Patagonia.

 3/20

Took place 3/3-3/9

I know this is WAY long overdue, but I have just been so busy back and forth from seeing old friends, trips, and enjoying my last half of Buenos Aires.

SATURDAY - Buenos Aires to El Calafate

Dark and early at around 530 am a taxi with Elisa and (ISA) Bryan picked me up outside my apartment heading to the EZE international airport. What we thought would be an hour long drive ended up only taking 20 minutes because the lack of cars in the streets.

After landing in El Calafate, We took a taxi to our hostel- I Keu Ken Hostel, which was just out of a storybook tale. Brightly colored, quaint, and filled with random traveling memorabilia, we quickly looked past the fact that it was way up on a steep hill on top of town and marveled at the views the huge windows provided. After walking around town and purchasing my Hielo y Aventura tour for the next day, I decided to buy a gourmet sandwich at a cafe and eat at the hostel, passing up on meeting the people in our program we knew for cooking at their hostel. I met guys from Australia and London, and a New Yorker who all seemed eager to show me pictures of the glacier and talk out their experience in El Chalten, Elisa's and my next destination. I went to bed eager for my ice trek the next morning.

SUNDAY - El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier

At 8 in the morning, the Hielo y Aventura tour bus picked me up outside the hostel and drove a group of excited trekkers to the balconies of the glacier. I met a girl from Switzerland, and since both of us were doing the trip solo we decided to become quasi-travel buddies. Elisa and the other people from my program didn't want to pay the hefty $150 price tag, but I figured, when am I ever going to be able to crampon across a glacier again?? Plus I wasn't about to go all the way down to Patagonia and not step foot on a glacier.

I was greeted with a great omen for the day in that with my student visa, the normal 100 peso charge to enter the national park was reduced to merely 15. Woohoo! We walked around the balconies snapping pictures of the monstrosity that is the glacier, following our guide until we reached our bus at a different location.

The bus then took us around the glacier to a private bay, where we boarded a boat that would speed us along to the Hielo y Aventura base camp next to the glacier. After snacking on a quick lunch, we strapped on the crampons and before I knew it I was trekking in ice. We took about 20 minutes for an instructional test-drive, for the guides to make sure we were all physically capable to climb uphill and ease downhill in the ice; only one person was asked to turn around.

After we trekked up and down little ice mountains, and I saw things like little ice lagoons and a waterfall INSIDE of the glacier. After the 2 hours out on the ice, the tour came with a complementary glass (yes I say glass not shot) of whiskey and an alfajore. Since I had been practicing my Spanish with one of the guides the entire trip, he snuck Alex (my Swiss friend) and I a few extra alfajores for the road. :)

Side Note: I am so thankful for being able to experience such a trip, because it truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... so thanks mom and dad!!

I fell asleep instantly on the bus ride back without even realizing how much the trek wore me out. I was reunited with Elisa, and the two of us met up with our group for dinner at a restaurant called Pura Vida. Everything was Patagonia-grown and bred, and it may have been my best meal here. I split two plates with Albert, and we shared the lamb stew and gnocchi, both so rich and fulfilling and delicious and everything you want a home-cooked meal to be.

MONDAY - El Calafate to El Chalten

Monday we boarded a bus in the early afternoon to head to El Chalten, our real trekking destination. We found our hostel (Condor's Backpacking Hostel) which already was a bit of a letdown compared to I Keu Ken. No breakfast served, and cozyyyy (euphemism) rooms, the atmosphere was a bit less of a home and more of a hostel (go figure). We cooked pasta bought at the supermarket in El Calafate (El Chalten was so small it barely had one). The New Yorker, upon recognizing Elisa and I brought over a bottle of wine and shared it with us, describing his frightful backpacking night without a sleeping bag in the howling winds of Laguna de los Tres. It was his first time camping. I think he was so relieved to have made it out alive that he had no qualms about sharing his wine, and later paying for our dessert at the Serveceria.

After, we went for a beer at a Serveceria (I'm totally butchering the spelling), where there were only two options, both brewed in the bar. It was different than any beer I have had, sort of sweet but delicious. Overall a nice travel day between trekking and the hiking that would come next.

TUESDAY - El Chalten, hike to Laguna Torre (10 mi)

Greeted with the strongest winds of my life, Elisa and I made the 10 mile round trip trek to Laguna Torre and back along with two girls from the program, Becca and Laura. When we got to the lake, the wind was so strong that I could put my whole body weight into the wind and still be standing up. It was a fun day, and not as difficult as I thought it would be.

Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with a delicious quinoa dinner- the first time I had ever eaten or cooked it, and post-dinner a trip to the chocolateria with two Swiss guys that were sharing a room with Becca and Laura in the hostel. Probably the best tasting chocolate I have had in my life. I would've brought some back for you dad, but I definitely would've already eaten it by now.

WEDNESDAY - El Chalten, hike to Laguna de Los Tres (15 mi)

What a day. Elisa and I headed out at 8am as to not have to worry about scheduling ourselves for sunset, and immediately were a tad bit sore from the previous day. The hike was breathtaking, with clear skies and almost immediate views of Mt. Fitz Roy greeting us at every turn. We paused at Camp Poincenot to gather our bearings before the last hour straight uphill (I kid you not, literally scaling rocks as stairs to make it up a mountain to see the lake), and pushed for the final trek around noon.

And what a lake- the view completely obliterated any pain I had felt from pushing up those stairs, and it was the perfect spot to enjoy our peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches for lunch. The water was probably the tastiest I had ever had (even beating Tahoe water!) and Elisa and I both were on cloud 9 with accomplishment and marvel at the view.

We stopped again at the camp upon greeting friends from the program- and hung out for a couple hours since we were in no rush to return back. We headed back down a slightly different route to get a glimpse of another lake, Lake Capri, and ended up reaching the hostel at around 6pm. Definitely a full and fulfilling day.

We meant to go to the chocolateria again to reward ourselves with chocolate and wine, but both of us were so worn out from the trip that after making pasta and veggies we could barely even make it up and down the stairs of our hostel.

THURSDAY - El Chalten to El Calafate

A great lazy morning of sleeping in, reading (the books I zoomed through this week were the Hunger Games for quick re-read before the movie, the Alchemist, and Brave New World, another quick re-read), and a last visit to the chocolateria. We had wanted to day hike to a viewing point, but I got a blister that looked almost infected and I didn't want to push it.

We took the bus to El Calafate, where we had a true Argentine dinner. By true Argentine dinner I mean we sat for literally 3 hours pouring over a beer, burger, and fries. Great success. We played cards back in our hostel, read, and slept- on mountain time I could never get enough sleep.

FRIDAY- El Calafate back to Buenos Aires

We woke up late for breakfast provided by I Keu Ken, and lazed around reading overlooking the magnificent lake view. I'm continuing to read through HP in Spanish, and surprise myself how it gets easier almost every time I open it.

It was hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful place, but with Elisa's family coming in and Haynes and Billy visiting, we had stuff to look forward to for the weekend. Will post on the weekend/past week when I get back from classes this afternoon!

Besos!!!

 standing with my crampons on the glacier

 overlooking the balconies of the glacier

 trekking up the glacier following our guide

 winds at laguna de torre pushing me over

 our view the entire laguna de los tres hike

 elisa and i at laguna de los tres!!

saying goodbye to el chalten

Indescribable Experience at the Falls

3/2

Disclaimer: It's difficult to describe this experience without sounding like a total tree-hugger/nature fiend. So dad, bear with me.

Saturday

Saturday morning the sweet sound of my alarm at 330am did wonders for my mental state of being. I had gone to bed at 9 the night before, so luckily I got a decent amount of sleep, but was still put off by the fact that Jess and I were sharing a bus towards the ISA office with late-night partiers on their way home.

After loading into the coach bus that would take us to the international EZE airport, a girl in my program had an unzipped backpack she tried putting in the overhead compartment above me, which resulted in an aluminum filled bottle to the face at 430 in the morning. Obviously I was thrilled. My lip is still a little swollen, and this story is more to complain to my mom than actual plot addition to my trip...

The morning continued to run smoothly (note sarcasm), after we arrived at the airport we encountered an enormous line at the check in. Turns out the only international airport in the country's check-in system broke down. Typical Argentina. I was surprised with how not bothered by the whole process I was. I just plopped down on the floor with my backpack and tried to rest since it was still 5 or 6 in the morning.

After five hours of waiting, we were finally able to check in and board our 4-hour delayed flight. I think karma came back around from my first plane ride in (see first post in the blog) because the couple that sat next to me let me have the window seat even though I was assigned the aisle. The view as we approached the waterfalls was incredible- I've never seen something from nature on such a large scale before.

