Post Argentina Thoughts

This experience was one I will always remember and cherish. I feel like I grew as a person and gained a new perspective on the world. I definitely have the travel bug now and I am already checking opportunities to visit South America during winter break. I love the culture and way of life there. All in all, I was happy to return home. I have a new appreciation for all of the little things that the United States has that make life easier.

10 things I missed while away: No particular order

1. Drink refills at restaurants I mean come on!
2. Free water.
3. Ice in my drinks. - They had some serious issue in the beverage department!
4. Texting my friends and family
5. WIFI
6. Exercise - RUNNING - one of the first things I did when I got home
7. Eating a balanced diet. Sometimes wilted lettuce had to suffice for my veggies over a span of five days.
8. The English language.
9. Bubble baths
10. Fresh fruit

10 things I am going to miss now that I am home:

1. All of the wonderful friends I made - reunion this fall!
2. AGUA CON GAS - carbonated water works too :)
3. The excitement of a new culture
4. NICO - our amazing tour guide.
5. The disconnection from regular life to really experience new adventures
6. The discotecas and nightlife.
7. Dulce de leche
8. The opportunity to travel and learn about Argentina all day
9. The awesome peso/dollar exchange - dollar is super strong compared to peso. CHEAP STUFF.
10. The overnight bus rides! Ha ha no but I will miss the bonding on the overnight rides.

That concludes my Argentinian Aventura. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog! :)

Check out my informational study abroad articles:

Studying Abroad - Exploring the World and Creating Yourself

The Ultimate CL Study Abroad Tip Guide

Argentina Day 10

6-24-11

Woke up for yet another early morning, the lack of sleep is definitely starting to kick in that is for sure! We went to my now favorite winery, Familia Zuchardi. I felt super comfortable there and I learned the most AND they are on there way to becoming an organic winery. They have a delicious Organic Malbec. Yum! It is kind of like the Whole Foods/Merc for wine products. Our tour guide actually went to Penn State in the U.S. He was very informative and let us try the organic Malbec. You are supposed to look at the wine, smell it and then finally taste it. This process is in order of the complexity of senses. It is so funny when he asks what you smell. We just made stuff up, “winter green with a hint of honeysuckle.” Ha ha. Next we kept up with our tradition of eating and drinking continuously. We went to lunch at the Familia Zuchardi restaurant and I have NEVER in my life experienced any dining experience like it. We had at least 10 courses. Simply amazing food, but a SLIGHT overload on the portions. I loved the endless grilled veggies and the asparagus soup; my body need it badly. I would love to own an earthy dining room like that someday. And of course, they had wine to match each part of the meal. It almost became comical. With our post dessert coffee we got even more cookies. I couldn't handle it and skipped out on massive amounts of meat. I bought some Tardio sweet dessert wine and the Malbec organic wine to have with friends and family when I get home. Super happy about those! After that, Margie and I went shopping for our brothers and of course ended up getting stuff for ourselves. Spanish magazines! I got Woman's Day! When Margie and I were shopping we ran into a Belgian that said he got everything stolen at a bus stop – everything, passport and all. He seemed pretty genuine but ya never know. For dinner we went to an olive oil tasting place and had an exquisite dinner. Just another day in MENdoza.

Argentina Day 11

6-25-11

Epic day. Woke up early to head to the Andes Mountains. Rough start because I forgot my purse and couldn't remember where I left it. Nothing I could do about it so I just put it out of my mind and focused on the day. Later I found my purse was safe in my suitcase... of course! We made several scenic stops to take pictures along the way. Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking experience. It was funny because we all layered up with whatever we had left as far as clothes go because it was so cold. We went sledding on the Andes Mtns which was awesome. Despite being really cold we had fun. Feet were numb! Definitely went down on my stomach with Taylor – hilarious! Next we saw a natural bridge with natural springs. Pretty cool. We then went to lunch and it was sketchy. I got a steak pizza – enough said. We headed down the mountain and saw Aconcagua. One of the 7 highest peaks in the world. Amazing! When we got back Margie and I did some more shopping around the beloved vendors. I actually got some gifts for other people. Go me! Dinner consisted of appetizers and wine at a fancy place. Needless to say, I got my money's worth of wine and was feeling more than great – as everyone else was too. After the lovely meal, Heather, Margie, Taylor, Kara and I went to Maurulas bar. We wanted to go to PPTH or something which was a discoteca. Sadly, it was too early. This ended up being an amazing turn of events though! We got to sit by some super cute Argentine boys :) There was quite the language barrier which was hilarious. They started using google translate on their phones and asking questions. They were on a pro motocross team – interesting! It was cute because they were trying to decipher what we said. Something I learned – flirting is a universal language. Ha ha! Such a fun day.

