Are you ready for some futbol?



This past weekend John and I wanted to go to a futbol game, or as we would call it back home, a soccer game.  We learned that two local teams were playing on Saturday night, and one of them, Club Belgrano, plays only a few blocks from our apartment.  John’s secretary had told us that the game starts at 7:30 pm but to be at the stadium by 6pm to get our tickets.



Finally found the right stadium



After walking to the local club, a street vendor told us that they don’t play their games at that stadium and only hold practices there.  We would need to get a taxi, which we did, and go to the Estadio Marco Tempe which was located on the outskirts of the city near our old apartment.



Home team entrance gate

The guidebooks all warned us not to wear team colours, lest you end up sitting in the wrong section.  When we arrived at the stadium, there was a great stream of people in blue team jerseys waving giant blue flags, all of them cheering and singing songs while impromptu bands played drums and horns.  Police on horseback watched over the mass of people while street vendors sold chorzipan, water, tshirts, flags, and other merchandise. 

 

The ticket booth

John approached the ticket office but all the seats in the home section were sold out.  We had to walk back out to the road and hike all the way around the giant stadium to the ticket booth where they sold tickets for the visitors section.  What a difference!!! On the visitor’s side, a few people straggled toward the entrance through the heavy police presence, nothing like the throngs of people on the home team side.



The 'band' warms up prior to the game



Once inside we found a seat in the shade (general admission tickets by this time) and watched as the pre-game hoopla reached its frenzied pinnacle. The stadium was divided into two sections – the enormous home section which was comprised of one end zone and both the east and west side of the stadium which were all packed with people in blue, and then one end zone for the fans of the visiting team which was barely one-quarter full.   The visiting team, Estudiante, had fans that were few in number but no less passionate. They were all dressed in their team colours – red and white – and our section also had a band, and flags, and team songs to sing. 

 

Inside the stadium - a sea of Belgrano Blue

From the moment we entered the stadium until the whistle blew for halftime, the fans for both teams never ever stopped.  The band of fans with their drums and horns played continuously while everyone stood and sang and waved flags and jumped up and down.  I’ve been to many professional sporting events but this was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  It was two local teams playing and yet the fans were so energetic and passionate that you would have thought it was game 7 of the World Series or the Stanley Cup. 

At half time, the bands stopped, the flags came down and everyone took a quick break. There is no halftime show or entertainment – it’s all about the game.  When half time was over, Club Belgrano’s fans unfurled a flag that covered the entire end zone seating area. It was pretty spectacular.



The giant Belgrano flag - wow!



Twenty minutes before the end of the game, the score was still tied at 0 – 0 and John and I decided to leave early to beat the crazy traffic jam that was sure develop at the end of the game.  Everyone else stayed til the bitter end.  On the taxi ride home, we listened to the radio broadcast of the game and Club Belgrano scored on a penalty kick, which we then watched in replays on TV at home.   It would have been exciting to see it live at the stadium but c’est la vie…..

Cordoba Street Art

After enjoying the Buenos Aires Street Art tour so much, I was delighted to find that our new neighbourhood just outside Barrio Guemes is home to a wide range of street art as well. 

On the way to the grocery store we walk past this large mural on Duarte Quiros, directly across from the police station.  It starts with a grandmother knitting with red yarn and she is one of the Abuelas de 25 de Mayo, the Grandmothers of the 25 of May, who gather each Thursday to remind everyone that their children and grandchildren are still among 'the disappeared' from The Dirty War.   A long piece of red yard winds its way through the faces of some of the missing and is picked up by a young woman.  I think that she represents the young people of today picking up the duty to remember from the elderly woman. 

These are a few of the pieces on our block (Artigas 400 block):

Including this one, which is our view from the balcony and our bedroom window.

Travel - Argentina Style

When travelling in Argentina, there are a few things to remember that will make your travel a bit less stressful.

1. DEPARTURE TIMES ARE AN ESTIMATE
If a local flight has a departure time of 9 am, do not expect the plane to depart at 9 am.  Every flight we've taken on LAN or Aerolineas has left at least 20 minutes late, with 40 minutes being about the average.  When travelling by air, you have to assume that you need lots of time for connecting flights as your first flight will not arrive on time. 

