Architecture in Corrientes
I still didn’t feel like doing a massive long bus journey of more than 20 hours so I decided to stop off in Corrientes. It sounded like a nice town and is known for its regional handicrafts.
When I got on the bus in San Vicente I realised that I had left my bit of guide-book and map of Corrientes at the cafe where I had dinner – doh! I got a town map at the bus station then managed to find a taxi to take me to the square where I knew the hostel was but then I couldn’t find the actual door because I didn’t know the number – doh again! So I took me and my rucksack off to the tourist information and they were super helpful. They rang the hostel for me to check the lady was there to let me in and explained which street number (and door) it was. They also gave me loads of useful information about Corrientes and how to visit the natural reserve of Esteros del Ibera.
I stayed one night in a lovely little hostel (and the only hostel in Corrientes with a dorm room) where I shared a room with a woman from Buenos Aires who was visiting her family. Why she wasn’t staying with them, I never really found out, and we seemed to keep different hours so I never really saw her. The lady that ran the hostel was lovely – she thought it was great that I spoke Spanish but thought I was completely mad for travelling on my own.
Woodcarver in Corrientes
Funny little car I saw in Corrientes
Corrientes has some lovely turn of the 20th century colonial architecture as well as a promenade along the river (popular for an evening stroll eating ice-cream) and a modern city centre. I started off at the Museo de Artesanias Tradicionales Folcloricas, where once again there was an enthusiastic guide wanting to have a good old chat and make friends with a gringa. I politely declined the offer of a tour of the town on his motorbike (I really just wasn’t in the mood for random enthusiasm after the night bus, and the guy was also a little bit strange). The museum was small but had an interesting selection of handicrafts on loan from a museum in Buenos Aires. As a museum employee from London I was introduced to the director of the museum (who was also enthusiastic but not weird) and she told me about the museum, explained some of the objects and introduced me to some of the master craftspeople who have studios in the courtyard of the museum. Unfortunately it was still the holiday period so there was not many craftspeople working, only one wood carving student and her master teacher. I bought a couple of souvenirs from the shop and headed off to find some lunch.
Delicious empanadas in Corrientes
Finding vegetarian food in Argentina outside of the bigger cities is a nightmare with the only options being not very good pizza and pasta, which I was already sick of. Fortunately I came across an empanada place that had a great selection of vegetarian empanadas (baked or fried) and although not the healthiest meal it was nice to have something sort of resembling local food.
I also had some life admin to do in Corrientes, such as getting my washing done and sending stuff home (because I knew I couldn’t take . Getting my clothes washed was easy but sending a parcel home was something of a challenge. I went to the post office with my bag of bits to post home and there the challenge began. In Argentina to send a box abroad that weighs more than 2kg you have to take it to a separate customs office for inspection (on the other side of town that is only open in the mornings Mon – Fri). I decided to split the stuff into two boxes until I found out the cost! And then I tried to pay with a card and the post office only accepts cash, so off I went to the cash machine (and to get some newspaper to pad out the box) before returning to post the actual box of stuff. Oh, and did I mention that the staff in the post office were generally rude and unhelpful?! All that said, the box did arrive at my mum and dad’s house in less than two weeks, so I shouldn’t complain.
Beautiful sunset in Corrientes
People on the beach next to an industrial plant in Corrientes
After a siesta I went and got ice-cream from Grido (can you see the recurring theme here?) and headed down to the promenade to take a stroll and watch the sun go down. The sunset was really beautiful, brilliantly red and orange, and it was a good spot for people watching.
The next morning I was up early to get a bus to Mercedes to visit Esteros del Ibera.
trying to travel light 