Día 29: Adios, Argentina.

After a month in the amazing country of Argentina, I finally have to say goodbye. I am so thankful I was able to have this experience; I really feel like this made me a better person and helped me discover so many new things. It's crazy to think that a month ago, I was sitting in the front seat of an unmarked taxi, next to a stranger I could barely communicate with or understand, driving wildly through the city for the first time, scared out of my mind! I have come such a long way!

Last night I went out with my friends to some of the plazas in Palermo. We made mixed drinks out of some kind of kiwi liquor and watermelon juice we bought at the grocery store. It sounded like a good combo, but it was just another lesson we decided to put in the "don't do again" list! Haha!  We didn't get crazy; we just had a nice time together, enjoying a fabulously warm night in the city. I'm going to miss it so much!

This morning, I made toast with dulce de leche for the last time. I have been getting kind of sick of eating that for the past month straight, but it wouldn't be right if I didn't have it for breakfast one last time! I still have to pack my final items, and then I'm off to lunch with my friends Anna, Anissa, and Josie. Luckily I share the flight from Buenos Aires to Atlanta with my closest friends from the program, Anna and Raj. We have already decided that seat-switching will happen so we can all sit by each other!

Well...I guess this is my last blog update, unless something happens with the flight and I get to stay here a little while more. I wouldn't mind! Adios, Argentina! See everyone else back home soon! xoxoxo!

Día 28: Final Full Day...

It's here: my final full day in Buenos Aires. When I first arrived here, I thought this month would be so long and never end. But it flew by faster than I could have imaged, and I can't believe that soon I'll be back on U.S. soil. This has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I will always have a place in my heart for Argentina.

Viva Argentina!

As much as I love it here, it hasn't always been the most glamerous or luxurious get-away; I have encountered some of the most frightful public bathrooms, questionable people, and sketchy areas I had to walk through. Not to mention the shortage of toilet paper, smooth sidewalks, free water (or water drink at all), hot showers, and clean laundry- it was definitely a shift from the lifestyle I live back home. The culture here is so unique, and I had to adapt to a lot here; kissing cheeks when greeting others, wearing a winter coat and scarf just to fit in-even when it was 60 degrees and sunny out, super late dinners where I thought I might starve before I would eat, and of course- the language (body language too!). Living abroad really forces you to discover new things about yourself and become more outgoing. Even with all the difficulties of adjusting to life in Argentina, I would never trade this experience for anything in the world.

The sidewalks may have been a little less than perfect,
but that doesn't change my love for BA.

Today I had my final oral exam, and it went very well. After the exam, ISA had a giant "goodbye lunch" at a tendedor libre (all you can eat buffet), Deli Wok. Deli Wok was by far one of the best buffets I have ever been to. They had everything from seafood, pasta, meats, veggies, sushi, traditional foods, fruit...all super fresh! The best part was the desserts: so many fancy chocolate mousse cakes, puddings, and Argentina ice cream! I was in heaven!

Deliwok. Perfecto!

After relaxing and packing the rest of the afternoon, I had my final host dinner with Freddy, Cecilia, and their daughter Tamara. Cecilia made a very tasty gnocchi dish! I also had a glass of Argentinian Malbec red wine with the dish...a great compliment! Later tonight, I'm going out with my friends for a final fun time before we all part. I'm going to miss all the friends I've made here so much. Living in a foreign country has made some real bonding experiences for us all! Tomorrow I begin my flight back to the US around 8:30 PM from the Ezieza Airport in BA. Hopefully no flight delays happen this time, but quite honestly...what fun would that be?! Haha! Chau chua, amigos! :)

The sight I'll have tomorrow when I take-off...bittersweet.

Lessons, Life, and Living Abroad.

