I spent three weeks in Argentina in April/May. During the first week I was with my girlfriend Olivia and for the last two, I was on my own. The trip started in glamorous Buenos Aires where we spent a couple of days exploring and soaking in the stylish atmosphere. We took a day trip to Colonia in Uruguay, which we reached by ferryboat across the bay from Buenos Aires. Argentina being such a large country, Olivia and I decided to save time and fly to wine country, Mendoza where we enjoyed some tasty Malbec. At that point we split up - she headed back to the capital and I took another internal flight to Salta, in the North. After spending a couple of days in Salta, I took a series of public buses to explore the villages in the provinces of Jujuy and Salta, just south of the Bolivian border. I originally had hoped to cross into Bolivia, but the distances are too large and the transportation too slow to do that without rushing unnecessarily. The end point of my journey in the North was the small village of Iruya. From Iruya, I took multiple buses back to Buenos Aires, for a total of 36 hrs on the road! An important stop along the way back was the beautiful city of Cordoba. The map below captures my itinerary (which was only truly finalized when it was completed!).
I fell in love with Argentina - an amazingly diverse and fascinating country! Of course, I didn't even visit some of the most popular destinations like Patagonia and Iguazu Falls. I saved those for a future trip with Colin.
Argentinians are ultra friendly. As it usually happens, it is much easier to establish contact with locals when traveling alone than it is when traveling in pair or group. Olivia and I had just split up at the end of the first week; I was at the Mendoza airport, waiting to catch a flight to Salta, when a tall Argentinian with dreamy movie-star looks approached me and started chatting me up. I couldn't figure out his intentions so I not-so-subtly made a quick reference to my husband. He didn't seem phased and continued the very friendly conversation. Twenty short minutes later, after he had shared his life history with me and had revealed more about who he is than some of my acquaintances I've known for years, we got called to board the plane. He got up, gave me a couple of besos on the cheeks and before I'd had any time to react, he was gone. I was a bit shocked and didn't really know what to make of the encounter. But by the time I got to my seat and I fastened my seatbelt, the lady next to me was eager to start conversation, offer me cookies, introduce me to her friends, tell me about her dating life and travel plans, and invite me to join her for the weekend. She seemed a bit surprised that my husband would let me travel on my own and asked me if I would be as supportive if he chose to take a vacation without me (as obvious as the question might be, I'd never considered that scenario!). Once at our destination, we picked up our luggage, exchanged contact information and she gave me a couple of besos. OK - got it - Argentinians are just ultra friendly and easy to talk to, that's all. And indeed, I had many more similar encounters over the course of the following two weeks.
I truly tried to make the most out of every minute on my trip. It'd be impossible to capture everything I did, so here are my top 12 highlights of the trip (in chronological order):
1. Reflecting on the meaning of life and death in the Recoleta Cemetery
The Lonely Planet had listed the Recoleta Cemetery as a must during a Buenos Aires visit. I was a bit skeptical but have to admit that it ended up being one of the most memorable experiences from the entire trip. The cemetery contains close to 5,000 vaults and mausoleums, all built above ground. The area is laid out like a posh neighborhood - there are streets and allies, benches and plazas. One can spend hours walking around - discovering who lies there, admiring the beauty of the structures and reflecting on life and death. The mausoleums are typically home to (the coffins of) several generations of the same family. They come in a multitude of styles (Art Deco, Baroque, etc.), are made of different materials (marble, granite, etc.) and are of varying sizes. Many of them are adorned with plaques and statues.
Clearly a lot of thought and artistic expression has gone into the design of each vault. There is something reassuring in knowing where exactly your remains will end up and having a place for mourning and remembrance of family members who have already departed.
Probably the most popular sight within the cemetery is the tomb of Eva Perón. It is on the fourth picture below.
2. Indulging in an afternoon high tea at the beautiful Hotel Alvear
On our second day, we went to the posh Hotel Alvear and treated ourselves to afternoon high tea. It was lovely to escape the heat, enjoy a cold Kir Royal and some English tea and sandwiches. Olivia shared with me her amazing stories of life in Ireland and her move to America. It was a truly unforgettable afternoon.
