Buenos Aires is sound

Buenos Aires is a great place - the night life is fantastic, although we didn't see much of that because the parties in our hostel were so good. We stayed in the Clan Hostel, near the centre.

We met loads of brilliant people in that hostel. The first night was a barbeque with all the red wine you can drink (but they stopped that after about 2 hours probably because we were MILLING through the wine). The steak and other meats were class. Here we met old Helen and Liz who we had met previously in Santiago. They are sound. I have never overdosed on red wine and puked red puke everywhere but I'm certain that some people did that on that night. An English lad called Charlie fell through a plastic tarp on the terrace that was acting as a windbreaker. It was fantastic.

We saw a mad cemetry called The Recoleta Cemetery, which I loved. Instead of graves it had beautifully built marble crypts. It was really spooky. Evita´s crypt is there. It´s fairly harmless. The cemetery is huge and is made up of paths and avenues all lined with the crypts. There were too many cats walking around! Elaine and I were really freaked out at first by all the coffins we could see inside the crypts, but we got used to it. You could actually reach in and touch some of the coffins if you wanted. If you were a mentaller.

Some of the crypt doors had knockers on them... I´m still wondering about that.

The Recoleta Cemetery is a really nice resting place. I think I would prefer a crypt to a grave. But I´d be dead so I wouldn´t know. Throw me anywhere I´ll be grand.

So then we went to the Evita museum. Didn´t learn much from it because we don´t know Spanish except tiny formalities and curse words.

One of the nights in B.A. (which is what some backpackers call it) we went to 2 Irish bars. I can´t believe the amount of Irish bars in the world. We also went to a pirateship themed bar. It had a cool pirateship entrance, and the staff were dressed as pirates. But sadly there were no pirates in there, and it was playing poor dance music. No deal.

There are a few "all you can eat" places in B.A. We have had some savage steak in Argentina. On Bolivar Ave we went to an amazing place where we got 18 courses. We were there for 5 hours. Happily locked if I remember correctly. Best wine and restaurant experience I´ve ever had! We had cow´s cheek as one course, which had been boiled for 13 hours. Pretty good. Also ´sweetbreads´, which is the gland around the cows heart. Also fantastic.

Also we did the usual art museum thing which I won´t bother to describe. It was good though, believe me. It had stuff like Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet.

Of course we did the whole tango thing. We got a lesson for an hour. I´d say Elaine´s toes were sore, because I wasn´t the besht! After that there was a steak meal with all the red wine you can drink (of course), along with a real tango show. Deadly stuff. It had live musicians, singing, and dancing on the stage and all around the restaurant. We got photos with the pro dancers, and they tried to sell us the photos but we are scabs. haha. I don´t have any pictures up yet because not many hostels have a pc with a USB port.

That night of course we were hammered and we were drinking at the hostel bar afterwards at 2.30am even though we had to get a taxi to the airport at 4am. Packing our bags, checking out, getting a taxi, checkin for the flight, it´s all a blur. But we made it to Rio anyway. We were actually asleep through the takeoff of the plane. That´s when you know you´re locked.

Mendozaaaaaaa!

We walked 20 minutes in the wrong direction when we arrived in Mendoza. It was the worst part of the trip so far because we had all our bags and it was so heavy. But we didn't start getting annoyed or anything, which usually one would do. We started just feeling sorry for ourselves. haha.

Mendoza, Argentina, is a great place with lots of stuff to do. We met some sound people in the hostel. We also met unsound people but sher that's bound to happen!

It was in Mendoza where we went on a wine tasting trip. Not much wine was tasted I have to say! a few glasseens. Fairly harmless now! The trip consisted of 2 wineries, an olive oil factory and a chocolate factory (which was more like a kitchen). The 'chocolate factory' was just us listening to a man pointing at loads of bottles and speaking Spanish. Elaine did a massive yawn while he was talking. Hilarious!

We had a deadly all you can eat in Mendoza and there was a lad up on the stage who looked like Ronaldo and he was singing cheesy Latino stuff. Brilliant.

