We arrived at the Aubrey Boutique Hotel, a bit like a little piece of England in Chile, thanks to its owners who have been lovingly restoring a former mansion, which certainly looks a bit like the big Edwardian villas in Didsbury or Edgbaston and turning it into a small luxury hotel. Our loft room is beautifully designed and has a fine view over the park at the bottom of San Cristobel hill. My favourite bit is the pool with its wooden decking and Jacuzzi bubbles at one end. The district of Bella Vista is a great place to be based with its streets of colourful old houses, now mainly turned into bars and restaurants, so there is no shortage of places to go in the evening for a little sustenance.
The mountains crowd round the town and when the heat starts to dissipate at the end of the day you suddenly see a snowy peak looming above you in the not too far distance. We walked around the Centro district marvelling at the old colonial architecture and fine churches of different denominations. It was a bit more edgy than Buenos Aires and we got fleeced by some charming people, essentially begging but keen to fund their university education – mainly my kind heart and inability to deal with the sudden currency change meant I gave them much more than I intended! Once again though a very walkable city and the climate is like a lovely Mediterranean summer with hot sunny days (not too hot if you’ve lived in Abu Dhabi) and cooler mornings and evenings.
We took the funicular railway up San Cristobel hill to admire the view of the city and the statue of the Virgin Mary, rather smaller than Christ the Redeemer but a very pleasant spot though John was not at all happy about the steep ride on the ancient funicular which went straight up several hundred feet! The city is a real mix of gleaming new high rise, historic buildings and miles of residential areas stretching away to the coastal mountains. A very brown river, full of iron ore runs along one edge bringing water down from the high mountains. We took the open top bus tour on Saturday, getting on and off at different spots and wandered around the shiny new areas on the mountain side of town, next to the golf course, which looked very like Los Angeles, complete with designer shops and expensive cars. There is a charming little hill, close to the old centre which has been turned into a little park with (vertical) gardens and statues which also gives some great vistas.
We tried the local cocktail of choice the ‘Pisco sour’ and actually rather liked it – lemon juice and some local clear brandy so a bit like a margarita but without the salt or the cointreau, though there is some debate as to whether this is a Chilean or Peruvian invention! The local Sauvignon Blanc is excellent and goes well with the wide variety of sea food on offer. We’ve eaten well though the portions tend to be a bit on the large side. The seafood ‘ceviche’, raw, marinated fish or shellfish with coriander, lemon juice, avocado and sometimes onion or mushroom is very nice. So far we’ve managed to avoid the deep fried corn bread filled with sausage or pork for fear of being unable to walk away! The fruit, as you would expect, is out of this world though everyone is surprised that we get a lot of Chilean fruit in the UK.
The people are really friendly and delighted that we are visiting their country. Even the police stopped us to ask where we were from and what we thought about Chile and hoped we were having a good time. English is not widely spoken though so we’re adding to our Spanish vocabulary and I’m getting quite good at miming things like contact lens cleaning solution – it makes ordering food something of a risky business but we’ve done OK so far.
As in Mendoza there are dogs everywhere and the night time barking can be quite spectacular. There were even dogs asleep on the top of San Cristobel hill in the shady spots. They wouldn’t have been allowed in the funicular so I imagine they must have walked!
Monday, 31 January 2011
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Mountains and wineries
Pictures of the Andes taken from the window of an Airbus flying at 27,000 feet so quite significant in mountain terms! The wines with the mountains in the background and John enjoying a taste of the results. The view from our terrace at the Finca and John relaxing in the pool.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Mendoza - land of Malbec
Mendoza is known as the land of the Malbec and we certainly had the chance to discover this. I would also call it the land of dogs – there were many of them and a vet or a pet shop on every corner! We left Buenos Aires after some more nice days with lots of walking, nice lunches or dinners and a good browse round the weekend markets, though in 30 degree plus heat we couldn’t muster much interest in the artisanal woollies from the Andes!
It was just a short flight of less than 2 hours which gave us a good view of the mountains as we came in to land and drove to the Finca Adalgisa outside the town. The Finca is set in the middle of its own small vineyard and we were treated to a glass of their own Malbec once we’d settled into our room which had a beautiful terrace with views of the gardens. The owners fixed up for us to visit some of the local wineries so we set off after breakfast on a wine and walking tour. They had 3 large dogs of their own as well as one staying as a guest and there was a continual sound of dogs barking in the background from the neighbourhood, though, thanks to the quantity of wine it didn’t seem to affect our sleep!
The first winery, Alta Vista gave us a tour, showing us the huge concrete vats, treated with epoxy to stability where the wine starts its life before being finished off in barrels of French oak and the bottle. I think the French must only make wine for fun nowadays as we saw many thousands of these huge barrels over the 2 days and each one retails at 1000 Euros each and has a life of just 3 years. We met a new grape ‘Torrontes’ which makes a delicious white wine, exclusive to Argentina and enjoyed the wines from Alta Vista very much. We set off on the next leg of our walk which took us along a defunct railway track to the next winery, Clos de Chacras. This was a much smaller one though utilising similar methods and tanks but they only make red, which we tried and enjoyed. We took a walk round the village and had a snack lunch before visiting the final winery of the day. At Pulmary we were shown round by the son of the family who had clearly realised their life’s dream to open a winery. The rest of the family were all lawyers but he had decided to take on the wine project full time and they were doing up an old winery in the centre of the village, they had planted vineyards out on the hillsides and were determined to produce a high quality wine. Generous in their tasting we tried some very nice pink and several glasses of the Malbecs of different vintages as well as some cabernet sauvignon straight from the vat. We were accompanied on the tasting by a number of local dogs who apparently visit each afternoon to relax in the cool of the cellar. 3 very different wineries and all very interesting. We staggered back to the Finca and refreshed ourselves in their lovely pool surrounded by vines.
