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Argentina ISSUE #TWO
#02 Spring 2015 | Luâ‚Ź15 www.diariesofmagazine.com
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WELCOME
...The Adventure Continues... The second edition of diariesof is about a country we fell in love with and, we trust, so will you. In this issue we will take you on our motorbike to the End of the World and to the Land of Fire. If the Drake Passage doesn’t scare the hell out of you, join the Dickison’s on an expedition to Antarctica to meet the penguins and the scary leopard seals. Don’t miss Mariano’s insider tips on what to do in Buenos Aires, where you will also have the opportunity to dance tango with us. Federico will take you to Salta and to the Noroeste for a particularly colourful trip. Learn how difficult it is to climb Aconcagua with Mai-Brit or face Patagonia’s strong winds on Daniel’s bicycle. You will read about the social project that Michel is developing with the organisation Hëllef fir Rosario to bring education and health care to deprived neighbourhoods in Rosario. Besides the places, this issue is also about the encounters we had in Argentina… Argentinians love a good chat, and very often we found ourselves engaged in long conversations with complete strangers. We appreciated this easiness to start a conversation, the genuine interest throughout the chatting and the warmth with which all said good-bye. In Argentina we discovered a spontaneous way of life that we became fond of. The joie de vivre of this cyclothymic nation is undeniable; like a philosophy of life. You see it in the streets packed with chatting people; you hear it in the street musicians who seem to be playing for pleasure more than for money and you smell it in the asados grilling in the back yards. We hope this issue will give you a taste of the Argentinian soul. So, let the trip begin…
Anabela Valente and Jorge Valente
Cover Photo A bronze statue of the popular sketch of Álvarez and Borges (Olmedo and Portales) in Buenos Aires - Photography by Jorge Valente
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We are utterly baffled by the fact that at the moment of writing this editorial, issue two of diariesof is ready to be sent to the printer. How has this been possible? Thanks to you. You, the crowdfunder, who supported the first issue. You, the travel reader, who acquired a copy or trusted the project enough to take a subscription. And you, the one who loves his friends and offers them travel inspirations. diariesof Argentina has been funded by you and by our advertising partners who discovered that their products and services share the same core values as our magazine: passion and inspiration.
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CONTENTS
54 ADVENTURE
Argentina Ruta 40 One of the Legendary South American Roads
EXPLORE
Antarctica A Continent Made of Ice
88
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contents
Créateur de rêves depuis ans
www.emile-weber.lu
132
EXPLORE
Noroeste - Argentinian Wild West Driving Through a Palette of Colours
CONTENTS
contents 14 FACTS&FIGURES 16 POSTCARDS 24 CITY
Buenos Aires Vibes
INTERVIEW
34 Hand Drawing with Laura Riolfi
36 Julieta Fernández, an
108
Argentinian Abroad
38 Andrés Konoba, Singing
the Argentinian Soul
TRAVEL STORY
40 Pasos de Amor Flirting with Tango
in a Hearse...
