Convalescing in Cordoba

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June 17th 2007

Published: August 7th 2007

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Doogy

Inside the Inglesia Compañía de Jesús in Cordoba

Hola once again mi amigos!

After a week in Cordoba I thought I would try and stay on top on my Travelblog for once and not wait two or three weeks to inundate you with too much information.

Truth is my partying in Buenos Aires finally caught up with me and I've been struck down down with a heavy cold. Bound to happen eventually I guess - at least I wasn't in the middle of a six day trek! So your intrepid traveller has been dosed up with yucky medicine, Nuforen and the Argentine equivelant of Lemsip for a couple of days - tucked up in bed watching a very fuzzy CNN channel, dodgy Knight Rider repeats, and the French Open from Roland Garros! I must admit though, I think I needed a rest. The next two months or so before I go home are going to be very hectic, with trying to squeeze in a lot of stuff in Peru, Bolivia and Chile before my flight back to London from Rio.

It was, of course very important that my last night in Buenos Aires should involve a trip to another glitzy nightclub! Rachael and Melissa had returned

Outside the Che Guevara museum in Alta Gracia

Do you like my Gaucho hat?!

from their trip to Uruguay and were in the mood for a party. It was nice to hear from them Terry and I were right just to spend a day there - Montevideo and Punta del Este were "Dullsville" apparently - everything was closed for winter and it was freezing cold! We decided on heading out to Pasha after having a few cheeky ones first at my hostel. The club was right near the domestic airport, and it was a bit mad queuing up outside with these huge planes roaring in over your head! A good night was had though, with yours truly dancing to some very cheesy tunes on the main floor, including a John Travolta impression at one stage during "Saturday Night Fever"!

By the time I got home at around 6am, my throat was hoarse, my head was buzzing and I knew that I would be feeling very rough later! I went out with Rach and Melly the following afternoon for dinner before jumping on a night bus to Cordoba, and we were all feeling very sorry for ourselves. I croaked my way through dinner, while the girls nursing their soft drinks and looking bleary eyed.

View through a window at the Entancia in Jesús María

It was emotional saying goodbye at the end - from meeting in El Chalten all those weeks ago to Buenos Aires, we had had some great times together.

It was my first overnight bus ride in Argentina, and even though the bus was state-of-the-art, with reclining seats and footstools, it was still difficult to sleep properly. I just don't think those seats were designed for anyone over 6 feet tall. The driver also played a DVD movie until 1am, and I can honestly say "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" is one of the worse films I have ever seen. What was Uma Thurmann thinking of?! When I got off the bus in Cordoba at 7.00am, it was a case of taxi to the hostel, a quick check in, and then a crash out on my comfy bed for a proper sleep.

I then literally did nothing for three days other than go to the chemist to stock up on cold remedies and feel sorry for myself under a pile of blankets. I had a knock on my door on my second night around 8pm by Natalia, a very nice girl who helped run the hostel, who invited me to the

Rach and I pretend that we know each other in Pacha

hostel dinner - steak, potatoes, salad and a glass of wine for 18 pesos (3 quid)! I went along, and was glad I did as even though the mashed potatoes were instant mash (serious W trek flashback), I met a really nice couple, Mark and Shirin from Gloucester. We had a great night chatting away as they had been around the world on a similar route to me. It was nice to have a natter with someone about Laos and the most boring capital city in the world - Vietienne! The pair of them were telling me about a Buddhist meditation course they went on in India, where they were not allowed to talk for 15 days!! For some reason I don't think that would be my cup of tea!!! They may be in Bolivia the same time as me, so hopefully our paths will cross again.

There were a an interesting bunch of people staying at my hostel who I talked to while recovering, including a guy called Terry from California. Terry is in the process of suing George W Bush for illegally taking the US to war against Iraq. Apparently he has a hearing date at The

I pose with Che Guevara at his museum in Alta Gracia

International Criminal Court in The Hague for late next year. He was a very intellegent and well read individual, who argued all his points in a lucid manner. Even though I did not agree with some of his views, I had to admire his determination despite a number of setbacks.

I felt a lot better after a few days rest, and was ready to explore Cordoba and the surrounding area. Cordoba is a really cool university town - with seven unis it's the educational centre of Argentina. It has a bit of a Cambridge feel to it, with lots of old colonial buildings, a river running through it's centre, and lots of trendy restaurants, cafes and bars full of students that gives the place a real vibrancy. I explored around some cool cathedrals (Iglesia Catedral and Iglesia Compañìa de Jesùs) with amazing decor including some beautiful painted ceilings, and some interesting museums. I went on a tour of the university, including a visit to the Manzana Jesuìtica, which was well worth it. The Jesuits had originally built the first university building in Cordoba back in the 17th Century. Around that time there were lots of Jesuit missionaries scattered across

A copy of Che's motorcycle he travelled around South America on

It must be the only motorcycle in the world to have kept a diary

Argentina, which housed around 100,000 indigenous people, preaching the word of the Good Lord. The university itself was subsidised by seven nearby Jesuit-owned estancias (ranches). The Jesuits by the end the 1600s had many settlements which operated with their own political and economic automony, often ostracizing the other Iberian settlers in the area. By the 1767 the Spanish crown had decided the Jesuits were accumulating too much wealth and power, and expelled them from Argentina - their missionary communities rapidly disappeared soon afterwards too.

