Love Uruguay! We took the ferry over from Buenos Aires to Colonia de Sacremento on Sunday morning and went through immigration before we left so that when we stepped off the boat in Uruguay we were clear. Colonia is the exact opposite of BA. Granted it was Sunday, but it was dead quiet and just gorgeous. Our B&B was on a street by the ocean (river, technically, but it looks like an ocean) and very nice. The town is very small and very old, so all the streets are cobblestone and everyone drives slowly -- in fact the whole pace of life is slow. Like Mendoza, the streets are all lined with a canopy of trees, but here there were plenty on the ground already so it really felt like fall. The main drag is set on a downward slope so you can see the ocean from any point on it, and if you look down to your right or left on any street you can see the ocean, as well. Many of the streets are too old to drive on, so there are tons of outdoor cafes and restaurants. Our dinner place was on an old plaza and there was a huge drum parade (not organized like you are imagining-- it´s a bunch of people dancing in front just free dancing, followed by a very rag-tag group of about 20 drummers who had gathered) that came by and stopped in the plaza and had a drum circle (and lit a fire) before moving on with a crowd behind them that follows to keep listening.
The next morning we went out for a horse ride in the country (through all types of field growing several different types of crops-- just gorgeous) and that was great. I have never had that much space just to run on a horse, and the guide and I had races-- it really was incredible. I´ve ridden in a lot of different places, but I have never felt such a flat out sprint before! Whoohoo!!!
Then we moved on to Punta del Diablo (I wanted to go just for its name), and we swung through Montevideo on the way (and I have nothing to report from there, it was pretty ugly and dirty, with not much to see or do).
Punta del Diablo on the other hand was fabulous! It´s a tiny little fishing town, all dirt roads right on the ocean. We just relaxed there, sat on the beach (watched a fantastic sunrise) and had a few meals with some incredible views.
Back in Colonia on our way back to Buenos Aires, I went for another horse ride with just myself and the lady leading it and we went through the beautiful fields and then down to the beach to watch the sunset. It was great because you can only reach the beach by horse or foot, so it was deserted and we could just race up and down the beach forever. We had a little fire and then rode back under the full moon. The ride back was possibly the best part. My horse´s name was Luna (appropriately so) and she was super comfortable, so we just trotted all the way back (about an hour or so) and I felt like I was in a rocking chair. The moon rising was so yellow it was almost orange, the temperature was perfect, and then all around us in the fields were just thousands of lightening bugs and the occasional bat and lots of owls. What an incredible evening!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Buenos Aires (round 2)
Okay, so I arrived in Buenos Aires on Tuesday morning (at the Marriott--whoohoo! my own room with my own huge wonderful bed and own shower!) only to find out that my mother´s plane was delayed by a day and she wouldn´t be coming till Weds. I basically spent the day running errands (laundry, laying out, reading) and running around to different embassies (only to find out that I can´t go to Brazil because I don´t have enough blank pages in my passport)- awesome. It was nice to run in a gym though!
Wednesday my mother arrived and we went to Recoletta Cemetary (saw Eva Peron´s grave) and met up with Ernesto and his family (an exchange student my grandparents had in the 70s in NJ) who took us around town and to a fabulous seafood restaurant. The next couple days we spent seeing all the sites: Plaza de Mayo, Japonese Gardens, Av. 9 de Julio, Evita museum, Teatro Colon, Puerto Madero, as well as a trip up to Tigre and San Isidro to see the Rio de la Plata delta which is the widest in the world (you can´t even see Uruguay on the other side). We also went to a tango show one night which had spectacular food and a wonderful show (G&G would have loved it!). We tried to go to a futbol game, but there was only one (Boca Juniors) and they weren´t selling tickets to tourists because they were expecting it to be too dangerous). Saturday afternoon Ernesto had us out to his house for a huge Asado with his family and endless steak and wine!
Overall, Buenos Aires was nice, but I will say it wasn´t all it was cracked up to be. It had some good sites, but pretty much is just a city. It was very busy and crowded. I´m glad I went certainly, though, and under different circumstances (we had A LOT go wrong), I can see how it can be a very different city in someone else´s eyes. But it was fun to wake up and decide we had had enough and then just hop a boat over to Uruguay!