159 Bahía Blanca a Warm Hearted Experience
ADVENTURE
Pedalling from Patagonia to Ushuaia
NATURE
44 Lake Serenity
The Route of the 7 Lakes
66 Los Glaciares
Natural Wonders
116 The Big Screen
150 SOCIAL
Child Sponsorship Giving Young People a Future
ADVENTURE
54 Argentina Ruta 40 108 Pedalling from
Patagonia to Ushuaia
138 Aconcagua Up against the Elements 80 PORTRAITS Face to Face
EXPLORE
88 Antarctica
24
126 Woodstocking in Península Valdés
CITY
Buenos Aires Vibes Soaking in the Atmosphere
132 Noroeste 146 FOOD
Buen Provecho Enjoying Food in Argentina
150 SOCIAL
Child Sponsorship
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157 Surviving a Ride
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CONTRIBUTORS
Anabela Valente Born in Portugal in 1973, Anabela discovered her passion for travelling soon after finishing her language studies. As so often with passionate people she also transferred the travel bug to others. She feels she is lucky to have been to all the continents including Antarctica, but she knows that there is so much more to be seen and experienced with all the senses. She currently lives in Luxembourg. www.diariesof.lu fb.com/diariesoftravel
Mai-Brit Hauge Garval Born in Denmark in 1973, Mai-Brit is a lawyer who loves travelling, climbing, trekking and running. She has recently discovered a new passion, following her journeys with the GoPro. When she is abroad Mai-Brit makes a point on visiting vineyards and looking for new recipes. She is also a motorbiker. Luckily, all of these are easy to combine with her goal: to see the world! Mai-Brit lives in Aarhus, Denmark. www.landroving.dk
Morten Garval Born in Denmark in 1968, Morten is a mechanical engineer whose passion for travelling has taken him around the world. Morten has seen the world from his motorbike and on board cargo ships, though the last few years he has remained loyal to his Land Rover. He is also a passionate climber and trekker and photography occupies a special place on his trips. Visiting vineyards and distilleries adds an extra pleasure to travel. Morten lives in Aarhus, Denmark. www.landroving.dk
Francesca Lommi and Federico Ferrari Both born in 1980 they live in Palma, Italy. Federico is a sports maniac who disguises himself as a management engineer in the hydraulics field. When he is not working you can find him doing sports, organising his next travel or taking photographs. Francesca is a lab analyst who enjoys herself by cooking sweets, walking in nature, reading books and dancing, dancing, dancing.
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contri butors
Disponi ble dans tous les bure aux de p oste
Easy
POSTCHÈQUE
la carte Visa prépayée Partez en vacances l’esprit tranquille avec la carte Easy : > Vous contrôlez votre budget > Vous évitez de transporter de l’argent liquide > Il n’est pas nécessaire d’avoir un compte CCP
CONTRIBUTORS
Hector Casas Born in a small city in Mexico in 1988 and educated in Great Britain, Hector left a promising career in the banking sector searching for adventure and to follow his passions: motorcycles and travel. He spent eight months in Central and South America, including Venezuela on the verge of revolution and the Amazon during the heavy rainy season. Epic is his last name. www.ngenespanol.com /637990
Jonás Hernández Born in Mexico in 1988, Jonas is a former stock trader educated in Great Britain. He exchanged his life in Mexico City for the open road, spending six months touring 15 South American countries along with Hector Casas while writing a travel blog for National Geographic. After the trip he moved back to Mexico and he is now working in Monterrey. www.ngenespanol.com /637990
Barbi & Scott Dickison Residents of Portsmouth, Rhode Island and Eleuthera, Bahamas. Scott is a biology teacher and BMW motorcycle addict. Barbi runs her own businesses and spends her time looking for the next “off the beaten path” place to explore. Antarctica, Iceland, what’s next? That’s what keeps them going, the adventure of exploring, travelling and meeting new friends.
Daniel Jesus Born in Portugal in 1973, Daniel is a conference interpreter and spends a lot of time working in a booth - therefore, he regularly feels the need to spread his wings out in the great wide open. Back in 2000, he crossed Portugal north to south on a mountain bike and became addicted. He has since been doing bicycle expeditions and stage races in places like Patagonia, the Himalayas, South Africa, and Mongolia. Daniel lives in the Algarve, Portugal.
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contri butors
Buenos Aires has got the world’s highest number of psychologists per inhabitant. There is 1 psychologist for every 120 porteños. There is a neighbourhood in Palermo known as “Villa Freud” due to its concentrated number of psychoanalysts.
Ushuaia
The Argentinian city of Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. There, a visit to the Tierra del Fuego National Park is a guarantee to experience close encounters with wild life, such as the Andean fox.
70 Argentinians consume an average of 70 kg of meat each annually. The world average is 7 kg and the European 17 kg. Argentinian beef is famous around the world and asado (an Argentinian barbecue) is very popular in the country that has the highest consumption of red meat in the world.
km
5,000 With more than 5,000 km, Ruta 40 is the longest road in Argentina and one of the longest in the world. The country itself is 3,800 km long from North to South and from East to West it is 1,423 km long.