Argentina Day 12

6-26-11

Today was our last day in MENdoza. Ha ha! Sore throat is definitely kicking in – of course. I knew it was only a matter of time! We woke up and went to a winery for our empanada cooking lesson. Everything about it was beautiful. The wood fire place, gorgeous vineyards, and to top it off we got to sip tea next to it – perfecto! The empanada making was interesting. They use legit animal fat – sick! But they taste so freaking good. While they cooked we went to another wine tasting. I think we are are all legit pros at these tastings by now. It was a lot of the same stuff we have seen and we were all tired and feeling bad today. Wonder why? No sleep! We then had our wonderful meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the freshly baked rolls, steak soup and grilled veggies. After that we went to the LAST of our wine tastings at Andeluna. We were pretty slap happy at this point and didn't want any more wine. Now we are on the overnight bus ride to Buenos Aires. I am almost starting to like these rides because I can catch up on my journals and sleep. I miss home, family, friends, normal food, exercise, bubble baths, my lifestyle! I also miss my internships and writing. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things! Only three more whole days and then I leave Thursday. Home sweet home here I come!

Argentina Day 13

6-27-11

Today I woke up on the bus. NOT a good feeling. The bus was freezing so I woke up repeatedly in the night. Nico was there to pick us up with his cheerful attitude and big smile. I had to give him a hug because I was tired of our other boring guides and it was refreshing to see him. We got to Bristol Hotel and quickly changed into business casual clothes. Nothing like an overnight bus trip and throwing on some biz casual. We went straight to a church – of course! Then to La Boca where Margie, Kara and I got tea and I got my brothers La Boca soccer jerseys. I wish that I got to go into the stadium – oh well! Someday I will! Next we went to a brewery so Jonah could work on his project, not really my cup of tea. Also we went to a grocery store to get snacks. Their grocery stores and granola bars are pretty weak compared to the US. For lunch we went to a pizza place. Next we went to the TV station and got a tour. It is crazy how many people they have working on different news aspects to create a single product. We then proceeded to walk and shop all the way back to our hotel which was at least an hour walk in the city and it felt so good! I am feeling pretty tired and ready to go home at this point. I miss all of the little comforts about the US. I love traveling but home sweet home will always be the best. I can't wait to be reunited with my family and friends and Whole Foods. We went to a dinner at that brewery tonight for a taste of some American food. Man I miss America! This has been on outstanding experience but I am very ready to peace out. :) Goodnight!

