Let the Adventures Begin...

Time, PLEASE, slow down! It has been almost a month since my last update--and the entire flow of my trip has shifted. I finished my three month program the last week of April--now I only have one more class until I have my spanish minor! Pretty incredible that spending 7 weeks enrolled in a university in Argentina will allow me to get a minor. I keep questioning the system--how does two months of school and one month of traveling through Patagonia equate to getting 15 credits? I have no idea, but it works out well for me.

Also--Just going to give a quick shout out to the amazing group of 11 that I traveled with! I love every single one of you, and without you the trip would have been completly different. You made my experience in Argentina truly amazing. I feel so lucky that we were able to be together almost every day for three straight months, and not get sick of each other. As for Mama Maria, you were so helpful throughout our trip. Thank you for planning all of Patagoina--because of you, I am planning on living in Bariloche at some point in my life.

Our Last Dinner--Mama Maria opening her present--photos of her children!

After the program ended, I spent the weekend saying good bye to the amazing friends I made in Buenos Aires. Thankfully I get to go back to BA for the month of July, and all the great people I met will still be there! So I guess it wasn't truly a goodbye--more like a "see you later." 

On Sunday April 29th, my partner in crime and I hopped on a bus to northern Argentina--our first stop being Iguazu Falls. Since my arrival in Argentina, Iguazu Falls have been on the top of my list to visit.  I heard it was a wonderland--full of rainbows, flowing water, and lush forests. Yet, words can not explain how incrediblejawdroppingfantastic the falls are. Pictures do not do any justice to what the falls actually look like. The immensity of how much water is flowing is unreal. Everywhere you look there is a different waterfall dropping off the edge of the earth. 

We spent two days in Iguazu, wandering the park and meeting up with friends. Afterwards, we took a 23 hour bus ride into central Argentina, a city called Tucuman. We only spent 14 hours in the city, before we took another bus to Salta.

Casa de Gobierno--Tucuman

Our original plan was to only spend two days in Salta, and then take a bus an hour and a half north to the town of San Salvador de Jujuy. Because we were staying in a super cool hostel, with great people, we decided to stay in Salta for three days. Our first day we went bungee jumping at Cabra Coral, a beautiful lake two hours away from Salta. We also took a Gondola ride up to the top of a mountain to look over the city. 

Salta

El Lago

Even though this lake is beautiful, my legs were attacked by little brown bugs. I now have 14 bug bites scattered across my calves. These aren't normal bug bites either--my legs look quite deformed. 

The next day we ran some errands--I finally got my hair cut! It was the cheapest hair cut I have ever received. It was 20 pesos which equals to about four dollars. I appreciated this rest day. I felt like we had been going and hardly sleeping. Most of our "sleep time" was spent on busses.  My sleep is now judged off of quality, not quantity. 

We went on a full day tour that took place in the North of Salta. We stopped in so many beautiful places. The landscape here is mind blowing--the dessert, all the cacti, the different colors of rocks, the formations...I have never been to Southern Utah, so I have yet to see rocks of these shapes and colors. 

La montana de Siete colores

La montana se llama: Los Pinturos 

There is something surreal about traveling with a pack on your back, no plans, completely open to the road. This is the first time I have done something like this. It feels liberating. Though I am traveling with one other girl, we have met so many other back packers. It is strange, almost anyone with a pack on their back can be considered a friend. Every traveller is willing to help out a fellow venturer. We are all apart of one big extended crazy family. It's strange though--people I spend full days with, I will most likely never see again. I guess it is all apart of the experience.

After leaving Salta, we took a bus to the border of Bolivia. I have now been in Bolivia for two days, and they have been the craziest yet. However, this will be for another post..

Right side Argentina, Left side Bolivia!

Besos,

J

Vamos Che!

As I sit here in my newly acquired denim/patch work vest, I reflect on the past two and half months.  While I was still in the States, planning my trip, I distinctly divided my 6 months in South America into 2 halves. The first three months were dedicated to the program I am currently in. Travel Patagonia for one month, go to school for two months, get a Spanish minor. Sweet. The second three months of my trip were going to be me versus South America. I have now figured out a more solid plan for my last three months--but holy shmokes, the second three months are here!


