Termas El Corazon Los Andes

... the border. Those of you who have followed this blog will know that we now keep at least 2 or 3 apples at hand. What followed next was an unpleasant sight for anyone...a Norwegian munching through three large apples in seconds. However, I shouldnŽt have bothered because the driver was already walking down the aisle collecting money from passengers to bribe customs officers to let the bus drive past all the cars and lorries ...

We had found a great spot to set up camp the night before - after riding 80 miles back in disgust from the Chilean border. We would need to fill up with gas again and go to the SANASA office to get the zoological sanitational exportation certificate from the Argentine border patrol just up the road from our camp spot.

Calle Larga, Valparaíso, Chile courtrand

... a bit bored of the blues and reds - so we ventured off piste and attempted to tackle the best of the blacks and double black diamonds - after all, isn’t that why people come to Portillo? It was great to see numerous pairs of fat-boy planks that the gun skiers were using to make the best of the deep powder…one day… we thought to ourselves! There were also people recording footage of excellent skiers flying down the ...

... blonde hair and blue eyes which means that we don't look like locals! Once our walk was complete for our project, we decided to shop at the vendors along the beach since we were right there anyway! Once we started walking back to find a micro (bus) to take us back to my house, I called my host mom to ask what street we needed to be on to catch the bus. She told me that my host brother was on his way to pick us up, so we didn't end up having to wait ...

Well I awoke quite early on my last day in Mendoza to try to make a quick dash across the border into Chile. Again faced with the daunting task of taking a bus from the bus station I was quickly relieved to find the staff there were very helpful. In addition, I was able to buy a ticket on a bus that was leaving in 20 minutes rather than wait for the following bus which was to leave 3 hours later.  The bus ride however, was incredible. The scenery was so maginificent with sky ...

... if we have entered this particular one many times, each country offers new experiences adventures. The valley is full of ripe crops and vineyards laden with all kinds of grapes. We went straight to a familiar campground and once again find it out of season but the owners greeted us and let us in. Vertientes is in Campo just along the road from LOs Andes and San Felipe and an hours drive to Santiago.

... through the ski resort of Penitentes (which in fairness looked like it only facilitated black runs) & amazing tunnels dug into the mountainside before reappearing at Puente del Inca. It's a colourful natural occurence. A hotel was built there back in 1925 but an avalanche devoured it in 1965. Each bath had its own thermal bath. The ruins are yellow in colour due to the large quantites of sulphur in the area & the crack in the ground is still ...

Marcos, Lourdes, Ana, Luis (little guy), Herbert (I think, second littlest), Nellie (our second wonderful guide), horse ride, coffee with corn cookie in it, playing in mud, dancing outside and inside with the kids (what a night with those silly heads!), wake up to rain and clouds and wind, cleared up and we hit the mountain, beehive, hummingbirds, medicinal plants, Marcos' land, up to cloud forest...

... ja estava fora a la terrassa minjant tranquilament (fea un fred del mil!) i de charreta hasta les tantes. Santiago te dos cerros al mig de la ciutat i estan super guapos per anar a pesseijar i tal, aixi que el dia seguent vam a anr a fer fotos alli. Des del cerro Santa Lucia se veu tota la ciutat i al final els andes, aixi que mola bastant. Yo vaig anar tambe al museu d'historia precolombina mentres Trini anava al'altre cerro. Hi han ceramiques, teles i garabats de totes ...

... out. I hoped that they would see me poring over my map and run to my assistance, but most of them ignored me totally, and started picking up litter. But one came up to me. "Aha! HeŽll see IŽm lost and help me!" I thought. But in fact, he just gabbled some Spanish at me and kept saying "Peligroso, es peligroso". "Si, si" I nodded, swearing to look up this word at the first available opportunity for any hint or clue as to which way to go that ...