Right now mom and I are waiting for our return flight to Buenos Aires at the Mendoza airport. The airport has 4 gates and security checks aren’t exactly the same as they are in the states. I’m pretty sure they would allow me to bring a weapon on the flight as long as I was polite about it and smiled. Instead of a weapon, however, we are boarding the flight with wine as our carry on. I don’t know if that would be permitted in the states, but people have been looking at me funny when I ask if bringing wine as a carry on is permitted. They have this look as if saying “well duh, why wouldn’t it be”.
Our trip to Mendoza ended just as well as it began. Yesterday we rented a cab driver for the entire day and drove through different parts of the Andes. We also found time to stop at a local bodega (vineyard). It was a real treat to drive through the different sections of the Andes and see the different terrain. Parts were covered with snow while other parts had grass. It was also neat because we stopped in a city that had some interesting history. This particular city was where General San Martin, who is also known here as “el libertador” or the liberator, set up a refuge camp and planned his route through the mountains. He took his army of thousands (including horses, cannons, and camp necessities) through the mountain terrain to meet and fight the Spaniards. Spain had a tyrant rule over Argentina at that time, but General San Martin took his troops through the Andes, defeated them, and earned his countrymen independence. I posted some pictures of the refuge camp, still kept in tact after all this time. General San Martin is one of the biggest heroes in all of Argentina, there are about 4 or 5 monuments/statues of him in the city, and anything even associated with him is considered a landmark. It was interesting to think that he planned his attack from the very spot we were at, but it was also interesting to think that he took thousands of troops through the mountains. Each year about 6 or 7 experienced climbers die trying to climb the Andes. I don’t know how he was able to lead thousands of soldiers through the human cemetery.
After driving through the Andes we stopped at a bodega named Landelia. This particular vineyard is owned by a Swiss millionaire who also owns wineries in Napa Valley and Australia. His winery in Mendoza is very new, 3 years old I think, but because of his past winery experience he was able to create a new one which is built for success. It is far from a typical mom and pop run operation. It had equipment that was said to be top of the line, experts working there from all over the world, and barrels that are only allowed to be used 2-3 times before selling them (who could possibly fathom drinking wine from a barrel that had been used more than 3 times?). Mom and I took a tour through the factory and were quite impressed, but not nearly as impressed as we were after trying the wine. I am far from a wine expert (my preference is the cheapest beer available), but I felt like I knew a thing or two after taking the tour. It’s too bad though, when I return home I won’t be able to live like a king anymore, its back to Miller Lite. Anyways, the wine tour/tasting combination was definitely a good experience and the day was very fun.
On a side note, the hotel that we stayed in while in Mendoza was nothing shy of perfect. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, the food they prepared was delicious, the other guests that spoke English were very fun to talk to, and all in all, the place really made us feel at home. For one hundred dollars a night it seemed like quite the steal. I would consider going back to Mendoza just to stay at the hotel again.
Today mom and I rented bicycles for the day and got a better look at surrounding area. All of the bodegas were closed so we didn’t have a chance to do any more wine tasting, but it was fun to just be outside and enjoy the scenery. It’s not everyday that I can look up and see the Andes. Today we also got to try some traditional Argentine cuisine. The chef, Juan, cooks a traditional Argentine meal every Sunday and even though we had already eaten lunch, he still let us try some of his masterpiece. The main meat was goat, something I had never eaten before, but it actually was quite tasty. I also enjoyed a fresh grilled garlic clove. People probably kept their space from me after eating the time bomb, but I had to try all of Juan’s traditional cuisine. We also bought a bottle of wine from the vineyard we had visited the previous day, so it was a perfect time to enjoy that. All in all, it was a quiet, peaceful, relaxing day.
If anyone has a week to travel someplace new, I would definitely suggest Mendoza. It truly has something for everyone. If you are looking for an active vacation you can go fly fishing, climbing, rafting and skiing. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation you can go wine tasting, tour the Andes, stroll through the charming towns and enjoy fabulous food. If you are looking for a vacation somewhere in the middle, well, you can do a few things from column A and a few things from column B. Mom and I really had a nice time in Mendoza. Hopefully I will be able to return sometime in the future when my Spanish is a bit better.
Oh, P.S. If you have lost the link to my picture website its http://picasaweb.google.com/ford0198 Enjoy!
Buenas Noches
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Mom's here
I would be lying if I were to say I knew what the date is. I’m getting a little confused about dates and other logistical informational that would be pertinent to the success of my final week, but what can one do? What I do know is that the trip should end on a high note.
My mom arrived in Buenos Aires Tuesday morning and things started out a bit shaky. Even though I got up at 545 am to ensure that I wouldn’t be late getting to the airport, I somehow managed to arrive an hour late. The subway was closed, the buses took longer than planned, the airport was temporarily closed because the Argentina national soccer team (who are equally as popular here as all of the American boy bands combined) arrived back home after placing second in the American Cup, and just as luck would have it, mom was on the same flight as the boys in blue. It was quite the time finding her in the airport with hundreds of screaming fans, most of which whom were singing and beating on some sort of drum, but somehow we managed. It’s a good thing, too. She speaks no Spanish and didn’t even know the name of our hotel.
When I finally found mom we checked into our hotel and hit the city. She got to meet my host mother, Maria, and the two of them got along very well. After the informal meeting I took mom out to see an area of town I live in called Recoletta. We stopped by the cemetery and saw the tomb of Eva Peron, or “Evita” as most of you probably know her as. After seeing a few other sites (one of which included seeing the new Harry Potter movie), we concluded the evening with a good meal cooked by Maria. Mom got to taste some authentic Argentine pasta and enjoy a nice meal with Maria and Oscar. Oscar speaks no English and mom speaks no Spanish, so the conversations were interesting to say the least, but it was fun.
The next day we got up and saw some of the more historical sites Buenos Aires has to offer. They have many interesting monuments, statues, buildings, etc. so it was good that she got to see some of that stuff. I will post some of the pictures to give you all an idea of what we saw. We also ended up in a part of town called “La Boca” which literally means “the mouth”. La Boca is very interesting because of the buildings that reside inside of the neighborhood. They are pretty much all different colors, but not just your typical pastel. I’m talking about bright colors that really jump out. It’s a very touristy area, so of course we got harassed by many street vendors, but all in all is was a fascinating part of town to see. La Boca is also noted for having the best soccer team in Argentina (they are equivalent to the New York Yankees of Argentine soccer). There stadium is one of the bigger stadiums in all of Argentina, and a funny story has to deal with one of their sponsors, Coca Cola. Coke is huge in Argentina. Their billboards hang all over the city. The problem is the typical Coca Cola colors are not permitted in the Boca stadium because they are the same colors as Boca’s biggest rival, River Plate. The whole neighborhood in La Boca is prohibited from putting up any of the River colors. It may sound funny, but the people of La Boca are so serious about their team. So, needless to say, Coke had to use different colors on their billboard in La Boca stadium.
