14 December 2017
All good holidays come to an end and so we emerge from Heathrow in the middle of the day. The return trip was in premium economy and we both managed to get some sleep. And some Avios points stacked up for a future trip.
How far did we travel?
| Journey | Distance - miles |
|---|---|
| Heathrow to Santiago | 7248 |
| Santiago - Mendoza | 112 |
| Mendoza - Buenos Aires | 612 |
| Buenos Aires - Iguaza | 660 |
| Iguazu - Rio de Janeiro | 736 |
| Rio - Buzios (rtn) | 218 |
| Rio de Janeiro - Heathrow | 5760 |
| Total | 15346 |
Inevitably those distances are approximate – but it is telling how short the hop between Santiago and Mendoza was. I noted as we drove back that Buzios does have an airport – given the traffic jam on the way back to Rio de Janeiro perhaps we should have seen if there were flights we should have used, but I suspect it is only light aircraft.
Highlight of the trip – inevitably the Iguazu Falls. Narrowly behind was Buenos Aires. Being based in the Recoleta area was a clear bonus and the city did not feel unsafe despite the regular warnings given by the guide. And for a few days of sunshine and pure rest then Buzios was a great way of ending the holiday. I think we only had one marginal meal on the trip and the leak in the Rio bathroom was very unwelcome. And only a couple of months before we head off to Sri Lanka for an unusual return visit.
In reality we saw so little of each country, particularly Chile, that making some grandiose summary seems preposterous. Buenos Aires was much preferred to Rio de Janeiro but Buzios was a lovely break so honours are even I think.