The Finca had booked us dinner at a new restaurant in the village where they paired local wine which each delicious course. They were in a small panic as an impressive electrical storm was ranging, actually very little rain, just huge flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder, but enough to make them reset their tables inside rather than on the patio. The food was wonderful though the heath robinson effect continued as the lights kept going out and they gave our main courses to the American couple at the next table, who’d tucked in, obviously thinking it was some surprise extra course – it’s the only way I can explain how you would eat 2 chicken stews when you’d ordered a steak and a pasta! Anyway 2 more stews were rustled up and some time later we meandered back to the Finca.
On the second day they’d arranged a driver to take us to two more wineries. The first was a very slick, brand new operation, owned by the Swiss. It was very impressive but a bit too clinical for a winery and the wine we tasted was equally bland. However, I think it was chosen for its view of the Andes which was absolutely spectacular with massive snowy peaks rising above the vineyards. John was impressed by chemical engineering at work though and how they’d used technology to create fake cellars! We then went on to Norton, which as the name suggests, was created at the end of the 19th century by an English engineer who’d come to build the railways. Funnily enough the winery survives, still as a family business but one of the oldest and largest in Mendoza, whereas the railway is long gone! We had a lovely lunch with a bottle of their special reserve Malbec – octopus, pear salad and cheese with caramelised local fruit followed by a very professional tour, tasting wine at each stage of the process. Unfortunately I was a bit wine toured out by this stage and I’d certainly tasted enough! We came back to the Finca in a state of wine exhaustion, fit for nothing but to chill on our terrace with a book for the rest of the evening. It was a lovely time and each one had been chosen because it was so different but I think it was a few too many for a short visit and I would have liked a bit more time to slob out by the pool or walk in the countryside.
The next day we set off very early for our short flight to Santiago in Chile which took us right over the Andes, at 27,000 feet we seemed to be touching the tops of the mountains which reach 24,000 feet and had a great if slightly unnerving view of the glaciers. The dog theme continued as a spaniel came on the same flight and was last seen going round on the luggage carousel in its travelling cage along with the suitcases! A Chilean customs Labrador was being trained to search for drugs or foreign fruit but seemed unphased by the spaniel who was clearly not illegal!
It was just a short flight of less than 2 hours which gave us a good view of the mountains as we came in to land and drove to the Finca Adalgisa outside the town. The Finca is set in the middle of its own small vineyard and we were treated to a glass of their own Malbec once we’d settled into our room which had a beautiful terrace with views of the gardens. The owners fixed up for us to visit some of the local wineries so we set off after breakfast on a wine and walking tour. They had 3 large dogs of their own as well as one staying as a guest and there was a continual sound of dogs barking in the background from the neighbourhood, though, thanks to the quantity of wine it didn’t seem to affect our sleep!
The first winery, Alta Vista gave us a tour, showing us the huge concrete vats, treated with epoxy to stability where the wine starts its life before being finished off in barrels of French oak and the bottle. I think the French must only make wine for fun nowadays as we saw many thousands of these huge barrels over the 2 days and each one retails at 1000 Euros each and has a life of just 3 years. We met a new grape ‘Torrontes’ which makes a delicious white wine, exclusive to Argentina and enjoyed the wines from Alta Vista very much. We set off on the next leg of our walk which took us along a defunct railway track to the next winery, Clos de Chacras. This was a much smaller one though utilising similar methods and tanks but they only make red, which we tried and enjoyed. We took a walk round the village and had a snack lunch before visiting the final winery of the day. At Pulmary we were shown round by the son of the family who had clearly realised their life’s dream to open a winery. The rest of the family were all lawyers but he had decided to take on the wine project full time and they were doing up an old winery in the centre of the village, they had planted vineyards out on the hillsides and were determined to produce a high quality wine. Generous in their tasting we tried some very nice pink and several glasses of the Malbecs of different vintages as well as some cabernet sauvignon straight from the vat. We were accompanied on the tasting by a number of local dogs who apparently visit each afternoon to relax in the cool of the cellar. 3 very different wineries and all very interesting. We staggered back to the Finca and refreshed ourselves in their lovely pool surrounded by vines.
The Finca had booked us dinner at a new restaurant in the village where they paired local wine which each delicious course. They were in a small panic as an impressive electrical storm was ranging, actually very little rain, just huge flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder, but enough to make them reset their tables inside rather than on the patio. The food was wonderful though the heath robinson effect continued as the lights kept going out and they gave our main courses to the American couple at the next table, who’d tucked in, obviously thinking it was some surprise extra course – it’s the only way I can explain how you would eat 2 chicken stews when you’d ordered a steak and a pasta! Anyway 2 more stews were rustled up and some time later we meandered back to the Finca.
On the second day they’d arranged a driver to take us to two more wineries. The first was a very slick, brand new operation, owned by the Swiss. It was very impressive but a bit too clinical for a winery and the wine we tasted was equally bland. However, I think it was chosen for its view of the Andes which was absolutely spectacular with massive snowy peaks rising above the vineyards. John was impressed by chemical engineering at work though and how they’d used technology to create fake cellars! We then went on to Norton, which as the name suggests, was created at the end of the 19th century by an English engineer who’d come to build the railways. Funnily enough the winery survives, still as a family business but one of the oldest and largest in Mendoza, whereas the railway is long gone! We had a lovely lunch with a bottle of their special reserve Malbec – octopus, pear salad and cheese with caramelised local fruit followed by a very professional tour, tasting wine at each stage of the process. Unfortunately I was a bit wine toured out by this stage and I’d certainly tasted enough! We came back to the Finca in a state of wine exhaustion, fit for nothing but to chill on our terrace with a book for the rest of the evening. It was a lovely time and each one had been chosen because it was so different but I think it was a few too many for a short visit and I would have liked a bit more time to slob out by the pool or walk in the countryside.