Living abroad- even just for one month- has taught me so many valuable lessons. I have not just learned intensively about the language and culture, but also about other things, such as living in a huge city, trying to communicate when no one understands me, and how to adapt to constant shocks and surprises. I don't want this to be too sappy, but here are a few highlights of what Argentina has shown me:

Top 5 Lessons Learned:

1. How to navigate a big city by myself: Buenos Aires is HUGE. In the beginning, I thought I'd never venture far from my school or host home, but by the end of this program, I think I could navigate Buenos Aires better than some cities back home! My biggest achievement was mastering the super scary city buses...hooray!
2. Never trust Google. It does not know everything, especially when it comes to locations of things! Likewise, when a local gives you directions, don't necessarily place all your trust in them either- they can also be wrong... so very wrong. (Ask me about Tierra Santa...)
3.  How valuable the dollar actually is. I have gained so much respect for our government just by being here. There is so much instability and corruption here; we have little to complain about in the states. Be thankful.
4. How to navigate the sidewalks and roads all while dodging: speeding cars, motorcycles (that will jump the sidewalks if the road is too crowded), pickpockets, people literally shoving newspapers and advertisements in my face, slow moving elders, wild children with no parental supervision, dog walkers walking 10 dogs at once, dog poop, dog pee, dog barf, pigeons, cracked sidewalks, potholes, and piles of trash. Whew! Walking to school each day was an extreme sport!
5. Never let an airline check your carry-on. Also, never EVER expect your flight to take off on time.

Top 5 Most Interesting Sights:

1.  The homeless man who lives across the road from my host apartment: he may not have a home, but he has everything else. He lives on a large mattress outside a restaurant with 2 dogs (who both wear sweaters and sleep on his mattress with him) and a TV. Yes, that's right. He has a TV. I don't know where he is getting the electricity from, but it's always on. Yesterday he was blasting upbeat music too. He seems very happy with his life. I love it.
2. Pizza Cono: This was on my blog previously. It's a company selling pizza...in a cone.
3. Children's rides: I saw a carousel with an army tank in place of an innocent pony, and a penny pony ride that was carrying a barrel of tequila. Children here must have interesting childhoods...
4. Line-dancing firemen: This was my favorite sight! We were in Port Iguazu on our way to dinner, and heard loud music. We realized it was coming from the fire station, and there it was: all the firemen dressed in full gear, line dancing. We were unsure what was going on...it looked like we were watching the Village People live! Turns out it is just what they were doing to pass the time...haha!
5. A homeless man riding a bike with boxes piled high on the back seat and a large dog (at least the size of a lab) riding in the front. It was the best balancing act I have ever seen. And people on the street acted like they see that kind of thing everyday!

Top 5 Foods:

1. Ice cream: obvious winner. Way better than normal ice cream. Even better when handmade with liquor...
2. Empanadas: the cheap lunch go-to food. Like a hot pocket, but nicer.
3. Bife de Lomo: fillet minion Argentinean steak. There is a reason Argentina is famous for their steaks. BEST EVER.
4. Dulce de leche: Dulce de leche is on everything here. I believe it flows in the Argentinians' blood. It now flows in mine too!
5. Fruit: So much better down here in South America. I don't understand why my host family never buys it. The bananas here were so good. I have also seen apples bigger than my head. Crazy.

Okay, I need to stop with the list making, otherwise I'm going to get carried away. I want to remember these things later though, so my little blog lists will help me when I'm back in the US and miss Argentina! :')

Argentina, Mi Amore.

Día 27: Una Cena Despedida (Goodbye Dinner)

I don't know how time keeps flying so fast here, but it's already Thursday- I can't believe it! I had my final written exam this morning, and it went pretty well. I have learned so much more about the language since going to school here- it's been well worth it! I will also end up bringing back the Rioplantese Spanish (Castellano) accent with my new Spanish skills...haha! The accent here is way different than most Spanish accents and different nouns and verbs are used. It was a little confusing at first, but now it's going to be hard to speak Spanish without sounding like I'm from Buenos Aires!

Able to understand the Argentinian accent
(even without a book like this!)

After the exam, my friends and I went to a few local stores to pick up some last minute goodies we needed before leaving Argentina. I then walked back to my host apartment and took a siesta! I haven't had a nap this whole time here yet, but hey- never too late for anything, right?! I woke up to the sounds of a man opera singing and whistling in the apartment connected to my bedroom wall. It was very strange, but actually quite talented. I also began packing (boo hoo)... :(

I'm going to miss this...

