Highlights of Argentina    (January / February 2007)
click for larger image	Argentina conjures up intertwined tango dancers, Diego Maradona running rings round the English football team and gregarious waiters serving the world's juiciest steaks! Starting from the southern tip we dash north across dusty Patagonia, through the fertile winelands, popping into Uruguay en route to the magnificent Iguazu Falls.	Argentina Fast Facts: Best Thing: Almost disturbingly friendly people Worst Thing: Orcas failing to turn up and munch baby sea lions in front of us Big Surprise: An enclave of Welsh speakers in the middle of South America Fun Fact: Argentineans travel everywhere with a thermos of hot water to top up their gourd of bitter mate

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Timber! Needing ice for her evening cocktail, Cheryl climbs the icy face of Perito Moreno glacier, bestrides a crevice and chips away a block or two. Unwittingly she unsettles the delicate equilibrium of the glacier, barely having time to leap to safety before the crevice ruptures, calving a massive iceberg into the lake below.

Give Those Prehistoric Guys A Hand In the barren middle of Patagonia a cave system covered in beautiful 9000 year old hand prints.

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Wales In Exile A strange find on the Atlantic coast - a colony of Welsh speakers They emigrated in the 19th century to escape English influence, happily preserving the tradition of serving opulent afternoon cream teas!

Peninsula Valdez The Peninsula is one of the world's great wildlife areas, famed for canny killer whales that deliberately beach themselves next to breeding sea lions, hoping to munch any unsuspecting pup that waddles too close to the surf... We didn't see that but glimpsed other natural wonders such as these flexible guanacos, tiny Magellanic penguins and even amorous armadillos!	click for larger image	click for larger image
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Gigantosaurus In the centre of Argentina, paleontologists have discovered the world's biggest dinosaurs, including this - Gigantosaurus - the largest ever carnivore. It used to beat T. Rex up in the playground after school.

Mendozing Off Further north, in the shadow of the Andes, Mendozan valleys produce Argentina's finest wines. After long dusty days crossing the Patagonian expanse a period of reflection, repose and "palate development" was highly in order...

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The Steaks Are High Argentineans take their meat seriously. No restaurant is complete without a giant parilla of grain-fed beef grilling seductively in the window. With juicy 20oz steaks going for a song we found ourselves developing a gigantosaurus-friendly carnivore diet.

A Bitter Brew Argentineans can't leave home without a thermos full of boiling water, a gourd, a metal straw and a stack of yerba mate - a bitter, bitter tea that they drink constantly. Sharing this drink is a charming communal ritual but despite numerous attempts, we couldn't get past the fact that the stuff simply tastes nasty!

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It Takes Two To Tango We planned to learn tango while in sultry Buenos Aires Having watched this lady's pointy shoes flashing within inches of the man's receptive groin, we decided tango was best left as a spectator sport After all, we might want children some day...

Uruguayan Costume Perhaps the smaller hat is used for tango protection?!

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Ibera Wetlands The northern wetlands lived up to their name, nearly blowing us into a lake during a wild storm. In between drenchings, we paddled the serene lake systems among endless caimans, birds and monkeys.

A Search For Utopia The Jesuits missions attempted to create a social utopia in the newly discovered South American colonies. This worked well until they were unceremoniously expelled by the jealous government, leaving only these brooding ruins behind.

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Poor Niagra ...as Eleanor Roosevelt said when confronted by the jungle-clad falls of Iguazu bordering Argentina and Brazil. A dramatic last stop on our trip through Argentina, a diverse gem of a country where the warmth of the people - we were treated everywhere like long-lost cousins finally returning home - was the absolute highlight.

- See more pictures from this section - Go to next section : Brazil - Go to previous section : Antarctica