With an entire year to explore, Moyer had the opportunity to travel from this country’s most southern tip to its exotic northern border in the heart of South America. From a boat tour through the exotic South American jungles of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina to witnessing the wonder of Iguazu Falls, the sight that “blew Niagara out of the water, no pun intended,” Moyer adventured into a world far different than that of her comfort zone. During her year, she made between 10-15 trips throughout the country, only to discover a new “Argentine identity” in each corner of the country. Here are her descriptions and stories from her Argentine adventure.
CORDABA: Little known fact: if you can’t make it to Germany for Oktoberfest, head to Cordaba, Argentina! With a large German population, particularly in Cordaba, Argentina is known for the 2nd best Oktoberfest in the world. Moyer described the scene as “a tiny little mountain town with cobblestone streets, a very European feel.” This European influence is not exclusively German, she explained however. With significant Italian influences, some even claim the Argentine Spanish sounds Italian!
Cordaba, a central province in Argentina, just West of Buenos Aires, is home to the country’s second largest city and some of its most sophisticated culture. “Everything in these urban areas was extremely European, but with a Latin flair,” Moyer reflected. “With such a strong and visible European influence, Argentina is known throughout the rest of Latin America as somewhat arrogant, but as I travelled, I realized that Argentines outside of these urban areas probably thought the same thing about their countrymen in the urban centers!”
“A friend of mine from Buenos Aires even claimed that he could get along with Uruguayans better than he could with many Argentines,” Moyer laughed. She explained that Uruguay is only a 3-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, just across the Rio de la Plata. “They speak the same dialect, Rio Platense, and my friends called them their ‘first cousins.’”
Anxious to see what her urban friends were talking about, Moyer headed across the country to glimpse the diversity of Argentina.
The North and West: Moyer soon trekked to the northwest provinces of Salta and Jujuy. Neighboring Bolivia and Chile, Moyer got a taste of Argentine indigenous culture. During a week-long home-stay, she enjoyed the foods, folk songs, and tamales of Northern Argentine culture. A quiet destination, Salta and Jujuy are home to well-preserved Spanish colonial infrastructure as well as the Yungas jungle among other sites. “The feel was very Peruvian and Bolivian, far different from Buenos Aires and the European-Argentina that I had experienced,” reflected Moyer.
Moyer then ventured to Mendoza province, a Western province on the border of Chile, on a vacation with her father. Mendoza province is home to Argentina’s wine industry accounting for nearly two-thirds of the country’s wine production. Moyer explained that Argentine wine is world-renowned but very rare because they control their export of t finest wines. “Mendoza is the Napa Valley of Argentina,” Moyer laughed. “The wine is incredible, you can tell that it’s never been touched by anything foreign.”
PATAGONIA: Heading further south down the border with Chile, Moyer entered Patagonia, the vast land of southern South America known for its plains and the gaucho-culture. Arriving at San Carlos de Bariloche, Moyer entered “gaucho-land” with its distinct and entirely different culture. Often compared to the American cowboy, gauchos are residents of these more rural, country-parts of South America. Moyer appreciated the pure culture: she went hiking through the eastern foothills of the Andes and explored the beautiful lakes and natural wonders. The area is a hiker’s mecca, and she was present for a national hiking convention.
Moyer then ventured south to Tierra del Fuego, or fire-land, named for the fires built by the original aboriginal inhabitants. The southern-most province of Argentina and part of the southern tip of South America, Moyer felt like she had reached Antarctica!
Patagonia is one of three places in the world with glaciers as large as Antarctica. Moyer had the opportunity to hike on those enormous glaciers, which she described as “miserable and freezing, but completely worth it when we reached the summits and the weather cleared up!”
Moyer will be graduating in the Spring of 2010 and will pursue a career in international development. Here at Spotted, we can’t wait to see where her life takes her! To learn more about Moyer’s experiences or get some advice for your own, email Moyer at emoyer@wisc.edu.
