Pool and Poisoning, Salta

Salta is a place I imagine to ooze mystery and magic. My visions of colonial architecture, Inca history and a backdrop of the Lerma Valley have fuelled my flight of fancy. It is a city I am looking forward to spending time, and after 23 hours on a bus from Mendoza, I am more than thrilled to arrive.....

To be fair, the bus journey is very comfortable. The film Revolutionary Road (2008) is played late in the journey, after meals and bingo (really!). Predictably it tickles my emotional side; tears run down my face under the spotlight of the nightlamp and the deadpan bus-attendant unexpectedly pats my head as he passes by. 

Adam and I spend the first day in Salta looking at the major attractions. The most fascinating of which is the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) where we learn about (and view) the remains of the Llullaillaco Children who are sensitively housed inside the exhibition. There is an energetic and bustling feel around the city, the streets are much narrower than those in Mendoza. In the afternoon the city is deserted (siesta-time!), leaving a much better view of the beautiful buildings and diverse styles of doors. 

There are many interpretations of the meaning of the name, Salta; an Indian tribal name "Saltas"; or "salla ta" meaning "crag-place"; or "sagtay", in quechua "meeting of the outstanding", or, the preferred meaning, "sagta", "very beautiful" in the language aymara.

Neoclassical Cathedral, Salta

9th of July Plaza, centre of city

Mitre Street, main Plaza 

Cabildo, formerly Town Hall (now museum)

Courtyard of the Cabildo

View from the Cabildo

Museum of Contemporary Art

Signature piece from the gallery

Lerma Valley  surrounding Salta

Gondola trip above the city (to San Bernardo hill)

The city of Salta

Jesus looks after the city from above

Over the course of the evening and into the wee-small hours, we win the doubles pool championship at Corre Caminos hostel (if only we had played for pesos!). Great bunch of people, lots of laughing.

Team 'River-Eira' (i.e. Elaine & Adam) win the Pool Championships!!

Adam, Hayley (Canada), James (Canada), Scarlett (US) and Johnny (N.Irish)

Unfortunately, that is where the pleasantries end. Next, I am violently struck down with food poisoning. The doctor is called, medicines and injections administered, days pass and I remain in my bed seeing none of the magic I had so clearly imagined. 

At the time of writing, I am recovering slowly, able to consume nothing more than water mixed with rehydration salts.......

Harvest time in Mendoza, Argentina

We are staying at Hostel Independencia a restored mansion (built in 1910) in the centre of city of Mendoza. It is so hot here, one could really do with a pool. However, we like the hostel, staff and people staying so much that we continue to extend our stay. 

Hostel Independencia

Beers and films in the garden most evenings

Bikes and W(h)ines

Our first day in Mendoza, we organise transport to Maipù and rent the bicycles from Bikes and Wines. Armed with a basic map and a general sense of direction we head off in the 38 degree heat. A word of warning, inspect your bike well before leaving the rental station - 7/8 hours on a bike with a broken saddle, lose chain or without brakes is not ideal....as we discovered. 

Vineyards in Maipu

Not a cloud in the sky!

First stop, Bodega Viña el Cerno. A nice place to pause and sample a glass of Malbec. Although for us it feels more like sitting in a quiet, rustic bar than a wine-tasting. The gentleman seems a little disinterested with our presence so we ask fewer questions and learn less than we might have liked. 

Learning the basics about their three ranges of wine

Their cheaper line 'WAYNA' means 'young man'

Seems a little early and hot to be drinking this!

Second stop, Tempus Alba. This is our favourite vineyard where there is a beautiful terrace overlooking their vineyards. We try a range of red wines, all of which are extremely palatable. My favourite is the Tempus Pleno 2003, complex and delicious, just the way I like!

Beautiful terrace at Tempus Alba

Sampling a variety of reds on the terrace

Learning how the process works...

On this terrace we meet Frank and Kim, a friendly couple from the Netherlands. We sit for a couple of hours before moving on to Almacén del Sur, a beautiful garden and restaurant nearby. For $45 ARS (£9.00 GBP), we eat from the delicious set menu - chicken cooked to perfection, stuffed with vegtables and herbs. Followed by an interesting combination of turrón, vanilla custard and orange for dessert. Given the intense heat, price list and amount of wine already consumed we stick to water!

