Mendoza, Argentina

October 20, 2016

Our time in Mendoza was full of highs and lows. I don't want to dwell too much on the lows (they involved an awful hostel and countless bed bug bites) so let's skip to the two highlights of our time there.

Aconcagua National Park

Highlight one; hiring a car and driving through the Andes to Aconcagua National Park. We picked up our car from Mendoza city centre and drove her along the long sweeping roads with views over vineyards at first, then mountains. The scenery was breathtaking and I ended up taking so many photos while Craig drove.

We arrived at Aconcagua National Park and were delighted to find that we didn't have to pay the usual entry fee; after a 1.5km walk up the road we arrived at the trail where we stopped for a picnic lunch in the wind with fantastic views. We continued along the trail feeling a little breathless thanks possibly to the altitude and found crystal clear lakes and Aconcagua mountain herself in the distance shrouded with cloud at the summit. We were completely battered around by the powerful wind and were not prepared at all for the weather in our hoodies and macs.

After returning to the warmth of our car we drove to Puente del Inca a former hot springs where mineral deposits have created an amazing sight. We stopped for hot chocolates and bought handmade jumpers from a stallholder who we chatted to about Marmite of all things!

Horse Riding in The Andes

Highlight two; our horse riding trek at sunset through Mendoza's hills. The horses were a dream to ride, neither of us are experienced riders (we last rode 5 years ago in New Zealand) but we both felt very confident. Carlos our guide took us on a two hour ride through the countryside telling us about the history of the region and pointing out the different mountains. As we rode back it became dark, we could hear crickets sing and see the distant lights of the city.

Afterwards we enjoyed an Argentinian asado, they barbecued a variety of vegetables for us as we're vegetarian which were absolutely delicious. Carlos played guitar and sang for us encouraging us to sing along too which was great fun.

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Uruguay

October 15, 2016

I can't really justify a full journal entry for our time in Uruguay, we spent just four days in South America's smallest country. We had intended to stay longer but prices scared us off a little bit and so we returned to Argentina after visiting Colonia del Sacremento and Montevideo.

Colonia del Sacremento was well worth visiting, it's a pretty former smugglers town that reminded me of a Cornish village. There were colourful shopfronts and cobblestone streets and a lovely lighthouse that we ventured to the top of.

Montevideo was a bit of a write off for me. The hostel was party central with blaring music until the early hours right outside the dorm room. It was too expensive to enjoy restaurants or cafes and the museums (we visited three in one day) I found to be disappointing for a capital city. This was just my personal experience, I'm sure others have visited and loved it.

Still, it's a place we can say we've ticked off our list.

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

October 15, 2016

We started our few days in Buenos Aires with a free walking tour. Passing parliament buildings, beautiful European inspired architecture and quirky monuments our wonderful guide informed us of the cities troubles and triumphs. A highlight of the tour was learning of one building inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, seven floors representing hell, then purgatory and a lighthouse at the top of the building to represent light in heaven.

The Palace of the Argentine National Congress

The next day we mused over the fact that it had been one month since we left the U.K, October 1st. When travelling days of the week become inconsequential, we easily lose track of days as we no longer 'live for the weekend'.

We visited stunning Recoleta Cemetery, full of decorative crypts and tombs and resting place of many notable Argentinian people. After, we popped into Museo Nacional de Belle Artes and promptly debated what constitutes fine art and decorative art and if it matters if there's a difference? In any case, the museum had a few interesting pieces and was free which always make a visit worthwhile when backpacking on a budget. In Recoleta there are lots of parks and the craft market was in full swing so we wandered around the stalls and watched live music for a while in the sun.

The following day it rained, a lot. We tried waiting till it subsided but when it didn't we put on our waterproofs and headed out. We walked to San Telmo, a quaint district full of cobbled streets and colourful graffiti. We sheltered in the undercover antiques market and then braved the street stalls with live jazz music filling our ears. We found an impressive church and then did a guided tour of El Zanjon a site of archeological importance.

Cake at Pride was a very enjoyable respite from the drizzle, we both chose lemon flavoured treats which were delicious. We rounded off a great day with a visit to MAMBA a modern art museum and then had ramen noodles for dinner because we are on a strict budget after all!

We were due to leave Buenos Aires but decided to stay another day. We caught the metro to trendy Palermo and ate veggie burgers for lunch before walking to the park. The sun was shining on us and the skaters and joggers were out in force so we people watched before wandering around the touristy but pretty Japanese gardens.

Buenos Aires has shot to the top of my favourite cities list, it's full of beautiful architecture and great sights, each day spent there was a good one.

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