Patagonia

Tough as it was to leave the warm breakfast scones in the Irish hostel in Bariloche, we had been really looking forward to taming Patagonia. The photos are the only way to appreciate the beauty of this wild region, which spreads across southern Chile and Argentina. An epic 32hour bus journey to El Calafate at a 10degree drop in temperature - made worthwhile by the unbelievable Perito Moreno glacier trek. Crevasses, rivers, 300 meter high caves and icey-blue lagoons - truly spectacular.

Our next stop was El Chalten "Hiking Capital of Argentina". A beautiful drive along Ruta 23 & 40 revealed the stunning Cerro Torre and Cerro FitzRoy. 4 days here, hiking to hidden lakes, floating icebergs and watching the Heineken Cup on ESPN en Español. A Leinster-Munster semi-final in Croker may mean very pricey flights home. "Anyone buyin' or sellin' tickets?!"

Torres del Paine (Chile's world-famous national park) was washed out due to a whinjury (Rob) and the horrendous weather. We managed to get one day of hiking here, but left feeling that El Chalten is the winner of this Argentina-Chile faction.

From here, the only thing left to conquer was the "End of the Line... Tierra del Fuego". Our destination was Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city. On a ferry crossing the Strait of Magellan, I bought a burger and mashed potatoes, served with Kerrygold butter no less! Jackie Healy-Rae you can sleep easy!

Photos of our Patagonian adventures are here.