What I'll miss...

I'm in between packing and getting last minute things to bring home, alfajores & mate mostly and I'm thinking about all of the things I'm going to miss about Buenos Aires, Argentina, and South America. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be coming home, but after spending 5 months in another country, continent, and hemisphere I've learned a lot about myself, others, and the world...

• I'm going to miss living in an apartment with four other people that I didn't previously know and who all have different views and opinions but I have now become good friends with and respect each one and their differences
• I'm going to miss being responsible for washing dishes, cleaning up the apartment, getting toilet paper, and getting groceries
• I'm going to miss walking or taking public transportation when I need to get somewhere 
• I'm going to miss walking through Plaza de Mayo after taking the subte to get to class and seeing protesters and people selling everything from pan relleno con dulce de leche to peanuts to socks 
• I'm going to miss traveling on the double decker buses for 20 hours to see some of the coolest, if not coolest, places I have ever seen
• I'm going to miss going through the multicolored mountains of Salta
• I'm going to miss the incredible waterfalls of Iguazu
• I'm going to miss ziplining through the rainforest
• I'm going to miss trying the wines of Maipu & Cuyo and going to the highest point of the Andes mountains in Mendoza
• I'm going to miss the clear waters and high mountains of Bariloche
• I'm going to miss visiting a friend in Chile and exploring Valparaiso and Viña del Mar
• I'm going to miss drinking raspberry beer at Oktoberfest and camping in Villa General Belgrano
• I'm going to miss Uruguay and golfkarting up the coast of Colonia
• I'm going to miss biking to El Tigre and seeing something so different but only right up the coast of the river from BA
• I'm going to miss the delicious fruit and avocados 
• I'm going to miss the food: steak you can cut with a butter knife, parrilla libre, empanadas, milanesas, lomitos, ice cream, all of the sushi, Thai and Armenian restaurants in BA
• I'm going to miss going to bars and boliches until 6 a.m. and then sleeping all day and doing it again the next night
• I'm going to miss the porteños and their genuine interest in you and where you come from and what you're all about
• I'm going to miss the hot weather
• I'm going to miss running through the parks and gardens and smelling the roses 
• I'm going to miss apartment dinners with the girls and previas in the apartment with friends
• I'm going to miss the people I've met and the friends I've made
• I'm going to miss my neighborhood, Palermo and it's great restaurants, boutiques, parks, and bars
• I'm going to miss the Argentine peso, and not being able to divide every price I see by 4
• I'm going to miss the reggaeton and dancing all night
• I'm going to miss relaxing at the estancia and riding horses
• I'm going to miss going to the ferias on the weekends and just hanging out listening to the concerts in the plazas
• I'm going to miss riding the subte (wait) and seeing what people are selling to us or what musical talents they have for the riders
• I'm going to miss cheering on the Boca Juniors at La Bombanera
• I'm going to miss walking around the Recoleta Cemetery 
• I'm going to miss walking down to La Boca and having a café on El Caminito
• I'm going to miss the cobblestone streets of San Telmo
• I'm going to miss the newness and docks of Puerto Madera
• I'm going to miss UCA and the Bahia Bar...especially those ham and cheese sandwiches on a medialuna
• I'm going to miss not having homework and having a different method and approach to learning
• I'm going to miss sipping on mate and watching others and their friends drink their mate at school, in parks, on the streets. 
• I'm going to miss the homeless guy who lives on the corner and is always dancing or doing something crazy in the street
• I'm going to miss people asking me for directions on the street because they actually think I'm from here
• I'm going to miss speaking Spanish and kissing people on the cheek when I first meet them
• I'm going to miss city life and there never being a dull moment in BA

I'm going to miss so many more things, that I probably just haven't realized yet but I'll figure that out in the next couple weeks, I'm sure. I'm excited to go home, too. I've had an absolutely incredible five months and it's time to go back to my life in the States. So this is it, the end of my blog and the end of study abroad. Time for one more good-bye lunch with the chicas. Un besito grande para todos, chau chau <3>

Is this really it?

Well, on a 70 degree morning, I'm sitting in my apartment with our "air conditioning" on, and by a.c. I mean it blows the air around in the room. Now, I'm not complaining because if anyone knows me just a little you know how much I love the warm weather. It has been in the 70s and 80s and even got up to 90 yesterday! Obviously the porteños are not happy with the stifling heat, but besides the fact that I don't have to sleep with covers on at night, I don't mind getting sun during the day and lounging around with an ice cold drink in my hand. So, it's been some time now since I've blogged and a lot has happened during the month of November! 

I was busy writing a paper for my arte class about 3 artists during the 20th century from Argentina, Lola Mora, Emilia Bertolé and Raquel Forner. I really enjoyed writing it because it was about women who have influenced Buenos Aires and I have seen some of their artwork and sculptures around the city. The most interesting part of all of this was having to go to the Bellas Artes Museo Library to find information on these women. UCA has a library, but most of their books don't have to do with argentine art...go figure! I wasn't allowed to take the books of the museum, but I sat in the small library and did some research. That weekend, the roommates and I went out to dinner on Friday to a place nearby called Trapiche. This parrilla was very family oriented and their were tons of locals in this large open room where they were serving beef and Italian food to happy families and kept the wine coming. The next day I got up early to meet downtown in Plaza San Martin for a bike tour along the coast of the Río de la Plata up to El Tigre. I met up with the tour guide, a porteño about my age, and 6 other tourists from all around the world ready for a 15 mile bike ride along the river! We first rode our bikes down to the Retiro train station and got on with our bikes to get outside of the city limits. Along the train ride, we passed through Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano, and the President's house. A very large, white house on a hill with guards and walls around it. We got off the train at a small town, and continued biking through many other small towns along the river. We made various stops along the way. One stop was to catch a glimpse of Buenos Aires in the most panoramic view of the city I have seen. It is such a flat city and there is no large building that you can see a full view of it. The only real way to know how big the city actually is is to fly over it. Our next stop was a small ecological reserve along the river that had many birds and turtles in the grasses and swamps. It was nice to see that this is what the entire riverfront used to look like. Also, that they still preserved some of it and also have the huge ecological reserve in Puerto Madero along the Costanera Sur. 

Buenos Aires and the Río de la Plata

We kept on biking until we got to San Isidro, an adorable town along the river that has a large main plaza and a beautiful church on top of a hill. My friend, Leti lives in this town and I can see why she loves it so much! We stopped here for a while to have some mate but instead of with hot water we had it with ice water and orange juice. It was delicious and perfect for the hot day! After sharing the mate, we headed all the way to Tigre! We finally got to the destination town for many porteños on the summer weekends who want to escape the heat and have an asado or go boating with friends. Tigre belongs to the mainland but also is made up of islands that have no connection to the mainland other than by boats. These islands are inhabited by many people who have their homes built on stilts. The reason being that about two times a year, the way the winds change brings heavy flooding and the houses need to be rebuilt every year. So, benefits of living in Tigre is you get to be on the river, have your own island, and own a boat BUT you have to rebuild your house every year. After having a late lunch we got back on the train and took it all the way back to Retiro. It was such a great day and a really amazing way to see the coast! That night, my friends went to the 15 hour techno fest that started in England called Creamfields. Now, I'm not a huge techno fan by any means and although I have been able to go out later than when I first got to Argentina, 15 hours was too much even for me! Luckily, Perry felt the same way so she and I went down to San Telmo to go to Bar Seddon and then Brasserie Petanque. The bar was adorable, very quaint with old furniture and a candelabra that had the wax from candle's that had been burning for over a year. We then walked down the street to the French restaurant that my cousin Lauren and her husband Jim had raved about so much! Lauren has told me she dreams about this place and now I know why! The food was absolutely delicious. Perry and I split a bottle of wine, I had onion soup to start, then I got a pork dish while Perry had the duck and for a dessert we shared the cheese and fruit plate. It was all so delicious and we had such a great time at dinner! 

