Explore with Fran

For those of you that follow both my pictures and blogs on Facebook, apologies. I have been very remiss in the posting of blogs and now they are a few weeks behind. Today’s blog concentrates on my visit to Salta.

I reached Salta, northern Argentina, after another painless, dare I say enjoyable, overnight bus ride from Cordoba. I rocked into the Terminal de Autobuses at 8:30am, jumped in a cab and within a few minutes I was at the Hostel Las Heras. Despite being too early to check in, I got a friendly welcome and was able to store my bags whilst I went off, new map in hand, to find somewhere for strong coffee and breakfast (desayuno). My immediate impressions, confirmed over the next couple of days, were that I was going to enjoy my stay there. A great homely feel to the place, good outside seating options and only a couple of blocks from the main plaza.

Salta turned out to be one of my favourite places in Argentina. A city but with a small town feeling. Beautiful, large plazas. Great restaurants and cafés. An amazing cathedral and the most ornate church I have ever seen, the Iglesias San Francisco (church of Saint Francis).

And very friendly locals. Not to mention a fantastic museum. Now, I must admit, culturally I have been a bit bereft on this trip. I tend to think that once you have seen a museum, you have seen them all. However, that was before I went to the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana (www.maam.org.ar). A museum dedicated to the finding in the 90’s of 3 perfectly preserved Inca children mummies. It was unreal. During an archeology expedition in the Andes around Salta, these mummies and their burial site was stumbled upon. It turns out that the Incas believed that if they sacrificed the children, buried them alive with Inca treasures, then no harm would befall their Inca tribe. And these 3 unfortunate children were the ones sacrificed. The 6 year old girl was in a display cabinet, a bit eerie, and was preserved down to the last detail, including her teeth that were baked into a grimace. Fascinating to witness, but I have to admit, I needed a beer after.

Also in Salta is the Cerro San Bernardo. A hill that gives awesome views all over Salta. For my first visit I decided to walk the 1070 steps to the top. Wow, was that a good idea? I was pissed through in sweat by the time I reached the top. The views made it all worth while. I even walked back down after but made a return visit the next day, this time on the chairlift, Complejo Telefrico Salta, for $25AR. A much more relaxing day, but equally enjoyable.

On my last night in Salta I had planned to have no booze and an early night as I had a 7:00am bus to San Pedro de Atacama the next day. Now as this was an 11 hour bus ride I thought a good nights sleep was the perfect preparation. However. This was before I discovered that there was an asado planned for that night in the hostel. And being the sociable sort, I thought I would join them. And what an asado! Beautiful steak, as much as you wanted. Chorizo sausage and heaps of fresh salad, all washed down with carafes of regional wines. And there was a great bunch having the asado. A couple from Dublin, a couple from the Yukon in Canada (near Alaska apparently, where they regularly contend with -40 degree temperatures) and a couple from Denmark, together with a couple of locals who worked at the hostel.

As I left the hostel to walk to the bus station, in the dark at 6am the following morning, I just wished, just a little bit, that I had a soupcon less wine. Oh well, life is for living.

Until the next time chicas.

Valparaiso, commonly known as Valpo, is a UNESCO heritage city a couple of hours from Santiago. A port town that is famous for its hills and the old school funiculars that are there to transport you up the said hills.

Myself and Grace had got the early afternoon bus to Valpo and headed for our accommodation, Casa Valparaiso. This was a hostel in an old house and we were staying in a 7 bed dorm. Rather unusual for dorms as you more commonly get either 4 or 6 beds (bunks) but for some reason we had an additional single bed in the room. This was very friendly hostel albeit a bit ramshackle and rough around the edges. Great views from the bedroom window though.