2. CANCELLATIONS ARE COMMON
If they haven't sold enough tickets, it seems that they will cancel the flight altogether and you have to rebook on another flight.  Always check your flight status in advance! So far, we've only had that happen on one flight from Cordoba to BA.  When Shelbe and Madison were visiting, we had the same thing happen with our ferry ride back to Buenos Aires from Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.  We had first class tickets on the 5:30 pm high speed Buquebus ferry.  We arrived at the ferry dock with our souvenirs and some snacks that we had bought at the local kiosco as snacks on the ferry were expensive and lacking in variety.  When we arrived the ticket agent crossed out 17:30 on my ticket and wrote 21:00.  Why? I tried to ask.  "Cancelado."  I didn't bother asking why as I knew I wouldn't have enough Spanish to understand the answer.  There was a young girl, in her early 20s, sitting by herself in the ferry terminal weeping.  She probably had some event or commitment in Buenos Aires that evening and she wasn't going to make it.  I felt so bad for her. 




Killing time in Uruguay

When I texted John, he said that they probably didn't sell enough tickets.  The girls and I killed time by hanging out at the beach and then at a cafe.  We got to the ferry dock early, since we knew that all of the 5:30 passengers and all of the 9:00 passengers would be on the same ferry.  Sure enough the ferry still wasn't full.  

3. STRIKES
This morning John left the apartment at 5:30 am to take an early morning flight to Buenos Aires for what was supposed to be a two day trip to their Pacheco plant.  However when he got there this morning, everyone was talking about a big general strike tomorrow.  Now strikes in Argentina are fairly common and usually each group is striking for just one day.  The day we got home from Iguazu the cab drivers seemed to be on strike and instead of waiting five minutes for a cab after our late flight home, we stood in the cold and the rain and waited in line for an hour at the airport.  With the general strike tomorrow a number of the unions are striking and all flights are cancelled so John (and the secretarial staff) were scrambling to get him a flight back out of Buenos Aires tonight. After dinner he texted to let me know that he would be on the 9 pm flight.  At 9:38 they were boarding and hopefully he should be back to the apartment by midnight.  What a long day!

For my trip to Patagonia in December, I'm booked on the December 14th flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires, spending the weekend in Buenos Aires and then flying home for Christmas on December 17.  My plan is that if things go awry I've given myself a few extra days to get back to Buenos Aires in time for my flight home (and in time for my birthday!)  Fingers crossed!

Location, location, location

We're finally back in Cordoba.  Our 4 pm flight was cancelled so we flew out of BA at 7 and arrived in Cordoba around 8:30 pm.  We quickly got our luggage, found our driver, and then headed to our new apartment.  Here's how our housing in Argentina works: Daniela is John's amazing secretary here.  She finds us a list of apartments based on our wish list - one bedroom, full-sized fridge, balcony (with BBQ if possible), and wireless. We look at the lists online, usually while John's at work and I'm elsewhere, and decide on our new home. These apartments come fully furnished and with basic kitchen provisions like plates, cups, cutlery, etc.

However, whenever John heads home for a week or longer, then he has to give up the apartment.  We pack everything up in boxes and suitcases, and whatever isn't coming home with us in stored in his office.  While the apartments are furnished, we've picked up extras like a colander, grater, saran wrap, tinfoil, a toaster, a good frying pan/wok , spices and some knives, etc.  I think we are up to two boxes and one very large suitcase of misc. additional 'stuff' that has to be packed and moved, in addition to our two suitcases each of clothes, shoes and toiletries.  When we come back, we stay in Buenos Aires at a hotel for a few days and live out of the two suitcases while he works at the plant there, then back to Cordoba to the next new apartment.  We really liked the apartment we had on Ovidio Lagos in July and August, but it wasn't available right now.  That's why we are here at nuestra nuevo casa numero cuatro (our new house, number four). 

