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Published: February 7th 2007
Through the Andes Into a Storm
One of the last views we saw before we were engulfed in a torrential rain storm.When I left Puerto Iguazu it was raining and the storm continued incessantly for the whole journey to San Ignacio, four hours to the south. The bus dropped me off on the rain-soaked curb in front of the town's main church and I quickly set about getting myself and my gear under the shelter of my small poncho. I walked up to some people who were watching the rain from the safety of the awning of an artisans shop and I asked them where I could find a hotel. Their directions led me a few blocks down the main street to the very popular and very full Hotel San Ignacio. Another six block trek led me to the Hosteria del Palermas and my home for the evening. I ended up in a very nice room with two beds, a bathroom and, most importantly, air-conditioning - I would be sleeping well that night! While the air conditioning was nice, it was not the reason I had stopped in the sleepy little town of San Ignacio - I was there to go to church, the ruins of one at least.
The Jesuits first arrived in the area of San Ignacio in 1696.
A Grand Courtyard
This is a view across one of the large courtyards next to the church. They carved out of the jungle a massive reduccion, or mission, and named it San Ignacio Mini. The mission grew quickly with the construction of an impressive red-stone church and enough simple stone residences to support a population of around four-thousand Guarani converts. San Ignacio Mini and the other Jesuit missions throughout the Spanish Main grew very powerful, which prompted the King of Spain to expel them from the Americas in 1768. San Ignacio and the other missions were deserted and the grand 'Guaraní baroque' structures fell into ruin and were reclaimed by the jungle. The ruins were forgotten and they disappeared from the maps until they were rediscovered in the late 1800's and partially excavated and restored. Now the deep-red, sandstone structures stand silent and roofless in fields of green grass and dark forests of ancient trees, the church's impressively ornamented facades fight the onslaught of time and gravity, with the help of extensive, but aging, wood shoring and the original tile flooring that once supported the feet of thousands of faithful, converted 'savages' now lies behind chain barriers, out of reach of the shuffling feet of the thousands of tourists that visit the site annually. Luck was on
Ruined
The way the forest surounds the ruins of some of the structures is impressive. This is one of the first views you see when you walk in the gate at San Ignacio Mini. my side as I entered the ruins - The rain slowed and then stopped all together allowing me to explore the deserted ruins at my leisure. I was immediately impressed by what remains of San Ignacio - The amount and detail of the remaining ornamentation, the grand stone railings and stair cases, the detailed tile-work and the sheer quantity of the living quarters all attest to the missions glorious and powerful history. As I walked through the ruins I thought about the contrasts between San Ignacio Mini and similar cities constructed in a similar manner and at a similar time, but that were not abandoned at the height of their glory - It is amazing how quickly and how complete the destruction of even the hardiest of stone structures is when left in the care of Father Time and Mother Nature! The overcast, muggy conditions added an air of mystery to the shady lanes of the site, but it also brought to life oppressing clouds of voracious mosquitoes who's presence forced my hasty retreat after only a few hours of exploration. That night I grabbed a very basic meal at one of the three very basic restaurants in town and
The Well
San Ignacio's well is still filled with water and ready for use. then I retreated to the Antarctic refuge that was my well air-conditioned room and I dreamed pleasant dreams.
The next few days of traveling were, at first, very disappointing, but, in the end, a well placed ice-cream cone made the whole ordeal worth while. I left San Ignacio on an early bus to Posadas. My plan was to get a bus ticket to Cordoba for that evening. At the bus station in Posadas I discovered that there was no way of going to Cordoba, or anywhere else I wanted to go, for several days. Faced with spending a few days in Posadas, which didn't appeal to me since I had already seen the main tourist attraction in the area, I decided instead to buy a ticket to Resistencia in the Chaco Provence. I chose Resistencia because, "It is a major transportation hub for the area", to quote my guide book, and it sounded like it would be a remotely interesting town to see. After hours of waiting at the bus station my bus arrived and I was off. I found myself standing in the 'major transportation hub' at two-thirty in the morning, everything completely locked up and every bench
Down the Fern-lined Well
The view looking down the well was amazing. This picture doesn't show the water, but it is (way) down there. occupied by a snoozing, stranded traveler. I walked around for a few minutes looking for a place to park myself until the station opened. There was a clean-ish looking spot on the floor that looked fairly appealing, but I would have had to evict a pair of scruffy looking dogs who had snagged the spot out from under me. I moved on and I found a deserted bench and I grabbed it.
