How I came from Bariloche (Argentina) to Valdivia (Chile)

Leaving Bariloche

Truly and sincerly it was quite easy. Ahead I had something like 340 km and as I already know from the south and from Argentina,chilians like to give a ride without any problems. But still.

I started from Bariloche,quite late,in about 2 pm,then I head to head for Villa Angostura. As its already happening in surroundings of Bariloche,noone ever gives u ride for longer than a   few kilometers,2-18km and u will ve very lucky to get longer one,but if u are already in some adequate distance from Bariloche and it touristy areas (where especially over here u wouldnt have problem to find a ride from anywhere to anywhere),its getting faster. 

The only trouble is that the most of Argentinians are staying on Argentinian side and noone is really interested to go to Chile. As the rivality between Chile and Argentina is very strong and hostility in the air as well (yeah the war on Malvinas/Falklands,Sarmiento and other historical things makes the situation between Chile and Argentina quite serious. But well,here we go. I got a long ride to Villa Angostura and then I got picked up with some girls on holidays,where on was a trainer of hockey played on grass (I have no idea which one is it),and anotherone was dreaming secretly when she will finish tourism to do the same  thing as I am doing. Then I just got like 30 km from the border and no car was passing by to the border. 

Already loosing hope stopped the car and the peson was going to Puerto Montt. The guy was polish decendency and was reporter for some sport channel making programs about fishing with a flyies or something like that. I am not the fisherman :D But was going from Puerto Montt directly with flight to Koyaike (the place which seems that magical and attractive,that it has just stuck in my head from the moment I met close to Rivadavia at sunrise few days ago,heading for Bariloche,2 german girls who let them self kick out on spot to hitch to Sarmiento .... From Sarmiento is possible to take a turn to Koyaike,national park,just 2 cities,rutas de ripio - the countryroads not paved on that small part of Chile which is all like a national park. Koyaike... Magic!Bum!

Ok.ok,hush,we got to argentinian border and me always trying to be funny started to talk to the guys over there(normally till the moment they stop having the face like from a stone and make a small smile :) what I have managed this time as well :) 

That reminds me controls in Fry Bentos from Uruguay to Argenina and its international bridge crossing over river which then changes to river Plata. When my passport was taken by one officer and kept hostage for  about half an hour or so,just because I was trying to be f..ing funny :P

We passed the Argentinian border without problems, and me with my crazy guesses where your face comes from guess good one bolivian killer on the wall of their office :) I havent seem much bolivians,but this looked pretty bolivianish :D

So we proceeded to Chilian border,which is about 20 km from Argentinian,huh?

But well,we came,all the billion small papers and forms,where u have to write when u are leaving Chile and others stuff (which I was explained once I hitched someone from Carabinieros - police in Torres del Paine with familiars on a vacation,that if I put there 10 days for example and they wouldnt find out that I left the country in 10 days they will start to look for me.Looks creepy,isnt it?  As at that moment I was told that in Chile the people just simply dont get lost. They got lost all around the world,but just in Chile not! Great to hear that :)

And there is another very disturbing thing about crossing chilian border. Means whole luggade check up! Looking for anything eatable originated from any plant and animal or even bijuterie or artesanats from any kind of part,that cant be imported,because they could contaminate this beautiful country named Chile.

Salto de Novios,our pee stop :)

I got in a small fight with an officer,as he wanted to unpack my backpack. If u know my backpack,u as well know,that it takes a while to puut things back and as well to give them an order,though I just told him,if he takes it out, I want him to as well to tide it up back. On that Mr told me that he is going to give me fine.

Me: "And for what?" 

Officer:"For not wanting to obbey the terms of entrance of the state."

Me:"I am not dinaying anything,I just want u to tide up the mess u will make."

and round and round,till he got pissed on and try to threaten me,that he will let me to get arrested. I am sometimes cabeza dura,but the argentinian who was there with me just got a bit unconfortable with me looking for a prove of ridiculusness of whatever the guy told me that at the end I unpacked and packed it again,with question where are toilets. On that I got answer that there and u would have to pay that and that. What? Its for services and keeping clean the enviroment etc. etc. etc. 

Yeah,u know what? We went to forest then :D here u go with your absolute capitalism.

I got to crossroads when my way with Mr reporter were going each one to different direction,mine to Valdivia and his to Puerto Montt. 

