Aconcagua & South America 2004

I spent last weekend in Santiago in an attempt to recover. I did not think that a spot of rambling could be so exhausting, but it proved so for me, I must have lost over a stone in weight, & I was tired out for days. I have been on a strict diet of cakes, chocolate, steak beer & wine in an attempt to regain my former majestic physic, only very marginal improvements so far.
An other reason for staying in Santiago was to check out flights to Easter Island ( famous for its heads ) LanChile fly there & were offering a return for 230pounds which I thought good value but unfortunatly the only flight was on the 1st jan returning 4th jan which was not good timing as I would be stuck in Santiago for days each side of the trip, so back to plan A, & I left Santiago on 28th dec aboard a south bound train, not The Old Patagonian Express, unfortunatly.
The train took me to Temuco in 9 hours were I stayed the night in a higglety pigglty old hotel called the Colonial, (7.70pounds)The reason it is this way is due to earhquakes, either this or the builders level was a bit out.
Next day caught a bus to Puerto Montes, where the Chilian part of the pan-American hghway runs out. I was hoping to catch a ferry south but when I checked it out there were no ferries untill the 3rd of Jan, which was no use. Stayed the night in a *** hotel 13 quid. I ordered an OK Coral Burger for my tea 6.30pm on the dot, & received a meal the size of a small bungalow. It was without doubt the biggest meal I have ever seen, ate my way through the front door, along the hall & into the parlour, that was all I could manage.
Decided on going south through Argentina instead, so hopped on a bus back the way I had come back to Osorno then over the mountains again & into Argentina, to a plce called Bariloche.
This is a very European town in an alpine tradition, a lot of Gerries came here after the war apparently, Simon Wiesenthal* could probably have scooped up a fine haul here.
Attractive place all the same, South America´s answer to Zermatt, on the shores of a large lake with mountains all around. The place is full of school kids & holidaymakers so accommodation was very hard to find, trailing round innumerable hotels I have had to stay in a ****star Hotel at great cost, 28 quid!! Exellent tea last night in quite a posh restaurant, starter, steak. bottle of wine 11Quid. Yip you can swank it here!

NEW YEARS DAY

I am still in Bariloche an have decided to take a aeroplane south to Calafate. The reason for this is the alternative is a 30 hr bus journey which does not appeal to me. I leave tomorrow on a FourWinds flight, I wonder what kind of aircraft this will be. The flight cost 100quid but this will be my last major expense as I have already paid for the return flight from Pontas Areanus to Santiago.
I am still staying in the **** hotel, but its not really 4* there are no amenities not even a kettle to make coffee in the room. The weather here is a very comfortable 75 with blue sky & light winds, I am a bit bored though as all I have been doing is wandering around.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO BOTH MY READERS

I hope Wally has a good party tonight, Who I wonder will win the QUIZ!!