The next day we set off very early for our short flight to Santiago in Chile which took us right over the Andes, at 27,000 feet we seemed to be touching the tops of the mountains which reach 24,000 feet and had a great if slightly unnerving view of the glaciers. The dog theme continued as a spaniel came on the same flight and was last seen going round on the luggage carousel in its travelling cage along with the suitcases! A Chilean customs Labrador was being trained to search for drugs or foreign fruit but seemed unphased by the spaniel who was clearly not illegal!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Pictures of Buenos Aires
Here we are enjoying a typical BA lunch - those are tiny tasting glasses I promise! Proof that I did get on the dance floor to dance the tango. The tango singer at Taconeando. Bob Schmetterer's famous bridge. The church and the cemetery at Recoleta and the balcony of the Casa Rosada of Eva Peron fame.
City of tango
Buenos Aires is a lovely city. One where people walk and jog in the parks of which there are loads of lovely ones and absolutely full of dogs though the in things is clearly to have a dog walker, we see them out at lunchtimes, sometimes with as many as 10 or 12 on leads. But most of all it is a city of Tango and I absolutely love it. It’s a bit like ballet except done by more normal looking people, even the amazing professionals must be at least size 12 and so exciting.
We’ve been to two shows, both equally fabulous and so very different. The first one at Esquina Carlos Gardel pays homage to the hero of tango. Carlos Gardel is credited with taking tango out of the bordellos and round the world and like all legends he died tragically young in a plane crash but lives on every night for 500 people. It was incredibly well organised. A bus came to pick us up and the theatre was beautifully decorated and set out with tables for dinner. We had a lovely dinner and wine and then the show started. There was a huge band on a platform above the stage and a male and female singer who belted out the tango numbers. The dancers were phenomenal – moves you’re never likely to see on Strictly Come Dancing, with scissoring legs and rapid movements. They did each number as a history of tango and made a real show of it. John says this kind of tango is called Broadway as it does make a real show.
The second show we went to was more geared towards the locals and absolutely amazing in being an experience I know I shan’t forget. Again they came to fetch us, but it was just one guy in a car this time. The place was in the heart of tango ‘country’, San Telmo and just a small room with some tables around a central dance floor. Dinner was included though a slightly more homely affair with tinned peaches for pudding – clearly the show was the thing and some fine Argentinean champagne at £12 a bottle. We were right next to the dance floor, the band (who were brilliant, especially the accordion player) sat at the back and we were so close to the dancers it felt so exciting. They had two male singers, a female singer and 3 dancing couples. At the end of the show the dancers came off stage and led some audience members onto the floor for a quick turn. My partner was a lot shorter than me and I didn’t know the steps but I followed him round, thrilled to have a go. The audience (and we know as he asked everyone where they were from) were predominantly local or from elsewhere in Latin America so it felt like a really authentic experience.
It was a wonderful night – sitting sipping champagne in downtown Buenos Aires watching the tango on a Saturday night, I wondered quite how I got to be so lucky?!
We’ve been to two shows, both equally fabulous and so very different. The first one at Esquina Carlos Gardel pays homage to the hero of tango. Carlos Gardel is credited with taking tango out of the bordellos and round the world and like all legends he died tragically young in a plane crash but lives on every night for 500 people. It was incredibly well organised. A bus came to pick us up and the theatre was beautifully decorated and set out with tables for dinner. We had a lovely dinner and wine and then the show started. There was a huge band on a platform above the stage and a male and female singer who belted out the tango numbers. The dancers were phenomenal – moves you’re never likely to see on Strictly Come Dancing, with scissoring legs and rapid movements. They did each number as a history of tango and made a real show of it. John says this kind of tango is called Broadway as it does make a real show.
The second show we went to was more geared towards the locals and absolutely amazing in being an experience I know I shan’t forget. Again they came to fetch us, but it was just one guy in a car this time. The place was in the heart of tango ‘country’, San Telmo and just a small room with some tables around a central dance floor. Dinner was included though a slightly more homely affair with tinned peaches for pudding – clearly the show was the thing and some fine Argentinean champagne at £12 a bottle. We were right next to the dance floor, the band (who were brilliant, especially the accordion player) sat at the back and we were so close to the dancers it felt so exciting. They had two male singers, a female singer and 3 dancing couples. At the end of the show the dancers came off stage and led some audience members onto the floor for a quick turn. My partner was a lot shorter than me and I didn’t know the steps but I followed him round, thrilled to have a go. The audience (and we know as he asked everyone where they were from) were predominantly local or from elsewhere in Latin America so it felt like a really authentic experience.
It was a wonderful night – sitting sipping champagne in downtown Buenos Aires watching the tango on a Saturday night, I wondered quite how I got to be so lucky?!
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Pictures of Colonia
The pretty port town of Colonia in Uruguay. The Uruguayan wine in case you ever fancy trying it. John on the beach with the River Plate behind him and the lighthouse then with John only half way up it!
Day trip to Uruguay
All of the guides and web sites say that one of the best things to do in Buenos Aires is to leave it for a day and go to Uruguay so we thought we should take their advice! We went down to the Buquebus terminal to buy our ‘luxury day’ ticket. For less that £20 each on top of the day return fare you could buy a whole lot more, a bus tour up the coast, a walking tour with a guide and lunch so it seemed rude not to avail ourselves of the offer.
