CORDOBA

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Cordoba!!!What's to say about Cordoba? Not much. It is the second industrial center of Argentina, but retains many of its historical buildings dating from the colonial era. El Centro (Spanish for "downtown") is the most important commercial area, with clothes, food, hardware, fishing equipment, shoes, computer shops, etc., but also most surprisingly, this city has the biggest concentration of "hotels by the hour". These are hourly rate hotels where people take their secret lovers for a romp in the good old proverbial hay. they vary from cheap establishments to the deluxe option with wall-to-wall mirrors, jaccuzis.... Use your imagination! these deluxe versions are a part of under the table Argentine culture that is very well disguised. Anyway, we didn´t get to experience these "love by the hour hotels" ( prices way out of a backpackers budget ).Cordoba is a dull city but it has a lot of history. The Jesuits implanted themselves here some 200 years ago and built churches everywhere. There are about eleven in the centre.Our main interest here was to spend a couple of days and see the "Parque de los Condoritos": Condor´s home in Argentina. It´s a training ground for baby condors trying their wings on the rising warm air. And also Pumas!
The day before we went, I had prepared some sandwiches for us and left them in the fridge overnight in the communal area in the hostel, only to find that one of them disappeared the following morning. Someone must´ve been hungry overnight in the hostel. The hostel wasn´t the greatest by the way, very shabby and not very clean. Beggers cannot be choosers! As they say. On the day we went, there were clouds all over Cordoba. Didn´t look promising. We got there and still the same. Anyway, it ended up being one of the most challenging trekks but a very enjoyable one. From the entrance of the park, we walked 3 hours there and 3 hours back, with a 1/2 hour break ( sharing Renata´s half baguette sandwich ), yes 6 hours through clouds and down hoping to see a condor fly. The park ranger wasn´t as optimistic as us but we thought we would give it a shot. In vain! We saw eagles, Loicas ( red chested birds ) and other sorts, but no condor, nor a Puma.... It was a great day, in total contact with nature. Total silence apart from the birds and streams running down the valley. We had to be back by the entrance of the park to catch our 4pm, 2 hour bus journey to Cordoba. We made it. Just!!!
Back to our hostel. Get something to eat quickly, get our luggage and get to the bus terminal.
Destination: Buenos Aires
See you!!!

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Photos

Cordoba´s other culture
"Love by the hour"

Bird learning to fly
Not a good example!!!

Warning
Puma Crossing

Rare bird
The Loica