After our adventure in La Boca, we saw a few other sites that BA has to offer, but the real story is what happened that night. Maria, Oscar, mom and I all had a reservation to see a real Argentina tango show, a show I had been looking forward to seeing for awhile. Problems arose, however, when we got to the show. Maria had a coupon so we would be able to see the show for a discounted rate (they usually run very expensive), but when we got there we learned that the coupon was not valid for non Argentines, and instead, we would have to pay 8 times as much as they would. It’s ridiculous, but it’s Argentina. Foreigners usually have to pay more for things, but this was a bit excessive. As we were getting ready to leave (there is no way we were going to pay 8x as much), Maria somehow worked here magic with the manager and got us a discounted rate. We got to see the show, which was absolutely spectacular, while enjoying a three course meal with a bottle of wine for a reasonable rate. And for those of you who have never seen a tango show, you don’t know what you are missing. It was incredible. There were four excellent tango groups, two singers with very nice voices, a dude who played the mandolin, two different types of flutes and sang, and two gaucho drummers. I don’t know if I will be able to justly explain the gaucho drummers. They were unlike anything I have ever seen, but I will try. They started just playing the drums, doing some tricks and dancing a bit, but then things got really interesting. They had these ropes with hard leather balls on each end and used the leather balls as mallets. They spun the ropes very fast, but all the while keeping a beat with the leather balls smacking the floor. Basically, these devices were used as drum sticks and the floor was the drum, but what was so cool about it was how fast they were spinning the ropes, and the tricks there were doing with them, as well. I wish I could explain it better, but you will have to take my word that it was very, very cool. So all in all, the day and evening were both very successful. I was very pleased to finally see a tango show.
The next day, which I am guessing was Thursday, was packed tightly with site seeing. We started the day touring other parts of the city that mom hadn’t seen and ended up wandering across some very neat areas. First, while walking through a park near our hotel, we saw a film being shot. It was very interesting because I have never seen a movie being made in the states, and I never dreamed about seeing one made in Argentina. The process was very elaborate, but as it turns out, I think they were just shooting a lousy soap opera. Regardless, it was fun to watch for awhile. Next, we came across a Japanese garden. Like the filming process, I never thought I would see a Japanese garden while in Argentina, but it was really cool. Mom, who as many of you know loves flowers, really enjoyed the garden. After that we went on a guided bus tour of Buenos Aires which was fantastic. Our guide had a ton of personality and was able to give the tour in Spanish and English. It was really nice to get some history of the significance of the buildings in Buenos Aires. Some of the buildings I had seen many times but never knew their significance. The trip was also fun for mom because a Brazilian woman told her she looks like Jane Fonda. I thought I would be able to understand Portuguese because of its similarities to Spanish, but I didn’t catch a word of what she said. We had to use her young daughter as a translator, because realistically, any family that has enough money to travel probably sends their kids to private school where English is taught. When the day was finished I was confident I had shown mom every major part of the city. She now has the history down, next is the language.
Today has been a very long, interesting, jam packed day. It started at 6 am when we left for the airport to start our voyage to Mendoza. The only problem is that our cab driver and I weren’t on the same page. He thought I said international airport instead of national airport. When we got on the highway I knew we were going to have some problems as the airport is less than 10 miles from the hotel. To make a long story short, we made our flight only by a couple of minutes. I was a frantic lunatic, but that just happens sometimes when in a foreign country and unable to convey important information. Moral of the story is that we made it to Mendoza and had a wonderful day today. Mendoza overlooks the Andes mountain range and is noted for being the wine capital of the state. Today, however, we explored the heart of the city. It is much smaller than Buenos Aires, which is nice, and it has a great atmosphere. The people are extremely friendly, the air is crisp, and it has a very homey feel. It’s quite a change coming from such a big city, but one that I really am enjoying. We also had a chance to check out some of the animals’ native to Argentina during our tour of the local zoo. The zoo was great. It had different animals than I have ever seen and was enormous. We got to see some bears, tigers, panthers, lions, pumas, elephants, monkeys and others, but what was really cool was the condor. It is the largest bird that can fly, I think, and was very impressive in to see in person. It has also been said that the condor has snatched up small children in the past, so for all you new parents, Watch Out!! The day was concluded with mom and I figuring out the local bus system (which is much harder than one might imagine). We took the bus back to our area and walked around for awhile. Today, also, the weather was great. I haven’t had many opportunities to say that, but 60 and sunny was a good combination.
I’ll check in tomorrow after we tour the mountain range and check out some of the different wineries, or as they are called here, “bodegas”.
My mom arrived in Buenos Aires Tuesday morning and things started out a bit shaky. Even though I got up at 545 am to ensure that I wouldn’t be late getting to the airport, I somehow managed to arrive an hour late. The subway was closed, the buses took longer than planned, the airport was temporarily closed because the Argentina national soccer team (who are equally as popular here as all of the American boy bands combined) arrived back home after placing second in the American Cup, and just as luck would have it, mom was on the same flight as the boys in blue. It was quite the time finding her in the airport with hundreds of screaming fans, most of which whom were singing and beating on some sort of drum, but somehow we managed. It’s a good thing, too. She speaks no Spanish and didn’t even know the name of our hotel.
When I finally found mom we checked into our hotel and hit the city. She got to meet my host mother, Maria, and the two of them got along very well. After the informal meeting I took mom out to see an area of town I live in called Recoletta. We stopped by the cemetery and saw the tomb of Eva Peron, or “Evita” as most of you probably know her as. After seeing a few other sites (one of which included seeing the new Harry Potter movie), we concluded the evening with a good meal cooked by Maria. Mom got to taste some authentic Argentine pasta and enjoy a nice meal with Maria and Oscar. Oscar speaks no English and mom speaks no Spanish, so the conversations were interesting to say the least, but it was fun.
The next day we got up and saw some of the more historical sites Buenos Aires has to offer. They have many interesting monuments, statues, buildings, etc. so it was good that she got to see some of that stuff. I will post some of the pictures to give you all an idea of what we saw. We also ended up in a part of town called “La Boca” which literally means “the mouth”. La Boca is very interesting because of the buildings that reside inside of the neighborhood. They are pretty much all different colors, but not just your typical pastel. I’m talking about bright colors that really jump out. It’s a very touristy area, so of course we got harassed by many street vendors, but all in all is was a fascinating part of town to see. La Boca is also noted for having the best soccer team in Argentina (they are equivalent to the New York Yankees of Argentine soccer). There stadium is one of the bigger stadiums in all of Argentina, and a funny story has to deal with one of their sponsors, Coca Cola. Coke is huge in Argentina. Their billboards hang all over the city. The problem is the typical Coca Cola colors are not permitted in the Boca stadium because they are the same colors as Boca’s biggest rival, River Plate. The whole neighborhood in La Boca is prohibited from putting up any of the River colors. It may sound funny, but the people of La Boca are so serious about their team. So, needless to say, Coke had to use different colors on their billboard in La Boca stadium.
After our adventure in La Boca, we saw a few other sites that BA has to offer, but the real story is what happened that night. Maria, Oscar, mom and I all had a reservation to see a real Argentina tango show, a show I had been looking forward to seeing for awhile. Problems arose, however, when we got to the show. Maria had a coupon so we would be able to see the show for a discounted rate (they usually run very expensive), but when we got there we learned that the coupon was not valid for non Argentines, and instead, we would have to pay 8 times as much as they would. It’s ridiculous, but it’s Argentina. Foreigners usually have to pay more for things, but this was a bit excessive. As we were getting ready to leave (there is no way we were going to pay 8x as much), Maria somehow worked here magic with the manager and got us a discounted rate. We got to see the show, which was absolutely spectacular, while enjoying a three course meal with a bottle of wine for a reasonable rate. And for those of you who have never seen a tango show, you don’t know what you are missing. It was incredible. There were four excellent tango groups, two singers with very nice voices, a dude who played the mandolin, two different types of flutes and sang, and two gaucho drummers. I don’t know if I will be able to justly explain the gaucho drummers. They were unlike anything I have ever seen, but I will try. They started just playing the drums, doing some tricks and dancing a bit, but then things got really interesting. They had these ropes with hard leather balls on each end and used the leather balls as mallets. They spun the ropes very fast, but all the while keeping a beat with the leather balls smacking the floor. Basically, these devices were used as drum sticks and the floor was the drum, but what was so cool about it was how fast they were spinning the ropes, and the tricks there were doing with them, as well. I wish I could explain it better, but you will have to take my word that it was very, very cool. So all in all, the day and evening were both very successful. I was very pleased to finally see a tango show.