Wednesday my mother arrived and we went to Recoletta Cemetary (saw Eva Peron´s grave) and met up with Ernesto and his family (an exchange student my grandparents had in the 70s in NJ) who took us around town and to a fabulous seafood restaurant. The next couple days we spent seeing all the sites: Plaza de Mayo, Japonese Gardens, Av. 9 de Julio, Evita museum, Teatro Colon, Puerto Madero, as well as a trip up to Tigre and San Isidro to see the Rio de la Plata delta which is the widest in the world (you can´t even see Uruguay on the other side). We also went to a tango show one night which had spectacular food and a wonderful show (G&G would have loved it!). We tried to go to a futbol game, but there was only one (Boca Juniors) and they weren´t selling tickets to tourists because they were expecting it to be too dangerous). Saturday afternoon Ernesto had us out to his house for a huge Asado with his family and endless steak and wine!
Overall, Buenos Aires was nice, but I will say it wasn´t all it was cracked up to be. It had some good sites, but pretty much is just a city. It was very busy and crowded. I´m glad I went certainly, though, and under different circumstances (we had A LOT go wrong), I can see how it can be a very different city in someone else´s eyes. But it was fun to wake up and decide we had had enough and then just hop a boat over to Uruguay!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Mendoza and Cordoba
PHOTOS- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046119&id=43700183&l=d942b4bcc0
Well, Mendoza has my number, for sure. I am OBSESSED. I got in after a 19 hour bus ride from Salta and it was beautiful. The streets are very wide, and the sidewalks almost as wide, all of which are lined with a small trench between the sidewalk and the street with water in it (and it is a miracle more people don´t fall in). Every street is covered by a canopy of huge streets to keep them shady and cool, and it is extremely clean. The main plaza is very large, and the city easily walkable, with a huge park on the western side that is nearly as big as the entire rest of the city. Excuse my language, but it is a runner and biker's wet dream. Sorry, I´ll stop, but it´s a wonderful city!
We went out a little too much perhaps for St. Patty´s day, but the next day we rallied on and went out to Maipu (20 mins away) and rented bikes for the day and went around visiting the different wineries. The region produces 80% of the country´s wine! We stopped at a beer garden which was VERY rustic, and the one guy who ran it made all the beer himself, followed by a couple wineries, then a liquor and chocolate factory, which may or may not have involved shots of absenthe :/! When we got back we went for a massive steak dinner, that without a doubt was the largest (18 ounces) and best steak I´ve ever had in my life.
The following day we got up a bit early and went on a trip starting with about an hour of trekking up a mountain, then repelling down the face of it. We did a few drops, the biggest of which was 45 meters (148 feet) which was a little scary, but camp prepared me well! Afterwards was the best part-- the HOT SPRINGS! It was a little chilly and had rained a bit in the morning, so it was the perfect ending to the day. There were probably about 12 pools of every shape and size, including still water, bubbles, fountains and even a lazy river. The entire thing was perched into the side of the mountain with a real river beneath it so the views were outstanding! The pools varied from scalding (at the top) to almost chilly by the bottom, and you could flit between them as you chose. We rounded out the day with a big shop at a local market and made an omlet for five to be reckoned with!
The last day we just took it easy cruising around town and relaxing by the pool and reading in the hammock before catching my night bus to Cordoba.
I arrived in Cordoba early on Sunday, and true to form, the place was a ghost town (EVERYTHING is shut on Sundays here) so I just walked the city for awhile. It's hard to get a feel for the city when it's deserted, but it is clearly bigger than Salta or Mendoza, and feels it- a little more cramped and maybe not quite as clean, but still some beautiful churches and other sites. Basically I just read in the park for a long time then we just hung out at the hostel once it started raining.
Today we did quite a bit more exploring. It's a pretty predictable city. Lots of students bustling around. We saw all the museums, churches, etc., and then just walked around. Tonight I catch a bus to Buenos Aires and meet my mom there tomorrow!
Well, Mendoza has my number, for sure. I am OBSESSED. I got in after a 19 hour bus ride from Salta and it was beautiful. The streets are very wide, and the sidewalks almost as wide, all of which are lined with a small trench between the sidewalk and the street with water in it (and it is a miracle more people don´t fall in). Every street is covered by a canopy of huge streets to keep them shady and cool, and it is extremely clean. The main plaza is very large, and the city easily walkable, with a huge park on the western side that is nearly as big as the entire rest of the city. Excuse my language, but it is a runner and biker's wet dream. Sorry, I´ll stop, but it´s a wonderful city!
