Winding Down...

So here we are, our last full day in Argentina. It feels like the time has flown by, but at the same time, it feels like we’ve been here for years. Either way, I feel like we’ve definitely made the most of our time while here.

The last couple of days have been very relaxed, and I must say I’m quite grateful. We’ve had a lot of free time to explore the city and do anything that we might’ve missed. But before we could do that, we had a meeting at an advertising agency yesterday. Since the offices were across the city in Belgrano, we opted for public transportation and took the subway in order to save pesos. After arriving in Belgrano sans incidents, we realized we were extremely early for our meeting, so we sat in a park that overlooked what appeared to be a doggy daycare. It was a large fenced-in area where dozens of dogs were playing. Since the park was surrounded by a corporate building, we assumed that businessmen and businesswomen could drop their dogs off there on their way to work.

After entertaining ourselves by watching the dogs, we headed to MEC Advertising (as soon as we entered, the Mad Men theme song became stuck in my head). I’m one of the few in the group that is interested in the news and information side of the journalism school as opposed to strategic communications, but it was still an interesting visit, regardless (plus, they gave us dulce de leche-stuffed churros and hot chocolate, which made it even better). They are one of the largest advertising companies in Latin America and have offices all over the world. Their local clients include Microsoft, Toyota, Playtex, Netflix, Citibank and Ralph Lauren. They explained some of the challenges in the advertising world, and they also talked about their increasing presence with social media. 

It was lunchtime by the time the meeting was over, so we (plus two of the people we met with) headed to a restaurant in the neighborhood. Linda noticed a restaurant called Kansas in her guidebook, so naturally, we had to go there. After a 10-block walk, we stopped in front of Kansas, a gated, modern looking restaurant. The inside was a gorgeous mahogany décor with a fountain in the entryway. Our ad agency friends were wondering why we were chuckling, and we had to explain that you would never in a million years find anything this fancy in Kansas. They told us that this is where people come when they want American food, and sure enough, the menu was something like you would find anywhere in the Midwest. There were salads, burgers, and pastas. I think everyone was secretly glad for a familiar menu because the entire table cleared their plates.

After returning to the hotel, Kara, Margie, and I decided to spend a couple of hours shopping in the area across the street from the hotel. I finally found a reasonably-priced soccer jersey, which I had been looking for. A man that we met in a bookstore advised us to return to our hotel earlier rather than later since the area becomes questionable around 8, so we cut our time short and decided that we would return the next day (which was a completely free day).

So this morning, Kara and I decided to return to the shops, grab some lunch, and walk around the areas that we missed. After spending what was probably too much money, we headed back to the hotel (so we wouldn’t spend any more), where we are relaxing right now before our farewell dinner. 

But our adventures aren’t over just yet. Today might have been a free day, but we are making the most of our day tomorrow before our 9 p.m. flight. Nico’s giving us one final tour to El Tigre, a theater, and then he’s taking us sailing. I like to think of our relaxing day today as the calm before the (enjoyable) storm.

“Apparently, I can’t drink and take pictures. I guess I’ll have to stop taking pictures.”

We are back in Buenos Aires and I’m so happy. If I didn’t know before, I know it now – I’m definitely a big city girl. But first, I have to catch up on our last few days in Mendoza.

Saturday was a gorgeous day. Everything about it was gorgeous. Except our early morning wake-up call.

Actually, it wasn’t all that early, but Kara and I got caught up watching a cheesy made-for-TV movie last night about relationship abuse, and we didn’t end up going to bed until 1 or 1:30 a.m. But after we woke up and grabbed some breakfast, we headed into the Andes Mountains, our final destination being some renovated Incan remains, where we would have lunch. Our first stop on the three-hour drive was a viewing point at a scenic manmade lake. Although it was cloudy at that time, we could tell that the water was beyond clear, since it was runoff from the mountains.

After driving for another hour, we stopped at a lodge so we could rent equipment to go sledding, which I was beyond excited about. As soon as we stepped out of the bus to go to the lodge, we immediately noticed a drop in temperature. The skies were blue and we were surrounded by snowy mountains, but we were freezing. Needless to say, we were grateful that we were able to rent snow equipment because the temperature was only going to drop more. I bought a way cuter hat than the headband that I purchased last night (it was only after I tried it on that I saw I looked like an extra in a bad 1980s Richard Simmons workout video. Add that to the fact that my straightener doesn’t work so I’ve been rockin’ the natural curls, and it was just a disaster). We rented a two-person sled, and then continued on.