Frank, Kim, Adam and I share a lovely lunch in the garden

Pudding

After lunch we are feeling more ready for bed than another vineyard, however, we persist and visit the famous, La Rural. There is an impressive museum within the complex, we have missed the English-speaking tour guides but we wander through the various displays.

Museum inside La Rural

Truck carrying grapes ready for harvesting

Afterwards, we peddle back to the rental station whinging about the intense heat and our aches and pains (due to extremely uncomfortable, broken saddles!). Then suddenly, Adam takes a tumble over the handbrakes and stubs his toe - whether due to excessive wine-consumption or heat-exhaustion is to be debated!! [Note to all worried Mothers: Adam is alive and well!!]

Mendoza

Mendoza is a lovely city with a number of attractive squares, wide avenues and parks, surrounded by vineyards. Peatonal Sarmiento, filled with coffee shops and often lively with music and dance, is a pleasant place to sit and ponder. 

Plaza España, a beautiful square

One of the many leafy squares around the city

Coffeeshop culture, Sarmiento

Folklore dancing on Sunday morning

Following Sarmiento on the west side of Plaza Independencia, there is a lovely walk along Avenue Emilio Civit, lined with beautiful colonial villas and mansions, leading the way to Parque San Martin. On Sunday afternoon, I wander through the attractive park which is not particularly busy (most people have a siesta in the afternoon) but there are some couples canoodling and others having a romantic meal for two (complete with table, chairs and chequered tablecloth!). 

Plaza Independencia, the main square

Av Emilio Civit, on the way towards San Martin park - dotted with pretty restaurants & bars

Lovely colonial building line this impressive neighbourhood

One of the many villa-style properties

Entrance to Parque San Martin

Parque San Martin (Av Libertador)

Lovely aside from rubbish :-(

Another banger in Argentina!

On the way back, I stop at Ferruccio Soppelsa, an ice-cream shop and sample their 'Vanilla al Malbec' and 'Melocotón Syrah' flavours. Rather strange to be eating wine-flavoured ice-cream it has to be said, but certainly worth a try!

I spot Vanilla al Malbec & Melcoton Syrah!

And decide to give it a go!! (verdict: interesting, not refreshing)

Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (The Grape Harvest Festival)

This festival takes place every year and is world-famous for celebrating wine and the wine-making industry. Parts of the festival have already begun during our stay, but the main festival does not begin for another 2 weeks. It is a great pity we cannot hang around as we have heard it is a spectacular sight.

Music Festival

In one of the local parks every evening there is music and comedy. One evening we go along with a group from the hostel, sitting on the grass and listening to the various types of Argentine folk music. The guitar players are really impressive, however the some of their skills are somewhat muffled in the dodgy sound-system. Traditional dancing and stand-up comedians follow. There are hundreds of people, some open-air parillas and stalls selling local artesanal products and food. Next week Manu Chao will play (with tickets at the bargain rate of $50 ARS!!).

Note the bottle of Malbec in the back pocket as we approach the festival

Afterwards we head to a club, Iskra, where there is a live band followed by DJ. Good fun and full of locals (including some girls who are in the running to be Harvest Queen!).

Potential Harvest Queens at Iskra

Live band playing current Argentine hits (the crowd love it!)

Seats are promptly whisked away after the band finishes - time to dance!

I end up sick in bed for almost two+ days with some kind of stomach bug during our stay in this city (reason unknown), but once I recover in I'm in desperate need of sustenance! 

Eating in Mendoza (to assist recovery)

Anna, a bistro with a beautiful garden and scrumptious food. I think the descriptions must be quite pretentious as I understood almost nothing of the waitress' description of the specials! However, we just about manage to decipher ceviche, carpaccio, lamb, steak and a bottle of red from the menu! 

A fine plate of carpacccio and ceviche for starters

Tender lamb and ratatouille for my main plate

Good old Bife de Ojo for Adam!

1884 Francis Mallman, rated the 7th best restaurant in the world in 2003! According to various reports it is the best restaurant in town. We discover that it is set within the beautiful Bodega Escorihuela just outside the city centre - the setting and decor is magnificent. I savour 'baby goat' for the first time (feel guilty afterwards). It is a beautiful location with delicious food, but to be honest I preferred the relaxed atmosphere of Anna.

Francis Mallman's 1884

Despite my sickness for part of our stay here, Mendoza has been a charming place to relax and savour the coffeeshops, sunshine and local wine. It is a place where travellers often linger, making a nice change from the usual 24-hour encounters. I am going to wander around the hostel now and take some mugshots of some of our new friends.......