The next day, which I am guessing was Thursday, was packed tightly with site seeing. We started the day touring other parts of the city that mom hadn’t seen and ended up wandering across some very neat areas. First, while walking through a park near our hotel, we saw a film being shot. It was very interesting because I have never seen a movie being made in the states, and I never dreamed about seeing one made in Argentina. The process was very elaborate, but as it turns out, I think they were just shooting a lousy soap opera. Regardless, it was fun to watch for awhile. Next, we came across a Japanese garden. Like the filming process, I never thought I would see a Japanese garden while in Argentina, but it was really cool. Mom, who as many of you know loves flowers, really enjoyed the garden. After that we went on a guided bus tour of Buenos Aires which was fantastic. Our guide had a ton of personality and was able to give the tour in Spanish and English. It was really nice to get some history of the significance of the buildings in Buenos Aires. Some of the buildings I had seen many times but never knew their significance. The trip was also fun for mom because a Brazilian woman told her she looks like Jane Fonda. I thought I would be able to understand Portuguese because of its similarities to Spanish, but I didn’t catch a word of what she said. We had to use her young daughter as a translator, because realistically, any family that has enough money to travel probably sends their kids to private school where English is taught. When the day was finished I was confident I had shown mom every major part of the city. She now has the history down, next is the language.
Today has been a very long, interesting, jam packed day. It started at 6 am when we left for the airport to start our voyage to Mendoza. The only problem is that our cab driver and I weren’t on the same page. He thought I said international airport instead of national airport. When we got on the highway I knew we were going to have some problems as the airport is less than 10 miles from the hotel. To make a long story short, we made our flight only by a couple of minutes. I was a frantic lunatic, but that just happens sometimes when in a foreign country and unable to convey important information. Moral of the story is that we made it to Mendoza and had a wonderful day today. Mendoza overlooks the Andes mountain range and is noted for being the wine capital of the state. Today, however, we explored the heart of the city. It is much smaller than Buenos Aires, which is nice, and it has a great atmosphere. The people are extremely friendly, the air is crisp, and it has a very homey feel. It’s quite a change coming from such a big city, but one that I really am enjoying. We also had a chance to check out some of the animals’ native to Argentina during our tour of the local zoo. The zoo was great. It had different animals than I have ever seen and was enormous. We got to see some bears, tigers, panthers, lions, pumas, elephants, monkeys and others, but what was really cool was the condor. It is the largest bird that can fly, I think, and was very impressive in to see in person. It has also been said that the condor has snatched up small children in the past, so for all you new parents, Watch Out!! The day was concluded with mom and I figuring out the local bus system (which is much harder than one might imagine). We took the bus back to our area and walked around for awhile. Today, also, the weather was great. I haven’t had many opportunities to say that, but 60 and sunny was a good combination.
I’ll check in tomorrow after we tour the mountain range and check out some of the different wineries, or as they are called here, “bodegas”.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
July 21st
So it’s been awhile since I last updated my blog. I wish I could say that was because I was out doing some wild and crazy adventures, but in all reality it’s because nothing too exciting has been going on lately.
All of the kids from my program left for home on Tuesday the 17th. It was definitely sad saying bye to everyone, but hopefully I will see some of the good ones in the future. The last few days and nights, for them, in Buenos Aires were pretty casual. We went to a few clubs, we had some nice dinners, and we spent some quality time reflecting on our experiences (you have to remember that I am tightly affiliated with the YMCA. Self reflection is practically my middle name). There were a few low points from the trip for some; items being stolen, some didn’t have the best host family experience, the first night when everything seemed so overwhelming, but all in all, everyone had a very positive experience. Our program, COPA, was great, the directors of our program did a fabulous job planning everything, and the kids were very easy to get along with for the most part. We came to the consensus that we would all recommend this program to other students looking to study abroad in Argentina.
Since everyone has left I have had a lot more free time, although I have also been spending a significant amount of time with Oscar and Maria Pia. I get along with both of them extremely well and can actually say that I consider them friends, not just a host family. A few nights ago I went out with Pia to meet some of her friends for happy hour. I brought along my German buddy, Philipp, in case it was too overwhelming being with a bunch of Porteana women. We went to this small bar where the women drink for free and the men drink 2 for 1s. It was a great time. One might think that since the women drink for free they would drink heavily, but that just isn’t the case. Argentines like to go out for a couple drinks and just chat, and chat we did. It was very beneficial because I got to practice my language for a few hours in a group setting. We only spoke Spanish and there were women asking me and Philipp numerous different questions. Of course there were a few things I needed repeated and a couple questions I just didn’t understand at all (you have to remember that we are at a bar with music in the background and other people talking loudly), but for the most part I was able to understand everything that was being said. I really am pleased with the progression of my language skills. I feel that the hard work I am putting in to learning the grammatical fundamentals and expanding my vocab are starting to pay dividends. I am even starting to watch movies in Spanish. But back to my story, happy hour was so much fun that we decided to all have dinner together. Maria Pia had cooked earlier, thinking there was a chance we would eat at home, so she invited the whole group over for dinner. It was an absolute riot. Of course the food was great, being that Pia is a great cook, but more than that, the conversations were so funny. We were telling jokes (I told the famous Bill Ford joke about Nosmo King), other funny stories, and just enjoying the company of each other. We were having so much fun that we decided to play a game after dinner. It was the Argentina equivalent of our Scategories (8 different categories i.e. brand names, geographic locations, boys name, etc. and each team fills out each category with a different random letter each round). We alternated between English and Spanish each round to give every team an equal chance. It was so much fun and a great way to practice vocab. I unintentionally learned a bunch of new words. It’s funny how something so fun can be so educational at the same time.
On a quick, random note, I had the best steak of my life on Tuesday night. 2 guys who were leaving back to the states the next day wanted to go out with a bang, so a few of us went to a very overpriced, fancy restaurant on the river called Cabana Las Lilas. It is supposed to be the best steak joint in town, and I believe the speculations are correct. The meat was so tender that we didn’t even get a steak knife to cut through it. A simple butter knife was sufficient. For those of you who know the saying “Never a bad cut of meat from Nelsons”, we will see if that theory holds true after you come to Argentina. The meat here puts the meat everywhere else to shame. I savored every last bite of my steak. It will be very difficult to appreciate the steak in the states when I come home.
This past week I have also spent a lot of time finalizing all the details for when my mom comes to visit. She leaves Monday but doesn’t get here until Tuesday morning. We have a full week that is packed pretty tightly with things to do. We are going to Mendoza (the wine capital of Argentina) for a few days which will also give mom a chance to see the impressive Andes Mountain range. In addition, Maria Pia is very excited about mom coming so she has planned some activities for us. She is going to cook for us some authentic Argentine food, take us to a tango show and show us part of the city that I haven’t even seen yet. It should be a very fun time.
