Other than Salta, this was the longest bus trip I took in Argentina, at about 24 hours one-way. My friend Marianne and I started out from Buenos Aires on Friday afternoon and arrived in Bariloche Saturday, to a cold and rainy day. To add to our bad luck, something I ate on the bus had disagreed with me, so I was stuck in bed the entire first day with a bad stomachache. But to our great delight, Sunday morning dawned bright, dry, considerably warmer, and with me fully recovered and ready to explore.

Sick

Our first trip was a half-day boat tour on Nahuel Huapi Lake which took us to two different islands; one home to the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, the other called Isla Victoria. The Arrayanes Forest is made up of a type of petrified tree that is only found on this one tiny island, and Isla Victoria is home to another famous national park. Both were very beautiful, as was the boat ride there and back. Verdict: A nice option if you are looking for a slower-paced, scenic half-day trip.

Boat Trip on Nahuel Huapi Lake

View from the boat

Arrayanes Forest

I <3 Arrayanes Trees

Isla Victoria

Me and a big tree on Isla Victoria

Isla Victoria

The next day we opted to venture out on our own and do some hiking, rather than pay the fee for the hiking tours offered by our hostel. So we packed our lunch and set out early to take a bus to Catedral Mountain, where we planned to do a 20-kilometer hike (round-trip) to a refuge at the top of the mountain called Refugio Frey. A little ambitious you say? I myself like to call it selective thinking. The way I see it, I just didn’t allow myself to realize what I was getting into until we were more than half-way up the mountain annnnnnddd . . .  running out of water! By then, continuing on to the refuge was obviously the smarter choice. See how I psyched myself into that? Pretty smart, huh?

Our wonderful guard dog "Lucky"

Almost to the top!

Taking a break at Refugio Frey

ANYWAY, there we were: 2 girls (and a dog that we named Lucky, who followed us all the way to the top of the mountain and back), one backpack, and less than a liter of water between us, hiking one of the most famous skiing mountains in Argentina. While every person we passed (which wasn’t many) was decked out in full hiking gear, I was wearing tennis shoes and yoga pants and Marianne had on jeans and boots. I can only imagine the laughs after they passed us! But in spite of our poor preparation, we did finally make it to the top, where we took a lunch break, re-hydrated, and took a few pictures before setting off back down the mountain again. Singing Christmas carols the whole way down, I might add.

The beautiful lake by Catedral Mountain

27 kilometers later!!

Our final time – including the walk to the park and back from the bus drop-off; a grand total of about 27 kilometers – came out to around 9 hours. Not too bad for amateurs, right? And although we had countless blisters, sore muscles, and swollen fingers that night, we were also flushed with the joy of conquering the mountain and reaching our goal. For free, I might add! Verdict/Moral of the Story: Take the road less traveled, but pack plenty of water!!

Marianne was meeting another friend to go to Cordoba the next day, so she set off early on Tuesday to catch her plane back to Buenos Aires. Since I would be taking the bus back alone anyway, I decided to stay in Bariloche another day to give me time to recover and enjoy the town a bit more. I spent the afternoon at a spa in a nearby hotel, getting a massage, using the saunas and laying in the sun, then headed into town for some Cafe con Leche and facturas to close out my trip. The next day I got on the bus to to Buenos Aires and 3 days after that, hopped a plane home to Texas! Talk about getting around, right?

And that (plus the posts on my studyabroad.com blog) officially wraps up my travel-related blogs from Argentina! All the best to you on your adventures!

Besos,
Maki

Official Banner for the Festival

Ready for the Festivities to Begin

The home of the Argentinian “Fiesta Nacional de La Cerveza” (or simply “Oktoberfest”) is a small town called Villa General Belgrano, which is about 2 hours outside of the city of Córdoba. And while the festivities occur over the course of 11 days, by far the busiest time is during the long weekend in October, during which students and beer-lovers from around the country (and the world) flock to the tiny German-settled town to enjoy traditional performances, food, and of course, beer.

A Shop Employee in Traditional German Clothing

Many people choose to stay in Villa General Belgrano in order to avoid a commute, but the group I went with decided that we would rather brave the 2-hour bus ride so that we could spend one day at the festival, and the rest of the weekend enjoying the city of Córdoba. So, after an overnight bus we arrived in Córdoba early on Friday and spent the day settling into our hostel, walking around the city, and relaxing by the pool.

