Home sweet Home

We spent the last week in Buenos Aires and found covered parking for the Blue Wonder close to Norbert's brother which made cleaning and packing very convenient as I could do laundry and thourough cleaning of the camper. The cleaning is important so as not to attract mould.
Went shopping on Avenida Scalabibi Ortiz which is famous for its yarn shops. It really is utopia for a knitter as not only the grand variety of yarns but also prices are less than half compared to Canada.
We took the bus, train and metro there and that in itself is an experience, Buenos Aires is very cosmopolitan and elegant. Our flight was at 10pm and we were lucky to have a row of 4 seats to ourself so I slept 7 of the 11 hour flight and our luggage was put though to Vancouver so the stopover in Dallas was easy. Arrived in Vancouver at 12.45pm. As scheduled . Our son Eric was to pick us up but was not there, when we phoned him he was still home in Gibsons which is a one hour ferry ride to Vancouer. He had mistaken the time for 12.45 am. No problem, we did 27,000 km. so far and the
last few we could manage as well. We took the sky train

Yes men work at this yarn shop as well

Very big selection 

Can it get any better?

Outdated trains

Our sendoff party of 9, I could not figure out how we all could fit in to the Pickup, no problem, just put some lawn chairs in the box and hold on. 

Add caption

sky train station Vancouver Airport

Balancing act 1

Balancing act 2

Norbert felt right at home in Belgrano (beer)

The Blue Woner looking a little worse for the wear.

I was checking if he would turn in to a prince, dont know what I would do if he did.

Market in San Blas Mexico

Train Station in Constitution Buenos Aires

 to waterfront then the sea bus to North Vancouver were our grandson Keaton met us an took us home. Now we will have to adjust to Vancouver life and digest the last 5 months and tank up new energy for November to continue the adventure.
Thank you to all our family and friends and all our new friends we made on this journey for your encouragement and support and please stay in touch.
One lesson I learned on this journey is that people everywhere are wonderful and the world is amazing.
Big hug to you all.
Love
Norbert and Greti

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Buenos Aires

Just had an email from Cap and Patti, and he mentioned that it was not clear from our blog that we will continue the jouney in November. We had a few more people question us about this.
We will fly to Vancouver April 15th and we have a return ticket for November 10th 2014.
We did not finish our trip as fall cougth up with us and it is too late to travel southern Argentina and Ushuaia.  Also we are looking at traveling to Chile and Brazil.
It is amazing how much there is to discover.
For now we are beiing s

poilt by Norbert's brother and his wife Elena and her sister Chola. Thy are cooking all our favorite meals like Matambre, Empanadas, and today we had a huge Asado with lots of chimijury. Life is good.
Hugs to All
Norbert and Greti

Cachi

Are we in Argentina?

I tried to chase the dog away but he would not budge

Our first Asado in Argeentina

Ruta 40 got another victim

Beautiful landscape, bad road

Passed the electrical inspection?

april 3rd.

Traveled from Salta to Cachi, found a nice camping with a very big pool which we used as it was quite hot. At the entrance of town is a nice restaurant that had Asado de Cabra (baby goat) very good.

We are meeting more people who started in Argentina or Brazil and are now going the opposite direction and asking lots of questions about border crossing and shipping. Here in Argentina we do not stick out so much but we still get approached and asked questions. Prices are the same or more than in Canada, gasoline is at. $1.50 per liter.

Visited the town of Cafayate where we spent one extra day there are nice restaurants and Ice cream Parlours and the Artisan shops are fantastic.

Then on to Jesus Maria which is very close to Cordoba then over the mountain again on a dirt road to La Cumbre where we are now parked at a river in an upscale neighbourhood  just at the edge of town, the police has passed twice and waved so we presume thy will keep an eye on us. Tomorrow we will go to La Falda and see if we can meet up with Sarah and Daniel from Kelowna who are on a motorcycle tour for the past year. It would be nice to see them.

We booked our flight to Vancouver for the 15th, of April and will be home on the 16th.

Thanks to all who were concerned that we would be affected by the earthquake, we are safe and sound 

Hugs to all

Norbert and Greti

Bolivia / Argentina

Bus crash, lucky no injuries

young entrepreneurs making money for school 

what thread?

The Salar.

Today the 25th. Of March we are just back from a 4 day tour of the Reserva Eduardo  Avaroa park and the Salt Flats.

The tour is with a 4x4 jeep with driver and cook and 4 passengers. As Brenda and Hendrick arrived on Thursday nite late we booked the trip to start on Saturday.

Left Tupiza at 8 am. And drove through wonderful valleys and parks. Saw lots of lamas and vicunas and passed green Lake, white Lake, and red Lake, and the water of these lakes really has that colour.  The most impressive were the salt flats and the salt Hostal, there also is a salt Hotel but that is not included in the tour as it is quite expensive. Tuesday morning at 5 am. We walked up Isla Incahuasi to see the sunrise and have breakfast on the salar. Driving an the salt looks and feels the same as on a frozen lake. On our return to Tupiza we met Patricia, Clement and Merlin who are part of the Indispensables Team. The only ones missing were Manfred and Monika and the team would have been complete. Funny to meet up after more than two months. Today March 26th. We crossed in to Argentina, arrived at the border at 9am. And were told that the Visa fee of $150.00 can only be paid online. So off we went to find Internet, after being sent in all directions we bumped in to the Argentine Consulate and no, you can not pay the fee there, only online, and no we could not use their computer as their Internet is barely working. We finally did find Internet and marched back to the border with our printed receipt and after another 3 hours were in Argentina. The roads are better here and everything is cleaner. Tomorrow we will go to Salta and do some shopping to fill the larder.

Hugs to all

Norbert and Greti

Isla Incahuasi

an Island in the middle of the salt flats

Balance?

Flags of the countries who participated in the Dakar Race, we wrote a message on our Canadian Flag

Half of the Indispensables

Yes someone lives here

Good food, good setting

monument made of salt

Biking

la Paz.

We spent 5 days in La Paz, did some sight seeing and shopping . Went to the valley of the moon and the views from the top are phenomenal.

We also biked the Ruta de la Muerte, one of the worlds most dangerous roads.  If it had not been for the rain it would have been even better. Norbert got though without wipeout and I only wiped out 3 times. I must remember to look where I do want to go and not where I do not want to go. I should know that by now. We left Brenda and Hendrick in La Paz asBrenda had a little spill as well and broke a tooth so had to see a dentist in La Paz to get a crown on the broken tooth. We will meet up with them in Tupiza to do a Salar tour of 4 days.we traveled from La Paz to Potosi and from there to Tarija. Our map showed us a paved road from Tarija to Topiza, but when we asked for directions we were told that this road does no longer exist and we had to backtrack 50 km. to what should have been a good road. It took us 6 hours to do 144 km. and white knuckle all the way. Again one lane only with big trucks and at times barely wide enough for our Van let alone big trucks.

Arrived in Tupiza at 6pm. and found a Hostal with parking for the Blue Wonder. 

Met up with Pascal and Florent from Montreal who are part of the Indispensables team. It is nice ti meet after two months. Had a nice breakfast with them, and now thy are on the hunt for used tiers. Hoping that Brenda and Hendrick will arrive tomorrow so we can book our tour for saturday.

Hugs to all.

Norbert and Greti

lots of fruit but no vegetables

entrance to the town of Oruro