Uñt’ayata: 02.01.2018
From Cafayate, the next journey takes us to Tucuman, where we change to the overnight bus to Cordoba. After a six-hour drive, we have to wait a bit for the subsequent night bus. No problem at such a large bus station with numerous restaurants and shopping mall. Here we meet Sandrine and Florian from Paris, somehow we seem to magically attract our neighbors. The two also want to go to Cordoba, but with an earlier night bus. We eat pizza together and drink beer until we walk towards the platform. Here we find out that both buses are delayed. Instead of midnight, our bus will only arrive at 2 o'clock - at the current point in time it's officially only 30 minutes. You might think that after almost 4 months in South America, this is no longer impressive, but in all the other countries the buses were mostly punctual. Now we feel more reminded of the Deutsche Bahn.
Good Morning, Cordoba, we made it. We take a taxi and drive towards the AirBnB accommodation. The house where we get off is located in a quiet neighborhood, it's a bit run-down, our room is small but cozy with a folding bed. We walk for a good 20 minutes to the center on foot and thus get a good first impression of the city. The next morning we buy some supplies in the huge shopping mall near our house and explore the city center. At the Plaza San Martin we admire the Cabildo (Town Hall) and the impressive cathedral.
We like Cordoba, because besides Buenos Aires it is considered a big cultural center. Numerous museums line the Avenida Yrigoyen, along with chic cafes and bars, and after all the time in the Bolivian mountains, this is a welcome change. Architecturally, there is a great mix here between modern high-rise buildings, old Romanesque buildings, Art Nouveau and simple residential houses.
Our visit to the Bellas Artes Evita museum is unfortunately rounded off by heavy rain and thunder. So we sit in a corner of the museum restaurant and wait and wait and wait... In the evening we are meeting Sandrine and Florian for a beer and end up at the Barbeer. Here you can find delicious craft beer in a variety of flavors, from honey to wine to ginger.
The next morning, Lisa doesn't feel well. Maybe it was the soft serve ice cream from a famous fast food chain? Anyway, there's not much possible besides Netflix and bed, so Sebastian goes alone into the city. Here he nurtures his student culture by visiting the university (the oldest in Argentina) as well as its in-house museum and accompanying church.
That's it. Cordoba has a pleasant size and everything a medium-sized city needs. Here you can smell the air of a big city again after Bolivia and the north of Argentina.