Jenny in Argentina

2008-04-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

The City:
Buenos Aires (BA) is a very interesting place. Even thought I am in another country I don't feel like I am. BA has the characteristics of many other big cities. If I had to explain it I would say it is a mix of Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C. Chicago because everyone is so stylish and skinny. New York City because of the traffic and the people on the street selling stuff. And Washington D.C. because of the elegancy of the buildings.

The People:
BA also has some really beautiful people. I only saw two overweight people today, and believe me, I saw a lot of people today. Many of the women here wear silver jewelry. I have yet to see anyone other then Courtney's roommate Lacey wear diamonds. Even wedding bands are all silver. The ones with open toed shoes on mostly wear their shoes too small, so their toes stick off of the front of the shoe slightly.

This is also a place of much affection. Friends seem to walk arm in arm down the street (mostly women and women). Couples show affection in an appropriate yet very romantic manner. They hold each other in public and gaze strongly at each other like no one else is there.

Second Café:
Argentines are so nice to tourists. As long as you attempt to speak their language and are polite they treat you wonderfully and try to speak English to you...if they know it. Me and Court's waiter, Luie, from the cafe spoke English to us and we spoke Spanish to him. It was fun. Court tells people her name is Lynn when they ask. Down here not many words start with "c" so Argentine's cannot pronounce her name at all. It just makes things easier. In addition to speaking English he brought us bread and this very unique sauce. Court had never had it before either. It was spicy and delicious.

Also tonight I learned a lot of Spanish. Courtney, Lacey and I were out to dinner at this steak restaurant. Their old neighbor Juan Pablo and his friend Luie arrived while we were getting our meals. They ended up joining us. It was really fun talking to them. We ended up going out to a bar where the five of us shared two beers. People here do not get drunk they just drink and socialize. It was really warming and fun. The bar was beautiful. We were upstairs where this is no roof, just walls. Juan and Luie helped Courtney a lot with her Spanish pronunciation and I tried some.

My First Ride in a Car:
Drivers are terrible in comparison to the US. I am not sure how bad they are in comparison to other countries. I had a gentleman, Carlos, about 60 years old, from Tienda Leon drop me off at the 1816 cafe on 11 de Septiembre. It was my first ride in a foreign country. I paid US$36 and gave him a 10peso tip. Not bad for a 45 - 50 minute ride. He drove on the shoulder and weaved in and out of traffic the entire way. He had really bad English and I have really bad Spanish, but we arrived in one piece. The funny thing was with our communication difference he thought I needed to go to the address 1816 not a cafe named 1816, but we figured it out. He was great. He actually reminded me a lot of my gramps, a cute old man, except for skinnier...and he could drive. After Carlos left me at the cafe I realized I forgot my email from Courtney with the driver. The email had Courtney's information on how to contact her if I got lost...oops. While I was thinking about it he showed back up. He realized he had it and brought it back to me at the cafe. After he gave it to me he wished me luck...I think, I couldn't really understand him, then he kissed me on the cheek and left. My first, of what has turned out to be many, Argentine kisses.

Another thing I noticed that made me chuckle was the trucks that carry fruits and vegetables. The one I saw was an old flat bed pickup truck with crates of lemons and bags of potatoes on it They looked stable, but at the same time looked as if they might fall off.

There are many mopeds here. I would be too afraid to drive one here. It seems as if you could easily be run off the road or hit because there is so much aggressive driving. One thing about the mopeds is for certain, they have the easiest parking. Half of them seem to just park on the sidewalk, but then again cars just stop in the road and park there while they let passengers in and out. That happened with me when I was with Carols. Cars beep at you, but you just ignore them and you beep at them when they do the same thing you did.

Speaking the Language:
I didn't have too much trouble getting my bottled water "botella agua" and coffee "cafe" which I know now is actually straight espresso. I didn't learn that until later in day so needless to say I have been wired all day. I speak terrible Spanish so I am keeping my pen, paper, and dictionary handy.

Even though I have only been in BA for a day I have fallen in love with it. This is a city where you can walk forever and never see the same thing twice. Courtney and I went strolling to find a cafe to do our homework at. On our way, with no particular destination in mind, we walked by hundreds of buildings and hundreds of people until stopping at a cafe next to a park with some statutes and palm trees near the "Congreso" building. The funny thing about BA is the liquids that fall from the sky. Courtney says you should just try to ignore them. It is probably from an air conditioner or something. One would think this would be a city with a lot of pollution, but the winds seem to blow the pollution out of the city. I heard that you also burn a lot faster down here because the ozone layer is thinner, possibly because of the pollution. I did not burn today though.

PoliticsThere are also some very interesting conflicts going on between the farmers and the current president. First of all, for a little background...what I was told anyway...is the current president is the first woman president in Argentina. She was the wife of the last president. She was voted into office by rural Argentina. BA residents do not like her. She decided to implement a 43% tax on the farmers. The farmers, in protest, blocked the roads stopping the meats and fruits and vegetables from going into the city. Courtney said there were empty spots in the markets and the city was actually running out of food. The president decided to hold off on implementing the tax until negotiations with the farmers. Once the time came for the burning of the fields, like they do every year to kill off something, the winds shifted. Generally the winds blow from North to South but this year they blew west to east causing the fires to go out of control. Apparently a couple of days ago you could hardly breath in BA the smoke was so bad. Rumor is the president was upset at the farmers so refused to help control the fires; kind of interesting. It will be interesting to see what happens since they still haven't come to an agreement with the tax.

Home to Alaska

2008-05-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

Well I have made it home. I am glad to be here. I flew from Buenos Aires to Dallas to Seattle. I spent four days in Seattle with Brian (my cousin) and Ashley (his girlfriend). We had a good time.

It is kind of funny to be back in the US. I am starting to notice the difference in cultures here. I do kind of miss the relaxed pace of life in Argentina, but that is okay. I am glad to be back. It was a great trip, well worth every penny.

Day 26 - Leaving Argentina

2008-05-27T00:21:00.001-07:00

The Last Stroll
My last day in Argentina went very well. I did one last walk down Santa Fe and picked up some stuff to take home. I needed to stock up on mate grass and deleche. I also needed to get Hunter a cup for mate since I had bought him a solid silver straw when I was in Uruguay.

Baggage
You would have been shocked at the amount of baggage I left Argentina with. When I walked into the airport I had my backpack on, completely full, this is a hiking pack by the way, a huge duffle bag, also completely full, this was hanging off my shoulder, until the strap broke, and a small duffle bag, actually probably too big to be used as a carry on, but I got away with it, and a giant wooden fish under my arm. I was definitely a site to see. In fact when I was leaving the hostel the receptionist told me "you know there is a weight limit and a bag limit." I told him I would manage, I always do. I think he had his doubts, but at the same time I do not think he cared that much.

The Native American
The best part of my day by far was my time at the Buenos Aires airport. While I was waiting for my plan I sat next to this guy from CA. He was a really great guy. It ends up he flew down here with his wife, who was born in CA, but her parents had immigrated from Argentina to CA so she had her grandparents and all of her relatives in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, and his parents. They were married in the US, but were having another wedding in Argentina for her family. In fact they ended up having a total of four weddings. So after he told me the story about how they met and first starting dating, which was hilarious, it would be a great romantic comedy, you would not believe how much I laughed, he explained his four weddings to me.

It turns out he is of Native America decent. You can actually tell by just looking at him. The first wedding was done in honor of his father and the spirits. The second wedding was performed in North Dakota by his uncle because he is some sort of Sun Dancer. Every year the Sun Dancers perform a special ceremony. At this ceremony they go for four days without any food or any water. And throughout those days they perform various dances of significance that I cannot remember. The purpose of these ceremonies is the cleansing of the soul. This is of much importance to Native Americans. One of the first two weddings, I cannot remember which, is the tying together of the souls of him and his new wife and the various spirits, essentially, their God. The various spirits include the spirit of the sun, the earth, the wind, etc...much like the Alaskan Eskimos. Actually, the Yupik Alaskan Eskimos have a strong relation to this guys ancestors. I found that very interesting because the Athapaskan Alaska Natives have a strong relation to the natives of Patagonia, Argentina, I think, it is the Athapaskans, if not it is the Tlingits. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to learn about how in his culture the spirits are essentially the glue that helps his marriage survive through the most difficult times.

It was really interesting to talk to him about it because earlier in the day, while I was walking around Buenos Aires, I was thinking about how the institution of marriage is a lost cause. It is no longer anything but a contract with no true ramifications, other then emotional ones, if the contract is broken. Therefore, marriage is nothing more then an excuse to have a party to celebrate the happiness of two people during a given point in their lives. They continue to really live as two separate people instead of one. Talking with him and his true belief and faith within marriage made me feel more optimistic towards what I have been finding myself to perceive as nothing more then a lost cause.

So anyway, after their two weddings in the US they flew down to Rosario to get married in Argentina. When you get married in Argentina you must first be married in the Civil Court. This legitimizes your marriage within the country. Then, following your legal marriage you have your religious ceremony, with a priest, etc... Also here you are required to have a blood test done prior to getting married. I find that slightly bazaar because neither him nor his new wife are Argentina citizens. They were just a couple of US citizens, already married in the US (I think it was the 2nd wedding, the one in N. Dakota, that was legitimate), getting married again in Argentina. I learned a lot about their culture today, and I found it fascinating.

Day 25 - Last Day in Uruguay

2008-05-27T00:07:00.001-07:00

Uruguay or Home
I spent my last day in Uruguay relaxing on a bench by the water then having lunch at a cafe. It was a beautiful day. While I was in Uruguay I was actually thinking about whether I really would want to be at home or here. Home won. I think only because I know it is summer there and a summer in Alaska is not something I am about ready to give up. If I was I would be on my way to Bolivia right now, not hanging out in Uruguay.

Tourists
Colonia, Uruguay really has a lot of tourists from the US and Great Britain. During lunch at the cafe the entire row of tables I was in was full of people from Great Britain and the US. There were also a few other folks speaking English, I assume they were from the US based on their accents, but I am not 100% sure. My room at the hostel I shared with two girls from Holland. They were so sweet. They had gotten into Buenos Aires two weeks ago and before that they were in New York. Then on the ferry from Uruguay to Buenos Aires I met three people from Chicago. I would have been completely satisfied if I had not met them. They were loud and obnoxious, nice yes, but extremely irritating. I do not think I was the only one who felt that way either.

