Dia de Campo (Day in the Country)
We booked a trip (yes folks an organized tour - it's the only way to tour the countryside) out to an Estancia (a large ranch) which was located 1 1/2 hours south west of Buenos Aires in the Pampas region. The name of the ranch was La Candaleria. The estancia was once 8,000 hectares but through family in-fighting it is now 400 hectares. It is run as a hotel with some 22 rooms located in several low hacienda style buildings and a French Chateau. Apparently in the late 1800's the original family visited France and were so taken by one of the chateaux there, they decided to have one built on their estancia. Everything was imported from Europe by boat, then by train down to the closest town, then by cart.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a lovely older "Gaucho" couple dressed in turn of the century Gaucho clothing. We were offered empanadas (the best we've had to date) and wine when we arrived. This was followed by a cooking demonstration and a tour of the Chateau. We were then served a lunch which consisted of various salads and an asado (barbequed meat) and more wine. The asado was served on individual grills and consisted of steak, pork ribs, chicken, chorizo sausage and innards (passed on the last). The meat we were served for lunch could have fed 6 people easily....we made a stab at it, but didn't quite finish....they actually asked us if we wanted more!!
After lunch there was a show of Gaucho folkloric dancing featuring three young couples in traditional clothing. Claire got picked by one of them to get up and dance!! Also, the older couple that had greeted us when we arrived, danced a courtship dance....found out later, they have been married 36 years. After the show, we went out to the grounds and saw some of the young Gauchos' perform various riding tricks...these guys can really ride; the horses just seem to be an extension of themselves. We then tried our hand at driving a horse drawn carriage for a short loop. The horse responded to Robin's commands...o.k. ...somewhat!! Also got to try Yerba Mate.....well....not on our list of favorites. This herb- like tea, which the locals drink in large quantities (they even carry around thermoses of the stuff), is very bitter. We are sure that it is an acquired taste. We did notice that the locals do put in about a pound of sugar in one cup....they do like sweet things.
On our way back to B.A. our bus got caught up in the final day of the Dakar Rally. There were thousands of people lining the sides of the road and a number of the racers passed us. A real carnival atmosphere. Just an update on the Dakar...the Canadian car racing team scratched, but a Canadian motorcycle driver came in 55th in his category.
El Tigre
Spent a day traveling up to Tigre, a city 35 km. north of B.A. We met our guide Pablo, a university professor, near the Mitre train station. A very eloquent middle aged man, who gave us a different view of Buenos Aires in its Belle Epoque period. He even had some black and white historical photographs on his I-phone of the original downtown area where the rich settled. We then went to the train station and took the train (one hour) to Tigre; during which time he continued his history lesson covering politics, the various economic crises and recent happenings in the country. He offered us some of his home made mate. He told us that his is very good; as he adds herbs and a little sugar. Claire tried some again...still not a fan. Must say that he was a very interesting man to listen to. He dropped us off at the station in Tigre and we proceeded on our own to board a launch to go up the many channels in the delta. The river water is a muddy brown, rich with iron from the waters flowing from inland South America. All along the various channels of the river houses are built on stilts; also some beautiful colonial homes . People from B.A. come here to spend weekends and some with families to spend summer vacations. There are no roads here and everything needs to be brought in by boat. The boat we were on was indeed a working boat. Not only did it carry passengers, it dropped off mail, water, parcels and groceries at various boat docks. It took us a little over an hour to get to our location. We arrived at Bonanza (all the houses have names) where we had booked lunch and where we spent the afternoon. The house was built in the late 1860's and has been converted into a small rural guest house. When we got there we took out a canoe out for about an hour and paddled up the river and into a small lagoon. Parts of the river were chocked by water hyaciths. Robin said that anybody from Guyana would certainly love the trip up the river. Certainly a different way of life and a wonderful way to spend a day.
Colonia, Uruguay
Took a high speed ferry to Colonia in Uruguay, which is some 50 k.m. across the Rio Plata River from B.A. and only took one hour. Colonia is a small colonial town established in 1680 and its' historical town centre is a Unesco World Heritage site. The streets are lined with sycamore trees which offer protection from the summer heat; and it was very hot the day we spent here. We opted to rent bikes....must have been built in 1680 as well...what clunkers! Riding down the narrow cobbled streets was quite an adventure on the bikes we had which also did not have brakes and don't think the chains had ever been oiled! Damien, Logan and Michelle, the bike techs at MEC would be appalled. Guess renting bikes for the price of $5.00 a day, should have told us something. The historical town centre juts out into a peninsula and consists of well preserved modest colonial style structures made from stones some of which are now restaurants, shops and hotels. On the riverfront there was a lovely breeze coming off the Rio Plata and as it was so hot, we stopped for a liquid refreshment. Although it was only 11 a.m., luckily Colonia is one hour ahead of B.A. so we could justify the drink as it was really noon! All the shops and restaurants here were very accommodating, accepting Argentinian pesos, Uruguayan pesos and U.S. dollars. As Colonia is just a one hour trip from B.A., they get a lot of day visitors. We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon, sitting by the river relaxing and enjoying the breeze, as it was so hot when walking in the main town. A lovely way to spend a day visiting this quaint colonial town.
B.A. - everyday life continues.....
As we are spending a month a B.A., there are everyday things we need to look after....getting laundry done, getting haircuts (dye job for some of us), new sunglasses to pick up, going to the movies (Sherlock Homes, Two Lovers), visit to the book exchange, going to the gym, etc.
It has been very hot and still some days, so on these days we usually take it slow. Not everything is always rosy when you travel. Our apartment does not have air conditioning, although we do have a couple of fans; it cools down enough at night and with the fans we are able to sleep well. As mentioned earlier, we went to air conditioned movie theatres to escape the heat. Have also had a few power outages in the neighbourhood. The power seems to stay on in the downtown area where the businesses and tourists hang out. We are told that these power outages happen on a regular basis in the summer, and were especially bad during the last economic crisis.
We also have to tell you about the apartment where we are living. There are about 8 apartments in this building and the owners live on the main floor. We think this is how they make their living. When we first arrived, we noticed loud music about every 3rd night and on Sunday afternoons, which lasted a couple of hours. We then noticed that at the end of the hallway on the main floor was a large dance type studio...hard wood floors, mirrors, glass doors. So we started thinking that maybe Ingrid, one of the owners, was teaching free dance or something, as the music went from loud and fast to soft and slow. Well....one night we were leaving for dinner and we peeked in. This is really hard to describe.....a bunch of adults were "writhing" on the floor and sometimes on top of one another...not sure what we should call it. Think we might actually ask her before we leave what it's all about. Don't want to ask any sooner, as they might ask us to join in! Claire's brother Denis would just call them a bunch of old hippies!!
