Feb 2008

Hey everyone!

I know I know, you still havent even finished the last one cos it was so long, but this one covers only about two weeks so it should be much shorter.

This map is getting ridiculous! back and forth and around the place...

Anyway, just finished uploading some new pics to the flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21750162@N05/

and you can also see lindens blog (which will be similar only well written and accurate) at

http://lindenashcroft.travellerspoint.com

And i was a bit lazy when i came to uploading the thousands and thousands of photos we took at Carnaval so check out this flickr group, (guys, seriously its worth it, the girls are amazing!)

http://www.flickr.com/groups/en_gualeguaychu/

So, I'm writing to you from Barcelona! Having flown Buenos Aires to London, with a week there then Linden and I flew to Barcelona yesterday. Heres how it happened.

After writing to you from Mendoza, we jumped on a bus, finally riding Cama (which is like first class) back to BA. it was great although i slept horribly. In BA we met a guy i hung out with in Uruguay from Ireland and stayed in his US$900 a week flat with his parents. Needless to say it was pretty nice! With them we relaxed a fait bit, eating big steaks and going shopping and then at night getting filthy drunk on fernet (horrible jagermeister-like argentinian drink) because linden likes to fly hungover!

I flew a day after linden and spent it pretty much sleeping before going to the san telmo market one last time and eating a giant steak at my favourite parilla. Then it was time to catch my delayed flight to Madrid. As we came down to land, we were only about 30 meters from the ground and we pulled out which was pretty scary so my delayed flight was even later, but it was ok, cos the flight from madrid to london was also delayed....

Finally I got in an met linden and her friend jessie for dinner and we stayed with her. The next day was a shambles and we stayed out in a horrible room which was just a room in someones house... in the middle of nowhere... never again. Luckily James let us crash on the floor in the room he already shares with Jay (Brissy boy Jim works with). So we crashed there for the rest of the time in London.

While in London though we; saw the Lion King, went to the Meridian Line, Tate Modern, Looked at but didnt ride the London Eye, saw Big Ben, showed linden around where i stayed and ate at my pub, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, St. Pauls Cathedral, London Tower and the Tower Bridge. We also did a day trip to Oxford which was very cool. The buildings just like Harry Potter and we even saw some bits where they filmed sections. You can see where Queens comes from.

Then after horrible Oyster card debauchles and shite we got our bus to the airport and hit spain. again delayed and ridiculous but made ok with our delicious paella dinner. Now we are staying in the place james and i stayed in months ago and the guy remembers me which is cool.

Yeah, not a whole lot to say at that was a bit sterile but if i dont write it down i will forget. Seriously, check out the photos i uploaded and from carnaval, they pick up the slack when it comes to this blog. Awesome!

Lots of Love to you all, only 3 months left!
Tim (and Linden)

Hey everybody!

As per usual i will begin with an apology for how long it has been since i last wrote! this time it really has been ages!! well that just means i have been having fun, which i have! WE have! Thats right finally I am travelling with Lindo! ill take you back to the beginning.... (this is going to be a LONG post, sorry!!)

So i left you in montevideo and since then i caught the ferry across to B.A. Not wanting to see the city without linden i kept a low profile and chilled out a fair bit. Then I moved into the apartment that I rented for linden and i to stay in for a week! it was awesome! Middle of the night I went out and picked her up and it was so awesome seeing her again! I was speechless for like 10 minutes!!

So ill skim that week in B.A. We visted the Zoo, a park full of feral cats, ate amazing food (including the best steak i have ever had in my life) and just wandered the city exploring. On saturday we decided to head out to Gualeguaychi to see the biggest Carnaval celebration in Argentina! it was awesome!

We chilled down by the river in the very cool town which was overflowing before we got an empanada dinner and hit the carnaval. sneaking in vodka and boozing while we danced and watched was awesome! The girls were all hot and wearing almost nothing so it was fairy enjoyable (dont worry ladies the guys were all fit and semi-naked too).

Finally after hours we collapsed boozily into the bus which took us back to B.A. A days rest before catching the bus to Tandil. Known for cheese. and thats what we got. cheese and wine and it was awesome! I could say a lot more but this blog is already gunna be huge! So basically we had a wicked picnic in a great park and it rained all over us!

The we bussed to Puerto Madryn. Here Linden got her money belt stolen from the hostel. luckily i found it in the bin down the road with the cards in so we didnt have to cancel the cards and the hostel was new and fearing a bad review they reimbursed the money (i have a feeling it was the staff who stole it anyway) sop it all worked out. Then we hired a crappy grey VW golf (Phil) and drove out to the penninsula valdes. it was so cool. we saw sea lions, elephant seals, penguins, armadillos (one cheeky little one nibbled our toes and fingers) but we didnt see an orca (killer whale) eat a cute baby seal like we hoped! We did get chased by a hilarious lama though!

So it was overnight to El Calafate where we saw the fastest moving glacier in the world... i think... something like that. my spanish and listening skills are both lacking. anyway it was freaking sweet! and we did a boat trip down to look closer. have soooo many photos, it was amazing! Then back in town we went for a big walk with a beautiful huskie (Maya) for a sunset before sharing the mixed grill platter thing at the nicest restaraunt in town. haha backpacking huh?

Bussed it to El Chalten before hitting the mountains for a 3 day hike! it was awesome! we glacier after glacier (and their lakes) and the way the sunsets and sunrises make them glow. We even hiked the fairly intense walk up the hill in the dark for the view of Cerro Fitz Roy in the sunset (below) and the other part i cant remember the name of (below that).

Fitz Roy

Other one

So after our awesome 3 day hike we got stuckin the town for another day before doing a 30 hour hit up to El Bolson on a normal bus. NORMAL, so uncomfortable. AND we had the front seat meaning no leg room. AND the front was walled up so we couldnt even see out. just staring at a wall for 30 hours. At least there was a TV.... WHICH THEY NEVER PLAYED ANYTHING ON!!! sigh... im putting it behind me.

El Bolson was a beautiful town where we pretty much went to eat chocolate and icecream... which we did. then on to Bariloche the next day for a repeat of that. A quick excursion out to see the lakes district via local bus and a chairlift before the overnight bus to Mendoza.

Mendoza is a beautiful town. and the wine capital of Argentina, so that was our first point of call. is that a saying or did i make that up? anyway, so we caught the local bus to the district and hired bikes. Then we spent Valentines day riding around wineries and country-side tasting awesome wines. it really was great! And i guess that brings us up to today.

Today we have just gotten home from white (well brown really) water rafting. Neither of us have ever been but it was heaps of fun. If you look at the photo below I am on the far side in the front and that is linden behind me hitting me in the head with her paddle. it was so much fun. tiring as hell but awesome! i think i might be hooked!

So now we are catching the overnight bus back to Buenos Aires before we fly out to London. Sorry that it was so much at once and it was also a little vague but it was a lot to get through!

I hope you are all doing well back home! monkey, plum, sam and jus who all got home safe and house warmings and what not that filters through to me. Im always really happy to hear what you guys are up to. You too mum and dad, i love getting your Sunday email update.

Lots of love to you all.
Tim (and Linden)