Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Sunday 30th of June
08.03 It is Sunday and the last morning of the month June. We have slept well in comfortable beds in Swiss Metropol Hotel in Tucumán. Now after waking up, I have done something both classic and unique. I've taken a bath in a bathtub. In itself, there is nothing special, I have done that before. The unique thing in itself was that it happened in Argentina, South America. There it was a premier.
09.10 We are now ready to have breakfast. How many attempts will it be with the elevator before we get down? Do we master it now?
09.20 We do master the elevator. It all went well. To have breakfast, we had to go downstairs from the lobby. There was a good selection at the breakfast buffet. There was ice in the juices and the yogurt also rested on ice. Yesterday it was an ice bucket. Lucky it's not ice coffee too.
09.34 Now, we have a mission. It is time to get things straight on how this day in Tucumán is organised. Miscellaneous places in the city should be seen, food and drinks need to be consumed in addition, and probably even more should be done. But what, when and how?
10.31 A certain structure is beginning to appear on this day as well. I think we'll be able to fill it up. The city is big, but at least we want to see the central parts. It's Sunday today so it should be a little calmer with people out on the streets today.
11.11 We left the hotel and started walking through the almost deserted Tucumán. The reason for the lack of people can be that it's Sunday. Here you sanctify the day of rest. Another reason why it is empty on the streets is perhaps that so many are sitting in the cafe we intend to visit. In anticipation that there will also be room for us at the café, we are having a bench break in the park here at Plaza Urquiza.
13.22 The sound of the cleaning staff has got us on our feet. Our short room rest is already over. We're still going out for lunch sometime. It was actually a while ago last steady lunch.
20.44 It's quiet and calm here in our room. It's also quiet out on Facebook. There are few posts and comments. After all, this may be because most of our Facebook friends are actually sleeping right now.
Monday 1st of July
View from our room on the 8th floor.
Swiss Hotel Metropol, Tucumán.
This sign mentions how significant this city is in Argentina.
The pedestrian street Ildefonso de las Muñecas is empty this morning.
Plaza Urquiza.
The tango singer and actor Carlos Gardel is standing on Plaza Urquiza.
Café Momma, the destination on our morning walk.
Oranges in the trees even in winter.
Basílica de San Francisco.
Casa de Gobierno de Tucumán, this is where the province government is.
Christer on Plaza Independencia.
The fountain on Plaza Independencia.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación.
We found a new nice street, Congreso de Tucumán.
José Pedro Fernando Riera, once a governor in the province Tucumán.
Casa Histórica de la Independencia. The place for the declaration of independence.
Peter is having lunch at Café 25.
We are dining at Mi Nueva Estancia.
This evening´s meat dinner.
07.44 Good Morning! The speed and temperature of the shower water was good today. It is now time to take on a new week, a new month and later today also a new city here in Argentina.
08.27 It is clouds outside so it will not be too hot as we will soon head towards the bus terminal. Hopefully, it will not be as crowded on the sidewalks as when we arrived here last Saturday. 09.24 After some work in the hotel reception, I could finally leave an autograph on the receipt. The stay here at Swiss Hotel Metropol has been great. The room was comfortable, the breakfast good and the location right in the centre very excellent. It went easier to go to the bus station than from it. There was simply less competition for the walk surface. 09.41 When you sit like this on a bench at Tucumán's bus terminal you get to see a lot of different things. A garbage bag picking young man with a big cart, older ladies with white clothes and a smoking older and blind man with his left hand on a young man's shoulder, a young man who additionally basically walks on his toes. 09.56 The official departure time of the bus is here. It's more than you can say about the bus. Many of the buses here in Argentina travel long distances and there can of course happen various things on a long trip that makes the bus not arrive on time. 10.23 Hip and hooray, our wait seems to be over. A bus has arrived. A bus from the company Flechabus (https://www.flechabus.com.ar) with the destination Salta is now here. Now let's move towards loading our luggage.
We are on a new bus and continue west towards Salta.
Salta is coming closer.
We need a meal here at the bus station.
A light meal before continuing to the hotel.
10.44 It went well to load the luggage and for Christer also to get on board the bus. However, he thought that the numbering of the seats seemed a bit odd on the upper floor of the bus. When my ticket was shown there was a headshake from the ticket man. He went on board to do something and left me standing doing nothing. The man went in to get Christer. It was the wrong bus. This company has two buses with the same destination. One bus is with semi-inclined seats (semi cama) and the other a more expensive variant where the seats can be tilted completely backwards (cama). Now we and also our luggage changed to the right bus. We sit comfortably on board.
