Backpacking in Argentina has been an exhausting experience, but it has also been a blast!
I spent three days near the Andes mountains in Mendoza in central Argentina and three days among the dry, rocky terrain of Salta in northern Argentina. I rode three buses for a combined 48 hours and met people from all corners of the world. I saw the white-tipped peaks of the Andes and the pastel colors of the rocks in Salta. I drank fine wines and tasted fatty meats. I peered into the eery pools of salt flats and got lost in a maze of Incan ruins. I climbed into canyons and parasailed above cliffs. I survived entire days on a diet of cookies. I took chances and made mistakes, but I learned a little more about this crazy world - and that made it all worthwhile.
I'm tired. I'm weary. I'm ready to go home.
So that's just what I'll do.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
International day-tripper
I took a day trip to Uruguay the other day. I get a kick out of typing that sentence. Growing up in Indiana, the only feasible day trip to another country is Kentucky - and that really isn't worth the gas money.
Uruguay is my fourth South American country to have visited for those of you keeping track at home. Barring any dramatic turn of events, my country-counter will be at four when I return to the United States.
To get to Colonia del Sacramento, a small Uruguayan historical town, I took a ferry from a nearby port across Rio de la Plata, the largest estuary in the world. An estuary is a place where one or more rivers meet before hitting the ocean. Looking out across Rio de la Plata, you'd think it was the ocean. The ferry that I took was really nice inside with a cushiony seats, TV, concessions - even a small store. It took 45 minutes of comfortable water-churning to make it to Colonia from Buenos Aires.
Colonia used to be a major point of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese, strategically located outside the joining of the Parana and Uruguay River. It was conquered and re-conquered several times in its history. Seeing that the common language in Uruguay is Spanish, I guess it's not hard to guess who won in the end.
It's the dead of winter here, so the tourists aren't exactly flocking to the port city these days. It was pretty much me and a few American tourists wondering why they were wearing sweaters and jackets in July. The historical section reminded me a lot of Paraty, the other historical Portuguese port I had visited in Brazil last January. I guess if you have seen one colonial port, you´ve seen them all. We can now add old Portuguese ports to a list that includes Wal-Marts, wax museums and civil war battle fields.
I am traveling solo these days, so the highlights of Colonia del Sacramento were marveling at the breadth of Rio de la Plata atop the lighthouse and serenading a stray cat and a sea dog at the end of the pier. They were a very attentive audience.
It was a grey and blustery day, so I took the ferry back in the afternoon.
Uruguay seems like a much more relaxed place than Brazil or Argentina, although its currency makes me uneasy. The Uruguayan peso is something like 22 to the dollar and most things cost in the hundreds of pesos. It's hard to decide what to order for lunch when you see that it is going to cost you in the hundreds. With all the large numbers floating aroung in that country, I wished I would have brought a calculator.
One of the things about taking an international ferry is that you have to go through customs before and after the trip. Customs is always an adventure for me - especially since my passport was accidently washed in the washing machine. It looks like an historical document with its worn cover, smudged ink and creased pages. I like to say that it has character.
Customs officials do not seem to appreciate my colorful passport, and with all the random slips of paper they hand you during these trips (boarding passes, receipts, entry/exit cards, etc.), it can get a little confusing. It seems like I spent half my day figuring out paperwork.
In the end though, I'm glad I made the trip. Not even Kentucky has a lighthouse.
Monday, July 2, 2007
As different as their dance
I boarded my plane for Buenos Aires ten minutes after it was supposed to depart. Sometimes, you've gotta love Brazilian airlines. I knew I was leaving Sao Paulo for an entirely different city in South America, but how different, I had no idea.
After three days in the capital of Argentina, I can tell you that the cities are as different as the tango and the samba.
Buenos Aires used to be considered the New York City of South America about 100 years ago, the financial and cultural capital of the continent. Of course, today the financial hub of South America is Sao Paulo, but Buenos Aires still packs a cultural punch.
I spent my first day in the city taking a first-class, personal tour of the area courtesy of a couple of American friends. It was a great way to learn about the history and the variety of BA. From the beginning it was apparent that Buenos Aires is different than any Brazilian city I've visited. The streets meet at clean, 90-degree angles, you don't feel like your suffocating in concrete and it's really not necessary to look over your shoulder every couple minutes to make sure you're not being followed.
On my tour, I got to see the variety in architecture that exists and learned oodles about the neighborhoods. I saw the colored houses of La Boca, the renovated industrial buildings near the river, which now offer restaurants like Hooters, and the granite mosques of the wealthy in La cemeterio de la Recoleta where the body of Evita Peron rests. I am staying in an apartment in the neighborhood of San Telmo, an historical area which used to house the city's wealthy before an outbreak of yellow fever in the mid-19th century. The architecture in San Telmo is supposedly Spanish, and the neighborhood is currently undergoing a revitalization process. At different points, I've heard parts of Buenos Aires compared to Paris, New York and New Orleans. All I know is that it definitely isn't Sao Paulo.
Even the people are classy. At one point during my tour, the money pouch that I had strapped around my waist beneath my sweatshirt fell off onto the ground. Before I had even noticed its absence, a man had picked it up, looked at the name on the debit card and was looking for the owner. I had my only way of withdrawing money and 100 pesos in that thing and found it before I even knew it was lost! Had I lost my debit card and cash in Brazil, I am 99.9% sure I would not have got it back.