So, back to our story.....  It was about 9 pm and we arrived at the gates of a huge compound with nine towers surrounded by a brick fence with a security gate.  The driver explained who we were and why we were there.  But while we had keys that Daniela had sent to the driver, we didn't have the name of which tower we were staying in or the apartment number.  John's Argentinean phone had a cracked screen and they had just given him a new one.  None of his contacts had been transferred onto the new phone so he tried looking for Daniela's number on his old phone.  Luckily he found someone's number, who was able to convince the security guard to let us in!

Up we went to the 15th floor to see our new home.  It was much smaller than the last apartment in every way - the rooms were smaller, the balcony was smaller, less closet space in the bedroom, no cabinet space in the bathroom.  But once I got everything unpacked the next morning, the suitcases stowed away, and added a few baskets to the bathroom, the space was working out OK. This compound is lovely, clean and so self contained.  It is all very new, with a big swimming pool and lots of little shops right on the grounds - several small grocery stores, a wine and cheese shop, a hairdresser, even a laundromat where you drop off your laundry and then pick it up later in the day, all washed and folded for only 26 pesos a load ($5).  Since it is a relatively new complex, many of the stores are still empty so the variety of shops will probably continue to expand over the next few months.

From our balcony we have a beautiful view of the Sierra Grandes and can watch the sunset over the mountains each night.  But the reason we have such a good view of the mountains is because we are on the very very edge of town, with mostly residential and some commercial buildings in one direction and open land in the other direction.  They have tried to create a compound that is like one of those Caribbean resorts where you never have to leave.  And quite frankly, after a week of exploring, there isn't much reason to go out into the neighbourhood.  Any restaurants are at least five or six blocks away and the only store within a short walking distance is WalMart.   All the other shops are quite a long hike away. 

The problem is that it doesn't feel like we're in Cordoba.  I'm not the type of person who goes to the resort and doesn't leave the grounds.  I'm more of a 'get out and explore with the locals kind of gal.  So, last week I decided it was time to learn how to get around on the local buses.  Now I have best of both worlds - a nice apartment to call home for now and easy access to the hustle and bustle of downtown. 

The bus system here is actually pretty good, and like most things in Argentina, very affordable.  In order to ride the bus, you have to have a Red Bus Tarjeta (card) which you can load and reload with any amount of pesos.  When you get on the bus, you swipe your card and it prints you out a receipt letting you know the balance remaining on your card.  Each bus ride is $3.20 pesos (about 60 cents).  This is a lot cheaper than the $40 peso ($9) cab fare for the twenty minute ride from here to downtown which is still ridiculously cheap compared to any Canadian or American city I've ever been in. 

There is a great website where you use a map to indicate your starting point and your destination and the website tells you which bus routes to take and the approximate time for the entire journey.  This is not just for Cordoba but for any major city in Argentina. There is another website where you can locate all of the stores that sell the Red Bus Tarjetas.  That being said, yesterday we went to buy John a bus card and the first two or three stores that we went to were out of cards.  Since we were already downtown, we just went from kiosco to kiosco until we found one that had cards available.  Now we're both able to head downtown whenever we want.  Yesterday's bus trip was to Mercado Norte, a huge bustling market with lots and lots of meat for sale as well as a few fruits and vegetables and other things. 

I'm not even sure what all of these are, I just know that I don't want to eat them.

We're heading to Buenos Aires next week and then home to Windsor for a week, so once again, we'll be giving up our apartment.  When we are back in early November we'll be in another new place, this one on the edge of Barrio Guemes and only a ten or fifteen minute walk downtown.  We'll be staying there until Christmas.  It will be great to be able to unpack our things and keep them unpacked for weeks on end! 

Within the next few weeks, John will have to decide where he wants to stay when he comes back in January - back to the great neighbourhood feel of Ovidio Lagos, the convenience of our location here at Altos Villa, or maybe our new neighbourhood in Barrio Guemes.  Who knows?  If none of those are available for a long stay, he could end up someplace new and different again.  It's all part of the adventure!

