JULY - AUGUST 2018: LIFE ON THE ROAD — Oops I Booked Again

SO I MADE IT!! This is my first official month on the road where I have no end date in site. I've decided to keep you updated with my highlights and low lights as well as any mishaps, costs and expenses along the way!

Argentina has been one of my favourite countries to travel to date! Looking back less than 2 months ago, I was terrified to book my airline ticket and spent days changing my mind on where to go. Should I just stay in Europe? It's so much safer and easier. The fear of travelling to South America as a solo female traveller petrified me and I was overcome with anxiety.

One of the reasons why I chose Buenos Aires as a starting point on my South American adventure, is that relative to other cities in South America it is considered safer - although you still need to exercise the same precautions as you would anywhere else. Getting onto the subway, passengers are talking on their mobile phones, walking around generally the same way as I would expect in Paris or London. As a gateway into South America, it was the perfect place to start for me. Not to mention the cheap flights I found on Norwegian Air!

Economically, it made sense too.

The Highlights

Road Trip through Salinas Grandes

A road trip somewhere in South America was high on my bucket list although I never thought I would do it so soon! Terrified of driving in Argentina and not speaking much Spanish, a guy from my hostel and I decided to give it a shot.I have a drivers licence.

Although I've only driven a handful of times in the 12 years I've held it, so it really doesn't count for much. I grew up in London and moved to Paris at the age of 25 and never really needed a car in cities abundant in public transport.

Apart from a one week stint in my early 20s road tripping in the US, driving a buggy around Sintra, Portugal and going the wrong way around roundabouts in France, I really didn't feel prepared for a 500km return trip to Salinas Grandes.After 3 days of knowing each other, I teamed up with my roommate at my hostel and decided to give it a shot.

Albeit, when I did drive, I took it easy and made sure I went at a comfortable speed within the speed limits on occasionally bumpy roads. It's strange how you open up and trust people more easily when you travel. Back at home, I would have thought twice about renting a car with someone I had barely just met. Letting go and going with the flow was on my list of goals and I'm so glad I did just that this time and got to experience Salinas Grandes!

Road Trip Northern Argentina Salinas Grandes | Oops I Booked Again

Watching the beautiful sunset in Salinas Grandes

Staying with an Argentinian family in Salta

What I love most about travel and having no expectations is where you might end up. Flying over the mountains, I had a really good feeling about Salta but never thought I'd be staying for a month. The truth is, travelling for me isn't just about stomping across countries or continents, trying to pack as much into an itinerary as possible. Sure that's one way to do it and there's nothing wrong with it. For me, I love to find a place I can settle in for a few extra days or sometimes weeks.

The relationships built enrich those experiences and time spent within a country.Being comfortable in a home, with home-cooked meals and enjoying the company of a family was exactly what I needed and I loved every moment! Enjoying local places to go out such as the local peñas was something I wouldn't have experienced, had I been so focused on sightseeing. I loved learning how to cook local cuisine in the comfort of a home kitchen buying fresh produce locally and enjoying meals with the family I stayed with.Basing yourself for a longer period in a stable and comfortable home is also a good way to delay travel burnout.

Watching football matches at home on the sofa with a nation of soccer lovers, I've never seen so many matches breaking out into riots on TV. But as the family running the Accueillant Hostelexplained... it's pretty normal here. They even sometimes burn down the stadium. That's when it gets serious!

Enjoying a meal with the family of the Accueillant Hostel, Salta

The passion

What I've loved about Argentina is how much passion there is in the country. You either love something or hate something, very often there is no middle ground. You take a stance and express your opinion strongly. Whether it be about football, politics, food etc...Even just watching the football on TV, the commentator who screams GOOOOOOOAAALLL for 5 minutes, there's never a silent moment during a match. I don't speak much Spanish yet but British football commentary is lame in comparison.

Visiting one of the most beautiful wonders of the world - Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls Argentina Brazil | Oops I Booked Again

I knew it would be beautiful but didn't really understand the sheer size and scale of Iguazu Falls until visiting the Brazilian side. It was one experience where I stood in the moment, mesmerised and in awe of natures beauty. I tried to imagine the waterfalls without the footbridges and selfie sticks and all that came to mind was paradise.

Rainbows!!

Learning to tango in Buenos Aires

There's an elegant sophistication about the dance of tango. I've always been in awe of anyone who can dance with such grace and ease. Whilst in Buenos Aires I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give it a try and I pretty much spent every night at a milonga.If there is anywhere I would go back to, it would be Buenos Aires where I would spend the whole month tangoing. But if I'm going to be honest, weather wise, winter in Buenos Aires was not a whole lot different from winter in London plus a few degrees and I was glad to head north to a warmer climate.

The meeeat!

