Leaving South America !!!

I arrived South America October 20th 2007 and I will leave with a flight from Easter Islands on January 30th 2008.

After leaving Buenos Aires I crossed Argentina back into Chile and did stops in Cordoba and Mendoza. This time I did cross the Andes by bus and the highest pass was 3000m. Just when I could feel the altitude sickness, the bus decended back to sealevel ! Now I¨m in Santiago de Chile again and waiting for my flight to Easter Islands on 26.01.2008. There are only 4 flights a week to Easter Islands from Santiago.

In Santiago I¨m doing nothing, but relaxing, going shopping, swim in the hostelpool and hopefully Canon will fix my slighty damaged camera. I bought the camera in Chile one month ago and the garanty is only valid in Chile !

In Santiago I¨m staying in the best Hostel of South America !
If you ever visit stay @ http://www.lacasaroja.cl


Modern Part of Santiago de Chile

Arrived Buenos Aires - Argentina

On my second day in Iguazu I visited the argentinian side of the Iguazu Falls and the best was the boat trip under the falls. You got soaking wet, but on a hot day the ¨shower¨was really welcomed.

From Iguazu Falls I took another overnight bus to Floreanopolis, which is famous for the beaches, but I took a daytrip to the german town of Blumenau which is 120 km away from Floreanopolis. It is really crazy to find a german town in the middle of Brazil. After 2 nights I took the bus to Porto Allegre and continued on to go to Montevideo / Uruguay. Montevideo is a nice town, but there is nothing special. More interesting was the trip to Buenos Aires. I did that with a bus/ferry combination via Colonia del Sacramento, which is an old old town and time is standing still.

You can find all new photos on www.backpacktrip.net

On the 11.01.2008 I arrived Buenos Aires. My first day I had to do lots of shopping. I bought a new pair of shoes, went to the hairdresser and tried to find a flight to Patagonia/El Calafate.

I decided NOT to go to Torres del Paine and or the glaciers in Patagonia, because I would have had to wait one week for the next available seat ! It is high summer season here and everybody is travelling ! For those of you, who think the south of Argentina is close to Buenos Aires, IT IS NOT ! THATS A FLIGHT OF 4 HOURS !
I got a bit scared that my flights to the Easter Islands and Papetee are also difficult to get, but luckely flights for my dates are available !

The plan for the next 2/3 weeks is to go overland to Santiago de Chile and to catch a flight to Easter Islands on 26.01.2008 and continue to Papeete/Tahiti on 30.01.2008.

Provided all going well, I will have spent three and a half months in South America ( 3 months planned). And my top destinations in South America are as follows:

Galapagos Islands

Salt Plains Bolivia

Iguazu Falls

Rio de Janeiro

Happy NewYear - Arrived Iguazu Falls

Thanks for all the Cristmas and NewYears wishes I received.

On 22.12.2007 I arrived Rio de Janeiro and I took it really slow. Everyday it was more then 30 degr.c. !

As you see from the uploaded photos Rio is a really nice town and I justed loved it.

Celebrating Christmas far away from home was of cause different from home. In Brazil you celebrate Chritsmas also within the family, but it is not THE BIG DINNER EVENT of the year. The Family meets and everybody will bring a salat or some sausages like to any normal birthday. New year is BIG and either you try to escape the 2 million people celebrating at Copacabana or you have to party with them wearing white at the beach (even at midnight still 28 degr.c.) .

Also visited  the Maracana stadion for a soccer game.

After I stayed 10 nights with friends in Rio, I was looking forward to sleep in dorm rooms again. It is a strange to be within kind of normal life for 10 days, but because I spent 2 month in backpacker dorm rooms, my life in the moment is in dorm rooms.

On the 01.01.2008 I took a TAM flight (without stopping at the filling station) to Foz de Iguazu and from here I will go via Florianopolis to Montevideo.

On 02.01.2008 I visited the brazilian side of the falls and a bird park. The bird park was lots of fun with lots of parots climbing on your shoulders and arms. Fun... until the parot partly ripped of the with metal attched wristband of my watch.