Iguazu Falls and Salta

Arrived in Iguazu last week to see the falls. Probably one of the best things I've done since I've been here. Stayed for a couple of days in Puerto Iguazu...just a little tourist town. The second day that I went to the falls, I met a guy named Clay from New Mexico living in a small town called Parana. He paints swimming pools and is the only "gringo" in the town. He was fun. We went together to the park and took a boat ride that literally drives you right up to the falls. It was great! We got soaked. Opted not to buy the video of the trip, which was 150 pesos (about 35 dollars) which was more than it cost to get on the boat. On Tuesday night I took a 23 hour bus ride to Salta which is west of Iguazu. A nice little city. I arrived at about 10:30 in the morning, and then proceeded to climb Cerro San Bernardo...a hill with a great view of the city. Had free dinner at my hostel....first night was empanadas...second night the worst pizza of my life. But free is free!!! Friday morning I woke up at 6 AM to go on a tour of Las Salinas Grande...the salt flats in Argentina. Rode a tiny little shuttle bus around for 14 hours...but the scenery was amazing! Mountains, salt flats, llamas. We were supposed to get back at 7 PM...but in Argentina you just add 2 hours to the time they tell you and that's actually the time that they mean. No one is in a rush. Yesterday morning took the 9 hour bus across the border back to Chile. I'm currently in San Pedro de Atacama...the driest desert in the world. Renting a bike to watch the sunset tonight...should be amazing! Have to post pictures of that later.

Gargantua del Diablo....biggest falls.

Another picture of the "Big Devil" Falls.

Me

River in between the falls.

Self-explanatory.

Monkey...and Israeli guys IPhone taking a picture of it.

Me again..

Rainblow at another area of the falls.

The upper circuit.

Dos hermanas....or two sisters falls.

In front of one of the bigger falls.

Took a boat ride with my new friend Clay from New Mexico...we literally went under the falls and got soaked.

View from the boat.

On the boat.

Church in Salta.

View from Cerro San Bernardo.

San Bernardo monument.

Me on the Teleferico.

Being a gaucho in Salta.

On the horse riding journey!

Scenery.

My horse was hungry.

A gaucho herding his horses.

Bridge for the Train to the Clouds outside of Salta.

In front of the 7 Colored Mountains.

Llamas!

First look of the salt flats.

Las Salinas Grande.

So strange but so cool.

Jumping!

Some really cool mountains on the way back to Salta.

Mountains in Purmamarca.

Buenos Aires and Montevideo

So I've spent the past week and a half in Buenos Aires and then Montevideo, Uruguay. Buenos Aires is crazy.....massive city but surprisingly not many sights to see. I'm getting a little tired of the city. I'm still amazed as to how all of the Argentinean people aren't morbidly obese, because all they eat is pizza, pasta, bread, fried "mileta" or some sort of beef, and  PAPAS FRITAS. "Papas fritas" are french fries that come with literally everything you order. I cannot touch another papas frita for about a week. Besides that...while I've been here I've seen a part of town called La Boca..which is full of colorful old buildings. I've also been to the Recoleta, which is an old and really cool cemetary in Buenos Aires. On the way to the Recoleta, we ran into a huge celebration in the streets for the anniversary of the Revolution? Still trying to figure out if it was a protest or a celebration...or both? That's the great part of South America...you never know what's really going on!! I'm glad to have met some really great people  here, and I'm glad that I got to meet up with my favorite Aussies, Tess and Adrian here and in Montevideo. I dragged my newly found Canadian friend, Josh, on the ferry over to Montevideo on Monday. Montevideo was freezing, and super windy, but we managed to have fun. The Uruguayan people are really nice....but they walk super slow....just an observation. Not a whole lot to see or do in Montevideo, but I'm glad I got to go. Back in BA today and taking a 17 hour bus to Iguazu falls tonight....yay! I hope my IPod keeps its charge! Coming soon: awesome waterfall pics.

La Boca

Cool painted horse also in La Boca.

Buenos Aires city center...start of the crazy parade/people in the streets.

BA

The celebration!

La Recoleta Cemetary

A cool grave in the cemetary...former first lady of Argentina.

Another cool grave.

We had a guide in the cemetary who was very informative...this woman fell into a coma and they believed she was dead. She was actually buried alive, so they say she is the only woman in the world to "die more than once". Cool story.

Some important man..

Montevideo

This was a really cool fountain in Montevideo. You carve your initials and the initials of the one you love into a lock and then lock it onto the gates of this fountain. The legend says that one day the two lovers will return to the fountain again.

Fountain in Plaza Independencia in Montevideo.

Josh my little Canadian.

Freezing by the coast....the wind almost knocked me in!!

Valpo, Ritoque, and Mendoza

After Santiago I headed to Valparaiso with Nelson, my couchsurfing host. Stayed with a nice girl named Maria who didn't speak English...good practice. Met a woman named Denise who was deathly afraid of cats. I watched her periodically dash around Maria's apartment to escape the cat for about 3 hours...very amusing. Valparaiso has the same food as Santiago...completos. Hot dogs covered with tomatoes, mayo, and this watery avocado paste. SO AWFUL. I never want to look at a completo again for the rest of my life. After Valpo it was straight to Playa de Ritoque, a tiny beach town 15 minutes by colectivo from Quintero. Ritoque was a beach with absolutely nothing else. It was nice to just do nothing for 4 days but lay on the beach. After Ritoque, I spent a night at Nelson's in Santiago, and then it was off to Argentina. Got a "semi-cama" bus...6 hours and the seats go almost all the way back. Took an amazing trip through the Andes mountains, which I got great pictures of. Got to Argentina and immediately went to a hostel BBQ. FINALLY I ate the first real food I've had in 2 weeks, because Chile's food is awful. Unlimited steak, chicken, salad, etc. It was awesome. Since then I've been hanging in Mendoza with a bunch of crazy South Africans, and a Swedish girl named Elsa. Celebrated St. Patty's at an Irish pub...the Argentinean's were more festive than I was! Yesterday I did a bike tour around the wineries of Maipu...about 17 km south of Mendoza. I showed up to Mr. Hugo's bike rental and got adopted by a nice couple from Ireland on their honeymoon. Biked for so long with them...on the main roads with huge trucks whizzing by....probably not safe. When you turn in your bike, Mr. Hugo gives you free wine...so needless to say there were tons of people congregated there. Also went bowling last night....very interesting. The balls were tiny, and there was a man standing behind the pins picking them up when you knocked them down. Pretty funny. Tonight I leave for Buenos Aires to possibly meet up with my Australian friends that I met in Ritoque. So to sum it up...Argentina is awesome.

Couchsurfers in Chile!

Valpo

Dogs are everywhere in Chile! Most are nice and will follow you/lead you home if you get lost. I owe my life to the dogs.

The back porch of my hostel room in Ritoque.

Playa de Ritoque

View from the bus window crossing from Santiago to Mendoza.

Wine at the "bodega" or vineyard.

ME

Me and my trusty bike!

Picture taking while bike riding got a little dangerous..

Grapes.

St. Patty's Day street party!

Bowling: Argentinean Style