Im on a roll here, folks! VIVA!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056673&l=1f532&id=5901703
¡Feliz Año Nuevo a Todos!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Photos - Part 1
Ive done it! Ive posted photos from the first part of my trip - the two weeks with dad. There are many more to come and now that Ive found a computer that actually reads my cds, I will be coming back here and catching up. Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054348&l=864eb&id=5901703
Im still in the campo and planning to spend New Year´s here before heading South to meet up with German and Víctor (our REI guides). Life just gets more and more interesting by the day. For a small taste, I learned how to make ricotta cheese from milk that we took straight from the cow and stood in complete amazement as Vanina´s father carried two young pigs that had recently been slaughtered into the back yard and hung them from a peg to let the blood drain. While I dont eat beef or pork, I eat chicken fairly often but never see the animal in it´s recently slaughtered state and there was something just captivating about the whole scene. Especially since the pigs were raised by her aunt and her young neices who were there with me didnt think twice about the fact that two small dead pigs were hanging from a peg on the patio. And, really, why would they? This is nothing new to them. In fact, the strangest thing to come into their lives is actually me with my weird name (they told me "que raro nombre") and funny accent. And in a way, I found it almost beautiful (I realize this may very well come across as demented...). But there is something quite grand about knowing exactly where your food came from and how it was prepared. VIVA!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054348&l=864eb&id=5901703
Im still in the campo and planning to spend New Year´s here before heading South to meet up with German and Víctor (our REI guides). Life just gets more and more interesting by the day. For a small taste, I learned how to make ricotta cheese from milk that we took straight from the cow and stood in complete amazement as Vanina´s father carried two young pigs that had recently been slaughtered into the back yard and hung them from a peg to let the blood drain. While I dont eat beef or pork, I eat chicken fairly often but never see the animal in it´s recently slaughtered state and there was something just captivating about the whole scene. Especially since the pigs were raised by her aunt and her young neices who were there with me didnt think twice about the fact that two small dead pigs were hanging from a peg on the patio. And, really, why would they? This is nothing new to them. In fact, the strangest thing to come into their lives is actually me with my weird name (they told me "que raro nombre") and funny accent. And in a way, I found it almost beautiful (I realize this may very well come across as demented...). But there is something quite grand about knowing exactly where your food came from and how it was prepared. VIVA!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Tomando Maté!
So while I don´t eat red meat, I can pull off looking like one of the locals with my cup of maté!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Livin´ la vida gauchita - lazy days and late late nights in the campo!
Felices Fiestas del Campo! I have so much to report!
Im here in Pasman (pop 200) and am having a blast! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the holidays here in the campo with Vanina´s family who have been so wonderful in showing me around their farm, town, the nearby city of Suarez (where I have come to use the computer), and the bigger city of Bahía Blanca 200 kms south. And the best part of it all is that in the last week, I have not spent time with a single person who speaks English. This has been a goal of mine from the beginning and it is such fun (and quite challenging, no doubt) to truly have to put my language skills to work without having anyone to turn to for help when Im struggling to express something. When I set out on this journey, my goal was to do everything possible to truly experience life as it is lived in the places I choose to travel. Thus far, I have gotten to meet quite a few Argentinians and Chileans and, by spending time in smaller towns, had the opportunity to get to know people from each place a little better. But NOTHING compares to my time here. I feel like I either know everyone or everyone knows OF me and comes by to meet me. Seriously, I cannot think of another time in my life where I have felt so special - people WANT to meet me. They hear about me from a friend of a friend and so by the time I meet most people they already know all about me - it´s a really really weird feeling. Yet, at the same time, Ive never felt so out of the loop. I want so badly to wake up tomorrow on Christmas morning and discover that Papa Noel has brought me the ability to understand everything everyone is saying to me. I find myself exhausted at the end of the day just from concentrating so hard on listening to people´s converstaions trying to understand as much as I possibly can without asking over and over again for the people to repeat themselves. At the same time, it is incredibly rewarding when I do have coherent conversations with people. I now know how my sister must have felt when she went to live in the campo in El Salvador!
Whoever thought life in the campo was boring has never spent time in the Argentinian campo - there is NEVER a dull moment. The whole town knows each other and we spend much of our day "paseando" which is to say that I go outside to get my laundry off the line and some neighbor sees me and comes by to talk and an hour later when I eventually go back inside with my laundry someone else has shown up to drop off a package at which point we then leave the house to buy groceries at the store down the street and run into another friend or family member and spend un rato talking about this and that. And when we aren´t paseando for the pueblo, we are out in the campo feeding the pigs, picking fresh veggies from the garden, and milking the cows. I LOVE it!
