San Francisco is ace, it's cool, laid back, arty, cultured and clean, and proud to be all of the above and more. If you google 'San Francisco quotes' you'll find a ton of great things that people have to say about the city. I started with an amazing tour from Wild Wes that I went on with people from my hostel. Dapper Wes turned up with his ukulele ready to sing to through the highlights of the city. He took us to some cool places, like an underground tunnel used by pirate smugglers as well as all the cities best sights.

Fisherman's Wharf is another tourist attraction that you shouldn't miss, especially when the sun's out. Munch on clam chowder eaten out of a sour dough bowl, maybe even buy a sour dough crab or alligator! Check out the friendly sea lions and try and see the iconic San Francisco bridge through the fog. I also went to a cool vintage mechanical games hall, which was full of dancing puppets and fortune tellers.

'The Mission'

The Mission District was my favourite area of the city. I crashed on a friends couch who lived there so it was easy to walk around and check out the area. San Francisco is HUGE! And similarly to L.A it's a lot easier if you have a car although the public transport is much easier and cheaper to navigate. The Mission is the hipster area of town with heaps of galleries, coffee shops and graffiti. It's famous for its murals which line the main streets and back alleys. There's a strong Latino culture here, after the Spanish kicked the Yelamu Indians out in the late 1800s. I loved spending the day here, sipping my latte and taking photo's. There were some super cool boutique shops with stuffed animals and weird victoriana themed artefacts. Try not to talk to homeless people though. There's a huge homeless problem in San Francisco and once you've engaged some light conversation they won't leave you alone. Trust me! Trying to lose a scabby faced gang tattoo covered drunk down back alleys while he's begging you to hang out can get a bit hectic!

ALCATRAZ!

You typically have to book Alcatraz in advance so plan your time in the city around it. Boats run back to the mainland every few minutes so once you've got your ticket out you can stay as long as you like. I found Alcatraz amazing. Steeped in history and with a really creepy lost in time feel I loved it. The audio your is awesome, taking you all round the prison with voices of wardens and prisoners adding a real human aspect to the tour. You can stand in the cells and take in the atmosphere in your own time. I latched on to a walking tour where the guide told us about several crazy escape attempts which was awesome.

SURVIVAL TIP
There's loads to do and see in San Francisco but the best thing about the city is the laid back vibe. Grab a coffee, go for a stroll and let it all sink in.

I spent a month volunteering at Fundacion Arte del Mundo in the beautiful mountain town of Banos. There is tons to do in and around this region and although I spent most of my time sleeping in and making popcorn, in hindsight I did quite a lot while I was there. Here's a list of some of the fun stuff to do if you're ever in the area.

Banos is an adrenalin junkies dream with zip lining, an active volcano and numerous hikes on offer. Whilst I was there I went white water rafting, something to tick off the bucket list. It was AWESOME! We bundled into the minivan and headed off along the mountain roads. After donning our wetsuits and having a safety briefing we were in the water! 6 to a raft including our instructor we were soon dodging currents, bobbing gently in serene waters and throwing killer paddle high fives. Our only man went overboard in the final stages and with 4 panicky girls on the rescue mission I think he swallowed more freezing river water than he would have liked! But we survived! And by the end I was hooked, I wanted more rapids, more danger and more near death experiences (as long as they were experienced by someone else).
Two very brave boys I know also gave the bridge bungee jump a go...I was happy I just took the photos.

I know, I know, I'm a dickhead traveller. But I'm embracing it! Gap yah, yah? A traveller friend and I had discussed for some time about getting tattoos and when she came to visit me in Banos we bit the bullet. We were recommended to Kokopelli tattoo studio on bar street. I went for the colibri (hummingbird) nazca line after having a bit of a 'moment' when I saw them and having seen my first real life hummingbird in the yard of my volunteer quarters. Check out how badass I am! (So badass I almost cried and it only took 15 minutes).

You can't beat a bit of karaoke to cement new friendships. Karaoke is fairly new to South America and the ecuadorians love sitting in dark bars, confined to their booths singing depressing ballads. We went to karaoke twice and had two very different experiences. The first involved little showmanship from the other contestants and long waits for songs . Our second attempt was a much more successful evening, my recommendation is to find a small bar where there are no booths or tables. You pass the mic along the bar and have your moment in the sun. Although I previously slated the choice of 'depressing ballads' the English choices are pretty slim. My nights warbling wonders included Mariah Carey, Aerosmith, The Police and Toni Braxton. Ace!

For a relaxing morning, afternoon, evening, in fact any time at all! Get yourself to the thermal baths. A natural spring there are a number of pools of varying heats, some of them are bloody hot! Dip from pool to pool and shower off in the revitalizing waterfall! It's meant to be good for your circulation...or something? Whatever it feels great. Next to the baths are some sacred waters and a small shrine which is what brought people to the area all those years ago. Evenings are a great way to relax and unwind and look at the stars but they're busy, there's less chance of getting stuck in a small pool squashed between two red Ecuadorians if you go in the morning. Or maybe that's your thing?

There are tons of waterfalls shooting out of mountain caverns all around Banos, take a bus ride to a neighboring town and you'll see them. A Chiva bus (a brightly painted bus playing reggaeton with flashing disco lights - acceptable at night amongst Ecuadorian teens, a little bit weird for tourists in the middle of the day) can take you out to a number of the falls. We took a rickety cable car out over one, hovering above the devils mouth and then to the double fall which was spectacular. Wear your raincoat! You're gonna get sprayed!

RHINO BUS
I think this is for children? It's about a dollar, has bright lights and speeds round the towns tight bends. It's funny as hell, do it!

