for tourism and quite welcoming. I liked it although I preferred the rough beauty of El Calafate. First day I was left to my own devices so I headed to the Presidio, which was the first construction in the area, as the area was so inhospitable the Argentineans used it as a prison. It is the Alcatraz of Patagonia… It is now a museum, a very well detailed and comprehensive may I add, showcasing an amazing artist in their Art Gallery (which guess what, in my haze taking pictures I forgot to write down the name of the painter, sorry…) and offering 2 guided visits one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is indeed worth a visit. Not just for the funny English translations and horrendous Brazilian versions… it is indeed a well documented museum.
I was intrigued, excited and above all very curious… Ushuaia is a large town, a proper city, geared for tourism and quite welcoming. I liked it although I preferred the rough beauty of El Calafate. First day I was left to my own devices so I headed to the Presidio, which was the first construction in the area, as the area was so inhospitable the Argentineans used it as a prison. It is the Alcatraz of Patagonia… It is now a museum, a very well detailed and comprehensive may I add, showcasing an amazing artist in their Art Gallery (which guess what, in my haze taking pictures I forgot to write down the name of the painter, sorry…) and offering 2 guided visits one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is indeed worth a visit. Not just for the funny English translations and horrendous Brazilian versions… it is indeed a well documented museum.
In the afternoon I went on a boat trip to Isla de los Lobos where sea lions and cormorants live. Cormorants look like penguins from afar, with their black backs and white tummies, but they are in fact birds. My translator’s eye picked up a few inaccuracies in the translations into English on the free calendar they give away and I promptly offered to correct them… I just couldn’t help it.
The next day was time for the trip to Tierra del Fuego National Park. The day was really cold but the small group was really nice so we headed first for the train ride on the End of the World train… This was the train tracks used by the old open train cars to transport the prisoners to the fields to cut trees. The prisoners considered this half an hour ride in an open train, wearing limited clothing, a blessing instead of staying inside a small cell all day. I was wearing double and triple layers and was feeling the cold, so I can only imagine how cold it was for them, but I guess to them this trip to the woods was the closer they could get to freedom.
Niagara Falls are impressive but nothing compared to the extension of these. Because I arrived in the morning I did the Brazilian side in the afternoon and the Argentinean side the day after.
Most people have their favourite side, I liked both.
The Brazilian side gives you the picture view of the falls from the top mostly and in the Argentinean side you feel like you are inside the picture. So it is a well know sentence guides use, they say that when you are on the Brazilian side you are watching the movie and when you are onthe Argentinian side you are in the movie. Here the trails are longer and run through the park and over the falls and river. A unique experience indeed, better experienced early in the morning or late in the afternoon as most tours arrive after 11am. Two days is just right to do the falls and another excursion, there are other options like the Birds Park, where you could see all the birds in extinction or go to a Guarani village and see how the natives still live, like in the old days.
The Brazilian side gives you the picture view of the falls from the top mostly and in the Argentinean side you feel like you are inside the picture. So it is a well know sentence guides use, they say that when you are on the Brazilian side you are watching the movie and when you are onthe Argentinian side you are in the movie. Here the trails are longer and run through the park and over the falls and river. A unique experience indeed, better experienced early in the morning or late in the afternoon as most tours arrive after 11am. Two days is just right to do the falls and another excursion, there are other options like the Birds Park, where you could see all the birds in extinction or go to a Guarani village and see how the natives still live, like in the old days.
The wait for my flight to Rio was long but I had a few things I needed to sort out, photos, a small translation and booking my hotel in Natal… yes planning ahead… I am not very well organised on this trip…got used to the travel agency doing everything for me in Buenos Aires…
Rio de Janeiro… Cidade Maravilhosa! (Wonderful City) Yes, I am here but I am leaving....
I arrived at night and saw nothing of the city and woke up and saw nothing or next to nothing of the city because of the dense fog… what is the matter with the weather? I know it’s winter but does it have to be so gloomy all the time? So I am moving up north to Natal and will be back a bit later on in the month… hopefully.
