Cian’s South American Odyssey

Ola,

Sorry I haven´t written on my site for a while and it is a bit behind. Don´t worry I am still alive, healthy and have suffered nothing more than a couple of mild hangovers so I am doing well

After Salta I spend 4 days or so at Puerto Iguazu - the Argentinian side of the Iguazu falls…but also did a day trip and viewed the spectacular vista from the Brazil side also. Well worth it, and not over-rated but truly spectacular.

Now: I arrived in Rio after a 22 hour bus ride from Iguazu falls but it was quite pleasant what with movies, music, food and people to chat to. I had decided to stay in Iguazu an extra day or so to save money and had changed my initial plan of going to Curitiba (1/2 way to Rio) from Foz do Iguaçu (Brazilian side of the border) before carrying on to Rio. This was my first realisation that Brazil is EXPENSIVE, more or less New Zealand prices and for some things more. Compared to Peru and Bolivia it is rediculous, and even Argentina is probably 1/2 price or more.

The bus to Curitiba only 10 hours away and half way to Rio was going to cost me $180 Real ($175-180 NZ maybe) just for a cama reclining chair bus ride and then probably the same again for the other 12 hours to Rio! So I waited another day on the Argentinian side and got a cama bus all the way to Rio for 22 hours for $190 Pesos ($80 NZ).

I met a guy from New Zealand called Joel who is originally from the Phillipines is a Hip Hop dancer and teaches Hip Hop dance in Auckland - he left a day before me for Rio so we arranged to meet up at a hostal I had booked. On the bus the couple behind me (Andrew and Allison) were from New Zealand and they were travelling with the girl sitting next to me (Bronwyn), who is from South Africa.

We arrived at the bus station in Rio and bargained for a White V.W combi taxi van for all of us as a bus would take 45 minutes. The taxi driver told us about an apartment he could hook us up with so we went to have a look…it is cool. A big apartment just 1 block back from Copacabana beach, 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining room with big table, big kitchen, cable tv etc. Ok, we were sold! We went to the hostal I had booked in Ipanema and told them I was no longer going to stay there, we grabbed Joel and he checked out explaining that there was an emergency and the NZ embassy had come to pick him up

Our apartment is 30 Real per person per night, which is probably overpriced but a dorm bunk bed with another 6 people in a room is 35-50 Real a night in Rio if it is a nice one so not a bad deal when I get a private room with double bed!

Day 1:  

The first day we just settled in and went for a late lunch and a couple of beers together and then us guys went for a walk along the beach boulevard and drank some coconuts sitting by the beach, while guys in speedos were jogging, playing soccer and volleyball and hookers were prancing past. Copacabana is a little more dangerous than Ipanema but it is still a good place, but there are hundreds of hookers wandering around at night, even in Restaurants and bars, and some of our neighbours live on the corner of our street (literally)…a bit dodgy but oh well.

Day 2: Thursday 9th November.

A great day and we did lots of things. There were markets across the road from our apartment so we checked those out with all the sounds, colours and smells and we bought food for cooking dinner. We them caught a bus into centro and did a walking tour through streets and plazas before stopping to look at an old library with thousands of beautifully preserved books reaching to the ceiling high aboe with stained glass windows. We also had a wander around this rather odd but interesting church. From Centro we caught the classic Bond tram up streets and hills, clattering away and carrying us over a bridge and up to the neighbourhood of Santa Catalina.

We bought lunch at a little supermarket and sat on the side of the road and ate that before going for a cup of tea at a nice, styley cafe (eat first cheap, just pay for tea and stay there for ages…ah, I am such a cheap arse). We had a beautiful dinner that night cooked by the resident chefs of the New Zealand Embassy Copacabana beach (Bronwyn and myself), Bruscheta with tomato and olive oil, king prawns on a bed of lettuce with a lime, corriander and white wine sauce, followed by Fresh fish fillets on potato mash with a nice salad…yummm. Oh and of course white wine and lots of it.

Running out of time to say more, but am having fun….Beautiful sunset over Ipanema beach last night, just stunning. Then had drinks with the “NZ embassy” and a friend of mine from Rio who I met when he was travelling in Peru.

Another thing, I have no idea what the people here are talking about…it is a bizzare sounding language and some of them have trouble understanding Spanish. It is very different…oh well. I think I´ll stick to Spanish as I actually understand that.

Chau

Cian xx

Well all is well here in Salta, Argentina…but I feel tired. Not tired from lack of sleep, but a little tired of travelling. I think I am feeling a little home sick actually and am quite looking forward to getting back to New Zealand, but that thought is daunting also.

