Tigre: The fiercest city around

The title might be a little bit of an exaggeration for this slow moving, river city, but since it translates to “tiger” I couldn’t resist.  I had the opportunity to visit Tigre, Buenos Aires a couple weekends ago with my program CEA.  We all got onto the train (1.10 peso/ticket) and took the 45-minute ride there.  It was gray, cloudy, and little cold so not the greatest day to be visiting a city built on waterways.  Despite this though, we had a great time. First we took an hour boat ride through the waterways, which act as roads through a lot of the town. On the tour we saw gas station along the river for boats, old boats half sunk into the water, and unique buildings like the Tigre Art Museum and Sarmiento Museum.  Even though some of the buildings were beautiful, the murky brown water we floated on was not.  You can see the difference in water color the closer you get to the main “port” area because of pollution. This is pretty obvious from the dead fish floating along (even though I’m sure there are some live ones too).

Tigre

Sarmiento Museum

After the boat ride we walked to the main attraction of Tigre, the fería. They have a huge open market with anything from bubble machines to cow hide throws to the cheapest mates around.  My roomie and I hit up the waffles on a stick stand right away, me getting a waffles with lomo and cheese on the inside and smeared with cheese and basil on the outside. Delicious. Then we wandered around the fería finding earrings, mates, and much more.  After about an hour it was time to meet up with the group and head back to BA. On our way to Tigre we were graced with the live performance of a “folkhop” band who combined, yep you guessed it, argentine folk music with hip-hop.  We were treated to some music on the way back too.  A man walked around with a boom box playing music comparable to a ‘Now’ CD from the States, but with Argentina hits and selling the CD’s. so not quite as cool as folkhop, but better than nothing.

Rule: If riding a bike with out a helmet, it gets taken away. And put here.

There's also a theme park! Looks like Valleyfair's Mad Mouse right??

If you’re planning to visit Buenos Aires any time in the future and want to take any day trips, I would definitely recommend Tigre. It’s a unique city and you can’t find deals like they have at the fería in other places. Maybe just try to pick a day with nicer weather J

Until next time, chau!

Weekend Wanderings through BsAs

I was determined to make the most of the long Easter weekend since I hadn’t planned a trip outside of the city.  Luckily, I have some friends who are very knowledgeable about Buenos Aires and the different events going on in it.  So I tagged along with them and saw many different places through out the weekend!

1. Club Niceto

The clubs here change their names and venues depending on the day.  We went to Club Niceto on Wednesday night solely because it was free and conveniently close to our friend’s house.  When we got there we were greeted with a congo line of boliche-goers and members of the band Babel Orkesta who was playing that night.  It was really fun dancing to their music since it isn’t typical boliche music. It is hard to describe though, so here’s the link for you to hear for yourself.

Babel Orkestra at Club Niceto

2. Saverio

Mmm yup!

After a long night on Wednesday we decided for something a little calmer and went for ice cream at Saverio.  Little did I know that the sundae I ordered, complete with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, apples, oranges, cherries, mangos, kiwis, and chocolate sauce, would be a portion big enough for two. Still too good to not finish though..

3. Plaza Serrano…during the day!?

Plaza Serrano, a very happening Boliche scene at night, is also packed with people during the day too it turns out.  On Friday we walked through the fería in the Plaza and saw they turn the boliches into clothing stores in the daylight. In one of them I even found the perfect fall jacket (yeah it’s fall here, weird right?)

4. Buenos Aires Capital Mundo del Libro 2011

Following our shopping adventure we walked towards what has to be one of the biggest book fairs EVER. I don’t really have much to compare it to, but really the line went on for blocks, finally turning around a corner and it’s held in multiple convention centers.  We spent the most time exploring books specific to different areas of Argentina and looking at very cool body art.

Merritt, Me, Laura, Sammi

5.  Borges Cultural Center

We didn’t explore here too much, but we did get to see two cool exhibits. I also found Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone en español in the bookstore J I will definitely have to go back too see all that the center has to offer.

6. Recoleta Fería

This is a market I have been to twice before, but it has so many stands to visit that it never gets old. We were all hungry at this point so we bought pan relleno or stuffed bread (mine had mozzarella, green olives, basil, and tomatoes) and then ate them while drinking mate. After we watched Coperistas perform.  My knowledgeable friend Laura informed us that this type of a performance is a combination of dance and martial arts moves and originated in Brazil. Also they can flip over really high ropes!

Coperistas in Recoleta

7. Rose Garden of Palermo

First off, Happy Easter! Easter in Buenos Aires away from my family wasn’t quite the same, but it ended up being a fun day. After lunch with some friends we all went to the Rose Garden of Palermo, El Rosedal.  The park around the garden is huge and packed with people using the biking/running/rollerblading lanes, cruising the artificial lake in paddleboats, or joining in on free aerobics.  We walked through the park as it was closing, taking pictures of the different colored roses and ducks swimming by on the lake.  You can’t actually sit on the grass in the garden without having someone blow a whistle at you and many of the benches were full, so just walking through is fine. Just find a grassy spot in surrounding park for some mate.