We stopped at a bridge that was a historical landmark and had been used by the Incans. Beneath the bridge was, literally, a babbling brook that looked just like a computer background. The water was clear mineral water straight from the Andes that was so pure we were able to drink from it.

About an hour later, we reached what I was most excited about – our sledding slope! – which was at the base of a ski resort in the Andes. We trekked through the packed snow and finally came to the hill, which was littered with children who were much younger than us. But we claimed a spot and began the climb to the top of the hill, which was a lot steeper than it originally looked. And I had the time of my life. I hadn’t been sledding in years, and I felt like I had been transported back to my childhood.

Half an hour later, we were sweating, but our toes were frozen, so we headed out. But we stopped only a few meters down the road to look at the Aconcagua viewpoint. Aida, our tour guide, told us that the people come from all over the world to climb the Aconcagua mountain, which is the highest peak in the Americas, and the Southern and Western hemispheres. It’s such a popular and severe climb that across the street from the viewpoint is a cemetery dedicated to climbers who didn’t make it.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the renovated Incan remains, where we had lunch. Although the lunch was far from my favorite, afterward, we saw a natural bridge over a creek that was absolutely stunning. Beyond the bridge were remains of a building and a standing church. Aida told us that about 50 or 60 years ago, a resort had been built, and overlooking the spring was a building that had been used as a spa. But after about 15 years of business, an avalanche had completely destroyed the resort and spa building. Oddly, though, it didn’t touch the church. Since then, numerous avalanches have occurred in that area, but the church is still untouched, which is why it has earned the name “The Miracle Church” among locals.

After returning to our hotel, we got ready for our night out at VOS, a wine-tasting restaurant. During our 3-hour dinner, we tried four different types of wine, a variety of hams and cheeses, empanadas, and a wine-based dessert. Although I’m still learning the different types and tastes of wines, I’m starting to see that I prefer white wine instead of red. That is, unless I have a big juicy steak to go with it…

The next morning, we had to wake up early to pack and check out of the hotel before embarking on our last day in Mendoza. Our first stop was what I was looking forward to most – cooking lessons! We drove to Salentein winery/hotel, which is where we would be making traditional empanadas. Although we were less than thrilled that the lessons would be outside (where it was a refreshing -7 degrees Celsius), our doubts were put to rest when we saw where we would be cooking – a breathtaking patio with a bar in front of an outdoor stove, a traditional empanada stove, acres upon acres of vineyard, and snow-covered mountains in the background. We were so taken aback by the views that we couldn’t even speak. They served us tapas (which are light appetizers) and white wine. We even got aprons, which we got to keep. I speak for everyone when I say we were in heaven. The chef taught us the proper technique to cook and season the meat and how to stuff and roll the pastry (and we were all appalled when we saw just how much fat goes into the empanada).

While they cooked, we toured the rest of the winery, which was a few meters down the road from the hotel, where we were cooking. The tour was quicker than the others since we were familiar with the process, but the bodega itself was gorgeous. The vineyards sat in front of the Andes, and the architecture on the winery was extremely modern. There was even an art gallery inside that we were able to look around.

After finishing our tour, we returned to the hotel portion for lunch and to eat our empanadas. Not to brag or anything, but our empanadas were absolutely delicious. The lunch was another asada, which is what they call their meat-filled meals where they keep bringing out more food (although this one was more reasonable than our lunch from a couple of days before). 

We still had one more bodega – Andaluna – to visit before boarding the bus back to the city. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but the views here were spectacular. There was an outdoor sitting area with couches and tables that were right next to the vineyard with the mountains in the distance. I felt like I was in The Parent Trap, sitting at the father’s Napa home.

After leaving, we went to the bus station, and I spent the whole cab ride praying that our bus would be comfortable. Words can’t express how happy I was when I saw that it was like our first bus ride. I fell asleep right after dinner and woke up right before we arrived in Buenos Aires.

Again, I’m beyond excited to be back to the city. Although most other people preferred the other cities, we were all ecstatic to return to Nico, our fantastic tour guide. We had a pretty calm day. We were able to return to places that we had skipped over on our last visit. We returned to La Boca, which I fell in love with even deeper. It was swarming with booths and shoppers. Little kids were there on a school field trip, and dozens of artists had hung up their artwork (I bought a photograph of people tangoing in front of a colorful building). It was an amazing atmosphere.

