On our 3rd visit to Jorge Newberry Aeroparque, now an old friend, we collected a more sophisticated blingmobile in order to drive the 750kms across Las Pampas to the Estancia Isabella, in the province of Cordoba. Finding Ruta 7 was our first challenge, but Ant found it with 2 back seat drivers (Gill & Derek) and one excellent navigator (Gill). The next challenge was the road, long straight and overpopulated with lorries, kamikaze chevvy drivers and tractors. Needing a bed for the night (another first for Gill, not knowing exactly where she was going to sleep that night) we head for Junin hoping for a room at the inn (it is Xmas after all..) Arriving we found we appeared to be the tourists in the village and the objects of friendly attention. We found the only 4 star in town for £20 per night each. This town, full of agricultural machinery stores appeared dead, much like it’s offspring Eva Peron who went to school and married here. We felt we met her ghost in the form of a sleek cat in the hotel….. But unlike Eva’s ghost, the town was very real, and as soon at 8pm struck it was filled with people of all ages, but mainly young , promenading on foot, on bikes and in cars – it was very buzzy. On to dinner in the local parilla, a typical Argentinan bbq meat restaurant. Yet again, we wished we had studied harder as a plate of indeterminate meats was placed in front of us – our waiter was delighted to be able to tell us in Spanish that we were eating the thymus gland, plaited intestines, kidneys, black pudding and chorizo. (and this is Gill – I wish he’d told us about the intestines BEFORE I tried them!) This was followed by 2 different cuts of beef and some chicken, fried potatoes and salad. Throw in 1 ½ bottles of wine, bread and mineral water and the bill came to £21 for all 3. Ant had an exploding mustard moment as he squeezed the mustard pot too enthusiastically and emptied the entire bottle over his plate. We were then even more the objects of amused attention – what odd eating habits the Ingleses have. Our intentions of an early night yet again disappear as we spot the local folklore band (Los Federales) appearing in “Chique” at the Hotel Emporador. At 1 pm while the rest of the diners were still on their 2nd course, we called it a night as we had a long day coming up, the finale of our drive to the Estancia Isabella. It was only with the benefit of hindsight that our concerns increased, having found this on an obscure website, sent our dollars to an Argentinian bank in New York and being unable to find any mention of the Estancia on any local map or book... As we continued to drive into the increasingly empty spaces of the Pampas, the thought occurred that we may be driving to a gypsy encampment, a deserted hovel with a creaking sign or a big con – i.e. nothing at all.
Driving South from Vicuna Mackenna was not promising - faithfully following the directions sent by e mail we failed to spot the sign….. but tune in tomorrow to find out how we got on.
Driving South from Vicuna Mackenna was not promising - faithfully following the directions sent by e mail we failed to spot the sign….. but tune in tomorrow to find out how we got on.
