Forgetful!

Or a better word may yet be neglectful. And that is quite an apt description for me and my blog posts. I do apologize (but also admit that I'm not terribly sorry!). I have been a busy girl wandering through Southern Argentina. Almost a full month of hiking around the Southern Patagonian Ice Field has left me tired but sated. For any view whores out there this is one trip not to miss: one stunning site after another. Each one comes with a price though--and I mean physically, not on the pocket book (although a trip to Southern Argentina does not come cheap!).  

 Friends who have been to Argentina in the past few years had warned that the country wasn't a bargain, but  also affirmed that it was still cheaper than U.S. prices. That is no longer the case! (The country has seen rapid inflation and except for wine, hostels, and groceries you can expect to pay more than you would in the U.S. for equivalent services).

Cutting the post short (Sorry!). A long, and updated itinerary post--with comments-- will follow (someday).  In the mean time here are a few snapshots from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

  

Dada

Apologies for the delay in posting this... I had a late dinner here one night when I was in Buenos Aires in early February.

This place gets a 4* for the great cocktails and super friendly bartenders.
Buenos Aires' hole in the wall Dada can make a mean cocktail. I had a perfect negroni--which was excellent. I also had a vanilla caipirinha which was also good, but a bit sweet for my personal taste. The cocktails don't come cheap (but then, they aren't terribly expensive either).  By U.S. standards the drinks are large and robust. The food is solid, but go for the drinks. The atmosphere is a mix of locals, expats, and tourists, so whoever you are, and whoever you are with, you will fit right in. Expect to wait for a seat.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Greetings from the end of the world!

It is a bit chilly down here after a week in the 100 degree heat of Buenos Aires. But after four days of 38 degree weather (remember: it's still the summer!), I'm adapting--and remembering why I decided to leave cold, cold Colorado! I have officially started cooking for my self and given up (mostly) on going out to eat--at least for now. Ushuaia, it turns out, is a fairly pricey place. A cup of instant coffee goes for $3. A beer is $5. But the fish market has good, local catch for super cheap! I bought 2 large fillets of some sort of small tuna for only 20 pesos--about $5.00. I also got some shucked clams for half that price! As the seas have been too rough for fishing, everything in the place is frozen right now. I keep popping in to see if they have gotten in any cetolla (king crab) but the fish monger says it has been at least 10 days since he's had any. 

View of Ushuaia

And then there's the wine--which is also good, and cheap. Unfortunately the hostel has a no outside alcohol policy. It was flaunted one night, obeyed last night, and will be flaunted again tonight! I am not paying 30 pesos for the worst wine on offer in Argentina (even if it does happen to be wholly drinkable)!

Sea lions on Isla Lobos

Over Budget

I keep trying to stay on budget and it doesn't seem to be working. I can stay on track when it comes to many things--but not when it comes to food!  I had a nice welcome to Buenos Aires lunch today at a place called El Querandi, which also doubles as a tangueria at night. I had planned to eat at La Cava de El Querandi, the posher restaurant's younger sibling--and more casual (aka cheaper!) wine bar--which is located right next door to the tango hall. Needless to say I ended up quite happy with my lunch, even though it was more expensive, and a totally different experience than I had been anticipating. I had a half bottle of 2010 Alfredo Roca Malbec which was big, rich, and quite tasty. And cost a bit over $10 (definitely over priced, but that's what happens when you sit down in the wrong place!). I ate the tagliatelle verde with seafood, which turned out to be quite good. The seafood tasted fresh, which is always a plus, though the tagliatelli were . But once I realized I was  in the wrong place I kept eyeing La Cava through the glass wall at the end of the restaurant. I'll keep you posted if I venture back to the wine bar. But with so many options in Buenos Aires I don't know that I will.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is the national drink of Uruguay. Uruguayans don't seem to go anywhere with out their thermoses full of hot water and their mate gourds brimming with yerba--be it to the beach, the park, or work. They even carry their set with them just walking around town.

 Mate is a plant in the holly family. The leaves, and sometimes the twigs, are harvested, dried, and chopped up. Mate is a very herbaceous "tea" and can be bitter if steeped in boiling water. Mate contains more caffeine than tea, but less than coffee.  To prepare mate you steep the leaves in hot (but not boiling) water.

Drinking mate is generally a social affair. A group of friends will gather and share a gourd of mate, refilling the mate gourd from the thermos of hot water. (That doesn't mean you won't find people taking a mate on their own.)

The gourds can be quite beautiful. The  silver straws that go in them often have intricate designs as well. The straws are quite different from a typical plastic straw. They are silver, with a small spoon shaped, sealed bottom that goes into the gourd. They look like a flat tea strainer.

Bar 62

*** (That's the rating! Out of 5)
This is a fun restaurant in hip--if that word can be used in Montevideo--Pocitos, a residential neighborhood of Montevideo that is a short bus ride from the center. If you go to Montevideo, stay in the Pocitos area; this is where the better restaurants and cafes can be found. Plus there's the beach.

The restaurant is welcoming, the service solid and friendly, and the food is good.One thing I'm learning about Uruguayan restaurant etiquette is that you just walk in and sit down where ever you like. You don't have to wait to be seated, just take your pick. (Unless of course it's a reservations type place--but I have yet to see or eat at one of those.) At Bar 62 I started with a Uruguayan rose of Cab Franc that was  very enjoyable. (You'd think it would be easier to find local wines on the menu, but unless you go to a restaurant that specializes in Uruguayan wine, the wine selection tends to favor Argentina.) They serve nice bread (which I presume was made on site) with a mayonnaise accompaniment. I'm learning that instead of butter Uruguayans opt for mayo. Nothing wrong with that when they season it so well. I ate the whole ramequin full! For lunch I had a sesame-coated seared tuna (definitely more cooked than I normally like my tuna, but still pink on the inside). This was served with an avocado, mango, and cherry tomato salad as well as a nice arugula salad. The portion was quite large--and I ate every last bit of it.

Montevideo Market

The General Store Truck

Mercado del Puerto

Bienvenido a Montevideo! For my welcome to Uruguay meal I ate lunch at a swanky restaurant in the Mercado del Puerto. I was expecting this Mercado to be more along the lines of the Boqueria in Barcelona. It's not. Here the market consists almost entirely of parrilladas, restaurants specializing in MEAT (welcome to Uruguay!). When I say meat, this is over the top. They have whole racks of sausage, chicken (splayed flat as well as pieces), offal, cuts of beef, pork, lamb, the list goes on... all sitting over charcoal cooking. Each parrillada in the Mercado has a counter where you can sit and watch your meat grilling, or a seating section. There are only a few actual shops in the market, and they consist mostly of Uruguayan chotskies.

 So for lunch I played it safe. I decided I would have a spur-of-the-moment splurge, welcome-to-South America meal. I chose El Palenque which was the nicest looking restaurant in the Mercado and also one of the more crowded. I ordered grilled swordfish and a glass of medio y medio. Medio y medio is the other national drink of Uruguay (after yerba mate). It is half sparkling wine half still. Mine was pretty good and went straight to my head, which is a good thing because the fish was sub-par: a very large piece of swordfish lightly floured and pan fried, swimming in oil, and very overcooked. The zucchini strips sauteed in olive oil with garlic and onion were excellent. All of this for $690 (34.50 @ 20 pesos/U$S) which puts me way over budget for the day (which would be ok if it were at least worth it!). Lesson to self: Do not be tempted by the "nicer" restaurants. If I'm going to splurge on this trip it's going to have to be for a restaurant whose reputation precedes it!