We made some stops at historical cafes, nice restaurants and extravagant churches. I drank the richest cup of hot chocolate in my life at Cafe Tortoni, a cafe famous for having regulars such as the author Luis Borges. I got a better taste of Argentine beef on Friday and Saturday. (I think the beef I had on Argentina's side of Iguacu is why I was running to the bathroom that night.) I also visited an art museum and toured an old navy ship that was active around the turn of the 20th century. On Saturday night, I had my cheapest night/morning out abroad at an Irish pub/club. Argentines likes to go out late as in early-late. I made sure to take a nap beforehand.
The exchange rate here is much more favorable than in Brazil. The peso is around three to the dollar, and food and public transportation seems dirt cheap. Argentines seem much better educated than Brazilians as a society. I heard the average Argentine reads more than seven books a year. That is several times more than the average Brazilian. Instead of focusing on the body like Brazilians, Argentines prefer to obsess over the mind. The psychiatrist replaces Brazil's plastic surgeon as the glamor profession. It's common for the residents of Buenos Aires to visit their psychiatrist regularly to improve their mental and emotional health. To me, this seems nuts.
Another noticable difference between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires is the racial makeup. People appear far more homogeneous here than in Sao Paulo, although the blue eye/blond hair combo is just as uncommon. I no longer see the Asian and African characteristics that are common a country away.
Although Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, there are enough differences to make communication a challenge at times. Pronunciation is completely different. Luckily, a lot more tourists frequent Buenos Aires and many people speak English.
The weather is a tad chilly, hovering around 50 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. Makes me wish I'd packed a few more long-sleeved shirts and a few less pairs of shorts, but I'll survive.
On July 5th, I'll be traveling west towards the Andes mountains to the wine country of Mendoza. Then, I plan on going north to Salta, where the dry climate and low pressure create a unique climate.
It will be my first time outside of urban life since April. Definitely gonna soak it up.
After three days in the capital of Argentina, I can tell you that the cities are as different as the tango and the samba.
Buenos Aires used to be considered the New York City of South America about 100 years ago, the financial and cultural capital of the continent. Of course, today the financial hub of South America is Sao Paulo, but Buenos Aires still packs a cultural punch.
I spent my first day in the city taking a first-class, personal tour of the area courtesy of a couple of American friends. It was a great way to learn about the history and the variety of BA. From the beginning it was apparent that Buenos Aires is different than any Brazilian city I've visited. The streets meet at clean, 90-degree angles, you don't feel like your suffocating in concrete and it's really not necessary to look over your shoulder every couple minutes to make sure you're not being followed.
On my tour, I got to see the variety in architecture that exists and learned oodles about the neighborhoods. I saw the colored houses of La Boca, the renovated industrial buildings near the river, which now offer restaurants like Hooters, and the granite mosques of the wealthy in La cemeterio de la Recoleta where the body of Evita Peron rests. I am staying in an apartment in the neighborhood of San Telmo, an historical area which used to house the city's wealthy before an outbreak of yellow fever in the mid-19th century. The architecture in San Telmo is supposedly Spanish, and the neighborhood is currently undergoing a revitalization process. At different points, I've heard parts of Buenos Aires compared to Paris, New York and New Orleans. All I know is that it definitely isn't Sao Paulo.
Even the people are classy. At one point during my tour, the money pouch that I had strapped around my waist beneath my sweatshirt fell off onto the ground. Before I had even noticed its absence, a man had picked it up, looked at the name on the debit card and was looking for the owner. I had my only way of withdrawing money and 100 pesos in that thing and found it before I even knew it was lost! Had I lost my debit card and cash in Brazil, I am 99.9% sure I would not have got it back.
We made some stops at historical cafes, nice restaurants and extravagant churches. I drank the richest cup of hot chocolate in my life at Cafe Tortoni, a cafe famous for having regulars such as the author Luis Borges. I got a better taste of Argentine beef on Friday and Saturday. (I think the beef I had on Argentina's side of Iguacu is why I was running to the bathroom that night.) I also visited an art museum and toured an old navy ship that was active around the turn of the 20th century. On Saturday night, I had my cheapest night/morning out abroad at an Irish pub/club. Argentines likes to go out late as in early-late. I made sure to take a nap beforehand.
The exchange rate here is much more favorable than in Brazil. The peso is around three to the dollar, and food and public transportation seems dirt cheap. Argentines seem much better educated than Brazilians as a society. I heard the average Argentine reads more than seven books a year. That is several times more than the average Brazilian. Instead of focusing on the body like Brazilians, Argentines prefer to obsess over the mind. The psychiatrist replaces Brazil's plastic surgeon as the glamor profession. It's common for the residents of Buenos Aires to visit their psychiatrist regularly to improve their mental and emotional health. To me, this seems nuts.
Another noticable difference between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires is the racial makeup. People appear far more homogeneous here than in Sao Paulo, although the blue eye/blond hair combo is just as uncommon. I no longer see the Asian and African characteristics that are common a country away.
Although Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, there are enough differences to make communication a challenge at times. Pronunciation is completely different. Luckily, a lot more tourists frequent Buenos Aires and many people speak English.
The weather is a tad chilly, hovering around 50 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. Makes me wish I'd packed a few more long-sleeved shirts and a few less pairs of shorts, but I'll survive.
On July 5th, I'll be traveling west towards the Andes mountains to the wine country of Mendoza. Then, I plan on going north to Salta, where the dry climate and low pressure create a unique climate.
It will be my first time outside of urban life since April. Definitely gonna soak it up.
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