We went out a little too much perhaps for St. Patty´s day, but the next day we rallied on and went out to Maipu (20 mins away) and rented bikes for the day and went around visiting the different wineries. The region produces 80% of the country´s wine! We stopped at a beer garden which was VERY rustic, and the one guy who ran it made all the beer himself, followed by a couple wineries, then a liquor and chocolate factory, which may or may not have involved shots of absenthe :/! When we got back we went for a massive steak dinner, that without a doubt was the largest (18 ounces) and best steak I´ve ever had in my life.
The following day we got up a bit early and went on a trip starting with about an hour of trekking up a mountain, then repelling down the face of it. We did a few drops, the biggest of which was 45 meters (148 feet) which was a little scary, but camp prepared me well! Afterwards was the best part-- the HOT SPRINGS! It was a little chilly and had rained a bit in the morning, so it was the perfect ending to the day. There were probably about 12 pools of every shape and size, including still water, bubbles, fountains and even a lazy river. The entire thing was perched into the side of the mountain with a real river beneath it so the views were outstanding! The pools varied from scalding (at the top) to almost chilly by the bottom, and you could flit between them as you chose. We rounded out the day with a big shop at a local market and made an omlet for five to be reckoned with!
The last day we just took it easy cruising around town and relaxing by the pool and reading in the hammock before catching my night bus to Cordoba.
I arrived in Cordoba early on Sunday, and true to form, the place was a ghost town (EVERYTHING is shut on Sundays here) so I just walked the city for awhile. It's hard to get a feel for the city when it's deserted, but it is clearly bigger than Salta or Mendoza, and feels it- a little more cramped and maybe not quite as clean, but still some beautiful churches and other sites. Basically I just read in the park for a long time then we just hung out at the hostel once it started raining.
Today we did quite a bit more exploring. It's a pretty predictable city. Lots of students bustling around. We saw all the museums, churches, etc., and then just walked around. Tonight I catch a bus to Buenos Aires and meet my mom there tomorrow!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Salta, Cafayate, y Cachi
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045951&id=43700183&l=2e582bf2e9
Well, I head out of Salta tomorrow after about 8 days. It's been great- beautiful little city. I've been staying with Audra, Alvaro, and little Greggy who have gone WAY out of their way to be unbelievably hospitable. I have been gorging myself with fantastic Argentinian food, and have had several good nights with Alvaro's huge family. Their house is gorgeous and has views to die for-- very relaxing! In the mean time, I got to know Salta pretty well, and took two trips to Cafayate and Cachi.
Cafayate is a little town South West of Salta (known for its wine), about a 3 hour drive. To get there you go through Las Chonchas Gorge, which looks a bit like a combination between Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Obviously it's size doesn't match the grand canyon, however, the layers and subsequent multiple colors in the gorge are remarkable. We stopped to play with some llamas, then visited a couple wineries before having lunch in town. A cool thing about this town (that Audra and Alvaro told me) is that the bank looks very out-of-place because it was actually designed for the alpine town of Calafate in Patagonia, but they got the plans mixed up, and the towns' respective banks are switched with each other. On the way back we stopped in a natural amphitheater and listened to a guitarist, followed by a climb up the next little mini-canyon off the big one.
Cachi was even more impressive. You start out driving through the rainforest around Salta, and within ten minutes you seeing cacti all around you. As you climb, you drive through the clouds to a peak height of 3350 meters. You are quite literally standing in the clouds as they roll by, with green hills all around. Cachi was a great little town, very quiet, with a killer (no pun intended) cemetery on the top of a hill-- gorgeous views and extremely unique graves.
Tomorrow I'm on a 19 hour bus ride to Mendoza for some more wine!
Well, I head out of Salta tomorrow after about 8 days. It's been great- beautiful little city. I've been staying with Audra, Alvaro, and little Greggy who have gone WAY out of their way to be unbelievably hospitable. I have been gorging myself with fantastic Argentinian food, and have had several good nights with Alvaro's huge family. Their house is gorgeous and has views to die for-- very relaxing! In the mean time, I got to know Salta pretty well, and took two trips to Cafayate and Cachi.
