Bike travel, commuting and more

Panamericana

Argentina XIV: Back to Belen

Santiago Airport

At the airport in Santiago

Our tour without bikes is over, time to pedal

After spending a month traveling on buses, it was time to go back to the bikes. The worst of the winter should be over, and now days were sunnier and longer, so we would already have at least half an hour of sunshine before getting up.

Santiago hostel
Having breakfast in our hostel in Santiago

But first, we had to go back to Belen, Catamarca, in north Argentina, from Santiago de Chile. The weather had been nice the last few days and snow was melting, so we were hoping Paso Libertadores, the main road between Santiago and Mendoza, would be open.

Meeting Fernando in Santiago
Meeting Fernando, who works for Marcelo in Santiago

The landscape on the way was supposed to be great, and we would pass by the Aconcagua. So we got our bus tickets. The trip, unlike many other bus rides, was during daylight since the road can be covered in snow and ice, so it was perfect for us for sightseeing.

Banking sector of Santiago
Modern architecture in the Santiago financial district

However, the day we were going to leave was very overcast, and sure enough, when we arrived in the bus station they told us the pass was closed because of heavy snow and therefore our bus trip cancelled.

Santiago bus station
It is official, our bus trip is not happening

What to do now? Susanne still had contacts to visit in Cordoba, and from there it would be easier to find bus connections to go back to Belen, so we found a last minute plane ticket at a good price to fly to Cordoba in that same afternoon.

Thomas making friends
Thomas making friends in the park

Again we got very low visibility on the plane so we hardly saw any mountains when we flew over the Andes, and we arrived late in Cordoba, but a public bus took us back to the same hostel we stayed the first time.

Bus in Cordoba
Thomas loves public transport

Unfortunately Luciana was no longer attending in reception, but it was still nice and well located.

Meeting Juan Manuel
Low cost meeting in the hostel

Susanne met again with Juan Manuel, the guy from La Cumbre who is leading the iLAPH passivhaus platform in Latin America.

Brunch in Cordoba
Brunch in Cordoba

Next day we met again Pedro, another passivhaus architect, who helped design the house in El Tigre, and all his team for a nice brunch in a place on the outskirts of Cordoba.

Passivhaus family picture
Susanne with her passivhaus contacts

The weather was very mild for still being winter, so we went for an ice cream afterwards and then to a popular park next to the football stadium called Chateau Park.

Asado in Cordoba
It doesn’t get more Argentinian than that. Asado a la cruz

The place was packed due to being Sunday and nice weather, so it was easy to lose track of the kids and a couple of times the police had to be called to help some worried parents.

Chateau Park, Cordoba
Chateau Park, full of active kids
Chateau park
Parents meanwhile chilled in the shadow area

The next day we were lucky to find a bus that would take us directly to Belen, without the need to change buses. It was another long night ride, specially for me that I can’t sleep well on buses. But we made it to Belen in time for breakfast and when it was no longer freezing cold.

Bus change in Aimogasta
We did have to change bus after Aimogasta

We met the hostel owner that had been storing our bikes and we had a long chat to catch up. We brought him alfajores from Cordoba and he gave us chestnuts and delicious homemade marmalade from his own peach trees. After that, we had a great lunch in the supposedly best restaurant in town to celebrate my birthday.

Birthday lunch

The next day would actually be my birthday, and we would spend it on the road, finally back on the bikes.

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1 Comment

  1. Katherine

    Maravillosa manera de celebrar un cumpleaños, viajando!!! Definitivamente un dia para recordar. 🥳

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