Argentina

If you like open, expansive landscapes and relaxed, good-hearted people then Argentina is for you. More developed than other countries in South America, it still has maintained a definitive cultural flair.

Click here for all our blog posts from our time in Argentina.

Riding below the mighty Fitzroy
Our Route 

We love mountains, and since the mountains form the border between Chile and Argentina, the route we took crossed back and forth many times. We started in the northwest with the Puna, a desolate, sandy, high-altitude region with huge peaks. Descending down to lower elevations proved almost equally dry and much hotter, thus we chose to bypass the whole central part of the country. The south has a milder climate with the occasional forest, but still expect plenty of flat, windswept grasslands, or pampas.

Note that road quality in Argentina is often poor and main dirt roads are frequently corrugated.

Please see the map below and our blog posts for specific route information.

 


The Basics: Food, Water, Shelter

Food

You'll quickly learn the word "asado" upon arrival in Argentina. The people here love grilled meat and generally eat some type of meat with every meal. It's not a very vegetarian-friendly eating culture, but it's possible to survive! The only thing Argentinians like more than their asados is mate, a bitter, tea-like drink sipped through a metal straw. Anywhere, any time of day, be prepared to pass around a cup.
And wine of course, don't forget wine

Since food prices tend to be much higher here than elsewhere in Latin America, we bought and prepared all of our food instead of eating out. The best place to find a variety of food is in the large supermarkets, although smaller fruterias are often better for fruits and vegetables.

Empanadas are tasty and usually go for a good price, though vegetarian options can be tough to find.
Also, don't miss out on ice cream in the north of the country; it was always extremely cheap and delicious.

Our menu

Breakfast
Option 1: the classic: cereal with powdered milk, plus peanuts.
Option 2: the Italian: bread dipped in olive oil and tomato sauce with spices

Lunch

Option 1: bread, cheese and cucumber or tomato sandwiches
Option 2: instant mashed potatoes with powdered milk, nuts, seeds, a vegetable or two, and spices.

Dinner:
Bulgur with nuts, veggies, olive oil and seasonings.
Bulgur, or burgol, is sold pre-cooked, or precocido, in many Argentinian supermarkets. It needs about 30 minutes to hydrate in cold water.

Water

Argentinian water is generally potable in cities and towns.

We always purified water from streams. Some areas in Patagonia, such as El Chaltén, claim that water can be drank directly without purification, but the huge numbers of visitors prompted us to purify.

In dry, northern Argentina, be especially careful when planning how much water to carry. At one point we were both carrying 12 liters for a 3-day stretch with no water. The south can also be dry in places out on the windswept pampas, but we never carried more than 3 liters each. 

That's a lot of water 
Shelter

Because so much of Argentina is ranchland, there are lots of wild camping opportunities, although in both the north and south it pays to look for a windbreak. Patagonian winds can be especially strong and unpredictable, while the wind in the Puna, though equally strong to that of Patagonia, predictably rose every afternoon.

In Tierra del Fuego we often looked for a place to stay inside out of the frigid weather. There are many estates, or estancias, and everyone we met was very kind and willing to offer a roof.

When crossing the border, the Argentinian border police, the Gendarmería, are a reliable camping option. They were always extremely friendly, providing us a woodshed or unused building for us to sleep in.

Official campsites in Argentina tend to be expensive, sometimes even more that a hostel dorm room. Some charge separately for tents and people. We also didn't like the late night party atmosphere of campgrounds, especially in the summer.

Some good prices can be found at hotels and hostels. As of 2016, throughout the country, we were able to find double rooms with queen bed for 250-300 pesos, and best-priced dorm rooms going for around 100 pesos.

Note that prices increase in summer and as you go south, with Tierra del Fuego approaching North American prices for lodging.

Siesta

Argentinians take their relaxation time seriously. Businesses are reliably closed from 1-5 pm, sometimes opening again as late as 6 or 7. Dinner is eaten especially late, usually around 10 or 11 and night life starts around 1 am. We found that it was best to plan shopping and time with Argentinian hosts or friends accordingly. 

Sometimes cyclists like siesta too
Altitude

In the north of the country many of the roads and mountains are at extremely high elevation. Be sure to acclimatize correctly.
See our Peru or Bolivia pages for more details.

Plenty of mountains to climb: Tam here at 20,000 feet

Money
In recent years, exchanging US dollars for a higher rate on the "blue market" was common. However, since the president elected in 2015 officially devalued the peso, this is no longer necessary. Official casas de cambio and banks now have the real, more favorable rate.

Though ATMs can usually be found in small cities and even towns, there are fewer large cities in the south of the country and thus fewer ATMs. We brought enough Argentinian money from El Calafate to get us to Ushuaia.
Note that Argentina puts a big tax on imports, so any specialty imported items (like name brand bike parts) will be significantly more expensive than in Chile.

Wind

When planning a route, take into account that prevailing winds blow from the west.

This sign says it all

No comments:

Post a Comment