A few breakdowns; but I'm happy!

9 nights so far, and we've only had 3 mornings without mechanical problems... Yet I'm content and not at all worried. 

The mornings have been cold, and it seems that we are having battery troubles. After the first trouble it was decided to get a new battery, but that only helped for a day; or maybe it would have started that day regardless. Since then H has been checking the alternator, cables, and we've been reading up, and tomorrow we are going to a place with better equipment for testing. It cold also be fuel related.  

The second morning after replacing the battery we were bush camped and couldn't get a start! H headed to the road to flag down a vehicle for a jump start, but all he found in the first while was a man on horseback (not a lot of help). Then we went out together with chairs to wait, but bored and cold H headed back to the vehicle. I made a campfire, for warmth and tea, and had just made my tea when a vehicle finally came ... At about midday. 

I was never too concerned. We have plenty of food, and there was a rather clean stream nearby (snow fed in these parts). I figured a vehicle would pass sometime. 

The bush camp was about 15kms into a very scenic route. It was Route 40 from Pareditas to El Sosneado. It was a rough dirt road, mostly severely corrugated and with many hairpin bends. But, with the beautiful Andes to our right and with flat cattle grazing country dotted with volcanos to the left, I could not ask for better. I drove this stretch. It was very remote, and we also saw an Andean Condor and a few Rhea (like Emu/Ostrich, but smaller). Domestically goats and sheep were also being farmed as well as the cattle. 

This picture is taken on panorama setting, the road is actually very straight, but I took about 210 degrees of film. But you get the idea... Andes to the right, somewhat flat cattle country to the left. Spectacular, all day long. 

We were still on Route 40 for the next nights' bush camp, but we camped on a slope to get ourselves away in the morning.

One of the views on this wonderful stretch of route 40. 

H and I both prefer the bush camps to the town ones. But presently we are passing 4 nights in a town. The Andean pass into Chile we were intending to take is closed, we are told Chile has had too much snow, and so we need to go another 400kms south to cross, for which it is rather early. This town, Malargue, is big enough to have reasonable facilities but small enough to walk, so it's okay... And tomorrow is Monday, and we seem to need vehicle advice. 

The night before last it snowed. We were in a restaurant when people started going outside to photograph the snow, so it must be odd at this time. In the morning everything was covered in snow, and looked very pretty. 

Learning to live with a stranger in a confined space

This really is a new lifestyle, living with a stranger in a confined space... mostly 24 hours a day. The camper is well set up. It's hand built (by H) onto the back of an old Mercedes ute (ute being Aussie for pick-up truck). It's about 5.5m long, 2m wide, 3m long. 

The sleeping area is above the cab and it is one shared surface (but more roomy than a 2, or 3, man tent). Then there's is a dining area, kitchen and cupboards, toilet and shower. The camper is well insulated and warm (as I write this we are in the Andes and it's cold outside).

So yes, it is rather confined but it's completely okay. It is important that we get along. The first night we stayed in a campground with toilets and shower facility so I used those. Last night we bush camped, so it's use those onboard or go outside, and there isn't much to hide behind. It is close confines to have with a stranger, and I guess it requires a lot of honesty. 

On the second morning the car wouldn't start. It was battery trouble. Although H proved quite useful in trying to get it started, eventually we got someone to help us with a jump start. 

I am very much enjoying this lifestyle and H and I are getting along very well. 

My new life begins: overlanding!

So far, so good. 

I met my new Overlanding travel companion at the Mendoza airport on Thursday night. I'd booked into a hostel (always best to be on the safe side), so I stayed there on Thursday night, and moved into the camper on Friday. 

So far we have been getting along really well and my new travel companion (shall I just call him H?) seems like he'll be good company. He even did something yesterday that proved him to be way better than the last overlander I tried to team up with. 

Let me tell you what happened last time. 

In 2006 I was going to Iceland to meet my friends and prior to arriving I'd met online an overlander who was looking for a travel companion. We communicated online a bit and decided to meet in Iceland. If it worked out I could perhaps continue with him in other parts of the world. It lasted just 2 days. 

Iceland has a fair bit of trouble each year with visitors taking themselves where they shouldn't and then needing rescuing. So this overlander and I were driving down a road and there was a turn off onto a road with a road closed sign. This guy was adamant about going down the road regardless of the sign. Although I argued against it we headed down the road, and shortly onto it we got very, very bogged. 

Really it was fortunate that we got stuck so soon onto it as we were able to walk back to the other road (still not major) and flag down a truck to pull us out. He made no apologies, but grizzled that Iceland should have all paved roads, like his home country. 

The next day he told me that the Icelandic terrain was worthless. 

And the following day he corrected the English of the Lonely Planet guidebook, to which I was in agreement, and told me that the Lonely Planet author, its editor, and myself were all wrong but he was correct. English was his second language. 

H has already proven to be muchmore respectful company. Yesterday when we were informed not to go down a road, due to snow fall, we turned back, even though it meant that we had travelled about 50km unnecessarily, and would have to go back  those 50km and go a different way. This is a good sigh indeed. 

This morning we have a bit of car trouble, due to the cold. So we are hanging out waiting for some warmth. 

The view out the front windscreen yesterday as we headed into the Andes. We had to turn back further on as they had closed the road. 

This mornings view from the campsite. It cleared up nicely overnight. 

Fast ride to the airport; better than a fun park

In my experience of Latin America you don't need to tell the taxi driver to hurry to get you to the airport; he's going to rush regardless. And it's seat clenching good fun!

