Cordoba

First of all I didnt originally plan on travelling to Cordoba and only did so on the recommendation of the English girls who I met in Mendoza ... I booked in for 2 nights but I ended up staying for 5 nights in total.

Monday 10th January

The nightbus arrived into Cordoba early on Monday morning so I arrived to Baluch Backpackers hostel around 08:30.

http://www.baluchbackpackers.com/

My bed in my dorm:

Views of the street from the hostel balcony and roof top terrace:

Again .. I was too early to check in so I stored my baggage and took a walk around the town. This city is alot different from Mendoza. Really big, crowded and very very hot! First impression was that I wouldnt really like this city but found so many things to do that I kept extending my stay.

After doing my own walking tour of the city on Monday I got back to the hostel that evening and planned what to do and see around Cordoba (as it turned out there was quite alot).

Later that evening I went out for dinner and to the cinema. Quite a relaxing evening but could not sleep properly on the overnight bus last night so I needed an early night.

Tuesday/Wednesday 11th/12th January

In the morning I took a trip out to a place called Alta Gracia. I just took a local minibus which took me there in about an hour. Not much to see or do in Alta Gracia except pay a visit to the Che Guevara museum, which is located in the house where Che lived for about 12 years. Had some lunch in Alta Gracia and then caught a bus back to Cordoba.

When I got back to the hostel I asked around to see if there was anyone going to Jesus Maria ... this is another town located about an hour away from Cordoba. I was quite lucky being in Cordoba at this time of year and getting an opportunity to head out to Jesus Maria as it was where the annual Argentinian folk festival was being held.

http://www.festival.org.ar/

There were three girls from New Zealand heading out to the festival later that evening about 21:00 so I decided to hang on for them and we all caught a minibus out to Jesus Maria.

As soon as we got off the bus, the streets were crowded with people ... restaurants, BBQ´s, markets, bars, live music etc ... it looked amazing.

After having a few drinks and some food we made our way to the stadium where the official festival was being held. There was live music on stage and in the stadium arena there were traditional Argentinian folk shows and dances and also ´gaucho´ shows with horses.

We didnt spend long looking at the shows to be honest and the girls didnt stay out too late, but the stadium was full off things to see and do, so I got chatting to some locals and spent the night walking around there.

Afterwards I headed to a local club which opened at 02:00 and I didnt leave till the early hours of next morning. There were buses running all night so I caught a bus home next morning and it was 09:30 getting home on Wednesday morning.

The hostel was doing a major clean out today so all the rooms had to be vacated early so I spent the morning on the rooftop terrace ... it was a scorching day. In the afternoon I took a walk around town and then fell asleep in the TV room in the hostel for a few hours. It was so hot outside it was almost unbearable. Needless to say I needed a quite night after such a late night at the festival so took it easy at the hostel this evening.


Me and my dorm room mates:

Thursday 13th January

I had hoped to get up early but it was 09:30 before I got up. I headed down to the bus terminal and caught a minibus to a town outside Cordoba called Villa Carlos Paz. Not many backpackers around here ... but lots and lots of local Argentinians who flock to this town to spend their holidays ... the river was full of people and all along the banks of the river were people having picnics and ´asados´ (BBQ´s). I arrived down to the river and got chatting to a family and they invited me to have some BBQ with them. Had some Choripan (BBQ sausage in a roll ... I love this stuff!) and afterwards I relaxed by the river.

Later that evening I got a return bus back to Cordoba. I was heading back as there was a BBQ planned in the hostel, but when I got back it was cancelled as they didnt have enough numbers. Went out to dinner with one of the lads at this hostel .. to an all you can eat buffet for 38 Arg$ ... so stuffed after it I could barely move!

Friday 14th January

I had received a number of recommendations from people to visit a town outside Cordoba called Mina Clavero. The problem was it was over 3 hours away ... which meant a day trip required at least 6 hours on a bus. Anyway .... I done this trip today starting out about 10:30 and I got home about 19:00 ... with all the travelling I only had about 3 hours there in the town. It was a nice place, but not as good as I had hoped. Definitelty not as good as Villa Carlos Paz where I went yesterday (and which was only one hours travel away). Anyway .. despite this, it was nice to get out Cordoba for the day too and see some more of the countryside.

The hostel had the BBQ tonight .. this started about 21:00 .. lots of meat and wine and beer. Good craic .. and  most people from the hostel came along to it so it turned out to be a good night out.

Later that night (about 01:00) a crowd of us headed downtown to see what the nightlife was like. Apparantly, this time of the year is not so good for nightlife as the universities in the town are closed for summer and not reopening until March. It still turned out to a good night and we found a few good bars and I found a good club too .. so it turned into a late night.

