Dec-2013 Buenos Aires

   (not e-mailed to friends & family)

The Aerolineas incident was the start of our trip to Cordoba with Mercedes for 5 days at an estancia hotel which Amber had found on Tripdvisor.  It was 2 hours north of Cordoba, the last half on a dirt road, at  a place called Ongamira, amid hills.   There were possibly 10 rooms, in low buildings, beautifully period decorated,  A sitting room, dining room, breakfast/lunch/tea room by a large pool with a barbecue space.  The hosts Victoria and Juan were super, the staff were amazingly helpful and sophisticated (this was in a small hotel in the middle of nowhere), and the food was interesting, surprising, beautifully presented and delicious – one would have been impressed at the Dorchester.  Amber went for a ride morning and afternoon amid the beautiful hills, each route different.  I had wi-fi to play with, and could get around well on my buggy.   There were dramatic rock formations around.  Apparently the local native tribe were tall, fair and bearded (unlike normal American indians who are dark and have no facial hair), but when the Spaniards came they massacred them all, so we'll never know.  We took a trip one afternoon to La Cumbre, about an hour away, which is quite prosperous with lots of North European immigrants.  Apparently my aunty Marjorie Matthews is buried there (my sister Alison told me afterwards).