For our second day trip around Salta we headed towards the south into the country’s white wine country. Unlike the previous day, this tour had fewer stops, but got us back to the hotel in a timely manner. The trip was relaxed and simple. We drove through the Quebrada (ravine) de Cafayate. We sampled wine at the Domingo Hermanos. We ate Torrentes flavored ice cream and sweet pastries along the way. When we weren’t feasting with our mouths, we feasted with our eyes. Fire colored mountain rock of all shapes, resembling a frog (el sapo), castles (los castillos) and windows (ventanas) were all along the path.

If you ask me what my favorite part of the entire day was, I’d have to give it to the meeting with the llama. Despite my dining experience a couple days prior, I was delighted to pose with the furry creature and not eat it. Ever since my uncle had a picture taken with one in Peru, I had always wanted one too. And I got it.

For the rest of this entry, I leave you with photos.

On the second day in Salta, Natalie and I got out of the city limits to explore higher grounds in the north. The day before we had settled on doing two day trips in the region with a local tour company whose name I cannot remember at the moment, but will have to locate. At first we considered renting a car to travel the area at our own pace, but one too many recommendations about the long, lonely, stretch of rough road caused us to revert to plan B.

The first tour took us along rusted railroad tracks through mountains dotted with cactus and painted colors. Roadside offerings for Pachamama were easy to be seen as we made our way closer to the Salinas Grandes, but there would be many stops before reaching the climax.

Our guide, a heavy smoker with tattoos of his children’s names lining his arms/hands and need to chew cocoa leaves the entire drive, had offered a revision to the original tour package just two hours into the tour. No one in the car bit. Not even the two 20 year-old ladies with baby doll faces from the U.K. Completely fine with the itinerary and we continued stopping in small towns with populations of 5 to 25 people. Only a few were slightly larger.

We stopped for lunch in an area called San Antonio de los Cobres. I cannot recall the population count here, but the rows of yellow houses with orange colored tiled roof give me the impression there were at least some 300 people around. At least. The streets around the restaurant were a dusty white color, full of people one moment and empty the next. It was a town quiet place for the most part, but the restaurant was packed with tourists (mainly European) riding the circuit.

I’d heard about how good the llama was in this particular area and was hopeful of munching on some for lunch. In a total slip of the mind I forgot that the llama was safe during Pachamama. I ordered the beef dish instead and wasn’t disappointed. With or without a squirt of lemon juice the beef was incredibly tasty and I devoured it within minutes. Natalie’s cut wasn’t as nice and a little on the fatty side, so she did the best she could.

After lunch we left San Antonio de los Cobres and pressed further into desert and what seemed like tiny deserted towns. We stopped at one, this one with a population somewhere around ten. There was a church, a tiny museum, a restaurant and a few homes. Our guide told us to spend 30 minutes looking around (so he could nap), but there wasn’t quite 30 minutes of attractions to look at. We entertained ourselves by taking more pictures of cactus and the rabbits that would probably be eaten later.

When our guide finally decided to rise, we were off again. This time the next stop would be the Salinas Grandes, but the road there was paved, unpaved and long. The high sun was starting to slowly sink away into the evening on the horizon. Natalie and I kept busy by snapping pictures of the other passenger every time her sleepy head bobbed over and landed on Natalie’s shoulder. We tried to keep our giggling to a minimum. When we had both passed enough time being goofy, I fixed my gaze out the window.

Then the salt flats came into view. I sat up in my seat with eyes fixed on the grand prize. To simply put it, I was excited because it was something new. Something I’d never seen before.

We wandered around the Salines Grandes snapping photos of the cracked earth and salt ponds with crystals sparkling in the late afternoon sunlight. Then we did what all the other tourists do. We took more pictures playing on perspective. We probably could have been a little more creative and taken about 20 different shots with Natalie stepping on a tiny size Adrienne or vice versa, but I think we just wanted to enjoy the scenery if anything.