These interesting birds were
running close to entrance
of the highway -
look at the long beak
Reminded me darwins
studies
They are big like a chicken

I lifted my finger and second car stopped. God of the thumbing people,bless Chile! :)

Me looking inside seeing 4 guys - means full house frowning on them as looking if there would be any trouble. But I came closer. At the end guy jumped out and put my bag to the trunk and told me to hop in between the guys as they are just going from classes from university in Osorno. Uff,thanks god. And we went,they have been going to Valdivia. The guys got kicked out after 30km and I continued with driver about 30 absolute addict to bussiness. Changing bussniesses as socks,earning and loosing,not sleeping,rotating money as he could. Till the moment he started to telling me the thing like : Wouldnt u get bored looking at the same woman at the same clothes every day,u would for sure,so for me that was my bussness. When he named the girl he spent 7 years with name of mother of my daughter (sounds like incubator,and this was not the first time I heared something such ugly telling about women some chillian,as if the women was just some domestic utencil... Anyway,reminds me Ireland and Irish guys who has these expresions about Irish women as well),obviously any feelings for the lady. And I absolutely resigned on that type of person and trying to have some reasonable conversation with him,in the moment when he was trying to persuade me that the men has right to cheat on women and the cheating men is better than none and I should be happy to find some where I wouldnt find that he is cheating... Oh well,I prefer to be on my own,really than with someone who is abviously using and misusing me.

Thogh and though,here we go! We came to Valdivia and I got to the place where I had to be staying! :)

But there starts another story :)

P.S.: Waiting time in this area less than 20 minutes (on saturday - worst hh day)

Hitchhiking around San Carlos de Bariloche - Cerro Campenario

Cerro Campenario

Yesterday I have decided that after comming to this touristy ski and mountany center it would be a pity just to stay watching the mountains from the window and even though that my leg didnt wantet to obey me at all,I just set on questionary and later on on hitch to Cerro Campenario which is about 27km from Bariloche on the west.

After getting to the Informaition center in the downtown,which is located in Centro Civico with a city hall next to the port in Bariloche,near to Lago Nahuel Huapi,I just got to know,that at that place they cant tell me anything about triles and hiking to the mountain,as they are not certified to. Huh,again,the argentinian burocracy,when one is holding just part of the iinformation or is not allowed to tell the rest and u have to go and look for another point of indicias to get to final winning information which pushes u closer forward to your destiny! Opening the gate and find a treasure XDD no,just kidding.
Looking for a place I just found out that some nice crime had to happen on one street that they absolutely closed it and any kind of information was refused to be given to public,great.
But I managed to find by accident the factory of my belowed Bambi! or at least certified seller.

Well,I would like to tell u something about Bariloche. Its the city laying on foot of the Andies in the district of lakes. So u can find lakes evrywhere and do whichever sport u like. Its a skiresort in the winter as climbing,hiking,water sport resort in the summer.
Bariloche is capital of chocolates and u will find chocolate shops everywhere around.
The most known are Mamushka (amazing chocolate,indeed. Here in argentina they call matriosha mamusha - russian dolls where is one inside of another one hidden. But in Bariloche Mamusha is a chocolate brand L),where u can try some for free even and then u wouldnt resist to buy more,or as well very know Turista and my favourite Patagonic Bambi :)) And and and many many others.I dont know where they are buying chocolate from,as in general in south america the chocolate is extremely expensive and not very good in generaly the states I passed trough - as I dont recommend it to buy it in Brazil,where its about more animal fat inside than cocoa and chocolate and its just extremely expensive and not very good. Sorry,my friends Brazilians :/

The Bariloche is one of the bigger cities in region with 130 000 people out of the season,like now,when asking for a job is just nonsense,as there arent any jobs available.
At least at what I wouuld accept to work in...

Bariloche is part of Patagonia,so its very windy. On the north on km 26 there is a national park called LLao LLao,witch its beauties which I havent explored yet,but about that next time.

Well,when I found out everything I needed I just started to hitch next to the port,first 2 people took me about 2 km each,and there I got to know about 2 universities operating in the Bariloche on the third ride I met the profesor working on research on nuclear reactor in the school :)  Good talks about nuclear physics again ... How I missed that kind of stuff. Sometimes u can have really great talk about everything possible with someone who u have to spend 8 hours in a car,if u of course dont want to get out sooner,about phylosophy,history,theoretical and practical naturals ciences etc. (well this happened to me on the way

from Sarmiento to Bariloche).Anyway,I had no idea that here in a such a small place like Bariloche is Atomic Center. But if I take it like this,how should look like CERN which is located in the middle of the Alps,isnt?