Without further ado we went off to investigate Valpo and started with lunch. We plonked ourselves down in a great old style cafe that we later discovered is one of the cafe gems of Valpo, Bar Cinzano. Old school waiters, a fabulous long bar and a menu of traditional Chilean meals and drinks. I ordered grilled chicken with rice and also ordered my first “pisco sour”. I didn’t know what it was either, other than it is the national drink of Chile. And when it arrived it looked a little odd, but let me tell you, it tasted sublime. Absolutely gorgeous. A mix of pisco (some strong liquer type drink), fresh lime juice and sugar. If they weren’t so strong I could have sat there and drank them all day. I’m glad I didn’t though as they might have ended up all over the little boat that we got on later to sail around the harbour.

The boat trip was nothing too exciting but was a good way to spend a bit of time in the sun and on the water. By the port you can jump in a little “collectivo”, a small boat, along with about 30 other people, and for $2000 pesos (less than £3) can sail around the harbour. The trip only lasted about 30 mins and I didn’t understand a bloody word of what the guide was saying, but it was great just to sit in the boat, soak up the sun, and see Valpo from a very different perspective.

In the evening we met up with George and Mildred (Richard and Alison) and went out for pizza to Allegretto. This is run by the same Englishman that runs the B&B that they are staying in. And what a treat the pizzas turned out to be. Truly authentic, thin crust pizzas, just like they come in Napoli. Mamma mia!

The next day we took ourselves off on the bus, along with another traveller, Anna from Germany, to Casablanca, a very important wine region of Chile. We had a fantastic day visiting 3 wineries and having a tasting at each. The weather was glorious, the wines delectable. Oh what a day. In the evening we took advantage of the BBQ at the B&B and made ourselves steaks to go with the wine purchased from the wineries.

Day 3 was spent at the beach in Vina del Mar, a short train ride from the city. Again we were blessed with beautiful sunshine and we secured loungers on the beach and just whiled away the hours, sunbathing, reading, eating, drinking and listening to music being played by buskers on the beach. I could get used to this life 🙂 As Alison asked Richard if he had had a good day, I once again heard the, by now, very familiar refrain of “yes dear”.

I really enjoyed Valparaiso, more so than I even expected. Truth be told I could have quite happily extended my stay there. However, the road was calling and early on Friday morning we were in a taxi to the bus station for the long slog to Cordoba. Back through the Andes, through border control and to Mendoza (8 hours). Then a 6 hour wait in Mendoza before we boarded the bus for Cordoba which would be a journey of approx 10 hours.

Oh, the life of a traveller.

So goes the chant of the national football team in Chile and I found myself chanting along on my first night in Santiago de Chile as we watched the under 20s take on Brazil. The hostel, Andes Hostel, had a mix of Brazilians and Chileans so It was fun to watch it with them and their running commentary in their respective languages.

We, myself and Grace, had arrived in Santiago after a breathtaking bus ride from Mendoza, through the Andes mountains and the border crossing, before dropping down through the mountains into Chile. The scenery is amazing and you can not do it justice by camera. Switching back, through curve after curve on sometimes treacherous roads, all you can do is stare and drink in the scenery.

So I was in Chile for the first time. The immediate concern was to try and get my head around the new exchange rate. I had got used to converting $6 pesos in Argentina to £1. I now had to contend with $745 pesos to the £1. Hmm, could take some getting used to. As was evidenced by getting ripped off by our very first Chilean taxi ride. We jumped in a cab, with Louis a guy from Belgium and headed towards our hostel. Only on arrival, and paying the cab did we realise that he had charged us about £14 for an approximate £5 taxi ride. Oh well, there were 3 of us so the hit wasn’t that bad to the backpacker budget.

Santiago is a clean, pleasant city and I quite enjoyed just wandering around, checking out the parks and plazas, and generally watching the Chileans go about their business. We ventured into one park (bizarrely which I had to sign us in to, I kid you not) and after a bit of a climb we got some great views of the city in the shadow of the Andes mountain range.

