Buenos Aires and Uruguay

*WARNING - This blog entry contains graphic descriptions of seriously tasty food, do not read if hungry!


Buenos Aires, the Paris of the South, is Latin America´s undisputed capital of cool. Good food, good vibes and cultured communities contribute to making the Argentine capital one of the most liveable cities we have encountered on our travels. The people here have a laid back, easy-going charm which makes them rather endearing. When we asked our hotel receptionist if we could stay another couple of days he simply shrugged and said with a smile ´Why not?!´ No extra paper work or formalities required. There were no signs of distress after the economic meltdown in 2001. Indeed, if anything the city is thriving with lots of designer boutiques, bohemian artist quarters and a plethora of excellent markets and bookshops. We settled in with ease and ended up staying seven nights in a wonderfully affordable and charming colonial hotel, across the road from the famous 150 year old Café Tortoni.

Among the highlights were the Botanical gardens, which were fascinating for the many stray cats just as much as the vast collection of flora. We also visited the neighbourhoods of San Telmo, Recoleta and Palermo. San Telmo is one of the oldest parts of the city, dotted with Antique shops, markets and open-air Tango performances. It also contains Calle Defensa which in the early 19th Century was where the locals repelled the invading English forces by pouring boiling oil from the balconies above. In Recoleta, we wandered around the fascinating cemetery, which provides the final resting place for Argentinas´ rich and famous, including the effervescent Evita.
Best of all were the leafy streets of Palermo, whose middle class citizens are lucky enough to live amongst the finest restaurants in the world! Of the 4 steak dinners we ate that week, the most memorable was at a mouthwatering Parrillada called ´Don Julios´. We indulged in the most succulent, juicy, tender and delicious steaks we have ever had and then polished it off with a Chocolate Volcano, containing hot, gooey decadent lava and mint choc-chip glacial ice cream. As Homer would say.... mmmmmmmmm! As you can see from below, whether it be steak or beer, portions are always extremely generous. Indeed, Argentina is the most carniverous nation on earth with the average citizen consuming a whopping 68 kilos of meat a year! The local saying goes... ´In Argentina, vegetarians are for eating!´

With Uruguay just across the water, we took the Hydrofoil to Colonia del Sacremento, Uruguay´s first settlement and a UNESCO world heritage site. It was a cute, old, cobbled town with many Portuguese influences and a more quaint atmosphere than the bustling streets of Buenos Aires. Classic cars made a nice addition to the historic streets. We stayed in a lovely boutique bed and breakfast called the Posada del Angels and enjoyed a sound sleep under the watchful eye of the many decorative cherubs (or little Smittys!). We cooled off in the jellybean swimming pool and then walked along the beach for a beautiful sunset. We were also forced (against our will of course!) to experience our first Uruguayan Parrillada, as the Uruguayans are always keen to point out that their steaks are larger and more succulent!

On the way to our next destination, Punta del Diablo (Devil´s Point) we saw many happy cows grazing in the gorgeous rolling countryside (a bit like Yorkshire with palm trees!). When we arrived in Punta del Diablo we found a quaint hippies paradise of surf shacks and beach bars. We rented an A-frame cabaña next to the beach and self catered in total relaxation for a few days. The unspoilt coastline was spectacular with its secluded bays and windswept sand dunes. The water was so clear and pristine we were reminded of Paraguay´s Laguna Blanca. The pace of life here can be summed up in a word ´Tranquilo´.

Our last stop on our whirlwind tour of Uruguay was Montevideo. The capital houses 1.3 million of the country´s 3.4m residents, and is the only place in Uruguay where you might see someone get slightly agitated. We heard someone shouting on a bus and everyone around us gasped in horror. It probably made the national news! Montevideo has a lot going for it, there are some grand old buildings, huge sandwiches and a pleasant climate. The undisputed highlight however is the Mercado del Puerto, an atmospheric market housed in a 19th Century railway station, complete with station clock. The interior was buzzing with the lively chatter of locals and the smell of barbequed meat and fresh fish filled the mouthwatering air. We sat down on a couple of bar stools at a Parrillada being attended by a smiling, pork bellied man. We ordered Pescado del Dia and a Chorizo sausage. The Chorizo was spicy, meaty heaven with an unbelievably delicious salsa. We then indulged in two fillets of Sole, fresh from the sea which left us purring with satisfaction. The quality and value for money was excellent and a meal at the Mercado del Puerto was worth the trip to Uruguay alone. In fact all this talk of exquisite cuisine is making us hungry, so we are going to head to the market now for round two before we catch a bus to Patagonia.....

Ciudad del Este, Itaipu, Asuncion and Laguna Blanca

Paraguay? Where on earth is that you ask! Well here are 10 fun facts that you didn´t know about Paraguay, the forgotten heart of South America.

1) Paraguay is the only country in South America to have an indigenous tongue (Guaraní) as its official language.

2) Cerro Pero, at 842m above sea level, is the highest point in Paraguay.

3) Paraguay is the world´s third largest exporter of soybeans.

4) Paraguay is the world´s largest exporter of Hydroelectric power.

5) At 61 years of continuous rule, the Colorado party of Paraguay were the longest serving political party on earth (although defeated in 2008).