Argentina Day 14

6-28-11

All of the days are running together at this point. Good news – the hotel breakfast staff can make scrambled eggs! I wish we would have found out about this sooner. Everyone is starting to miss American food. We have been eating Americanized food for the last 24 hours and I am loving it. I miss the simple things like being able to pay separate bills at restaurants, free water, free refills, diet coke no coca light, and ice in my drink. This morning we had our visit to an ad agency called MEC. MediaEdge CIA was a smaller ad agency of about 50 workers. I really liked the feel of the company. The information was very interesting because the social media had a lot to do with what I have learned about through my internship with College Lifestyles. They talk about branding and target audiences in the same light as CL. I really enjoyed being able to relate it to my own personal experiences. These experiences definitely spark something within me that wants to explore and learn more and more about the world. I am so eager to get back and work on my internships and apply my new knowledge to old tasks. This trip has inspired me to travel more, learn to speak more Spanish, cook new dishes, work even harder towards my goal of becoming an editor, and just reading about different cultures in general. For lunch we went to a restaurant called Kansas. KANSAS! It had all American food. We were all in heaven that is for sure. I could actually get a legit chicken salad that tasted like home. :) It was crazy that Argentina had a restaurant called KS, out of all of the states that they could have picked. I'm not complaining though! When I got back to the hotel Nico was waiting for me to go to my interview at their huge local gym, Eba. It was incredibly nice of Nico to take time out of his day to walk me to the gym and translate for me. I interviewed a personal trainer and a regular gym staff member. It is interesting that they have BodyPump at their gym. It really is a global chain of group fitness. I love how it is so similar throughout the world. It made me eager to get back and work on memorizing the bodypump tracks! The personal trainer had to go through a lot more schooling to become a professional which I thought was interesting. I just relaxed until we took a taxi to the Woman's Bridge. It was so pretty with the Casa Rosada across the street lit up with pink lights. Our group finally settled on.... TGI FRIDAYS! Can you believe they had one? I was digging it. I must really be missing home because I was relieved to be in there. I mean it's TGI Fridays... c'mon! I did get normal diet Pepsi AND refills but no ice. I mean it's getting closer to the American way. Whooo! We are all so tired. Tomorrow is a free day and we leave for home on Thursday! I am so excited. This has been an incredible trip and experience but I am more than ready to get back to my regular lifestyle. I have definitely developed a new appreciation for the little things at home. Time for some sleep. Can't wait to SLEEP IN! We are going to McDonalds tomorrow to get free wifi. I am going to try to finish typing up all of my blog entries tonight so that I can load them tomorrow.

XOXO

Maggie

Argentina Day 15

6-29-11

Today I slept in and a few of us went to Mickey D's to get wifi. It was good I got to post some blogs, check FB and e-mail. I went shopping in Palermo with Margie and Heather. It was a beautiful day so it was nice to get out and walk. We went to Gran Cafe. A cute little cafe on the corner street. I got my favorite – Caprese salad. We just got back and are hanging out until dinner. Can't wait to be on the plane heading home :)

-MAGS

Argentina Day 16

6-30-11

Today was our last day in Argentina. Bittersweet. We have all become so close and it will be weird not to be together 24/7. We went shopping in Tigre and went sailing on the Tigre river. Pretty sweet. They have everything on the water including floating markets. I got some of my favorite rose earrings while shopping. They have some really original designs here! We went to the Colon Theatre after that. The theatre is gorgeous - marble designs everywhere. I absolutely loved the marble, maybe get some French marble for my future house? Haha. We also got to sit in the presidents seat for shows! By this time we were eating lunch at 4 so of course we were starving. Literally walked into the first restaurant we saw. This was a packed day considering we had an international flight in the evening. After everything was packed we headed to the airport. Time was cut VERY close - I about had a heart attack. Stress during travels - no bueno. Kara and I got to sit by each other on the overnight flight. What an adventure Argentina was. :) I am definitely going to come back - AFTER I work on my Spanish!

Chau!

-Mags

Days 4,5, 6, 7, 8 and 9! Buenos Aires

Argentina Day 4

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

HUGE update... First three days.

6-15-11

Argentina Day One

So today was one of the longest days ever. I am currently typing this up on a Word document because wireless is not a big deal around here apparently. I managed to pay for wireless for my phone and that only works in the bathroom... of all places! I couldn't get it to connect to my laptop so I will be uploading this when I get home in two weeks.

Generally, this place is SO different than the US. It is hard to get used to a new country in a lot of ways. The food, culture, people, way of life, weather, toilets (yes they are different), the elevators, EVERYTHING! I am finally relaxing in my hotel room with my roomie Whitney. We are currently complaining about the lack of internet and how tired we are. I can't wait until we finally get adjusted to BA.

I know I'm probably sounding like a debby downer but I'm just sleepy. I know tomorrow I will be refreshed and ready to go!

The adventure started out at KCI with a two hour flight to Houston. After that we grabbed some dinner and took off on our 11 hour flight to BA. The flight was not as bad as I thought it would be. I sat next to an Argentinian who was vacationing in Miami. She was really helpful. At times I swear she was looking at me like I was an idiot though. “dumb americans!” I slept most of the flight and going through baggage claims/immigration took quite a bit of time. The group is so fun and we all get along really well. Its a crazy group thats for sure :) I have a feeling we will be up to no good in these next few weeks!

