Overall, we have loved the few weeks we’ve spent here in Argentina. But of course, along the way, there have been a few little quirks that have gotten under our skin. We hope that you’ll be amused, as we have come to be, with these “cultural differences.”
1. The “Baden.”
Literally translated, this word means flood channel or conduit. Now, we were a little confused when we first started seeing signs for these—in the desert. I mean, when do you need a flood channel in the desert? Apparently there is some kind of rainy season or something, because these channels are everywhere. What are they exactly? Typically, it’s a glorified dip in the road. They are often filled with debris or sediment that running water left there at some point. It wasn’t until we got farther north that we actually started seeing water in these channels. And the closer we get to Bolivia, the more normal it is for them to have an actual river simply running across the road! What a terrible, yet obviously intentional design! Often these rivers were shallow enough that we could ride slowly across. But there were a few times when we had to get off and walk through (getting our shoes thoroughly soggy) because it was too deep or too sandy. It seems like a bridge would have been a simple solution.
Getting ready to cross!
Please note: the water is up to my knees and above the axle of my wheel. Really Argentina? How about a bridge!?
2. The “Desayuno Clasico.”
It’s not often that we pay for a room, but when we do, we like to find a good deal. Almost everywhere in Argentina includes breakfast, or “desayuno,” with the price of the room. So when we’re asking the host the price of the room, we go ahead and ask, “What’s included with breakfast?” This is the typical response (only all of this is in Spanish):
“Coffee with milk, tea, bread, butter, jelly.”
OK, so let’s see… that is a list of about five items, one of which is the actual food included in breakfast. Are you serious? Bread? I get bread and coffee? For two hungry cyclists, that’s not breakfast, that’s a snack. We think it’s funny because they start listing off the items, as though their breakfast really includes a lot. How about shooting straight with me? “We have a simple breakfast… you get bread and a drink.” Now that we could deal with. Or, better yet, how about renting us the room for less without breakfast? Being the negotiators that we are, we have tried that every time, but to no avail. Our solution? Go out and buy more food to supplement the “desayuno clasico.”
Coffee with cream, bread, milk, butter, jam. What else do you need? OK... we need a lot more.
3. The “Siesta.”
In general, the Argentines have a bit of a strange schedule. Sure, in the morning, it’s somewhat normal. Everything opens around 8:30 or 9 a.m. But then, at 1:00 p.m. the siesta starts… which means every store and business in town shuts down for the next 5 hours! Unless you’re in a big town with a major grocery store (not very often), you can’t get much of anything done. Unfortunately, that 5-hour span is typically when we would arrive in a town… and want to buy something. So we started planning our days and our food purchases around the siesta! But then, at 6 p.m., everyone reopens and works until about 9 or 9:30. Then they go home and eat dinner around 10 or 10:30… by which time we are fast asleep!
Although these things might slightly annoy us, we know it is part of the journey, part of the experience.
