Argentina/2 Bradt

by McCloskey, Erin

• ISBN13: 9781841623511
• ISBN10: 1841623512
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-12-20
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Summary

Vast and vibrant, Argentina has it all--adventure, culture, luxury, scenery--and it's still great value. From eating beefsteak in Buenos Aires to drinking Malbec in Mendoza, from the tango rhythms of town to remote landscapes and hidden gems, this second edition of the most in-depth guide on the market provides the necessary practical and background information to take visitors beyond the tourist haunts. The guide covers all the unmissable experiences from horseback trekking through the Andes to watching penguins, seals, and whales on the Valdes Peninsula. Bradt's Argentinadetails many small-scale, offbeat, and sustainable projects for those interested in culturally sensitive, eco-friendly travel.

Author Biography

Canadian writer and Editor Erin McCloskey now lives in Italy. After her degree in conservation biology, she travelled internationally, focusing on photography and dance, both well-represented in Argentina.

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1 Background Information Chapter 2 Practical Information Chapter 3 Buenos Aires Chapter 4 The Pampas Chapter 5 Litoral Chapter 6 Northwestern Argentina Chapter 7 Cuyo Chapter 8 Patagonia Appendix 1 Patagonian Wildlife Guide Appendix 2 Language Appendix 3 Further information Index

Excerpts

Natives of the Central Area

The Comechingone of Cordoba built their homes underground. They were tall in stature and the only tribe in all of Argentina with bearded men, so anthropologists believe them to have a different origin to other natives of Argentina. They were not influenced by the Incas, yet they knew how to cultivate corn, beans and pumpkin. They raised llamas and spun the wool to weave garments. They also wove grass baskets that were used as moulds to form ceramics. Their name reportedly imitates their war cry.

The Huarpe of Cuyo and Olongasta of La Rioja were settled tribes. They learnt from the Inca how to irrigate the mountain slopes and build thepucara, a stronghold in which to cultivate corn and quinua.

Other groups of the central region included the nomadic Lule and Vilela of Tucuman, both of which adopted the nickname Jurie, the Quechua word for ostrich, owing to their tall and thin stature. The agrarian Tonocote of Santiago del Estero built round huts covered in straw. They celebrated long religious festivities that incorporated an alcoholic drink made from algarrobo fruit and corn. Finally, the Sanavirone, south of Santiago del Estero, lived in large houses with several families together. Their region is characterized by the giant cactus calledcardonthat they used as a source of wood. None of the groups of the central region exists today.