Back in Buenos Aires
Once I made it to the hostel in Buenos Aires (Gecko Hostel) and checked in I went for my last steak dinner at my new favorite restaurant. While I was eating my dinner and reading my book it began down pouring. As I hurried my stuff inside I met some more people, a girl from Washington, D.C. and her Argentine boyfriend. She invited me to join them, so I allowed them to finish their dinner then did. It turns out the girl is from D.C., originally one of the Carolinas. The guy is from Argentina, but had lived in Canada for the past five years and just now moved home. When the girl was in D.C. she worked for this consulting firm on behalf of the companies on the North Slope. She had been to Alaska a few times and really liked it, but she was only here for business so no time to check out the state. The guy, Fernando, has always wanted to go to AK. He is really intrigued by it. Anyway, the girl got really burnt out because it was such a high stress job so after five years she is moving on to new things, but in the mean time she is going to hang out in Argentina. Once again I have had a pretty good day. So I went back to my hostel and with the help of a couple glasses of red wine I was out like a light. :)

Day 24 - Uruguay

2008-05-26T10:16:00.008-07:00

Uruguay
I have had a wonderful day in Colonia Uruguay. I am really glad I came here. This is by far the oldest city I have ever been to. The streets are made of cobble stone. Someone took a lot of time and put a lot of effort into making these roads. The town is right on the river. The river is huge. You can see the islands on it, but you cannot see across it. I must be on the mouth of the river, or at least near it. It is the only explanation for its width. There is a beautiful light house and some old ruins I have not put forth the effort in finding out the historical value of yet. The streets are tree lined. This really is a quaint little town. I love it.

Bike Riding
I borrowed a bike from the hostel I am staying at to go explore the town. Riding a bicycle on cobble stone streets is more difficult then I ever would have imagined. My arms went through every stage of numbness ranging from tingling to itching. It was due to the constant bumps your body incurs while riding on the streets. That is what you get when you ride around on 400 year old roads.

The Roads
The roads here are quite interesting. There is traffic, but the only regulations are the courteousness the drivers choose to use. In all of my riding today I saw two stop signs. That is it. No other stop signs, no yield signs, no street lights, no cops regulating traffic, no nothing. When you come to a cross street/intersection, if it is empty you go or you wait your turn. There is nothing more to it.

The roads are shared by all. While riding my bike I came across cars, golf carts, motorcycles, city busses, coach buses, 4-track vehicles, but primarily mopeds. While I was riding downhill, at unknown speeds, I once again began feeling itchy in my arms due to the stages of numbness setting in. All I could think about on my way down was how bazaar it would be if one of those families of three on their moped came plowing into the intersection with mom driving, baby on moms lap, and dad crammed on the back, all without helmets (that is how they all drive), and we had an accident. Or if I did not get hit by the family on the moped perhaps I would run into the old folk tourists who seem to enjoy cruising around on their rental golf carts or maybe I would be side swiped by a motorcycle (which almost happened by the way). I do not know which would be more bazaar, Alaskan v. Family of Three on Moped, Out of Control Bicyclist T-Bones Old Couple in Golf Cart, or Motorcycle Sideswipes Bicyclists, Sends Her Flying. All would undoubtedly be painful to me, but never-the-less, unforgettable.

Hostel Espanola
The hostel I am staying at here is really amazing. It is called Hostel Espanola. I am sharing a dorm with two girls from Holland. They told me their names, but I have already forgotten.

You walk in through the double gated doors and to the right is the office. The halls are a beautiful yellow. (The halls are actually considered outside, but there is a roof.) There is a kitchen, dinning room, and computer room, also inside. Each room has a door outside (or to the hall) like an outlet mall, if I had to describe it, except shaped in a box with the only admittance from the street being the gated double doors, if that makes sense. There is a courtyard in the middle of the “complex” where I like to sit. You can see the moon and feel the breeze. There are also a lot of potted plants out. They add a nice touch to the tree in the center.

I am really glad I came to Uruguay. I love it here.

Day 23 - The Dinner Party

2008-05-26T10:16:00.005-07:00

An Overview
Today I am very grumpy. I have not been in the mood to deal with thinking and I have been forced to. Plus, I want to eat my dinner at 5pm and I cannot because dinner is not even severed until at least 8pm. Then I could not find the gift I wanted to get for Max and Allan or the gifts I wanted to get for Hunter and Eric...grrrrrrrr.

Goodbyes
I started my day by departing from the girls. We had a great time together, but it was time for us to go our separate ways. I am kind of glad though. I am ready for some more time on my own. It will give me a chance to wine down prior to my trip to Seattle. Courtney put me in a cab and sent me on my way. It was really kind of funny; when I left she helped me with my bags and to get a taxi. Once my stuff was packed she gave me this huge hug. It lasted forever. It was like one of the famous hugs my Grandma G. gives. Courtney and I really bonded on this trip. I really think that we will end up crossing paths many times in the future and each time will be an adventure in itself.

My Frustrations Begin
Once I got to the hostel my frustrations began building. I paid my taxi driver, a nice guy, and then made my way to the front door. At the front door the strap on my duffle bag broke. That kind of sucked. Now I am going to have to carry the bag with the handles. The bag is pretty darn heavy, so that is going to suck. I was pretty tired after I checked into the hostel, but I decided if I just slept it would be allowing my grumpiness to overcome me and I did not want to let the grumpy side win, so I set out in search of some markets. I never found the first market. That really made me mad. I ended up coming back to the hostel and decided to search for a market I knew was nearby. I did find that one, thank goodness, but there was nothing good there. I did not end up purchasing anything. I decided I would treat myself to dinner, but I could not because the stupid restaurants were not serving dinner, so I had to settle for a sandwich and coffee. This did not help my mood at all.

Once I got back to the hostel I read my book for a while. I was really tired so I kind of wanted to sleep, but I knew that I must take advantage of my time here since my days are slowly but surly dwindling away. I was either going to go to the birthday party these Irish guys were having, to dinner with the people I met last night, or something else...I cannot remember what it was. I decided on dinner because I would be able to eat more steak and it would be quieter then a bunch of drunk Irish guys.

Dinner with the English Speakers I had a really wonderful dinner. I had been invited out by two people, Chris and Ryan who I met at The Salt Shaker dinner last night. It is their last night in town because they are going to visit their family in Canada then New York before heading off to Taiwan to teach for a while. They just got engaged too. They are very happy. In three years they are planning on having a wedding in China.

The favorite part of my dinner experience was with the people I interacted with. Chris is from New York. Ryan was from Saskatchewan, Lisa, a girl from the house dinner, is from California, but now has residency here in Argentina. There was a guy from Washington D.C. whose mom was Argentine and when he came to visit his Grandma he never left. There were two people from the UK. The lady I spoke with, I think her name was Joyce, was actually originally from Northern Ireland. She had immigrated to the UK where she retired as a teacher; now she and her friend Pete travel all over the world. There were also a few other people from Canada and CA and NY who were at the dinner.

I enjoyed speaking with Joyce the most. She was so sweet. She told me about how the UK has so many Irish and Polish immigrants. There are many places that are now bilingual. It was interesting to learn that the US is not the only country dealing with bilingual issues. With the drastic movement of people these days knowing multiple languages is becoming more important. After being here I do not necessarily think it is a bad thing to require students to learn at least one other language.

One thing about dinner that was really interesting to note is how young I am in comparison to so many other people. I bet the next closest age to me would have been 28 or 29. I felt so young and little. It was fun though because people think it is important to travel so we have a lot of talks about traveling, how they afford it, how they make time for it, etc... I love hearing everyone's stories and I think they can tell I am intrigued by them so they like to talk to me about them.

After dinner I made my way back to the hostel, and was off to bed. The dinner was a really nice way to end my day. I am glad I went.

Day 22 - The Salt Shaker

2008-05-26T10:16:00.003-07:00

Today was a really wonderful day. I learned so much today and had the chance to try new things.

My Morning
When I woke up this morning, I was feeling kind of tired, but I didn't want to waste any of my day, so I promptly started my morning. I got up, took a shower, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and had breakfast.

Shower AppreciationI have really enjoyed being able to take pressurized showers multiple days in a row. It was also nice to be able to utilize space without having to worry about cleaning and putting away all my stuff since I was living in one place with the same people for a period of time. I have definitely enjoyed being able to root for a couple days, no matter how short of time the days added up to. It is something I have come to appreciate.

The Fruit
My fruit salad was so delicious. About two days ago I paid 20 pesos for four bananas, two apples, two plums, two lemons, and two pears. That comes out to about US$7. The fruit was so fresh too. Argentina has the best pears. I am most certainly going to miss the fruit stands here. I am going to miss the markets so bad too. I love them. A good shower, clean cloths, and a fresh fruit salad made for a good start to my busy, but good day.

My Date with Kate
By 12:30pm Kate and I were on our way to Florida St. to do some shopping and be a part of the ever so busy center of Buenos Aires. First thing we did was go see the pink house. It is like the white house. The president works there. She does not live there though. She has a home in the suburbs. Following a few pictures of the old buildings we headed down to Florida St. I went and did some shopping and Kate went to a cafe where she relaxed, watched the people walk by/the life of Florida St., drank her beer, and enjoyed some time to herself. Once they leave Buenos Aires tomorrow there will not be a lot of time in which the girls will have to themselves. My shopping experience consisted of buying two pair of pants, a jean jacket, and a duffle bag, nothing too exciting. Shopping here can actually be quite discouraging because everyone is so skinny. It is hard to find cloths that will fit.

At about 3:30pm we headed to the subway then back to the apartment. I was going to take a siesta, an afternoon nap, but decided against it because I had taken one yesterday and it made me tired the rest of the day. I did not figure I would be out too late tonight so I did not find one to be too important, turned out I was wrong. Since I decided against the siesta I made my way to the mall where I bought a new pair of earrings for our dinner party tonight. Then I came back and used the computer to do some travel planning for my trip to Kotzebue with Hunter then Homer in a month.

The Salt Shaker
After me and the girls were all ready we headed off to our house dinner party. The girls were in their black dresses, Courtney wearing stilettos and Lisa and Kate in their ballet flats. I was in my white shirt, new jeans, new black high heeled leather boots, new earrings and the most makeup I have ever worn in my life (Courtney put on my makeup) and we were off.

What we were going to was a dinner prepared by some folks at their house. I think their website is saltshaker.net or something of that sort. It is these two guys, one from MI and one from I am not sure where, who cook dinner twice a week for those interested.

At the dinner were a couple from New Hampshire, originally Costa Rica, an Argentine, a girl from CA, Lisa, a girl from NY, Chris, her fiancé from Saskatchewan, Ryan, two people from China and us four girls. We had a great meal. Each meal was served with a different type of wine. Of the five glasses I only liked and drank three. All of the food was pretty darn good. It was quite elaborate though, so I am not even going to try and explain what the courses were.

Also while we were there, there was a lady from the local newspaper. She was writing a little article about the house dinners for the paper. We are going to watch the paper to see if Sunday or Monday one of the pictures of us eating is in it. If there is I will have to pick up some copies since I will be the only one in Buenos Aires.

Our Night Life
Following dinner we were supposed to go to this private party at some club. Courtney's old roommate Lacey's boyfriend Juelo's friend was having a birthday party or something. We ended up having a change of plans so we went to another bar instead.

Taxi Driver – The One Who Did Not Like Americans
On our way to the bar we caught a cab. The cab driver, it turns out, hates people from the US. When we got in Courtney asked him how he was and he said something along the lines of good until you got in my cab. Courtney asked him if he had a problem with people coming to Argentina and he said he does not have a problem with people from Europe or Central America. His reasoning was because we come here and take advantage of the economy since our dollar is worth so much more then theirs. To calm things down Courtney changed the subject.

