Cordoba

This is where I spent Christmas. I arrived, red eyed to an overcast and waking up city on Christmas eve. A sharp contrast to Mendoza, that turns from an open grill into a furnace when cloud cover arrives (Wet Pacific winds release moisture in the form of snow and rain over the Andes and emerge over Mendoza as a dry blast). Cordoba is surrounded by its own sierras so its weather system is a lot more unpredicatable (not as much as Quito, Ecuador and you will soon find out).

The hostel has a big homage to da herb! Stephanie (from Germany) looks wasted, but from exhaustion (not da weed!) I guess!

Equally unpredictable was the selection of guests staying at my hostel on this peaceful and most joyous day on Earth. A striking cluster of German and Isreali backpackers in one place. Now, I am not going to play up some post WW-II scenarios. I shrugged off silly thoughts triggered by comedy shows that Ive watched in the past, like Monty Pythons Flying Circus, as the main barriers to getting along were that most of the Germans were well travelled and in their early 30s and the Isrealis were just barely 20 years old and were on their own pretty much for the first time.

Me and Felix (also from Germany)

The Christmas Eve I would describe as a feast of the senses. I attend a Catholic mass at a monastery downtown. Not only was I gawking with awe at the a nun choir hidden behind a partition (!!!), my eyes were watering from the excess incense being dispensed.

Christmas Roast!

The hostel threw a party for the Christmas Eve, traditional Cordoba style, with an aromatic, marinaded leg of beef, slowly grilled (mmmm..) So, as well as my eyes watering, my taste buds were alight too as I put too much salsa on my plate! Then at the stroke of midnight, the city erupted in fireworks. From the terrace and all around there were all manner of ear popping fireworks ranging from lame party poppers to full-on sky high pyro. On this peaceful night I had thoughts of B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad...not funny but it really looked like it).

Drinks started flowing including a popular menthol flavoured liquor and coke. To my shock and horror I learnt that round here they mix coca cola with wine too! As you can imagine, my 6th sense was flet by my brain the following morning in the form of 2 phat migranes. The city was on complete lockdown on the 25th. The only places open were Heladerias (Ice cream palours) and a pizza place that I miraculously found open after crawling through town with post party munchies.

Funkadelic Part I






Funkadelic Part II

I joined some friends on a day trip to Alta Gracia, Che Guevaras childhood home. Its a very interesting place as you get to know his lifestyle, personality and transformation as a child to an adult. Some cool pics below:

Fidel Castro on a visit to the museum in 2006







"Ernestito" Guevara and I with revolutionary thoughts on our minds..







Che briefing Conglese guerillas before a failed coup attempt in the mid 60s







Che's fake Uruguaian passport that he used in Bolivia. The pic there is really him!!

I also did a quick trip to Carlos Paz, a resort town west of Cordoba. The place doesnt really have a personality until night time but I was just able to get a glimpse of the place upto dusk.

When I aproached the lake in Carlos Paz I was worried that it didn't exist anymore.....









There was a police parade too









The ladies were armed to the teeth too...don't mess...I was wondering who was protecting the city at the time coz it seemed that all the uniformed finest were there!









Carlos Paz is great for slapstick, cheesy theatre!





K.