Argentina continued...Buenos Aires - Puerto Madryn - Mendoza - Salta

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Following on from Frank, the tango show was incredible. We saw it at Cafe Tortoni, a very famous cafe in Buenos Aires, established in 1858 by a French immigrant. The cafe was beautifully decadent (thought that might amuse uni friends), all velvet drapes and gold plaster, serving delicious French food and drinks. We had front row seats in this small, intimate room with a tiny stage. The show tells a story (sadly all in Spanish), with a tenor singer, a violinist, a pianist and cello. The music is so good on its own, but the dancing is just so moving. Although you can´t really work out what´s going on, the dancers are so expressive and the tango is at once seductive and sinister. There´s a darkness and sadness to it, apparently it originated from the slaves brought to Argentina mixed with the more formal dancing and then grew popular in brothels.

On the evening before, we went to a steak house recommended to us by the really friendly Milhouse hostel staff (another party hostel like Mellow Yellow). The steak was so good, although I had minor food envy as Frank´s was rarer than mine. That day we went to La Boca district (pictures on facebook) which was very sinister and theatrical (how I imagine Montmartre to be) all the models are quite frightening actually. One of the sweet stands had a lady´s head with lollipops for hair (I´ve taken a photo) so you get the idea. It´s one of the poorest districts in Buenos Aires and enjoys alot of tourism after an architect had the idea to rejuvenate the area by painting all the houses bright colours. There we went to the worst (and therefore one of the most enjoyable) wax museums in La Boca, this was no Madame Tussauds and had a very politically incorrect and general portrayal of Argentina. Brought to life by wax works I probably could have knocked up. Thought mum would also like to know that there is an amazing Antiques fair with lots of well established shops (a beautiful antique Art Noveau shop too) which opens every Sunday in the centre of Buenos Aires.

Before leaving Buenos Aires we also went to La Recoleta Cemetery, where a number of Argentina´s celebrities, politicians, army figures and most famously, where Eva Perón is buried. As you can probably imagine, it´s a pretty morbid experience and strange to think of a cemetery as a tourist attraction. People are there taking photographs and I was just feeling quite freaked out by it all, you can see all the coffins on display and family photos..it feels wrong to publicise grief like that. Some of the coffins had been neglected and alarmingly you can see the bodies.


Our next stop was Puerto Madryn and after another 22 hour coach ride we arrived there in the evening and went out to this AMAZING mexican restaurant. Cannot wait for the Mexican food!!!!We went there twice. The first time was with a really lovely American couple, Natalie and Shaun who we got quite close to over the three days. It would have been good to get to know them better but then you´re on the road again. Also, we keep finding that everyone we meet on the road tends to be doing S America the other way round, starting with Peru and Bolivia, then Argentina and Brazil. That was what they were doing. It was so funny, Shaun desperately trying to incorporate the word ´gutted´ into the conversation, displaying his knowledge of British terminology.

Puerto Madryn is incredible. Argentina is incredible. Go there.
It has everything, all the culture, music, food and friendly people you could ask for and this incredibly diverse landscape from deserts to glaciers. On our second day in Puerto Madryn we went whale watching in the Valdés Peninsula. It is a little touristy but so worth it. Frank´s got this incredible film of one whale which came right up to us, almost under the boat..we could have touched it. They can reach 16 meters in length and adults weigh between 30 and 40 tons. The size of them is hard to describe. For me, nothing tops the male lion on the night drive at Kruger. When that lion was sitting just a meter or so away from us and then stood up and roared and we could feel the earth vibrate with the lowness of the sound in the still African night. You can´t ever beat that feeling of fear, for the first time in your life you feel this real instincutual fear. You´re lower down in the pecking order, if you stood up now and isolated yourself from the jeep, that could easily be the end of you. But this came a close second. After the whales, we saw some elephant seals...sadly we couldn´t get too close as they are protected by law in the national park and you´re forbidden to go down to they beach where they all lay out, massive things, not moving at all and looking so lazy.

The next day we got a boat to Rawson to see Commerson's dolphins (they´re small, with black and white markings). At this point I can´t get over how we can be doing things like this almost every week. It doesn´t quite sink in when you´re there, the Favela tour really felt like that. Kind of like, here we are experiencing something completely different from our lives at home - we´re so lucky. I think it will sink in eventually but you almost have to take it for granted at the time or it would become too much to process. The dolphins are so lively and playful (just how you´d imagine them I guess) chasing the boat, jumping in the air the whole time. In the afternoon we went to Punta Tombo, the biggest Magellan Penguin colony. Half a million of them arrive at this place every year to breed. You can literally walk with them, there are so many and they aren´t bothered by you at all so you can get so close. I´ve posted photos on facebook and need to upload some really cute films of them walking in that waddley way and their chicks too.

