December 10th go 19th
On Sunday, December the 10th, I started going up to my trip’s final destination: Buenos Aires. Indeed, my flight back to France was leaving from Montevideo (in Uruguay, just in front of Buenos Aires, a few hours of boat away) on the 19th.
I left Ushuaia hitchhiking, and started going back up the continent via the National Route 3, that goes all the way up to Buenos Aires, as can be seen on a sign in Ushuaia, indicating the capital of Argentina more than 3,000km away. After having a look at the map, I decided to cut the trip in half, and to visit the Valdes Peninsula, “only” 1,900km away.
Ushuaia
Milepost on the road – Distance to Buenos Aires
Plains of Patagonia
It took me 3 days to get there, with several vehicles, camping every night. On the first night, on the side of the road, in some shelter that protected me from the crazy wind of South Patagonia. The second night, in a camping in the town of Comodoro.
My shelter on the first night
My shelter on the first night
Sunset on Patagonia
I was picked up by very different people. Some anecdotes: a couple of retired Chileans, who were going to visit family for holidays and had to go through Argentina, picked me up for about 500km. Around 10am, the husband was starting to be a little tired (he had been driving since 5am). I said “if you want, I have my international license on me, I can drive for a bit so you can rest”. No need to ask twice: 2 minutes later he pulled over, and I took the wheel. I drove 150km, he slept the whole time. I left them around noon, I was glad he was rested to go on for an afternoon of driving.
The next driver was an Argentinian priest, in a pick-up truck, he was driving at 160km/h! He was the first driver of a long series that was drinking mate, and he gave me a full lecture about this ritual drink, very popular in Argentina. Most people drink it in Argentina, instead of tea, coffee or other infused beverages consumed in the world. Here is a summary: the plant “Yerba Mate” has to be put in the mate bowl (just called mate in Spanish), that can be made of calabash or wood, but also of glass or plastic. Then, the water is poured in, and it has to infuse for a few seconds, before one can sip from a metallic straw that lets the water through but not the yerba mate. Then, you go again: pouring the water, and sipping from the straw. The water has to be hot but -very important- not at boiling point: 88 to 92 °C is the adequate temperature. Thus every Argentinian carries around a thermos bottle, and on the rest areas on the highway there are hot water dispensers. There are several brands of Yerba Mate, with more or less taste, some more bitter than others, etc. One can add sugar. Apparently in some regions the mate is drunk with cold water, or even with soda.
To summarize, there are as many ways to drink mate as there are Argentinian people.
When he dropped me off and we had to split ways, the priest gave me a mate bowl as a gift, to keep as a souvenir!
Cup holder converted in Mate holder
Gift from the priest!
I finally arrived to Puerto Piramides on the Valdes Peninsula, on Tuesday the 12th in the afternoon, after several other lifts with mate-drinking drivers, on the Route 3 that is a little monotonous. For that, hitchhiking is an excellent way to travel, because every new vehicle is a new encounter, and there is always a conversation topic, so it’s difficult to get bored.
Everywhere in Argentina one can see signs like this one, claiming the Falklands
A mate drinking driver
Roads are long and straight
Mate in a truck
Refueling, 527 liters
A truck carrying a wind turbine blade
I crossed this guy walking towards the peninsula
This peninsula is famous for its wildlife. On Wednesday the 13th, I went around it with 2 British girls that I had met in the camping of Puerto Piramides, and that were willing to take me around in their rental car. We were able to see penguins, sea elephants and sea lions. I had read that killer whales could be observed with some luck, but we weren’t that lucky.
Peninsula Valdes – Sea lions
Peninsula Valdes
Peninsula Valdes
Peninsula Valdes – Guanacos
Peninsula Valdes – The famous gaucho, Argentinian cow-boy with his typical beret
Peninsula Valdes – The famous gaucho, Argentinian cow-boy with his typical beret
Peninsula Valdes
Peninsula Valdes – Sea lions
Peninsula Valdes – Sea elephants
Peninsula Valdes – Sea elephants
Peninsula Valdes
Peninsula Valdes – Armadillo
Peninsula Valdes
Peninsula Valdes – Penguins
Peninsula Valdes – Penguin
Peninsula Valdes – Penguin
Peninsula Valdes – Sea elephants
On the same night, I hitchhiked out of the peninsula to get to Puerto Madryn, on the Route 3, to be able to keep going north the next day.
On Thursday the 14th, I went back on my way up north, and after exiting the city, I put my thumb up next to a gas station. After an hour, a car stopped, and the driver explained he was going to Buenos Aires. I thought to myself “Perfect, he’s going to get me far, almost all the way to Mar del Plata”, where I wanted to go tan a bit for the last time before flying back home. As it was a car and not one of these trucks that don’t go faster than 80 km/h, so I thought we would go fast… No luck, as soon as I got in the car he told me “I don’t have a lot of money for the trip so I’m driving at 80km/h to save gas”. We still drove 12 hours, and I camped in a town called Tres Arroyos. The next day, I hitchhiked the 400km left and got to the beach of Mar del Plata around 2pm.
Straight, long roads
Hot water dispensers on the highway rest areas
Hitchhiking in Argentina
Hitchhiking in Argentina
I spent the night and the following day in that beach town, chilling and walking around the beaches. On Saturday the 16th, around 4pm a huge storm started so I went to the bus terminal and jumped on a bus to Buenos Aires. I had initially thought about taking a night bus but as I couldn’t enjoy the beach anymore because of the weather, I might as well use that time going forward. I arrived at 11pm in Buenos Aires.
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata – Storm is coming
I stayed 2 days in Buenos Aires, not really enough to visit the city properly, but I got a good overview and I really liked the city, and the country in general as a matter of fact.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires – The tour guide was drinking mate
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires – Cemetery
Buenos Aires – Cemetery
Buenos Aires – Best pizza in town
Buenos Aires – Best pizza in town
Generally speaking, I was pleasantly surprised by the Argentinians: having lived in Colombia and Mexico, and having travelled a good part of Latin America, I use to think the people of Argentina were arrogant overly proud, and not that friendly. But at home, in their own country, I found that Argentinians are very open, friendly, warm and generous people.
On the night of Monday the 18th, I took the ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo in Uruguay, which I didn’t have the time to visit, as I had to leave early the next morning to the airport.
Last stamp, not much space left in the passport…
That’s the end of my trip! I felt quite nostalgic when I took the plane, but also very satisfied of the unforgettable year.
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