Wed 12th Nov: Cerro Catedral

I wake up and its 8.30 on my clock but I´ve forgotten to change the time since I arrived from Buenos Aires. Bariloche is 1hr behind B.A. I get up to have breakfast and as I sit munching into a bowl of cereal I glance at a clock on the wall and see that its 7.40..... earlier than I´d hoped but no matter I´m out of bed now.

I intend to climb Cerro Catedral today. A mountain that about 2,000m high and host to the largest ski resort in the southern hemisphere. I take a bus which drops us off at the ski resort. To get to the top of the mountain you can either hike or take a cable car. I´m hiking to the top and looking forward to the climb. Its a tough enough hike to the top, steep in places. I zig zag up the first section, following dirt tracks which provide access for maintenance crews to the cable pylons. Soon I pass the snowline. There follows a good deal of hiking through shallow, compacted snow. The views are fantastic over the large expanse of Lago nahuel Huapi and the long line of mountain peaks which stretch away on the horizon. I hit a steep section and followed a line of footprints that had been made yesterday, perhaps. This line of steps took me to a long, sloping ridge free of snow. A couple of hundred feet above was a refugio.

Three quarters of the way to the top is Refugio Antonio Lynch. The refugio marks the end of the line for those taking the cable car. An overpriced restaurant draws the more wealthy inside. I get a small bottle of water which costs 8 pesos (2 euro), normally a 1.5 litre is 2 pesos. There´s a lot of people milling about outside. Some school groups running around screeching and throwing snowballs at each other. Other smaller groups take photos of the scenery and one another by an Argentinian flag. Its warm up here. Every now and then the wind gusts up chilling you slightly, putting you in two minds whether or not to put a jacket on.

I head on up for the top which takes another 30 mins. By now I´m wearing my jacket on my head as I´ve forgotten to bring a hat and the top of my head was beginning to feel hot. Not a good sign. Two other lads followed me to the top along snow paths which sat on top of a shoulder of snow which ran along the crest of the ridge all the way up. The top was marked by a disused ski station. I linger briefly at the top to take in the views and then retrace my way back down the slope. The sun is strong. The jacket will have to stay on my head. It was cool this morning but not now at 2pm. Even up here at over 2,000m its warm.

I get down from the top around 4pm. I didn´t put cream on my neck or arms and I´m regretting that now. By 5pm I´m back in the hostel. In the dorm I chat with Kevin the American guy who´s a bit of a character. He´s an american army vet who, in a nutshell, is into conspiracy theories. He says he´s on the run from the American government. He hasn´t been home in 12yrs and now spends his time travelling around trying to expose secretive controversial Government projects to a wider public. After dinner a wave of tiredness hits me. I got a lot of sun on the mountain. I go to bed around 10.30.

Tues 11th Nov: Bariloche

I slept very little through the night. It wasn´t that the bus was noisy or uncomfortable, not at all. I just didn´t settle down whilr we travelled. In fact the bus was very good. The roads were smooth and, like the mid-west in the states, went straight for 60-70 miles without turning. It was ideal for long haul transport.

We were served dinner at 11pm, accompamied by the latest dvd in the screen. I drifted off to sleep but woke up at 1am and spent a while watching thunderstorms flash far off in the distance. I must have drifted off for a while but when a awoke and peered out into the darkness the landscape had changed abruptly to scrubland. The bus made a couple of stops through the night. When I went down to the toilet some time before dawn a lot of thr passengers had left. There was only a few of us left, all on the upper deck. By now the sight of a building was an isolated event. Through the whole of the journey lasting 20hrs we passed through only 4 towns. Suddenly the actual size of Argentina was becoming apparent.

As dawn broke we entered the edge of the lake district. We passed throught swift moving rever valleys, over rocky barren hills, and along the shores of lakes. Soon snowcapped mountains of the Andes began to began to emerge in fleeting glimpses then staying in view as we neared Bariloche. By 9am we were skirting the edge of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Bariloche sat on the far shore of this lake set against a stunning backdrop of snowcapped mountains.

30 mins later we were at the bus station. I collected my rucksack and a porter rook me by surprise demanding a tip. Unsure what to do I feigned ignorance. I had wanted to tip the waiter who had served us through the journey. I had thought he´d done a great job. With a passing resemblance to Carlos Tevez he was courtoeus and polite to all as he dispensed trays of drinks and packs of meals. When we got to Bariloch I didn´t see him. It would have brrn nice to thank him. As for the other little toe rag.......