275 250 The Iguazú Falls comprise over 275 cascades on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Approximately half of the river’s flow falls into a long and narrow chasm called the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) which is U-shaped, 82 metres high, 150 m wide, and 700 m long.
The 250 km2 of Perito Moreno make it the third biggest fresh water reserve in the world. It is 30 km in length and 5 km wide at its tongue. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating.
‘ It is not often that you see life and fiction take each other by the hand and dance ’
~ Lawrence Thornton
Novelist Imagining Argentina
FACTS&FIGURES
facts & figures 17 6,962 55 90 There are 17 stadiums in Buenos Aires, some of them big enough to accommodate more than 40,000 spectators. The biggest is the Stadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (Stadio Monumental for the River Plate team) and can house 74,624 people.
Mount Aconcagua (6,962 metres) in the Andes range is the highest peak in the world outside Asia and it is located in Mendoza province. It is considered a nontechnical climb, and because of its height, many mountaineers consider it the highest nontechnical climb on Earth. Unfortunately it has already known several casualties.
Argentina raises about 55 million head of cattle for a population of 43 million inhabitants. Almost half of the country’s population live in the province of Buenos Aires. 55% are Caucasian and 45% are Indian or Mestizo (mixed Indian-Spanish).
Around 90% of the ice on Earth is found in Antarctica which is covered to a depth of 1.6 kilometres. It was in Antarctica that the coldest recorded temperature on Earth was made, in 1983 at Vostok Station measuring −89.2 °C.
— Because it experiences such little rain, Antarctica is considered a desert. —
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‘Red Yellow Blue’ Mar del Plata We found this casual set of primary colours on the way to the beach in Mar del Plata. Anabela Valente
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POSTCARDS Send your photos with a description to jorge.valente@diariesof.lu
‘End of the World Post Office’ Ushuaia It is South America’s southernmost one-man post offi ce. Located at Tierra del Fuego National Park (Ushuaia). Christophe Mathgen from Luxembourg
‘El Pibe de Oro’ Salta Diego Armando Maradona, El Pibe de Oro (the Golden Boy) or la Mano de Dios (The Hand of God). Maradona is the living legend of a country where football is magic. From poverty to worldwide success he is one of the best and most controversial players of all times.
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Federico Ferrari
‘Classic Charm’ Buenos Aires An old FIAT 1500 Saloon parked in one of the suburb streets of Buenos Aires adds to the charm of the timeless atmosphere of the city. Jorge Valente
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’El Puente del Inca’ Mendoza Legend has it that the only son and successor of the great Inca Emperor came to the hot springs to heal from a severe paralysis. When he arrived he was faced with the sad reality that the thermal waters were on the other side of the margin and it was impossible to get there. The Inti god decided to help and on the next day at dawn the Incas were astonished nd El Puente del Inca! to fi nd Luis Emilio Cáceres VenezuelanChilean audiovisual director who devotes his free time to travelling with his 1-year-old child and his partner. Photographing unforgettable moments and landscapes is an integral part of his travels.
‘Corner Kick’ Uruya, province of Jujuy Sunday afternoon match in one of the remote villages in the Andes. At 3,000 metres, a ritual as important as only football can be is celebrated. It doesn’t really matter if the fi eld has got no lines or if the goal has got no net. The game is timed by the sunset and each game counts as a Super Clásico. Giovanni Rossi, 35 years old, bank employee, in love with South America thanks to Sepulveda’s and Soriano’s books... and above all, thanks to Maradona!
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’Diareros de Buenos Aires’ Buenos Aires Newspaper kiosks are frequently used as social meeting points. In the photo, Juan Carlos, the newspaper kiosk owner, is joined by Martin (bus inspector) and Beto (ordinary customer). Stuart Armour is from Scotland but after leaving a career in banking and spending 18 months travelling, he now lives in Germany but works in Luxembourg part-time as an English teacher. He is also a semi-professional photographer for weddings, portraits, and workshops - but his real passion is street and travel photography.