Roanne (SA) and Sarah (Eire)

Josh (Canada) and Alex (Sweden)

Enjoying the balmy evenings at Hostel Independencia

Unfortunately the infamous Tino (staff member) was unavailable for the shoot..most likely too busy being 'rude' to people ;-)

In the morning, we are getting an 20-hour bus to Salta as we begin to move north towards the Bolivian border.

"Poor Niagara!" exclaimed Eleanor Roosevelt

Located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, the waterfalls of the Iguazu River consist of 275 falls along 2.7 kilometers (1.67 miles); the most impressive of all being the Devil's Throat, a U-shaped 82-meter-high cliff.  The falls can be reached from the two main towns on either side of the falls (Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and Puerto Iguazú in the Argentina).

After our early morning flight from Buenos Aires we arrive at the Hostel Inn, about a 10-minute drive outside Puerto Iguazú. The hostel is extremely well kitted-out with swimming pool, 2 bars, catering service, volleyball courts, football fields, pool tables, foozeball and WI-FI! 

Hostel Inn, Iguazu

Our Iguazu team is made up of Adam 2 (South African), Adam 3 (Australian), Duncan (Australian) and little me, the fiery Irish lass. The honour of being 'Adam 1' was given to Irish Adam who is staying at the same hostel.  

Between four of us it makes sense to split the cost of a taxi to the Brazilian side. We cross the border into Brazil, pass by Paraguay and queue for over an hour to get entrance tickets. 

Entrance to Brazilian park

It is Sunday, 38°C (85% humidity) and we are elbow-to-elbow with hundreds of other tourists (many of whom are Brazilian). Despite the over-crowded feel and intense heat, there is nothing that can detract from the magnificence of the falls.

Adam 3, me, Duncan & Adam 2

There are many Coatis (Nasua) on the paths around the falls. There are signs throughout the park warning visitors to hide food in the presence of this raccoon-relative. The announcement on the bus inside the park advises us of the risk of contracting rabies from these creatures. Despite these messages, people continue to walk around with bags of food and some encourage their children to feed them by hand (in order to get a good photo). I find it unbelievable how ignorant people can be when it comes to wild animals.  I keep my distance from these creatures and their sloth-like claws.

Coati

There are also large group of Andean Condors circling over the falls. They can fly up to 5,000 metres above sea-level with a wingspan of 9-10 feet.

Adam 2

Above the falls there is relative calm

Enjoying the cooling splash from the Falls

We wander the various paths around the falls before returning to the hostel for what was supposed to be 'a quiet night' ...... it is a most enjoyable evening involving Capoeira, Irish dancing, wrestling and heated political discussions. We consider taking a trip into town to visit the local club, Cuba Libre but at the appropriate moment there is an almighty downpour which begs us to sit tight under the shelter of the poolside bar.

Myself, Adam 3 and Duncan

New Norwegian friends, Frieda and Carolina

Capoeira on the dancefloor

Adam 3 is learning new moves

Relaxing by the poolside bar

The next day we are rather regretful that we stayed up until 7am. We arrive at the Argentine side, Cataratas, later than planned.  There is only one thing that will wake-us up - a boat trip along the Iguazu River that actually goes under some of the falls! Absolutely drenched, we feel throughly refreshed! The intensity of the water pressure means that taking photos (underwater camera) is challenging!

Dock for getting the boat

'Safari' trip to get to the boat (lots of bugs)

Well that woke us up!!!!!

Presumably this photo was supposed to be of the waterfall?

Wahaaay! We drive under the falls again

We look a the falls from every angle imaginable, saving the highlight of the day until last - the Devil's Throat.  

The Devil's Throat

Feeling a little bit waterfall-fatigued, we return back to the hostel for a quick splash in the pool, followed by a three-hour nap!! Ready to party, again! ;-) Tonight there is an asado followed by tango lessons. We keep bumping into the same people who all following the well-established Gringo Trail and also, large amounts of Israelis following their South American backpackers guide webiste!

I am glad that we visited both sides of the falls, for me the Argentine side was a more pleasant experience - there are a lot less tourists and the Devil's Throat is really marvelous. The Hostel Inn is a very well-run place and it is a good place to party and meet new people. I enjoyed staying there for a couple of days but for my taste, the place is too big, impersonal and a little soul-less. The guests at our time of stay were generally quite young (typically 18-22 years), and most of whom were heading on to Carnival. 

