Mendoza: Where drinking while biking is encouraged...

After a few days in hectic Córdoba it was nice to arrive in Mendoza which is smaller and quieter. The town of Mendoza is situated at the eastern foothills of the Andes and is probably best known for its surrounding wineries.

Córdoba and Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito



Córdoba



Sometimes you really love a city; other times not so much. I didn’t like Córdoba. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe I was just tired of big cities. Either way, I just never clicked with that city. 

Sun, sand and muddy river in Rosario



Rosario



Every time I mention that I have been to Rosario most people ask:

“Why did you go there???”

Even Argentineans ask me that.

Tigre and Tres Bocas



Tigre and the delta

If you ever happen to be in Buenos Aires for more than two or three days, I definitely recommend that you take a day-trip to the city of Tigre and the surrounding delta. I went there on a grey and rainy day with an Australian girl named Keri, who I had met at my hostel in Buenos Aires.

San Telmo and the Sunday antiques market

Phones for sale at the Sunday antiques market in San Telmo

One of the things I really wanted to do while in Buenos Aires was to visit the Sunday antiques market in San Telmo.

Tango

Tango... Just say the word and everyone will know what you are talking about.

Recoleta - home of the dead

Evita's crypt

On my third day in Buenos Aires I grabbed a cab and set off to explore the neighborhood called Recoleta. This part of town is where all the rich people in Buenos Aires live. They used to live in a neighborhood called San Telmo closer to the harbor, but a yellow fever epidemic in the 1870s made them relocate further north to Recoleta. The main thing to see and do and why most tourists come to this part of town is the famous Cementario de la Recoleta. Entrance to the cemetery is free but in order to find the interesting graves (for Evita’s you can just follow the crowd…) it is a good idea to buy the map they sell at the entrance for 8 pesos.

First impressions of Buenos Aires

View of Buenos Aires from my hostel

The first stop on my trip to South America was Buenos Aires, Argentina where I arrived on the 7^th of December, 2010. My first impressions of the city were far from positive despite all I had read about the city being the Paris of South America. After a full day of travelling with all my flights suffering from delays, I was exhausted and the only thing I noticed on the way to my hostel was the large amounts of trash in the streets and the insane traffic. All I kept thinking was that I couldn't wait to get out of there! Luckily that changed over the next few days as I got to know the city and in the end I was quite sad to leave.

Godt Nytår - Happy New Year - Feliz Año Nuevo

Happy New Year. I wish everyone a wonderful 2011.

I spent New Years Eve in Bariloche at the same hostel were I also spent Christmas. Everyone at the hostel contributed with a dish for the dinner and afterwards we had a party. I've added a few photos from the night to my photoalbum in Picasa.

Best wishes

- Line