It would be great if I could say that the tour ended in a salt flat paradise, but it didn’t. A stop in Purmamarca was on our agenda and when we arrived we were a tad bummed that we only had 10-15 minutes to spend before having to head back to Salta. Our tour guide wasn’t particularly good with time management. Maybe it was that 30 minute stop in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know. Purmamarca was bigger than some of the other towns we passed through and it had a great little market that would have been just perfect for finding souvenirs.

But we had to go. It was 7 o’clock and the two girls sharing the vehicle with us had a bus to catch from Salta to BsAs at 10 o’clock. We were two hours away from Salta and we were supposed to have been back at our hotels by 7:30 or 8 PM at the latest. Apparently, our tour guide drove a bit recklessly the entire way back. I made myself fall asleep to avoid being frightened, but Natalie stayed up the whole time wide-eyed and very aware. We didn’t get back to the Design Suites in Salta until 9:15 PM. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend this particular tour operator or at least this guide.

All-in-all we arrived alive and well, if only a bit frazzled. I will keep the beauty I experienced that day in mind and forget all the rest. Viva Salinas Grandes, juicy beef eats, colorful mountain rock and vibrant fabrics from the market stalls in Purmamarca. Next time, I’ll collect your souvenirs.

Choosing a destination outside of Buenos Aires was difficult once we decided that Patagonia probably wasn’t the best idea. Too little time and my limited budget makes for zero glacier hiking. However, if you ask anyone in country and they’ll tell you almost everything is AMAZING. Of course locals gushed about the expansive beauty of Iguazu’s waterfalls. As much as we believed them, Natalie and I were uninterested in waterfalls this time around. Then there was the option of cycling around the vineyards of Mendoza. This is Natalie’s type of thing and I can’t say that I would have enjoyed it much. I drink wine every now and then. It puts me to sleep.

Then came Salta, a region in the north west of the country and area with great mestizo societies with Andean backdrops. There are jungles, desert, dunes, wineries, arts, entertainment and more to be seen all in Salta and the surrounding towns. In the end, I think I picked Salta because of the diverse options to choose from and it didn’t hurt that the weather was possibly the warmest out of anywhere else in country during the winter season.

Getting to Salta was a trip. On the way it was only supposed to be an 18 hour bus ride, but our bus was experiencing some technical problems and we had to switch to another bus maybe two hours outside of the city. So our trip into Salta was roughly two hours longer than it should have been. Thankfully buses in Argentina are not like Greyhound. They were very cozy (seats reclined all the way back into a bed) and they feed you A LOT.

When we finally did arrive we checked into the Design Suites. I booked this hotel because it looked like a pretty hip boutique spot and it had a gym. (I needed to be sure I could get my runs in.) I really wanted to like the hotel 100%, but I can only give it 85%. The sinks splashed a wee too much water out onto the floor and the 4th floor spa could use a little upkeep. Otherwise the staff was very nice, the morning breakfast was awesome, the view from the gym was cool and the Osadia restaurant is excellent too. Beware: that the portion sizes are very hearty and very tasty! The art displayed around the hotel was interesting and they had a nice display of jewelry from local artisans. The Design Suites is a nice base camp for day trips outside of the city of Salta to explore Salta, the province.

I really enjoyed the city of Salta. It is small, but clean and very attractive. Most attractions can be easily found in Plaza 9 de Julio. The Iglesia Catedral is a must see by day and by night. MAAM is a small museum and for 30 pesos we got to see the one of the “Llullaillaco Children.” They are one of the most important archaeological finds in recent times and tells about ancient rituals of the Incas.

Aside from these two sites my top two favorite places in Salta have to deal with shopping and food. I’ll start with the food.

Jose Balcarce. Yum. Delicious. Fantastic. This is where I had my big opportunity to try llama (pronounced sha-ma in Arg Spanish) and the chef didn’t disappoint. From appetizer to desert I think I was hypnotized. I’ll describe each briefly. My appetizer consisted of salted shrimp, fennel acidity, raw ham with reduction of aceto. My entree was llama loin, quinoa llaswa and filled achoschas. My dessert: orange blossom custard. There were only two wishes I had while dining at Jose Balcarce. I wished Natalie had enjoyed her trout more and that my husband could have joined in this particular dining experience.

