ASADO (matambre)
Chorizo seco y queso
Homemade plum jam
My host mom filling the jar
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Carnavalito
I arrived back from my trip on a Monday at about 7 in the morning... however, I didn't get much opportunity to rest because it was a special day at school when all the students in the last year of school (Lindsay include) do a dance and dress as typical Argentine customs for Day of Tradition. So I slept a few hours upon arrival at home and then took off for school for an awesome day with my classmates! I have a 10 minute video of the dance, but I am sure my blog will reject it so I am not even going to try. We threw lots of cut up little papers and afterwards we went to a classmates house and spent the whole afternoon together as a class.
Iguazú
After a 12 hour day and entire night on the bus we arrived in Misiones, Argentina, the province in the northeastern tip of the country which also contains the famous Iguazú falls. Traveling in such quantity with little break made my legs and body and neck and head want to scream a little bit in the uncomfortable bus seats for nearly 24 hours. However, arriving at the falls wiped away all those feelings and nature made every hour on that bus absolutely worth it. All the dirt and ground in Misiones is a beautiful bright red color that looks like someone painted the ground. It is obviously rich in minerals and is also known for a mine near the falls with semi-precious stones. The day we arrived, we went to the mines at 7 in the morning upon arrival there and then finally reached the hotel after hours of travel. In the afternoon I participated in an optional excursion to the jungle where for the first time in my life I got to yell wooo hooooo while wizzing over the jungle below while zip-lining. Even better... I got to see one of those walking stick bugs trying to hide behind a leaf, but we found him anyhow he he he...
After spending a little time in the pool and gobbling up a yummy ice cream cone we went to the hito triple frontera (triple border) where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina all meet (where the iguazú river and Paraná river meet in the middle) and I saw Brazil and Paraguay for the first time in my life! Yay!!!! Apparently it has the nickname "capitol of contraband" because there is so much illegal passing of goods like cigarettes, drugs, etc. , but I wasn't thinking about that to much while I was there, I just enjoyed seeing other countries even if I couldn't say that I was in Brazilian or Paraguayan territory.
We spent nearly all of Friday exploring the waterfalls which are impossible to describe they are so incredible. Pictures fail to do them justice. You just have to see them and live the experience. I was mesmerized could hardly pull my eyes away from such natural beauty. We did a boat ride that went underneath the falls and enjoyed getting entirely soaked! It felt wonderful in the hot weather. It was an awesome trip and traveling so far to get there. On my way back home I was lucky to have wonderful host cousins to await me in Cordoba to spend a rainy Sunday! An exhausting yet awesome trip!
After spending a little time in the pool and gobbling up a yummy ice cream cone we went to the hito triple frontera (triple border) where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina all meet (where the iguazú river and Paraná river meet in the middle) and I saw Brazil and Paraguay for the first time in my life! Yay!!!! Apparently it has the nickname "capitol of contraband" because there is so much illegal passing of goods like cigarettes, drugs, etc. , but I wasn't thinking about that to much while I was there, I just enjoyed seeing other countries even if I couldn't say that I was in Brazilian or Paraguayan territory.
We spent nearly all of Friday exploring the waterfalls which are impossible to describe they are so incredible. Pictures fail to do them justice. You just have to see them and live the experience. I was mesmerized could hardly pull my eyes away from such natural beauty. We did a boat ride that went underneath the falls and enjoyed getting entirely soaked! It felt wonderful in the hot weather. It was an awesome trip and traveling so far to get there. On my way back home I was lucky to have wonderful host cousins to await me in Cordoba to spend a rainy Sunday! An exhausting yet awesome trip!
Estadounidenses in the mine!
zip-lining crew
Gettin' soaked!
AFS students at La garganta del diablo
Saturday, December 7, 2013
To the north pole!
Just kidding. I just went on a trip to the north, but the seemingly endless amount of time spent on a bus to arrive in the north of Argentina gave it the feeling that I was attempting to reach the north pole. In the 11 days of my AFS trip I spent nearly 100 hours on a bus! I first traveled overnight to Cordoba a larger city where I spend the day with some of my host cousins. Despite the rain we ate ice cream anyhow. That night I traveled again until I reached Resistencia (the meeting point in the north for all the students traveling). Resistencia is know for having the best chipas (miny breads with a special type of cheese that are absolutely deeeeeeeelcious), so all of the exchange students bought multiple bags of chipas as the would come out of the oven hot and yummy!
