La Cumbre

On Friday, I made may way to La Cumbre, a small town 2hrs north of Cordoba to this cute little hostal (see first pic). The town is a weekend-holiday destination for wealthy families in Cordoba or BA. But it remains quaint and very ´villagy´if that makes sense (not flashy, not commercial, just simple and unpretentious). The hostal is some old english-style house reconverted into a hostal....no more than 25 beds...a perfect number so you can get to know everyone...a big dining room that felt like someone´s house, not a hostal...a garden with BBQ patio...and a pool.... all that will a treelined entrance to the house....does it sound perfect or what... i ended up staying until Wednesday!!!

Lucked out and got to meet some great people too, which makes all the difference. The owner was super welcoming and organized asados for us and an empanadas bday party for one of the guests (see pic of all the different kind of empanadas...they are folded a different way according to the filling: meat, chicken, veggies, etc). You felt you were visiting him (and his 4 retrievers) instead of backpacking. Awesome feeling.

On Sunday, I went on a 2 day horse ride across the Sierras, the rolling hills of Cordoba....more like flat mountains...not much vegetation...just grass and those feathery plants again (like in front of our house). But great scenery...like the end of the world...very peaceful. Two irish couples had signed up so I tagged along, but soon after another Irish girl and an American girl caught up with us for the ride. Fun crowd! Only 3 of us knew how to ride, but all the first timers did a great job. The horses have this funny trot so you stay seated instead of lifting yourself each time. At first it was comfortable, but after 2 days, my back was killing...i prefer the standing trot. Maybe carrying a backpack didn´t help...or sleeping in a bed the shape of a hammock.

The highlight of the trip, other than the riding itself, was the host family in the mountains who welcomed us to their little camping site. They have a tiny house...more like a 2 room construction...one is the kitchen, the other the pantry/bedroom. The hosts (2 sisters, 1 brother) were such characters.... looked like they were 90, but only in their 70´s... true Argentinian hospitality...we couldn´t get up to clear the table or help with dishes... we tried over and over but if we had anymore it would´ve been insulting. Such lively and friendly people...very caring...and also curious about our lives.

You should´ve seen the kitchen... two old stoves, that you put wood in... from the last century... and messy...the whole place was messy ...when we first got there, I thought in what dump did we end up in...the yard is full of debris, old toilet, metal pieces, just stuff (see pic with the 2 horses tied up).... and the kitchen was just as messy... just random things stuffed under the stoves, on the shelves, etc... but it didn´t bother any of us....the charisma of our hosts was just too charming and inviting. For dinner, the hostess made fresh pasta and some delicious chicken dish... and of course empanadas to start...so tasty....afterwards we drank mate with the host...a great honor!

Then at around midnight, the hosts took us up to our cabin on top of the hill...a cute litte house in the middle of nowhere (see picture of house with cactus)... no electricity, but running water... the hostess insisted on making the beds herself, but we did lend her a hand... they practically tucked us in, they were so sweet.

After a ´grace mat´ (ie: sleeping in), we headed down to the ´main´house for breakfast... eggs and bacon....how perfect for St Patty´s day! After much kissing and hugging, we got back on the horses for the 4 hr trip home. The second day of riding was just awesome...going through fields instead of following paths...not too sunny, just enough without burning (unlike the first day)...crossing rivers and climbing hills... so adventurous!

Back in La Cumbre, we headed to town for dinner to celebrate our trip...and St Patty...but to be honest most of us were tired and happy to head to bed not too late.

Tuesday...another chill day...another asado...Wednesday, the last chill day....and bus to Cordoba.

Now it´s Thursday....went to Carlos Paz (the 'it' place for Cordobans who want to chill by the water during the day and go clubbing at night), but it´s too hot to walk around...will go read the paper on a terrace...then make my way back to the city to catch my night bus to Buenos Aires.

Tango city, here I come (not that I can dance to save my life...but I´ll enjoy the street performances!).