Viedma, Carmen de Patagones & El Condor
The Rio Negro divides Buenos Aires province from Rio Negro province, and twin cities on either side of the river mark the farthest south and farthest north cities of the respective provinces. Viedma is the capital of the province, and while the cities barely rates a mention in my Lonely Planet I decided to stop in briefly since sometimes these out of the way places can turn out to be amazing. It also worked out as a convenient place to rest since it is a 12 hour night-bus ride from Buenos Aires (city).
I began to get sick with some kind of stomach bug just before leaving, and I ended up spending the entire first day locked in my room. The second day I felt a little better and decided to try exploring. The guidebook seems much more positive about Carmen de Patagones, so I began by taking a ferry across the river (in this case a small boat with a capacity of around 8 for $1.50 ARS. Carmen de Patagones seemed entirely dead, without even a cafe open. There were quite a few people setting up sound stages and shopping stalls for some kind of festival scheduled for the weekend. Although the architecture is kind of interesting, with plenty of old spanish-era buildings, they’re low and a bit run down which to me didn’t make them as attractive as the Lonely Planet author seemed to find them.
Viedma looked like a surprisingly nice place to live, and had a few museums. The tourist office was filled with enthusiastic people and had lots of nice brochures and maps available. But the museums were only open from 10-12 and 6-8, and the timing never worked for me to see them. Welcome to South America…siestas are very long!
The only other thing to do in Viedma is to visit El Condor, the small beach town 30km down the river at the mouth with the gulf. Since it is out of season the town was basically deserted, and the tourist office had closed early. The main attraction here is that the largest colony of parrots in the world live in the cliffs near the beach. They’re called Burrowing Parrots. Since the tourist office was closed I wasn’t sure exactly where the cliffs were and had to explore myself. Two stray dogs near the office began to follow me, and spent the the next two hours walking behind me (just bored I suppose).
Eventually I found the cliffs and sure enough, packs of parrots were flying around well above me. It was dusk so I only was able to see their silhouettes. Eventually I did see a parrot up close when my canine friends found a dead one in the bushes…they promptly tore it to shreds and ate it wings, feathers, and all. Keep it classy guys…
This might all sound a bit depressing. Many days are a bust, but these days weren’t altogether unpleasant, just a bit unproductive. From here I’m heading to Puerto Madryn which should have lots of wildlife and lots of activity. As for Viedma, Carmen, and El Condor, my recommendation would be to only come in January and only if you’ve got plenty of time. January would have the advantages of warmer weather, the peak of the season for fledgling parrots, and it would be vacation season in Argentine so the beach town of El Condor would be active.
A Very Messy Argentine Graduation
On my last day of class last month I was lucky enough to witness a tradition I had heard of for new University graduates (my classes are run through a well known University here). Most of the Argentine students are off in January and February, but a few were still working and apparently had finished their final exams that Friday afternoon.
In Argentina it’s customary to “celebrate” completion of final exams by a friend or relative by mercilessly pelting them with food. I only saw the end of this ritual, and my video isn’t very good. It’s a shame, I can imagine this would be great to watch start to finish! In the brief time I was there I saw them hit with raw eggs, flour, a jar of honey, shaving foam, feathers, and who knows what else:
And a few closeup photos for detail:
El Ateneo Grand Splendid: Where Bibliophiles Go When They Die
One of the world’s great bookstores is in downtown Buenos Aires. There are half a dozen El Ateneo locations in the city, but the most well-known is the one at the intersection of Avenida Sante Fe and Avenida Cabildo. The owners bought a historic theater called the Grand Splendid, restored it, and turned it into the largest bookstore in the city.
You can read books in cushy chair in the opera boxes and visit the cafe located behind the curtain on the stage. The ceiling is somewhat domed and painted by an Italian artist. To be perfectly honest, although it’s probably the largest bookstore in the city they could do better…the first two floors are books, the third floor is CDs and DVDs and the fourth floor is empty and closed. Lets fill this place to the top with books, ok?
If you like the look of this place, I found an article about some other amazing bookstores. I only wish I had time this summer to see the one in Maastricht!
Flooding in Las Cañitas
In the last week we’ve had a lot of rain in Buenos Aires. I enjoy watching from my balcony for some reason when it’s really pouring. There aren’t storm drains here, instead the streets have a notch cut in them about a foot from the curb. The notch is about 3 inches wide and deep and allows small amounts of water to be carried away. I’m not sure where it eventually drains…there must be storm drains somewhere.
A few days ago it was coming down hard, and the streets were totally flooded. It’s fun to watch the rivers of water and a few poor people dashing along trying to get out of the rain. Someone who lives just a couple of blocks from meet took this video:
A collectivo (bus) like you see in the video tried to detour down my street, but was too large to make a turn from Huergo onto Avenida Chenaut. He ended up wedged in so that parked cars were pinning him in front, on the side and in back. That provided a half hour of entertainment as they tried to find a way to direct him back out!