Tigre Boat Club

The following week was our last week of classes! I had to turn in my paper and my photo project and take a final exam. Wednesday, I decided it was a good idea to get a haircut. There are tons of salons near our apartment. Helen and I went in and she got a simple cut but because my hair is shorter and extremely thick, I was interested to see what she would do with it! I have never had anyone spend so much time cutting my hair, making sure every piece was perfect! Only costing 4o pesos (10 bucks) I was more than pleased with my new porteño style cut. However, on Thursday, to celebrate Perry and I decided to get pedicures down the street. Okay, when you see that your pedicure is going to be 30 pesos (8 bucks) you probably should turn right around and walk out. But hey, we just thought it was a great deal and went ahead with it anyway. The woman had her smock opened so that you could see basically everything down her shirt. Then she took my feet and used some electric tool to cut the cuticles, well unfortunately she cut my cuticle and it started bleeding. So what does she do? She puts nail polish removal on my cut so that makes it feel really great...NOT! She only put one coat of nail polish on one foot and no top coat on either. Let's just say, it wasn't relaxing but probably the most stressed out I've been since I've been in South America! Who knew? Luckily, later that night made up for it. Jen, Perry, and I went down to Las Cañitas, an area in Palermo where there are tons of bars and restaurants. We found one Mexican restaurant and we each had some margaritas before returning to the apartment. It was just nice to enjoy the weather, the drinks, and each other's company. Also, getting 3 drinks and spending less that 20 bucks is something I will miss considering I'll be 21 and hitting up some bars when I get home but probably spending close to 20 bucks for a drink. 

On Saturday, I went to a polo match with some of my friends from UCA. It was the beginning of the National tournament and there were two matches, one at 2 and one at 4. It was blazing hot but really interesting to see a sport that the Argentines love but I knew nothing about! For 30 pesos we got in and were given free bags, polo balls, and information about the sport. There were porteños dressed in sundresses and the men in polos and brightly colored pants...and NO I wasn't at Richmond's pig roast. People were sipping on champagne while you heard the galloping of horses and their riders playing this magnificent game. After the first match was over, all of the fans headed over to the larger stadium in the park and watched the second match. I wish I could say I was more of a polo expert now, but unfortunately, I didn't understand too much of the game but it was a great thing to see!

Chicas at the polo match!

Later that night, Steph and I took a nap then got ready to go out to dinner with some friends at a parrilla in Las Cañitas. We shared a grilled provolone, veggie parrilla, and bife de lomo with some friends. It was delicious! The grilled veggies were a neat change from the usual meat parrilla. After dinner, our friends came to our apartment where we hung out before heading out to Pachá. This was one of the first boliches to put Buenos Aires on the clubbing scene. It is right on the river and with the full moon and rooftop terrace/dance floor it was absolutely beautiful. Watching the moon reflect on the water and dancing with my friends, I just couldn't be happier spending the night that way in BA. 

The next day, Steph and I woke up and headed down to San Telmo to the fair. We picked up some gifts for family and friends (and maybe something for ourselves, too) and spent about 4 hours walking along the main calle, Defensa. Later that night, we met our friend Daniela at the movie theatre to see Harry Potter. It was great and I figure now is a good time to finish reading the last 3 books! The next day I slept in and worked on my last paper. It was about Argentina and Chile and urbanization in Buenos Aires and Santiago and how they differ based on the politics over the past two centuries. That night I went to a concert on avenida 9 de julio right in front of the obelisco. They had hundreds and hundreds of chairs set up right in the middle of the 16 lane street. The concert was a free ballet and they performed Carmina Burana and it was just so cool to see this huge city street blocked off for a ballet and how many people took time off their busy holiday, National Day of Sovereignty, to watch this show. After the show, our friend Dylan came over and we just hung out and played cards. It was a relaxing night. 

Ballet at the Obelisco

The following day, Helen, Steph, and I went to breakfast at a little French café in Palermo Hollywood called Oui Oui. I had a delicious tea, homemade granola, yogurt and fresh fruit. It was absolutely delicious and a great start to our day! We then went back to Plaza Italia to meet Dylan and the four of us bought bus tickets and headed to the Temaikén Zoo. The zoo is about an hour outside the city and supposed to be the best zoo in the area....and that's the truth! I've been to several zoos in my day and other than the San Diego zoo this is probably second best! There was a lots of space for the animals, it wasn't too crowded, there was a Tuesday discount, and the animals were really happy and playful! They had animals from Patagonia, bats, cheetahs, meerkats, zebras, and many other animals. However, my favorite was the tigers! There was a white one and two orange tigers and the three were playing in the water together! It was so cute, the white one was really playful and kept jumping around and going under the water. Another really cool part of the zoo was where the exotic birds were. You walked into these rooms where there were birds just freely flying around. I got up close and personal with a toucan and the parrots were going crazy! They would fly from one end of the room to another and get so close that we had to duck down! We headed back into the city after a full day at the zoo and got a good night sleep to get ready for our full day of cooking the next day to prepare for Thanksgiving in BA!

Tigers playing together at Temaikén Zoo

The next morning, Jen and Helen had come back from their long weekend trip in Chile. We all split up the groceries and we headed to the meat store, veggie store, grocery store, and I had to go look for aluminum disposable cooking dishes. Now, you think they would have these everywhere. Well, you'd be wrong. After searching at the Jumbo, the large Wal-mart style store and not finding any I finally went back to the store nearby where I bought my devils horns for my Halloween costume and they had them. Extremely random, but hey I picked up a bunch and went back to the apartment to make my pies (apple and pumpkin!) Our kitchen is on the smaller side so we prepped all the food Wednesday so we would just have to heat it up on Thursday. I made the crust for my pies by hand which was the first time. Let's just say I had to get inventive. After finding an easy recipe online I made the dough but then had to flatten it between wax paper and use a rolling pin. Well, with no wax paper or rolling pin I soon figured out I could use a large trash bag that I had cut up to put the dough between and then use a wine bottle for a rolling pin...perfect! After getting a little worried how they would turn out, the pies seemed to look alright! I quickly showered and got ready to head over to my friend Toby's apartment for a good-bye with friends. Being German, he made his favorite hot wine, spice drink known as Glühwein. It was really delicious but I just couldn't drink it considering it was 80 degrees out at night. I invited him to our apartment for Thanksgiving the next day and he was so excited considering it would be his first Thanksgiving! The next day, I woke up and went for a nice run through the gardens. Afterwards, I got back and took an ice cold shower. It was noon and the heat was already stifling. I set up the living room and rearranged the chairs and tables. Unfortunately, our dinner table isn't big enough for eight people so we had to serve buffet style. We had lots of champagne and wine and the food was absolutely delicious! We went around and everyone said what they were thankful for and it just was really great that even though I was away from my real family, my abroad family was there and we all agreed how thankful we were for one another and the time we had in Argentina. After we ate, we were all so stuffed that we just lounged around the apartment and hung out, laughing, listening to music, and drinking champagne and red wine. And guess what? The pies were a success! 

Thanksgiving- BA style!