This really irritated me. I think if you are going to have an issue with something you should have a legitimate argument. This man did not have one. When we were sitting down at the bar Courtney attempted to explain it to me. At first her explanations were going no where until she explained to me how many Americans come here with the mantality of I am better then you. They do not attempt to learn the language. They are here because it is a cheap place to go and to take advantage of the economy. One of the explanations she gave me was about how most people ask me if I am from Europe. They think I am because I attempt to communicate with them in Spanish and I do not treat them like I am better then them. That is the reputation Europeans have developed in Argentina whereas people from the US have developed this “I am better then you” reputation. Honestly, I can see how that could be. It made a lot of sense after she put it like that and in the end I was not upset with the cab driver anymore. I can think of a few people I know who would fit perfectly in the category people from the US are put into. The majority of them are spoiled people who I myself even limit my time with. If I were that man I probably would have the same perspective, but probably would not have been so forth right about it. I think Courtney's experiences from traveling have taught her a lot which gives her a very good understanding quality, definitely not a bad thing.

We had a good time at the bar. We did not stay too late. While we were there, there was this guy who kept trying to teach us how to salsa dance. I do not know what his deal was. There was not even any music.

Day 21 - Day with Kate, Court, and Lisa

2008-05-26T10:16:00.001-07:00

Today we were planning on having our big shopping experience. I am determined to find a new pair of black high heeled leather boots, or as Hunter would call them, "hooker boots." He doesn't like my "hooker boots" but I love them. :-)

The Morning
We all slept in today. Kate and Lisa are still getting used to the time change. In the morning, when we got up Courtney cooked us breakfast. We had eggs with avocado and tomatoes with basil. It was very good. My healthy food intake definitely increases when I am with Courtney.

The Mall
After breakfast we all took a trip down to the mall. I ended up purchasing two shirts. The quality is so good. When you do the conversion from pesos to dollars it really seems worth the price. After the mall we were going to go find some shoes for me. Lisa ended up going back to the apartment. She was going to get some sleep because we were planning on going to Florida St. (the main central street in Buenos Aires) tonight.

Lisa
Lisa actually seems to be very scared to be in Buenos Aires. I do not know how she is going to survive Bolivia. One thing I have learned is always look like you know where you are going, always look confident, and never pull out a map unless you are sitting down somewhere and no one really thinks twice about you. If you feel uncomfortable get in a cab. Lisa always looks sacred and like she does not know where she is going. Hopefully she'll shake that off as the trip progresses.

The Shoes
We ended up heading down to Callao, a great place for shoes. I found this gorgeous pair of boots for 300 pesos, about US$100. I love them. After a while Courtney and Kate took off to go back to the apartment, so I wandered the streets of Buenos Aires. I ended up finding a cafe so I indulged in some fried chicken, french fries, and yes, a small bottle of wine. I was actually pretty buzzed by the time I was done, so I took myself and my new boots back to the subway then back to the apartment. I think that was actually my first trip alone on the subway, in Buenos Aires anyway, I used to ride it by myself in Washington D.C. all the time. The wine made the subway ride flow pretty well. Even if something bad did happen I don't think I would have freaked out.

The Nap
By the time I made it back to the apartment I was more then ready for siesta (afternoon nap).

Florida St.
Around 8pm we took our little trip down Florida St. It was fun. The street was alive with people selling crafts along with entertainers, even though the stores were closed. We watched two couples dance the tango. It really is a beautiful dance. You could tell they were having fun. I kind of wish I had been able to take a tango lesson, but time just didn't permit, plus I do not want to spend more time in the city then I have to.

We then proceeded on to the largest intersection in the world. I had been there before, but Kate and Lisa had not. Kate was thrilled. When we got there, there was a protest going on, the farmers of course. Kate was right there in the action taking all kinds of pictures. People kept asking her which newspaper she worked for. She just told them she was from the US. They all just loved having her there. It was fun and very cute. Kate got some amazing shots.

If anything got out of control there were a couple of government officials standing by. The only thing that happened was this little kid who was going through the crowd of protestors picked up a half smoked cigarette and started smoking it. He was being obnoxious so the officials grabbed him and sent him on his way.

The kids here make me nervous sometimes. They are little smarty pants know it alls. They are old enough to know better, but too young to understand the consequences of their actions. They actually make me more nervous then anyone.

My Analysis on Argentina
That actually leads me to another one of my conclusions. I was actually expecting Argentina to be much poorer and less modern then it really is. Most people here walk around with their little cell phones and their blackberries (or something similar if they are not blackberries). They have their I-pods and mp3 players (not as many as in the US, but still a lot). Most people are nicely dressed. You can tell they spend money on their appearances. They have flat screen TV's all over, in the subways, at the bus stations, etc... No one looks like they are starving. They may not have some of the luxuries we have in the US, like the ability to travel, but they have other things they are not forced to spend their money on, like health care or education (both are paid for by the government, including college). They seem like a very content happy society.

I did see some people who were obviously not well off, such as homeless people. I do not think I saw anymore homeless people here then I saw when I had been in New York City or any other major city or small town I have been to. The poorest people I saw were on the outskirts of Salta, but even then they looked fed, had a roof over their heads, and cloths. I am sure there is more then what I have seen, but what I did see was a country well on its way to recovering from its economic crisis.

Day 20 - Leaving El Bolson

2008-05-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Last of the Last Bus Ride
This morning I woke up on the bus. This was probably the longest, most uncomfortable bus ride I have taken. We finally arrived in Buenos Aires around 1pm. Once I arrived, I wasn't sure where I was going or how much it was going to cost me to get there, I only knew the address of the apartment I was supposed to be staying at. (Don't underestimate the size of Buenos Aires, it is huge.) Thank goodness Courtney wrote it down for me before she left El Bolson, because knowing me I would have procrastinated until my bus was about to leave then would have decided to look it up when I got to Buenos Aires. Because I wasn't sure how much it was going to cost me and I wasn't in the mood for some taxi driver to take me on a tour of the city to make himself more money I paid a little extra to have a driver from one of the private companies take me to the apartment.

The Wait

When I arrived at the apartment Courtney was not there. Either Kate or Lisa, whoever was there, could not let me in because she did not have a key and the buzzer to unlock the door was not working. (You need a key to get out of the building as well as in.) I don't really like that about here. It makes me nervous being trapped inside a building, just incase there was a fire or something.

So I ended up going to a cafe down the street. I read some more of my book and had lunch with, of course, wine. I never would have imagined I would drink so much wine in my entire life.

A while later I made my way back to the apartment. I most definitely looked like a tourist walking down the street. I had my backpack on. It was extra big because I had put my rain cover over it so I could strap more stuff to the outside of my bag. I have accumulated a lot of stuff in the past couple weeks here.

The Girls
I met the girls once I got to the apartment. I think we will have fun in the upcoming days. I had met Lisa once before at Sue's house. It was last summer, for Courtney's 27th birthday. I had not met Kate before. She worked with Courtney up at Chena Pump for a while.

A Shower…Finally
It was so nice to take a shower today. You have no idea. I was covered in volcano ash because while waiting for my bus in El Bolson the wind had been really whipping around stirring up the ash and coating everything in its path, including me. Volcano ash sticks in your hair more then anything else I have ever encountered, including paint, and believe me, I have encounter all types of dirt and grim. I was also able to get my cloths washed today. Hooray! This is only the second time I have been able to wash my cloths, once in Iguazu and now.

Dinner with Kate and Court
I was feeling pretty tired, so I wanted to stay at the apartment and read my book, but Kate and Courtney were going to go out for a steak dinner and I just cannot say no to steak. We ended up going to this restaurant called Soberbia 22. It was in the Polarmo neighborhood. So if you are ever in Buenos Aires I would go there for a steak. It is the neighborhood that Juan Pablo and Alisa both live in and where Courtney lived when she first moved to Buenos Aires. At dinner we socialized and talked politics, of course. It seems to be a trend when I am with Courtney. I do not mind though. It encourages me to learn more on the matters, and considering it is what makes the world go round it is important to know about.

Following dinner we made our way to a little ice cream shop then another restaurant to sit, chat, and drink another bottle of wine. The ice cream was great. The wine was bad.

Today was a really wonderful day. I really enjoyed my time with Kate and Courtney. I think Kate is someone I'll keep in touch with in the future.

Day 19 - Hike Number Two

2008-05-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Courtney left today back to BA. I am really glad she came to El Bolson. We had so much fun hanging out with her. When she left John told me he really liked her. She is a good person. Which is very true. I think she cracked him up, I know he cracker her up.

Before Court left today John taught us the art of mate (maa-tee). The grass and water drink they drink here. It is very bitter, but you become addicted easily. I bought a cup, straw, and some grass today at the store. I am going to drink it on the bus tomorrow.

After we walked Courtney to the bus station and bought our tickets for tomorrow we went and bought some ice cream (I had lemon and chocolate) then went for another hike. This hike was on the other side of the town then the one we did yesterday.

We walked to the right leaving Grandma´s hostel rather then the left. We walked up this hill until we found our path. The trail was beautiful. It was through the woods. The soil looked white because of all of the volcano ash. There were many trails in many directions so John put arrows in the ground to mark our direction by moving the ash and exposing the dirt. I ended up using the arrow when I left, but probably would have been fine without it, just would have taken me longer.

Along our journey we met up with two dogs. One was black and the other was blonde, like a golden retriever, except definitely a mutt. I named the black one Lady. They played tour guides to us up to the top of the hill. The top was absolutely beautiful. We climbed on to these rocks and got an incredible panoramic view of all of El Bolson. It was breath taking. John sat down while I hopped from rock to rock until I found a good spot with my feet hanging off of this cliff. John isn´t one for heights so he stayed clear of the edge. It was really kind of cool having that view. Many of the trees were still yellow. Other trees had dark spots around the truck with bear branches. The dark spots were the leaves on the ground by the way. I watched the horses eat, the cattle roam, and the cars drive by. It was beautiful.

Following our hike John decided to stay on the rocks for a while and enjoy the peace and quiet. He doesn´t see much of it living in a city. I ventured back through the woods then down a road which took me to the main highway that leads into El Bolson. I had missed the turn we took on our way to the trail, but I knew I would find my way back to the town. El Bolson is in the valley so there are only two roads in and out, one to the north and one to the south.

Once I made it to the city I stopped at the supermarcado (supermarket), got some supplies for a fruit salad and my own cup, straw, and grass for my mates (maa-tees). Turns out I forgot my straw at the supermarcado so I had to go back and buy another one. You have to pack your own bags at the market, so it was my own fault. Oh well.

On the way back to Grandma´s hostel I acquired, not by choice, a new friend. He was a dog who followed me to Grandma´s hostel and sat outside the gate starring at me most of the night.

The evening time is beautiful here. There has not been a cloud in the sky. The jagged tops of the mountains are so clear and beautiful. They look so close you could reach out and touch them. They truly look magnificent tonight. A great way to spend my last night in El Bolson.

