Trip #1: Bird class. Rechristened as bird camp. Our class left for the weekend to go to Villa Paranacito in Entre Rios, the next province up. We stayed at a resort/camping ground right on the riverfront. My favorite part of the experience was that since the class is international, every nationality was assigned a meal. The Americans made breakfast, then we had English bird cake/banana bread and Mexican and Swedish dinners. We also had a delicious Argentina asado (barbecue) for lunch. On the way up we stopped to go grocery shopping and literally filled a cart to the brim with packaged meats.
Delish. There was a little fiasco involved on my part since I had to leave a bit early to be in Buenos Aires on Sunday to pick my mom (!) up from the airport. For more details about bird camp, please refer to a fellow bird camper’s blog. It is a very good blog in general, if you have time you should read up.
So then my mom was here! We rented an apartment close to where I’m living now. The things I was most excited about before she came were seeing her have culture shock, seeing her attempt to speak Spanish, and seeing what she thought about the food. It was fun to be a tour guide and interpreter for 10 days.
Trip #2: In the middle of my mom’s stay, we flew up to the corner of the country to visit Iguazu Falls. If you aren’t familiar with Iguazu you should be. Niagara schmagara. It’s really an amazing place on earth. From the airport we took a cab to the hotel. Our driver was very friendly, and halfway through the ride asked if we wanted to go to Brazil for the day to see the Brazilian side of the falls (which are right on the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay).
“No we can’t, we don’t have visas.”
“It’s ok, I can take you.”
“No, but we’re Americans.”
“It’s ok, I can take you.”
In case you ever want to go to Brazil, the process is excruciatingly difficult for Americans mainly because we make it excruciatingly difficult for Brazilians to visit us. It costs $100 and involves a visit at a Brazilian embassy to get a visa to enter the country (proof of return, temporary release of passport, etc.).
My mom and I had talked about possibly going to the Brazilian side, but the visa thing was too complicated. We had read online that if you did cross the border without one and got caught on the way back you could get detained. So at this moment I was expecting my mom to decline the offer. But nope, she agreed!
So our driver Basilio took us to Brazil! Our passports got stamped on the way out of Argentina, then we came to the Brazilian border stop. It was kind of empty but someone was standing at the gate and asked Basilio to roll down his window, asked where we were from etc. Basilio knows everyone there is to know in the Iguazu area. He told the guy that we were Argentines who just wanted to see the falls.
So then the guy asked to roll down the window in the back. Luckily I was sitting on the side closest to him. Keep in mind that Basilio gave me no pointers of what to say at this point and I almost cracked.
“Where are you from?”
“We are from Buenos Aires” (attempting my most authentic Spanish accent)
“Where are you from?”
“Buenos Aires.”
“Are you from England?”
“No.”
“It’s ok, I can take you.”
“No, but we’re Americans.”
“It’s ok, I can take you.”
In case you ever want to go to Brazil, the process is excruciatingly difficult for Americans mainly because we make it excruciatingly difficult for Brazilians to visit us. It costs $100 and involves a visit at a Brazilian embassy to get a visa to enter the country (proof of return, temporary release of passport, etc.).
My mom and I had talked about possibly going to the Brazilian side, but the visa thing was too complicated. We had read online that if you did cross the border without one and got caught on the way back you could get detained. So at this moment I was expecting my mom to decline the offer. But nope, she agreed!
So our driver Basilio took us to Brazil! Our passports got stamped on the way out of Argentina, then we came to the Brazilian border stop. It was kind of empty but someone was standing at the gate and asked Basilio to roll down his window, asked where we were from etc. Basilio knows everyone there is to know in the Iguazu area. He told the guy that we were Argentines who just wanted to see the falls.
So then the guy asked to roll down the window in the back. Luckily I was sitting on the side closest to him. Keep in mind that Basilio gave me no pointers of what to say at this point and I almost cracked.
“Where are you from?”
“We are from Buenos Aires” (attempting my most authentic Spanish accent)
“Where are you from?”
“Buenos Aires.”
“Are you from England?”
“No.”
“Are you from Australia?”
“No.”
Another instance of cheating border patrol (see entry about Uruguay).
And we were through! We took some pictures at the border, then stopped at a bird park where we saw tucans, macaws, and just really really colorful animals.
Then we went to the national park on the Brazil side. It was raining the whole day but it was still amazing to see. I learned one Brazilian word. Obrigado, thank you.
Cute little Basilio told us he had a surprise at the end of the day. He took us to the spot where the three borders meet along the river.
Days 2 and 3 we spent in Argentina exploring the national park there. One of my favorite things in the park were the butterflies. I have never seen so many in one place before. One day from breakfast I think I had some dulce de leche on my hand and butterflies would land on me and stay for a good thirty minutes.
We had better weather on the Argentine side too and there were lots and lots of rainbows.
So if I had to compare the two sides, here is what I would say. The Brazil side had a better view of everything and it was fun because you could get really close to the falls and get wet. The Argentina side takes you to all levels of the falls from more angles.
