Must Do's in Argentina

This is a run down of what we cherished during our stay in Argentina. There are details on all touristy things we did in other blogs, but these are highlights that we highly recommend. This may or may not be covered in travel books.

- Not Touristy Tango night at La Catedral in Buenos Aires. You will be thrilled with this authentic local experience. Architecture, music, performances, classes and locals make it a fulling evening out
- Tafi Del Valle in Tucuman province is a perfect spot to rest, and enjoy a local Argentinian experience. Its a spot Argentinians go to for weekend visits and to take a break. We were lucky enough to be there during the Queso Festival. If it is en route during your trip stay there for a couple of days, you won't be disappointed.
- Check out a Gaucho Show. We experienced it during the Queso festival and what a sight it was.
- Buy fresh cheese, olives and wine from a local store and relish it along a country side.
- San Telmo Antiques Fair on Sundays in Buenos Aires. As street vendors sell their heirlooms, singers and dancers move amid the crowd to tango music. Among the 270-plus vendor stands, you will find antique silversmith objects, porcelain, crystal, and other antiques.

What would it cost to travel in South America?

It's always hard to determine at the get go how much a trip is going to cost, especially when it is 2 months long.

Here is our breakdown for each country. We did not splurge in our overnight stays, took overnight bus where possible, ate as locals did(not in fancy restaurants unless there was something we were celebrating) and our motto was "do what the locals would"

$40 / day /person in Brazil, Chile
$25/day /person in Argentina
$15/day/person in Bolivia
$20/day/person in Peru

Don't miss this while in Peru

Over and above what every book may tell you to do, this is what we cherished during our stay there:

• Travel by Micro in Lima
• Horse back riding to ruins across Cusco
• Sunday Pisac market in Cusco
• Bus journey through the Peruvian Andeas. We took the bus from Lima to Cusco and once you are past big towns it is absolutely gorgeous
• Huacachina is a nice surprise! Nasca is a popular tourist destination for the Inca Lines but I would recommend staying in Huacachina instead of Nasca
• Colca Canyon visit from Arequipa is a must! Arequipa itself is so quaint but if you want to walk through clouds, treat your eyes to lush green canyons, large candors and small villages book a trip to the canyon
• By lunchtime, definitely eat ceviche roadside. Also pick up a boiled corn with hot salsa from one of the vendors. The taste will linger on

Websites & Books that helped us

Couchsurfing


This was an invaluable experience living with locals wherever possible. Its a great way to learn more about the culture of the place through an insider. We got insider tips on places to visit, restaurant reviews, transport options while making a new friend in different countries


Thorntree Lonely Planet




First hand experiences and advice from travelers. We used this extensively when we were planning our trip and finalizing the itinerary




Hosteling International


Great resource to get a run down on reliable hostels. We did not always stay at Hosteling International since they were sometimes more expensive. But typically we were able to find many hostels in the area close to HI. It was our guiding force!

Books

Lonely Planet South America



Valuable information for itinirary planning and on the go travels was available here

What if you are a vegetarian?

We are predominantly vegetarians (eat eggs) but we don't really consider that as a handicap. However people always ask us, how did you manage with food?
Let me give you a rundown of our experience in each country. Typically we loaded up on breakfast, had a snack for lunch and dinner we would cook at the hostel with groceries bought from local store. Also we carried some basic indian spices with us (turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry spice) which helped us a lot when we decided to cook a meal or when we missed home cooked food.

Peru
In the large supermarkets, there are food courts with buffet option. We found plenty of vegetarian options available there, and quite delicious.
Also there seems to be a large network of restaurants run by Hindu temple in Peru. We found this in Lima and there is a similar one in cusco and puno as well.
While going through small towns usually street food such as corn, pastels (pastries), queso(cheese), huevo(eggs) were easily available.
Overall our experience has been that if we were in a local market with many small shacks we were successful in finding vegetarian food. They also were more accommodating to our needs

Bolivia
Surprisingly we found Middle eastern food in La Paz(lentils, wraps, falafel) and it was really delicious. There was abundance of cheese empanada shops that served fresh juice as well. It is however hard to find vegetarian options in the interiors and best bet is to make your own sandwiches and dinner. Eggs are the fallback everywhere.

Argentina
We completely freaked out on the wine and cheese! We were able to find pita bread in local stores which we used for dinner with a vegetable cooked at the hostel.
Also there is an abundance of pastry shops, small stores serving salad, quiches and also some Mediterranean items. Pizza and Italian food is also offered at many restaurants.

Brazil
Brazilians are big on lanches(lunch buffets) very commonly found in small and big restaurants. There is a huge selection of meats, veggies, rice and sides and will make for a filling meal. Lot of work force at lunch time rely on this so expect big lines. You will also come across subway shops across Rio. We enjoyed our breakfasts of fresh fruit juice(over 30 options) and sandwiches or empanadas.