Friday, September 26, 2008

Boca Juniors and Iguazu Falls




Well, i sure feel like weve been here more than a week. Since i last wrote juli and i went to a futbol match in BA, the boca juniors who played tigre, and us and a few girls from the hostel traipsed into the seedy or so called neighborhood of boca, to buy cheap tickets and see some crazy fans in action, which we did indeed. We were right in the middle of where the die hard, ever singing, flag hanging boca juniors fans were and it was amazing. But Juli and i were both glad to be gone from BA, even though the weather was getting better, it was just not hitting the mark. Puerto Iguazuen el otro lado, es muy tranquillo y bonita y tenemos una piscina aca. We took an amazing busride that puts greyhound, and pretty much the USAs public transit to shame, semi cama which is third lowest on the rung of awesome busses gave us fully reclining seats, warm and delicios dinner, including pretty much the only vegetable id seen all week, ( this delicious spinnach feta something?), pirated and dubbed in spanish viewing of the dark night, and all in all a great ride of 18 hours or so from BA to Puerto Iguazu.

Our hostel is so amazing that immediately we booked another night when we got there, and then another, and now its been 4 nights and well both be super sad to leave the glorious paradise that is the Hostel Inn of Iguazu falls. First of all, there is glorious tropical weather, a huge ass pool, with surrounding hammocks, and a ping pong table (dont be jealous sean, i haven´t even used it yet bc its so fabulously busy all the time) and is a sunbathing fantasy. Especially coming from bustling, dirty and cold BA. AHH what could go wrong.

Well i wake up after our first night there totally fucking sick. A girl at our last hostel who was sleeping above me was sick and im sure i contracted this bastard of a sickness from her. Sore throat, body aches, blech. But i pulled it together and Juli and I rocked Iguazu Falls. First we walked to la garganta del diablo, or the devil´s throat of the waterfalls which is this enormous convergence of white massive waterfalls that is insane, also insanely busy with tourists. Still feeling totally shitty, we traipsed down onto the Machuco trail, all the trails btw are filled with these, seriously R.O.U.S´s called coaties which are smallish raccoon did it with an anteater type guys that feast on the garbage of tourists and could probably valosa raptor the shit out of you if you were alone and a pack surrounded you. But anyways, we walked forever, playing 20 questions, then 20 questions movie edition, and then 7 degrees of Morgan Freeman, etc. Until we reached this gorgeous little swimming hole with a waterfall feeding into it, which juli totally swam in even though it was freezing, i was totally not feeling up for it unfortunately, but it was cool, i got to photograph.

The next day we went back again, and i still felt like shit, as did juli this time too, but her sickness had more to do with partying all night with brazillian dancers, and doing the macarena and matching drinking with various irishmen. And this time we went all over to the upper and lower points of the waterfalls, and i know it probably seems like the waterfalls would get old, but they are so enormous and so amazing that every time you see them you kinda wanna cry because of their magnamity. We even took a little boat over to this pequeña isla con una playa tambien, where you walk up some hella steep stairs for kinda a long time, but then you are really close to the falls, and it rocks. OH and we saw rainbows, it was like a my little pony wonderland i swear.

Tomorrow night we are taking another long busride to the town of Córdoba, which is vying for Argentinas 2nd city, and where there are many universities as well, and i´ve contacted some farms from wwoof to see if we can get some volunteering in towards the end of the month when we head to Mendoza, which is cerca de los Andes and is Argentina´s wine country. There is also a pseudo octoberfest close to medoza the first two weeks of october that we may try to take a day trip to as well. We will arrive in Córdoba at 4pm this Sunday, on my 23rd birthday, i can´t believe i am going to be 23 already, oh how time flies. Yes Berger, i get what you were talking about now. And then we´ll only be 4 years apart again? haha.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Las Primeras dias en Buenos Aires

Well the first few days in BA have been quite intersting. The first day we stayed up all day and traipsed to la boca, and basically just tried to stay awake, thinking we'd get a good night's sleep all night long. Well of course the hostel was having a party, and then of course we had to get peer pressured to going, where we drank wine and danced like crazy people. And as we know in BA the party doesn't get going until 1 or 2 am, so around then we took a crazy cab ride with Klaus to Club 69, where we paid 35 pesos just to get in and then i was pretty much ready to leave, me and Susan, our new friend from Holland and some other peeps left like eh 20 mins after we got there, leaving Juli and Tali and some others to party hard todo el noche. Then on friday juli and i got up, at like 11 30, had breakfast, chatted a bit, and proceeded to sleep from 130pm to 730pm. totally fucking up our un jetlag plan. And basically chilled out last night, went out to get some food, deliciosa pizza con mozarella and then slept. Today we got up early enough for free breakfast, which was cool, and then went to the Bus station to get our billetes for Iguazu falls where we'll go on monday. BA right now is just quite cold and we are looking for some sunshine and adventure, and BA isn't quite it right now. Then after wandering lost at la estacion, turns out we were at the train station not the bus station, and after going there we finally got our tickets. Then we hopped back onto the subway or Subte and went to Palermo, where there are lovely parks and museos etc. But we got lost there too, and finaly got some bread and cheese and hung out for a picnic, where we spotted a lazy cat just taking a nap in a tree garfield style. Hillarious. Then we walked through some parks and went to la jardin japones which was quite pretty and full of fat ass coy fish that are getting fed waaay too much. Manana we might to se the Boca Juniors in a little futbol match, and tonight i believe there is a fiesta de primavera en our hostel, so we'll probably chill here for that.
Chao

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Buenos Aires!





Juli and I have arrived in Buenos Aires! After 10.5 hours crammed behind/in some shit show, we´re here. And we´ve already checked into our hostel, gone on a tour of la boca, seen the futbol stadium, and we´re now just really trying to stay awake. Here are some pictures of la Boca and of whatevah, Í´ll write more when im not so delirious!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I'm leaving






I'm super tired but wanted to post some pix from my going away party and stuff, Sean came to visit me, Melissa made African stick bread, etc. And to say goodbye to the U.S. and all my friends and family(except Jules) for one year. So adios, it's been fun, see you in a year with a new prez.