A quick note before I continue: if you are planning to go to Córdoba with a large group (there were 10 of us), then the Yiliana Hostel is the place to be. It has two rooms with around 10 beds, and one smaller room that sleeps 4 people, if I remember correctly. So, at capacity it sleeps about 24 people. In other words, it’s like renting your own, very nice, house. It has a large, fully-stocked kitchen, Wi-Fi, a pool, parilla (the Argentinian version of a Bar-B-Q), outside and inside tables, and a nice living room. It’s a 5-minute walk from a big grocery store and mall, and about a 20-minute walk fromt the city center. We had an absolutely wonderful experience there and I highly recommend it for large groups.

Matt lounging by the hostel pool

These potted plants were just one of many little touches that made this hostel so special

The first night we all pitched in to buy groceries and made an incredible meal together at the hostel, then we woke up bright and early to catch the first bus into Villa General Belgrano. We got there before the Beer Garden opened at 11, so we had some breakfast and walked around the adorable town for a while. After purchasing our mugs and mug-straps (you read that right) we headed into the park and bought our first beers. Honestly, the rest of the day was so crazy and hilarious that I don’t think words could do it justice, so instead I’ll just show it to you in pictures . . .

Mug and mug-strap? Check!

The entrance to the beer garden

With the owner of Mak Beers

This is how you rock a mug-strap

With some random guys in coordinated clothing (and wigs?!)

With more random guys in coordinated clothing (sans wigs)

We love Oktoberfest!

We had originally planned to go sky-diving and/or paragliding on Sunday, but by the time we arrived in Córdoba on Friday, everything was already all booked. So instead we slept in, then then headed to the store again to buy ingredients for a huge American-style brunch(we were all missing scrambled eggs by that time) and another parilla dinner. Then we spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool, cooking and eating. I know, I know, it sounds sort of lame. But honestly, if you are going to go to Oktoberfest, then I warn you now: lounging, cooking and eating will be about all you have in you the next day, so plan accordingly!

American-style brunch

Relaxing at dinner with the girls

That just about wraps up my trip to Córdoba and Argentina’s Oktoberfest! Thanks so much for reading. As always, feel free to comment and/or contact me if you have any questions.

Besos,
Maki

Here are some of the topics you can look forward to, before I say “chau” for good:

• Córdoba and the 3rd(?)-Largest Oktoberfest in the World
• Last Trip in Argentina – Bariloche, Patagonia!
• The Weekend Ferias (Markets) of Buenos Aires
• My Complete Buenos Aires “to do” list

And of course, plenty of pictures (maybe even a few videos)!

A Note on Reverse Culture-Shock

If you’ve read any of the numerous study abroad handbooks that your program and school have given you, then you are probably familiar with the term “Reverse Culture-Shock.” If you aren’t, here is a brief article that includes some common symptoms as well as coping strategies: Reverse Culture Shock and the Re-Entry Experience.

At this point you might be thinking some version of the following: ”These people are crazy. Why on earth would I experience culture shock in my own culture?!” To tell you the truth, I too was a little skeptical about it until I experienced it myself. But I have since decided that although Reverse Culture-Shock is definitely real, whether or not you experience it (as well as what symptoms you do experience) may be determined by countless factors, including: the amount of time you spent abroad, whether or not you were immersed in a foreign language, your personality, how much you adapted to the foreign culture, etc.

As with culture shock, the best way to deal with it is to educate yourself about the fact that it exists and some methods for dealing with it, so that you don’t feel like you are alone in what you’re experiencing. I’ve included a sort of time-line of my Reverse Culture-Shock experience, as well as a few coping mechanisms I’ve come up with, below . . .

