6-18-11
Well last night was a definite success. I logged about two hours asleep before my alarm clock went off. First on the agenda was a visit inside the Casa Rosada. This is where the president, Cristina, works. It is kind of like our White House. The difference is that the president doesn't live there. It was very beautiful inside and the guards were muy guapo ;) It was hard because the tour guide spoke in Spanish and none of us could understand her. Oh well! We were all struggling from lack of sleep as well. Next we went to Evita Peron's museum. It was very interesting. She was the first lady and married to Peron. She basically made a shelter for homeless kids and catered to the poor end of the Argentine population. The museum was very informative about Argentine history in general. It was actually in Evita Peron's old house. After the tour it was hilarious because our entire group had about the same view of what she did to politics and economy. Brooke was like 'yeah she pretty much ruined Argentina's economy for the next few centuries.' Hahaha! NOT something you would want to say to an Argentinian. Evita had the 'take from the rich, give to the poor' strategy. Our lunch was Italian food – I swear this Italian influence is strong in Argentina. Hair in ravioli = ultimate appetite ruiner. Enough said. Tango lessons were a blast. Our teacher was intense but very good. By the end of it we all were dece tango dancers. It really takes a lot of grace and rhythm. It is a very unique dance that I would love to learn more about. Now we are on our 19 hour bus ride to Salta! Ready for the next adventure. :)
XOXO
Maggie
Argentina Day 5
6-19-11
Bus day! We got on the bus for our 19 hour ride to Salta at night. I slept most of the way. It was nice we had reclining chairs, tvs, very relaxing. Bathrooms were another story. Oh the joys of traveling. I will say that I felt the most rested after this bus ride. I probably logged over 10 hours of sleep and it was much needed. We stopped at a bus station and got chicken and fries. SKETCH CITY! The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. It was a nice change of pace after the cloudy weather in Buenos Aires. We got back on the bus until about 4 in the afternoon. When we arrived we got to work out. It was such a simple pleasure after being on a bus for about 19 hours. I will say that after you do a bus ride like that; most types of transportation seems like a piece of cake. So the workout was kind of like a group activity because we were all so restless. Only a couple of the machines really worked. It was soo refreshing to work out! The bike had a seat that would not move and of course it was too high for all of us. It was funny because I was so desperate that I used it and let's just say it was painful. The treadmill didn't work and there was some stair stepper that was supposed to be automatic but definitely was manual due to technical difficulties. All in all, it was a unique exercise experience. Salta is definitely a smaller town feel with mountains and warm weather. The people are either very friendly or very rude to Americans. There is no in between. Our group went to a traditional folklore Salta dinner. It was a lot of fun. We of course had empanadas as a part of our meal. The music and band were very different. I will be honest I was more interested in getting some food into my body than the music itself. These 10 pm dinners are killing me! The Malbec wine taste is really starting to grow on me. I wasn't much of a wine girl before this trip, but the taste is definitely starting to grow on me. I'm sure bye time I do a couple wine tours I will have more than acquired the taste. We went out to a karaoke bar which was interesting. Our plans were to sing Journey's 'Don't stop Believin' but we were all way too exhausted to stay out. It is still crazy to me that Argentinians don't go out until at least two AM. That is when we wrap out nights up! Of course we got lost on the way home. I swear that every street in Salta looks the same.
Buenos Noches!
-Magz
Argentina Day 6
6-20-11
What a day. It is so crazy to write about what happens each day because everything is so new, exciting and EPIC. Woke up at 7:30 am and rode a van for 4 hours to cafayate in the mountains. I'm not going to lie, the bus rides are getting pretty brutal. We were tallying up how many hours we were spending in the bus and it was a couple days worth. Yuck! I have become a master at falling asleep on these long trips though. I have found that it is a completely necessary skill for those situations. It was nice because we got to stop at different sites to take pictures and enjoy the view and scenery. We stopped at a rest station with a cute little coffee shop and a goat farm. The goats were adorable. It reminded me of going to the petting zoo when I was younger. There was also a llama. Honestly, I was afraid to get close to the big llama. We called her 'Senora'. 'Senora' definitely did not like us. In fact, she spit on Brooke. Hahaha. All of the views were super pretty though. The town was so cute and quaint. We got to sit outside for lunch and get OMELETTES. It is truly funny how much we all miss eggs. A stray dog was next to our table and Jonah definitely gave it a huge chunk of his eggs. Pretty sure we got some dirty looks for that one! We did some shopping and made our way to Nanni Bodega. It was absolutely breath taking. I am not trying to be cliché but literally everywhere you looked there was a beautiful view. I didn't end up trying the wine there because you had to pay extra for the tasting. We then hopped back into the bus, our second home, and headed back to Salta. Currently I am kind of homesick just because the internet connection is so bad here. You have to go down to the lobby to get service and even then it is in and out. I think I just need some connection to home and I will be okay. Jonah and I needed money for the ATM so we went on a search. An hour later we arrived back at the hotel. Once again, all of the streets look the same! It probably would have helped if we actually got a map though. :) I felt really good when I asked a lady for directions home in Spanish and understood her enough to get back to the hotel. It is such a sense of accomplishment to be able to communicate like that. I find it so much more motivating to study the language when I am in a country where it is necessary to know to communicate. This trip has definitely inspired me to study more Spanish. I would love to become fluent some day! Our group had dinner at the hotel. I feel like I have known everyone for years with the amount of time we have spent together in the last few days. Those who go on 20 hour bus rides together, stay together! Got to get some sleep for another long day tomorrow. Six hour bus ride there and back. I am thinking I will be getting a LOT of beauty sleep.