Day 18 - Hike Number One

2008-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up in a pile of sweat. It was disgusting. We had cranked up the heat in our room yesterday to heat it up and didn´t turn it down before bed. That on top of a blistering headache due to drinking the equivalent of a bottle of red wine by myself while reading my book. My day improved as it progressed though.

The Indian´s Head Trail
John, Courtney, and I went on a beautiful hike. We walked up a road that paralleled the town. Instead of walking on the road itself we walked on a trail we found parallel to the road, also along a cliff. The views were truly incredible. El Bolson is a quaint little town tucked in a valley of the Andes. From our trail you would see the mountains you had to drive through to reach Baralochie and the mountains you would have to drive through to go further south. The town is truly a gem.

We followed the road up to the Indian´s Head Trail. It was a very cool trail. It switch backed up this hill then went along a cliff, actually kind of in the side of the cliff. It was very awesome. We eventually got to a little look out. When you walked onto the look out, if you looked back at the cliffs we had been walking in, you could see a cliff that resembled an indian´s head. It was pretty cool. It reminded me of this rock that is shaped like a head that is on an old mining trail in Chicken, Alaska.

Waterfall Trail
Following that trail we attempted to find some waterfalls that, according to our map, were near. We eneded up doing a loop on the Indian Head Trail. There were some people who lived near by so John went and asked them for directions to the falls. We ended up taking a trail through the woods to the otherside of the hill we were on. It was very nice. The hike took us about two hours. By the time we were done with both of the hikes we were filthy because we were covered in volcano ash from walking around. (El Bolson is COVERED in volcano ash because of the volcano that erupted in Chili last week.)

Bambie
When we got close to the waterfall we acquired a new friend. She was a blonde and white dog that Courtney named Bambie. She was kind of cute. She acted as our tour guide down to the falls. In the end she ended up being kind of a nuisance. It was because Courtney and John fed her chips. You cannot feed the dogs here. Bambie followed us FOREVER. She followed us at the falls, down the old dirt road. We finally lost her when the dirt road hit a junction. She probably didn´t know which way we were going or else she was scared of the cattle we walked by hanging out on the road.

The Falls
The falls were cute, but nothing too spectacular. I probably would have thought they were more awesome if I wasn´t at the Iguazu Falls a week or so ago.

The Park
When you are done with the loop trail the waterfalls are on you end in a park. The park is pretty cute. Everything was made of wood, including the slides. Courtney thought it was creepy, like some ghost kids would be haunting it or something. I liked it though. I like how everything is made out of wood here. It seems so much more natural then plastic, like everything in the US is made of.

The Walk
We were a bit puzzled as to how we were going to get back. We either could have walked back the way we came or walked to the highway and caught the bus back to town. The lady John spoke with earlier had said the walk to the bus stop on the highway was only two or three kilometres from the falls. We weren´t sure how to get to the highway from where we were, so we decided to walk down the only road we could find.

We walked and we walked and we walked. All we saw for the first hour was closed down summer cabins and some cattle hanging out on the road. (Those are some big buggers, let me tell you. I was actually kind of freaked out that one was going to charge us or something. ) A car ended up coming up the road so John stopped him and asked how far to the highway. We ended up being on the right road so we just kept trekking.

By the time we reached the highway we had been walking for about two hours on the dirt road. We ended up hitching a ride from the town´s veterinarian. He estimated our walk from the falls to the highway to be about six kilometres. The lady from the Indian Head Trail was really off. By the time we made it back to Grandma´s hostel we had been walking for six hours.

Dinner
Courtney, John, and I decided we would top off our day of hiking with a trout dinner at a local restaurant. Apparently the trout is caught here in the river that goes through El Bolson. The dinner was delicious. I started with orange juice, which was freshly squeezed, as orange juice generally is here. I followed that by zucchini wrapped around trout and venison (I don´t know how to spell it, deer meat). Then a trout and vegetable dish with white wine followed. It was so good.

In addition to the food the company was great. John said it was a very entertaining time watching Courtney and I. We discussed politics, did some arguing, and let me tell you, we are definitely opposites. It is kind of funny. We also reminisced on future travels and adventures we hope to go on. We decided we are going to start reading The Economist each time a new issue comes out then debating it. We will sit by the slue at Sue and Ed´s, drink wine, and discuss what is going on around the world. We also decided Ed could sit and watch because know he´ll find us so entertaining. He would sit there and laugh and rub his hands together in excitement, a typical mannerism of Ed´s when he gets excited. Courtney and I both concluded he would probably see things the same way I do, but he also wouldn’t interject. Oh Ed. :)

Also while we were at dinner Courtney suggested I extend my stay and accompany Lisa, Karen, and her on the Inca Trail to Machue Pechu (however you spell it), then Bolivia and Colombia and into Ecuador. As tempting as her offer is I had to decline. I would love to hike the Inca Trail and see Machue Pechu. Travelling around other parts of South America would be wonderful too, and who knows when and if I´ll have this opportunity again, but truth be told I am exhausted. By the time I get back to interior Alaska I will have been gone for, give or take, six months. The last half of December I was in the Midwest, January through mid April I was in southeast Alaska, and mid April through the end of May I will be in Argentina, then I still have a few days that I am spending with Ashley and Brian in Seattle before I head back home. I don´t really want to give up any more of my precious summer in Alaska.

Today, in the end, was my best day.

Day 17 - to El Bolson

2008-05-12T16:48:00.001-07:00

This morning I received an email from Courtney saying she was arriving in Baralochie at noon. She would meet us in El Bolson if we were going. John and I decided we would meet her at the station then head out to El Bolson together.

Sure enough Courtney was right on time, so John ran and got us tickets for the next bus to El Bolson. (They run quite frequently because El Bolson is only 2 hours away from Baralochie.) It turns out the tourists get charged more then the Argentines for tickets so we gave John money and he got them for us. At 12:30 pm we were off to El Bolson.

The bus ride was beautiful. We drove down a wined highway through the mountains until we arrived in a beautiful valley surrounded tightly by mountains of various sizes, shapes, and colors.

As soon as we arrived in El Bolson we needed to hurry up and find our hostel so we could go to the market. The Saturday market in El Bolson is supposed to be one of the best markets in Argentina. And let me tell you, I love markets. The hostel we were going to stay at was owned by this little old lady. She is really cute. We called her Grandma. Courtney had stayed here when she was here during the summer months. We didn´t have her number though so were unable to make reservations or call and let her know we were coming. We walked to her place, but she wasn´t there so we went to the market.

The market was so amazing. It turned out the market was closing at 4pm and it was about 3:15pm so we had to hurry up and get what we needed. Courtney sat with our stuff and John and I went and poured money into El Bolson´s economy. I got some really great stuff. Almost everything I got was made of wood. It was all hand made and beautiful. I don´t want to disclose what I got yet. :)

After the market we headed back to Grandma´s Hostel to check in. Apparently she had been reading so didn´t hear us when we knocked on her door and rang her doorbell when we had come earlier in the day. She is kind of a crazy old lady. Courtney thinks she speaks English, but just hides it. It actually wouldn´t surprise me. It is a good thing that John was with us too, because he could understand her. Courtney could understand some of what she was saying but not everything because she talked so fast.

Her hostel is so cute. She has a bunch of rose bushes all around her house. Off the back of the house she has various rooms that she rents out to guests. Apparently she is pretty busy in the summer months. A lot of people stay here. El Bolson doesn´t get a lot of touristy people, more backpackers because the hiking is so great here. Apparently, ¨Granny¨ is really into everyone´s business too. She likes to play match maker. When Courtney and Lacey were here in the summer Granny tried to hook them up with an Italian guy and a German guy. What a funny old lady.

Following our unpacking we made a quick trip to the store to get some stuff for dinner. We just hung out for the evening. It was really nice.

El Bolson is so beautiful. Words can hardly describe it. I would say that this is probably the most amazing place I have ever been to. El Bolson is like heaven on earth. It is stunning. The mountains that surround it have very unique character. When the sun rises and sets it is always going behind or coming out of behind the mountains. The colors are unreal. The town itself is small and quiet. The streets are lined with trees of all types. There are rose bushes all over. The little dogs roaming the streets are kind of cute too. Everything is also really slow paced, but not too slow. It is a truly amazing town. If I were to live in Argentina, I would want it to be here.

Day 7 - Rosario

2008-05-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

The bus station
The bus station this morning was very vacant in comparios to BA´s station. I like it much more. I actually enjoy my time at the bus stations. You meet and observe some very interesting people. This morning, for example, there is a poor older women with her grocery cart filled with her belongings begging. It almost looks like she lives here. She as a whicker foldign chair and is very dirty. Most of the seats around her are empty. I was going to sit in one of the seats, but I am not in the mood to be begged or asked for money. I almost wonder if there is some sort of senior care available in Argentina. It is my understanding there is socialized healthcare and free education.
That is another thing about Argentina, not as much in Rosario as in BA, but there are a lot of children begging. it is definately not a good thing to give the children money because it really encourages them to continue to puruse begging rather then going to school to earn a living. I don´t think it is good in any culture.
Everyone also tries to sell you stuff here. Whether you are walking down the street, sitting down at a cafe, or your bus is stopped letting people off or on. I generally ignore them or say no gracies. Some people try to beg me more but I just say no espanol and they walk away. Sometiems what they do is put the item on your table or in your lap then come back and get it later. It gives you a chance to examin it. Everything is usually that made in China crap no one has any time or use for.

John
The best part of being in Rosario was meeting John. He is a really great person. He reminds me of my friend Jake Sproul, kind of fat, kind of short, and kind of weird, but good hearted, kind and positive. I think he is someone I will keep in touch with for years to come. I think he would enjoy visiting Alaska someday.
The other great thing about John is the perspective I was able to get from him. Not only did I learn about our culture differences, but our similarities too. For example, last night when we were out he told me about how he does not go to church or even believe in God, but because he has a different idea of who god is. He doesn´t think if he goes to church Sunday and goes to confession that his sins will be forgiven. He believes if he is truly sorry inside God will know. He said that perception is very common in Argentina. Faith isn´t lost, it has evolved. I think that is very common in the US too. It was interesting to find that two cultures, so different, are really very much the same.
I also asked John why he learned english. he said his father told him it was the language of the world so he must learn it. So since he was seven he studied english. I then told him about the issue in the US about whether we should be an english only country or not. He said that is silly and if people come to the US they should learn the language, English. I think it is kind of ironic that he said that considering I am a foreigner in his country and I do not know his language. But then again, I am only spending a short amount of time here and a great amount of money, by their standards, so they probably are not too worried about it.

Peanutbutter
I am very glad I brought peanut butter with me on my trip. It`s oily goodness has been delicous with my melt in your mouth chocolate, especially with my sick feeling from yesterdays wine. The wine I had wasn´t really wine though I guess. John said it is like the foam from when they make the wine. I really liked it, sweet, bubbly, and satisfying.

