We are now approaching the end of our time in Argentina and are getting ready to head into Bolivia (tomorrow at midnight). We spent one last day in Mendoza where we made the most of the free wine and were even given a little bottle as a present when we left the hostel. We then had a long bus journey to Salta which is in the north and have spent the day looking around the town. Salta is very different to the other parts of Argentina we have seen - it seems a lot more indigenous and quite a bit poorer. We have been told to expect a culture shock when we enter Bolivia and I think Salta may have been good preparation for this.
Before we cross into what many people have told us is ´the true South America´, I would like to just record a few of my thoughts and observations on Brazil and Argentina.
Brazil
We only visited the south west so I am not in a position to comment on Brazil as a whole, however everywhere we went was quite different. If any Brazilians happen to read this, please realise that what follows is just an assortment of my own superifical observations gleaned from staying a couple of weeks in your country - please do not be offended!
Communication was difficult as most people spoke neither Spanish nor English but we got by on a mixture of the two.
Rio was the most beautiful city I have ever visited in terms of breathtaking landscapes and overall setting. It is better than you see in the movies - standing on Ipanema beach with those famous mountains in the background whilst the sun was setting is an experience that will stay ingrained in my memories forever - it was an unforgettable start to our round the world trip.
Another thing I would like to mention about Rio is that fact that it was not as dangerous or scary as I had imagined. I had built up a terrifying image in my mind thanks to documentaries and films like city of God but in the end it turned out to be nothing like I had imagined. Maybe this was thanks to the great hostel we stayed in or maybe it was just down to luck and being careful but I would definitely go back there again.
One of my favourite experiences in Rio was visiting the Rochina favella because the favellas are such a big part of life in Rio and I am glad we didn´t miss out on seeing them just because some people regard it as voyeuristic tourism.
Iguazu and Floripa were both beautiful places and one thing I do want to mention, although insignificant to most people, is how impressed I was by the standard of the public toilets. On the whole they were on par with those in the UK.
We travelled some large distances in Brazil and what we saw in between towns tended to be sparse, dry landscapes with poor clusters of towns that mostly consisted of tin shacks and stray dogs on the loose.
Unfortunately we did not meet many real Brazilians, but those we did meet were extremely friendly, with one of the hostel owners actually giving us a hug when we checked out.
Finally I will comment on Brazilian food. We only really ate one true Brazilian meal in the hostel in Iguazu that was made up of beans, rice, salad and mince. It was really nice. The rest of the time we were overwhelmed by the choice of snacks available - ham and cheese sandwhich, ham pasty, cheese pasty, cheese sandwhich, ham and cheese pasty or sometimes there was even a bit of chicken or ´frango´thrown into the mix e.g. chicken kiev with ham and cheese in the middle of the chicken.
Overall, my favourite things about Brazil in the end were probably the samba music, the people and the laid back way of life.
Argentina
Well what can I say about wonderful, vast, diverse Argentina? Let me firstly start with the highly anticipated Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires
An outstanding city that did not disappoint. In terms of safety, I know I said Rio felt safer than I had imagined but it was by no means on a par with BA. BA is a city that never sleeps and I felt safe wondering about the buzzing streets at all hours of the night. The restaurants don´t start to fill up until 10pm and nobody goes clubbing before 1am or returns home before 6am. There is so much variety in terms of places to eat, things to see, museums to visits, protests to get involved in. The history and politics are also fascinating and as cheesy as it sounds, you feel like you are walking through history in the making every day in Buenos Aires. During the time we were there we witnessed so many protests, celebrations, dancing in the streets... we even saw a movie being filmed. I loved the European feel to the city as well as the variety of food available and how cosmopolitan it felt. I am really glad we spent a full week there because there was so much to get involved in.
Landscapes
Wow. Definitely the most breathtaking landscapes I have ever witnessed. From enormous advancing glaciers, to awe inspiring waterfalls and lakes so blue they looked like they had been dyed! I cannot choose my favourite natural wonder but I would say that the day hiking around the mountains of el Chalten is pretty hard to beat. Every five minutes I had to stop and pinch myself and think, wow, now this is what you call being alive. At some points during that hike it felt like we were the only three people left on the planet, right at the end of the world.
People
The people in the South spoke English a lot better than I had expected and I would not count this as a positive as it meant I did not get to practice my Spanish much. Everyone we met was very passionate about politics.
Food
I would not be upset if I never at another steak again in my life. We have kind of overdone it here in Argentina with the asados (BBQs) to the point where I have been waking up in the middle of the night with meat sweats. The empanadas are delicious.
Culture
Not much of a culture here to speak of. Very similar to Europe, with some places in the south (e.g. Bariloche) having a Swiss feel to them, and others having a very french or Italian feel to them. We tried the mate that everyone here is so obsessed with drinking and it was extremely bitter and not something I would drink again. The buildings and shops are so different in the south compared to the north - in the south they are a lot more modern and the towns feel a lot richer, although at the bus stations, and in the public toilets, you can still tell that you are in a developing country.
Communication
The Argentinian dialect is extremely hard to understand; I hope that it gets easier further north.
Overall, I have really enjoyed the last 3 weeks in Argentina and I feel like we have had a good glimpse of the country in that short time, having travelled from north to south and back up again. The natural landscapes, the wine and the people have all been fantastic and it has been like one long holiday, however, it has not felt like ´real travelling´. I guess I am about to get the culture shock of my life in the next few days if I am to believe the stories fellow travellers have told me. From ladies who go to the toilet in the middle of the street to buses where the bus isn´t really full unless it is holding 3 times it´s intended capacity. Bolivia should be interesting!
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