A bunch of friends and I went out to dinner together for a "last nice meal" together before the end of the program. We went to a place called Don Julio, a restaurant my friend Anna's host brother said was his favorite. It was in Palermo Soho, just a few blocks down from my host apartment. The restaurant was really nice and the food was to die for! I ordered a glass of Argentina Patagonia red wine and Pasta de Papas- a meat and potato pie topped with olives, raisins, and a special sauce. The price I paid for my wine, meal, and tip was awesome, especially comparing the quality and service of the restaurant. The only thing missing was the free water...but that doesn't exist here. ;)

Don Julio Restaurant

A great last dinner out in Buenos Aires!

Well, tomorrow is my last full day in BA. I have my oral exam in the morning, a goodbye lunch with the ISA program afterwords, and will probably spend the rest of the day with my friends and host family. Buenos Noches! Besos!

Día 26: Happy Flag Day!

Today was a feriado in Buenos Aires- translation: holidayyy! No school, no work- day off for everyone! Yay! The "holiday" was flag day, although no festivities or events really happened anywhere in the city. I took full advantage of this free day though and spent the whole day doing final things on the "must-do" list with my friends.

First stop: Jardín Japones (the Japanese Gardens). The Japanese Gardens are located just a few blocks down from my host apartment, so my friends and I all met up to walk there together. The gardens were so beautiful! The park itself was very peaceful and quiet- a nice start to the morning. There were lots of Japanese trees and flowers, a tea house, a koi pond, and foot bridges.

Jardin Japones!

Next stop: La Floralis Genérica! The Floralis is a huge metal sculpture located in park just down the road from the Japanese Gardens. The flower sculpture is electronic; the petals open and close each day with the rising/setting of the sun! So cool!

La Floralis

From the Floralis, we went to MALBA: The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires. MALBA is a contemporary arts museum that highlights Latin American artists. I really enjoyed this museum, especially because it was contemporary and a little more "wild" than the traditional art museums. Lots of beautiful (and bizarre) artwork that I loved!

The colors of this art-piece were projected and moved around the canvas!

After MALBA, we attempted to visit the National Library, but once we finally discovered it, we found out it was closed for the holiday. Oh well, at least we saw it from the outside! It was way smaller than I thought it would be for the National Library, but it was still fun to see a little of it.

Our next stop was the Recoleta Cemetery. We visited this cemetery on our bus tour the first day of the program, but we wanted to go back in order to see Evita Peron's grave. I know it sounds really strange that we wanted to go to a cemetery, but it is such an interesting place! First off, the cemetery is like a city: it has streets, signs, and is laid out in blocks just like a city...and is 14 acres big! It contains thousands of above ground marble mausoleums, elaborately decorated in a wide variety of architectural styles. Evita's grave is hard to find, but my friend Raj had seen it before, so he was able to find it for us after searching for a few minutes. Evita's grave was nice, but nothing too fancy for what you'd expect. It was definitely cool to see though! Also, the joke in Buenos Aires is that the Recoleta Cemetery is the one place on earth where the dead can't rest in peace, because there are bars, clubs, and tourists all around the area! Haha!

Recoleta Cemetery from above!
It's the whole area of tiny buildings in front of the skyscrapers!

At this point, we were getting pretty hungry...well, VERY hungry. We decided to walk downtown BA for lunch, because we were still in Recoleta, the upscale part of town, and figured we could eat cheaper downtown. After a lot of walking, we finally got downtown and chose a restaurant cafe that sounded good. It was a little past 4:00 by the time we ate lunch, so we were sooo excited to eat! It was a really late lunch, but then again, dinner here isn't served until 9:00 ish, so it was not so bad. I had a ham & cheese omelet (Argentinians love ham and cheese everything here!) with fries and water. It was great, but I'm really getting sick of having to pay for water here. I can't wait to go back to the US and be able to drink all the free water I want! Ahh!

