Salta, Cayafate

These past few days have been busy, busy, busy! Well, truth be told I've spent a lot of time on buses.
I arrived in Salta on Wed and checked it out for a couple of days to recover from my awesome bus ride, and give my foot a rest.

Built in 1858

 A wee history lesson. Salta is both the name of the province and the capital city of said province. It (the city) was founded in 1582 at the behest of the Spanish invaders (Francisco de Toledo, to be exact) as a link between Lima and Buenos Aires. It was ok to visit, there's an interesting Archaeological museum (a small one) with quite a creepy mummy of a sacrificed 6 year old girl. The people of the region (pre-Inca), used to offer their most beautiful children (one girl, one boy) to their gods each year. They would be buried alive on the mountains - after being drugged - and the climate being so dry, would perfectly preserve the bodies. This was considered a great honour. 

ANYHOO, Salta has a lovely centre place with its old buildings, notably the cathedral. I tried to go in but there was a service going on, when I tried again later it was all locked up. Apparently, people steal things from the church - apparently nothing is sacred! Especially when you're poor and your local church has the virgin Mary wearing a gold crown...

 

View from San Bernardo

For kicks one day I took the cable car up the hill overlooking Salta. Cable cars freak me out...especially when they pass over the roll-y bits when they come to a post...<shudders> Well, I got to the top, surely because I stayed very, very still while going up, and well, I saw the city from the top. One really weird thing was the aerobics/spin class that was going on up there...and the weight training area...odd. Speaking of which, I noticed in several areas that,what I initially thought were kids´ playgrounds, were actually exercises areas. Games to work your calves, do sit ups, chin ups, stomach crunches...you name it - stuff you´d find at the gym. It is admirable to get your people fit like that...I must say that this is a VERY high carb diet.

One thing I found fascinating is that this is about the same size as Canberra - I went out last night to get some papas fritas (ok, busted, it's french fries...they were fantastico) and the place was packed! It was hard to move around there were so many people - all the shops were open and there was music in the air! Thinking about civic on a Friday night at 8pm....not so much.

Yesterday I caught a bus to Cayafate...known for it´s wine. I thought it would be a nice chill ride through the mountains...nice. No. About 30min after we left Salta we stopped and picked up a bunch of school kids - pre teens...and they had portable speakers...need I say more?

The noisy and annoying kids aside, it was an absolutely beautiful drive. The mountains were spectacular. As we drove into Cayafate, you could tell that the vineyards had had their influence on the place. Everything looked like it was rural Argentina, but it was all sparkly and new. Some place that the rich tourists could go to and feel safe? Dunno. Apparently there is a big American ex-pat community in the area. 

I did make a friend though...he was long and lanky...and German! Poor guy...I folded my Cayafate map into a makeshift bowl and gave him the rest of my water...he was so thirsty - some of the other tourists thought I was crazy for letting such a vicious dog near me. Interesting place to visit for the day.

Gunter





Eating, snacking and lip smacking

Ok, as most of you know I'm not much of a foodie - you may have heard me talk of my human kibble ideas?
Be that as it may, one of the fun things about going somewhere different, is eating new stuff. So I thought I'd tell you about some of the fun places my taste buds have been.

Some old ones from the 1800's
- the long things in the foreground are the straws

Maté: This is THE drink of Argentina. This stuff is like crack and almost everyone is addicted (before you scoff, have you had your coffee/tea/coke today??) I had to try it!! Nina, my lovely Couch Surfing hostess with the most-est, was having some on my first morning (when we went to the markets) - How exciting!! There's a whole ritual on how to make it too, perhaps not as elaborate as the Japanese tea ceremony, but it's there none the less. The maté has to be done just so or else you risk scalding the leaves if you put water that is too hot.You have to put only a little water in first so that the leaves expand slowly...etc, etc I can't even begin to pretend that I got all the tiny nuances. It's a drink to be shared amongst family and friends so you pass the cup around. There's a metal (best if it's silver or plated silver) straw that has a flat round bottom to strain the leaves as you sip.