We then headed back to the Recoleta district, where we toured a brewery for Jonah’s project, and then we had lunch at a pizza place. As I’ve mentioned before, Argentina has a huge Italian influence, so for that reason, I’ve heard that they have delicious Italian food, but to be quite honest, I haven’t been that impressed with it. But the pizza today was wonderful… Definitely the best Italian food I’ve had since I’ve been here.

From there, we had our professional tour at C5N, which is a news station. We saw the studio and newsroom, where we met a woman whose job is to watch the 50+ cameras set up around the city. There are cameras overlooking the highways, city streets, even the airport. If something happens, they can increase the pixels to get a higher quality picture.

After leaving, we had free time, so Kara, Maggie, Margie, and I decided to explore the Santa Fe shopping district. We didn’t end up shopping that long, so after not too long, we decided to return to the hotel. We walked a few blocks, hoping to run into el Nueve de Julio (the street that our hotel is on), but we didn’t see it. So we walked a little further. Nothing. We opted not to hail a taxi because we were certain that we were getting close. Forty-five minutes later, we were still walking. We knew we were going the right way, but it turned out to be a MUCH longer walk than we had anticipated. Sixty or seventy blocks later, we finally returned to the hotel, exhausted and sweaty. We have a couple of hours of downtime before we are heading back out to Palermo to go to dinner for Kara’s birthday. As long as we’re taking a taxi, then I’ll be fine.

Aaand More Vino

If yesterday was about wine and food, today was about food and wine.

We started off with a morning tour of Lopez bodega. While waiting for our tour to begin, we drank a glass of their sparkling wine at, I kid you not, 10 a.m. We then watched a short film on the century-old winery and began our tour. A couple of things made this bodega different. For one, it was absolutely huge. Someone described it as a movie set, which is appropriate. There were multiple buildings that each housed something different. In one building was the machinery, which bottled, corked, and labeled the wine. In another building were the HUGE oak barrels that the wine fermented in for a few years, but their secret was they were still using the original barrels, which, he said cost about $30,000 US. We then returned to the main tasting room, where we tried a spicy red wine that none of us were crazy about (our tour guide even said that it wasn’t his favorite wine. Why he chose that for us to taste is beyond me…). 

We then continued to the second winery, Zuccardi bodega, which was gorgeous and rustic. There was a gift shop where they sold wine-based products, such as wine perfumes, bath salts, and lotions. There was an art gallery inside, which our tour guide (who was from California) told us that the artists had come to the bodega last year and picked grapes. After the wine from their grapes has been bottled, a picture of their artwork will be placed on the bottle in order to incorporate art and wine. We then toured the rest of the bodega, but the real treat was the wine tasting. Our tour guide was beyond knowledgeable and taught us the proper basic techniques of examining, smelling, and tasting wine. Although I couldn’t quite taste everything he was suggesting (buttery popcorn? Yeah, my palette is not quite developed enough for that yet), I learned the different parts of the tongue used to taste, and I could distinguish the progression of flavors on my tongue.

And then. Lunch at the bodega. I have never eaten so much food in my life. Thanksgiving doesn’t even compare. Since there’s no way I can communicate the magnitude of the food through text, I think my best bet is just to list it and let you be amazed for yourself. We started off with bread and white wine. Then a pea soup. Then beef, cheese, and onion empanadas. Then grilled vegetables. Then salad. Then red wine. Then chorizo and blood sausage. Then beef. Then pork. Then chicken. Then goat. Then a beef rib. Then a sweet  white dessert wine. Then a cheese-y marmalade-y dessert. Then a sweet red dessert wine. Then pastries. Then coffee.

It was comical how much food there was. The only thing we could do was smile (we couldn't laugh in fear of explosion). Two or three hours after we started, we waddled out of the restaurant (which was absolutely gorgeous, by the way). Then, we came back to the hotel and took a much needed siesta. It’s my personal belief that I fell into a legit food coma because I was dead to the world. But Kara and I forced ourselves to wake up so we could go back to the square and pick up some more goodies. 

Tomorrow, we have an early day because we’re going up to the Andes Mountains. I’m sooo excited, even if it is supposed to be -5 degrees Celsius, and that’s just on the ground; there’s no telling how cold it will be in the higher altitudes. But I’m ready. I brought a scarf and some gloves with me, and I just bought a headband to keep my ears fairly warm. It should definitely be fun, though.