We bid Adam 3 and Duncan farewell (they are headed to Salvador, Brazil for Carnival) and we make our way to the airport for another flight..... 

Destination, Mendoza!

Back to school in San Telmo, Buenos Aires

We sell our camping accessories in Ushuaia and fly back to Buenos Aires with lighter bags and the intention of improving our Spanish.

Views around Buenos Aires

This time we have rented an apartment for 10 days in San Telmo, a southern barrio of the Capital Federal (near to La Boca and Puerto Madero). One of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city. 

Barrios of Buenos Aires

San Telmo

This area has got a bohemian-feel with pavement cafes, cobblestone streets, old mansions, quaint eateries, street tango dancers and live musicians.  Plaza Dorrego is a square where people tend to congregate in the evenings - watch our for the 100s pigeons though (rats with wings in my opinion). This neighbourhood was once home to the aristocrats of Buenos Aires up until 1871 when the yellow fever epidemic spread resulting in the elitists fleeing this southern quarter and relocating in the north-central neighborhood of Recoleta. The empty mansions were then renovated into “conventillo,” and became home to the fresh Italian and Spanish immigrants - transforming the once only-affluent district into a neighbourhood with an eclectic mix of folk!

 

Our apartment is cozy and comfortable, and there are a few Argentine essentials in the kitchen - mate, dulce de leche, coffee machine & biscuits. I feel a little bit less safe here at night than in Palermo or Recoleta, but we are staying in Paseo Colon which is a busy, well-lit street so it is fine. 

Our new home, San Telmo

One of the reasons for returning to Buenos Aires is to improve our Spanish and to get to know the city a little better. We have been recommended a school, BA Plus who work in conjunction with a company called I go Buenos Aires (entertainment company) - so basically we have got a package deal which includes accommodation, Spanish classes, various activities and some meals.

Kate (American) and Jose (Argentine), are our points of contact for the coming week - we are all the same age and get on really well, so it feels more like having two new friends in the city who can give us their tips and recommendations.

One of their first tips is to try choripán, an abbreviated name given to chorizo in a bread roll, best served with chimichurri. Chimichurri is a popular sauce served with grilled meat in Argentina, and some other South American countries. It is said that the unusual name comes from 'Jimmy McCurry', an Irishman who is said to have first prepared the sauce! He was marching with the troops of General Jasson Ospina in the 19th century, sympathetic to the cause of  Argentine independence. The sauce was popular and the recipe was passed on. However, 'Jimmy McCurry' was difficult for the native people to say. Some sources claim Jimmy's sauce's name was corrupted to 'chimichurri', while others say it was changed in his honor. 

Choripan

Chimichurri

Some of the upper-class in Buenos Aires frown upon eating choripan, given how cheap it is to buy on the street (and also it has been known to make people ill).  However......

Our school is located on Moreno 957, about a 25 minute walk from our apartment. Class is Monday - Friday from 1pm-5pm. Thank goodness we do not have morning lessons! There are five people in my class; a couple from Brazil, a Swiss and Danish girl. My class tends to be heavily focused on grammar :-(

Walking to school

Daily lessons, BA Plus

Cycling around the City

Kate and Jose organise for us to hire bicycles and a tour guide for the following afternoon (Bike Tours). I am not too keen at the idea of cycling around this busy city initially due to the intense traffic - however, I absolutely love the experience! It is a fantastic way to get to know the city quickly and also to learn a bit of the history. Tip: there is a lot less traffic on Saturday. During the tour we cover the areas of Palermo and Recoleta in more detail and visited a number of the parks. There are so many green spaces in the city, filled with sunbathers, rollerbladers and dog-walkers. 

One of the many pretty green spaces in the city

This flower closes in the evening and glows purple!

Obervations around the city

I continue to be enthralled with the city of Buenos Aires! We have stopped taking taxis for the most part, preferring to use the local buses known as Colectivos ($1.25 pesos per journey = £0.25p). When I get up early (not very often here!), my favorite thing thing to do is wander around the corner and pick up the local paper and sit in Il Forno (delcious bakery on Bolivar), drinking a cafe chico (espresso). There are a real mix of people; known as the melting pot of South America where immigrants have arrived from all over the world, with the greatest majority of Spanish and Italian descent. There are many strange sights to be seen. Old men sit around the streets in hoards, playing cards or commenting on the beauty of the girls passing by.  It is not uncommon to see a line of cars trailing after a speeding ambulance simply to avoid the traffic. There are people who wander the city with shopping trolleys which raid through the rubbish gathering cardboard (to sell). A few times, and not in any way amusing,  I have seen hoards of drunk male children (maybe 10 years) ploughing through San Telmo shouting, topless and waving their arms in the air (presumably with no homes?). 