Confession, I haven't eaten beef in 20 years. I generally eat very little red meat and was hoping to embrace the vegetarian lifestyle on my travels. This totally went out the window in Argentina. And with very good reason.Argentina has more cows than it has people. Not kidding! The quality of their ingredients, even their vegetables is amazing. Homegrown produce sourced in their own country. As a tourist, given the way the dollar is appreciating, it's cheap to buy groceries and cook for yourself.I've met lifelong vegetarians who have converted to being meat eaters. That's just how darn good the meat is in Argentina! The funny thing is I now know so much more about the different cuts of meat in Spanish, but couldn't tell you what they are in English. If I hadn't embraced the meat-eating lifestyle in Argentina, my foodie experience would just not have been the same.

Empanadas con Carne!! I had spent two weeks eating vegetable empanadas until finally giving in and trying the meat version. There's no going back now! No regrets either!

Becoming a dog lover

I never grew up around animals so I don't have the same natural sentiments for animals the same ways others do. To be honest, if I got a dog tomorrow, I wouldn't have a clue what to do as I've never really been around them.What I've loved about Argentina is that it's a nation of dog lovers. Almost everyone on the block in Salta has a dog. You walk down a street and there'll be a dog barking every other house. Stray dogs wander around the neighbourhoods and generally get taken care of by people giving them food. Around 2pm, you'll find dogs as well as the locals taking a siesta for a couple of hours. They're everywhere and so much fun.

The Lowlights

Travelling during winter

There are pros and cons to travelling during winter. It's not the first time I've travelled during the low season. Or at least I thought it was the low season.

The south of Argentina is pretty cold in winter and if you go to Buenos Aires, bring a coat and scarf! I'm going to be very British about this say one of the lowlights has been the weather. Of course, I chose to travel during South American winter and I can't expect sunshine everywhere. However, after a couple of weeks in Buenos Aires freezing my butt off, I just had to head somewhere warmer.

Surprisingly hostels and Airbnbs were packed during the month of July. On the plus side, as I found out, if you do come to Argentina during winter, you'll probably meet a lot of Argentinian tourists travelling north to escape the cold in the south during their winter holidays. It's a great time to meet people from all over the country.

One of those days!!

Not hiking through Patagonia

This was the one region that I haven't yet had the chance to visit and I'm sad I'll be leaving without experiencing Patagonia. However hopefully in a month or two! I came really unprepared for winter and definitely don't have the right gear to travel south at the moment.

Learning to make homemade milanesa!

Would I go back?

For sure!! Patagonia is high on my list bucket list. The tango, the food but most importantly the people have been wonderful! I've loved every moment and have so much to explore still!

Bucket list items completed in Argentina

Learning to dance the tango (I'm no expert but I can at least do the basic steps)
Learning Spanish (Still learning but I've started!)
Doing a road trip in South America
Going to Iguazu Falls
Learning to cook local cuisine. Milanesa is my favourite!
Meeting people, building friendships and long-lasting relationships.
Salinas Grandes
Visiting Cerro de Los Siete Colores
Eating street food. I found a wonderful lady that sold empanadas on the side of a park for 10 pesos (30 cents at the time) an empanada. Needless to say, I became one of her regulars.
Stuffing my face with as much local cuisine as possible. I've probably put on a few kilos. Quite happily too :)
Watching Argentinian films. I enjoy watching a film or reading a book from the country I am visiting. I really lovedRelatos salvajes and El secreto de sus ojos.
Getting off the beaten track and adventuring on my own. Especially in Salta. This city has so much to offer away from tours.
I stepped foot in South America!!!! Whoop whoop!!

Stats for the month!

So here it is! My first month! Argentina was a slightly more expensive country to travel in and I expect this to fall as I travel to cheaper countries. The stats above include everything I spent except my travel insurance costs and outbound flight. I decided to leave these out as they're more one-off rather than the expenses incurred on the road.

My favourite private room I stayed in:

A renovated tango home hat once belonged to the famous tango singer Roberto Rufino! Located in the heart of Buenos Aires, it was the perfect place to begin exploring the city, trying out some of the cities famous milongas.

My favourite dorm I stayed in:

The Accueillant Hostel in Salta. Clean, friendly and family run! Not to mention everything I already mentioned above!

Favourite meal

So hard to chose from! I didn't actually take a picture of my favourite meal as I was too busy enjoying it haha! It would have to be the dinner I had at La Vieja Estacion where I tried my first bit of steak!

Where to next?

I've been debating on whether to go first into Chile or Bolivia. San Pedro de Atacama is only a bus journey away from Salta and I'd love to travel down to Santiago and Patagonia. However it's pretty cold there right now and I'm thinking this would be better left for October or November.Bolivia seems to be the winner and I can't wait to explore the country!!

JULY - AUGUST 2018: LIFE ON THE ROAD