My second favorite stop in Salta was at Objetos de Agrado. I think I nearly went bananas at this small jewelry shop. The owner was a nice woman named Solana. She was very down-to-earth and humble. I could sense the pride she took in being able to create pieces that spoke to many different types of people within Salta and worlds beyond. Swing by her place if you are ever in Salta.

Above are a few scenes of the city from the rooftop of the Design Suites and below are only a small handful of photos from around the area.

Before I went to Buenos Aires, I had done a little bit of guide book, blog and news reading to better acquaint me with one of South America’s largest cities. The more I read, the more excited and interested I became. This particular article in the New York Post almost lead me to having mixed feelings. Thankfully, I know better. For the most part the only few things I ever really thought Argentina were; war criminals from Europe and tango. There is no question that these two images will remain on the list, but now I can add to it. That being said, the best way for me to approach a possible conversation I might have about the metropolis is to just go down my list.

Buenos Aires is a large city packed with people, traffic and fairly diverse barrios (neighborhoods) much like New York City. It has a huge theater district along Av Corrientes. If I’m not mistaken it is one of the third largest in the world. There are tons of shops, fine dining, cheap dining, events and you name it! It almost felt like any big city in the U.S. and this made it slightly less exotic and less appealing. (Keep in mind I am a woman with a heart for mud huts in the sticks.) The exceptions being Spanish as the primary language and a sea of brunettes and dark haired citizens bobbing about packed sidewalks and streets. I truly didn’t see many blond or red heads and the city is definitely lacking people of African origin (exception: a few male street vendors).

What the city isn’t lacking are a number of women who have had some type of plastic surgery done. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not against getting one’s nose tweaked or giving some aging boobies a lift, but it’s more extreme here. I had the opportunity to go on two free city walking tours and the guide, an Argentine native by the name, Macarena, shared some disturbing facts about the plastic surgeries. Go on the Aristocratic tour if you’re in town. If she’s your guide then you’ll hear all about it. It will either make you laugh or make you want to barf.

Overall, the buildings are much older and the architecture much more detailed than the modern pieces here in the newer world on the opposite side of the equator. Many buildings lining the street architecturally, reveal various stories about the immigrants who came or simply people who had too much money. There are enough monuments to keep any tourist on the beaten path and shutter happy for days. The Oblesico (pictured above) is one of the most famous landmarks in Buenos Aires. It reminds me of the Washington Monument in D.C. and there are jokes of it being a giant white penis all the same.

Surprisingly as this may sound, I don’t personally know many people from Argentina in the states. In fact, I’ve only met one in Tampa. Maybe I need to make more trips to Miami. Anyways, I had heard some rumors prior to my visit that Argentine’s are somewhat on the arrogant and pretentious side in comparison to their South American neighbors. I wouldn’t have known it. I can honestly say that everyone I met or couch surfed with was pretty grounded and nice. Perhaps if I stayed longer my opinion would change, but I’m happy the way it is now. La-la-la!

Being bored in a city like Buenos Aires should never happen. There is far too much to do and see and feast upon. The great part is a ton of money isn’t necessarily needed, but it could certainly require stamina. I’ll explain later. Because I’m still in listing mode I’m going to tell you exactly where I went and what I saw. I used Lonely Planet’s Buenos Aires Encounter to decide on what I wanted to do while in town with Natalie and without. (I really recommend this pocket-size guide.) In no particular order here are my experiences:

Jardin Botanico Carlos Thays This free botanical garden in Palermo is not worth going out of the way for unless one really craves green space of any type. I hate to compare, but I do it anyway. I’ve been to some great gardens across the world and this one didn’t mow me over. I tried to imagine it in spring or summer and possibly with fewer abandoned cats lurking the property. Just okay if you ask me. The green house pictured above is cool though.

The nearby Jardin Japones is different. First of all, entry is eight pesos. It is properly attended to and without cats digging up the place. Small, but tranquil. Peaceful and pleasant, the only thing that snapped me out of a zen state was the scent of miso and Japanese fare being cooked up in the restaurant. A good visit if you’re in the neighborhood.

Modern and contemporary art can be found at MALBA, but don’t expect five floor levels of bizarre artworks. It is smaller than Natalie and I expected.