Another thing, if you ask for directions in Argentina you will always get an answer. Hoewever, in many instances the person offering directions has no idea where the given place is (despite sounding extremely convincing)! I have spent a great deal of time in Argentina (and Chile) on wild-goose chases (mostly in the entirely wrong direction!). Grrrr. Beware. 

One thing I really like here is that people rely on supermarkets a great deal less that the developed world. In a more traditional style, people buy their fresh fruit and vegtables in the fruit shop, their meat and milanesa in a butchers, and medialunas (small, sweet crossaints) in the bakery. It makes the shopping experience a lot more enjoyable - interacting and gossiping with the locals (often little old ladies and gentlemen) puts me in a good mood for the day! It is a more time-consuming style of shopping but much more rewarding, and I am sure it leads to a greater sense of community and belonging. 

Buenos Aires has one of highest rates of plastic surgery in the world - a fact which is extremely obvious whilst wandering around. People are image-obsessed here and take great care with their appearance. Many of the girls are stunningly beautiful (although the men are not so visually appealing!). There are lots of pretentious clubs and bars in the city where the beautiful gather in hoards. There is even a group of society known as 'floggers', pretty men with long-ish, sweeping hair who blog their lives on a daily basis (there was a flogger attacked and killed last week apparently, simply for being a flogger). There is a word, careta (literal meaning = mask), to describe men who only go to pretentious bars and talk only with 'posh' ladies, a social butterfly of sorts! The word for a female equivalent is gato (literal translation = cat!). 

During class we convince our teacher, Alexandra to spend an hour of one of our lessons teaching us 'the language of the street' i.e. slang and common turns of phrase! It is fascinating and she gives us a good overview of the class system in Argentina (upper, middle & lower) and the language, customs and eating habits of each. Choripan, being typical food of the lower classes and things like sushi becoming increasingly popular among the more wealthy. There are new verbs being invented all the time, all of which end in -ar, whereas older, more traditional verbs end in -er and -ir. Argentine spanish, or more accurately castellano, has many influences from traditional Spanish, Italian and English. For example, shopping centres are know as 'El Shopping' and living rooms in homes are know as 'El Living'. Young people, especially the wealthy add emphaisis with 're-' (pronnounced ray)- for example, 're-linda' (very good-looking). Things that are popular are said to be in fashion - 'muy fashion' or 're-in'. When something has been popular, and is no longer fashionable it is said to be 're-out'!! 

Reggaetón is the music of choice among people our age - it is a form of urban music with Jamaican beats and hip-hops lyrics. Forced upon from every shop corner, radio and car for the past seven weeks we are now accustomed to it (and may even like it a little bit!). Seeing the locals dance to this music is one of the must-see city sights! 

The drinks in clubs are relatively expensive (£25 pesos = £5.00 GBP) so young people tend to gather in each other's houses for food and drinks before heading out. They number one beverage of choice among males and females is Fernet Branca, a Milanese brand of amaro, mixed with coca-cola (Fernet con Coca) - which to me tastes like some kind of poisonous cough syrup!

Another popular drink is vodka with Speed (an apple-flavoured drink with dangerously high leves of caffeine). 

Soccer

People are soccer-obsessed here, so it seems sensible to go and see a game!! Unfortunately, Boca Juniors are playing away this weekend so we go and see River Plate (the number 2 team in terms of popularity) play instead. Jose is our guide for the day, helping us to navigate the 1000s of adrenaline-fulled supporters in the 38 °C heat! 

We catch a crowded bus from San Telmo to the River Plate stadium which is close to the 'limit' of the city (1.5 hours on the bus). At the appropriate stop, Adam and Jose get off the bus. I am about to step out onto the pavement when the hurried driver accelerates and slams the door closed! This is not the first time this has happened so I shrug my shoulders and ring the bell for the next stop (at least I haven't been crushed by the doors unlike poor Irina a few weeks ago!). However, the other passengers are not one bit pleased with the situation and so begin yelling at the bus driver, some of them jumping up and down shouting in Spanish "she is a foreigner, stop the bus right now!!".  After a couple of minutes of excessive commotion, the bus grinds to a halt, everyone cheers and I hop off, giggling and embarassed by the attention! 

