We spent the last week riding out of the mountains and into the lowlands of Argentina. The landscape was rather dull with mostly cactus and flat flat scenery.
We spent Easter Sunday with a family in a small community of about 6 houses. They had three kids, tuna plants (cactus fruit), chickens and a house in construction. Martin and Maria were very nice and let us watch television. Nothing like watching an action flick with Jean Claude Van Damme!! There are a few universal truths we have learned on this trip and one is about television; no matter where you are, it is something people are willing to spend money on no matter how poor they may be. Anyhow, we spent a wonderful night chatting, showering and eating some hamburger!
The next day we landed into the outskirts of Cordova. We went in search of some camping in a small suburb town of Cosquin. Since it is the off season and we are going into winter most campgrounds are closed. We finally got some information about one that was still open and headed there. We met a couple taking care of the grounds and almost immediately they said we could just stay for free. Hugo and his wife Blanca, who said she was a bike tourist at heart, were pretty amazing people. They fed us pizza that evening and invited us to stay the next day to have an Argentine asado. Merilee and I agreed!! Why not! Well, because the next day they fed us and fed us until we could not move! Ribs both cow and pig, chorizo, ice cream and salads. Merilee and I typically eat very little meat but when offered it we usually do not decline. Anyhow, we both had chest pressure after so much food, and wanted to eat veggies for the next week. Hugo and Blanca are also holding us to coming back to Cordova and staying for some more time! One day!
Now we are in another town, Villa Allende, where we are staying with a friend of a friend that we met in northern Argentina. We went into Cordova to see the city and took a small tour of the church and cabildo (arts/municipal building). We went into the gothic cathedral of the city, which is seriously amazing. One of my favorite churches we have seen. Later we went to a free dance performance and saw a bunch of folkloric dances throughout Latin America and ....the tango! It was a bit too dramatic for me; put in amongst such happy smilely other dances, but I am sure I will come to love it. There really seems to be always something to do in this city.
Currently, we are co-habitating with a parrot that speaks about 3 words as well. Most mornings we wake up to hola....Hola...HOLA!!!!! The bird screaming in a very creepy way. It is gooood fun! Sadly pics seem to not be working again. :(
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How funny about the parrot! The paper says the weather is nice in Buenas Aires (spelling?)
ReplyDeleteMom
That`s good to hear!!
ReplyDeleteI was telling my son Carl that you guys crossed the Andes on bike with some of the hardships you faced. He's said,"that's crazy!" I said, "yeah, but they can always say they crossed the Andes on bike." And he said, "Yeah, but they just as easily could have ended up saying, 'I survived by eating the frost-bitten corpse of my sibling who froze to death last night." Grim humor, but you should know people are talking about your feat. Did you really do it just to save $300 on air fare? (Gee, I wish I could set this comment so your mom can't see it.)
ReplyDeletemobiusjones - Your son's comment would have been a bit unsettling if the Andes weren't a thing of the past! But, since they were, it's ok. Amazing accomplishment, though!
ReplyDelete"Mom"
On the cold front...bad pun, I know...it´s really funny that everyone here seems to be quite worried about us spending the night in ¨the cold.¨ We keep trying to tell people that it´s not that chilly here and that we have warm sleeping bags, but they don´t really seem to get that 10C and -10C are two very different temperatures!
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