But being in the campo is only part of the experience. My first day here, I saw a tornado del tierra, hooted and hollered with a group of some 20 family and friends for a family member I had yet to even meet as she exited her last exam of college and then watched as her friends threw eggs, flour, the fermenting crap inside of pig intestines (this is NO joke - YUCK!), and dirt on her, cut off her clothes, then put her in the back of a car and drove through town honking their horns as they paraded her around the main plaza - if only they had such exciting ways of celebrating our final exams in the states! I then went to the after party and by the time we left at 2 am (and still had a 2 hour drive to get back), I was barely functioning! Yet, I quickly discovered this was only the beginning of the Argentinina customs I would come to experience. I have already mentioned in my blog the Argentinian custom of eating late, going out later, and partying until the break of dawn, but other than my time in Buenos Aires with dad, I have yet to really experience this custom in all its grandeur. Well, folks, welcome to the campo where the day begins at dawn and ends not too long before the sunrise the next day. In the days since I got here, I have been asked time and time again, "What is different about the States? Do we have this or that? Do we do this or that?" And the one thing that continues to blow my mind, is their custom of staying up SO DARN LATE....EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Dad, Susan, Annelle, Jarratt, you would LOVE it here! For example, I have not eaten dinner before 11 pm once since I got here - and it´s often 11:30 or 12 before we sit down to eat. We went to a family member´s 60th birthday a few days ago, and didn´t even arrive at the dinner party until 10 pm - and we were EARLY! Later - MUCH later - at 2:30 am, a magician arrived to perform some magic tricks. I looked around in complete shock as everyone at the party from babies just a few months old to people in their 70s, sat around laughing and enjoying the performance like it was really no big deal that it was 2:30 in the morning. Before I got here, I could understand (sort of) this idea that the clubs dont even open until 2 or 3 am, but it never occured to me that this late night culture isnt unique to people in their teens, 20s, and 30s, this is LIFE here. Eating late and staying up later is the norm. So much so that they find US weird. Every time I tell them that we typically eat around 7:30 or 8, their jaws drop and they ask me "How do you eat so early?" and "What in the world do you do with yourself after youve eaten?" Well, I guess the least I can say is that I find their ability to eat late just as strange as they find my ability to eat early! But Im slowly adapting to this life and while everyone 2 and 3 times my age can definitely outlast me when it comes to having energy at 4 am, I no longer find myself needing dinner at 8 pm (no small miracle for those who know me), and thanks to the daily siesta, I may just be able to keep up with the Wisner family at tonight´s Christmas party!
So thanks again to Vanina and her family for welcoming me into their home and allowing me to experience a wonderful Christmas with such a loving family since I can´t be with my own back in Mississippi. Merry Christmas and much love to everyone! VIVA!
Im here in Pasman (pop 200) and am having a blast! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the holidays here in the campo with Vanina´s family who have been so wonderful in showing me around their farm, town, the nearby city of Suarez (where I have come to use the computer), and the bigger city of Bahía Blanca 200 kms south. And the best part of it all is that in the last week, I have not spent time with a single person who speaks English. This has been a goal of mine from the beginning and it is such fun (and quite challenging, no doubt) to truly have to put my language skills to work without having anyone to turn to for help when Im struggling to express something. When I set out on this journey, my goal was to do everything possible to truly experience life as it is lived in the places I choose to travel. Thus far, I have gotten to meet quite a few Argentinians and Chileans and, by spending time in smaller towns, had the opportunity to get to know people from each place a little better. But NOTHING compares to my time here. I feel like I either know everyone or everyone knows OF me and comes by to meet me. Seriously, I cannot think of another time in my life where I have felt so special - people WANT to meet me. They hear about me from a friend of a friend and so by the time I meet most people they already know all about me - it´s a really really weird feeling. Yet, at the same time, Ive never felt so out of the loop. I want so badly to wake up tomorrow on Christmas morning and discover that Papa Noel has brought me the ability to understand everything everyone is saying to me. I find myself exhausted at the end of the day just from concentrating so hard on listening to people´s converstaions trying to understand as much as I possibly can without asking over and over again for the people to repeat themselves. At the same time, it is incredibly rewarding when I do have coherent conversations with people. I now know how my sister must have felt when she went to live in the campo in El Salvador!
Whoever thought life in the campo was boring has never spent time in the Argentinian campo - there is NEVER a dull moment. The whole town knows each other and we spend much of our day "paseando" which is to say that I go outside to get my laundry off the line and some neighbor sees me and comes by to talk and an hour later when I eventually go back inside with my laundry someone else has shown up to drop off a package at which point we then leave the house to buy groceries at the store down the street and run into another friend or family member and spend un rato talking about this and that. And when we aren´t paseando for the pueblo, we are out in the campo feeding the pigs, picking fresh veggies from the garden, and milking the cows. I LOVE it!