I walked from the bus station to the hostel. Bariloche, however is bigger than I expected it to be. It must have been a 35-40 min walk when a bus would have taken 10 mins. Anyway it was a nice walk along the lake shore. I got to the hostel which is located on the top floor (10th) of a tall apartment complex in the centre of town. On entering the main reception/ lounge area the first thing that strikes you is the view of the surrounding landscape which is stunning. A panorama of town, lake and mountains fill all of one side of the room. Outside is a balcony where you can soak in sun and views. Its a very unique siting for a hostel.

My room wasn´t ready and I had to wait an hour before getting to have a shower. I was wrecked after the journey and lay down for a couple of hours sleep. I left today free to find out what to do in the area and have a look around town. Its a nice pleasant town, you could be in Switzerland as easily as Argentina. Its quite touristy but very geared towards outdoor activities with the biggest ski resort in the southern hemisphere just up the road.

I´m on a top bunk in a 6-bed dorm which looks down over the town. In the bunk beneath is an American guy in his 50´s. There´s an English guy the same age as me and a German lad, Denni, just out of college. THere are two other girls in the room but I don´t meet them

Monday 10th Nov: South to Bariloche

I got a fairly decent sleep once the itching of the mosquito bites stopped. I was the only lad in the room last night which was great. No snoring!! It was so quiet once the girls went to sleep. Some of the other nights when there could be three lads snoring at once it was like being at a bloody Grand Prix!!! Top decibel levels so far go to that French gobshite in the dorm in Colonia del Sacramento. He really took the biscuit..... oeuf, bagette ´n all. The big hazard in north America was dogs running after me. This seems to have been replaced in South America by backpackers snoring.... not to mention the mosquitoes biting me on the occasions when I avoid the snoring. The worst thing about the mosquito bites, though, though is that I have two tubes of strong mosquito repelant in my rucksack...... and never used them. Nope, I went for the ....... stay awake all night with a rolled up newspaper while being eaten alive option. The joys of froeign travel!!

Today I´m heading for Bariloche in the Argentinian lake district. The trip, I think, really starts to take off from today. Its a long bus ride down to Bariloche. 20hrs. The bus leaves Retiro, Buenos Aires cavernous bus terminal at 14.30 and will arrive at Bariloche tomorrow morning. Its an overnighter so its going to be interesting.

I stay around the hostel for most of the morning and get a bus to Retiro around 1pm. The bus leaves Retiro bang on 14.30. Its a double decker and I´m up top so I have great views. The seats are comfortable and fold out in to beds for the night. Also there´s a waiter on board who is serving meals, all part of the fare. This is an unexpected bonus as I brought along a small bag of food for the journey.

As soon as the bus pulls out of the station it passes through an extremely rough looking neighbourhood. It makes La Boca look like a pleasant stroll.. The bus climbs up onto the autopista which crosses over San Telmo (The district I´ve stayed in) and cuts across to the western outskirts of Buenos Aires. The city is vast. High up on this motorway is the first time I´ve could appreciate just how big the city is. A brown haze of smog hangs over the city like a mist, obscuring some of the distant tower blocks. The bus zips along the motorway towards the outskirts of the city. Its good to be getting away the big cities for a while. I´m looking forward to seeing the Andes tomorrow.

Soon enough we´re on the edge of B.A. and leaving the suburbs behind we see more and more greenery as the landscape opens up into a vast pastureland. The landscape is flat, very flat. Reminiscent of of the American mid-west. The grasslands which stretch away to the horizon are interspersed with isolated groves of trees which stand in silhoutte on the horizon. The sky is overcast but no hint of rain.

Here and there pretty tree-lined avenues lead to fine looking villas or small por-lookimg farmsteads. Herds of cattle and sheep graze in the vast fields. For hours we pass through a landscape that doesn´t change. No hill rises to break the horizon, only pasture and trees. Sometimes large fields of cereals break the pattern.

On board there are tv screens showing dvd´s of hollywood films but I end up looking out the window more than watching the films. By 9pm the sun goes down on a landscape that hasn´t changed since we left Buenos Aires.

