Did you know that Argentina is 1 hour ahead of Chile ?
Nights of the “Pool Table”
I was on a bus from Punto Arenas to Ushuaia with a british couple, Mark and Kay, whom I’d originally met on the boat from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and who I had subsequently bumped into in the oddest places. The last of which had been an extremely obscure guesthouse in Punta Arenas.
We entered Argentina and finally arrived at the delightful town of Rio Grande, which the Lonely Planet describes as: “making a genuine effort to beautify and improve itself, but still has a long way to go.” It wasn’t actually that bad. We got there at 4pm and were told that our connecting bus to Ushuaia was at 6pm. So Mark and I decided to use the time to go for a wander, find a bank and to get some snacks for the impending 3 hour trip to Ushuaia. We got back at 5:15, in plenty of time for the bus and…….nothing, everyone had gone, including Kay and all of our luggage. The office was locked up and in darkness. We stood and looked at each other wondering what was going on. It’s amazing what scenarios you can come up with in such a situation: Was there a free tour of Rio Grande ? Was dinner included ? Aliens from another planet ? You name it, we thought of it !! But there was one thing that Mark was definitely sure of…Kay wouldn’t have left without us !! Mark, Kay – never apply to appear on Mrs and Mrs !! We waited for over an hour before the penny finally dropped….there’s a 1 hour time difference !! Oops !!
So began 10 days of excessive alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation and more pool than you could shake a stick at.
The next bus to Ushuaia left at 7 o’clock the next morning ! What to do ? Find a hotel or……..Basically we decided to make a night of it and went to a bar, a restaurant, bar, the 1am showing of “The Gladiator” (Films are great here as they are in the original version with Spanish subtitles) and then ended up back in the bar drinking and playing pool until they eventually threw us out at 6 in the morning !! An hour later we were on the bus heading towards Ushuaia, via the land of nod !
Ushuaia
At 54º South Ushuaia is the most southerly city in the world. It lies on the Isla Grande del Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), so called because the indiginous peoples wore little or no clothing and used constant fires to keep themselves warm. It’s setting is beautiful, absolutely stunning. It lies on the north side of the Beagle Channel with an vast array of snowcapped mountains behind it rising from sea-level to heights if over 1500m. The town itself has a real ‘frontier’ feel about it: Many of the streets are unpaved and much of the sprawling housing looks ready to sprawl itself a little closer to the ground. In the summer it’s quite a tourist place with cruise boats to the Antarctic etc but in winter (ie. now) it’s all but devoid of tourists. Something else about ‘El Fin del Mundo’ (The End if the world) – It’s bloody cold !! Gloves, hat, scarf etc definitely required. Thank god I’ve got long hair !
Some Background
The Tierra del Fuego was originally inhabited by the Ona, Haush, Alacalufes and Yahgan indians. Some of the latter of which were taken to London by the first vogage in the area, of the british ship “The Beagle” in 1830. Jimmy Button, as he was called, the only survivor of the ordeal, returned with the Beagle in 1834 along with a certain Charles Darwin. Darwin said of the indians:
“They are abject and miserable creatures…that scarcely deserve to be called articulate fellow creatures.”
Which suggests that however much he understood the world around him when it came to his own species he was as blind and bigotted as the next man. Interestingly though, he also said:
“…their difference with europeans is greater than that between wild and domestic animals.”
Was this what triggered his idea of evolution ?
In the late 1800´s a british missionary, Thomas Bridges, came from the Falkland Islands and set up a mission in Ushuaia for the Indians who were coming under immense pressure for land and food by the estancias (farms) that were appearing. Although his intentions were no doubt good, the Indians became exposed to diseases against which they had no resistance and a lifestyle to which they were not accustomed. They were completely decimated. One of the only things that remains of the Indians now, strangly, is their language. Thomas Bridges learnt the language of the Yahgan’s and wrote a incomplete dictionary of their language which has over 32,000 entries. So much for Darwins “inarticulate fellow creatures”.
After this time Ushuaia was the site of a penal colony, mainly for political prisoners, before becoming the more tourist dependent city that it is today. So there you go, everything you ever wanted to know about Ushuaia but were too afraid to ask !
