Argentina - The 'Europe' of South America

The first days in Buenos Aires are hot. In order to be able to take the bus, you need a card that needs to be loaded with money. Because we didn't know that at the airport, two Swiss people kindly help us and pay for us. Fortunately, a bus ride only costs about 25 cents. Sweaty, we arrive at our Airbnb accommodation in the afternoon, eat a small snack and then collapse into bed and sleep for 12 hours.

In South America, there is a relatively large selection of Airbnb apartments that are affordable. We are staying with Viviane and her daughter Paula, who is only slightly older than us. The long corridor leads from the front door to a bright covered courtyard from which several doors lead to the rooms. We feel comfortable, even though Viviane doesn't speak English, because we can communicate well with a translation app. On the second evening, we cook for her, admittedly not our best meal. She reciprocates the next evening and the two of them make pizza for us. We learn that the residents of Buenos Aires are considered somewhat snobbish in rural areas and they see themselves more or less as Europeans. Many of them have European ancestors, and we also talk to some people with German roots, but the language has mostly been lost. We explore the city at a leisurely pace: the streets are big, long, and straight, and the houses look down on us from above. The traffic is very slow for a big city, although the main roads are also very busy. However, to our surprise, we also find long side streets where almost nothing is happening. In addition to exploring the city, we plan our further travels: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in the south of Argentina attract us to go hiking, but it's currently high season, which means you should book in advance and the prices are too high for us. That's why we decide against the south in favor of the north of Argentina, which also fits better into our travel route with the goal: Colombia, where we have heard that star fruit is particularly delicious. Jakob can remember trying the fruit in Germany, but it doesn't taste the same - or was he just unlucky?

Of course, we know from the maps how big Argentina is, but the distance really hits home when you are there. Because everything is so far away, you naturally also have to pay accordingly for transportation. The train proves to be a much cheaper option compared to the buses. However, the locals strongly advise against it. Jakob protests, and we still go by train. This one chugs along leisurely - for a quarter of the bus fare. We can't understand why we were advised against it, and so we continue our journey from Buenos Aires to Rosario by train, the birthplace of Che Guevarra and Lionel Messi, where we stay with an older Argentine couple, Claudia and Claudio. We try mate tea for the first time with them, which tastes a bit unusual but not bad at all and gives a short but strong caffeine kick. Mate is actually the name of the cup in which the tea is served and into which hot water is poured. Then it is drunk with a metal straw. The drink is an integral part of the Argentine lifestyle: everyone has a mate (a cup in the shape of a belly) and a thermos with hot water or has the water poured at all kinds of public places. The cups are often passed around, and everyone is allowed to sip from the metal straw.

We really like Rosario, and we feel more comfortable here than in Buenos Aires because it is smaller and the jetlag has worn off. We also like the architectural style from the 20th century: Rosario is a relatively new city and was built from scratch due to its economically advantageous location. The city is not located by the sea, but by the Rio Parana, a (for us) mighty river that is deep enough here for large container ships. Since then, the city has grown significantly. We visit an art museum that was built inside an old grain silo, stroll through the city center, and go to the beach on the Rio Parana, which flows past the city. There is a real sandy beach there, the river is very wide and brown, but you can swim: you just have to tie an embarrassing orange buoy around yourself to be seen by the lifeguards, who are scattered every 100 meters. There is a very relaxed and liberal atmosphere, and mate tea is being drunk everywhere, and women wear thongs, so that their butts shine in the sun. Despite the partial shade and SPF 50 sunscreen, we both get a severe sunburn, which haunts us for the next few days. In the evening, we cook a rice casserole with spinach and cheese for Claudia and Claudio. Jakob's father used to make this recipe for us kids, and Jakob adds Roquefort cheese to the rice instead of bratwurst. Claudio helps with the cutting, and we have a good conversation. We learn that Claudio and Claudia are actually no longer a couple, but they live together again for health reasons, and they also have two children together. This time the food tastes better, and everyone is satisfied. We listen to music together, and Jakob can't help but play them the song 'Claudia Hat nen Schäferhund' (Claudia has a German Shepherd). They also tell us a lot about life in Argentina and its politics: the gap between the rich and the poor is very large. In Buenos Aires, many families live under the highways, currently the peso has fallen sharply, and wages are very low, and in Claudio's eyes, the conservative president Mauricio Macri is worse than Trump. Politics are like a pendulum: one government achieves its goals, four years later, new politicians come to power, undo what the previous government has achieved, and pursue their own goals. So it's a constant back and forth, and the economy is making slow progress. We also learn the sad reason why Argentina is predominantly white: in the Triple Alliance War from 1864 to 1870, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil fought against Paraguay, which wanted access to the sea through Brazil. Apparently, Argentina mainly sent dark-skinned people of African descent to the front, where they all perished. The war ended with a defeat for Paraguay.

After being on the go a lot on our last day, Miriam and I part ways for about 12 hours - because I got the last train ticket for the journey from Rosario to Cordoba. Miriam takes the more expensive but more comfortable and faster bus, which she boards at 2 a.m., and I leave the bus station - after long persuasion from Miriam and after asking several people if it would be possible to walk - by taxi to the train station. Apparently, armed robberies often occur in this area. After a short discussion with the driver about the price, I reach a compromise and walk into the waiting hall. I lean over my backpack and doze off. At half past three, I wake up, and the train should actually be here, instead, the conductor announces a delay of 2 hours. When the time has passed, the waiting time is extended by another 2 hours. And then another 2 hours. Now I know why the train has such a bad reputation. Fortunately, I have time, and I meet a couple with whom I can drink mate tea. The train finally leaves at 10 a.m., and at 10 p.m., I am finally back at Miriam's in our apartment, which we have to ourselves this time.

In Cordoba, it is raining and thundering. There is one loud crash while we are sitting in a cafe, causing us to flinch. Streams of water form on the streets, making it difficult to keep our feet dry... to be continued.