Cafayate

We left our B&B at 9am and started the drive to Cafayate. The area is second only to Mendoza for wine production in Argentina. Although it was only 180k we kept stopping to take photos and the journey took 4 hours!  We spent a few hours in the main square having lunch and walking around and then returned but stopping to take more photos as some of the rock formations were better in the late afternoon sun. We eventually got back at 8pm.

Coffee stop!

The town of Cafayate



"The castles"



"The Devils throat" gorge

 
Thoughts on Argentina...........

One can forget that Argentina is huge.  It is more than 5000 kilometres from north to south.  It is not surprising therefore that the people and cultures differ markedly.  Once one leaves the hustle of the capital Buenos Aires there is a rustic charm about most of the rest of the country.

The western side of the country is in the shadow of the Andes.  Only when you go there do you understand the vastness and ruggedness of this mountain range.  There are several crossing points to neighbouring Chile but all of them are long (several hundred kilometres) and arduous driving – sometimes along non paved roads.   Many involve heights in excess of 14000 ft.

One of the first things one notices is that the custom of taking Mate is everywhere.  Mate is a form of herbal tea.  What makes it different is that folk carry it with them everywhere – bus, tube, work home.  This doesn’t seem unduly unusual.  However, the paraphernalia needed to feed a mate habit is considerable.  It includes: a large (usually stainless) Thermos flask for the hot water, a mate “cup” in which the herb is continually infused, the dry bag or tin of mate and the mate metal “straw” through which the tea is drunk.  Those who use it i.e. most Argentinians – sip it continuously throughout the day.  Mate is a social drink and often shared.  It has a slightly bitter taste but is not unpleasant.

Coca leaves:  Coca (from which cocaine is derived) is legal – but only in the northern provinces of Salta and Jujuy.  Leaves are available in all shops and many people use them – to aid digestion and to combat altitude sickness.  Ground leaves are sometimes mixed with bicarbonate of soda to intensify the coke “hit”.  Coca tea is also common.  To use the leaves they are chewed and placed between gum and teeth.  As with mate it has a slightly bitter taste – but it’s a long way from a soft or hard drug and didn’t do much for us.

All the Argentinian folk we met were delightful and friendly.  They were always helpful – especially as we could speak almost no Spanish and outside the tourist areas few folk speak English.  Everywhere felt very safe – compared with most other places in the world we have visited.  Even in downtown Buenos Aires it was safe to walk on the streets at night (usual sensible precautions taken!)

Following the collapse of their currency and the political upheaval of 2001, Argentineans are very wary of banks and the Peso.  Mortgages are not commonly available and traditionally people see the dollar as a safe haven – although the logic of this might be question in the light of the state of the US finances.

Public transport is very good and very cheap.  The Buenos Aires metro is excellent but like other similar systems very crowded at peak times.  It has a fixed cost of 2 pesos (40p) however long the trip.  Buses are many and frequent and private operators run along fixed routes – but without speaking the language one needs courage to tackle them.

Food:  Food is a legend in Argentina.  As a foreigner two things strike you:  Firstly the amount of meat (mainly beef) they consume and secondly the amount of sugar and sugary foods.  Argentinian beef is of course legendary and generally of excellent quality – even in the most humble of establishments.  However, for the average European, the average portion is more than adequate for two people.  There are tens of thousands of Parillas (grills) all over the country mainly serving steaks, sausages (beef) and grilled offal (sweetbreads etc.)  One is conscious of the lack of vegetables (excluding salads) although excellent quality fruit and veg are readily accessible in the shops.  A popular form of parilla is the “libre”.  This is an “ all you can eat” establishment.  However, it’s important to note that this is not a buffet!  Instead they simple keeping cooking and bringing you whatever you want.  For c90 pesos (about £13) you can have fresh bread and chimichurri (spicy dip), a starter (usually the excellent empanadas (mini pasties), as much meat as you can consume, potatoes in various forms (usually excellent chips) and a desert.  We never came even close to trying this – a shared steak and chips and coffee was usually more than adequate.

The other Argentinian food legend is Dulce de Leche – the caramelised milk/cream product.  In Europe we use it very occasionally in some desserts e.g. Banoffi pie.  In Argentina it is everywhere – in desserts/on toast/in pastries and is usually used in preference to jam for breakfast.  Dulce de leche is very sweet – and supports their craving for sugar.  Coffee or tea is usually served with several large sachets of sugar – most of which are usually used.

Breakfast is typically 2 or 3 media lunas (small croissants) -sugared of course and a coffee.  Snacks usually take the form of empanadas or often a ham (jamon) and cheese (queso) sandwich or roll.  Regrettably, both the ham and the cheese are of poor quality and tasteless – in spite of the fact that excellent “artesenal” local hams and cheeses are widely available.

Apart from the parillas, other excellent cuisine exists everywhere if you look for it.  We had outstanding cordon bleu meals in many places – all for a fraction of the cost of their equivalents in Europe.  Typically a six or seven course tasting menu – with excellent local wines could be had for c£35/head.  Our favourites were Butterfly (in Bariloche) – with an Irish chef and Hernan Gipponi in Buenos Aires.

It wasn’t all posh food and we had many a delightful meal or snack in some really small local places.  All home cooking and friendly service for around £6 for two including a 500 ml of local beer (lager).

Most folk have heard that the country is famous for its Malbec grape wines.  When you visit – especially the wine regions of Mendoza and Cafayate – only then does it become apparent  a) that there is a huge variety of Malbec and b) that they produce some excellent whites – sauvignon blancs, chardonnays and notably the Torrentes varietal of which we see little in the UK.

But it’s not just wines that one can find.  The region of Bariloche in the south and, specifically the area around the town of El Bolson (100km to the south) produces more than 75% of the countries hops.  This has encouraged the development of dozens of micro breweries.  All of the ones I tried produced excellent beer.