Week Eighteen: severe body clock jet lag in BA

Staying in the hip and stylish Palermo neighbourhood, much of my last week has revolved around exploring the shops, cafes and bars on offer. Working my way through a list from my friend Sophia (and honorary local) I've been eating extravagantly and multi-culturally for just about every meal; the budgeting and dieting can wait! On…

Week Seventeen: student vibes and skydives

Within ten minutes of arriving in my hostel in Córdoba, I had made a new friend and convinced her to sign up for skydiving with me; I knew I was going to like this town! First point of business in any new city is to navigate your way around a free walking tour; soaking up…

Week Sixteen: bizarre goings on in ghost towns

My initial moments in Valle Fertil were quite alien; rather than tramping the streets in search of a hostel with any space, I was in search of a hostel with any guests at all! Evidently, I was in luck, as I managed to source the only other tourists in town: we were three. Even fewer…

Week fifteen: wine and sunshine

Having left tourist-town and rejoined the real, city world, it was time to undertake some 'real world tasks'. Namely, doing three weeks worth of laundry and getting my legs waxed. Seems mundane, but was in fact rather an unexpected experience! First off, myself and a group of elderly local women were left waiting on the…

Week fourteen: all plans thwarted by rain, lethargy and chocolate

After arriving back onto the mainland from Chiloé, I had grand plans to make it across to Argentina. Unfortunately, having missed the only bus headed that way, I found myself trapped in rainy Chile. Wanting to make the best of the situation, I decided to add the tourist town of Puerto Varas to the itinerary.…

Week thirteen: cake, coincidences and Chiloé

Just as I was getting up and out of my less than talkative hostel, the 'small world' cliché proved itself best yet as I bumped into Denny, a guy I went to university with, sat casually in the reception. Naturally I latched onto him and his friends, and after having done a day hike up…

Week twelve: culture, nature and roast dinner

Whilst Tam did uni, convalesced and generally faced real life, Charlie and I dedicated ourselves to more cultural pursuits. From a photographic exhibition in the basement of La Moneda to an unsuccessful attempt to visit another of Pablo Neruda's houses, we immersed ourselves in Chilean history, identity and pride. The highlight of Santiago's cultural offerings…

Week eleven: halfway holiday

Exactly half way through my South American sojourn, I decided I had earned the right to do nothing for a while; a holiday from my holiday, if you will. Thus I am still staying with Tam in Santiago. However, I did still manage to maintain some level of touristing, rather than just sinking into Santiago…

Week ten: snap back to reality (of sorts)

Following our trip through the desert, we finally arrived in Chile... In the desert. San Pedro de Atacama is a quaint border town, akin to travelling back in time to the Wild West. Sandy streets and not a single cloud in the sky. Despite this somewhat backwards setting, Chile instantly marked itself out as much…

Week nine (and a bit): beautiful and bizarre Bolivia

I began the week in Sucre, the proudly UNESCO named 'White City' because of all the looming colonial architecture still standing. This world heritage beauty however is largely confined to the main plaza, whilst the rest of the city buzzes with all the chaos, crowds and colour one might be more accustomed to in South…