We were delighted to find the tourist information booth closed.
Asking a couple of locals we established the bus terminal was either four or twenty killometres from our hostel. We'd made use of five hours at Mercedes bus terminal to book a hostel. It may have been in the midle of nowhere but it had top WiFi. Checking out the local bus routes Random Man struck up a conversation and gave enough confidence that the 103 was indeed the bus we wanted and this was the right way that we jumped on with him. Well, I say jumped, jimmyed and crowbared our way into the packed space was more the case. Our new guardian took it upon himself to give the driver instructions to tell us when we were at our hostel, though I'm not even sure how we'd made ourselves clear to him as we were far from sure. He then proceeded to pay for us and we assumed this was to help out as he had a payment card and cash is coins only which can be hard to come by. We proffered the correct notes and he refused, wenthought this may be politeness before he accepted out payment but no, we could not get him to accept our six pesos ($1nzd £0.50). He cheerfully waved us off when he diembarked a few blocks later. We could only shrug in humble disbelief.mIt turned out there was, by Corrientes standards plenty of room as more and more people wedged there way in. I had to stop trying to converse with Dan, almost taking out a little old man with my backpack every time I turned round. My 'Disculpe's' must have been wearing thin. Eventually the driver gave us a nod and we were at the hostel, Bienvenida Golondrina. Housed in a one hundred year old building with high celings and 8 foot high shuttered doors with smal courtyards and shuttered areas it seemed just the job, posted requests to observe quiet times after midnight and during siesta (2-4pm) confirmed our satisfaction. The quiet courtyard gave it a relaxed ambience and if you are looking for somewhere that isn't a party hostel it ticks all the boxes.
The bus journey had show that Corrientes (pop 368k) is an industrial town without exceptional beauty on the outskirts. Fortunately we were based very close to the Rio Parana riverfront and small port which provided a great spot for a wander. Fishing is clearly a local favourite pasttime and each group we passed seemed to have a feed which was good to see.
I always spend a lot of time by the water when travelling and enjoy checking out the local ingenuity in boat design, Corrientes didn't let me down.
A dodgy boat
There was a noticable increase in Mate (green tea) drinkers among those out for the evening. Walking through Plaza 25 de Mayo with it's Casa Rosada copy was evidence that we may have underestimated the town.
Heading for a bite to eat but decided a glass of Malbec was in order first. We sat down and ordered a half bottle, clearly concerning the waitress that we ordered alcohol without food we assured her we would be eating later. I was delighted to see fish on the menu, particularly freshwater fish which was sure to be fresh. Discovering it was Pacu was a special treat, a relative of the Piranha, Pacu is a vicious looking fish, like the Pirahna's big, ugly, angrier brother. I was not disappointed, the fish was delicious and very well prepared (note to review on trip advisor). All in all a surprisingly great start.
The next day, being Mayday would be like New Years day but with less open! We took the walk all along the river front towards Puente General Manuel Belgrano, a very attractive riverfront walkway with wide paths and small squares where people congregated to drink their Mate.
Mate numbers appeared to rival those in Uruguay, though in much more socialy diverse groups. Whereas Public Mate consumption in Uruguay appeared to be an almost universally male past time, here families were sharing a cup as well as groups of young women together and those in mixed company.
Mate is a traditional caffeine rich drink served in a gourd with leaves steeped in hot water and drunk through a (traditionally silver) straw which also acts as a sieve for the leaves. Many people drink on the move and carry a flask of hot water to be able to keep the drink constantly through the day. Roadside stalls serve Agua Calliente to ensure nobody runs out of hot water!
Through the day this was where most people seemed to congregate and when we returned in the evening it was buzzing, probably due to the all day Mate session, it isn't surprising they stay up late!
Further wandering through the town I enjoyed the colour and architecture of the buildings and though there were clear signs of some areas being a bit run down this didn't detract from the experience for me.
I'm not sure I'd say I love Corrientes but there is enough to see and do for a day or two and the people are all friendly and helpful and ultimately it is, always about the people. I'm glad we stayed.
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