Bonito, not so bonito in the rain

Bonito has a reputation for being the hub of eco tourism in Brazil. The area is famed for crystal clear waters and a huge variety of fish making for spectacular snorkeling. The more adventurous (and those able to stretch the budget) can rappel into big sink holes for amazing diving. As an attempt to preserve the water clarity sun block and mosquito repellent are not permitted when entering the water on some activities, wetsuits are provided to offer protection and warmth. The trip to Bonito on Vanzella stretched from the promised three hours to four and a half, not a major drama but the first of a number of incidents where Gil from Pantanal Discovery's smooth sales patter didn't quite get borne out in reality. Bonito, described in the guide book as tiny was larger than we expected, not a big place but more than a one street town. We checked into Papaya Hostel, a new kid on the block and one which is bound to raise the bar for budget travel in the area, Jenny and Carlos have done a great job with the set up. Jenny set up a tour of Rio da Prata, which has the best snorkeling for the following morning but warned us it wouldn't be at it's best due to high rainfall creating muddy run off into the water over the last few days.

We jumped straight on the hostel bikes (small hire fee) and headed out of town for the Balneario Municipal, a natural swimming hole in one of the rivers where big schools of Piraputangas gather. On arriving we were disappointed as the murky water looked nothing like on the posters. Clear azure waters with people frolicking in the sun were replaced with River Thames brown waters with people unsure whether to dip a toe in.

Jumping in at the furthest upstream point I was straight away surprised by the strength of the current, though the speed is patchy and slows down after the main bend so it is very safe. The size and quantity of fish was good, though with visibility of only a metre certainly not what I'd come for. The biggest disappointment was that most of the fish were gathered within a metre of shore as people were buying food at the entrance and throwing in bag after bag to attract the fish for photo opportunities. This is certainly not a natural experience and not eco friendly in anyway. 

Encouraging mass feeding is a big black mark for the eco reputation in my book and should be stopped. After our afternoon arrival dusk was drawing in as we cycled back to town which made the ride back different and enjoyable though I wouldn't have wanted to be much later. On arriving back at the hostel Jenny gave us the bad news that the Rio da Prata trip was cancelled due to the water quality, which, given this was our reason for coming was a bit of a blow. We were offered an alternative of snorkeling the Sucuri which doesn't have the same number of species or size of fish but usually retains better water quality in poor weather. It seemed the options were to write Bonito off completely or take a chance on this and something seemed better than nothing. Jenny, again made all the arrangements and we were set for the following afternoon.

Heading to a bar for a drink seemed the sensible option at this point. We settled on Taboa a cool looking bar covered inside and out with graffiti, every surface was marked with dates and names of people who had passed through, I couldn't help wondering if someone I knew or had crossed paths with had left their mark there. The plan to head to a quality fish restaurant was abandoned after the first Capiraniha.

 I'd first heard of Capiraniha's when my brother visited Salvador as a stopover when sailing Clipper Ventures round the world yacht race. The tales of Victoria Clipper had me spellbound and with Brazil always on my list of places to visit, hearing the stories of their first major stop over was fascinating. Having our World Cup tickets in Salvador will be like tying another knot of family connection, I can't wait to see the harbour where the Clipper Ventures crews were based.

 Another Capiraniha left us quite happy, could it have been possible they were getting stronger? The morning. was spent catching up on a few bits and pieces, wandering round Bonito we couldn't resist taking a picture of the town fountain complete with statue of giant fish, New Zealand and Australian towns love having statues of large local items of interest in a prominent positions. The capitals of Europe can keep their victorious generals on horse back, their Kings and their Queens, the cities of South America can keep their liberators, the Big Fruit of Cromwell and Giant Ohakune Carrot do it for me every time!

 Typical. As the time for our trip approached the storm clouds opened, the heavens opened and lightening filled the air. We drove the 16 k to Rio Succuri in pouring rain, watching the gulleys on the side of the road fill with orange red run off. We felt our chances of crystal clear waters were slim to none. Arriving at the river side base we were treated to an Armadillo walking across the lawns, the first we had seen. We waited for a while for the previous trip to return then were kitted out and headed off to the boats. The Rio Sucuri trip differs significantly from Rio da Prata, firstly it is an hour, 1k snorkel rather than a 3k two and a half hour snorkel. An hour is a long time in fresh water which cools the body much faster than salt water, two hours plus is a very long time. Also Sucurri begins with a trip in canoes which provide great views of fish and bird life as you make your way upstream. Rio da Prata begins with a 45 minute walk making it a much longer trip. The paddle through close jungle was fantastic, big herons on the river banks and big weed beds floating in the stream of water made it feel like making your way through pristine jungle. The complete quiet except for the lap of the water and the chatter of the birds brought a hush over us all.

We reached a moored wooden platform, climbed out of the boat and one by one slipped into the water. The water was clear and immediately abundant in large fish. Swimming is forbidden along with touching the bottom, again in order to preserve water clarity. Gently floating down the river, allowing small movements to move closer or further away from the banks and in and out of the current was a first for me. Other than taking my PADI diving course in Capernwray in Lancashire all my snorkeling has been in salt water. Allowing yourself to drift amongst the reeds (the larger fish are under weed and tree branches on the water's edge) was spectacular also giving the best view of tiny electric blue and luminous red fish nearer the surface.

