Blogs from Villa General Belgrano, Córdoba, Argentina, South America

Wurst and Oopma After the excessive noise in Cordoba, we needed a break. We needed quiet. We needed tranquil. So, way earlier than we felt like waking up after our fiesta at the hostel the night before, we headed to the minibus station and boarded a two hour bus to Villa General Belgrano. VGB was settled by survivors of the German battleship Graf Spee. VGB is a small town of about 6000 residents and has a decidedly German feel, although most young residents no longer speak German. We knew we had just missed their Oktoberfest celebration by almost two weeks, but we were expecting bratwurst and big beers. But, most important, we wanted a few days of quiet. We found it all. If Walt Disney himself designed a German village for tourists, with all the ... read more

After a weekend of staying out pretty late (though pretty typical for Argentinean standards), it was time to explore the Sierras of Cordoba. One of the great things about Cordoba is that if you ever get tired of the city there are several small towns nearby that provide plenty of opportunities for outdoor pursuits, sightseeing and just plain relaxing. Even though it´s winter here and most of these towns don´t come alive until the summertime, when Cordobeses escape the heat of their city, I still wanted to see what they were all about. Last time I was here I saw Alta Gracia, a small town where Che Guevara grew up. On Monday I went to Villa Carlos Paz for the day with my friend Mica. Her experience in tourism certainly helped as she was able to ... read more

We are now in Carlos Paz, a small town near Cordoba, which is like a little Las Vegas - one casino, lots of shows, and a whole lot of atmosphere. We got to Cordoba this morning, after which we left for Jesus Maria, another small town near Cordoba, and you´ll soon understand why it´s called that. Jesus Maria has a Jesuit mission, which the Lonely Planet says that if you´re only planning to visit one Jesuit mission, this is it. So that´s what we did (which means no more Jesuit missions - yes). It was quite nice actually, but photos were not allowed inside, so you can´t see. We are spending the night in Carlos Paz, and tomorrow we´ll head back to Cordoba. From there, I continue to Mendoaz tomorrow night, while the New Zealanders head ... read more

Festival de la Cerveza... read more

I've noticed that a lot of eateries in Argentina don't necessarily have everything that's listed on the menu. This is, of course, if you are given a menu at all, and if that menu contains anything more than pizza, pasta or steak. DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND: I love Argentina and its cuisine; the pizza, pasta and steak in Argentina are all top-notch. But really, a person (or country) can perfect anything when it's all they ever do, ever. We spent a day-long connection on Tuesday in Tucumán, northwestern Argentina's largest city, which is also a giant bus station. Perhaps there's more there than that, but after Monday's 17-hour commute, we felt entitled to convalesce a bit. Terminal del Tucumán is a self-contained consumer's paradise, boasting 30,000 square metres of restaurants, clothing boutiques, electronics outlets, internet cafes, currency ... read more