Friends and Foooooood!

It´s been a while since I´ve had a chance to update this old thing..which is a good thing!
Brad and I have been muy busy...so I´m waaay behind
Northern Argentina is hot and humid. After staying in Salta a few days, I met up with a friend, Sheeva, who has been studying photography in Tucuman,AR through the Sacramento Rotary Club. As soon as I got off the bus in this little city the heat and humidity hit, and I soon found out that 100 degree weather is nothing compared to the middle of the summer! Nonetheless, the heat felt good after the dry and cold of the mountains. Sheeva and her roomates welcomed us into their little student crash pad, shared their beds and food and beer and music. The pace of life is very different here. We would get up at 11, eat breakfast and lunch sort of, eat a snack at 5, then go to the store to buy dinner at around 10, eat at 11 or 12, go out at 12:30 and saty out until 3 or 4 (or 6 or 7)They taught me how to drink Mate (the traditional Argentinian tea) and her roomates who are musicians played a beautiful show at a little cafe one evening. Sheeva started a children´s photography program in Tucuman at the food kitchen and has given a group of kids the chance to take picures of their own lives, families, and homes. She is showcasing their pictures this wednesday! (So awesome!)

Anyway, hanging out with Sheeva and her friends was a great change of pace, and they went above and beyond for us...it was really a wonderful treat!
Cordoba

We would´ve loved to stay longer with Sheeva but had to keep on moving South. Our next stop was Cordoba, a university city in the middle of Argentina known for its horses and beautiful countryside. Brad and I stayed with friends of my aunt and uncle and found out, right before we left Tucuman, that Manu Chao was going to be playing in Cordoba while we were there. As soon as we arrived we picked up tickets and a few hours later headed to the packed stadium to dance like mad. The show was awesome, and we got a chance to explore the city a fair amount since we were staying on the outskirts. Right as we were about to head out of town, the people we were staying with told us their friend would be going to the country that day and wanted to take us out to explore the countryside and see one of the Jesuit Estancias built here-Before the Jesuits were kicked out of South America for being ´subversive´(i.e. a little too powerful)...they built huge farms and monasteries powered by the natives (the devout and the slaves). Once kicked out, the estancias were sold. Alejandra´s great great great grandfather bought this one outside of Cordoba. It now belongs to his ancesters...all 2000 of them. They are really beautiful.

But-First stop, one of Alejandra´s favorite restaurants, a little parilla (grill) in a little country town where they serve up some killer steaks..One the way out the car breaks down...The chef comes out in his apron to help Brad push our little Renault to the gas station

Second stop--Alejandra´s family home. Here father built it out in the middle of nowhwere and it´s become pretty delapidated so she took us out there while she met with some people who would fix it up for her. It was hard not to entertain fantasies of taking it over and building a huge garden on this beautiful property..., and then we headed to the estancia to look around the secret rooms and have a beer with some of her family. Truly a wonderful end to our trip in Cordoba.

Next stop--Wine Country!! Mendoza!