Chau!
Maggie
Argentina Day 7
6-21-11
Today we had to get up for yet another bus ride. Six hours! We are all so comfortable with each other it is ridiculous. Salta is definitely a more indigenous area. Our lunch was definitely authentic. There was fried llama meat... enough said! We went to a store and a man explained different weavings to us and what they meant. It was really interesting because I had no idea there was so much depth and meaning behind the graphic designs. You can decode everything from how many children to how humble a person is from there clothes. Pretty cool! Don't know if that would fly in the US though. After that was shoppin' time. A lot of the vendors sell the same stuff but Margie and I are on the lookout for silver bracelets. They sell some pretty unique ones in Argentina. The only part I dislike is the constant harassing when you are trying to look at items to buy. They are so desperate to sell their goods! On the way back our tour guide gave us 'coca' leaves to try. Apparently it is very popular to chew in Argentina and many people put them in their tea. They are supposed to do many things but essentially just make you feel good. I didn't notice anything and the leaves just kind of sat in my mouth. Honestly, I think our tour guide is a little crazy. On our way back to Salta he had the bus stop and he told us a little boy that was abused waits and comes from behind the bushes to sell goods. Sure enough when we pulled over the little boy came out from the bushes. Very odd. The tour guide told us we should buy something to support the economy. The questioning and curious part of my brain definitely challenged the validity of the situation. A big part of me thought it was a scam which was very sketch. I still got a little clay pot and so did everyone else. Either way, we all had good intentions. We also stopped at a gas station and got some snacks. Let me just say – the granola bars are not like American cliff bars. Oh how I miss healthy granola bars. Long but very interesting day.
BUENOS NOCHES.
Mags
Argentina Day 8
6-22-11
This morning I had my project presentation. It went really well! Last night I stayed up late and put together a little something on Movie Maker. I compiled pictures of the food thus far along with Argentine nutrition facts. Today was a little bit lighter because it was a 'bus ride' day. Our tour guide took us on a city tour and we saw the city view of Salta. We also went to the market. Lots and lots of food. Seeing the market makes me feel very happy that I am from America. I could not deal with the nasty meat hanging everywhere in the market. Even intestines were hanging everywhere. I legitimately thought that I might throw up. It is just different. I would definitely be a vegetarian if I lived in Argentina. We went shopping and I got some jewelry with engraved roses for my momma and I. I love the jewelry here because it is so unique. I had been searching all over for the rose jewelry so it was a welcome surprise! Naturally, the rose bracelet gave my wrist a rash. Ha ha. Hopefully I can figure something out to treat it later. As of now I am on the overnight bus ride from Salta to Mendoza. Chau Salta, Hola Mendoza!
Time to get some good ole bus sleep.
Maggie
Argentina Day 9
6-23-11
Wow it is 6/26 and I am in the bus for an overnight trip back to Buenos Aires. I am feeling pretty rough right now – throat is hurting. This trip has been amazing and fun but definitely rough on my body that is for sure. So on 6/23 we arrived in Mendoza early in the morning. We went to Catena Zapata, our first of many winery visits. It was absolutely breath taking. Aside from being fresh off of an overnight bus ride, I felt great. You could see the Andes Mountains, clear blue skies, vineyards and the Incan inspired winery. Every single view was picturesque. It was just something that you had to take in. When we got inside we went through a tour of the winery. It was my first ever wine tour and I had no idea what to expect. It was fascinating to learn about how wine was made and how different climates affect the grapes and wine. It really is an art and it almost exhausts me to think about all of the effort that goes into making the perfect wine. It really is a tedious process. It is art! Drinkable art, that is. We learned how to smell, taste and observe the wine like professionals. I have caught myself swirling and sniffing drinks that are definitely NOT wine. That is a sign of too much wine tasting! What did we do next? Hopped in the bus for our next wine tour of course! Our next winery visit was Lagarde. It was gorgeous, not to mention gorgeous Argentine tour guides! Sebastian, one of the tour guides, works with American sales and has been to Leawood, KS before. Who would have thought? We had an absolutely exquisite lunch in a cottage-like restaurant.
XOXO
Maggie
