La Rioja....the people, the city, the art....

I remembered flying to La Rioja two years ago. The flight was bumpy then too. You fly high over the mountains then swoop down to the Southwestern United States type desert and land in Catamarca for a short turn around to La Rioja. That flight is low and bumpy so by the time you get to La Rioja a short 20 minutes later you are really glad to be landing. The lady sitting next to me had her foot pressed to the brake and her eyes closed. Being the seasoned traveler I tried to look cool and just read my book. 

We were met at the airport by my acquaintance from two years ago Nita from the medical school and it was like greeting an old friend. What a great start to our visit! We were whisked from the airport where we quickly dropped off our luggage at the apartment that has become home while in La Rioja. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to find no furniture in the living room. A project I hope to rectify by the time I leave. I was now beginning to think youth hostel accomodations....I remembered the young woman I met on the plane and my smug thoughts of a luxury hotel. I was beginning to not feel quite so smug.....We were off to a typical Argentine lunch with barbequed beef, goat and great Malbec wine. After a fascinating tour of La Rioja, including the mountains with sahuaro cactus like the ones I grew up with in Tucson, Arizona, and the lake area, we returned to the apartment for a quick fluff and then off to a 10 p.m. dinner. Yes, Argentineans are very late eaters. My friend and I were ready to call it a night by then, but we were not going to miss out on the celebration of our first night in La Rioja. Dinner was again typically Argentine with plenty of carne, potatoes, eggs a bit of green salad and a yummy sweet dessert. We also couldn't pass up the fine local Malbec wine.

After dinner the electronics saga continued with two University faculty coming to the apartment to try and get us "wired". By that time the whole electronics nightmare seemed like an adventure in a foreign film without subtitles...you are probably getting the picture. With great determination the faculty perservered and did manage to get a connection for my computer. I wasn't sure whether I was more thankful for the connection or that now, finally, I could call it a night....to be continued.....