Mendoza and Cafayate
are very different places. Although they are both in the same country and the
climate is somewhat similar, they seem to be in different worlds. Here are some
of the major differences that affect me the most:
1) Mendoza is a city; Cafayate is a
VERY small town. I had always thought Mendoza was a big town or a very small
city, but now I see that it is something massive in comparison to Cafayate.
Mendoza, for example, has at least 20 supermarkets. You know, those big places
in which you can buy anything from food to cleaning supplies to wine to arts
& crafts? You know how many there are in Cafayate? None.
2) Mendoza has a park; Cafayate has a
dried up river. Mendoza’s park is something that they pride on. I love the
park, but I never realized what a luxury it was to have the park until I
arrived here. The closest thing to the park here in Cafayate, a place where
people walk at all times of the day and night for exercise or just to enjoy the
outdoors, a place where people gather to drink mate or just hang out, is the
dried-up river. Which leads me to…
3) Mendoza has about 5 days with rain a
year; Cafayate has an entire rainy season of about 2-3 months. I had been told
that Cafayate is sunny every day, just like Mendoza, but that is most certainly
not the case. Parts of December, all of January, and parts of February are
supposed to have rain…and lots of it. I do not mind the rain. It keeps us cool
when other parts of Argentina are HOT. Coming from Mendoza, however, it saddens
me when I do not have clear skies and the bright sun shining every single day.
It is pretty when it rains here, though, and the dried-up river begins to form
a stream!
4) Mendoza has a number of swimming lap
pools to train at, including two 50-meter outdoor pools; Cafayate has none. You
see my dilemma here…the only option I have to swim is the “Endless Pool”
machine that lets out a current that you must swim against. It is neat, for the
first two times. But, you stay in the same spot the entire time and after
swimming 3 or 4 times a week in that SAME spot you get very tired and bored of
it. Additionally, since all machines cannot be perfect, the current pushes me
sometimes to one side. Therefore, I start swimming at an angle, which alters my
technique and hurts my back. Did I mention the pool is hot, too?
5) Mendoza has internet, consistently
working and affordable internet; Cafayate has, for lack of a better term, none.
Maybe I am exaggerating, but in less than a month, we in La Estancia will not
have internet…unless we want to pay $300 USD a month for barely-working
internet or pay $1000 USD a month for kind-of-working internet. This is why I
can barely Skype. This is why I am unable to use my MagicJack often enough.
Yes, I can do quick and basic internet stuff—such as post this blog! However,
we have “working” internet now…just imagine what it will be like in a month.
6) Mendoza has a plethora of stuff to
do including outdoor activities, malls, restaurants, plazas, museums, bars,
mountains, fresh-water lakes; Cafayate has a square that consists of about 10
restaurants and is 40 minutes away from Incan ruins…that’s it. The place is
beautiful. But, it is a beautiful hole.
7) Mendoza has many beautiful women for
men to prey upon; Cafayate has very few women, and many are not quite beautiful
(me). Therefore, when “fresh meat” appears, it is as if all the desperate
wolves decide to come out and attack. Granted, no attacking occurs…just
annoying and awkward appearances with people that you see EVERY day since this
town is so small.
8) Mendoza’s post office always has
stamps; Cafayate’s post office does not. This has already been discussed.
9) Mendoza has a lot of wild dogs and
very few bugs; Cafayate has lots of wild (pooping) toads and LOTS of bugs.
Wildlife is cool…just not when it interferes with your outdoor walking
experience.
10) Mendoza has streets; Cafayate has
dirt/rocky roads. This causes the dilemma of not being able to use my road bike
and that one must have a decent car to function in this town.
11) Mendoza has multiple bakeries that
not only have the “sweet stuff,” but also have a number of different types of
breads; Cafayate has 2 bakeries, of the same company, that have some “sweet
stuff,” and only 2 types of bread.
12) Mendoza is not very safe; Cafayate
is extremely safe. This is a wonderful feeling. Everyone here protects one
another. There is almost no crime here. No one curses/swears. You can leave
your bike outside while you are shopping for food, without a lock on, and no
one will take it. You can have your phone on the table at a restaurant and not
have anyone snatch it from you. You can walk around by yourself without having
the feeling that you may be followed.
13) Finally, Mendoza has my family,
friends, the club, and a public transportation system; Cafayate has none of
those things. I have been accepted into the La Estancia family, but it is not
the same. This is where I work. I have made friends and I feel like a part of a
number of families here. Everyone has been extremely kind with me and treat me
very well. I cannot complain at all about how I have been treated. But, it is
not the same. You know what I mean.
Honestly, Cafayate is a fine place for me at
this moment. I can work without distractions, I have become very close with
people who are very much worthwhile in a short period of time, I have lovely
landscapes to look at, and I feel safe. I cannot complain. But, I just wanted
to point out some of the major differences that affect me the most and make it
difficult for me to LOVE this place. I do not hate Cafayate. I do not
necessarily dislike the place. However, it is a challenge to LOVE Cafayate as
much as some other people do because I am a 24-year-old chick that likes to be
active and have things to do. That’s all.
K bye.
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