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Kind of understadable why Argentina doesn't advertise much in UK.. Football and that other F word in the 1980's.. but really it is an amazing country and I totally reccomend it! Out of all the places I have visited on this trip.. if you are looking for just a 2 week holiday come to BA and the surrounding areas!! Also not may tourists here really, so you feel very special and priviledged. People are the friendliest I have ever met.. they cope very well with my poor Spanish! Also is very safe!!! No different really to UK the places I have been, BA no scarier than say Paris, London etc. Common Sense is the key which sadly many travellers don't have!!!
Anyhow.. enough of the travel agent bit!!
Well I am actually in Chileceto.. but I can't find it on the list of destinations on this blog.. so La Rioja was the nearest place which is actually three hours away!!!
Cafayate was a really beuatiful place, a small village surrounded by mountian. Smae as Chileceto really!! On Thursday we all went on a waterfall walk.. we were more like goats.. leaping from rocks to rocks, and there was a lot of river crossings!! Was very steep, but we all made it., The guide was excellent. There seemed to be no path but he always found one. The waterfall was beuatiful and two crazy girls in our group went for a 2 minute swim!! Not me!!
In the afternoon a few of us hired bikes, and cycled to a vineyard 6km away.. it was more like 60k away.. a combination of heat, dirt road, very uphill! .. and me being very unfit.. so it took ages.. and I got there at just after 5pm.. it closes at 5pm, but luckily the rest of the tour had either taken a taxi, or were ahead of me on the bikes, and had explained I was running late.. so I arrived to miss the tour.. but in time for the best bit.. the tastings!!
A lot of the wine here isn't sold in BA, or much or Argetina, is just sold to tourists, bet they make a packet, or exported by bulk to say a US or UK supplier.. and we've not been able to find out the final destination. So it makes us want to buy lots of bottles, but I can't really.. no space and the glass is hard to carry!!
So I must confess I put my bike in the back of a taxi.. and took a car for the rest of the afternoon with Clive, Susan and Tasha. We went to a watermill and a silver place, where they hand make very beautiful jewellery and mate pots. Mate is what Argentinians drink to keep them awake.. like a herbal tea thing..!
In the evening we went to a fairly commercial restaurant, can't remmeber the name, was on the main plaza. Was ok.. but I prefered the quiter places we went to. Oh and a lovely Argentinain guy Tasha met in Salta turned up her to surpirse her!! Awww!!
Oh there's a lot of cacti here!!
Friday was a trip to Tucaman via the Quilmes ruins which were quite stunning, and Pachamama museum (mother earth), again a very well designed museum. The guide was Spannish speaking, but our Gap guide translated for us.
Talking if which.. the GAP guide got the bus times wrong, and we had a two hour wait with nothing to do in pretty much the middle of nowhere then we headed to Tucaman and arrived 8pm. Plaza was beautiful. good to see it in dark with building lit up. All went out for pizza.. so cheap the food here!!!
A 6.30am start on Sunday..!! Public bus to La Rioja.. thne lunch in a terrible service station.. we watched her microwave all our food!! Ie frozen chicken..! But hey ho it was fun!! And we were hungry.. Then minibus to Chileceto where we are now!! Free net at this hotel hence me blogging again!!
So last night we went to LA Rioja wine bar and restaurant, had malbec, cab sav and shiraz, all 2 pounds a bottle, split between all of us. I had cheese board which was fab. I'm getting old I think!!
Today some people have gone to Tampalaya National Park.. but was three hours each way and only get three hours there and I have cabin fever from buses.. so am having a nice relaxing day mooching around the town.. and walking up the hill to see a cruz, and a great view, cacti botanical gardens.. and wineries!
Mendoza by night bus tonight!!
Love and hugs to all,
Mich
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