Buenos Aires and Patagonia

For the first three weeks, I was in B.A. at Academia Uruguay's sister school, Academia Buenos Aires. Again, it was half a day of classes, but as the school was bigger, they had more tours and activities on for us.

I went on a hunt to find the first book in the Stieg Larsson trilogy, eventually getting it at KEL, an English language bookshop chain. The price of books there makes you want to cry, but as I hadn't paid for the second one, I couldn't complain. I ended up reading them in about 2 days, and, luckily, when I went on the tour to Patagonia, one of my fellow travellers had the third book. Over the month on the truck, four of my truckmates also started reading the series! I left them on the truck for others to enjoy.

The Girl with the dragon tattoo
The Girl who played with Fire

In San Telmo, the arty barrio of B.A., I sought out Walrus, a second hand bookshop. It was dimly lit, Nina Simone playing on the stereo, and cozy - heaven! I decided to buy a few books to supplement my truck reading, some classics.
1. The Bridge of San Luis Rey
2. The Idiot
3. Bleak House, which is being done as a read-a-long on Bookcrossing. I am half way through, but it has been a struggle.

I was very worried about the lack of books before getting on the truck to go to Patagonia. I needn't have though, there was a library on board, and I managed to score being the librarian! The mix was quite eclectic, with lots of travel related as you would think, but also lots of thrillers, etc.

The hostel at el Chalten, a great hostel - clean, warm and in amazing scenery.
I swapped:
1. Bamboo Palace, all about Lao
2. The French Lieutenant's woman, I have a copy at home, but have been wanting to read this for years.

for:
1. The Love of a Good Woman short stories collection

The next hostel was in el Calafate, I traded some of my books as well as some for the truck:

1. The Glass Castle, my only catch so far.
2. The Trial, in Portuguese, as I realised I wouldn't get round to reading it.

I did leave a stack of books on the truck:
1. Treasure Island, one of my favourite all time reads, but had new books to read instead
2. The French Lieutenant's woman
3. Asi Es La Vida, not a great book, but covers a similar route to the truck.
4. Drink the Sky, set in Brazil


and picked up a couple:
The Good Earth

and I passed on a couple to some of the truckers:
Three Moons in Vietnam
The Billionaire's Vinegar
The Bridge of San Luis Rey

I also read some of the others' books, Marching Powder (about La Paz's prison), The Help (set in the '60s in the South), The One (about a couple who would be great, but somehow never get together) and the 3rd Larsson book. And a great read - The Children's Book, on the latest edition of the 1001 list.

Uruguay and Paraguay

I stayed in Uruguay for three weeks, which gave me a lot of time to read and finish the 1010 Challenge. I was doing a Spanish course at Academia Uruguay, right in the old town. A good course, classes half the day and then time to look around Montevideo.

I traded the following books with another student:
1. Past Imperfect - I have this TBR at home, but this'll bump it up the list
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

and got these in return:
1. The Girl who played with Fire from the Academia Uruguay
2. Burning Bright
from a fellow student at the Academia Uruguay
3. A Far Country
from the Academia Uruguay

From Montevideo, I met up with my brother and we flew up to Paraguay. First stop Asuncion, where I took advantage of the book exchange at the hostel to update my books, though the selection was very much mixed. I reckon I traded half the shelf!
I left:
1. Bad times in Buenos Aires
2. Innocent Erendira
3. The Dubliners
4. Burning Bright
5. The Bell Jar, 1001 book
6. Madame Bovary , 1001 book
7. A Far Country
8. The Sunday List of Dreams

I picked up:
1. Asi Es La Vida - left by the author himself and about his travels in South America
2. The Love of a Good Woman short stories collection
3. Drink the Sky, set in Brazil
4. The Sunday List of Dreams, which I read quickly and traded again
5. Son of a Witch
6. Three Moons in Vietnam
7. The Glass Castle
8. Treasure Island, one of my favourite all time reads.