In Ushuaia
A very sleepy Mark and I were greeted at the bus stop in Ushuaia by a vision ! Does anyone remember Fagin, the vagabond of Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’, or better still Ben Gunn the castaway in ‘Treasure Island’ ? You know, long hair, longer beard and a mad glint in the eye ? Well, add a quilted jacket and you have a Señor Pedro Sanchez who, along with his wife Hilda, are two of the craziest people that I’ve ever met. (“Would you happen to have a piece of cheese about your person ?”). If you want a good example of what 27 years of living in the middle of nowhere does for you, then look no further ! That said, they were also two of the friendliest and kindest people that you could hope to meet.
We spent 4 days in Ushuaia and had a ball. Walking, sitting in cafés, visiting museums and getting drunk with Pedro and Francesco, an italian guy who never seemed to be able to get out of bed early enough to catch his bus out of town. Hilda even prayed for Mark and Kay during breakfast so that they could learn spanish easier ! We had an absolutely fantastic time .
Our next stop was Trelew, 1000 km to the north. It was actually cheaper, faster, and a lot less hassle to fly than to take the bus and so on a beautiful Wednesay afternoon we left took off from the “Argentine Malvinas International Airport”.
| The Falklands / Las Malvinas
As an aside. It was interesting to note that on all maps in Argentina, even official ones, the Falklands (Malvinas), South Georgia etc are all stated as being Argentinian. I understand the Argentinian claim to the islands but the facts are, rightly or wrongly, different. The maps, which in my opinion should be factual like an encylopaedia, seem to have crossed the line between “a national desire” and “blatant propoganda”. I found this surprising in a country as advanced as Argentina. |
Que tal, Boyo ?
In 1865, the ship “Mimosa” carrying a group of 153 welsh people landed in Patagonia.
“Their leaders had combed the earth for a stretch of open country uncontaminated by englishmen. They chose Patagonia for it’s absolute remoteness and foul climate !”*.
They founded a series of welsh towns in the area of which Trelew is one.
To be honest, there isn’t actually a lot in Trelew apart from a Welsh Museum and a Museum of Palaentology (Dinosaur bones – Patagonia is full of them). Nearby Punto Tombo is apparently a good place, in the right season, for seeing vast colonies of penguins. Unfortunately, the right season wasn’t now.
The town of Gaiman is 17km west of Trelew and is apparently one of the few demonstratably welsh towns left. Being demonstratably welsh seems to mean having several Olde Worlde Welsh Tea shops and a chapel. That said, past welsh influence was clear with several old buildings sporting Welsh on their frontages and odd names like ‘Miguel Jones’ appearing on letter boxes. The museum, which was closed when we were there, apparently has welsh speaking volounteers.
Further away from Trelew is the town of Dolavon. Have you ever had one of those experiences when you get to a remote place, see the last mode of transport for several hours, heading off into the distance, look around, see that there is, in fact, nothing to see and then burst out laughing at the silliness of the predicament ? Well, Dolavon was one of those places !
There was only one thing for it – where’s the local bar ? The Bar España was a quiet place, sparsely furnished with a wooden floor, an old pool table, pictures of past local teams on the wall and an old barman that you thought would die of overexertion everytime that he wiped the table and emptied the ashtray. The few locals present viewed us with obvious surprise when we entered but soon relaxed. We got some beers and asked about food, “Sandwiches ?”, “Si, si” and off he went to some other part of the village to get some !! How’s that for service ?
In the bar they had a game called Supo (Toad). It consists of a table with several holes in it upon which, sits a large brass frog (or toad) with it’s mouth open. You each have 4 brass counters which you have to try to get into the frogs mouth or one of the other holes for points. First one to 800 wins. The locals found it funny to watch us, especially as sometimes we missed the table completely (I blame it on the beer, I can’t remember if it was too much or too little but it was definitely the beer) and the fact they Kay won every game. It helped break the ice. After that we had a great time.