The following day, we went to Toby's pool and relaxed in the sunshine and cooled down in the water. It was a relaxing afternoon before we went out to dinner to Sarkis, a Greek restaurant, in Palermo Viejo with Helen's parents. It was our last night with the five of us apartmentmates all together in BA. Dinner was absolutely delicious, from the falafel to the hummus to the kebabs. After dinner, the 5 of us went to Bar 6, a nearby bar and just reminisced about the semester and enjoyed interesting cocktails. 

Tonight is my last night out in Buenos Aires...crazy! Then my last few days are going to consist of packing, packing, and just enjoying Buenos Aires and my favorite places here one last time. Ah, I really can't believe that this is all coming to an end. My study abroad experience has been everything and more than I expected. I wouldn't change a thing and I have no regrets. I'll be on my way home in 4 days. Besos to you all and be seeing you soon!

Vida en BsAs

Casa Rosada after Nestor Kirchner's wake

So, it's now my final month here in Argentina. My original plan was to go back home December 11, but after my last trip to El Calafate fell through, it made sense for me to come back December 1 because no matter what nothing can change my 5 months here and the incredible experiences I've had and people I've met. The last Thursday of October was my final Spanish class at Expanish. For our last class we went to the famous Cafe Tortoni. This grandeur cafe has beautiful stained glass ceilings with a French style and was known to have intellectuals such as Jorge Luis Borges sit around and enjoy a coffee with friends. We enjoyed a tour through the different parlors and the tango cafe and then we said goodbye to our teacher and friend, Gabby. A couple days later was Halloween and let's just say it is not at all what it is like in the States. Helen and I went to the park that day and rented some rollerblades. Portenos love rollerblading so we figured we'd join! It was tons of fun after I got used to it again after so many years of not rollerblading. Okay, back to Halloween, so we all were thinking what we could be with the clothes that we already owned. We went to a small store that appeared out of nowhere in our house that sold party decorations, wigs, masks, and devil horns! Perfect! I had a red and black dress so I was set. I made pigs in a blanket (Halloweiners) and we made some 'spooky' punch and our friends came over before we headed out for the night. Somehow we all managed to have a red and black theme going, vampire, devil, ladybug...you get the idea. We first went to the club that UCA's international student program planned for us, but even though they said it starts at 11 they really meant 1. How could we have forgotten?! So a German, Argentine and some U.S. kid's danced it up all alone on the dance floor for a while. After getting bored of that we hopped in a cab and headed across town to another Halloween party. There were lots of Argentines dressed up. Translation? Guys dressed as girls with fake boobs and makeup included. It was an interesting night to say the least, making creepy guys appear even creepier! Now, the next day my roommate and I had signed up for a women's 5k run. However, being that it started at 8:30 a.m. we did not make it but still managed to get our tshirts (which are AWESOME) and a free smoothie at McDonald's! 

Being intellectual at Cafe Tortoni

The past weekend, Purdy came over from Santiago for a visit! But of course, nothing ever is easy here in South America because the smaller airport that is located within the city is closed for a month, so Purdy was flying in to the bigger international airport. She was supposed to come early Friday morning and I woke up so that I could go meet her at the airport. Well, I checked her flight before I went and guess what it says? Cancelado. Not what I wanted to see and I checked the rest of the flights and none were until later that day. I was sitting at my computer diligently checking my email to see if I got any news from her because our phones weren't going through to one another. Luckily, she had found a cafe in the airport with a computer because she was in Buenos Aires! Her flight wasn't canceled, but just pushed an hour ahead. She got a cab and I met her outside my apartment building. It was so great to see her once again but this time, in my city! My abroad package from my frisbee team arrived as she did so we had fun opening it and then we had the full day ahead of us to explore the city! I brought her to La Boca by bus, so she could see some of the city and see, what I believe to be, the most touristy part of the city. We enjoyed a coffee and then got dropped off in Plaza de Mayo so I could show her the main plaza of the city. Afterwards, we took the subte back to my apartment and then walked down to the rose gardens. The sun was shining beautifully and it seriously was just so peaceful to sit by the lake and smell the fragrance of flowers in the air with one of my best friends. 

Purdy and I in the rose gardens!

Later that night, we went to the grocery store and got the ingredients for tacos! We skyped with some friends in New Zealand and Ireland while we prepared the tacos for our roommates. We inhaled dinner and then got dressed and ready to go out that night! My other friends were away that weekend so it was just my roommates and us. We applied some of the fake tattoos that were included in my frisbee package and headed out to one club we were on a list for down further in Palermo. Unfortunately, we could not find the street or the club so ended up walking to Niceto, a place we had been wanting to go for a while. It was tons of fun and we stayed out so late just dancing and having fun! The next day we slept until about 2 and finally headed out with a mission: to shop. We went to Recoleta and walked around the cemetery. Afterwards, we walked through the entire fair and Purdy picked up some mate bowls and a leather belt for herself. I got some gifts, too which I figured I should start getting serious about...which I did! After walking around the fair and enjoying some fresh fruit and oranje juice from the vendors we headed down to Plaza de Mayo to catch the start of the Gay Pride Parade! All day they had performers, an artisan market and just people dressed up in crazy costumes in the plaza. We caught the beginning of the parade down Avenida de Mayo which was absolutely hysterical. There were people, and I say people because I wasn't sure if they were a guy or a girl dressed in over the top costumes and others not dressed at all. There were large trucks that had no sides and just music blaring, lights flashing, and people dancing on them as they paraded down the street. Even the communist party showed their support for the Argentine gays with a large banner. One thing I don't love, is that people had graffitied the word GAY all over the Plaza, but luckily by Monday, almost all of it was gone, per usual. That night, we went out to a Vietnamese restaurant, Green Bamboo. We sat on the floor at a low table and enjoyed the thai/vietnamese fusion food. It was one of my favorite restaurants I've been to in BA! 

The following day, we had our last excursion planned by Expanish. It was a day at an estancia about two hours outside the city. An estancia is a ranch where they show you what gaucho life is like and people can just enjoy a day in the country and outside the city. We arrived and they had wine and empanadas for us, not a bad way to start off the day! It was a hot and sunny day, but the wind was nice except for the fact that it blew up all the dirt and dust onto us. I thought I got tan until I showered and realized it was just the dirt...bummer. Purdy and I rode horses around the estancia and toured the "museum" a.k.a. the house decorated from around 1900. Lunch was at 1:30 and included a huge asado that they had been preparing all day. We had wine, beer, water, bread, chori, steak, ribs, chicken, and an apple turnover for dessert. After we stuffed ourselves with meat, they had a tango show and gaucho show on the stage. It was really neat to see the gaucho show because I hadn't yet but you hear so much in Argentina about the importance of the gaucho. My big question is, how do little Argentine boys get involved in the gaucho life? It is something they want to be when they grow up or is it something you are born into? The world may never know. After the show, we headed outside to watch the horse show. The four gauchos, who also cooked, served, and cleaned up the lunch were on their horses and they did some tricks for us. One gaucho would set up a small metal ring on a pin and the others would come galloping with something that looked like a pen and they would have to get the hoop on the pen. It was interesting to say the least. After a bus ride back which resulted in a nap, we got back to the apartment and showered the dust off of us. Then Purdy and I went a few blocks down to Plaza Serrano to shop and see the artisan fair set up there. For dinner that night, we had ice cream :)

