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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Dec 17, 2019 10:00 PM Flying home for Christmas....
At the end of Florida street, on San Martin square there is official tourist information kiosk of Buenos Aires city. Charming lady asked about a public transport to distant Ezeiza airport said that there is city bus no 8 going every half an hour and it costs 50 pesos. To make sure that this info is reliable I was waiting yesterday 50 min on the bus stop on Avenida de Mayo. No 8 did not arrive and the local people said that the line is suspended due to the lack ob buses. That's Argentina!
Optional solution is shuttle bus Manuel Tienda Leon (600 pesos per person). But they operate from the little square near the port - quiet far from our hotel.
We used UBER. It works good - 4 minutes after I confirmed the price (825 pesos per car) elegant car was already in front of the hotel and we departed via motorway. The driver paid the road fees. 40 min later we arrived to the airport. I remember that few years ago it took me 2 hours by public bus....
The dreamliner of Norwegian is already waiting. This will be one of the longest flights in my life...
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Dec 16, 2019 10:00 PM Last tango in... Buenos Aires
Sunny day, believe or not - we did by foot 11 + 12 kms walking first to the parliament, then to Recoleta Cemetery where the most popular tomb to visit is Evita's grave. In the afternoon we took a long walk to San Telmo - the district of cobbled streets and bars. Here, in the place called El Vjiejo Almacen some 40 years ago I saw for the first time people dancing tango argentino... Ej Viejo still exists, but the surrounding changed. Today you can dance the tango with professional lady-dancer in the colorful La Boca quarter - few kms south. La Boca is small and became very tourist place! Yes, there are inexpensive city buses, but the walk in giving the chance to see the real street life and to feel the vibe of the city.
It was the last day of my stay in Argentina - tomorrow I am flying home.
I had very good time in South America, but there is no better place to spend Christmas than Gdansk...
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Dec 15, 2019 10:00 PM 5432 kms - end of the epic ride :)
Today at 7.30 am after 13 days of driving around Central Argentina we returned our car in Cordoba Airport. It is hard to believe, but white logan didn't have any new scratches! Keeping in mind that about 30 percent of our road was on gravel I came to the conclusion that wwe are lucky boys :) the average consumption of the fuel was 6,6 l per 10o kms.
Rental agency delivered us to Cordoba airport and soon we departed to Buenos Aires.
Once in AEP airport we took bus 45 going to central Avenida 9 de Julio. This is my 5th visit to Buenos but is is always a pleasure to refresh memories... Hotel Porteno is just half a block from 9 de Julio and here we stay paying 27 USD for the big twin room with bath.
In the afternoon it was a time to walk to pedestrian calle Florida "-Cambio, cambio..." , San Martin Park, Plaza de Mayo with Presidential Palace. In the cathedral we wisited the gave of San Martin - the national hero - guarded by soldiers in historic uniforms (see picture). It is time to relax, but I already think about Christmas... Soon, soon...
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Dec 14, 2019 10:00 PM A long way to Cordoba
Blue sky, temperature close to 30 deg. Herds of cattle... We drove today more than 600 kms. First part of the itinerary on RN35 was hard due to the bed shape of the road. No holes, but humps and bumps, so it was necessary to slow down. After Rio Quartos we changed to RN36. This road is a new motorway - so it is a pleasure to drive along, but , of course they charge fees (65+65+60 pesos to Cordoba)..
Cordoba city changed to the better: more bright, more clean, with restored cathedral... We sprnt 2 hours walking around the old part of the city. Then it was high time to find our accommodation. Bad evening... But Friday the 13th was already yesterday!
Yes, sometimes it happens: you are coming with printed confirmation just to recognize, that the pension dissappeared. This was the case: the owner immigrated to Brazil. But my reservation on bòoking.com is still active... Luckily we found other - nice people to stay with... :)
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Dec 13, 2019 10:00 PM Across La Pampa
After a hard night in the poor hospedaje in Bahia Blanca ( mosquitoes and whistling shisp/ trains) we were driving north, across Argentine pampa - the grassland. It is very wide and I saw a lot of pastures with thousands cows on them. In the middle of the day we reached the capital of Pampa Province - Nice town of Santa Rosa. On the main plaza there is an interesting, modern cathedral... the tower of the cathedral has an interesting profile - I did not see anything similar in the world... Some 50 miles onward we found accommodation in the provincial hotel Ambientes Patagonia. It is quiet and great place to have the rest, to make the laundry and to prepare for tomorrow's long way to Cordoba... Roomy twin room with bath and breakfast included cost 29 USD (they are hapoy to accept dollars)
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Dec 12, 2019 10:00 PM 4000 sea lions to see!
I didn't gave up. In the morning we started to drive RP1 rooad from the Viedma end. On this end this is paved road. It took us after 30 kms to the beach township of El Condor. Here, at the end of the beach you will find high hill with a steep cliff on the sea side. This cliffis hosting the largest colony of the parrot in thd world - they calculated the number of birds: 35000. They make a big noise. If you are lucky to be there at the low tide (this was our case) you can walk the beach ond see the birds face to face. Great experience!
Then we drove another 30 kms along the coast to Loberia. In this little settlement they cut the stairs through the cliff down to the sea. We went down, but no single lobo marino there. Let you know that the animal paradise is located 3 kms onward by the gravel road. You pay 100 pesos entry fee and walk 1 km to one of the 4 viewing balconies on the cliff. It is paranoia - from the balcony you see almost nothing. But is you will come to the edge of the cliff (take care) you will recognise the terible stink, then yoh will hear the noise and finally you will some 80 m below 4000 sea lions: big and youngsters occupying the beach at the bottom of the cliff. Bring good zoom with you for great pictures. This is great theatre... Poor Valdez (UNESCO site) - what you see here is much more interesting!