But being in the campo is only part of the experience. My first day here, I saw a tornado del tierra, hooted and hollered with a group of some 20 family and friends for a family member I had yet to even meet as she exited her last exam of college and then watched as her friends threw eggs, flour, the fermenting crap inside of pig intestines (this is NO joke - YUCK!), and dirt on her, cut off her clothes, then put her in the back of a car and drove through town honking their horns as they paraded her around the main plaza - if only they had such exciting ways of celebrating our final exams in the states! I then went to the after party and by the time we left at 2 am (and still had a 2 hour drive to get back), I was barely functioning! Yet, I quickly discovered this was only the beginning of the Argentinina customs I would come to experience. I have already mentioned in my blog the Argentinian custom of eating late, going out later, and partying until the break of dawn, but other than my time in Buenos Aires with dad, I have yet to really experience this custom in all its grandeur. Well, folks, welcome to the campo where the day begins at dawn and ends not too long before the sunrise the next day. In the days since I got here, I have been asked time and time again, "What is different about the States? Do we have this or that? Do we do this or that?" And the one thing that continues to blow my mind, is their custom of staying up SO DARN LATE....EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Dad, Susan, Annelle, Jarratt, you would LOVE it here! For example, I have not eaten dinner before 11 pm once since I got here - and it´s often 11:30 or 12 before we sit down to eat. We went to a family member´s 60th birthday a few days ago, and didn´t even arrive at the dinner party until 10 pm - and we were EARLY! Later - MUCH later - at 2:30 am, a magician arrived to perform some magic tricks. I looked around in complete shock as everyone at the party from babies just a few months old to people in their 70s, sat around laughing and enjoying the performance like it was really no big deal that it was 2:30 in the morning. Before I got here, I could understand (sort of) this idea that the clubs dont even open until 2 or 3 am, but it never occured to me that this late night culture isnt unique to people in their teens, 20s, and 30s, this is LIFE here. Eating late and staying up later is the norm. So much so that they find US weird. Every time I tell them that we typically eat around 7:30 or 8, their jaws drop and they ask me "How do you eat so early?" and "What in the world do you do with yourself after youve eaten?" Well, I guess the least I can say is that I find their ability to eat late just as strange as they find my ability to eat early! But Im slowly adapting to this life and while everyone 2 and 3 times my age can definitely outlast me when it comes to having energy at 4 am, I no longer find myself needing dinner at 8 pm (no small miracle for those who know me), and thanks to the daily siesta, I may just be able to keep up with the Wisner family at tonight´s Christmas party!
So thanks again to Vanina and her family for welcoming me into their home and allowing me to experience a wonderful Christmas with such a loving family since I can´t be with my own back in Mississippi. Merry Christmas and much love to everyone! VIVA!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
And the wait for fotitos goes on...
Ok, so I had every intention of getting photos posted today. In fact, it was just about the only thing on my "to do" list, but as things in Latin America go, it just ain´t happening. GRRRRR! I burned all my photos to a disk and after walking from one end of the city to the other - I kid you not (and this city is NOT small) - I have not been able to find any place that has both computers with a CD drive AND a CD drive that actually works - GRRR! Soooooooooooo I then decided, "Fine, Ill trek back to the hostel, grab my camera and USB cable and just download the photos from the memory drive." And after picking up everything and trekking back to the nearest internet place, lo and behold, I was so super cool that I took out the memory card with all of my photos and put it in my luggage for safe keeping - GRRRR! Now I am hot (it has gotten rather warm and muggy here recently), tired (I had to move hostels last night due to lack of espacio, and let´s just say the experience was only slightly better than my awful experience at the prison camp in Mendoza), and so frustrated that I have decided to call the whole plan off for the time being. I leave Buenos Aires in just about 5 hours to go visit Vanina´s family in a small town where I do not think I will have internet for awhile. So please bear with me as "Operation Get Photos Online" is still underway.
I have definitely enjoyed being in Buenos Aires. The highlight, perhaps, being asked on several different occasions by both other travelers AND Argentinians for directions as to how to properly use the subway and where is best to go in BsAs. Like I know?! But I happily responded with what I decided was good advice... A close second would be getting so lost yesterday morning during my run that I ended up on the "on ramp" to the interstate. Lucky me, my keen sense of intuition told me, "Uh, this does NOT look like the right direction." Oh, and let´s not forget the ice cream. Scrumptious! Heavenly! Divine! Ive taken to replacing at least one meal each day with the stuff. Good thing the whole country is obsessed with the creamy goodness; otherwise, I might have to take side trips every few days to big cities to get my fix. However, all these delightful things aside, I think city life is quickly wearing on me, and I am itching to get back on the road to explore places less populated with people and more populated with montañas and cooler temps! I look forward to meeting Vanina´s family and seeing where my travels take me from there.
And, geez, by the time I get photos posted you are going to have to set aside an evening just to look at them. I would suggest picking a date on or around New Year´s! Love to all! VIVA!
I have definitely enjoyed being in Buenos Aires. The highlight, perhaps, being asked on several different occasions by both other travelers AND Argentinians for directions as to how to properly use the subway and where is best to go in BsAs. Like I know?! But I happily responded with what I decided was good advice... A close second would be getting so lost yesterday morning during my run that I ended up on the "on ramp" to the interstate. Lucky me, my keen sense of intuition told me, "Uh, this does NOT look like the right direction." Oh, and let´s not forget the ice cream. Scrumptious! Heavenly! Divine! Ive taken to replacing at least one meal each day with the stuff. Good thing the whole country is obsessed with the creamy goodness; otherwise, I might have to take side trips every few days to big cities to get my fix. However, all these delightful things aside, I think city life is quickly wearing on me, and I am itching to get back on the road to explore places less populated with people and more populated with montañas and cooler temps! I look forward to meeting Vanina´s family and seeing where my travels take me from there.