Given the advice that Rio Sucuri was less spectacular and the run off from the rain I was impressed with clarity and viewing. I would say if you are not as confident in the water an hour is enough and the boat ride is beautiful making this an excellent alternative to it's, supposedly more spectacular cousin.

Back at the hostel a hot shower was most welcome especially when followed immediately by a Capiranhia. It was BBQ night at Papaya Hostel, Rafael, Carlos' brother played host and kept us topped up with drink and fantastic BBQ meat, chicken, steak and sausage. As well as us he hostel was playing host to guests from Holland, Germany, Israel, Switzerland and Egypt and Argentina. A great opportunity to mix with different people and a perfect time for the Argentinian to add more languages in which he could say "You have beautiful eyes". A pick up artist maestro. There was some debate as to the value in my teaching him that all Aussie girls need to hear is "stick another prawn on the barbie" to make them go weak at the knees. So

Bonito had been good but not great, we hadn't realised how weather dependent it is so if you go, check in advance and be prepared to be flexible.

Campo Grande, often overlooked but worth a stopover

Campo Grande is usually passed through on the way to Bonito and The Pantanal with a pick up arranged at either the bus station or airport to avoid going into the town at all. Having had generally poor to zero response from Pantanal tours based in Cuiaba we were still trying to finalise a trip and stopped over in Campo Grande while we confirmed. At the airport we met Gil from Pantanal Discovery who was good with the patter and sales pitch but we thought the trips may be at the cheep end in delivery as well as price. We settled on a trip and made plans to head to Bonito for a couple of days first. Campo Grande turned out to be well worth a night. Vitoria Regia hostel was a good place to stop, despite a bigger than usual language barrier. A friendly hostel who can get mates rates on the Vanzella bus to Bonito, 15 reais off the normal price. The hostel is based overlooking Orla Morena a purpose built walkway used as a running, cycling and skating track the like of which you see all across South America. These are well used meeting places especially in the early evenings. Being busy they are safe and well lit. We were fortunate to be there on a Thursday, where we discovered a great market selling an array of food, clothes, mobile phones and the usual market goods. There was a small stage with some kind of stand up comedy which seemed to be poking fun at the colonial past, but I couldn't be certain. The food was a range of Brazillian from various regions and Japanese. Great fun to wander around and take in what was clearly a night out for locals as we were possibly the only gringos there. Passing back through Campo Grande after the Pantanal trip we spent the afternoon at the park watching the Capybara swimming in the lake and grazing on the banks at our feet. We actually saw more Capybara there than in the Pantanal but that's another story.

I always enjoy spending a bit of time in the less visited areas just enjoying less visited towns and getting a feel for an area without the pressure to tick sights off a list. Campo Grande is certainly worth a night, especially if you are passing through in time for the Thursday market on Orla Morena.

Iguazu Falls, deservedly one of the 7 natural wonders of the world

Today I'm going to let the pictures do the talking. It is hard to find words to describe the falls, it is hard enough to agree on a spelling, Iguazu, Iguazzu, Iguasu and Iguassu all seem to be in regular usage. I always find a twinge of apprehension when approaching one of the great sites, the anticipation mixed with fear that this will be the one that doesn't live up to expectation. Today was not that day. I mean, just look at them.

Although clearly a picture doesn't do justice, it can't convey the impact on your other senses, the sound the smell, the feel of the spray. Iguazu falls are, quite simply worth the billing as one of the natural wonders of the world. We visited the Argentinian side on day one where there are various options of paths that take you to different views of the falls. We chose to attempt all the paths working from the furthest views and finishing at Garganta del Diablo, the devil's throat.

The lower path gives incredible distance views of the major falls, depending on water levels there are between 150 and 240 individual streams of water and this gives a sight of most of them. This path is also the entrance point to short boat rides to Isla San Martin which, after a reasonably strenuous climb gives much closer views and a takes you directly into the spray. We'd been at this spectacular viewpoint for a couple of minutes when another couple joined us, her open jawed wide beaming smile said everything, you could feel her awe. We stood there, giggling, it was all you could do. The whole of the lower path is the longest, about 1.6k and the climb up Isla San Martin is a bit tougher but if you are in relatively decent shape should be an absolute must. The views are breathtaking.

The upper path is flatter and busier with tour groups, though at the time we were there not overcrowded. The views are closer and looking down on the falls giving a very different perspective. Wildlife was closer with some incredible butterflies, birds and curious coates.

The last view point of the day, after a short train ride through the park, gets you up close and personal with Giganta del Diablo and boy do you look close. Walking towards the top of the falls the remarkable thing is how calm and slow moving the river is. Quietly meandering across the plateau you would have no idea what lies, one of the many similarities it shares with Victoria falls. Approaching the viewpoint the noise gradually takes over and you can almost feel the rumble. Feeling the spray in your face as you look down the horseshoe fall and down the valley across the park you feel all your senses become more alert. It is an experience you feel as much as you see.