When it was time for coffee I thought I had wandered into one of my crazy dreams! Café Haiti was just like one of my perfect Italian coffee houses. You pay the cashier for the drink you want then take the slip to the barista who expertly prepares your drink. However, after a few minutes of being in Café Haiti I soon realised that something was different. And then I looked around and it clicked. All the baristas were females, in tight black mini skirts and black high heels. And the lower counter had been cut away so the skirts and shoes could be admired in all their glory. I was being served fantastic, strong coffee by numerous extras from a Robert Palmer video. I had died and gone to heaven. I only wish I had had the balls to take some photos but it didn’t seem appropriate.

The hostel we stayed in, Andes Hostel, was large, modern and clean but had a distinct lack of character. I think we had been spoiled by Hostel Lao in Mendoza, with it’s relaxing garden, hammocks and free Malbec. And it was a bit of a party hostel for travellers who were obviously on their first trip overseas and were enjoying the recently acquired legal privilege of being able to drink alcohol. Yeah, I remember the first time I had a drink.

And after 2 nights it was time to move on again. To the port town of Valparaiso, a UNESCO heritage town a couple of hours from Santiago. There we were going to meet up again with George and Mildred, aka Richard and Alison from Colchester. The plan was to do some more wine tasting, spend some time at the beach and see what “Valpo” has to offer. See what in my next blog.

I couldn’t end this post, about my first time in Chile, without dropping in a terrible play on words, albeit very true. As we were the other side of the Andes now, the ocean side, the temperatures had dropped slightly. So much so in the evening that as we sat outside Galindo restaurant, having dinner, it was fair to say that it was distinctly Chilly in Chile.

Chao Chicas!

The Long Road to Bariloche

I thought I had “done” long journeys. Mastered them. Become the Michael Palin, or Jules Verne of Argentinian travel. Then I did Ruta 40 (Route 40).

From El Calafate, the transport options north are quite limited. What I did decide on was the 2 day trip up the Ruta 40 advertised as “adventurous”. And adventurous it was, with hundreds of miles of the road not even paved. Just a gravel track. I soon realised why the trip was to take 2 days. And why the bus wasn’t the usual good standard of Argentinian buses. Not even a toilet! Easy on the water Cormack.

And off we went. When I signed up for adventurous, I didn’t count on the lady across the aisle from me changing her sons VERY shitty nappy. Not sure what the little fella had been eating, but it wasn’t good. Thoughts of lunch quickly disappeared. The little boy however, got his lunch, and the next task was a spot of breastfeeding. Head in book for a while I think.

Overnight at the Hotel Belgrano

13 hours later we arrived at our overnight stop, Hotel Belgrano, and my first night in a dorm (4 beds) on this trip. And the last time I forget to get my ear plugs out. Things were OK until the early hours of the morning when a couple returned, obviously after a few shandies, and seemed to struggle with the concept of using a key to open a door. Then we they finally got in the room, fell straight asleep and the guy promptly proceeded to snore his bloody head off. Nights in dorms are going to be limited for me despite the heavy cost overhead of getting private rooms.

Day 2 on the Ruta 40 – headed to Bariloche

Day 2, and we were on the road for 8am, another 13 hours in store as we motor towards Bariloche. Today was much more civilised. No shitty nappies, and a better bus. We even had a guide that spoke English so at least I knew what was going on each time we stopped. And it was today that I got my fill of empanadas. A small Argentinian snack that looks like a mini Cornish pasty. At only $3 pesos a pop (50p) I had several.

Via El Bolson

Passing through a small town called El Bolson we were well on schedule to arrive in Bariloche around 9pm. I could almost taste that first cold beer. However, just out of town we got caught up in a traffic accident. It turned out that a young girl, 10 years old, had been knocked down and killed. Not for the first time on this trip am I reminded how precious life is.

The first night in Bariloche was again in a dorm and this just reinforced my thoughts that my dorm days, in the main, are behind me. I’m running well over budget, but for me, it’s about the experience and making sure that I get out of it what I want.

As we’ve seen, life is short. It’s to be enjoyed. When the pesos dry up, they dry up. And with that in mind, I’m off for another steak.

Adios!