Sheri, our sister in law, asked how we were managing after our Spanish lessons. Well, with the previous spanish lessons that Robin had taken, we were doing quite well already. We did however, both learn quite a lot during our spanish classes here. One of the major things we learnt, is that the pronunciation of certain words in the Rio Plata area (Buenos Aires and some northern parts of Argentina, and parts of Uruguay) is totally different from what we had both previously learnt. Good going forward!!
On the political scene, Pinera won the Presidential election in Chile, earning 52% of the vote. He is the country's first democratically elected right wing ruler in 52 years. Once you are registered to vote in Chile, you must continue to vote over the years at each election or you could be fined. This is also the case in Argentina. With the voter apathy in civil, provincial and federal elections in Canada, mandatory voting strikes us as something to consider!!
Here in Argentina, the infighting and debates continue in regards to President Madame Kirchner still wanting to get her hands on the reserves to pay off debt. The courts in the U.S. have frozen financial assets that are on deposit in there.
There was a large Italian migration to Argentina in the early 1900's and pasta is offered in most restaurants. There is also a tradition of eating gnocchi in Argentina on the 29th of each month. This tradition dates back to tough economic times when everybody was paid at the end of the month. By the time the 29th rolled around the only thing that people could afford to cook were these delicious potato dumplings. Think about that the next time you go to an expensive Italian restaurant!!
Another piece of interesting news in the Buenos Aires Herald (the only English newspaper that is published here, founded in 1876) is the fact that Britain recently issued a diplomatic rebuke to Argentina following a new challenge to the alleged sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands (otherwise known as the Falklands) and a section of Antarctica. Will these people never learn...they lost 649 Argentinians and 258 Brits in the 73 day war in 1982 and it threw Argentina into an economic crisis. Wonder why this issue has raised its ugly head again? Guess what....seismic surveys have shown there could be 18 billion barrels of oil in the Malvinas area!!
We have posted pictures.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Iguazu Falls
The town reminds Robin of any small jungle community. Red earth roads, some cobbled with bricks, and lush vegetation with brilliantly colored flowers and birds. The falls are some 20 minutes from the town site.
Legend has it that the falls originated when an Indian warrior named Caroba incurred the wrath of a forest god by escaping downriver in a canoe with a young girl, Naipur, with whom the god was infatuated. Enraged, the god caused the riverbed to collapse in front of the lovers, producing a line of precipitous falls, over which Naipur fell and , at their base, turned into a rock. Caroba survived as a tree overlooking it. The geologists mind you have a totally different view...surprise! The Rio Iguazu course takes it over a basaltic plateau which ends abruptly just short of where a lava flow stopped. Just before going over the falls, the river divides into many channels with hidden reefs, rocks and islands, separating the many distinctive cascades that together form the famous cataratas (waterfalls). In total the falls stretch around for more than 2 kilometers.
We went up to the falls for two consecutive days...lots to take in for just one day. We took the local bus to get there...much better than an organized tour; we just seem to shy away from those type of things. The falls are located in a National Park of Argentina, one of the oldest. The park is well designed and is very clean. They have a visitor centre when you first arrive, which is well done. Then you have an option to see the falls from various locations, which we took in over our two days/three nights here. The first option was the lower circuit, then the upper circuit and finally the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo). All three locations gave us very different views of the falls. It is very hard to describe how huge the falls are and don´t really know if the pictures do it justice.
The first day, we also opted for a truck tour through the jungle (about 1/2 hour) with a guide, then onto a jet boat tour of the lower Iguazu River, which took you up to the falls. Must say that this was a blast.....we got totally soaked. We were given dry sacks in which to put our shoes, socks, backpacks, cameras, etc. The boat roared up the river, then came to a stop just below the falls. At this point we were told that we could take pictures, and about 5 minutes later, we were told to put the cameras away in the dry sacks. The boat then proceeded to get as close to the falls as possible and needless to say, this is where we got totally soaked. Thought the soaking had finished, but alas, onto the Brazilian side of the falls, to get wet once again.
During our two days here we say hundreds of coatis (adults and babies), agoutis (Robin says that he and the young boys in Guyana used to hunt these and eat them....tastes like chicken he says!!), capuchine monkeys, a couple of very large lizards , beautifully colored Mariposas (butterflies) and lots of spiders, army ants, etc. We have certain friends that would not do well in this environment!!
It was great to come back to our hostal every afternoon to slip into the pool to cool off and enjoy a caipirinha, a wonderful Brazilian drink ....could easily get hooked on these on a hot day. Our hostal conveniently had a restaurant, so didn't even have to go into town...nice after a long day.
We noticed, in our walks around town, huge line ups at the two gas stations. When we asked the staff at the hostal about this, they told us that Brazilians come over the border to buy gas, groceries, eat in the restaurants, etc. as the cost of goods in Argentina is much less than in Brazil.
This is an amazing place and we would certainly recommend it as a must see destination.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Buenos Aires - Life in the City
On the political scene, the President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner had the Central Bank president fired by Presidential decree; which by the way, she really doesn't have the right to do. The next day, a judge blocked the President's plan to use Central Bank reserves to pay public debt and ordered the bank's chief reinstated. Despite all of this, the papers report that an interim bank chief (probably a friend of Christina's!!) was already taking steps to move 6.6 billion dollars in foreign currency reserves to the treasury. Needless to say that the financial markets here in Argentina have dropped. Almost about as bad as Stephen Harper trying to prorogue Parliament in Canada!
On the "star" newsfront, Argentina's biggest star Sandro, died this past week. He was only mid 60"s and was revered in the country as one of their best singers( love ballads)....similar in status to an Elvis Presley. His body laid in state in the Congressional Building for 24 hours and the funeral procession wound its way through the streets of B.A. with hundreds of thousands of his fans in the streets.
Following are some of our observations of every day life here in B.A.
- All one way streets with the exception of the 2 major roads in downtown and in the newer area of Puerto Maredo (will talk about this area later)
- Protests take place quite regularly it seems, some permanent and some spur of the moment like the Central Bank issue that is taking place now.
- Parilla's everywhere - meat restaurants. Most of you know that we are not big meat eaters...well in this City/Country you really don't have much of a choice. Must say however that the meat is very good as long as you ensure that it is not overcooked. It seems that the Argentinians love their beef, but they all like it overdone....almost black. They also eat meat in great quantities. On one occasion, we were having our normal meal (sharing a steak and potatoes) and the lady next to us must have eaten 4 - 6 times the amount of meat that the two of us ate!!!
- Vegetables are hard to find in restaurants...and if you do get them, they are usually canned peas. Have been eating a lot of salads to compensate.
- Vendors push their carts through the streets. Of the more interesting ones are coffee vendors. In their carts they carry probably 20 thermoses filled with coffee and go from office to store, selling their coffee to the office/store workers.
- Remember in a previous entry on the blog, we talked about socks being sold everywhere....well the other thing we have noticed is shoelaces being sold everywhere as well...in kiosks, stores, vendors, etc. Once again not sure that there is a big market for these...all women wear sandals!!
- Shoe shine stands in all the streets and all mens shoes are clearly polished regularly...they take great pride in this fact.
