Cordoba (Again)

Tuesday 16th November-Saturday 20th November

On Tuesday 16th we arrived in Cordoba from SM de Tucuman at 07.30. A taxi to Hanne´s flat found her fast asleep at about 8am. No change there then!

Basic housekeeping took place like washing fleeces ( 2 months and stiff with travel dust) and all washable clothes. Dinner has taken place at Junior B, inside because it was zipping down with rain. The increase in prices (large) since last time was duly noted. I cannot understand how Argentinians cope. Today the flat door jammed and a locksmith was called. A new lock and three new keys were provided with two visits to the flat involved. The bill was 100 pesos or GBP16. With such low prices (and wages corresponding) I cannot see how anybody affords the restaurant (and other) prices which are not cheap. Junior B was full last night. Personal debt must be the only answer.

An amusing anecdote. Hanne booked, on the phone, a hostal on Peninsular Valdes (There are now lots of them) and they wanted my credit card details, which were duly provided. When asked if we could pay by credit card the answer was, oh no, we only take cash!!! Also there is now an ATM on Peninsular Valdes which regularly runs out of cash BUT is refilled every Monday.

Just for good measure I asked for quotes from 3 car hire companies by email. The best price was from Wild Skies Rentacar who do take credit cards but offered 10% discount for cash!

We have unloaded lots of items which will not be needed on the next leg of the trip which starts on Saturday (tomorrow) with a 20 hour bus trip to Puerto Madryn. We plan to be back at base camp in Cordoba for the last week in January prior to the trip north to Iguasu,  Brazil and Uruguay. Hanne is off to UK on Sunday and will meet up with us in El Calafate on 22nd December for Christmas. The New Year venue has not yet been sorted.

Cordoba (Hanne´s part) remains full of young people. We are going to Mandarina tonight for a farewell dinner.

Frommer's Review This eclectic restaurant, along the pedestrian walkway Obispo Trejo, is a cornucopia of surreal and occasionally sexual artwork. The city's cultural crowd comes for salads, pizzas, and pastas and later for wines, whiskeys, and wacky ..."‎

God alone knows what drugs this reviewer was on because the Mandarina we go to is nothing like this!

The next blog entry will be from Patagonia....