Just around the river bend...GIANT waterfalls!: Iguazu Falls, Argentina

My third trip outside of the city of Buenos Aires was great! The main part was going to Iguazu Falls, but we also got to stop at a few other places along the way. We left on Thursday the 14th and traveled the 13 hours by bus to our first stop in Posadas, the capital of Misiones. 

Friday, April 15th

Cows taking a bath

Technically our first stop was at bus station to switch buses to one that could hold the entire group of about 45 people.  After we all met we traveled a short way to Estancia Santa Cecilia, which is a gaucho farm.  We were led to an open pavilion for breakfast of mate cocido (which is a type of mate served cold) and a pastry that was like fried bread with sugar.  Soon our guide for the day showed up with the three gauchos that work the farm.  Gauchos are comparable to the North American cowboy.  From what I've been able to understand in my classes.. They originated in the Pampas and lived off the land, moving with the cattle. Those at the Estancia showed us how they round up the cattle and then the process of injecting some of them with a medicine to get rid of parasites.  After, they had the cattle go through a scale to check their weight and then gave them all a "bath."  I guess I don't really know the best way to wash 50 cows, but theirs seemed to work as good as any.  Basically the process was to have them jump down to a walkway that was filled with water. They had to swim a little then were able to touch and walk/run and slip out.  When they finished showing us the LIVE cows we moved on to look at the process of making leather.  They showed us leather that was drying, leather that was stretching and then the finished product, leather ropes, reins, and other gaucho gear.  Some people were a little turned off after seeing the cute beef cattle taking a bath and then the stretched out leather, but what we saw next might’ve made their stomachs turn—lunch.  The estancia started us off with choripán and lots of veggies.  Then they brought out a huge cut of beef and after that some freshly cooked ribs.  The ribs were cooked between spokes and then they stuck the spokes into the ground and cut portions off for anyone who wanted some right there.  So it was a little rough for some people to see the cattle and then eat who might have been their friends, but honestly, it was worth it. 

The three gauchos who work the farm

After we left for the Jesuit Mission Ruins called San Ignacio Mini.  The Jesuits founded the mission around 1970 and lived there along with some Guaraní natives whom they taught the catholic gospel too.  We walked through the various parts of the ruins, including a massive church, a cemetery, and different houses.  It was strange to imagine people really living and working there at one time and to think about those who found it after it was abandoned.  When we left the ruins women and children selling random handicrafts and plants greeted us.  I passed up the chance though and headed for the bus, which then took us the four extra hours to our hotel in Iguazu Falls.

our whole group

We arrived at the Hotel Saint George where upon check in, they gave us fruit smoothies. During our stay we also had dinner and breakfast buffets there. They also offered a chilly pool and lukewarm hot tub as well as a ping-pong table.  The next day we were headed for the falls!

Saturday, April 16

We woke up early excited for what was said to be a real “North American breakfast.” However, we were all a little disappointed when the eggs turned out to be hard-boiled and the sausage was really hot dogs cut up and put into some sort of sauce. They did have cereal, milk, pastries, and a lot of fruit though, so still a good breakfast overall.  

Afterwards we left for the waterfalls (cataratas) of Iguazu.  It wasn’t long before we were there, seeing toucans, coaties (a member of the raccoon family), and tons of butterflies.  We started on the Green Trail and it wasn’t long until we heard the waterfalls.  When you first see them, you want to take a million pictures, trying to capture every part of what makes them so amazing (this is impossible to do, by the way).  But then you walk a little more, get closer, and feel like you have to take a million more pictures because they’re even more impressive from that view.  The waterfalls are hard to describe and my pictures don’t do them justice, but hopefully you all get an idea of how incredible they are to see.  So incredible actually that Iguazu Falls is in the running towards becoming one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (click here to vote!).

We walked to different areas of the falls, at one spot getting close enough to be drenched by the huge waterfall above us.  We were also given the opportunity to go on a boat ride around the falls.  After getting fit with life jackets and waterproof bags we loaded onto boats and headed towards the first waterfall.  We drove near the bottom of two separate falls, getting drenched by their mist. At one waterfall it was difficult to actually look anywhere but down because of the water falling onto us.  We got off of the boats drenched and in my case with out a change of clothes or shoes.  So, soaking wet, I walked back with the group for some lunch and then a short train ride to the start of a trail leading to The Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo). Sounds ominous right?? To get there you walk on a metal walkways over water and the occasional small island.  I really don’t know how to explain how awesome and impressive it is, so here a couple extra pictures and a video to give you a better idea..

At the Devil's Throat

La Garganta del Diablo

(Not the best video recording, sorry!)

Sunday, April 17

You can catch an armadillo with that!