It quickly became apparent why the bench was unoccupied. I was sitting on my newly found home when I was pelted in the side of the head for the third time in as many seconds by a giant black beetle - The bench's location under a large light was definitely a disadvantage! I sat on my bench for several hours fending off the onslaught of flying insects that were perpetually dive-bombing me. Occasionally I had to make a forced retreat ahead of an advancing flying-fortress sized insect with big arms that seemed to have something against me, but, for the most part, I was able to keep possession of my bench until morning arrived. In 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom', Short Round explained my walk
The Main Facade
This is the main facade of the church at San Ignacio Mini. The picture only shows a portion of the amazing stone work. to the ticket booth perfectly when he said, "It sound like we walk on fortune cooky!", because the white tiled floor of the terminal was crawling with a blanket of black beetles and the 'crunch, crunch, crunch' as I walked was unavoidable! I managed to buy a ticket to Cordoba for the following evening and then I went in search of a badly needed hotel. I took shelter in the fancy Hotel Colon, where I settled down into another air-conditioned slumber. The evening's exploration of town led me past several of the sculptures that Resistencia is known for as well as its massive main plaza and a large ice-cream shop, which is where I had the already mentioned mint-chocolate-chip, coffee, rum-chocolate triple-scoop, ice-cream cone from heaven that ultimately made me enjoy my unplanned stop in Resistencia!
I headed south from Resistencia, following the Rio Parana, and then I turned west to the city of Cordoba. Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina, it is a thriving university town and It has some excellent colonial architecture, which is why I stopped. I spent several days walking around Cordoba's pleasant streets taking in the sights, eating great food and just
Through the Side Entrance
The walls of the church are held up with ancient, wooden shoring, but they are still impressive. relaxing. I also made an excursion to the Sierras, a small mountain range nestled between the mighty Andes and the Atlantic Ocean, where I went on a long day-hike in Quebrada del Condorito national park. The journey to the park started off with a misunderstanding due to my poor command of Spanish that ended up adding five kilometers to my already long hike. The bus was supposed to drop me off at La Pampilla and I asked the driver as we passed the Comedor 'La Pampilla' if that was the place and he said yes, but he didn't stop. I informed him that I was supposed to get off there and he said a string of Spanish words that I couldn't comprehend at first - From the words I caught, I constructed a meaning that basically said, "We will flag down a bus in the other direction and put you on it." We were only two and a half kilometers from the comedor, so I asked him to let me off there. I got a lot of strange looks as I stepped off of the bus and started walking back in the other direction. After a pleasant walk down hill
A Heart of Stone
The strangler fig shown in line with the row of columns actualy has a column at its heart. along the road I reached the comedor and asked the lady behind the counter where the trail started to the canyon. What she told me instantly clarified what the driver had said and, thus, justified his 'crazy tourist' look. She said that the trail started another three kilometers down the road! What the driver had said was, "This is La Pampilla, but where we drop you off for the park is just up ahead." - I love learning new languages!
After a slightly unpleasant walk up hill I reached La Pampilla, which was nothing more than a curve in the road with a parking area. I climbed the fence at the designated spot and I started walking through some of the most beautiful, rock-strewn grasslands imaginable. In the distance, gliding over a high ridge, was a massive black bird with the tell-tale white ruff around its neck - It was the Andean Condor, the largest of birds and the reason I had come out the the park. After a brief stop at the ranger's station at kilometer marker number two, which was the first indication that I was at the right place, I pressed on through a green landscape
San Ignacio Mini
This is the view accross the main field. of rolling grasslands and rocky outcrops, climbing higher and higher as I went. At about kilometer number nine the trail leveled out and then headed down hill to the rim of the canyon another kilometer away. At the edge of the canyon there was a lookout called Balcon Norte (North Balcony) and it was packed with people. Everyone was looking across the canyon at a guano stained semi-circular ledge where two small black spots were barely discernible. I took a picture and used the digital zoom feature to reveal not two, but three large condors sitting there. I waited nearly half an hour for the birds to take flight and come see us, but they were happy where they were and they stayed put - I thought I could just make out a mocking laughter coming from the other side of the canyon, "Ha, Ha, you came all this way and we won't fly for you!" My turn-around time had arrived and I was forced to leave if I wanted to get back in time for my bus. The hike back was uneventful and I reached the road at exactly the time I was hoping to. I sat down and
More Details
More of San Ignacio's impressive carvings. had a wonderful conversation with a lady who was also waiting for a bus. It turns out that she teaches foreigners Spanish, which was very apparent in her patience. By the time her bus arrived it was two hours late and mine was getting close to an hour late, which she said was normal. We said good-bye and she was headed home. My bus showed up just before the rain hit about an hour later, bringing an end to a great day. The following evening I was at the bus station again.
