Argentinian (& Uruguayan) food

Arriving in Argentina we were worried about things been a fair bit more expensive then what we were used to. And whilst the bank exchange rate prices were a little higher compared to other places, we were able to get a better exchange rate on the black market effectively making everything 50% off! So we took to Argentina and the food very quickly.

One thing that we (surprisingly) found difficult to find was a great barista coffee, so arriving in Buenos Aires we were quick to seek out one of the most highly recommended coffee shops, which by happy coincidence was a 5 minute walk from our hostel and in the dead centre of the antique market. We found ourselves wandering down there once or twice a day to help us get through to dinner - since most restaurants did open until at least 8pm.

Another meal we loved while in Argentina, particularly mendoza, was empanadas, which were very different from the rest of the places we visited, as the Argentinians made a wider selection of fillings. Flavors we sampled ranged from blue cheese, basil and tomatoes to all types of meats, beef, pork, chicken, lamb and tuna. One of our favors was the pork and lemon, which we tried to recreate in our hostel after doing an empanada cooking class (free class at our hostel). While in Mendoza we also sampled a beautiful shepherds pie to ease any longing for home style food, found a few passable coffee shops (all chains), and tried to increase our vegetable intake after our time in Bolivia.

One highlight in Buenos Aires was our quick trip over to Montevideo and Colonia in Uruguay. After researching what foods to try, Ryan was excited to learn that due to the number of Italian immigrants his favourite patsa, gnocchi, is popular in Uruguay. However, traditionally gnocchi was only available on the 29th of each month due to the many speculated reasons, including that is was just prior to pay day and only potato and flour were left or that it creates prosperity when eaten with money under your plate. Whatever the reason, we were hoping that gnocchi was available all month. Fortunately we weren't to disappointed when we arrived in Colonia as the cafe we chose to stop in had a special of gnocchi with mixed vegetable sauce, which we both agreed was possibly the best gnocchi we have ever eaten.

On our next day we were wandering Montiviedo when we discovered a building of restaurants near the wharfs which all had their own massive coal BBQs with copious amounts of meat continually getting cooked to perfection. Uruguay is famous for its BBQ ribs, so we though we would sit up at the bar, facing the BBQ and select our meats. Not been overly hungry we decided to share a portion of ribs and a sausage, only to be shocked when two massive slices of ribs were served to us, the waiter assuring us that it was in fact a serve of one person.

While in Buenos Aires, we returned regularly to one particularly nice family / local restaurant near our hostel in San Telmo. We had noticed that on the weekend they had a dish called Patagonian lamb available. We decided that lamb could make an interesting change from all the beef we had been eating, so we hot footed down on Saturday night to order our lamb and couldn't resist a 'small' steak as they were amazing at this place. As we were not fortunately lucky enough to make it to Patagonia, this was our first taste of the famous Patagonian dish, which was two marinated and baked massive lamb shanks served with a pile of Spanish potatoes. The meat was delicious and slipped off the bone but was still chrispy on the outside. While of course our steak was cooked to perfection and we smothered it in chimmichurri, or as Ryan calls it 'Jamie Dury' the argentian BBQ saurce made from parsley, garlic, oregano and oil.

The farewell 900gm steak - back at our local favorite

After a number of times eating at our favorite restaurant we thought our last night was an appropriate time to tackle the 900 gm steak. To ensure we were able to eat all the steak we decided to forgo any sides and just have meat with wine, which is our two favorite parts of Argentinian cuisine. Once the steak arrived we were amused for a few moments by the shear size (see photo of Ryan's outstretched hand) and taking photos before getting down to business. We then picked up our steak knives and cut into the butter soft steak, at first we thought 900 gm might prove to be to big of a challenge for us, however, due to weeks of training we even had room for ice cream on the way home. While we were sad to say good bye to Argentina, we were looking forward to trying a little local English pub.

- Louise -

Dopleganger euro version

So apparently I can't go anywhere in the world without looking like some famous football star. Last night I tried to spend a quiet night having a pint at a very small local establishment in Acton, London, but turned out to be quiet different to what I expected.

Firstly Eurovison was on, which is apparently pretty big in the UK, but whilst nobody votes for the home teams its still an interesting contest. Whilst watching the action we made friends with some local Actorians who gave us the run down on how the contest works. As it was a pretty small pub, and everybody new everybody, we soon became friends with all the locals and it wasn't long before one of them hit me up as one of the local Chelsea players, David Luiz. Flattered as I am to be compared to football legends, it is certainly weird to travel the world and have random people shout at you! After a few laughs and more pints one of the guys decided it would be funny to have his picture taken with me so he can try and trick his friends. Now whilst I don't think this will work as I don't look anything like this guy I was more than happy to play along and get some photos holding a Chelsea flag. It ended up being a really good night out with almost eveyone in the bar shouting me free drinks, but I think I could of done without the sambuca...