After our meal, we walked down Calle Florida, a pedestrian shopping street located downtown. Florida Street is a very touristy area, full of all the clique tourist shops, but it was still fun to look and browse around. Florida Street also has some interesting street performers and musicians, which was enjoyable during our walk!

Once the sun had set, we left Florida Street and walked to the Plaza de Mayo. The Plaza de Mayo is the main square downtown Buenos Aires, where all the government buildings and landmarks are located. At night, the city illuminates the buildings with colored lights, which is really beautiful and fun at the same time. The Casa Rosada (Pink House: the Argentina equivalent of the White House) is lit with pink lights, the National Bank is lit with blue lights, and the May Pyramid (the oldest national monument in the city) is lit with green lights.

Plaza de Mayo at night:
Who knew government buildings could be so fun!

By this time, it was past 7:00 PM and our feet hurt from literally walking across the city all day, so we called it a day and took the subway back home. I'm so happy we had this free day, because I was able to see the remaining things I wanted to see during my Buenos Aires trip. Buenos Aires is such a unique place, and I can't believe I have to leave it in a few days. But... I can't get sad now, because I still have my final exams to take tomorrow. :P Study time for me! Hasta Luego- and Happy Argentinian Flag Day! ;)

Día 25: Liquor Ice Cream- I'll lick to that!

Today was the last day of University classes before the oral and written exams on Thursday and Friday. I was a little sad after my class and I gave our professor Josefina a kiss on the cheek at the end of the school day, but it has been a great experience full of valuable lessons and memories. After class ended, my friends Anna, Raj, Christa, and I walked to Palermo to celebrate the best way we could think of: Liquor ice cream!

I actually found out about the liquor ice cream parlor during the flight delay to Iguazu in an in-flight magazine. I read an article describing a recent trend of ice cream made with liquor, which is supposed to enhance the flavor and creaminess of the ice cream. The magazine listed a few parlors who specialized in this, and to our luck, there was one in Palermo- just a few blocks from my host apartment! A liquor ice cream parlor is something I don't think we'd find back in the states, so we put it on our "must-do" list!

Conveniently located in my neighborhood. Not a coincidence...it was fate!

The flavor the magazine recommended was Baileys: ice cream made from the Irish Liquor itself! So when we arrived at the ice cream shop, we all asked for a sample...and loved it! The parlor makes its own ice cream and had many other flavors as well (minus the liquor aspect), so I ended up getting the Baileys flavor as well Chocolate Morroc (Moroccan Chocolate) that had pieces of chocolate candy inside. Not only was it handmade, a great value, and fun...but it was super delicious! I don't think it's possible to eat a bad ice cream cone here in Buenos Aires. It's all heavenly! We ended up staying in the parlor for over 3 hours, just talking and enjoying each other's company. It was a good way to celebrate the end of a "semester" in Argentina.

When I die, bury me in Argentinian Ice Cream!

Tomorrow is a feriado (holiday), so no school! However, there are still things left on my "must-do" list, so I'm heading out in the morning anyways for some more adventures during my last week here! Buenos Noches! :)

Día 24: La Bomba del Tiempo

Despite a long, busy weekend and not arriving home until late on Sunday, Monday was still a success when it came to going out and having fun in the city. I was able to cross another item off my "must-do" list, which was La Bomba del Tiempo!

Konex Venue. Too cool.

La Bomba is a ridiculously popular percussion show that happens every Monday night in the Konex Center. The Konex Center is a cool venue that used to be an old oil factory- a fun place to watch a drum show! La Bomba consists of 17 musicians who play various percussion instruments. It is an improvisation show, but all the musicians use hand signals to stay synched with each other.

La Bomba!

The show was so much fun! It was purely percussion for the first night, but then they brought out a lady who with a wicked voice who sang in accompaniment to the drums. After the singer finished her songs, one of the percussionists busted out a trumpet and began to wail on that! I loved it, the crowd loved it, everyone loved it! I drank a Quilmes beer (the number one beer here in Argentina), saw the amazing talent of the musicians, and enjoyed a really energetic show! And who said Monday nights were no fun?! Not here in Buenos Aires! :)

Click Here for La Bomba Video!