As I got to Cerro Campenario,I decided to climb up,I already noticed that there is no marking of the way and u just choose one by the good sense,so I got up without troubles. The view is really nice from the hill,anyway - short video to prove it.Anyway,here I have to praise chilians for excelent marking of the trails and protection of the nature and as well having special tracks for horses and people.

The trouble started when I had to come back. No markings of the way and bad orientation in the forest of tall trees and muddy surface made that I took one wrong turna nd appeared on some private property. On te gate behind I have seen - Cuidado con el Perro! Opa,guay! (Attention,dog!Great). Not that the path wasnt marked now I had to be fighting with some dogs. I just wished that I wouldnt meet any. Walking slowly on the path further on with a heart squeezes to small size of my chest. Step by step. The black siluet appeared down approaching,running and barking. Yeah,the people here love the big dogs! Me with my lethal weapon - the plastic bottle trying to put in front of me for defence,got frozen. Trying to talk to a dog. Well,he was doing his job,defending the teritory. He tried to even get to me from the back,teeth out,just ready to bite.
If u look on it from another side - what if he did bitten u - some rabbies vaccine are not anything nice,but well,one can survive and for sure he wouldnt kill u,not this time,broen bones,torn tissues and he would go for nice sleepy injection. I would be pity of the animal,as it was really nice black huge dog.

After 15 minutes of rotation,staying calm and not moving much,trying to talk to a dog,he just gave up and went back to the forest.
Continuing on the parth,barking again,more profound,shit,not again!Luckyly there was some fence and some people ove there. The dogs didnt left their property,but the people didnt even helped me out,as I was trying to ask for a way,they just replayed not this one,great! Obviously lost foreigner in the path full of crazy dogs defending their houses is the best thing ever,why to be friendly and show u the way?
Walking trough there came another 2 huge agry dogs and another one on the chain to pass. After about half an hours trying to defend my self with a plastic bottle against barking snaping dogs came a small kid from nearby house and saved me with words,they wont do anything ... (but they didnt look like,even though triing to attack me and why dont u have a fences here???rang in my head). But I just frowned and went away. Finally I got from the crazy area of wild dogs of the size of Bernardin - yeah they have been too,but luckyly in a house with some fences and started to hitch. Normally u dont wait a long,max 10 minutes(what is even less than a bus would come) and got a ride with a guy who was trying to push me in my head that I should stop eating anything with flour that I am extremely obese,though I explained him,why I am like this and he just got shut up :) Yeah,but I know,flour,artificial sugars,eating later than 6 hours before sleep,not sleeping properly or not sleeping at all makes my body to keep all the energy in and it doesnt look or feel that well anymore.
And then I met one Catalan! Meeting european who is not a tourist here its just simply not that easy and still somehow :) It made my day!

Well,though and though,thats the small story from yesterday.

On the long run down to the end of the world - Usuhaia

Leaving from Puerto Madryn was bit hastle and complicated,as I was staying at the family of Miguel and they somehow forgot to warn me that there will come the cleaning lady,as she wasnt warned as well,that I am in the house and she moved my things all around the place,so I was kind of playing hide and seek with different kind of stuff I had out of my backpack at the time she arrived and I wasnt in.

Typical sight on countryside in Patagonia

The things I lost and havent found I had to buy again in Usuhaia :(Pity or maybe,thats the destiny,anyway :)) Nothing very important got lost. But to continue with the travel. I got out of the house about 3 pm,after saying goodbye to everybody,gave kisses and hugs and left one of the places and people who I really liked.

The manual how to get out of the city was easy - 3 bloks right and then just follow the avenue of 25th of may or whatever. I got to another avenue,which seemed to be going out of the city as well and started to hitch. Yes,I am lazy and started to hitch inside of the city,and guess what :) I was lucky and got a ride afeter walking about 3 bloks more from imigration officer,who used to lived in Ireland and hitched around the Europe in his young times as well. He was going to Trelew.
One of the thing what u will notice very easily in Patagonia,that u find a ride very easily,anywhere. The thing is,that the distances between the cities are tremendous and its freezing cold and very windy over there. No signal for most of the time on your phone (almost like in interior of brazil where u have to wait 400km to get one stripe of the signal of whatsoever on your phone to make a call). Just a bushy grass,lot of a wind and time to time one sheep.