OK, I am signing out. The amount of emails I am receiving has gone done considerably since the first month, so let’s try to pick that up again.
Hasta la proxima vez,
Chris
All of the kids from my program left for home on Tuesday the 17th. It was definitely sad saying bye to everyone, but hopefully I will see some of the good ones in the future. The last few days and nights, for them, in Buenos Aires were pretty casual. We went to a few clubs, we had some nice dinners, and we spent some quality time reflecting on our experiences (you have to remember that I am tightly affiliated with the YMCA. Self reflection is practically my middle name). There were a few low points from the trip for some; items being stolen, some didn’t have the best host family experience, the first night when everything seemed so overwhelming, but all in all, everyone had a very positive experience. Our program, COPA, was great, the directors of our program did a fabulous job planning everything, and the kids were very easy to get along with for the most part. We came to the consensus that we would all recommend this program to other students looking to study abroad in Argentina.
Since everyone has left I have had a lot more free time, although I have also been spending a significant amount of time with Oscar and Maria Pia. I get along with both of them extremely well and can actually say that I consider them friends, not just a host family. A few nights ago I went out with Pia to meet some of her friends for happy hour. I brought along my German buddy, Philipp, in case it was too overwhelming being with a bunch of Porteana women. We went to this small bar where the women drink for free and the men drink 2 for 1s. It was a great time. One might think that since the women drink for free they would drink heavily, but that just isn’t the case. Argentines like to go out for a couple drinks and just chat, and chat we did. It was very beneficial because I got to practice my language for a few hours in a group setting. We only spoke Spanish and there were women asking me and Philipp numerous different questions. Of course there were a few things I needed repeated and a couple questions I just didn’t understand at all (you have to remember that we are at a bar with music in the background and other people talking loudly), but for the most part I was able to understand everything that was being said. I really am pleased with the progression of my language skills. I feel that the hard work I am putting in to learning the grammatical fundamentals and expanding my vocab are starting to pay dividends. I am even starting to watch movies in Spanish. But back to my story, happy hour was so much fun that we decided to all have dinner together. Maria Pia had cooked earlier, thinking there was a chance we would eat at home, so she invited the whole group over for dinner. It was an absolute riot. Of course the food was great, being that Pia is a great cook, but more than that, the conversations were so funny. We were telling jokes (I told the famous Bill Ford joke about Nosmo King), other funny stories, and just enjoying the company of each other. We were having so much fun that we decided to play a game after dinner. It was the Argentina equivalent of our Scategories (8 different categories i.e. brand names, geographic locations, boys name, etc. and each team fills out each category with a different random letter each round). We alternated between English and Spanish each round to give every team an equal chance. It was so much fun and a great way to practice vocab. I unintentionally learned a bunch of new words. It’s funny how something so fun can be so educational at the same time.
On a quick, random note, I had the best steak of my life on Tuesday night. 2 guys who were leaving back to the states the next day wanted to go out with a bang, so a few of us went to a very overpriced, fancy restaurant on the river called Cabana Las Lilas. It is supposed to be the best steak joint in town, and I believe the speculations are correct. The meat was so tender that we didn’t even get a steak knife to cut through it. A simple butter knife was sufficient. For those of you who know the saying “Never a bad cut of meat from Nelsons”, we will see if that theory holds true after you come to Argentina. The meat here puts the meat everywhere else to shame. I savored every last bite of my steak. It will be very difficult to appreciate the steak in the states when I come home.
This past week I have also spent a lot of time finalizing all the details for when my mom comes to visit. She leaves Monday but doesn’t get here until Tuesday morning. We have a full week that is packed pretty tightly with things to do. We are going to Mendoza (the wine capital of Argentina) for a few days which will also give mom a chance to see the impressive Andes Mountain range. In addition, Maria Pia is very excited about mom coming so she has planned some activities for us. She is going to cook for us some authentic Argentine food, take us to a tango show and show us part of the city that I haven’t even seen yet. It should be a very fun time.
OK, I am signing out. The amount of emails I am receiving has gone done considerably since the first month, so let’s try to pick that up again.
Hasta la proxima vez,
Chris
Friday, July 13, 2007
Bariloche
The past few days have been very boring so I am going to keep this blog short. Oh wow, my English is becoming very poor living in Argentina. What I meant to say is that the past few days have been some of the most fun days I have had in Argentina so this blog may run a little long.
As some of you may know, I stayed at a hostel in Bariloche (south western part of Argentina) for the past few days. I was unsure at first if it would be worth going, 20 hours on a bus doesn’t sound like the best way to spend a day, but boy am I glad I decided to go. Bariloche is one of the most impressive places I have ever seen. Let me start with Monday, actually, Sunday.
When we got there (“we” referring to myself and 3 other students from my program) it was about 3 in the afternoon on Sunday. Upon arrival, we looked around the city (which is beautiful) and just hung out. In the process, however, I happened to meet a friend who I hung out with for the whole trip. His name is Phillip and he is from Germany. He stayed at the same hostel as I did and is a very cool kid. He studied in the states for a year and speaks perfect English; he barely even has an accent. After becoming acquainted with the city, Phillip, the 3 other students from my program and I went and rented all of our stylish ski gear (pause for a second while I laugh out loud). The stuff we rented was the most heinously ugly gear I have ever seen in my life. Since I am a giant in Argentina, obviously none of the stuff fit me, and even though they take fashion very seriously, ski equipment is the exception to the rule. We looked so goofy, but so did everyone else so it all worked out.
Monday morning we all got up early and hit the slopes for a day of skiing. The mountain is called Catedral and is located in the Andes mountain range. To say a few words about it, it is absolutely breath taking. I have been to many different places to ski in my life, but this place blows the other places away. The hill is equally as difficult as some mountains out west, but the scenery is nothing shy of amazing. The mountain goes so high up that we literally were skiing down into the clouds. It also over looks other parts of the Andes mountain range and beautiful lakes. I will post my pictures today; you guys don’t want to miss them. From about 9am until about 430pm we skied with only a 15 minute break for a burger. It was so much fun I can’t even explain. The conditions were perfect (about 35 degrees, sunny, fresh snow and no wind) and the scenery couldn’t be beaten. I haven’t skied for a few years (my collage budget doesn’t really allow it), but skiing is like riding a bicycle. After a few runs I felt like I picked up right where I had left off. The people I skied with were very good skiers, especially Phillip who has skied for his whole life in the Swiss Alps, however, I had no issues keeping up with anyone. After an exhausting day of skiing we went out for a nice dinner and then called it quits. It felt bizarre going to bed before midnight in Argentina, but it was definitely necessary.
