The bags are packed . . .

. . . .  and we're ready to go!  After a month of farewell drinks, meals and endless lists, we finally packed this morning.  The question we've been asked the most is 'how much luggage are you taking?'.  Well as we're now sat relaxing over a chilled glass of fizz in the BC lounge at Heathrow's T4, having already checked in, the answer is two medium size suitcases weighing 17.7 and 17.8 kg respectively.  Our joint allowance on Air France was six bags weighing 23kg each.  I don't think all my clothes would fill my share of three bags and with lots of unpacking and packing, we've decided to travel very light even though we've had to cater for all forms of weather.  So we don't want any complaints if all the photos we post, show us in the same clothes: rest assured we will be having them washed along the way.


So how do we feel? Needless to say we are both very excited but apprehensive about everything that lies in front of us.  At the moment, it feels just like going on a normal holiday, it will be interesting to see how we view things when we've spent 10 days away and we realise that there are 75 more to go.


HJ


PS: RM is just catching up with the Telegraph and has reported that Buenos Aires is sunny and 34 degrees.  So I guess we'll be leaving the fleecy hats and gloves in the suitcase when we unpack.

So, where are we going?

We tango for 10 nights in Buenos Aires before catching a hydrofoil across the River Plate to Uruguay where we spend time in the capital, Montevideo, and Punta del Este which has to quote Lonely Planet ‘many beaches, elegant seaside homes, yacht harbour, pricey hotels and glitzy restaurants which make it one of South America’s most glamorous resorts and easily the most expensive place in Uruguay.’  This will obviously be the hard part of the trip!  It’s then back into Argentina to marvel at Iguazu Falls from both Argentina and Brazil before heading on to Mendoza for wine tasting and horse riding on an estancia (ranch).  We then stay in another ranch in the south, this time a traditional Patagonian one before transferring to the Los Glaciares National Park where the Glaciar is the size of the New Forest.  We’ll then be ready for some warm weather in Peurto Varas with its volcanoes, lakes and nature reserves. We spend three nights in the capital, Santiago and we finish our Chilean experience at the desert in San Pedro de Atacama where temperatures can drop well below sub-zero at night but rise to 30 degrees plus during the day and we see the highest geyser field in the world.  In Peru we’ll stay in Lima before heading into the Amazon rain forest.  Our ‘room’ here has dividing walls built from cane which are only 2.5 meters high and the side looking out to the forest doesn’t have a wall to allow ‘intimate contact with the rain forest’. There’s cold water only and limited electricity.  We’re then back in the land of luxury with 8 nights in Cusco to visit Machu Picchu and other Inca ruins.  Ecuador’s next on the list with stops in Quito, Riobamba and Cuenco, for the Devil’s Nose train ride, before our flight to Bogota.  In Colombia we’ll have a short stay in Cartegena before heading off to the Isla del Providencia, a mountainous Caribbean island, where we’ll chill for 10 days before heading home from Bogota on 26 April.

So, in summary it’s one continent, 7countries, 14 internal flights, 85 nights, 20 hotels and a rather jolly time!

The blog is set up and ready to go . . .

 . . . and hopefully we'll soon be ready for our three months in South America.  There still seems so much to do before we fly out on 31 January, but with a note book full of lists I'm sure we'll get there. 

The title of our blog was inspired by the Lonely Plant book: South America on a Shoestring only we'll be doing it in slightly more style, funded by RMs pension!