we are in argentina
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010we crossed 2 borders within 2 days. we left Calama, Chile last week and took a bus all day that crossed the Argentine border, and that was the smoothest border cross yet because we were with a group and a bus that took us to all of the immigration offices easily. we got in to Salta, Argentina that night around 10pm, very hungry. we found a hostal that was very quiet with a kitchen, but we were exhausted and just wanted to eat so we asked the hostal staff where to buy a sandwich. they referred us to a stand on the street that sells milanesas. this is a sandwich of fried beef covered in bread crumbs, with an egg, ham and cheese. extremely bad for you but they are good. served with ketchup and a garlic sauce, among other sauces if you so choose. Al loves them. i try to only eat them when there is no other option.
we explored Salta for a few days, very large, a million people live there but the plaza was beautiful and we went to a Mass at the Cathedral. very modern and commercial through the pedestrian walkways around the plaza. the market was interesting, sells empanadas and cheap pizzas for lunch. we bought everything to make sandwiches (the healthy version with lettuce, tomato) and a bottle of wine. from there we took a bus to Cafayate which is the wine region of northern Argentina. we spent 2 nights there, and on saturday we walked around town and visited 4 bodegas (wineries) for tours and tastings, we found that we love a wine produced only in this region called torrontes. it is a white wine that is dry but very fruity and smooth. the first wine that Al and i have been able to both enjoy. normally i prefer dry and he prefers sweet but this is agreeable for us both. we also visited a goat cheese factory in Cafayate and bought cheese, bread and a bottle of torrontes wine for dinner. we went to Mass on Sunday that was completely filled with families and children, many people were standing. later that day we went for a walk to the River Colorado and it was a hot day but nice. we met a family and shared mate (traditional Argentine tea) with them, and they invited me to visit them near Buenos Aires. we left Cafayate and arrived in Tucuman at midnight and bought tickets for a bus leaving for Mendoza at 2am. long bus, but we arrived in Mendoza yesterday at 5pm. we found a relatively economical hostal, but still more expensive than we would like. Argentina is not as expensive as Chile but for us it is still expensive. the only thing that is not is the wine. we are buying good wine for $1.50-2.00. made right here in these wine regions. last night we made a ravioli with alfredo sauce dinner, with torrontes and chocolate pudding for dessert. another guest at the hostal is a chef and prepared pizza that he shared that was excellent as well. we are going to meet up with our friend Lisa (from Maine but she is studying abroad for the year in Mendoza) later this afternoon and see if we can find a more affordable hostal. we plan to stay here about 2 weeks. there are 2 wine regions 1 hour and 2 hours from here. we might rent bikes one day or two and explore them. the specialty here is the malbec wine, a dry red. i am making a list of wines that i like here because many are exported to the US and we can find them there. Al only has 3 weeks until his flight from Cordoba. we cant believe how quickly our year together in South America has gone. still dont know my plan for my 6 weeks by myself in Argentina, my ideas are to stay in Cordoba or Rosario, then go to Buenos Aires for my flight, or maybe go to Buenos Aires earlier and take a boat to Montevideo, Uruguay and spend a few weeks in Uruguay. dont think i will go back to Chile just because it is too expensive.
Al received a graduate assistantship at St. Bonaventure University and he will start his Masters in August, free of charge. we are going to celebrate here in Mendoza with a carne asada o chivito asado (grilled beef or goat) and a bottle of torrontes. Al will study for the next two years at Bonaventure and after he graduates we plan on getting married. i am thinking about moving to Brooklyn this fall and looking for an apartment and work. if anyone knows anyone in the NYC area that can help me look for apartments, let me know because in June when i am home i will be looking for apartments. i have a few contacts, but would like a few more.
bueno, Dios les bendiga,
Annie y Alejandro
annieandal