Vino, Vino, and More Vino

We are officially in Mendoza, and I would say that we have properly been inducted into their wine-fixated culture. But let me start on yesterday, our last day in Salta.

Before we left on our 18-hour bus ride, we decided that we should get acquainted with the city we had been living in for the past three days. Because while we had experienced the culture and lifestyles of the surrounding towns, we had barely spent any time in Salta. So for our last day, Christian took us on a half-day tour around the city. We visited a market, where we loaded up on fresh fruits and local specialties for the bus ride, and we walked around the square. We saw a church that has the tallest steeple in Argentina (which technically, is a lie because they are factoring in the high altitude of the city. Put any building at 1,300 meters, and of course it’s going to be the tallest), and the home of the first president of Argentina. We drove to the top of the hill that overlooks the city and boasts the best views of Salta.

Unfortunately, we had to skip a museum that I was really hoping to visit. Centuries ago, three children’s bodies were found in the mountains. They were covered in silver and gold, and the cold climate had mummified them. They are on display at this museum, and they have the reputation of being the best-preserved mummies in the world. Not to sound morbid, but I would like to see the display sometime in my lifetime.

To finish off, Christian took us to his favorite place in Salta – a wine, ham, and cheese shop. We bought bottles of wine in the hopes of it knocking us out on the bus (I found a late harvest white wine like the one I had in Cafayate) and some cheese to accompany it. I had this vision of me on the luxurious bus, watching a movie (on my private screen), drinking wine, and eating cheese and grapes that I bought at the market. I was wrong.

As soon as we stepped on the bus, one line from Sex and the City 2 came to my head – “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” Although the seats were leather, they did not recline fully. Instead, they reclined just enough to be lying on the person’s lap behind you. We had communal televisions. You couldn’t flush toilet paper in the bathroom. Instead of my classy night with wine and cheese, I found myself drinking my Torrontés straight from the bottle and brushing my teeth in a Styrofoam cup. But the funniest part is despite the change in style, I slept like a baby.

Arriving in Mendoza was like a dream. Looking through the fogged-up windows of the bus, we were greeted with the snow-covered Andes Mountains. We went straight from the bus station to our first bodega visit – Catalena Zapata winery, one of the largest bodegas in Argentina. We turned down a bumpy road and saw acres upon acres of vineyards. And then, we saw the bodega. Modeled after a Mayan pyramid, the building was absolutely incredible. Just when we thought we couldn’t be any more impressed, we turned around, and behind the vineyards were the snowy Andes Mountains. The top story of the four-story bodega was a viewing porch that offered the most impressive views that I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I can’t even describe how incredibly gorgeous it was.

After we got over the scenery, we took a tour and learned about the winery. It’s the oldest winery in Argentina, founded more than a century ago by Italian immigrants. They were the first in the country to begin exporting their wine, and they have grown into a wine powerhouse. After the tour, we began the wine tastings, drinking a chardonnay, cabernet, and Malbec. 

From there we went to bodega #2 – Lagarde. We started off with a lunch that taught us about wine pairings. We had a white wine with our (delicious) appetizer of salmon layered with potatoes, then a Malbec with our (to-die-for) entrée of steak and potatoes, and then a sparking white wine paired with our (unbelievable) dessert of pancakes, bananas, dulce de leche, and ice cream. After lunch, we toured the bodega and vineyard. We learned how sparkling wines and champagnes go through two fermentations processes, the second one where they add in the sugar and yeast. We then met with the marketing director and, over yet another glass of wine, learned about his job.

When we left, we finally arrived at our hotel. After an hour or two of down time, we decided to venture out into the square and explore. Vendors were littered throughout the large park, and a huge fountain sits in the middle of it. The park is so charming that we have already made plans to return tomorrow. But before we can do that, we have two more bodega visits and an enormous lunch (think the meat we ate on our first night here) that we have already been warned about. Thank goodness we had a light dinner of capresse salad tonight!

When in Argentina, do as the Argentineans Do

If yesterday was about scenery, then today was all about culture. I don’t even know where to begin.