Guanacos

In patagonia there is quite interesting rule. That if u get stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere for a show or whatsoever u can kill a sheep and eat it,but u have to leave the skin over there,just to let know the shepards/farmers that the sheep is missing. In this area are appearing as well Guanacos - which are something like smaller Llamas,they are protected. And cant be killed,but somehow got some echoes about delicous Milanesas from Guanacos in Rio Grande,where there is a hell loads of them everywhere running around the roads like deers in our latitudes,but guanacos are more more much more than deers.
Guanacos are very curious animals and many times if u are out of the vehicle they come to see and observe u,but be careful. They can spit on u :)) Anyway,enough of these gorgeus blackeyed,longlashed furry spitting beasts,continueing ....
I got with the guy from imigrations to Trelew what is about 80km from Puerto Madryn and they I just even havent managed to lift my thumb and there I had a ride,heh,even to wrong direction,the person came and asked me as I was staying on round about,if he can take me somewhere to Rawson. I am writing this,just to show u that people are extremely nice and helpful as soon as u get to Patagonia. (If they wouldnt,u would be already dead by cold,hunger and thirst and thats not their point ;).
Then in 5 minutes I got a ride by one Porteno going from Bahia Blanca from the morning and with the exit point in Comodoro Rivadavia,which is one of the biggest cities where the argentinians drill Petrol and where the YPF petrol stations starts more and more (no Petrobras anymore,but still some internet).

Bambi :)

On this ride I found out the amazingness of the Alfajor Bambi - I highly recommend this one. Alfajors are very tipical thing in Argentina and its something like 2 hard or fluffy biscuits with dulce de leche inside. Most common and famous are Havannas,but in my opinion they are too sweet,too hard and me personaly I cant even finish one to dont have the feeling that my teeth will decompose after it.
Bambi is really nice and smooth and u can find it generaly in the districts of Santa Cruz - La Provincia Santa Cruz and Chubut.
Back to Comodoro. Comodoro Rivadavia is quite a big town and with Catete Olivia and Rio Grande on Tierra del Fuego are the most important petrol places in whole Argentina,even though is said that there is Petrol all under the surfice around these almost not inhabited areas of Patagonia.
When we got to Comodoro,I got an offer to stay for a night over there as it was already 8pm and the nigh has fallen,but I pushed forward. Took my bag and went for los Banos in the Gasstation where I seemed to noticed some finish or norwegian people (never been to these places,still dont have the phisiologic phenotip in my eye,just a guess) ,they passed me by when I lifted the thumb back on the road. One truck driver started to talk to me and seemed to be nice person,got an invitation for mate,which I refused as I am alergic to,but I got a ride and we continued to Catete Olivia,which was like 80 km from Comodoro trough already bit mountiny countryside which I havent seen anything of as it was a night,but its very recommendable to see it in a day. As the road goes very close to the sea and wthe clifs I have seen in Comodoro were quite impressive.
In Catete Olivia already at 9something I got dropped on the as u would say the best place at the begining of teh city - I hate when the people who think they leave u on best place and never hitched they just put u on one of the worst once,but whatever. First truck stopped and the ride offered was to Perrito Moreno.

As I wrote before,I dont have a map and in 5 minutes as we talked I got to know that is quite a wrong direction,so I hopped off :D Yeah,but in the middle of the city and now what. Bit angry,swearing to my own idiocy I walked few blocks and then I tried to ask the staying car on the sidewalk,if this road is correct to the end of the city,to get to some exit.(The trucks inside of the citycenter are forbidden and last once I have seen were going to Perrito Moreno - so be careful in this place - Catete Olivia,where they put u,as the road for trucks going out to San Julian and further down is going near the sea! to Perrito Moreno - direction to inside of the city and then turnes). Anyway I somehow persuaded the person to take me to exit and I got offered a shelter,again. Waiting on exit I made a short video and few photos. As u know my camera doesnt film anymore with sound,so I hope u wouldnt mind having this made on my phone.

Anyway,I made a photo as well on my phone,which seems to have a ghoast on it ... Maybe publish someday later ... Bit scary place and it stated to drizzle a bit. No cars,no trucks,10 pm, just a roundabout and some bad neighbourhood just behind my back what I was warned not to cross trough walking. The guy who brough me there offered me that he will pass in midnight and collect me if I would be still there. Luckyly I wasnt. In half hour passed a van which looked like comercial one and stopped. I got a bit confused,but went to ask. The ride was till San Julian,middle of nowhere 400km further on south,so there we went :) I started to be bit sleepy as the cold is making me very tired and I have the feeling that I even fell asleep for a while. But before I got to know about amazing gold mines in that area etc. In Puerto San Julian as I found out later on are a loads of Pinguins and Sea Lions and Focas - Seals,Cormorans etc. For sure place to visit,if u havent go to Punta Tombo and the peninsula which is close to Puerto Madryn. For me the entrance fees were too high.

