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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 18, 2006 07:00 PM 12 hours on the bus to Mendoza...
To get from colonial Cordoba to the wineries of Mendoza you have two ways: morning bus and evening one. I made a choice of morning one. I wanted to see scenery... TAC company departs at 7 am and it cost 41 pesos. I came to the terminal on time, but the bus appeared at 7.30... TAC does not look very reliable - the bus was old, the service does not exist.
They do not stop for the refreshments. A/c was working only at the begining of the trip. The scenery: green fields of corn, sunflower... flat landscape... Hot, hot... Now I know - so you will also know. After 12 hours on the bus I landed in Mendoza - nice prowincial city. It was writen in the guide book that it is the city of sun and wine... It is raining here olny 5 days each year. I was lucky to arrive on one of this five days - it was storm when I was looking for Alamo Hostel convenienty located in the centre. The staff is helpful and speaks good English. They charge 24 peso for the dorm bed with breakfast and clean towel... Let me have a rest....
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Feb 17, 2006 07:00 PM Cordoba - Argentina
Retiro bus station is one of the biggest I saw. Crowds in the Friday`s evening... Ticket for the overnight bus to Cordoba cost 60 pesos. Quite comfortable double decker but do not expect any service. 10 hour on board. At sunrise long walk from Cordoba bus station to the Youth Hostel. Backpack is heavier now - I put there all my warm clothes... For 17 pesos I got dorm bed and free (but slow) internet. Shower was like a dream after two days on the road! And a big cup of coffee!.
Then I can visit the old town. My route through Argentina is chosen to see unknown places like Cordoba - old colonial town. World Heritage Site... Nice architecture around Plaza San Martin. Pretty ladies... But do not come here to visit just after 12 am! All churches are locked from noon till 4.30 pm. Do they want to say that The Lord is also out for siesta at that time?
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Feb 16, 2006 07:00 PM My Buenos Aires - after years...
Ezeiza airport is well organized, they have very efficient info desk just after the customs (do not bring any fruits - everything is X-rays screened). Then there is a national bank to change your dollars (3,05 peso for 1 USD - no commision! - ask for some coins!). Then the real backpacker goes outside, turn left to Terminal B and left again - you will see he stop of the bus 86. (see my post on the forum) - it cost only 1.35 peso to the central Buenos - less then half a dollar! 35 km!
It is my third time in Buenos... I left the backpack in Retiro bus station (7 pesos) and walked along my old trails again... With great pleasure... I found El Viejo Almacen where some 22 years ago I admired for the first time the real tango! Boca seems to be much more commercial now... Heavy day - in Warsaw it was snowing on departure and here - 32 deg Celsius in the shadow!...
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Feb 15, 2006 07:00 PM One- way ticket via Paris...
I am flying to Argentina for free! It is worth to know that there are very few frequent flyer programs where you can ´'buy`` one-way ticket for half of the points you need for round-trip. The one I know is Flying blue of KLM and Air France. It is very useful for long-range traveller... That´s what I used for my flight to Argentina. Air France Warsaw - Paris was OK. But 777 from Paris to Buenos was cramped, crowded and... do you know why they serve warm water instead of the regular tea? We landed in Buenos after 13 hours on the plane. Uff... Welcome to South America!
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Feb 14, 2006 07:00 PM First day - first adventure...
Yesterday in the evening when my backpack was already locked up I got a telephone call from LOT Polish Airlines. "-Your flight tomorrow morning is cancelled! We can offer you a seat on the next flight - six hours later!" I agreed - no choice... Fortunately I planed overnight stay in Warsaw anyway so I'll not loose my connection... Even in Poland You cannot plan tight connections - especially in the winter! I just landed in snowy Warsaw. Friend was waiting for me... First day - first adventure!
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Feb 13, 2006 07:00 PM New voyage starts tomorrow!
I am packing again my old backpack... New, great voyage starts tomorrow! I am flying to Warsaw and then with free award ticket via Paris to Buenos Aires... Then down - to Tierra del Fuego to embark little expedition ship. Just see the map... There will be a lot of new in this voyage: I'll spend a lot of of time on the ocean - vistiting unknown, distant islands. I hope that king penguins alr already waiting for me on South Georia! Please keep your fingers crossed!
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Jan 14, 2006 07:00 PM Ready for T-5 train...