Weeks 1-2:

• The lack of Spanish around me keeps pulling my attention; I keep staring when people speak English and automatically responding to people in Spanish
• I eat and sleep a lot
• I think back on studying abroad fondly, but other than the language, I don’t really miss it all that much yet
• Coping Mechanisms: Listen to music in Spanish, speak Spanish with people as much as I can, eat, sleep, and relax

Week 3:

• I start to get back into a normal routine, and think about Argentina less, although little things start to remind me and make me miss it from time-to-time
• Coping Mechanism: Focus on the here and now

Weeks 4-5:

• The “reality” of work, school, and day-to-day life kicks in, and starts to seem really boring in comparison to my previous adventures
• Missing Argentina (and especially the friends I made there) kicks in full-force
• Coping Mechanism: Look through pictures, chat with friends from study abroad (on Skype, texting, etc), count my blessings, focus on enjoying the things I missed while I was abroad (family, food, fast internet, etc)

Week 6:

• I start to settle into a good rhythm at home and to really look forward to what’s next in my life
• I reflect a lot on how studying abroad has shifted my perspective, goals, etc (this has been happening to a degree this whole time, but now I am really able to look back at the experience and forward at my future more objectively)
• Coping Mechanisms: Journal, plan the upcoming months/year, finish up my blog and video-editing, get ready to close this beautiful chapter in my life and begin a whole new set of adventures!

Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me!

Happy and Reflective,
Maki

Home with My Family on Christmas

. . . you know that busses, cars, bikes and motorcycles – not people – have the right-of-way.

. . . you wear out shoes in 6 months, tops (gotta love all the walking!).

. . . you feel like something is missing in your diet if you don’t eat carne (beef) on a daily basis.

. . . 8pm is too early for dinner, midnight is too early to go out, and you are rarely home before 5am on the weekend.

. . . you expect a constant stream of cat-calls when you walk down the street  (and proceed to ignore each and every one).

. . . you regularly confuse your friends back home by referring to clubs as “boliches,” busses as “collectivos,” the subway as the “subte,” and so on.

. . . cigarrette smoke doesn’t bother you anymore.

. . . you automatically watch where you walk to avoid potholes and dog poop.

. . . 40 degrees fahrenheit is freezing.

. . . empanadas and dulce de leche make up their own respective food groups.

. . . waiting in line for half an hour at the grocery store because the clerks are having a conversation doesn’t even annoy you anymore (almost).

. . . your “guia t” (a book that tells you how to navigate the city’s busses) is falling apart.

. . . you have a special bag just for carrying your maté and thermos.

. . . you don’t know some of your friends’ real names because everyone calls them by their nicknames.

 Leave a comment if you have more to add to the list!

A bodega (winery) in Mendoza

This was the first trip I´ve booked through the booking agency that´s located in the basement of my university in Buenos Aires, and I was delighted by the results. We booked our bus tickets, hostel for 3 nights (with breakfast) and 2 tours through the agency, leaving the other two days open for us to decide what we wanted to do when we arrived. Having tried the fly-by-the-seat of your pants style of traveling it was definitely a nice change to have a little voucher book with all of our tickets and details laid out for us. If your university offers a service like this I would highly recommend looking into it.

A lake near Mendoza

Our bus left Buenos Aires at 9pm on Thursday and arrived around 11am the next day. Since it was a relatively short bus (for Argentina) and cost over $100 pesos less, we opted for semi-cama this time, which means the seats are more like the economy seats in an airplane, except they lay back a little further. I definitely noticed a huge difference in comfort level but for this length of trip, it was bearable. If you´re doing anything over 15 hours though, I would stick with cama seating if you can.

Our room at Hostel Suites

When we arrived in Mendoza we took a taxi to Hostel Suites, which is located in downtown Mendoza just a few blocks from Plaza Independencia. Before I continue I must say that this is hands down the cleanest, nicest hostel I´ve stayed in thus far during my travels. The rooms are bright, the sheets are new, the rooms are cleaned daily, and the staff is super friendly and helpful (although they do insist on speaking to you in English most of the time which is a little annoying if you´re trying to practice your Spanish).

Wine Barrels at Bodegas Lopez

After we checked in and had lunch, it was time for our half-day tour of the bodegas (wineries).  The first bodega we visited was an industrial winery (meaning they produce large quantities of wine per year) called Bodegas Lopez. We had a tour and a tasting there, but I decided to wait to make any purchases, knowing that we would be going to an organic bodega later on. Next, we headed to an artisanal olive oil factory called Pasrai that produces high-grade extra virgin olive oils, where another tour and a tasting resulted in me making my first purchase: a case of 3 delicious olive oils to bring back the US as gifts (if I don’t cave and eat them first!). Finally, we stopped at a small organic bodega called Bodega Familia Cecchin where we had another tour and tasting. Despite my normal preference for red wines, I ended up leaving with a bottle of white Moscatel de Alejandria, which was just too delicious to pass up, as well as some organic honey.

