Cordoba

Expectating to find a city to rival Buenos Aires, bustling with students preparing to indulge in the legendary nightlife we were lost for words when we found ourselves in a city that would best be described as a ghost town. It was so quiet there may as well have been dust-balls rolling down the empty roads. Shops were boarded up and even supermarkets were shut. It was like we had arrived moments after the plague. Frustratingly, we had arrived on a Friday holiday, and as the city shut down on Saturday after 2pm, and all-day Sunday, Cordoba became a bit of a non-event for us. This is what we managed to scrap into our limited 12 hours when the city was actually functioning.  

A bit of morning culture:

For a dose of history visit the Jesuit Crypt. For $1AR we had a private tour and our guide filled us in on the city’s history. Suddenly the city's beautiful architecture makes more sense once you can place it in a historical context. And it's quite spooky down there.

Lunch:

La Nieta e la Pancha is a two-story boho café right opposite the artisan market in the south west of the city. The food was wonderful big sandwhich followed by huge portions of the cake of the day and a properly brewed coffee. Mouth-wateringly good. Afterwards, take a stroll through the stalls of the market, one of the biggest in Argentina, selling everything from traditional alpaca jumpers to boutique clothing. La Nieta e la Pancha, Belgrano 783, 0351 155136865.

A spot of shopping:

Arroganzza Glamm is a boutique on Calle Rondeau run by three sisters selling fun, young designs often in bright colours. Nice to inject a spot of glamour into my tattered and dirty wardrobe. It is the same street, which hosts most of the city's student bars, and there is nothing wrong with a mid-afternoon beer. Arroganzza Glamm, Rondeau 354, 0351 156356611

Dinner:

Go to Mercado Norte, where great tendrils of innards hang from hooks, and you can buy boiled heads of pig, sheep and cow. On a more appetising note, they have a great fish restaurant, and fantastic dried fruit deli. The pizza, though only £2.50AR, looks better than it tastes.

Hit the sack:

We walked through the city with our bags from the bus station, and didn’t pass one hostel, so eventually went for the Lonely Planet recommended HI hostel Cordoba Backpackers. Unlike the Hostel Inn in Puerto Iguazu it was a great little place, slightly grungy and quirky, but with good rooms, pool tables and a sociable bar. They offer advice on trips into the surrounding area for hiking or rock climbing. Dean Funes 285, 0351 4220593, www.cordobabackpackers.com.ar

Getting there:

From Iguazu it was a 22-hour and $150AR bus journey, with freezing air con and no blankets. Definitely worth paying the extra $15AR for super cama.