"Ian's Big Trip – Part 2"

After a couple of days R & R in Lima we were up early to catch the 7am flight to Santiago, then a connecting flight to Buenos Aires where we started a 12 day trip that would eventually lead us to Rio de Janeiro.

Our hotel was in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires, in the Florida district which is dominated by a long pedestrian mall full of touristy type shops. This mall seems to never close with street markets and entertainments on every night. The ‘tango’ dancers are especially numerous.

At a restaurant that evening we met our tour leader and the rest of the group, 11 people in total and all Aussies except for two English lads. As we are in Argentina, naturally steak is on the menu. So Kerrie and I picked a dish that is roughly translated as ‘baby beef’. We were asked to share one meal between us. I couldn’t understand why until the waiter struggled out with a 1 kg lump of steak and a swag of side dishes!

The following is a brief summary of the trip from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro: -

• Walking tour of Buenos Aires where we visit museums, parks and colonial buildings including the “Pink Palace” on whose balcony ‘Evita’ stood and inspired the population. Also visited Recoleta Cemetery which is completely devoted to family mausoleums. Some are huge structures packed with many coffins from past and present family members.

• Train and boat ride to Tigre where we dine at a famous waterfront restaurant.

• Visit Iguazu Falls which at twenty metres higher than Niagara and 2.5 kilometres wide, is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. We spend 2 days here sightseeing from every angle then take a boat ride around the base of the falls and then into several of the cascades. Sensational!

• Take the “Serra Verde Express” train through the Atlantic rain forest and high into the mountains.

• Stay in a jungle ’eco-lodge’ and do several hikes into the jungle. On our way to a waterfall meet a real live Armadillo!

• Stay on a tropical island, see dolphins and brightly coloured native birds.

• Walk along Copacabana beach in Rio and marvel at how small the South American bikinis is!

• Take a cable car to the summit of ‘Sugarloaf Mountain’. At 396m above Rio it gives a spectacular view.

• Drive up Corcovado to see the ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue that overlooks the city.

• Attend a ‘Carnaval Show’ and watch exotic dancers in spectacular costumes.

• Use the subway trains to do a walking tour of Rio.

• Visit a ‘Samba Club’ and listen to traditional Brazilian music. Also drink cachaca (high proof sugar cane rum) and caipirinha (local cocktail).

That all folks – 6 weeks condensed down into 2 pages but what a fantastic holiday and one that I would highly recommend.

Ian and Kerrie