I love my giant wine bottle <3

Olive oil tasting at Pasrai

The Family Cecchin Organic Bodega

The following day (Saturday) we woke up bright and early to start our next tour at 7am. The High Mountain Tour is a full-day driven tour through the Andes that border the city of Mendoza. I was surprised to learn that Aconcagua, the 3rd-largest mountain in the world – and the largest outside of Asia – (at an astonishing 22,841 feet) is located in this section of the Andes that divides Chile and Argentina. We drove most of the day, stopping at interesting points along the way to take pictures and take in the scenery, and did an hour hike through a national park, before heading back toward Mendoza. It was a very beautiful tour, however all the hours in a bus did get a bit tedious at times.

Jumping for joy in the Andes!

Oooooh Aaaaah

Hiking at Parque Provincial Aconcagua

That's me flying through the air above Mendoza!

Sunday morning we slept in a little later, then headed out for my favorite excursion of the weekend: paragliding! It ended up just being me and Danielle and our pilots, and after a long and very bumpy drive up the mountain, we suited up and got ready to run – yes RUN – off of it. After a few heart-pounding seconds of anticipation I took the leap, with my pilot in tow, and we were flying! It was such a peaceful, beautiful experience to ride the updrafts like a bird over water, and we spent a good 20 minutes or more just flying around. At times we would rise up to 2 meters (about 6 feet) per second, and at others we simply glided slowly downward. My favorite part was the last couple of minutes when we did acrobatics, spinning and plummeting our way toward the ground, before making our landing. The second I hit ground, I wanted to do it again. It was relaxing and exhilerating all at once and I would HIGHLY recommend the experience.

See those little tiny white dots at the top? That's where we jumped off!

With Danielle, ready to jump!

Smiling in-flight

The view from the top

We spent the rest of Sunday afternoon relaxing at the hostel and walking around the nearby Plaza Independencia, where a festival and market commemorated the Bicentennial Celebration of Chile’s Independence. We got our charicatures drawn and bought some gifts at the market, then when the sun went down we had some food and sangria and watched the performances in the plaza.

Getting my charicature drawn in Plaza Independencia

Monday was our last day in Mendoza, and I had originally been planning to do a trekking, rappeling and hot springs tour. However, I had also heard a lot about how much fun doing a bike tour of the wineries was supposed to be, and having only had visited 2 bodegas all weekend, I was anxious to go to at least one or two more before I left. So at the last minute I changed my mind and went in search of the famous Mr. Hugo and his bike rentals with some new friends and other students from my school in Buenos Aires who were staying at the same hostel as us.

With Mr. Hugo

I had been hearing about “Mr. Hugo” from everyone, and his fame was reaffirmed when we got on the collectivo (bus) to take it 40 minutes outside of the city in search of his bike rental shop. We asked the bus driver if he knew where to get off for Mr. Hugo and he immediately pulled out a flyer and said that he would tell us when we were there! Before he had a chance to though, another random passenger informed us that “this is where you get off for Mr. Hugo,” and sure enough, a young man on a bike was there ready to escort us down the street. As soon as we arrived we understood what all of the fuss was about. Not only is it only 25 pesos to rent bikes for the day (about $6), but the second you arrive, Mr. Hugo brings out a big pitcher of free wine and starts pouring . . . and keeps refilling your glass as soon as it is half-way empty. No wonder everyone loves Mr. Hugo!

Biking between bodegas

After a refill or two we finally set off for our first destination: an olive oil, liquor and chocolate maker where we paid 15 pesos for a very extensive tasting of all the olive pastes, jellys, liquors and chocolate your heart could desire. Then we set off again, a little dizzy from the Absynthe we’d daringly opted to try, in search of the first bodega. Unfortunately, Trapaiche closed just as we were passing it and so we headed to a microbrewery in the area instead, where we enjoyed a very delicious glass of beer in the shade. By then it was nearly 4:30 already (the bodegas are further apart than you really think about beforehand) and we were determined to make it to at least one bodega before they closed at 6, so we set off again.