Home Sick Home

Last summer I spent three weeks wandering around Europe and it was the coldest, rainiest summer there that anyone could remember.  When I flew home, I already had a sore throat and within two days of returning it turned it to full blown laryngitis.  I was supposed to be presenting four days of workshops and had to scramble to find a replacement for the first few days, and then reschedule the rest. 

This summer, I left Cordoba for the long trek home feeling perfectly healthy.  I arrived home early Saturday afternoon and tidied the house.  Sunday I worked away at trying to get the garden back under control, and then went to visit my mom and dad.  By Sunday night I had a sore throat and cough, and by Monday night, I had a raging fever. A visit to the doctor on Tuesday confirmed an upper respiratory infection which has knocked me on my bottom for a few days, missing two of the three days of conferences where I was supposed to be presenting and facilitating. Once again, others are stepping in to cover my responsibilities.

Some family and friends hypothesize that it is the 'germy' air on the long flights that causes my after-travel illnesses.  But if that was true, then I should be sick when I arrive to my destination as well, and that hasn't happened. 

My theory is that I arrive home with a long 'to-do' list in my head and have a hard time not trying to get everything done all at once. I want to unpack, tidy up the house, and the yard, go for groceries, visit friends and family, and in both cases, I also had to return to work on the Monday after a Saturday return.  As difficult as it is for me, I am going to have to learn to take some time to relax when I return from a trip and gradually return to my home schedule, rather than throwing myself back into the usual busy stressful routine. My body is sending me a clear message that it just can't take that kind of sudden shift.  I don't know how John does it - when he flies back to Buenos Aires, his flight arrives in the early morning; he drops his suitcases off at the hotel and heads straight to work for the rest of the day.

My next return flight home is for Christmas, which means I'll be flying home to another very busy, stressful time. It seems obvious to me now that I need to return with plenty of time to put up the tree, do some Christmas shopping, decorate the house, as well as prepare for my return to work in January.  Otherwise I'll come home and try to rush through all the things that need to be done and end up sick on Christmas.  That would be awful! 

I'm posting this entry on my  blog for two reasons:
1. I'm wondering if anyone else has the same experience. Do you find that you are more susceptible to illnesses or other maladies when you return home from a long trip?  What strategies do you use to prevent this from happening or to lessen the effect? 

2.  I'm also posting this as a personal reminder to myself to make sure I return home early for Christmas and give myself time to adjust.  Friends and family, feel free to remind me if I start to talk about staying down in South America for 'just a little bit longer......'

(Just in case you're wondering, yes that is a Sponge Bob Square Pants plastic tablecloth under our Christmas tree.  We had an elderly cat who was having some issues with peeing in inappropriate places, so I had to cover the presents under the tree with plastic.  It's not part of our usual holiday decor, but we do what we have to do to make sure all the members of our family have a good holiday, even our pets.  We miss you Joz.)

No place like home

I'm heading back to Canada for six weeks for work and to visit friends and family.  Then back to Argentina in late September til Christmas. John was going to come home with me, but now he has to stay here for another week and a half to finish up inventory here and in Buenos Aires.  Unfortunately, we only had this apartment booked until August 17, and someone else has it rented after us, so we have to clear out tomorrow.  John will be staying back at the hotel til Tuesday then going to Buenos Aires. 

When I get back in late September, we may still be in Cordoba, but most likely will be moving back to Buenos Aires.  I'll just have to wait and see, but being patient is not one of my strengths.  One of the things I'll be bringing back with me is an oven thermometer.  The ovens over here are tricky to light - you need a match, and then once you light them, the only temperature is 290C (550F) degrees.  Which is fine for making a pizza, but I need some way of monitoring the temperature if I want to do any baking.  And I do!

In the meantime, I went downtown to buy a notebook since I've started working on a number of projects for the 2012 - 2013 school year and need somewhere to keep all my notes together.  Plus, a notebook will be a souvenir I can use every day.  As I walked towards to the Puento Olmos bridge, I noticed a helicopter hovering overhead, and two buses stopped on the bridge.  Turns out there was a big protest parade with hundreds of people marching, carrying flags and banging drums. 

