Mendoza: Wine Country

So two weekends ago we had a 'feria' or holiday weekend, so we decided to take advantage of the extra day off from school and go on an adventure to Mendoza. It's basically straight to the West of Buenos Aires, very close to Santiago, Chile. Can we talk about how incredible this area is? You have a decent sized city filled with genuinely nice people who want to help you practice Spanish, next to an infinite amount of vineyards, with the Andes in the distance full of outdoor adventures like water rafting, hiking, paragliding, skydiving, horseback riding, etc. If it weren't so cold there in the winter, I would move in a heartbeat! Basically Elaina, Buket, and I booked a package-deal with a company called TripNow located conveniently in the basement of our school. For a pretty good fee we were able to book our bus ride, four nights in a very nice hostel, and three excursions including a vineyards tour, bus ride/hike through the Andes Mountains, and water rafting.

We left Thursday evening and took one of those semi-cama 12 hour buses and arrived Friday morning. We had just enough time to check into our hostel, freshen up, and then meet downstairs for our first excursion: wine tour! I'll start by saying this: I never liked red wine until I came to Argentina. I'm glad I started liking it before going to Mendoza because we only had one glass of white wine throughout all of our tastings this weekend...and for the first time in my life, I didn't like the white wine because it was too sweet! Anyways, the excursions included a small group of travelers from a few different hostels in the city, so we scooped them up and then went to our first stop, Pasrai, which is actually an olive oil making company. We learned how they make their products and then had a sampling, bought some goodies and continued to Vistandes. I think they won my vote for best wine of the day-we went to an organic farm called Familia Cecchin I believe, and although they had good red wine, the white was too fruity and sweet for me (oh Argentina, what have you done to me?). We returned back to the hostel, got some dinner, and from what I recalled made it a rather early evening for the next day of adventuring!

Saturday, we awoke very early to start our trek through the Andes! But when I say trek, I mean we literally look a bus all day, walked through a relaxing trail to a point where we could see the highest peak in all of the Americas, and took the bus back home. It was still made for a great day-adventure. I'm sure in Colorado we use to see the snow capped mountains all the time, but alas, I was but a wee-babe and do not recall seeing such gorgeous things...therefore it was very exciting to pass through the foothills and see the mountains still covered in snow. The only thing they didn't warn us about was how cold it was going to be-the woman from TripNow advised us to bring a jacket but I thought, "hey, we've been hiking in Cordoba in the winterish time, and now that it's warmer, we'll be fine!" My silly mind didn't consider "hey, we're going to be in the windy Andes Mountains at a much higher altitude than we were in Cordoba". Fortunately we were able to rent jackets along the way! During the middle of our bus-ride we stopped to hike a little bit and were able to see the highest peak in all of the Americas...and thank goodness for that jacket, the walk on the way back was probably the coldest I've ever been! Still it was a very neat hike and we had the chance to take alot of great pictures!

The next day was a complete change to what we had experienced the previous day..while we spent our Saturday freezing in the wind, we spent our Sunday water rafting in the sun! However, seeing as though we're in a Latin American country, we got there early and were told we had to wait over two hours before the next rafting tour (there were about 7-10 rafts that fit about 8 people per raft, so from what I'm assuming they had just taken a group and needed to wait for them to finish). The people at the place were very gracious and offered us a couple free activities to compensate for the wait so we were given the option of going canopying (or zip lining as I'm used to calling it) and trekking. Canopying was fun, not as exciting as the one I had experienced in St. Kitts but definitely worth it. Although we had the opportunity to go trekking (where, I have no idea), Buket and Elaina were wearing flip flops so we opted to spend the day hanging out by the pool. It was even warm enough to throw on our bathing suites and soak up some sun! After relaxing and grabbing some lunch, it was finally our turn to go rafting! Awesome, awesome trip. The part of Rio Mendoza we toured was a perfect mixture of tranquil waters, or "Reggae" as they named the parts of the river, and more rough parts, or "Rock'n'Roll". The river cut through some gorgeous areas as well, including snow capped mountains, rigid rock formations, elegant houses, ruins of old bridges, etc. After we were done rafting we had a chance to hang out with some of the guides, who reminded me exactly of Matthew and his guy friends from Lake Gaston..just goofy, funny guys who enjoy a good time! We even exchanged numbers and went out for dinner and pizza later that night.