Estancia Santa Susana 

Monday was our last day together and it was pouring rain. This day was devoted to shopping! We headed down Calle Malabia and into Palermo Viejo to go to my favorite store and then to the other great leather shoe and handbag stores so Purdy could get gifts for her family for Christmas! She was quite successful and as was I! She also got some nice shoes for herself and we had lunch at Bblue. My favorite sandwich and smoothie place in BA. It is a cute cafe that always has fresh ingredients and delicious food! After shopping 'til we dropped, we headed back to the apartment and had some mate! I finally had some myself and not just sip of friends. Of course now, I am obsessed. I plan on bringing some bags of it back and hopefully the airport security won't think it's weed...which it really looks like. I called Purdy a cab and said goodbye to her with the excitement that I'd see her in a month in the States! Unfortunately, her flight was delayed several hours and she didn't get back to Santiago until 4 a.m....but hey, that's South America for ya. This week has been lots of research for my two papers, finishing my photo project for a class, and taking a final and I found out I passed a class! Next week is my last week of classes! Besos to all :)

Here is the link to my photography project! We had to pick a theme and have about 30 photos and music to go with the theme. My theme is life's journey/travel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4PQ65yQcO4

Padres in the Argentine

So, it is currently Halloween night and since it is not actually a holiday here I am just watching some television and getting ready for bed after a fun weekend. But first, I want to tell about my adventures with my parents visit in Argentina! I met them at their hotel, only several blocks from where I live, when they arrived on a Wednesday morning. That day, we went to Recoleta and walked around the cemetery where Evita Peron and many other famous and non-famous Argentines are buried. We went to the Bellas Artes museum, saw the Flor, had a sampler of beer from Buller Pub, and just enjoyed the first day of seeing each other after nearly 4 months! The next day it was raining a little bit but we headed onto the subte and downtown to see the court buildings, Teatro Colon, Ave 9 de Julio, Catedral, Plaza de Mayo, and San Telmo. We also went up to the Plaza del Congreso which was my first time there, too. We saw a huge protest which was good because I wanted my parents to get a taste of what I see in my everyday life here in Buenos Aires. That night we went back to their hotel, enjoyed a glass of wine, and then went around the corner for a light dinner. I had never been to this little restaurant before and as we walked in I would never expect what would've happened next! So, we sit down, look over the menu and I order a salad to share and some provoleta, the cheese that Argentines love so much. I also asked for a bottle of Torrontes but she said that they were really small, so I said alright then we'll have sparkling wine instead. Well, she brings us the bread and a small dish with meat and carrots as a spread for the bread. The meat was dark and tasted good, but none of us knew what it was. The woman later comes over with our sparkling wine and a shot glass filled with something. I ask her what the meat is she replies "nandu." What is that? She asks the chef how to say it in English and he proclaims "ostrich." Ostrich, we all say in unison. Bizarre. Then, I smell the shot, because we didn't order shots, although for those of you who know Mama and Papa Fleisch they can get pretty crazy. My mom tries it and says that its grappa. You know, that Greek alchohol they serve in My Big, Fat Greek Wedding and the parents get drunk off of it? Well, the smell was so powerful we could not even touch it. Apparently me saying torrontes sounded like grappa....I guess. After dinner, we went back to the hotel, I spent the night since we had to be up early to go to Mendoza!

Parents in the Japanese Gardens

We woke up the next morning and got our cab to the airport for our first trip to Mendoza! We got to the airport about two hours before our departure (unnecessary) and after checking in to get our boarding passes, looked at the board to find out which gate we'd depart from because we had no gate yet. Well, we waited and waited and waited and still, no gate. Finally, someone told me it'd be between gates 9 and 10. Ok, great. So we head upstairs and through security just to find out our flight is slightly delayed and at a different gate. Oh, Argentina, there are reasons why you will never rule the world. We finally were on our way and landed into Mendoza! It was supposed to be an extremely warm weekend, but the first day we were there felt like wintertime again! Luckily, it warmed up the next day for our wine tour :) We checked into our B&B, Plaza Italia, settled into our room (with 4 beds) and headed to a cafe for lunch. The rest of the day we walked around the city, then had a nice nap, and headed out to dinner for a true Argentine parrilla. My parents were a little grossed out by the blood sausage and intestines that they served us, but it was a good thing for them to see that Argentines utilize all of the cow in their parrillas. The next day, we had a delicious breakfast and then went on our wine tour. It was the three of us, a couple from Australia, and a couple from Rio de Janeiro. The tour was guided by Javier, the B&B owner's son. He was extremely knowledgeable on Mendocino wines and took us to four of his favorite wineries. The first one we went to was incredible. It was family owned, on a small piece of land, and they only produce wine and olive oil for their family and to sell to people who come for tours of the winery. We got a full tour including walks through the gorgeous vineyard, which included a manmade hill that they created to help grow the grapes for the different types of wines produced. After the two hour tour, we sat down to try olive oil, which had the most delicious, spicy flavor, a sparkling rose wine, a white wine, and two reds. They were absolutely delicious and we sat for nearly an hour just talking with the others and sharing travel stories and life stories. The second winery was Tapiz, a mid-size vineyard that produces wines that get shipped to the States as well as other places throughout the world. This winery was interesting because we learned about their labor force that harvests the grapes, mostly migrant workers from souther Bolivia and northern regions of Argentina and Chile. We tried wines straight from the vats so they were still cloudy, but very flavorful! The third winery was a 5-course meal with wines included with each course. It was absolutely fantastic, the food was all local and was matched up beautifully with the wines. Now, we had been to three wineries, about 4-5 glasses at each...well, you do the math. So, the fourth and final winery we were all feeling good. This was Bodega Benegas, a small winery that produces a family line by the old owner of Trapiche. He has six children and a different wine for each of them. There was a lot of history with this winery, the building was made of adobe and extremely old. There was a large living room with a huge open fireplace where they have weekly family asados. After this tour, we headed back to the B&B, fell asleep, woke up at 9 p.m. for a little bit to brush our teeth and put on pj's before going to sleep again for the night. All in all, a very successful wine tour!

Domaine St. Diego Bodega

The following day, we headed to General San Martin park. This is on the outskirts of the city and is an extremely large park that would take more than a day to explore. On our way, Mom got pooped on by a pigeon...a lot. We headed back to the B&B so she could change and my Dad put on shorts which he proclaimed "Mom getting pooped on was the greatest part of the day," since it turned out to be extremely hot. Afterwards, we headed straight into the park and were looking for a Cerro (mountain) that was next to the zoo. We kept walking and walking until we finally passed some busy roads and go to the base of the cerro. From here we walked up to the top, mind you there were no railings, until we finally reached the top where there was a giant statue of General San Martin, one of the founding fathers of Argentina. That night, we had a great Italian dinner at a restaurant that was right next to the hostel I stayed at when I was in Mendoza in July. The next day we just relaxed, had a great breakfast with at the B&B with the Brasilian couple who told us all about Rio and how proud they were to be from there. We exchanged information, and they said anytime I want to come to Rio, I should call them and I can stay with them! Someday I just might have to take them up on that :) The rest of the day we walked around the city, sat in the main plaza and waited for our plane that night.

