The South American Adventure

So here we are almost four months later, back in Buenos Aires having completed a full circle of South America. When we were last here, I was still finding my feet on this strange, new continent and yet now I feel bizarrely at home. Strange, because in a couple of day's time we'll be in our actual homes and there are very few similarities which can be drawn between the two.  

This thought sparked an idea! By comparing England and South America, I can both reflect on my time here and bring this final chapter to a close, highlighting what I've missed about home and what I will miss about South America when I'm finally back on British soil.

#1 English Restaurants vs. South American Street Food

In England we're lucky that we have access to all kinds of cuisines but what we're missing is the option of buying it from a food market. From arepas and tortillas, to tapiocas and buñuelos, the very best South American meals are found on the street. Nothing feels more authentic than sitting cross legged on a cobbled step gobbling down a meal you've seen cooked right in front of you. Though we may have the occasional market in England, it lacks the excitement found at South American food stalls because the meals are priced similarly to nearby restaurants. The beauty of South America's street food is that it's so cheap, you have the freedom to try all kinds of crazy looking dishes which invariably lead to some amazing discoveries. If you don't like a meal, you've lost a couple of pounds at most but the same cannot be said for our London equivalents. It's worth noting that whichever continent you're on, people will often try and warn you away from street food but unless you have a stomach which is lined with flower petals, you'll more than likely be absolutely fine.

#2 English Parties vs. South American Fiestas

I do love good old English nights out but they're a world away from the parties thrown throughout South America. Whereas we like to plan our festivities down to a tee, including which pair of heels will be most appropriate for which club, South Americans just chuck it all together in a spectacularly spontaneous way. Wherever there are people there's potential for a party, whether it be a beach, a city square or a random back street alleyway. Just add some music and the dancing begins! If you were to stop and ask a South American why they're celebrating they'd look at you like you're crazy; 'because we're alive of course!' If you asked the same of a Brit on a night out they'd look at you like you're crazy and down another jägerbomb. 

#3 English Landscapes vs. South American Scenery

South America is massive and so it only makes sense that it has every kind of scenery you could possibly imagine. However, imagining it simply isn't enough and most of it you truly have to see to believe. One country alone can be home to tropical beaches, snow capped mountains, baron deserts and the Amazon rainforest! It's really quite amazing how quickly the scenery can change and no matter how much ground we covered, we never grew bored of simply staring out into South American space. England has some beautiful areas but it lacks the huge variety which makes South America so exciting.

#4 English Solitude vs. South American Smiles 

We English keep ourselves to ourselves. Nobody wants to be that crazy person on the tube who strikes up conversation, even less so the poor soul who has to suffer sitting next to that crazy person. In South America it seems the opposite is true; you'd be mad not to speak to the person next to you. Language barrier? No problem. They'll tease a sentence out of you even if it takes them the entire thirty hour bus journey. As much as they interact with one another, we found locals to be twice as interested in us. They'd offer directions before we even realised we were lost and stop us in the most random places simply to ask where we're from. Initially we had our guards up: all these stories had convinced us that any attempt to speak with us would be some sort of distraction whilst their mate mugged our bags but we soon realised these people have a genuine interest in others around them. And why not? Virtually everyone we spoke to taught us something new and we were continually surprised by the people we'd then choose to return to for a second conversation. 

#5 English Prices vs. South American Pennies

Aside from Brazil and Chile, the countries we visited in South America were dirt cheap. This has obvious benefits but best of all was that it enabled us to try new things that we would never have been able to afford on the same budget in England. For example, we swam with wild dolphins, threw ourselves down a canyon and climbed a 6,000m mountain all for the equivalent of just a few pounds a time. I imagined that dealing with such small figures would devalue the money but quite the contrary! We were ecstatic each time we haggled hard and saved ourselves an almighty sixty pence because that additional sixty pence was not only a couple of coins, but three empanadas, a laundry service or an entire meal at the food market. I'm going to miss how far our money goes and our dedication to making every penny count. 

#6 English Graffiti vs. South American Street Art

Any spritz of colour in an English city is deemed to be vandalism whereas in South America, it is celebrated as art. As a result it's a beautiful and vibrant continent with every blank space a potential canvas for the latest innovative street art masterpiece. Almost every town and city we visited was filled with street murals and interesting, abstract statues, as though the entire area is one big art gallery. I understand there's a fine line between a masterpiece and a monstrosity but I can't help thinking England could do with a little lightening up. If we stopped chasing down every kid with a spray can we might give them time to develop their mindless graffiti into something a little more meaningful.