We had to get up at 6am which is a bit early for us nowadays but it was lovely walking through the quiet city down to the port. Argentine immigration checked us out and the Uruguayans checked us in and we boarded the fast boat for the 42km across the River Plate. Plato actually means silver, not plate, so by rights it should be called the silver river, though due to the amount of iron ore on the river bed it looks more of a brown colour to me though it is very strange to look at. It also looks like the sea, you can actually see the towers of Buenos Aires in the distance from the top of the lighthouse in Colonia but at ground level you can’t see the other side. At its mouth the river is 230km wide. Anyway the boat zipped across in just under an hour; though you can get a slow boat which takes 3 ½ hours but I can’t imagine why you’d want to do that, since the price difference is minimal!
We spent the day in Colonia, a world heritage town on the banks of the river since the 2 ½ hour bus to Montevideo seemed a bit far for a day trip. Colonia was delightful and we were shown round by a lady who spoke excellent English and regaled us with stories of how the Spanish and the Portuguese swapped ownership of the place for centuries. The coach took us up to see the almost deserted beaches on the river which were beautiful as well as the old bull ring which has been out of use since they outlawed bull fighting in 1912! After a good look round the old town which was also full of picturesque vintage cars, some less attractive and clearly still in daily use – it’s been many years since I saw a Citroen 3CV, it was time for lunch.
It was a great spread – the salad bar starters would have fed us for a week, then grilled meat and chicken. I had the usual crème caramel with dulce de leche which is addictive and John tried queso e dulce (literally cheese and sweet), which turned out to be exactly that, slices of cheese with a matching slice of quince jelly on the top and very delicious. We had been advised to try the Uruguayan wine made with Tanat grapes – I don’t think Uruguay will be competing in the world wine stakes anytime soon!
We walked off our lunch with our own tour of the town, the coast and climbed to the top of the lighthouse (well John only went half way!) Due to the ferry times it was a long afternoon of walking but it was a beautiful day, sunny with a nice breeze but we were pretty tired when it was time to go through immigration the other way round and head back across the river. Buenos Aires looked great coming in from the river with the new Norman Foster towers (he gets everywhere) in the Puerto Madero and the city glinting in the sunshine. It’s funny but nowhere in the city can you see the river, it’s as if the whole place turns away from the water and even the redevelopment at Puerto Madero only focuses on the old docks, not the river itself.
We had a wonderful day and enjoyed the peace and slower pace in Colonia, ready for another lively weekend in Buenos Aires.
We had to get up at 6am which is a bit early for us nowadays but it was lovely walking through the quiet city down to the port. Argentine immigration checked us out and the Uruguayans checked us in and we boarded the fast boat for the 42km across the River Plate. Plato actually means silver, not plate, so by rights it should be called the silver river, though due to the amount of iron ore on the river bed it looks more of a brown colour to me though it is very strange to look at. It also looks like the sea, you can actually see the towers of Buenos Aires in the distance from the top of the lighthouse in Colonia but at ground level you can’t see the other side. At its mouth the river is 230km wide. Anyway the boat zipped across in just under an hour; though you can get a slow boat which takes 3 ½ hours but I can’t imagine why you’d want to do that, since the price difference is minimal!
We spent the day in Colonia, a world heritage town on the banks of the river since the 2 ½ hour bus to Montevideo seemed a bit far for a day trip. Colonia was delightful and we were shown round by a lady who spoke excellent English and regaled us with stories of how the Spanish and the Portuguese swapped ownership of the place for centuries. The coach took us up to see the almost deserted beaches on the river which were beautiful as well as the old bull ring which has been out of use since they outlawed bull fighting in 1912! After a good look round the old town which was also full of picturesque vintage cars, some less attractive and clearly still in daily use – it’s been many years since I saw a Citroen 3CV, it was time for lunch.
It was a great spread – the salad bar starters would have fed us for a week, then grilled meat and chicken. I had the usual crème caramel with dulce de leche which is addictive and John tried queso e dulce (literally cheese and sweet), which turned out to be exactly that, slices of cheese with a matching slice of quince jelly on the top and very delicious. We had been advised to try the Uruguayan wine made with Tanat grapes – I don’t think Uruguay will be competing in the world wine stakes anytime soon!
We walked off our lunch with our own tour of the town, the coast and climbed to the top of the lighthouse (well John only went half way!) Due to the ferry times it was a long afternoon of walking but it was a beautiful day, sunny with a nice breeze but we were pretty tired when it was time to go through immigration the other way round and head back across the river. Buenos Aires looked great coming in from the river with the new Norman Foster towers (he gets everywhere) in the Puerto Madero and the city glinting in the sunshine. It’s funny but nowhere in the city can you see the river, it’s as if the whole place turns away from the water and even the redevelopment at Puerto Madero only focuses on the old docks, not the river itself.
We had a wonderful day and enjoyed the peace and slower pace in Colonia, ready for another lively weekend in Buenos Aires.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Buenos Aires, a lively city
We were met off our flight in Buenos Aires by a very lively lady called Sylvia who was interested to meet these mad English people who were staying for a whole 10 days without the aid of a prearranged tour group and with nothing organised! She sat us down once we got to the hotel and tried to give us the best advice with the aid of a map and half an hour on what we mustn’t miss out on. She talked pretty fast so managed to impart a lot of information. The hotel itself, the Elevage, on a bustling side street downtown is great. Much cheaper than just about any other hotel on the trip but with all comforts and a spacious room so we were very pleased. We were starving and everyone eats late here so at 10.30pm we headed down to the little hotel restaurant for a lovely meal. The food and the wine are incredibly cheap – at first we thought we must have got the exchange rate wrong with decent Malbec wine at about £6.00 a bottle in a hotel restaurant but it was correct. Definitely a great place for eating and drinking well without blowing the budget.