A good way of meeting locals is to play pool. You play a couple of games and then ask if they would like to have a game of doubles – never fails. Before you know where you are the beers are flowing and you’ve made some new friends including, in this case, an extremely drunk local who was determined to play guitar and sing his lungs out to two completely different tunes.
| Pool
Rule differences. In Argentina there are a couple of differences to the rules in pool. Probably the best one is the idea that instead of nominating a pocket for the black, you have to pot it into the same pocket as your last ball. If both teams pot their last ball in the same pocket then the second team has to take the pocket opposite. It makes the game a lot more fun. Try it next time you play. |
By the time we had to leave for the bus home we were definitely worse for wear but we’d made some new friends and there were hugs and kisses all round. They even gave us some free cans of beer for the bus ride back to Trelew !
Sometimes, some of the best experiences come from the most unexpected situations !!
Disaster
In Trelew disaster struck, or at least became evident. After several years of faithful service my camera gave up the ghost and went to whereever cameras go when their lenses don’t focus the way that they used to and their shutter closes for the final time. My pictures of Ushuaia, and believe me they were stunning, award winning photos, failed to develop. The film was blank. I’ve no complaints, it hadn’t had an easy life and had served me well. The pictures on this website are it’s epitaph. – Bugger !
Unfortunately it couldn’t have happened at a worse time !! Although Argentina is very modern and has a good selection of cameras in the shops it also has some of the highest duty on electronic items known to man, making prices almost 2 to 3 times what you would pay anywhere else and way beyond my budget. I bought a cheapo camera to use until I can replace it and the photos that you’ll see for Argentina come from that. I apologise for the photos in advance. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.
Whales (Yes, I can spell)
After Trelew we headed up to Puerto Madryn, another originally welsh town. We’d come here for a specific reason – whales ! Puerto Madryn is the main town before the entrance to the Peninsular Valdes National Park and is quite a nice place with a beach etc and a good feel.
We did a day trip to the Peninsular which was fantastic. At Puerto Pyramide, a small port within the park, we took a zodiac out into the bay hoping to see the Humpbacked whales that come here to breed. We weren’t disappointed ! It was just amazing, you almost had to pinch yourself to make sure that you weren’t dreaming. At one point a whale came to within 5m of the boat (honestly) and then dived, fluke high in the air. Simply awesome !
Next stop was Punto Delgardo where there is a colony of sealions, hundreds of them. We lay atop the cliff overlooking the beach and watched them. They are so clumsy on land but in the water – wow, like angels ! I could have stayed there all day.
The last stop was to see a colony of Elephant Seals which are similar to sealions but bigger, much bigger ! How I missed my camera !!
Back in Puerto Madryn things were also good. In Argentina the national food, if you like, it Asado and Parrillada which is basically meat roasted over an open fire. They also have restaurants called Tenedor Libres (Free Forks) which is basically an “as much as you can eat” buffet of many different dishes including an Asado and Parrillada for as little as $4 US.
Following tradition, we also found a pool hall ! We only went in for a couple of games but emerged 9 hours later after copious amounts of beer, more games of pool than I have ever played in my life before, the dance routine for one of the Backstreet Boys songs (don’t ask) and several new friends including an old guy who used to live in Germany, the Uraguayan captain of a fishing fleet, 2 members of the Argentinian Navy and a couple of the local prostitutes !!
We left the pool hall at around 4:30 and decided to go straight to the beach. So we grabbed a tent and our sleepingbags and then got a cab for the 20km drive to a remote beach called the Playa Doradillo. The taxi driver thought that we were nuts but we were on a mission. We put up the 2 man tent in the dark and the rain and then the 3 of us wedge ourselves into it. It’s the most intimate that I’ve been with anyone for a long time. Shame I was sleeping next to Mark !
The next morning (3 hours later) we awoke to the sound of rain and one of those “What the hell am I doing here ?” moments. We unzipped the door of the tent and…..wow, a whale casually swimming past in the bay below !! That was why we were here. Francesco, the Italian guy in Ushuaia, had told us of this remote beach where the whales come in the morning to within 10 m of the beach and play and roll etc. He was right. We got absolutely drenched watching them but it was unreal, truely amazing !
As always, though, the time eventually came to part company. I was heading off west to a place called Bariloche and Mark and Kay were heading north. It was sad to say goodbye but we’d had a great 10 days together. Thanks guys !!