The next day was Tuesday and we had three more days in Buenos Aires before our next trip to Bariloche! I had class in the afternoon, so we spent the day in Puerto Madero where my school is. I showed my parents UCA and we walked across the bridge into the newest part of the city. Only built up 20 years ago, Puerto Madero has some high rise apartment buildings, fancy hotels, and restaurants. Also, the Reserva Ecologica is located between the port and the river. This reserve is home to many different species of birds. It goes on for meters and meters with tons of wetlands and different paths along the reserve. We spent a couple hours walking before I had to head to my class and I got them a cab back to their hotel. The next day I was supposed to have an exam in my 9 a.m. class, but I get there and my professor tells us his computer "broke" and he was unable to print off the exams. Yeah, right. So as soon as we had our mid-class coffee break, I was outta there. I met up with my parents and we took a colectivo down to La Boca. They loved the brightly colored buildings, and it was the first time they really saw a bunch of tourists in Buenos Aires. We had a coffee on El Caminito and then headed back up to Palermo where we took the subte to Belgrano, so we could explore Barrio Chino. Chinatown in Buenos Aires is only about three blocks long. Unfortunately, it was between lunch and dinner so only one place was open. That night, we got picked up to go to the trendy Faena Hotel in Puerto Madero to see the Rojo Tango show. We got dropped off and walked down a long hallway passing several restaurants and bars within the hotel until we got to our room for the show. The lighting was dimmed and there were red accents in the tables and along the stage and bar. They served us champagne to our hearts content and then the show finally started. The dancing, music, and singing was the absolute best. The performers were absolutely perfect, some of them had the scars to prove it, too. The next day, we walked around Palermo and I showed them the Botanical Gardens, Japanese Gardens, and Parque Tres de Febrero. The rose gardens are now in full bloom and they were absolutely gorgeous, especially the fragrant smell. We also stopped by the Evita museum. It is in one of the old women's shelters that the Peron's set up and it is a wonderfully set up museum. It has a lot of artifacts and information about Peronism and Evita as a person. We also found a delicious bakery so our lunch consisted of cookies :) That night, we went out to dinner to a restaurant, Cabernet, in Palermo Soho with my apartmentmates. We had a lot of fun and it was a nice "last" dinner in Buenos Aires. The next day, we headed out to Bariloche!

We landed in Bariloche on Friday night and picked up our rental car from the airport. Now, we've picked up lots of rental cars in our day but this guy wanted us to know that if we rolled the car over, we would be fined. Thus, started our mantra for the weekend "Don't roll me, bro." We started our drive through the main town of Bariloche and along the Nahuel Huapi river until we got to our wonderful home away from home for the weekend, Los Juncos. We were happily greeted by Flavia and her brother, Gabi who made us a delicious dinner in the beautiful rustic and homey living room/dining room. Our room was perfect for the three of us, one section had my bed and then the bathroom and sink separated my parents bedroom. We had a view over the lake and right in front was a monkey tree, a tree that lives in this region of Patagonia and branches are curved up towards the sun. The next day, we had a delicious breakfast and then headed out to do a small driving circuit around Bariloche. We started off in a little town called Colonia Suiza which was at the base of a mountain and had a small church and one main street where there were a couple cafes and a small street fair. After buying some chocolate, what Bariloche is known for, we headed back into our car and around the circuit to see some incredible views of the snowcapped mountains and crystal clear blue lakes. We drove up to the Llao Llao Resort which is on its own little hilltop looking over the lakes and up into the mountains. We walked around the resort and then headed back on our drive. We saw a cute little chapel on a hill and then headed into town. We got some homemade pasta at a restaurant in town and then headed out for a long drive up to La Angostura. A small town about an hour and a half away from Bariloche. The drive was so incredible, seeing the mountains reflect in the crystal clear lakes was gorgeous. We got to La Angostura, walked around and had a cup of coffee.

Bariloche in the background! 

We headed back to Bariloche for a dinner at a restaurant, Butterfly, that Amy had reserved for us that night. The restaurant is owned by three friends who met in Buenos Aires, a German, Irishman, and porteña. The dinner is a seven-course menu that is paired with wine and a complete surprise to the diner! It was all absolutely delicious and unique! Unfortunately, the next day my Mom and I were stuck in bed with a stomach bug. From the food? Probably not, but either way we just spent the day in the room relaxing and sipping homemade herb tea from Flavia´s garden. The next day we were ready to venture out for a 6 hour boat tour of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Before heading to Puerto Pañuelo, we went to the grocery store to buy water and gatorade. Outside the store was a stray dog, clearly looking for food, so we bought a pack of bologna to feed it before we got back in the car. Unfortunately, there are a good deal of stray dogs, especially in the smaller places outside of Buenos Aires. We started our boat tour with a very smooth ride on the catamaran to Isla Victoria. While we were en route, I noticed tons of seagulls crowding around our boat. Then, I realized the crew handing out crackers to give to passengers to feed the birds! I was too afraid, but my Mom stepped right up to feed them! We arrived on Isla Victoria and went on some hikes up to the top of the island where we got new and gorgeous views of the lake and mountains. Our second stop was the Bosque de Arrayanes, which is the only forest of its kind in the world. These large myrtle trees crowd this peninsula in the province of Neuquen. The trees are cold to the touch and resemble the fur of a deer. That night, we had a relaxing last dinner in our B&B with Flavia as the cook. She even made my favorite, tiramisu but with an Argentine twist...dulce de leche!

After breakfast we packed up the car and headed out to Cerro Campanario. This is the highest point in Bariloche and we took a ski lift up to the top. From the top, you could see all the way to Chile! Afterwards, we took a drive to a small lake, Lago Guttierez and went `off-roading´ and ended up on a paved road that was blocked because protesters were lighting things on fire in the street. So, we politely turned around and went back the way we came. We walked around town and went into an artisan fair and then went for one final drive on Ruta 40, the longest and loneliest road in Argentina. We were quickly out of the snow covered mountains and saw more browns and reds, similar to a desert. It was then time to bring the car back to the airport and wait to get back to Buenos Aires.

I spent that night at my parent´s hotel since it was their last full day in Argentina...and what a day it was! It was national census day which occurs about every ten years. They shut down the entire country so that trained census takers and go around door to door, apartment to apartment asking citizens to fill out the census questionnaire. Therefore, our full day of shopping or going out for lunch was cut short. Then, at breakfast that morning, the cook told me that there was rumors on the internet that Nestor Kirchner, the current president´s husband and also the most recent president of Argentina, had died of a heart attack. Several minutes later the rumors were confirmed. Now, when someone in the states dies, it is tragic and everyone mourns, but no one worries about the state of the country. There were talks of a military coup to take out Cristina, the current president. Many people say that Cristina is just a puppet and Nestor is the actual president with the ideas and governmental experience. Either way, after three days of national mourning, a funeral in Plaza de Mayo, and tons of graffiti already covered up, the country is running as ´smoothly´as usual.

My parents walked me back to my apartment and we said goodbye after an amazing two weeks together in Argentina! Unlike the last time I said goodbye, instead of four months it will only be 7 weeks until I am back in the States with them. I cannot believe it. My time here is truly coming to an end although I still have another 6 weeks to enjoy Argentina, especially the sunshine and warm weather and not the papers or finals. Purdy is visiting this weekend and then I have a trip to El Calafate in the works for early December! More adventures to come :)

Oktoberfest in Argentina?

I am currently in Mendoza, Argentina at the B&B (lovely change after hostels) waiting for our 10 p.m. flight after a nice relaxing weekend of sunshine and wine with my parents who arrived earlier this week! I will post later in October about their visit in Argentina and our adventures together! But, I am behind on blogging so I need to catch everyone (or whoever reads this anymore) on Oktoberfest. What´s that you say? No, I did not buy a last minute plane ticket to Germany, but instead planned a long weekend (it was Columbus day in Argentina, too) at Argentina´s Fiesta Nacional de la Cerveza a.k.a. Oktoberfest. The festival takes place in a small town about two hours outside Córdoba called Villa General Belgrano. There is a large German population in Argentina and mostly settled in the Córdoba province of the country. After doing loads of planning back in August to find the perfect place to stay and buying bus tickets we finally were ready for our trip on a Thursday evening for our shortest bus ride yet, just 11 hours! My friends and I actually wanted a longer ride because we had to get up at 8 a.m. to get off at Córdoba.