11.52 The journey remains convenient. As long as we sit like this, there's no reason to step off. It would be foolish to leave the bus before arrival. 12.55 The window is disguised, tinted. We don't see much of the world outside. We just finished the snack we were served. The journey goes on. 13.51 The bus host just let us know that there will be a bus change for us who are going to Salta. Most likely, we have paid for the better standard offered on this bus which then continues up to Salvador Mazza at the border to Bolivia. 14.06 The bus exchange at the intersection where Road 9 and 34 meet is completed and the backpacks also continue to be with us. We now sit at the front of the upper floor of the new bus and have a perfect view. We travel straight west and slightly downhill on the remaining distance of today's journey. 15.04 The bus arrived at the bus terminal in Salta and we with our luggage got off. We will before further adventure have lunch, ham/cheese sandwiches and Coca Cola here at Estación Central, a small restaurant in the station building.
Alto Parque Hotel, Salta.
Peter inside our new room 104.
15.50 We got a positive impression of our new hometown during the walk from the bus terminal to the Alto Parque Hotel (http://www.hotelaltoparque.com.ar) that will be our home here in Salta. This time we will stay in room 104 for the whole of three nights. The first plan was to use one of the days here to a longer bus tour in the area but we have thought again and will probably remain in the city for the next two days.
16.48 It's nice in the warm room. This with a room without any major problems is pretty good. 17.53 However, some small problems have arisen. We're hungry, and there are few open restaurants. The sandwiches we had at lunch were good but will not last until a late Argentine dinner. We might soon go out soon for a temporary solution in the form of café visits or some purchases. 18.27 A minor walk in the nearby area has taken us to the small Virgen del Saliente, a small bakery and café on the corner where the streets Lerma and Mendoza meet. Here the hunger should be temporarily suppressed with coffee and tostadas (toast). 19.06 Home sweet home! After a few small purchases in a shop near us, we are now again in room 104. Café Momma in Tucumán is grateful to have been mentioned on Facebook and promises to give Christer a free muffin at the next visit. Too bad we're not around. 20.31 While waiting for us to go out for dinner, we have listened for a while to a Swedish woman's summer talk. Sommar (Summer) is a Swedish radio show where different famous people get an hour on air talking about things they think are important. It is a new tradition to listen to various Swedish summer radio transmissions in the South American winter.
Two pizzas became one.
Peter is having dinner at La Fiamma.
Christer and a bottle of Salta´s own beer.
20.56 Enough with summer radio. It wasn't quite interesting either. Time for real food and maybe even beer on tap.
21.35 A short walk through the park opposite our hotel led us to the pizzeria La Fiamma. At first we had trouble finding the entrance to the restaurant but we solved it. We have ordered pizza and the city's beer, Salta. We can and do not want to drink wine and eat meat every night. 22.41 We were served a ten-slices pizza. The waitress had a special solution that would be cheaper for us. They made a big long pizza where half the pizza was according to my order and half according to Christer's, five pieces to us each. We also shared a litre of beer. The cost of the whole meal became US$5,34 per person.
Tuesday 2nd of July
08.31 Christer just asked me about the time. He found out it was 08.30. Morning or evening? Morning! He is satisfied with the answers. We will surely do some things before time turns 08.30 in the evening. Today we'll see what we can get from the city of Salta. We're planning to go with a cablecar up to Mount San Bernardo tomorrow.
09.50 To pay tribute to the breakfast here at Alto Parque Hotel would be to temper with the truth. At least it made us less hungry. It is a solar eclipse today in parts of South America. However, we believe that we are a bit north of that area where it will be clearly visible. 10.37 We have begun to figure out what we fill the day with. In addition, it seems to that there is a partial solar eclipse here. It will begin around 16.30 this afternoon. Maybe we can still see some of it? 11.15 After getting out into the cold fresh air, nice, we have seen the Convento San Bernardo monastery, beautiful. We have stopped breathing outdoor air. We breathe indoor air at the Coffee Store (http://thecoffeestore.com). Time has come for a classic eleven o'clock coffee at this Starbucks-like place. They claim to offer the best coffee from different parts of the world. 11.41 A motorcycle is parked by a Forbidden Parking sign outside our café. There's a police officer on it. Can he possibly fine himself or isn't it considered parking as long as he stays on it?