The bus ride
The bus I was on today is much more stuffy and cramped compared to the last bus I was on. I had someone sitting next to me, but he moved next to one of his friends when I got on the bus. Now I have a row (two seats) to myself. That was nice considering it was a 12 hour bus ride. I am also sitting on the top this time. These are double decker buses. The top sways a lot more then the bottom. At least one time I want to ride in the front of the double decker bus on the top. I hear it is scary, I really want to try it.
Another similarity is the use of the ¨F¨ word here. They use it just like we do in the US. :)
I do not remember how, but John and I got on the subject of the simple things in life being the ones you are appreciate of. I think it was because he was reflecting on his childhood. I told him the story about how when we were kids we used to make ¨canoes¨ out of sleeping bags, stuff them with pillows and blankets and ride in them down the stairs. I thought that was kind of funny.
I think one of the things I like the most about riding on the bus, even though it is disgusting and filthy, is your time to reflect and day dream. It reminds me of when we drove to Alaska in 1997 in the big brown van. I remember staring out the window watching the world go by and daydreaming while listening to Billy Ray Cyrus and some 60´s music like feeling groovy and daydreamer. Now everyone needs dvd players and movies to make it on a long trip. How silly.
The road from Rosario to Corrients is nice. It reminds me of driving to the cottage, the first part anyway. I think it is because of the fields and farms, except less houses and more fields. It also reminds me of the time Dee and I road our bikes from teh bridge to the cottage. I think it is because of the feeling of openness and there being no pressure to hurry up and get somewhere. You have time for enjoyment. Maybe that is why Andrew always takes the bus. I like it too now. (For those of you who don´t know who Andrew is he is my brother. And he takes the bus everywhere. Oh and the cottage was my grandmas place in Canada where we spent a lot of time in the summer. It was kind of perfect, run down, shabby, falling apart with uneven floors. You slept with sand in your bed and tried to fight off the misquetos all night. Now it is new and clean, but that wasn´t how it was when I was young(er). It all leads back to the simple life theory I suppose. The more youhave the more you want the more you work the more complex your life gets. With a complexlife you are rushed and stressed and loose touch of the simple parts of life and you are unhappy. And slippery slope affect. Maybe that is partially why Argentina is such a loving friendly, relaxing place. I think I like it.
I asked John the significants of some of the memorials and monuments in Rosario. John said the tall memorial with the walkways and the eternal flame is Monumento Nacional A Bandera. It is essentially the grave of Manuel BGelgrano. He designed the Argentine flag. He is buried underneath the 75 meter tall monument. The memorial near the river is round with many names on it. It is in honor of everyone who has died while fighting Britian over the Falk Isalnds. There still are a lot of hard feelings of Britian owning those islands. Argentines are very proud people.
The area near Sante Fe, the capitol of the province Sante Fe is very beautiful. The rivers are a dark brownish tan color. It is probably due to the sediment in the water. There are many trees too. They are a different kidn of tree. I don´t know how to describe them. Some look like they have lilacs on them. There is also a long white brick fence paralleling the road. I want to stop here on my way south. I will spend a day in Santa Fe. It looks beautiful.
On the road leaving Santa Fe there are a lot of loose horses running around. So BA has cats, Rosario has dogs and Santa Fe has horses.
The drive north to Corrientes is so beautiful. The further North we get the more vacant the land is. It is like we are driving through a photo. When I look out the window and see the endless fields of grass, trees, and bushes I get that feeling I get inside when I am at home in Alaska. The feeling of wanting to run out in the fields or up in the moutains in Alaska and feel the fresh air in my lungs. And the sky was so beautiful. It was light blue with darker blue clouds directly above. As you look further off in the distance the clouds were turning pink and if you look as far off in the distance as you can the sky is shades of pinkish white with light purple clouds. There is something about the green of the trees and the color of the ksy that just makes your heart float. Words can hardly describe its beauty.
The road from Santa Fe to Corrientes is paved, but narrow. Going over the bridge is scary and thrilling at the same time. From the top of the bus you cannot see the bridge and the railings are really small. The landscape varies between wet swampy marshes, huge cattle fields, small farms with houses that appear to be made out of some sort of clay or stone and small forests. There are sheep, there are horses, there are pigs in the mud, and many chickens. You see houses with cloths hanging out on the lines, people carrying buckets of water to their livestock, and every once-in-a-while on occasional person riding a bike up their dirt driveway. Some people have lemon trees in their yards. Based on movies I have seen I feel like I am driving through Africa and parts of mexico. I even think I saw an antelope. i don´´t know if they have them here. It may have been something else. I only got a glance at it.
I have this desire to run through the fields, eat a lemon then lay down on a blanket and stare at the sky. This part of Argentina is amazing.

Day 8 - Corrientes

2008-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Corrientes has turned otu to be a bit of a disappointment. The town seems vacant. The people didn´t start coming out until about 5:00 pm. I don´t know where they were. Appartently everything has some weird hours here. Stores, shops, everything except hotels and a few gas station like ships are closed. Finding internet access in this town is near impossible. That is another thing about outside of BA...everywhere has wireless internet, but no one owns laptops. The town wouldn´t be so inconvienient if I found the town more intreging. I cannot leave until 1 am thought. That actually works out well in a way because then I don´t have to pay for a hotel.

Corrientes is very much a small quaint little town. There are not that many places to sit down and relax though. The park along the river front is beautiful. You should see it at sunset. There are people who bring their lawn chairs and sit in them inbetween the paths. There are people who park beside the path and play their steros, all I have heard is classical music, and sit on nearby benches. The atmosphere is very laid back. poeople walk very slow through the parks. Many boys have their fishing poles in the water. Unlike in Rosario you can go right up to the cement above the river (I don´t know what you call it). There are also les begging children. Only one kid tried to sell me stuff and I just shook my head and walked away.

The architecture of Corrientes is by far the most beautiful I have seen so far. There are a lot of pillers with trees twisted and grown in and around them. There is a mural that apparently tells a story of the city. The mural is beautiful, but not as incrediable as I was amaging based on my readings. The weather probably didn´t help today though. It made me kind of moody.

I have heard the people who live in Correients don´t like to work. They prefer tospend their time with their families and friends. That is hy they work the hours they do...whatever hours those are. I am hear on a weekday, whether that makes a difference or not I don´t know. I think it is an interesting concept. I think I would like it if I lived here too.

Well tonight I take the bus to Iguazu. Courtney made me reservations at a hostel...bless her heart. I was ever so appreciative. No one understands my spanish. :) We converse better in person when I can make hand gestures and expressions with my face.

Day 9 - Corrientes then Iguazu

2008-05-04T05:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I am really mixed up as to which days are which. I tried to keep track for other people so we could figure out what I am doing when, but that hasn´t worked.

Last night I had quite an adventure at the bus station. I alays do. I waited from 6pm until 1am for my bus. It was dark in Corrientes and there really wasn´t much to do, since almost EVERYTHING was closed.

I went to board a bus and it turned out to be the wrong bus, really no big deal to me, I don´t have a plan really. It ended up my bus was cancelled and the next bus was at 6am, 12hours after my arrival to the bus station. What they did was switch me bus companies so I would go to Posados then take a bus to Iguazu. This all went on with me just kind of watching and observing what they ere up to. I caught on.

I really didn´t end up minding my six hour ait at the bus station. I met an English teacher. She couldn´t believe I had never riden a bus like this in the US. She asked how we get anywhere. I told her we fly or drive our own vehicles. That was very buzar to her. I also watched people. Like everyone here drinks tea constantly. They have their thermoses of water and tea cups nd take them everywhere.

I made it to the hostel at about 11:30 am. Turns out the number in my Lonely Planet book was not to the right hostel. Courtney had made me reservations. While I was waiting to find out about a possible room-bed for myself at the hostel I noticed a women speaking English, so I introduced myself to her. Her name was Alisa, which I ended up finding out later. I called her Lisa for like two days first. Lisa is from San Diego. She ahs been here since December and leaves in July. She is here with her friend from Great Britain. Her friend, Karen, is living in BA. SAhe is working for some sort of christin group or something. She loves BA. She is hoping to move here perminately. Her brother and his girlfriend are comin tomorrow to Iguazu. They arrived in BA today from Bariloche.

While we were talking they mentioned they knew someone who was in Arentina from Alaska. Turns out they were refering to Courtney. Alisa is good friends with Lacey, Courtney´s roommate. Small world afterall.

Since I was waitin on hearing about whether I´ll have a room or not they collaborated with the receptionist and offered me their spare bed in their private room and we would split the cost three ways. So not only did I meet some new people, but I am staying in a private room and for only 55 pecos instead of 75 pecos.

Other then Alisa the majority of the people I met so far are from London. One of the guys is having a lot of trouble with his tooth. He needs a root canal. He is going to have to have it done here. He is really nervous about it. He went to check out the hospital it was going to be done at. He said there was mud on the floor. He is not sure what he is going to do.

I also met this guy from Isreal. he is very nice. He has spent the last two months traveling in Chile and Argentina. He is off to Brazil next. He was waiting for a computer to find an airplane ticket when I met him. After two months of buses I don´t blame him for not wanting to drive. Prior to coming down here he traveled around the US, Europe, and Central America. He is recently out of the military. He had saved up his money to travel.

So I also took a hot shower (the 2nd really hot shower I have been able to take since arriving). It felt so good. My other roomos-hostels have only had cold water, other then Courtney´s apartment which only had warm water. And...I got to wash my cloths! That was one of the best parts about this hostel. Yesterday and today I wore long johns and rainpants because the rest of my cloths were so dirty. So today I am going to relax, tomorrow I am goign to go to the falls, and Sunday I am going to try and go horsebackriding in the rainforest. Then the plan is to leave to Santa Fe.

Love you all! I will update my blog when I get more access to a computer!

Day 11 - From Iguazu to Salta

2008-05-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today would have been my day to head back home if I wouldn´t have extended my stay. I am really glad I chose to stay longer.

When I woke up this morning I was planning on checking out, going on a three hour horseback riding trip, then going to Santa Fe. Turned out the horseback riding wasn´t until 2pm. So, I decided I was going to go to the bus station, find out where the next bus was going, and if it was somewhere new I was going to hop on it.

I took a taxi to the bus station at 8:45am and booked a ticket for 11am to Salta, 24 hour bus ride away. Salta was one of the places I really wanted to go, but wasn´t sure if I would be able to because of time. I figure the bus ride will give me a good opportunity to relax, get some sleep, catch up on my journal-blog, and watch the world go by. Turns out I was right.

New Folks
While waiting at the bus terminal I met a couple from New Zeland and girl from Isral, Lee. The couple from New Zeland actually met when they were working in London about a year ago. They went home to New Zeland and are now taking six months to travel as much of the world as they can. The girl from Isral, Lee, is so funny. I told her I met a gentalman from Isral the other day at the hostel. She said, you mean a dude, there are no gentalmen in Isral. I really like her, she has a bold, strong personality.

