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.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Day 26 - Leaving Argentina
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.
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
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. :)
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. :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Day 24 - Uruguay
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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