Clearing customs at 3000m

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So I find myself leaving Argentina with some mixed emotions - i've had some fantastic times here, with some fantastic people, and now the voyage into the unknown begins. The stories of bolivia and peru don't fill me with confidence, either!
Since i'm not relying on Argentine hospitality any more, I thought i'd write a little about the falklands; it seems to be a national obsession; there are airports named after them, monuments everywhere, stickers in cars and signs. In point of fact, within an hour of waking up on my first day i'd seen a roadside sign saying "the falklands are argentine". All well and good, but this was 3000 km to the north! It certainly didn't make me comfortable being a brit. I also saw maps and tourist guides that include them as Argentinian; why not "disputed"? I met an american who described the war as 2 bald men fighting over a comb, which seems pretty apt, but somehow it seems more childish than that, like you want the toy your best friend has and look on it with glowering envy at all times. Tierra del Fuego is listed as the biggest Argentine province because it includes all the "British" south atlantic territories, including Antarctica, and at one point we even drove along a road used as an airbase during the war. Once in Ushuaia there were signs and distances to everywhere but London, comically petty, really! In Salta I visited an exhibition of photos of the veterans, but the damage done to our soldiers was missing; definitely not a testiment to the futility of war. I have to say, though, I do admire the monuments to the veterans, men conscripted and probably involved in a dispute that started nearly 180 years ago. Right, ramble over!
Salta didn´t really inspire me - probably because the first hostel I went to was a might minging! That, and it was raining. I hadn´t expected it to be so green, either, and it wasn´t until I left that I worked out how close it is to the Andes. It didn´t feel quite as developed as most of the rest of Argentina, but some people seem to love it.
As the bus headed north I dozed, but when I woke up it was even more green - like being in the tropics.... er well, I was in the tropics!! Shortly after leaving San Salvador de Jujuy we headed up into the Andes, in the cloud.... but I´m going to leave that to my next blog as I found myself in a much better mood....

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Photos

just a taste
of the Falklands focus in Argentina

Comments

[anonymous]

Did you notice the anglophile vibe to Argentiana, I've read some things that suggested they were very pally with the Brit upper classes (polo etc) and that the whole invasion thing was a bit of a surprise to the aristos on both sides. Anyhow, apparently they have found oil in the Falklands, watch this space.... Take it easy.

[amatth11]

not sure
I went to the recoleta cemetary in Buenos Aires and was great by this woman talking in the most outrageously toffy accent - I was trying to work out if she was taking the p... but apparently she did that to someone else!

[Dr. Astelia]

Shame you stopped rambling, the cultural comentary was actually quite illuminating. Perhaps you might include some more?

[PG]

Falklands
God Bless Maggie!