It started out because we were bored

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Geo: -31.4, -64.5167

We hadn't done anything fun for days and were sick of ourselves. So when the taxi came we asked him what any stupid foreigner would: Is there a golf course around here?

What's the guy gonna say? Yea, there's one just around the corner?

Not when he can take us to one waaaaaay out in the boonies. It was beautiful--Nicklaus designed--but after driving 50 miles it's-- what else?--closed.

So now what do we do?

We already owe this guy an arm and a leg for getting us out this far. Do we have him take us back into town and forget the golf, or do we drive another 10 km (he claims) to a different course and then take a bus back to town because we'll be too broke to hire another taxi? Oh yes, senora, there are buses can take you back. Many buses--no problem.

We drove the craziest route through the most beautiful country, up winding roads, over mountains, down dirt trails, through wash outs...there's a golf course out HERE?

Bob's dying 'cause as the meter's eating up the pesos his golf game's getting more and more improbable.

All the time it seemed like the course would be right around the corner; he kept telling us not far, un poco, but eventually when the meter read almost $200 pesos, it was time to go back. Our taxi rides are usually in the 5-6 peso range. I guess today we traded a beautiful ride for the golf game.

We think we're savvy travelers, but time and time again we get fooled and are reminded of just how foreign, foreign countries are.

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Photos

Posada La Villa
Our lovely inn with antique furniture and wonderful people.

View from our balcony
We're looking over the Lago San Roque to the other side of Carlos Paz. We sat in the sun out by the pool one afternoon playing gin rummy and later could watch the sun set behind the mountains. This place had great views.

Winding road to the golf course
A real wild goose chase--why would ANYONE build a golf course out here? It's miles to anything.

Taxi Tutor
Our driver was putting his kids through college on stupid foreign golfers. What we learned: When taking a taxi out of city limits, negotiate a price before you take off. If they insist on running the meter only, get another taxi. Sound harsh? If you don't know the area, you are at their mercy. They can take you anywhere and tell you anything. Of course we have to go over this mountain and across this washed out gully to get to the golf course, senora. Going the other way would be twice as long...
Maybe. Maybe not. There are (almost) no route signs on Argentine highways so there was no way to know if he was going on the route he said he was until we came to a village, and there were few of them.

Comments

[Todd]

Being led-on about a golf game while your green's fees are slowly converted to cab fare is downright un-American. Write your Consulate. :) Hope you are otherwise having fun. I just returned from Quito, Ecuador, so the sometime frustratio
ns of being in a foreign country are still fresh in my mind.

[bobnkaren]

It is so FUN to hear from you! And to think you were right here in SA too. How was Quito--we're thinking of it for next year.