- Sad to see, but you constantly see the poorer class, pushing large carts collecting cardboard...even families with small children.
- Vendors take over the pedestrian walkway in downtown B.A. every afternoon to sell their wares...mate cups, jewelery, toys, etc.
- Argentinian's are very loving people. Everytime they meet or leave a co-worker, friend or sometimes even meeting someone for the first time, they kiss one another on the cheek..just once.
- Near the bus station and under a freeway is a shanty town which is reputed to house over forty thousand people. These structures are cobbled together out of brick, wood and galvanzied sheeting...all illegal but tolerated.
We discovered a newer part of the City on one of our outings. The area is called Puerto Madero and is the newest neighbourhood of B.A. It was conceived some 20 years ago when the then existing port could no longer admit some of the larger ships. Their locks were too small. So they redeveloped some of the older buildings into new offices and condos. Also modern high rise condos have been built; and not withstanding their rocky economy, some still under construction. We were told that these condos go for 1 million U.S. Trendy restaurants and shops have also sprung up. In this area is also a Nature Reserve, remembering that this used to be a port. We walked through the nature reserve for about 10 kilometers. A great area to discover and such a juxtaposition to the mainly old and crowded main City.
Took a bike tour with Biciclette Naranga on the weekend discovering the north part of the City. Great way to get some exercise and also see parts of the City we would not have seen otherwise. Visited Puerto Madero getting some additional history of the area from our guide, Palermo Soho, Palermo Viejo, Recoleta, the Rose Gardens and the huge Parque Centrale.
We took four afternoons of Spanish lessons from a company called Spanish Andando (andando means walking). Well, this is exactly what we did. We met in four different parts of the City, usually in a cafe or bar for about one hour of lessons and discussions, then onto the streets to put into practice what we had learned. Had to go to a Farmacia (Pharmacy), a Verduria (vegetable market) and order food at a restaurant. We caught a local bus and had to go to the local bus depot to get information on a trip out of B.A. We really enjoyed the course, a great and fun way of learning. The emphasis is not on grammar, but more on conversational applications.
It's been extremely hot and humid recently which makes getting around harder. On Sunday, January 10th, we left for Puerto Iguazu; a small jungle town on the border with Brazil. The town is noted for the spectacular Iguazu falls. Will cover this visit off in our next blog.
On the "star" newsfront, Argentina's biggest star Sandro, died this past week. He was only mid 60"s and was revered in the country as one of their best singers( love ballads)....similar in status to an Elvis Presley. His body laid in state in the Congressional Building for 24 hours and the funeral procession wound its way through the streets of B.A. with hundreds of thousands of his fans in the streets.
Following are some of our observations of every day life here in B.A.
- All one way streets with the exception of the 2 major roads in downtown and in the newer area of Puerto Maredo (will talk about this area later)
- Protests take place quite regularly it seems, some permanent and some spur of the moment like the Central Bank issue that is taking place now.
- Parilla's everywhere - meat restaurants. Most of you know that we are not big meat eaters...well in this City/Country you really don't have much of a choice. Must say however that the meat is very good as long as you ensure that it is not overcooked. It seems that the Argentinians love their beef, but they all like it overdone....almost black. They also eat meat in great quantities. On one occasion, we were having our normal meal (sharing a steak and potatoes) and the lady next to us must have eaten 4 - 6 times the amount of meat that the two of us ate!!!
- Vegetables are hard to find in restaurants...and if you do get them, they are usually canned peas. Have been eating a lot of salads to compensate.
- Vendors push their carts through the streets. Of the more interesting ones are coffee vendors. In their carts they carry probably 20 thermoses filled with coffee and go from office to store, selling their coffee to the office/store workers.
- Remember in a previous entry on the blog, we talked about socks being sold everywhere....well the other thing we have noticed is shoelaces being sold everywhere as well...in kiosks, stores, vendors, etc. Once again not sure that there is a big market for these...all women wear sandals!!
- Shoe shine stands in all the streets and all mens shoes are clearly polished regularly...they take great pride in this fact.
- Sad to see, but you constantly see the poorer class, pushing large carts collecting cardboard...even families with small children.
- Vendors take over the pedestrian walkway in downtown B.A. every afternoon to sell their wares...mate cups, jewelery, toys, etc.
- Argentinian's are very loving people. Everytime they meet or leave a co-worker, friend or sometimes even meeting someone for the first time, they kiss one another on the cheek..just once.
- Near the bus station and under a freeway is a shanty town which is reputed to house over forty thousand people. These structures are cobbled together out of brick, wood and galvanzied sheeting...all illegal but tolerated.
We discovered a newer part of the City on one of our outings. The area is called Puerto Madero and is the newest neighbourhood of B.A. It was conceived some 20 years ago when the then existing port could no longer admit some of the larger ships. Their locks were too small. So they redeveloped some of the older buildings into new offices and condos. Also modern high rise condos have been built; and not withstanding their rocky economy, some still under construction. We were told that these condos go for 1 million U.S. Trendy restaurants and shops have also sprung up. In this area is also a Nature Reserve, remembering that this used to be a port. We walked through the nature reserve for about 10 kilometers. A great area to discover and such a juxtaposition to the mainly old and crowded main City.
Took a bike tour with Biciclette Naranga on the weekend discovering the north part of the City. Great way to get some exercise and also see parts of the City we would not have seen otherwise. Visited Puerto Madero getting some additional history of the area from our guide, Palermo Soho, Palermo Viejo, Recoleta, the Rose Gardens and the huge Parque Centrale.
We took four afternoons of Spanish lessons from a company called Spanish Andando (andando means walking). Well, this is exactly what we did. We met in four different parts of the City, usually in a cafe or bar for about one hour of lessons and discussions, then onto the streets to put into practice what we had learned. Had to go to a Farmacia (Pharmacy), a Verduria (vegetable market) and order food at a restaurant. We caught a local bus and had to go to the local bus depot to get information on a trip out of B.A. We really enjoyed the course, a great and fun way of learning. The emphasis is not on grammar, but more on conversational applications.
It's been extremely hot and humid recently which makes getting around harder. On Sunday, January 10th, we left for Puerto Iguazu; a small jungle town on the border with Brazil. The town is noted for the spectacular Iguazu falls. Will cover this visit off in our next blog.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Buenos Aires - First week
Argentina has had a very stormy history. The Military Junta which launched the country into the "Dirty War", the economic crisis created by the Falklands War and most recently their economic crises of the 1990's and last year, have created a fatalism in the local people. Notwithstanding this, the "Portenos" (residents of Buenos Aires) are a fun loving people and very friendly. The current President is Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. She and her husband, Nestor Kichner the former President in 2003, have recently been acquitted of fraud and embezzlement charges....however newspaper reports indicate their personal wealth has increased by 105+ per cent in the past year....funny....our investments didn't do that well !!