At the microbrewery

After a tipsy, exhausting, uphill bike ride we finally made it to the Tempus Alba Bodega around 5:30. It was worth the work to get there though, and we spent the next hour and a half enjoying a delicious tasting of 3 wines each (as well as splitting a couple of scrumptious desserts) on the outdoor terrace overlooking the vineyards. I tried a Syrah, a Malbec and a Cabernet, and to my great surprise, the Cabernet was by far my favorite. Thus despite all of my good intentions to go home with a Malbec (usually one of my favorites), I ended up opting for the Cabernet instead, which they graciously packaged up well for me so that I can get it back home safely in my suitcase. They even threw in a free olive oil as a thank you! This one I decided to keep for myself.

Wine Tasting

Dessert

On the terrace at Tempus Alba Bodega

By the time we made it back to Mr. Hugo’s it was already nearly 8:30, so after one last glass of wine we headed back to Mendoza to pick up our things and catch our 10pm bus back to Buenos Aires. The bike tour was definitely my other favorite experience in Mendoza and I would have to agree with those who say that it is the best way to experience the bodegas. I would recommend starting earlier though (try to get to the bike rental place by 11am or 12pm if you can) so you can make it to more bodegas before they close.

To sum it up: great weather, friendly people, fun adventures and delicious wine. What more can a girl ask for?

I came across my internship sort of by accident. A friend of mine who was also studying International Business had discovered RelevanSi via one of their online searches for interns several months before and had done some work for them virtually in the past. When she heard that I would be studying in Buenos Aires, she recommended I contact them about a possible internship. My curiosity was piqued when I looked them up and discovered that they are a startup company that provides online marketing and programming services to green businesses and NGOs. This combination of marketing, a startup company and the green movement seemed right up my alley, so I sent them an email with my resume and expressed my interest in doing an internship during my time in Buenos Aires.

After a series of emails and a Skype interview I was hired! We agreed to a minimum of 15 hours a week of work for a minimum of 3 months. They gave me the option to complete the internship for school credit, but seeing as it didn’t really fit any of my open credits, I decided to just complete it for the experience. My first day was the week after I arrived in Buenos Aires, and I’ve been there ever since!

At the RelevanSi Office

I had the good fortune to be placed with a host family that lives a 15-minute walk away from the office, so I walk to work every morning and spend 3 or 4 hours there before walking and taking the subway to school in Belgrano (another part of the city) for my classes in the afternoon. I get home from classes at 5:30 Monday-Thursday, with plenty of time to do my homework and relax or go out with friends. Friday I work until noon and then I have the rest of my weekend to explore the city or travel.

Because of my interest in social media, blogging, and PR, I opted for a PR (rather than a marketing) internship, which has allowed me to really delve into all of these areas. In addition to working in social media (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn), I have written for the company blog, written articles and interview responses for other sites, and even written and acted in an article/video project describing the process of working with RelevanSi! Now that I am in my last weeks at the company, I am busy putting the finishing touches on a PR Internship Manual, organizing the PR department’s Wiki server, and training some of the great new PR interns to take my place when I’m gone.

As a side-note: all of our work is done in English (since most of RelevanSi’s clients are from the US) but because of the international nature of the company and their employees, there are often up to 5 or more languages being spoken in the office at any given time.

Although taking on this internship has been a big commitment, it has also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time in Buenos Aires. I absolutely love the people I’ve met, and I’ve learned so much from working in an international company in a field that interests me. They have consistently challenged me to learn, grow, and do my best work, while also being flexible enough with my schedule to allow me to travel and enjoy the beautiful country of Argentina.

Everyone wants something different from studying abroad, and no one can tell you whether doing an internship is or isn’t right for you. I can only go from my experience – which has been incredibly positive -when I tell you that I would highly recommend looking into it as an option. However, I also want to caution you not to take on more than you will be able to handle. If you know yourself and you will only end up regretting the commitment, or worse yet, not fulfilling it, then an internship abroad is not for you. However, if you are curious about working in other countries or just want to continue learning and gaining work experience, then this could be the perfect opportunity for you to expand your horizons even further.

