Bienvendos a Colombia!

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia is a well-developed, modern country with a diverse landscape and some of the friendliest people in South America! However, to many people Colombia is just the land of coffee and cocaine. (Yes, both Juan Valdez and Pablo Escobar are from Colombia.)  But since I’m not a fan of either (actually, have never tried either) I wanted to see what else Colombia has to offer. . .

In South America, Colombia has a reputation for beautiful landscapes and friendly people – and thus far, I’ve found both to be true! Colombia is amazingly diverse: with beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific, coffee plantations, colonial towns, Amazon jungle, villages high in the Andes, modern cities, and several indigenous groups. In fact, Colombia has the third largest Spanish-speaking population in the world (after Mexico and Spain).

Of course, the other side of Colombia does exist. There are regions still “controlled” by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the cocaine trade. The situation is very sad – due to decades of conflict between the guerrillas and the government (and US forces) one in 20 Colombians has been displaced from homes and villages. In fact, I was amazed to learn that Colombia is home to more displaced persons than any other country on earth except the Sudan! 

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Poor Niagara

“The mighty Iguazu Falls are the most overwhelmingly magnificent in all of South America.” That’s what my guidebook told me. And I had talked to numerous people who had been there before and all said the same things. It’s amazing. It’s impressive. It’s beautiful. It’s incredible. That’s a lot of hype to live up to!

The Iguazu Falls are located on the border between Argentina and Brazil. The area around the falls is protected by National Parks on both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides.

The Rio Iguazu (“Big Water” in the Guarani language) receives waters from over 30 other rivers on the plateau as it approaches the falls. Just above the falls, the river is over 2.5 miles wide. The falls themselves consist of 275 different waterfalls. What’s so incredible about Iguazu Falls is the sheer size of it. You see one waterfall, then another, then another, then a dozen more. It’s really amazing to try to stand there and take it all in!

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A Weekend in Uruguay

Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America. In fact, I hear that the entire country is no bigger than the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina. It’s located on the Atlantic between Brazil and Argentina. From Buenos Aires, it’s just across the Rio de la Plata. However, this is the widest river in the world (140 miles at its widest), so you can’t see Uruguay from BA unless it’s a very clear day!

I decided to take the ferry over to Uruguay for a short-weekend trip, just to get a taste of the country. There are several ferries that cross the Rio de la Plata. Some are larger and take 3 hours. The catamarans are faster and can cross in only 1 hour. I took one each way just to experience both.

The ferries cross either to Montevideo (the capital ) or the small town of Colonia. I was hoping to get away from the bustle of the big city for a little while so I decided to go to Colonia rather than to Montevideo and its 1.5 million people!

Colonia del Sacramento is a 17^th century Portuguese colonial city. The old town is so well preserved that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. And it is charming! It was a walled city and a portion of the wall remains. The gate to the city was rebuilt with original materials as well.

The streets in the old town are all original cobblestone.

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It Takes Two to Tango

As a kid, I thought I could tango. Grab your partner, press your cheeks together, put a rose between your teeth, stick your intertwined hands out in front of you and go. At least that’s how it worked in cartoons and movies. Easy, right? After watching professionals dancing the Tango, it seems that there’s more to it!

I didn’t realize until I got to Argentina that the Tango originated in Buenos Aires. In the working-class neighborhood of La Boca, back in the late 1800’s, this sensual dance was created. Supposedly, along the tiny street of Caminito in La Boca, in the brothels and bars, new dance moves were born.

Buenos Aires is proud that they created the Tango. And you can see it everywhere: from formal tango shows, to small restaurants, to street corners, ferries, farms, and at public markets.

It’s impressive to watch the professionals perform. It’s a fast paced dance, and the couples have to be completely aware of each other’s moves. But even more impressive, are the non-professionals that hop up on small stages at public markets and small bars for an impromptu dance.

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Floating Down the Tiger

Tigre is a small town (30,000 residents) about 30 minutes away from Buenos Aires. It’s a popular weekend destination for Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) – many of whom seem to flock here for a cool, quiet escape. The town is located on the banks of, and takes its name from, the Rio Tigre.

The town is charming and cute but the big draw is the river. And just north of town two other rivers (Rio Lujan and Rio Parana) meet the Rio Tigre and a huge river delta is formed with countless canals and small rivulets. There are restaurants, resorts, and campgrounds along the various riverbanks.

The area is also full of weekend homes that are accessible only via boat.

Some homes seem to have their own boats, but most use the readily available water taxis. Since the river is the only way to get to these homes, people have to bring everything they need for the home on the water taxies. I watched several people getting into a water taxi, groceries in hand, headed back home down the river. For larger items, the roof is used to store luggage, bicycles, tables and chairs, and everything else people need to bring home.