Another Day, Another Protest

John and I wanted to go for a special dinner, just in case we don't end up back in Cordoba together, to celebrate the time we've had together here.  So we went to San Honorato.  If you are ever in Cordoba, be sure to check it out.  A beautiful old historic building with huge ceilings and old brick walls. Once we arrived and ordered our meals, the waitress told us that we could help ourselves to appetizers in the wine cellar.  We went downstairs to the wine cellar where the owner offered us a glass of wine and we could help ourselves to pate, grilled vegetables and other yummy things!  We were chatting with a father and son from Texas who were there also, and before we knew it, it was time to head upstairs for dinner.  Delicious!

The Lost Art of Conversation

... or should I just say the lost ability to have a conversation? 

I'm having a great time in Argentina, but I miss some things from back home. Of course, I miss my family and my friends - that goes without saying. 

But the other thing I'm missing is the day to day conversations that I usually have with a variety of people.  Don't get me wrong - John and I are still speaking to each other!!!   But he leaves for work around 7:30 am and doesn't get home til around 6:30 pm or later.  And I don't think it's healthy to have one person as your sole social partner.

My plans for this trip came together rather quickly, and we were uncertain as to whether we would be based in Buenos Aires or Cordoba, so there wasn't a lot of time to do much research beforehand. I knew almost no Spanish, but last year I was able to travel throughout Europe and was able to find people who spoke English almost everywhere I went.

In Argentina, it's been more of a challenge. Very very few people speak English, so the chances of running into someone in a store who speaks English and having a quick conversation are almost nil.  I'm working away at learning Spanish, but I"m still far from having any sort of conversational fluency.  It's mostly nouns and a lot of pointing.  Sort of Tarzan's version of English.  In BA, I was in the grocery store one afternoon and heard a number of people speaking English.  They were a group of young Canadians who were part of the cast of Disney on Ice, who had just arrived in BA for a few weeks.  They were stocking up on groceries for their residence, and I spoke to a few girls in the checkout ahead of me who were from Charlottetown, Saskatoon and Toronto.  It was such a treat to just be able to talk to someone for a few minutes, and not struggle to understand and be understood.

I'm used to being very social and heading out with friends for a movie, a round of golf , dinner or a game of scrabble.  It's been difficult not to be able to do that here, except when John is available.  I didn't think it would be easy to meet people in Argentina, but I had no idea it would be this tough.

My strategy this morning was to search out expat websites and blogs from other people in Argentina to see if I could meet some people that way. So far, no luck.  Most of the blogs are from people who are in BA, or were here but have already left.  Frustrating!

I need to have a better strategy when I come back in October.  Right now it is winter time, which is pretty quiet in terms of tourists.  When I come back, it will be summer here so there may be more people sitting at outdoor cafes and out in the parks.  But I don't want to look like a stalker, lurking about and waiting to hear someone speaking English.  I've thought about signing up for Spanish lessons so I can meet other people who are learning the language.  When I went to the school to see about lessons for this week, only one other person was taking lessons.  There seems to be a very strong expat community in BA but not so much here in Cordoba.  Besides moving to BA, any other ideas???  I'd love to hear strategies that other people have used.

Feliz Dia del Nina!

When my girls were much younger, each year on Mother's Day and Father's Day they would ask, "When is it Children's Day?"  And we would always answer that every day is Children's Day.  But here in Argentina, Dia del Nina - the Day of the Child or Children's Day, is the second Sunday in August, which is today.  All week all of the stores have had displays of toys and games in the windows.  Even the hardware store down the street, that usually has mops and buckets in the front window, has had board games on display. 

In Plaza San Martin, the big square downtown, there have been different children's shows on all week.  Yesterday, there was a fair about recycling paper with traditional music and dancers.  The day before that it was a dancing troupe and jugglers.

Recycling Festival



Recycling - Argentina style!



Police and Politics

As I mentioned in a previous post, Argentina does not have a long history of democracy, and the police presence here is very different than at home.

