We left behind the fantastic Buenos Aires to head to Salta which is in the north of Argentina. We arrived at the Hostal in time for Todd to watch Arsenal play the first leg of the champions league semi v Liverpool.
Salta is a pretty relaxed town, we walked around, ate some fantasic steak and empanadas, caught the cable car up to the top of a mountain to get some pretty good views of the city and the surrounding Andes.
After 1 1/2 days we headed to Cafayate which is the Northern wine region of Argentina. The bus ride was awful, it was a stinking hot day, the bus had no air con and the windows didn't open. We felt pretty rough arriving in Cafayate and probably half the size. The town is pretty compact and there is cheap good wine to buy everywhere. We sat on the roof terrace enjoying a nice bottle of Torrontes (white) and cooling down.
We hired bikes the next day to ride around to a few of the Bodegas (wineries) which will give you a tour of the wine making process when you turn up then let you try the wines. On the way back to the town 3kms out my bike got a puncture and we ended up having to push/carry it all the way back.
We bumped into a couple from Montreal that night who we meet earlier at a Bodega and ended up sampling a lot of the local wine.
Maybe it was the dodgy pizza we ate that night or something else but Todd was very sick for the next 2 days. We had booked into stay at one of the Bodegas as a bit of luxury (thanks for the tip Sam) so I guess it was good and bad timing, nice bathroom but unable to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
We managed to fit in a couple of more wine tastings, the favourite Torrontes being the El Transito closely followed by the Quara. Sam, Todd and I agreed that the girls serving at El Transito beat the girls at Nanni.
The bus back to Salta was less eventful if not a little squashed and uncomfortable. We left early the next morning for San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.
Goodbye Argentina we will miss you.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Saturday, 26 April 2008
San Pedro De Atacama, April 15-18
Taking the 11 hour bus from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama in the north of Chile was our first taste of altitude (the 4500 metre Jama pass) and our first taste of Chilean customs officials. Both left us a little seedy.
Going over the pass meant a climb of 3000 metres in a few hours and you could see the rest of the passengers on the bus wilt as everyone felt a little soroche - altitude sickness. San Pedro D.A is 2436 metres above sea level and we figured a good place to acclimatise before going to the salt flats in Bolivia.
San Pedro is a small town of 2400 people, with uneven dirt roads, crumbling buildings and has a nice relaxed feeling about it. It has loads of cool bars and restauarants - all offering ´happy night´. We also discovered a bar where the empanada´s were bigger than your head.
After a day relaxing we decided to do the El Tatio Geyser tour, which meant starting at 4am´and putting oursleves in the hands of Fernando (our driver) and Diego (our guide). To get to the geysers meant climbing to 4500 metres in a little over an hour. After the tour bus drove over the geysers to a suitable spot we got to wander amongst them, varying from bubbling water to more impressive ones belching out huge amounts of steam. Apparently some unfotunate tourists have, in the past, gotten a little close to the geysers and ´perished´
We passed on getting naked with the German tourists in the hotpool and instead checked out the wildlife - llama, vicuñas, and loads of others including a bird looking much like a pukeko. Our tour took us to the town of New Machuga, situated about 20 metres away from the now abandoned Old Machuga. Machugas 40 inhabitants treated us to some BBQed Llama, some Coca tea and empanadas.
We relaxed after a long day in an open air restaurant with a pisco sour and contemplated the next day´s departure for a 3 day tour of the Bolvian Salt Flats. The open roof is the perfect canvas as the clean atmosphere and San Pedro´s remoteness provide the most vivid blue sky we have ever seen... a far cry from london!
Going over the pass meant a climb of 3000 metres in a few hours and you could see the rest of the passengers on the bus wilt as everyone felt a little soroche - altitude sickness. San Pedro D.A is 2436 metres above sea level and we figured a good place to acclimatise before going to the salt flats in Bolivia.
San Pedro is a small town of 2400 people, with uneven dirt roads, crumbling buildings and has a nice relaxed feeling about it. It has loads of cool bars and restauarants - all offering ´happy night´. We also discovered a bar where the empanada´s were bigger than your head.
