Don't Cry for Me, Argentina

​Ahh.....South America. We are in love with this continent - the wine, biodiversity and Spanish language.

Our first stop was Argentina. Since we only had a few weeks and winter is quickly approaching in this hemisphere, we were only able to visit a few cities in the north of the country.  But, we definitely plan on coming back to explore the south in the future.

---

Buenos Aires
Exploring on a Budget

After Japan, we needed to take some time to relax and save money. So, we spent most of our time in hostels and cooking for ourselves. The first stop was Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Our hostel was in an antique, hippie part of town San Telmo which was a great jumping off point for exploring. Kevin and I explored various suburbs, parks and even went to a little “adopt a dog festival.”

As with most major cities, we did a walking tour to learn more about Argentina. Here are a few things that surprised us and/or we didn’t know: ​

​European Heritage

It is common knowledge that Spain conquered the majority of South American countries during the colonization period. However, we didn’t know that Argentina would have such a strong Italian influence. When speaking Spanish, the people use the same tone inflections and exaggerated hand gestures like Italians. There is also plenty of pastas, pizzerias and gelato shops to enjoy.
​
We looked like every Argentinian walking down the street and were frequently spoken to directly in Spanish. This was really different for us since many countries automatically know you are a foreigner/gringo and can sometimes influence how you are treated.

We also found out many Germans (and Nazis) came over to Argentina after losing WWII.

​Their Dialect

​They speak Spanish. However, anywhere there is a “y” or a “ll” it sounds like “zh.” It definitely threw Kevin for a loop.

Always better, never worse

​Inflation

The prices change so much that you will see menus and signs with masking tape and new prices. Their economy has been extremely volatile. In fact in 2001, there was a massive crash and closing of the banks. People could only get their money out in Argentine Pesos (instead of U.S. dollars). Because of the loss in value, money people lost 50% of their savings. There were millions of people protesting at the pink presidential palace (Palacio Rosado) where they had to helicopter their president out. 

Palacio Rosado

Balcony where Evita gave her famous speech.

​Mate

​People drink a really bitter, herbal tea that has a lot of caffeine. You will often see people walking around with hot water in thermal jugs, a clay cup with design and a metal straw that filters out the herbs. 

Military Dictators  

Women still wear white bonnets raise awareness of the missing people during the military dictatorship.

Like most all of South America, Argentina had a military dictatorship during the cold war era. People were not allowed to walk around in more than groups of two.  There was a strict curfew and many people disappeared.
​
Since protest were not allowed, a group of women wearing white bonnets decided to walk around the presidential palace in pairs. They did this to indicate that their son or daughter was kidnapped due to the military dictatorship. As of 2018, these now elderly women still walk on Thursdays. They encourage any Argentinian who was adopted or uncertain of their heritage to come forth. With modern DNA testing, they have found around 200 peoples biological families.

---

Pope Francis

​Because of his more Jesuit education and more liberal ideals, Pope Francis is my favorite pope from my lifetime. We saw the cathedral where he held masses, his coffee shop and barbershop.

Cathedral where Pope Francis was the bishop.

---

​Rosario
River Walks & Gorgeous Boulevards

​Rosario is known for its beautiful Spanish architecture and gorgeous, high-end boulevards. It was really pleasant strolling down them, holding hands and people/dog watching.  We also ate lunch next to a massive river, walked to their Independence memorial and watched people pre-game for a massive football team. That evening, we cooked Tortellini with bitter greens for dinner. A person at the hostel recommended that we go to San Pedro de Atacama (foreshadowing hint). 

---

​Mendoza
Relaxing with Wine & Steak

We had a lovely Air B&B that was outside of the main city center near the foothills of the Andes. It also happened to have a Carniceria (butcher) in walking distance. Kevin grilled steaks double the size of my head (2 kilos). I looked up classic Argentine recipes and experimented a little in the kitchen. We also had plenty of salad since we have been craving vegetables in our travels.
​
We were sure to have plenty of malbec wine and cuddled up to watch that 70’s show and Season 2 of This is Us.

​During our time there, we did a lot of hiking in the foothills. We climbed up to the highest point in Mendoza watched eagles soar above, paragliders jump off cliffs and horses munch grass at 5500 feet. 

 You also can’t go to Mendoza without experiencing the wineries. There are three main regions near the city, Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo, Valle de Uco. The Valle de Uco regions are more picturesque with the snow-capped Andes, but also the hardest to get to. It was about $150/per person for the tour of the wineries. So, that was out of the question. We spent about five hours researching how to get there via public transport and settled on going to the least picturesque wineries closer to town.
​
Slightly disappointed, we still had a really great time renting bikes and wine tasting. The malbecs were delicious but our favorite wine was a Trapiche Sauvignon Franc that had crazy deep peppery taste. It was the perfect accompaniment for steak. We also met some great Americans from Boston and California and ended up continuing the party on the rooftop of their hotel, a Sheraton. 

---

Memorable Bus Rides

Argentina and Chile are massive countries. We often opted for the 9-24 hour bus rides getting place to place.  But for $5.00 extra, you can ride on the top in the very front seat. With my headphones in, I listened to City of Colour and held my breath as we drove through the gorgeous Andes. We also watched Jumanji, Thor Ragnarok, Seven Pounds (I balled my eyes out), and DaVinci Code.
​

Next stop.... Chile!