Day 30. Leaving Buenos Aires

After a short visit to the city of Córdoba, we traveled back to the big city to finish with the checklist. Of course not everything was done, but that only means that we'll have to come back to Argentina, soon.
On Saturday we payed a visit to the National Museum, to learn about the munificent history of Argentina. Of course they didn't have any material in English, therefore I had to translate everything, I looked like a professional guide, even a cute Briton joined us to hear the explanations.
It's hard to believe that without any epidemic, war, climate disaster, nor earthquakes and with such a wealth of natural resources, Argentinians managed to fuck it up so badly.
That night we met Romi and Barby*, and we ended so wasted that Tal don't even remember how he got home. The next morning I fought Tal to get up, in order to spent some quality time with my father and myself in a SPA for the day. I won't come into details about how awkward that was.

The last day we spent on the old district of Buenos Aires having lunch with my mother and then we split: I went with my brother, sister and nephews, and Tal went shopping and came back home like Carrie Bradshaw, with his hands full of bags.

On Monday we got into the plane, after I left most of my tears in Buenos Aires, in our way to our last stop before getting home, Rome, Italy.

* Para vos Romi, que te quejás de que no escribo en criollo. Un beso enorme y te quiero mucho!

Day 27. La Falda (not Mafalda):

Our first stop way Villa Carlos Paz, by the lake, this is one of the
biggest vacation place in Argentina, once a small town, now a big city
with everything to offer, the highlight is the Cu-Cu clock in the
city. Enlarged a hundred-fold, this clock disappoints any tourist who's
willing to wait up to half an hour to see a small blue bird go out for a
fraction of a second. So much for Villa Carlos Paz.

As we drove our way through the road of the hundred curves (who
counts), we arrived to Cosquín, capital of the Argentinian folklore, a
tiny town with a week of life in the year and nothing for the rest of
the year.

Further north we found ourselves in La Falda, vacation site for mostly
Germans by the beginning of the century.
there we succumbed to my uncle's pressure and entered the once called Eden
Hotel, for an hour and a half that turned to be three hours. Once the
most exclusive hotel in south America, now decrypted and stripped
building with little left after years of abandonment and theft. This old
mammoth tells his story of luxury and wealth in the belle epoque of
Argentina, where the elites came all the way to Europe to spend almost
half of the year. Now they are trying to restore at least a part of this
splendor and turn it into a culture center with a boutique spa. Nothing
to see yet.
The next day we rested, as my sister was to arrive with my brother in
law and my two nephews. As small walk and mate to the lake and in the
evening I remembered how to make Asado, nothing like a rush of
testosterone and the belly full of meat to finish the day :)

Next stop: Córodoba City, and then back to Buenos Aires, to spend our
last day before the return :(

I'll miss the clean air.

Day 25. Córdoba

After a few days of smog breathing and packed streets, celebrating my father's and sister's birthdays, the arrival of my uncle Norby and my aunt Gretchen from the state we runned away to the central province of Córdoba, just between the Pampa's plateau and the pre-Andinean hills. A green spot to rest the mind and awe at huge lakes and dams.

And eight hours drive from Buenos Aires (six and a half at my mother's speed, two hours for Tal to stay awake) we arrive to the small town of Villa Ciudad de America (quite funny: The Village of the city of the Americas). Almost a kilometer uphill in a dirt road you'll find the country house for the stock exchange workers that my mother reserved.

Two Cabañas, each with two apartments, each with two rooms, fully equipped and with a great 360º view: hills, lake, trees, and two dogs.
We rented a bigger car there and started driving. Through smaller towns with funny names (Calamuchita, Cumbrecita, Bosque Alegre...) and zigzagged roads we drove for hours, between one Kaffe und Kuchen stop and the next one.

Villa General Belgrano: An old german colony in the middle of the mountains which was flooded with the marines of and german ship of war that was sunken in the coasts of Uruguay before the WWII. Here, every October the national beer festival: Octoberfest, a great opportunity to
get really drunk without having to feel sorry. Thousand flux to this small town to drink the best home made beer Argentina has to offer.

Mina Clavero: the way to this god forsaken town is amazing, we crossed the hills chain where the valley rolls as far as the eyes can see. There we found the Rocsen museum, in the middle of nothing, on a dirt road, this bizarre place stands. 12 statues loom on its facade, supposedly,
the most influencing men in history. This self declare polifacetic museum (junk of any time) covers 15.000 sqm of land with the most crazy things you could find: A stuffed two headed cow, Córdoba's the oldest windmill, a Indian mummy a whole collection of dried butterflies and
insects, and a huge collection of music instruments.

