Mendoza is the wine region of Argentina and makes 70% of it's wines, so of course a wine tour here is a must. Maipu is an hour or so outside of Mendoza and is so cute lined with vinyards and organic farms. We began in a family run vinyard where the process is all carried out by hand, before the tasting we were taught to hold the glass to the light to check it's colour and then swirl the glass to release the smell and if it's a good wine tears should run down the side of the glass. We then took a tour of an olive farm where we got to try several different types of olive oil as well as olive oil body products. The second winery we visited was an industrial one so that we could compare the two different ways of producing wine. Finally we wound up at this beautiful organic farm where they produced olives, jams, chutney, honey and delicious fruit juice. We had a tour of the farm an got to hold their bunny rabbits and look at their sheep and horse. Then we were brought to a large barrel of almonds where we had to crack the shells and could eat a many as we liked before the tasting. In this farm w even had time to relax for a while in their hammocks.
Back in the city, we went to a night market for a browse. We ended up befriending some artesan hippys there and were invited to join them and their friends for a large meal, it was so delicious and to top of the night we went to a bar of artesan beers followed by clubbing.
The next morning we checked out an antiques market and then spend the rest of the day learning to make braclets with our new found friends.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Patagonia
After the craziness of a capital city it felt strange visiting the little towns in Patagonia, but despite there quietness they were beautiful. Our first stop was Puerto Madryn where on our first night we went to gorgeous and very much local seafood restaurant. On our full day there we hired a car and did a road trip around the peninsula where we saw armadilos, sea lions, elephant seals and the cutest little penguins!
We then caught the bus to Bariloche where we stayed in a lovely and very homely, wooden hostel. We were just outside town and really in the nature. We spent the first afternoon walking up a hill to a spectacular mirador with a beautiful view and log cabin selling yummy cakes and coffee, so we sat there with a drink and enjoyed the scenery. The next and best day was our day horse riding with gauchos through the mountains and forest. On arrival there was tea and coffee on the traditional ranch where we were dropped. After the easy going morning ride over the mountains, we sat down, back at the ranch, for wine and a feast of an asado. In the afternoon ride we got lots of chances to canter and when we got back, tortas fritas had been prepared for us along with more coffee. The rest of our time in Bariloche included driving around the
7 lakes and stopping in cute towns for food and drink. The 36km bike ride was the hardest thing we did but there was a cool artesans market that we stopped at.
The last stop in Patagonia was San Martin, the least touristy place I saw in this region. A town with friendly people, a lovely plaza and sweet little chocolate shops (most give out free samples), coffee shops and locally bars, all made from wood.
We then caught the bus to Bariloche where we stayed in a lovely and very homely, wooden hostel. We were just outside town and really in the nature. We spent the first afternoon walking up a hill to a spectacular mirador with a beautiful view and log cabin selling yummy cakes and coffee, so we sat there with a drink and enjoyed the scenery. The next and best day was our day horse riding with gauchos through the mountains and forest. On arrival there was tea and coffee on the traditional ranch where we were dropped. After the easy going morning ride over the mountains, we sat down, back at the ranch, for wine and a feast of an asado. In the afternoon ride we got lots of chances to canter and when we got back, tortas fritas had been prepared for us along with more coffee. The rest of our time in Bariloche included driving around the
7 lakes and stopping in cute towns for food and drink. The 36km bike ride was the hardest thing we did but there was a cool artesans market that we stopped at.
The last stop in Patagonia was San Martin, the least touristy place I saw in this region. A town with friendly people, a lovely plaza and sweet little chocolate shops (most give out free samples), coffee shops and locally bars, all made from wood.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is an amazing city- vibrant, fresh and clean but of course not with out it's problems (like any city). I spent more or less 10 days here, much of it strolling from coffee bar to coffee bar watching all the free tango shows that I could I had lots of red wine and steak (its the argentinian speciality) and one night even managed a massive asado in our hostel the night that my dad and stepmum arrived to visit me.
Our first day in Buenos Aires was a sunday and the best way to spend sunday here is to go to san telmo where there's one huge street with stall after stall of antique treasures as well as the odd touristy rubbish you see everywhere.
Another great weekend market was in recoleta (morbid as this sounds...) outside the cemetry. Lots of artesans and street performers, we watched some hippys tight rope walking, juggling and swinging from ribbons in trees. The actual cemetory itself is incredible too- the graves are like mansions with statues so beautiful and intricately carved.
My favourite memory of Buenos Aires though was going to cafe tortini, the oldest cafe in argentina, to watch a tango show with my parents, two great friends and red wine and steak- perfect!
Our first day in Buenos Aires was a sunday and the best way to spend sunday here is to go to san telmo where there's one huge street with stall after stall of antique treasures as well as the odd touristy rubbish you see everywhere.
Another great weekend market was in recoleta (morbid as this sounds...) outside the cemetry. Lots of artesans and street performers, we watched some hippys tight rope walking, juggling and swinging from ribbons in trees. The actual cemetory itself is incredible too- the graves are like mansions with statues so beautiful and intricately carved.
My favourite memory of Buenos Aires though was going to cafe tortini, the oldest cafe in argentina, to watch a tango show with my parents, two great friends and red wine and steak- perfect!