Tips on Finding Internships Abroad

Although a service can be a great way to find an internship abroad (see below for some recommendations), I would highly recommend that you look into it yourself as well. You will be surprised what you can find if you try. Here are a couple of tips to get you started:

• Email friends and family that know people in the country where you’ll be studying. Ask them if they know of any companies or non-profits that hire (or would consider hiring) international interns
• Check Craig’s List and do searches online for companies that may have placed ads or write-ups about looking for interns – be sure to check these companies out thoroughly before making any sort of commitments though! Use common sense to avoid scams.
• Tailor your resume to match the kind of position you will be applying for. Include any relevant work experience, language capabilities, etc. Draft a nice introductory email and attach your resume whenever you reach out to contact an organization about a position.

Resources

RelevanSi (Buenos Aires)
www.relevansi.com
Typically hire interns for marketing, PR, & sales. Occasionally finance as well.
Email hr@relevansi.com if you are interested

Connect 1-2-3
http://www.connect-123.com/
This is the program another intern went through to find RelevanSi. It is one of countless programs of its kind. This one offers placements in South Africa and Argentina.

Know of any good internship placement programs you think I should feature here? Email me at makenasage@gmail.com with the info and I’ll look into them!

Left on a rainy Sunday. Met up with Jacquie and Courtney at a subway stop near my apartment, then took the 20-hour bus from Buenos Aires to Tucuman. Boots got soaked from the puddles and I ened up throwing them away when we arrived (they were old and worn out) and borrowing Jacquie’s for the rest of the trip. Arrived in Tucuman before sunrise and didn’t know the name or address of our hostel. Had breakfast in a 24-hour cafe at the bus station until the sun rose, then tried (unsuccessfully) to find somewhere with Internet access. Found a tourist place at the bus station and decided it was Hostel Tucuman we were staying at.

Took a cab there and weird hostel guy couldn’t find our reservation. He checked us in anyway and said we could go to our room “when people wake up.” We asked if they had a place to store our bags in the meantime and after hesitating, he said yes, and led us to a garden shed/pantry that didn’t seem to have a lock. We stored our things there next to some bottles of coke. We asked him about excursions but he said they were all full for the day. He recommended catching the bus 118 from a nearby corner to see a “beautiful park” called Cascadas up on a nearby mountain. We walked to the corner but didn’t see a bus stop so we asked in a store. The guy who worked there hesitated, then said that the 118 “sometimes comes.” Waited another 20 minutes (laughing our heads off at all of the funny experiences we’d had already) until finally showed up.

Took the 118 for over an hour up a hill/mountain outside Tucuman. Most people got off at an earlier stop with a pretty view of the city but we and a Dutch couple stayed to go on to the Cascadas park we’d been told about. The bus dropped us off 20 minutes later on the side of a road with a sign announcing a national park, but no entrance in sight. The one guy who was there fixing the fence said we could go in (by going under the fence and down a very steep hill into what appeared to be dense forest) but that it was very, very muddy. He handed us a brochure with no waterfalls at all on it (the literal translation of cascadas is waterfalls). We opted out of entering the seemingly nonexistant park and instead took pictures and waited 45 minutes for the bus to come back.

At the Cascadas park that didn't exist - we were supposed to go in by crawling under that fence behind me!

Jesus statue #1

Took the bus back to the stop where everyone got off before. Turned out to be a huge statue of Jesus and pretty views of some mountains and the city. Had to wait there for 4 hours for the next (and last) bus to take us back to Tucuman. Took lots of pictures & Courtney fed some stray dogs. Saw some horses grazing knee-deep in mud and realized that might have been us if we’d stayed at the Cascadas. Had coffee and bread at a little hut overlooking the mountains, then crammed onto the bus to go back to town.

With Jacquie in the Mountains near Tucuman

In the mountains near Tucuman (that's the city behind me in the distance)The view from the little house where we had coffee

Discovered that weird hostel guy had been replaced by a slightly nicer hostel guy. Courtney was getting sick so he gave us an extra blanket and offered to have breakfast ready for us at 5:45 so we could eat before our bus. Slept in a 6-person dorm with strangers and a door that wouldn’t close (so the temperature was the same as outside, which was somewhere around or below freezing). Slept in 2 pairs of socks, boots, 2 pairs of pants, a tank, a long-sleeved shirt, a light sweater, a fleece, a windbreaker and a beanie. Woke up early and left as soon as possible, ready to be on the bus to Salta. I forgot my razor and shampoo in the shower room.