Here’s a map showing where I live and where the video was shot. If you’re interested, you can zoom out 5-6 levels to see where my neighborhood is in Buenos Aires. Downtown is the eastern part of the city near the water.
Pork Improves Your Sex Life
I thought I’d share a few interesting things I learned about Argentina since I’ve been here:
- The president of Argentina, Cristina F’ernandez Kirchner, thinks eating Pork can be better than taking Viagra, saying that after a meal of pork “things went very well that weekend, so it could well be true.”
- The national sport of Argentina is Pato…described as a combination between polo and basketball. The game is played on horseback and the object is to put the ball (pato) through a metal hoop at the opposing side of the field. However originally the game was played using a live duck instead of a ball! Pato is the spanish word for duck. In the early days it was a dangerous sport due to the likelihood of a knife fight breaking out. I’m looking forward to seeing a match once the season starts later this year!
- The Jorge Newbery Airport, Buenos Aires’s airport for domestic flights, is built on land that was reclaimed from the Río de la Plata. The river was filled with rubble from the wreckage of London after bombing during WWII (it was carried as ballast in freighters).
- Argentina is the 5th largest wine producer in the world, but consumes 90% of its production domestically. The average Argentine drinks 12 gallons of wine per year! The beer selection here is really small, so it makes sense to take advantage of so many great choices of wine.
- Up to 60% of Argentine’s are at least partially of Italian descent, though as you would expect Spanish ancestry is most common.
Destination: Buenos Aires
I planned to learn a lot more about Buenos Aires and Argentina before I left, but moving always takes way more time than you expect. So I’m going there knowing embarrassingly little about the history, culture, and political situation.
But here’s what I do know, and am looking forward to:
- A multicultural and somewhat European society. Buenos Aires has had tons of immigration from Spain, Italy, the UK, and even eastern Europe.
- Lots of good food and wine. Argentina is known for its beef and asado (barbeque), for its pizza and pasta (I’ve read 60% of Argentines are part italian), and for producing excellent wine.
- An active and sporty society. Futbol, rugby, polo, and other sports are popular. The Tigre river on the north side of the city has lots of rowing clubs too, so I’d like to continue to row from time to time.
- Natural beauty…the ocean on the east coast, the Andes to the west, Patagonia and Antarctic regions in the south, the famous Iguazu Falls at the northern border, the pampas (plains) where cattle and wine are produced, and who kn0ws what else!
- Buenos Aires is known as a party town…with dinner not eaten till 9-10pm and lasting past midnight, plus music and dancing through the night. How do these people get to work??
Mexico: Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
The trip to Mexico is obviously quick from Austin, taking just four hours including a connection. Since my final destination was a fancy all-inclusive resort, I wanted to take a few days to see a bit of Mexico on my own and experience something more authentic. Starting from Cancun the obvious candidates were Chichen Itza or Tulum. I decided that in the short time I had it wasn’t possible to do both. But Chichen Itza wasn’t enough to fill the time. The best thing seemed to be a visit to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve just south of Tulum, followed by a visit to the ruins at Tulum, and then to head on to the resort.
I rented a car and headed south from the airport towards Tulum. I didn’t know what to expect as a driver, but Federal Highway 307 runs down the Caribbean coast of Mexico and made it really easy. It’s a nicely maintained road with everything well-marked by signs, and the drivers are easygoing. I’ve heard it’s crazy around Mexico city but don’t hesitate to rent a car in Quintana Roo.
My plan was to spend the first two nights at Cesiak, a conservation lodge in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. I wasn’t able to fax in the paperwork to reserve my cabana, but I decided to go there anyway and see if they had space. The road to the reserve was the exception when it came to having a clear sign and I was about thirty minutes past Tulum before I was sure that I had missed it. I stopped for gas and since it was getting late I was frustrated and unsure if I would be able to find it. ”Donde esta Sian Ka’an?” is the limit of my Spanish (“where is Sian Ka’an?”), but the gas station attendant was able to give me a clue through a few hand gestures. Fortunately, I found the right turn and ended up on a narrow road with dozens of small Eco Chic hotels. I suspect most of them are eco-friendly in name only, but it seemed to be a spot that draws a lot of visitors. Eventually I reached the park entrance, and stopped at the office to ask directions to Cesiak. It turned out I needed to pay a park fee ($5 for two days) and get an entrance wristband, and the staff told me Cesiak was 4km further into the reserve.
By this point I was feeling stressed out…my quick trip was taking longer than expected, and it was almost 9pm with no guarantee that they would have a room available when I arrived. At the park office, a middle-aged man was waiting with the staff and needed a ride 5km down the road to his home. I described this to a few people with great effect as “picking up a hitchhiker.” But in context it’s much more boring, just a guy who works in the park, known to the staff, looking for a quick lift.
