Rosario and more

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Arrived late afternoon in the third largest city in Argentina, about a million people, for the statistics buffs out there. Managed to negotiate the purchase of a local bus pass, bit like an Oyster card, and can recommend the tourist office at the bus terminal, give out a good map of the city and lots of advice - probably even more useful if you can really speak Spanish. A quick bus trip into the city centre following the bus line on the map meant we managed to find our hotel without any wrong turns. Bumped into some other English people trying to get a room - hope they found one as they were the only other gringos we saw in the city.
After dropping off the bags we headed off to have a look round the centre. Both Lonely Planet and Footprint like it here and there are lots of really nice 19th and early 20th century buildings here - some massive edifices like the old stock exchange building and some of the banks. Some Argentine Art Deco as well - worth a visit.
After drinks at the Opera Cafe we had some great fish for dinner - pacu is a big boned local river fish as we found out from the owner of the restaurant - a local who supports Sunderland but still manages to look happy.
The following day (Tuesday?) dawned bright and very very blue. After a trip to the local laundry to drop off some washing we waked through to the river front - there are something like 15km of this to walk along. Most of it is in parks, but not enough in shade. After a while we reached the National Monument to the Flag. Lots of school parties here, the youngest being given patriotic blue and white balloons which were released a bit later. Not sure how to decribe the monument except that I imagine certain European leaders would probably have approved of the style before WW2, certainly impresses by size. We took the lift to the top for great views. After a quick coffee break we carried on north passing over the Spanish Cultural centre until we reached the modern art museum - a set of converted grain silos painted pastel colours. Looks great. Don´t know about the art as it was closed for as long lunch. We decided that was our cue to get out of the sun for a while and joined some Rosarinos at the museum cafe. Came out to find it was even hotter and after hiking a bit towards the centre we gave in and got a cab. Too darned hot so time for a Siesta.

After a kip we hit town again looking for somewhere to stay for a day or two more. Unfortunately the upcoming festival to celebrate immigration to the city meant that there was no room. So we booked ourselves a bus to Cordoba for tomorrow. As we would be leaving we decided now was the time to find Che Guevara´s birthplace. It is a nice looking apartment block with a bus stop type sign outside to give you the location. The nearby Che mural in a scruffy little park was sadly awful.

We had to have a beer at this point and the cafe just happened to be showing UEFA Champions league, sad but true. The channel seemed to show whole matches one after the other. The next game up was Liverpool v Besiktas. After interminable adverts I gave up and went back to the hotel - where the match was just starting on the TV. Liverpool´s 8:0 win even made it onto the national headlines here the next day.
After the match Susan´s carnivore side was given full rein as she had Yacare for dinner - alligator. Apparently it tastes good.

The next morning we cabbed it out to the main bus terminal, friendly cab driver who seemed really interested in our trip, as we tried to explain where we going to go - though he did seem a bit focussed on telling us how many thiueves there were in the country - we had to tell him we thought Argentina was probably no better or worse for this than anywhere else.

The six and a half hours to Cordoba passed by with Susan reading and me dozing, trying to learn some more Spanish, looking out of the window waiting for the landscape to change - which it didn´t for 400 odd kilometres. Managed to half watch the newish version of the Wicker Man. Don´t bother.

When we got to Cordoba the first thing we did was book our tickets to Salta - coche cama for the 11 hour overnight bus on Sunday. As we had been to Cordoba over New Year 2005/06 we were only having a couple of nights here. Next day we checked out the Museo de Marques Sobremonte - really good preserved 18th C house complete with furniture. Well worth 2 pesos. Found the brand new Paseo de Buen Pastor cultural centre. Some of the other museums in town were closed for renovation. Needing a Parilla fix we headed to Betos in the evening asnd oddly enough ended up the same table where we had spent New Year´s eve 2005.

Quick trip in the morning to see the Jesuit Crypt - under one of the main roads - and then off to Villa General Belgano.... of which more anon.

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Photos

Che "bus stop"
Outside his birthplace