Today, we headed back to the Iguassu falls once again, but this time from the Brazilian side. There was no boat tour this time but instead a trail that goes from one end of the falls to the other. We did the trail in a couple of hours and stopped at various points for more photographs. We even managed to see the boat tour we did from the previous day and how far in the boat actually goes!

We both thought the Brazilian side was definitely better for panoramic views but a half day would be sufficient to visit as there is only one single trail that doesn’t take too long to walk, compared to a full day of various trails like the Argentinian side.

Later that afternoon we headed to the airport in Foz do Iguaçu, where we would be on the move again, this time flying to Rio de Janeiro. We arrived late in the evening so we checked into our apartment and had a short walk around Ipanema before calling it a night. Katie had read a lot of bad stories about being a tourist in Brazil before arriving in Rio, so at the start she felt on edge a lot and was constantly looking over her shoulder, but gradually started to realise that Ipanema was a lovely area.

The next morning we got up early for our day at the falls. We started off with a boat tour that takes you up the Iguaçu river and directly under the falls! We maybe should have done this towards the end of the day as we got absolutely drenched, but luckily it was a hot day so we managed to dry off relatively quickly! It was great fun and a recommended experience for anyone who ever has the chance to visit!

After our boat trip we did a few recommended trails and hikes around the area to try and get some better views of the waterfalls and some more photos to add to the collection. One of the sections of the falls was called “Devil’s Throat” and it was amazing to see up close how powerful these waterfalls actually are!

On our trails, we even managed to see some Monkeys, Toucans and lots of Coatis along the way. There are apparently Jaguars living in the National Park also, but thankfully we didn’t come across any of them! The Coatis are greedy wee bastards who aren’t scared to come up and steal food off of you! They’re even wise enough to open the zips from backpacks if they think food is inside. Was funny and great to sit and watch them in action against unsuspecting tourists.

That evening we took a bus into Brazil. Although we got on the bus without an issue, we had to go through immigration with our passports at the border. We got off at the first stage of the border which was to depart from Argentina. We all got back on the bus and a little further up the road we had to do the same for entry into Brazil. This time it was only the two of us who got off, with help from an English speaking local on the bus who advised us that we would have to go through immigration and get the next bus. After going through the process we asked the immigration officer when the next bus would be, who laughed and replied it would be another hour!

Tired, hungry and stranded, we decided to grab an Uber to our next destination, considering they were relatively cheap and got to our accommodation for some much needed sleep.

The following day we took a flight to Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, so that we could visit the largest waterfall system in the world, which consists of 275 falls, created from the Iguaçu river.

The falls are located at the border of Argentina and Brazil and can be viewed from both countries. We researched that you should spend a full day exploring in the Argentinian side before venturing over to see the falls from the Brazilian side.

Having arrived mid-afternoon, we decided to just go for a wander around Puerto Iguazú which is the small city located near the falls. With a full day of walking planned for the following day, we had a nice dinner that night and decided to get an early night, ready for a full day of exploring.

With our last day in Buenos Aires and having done the majority of the tourist activities, we decided to try and get to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay to spend a day there and experience the historic city. Unfortunately when we got to the ferry port, the price had rocketed up, so we decided to just have a chilled day and relax. On our way back into town we did manage to see some local street performers showcasing some Tango though.

We grabbed some lunch at a restaurant and decided to go back to our apartment and watch a few movies before getting packed and ready for our trip to Iguazu Falls the next morning. Even though we didn’t get to visit Uruguay, the relaxing was a blessing in disguise, as it helped us recharge and reenergise after a busy travel schedule over the last few weeks.

Out of all the places we were planning on visiting on our trip, the one football stadium that Craig wanted to visit was La Bombonera where Boca Juniors play. Known to have some of the most passionate fans in the world, we were hopeful of attending a match, but unfortunately we weren’t able to due to the fixture schedule, but we did manage to do a full VIP tour through the whole stadium.

We had full access to the football museum, the changing rooms, pitchside and also the pit where the hardcore animals (sorry fans) watch the match and are deemed to be the “12th player” due to their constant vocal support. We were even able to lift a few trophies that the club has won over the years for a few photos. The tour guide was great and provided a lot of in-depth information about the club over the years and even pointed out Diego Maradona’s private box which he was given permanently, even for his family when he dies. It looks like a great view also, right bang in the centre of the pitch and above the stadium clock which shows how long the club has been running for since it was founded.

After the tour, we popped outside for a few photos with Messi, Tevez and Maradona before heading over to the La Boca neighbourhood, known for vibrantly coloured painted buildings and is said to have been where tango dancing was created.

We enjoyed walking round the neighbourhood and then had a late lunch/early dinner and got to experience some live tango dancing whilst we ate.

