24 hours in Mamallapuram

Arjuna's Penance relief

From Pondicherry, we caught a local bus 2 hours north to Mamallapuram.

Buses leave really regularly from the bus station in Pondi. Practically as soon as we got to the bus station, we were pointed to a Mamallapuram bus that was just pulling away. 

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

Long distance bus travel is likely to form a central component of any South American trip. 

For cash-strapped backpackers, an overnighter also helps save money as it gives you a nights accommodation as well as the means to get from a to b.

The level of comfort (and safety) of South American buses depends on the country you're in and the bus company you go for. On one bus, we were served champagne (yes! champagne) after our meal (yes! we were served a meal), while elsewhere, there wasn't even a toilet to use on the bus and the freezing temperature on board meant that we had to seriously layer up (and were still a little cold). 

Here's our guide on how to know what to expect and where! The countries are shown in the order we visited them in.

5 things every traveller should know about Brazil

No.1. You might have to search for an ATM that accepts your card 

We'd not had any problems getting money out of the ATM in any country in South America. Then we got to Brazil. 

After crossing the border, we headed, with our bags to the nearest cash point. It wouldn't accept either my or James' card. Neither would the next two that we came across.

After traipsing around town in the heat with our backpacks, we finally found one that would take my card and got our hands on some dosh.

Trying to escape from San Pedro de Atacama! (And why you need patience if travelling through Argentina and Chile in winter)

  

Now don’t get me wrong, we liked San Pedro de Atacama. We really did. But we also very thankful to get away! Some of our bad luck from the salt flats tour lingered