Once we got to the bus terminal, we had to figure out what bus would take us from there to Villa General Belgrano. After paying 20 pesos we got on a bus that took us into the town. I don´t know if any of you have been to Epcot in Disney World, but imagine German Epcot and you have Villa General Belgrano. The main street had small little stores filled with beer steins that donned German crests. We were your average tourist and all bought one, including the strap to wear around us so we wouldn't lose it or drop it. We looked like such fools. There were flags from countries around the world lining the streets. So, the best part? Well, the first day we decided not to go into the actual park and just grab an artesanal cerveza from a restaurant on the main street. We got some great beer and after feeling buzzed after only two (it's a lot stronger than that Milwaukee's Best stuff at Richmond) I declared that you shouldn't drink a beer that is taller than you. Translation: If the alcohol content is greater than your height in feet and inches, don't drink it! Unfortunately, not many of us followed that rule the rest of the weekend. 

We headed to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients for an asado that night. Ingredients: 25 chorizos, a few bags of rolls, lettuce, red peppers, potato chips, and mustard. The six of us got into some cabs and headed out of town back to our campground. I asked Lorenzo for some charcoal and he had his minion build us a fire on the outdoor stove. Neither of the boys knew how to grill, so I was left in charge! I threw on the first round of sausages, waited a while, turning them with a stick I had found and we sat around the picnic table waiting to make our choripan. Sausage sandwiches with lettuce, peppers, and mustard. Now, in Salta and Mendoza someone (myself included, once) had gotten sick from choripan. However, it was a great success and everyone stomached it this time! We all went to bed, happy and full and ready for the full day at Oktoberfest!

Choripan and the asadora a.k.a me

The next day we woke up, ate some lunch at the campground (goulash, anyone?) and then made mimosas while we waited for our taxis to bring us into town. It was much more crowded then the day before but we paid our 50 pesos and headed into the Parque Cervecero to join the party. I don't even entirely know how to describe what happened next, because I never have seen so many people, drunk, in costumes, sleeping, wearing funny hats and drinking beer. I will just give highlights from here on out. Guys would just come up to us and grab our faces and try to kiss us, no thanks! There were men with pink wigs saying it was their friend's bachelor party, and when you asked when he was getting married he'd say today! and to you! Once again, no thanks. Meeting people on our way out of the bathroom because of my hand sanitizer. Drinking raspberry beer. Losing Joe because he passed out with some Australians, and then finding him again, hours later. Stealing a guys hat and he didn't even notice that it was in my bag the entire time. Dylan getting freefils (free refills) somehow, Dylan throwing his undershirt into the crowd, guys carrying around fake babydolls in order to get girls, watching people bring their children here...why would you bring your children to Oktoberfest? Me telling guys that we were all lesbians so that they would leave us alone, and discovering that then NO one left us alone. 

            New friends at Oktoberfest

We spent the rest of the next day just relaxing by the river at the campground. Steph and I went around the riverbend to discover tons of rocks that we climbed all over and sunbathed on. It was so nice to finally feel springtime and enjoy the warm weather. The night before we had stargazed and they were so bright we couldn't even tell which constellations were what! Also, too many shooting stars to count :) 

After leaving Villa General Belgrano, we spent an hour seeing the Cathedral and town hall, Cabildo, of Cordoba. It was a holiday, so not much was open. We took the 11 hour bus ride back to Buenos Aires. It was a great trip, the following day my parents arrived to Buenos Aires! I will start working on that blog next! They just left today, after two weeks traveling to Mendoza and Bariloche and seeing Buenos Aires :) 

Welcome to the jungle: Iguazu style

I just got back this morning from seeing the most incredible thing I have ever seen: las cataratas de Iguazu (Iguazu waterfalls). I know what you're thinking, it probably doesn't have anything on Niagra-WRONG! One could compare Iguazu with Victoria Falls but both have different set ups so they really can't be compared. Iguazu Falls are protected by the Iguazu National Park, the majority is in Argentina, but some is in Brazil, too. 

Here are some fun facts:

• Iguazu means 'big water' in the native language, Guarani
• 275 different falls that are 1.7 miles long
• They were caused by a volcanic eruption leaving a whole in the Earth
• When Eleanor Roosevelt visited the falls she states 'Poor Niagra'
• The falls are split into upper and lower
• Isla San Martin lies between them and you can see more of a panoramic view of the falls from the top of the island

Okay, so on to the adventure part! The trip was organized by Expanish and they also paid for our transportation and hostel, which was really great! The bus was cama and not semicama so we could sleep well on the bus and had delicious food and wine! No bingo, but they played a whole bunch of 80s music videos so it really doesn't get much better than that, right?! My apartment, Joe and Dylan from Richmond, our friend Darren, another girl Koko living in BA, two girls from NYC who were visiting BA, a German woman, and our friend & guide, Leti all met up at Retiro to catch our 17 hour bus. After having a good sleep I awoke to see a very different change of landscape. GREEN! Green plants, green grass, flowers, red dirt, and humidity. I've seen lots of arid, dry, mountains, desert, plains, smaller dead bushes but finally green, lush, nature! We stayed in Puerto Iguazu which is on the Argentine side of the falls. The town is pretty small, not much there other than a few bars, restaurants, shops, and hostels. After changing into shorts and tshirts we headed down to tres fronteras (three borders) where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet! All that separates them are the Parana and Iguazu Rivers. Parana doesn't refer to the fish, so no worries. We saw some neat murals made out of wood done by the locals about their heritage and history. Afterwards we walked along the costanera of the Iguazu River back into town. A few of us walked around town which really only consisted of a few streets. We stopped and had a drink then went back to the hostel to shower for the night. That night we went to a hostel down the street for a buffet. I have never seen so many old ladies at a hostel! They took over the buffet line and filled plate after plate with food. But hey, for 20 pesos (5 bucks) I wasn't expecting tons and tons of food. We sat out on the balcony eating and drinking caipirinhas, the delicious drink made with Brazilian alcohol. I got to bed somewhat early that night so I could be well rested for our full day at the falls!

Tres Fronteras

So we got picked up about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning to go to the Iguazu National Park, just 20 minutes away from Puerto Iguazu. At first, I felt like I was in Disney World because we got in  large line, saw huge tour groups, and they had gift shops at the entrance. I was expecting to see waterfalls right away, but of course, like most things in life we had to wait a little while. So, as our guide of the day took us on a nature walk through the Iguazu forest, which was humid, hot, and green. My hair was in full 'fro mode! After walking down many stairs to start our tour of the lower part of the falls, we passed signs with men sliding on stairs. Caution: You may bust ass on the stairs (take note, later in this post I tell my personal story of falling on my ass.) Anyways, after long anticipation, I could hear it: the falls! As we were walking on the mesh-wired bridges on top of the plants and over some streams and then finally, we caught first glimpse of La Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat. This is the most powerful of the falls and right in the middle is the official border between Brazil and Argentina. We walked along some of the baby falls and saw the native birds that live in holes behind and around the rock walls of the falls. There were butterflies EVERYWHERE! Landing on us, going right into the falls, on flowers, truly all around us. After walking a little further we finally got a more panoramic view of the San Martin side of the falls. These were breathtaking. Literally, I have never seen anything more incredible! The sky was crystal clear blue, the falls were beautifully cascading over the green covered rock walls, birds, butterflies, sunshine, and what else could you ask for? Rainbows? Yup, those were there, too :) Along the trails we saw several salamanders and iguanas just hangin' out. 

