I visited Córdoba because I had no idea what I would find there. Places like this are my favorite (cp Bucharest, Belgrade, Ljulbljana). I spend four days over a weekend here in Argentina’s second largest city after Buenos Aires, exploring and conceptualizing. I found something a little different from other destinations I’ve so far cataloged across Europe and Asia. As in Buenos Aires the spaces, blocks and buildings are broad instead of tall (ancho, no alto) but less so pronounced in Cordoba than in BA. Since the largest universities in Argentina are in Córdoba, you see a lot of young people when walking through town. This gives it an energetic, diverse personality. On a stroll through a park I witnessed a rock climbing class, runners, BMX mountain bikers, Crossfitters and even a guy doing some pretty advanced static jumps with his mountain bike. Crazy! So much for my previous inclination that Argentinians have a predisposition to be lazy.
Just as in Buenos Aires, Córdoba has great night life, restaurants and venues on par with any cool neighborhood in the United States. Also as in Palermo it is easy to forget you are not in the United States at times. Especially with being able to speak Spanish, the people and places are so accessible you wonder if there is much separation between cultures any more. Or really if that perception you have of these places been similar to the United States might itself be backwards — I mean maybe the United States is like Argentina. I don’t feel much like a United Statesian and frankly I prefer being an American — these days south Amerian.
By perceiving as much as I can about places I visit it helps me understand my own perceptions and perspectives better. It’s an addictive process for anyone dedicated to self improvement as your own ignorance becomes impossible to ignore — absolving yourself of it feels rewarding. The caveat of course being that such short periods of time in any location are not enough to venture beyond perception. A benefit to this though is the opportunity to return at a later time to learn and experience more.