With a check out time of 10:45 we were able to sleep in a little more before packing up and heading down to our last Hotel Saint George breakfast.  After eating, we went to the local Guaraní community.  We took big safari trucks (which reminded me of Cabo Polonio) to navigate the dirt roads of the village.  When driving in we saw some women and children swimming and washing clothes.  The kids all smiled and waved as we drove by.  Our guide Luís started by showing us their most popular crops and then led us to a woman’s hut.  The hut was small consisting of only a small fire pit and a roof.  We all felt a little strange and intrusive coming onto these people’s land and viewing the way they live.  Especially after hearing they are generally very shy and timid.  However, Luís told us that they have to give tours and sell handmade crafts in order to support their community.  They used to be able to move with the animals they hunted, but now they have to rely on local supermarkets.  They realize that in order for the tribe to survive they have to adapt in certain ways.  The children are taught Spanish as well as their own native language and they have a medical practitioner visit weekly.  It’s a sad reality, but they are still holding onto their own customs and traditions as well as learning how to function in other societies.

We ended our tour first by hearing the Guaraní children sing some songs in their native language. Luís told us that they really enjoy doing it and it shows; they all did a great job.  We had a chance to buy some of the hand made crafts and then loaded back on to the trucks, passing more smiling, waving kids on our way out.

Luckily, we skipped the hours of traveling by bus and flew back to Buenos Aires. That night Hebe’s family came over and we had empanadas for dinner, so great way to end the weekend. All in all, it was a very fun trip and maybe my last for a little while.  I’m hoping to travel to El Calafate some time before it gets too cold, but that’s still up in the air.  In the mean time I’ll be living the life in Buenos Aires and maybe posting entries about the little things I do around here. This week being Semana Santa is a big one (the biggest in Argentina) and most people go away for the long weekend.  I however, am not, but plan on putting my time to good use and getting to know the city better.  Until next time, ¡Felices Pascuas!

San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina

Two weekends ago I traveled to San Rafael, Mendoza with my program CEA.  There were about 45 of us on the trip to Mendoza, which is considered the wine country of Argentina.  There are vineyards everywhere and is located near the Andes. In fact where we stayed, Cabañas del Cerro, was located right in between the mountains and next to a river. So gorgeous. 


Friday, April 1st (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! :))

View outside our cabañas

Success!

We got to San Rafael at about 8:00AM after a 13-hour bus ride.  I was able to sleep most of the time and woke up to an amazing view of the sunrise over the mountains.  As we kept going the view changed, but was still just as beautiful.  We drove between mountains then got to our cabañas.  We had a small breakfast of medialunas, coffee, and Tang, and then had a few hours to explore before lunch.  Some of us went for a walk in the hopes of climbing a mountain.  We all kind of split up, but a group of us ended up crossing the river in our bare feet, then walking through this really dense brush to get the base of the mountain.  On our second try, we found a way up the mountain and climbed to the top. It wasn't the tallest mountain around, but it was a great view from the top and a work out getting there!  We found a better place to walk down the back of the mountain and then walked in a dried up riverbed to get back to the big river.  Apparently they had a very dry winter with little rain and snow so all of the rivers are very low at the moment.  We all crossed the river and made it back to the cabañas with lots of scrapes on our legs and hands, but feeling accomplished, definitely worth it.  

View from the mountain we climbed

Beach at the reservoir

We got back and had a lunch of noodles with a choice of both meat and red sauce or white and red sauce mixed.  They offered a great salad bar with lots of different veggies and fresh bread with every meal.  So after we ate dinner and an ice cream dessert, we all put on swimsuits and headed off for our program planned "adventure."  No one really knew exactly what we were doing, but we loaded into two small Extremo buses and started to wind our way up the mountain.  Literally winding.  We got to the top and were at a giant blue reservoir held by the dam.  It is such an amazing sight and the water is such a vivid color.  We all got loaded up with lifejackets and paddles and walked down some winding stairs to the lake.  We were split into small rafting boats and paddled across to a nice sandy beach.  Since the lake is so deep, to swim we had to wear lifejackets.  It was fine though because the water was so cold we didn't stay in long.  I went to walk around with a couple people.  There was a big blue house on the top of a dune so we walked to it and ended up climbing onto the porch.  There were some broken windows and the rooms looked really messy with old sheets and mattresses so it was obviously abandoned.  I asked a guide later and he said people stay there during the summer season.  After that though we ran back across the burning sand and laid out for a little while until Gabby, our program coordinator said it was time to go.  Back at the cabañas we went to the local supermarket to get some drinks for later and then headed to dinner.  We were served chicken and mashed potatoes and of course, fresh salad bar.  After dinner we went to another cabaña and hung out on the balcony talking with kids from the program. We ended up moving to the pavement down on the ground.  The sky view there, like in Cabo Polonio, is amazing.  Also like in Cabo, we spent the night just sitting outside looking at the stars and talking.  Such a great way to end a day. 


Saturday, April 2nd

About to go rappelling- I was a little nervous..