Lunch was at Los Inmortales. Italian restaurant. Pizza was delish. It was funny because we could hardly communicate with the waiter. We played the guessing game with the waiter to get the check. Ahh cheque? Cash? Change? CUENTA CAMBIO! :) It was funny we asked for a box and he just put all of our leftover pizza in one box. Nice dude.

We then took a bus tour with our hilarious Argentinian guide Nico. So funny and his expressions are hilarious. Crazy crazy argentinians! Seriously. These people are nuts. In a very entertaining way :) In our tour we saw Casa Rosada (White house for Argentinians). It is pink, hence the name. The president, Cristina, doesn't live there but her offices are there. We also got a good glimpse of the Obelisk which is a statue that represents BA. It is a huge thing that sticks out of the ground. If that description wasn't sophisticated enough then the posted pic will help :) We went to a cathedral with San Martins remains. San Martin was an Argentine general that helped give Argentina, Chile and Peru independence from the Spaniards. It was a huge church. Super pretty and the ambiance inside was surreal. 

Next stop was Cafe Tortoni. This is a famous cafe where artists, writers and intellectuals gather to discuss. It is the oldest cafe in Argentina and very famous. I got a tea with milk and then realized that I shouldn't have the tap water AFTER the fact so I got a PEPSI light. Not the same thing as Diet Pepsi. I think they skip artificial sweeteners and just put less sugar in the drink. Fine by me! Al natural.

We then went to La Boca. This is where the soccer stadium is which we will visit later. Can't wait! La Boca is a poor part of town and the buildings are all different colors. This is because they painted with whatever colors they had. We mainly just goofed around there. An argentinian said he 'loved us babys!' and one said 'would you like to get drunk in my restaurant? How about my house?” Ha ha ha. Scary!

Before dinner I decided to venture downstairs by myself. The elevators are so bizarre I have a mini panic attack every time I get in one. You slide your card and press the level and it thumps up and down and is very tiny. Sketch city! I went to the wrong floor and two Argentinians came on and I TRIED asking them where to go and he was like 'no entiendo' Ha ha FAIL. What the heck is lobby in spanish? Need to double check on that one later. I managed to figure out my wireless and make my way back up via elevator. Baby steps :)

For dinner (which was at like 9 ish, GEEZE!) Immediately when we sat down the food and drinks started coming. You don't order anything, it just continuoously comes, different cuts of meat! Bread and water to begin. Then WINE – red wine – Malbec. The first sips seemed strong but then it just started tasting like grape juice. First up were the salchichas (sausage). Then beef empanadas. I LOVED the beef emapanadas. The beef really is delicious here. I am glad I can confirm that first hand! Then a huge platter of meat chunks (sick!). Definitely am not eating as much here ha ha. Ensalada and boiled cheese were next. Weird! Where do they get this stuff? Loved the boiled cheese though. Still going through a culture shock with the food. Good thing I packed plenty of granola and protein bars! My project is on food though so I am trying most of the stuff and documenting via pictures. I look like a crazy American girl snapping pics of all of the comida. Dessert was an ice cream cake slice with a caramel nut edge and hot fudge on top. Pretty good, reminded me of Dairy Queen. Ha ha.

We raced home in the rain and now I am currently chillen. Ready for Day Two in the BA! I think we are all going to take the night life by storm tomorrow, get ready!

Xoxo

Maggie

6-16-11

Argentina Day Two

Today we woke up early and got cracking. We did presentations and I didn't have to do mine. Thank god I was so nervous. I researched on my phone during it and tried to put something together. The breakfast was cold - pastries and weird ham. I stuck with my protein bar.

Then we went on a walking tour of San Telmo. It was very pretty. French/european victorian style buildings. It used to be where the wealthy lived but Yellow Fever took out the population and now it is a more poor area. We visited a market which was the equivalent to a huge building that housed a bunch of garage sales with raw meat and fruits. No joke.

We then went to lunch. None of us really knew what we were ordering so I thought I would stick with the beef empanadas. Not aa good choice the meat was weird and hard. As you can see I am having some trouble adjusting to the food. :)

We went to a tour of the Universidad de Cine. Film and theater school. Pretty interesting. The tour guide looked like rico suave with a scarf. We went to their cafeteria and I thought I was going to die I was so hungry so I got a ham and cheese croissant thing. Damn good.