Calle Caseros, Salta.
Convento San Bernardo.
It´s time to enter The Coffee Store.
The Coffee Store on the inside.
Is he giving himself the fines?
Peter walks towards more central parts of the city.
12.06 We now walk towards the heart of the city along Caseros Street. Since Buenos Aires, we have felt that we travelled in cities almost completely without tourists. Now tourism is back. Here in Salta there are many visitors and many travel agencies, excursion organizers, shops and restaurants aimed at tourists.
12.24 During the walk towards and in the centre, we have seen the beautiful red-yellow Church Iglesia San Francisco, Minnie and Mickey Mouse and a drumming man who sang terribly bad in a microphone. We have also seen many dressed stray dogs, some with clothes that seem to be arranged by some organization or authority. Now we are at the city cathedral at the Plaza 9 de Julio. 12.56 Now there is enough with sightseeing for a while. We're back in our hotel room. Out there, the clouds disappears. It bodes well for the eclipse. 14.30 Not much has been done here in our room. I wonder if the sky is innocently blue. Can we see the eclipse in hours two? To find out, and to arrange lunch, we have to go out. 15.10 Our walk from the hotel took place under a partially blue sky. Now we're indoors. On the walls hang reproductions of paintings by Vincent van Gogh. It's time for lunch at Van Gogh Café in the corner of Plaza 9 de Julio. 16.04 We were served and had a good lunch. Nevertheless, I am disappointed. The ear of the coffee cup was complete. It doesn't fit in at Van Gogh Café, I think. Of course, one ear was missing completely. 16.40 Next to us where we sit on a bench at Plaza Tribunales has a male pigeon tried to court a female pigeon. She wasn't in that mood, and he left her. We're waiting for the eclipse, but I'm afraid it's cloudy again.
Iglesia San Francisco, Salta.
We have reached the heart of the city.
Lots of dogs with clothes in Salta.
Catedral Basílica de Salta.
Plaza 9 de Julio.
The general José de San Martín is in this city too.
17.14 We looked at the sky but there was not much to see of any partial solar eclipse. The whole show was obscured by clouds. We probably need to see the sun clear to notice any difference. Instead, we have strolled back to the hotel along a new street, Avenida San Martín.
18.05 The United States football ladies are in the World Cup Final. For us it has become time to sort out the last Argentine days. We're leaving the country on Friday. 19.37 No hidden sun for us to watch today. The darkness has fallen out there. Our activities range to mostly doing nothing at all right now. It is once again time to wait for late opening Argentine dinner restaurants. 20.57 The phone at the front desk is ringing. For us, it is soon time to head towards the dinner table. I wonder where it is today. 21.24 National anthems are played on the TV. It is the semi-final between Argentina and Brazil in Copa America. We are at the nearby restaurant La Rinconada for a mixed grill dinner for two. We have seen the offer on a sign board outside and cannot resist. The restaurant is almost empty. We hope it is because of football and not the quality of the food. 21.36 No goals in the match and no food for us. But we've got a bottle of Fuente del Milagro, its water, and a bottle of Domingo Hermanos, it is red wine.
Beautiful court building along Calle España.
Football has its own button.
Peter will have lunch at Van Gogh Café.
Fotboll while waiting for the food.
Peter is waiting for the dinner at La Rinconada.
Mixed Grill, meat from different part of the body.
21.44 Brazil scores 1-0. It was greeted by cheers from the audience in Brazil but also from one of the guests here at the restaurant, a tourist from Brazil. Should one rejoice a goal against Argentina at a restaurant in Argentina? How will that affect the food?
22.24 Truth be told, we're not overwhelmingly happy with dinner tonight. The offer that was outside the restaurant did not exist inside. It is possible it was only for lunch. Our tray with grilled meat was certainly full of food but a large part of it was internal organs like liver, kidneys and intestines, certainly a delicacy according to many but not for us. 22.39 Brazil increases to 2-0 in the Copa America match. We are back in our hotel room. 23.31 Brazil is in the Copa America final and soon it will be lights out. Tomorrow we'll do everything we didn't get to do today here in Salta.
You can see 53 photos from June 30 in this photoalbum.
You can see 13 photos from July 1 in this photoalbum.
You can see 41 photos from July 2 in this photoalbum.