It’s a really lively city, unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before and although huge it’s all pretty flat so great for walking and since we’ve been here we’ve walked miles every day. With temperatures around 30 degrees we find it pretty easy to walk around since we’ve got used to things being a lot hotter most of the time though legs start to tire after about 3 hours and the need for a cold beer becomes paramount. Lots of interesting streets and buildings though no really iconic architecture or vistas which ‘place’ it in the mind. Of course there’s the ‘Casa Rosado’, the pink palace in the main square where Eva Peron (and Madonna in the film) addressed the crowds, the 9th July Avenue which bisects the city and is the widest street in the world and the huge domed congress building, but otherwise it’s a really interesting mix of buildings and lovely parks, not to mention some incredibly scruffy bits!
We walked down to Puerto Madero, the tarted up docks area, lined with lovely restaurants and home to the iconic bridge, said to represent a couple doing the tango and famous to anyone who’s ever worked for Euro RSCG as it was allegedly dreamed up by the Buenos Aires advertising agency as a way of promoting the area. The very first of Bob Schmetterer’s ‘Creative Business Ideas’. We returned in the evening to dine at one of the restaurants and enjoy a bottle of (Argentinean) champagne for just £15 a bottle.
On Sunday we visited San Telmo, the artistic area, with miles of street market selling every kind of art and craft and then an antiques market in the square, surrounded by cafes and with a band and dancers squeezed into one corner doing the tango. It was absolutely lovely. Close to our hotel is a beautiful shopping mall in a renovated building with huge murals on the ceiling and lots of little boutiques. What has rapidly become a favourite cafe of ours has a large space on the basement floor with great views of the murals and makes an excellent place to stop for a salad and a beer at lunchtime after lots of walking. Monday we walked over to Recoleta, a very chic neighbourhood and home to the famous cemetery. The cemetery is like a little town, all the well to do families have their own little ‘house’ with doors and windows and chapels. Some of the coffins are downstairs but others are actually on display through the door – strange. Eva Peron has her ‘chapel’ here and people come to light candles and make requests as if she were a saint.
Tuesday we decided to take the open top bus tour so that we could see things from another perspective and it also allowed us to get a good look at ‘La Boca’, a very colourful area but one we’d been warned not to wander around on our own. We got a really good feel for the city and got off in Palermo so that we could get a good walk around this area which is full of lovely restaurants, boutiques and pretty squares. Sylvia had recommended a restaurant up here so we headed there for lunch and it was spectacularly good. John had the most enormous steak ever and the meal came with endless little dishes of veg and salad accompaniments. We managed to stagger back to pick up the rest of the bus tour and didn’t need to eat anything else for the rest of the day!
It’s a really lively city, unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before and although huge it’s all pretty flat so great for walking and since we’ve been here we’ve walked miles every day. With temperatures around 30 degrees we find it pretty easy to walk around since we’ve got used to things being a lot hotter most of the time though legs start to tire after about 3 hours and the need for a cold beer becomes paramount. Lots of interesting streets and buildings though no really iconic architecture or vistas which ‘place’ it in the mind. Of course there’s the ‘Casa Rosado’, the pink palace in the main square where Eva Peron (and Madonna in the film) addressed the crowds, the 9th July Avenue which bisects the city and is the widest street in the world and the huge domed congress building, but otherwise it’s a really interesting mix of buildings and lovely parks, not to mention some incredibly scruffy bits!
We walked down to Puerto Madero, the tarted up docks area, lined with lovely restaurants and home to the iconic bridge, said to represent a couple doing the tango and famous to anyone who’s ever worked for Euro RSCG as it was allegedly dreamed up by the Buenos Aires advertising agency as a way of promoting the area. The very first of Bob Schmetterer’s ‘Creative Business Ideas’. We returned in the evening to dine at one of the restaurants and enjoy a bottle of (Argentinean) champagne for just £15 a bottle.
On Sunday we visited San Telmo, the artistic area, with miles of street market selling every kind of art and craft and then an antiques market in the square, surrounded by cafes and with a band and dancers squeezed into one corner doing the tango. It was absolutely lovely. Close to our hotel is a beautiful shopping mall in a renovated building with huge murals on the ceiling and lots of little boutiques. What has rapidly become a favourite cafe of ours has a large space on the basement floor with great views of the murals and makes an excellent place to stop for a salad and a beer at lunchtime after lots of walking. Monday we walked over to Recoleta, a very chic neighbourhood and home to the famous cemetery. The cemetery is like a little town, all the well to do families have their own little ‘house’ with doors and windows and chapels. Some of the coffins are downstairs but others are actually on display through the door – strange. Eva Peron has her ‘chapel’ here and people come to light candles and make requests as if she were a saint.
Tuesday we decided to take the open top bus tour so that we could see things from another perspective and it also allowed us to get a good look at ‘La Boca’, a very colourful area but one we’d been warned not to wander around on our own. We got a really good feel for the city and got off in Palermo so that we could get a good walk around this area which is full of lovely restaurants, boutiques and pretty squares. Sylvia had recommended a restaurant up here so we headed there for lunch and it was spectacularly good. John had the most enormous steak ever and the meal came with endless little dishes of veg and salad accompaniments. We managed to stagger back to pick up the rest of the bus tour and didn’t need to eat anything else for the rest of the day!
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Iguassu in pictures
Some of the wildlife and some pictures of the falls from both sides of the river plus two people who know they are about to get very wet and don't care!
