Argentina
14 July 2017
Argentine Customs were fine but they didn't understand that we wanted an 8 month temporary import permit for the truck and not the standard 90 days which is what we had. Guy returned and eventually made himself understood and we got an 8 month permit for the truck. This will cover the storage time (4 months while we return home) and then driving to Ushuaia before entering Chile in February 2018.
Argentine Customs were fine but they didn't understand that we wanted an 8 month temporary import permit for the truck and not the standard 90 days which is what we had. Guy returned and eventually made himself understood and we got an 8 month permit for the truck. This will cover the storage time (4 months while we return home) and then driving to Ushuaia before entering Chile in February 2018.
15 July
Another busy day at the Falls, Saturday and school holidays. The Argentine side has many spectacular views of the Iguazu Falls from their boardwalks plus other long walks through the forest. Different butterflies, exhuberant coatis after any food or even the smell of food and hooded capuchin monkeys all crossed our path.
Another busy day at the Falls, Saturday and school holidays. The Argentine side has many spectacular views of the Iguazu Falls from their boardwalks plus other long walks through the forest. Different butterflies, exhuberant coatis after any food or even the smell of food and hooded capuchin monkeys all crossed our path.
The Iguazu Falls are on the Iguazu River which forms the border between Argentina and Brazil. They are the largest waterfall system in the world. Numerous islands along the 2.7-kilometre-long edge divide the falls into many separate falls and cataracts, varying between 60 and 82 metres high. About 900 metres of the 2.7-kilometre length does not have water flowing over it with approximately half of the river's flow falling into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo) in Spanish. The Devil's Throat is U-shaped, 82m high and 700m around.
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16 July
Travelling south on the highway next day we did a double take when we passed a man on a rickshaw about to take off down a long hill with only a very basic handbrake for control. We stopped at the top of the next hill and Guy walked down to help him haul the rickshaw up the slope. Chen Guanming is a Chinese national travelling the world by rickshaw - rolling downhill and hauling it up the next, so far covering more than 140,000km! Chen has no English or Spanish although the information printed on the back of the tricycle tells a bit of his story. After experiencing the Olympic spirit in Beijing in 2008 Chen decided to cycle to London for the 2012 Olympics. On the streets of London Chen caught the eye of a passing stockbroker and for the next few years this broker and his firm have supported Chen behind the scenes although Chen is not sponsored and does not ask for assistance or money. I gather it is not easy to keep in touch with Chen but he gave Cheryl a flyer from which she was able to contact the stockbroker in London and learn more of Chen's travels. After London Chen continued his Olympic marathon travelling to Rio where contact was lost with the London firm. Cheryl's email was the first news they'd had for some years. Chen now to intends cycling on to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics and visit Australia on the way.
Travelling south on the highway next day we did a double take when we passed a man on a rickshaw about to take off down a long hill with only a very basic handbrake for control. We stopped at the top of the next hill and Guy walked down to help him haul the rickshaw up the slope. Chen Guanming is a Chinese national travelling the world by rickshaw - rolling downhill and hauling it up the next, so far covering more than 140,000km! Chen has no English or Spanish although the information printed on the back of the tricycle tells a bit of his story. After experiencing the Olympic spirit in Beijing in 2008 Chen decided to cycle to London for the 2012 Olympics. On the streets of London Chen caught the eye of a passing stockbroker and for the next few years this broker and his firm have supported Chen behind the scenes although Chen is not sponsored and does not ask for assistance or money. I gather it is not easy to keep in touch with Chen but he gave Cheryl a flyer from which she was able to contact the stockbroker in London and learn more of Chen's travels. After London Chen continued his Olympic marathon travelling to Rio where contact was lost with the London firm. Cheryl's email was the first news they'd had for some years. Chen now to intends cycling on to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics and visit Australia on the way.
After our meeting with Chen we turned off at Eldorado intending to drive to the Parana River for lunch off the truck - salad and ham/tuna on fresh bread rolls. But the smell of a Sunday parrilla was too much. Beef, chicken, pork, chorizo. So it was lunch of barbecued meat with fresh hot bread rolls (AU$1.50/kg) in a nearby park.
Life was good until Guy pressed the up button to raise the roof and with a bang one of the actuators failed. Not again!. The lunch was excellent, Guy is now an experienced actuator trouble shooter and we move on...life is still good.
Life was good until Guy pressed the up button to raise the roof and with a bang one of the actuators failed. Not again!. The lunch was excellent, Guy is now an experienced actuator trouble shooter and we move on...life is still good.
17, 18, 19 July
We ended up spending two nights in Eldorado to make repairs to the actuators. Just as well we do not stick to a rigid timetable. On the road again and 150 kilometres south west we arrived in San Ignacio where a red sandstone Jesuit mission was founded in 1696.
San Ignacio mission housed over 4300 people and was constructed around a central plaza: to the north, east and west were about 30 parallel buildings, each with a wide veranda and divided into four to 10 small, one-room dwellings. Guaraní (indigenous people of South America) communities surrounded the area where mate, cotton, maize and tobacco were cultivated. The public buildings are on the south side of the plaza: in the centre are the ruins of the church. To the right is the cemetery, to the left are the cloisters, the priests' quarters and the workshops for wood and metal work, gold and silver. After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 by the Spanish king, the mission rapidly declined. The ruins were lost in the jungle until the late 19th century.
We ended up spending two nights in Eldorado to make repairs to the actuators. Just as well we do not stick to a rigid timetable. On the road again and 150 kilometres south west we arrived in San Ignacio where a red sandstone Jesuit mission was founded in 1696.