- Ryan -

Buenos Aries

With our time in South America drawing to an end we headed to our last port of call, Buenos Aries, which unbeknownst to us this was to be some of the best days of our whole travels. So far that is... After a very interrupted beginning, having been caught in Mendoza due to bus strikes, then opting for a flight only to be delayed for hours, landing at the wrong airport, again having to wait for bus connections to the correct airport, we finally arrived in the capital of Argentina in the very early hours of the morning. Not really in the mood for sight seeing at this point we headed straight to our hostel for some much needed sleep. With so much to do in BA and so little time we had to recharge our batteries to make sure everything would get accomplished.

Our first activity/site seeing trip, funnily enough, actually took us outside of Buenos Aries, well to be honest it took us out of Argentina. Being so close to Uruguay and having the option of the convenient ferry it was hard to pass up the opportunity to see another country and their culture. So for our first few days we actually decided to spend them in Colonia and Montevideo. Our first stop in the World Heritage Listed town of Colonia was a nice change from the other typical towns we visited in South America. Rich in history dating back to 1680, this small quaint town is filled with cobble stone streets, colonial houses and old crumbling walls from previous wars. The people in the town were also really pleasant, always happy to give you directions and find out where you were from. Also whilst the town was a tourist hotspot, being so close to BA, there was no opportunists locals trying to hawk off their 'I heart Uruguay' t-shirts or overpriced tour activity. The other place we visited was the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. Again this was unlike any other place we have visited so far. Walking through the city itself you really got a sense that the people take pride in where they live, whilst it may of not been the cleanest city in the world, for South America it was well above par. Also again the people were super friendly, always happy to chat and put up with our broken Spanish, although most of the time they went straight for English and even apologized for their small vocabulary. Probably the best part of Montevideo was walking around the old quarters and down near the pier. Most of the old buildings are still in fine condition and filled with an assortment of interesting shops, like 4 generation family run delis and quaint little bakeries housing endless amounts of local baked treats. Just across the road from the main ferry terminal there was also a massive indoor market, which of course we had to investigate. Lucky we did, because as soon as you step inside your senses are instantly hit with the mouth watering smell parrillia. Endless and endless coal fired BBQ's crackle away each day roasting up an arrangement of different cuts and types of meat. It truly was a carnivorously good time. What made it even better was that everyone sat around the BBQ in a bar style set up and you just ordered your meat straight from the grill.

Next on our list of fun things to do in Buenos Aries was to check out the antique markets. Again for those who don't know us we are a little crazy for cool and quirky antiques. So when we went down to San Telmo to check out what they had in store we were both beyond excited and yet completely miserable (mainly for the fact that it was ridiculous cheap and we couldn't take any of it home). Not only was there an entire city block which housed a full indoor antique market, but on Sundays they close off an entire street for approximately 10 blocks and erect more stalls. There was vintage clothes and luggage, brass objects and jewelry, numerous shops containing countless records (which almost had me in tears), they even had one shop solely designated to just grammar phones. Anything you could possibly want could of been found at this market and all at ridiculously cheap prices. Having tortured ourselves quite a lot during our frequent visits to this place, we did manage to also sneak in a few small treats to help decorate the new home when we finally get there.

Of course a trip to South America wouldn't be complete without going to a live soccer match (that's right Kim I called it soccer!). Unfortunately the local favorited team BOCA juniors were playing away that week so we settled for the second favorite River. Due to all the hype about South America soccer matches, we opted to go for a bit more of a safer route and just go with a sort of tour. So one evening we pulled into an awaiting bus with 30 other strangers and one friendly guide and headed to the stadium. As we approached the stadium our guide gave us the run down about what to expect at the match. Firstly she warned us that we will get searched and anything that could be a weapons should stay on the bus, including any form of makeup, perfume, lighters and even keys. Then she told us that as soon as we get there we will all have to stay together and head straight for our seats, absolutely no stopping for food, drinks or the toilet. Also she warned us that it can get a little crazy at times and if for any reason we need to leave immediately we would have a specific meeting point away from the stadium. So having made us double think our decision of not just watching the game on TV she gave us our ticket, with the warning if we lose it we are screwed, and we all headed off for the stadium. After 2 pat downs and 6 ticket checks we finally made it to our seats, which were surprisingly good, second teir on the half way line. As we arrived early the stadium seemed pretty quiet, however it didn't take too long for that to change and within 30 minutes the entire stadium was packed full with roaring fans cheering and singing team songs. The true die hard fans were mostly seated behind the goals, with each team at opposing ends in their own fenced off, barbed wired cage. It seemed a little strange at first but as the game went on it made a lot more sense as these guys took their soccer way to seriously. Not only was there the cheering and team songs but drummers, banners, objects being thrown, flares and lots of abuse and ridicule towards the other team. Just watching the fans was an experience in itself. The game was also really good to watch and whilst it was a little slow for to first half, things started to pick up in the second as the home team River scored 2 easy goals to take the victory. All in all it was a great experience to watch a live game and be apart of all the crazy action.