We finished the day with a walk through the Macuco track where we saw more wildlife including our first monkeys of the trip. You really do need a full day. Day 2 Finally a Brasil stamp in the passport. At the third time entering the territory we final have the stamp to prove it. The Brasil side of the falls involve less walking but give access to a panoramic view of the whole area, including some streams you didn't have access to from Argentina.

Again the jaw dropping sight of approaching Garganta del Diablo leaves people grinning broadly and uncontrollably. While more compact and therefore more crowded, not as many people venture onto the walkway directly over a sheer drop where the spray soaks you to the skin. Light rain ponchos are available but again for me it is about feeling the experience as much as seeing it. If you go, the two sides give such different views you really should do both and on the Argentina side I would definitely do at least the lower loop and preferably Isla San Martin as well, you won't regret it. Having knocked off one of these great wonders that you have looked forward to seeing for so many years it can leave you feeling a bit flat, no longer having it to look forward to and the thrill of the anticipation. On this occasion I'm still buzzing off it.

The dodgy immigration post - part 1

All the advice made it seem so simple. Get a bus to immigration, get your passport stamped, hop on another bus, get your passport stamped, leave Paraguay, go to Argentina. Job done. Land borders always have more potential for fun and games than airports, I always think they are far more fun too. Getting dropped off, we estimated, a kilometre from immigration was our first clue that we'd made the right call making an early start rather than fit in a mornings activity before crossing back to Argentina. As we walked through the busy market area of Ciudad del Este the queue of cars was our next hint.

We arrived at the Paraguayan immigration and were stamped out easily. Despite the lengthy queue of traffic we waltzed through immigration as there are agreements between certain Latin American countries that citizens don't need to perform immigration procedures, we appeared to be the only gringos crossing today. The Puente de la Amistad (Friendship Bridge) over the Iguazu river forms the border with Brasil and traffic funnels over it as shoppers return with their spoils. I have read that up to 80% of electronic equipment has been smuggled or otherwise sourced from Paraguay due to very different import restrictions. We'd been advised not to walk over the bridge due to robberies occurring, though it was hard to see how in daylight with so many people crossing, lots of locals were clearly walking. We scanned the line of waiting traffic as far as we could see and counted a grand total of no buses in line. As Dave Briggs, our original Dragoman driver from the Grand Asian Overland always said, now is the time for waiting. So, we waited. And waited. A couple of Argentinians joined us and seemed unconcerned, so we relaxed, and waited. A chirpy sock salesman explained that an Argentina bus was on it's way, a taxi driver suggested otherwise, we went with the sock salesman. A cuddly Peppa Pig salesman, trod on the the salesman's patch causing some lighthearted banter. For the record it was the Peppa Pigs that were cuddly, not the salesman. A bus appeared in the queue and made it's way towards us, after 20 minutes it became apparent - as predicted that it was a Foz (Brasil) bus and of no use to us. Repeat. A slightly higher quality vehicle appeared and the sock salesman gave us the nod that this was the Argentina bus and sure enough, it was, finally the right vehicle so we tipped the sock guy (he'd been friendly and helpful) and jumped on.

Interestingly, and surely the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question, the Argentinian border is 20k from Paraguay across Brasilian territory but as it is a non stop bus you do not clear Brasilian immigration. Crossing through Brasil but effectively in nopersons land was an interesting experience, having crossed over on the dam the previous day we had effectively been in Brasil twice but officially we hadn't yet made it. So near and so far but for now it was back to the Peso and huge anticipation for visiting the falls tomorrow

Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy - thoughts from the Itaipu Dam

This post is going to be a bit deeper, there are things on my mind. In line with the way I'm writing this blog I'm putting in a disclaimer that these are thoughts tha have occurred to me, some questions I'm thinking through. It isn't meant to be taken as a thoroughly researched facual essay. Just thought I'd get that in there. I left Lake Ypycarai near Asuncion wondering if it was possible to travel for extended periods of time without returning home with a slightly Greener tinge to your politics. As detailed in a previous post Lake Ypycarai suffers from natural algal polution as well as man made polution through refuse and other avoidable measures. Set in stunning landscape it could be a natural wonder for people to enjoy and to provide work and income. It was a reminder of how good a job New Zealand does of protecting it's natural environment but also of how much work needs to be done to maintain it. I wondered how much bearaucracy and corruption you would have to break through to build a sustainable future for the lake. I wasn't to know my thoughts on green energy would be challenged so soon and in the same country. We visited the Itaipu dam on the Parana river, which forms the natural border between Paraguay and Brazil. The dam is still the largest Hydroelectric producing plant on earth, though in terms of dam size it has been knocked into second place by the Three Gorges dam in China. Renewable energy has always seemed like a great energy source, solar makes so much sense to me and the sheer power of water makes hydro a sensible way forward, using naturally occuring energy without destroying the source is good, yes?