Saturday 15th January

I booked my ticket out of Cordoba departing late tonight at 23:15. This is the first hostel I have been to where its possible to book bus tickets in the hostel which is great. I booked a seat on the bus to San Juan (190 Arg$ ... 450km). I had wanted to travel straight from Cordoba to La Serena in Chile but could not get any ticket from a bus company connecting these cities. On the advice of the hostel (and the internet) I figured San Juan would be a good option as it was heading west to Chile and I could then spend one night there and book my onward journey to La Serena, Chile. After the late night last night and the early check out this morning, I put my luggage in the storage room and hung out for the day. The city looked like a ghost town today .. I think with the weather being so hot and it being the weekend that everyone decided to escape Cordoba for the day. I got some food in the afternoon and then hung out with a few of the lads back at the hostel before catching the overnight bus to San Juan.

Mendoza

Thursday 6th January - Sunday 9th January

After a 390km trip from Vina Del Mar to Mendoza I arrived early on Thursday morning ... it was about 8am when I arrived to Hostel Lao but it was too early to check in so I slept in a hammock in the back garden of the hostel for about 3 hours until I got myself checked into a room.

http://www.laohostel.com/

Took a walk around the city and the park .. weather was so hot it was tiring.

Back to the hostel that evening and went out for dinner with some girls from London who are sharing my dorm.

Next day, we all took an early bus to do the bike and wine tour (which is apparantly the most popular thing to do in Mendoza). Great day out .. rented bikes and cycled around to different wineries outside of Mendoza, getting tours of the wineries and drinking different wines which would probably cost an absolute fortune back home.

We all bought a few bottles of wine to have later that evening in the hostel. Was a good evening sitting out in the backgarden of the hostel drinking wine.

Was hoping there might be a few of the crowd heading out on the town in Mendoza but nobody was heading out so later that night I headed down to the local Irish bar ... met a few Australians and we went on to some club (which was pretty crap).

Needless to say Saturday was a lazy day. Spent the day sunbathing in the garden ... another roasting day. 30 degrees sunshine. In the afternoon, myself and Claudia (one of the girls from London) headed out for a bite to eat and a walk around town.

All the girls were catching a bus later that evening heading up north to Salta. I spent the evening trying to decide where to go after Mendoza and eventually booked a ticket to Cordoba (190 Arg$) after a few people in the hostel recommended I go there. Was going to avoid it as I really am getting fed up with big cities but Im hoping its nice. Took it easy on Saturday night ... went out for a bite to eat and relaxed back at the hostel

On Sunday, I checked out of the hostel. My overnight bus to Cordoba was not until 20:00 so I spent the day in the hostel. Raining all day today .. and loads of thunder and lightening after the heat over the past few days. Myself and Mirjam (Dutch girl who was staying at the hostel) spent the day down at the town plaza ... having dinner (and drinking lots of wine). A very relaxing day before I got on the overnight bus to Cordoba (600km).

Valparaiso & Vina Del Mar

Thursday 30th December

Arrived into Valparaiso at 16:00 and checked into Lincanantay Hostel.

http://www.anunciosdiarios.com/75964/hostal-licanantay-backpackers-house/

I had booked this hostel when I was in Pucon before Christmas. I kinda left it too late to book accomodation for New Years and when I did go to book there was limited choice for hostels. They were also really expensive. I think the average Ive been paying per night in a hostel has been about 11-15 Euro, but for the 30th and 31st in the hostel, I was paying about 50 Euro per night but had no other choice if I wanted to spend New Years in Valparaiso. Over the past few weeks people have been telling me to get myself up to Valpo for the new years celebrations and the fireworks display across the bay.

After checking in to the hostel, I took a walk around Valparaiso ... you really would need to be fit walking around the streets here as the town is built on hills and some of the streets are really really steep! This town seems completely chaotic and walking the streets seems to be even more difficult than the centre of Santiago .. so many people.

Although having spent a few days here, I reckon that the 30th and 31st were just exceptionally busy in the town becuase of the build up to the New Years celebrations. Many Chileans (especially from Santiago) seemed to flock to Valparaiso to celebrate.

On New Years Eve the hostel were organising a BBQ out on the street outside. Had met a really nice bunch of backpackers before the BBQ ... including several people who I had met in Pucon. Was great to meet up with them again. After a very lazy day hanging out at the hostel, we all got started on the BBQ about 18:00. Loads and loads of meat! Was stuffed after it. Was a really hot summers evening, so was great to have a BBQ on the street and drink some beers.