I have seen some amazing places and met wonderful people but it is different moving around and travelling every few days to having lived in one place like Cusco.  I am just hanging out here in Salta as it is a nice place and I can’t be bothered moving on yet and I will go to the Rugby game tommorow night before getting up at 5am and hopping on a 24 hour bus ride to Iguazu, and then onto Brazil. I AM looking forward to Brazil and I’m sure I will get another burst of enthusiasm, but I am glad to be going home in December, it is long enough time. I am looking forward to seeing family and friends and eventually hopefully finding a cheap little flat for me to set up as home before I start University again in end of February.

My hostal is lovely, but lonely. I am the only young person or traveller here now…it is not like a youth hostal for backpackers. I have a big dorm room, but have it all to myself so it is quiet and peaceful, but no-one to talk to or hang out with. It is either that or a backpackers party hostal with 30 person barbeque dinners, lots of drinking and games etc every night anda sever lack of sleep, and I can’t quite be bothered with that right now.

Anyway, let me give you an overview of my time here in Salta.

Wednesday 25th October:

I took the overnight bus at 10:15pm from Cordoba and arrived here in Salta at 10:15am this morning. I got a cama (reclining/sleeping) seat at the front of the bus on the second floor so had no one in front of me. The other 2 guys sitting at the front of the bus were from Australia and were nice. I had a good sleep so the bus ride didn’t seem too long and was quite pleasant. The cama seat bus was $67 pesos or $33 NZ.

The weather here is hot but very beautiful with blue skies, definitely shorts and t’shirt weather. Salta looks lovely so far and I am quite looking forward to exploring over the next few days and well as doing some day trips out into the sights north and south of this city.

I decided against Hostel Terra Occulta which is where a couple of people I met in Cordoba were going to stay when they arrive as large dorm rooms filled with young travellers and messy clothes and a party vibe every night is not what I felt like. It was $20 pesos a night there without breakfast. I walked to another one called Hostal del Illaq, which is more of a cheap hotel than a backpackers. It is 18 pesos ($9 NZ) a night for a dorm room with only 4 beds, but I have it all to myself so can get sleep and peace.

This afternoon I sat in the plaza and went for a walk to see the sights and had lunch at quite a fancy restaurant. The mains were quite expensive and the all you can eat buffet was about $20 pesos. I put on my “I’m a poor vegetarian face” and they said I could have all you can eat salad bar minus the meats - including quiche, salad, kumara, rice and greek salad with breads etc for $7 pesos or $3.50 NZ.

I searched around agencies for good deals for tours as I figure that while I am here I may as well see the scenery and sights that North-East Argentina has to offer. I almost booked tours with a helpful older lady but while walking back I was approached but an attractive young tour agent and I couldn’t help but go to her office and have her smile at me and explain her tours for an hour…she gave me good discounts ’cause I smiled back nicely so that’s that, I have my tours arranged (I am a sucker for beautiful women). My plan is to stay here a bit longer than expected to just chill out and go out into the provinces and see the country. Also it is rather unpatriotic for me to leave before Wednesday night when New Zealand (divisional team) are playing Rugby against salta. So I will go and support the boys in black kick some Argentinian arse.

Friday 27th:

Went on a Northern tour from 7am until 7pm up to Quebrada de Humahuaca, stopping at places like Purmamarca and Jujuy. Friday night I went to visit people at the other hostal and a group went out to dinner and later went to the bar and discotec area…but people tended to split up and it was just me and another guy - the problem is nightlife and dancing doesn’t really get going until 2:30am-3am here and by that time I was tired and went home so didn’t really have a night out.

Saturday 28th: 

Wondered around and took some photos… Later in the afternoon I went up on the Gondola from Parque san Martin up the Hill with an English guy and his French speaking Canadian girlfriend. On the way home I called into the other hostal and had a beer while 30 odd people were having a barbeque dinner. I didn’t stay too late and then went home.

Sunday 29th:  Didn’t do a lot really. Everything is closed. Went out to sit by the Plaza in the evening and have a Pizza and beer…ended up sitting with 2 girls from the table next to me who were from New Zealand and talking for a while.
Monday 30th:

Up very early at &:30am to head of at 7am on a full day tour south to Cafayate…It was very hot and we drove through some pretty stunning scenery - canyons and valleys and mountains with red earth, desert-scapes and multicoloured hills. There are various naturally made scenes in the rock formations (amphitheatre, devils throat, friar, castles etc). We stopped in at a Bodega (Vineyard) for some wine tasting and had lunch in
Cafayate.

Today and Wednesday 1st November:  

Not sure what will eventuate but I can’t really be bothered doing much… Tomorrow I will go to the Rugy game and then head off the next morning on my very long bus ride.