Mud in the Pampas
On our last afternoon at the estancia we decided to explore the countryside, So we set off in the car along some rough trails between the fields. What we didn’t take into account was the fact that the area is naturally marshy … and it had been raining recently. On the way back along a 40km track between fields (the fields are big!), we hit a patch of water ….so, in true pioneering spirit I forced a way through …and through a second … and a third … mud up to the axles … only just made it! Then we came to the fourth …. Two small lakes had joined up across the trail! The patch of water was at least 200 metres long and probably quite deep. I finally got sensible and managed to find another trail round it, but needless to say when we got back the car was a mess!! Just before leaving I asked the chef at the estancia if he had an outside tap that I could use to wash the car; he replied that the only tap he had was frozen, but he had a brilliant idea! ……… Why not empty half the contents of his swimming pool over the car, using a high pressure fireman’s hose connected to the pool pump. It was hilarious ….! We were both soaked through, and his clean, white chef‘s apron was covered in brown mud! Got the car clean though, and not too much water inside. Argentine people are just so enthusiastic to help.
We continued up towards Iguazu, spending the nights in campsites, petrol stations (the owner found us a quiet spot at the back, and we had toilets and hot showers, for less than one euro!). One night we ate our meal in a tiny family restaurant, actually the owner’s dining room (the family sat next to us watching television); superb food for ridiculously low prices.
Our Spanish is improving slightly, but we still end up in some funny situations ….like when we stopped at a roadside fruit stall to buy a pineapple ….and came away with 10kg of mandarin oranges instead! …. I’m still not quite sure how that happened.
Iguazu Waterfalls
These are so spectacular … the Iguazu river empties over a series of basalt steps, total height approx 200 metres, over a width of 3km. The volume of water is just incredible, and the noise and spray ….. All in a sub-tropical forest setting. We spent several days walking the trails, and took a boat trip up to the base of the falls; where the guide took a great delight in getting all his tourists totally soaked!
There is a funny story about the falls; around 50 years ago a guide used to take tourists in a rowing boat along the top of the falls, and he used to go as close as he could, rowing against the current like crazy, while the tourists took pictures etc. …. Of course one day the inevitable happened ….he couldn’t row fast enough ….and the boatful of tourists went over the edge!! All drowned of course. After that they banned boat trips along the top (well, I think its funny anyway!)
We also went over into Brazil to see the falls from that side.
Then the long trek over towards Chile, and we are currently on the last campsite in Argentina preparing for the crossing …. Approx. 600km of mountain road going up to 5400metres altitude.
We shall miss Argentina and the people, drinking their « mate« (pronounced mat-ay, a sort of herb tea prepared in wooden cups and drunk through a metal « strainer«, definitely an acquired taste as you can see from my expression!)
But its time to move on, so next update from Chile ….
On our last afternoon at the estancia we decided to explore the countryside, So we set off in the car along some rough trails between the fields. What we didn’t take into account was the fact that the area is naturally marshy … and it had been raining recently. On the way back along a 40km track between fields (the fields are big!), we hit a patch of water ….so, in true pioneering spirit I forced a way through …and through a second … and a third … mud up to the axles … only just made it! Then we came to the fourth …. Two small lakes had joined up across the trail! The patch of water was at least 200 metres long and probably quite deep. I finally got sensible and managed to find another trail round it, but needless to say when we got back the car was a mess!! Just before leaving I asked the chef at the estancia if he had an outside tap that I could use to wash the car; he replied that the only tap he had was frozen, but he had a brilliant idea! ……… Why not empty half the contents of his swimming pool over the car, using a high pressure fireman’s hose connected to the pool pump. It was hilarious ….! We were both soaked through, and his clean, white chef‘s apron was covered in brown mud! Got the car clean though, and not too much water inside. Argentine people are just so enthusiastic to help.
We continued up towards Iguazu, spending the nights in campsites, petrol stations (the owner found us a quiet spot at the back, and we had toilets and hot showers, for less than one euro!). One night we ate our meal in a tiny family restaurant, actually the owner’s dining room (the family sat next to us watching television); superb food for ridiculously low prices.
Our Spanish is improving slightly, but we still end up in some funny situations ….like when we stopped at a roadside fruit stall to buy a pineapple ….and came away with 10kg of mandarin oranges instead! …. I’m still not quite sure how that happened.
Iguazu Waterfalls
These are so spectacular … the Iguazu river empties over a series of basalt steps, total height approx 200 metres, over a width of 3km. The volume of water is just incredible, and the noise and spray ….. All in a sub-tropical forest setting. We spent several days walking the trails, and took a boat trip up to the base of the falls; where the guide took a great delight in getting all his tourists totally soaked!
There is a funny story about the falls; around 50 years ago a guide used to take tourists in a rowing boat along the top of the falls, and he used to go as close as he could, rowing against the current like crazy, while the tourists took pictures etc. …. Of course one day the inevitable happened ….he couldn’t row fast enough ….and the boatful of tourists went over the edge!! All drowned of course. After that they banned boat trips along the top (well, I think its funny anyway!)
We also went over into Brazil to see the falls from that side.
Then the long trek over towards Chile, and we are currently on the last campsite in Argentina preparing for the crossing …. Approx. 600km of mountain road going up to 5400metres altitude.
We shall miss Argentina and the people, drinking their « mate« (pronounced mat-ay, a sort of herb tea prepared in wooden cups and drunk through a metal « strainer«, definitely an acquired taste as you can see from my expression!)
But its time to move on, so next update from Chile ….
1 commentaire:
Hi Ann, hi John,
Good to read your stories. Glad to hear that you are well and so far enjoy your trip. Things are fine this end. Sally is good although a bit fed up as the final stages of the pregnancy are quite exhausting.
So llok after yourselves and have fun.
Cheers,
Christian
Enregistrer un commentaire