After a day relaxing we decided to do the El Tatio Geyser tour, which meant starting at 4am´and putting oursleves in the hands of Fernando (our driver) and Diego (our guide). To get to the geysers meant climbing to 4500 metres in a little over an hour. After the tour bus drove over the geysers to a suitable spot we got to wander amongst them, varying from bubbling water to more impressive ones belching out huge amounts of steam. Apparently some unfotunate tourists have, in the past, gotten a little close to the geysers and ´perished´
We passed on getting naked with the German tourists in the hotpool and instead checked out the wildlife - llama, vicuñas, and loads of others including a bird looking much like a pukeko. Our tour took us to the town of New Machuga, situated about 20 metres away from the now abandoned Old Machuga. Machugas 40 inhabitants treated us to some BBQed Llama, some Coca tea and empanadas.
We relaxed after a long day in an open air restaurant with a pisco sour and contemplated the next day´s departure for a 3 day tour of the Bolvian Salt Flats. The open roof is the perfect canvas as the clean atmosphere and San Pedro´s remoteness provide the most vivid blue sky we have ever seen... a far cry from london!
Monday, 21 April 2008
Buenos Airies after Boca. April 5th to 8th
The best way to unwind after the excitement of Boca was to spend a lazy Sunday wandering the San Telmo markets. San Telmo is the tango district and every sunday has a huge market down the length of Defensa Avenida and spilling into those running off it. Each side is crowded with markets and street performers, including the Tango.
We were told everyone is good at one part of tango, but never all three ' either the dance, the song or playing the music. There were hundreds of other types of performers and some very cool cafes you could watch it all go by.
We spent our last full day exploring more of the Palermo district and Recoleta ' the more expensive part of B.A and probably least favourite. Within Recoleta is the Cemetery de Recoleta which has streets and alleys running between family mausoleums of some of B.As most important and wealthy families. The sculptures would be better placed in art galleries. Recoleta also has Bullers Brew Pub and we managed to work our way through the Light Lager 4.5%, the Wheat 5.5%, the Honey 8.5%, the Oktoberfest 5.5%, the Indian Pale Ale 6%, the Irish Stout 5.5% and a few wines in the afternoon.
On recomendation we went to La Cabrera restaurant for our last night. On a Monday we still had an hour and a half wait during which they gave us free wine. This place should be a must for anyone visiting, the food was brilliant with about 8 sides with your steak, more free wine and a lollipop.
We were told everyone is good at one part of tango, but never all three ' either the dance, the song or playing the music. There were hundreds of other types of performers and some very cool cafes you could watch it all go by.
We spent our last full day exploring more of the Palermo district and Recoleta ' the more expensive part of B.A and probably least favourite. Within Recoleta is the Cemetery de Recoleta which has streets and alleys running between family mausoleums of some of B.As most important and wealthy families. The sculptures would be better placed in art galleries. Recoleta also has Bullers Brew Pub and we managed to work our way through the Light Lager 4.5%, the Wheat 5.5%, the Honey 8.5%, the Oktoberfest 5.5%, the Indian Pale Ale 6%, the Irish Stout 5.5% and a few wines in the afternoon.
On recomendation we went to La Cabrera restaurant for our last night. On a Monday we still had an hour and a half wait during which they gave us free wine. This place should be a must for anyone visiting, the food was brilliant with about 8 sides with your steak, more free wine and a lollipop.
La Boca!!!! April 5th
Back in Buenos Airies on the saturday for the Club Athletico Boca Juniors game vs. Banfield. Boca, while being in a poor area of BA, are the superstar club in Argentina having won the Sth American equivalent of the Champions League more than any other team.
The Boca stadium is huge, well at least 3 sides of it is, as the club ran out of money during the building of it so had to make the stadium rectangular shaped rather than the normal oval. Three sides are stands, with the remaining side only having about 4 rows of seats, the corporates and the tv cameras. The shape gives it the name "La Bombonera" The lollie. The Boca colours came from the clubs founders stating they would adopt the nation´s colours of the first ship that came into the port - the ship was Swedish so the shirts and stadium are blue and yellow.
We were picked up by Phillipe, one of a bunch of tour operators offering tourists the Boca experience but shielded from the worst of the stadium madness. Upon arriving at the stadium, we were herded into a nice, clean, and very tacky tourist 'holding pen' where you could buy merchandise, food and generally keep us away from the rest of the fans for much of the build up. Going in with the masses, the security is pretty lax and we found our seats up in the gods of the concrete jungle which did give a great view of the crowd and stadium. Boca reserves won the warm up, by the end of which the stadium was pretty full and the noise was rising.