Día 23: San Ignacio Ruins & La Estancia

Sunday: Day number 3 of the excursion was the best way to end a weekend full of amazing activities. We ate an early breakfast in the hotel at 6:30 am, and checked-out by 7:00. The hotel breakfast was great again; a notable food choice was the "Chipá"; Chipá are small, baked, cheese flavored rolls, which are very local and popular to that region of Argentina and Paraguay.

Chipá

We then had a 3 hour bus ride to the San Ignacio Ruins. The San Ignacio was a Jesuit mission built in 1610 that served to convert the indigenous people of the area. San Ignacio also protected the indigious people from slave trading and wars that were common during the time. The ruins were abandoned in the mid 1700s and were not discovered until the early 1900s. Today the ruins still stand, one of the best preserved original missions in the area. The San Ignacio Ruins are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overall, it was amazing to see the place where the Spanish colonists tried to convert and cilivize the native population. The ruins were beautiful, even though it rained during our visit.

San Ignacio Ruins: Group Photo!

After the ruins, we got back on the bus and headed to the estancia "La Chacara". An estanica is the Argentinian equivalent of a ranch; a large rural estate, which typically have cattle or agriculture. Although it was a cloudy and rainy day, the estancia was the perfect way to end the weekend! Everything was so relaxed and laid back; a real difference from the hustle in Buenos Aires. Even just the fresh air and green plants were a treat. The big treat of the estancia however was the asado! Asado is a traditional Argentinian barbeque, which is hugely popular on Sundays. Asados typically contain a variety of meats, cooked either over coals on a grill, or over an open fire pit- our asado meats were cooked both ways.

Sunday Asado in Argentina!

This meal was another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! It was a never ending feast of the world's most delicious foods- It was all so good, but soon I became worried that I would physically explode because it kept coming! We started with Choripan, a chorizo (seasoned sauasage) cut down the middle, served on a roll, and topped with chimichurri (a salsa made of various vegetables and spices, such as peppers, tomatoes, onions, and vinegar). Next was the lettuce and tomato salad, barely salad, and yuca root. The Yuca was really good- kind of like a potato, but a little more dense. Then came the big entree: the asado meats! Servers brought around platters of  every every cut of beef from the cow. I had no idea what cuts I was eating half the time, but it was incredible! Then came the lamb asado, which was my favorite. Seasoned with chimichurri and lemon, it was extremely flavorful and tender. Although I was about to explode from all the food, it was impossible not to at least try everything served!

Choripán

Yuca, Salad, and Barley

Just one of the many steak cuts I ate

After the marathon of a meal, we walked down the road and got to see a maté planation. Maté is a very popular and traditional beverage in South America, prepared from steeping mate leaves in hot water. It is a type of tea, but has a special way of preparing and drinking it. During the visit to the mate farm, it began to pour rain like crazy. We waited the storm out for a little, and headed back once it cleared up. But as we were halfway back to the estanica, it began to pour again. Welcome to the rainforest, right?! When we got back to the estancia, we were served mate cocido (mate from teabags), orange cake, and sopaipilla (fried dough that puffs up to form a hollow pocket of air in the center). I thought I wouldn't like the mate, but I actually did! It was not as bitter as I thought it would be, but rather light and like a green tea. It was so relaxing to be sitting out in the countryside of Argentina, listening to traditional guitar and accordion music, surrounded by friends and hospitable locals.

Sopaipillas

Las Chacras: The Estancia

Unfourtunalty, the weekend had to end, and it was back to the big city. We had an hour long flight back to Buenos Aires, but of course, no flight is complete without some sort of problem! After the plane had actually boarded and taken-off on schedule, I thought maybe I had escaped my bad luck of flight delays. But once in the air and almost to Buenos Aires, the captain announced we would have an hour and half delay, due to the fact we couldn't land. I think there was a lineup at the airport and no space for us, or there was a storm over the city we had to clear. So we ended up flying in circles around Buenos Aires for over an hour before we actually landed. At this point, I am determined that I have some sort of airplane curse placed over me. We landed at midnight, and I didn't get back to my host house until 1:00, but even with the flight dilemmas, this was a weekend I would live over and over again if I could! Perfecto!!!