Like I said earlier, we started off VERY early today – 7 a.m. – and embarked on a four-hour journey, our final destination being Humahuaca, a small town that’s north of Salta and less than 200 kilometers from Bolivia. I napped during the first part of the trip, but I awoke to a breathtaking (and ear-popping) view of clouds settling around the Occidental and Oriental Mountains. Pretty soon, the clouds lifted and we were treated to the sight of a formation known as the Seven Color Rock, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Our next major stop was to the town of Tilcara, which has made it on to my list of the top five things we’ve done so far. I don’t know how to describe this town other than the word “indigenous.” The locals are selling their handmade crafts through the streets, and there are stray but healthy dogs everywhere (I’ve failed to mention this in my other posts, but Argentina is swarming with stray dogs. They are friendly, seem to be healthy, and absolutely adorable, but on any given day, we see dozens running around the towns and cities. In fact, we had one that joined us on our walk back from the karaoke bar the other night). But the real reward sits on the outskirts of Tilcara. Towering meters above the town is a trail leading to Incan remains. Christian said that the Incans stayed in Tilcara for a very short amount of time – no more than 50 years – but their homes and formations are fairly well-reserved. We climbed to the top, were able to go inside the houses, and had an incredible panoramic views of the mountains surrounding us. I’ve always wanted to visit Incan and Mayan remains, so this was definitely a pleasant surprise.

After leaving Tilcara, we noticed a ceremony along the side of the road, being held in celebration of the summer solstice (the longest day of the year!). The natives were honoring the sun gods, and although we couldn’t get too close to the celebration out of respect, we were able to look around the booths that were set up. The festivities were being held along the line of the Tropic of Capricorn, so we were able to stand on the imaginary line.

 

When we left, Christian was explaining how the indigenous people are usually very poor, and sometimes the children have to walk eight to twelve hours to school. He said that there was one small boy whose family was very poor. He lived with his father, and his mother passed away six years ago. There is a high percentage of violence between family members in this area, so there was a chance that he had been abused. Almost every day, he would walk over the mountain, wait behind bushes, and when a car passed by, he would come out and try to sell some handcrafted pottery. He said he was very shy, but he asked that if he was there, we buy something from him to support his family and the locals. Sure enough, when we drove by, a little boy around the age of 10 emerged from the bushes carrying a basket of pottery. He was very polite but extremely shy, not once looking up at us. His situation brought tears to my eyes. We all purchased something from him, and the vase that I got is by far the most valuable thing I’ve bought.

An hour later, we finally reached Humahuaca, which is a picturesque town with narrow cobblestone roads and dozens of merchants. We ate a lunch of empanadas, quinoa, llama or goat (I had the goat stew, in case you were wondering. Luckily, I didn’t find any hairs in it this time), and goat cheese and candied fruit for dessert. It was interesting the say the least, but the goat was actually really good. Afterward, we got a quick lesson by a local professor in how to tell whether the weavings, furs, and stones that the locals were selling were real or industrial. One of the most interesting things that we learned was that all of the weavings tell a story. For example, the number of lines on one section tells how many children the family has. Another pattern might tell what the family does for a living. But we noticed that amidst the pattern was a small section that didn’t match any other part of the blanket. When we asked about it, the professor said that it was to remind the families that they were flawed and did not compare to God.

 

We shopped for an hour, and then we started our long drive back to Salta. One nap, one rest stop, and countless road games later, we found ourselves stuck in a traffic jam. We then realized that the highway was littered with locals who were celebrating the return of the champion soccer team. People were waving enormous national flags and shooting fireworks from their car windows (we’ve been hearing a continuous honking of car horns all night). The team had abandoned their buses and relocated to the back of a truck, celebrating alongside the locals. It was a very cool ending to the day.

Tomorrow, we leave for Mendoza a.k.a. wine country (hello 18-hour bus ride). We have the Andes mountains and many wine tours to look forward to. Mendoza is THE place to go for wine, but it’s going to be hard to beat that Torrontés wine I had yesterday.

Into the Mountains we Go

I remembered today how much I dislike waking up early. This morning, we had to be on the road by 7:30, which means that I had to wake up at 6:30, which means that we probably shouldn’t have gone to a karaoke bar and stayed out until 3:00 a.m. Oh well. You live and learn, right?

After boarding the bus, Christian informed us that we would be taking a three- to four-hour trip to the valley town of Cafayete. And to get there, we got to take a scenic route through the mountains. Driving to the mountains, we saw chickens, goats, and dogs wandering the roads. We stopped at a small farm (complete with goats and llamas) and restaurant about an hour outside of Salta. I had a submarino, which is essentially a hot chocolate, but they give you a chocolate bar that you stir into the warm milk, and an alfajor, which is a cookie that can be covered in chocolate or, often times, dulce de leche.