Rubio Winery

I woke up around 9:00AM for breakfast- medialunas, cereal, fruit and milk!! Such a nice surprise to have milk to drink with breakfast. I hadn't realized how little milk I drink here or how much I missed it.  It tasted pretty much like normal milk too, which most of the time, it doesn’t. After breakfast we had the option to go zip lining and rappelling or hanging out at the hotel.  I opted for the zip lining since I had never been before.  I was expecting like a long zip line, but was a little disappointed when it lasted maybe five seconds and was over a small area.  It was still cool to go though, and the rappelling made up for it!  I was very nervous before going down, hands shaking and everything, but I made it down safely.  It wasn't a hug mountainside, but walking backwards down it was such a rush!  We got back with enough time to jump in the pool (freezing) and sit out for a while before lunch.  After lunch we left for a couple winery tours.  Unfortunately we didn't get to do real wine tasting at the wineries, but it was still cool to see the rows and rows of grapes and then the process they go through to be made into that delicious Argentine wine.  The first winery we went to, Suter was bigger and more commercial.  They have a very deep basement with wine dating back to 1924.  Before we left we had the chance to buy some of their wine.  You could buy indivdual bottles for as little as 8 pesos (2 USD) or six bottles for about 65 pesos (17 USD!). I may have picked up a couple souvenirs for family back home. :)

Rubio Malbec grapes

Next we stopped at the Rubio family winery.  This one was smaller and family owned.  They had a bunch of animals, like pigs, chickens, geese, peacocks, and even a llama. They also had little baby pigs running around, very cute.  We had a small tour and tasted some of the grapes.  They all have seeds, but are so sweet and delicious. No wonder they make great wine!  We had time again to buy some things at the store- dried fruit, jam, wine, chocolate, and vegetables.  We left the wineries pretty tired and ready for teatime.  That was another thing we got each day.  In between lunch and dinner we had "tea time" with coffee, tea, and different kinds of pie.  After tea time that day some of us went on a walk until it started getting dark then headed back to the cabañas to hang out before dinner.  Dinner that night was pizza with ham, olives, and cheese and then ice cream for dessert.  That night was a girl in the program's 21st birthday so we had a little party with a small bonfire.  


Sunday, April 3rd

View of the reservoir

Our last day in Mendoza we got up for breakfast around 9:00 then went out to the same reservoir for a boat ride around it and more beach time.  This was an optional adventure so not every one came along.  The boat we were on, called a catamaran, had a roof you could sit on during the tour.  So of course, people in my program turned it into a dance party when the guide was done talking and turned on some music.  It was a beautiful day and just an overall fun morning.  We got back to the hotel for lunch then had a long time to just hag out since our bus returning to Buenos Aires didn't leave until 7:00PM.  We all hung out by the pool and some people got professional massages by the river.  I didn't get one, but how relaxing!? After a while everyone packed up their stuff and we had one last teatime, complete with a round of "Feliz Cumpleaños" for the two birthday girls in the group.  Then it was time to load up the bus and say goodbye to the fresh air and mountains of San Rafael, Mendoza. 

All of CEA group 2!

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay.  Since we had a four-day weekend due to a holiday on Thursday, I was able to leave Wednesday (only missed one class..) and stay until late Sunday afternoon.  And if you've never heard of Cabo Polonio, Uruguay don't worry, you’re not alone.  A little background information on the town or as it’s sometimes called “hippie colony”: it has a population of about 80 during the summer season and 40 in the off-season, there is a school, but only about 10 kids, there are no roads, and for the most part no electricity.  So now that you know about as much as I did before I left, I'll fill you in on the rest of the trip.

Wednesday, March 23rd

Drinking mate at the hostal

On Wednesday I woke up at 4:50AM since I had to meet two friends, Sam and Arthur, at their house by 6:00AM.  We left their house and took the subway then a taxi to the ferry station.  At the station we met up with the rest of our group, Qi and Sergio. Qi is from Maryland and Sergio from Mexico. Both are also studying in Buenos Aires, but at different universities than me.  On the way to Uruguay we opted to take the SeaCat, which is a smaller, faster ferry.  Unfortunately it was rainy and windy that day so we didn't have the smoothest sailing across Rio de la Plata. So needless to say that wasn't a very comfortable start to the trip, but luckily it only lasted an hour.  We were greeted with more wind and rain in Colonia, Uruguay.  However, the bus terminal is very close and we only had to walk about a half block in the drizzle. From there we had a three-hour bus ride from Colonia to Montevideo. In Montevideo we had to wait for a couple hours before our next bus.  We took the time to get some food...at McDonalds. No seriously, there weren’t very many options and the McNifica burger looked too good to pass up. So I had my first foreign McD's and it was pretty good.  The conversion from United States dollars (USD) to Uruguayan pesos threw me off though.  A combo meal (burger, small fry, coke) cost about 136 Urg pesos, but in reality that's about 7 USD.  I'm not positive, but I think that's pretty average for a McDonald's meal in the states.  Either way though, it seemed very strange to hand over 136 pesos for some fast food.  Soon enough we were able to board our bus that took us to the outskirts of Cabo Polonio.  

