Massive update!

Here you go Charlie, an update!

Ok, got a lot of days to do.

10/08/09

I didn´t get my washing back, so I spent another day around Paysandu, it was a bit hotter today so I went back to the river and just relaxed and read. I also had a ´moment´: why do I care that I had to spend an extra day somewhere, I was sat on the bank of the river Uruguay, in Paysandu, Uruguay, in the sun, reading and relaxing - thats never going to happen again!

Had a monster sandwich that night - although calling it a sandwich is only really a technicality, it had bread at the top and bottom, in between it went like this: sweetcorn, olives, lettice, tomato, fried egg, hard boiled egg, cheese, ham, bacon, and steak. I think my heart stopped a little whilst I was eating it.

11/08/09

Spent alot of the day waiting at the Paysandu bus terminal, but I had my washing back - yay! Got the bus back to Colon, Argentina, and then another out to El Palmar National Park. By the time I got there it was 17:30, and I was greeted at the entrance by a grinning lady who then told me that the campsite was on the other side of the park, by the river, 12km away.... great, and because it was 17:30, it would be dark in just over an hour. No worries I thought, 5kph with my bag, be there in just over 2 hours, I´ve got a torch, it´ll be fine.

It was all going well until I came across the fire centre, where a mentally aggressive dog meant I couldn´t get past. Balls, stuck, 5km from the campsite with no one about. Luckly, salvation came about 10mins later in the shape of a Park Warden who pulled over and gave me ride the erst of the way, complete with the mental dog having a go at the car as if to justify me not walking any further! On the way we saw quite a few Carpinchos (massive rodents, they kind of look like guinea pigs, but they´re 3ft long and about 2ft tall, and the males weigh up to 80kgs! Thats the same as me!)

Got to the campsite and was surrounded by more rodents, little ones about the size ot rabbits, but with long tails and short ears. They´re all around the campsite. Also saw a tiny owl, only about 8inches tall hunting and landing on the branch above me. Set up the tent and crashed out.

12/08/09

Woke up to the most amazing sun rise, absolutley beautiful. Spent the day walking around the park. Took a walk along the historical trail, and then just spent the day getting lost and eating bread and apples (they became my staple diet for 3 days!) I´m not really sure exactly where I went, just walked about amoungst all the trees taking the place in.

When I got back to the campsite I thought I´d give the restaurant ago, but the kitchen was closed, so another sandwich for me! I was joined by a guy (who I later found outwas the chef) and the waitress and we sat around chatting for a bit before they invited me to join them for an asado (BBQ) and poker! Ace, so that was how I spent the rest of the night, eating amazing BBQ´d meat, drinking red wine, and playing poker, and not paying for any of it!

13/08/09

I walked out to one of the trails 6km from the campsite, to find that it was closed. So I doubled back, and went down another of the trails and came across this beautiful secluded spot down by the river. There was just me for miles around and I spent hours sat there just relaxing, watching the birds fly about and huge fish near the surface of the water.

I´ve got to stop here because the terminals have a 20min limit. I´ll carry on the update tomorrow.

Take it easy,