Día 22: Iguazú Falls and National Park

Saturday: The day started off great with a huge buffet continental breakfast at the hotel. This was the first time I ate anything but a piece of sliced bread for breakfast this whole program, so I was exited for all the fresh fruits, eggs, and local breads. After the delicious meal, we boarded a bus and headed to Iguazu National Park to see the renowned Iguazu Falls. Iguazu Falls are shared by both Argentina and Brazil, as the falls serve as a border for both countries. Iguazu Falls is one of the "7 Natural Wonders of the World", which goes to prove how unbelievable it really is!

Iguazu!!

Iguazu is a Guarani (the indigenous tribe of the area) word meaning "big water": Iguazu Falls fits the name completely...emphasis on the BIG and WATER! This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Iguazu Falls is not just one giant waterfall, but many- ranging from 200-270 feet tall. Depending on the rainfall levels, there are about 150-300 waterfalls in this one location. It was amazing. Each waterfall I saw blew my mind and I thought we had seen the best one. But then we'd walk further up the trail, and the next waterfall would be even better! The whole day went like this...it was incredible. We ended our day long hike at the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), which is the tallest and biggest waterfall of them all. Devil's Throat is a U-shaped waterfall, with water pouring in from 3 sides. It was massive; all the pictures in the world could never capture exactly how grand this sight was.

Miles and Miles of Waterfalls

Devil's Throat: I couldn't come close to capturing it in one picture.
Imagine this, but in a horseshoe shape, all around you!

In addition to our long hike, we also had the option of going on a speedboat that would take us on a ride under the falls. It wasn't included in the excursion package, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I took advantage of! After changing into my bikini, poncho, and life jacket, I stepped aboard the little speedboat for a ride to remember! It was crazy! At first, the boat driver slowly brought us to an area where we stopped to fully see the falls up close. To be completely surrounded by majestic waterfalls was breathtaking. It was beyond the most beautiful thing in the world. After gazing at the falls for a bit, the driver suddenly took off, speeding the boat through the heavy mists and under the falls! Everyone was cheering, yelling, and clapping- it was so fun! The spray from the falls was so powerful though, at times I couldn't even open my eyes to see what was going on! At the end of the ride, we were beyond soaked. I think I may have accidentally drank a bit of Iguazu as well...haha! Luckily the weather was hot and sunny, so it didn't take long to dry off.

Too good to be true!
(The boats below are similar to the one I would end of riding!)

The falls were amazing, and even though the pictures I took look surreal, nothing will ever compare to how the falls are in real life. It's hard to believe that someplace so beautiful actually exists! We took the bus back to the hotel around 6:00 PM and had the rest of the night to our selves. My friends Anna, Raj, and I took a short walk down the road to Tres Fronteras (Three Borders). Tres Fronteras a tri-border area, where you can see Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay from one spot. Each country is separated by the Parana River, but you can easily see across the each place. Each border has a big obelisk erected, painted in the national colors of the it belongs to.

Paraguay to the left, Brazil to the right!

After Tres Fronteras, we continued walking down the street for a while. We turned around when the road ended because we realized we had stumbled into the Argentinian Boarder Control station...haha! Time to get out of there! We were pretty hungry at this point, and decided to eat dinner at this place others from our group spoke highly of. It was called "El Patio" and ended up being a dinner to remember for all the wrong reasons! To sum up a scary experience, we basically ate dinner in a large, open warehouse, paid too much for the quality of food we got, and were creeped out by the meat-cooking man who kept trying to get us to order his "all-you-can-eat-meat" buffet. After we paid the bill and ran out of that sketchy place, we called it a night and spent the rest of the night in the hotel! Whew! Although the dinner was "interesting", it gave us a funny memory to share. Overall, the day was amazing and I'd love to return to Iguazu!

