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Argentina

Rosario - Cordoba - Mendoza - Uspallata

the north of Argentina

sunny 25 °C

Where were we... in Buenos Aires!
Well, we had a really great time there, especially because we met a lot of Argentineans there, or 'PorteƱos' (that's how they call the Argentinians from BA, it's a bit of a denigrating denomination people from the rest of Argentina give to the inhabitants of Buenos Aires, but nowadays it's a neutral denomination).
We met a really nice Argentinean couple, who took us out for some beers, then an Argentinean guy we met in Puerto Iguazu, who took us out for some 'parilla', the local 'asado', bbq, worldfamous, Bart is going crazy with the amount of meat they eat here, it's like they eat a whole cow at once! but really tasty!
We also went to visit the family of an Argentinean friend of ours, and they received us like they would receive their own family! The sister and her boyfriend picked us up at our hostel, then the father drove us around in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where we went to visit the house of the brother and the house of the mother. At the evening we all ate together, we discussed and laughed a lot, really nice!
Buenas Aires has a lot of different great areas, we stayed at San Telmo, then you have Palermo, the shopping neigbourhood (tha's where I went crazy ;) and Recoleta. where they have a huge cemetary, which is like a village in itself, with streets wher you can get lost, and where Evita has been burried.

Then we went to Rosario, a smaller city, but still quite big and western, but we met a friend of us there we met also in Puerto Iguazu, who took us out for some beer at the riverside.
The next day we went to Cordoba, a nicer and smaller city. But as we were really looking for some nature after all the cities, we went to visit the little towns around Cordoba. The first day we had bad luck with the weather, so we could not actually go hiking, but the next day we went to Belgrano, a beautiful town, where we did some hiking up to a mountain, with some great views, really nice! We met some people on the way (a Columbian guy and Argentinean girl) who invited us immediately to join there picknick (we hadn't even presented ourselves yet, the people are extremely open here!) So we met them again at night, for some 'fernet con coca', the local drink. Then we headed back to our hostel, the nicest and most peaceful hostel we have had up until now I guess, like a farm, in the middle of the forest, with a swimming pool on the hill, relax...

Then we took a nightbus to Mendoza, famous for its winery, and they were just celebrating there annual wine festival! So we went to the festival, in a beautiful amphitheatre on a mountain, where the special guest was Mercedes Sosa! The next day we rented some bikes and went on a wine tour, we visited some wineries, with the usual tasting... the ride back home was a bit more difficult :)
But on the bus or at the hostal (it is not really clear), I got bitten by fleas! At least, that's what we think it is, because today I went to the hospital (as it is only getting worse and the medication does not work) and the doctor admitted that he 'really had no idea what it was'! really comforting... I am covered with bites, and it itches sooo much, I don't get a lot of sleep, but I guess that's what a 'real' traveller has to go through right ;)?

So today we arrived at Uspallata, and now we have really fled the big city, because it is all nature here, a gorgeous scenery, with lakes and high mountains covered with snow at the tops. We are sleeping in a tiny town in the valley, where there is nothing to do, but it is really beautiful here!

For our pictures go to my facebook! Let us know how youa re doing!
ciau!

Posted by ankebart 13:07 Archived in Backpacking | Argentina Comments (0)

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Iguazu Falls+BA

waaw

The Iguazu falls are one of the most beautiful things on earth,we were a bit blown away by its magnitude and beauty,it's (again;) the most beautiful thing we have seen in our lives! The first day we did the argentinian side, where you get a panoramic overview of the falls,it was really sunny with lots of rainbows in the water,we thought this could not get any better... until we crossed the border and saw the argentinian side! There you almost walk into the falls ; you can't be afraid of hights because at some moments you are really on top of a huge fall,you get really wet,...and the best part comes at the end: Devil's gorge, it's impossible to describe,you will have to see the pictures!
At the moment we are in Buenas Aires, an incredible city! It has like a double personality, at the one hand it is really hip and cool and lot's of things to do (they have the hippest shopping neighbourhood I ever saw!),but on the other hand it is so poor and corrupt,with a lot of hidden criminality. We met some Argentinian people and they explained us the actual situation of Argentina,and it is quite different from what you get to see as a tourist...
It feels really western and european here, it reminds us a lot of Barcelona. We also met a lot of argentinians already,who are really open-minded people,so we are already invited to birthday parties and BBQ's:)
Hasta luego!

Posted by ankebart 12:38 Archived in Backpacking | Argentina Comments (0)

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