Anf I like to find some free running pinguins and not to pay to see them :)

At the moment I got to San Julian,we passed the Rain and there stayed just a drizzle and horrible wind. Me in 3 layers of trousars and 4 layers of jackets dying from cold! I belong to Carribean!!! :(

Anyway,there passed one truck which was heading to comodoro and even made a round to see what I am doing there and if he can take me somewhere,well comodoro wouldnt be the best option and I would be more than 500km back again,no no. Even if I would freeze to death I didnt gave up. And there came a solution in 10 minutes. The ride which promissed going to Rio Gallegos from some type of argentinian DHL. The guy was quite wierd and further on,there was too warm inside,that after half an hour of talking I fell asleep. He woke me up suddenly and said that he is too tired and would like to go sleep as well and that I have to get out. Luckily we were on some gasstation,which I found out was Comandante Piedra Buena,just about 100sth km from San Julian. 

3 am,no cars,no truck,just a freezing cold,dead hours are even stronger in Patagonia. Noone goes,as if something would happen outside,no one would rescue u! No phone signal and the distances between cities longer than 200kms sometimes makes this road especially at night very inhospitable. I got to IPF and tried to take the things positively (even though I could be on my way to Rio Gallegos and I would save more than 4 hours,but well,fair play - I wasnt good company and I felt asleep,my fault).

On the gasstation I bought another bambi and a wam tea from the machine and there were 2 employees with mate watching the horror Saw 3 on a huge plasma. No customers,tranquilo... Too tranquilo and they told me that no internet was over there,but well,I got echo from truck driver later on that there was a net,anyway,I nejoyed watching Saw in spanish in the middle of the night,in the middle of nowhere,where the girl told me that there are loads of ukrainian imigrants in this area :)  Anyway.

They will tell u that the dead hour in Patagonia ends at 6 am,what is truth. U can even try to hitch arounf 5:30,but I am not sure that u will be successful. At 6 there is already some traffic so u will be lucky for sure.

This photo I made on a ferry :)
If u meet this guy,just say him hi from me!

From there I caught another wierd truckdriver and I had a troubles to dont fall asleep,I was keeping me up all the time,but the need was stronger and he wanted to talk talk and talk. I asked for mate,which later on had it response on my body... In this area especially the drivers are more than bit paranoid,they dont like to take people further on as there are lot of police controls and porbably they think u are carriing drugs or whatever.

So I had to hide in police controls,as they are not even allowed to take hitchhikers,no problem with that if they would lie to u. This guy was going to Rio Grande,but I was falling asleep,so he kicked me out in Rio Gallegos with words that I will for sure find someone soon.

There I met another hitchhiker from La Plata,who I have been meeting and passing next 2 days further on. Very nice person,brought me some Croatian decendency truck driver who was waiting at La Duana to get released with the things he was carrying to Rio Grande. As the Tierra del Fuego is Tax Free Zone and there are made a loads of Electronics,especially plasma TVs.

Do u see the shumbs up sign :)
Everything will be all right,babe!

The Croatian as I think his name was Rodrigo told him,that I am probably Slovenian,and somehow the people from south america dont understeand much the difference that we dont understeand everything from other slavic languages I just tried to do best to addapt and remeber on what I learnt passing trough Serbia,Croatia and Slovenia more than one and half year ago hitchhiking. I got some tips about living Slovenians emigrants close to Rio Grande etc. So who would be interested in some info about them,let me know ;) Maybe I will remeber where it was exactly what he told me :) I jumped for a second online and then I continued. Lifted my thumb on the start of highway and they closed the road. And now what. Another one was going trough the city. They closed the road because of some maintenance and I am not sure if they are doing it normaly or just with this special occasion. At least the people in Rio gallegos are funny :)) When I wanted to die from sleep,they just made me smile all the time :)

Anyway,got to the point where I could walk and fall asleep walking or managed to catch someone on a sidewalk,which looked quite like uncatchable. But I managed to get a ride in half an hour with one chillian living in Puerto Gallegos for already 20 years to exit of the city,yei! When I dont sleep I feel bit paranoid,depressed and bit scared and this chillian was quite affraid of me,when he put me on a place,he offered me the place to stay over or a ride to the chilian border later on that day if I would be able to catch anything. Very nice person,indeed.