What I did not see, or smell, of the city on my way in, I did on the way out and it is not pretty, next to the international airport there is a Favela covering a vast area the size of Brighton and it stunk… sights that not every tourist brings in photographs to show family and friends.
I arrived at night and saw nothing of the city and woke up and saw nothing or next to nothing of the city because of the dense fog… what is the matter with the weather? I know it’s winter but does it have to be so gloomy all the time? So I am moving up north to Natal and will be back a bit later on in the month… hopefully.
What I did not see, or smell, of the city on my way in, I did on the way out and it is not pretty, next to the international airport there is a Favela covering a vast area the size of Brighton and it stunk… sights that not every tourist brings in photographs to show family and friends.
Natal received me on a beautiful sunny afternoon and I wondered why it took me so long to come here… That evening a beautiful storm refreshed the city but I wasn’t worried as I knew it would not last and indeed it did not. That evening a glorious evening promised more sun the next day.
Natal reminded me of Costa da Caparica or Brighton with sky scrapers and dunes… I rented a car and drove to Maracajaú a beach about 54 km from Natal where I read one could do some snorkelling. Indeed one can but the boat leaves at 7.30am every day because snorkelling can only be done when the tide is out. The small natural pools are like jewels just 7km from the shore.
Snorkelling not possible I returned to Natal to find a wet afternoon waiting for me and then I remembered that even though it’s hot all year round it is also winter and it rains. Never mind I shall enjoy my mornings from today.
Miguel joined me that night and for those who know Miguel that will not surprise anyone.
The following day we drove to Pipa a very famous beach south of Natal. It is indeed a lovely town but somehow it lacks something… to me at least. For people who have not been to many places, or to better places, it is a very nice destination to stay for a week and enjoy the pleasures of good food, nightlife, leisure days at the beach and to buy one or two souvenirs. But for those who travel extensively it was just another beach and another tourist destination.
The following day was very much awaited - Fernando de Noronha Island.
I have heard so much of this paradise that I was curious. I could hardly see the island from the plane as I was sitting on the wrong side of the plane. However when we landed and drove off to our Pousada, I started to appreciate the landscape.
The island is very small but as a new arrival I had no idea of the distances and times so it sounded better to book a tour of the island.
I have heard so much of this paradise that I was curious. I could hardly see the island from the plane as I was sitting on the wrong side of the plane. However when we landed and drove off to our Pousada, I started to appreciate the landscape.
The island is very small but as a new arrival I had no idea of the distances and times so it sounded better to book a tour of the island.
The pack included the flights, accommodation and boat trip to see the dolphins leaving us with only one day to spare in the island so the tour seemed obvious.
Fernando de Noronha is really a paradise and this is a place where one can stay a week resting, eating well if you find the right restaurant and simply walking about.
A few beaches are quite far from the centre so a buggy is a natural choice even though I though they should be banned from the island or at least replaced by a quieter means of transport.
We heard about a gastronomic evening on satudays at Pousada Zé Maria and decided to book as soon as we arrived, as we were lucky to arrive on a saturday.
The restaurant is very nice and the buffet dinner starts with a presentation of the dishes and types of food. Then everyone eats and an hour or so later the same ritual shows off almost 100 different types of desert.
The experience is fine but for connoisseurs it defeats the purpose as after the demonstration the food is almost cold and to be honest I prefer eating just one main course rather than a buffet. You mix too much food and do not get the taste of any in particular.
The other consideration is the price, for the food (quality and quantity) it was not value for money. In contrast the next day we found a much simpler restaurant (Varandão da Ilha) and for half the price ate a magnificent sea bass with prawn sauce.
The experience is fine but for connoisseurs it defeats the purpose as after the demonstration the food is almost cold and to be honest I prefer eating just one main course rather than a buffet. You mix too much food and do not get the taste of any in particular.