From Cordoba I headed to the south-west to the city of Mendoza. Mendoza is known as the heart of Argentina's wine country and I have been told that the wine there is excellent. I was not there for Mendoza's wine, but for its close proximity to the tallest of Andean peaks, Aconcagua. Aconcagua in a big mountain, climbing to a dizzying 6962 meters above the shimmering surface of the sea. In fact, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain on Earth, excluding the snow-clad tectonic masterpieces in Asia. It is a mountain that I have wanted to climb ever since I first struggled up its icy slopes with Dick
The Rail
More of San Ignacio's impressive carvings. There was a lot of hand rail like this. Bass and Frank Wells in their book, 'The Seven Summits'. Sadly, due to time constraints and a lack of physical conditioning appropriate to the task, climbing was out of the question. I did, however, have enough time to do a three day trek up to Plaza Francia at the base of Aconcagua's south face at 4200 meters.
I arrived in Mendoza about mid-morning and I set off to find a place to live. The computer had told me that all of the hostels in the center were full, but I decided to take my chances and I walked to the main plaza and the first hostel on my list - they had room! The Plaza Francia trek was full for two days, so I signed up for the next available departure and then I set off to explore Mendoza's shady, tree-lined streets. I went to a great piano concert in the museum on the square and I spent time walking through the peaceful, shady fields and forests of San Martin park at the edge of town - I immediately liked Mendoza's lively, but comfortable atmosphere and all of its friendly inhabitants!
I was picked up by my guide
Leo on the morning the trek started and in another half hour we had collected the other trekkers and a hilarious German climber named Heinz and we were off to the Andes. We left the tree-lined streets of Mendoza and emerged into a desert-like landscape, which slowly gave way to rolling hills and then the mighty Andes rose in front of us like an impenetrable barrier. Our little van wound its way up the sweeping valley between the massive peaks and through several tunnels as we climbed our way up towards Penitentes and then Punta del Inca. We collected a few more people in Penitentes and then we made our way to the ranger station and we started walking. About ten minutes into the hike we arrived at the clear, green-tinted lake of Laguna Horcones and we sat in the green grass among wild flowers on the shore of the lake and ate lunch as we took in the magnificent views stretching out before us and got to know each other. The giant snow-clad peak of Aconcagua dominated the sky line at the end of the valley - It was a beautiful sight!
We spent the rest of the
The Tile Floor
Here are some of the more impressive remaining floor tiles. day climbing up the steep, green valley of the Rio Horcones. Grassy slopes gave way to steep, rocky, scree slopes that colorfully rose to the rocky summits of the massive mountains that surrounded us. The stark landscape was a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from soft greens and browns to every shade of orange and yellow you could imagine, all bound by the white fields of ice adorning many of the summits and the deep blue sky - It was a magnificent place! Early in the day we crossed the Rio Horcones on a small swing bridge and then we proceeded up the right side of the steep valley, reaching Confluencia, at 3300 meters, at about three in the afternoon. Confluencia stands at the confluence of the Rio Horcones, flowing out of the valley that leads to Plaza de las Mulas, and a small stream flowing from the glacier at the base of Aconcagua's south face at Plaza Francia. The large, semi-permanent camp serves as an acclimatization stop for climbers and trekkers headed to Plaza de las Mulas, which is the base camp for the 'normal' route up to Aconcagua's summit, and as a base camp for trekkers like me who
The Library
This is one of the more intact rooms there. are only going as high as Plaza Francia. My camp was made up of large, blue tents with twelve bunks inside - It was not the most comfortable place I have stayed, but it sure did beat sleeping on the cold ground! Due to the large altitude gain from Mendoza to Confluencia, most of us felt a little bad the first night so we had an early dinner with lots of great conversation and then we were off to sleep. The star-filled sky was spectacular that night!