About 21:00, Gonzalu (the hostel owner), his Chilean friends and everybody in the hostel headed up to one of the hills in Valporaiso to get a view of the fireworks. I dont think we had the best view top be honest as the place was absolutely crowded with people, but was still a great night.

After the fireworks I got chatting to a group of Chileans and we headed downtown to an open air concert in one of the town squares ... followed by a club for another few hours.

Needless to say New Years Day was a very quiet affair. I had hoped to meet up with a few English friends (who I had met in Santiago at the hostel) but they were leaving their hostel early for the New Years celebrations the night before so I never got to meet them.

I also had hoped to meet up with Suzanna (Norwegian girl I met in Santiago) for the New Years celebrations but she called over the hostel the next evening with her friend Goril. Arranged to meet them next morning (2nd January) for a day on the beach in Vina Del Mar (which is another town connected to Valparaiso). Spent the entire day on the beach but the weather was really cloudy. Headed out later that evening with Suzanna and Goril to the movies in Vina Del Mar.

3rd January

I checked out of Lincanantay hostel and moved to Che Lagarto Hostel in Vina Del Mar.

I wanted to spend a couple of days on the beach doing nothing. I probably could have easily just stayed in Valparaiso but having spent 4 nights there, I wanted a change. Vina del Mar is completely different .. looks and feels more like a tourist resort. It seems to be a really popular holiday destination with Chileans and Argentinians.

Was not too impressed with the Che Lagarto hostel. Some mix up with checking in and then I had to move rooms for the 2nd night and then I was promised a discount for the mix up but didnt get it. Was sharing the dorm with the noisiest people ever! Anyway ... glad I was only here for 2 nights. Despite this, Vina del Mar is was a nice place ... nice relaxing days on the beach. First day I went to another small town north of Vina del Mar called ´Renaca´ and spent all day on the beach. Next day I spent the day on the beach on Vina Del Mar. I also met a group of Argentinian lads in the hostel .. who brought me out to some local bar in Vina Del Mar. Another late night getting home, but good craic heading out with some locals who could speak the lingo. My Spanish is still miserably bad!

I couldnt decide where to go after Vina Del Mar, but eventually made up my mind to head back into Argentina to Mendoza. I caught a night bus at 22:00 on Wednesday night (5th January) ... 8 hour trip to Mendoza.

Santiago

Early morning arrival into Santiago .. 08:00 on Monday morning. Taxi to La Chimba Hostel in Barrio Bellavista in Santiago.

Couldnt check in till about 13:00 so I threw my backpack into the hostel and headed out for breakfast and a walk around. Climbed San Cristobel hill and got some great views over the city. Heat was something else. The city is really really humid.

After getting sorted with a bed in the afternoon, I took a walk downtown and joined a walking tour of Santiago .. which went on for about 4 hours. All day on a night bus and all day walking around Santiago ... I was shattered that evening so just went out for a bite to eat and had an early night.

Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th December

Lazy day on Tuesday ... just took a walk downtown and around the parks. Also went to the city central market and took a walk around the streets of Barrio Bellavista. The area is really cool .. and all the bars and clubs are only around the corner from the hostel. I also got my bus ticket out of Santiago. Next stop is Valparaiso which is appx 120km west of Santiago on the coast. Supposed to be quite difficult to get a seat on a bus to Valparaiso so close to New Years Eve, so better safe than sorry. Myself and a few English friends I met at the hostel got the metro downtown and booked our seats.

Later that evening, I hung out at the the hostel but really wanted to head out on the town. Not many heading out though so I sat in and had a few beers with some other backpackers from Brazil, Holland, Austria and Canada. Around 1am we all decided to head to a karaoke bar which was good craic. Was too late after to head to a club but it was Tuesday night after all.

Me and some friends at the hostel:

On Wednesday, I went to the city park where they have a big outdoor pool .. really nice but the weather was a bit cloudy. Later that evening in the hostel I met with Brian and Rikki (Australian couple I met in Bariloche a few weeks earlier) and we all headed out for steak dinner and ice-cream. Stuffed after it!

Thursday 30th

Checked out about 11am and myself and Suzanne (Norwegian girl I met at the hostel) caught a metro downtown to the main bus terminal. Suzanne tried to get a ticket for her and her friend on the bus to Valparaiso for New Years Eve but all the buses were booked out, but she was going check with the hostel and see if there was another way to get there. I got my bus out of Santiago at 14:00 ... Looking forward to New Years in Valparaiso but wouldnt mind coming back to Santiago again especially for a weekend as the place seems to have really good bars and nightlife.