The building of the Itaipu dam, commenced in 1973 resulted in the destruction of the Sete Quedus falls, the most spectacular waterfalls on earth with more than twice the volume flow of Niagara and twelve times that of Victoria falls and covering a greater area than the neighbouring Iguazu falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil only 20 killometres away. Not only were the falls drowned by the lake created for the dam, the Brazillian government, which had already dispanded Guaira Falls National Park to allow the project to go ahead, dynamited the rock face of the falls to remove the navigation hazzard eliminating any chance of restoring the site in future. One of the great wonders of the world gone for ever, surely an environmental catastrophe. In the process of creating the lake 10,000 families were displaced removing hundreds of years of history and splitting up families and communities, leading to the town of Foz do Iguazu growing from 32,000 to 136,000 people in ten years with no infrastructure to cope. In a final twist, as peole flocked in record numbers to catch a last glimpse of the falls before they were lost, a viewpoint collapsed killing 80 people. Generating an impressive 80% of Paraguay's energy and 20% of Brazil's is an engineering marvel, being the third most populous country just think how much sustainable energy has come fromthat one source. But there is no doubt it has come at huge environmental and social cost. It has merely posed in my mind the question of how far we go to generate renewable energy? How do we measure the cost / benefit of doing so? Would we allow the same to happen to Iguazu falls today? Yeah, they look nice but look at all that power!

The tour of the dam itself was impressive, it is truly an enormous project, employing at it's peak 40,000 people. The lake levels were at a level where the flood gates were closed as all the necessary water was going straight into the turbines which meant we missed the spectacular sight of the spillways in full flood. It did allow us to see the sheer size of them though which was awesome.

Interestingly as the dam straddles Paraguay and Brazil we crossed over into Brasilian territory, though without getting off the bus so immigration was unnecessary. The drive along the dam gave a close up view of the pibes surrounding the twenty turbines of which Brasil uses eighteen, effectively buying the electricity from eight of them from Paraguay. From the top of the dam there was a great view towards the twin cities of Foz do Iguazu in Brazil and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, separated only by the river. An educational and interesting morning, I definitely recommend it.

The Jesuit Missions of Encarnacion

Our zig zag journey in a generally northerly direction had temporarily taken us further south. Encarnacion is known for being a smaller more laid back town and we were looking forward to experiencing a slightly different side of Paraguay. Kerana Hostel looked like a good choice, location wise being only a few minutes walk from the bus station is always a winner. Being directly opposite Habib's which is highly recommended for the local delicacy the Lomito Arabe. A twist on the Shwarma / kebab with less chili and a delicious heavy on the garlic mayonnaise, washed down with a cold Brahma we were all set. The main reason people visit Encarnacion is to see the UNESCO world heritage site of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue, Jesuit missions dating from 1609, and given world heritage status in 1993. They are apparently the least visited of all UNESCO sites. Given the lack of guide book information on how to get there this seems likely. There are no tours available (business opportunity : note to self) so it is back to good old local buses. At the bus station the touts soon sussed out the gringos and pointed us in the right direction, opting again for the 5,000 rather than 10,000 option we knew what we were getting by now! Once again pidgin Spanish conversation was struck up, and we were thrown off the bus in the right spot.

Starting at the mission itself we were offered the promo video which was perfectly timed to give a taste of the history and available in three languages. Wandering up to the missions themselves, the red each of the landscape had given the missions a stunning hue. Trinidad, the first mission we visited is the largest of the sites, containing houses for the missionaries, the local guarani people who were being introduced to the new religion as well as important buildings needed for a settlement of it's size. We were also able to see the stone walls laid out for garden and crop growing areas.

Dating from 1609 the Trinidad site was the earliest of the two we visited, along with two other tourists, amazing for a site with World heritage status. When we were ready to move to the next site of Jesus de Tavarangue, 12k away the ticket office called us a taxi as there was no other way of getting there. How many countries would the top tourist site either need or be able to offer that service? A few minutes later a dodgy looking tuk-tuk appeared at the end of the cobbled street, oh, please be our transport I exclaimed and wasn't to be disappointed. The three of us piled on for the 12k journey and what a way to see the countryside.

Arriving at Jesus we were this time the only visitors, the remaining buildings have been largely restored giving a real feel for how imposing these buildings would have been in the 1600's. This site on a hillside overlooking the surrounding area would have been a very powerful message of intent.

Paraguay, has continued to impress and delight, this was another day when the people couldn't do enough for us, and were great fun, the tuk-tuk driver even took our picture for his publicity shots. Again we looked forward to moving on, this time to Ciadad del Este to see the Itaipu dam, only recently beaten by the Three gorges dam in China as the largest in the world and still the largest hydro electric generator.