The other consideration is the price, for the food (quality and quantity) it was not value for money. In contrast the next day we found a much simpler restaurant (Varandão da Ilha) and for half the price ate a magnificent sea bass with prawn sauce.
The boat trip (on a schooner) to see the dolphins was well worth the money as dolphins come right next to the boat to play and race the boat. The boat covers only one side of the island and allows 30min for snorkelling at Baía dos Porcos, before returning to the port.
The wlking tour of the island proved to be good value for money too. We managed to see all the beaches in one day, some we just took a picture and in others we did snorkelling. Sanchos Beach was the best. The descent onto the beach is done through a fireman’s ladder in between the cliffs… Luckily I am not claustrophobic because the space between the cliffs was just slightly bigger than a human body.
Travelling in this part of the world is harder than in Southeast Asia because one loses precious time flying from one location to the next and waiting in between, but we managed to get to our next location Fortaleza without much problem. I have learned one thing on this trip - The beauty of this country is what surrounds cities and well-known places. Natal and Fortaleza are very populated and tourism is starting to ruin the beauty of these places.
Fortaleza is the 5th biggest city in Brazil and so you can imagine the size of it. Like many other cities it lies by the sea with its sky scrappers and street sellers. Needless to say that after one look at Torremolinos of Brazil we run away to Jericoacoara the following day. We decided to take the local bus. It proved to be a great decision as it was both cheap and comfortable. Freezing cold but comfortable, be sure to bring your coat. The bus takes 3h and is met by another kind of bus (a Jardineira) that rides on the beach and sand and it trails up from Jeri, the town, to Jericoacoara.
It was night so I did not see much but I could feel the bus sliding here and there on the soft sand and felt the fresh sea breeze once we passed Preá Beach. I saw 2 falling stars and for miles I was just mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the sky. It looked just like the sky in the Maldives, very low and packed with stars. Awesome!!!
It was night so I did not see much but I could feel the bus sliding here and there on the soft sand and felt the fresh sea breeze once we passed Preá Beach. I saw 2 falling stars and for miles I was just mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the sky. It looked just like the sky in the Maldives, very low and packed with stars. Awesome!!!
We did the recommended tours, to Preá Beach for lunch where we had a sea bass as big as a salmon (well almost) and Blue Lagoon, another amazing place, a fresh water lagoon with nothing else but a bar located by the lagoon, just the kind of place I like. But with nothing else to do and fearing that there was no follow on transport on Sunday we decided to continue from here to Lençois Maranhenses.
So we did the Tatajuba tour and the guide took us a bit further to Camocim to get the bus to Parnaíba. There we would need to find a way to continue to Maranhão. We met an Italian couple going our way and we decided to share a taxi, quicker and just a bit more expensive. From Parnaíba yet another wait, we stayed over night at a hotel and took a fast boat to Tutóia early the next morning.
Again we shared the fast boat through the Delta of Parnaíba to Tutóia with another Italian couple and they offered to take us in their chartered 4x4 to Barreirinhas for 100 reais. We were very lucky and I only realized how lucky once I’ve seen the roads. It was 300 times worse than a cattle trail. The alternative was sitting at the back of a packed pick up van with the locals for God knows how many stops till our last stop. The holes looked like cliffs and some of the way was unbearably painful even on a 4x4. But beauty comes to you at a price, and so we arrived at yet another beautiful place, miles from anywhere…
Rio was under a cloud yet again and I feared there would be no chance to go hang gliding this time either… so we took the cable car to the Pão de Açúcar Mountain and went to see the Christ on a murky day and I moaned all day about the cold. 2 days later glorious sun meant we could go flying…
WOW! What an amazing experience. I recommend it to everyone to try it at least once.
Paulo the instructor show me how to run down the platform so he could have more speed to fly out. I could not stop saying WOW, and have a video to prove it. Can’t wait to see it. (my laptop does not have a cd…). The experience of flying is like no other, and feeling safe with someone experient is important. Paulo was extremely experient and I felt at ease to enjoy the view. We descended on an air current slowly enough for me to be mesmerized but the feeling soon disappeared as we landed on the beach.
