neuquen
One of the better overnight bus journeys. Good service, comfy seats and airline-like food. A spot of bingo was thrown in too. It was uneventful trip until the early hours when the rozzers boarded and sought identification. I was worried whether they would take exception to my friends British passport. The Malvinas (Falklands) matter is still a sore point here. But he didn't.
I was tired when we arrived as I find it difficult to sleep while motoring along. The problem with arriving early in a place and in need of sleep is whether a prospective hotel will allow you to book in at 6am. I waited a while before asking the question but fortunately it was a favourable answer. The only problem was I was overtired and couldn't sleep anyway. By the time I resolved to go out, the heavens opened and kept it going until well into the everning.
The intention was to stay in the Patagonian city of Neuquen only overnight then get moving the next day. This stopover would allow me to break down the journey to the Atlantic coast. The rain didn't affect my plans too badly as the place as is small and there isn't too much to see anyway. But it is a pretty place and as I am discovering more and more, looked after with a palpable sense of civic pride. For instance, the tourist office is well appointed and extremely helpful. The streets are clean and nicely ordered. There is little litter.
It is not a tourist destination but more a means by which tourists move off and into the lake district. But there were a couple of things worth seeing. The graveyard and the war memorial to the dead of the Isla De Malvinas campaign! The map of the island was naturally painted in the Argentine colours. The town is crowned by a pleasant stolling area with a massive flag post and of course, a statue of Jesus. But at least they are original. Every city I have been to in South America has an imitation of Rio De Janerio´s Statue of Christ. They are variations but similar and never as large as the Brazilian one. However, Neuquen has a massive though tasteful statue of Christ hanging form the cruzifix.
I was tired when we arrived as I find it difficult to sleep while motoring along. The problem with arriving early in a place and in need of sleep is whether a prospective hotel will allow you to book in at 6am. I waited a while before asking the question but fortunately it was a favourable answer. The only problem was I was overtired and couldn't sleep anyway. By the time I resolved to go out, the heavens opened and kept it going until well into the everning.
The intention was to stay in the Patagonian city of Neuquen only overnight then get moving the next day. This stopover would allow me to break down the journey to the Atlantic coast. The rain didn't affect my plans too badly as the place as is small and there isn't too much to see anyway. But it is a pretty place and as I am discovering more and more, looked after with a palpable sense of civic pride. For instance, the tourist office is well appointed and extremely helpful. The streets are clean and nicely ordered. There is little litter.
It is not a tourist destination but more a means by which tourists move off and into the lake district. But there were a couple of things worth seeing. The graveyard and the war memorial to the dead of the Isla De Malvinas campaign! The map of the island was naturally painted in the Argentine colours. The town is crowned by a pleasant stolling area with a massive flag post and of course, a statue of Jesus. But at least they are original. Every city I have been to in South America has an imitation of Rio De Janerio´s Statue of Christ. They are variations but similar and never as large as the Brazilian one. However, Neuquen has a massive though tasteful statue of Christ hanging form the cruzifix.
posted by Ciarán at 3:58 p.m.
1 Comments:
Have caught up reading on your blogs in the past few months. Reinforces my point about the Great Escape. You are an inspiration to us all - chicas,chicks, vino, bira and all!!!
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