And, geez, by the time I get photos posted you are going to have to set aside an evening just to look at them. I would suggest picking a date on or around New Year´s! Love to all! VIVA!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fotitos - finalmente!
Buenos desde the Argentinian delta! I am hanging out with my Quebecoise friend Noemi at a resort-like hostel on the banks of the Rio Plata de las Palmas. We are on an island in the delta where the only way to arrive is by an hour long boat taxi that stops at all the houses along the way picking up and dropping off people, goods, trash, etc. It´s like a tropical combination of the houses that lie along Lake Ponchatrain and the canals in Venice complete with palm trees, sandy beaches, and gorgeous flowers in full bloom. The river is wide, dark, and muddy reminding me so very much of the Mississippi River.
And a note about pictures. Im sorry none have been put up yet. I never seem to have the time when I am at a computer to download and post, but I PROMISE to post photos soon. I will be back in BsAs mañana and it´s the first thing on my to do list - so look forward to lots and lots of super fun fotitos to enjoy! In the meantime, Ive found some photos from facebook of our time with REI and then in Ritoque celebrating Thanksgiving with our Chilean and German friends. I hope you enjoy! VIVA!
Jenny and Nina celebrating at the top of Volcan Villarica. Im not in the photo, but I, too, got to wear the super snazzy windsuit!
Looking up at Volcan Villarica from below. I still cant believe I climbed this - INCREDIBLE!
Victor, our incredible guide, prepares lunch - one of hte many lakeside feasts we were treated to in the middle of nowhere!
At teh base of Mt. Tronador in Parque NAcional Nahuel Huapi.
The blonde-oh-sans and I on our first day of biking outside of Bariloche - notice the ultra sexy biking clothes!
This is the blonde-oh-sans and me at a yummy vegetarian restaurant in Valparaiso
Thanksgiving Chilean style!
And a note about pictures. Im sorry none have been put up yet. I never seem to have the time when I am at a computer to download and post, but I PROMISE to post photos soon. I will be back in BsAs mañana and it´s the first thing on my to do list - so look forward to lots and lots of super fun fotitos to enjoy! In the meantime, Ive found some photos from facebook of our time with REI and then in Ritoque celebrating Thanksgiving with our Chilean and German friends. I hope you enjoy! VIVA!
Jenny and Nina celebrating at the top of Volcan Villarica. Im not in the photo, but I, too, got to wear the super snazzy windsuit!
Looking up at Volcan Villarica from below. I still cant believe I climbed this - INCREDIBLE!
Victor, our incredible guide, prepares lunch - one of hte many lakeside feasts we were treated to in the middle of nowhere!
At teh base of Mt. Tronador in Parque NAcional Nahuel Huapi.
The blonde-oh-sans and I on our first day of biking outside of Bariloche - notice the ultra sexy biking clothes!
This is the blonde-oh-sans and me at a yummy vegetarian restaurant in Valparaiso
Thanksgiving Chilean style!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Seeing ghosts, finding my way in the big ciudad, and making new friends
Buenos! Im still here in the Big City. Considering that I have spent the last three weeks doing everything I could - including several out-of-the-way bus rides to middle of noweher places - I am rather surprised to find myself quite content in this city of 11 million people. But yesterday as I crammed myself into the stuffy subway at rush hour, sat outside at a cafe on a busy street corner drinking tea, and successfully got on and paid for my first BsAs bus ride (this was no small feat as coins are worth more than gold in this city where everyone seems to be short on change and the buses ONLY accept exact change - grrr), I was feeling quite big city savvy. I even had a brief moment of missing my life in Chitown, and then I remembered that it´s freezing there and quickly got over it.
I have been fortunate to meet some great people in the last few days. First off, Jenny and I have met two great Canadians who have cruised around the city with us. Satia had to go back on Thurs night, but Noemi will be around for a bit, so we explored the ins and outs of San Telmo and La Boca - two very flavorful barrios - together. I also got to meet up with Vïctor, one of the guides from our group trip, who lives and works out of BsAs. And, finally, Camille, a friend from Smith who used to live here, has put me in touch with some of her friends here. So Thursday night I got to go out and chat it up in español with Milan who has spent a good bit of time traveling around Argentina, as well as other coutries in SA como mochilero (backpacker). He´s offered not only to give me some good tips for things to do here en la ciudad, but also tips for good places to visit, hikes, and even maps for the rest of my journey - woohoo! A few of her other friends had also contacted me with information regarding free tango shows and museum exhibits to check out.