After a 2 hour flight from Mendoza, arrived at our B and B, (The Tango) in the Belgrano area of Buenos Aires on December 27th. Buenos Aires is a city of 14 million people (40 million in the country). Very similar in appearance to a large, older European City, mainly due to its architecture. There are many wide tree lined boulevards, numerous parks, plazas and outdoor cafes. Our host, Valeria spoke English, but her husband Jorge does not. In addition to their bed and breakfast, they own a small apartment some 100 meters down the street and this is where we stayed for 3 nights. Although it was a little dated; it was comfortable and we had a nice little balcony, where we enjoyed wine before going out for dinner. Valeria provided us with a map and took the time to tell us about places we must visit in addition to telling us about the good restaurants nearby and especially about the two best Heladeria's (ice cream shops) in the area. Ice cream is so popular here, they even deliver it on motorcycles that have "refrigerated" boxes on the back. We are told that Argentina has the best ice cream in the world and one must always be seen eating ice cream. Just to let you know....we have been seen eating helados!!
The Belgrano area has a major shopping area along Avenue Cabildo...you would never think the economy is suffering here....the Portenos are big shoppers....lots of shoe, purse and clothing stores. On Sundays the local square hosts a flea market, made up of locals selling jewelery, yerba mate cups, clothing, toys, etc. We were fortunate to take this in on our first evening in B.A.
Yerba mate is the dried chopped leaf of a plant; relative to the common holly. The mate cup is a hollowed out gourd and often time, they are decorated with ornate silver. Not only is mate a drink, it is an elaborate ritual, shared among family, friends and coworkers. Drinkers sip the liquid from the gourd through a bombilla, a silver straw with a bulbous filter at its lower end that prevents the yerba leaves from entering the tube. Haven't tried it yet, but you can be assured we will. Will report later.
Doesn't appear that anyone does their laundry here...simply brought in to the local "lavanderia" and they do your laundry for you. Similar to the other places we have visited in Central/South America and in Asia. White t-shirts are never the same!!!
We have been taking the subway system to get around. It's called the Subte and they have 8 lines. Very efficient, very clean and inexpensive.... but very hot down there. Vendors are a common sight on the subway. They enter a car and yell out what they are selling....whether that be gum, socks, newspapers, etc. Socks seem to be a big seller...funny, the weather is so nice here, we haven't seen anyone wearing socks!!
Visited the Plaza de Mayo 1977. Walking around the plaza we noticed some writing on the concrete...it said " Victimas del Terrismo de Estada"...loosely translated to " Victims of State Terrorism". This refers to some 30,000 people who "disappeared" during the Military Junta of General Orge Videla who was in power from 1976 to 1983. Grandmothers of the victims (Madres de la Plaza de Mayo), who wear white scarves on their heads, still march here every Thursday afternoon to ensure people do not forget the atrocities committed by the Military Dictatorship. A law was recently enacted requiring mandatory DNA testing of children believed to have been kidnapped and taken from women who were victims of state terrorism. They believe there are about 400 of these children who are slowly being identified over time.
Also viewed the Casa Rosada (Pink House) which house the Presidents' office. From the balcony we could almost see the ghost of Eva Peron speaking to her people. Visited the Catedral Metropolitana which contains the tomb of General Jose de San Martin - constantly guarded by two soldiers. In the downtown area, they also have wonderful Pedestrian walkways, Avenue Florida being the biggest and busiest.
Moved into our apartment on December 30th, which is located in the San Telmo area of Buenos Aires. We will be here for the month of January. Have found everything we need in this area...many restaurants, lavaderias (laundry), art galleries, numerous antique shops, grocery stores and a gym. We joined the gym for the month we are here...this was a wonderful surprise and is only 1 1/2 blocks down the street.
The Dakar is presently taking place in Chile and Argentina and started January 1st. We went to the Sociedad Rural Argentina to view some of the displays and some of the vehicles. While walking through the grounds, we ran across the 2 drivers of the sole Canadian team that is entered. They are driving a prototype car/truck and are number 375 is anyone is interested in watching the Dakar. The same night while eating dinner in a Parilla (meat restaurant) in our neighbourhood, the 4 gentleman sitting next to us were speaking French and were wearing their Dakar team shirts....so needless to say, Claire struck up a conversation with them in French. They will be racing a quad and are number 264. We also went to watch the ceremonial start on January 1st, which started at the Obelisk on one of the major streets of B.A. which was closed for this event. We watched the motorcycles starting off...quite interesting to watch. Papers reported some 200,000 spectators downtown to watch the start and probably around 800,000 around the City watching the race. It really gets started outside of B.A. on January 2nd, 2010.
http://www.dakar.com/us/DAKAR/2010/live.html
Holidays are very big in South America as we saw in Mendoza over Christmas and here for New Years. On January 30th, we walked to the downtown area (only about a 20 minute walk from our apartment) and we gathered that it was the last business day of work prior to year end. Office workers all over the downtown were throwing shredded papers out of their windows, similar to a ticker tape parade that would take place in New York. The streets were covered with small bits of paper....almost like snow!! Also noticed that the Portenos were walking around with presents...appears that either their employers or perhaps friends exchange presents for New Years. On New Years Eve and New Years Day, most stores and restaurants were closed. We spent a quiet New Years Eve in our apartment. Around midnight the fireworks started and went on till 2 a.m. People were still partying the next morning, and the streets were littered with bottles everywhere. They really celebrate the holidays until Jan. 6th to remember all religions. In a mall, we saw families having their pictures taken with "The Three Kings". We guess, something like having your picture taken with Santa Claus!!
We have also signed up for some Spanish classes which will run for 4 consecutive days in the afternoon. These classes are somewhat different from the norm. We will be taking buses, going to stores, restaurants, etc. to learn how to converse, rather than classroom study. Mind you, with Robin's spanish, we have been getting along fine to date.
Visited the famous Recoleta Cemetery where the wealthy of B.A. are buried. This is like wandering through a small neighbourhood of marble statues and sarcophogi. We even saw the vault where the Duarte family is buried, including Eva (Duarte) Peron. This cemetery is the most unique one we have ever seen...spent about one hour just walking around. Will try to post some pictures of the more elaborate statues and mausoleums.
Many markets (ferias) take place on weekends and we have already managed to take in several of these..Recoleta, San Telmo and Belgrano. All very interesting and different. Some even have spontaneous tango shows, and of course you are expected to make a small donation. This has even happened in some of the restaurants that we have been in. Tango is a national passion here....but all of you that know Robin well, will know that we will definitely not be taking lessons....can't teach those Carribean boys how to dance...it's in their blood.