Caminito is a popular tourist area in a grittier part of the city named “La Boca.” It’s known for the colorful painted houses and Italian immigrants from Genoa. Sadly, Natalie and I didn’t get much time in La Boca. I would have liked to have sat for a while with a drink (maybe Malbec) and watched as tango dancers swirled passionately on the stage. (The shot above was one Natalie snapped in passing.)

The area is definitely fun for photography. I didn’t take any with my digital camera here so I’ll have to see what my holga produces.

If I had money and lived in BsAs, then I would either live in San Telmo or Puerto Madero. Puerto Madero is clean, green, close to the water and there is good food to be had. I know this for certain. I spent a few hours walking around and in that short amount of time could feel a connection to the area. San Telmo is older and more bohemian. I was probably sucked in by all the artsy-fartsy antique shops and restaurants there, but that is what gave it more character than Puerto Madero. To even compare just these two together is a little silly. It’d be more accurate to compare the P.M. with Palermo. Palermo wasn’t my favorite neighborhood. High end shops and so-called trendsetters make this area. Although I tend to like both, I wouldn’t want to sleep with either.

It feels like I am forgetting something… Ah, yes, TANGO!!! For me I felt most like I was having a real Argentine experience when learning to tango. Natalie and I took one class together at Darcos Magic Shoes and then I took two more after she left. The classes were great and easy to follow. The basic seems tricky, but don’t be fooled. Practically everyone in every class I took nailed it. Regretfully, I never made it to a milonga to practice these moves. GASP. I am very sad that I didn’t work harder to make this happen. It could be my old age, but I couldn’t get on the late night social hours of the city. (STAMINA)

Mmmm… Steak + Wine + Ice Cream = Heaven. The food is very good in Argentina. Hands down the beef is grand, but please pass the chimchurri sauce. The wine was tasty for someone like myself who isn’t a big sampler. The best for me was the ice cream. I’m like a 10 year old like that. The ice cream made me happiest while in country. The empanadas made me less happy. Getting empanadas before a meal was almost like their tortilla chips and salsa. However, even when I felt as if I were starting to get tired of empanadas, I always found myself reaching for one. (Greedy)

Here are my favorite places I ate at in BsAs: La Chollita (parrilla), Miranda (parrilla), I Fresh Market (deli), Freddo (ice cream) & Moderna (ice cream).

1. Not having ice cream every day.
2. Missing the Thursday vigil of the Madres
3. Not going to a Milonga or Tango show during the Tango festival.
4. Not going to visit a pena for Gaucho grooves and moves.
5. Not knowing better Spanish. Habla Espanol muy poquito. :/

Aside from the above I think I made the most of each day. I did more shopping than I would have liked, but that’s my trouble with cities anywhere and I’m not even a big spender.

So in summary… Good times. Not incredible and certainly not terrible. I cannot lie. I feel a little unfilled. Outside of BsAs, each region in the country is begging to be explored. As much as we had hoped to do Patagonia, it wasn’t in the cards. In addition to BsAs there is the northwest which I will bring to my blog in the very near future.

Scattered ashes into the sea and a nice shaded bench is the way I had always planned for remains to be handled in the event of an untimely death. Considering I typically don’t think about death on a regular basis, I actually don’t even have these last requests on paper. Eek! I’m sorry — I’m too busy living. I’m too busy daydreaming, traveling and far too busy revisiting my recent excursion to one of the most extraordinary labyrinths of a cemetery in the world.

Seeing how dead-tired and jet-lagged Natalie and I were when we arrived in Buenos Aires, a nice leisurely stroll through the 14 acre Cementerio de la Recoleta was quite fitting. The cemetery is home to some of Argentina’s presidents, very well-to-do families and military greats. Although neither of us went hunting specifically for Eva Peron’s tomb, I’m pretty sure I can speak for the two of us by saying it was probably impressive like all the rest. Recoleta is like a little city. It was as if I could approach any one of the beautifully designed mausoleum doors, knock and someone would answer. (Shudders) Now you know I never knocked on any glass doors. I did peer inside of many and discovered stairwells descending into what I am guessing was six feet underground or deeper.