On the spot was already another hitchhiker,laying on the grass,seemed to be a vagabund or something,but when he lifted up to his legs it was a boy about 22 years old,with all eyes red and frozen lips with a story that he is waiting for a ride over there for already 2 days and that he is triing to get back to Punta Arenas home.

That he spent night sleeping outside. He looked more than miserable,I felt pity of him,but couldnt help. If I would take him with me,I wouldnt get a ride neither and there would be two ill people at the end,and me as european would have problems to get my expenses convered in hospital. I dont know what happened with him at the end,I went few meters further on and started to hitchhike. In like half an hours I got a ride directly to Rio Gallegos. Thanks god for Lucas,who looked and behaved like one of my Czech friends,originaly from Bahia Blanca. Very good person and nice to talk to as well. Anyway. If u are hitch-hiking to Island of Tierra del Fuego,catch a ride and u dont have to pay for ferry. Its for free if u are in a car or a truck. They just pay for a truck. So no in and out fees,nothing,smooth ride to the Island of Tierra Del Fuego. 

Loads of paperwork on every border,but thats kind of normal in south america,I got used to have 4 papers showing entrance and exit of the country,billion stampings etc.

Look for the truck of company San Martin - they are bringing
TVs to Buenos Aires From Rio Grande and upside down. Their
LOGO is PINGUIN. So u can get 3 days nonstop ride from
Buenos Aires to Rio Grande if u are lucky :)

Then when u get to Chile,the paved road goes about 50kms to Ferry and then stops when u cross the ferry,exactly over there. And starts the country road,no asfalt. Forget the asfalt. Means that your speed goes down with truck to half- 40 km in good places and even less on places where there are huge holes. Take it for 5 hours to cross to Rio Grande,in best place 3 hours on that kind of road. So from crossing of the border in Argentina to Chile up to Rio Grande is 6 hours at least even though is just 380km. Count with it! And the ferry just goes till midnight and the fronties are opened till midnight and 30 minutes!!! Be careful about these dates! Or u will get stuck till 8 am or something like that waiting till they will let u in or out.

This video I made on Ferry - la lancha 

This one already dark - in Rio Grande - Part of Argentina. The most funniest thing is that the pavement starts exactly on argentinian part of the road. The chilians made the road paved just the the highly habitat places. There are no paved roads to Provenir,if u would like to visit.

Yeah,from Rio Grande is next 220 km trough cordilleras,mountains mountains and more mountains,lakes etc. Means if u go with a truck it will take u a lot,try to catch a car,but that seems to be quite difficult. I got a truck ride and got to Usuhaia at midnight exactly. So starting at a 3:30 from Puerto Madryn,arriving next day at 12:00am  makes 32 hours of long run to the end of the world and almost 2000km without real stop (except of 3 hours of dead hours in Comandante Piedra Buena :)

How to study in Argentina if u are foreigner

As many people know already especially here in South America,Argentina has a good education and the titles are valid(at least here in south america) and furthermore the education here on state universities,schools and courses provided by city councels are FOR FREE!!!
And furthermore there are no entrance tests! For any type of studies - nor artistic once,nor whichever,which for example in slovakia they would just take 5 people from 1000,here who comes,studies.
If he doesnt have talent,he with highest probability wouldnt pass trough first exam period :) Though and though.
For this reason are comming every year a loads of foreign students especially from different parts of South America,especially from Colombia,Chile,Brazil. The Buenos Aires is every suffering with invasion foreigners,who would like to start to study something new or finish something old, or just simply do some courses for fun.

But watch out,not everything is as pink as is painted. To could enter the University u have to have all your papers,like the certificate of the birth,your high school certificate with subjects u studied and many others translated and stamped by Argentinian govermnet. This could take about 60 days (and believe me,it would).
The thing,that certificate of your graduation from Highschool is valid just for people from MercoSur means
Bolivia,Brasil,Chile,Colombia,Ecuador,Paraguay,Peru,Uruguay,Venezuela and as well some priviledged countries from Europe,who had probably biggest number of emigrants to Argentina and generaly kept a good relationships back home as Italy,Spain and France,