The cops
There is some funny business going on right now in Argentina. When we were leaving Iguazu our bus had to stop. We were boarded by Argentine cops. We all had to show them our passports. They also brought a dog on board. Perhapes it was a drug dog, but I almost think he was too friendly and happy-go-lucky to be a drug dog.

At first I thought they had just checked us because we were on a boarder town and they wanted to make sure we hadn´t smuggled anything. But since that first boarding we have had two or three other boardings. They haven´t checked our passports again, but they have done headcounts.

The cops here kind of creep me out. I think it is because so recently ago Argentina was a military run country. I just don´t trust the police and I avoid them if I can. If anything happened to me I think I would try and get to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires before going to the cops.

The bathroom
The bus ride was nice. As good as it can get considering you feel like you are inside of a germ with no ventilation. I am constantly using Purell hand sanitizer while I am on the bus. Thank goodness I brought it from home. I also have a really hard time using the bathroom on the bus. Everytime I use it I think of how much Shawana would hate Argentina because it is so germ infested. She would spend her entire time purelling and lysoling everything she saw. (My friend Shawana, for those of you who don´t know her, is obsessed with killing germs.) I think the worst part of the bathroom is I can never open the door. They stick horribly on these buses. When I get out of the bathroom I have to put my entire hip into the door to get out. Wouldn´t that be awful, me stuck in the bathroom of a moving bus until the next person had to pee. Yuck. I don´t know what would be worse, the pain from holding in my urine or being stuck in a cramped, filthy, germ infested moving bathroom.

Day 16 - The caves

2008-05-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

When we made it to Baralochie this morning it was very beautiful. Everything was frosted over and the hills and trees were beautiful. I felt like we were in more of a temperate climate, not so much desert like. It is a good change. I am sick of feeling hot and stuffy.

When we were in the taxi John had asked the taxi driver if there was a lot of ash in Baralochie from the volcano. The taxi driver said there was a little bit, but not much really. It is all gone now. That was good for me to know too, because Courtney wasn’t going to come to Baralochie or to El Botsan, where we are going tomorrow, because of the ash. I informed her otherwise though.

Our hostel is pretty nice. Everyone here speaks English. Many of the people are actually from the US. I met a girl from Denver and another girl from CA.

Today John and I decided to go check out some old caves. The caves actually turned out to be the same exact situation as with Angel Rocks in the interior. They were formed by volcanoes. They have the same exact rock as we have at Angel Rocks. The guide, who spoke some English, was telling me that the Indians who used to live in the caves have actually been traced back to Alaska natives, the tlinkets he thinks. (I know I didn’t spell that right at all, but I am sure you know which ones I am referring too. The ones that lived near Sitka.) Unlike Angel Rocks, these rocks actually formed large caves. They were pretty cool. There were even writings on the walls from the Indians. You could only see them if you through water on the walls because the writing are so faded. (I cannot remember the name of what it is called when they wrote on the walls.)

Being out there was very interesting. We were outside of the city, about a 40 minute drive. We took the city bus out there. It was so dry. When we were in the bus it was full of dirt from the roads. When we were at the lodge just before you go up to the caves it was very dry, dust everywhere. Then when we were walking up the hill to the caves, once again, a lot of dust.

The lodge was very beautiful. They had a huge green lawn with very tall trees. All around you was hills. The lodge has a panoramic view of the Andes and the huge lake that Baralochie sits on. They also had a small herd of sheep that were grazing along and some loose horses.

On our tour of the caves, which we only paid to go and check them out ourselves, but we actually ended up in the guided tour somehow, we went into one of the caves. That cave lead to another cave through this small hole at the end of the cave. We all put on our hard hats and our guide had a large light so we went into the other cave. The hole was only about two feet wide and two and a half feet tall. It was a bit of a scrunch to get through there. In the second cave there was a water hole. The guide said that at the other end of the water hole, in the water, there is an entrance to another cave, but it is completely filled with water. Right now is a dry time of the year so the water in the cave we were in was pretty low.

On our way back to the bus stop after our adventure a group of people who were with us on the tour were heading back to town so they gave us a ride. I was able to ride in the truck, but there wasn´t room for John so he road in the bed of the truck. Here I guess you aren’t supposed to ride in the back of trucks either, but laws here are more suggested and not enforced, so people pretty much drive how they want. That explains all of the running of red lights, not abiding by the speed limit, driving on the should, or in the case of the bus full of soccer boys, driving on the grass to get around traffic.

Which reminds me, the farmers and the president have not yet come to terms as to what to do about the tax on the farmers. The farmers have however agreed not to block the roads in and out of Buenos Aires anymore. Now they just all park next to the roads, mostly at the intersections, hold up big signs, slow down traffic, and hand out fliers. We saw a lot of that when we were driving from Rosario to Baralochie yesterday.

Baralochie is also known for its chocolates. Let me tell you, they are amazing. The chocolate just melts in your mouth. It is so good. I only had three pieces though and I just couldn’t handle any more chocolate. I am going to try and bring some home, but I am running out of room.

We went out to this AMAZING Mexican place for dinner. The family who owns the restaurant is actually from Mexico. I actually wanted to go to a different place that was in my Lonely Planet book, but I think it was closed down. It was not where it was supposed to be. I settled for the Mexican food though. The food was the best Mexican food I have ever had in my entire life. It was kind of funny, here in Argentina everything comes with bread as an appetizer. We had salsa and bread instead of salsa and chips as an appetizer. The salsa was so amazing. The waitress told us where we can find it so I think I am going to bring some home with me. I had two amazing strawberry daiquiris and some delicious fajitas. They were so full of flavour.

A few more things I keep meaning to say about Argentina, that I always forget is how much they use straws and about their construction zones. The construction zones are kind of funny. If you need to get around them you just walk through them. As for the straws, you drink almost everything with straws. Whenever I get a bottle of water or a bottle of soda, if they are not going to pour it into a cup for me to drink they give me a straw to drink it out of my bottle. I really don´t think this is too bad of an idea though. When I started getting a cavity I did some reading and the website recommended drinking out of a straw because it causes less direct contact between your teeth and what you are drinking, which is better for your teeth. I don’t know how true that is, but found it interesting.

All in all Baralochie is very beautiful. I am glad I came here. Tomorrow we are going to El Botason. We will probably stay there until the 12th. We will leave here the 13th. I don’t think we are going to go to Chili, not enough time.

Day 15 - Bus to Baralochie

2008-05-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

I am once again on a bus. This time I am with my new friend John. We are on our way to Baralochie. (I know I spell that city differently each time I spell it, but in the end, around the last time I spell it, it will probably be right.)

The drive has been mostly farmland, nothing too exciting.

John was telling me one of his friends in Rosario told him a volcano erupted in Chile last week so Baralochie has been seeing both snow and ash. I reserved a hostel for us for two nights. I only did two because I am thinking about going to Chile for a day then back to Baralochie, since Courtney is there I figured why not. The hostel is supposed to be in a penthouse in the tallest building in Baralochie. It should prove to be pretty cool. If the weather is nice we will go on an all day horse riding trip on the 10th. I am very excited.

This morning, while I packed, I watched the news. The news focused a lot on international matters. It had the 60th Anniversary coverage of Israel on. It was very interesting to learn a little bit about Israel. I think it would turn out to be a very interesting place to visit. It seems as if the people there would be very culturally diverse. I say that because so many people travel who are from Israel, based on what I heard and have seen. I am learning first hand that you learn a lot about your country, yourself, and other cultures while you are travelling. I bet the people there would also have a slightly cocky mentality because everyone must serve time in the military. I don’t think it is somewhere I would like to visit, even though I am told most people there speak very good English. Their language is Hebrew, but everyone I have met speaks very fluent English.

Courtney called me. John helped me put credit on my cell phone. It was good to be able to talk to her so we could figure out our plan, but I really hate having a cell phone again. They are so convenient, but at the same time very burdensome. It was nice not having one for awhile.

The other thing on the news today was the US democratic primaries. I actually feel more informed outside the US then I did inside. I am realizing now more then ever the true importance of foreign policy. Between my experience in the legislature and my studies this year and my travelling within a foreign nation I am realizing the true power the US president holds, more so in the world then in the US. At least with domestic relations the president must have concurrence with congress, but in regards to foreign relations the concurrence doesn’t come into affect until after actions are taken by the president, which is constitutional based on Supreme Court ruling, which further strengthens my theory that the executive and judicial branches are by far the most powerful branches of government. Enough of my political analysis though. I am done with my rampage, back to my trip. It is going well.

Day 14 - Rosario

2008-05-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Exactly two weeks into my trip and only 13 days left to go. I am actually feeling a little burnt out, but that is okay. I will fight it!

Today I arrived in Rosario again. I decided to skip out on the hostel and get my own hotel room so I can have my own space. I am glad I did. I actually slept most of the day away. It felt pretty good. After that I went and met John, we got our tickets to Baralochie today. We leave tomorrow at 11am. Yes...on a semi cama bus. It should be fun. I really don´t know what the plan is. We´ll figure it out when we get there. His mom is less then pleased about him going with some stranger, but she trusts his judgment I guess. He said he would go anyway. I think it is kind of funny. It is not like I am some big burly man who is going to rob her son. Oh well. :)

Other then that I have not been up to much at all today. I picked up this book in Salta about Alaska. It has some older theories as to how Alaska used to look and what continents it was attached to at what times. Right now I am reading some of the old stories of the natives and how they came to be in Alaska. It is really interesting. I am getting to the part where they are going to discuss the Russians and the Alutes near Sitka. I am going to go find myself a quite cafe, eat dinner, and read my book, then relax in front of the tv tonight. Tomorrow is yet another day...oh, and I have to pick up some wine for the bus ride. :)

Day 13 - Salta to Rosario

2008-05-07T14:38:00.001-07:00

I am continuing to love Salta. I really enjoy having the sun beat down on me. I went to the market again today. I cannot get enough of their wooden beads. I really like them. The bracelets are only 3 pecos each, so 1 dollar. I bet you can guess what everyone is going to be getting about now. :)

Birds
Salta has some really ugly birds. They have these wird discolored ducks. They look like they could be related to a malard duck, except only much ugyler. Their eyes are blood red, their feathers all look like they are falling out, and their feet look green. I should have taken a picture of one. They also have white and brown and black and white pigeons here. I like the brown and white ones, but that is about it.

More Folks for Isral
At the hostel today I met even more people from Isral. That makes my Isral count up to five. One of the guys I was talking to was saying he doesn´t meet a lot of Americans on his travels. I am starting to realize how little we get out of our own country. The guy from Isral was surprised I have only wmt two people from Isral while in Argentina. He said today alone he met a group of five. They all had lunch together. I guess I just don´t notice them. They told me to look for people with big heads. They are probably from Isral.

The Bakeries (again)
On my way to the market today I stopped off at another bakery. At this bakery you can buy fresh sandwiches to go. They are so good. I paid two pecos for a sandwhich made with this mornings freshly baked bread. It was so good.

In addition to my sandwich I was able to limit myself to only two pastries today. I think I´ll have to fast for the next week to compensate for all of the food I have been intaking the past couple of days.