SPANISH FOOD
- Pastel de la Granja - Farm Pie (butternut squash and chicken cooked in a clay casserole)
- Lechuga - Lettuce
- Cebolla - Onion
- Zanahoria - Carrot
After a 2 hour flight from Mendoza, arrived at our B and B, (The Tango) in the Belgrano area of Buenos Aires on December 27th. Buenos Aires is a city of 14 million people (40 million in the country). Very similar in appearance to a large, older European City, mainly due to its architecture. There are many wide tree lined boulevards, numerous parks, plazas and outdoor cafes. Our host, Valeria spoke English, but her husband Jorge does not. In addition to their bed and breakfast, they own a small apartment some 100 meters down the street and this is where we stayed for 3 nights. Although it was a little dated; it was comfortable and we had a nice little balcony, where we enjoyed wine before going out for dinner. Valeria provided us with a map and took the time to tell us about places we must visit in addition to telling us about the good restaurants nearby and especially about the two best Heladeria's (ice cream shops) in the area. Ice cream is so popular here, they even deliver it on motorcycles that have "refrigerated" boxes on the back. We are told that Argentina has the best ice cream in the world and one must always be seen eating ice cream. Just to let you know....we have been seen eating helados!!
The Belgrano area has a major shopping area along Avenue Cabildo...you would never think the economy is suffering here....the Portenos are big shoppers....lots of shoe, purse and clothing stores. On Sundays the local square hosts a flea market, made up of locals selling jewelery, yerba mate cups, clothing, toys, etc. We were fortunate to take this in on our first evening in B.A.
Yerba mate is the dried chopped leaf of a plant; relative to the common holly. The mate cup is a hollowed out gourd and often time, they are decorated with ornate silver. Not only is mate a drink, it is an elaborate ritual, shared among family, friends and coworkers. Drinkers sip the liquid from the gourd through a bombilla, a silver straw with a bulbous filter at its lower end that prevents the yerba leaves from entering the tube. Haven't tried it yet, but you can be assured we will. Will report later.
Doesn't appear that anyone does their laundry here...simply brought in to the local "lavanderia" and they do your laundry for you. Similar to the other places we have visited in Central/South America and in Asia. White t-shirts are never the same!!!
We have been taking the subway system to get around. It's called the Subte and they have 8 lines. Very efficient, very clean and inexpensive.... but very hot down there. Vendors are a common sight on the subway. They enter a car and yell out what they are selling....whether that be gum, socks, newspapers, etc. Socks seem to be a big seller...funny, the weather is so nice here, we haven't seen anyone wearing socks!!
Visited the Plaza de Mayo 1977. Walking around the plaza we noticed some writing on the concrete...it said " Victimas del Terrismo de Estada"...loosely translated to " Victims of State Terrorism". This refers to some 30,000 people who "disappeared" during the Military Junta of General Orge Videla who was in power from 1976 to 1983. Grandmothers of the victims (Madres de la Plaza de Mayo), who wear white scarves on their heads, still march here every Thursday afternoon to ensure people do not forget the atrocities committed by the Military Dictatorship. A law was recently enacted requiring mandatory DNA testing of children believed to have been kidnapped and taken from women who were victims of state terrorism. They believe there are about 400 of these children who are slowly being identified over time.
Also viewed the Casa Rosada (Pink House) which house the Presidents' office. From the balcony we could almost see the ghost of Eva Peron speaking to her people. Visited the Catedral Metropolitana which contains the tomb of General Jose de San Martin - constantly guarded by two soldiers. In the downtown area, they also have wonderful Pedestrian walkways, Avenue Florida being the biggest and busiest.
Moved into our apartment on December 30th, which is located in the San Telmo area of Buenos Aires. We will be here for the month of January. Have found everything we need in this area...many restaurants, lavaderias (laundry), art galleries, numerous antique shops, grocery stores and a gym. We joined the gym for the month we are here...this was a wonderful surprise and is only 1 1/2 blocks down the street.
The Dakar is presently taking place in Chile and Argentina and started January 1st. We went to the Sociedad Rural Argentina to view some of the displays and some of the vehicles. While walking through the grounds, we ran across the 2 drivers of the sole Canadian team that is entered. They are driving a prototype car/truck and are number 375 is anyone is interested in watching the Dakar. The same night while eating dinner in a Parilla (meat restaurant) in our neighbourhood, the 4 gentleman sitting next to us were speaking French and were wearing their Dakar team shirts....so needless to say, Claire struck up a conversation with them in French. They will be racing a quad and are number 264. We also went to watch the ceremonial start on January 1st, which started at the Obelisk on one of the major streets of B.A. which was closed for this event. We watched the motorcycles starting off...quite interesting to watch. Papers reported some 200,000 spectators downtown to watch the start and probably around 800,000 around the City watching the race. It really gets started outside of B.A. on January 2nd, 2010.
http://www.dakar.com/us/DAKAR/2010/live.html
Holidays are very big in South America as we saw in Mendoza over Christmas and here for New Years. On January 30th, we walked to the downtown area (only about a 20 minute walk from our apartment) and we gathered that it was the last business day of work prior to year end. Office workers all over the downtown were throwing shredded papers out of their windows, similar to a ticker tape parade that would take place in New York. The streets were covered with small bits of paper....almost like snow!! Also noticed that the Portenos were walking around with presents...appears that either their employers or perhaps friends exchange presents for New Years. On New Years Eve and New Years Day, most stores and restaurants were closed. We spent a quiet New Years Eve in our apartment. Around midnight the fireworks started and went on till 2 a.m. People were still partying the next morning, and the streets were littered with bottles everywhere. They really celebrate the holidays until Jan. 6th to remember all religions. In a mall, we saw families having their pictures taken with "The Three Kings". We guess, something like having your picture taken with Santa Claus!!
We have also signed up for some Spanish classes which will run for 4 consecutive days in the afternoon. These classes are somewhat different from the norm. We will be taking buses, going to stores, restaurants, etc. to learn how to converse, rather than classroom study. Mind you, with Robin's spanish, we have been getting along fine to date.
Visited the famous Recoleta Cemetery where the wealthy of B.A. are buried. This is like wandering through a small neighbourhood of marble statues and sarcophogi. We even saw the vault where the Duarte family is buried, including Eva (Duarte) Peron. This cemetery is the most unique one we have ever seen...spent about one hour just walking around. Will try to post some pictures of the more elaborate statues and mausoleums.
Many markets (ferias) take place on weekends and we have already managed to take in several of these..Recoleta, San Telmo and Belgrano. All very interesting and different. Some even have spontaneous tango shows, and of course you are expected to make a small donation. This has even happened in some of the restaurants that we have been in. Tango is a national passion here....but all of you that know Robin well, will know that we will definitely not be taking lessons....can't teach those Carribean boys how to dance...it's in their blood.
SPANISH FOOD
- Pastel de la Granja - Farm Pie (butternut squash and chicken cooked in a clay casserole)
- Lechuga - Lettuce
- Cebolla - Onion
- Zanahoria - Carrot
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Mendoza
Of the numerous fountains that we have seen in the City, the majority of them do not hold any water. Additionally a lot of the parks have not replaced/ cut down dead trees or replaced broken street lights...we wonder if this is not a cause of the financial woes in this country. They do however have an extensive irrigation system of ditches everywhere. This area is basically desert like, but getting water from the nearby Andes, is what helps make the many orchards (peaches, apples, cherries, olives, etc.) and vineyards thrive. We are told that 70% of Argentina's wine is produced in this area; but due to the scarcity of water, only 4 % of the land area here is cultivated. During the summer months, they also have water restrictions...similar to some places in Canada....can only water your lawn or wash your car on certain days, etc.
