Hola,

So we had to kill some time before our flight to Easter Island, so we headed to La Serena, on the coast of Chile. We had wanted to visit the observatory there, as they have 300 days of clear skies a year, unfortunately the 2 nights we were there it was cloudy!!!

So instead we went on a day trip to Dama`s Island to see the bottlenose dolphins, which well made up for it, they swam so close to our little boat, and we nearly tipped over in excitement when everyone shot over to the left all at once!!

There was also a really cute fisherman who showed us his catch of tuna:

We then headed back to Santiago and got our flight to Easter Island, we were so excited, and it didn´t disappoint. We stayed for 3 days, the first day we arrived we wandered around the town and saw our first Moai statue: and watched the sun set.

The next day we went on a organised trip to see the statues around the island and the quary where they were carved.

They believe the Moai were carvings of ancestors which were erected facing villages to protect them and watch over them. They were carved in the quarries by groups of artists which were paid with food. They became so popular tho, that the island began to be engrossed by them making bigger and better than their neighbours, and due to overpopulation and felling of trees for transporting the Moai, they started running out of food, which brought on war among villages. The Moai were then toppled over by rivalling villages.

The most majestic of all the Moai we saw, were the 15, resurrected in the early 90`s:

The photo just doesn´t do it justice!! They are massive and so awe-inspiring. The tallest one (I liked to call Grawp - HP fans will know what i mean) was over 10m tall!

We then went to the quary, where they literally carved into the rock face to create these, and then sat them into holes in the ground to finish them off before moving them to the villages, many km´s away.

We then spent the afternoon on a beautiful beach, it was great weather!

The next day we went diving, around a sunken Moai, which was really cool, and saw some great coral. The waters here are some of the clearest in the world, as it´s the most isolated place in the world!

We then walked up to the top of one of the three extinct volcanoes on the Island for some beautiful views of the Island, and inside the crater.

The next day we were heading back to Mainland Chile, unfortunately, back to the real world of travelling again. But first we decided to hire some skooters for a lap around the Island, to see the seven moai facing out to sea, and quickly pop by the 15 again. Unfortunately it absolutely pissed it down, and we were soaked, but it was great fun, and well worth the wet plane journey!

Back in Chile, we headed straight up to San Pedro de Attacama, the Chilean desert, and then on to Bolivia.

Hey all,

So we arrived in Buenos Aires in time for the weekend, and in time for the England vs. France rugby match. B.A is an awesome city, and we had some great weather there. When we arrived, we become random friends with some gay argentinean and chilean guys, who invited us out that night. We ended up in a gay club (which pete was not happy about!! he got asked out by about 10 different guys, and wouldn´t go up to the bar alone for fear of groping!!) but i had a great time, dancing the night away with no hassles until daylight. the timing is funny in B.A, we didn´t leave the hostel to go clubbing till 3am, so the days were pretty much useless!

That week we started spanish classes, with a very strange spanish lady who loved my english accent, she was a bit scared of pete tho, and mostly ignored him! We had to tone down the nights out, as classes started at 9am!

The advantage of morning lessons, was we could explored the city in the afternoons. We went on a bike tour of the city, visiting boca, the old part (san telmo), the harbour, and the centre, including the presidential building. Was really good fun, almost died a couple of times from the traffic tho!!

We also went to visit the cemetery where Evita was burried. Most people only visit for 5 mins just to see her tomb. But me and pete got slightly carried away pulling poses that we spent about 2 hours pissing about, not completely respectful of the dead!

But then came along pete´s bday, the day before our last class. We went out that night to a tango show, and then went to a club after. The tango was awesome, and we had a great meal. (Manuel, Pete and Mike) and (Elise and Lauren).

They even suprised pete with a free cake and us all with a free glass of champagne!

We then hit the nightclub, one we´d heard from an aussie friend was awesome. He promised naked strippers and great music. We turned up to find some cabaret dancers, transvestites, and some girls dancing around poles, but no nakedness. We managed to drink more alcohol and have a great night tho, getting home rediculously late, and having an hour's sleep before getting up for class half an hour late!

Pete slept through the entire class, probably shouldn´t have bothered going! But I fared better (UBS trained me well!) and managed to take something in I hope!

We then left B.A and headed accross the pond to Montevideo, which me and pete absolutely fell in love with. It´s a much quieter city than B.A, but has great atmosphere, and is so beautiful. We arrived stupidly in the middle of the city with no idea as to where a hostel would be. We stood with the rough guide in hand, when an elderly couple came up to us, and asked us in perfect English if we needed help! They then walked us to a hostel around the corner, and gave us their phone number should we need anymore help! It was amazing!

That night (sat) the town was buzzing, there were so many people dancing, drinking on the streets, having a good time. Me and pete found a great bar which played sting, the stones, and lots more tunes, and played a lot of pool.

The next day we went on a tour of the city, seeing the beaches, the rich areas, the botanical gardens and the old town. All of it beautiful.

We spent the afternoon on the beach, and had dinner at an awesome restaurant overlooking the sea. Sunday night was much quieter, the town was dead, but by the beach it was great.

The next day we went back to B.A via colonia, and met Mike (an aussie) on the ferry. We caught a bus with him up to Iguazu. We attempted to go to the brazilian side for the afternoon, but by the time we got thru immigration (mike had to go straight back as he didn´t have a visa for brazil) got on the wrong bus, got on the right bus, and realised brazil was an hour ahead, the park was closed! A real shame, but the next day we went to the argentinean side of the falls, and that was well worth it!!

(I´ve got back into the lunging!)

We walked around the park, every sight as beautiful as the last, and went on the boat right into the waterfall, got absolutely soaked!! luckily it was a beautiful hot day!

We then got a bus that evening down to Cordoba. It was absolutely boiling in Cordoba, and we were in a hostel with a bar and pool, so we headed straight there, and met an English couple and a dutch guy, who were heading to a tango class. I loved it, I definately want to take lessons again, if only I could convince James.

We then went on to a really cool club, and the night goes very hazy!! The next day we were catching a bus to mendoza, but not till 10pm!! We checked out at 11am, having got back god-knows when. So me and pete spent the afternoon lying on the grass in the central park, sleeping! Pete also puked in the park bin a couple of times, just to add to our touch of class!

We checked into a really cool hostel in Mendoza, and headed on to a bikes and wines tour. (the hungover had finally gone!) Basically u ride a bike round 6 or so wineries in the main wine region. I´d heard lots about it, but too much biking and not enough drinking for my liking! (Amy and Jilly, our american wine tasterer companions, and translators!) Tasted some good wine tho, and some good liquores and chocolate.

That night our hostel had a BBQ and all you can drink, awesome! met some great peeps, including Ronan and Orla an irish couple.(Simon and Bev)

The next day was great, we lazed by the pool and sunbathed, tan at last! That night I drank way too much wine with an english girl called bev, and had to get up for the bus to Santiago feeling like shit! We also had a bit of a mare crossing the border, well pete did, as when we got off the bus for immigration Pete had his Ipod, but when we got back on, it was gone! He was pretty gutted!!!

When we arrived in Santiago, we then had to go to the police station and do all that crap, but luckily it was pretty painless, thanks to a very friendly policeman with an amazing monobrow! We went next door to our hostel that night to the most amazing sushi restaurant ever! and so cheap!! with the irish couple we´d met in mendoza.
(Robert, Orla, Ronan and Pete)


Then we were straight off again to La Serena, killing time till our flight to Easter Island....