Cafe
Today I had lunch at this nice little cafe in the town center. It was pretty quite because most of the stores were closed for their afternoon break. They´ll reopen at six or seven pm, but I will be on my way to Rosario by then. I had this very unikque dish. It was like a sausage and ham wrap with cheese and mustered. It looked like an elaborate hotdog. One thing about being here is I can´t really read the menue very well so I just pick something and eat what they bring me. I try and avoid the manase because they seem to put it on everything, but that is really hard to do. Whatever it was it was delicious.

I feel much more rushed in Salta at the cafes then I did in Iguazu or Buenos Aires. Not too rushed, bust still rushed. I think it is because the waiters just stand there looking at you waiting for you to call them.

Once again there was a begging kid while I was at the cafe. It was kind of funny though. He knew he wasn´t supposed to be there so when he saw the waiter he hid behind a pole. The waiter saw him though and shoed him away. He may just be a begging kid right now, but he will be flat out annoying when he is older. I think all of the Juneau beggers have made me hate beggers. You can tell the waiter at the cafe doesn´t take well to beggers or kids trying to sell you stuff while his customers are eating. He is kind of funny when those people come around.

The Bus
On the bus today I finally figured out the difference between the cama and the semi cama. The cama has much bigger seats and they feed you better food. It is also not as dirty. At first I thought I liked the cama more, but in the end turns out I like the semi cama more. In the semi cama you can lift up the armrest between the two seats and lay across them if you don´t have anyone next to you, on the cama you can´t so you are stuck sleeping with your feet hanging down. I don´t like that at all. Neither are as cheap as a hostel, but at least the feed you on both.

I didn´t end up taking that many pictures while I was in Salta. I think it is because I was so caught up in the town. If I were to come back to Argentina I would spend all of my time in Salta´s province. It is so beautiful.

Out of all of the cities I have been to so far, Salta has been my favorite. Iguazu was my second favorite. I like Salta because of the atmosphere, the location, and the weather. I like Iguazu because of its unique beauty, including the waterfalls and the red soil on the roads. (I don´t know if I took a picture of the roads or not, but they were really cool.) Rosario was beautiful, but too big. Buenos Aires really is the heart of Argentina, but entirely too big for my tastes. I think I will enjoy Baralochie. I think I am going to leave Bariloche and go to Mendoza and just relax before heading back to Buenos Aires for the last leg of my trip. Either that or I will meet Courtney in Baralochie (she is in Chile) and we´ll take the bus back to BA together.

I think that since I am going to be in BA I am going to try and take a tango class. I have a week, why not. I want to learn to tango.

Day 12 - Horseback riding in Salta

2008-05-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Salta. Salta is a beautiful city. So far it is my favorite city. It is not too big, but still big enough to be lively and have a lot of character. The buildings are beautiful. The architecture is very unique. Some of the buildings are off white and when the sun hits them they turn pink. There are some very nice parks here too. Today I went to the market as well. I loved the market. There were all kinds of cool things there. I don´t want to disclose what they were because I may have purchased a few gifts for a few individuals. :) As for myself I bought two new braclets. I really like them. The police here also regulate the traffic. It is kind of fun watching them run around blowing their whistle at folks when traffic gets heavy. (I watched one cop while I was eating my lunch and taking a break from my market experience.)

Salta has it´s own style. I think that is why I like it so much. You have the cafe´s like you do in Buenos Aires, you have the unique architecture like you do in Corrientes, and you have that exposure to the wilderness like you do in Iguazu. And on top of it all you have a completely different atmosphere then any of those cities. Salta is very western. I like that.

My favorite part about Salta is the bakery though. They have this AMAZING bakery. I have had four pastries today. They were so good. I am going to stock up before I leave tomorrow. They are two for a peco. A deadly mix I know.

I went out on a horseback riding excursion today. It was just me and my guide. He was really nice. He didn´t speak good english and I didn´t speak good spanish but we managed and we had a great time. He even gave me a little card with Mary on it to protect me during my travels since I was traveling solo.

I road on Pink Floyd and he road on Osama Bin Ladin (I don´t know how to spell his name, but you know who I am talking about). They named my horse Pink Floyd because he is kind of brown and tan with a light color to him that resembles pink. They named the other one Osama Bin Ladin because he is black and white. I know that doesn´t make any sense, but oh well.

We road for about three hours through the valley just outside the Andes mountains. It was absolutly stunning. The hills seemed to go forever. There were wild horses and wild cattle roaming the hills. The sun was beating down on us. We were close to the city, but yet so far away. I even got sunburnt. How exciting! Wait until you see my pictures. They are really beautiful.

After I went horseback riding I took a little venture through the city. Salta is a lot like Corrientes in the sense that the city shuts down for a couple hours during the day. In the morning is when I went to the market and ate all of the baked goods. After my horseback riding, around 6:30pm, is when I went out exploring. The city was so lively with people in the streets, music playing, and people sitting at cafes. I really loved it.

Salta is beautiful. If I were to come again this would be the place I would try and spend the majority of my time. You can take your time in the city, but escaping the city is only about 20 minutes away. I love it.

Day 10 - Iguazu Falls

2008-05-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Iguazu Falls
Today I went to the Iguazu Falls. They were the most incrediable waterfalls I have ever seen in my life. Post cards and pictures do not do justice for the real thing.

Our day, mine, Alisa´s, and Karen´s, started off at a very slow pace. I had slept so much I missed breakfast. I was exhausted from my travels to Iguazu. Karen and Alisa had gone out to the bar last night and they got home around 7am. By the time we all showered and I checked out of the room and into my new room for the night it was about noon. (I had to get my own room, or a bunk, because Karen´s brother David´s girlfriend was going to stay in the room with them.)

We ended up hopping on the wrong bus at the end of the hostel driveway. On the bus we met Darren and Kate from London. Once we realized we were going to the central Portue Iguazu we all hopped off the bus and decided to take a cab to the falls. Here the Argentines don´t care how many people you stuff into a taxi. Darren sat in the front and Karen, Alisa, Kate, and I all crammed in the back. By the time we got to the entrance to the park my left leg and arm were asleep. I felt like a sarden. We all had to pay 40 pecos to get into the park. Karen is now a resident of Argentina and Great Britain so we had to wait a moment to get her entrance ticket. After we left the entrance we realized we were still short one ticket so we had the taxi driver pull a u-turn and we were back in line again. That was by far the longest taxi ride of my life. My limbs were very relieved when I exited the taxi.

Once we got in the park Karen, Alisa, and I went to one resturant for a quick lunch-breakfast meal. Darren and Kate went to another. You can tell Karen, Alisa, and I weren´t totally with it. After eating lunch we attempted to begin our trip to the falls. We somehow had just been walking and not paying any attention to where we were going and ended up back at the entrance. We couldn´t figure out how to get to the path to the falls. We definately felt retairded. In our defense though Karen and Alisa had been out until 7am and I was munching on a delicous ice cream cone, definately distracted. (Argentina has the best ice cream in the entire world. I ended up having ice cream three times today. I don´t know how Argentine´s stay so skinny.)

Once we got back on track we took the train to the top of the largest waterfall, well not to the waterfall, but to the walkway. You walk on this 1,100 meter walkway through the rainforest and over a few rivers to the over look. It is absolutely stunning. I can´t even describe it. I will get my pcitures developed when I return to the US. (I had a waterproof disposible camera for this part of my trip. Thanks Mom.)

The raft

On our way back to the train this guy recruited us (including Kate and Darren, because we were back with them at this point) to take a raft down part of the river then they would drop us off at the next part of the trail to the other waterfalls. We caved, and I am glad we did. We sat in this raft and floated down the river. Karen acted as our translator. The first thing we saw was an alligator like creature. I cannot remember the name of the species. It was about 4 feet long. It stood on the shore of one of the islands just staring at us. It was awesome. Further on down the river we saw monkeys. They were so cool. They were jumping from one tree top to the other over the river right above us. If one would have missed he would have landed in our raft. It was well worth my 30 pecos (10 US dollars).

Also while we were on the raft we saw all kinds of plants. The bambo plants get so huge. They are awesome. There were these plants with white flowers too. They were all over the place. Apparently, those plants can be very dangerous. If you ingest it the chemical from the plant can knock you out for a couple of hours or a couple of days. I guess they are very common in Brazil.

After our boat landed they took us in flat bed trucks to the trail. I had another ice cream cone at the little cafe at the beginning of the trail and everyone else had tea. While we were sitting there we were talking about Alaska. This girl at another table pipped in and asked if I was Jenny. It ends up her name is Jessica. She is from New York. She had ran into Courtney when she was in Buenos Aires and Courtney told her I was going to be Iguazu. Small world.

At this point I was getting ready to be on my own. It was four o´clock and the park closed at 6pm. There was still a lot I wanted to see. The last train left from the park at 5:15 pm. I broke away from the group so I could see all of the falls. The falls were amazing. The sun ended up coming out, rainbows appeared, and you could feel the overspray of the falls. I loved it. I couldn´t imagin coming to Iguazu during tourist season though. There were so many people as is, a few more would have made me irritated and I wouldn´t have been able to enjoy myself quite as much. Also, because of the time of the year it was too cold for misquitos. That is a good thing for someone such as myself without a yellowfever vacination, expecially since two monkeys died last month from yellowfever.

After exploring all of the falls, except one I couldn´t get to because they were on an island and the boats weren´t going to the island because the water was too high. The other was a two hour hike and I was out of time. So, I endulged myself in one last ice cream cone for the day. While I was eating my ice cream cone these racoon like creatures with really pointy noses came out of the woods and were sniffing around in hopes of some food. The time was nearing 5:10 so I had to hurry up and get to the train. I ran to the train, but was briefly hulted by a group who wanted their photo taken. I made it to the train just in time. Everyone else had ended up on the train too. Karen and Alisa were quite glad to see me considering I had the key to their room at the hostel.

Brazilian BBQ

Once we left the park we went back to the hostel. There was a Brazilian BBQ at 8pm. It was so much fun. They made some type of alcoholic beverage with sugar, lime, and vodka. You got your sides from the table and when the meat was done they would bring it to you fresh off of the grill on to your plate. It was amazing. Argentine´s know how to cook meat, believe me. This stuff is amazing.

Once dinner was over a woman dressed up in a shimmering purple bra and matching thong with high heels and a head dress showed up. She put on quite a show. When she was done a second one showed up. We all danced and had a blast. Then, towards the end they picked out three guys, one of which was Darren. Each of the guys had to do a little dance with their hips. At the end Darren was the one who got the most cheers so he got a special dance from the two girls dressed up. It was really funny. I taped it with my camera. I told him I would email it to him.

After the party died down a bunch of us were going to go out to the bar. I have been kind of avoiding the night life here. I just don´t really enjoy going out as much unless there is dancing involved. Considering Argentine´s don´t even eat dinner until 10pm, the night life doesn´t get started until like 2am, so I am usually exhausted by then. I ended up going to town with two guys from Australia, John and Joe. We had an okay time. We sat around and talked over a beer for a while, until everyone else got there. They seem to have an issue with the US, expecially our ability to obtain guns so easily. It was not how I wanted to spend my evening. Oh well, learning the sterotypes of the world has been all part of my adventure.