Argentinean Iguazu
The next morning we packed our cases and were picked up after breakfast by Edir again. We headed out of the park and then across the border into Argentina. We had to stop at the Brazilian border for them to see us out of the country, then we crossed the river and stopped at the Argentinean border for them to let us in. There was a massive queue of cars waiting to come the other way; apparently petrol is much cheaper in Argentina so the Brazilians head over the border to fill up. We put our watches back an hour and realised that we’d soon need some Pesos in exchange for our Reals. There are 6 Pesos to the pound which is handy for me as I’m used to working with Dirhams, which are also around 6 to the pound.
After a couple of hours we arrived just a few hundred metres from where we’d set off from but on the other side of the river and in a new country – we could even see our hotel very clearly! We took an open train through the forest to reach the falls. Although the Argentinean park is smaller they have created a lot more walkways from which to view the falls so it was well worth the visit to see them from this perspective. At the very top of the falls they have built a walkway of 2km which takes you across the widest point of the river to arrive at the top of the Devil’s Throat. It was just amazing to stand above these mighty falls watching the water thundering down into the abyss. The water in the river looks so innocuous, just like a fast running river in the Yorkshire Dales, with only the noise and the ‘smoke’ giving you any hint that it is about to plunge over the edge of a cliff. We saw huge turtles sunning themselves on the rocks and cormorants fishing under water. We came back on the train to reach another setting off point for a very long trail which took in the lower falls both above and below (below always results in a soaking) and either way involved a great many steps! We watched the boats taking their passengers for their ‘shower’ as we had done the day before. There are Jaguars, Pumas and Raccoons in the park but since the forest is so dense and their are so many people around we only saw them on the special TV channel in the hotel.
I am so glad we had the chance to see the rainforest and this incredible natural phenomenon. John has seen Niagara and says these are far more impressive. I can certainly say that it will be hard to be impressed by a waterfall ever again! We took lots of photos and some short video footage which I will try to put on the blog.
After a full day of walking in the heat of a beautiful sunny day we were pretty footsore when Edir dropped us off at the Argentinean airport for our 2 hour flight to Buenos Aires but very happy to have been privileged to see this amazing sight.
After a couple of hours we arrived just a few hundred metres from where we’d set off from but on the other side of the river and in a new country – we could even see our hotel very clearly! We took an open train through the forest to reach the falls. Although the Argentinean park is smaller they have created a lot more walkways from which to view the falls so it was well worth the visit to see them from this perspective. At the very top of the falls they have built a walkway of 2km which takes you across the widest point of the river to arrive at the top of the Devil’s Throat. It was just amazing to stand above these mighty falls watching the water thundering down into the abyss. The water in the river looks so innocuous, just like a fast running river in the Yorkshire Dales, with only the noise and the ‘smoke’ giving you any hint that it is about to plunge over the edge of a cliff. We saw huge turtles sunning themselves on the rocks and cormorants fishing under water. We came back on the train to reach another setting off point for a very long trail which took in the lower falls both above and below (below always results in a soaking) and either way involved a great many steps! We watched the boats taking their passengers for their ‘shower’ as we had done the day before. There are Jaguars, Pumas and Raccoons in the park but since the forest is so dense and their are so many people around we only saw them on the special TV channel in the hotel.
I am so glad we had the chance to see the rainforest and this incredible natural phenomenon. John has seen Niagara and says these are far more impressive. I can certainly say that it will be hard to be impressed by a waterfall ever again! We took lots of photos and some short video footage which I will try to put on the blog.
After a full day of walking in the heat of a beautiful sunny day we were pretty footsore when Edir dropped us off at the Argentinean airport for our 2 hour flight to Buenos Aires but very happy to have been privileged to see this amazing sight.
Brazilian Iguassu
We left an overcast Rio for our 2 hour flight to Iguassu where the sun was shining on a small airport in the middle of the rain forest. The pilot did a full turn over the falls so we could see them from the air, which was amazing and not a bad manoeuvre for a 737. We were met by our guide Edir who took us into the national park. We were very lucky as our hotel, Las Cataratas, was actually in the park itself, right next to the falls, so no daily bus trip in for us. The rain forest was spectacular and so incredibly dense you couldn’t have walked through it except on the trails. The hotel itself was very luxurious in the old colonial style and recently renovated. We had dinner on the terrace watching the sun set over the ‘smoke’ from the waterfalls which was magical.
The next morning we set off walking through the forest to the setting off point for the river boat trip, a couple of miles up the road. The trees and flowers were beautiful and the sound of the insects and birds was very loud. The boat trip started off with a 2km ride in an electric tram through the forest, the sides of the path festooned with webs with a huge spider in the middle of each one – we discovered later they were ‘golden thread’ spiders because of the colour of their webs and not poisonous, though they looked pretty evil! We then took a board walk down the steep sides to the river itself where we put on lifejackets, waterproofs and left shoes and bags in lockers to avoid them getting wet. The inflatable boat went upriver to the falls where they took us right under one of the smaller ones where we got completely soaked, despite the waterproofs and enjoyed a spectacular view of the falls. Despite the soaking it was great fun and the ride downriver, through the rapids, with forest on both sides was exhilarating. We didn’t see any alligators, just a small furry creature wandering around on the opposite beach. On the trip back John acquired a butterfly which rode all the way to the road on his hat, much to the delight of a Brazilian family of 3 small girls who clearly thought he had some mystical powers.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed a swim in the huge pool whilst we waited for the crowds to go back on their buses. Huge butterflies and brightly coloured birds were also enjoying the cool water at the pool’s edge and at one stage a huge iguana wandered across the lawn. Once the day visitors had gone we took the fall side walk with numerous view points and had the whole trail to ourselves, apart from the small, brightly coloured lizards who each seemed to own a particular section of the path and the huge iguanas, some of which were over 2 feet long. The falls are incredible, with 2300 cubic metres of water passing over them every second and huge drops. A walkway took us right under the largest falls, the Devil’s Throat so we got pretty wet once again and our luxury hotel room started to resemble the drying room at school.
