mad nomad: Since there were requests for Angeliki to write a little something about our adventures, she penned the following article. Enjoy!

On Wednesday the 20^th of September 2023, four years after we decided to travel together around the American continent, we landed at Buenos Aires! We spent a week in the capital of Argentina, in order to acclimatise prior to traveling to neighbouring Uruguay to pick up our vehicles. This metropolis is massive and has a lot of European influences. We managed, however, to see and experience quite a few things. We were hosted by a family from Venezuela, who have been living in the country for a few years and Juan, our host, showed us around quite a bit. We visited museums, parks, churches, cemeteries and squares. The government buildings are huge and there are often demonstrations outside, since the country is plagued with numerous economic, social and political problems, which became evident to us pretty soon.

The Obelisk, standing tall at 67 metres (220 ft), on the 9^th of July Avenue (Avenida 9 de Julio), was erected in 1936 in order to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the establishment of the first Spanish colony on Río de la Plata.

The most famous landmarks of Buenos Aires are the Obelisk, as well as the 9^th of July Avenue (Avenida 9 de Julio), with its 16 lanes in some parts, which is allegedly the widest avenue in the world! We got acquainted to the city’s cuisine, which is reigned by pizza and milanesa (the Argentinian version of a schnitzel). We wandered around open-air markets and met several locals, friends of friends, and each one of them contributed to our Argentinian experience. Finally, we also watched a few cultural spectacles, such as tango, of course, as well as live music. With our heart and soul full, we departed for Uruguay, where we would get our vehicles delivered and a month later we returned to Argentina by road, in order to explore the rest of the country!

Tango was born around the estuary of Río de la Plata, in Argentina and Uruguay, in the 19^th century, yet back in the day it was a dance for the lower classes and lowlifes.

We re-entered Argentina in our vehicles through the city of Concordia and during Election Day. The plan was to drive westwards until we reached the Andes, near the border with Chile and then southwards, until Tierra del Fuego! Argentina greeted us with torrential rains, which were the cause of our first misadventure in the pampas, the vast plains that are prevalent in these lands. The van got stuck there and we even had to use the winch in order to get it out of the mud. We spent the rest of the day cleaning out the mud from the van and the motorcycle, on the banks of the Lake Mar Chiquita, in the town of Miramar, whilst the flamingos were looking at us puzzled!

The first problem the van encountered was in the mud of the pampas… We were saved by the winch!

With our vehicles clean, we made our way to Córdoba, Argentina’s second largest city. We mainly wanted to exchange money, buy provisions, but also to view the beautiful colonial architecture of the city. We visited Alta Gracia next, where Che Guevara spent his childhood and adolescence. The Guevara family house is a museum these days and contains a lot of information about his life and his activities. Our next stop, following the advice of a local we met, was the village of La Cumbrecita, which is nestled in the Central Sierra mountain range. This village was built by Swiss settlers and is reminiscent of the Alps rather than of Argentina. It was a rather surreal experience and we spent a couple of days there hiking and exploring the area.

The village of La Cumbrecita was founded by Swiss settlers, as its architecture suggests.

Without straying from Central Sierra, after driving for a few hours, we arrived at the Umepay community, where a friend of our friend Daphne lives. This alternative community was set up 11 years ago; it is based on ecological consciousness and follows specific standards with respect to its operation and the houses, which are built using cob. Around 150 people live there today, who partake in beautiful activities and fully respect nature. I personally liked it very much and if I had to live in Argentina, I would probably pick this place for my residence.

Elias’ first flight on his paraglider in Argentina was at Cuchi Corral, where the world paragliding championship had taken place in 1994!

A few days after we bid goodbye to Umepay, Elias did his first flight on his paraglider in Argentina, at Cuchi Corral, not far from La Rioja. The landscape had already started to change considerably, as had the temperature. La Rioja is full of cacti and red sand, while it was the first time during our travels that we suffered from the heat! We stayed for a couple of days at the Lake De Los Sauces, where Elias flew on his paraglider again, while we also ate our first parilla! Parilla is the Argentinian BBQ, which, as we found out, is a very important part of the life and culture of Argentinians.

The route to the abandoned goldmine Mina la Mejicana at an altitude of 4,600 metres (15,092 ft) was hard both for Elias and for his motorcycle… It will also be unforgettable though!

Elias did a long and difficult off-road route on his motorbike next, towards the abandoned mine Mina la Mejicana. It was a rather tough ride, so I stayed behind. All day long Elias was crossing rivers and riding in them. He returned late in the evening, exhausted and covered in mud, but very excited with the beautiful landscapes that he saw. Stay tuned because the parilla will be back!

This is the documentary about our adventures in Argentina (with English subtitles):

This is the video about my epic ride to Mina La Mejicana (with English subtitles):