So it took 25 hours to get there. But boy, was it worth it. I am about to explore El Calafate and Ushuaia.

El Calafate is a small town in Patagonia that has grown from a population of 5,000 in the year 2000, to approx 20,000 now. And its growing at an alarming rate. One can only wonder at what the town will look like in 10 years. It is so remote that the “fresh” vegetables travel 3,000 kms from the north. Little wonder that you would struggle being a vegetarian here. Definitely someplace that you have to get used to not having your vegetables.

Glaciar Perito Moreno

But for now, it’s a very charming little town. Yes, touristy, but that’s how they manage to survive, on tourism. And let’s face it, Calafate is home to one of the world’s greatest natural tourist attractions, Glaciar Perito Moreno. Situated in Parque Nacional Los Glaciers, the glaciar is 35kms long and 5kms wide. A breathtaking sight. All you can do is stare. And stare. And stare. And the glacier can move up to 2 meters per day which often causes large chunks of ice to break off. And when these chunks fall off you know about it. They literally crash off to a sound that’s like gun fire. Standing there, watching this, is quite a moment.

El Calafate

I really like the feel of Calafate, so reminiscent to me of the towns on the west coast of New Zealand, places like Queenstown, Franz Josef and Westport. Rugged, remote, lakes, mountains. Beautiful. There is one main street, crammed with little boutiques, outdoor camping stores, great restaurants and quirky little cafes. If you ever find yourself here, hunt down Viva la Pepa cafe. Fantastic coffee and sandwiches that you will struggle to finish. Top marks!

Moving on, to the end of the world – Ushuaia

So, my time was up, and I headed to the Fin del Mundo. Ushuaia, the end of the world. I flew from Calafate in to Ushuaia, a short 1 hour hop, rather than the 17 hour journey had I done it by bus, and I was soon at my accommodation, Hostal Los Calafate, more of a guesthouse than a hostel. But such a friendly owner who for the next 4 days insisted on speaking Spanish to me and calling me Frank. I did have a chuckle to myself. In English!

Ushuaia is as far south as the roads go in the world. I’ve literally reached the end of the road for what could prove to be a cathartic experience.

Food of the gods – Cordero al Palo

The first night in Ushuaia I had an experience I will never forget. My first spit roasted Patagonian lamb. With the first taste I almost had tears of joy streaming down my face. Pure ecstasy. It is a Patagonian speciality with the lambs being split in two down the middle and hung over a pit fire/bbq, known as an asado in these parts.

I ordered the lamb and a piece was taken fresh from the BBQ, and chopped off the main lamb by the chap who does the open fire cooking. So what you get to your plate is as fresh as it comes. And the taste…..heavenly.

Algo mas? – Anything else?

When the waiter saw that I had finished he said “more lamb”, but in Spanish. Now, as this lamb was not cheap, and me being a backpacker, I politely declined. However, the waiter was having none of it. Claiming that I had only had a piccolo (small) portion he insisted, and I say insisted that I have some more. In rudimentary Spanish I asked if it was included in the price. I got a pat on the shoulder and in 2 mins, another full plate full of lamb. Thankfully, when the bill arrived, it was indeed complimentary, so I waddled home a very full, very happy man.

Fin del Mundi – Ushuaia

The backdrop to Ushuaia is nothing short of dramatic. It is nestled amongst 1500m Fuegan Andes peaks. A photo opportunity at every turn. And located on the shores of the Beagle Channel a boat trip is a must do experience. I went out on a trip around the Beagle, out past the lighthouse which has become something of a legendary Ushuaia landmark.

We also got the opportunity to visit a sea lion colony and several bird colonies, including cormorants. Sailing with Argentina on your left and the gleaming, snow capped Chilean Andes on your right was amazing

It is not just about the red wine in Argentina

I’m going to wrap up today’s blog dispelling the myth that I have steak and red wine every night……..as you can see below, some nights I have steak baguette and beer!!

Until the next time chicos!