The heat is really unbearable (there is no shade from the sun which beams until 8.30pm!). We eat 5 ice-lollies each over the next few hours (there is no other way to cool). The match is fun, even crazier than a Premiership game in the UK - the fans sing loudly and consistently, playing drums, jumping around and shouting abuse at the players when the game is not going their way. I enjoyed the experience but I don't think I shall be rushing back to see another game, a little too claustrophobic from my liking!

River Plate logo

We have been warned not to bring an valuables (including camera) so no pictures of the game, however, we ask a friendly German to take a picture of us and email later....

Football supporters melting in the blazing heat

River Plate stadium

Tango

The city of tango is the perfect place for Adam and I to go for our first lesson! Unable to even attempt to tango in flip-flops, the first step is buying a shiny new pair of high-heels! Green for the luck of the Irish.....

Ready to show my moves on the dancefloor!

Our local, quaint tango club

After a couple of hours we are doing well despite my feet being BLACK AND BLUE from being trampled on!! It is so much fun and we meet a nice Columbian/German couple whi have given us lots of tips for Columbia (in particular which boat to chose when yachting from Catagena to Panama). Luckily, there are no action  pictures of us dancing! Afterwards, in the club there is a Milonga (basically a free floor for all those locals to strut their stuff and show-off their glamourous (and sometimes tacky) numbers. The girls tell me that one should try and dance with the oldest gentleman in the club because inevitably he will be the superior dancer! There is a lot of nodding and eye-contact when partners are pairing up - the female can chose to ignore the head-nod should she wish to decline the next dance!

Drinking beer on the side-line (avoiding eye-contact with tango-dancing men!!)

Fanny, our French friend who we met in Patagonia has invited us to an 'Empanadas and guitar-songs party' at her apartment in Palermo. Her parents are visiting from the south of France, and her father entertains us all with his Ucalaly and songs of the French revolution! We munch on empanadas, washed down with Malbec. Then, Fanny and her tango partner show us some steps. They tell us that tango dancing is all about being creative - the guy should create an impulsion to move and from there the woman can chose to do as she pleases with that impulsion (Fanny believes is is not a machismo form of dance where the male forces the woman in a given direction). This pair do not have set routines that they follow, inventing steps acording to the mood of the day.

Fanny, dancing some impromtu tango in her apartment

Leon, the coolest dog in Buenos Aires

Click to see Fanny tango dancing in her apartment, with Leon (the dog) singing in the background!

The Candilejas Tango Show in San Telmo is our next stop on our tango journey. The show is great fun,

the dances are highly choreographed and spectacular! The music is also fantastic, we especially fell in love

with the incredible harp player.

The highlight of the show, the incredible harp player

Click to see the traditional style of dance

Click to see a modern style of tango dance

Parties

Most of the rest of our time is spent socialising. This is one of the party capitals of the world - where the clubs do not open until 2AM!! So almost every night for the next week we visit pubs, house-parties and clubs; ranging from quaint little 'old-man' pubs, trendy bars, famous DJs (Michael Woods), anti-valentines parties at the golf-club and all-night dance clubs! We meet up with our various friends in the city for dinner and drinks - some of whom we have met during the last seven weeks in Argentina and some whom we have met in other parts of the world. For me, it was really fantasic to meet up with Rocio, an Argentine girl I met in London last year who organised a party for us in her new apartment and also, shows me around her favourite bars and shops in Palermo Viejo.

Dinner with Kate and Jose at Des Nivel, San Telmo

This grilled cheese was out of this world!

Later, I show Kate how to Riverdance (badly!)....

Synchronised Irish dancing!?

Hmmm, maybe it is better when we link arms?!

Kate at one of my favourite restaurants, Cumana (Barrio Norte) where traditional Argentine caseroles are served

New friends made at the Pub Crawl organised by Kate and Jose
Adam, Kate and I

Meeting up with Rocio (left) and her friends at her new apartment

Adam, Rocio and I

And Adam wonders why he never without a beer in his hand in this city of fun!

We leave Buenos Aires, a little tired to say the least. The Spanish course was really great and both are feeling more confident about our conversational ability! 

I pass! (Alexandra, my teacher on the left)

We have decided to travel to Uguazu next with two Australian guys, Adam (we met in El Chalten) and Duncan (we met in Buenos Aires). We sigh as our alarms skreech at 4.30am on our last morning in Buenos Aires....we are on the move again. 

