Wednesday, June 25, 2008

CÓRDOBA: Place of Dreams

After Mendoza we spent a few days in Córdoba, Argentina´s second-largest city. It is a big college town and we did a lot of sight-seeing and several tours. It was a fun place, and we had a really nice hotel with an AWESOME view of the main square! The cathedral is in awful shape, and we were dismayed by this until we saw that it is undergoing extensive renovation, so that´s why it looks so bad right now. There were street performers and carnies throughout the cobbled alleys. We spent two days there before bussing to our current location: BUENOS AIRES!!! Expect a blog entry on this awesome town in the next day or so. Enjoy the pics and captions of Córdoba below!


The view out our hotel window. Top floor facing the main plaza!!



Pictures of the Jesuit Crypt that is now under the busy downtown streets. It was destroyed in the 1800s to make room for a road, then rediscovered in 1989 when the phone company was laying wires. It is really cool and nowdays serves as a museum and cultural center (art gallery, small concert hall, etc.).



Depressing run-down concrete square that just smacks of something one of Argentina´s dictators built, probably in the 1970s. It was deserted, except for a few booths selling souvenirs and textile products. It was truly a study of the grotesque.


Dog asleep in main squre with a mass of pigeon feathers scattered around it. Methinks someone is napping after tucking in to a meal of twitching delights...



Ride at an amusement park in the downtown park. The whole park was really cute, except for this ride. Basically it was a gigantic circle and you sit inside it, with no straps or restraints. It then tilts at an angle and thrashes up and down, back and forth, slowly rotating. We couldn´t stop laughing at it when we heard the metallic heaving and screams.



Pics from another really cool hotel we stayed at in Córdoba. It was more of a tourist-attraction hotel with personal garages and stuff. We were really glad that we came here. VERY nice and super-fancy, with room service, too!



Pictures from an interesting church built in the 1920s. It is missing one of its steeples on purpose - to remind us that, unlike God, humans are imperfect. It had multi-colored stone columns in front and gargoyles and other interesting things carved inside. The outer columns and carvings included all sorts of animals. It sort of reminded me of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, but on a smaller and less-crazy scale.


We are now off to Uruguay for the day! We missed the first ferry (blow) but will be leaving shortly to spend about 7ish hours there in the town of Colonia. Expect an update on that and on BUENOS AIRES in the next few days!!!

Keep the posts coming!!! :)

-- Chris

2 comments:

Mom and Dad said...

That ugly concrete thing looks like some of the architecture left behind by Benito Mussolini in WW-2. ...You guys could add another country to your trip with a one-day visit to nearby Parador, if you have time. We really enjoy keeping up with your trip on the blog.
Love,
Dad & Mom

Melanie said...

i loved the photo of the dog. you two's pictures are hilarious. please don't get on any carnival rides.
i watered your plants for the last time last night and they're doing great. i think a bird has built a nest either on or right outside your air conditioner because it was chirping so loud i checked to see if one got in the house some how. LOVE!!!!!!!!! other than that, your house awaits your arrival.