The ones you see here are made from pumpkin

The containers are traditionally made from pumpkin, wood, metal, or horn (Nina says the pumpkin ones are the best for retaining flavour). Each time you get a new one it has to be cured (well, not the metal ones) again with a very specific process. Nina was in the process of changing over to a new container and was telling me that it's hard to let the old ones go because they have that taste that you enjoy - the taste patina if you will. I know, you're all thinking, get on with it woman! What the hell does it taste like??? Did you know that Ernesto (Che) Guevara was also addicted to maté (he was Argentinian after all) and his revolutionary buddies would get it to him as often as they could?
 It tastes a little like smoked green tea - an acquired taste I'm sure, but one that wouldn't be that hard to acquire...unlike yak butter tea (which doesn't taste like tea at all). You can buy it in tea bags too, but I think that you miss out on the whole ritual thing, which seems a pity.

Dulce de leche - This is like caramel, but from a different galaxy. Caramel that has won the gold medal in caramel-ness since forever. Caramel that has multiple doctorates in deliciousness. Caramel that has reached enlightenment in it´s creamy magnificence. You put it on bread and butter in the morning and your day is bound to be a great one...sadly, it is your hips´ worst enemy :(


Walking with a bung foot sure takes it out of a gal....this is where snacks come in. 

This looked quite tasty in the kiosko - there's chocolate involved...what could go wrong?

This particular biscuit (??) was fun to bite into because I wasn´t sure what I was in for!
So, have you ever had a nice dark chocolate...mmmm yeah, you have. Ok, now add a squishy creamy chocolaty centre...oooo so good!
Now add a couple of rice crackers.

Ok sounds totally weird, I know, and that first bite was, well, curious. But it was quite delightful in the end and I wish I had gotten two!

And speaking of chocolate...On Monday night Nina and I went to a nice restaurant to have a nice piece of meat (a special post on meat coming soon) - Argentina is the place for a nice steak after all! We each had a perfectly cooked piece of meat, a salad, and kick ass Malbec (Uxmal, for those aficionados) to wash it down. Well, I have to say that the dessert is what captured my heart that evening - although the waiter was quite cute...*ahem* Apparently, this delight is a common dessert made at home and is seldom seen on menus because it is considered so banal. If I may say, in common parlance, OMG! The heavenly explosion of deliciousness! It is a layer cake with fine layers of a light chocolate cake, layered with dulce de leche (see above), and cream cheese. Repeat for about 8-10 layers. Ok, admittedly the cream cheese punished me the next day, but it was SO worth it! The name of this wonderful piece of heaven? Chocotorta.

No, I don't only eat sweet things...

Last night I got this delightful salsa to go with my bread instead of butter. It was standard salsa fare, made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs (can´t tell you which ones - the waiter wouldn't tell me....or I just didn't understand him...) the interesting yum factor was the quinoa - simple, but wonderfully tasty!

Locro was the main course to this meal. It is a local soup made with meat, white beans, pumpkin, potatoes, and sausage. Holy stick to your ribs, batman! It was a bit chilly up here in the mountains last night so it was perfect - but I couldn't finish it even though it looked like a small portion. It was nicely seasoned and had a little kick to it.

Stay tuned...there´s heaps more to try!

Magic bus

Forget what you know about long distance bus travel. Unless of course you've traveled in South America - Suite style.


Because the rail system has a tragic history, they have made bus travel the way to go if you can't afford the plane. You have the choice of the regular bus; semi-cama (half bed) where it reclines to 160 degrees; or the full cama suite - 180 degrees...oh yeah, baby! Not only do you get to recline all the way, no, no, you also get your own screen with a choice of movies, music, or tv shows. AND it doesn't end there -They SERVE you dinner on the bus! HOW AWESOME IS THAT??!