We then continued our journey to Cafayete. One turn later and we found ourselves on a windy but low mountainous road in the Sub-Andean Hills. It felt exactly like the American southwest. Cacti littered the mountainsides, and the rocks were a brick red color. We made a couple of stops along the road to visit what was called The Devil’s Throat, which was a mountain crevice, and The Amphitheater, which was an area surrounded by rocks, but with an open top. The landforms were cool, but to be honest, my favorite part was the merchants who set up their booths along the entrances to The Devil’s Throat and Amphitheater to sell handmade jewelry, instruments, and carvings.

After stopping for a few more photos ops, we arrived in Cafayete, which was an idyllic town. I know I’ve said this about 50 times, but this scenery looked straight out of a movie. There was a quaint town square surrounded by shops, restaurants, and the mountains. While there, we decided to try a local specialty – wine ice cream. It was more like sorbet, but it tasted exactly like a glass of wine on an ice cream cone. I’m still trying to decide whether or not I liked it.

We then visited a local winery, which had some of the most gorgeous views I had ever seen. We tasted four different types of wine, and one - Torrontés Tordio - was exceptional. It was a white wine that was extremely sweet. We learned that the grapes were picked late harvest, which means that the final product would be sweetened by the grapes’ natural sugar. What I wouldn’t give to be 21 so I could bring a bottle back to the United States with me…

Three hours later, we returned to Salta and had a quiet evening (which I was VERY grateful for), although Kara and I did have a bit of a problem while trying to find an ATM that would accept our card. Luckily, the locals were very friendly and more than willing to point us in the right direction. The town square was insane, because not only was it the country’s Flag Day, but Salta’s soccer team had advanced in ranking, which meant that the locals were celebrating like crazy. There were musicians performing, cars driving by with team flags flying from the windows, and a palpable sense of pride.

As I said, I’m grateful that we had a relatively calm evening tonight, because tomorrow, we have an even longer drive and we have to be on the bus at 7 a.m. to go even farther into the mountains. Here’s hoping I get more sleep tonight!

¡Adios, Buenos Aires!

As I write this, I am kicking myself for not going to bed sooner. We just got back from a dinner in Salta, followed by a post-dinner karaoke bar. Now, I look at the clock and see that I have to be up in about four hours. Awesome. But anyway, I’ll recap our last day in Buenos Aires (that is, until we return next week).

Yesterday morning, with the help of three alarm clocks, we woke up, packed, and checked out of our hotel. Nico met us to take a tour of la Casa Rosada. In the entrance of the house, there were dozens of pictures of former Argentinean presidents as well as portraits of foreign leaders that other countries have sent to them. We then started our tour of the house, which ended up being absolutely breathtaking. In the room where President Christina Fernández de Kirchner makes her speeches, the walls and ceiling were painted white with intricate gold designs and framework all over. We also saw where she works (the equivalent of the Oval Office). We visited a newer room that Kirchner just added during her presidency, and it is a room dedicated to influential Argentinean women, one of them being Eva Perón.

To be quite honest, I remember a minimal amount about Eva Perón from my Spanish classes. I knew she was former president Juan Perón’s wife, and I knew she was a national icon, but beyond that, my knowledge was lacking. It wasn’t until I got here that I realized what a huge effect she had – and still has – on the citizens of Argentina. The day before at Recoleta Cemetery, there were people taking pictures at her mausoleum. In la Casa Rosada, people went crazy snapping pictures of her desk and her picture in the women’s room. I began to realize how influential she was, but I still didn’t quite understand why, which is why I was glad our next tour was to the Eva Perón museum.

At the museum, we took a trip through her life. We learned that Evita was the youngest of six siblings and spent the earlier part of her life as a B-list actress, our tour guide said, but an actress nonetheless. Acting was how she met Juan, and they married in 1945. I immediately got the impression that she was a hybrid of Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. Her style was impeccable (we saw some of her dresses and shoes), and her heart was beyond huge. It was thanks to her that poorer children received a decent education. She helped repair the public school system, and gave the lower classes an opportunity. In fact, the house that the museum was in was a shelter that she founded for single mothers and their children. But some people were strongly against her decisions, blaming her for the decline of the economy in the coming decades (since she was using the public’s tax dollars). She died prematurely at the age of 33 from cancer. We saw a clip of one of her final speeches, in which she knew she was going to die soon. She asked the public not to be sad, but rather to carry on her legacy. After finishing the emotional speech, she spun around and began weeping into Juan's chest. That image is where the phrase “Don’t cry for me Argentina” comes from. Interesting, right?