The inevitable Dodgy bus post, part 1

Crazy bus journeys are the heartbeat of great travel. The local buses were full of chewing gum, sock and general food vendors hopping on and off as the bus travelled through Asuncion. One journey enlivened by a woman so round if the driver slammed his anchors on I'm sure she'd have rolled down the aisle, her missing teeth didn't help concentration as she shouted a sermon before starting kissing people while requesting a handout, what for will forever remain a mystery to me. The longer journeys had so far proven slightly less eventful but the entertainment level was about to be ramped up as we made a move towards Encarnacion. We left Le Jardin with Louise, who was heading in the same direction. Louise was on the last few days of a twelve month tour and Encarnacion would be her last stop before heading home to Dublin. Having established there were busses almost hourly, we thought, rock up at the bus station, no drama. Our company of choice had no seats until the following evening which caught us a back. We opted for the first bus that we could get on, with only an hour to wait and at a bargain price. On arrival it appeared the bus was more of a local service than the swish double decker number in the poster! Why are they never like in the poster? Oh well, for 50,000 guaranis you can't complain, though we already had doubts that the promised five hours looked realistic. Leaving on time was a good sign but as more and more people started getting on it became clear that it was a full on local service, I began wondering how people were still finding seats at the back, before it became clear, they weren't, it was again standing room only. Less than an hour into the journey and a Paraguayan lady who was lets just say more mature than I am stood right beside me. Having noticed that it didn't particularly seem to be the custom to give up your seat I qickly processed a) If you give up your seat you could be standing for seven hours b) It's all about equality, right? c) She's not that old d) None of the locals are doing it and of course I gave her my seat. I wearily got out my book and settled in for a long journey. Interestingly they seemed to have selected the fattest man in Paraguay to check tickets. Not the ideal man for squeezing up and down the aisle. He was dressed in full corporate uniform, though his shirt had seen better days with the odd here and there. This situation was improved immensely when the first Chipa salesman got on (Chipa is a delicious doughnut like corn bread with cheese, sometimes in rings sometimes stuffed with mince), goody for us he was the worlds fattest, albino Chipa salesman. So as more people got on the fat conductor and the fat albino Chipa man fought for aisle domination rights. The controller's shirt gradually becoming untucked, revealing more holes. As the two of them moved up and down the aisle they were joined by small boys selling apples and lottery ticket For the record, apples seemed to outsell lottery tickets, Chipa outsold everything and the now slightly dishevelled fat controller won the battle for aisle supremacy I just hoped for a seat. Over an hour into the journey we finally made it past the outskirts of Asuncion and it was clear we were staring down the barrel of a lot longer than the promised five hour journey. Fortunately, not all the passengers were on the full trip and the standing room started thining and the lady I'd given my seat to got off (a gracias wouldn't have hurt). A couple of fine Chipa kept me going and it was down to settling in, the flat, dry campo stretched out with only the odd small village and a couple of small towns in between. By the time we reached Encarnation around seven hours after leaving I felt for Louise as she was already suffering a lower back problem. A dodgy bus, sure but we were happy to be there and the journey overall had been good. The search for the bus on the poster continues.

You could wait for a lifetime, to spend your days in Asuncion

Arriving late in a city after dark it is always hard to get a true impression, Asuncion immediately felt different from Argentina, the road infrastructure felt less well maintained and the roadside stalls looked like one of the hallmarks of a less developed country. It seemed this would be a different side of the continent which given that Paraguay is one of the least visited countries in South America, despite being bang in the centre, is to be expected.  We arrived at the address given for the El Jardin hostel to find a terracotta coloured wall decorated with murals but no signage indicating that beds would be available. The road was dark, pavements cracked and pipes leaking in the street, slight apprehension crept in. We rang the bell to relief that we were indeed at the right place.  As we walked in the hallway opened up into a shady courtyard garden, complete with fruit trees, hammocks and a high sided pool. This was somewhere we could stay.

As always our first objective was to head out on a walking tour to start getting a feel for the city, the heat was the most noticeable change, autumn did not seem to have a grasp on Asuncion. Following the typical grid structure the centre is easy to negotiate and makes room for large shady plazas, both Plaza Uruguaya and Plaza de los Heroes are places to gather during the day and the latter particularly at night.  The Plaza de los Heroes is home to the city's most well known building the Pantheon de los Heroes, where armed soldiers guard the remains of leaders of the countries war torn past. At one point Paraguay tried to protect Uruguay from Brazil which required permission to cross Argentinian territory resulting in Paraguay being at war with all three simultaneously. Even this wasn't as devastating as the war with Bolivia over Bolivia's desire for a sea port via the Rio Paraguay.  The pantheon, lit up in pink at night gives the plaza a centre piece and a heart where people gather throughout the day and night.

For future reference, Sopa is used throughout South America to mean soup. This evening I discovered Sopa Paraguaya, is corn bread with cheese and onion served in small loaves. I will leave it for you to assess my satisfaction with my evening meal choice.

The move north combined with change of time zone meant that by six am it was light and very warm, it would be a day for breaking the shorts out. At home I live in shorts as much as possible and when travelling am always aware that this is rarely the usual custom, often such as strongly Muslim countries would just not be possible culturally, or even in the case of Iran, legally.  I'll always respect strong reasons for this, though you can sometimes relax more in big cities in Buenos Aires it seemed to be more of a fashion statement though still generally stuck to trousers so I didn't stick out too much.  In Ascuncion,  the dress code was clearly much more relaxed (it was also the weekend) and shorts for the lads and stringy vest tops for the ladies were clearly fine and dandy. By the middle of the day as the temperature soared, they say summer last ten months in Asuncion, I was glad to be dressed down.

