Buses in Argentina...

We were pretty excited at the prospect of catching the bus in Argentina as we heard you get free food onboard (I guess our excitement indicates how much we have been on buses recently and our poor budget diet). There was clearly a marked difference between Brazilian and Argentine buses however we didn´t expect it to be police checks and complimentary cockroaches.

The journey from Iguazu to Corrientes started out well with a plate of mediocre plane food dutifully delivered to us within twenty minutes of taking our front row seats. However 20 minutes later there was another surprise.

A road blocade and numerous military men dressed in khaki with large guns on their hips stopped the bus and a couple men jumped on board demanded everyone´s passports or ID. Having left mine in my luggage hold I got out of my sleeping bag and went to retrieve it in my pyjamas. As I got outside I could see my bag, and a man rifling through it.

Explaining that it was my bag, that I needed my passport and asking what the hell he was doing, the officer told me that I didn´t need to worry, all they had found in my bag was clothes so they were moving on to the next one.

After ten minutes or so the engine started up again and we set off once more. It only took another twenty minutes though until we stopped for the next military blocade and identity check. We started to fear this would be a long journey...

The slightly bitter and camp trolley dolly didn´t particularly help either with his bad case of OCD, he felt it necessary to mop the floors soon after our arrival and then again half an hour later. He ensured that the floors were clean and wet but somehow failed to notice the cockroach on Rhia´s window. I think he was also expecting an applause when he gave us a little rundown over the tanoy of the Michael Douglas film (I think Douglas is contracted to play on every bus film in South America), casually chatting away and cracking sarcastic jokes.

Another 8 identity checks over a nine hour night journey ensured we didn´t get much sleep before arriving in Corrientes at 6am. Then it was onto the next bus where at least we got free coffee, just enough to keep us awake to watch the increasing crack on the windscreen...