Día 21: Weekend Excursion- Friday

Wow, what a weekend! I haven't updated my blog in a few days due to the fact I have been crazy busy enjoying my final week here in Argentina! This weekend we took an excursion to Northern Argentina (Iguazu in Missiones Province- up by the border of Brazil). It was by far the best part of this program yet...and such a nice getaway from the busy city! We had a full 3 days of the most amazing weather, food, and events. Here's the recap:

Friday: Woke up at 4:30 am to catch a taxi in order to get to a local airport at 5:30 am, where the entire ISA group was meeting. We were taking a small plane to Port Iguazu, which was about a 2 hour flight (or should have been). But of course, once we were seated and ready for take-off, we were alerted that take-off would be delayed "10-20 minutes" due to weather conditions. After 45 minutes of waiting on the plane (a deja-vu of my Atlanta experience!), we were told to de-board and wait in the terminal. Ugh! I'm just not having good luck when it comes to planes here, haha. Our original departure was around 7:00am, but they pushed it back to 1:00 pm. At least when we were waiting, ISA bought us all coffee and medialunas (sweet croissants)- the only good thing about the delay!

Medialunas: the morning obsession in Buenos Aires
(and the yummy side of a long flight delay)

Standing in the cold rain & finally getting back on the plane!

 When we finally arrived in Port Iguazu that afternoon, it didn't even matter that we had just had a delay- the sun was shining, the weather was warm, and everything was so relaxed! I finally could walk around without my winter coat on too- it was so nice! We drove a short ways to check-in at our hotel, which was also like a dream-come-true: hot showers, continental breakfast, toilets that actually flushed...and with toilet paper to match! Yay!

We never had time to use the pool, but the hotel was like paradise.
(note the beautiful weather!)

After unpacking and changing our clothes, the whole group climbed in a 4x4 caravan truck to visit a Guarani village. The Guarani is an indigenous tribe that originates from that area of Argentina/Brazil/Paraguay. They have their own language, still live in wooden huts with palm leaf roofs, and keep many traditions of their culture. We had a Guarani guide who taught us a few words in his language, let us sample a special cornbread and root that they eat (the root was better than the bread), and showed us some primitive hunting traps the tribe uses to capture animals. At the end of the tour, a group of Guarani children sang us songs in the Guarani language. The whole experience was so eye-opening. I suddenly felt so conscious of the fact I was from a first-world country, wearing clothes that weren't stained and torn, with a nice camera in my hand. The Guarani are happy living on their land reserve, but it's a lifestyle so different than anything I've ever seen. Definitely made me put things into perspective about my own lifestyle!

The Guarani children who sang for us

After the visit to the village, we drove back through the rainforest on bright red dirt roads into the small city of Iguazu (all the soil is bright red in the area due to high iron content of the land). We were on our own for dinner, so a few of us stopped at a cute restaurant for a nice dinner out. I was trying to be money conscious, and was happy when I found a yummy pasta for cheap! But once I placed my order, I discovered you had to pay for the sauce in addition to the pasta! Ay! What?! Haha, but it was a delicious meal nonetheless. I also ordered my first margarita, after all, how could I be in the rainforest and not?! We also got free drinks from the restaurant owner at the end of our meal! Bonus! It was a great start to a great weekend. :)

Dinner & Drinks!

Hello to anyone who is keeping up with my blog! I have done a lot these past few days and haven't had the time to update this, but I once I get the chance, I'll fill you in! Besos! :)

Día 20: the extraordinary daily discoveries

Just when I thought that I had discovered most of the quirks of Buenos Aires, something new pops up to surprise me! I thought today would be just another boring, typical day before the big weekend trip, but I guess an "average" day in Buenos Aires is far from the "average" day back home! Haha!