He didn’t speak any English, and as we drove off he asked me a question in Spanish. I realized after a moment that he was asking where I was from. I replied, “Austin, Tejas.” His jaw dropped, he put his hand on his forehead and gasped “Tejas! Whooooaaaa! CHUCK NORRIS!!!!!” I laughed and said “Yes, Walker Texas Ranger.” For the next 10-15 minutes as we drove he (I assume) described all his favorite episodes, and let me tell you this guy knew how to do special effects, both the acting the scenes and the sounds. He was shooting machine guns (“Dat dat dat dat dat!!”), jumping on moving trains (“”Chuh Chush, Chuh Chush, Wooo wooooo!”), riding horses (“Duh duh lun, duh duh lun, duh duh lun…”). It was so funny all the stress melted away in just a few minutes and I was really enjoying myself. It’s one of the best parts about traveling, one moment things can seem miserable and a few minutes later something unexpected happens that changes everything.
Cesiak happened to have one more tent cabana, and I arrived just in time to get a quick dinner before their little restaurant closed. After eating and settling in, I took off my shoes and walked down to beach and laid down to look at the stars. I could hardly believe how many stars there were…this area is nearly undeveloped, with very few lights to pollute the night sky. I think the last time I was so far from a city was at least 10 years ago, back country backpacking in New Mexico. I’m not sure if you can see any stars at all in Austin. It was a great way to unwind, just spending 30 minutes looking at such a beautiful sky.
The Sian Ka’an reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and consists of a narrow strip of land, sometimes only a few hundred feet wide, that extends south of Tulum for around 80 kilometers. On the east side is the ocean; on the west side are a network of wetlands, natural canals, and lagoons full of native birds, animals, and vegetation. The reserve itself includes a portion of the sea, including a number of coral reefs.
Cesiak consists of just 15 cabanas and a small building with a restaurant. My cabana was more rustic than I had anticipated, with no power or water. I had a candle and a small battery-powered lantern. The cabana is made of a nice wooden platform on stilts above the sand, with a wood and grass thatched roof. On the platform is a large canvas tent with a queen bed and plenty of extra space. There’s also a front porch about 10×20 feet with chairs and a hammock to relax in. The cabanas are all built on the leading edge of the dune, no more than 30 feet from the ocean. It was really a beautiful place although I have to say the ocean was incredible loud here due to the large waves that come ashore (it was great for boogie boarding though!) There are a few other private places available for rent up the beach, but most were unoccupied. During the day I walked for an hour up the beach and back and saw only 4 other people. After a busy few weeks of work a day of complete laziness in a hammock with some cervesas was great.
After 1 day and 2 nights at Cesiak, I headed back up the bumpy dirt road to Tulum to see the ruins….to be continued…
11 days to go
It’s amazing how quickly I’m coming up to my trip. With the holidays and a few other trips (like the wedding) the weeks have evaporated so quickly.
I’ve got my flight booked, I’ve sold all my furniture (my apartment is just a mattress and box springs on the floor now, I’m like a squatter in an abandoned house), I subletted my apartment, I quit my job, and I’m partway back to Michigan with a car load of files and sentimental items for storage. My brother is buying my car. That leaves me with the following to take care of:
- Sell a spare cell phone, my computer, and the mattress and box springs
- Figure out what I’m going to put in my backpacks, and give the rest to goodwill
- Repaint and clean my apartment
- Find a place to stay in Argentina…I’d like to couchsurf for the first week
- Watch football, drink, and generally visit with my friends
And that’s about it really.
A quick trip to Mexico…
My good friends Ben and Bianca are getting married, and they’re cruelly forcing us to go to the Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast of Mexico to attend the wedding. So I’m off today for 4 days of nice warm beach-y weather!
I’m staying at the resort they’re getting married at from Friday through Monday, which leaves me a couple days to see a bit of more authentic Mexico. Since it’s not much time, I decided to stay in an ecological reserve called Sian Ka’an. I’ll take an all day tour of the reserve on Thursday, then spend some time at the ruins near Tulum before heading to Excellence Riveria Cancun for the weekend.
It’s almost 50 degrees warmer in Cancun than in Austin now, so it should be nice!
New Blog Name
Crux - the Southern Cross
My original thought for naming this blog Southern Exposure was that since I’ve spent almost my entire life in the northern hemisphere and I’m moving to Australia and spending an extended time in South America, it would be my exposure to the southern half of the planet.
My TPunk friend Nick suggested a similar name that I liked even better…so I’m now calling it a southern crossing. It makes sense since I’m traveling from Argentina to Australia. The Southern Cross is also a famous constellation, visible year-round in the southern hemisphere. It features prominently in flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and a few provinces of Argentina. And it has cultural significance to Argentine Gauchos, the Maori, and the Aborigines:
A tradition that is widespread in Australia is that of the “Emu in the Sky”, a ‘constellation‘ that is defined by dark nebulas (opaque clouds of dust and gas in outer space) that are visible against the milky way background, rather than by stars. The Emu’s head is the very dark Coalsack nebula, next to the Southern Cross; the body and legs are other dark clouds trailing out along the Milky Way to Scorpius.
Cool. Thanks Nick! I like it.
