Tandil on the pampas

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We travelled down here on Sunday afternoon across nearly 400 km of dead flat but heavily cultivated pampas, the trip only interrupted by the bus breaking down about three and a half hours into the trip. Some problem with the brakes! Fortunately a local mechanic with a couple of pliers and a bit of wire got us sorted in about 30 minutes.

On our first evening we met a lone German, Jurgen, who was travelling through Argentina with a camper van he had shipped from Hamburg. He seemed a bit surprised to find that not all Argentina´s roads are asphalted autobahns. He will have fun on some of the roads. Nice enough but with some funny ideas about the country and what is wrong/right with it.

Tandil is actually on the edge of a range of low hills (some of the oldest rocks in the world we are told) and we made the effort to get up some of them. First day we walked up to the spanish style castle and then across to the calvary, via the stations of the cross.

Went for an evening horse ride up a couple more hills and through some of the uncultivated pampas. I even gave my horse a short gallop, a bit scary. Gabriel our leader finished off the ride by singing songs and playing his guitar by a fire whilst we sipped mate - our first taste and it was OK - bit like bitter black tea and it definitely tastes better with sugar.

We also took ourselves for a bus ride to the bottom of the hill where there is the Piedra Movediza. This is where there was a large rock balancing on the top of a hill, that is until it fell off in 1912. However given that this is one of the tourist attractions the local government have replaced it (in 2007) with a replica made from fibreglass. We climbed up in a gale and could only stand on the top for a few moments as the wind was so strong. Would have been fun to see the new rock sailing off like a balloon, but not this time.

For our last evening here we went to the pasta restaurant in town. All they do is lots of different shapes of pasta and lots of different sauces. It was delicious.

Next stop Bahia Blanca.

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Photos

Piedra Movediza
this new one is firmly fixed on!

Sanson and Toby
- the horses!

Montamos!
Susan and Maria ride on

It´s a bug´s life!
Artworks on a building in Tandil

Tandil Church
modelled on Sacre Coeur in Paris