FOOD
There are some great places to eat in Banos. A hefty amount of backpackers has seen some lovely places open that have good western food as well as fantastic Ecuadorian classics. Here's my run down of a few of my faves.

• Stray Dog - Slow service but totally worth it. Run by a dedicated American the food here is to die for, great sandwiches and fries that really feel like home. The slow roasted pork is nom nom nom!
• Casa Hood - The staff here are super friendly and they do a brilliant $2 almuerzo. 3 courses of veggie goodness and a fruit shake, total bargain! It's also a nice place to hook up to the wifi and hang out, borrow a book or check out their movie screenings. Not to be confused with Cafe Hood, also a yummy option- get the purée potatoes!
• Cafe Sativa - This chilled out spot opposite Casa Hood has the best spiced coffee, darn it, the best coffee I've ever tasted. Simple dishes (the veggie burgers are ace and I'm not a veggie!) and the beautifully painted murals make it a lovely daytime hangout.

Puyo, a small lazy riverside jungle town and gateway to jungle excursions is a short bus ride from Banos. A few of the volunteers and I went for a weekend. My favorite part of the trip was a visit to Parque Omaere, which can be found in Lonely Planet. The American owner, married to a native Ecuadorian has set up an amazing botanical garden of medicinal plants and flowers as well as examples of indigenous dwellings. Tours in English are educational and fun and can be tailored to fit your time scale and interests. Highly recommended! They say they have the cure to cancer, go see what you think!

SURVIVAL TIP
It's easy to lose a lot of time anywhere when you're travelling (most get lost in the beach towns!) I was lucky enough to have to spend a month in Banos so do as much as you can with whatever time you have. If you can spend a significant chunk of your trip in any one place it's really worthwhile no matter where it is. (Drinking yourself crazy in a beach town probably isn't the best choice though!)

Cusco is a must on all travelers tour of South America. The jump off point for tours to Macchu Piccu and the Sacred Valley as well as a beautifully restored town and well known party city.

The Plaza de Armas is the meeting point of the city, surrounded on all sides by beautiful colonial architecture and boutique shops. A ticket to see all of Cusco's historic monuments can be quite pricey but just walking round the city you can tick the big ones off your list and pay separate entry fees for the few you may choose to see inside. The Cathedral of Santa Domingo is the big must see and the Church of the Jesuits in the main square is equally impressive.

All around the city you can see memories of the Incas. The huge stones used to build the old city walls still stand and in them you can find images of pumas and toads. Some are a little harder to see then others so tagging on to the back end of a your can help you pick them out.

Cusco's central market is a great place for a spot of lunch, a typical almuerzo will set you back a dollar or two and you can always be sure of a surprise treat you weren't expecting. And if you're not hungry, you'll soon work up an appetite with all the souvenir shopping.

The Inca Museum was a great spot with loads of artifacts on show from pots to gold and maps of cities and stars. It's a good place to get in the mood for Macchu Piccu.

To tell you about Cusco's nightlife might be telling a little too much, the best way is always to search out the hotspots for yourself. Most of the clubs are clustered up and around the square and many stay open into the early hours of the morning. My hostel recommendation for Cusco is Kokopelli, they have three other hostels in Peru and are a great place to start the party as well as a cool place to chill if you don't want a wild one.

We arrived in Mendoza eager for one thing and one thing only, to taste some wine! Amongst a limited other activities in the area, this is the main draw. After checking out the city, which we had envisaged as a small, quaint affair and finding it to be in fact quite large, we returned to the hostel and started collecting advice.

The first of hopefully many STREET MEAT! updates I bring you the perfectly formed choripan sausage. You can find choripan on most street corners in Buenos Aires, however my favourite was that found at the Sunday Market. This delightful red, spicy sausage has a slight kick but isn't too spicy and is best served with all the trimmings of tomato, finely chopped onion and homemade salsa in a warm roll similar to a french baguette. I like to add the obligatory mayonnaise that I add to almost any meal. Best eaten on patio chairs on the roadside with a cold cerveza! 

On arriving in Bariloche I found it hard to not be slightly surprised by the wooden chalets and vast lakes. When I envisedged my time in S. America, this was not a backdrop I had prepared for. However after only a couple of days I was in awe of my surroundings.

Sat on the pebble shore attempting to skim stones I felt peaceful and relaxed and the Patagonia museum taught me about my surroundings. A steep but pleasant trek up mount Llao Llao Provided an amazing view and Gemma and I sat looking at the landscape contemplating life.
Back in town we treated ourselves at one of the many chocolate shops. Apart from its scenery this is another aspect to bariloche's tourism draw. There are chocolate shops on every corner which sell by far the best chocolate I have ever tasted. Gemma vowed to retire and get extremely fat there while I promised to visit her on weekends.

Upon my travels I have missed Heinz baked beans probably more than anything else. After a heavy night in BA, and tiring of my previous fast food hangover cures there was only one thing that would cut it...a fry up.
An english pub (cringe!) close to my hostel boasted such a meal and I went in hope of success. On arrival all seemed well and in hindsight it was a fairly good attempt, however two things weren't up to scratch: the sausage and the beans.

BA boasts an amazing choripan sausage, a spicy chorizo like affair that comes in a bun, hot off the BBQ with onions and spicy salsa. YUM! However a spicy sausage with my traditional english just didn't work, and the butter beans in tomato sauce were an obvious but unasatisfactory addition.

The toast, mushroom, tomato and bacon however sat well in my stomach and I felt I had at least accomplished something from getting out of bed. The lesson was learnt however, save the fry up for the return home, it will taste so much sweeter for the wait!