I have eight days left of school. EIGHT. Where did the time go? I look back at when I boarded the plane from Jackson, that seems like yesterday.  I can not believe how quickly time is moving by. It is being ripped from grip, and I can't stop it. I want to press pause, live in this wonderland forever, endlessly speak spanish, feel free from obligation. I know I still have three months left, but I feel like I need to grasp at every second. There is so much to do in this country, I guess no amount of time is long enough to conquer all of South America. Unless I never come back. MUAHAHAH. Chistes, Chistes (mom, I'm coming home, don't you worry!)


Though I fear not being able to see everything South America has to offer, I have done some pretty amazing things since I have been here. Especially in these past couple of weeks. Last weekend, for Semana Santa, I travelled North 10 hours to visit my friend Luke in Argentina's second biggest city, Córdoba.He is a great friend of mine from Missoula. We did some pretty spectacular things together. We went zip lining, river swimmin, and sky diving! 

La Tirolesa

Luke and I

Gettttting all prepped up and ready to go!

This poster was hanging above the front desk.  We asked why they had a poster from U of M, the school we attend. The guy in the left corner of this poster, with the parachute, is one of the men who used to land in the middle of the field before football games started.  He now lives in Cordoba, and has jumped with this company many times. Just goes to show how incredibly small this world is!

Best 32 seconds of my life weeeeeee!

I also went to El Tigre, an hour train ride from Buenos Aires. This city revolves around the river.  It is a place where Portenos go to experience a bit of nature. For someone that has never been fortunate enough to experience the real outdoors, I can see how this place may resemble a nature-esque scene. In my eyes, this place was nothing like the wild outdoors I'm surrounded by at home. Yes, there was a river--brown,rough,trash infested. There was no way I was going swimming in that. And from the looks of it, no one else dared to enter. Boats were speeding by each other, passing so close you could high five the other passengers. I think the only people willing to take a swim in that river would be those asking for a death wish.

The very nice Train Station

House in a glass box? Que Pasa?!

 It was hard to capture the insanity of the river, but here is my attempt.  On a narrow river there were motor boats, jet skis, kayakers, large yachts, transporters all trying to get through. 

I also spent a lot of time wandering around Buenos Aires.  The city is huge. Made up of 48 different neighborhoods. I spend most of my time in Recoleta, where I live and go to school.  Recoleta is known for its cemetery, which holds many of Argentina's prominent figures.  One being Eva Peron. The cemetery is like nothing I've seen before. I guess I haven't been to many cemetery's, so I don't have much to compare this to. Crooked rows of tombs, winding their way around.  Some reach up to 8 meters deep. Generations of families lie in one tomb.  Some tombs are cared for meticulously, the marble so clean you can see your reflection. Others have been left to whither away. Broken hinges on doors symbol a perfect place for a homeless man to rest his head. Spiderwebs form as intricate designs as the buildings themselves.

I also wandered through the botanical garden of Buenos Aires. A lush way to escape from the sometimes harsh feel of the city.

I also went to dinner at the Argentine Experience--something I recommend if any of you are planning on coming to BA. We learned all about Argentine delicacies. How to make empanadas and alfajores, meanings of some obscure hand gestures (which the Argentines are obsessed with), drank delicious wine, and ate the most delicious steak ever.

Every Saturday and Sunday Recoleta has a market.  It is almost comparable to the Saturday morning market in the zoo--almost.  It lacks all of the fresh food. But this is the closest Buenos Aires comes to feeling like Missoula.  Artisan crafts, juice stands, and chorro stands stretch until the eye can no longer see. Friends hang out in the field, drinking Yerba and chatting. Musicians are scattered about--everything from jazz to bluegrass to tango. It is a lovely scene, but dangerous for the wallet.

Another Missoula-esque item...

 

There is still so much to do in Buenos Aires. Someone would have to live here for at least ten years to do all of the amazing thing this city offers. Though I have only experienced a sliver of this city, I am so grateful for everything I have done. I can't even begin to thank my parents enough for letting my go on this mindblowinglycrazmazingawesomtastic adventure. 