3. Consuming obscene quantities of parilla and Malbec in pingüinos at La Dorita
Argentinians are often associated with beef and Malbec and from my experience, they lived up to both stereotypes splendidly! Beef seems to be consumed in obscene quantities at every meal of every day. They don't care for different preparations - simply prepared, grilled meat seems to be the star of all gatherings around the table. Porteños (the nickname of Buenos Aires' citizens), seem slender and stylish and I cannot comprehend how they can physically absorb so much meat and still look good.
The capital is filled with perillas (grill restaurants), but La Dorita in particular came highly recommended. Olivia and I spent a fabulous evening there and I loved the food and ambiance so much that I returned twice more at the tail end of my trip.
At La Dorita, just like at other typical restaurants, the house vino is served in adorable pinguin-shaped pitchers, which also serve as a measuring unit (of course, we had to order the GRANDE pingüino!)
4. Sharing a mate on a lazy afternoon in Colonia, Uruguay
Colonia is a sleepy town with cobble stone streets across the bay from Buenos Aires, in Uruguay. It is a Unesco World Heritage site and is a popular day trip for Porteños and tourists. Olivia and I got there by ferry and spent a lovely day together walking around Colonia's quiet streets and soaking in the autumn sun. We, of course, had to have the obligatory mate (herbal drink which locals seem to drink non-stop), highly sweetened and shared from the same gourd and straw, while we watched the handful of tourists and locals pass by.
5. Sipping Malbec at a fancy bodega and enjoying the view of the Andes during a multi-course lunch in Mendoza
One of the nicer wineries in Mendoza, Ruca Malen, offered a tour of their facility and a multi-course lunch paired with their wines. We signed up! In fact, Olivia was so generous that she treated me to this fun experience, in honor of my upcoming unemployment!
I've been very fortunate to visit many wineries in Europe and US/Canada and the reality is that all vineyards look alike. Having the snow-capped Andes as a backdrop, however, truly makes Mendoza a gorgeous and unique wine destination.
6. Exploring the Museum of High Altitude Archeology in Salta
The pictures below are from the town of Salta - the first place in Argentina that felt indigenous to me. After Buenos Aires and Mendoza, which had strong European influences, Salta felt like a different country altogether - the population was mostly indigenous, the architecture, climate, food and dress all had a different feel to them. I emptied my backpack and put on most of the layers I'd brought along before heading out to explore the city.
One of the highlights of Salta was the Museum of High Altitude Archeology. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures inside. The museum has a permanent exhibit of three 500-year old mummies that were excavated from the summit Llullaillaco at 6,800 m (22,000 ft) altitude, in the vicinity of Salta. The mummies are of two children and a 15-year old girl, who were sacrificed and offered to the Gods by the Incas. Because they were buried at such high altitude (low temperatures, low levels of oxygen), the mummies were almost perfectly preserved. They were excavated in the late 1990's, when they were brought down to Salta and studied extensively. They have helped answer a number of questions on the Incas' lifestyle. It was a truly fascinating exhibition, though a bit macabre and disturbing.
7. Driving along the Quebrada de Humahuaca
From Salta, I headed North to another Unesco World Heritage site, called Quebrada de Humahuaca. It is a long valley at fairly high altitude, flanked by high, intensely-colored, deeply-carved mountains. The main road follows the valley and has got to offer one of the most beautiful journeys. There was a pretty good network of cheap public buses that connect the several villages in the valley, so I was able to get on and off and explore the area fairly easily.
Before leaving Salta, I had filled my water bottle with coca tea and had stashed dry coca leaves in my cheek, as a remedy against high altitude sickness. Chewing coca leaves is commonly accepted (and legal) in this part of the country and most of my bus co-passangers seemed to be have their cheeks bulging with coca leaves. I was terrified at prospect of getting sick on a crowded bus, while traveling alone. Fortunately, it didn't happen. It took several hours for the high altitude sickness to hit me...and it did hit...and it hit hard, during my first night in the area. With time, however, it passed and I kept going North/higher.