Arriving at the airport, it was pouring, so our weekend itinerary changed a bit. We were supposed to head straight to the falls that day, but because of the delay, we headed to the hotel and decided to do Sunday's itinerary instead. Our hostel was luxurious, with a pool and spa, and I shared a room with two other girls in my program, Hilary and Laura. We walked as a group to Las Tres Fronteras, which is a meeting point of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina at a river. After taking some touristy photos and absorbing the beauty of the jungle, we headed back to the hotel where a few girls and I enjoyed the pool in the rainy weather.

For dinner, it was a guy in my program's birthday, so we ate out at this amazing Chinese restaurant where the walls were covered in chalk from past travelers. I called it an early night and got some ice cream, where Kerrie and I ended up talking to this old Australian couple for half an hour about the drug wars in Mexico (so random but typical of my experience down here).

Sunday

The falls. Before I share this, between the balcony that looked over the falls and the train that took us to Devil's Throat, we took a boat that actually went under part of the waterfalls which was beyond amazing. It took us right under the water of Iguazu park and drenched and happy, there was no place in the world I would have rather been. I literally can't even put into words how wonderful this whole experience was, so I'm just going to copy the poem that's highlighted in the park about the falls.

Maravilla Natural- Garganta del diablo de Alfonso Ricciutto

Permite que tu alma sea saciada
con la belleza impar de este paisaje
que aunque el mundo recorras en tus viajes
nunca podrás hallar como esto, nada.

El bien y el mal dinámico y cambiante
encontrarás aquí, desde su nombre
lleva en tu humilde corazón de hombre
un mensaje verídico y constante.

Medita y siente la emoción profunda
frente al antiguo y vibrante paroxismo
que de brumas eternas se circunda

Y no intentes describirlo con tu voz
Solo inclina la frente ante este abismo
Que es el espejo de la palabra Dios.

Natural Wonder- Devil's throat by Alfonso Ricciutto

Let your soul be satisfied
with the odd beauty of this landscape
that although the world walk in truth
you'll never find, like this, nothing.

Good and bad dynamic and changing
find here, from ist name,
keep in your heart of man humble
a true and consistent message.

Meditate and feel the deep emotion
contemplating the vibrant climax
eternal mist that is circled.

And do not try to describe it in your voice
only he leans his forehead against the abyss
is the mirror of the word God.

Okay so super spiritual/out of body experience description, but that's literally how it felt being there. I can't even say anymore about it without sounding like a fool.

After the falls, we took a four hour bus ride, which after sleeping for a bit I got to chat with Elisa for a good portion, watching one of the most beautiful sunsets to date on our way to the hotel. At the hotel, we were served a sit down meal, which was actually so refreshing after such a long day with walking.

Monday

After a good night's sleep, bright and early again we left the hotel and started our next adventure at the ruins of San Ignacio. It was originally a mission where white settlers tried to convert the natives of the land, which obviously ended up failing. I don't know much of the history, so wikipedia it if interested. (There's also a movie with Robert DeNiro which I plan on watching eventually)

After the ruins, we spent 5 hours at a mate farm, where I lazed in a hammock and enjoyed an asada lunch. It was literally like wine country but mate country. It was a great way to finish a wonderful weekend. When we got to the airport, of course the flight was delayed due to the storm, so I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven while we waited, which I HIGHLY recommend. Great easy read.

We arrived in the city airport (not EZE) greeted with rain, so four of us split a cab home to drop us off on our front doorstep. I'll try and add more later to this post, I just wanted to get a good solid blog in before I leave for Patagonia... which is TOMORROW.

Besos everyone!! And check my Carnaval post- I updated the pictures!

 Aerial view of the falls

 Three points- Paraguay to the left, Brazil on the right, and standing in Argentina :)

 Dinner- notice the chalk!

 At the park- tons of these walkway balconies led us even up close and personal to the falls

 Literally felt like I was in a mix between Jurassic Park and Avatar

 Devil's Throat- most massive natural wonder that I've ever seen

 San Ignacio ruins

The mate farm

Problemas con mi Profesora

I just had the most amazing weekend ever in the Misiones province, and I'll get to that in the next post, but I figured I'd make a quick entry on things going on outside of the excursion.

Last week I'd reached sort of a mid-way slump, preoccupied with missing home and friends and realizing I wasn't even halfway with this adventure. That mixed with an inability to skype much with people back home made a bit of a rut for the week after such a fantastic weekend. My mood was also hindered due to frustration with my teacher and the disorganization and lack of productivity in class.