And upon returning from my night out on the town, I thought I was hearing voices when a voice drifting from the room next door sounded JUST LIKE Jenny. This was very strange as just 3 hours earlier, we had said our goodbyes and she was whisked off to the aeropuerto in a cab. For the last week, we had been planning our trip - where to be when and what to do there - based on the fact that she had to be on a plane back to los estados on Thursday, Dec 11. So I stood still for a minute, took a deep breath, looked around to make sure I was awake and in my own body, and slooooowly walked around the corner - JENNY! "Am I seeing a ghost," I thought to myself? All I could do was drop my jaw and say (and I didn´t mean this rudely at all) was, "What the HELL are you doing here?" Well, it turns out her flight wasn´t until Friday night, so after getting over the shock and such, we rejoiced over the realization that she would have a second " last day" in BsAs!
I am staying at a hostel near this gigantic city park where I get to go for lovely runs each morning. Actually, the park where I run is lovely, but I usually end up getting terribly lost and coming back over an hour later mildly ravenous and extremely stinky - woohoo! The hostel is also conveniently located near a laundromat where my clothes are currently being properly washed and dried for the first time in three weeks - all for the killer precio of 3 dollars:). So Im quite the happy camper. All I need now is some avocado, tomato, bread, and maybe a tango show to top it all off! VIVA!
I have been fortunate to meet some great people in the last few days. First off, Jenny and I have met two great Canadians who have cruised around the city with us. Satia had to go back on Thurs night, but Noemi will be around for a bit, so we explored the ins and outs of San Telmo and La Boca - two very flavorful barrios - together. I also got to meet up with Vïctor, one of the guides from our group trip, who lives and works out of BsAs. And, finally, Camille, a friend from Smith who used to live here, has put me in touch with some of her friends here. So Thursday night I got to go out and chat it up in español with Milan who has spent a good bit of time traveling around Argentina, as well as other coutries in SA como mochilero (backpacker). He´s offered not only to give me some good tips for things to do here en la ciudad, but also tips for good places to visit, hikes, and even maps for the rest of my journey - woohoo! A few of her other friends had also contacted me with information regarding free tango shows and museum exhibits to check out.
And upon returning from my night out on the town, I thought I was hearing voices when a voice drifting from the room next door sounded JUST LIKE Jenny. This was very strange as just 3 hours earlier, we had said our goodbyes and she was whisked off to the aeropuerto in a cab. For the last week, we had been planning our trip - where to be when and what to do there - based on the fact that she had to be on a plane back to los estados on Thursday, Dec 11. So I stood still for a minute, took a deep breath, looked around to make sure I was awake and in my own body, and slooooowly walked around the corner - JENNY! "Am I seeing a ghost," I thought to myself? All I could do was drop my jaw and say (and I didn´t mean this rudely at all) was, "What the HELL are you doing here?" Well, it turns out her flight wasn´t until Friday night, so after getting over the shock and such, we rejoiced over the realization that she would have a second " last day" in BsAs!
I am staying at a hostel near this gigantic city park where I get to go for lovely runs each morning. Actually, the park where I run is lovely, but I usually end up getting terribly lost and coming back over an hour later mildly ravenous and extremely stinky - woohoo! The hostel is also conveniently located near a laundromat where my clothes are currently being properly washed and dried for the first time in three weeks - all for the killer precio of 3 dollars:). So Im quite the happy camper. All I need now is some avocado, tomato, bread, and maybe a tango show to top it all off! VIVA!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Back in the thick of it all in Buenos Aires!
Buenos Dias desde Buenos Aires! It´s amazing how much more at ease I feel in this gigantic city the second time around. 5 weeks ago when Poppa T and I arrived, I was not sure how to properly grasp the great expanse of this city so unknown to me. But we forged ahead, explored barrios near and far, and - in retrospect, I realize - saw A LOT. So today, when Jenny and I got off Cushy Bus Experience Numero Dos (18 hours this time), the urge to hop back on the bus for lands where the cows outnumber the people was not nearly as strong. In fact, in spite of all the scary stories we have heard about the bus station, I felt relatively at ease. Of course, this is not to say that we were not on guard, just that we walked like we knew where we were going (even though I wasn´t exactly sure) while keeping our belongings close to our hearts. We navigated the station, found the subway, and made our way to our hostel in Palermo.
Two days ago we visited the infamous Iguazu Falls, and, yes, it is just as amazing as everyone ever told us - AND worth the sweltering temps that reached 100 degrees - yikes! AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! I wont go into more details of its beauty because, really, words can´t do it justice. But I will tell you that even though we had seen pictures, read descriptions, and heard from more than a few travelers at our hostel how "awesome" it was, we both stopped in our tracks and nearly lost our breath as we rounded the corner and saw the majesty of the falls. We took a million photos, saw each of the falls from the countless viewpoints, took a break in the shade with some monkeys and alligators, and enjoyed a delicious Argentinian ice cream cone to celebrate it all:)! Oh, and we got to lay our eyes upon the shores of Brazil (and Paraguay earlier in the day). So while I may not be able to step foot in either of these countries thanks to the lack of a visa, I got to drink in a great view of their borders - can that count as having visited?! So book a flight and get yourself to the furthest NE corner of this country at your earliest convenience. I ASSURE you it will be worth your time and money.