With only two weeks left of school, I have finals to get prepared for! 


Besos,
J

Big City Living for a Small Town Girl

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since my last update--sorry about that! I have been so busy adapting to the new life I am living and haven't really had time to breathe! I think the city is starting to rub off on me a little bit--the need to go go go! But I love it. As of now, I am on what I hope to be the first of my many adventures down south. I am on an omnibus to Pinamar--a beach five hours south of Buenos Aires.  Though I am spending only a quick two months in BA, I was already eager to get out and explore the surrounding areas.  Plus, beach season is coming to an end, and I couldn't pass up a chance to journey to one of the Porteno summer hang outs.

So much has happened since I have been in this lovely city. Something that I have noticed--the major changes I never thought I would get used to, I am now very used to. The daily schedule of a Porteno is very different then a regular day in America.  You wake up, leisurely, around nine--I normally stretch this out until ten. Then, you drink some mate or coffee, and maybe eat a piece of pan, or more commonly, a medialuna.  Breakfast is a very undervalued meal.  I find myself craving waffles, bacon, eggs, hash brown, pancakes, oatmeal...but those luxury items don't really exist down here.

Then the day starts. I leave the apartment and take the elevator down to the first floor. This is not an elevator like these ones we are used to in the states.  They have the sliding doors that you have to close, and only fit two people.  As i leave, i say ciao to the portero (the guy that sits at a table "guarding" the building).  School is only a twenty minute walk.  During these twenty minutes the noise of the ciy fills my ears. When I walk to school in Missoula--silence. More bikes than cars pass, the only "busy" street I have to wait to cross is Higgins. In the city, you walk to the door and are instantly in a swarm of people rushing to get to whothehellknows where.  When I walk, I am used to having space. I used to think being on U of M campus around 12, right after class gets out, was hectic.  Having to dodge people/bikers left and right. Here, it is that feeling x 10. people are on a mission.  If you don't lean your shoulder out of the way at the perfect moment, you will end up on the ground. It is almost as if everyone is playing the game chicken. Who is going to move out of the way first? You, me, you, me...my heart starts to race, and it tends to be me that ducks out of the way,

I get back from school around 6pm, hungry. But wait--dinner isn't until 9pm.  I busy myself with homework, and the gym.  They offer the most amazing spin classes I have ever been to. They turn off all of the lights, and put on a blue laser light. Crazy, trashy techno music is blairing out of the speakers.  These people like to party.  By the time dinner roles around I am starving. Rosario, my host mom, makes the most delicious meals! Then, on the days I go out, I wait until 12 or 1am to meet up with friends. And this is only to go out to the bars.  When we're going to a boilche, we leave at 2 or 4 in the morning.  This means I don't get home, and into bed until 7! At first, I thought this was ridiculous--i was falling asleep by 4::30.  Now there, is something about walking back from an amazing night, seeing the sun rise...


Other little difference--the police cars drive with their flashing lights on. at all times. Whenever I am driving in a taxi, I feel like we are getting pulled over. I begin to wonder why the driver doesn't move to the side of the road. I then remember that the police just keep their lights on--why? I have no idea.

Drinking. You can drink anywhere at anytime and not be looked at like you're an alcholic. Glass of wine at 11am--sure! Caipirina with a snack--why not? (this is an amazing brazilian drink that they serve all over here) My friend asked me to get her a beer while we were waiting for this bus. Within the terminal, a man passed me pushing a hotdog cart, which also sold beer.  I politely asked for a can of Quilmes, and after the ten peso exchange, I had th beer in my hand, open for the world to see.  It felt odd. He also asked if I wanted a straw for my beer--no matter what drink, the portenos always use a straw. I returned to my friend with her beer, and she cracked it open. Completly normal.

I went tp the zoo the other day. I cant remember the last time I was at the zoo--back when I lived in Michigan? It was nice in the way that it felt like a little oasis away from the city. Even though it was right in the middle of BA. You looked in the cage, saw an elephant, then looked above at the towering buildings. It was also so sad. Having traveled to Africa two years ago, I was fortunate enough to see most of these aniamls in the wild. free. alive with energy of survival. In the zoo, the animals were fat, had no muscle, lazy, and barely moving.  The look in their eyes, espesially the elephant (my favorit animal!) was so sad.