We had another delicious dinner on the terrace and a final Caipirinha to mark our last night in Brazil.
The next morning we set off walking through the forest to the setting off point for the river boat trip, a couple of miles up the road. The trees and flowers were beautiful and the sound of the insects and birds was very loud. The boat trip started off with a 2km ride in an electric tram through the forest, the sides of the path festooned with webs with a huge spider in the middle of each one – we discovered later they were ‘golden thread’ spiders because of the colour of their webs and not poisonous, though they looked pretty evil! We then took a board walk down the steep sides to the river itself where we put on lifejackets, waterproofs and left shoes and bags in lockers to avoid them getting wet. The inflatable boat went upriver to the falls where they took us right under one of the smaller ones where we got completely soaked, despite the waterproofs and enjoyed a spectacular view of the falls. Despite the soaking it was great fun and the ride downriver, through the rapids, with forest on both sides was exhilarating. We didn’t see any alligators, just a small furry creature wandering around on the opposite beach. On the trip back John acquired a butterfly which rode all the way to the road on his hat, much to the delight of a Brazilian family of 3 small girls who clearly thought he had some mystical powers.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed a swim in the huge pool whilst we waited for the crowds to go back on their buses. Huge butterflies and brightly coloured birds were also enjoying the cool water at the pool’s edge and at one stage a huge iguana wandered across the lawn. Once the day visitors had gone we took the fall side walk with numerous view points and had the whole trail to ourselves, apart from the small, brightly coloured lizards who each seemed to own a particular section of the path and the huge iguanas, some of which were over 2 feet long. The falls are incredible, with 2300 cubic metres of water passing over them every second and huge drops. A walkway took us right under the largest falls, the Devil’s Throat so we got pretty wet once again and our luxury hotel room started to resemble the drying room at school.
We had another delicious dinner on the terrace and a final Caipirinha to mark our last night in Brazil.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Safe from the floods in Rio
Just a quick post to let everyone know that we were unaffected by the flooding in Rio. We watched the rain, which was quite spectacular from the hotel bar over a Caipirinha, thinking it was normal for Rio and oblivious to the devastation it was causing not far away. We had seen the Favellas (slum dwellings) clinging to the hillsides and also the scars from previous mud slides and of course they were no match for what was in fact a month's rain in 24 hours.
The first we knew of the extent of the disaster was when John's mum rang (at 4.50 am!) to check that we were OK. We then caught up with it all on the BBC news. We'd headed off to Iguassu Falls and although many flights were delayed and cancelled ours was more or less on time and in Iguassu, about 1000 miles further south the weather is beautiful.
More about Iguassu very soon but right now I am off to experience it with a day of trail walking and water fall viewing - very wet but terrific fun!
The first we knew of the extent of the disaster was when John's mum rang (at 4.50 am!) to check that we were OK. We then caught up with it all on the BBC news. We'd headed off to Iguassu Falls and although many flights were delayed and cancelled ours was more or less on time and in Iguassu, about 1000 miles further south the weather is beautiful.
More about Iguassu very soon but right now I am off to experience it with a day of trail walking and water fall viewing - very wet but terrific fun!
Monday, 10 January 2011
Pictures of Rio
So here we are in Rio. On the Sugarloaf and underneath the statue of Christ the Redeemer, enjoying Sunday brunch at the Sofitel and being amazed by the number of people on the beaches of Cocabana and Ipanema. The joy of having a driver and guide means we actually get some pictures of us together for a change!
Sightseeing in Rio
Having acclimatised and spend time wandering around the beach area we thought it was time to see some of the famous sights of this incredible city so we booked a driver and headed off to explore. Celestino was a great fellow, a Carioca (the name given to natives of Rio) by birth and passionate about his home city. He spoke great English and gave us a potted history of the city and of Brazil. We were glad that he was driving as the mountainous terrain created some challenging roads.
We set off early so we were able to beat the crowds and get straight onto the sugarloaf cable car which was stunning. We’ve all seen it on the James Bond film but I was very glad we were able to stay inside the car as it swung between the volcanic peaks. The view was spectacular with the whole city and the bay spread out below us and the mountain with the statue of Christ above us. The city has 6.6 million inhabitants and extends over 60kms. However, the mountainous countryside means whole shanty towns cling to vertical hillsides and the flat areas on the coast are densely populated with high rise blocks. The queues were building as we came down and headed off for Corcovado Mountain with the statue of Christ on the top.
We drove up and up, stopping 2 km from the summit to admire the statue from a distance and watching the city far below us in the gaps in the forest. For the last km we changed to a small mini bus which took us up the tiny winding road to the summit. Celestino seemed to manage a bit of queue jumping and we were soon at the top where a lift and an escalator took us up to the statue and viewing point. Here it was pretty busy but the views were even more amazing, with 360 degree scenery and a great view of the lagoon which sits in the old Caldera from when this was all live volcanoes. The statue itself is quite a feat of engineering – imagine building a 60m high statue on top of a volcanic pinnacle over 600m above sea level. The fingers alone are taller than a man.
After this we took a winding mountain road into the heart of the forest which is really close to the city and where the wealthy used to have weekend homes to escape the city. It was so beautiful, full of amazing blooms, huge butterflies and banana trees. We walked through the forest to an amazing waterfall, tumbling down the bare rock. We then drove back via the coast road, along miles of sandy beaches. It’s amazing, when there is so much coastline, that the beaches at Ipanema and Cocacabana get so crowded but it’s like a huge outdoor living room for the city. Walking along at night, the parasols and deck chairs have gone but everyone is milling around, eating corn on the cob, drinking beer and browsing the impromptu shops which spring up on the promenade at dusk and listening to the bands playing at the pavement cafes. It’s a really magical place.