Fireland

Our next stop is Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world and the capital of Tierra del Fuego (Longitude 68° 18' 0" W, Latitude 54° 48' 0" S).

Ushuaia is located 200 Km south of Punta Arenas, Chile - the only permanent settlement south of it is the small town of Puerto Williams, Chile. 

Arrival to Ushuaia

We have heard people talk of the beautiful and dramatic landscape visible from the main road between Rio Grande and Ushuaia. However, the windows of our bus are so fogged up that we can only imagine what the scenery may look like! It is a rather unpleasant bus journey from Puerto Natales due to our seat location, next to the toilet where a repugnant odour hovers in the air - peaking at various points during the journey. The most pleasant part of the trip is the ferry from mainland Chile to the island of Tierra del Fuego, land of fire. As we cross the sea, we see some Commerson's dolphins. 

Getting the ferry to Tierra del Fuego

Commerson's dolphins (picture stolen from Google!)

Tierra del Fuego is owned in parts by Chile and Argentina

By the time we arrive at our destination, both feel queasy and nauseous. The gale wind blowing in from the Antarctic is a welcome change from the stagnant air inside! 

First views of Ushuaia

Our resting place for the next week is the popular Antarctica hostel, which is centrally located and well organised.

Nice communal area at Antarctica hostel

Next day, to learn a little more about the history and culture of city we visit the Maritime museum, the prison museum and local art gallery. 

"For most of the first half of the 20th century, the city was centered around a prison for serious criminals. The Argentine government set up this prison following the example of the British with Australia or the French with Devil's Island; escape from a prison on Tierra del Fuego was similarly impossible. The prisoners thus became forced colonists and spent much of their time cutting wood in the forest around the prison and building the town. They also built a railway to the settlement, now a tourist attraction known as the End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo), the southernmost railway in the world." (Wikipedia, 2009)

Inside the prison

Inside the gallery

Some of my favorites...

Regata XXI, Sergio Boccaccio (2006)

Iberdrola, Micaela Nunez de la Cruz (2006)

Riachuelo, Emilio Biggers (1954)

Afterwards, we take a stroll around town, taking some cheesy pictures en route.

Ushuaia, 'end of the world'

Everything...?!

The sun sets over Ushuaia

Walking home from Dublin

The most popular bar in Ushuaia is Dublin, where locals and tourists gather to drink Beagle beer and (later) dance around like lunatics! We like it. There is a mix of people who work on the Antarctic cruise ships, people who have returned from the Antarctic (a mere 1000km from here), and those of us who cannot afford to go to the Antarctic at this time in our lives! Prices for such cruises are cheaper to buy in Ushuaia than elsewhere, and seem to average round the $3,000- 5,000 USD mark. 

Sailing the Beagle Channel

Fanny, a French girl, whom we met at Perrito Moreno, has recommended that we do a short sailing trip on the yacht, "If". 

If

We are warned to wear as many layers as possible! The boat trip is very pleasant, and stop for an hour's walk on 'H' island where our guide shares information about the flora and fauna in the area. We spend some time watching cormorants, whom he refers to by their technical name of 'sh1t machines'! We also learn about the Yamana people, who first settled in the area. On the way back to Ushuaia we pause to watch the sea-lions laze about and grumble at each other! 

Looking at charts to get a sense of direction

H island, Beagle Channel

Cormorant colony (smelly)

Sealions 

Fly-fishing at Rio Ewan, near Tolhuin

Tierra del Fuego is known to provide some of the greatest fishing opportunities in the world, so we are keen to give it a go! The hostel recommends that we talk to Miguel, a local fishing guide to see what we can arrange. There are many companies in the town offers fishing excursions for hundreds of dollars per day, but Miguel can offer much better deals. 

Sunrise over Ushuaia

So Monday morning at 7am we set off to Tolhuin, stopping at one of the most famous bakeries in Argentina. The churros are delicious! Inside the walls are lined with photos of celebrities and policians eating churros and other facturas (pastries), and towards the rear of the building there is a type of aviary with parrots and toucans. Miguel feels the only good thing worth knowing about this town is the bakery!

The famous bakery, nothing fancy but delicious!

Hmmm, churros!