Sun 9th Nov: Montevideo to Buenos Aires

Another night of broken sleep and clashes with little critters. Tired and sticky (no air conditioning here) I got up and showered. I´m heading back to Buenos Aires today. I was just getting ready to go down for breakfast when a knock came on the door. I replied "Si". The person on the other side of the door said something about Desayuno (Breakfast). I thought he meant that breakfast would be ending soon and that I should go dwn now if I wanted some. I put on my runners and was tying the laces when a second, shaper, knock rattled on the door. I opened it and the hotel porter handed me my breakfast on a tray. A mug of coffee and some pastries. I was surprised. Obviously it was a little gesture from the old couple who owned the place. I had built up a little rapport with them over the few days. We always said hello in passing. I paid the lady each morning and each time she chatted away as I smiled and nodded gingerly. I complimented how nice Montevideo was. It was she who gave me directions to the launderette and later that day after I collected the clothes tut-tutted that I should have said where I was staying and they´d have delivered the parcel to the hotel. We both had a great laugh at that!!!! Still, sending the breakfast up to my room this morning was a small but touching gesture.

When I haded in my key on leaving the old guy wished me safe travels (I think..... I hope) and waved goodbye. I caught a city bus out to Tres Cruces, the bus terminal and got a combined bus and ferry ticket back to B.A.

I had a little time to spare so I took a walk over to Estadio Centenario, the national stadium and home to Penarol, Uruguay´s leading club. I had hoped to catch a game here but Penaról don´t play until this evening and another mosquito ridden night doesn´t appeal. The stadium hosted the first world cup final which was won by Uruguay.

The ferry bus was a quality one and eased its way to the outskirts of Montevideo. Out on the edge of town we passed by a series of shanties. Simple shacks cobbled together with odd pieces of rusty corrugated iron. Beside them were more permanent looking structures but buildings you´d hardly call housing. It was poor, squalid. The first real evidence of poverty on the trip.

Soon I drifted off to sleep waking minutes before the bus arrived at the ferry terminal. The ferry crossing passed by and we arrived in back in Buenos Aires by 7pm. I took a bus which dropped me off near to the hostel. I checked in and was put back into the same room I´d stayed in last week. I got the last available bed aswell. There was a german girl in the room. She´s living and working in the Falklands as a fisheries officer. The whole experience sounds bleak. They can only get basic goods on the islands. Everything else has to be ordered in and shipped over. She´s in Argentina on a 4-week break.

Around 9pm I went to eat in a small cafe on La Defensa, Pork chops in a garlic sauce and a half litre of Quilmes. Afterwards I took a look into Plaza Dorrega to see if the Tango session was on this week. The plaza was busy tonight and the tango session was jammed. There must have been up to 100 people dancig and more watching from the sides. It was interesting to see so many people dance the tango in their own way. Some moved very formally, others jauntily and others.... very sensually. It was like being at a latin american Ceili. But with the emphasis very much on the.... latin American. There was a very cool vibe to the music that sat so comfortably with the people here on a warm humid night.

By 12 o´clock I was getting tired and the crowds were beginning to disperse so I returned to the Hostel to sleep. It took me a while before I drifted off though. The room was very warm and it seemed as if every single mosquito bite of the last few days suddenly woke up to annoy me. The itch was terrible and everytime I moved to try to get comfortable it seemed I provoked a different bite into an angry state. Eventually though the itch subsided and I slept.

Fri & Sat 7/8th Nov: Mosquitoes in Montevideo

I didn´t do a whole lot for the next 2 days. I made the most of having the single room and hoped to shake off the flu by taking it easy. I had a great sleep on thursday night. In the morning after breakfast I got directions to a Launderette. By now my clothes needed a wash after all the heat and humidity of the last week. Down in one of the Plazas in the old town I came aross a military band and a detachment of soldiers in ceremonial uniforms performing for the crowd. Shortly the band struck up a tune and they all marched off round the corner up towards the main square Plaza Independencia and naturally, those of us who were tourists and curious marched off with them. They paraded up to the large ornamental tomb of an old Uruguyan hero Artigas in Independencia. A full military ceremony took place which was all very picturesque indeed. Sure it past the time anyway.