Kate from London

My favorite person I met so far was Kate from London. I like Darren very much too, but Kate is my favorite. She is 26 years old and loves to travel. She has an incredible spirit. She is very optomistic. She is an artist. She got a little off track because she had to go back to London for nine months prior to coming to South America. She is leaving to BA where she will stay until December. Traveling really inspires her.

Before Kate came to South America she spent 9 months in India. She said those 9 months were amazing. You can really tell a difference between the rich and the poor in the country. It is very dramatic.

One of the things about Kate is that her favoirte part of traveling is meeting the locals. I can see why she really likes it. It is where you learn the most about a culture. It gives you an appreciation for other people and other cultures. We talked about traveling, we talked about other countries, we talked about sterotypes. I really had an incrediable time with Kate. She is an amazing person.

Between the Iguazu Falls and meeting Kate my day couldn´t have gotten any better.

Staying at the hostel in Iguazu was a great experience. I met people from all around the world. It was a very encouraging stay. I realized I am far from the only person who has come to Argentina and not known spanish. I also realized how much I like traveling alone. I enjoyed my time with new people, but you get so caught up in being with everyone else you loose sight of spending time with yourself and the community you are in. If I was with someone else I probably would have never met John from Rosario. The only reason I invited him to dinner was because I was sick of dealing with the spanish language. Being alone also requires me to spend time with myself and figure out what I want to do. It also challenges me more, so I get more out of the experience. I had a great time with everyone, but I am ready to have more time for myself.

Day Six

2008-04-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today is day six and what a day it was. The weather was perfect today in Rosario. The sun was shinning down and the wind was blowing. It left for a perfect day...the sun and a sweater. I walked down to the river again today. Just me and my MP3 Player. It was so relaxing. I really enjoy being in Rosario. It is a place I would definately say a visitor to Argentina should see, but I don´t think you need more then two days here. Rosario has a lot of monuments. I really don´t know their significants. I will ask Quan (John) today at dinner. If you have a myspace you can look at my pictures. I posted them on there. For some reason I cannot post my pictures on my blog from these computers.

Lunch
I had lunch at this cafe on the waterfront. It was beautiful. The food was not the best, which is unusual for my experiences so far. I think it is because I got chicken instead of beef. I think if I stick with the beef I will be good. Their fries are also kind of funny here. I am not sure what they do to them, but they are not good.

The Dogs
One thing about Rosario is the number of dogs running around the city. In BA there are a lot of cats. In Rosario there are a lot of dogs. You will be walking down the street and there is a dog sleeping on the sidewalk, not even out of the way, just on the sidewalk. When I was eating lunch today at the cafe there were a couple dogs running around. One sat there and stared at me the entire time I was eating. I would have rather not had a begging dog while I enjoyed my meal, but it is all part of the experience I suppose.

Shower
I finally had an opportunity to take a shower today too. I was definately needing it. It was a freezing shower. I don´t know if the hot water just didn´t work in the building or what, but it was very very cold.

Bus Ticket
My first purchase of a bus ticket on my own was a great success. I bought a ticket to Corrientes. It is one of the oldest cities in Argentina. It was the first spanish settlement in the region. Most of its architecture is French though. I am especially excited to see the murals. I guess they are beautiful. I will write about them once I see them for myself.

The Taxi
I am also a pro with the taxi´s now. I really like the taxi cabs. The drivers are mostly pretty nice. It is never hard to get a ride anywhere. On top of that it is so cheap. That is one thing about this trip. It has not been an expensive trip at all. I eat out everyday, generally at really nice resturants and cafes. I hear that the cafe´s are more of a european thing, but there is something about being able to sit there and sip your espresso and read your book for hours without anyone thinking twice that makes the day relaxing. Argentina is so laid back. You are never in a hurry for anything. I like that aspect of it all.

My new friend
Tonight I am having dinner with Quan-John again. I am excited. I learn so much from him. I am going to ask him about the monuments. Tomorrow I am going to spend the whole day on the bus. Hopefully I can get some sleep. That would be nice. I purchased from apples and crackers for the ride, I also have some peanut butter I brought with me. I should have purchased another book, but I didn´t. My biggest challenge will be finding a place to stay tomorrow night. My spanish isn´t good enough to make reservations over the phone yet. I have to do it in person. I am sure I can get dumped off at a hotel though and I will be fine.

Bathroom Appliance
Oh...and I cannot remeber whether I mentioned that I used a boo-day. I don´t know how to spell it so I am sure you can figure it out by my pronunciation. That thing you squat over after you use the bathroom to wash your fanny. I kind of liked it. I think we should have them in the US. If my memory serves me correctly Sue said in France they washed their feet with them.

Soccer
If there is one thing about Argentina is the amount of soccer in this place. People live, breath and bleed soccer here. It is quite amazing. At night the teams run the streets. You see them all of the time. You can just sense the presence. It is interesting. It is kind of cool that an entire country has such a passion for a sport.

My Night
Hung out with John. He is a very good person. I can sense it. I invited him to go to with me to Baraliche (that is not how you spell it, but oh well). He cannot afford to go so I told him I would pay for his bus ride, a hotel room for him or hostel depending on what I find, and food if he agrees to be my translator. He was shocked. For me it would only be about $100-$120 based on my estimates. That really isn´t that much for me. And it would be good for him because he has only been to Patagonia once before. It would be safe too because he would be staying in his own room and we would always be around people. Plus I sense he is a good person. (So don´t worry, I don´t think it isn´t a good idea.) Plus I figure I mind as well splurg. I would have fun. He is a fun guy. He said he would skip school to go because it is an AMAZING opportunity for him, but he has to ask at work. If I decide to stay in Baroliche I can just send him back on the bus.

Other then that we had a lot of fun. We had some GREAT wine. I had too much though. My head hurts this morning. It was called Septimbrie Cool Wine (I think) Good thing I brought excedrine with me. :) AND I had some chocolate that was soo good. It was the same kind of chocolate Mary brought home from France. I decided I am going to buy an extra suitcase while I am down here and fill it with stuff to bring home.

Day Three

2008-04-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

I couldn´t figure out how to rotate the pictures. I think computers are a little more difficult here. Oh well. Today Courtney and I went to Evita´s grave. A pretty funny thing about Evita, she is very loved in S. America. But Courtney said her grandma said she was nothing but a gold digger. It is funny to get the two different perceptions. Gramps may remember her...I´ll have to ask. The cemetary was pretty interesting. You would not believe how elaborate the graves are. It is pretty amazing. We also went and got my ticket for the bus to go to Rosario. We went to the market too. The market was very amazing. There are so many cool things to buy. I know I cannot purchase anything right now because I would have to carry it around, not something I want to do. All in all the day was wonderful. Court and I watched motorcycle diaries before going to bed. It was about Che, a very important person in S. America´s history. He is the one Bolivia killed and showed his body to the world. Gramps may remember him too. Anyway, day three was a success.

Courtney at the cemetary. There are a lot of cats there. They are laying around the trees, on the graves, everywhere. They seem pretty well feed too.
Me at the cemetary.
Me and Carlos. Courtney and I walked FOREVER today. We ended up at this cafe in a really nice part of BA. Carlos was our waiter. He was so funny. He spoke okay English. He asked us what the word for ´no sin´water was (water without bubbles or non'carbinated bubbles). Courtney told him flat. We could hear him walking around the cafe saying flat water flat water flat water. It was pretty funny.
I really don´t know what this monument is. It is right near the largest road in the world. Something like 16 lanes...maybe more, I cannot remember.
This is me at the pizza place where Court and I ate dinner. I ordered my own botalla de agua and copa vinto tinto (bottled water and red wine). I accidently told her ´no sin´which translates no without. She laughed at me. I meant to tell her sin gas.

Day Four

2008-04-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the most difficult day I have had so far. Everyone I met has spoken Spanish except one who spoke spanish and some bad english. It has been frustrating, but quite exciting.

My day began at 730 am. I was really nervous about taking the train by myself then walking to the bus station. When I got up I had to finish packing my stuff. To leave I had to run to the outside door of the complex, open the door, run back upstairs to the apartment, grab my stuff, drop off the keys and leave.

BA was beautiful this morning. I had no problem walking to teh train station. When on the train I sat across from this nice Argentine man. He asked me something, but I had to tell him ´no espanol.´With the little spanish I have learned I told him I am from Alaska and on my way to Rosario. He did what everyone else does when I tell them where i am from, looked at me funny and astounded then says ´freo´. When it was time to get off the train I was putting on my bag. This other guy helped me put it on.

The funniest thing about Argentina. I always thought patagoina was the same as alaska. That is not correct. Alaska is way colder then Patagoina gets. Juan Pablo, who I had met a few days before used to live in Patagonia. I was asking him about it. He told me it got very ´freo.´ I looked in my Argetina book to see the comparison from celcius to F and turns out it gets way colder in AK. When I showed Juan he was like ´WOW´. It was pretty funny.

Once I got to the oumnibus I ended up having to wait two hours to board a bus. While waiting I met these other two old men. We talked the best we could, mostly with hand gestures since no one understood each other. Some how I ended up missing my bus to Rosario so they put me on the 1130 am bus to Cordoba, which stops in Rosario. There wasmuch confusion, but the bus driver took me under his his wing and got me on the bus,e ven though we couldn´t speak.

The bus ride was crazy. Like I said before, people here are really bad drivers. We were stuck in traffic for hours. At onepoint I looked out the window, while we were standing still of course, and I noticed a bunch of kids standing in the grass on the other side of the guardrail being roudy and hooting and howlering. A moment later I saw a coach bus following thekids, then another. I thought the bus was going to tip over, but it didn´t. It was very weird. That would never happen in the US. Turns out it was a soccar team by the way.

Once we arrive din Rosario the true cayas began. We didn´t get dropped off at the bus station, but in this sketchy part of town. I asked a girl and boy how to get to central Rosario. They flagged down a cab for me because turns out it was a dangerous place to be. The taxi cab driver did what they do here, take tourists the long way to make more money. Jerk, oh well. I still tipped him well though, I figure I would like to have karma on my side this trip.

By the time I made it to my hotel and got settled in it was 830pm. 5 hours after my estimated arrival time.

I have had fun with the guy at the front counter. I can understand written spanish, but not verbal so we communicated on paper.

I stopped by another hotel to check the price for the next day. The kid there spoke some english and he let me use the internet to let everyone know I made it and was safe. He also gave me the name of a hostel. I am going to stay there next.

For dinner I sat down to a bottle of red wine and a hamburger, consisting of a slice of ham, slab of beef, and a ton of cheese. A very fitting meal considering my day. If you end up here though, I wouldn´t recomend it.

I took one picture today, but I need my camera cord to hook up to the computer and get my picture, so I will put it up later.

Love you, don´t worry about me. I am in a very safe place now. Next I am going to go to Iguazu.