The Motorcycle Diaries: Rosario, Argentina

From the enchanted small German village of La Cumbrecita, I continued on the Rosario. The longer I am staying in Argentina the more I am falling in love with the country (the people, scenery and its cities). Rosario was no exception: located on river Paraná it offers its inhabitants (and visitors alike) a beautiful riverside walk covered with parks, cafes, museums and frequent cultural activities (e.g. public concerts). There are even beaches along the river allowing you to the refresh after a long day of sightseeing (but careful, the river has quite a bit of current and if you do not pay attention before you know it you will find yourself on the way to the Atlantic Ocean).

Rosario is filled with history (e.g. Ernesto Che Guevara’s birthplace or the first place where the Argentinean flag was hissed during the struggle for independence from Spain). There are tons things to discover wandering through the many colonial streets and various neighborhoods. Finally, Rosario is a very young city (referring to young university population) and has a smoking night life.

I have been writing about the advantages of traveling on a motorcycle compared to other modes of transportation (especially busses which I had been using prior to my motorcycle adventures). Well, when it comes to navigating through a big unknown city, a motorcycle is definitely a disadvantage. Argentinean drivers show little respect on the streets for their fellow drivers as well as streets signs. As such, being a stranger to a new place trying to orient myself in a new big city, I constantly had to watch out for traffic cutting me off from all directions, not an easy and definitely not a relaxing task. But what would traveling be without the occasional challenging situation that tests and teaches you new skills. And similar to most things in life, with time and patience one can get used to even Argentinean drivers and learn how to navigate in unknown territories without getting too lost.

The morning of my last day in Rosario, I awoke to the thundering rains. I had planned to leave after breakfast completing the last stretch (300 km) of the Motorcycle Diaries. Whenever possible I try to avoid riding in even slight rain so leaving in heavy rain was definitely out of the question. But the rains continued throughout the day, occasionally slowing but then recommencing. In the late afternoon (despite continuing drizzle and approaching nighttime) I had the distinct feeling that I should leave for Buenos Aires nonetheless. I was definitely not is a hurry and could have stayed another night which the people from the hostel were recommending and would have been safer. But something told me that it was time to go, so I packed my bags and hit the road. Fortunately, the rain soon stopped and the last part of the highway leading the Buenos Aires is lit with street lights making it easier to see.

After 10000 kilometers traveled and almost 2 months on the road, Morena and I finally returned to Buenos Aires. As if Morena remembered her way home, I found Sergio’s house in San Isidro surprisingly easy only having to ask directions once. It was an emotional moment, driving the motorcycle back though Sergio’s garage door and turning off the engine (quite possibly for the last time). Sergio and Fernando were both there to greet me – what a joyful reunion!

Several days later, scrolling through the news, Rosario and the entire region were reported to have suffered continuing heavy rains and large parts of the city were flooded and roads had been closed. Over 30000 people had been evacuated to protect them against the floods in the province surrounding Rosario. In retrospect, had I chosen to leave at the best possible moment. Had I stayed until the next day, quite possibly I would have been stuck in rain and floods for over a week.