Blogs from San Juan, San Juan, Argentina, South America
November 3rd 2011
1 november ’11 Rustig ochtendje in San Juan, naar de winkel geweest voor onze picknick. Heel veel mensen hier zijn heel nieuwsgierig van waar we komen (als ze ons tegen elkaar horen praten). Soms vragen er gewoon mensen op straat van waar we komen We moeten toch wel een heel raar taaltje hebben é! ’s Middags fietsen gehuurd om naar een wijn- en champagnehuis te gaan. Het ritje was toch drukker dan verwacht (qua auto’s) en bijna geen druivelaars gezien… We wisten ook niet exact hoeveel kilometer het zou zijn, dus dat was wel spannend want er stonden nergens borden. Uiteindelijk na 2u gefietst te hebben in de felle zon, een picknick-stop gehouden. De broodjes met kaas smaakten overheerlijk! En dan terug de fiets op, na in totaal in kleine 20km arriveerden we bij ‘cava ... read more
February 17th 2011
So why all of the suffering to get to San Juan? Well near there is another national park, this one called ‘Ischigualasto’ or ‘Moon valley’ So we woke at 5am. Like I said, it is near, but not close, still another 3 hours in a van. Anyway, we woke early and had breakfast, stale bread and coffee. And then jumped into the van and headed off to the national park. Wow, another truly spectacular event. The national park is full of fossils (though you only see them in the museum) and the scenery in out of this world, which is why they call it ‘Moon valley’. I’ve done scuba diving before and I’ve had the privilege to dive in amongst some great rocks and caves. All shaped and twisted by the constant currents moving backwards and ... read more
February 15th 2011
Oh the inhumanity of it all! We left Bariloche around 1pm on the overnight bus to Mendoza. Anna had done her research well. We used the company ‘Tramat’ it is the cheapest company she could find. You don’t get dinner or anything special, but since all of the buses are basically the same and we were used to making sandwiches for dinner and lunch, we went for it. Anna decided that we needed to have seats in the business section. And I am very grateful that she decided that. The seats were large and comfortable and reclined to about 150 degrees. Not like the tiny chairs in economy which recline to about 120 degrees. 16/02/2011 - Day 30 So we arrived in Mendoza at around 9am. We had had great seats, but I was unable to ... read more
March 27th 2010
Endless blue sky and the landscape turns from green to yellow and from yellow to red. Trees turn into knotted bushes while it is getting warm on the bus. Snow covered mountains become brownish rocks when you are entering the desert. The native heritage of the indigenas becomes more and more apparent: Notice a pair of small sparkling brown eyes in wrinkled faces and long dark hair bound into two plaits. As a tall, goose-skinned tourist you are much easier noticed in the lands of the small dark people. ... read more
January 11th 2010
One thing I never thought I would find myself doing is banging on the door of a cave looking for champagne. But this is exactly what we did on the eleventh of January this year, as on this day twenty-eight years previous, a terrible beauty was born! (I know she will appreciate the Yeats reference.) This birthday couldn't be more different to that cold snow white morning in 1982 that Joy once told me about. 2010 in San Juan, Argentina was a clear muggy day, roasting hot with temperature of over 45 degrees. A public bus had dropped us close to the cave. It all looked so strange and deserted. We tried the bell a few times but got no answer. A sign read ¨Be patient, it may take a while for someone to answer the ... read more
San Juan- Valle de La Luna - Valley of Moon
Published: September 8th 2009South America » Argentina » San Juan » San Juan
August 19th 2009
San Juan is one of the most western provinces in Argentina, bordering with Chile and occupies a mountainous region. The area is dry with little precipitation and where the temperature during summer can rise to unbearable level, especially when there is a 'zonda wind' blowing through the surface of the land. It is a province in Argentina that is full of sunlight most of the time. (Note: Zonda wind (in Spanish, viento zonda) is a regional term for the foehn wind that often occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes, in Argentina. The Zonda is a dry wind (often carrying dust) which comes from the polar maritime air, warmed by descent from the crest, which is some 6,000 m (18,000 ft) above sea level. It may exceed a velocity of 40 km/h (25 mph) Source:wikipedia) ... read more
Warning: Argentina May Cause Premature Aging, Part I: San Juan and Barreal
Published: July 18th 2009South America » Argentina » San Juan » San Juan
July 18th 2009
After a fun few weeks in Cordoba, it was time to move on. The next two weeks would be two of the most exhilarating, yet exhausting, weeks of my entire life. The experiences I had will carry me for quite some time, and the people I crossed paths with and the things I witnessed are truly unforgettable. Even if my eyes seem to be permanently red now and I literally have wrinkles that were not there before, and all that fun was expensive, I wouldn´t change a thing. Simply Excellent. -------------------------------------- I took an overnight bus to San Juan, a small city 8 hours west of Cordoba. After arriving early in the morning on Monday July 6 (I´m behind I know) I visited the Difunta Correa shrine, about an hour from San Juan. I had read ... read more
You Know You´re in Argentina When...
Published: July 6th 2009South America » Argentina » San Juan » San JuanJuly 6th 2009
1) A sign in the hostel bathroom tells you to keep the floor dry but there´s no shower curtain 2) You pay $40 US for a hotel, a lot in Argentina, but there´s no shampoo in the bathroom 3) The city buses are so crowded you have to trample poor old ladies just to get out (half kidding) 4) The candidates for Congressional Senator are not trusted by the average local....oh wait, that´s everywhere in the world 5) Paint is so expensive that a local orphanage could only half finish a job, and even then the paint was mixed with water 6) There is two-tiered pricing for foreigners in certain cities and national parks 7) You CAN drink the tap water AND flush toilet paper down the toilet, almost unheard of in Latin America 8) If ... read more
June 11th 2009
Hiking In El CHalten to see glimpses of the famed FITZ ROY Turned to be an incredible experience. Eventhough we only had two good days of good weather, our stay in El CHalten proved to be worthwhile. To see Fitz Roy in it´s glory was something i had ben waiting for a long time. And here we were faced eye to eye...in all it´s stillness it stood tall and proud. Thousands of people come and go to see it for aday and it made me sad to know that people stand there to check off their wish list and walk away in a matter of seconds without realizing the inmensity of this place. It filled my lil soul with a feeling that is inexplicable, a sense of calmness, almost. Hmmm, yum! WEll, for about 6 days ... read more
January 2nd 2009
San Juan lies to the north of Mendosa and like Mendosa was created out of desert by the hard work of the immigrants from Italy, Spain and Chile and of course many other places. It is no small thing to make the desert bloom and to produce such world class wines. Its other claim to fame is that it where Juan Domingo Peron came to public notice for his efforts after a disasterous earthquake in 1944. We did not find any statues to him but one to his wife Evita herself is tucked away in a small park off the main drag. Having seen her grave in Buenos Aires it was nice to see her remembered here in San Juan. Apart from that I cant say that the city has much to recommend it. We arrived ... read more