Let's see, Monday...we went paragliding! Or 'parapente' en espanol, however, at this point I'm doing good just to speak Spanglish so when I come back saying 'parapenting' you'll know what I'm talking about! Basically, we hopped in the back of a truck and were driven to this random warehouse where we were told to wait until someone came to get us to take us up the mountain. You know, when I imagined paragliding I imagined being strapped to a stranger who says 'JUMP!'...and you jump off the side of a mountain and pray the parachute takes wind. I was happy to find out it was nothing like this! They basically went to an open hill-top and laid out the kites, fluffed them up before take-off, and didn't tell you to start running until the kite was already up and ready. It was a really cool experience! Surprisingly I didn't get as nervous as I thought I would be and felt incredibly secure the entire time. The only 'nervous part' I had was when my guide did some "acrobatic tricks" and spun us around so fast in a circle I couldn't catch any air to breathe! I think if possible, we had even more fun after the paragliding when the guys invited us to stay for an asado. Can you imagine how hard their lives must be, paragliding by day and feasting with tourists by night? Incredible. The asado was very delicious and the guys were great company!

It's hard to say, but Tuesday may have been one of my favorite days while in Mendoza. It was our last day so we decided to leave in the right way by taking a horseback riding wine tour! It was a good mixture of learning about gaucho life and riding horses while being able to taste some delicious local wine. We fortunately were given a ride from our hostel to the ranch where this company is based and were greeted with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, and pastries-hello heaven! We talked and ate for a bit, were given our horses, and then rode to the first wine tasting at Vinas Cobos. Very delicious wine (and cheese as well, that's always important!) as expected, and we had an awesome group too. Our group consisted of Elaina, Buket, and I, as well as the guide (a local Mendocina who spent some time in Buenos Aires), and a couple from the UK. It was a cool chance to exchange cultures and ideas throughout the day. We had a leisure hour long ride to the next vineyard, called Finca Decero. Here, we had another round of wine tasting accompanied by the most delicious meal I've had since arriving in Buenos Aires...crispy rabbit and veggies in a soy sauce for appetizer, juicy steak and mashed potatoes for the main course, and brownies topped with a tangerine cream for dessert. I think I died and went to heaven the two hours we were there! It was definitely a great way to end our trip, although I would have rather stayed in Mendoza for the next month!

Overall, the weekend was a really great chance for us to do a mixture of things we have wanted to do in Buenos Aires. We did the touristy things like wine tours and out door adventures during the day and then met locals and were able to have a more local, cultural experience during night. Being there for the weekend also made me realize how much I dislike the culture of Buenos Aires, or of the "portenos". In Mendoza people were happy to practice their English and didn't judge us as harshly because we're from the States. In Buenos Aires I'm almost nervous to admit I'm from the States because I feel such resentment from the locals, it made it very discouraging to come back to. I also felt safer overall in Mendoza...in fact my first comment as soon as we arrived in Buenos Aires was "Well, back to watching my back and feeling insecure all the time." I've actually come to appreciate the States alot more within the past couple weeks...I've heard some crazy stories of things that have happened to my friends and their friends but of course I won't tell you guys these stories until after I get home safe, as not to worry you! In Raleigh I may think twice before walking downtown by myself and keep my guard up, but it's almost tiring having my guard up all the time here. I refuse to go anywhere by myself after it gets dark (unless it's across the street to the kiosko) and even in broad daylight I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and keeping my hand on the zipper of my purse. I understand that dangerous things happen every where but sheesh! Take me back to good ol' North Carolina where I can talk to anyone without thinking "what is their alternative motive to talking to me right now?"