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BUENOS AIRES VIBES
Text by Anabela Valente Photography by Anabela Valente, Jorge Valente
Dome of the Argentinian National Congress Palace, Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires
Before arriving in Buenos Aires we had read that the city was often referred to as the Paris of South America. That could well be... Buenos Aires does not lack in architectural European-styled buildings, but in all fairness, we have to add that Buenos Aires is much livelier, hotter and sexier than Paris. The city’s character. There is something young about the city’s character. It could be the informal, relaxed look of the people, or the slow pace with which they use the pedestrian crossings. Here rushing does not seem to be a priority. The slow movement of their bodies contrasts with the cheerful lives reflected in the faces of the Porteùos. Everything in
their faces smile, not only the lips but also the eyes, the jaws, the eye brows. And then there is the weather, it is hot and humid, and this adds to the sexiness with which people move and dress (or underdress), hardly covering their bodies. We were victims ourselves of this agonising weather that forced us to undress. Each day we rode the motorbike with one piece of clothing less. First the trousers were abandoned, then boots, gloves, jackets. Eventually we were driving as the locals do, with open helmets, shorts and t-shirts and enjoying every minute as the wind refreshed our bodies.
CITY
Insider Tips
u Buenos Aires’ secrets unveiled by Mariano Damelio, a young Porteño.
What does one absolutely need to do in BA As in every new city you have to go sightseeing. There is interesting architecture to discover, just walk around downtown and in the old neighbourhood of San Telmo. Visit one of the old, typical Cafés. Go to Teatro Colón, the opera house which is ranked among the world’s best. Visit Cementerio de La Recoleta. Watch a good Tango show with live music and dance it yourself, if you dare. If you are a football fan you have to go and see a match. It’s an important part of our culture. And of course, try the local meat. Favourite dish The best you will find in BA is the local barbecue, called asado. You can find it in restaurants called parrillas.
Favourite sweet The most popular sweet in Argentina is Dulce de Leche. It can be eaten on toast (very typical for breakfast). My favourite and most popular dessert is called alfajor. It consists of two cookies, filled with Dulce de Leche and covered usually with chocolate. Favourite book I like any of Julio Cortazar’s books, especially the short stories.
One of the many inner yards in an old colonial house (called casa chorizo because of a particular architectural feature - aligned rooms facing inner courtyard), ideal for having a break or a drink.
Buenos Aires, Good Winds or Cool Winds. After meeting our host who lived in the quiet neighbourhood of Villa Pueyrredon, we left the motorbike behind and took the metro into the old town. It was very hot and a small walk of 20 minutes to the metro seemed to last much longer. Once there, and while trying to find our way in this modern metro station, the security man approached us and asked us if we had been there a few days ago selling crafts. After a couple of months abroad, we were no longer being taken for tourists. It must have been Jorge’s long hair and long beard that made us look like the dozens of Argentinians we met who were travelling through South America and sponsoring their trips by selling crafts, performing on the streets or playing music. They had a very hippy and happy look and that is actually how we were feeling: hippy and happy! Unfortunately, when we opened our mouths he immediately noticed his mistake (it must have been our perfect Chilean accent!) and was more embarrassed than us, who were actually enjoying the idea. He offered to open the metro barrier for us to
Favourite magazine Not actually a magazine, but I would recommend the well-known comic Mafalda, which criticises society (especially ours) from the point of view of an acute, little girl. Favourite open-air space Bosques de Palermo is a nice place to spend a sunny day. I also like Plaza Francia, a smaller park in Recoleta neighbourhood, close to the old cemetery and to some museums and art galleries with nice bars and cafés around it. Favourite film Nueve Reinas. It’s a comedy which is representative of our idiosyncrasy, when applied to crime (don’t worry; we are not all like them!). Porteños are generally speaking kind and friendly, despite living in a very busy city and always being in a rush. We are outgoing people and always willing to talk to strangers (especially about ourselves!). Yes, we have a reputation for being very proud.
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Favourite drink/bar There are plenty of bars and clubs in BA. We probably have the biggest nightlife around. I like Ferona and Soria in Palermo, Gibraltar, Puerta Roja and Antares in San Telmo. If I’m looking for good craft beer I go to Buena Birra Social Club, where they brew and serve their own beer.