1. The smell of asados every night. Argentines take their bbqs seriously here, taking hours to prepare and finally eating at midnight.
2. The hospitality of the travellers and locals on our travels is incredible. Everything is shared from Mate to wine, lamb to cell phones and money.
3. Traffic! There are no real rules of the road. Speed limits are not obeyed, people go through red lights, cars whiz across intersections narrowly missing pedestrians and other cars. Oh and most of the streets are without signs so when we did drive the other day we had no real knowledge of where we were going! Had to ask for lots of directions in Spanglish!
4. A group of street kids in Buenos Aires caught my attention. All girls, all in well worn lace dresses with no shoes, holding hands in a line while pushing through the tourists and pedestrians on Av. Florida. If I could photograph people this would have been an amazing shot!
5. Empanadas! 3 choices: pollo (chicken), carne (beef) or queso (cheese). All labour intensive, all for under 3 pesos ($1) each and equally delicious!!
6. The market of Salta. Today we explored the numerous stalls selling fresh produce, vividly coloured spices and herbs, bootlegged dvds and bags full of coca leaves. Cocaine is made from these leaves, but left as they are they provide the locals with mouths full of spit mashed energy. I will avoid trying this tradition...
7. Argentina´s landscape is gorgeous. Vast country with unimaginable beauty. This place needs weeks to explore and is best done with a 4 by 4 as the roads are mostly unpaved. Even the main highway Ruta 40 is bumpy, dirty fun for hours on end.
8. The cemetaries here are colourful dedications to the lives of loved ones and are visited daily by relatives carrying cloth flowers and religious tokens. It´s totally moving walking through the rows of graves getting a sense of how respected and unfeared death is. There was one grave inscribed with the dates of 3 family members who died on the same date a month apart from one another.
9. Dulce de Leche
10. Madres de Mayo. The mothers who lost their loved ones during The Dirty War have never given up their fight for the memory of their children. They protest daily for the government to recognise and admit to the injustices.
ps. Check out Jon´s photos. He´s finally posted them. Thanks Jon!!!!
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1 comment:
Dear, dear Emilia: we enjoy so much reading about your adventures. You are such a good writer that we can visualize what you are describing. So glad you have met nice people, the Spanish guys, Gracie and many others.
Yes, I do believe that Latino people are warm and friendly (most of them...). That's one of the reasons we like Cuba so much - we have been there 5 times and I would go back any time.
Glad you are relaxing in Salta before you keep on going. So you did a commercial for icecream???
You have so many lovely photos! Those "cacti" are humangous! You look well beside them - all that tasty meat and cool beer, eh?
Life seems very tame here, compared with your exciting trip. We pray for your safety. Two days ago there was a bad accident in the north of Argentina involving a tourist bus.
With a big hug from both of us and wishing you sunshine and laughter.
love,
"BABA"
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