We went skiing on the border of Argentina and Chile. High in the mountains. The snow was perfect. An hour lesson and then skiing at our own leisure for the day. Great stuff. I picked it up fairly handy, I still don't know which I prefer, skiing or snowboarding. I do think skiing is easier though. Elaine picked skiing up easier than the snowboarding in Canada.

We were videoing each other coming down the mountain on the skis. The ONE video I didn't get... Elaine came flying down at a high speed, it was mad... but she could't stop properly in time... She went right past me and DESTROYED a baby who was in the seating area with its family. It was beyond funny. The baby was on a chair drinking Sprite happily, and it ended up on the ground 10 feet away, tangled up in the chair, the skis, the ski poles, Elaine, and the Sprite bottle. It was a mess! And of course the poor baby had a big cry. Elaine was very shocked and mortified! hahaha

We also got sunburnt to bits, but around our eyes was white because of the sunglasses. It was very embarrassing. That lasted about 6 days. Scald!

Next stop .... Buenos Aires!!! a 13 hour bus journey!

Santiago, Chile. Freezin'.

The first song I heard in Chile was 'One' by Metallica. The lads who were checking the passports and stamping them were listening to Metallica. I was thinking "this is already the best country I've ever visited", haha!

We were freezing when we arrived in South America. It was early morning and we got a taxi through the dark, dirty and silent streets of a 5:00am Santiago. I suppose any town or city is going to be spooky and quiet at 5am and in the winter. The hostel let us sleep in a room for a few hours until check in time. Sound.

There is not much to write about Santiago. It was cold and just another city. I did like the amount of dogs around the place. It's great that stray dogs are tolerated down here! They are lying all over the place! If it was Ireland they would be put in the pound and eventually destroyed. Sly Ireland hating stray dogs.

Santiago is a smoggy city. It has a nice metro system though. The hostel was cool. They had a spaghetti night and there was a limited amount of free red wine. I availed. But there was a Scottish lad drinking everyones wine and I was way too sober for the occasion! He was a Rangers fan.

We only stayed there 2 nights and went to Valparaiso next. Another place with dogs everywhere! Great nightlife there if you go to the right part of the town. If you go to the wrong part of town, you are in the Enniskillen of Chile. We stayed one night. One LOCKED night. And there were pubs playing lots of Rammstein. Fantastico. Mendoza was the next stop. We got the bus towards there the next morning.

The Seattle Stopoff

After the Southern USA stops, we had to go to Seattle to get our flight to Santiago, Chile. We bid farewell to old Deano at Seattle airport. He was about to make his way back to Toronto. Good old Toronto! He had work a few days later. Ah... paychecks...

Seattle was grand. We saw the Space Needle. Walked down cool streets. I could go on but it would just sound like every tourists description of a nice city. It was funny when we were in Seattle to think when you´re watching Frasier or Greys Anatomy that its all based in that city. Going by watching those shows I had a way different image of what the place would be like. That probably doesn´t make sense but I couldn´t be arsed deleting it!

Kurt Cobains old house is also here but we didnt bother. It's just a house. He has no grave because he got cremated. And Courtney Love says someone robbed his ashes earlier this month. She might be defined as 'The Ultimate Spa'.

So then we got the flight to Chile. On the flight there was a choice of 63 movies, loads of games, and loads of albums. Best flight ever. I watched ´Into The Wild´. Good show.

Tom Waits - Arizona and El Paso

Being in Phoenix or El Paso is like being in a sauna, unless you are relieved by air conditioning indoors. I´m fine with being roasting outside after a winter in Toronto where -10 was considered a lovely mild day. Being out in 35 degrees plus was deadly. Lovely and cosy.

Phoenix was quiet enough. Old Deano and I went to an Irish Bar before seeing Tom Waits at The Orpheum. No photos were allowed, ah well. It has been a dream of mine for many years to see Tom Waits live and I never thought I would see the day where it would happen. I thought it would be impossible to get tickets for these gigs.