One of 4X4 trucks

While on the bus, we realized the rain stopped, but it had gotten a lot darker.  When we arrived in Cabo at 8:00PM it was literally pitch black.  The bus driver basically pointed us towards a small building with a light on and we went there to buy our tickets into Cabo Polonio.  At this point I should also update you all on the bathroom situation.  The buses don't have toilet paper or soap for the most part.  This situation didn't change in Cabo.  Sam and I checked about five different bathroom stalls by the ticket station in Cabo and none had toilet paper, water, soap, paper towels, nothing.  So while we decided we would just wait a little bit longer, the 4X4 truck that takes people to Cabo Polonio almost left with out us.  Luckily the three other people we traveled with had them wait. 

Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

The truck is really big with a giant stand type thing over the top that allows for people to sit up top and provides more benches in the bed.  The drive through the dunes was pitch black except for the headlights and all of a sudden we were driving on sand through ocean water.  It was amazing.  We went from having no idea where we were and lurching through sand dunes to smooth driving on the beach and still having no idea where we were.  We drove up to a small village and through some more sand to get to the town circle.  They dropped us off and pointed us in the direction of our hostel.  Luckily two of our cell phones have flashlights so we could see a little bit.  After we found our hostel, Hostal del Cabo, one of the workers showed us our room.  It had three bunk beds and at the time three of the beds were taken. So three of us stayed in one room and two were in another.  We didn't stay long to check out the place though since we were all hungry and thirsty.  We met two people from the States right away who showed us where the store was. One of them also helped us find a restaurant to eat at and then invited us to their cabin that night for a party.  Before the festivities though, we ate a small restaurant that soon became our favorite because of their milanesa pescado.  After dinner we decided to stop at the cabin.  There were quite a few people there for a town of 80, the majority speaking Spanish.  However, we were all pretty tired from traveling all day, so we left after a little while for the hostel.  I was definitely excited for a good night's sleep, however when I pulled back the covers on my bunk, I saw that my sheets and pillow were covered in sand.  This is before I had even sat on the bed, pretty disgusting.  But at that point, it was late and I was exhausted, so I ignored the sand and the flies that constantly landed on us in the room and went to bed.

Thursday, March 24th

Hostal del Cabo

Sergio and I jumping down the dunes

Apparently the sand and flies weren't enough to keep me awake, because the next day I slept until about 10:00AM.  The hostel provides a breakfast of bread, jam, coffee, and tea.  You can toast the bread if you want or use the kitchen to make other food as well.  Right away we put on our swimsuits and went out to the beach.  We were on the South Atlantic Ocean and at first it was freezing.  Eventually though, we got used to the temperature and it was amazing to swim in.  The sand on the beach and the ocean floor is so clean and smooth.  Along the beach there are little sand crabs that bury themselves in the sand.  Even though it's gorgeous, there are also dead fish, jellyfish, and seals dotting the beach.  It sounds gross, but really the beach is so big that it really isn't. We laid out and kicked a soccer ball around for a while after swimming, then went for a walk down the beach.  On the opposite side of the water there are sand dunes.  We climbed one and from the top saw a herd of wild cattle.  It's such a great view from the top; getting pelted with grains of sand is worth it. After our walk back to the hostel we decided to go get some delicious milanesa sandwiches.  Milanesa is like a breaded meat filet.  The restaurant we went to either had beef (carne) or fish (pescado).  They also offered it "completo" meaning that along with the milanesa there was egg, ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  It's a huge sandwich and it is so good.  We picked up some mate, snacks, and drinks after lunch and headed back to the hostel.  Our hostel’s front porch was literally on the beach so we sat out there talking and drinking mate for a while.  Cabo Polonio is like ocean on three sides and sand dunes on the other.  So you can watch the sunrise on one side and then see it set on another.  We decided to try to catch the sunset on the other side of the beach, but missed it. We still walked over to the other side of the town though and on the way ran into a boy who must be one of the 10 local kids there.  He was pretending to race cars so I raced him and listened to him explain that we was Batman.  I think that's what he was saying anyways.  Kid's are harder to understand since sometimes their grammar is just as bad as mine and they talk very fast, but it was still fun even though we might not have understood each other the best.  Playing cars and Batman is the same in most places I would guess. 

A view of the main town circle

On the other side of the beach when we were walking towards the water a guy stopped and introduced himself to us as David.  After talking for a little bit he invited us to his cabin for some wine with his mom and friend.  Seemed kind of strange, but as I'll explain it was actually very cool.  First though, we explored the beach a little bit.  There was a rope swing type thing on the beach and some stars were out.  After taking it all in, we walked to the cabin David had pointed out as his.  Inside there is a hammock that hangs across the living room as well as a couch and some chairs.  So we all sat around talking with David, his mom Maria Rosa, and his friend Sarah.  All of them are such interesting people with so much life experience already.  David and Maria Rosa are from the Dominican Republic originally, but he is currently living in Buenos Aires and she has spent the past four years in Israel.  Sarah is from Ireland, but also living in BsAs.  All of them have done a lot of traveling though and it was very interesting hearing their stories.  Eventually Maria Rosa went to bed and so we all went to the local bar for caipirinhas.  Caipirinhas are a Brazilian drink that is made from sugar, limes, and Cachaça.  We were basically the only people in the bar besides the owners/regulars (hard to tell the difference).  It was a great night though and much earlier than a night out in BsAs. We were back to the hostel by about 12:30AM.