The next morning, Tuesday, we got up equally as early as the previous day and hit the slopes once again. The day was just as perfect as Monday and the scenery was worth the price of admission. However, as far as skiing is concerned, Tuesday was much different than Monday. Immediately after taking the first gondola to the top of the mountain, a man who worked for the ski resort approached us. He thought we looked like good skiers (goofy outfits and all) and asked if we wanted him to take us to the harder areas on the mountain, free of charge. Since I was with a bunch of experts, of course they accepted his offer. Let me tell you, right from the get-go I knew I was in for one crazy adventure. We immediately took a detour off of the groomed parts of the mountain to the back parts where the snow was untouched and the word “slow” didn’t exactly register with our new guide. He was a phenomenal skier and expected us to keep up with him. We were flying down the mountain dodging rocks, trees, small plants, and other obstacles that were in our way. However, we had to stop every few hundred yards because of how tired everyone was. The snow was thick, heavy and took a lot of strength to maneuver through it. It was the first time since I have been in Argentina that I felt like I got a great workout. We started with about 8 or so skiers on the first run, but after 2 runs we were down to 4. The others either lost us or were unable to keep up. I was able to keep up, kind of, but felt a bit out of control a number of times (and for those of you who know me well, for me to say that I felt out of control is saying a lot). Never the less, we attacked everything the Andes had to offer and were doing relatively well. One kid, Quinn, who has been skiing his whole life in Colorado, took a pretty bad fall. Our guide went down what seemed like a 155 degree drop about 10 feet wide through a rocky area. Phillip followed him and nearly whipped out at the end because of how much speed he collected. I took one look and said “you have got to be kidding me” and took the longer way around. Quinn, however, tested his luck with the drop off. He started off fine, but then missed his speed check (the place where you are supposed to switch the direction your skis are pointed to slow down a bit) and went flying down the rest. After about 2 barrel roles and a good 30 seconds of sliding, he looked up, saw that he had no skis, poles, hat or goggles, and smiled for the 15 or so people on the chairlift above who were applauding his crazy fall. He was fine, but I’m still glad I didn’t let my pride get in the way of making the same mistake he did.
After the infamous fall, we went to the south side of the mountain for some different terrain. Side note: I usually have a really good attitude about everything. I like to keep it positive and try seeing the good in whatever I do, but there was no good in going to the south side of the mountain. It was 30 miserable minutes of my life. I had decided not to rent gear on Tuesday because of how perfect the weather was. I wore my Northface jacket, a sweater, two pairs of pants and the hat I bought. I was doing fine keeping warm until we went to the south side of the mountain. The snow was deeper, heavier, there were more small obstacles to avoid and we only skied on un-groomed parts. Everyone, including the guide, fell on the south side. It was nearly impossible to control skis in that thick of snow and when falling, it was nearly impossible to get up because of how heavy the snow was. I got really wet, really tired and really frustrated on the south side of the mountain, but never have I been so happy to see the bottom of a hill. We had to take a break from skiing after that run because of how tired everyone was, so we parted ways with our guide. Skiing with him was crazy but I am glad I did. As I have learned so many times since being here in Argentina, one can’t learn and progress unless one takes chances and risks. I now feel like I can ski any mountain in the world, but I think I will stick to the groomed areas.
After our needed lunch break we finished up the day strong. The 3 remaining skiers (Phillip, Quinn, and I) met up with other kids from our group who we had lost while skiing with the guide. Although we went back to the groomed areas of the mountain, I don’t feel as though I gave my legs a break. The other kids, who are all good skiers, hadn’t skied as hard as we had and wanted to ski all the moguls. After about an hour, however, we lost a few more skiers. Two were too tired to go any longer, and one was unable to keep up on the moguls. We were down to three again (Phillip, Solone from Montana, and I). On our last run, we all decided that since we were skiing in July, our summer, we should try tanning a bit. I would be so embarrassed if I returned home white as a ghost while all my friends are tan. So, we took off our jackets, sweaters, and shirts and tanned. It was mostly just to take some funny pictures, but it also felt pretty good. Skiing hard takes a lot of work and I was sweating throughout most of the day. We definitely got a few funny looks, but it was definitely worth it.
After our second long, tiring day of skiing we all went out for a nice dinner. It was a very interesting dinner, however. Not because the food was really good, not because the place was really fun, but rather because during the dinner the electricity went out throughout the entire city. It was truly a candlelit affair. When the electricity came back, a couple hours later, it was met by a standing ovation from the entire restaurant. Nobody could leave because it was so dark outside, so everyone had to wait until the power came back. It was very funny. After dinner we all had high ambitions to go out to a dance club, but our bodies were just too worn out from the two full days of skiing. It was another relatively early night, but nobody seemed to complain.
My final day in Bariloche was spent just exploring the town with Phillip. The town itself is very touristy, similar to other popular ski resorts, but the scenery is still incredible. I don’t think I would ever get tired of waking up each morning and admiring the beautiful lakes next to the massive mountains. We walked around for awhile, went to a few shops, took a few pictures and just enjoyed another day of perfect “July” weather. We left at 430 pm and arrived back to Buenos Aires at about 130pm the next day. The bus ride was long, but it actually goes by much faster than one might imagine.
Overall, I don’t have enough good things to say about Bariloche. Even though I spent more money that I can afford, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience is one that I will treasure for the rest of my life. How many people can say they skied down a mountain in the Andes while going through the clouds, all the while, overlooking lakes that were so clear they appeared to be giant mirrors? I am truly blessed and am so thankful for this past experience.
As some of you may know, I stayed at a hostel in Bariloche (south western part of Argentina) for the past few days. I was unsure at first if it would be worth going, 20 hours on a bus doesn’t sound like the best way to spend a day, but boy am I glad I decided to go. Bariloche is one of the most impressive places I have ever seen. Let me start with Monday, actually, Sunday.
When we got there (“we” referring to myself and 3 other students from my program) it was about 3 in the afternoon on Sunday. Upon arrival, we looked around the city (which is beautiful) and just hung out. In the process, however, I happened to meet a friend who I hung out with for the whole trip. His name is Phillip and he is from Germany. He stayed at the same hostel as I did and is a very cool kid. He studied in the states for a year and speaks perfect English; he barely even has an accent. After becoming acquainted with the city, Phillip, the 3 other students from my program and I went and rented all of our stylish ski gear (pause for a second while I laugh out loud). The stuff we rented was the most heinously ugly gear I have ever seen in my life. Since I am a giant in Argentina, obviously none of the stuff fit me, and even though they take fashion very seriously, ski equipment is the exception to the rule. We looked so goofy, but so did everyone else so it all worked out.
Monday morning we all got up early and hit the slopes for a day of skiing. The mountain is called Catedral and is located in the Andes mountain range. To say a few words about it, it is absolutely breath taking. I have been to many different places to ski in my life, but this place blows the other places away. The hill is equally as difficult as some mountains out west, but the scenery is nothing shy of amazing. The mountain goes so high up that we literally were skiing down into the clouds. It also over looks other parts of the Andes mountain range and beautiful lakes. I will post my pictures today; you guys don’t want to miss them. From about 9am until about 430pm we skied with only a 15 minute break for a burger. It was so much fun I can’t even explain. The conditions were perfect (about 35 degrees, sunny, fresh snow and no wind) and the scenery couldn’t be beaten. I haven’t skied for a few years (my collage budget doesn’t really allow it), but skiing is like riding a bicycle. After a few runs I felt like I picked up right where I had left off. The people I skied with were very good skiers, especially Phillip who has skied for his whole life in the Swiss Alps, however, I had no issues keeping up with anyone. After an exhausting day of skiing we went out for a nice dinner and then called it quits. It felt bizarre going to bed before midnight in Argentina, but it was definitely necessary.
