Argentina – April 2019
This story starts with my return to the Argentinian town of Iguazu after a visit of the famous waterfalls with the same name. I get off the packed shuttle bus at the main terminal, where I purchase a ticket for the next departure heading west. Now I have roughly 2 hours before I need to be back here to board the vehicle taking me to Corrientes. Truth be told, I don’t remember much of this 10.5-hour journey. But at this point, I have spent more nights on Latin American long-distance buses than I could count on 2 hands. So I likely just laid back, put up the footrest, and dose away while riding along the Argentinian-Paraguayan border. Fast-forward to 05:30 in Corrientes.
We arrive at the bus terminal of the capital city of the province with the same name. The region is most famous for the Iberá Wetlands, which are home to various endangered species, including the capybara. However, since I only have a layover here, I won’t be venturing that far out of the city. And first, I need to find a place to store my backpack. The bus terminal is busier than I expected it to be, considering the early morning hour. But I still have to wait until 7am for the ticket office to open. Only then I can buy a ticket for the second leg of the trip to Salta. Another 12.5-hour ride, which takes me to the far north-western corner of Argentina. The bus will leave at around 8pm, and I can leave my luggage with the kind staff at the ticket office. So I’m ready to explore.
Since the terminal is quite a bit away from the city centre, I take one of the public buses to the main street. From there I stroll around the historic quarter aimlessly. I enjoy the sunny morning in the quiet parks at Plaza Sargento Cabral and Plaza 25 de Mayo. By now I’m a bit hungry, so I try to find a breakfast place. But on the way to the shopping street which promises some cafés, I stumble across the mural in La Avenida Italia. Painted on one of the external walls of the Convent of San Francisco, it’s 70 meters long and 3.5 meters high! The artwork shows the life of the aboriginal Guarani from the arrival of the conquistadors until the 10th century, passing through different passages of the culture of Corrientes.
There is actually a surprising number of street art to be found in this colonial town. This artistic transformation began in 1985 with the formation of Grupo Arte Ahora, a collective founded by Dr. Roberto Villalba and a team of local artists. Inspired by the ancient sgraffito technique, which they learned during a trip to Misiones, these artists created breathtaking murals using layers of colorful cement to craft intricate designs. These murals, made with durable regional sandstone, tell vivid stories that connect visitors to the city’s rich heritage. I definitely recommend a stroll along the Paseo de los murales to learn more about the history of Corrientes.
I finally take a break from walking at a café and have a cake alongside my coffee. With renewed energy, I am then ready for another exploration. With the Wi-Fi provided at the café, I check Google Maps for my next destination and decide to head for the Coastal walk along the Paraná River. It’s the same river I was strolling along 2 days ago in Puerto Iguazu, but somehow the atmosphere is different without Paraguay land on the other side of the water. I end up walking all the way to Playa Arazaty which is probably bustling with swimmers and sunbathers in summer. But now in autumn, there are only few other people on the walking course and the restaurants closed.
So I won’t dwell long and return to Parque Mitre the same way as I came. After all, the weather is good, and I still have time to kill before my bus in the evening. Arriving at the western end of the riverside walk, I join the youths and middle-aged fishermen hanging out at the small port park. Some people are listening to reggaeton on speakers, others are skating and a few came alone, like me. As the sun slowly starts to set, everyone makes their way to the water to marvel at the colors of the sky. But for me this is the sign that my time in Corrientes is coming to an end. So I can’t stay too long before heading back to the city centre.
I end up having a small dinner of a burger and homemade lemonade at a restaurant on the Peatonal de Corrientes after strolling around the open-air shopping street for a bit. Despite the weekday evening, there are quite a lot of pedestrians window shopping and enjoying street entertainers. The street is giving a completely different vibe from when I walked here in the morning. It feels like more than a few hours ago and I notice that my legs are tired. So I take a return to the terminal to pick up my luggage, and then it’s time for my last night bus ride on this trip through Latin America. At 8 pm I am scheduled to depart for Salta, where my exploration of the Wild North-West of Argentina begins.
thattravelstory 