Cordoba
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2005
1
7
68
Trip End
Sep 21, 2006
Cordoba, Argentina
Friday, October 28, 2005
Will and I arrived on Friday after escaping the black hole that was Santa Fe. We had to take Friday easy for unspoken reasons and rested in the hostel. On Saturday we caught a bus out of town to a small village called Cosquin, which is the jump-off point to climb to the top of Cerro Pan de Azucar (the summit of Sugar Bread). From town it was a 7km trek so we tried, unsuccessfully, to hitchhike to the base of the main climb. There was supposed to be a chairlift taking hikers to the summit, however it wasn´t running when we arrived. Apparently everyone else knew that the summit is only reached in winter, and not while wearing a swim suit, embroidered button-up shirt, and boots (it was laundry day!!). When we got to the top (I sweated all the way through my clubbing shirt) we took in the view from both up top and down bellow. For who would have guessed it, but we had a visitor! Not just any old visitor, but a gorgeous 21 year old from Austria who spoke broken English and no Spanish and was happy as the dickens to have run into us. I contemplated the irony of my good-karma cash-in and considered surreptitiously pushing Will off the side of the cliff. Lucky for Will I´m a good friend and didn´t hold it against him that the best opportunity of my life was squandered away with piddle-paddle conversation (Really, who wants that?). Its ok, I still had some karma in the stored up in the bank.
The following day Will and I made a sad departure as my dear friend headed back to Buenos Aires to continue his job advising Argentine senators and being all responsible about his life. I knew I had to get over my melancholy mood by doing something extreme so I signed up the jump off a cliff. My guide Marcos drove me out to a beautiful spot about an hour outside the city in la Cumbre where world-class paragliders soar thousands of feet off the ground, swooping down at treacherous speeds and then tacking back and forth to regain altitude. After 20 minutes of ¨flying¨ we landed in a wonderfully secluded spot where I could have settled for hours. The whole day was slow-paced and tranquil, just what I needed after so much time spent in urban settings. I spent a couple more hours watching other paragliders and taking in a breathtaking view that could never be captured by camera.
On our way up to the top we picked up a Canadian girl who had also just flown. We talked casually and sparsely while sitting at the top of Cuchi Corral looking out over the valley. When it was time to go, I said goodbye and left. I wasn´t particularly attracted to her but I was drawn to her independence and free spirit. She was travelling alone and camping, something I originally wanted to do but abandoned due to space, weight, and practicality. When I returned that evening I savoured a tender cut of steak and a couple glasses of wine while writing and contemplating my day.
On Tuesday I took another day trip out of town to the small village of Alta Gracia. The only reason for going was to visit Che´s childhood home which has since been converted to a museum. Although he was born in Rosario, the Guevaras moved to Alta Gracia when he was an infant due to his asthma and subsequent need for fresh air. The museum was a definite find. Before I left the States I read Jon Anderson´s biography of Che so I was familiar with the details of his life, which made the museum a much more enriching experience. Other than a Finish couple and an Israeli guy from the hostel, there wasn´t any one else in the museum so it was easier to get a more personal feel for the ambience of his home. As I was walking out the main entrance, a guy came in who looked a whole lot like Che himself. He was followed by an older gentleman and a few others. I slyly stared at him trying to figure out why I was struck by a feeling of recognition and then realized, holy crap, that's Benicio Del Toro! I soon found out that the older man with Benicio was Carlos Ferrer, Che´s travel companion on his second trip through South America when he eventually met Castro in Mexico and the rest is history. Benicio was very amiable and explained that he is playing Che in an upcoming film by Steven Soderbergh and is visiting places to prepare himself for the role.
When I got back to Cordoba I bought a bus ticket to Mendoza and then wandered around a bit and stumbled upon a grand dance festival in plaza San Martin. The music and dance were all traditionally Argentine. I stuck around for a couple of hours taking it all in, a truly festive event. When I returned to the hostel, Natalia told me that someone had left me a note! I opened it up and it was from the Canadian I had met paragliding. I was shocked she even remembered where I was staying. The note was addressed to "the guy from California" and inside were directions to a remote place ouside of la Cumbre that she thought I would enjoy. She has since left for another place, but I took it as a sign and decided to scrap my bus ticket and head to the wilderness lodge instead.
