Mar del plata

Mar del plata was so much fun and another great adventure. We were supposed to leave Buenos Aires at 1:30am but there was an accident outside the city so our double decker bus didn't show up until 3:00am, true argentine time. On this bus there are two levels. The bottom level is for "first class" with chairs that recline all the way down, and then the top level is for not first class...Those seats did not recline so much, I mean they did but not really enought to get comfortable. Those 6 long hours on the bus was the first time I couldn't just fall asleep anyhwhere. I thought about bringing my blanket but at the last minute didn't, maybe that was the difference. :) Should I not have shared that with everyone... So our hostel was 3 blocks away from the beach. It was the first time I had ever been to a hostel and it was the greatest experience of my life. We met people from England, Denmark, France, Brazil, Paraguay, Germany, and Argentina. That night we had plans to go out and find new bars/clubs but we had so much fun with everyone, we just stayed in the backyard talking until 3:00am. We also made a communal dinner with the 6 of us. We only spent $5.00 per person and ended up having more food than we needed. The first day we went to the beach and most the girls just layed in the sun all day. They said the water was too cold. But for me the Atlantic Ocean was warmer than anything I'd swim in at home, so I was in the water practically all day. Fun fact...it was the first time I'd been in the Atlantic Ocean. I had also brought my soccer ball along. So when we met up with the kids from England we played for a good hour on the beach. Then the next day was even better. The Argentine guys we meet at the hostel were surfers. So they came down but the surfing was terrible so they just hungout on the beach with us. We ended up playing 3 on 3, girls against guys. It was so much fun, and we definitely gave them a run for their money but we lost 4 to 5. We then took the long journey home Sunday night, and arrived back in Buenos Aires at 1:00 monday morning.

left to right:

Lucho, Nicole, Camille, don't remember, Lauren, Lipi, Bri, Me, Molly, Branca

                                                                Hostel del Mar

 

So that Monday we got back there was a reggae night at a outdoor club/bar and there were drum circle performances. It sounds wierd but apparently it's really cool. Here's a link if you have any interest:

http://exposebuenosaires.com/la-bomba-del-tiempo/

And I say apparently because the group was supposed to all meet up and go. We were even meeting the English kids here because after Mar del Plata they were going to Buenos Aires for 10 days. And most of the group did except for molly and I. I had looked up the address online, found the bus we needed to take and the exact stop to get off at. But for some reason google gave me directions to the opposite side of the city... And we were already late, so we did not make it. But instead we walked home and found a great ice cream place. After the show everyone left to go to a bar, so we ended up meeting them there. Our new argentine friends also met us there and we hung out until 2:30 again. It's so much fun to practice spanish and be able to carry on real conversations. Lipi, one of our friends is a salsa teacher and Lucho is a martial arts expert. On friday it was Lipi's birthday so he invited us out with all his friends. It was so much fun. We went to a bar/club that played nothing but spanish music. We danced all night until 4:30am, when they kicked us out. Then saturday and sunday I did nothing but lay in the sun all day. Every weekend there's a Recoleta fair with hundreds of handmade clothes, jewlery, art, and food. There were tango performers, just dancing away in the park, as well as a puppet show. You could just sit for hours watching everything around you. If you ever come visit, you will need to check this out.

This has basically been it. Molly and I have been walking to class instead of taking the bus for the past few days. It's about an hour walk but I love it. I think mostly because class doesn't start until 10. If it started any earlier I don't think I could get myself to do it. And what I really love here is that walking an hour is no big deal. But at home if i saw that where I needed to go took an hour, I would have said, screw that I'll take the bus or "brett can i have a ride"...  :) (Brett thank you by the way). I'm currently on my last week of spanish class and have finals on thursday and friday. Then I leave for Patagonia on Monday. I'm so excited! Then in two weeks I officially start my semester. I signed up for 5 classes:

1. Culture of Latin America
2. Literature of Latin America
3. Tango!!!!!
4. Cinema
5. Advanced Grammar