צהריי שישי בבואנוס

הדרך הכי טובה לבלות את צהריי יום שישי בבואנוס איירס היא מחוץ לעיר, אבל לא יותר מדי. נסיעה קצרה של חצי שעה לכיוון הדלתא של הפראנה ואתה מגיע לעיר טיגרה (לעילגים שביננו, זה טייגר בארחנטינאית...) שם יש איים קטנים ונהרות בצבע חמרה וארד. אם יש לך באמת מזל, אז אתה לא צריך לסמוך על האוטובוס הימי ואתה משיט את עצמך בסירה משלך לזולה הקרובה והשווה ביותר. זה מה שאנחנו עשינו. סינג'רנו את טיטו, חבר של אבא של אריאל ועשינו סקי מים והתיישבנו על הפרישה באחד האיים. טוב, לא באמת עשינו.אני אישית לא הצלחתי לצאת מהמים, אבל אריאל המקצוען שיש לו כבר עשרות שנות ניסיון, על הסירה של טיטו והמגלשיים שעתיקים בדיוק כמונו, ואולי קצת יותר, התרומם כמו פיניקס ימי והפגין כישורים יוצאי דופן. שאפו וקבילדו לעם ולעולם

Day 17. BIG Eyes, BIG Guys, BIG ICE

Lazy days off, we woke up on 6 O' clock to find Ceci making us breakfast, she's unbelievable, who would say she's not a Jewish mother?
A little freezing and the bus picked us up to the Glaciar again, this time to go deep into it. As I managed to wake the adventurous spirit in Tal, we took the long walk on the Glaciar, 7 hours, what can I say? AMAZING.
The trek started with a stroll by the side of the Glaciar, then went up, and finally we got to the boundaries of it. We mounted the cramps on our shoes and went in, it's actually hard to walk on ice, I found that you can't turn on the spot without falling, luckily I only had to fall once to notice :) ice is hard.
As we walked with our small group of 10 people we passed by cracks in the glaciar that go so deep you can't see the end. There are also huge pounds of frozen water you can see yourself reflected on it.
This huge piece of ice (30.000 sqkm) even has rivers which flows right thru it under the surface. The say that the deepest part of the glaciar goes about 700 meters deep.
It's hard to get, but this giant is on perpetual movement, about 2 meters per day in it's center part, but you don't really feel it. This creates the amazing sharp-end towers of blue faded ice that show all over the place.
So between cracks, holes and frozen rivers we made our way in this fantastic and unique white block to have a proper "Whisky in the rocks" with glaciar ice.

With a smile stamped our faces and terrible pain in our ankles we returned to safe heaven in Ceci's house in El Calafate. Enjoy the pictures :)

Day 16. Calafate

While having a great and welcoming time in El Calafate with Ceci (my kindergarten old-time mate) and her always happy husband Diego, we were honored with a classic Sundays big family ASADO, great meals and lots of spoils. Really nice after the hard time we had by ourselves in the south :).
So Ceci took us to see the Perito Moreno Glaciar, this amazing big block of ice, sort of a frozen river flowing from the top of the Andes Risks into a lake to create a dam that splits it in two and once in a while offers a great show when crumbling, it's a must. There we stopped to stare at this great piece of ice and drink a few "mates" y "facturas", our fixed menu for lunch.
Then we enjoyed the freezing wheather to stroll around the Roca lake to have our "merienda" and try to make stone hopping on the lake's surface, none of us got more than 2 hops.
Tal made new friends, Homero and Fatiga (Homer, Fatigue), a cat and a dog, Ceci's, both trying to get the most of your attention and food. Both as lazy as you can find.

על צבאים, ציפורים וחיות אחרות

את היום האחרון בבארילוצ'ה בילינו בנסיעה במה שמכונה "המסלול הקטן", זה הסיבוב הקצר מסביב לעיר בו התייר השמנמן יכול לחלוף ליד ה'כותרות' של העיר.
מבחינתנו הארוע המרכזי היה ביקור במלון ה"ז'או ז'או" שנמצא באמצע הפארק העירוני "שאו שאו". אריאל רצה שאראה את הפאר והנוף, ואני התלהבתי בעיקר מהעובדה שבשירותים יש כל הזמן ריח טוב. השיא היה כשאכלנו את אמא של במבי במסעדה עם הנוף לאגם.

הביקור ב'אילת' של ארחנטינה (מי שעוקב אחרי הבלוג אמור להבין...) הסתיים בטיסה לאל-קלאפטה, מרחק של ישראל וטורקיה. בעיר הקטנה פגשנו את ססי, חברת ילדות של אריאל, ובעלה דייגו, שאירחו אותנו. הבילוי הראשון שלנו שם: טיול בקזינו, בו הרווחנו 100 פסו בזכות הלחיצות הענוגות של אריאל וציפור קסמים מעפנה.

קבילדו לפנים!

Day 13. El Bolsón

On Wednesday we traveled up to the Cathedral Ski resort to warm up in the snow. A clear day, not a cloud in the sky and they said there's good snow on the top.
And then Tal got cold feet regarding his ski baptism. So we drove two hours to pay a visit to the hippie city of El Bolson. It seems like they spray some kind of drug in the air, by the moment we stepped out of the car we felt relaxed and happy :).
We went around the sleepy town to find a place that can feed us some meat, drove to the highest point around to enjoy the view and the warm weather.
After filling our stomages we headed back to Bariloche, to start Yom Kippur in time. To Beith Habad (sort of jewish house abroad), to squeeze with fellow Israelis to eat a last meal before the fast, on the menu: freshly killed chicken (still bleeding in the backyard) and potatoes. I couln't eat.
Tzom Kal!

