Ben and Sylvie in South America

The border between Argentina and Chile runs at the highest points on the Andes that separate the two countries. When we heard that a bus connects the two countries via the most northern pass of el Paso de Jamo, we knew we wanted to take it. The Pullman coach had left Salta at 630 am… Read more: Purmamarca to San Pedro de Atacama.

One of the books that has stayed with me the most is ‘Patagonia’ by Bruce Chatwin. I read it over 20 years ago when I had little idea where Patagonia or Argentina were. The book describes a hostile land where immigrants from Wales, Germany and Scandinavia settled. I was fascinated by the stories of immigrants… Read more: The Bottom of the world.

After Six delicious weeks of Spanish lessons, of long, luxurious lunches in our favourite restaurant; of navigating the streets on our blue buenos bicycles; of blooming jacaranda trees; of snapping photos of every tree or any piece of street art that catches my eye; of afternoon siestas; of expresso coffees in Pertuti café and of… Read more: Goodbye Buenos Aires.

Sitting in la Plaza de Dorrega, the main square in San Telmo on our first night in Buenos Aires it was difficult to tell if we were drunk from the excitement of finally arriving after months of talking about it or on the Malbec wine that accompanied our dinner. We had chosen Buenos Aires as… Read more: More ramblings on Buenos Aires.

Two weeks in BuenosAires. We have now been in Buenos Aires for over two weeks and although we are free from work and other schedules we have somehow still developed the beginning of a routine. Three mornings a week I have been going to a gym which is a block away from our apartment. The… Read more: Buenos Aires – Daily Life.

We arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday night after a short flight from Santiago. We were met by Juan , a man too tall to drive cars for a living who looked like he would be more comfortable looking after a vineyard . As he drove us towards the city he told us of the… Read more: Buenos Aires.

Valparaiso is 80 minutes drive from Santiago. We were picked up at 830 after a delicious Omelette and coffee breakfast. We had been awake for 4 hours by this time as we had not get over our jet lag. Google helped our conversation with the driver , Juan, but Sylvie soon discovered her Spanish was… Read more: Valparaiso

During the dry summer months last year, Sylvie installed a round metal tin on the edge of a wall on our outside terrace. She knew the birds would appreciate some fresh water. Last week, as we carried boxes of our belonging down the stairs we often found the magpie drinking from the bowl. He sang… Read more: Monday 3 October.

“The most we can do is write – intelligently, creatively, critically, evocatively – about what it is like living in the world at this time” Oliver Sachs