After leaving the museum, we returned to Los Inmortales for lunch, and then headed to tango lessons! It’s such an incredible dance, and I’ve decided that I would LOVE to learn some more. Our instructor was a funny man who would yank us from our tango circle and correct our form if we were doing something wrong. We learned the basic leader and follower steps, and I would say he was content with our performance by the end of the lesson.

After leaving our lesson, we prepared for the 19-hour bus ride. I was mentally preparing myself for a torturous bus in which the seats recline all of two inches, and I was also kicking myself for not packing any Tylenol PM (or at least a stone that I could use to knock myself out) to help me sleep. But we got to the bus and… wow. I don’t think I’ve ever – or will ever again – use the word “luxurious” to describe a ground public transportation system, but this bus was luxurious. There were touch-screen televisions behind every seat, seats that reclined completely (the rows are about 6 ft. away from each other), and footrests that come completely up, so essentially, you have your own bed. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with Sex and the City, and I can relate any situation to the television show or the movie. So as soon as I stepped on the bus, the airplane from Sex and the City 2 popped into my head. It was nice.

The drive in was beautiful. There were mountains against the horizon and blue skies. Then, after one turn, we were greeted by a breathtaking view overlooking Salta. Our tour guide, Christian, says that Salta is the safest province in Argentina, and so far, I have the feeling that nothing can go wrong. The town is quaint, and the square is a scene straight from a movie (think Back to the Future). Even though I am a city girl, it’s a nice change of pace, I have to admit.

Newspapers, Cemeteries, and the Tango

Whoa. I’m behind two days, but it feels like a lifetime. We’ve done so much in the past couple of days that I don’t even know where to begin.

Yesterday, we took a two-hour walking tour in the neighborhood of San Telmo. If the day before felt like we were in New York City, yesterday felt like Europe. Rod iron balconies lined the buildings, and the architecture was absolutely gorgeous. We visited a mercado, which sold meats, fruits and antiques. We ate lunch at a tiny restaurant, where I had – what else? – steak. We then visited la Universidad de Cine, which was a film institute for college students. The man who we met with designed the layout of the school, which was absolutely incredible. It had an urban vibe, with glass ceilings, brick walls, and metal steps. I hope that my future city apartment will have a similar vibe. 

We then walked a looooong way to another tour at Clarín, the largest newspaper in Argentina. It’s a daily paper that began in the 1940s, but since then, it has evolved into a HUGE media conglomerate. Nowadays, it not only produces the newspaper, but it also has a radio station, television stations, telephone companies, internet providers, etc… We visited the newsroom, and then we visited the sports section, which was absolutely hilarious. The majority of the journalists for the sports pages were men, so all through their newsroom, there were pictures of bikini-clad women.

After leaving there, we went to grab dinner at a French bistro in the neighborhood, but because Argentinians eat late, it wasn’t open yet. We went to a nearby bar for an hour before we had a delicious dinner of crab ravioli at the restaurant. We came back to the hotel, completely exhausted and grateful that we didn’t have to be anywhere until 2 p.m. the next day.

Believe me, we took advantage of our free morning. After waking up at noon, we ventured down the street to McDonald's for a quick lunch, and let me just say, I have never seen a busier McDonald's in my life. It was packed, and the cashiers were yelling over people to get the next order. I was totally overwhelmed. But luckily, after that, I was able to relax on a two-hour bus tour with Nico. We went to Palermo today, and saw the work of a controversial artist name Marta Minujín, went to a jardín de rosas, or rose garden, got some tasty gelato, and visited the cemetery, which is my new favorite place in Buenos Aires (sorry, la Boca!).

The cemetery was the most impressive place that I had ever been in my life. There were dozens of pathways filled with gorgeous marble mausoleums. We learned that in most of them, the head of the family was buried above ground, and the rest of the family was buried underneath. In many, there were glass doors, so we could see the tombs and the stairs leading down to the others. One mausoleum was for a young girl who was accidentally buried alive. By the time they got to her, she had died from a heart attack. Out of respect and honor, they built a beautiful tomb made of marble, which you can view. We also saw Eva Peron’s grave, which was very cool.