We set off early so we were able to beat the crowds and get straight onto the sugarloaf cable car which was stunning. We’ve all seen it on the James Bond film but I was very glad we were able to stay inside the car as it swung between the volcanic peaks. The view was spectacular with the whole city and the bay spread out below us and the mountain with the statue of Christ above us. The city has 6.6 million inhabitants and extends over 60kms. However, the mountainous countryside means whole shanty towns cling to vertical hillsides and the flat areas on the coast are densely populated with high rise blocks. The queues were building as we came down and headed off for Corcovado Mountain with the statue of Christ on the top.
We drove up and up, stopping 2 km from the summit to admire the statue from a distance and watching the city far below us in the gaps in the forest. For the last km we changed to a small mini bus which took us up the tiny winding road to the summit. Celestino seemed to manage a bit of queue jumping and we were soon at the top where a lift and an escalator took us up to the statue and viewing point. Here it was pretty busy but the views were even more amazing, with 360 degree scenery and a great view of the lagoon which sits in the old Caldera from when this was all live volcanoes. The statue itself is quite a feat of engineering – imagine building a 60m high statue on top of a volcanic pinnacle over 600m above sea level. The fingers alone are taller than a man.
After this we took a winding mountain road into the heart of the forest which is really close to the city and where the wealthy used to have weekend homes to escape the city. It was so beautiful, full of amazing blooms, huge butterflies and banana trees. We walked through the forest to an amazing waterfall, tumbling down the bare rock. We then drove back via the coast road, along miles of sandy beaches. It’s amazing, when there is so much coastline, that the beaches at Ipanema and Cocacabana get so crowded but it’s like a huge outdoor living room for the city. Walking along at night, the parasols and deck chairs have gone but everyone is milling around, eating corn on the cob, drinking beer and browsing the impromptu shops which spring up on the promenade at dusk and listening to the bands playing at the pavement cafes. It’s a really magical place.
Impressions of Rio
We left a grey and cold winter at Heathrow for summer in Rio. It felt like a particularly long flight as they lost a passenger and we had to sit on the tarmac whilst their bags were removed so after sitting on the plane for over 13 hours we finally disembarked into the warm night. We were delighted with the Sofitel which sits on the Arpoardor headland between Cocacabana and Ipanema beaches and has amazing views of the bay from the restaurant and first floor swimming pool. I was a bit nervous that Rio might be a bit overwhelming and although it’s noisy and crammed with people it has a lovely buzz, everyone is very friendly and laid back and the scenery is just stunning. With temperatures in the early 30s we have managed to do some long walks and explore the beach areas on foot.
We were amazed by the amount of people on the beach on Friday, until we saw the people who came to enjoy the beach on Sunday, there wasn’t a single inch of space as the whole population seemed to descend on the beaches and they go on for miles. I don’t think I’ve ever seen quite so many bodies in one place! After Abu Dhabi it feels really strange to see people wandering around in beach wear on the streets, drinking beer and generally hanging loose. John saw some ‘push up’ bikini bottoms in a shop so it’s clear that the bottom is just as important as the top half round here! The waves are quite big, especially around the headland so we watched people surfing and also fishing once it gets dark. Tomorrow we’re going to try the Sofitel enclave on the beach which hopefully won’t be quite so crowded on a Tuesday. We’ve stayed at the hotel pool or just enjoyed watching as we walk along the beach front.
We had to try our complimentary Caipirinha at the hotel bar and after that we were hooked. It’s a delicious drink made with about 4 limes, sugar cane liquor, mint leaves and a sprinkling of sugar and very refreshing. We had the seafood brunch on Sunday which came with decent Brazilian champagne, made by Chandon and it was great to sit on the terrace watching the fun of a Rio Sunday from a safe distance. Saturday night we found a local restaurant where we had bean and manioc flour balls with fried shrimp and a delicious fish stew, cooked in coconut juice and palm oil, accompanied by the obligatory Caipirinhas and Brazilian champagne.
It’s a relaxed start to our epic trip though we have found the need to also do quite a lot of sleeping.
We were amazed by the amount of people on the beach on Friday, until we saw the people who came to enjoy the beach on Sunday, there wasn’t a single inch of space as the whole population seemed to descend on the beaches and they go on for miles. I don’t think I’ve ever seen quite so many bodies in one place! After Abu Dhabi it feels really strange to see people wandering around in beach wear on the streets, drinking beer and generally hanging loose. John saw some ‘push up’ bikini bottoms in a shop so it’s clear that the bottom is just as important as the top half round here! The waves are quite big, especially around the headland so we watched people surfing and also fishing once it gets dark. Tomorrow we’re going to try the Sofitel enclave on the beach which hopefully won’t be quite so crowded on a Tuesday. We’ve stayed at the hotel pool or just enjoyed watching as we walk along the beach front.
We had to try our complimentary Caipirinha at the hotel bar and after that we were hooked. It’s a delicious drink made with about 4 limes, sugar cane liquor, mint leaves and a sprinkling of sugar and very refreshing. We had the seafood brunch on Sunday which came with decent Brazilian champagne, made by Chandon and it was great to sit on the terrace watching the fun of a Rio Sunday from a safe distance. Saturday night we found a local restaurant where we had bean and manioc flour balls with fried shrimp and a delicious fish stew, cooked in coconut juice and palm oil, accompanied by the obligatory Caipirinhas and Brazilian champagne.
It’s a relaxed start to our epic trip though we have found the need to also do quite a lot of sleeping.
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