Arrived in Salta a few hours later with the name and address of our hostel. Took a taxi to that address and although it was on a busy street downtown, there seemed to be nothing at that address. Found a tourist place that gave us the right address and took another cab to our new hostel. It was much quieter and nicer than the one in Tucuman and we immediately decided we loved Salta. We decided right then and there to change our bus tickets to stay four days instead of two. Got a room with a private bathroom and a heater for the first two nights, which seemed like heaven.

Spent the first day exploring. Courtney was sick so Jacquie and I took gondolas (the ski-lift kind) up a huge hill overlooking Salta. Found an antiques/vintage store at the top and had the worst pineapple juice I’ve ever tasted (think canned pineapple-tasting syrup). Admired the view then picked up Courtney and had coffee and snacks at a restaurant near the main square in Salta. Courtney went back to the hostel to sleep and Jacquie and I walked around the square exploring. Ended up back at the same restaurant again for dinner then headed back to the hostel for an early night.

Looking out over Salta from the gondola

Looking down at another gondola and the city of SaltaThe main plaza in Salta at night

Took a trip to the Quilmes Ruins and Cafayate the next day. Pretty drive through Arizona-looking terrain turned out to be 4-5 hours back toward Tucuman. Ruins were slightly disappointing (I’ve seen much cooler ones before), but lunch in Cafayate was delicious and wine tasting at organic winery was fun. Went to dinner in Salta again at a place recommended by our tour guide. The host couldn’t pronounce Jacquie’s name so he put us on the list as “los Estados Unidos” (the United States). Ate some yummy local food, then went back to the hostel and passed out again.

At the Quilmes Ruins

At the Quilmes Ruins

With a cool tree at the Quilmes Ruins

At the organic winery in Cafayate

Next day was all-day horseback riding. Three hours through the mountains in the morning was gorgeous, even though I was the only one who had never really ridden horses before. Yummy lunch of steak, salad and bread, then more riding on flatter terrain through small towns nearby. Trotting and galloping used muscles I didn’t know I had.  After about 2 1/2 ours we arrived at our destination; another huge Jesus statue on a hill. I was nearly in tears from the pain in my knees and back and the bad rug-burn on my legs. Drank some water, then back on my horse for the long ride back. By the time we got there I could barely walk. Drank some coffee and headed back to Salta where a shower made me feel like I’d been reborn.

Horseback riding in SaltaHorseback riding in the mountains near Salta

Jesus statue #2

We decided to make an American breakfast for dinner, and had amazing french toast (with strawberries, walnuts and powdered sugar) and scrambled eggs. Watched the Argentine version of “Dancing with the Stars” then went to bed. Slept in Friday and woke up around noon to a very sunburned face and sore legs. Walked around the market by our hostel for a while and did some shopping, then went into town near the plaza to find an ATM. Headed back to the hostel so Courtney and I could sign up for our fall classes at the University of Belgrano (online). Had tamales and wine for dinner, and hung out with some Argentines that we met at the hostel that night.

Our "we miss American breakfasts" french toast dinner

Caught our bus to Jujuy at 9:30 the next morning and slept for the entire 2-hour ride. We collectively decided that we were far too exhausted to do anything in the few hours we had to spend in Jujuy, so we spent a couple of hours in a cafe, then took naps at the bus station while we waited for our bus. A few hours later we were finally on our way back to Buenos Aires. It’s now Sunday afternoon and we should be arriving back any minute.

I had a fun time and learned a LOT about traveling that will hopefully make my future trips go much more smoothly. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone in many ways this week, and been colder than I think I ever have in my life. But I also have a lot of funny stories to tell and I am so much more grateful for the little comforts I get to enjoy in life. I can’t wait to be “home” in Buenos Aires, making new friends and enjoying my host family’s company and good food.

So there you have it! My week-long trip through Northern Argentina as told by me, to my journal 2 months ago.