Another really interesting activity to do in Buenos Aries is go to the cemetery and take a stroll. Our initial expectations of this place were of a green field with time worn gray stones representing the long deceased. Much to our surprise this was not the case here as the entire cemetery was filled with grand mauseleums housing entire families across numerous generations. As we walked through the complex we were amazed at the amount of money and time that went into creating and restoring some of these burial sites. Each site was completely different from the next with some being very basic cement slab coffin holders to the much grander 50m3 monument decorated with heavily detailed statues and plaques. Unfortunately not all of the sites were well kept, as nowadays cremation is more popular and cheaper, and therefore the living family members are just leaving the grand old burial structures rot and crumble, exposing the remains within. Another interesting part of the cemetery was going to see Evitas grave. Whilst the controversial Argentinian woman was originally laid to rest elsewhere her remains were later moved to the grand cemetery with the rest of her family.

We also spent an afternoon walking the streets of the La Boca region, the working class area which contained some of the more colorful houses in BA. Originally the area was built by the Italian immigrants from Geona, nowadays its main attraction is the Caminto a small lane way filled with vividly colorful corrugated buildings. Whilst this area has become very touristy, with cafe's and resturants on every corner and tango dancers asking for photos, the uniqueness and the photogenic aspects of the brightly colored houses made up for the touristy madness. The surrounding streets of the La Boca district were also a site to see, containing beautiful picturesque run down houses and rich autumn colored trees lining rubbish filled streets. The whole area made for a great days worth of photography.

Along with all the sites we also managed to fit in a little catch up time with Louise's cousin and partner who happened to be staying in BA at the time. So one night we caught the subway to their place in Palermo for some dinner and drinks. After dinner we all decided to head out and check out what the nightlife was like as we had heard some very good reports. Going off a suggestion from a girl we met during our travels we decided to check out a place called Franks, a speak easy bar in the heart of Palermo. For those who don't know a speak easy bar is based off the prohibition styles bars of the 1920-30's in the US, a code or riddle is usually distributed and to be allowed entry into the establishment you must present the correct code to the door man. Sounding right up our alley we did a little bit of research and found the clues for the nights code on Facebook. Whilst the code was given in Spanish, with a little help from google translate we quickly deciphered the riddle and headed down to the bar. Just like all the reviews, Franks was an inconspicuous door on a quiet street with a lone man in a suit out the front. So once we reached the door we gave home the secret code, to which he replied with another numerical code and opened the door. Inside the first door there was a narrow alley way, with what is apparently Auenos Aries's best sex shop and a red London style phone booth. So with our new code we picked up the receiver, dialed the code and to our delight the wall beside the phone booth opened granting us entry to the club. Even though it was already 2am at this stage, the bar was in full swing packed with Argentinian locals having a good time. In desperate need for a good cocktail we headed straight for the bar and again to our delight their menu had a great selection of old style cocktails including the house speciality, an Old Fashion. After a few cocktails and with dawn not to far away we all decided to call it quits and head home. It was a great night and a big thanks to Amelia and Burgs for sharing the fun with us.

Overall we had a great time in Buenos Aries and most certainly made use of our short stay there. I think we could of easily stayed longer and we both agreed that overall it was our favorite city in South America. The city itself has so much on offer for a wide range of tastes and it also has some pretty good value dining options too. But more on that in the next blog.

