My last day in Cordoba, so what do I do? I flee Cordoba for the nearby town of Alta Gracia. Only 35 kms away the town has two places of interest. The first issue was getting there. I’ve come to the conclusion that this hostel caters for the lowest common denominator. The receptionist was concerned I’d get lost and also wondered why i was up so early (9am). Now even though there are often referred to as youth hostels, they generally cater for all and i’ve seen plenty of Grey nomads including a couple from Australia fleeing their kids and grandkids for 8 weeks. So back to the point, I decided i’d try the minibus terminal which wasn’t as easy to find as i hoped because it was kind of under a market. Luckily I looked like a tourist and was pointed in the right direction.
The minibus ride was quite quick and didn’t stop to pick up the plethora of people that buses normally do. When I arrived in Alta Gracia, the first thing I noticed was the old clock tower, that was also tourist information. The first place of interest wasn’t the clock tower but an old Jesuit Estancia just across the road. The place dates back to 1643, when the area was a farm. They built dams to irrigate the fields. Inside the estancia was quite interesting. They even had a diagram about how the toilet system worked for both the top and bottom floors. I don’t know much more about Jesuits myself, but they seemed to be pretty resourceful people.
Alta Gracia clock tower
OK so the next stop which I have to admit I knew very little about was the Che Guevara museum. Now I knew he had something to do with Fidel Castro and Cuba andthat every country I’ve been to in Central and South America seems to have some claim to the man. However this museum located in his childhood home, explained a lot about this guys life.
He was born Ernesto Guevara in Rosario, Argentina and grew up in Alta Gracia and Cordoba.
He also completed his medical degree and was a qualified doctor. What led him on his trail to be know as a revolutionary, was his passion for travel. He made two grand tours of Latin America. The first he set off and around south america up through to Venezuela. The second was the trip that changed his life as he travelled through Central America and eventually he met Fidel Castro in Mexico. Castro confided to Guevara his plans to “liberate” Cuba. Guevara obviously helped fidel gain control of Cuba and in return Fidel granted Guevara citizenship of Cuba by birth. Guevara went on to help other countries out including the Congo and Bolivia, where he was killed. When I get back to Australia I might have to get the movie that was released last year about the man. He sounds like a fascinating historical figure, that doesn’t always get appraisal for what he fought for.
Jesuit Estancia
So that ended my day in Alta Gracia. Tomorrow, is another long bus trip as I couldn’t get an overnight first class bus ticket. So my spanish phrase of the day is “El próximo viernes es mi cumpleaños!”. Yes, next friday is my birthday 🙂
Inside the Jesuit Estancia