Argentina beckons


It's been over two months since our last vacation, and I'm getting edgy about finalizing our next one! The one place where I've really never considered going before in the near future is Argentina, simply because it seems so far away, but lately it's really been intriguing me a lot, especially after a friend went for a volunteer vacation trip there.



So I started doing a bit of research on Argentina travel and seeing which places I would like to go to and the things I would like to do. One thing I know for sure, I really would love to stock up on their traditional textiles. My ideal kind of vacation is not the regular tourist routine, so I'd like to go into the country side, stay at smaller and less hotel-like places and explore on my own and maybe add in a bit of an adventure too.



When I travel to a new place, I like to do a little reading about it as most people do. Besides Lonely Planet guides and online research, I like to browse the travel literature section of the bookstore to find books about the area, but not necessarily travel guides. I find that these books often give a nicer perspective and a more realistic one of a place. In the sense that, you certainly don't want your travel to be just a series of tourist attractions that merge into one another by the end of a trip.



It's important to sit back and take in the atmosphere of a place to really enjoy it rather than go from place A to place B and so on. The trick is that not everyone has the time to do that and since most people feel that, well, I don't know when or if I'll be able to come back, so might as well see as much as I can. Hard as it is, I try to resist seeing everything in one go.

All photos from Argentina For Less.

Comments

Shalini said…
Thanks so much...It would be such an interesting place to visit.
Shalini, you are a true traveler:) Indeed, absorbing the essence of a new place is far different from doing the touristy thing. Once, in Mahabalipuram, my husband and I met these 3 boys who were our "tour guides". Our memories of that trip still bring a smile to our face:)
Shalini said…
Haha, thanks so much Kala!
It's so easy to get caught up in the rush to "see everything", but in the end one ends up absorbing nothing. My parents did a trip to Eastern Europe last summer and they only did sightseeing in the mornings, relaxed in the afternoons and spent time at cafes and taking in the atmosphere. It's no point coming back from a vacation needing another vacation, is there!
Anonymous said…
I like your approach to vacations.. no frenetic sightseeing for me either. I do love to stop at every antique store I see which makes my husband groan...
Anonymous said…
Shalini... God you sound so much like me!!! I'm always planning my next holiday.. I only live and work so I can go on holiday!! Also, I love reading the net, and often buy a book from Magrudys to the destination I plan to go.. But the best tips are always from people who've been there before. Occassionaly I venture into asking questions at yahoo groups... Its interesting what people think... and how and where they've stayed.

Love you blog!!!
You are a true traveller,Shalini.While going through your blogs and reading i seem to have truly known you.Absoultely wonderful the way you are.
Shalini said…
Aditi, thanks so much. So glad you agree....the whole point of vacationing is to relax and see something different and rushing through a ton of "sights" is not fun in my book! Ha, ha...I know those groans...I hear them from my hubby too :-)

Patricia, you're so right. One often gets the best tips from those who have already been there before.

Lakshmi, that's so sweet! I do love to travel and I do love to write about my travels, and having wonderful people like you encouraging me on has been great. It's amazing how much one can learn of a person from reading what they right and seeing the photographs that they take.
Anonymous said…
WOW!!! Lovely picts...I loved the way you have described things, thats the way i travel too...Its so much good to know i have some one similar to me when it comes to traveling and exploring new places. I guess we can plan a trip together ;-) wat say???

Cheers
Kanchan
Shalini said…
Thanks Kanchan....the pics are all from their site. I loved the one with the person in it...I want to be there, wearing a hat and looking down at the same view :-)

Lol, that would be cool....a bloggers trip!
Suma said…
Lovely post and informative as ever.

Argentina is one the many places on my travel to do list and have always wanted to learn to dance the tango there too. :))
Shalini said…
Of course! How did I overlook the tango! That's definitely a must!
Argentina..sounds wonderful:-)

Yes, research on any place before visiting is always great:-)

Hope you have a great vacation:-)

Arch
Shalini said…
Lol Arch, if only I were going! Only dreaming of visiting Argentina at this time!

The vacation that's being planned more seriously is a trip to the hills of Himachal. I want to make it before the blossoms finish.

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