Really, I could have saved some money and taken the bus (40c), but I missed the bus stop without my pack this morning and I didn't really want the hike either. So I grabbed a taxi. I had hoped my friend's price estimate ( $3.50) was right, but in reality I paid double. But still, $7 is less than people pay back home to go on a ride in sideshow alley at the show.... And this certainly was more hair-raising. The latino taxi drivers ability to weave through traffic is always amazing. 

Such was this guys skill that now I'm sitting bored at the airport.

(All prices estimated in $US traded with a man called an Arbolito (=a little tree) in the street, which I might write about when I understand it better).

Flying in Argentina

Flying in Latin America is well distinguished by the actions of the other passengers: on take off there's a Catholic crossing of the heart and a prayer on the lips, and on landing there is usually a round of applause. The whole experience can make you feel glad to be alive. 

But Flying domestically in Argentina is different again. Having become accustomed to having my water taken from me for flights elsewhere in the world I sculled mine prior to the security screening. Imagine my surprise to find that not only was water allowed onboard, but other passengers had thermos flasks of hot water, to accompany their Yerba matè which sat on the tray tables for most of the flight. (Matè is a popular drink in Argentina. People carry special cups and straws, and the ingredients. An infusion is made by putting dried chopped 'Yerba matè' into a cup and continually adding hot water as you drink. I quite like it as a social drink.) here's a picture (not great, I know) of some soccer players drinking matè in he airport prior to flying. 

Arrived in Buenos Aires, but it had looked doubtful

Well I made it. But it had looked like I mightn't. 

Firstly I had a massive headache from Thursday evening until I went to the doctor on Monday and got a prescription. On Monday morning I'd been in a bad way, I was frustrated about the headache and thinking there was no way I could take my Tuesday flights. But the doc fixed it. 

Then on check-in at the airport it was demanded that proof of a ticket for onward travel be shown. Lots of countries have this rule, but on previous travels I've gotten away with not needing to show any evidence. I was (am) travelling on a one way ticket. 

Here's a scenario where having booked through a travel agent comes in handy. I was able to call up the travel agent office and have a ticket produced and emailed to me. They were super efficient. That ticket would be cancelled by now. 

In reality I'll be leaving Argentina by road into Chile, then returning, and leaving, etc as I make my way South, eventually I think I'll be going to Brazil (and for that I'll need a visa but its too early for that now). I definitely have no intention of staying here (I still call Australia home), but I couldn't put a date on a return ticket and so I'd have to pay to change it... And maybe I'll be flying home from North America or elsewhere. 

My flights were with Virgin Australia and Aerolineas Argentinas. Aerolineas were better than reviews would have suggested although the entertainment wasn't good. On Virgin I had to dust crumbs from my seat before I sat down. 

Minimising Jetlag

Do some Internet research on Jetlag and you'll find lots of suggestions and no guarantees. I drank as much water as I could before and during the flight, thus annoying the person beside me in the aisle seat as I would make regular toilet trips (which has an added advantage of getting a person moving) and then head to the back of the plane for another 2 glasses of water. Both times meals were served I ordered an orange juice and a water as well. I also took a multi vitamin before boarding. I think I'm doing okay. 

Arrival in Buenos Aires

The robbery in Spain has left me a little less independent. I took the taxi transfer from the airport, because I was a little scared of the hassle of walking alone after taking a bus. 

I'd only just checked in when my friend arrived to take me for dinner. It was wonderful to catch up, but after 2 hours I had to get myself to bed, I was super exhausted. 

It's my second time in BA, so there hasn't been a big need for sightseeing, although I did go to see The Flower for the second time. It still doesn't work (it used to open and close), but its still wonderful. 

Latino underwear

I first accommodation has been in a female dorm room in a hostel. My other roommates were Argentine. I had a reminder about why it's important to bring comfortable undies to Latin America. I mean, when big girls are wearing such skimpy pieces of floss to sleep in an all girls dorm, what hope is there? I was uncomfortable seeing it, it sure looked uncomfortable for her. 

I am what I am; finding a travel companion

After being robbed at knife point in Spain this year I really did lose my confidence and start to think about the other choices I might have made to live my life differently. And I came home. 

After just three weeks at home I realized that I am still very much a traveller, that I wasn't ready to quit yet, but that I needed to take a different approach. I needed a travel companion. 

Contrary to common belief, I have always wanted a travel companion. I'd just never found a long-term one. And, of course, when I say long term, I mean really long term; indefinite really. 

So, I set about finding one. I searched online in every possible forum I could find, and I found one on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree (Travellers Forum). 

He had a post basically saying what he was doing, and it was an itinerary that really suited me: overlanding south in South America. 

I've always wanted to go overlanding in the Americas, but its something I felt I needed a travel companion for. You can find a definition for overlanding on Wikipedia, but basically it's driving a vehicle, set-up for sleeping, over really long distances. And going back to South America is good for me because it's part of the world I'm quite comfortable with. 

Meeting a stranger to travel with?

People reactions to this are either: "you're meeting a stranger, are you crazy?, what if..."

Or: "that's awesome... I can tell he's going to be the one!!!!"

In reply to the first one: I honestly believe that most people in the world aren't dangerous, and that he is looking for a travel companion. 

In reply to the second one: I'm just looking for a travel companion. 

My only thought is to whether we will get along, but for that I feel like I'll never know unless I go. It's South America, I'll make a Plan B if I need to (remember it's part of the world I am comfortable with.)

My new travel companion is from Belgium. 

I meet him in Argentina next week.