I spent an afternoon on a river boat exploring the various arms of the rivers – looking at homes and watching people swimming in the river.

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The City of Good Wind

Buenos Aires, Argentina was originally called “Santa Maria del Buen Ayre” – named after the “good winds” that brought sailors across the Atlantic Ocean to her shores.

Unfortunately, there were no “good winds” when I was in town! The day I arrived it was nearly 110 degrees with 75% humidity. It was hot. And muggy. In fact, the President fainted in Congress that day and was sent home under doctor’s orders. I was lucky enough to arrive on the hottest day of the year. It was pure bliss to walk around with my 35-pound pack on my back looking for a room (without a/c!) for the night. The next day, it cooled off to mid-90’s but was still hot. I know my friends in Chicago, with temps below zero aren’t overly sympathetic right now. . .but trust me, I was longing for a good cool breeze!

For years I’ve heard that Buenos Aires is the “Paris of South America.” I’m not sure that this is fair to say about Buenos Aires. It is certainly modern and fast-paced with elegant architecture and a fashion-conscious population. And it does have a European feel. But it is a Latin American city and a beautiful one at that!

For example, in addition to the elegant, old stone architecture which is seemingly everywhere in BA, there are neighborhoods with very colorful buildings which add a Latin flair!  

One of the most colorful buildings is the Casa de Gobierno – the offices of the President. The building, however, is more commonly known as the Casa Rosada (Pink House). It’s an Argentinean twist on the White House!

My favorite place to explore, however, was the Recoleta Cemetary. I know it may sound creepy to spend a day wandering around with the dead, but this is no ordinary cemetery. It’s basically a city within the city of Buenos Aires. It is contained within a walled area spanning several city blocks. Within the walls are streets and alleys separating family mausoleums -- each one built in a different and more grand architectural style. It was fascinating to wander the streets of the cemetery looking at these amazing mausoleums. Here’s a taste:

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Home on the Range

Argentina (and neighboring Uruguay) is home to the gaucho. Gauchos are roughly the Argentinean version of a cowboy. The fertile region of Argentina (primarily west of Buenos Aires) is called the Pampas. Traditionally, this area was primarily made up of huge cattle ranches (estancias) which were worked by the gauchos who traveled from estancia to estancia on their horses looking for work. In general, gauchos had a distinct attire (see below) including “gaucho pants” (sometimes worn by women in North America) and ponchos.

Although gauchos, in the traditional sense, don’t really exist in the 21^st century, the gaucho culture is still very much alive in the Pampas and elsewhere in Argentina. In fact, there are still a few old-school gauchos to be found. I met this guy at an antique market in Buenos Aires. He came into town for the Sunday market from his ranch out west. I was so charmed by him I asked to take his picture.

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Road Trips

I have to give a shout-out to the South American buses. The bus system down here is really impressive: extensive, inexpensive, clean, and a pleasure to use. Rather than road trips in the family station wagon (or SUV nowadays), buses are the primary mode of long-distance travel in South America. There are flights between cities, but they are used much less frequently than in the US - bus fares are more affordable for the average South American.

I have thus far had the pleasure of several 2 hour trips, a 5 hour trip, a 7 hour trip, a 14 hour trip, and an 18 hour trip in three different countries. It's much better than driving because I don't have to pay attention, I can just watch the countryside change as we zoom past.
Aside from watching a bus catch fire in the Andes (and passengers fleeing with their bags), I have no negative bus experiences to report (but that’s a story for another day…). All of my bus travels have been a pleasure!

Initially, the bus terminals can be confusing. There are dozens of bus lines each traveling the same route and each with their own ticket kiosk at the bus station. When you first arrive, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one to go to for a ticket. But, they usually have a tv screen letting you know departure times. Beyond that, I go with the company with the best name, logo or colors -- trademarks at work! 

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When in Argentina. . .

My first stop in Argentina was Mendoza (a mere 7 hour bus trip over the Andes from Santiago, Chile).

Mendoza is near the Andes and is the heart of Argentinean wine country so it seemed like the perfect place to spend a week! Mendoza itself is a cute city with wide streets and lots of tree-lined plazas and parks.

From downtown Mendoza, for just $1 and 30 minutes on a city bus, you can be in the heart of the largest wine-producing area in the country, full of vineyards and bodegas. If you drink red wine from Argentina, check the label, odds are it’s from Mendoza.

I spent a day riding a bicycle through wine country and visiting a number of wineries for tours and wine-tastings. (Admittedly, as the day went on and the number of wine tastings increased, the bike was less and less charming!)

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