The concert was class. Tom had a platform he sang from, and the other musicians surrounded him. As well as the vocalist, he is also the conductor of the band. It´s amazing how it is done. He has a drummer, double bass player, keyboard guy, guitarist, and a sax player, but they all alternate between other instruments.

It was a great show full of memorable mad moments like a glittery hat that acted as a disco ball. There was only one song I did not know which I think was a new one. I was worried I wouldn´t know a lot of the stuff... but I was wrong to doubt my disturbingly extreme fanaticism.

We flew down to El Paso next and we even crossed the border to Mexico for a few hours where we stood out completely. Lots of people were annoying us. e.g. offering us drugs and stuff, by whispering ´Pharmacy? Pharmacy?´ But it was fine.

We just headed back across the border to see old Tom once again, in the Plaza Theatre. Elaine and I were on the balcony for this one. The setlist was alternated and the gig was just as excellent as the last. It´s always great to see Tom Waits.

Another highlight of El Paso was that we stayed in the hotel where John Dillinger stayed when he was spying on the bank down the street, planning to rob it with his gang. If you haven´t heard of Dillinger, look him up, it´s a great story. I have a photo of myself outside his hotel room! I am going skiing tomorrow so I have to go sleepies now. I´m in Mendoza. I hope I can faithfully keep this old blogaloon up to date.

BOP!

The B.C Buddies

Visiting the Browns was great because we got to see some of the island. Everyone around Victoria seems to be absolutely loaded. And it was all very expensive. When we went back to Vancouver we met old Mark and Deano. The following nights were locked affairs obviously. Then Cathy came along from old Dublin to Canada and we went on an epic roadtrip up through the Rockies and headed to National Glacier park, Banff, the Columbia Icefields, Jasper and Whistler.

It was a rainy and cold expedition, due to clouds, mountains and altitude. But it was without doubt the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen. The participants of the trip were Elaine and I as drivers, and Mark, Deano and Cathy. Not to mention old Big Don, our 8 seater who was a pleasure to drive. Sorry about the scrape, Big Don.

Almost every night we struggled to get the campfire going. We had wonderful burgers and stuff. I dig barbeques and beer as you know. No wild animals attacked our tent. Although a mouse crawled briefly on Deanos back during one of our locked campfire sessions (not while he was asleep in the tent!)

There were no raccoon encounters, I'm glad to report, because I no longer enjoy their company after the Ontario roadtrips. We saw many elk and deer. We also saw a black bear and her cub. The cub was sound. They were having a wander along the side of a highway! The bear didn't seem to give a shite that we were all standing there gawking at it, which you are not supposed to do!

For those worried about Elaines sanity, no snakes were seen at all during the trip. Wait til South America! haha.

All in all there were around 6 nights of camping, and an indoor sleeping area was a welcome sight when we got home after Whistler. The last day had 13 hours of driving, and I'd say the cabin fever was growing!

We're in Phoenix Arizona now. The Texas Three are Elaine, Deano and me. We are going to see Tom Waits. I have never been this far south in the American Continent. Elaine and Deano are hungry so we are all going for old breakfast! aft.

Vancouver Island - epic

After weeks of torturous organizing of flights and itineraries, selling furniture and getting vaccinations, we have landed in B.C. and we are staying with the Browns in Victoria, on Vancouver island. The air is fresher and the scenery is phenomenal!

We sadly left our friends behind in Toronto. It's easier to leave than to be left behind. Steve, Ash, Gabi, Elaine, Emma, Katie, Miranda, Richelle and Rhian, and of course the Bruces! I am sure we will see them all again in the coming years. They made our experience so much better.

We drank the remainder of our alcohol on the balcony before we went to the airport. Our baggage is ridiculous and we have decided to shed 50 to 60% of our stuff because we can't be hauling all that around. Lesson learned.

The ferry to the island was epic. Mountains an lakes all surrounded by trees. Now we are in Browns living room having a relax. Good buzz. They live on a lake and have a great view. Aftaw bruddaw. It's a bit like the scenery in the movie 'The Edge'!