The first leg of the trip was to the western portion of the north, the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. Such provinces are well know for the mountains with a desert climate, along with folkloric music and lots of traditional crafts. From the hotel room we had a lovely view of the hills and an old church.
The first leg of the trip was to the western portion of the north, the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. Such provinces are well know for the mountains with a desert climate, along with folkloric music and lots of traditional crafts. From the hotel room we had a lovely view of the hills and an old church.
The first day in Salta we did a city tour and went up in a cable-car to the top of one of the hills where we could see the entire city and then walked back down. The city of Salta lays in the middle and was an important city in the history of Argentina and the fight for their independence because it was a location in the route from Peru and Bolivia where the Spanish would transport resources to bring back to Spain. It also has some history with the Incas. Many of the people have the darker more native skin type which comes from the original inhabitants of such region.
The plaza in Salta
View overlooking a little bit of Salta
Yep, eating. As always.
The second day we went to another province to the north called Jujuy (I will not try to describe the pronunciation until I can actually say it in person). It is one of the poorest provinces in Argentina, but it has an incredible amount of natural beauty and very vibrant culture.
The AFS group in the valley of 7 colors
The kids from Thailand
Chillin for a little while.
We just decided to stop at the tropic of Capricorn on the way back to Salta
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Baaaaa!
Poor pig :( (Allison Pluger would definitely be very unhappy with me)
¡¡¡¡¡ASADO!!!!!
Picking out tree sprouts to make into Bonsai
baaaa!!!
Give me milk already!
Host brother (Agustín) and host dad (Lujan) at work
More Buenos Aires
I hope nobody is sick of seeing pictures of Buenos Aires because I seem to have the opportunity to visit lots of times, just with a different group of people every visit!
Exhaustion at breakfast....
Goin' a bit crazy after so much time on the bus... and so little sleep.
Amigas!
Before the catamaran ride
Basílica de Lujan
Leones y tigres y McDonalds oh my!!!
I can never escape!
Belgrano (flag creator and national hero)
con las chicas in front of La Casa Rosada
At CQC a television show (not the best, but at least we can say we were on television)
Buenos Aires doesn't exist without protesting especially on days like the Dia de la Lealtad (when it takes about an hour to cross a part of the city when you can normally pass in 15 minutes and people have tents set up in the streets)
Tunnel monster
In front of the Jesuit shcurch
Back to caminito in la Boca
Couldn't help but take a picture of the creepy monk statue.
And the group picture :)
A bit behind..
I apologize for the delay, but surely everyone is used to it by now. College applications get in the way of blogging and lots of other things. However, I am getting there and still managing to enjoy my last few months in Argentina!
So what have I been up to....
1. Swimming in October! Yes it is possible and wonderful to finally have warm weather. The winter really wasn't like Wisconsin winters, rather like fall, but it is still a relief to feel the warm sun and see all the lovely spring flowers. October showers bring November flowers. A bit of hemisphere humor.
At the farm with my host sister (Nati) and host mom (Nora) in the wheat fields.