I am back in Guilin-China. At the railway station I got my ticket for the tnternational T-5 train Beijing-Hanoi. There are soft sleeper cars only - they charge hefty 527 yuan. But I got it! Depart will be in the afternoon. There is another - less expensive option to get to Vietnam: 10.30 pm sleeper bus to the border for 250 yuan and then on the other side you have to look for the other bus to Hanoi. But I have bad experience with chineese sleeper buses: they are for the people who are up to 150 cm tall and not so wide. I am 182 cm, so for me a night I such a bus is like a hell... Thank you!
On my first evening in Guilin on the main street between rail and bus stations I was bothered by the local ladies. "Beautiful, beautiful!"- they know some english words. "F... - 200 yuan!"-they offered. And when I politely said: Shieshie! Thank you! the price for "F..." dropped dramatically to 100 yuan.
100 yuan is just 12,50 USD. The price for the party with "beautiful" chineese ladies is not so high! I saw the same ladies on the main street today... They did not repeat their offer - probably because I had a huge bacpack on me. I did not see any presence of People's Police there...
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Jan 09, 2006 07:00 PM China - along the Pearl River
It is good to have a friend in the far-away country! We met four months ago in the high mountains of Pakistan, where we taravelled together bumpy and dusty roads of the Hindukush...
It was almost midnight when my delayed Nortwest flight landed in new Guangzhou airport. She - the charming Chineese lady - was waiting for me patiently in the arrival hall. I was really happy to see her again!
In the morning she guided me to the busy downtown of 3.5-million Guangzhou (former Canton). I hoped to see there some high buildings - I saw much more then I expected. China serprises me... They run a lot a construction work and soon in Canton there will be more new skyscrapers then on the Manhattan. We had my favourite dumplings - baodzy - for lunch... Then we visited Chan Clan village, three main temples and imposing stone cathedral - the tourist highligts of Canton. On the river there is Shamian Island - former colonial enclave with narrow, shaddy streets ant some old, fancy buildings. At the dusk it is worth to be on the promenade on the riverside of Pearl River - lights, iluminated boats pasing by, wonderful music - just enchanting moment... It was great day - thank you my friend! Tomorrow I am heading to Guilin...
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Jan 09, 2006 07:00 PM Along the Pearl River
It is good to have a friend in the far-away country! We met four months ago in the high mountains of Pakistan, where we taravelled together bumpy and dusty roads of the Hindukush...
It was almost midnight when my delayed Nortwest flight landed in new Guangzhou airport. She - the charming Chineese lady - was waiting for me patiently in the arrival hall. I was really happy to see her again!
In the morning she guided me to the busy downtown of 3.5-million Guangzhou (former Canton). I hoped to see there some high buildings - I saw much more then I expected. China serprises me... They run a lot a construction work and soon in Canton there will be more new skyscrapers then on the Manhattan. We had my favourite dumplings - baodzy - for lunch... Then we visited Chan Clan village, three main temples and imposing stone cathedral - the tourist highligts of Canton. On the river there is Shamian Island - former colonial enclave with narrow, shaddy streets ant some old, fancy buildings. At the dusk it is worth to be on the promenade on the riverside of Pearl River - lights, iluminated boats pasing by, wonderful music - just enchanting moment... It was great day - thank you my friend! Tomorrow I am heading to Guilin...
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Jan 09, 2006 07:00 PM China - along the Pearl River
It is good to have a friend in the far-away country! We met four months ago in the high mountains of Pakistan, where we taravelled together bumpy and dusty roads of the Hindukush...
It was almost midnight when my delayed Nortwest flight landed in new Guangzhou airport. She - the charming Chineese lady - was waiting for me patiently in the arrival hall. I was really happy to see her again!
In the morning she guided me to the busy downtown of 3.5-million Guangzhou (former Canton). I hoped to see there some high buildings - I saw much more then I expected. China serprises me... They run a lot a construction work and soon in Canton there will be more new skyscrapers then on the Manhattan. We had my favourite dumplings - baodzy - for lunch... Then we visited Chan Clan village, three main temples and imposing stone cathedral - the tourist highligts of Canton. On the river there is Shamian Island - former colonial enclave with narrow, shaddy streets ant some old, fancy buildings. At the dusk it is worth to be on the promenade on the riverside of Pearl River - lights, illuminated boats pasing by, wonderful music - just enchanting moment... It was great day - thank you my friend! Tomorrow I am heading to Guilin...
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