Well it´s been a pretty long time since i last wrote a proper blog so please excuse me if it lacks detail!!

Had a crazy few couple of weeks with an expensive, festive time in Chile and a drunken time in Argentina!

So i´ll start at the beginning, left Salta and headed for San Pedro, Chile ( I believe as forgot to bring my diary with me so counting on photo´s on camera to jog my memory!), and took a trip to a an observatory which was pretty cool to have certain constellations of the southern hemisphere pointed out and to see the moon so close up, and also a cluster and super nova. oh i think we actually took that trip from La Serena, but hey! so that was nice to have a few days next to the beach and to do a bit of sun bathing!

On way from La Serena to Santigo we stopped for the afternoon in a town called Valpraiso which was a bit like Portsmouth with multi coloured houses and lots of war ships. Got to Santiago on Friday 21st December i believe, and met up with new guy Fran. Did a bit of sight seeing that day and then we all went out for a big meal that evening and both the daves were leaving, one out of choice and the other because he was going on to Buenos Aires to join another trip, and it was also to welcome Fran. This of course was then followed by a night out on the p*ss which actually didn´t go to plan as we lost everyone between getting taxi´s from the hotel into town, but hey was still a good night.

Following day we went up this big hill in a funicular and then came down on a cable car which was pretty cool, and productive after a hungover lazy morning. Sunday we left Santiago and got to a campsite at a place called Salgas de Luga...i think, which had the most stunning waterfall but was pretty cold in the spray...weather was still gorgeous though so it was quite refreshing. We left there christmas eve and headed for Pucon which is where we spent christmas. Arrived early afternoon then went on the internet and managed to get hold of the family in new zealand which was pretty cool...but weird with it already being their christmas!!"

I was then late back to the camp site, but that was all good, it was worth it, food had been put by for me and i just had to quickly eat and then get into fancy dress costumes with the other girls...we went as the three kings! was really funny! the driver jed went as a christmas tree and had tinsel wrapped around him, with pine branches cellotaped to his skin! fran went as rudolph with branches for antlers, and a coke bottle top for a nose, and adam ended up in a dress which had been left on the truck from last year...it was hilarious! we also then had to do a party piece to which the girls and i put our own words to ´she´ll be coming round the mountain´, jed and kim also did a song with new words, and monia did a dance thing which got us all involved ( which is what she does normally on the beach where she works)...with the amount drunk, it was a brilliant night. we also had two belgian girls join us, lots of drinking games, and my biggest regret was teaching everyone lu la which is a guide song...lets just say they were singing it for days!!!

After going to be about 3 i was then on cooking for christmas day....which really only meant for breakfast so was up at 8 and made sausage nd fried egg sandwhiches was a real treat! and we had proper milk instead of powdered stuff! most of us headed to the internet cafe about 11 to call families and write quick emails, which it was nice to chat to them and wish people merry xmas. By the time we got back, kim monia and luca had already started on the dinner, and i didn´t know it was possible to roast potato´s or chickens on a fire but it turns out it is! louise victoria and i made name places, laid the table, and louise made a table decoration from the trees! we couldn´t have asked for a better christmas dinner to be fair! roast potatoes, chicken, beef, peas, carrots, cauliflower chees and gravy....but sat in the blazing heat something just wasn´t quite right!

we did secret santa presents after dinner, followed by dessert and lots of punch! most people retreated to their tents for the annual xmas day snooze about half 5, i went for about half an hour then came back to make my banoffee pies which i´d said would be my duty for xmas day. we then started on more drinking games, and shooting games using the toy gun i´d got jed for xmas as he wsa my secret santa. it all got a bit messy from their on in with more games, banoffee pie and a very amusing game of fuzzy duck! that even the sober people couldn´t do!!!

Before xmas we´d had intentions of climbing Villarico, the snow capped volcano overlooking pucon, on boxing day, but it just didn´t happen. instead it was a very lazy morning of reading and serving a hangover, but we all actually felt pretty bad about this, so in the afternoon jed and fran went and sorted out a hire car so we drove to the base of the volcano to get some photo´s, then in the evening jed, fran, adam, victoria, louise and i all went to some hot springs which was really relaxing and nice to have a type of bath! we also played some water fighting games and had a few beers, stayed there til it was dark about 11 and really cool to be in hot water with a volcano in the distance and looking at the stars!!!

