Coca is not cocaine. . .

. . . said president of Bolivia Evo Morales recently on the world convention. Yes it does contain some alkaloids of cocaine but in the volume is less than 1 %. Chewing of coca cause local numbness and kill the hunger and thirst. Tea made of coca is very refreshing but chewing the fresh leaves from the coca fields around Coroico while hiking in this beautiful surrounding is the best :)

Did you know. . .

. . . that the statue "Cristo de la Concordia" of Cochabamba in Bolivia with its 33 meters is taller than the famous statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro ?

From Iguazu to Bolivia.

Since there is not much info on the web here I throw my experience as of may 1th 2009
On the Omnibus terminal in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina there is the first morning bus departing for Paraguay at 7am. Ticket costs 3 ARS. Bus makes one quick stop on the argentinian immigration side and then just passes through brazilian city Foz de Iguacu. In less than an hour of the ride you should be in paraguayan custom. Dont forget to get your passport stamped. Its better to tell the driver to stop as you might be the only one "extranjero". The bus will probably not wait for you but it is not a biggie. There is plenty of another busses passing by and you can sneak into the one with label Asuncion. I paid to the driver 60 PYG equal to 12 USD. Money change can be done in Paraguay at the border.

Asuncion is not the tourist destination which gives it some kind of charm. It is one of the cheapest cities on the planet and the city is waiting for its big times. Unfortunately all the businesses were closed because it was the may 1th the labor day. People were relaxing, drinking their yerba mate and enjoying the day. From the front of the Omnibus terminal there are local busses No. 8, 38, 14, 15 going to "el centro" of Asuncion. The fare is 2000 PYG(0.4USD).

Asuncion to Santa Cruz(Paraguay to Bolivia): From Asuncion there is more than just one operator serving this route. The cheapest I found was 'Stel Turismo'. 230PYG (46USD) leaving Asuncion at 8 pm, the quality is far behind Argentinian busses but we are on move :) . On the Paraguayan side there is fully paved road and bolivian part is muddy and dusty bumpy road. But only few kilometers to Villamontes. Then bus runs again on solid road. Arrival to Santa Cruz was sometimes in the evening on the following day.

When the cheap means the double.

What is the difference between those two 50 pesos bills? The answer is: value of 13 USD.
You as a foreigner will not see the difference on the first look at all. Althought there is watermark and the silver stripe implemented in, the quality of the paper is quite different. Most possible place to get the fake bills is the street or some cheap hostels. Be aware of Avenue Hostel on Mayo Av. in Buenos Aires. You dont wanna carry the black jolly which is pretty hard to get rid of, unless you are collector or counterfeiters supporter.:)

It is hard not to love Buenos Aires

Its enough just to mention parilla, tango, variety of steaks, passion in every fragment of the life, empanadas, art, vine. Buenos Aires is great destination not only for food lovers but has some special charm and vibe which can be envied by any other place on the earth. And if you extend the trip to Colonia in Uruguay which is just 60km and 126 pesos for day-round-trip over the river then you will understand what means "the new beginning".

The Sun the traitor

I was wondering why I dont feel like I am in my own skin. Somehow I have the natural sense for orientation and I feel where the north is. Something like the moss on the trees which covers the north side of the trunk. Now I know. The sun is the reason. While in the northern hemisphere the sun runs from the left to the right in the southern part of the globe it has opposite direction. Even the elevation of the sun makes you feel that it is still 4 o clock pm because Torres del Paine is not far from the arctics.
Hint: There is the bus running to the park once a day. 12000 CLP for round trip from Punta Natales. Entrance fee to the park is 15000 CLP. Despite it is low season this is the best time of the year to enjoy the clear air and multi-colored nature. It is middle of the april, the fall season of the southern hemisphere. There are free campgrounds in the park and the level of difficulty, I would say 3 out of 5 to reach the Torres. Make sure you will use the time proven shoes by you for hiking. You dont wanna end up with bloody blisters like me.

From Santiago to Patagonia by bus

Ok. Here are the real data experienced in april 2009. You can find the airplane ticked for few hundred bucks round trip, but you will not know what is the Puerto Montt like and you will not see the beautiful scienic views of chilean and argentinian Andes.

Santiago - Puerto Montt: the trip will last around 12 hours and if you are not chicken which needs the bed to sleep, you will pay 12000 CLP/16euro only.
Puerto Montt - Punta Arena: 30 hours sitting will cost you 30000/40euro. All the long distance busses in Chile are very comfortable with high standards.