Here is a sad zebra, waiting to get fed by the tourists

 Sad Elephant, stuck in a cage

Here are the happy, wild Zebras (Masai Mara, Kenya)

Here is a rogue, male elephant--he stormed our car. Nevertheless, he is free to roam wherever he feels (Samburu National Park, Kenya)

As I look out the window of the bus I see stars! These are the first stars I have seen since I left Patagonia--feels refreshing. I do miss the stars.  It is a comforitng feeling knowing i will be in a place without tall buildings, bright lights, and loud noises. Though I love love love BA, I am learning that I am a country gal. I yearn for the stars, and the ability to see horizion, to watch the sunset everynight, and breathe fresh air. The city life is osmething I want to experience, but not place I will settle down in.

I guess it is time to start my first paper.  I have only been putting it off for three days. Analyzing the story El Sur by Borges  A beautiful story to read, and write about in English--the whole spanish part is going to be a bit tricky.  My Spanish has improved immensely. I can't believe how much I have learned, and how quickly my ability to hold a full conversation has appeared. However, i am not quite sure that I have the vocabulary to write a philosophical paper.  Wish my luck!

P.S. the mosquitoes have been attacking me non stop since my arrival to Argentina. With just my luck, I was bit on my eyelid this morning--how you may ask, I have no idea.

Besos,
J.

Siesta Fiesta

I have now been in Buenos Aires for over a week, and so far so good.  Feeling a bit like a country bumpkin, the city streets, towering buildings, constant ruckus, thousands of people, invisible horizon are a bit foreign to me. Missoula is the biggest "city" I have ever lived in. And to be honest, I was scared.  In preparation of living in BA, I was told that people are mean--that it's a dog eat dog world on the city streets. This is somewhat true.  Unlike Missoula, if cars stopped every time someone wanted to cross the street, the cars would never move.  Though somehow, there is an elegant flow to the city.  The taxis dance around the collectivos (public busses), who miraculously avoid hitting the people waltzing across the street.  Through the chaos, there is serenity that can not be explained.

I have also begun my classes! I am taking a spanish literature class, which seems like it is going to be more like a philosophy class.  On the first day, my professor said, "aqui esta una mesa, pero que es la esencia de la mesa?" (Here is a table, but what is the essence of the table)...this should be a fairly interesting class to decipher in spanish!

Drinking mate and listening to great music while reading Jorge Luis Borges...

Along with school, there are a bajillion other things to do in this city! I went to a futbol game--Boca vs. San Lorenzo.  I have never experienced anything like this before.  In the US, I am not a sports person. I could honestly care less about who wins the Super Bowl, or the Stanley Cup or any other sports award for the matter..but when watching this futbol game, something sparked in me--and I cared.  I wanted San Lorenzo to WIN.  The crowd around me was filled with so much passion towards San Lorenzo you could practically feel the intensity in the air. This is not just a team, this is their lives. Watching the crowd was more interesting then watching the game.  The immense love these people had for their team was inspiring. 

Sitting in the sun and humidity for 6 hours.  This is how they cooled down the crowds--a power hose.  They also do not sell water in the stadium, a health hazard if you ask me.  Someone in our group fainted from heat stroke, and we had to give her coca cola. 

The crazy crazy crowds!

At the end of the game, they rolled down the San Lorenzo flag, it covered an entire section of the stands.

Almost every fan had tattoo's like this--expressing their love for San Lorenzo!

After the killer humidity/sun, the moon decided to show his face

We also went to a theatre, turned book store.  A very beautiful book store--three full stories. We spent a couple of hours wandering through, trying to test our spanish knowledge in the pre-teen section, slowly moving up to best sellers, and ending with an incredible photography book of Hielo (ice).  The tetons were featured three times!

I also went to La Boca, another barrio in Buenos Aires. It was the first port of Buenos Aires, and because of this, the european influence is very strong.  It is also known for its brightly colored buildings, painted this way because of the immigrants who settled along Riachuelo (the river that runs through La Boca) splashed left over paint from the boats onto the metal sidings of their houses.