Saturday morning was buzzing with activity as the market stalls lined the streets around Plaza de los heroes. Ray-ban and Gucci sunglasses in equal measure with football shirts and mate gourds were on sale.  Colonial style buildings were again in evidence, some in bad disrepair some in great condition, overlooked by condemned tower blocks blackened with pollution, mixed with glass and neon fronted banks and shop all giving an atmosphere of old meets new.

A walk down to the river brought a welcome cooling breeze. Avenida Costanera serves as a river front road during the week but is closed off for weekend activities such as pedal go karting, skating, kite flying and cycling, it gives a great view back to the city and just off the river bank a battle cruiser which served in the Chaco war with Bolivia is moored. How many landlocked countries have battle cruisers, I wonder.

On Sunday we took the local bus to the botanic gardens, not quite riding with chickens but an entertaining experience nonetheless.  The gardens themselves were quieter than we expected but this might be explained by the sustained mosquito attack I underwent, not normally attracting them I had no repellent on and these things were merciless.The gardens themselves were a pleasant enough break from the city but nothing special, the big attraction for locals is clearly the zoo. which we gave a miss on account of less than favourable reviews about how free running the animals are. I believe zoos do have a role to play in conservation and eduction but standards must be high for animal welfare.

Bring your kids to work day on Bus Asuncion?

Sunday afternoon back at Avenida Costanera and it was clearly the place to be. Beach, football joined all the activities of Saturday as groups of rapping and skating teenagers mixed with families on up to six person cyclos as youngsters with barely any sense of navigation swerved across the road with reckless abandon. Dan was in her people watching element.

Storm clouds overhead were gathering and as the low sun shone through a spectacular shaft of light caught the underside of the darkening clouds and spectacularly illuminated all below as the threatened lightning storm erupted in the darkening dusk.

We had both looked forward to a mobile theatre train to Aregua which had cheezy tourist attraction written all over it but unfortunately, due to major road developments, this no longer runs.

Aregua station, a tourist train runs here, apparently.

We decided Aregua was worth a trip anyway so got a couple of local standing room only busses for the hour and a half journey.  Aregua itself, is an artisan town with markets selling largely pottery. Some of these are traditional but the array of ceramic dalmations and Spongebob characters looked tacky to me.

The church overlooking the town is in prime spot and affords good views of Lake Ypacarai, billed as the most polluted in Paraguay due to growth of toxic algae. On walking down to the municipal beach, I'd suggest the floating bottles, polystyrene and plastic bags don't help. You can imagine that if the water could be cleaned up it would make a perfect summer hang out.  It makes you realise how well New Zealand has protected it's natural environment so far but also how fragile this is and how much work is needed to maintain our environment.  Food for thought.

Lake Ypacarai, even I wouldn't swim in it.

Another long journey back, particularly slowing down and standing room only once the outskirts of Asuncion were reached left Dan vowing never to complain about Auckland traffic or public transport again.

The plan was confirmed to head to Encarnacion on Tuesday, home of the Jesuit ruins that are, apparently the least visited UNESCO world heritage site.

Is it really hard to love Corrientes?

With the disappointment of cancelling the Esteros del Ibera trip we arrived in Corrientes intending to pass through pretty quickly.  Lonely Planet has long been our travel guide of choice and though we always take care to view their write up as one person's view on one particular day the opening line that "It is hard to love Corrientes but you are welcome to try" didn't fill us with great enthusiasm.

We were delighted to find the tourist information booth closed.

Asking a couple of locals we established the bus terminal was either four or twenty killometres from our hostel.  We'd made use of five hours at Mercedes bus terminal to book a hostel. It may have been in the midle of nowhere but it had top WiFi.  Checking out the local bus routes Random Man struck up a conversation and gave enough confidence that the 103 was indeed the bus we wanted and this was the right way that we jumped on with him. Well, I say jumped, jimmyed and crowbared our way into the packed space was more the case. Our new guardian took it upon himself to give the driver instructions to tell us when we were at our hostel, though I'm not even sure how we'd made ourselves clear to him as we were far from sure.  He then proceeded to pay for us and we assumed this was to help out as he had a payment card and cash is coins only which can be hard to come by. We proffered the correct notes and he refused, wenthought this may be politeness before he accepted out payment but no, we could not get him to accept our six pesos ($1nzd £0.50). He cheerfully waved us off when he diembarked a few blocks later. We could only shrug in humble disbelief.mIt turned out there was, by Corrientes standards plenty of room as more and more people wedged there way in.  I had to stop trying to converse with Dan, almost taking out a little old man with my backpack every time I turned round. My 'Disculpe's' must have been wearing thin. Eventually the driver gave us a nod and we were at the hostel, Bienvenida Golondrina. Housed in a one hundred year old building with high celings and 8 foot high shuttered doors with smal courtyards and shuttered areas it seemed just the job, posted requests to observe quiet times after midnight and during siesta (2-4pm) confirmed our satisfaction. The quiet courtyard gave it a relaxed ambience and if you are looking for somewhere that isn't a party hostel it ticks all the boxes.