Friday, March 25th

At the point

This morning Arthur, Qi, and I were the first ones up and after hanging out on the hostal porch for a little bit, we walked to the store for eggs, cheese, and shampoo/conditioner since neither Arthur nor I brought any.  I would say really not having shampoo or conditioner is a big deal there, but after going the ocean it's just nice to have.  After breakfast our new friends David and Sarah showed up, so we went for a swim in the ocean.  The water was even colder that day because it was overcast and windy, but like before after a little bit, you just get used to it.  Afterwards we started to walk towards a point at the end of the beach.  Unfortunately, our friend Arthur couldn't make it the whole way because he had just gotten a cast on his foot off the weekend before and was still healing.  So he, Qi, and Sergio went back towards the hostel.  David, Sam, Sarah, Mario (a guy from Germany staying at our hostel), and I all continued towards the rocks at the point.  There was also a stray dog that we named Pancho, walking with us.  The walk there was against the wind and took about two and half hours we think (no one had a watch so we don't know for sure).  The view at the rocks was completely amazing though.  The ocean would smash into them and spray upward.  This is really cheesy, but what it reminded me of was in the opening scene of the movie Grease, when Danny and Sandy are sitting on rocks by the ocean.  If you know what I'm talking about, picture that, but on a much larger scale and so much more impressive.  Really it was awesome.  Our faithful friend Pancho even followed us across the rocks and then on the two-hour walk back to the hostel.  However, on the way back a huge dog with a very droopy face came running up barking at us.  He had a collar and long leash on, so we knew he belonged to someone, but he really wanted to get to Pancho.  Pancho decided to run behind us though, so the big dog basically had us all circled up and scared when he owner finally came running out. 

Mario, Me, Sarah, David, Sam, and Pancho

Our Irish dinner

Even though I was determined to shower when we got back, my hunger won out and I went with everyone for some lunch. Then went back to the hostel to shower and rest a little. We all ended up taking naps, but when we woke up the weather had gotten worse.  It was colder and windier, ruining our plans of having an outdoor barbeque that night.  We still met with Sarah and David at the store though and picked out food to make an Irish stew and summer squash that Sarah knew of.  By this time we also had an addition to the group.  Sarah's friend Louisa, also from Ireland, just joined us from Buenos Aires on the start of her trip around Uruguay.  We bought beef, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, red peppers, summer squash, fresh bread, and some wine.  We took everything back to David's cabin to cook it. The kitchen is very small so the cooking process took a while.  While we waited David took out his guitar and played some songs we knew and some of his own.  He actually had a number 1 hit with his band in the Dominican Republic.  Understandably so because the songs he played that night were all very good.  At one point we were surprised by a stray dog jumping up on the window sill and then again later when some cows were wandering through the houses towards the beach.  Finally the food was done and it was delicious.  The rest of the night we spent talking and left in the rain around 1:00AM or so.  The whole day was such a cool experience.  It's so cool hearing about the experiences different people have had, whether they're from a different state or different country.  

The whole crew

Saturday, March 26th

View from the lighthouse

Our last full day in Cabo started out rainy and cold.  I woke up early, around 9:00, and couldn't go back to sleep because of the flies and my extremely sunburned legs.  I got up and sat in the hostel kitchen writing down the events of the last night until one of the workers, a man named Marco, came in with breakfast for the day.  I ended up having a conversation with him (in Spanish!) and found out he's originally from Switzerland, but had been in Cabo for five months.  I can see why someone would want to stay there after just going for a visit.  I don't know if I would be able to last five months though, it seems like a longtime of having basically nothing to do.  By the time everyone had woken up, the weather improved a lot.  The sun had come out and the wind died down.  Sam and I went out on the beach to kick a soccer ball around and a guy from Germany who was staying at the same hostel came out and joined us.  Eventually we changed into swimsuits and went to meet Sarah, David, and Maria Rosa to say goodbye since they were leaving that day.  We walked over to their cabin to find that they weren't there. We walked down towards the ocean though and saw dolphins swimming pretty close to shore.  Mario (the German guy living in Ireland) and I went in to see if we could get close to them.  We didn't get too close, but it was closer than I had ever been to a dolphin before at least.  After "swimming with the dolphins" we found the rest of the group and went to the bar for one last caipirinha before they had to leave.  One of the bartenders/regulars, named Druga, commented on my extreme sunburn on the back of my legs.  They ended up giving me a bottle of aloe vera and then taking a picture with us. After our friends left, we walked to a little restaurant for some lunch.  I ended up getting pizza with cheese, green olives, and bacon.  We decided afterwards that we should walk towards the light house and try to see some of the sea lions that are supposed to live near there.  Once we got nearer we could see some sea lions sun bathing out on the rocks.  They have the rocks roped off a ways away from them though so you're not allowed to get too close, but they were cool to see.  Then we went up in the lighthouse, for a price of 15 URG pesos (~. 75 USD).  There seemed to be about a million stairs (really only like 105, Louisa counted), but eventually we got to the top.  We walked outside around the top platform. There was so much wind; it felt like at any time you could be blown over the edge. Luckily, it didn't happen and we all were able to enjoy the view then climb back down to safety.  The view from the top is amazing. You can see literally the entire town and so far out into the dunes. 