We got up close and personal with some of the San Martin falls and then headed further down to the dock to cross the river onto the San Martin Island. This island isn't always accessible because of the water level. Luckily, it was low enough for us to get onto the island. Now, many of you know I am a huge fan of LOST so taking a small motor boat over to this rocky sand beach onto a tree covered island obviously made me feel like Jack and Locke would be there to greet me, after all they ended up on the island right? Anyways, we started on a path into the center of the island which I thought was going to be flat, but oh no, straight vertical stairs all the way up to the top of the rock on the island. You couldn't even tell there was a hill because it was so covered with trees. After reaching the top we noticed something, not only were we being sprayed by the mist of the falls but I couldn't knock the feeling that someone was watching me. Then, I looked up and saw vultures, everywhere. These guys were just hanging out, waiting for us! After getting out of the woods we finally got a clear shot of all of the falls from a higher point of view. It was absolutely incredible, once again. I wish I had better words to describe it but I really can't. Once back on the beach, there was a small area roped off for swimming. It was really hot out and how often can you say you swam at Iguazu? So, Steph, Leti, and I hopped in! Unfortunately, there were rocks all at the bottom so our feet were not too happy but the water was really refreshing and little did we know we'd get soaked once again on our boat ride...

Some of the San Martin Falls & a rainbow

After descending the island we headed back to the mainland side of the river to go on our Aventura Nautica. Translation? Go in a boat, go under a few of the falls in about 10 minutes all for 100 pesos (25 bucks). We get in a boat, put on our life vests (safety first, Mom!) and then have the guys driving it who are wearing black, full body ponchos and resemble the Grim Reaper lead us into one of the falls. After becoming soaked, we head over to one of the stronger falls and go straight into that and after coming out of that fall we run straight into a rock. Oops, I don't think they meant to do that because the guy videotaping this said some words I won't translate to the guy driving it. However, we made it back to the dock with no harm done other than the fact we were drenched. We walked back up all of the stairs to the higher part of the falls, ate our lunches that we had packed earlier (ham & cheese sandwich turned into a ham & cheese melt) and dried off in the sunshine for a bit. 

We were on to the higher part of the falls, this means that now we'd be on top of the waterfalls for the rest of our visit. What amazed me about seeing the falls from the top was how calm the water was before it went off the edge. It wasn't rushing to the falls it almost looked like a lake or a pool. After being on top of the San Martin falls we went to catch the small train that takes you to La Garganta del Diablo. We waited for a while to catch the train and saw tons of coati, they look like raccoons but with longer noses and tails. They love people because it means they might get some food! This one woman was sitting at a table eating and one climbed right up and grabbed her tray. This woman clearly was hungry because she yanked the tray out of it's mouth and the thing went flying! Luckily, it shook itself off and scurried away. We got off the train at la garganta but had to walk along a bridge over the water for about 15 minutes until we made it there. The water was absolutely still and we saw tons of fish and turtles! Then...there it was. The most incredible thing I have ever seen! Poor Niagra is right! I was just standing there, on top of it from the Argentine side, watching all of this water fall, without stopping, rainbows, mist, blue sky and it really was mesmerizing. While standing there, Leti asked me one word to describe it and I had nothing to say at first until I came up with inspiring. No other word really for it in my mind. By the time we were out of the park it was 6:00, we were the last ones out! It started pouring as soon as we left, perfect timing? I think so!

La Garganta del Diablo

That night, with sunburned faces, we went back to the other hostel for an asado. We had some yummy meat, hung out, drank caipirinhas, and then the parrilladora's son (the griller's son) started an impromptu dance party! All of us starting dancing on the outdoor terrace of the hostel! I even got my friend Darren, who never dances, to dance! It was lots of fun and the perfect ending of a great day! 

The next day, we had some time in the morning before we had to catch an early afternoon bus back to BA! So, Helen and I decided to go an excursion ziplining through the canopy of the forest and rappelling down a waterfall! We got picked up in a safari-esque van at 8 a.m. and headed out of Puerto Iguazu, through lots of fields, and onto a military base. After going on many bumpy, dirt roads we finally made it, along with the other 20 adventurers to the first platform for ziplining. After being harnessed, helmeted, gloved, and given a safety talk, we headed up the steps to get to the first platform. This was the part I was most nervous for, not the actual ziplining but waiting on top of the stairs! I finally made it to the top of the trees, was hooked up, leaned back, kicked my feet up, and away I went! Through the trees and seeing specks of the ground way below me as I zipped by. I could see the second platform in sight and started moving my arms on the bar back and forth to slow down my momentum. The guy hooked me up to another rope, I climbed up a ladder to a higher part of the tree and started the second part of the zipline. It was more great views and flying through the forest and when I saw the final platform I started to break but wasn't having much success and thank goodness for the padding on the tree because I smacked right into it! My bad! I climbed down the tree and watched as Helen came in and had a much smoother landing than me :) 

Ziplining!

Afterwards we got back in the van and headed to our next activity, rappelling down the waterfall. Now being in the thick forest it was already somewhat chilly and it was a cloudy day and had started to rain so that made it even colder. But, majority ruled and we went down the waterfall and not just a rock wall. Rappelling is somewhat difficult because you need to keep your legs straight out and not bend your knees. Then, you just sort of walk down the wall with your feet flat against it. However, the rocks were wet and slippery because it is in between two waterfalls. Needless to say, I leaned back and bent my knees. I sort of rolled a little bit but then got my balance and continued my descent and then all of a sudden I was in a waterfall! I couldn't open my eyes but saw down a bit and noticed I was on the small bridge and safely made it down. It was a really cool experience and I'm glad I did it but I don't think I'll ever do it again! Ziplining though, I'll definitely do that again! 

Buenos Aires update: Everything is great here! Leaves are out, flowers are blooming, subte is getting hotter (I see people faint all of the time, mostly women), classes are going well (just got a 100 on a quiz!), apartment had some ceiling leakage issues but got those taken care of, I've started running in the parks now that the weather is nice and I see new things there everyday! One time I saw more than 200 dogs in one of the parks, another time there was a huge dance party being led by some old ladies, and another time two girls were handing out nutrigrain bars to the runners! College students at the public universities have been protesting for the past month and not going to class because many of their buildings are falling apart. So my friends at the public schools have just been hanging out! Lucky!! Oktoberfest in Cordoba and Villa General Belgrano (about 10 hours away) is the next weekend and then my parents will be here in 2 weeks from today! Miss you all! Un beso! 

I'll salt ya in Salta!

