Mes numero dos!

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

Primer mes en Argentina

I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 5, and the same day I met my sister Isabel for the first time. I have had a great time with her this month, though it has been hard for me to keep up with "porteño" life. Super late lunches (2PM), even later dinners (11:30PM) and bar or club hopping that only begins at 2AM is quite a change for me, and the first two weeks I was just worn out. Add on top of that the all day celebration of Chile's national birth on September 18, and my introduction to the pisco sour. Once I managed to wake up before 11AM (that would be, oh, 12 days ago), I really started to enjoy Buenos Aires for it's more cultural aspect. I've toured all over, museums, theatres, the extensive parks, and some seriously cheap shopping. The currency exchange is 3+ pesos to every dollar, so meals average $4 and clothing about $15.

I've also taken a few trips out of Buenos Aires, to a small ranch near San Antonio de Areco, where I toured pastures on horseback, watched gaucho (cowboy) shows, and even...yes, ate the country's famous "parrilla" aka beef. i thought it tasted a lot like the fake meats i enjoy at home. Yesterday I went to Tigre, right on the river's delta. It was a beautiful small town where the island homes are right on the water with private docks, and even some communal campgrounds where people played volleyball, sunbathed and waded in the water. After a ferry tour, I managed to do some shopping in the open air market there too.

Three weeks ago I moved out of my hostel and in with my great-aunt Franca, who at 89 is living on her own, active and super fiesty. She plays bridge incessantly with dozens of old ladies who are equally as entertaining. She's also been able to tell me so much about the Giarda family, and has wonderful photos from the 1800´s when my family moved to South America from Italy. She also has plenty of opinions, on just about everything...so I guess we know where I got that from.
Tonight is my last night in Buenos Aires; tomorrow I head across the world's widest river to Uruguay, where I will tour around some small colonial towns, the country's capital Montevideo, and some beach towns. And since it's spring here and the weather is about 73 with lots of sun, I'm pretty excited about relaxing on a beach. you know, since the past month has been so stressful...Anyway, then I come back to Argentina and will be traveling around the northwest part of the country, to the mountains and northernmost part of wine country. I have a hiking excursion planned, and hopefully another horseback riding tour.

1 - me and my sister Isabel outside the recoleta cemetery and church

2 - me over looking la boca's caminito from a balcony

3 - la casa rosada, the famous presidential home of Evita

4 - me in the tower of the palacio barolo overlooking greater buenos aires

5 - jorge, isabel, franca and me, at franca's apartment in la recoleta