My professor simply belongs in Berkeley. She has an impeccable education, is super left-wing, expects us to learn most of the course on our own, and loves the students that drift off on unimportant tangents with her (think the annoying kid in class that just needs to shut up and go to office hours). I thought I was being sort of whiny in my thoughts/complaints to family, so I addressed some of my concerns to her yesterday about feeling unprepared for our final this Friday since we don't get to covering most of the topics in class. When I mentioned the unruliness of the class, she responded with "I am not a fascist. I do not believe in controlling my students."
Wait what.
So I repeated in English how it's difficult to learn when there isn't much order, and she simply replied with "I don't believe in executing authority in the classroom. If you want things to be organized, it's your responsibility to discipline your classmates." I don't want to get political in this blog but I'll let you soak that one up and maybe understand how much I'm looking forward to the next course with a different professor.

Regardless, last week during the rut my housemate Jessica and I decided to take a day off of class (we get 2 a month) and just sleep in, veg in the park, and shop at the Palermo mall. It was the perfect pick me up at the base of my slump. It's weird that in the mall, clothes were SO much more expensive than the random boutiques on the street- almost the opposite of America. The park was the same park we'd been to before, we just picnicked there this time and has the greatest lazy afternoon.

This week we're stuck in 6 hour days to make up for the amount of vacations we're getting, which also makes things difficult since we get out so late, and I'm so tired to even try and accomplish anything after class. Tonight Jess and I are meeting two other girls at Benihana for dinner to get out of the house. I know, I know, I should be trying out Argentina restaurants the few times I go out... But I have been CRAVING sea food and sushi since Jess dislikes it and asked our housemom not to cook it. Also the happy hour is pretty cheap.

A very sad thing happened which makes being in our house right now very uncomfortable. Our house abuela's friend's daughter (so basically a family friend) was traveling in Uruguay and died in car accident. Our house has kind of become the center for family and friends, and they all mourn in the living room. I feel terrible because I don't want to interrupt or cause any disturbance to their mourning, but it's hard when you have to pass the living room to enter my bedroom every day. There's a definite gloom to the house right now and regardless we want to give them their space and eat out tonight, hopefully giving our house mom a break. I'll be looking up what's the proper gift for condolences in Argentina (what flowers, food, etc) to give them before my Patagonia trip NEXT WEEK!!!

Next post to come soon on IGUAZU FALLS.

CARNAVAL PARTE DOS

2/21

So Monday I rested in bed all day, originally with the intention of cleaning my room, but my house mom told me that a hired cleaning lady is coming through the house to make it spotless!! Which is fantastic, although she did warn me to hide any and everything just in case. Luckily I'll be gone to Iguazu that weekend, so most likely will have my passport and debit card on person and not in the apartment.

After a good pizza (thank god no more chicken) I took a quick nap before getting ready for the night's festivities. Four of us met up at The Roof bar for a mask party, which turned out being one of the coolest places ever. First of all, drinks were cheap (think 5USD for a long island, 2USD for a shot) and the whole bar was on the roof of a restaurant outside, which added to its laid back atmosphere. Granted, last night it was raining, which kind of hindered the amount of people present, but we had fun none of the less.

They had these egg shells they fill with confetti where you can crack them on someone's head- no idea what kind of tradition it is but it was a fun alternative to the foam fights from Saturday. We ran into a couple more ISA friends, and ended up staying at the bar for three hours before heading elsewhere.

Initially, the group wanted to check out a Brazilian boliche to go in theme with Carnaval, but the distance and price sort of hindered those plans. Two blocks away from the bar was the boliche, Kika, known for a younger crowd (such as ourselves) and good music. Luck struck again with the manager being in the front and letting us girls in for free (the guys had to pay a 15USD cover) and we quickly were dancing to some really good Spanish club music.

Soon enough, as always, I began to get tired, and called it a night around 4am. I walked home with Becca, since Palermo Soho hosts many wanderers in the wee hours of the morning as most of the bars and clubs are situated in this area. I didn't want Becca traveling by herself all the way to Belgrano, so she stayed in Jessica's bed (who was still in Gualeguaychu) just to make sure she didn't get lost/raped/kidnapped/robbed/etc. Better to be safe than sorry :)

Today I just booked my hostel with Elisa (it'll cost around 100USD for the whole week!!) and am heading out to a cafe to meet up with Elisa, Laura, and Becca to discuss hikes and activities to do while we're down there. Chau for now and besos as always :)

 All the chicas at The Roof

 Got egged!