Later that evening we decided to go to a sports bar so Craig could watch Boca Juniors play an away game against San Martín Tucumán. Having initially thought the place would be full of fans watching the game, there were only a handful and it was nothing compared to the atmosphere of a pub in Scotland watching football… although it was still a great night having a few drinks and chilling out.

Now settled in Buenos Aires and with more time, we decided to go out and visit the city centre again and this time take in some of the museums and interesting buildings/structures that Buenos Aires had to offer. We’re not big on visiting museums in general, but there aren’t many main tourist attractions in Buenos Aires to visit so it was a good opportunity to experience some of them whilst on our trip.

Later that day we headed out for an early dinner. As Argentina are known to have some of the best steak in the world, we can wholeheartedly say we’ve had better in Edinburgh! Maybe we didn’t go to the right restaurant or choose the right cut of steak or maybe our expectations were too high to start with, but it was as good as you would find in most popular restaurants. It was still tasty though and the cheap wine went down very nicely along with it (a half bottle of wine only cost £1)!

The next day we caught our flight from Santiago and enjoyed the views flying over the Andes mountain range before arriving into Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Once we got there we dropped off our bags off and wandered around the area. As we normally do on our first day in a new city, we didn’t do much other than wander around and get our bearings, before grabbing some food and checking out some of the popular tourist spots in the city centre of Buenos Aries before we called it a night.

The following day we took a 2 hour bus journey away to a neighbourhood called Valparaíso, known for colourful streets and ‘wall art’ (grafitti). It was literally everywhere, on every single building that you passed, it was covered in this beautiful street art.

We enjoyed wandering through the neighbourhood and then grabbed some typical Chilean lunch and had some ice cream in the sunshine. Their popular local food of choice is called empanadas, a pasty filled with either meat, cheese or anything that’s popular, although they don’t come close to a Gregg’s steak bake!

Later that night after returning to Santiago, there are a lot of busy, quirky areas, so we went to a popular area of town for some dinner and of course happy hour, which seemed to be all hour, every hour, everywhere you went, although, we weren’t complaining! After a few beers, wines and cocktails, we managed to make it back to the apartment for some decent sleep before another flight the following day.

The next morning we had a full day wine tour booked, which Katie was really looking forward to! We visited two vineyards in Chile, Santa Rita and Concha Y Toro. Both vineyards were great fun and really informative and of course we enjoyed all the free samples!

The first vineyard we visited was Santa Rita which was a really great tour with lovely vineyards and fantastic history. We got to see behind the production of the wine and how it goes from the vineyard to the factory and into the bottle. They can produce roughly 10,000 bottles of wine on the ranch a day! We also found out that during the early 1800’s, Santa Rita housed 120 Chilean soldiers in her ranch basement in order to provide them with rest in their fight for Chile’s independence against the Spanish oppression. We even got to sample some of the wine in that basement which also contains wine from the 1980’s which you can buy for extortionate prices. This is the reasoning behind one of their most famous wines “120”.

In our second vineyard we visited was Concha Y Toro, famous for their Casillero Del Diablo wine. The tour wasn’t as good this time round and they were a bit stingy on the samples, but we learned more about the history of the wine. As most of you may know, wine is kept in a cellar, under lock and key. However, the story of Casillero del Diablo goes in one particular vineyard that the wine mysteriously kept disappearing, so more than a hundred years ago a plan was devised to put an end to the thefts. A rumour was spread that the devil lived in this cellar. The rumor spread like wild fire. Many claimed to have seen the devil with their very own eyes, and before long everyone trembled with fear. Of course, we got to see this particular cellar and what happens? They turn the lights out and try to put the fear of God into you! However, it all added to the fun and enjoyment of the day.

Katie felt that it was the best day ever! Wine, wine, wine and more wine. Maybe some more of us enjoyed the day more than others but it was certainly a worthwhile experience, especially when you are in Chile who are known for having great wine. Visiting a vineyard is a must!

Fun tip: if you suck in some air whilst you have some wine in your mouth it enhances the potency of the alcohol in your mouth!

One is an international superstar and one of the best footballers in the world, who oozes class and is loved, respected and admired by millions round the world… the other is Andrea Pirlo

The next day we arrived at our wee apartment and dropped off our belongings before wandering through the city centre to see some of the historical buildings, as well as the Plaza de Centro, which is an area full of markets, stalls, traditional street food and live acts.

Later that evening we took the Funicular up to San Cristóbal Hill, which has a large statue of the Virgin Mary on top. It rises about 300m above the rest of Santiago, with the peak being the second highest point in the city. As you can imagine it had the best skylines of the city. We stayed there for sunset and were even able to see the Andes Mountains in the distance.

As always, we hit happy hour and had a few drinks, whilst enjoying the busy hustle and bustle ambience of the windy streets and alleyways. On our way back to the apartment we even got to see a local musical and dance group performing on the street for everyone.