The bus journey had show that Corrientes (pop 368k) is an industrial town without exceptional beauty on the outskirts. Fortunately we were based very close to the Rio Parana riverfront and small port which provided a great spot for a wander. Fishing is clearly a local favourite pasttime and each group we passed seemed to have a feed which was good to see.

I always spend a lot of time by the water when travelling and enjoy checking out the local ingenuity in boat design, Corrientes didn't let me down.

                                                               A dodgy boat

There was a noticable increase in Mate (green tea) drinkers among those out for the evening. Walking through Plaza 25 de Mayo with it's Casa Rosada copy was evidence that we may have underestimated the town.

Heading for a bite to eat but decided a glass of Malbec was in order first.  We sat down and ordered a half bottle, clearly concerning the waitress that we ordered alcohol without food we assured her we would be eating later. I was delighted to see fish on the menu, particularly freshwater fish which was sure to be fresh.  Discovering it was Pacu was a special treat, a relative of the Piranha, Pacu is a vicious looking fish, like the Pirahna's big, ugly, angrier brother. I was not disappointed, the fish was delicious and very well prepared (note to review on trip advisor).  All in all a surprisingly great start.

The next day, being Mayday would be like New Years day but with less open!  We took the walk all along the river front towards Puente General Manuel Belgrano, a very attractive riverfront walkway with wide paths and small squares where people congregated to drink their Mate.

Mate numbers appeared to rival those in Uruguay, though in much more socialy diverse groups. Whereas Public Mate consumption in Uruguay appeared to be an almost universally male past time, here families were sharing a cup as well as groups of young women together and those in mixed company.

Mate is a traditional caffeine rich drink served in a gourd with leaves steeped in hot water and drunk through a (traditionally silver) straw which also acts as a sieve for the leaves. Many people drink on the move and carry a flask of hot water to be able to keep the drink constantly through the day.  Roadside stalls serve Agua Calliente to ensure nobody runs out of hot water!

Through the day this was where most people seemed to congregate and when we returned in the evening it was buzzing, probably due to the all day Mate session, it isn't surprising they stay up late!

Further wandering through the town I enjoyed the colour and architecture of the buildings and though there were clear signs of some areas being a bit run down this didn't detract from the experience for me.

I'm not sure I'd say I love Corrientes but there is enough to see and do for a day or two and the people are all friendly and helpful and ultimately it is, always about the people. I'm glad we stayed.

Best laid plans

Deciding to grab a quick bite to eat before hitting the road proved not to be one of our better decisions. Both punting for the Noquis as the dish of the day (traditionally served on 29th of each month) we thought we were in safe territory.  Latin time caught us out but hey, should we really have expected a simple Noquis in tomato sauce to take over half an hour to prepare? Well, maybe.  Given both our natural tendency to want to be at any appointment very early (we really must do something about that) we then found ourselves up against time. Given our experience so far that the one thing in South America that does run on time is the transport we felt a need to get a shift on to Retiro.

We ordered a cab as we picked our bags up from America del Sud.  Our driver turned out to be from Lima and as he put it, Level one English! He was as keen to practice on us as we were on him, the upside of of running straight into traffic was the opportunity for us all to improve our language skills. Managing to tell him I once swam in Lake Titicaca caused him much amusement. Muy Frio!!! (very cold) we both exclaimed.  All of this took our minds (slightly) off the ticking clock so a call of Vamanos was certainly due when the traffic eased up and we made it in time.

Despite assurances that the bus was on it's way the fact there was no sign of our destination on the departures board made us slightly nervous but sure enough only a few minutes late we were on our way.

The journey was uneventful, though being fed Milanase a few minutes after departure making our pre journey rush null and void was amusing, a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast before arriving in Mercedes and we were ready to make our way to our destination, Esteros del Ibera, billed as the most likely place in the world to see Anaconda in the wild, the top item on my bucket list (give or take a World Cup).

We had no onward travel or accommodation booked in the town Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, the jumping off point for the park and arriving in the pre dawn it wasn't surprising that no ticket office was open so it was time for waiting and watching Mercedes come to life. It was great to sit and observe the day begin. Motorbikes and pickups the sensible transport of choice for the dirt roads. After speaking with a couple of other people it was clear there may be a problem with roads being open due to heavy rainfall.  We were made an offer of a lift in a pickup at 250 pesos per person one way which compared to 35 on the local combi would be severely budget blowing.  On our more recent shorter trips I'd probably have taken the punt but ending up stuck at the other end would remove your hand and who knows what the return trip could have cost so we decided to wait it out, there will be too many chances to blow the budget to lose control now. After a few hours the ticket office opened and confirmed no buses today and likely no busses or combis tomorrow either.  Not willing to risk the pickup we booked on the next bus to Corrientes aiming for an earlier than planned entry into Paraguay.