On my walk to school everyday, I pass a huge military estate that apparently is home to the Argentinean Mounted Army (military on horses). It is called "Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo General San Martín" -what a mouthful! The estate itself is very pretty, but blocked by a tall iron gate and guards who watch me walk by each morning. Usually, just looking at the building is interesting enough, but today, the mounted military was out riding around the grounds! My friend and I stopped to watch them gallop by, and I had just enough time to poke my camera through the gate to snap some photos! I'm not quite sure if the photo taking was acceptable, but no one stopped me...whew!

The photo I took this morning from the fence.

The Mounted Army Estate ( I walk the sidewalk in front of it everyday) 

The next "adventure" of the day was bought at a fruit stand, also on my walk to the University. My friend (Theodora) and I needed to pick up some fruit to go with our lunch, and it works out perfectly that there is a small, locally owned store on our walk to school. We decided to try something new, and each picked out a Kaki; the store owner said it was a fruit and could be eaten like an apple, so we decided to try something new! I ate the fruit on my break from class, and it was actually quite good! Kaki looks like a tomato, but is sweet. It kind of had the texture of a plum or a peach, but it's own unique taste. Not bad for a mystery fruit! According to my wikipedia research, the English word for Kaki is "persimmon", but I have never heard of that either. I believe it's a more local fruit, according to the "map of production" I also found on Wiki, which would explain why I have never seen this in Michigan before!

Kaki Fruit

Notice the red in South America? That's where the Kakis live!

After school ended, my friend Anna and I walked around another part of Belgrano, just seeing what was around. You never know what you're going to see here...there is always something new! My favorite sights of the Belgrano walk was a "Happy Bus"- a bus that was disguised as a train, driving around the streets playing music (we thought it was for children, but it looked like it was functioning as a normal city bus...adults on board and all!). My other favorite sight was "Pizza Cono"- a pizza shop that sells pizza in a "cone"! Haha!

Pizza in a Cone! Yum yum?

After walking around a lot, Anna and I stopped at the same Freddo Ice Cream shop that we visited last week. They are having a promo, which is a large cup of Chocolate and Dulce de Leche ice cream for $14 Pesos (about $3.00 American Dollars)! How could we say no to a deal like that?! Plus, the weather has been pretty warm lately- about in the 60s and humid. In order to fit in with the local though, I still wear my winter coat everywhere (so warm! ugh! I don't know why everyone here is bundled up when it's not cold), so the ice cream was needed!

The sweetest bargain.

The rest of my evening was spent packing and getting ready for the Iguazu trip tomorrow...so excited! We had a pretty large dinner tonight, which consisted of Milensa (the chicken...again!), corn on the cob, a squash and onion mixed side dish, and salad (always just lettuce and tomato).

Milanesa: the meal we literally eat almost every-other-day! Haha :)

Well, I have to meet a taxi outside my apartment at 5:00 am Friday morning to take me to the airport where I'll fly to Iguazu Falls with my program! Bed time for me! Chau! :)

Día 19: Ready for the weekend!

Although I love it here in Buenos Aires and don't want the time to keep flying by, I cannot wait for this weekend! After class today, we had an orientation meeting in the ISA office to go the details of our weekend excursion: Iguazú Falls! Iguazú Falls consists of a giant span of waterfalls in Northern Argentina, right on the border of Brazil. We will be leaving early Friday morning (5:30 am!) and staying until late Sunday night. I'm so excited! This is the excursion that we have all been waiting for!

Can't wait to spend the weekend here! :)

Other than being pumped for this weekend, today was a pretty relaxed day. Tamara, Freddy and Cecilia's daughter, joined us again for dinner tonight. Tamara talks really fast, so the conversation was a little hard to follow, for the most part, I was able to comprehend it. Hooray! For the meal we had tarta de pollo; it's like a piece of pie, but made with chicken on the inside. Tartas are very Argentinian; they are everywhere and come in  a variety of flavors like spinach, ham and cheese, tomato, olive...etc. We also had torilla as a side with dinner, which was like the Spanish-version of a tortilla: a thick omelet of egg and potato. Yummy yummy! :)

Argentinian Tarta

Tortilla