8. Losing myself in the magic of Iruya
My final stop and turnaround point was the village of Iruya, where I spent a couple of days. It is high up in the Andes and it is a several hour bus ride on a 50 km stretch of unpaved road. Iruya is not only at the end of the road, but it also feels like it is at the end of the world. The setting is spectacular, but the air is thin, the village is on a steep slope and it is surrounded by a whole lot of nothingness. I had taken the last bus of the day and we reached Iruya well after dark. After several hours on a meandering road, which climbed up to 4,000 meters, the darkness around us getting deeper and deeper, the lights of the tiny church of Iruya were most definitely a welcome sight.
As I got off the bus along with a handful of other backpackers, we were greeted by a bunch of locals who had rooms for rent. I ended up chatting with a very nice lady of indeterminate age who offered me an entire house for $16/night. It sounded like a promising deal, so I followed her to her house. Distance wise, it must have been the equivalent of 3-4 city blocks, but it felt like quite the work out to get there. I was pleasantly surprised to find an immaculate place with running water and electricity; we had a deal. Getting food was a bit more of a challenge, as there was only one "restaurant" around (read, someone's home with four extra tables for guests), which opened between 10pm and midnight. I was able to find a small local store, where I bought a couple of items to make sandwiches instead.
Life in Iruya must be really hard. Other than quinoa, nothing seems to grow on the steep barren hills. I saw llamas and goats dotting the hills around us and a few cows closer to the river bed, where there were stretches of land, which could pass for pastures. How people survive there is not entirely clear to me.
One could walk around all of Iruya (that is, walk on every single street of every single block) in probably 30 minutes, but I spent a couple of days in the area. Iruya held a spell on me - maybe because time seems to just stop there, but I didn't want to leave.
9. Discovering the beautiful galleries of Córdoba
Córdoba had been high on my list of cities to visit in Argentina and I wasn't disappointed. The architecture was gorgeous and diverse, the vibe youthful (there are many universities in the city) and the galleries could hold their own to the best in Buenos Aires. I saw some beautifully curated art in several of the local museums and galleries. I didn't take very many pictures in Córdoba, but I couldn't help but snap a few of the lazy homeless dogs that seemed to live a life of leisure, completely undisturbed by the locals.
10. Enjoying a private molecular gastronomy lunch in Buenos Aires
Back in Buenos Aires, I decided to make the most of what the city had to offer. In the first few days of our trip, Olivia and I had covered the main sights and attractions of BA, so now I could go for the more obscure and fun diversions. I found an excellent restaurant specializing in molecular gastronomy and booked myself to join them for lunch. As I arrived there, it turned out I was their only guest (!), the waiter was running late (!), and so the chef ended up cooking for me, serving and entertaining me. I ended up having a private and outstanding multi-course lunch, it was fabulous. While my Spanish is reasonably good, I was thrilled to learn that the chef had just returned from a 7-year stint in the US and his English was impeccable. It certainly made the conversation much easier.
11. Taking part in collective madness at a Boca Juniors game
I'm not a soccer fan, but I couldn't pass the opportunity to attend a real game of fútbol, played by Diego Maradona's former team, Boca Juniors. Through a bit of a complicated and shady transaction, I was able to get an expensive ticket in the standing section, in the home stadium, which is located in the rough neighborhood of Boca. I'll skip all the details, but needless to say, it was an experience! Argentinians are obsessed with soccer and I was very grateful that Boca Juniors won the game. There was much celebration, hugs and besos exchanged all around and overall pure and sheer joy.
Amazingly, I was able to capture a video on my iPhone of the first goal (scored by Boca Juniors). This can give you a taste of what it was like to be in the stadium.
12. Reliving the golden age of Buenos Aires during a performance at Teatro Colón
On the last night of my trip, I was able to get cheap tickets for a classical music concert at the top floor of Teatro Colón. The theater is one of the landmarks of the city and was recently reopened after extensive renovation. It is truly gorgeous. The red velvet seats (as uncomfortable as they may be), give it a flair of old world glamor. Some of the world's most fashionable and trend-setting elite have attended performances here, especially during the golden age of Buenos Aires. It was a nice way to cap the trip.
All and all, an amazing trip! The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have my hubby along. La próxima vez, which I hope will be soon!
Very well done!! I enjoyed the read Miki!!
ReplyDelete