Rafting in the Andes Mountains

Breakfast at our hostel hasn’t exactly been a culinary delight so far. But then again, it’s not a meal that Argentinians particularly cherish. It’s more like the continental breakfast you’d find in the U.S. – coffee or tea with a little toast or croissant on the side. A bit late, we were picked up by a minivan that was taking us up into the Andes for some rafting. On the way, we struck up a conversation with three guys from Spain, two of whom worked for Maersk, so they knew quite a bit about Denmark. We wanted to check how much the others had paid because we thought the rafting trip was pretty pricey compared to local standards. We had paid 160 pesos per person for the long 4-hour tour. The Spaniards had been here before and were convinced there was only one length for a rafting trip. They had paid 120 pesos for 3 hours. Luckily, it turned out they were mistaken, as we were split into several groups. We actually got our money’s worth. As promised, the rafting trip lasted at least 4 hours, with lunch along the way. First, we were outfitted with a set of “rain gear,” a life jacket, shoes, and a helmet, and then we were driven an hour up the river before we were “launched.” We also had to learn the Spanish commands: “Alliente dos, halto, etc.” so we wouldn’t just paddle away when we hit the rough spots on the river :o) The two people at the front had to know all the commands since the rest of us just had to follow their lead. Honny was sitting up front, so he got a crash course in Spanish :o) There were several spots on the river rated class 4, with names like Rock and Roll or Terminator. We really got to test our skills against the river, which in return splashed huge amounts of water back at us – especially the two sitting at the front :o) We didn’t get back to base until around 6 PM, where thankfully we could take a hot shower after the chilly river experience, which gets its water from melting ice and snow from the Andes – that’s why the water was so clean you could drink it. While we waited for the bus, we chatted with a group from Buenos Aires who were up here for a course in the mountains. They worked in the tourism industry, so we got some great tips. Plus, we got to try Mate tea, which is the national drink of Argentina. Honny loved it, while I thought it tasted more like coffee. By the time we got back to our hostel, had a shower, and changed clothes, it was already 9:30 PM, so we had dinner at the “Argentinian time” – quite late :o) Once again, we were served massive steaks that took up two-thirds of the plate. It costs about 15 pesos for a grande steak. They really love their meat down here. A glass of wine only costs 3 pesos, and a bottle ranges from 6 to 60 pesos. Argentinians are incredibly friendly and very chatty. We ended up talking to the table next to us at the restaurant. There were two Argentine girls who had studied in the U.S., so they spoke great English.