The noise when the team came out was deafening. The Boca fans are incredible. Not for a second did the drummimg, singing, cheering, or whistling (when Banfield dared to touch the ball) stop. There is a whole section of the fans playing drums and trumpets, with that end of the ground seeing virtually none of the game as they are constantly singing and dancing. The Banfield first goal was vitually ignored other than by their away fans. As Boca scored and pushed for the win we got to experience the stadium in full flight and understand why the fans have the saying the stadium doesn't shake.... it beats. The 1 all draw was not the ideal result but the armosphere and fans were a true experience. The football may not have been as good as arsenal but the premiership could do with some of the latin american passion!
The Boca stadium is huge, well at least 3 sides of it is, as the club ran out of money during the building of it so had to make the stadium rectangular shaped rather than the normal oval. Three sides are stands, with the remaining side only having about 4 rows of seats, the corporates and the tv cameras. The shape gives it the name "La Bombonera" The lollie. The Boca colours came from the clubs founders stating they would adopt the nation´s colours of the first ship that came into the port - the ship was Swedish so the shirts and stadium are blue and yellow.
We were picked up by Phillipe, one of a bunch of tour operators offering tourists the Boca experience but shielded from the worst of the stadium madness. Upon arriving at the stadium, we were herded into a nice, clean, and very tacky tourist 'holding pen' where you could buy merchandise, food and generally keep us away from the rest of the fans for much of the build up. Going in with the masses, the security is pretty lax and we found our seats up in the gods of the concrete jungle which did give a great view of the crowd and stadium. Boca reserves won the warm up, by the end of which the stadium was pretty full and the noise was rising.
The noise when the team came out was deafening. The Boca fans are incredible. Not for a second did the drummimg, singing, cheering, or whistling (when Banfield dared to touch the ball) stop. There is a whole section of the fans playing drums and trumpets, with that end of the ground seeing virtually none of the game as they are constantly singing and dancing. The Banfield first goal was vitually ignored other than by their away fans. As Boca scored and pushed for the win we got to experience the stadium in full flight and understand why the fans have the saying the stadium doesn't shake.... it beats. The 1 all draw was not the ideal result but the armosphere and fans were a true experience. The football may not have been as good as arsenal but the premiership could do with some of the latin american passion!
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Iguazu Falls, April 2nd to 5th
Puerto Iguazu on the Argentinian side of the falls was the perfect break from the city. It´s a small town about 18kms from the falls, is mostly dirt road, has loads of little bars, parillas and cafes. Despite what was still stunning weather, with it not being peak tourist season, it was very subdued with dogs outnumbering people 2 to 1.
Early on the 3rd we caught the bus to the falls - the result of seven rivers meeting in one point and ending up as two. The argentinian side gives you the chance to get up close to many of the falls, as well as wander along the tops of them. The falls were absolutely magificient - its hard to describe the scale or views they provide. As you walk around the trails every turn seems to bring a bigger and more spectacular waterfall. We took a speedboat trip that starts serenely around one of the bottom rivers before dowsing you in one of the smaller falls and taking you up close enough to get soaked in the spray of one of the largest. After navigating both the bottom and top trails of the falls, a train takes you up to the largest of the falls 'Garganta Del Diablo' - The Devils throat. The largest and most stunning of the falls, this is absolutely huge.
You share the visit with some of the national park's wildlife - Cuotes (a cross between a racoon and a possum) who wander across the paths but apparently only attack when they see or smell food. There's also spiders, lizards, plenty of birds and one lazy croc / alligator??.
At the falls we met Fiona (from the UK) and Carlos (the real life ' gaucho') who we also caught up with for dinner that night. Fiona had decided to leave her UK life behind to join Carlos breaking horses, practicing medicine and cooking in the native Indian way in Mendoza. Carlos offered to cure us of our 'fear' of horses..... mmmm. They are running retreats so if you are interested, let us know and we can forward details!!
The next day the 'small' journey to Porto Do Iguacu on the Brazil side took an age - not helped by our guidebook suggesting bussing into the largely uninspiring town, only to double back most of the way on the bus to the falls. The border is easy to cross (if you are a kiwi or Brit) and you know as soon as you hit brazillian soil as the bridge between changes from the colours of the Argentinian flag to Brazil's.
The Brazil side gives you a stunning panaoramic view of everything we had seen the day before from close up. It only takes a couple of hours to see, but you also get to walk over one of the larger falls and also get a different, but equally impressive, view of 'Garganta Del Diablo'. It also had even more wildlife - with all the beasties a little larger than their slimline cross border counterparts.