Jenny leaves tomorrow night which means I will officially begin my travels como mujer solita tomorrow night at 9 pm. I am sad to see her go, but feeling beyond blessed for the way everything has come together up to this point. So I will keep my head up, take deep breaths, and believe in my ability to continue to explore the ins and outs of this amazing place on my own. Plus, when you are traveling you never really are alone - there are loads of other people in this world traveling, living, existing, and when I take the time and put forth the energy to open myself up, I find that I am able to meet quite a few interesting people with whom to share stories and time. Also, my lovely Argentinian friend Vanina with whom I worked in North Carolina has asked her family to open their home for me here in a small town about 6 hours south of Buenos Aires. So I believe that will be my next stop and, if I am lucky, I may get to spend Christmas with them. Imagine that - an authentic Argentinian Christmas - what more could I ask for?! Love to all those reading this and sending their support and encouragement:). VIVA!
Two days ago we visited the infamous Iguazu Falls, and, yes, it is just as amazing as everyone ever told us - AND worth the sweltering temps that reached 100 degrees - yikes! AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! I wont go into more details of its beauty because, really, words can´t do it justice. But I will tell you that even though we had seen pictures, read descriptions, and heard from more than a few travelers at our hostel how "awesome" it was, we both stopped in our tracks and nearly lost our breath as we rounded the corner and saw the majesty of the falls. We took a million photos, saw each of the falls from the countless viewpoints, took a break in the shade with some monkeys and alligators, and enjoyed a delicious Argentinian ice cream cone to celebrate it all:)! Oh, and we got to lay our eyes upon the shores of Brazil (and Paraguay earlier in the day). So while I may not be able to step foot in either of these countries thanks to the lack of a visa, I got to drink in a great view of their borders - can that count as having visited?! So book a flight and get yourself to the furthest NE corner of this country at your earliest convenience. I ASSURE you it will be worth your time and money.
Jenny leaves tomorrow night which means I will officially begin my travels como mujer solita tomorrow night at 9 pm. I am sad to see her go, but feeling beyond blessed for the way everything has come together up to this point. So I will keep my head up, take deep breaths, and believe in my ability to continue to explore the ins and outs of this amazing place on my own. Plus, when you are traveling you never really are alone - there are loads of other people in this world traveling, living, existing, and when I take the time and put forth the energy to open myself up, I find that I am able to meet quite a few interesting people with whom to share stories and time. Also, my lovely Argentinian friend Vanina with whom I worked in North Carolina has asked her family to open their home for me here in a small town about 6 hours south of Buenos Aires. So I believe that will be my next stop and, if I am lucky, I may get to spend Christmas with them. Imagine that - an authentic Argentinian Christmas - what more could I ask for?! Love to all those reading this and sending their support and encouragement:). VIVA!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Buses = the good, the bad, and the AMAZING
OK, so my computer will not let me type any of the proper punctuation marks, so this should be fun...
The last few days have involved quite a bit of moving and shaking. After an extra night in Mendoza, this time in a much nicer hostel, we bussed it 10 hours to Cordoba, followed by three hours North to the small and incredibly cute mountain town of La Cumbre. Nina and Jenny were truly troopers as I dragged them out of the way to get to this town after 10 hours on a super crappy bus that we were fully expecting to be one of those super awesome Argentinian bus experiences we have heard so much about complete with bed, movies, food, champagne, blankets, pillows, and toilet paper in the bathrooms. This one had none of the above and the extra fun added feature of being FREEZING. I had to wrap the head cover from the chair around my feet and curl up in the fetal position to stay alive. But the town turned out to be beyond worth it. Not only was it gorgeous, it had its very own 7 meter tall statue of Christ the Redemptor staring down on it, AND I got to do my laundry in the sink and shave my legs. Boy, oh boy, did I feel like a whole new person with clean clothes and clean legs. Its the simple things, really...
Next, Jenny and I had to say adios to Nina as her job in Tahoe has called her home. While she made her way to Buenos Aires, we hopped aboard another bus and began our 25 hour journey to Puerto Iguazu. Now, 25 hours seemed like a LONG time to me before this trip. But somehow, it no longer seems so bad. 36 hours, that seems bad, but 25 hours is TOTALLY manageable. Especially when you know what questiosn to ask BEFOREHAND and assure that you get the kick ass Argentinian bus experience. The US sure could learn a lesson or two from the Argentinians when it comes to buses. In our 21 hours on bus number two, we received warm blankets, fluffy pillows, a welcome mint, 5 episodes of House, an after dinner movie, lunch, a hot dinner, drinks, wine, champagne, breakfast, tea, AND bathrooms with toilet paper. Gosh, what else could we possibly have asked for. Not to mention, that my seat from the second story of this double decker bus offered me AMAZING views of the passing landscape. I was so entranced that I could have happily sat there the whole time sans other entertainment and watched as the landscape changed from mountains, to plains, to jungle. In fact, as the trip came to an end, I actually found myself sad to have to get off. I told Jenny that I wished it would just go on forever, and I could see the whole world from this viewpoint. Travel by bus is so much more fulfilling than flying and so much less stressful than driving. At least this is my sentiment for now...Ill report back after I log another couple hundred hours more aboard less than feliz buses.