Must mention that on Christmas Eve and morning we were able to speak to all of our families on Skype...got to love computers and technology. We were even able to video skype with Rich, Lisa, Christine, Gav and Caitriona in Ontario, Denis, Debbie and their friends Suzanne and Norbert in Phoenix and a friend, Tim Mew in Australia. It was so great hearing everyones' voices and seeing some of you live! Also around midnight, fireworks went off in the City for about 1/2 hour.
We notice a large presence of police officers here in the City. Different types of police, but all wear flak jackets and have guns. Although could be unnerving to some,we find it quite assuring. We didn't see this large a presence in Chile. Nothing as scary as in Central America, when we were there 4 years ago.
Cleanliness of the cities and towns we have visited to date in both Chile and Argentina seem to be top of mind. You even see young men cleaning the streets on Sundays and holidays. We even saw one sweeping with a palm frond. We have been told that both in Chile and Argentina that they re-use/recycle whatever they can. An example being wine casks. After aging the wine, they can no longer use the casks, so they use the wood for floors, planters, etc.
On Christmas Day, we took a walk down the pedestrian walkway. Although not very busy, still a few cafes open. Along our walk we came along a church (must have been God's message to us!) so we went to the Christmas service. Very nice to be with the local people celebrating this special day. We also took a tour of the City. It was amazing to see the hundreds of Mendozians that were out picnicking in the numerous parks. Seems to be a tradition at Christmas with the middle/lower class.
During our city tour on Christmas Day, we visited the Parque Centrale, which covers 7,000 acres. This park was jam packed with people picnicking and visiting. Also visited a monument on Cerro de la Gloria to General San Martin, who liberated Peru, Chile and Argentina from the Spanish. A truly magnificent monument. Then onto the Church of Lourdes in the El Challao district. This church was originally a Spanish colonial church, very simple, but on the inside were thousands of plaques offering up prayers and appeals to the Virgin Mary of Lourdes. While it is not entirely clear, we think there may have been an apparition in this area. Today, a new modern church has been added to accommodate the tens of thousands of pilgrims who still come here to offer up their prayers.....looks like an huge American Evangelical type of church. Also drove through some very upscale neighbourhoods, which of course are all gated communities with guards. We also did notice during our tour, that the directional signs here in Argentina are the normal Spanish (Norte, Sur, Este and Oeste) vs. the naval signs in Chile; which we referred to in a previous blog.
Will say that it is much easier here in Argentina for currency conversion...basically 3 Argentinian Pesos to the Dollar; while in Chile it was about 500 Chilean Pesos to the Dollar.
Another interesting aspect, is the way they label their wines in Argentina. Each label indicates the wine characteristics, flavours, aromas, temperature that it should be served at and drinkability (when it should be consumed)......and Susan you have been taking all those Sommelier courses!!!
On Boxing Day (not here really.....oh gosh...I missed the sales....and I am such the shopper...not!!), we visited 2 wineries and an olive oil factory in the Lujande de Cuyo valley. The first winery, Bodega Y Cavas Weinert is a larger winery and produces some 800 thousand litres of wine. They had one of the biggest casks in Argentina which was beautifully carved. The second winery, Carmine Granata, was a family run operation using traditional methods, which only produces 200 thousand litres a year. They only export to the Scandinavian countries. We have been told time and again that the Scandinavian countries are the biggest buyers of Argentinian wines, especially Denmark. The majority of wineries pick their grapes by hand; so very labour intensive. Considering it only rains 3 days a year in the Mendoza area, their irrigation system is very wide spread. At one time, they used to flood the fields, now they use trickle irrigation. In 2001, when Argentina had its financial crisis, the peso dropped so much that you could buy wine for $1.00. Our guide told us that Argentina is always in a crisis about something!! For those of you who want to buy a good Malbec, we are told that 1999 was one of the best years in the last 30. Think you might be paying more than $1 for this one!!
Then went to an olive oil factory called Pasrai. They also dry apricots, tomatoes, peaches and other fruit. This tour was focused on the olive oil production. They also use very traditional methods. It takes 6 kilos of olives to create 1 litre of olive oil. They only produce extra virgin olive oil. They sell the by product of their press to other manufacturers who produce simple olive oil.
They always say that its a small world. On one of our tours we met a young woman from Wisconsin, who had just climbed Aconcagua, a mountain almost 19,000 feet high. When we started speaking to her about her climb, I told her that there was a young Calgarian woman named Norma Bastides, who was attempting to climb the world's 7 highest peaks in the shortest time period. Well, guess what, she had been on the same climbing expedition, but unfortunately, Norma didn't summit due to dehydration. We feel so bad for her.
Spent our last morning in Mendoza walking around the City and sitting in a cafe enjoying life passing by. Flew into Buenos Aires around 4 p.m.
Hopefully can get to an internet cafe to update some photos...not something we can do on our small notebook.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Back in Santiago and on to Mendoza
On December 21st, we drove back to Santiago, after a relaxing week in the Colchagua Wine Valley. Thank goodness for the GPS to find our hotel and car rental company. Had to hunt down a cambio (money exchanger) to get some Argentinian Dollars. During our last 2 days in Santiago, we took the metro downtown to visit some sights we had missed on our previous time here. We saw the Presidential Palace with its' stately guards outside, keeping watch over Michele Bachelet...not for much longer. Then visited the Cultural Museum. We thought it was rather timely that their exhibit was on ancient China, considering our niece Meghan and her partner Mike, are presently in Hong Kong and China over the Christmas period visiting Mike's family. So we stood along the fake Wall of China!! The main part of the exhibition features some of the Terra Cotta warriors....very impressive. We also visited the National Art Gallery with an impressive display of religious, historic and modern art.
On December 23rd, we headed to the bus station in Santiago, to catch the bus to Mendoza, Argentina. What chaos!!! Everyone is headed back home or wherever for Christmas; buses coming and going to all points in Chile and Argentina. Mostly locals who have numerous suitcases, pullies, bags, shopping bags, toys, bikes, etc. ; and all the while Celine Dion belting out Christmas carols!! Some fellow travelers visible by their backpacks. We finally boarded our bus about 1/2 hour late, and headed out. The road out of Santiago into the suburbs....well really the shanty towns; started heading into the Andes. Got some great pictures of the "wild" rivers and spectacular mountains. Quite dry country, with scrub brush and many cacti, which were blooming. The road is quite narrow and the traffic was mainly transport trucks and buses. We started going uphill and must have gone up some 30 switchbacks....looking down was pretty scary (Denis...you would not have done well here!!). At one point we came across a transport truck that had jacknifed and was in pretty bad shape..not sure if he lost control or not, but quite sobering. Then arrived at the peak, only about 10.000 feet at Portillo, a ski area in Chile. A few kilometers further, we crossed over into Argentina. Several very long tunnels going right through the mountains. Spent about 1 hour at the border. All the passengers had to disembark and had to line up at immigration. One border guard to stamp your passport as you are leaving Chile right next to another booth/guard to stamp your passport as you are entering Argentina. They x-rayed some of the luggage, did a quick cursory review of our backpacks, checked one passengers luggage and we were finally on our way....think this was more show than anything else.