- Ryan -

Wine, wine and more wine

After spending nearly a week in Cafayate and enjoying all that it has to offer, mostly wine and steak, we headed down south to Mendoza to experience more of the Argentinian culture, basically more wine and steak. Rated as South Americas best wine region and included in the top 8 wine regions of the world, it was a little hard not to go out and sample some of the local drops. After some hefty research aided by my trusty Hugh Johnson's pocket Wine Book 2013, I narrowed down 4 wineries all located in the Luján de Cuyo region, which is regarded as the best area for Malbec in Mendoza, and possibly the world. As this area was a little further out than the more touristic Maipu region, we opted for a private car which luckily enough our hostel offered at a very reasonable price. So early in the morning we were picked up by our driver, who was actually also the owner of the hostel, and taken 45 minutes out of town to the first bodega (South American for winery), Alta Vista.

Alta Vista was the oldest established winery on the list, and possibly in the area, with its history dating back to 1899. Originally the winery was founded by a Spanish settlers but most recently bought and restored by the d'Aulan family in 1998. Upon buying the property the current owners had to restore the entire facility and due to its proud heritage they decided to keep the original Spanish style and structure, only opting for different building materials to better suit the climatic conditions. Also not wanting to waste any of the historic materials left around the winery, the current owners chose to use these in a more decorative way, such as the old wine barrels left behind were stripped down and the iron was used to make the doors of the factory and the wood for the floor of the tasting room. After a very extensive tour of the winery, starting on the ground floor where we were shown the entire process from grape to wine, then down to the original cellar where they housed their current vintage in French oak as well as previous vintages dating back to 1998 (when they started properly mass producing) and finally ending in the tasting room. Here we were treated to 4, very generous, tastings of their more premium range. All of the wines were of high quality, particularly the torrontes, although as it was still only 9:30am we opted not to get a bottle as we still had much more wine to taste.

The second winery on the list, Tapiz, was a much small organic producer which mainly focused on producing quality wines rather than the typical Argentinian quantity. Driving through the gates and into the winery grounds we noticed something that we both have never seen in a winery before and possibly never again, herds of llamas galloping though the vines. Feeling very puzzled at first we were later informed that the idea behind the llamas is to help keep the workers happy by employing them all year round. They not only work the vines but also tend to the llamas and make products from their wool, with the overall goal of 'a happy worker will help produce better quality wine'. After a quick introduction to our very enthusiastic guide, we were shown to an awaiting horse and carriage to begin the tour. Again something we have never down before, we set out for a private tour of the grounds weaving our way through the vines watching the llamas scatter as we go. After the carriage ride, we were delivered back to the winery to continue the tour and learn about the process once again from grape to wine. This time however was a little different as instead of finishing with a tasting we were handed a glass about half way through so that we could taste the wine straight from the tanks and then compare it to the finish product. Whilst both the bottled wines were certainly better then their less matured counter parts, it was still an interesting experience to taste the wine during its maturing stages. Overall, whilst the wines may not of been our favorite from the region this was by far the pick of the tours.

Like the previous wineries the next, Belasco de Baquedano again had something completely different to offer with its tour and tastings. Initially it started out like the others with a guided tour through the establishment with each process explained along the way. You would think that by now we would be experts on the process, however I fear that all the tastings took their toll and I'm lucky enough to remember the names of the wineries. But that's the idea behind a wine tasting tour right? To drink and appreciate the wine not learn where it came from. Anyway, back to the story, after we finished 'learning' about the wine we were taken to the aroma room which was filled with over 50 different scented tubes which you could test your senses against. This proved to be a very fun exercise, which I may of even learnt a thing or two about aroma. After this we headed straight for the tasting room where again we were treated to something different. Much like Tapiz, Belasco de Baquedano is a small time producer which prides itself on producing quality wines, so much so that it only makes 1 white, 4 types of Malbec and a very exclusive Ice Wine. With such a limited selection we were treated to try all but the Ice Wine. So again receiving some very generous tastings sizes we sat back and enjoyed a very crisp Torrontes, a very dry Malbec rose, and 3 Malbecs ranging from their standard range to the premium quality (the 2 premium wines having 94 & 96 points), all with varying aspects yet still containing the typical Malbec earthiness.

Our final winery and one of the largest was Norton's. With a rich history, almost as old as Alta Vista, this winery has been around for generations producing wine in bulk quantities all around Argentina and the world. Glass of sparkling in hand we set off around the enormous grounds for another historical and educational tour of the winery. Again much like the others we were taken right through the process from grape to wine and similar to Tapiz we were treated to try the wine during its different stages. However this time it was slightly different as we tried the same wine, Malbec, from the 3 different stages; tank, barrel and bottle. All showing different characteristics in their look, aroma and flavor, while having an underlying similarity. Probably the best part of the tour was being taken to the 500,000 bottle capacity cellar which still houses some of the earlier bottles, dating back to the 60's, which are tested every year to check for consistency and quality. This is also where the tasting room was where we got to try some more of the premium quality wines Norton's produces.