So now I am in Puerto Iguazu at the most Northeastern tip of Argentina hanging out in a cute hostel called Peter Pan with a few friends from Holland that we met a couple of weeks back in Chile and some new friends from Idaho and Australia. This is a tiny town near the jungle and it is hot hot HOT. Not exactly my idea of a wonderful time, but these falls we are going to see tomorrow are supposed to be amazing, so Im willing to believe that melting is going to be worth it. Plus, the ride here was fantastico. VIVA Hasta la proxima....
The last few days have involved quite a bit of moving and shaking. After an extra night in Mendoza, this time in a much nicer hostel, we bussed it 10 hours to Cordoba, followed by three hours North to the small and incredibly cute mountain town of La Cumbre. Nina and Jenny were truly troopers as I dragged them out of the way to get to this town after 10 hours on a super crappy bus that we were fully expecting to be one of those super awesome Argentinian bus experiences we have heard so much about complete with bed, movies, food, champagne, blankets, pillows, and toilet paper in the bathrooms. This one had none of the above and the extra fun added feature of being FREEZING. I had to wrap the head cover from the chair around my feet and curl up in the fetal position to stay alive. But the town turned out to be beyond worth it. Not only was it gorgeous, it had its very own 7 meter tall statue of Christ the Redemptor staring down on it, AND I got to do my laundry in the sink and shave my legs. Boy, oh boy, did I feel like a whole new person with clean clothes and clean legs. Its the simple things, really...
Next, Jenny and I had to say adios to Nina as her job in Tahoe has called her home. While she made her way to Buenos Aires, we hopped aboard another bus and began our 25 hour journey to Puerto Iguazu. Now, 25 hours seemed like a LONG time to me before this trip. But somehow, it no longer seems so bad. 36 hours, that seems bad, but 25 hours is TOTALLY manageable. Especially when you know what questiosn to ask BEFOREHAND and assure that you get the kick ass Argentinian bus experience. The US sure could learn a lesson or two from the Argentinians when it comes to buses. In our 21 hours on bus number two, we received warm blankets, fluffy pillows, a welcome mint, 5 episodes of House, an after dinner movie, lunch, a hot dinner, drinks, wine, champagne, breakfast, tea, AND bathrooms with toilet paper. Gosh, what else could we possibly have asked for. Not to mention, that my seat from the second story of this double decker bus offered me AMAZING views of the passing landscape. I was so entranced that I could have happily sat there the whole time sans other entertainment and watched as the landscape changed from mountains, to plains, to jungle. In fact, as the trip came to an end, I actually found myself sad to have to get off. I told Jenny that I wished it would just go on forever, and I could see the whole world from this viewpoint. Travel by bus is so much more fulfilling than flying and so much less stressful than driving. At least this is my sentiment for now...Ill report back after I log another couple hundred hours more aboard less than feliz buses.
So now I am in Puerto Iguazu at the most Northeastern tip of Argentina hanging out in a cute hostel called Peter Pan with a few friends from Holland that we met a couple of weeks back in Chile and some new friends from Idaho and Australia. This is a tiny town near the jungle and it is hot hot HOT. Not exactly my idea of a wonderful time, but these falls we are going to see tomorrow are supposed to be amazing, so Im willing to believe that melting is going to be worth it. Plus, the ride here was fantastico. VIVA Hasta la proxima....
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Creating our own good luck
Bienvenidos de Mendoza! The last few days have involved more effort on our part to find the positive in our situation. I like to believe that we never fail to see how blessed we are, but we have felt ripped off more than a few times, as well as uncomfortable, and downright disgusted at times. But we´ve learned that if we take the time to take a deep breath, get a snack or something to drink, and reassess the situation, we can find more good than bad, and - in quite a few situations - have had amazing luck.
So here I am again after a brief jaunt back West into the Andes to get another taste of those gorgeous montañas - amazing! We were not really sure where we were going as the book has little information on the town of Potrerillos. All we knew was it was a small town and in the mountains. So we boarded the bus, asked the driver to please tell us when to get off, and settled in for a slow, bumpy ride. When the bus driver did finally tell us it was time for us to get off, we left the bus and watched the tail lights fade into the distance as we looked to around to see nothing. And I do mean NOTHING. It was pitch black dark and there were no street lamps around to light the way. We had no idea where we were and could not even see a single sign noting where this hostel might be. All I knew was that we were on a dark, dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Finally, after digging for my headlamp in my bag and flashing it here, there and everywhere to find some sort of sign, we saw a glimmer of light in the distance - our hostel! Victory achieved:)! Once again, we found ourselves at a gorgeous hostel at the end of the road in the middle of nowhere (this time at the base of the Andes) and basically had the place to ourselves. And, once again, Jenny used her super awesome social skills to make friends with the owners and their friends - all of whom were lawyers from Mendoza - who were staying for the weekend. We were invited to join them at a barbecue and later to play poker and drink copious amounts of their favorite alcoholic drink (whose name currently escapes me). The night ended with Nina taking over the kitchen to cook dinner for everyone with Nico, her new Argentinian lawyer friend, and watching an Argentinian soccer game. We are loving traveling in the off season to far away hostels where the only other occupants seem to be locals!
