061030 - 6a+, La Ola, ARG

After an hour rest on the sofa Martin, the tour guide, rang the bell at 6:30am... Time to go. I felt like being smacked by a train. But hell... Time to go. We took a taxi to the bus station. And found out that the bus had already left. So he had to come up with another option --- and instead of going to Los Gigantes we went to La Ola. About the same distance from Cordoba but on the other side of the Sierras. I didn't get to see much of the scenery as I was knocked out by my sleep deficit.
We got there around 11:30am and set up the camp before heading out for some climbing. As I am a Rookie in this game I didn't expect to do much. Just wanted to go out there and have some fun. It was a beautiful day and after some nice climbs we headed back to the camp around 5pm. Flattened from climbing, lacking sleep and worn out by the sun I pretty much sank to the ground and started sleeping.
As night set in all I did was move from the stone I had been sleeping on into the tent. But all of a sudden a terrible storm arose out of nothing. It started raining cats and dogs. I tried to get away from the noise by plugging my ears. ;o) But then.. what was that?!? Why was my sleeping bag wet? *autsch* I was sleeping in the middle of a little lake that had built up inside the tent. There was only one option: pack up everything and move to the refugio. Ahh.. what a relief. A nice and warm, cozy place. I knocked out right after sitting down on the matress... and didn't wake up until 10am the next morning.
The whole day was kinda shitty. No sunshine, overcasted. But we made a few climbs and near the end of the day we met a bunch of guys from Cordoba who had come here just for the day. They were very good climbers. And a heck of fun to hang out with.
On the last day, the sun was just throwing heat balls down -- and I had no sun protection -- we climbed till 2pm before heading back to Cordoba. All in all it was some really nice days. Heck... this sounds so borring!!!

061026 - Lazy days in Cordoba, ARG

to be told later.. ;o)

061025 - Paying tribute to "the Che" and visiting the most-German village ever, ARG

After lazing in Cordoba for two days it was about time to leave the city behind and visit one of the local highlights: Alta Gracia. It was here where, at the age of four, a young boy arrived, troubled by health problems and hoping for relieve, who would become one of the most influential persons in the world: Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. Ever since I first read his biography I wanted to visit the placed where he grew up. It kinda played an influence on my journey as well. First I was obsessed by the idea of taking the same route "Che" took in 1952 with his friend Alberto Granado on a Norton motorbike. Well, I didn't want to do it on a Norton but something more modern. ;o) But still, it has always been a dream of mine. Now, that I am here in Argentina, I am just as pleased following his steps and passing through the same towns and places he did, but using the bus. The trip they made was before Ernesto Guevara became "the Che" and famous. But it opened his eyes to the beauty of his own country and South America in total, as well as made him aware of the huge social differences that were splitting the continent and most importantly the people apart.
Today Alta Gracia remains a quiet little town with a pleasant climate, which lost much of its importance as the social center for the Argentine oligarchy it was held.
Besides the Che museum, its main attraction is the Jesuit estancia; said to be one of the finest in the province.

From Alta Gracia it is about an hour drive to Villa Belgrano. Getting there was very pleasant. Surrounded by evergreens high in the Calamuchita Valley, I heard alot about this town before arriving there. Some of the survivors of the German battleship Graf Spee, which sunk near Montevideo during WWII, settled here and since 1964 the town celebrates its very own Oktoberfest during the first two weeks of October. Unfortunately I wasn't there. But when I saw the first houses I felt like being thrown into a theme park. Not even in Germany I have seen a place so much German-like as this one. It was incredible. But there's hardly anybody left who speaks German.
And then out of nowhere a rare attack of following a suggestion from the guide book hit me: wh not try some Schwarzwälderkirschkuchen (black forest cake) while here? Naeh, I felt more like Spaetzle. Mmhh... yammhie... I love Spaetzle. But unfortunately my high expectations where not fulfilled. They turned out not so tasty, nothing like Spaetzle, and, of course, way-overpriced. Heck... neck time just resist the tempation, idiot! ;o)

061022 - The youngest place in Argentina, ARG

It was time to move on to the next point on the map: Cordoba. It seems like there are no old people in this city. Why? Well, cause it hosts one of the biggest universities in the country and so many kids from the neighboring providences come here to study. Myself I am ubicated in the Cordoba Hostel in Nueva Córdoba, a neighborhood which has become highly popular among students and is being characterized by brick high-rise apartment towers.


(to the right a map of the Sierras de Cordoba)

061019 - Duck attack in the park in Rosario, ARG

About 6 hours southwest from Parana Rosario is ubicated. Relying on my usual travel plannings - which is nonexisting - I arrived at the hostel I was recommend and had not made a reservation. Which might have been a better idea... since there was no space left. As I found out later, a congress for psychology students was taking place in town and a group of 30 studends from La Plata had crashed the hostel and occupied almost all of the beds. The owner, as he really wanted to make business, offered me to sleep in the office. Unfortunately, as I am just too polite most of the time, I didn't request not to be charged for that. Hey, it's not a regular doorm bed! You can go to sleep, because there's constantly people walking in - and if you put the matress down the you couldn't squeeze a piece of paper in. And above all it was above the bar. So, music playing till three in the morning - and then starting again at breakfast time: 7:30am! But all of that I found out later: ;o( Didn't matter. Not even, that I had to move to a diffenent sleeping spot every night of the 5 days I stayed there! Guess, that's what travelling is all about: being flexible... But I had a good stay there. Nice, carying folks. Cool atmosphere. And a very hospitable owner.
First thing in down I did was checking out the tourist highlights.... NO!! I am kidding! First thing I did was asking around for a sports bar! WHY?? Chelsea - Barca was playing that day! A must see for all football fans. Unfortunatly they didn't nearly reach the level of play of a season ago when they met in the elimination round. Sad.
But afterwards I went to the park... and got attack by two ducks. Just wanted to make a nice picture of their cute litte baby. But two of the bunch came chasing after me as I had to make sure not to be bitten by any of them. ;o)
Well, the rest of my stay I filled with rock climbing and kayaking.

061015 - Parana, ARG

Totally messed up I arrived around 3am in Parana. Why? Good question! Well, pretty easy to answer... apparently collectivos out of Carlos Pelligrini leave only once a day: at 4am in the morning. So, getting up, getting on the bus, getting no sleep thanks to the comfortable seats... and then finding out that the bus to Parana out of Mercedes leaves at 19:15! And it takes about 6 to 7 hours to get there. Well, at least I got to spend another day in Mercedes. Enjoyed once more the plaza, a decent lunch... and the rest of the day just waiting for the time to go by.
Parana itself is a very nice little city with a splendid costanera. But that's about it. Tourism is yet to be flourished and until then it will continue its nice peaceful sleep.
Around Parana settled a bunch of Volga-Germans. So I took the chance of renting a bike and going for a ride around the area. And indeed, in terms of the names I found myself thrown back to Germany...