In Argentina, where I am at the moment, I heard in several occasions that this great country with other sort of politicians should be one of the top 15 countries in the world. I agree, however one of the reasons I think I founded for not been in that club has to do with a theory I called the Argentinean ability.Personal ability can be used in a positive or negative way. When the personal ability is used more in a positive way than in a negative way, things improve. On the other hand if the use of personal ability is used more in a negative way things improve much less and even sometimes get worse. This is what I call the Argentinean ability.
I crossed the Argentinean border from Chile through the Jama pass several days ago. The same pass is used by a gas pipe used to supply gas from Argentina to Chile. This gas is previously imported from Bolivia (bilateral relation between Chile and Bolivia is not very good) and with a marginal profit exported to Chile.
On my way to Salta (north weast of Argentina) I saw a good culinary detail it was just by warming up a basic sandwich at a road restaurant. Once in Salta I stayed over at the house of a local friendly family. They showed to me the city as well as the surroundings (Quebrada de Humahuaca and San Lorenzo). I also took the chance to eat “empanadas salteñas”, they said that they are the best ones in Argentina and I can confirm it so far.
In this country football is like drug and other sports are followed as well, like tennis. At Rolland Garros final between Federer and Nadal and in order to compensate the unequal number of fans at the stadium in Paris, I joined a group of Nadal´s fans following the final on TV. One of the members in the group, as did not have any Argentinean player to support, took the telephone and bid a bottle of champagne with a friend. Brilliant idea to fix a date in which the worst thing that could happen was the he should pay the bottle, because he already secured to uncork it together…
Valleys here are called “quebradas” and there is a beautiful one called “Quebrada de Cafayate”. This valley shares its beauty with a wine region, one of my passions. La casa de la bodega let me kill two birds with one stone. On one hand, I could see a very nice winery boutique integrated with a 8 rooms hotel and on the other hand I was able to enjoy the beautiful valley around the vineyards (impressive!). Here the ability was from a young cook José Manuel Chañi, chef of the restaurant whom was recently given the first prize to the best entrance at the National Match of Chefs with the dish “Rainbow Trout with humita blinis, charqui salad with tomatos and his coulis of watercress" (yummy!). I also visited Porvenir winery which belongs to Salta´s province Governor Mr. Juan Carlos Romero, whom also was second with Carlos Menem´s when running for president at the last general elections. The development of Porvenir winery, located at the city centre of Cafayate happens at the same time as the development of tourism of the town (what a coincidence!). Both projects are driven by the Governor; one is public and the other one private.
I use the bus as the main mode of transport in Argentina, except the other day when going from Cafayate to Salta. Just at the moment I was ready to purchase the bus ticket someone offered me to give me lift for the same price as the bus ticket and much faster (service called remis). I decided to accept the offer and even enjoyed the trip which was much comfortable than with the bus. After been drop off in Salta I realised that the driver had not given me the receipt with the corresponding taxes…
Last weekend I was at Yaboti biosphere reserve with a friend of Buenos Aires. This jangle zone at the Brazilian border in the Argentinean province of Misiones which I recommend to anyone visiting the area (next to Iguzu falls). We shared hostel with four researchers from Misiones university. They were carrying out a project which consisted in finding out the viability to open Yaboti river for fishing, in order to promote the fishing tourism in the region. They still had one more year to complete the research. On Sunday morning, while enjoying from a kayak trip in the crystalline river we saw some fishing nets crossing the river. I asked one of the researchers who joined us for the trip if the fishing nets were material from their research material, but with a sad face told me that the net was from local illegal fisherman whom like to combine the fish dishes with the wonderful meet they have in Argentina.
I am at the moment in Buenos Aires and the city is full of electoral propaganda as there are elections next Sunday to elect the city Governor. The conservative politician Mauricio Macri (Actual president of Boca Junior football club) seems to have developed his political ability by using the football as political trampoline. It is expected that he will get an important number of votes from a group of voters belonging to the working class which are also Boca fans. Therefore, he will share some of the clientele he is got as president of Boca and now as voters as a Governor as the pools point that Mr. Macri will win the elections next Sunday 24th of June.
I finish this lines with one of the slogans that Mauricio Macri is using during his campaign: “Que bueno va a estar Buenos Aires” (How good Buesnos Aires is going to be).