After leaving the cemetery, we shopped for a little bit and then returned to the hotel to get ready for our dinner and tango show. Our dinner (steak!) was delicious, but the real art was the dancing. While watching the show, a variety of words came to mind – intense, sexy, harsh, impressive. I can honestly say that I am SO excited for our tango lessons tomorrow.

Before our tango lessons, though, we have a tour of la Casa Rosada (it’s open to the public on weekends) and the Eva Perón museum. After our tango lessons, we board a bus for, get this, a19-hour trip to Salta for the next few days. I hear the buses are comfy, but something tells me that I’ll be exhausted by Sunday.

¡Buenos Dias, Buenos Aires!

We haven’t even been in Buenos Aires for 24 hours, and it feels like we’ve been here for a week. After an 11-hour flight and a two-hour visit through immigration and customs, we arrived in Argentina. Our tour guide, Nico, met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel. I really, really wanted to take a quick nap on the way to the hotel (it was an hour drive, and I had gotten all of three hours of sleep the night before on the plane), but the ride was fascinating. Buildings had clotheslines hanging from the balconies, motorcycles were driving in between cars on the highway, even the billboards were different (a McDonald’s Triple Mac? A Burger King burger with five patties??). We got to our hotel, which is right along Nueve de Julio, the widest street in the world – 144 meters long. Our room is older but nice, and has an actual bidet in the bathroom. While examining the bidet, my roommate, Kara, accidentally sprayed herself in the face, which was positively hysterical. We then went for a quick lunch of pizza at Los Inmortales, which was our first taste of Argentina without a fluent Spanish speaker (we survived!). Why Italian food? Argentina has a huge Italian influence because of the large number of European immigrants that used to come over.

We then took a four-hour bus tour with Nico, who showed us a bajillion places around the city. We saw La Casa Rosada – The Pink House – which is similar to the White House in Washington D.C. Their president, Christina Fernández de Kirchner, works there, but doesn’t live there. The house is across the street from La Plaza de Mayo, which is where many anti-government protests occur. In addition to that, it's the remembrance site dedicated to los desaparacidos, who are thousands of young people who disappeared during la Guerra Sucia (The Dirty War).

We saw cathedrals, theaters, parks, and we stopped for tea time at a gorgeous café, Café Tortoni. Then we went to my favorite place so far – La Boca, which is a very colorful neighborhood where immigrants used to live. They couldn’t afford a lot of once specific color of paint, so they would start with red, and when that ran out, they would use different colors to paint the walls. In La Boca, there are shops, restaurants, and houses. I would have to say the best part, though, was when Heather was petting a dog, and a local man came up, pretended to be a dog, nustled his head against her, and asked for a kiss. She did her best to escape him, but he got a kiss on the cheek. She was mortified.

We came back to the hotel and had a couple of hours of free time (shower, anyone?) before we walked to La Estancia for dinner. I have NEVER seen so much meat in my life. First, they brought out a half of a sausage for everyone. Then beef empanadas. Then boiled cheese. Then salad. And THEN, everything else. On steaming plates, there were ribs, beef, chicken, another kind of beef, another kind of beef, and goat. I tried the goat, and it tasted like chicken, but then I couldn’t bring myself to eat another bite when I found four hairs sticking out.

When we got out of the restaurant, we saw that it was POURING. So we ran through the streets – looking totally American, I’m sure – and crossed el Nueve de Julio in one light, which was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. We got back to the hotel totally drenched, but everyone was too exhausted to take another shower. I’m pretty sure I fell asleep in about eight seconds.

So far, I love it here. The streets and the people remind me of a combination of New York and a European city, and I absolutely love everyone in my group. It feels like we’ve known each other for years, but we were pretty much complete strangers on Tuesday. We have more tours and visits (and food!) in store for us today, but I sure am glad that I have a good night’s sleep to keep me going…

48 Hours...

I've never blogged before, but I'm going to try my hand at it... Wish me luck.

In a mere 48 hours, I will be somewhere over Kansas City and Houston. And then... off to Buenos Aires. My readings have told me that Buenos Aires is a sophisticated city (I guess that means I'll have to leave my $5 Wal-Mart sweats at home...), and that is where the real challenge begins - fitting my lightest, chicest clothes into a rather small suitcase. And let me tell you, I am not a light packer (just ask the duffel bag, hamper, and backpack that I bring home on the weekends).

Here's hoping that my suitcase doesn't explode...