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The Long Way Back to Luzern
2000 km thru Argentina’s Chaco and Pampa, from the Andes in the West to Puerto Iguazú in the northeastern part. Not really an impressive landscape, but still 1 or 2 interesting places along the way. Then back to Swizzyland.
Chilecito 2 Buenos Aires
Córdoba, 15th April
We’re in the small town of Chilecito. It’s grey, cold weather. Looks like autumn has arrived.
Time to escape the Andes and head eastwards. So, we’re on our way to Córdoba, about 500km to drive.
Soon after Chilecito, we leave Ruta 40 and enter Argentina’s Pampa. The vast flatlands stretching all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Landscape: bushland on the right, bushland on the left.
Maybe not the most interesting drive we ever had. Even if the weather improves considerably.
Late afternoon, we arrive in Córdoba, Argentina’s 2nd largest city.
The town is famous for its historic center dating back to Spanish colonization, with many baroque buildings.
In front of the municipal building, you can even watch the changing of the guards. By the way, they’re still recruiting staff. Just in case you’re interested in that kind of job. You don’t even need to speak Spanish to apply because they’re not allowed to speak during service.
On to the famous Iglesia de Santa Corazón. True, maybe not everyone’s taste.
Then it’s already time to go for some kind of Italian fare. With a glass of Malbec.
Puerto Iguazú, 21th April
The next morning, we hit the road again on our way to Puerto Iguazú. Still, about 1500km to drive thru the Pampa.
Leg 1: to Santa Fe, about 400km to the east.
The landscape: Pampa. By now, a bit less bushland and a bit more agricultural land.
Santa Fe: definitely not a town with incredible sights. Just ok for an overnight stay.
Leg 2: to Paso de los Libres. Again, about 450km to reach this small town at the border to Brazil.
Landscape: see leg 1. Of course, the most interesting part is the tunnel below Rio Paraná a few km outside of Santa Fe.
The roads: some crying out for a minimum of maintenance, while others are absolutely ok.
It takes quite a while to arrive in Paso de los Libres.
Finally, we’re there, just in time for a beer. Since we passed thru this place last January, we know exactly which watering hole to head to.
Leg 3: to San Ignacio, at the border with Paraguay. Another 400km to drive. By now, thru vast wetlands and timber plantations.
Arriving in San Ignacio in the afternoon, we visit the famous Ruinas de San Ignacio Miní. A Jesuit mission founded in the 18th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
True, we already planned to visit during our 1st visit to San Ignacio in January. At that time, it was just too hot when we arrived in the afternoon, and too rainy the next morning before we left. So, the opportunity to do it now.
Leg 4: the last 250 km to reach Puerto Iguazú. By now, thru hilly landscapes, again with huge timber plantations.
On the way a glimpse at the Saltos del Tabay. Not really worth the visit.
Puerto Iguazú: still a place uniquely sustained by the famous waterfalls nearby. A vast array of sleeperies, watering holes, eateries, souvenir stalls with more kitsch than you can imagine, and numerous travel agencies hoping to lure in innocent tourists lost in this part of the world.
Astonishingly, there are next to no foreign tourists here. It seems their visits are often linked to some cruises to Antarctica.
Whatever. Fortunately, the Patagonia Brewing Company still is open.
For us, it’s also the time to celebrate Prado’s 400,000th kilometer. True, it’s become quite a senior car in the meantime. With a transmission that makes a few noises when shifting into certain gears, an engine that’s getting a bit weak and constantly losing some oil, a steering system that makes some strange crackling sounds, and some Chinese spare parts regularly showing that they’re not really constructed to work forever.
For us, the opportunity to discover a few corners of Puerto Iguazú rarely visited by tourists. And to organize our return to Swizzyland.
Of course, the most difficult part is booking the flights, especially those in Argentina. There are many options, but foreigners can rarely book on their websites. The system here is too weird to accept foreign cards most of the time.
We quickly find a cheap carrier to take us to Buenos Aires: Flybondi. However, we can only buy tickets thru a booking platform, which makes everything considerably more expensive. Still, after 2h we have the tickets for ourselves and some luggage.
From Buenos Aires to Zurich it’s significantly easier. KLM offers a reasonable connection at an acceptable price – and even accepts our payment.
So, everything is ok until we receive a notification in the evening before departure that Flybondi postponed the departure by 8 hours. What a mess. We’re starting to have serious doubts about this airline. It seems they’re never on time, and very often just cancel their flights without offering any alternatives. No way to fly with them, we have our connection to Zurich shortly later.
Finally, not much before midnight we’ve book 2 other flights to Buenos Aires with Aerolineas Argentinas. Of course, at a much higher cost.
Ok, now we know it. Flybondi – a classic trap for time-bound tourists looking for reasonable prices. So, avoid it at any cost. Unless you’re ready to spend a few days, weeks, or whatever waiting at a lousy airport for your Flybondi flight to be ready.
Buenos Aires, 23rd April
You wouldn’t believe it. The next morning, we actually board Aerolineas Argentinas to Buenos Aires on time. And shortly afterwards, we are already in an Uber, driving us to our sleepery in Palermo. The place to stay when in Argentina’s proud capital.
As we already visited Buenos Aires last year, we’re only planning to stay for a day.
Not so much for sightseeing. More for taking a stroll, admiring some of the oldtimers along the streetsides, grabbing some final Argy IPAs, and enjoying an Argentinian dinner.
We even take the metro to Buenos Aires center. To Plaza de Mayo, the new president’s office. We think we might see a bit of how much the Argies value the new politics of their current president.
Well, today they’re preparing a march against the cutbacks in university services. Later, we read in the newspaper that 450,000 protesters had gathered to oppose this latest austerity measure of the new government.
The government’s next plan is solely the privatization of Banco de la Nación. So, there’s still more time to prepare the protests against that.
Anyway, it’s said every population deserves the politicians they’ve elected. If part of it regrets the outcome, they call it democracy.
Luzern, 25th April
The next morning, it’s time to bid farewell to Argentina.
We’re in an Uber driving us to the airport. Ready for 13h in 1 of KLM’s beautiful planes. Squeezed in like sardines in a tin, but with the chance to enjoy 1 of their gourmet meals and admire a full moon night 13,000m above sea level.
Early next morning, a very short layover in Amsterdam, another hour to reach Zurich, and finally the train to Luzern.
Well, guys, that’s it for this post. And for this trip.
After nearly 4 months and 18,000km thru Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia we’re back to Swizzyland.
Time for some real impressive poetry, even if it’s in German:
Fertig ist die Reis,
so ein Scheiss…
Cheeeers
Monika’n’Martin