6) The capital Asuncion means 'Assumption' in English, and according to Mercer 2008 survey, was the cheapest city on earth.

7) 10,000 archaic German speaking Memmonites live in the Paraguayan Chaco.

8) Paraguay has a population of 6.7m and has one of the most homogenous ethnic groups in South America with 95% of the population being mestizo.

9) Paraguay took on the triple Alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in one of the bloodiest wars of the 19th Century, and were unsurprising annihilated!

10) The national past time of Paraguay is sipping on Tereré (an ice cold infusion of yerba maté tea and herbs). Even the president likes to publically slurp away!

We walked over the friendship bridge between Brazil and Paraguay on a sizzling afternoon. Immediately we were presented with a kind of Paraguayan ´Tijuana´ with chaos, dodgy folk, styrofoam and cardboard boxes strewn all over the place. Ciudad del Este is known as the `shopping basket of South America` due to the preponderance of people selling counterfeit and smuggled electronic goods! We quickly sought refuge in the lovely Hotel Austria. Already we were seeing the evidence of a post World War II German invasion (even the hotel next door was called Hotel Munich!).

Our first outing in Paraguay was to the bi-national Itaipu Dam, owned by Brazil and Paraguay. This is the second largest hydro-electric dam in the world and it was like starring in our own episode of Megastructures. It was very impressive but we also learnt about the tragic cost of its construction as some of the planet´s rarest rainforest habitat was lost to the floodwaters, as well as waterfalls that rivalled Iguacu in their natural beauty and magnificence. Since then, Itaipu has had to invest heavily in ecological damage limitation projects, and now operates a very good zoo, gardens and museum.

We visited the zoo which sadly houses the very animals that were rescued from the flooded area. Although it is apparently one of the better zoos in South America there were still signs of distress from some of the larger animals, such as the large cats. They have a very rare black jaguar and a pure blue parrot (beautiful plumage!) that were impressive to see. The best part about the whole day was that everything was free including transport between sites, so come on down to Paraguay before they start charging!

We also visited the ´Salto de Monday´ Falls, Paraguay´s unflooded answer to Iguacu Falls. The 80m high falls were an impressive sight and benefited from being less developed and touristy. The refreshing spary was a welcome relief from the relentless Paraguyan heat (most days were between 36 and 38 degrees!). It was time to catch another air-conditioned bus to the Capital city Asuncion...

In Asuncion, the weirdest city we have so far visited, we arrived on the set of ´28 days later´, a ghost town with no-one to be seen. Even tumbleweeds were absent. A colonial city of mostly low rise buildings (due to the assasination paranoia of a former dictator) the city centre is deserted on evenings and weekends as the city´s middle class and richer residents prefer to remain ensconced in their expensive suburban homes and air-conditioned American style shopping malls. One immediately notices the bizarre contrasts when travelling in Paraguay, they have modern malls, roads, cars, houses and technology. Most of the urban areas could be any North-American suburb. Poverty is still evident however in the old painted buses, central slums and begging streetkids.

To amuse ourselves we took to indulging in the national past-time of thoughfully sipping tereré. In Paraguay one cannot walk down the street without seeing all the locals carrying around their tereré kits consisting of a large Thermos flask, metal cup and straining straw. Indeed it seems to be the main Paraguayan status symbol, they come in a whole range of weird and wonderful designs. Tereré tastes like a mildly medicinal herbal ice tea and is usually mixed with mint or lemongrass. The whole process of enjoyment takes more than an hour and made us wonder what affect this was having on national productivity levels. It is an invigorating brew and we were hooked in no time!

Amusingly, we also found `Tres Leónes Whisky` and a vino tinto called ´Fray Leon´. At 30p for a half bottle of whisky we found it to be surprisingly palatable. As for the wine, we´ve certainly tasted much better but at 1 GBP for a litre who´s complaining!

The final stop on our whirlwind tour of Paraguay was Laguna Blanca, one of South Anerica´s best kept secrets. At 270 km and 8 hours on public transport from Asuncion, Rancho Laguna Blanca is not the easiest place to get to, but the beauty and solitude of this place made it all worthwhile. Without doubt this is the most stunning, unspoilt lake we have ever seen. The pure silky water (which was drinkable) was of perfect temperature and clarity. While the white sand beaches and lake bottom was positively tropical. Indeed, it was like swimming in a giant tropical fish-tank. We had a marvellous time swimming, feeding the tame fish and kayaking. It was a paradise and we were the only guests there, definitely the highlight of Paraguay.

Our rustic accommodation was also visited nightly by giant toads who took great interest in the large bugs ricocheting off our porch lights. The area was a haven for wildlife, with wild maned wolves roaming the area and a variety of wild birds. The flocks of green parakeets were particularly memorable.

Finally, Leon´s life long dream of being a millionaire before 30 has been realized in Paraguay. Although a million guaranis is only worth about 140 GBP, it still felt good to bask in the warm glow of acheivement!

We spent just over a week in Paraguay and it certainly felt like we were off the Gringo trail. We found the people to be warm, polite and friendly but there really isn´t that much to do or see in Paraguay so we booked our bus tickets to Argentina.....