The rest of the time I spent catching up on the diary and wathing Hollywood films in Spanish. I got very little sleep the next two nights. Mosquitoes seem to have infested the room (No wonder I got it so bloody cheap) and they´re damn hard to kill if you don´t get them first time. They´re like wee sharks hovering around waiting to strike when you fall asleep. Every so often a high pitched whine would sound in my ear and I would jump up flailing all round me in a desperate attempt to get the little fecker. I killed most but always one would get away. My face alone has 6-7 welts on it from the little monsters not to mention my arms and stomach. I´ve just got over the sunburn and swollen nose. Now I have a face that makes me look like I´ve got the measles.

Thurs 6th Nov: Colonia to Montevideo

Caught the 8.30 bus to Montevideo. They still have conductors on the buses here. After we left the bus station there were a couple of stops to pick up passengers on the outskirts of town and then the bus swung into the countryside and onto the main road for Montevideo.

The consuctor seems to have a cushy job here. Once the few fairs had been taken and tickets checked he settled down to preparing mugs of mate for himself and the driver. They sipped their drinks and chatted away for most of the rest of the journey as there was only one more pick up. Outside I was getting my first real glimpse of South American countryside. We passed through mostly open pasture land with a few cows grazing and the odd short stretch of crops growing.

Across the fields I noticed what I thought at first were wisps of smoke drifting across the tops of trees. They were long vertical cone-like clouds hovering always where there were stands of trees. As we passed closed by one of these clouds it became obvious they were either swarms of bees or flies.

By 11am we were at the bus station in Montevideo. The terminal appeared to be outside the city cemtre by some distance so I left my rucksack at a luggage drop in the station and went on foot in to the city. At first I walked around iun circles going in the wrong direction each time. I couldn´t locate where the station was on the map. Eventually I was put right. It turned out the station was on the very edge of the cemtre. A 35 min walk would take me to where I wanted to go. I got onto Avenida 18 Julio. This street runs straight down into the heart of Montevideo all the way to Plaza Independiencia at its heart. I had picke out a cheap hotel not too far from the Plaza.

Montevideo was warm and busy. It was quite different to Buenos Aires, not as wealthy, a bit rundown looking but humming with activity. There were a lot of street vendors along Avenida 18 Julio. You wouldn´t see this in B.A. The streets were thronged with shoppers. I kept to the shady side of the street otherwise I´d have been soaked in sweat. Ome of the landmark buildings along the Avenida id the Palacio Municipal, the City Hall, an enormous brick building. One of those you crane your neck to look up at in the comparatively narrow avenue. The avenida was lined with tall building complexes but the Palacio dwarfed them all. 3 mins from here I arrived at the door of the hotel Montevideo.

This hotel was run by an elderly couple. I asked for a single room and the old lady showed me a room for 400 pesos. When she opened the door a wave of warm sticky air rushed out. Inside was a tiny stuffy room which i didn´t fancy. She showed me other double rooms which were more expensive and which I didn´t want precisely because of this. I was tired and didn´t fancy looking at more rooms so I decided to take the one for 400 pesos. I said this to her. The old lady took this up as me haggling to get one of the better rooms at a cheap rate. So she gave me one of the doubles for a single rate. Happy Days!!

I didn´t do much for the rest of the day. Happy not to be in a dorm. In the afternoon I collected my rucksack from the bus station and later on, in the evening, went to a chiviteria (a burger bar) for some food. The lady who served seemed to be quite taken by the fact that I was from Ireland. The food wasn´t bad either. Afterwards I strolled down to Plaza Independencia, Montevideo´s large central square. It wasnt the most attractive of Plazas. There was one fine building, the Palacio Salvo which at one time was South America´s tallest building. I strolled down to the waterfront and out onto a pier where groups of lads were fishing. Occasionally waves splashed up over the pier wall, drenching you if you happened to be standing in the wrong spot. An enormous container ship pulled out of the port and glided past the pier out into choppy waters of the open sea. Everything else was dwarfed by its massive size. I went back to the hotel and was asleep by 11.

Wed 5th Nov: Colonia Del Sacramento

I slept very little last night. I was either sweating under the sheets or shivering when I went to the toilet. A french couple came into the room about 4-5am and between them making noise and then snoring I couldn´t sleep. Bloody French. They always find a way to annoy you. I was really annoyed getting up.

I made a good deal of noise as I got up. Just to say Bon Jour. I went out in to the town and bought some breakfast and ate it on a bech in a plaza in the centre of town. It was a lovely morning. A lot of the locals come here to watch the world go by as I did for a while that morning.