#7 English Long Journeys vs. South American Never-ending Journeys 

Having done some rough sums we've worked out that during our four months in South America we've spent over four hundred hours on buses. That's about two and a half weeks! The longest stint was our last where we did three overnight journeys in a row, from La Paz to Uyuni, Uyuni to Villazon and Villazon to Buenos Aires - a total of sixty two hours, without including the waiting time inbetween. If we were to drive for this long in England we'd end up half way to Africa! It's hilarious to me now that I used to complain about a one hour journey into London when we can now happily endure a twenty hour bus over various borders. That said, whilst some of the buses were absolutely horrendous, others were very pleasant with fully reclining chairs, in-seat entertainment and three course meals. National Express could learn a lot from Argentinian bus companies!

#8 English Highlands vs. South American Mountains

As much as I love the beautiful South American mountains, they come at a price: altitude! Unless you're content with admiring them from below you'll likely suffer the headaches and breathlessness caused by being so high. Initially we were literally waking up in the night gasping for air and feeling as though we'd run a marathon after climbing a flight of stairs. Though we gradually acclimatised, I never got fully used to living in the clouds and I'm looking forward to feeling full of life again down at ground zero. English countryside can be just as impressive despite not ever exceeding the one thousand metre mark.

#9 English Customer Service vs. South American Sloth Service

South Americans are never in a hurry and their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. It completely baffled us that we could spend twenty minutes queuing to pay for three items at a supermarket, or three hours to do a border crossing that some people have to do every day. Fortunately, as travellers we were rarely pushed for time either and so mostly found their laid back outlook rather refreshing but if I were to actually live here, I think I'd find it far more infuriating. For a nation that love to celebrate life, they spend a hell of a lot of it waiting around for something to happen.

#10 English Health & Safety Madness vs. South American See-What-Happens Mantra

This is always a tricky one. Whilst health and safety regulations are obviously put in place to reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring, when they're applied stringently they simultaneously reduce the likelihood of having any fun. If we'd been following British rules, there's no way we'd have been allowed to share a stream with alligators, walk along an active train track or race head first down a vertical sand slope; all of which were truly awesome. However, had we been eaten, run over or left with broken bones, I imagine they would have been considerably less enjoyable. I'm not sure either continent has the balance completely right here but it was exciting to err on the side of incaution for a little while, and thankfully I've lived to tell tale (touch wood, one day to go!) Where I do definitely side with England though is their approach to hygiene. Though forced to accept a long time ago that filthy squat toilets won't kill me, I nevertheless will be ecstatic to return to western bathroom facilities where the prominent colour is white and toilet roll can actually be thrown into the toilet. 

England and South America really are worlds apart and yet I find myself thinking fondly of both. How is it that I can be happy in two places which are in so many ways direct opposites of one another? Well one thing I've certainly learnt since being away is that nothing is ever black and white in terms of being good or bad, right or wrong, and I think these two places are a great example of that. One is not perfect and the other flawed; they're both just different and both just fine. In fact, more than fine, they're both f*cking fantastic!

I never thought I could love a continent as much as I love Asia but South America has exceeded all my expectations. We spent just shy of four months here but I think even after four years I'd still be left wanting more. I'm almost pleased that there are parts we missed out on because it just means we'll have to return! I've no doubt I'll be back before I know it and I absolutely cannot wait.

Punta del Este & Punta del Diablo

Punta del Este had been described to us as the Ibiza of South America. However, just like Ibiza, it leads a double life, coming alive in the heat of the summer but hibernating in the winter once the temperatures drop and the tourists disappear. Our visit coincided with the Autumn months and so although we found all the signs of a great city, there was literally nobody around to enjoy it. Every other shop was shut and the majority of hotels were closed for refurbishments. 

Thankfully, we were largely distracted from this deserted ghost town by the beautiful beaches along either side of the peninsular. With the sun shining down on us at twenty degrees, had we been at home we'd have called it bikini weather. However, we've come to realise that we've completely climatised and braved the beaches only after throwing on every layer of clothing we could find. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our picnic days and our first views of the Uruguayan seaside. 