Louisa, Sam, and I at sunset

When walked back to the hostel and after freezing showers, Sam, Louisa, and I walked to the store before heading over to the beach for the sunset.  The store offers electricity for 20 URG pesos per hour starting at 6:30 PM so you can charge your ipod, cell, phone, camera etc.  I brought my camera to charge and we picked up a bottle of wine to have while watching the sunset.  It was really windy down on the beach, but some people let us share the lifeguard hut (there are no lifeguards) with them so we could stay away from the blowing sand.  The sunset went so quick, but after the sky was such pretty colors.  While sitting in the stand we saw cattle, someone riding horse bareback, and a man with a horse and buggy cross the beach. It was another relaxing night where we just talked and enjoyed the amazing landscape.  When we decided it was time to head back and find everyone else, we climbed down the stand and noticed the stars.  Since I grew up in the country, I always thought I had a good view of the night sky.  However, my view from New Richmond can't compare to how many stars were visible that night.  We laid on the beach and just stared at the sky.  The Milky Way and stars were so bright.  It was a great way to end our time on the beach that night.

Milanesa Carne

Eventually we pulled our eyes away from the sky and stopped for some milanesa sandwiches and then went back to the hostel. While we were gone they had started a bonfire on the sand in front of the porch and everyone staying at the hostel was sitting outside around it.  We joined them and started playing games like telephone and charades, all in Spanish though.  I definitely messed up the passing of the telephone phrase, but it was really fun.  Later we went to the cabin owned by the guys we had met the first night in Cabo because they were having people over.  We got there and there was someone playing guitar, another playing the didgeridoo, and someone playing a bongo.  We stood around listening to music and talking for the rest of night.  It was another fun night of hearing different people's traveling stories.  I can't wait until I travel more and can contribute some of my own. 

Sunday, March 27th

Our last day in Cabo and it was a gorgeous day.  I started the day out on the porch with coffee and toast catching up with writing in my journal about the trip. Then we had to clean out our room and get our stuff together to be out by noon. We all went for one last milanesa pescado then got onto a packed 4X4 to take us back towards the bus stop.  It was hard to leave that beautiful place.  Like I said I don't know if I could stay for 5 months, but I definitely could've stayed for at least another couple days or weeks. Our bus from Cabo left at 3:15 for Montevideo.  It was a long bus ride, but we had some down time in the Montevideo station. We all went for McD's again, where I had my first Big Mac! Funny that it was in a different country, but I'm sure just as delicious and bad for you as in the States.  We boarded our bus to Colonia and I ended up sleeping the majority of the time.  We got to Colonia at about 12:30AM, but the ferry didn't leave until 4:30AM so to kill time we all tried to sleep on the metal benches in the lobby.  I must've been really tired because I did fall asleep for a while even though they were super uncomfortable.  Finally it was time to board the ferry.  This one was much bigger and took three hours instead of the one-hour trip on the way to Uruguay.  Some of us had first class tickets since we booked ours so late.  I'm not complaining though.  Those reclining, cushioned chairs were a very large step up from the station's metal benches.  Finally we got back to BsAs around 8:00AM.  It was a very long night of traveling, but well worth it.

I would have to say Cabo Polonio was the trip of a lifetime.  I have never been anywhere like that before and would go back at any time if I have the chance.  I hope to return at some point in my life.  Up next though is Mendoza, Argentina this weekend with my program CEA.  Mendoza is considered the wine country of Argentina and I've heard it is a very beautiful place. I leave Thursday night and get back to BsAs Monday morning. Until then!

Días Improvisos

Delicious parilla

On Sunday March 13th, the day before school started, my host mom, roommate, and I went to a type of barbeque for Emma's birthday.  Emma is my host mom's granddaughter and she just turned three.  The barbeque is really called a parilla and it is delicious.  They cooked the carne and chorizos on a giant version of a grill.  The carne was a giant piece of meat that, after grilling, they sliced up and we ate on buns or pita.  The same went for the chorizos, which are like sausages.  That was the type of food I had been waiting to have in Argentina though.  Really it was some of the best food I've had here so far.  After the eating slowed down, the food was cleared and they began to bring out glasses, champagne, and cake.  We all sang Feliz Cumpleaños (Happy Birthday) to Emma and then her mom, Anabela, cut the cake.  It was a chocolate cake with dulce de leche layered in it.  We all drank champagne with it and then after had coffee.  Needless to say I was uncomfortably full 

Hebe and Emma

when we left, but it was definitely worth it.  It was a good day to practice Spanish too. It's sort of intimidating being around a group of close family friends who all speak Spanish and only understanding some of what's being said.  However, like most of the people I've met so far, they were all patient and encouraging. It was a good thing I was able to practice speaking since classes started the next day.


