The Best Way to Cross a Boarder

Puerto Hua Huam
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The title suggests that I stayed here fore a while. Actually, I only stayed here for the night. I can´t really tell you what the city was like. From the little that I saw, it looked like one of the many German influenced mountain towns in Southern Argentina. What I thought was spectacular was the crossing into Chile. If there is any way that you should enter Chile from Argentina, it is by taking the bus from San Martin De Los Andes to Valdivia.

The bus left at 11 o´clock in the morning and to be honest, i was not looking forward to a six hour bus ride during the day, especially because I only arrived from El Bolson the day before which took about the same time. One thing that I have come to realise is that travelling is not always a bed of roses, particularly when you have a two year old screaming on the bus at the top of its lungs about ten centimeters from your ear and his mum says NOTHING ! Anyway, I was definitely not expecting the journey ahead.

One thing that I have come to realise is that travelling is not always a bed of roses, particularly when you have a two year old screamng on the bus at the top of its lungs about ten centimeters from your ear and his mum says NOTHING !

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The bus wound around mountains and through alpine forests, under waterfalls and over glacial streams from the mountains.At about one o´clock we arrived in a forest clearing next to Puerto Hua Huam ( I think that´s how you spell it) which is on Lake Perihuaco ( detto). From there, the bus climbed steadily on board the ferry, which looked like it was a relic from the Spanish Armada. It took about an hour in itself for the bus to get on board because the dockers had miscalculated the angle of the ramp and just could not figure it out. But this is what travelling in South America is all about - patience. I love it !

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The port itself was a tiny beach which didn´t even have a real dock. It was more like a plank of wood hung precariously over the water edge.The scenery was absolutely spectacular and surprisingly very similar to some of the islands in Greece, Kefalonica in particular. The lake is incredibly transparent and it reflects the forest covered mountains. It was a hot and sunny day which made the landscape even more vibrant. The best was yet to come: when we eventually arrived in Puerto Fuy a snow capped mountain greets you. From the pictures you will see just how stunning it was. In real life it was indescribably beautiful.

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What a great way to be introduced to a country.

Thanks again to everyone who has sponsored me and if you haven´t log onto www.justgiving.com/ciccia