Cordoba is an old city and has a lot of churches and universities. The day I arrived Leo was only working half the day so he offered to take me sight seeing around the city. I couldn´t pass up having my own personal tour guide.
First we had a look at some of the churches that were near the main town square. They are very impressive churches dating back to around the 1600`s. We also went to lunch and then for a walk through the main park of the city.
Later in the day one of Leo´s friends invited us to visit her apartment and to have dinner and drinks. It was nice to be welcomed into someone´s home and not feel like such a tourist.
We played lot´s of music and had a really nice time. Only Leo could really speak english, but his friends could understand me if I spoke slower and Leo translated for me when his friends talked in Spanish.... it was very funny.
Over the following few days I went on side trips from Cordoba to a few places nearby. The first town I visited was Alta Gracia.
This is the town where Leo lives. The town centres around a building called an Estancia. The Estancia is made up of an old church, courtyard and the main residence. Originally this was where the land owner lived.
The Estancia residence is now a museum, showing the rooms as they would have originally been used.
There was an old kitchen
A study
There was even a room where there was several toilets. The toilet system was quite advanced for the time the building was built.
The Estancia was next to a man made lagoon that was used for the toilet plumbing as well as for use through out the Estancia and surrounding buildings. The lagoon is now just a lake for the locals to enjoy.
A lot of the young boys were out trying to catch fish the day we were there. But they didn´t look like they were having much luck.
Another reason Alta Gracia is famous is because it was the childhood home of one of Argentina´s most famous citizens, Ernesto ´Che´ Guevara.
The house where he grew up is now a museum dedicated to telling his life story from birth until he moved to Cuba. It had a lot of interesting artifacts explaining his life.
It showed how he travelled across South America in his early twenties on a pushbike with a small engine attached to it.
And later when he did his second journey on a motorbike, which they even have a replica of.
The museum was very well done, with both Spanish and English information and a movie with English subtitles.
The other town I visited while I was in Cordoba was Villa General Belgrano.
This town is different to many of the towns in South America as it is made to look like a village in Germany, Europe.
The buildings are all done in a tradional German style and the streets are more winding and not a grid pattern, which is more popular in South America.
I just walked around the streets here, having a look at all the houses and buildings. I was in town during the afternoon and most things were shut for Siesta.
I had some beers at a cafe before returning to Cordoba.
I really enjoyed my time in Cordoba, but I had been sick with a cold for most of the time I was there. The weather had turned and was starting to get cold.
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