There was also an interesting photo exhibition in the main square commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War - or The Malvinas as they are called in these parts. There were around 50 large black and white images detailing the invasion itself (or the liberation - depending what country you are from), the battles with the British army, and the subsequent surrender of the Argentine troops. It was strange standing there looking at these images and reading the supporting narrative from an Argentinian perspective. Argentines are very patriotic and proud, and the subject of The Malvinas should not be brought up in conversation unless they mention it first. I have spoken with a few

Outside the Che Guevara museum with a statue of Che Junior

With Shelly and Bob (who reminded me of someone out of The Simpsons!)

Argentines about The Malvinas and the feeling I get back is one that while they feel the islands should belong to them, the motives of General Galtieri and his Junta at the time were highly questionable, trying to divert public opinion away from an unstable economy and civil unrest by playing the nationalistic card. The political effect was pretty acute in both countries too, with the military junta in Argentina being disposed of soon after the war was over, whilst in the UK Maggie Thatcher went on to win a 1983 election which was by no means certain before the Falklands conflict. I certainly feel that these subjects are better being openly discussed in a constructive manner than swept under the carpet.

I was meant to be visiting somewhere called the Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito the next day - it was meant to be a great place in the mountains where you can view nesting condors and watch fledglings learn how to fly. Unfortunately it was lashing with rain the day I went and the drive into the mountains became so foggy I felt like an extra in "Hound of the Baskervilles". The driver just apologised and said

The Jesuit Enstancia in Alta Gracia

there was no point in driving any further in this weather. Plan B was a trip to Alta Gracia, a nice little town on the outskirts of Cordoba. I was with two other people on the trip - a really nice girl called Shelly from Melbourne, and a American guy called Bob who just wound us all up. He did not shut up all day - and refused to listen to anyone else! Shelly and I had a mutual eye-rolling ritual we would perform whenever Bob opened his mouth. He wanted to know about my Torres del Paine trek, but the questions were just silly! "Do I did a sleeping bag? Do I walk up any hills? Is it cold in winter?" - I was answered as best I could through gritted teeth!

Alta Gracia was a nice place to spend the day in the end. Ernesto "Che" Guevara had spent a lot of his childhood here, and his old house had been converted into a small museum full of old photographs, letters and memorabilia of the man. It was very interesting to walk around, as I have to admit I did not know a lot about Che. He

A view of the ceiling inside the Inglesia Compañía de Jesús in Cordoba

is obviously a legend in Cuba, where he and Fidel Castro instigated the revolution there which overthrew the dictator Fugencio Batista back in 1959. He wasn't one for bureaucracy though, and left the task of building Cuban socialism to Castro, while he tried to spread revolution through The Congo, Argentina and finally Bolivia, where he was shot dead in 1967. He is an iconic figure out here, and reading some of his letters also showed him to be an eloquent writer and a powerful, charismatic speaker. It was interesting also reading about his travels across South America on a motorbike - he kept a diary of the trip which has of course recently been made into a movie. It was also funny seeing photographs of Fidel Castro paying a visit to the museum last year - it looked like complete mayhem!

We also visited a Jesuit Enstancia in Alta Gracia, which was quite interesting to walk around. Unfortunately the miserable weather meant that any photgraphs looked rubbish! Shelly and I went out for a really nice meal that evening in Cordoba - I had chicken with a cream sauce and vegetables, followed by an amazing apple crumble! It was

I pose on the balcony at the Entancia in Jesús María

nice to have some vegetables too after so much meat, pasta and pizza! The staple diet in Argentina seems to be the three Ps - Pizza, Pasta, and Parilla (Grilled meat)! Great for the Doogan waistline!!!

Next day was a trip to a nice local art gallery in town with Shelly, before jumping on a bus to visit another enstancia, this time in Jesùs Marìa, just north of Cordoba. It was perfectly preserved, with some interesting exhibits and set in a beautiful landscaped garden. It was a nice sunny day too, so we were able to take a few okay pictures!

So now I am off to Mendoza for some serious outdoor activity and wine-tasting. I still need to try para-gliding after the weather was no good for me to try it in Cordoba, and apparently I can try abseilling there too! All those mountains...all that wine..I can't wait!

Until the next time

Doogs

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