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, to give it it’s full name, is in a truely beautiful setting, on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and with snowcapped mountains in every direction. The town itself is a nice enough place and has a ski-resort feel to it. I actually stayed about 7km outside in a YHA hostal called the ‘Albergue Alaska’, a snug wooden lodge located between Bariloche and the ski-area of Catedral. Bariloche had been recommended to me by several different people and that, plus the chance of maybe getting in some snowboarding, was too much to resist.
I was also looking for a place to rest. I was exhausted after travelling with Kay and Mark, my diary (I’ve kept one for everyday since I started this trip) had fallen a bit behind, and I desperately needed to do some serious spanish study – languages, unfortunately, don’t teach themselves. Alaska was perfect, it was quiet, in beautiful surroundings, cheap, comfy, had cooking facilities and even a selection of videos. What’s more I discovered that the ski season, which I thought I’d be too early for, started 2 days after I arrived – just perfect !!
I ended up staying there for 10 days. I got my diary up to date, did loads of spanish, caught up on lots of films that I’d always meant to see at the cinema but, for whatever reason, hadn’t got around to, and got in 3 days of snowboarding which was just superb !! The conditions weren’t always great, sometimes the visibility was practically nil, but the snow was just perfect with good powder and very few people. A big “Thank you” to Lautrano, Antonia and Cristina with whom I skied. I really appreciated your company.
It was hard to drag myself away but it was time to move on again and to head across the Pampas (Argentina’s agricultural heartland) to the capital city, Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is built on the banks of the Rio de la Plata (“River of Silver”, named during the time when silver used to be transported down river from mines further upstream). It is a big, busy city with lots going on and a good feel to it. I spent days simply walking around and seeing what I could find. If you ever go to Buenos Aires then let me recommend a few things.
Recoleta
Recoleta is a well to do area to the north of the centre of town. It has a nice park and cafés etc but, more interestingly, a cemetary. They say that it’s cheaper to live your whole life like a king than to die and be buried in Recoleta. The Cemetary is just unreal, a different world.
As a northern european I am used to graveyards being like fields with crosses and headstones in neat rows. The southern european idea of putting photos on graves I’ve always found dead spooky, it really gives me the creeps. Don’t ask me why, maybe it makes it all a bit too personal – this was once a real person – or maybe it’s the idea of the eyes looking at you as you stand by the grave, whatever.
One thing that we don’t often have in the UK are mausoleums – buildings to house the dead. Recoleta is a veritable town of mausoleums, street after narrow street after narrrow street. What’s more, is that you can see into the mausoleums and actually see the coffins – in plain view. Some of the mausoleums had broken doors and you could theoretically have reached out and touch the coffins !! Freak out factor: very high !
Recoleta Cementary’s most famous ‘resident’, for want of a better term, is probably a certain María Eva Duarte de Perón – Evita, who died of cancer in 1952, aged 33. Her coffin lies in the Duart family’s mausoleum.
It was quite moving seeing the final resting place of someone so famous. I had to consciously stop myself from whistling “Don’t cry for me Argentina” as I wandered around the rest of the cemetary !
La Boca
The next place that I would recommend is an area called “La Boca”. It’s home to the famous Boca Juniors football team, for whom Maradonna once played and is also a place of street art, colourfully painted houses, and galleries. It’s a nice place to spend an afternoon.
The Tango
Apart from Evita probably the most famous cultural ‘export’ from Argentina is the Tango. It evolved around the turn of the 20th Century in the bars and brothels of the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires. Tango, however, is not only dance, it is also a whole style of music and song made famous by the likes of Carlos Gardel et al. If you’re in Buenos Aires then you have to see a Tango performance. If you’re lucky, sometimes you see them on the street. I actually went to a show and it was simply amazing. The dance is so complicated, so fast and so passionate that it really does take your breath away.
Summary
I adored Argentina. The country and it’s culture are beautiful and diverse and it’s people are some of the nicest that I’ve met on my trip so far. Visit if you can.
On the 30th of June I boarded a ferry to cross the Rio de la Plata where a new country and some new experiences were waiting.
I’ll talk to you soon,
Iain
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