Overall, I am in love with this city. The people I have met, the late dinners, dancing all night, watching the sun rise...I am even beginning to enjoy the humidity.  I am now off to the Recoleta artisan market--live music, mate, and amazing artisan crafts!

Besos,

J 

Chapter Six: Puerto Madryn--Summary of my Patagonia Trip

Puerto Madryn, a city located off the Atlantic Ocean, was my last stop in Patagonia.  Having completed zero research on this city, I had no idea what to expect. However, without a doubt, I was pleasantly surprised.  Having been surrounded by mountains in the previous towns, I was expecting mountains--instead, I got a beach town! When we arrived, you could instantly smell the aroma of ocean. Accompanying this smell was a deep, salty smell of seaweed.  In the summer months, tons of red seaweed wash up onto the shore.  This leaves a lingering scent of what most people think of as nasty.  I, however, LOVE that smell.  It reminds me of New Jersey.  For those of you that don't know, my family has a place on the Jersey Shore--and no it is NOTHING like the TV show.  Don't judge, it's actually a very nice place to spend summers! But, back to the smell.  You take a deep breath in, and it is a mix of humidity, marshy, salty, damp air. Sounds gross, huh? But it is refreshing-- laughter-filled memories flood my mind when I get whiff of this scent. So of course, my love for Puerto Madryn happened at first smell!

The first full day in Puerto Madryn was spent confined within the walls of the hostel.  I woke up at 7:30 hoping to travel to Peninsula Valdez.  Fail.  I guess the luck I've had with weather couldn't last the whole trip. The first time in twenty five days it rained. No--poured.  ALL DAY.  I was going crazy.  I drank 8 cups of mate and was literally bouncing off the walls. I just wanted to play on the beach! Instead, I watched Finding Nemo, played many card games, and ate cookies. All in all, not to bad of a day.


Finally, the rain stopped and the sun began to shine.  We headed off to Peninsula Valdez accompanied by a tour guide named Maria.  Though I am not a fluent Spanish speaker--I understand almost everything.  Maria didn't seem to think so, and spoke to our entire group as if we were six years old.  It got real annoying real fast. For the most part, I tuned out her high pitch, slow sounding voice.  Nonetheless I saw some pretty spectacular things--wildlife! Puerto Madryn is known for their heavy focus on ecological reserves, as well as wildlife preserves.  Also, aluminum mining--but I didn't see much of this, only the outside of the factory.  We started off with a tour of the EcoCentro--mainly focusing on Right Wales. Peninsula Valdez hosts the largest breeding area of Right Wales.

Mimicking the mouth of a whale...felt more like an entrance to a discoteca! 

Right Whale Skeleton 

Thought this was a silly sign...whale beards.

The adventure continued as we made our way to the coast. Alas, Elefantes Morinos! We watched on as they played in the water, relaxed on the beach, and fought with each other (elephant seals love to battle with each other as an activity).  But mostly they looked like they were dead--laying on top of each other, hardly moving-- it was decided that seals are the siesta masters.

(my camera with the big zoom is dead, so this is the best I got--Sorry!)

We also saw Penguinos--silly little creatures!

On a random side note, it was a two hour drive from the hostel to Peninsula Valdez.  Rather then passing the time by dozing off, I FINALLY learned how to french braid my hair. It has only taken me twenty years to learn--pathetic!

Since our original tour was cancelled, we pushed back our second tour to the day we left.  This meant we had to wake up at 5am in order to have enough time to go to Punto Tombo and then make it back to town to catch our 3 o'clock bus back to BA. It was totally worth it! We spent the entire morning on the wildlife preserve.  We saw thousands of Penguinos, herds of Guanacos, Armadillos, Cuis Cuis, Albatros, Choiques, Elephant Seals, and Sea Lions! The reserve was mainly focused on the Penguinos, however, there were different  animals everywhere you looked.  A truly incredible way to bring a close to my travels.

I was lucky enough to see some jaw-dropping sand art!  This was on a different beach in a town called Puerto Piramides.

