Hello again...
It´s another gorgoeous day outside, but we just had to take a break fromit all to update our slightly neglected journal of late. First though...I´m not sure if my last note fully expressed the qualities of Vina del Mar...and so I must add a few things. It´s a lot like Canada, but with subtle differences that make it appealing in its own respect. For example...the McDonalds has a classy cafe attached to it where you can get fine pastries and tasty coffees; there is no tax on booze making it VERY cheap, and really quite good; the weather is extremely predictable...and in the summer,it is ALWAYS sunny, but with a refreshing breeze coming from the cool ocean current that enters the bay, framed by LONG and beautiful beaches; although the water is freezing cold (even by our standards), the people are still brave enough to enter it...and yes, for the guys, they are also littered with pretty girls with nice ass in skimpy bathing suits...and I don´t care how prim and proper you are...it´s a very good sight!
It´s funny to reflect on the things you write about when travelling. It seems that the words ´awesome´and ´amazing´etc. get used far too often to describe the rather normal and mundane details of everyday life...but the fact is that the traveller has put so much effort, money and time in to getting to these locations that it would be depressing to describe them as otherwise. Although MOST of the time, the things we have seen have been accurately described...for me, the places we´ve been in chile, and especially Argentina definitely live up to the high praises I´ll give!
Argentina...we crossed the Andes on another long bus trip...and yet again saw some fantastic scenery. Arriving in Mendoza, and not being able to get a bus directly to Montevideo Uruguay...we spent the night and next day in Mendoza before going off to Buenos Aires...and we´re glad we did. We had a rather uneventful night (falling asleep on an uncomfortable bed (which by the way doesn´t even phase us anymore) to the sounds of riotous soccer fans (for whom my respect has diminished even more...see Julia´s entry with regards to our experience at a local soccer match). We slept for 12 much needed hours, and with refreshed legs and heads...headed to a small village called Maipu. I know most of you probably find it hard to believe that I had never seen Maipu before...but it´s true...hahaha...kidding. We went there to tour a bunch of Vineyards, but got much more than we bargained for. The wine...as Gus accurately warned us of...was nothing special, but neat none the less to see the the cellars, and degouste a little of one of my favourite earthly pleasures. It was a small Gaucho kind of town, none too rich, but plenty of character. We had lunch at a place that was thankfully recommended to us as it was to be the best meal we had had since the beginning of our trip. Good bread with sun-dried tomatoes, pickled egg-plant, olives and cheese with oregano for starters, and a delicious and delicate beef...sort of like stew. I know the stew part sounds kind of plain...but it was VERY tasty, and sort of reminded us of home. A good first intro to argentinian beef...although at this point, I think that although it IS very good beef...the best part about it is not the taste, but the price!! Not to skip too far ahead...but we had a dish last night for $7, called Edward VII, that was about 2 pounds of good beef, potatoes, mushrooms, pate, artichoke, peas and gravy...and cheap booze too!! I digress...after our tasty lunch, eaten in the comfortable surroundings of Maipu...we went to a small liquer and chocolate producer...tasted some wierd boozes (tobacco, grapefruit, chocolate and other liquers) and delicate chocolates. The chocolates were only SORT of good...it´s no Belgian...but still a neat thing to visit. We got there by hitching a ride with some guy off the street...recruited by our lunch waiter...to drive us around for the afternoon for 2-3$. Nice man...waited for us as we pleasured ourselves (with chocolate and liquer), but when driving us to the next winery...he got a flat tire. He tried to get us there driving on his rim...but we insisted he stop and let us walk the remaining 500m. Anyway...at the winery, we saw an amazing museumwith relics of wine making that were over 500 years old!! Older than Machu friggin Picchu!!! It´s always fun to see a room with more than 1,000,000 litres of wine ageing in Oak!! An interesting comment about Argentinian cities is that they (like Gus´mother pointed out) are VERY full of trees!!! The people seem to have everything they need here...but it is all so cheap!!
Sorry...don´t know how I made the text so big...managed to earse a good paragraph too. Anyway...an overnight bus to Buenos Aires where we decided toget to Iguazu Falls rather than Uruguay (in case we got sick of buses), leaving us enough time to get a taste for this amazing city (and enough time for Julia to get shit on haha) before taking anouther overnight bus (18h) to Puerto Iguazu. Priority number 1 was to have a shower, eat some beef, then see the falls. We achieved all 3 in short order (another 5$ steak that was very good...makes me laugh out loud!!)...and the falls were really quite beautiful. Much more scenic and natural than Niagara, and much bigger all around. There were many trails to walk on, and even a short boat ride to take you to a small island for a swim and an additional hike. The 5hours we spent on the Argentinian side were close to enough...3 more would have been good to do a 3km nature walk...but, time didn´t allow. We saw plenty of lizards, and some racoon like creature with a long nose...prone to biting...and very curious and hungry creatures. On day 2, it was quite a riot to watch Julia fend one off with a stick while it was after our plastic bag (containing only a water bottle)...they danced around a stick for about 5 turns before Julia ran to safety haha. We ended our night by getting some Apple cider and Stella Artois (1 DOLLAR/litre!!!), sitting on our porch, drinking, reading, showering, relaxing and loving life! We ate a decent smorgasborg that night, and crashed hard (busses are great for sleeping, and we walk about 10km a day at least!).
Day 2 was much the same except we visited the Brazilian side. Different views, a little less natural...but still beautiful. You get a view from above the falls there too...more panaramic. The funny thing about this day was our ignorance incrossing the boarder. We were stamped out from Argentina, and never did get inspected going into Brazil...kind of strange, especially because you´re supposed to need a visa to get there. Our bus took us WELL away from the falls before we worriedly asked the driver if we had the right bus...all ended up working out...but another funny experience travellingin strange lands. You could get lost and in trouble so easily it seems...but so far, we´ve been fine.
Anyway...waiting for the bus is when I received my warm and disgusting birdie shower...and Julia should be writing from this point on in the next entry.
Talk soon,
TW
