Before I left on my month-long journey I had a really nice farewell dinner with my great aunt Franca, Isabel and Jorge.
My first destination was Uruguay...I spent really the most beautiful week there, in spite of some crazy torrential downpours that ruined a beach weekend. Uruguay is just amazing, I have probably emailed all of you individually to suggest you vacation there immediately, so I won't repeat myself. I saw pretty much everything the country has to offer from the aptly named Colonia's colonial spanish and portugese feel, Montevideo's busy urban and yet singularly latin feel, to Salto's hot, yet lush green farmland and it's spectacular hot springs that are supposedly the hottest on the continent (44ºC or 111ºF!).
I returned to Argentina and started a northwestern route. First I went to Rosario, which is considered "Little Buenos Aires"...and it really was, so I didn't stay long. I spent Colombus day in Paraná. I heard about a really cool anti-colombus street celebration, that honored both indigenous roots as well as the african heritage that was transplanted here. My next stop was Córdoba, which is a jewel of a city, I just loved everything about it. It is home to 7 universities, so it has that great vibrant feel to it. I stayed for 6 days, visiting museums and crypts, watching free "water dances" in a central plaza, seeing a play and seeking out the vegetarian restaurants.
I also went on a full day horse-back riding trip through the foothills of Córdoba, that ended with a sunny afternoon barbeque, where I did eat meat, again! I have no idea what it was but it was tasty. so I didn't ask. I also went hiking one day through the national park Condor Canyon. It was a long 18km trip but well worth it, even though it started hailing out of the blue on the way back! From Córdoba I traveled north to Salta, which is another beautiful city! I got really lucky in picking a hostel that was very homey and I met two girls, each traveling alone herself, and the three of us spent the next few days touring the city, eating out, and going to a tiny wine town called Cafayate, to sample both the local wines, and the local sorbet's made with wine. That was a treat!
Now I've returned to Buenos Aires, just to relax for a little while before my mom joins me on November 1 (tomorrow!). I have planned another busy month for us including Brazil and Argentina's shared Iguazú falls, Argentina's wine country, and some penguin and whale watching on the Atlantic coast where we will also be joined by my friend Cassidy!
1 - perpetual dampness in colonia del sacramento, uruguay
2 - the sunshiny beach pocitos on montevideo's southern coast
3 - me and jacob touring the cordobes country-side
4 - me at the end of the trek out to condor canyon
5 - me in the natural ampitheatre in salta's canyon region