Blogs from Córdoba, Argentina, South America - page 5

Geo: -31.4053, -64.1804It's so totally Argentinean. Immense--gigantic even, with 150 different bus companies. Can you see that? There is nothing in the US that compares to this--it blows your mind.This is a bus station. And it's all in Spanish--every millimeter of it. In a country where petrol is more expensive than fine wine, taxis convert to natural gas. So even if you own a car, it's just out of sight to drive it far.When you're traveling cross country you grab a bus, not your keys. These long distance buses are luxurious with comfortable padded seats, some that fully recline (180*) and offer white glove dinner service that includes wine. That explains the need---can't even guess why there has to be 150 different providers.We got to the station last night an hour early because it's been two ... read more

At the beginning of December I arrived in Cordoba, the second city of Argentina, ready to settle down for another period of study at a language school. The first positive was that after completing a written exam and conversation “interview” with the class co-ordinator I had moved up from the “A2 beginner” level that I was being taught in Buenos Aires, to the “B1 intermediate” level here in Cordoba – so it seemed the Spanish practice on the road had been useful! (There are six levels, beginner (A1 & A2), Intermediate (B1 & B2) and advanced (C1 & C2). The school was very friendly, although they seemed to be in the middle of a bit of a recruitment drought when I arrived as I'm sure for the first week there were more staff at the school ... read more

Alta Gracia--Cultural Treasures Alta Gracia is the biggest city, 45,000 people, that I visited in the mountains surrounding beautiful Cordoba. Like the other towns, it was built along a gurgling, shady river, perfect for strolling. However, it also held several cultural treasures such as one of the region's well-restored, UNESCO-designated, former Jesuit estancias/ranches, as well as the house-museums of the adolescent Che Guevara and the elderly Spanish composer, Manuel de Falla, a clock town erected in 1938 to celebrate the city's 350 anniversary, the1903 Sierras Hotel which was Argentina's first casino, and a lovely urban park built around the former Jesuit reservoir. Moreover, it was September, spring, and the town was filled with brilliant, purple-blooming jacaranda trees. I'd come from little Mina Clavero on a local bus that wound through the mountai... read more

The history of Cordoba cannot be separated from the Jesuits. Around the city they had several estancias that provided the income to support the university in Cordoba. We knew that we had to visit at least one of these estancia and were thrilled when the lady at the tourist information office told us how easy it was to get to and from Alta Gracia. As well as the estancia, Alta Gracia is famous for being the home of Che Guevara during his adolescent years. The local bus station was a 5 minute walk from the hotel. It looked like a small version of all the bus terminals we had seen so far. The ticket offices were inside downstairs. There was only one operator who had Alta Gracia tickets as they were the only ones to go ... read more

On this page I would talk about my internship, particularly what I have achieved, discovered, and shared through the NGO Nuestra Córdoba. Primera Parte First of all, few words to describe Nuestra Córdoba, a NGO dedicated to the construction of a city more Fair, Democratic and Sustainable. These broad ideological goals are applied to a very located and specified area: the town of Córdoba, second Argentinian city. To achieve these goals, the NGO has built a wide network of associations specialized in ten themes (Environment, Urbanization, Participative Democracy, Public Transport, Health, Education, Economic and Social Development, Public Budget Control, Urban Mobility and Culture). What I found quite new and very interested with Nuestra Córdoba's approach is their determination to implement a Bottom-Up strategy a... read more