For both sides of the falls, April is a great time to visit with not huge numbers of other tourists - unspoilt photos and hardly any tour groups!
Rounding off the whole Iguazu experience with a helicopter trip over the falls was perfect (and defintiely safer than hot air ballooning in Turkey). We will be running slide show evenings on Tuesdays and Thursday's for the first four weeks after we get back.
Early on the 3rd we caught the bus to the falls - the result of seven rivers meeting in one point and ending up as two. The argentinian side gives you the chance to get up close to many of the falls, as well as wander along the tops of them. The falls were absolutely magificient - its hard to describe the scale or views they provide. As you walk around the trails every turn seems to bring a bigger and more spectacular waterfall. We took a speedboat trip that starts serenely around one of the bottom rivers before dowsing you in one of the smaller falls and taking you up close enough to get soaked in the spray of one of the largest. After navigating both the bottom and top trails of the falls, a train takes you up to the largest of the falls 'Garganta Del Diablo' - The Devils throat. The largest and most stunning of the falls, this is absolutely huge.
You share the visit with some of the national park's wildlife - Cuotes (a cross between a racoon and a possum) who wander across the paths but apparently only attack when they see or smell food. There's also spiders, lizards, plenty of birds and one lazy croc / alligator??.
At the falls we met Fiona (from the UK) and Carlos (the real life ' gaucho') who we also caught up with for dinner that night. Fiona had decided to leave her UK life behind to join Carlos breaking horses, practicing medicine and cooking in the native Indian way in Mendoza. Carlos offered to cure us of our 'fear' of horses..... mmmm. They are running retreats so if you are interested, let us know and we can forward details!!
The next day the 'small' journey to Porto Do Iguacu on the Brazil side took an age - not helped by our guidebook suggesting bussing into the largely uninspiring town, only to double back most of the way on the bus to the falls. The border is easy to cross (if you are a kiwi or Brit) and you know as soon as you hit brazillian soil as the bridge between changes from the colours of the Argentinian flag to Brazil's.
The Brazil side gives you a stunning panaoramic view of everything we had seen the day before from close up. It only takes a couple of hours to see, but you also get to walk over one of the larger falls and also get a different, but equally impressive, view of 'Garganta Del Diablo'. It also had even more wildlife - with all the beasties a little larger than their slimline cross border counterparts.
For both sides of the falls, April is a great time to visit with not huge numbers of other tourists - unspoilt photos and hardly any tour groups!
Rounding off the whole Iguazu experience with a helicopter trip over the falls was perfect (and defintiely safer than hot air ballooning in Turkey). We will be running slide show evenings on Tuesdays and Thursday's for the first four weeks after we get back.
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Buenos Airies Pt 1 - March 31 - April 1
The flight from Santigo to Buenos Airies takes you over the Andes - a stunning view from 40,000 feet. Even from that height, they stretch all along the horizon, and when the cloud rolled in, the tallest snow capped ones were still visible above the cloud line.
The Porteños of Buenos Airies love their late nights - even the Tuesday night Drum n Bass nights don´t open their doors until 1.30am. We got in late from the flight and went out in the Palermo District where we were staying for a fashionable 1am dinner.
Empañada´s should be classified as an illicit drug as having only had one you feel the pangs of addiction....
If you think of where the best places might be to go on a cycle tour of Buenos Airies, through the middle of a huge (and pretty raucous) protest against the president may not be one of them. All the protestors seemed to be marching the opposite way to where we went to ride, our guide didn´t seem to notice but with graffiti being sprayed on the walls of the city, loads of armed police, shop shutters down or with guards out front, and helicopters circling over top.... for us gringos it was very intense.
Before getting caught up in the protest, the tour started at San Martin Square where we saw the Malvinas Islands war memorial (Falklands). The ride took us along the old port - Puerto Madero - now home top expensive cafes and restaurants, and out to the river Paraña which stretches 220kms across and sits between Argentina and Uruguay, before heading to San Telmo.
We covered most of the south of the city - riding through La Boca (meaning "the Mouth" and home of Boca Juniors football) where the first Italian migrants settled. Most of the area is still housing blocks, with some parts pretty unsafe but they have dressed up one little section for tourists in bright colours with street vendors, souveniers and cafes. It all feels a bit plastic although the Maradonna lookalike posing for photos was class.