Now, as taking the bus is a step down from taking the plane, so too, bus food is a step down from plane food - and that's saying a lot. I really wish now that I had taken a picture of my dinner so that I could share with you...but alas, after the trials of the day, what with the foot and the ATM card...well, I didn't have the presence of mind to do it. I shall endeavour, however, to convey to you this culinary delight.

Initially, the waiter brought us all a tray with 1 slice of ham, 1 green olive, 1 small roll, 1 "jam" roll (hint: wasn't jam), and 1 brownie. Shortly afterwards he came with the piece de resistance...Saffron rice with peas and carrots (I use the term saffron very broadly, the rice was yellowish in colour); a disk of some sort of meat (still unknown) swimming in a gelatious white "sauce". It was remarkably bland but filling. Oh, and that "jam" roll...I'm going to have to say that I think it was rolled with pate. Yes, the doughy part was sweet. It was a bit weird. The brownie was delicious though!

You wish you could look this good after spending the night on a bus...


Breakfast anyone? It was handy too, that they had a coffee/tea station so you could help your self when you had a hankering...but have you ever tried to carry a hot beverage the length of a moving bus - trying really hard not to spill scalding liquids on other passengers? Not easy, let me tell you!


 

For lunch we stopped in a small village and had a hot meal...I had the ravioli con carne...

Overall, gotta say that it was a rather enjoyable trip! I think I´ll sign up for another one Puno to Cusco.

And bad mistakes, I've made a few.

Hey remember that last post about the foot...well, that wasn't the end of the day for me - not by far.
After I got back to Nina's place and took a shower, I thought it would be a good idea to check on the ol' bank account while I was still in a safe environment. Went to my secret hiding spot to get my card...no card. Ok, don't panic...it's got to be somewhere else right? Nope. I tore my bag apart - no card. The last time I used it was at the airport when I first arrived - I don't remember seeing it again after that. No idea where it is. The big problem is that I now no longer have any access to my bank account aka cash. You see, I never remember the PIN on my credit card so that I´m never tempted to take cash out of my credit card. Smart, right? So now what do I do?

I quickly called the bank to see if there had been any other transactions on my account - there were none. K that's one good thing. I cancel the card and then call Loic - hoping he's not off gallivanting. I have a Visa card that's also linked to my bank account so technically I can use that to access the account, but I never remembered the PIN 'coz it's a Visa card. This is where my filing skills are put to the test. I have to guide a teenager through the nightmare that is my paper collection...and it's 8 in the morning for him, and I´m pretty sure he'd just gotten to bed.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post for the result of the search of the lost PIN.

AWWW no, I won't do that.

My dear, sweet boy, looked and looked. Then looked again and he managed to find it. I think I´ll bring him back a nice poncho.

Crisis averted. THANKS LOIC!!!!

Ahhh I have just enough time to catch a cab to the station so that I can catch that bus to Salta...mmmm 20 hours on a bus, this could be interesting.

I think I broke my foot...

Yesterday was my last day in Buenos Aires so I got up (relatively) early to get my bus ticket to Salta. I knew I had to go to Retiro station to get it and since I passed by it on my first day, I knew where it was - or so I thought. When I got there, well, it was a weekday at morning rush hour...utter chaos...there was a line up 1/2 a block long just to get into the subway!! I kid you not. 
So, I push my way into the station...no buses, no ticket kiosks...hmmm I ask someone, she looks at me a bit strangely (probably my awesome Spanish) and then proceeds to tell me where I was supposed to go for bus tickets...I understood one word: Left. OK go left.

I was dragged out of the station by the river of people going to work and pushed my way to the left. Now, not only is there the rush hour crowd, but there is the regular contingent of people who are selling dodgy things, as well as the contingent of dodgy people. I weave my way through all this to the next station...of course: first the train station then the bus station...duh! I go in. Still no buses. I get out and go left again....another train station, but I begin to see the massive buses - I must be on the right track (no pun intended). Then, lo, a break in the crowd - there, a ray of hope, a beacon of light...the bus station!!