The next morning, Tuesday, we got up equally as early as the previous day and hit the slopes once again. The day was just as perfect as Monday and the scenery was worth the price of admission. However, as far as skiing is concerned, Tuesday was much different than Monday. Immediately after taking the first gondola to the top of the mountain, a man who worked for the ski resort approached us. He thought we looked like good skiers (goofy outfits and all) and asked if we wanted him to take us to the harder areas on the mountain, free of charge. Since I was with a bunch of experts, of course they accepted his offer. Let me tell you, right from the get-go I knew I was in for one crazy adventure. We immediately took a detour off of the groomed parts of the mountain to the back parts where the snow was untouched and the word “slow” didn’t exactly register with our new guide. He was a phenomenal skier and expected us to keep up with him. We were flying down the mountain dodging rocks, trees, small plants, and other obstacles that were in our way. However, we had to stop every few hundred yards because of how tired everyone was. The snow was thick, heavy and took a lot of strength to maneuver through it. It was the first time since I have been in Argentina that I felt like I got a great workout. We started with about 8 or so skiers on the first run, but after 2 runs we were down to 4. The others either lost us or were unable to keep up. I was able to keep up, kind of, but felt a bit out of control a number of times (and for those of you who know me well, for me to say that I felt out of control is saying a lot). Never the less, we attacked everything the Andes had to offer and were doing relatively well. One kid, Quinn, who has been skiing his whole life in Colorado, took a pretty bad fall. Our guide went down what seemed like a 155 degree drop about 10 feet wide through a rocky area. Phillip followed him and nearly whipped out at the end because of how much speed he collected. I took one look and said “you have got to be kidding me” and took the longer way around. Quinn, however, tested his luck with the drop off. He started off fine, but then missed his speed check (the place where you are supposed to switch the direction your skis are pointed to slow down a bit) and went flying down the rest. After about 2 barrel roles and a good 30 seconds of sliding, he looked up, saw that he had no skis, poles, hat or goggles, and smiled for the 15 or so people on the chairlift above who were applauding his crazy fall. He was fine, but I’m still glad I didn’t let my pride get in the way of making the same mistake he did.
After the infamous fall, we went to the south side of the mountain for some different terrain. Side note: I usually have a really good attitude about everything. I like to keep it positive and try seeing the good in whatever I do, but there was no good in going to the south side of the mountain. It was 30 miserable minutes of my life. I had decided not to rent gear on Tuesday because of how perfect the weather was. I wore my Northface jacket, a sweater, two pairs of pants and the hat I bought. I was doing fine keeping warm until we went to the south side of the mountain. The snow was deeper, heavier, there were more small obstacles to avoid and we only skied on un-groomed parts. Everyone, including the guide, fell on the south side. It was nearly impossible to control skis in that thick of snow and when falling, it was nearly impossible to get up because of how heavy the snow was. I got really wet, really tired and really frustrated on the south side of the mountain, but never have I been so happy to see the bottom of a hill. We had to take a break from skiing after that run because of how tired everyone was, so we parted ways with our guide. Skiing with him was crazy but I am glad I did. As I have learned so many times since being here in Argentina, one can’t learn and progress unless one takes chances and risks. I now feel like I can ski any mountain in the world, but I think I will stick to the groomed areas.
After our needed lunch break we finished up the day strong. The 3 remaining skiers (Phillip, Quinn, and I) met up with other kids from our group who we had lost while skiing with the guide. Although we went back to the groomed areas of the mountain, I don’t feel as though I gave my legs a break. The other kids, who are all good skiers, hadn’t skied as hard as we had and wanted to ski all the moguls. After about an hour, however, we lost a few more skiers. Two were too tired to go any longer, and one was unable to keep up on the moguls. We were down to three again (Phillip, Solone from Montana, and I). On our last run, we all decided that since we were skiing in July, our summer, we should try tanning a bit. I would be so embarrassed if I returned home white as a ghost while all my friends are tan. So, we took off our jackets, sweaters, and shirts and tanned. It was mostly just to take some funny pictures, but it also felt pretty good. Skiing hard takes a lot of work and I was sweating throughout most of the day. We definitely got a few funny looks, but it was definitely worth it.
After our second long, tiring day of skiing we all went out for a nice dinner. It was a very interesting dinner, however. Not because the food was really good, not because the place was really fun, but rather because during the dinner the electricity went out throughout the entire city. It was truly a candlelit affair. When the electricity came back, a couple hours later, it was met by a standing ovation from the entire restaurant. Nobody could leave because it was so dark outside, so everyone had to wait until the power came back. It was very funny. After dinner we all had high ambitions to go out to a dance club, but our bodies were just too worn out from the two full days of skiing. It was another relatively early night, but nobody seemed to complain.
My final day in Bariloche was spent just exploring the town with Phillip. The town itself is very touristy, similar to other popular ski resorts, but the scenery is still incredible. I don’t think I would ever get tired of waking up each morning and admiring the beautiful lakes next to the massive mountains. We walked around for awhile, went to a few shops, took a few pictures and just enjoyed another day of perfect “July” weather. We left at 430 pm and arrived back to Buenos Aires at about 130pm the next day. The bus ride was long, but it actually goes by much faster than one might imagine.
Overall, I don’t have enough good things to say about Bariloche. Even though I spent more money that I can afford, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The experience is one that I will treasure for the rest of my life. How many people can say they skied down a mountain in the Andes while going through the clouds, all the while, overlooking lakes that were so clear they appeared to be giant mirrors? I am truly blessed and am so thankful for this past experience.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Bariloche
Hola Chicos,
School is officially done and I couldn’t be happier. Not many students got much sleep the last few days of school (because of the nasty papers we had to write), but now that it is finished things are looking up. I must say that I am relieved the grades are only pass fail because it looks as though I will not be making an A in either of my classes.
In about an hour I am leaving the city and traveling 20 hours south to a part of the country called Bariloche. It will be cold there (about 30 degrees F), but I am very excited. Bariloche is located in the Andes mountain range so I would be a fool not to at least ski for a bit. I can’t say I have the most appropriate clothing for this trip (of course I didn’t take the advice of my mother who told me to bring a hat and gloves), so I am going to have to be a bit creative in figuring out a way to stay warm. I will probably be “that guy” skiing down the hill with about 12 layers on, a sweater wrapped around my head in place of a hat, 2 pairs of jeans on and some sporty sunglasses to top it off. It will be a bit different than when I have skied with the Blake-Smiths in Breckenridge in the past (everyone dressed to perfection), but a new experience none the less. I also plan to do some hiking while I am “in the south”. Everyone here says the scenery is muy linda (very beautiful) so I am anxious to see what everyone is boasting about. Besides the waterfalls in Iguazu, Bariloche is said to have some of the most impressive sights in Argentina.
Last night our program directors took all of the students out to a jazz club as a little congratulations party. The music was fabulous, everyone was in a good mood and it was very nice to be together as a group one last time. It’s a bit bizarre thinking about the fact that I will more than likely not see many of these kids from my program ever again, but it has been a pleasure getting to know each and everyone of them. It’s also nice because I know I have a place to stay just about anywhere in the country. When I take a road trip around the states I will definitely call a number of my Argentina friends.
Ok, I need to finish packing. Try to enjoy the warm weather for me while I am freezing my little Minnesota buns off in the mountains. Also note, for those of you who check my blog everyday (Bumpa and Grandma), that I may not be able to update it for a week or so. I am not bringing my laptop because I am afraid it might get stolen and I’m not sure if the hostel I will be staying at has internet. If it does I will continue to write often, but I can’t make any promises.
Ciao,
Chris
School is officially done and I couldn’t be happier. Not many students got much sleep the last few days of school (because of the nasty papers we had to write), but now that it is finished things are looking up. I must say that I am relieved the grades are only pass fail because it looks as though I will not be making an A in either of my classes.