Well, after an eventful trip up north, I am back in my apartment in BA! The adventure started Friday evening, taking the subte down to Retiro, where the bus station is located, in the pouring rain with all of our stuff was not the most pleasant of experiences, but the hope of warm, dry weather in Salta kept me going! After walking through ankle deep water we made it to the bus station and waited in the area where our bus was going to pull in at 845. Well, 845 comes and goes and no sign of our bus or our bus being listed on the schedule. We discovered that it was delayed, but would be here. At around 945 our bus roles in, we get on and into our seats. My only other overnight bus experience was to Mendoza in early July. We had large, leather seats that almost fully reclined. So the smaller, cloth, sea-foam green seats that didn't recline as much was a bit of a change, but hey, that's what you get when you are looking for the cheapest way to get from Point A to Point B. So at 945 we started what we thought would be a 20 hour bus ride, but turned into a 24 hour bus ride. Yep, an ENTIRE day of my life spent on a bus at one time, doesn't sound too bad, right? They feed you, play some terrible U.S. movies, you get to reflect on life, catch up on sleep, get sick, bus break down...wait, what?? Yep, not only did I get sick on the bus (thank goodness for that tiny bathroom!) but we broke down for about an hour plus. Once we finally arrived in Salta it was the next night and we didn't have much time to do anything but grab a quick dinner at the mall down the street! Woot, food court! It was cheapy and I got a choripan sandwich...this is the sweet sausages they have on some bread. I love them and usually have no issue stomaching them, but I guess I was still sick because let's just say the poor cactus outside our hostel room got an unpleasant surprise in the middle of the night, oops!

I made the difficult choice of not taking the excursion into Jujuy and the northern mountains of Salta. Probably for the best considering I was in bed, still sick until about 4 p.m. that day. I finally had some energy so I took a walk out to the main plaza of the city. It was really gorgeous and reminded me of Sevilla with the orange trees lining the plaza. I wandered into the two main churches and because it was Sunday evening, there was a mass taking place. I headed back to the hostel, stopped at a farmacia that was open, and explained to the pharmacist that my stomach was hurting and he gave me a mystery pill and some ibuprofen, I told him I didn't need any, but he swore that I did. After paying the equivalent of 3 bucks for the meds I went back to the hostel took the meds and took a nap. I woke up and the girls were back from the day! I was finally feeling better and we headed back to the food court for another inexpensive dinner. I settled for plain noodles and slept through the night with no visitations to the poor cactus outside our room :)

Monday was our day to relax and explore Salta! 

Here are some fast facts: 

• Salta means jump in Spanish!
  
• Salta capitol has about half a million residents
  
• Salta had an earthquake the same day this year as Chile, but because it wasn't as big it didn't make much news
  
• Salta is located in the Lerma Valley of Argentina
  
• The mountains that surround it are considered a part of the Andes
  
• The most popular foods are locro, a type of stew with a hunk of meat still on the bone, white beans, and corn; empanadas which are some of the best in Argentina; and, corn tamales! 

Anywho, the day started off by enjoying some daily delivered bread in the hostel and then heading to the main plaza! We walked around a bit, then Steph and I decided to find the start of the cable car to get up to the large hill or Cerro that is in Salta. The top of Cerro San Bernadino can be reached by walking, but we thought the cable car would be much more fun--and it was! We floated over the city and up the hill like Willy Wonka, minus the chocolate. When we got off at the top, we explored the artificial waterfalls, the beautiful gardens, the statue of San Bernadino, and of course, the beautiful views of Salta! We descended the cerro and met up with the other girls in Plaza Guemes right by the base of the cerro. There was a large celebration Wednesday which was the culmination of a pilgrimage that people from all over the province and even as far as Bolivia had walked to get to Salta. The reason is because it is the area's Saint day and there was a huge procession and gathering of people the whole week leading up to it. We walked back to the main plaza and began to see some of the people who had arrived in Salta. Hotels, hostels, and private residences offered up space for the people who had walked so far. It was a great community thing to see! We had a nice lunch outside in the warm sun and then Steph and I continued shopping around Salta. Unfortunately, they take siesta pretty seriously so all of the shops were closed. We walked around, went to the mall which was open and then went back over to the smaller boutiques. We stopped in a bakery and each got small treats and as we were walking down the street, a guy selling baked goods in a basket told Steph in Spanish that what she was eating would make her fat, but what he was selling wouldn't. I assured her he was crazy. 

At the top of the cerro in Salta

Tuesday morning we woke up really early to get picked up for the excursion down to Cafayate. There were some Brits doing the tour with us. We made frequent stops at little towns, natural creations, and pretty views along the way. The mountains were absolutely gorgeous. The Grand Canyon is probably the only thing that beat it but the gorge that we drove through to get to Cafayate was absolutely incredible. The mountains were a variety of colors because of the different chemicals and minerals that were in the rock. Our guide explained to us that all of the gorge used to be under the ocean YEARSSSSS ago, it was crazy to believe but I know evolutionarily speaking, it's true. The rock was very soft and many fossils have been found in the gorge, hence why it is named Conchas, meaning shells in Spanish. The mountains were just absolutely unreal and it seemed that there were so many different types and I was never bored looking out the window or stopping at different landmarks. 

Tres Cruces on the drive to Cafayate

We finally got to Cafayate and went to a winery! The winery was newer but had delicious wines! They were torrontes and had a very fruity, yet dry flavor. I loved it! Afterwards, we were given some free time to have lunch and see some of the 12,000 population 'city.' I tried some of the locra, which is the local stew that I was writing about. It wasn't bad, but there was very little flavor to the soup. I enjoyed the Salta beer much more :) It was medium in color but had a really salty taste! Just kidding... After lunch we were back in the van and on to the other winery. This one was much older but had similar wines. We tasted a red and a white and once again, both were delicious! The dry air and sandy dirt makes for good wine! We drove the four hours back to Salta and then headed out to one of Trip Advisor's top 10 restaurants in Salta which was just down the street from the hostel. They had delicious steak, great milanesas and excellent wine! It was extremely cheap, too! Even cheaper than BA! After dinner, we went back to the hostel for a bit then headed out for a late ice cream snack. On our way down the street, something very strange, or maybe not so strange happened. I was walking one or two steps ahead of the five of us and the light had just changed to red so we started to cross the street. Except, as soon as we crossed a guy on his moped decided to keep going through the light, slow down, and as far as I could tell he was going to try to steal my bag. This was going to be difficult considering it was a satchel bag and across my body, so if he did get it I was going with it. Luckily, I knew what he was going to do so I moved my bag around to my back and instead of snatching the bag he punched me in the stomach. What the eff? Some dude decides it's cool to punch me in the stomach? I was just shocked more than scared, I mean it could have been much worse, he could have been holding a knife to cut the bag off of me, but fortunately, no harm done! 

We were leaving at 1 in the afternoon on Wednesday but Steph and I really wanted to get to the MAAM, the museum in the main plaza that houses three Incan children that are perfectly preserved because they were frozen in the ice thousands of years ago. I checked the website the night before and it said that it would be open, even on holidays. We soaked up the sun in the plaza and as soon as it was 11 a.m, opening time, we walked over to the museum door. There were other tourists standing around, waiting but no open door or anyone inside the museum. After about 20 minutes I asked a nearby police officer if he knew anything. Of course, he walks over, reads the sign with the hours on it and says to me 'I guess it will open tomorrow because it isn't open today.' Wow, thanks. That was such helpful advice! So, realizing that the religious celebration was going to keep it from opening, we walked to the bus station, had a farewell empanada and got on the bus for another 20 hour bus ride back to BA. All in all, Salta was a great trip, minus getting sick. It was so neat to see an entirely different part of the country. Argentina is so large and it amazes me that there are huge mountain ranges, glaciers, rainforests with waterfalls, major cities, lakes, and all sorts of animals all within the same country, and really just a day of driving away! I'll be enjoying BA and the first week of Spring here but the following weekend I'm off to Iguazu to see the waterfalls that border with Brasil! Miss you all tons!