Robin and I always get a kick of the way things are done in 2nd and 3rd world countries. We noticed throughout Central America and our previous visit to South America, that nothing is automated. Everytime you check out of a hotel, or buy something in a store, they give you a written receipt. You never want to refuse the receipt, would simply be an insult.
When we finally arrived in Mendoza, chaos reigned once again at the bus station. Signs pointed to where the taxis should be, but they have since changed where they line up and we had a lovely tour of the bus depot, before we found the taxis!! We should mention, that when your luggage is loaded on and off the bus, you are expected to tip the men that handle this task. We were berated in Santiago for not giving enough!! Same sort of thing happened when lining up for taxi; didn't have any small change to give to the young guy helping us put our bags in the taxi, and he expressed some "unkind" words...we think.
We have splurged a bit for Christmas and are staying at a nice hotel in the centre of Mendoza. Would not normally be our first choice, but a lot of the B & B's and guest houses that we investigated before we left are closed/full over the Christmas period. This hotel has a fitness centre, so needless to say, we have taken advantage of that....great to get some cardio in.
First thoughts of Mendoza, is that this is quite a lovely City (population100,000+). Wonderful tree lined streets, and many pedestrian streets. Lots of outdoor cafes, most having numerous large umbrellas' so you can find some shade. No shortage of restaurants, mainly featuring meat. Wonderful specialty wine shops which also carry goods (jams, mustards, crackers, etc.) made locally, in addition to the fine wines of this region for which Argentina is note. So civilized. Wine tastings (degastutiones) available at these wine stores, but only on certain days. This area is known for its Malbec, a hearty red which we enjoy.
When sitting in the outdoor cafes, street vendors and little urchins (kind of sad to see the poor; but this is part of life), will leave things on your table such as socks, cards, pens, etc.; so that you can look at them, then they come back in a few minutes and try to get you to buy them. They haven't had much success with us....didn't need new socks for Christmas!!! The cafes here serve little cups of peanuts and other salted snacks with coffee or drinks....I'm already missing the prebre of Chile!! There is lots of hugging and kissing going on, seems that everyone is meeting friends/family in the cafes before Christmas..not unlike home.
It is now Christmas Eve, Robin and I walked around this morning, arranged for a City tour for tomorrow (we know....weird for Christmas Day!!), then have planned a visit to a couple of vineyards for some tasting and an olive oil farm for the 26th. Stopped by the Mercado Central and saw the locals buying their fresh meat, vegetables, fruit and other food items. We will post some pictures, very interesting. Found a restaurant that was open tonight; fortunate as most places closed. The restaurant was busy setting up extra tables and chairs for all the gringos. Will certainly miss my sisters ( Paulette) tourtiere. A maid just delivered a cake to our room....I guess the hotel's present to us for Christmas.
Will try to post more pictures in the next couple of days.
To all our family and friends, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas....will be thinking of all of you. While it's nice to be traveling to exotic places; there is still nothing that beats Christmas at home.
On December 23rd, we headed to the bus station in Santiago, to catch the bus to Mendoza, Argentina. What chaos!!! Everyone is headed back home or wherever for Christmas; buses coming and going to all points in Chile and Argentina. Mostly locals who have numerous suitcases, pullies, bags, shopping bags, toys, bikes, etc. ; and all the while Celine Dion belting out Christmas carols!! Some fellow travelers visible by their backpacks. We finally boarded our bus about 1/2 hour late, and headed out. The road out of Santiago into the suburbs....well really the shanty towns; started heading into the Andes. Got some great pictures of the "wild" rivers and spectacular mountains. Quite dry country, with scrub brush and many cacti, which were blooming. The road is quite narrow and the traffic was mainly transport trucks and buses. We started going uphill and must have gone up some 30 switchbacks....looking down was pretty scary (Denis...you would not have done well here!!). At one point we came across a transport truck that had jacknifed and was in pretty bad shape..not sure if he lost control or not, but quite sobering. Then arrived at the peak, only about 10.000 feet at Portillo, a ski area in Chile. A few kilometers further, we crossed over into Argentina. Several very long tunnels going right through the mountains. Spent about 1 hour at the border. All the passengers had to disembark and had to line up at immigration. One border guard to stamp your passport as you are leaving Chile right next to another booth/guard to stamp your passport as you are entering Argentina. They x-rayed some of the luggage, did a quick cursory review of our backpacks, checked one passengers luggage and we were finally on our way....think this was more show than anything else.
Robin and I always get a kick of the way things are done in 2nd and 3rd world countries. We noticed throughout Central America and our previous visit to South America, that nothing is automated. Everytime you check out of a hotel, or buy something in a store, they give you a written receipt. You never want to refuse the receipt, would simply be an insult.
When we finally arrived in Mendoza, chaos reigned once again at the bus station. Signs pointed to where the taxis should be, but they have since changed where they line up and we had a lovely tour of the bus depot, before we found the taxis!! We should mention, that when your luggage is loaded on and off the bus, you are expected to tip the men that handle this task. We were berated in Santiago for not giving enough!! Same sort of thing happened when lining up for taxi; didn't have any small change to give to the young guy helping us put our bags in the taxi, and he expressed some "unkind" words...we think.
We have splurged a bit for Christmas and are staying at a nice hotel in the centre of Mendoza. Would not normally be our first choice, but a lot of the B & B's and guest houses that we investigated before we left are closed/full over the Christmas period. This hotel has a fitness centre, so needless to say, we have taken advantage of that....great to get some cardio in.
First thoughts of Mendoza, is that this is quite a lovely City (population100,000+). Wonderful tree lined streets, and many pedestrian streets. Lots of outdoor cafes, most having numerous large umbrellas' so you can find some shade. No shortage of restaurants, mainly featuring meat. Wonderful specialty wine shops which also carry goods (jams, mustards, crackers, etc.) made locally, in addition to the fine wines of this region for which Argentina is note. So civilized. Wine tastings (degastutiones) available at these wine stores, but only on certain days. This area is known for its Malbec, a hearty red which we enjoy.