In about an hour I am leaving the city and traveling 20 hours south to a part of the country called Bariloche. It will be cold there (about 30 degrees F), but I am very excited. Bariloche is located in the Andes mountain range so I would be a fool not to at least ski for a bit. I can’t say I have the most appropriate clothing for this trip (of course I didn’t take the advice of my mother who told me to bring a hat and gloves), so I am going to have to be a bit creative in figuring out a way to stay warm. I will probably be “that guy” skiing down the hill with about 12 layers on, a sweater wrapped around my head in place of a hat, 2 pairs of jeans on and some sporty sunglasses to top it off. It will be a bit different than when I have skied with the Blake-Smiths in Breckenridge in the past (everyone dressed to perfection), but a new experience none the less. I also plan to do some hiking while I am “in the south”. Everyone here says the scenery is muy linda (very beautiful) so I am anxious to see what everyone is boasting about. Besides the waterfalls in Iguazu, Bariloche is said to have some of the most impressive sights in Argentina.
Last night our program directors took all of the students out to a jazz club as a little congratulations party. The music was fabulous, everyone was in a good mood and it was very nice to be together as a group one last time. It’s a bit bizarre thinking about the fact that I will more than likely not see many of these kids from my program ever again, but it has been a pleasure getting to know each and everyone of them. It’s also nice because I know I have a place to stay just about anywhere in the country. When I take a road trip around the states I will definitely call a number of my Argentina friends.
Ok, I need to finish packing. Try to enjoy the warm weather for me while I am freezing my little Minnesota buns off in the mountains. Also note, for those of you who check my blog everyday (Bumpa and Grandma), that I may not be able to update it for a week or so. I am not bringing my laptop because I am afraid it might get stolen and I’m not sure if the hostel I will be staying at has internet. If it does I will continue to write often, but I can’t make any promises.
Ciao,
Chris
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Happy Bday Ryan
Friday night I had a new experience that is definitely blog worthy. My program (COPA) planned an evening out to the theater for 30 of the 60 students. I had initially thought we were going to an opera, but as it turns out it was a musical. The show took place in a part of town called La Boca. La Boca, how can I say this concisely, is what we would refer to as “the ghetto” in the states. It is straight up scary at night. I don’t know if it was the best idea having 30 Americans walk through La Boca, but I suppose that the law of large numbers kept us safe. Upon arrival to the theater we ate some fabulous parilla (grilled food) and a very tasty dessert containing Dulce de Leche (a very rich chocolate, caramel spread that the Argentines put on EVERYTHING). As usual, I ate until I could barely move.
The theater was very small and actually felt cozy which was surprising considering the surrounding area. Now I think I need to clarify a few things before I proceed. When I say I went to the theater, I’m not talking about a Broadway show here. None of the actors were professionals and I don’t think many of them had any vocal training. They were simply residents of La Boca who enjoyed performing. Regardless, the show was fabulous. It was an original musical that covered the history of Argentina since the early 1900s. It was very funny and very entertaining overall. The performers didn’t have the most talent in the world, but the made up for it in enthusiasm and style. They looked like they were having a great time on stage and their energy seemed to resonate with the audience.
Saturday night was the birthday of one of my friends from the program. A group of about 15 of us had dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was quite good. Mexican food here, however, is very different than Mexican food in the states. Before coming to BA I was under the impression that people in South America enjoyed spicy food. In reality, they are all a bunch of babies and if anything has spice on it they complain. The items on the menu listed as moderately spicy would be considered very mild in the states. Usually I am the one who complains about food being too spicy, but here, I am the tough guy who asks for the hot sauce.
After dinner we went to a nightclub called Crowbar. When we arrived to Crowbar at 1230 am we were surprised to find out that it didn’t open until 130 am. I don’t know how the people here do it, but they really enjoy staying up until sunrise. The club was very fun. It had three different rooms with different DJs and different genres of music all together. One room was hip hop, one room was rock and roll (it actually had a live band for an hour or so), and one room was techno (the music that is most commonly heard at clubs). When I left at 4am the club was packed and people asked me why I was leaving so early. I feel like an old man here.
I spent Sunday with an old friend of mine from high school, Megan Peppel. She studied abroad here, actually in the same program that I am currently in, 2 years ago. During her time here she met a guy and they have been together ever since. He speaks no English, so needless to say, she speaks fluent Spanish. We spent the day at a gaucho festival 45 minutes west of where I live. Gauchos are the equivalent to ranchers and a gaucho festival consists of traditional gaucho food (mainly beef), music (folklore), and dance (I have no idea how to explain this one). It also had many tents set up where people sold handmade crafts. Most of the stuff was either leather bags, handmade clothes, jewelry or art work. Everything was very beautiful and interesting to see, or as the portaneos (Argentine natives) often say, “era muy linda”.
Today, Monday, was one of the most fun days I have had in BA. I spent the entire day with 10 other students on a bike/kayak trip in Tigre (the most outer part of the city). The whole neighborhood is on the coast that overlooks the main part of the city, so it was a very pretty ride. We didn’t go very fast and our equipment isn’t exactly what you would call fancy, but all things considered, we covered quite a bit of ground. It was also very interesting because Tigre is where the upper socioeconomic class resides. In the heart of the city I have only seen a handful of houses, but in Tigre there were mansions all over the place. Also, the universities there are only private whereas in the heart of the city all of the universities are public. The public schools don’t really have campuses and the facilities are pretty run down (probably because it is free to attend public universities) which is very different than the private schools. The private schools looked similar to small private schools in MN. They actually reminded me of none other than St. Olaf College.
After the 4 hour bike ride we changed gears and hit the water. The bodies of water here really make me appreciate the lakes in MN. There are only a few rivers and I don’t know if there are any lakes, but the rivers are filthy. I would drink the water in Lake Minnetonka before I would jump in one of the rivers here. In any case, the kayak adventure was a blast. Being the 6’2 male that I am (which is above average in the states, but giant status in South America), I was unable to fit in the back seat of the kayak (the back seat contained foot pedals that controlled the ruder). This wouldn’t have been a problem had I not paired up with a girl who was unable to differentiate her left from right. I am pretty sure we went twice as far as everyone else because of the zigzag path we took. She also didn’t think it was necessary to paddle so I got quite the workout today. Although I shouldn’t complain, the workout was long overdue. The scenery was beautiful, the air was much more clean than in the heart of the city and it was very refreshing being near water. The day couldn’t have been nicer.
On another high note, my host family here is the best. I have a week to explore the city after my program ends, before my mom arrives. I asked them if I could stay at their apartment for an extra week, offering to pay them less than what I would pay at a hotel/hostel. Not only are they going to allow me to stay an extra week, but also they have said I can stay there for free. I need to do something nice for them before I leave because they have made me feel so comfortable.
Buenas Noche
The theater was very small and actually felt cozy which was surprising considering the surrounding area. Now I think I need to clarify a few things before I proceed. When I say I went to the theater, I’m not talking about a Broadway show here. None of the actors were professionals and I don’t think many of them had any vocal training. They were simply residents of La Boca who enjoyed performing. Regardless, the show was fabulous. It was an original musical that covered the history of Argentina since the early 1900s. It was very funny and very entertaining overall. The performers didn’t have the most talent in the world, but the made up for it in enthusiasm and style. They looked like they were having a great time on stage and their energy seemed to resonate with the audience.
