Although there's much more to do in Mendoza (both in the city and in the province) I opted to take it easy, since this was the tail end of my trip. I visited each of the central plazas and gave each one the time it deserved, including a nap in Plaza Independencia. I sampled some Mendocino wines, both with new friends and in the wineries. And I spent my last vacation day like many Argentines - a Sunday in the park. [View Full Entry]

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Since the province of Tucuman is Argentina's sugar capital, I felt obigated to visit the Museo de la Industria Azucarera to see how this sugar thing happens. The museum is situated in the former home of Bishop Colombres, who had a hand in revving up and encouraging the sugar industry in this province. From the home of such a pious man (usually such men are indifferent to high living standards, no?), it's obvious that sugar was proftable. Now the house sits in the middle of San Miguel de Tucuman's (the capital city of the province, usually known as just Tucuman) city [View Full Entry]

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Before arriving, I had some romantic visions of Cafayate….small vineyards like wheel spokes branching out from a cozy town, all nestled among more of my favorite Quebrada colors. And it is just that but, when you mix in hordes of Argentine teenagers and university students, it loses some of its appeal. So during my two days in Cafayate, my main goal was to avoid the noise and try to stick to my romantic picture of the place. With ominous storms always around the corner, signs that lead to nowhere, and badly blazed paths that only goats can figure out, it was [View Full Entry]

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One of my EFL students in Buenos Aires was orginally from Salta, and I always admired his enthusiasm for life, his easily understood Spanish, and the pride he showed in his province. One day I read a feature article in the weekend paper about cock fighting's success and challenges in Salta, and prior to that, I had tried the wholesome humita en chala and empanadas that are typical of the region. That's all for my prior experience with Salta. And, even though friends returned from vacations raving about the beauty here, I still felt like I had to discover this place [View Full Entry]

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I love how legends and tales - on the whole, imagination - shape and twist the naming and history of our surroundings. So it was with the Quebrada de la Concha which, owing to its unfortunate reference to rude anatomical terminology, is now called Quebrada del Toro, Bull Gorge. Running through Salta Province in northwest Argentina up to the border with Chile, this gorge hugs the course of the Rio del Toro. For most of the year a weak trickle, the river bulks up with rains like the recent ones, and gains the strength of a bull, forcefully charging through and [View Full Entry]

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I'm going to let the Quebrada de Humahuaca speak for itself, through photos...It's easier to understand the incredible colors, the depth of the beauty this place projects. This was my experience along the Quebrada: Starting on my first day in San Salvador de Jujuy, the capital of Jujuy province in northwestern Argentina, I took a day trip to Purmamarca, a charming little place, just for a couple of hours to get my introduction to the area. I had passed through the night before, as part of my hellish bus day, but it had been too dark then to see what was [View Full Entry]

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117 1/2 hours. That's roughly the amount of time I have spent on a bus over the last few weeks (starting from December 18th and not counting day trips). Just in case you think it's a typo, I'll throw the number out there again: 117 1/2. By now, I'm perfectly happy on any bus, with or without roaches, bus cama or semi cama seats or broken ones, on time or not. It's just something you get used to after the first 60 hours or so. But I am dedicating this blog entry to a very interesting day of bus travel through [View Full Entry]

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I've never felt this way before, but I am amazed by the flamingo. I admit it's always been an eye-catching animal, in a freak-of-nature sort of way. Flamingos are pink and funny-looking, good for some amusement. But now, after visiting the Salar de Uyuni and its surrounding landscape, dotted with multicolored lagoons, I feel a newfound respect for the bird. Up here at 4000 meters above sea level (and even higher!), three species of flamingos have their home: the flamenco andino (Andean flamingo), with a black butt; the flamenco chileno (Chilean flamingo), nice and pink; and the smallest, the flamenco de [View Full Entry]

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New Year's on the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun/Sun Island) sounds a little Club Med at first but it is nothing at all like that. Inca legend has it that the sun was born here and the first Incas appeared from a rock at the northern end of the island. I spent New Year's Eve and part of New Year's Day on this island, rising from the bluest lake I've ever seen, Lago Titicaca, which sits at high altitude straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia. I wish I had pictures....but I don't. Trust me, it is bluer than [View Full Entry]

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My head's a bit in the clouds today, which is fine for a day of running errands and some light sightseeing in La Paz. I think my full night of sleep yesterday should be enough to cancel out the two nights of no sleep (having too much fun in Bolivia...). And it can't be the altitude playing its tricks on me. By now I've gotten used to it, except when it comes to climbing steps or steep hills. Maybe a little New Year's pensiveness is the cause but I think it's from all the time I've spent the past few days [View Full Entry]

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