Burned Out

We were supposed to go mountain biking in the mountains today, but we got stood up. Apparently, our organizer hadn’t confirmed our final registration. Instead, we headed into the city center since we were planning to fly to Salta rather than spend 12 hours on a bus. Some companies offer cheaper tickets for locals, while tourists have to pay full price. There are also flight passes if you’re flying domestically a lot, but we won’t be flying enough for that to be worth it for us. We found a travel agent who fortunately spoke good English. He gave us the prices for various destinations since we felt that some distances were just too long to take by bus. For example, it takes 24 hours by bus from Salta to Foz Do Iguaçu. Unfortunately, you can’t fly between all cities, as in some cases you first have to buy a ticket to Buenos Aires before you can buy a ticket to your final destination. So far, we’ve booked a ticket from Córdoba to Salta, which costs 216 pesos per person. Luckily, we can fly directly without having to stop in Buenos Aires first. Other routes cost the following per ticket: (Info coming soon) Later in the afternoon, we took a city tour bus sponsored by McDonald's so we could see and learn about the buildings in the city. The bus was originally from England, so it was a real double-decker, and we got to sit on the top and enjoy the sun. However, we had to duck regularly as the tree branches hung low. In fact, a guy from South Africa almost went overboard when he stood up to take a photo just as we passed under some low-hanging branches! :o) Back at our hotel, we discovered that there were still power issues after yesterday’s thunderstorm. It was getting dark, and it was impossible to see anything. Without air conditioning, our room was turning into a sauna. Unhappy about paying for a room where nothing worked, we walked over to another hotel to see if we wanted to move there instead. The hotel looked pretty gloomy and worn out, so we decided to pack our things and take a taxi to a hotel recommended by Lonely Planet. But luck was on our side because when we returned to our room, the power had come back – so we stayed! :o) We had lunch at a restaurant called Lomitos 348, located in an area with several dining options. We went back there for dinner. We had entrecôte, salad, and bread for only 8 pesos per person. A small but nice bottle of wine cost 5 pesos. We sat inside to eat. So far, it had been a warm and windless summer evening. Suddenly, without warning, strong winds picked up, and all the umbrellas were about to topple over, with the waiters rushing out to take them in. People came rushing into the restaurant with their food, while others seemed more accustomed to this weather and stayed seated with the wind blowing through their hair! :o) We ended the evening at a Mexican bar with Baileys. About 8-10 cl for only 7 pesos. It turns out that Lonely Planet is a bit lacking when it comes to Argentina and Chile. For example, we’re missing information about which areas have good dining and shopping options. So sometimes we feel like we’re wandering around in the dark. Luckily, we’re good/lucky at stumbling into the nice spots! :o)