Overall it was a very enjoyable, educational and intoxicating day, lucky we had a driver... It was great to experience not only the Argentinian wines, but also receive an extensive guided tour throughout the wineries and learn about the process. Also every winery not only differed with its wines but also what they had to offer at their winery, whether it was history, aroma rooms or llamas. Finally whilst I'm not sick of wine and am looking forward to seeing what France has on offer, these past 2 weeks of non stop tastings and bottles over lunch, a change would be nice. So I'm looking forward to Buenos Aries - "dos cervezas por favor!"

- Ryan -

Cafayate

Although we were quite enjoying Salta we had heard rave reviews from other travelers about a small town called Cafayate, which was located 3 hours south in the Calchaquí Valleys wine region known for Torrontes. The drive down to this area is particularly spectacular with beautiful rock formations and gorges. So to ensure we could appreciate the landscape we decided to take a day tour from Salta to Cafayate and stay in Cafayate rather then catch the tour bus back to Salta. This proved to be a good decision, as rather then seeing the landscape fleetingly through a bus window we were allowed to stop, take photos and take small walks to really appreciate the area. We even stopped at a natural amphitheater where a local band was playing music.

The tour then drove us into a winery close to Cafayate, Vasija Secreta, while very touristy it was great to have a quick tour of the history of the winery and then a tasting of the Torrontes and Malbec. After that we headed into town where our tour bus dropped us off at our hostel Rusty-k.

After dumping our bags and checking into our hostel we went straight into the town to find some lunch. The first place we stumbled on was Casa de Empanadas (house of the empanadas) which unbeknownst to us was the number two rated restaurant in Cafayate on trip advisor. It was very small, with an even smaller menu which pretty much consisted of 12 types of empanadas, but a small menu is a good menu and they were exceptional with flavors like blue cheese and chilli, corn and beef, tomato and chilli and blue cheese and parmesan. Unfortunately, for reasons we couldn't work out this was the only day this restaurant was open, although we did go back numerous time to check . . .

After a good nights sleep, the next thing on my list was to get to the goat's cheese place situated 1km from town for a tour and tasting. However, as there was only one girl working at the time a tour wasn't available, but not to worry - the tasting was still possible. We tried their natural, smoked, mixed, hard, strong and sweet cheese and even selected a few to take with us to enjoy a cheese board (or 2) in the lovely garden at our hostel.

Another high priority on the list was of course going around to the local wineries and trying what this area is famous for - Torrontes. The beauty about Cafayate is that most of the wineries are a short walk from town, filling our next few days with morning strolls in the autumn sun, surrounded by endless vines. With wine book in hand, thanks to dad, we managed to tour to Etcharts, Michel Torino, Nanni, el Transito, Domingo and then drop into the local wine bar Chato's to try any we had missed along the way.

Our favorite picks were the gran reserve Torrontes from Etchart, the San Pedro de Yacochuya Torrontes, and the reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Etchart.

Another indulgence we have experienced in Cafayate is the famous Argentinian Parrilla, or BBQ, cooked over hot coal on a grill that is raised or lowered to the perfect position. We had our first one at a popular restaurant on the main square where we had a mixed grill for two and a bottle of a local cab sav, all for $32. The meat was cooked beautifully with three types of sausage (one of them a blood sausage), two rib fillets and chicken, it was a huge meal that was topped off with a Torrontes sorbet made at a local ice cream shop. A trend in the local area is to make ice creams/sorbets from local wines which were surprising good with a little alcoholic punch, we also loved the cab sav flavor.

Another lunch, another BBQ, the next one we had was at a local restaurant near our hotel that was always packed and had long lines for take aways. Ryan and I treated ourselves to a t-bone and rib steak with the local beer to wash it all down. The meat was again cooked beautiful and was in more then ample portions, so we were certain not hungry!

Now Ryan felt that after seeing and tasting all these Parrillas that he was more then up to the challenge of having a go at cooking our own in our beautiful hostel garden. After doing all the appropriate shopping we heading back to the hostel and Ryan started to get the fire going. However, this proved to be a little more difficult due to the available fuel, as there was only the bare BBQ coals, not to be dissuaded Ryan kept at it until we had a small pile of glowing coals. We then piled on our huge mound of meats, beef sausage, pork sausage, rib fillet and sirloin fillet with a few piece of capsicum. While I prepare a small salad and opened the reserve cab sav from Etchart we picked up the day before. Ryan did an amazing job and the meat was cooked beautiful and was a perfect complement to our wine. The meal was completed when we opened up our sweets from a local gourmet shop - coffee and coconut flavored ajoraes - an Argentinian desert.