And u ask,what about the others? when the education is for everybody... Well,there is the option,which they will hapilly offer u and is as welll for free. Get back to Argentinian highschool and make a new graduation from subjects which u for sure didnt have.
 The subjects are :
Civics education (in slovak Náuka o spoločnosti)
Instruccion civica (seems like the same same translation as one before - well,as I was explained is the same crap about the politic system in Argentina)
Geografia de Argentina (sounds like fun,especilly when u know it on your own,trough travelling ;) And yes we had the Geography of Argentina on basic and high school in Slovakia as well,but well u have to do it again obviously
Historia de Argentina. Dont worry - there are just 500 years max to study ;)
Literature of Argentina - this could be really interesting... (loved this subject in Brazil,when I was studiing on uni there,but as I have seen the papers from girl who was preparing for exams of it- looked more like memorize who what where and read sever books and thats it :/
Language and Literature - I am kind of not getting the repetition,but seems like the exam from Spanish (what if u have certificate,could be probably accepted,but even though not,as Argentinians consider Argentinian spanish for different language and u would have to learn all the things from argentinian dialect ;) like declination with vos :P
As I counted well - there are 6 subjets, and there are 2 exams organized per year. One in August and another one in December. And they wouldnt let u to subscribe for exam of more than 4 in one time (seems like otherwise your brain would blast or something ;)) Anyway - that makes u depandant for one year of the highschool they sent u to and the place where u should go for consultation of the papers,which they would maybe provide u. Anyway even though u came to ministery and u have your papers stamped,translated and whatsoever,they have 2 months to pick up the high school for u and then they send u there to pick up your information and ask for help over there with some addictional data which they could ask u on during exam.

Well,seems to be more than bit complicated? Yeah,for sure it is - it took me 3 weeks till I got to these information as on embasy they dont suffer with knowledge of none information regarding studies in south amercican countries and in basic,they havent been able to respond me to any question I gave them or about part of my family which emigrated or whatsoever.
Then later on each official institution in argentina has very restricted time when is opened (many times just 4 hours a day and that measn 2 hours in the morning and somehow 2 hours in the afternoon) etc....

Anyway,if u still dont feel desperate and u would bump your head against the wall and trying to find a solution,there is one!!! As well found by accident and good soul of some friends who knew more and knew especially the people who were going trough the same crazy nuts biroctratic process as I was triing to find out how does it work :)

There exist one thing which is called UBA XXI, which allows to everybody who doesnt have this byrocratic procedure yet done and even for argentinian high school students to sign in and study on distance! Yei! The link is for interested http://www.uba.ar/academicos/uba21/
Well,not that Yeii,as the UBA - what is University of Buenos Aires has first year Ciclo de Orientacion Comun - means that u will study and make exams from the subject from highschool. Means one year of studiing what they could check in one test of before entering university. And u are not allowed too subscribe for more than 3 subjects regarding to carrer u would like to study. Anyway,dont worry,there are 2 sibjects same for everybody - Scientific thinking and some more politic crap of argentinian system (in this point I would have the feeling that they are really triing to convert u to argentinian ;)
Anyway,if u survive one year of studiing absolute irrelevant things mixed with high school matters and other things + some high school subjects,which u would be able to finish all in one year hopefully,u are IN!!! Yupii!!!
And study whatever u want to!
The truth is I am not sure if there exist any other option how to study something when u dont have tramite/high school graduation from your country) accepted and validated. All the universities outside of capital will ask u for it. Means finishing highschool subjects and then sign to University - whichever u like to. But be carefull,many of them doesnt have title valid outside of Argentina!!!

Then there exists the courses which are offered by the city council,especially in Buenos Aires,but u wouldnt find the information very easily and the inscriprions are just once a year and the place where does it take is one colegio 15 squares on the left from Obelisc and name of that once which I tried to subscibe on was Lengua VIVA. Means they are offering something like 10 languages where there is class twice a week with native speaker for donation. If u dont have money or u dont wanna pay or u cant its for free.
Well,for some languages they offer sometimes just the higher level,like the one I was interested in,what was Arabic and they told me to do the test of level - in 2 weeks later from the time I was there.
Anyway - inscription is till the begining of semester on Universities and u can subscribe for how many u would like to. I was thinking of Brazilian Portuguese Highest level as I have one certificate from Portuguese already and I love their literature. But noone was able to tell me how does the level of highest level of portuguese looks like. No schema,no insight of the studied matters,nothing.
The people in different institutions in general dont share the information,nor the common sense,nor the good will,nor the good heart. Working like maschines,just with information given,dont ask them what they dont know.So,in every institution u would get just a part of information and then u get another hint maybe where to go to ask for another part information. And at the end u would end up eaten by this magnificent huge byroctaryic aparat of Argentinian educational institutions,where noone knows anything,they wont talk to u by email,nor on the phone and in general would behave very arogant.