 Sky view of one of the rooms in Kika

Us girls Hilary, Laura, Becca, and me :)

 San Telmo!

 They all individually design their own costumes- this guy had a rolling stones logo along with a River (local fútbol team) logo

 Foam to the face.

CARNAVAL PARTE UNO

2/20

Hi everyone!! Again, the days just get so busy that I'm struggling to keep up with the updates! (Just see it as no news being good news..)

The week was pretty similar in terms of school, although we got a different profesora since the one before was only a sub until our actual teacher was feeling better. She's a really cool person, but not exactly a great educator. She's very disorganized, and while I hate to sound like such a nerdsnob, I'm here for only four months to learn Spanish, so luckily she's only here for another two weeks before we switch trimesters again.

Past that though, my speaking has greatly improved, and I find myself barely pausing when conversing with my house mom.

Tuesday I celebrated Valentine's Day with my housemate by getting ice cream at the heladeria where we've become friends with the vendedor. A nice additional surprise was getting the package from Bryan I'd been waiting for, filled with way too much candy and gifts. Wednesday I went to a park and laid out with my housemate and another kid from our program, which was a nice break from the monotony of my room. It just gets so hot that I feel incapacitated to do anything in the early afternoons!

Friday:

Friday was our midterm, and it was a bit harder than I had anticipated, primarily since I don't think our profesora prepared us very well. (I even had to actually sit down and study for it, not just converse with a manicurist like last time haha). Afterwards to reward ourselves, I met up with a few girls at 878 Bar, known for it's cocktails and whiskey. It was really cool because originally a speakeasy bar, there was no inclination it existed other than the 878 address next to a large door. Upon entry, the place was filled with Argentines finishing dinners and starting cocktail hour, with solely Spanish music in the background.

After a strong whiskey/ginger ale concoction in a side booth at the front, we went towards the back where ANOTHER secret door led to an entirely different bar! There we sat at the bar for a while, talking over expensive but good drinks until the hour reached 230 and it was time for me to call it a night. I knew this weekend would be a busy one, and I didn't want to throw all my eggs in one basket.

Saturday:

Saturday was a lazy day, where I meandered through Palermo Soho, window shopping for a good thirty minutes on my walk to lunch. I met up with the girls that decided to stay in the city for Carnaval weekend at California Burrito Company (CBC), the South American version of Chipotle. Most of the program traveled to Gualeguaychu, Uruguay, or a couple adventurous peers to Rio for the Carnaval festivals. After my expensive Patagonia ticket, I didn't really care to spend money to travel outside the city for the long weekend. I'm becoming more and more thankful as this weekend continues, since I'm able to see different parts of the city as well as catch up on some sleep I've been needing.

One of the things that has been giving me some trouble in Bs As is the food that my house mother cooks. I love her to death and my apartment is adorable, but her favorite ingredients are oil, grease, and cheese. I finally reached my apex of tolerance Saturday night, when I was served orange paste, a grease ridden fried chicken, and a "salad" that consisted of more oil than vegetables. I know it's rude not to finish your plate here, but I finally had to explain to her that my body just can't handle that much fried and greasy food. I'm hoping that after that disastrous meal (I posted pictures, try not to vom) she can give me something a tiny bit healthier. I hate sounding like a #whitegirlproblems advertisement, but it's getting hard to stand the added pounds of sugar, butter, and oil to the meals.

Sunday:

After waking up, a group of us girls headed to San Telmo for the day/night. San Telmo has one of the best Sunday markets, stretching for miles on one street in the barrio. I bought souvenirs for me as well as gifts for friends, and walked aimlessly through the market for a good few hours. After our legs couldn't take any more, three of us stopped in a restaurant for a late afternoon lunch/dinner combination. I realized how much the last night had upset my stomach when even the light dressing on my salad caused me to be slightly nauseous. We then met up with two girls in my program and shopped until they closed up at 5pm.

Among my purchases was a mask, which I hope to be using tonight at a Carnaval mask party at the bar above CBC. After shopping, we stopped at another speakeasy-type bar (I'm really beginning to like them) called the Puerta Roja, signified only by it's red door on a street in San Telmo. Upstairs they had a great happy hour and great music, and since it was only 630 we were pretty much the only people there.