Another day another winery, sadly it was time to leave and head onwards to Mendoza, to continue the our education in Argentinian wines.

- Louise -

The Wild West

There was one last stop we had on our list before leaving Bolivia, a small town near the Argentinian boarder called Tupiza. Famous for its beautiful landscapes similar to the wild 'American west, Tupiza is known as the area where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid (allegedly) made their last stand and were laid to rest (there is a grave but no remains have been found). Either way we were interested to have a chance to experience the beautiful countryside for ourselves. Upon arriving we quickly book a tour for the next day which involved catching a jeep around to some of the more scenic locations and then a 3 hour horse ride to Canon del Inca.

The views were as promised and absolutely amazing, we were very happy with our choice of starting the day off with a jeep ride as it meant we didn't miss some of the more beautiful sites too far for walking or a horse ride. We then stopped by a river and as we admired the surroundings we were served a simple but delicious Salteña (a traditional bolivian pastry like an empanada) lunch with fruit. After then we were dropped off at the horse riding ranch and were quickly in the saddle, chaps and all, heading to Canon del Inca. The ride was again very scenic and quite relaxing. As our guide couldn't speak a word of English, he just dozed in his saddle until we arrived at the narrowest section of the canon that can be reached by horse and then waited as we climbed through the canon to see what was beyond. The ride back was much the same and we rapidly started to appreciate that we didn't book the two day horse ride as our rumps were beginning to get a little sore.

The tour was a great way to see the countryside, and had well and truly tired us out for the long overnight trip across the boarder into Argentina.

- Louise -

Ghost Road

Firstly I want to start by thanking my parents for giving me this birthday opportunity and allowing me to again hurtle myself down a mountain on two wheels with only a pair of disc brakes and my face to stop me.

Having enjoyed the Death Road so much, when we got back to La Paz I had to give mountain biking one more go. The only problem is that Gravity have so many options available its hard to make a decision. Luckily that part was taken care for me as some other people had already booked the Ghost Ride, making it cheaper for me if I went along. Even though I had never had any single track mountain biking experience I paid the money, signed the death waiver, kissed Lou goodbye and headed back to the mountains for some more two wheeled fun.

Starting a 5000m above sea level, our guide gave us another run down on how the bikes worked, the do's and don'ts of single track and just overall have fun! With all my safety gear on, this time knee pads (just in case), I jumped on the bike and we started off down the mountain. The first few hours of the ride consisted of mostly single track, literally, riding down the mountain face. There was jumps to launch off, shear drops to ride off and oh so loose gravel to slide around and just have fun. A first the tracks were fairly easy with only a slight gradient combind with small jumps and smooth landings, but as the hours past we took some more techniqual tracks with tighter hair pin turns and steeper gradients. Again having not much mountain bike experience I did eat the dirt quite a bit, even to the point where i supermaned over the handle bars for a good 3m, but that was all part of the fun. The best part of the single track, in my opinion, was the skeet. Skeet is the loose gravelly material typically in abundance on the mountain face, and when riding though it it makes for a skiing like experience, when you can do it properly. It's also not to bad to crash into as its fairly soft and not so compacted.

The second part of the day was spent on a proper track/gravel road, continuing on down the mountain. This was again similar to the death road, with open cliff edges and amazing sceanery. Although unlike the now more touristy death road, this track is predominately used for local traffic and is beginning to take the title of worlds most dangerest road off the former. Along the way we pass though numerous small villages, cascading waterfalls, ferocious wild dogs and an old Spanish gold refinery. Whilst the road itself was brutally grueling to ride, the sceanery we passed along the way most certainly made up for the bruised hands and aching forearms. The ride ended at the bottom of the valley in an old castle, apparently haunted, built by one of the previously presidents. Now a days the castle is rented out for functions and accomodation. Most of the decor look original and fit the part, however the rest of the building was in disserary due to the lack of tourism in the area.

Overall the ride was a great experience and has once again unveiled within me an unknown passion for mountain bike riding. Or perhaps at the very least videoing the fun of the ride...enjoy...

Ghost road from Ryan messer on Vimeo.

- Ryan -