The photos here certainly don’t do the experience of wandering the narrow alley’s of Recoleta the kind of justice deserved. This place really left a mark on me. Perhaps it is time I sit down and pay some serious mind to the details of my afterlife. Scratch that simple-minded shaded bench idea. Having my ashes tossed into the sea where oil and whales swim together will not work. I’ll do it bigger. A mini-palace made of marble with a swirling gold stairwell down to the casket bearing my skull bones sounds much more like my style.

Or maybe not.

Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body. -Lynn Jennings

Race day is quickly approaching and I’d like to think I’m completely prepared, but I don’t know. Last time I mentioned training I believe I did more moaning about the not-so-glamorous side of this whole ordeal; blisters, chaffing, etc. I’m still having some problems with all of the above, but that isn’t a major concern at this point. I know I can finish a race because I’ve done it before, so that isn’t a concern either. I’m simply trying to make sure I have my head in all the right places. It is all about focus and prayerfully, no injuries.

I totally bombed on my training while in Argentina. I got three runs in the entire 13 days I was away. It should have been 10 runs total. This isn’t a major surprise as I often struggle with managing my runs in foreign destinations. I did manage to get my long run in, so I am letting myself off the hook there. The key now is not to focus on the days that have passed, but on the next 25 days ahead. Eat right, get ample sleep and enjoy every run up to the end when I cross the finish. That includes my third and last 20 miler this coming Sunday. Wish me luck!

Some of you are probably wondering how this whole Argentina trip came about. I admit, it wasn’t on my radar at the start of this year. I hadn’t been dreaming, dying to go or planning it out for ages. It actually didn’t come about until a few days after my birthday when the girl holding the pastry in the photo above put the buzz in my ear to go SOMEWHERE. Natalie or Natalia, is the type of friend to peer pressure you into doing good bad things. For example; traveling to Argentina when your plate is already full delicious destinations to feast on.

Passing up a good foreign affair with a friend is very, very, very hard for me to do. It isn’t often that schedules sync up or that people are willing to go to a far away land. Natalie and I have previously traveled to Spain (2002) and Costa Rica (2004) and it was decided long ago that a third trip would be needed in order to officially consider us as travel buddies. With this year bringing great changes in both our lives (we both got married), the timing was perfect. Just got married and off we go! Of course we titled this trip as, “The Before Babies Tour,” but I’m sure we’ll find a way to get out there in world even with babies. That is if we really want to…

Anyhow, onto the featured presentation… Argentina.

I will push through all of this. With 72 days, 9 hours and 25 minutes between me and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I have to remember to stay focused. That, of course, is easier said than done. Shaving 18 minutes off my previous marathon time is very important. More seriously is running this thing with my mantra always in mind:

“Without ego, without injury & without external competition.”

Some obstacles currently troubling me are all found in the gear. I’m uncertain whether it is my Mizuno Wave Rider 12 or socks causing all the blistering, but I’m not a fan. The socks are high quality running socks and the Mizunos were fine during all my low mile runs. This Friday I plan on purchasing the Brooks Trance 9. I ran in this shoe three generations ago and had zero problems during and after my race. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it, eh?

Last month I purchased a new running bra top from the Nike outlet and that worked fine. At least I thought it was working fine, but apparently it was rubbing my breast and only my left boob. Placing a band-aid over the area being rubbed seemed like a grand idea, until the Nike sports bra and all the others rubbed the band-aid causing it to rub a new area on the breast raw. :/ This is the main reason I decided not to run today. The breast needs a moment to heal. It’s pretty obvious that I will be avoiding the Nike bra top on future runs.

With 8 miles scheduled for this Saturday and 17 miles for Sunday, let’s hope I can find some comfort in my sole and threads. Next week is the half-way point.

Yackety-yack! Here’s a little face time from your’s truly. I’m basically telling you everything you already know, unless you haven’t swung by the blog as of recent. For those having trouble with my new last name this video shall help you with that. Or at least it will give you some examples of how not to pronounce my name. I do confess I am still working on it myself, but I do LOVE the sound of it. Muahaha. Enjoy.