Argentina, Chile and Uruguay

Argentina is a must. If you fancy to travel cheap in a beautiful and very secure country in South America, which tends to have a mixed reputation, this is your choice. The majority of our trip took place in Argentina but we also visited the neighbour countries Chile and Uruguay. The trip begins in the capital of Chile, Santiago, one of South America most modern cities. The city lies in a beautiful scenery in a valley with the andes mountains as background. The capital Santiago has more than 6 million citizen, which is equivalent to approximately 1/3 of chiles population. After the collapse of Augusto Pinochets violent military dictatorship in 1990, the city and the country has experienced a solid economic growth, and Santiago is today a very modern city with skyscrapers and modern architecture. The infrastructure is extremely well-functioning and the city even has a modern metro. A few days is enough to see the highlights of the city, such as a statue of the Virgin Mary that gives a splendid view of the city or some of the citys historical buildings. There is also a good selection of modern malls and large shopping streets, which are worth a visit. A tough, but incredibly beautiful bus ride from Santiago in Chile, take us over the Andes to Mendoza in Argentina. Mendoza is a really nice town with a good selection of tourist agencies that arrange everything from riverrafting, horse riding, trekking to mountain climbing. If you want to climb Aconcagua, which is the highest mountain in South America, Mendoza is a good place to arrange the trip. Over 70 percent of Argentina's wine production comes from Mendoza, and each day it is possible to arrange exciting trips to various wine producers. The city attracts a large number of young backpackere who love to party and hang out in some of the many outdoor restaurants and bars that are found on the main street. After a 11-hour long bus ride we arrived in Cordoba, which has 1.5 million citizen and is the 2. largest city in Argentina. The city has many historic buildings from the colonial era and has previously been the capital in Argentina. Just outside the city, there is an opportunity for activities such as mountain biking and paragliding. Cordoba is well known for its weekend market, where you can buy antiques, paintings, clothing, jewelry and much more. We will take you on a sightseeing tour in the city and visit restaurants where we order Parilla, an Argentinian speciality! Argentina is a big country with long bustrips, therefore we chose to fly to Salta in the northern Argentina. Salta is situated in the Lerma Valley, 1152 meters above sea level, at the foothills of the Andes mountains. It has a wonderful climate throughout the year with an average temperature of 22 degrees celcius. From the top of San Bernardo Hill you will get a great view of the city which have about 500.000 citizen. Balcarca street near the train station is the place for partying and nightlife. Here you will find many restaurants, pubs, cafes and discos. Do not miss the Saint Francis Church which is an incredibly beautiful church, especially in the evening, where it is illuminated. In salta you can arrange "train to the clouds" (Tren a las Nubes), which takes you up to 4220 meters above sea level and crossing the Andes to Chile, the third highest railway in the world. Combine this with a trip to the salt lake desert, Salinas Grandes. It is also possible to arrange rapelling, kayaking, rafting, mountainbiking, ride on horses and much more in Salta, so you will never get bored in Salta! After nearly 2-hours of flight from Salta we arrived in Argentinas capital, Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires has 3 million citizen and is located next to Atlantic Ocean. When you say Buenos Aires, many people think of Tango and Evita, but it is much more! Go to the fasionable neighbourhood , Palermo Viejo, which is filled with trendy gourmet restaurants and hip shops with modern design clothes. See world-class football at La Bombonera, which is the name of soccer stadium where the team Boca Juniors plays their home matches. The stadium has a capacity of nearly 60.000 spectators. Visit La Boca, where houses are painted in very special colors. Buenos Aires is an exciting city to visit, and looks a lot like a modern Italian or Spanish city. Prices are slightly higher here than in the rest of the country, but it is still very cheap. Argentina is generally a very safe country in south america, but please be a little cautious in Buenos Aires and take a taxi in the evening, as it is not quite as secure as the rest of the country. From Buenos we took the ferry to the small town Colonia in neighbouring Uruguay. Colonia is a historically very exciting city to visit and has been under Portugal and Spainen rules numerous times during the past. The historic quarter of Colonia is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You can understand why, since it is filled with beautiful well-kept houses from the colonial era. With bus we