Then, happy and satisfied at 1 pm we started a long drive to Bahia Blanca. No 3 highway was difficult with dust and strong left side wind. BB is a big port and railway hub with some stylish houses in the old quarter. A lot of industry... Not much to see. But we must have a rest before the next big jump...
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Dec 11, 2019 10:00 PM Rio Negro - on the gravel again!
Today we were driving at the beginning ruta nacional 3 north to Las Grutas. This little town is unimpressive, but there are nice beaches and dunes. Thousands of the birds are nesting in the coastal cliffs. Strong sun, strong Patagonian wind.... New experience.... Then I decided to drive gravel road RP1 instead of paved RN3. This was good decision - during 1,5 h we did not meet any other car. We were passing wild, empty beaches and coastal cliffs, great views! But finally in the middle of nowhere I stopped in front of the sign "no further passage" Sorry - we were forced to go back to roads 52 and RN3. Another adventure! :)
At 3.30 pm we entered Viedma - the capital of Rio Negro province.. It is nice city with elegant governer residence, cathedral and Salesian center. But even more interesting is little town of Carmen de Patagones on the other side of the huge Rio Negro river. We crossed thd river using the little launch - I paid 20 pesos each way. Info office near the pier gives the free maps for easy walk around the old part of the town...
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Dec 10, 2019 10:00 PM Peninsula Valdez -UNESCO site
Puerto Madryn is a main gateway to the peninsula. They offer organized tours, but car gives you more flexibility. We visited peninsula today. Some gold-worth practicals: The maximum loop from Puerto M to peninsula and back was 410 kms. First you by asphalt road to national park gate. They charge 850 peso per person and 120 peso per car handing ouf poor park map. Then you drive 22 km on asphalt to the information center in the flat and boring landscape. Here you can get info and better map. Then you can continue to the only settlement on peninsula Puerto Piramides 25 kms - still on paved road. 5 kms before PP gravel road goes left to the park. All fauna observation point are on the east coast. Northernmost is Punta Norte (42+37 kms)
Here on the coast is sidewalk overlooking the beach for tourists : you can go 100 m left and 100 m right. On the beach there are laying sea lions and young elephant seals. They are in the distance 50-70 m from you. They said that yesterday 4 orcas were visible, but not today.
Then we went along eastern coast to Punta Cantor -47 km.. Just before Punta onthe seaside is a little colony of Magellanic Penguins. The terrace for the tourist is 30 m wide. Penguins ( about 40 cm high) have nest in the holes - some of them just 3 m from you, but most of them stays on the beach - like 50 m away. I think I saw 40 of them in total...
On Punta Cantor 1 or 2 kms onward there is restaurant an viewing balcony - you can see young elephant seals laying in the distance of 70 m maybe... The activity on the beach is minimal :)
There is a little trail to the left to the next two observation balconies, but therd is even less to see.
Then the road took us further south - to Punta Delgada 42 kms again on geavel. But nothing to see there: the nice punta gate is closed - they say that punta is occupied by army. No reason to drive there and to continue 70 kms to Puerto Piramides... White salt lake is visible from the gravel road on the way.
Summary: if you didn't see the penguins and seals you will be happy. If you have been to Antarctic like me - you will be disappointed.
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Dec 09, 2019 10:00 PM From the Andes to the Atlantic
Check your car, fill the fuel tank to the maximum, pock extra amount of the drinking water, start early... In Tacka village (yes, there is petrol station) we said goodbye to the legendary RN40 road heading east. Road 25 crosses Argentina west to east. it goes through uninhabited demi-desert territories to the coast of Atlantic. It is a long way... I was a little bit afraid reading about a number of the holes in this road.
Yes, first part to Paso de Indios was boring , even depressing. We saw one passing car only every 30 minutes and the landscape was monotonous. Many lonely, abondoned farm houses in the middle of nowhere. In the little, lonely settlement of Paso de Indios they have now the fuel... But after Paso till Las Plumas the landsczpe is like in Arizona with cliffs, rock formations, canyons. Great to see! Then after Plumas (some 20 kms of gravel detour there) RN25 bacame flat and semi-deserted again. We did it! After 9 hours we reached Puerto Madryn on Atlantic coast. RN 25 is in the better shape then I expected - they repaired many holes (but no bumps) but it is still the challenge...
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Dec 08, 2019 10:00 PM Snowy peaks, flowering roads, national park...
The southern exit from Bariloche is very spectacular: flowers on both sides of the road RN 40 and huge wall of the mountains in the front. Then we enjoyed three mountain lakes and finally the Virgen waterfall around 70 m high. Oit is possible to climb the primitive path to the bottom of the fall, but use the path on the right side of the stream!
Then we reached little town of El Bolson, once the Mecca of the hippies. It has spectacular location between high mountains. Legendary route 40 took us later to the semi-desert area and to Esquel. Esquel is located at the mountain full of colors. Twin room with breakfast in the hostel costs us just 12 USD.
In the afternoon we still had enough time to drive 40 kms to the Alerces National Park. The lakes & mts landscapes are the main attraction but I expected to see also huge and old alerce tree. There is one 2600 years old - they say. But to see it you have to catch 11am boat taking people to the other side of the lake.
Too late. Of course there are many smaller alerce trees spread uout in the park - you will see them, but with their miniature leaves they are not too impressive. Summary: not worth 150 kms RT drive and 400 pesos entry fee :)
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