Monthly Archives: February 2014

“Giant steps are what you take…..”

Posted on 26/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Salta to San Pedro De Atacama (SPDA). Departure 00:30, arrival 11:30 (approx). An unexpected reunion at the Salta bus station meant that the waiting time just flew by. It had been nearly a month since I last saw Robyn and … Continue reading →

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The road to hell.

Posted on 25/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Cordoba to Salta – departure 17:40, arrival 06:30 (approx). For the next leg of my journey I foolishly decided to save some money and travel Semi-Cama, as opposed to Executive-Cama. I would regret this decision, and all for the sake … Continue reading →

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Jesuits, Israelis and ‘El Che’.

Posted on 19/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

After two days of rest and recuperation in Mendoza (it rained none stop) I took an overnight bus, north, to Córdoba. Despite being Argentina’s second city it doesn’t overwhelm you like Buenos Aires, and is everything a city should be … Continue reading →

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Crossing the Andes.

Posted on 18/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Miercoles 12/02/2014 Departure 08:31, Arrival 18:30. Crossing the Andes between Valparaiso (Chile) and Mendoza (Argentina) was a unique and memorable experience. The journey provided magnificent mountain scenery, and included a close view of Mount Aconcagua (6,962 meters above sea level). … Continue reading →

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The city of hills.

Posted on 13/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Brimming with wonderful restaurants and cafés, stunning vistas, super friendly people, and a ‘things to see and do’ list that most cities would die for. Let me introduce Valparaiso, the spectacular faded beauty of its chaotic hills, the maze of … Continue reading →

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Chile facts.

Posted on 11/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Chile is approximately 4,630 kilometers long and 430 kilometers wide. The total geographical area of Chile is roughly 756,096 square kilometres. The UK covers 243,610 square kilometres. Chile Con Carne (literally hot sauce with meat) does not originate from Chile. … Continue reading →

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Ships in the night.

Posted on 10/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

“No one even considered it a volcano, but that changed quickly. On May 2, 2008, Volcán Chaitén, 10km northeast of its namesake town, began a month-long eruption with a 20km-high column of ash. During the first week, successive explosions emitted … Continue reading →

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The wheels on the bus go….

Posted on 08/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Coyhaique to Chaiten. My next journey was supposed to take 10-hours but due to road works I was advised that it could take up to 12 – mmm, if only that had been the case! This bus was the second … Continue reading →

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Carretera Austral.

Posted on 08/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

Puerto Tranquil to Coyhaique: Starting south of Puerto Montt, the Carretera Austral (highway number 7) links widely separated towns and hamlets all the way down to Villa O’Higgins, covering a distance of some 1200km (745 miles). It’s mainly a gravel … Continue reading →

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Bucking Broncos & BBQ’s.

Posted on 07/02/2014 by Richard Griffith

I liked Puerto Tranquilo – it’s just that, tranquil. A nice place to recharge your batteries and great place to get over any ‘incidents’ that might have occurred during the day! I eventually found a bed for the night and … Continue reading →

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