Day after boxing day we passed back into Argentina which we were all really glad about as it was so god dam expensive in Chile. Having had a few weekswith not doing many activities, when we arrived in Bariloche it was our mission to do some trips. I should add that the drive to Bariloche was just absolutely stunning, through the lake district, with crystal clear water and snow capped mountains. Friday morning we were up at half 7 to be picked up at half 8 and went on a two hour drive to our location to go white water rafting....absolutely brilliant! well i say that....the views were fantastic, the rapids giving a massive adrenalin rush, but have to say i was a little bit panicky when i came out of the raft and ended up underneath it...twice! all i remember was the guide shouting at everyone else to keep going forward and not keep looking at him and me, i wasn´t too panicked til you could hear it in his voice...amusing now but not quite so great at the time! forgot to bring cd with me that we bought with the pics on but will try and remember next time.

On the Saturday Victoria Louise and I then went kayaking, which was after a night out on the town, which maybe wasn´t such a good idea, but was a really good night. Victoria didn´t fair up so well after only 4 hours sleep and we had to go off to the lake side at one point as she was feeling a little sea sick! to be fair, it was the hardest kayaking i´ve ever done, the weather started to deteriorate from here on in, and that day in particular the wind really picked up, and trying to kayak against the wind with a massive hangover was pretty hard going....but good fun all the same!

sunday we left bariloche and had two very long days drive down to el chalten where we were to spend new year. we had a bush camp in the middle and new years eve had to stop in a town for breakfast as the gas had run out...problem with the valve or something...

....oh i forgot to add, the owner of the company i´m travelling with is completely and utterly useless, turns out the driver and guide of our trip won´t be paid until rio, this guy ron has been receiving the accounts but has not forcast or communicated that the money we paid for our local payment had pretty much run out, and the result of it was us receiving letter saying that we had to pay another 175 dollars immediately if we wanted the trip to carry on, personally not too much of an issue, but other people struggling! really bad communication! and very poor organissation! all writing letters of complaint...but enough negativity.......

so with no gas we stopped in a little town, however when stepping down out of the truck onto a wooden box which we use as the second step is too far off the ground, it wasn´t on a flat surface and i therefore fell backwards and cracked my head on the corner of the metal step...lets just say it´s the first time i´ve cried in 11 weeks! i also don´t know what i landed on but have a lump the size of a tennis ball on my leg that´s black with a nice big bruise....great! glad it´s freezing cold again so back into jeans and not shorts!

so anyway, then had a very bumpy and very big headache causing drive to el chalten where we were to spend new year. when we were still driving at 5 o clock we decided to start drinking....which was a slightly bad idea as then had to have 3 pee stops in about as many hours!! quite amusing for us, not sure about the others! on our way into el chalten we passed some beautiful lakes and saw my first glacier which was pretty cool. but it was wet and windy when we arrived and the ´camp site´was just a field with a portaloo! no shower for 2 days and having to get dressed up for new years!...in about 20 mins as restaurant wasn´t open for food for much longer! funny now looking back on it....well at the time as well to be honest!!

so jed, kim, adam, fran, louise, victoria and myself all went to this pizzaria for dinner, which you would think would stay open until after 12 not close at 12!!! well that was what we found out at quarter to after just buying another drink, so we said well we´re taking our drinks with us and headed out to this party we´d heard about, baring in mind we´re in this tiny little town! so anywayl, this party didn´t start til 1!! so, we ended up in a hostal lounge, where i tried to do a count down and got ssssh´d by a lady with a baby! and we couldn´t even sing auld langs sign (how the hell is that spelt??), oh and we were surrounded by a bunch of americans drinking tea!!! it was shocking!

after stayin there about 20 minutes, we then headed out again in the bitter cold, wind and rain and finally found a bar, which we regretted not finding earlier. here we met some south american randoms who were going to another party so we followed them and found a place with a bar and dance music. ended up being a really good night, and we almost met our challenge of seeeing the sunrise. close enough that the clouds were really bright just no sign on the actual sun.

forgot to add, one of the most bizarre things about being this far south, and the fact that they change their clocks...god knows why, is that it´s is practiacally daylight til at least 11pm!!! no joke! very weird.

so anyway, yesterday we didn´t surface until 2pm headed into town for some food, then back to the truck for a bit of reading and a nap, then back into town for some more food, then back to the ´wet´tent for bed about 11! really productive!

today we´ve driven to el calafate and a very grateful hot shower!!! been on the internet most of the afternoon but must head back soon sa think i´m on cooking tonight....that´s if we have any gas!! so i will love you and leave you

hope you all had a brilliant christmas and new year!!! very different not being at home but i couldn´t have asked for a better one!

downhill roll to my return trip now :-(

lots of responses to my mission blog and photo´s please...if you have time!

speak soon

xxxxx