Three Days in Córdoba, Argentina

Hello Life @ U of T! My name is Adara, I am a third-year student currently on exchange in Buenos Aires. I am majoring in Environmental and Ecological Biology with a minor in Spanish, as well as in Women and Gender Studies. I am trying to fill my semester away with as many sick times and good homies as this anxiety ridden kid can handle.

One of the best weekend trips one can take from Buenos Aires is to the nearby city/province of Córdoba. The crew and I went there one weekend in August, which is high winter here in the southern hemisphere. It was cold for Argentina, which is to say the temperature oscillated between four and twenty degrees Celsius. Our time was packed with every thing but sleep, but by pushing myself to the limit, I learned just how much could be accomplished in only three days.

Day 1: We take an overnight bus to the city of Córdoba, and for just 100 pesos more ($3.72 CAD) we purchased the full cama (full bed) seats. When we arrive, shivering, the early morning light renders all of the buildings pink. Córdoba is known for its colonial architecture, and so we spend the day seeking out the loveliest structures in town, interspersed by naps in sunny plazas or parks.   Day 2: We awake to catch a seven am bus to a nearby town called Alta Gracia, the birthplace of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Here we do a daylong horseback ride through the Sierra mountains. The mountains are spectacularly beautiful, rippling and sparkling with tall yellow grass. We feel both giddy and surreal and totally tranquil, living as gauchos for a day. Determined to wring every second out of this adventure, we board another bus that night, exhausted and sore, to another nearby town. Called Capilla del Monte, it is home to unique rock formations known as Los Terrones.  Day 3: We awake before sunrise, and head to Los Terrones. We taxi to the entrance of the park, chatting with our cheerful driver. He explains that Capilla del Monte has a special energy to it, contented and relaxed amidst a world hurtling toward destruction. Looking out the window at the mountains at the early morning glow, I understand what he means. Los Terrones are indeed spectacular. The locals speak of UFO landings here, and really who's to say, but undoubtedly the rock formations and vistas are certainly out of this world.  After a spectacularly gorgeous hike through the mountains, we must now make the trek back. We knock on the door of one of a nearby estancias, and are greeted by a lovely old woman, originally from a small town in Germany. She gives us water, lets us use her phone, and happily entertains us with her stories. She too wants to live in Capilla del Monte for the rest of her life. The energy of this place is just special, she says, unlike anywhere else. Can’t argue with that. Maybe they're aliens.