That night we got stuck in what must have been the 50 year storm, ´stranded´ in a bar while every news channel broadcast the downpour from street corners, backyards and rooftops.
With a Boca game coming up in a few days time, we decided to spilt our time in B.A, head up to Iguazu Falls and be back for the weekend - also the best time for the nightlife.....
The Porteños of Buenos Airies love their late nights - even the Tuesday night Drum n Bass nights don´t open their doors until 1.30am. We got in late from the flight and went out in the Palermo District where we were staying for a fashionable 1am dinner.
Empañada´s should be classified as an illicit drug as having only had one you feel the pangs of addiction....
If you think of where the best places might be to go on a cycle tour of Buenos Airies, through the middle of a huge (and pretty raucous) protest against the president may not be one of them. All the protestors seemed to be marching the opposite way to where we went to ride, our guide didn´t seem to notice but with graffiti being sprayed on the walls of the city, loads of armed police, shop shutters down or with guards out front, and helicopters circling over top.... for us gringos it was very intense.
Before getting caught up in the protest, the tour started at San Martin Square where we saw the Malvinas Islands war memorial (Falklands). The ride took us along the old port - Puerto Madero - now home top expensive cafes and restaurants, and out to the river Paraña which stretches 220kms across and sits between Argentina and Uruguay, before heading to San Telmo.
We covered most of the south of the city - riding through La Boca (meaning "the Mouth" and home of Boca Juniors football) where the first Italian migrants settled. Most of the area is still housing blocks, with some parts pretty unsafe but they have dressed up one little section for tourists in bright colours with street vendors, souveniers and cafes. It all feels a bit plastic although the Maradonna lookalike posing for photos was class.
That night we got stuck in what must have been the 50 year storm, ´stranded´ in a bar while every news channel broadcast the downpour from street corners, backyards and rooftops.
With a Boca game coming up in a few days time, we decided to spilt our time in B.A, head up to Iguazu Falls and be back for the weekend - also the best time for the nightlife.....
Santiago Chile - March 29 and 30
Landing into Santiago between the Andes is a pretty cool way to start south America.
We got a hostel in the Bella Vista district - lot´s of students and a bit bohemian which meant everything was a bit cheaper (at least prices can only drop as we travel out of Chile)
Sanitago is a pretty relaxed city, not a lot to do so we spent the days walking around the Plaza Mayor, looking through the markets and idly wasting time till it was acceptable to go and drink and eat. The nice thing about the beer in Sth America is the fact Litre bottles are the norm. Okay so people normally share them, but Nic not being a beer drinker meant it was my cross to bear.
We didn´t warm to the local music too much - we hope to never hear heavy metal pan flute fusion again.
Proving th Hutt is truly a global place - we met a guy in our hostel who grew up in the hood and now lives in Rio meaning we have a tour guide for when we arrive towards the end of our trip. Nice.
All the flights out of Santiago were very expensive but Nic managed to translate a local budget airline site and we got some flights for about a thrid of the cost. The fact they made everyone write the contact details of a next of kin down on paper and give it to the ground staff before boarding, and fumigated the plane cabin (and passengers with it) before take off, meant as we watched the new airbus 380 "avion gigante" leaving for it´s first trip from Santiago, we kinda wished were on that.
We got a hostel in the Bella Vista district - lot´s of students and a bit bohemian which meant everything was a bit cheaper (at least prices can only drop as we travel out of Chile)
Sanitago is a pretty relaxed city, not a lot to do so we spent the days walking around the Plaza Mayor, looking through the markets and idly wasting time till it was acceptable to go and drink and eat. The nice thing about the beer in Sth America is the fact Litre bottles are the norm. Okay so people normally share them, but Nic not being a beer drinker meant it was my cross to bear.
We didn´t warm to the local music too much - we hope to never hear heavy metal pan flute fusion again.
Proving th Hutt is truly a global place - we met a guy in our hostel who grew up in the hood and now lives in Rio meaning we have a tour guide for when we arrive towards the end of our trip. Nice.
All the flights out of Santiago were very expensive but Nic managed to translate a local budget airline site and we got some flights for about a thrid of the cost. The fact they made everyone write the contact details of a next of kin down on paper and give it to the ground staff before boarding, and fumigated the plane cabin (and passengers with it) before take off, meant as we watched the new airbus 380 "avion gigante" leaving for it´s first trip from Santiago, we kinda wished were on that.
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