כיפור ושות

כיפור עבר והפרק של בארילוצ'ה נחתם, האמת, בשמחה. העיר הזו לא הייתה כמו שחשבתי, מהסיפורים של האנשים שקראתי והחברים שהיו דמיינתי שכל העיר מריחה משוקולד, בדיוק כמו צומת עלית באותו השיר. אבל לא. התבדיתי.
מדובר באילת, על 10 מעלות בעונה הזו. מסתבר שהעיר מלאה בי"בניקים וזה דבר שבשגרה, וכולנו יודעים ששיגרה זה רע.
את החג התחלנו בבית חב"ד, היה רגוע, במיוחד לתרנגולות המתות שישנו מאחורינו. . היו בערך 100 ישראלים מכל הסוגים והגדלים. אחרי זה צמתי, לבד במלון, אני ובן-גוריון, מחכה שהנאצים מהקבלה יגיעו. אריאל בנתיים עשה סקי (עוכר ישראל) ונשרף כהוגן. זה היה הכיפור שהיה.

Day 11. Bariloche

So we left the cutest town of Villa La Angostura with its wooden homes
and wacky tree-bushes, for the city of food, Bariloche.
After a short trip and a few stops by the lake to enjoy breathtaking
views we entered to this city, the capital of chocolate.
On the intercross of V.O'Connor St. and J.O'Connor St. we found our
eastern-european, mid-sixties hotel, even with a boidem in our room,
to hide our jews ;-).
We found our way through chocolate and ice cream shops to the old
civic center to enjoy the views of the great Nahuel Huapi lake.
Here in the picture you can see Tal after he dropped his ice cream.
And the next one of myself trying not to freeze by the same lake.

Day 11. Bariloche

So we left the cutest town of Villa La Angostura with its wooden homes and wacky tree-bushes, for the city of food, Bariloche.
After a short trip and a few stops by the lake to enjoy breathtaking views we entered to this city, the capital of chocolate.
On the intercross of V.O'Connor St. and J.O'Connor St. we found our eastern-european, mid-sixties hotel, even with a boidem in our room, to hide our jews ;-).
We found our way through chocolate and ice cream shops to the old civic center to enjoy the views of the great Nahuel Huapi lake.
Here in the picture you can see Tal after he dropped his ice cream. And the next one of myself trying not to freeze by the same lake.

יום 11. עצי שיחים

עזבנו את כובש האנדים מרטין והמשכנו דרומה לווישה לה אנגוסטורה [בדרך
עצרנו לתדלוק בעיירה ציורית בשם וישה טרפול עם רוצחים סדרתיים
פוטנציאליים והחלטנו לא להישאר לישון שם...], מקור השם שלה הוא בחצי האי
שמחובר אליה.

אנגוסטורה נראית כאילו האחים גרים בנו אותה: בתים מעץ ואבן, ארובות
ועצים גבוהים. בילינו את היום בטיול רגלי של 12+1 ק"מ בחצי האי שייחודו
הם עצי הראשאנאס שהפכו בו לעצים. הטיול נגמר ברגל תפוסה של טל ושייט של
שעה על קטאמראן.

היה קאבילדו!

יום 11. עצי שיחים

עזבנו את כובש האנדים מרטין והמשכנו דרומה לווישה לה אנגוסטורה [בדרך עצרנו לתדלוק בעיירה ציורית בשם וישה טרפול עם רוצחים סדרתיים פוטנציאליים והחלטנו לא להישאר לישון שם...], מקור השם שלה הוא בחצי האי שמחובר אליה.



אנגוסטורה נראית כאילו האחים גרים בנו אותה: בתים מעץ ואבן, ארובות ועצים גבוהים. בילינו את היום בטיול רגלי של 12+1 ק"מ בחצי האי שייחודו הם עצי הראשאנאס שהפכו בו לעצים. הטיול נגמר ברגל תפוסה של טל ושייט של שעה על קטאמראן.



היה קאבילדו!

Day 9. Paimun Lake

After a day in the surroundings of the lacar lake we headed north to
Junin de los Andes to refill our food stocks and see a little of
off-the-rails small town in Argentina.
Then, after more than 50 km of really bad dirt road and a drunken
hitchhiker, we made our way to the paradisiac Paimun Lake to have a
rest by the butyful beach and perfect silence.
Look for yourself.

Day 9. Paimun Lake

After a day in the surroundings of the lacar lake we headed north to Junin de los Andes to refill our food stocks and see a little of off-the-rails small town in Argentina.
Then, after more than 50 km of really bad dirt road and a drunken hitchhiker, we made our way to the paradisiac Paimun Lake to have a rest by the butyful beach and perfect silence.
Look for yourself.