Return to service.

Ok. I admit it. I have been slack. But as my cousin Simon has observed in his usual adroite style - which, praise be, is for the first time not focused on my personal grooming habits- spinning tales of wit and wonder is less fun when you can´t break up the text with the odd image or two. It is all about rhythm, 1 text entry, 2 photos, 1 text entry, 3 photos. Like that. (Which is odd really, as in normal circumstances I have about as much rhythm as Kevin Rudd on acid) .

But the gauntlet has been thrown and I must have my satisfaction. For I am never one to walk away from a challenge, unless it one involving a chicken, 3 tubes of strawberry yoghurt and the entire front line of the Brisbane Broncos. So, my beloved readers, as of this moment, regular transmission has returned.

I am now in Argentina. I passed thrown a very pretty town called Bariloche which was a bizarre mixture of Switzerland and Isreal. Switzerland in that it was lakes and mountains, chocolates and cheeses, beagles (I kid you not) and buxom lasses with blonde pigtails. Israel, in that 80% of the people (everyone, not just the travellers) were Israelis. Now, they were lovely, it is just that I never considered that Hebrew would be the lingua franca anywhere outside of Israel. Somewhat surprising.

In any case, I found it all a bit touristy and decided to move on. Which brings me to Puerto Madryn, which, to replace the Israels, apparently has a very large Welsh population. What is going on here? I am feeling very twilight zone and fully expect to find a large Tongan community in my next destination. Puerto Madryn is very much more my style. A lazy port town with a national park near by with all manners of wonders. Penguins, whales, sea lions, sea elephants (which are among the ugliest creatures ever, ranking slightly behind hairless cats). I feel very at one with the natural world.

Tomorrow I move down south deeper into Patagonia, to see the largest glacier in the world. I would have gone today, but unbeknownst to me until this morning, today is the day of some saint or other and as such, I could not pick up my laundry. And one of the rules I try to live by is that you should always greet a unfamiliar place in a fresh set of underwear.

Rock and Roll.

Paddy

Full Circle.

Well, it has been a little while since my last entry, and I have moved a fair way, physically, mentally and of course spiritually. As I write this missive, it is midnight Saturday and I am in the very leafy Argentine border town of Mendonza.

Hold on, I hear you all say, Paddy, did you say Saturday night? Why are you not out on the town, touring the local hotspots, wowing the local women and generally being the well dressed stud that we all know you to be?

Well, I would like to think of some excuse, but the truth is I am just tired. Came down on a bus today, from the equally lovely town of Salta in the north of Argentina. This place is lovely but should be famous for nothing other than its empanadas! Oh dear god, these things are incredible, it is like there is a party in your mouth and the Queen has just slapped Elvis with a smoked trout, while the Beatles are facing off with the the editorial team from Press Gang in a match of Curling. Suffice to say, the empanananananadas are truly fantastic, but I think the best thing is that they know how to do cheese here. Bolivia and Peru were lovely but their dairy products on the whole, were tasteless, soft and came in tins.

The meat is equally as incredible, and it does not seem to be uncommon here to order a whole cow delivered to your table. It really is quite juicy, tender and all round tasty. Truth is the food is the thing that has impressed me most about Argentina. Not that Peru and Bolivia were bad, just that, they were not... great Here in Argentina it is just a different world of quality and quantity. I love it, it makes me happy, it gives me faith in... stuff. Argentina feels just like Europe except that everything is pleasently cheap. (I have the economic crisis of the late 90's to thank for that, so maybe I should be a bit more sensitive)

But yes, I have, at some time in this blog entry, attempt to make the title relevant to the babble within it. You see, the thing is, tomorrow, I go back to Santiago Chile, where this journey began. And I must say that I am quite looking forward to it. Aside from the obvious excitement of the Shakira concert, it will be nice to catch up with old friends. I also get to attend a birthday party in the next few days which is always fun.

It does mean however, that the Sth American stage of this epic journey is fast drawing to its close. While I am sure that Mexico and Canada will be equally exciting, it does fill me with asense of sadness. But hey, there is still just on two months to enjoy the spacious surrounds of this, the other great Southern Continent. So stayed tuned, as I keep on peddling.

Rock and Roll.

Paddy