After 2x1 pints, we headed out into the streets to find the Carnaval Porteño, the street parades that take over avenues in each of the barrios of the city. Probably one of the top nights to date, we watched as locals danced in costume to drums and singing in a wide street of San Telmo. It is customary to have espuma fights in the streets, where children and adults attack one another with foam in spray-can canisters. Becca and I bought one each for ourselves and ran up and down the parade foam fighting with other locals. Drenched and happy, we headed home at around 10pm, exhausted yet satisfied from a great day. My camera died so I'm going to wait for my friends to post photos online and then upload better ones of the parade tomorrow or Wednesday.

Today I'm just hanging out at my apartment, feeling pretty tired from yesterday and hoping to rally for the Carnaval parties tonight. I'm just really looking forward to wearing my mask...

And you thought Americans ate like crap ....yummy

Antique jewelry in the San Telmo market

 San Telmo architecture- so pretty!!

My one somewhat decent shot of the carnaval- way more photos to come once my friends upload em to facebook :)

Pinamar Revisited.

best trip ever.

Keep in mind I'm actually cooking 4.30 into it... scrambled eggs and yes I may have asked Hilary for help but still.

El Día Perfecto

2/13

So for the most part, I was confined in my room/bed this weekend due to a bug that's been going around my classmates/house brother. It wasn't a flu or cold per say, just achy exhaustion. Needless to say, I am more than ecstatic to be done with it, and even walked most of the way home today to take pictures of the city's graffiti.

Friday (not said día)

We were forced to be up at the crack of dawn to get downtown to Retiro, where we finalized our student visa process. I am now a temporary student citizen of Argentina! (which means- cheaper flights to Patagonia! Said flights were then 500 dollars. Eff.) After spending an hour and a half waiting in lines and turning in paperwork (torture) the ISA students in my specific class decided to go out to breakfast to reward ourselves for the long morning. Our teacher knew we were going to be late, so we decided to milk it and get a real breakfast for once. Most of Argentine culture sees breakfast as two crackers and some marmalade/dulce de leche and a shot glass size cup of coffee. Filling.

Elisa got a true American breakfast of scrambled eggs with ham and toast, Adam got some kind of chocolate muffin/hot chocolate, and I was way too excited for my yogurt and cookies. Well. #thirdworldproblems. My yogurt and granola came out, and as I was ready to take a bite, I noticed the granola moving. Actually, several little beetle things moving around in the granola. I quickly got the attention of the server, very crankily, and she came out with not only a new yogurt cup (sin granola) but also toast, marmalade, and buttercream con gratis. Turned out to be a fantastic breakfast after all.

Friday afternoon and all of Saturday I was confined to the dungeon of my room, watching Lord of the Rings and trying not to be too upset I missed out on a full night/day of activities.

Sunday (el día perfecto)

Sunday more than made up for the lack of action due to being enferma. Belen, an Argentine student I met at Cal, invited me and two friends out on her boat near the river of Tigre. With her family and some Brazilian friends, we set out on the river for a lazy afternoon.

It was not only wonderful to get out of the city, but to be on a boat, in the middle of a gorgeous river, on a gorgeous day. BUENISIMO. We jumped off the roof of the boat/yacht into the river, which had such a strong current that we needed to grab onto a lifesaver attached to a rope in order to not float away downstream- comparable to the time I tried to swim across the Colorado River on my junior year trip in HS when Curtis, Austin and I made it across but had to hike 10 minutes back just to even get parallel to where we started.

After good food, conversation, and sun, the day dwindled and too soon we were heading back towards the harbor. It was like a fleet of vacationers heading home once the sun went down, a cool sight for a foreigner to see. After dark, we were quickly hauling ass back to the city, in order for her Brazilian friend to make it to his flight on time (literally at one point we were going 90 on a side street... when in Argentina...)

He made it to the airport sin maletas, but Belen's cousin was retrieving them at the same time as we were dropping him off. Basically just your average logistical nightmare. I was stressed and I had nothing to do with the situation whatsoever (ma- I know you're stressed just reading this). After a bittersweet farewell to a beautiful day, Belen and I agreed to hang out some more while I'm here, and too soon was I walking back home to my apartment.

Today was a typical day of school, and I hope tomorrow I can explore this fountain/park that we passed on our way out of the city (really close to my house- think 20 min walk). Chau for now and besos a todos!

 enjoying snacks provided by Belen's familia

 jumping off the roof!

 hanging out on the rope/lifesaver.. con kayak

Adam, Elisa, and the front of the boat crew during the day (Belen's brother, brother's gf, and the two Brazilians- all good company)