We then trecked to Clarin – the media group that is huge in BA - covers news and events. It has some issues with the gov. which I will talk about later. Neat to see the news room, but the tour guide only spoke spanish ehhhh.

We went to a bar and I got sea breeze drink- freshly squeexed lemon, grapefruit and vodka I think. Sooo good. Our bartender was a cute argentine twenty-year-old. He only spoke spanish so there was a little bit of a language barrier to say the least. Sooo guapo! He gave us his number to meet up later hahah too bad none of our phones work! DISCONNECTED from el mundo. Heather accidentally said "me gusta chicas!" Our chances were pretty much done after that. She meant chicOs. Instead, she said she liked girls. We all died laughing.

We tried to go to bars tonight but apparently they are closed because friday is the big night – figures!

Time to SLEEP. We get to sleep in tomorrow. GOODNIGHT!

6-17-11

Argentina Day Three

Today was restful and interesting. We slept in until about eleven thirty which was MUCH needed. We went to Micky Ds and got free wifi which was super nice. I caught up on some e-mails thank goodness! I missed home a little bit today but I am doing well. We went on a tour with Nico to the Cementario de la Recoleta. It is basically where a lot of rich people bury their families in Argentina. It is above ground too. Some of them were run down which was sad to see. It is like a city of buried people. A very interesting way to look at the concept of a cemetery. 

Next we got gelatto! I got dulce de leche and coco dulce de leche. Amazing! We saw workout equipment that was for outdoor use. Apparently people go to workout in parks with the outdoor equipment. It reminded me a little bit of our jungle gym equipment in the US. 

We went to a tango show. It was very very fun. Jonah and I had to go up and learn how to tango. I was definitely not a natural. I think the guy got a little frustrated with me :) Ha ha. Jonah was good though! It was crazy to watch. We got endless wine, steak, veggie soup and a dulce de leche pancake. Dulce de leche is a creamy caramel that they put on EVERY type of food here. Perfecto! The tango is such a sexual dance, but very entertaining to watch. The dancers are very talented. I just want some of the tango shoes :) After we headed to Crobar, a local club. It was unreal. I have never seen a club like that except for in movies. It for sure put the Hawk in Lawrence to shame! We danced until 4:30 in the morning. Had to wake up at 8 AM but it was more than worth the experience. Argentina has proved to have a spectacular night life.

Mucho divertido :)

XOXO - Maggie

WIFI-less

Ok so I have been blogging BUT noooo wireless in our hotel. It's about 5 bucks (20 pesos) for 24 hours so I am going to figure something out. Right now some of the girls and I are in Mickey D's on our laptops haha. Having lots of fun though :) I have been writing my entries in word to copy and paste to this so I will do it soon enough. Buenos tardes!

Our crazed group in San Telmo! :)

I have wireless in Salta so I will try to upload all my blogs soon!

xoxo

Maggie

Pre-Travel Thoughts

Tomorrow marks my send off to Argentina. I couldn't be more excited about traveling to Buenos Aires. Although I still have quite a bit more packing to take care of; I feel SUPER prepared. It is odd not knowing anyone going on the trip with me but I think that it also adds to the excitement!

5 things I'm excited about

1. La Boca and the Boca Juniors soccer fields where Diego Maradona played

2. Trying Argentine beef and Malbec wine (odd combo but those are their specialties)

3. The wine country in Mendoza, Argentina

4. Meeting Argentinians! (Hopefully interviewing a few)

5. Learning about the health, nutrition and fitness habits of the Argentinians

5 things I hope to learn

1. Become more travel savvy - especially in that region of the world

2. Some more espanol. It will be very interesting to see how far my Spanish 111 skills take me in Buenos Aires... Ha ha I think I can make an educated guess on that one.

3. As cliche as this sounds, I really do want to learn how media works in a different part of the world. Hopefully I can gain some knowledge about the magazine industry.

4. Customs in Argentina. I want to be more familiar with their way of life. Pretty simple!

5. How to become an expert wine taster. Ha ha well besides that I want to learn a lot about their nutrition. Looks like I'm going to have to be a little more adventurous with my food choices.

Well here's to an amazing trip. Let's hope I can make these list items happen while abroad.

Adios mis amigos!