The lunch time bus gave us a chance to enjoy the landscape. This area is lush green and clearly showing signs of heavy rain, vast areas of standing water in fields with cows and horses wading through shoulder deep puddles. It was no surprise the dirt roads were closed for the foreseeable. Further evidenced on our next journey, the north east of Argentina is pancake flat with vast areas of open grassland. If I knew my birds I would probably have picked up some great new species for my list.  After a long day we were ready to se what Corrientes had to offer in contrast to the wetlands we had planned.

Return to Buenos Aires in search of friends

Returning to Buenos Aires was aimed at meeting up with a couple of friends that we had missed on our first pass through.

On arrival on the one hour ferry crossing from Colonia del Sacremento we walked back through the well heeled Puerto Madero basin, not bad as a route through the city toward the San Telmo area where we where staying. We had booked into America del Sur hostel, a purpose build establishment which came with several benefits. Rooms and communal areas are all clean and spacious with fully working fixtures. The biggest asset for the hostel is the staff, all welcoming, friendly and not able to do enough for you, superb. The only down side was the ropey WiFi but that seems to be a bit of a theme.

A text message exchange teed us up to head into the San Telmo market where we met Martin, out friend from NZ who happened to be in BA on business and the opportunity was too good to turn down.  It was great to see the difference being fluent in another language can make, being able to crack jokes with waiters and taxi drivers.

That evening we headed out on Buenos Aires time, a cheeky beer before going to Martin's recommended Parilla (steak / grill) restaurant where he'd made a reservation for 10pm, or so he thought. Arriving at the restaurant to discover it was closed and realising there had been some date confusion we headed off to Palermo in a taxi.  Realising further evidence that getting the Lonely Planet top pick recommendation is a license to print money, Don Julio's was again queueing out the door. So we headed further into the main area which was buzzing, we were soon lured away by a tout who proved well worth following. It was by now after 11:30 which is late for us but by no means so in Latin America. We sat outside and had a view of the meat smoking over hot coals, certainly got the juices flowing. Some of the finest Bife de Chorizo (steak) washed down with some fine Malbec was superb.

Malbec at some point must be due a blog in it's own right, surely Argentinian Malbec is the finest wine there is.

We adjourned to a bar for a couple of quiet whiskies. Watching the Portenos out was fascinating, socialising at 2am involves a couple of quiet drinks, maybe a coffee or a coke and maybe a bite to eat, a very relaxed atmosphere all round, being drunk even at this time of night is still very much frowned upon. 3:30 was time to call it a night.

The next day we again had a trip to La Boca, known for being a working class suburb with rough edges, an area where you may need to take more care not to flash too much evidence of wealth around.

 More importantly it is the home of Boca Juniors, one of the best supported football teams in Argentina. It is also known for brightly coloured corrugated iron buildings and being match day it was bound to have a great atmosphere.

Boca certainly didn't disappoint, an amazing technicolour display, the buildings are the stars of the show. This is despite the fine looking tango dancers offering a photo opportunity at every turn.  The buildings are often topped with caricatures of the live of Maradona, Eva Peron and the unsurprisingly popular Pope Francis.

A fantastic afternoon was topped with a trip to La Bombanera, which had a great atmosphere with supporters singing as they queued patiently to get access to the stadium.  I was keen to go but wasn't prepared to pay $175 for a tour and there seemed no other way of getting tickets.

Monday was a trip to the Paraguayan embassy to sort out our visas, NZ citizens are among the few who need an advance visa and at a whopping $160 US. Not sure what we've done to upset the Paraguayan's except take a point off them in the last World Cup.

Our last day in BA meant we could finally catch up with Seb, a good friend and my former work colleague at RESULTS.com. It was great to see him and share our journey so far in his country with him. I enjoy catching up with former colleagues and seeing how their journey is continuing. It is also always a bonus to have the local inside word on where to get the best empanadas in town. On the corner of Scalabrini Ortiz and Santa Fe, opposite Plaza del Carmen, if you are interested.

So BA comes to an end, a truly amazing city, one I'd be more than happy to spend more time in but now it is time for the overnight bus to Mercedes and the start of our northern route.

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Colonia del Sacremento out of season is a particularly sleepy kind of town.

Perched on the Rio Plata with some of Buenos Aires' taller buildings visible across the water it is a very attractive spot. Shady tree lined streets and cobbled roads, the scene is completed with the lighthouse keeping watch over the town.

Each of the town's squares as well as the waterfront are lined with classy looking restaurants, which I imagine in summer months are frequented by classy looking Montevideans and Portenos, as people from BA are known, only an hour from BA by ferry it would make a great weekend getaway.

Lunch involved an overdue stop for a Chivito Completa. Delicacy wouldn't be quite the right word to describe this dish.

We felt it would be the kind of place you could happily stay for a while to regroup after a couple of months or more on the road but for us it was time to cross the Rio Plata again and head back to Argentina.