Besos,
Makena

Dancers hang sideways from the ceiling and run and jump on a piece of metalic

Close up of some of the dancers

Without giving away too much I will say that this was one of the most interactive shows I have ever seen. Structures appeared out of the walls and the performers regularly entered the audience to dance and get the crowd to participate. People danced in mid-air, seemingly unaffected by normal rules of gravity and most astonishingly, a transparent pool of water descended upon the audience for much of the show through which we were able to view women creating art with their bodies and the water.

Dancers entered the crowd to interact with the audience

A performer makes faces at the audience through the water above

Although it was a bit short (at around 1 hour) I would highly recommend this show to anyone considering going. And in general I just want to urge all of you to take advantage of the cultural opportunities in your area. Whether you are studying abroad or reading this from home, there are interesting things to do everywhere and these are the kinds of experiences that make life interesting.

Time to Start Homework,
Makena

So I know I haven’t updated this blog much lately but I promise I haven’t been slacking completely! I recently had the opportunity arise to blog for www.studyabroad.com as well as to write an article about studying abroad in Argentina for www.gooverseas.com. Between that and all the usual adventures of studying abroad, I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to write in a while! I will be continuing to update this blog, in addition to writing some unique content for my new blog throughout the rest of my trip so keep an eye out for some new posts soon! In the meantime…

To read my new blog click here.

To read my article about studying abroad in Argentina click here.

Busy, busy, busy,
Maki

A while back I had written about some Differences Between Buenos Aires and the U.S. that had struck me so far. Today I want to share a new kind of list with you; of the little things I have come to love about Buenos Aires/Argentina in the two months I’ve spent here so far… Feel free to comment with your own!

Out with friends on any given Wednesday

Some Things I Love About Buenos Aires (and Argentina):

• It’s usually sunny, even when it’s below freezing outside.
• It’s perfectly normal to get home at 6 or 7am on a weekend, or even on a Wednesday or Thursday night!
• Inexpensive spa treatments. From $10 haircuts to $15 massages, treating yourself to some pampering doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure in Buenos Aires!
• If you speak in Spanish, people will respond in Spanish. In a lot of countries when I try to speak their language I get responded to in English. How am I ever supposed to learn that way?? Maybe because fewer English-speaking people visit here than some other popular foreign destinations, the locals are usually totally willing to communicate with you in Castellano (what they call Spanish here), no matter how bad yours might be.
• The sidewalks change every couple of blocks, and sometimes as many as 5 times on a single block. They might go from tile to brick to cement and back again in just a few steps. For some reason I find this endlessly entertaining.
• Weekend ferias. While I have only made it out to a couple of the many weekend ferias (markets) that Buenos Aires has to offer, browsing the beautiful artisan goods and listening to some live music on the lawns is one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
• Medialunas, choripan, and great Italian food. Medialunas are basically little sweet croissants and are usually eaten with a cup of coffee; choripan is some kind of sausage/meat that they cook on spits on the street that is eaten with plain bread; and Italian food is, well . . . the usual.
• The near-constant cat-calls. I used to find this annoying, but I’ve become used to it over time, and now I just find it entertaining. In fact, I’ve decided that the cat-calls are just my own form of daily affirmations. I don’t have to tell myself I’m beautiful because I get to hear it 60 times a day from complete strangers! Not a bad deal, right?
• Great shopping. Although most clothing isn’t that much cheaper here than in the States, the quantity and variety of shops makes shopping in Buenos Aires a pleasure and a constant temptation. If you take the time to shop around you can always find great deals and sales too, which doesn’t make avoiding temptation any easier.
• Quality time with family. As I’ve said before, nightly meals with my host family are one of my favorite things about my day. The whole family also comes over on Sundays for a long lunch (and sometimes dinner as well) and listening to their light-hearted debates over any given subject while enjoying great homemade food is always entertaining and relaxing. In general, I love the focus on family here which is something I think many people have lost in the U.S. today.
• Meeting people from all over the world. As is the nature of most major metropolitan cities, Buenos Aires boasts a large population of international residents and tourists at any given time. I think I’ve met more French, Brazilian, American, Italian, (etc) people than I have Argentines!

Time to do some homework!

Cheerful,
Maki