Cafayate is a little town South West of Salta (known for its wine), about a 3 hour drive. To get there you go through Las Chonchas Gorge, which looks a bit like a combination between Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Obviously it's size doesn't match the grand canyon, however, the layers and subsequent multiple colors in the gorge are remarkable. We stopped to play with some llamas, then visited a couple wineries before having lunch in town. A cool thing about this town (that Audra and Alvaro told me) is that the bank looks very out-of-place because it was actually designed for the alpine town of Calafate in Patagonia, but they got the plans mixed up, and the towns' respective banks are switched with each other. On the way back we stopped in a natural amphitheater and listened to a guitarist, followed by a climb up the next little mini-canyon off the big one.
Cachi was even more impressive. You start out driving through the rainforest around Salta, and within ten minutes you seeing cacti all around you. As you climb, you drive through the clouds to a peak height of 3350 meters. You are quite literally standing in the clouds as they roll by, with green hills all around. Cachi was a great little town, very quiet, with a killer (no pun intended) cemetery on the top of a hill-- gorgeous views and extremely unique graves.
Tomorrow I'm on a 19 hour bus ride to Mendoza for some more wine!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Salta day 1
Today (this afternoon, specifically), when I woke up, I went back to where we were, Balcarce, which was PACKED with people last night (all the clubs are bunched together there) and found the street lined with a craft fair … I can assure you it looked very different the night before. I realized it wasn’t a sleepy town afterall, it was just siesta time when I arrived yesterday so everything was closed … as it was on Sunday. The biggest thing that stuck me walking around Salta is that there are no stop signs (that I could see), and very few lights. In fact, people hardly slow down at cross streets, so it seems to me like it’s just a great deal of good luck that these cars aren’t crashing into each other.
Then Audra and Alvaro came to pick me up, (yay!) with little Greggy, and we came back to their BEAUTIFUL house outside the city. We went for a walk, then showered and went to church. My favorite part is that you have to drive through two rivers to get there … thank god for 4-wheel drive. Then at church, it was so fascinating because the inside was packed, so they have the sermon on a loud-speaker, and loads of people were standing on the porch listening, as well as many people quite literally standing in the street and across it to listen. What a day!
Friday, March 5, 2010
En route
Okay, currently I am in Buenos Aires. After I got all my shots, packed for the trip, and packed up all my things and put them in storage, Travis took me to the airport Thursday morning. That was a very tough good-bye. I flew to LA, then to Lima, Peru, then on to Buenos Aires. The flight from LA to Lima was 8 hours on LAN airline, and it was very nice. I had a 7 hour layover in Lima which was big, clean, and very busy, even in the middle of the night. I didn´t sleep much in the airport, but I slept the entire flight from Lima to BA- I don´t even know how long it was. We circled above BA for awhile before we landed- I was surprised at how much green there was. There were endless green fields broken up into farm-like plots. Once we landed, customs and immigration was pretty straight forward. Got hammered with a $131 USD entrance fee which I wasn´t expecting, but ¨"it´s good for ten years". Then I got a shuttle to Hostel Arrabal and from the highway, the city looks much like any other, just all the signs are in Spanish, and there are no Hummers, Excursions, Expiditions, etc., on the road.
The hostel is in San Telmo, and it is nice, clean, and wonderful to have a bed. Walking around BA it is very green- lots of big trees giving plenty of shade. I was pooped so I didn´t explore a ton, but I will be back in a few weeks. It is still pretty warm here, well into the 70s, but there is a nice breeze. My atm card worked, THANK GOD. I have met plenty of people already in transit, as well as many in the hostel, so it´s nice to get ideas from different people. I even met someone from Rio- score! I fly tomorrow to Salta to see Audra- yay! I´ll report more then.
The hostel is in San Telmo, and it is nice, clean, and wonderful to have a bed. Walking around BA it is very green- lots of big trees giving plenty of shade. I was pooped so I didn´t explore a ton, but I will be back in a few weeks. It is still pretty warm here, well into the 70s, but there is a nice breeze. My atm card worked, THANK GOD. I have met plenty of people already in transit, as well as many in the hostel, so it´s nice to get ideas from different people. I even met someone from Rio- score! I fly tomorrow to Salta to see Audra- yay! I´ll report more then.
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