Watching this man create a woman out of nothing was a strange experience.  I felt as though I was watching a really intimate moment between the artist and his lover.  From the sand, rose the perfect image of a woman lying on her stomach.  The way he manipulated the sand was breath taking.  One second, people were playing futbol, trampling over the ground where there was soon to be a silhouette of a woman. And this man knew his lady.  He meticulously carved out each line, not forgetting any detail from her hair all the way down to her toes.

More Penguinos on Punto Tombo

Guanacos! 

My other camera ended up dying in the middle of the morning, so I am lacking on the pictures of all the wildlife I saw. 

Patagonia: Salud, Dinero, Amor y Timepo Para Disfrutar!

An Argentine cheer: Health, Money, Love and Time to Enjoy it!

Now, I am going to try and bring to a close the amazing three and a half weeks I spent living out of my pack, eating salami and cheese, talking to people from all over the world, sitting on many long bus rides, laughing until my abs couldn't take it, tasting delicious chocolate, drinking good wine, cheap beer, swimming in cold cold cold lakes, trekking up numerous trails, speaking spanish, drinking mate, making friends I knew I would never see again, exchanging stories about our different home countries, broken buses on Ruta 40, sleeping on rocks for pillows-well not actually, but the pillows in most of the hostels were comparable to a brick, sharing one bathroom between 12 people, floating in the ocean, getting sun burnt--kind of tan--then peeling, seeing the natural wonders that make up Patagonia, and not having a worry in the world! 

I have been in Argentina for a month already.  It seems as though I have been here for a year with all of the things I have done.  It is amazing how quickly time flies by. It scares me, I feel like I still have so much to do and the next five months are not going to be a legitimate amount of time. I could spend a full year in Patagonia and still have more to see. 

I felt so at home in Patagonia, mainly Bariloche and El Calafte. I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, surrounded by mountains and people seeking out adventure.  Patagonia encompasses this feeling.  You can see adventure etched onto the faces of the locals. In an instant, the locals jump to help the people who are passing through each town--eager to climb the towering peak, kayak the roughest rivers, bike up the infinite pass. If you are a lazy, unmotivated, boring person--Patagonia is not for you. Along with the scenery, I feel as though the mindset of Patagonia is in line with my own.  I am not the one to sit around, and let an opportunity pass me by. I have an eager personality, I like to journey around--and feel as though I have conquered the world.  In each of the six places I visited, I experienced this feeling.  Elation. Pure happiness that stemmed from genuine exploration. 

Traveling through Patagonia has left me with an urge to keep going.  I thought my travel bug would be cured with a dose of Bariloche, Esquel, El Calafate, El Chalten, Perito Moreno, and Puerto Madryn, but no!  This world holds to many jaw-dropping, eye-popping places that I need to see.  It surprised me how comfortable I was with traveling from town to town. Maybe my future contains a life on the road...

It was hard to decide, but here are my favorite pictures from each place I stopped:

 These may be repeats from my other posts, but I needed to do this for my sanity. I took over 400 pictures whilst down south! 

Las Cuevas de Los Manos- Perito Moreno

Cerro Torre- El Chalten 

Perrito Moreno Glacier- El Calafate

El Lago Nahuel Huapi- Bariloche

Parque Nacional de los Alerces- Esquel 

Well, I'm back in Buenos Aires and am excited as ever! This will be my first time taking on the city, and I'm hoping that I'm ready for it. Though there are no mountains to climb, or lakes to swim in--there is a huge cultural port right outside my door. Museums, milongas, theaters, discotecas, plazas, cafes, shops, markets, and beautiful people are scattered through the city awaiting my presence! Yesterday I took on the challenge of public transportation. I took the subte and the busses!!  For those of you that don't know, I am directionally impaired. As my parents say, I could "get lost in a plastic bag."  Hopefully the direction gods are on my side so I don't get TO dangerously lost in the city of four million people. 

Tomorrow I move in with my host family!  It will be nice to unpack, and do laundry. Settle down a little bit. Get into a routine. This also means I have an address! I would love to hear from everyone stateside. So if you get bored of studying, don't want to go to class, sick of the dreary weather--write me a postcard! 

Ayacucho 1570- Piso 2 "A"

Capital Federal

ARGENTINA 

Besos,

J.