Monday, 15 March 2010
Rosario
A cute and very clean city where we spent 5nights. We stayed with a couple of locals who we became great friends with. We arrived in the evening so all just chilled out with a big box of take-away empanadas, very typical argentinian food which I can best describe as a type of pasty, and played an obsessive amount of Jenga. Before they showed us around the city the next day, we cooked them up a traditional english breakfast, they were shocked how much food there was. Later we took a walk to the riverside then on to the flag monument where you could get a lift up to the top of the building to get a view of the entire city. It was really beautiful with lots of statues and an everlasting flame. That night was just a lazy pizza night.
The city's great for shopping so we began the day browsing those and finished up with a huge a asado on the rooftop at the house of our friend's mum. She said that they tend to have big family asado around once or twice a week, so it's obviously a big part of life in Argentina. My favourite day however was when me and Leggra went to have lunch on the riverside and then to Parque Independencia where there was a big lake with cute little bridges and collums. We hired a pedalo on the lake and saw a baby turtle swimming around and then a giant turtle diving down. We made everyone lasagna for dinner before heading out to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D -LOVED IT!
Our most cultural day was when we went for a coffee by the river frount, outside the modern art museam then wandered on inside for an hour or so. We had a picnic in the park, strolled through the city and around a market. On the Friday night we went out to a typical argentinian bar, with a gypsy-folk band who were incredible and got everyone crazy dancing.
The city's great for shopping so we began the day browsing those and finished up with a huge a asado on the rooftop at the house of our friend's mum. She said that they tend to have big family asado around once or twice a week, so it's obviously a big part of life in Argentina. My favourite day however was when me and Leggra went to have lunch on the riverside and then to Parque Independencia where there was a big lake with cute little bridges and collums. We hired a pedalo on the lake and saw a baby turtle swimming around and then a giant turtle diving down. We made everyone lasagna for dinner before heading out to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D -LOVED IT!
Our most cultural day was when we went for a coffee by the river frount, outside the modern art museam then wandered on inside for an hour or so. We had a picnic in the park, strolled through the city and around a market. On the Friday night we went out to a typical argentinian bar, with a gypsy-folk band who were incredible and got everyone crazy dancing.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Iguaze Falls
It took us 26hours to get from Rio to Foz De Iguazu and after that we had to cross the border into Argentina. The evening we arrived there was a massive all you can eat asado (bbq), very popular in Argentina. This particular one had a brazillian dance show with samba music, a drummer and two women samba dancing dressed in little more than a few big feathers. They got all of us up to dance too, taught us some samba steps and sent us sambering through the resturant.
The Iguaze Falls themselves were incredible. We began by walking through the green trail, which is a track through the jungle to get to the viewing points of the waterfall. There where 250 waterfalls to see- from the lower level you could get close enough to get soaked by the nearest waterfall and from the higher level there was great overall view. The definate highlight was getting a speed boat around the waterfalls where we got so close to them that at one point I thought that we were going to be suck under- so much fun, lots of screaming and cheering. There was a train ride to La Garganta Del Diablo (the devil's throat) where we saw the most powerful waterfalls forming a horse shoe shape.
Ilha Grande
You arrive to this paradise island by catamaran and as soon as you jump off, many people are waiting to offer you accommodation so for us it was stress free finding somewhere to stay. The island is stunning and so green, the village in which we stayed had sandy streets and was lined with restaurants and cute shops. The first two days of our stay, unfortunately it rained, but we didn't let that stop us booking a boat trip to various lagoons around the island where you can jump off the boat and snorkel.
Our third day on the island was gorgeous so we did a 2 and a half hour hike through the forest to Lopes Mendes said to be the most beautiful beach in Brazil. The sand was like talcum powder that crunched under foot as you walked.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Rio
As soon as we arrived in Rio we could feel the anticipation of carnival pulsing through the city like an electric current. After check-in and lunch we made our way to our first bloco. in the weeks leading up to carnival all the blocos rehearse in public and the one we went to was by the marina. The band
(mainly purcussion- bateria)was so fun to dance to, loads of people came, most in fancey dress.
The rest of the week before the offical carnival start, was spent relaxing on copacabana and ipanema beach. Our most cultural day was spent in the neighbourhood of santa teresa. We went to the ruins of an old house with a panaramic view of the city. Then we saw another house with a collection of artwork all inspired by Brazil
- it was beautiful. That night i went out with some girls from the hostel to Lapa, we alternated between a salsa and samba (live music) club. We met about 10 others from our hostel that night so we all danced in a big group.
Carmelitos
Friday, 2pm Santa Teresa
We danced for 4 hours behind a huge float with a band and amongst the bateria. Everyone's costumes were amazing, people sprayed the dancing crowd with water and foam and threw confetti over us all.
On the saturday we caught the tail end of a bloco in lapa before going to the Vasco X Fluminense football game in the worlds biggest football stadium- it holds 96000 people. I'm not a football fan but the atmosphere was incredible. There was a bateria so everyone was up on their feet singing and dancing throughout the whole match. Fans threw paper that glittered as it fell and when it got dark people let off fireworks. Our team lost, but after so much fun i really didn't mind.
Cordao do Boitata-Centro
Sunday, 7am
There were 1000s of people dancing on and around the palace. Men dressed as fairys were dancing on the statues, it was crazy.
On the way back to the hotel we partied at two more blocos.
Simpatica e quase amor
4pm, Ipanema
Banda da invalida
7pm, Lapa
Monday, 9am... another bloco at Santa Teresa and that evening was the sambadrome. The sambadrome was amazing- float after float, ostrich feathered costumed after ostrich feathered costume. Everything was so colourful amd sparkley, we were there from 7.30pm to 5am- what an incredible end to carnaval.
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