Well! But for everybody who would still like to fight it! Especially the carrer of Medicine is very popular and I think it worth for it at least to give it a try !:)
Some more info on http://estudiarenargentina.siu.edu.ar/StudyinArgentina.htm

Arriving to Porto Madryn from Bahia Blanca

As many of u already knows,I have arrived safe and sound to Puerto Madryn on thursday night/friday. At midnight. Starting from Bahia Blanca at 1 pm  and this time I didnt have any waiting time.
I got from the center with a bus number 512 to the end station and it wa close to rondabout where the
roads are heading south,east and north. A I dont have a map still,or better said again. From the time I lost it close to Pelotas (better said accidentaly at 3 am left it in the car),I just didnt have nerves to look for new one. And as there is just one way to the south,I hope I wouldnt need it that soon neither. The name of the route is the Route 3.

On the way to Patagonia

Well,though,I came here in 3 rides. The first one for like 5 km to get to the real crossroads headign to the south from someone from part of Jujuy - north part of Argentina having borders with Bolivia. Then I just lifted my thumb and in 2 minutes stopped a truck,where the guy came out to ask me if I would give him "something" for a ride. As I refused,he just jumped in and I hitched again and as he left stopped another truck and took me about 200km going from provincia Buenos Aires down to south. Then as he had to stop (YES - here in argentina they are monitored and they cant really go longer than 12 hours a day without stop and they really cant.Its not like brazil having to mae the road about 2000km in 48 hours,otherwise u wouldnt get paid. And the drives end up on cocaine,arebich and other drugs. In Brazil there is no control at all).
Though I just jumped out and went to buy some wather as the temperatures during the day are normaly really high,about 30,even here on the south. My driver during this time found me another one to go to Perto Madryn directly! :)) I think I just really starting to like to hitchhike here on the south.
I am adding one photo from my mobile phone,as my camera died on the way and sound doesnt work at all,thogh and thogh,here it comes.On the way to Patagonia...

The story how I really got to Mar del Plata

As all of u know,I really love to hitchhike and this time was it again after more than 3 weeks grounded in one metropolitan city. So it really made me happy to get out. Even though that hitchhiking close to Buenos Aires is very difficult,I managed to get to Mar del Plata (410km) just in 10 hours or so... ;)
I have got there in 5 cars,from the begining not making the distance longer than 10 kilometers with each of them.

 This one was made at 8:30 pm - already dark dark dark as u can see and I am telling u more about who took me and where :)) 

After this I caught my last ride directly to Mar del Plata and had a really nice discussion with 11 year old girl about spiritualism and the ghoasts :)


And yeah,the people as well when they stop behind and u want to go to talk,get paranoid and dont talk to u,or even refuse to open the window,staring at u scared to death, or when they get out they use to lie. But somehow used for this reaction from south of Brazil a bit (even though that is not that strongly paranoid one) and for another one from Europe... So nothing new in the world :)

How at the end I hitched to Mar del Plata - Manual

How I last was writing about the plan,now I would like to write about realization.

So from the place I was staying I took a metro,at the begining to wrong side,but at the
end to the good one. So take a metro to southern trainstation which is at the end of blue line and the name is Constitucion.

I have created the map for u - I am not sure if its clear from it.

Anyway - how the trains works in Argentina,as I was told when I arrived from one argentinian friend,that actually u dont really have to pay,as u can get to platform without checking in and there is mostly no controllers in the trains.
These city inside of the city or better said megalopolis city trains are very cheap anyway - the cost its aproximately the same or even cheper than a inner transport of the city,so u pay really a from few cets to maximaly 2 something pesos (like 10CZ or 40euro cents)to get somewhere on the place where u can hitchhike. I actually created a video from a train saying more or less the same as I wrote here :)

Then when u get to Hudson trainstation,(be carefull to dont pass it - as ometimes there are not seenable the names of the stations,but for sure the people will tell u.),cross the railway to oposite direction to Mar del Plata. Do not get out to highway or u end up like me ... Well this video was made before 2 police ladies came and sent me away without telling where is the next exit where the cars exits to highway... The people in Buenos Aires in general dont like to give u the whole information,just a partial one...

<center> This is correct direction,but wrong spot - in the middl eof the highway. Cars goes too fast and they will come police soon for sure </center>

So  get trough the railway to the other side and then u would see the road which looks like road going to country and another one going under the bridge. Take the country one. There is no marking,but at the end after walking about 2 km u will find out that its an exit to highway and there  can hitchhike and people go slow,so u will be lucky for sure in some point :)