San Ignacio mission housed over 4300 people and was constructed around a central plaza: to the north, east and west were about 30 parallel buildings, each with a wide veranda and divided into four to 10 small, one-room dwellings. Guaraní (indigenous people of South America) communities surrounded the area where mate, cotton, maize and tobacco were cultivated. The public buildings are on the south side of the plaza: in the centre are the ruins of the church. To the right is the cemetery, to the left are the cloisters, the priests' quarters and the workshops for wood and metal work, gold and silver. After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767 by the Spanish king, the mission rapidly declined. The ruins were lost in the jungle until the late 19th century.
20 July Mate Land
Many people in Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Brazil and Argentina walk around with a cup full of green plant matter and a metal straw in one hand and a thermos flask in the other. They are drinking yerba maté or simply mate, pronounced martay. So we had to visit Las Marias, the world's biggest producer of yerba maté.
Yerba mate is a tea-like beverage made from the leaves and tender stems of a powerful rainforest tree, discovered centuries ago by the indigenous people in South America.
It is native to the subtropical rainforests of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Revered as the “drink of the gods” and consumed to ensure health, vitality, and longevity, yerba mate triumphs as nature’s most balanced stimulant. We found the flavour very bitter, an acquired taste we think. At Las Marias we had an exclusive english language tour with the lovely Virginia who explained the steps followed to make mate and the workings of the plantation.
Many people in Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Brazil and Argentina walk around with a cup full of green plant matter and a metal straw in one hand and a thermos flask in the other. They are drinking yerba maté or simply mate, pronounced martay. So we had to visit Las Marias, the world's biggest producer of yerba maté.
Yerba mate is a tea-like beverage made from the leaves and tender stems of a powerful rainforest tree, discovered centuries ago by the indigenous people in South America.
It is native to the subtropical rainforests of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. Revered as the “drink of the gods” and consumed to ensure health, vitality, and longevity, yerba mate triumphs as nature’s most balanced stimulant. We found the flavour very bitter, an acquired taste we think. At Las Marias we had an exclusive english language tour with the lovely Virginia who explained the steps followed to make mate and the workings of the plantation.
After another enjoyable parrilla lunch at Las Marias we turned west towards the wetlands of Corrientes The countryside continued to be flat often with canals down either side of the road to help drain the fields. The main activities were cattle ranching, plantations of pine used to collect pine sap and timber, and eucalyptus for logging. We were starting to see more birds.
Beautiful sunrise through the mist above the stream at our camp on the way to Esteros del Ibera National Park.
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21, 22 July
Back to the bird spotting and prints in the sand. Esteros del Ibera NP and the surrounding area was a relaxing destination. We were able to spot many birds including the Amazon kingfisher, roseate spoonbills, roadside hawks, campo flicker (woodpecker), plumbeous kites, streamer-tailed tyrant and many more that we are yet to learn the names of, as well as caiman, the ever present capybaras and a beautiful bright green snake crossing the sand track.
Back to the bird spotting and prints in the sand. Esteros del Ibera NP and the surrounding area was a relaxing destination. We were able to spot many birds including the Amazon kingfisher, roseate spoonbills, roadside hawks, campo flicker (woodpecker), plumbeous kites, streamer-tailed tyrant and many more that we are yet to learn the names of, as well as caiman, the ever present capybaras and a beautiful bright green snake crossing the sand track.
Next camp was the township of Mercedes where we stayed in the free municipal campground close to the town centre. These campgrounds may lack facilities but they usually have a clean toilet and water.
A classic car display was on the weekend we were in town, with a small but varied collection and loud rock n roll.
A classic car display was on the weekend we were in town, with a small but varied collection and loud rock n roll.
23, 24 July
Driving back towards Buenos Aires we noticed quite a few well used campers on the back of US style pick-ups as well as many fishing camps. The Argentinians like their outdoors and are usually friendly and helpful despite our lack of Spanish.
Driving back towards Buenos Aires we noticed quite a few well used campers on the back of US style pick-ups as well as many fishing camps. The Argentinians like their outdoors and are usually friendly and helpful despite our lack of Spanish.
25 - 28 July
Cleaning, jobs we had put off and last minute jobs were done. We took the truck to an excellent carwash where the high pressure hose removed most of the dust and grime. On our return to the camping/storage grounds in our gleaming truck Guy once again pushed the button to lift the roof and no response. Grrr. Water from the high pressure hose was shorting the leads for one of the actuators. Fortunately Guy, who must be an expert on these things by now, was able to dry out the problem actuator, took two apart for some basic last minute maintenance and had the roof lifting again.
Cleaning, jobs we had put off and last minute jobs were done. We took the truck to an excellent carwash where the high pressure hose removed most of the dust and grime. On our return to the camping/storage grounds in our gleaming truck Guy once again pushed the button to lift the roof and no response. Grrr. Water from the high pressure hose was shorting the leads for one of the actuators. Fortunately Guy, who must be an expert on these things by now, was able to dry out the problem actuator, took two apart for some basic last minute maintenance and had the roof lifting again.
29, 30 July Buenos Aires again
We farewelled the truck and caught a taxi to our accommodation in Buenos Aires. An afternoon stroll down to the San Telmo area with its antique shops and market stalls was a very pleasant way to relax. Unfortunately we did not see any tango in the plaza on Saturday and because of the rain we saw none on Sunday either. Next time.
We farewelled the truck and caught a taxi to our accommodation in Buenos Aires. An afternoon stroll down to the San Telmo area with its antique shops and market stalls was a very pleasant way to relax. Unfortunately we did not see any tango in the plaza on Saturday and because of the rain we saw none on Sunday either. Next time.
31 July
1am, yes early, early morning departure for Auckland and then Brisbane.
1am, yes early, early morning departure for Auckland and then Brisbane.