March 6 - 7, 2011
Santa Fe. Announcing travel plans to this provincial capital often elicits looks of bewilderment or confusion from Portenos (residents of Buenos Aires), wondering what it is exactly that you want to see or do there. With only a few days before I needed to head down to the Southern tip of the country, I had initially planned to head over to Uruguay, but with my flight delays and timing, I decided I'd delay Uruguay and instead visit another part of Argentina, opting for Santa Fe, as it's only six hours away by comfortable bus, and its description promised a relaxed colonial city with nice architecture and a calm pace of life. I took the subway over to the busy bus terminal and boarded one of the many double decker buses. Unlike some of my recent trips to Africa and Southeast Asia, the bus system here is well-organized, efficient and comfortable, offering large reclining seats, good legroom and even leaving on time, regardless of whether or not the bus is completely full (gasp).
Leaving the city, we passed by the office and residential sectors and soon made our way into the famed Argentine Pampas, the vast grasslands that surround the central swath of the country and are home to the famous gauchos/cowboys and the feeding ground for much of the prime meat for which the country is famous. Trees dotted the horizon, but most of the ride was simply flat and green for as far as you could see. Crossing a few rivers and entering into the edge of town, we came upon small streets lined with single or double story shops and restaurants and strands of trees, portraying a nice old-fashioned town feel. A few high-rises did appear, but in this city, they are the exception rather than the rule.
After an uneventful night, I spent the next day wandering around the quiet streets of the city on a Sunday morning, finding few others out and about. Along the way, I was treated to views of fading colonial architecture mixed with modern storefronts, leading down to the main plaza of the city, surrounded by two antique churches and a few large, stately government buildings. Finding a bench in the shade, I simply watched the day pass by, stray dogs chasing each other, children singing and riding bikes, couples walking down the road. It was all quite a nice scene other than the pesky mosquitoes that apparently come from the nearby rivers. As I was leaving the town square, I was stopped by two different sets of friendly Argentines, first asking for directions and then simply just wanting to chat and get my impression of their country.
Around the corner from the plaza sits one of the main "attractions" of the city, an old convent constructed in 1680. The Spanish style building in white and black fit in perfectly in the grassy square, and just around the corner, another fine looking building turned out to be a cultural museum. Heading down the road for lunch, I found a small sign for the Syrian/Lebanese association of the city, mentioned in the guidebook as a good place to eat. The little placard and narrow hallway didn't promise much, but then it opened into a huge banquet room, full of tables and loud conversations as the locals were mostly gathering together after church to catch up on all the weekly gossip. Service was rushed and crazy, but I just enjoyed watching the relative chaos as kids ran around tables, parents drank wine and looked the other direction and waiters scrambled to throw bread on tables as customers came and went.
Later in the day, I explored more of the town, finding more tree-lined avenues and quiet streets, eventually stumbling upon a little arts and crafts fair as darkness set in. All in all, it wasn't a very eventful weekend, but Santa Fe's mix of tranquility and heritage was a nice respite from the big-city sights of Buenos Aires, which I'd revisit soon enough.
Santa Fe. Announcing travel plans to this provincial capital often elicits looks of bewilderment or confusion from Portenos (residents of Buenos Aires), wondering what it is exactly that you want to see or do there. With only a few days before I needed to head down to the Southern tip of the country, I had initially planned to head over to Uruguay, but with my flight delays and timing, I decided I'd delay Uruguay and instead visit another part of Argentina, opting for Santa Fe, as it's only six hours away by comfortable bus, and its description promised a relaxed colonial city with nice architecture and a calm pace of life. I took the subway over to the busy bus terminal and boarded one of the many double decker buses. Unlike some of my recent trips to Africa and Southeast Asia, the bus system here is well-organized, efficient and comfortable, offering large reclining seats, good legroom and even leaving on time, regardless of whether or not the bus is completely full (gasp).
Leaving the city, we passed by the office and residential sectors and soon made our way into the famed Argentine Pampas, the vast grasslands that surround the central swath of the country and are home to the famous gauchos/cowboys and the feeding ground for much of the prime meat for which the country is famous. Trees dotted the horizon, but most of the ride was simply flat and green for as far as you could see. Crossing a few rivers and entering into the edge of town, we came upon small streets lined with single or double story shops and restaurants and strands of trees, portraying a nice old-fashioned town feel. A few high-rises did appear, but in this city, they are the exception rather than the rule.
After an uneventful night, I spent the next day wandering around the quiet streets of the city on a Sunday morning, finding few others out and about. Along the way, I was treated to views of fading colonial architecture mixed with modern storefronts, leading down to the main plaza of the city, surrounded by two antique churches and a few large, stately government buildings. Finding a bench in the shade, I simply watched the day pass by, stray dogs chasing each other, children singing and riding bikes, couples walking down the road. It was all quite a nice scene other than the pesky mosquitoes that apparently come from the nearby rivers. As I was leaving the town square, I was stopped by two different sets of friendly Argentines, first asking for directions and then simply just wanting to chat and get my impression of their country.
Around the corner from the plaza sits one of the main "attractions" of the city, an old convent constructed in 1680. The Spanish style building in white and black fit in perfectly in the grassy square, and just around the corner, another fine looking building turned out to be a cultural museum. Heading down the road for lunch, I found a small sign for the Syrian/Lebanese association of the city, mentioned in the guidebook as a good place to eat. The little placard and narrow hallway didn't promise much, but then it opened into a huge banquet room, full of tables and loud conversations as the locals were mostly gathering together after church to catch up on all the weekly gossip. Service was rushed and crazy, but I just enjoyed watching the relative chaos as kids ran around tables, parents drank wine and looked the other direction and waiters scrambled to throw bread on tables as customers came and went.
Later in the day, I explored more of the town, finding more tree-lined avenues and quiet streets, eventually stumbling upon a little arts and crafts fair as darkness set in. All in all, it wasn't a very eventful weekend, but Santa Fe's mix of tranquility and heritage was a nice respite from the big-city sights of Buenos Aires, which I'd revisit soon enough.
(Colonial Santa Fe is an understated place where stately architecture sits alongside unassuming restaurants and plazas, making a nice place to wander aimlessly.)
(Around the town square are various government buildings and a few random stray dogs chasing each other around. It was a nice spot to sit on the bench and relax until the ubiquitous mosquitos found me.)
(One of the two historic churches on the edge of the square. Just after leaving the square, I was approached by two different groups of people asking for directions around the city. This was obviously because I look like such a local with my backpack and hat.)
(The old convent, dating back to 1680. Again a pretty sight, but the pesky mosquitoes didn't want me to stay too long in one spot. Fortunately, there's no real malaria risk here.)
(Just off the main pedestrian street running down to the plaza, another typical street scene with this mix of industrial and residential. The city feels like it has a nice relaxed pace, especially compared to Buenos Aires, six hours away by bus.)
(Inside a tiny doorway and down a small hallway, I found the Syrian/Lebanese Club which is a huge, popular restaurant, completely packed early on a Sunday afternoon. Finally finding a table, I opted for the classic salsa rosa (pink sauce) which is pasta with a mix of cream and tomato sauce, one of my fond memories of Argentinian food. This version wasn't amazing, but it's hard for pasta to be bad.)
(One more of the classic looking buildings just down the street from the friendly hostel where I stayed. I also stumbled upon a random street fair with some arts and crafts vendors, but I figured you can only have so many air-brushed landscape paintings and pan flutes in one backpack, so I abstained.)
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