2. A trip to Buenos Aires with my school class. It was absolutely exhausting... but awesome! We traveled overnight by bus and slept maybe 3 hours and then spent the entire day until 12 at night visiting different parts of the city! On the bus ride we were lucky to have musicians (classmates) who brought guitars, harmonica, and their voices to give a little nighttime serenade and play some Rock Argentino. The other 2 days were just as busy but at least we got to sleep about 5 or 6 hours, so I would admit that I enjoyed the last couple days more than the first. In only 3 days we visited La Casa Rosada (with an inside tour), the congress builiding (with tour), La Plaza de Mayo (of course!!! its impossible to skip la plaza), took part in a television show (CQC), La Manzana de las Luces, the Jesuit church, la basilica (inclusive of the remains of national hero San Martin (whose statue is in about every city of Spanish origin in Argentina (thankfully he passed away lots of years ago, otherwise it would be rather uncomfortable seeing oneself in practically every city), a La Escuela Mecánica de la Armada (a school where people were secretly tortured during the military dictatorship until 1983, yet at the same time functioned as a regular school for boys), a train ride to the coast where we ate lunch on a Catamaran on the river in a part of the city called tigre (thankfully we didn't have any accidents while on the train knowing that there have already been 3 train accidents in the same railroad in Buenos Aires within the last 20 months, but obviously I am still alive writing my blog and I have been spared from train crashes for the time being), we went to a shopping mall (malls practically don't exist in my city nor my province, everything is pretty much locally owned businesses where I live in Argentina, so everybody was psyched to go shopping), and the basilica de Lujan (famous church) and I am sure that we went to other parts of the city but packed so much in 3 days that my brain is not capable of recalling all the places we visited at this moment. Unfortunately we finished off the trip with a our last meal at the dream restaurant of many of my Argentine acquaintances....... McDonalds. I was so thrilled (I hope the sarcasm is not too hidden, but now I have revealed it anyhow). The very thing I had been so happy to avoid during my exchange year... fast food, worse McDonalds. Yet it came back to haunt me, but I happily gave my burger and fries to my friends who would practically die to eat McDonalds. It was fun anyhow and nobody forced me to eat my worst nightmare. Despite the last supper, I still enjoyed the trip and knew that I had made the most of it because on the bus and when I got home too I completely crashed and slept as if I had never slept before!
So what have I been up to....
1. Swimming in October! Yes it is possible and wonderful to finally have warm weather. The winter really wasn't like Wisconsin winters, rather like fall, but it is still a relief to feel the warm sun and see all the lovely spring flowers. October showers bring November flowers. A bit of hemisphere humor.
Can't help but take pictures of the flowers. My host mom is absolutely dedicated to the back yard and I would say she certainly has a green thumb!
First time swimming outdoors in October (as far as I can remember) I can't believe it.
At the farm with my host sister (Nati) and host mom (Nora) in the wheat fields.
2. A trip to Buenos Aires with my school class. It was absolutely exhausting... but awesome! We traveled overnight by bus and slept maybe 3 hours and then spent the entire day until 12 at night visiting different parts of the city! On the bus ride we were lucky to have musicians (classmates) who brought guitars, harmonica, and their voices to give a little nighttime serenade and play some Rock Argentino. The other 2 days were just as busy but at least we got to sleep about 5 or 6 hours, so I would admit that I enjoyed the last couple days more than the first. In only 3 days we visited La Casa Rosada (with an inside tour), the congress builiding (with tour), La Plaza de Mayo (of course!!! its impossible to skip la plaza), took part in a television show (CQC), La Manzana de las Luces, the Jesuit church, la basilica (inclusive of the remains of national hero San Martin (whose statue is in about every city of Spanish origin in Argentina (thankfully he passed away lots of years ago, otherwise it would be rather uncomfortable seeing oneself in practically every city), a La Escuela Mecánica de la Armada (a school where people were secretly tortured during the military dictatorship until 1983, yet at the same time functioned as a regular school for boys), a train ride to the coast where we ate lunch on a Catamaran on the river in a part of the city called tigre (thankfully we didn't have any accidents while on the train knowing that there have already been 3 train accidents in the same railroad in Buenos Aires within the last 20 months, but obviously I am still alive writing my blog and I have been spared from train crashes for the time being), we went to a shopping mall (malls practically don't exist in my city nor my province, everything is pretty much locally owned businesses where I live in Argentina, so everybody was psyched to go shopping), and the basilica de Lujan (famous church) and I am sure that we went to other parts of the city but packed so much in 3 days that my brain is not capable of recalling all the places we visited at this moment. Unfortunately we finished off the trip with a our last meal at the dream restaurant of many of my Argentine acquaintances....... McDonalds. I was so thrilled (I hope the sarcasm is not too hidden, but now I have revealed it anyhow). The very thing I had been so happy to avoid during my exchange year... fast food, worse McDonalds. Yet it came back to haunt me, but I happily gave my burger and fries to my friends who would practically die to eat McDonalds. It was fun anyhow and nobody forced me to eat my worst nightmare. Despite the last supper, I still enjoyed the trip and knew that I had made the most of it because on the bus and when I got home too I completely crashed and slept as if I had never slept before!
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