Today was Uruguay day. Immigration and customs was relatively simple and soon we were in the land of estancias and old cars. Uruguay is a little like Cuba – lost in time. The cars falling to pieces and old – friendly folk and now I have to speak Spanish ! The countryside is deserted except for prime beef and at midday we arrive in Montivideo – something like Rio without the mountains in the 50´s, complete with its own mini Ipanema. Only difference is the water is a muddy brown as the mighty Rio de la Plata discharges its sediments into the sea.

We decide to cross to Buenos Aires at this point in preference to another further inland to save time in our quest for Ushuaia. The 'Buqebus' is a high-speed ferry that will carry us across the Gulf at 30 knots. We enjoy a European styled meal at a café in the ferry terminal. The fish was excellent and the building airy and cool - relief from the heat outside. Buqebus was late and exceptionally boring - only a free shop with no underwear for Beto and the airrcon on full blast - getting us well trained for the south. I crashed on the floor and got a little shut eye.

The arrival at the ferry terminal at Buenos Aires (at a glance) resembles the arrival of the Manly ferry in Syndey – remember only a glance. The Yacht club is beautifully situated at the ferry terminal entrance with tall mirror clad buildings towering up behind it. Big name conglomerates like Microsoft, Bell South and others are carried aloft seemingly so distant form the crisis in Argentina.

A small hiccup and a 100 dollars gets us through customs and before we know it we are speeding across the city into the sunset on an elevated highway. Our aim is to get through the city ASAP. We buy a map and get on RUTA 3 which we will not leave for another 3000km – that is when we go sailing in Ushuaia. 150 km south of BA we reach Las Flores – wide avenues with lots of trees – and we check into the ´expensive´ (15 dollars) Hotel Avenida. Complete with a classic European café styled lobby - a place where you could imagine guys in tuxedos and women dancing the tango.

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