Thinking on the positive side, I know how hard it was to return back to the States after falling in love with Nevis last summer, so I'm hoping that I can remind myself of how much I dislike the culture here in order to make the transition back home easier. I've developed a little side-life here so it's hard to think about changing everything I've grown accustomed to over the past few months but honestly, I'm beginning to hit my "ready to go home" point. I miss cooking. I miss alone time and baths with good books and driving in my car when I need to clear my head. I miss Fusion and NC State and most importantly, all of you guys! But nonetheless, I'm still very grateful to have studied here because it has truly opened my eyes to how different each Latin American culture is. No, Buenos Aires is not my ideal place but I feel honored to have spent so much time here and am glad to have realized the next time I want to adventure the globe, I'll probably want to find a warmer climate with warmer people!

Mkay, it's about sleep time, we're going to Iguazu Falls tomorrow! It's a gorgeous area of waterfalls that sits between Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina...hopefully if the internet doesn't keep acting up around here I'll send out an update about that after I get back! Nos vemos!

Second Month...Check?

Same question as always...where did the time go?

That's pretty much the topic of many of our conversations nowadays...how did the time pass by so quickly and how are we going to get the most out of the next month and a half before it flies by too? I knew it would fly by in a hurry but I guess I thought I would stay more productive and have felt more accomplished by this point. It's hard comparing it to Nevis last summer because we were only there for a month and a half...not to mention we were busy from 6:30am to 6pm. Therefore, when we had free chunks of time I felt like we accomplished more because we knew we didn't have much time to spare. Also, we were staying on a small island with few things to see or do so it was much easier to accomplish everything we wanted to see and do. My situation here is the exact opposite...I have too much free time and a huge city to explore, but because I feel like I'm living here and not just "vacationing for a few weeks" I feel like I can afford to spend a couple hours playing spider solitaire and listening to music (don't judge me, a good portion of my down time is spent playing that game. I'm not proud of it, but that's just how it goes). The only problem is now I'm looking at the next month and a half saying HELLO! I have so much to accomplish! I'm accustomed to staying busy in the States with little down time to relax, so while it unfortunately makes me less productive and more lazy, I am very grateful to have had two solid months of relaxing. Only now I've got to get my booty in gear and start accomplishing the things I want to before I leave!

So like I just said...the past month has really been nothing but relaxing and going to classes. We've had a few adventures here and there, but most of my time spent has gone to hanging out with new friends around the residencia or sleeping. My body's not going to know what to do with itself when I get back into my 4-5 hours of sleep a night routine! We have gone on a couple excursions with ISA...as you'll see in my pictures, we had a "Dia de Campo" where we stopped by a gorgeous cathedral in Lujan (a town I believe north of Buenos Aires) and then went to an estancia after. At the estancia we were able to learn more about the gaucho life (I guess you could call them the cowboys of Argentina..different style and history, same demeanor). We had an incredible asado lunch (it's a steak lunch with different types and cuts of meat) and danced around with those visiting the estancia as well.

We also went to Rosario this past weekend, which is a city due 5 hours NW of Buenos Aires. It's a gorgeous city like Buenos Aires but slightly smaller, and sits next to Rio Parana so you get the best of both worlds: the city and the beach. Our group stayed over night Saturday night so we were able to check out the city a little bit on Saturday and spend the day at the beach on Sunday. Although we didn't see too much of the city, we could definitely tell a difference in the attitudes of the locals. While often times we feel anti-American sentiment here in Buenos Aires, many kiosko workers were thrilled at the fact we are from the States and wanted to practice their English with us. It was nice feeling like a guest-star to a city rather than unwelcomed-I even took pictures with a girl working at one of the kioskos because she was so thrilled I was from the States and knew of Justin Bieber...you think you know Bieber fever in the States? They have it so much worse here. Oh also, I told her Matthew looks similar to Bieber and showed her a picture...she said he was very handsome, loved his eyes, and asked for his number ;) The Sunday-beach-day was fantastic, it was nice to get into the warmth and relax for a few hours...it was even warm enough to get burnt!