Retiro...one of them

What I failed to mention was that my foot was hurting after walking only 2 blocks - by now it's completely throbbing (I've been walking for an hour by this point).
The plan was to go to a book store that Nina suggested and then to meet up with her for lunch...my foot hurt so much that I didn't think I could walk that far. So after buying my bus ticket I decided to go over the the area where Nina works, Puerto Madero. This used to be a very industrial area that has now been converted into a very luxurious place to live and work. There are some nice parks there so I thought I´d go and rest my foot until lunch.


I'm ashamed to say that I went into a Starbucks and grabbed an Earl Grey tea...muy grande, and continued my walk to the park...barefoot by now, it wasn't as bad without my shoes. Puerto Madero is a lovely, peaceful place - especially after the madness of rush hour traffic.

Now, my question to you is: Who in their right mind gets a tea, muy grande, without thinking of the consequences? By the time I hobbled to the park and sat for about 10 min...it hit me. Uh-oh. There were no public toilets in sight. damn. I shuffled back to the Starbucks with my muy grande in hand and I sneaked in the side door to use their facilities. By this point I figured, these people had charged me $4 (yes Aus) for hot water and tea bag, so I loitered on their couch for an hour and a half. The Christmas music was annoying, but it was air conditioned and I could put my foot up....and there was a toilet there if I needed it again.

Nina and I had a lovely lunch together by the river and she gave me some advice as to what to see while in Salta. Hopefully, when I go back to Buenos Aires before going home, we can meet up again and see some Tango!
After lunch my foot was a little better, so what did I do? I walked for another 2 hours. sigh. I think I broke my foot. Luckily, the bus ride tomorrow is 20 hours long - I can rest it then.

San Telmo Markets and the Recoleta cemetery

This morning - after sleeping like the dead - Nina (my couch surfing buddy) and I went to the San Telmo markets on the bus.

Originally these markets were for antiques, but have become an anything goes kind of market. So I saw everything from very expensive antique crystal chandeliers to plastic gadgets that thread needles for you...yes, I did contemplate getting one (the needle thingy, not the chandelier) but I managed to resist all of the temptations today
...apart from the choripan...YUM! Basically a hotdog-like creature but made with, you guessed it, chorizo. I bought it from this outdoor vendor who had 3 massive BBQs going...it was delicious, no wonder there was a line up.

 

 

Yesterday, I wandered over to the Recoleta Cemetery (it´s really close to where I´m staying).

It has been compared to the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris and it´s full of magnificent crypts---4700 all up. This is the final resting place of the wealthy and influential - it is where Eva Peron is buried. It's the most expensive real estate in Buenos Aires.


The families buried here continue to pay for the crypts and the space they take up. As another family member dies they are placed in the upper layer of the crypt and the previous deceased goes down to the lower level. As that space gets filled the bones are collected and placed into a smaller containers.

Eva Peron's grave - it was full of people...both inside and out
- some more lively than others

Dinner anyone?

Hola todos,
Just had my first meal in an Argentinian restaurant!

It looks like my diabolical plan to dye my hair dark in order to "blend" worked...kind of. I got to a restaurant that looked good, but not too good (and it was mentioned in the French Routard Guide that my Couch Surfing buddy lent me).
They sat me down and handed me a menu. In Spanish. Ok...
I tried to understand it, but alas there were too many gaps in my limited vocabulary. When waiter came by and asked if I was ready to order, I must have had a confused look on my face because he then asked if I wanted the English menu....si, por favor.

 

He was very kind and patient when I finally placed my order in poor Spanish, and took the time to repeat everything slowly, no doubt to show me how badly I was butchering his language - lucky I got there early while it was still quiet. It was 9pm.
By the time my meal came out the place was packed. They live life on a different schedule than Canberra, that´s for sure!

I´ll tell you about my encounter today with Eva Peron tomorrow along with my journey to the San Telmo markets...stay tuned

Oh yeah...I forgot to mention that I broke 2 travel rules already...I used tap water to brush my teeth and that dinner I just told you about, it was salad. We'll see how that goes over...