10 February 2011 – North Western Argentina – 10:03am

We arrive in the rather non-de-script border town of Salto around 11pm Uruguayan time at a bus station on the edge of town. We then discover that the U$50 (€2) bus to the other side of the border doesn't run that late so the 5 of us have no choice but to get U$700 (€30) taxis for the 40 minute trip across the frontera. Using two taxis, we had off to a border crossing where the military staff don't even bother looking at our faces before stamping another stamp to let us back into Argentina ( Note, we left Uruguay on the 10th Feb, but arrived into Argentina on the 9th February due to the time difference. I do like a bit of time travel. From the border it's another 20 minutes in the taxi to a bus station where we sit around a picnic table, drawing pictures, watching bugs, discussing how everything from maleria to divorce. During which time a lady collapses, screaming ensues, she's been given chest compressions in the corner of the room with loads of people looking on. Not sure what her outcome was but 5 frantic minutes later she was manhandled out of the bus station into an ambulance.

Though before that I learnt another important lesson, always make sure your passport is secure. I had been sitting in my hoodies pocket and on arriving into the bus station it was nowhere to be found, had I left it in the taxi, had someone pick-pocketed it, where was the nearest Irish embassy, how much hassle was it going to be. But Rosey & Verity head back out to the street outside and come back in two minutes later, puddle soaked passport in hand. Hugely relieved, I the spend the following hours vowing always to keep it secure.

Half an hour late from it's 3:25am scheduled time, we board the Andesmar bus for the 10 hour bus ride to Peurte Igazu. Upstairs in a semi-cama seat, we get some sleep whilst bumping over the Argentinean mud road which is taking the place of the road which looks like it's very much under construction. A breakfast of a cup of tea and an Afajor, along with Angels & Demons playing loudly n he buses Tv screens and we're well on our way to the town at the northern tip of the country.