Keen to return to some kind of civilisation though, we quickly moved on up the coast to Punta del Diablo. Ironically, this area was even quieter than the last but it's only built to accommodate a tiny community so it felt far less desolate. The small town centre is situated along the main road (which also happens be the only road) and consists of one convenience store, a bus stop and an ATM which stocks cash for just two months of the year. On one side is the beach with beautifully soft white sand and rough waves, whilst on the other side is acres and acres of endless green space. 

The locals have built their homes amidst the fields, seemingly wherever and however they fancy. Mismatched and higgledy-piggledy, these buildings vary from small shacks to pristine villas; some built with old bricks, others with thatched roofs and all coated in a brightly coloured paint which clashes with its neighbour's. The whole area looks as though it's been designed by a child but it certainly gives the place some character. 

One afternoon we caught a bus out to the Santa Theresa National Park, just a few kilometres away. It's absolutely massive and took us over four hours to complete the entire loop. Along our way we encountered all kinds of animals including peacocks, deer, monkeys and some sort of pig which none of us could name. The only other human we saw was a Spanish lady near the fortress who spoke no English and so asking her for directions very nearly got us lost. Luckily, we made it back to the bus stop just before sunset. We didn't fancy roaming around in the wild after dark. 

Our last three hours in Uruguay were spent abandoned on the side of the road at the Brazilian border whilst we waited for a bus which didn't show up until midnight. It was slightly surreal but having just spent ten days in Uruguay, I really wouldn't have expected it to be any other way. We kept ourselves busy, setting an American off on a rant about politics and playing leapfrog until it was time to leave. There are a bits I've loved and bits I could have missed but I'm so glad we experienced this strange little country. 

The Capital of Uruguay

...is Montevideo. I really hope that comes up as a trivia question one day.

However, aside from potentially winning me a pub quiz or two later down the line, Montevideo didn't offer a whole lot else.

With its historical buildings and coastline nearby, the Uruguayan capital is no doubt a beautiful city but unless you're immersed in the buzz of city life, it leaves you with very little to do.

One morning we walked a little way out of the centre in search of the Mercado Agricolo which we believed to be a traditional market. However, when we arrived it was more like an indoor shopping centre and not exactly to our taste. Our experience was practically mirrored the following day when we trekked for almost an hour to find Mercado del Puerto. This time, we found a cluster of restaurants in what appeared to be an old station, all selling barbecued sausages, ribs and steak. They looked delicious but were rather pricey so we settled instead for empanadas. I say settled, but these pastry meat pies are bloody amazing - probably one of my favourite things about South America so far! 

Anyway, after a second unsuccessful market trip we admitted defeat and followed the rambla all the way back to book our bus for the next destination! 

Uncovering the Unknown, Uruguay

I never thought I'd find myself in Uruguay but we had three good reasons for coming here. 

1. It was only an hour's ferry ride from where we were in Buenos Aires.

2. We had some time to fill between our last visitor leaving Argentina and our next visitors meeting us in Brazil.

3. Why on earth not? 

Welcome to the freedom of travelling. The fact that we had no previous plans to come to Uruguay, nor that we knew next to nothing about the country, didn't stop us from jumping on the boat and sailing across. Though it's great to visit popular places (for after all, there's a reason why they became popular) travelling is all about exploring the unknown and finding those hidden gems which few others have yet discovered. 

I believe that Colonia del Sacramento, where the ferry docked, is one of those gems. It's an old colonial town, one of the oldest in Uruguay, and was once occupied by the Portuguese. However, the Spanish continually contested the sovereignty of Colonia and so it changed hands multiple times over the years. Everyone wanted a piece of this town and it's easy to understand why. Not only is it absolutely beautiful but with a positioning so convenient for hopping over to Argentina, it became the perfect port for the smuggling trade.

Nowadays it remains a popular town amongst South Americans but as we're coming into Autumn in Uruguay, it was almost completely deserted. We filled our time wandering through the cobbled streets, kicking up the golden leaves in our pathway and marvelling at the quaint, crumbling, ivy-covered buildings. One afternoon we visited the most photographed street in Uruguay but discovered that it was in fact no more beautiful than every other road in Colonia. They really are all stunning. 

After a couple of days relaxing in this port town we plan to make our way up the coast. Next stop, the capital!