Poor Niagara

Apparently, when Eleanor Roosevelt saw Iguazu, she said, "Poor Niagara". Indeed. Not the highest falls (that's Victoria) but higher and wider than Niagara, split into over 200 different falls. Iguazu falls lies at the border between Argentina and Brazil, with Paraguay just a little ways away. I could see Brazil across The Devil's Throat. So close.

Salta

When I arrived in Salta, I was amazed. I couldn't believe how European the city looked. I could have been in Italy, or Spain. A large plaza adorned the middle of the town; a fountain within, open air cafes surrounding. It's easy to forget sometimes (especially with the recent financial crisis) that Argentina was once one of the richest countries in the world at the turn of the 20th century. But the cities, the cities remind you.

Desert towns and salt flats

So, my South American adventure has sadly come to an end. It was an amazing trip, and I'll try to sum it up soon. But in the meantime, I'll be posting some more lagging entries. This one is from the Atacama desert - the driest desert in the world. The Atacama lies in northern Chile, its landscape filled with sand, salt and lava flows. Over the border from Bolivia, we drove through the barren landscape, through winding (though paved!) roads, past active volcanoes to the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama. Set in an oasis in the desert, San Pedro was tiny and extremely touristy, with every other shop selling tours of the salt flats, sand dunes, moonscapes. But it was lovely, relaxed and warm. A welcome respite after days of cold.

A picture of the 16th century church in San Pedro.














The main drag:













A lovely fire keeping the restaurant warm as we sipped our Chilean wine.

Jungle photos!

So I'm a little behind in the photos. And it was over a month ago I was in the jungle...but some pictures, finally!

Santiago

Made it to Santiago! After a visit to Valparaiso, the cultural capital of Chile. It´s a picturesque town, with colourful houses perched atop rolling hills. And the ocean. Strolled along the cerros (hills) to one of Pablo Neruda´s many houses and to the open air museum, which I couldn´t seem to find. Only part-way did I realize it was all about the murals along the buildings. There are so many impressive murals on the walls in Valparaiso, I hadn´t realized the ones I´d walked past were part of the museum.

It rained in Santiago yesterday, but today it´s beautiful. Saved my trip up Cerro Cristobal for today, and it was glorious. Amazing views of the city with the snow-capped mountains beyond. Santiago is much more picturesque than I´d expected. It´s lovely.

Bs As Markets

I decided I liked Buenos Aires on my first day. I arrived in the barrio of San Telmo on a Sunday and discovered the market. It's lovely. Filled with stalls selling antiques, overflowing onto the streets selling all sorts of crafts. Performers singing and dancing for the crowds. It reminded me of my old neighbourhood. I even took a picture of a store called Portobello Road. I had to. And in the evening, the bands came out, with drums, and the street filled with dancing..

Steaks Argentina Steaks

I´ve been in Argentina about a week now, and have probably consumed my average annual intake of beef already. It´s amazing. The wine too! Adam, you should probably include Argentina in your South American travel itinerary. And Rowan. No need for vegetables here...unless you want!