Although my last blog entry appears to be a 'bash-Argentina' entry, I have really come to love this place and can't imagine returning to the States. I guess for a while I didn't really understand where I belonged and was caught between the comfort of English speakers and my wanting to meet more locals/other Spanish speakers. As much as I adore my new friends from the ISA program, I also wanted to acquire a more cultural group of friends so I wouldn't feel like my entire study abroad program was spent in my own comfortable culture. I'm here to learn as much as possible (about the language, culture, everything) and for a while I felt like I wasn't doing so. However, within the past couple of weeks I have become very close to other people in the residencia and with my Spanish improving little by little, it has become much easier to get to know others better. Sometimes it is still hard to pick up on what they're saying when they're going back and forth and speaking very fast, but it's almost a fun game to play..."what are they talking about now!" Overall I can pick up on the main topic of conversation and sometimes I can understand more, sometimes I understand less. Just depends on my level of Spanish that day! (Seriously though it's incredibly annoying-there are days I can rattle off in Spanish without a problem, other days I'm struggling to say the most common phrases).

So I've come to the realization that I will not leave Argentina being as fluent as I was hoping I would be. It bothered me for a while but I think I was expecting too much out of this trip as far as learning a language is concerned. Some people are able to learn a language within a couple of years without a problem. I've come to terms with the fact my mind doesn't work in the same way and that no matter how many times I ask "what does this word mean?" a day, I'll still probably ask the same question in a couple of weeks. (Well, that and I guess it was a little silly to think I could become fluent at a language in under four months...). Languages are not my strong subject but I really love Spanish and I'm hoping that I'll use this study abroad experience as a stepping stone to continue working at the path of becoming more fluent. I'm a little nervous that by not being around it every day, I'll gradually lose what I have worked for in the past couple of months but because I will be completing a Spanish major, I'm hoping that my classes will help me hang on to aspects like reading, writing, and speaking. I'm also hoping this experience will give me more confidence to speak the language when I return and will therefore be able to get higher participation points in my classes as well as communicate better with people at Chick-fil-A.

As far as the city is concerned, I feel like I've learned the ropes like I did with the residencia and have now fallen in love with this place. Just like I had to learn how to act and relate to people in the residencia (Ps, Jorge loves me now. Funny how he had me crying two months ago, and now he seems to respect me...you really do have to give respect to get it around here), I've also had to learn how to go about and relate to others in the city. I'll still say that for the most part, the local city slickers are cold spirited and rushed, but it just makes it that more special when you find a diamond in the rough. Like going to the ferrias (the outdoor markets) and meeting rasta-Colombians who invite you out to an afternoon of chit-chats, wine, and free dreadlocks, or the old woman who lectures you in the supermarket because your bag is opened and she doesn't want someone to rob you. It's not a warm, tropical atmosphere, but it is what it is, and then you start singing the theme song to "Facts of Life"..."You take the good you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...the facts of life, the facts of life!"

The next month is going to be quite an eventful one: As of this Wednesday I'm going to enroll in a lyrical jazz class with my darling Eddy for a month, I'm leaving for Mendoza (famous wine making providence of Argentina) on Thursday night and staying there until the following Wednesday morning, we're going to the Don Omar concert next Sunday evening, Iguazu falls at the end of October, Uruguay for a weekend trip at some point, and hopefully enjoying a weekend on the beaches of Mar de Plata as well. Hopefully I'll be able to change my ticket so that I can stay through the weekend of November 12th and go to the electronic-music-festival 'Creamfields' and then fly over to Chile to stay with Pablo for a week! Thennnn in the meantime I still want to see a tango show, go to the Lujan Zoo (where you can pet tigers and ride camels!) for a day, go to a futbol game, buy some goodies, and so, so much more!

I'm sorry I've been so slow to keep this thing updated (as usual) but hopefully with all the upcoming traveling and adventures I'll have more interesting things to write about!

Love to every single one of you, besos!

(PS, ^up at the top, I have a second link connecting to my new Flickr account, which will have the rest of my pictures from this trip. I added a few more to the Picasa account but I filled up my storage space so I had to add another one! And when you click on the tab and it takes you to the page, click on the photo album to the right named "Buenos Aires, No.2"...this will actually show the photos in order, I'm still trying to figure this new site out!)