For example, when I was in Buenos Aires, I went for a walk to the Casa Rosada, The Pink House, which is the head of their country's government like our Parliament Hill.  Except when I was in Ottawa, any visitor could walk right up to Parliament Hill and go inside, and there are usually a variety of protesters out front on any given day. Same thing when I lived in Toronto and would go to Queens Park; always people on the front lawn with pickets or passing out flyers, people picnicking on the grounds.  They are both very public spaces.

La Casa Rosada is a big beautiful building but there is a metal fence that must be at least ten feet tall around the entire building and the grounds.  No one can get near the building without passing through several layers of security.


La Casa Rosada
(from Google Images)


It seems that whenever I"m out for a walk, I'll come across a very large group of police officers guarding a building for some reason or another.  On this particular day, there was a large group of police officers lined up all along the outside of this building (on the left in the photo) on a quiet pedestrian shopping street.  Not sure why and didn't stop to ask.

One day, when I was out for a walk, there was a big gathering in Plaza San Martin. This is like the city centre and it seems that there is always someone protesting something there.  But this time there were buses, and fences, and it all looked very official.  There was a military band inside the fenced area, and a group of students with red headbands, and various other dignitaries.   I climbed up on the stairs to get a better view, as had many other spectators.  And like all tourists, I took out my camera to take some photos.

Right away, there was a security guy in a black suit asking me a question.  "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish."
No problem, he instantly switched to flawless English:  "Where was I from?  Why was I in Cordoba? When did I arrive? How long would I be here?  Why was I taking photos?"   I explained that since I didn't speak Spanish, I would take photos of the signs and then go back and translate them later so that I could understand what was happening.  He told me, "No more photos," and I put my camera away.

It turns out it was an 18th anniversary commemoration of the bombing of the Jewish Community Centre in Buenos Aires in 1984, in which 85 people were killed.  This came only two years after the bombing of the Israeli Embassy building in Buenos Aires. 

Last weekend, we saw a group of fans boarding buses to go to a soccer/football match.  As the boarded the buses, a huge group of police officers was frisking each person.  This was way more intense than the usual quick glance in your bag that you get at a Red Wings game but seems to be common practice here. 

I feel very safe in our neighbourhood and when I'm downtonw, but there are times when the heavy police presence is a bit disconcerting. Our neighbourhood is in the midst of a building boom with new apartment buildings going up everywhere.  Yet the economy here is so fragile, and the protectionism so strong, one wonders how tenuous this growth might be.  In a town not far from Cordoba the economy is so bad that town officials had a raffle to determine which public servants would be paid and which ones had to wait a bit longer.  In the first raffle only 23 of the town's 92 employees were paid.  Can you imagine working and not knowing whether or not you would be paid?  Me either.

Another day, Another museum

John's scheduled inventory has been postponed a few weeks, so he actually had some time off this weekend.  We each spent Sunday morning working, and then decided to go and visit a couple of museums.

We went to Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Emilio Caraffa, which is one of the city's best contemporary art museums.  It was OK, but underwhelming.  A few pieces that were interesting, but nothing that really wowed either of us.

 Outside of the Museum


Then we wandered across the street to Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Palacio Ferreyra
The building was so beautiful that we thought that even if the art was just OK, we would enjoy the architecture.  Like most art galleries, we were only allowed to take photos in the lobby area, but it was gorgeous.

John at the entrance to Palacio Ferreyra

Just inside the front door

The beautiful lobby

Horseback Riding

OMG!  What an amazing day!!!!!

I haven't been horseback riding since I was a little girl, and even then I always had my dad or an uncle or some other adult helping out.  This was so different, especially riding through rough rocky mountainous terrain instead of flat old Essex County.

I had asked Maria from Condor Expeditions to let me know when they had a spot open for one of the horseback riding trips.  John is working so he can't come, and I certainly didn't want a trip for one.  I received an email on Wednesday afternoon saying that there was a spot available on Thursday; was I still interested?  Hmmmm - stay in and mark assignments from my course or spend the day horseback riding?  It didn't take long to send back a definite "YES!"

