Hello,

I am now gonna start trying to make my entries shorter, ie:i won´t tell you everytime i go out for dinner etc!

Well the day after the Brazilian side of the falls we went to the Argentinian side of the falls! This was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life! We got a jeep through the rainforest, as soon as we set off it chucked it down! We were all in shorts! But it didnt matter too much as we were about to get on a boat under the falls. The boat was fun and they gave you a plastic sack for your belongings so you could still take pics! It was absolutly amazing! Abit scary but in a good way! Got absolutly soaked though... but it had stopped raining. Then we got on a little train to take us further up to the falls (this is all enviromently friendly by the way). We then walked out on a walkway over the falls! I cannot describe how amazing it was, the photos just do not do it justice! Such a huge volume of water! A lady summed it up by saying, if you were going to end your life this would be the place! I even saw a real life wild croc! Just a baby though and so many gorgeous butterflies (Helen). I wasnt impressed by the ´beware of the snakes´sign though. Infact i was sure i saw an annaconda in the water but Peter (the Austrian) assured me it was just a wild stick! But i have my doubts! Hee hee. But probably my main hightlight of the day was to find a veggie soya burger!!! Hee hee! Yum. no cheese for me that meal!

That night it was carnival, even though Foz de Iguazzu is a small town (not very nice) but we thought we should try the carnival out. But just as we got there... once again it absolutly chucked it down! Like another tropical storm! Now I have come to the conclusion that on New Years eve this year, me and Phil got so completly drenched by rain it was almost funny (well at least to look back on) so I figure coz I started the year wet it is going to keep recurring all year! At the most inappropiate times!

ANYWAY back down to earth... i felt so sorry for the locals as they had gone to so much effort! All the TV crews were there, everyone all dressed up in carnival clothes, loads of food stalls and a massive stage but it wernt happening. After an hour stood under shelter while people we still dancing in the rain we decided to leave. But to be honest it was more like Mardi Grai than a brazilian carnival! ALL the guys were dressed up as not very acctrative girls! There was a fashion parade etc! It would have been really good. We went for a few drinks in a dry bar instead!

The next day we nipped over to Paraguay for some apparently cheap shopping! I wanted another stamp in my passport but it didnt even get checked! You could notice straight away what a poor country it was. We only stayed a couple of hours, the markets were not that cheap really (not as cheap as primark- Rachel!) Paula and myself got chased down the street by someone trying to sell us musical condoms! Ha ha he was shouting Tango! Samba!

We also left Brazil on an over night bus for Salto in Uruguay.(which meant 4 countries i had eaten in in 24 hrs)! This bus was abit tatty, not as comfy as I was showing off about last time but we did get a free meal and wine! the wine was good but my veggie meal wasnt (neiether was the meat) I had a nice beetroot and tomatoe salad, half an egg and some lemon jelly! Yum! But the beetroot juice (my worst veg) had contaminated all the other food! Yuk so i had to practically starve for 12 hours! You should see me Im wasting away! Hee hee! We hardly saw any houses for hours it is so vast! looks alot like UK country side though. There are only 3.2 million people that live in Uruguay but 1.5 of them live in Montevideo, the capital!

Anyhow we got dropped off in the middle of no where, by this point back in Argentina, a mile form the border, at 5:30 in the morning, waiting for us were five, falling apart tiny taxis! i swear it was something like from out of Borat! We sped off to the border, i was concerned in my taxi that my driver was smoking Pot... a bong or a sheesh pipe kinda thing! It turned out to be Mate (MAT-TAY) the national drink of Uru, its just herbs, no drugs, alcohol or even caffeine! But these people drink it everywhere! On buses, in the street, shops, everywhere, and its not an old man thing either, girls just like me were drinking on the bus on the way home from work! They have this little cup (often made out of a fancy cows foot!) They have a straw come spoon and a pile of Mate in the cup, then they have a flask of hot water under there arm and every few mins pour some water on! Its crazy, what i cant understand is if it isnt addictive then why do they do it everywhere! And everyone! Habit i guess! But the thing that is more strange is that you cannot for loive nor money buy it in a cafe! i have tried but they dont sell it! Weird! I am tempted to buy a cup though! But hopefully tonight a Uruguan couple have invited us round so maybe we can try some there!

Anyway back to Salto, it was a gorgeous little town, very very pretty I LOVE the houses in Uruguay and I have fallen in love with this country! We went to a spa and had a massage, thermal springs and all that! My massage was nice, the woman wasnt though, i went in and she just whipped off my sarong and my bikini top and told me to lay down, it was fab though and i even fell asleep, until she started slapping my legs, then i realised I had been sound asleep, dribbling! My skin is fab though since that thermal water!

We left Salto for Montevideo the next day, past possibly some of the nicest houses i have ever seen. Not massive ones, sweet simple ones all different colours, it was like a make believe country with model houses! Its like they have taken the best parts form all houses from greece, France, Spain,Italy, Uk, Holland, Austria even the US and made there own cool style.. but everone been different! i LOVE Uruguay, such a lovley feeling, people nice and gorgeous surrondung. Not too poor that you feel uncomfortable but still an interesting and diverse culture. Monvideo followed suite,a fantastic city surrounded by an estuary (same shape as manhatten), which i swore was the sea, but its not its rivers! The biggest estuary in the world I think and depending on the wind sometimes its fresh water and sometimes its salt!

Now I have told a few people this story but I was looking in a Church here and saw a big statue of a bishop, I jumped out of my skin as it was the exact replica of Peter Mcnerney (work people) It absolutly freaked me out! i have taken a pic and will put it on here soon! Freaky!

Had a few nice meals here,Nearly ate a piece of steak, one of the group had the most tasty looking steak and my mouth was watering! But i couldnt do it! Maybe in Argentina! Saw even more gorgeous buildings, a couple of drinks on a night, a new favourite drink now is Puesta de sol... yum! Spent ages talking to Nahoo and a spanish lad from the hotel, they didnt speak much english, him hardly at all, even though both mine and Nahoo´s spanish is improving its still rubbish! Yet we all managed to talk for an hour or so. A hard but interesting conversation! Oh and got caught in the rain... again! It is still boiling here though.

Oh and my bus driver on my city tour looked just Like Alex Manifold! Why is it that everyone in the world looks like that man! (Wendy,Kirtsy, Rich,Ian)Although no where near as freaky as Peter Mc!

Now today I am in Colonia, a gorgeous small town two hours from the capital! Its fantastic here, just been for a bike ride and bought loads of gifts from art and craft shops. Probably the best crafts i have seen! In fact this is one of the nicest places i have seen... ever! Uruguay certaily is an undiscovered jem! (sound like a guide book). Tonight having a picnic on the roor of our gorg (inner courtyard) guest house, for sunset, we can see the sea! And then to a local house party, where a couple is putting together a band for us and sangria and Uruguan dances. Should be cool. Richard and Peter arnt with the groupA at bthe moment though, they have gone off for a couple of days somewhere else (they heard all the nice women were there). Im glad its not me missing this place though! I will be glad to say goodbye to the group though, 17 days with the same people is tough. Not that i dont like them but im itching to get off on my own now! And I meet Emma on Sunday in BA which I cannot wait for! Go to Ba tommorrow, tango on friday night then to see Boca play footie on Sat which im excited about! Then the last supper with the group and meet up with Em the next day! yippe! its her birthday too! then we head to Patagonia... which is when I will write again (infact I am probably there and you lot are still reading this epic!!!)

Once again i have not checked the spellin/grammar on this (REBECCA!)hee hee.

Take Care Love Emma.xxx.