So the rest of her time here we went to a few mercados, the cemetery, and overall explored. It just so happened that at the same time our cousins were in town too. We went on a cheesy but thorough 3 hour bus tour of the city. The week was also filled with lots of tango! I got a sexy Moulin-rougey pair of official tango shoes. We went to a dinner/tango show and afterwards to a milonga where we saw the cutest old folks passionately showing their tango moves on the dance floor. I also had my first lesson! I can do the basic eight steps. It’s a lot of fun but the hardest part is keeping it cool in the shoes. They hurt.
The last day my mom was here was filled with getting food and presents to take home. She brought home some jars of dulce de leche and put one in her carry on. Apparently dulce de leche resembles a gel? Security took it away. If you ask me the airport officials just wanted to score a snack.
Trip #3: Cordoba. Last weekend I went to visit Tara in her Argentine homeland. The whole time I was there the weather was yuck. If it had been better we were planning to go to a beach called Playa de los Hippies, but instead we took a day trip to a town called. Alta Gracia. It was a town founded by Jesuits so there were some pretty churches along a river, but it was also where Che grew up.
We went to his house-turned-museum where we saw the famous motorcycle and some other things from his childhood.
Pretty interesting. Cordoba is pretty different from Buenos Aires even though it is the second largest city in the country. It has a lot of charm.
Also since I last wrote, I have taken up a volunteer job at idealist.org. If you haven’t heard of the website it’s a great resource for volunteering or finding work with non-profits. My job is to basically contact organizations in North Carolina who are not on the site and get them to create accounts. It not the most interesting job, but I guess it’s a really really indirect way of service. Also the people in the office are really nice and always have food around, which is a perk.
October 5th I calculated was the halfway point of my trip. And classes are over in a month and a week. Mixed feelings here. I am very comfortable with the culture and living here. But I feel like all I do is say I miss people and places. It will be the opposite when I go home too.
Random ramblings:
Another instance of cheating border patrol (see entry about Uruguay).
And we were through! We took some pictures at the border, then stopped at a bird park where we saw tucans, macaws, and just really really colorful animals.
Then we went to the national park on the Brazil side. It was raining the whole day but it was still amazing to see. I learned one Brazilian word. Obrigado, thank you.
Cute little Basilio told us he had a surprise at the end of the day. He took us to the spot where the three borders meet along the river.
Days 2 and 3 we spent in Argentina exploring the national park there. One of my favorite things in the park were the butterflies. I have never seen so many in one place before. One day from breakfast I think I had some dulce de leche on my hand and butterflies would land on me and stay for a good thirty minutes.
We had better weather on the Argentine side too and there were lots and lots of rainbows.
So if I had to compare the two sides, here is what I would say. The Brazil side had a better view of everything and it was fun because you could get really close to the falls and get wet. The Argentina side takes you to all levels of the falls from more angles.
So the rest of her time here we went to a few mercados, the cemetery, and overall explored. It just so happened that at the same time our cousins were in town too. We went on a cheesy but thorough 3 hour bus tour of the city. The week was also filled with lots of tango! I got a sexy Moulin-rougey pair of official tango shoes. We went to a dinner/tango show and afterwards to a milonga where we saw the cutest old folks passionately showing their tango moves on the dance floor. I also had my first lesson! I can do the basic eight steps. It’s a lot of fun but the hardest part is keeping it cool in the shoes. They hurt.
The last day my mom was here was filled with getting food and presents to take home. She brought home some jars of dulce de leche and put one in her carry on. Apparently dulce de leche resembles a gel? Security took it away. If you ask me the airport officials just wanted to score a snack.
Trip #3: Cordoba. Last weekend I went to visit Tara in her Argentine homeland. The whole time I was there the weather was yuck. If it had been better we were planning to go to a beach called Playa de los Hippies, but instead we took a day trip to a town called. Alta Gracia. It was a town founded by Jesuits so there were some pretty churches along a river, but it was also where Che grew up.
We went to his house-turned-museum where we saw the famous motorcycle and some other things from his childhood.
the mate of che
look who was here! our friends chavez and castro!
Pretty interesting. Cordoba is pretty different from Buenos Aires even though it is the second largest city in the country. It has a lot of charm.
Also since I last wrote, I have taken up a volunteer job at idealist.org. If you haven’t heard of the website it’s a great resource for volunteering or finding work with non-profits. My job is to basically contact organizations in North Carolina who are not on the site and get them to create accounts. It not the most interesting job, but I guess it’s a really really indirect way of service. Also the people in the office are really nice and always have food around, which is a perk.
October 5th I calculated was the halfway point of my trip. And classes are over in a month and a week. Mixed feelings here. I am very comfortable with the culture and living here. But I feel like all I do is say I miss people and places. It will be the opposite when I go home too.
Random ramblings:
- My UBA class has been cancelled three times due to strikes.
- I have recently acquired a gift certificate for free afternoon tea at the Four Seasons.
- I completed my absentee ballot and sent it home with my mom.
- Awhile back another girl living with my family and I made dinner for my family - creamy bowtie pasta with bacon, a recreation of my favorite, the quinoa salad, from Natural Deli, and brownies.
- I tried kidneys. Yuck.
- I am a member of my local Blockbuster, located on my block.
- Next weekend COPA is taking us to Bariloche. !!!
I leave you with this image, a friend I made in Montevideo.