We had heard rumour that in a small Welsh-colonised village called ´Gaiman´we could buy Welsh afternoon tea. I swear it was one of the main reasons that lured me to Patagonia. Real tea. Not the weak, slightly floral tasting South American tea. And scones with jam. I was so happy. There was no cream though, which was slightly disappointing. However, the vast array of cakes made up for it to some extent. The rest of tour group weren´t bothered at all as the tea was a tad on the expensive side. Frank and I were the only ones who put our hands up when asked if anyone wanted it, then we practically lept out of the tour bus. Think the rest of the tour group begrudged waiting for us but it was surreal and rather nice to have a little taste of home. Well Wales at least.

The Welsh history in Puerto Madryn is rather a colourful one. Frank and I went to the Welsh musuem (another slightly dodgy, I´m not sure how much historical fact is involved type place). Actually, that´s unfair because it´s just a different, very personal kind of history. It tells the story of the first Welsh immigrants in Puerto Madryn, two of the most famous of which are Captain Love Jones-Parry and Lewis Jones when in 1853 they lead 153 Welsh settlers aboard the converted tea-clipper Mimosa. The museum tells their stories and eventually the successful colonisation. There´s a list of the people on board, their name, age, profession and their fate - whether and how they died or moved on to other places such as Buenos Aires. A really personal kind of history to read these notes first hand. There was also an hilariously politically incorrect story of Welsh immigrant called Edwyn who fell into a well (looking for suitable land for the Welsh to inhabit) and had to be rescued by an Irish-Hindu passer-by called Jerry. What Jerry was doing there I have no idea but apparently there was something in his Celtic roots which called him to help Edwyn, the suggestion being that otherwise he would have just walked off.

Leaving Puerto Madryn we went next to Mendoza (on our bus, on the way we got to play bingo - good test of how we´re still struggling with the speed of Argentinian Spanish). We were a little tired of the big cities and Mendoza is lovely (with a big park). But the park is a little too artificial for my liking with palm trees and fir trees side by side and concrete paths so you needn´t get your feet dirty. But we did do a wine tour which was amazing and so cheap, 50 pesos (about 8 pounds each) for a 7 hour tour with a chocolate and liquer family business wedged in at the end. It was fun, learning about making wine (industrial and family run vineyards) smelling wine, looking at wine, drinking wine, you get the idea.

And now, we´re here in Salta - another little town which we were looking foward too. Time to relax over Chrismas. It was HELLISH getting here though. We arrived at the bus station in Mendoza to find the wrong date printed on our ticket. The 21st instead of the 22nd. We should have double checked but the days tend to run into one another and we still aren´t sure if it´s our fault or the guy selling the ticket´s fault. Our Spanish is not good enough to explain this mishap so two wonderfully kind Argentinians, Sofía and Leonardo took pity on us (we are forever indebted and now friends on facebook) and understood our plight as they spoke english. After alot of puppydog eying on their part and charming Spanish words (I assume) they managed to persude the coach people to put us on a coach going to Guemes. A remote town an hour from Salta. We took this coach at 10.30pm, 2 hours after we were due to leave. The coach journey was 22 hours in 42 degree heat as the air con broke, going more around the houses than the direct Mendoza to Salta. Fun fun. We got to Guemes the next day at 8.30pm and were incorrectly told the next bus to Salta would be at 10.30pm. Another kind Argentinain took pity and told us there was actually one at 9.20pm and they were trying to put us on later coach which was less popular so they could leave seats free on the earlier one. When we got to Salta we were naturally exhausted and got a taxi to our hostel which was quite far out. The taxi guy put both our rucksacks in the boot which didn´t quite close. Then proceeded to race over the speed bumps. My rucksack promptly fell out on to a main, busy road, almost causing a car accident. What a fun journey.

As a Xmas present, Frank booked a surprise hotel room for Christmas eve so we could wake up on Christmas day and not need to wear flip flops in the shower. So nice to spend Christmas eve in front of the cable TV watching films - a true Christmas tradition.

Right I´m going to stop there because this is turning into one of my anwerphone messages,

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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