Marcelo, our guide, and his dad picked me up at 9 am and then we went to a hotel to pick up the other two riders, a young couple in their early 20s from Chile who only spoke Spanish.  Then it was about a 45 minute drive out of Cordoba on the highway, followed by another 20 minutes of bone jarring driving down dirt 'roads' that were more like ploughed fields than roads.  Marcelo spoke very good English; he told me that he had lived just north of London England for four years, working as a personal trainer for the polo horses.

The very bumpy road to the campground

We arrived at a campground, closed for the season, that is the homebase for Huellas De Cabalgatas (Horse Tracks).  In no time at all, Marcelo had our horses saddled up and we were ready to head out onto the trail.  In usual Argentinian fashion, we were leaving at 11:30, while Marcelo's father stayed behind to cook our lunch, which we would return for in about 3 hours. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the late meals. :(

My horse, Peru, is second from the left.

I don't have too many photos of our ride. The ride is a wee bit bumpy, so some of them are a bit blurry.  I have asked Marcelo to email some of the photos of our group as I didn't think to have someone take my photo with my camera while we were riding.

It was an awesome ride.  We started out on a wide dirt road, accompanied by the campground owner's dog, and then headed onto a narrow path which wound its way up and down the foothills.  Several times we crossed a rocky stream, stopping once to let the horses have a good long drink.  Other times we had to lean forward in the saddle, holding our hands forward as well, as the horses climbed up steep rocky embankments or lean back as they clambered down the hillside. 



Starting out on a nice wide road....

Then heading down a narrow path....

Not the Western saddles we are used to back home.  Horses stopped for a break, and so did we.

 Marcelo and his horse, stopping for a drink from the stream

Once we arrived safely back at the campground, ahead of schedule, we had a typical Argentinian lunch of barbequed red meat, red wine, and bread.  There was also a nice tossed salad with dressing, then fruit and cookies for dessert.

The horses had a quick roll the dust once we removed the saddles
Guess they were glad to be rid of us.

After lunch I wandered around the campground, taking a few photos, before it was time to head back to Cordoba. When the girls come to visit me this October, we definitely need to do this again!

Ready for summer!



Thought dad would get a kick out of these 'fence posts.'



Museum Day Today

Today (August 1) was the first day of my new schedule.  I didn't exactly get an early start, but after doing some research on Lonely Planet I decided to head downtown to check out two museums.  There are so many museums here in Cordoba you could visit a different one each day for weeks.

First stop was Museo Historico Provincial Marques de Sobremonte, which according to the guidebook:

It’s worth dropping into this museum, one of the most important historical museums in the country, if only to see the colonial house it occupies: an 18th-century home that once belonged to Rafael Núñez, the colonial governor of Córdoba and later viceroy of the Río de la Plata. It has 26 rooms, seven interior patios, meter-thick walls and an impressive wrought-iron balcony supported by carved wooden brackets.

The guidebook said that the cost of admission was $3 (three pesos - about 75 cents), but the woman working at the front desk said it was free. Visitors are not allowed to take photos of the interior of the home, but it reminded very much of John R Park Homestead and similar museums. 

Rather unassuming exterior of the museum

First interior courtyard

Courtyard number two

and courtyard number three

Next stop was Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes Dr Genaro Perez,

This museum is prized for its collection of paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries. Works, including those by Emilio Caraffa, Lucio Fontana, Lino Spilimbergo, Antonio Berni and Antonio Seguí, chronologically display the history of the cordobés school of painting, at the front of which stands Genaro Pérez himself. The museum is housed in Palacio Garzón, an unusual late-19th-century building named for its original owner; it also has outstanding changing contemporary art exhibits.

There wasn't a lot of art on display inside but it was nice to see the inside of such a beautiful building.  Cost of admission - nothing!

Exterior of Museum - can you believe that this was a private home?

Beautiful entry door and amazing tile floors throughout the house

 Inside the entryway

Statues in the Conservatory

A cool old elevator in the back of the building

That was enough culture for one day, so I went downtown for a quick lunch at Cafe Caesero, with a waiter who spoke flawless English.  It was such a nice break, being able to communicate without having to search through a guidebook for vocabulary.