WOW! What an amazing experience. I recommend it to everyone to try it at least once.
Paulo the instructor show me how to run down the platform so he could have more speed to fly out. I could not stop saying WOW, and have a video to prove it. Can’t wait to see it. (my laptop does not have a cd…). The experience of flying is like no other, and feeling safe with someone experient is important. Paulo was extremely experient and I felt at ease to enjoy the view. We descended on an air current slowly enough for me to be mesmerized but the feeling soon disappeared as we landed on the beach.
Miguel had to leave that same day and the weather blessed me with another 2 days of glorious sunshine so I spent them on Ipanema Beach. Between Copacabana and Leblon, Ipanema seemed to be the best choice for shops, restaurants and fewer crowds.
The only downside of these beaches, for me of course, is the constant yelling of the sellers, offering from water, juices, ice creams, crisps, açaí, jewellery, sarongs… it’s endless, because there are 20 sellers of each item patrolling the beaches. You cannot find a quiet corner. Shame!
Another surprise was the non-existence of nice 'bundas' (buttocks) smiling out of minute bikinis. The bikinis were there but the bums were big and unfortunately not very attractive.
The only downside of these beaches, for me of course, is the constant yelling of the sellers, offering from water, juices, ice creams, crisps, açaí, jewellery, sarongs… it’s endless, because there are 20 sellers of each item patrolling the beaches. You cannot find a quiet corner. Shame!
Another surprise was the non-existence of nice 'bundas' (buttocks) smiling out of minute bikinis. The bikinis were there but the bums were big and unfortunately not very attractive.
I ate at Vinicius de Moraes restaurant Garota de Ipanema (name of a very famous song) and I even had the chance to hear Maria Creuza (an icon of Brazilian music still nowadays) sing at Vinicius Bar.
So back on yet another plane, this time getting back to Buenos Aires to catch another flight tomorrow to England via Madrid, I assess this trip…
The most amazing sites were in Patagonia, for the first time I felt and heard silence, and it was overwhelmingly beautiful. I saw the end of the world and the magnificence of the glaciers. Uruguay would have been great if it was summer. Brazil has loads of potential but it was ruined by bad planning and by the nonchalance of the habitants. I also liked Iguaçu Falls in a different way of course because there is nothing but jungle and falls, but it is a tremendous sight. The sunny northeast was amazing just because the weather was great but beauty mainly lies around the cities, at least for me as I am not a big fan of confusion.
Flying was the highlight in Rio and in the end I decided against going to the Favelas (shanty towns). The beaches are lovely but go with a group or someone to distract you or you will go nuts with the beach sellers and I really meant it. From Argentina I am going to miss the juicy tasty Lomo (steak) and from Brazil the rodízio (grilled meats, especially from Tabua de Carne in Natal, yummy) as well as fish and prawns from the northeast.
The most amazing sites were in Patagonia, for the first time I felt and heard silence, and it was overwhelmingly beautiful. I saw the end of the world and the magnificence of the glaciers. Uruguay would have been great if it was summer. Brazil has loads of potential but it was ruined by bad planning and by the nonchalance of the habitants. I also liked Iguaçu Falls in a different way of course because there is nothing but jungle and falls, but it is a tremendous sight. The sunny northeast was amazing just because the weather was great but beauty mainly lies around the cities, at least for me as I am not a big fan of confusion.
Flying was the highlight in Rio and in the end I decided against going to the Favelas (shanty towns). The beaches are lovely but go with a group or someone to distract you or you will go nuts with the beach sellers and I really meant it. From Argentina I am going to miss the juicy tasty Lomo (steak) and from Brazil the rodízio (grilled meats, especially from Tabua de Carne in Natal, yummy) as well as fish and prawns from the northeast.
So, I am glad to be on my way back home and above all I am over the moon to see my kids as I missed them terribly.
