Accommodation Redemption!
Sunday, October 16th: Concordia > Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, Argentina
Surprisingly and thankfully, we woke up without any sign of bed bugs and we got out of that apartment as fast as we could. We got on the road and continued through the flat lands for several hours until we reached the edge of the marsh / wetlands. The road was unpaved with red dirt and loose rock crackling under the tires, making it impossible to exceed 30 mph. We finally saw wildlife – capybaras, unidentifiable birds, caiman and marsh deer..
We arrived to Colonia Carlos Pellegrini in the middle of the afternoon. The village was quiet with dispersed houses that were converted into small shops and lodges. There were horses, cows and dogs wandering the streets unattended. We pulled into Camba Cua where we anticipated setting up camp, but we had second thoughts after the trauma we suffered the night before. We needed a little more comfort and cleanliness. The cellular service was unbearably slow, so we drove around until we found accommodations that met our standards. They had no vacancy, so we tried our luck at the next stop, Nande Reta, and secured our stay for the next two nights. The grounds were well manicured with a pool and several hammocks, and the lodge was cozy and welcoming with an open concept dining room, fireplace and multiple seating areas. The package was a little over budget, bit included full room and board with four meal services per day and three marsh excursions.
We enjoyed coffee and homemade cookies (shortbread with fruit preserves in the center) and walked around town, exploring the border of the wetlands. We were greeted by the local dogs on every street, including one that took us on a guided tour for several blocks. He was very sweet, reminded us a little of Oslo, and looked like he had a tinge of black lab in him mixed with other breeds.
When we returned, we were ready for dinner… but dinner was not ready for us. Even after being in Greece and Buenos Aires, we’re still not quite used to Argentine meal schedule, so we waited until 8:30 PM for dinner service to begin. We had a three-course meal: warm bread rolls with pickled strawberries and rhubarb, mushroom bruschetta, tender BBQ pork on a crispy potato pancake and Malbec poached pears with vanilla ice cream.
Accommodations: Nande Reta Lodge, Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, Argentina