When sitting in the outdoor cafes, street vendors and little urchins (kind of sad to see the poor; but this is part of life), will leave things on your table such as socks, cards, pens, etc.; so that you can look at them, then they come back in a few minutes and try to get you to buy them. They haven't had much success with us....didn't need new socks for Christmas!!! The cafes here serve little cups of peanuts and other salted snacks with coffee or drinks....I'm already missing the prebre of Chile!! There is lots of hugging and kissing going on, seems that everyone is meeting friends/family in the cafes before Christmas..not unlike home.
It is now Christmas Eve, Robin and I walked around this morning, arranged for a City tour for tomorrow (we know....weird for Christmas Day!!), then have planned a visit to a couple of vineyards for some tasting and an olive oil farm for the 26th. Stopped by the Mercado Central and saw the locals buying their fresh meat, vegetables, fruit and other food items. We will post some pictures, very interesting. Found a restaurant that was open tonight; fortunate as most places closed. The restaurant was busy setting up extra tables and chairs for all the gringos. Will certainly miss my sisters ( Paulette) tourtiere. A maid just delivered a cake to our room....I guess the hotel's present to us for Christmas.
Will try to post more pictures in the next couple of days.
To all our family and friends, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas....will be thinking of all of you. While it's nice to be traveling to exotic places; there is still nothing that beats Christmas at home.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Santa Cruz - The Colchagua Wine Valley
The small town of Santa Cruz (population of 31,000) is the type of place we love. A rural town with working people and not too many tourists at this time of the year. The valley surrounding Santa Cruz has a mediterranean beauty to it, surrounded by vineyards with hills in the background and the Andes in the distance.
Most restaurants are closed on Mondays, so you really need to plan ahead. Once again, we decided to do the "stay in picnic" type of dinner for our first night here.
MonteGras Winery- We were fortunate, once again, to have a wine tasting with just the two of us. We were guided through the tasting by Christian, a young Chilean with excellent english. A lot of the wineries here only do tours; so we have been seeking those that also do tastings (degustationes). After all, don't we all know how wine is made.....or who cares....just want to drink it and enjoy it. Funny enough, one of the partners in this winery spent some time as a wine maker in Kelowna. Robin was also able to speak to our young guide about the football (soccer to those of you in North America); so was right in his element.
It really is evident when speaking to the Chilean people, that there exists a rivalry between them and the Argentinians. The young fellow at the winery asked how long we were travelling for; and when we told him 3 months, he said....oh yes, 2 1/1 months in Chile and 2 weeks in Argentina. Reminded us of rivalries between the Kiwis and Aussies!!
Have gone to some wonderful restaurants in the valley. At Mistela, an outdoor restaurant, featuring historic Chilean cuisine we had Vicuna (similar to llama) and sauteed potatoes in bacon (Gav....you would love these).Went to a Peruvian restaurant for dinner and had one of our favorite dishes, Lomo Saltado. At Asador de Valle we tasted carpacio of ostrich and front leg of lamb casserole, cooked in Carmenere wine (Shirley...similar to the wonderful Osso Buco that you make). Another, called Pan Pan Vino Vino, served great lamb curry and crab crepes...yummy. We have been splitting all of our meals and exercising every morning, so we keep somewhat fit.
Vue Manet Winery - Miguel was our wine tasting host here and again, we were the only two; so very individualized tasting. He was quite a character. He told us that Syrah is the perfect friend for women, because it tastes of chocolate; also known as "gossip" wine. They make a wine that they call Secreto. It will have one main ingredient, so for example a wine would be called Secreto Syrah , but would have a blend of other wines for 1/4 of the blend, but it is never divulged. Another interesting fact, is that Chile has never suffered any Phylloxera in the wineries. This is due to the fact that they are isolated on one side by the Andes and the ocean on the other. Their agricultural department is also very strict at border crossings. We saw an example of this, as we had to watch a video on the plane and they have an agricultural check when you come into the country. This winery had a great little restaurant where we had lunch and of course.....a glass of wine. We are really enjoying the Carmenere, a wine we don't see a lot of at home and we are also surprised at how good the Cabernet Sauvignon is here in Chile.
Went to the Las Ninas (the girls) winery, where we rented bikes and rode through the vineyard and in the countryside. It was great to get some exercise in the outdoors. Not too concerned about the traffic on the rural roads; as the majority of the population ride their bikes everywhere and the area is flat. A lot of the bikes we have seen, have been pretty beat up; but they get the job done. Even saw a gentleman wearing a suit jacket and selling milk to the locals from his bike. They also sell fruit and vegetables by the road side.
Chile is not part of the South American free trade group and therefore some things are a bit more expensive then other countries in S.A., if imported. We are also told that 70% of the tourists here in Chile are from Brazil. They love to come during the winter to ski, then down to the valleys to buy wine before going back.
Another interesting thing that we noticed, was that the Chileans refer to directions in a different manner than other Spanish speaking countries we have been to. North is the same...norte, but south is sur, east is oriente and west is poniente. We are told these are naval terms and used as the country has a large navy presence and is very well respected....after all they are keeping the Peruvians from taking over the territory that the Chileans grabbed 100´s of years ago!!
At our parador, we met a couple from Miami; she had been born and had lived in Chile until in her 20´s. When we asked her what it was like living her during Pinochet´s era, she said it was like been brought up any where else, with the exception that you were told never to speak of your feelings, thoughts or opinions on any political subjects. Very different from stories that we were told from people who were on the wrong side of the dictatorship.
At present all the hydrangeas, rhododendrons, hollyhocks and gladiolas are in bloom. We seem to take detours to find "panadaria's"....bakeries. Robin loves the Alfajor - a type of chocolate biscuit (what a surprise!) and I like the Cocada, a type of coconut biscuit which is not too sweet. Also, whenever you order a cortado (similar to latte) you are always served a glass of sparkling water to accompany the coffee and clear your palate.
Visited the small village of Pichilemu, a coastal town about 80 km. from Santa Cruz. The terrain getting there changed from hilly winery valleys, to planted forests of pine and cypress trees which are grown for lumber. Lots of small lumber mills along the way. This town is also known for its surfing, so lots of younger people around....although still not that many if this is the start of the tourist season. We spent some time watching the surfers.
We spent the last two nights of our stay in Santa Cruz at a bed and breakfast which had lovely gardens and a great pool, the only drawback was that it was 10 km. from Santa Cruz...a little too far out of the way. We would say that probably 3 to 4 days would be enough time to spend in this area. We were disappointed in the fact that most wineries insist on tours, but we did find those where we could do tastings....which were few. Did find some great restaurants in the area.
Left Santa Cruz on Monday, December 22nd and headed back to Santiago till the morning of the 23rd when we are off to Mendoza, Argentina for Christmas. We are taking the bus there which takes about 12 hours. Could be a bit more depending what happens at the border.
Merry Christmas to all our Family and Friends who will all dearly miss over the holidays.
Spanish Words
Zapallo Italiano - Zucchini
Avestruz - Ostrich
Palmitos - Hearts of Palm (they serve this in most salads and on some pizzas)
Pavo - Turkey
Cerdo - Pork
Frutilla - Strawberries
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