One of the curious traits here in Uruguay as in B.A. is the custom of drinking Mate, a herbal tea. I saw some people with it in B.A. but it is much more noticeable her in Colonia. The Mate drinker has a cup with no handle. The herbal mixture is then placed in the cup, almost filling it. It is then topped with hot water and the tea is sipped through a metal stem. A flask is used to refill the cup with hot water. The first tims I saw somebody sipping mate I thought the person was smoking an elaborate pipe. People drink Mate everywhere. In the plazas, strolling along the street with the flask, like a newspaper tucked under arm, and driving buses.

In the afternoon I went to a local beach which involved a short walk along a narrow trail through some woodland. While I was lying on the beach an insect bit my right foot. The bite gave me a jolt and when I looked at my foot I could see it was still there. I reacted immediately before it tried to bite me again. I pulled up my right foot so I could hit the insect away with my left hand but instead of swiping the insect away I managed to punch myself in the nose. I hit myself so hard I broke the skin and blood began to seep out. It was a right cracking shot because I dazed myself. The insect was shooed away at the secon attempt. I´m gald nobody saw me because they´d have had a right laugh at the skinny white gringo punching himself in the face!! My battered nose did however draw some looks as the day progressed.

In the evening, after watching some of the Celtic V Man U Champions league match and hearing that Barack Obama had won the Presidential election I went back down to the seafront to see if the sunset could match last nights display. Tonight it was even better! There was more cloud in the sky which obscured the sun as it slipped down. Then just as it sat on the horizon, just before it dropped into a brilliant red haze the tallest tower blocks of B.A. appeared in Silhouette. When the sun disappeared below the horizon the clouds became a blaze of colour, oranges and deep, deep reds. Spectacular.

Afterwards I strolled over to a Parillada to eat. This was a local corner bar that serve grilled meats. It was very simple, very plain. A formica bar counter, pealing slightly at the edges, propped up 5 or 6 locals all of whom sipped whiskey. Two were eating. Behind the bar, the owner a portly, balding man in his 60,s entertained chatting away with the clientele. Along the length of the front wall, set under the open windows were 5/6 small tables large enough for 2 people to eat at. Between the tables and the bar there was enough room for one person to walk past.

Behind the bar rows of spirits and dusty wine bottles were stacked in tiers. To one side was a fridge in which the barman kept fresh meat. Over in the corner was an open flame grill onto which the owner/barman slapped steaks, sausages and black puddings as he chatted amiably. This was no tourist haunt and I wondered if I,d get a look of "Oh no, another bloody gringo" as I entered but no the lads didn{t pass any heed of me and the owner was polite and friendly as I ordered some food and a 3/4 litre of Pilsen, a local Uruguayan brew.

Behind the bar were various posters . One was of the Uruguayan national team at the 1990 world cup. Others showed footballers of the 50,s and 60,s. There were a few photos of the owner over the years with various people. Flies buzzed around the two roof lights that lit room.

By the time my food arrived 2-3 more locals had entered and ordered food. The owner who was being kept busy now shuffled around the bar rather than walked. Perspiration trickled down his forehead as he delivered my food, steak and home cut chips. I got stuck in. On one of his shuffles around the bar the owner enquired if the meal was ok by raising his eyebrows, smiling and saying "Ehh Amigo?" I nodded and smiled back saying "Bueno, muy bueno".

The TV was turned on and all heads turned to the small black and white screen, mounted high on the end wall, to watch the lotto draw. On went pairs of spectacles as the numbers were called out and some intense checking and ticking of dockets followed but nobody won the jackpot tonight.

I finished my meal, paid up and left, thanking the host at the bar. He nodded but was busy in conversation with one of the old lads sipping whiskey. I went up to the Plaza on Avenida Flores for a while to let the dinner settle and watch the evening Paseo. The Mate drinkers were out in force, strolling up and down. Lots of youngsters on mopeds and small motorbikes zipped up and down the mains street, sometimes three to a bike. Some passenger cradled infants in their arms. Some golf buggies passed by with exuberant passengers!!

People stopped at the plaza to chat or to call over to say hello to acquaintences sitting on the benches. It was all very laid back, very relaxed. Tomorrow I head for Montevideo on a morning bus. As it was approaching midnight I strolled back to the hostel hoping I sleep tonight. There are 5 in the dorm tonight. Myself, three Italians and a Uruguyan so its going to be warm.