So far I've had one week of school, which started, on the 14th.  I have one class, Intermediate B Spanish, on Monday and Wednesday.  Then on Tuesday and Thursday I have Latin American Literature, Latin America Cinema, and Argentine Traditions and Cultures.  The classes are all very interesting, but they're also all in Spanish. Listening and actually comprehending what the professors say while writing notes is almost impossible for me at this point.  Luckily though, a lot of what they say is just reinforced in the assigned readings.  The books we use are actually like manuals that the professors compile specifically for their classes, but they all have to be copied then bound when you order them. So even though I've had a week of class I still can't pick up one of my books until Tuesday.  The professors are pretty lenient with homework due dates through the first two weeks though, since we can change our schedules until the 24th.  Because of this the class sizes and those in them can change a lot. With the exception of my spanish class, the average classroom size seems to be about 20-25.  My spanish class however, consists of six people, four from the U.S, one from Slovakia, and one from France.  It's interesting to hear the way those from other countries speak spanish; everyone has different dialects. 

On Reconquista

On Wednesday we began the Visa process and then on Thursday celebrated St. Patrick's Day of course!  I wasn't sure if St. Pat's would be too popular here, but after reading a little online I found out that Buenos Aires hosts a St. Patrick's Day party stretching over 10 blocks.  The avenue, Reconquista, was packed with people in green.  We saw someone playing the bagpipe, many people dancing, and of course a lot of drinking.  However, it's prohibited to bring alcohol onto the street when you first enter and all of the bars had a cover charge to enter.  After you do get in to a bar or pub, the drink costs are pretty outrageous too. They did offer some deals like a 100peso (25USD) cover, but then free drinks all night or 60peso (~15USD) cover with two free drinks inside.  However, if you left the bar at all you would have to repay to get back in. With the big party being in the street and an average bottle of beer here being about 5peso (1.25USD) it just seemed a little crazy.  Something else crazy were the men there. It was definitely cool to see and experience though.  I'd recommend to anyone to at least check it out if you have the chance to be here on St. Patty's. 


This weekend on Friday the 18th, I went to something called Spanglish.  It helps those trying to learn Spanish or English by practicing with each other. I guess normally it's set up almost like speed dating, where you talk to one person for five minutes, each of you speaking in the language you're trying to learn then switching. I went on trivia night though, so we were put into groups, with at least one native Spanish speaker in each group.  On my team, there were three of us trying to learn Spanish and one woman trying to learn English.  You don't have much time to answer questions, so I did end up speaking English for a fair amount of time.  I was able to meet a lot of new people though and after trivia was over  (my team placed last..) we all went out for pizza, drinks, and dancing.  Overall I'm really glad I went, but if I do go again I'll go on a normal night.  

La Biblioteca Nacional de la Republica Argentina

Since I ended up staying out late on Friday, (until about 5:30AM which is not uncommon, even early for some) on Saturday night I stayed in.  Once I got caught up on sleep, my roommate and I took the subte to Recoleta where we spent the day.  First we stopped for lunch at a restaurant.  The dining experience is so much different here than in the States. When I worked at Buffalo Wild Wings at home there are certain time frames you're supposed to follow and things you are expected to promote and mention when serving a table.  Here though, it's SO much more laid back.  We sat for maybe 15 minutes before making sure they knew we were even there.  They did, but like any other restaurant here, just weren't rushing out.  When it comes time to order, you do it when you want and the waiters don't recommend anything unless you ask them too. Merritt and I of course ordered empanadas.  We both got a promotion for 3 empanadas and bottle of coke for 25peso (~6.USD).  Even though the restaurant closed while we were there, they don't mind if you sit and finish your food or conversation.  After lunch we walked around Recoleta and saw so many cool places. The first place we stopped was the National Library of Argentine Republic.  It's a very unique building with different architecture than any buildings around it. After wandering around there we went to see Floralis Generica, also called the metal or steal flower. That's exactly what it is and it's amazing to see.  There are people out all around the grounds of the flower, sitting in the sun, taking touristy photos (like me), or even taking an outdoor yoga class.  From there we walked a to the fería of Recoleta and saw some street performers.  There was a group of about six guys who collected money by doing flips over a rope.  They highest was probably about seven feet or so.  It was much taller than the guy who flipped over it.  We also went to the Cemetery of Recoleta. This is where Eva Perón is buried and it also has the tombs of many government and upper-class Argentines.  We arrived close to closing time, so I didn't make it to Evita's tomb because it is so big.  Next time I go there though I'll make sure to see it. 


So after two weeks, I do feel like I know my way around a little more and can communicate better, in part because I am learning so much and also from just gaining more confidence with it.  I've also started to meet new people, which is awesome because everyone is from different places and are here for different reasons. I love it. 


This next week on Wednesday I'm traveling to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay and staying until Sunday night.  I encourage you to Google it or read the blog when I get back and update it. It's going to be an experience, that's for sure!