Toucan at the bakery

I have never fly-fished before, but have heard it is much more technical than spinner fishing. Oh dear, but Miguel reassures me that he will give a crash course, but that I shouldn't have too many expectations as the wind can make this location a difficult place to learn. People come from all over the world here, especially hard-core fishermen who come to Rio Grande ($1000 per day). I ask about women fishing in the area, and he tells me many of the wives are 'more fisherman than the fishermen themselves' (not sure if this comment was just for my benefit?!).

I practice my casting for a while (without fly), until Miguel feels I am ready to try with the hook. You will not believe this, but on my very first cast with the fly I reel in a 3kg brown trout!!!! A little slimier than I expected. For the next 10 hours (with breaks) we move along the river catching and releasing brown trout. A total of 6 fish for Adam, and 4 fish for me - not too bad at all! There are no other people around, the only noises are from the guanaco on top of the hill and the cara cara who are busily scanning the area for food. To complete the day, we have an icy-cold Quilmes to refresh before heading back  to Ushuaia. A good day all around!

We trek to an isolated spot along the River Ewan

Surrounding landscape (note lack of shelter for those instances when nature calls)

First catch of the day

My first cast, and first fish!!

Ok, ok... the first fish I'm not so enthusiastic to hold alone!

Poor little feisty fishy!!

Cara Cara

Pro!

Miguel, our  guide

Guanaco watching us from above

It begins to get late - time for Quilmes!

Happiness!

Horse-riding around Tierra del Fuego

Adam has never riden a horse before, so I book us in for a 7-hour ride around the island. 20-year old Nahuel is our very sweet and knowledgeable guide. My horse is Cocolucho, and is full of mischief (apparently is an expert escape-artist!). Within minutes of getting on Imperador, Adam is doing great. By the end of the day he is able to walk, trot and canter - and by no means is this terrain easy to negotiate! The horses we are riding are called criollos, sure-footed and calm creatures, accustomed to the landscape. Nahuel gives me some insight into the horse-culture in Argentina. We talk about rodeos (common here and in Uruguay) and Nahuel shakes his head - once a horse has been to a rodeo they will never be a good working horse - they will always fear their rider. He has just bought himself a two-year old, quarterhorse for a mere $3,000 pesos. During the course of the day we circle Mount Susana and ride along the coast of the island. It is beautiful, and luckily the weather is great! We stop for a asado at lunchtime, but bad news - we are missing the grill for the fire! However, the lady from the kitchen has instead provided us with two bottles of wine! No meat for us, so we stock up on salad and bread. Despite his grumbling of a sore derriere, Adam enjoys the day greatly! 

Adam's first moments on his horse, Emperador!

Nahuel's labrador-cross

Born to be a gangsta'

For the first 20 minutes we trek with Fran Cabo (a famous US comedienne!)

The mischievious Cocolucho!

Tierra del Fuego National Park

It is not the most spectacular park that we have been to in Argentina and it is expensive to get transport and entry to - however, it is still worth a day trip. The paths here are more like Sunday strolls than trekking paths, but they are very pleasant to follow. The park is emmaculate and the water is clear as crystals. 

End-of-the-world stamp 

It is very touristy but we get our passports stamped!

Bed bugs

It is here in Ushuaia that we have our first know encounter with bed bugs. It really is disgusting but we do some research into how to get rid of them - we change rooms in the hostel, they fumagate the beds and we wash all our cloths and belongings at a high-degree heat. It is a horrible experience but from what the internet says beg bugs are becoming more and more prevalent around the world - even in fancy hotels. Yuck. 

A picture is necessary to reinforce my disgust

Did you know that is can take up to 9 days for bites to appear? Also, these disgusting skuttling creatures can live up to one year without eating (i.e. sucking your blood)......

So aside from bedbugs, we have had a wonderful trip! We stay in Ushuaia for 7 days, which is enough time to get a good feel for the place. The locals I chat to in shops and restaurants are really lovely - friendly and delighted that I am able to speak a few words of Spanish! The food is quite good in Ushuaia - king crab and trout are the essential must-tries. We hear that the lamb here is the best in Argentina, so we go to an 'all-you-can-eat' parilla where the meat is certainly tasty - but not the best we have had so far. 

It is hard to resist buying steak at this price (£1.79)!

Trying the 'best lamb in the country!'

Now it is time to fly back to Buenos Aires, which after a month in Patagonia, may be a shock to the system! Meanwhile we hear of heavy snow in Ireland and the UK, and that all tickets for Glastonbury 2009 are sold out!!!!