The following morning we were up with the sun and, after a quick breakfast, we were off. Three people in our group were sick and they decided to not climb any higher, two of them had to head back down. The trail led up to a rise above the stream flowing from Plaza Francia and then turned down to the small, swiftly flowing stream and immediately began to climb steeply. The scenery was much the same as the day before, except that a large, dirty-brown glacier rose in jagged peaks all along the left of the steep valley. From high up in the valley the view in every direction was stunning -
The Traveler
One of the many statues in Resistencia. Massive peaks, sweeping, golden-green valleys glowing in the early morning sun, steep colorful scree slopes and brown, rocky moraines, with the massive, hanging glaciers and sheer walls of the south face of Aconcagua bringing it all together. At about the time we reached 4000 meters I started feeling a little sick due to the altitude. It was far from Acute Mountain Sickness, but it still made me a little weak and, thus, slowed me down. I reached the end of my endurance and found a lovely little spot sheltered from the stinging wind and I sat down to wait for the rest of the group to return. The commanding view of the south face made my little spot in the sun a wonderful place to rest and I forgot about all about my ills. By the time the group got back to where I was I was feeling much better and I had no further problems during the trek back to Confluencia. After a little rest I was feeling great, so I joined a high-altitude game of volleyball with the guides and a few of the trekkers and we played until the dinner bell rang - I suppose that I
Resistencia
One of the many trees in the town's park. just take a little while longer to acclimatize than most! After dinner I stayed up late trying to get pictures of star-trails with limited success - I did manage to get a decent picture of the tail of a large comet that was just out of sight below the line of the mountains. I said goodnight to the amazing southern night sky that I had grown to know so well during my time in the Antarctic - It was good to see my old friend again!
The next day was an easy hike out and a pleasant end to an amazing trek. When I was debating whether or not to do the trek I was thinking things like, 'The mountains won't be as spectacular here as they are going to be further south.', but, while they don't have the jagged peaks and massive walls and spires that are so famous down south, they were no less spectacular, due in part to their sheer size - I am glad I decided to go!
We stopped at the impressive, modern-day ruins at the mineral springs and natural bridge of Punta del Inca, where we took in the amazingly colorful rock
The Jesuit Crypts
The Jesuit crypts were discovered beneath Cordoba's streets by the telephone company. formations, and then we went to Penitentes for what ended up being one of the best meals I have had in Argentina - Rice, chicken and vegetables in a delicious sauce. We ended up staying at Penitentes for several hours due to a climber that, at the last minute, had decided that he needed to get back to Mendoza that night and had to hike all the way out from Plaza de las Mulas. We finally got under way around 6:30pm, after many long hours laying in the breezy sunshine, and the delay actually granted us an adventurous journey back through the mountains to Mendoza due to a massive rain storm. The drive started off passing through the majestic mountain scenery we had been surrounded with for the past several days, but then the rain hit and we spent the rest of the trip dodging landslides and giant boulders that were littering our route and fording flooded roads, in places large cascades were pouring down the steep cliffs right into the middle of the street creating dangerous, but pretty obstacles to avoid. The river was swollen and flooding over its banks and cars were stranded all over the place -
In Mendoza
One of the nice houses near San Martin park. At one point we watched a small car ford a stream that was flowing over its hood and it looked like it made it, but it was a fairly foolish move! We pulled into Mendoza late and were greeted by strange traffic, which was caused by a traffic light that shined both red and green at the same time, but we made it back safely. The following evening I boarded my bus for Bariloche, the gateway to Patagonia, twenty hours to the south.
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jenica
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fabuloso
excellent photos and stories. it makes me want to leave the university library here in Kelowna,BC, Canada and run away to San Ignacio or peddal to the patagonia. thanks for sharing your photos and stories!