Saturday night was the birthday of one of my friends from the program. A group of about 15 of us had dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was quite good. Mexican food here, however, is very different than Mexican food in the states. Before coming to BA I was under the impression that people in South America enjoyed spicy food. In reality, they are all a bunch of babies and if anything has spice on it they complain. The items on the menu listed as moderately spicy would be considered very mild in the states. Usually I am the one who complains about food being too spicy, but here, I am the tough guy who asks for the hot sauce.
After dinner we went to a nightclub called Crowbar. When we arrived to Crowbar at 1230 am we were surprised to find out that it didn’t open until 130 am. I don’t know how the people here do it, but they really enjoy staying up until sunrise. The club was very fun. It had three different rooms with different DJs and different genres of music all together. One room was hip hop, one room was rock and roll (it actually had a live band for an hour or so), and one room was techno (the music that is most commonly heard at clubs). When I left at 4am the club was packed and people asked me why I was leaving so early. I feel like an old man here.
I spent Sunday with an old friend of mine from high school, Megan Peppel. She studied abroad here, actually in the same program that I am currently in, 2 years ago. During her time here she met a guy and they have been together ever since. He speaks no English, so needless to say, she speaks fluent Spanish. We spent the day at a gaucho festival 45 minutes west of where I live. Gauchos are the equivalent to ranchers and a gaucho festival consists of traditional gaucho food (mainly beef), music (folklore), and dance (I have no idea how to explain this one). It also had many tents set up where people sold handmade crafts. Most of the stuff was either leather bags, handmade clothes, jewelry or art work. Everything was very beautiful and interesting to see, or as the portaneos (Argentine natives) often say, “era muy linda”.
Today, Monday, was one of the most fun days I have had in BA. I spent the entire day with 10 other students on a bike/kayak trip in Tigre (the most outer part of the city). The whole neighborhood is on the coast that overlooks the main part of the city, so it was a very pretty ride. We didn’t go very fast and our equipment isn’t exactly what you would call fancy, but all things considered, we covered quite a bit of ground. It was also very interesting because Tigre is where the upper socioeconomic class resides. In the heart of the city I have only seen a handful of houses, but in Tigre there were mansions all over the place. Also, the universities there are only private whereas in the heart of the city all of the universities are public. The public schools don’t really have campuses and the facilities are pretty run down (probably because it is free to attend public universities) which is very different than the private schools. The private schools looked similar to small private schools in MN. They actually reminded me of none other than St. Olaf College.
After the 4 hour bike ride we changed gears and hit the water. The bodies of water here really make me appreciate the lakes in MN. There are only a few rivers and I don’t know if there are any lakes, but the rivers are filthy. I would drink the water in Lake Minnetonka before I would jump in one of the rivers here. In any case, the kayak adventure was a blast. Being the 6’2 male that I am (which is above average in the states, but giant status in South America), I was unable to fit in the back seat of the kayak (the back seat contained foot pedals that controlled the ruder). This wouldn’t have been a problem had I not paired up with a girl who was unable to differentiate her left from right. I am pretty sure we went twice as far as everyone else because of the zigzag path we took. She also didn’t think it was necessary to paddle so I got quite the workout today. Although I shouldn’t complain, the workout was long overdue. The scenery was beautiful, the air was much more clean than in the heart of the city and it was very refreshing being near water. The day couldn’t have been nicer.
On another high note, my host family here is the best. I have a week to explore the city after my program ends, before my mom arrives. I asked them if I could stay at their apartment for an extra week, offering to pay them less than what I would pay at a hotel/hostel. Not only are they going to allow me to stay an extra week, but also they have said I can stay there for free. I need to do something nice for them before I leave because they have made me feel so comfortable.
Buenas Noche
Friday, June 29, 2007
June 28th
This blog is going to be short and sweet due to the time restrictions I have. On Thursday I have two six page papers due; one in Castellano and one in history. I have started both of them and am certain I will spend the majority of my weekend working on them. Writing a well written paper in a second language is much harder than one might expect.
Yesterday was a bizarre experience that is worth noting. As I have previously mentioned, my host mother is an English teacher for a wide variety of students, some of whom are relatively the same age as me. I have been in email correspondence with a few students and last night one of them invited me to a birthday dinner. I was under the impression that this dinner would be a bunch of Argentine kids having dinner, drinking some wine and having conversations, so of course I was thrilled about being invited. Just to be safe I dragged along some of my friends from the program so that I wouldn’t have to be the only American there, and it’s a good thing I did. When we got there, we found the party, but we were really confused. The majority of the people were older (50s) and there were almost no 20-25 year olds there at all. To make things more awkward, we (the Americans) were put in a table on the back wall away from everyone else. People were staring at us the whole time, but nobody felt the urge to come over and chat. So basically, it was the American table being stared at by the Argentine table. Eventually, after the Argentine’s had a few glasses of wine, they tested the waters and spoke to us. They were very friendly once conversations were prompted, but prior to that I was unsure whether or not they wanted us there. It ended up being a very entertaining evening, but boy am I glad I didn’t go on that mission solo.
Tonight, after I worked on my papers I went with some friends to a bar to watch the American Cup soccer game. It just so happened to be Argentina versus USA. I am not a soccer fan, nor have I ever been, which turned out to be a good thing. I would have been pretty scared cheering for team USA in a bar packed with die hard Argentina fans. I was with some big guys but I don’t think that would have mattered. The people are little here, but sometimes quantity can dominate quality. Of course, team USA was dominated 4-1 and the place went wild every time Argentina scored a goal. Their chants and enthusiasm is quite entertaining to watch.
Tonight I am off to the opera. I´m not exactly sure what it´s about, but it should be interesting regardless.
Yesterday was a bizarre experience that is worth noting. As I have previously mentioned, my host mother is an English teacher for a wide variety of students, some of whom are relatively the same age as me. I have been in email correspondence with a few students and last night one of them invited me to a birthday dinner. I was under the impression that this dinner would be a bunch of Argentine kids having dinner, drinking some wine and having conversations, so of course I was thrilled about being invited. Just to be safe I dragged along some of my friends from the program so that I wouldn’t have to be the only American there, and it’s a good thing I did. When we got there, we found the party, but we were really confused. The majority of the people were older (50s) and there were almost no 20-25 year olds there at all. To make things more awkward, we (the Americans) were put in a table on the back wall away from everyone else. People were staring at us the whole time, but nobody felt the urge to come over and chat. So basically, it was the American table being stared at by the Argentine table. Eventually, after the Argentine’s had a few glasses of wine, they tested the waters and spoke to us. They were very friendly once conversations were prompted, but prior to that I was unsure whether or not they wanted us there. It ended up being a very entertaining evening, but boy am I glad I didn’t go on that mission solo.
Tonight, after I worked on my papers I went with some friends to a bar to watch the American Cup soccer game. It just so happened to be Argentina versus USA. I am not a soccer fan, nor have I ever been, which turned out to be a good thing. I would have been pretty scared cheering for team USA in a bar packed with die hard Argentina fans. I was with some big guys but I don’t think that would have mattered. The people are little here, but sometimes quantity can dominate quality. Of course, team USA was dominated 4-1 and the place went wild every time Argentina scored a goal. Their chants and enthusiasm is quite entertaining to watch.
Tonight I am off to the opera. I´m not exactly sure what it´s about, but it should be interesting regardless.
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