Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Salta and Cordoba(Argentina)Thurs 4th Nov - Sun 9th Nov)
The only realistic way of travelling through Argentina cheaply is by bus. The train system is almost non-existent and flights can be quite expensive. We caught the day bus (BALUT) for the 8 hour journey south from the border town of La Quiaca to the town of Salta. After the rigours of Bolivia it was good to be in a comfortable bus on smooth, paved roads. However the journey was not without its problems as 3 times the bus was stopped by local police who made us get off the bus with all our luggage so that they could look for contraband stuff. Not sure what exactly they were looking for but when they heard we were from Scotland they waved us through. We also had a delay of an hour when the road was blocked by peasants protesting about something or other.
Salta is an attractive city with a lovely square, the Plaza 9th Julio. We spent 3 days there which in retrospect was probably too long however after Bolivia we probably needed some time to relax and wind down. One day we took the cable car to the top of the St Barnardo hill for great views of the city and another day Gwen tried to go paragliding. She was all set to take off attached to a young swarthy Argentinian but unfortunately the wind conditions were not right and after 2 hours of hanging around much to Gwen's disappointment we had to give up and go home.
There is no doubt that the national cuisine of Argentina is steak and chips (sometimes with a fried egg on top). It doesn't matter what you choose on the menu it usually turns out to be meat. They have a wide variety of steaks (usually quite well done without asking) and great value at about £3 each. It must be difficult being a vegetarian in this country. There is also a large Italian influence to the food as millions of Italians emigrated to Argentina in the last century.
On Friday we caught the overnight bus (FLECHABUS) to Cordoba. You can choose either a Cama seat which inclines well back or a semi Cama which is not so comfortable. We chose the more expensive Cama but although you do get to sleep they are not that comfortable, you still feel a bit groggy the next day and feel knackered by the evening. On the other hand you can cover large distances and it saves on hotel accommodation. On balance I think that we both preferred the day-time buses.
Spent a couple of days in Cordoba, the second biggest city in Argentina. Had our most disappointing meal since we started our travels. It was a Lebanese restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet which is usually quite reliable. We arrived about 8. The tables had not been cleared since lunch. We were the only people there but it took ages to be served. The menu was in Arabic and we had no idea what we had ordered. It turned out to be some kind of nut loaf but made from aubergines. Fairly disgusting. Think I'll write to Lonely Planet with my comments. Only other thing of interest done here was an enjoyable evening bus tour of the city.
- comments