Yesterday, we laid around for awhile until we could work up the motivation to take a jaunt out into the cold and rain to explore the surrounding hills. We bushwhacked our way up the thorny hillside to be greeted with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains. Then it was back on the bumpy bus and back to Mendoza where my cheap self lead us to the roach motel/soviet prison camp to sleep for the night. Jenny and Nina were troopers and assured me that while they were not "thrilled," they were willing to find humor in the situation. We decided that this experience has been all about living, learning, and hoping that we dont make the same mistakes twice. And I, personally, have decided that while I may be cheap, from now on, I will have to draw the line when it comes to my sleeping arrangements. Ive also learned the hard way what many people warned me beforehand (so here´s the lesson for future traveleres out there ) - ASK to see the room BEFORE paying. But alas, we made it through the night and, really, it wasnt all that bad. We had a great dinner, yummy pie for dessert, and all woke up laughing at 5 am when a fellow boarder started snoring so loudly that I swear the beds began to shake. Jenny gave him a nice thwack to the head which shut him up, and I rolled back over with a smile on my face thinking, "What else is there to do but smile and laugh at our situation?!" Nina and I enjoyed a beautiful run through the park and now the blonde-oh-sans are off exploring the nearby vineyards while I make preparations for our next adventure. Tonight we bus it to a small town north of Cordoba and then Jenny and I head on to Iguazu Falls after bidding adieu to Nina who must head back to Buenos Aires to catch her flight on Saturday night. It´s quite sad to think our time together is coming to an end, but for now, we focus on the here and now! Viva!
So here I am again after a brief jaunt back West into the Andes to get another taste of those gorgeous montañas - amazing! We were not really sure where we were going as the book has little information on the town of Potrerillos. All we knew was it was a small town and in the mountains. So we boarded the bus, asked the driver to please tell us when to get off, and settled in for a slow, bumpy ride. When the bus driver did finally tell us it was time for us to get off, we left the bus and watched the tail lights fade into the distance as we looked to around to see nothing. And I do mean NOTHING. It was pitch black dark and there were no street lamps around to light the way. We had no idea where we were and could not even see a single sign noting where this hostel might be. All I knew was that we were on a dark, dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Finally, after digging for my headlamp in my bag and flashing it here, there and everywhere to find some sort of sign, we saw a glimmer of light in the distance - our hostel! Victory achieved:)! Once again, we found ourselves at a gorgeous hostel at the end of the road in the middle of nowhere (this time at the base of the Andes) and basically had the place to ourselves. And, once again, Jenny used her super awesome social skills to make friends with the owners and their friends - all of whom were lawyers from Mendoza - who were staying for the weekend. We were invited to join them at a barbecue and later to play poker and drink copious amounts of their favorite alcoholic drink (whose name currently escapes me). The night ended with Nina taking over the kitchen to cook dinner for everyone with Nico, her new Argentinian lawyer friend, and watching an Argentinian soccer game. We are loving traveling in the off season to far away hostels where the only other occupants seem to be locals!
Yesterday, we laid around for awhile until we could work up the motivation to take a jaunt out into the cold and rain to explore the surrounding hills. We bushwhacked our way up the thorny hillside to be greeted with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains. Then it was back on the bumpy bus and back to Mendoza where my cheap self lead us to the roach motel/soviet prison camp to sleep for the night. Jenny and Nina were troopers and assured me that while they were not "thrilled," they were willing to find humor in the situation. We decided that this experience has been all about living, learning, and hoping that we dont make the same mistakes twice. And I, personally, have decided that while I may be cheap, from now on, I will have to draw the line when it comes to my sleeping arrangements. Ive also learned the hard way what many people warned me beforehand (so here´s the lesson for future traveleres out there ) - ASK to see the room BEFORE paying. But alas, we made it through the night and, really, it wasnt all that bad. We had a great dinner, yummy pie for dessert, and all woke up laughing at 5 am when a fellow boarder started snoring so loudly that I swear the beds began to shake. Jenny gave him a nice thwack to the head which shut him up, and I rolled back over with a smile on my face thinking, "What else is there to do but smile and laugh at our situation?!" Nina and I enjoyed a beautiful run through the park and now the blonde-oh-sans are off exploring the nearby vineyards while I make preparations for our next adventure. Tonight we bus it to a small town north of Cordoba and then Jenny and I head on to Iguazu Falls after bidding adieu to Nina who must head back to Buenos Aires to catch her flight on Saturday night. It´s quite sad to think our time together is coming to an end, but for now, we focus on the here and now! Viva!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
