Real Life

This past week has been hectic trying to figure out my new schedule so I'll just sum it up. The weekend I got back from El Calafate, I did absolutely nothing. Molly and I were so tired we slept practically all day Sat. never leaving the apartment. And there was a huge thunder and lighting storm. Buenos Aires doesn't have "bad" weather often but when it does, it's normally a huge storm lasting the entire day. So it made staying inside a lot easier. And then Sunday it was a sunny 75 degree day. I went to the Recolta fair and watched some street performances. I also bought myself a leather bracelet. But because I have such tiny wrists the man had to custome fit mine by cutting one of the ones he had already made. It was pretty cool having him fix it for me right then and there.

Then Monday was my first day of classes for the Semester. My schedule looks like this:

Monday/Wednesday                                          Tuesday/Thursday
Latin American Culture 1:00-2:30                      Latin American Literature 1:00-2:30
Grammar 2:30-4:00                                            Cinema 2:30-4:00
                                                                           Tango 4:00-5:30

It's a really sweet schedule and I like all my professors. But I can tell after only 1 1/2 weeks my literature class is going to be my hardest. I had thought about playing soccer for the school team but practices were the same time as my tango class. So I was bummed about that. But then I met someone who had gone to the first practice, told me all about it, and I decided screw tango; I'm playing soccer! So I dropped the class. I only need 4 classes anyway to be considered a full time student. Women's soccer here isn't very common. So there are only 3 Argintine girls on the team, the rest are international students. We practice on Thursday's and have games on weekends. And we play 8vs8.

On Monday I finally made it to La Bomba the drum circle concert. It was a lot of fun. Lot's of music, ligths and high people. Pot is just as illegal here as it is in the states but this one party Monday nights seems to be the exception. There are always people selling brownies and cookies, right in front of cops who walk by. You can get two cookies for $2.50. I'm not sure if that is cheap or not. But according to my friends it's the best $2.50 they ever spent. Here are some pictures of the show:

                              

This last thursday was St. Patrick's day and of course we went out. St. Patty's day here isn't huge with locals but is still big enough to close down a 10 block radius of downtown. It was a huge outdoor/street party for as far as you could see, with bars on every corner and everyone dressed in green. And on one street there was a live band playing.

So I'm on my second week of school and this Thursday and Friday is a national holiday so no school! Molly, Camille, and I are off to Mendoza. It's another big city in Argentina but right next to the Andes Mountains and about 14 hrs away from Buenos Aires. We are leaving tonight and taking a bus straight through the night. Mendoza is also famous for Wine tasting. So I think right now our plan is to go river rafting, wine tasting and then hike the tallest peak in the Andes in Aconcagua National Park. Really excited.

Patagonia - El Chalten

The next day after climbing on the glacier we were exhausted. But we had a very chill day to recover. We decided that morning that we wanted to go to El Chalten. Which is another mountain village about 3 hrs north of El Calafate. Even though we had already paid for the hostel in Calafate, they gave us our money back for the night and also booked us a hostel in Chalten. They were so cool about it. Check out was at 10am and our bus didn't leave until 6pm. But they let use their internet, their kitchen and molly even crashed on the couch for a few hours. I feel like at home if you wanted to cancel a night (in the middle of the reservation) and then come back, they would just look at you like you were crazy and say "hell no..." So while molly slept Camille and I walked around the village and window shopped for a bit. Then around 4 we went to this coffee shop and hung out there for a few hours. It was really cool. During the day it's a cafe/lounge and then at night it becomes a bar. I got a submarino. Which is the Argentine version of hot chocolate. Except they give you hot milk and a chocolate bar. You put the chocolate bar in the hot milk, it melts and wa-lah, it's hot chocolate. It's like magic and so tasty!

So on our way to El Chalten the bus stops in the middle of no where at this guacho restaurant. There's nothing but this one hut selling empanadas and coffee, a river flowing behind it and horses roaming around. It was really interesting because everything was really rustic and authentic. First time I'd seen anything guacho related. We get back on the bus and drive for another 2hrs. We finally arrive in Chalten around 10:30pm. It's dark, rainy, and windy, and we have no idea where our hostel is. Luckily the entire town is only 5 blocks. We found our hotel and settled into our room. There was also a guy from Isreal, a guy Australia and a women from the U.S in our room. The guy from Australia was so cool. His name was Zander, he's 21 and a photographer for a surfing magazine. And the magazine has been paying him to travel all over South America. Zander was very chill, and so interesting to talk to because he's been all over the world surfing and taking pictures with his friends. He was the australian version of Tyler Cox. So cool! He even had the long hair and beanie. We decided we wanted to do a hike up to Fitz Roy and he wanted to come with. We made friends with him, and about 10 other people in the hostel, who were coincidently studying at the same University as well. We ended up playing card games until 1 am.

So thursday we had a time limit. We had to be back in town for the bus to take us back to Calafate at 6pm. But the hike we wanted to do was about 8 hrs round trip. So we decided we'd get up at 7:30 and be at the trail head by 8. Turns out the bakery doesn't open until 8 so we stuck around, had media lunas (more or less crossants) for breakfast, made lunch and took off. The trail head started at the end of the city. So 15 min walk and we were there.

This hike had the most diverse scenery I'd ever hiked in. The hike started in the trees and within 20 min we had the greatest view of the entire valley and snow covered mountain tops. Then as we continued on we hiked around a lake, through a meadow, a dry river bed, then a forest that looked like the forbidden forest at Hogwarts, up and over a few rivers, near glaciers and then rock scrambled the last hour. 20 minutes into the hike it started to snow. It was actually really fun and we were thankful it wasn't raining because we didn't have appropriate gear. However our new friend Zander was in shorts, so I don't think he appreciated it very much. We were also determined to complete this hike with some extra time before we had to leave so we were booking it. However the higher we got the stronger the wind and more cloudy it became. But we were hoping as the day went on the sun would burn the clouds away. We didn't see a single person on our way up, except for one. We ran into him with about 1 hour to go and he advised us to be very careful. He said it was a blizzard up top and he lost the trail for awhile but said since we made it this far we might as well keep going. So we continue our trek up the last steep incline. In about 1/2 a mile there were probably 30+ switchbacks. We'd walk 6 ft in one direction and then there'd be a switchback, back and forth all they way up. As our hike went on it continued to snow. But it wasn't until the last 30 min. when it really started to stick. And as we continued it started getting deeper, and deeper, and deeper... But the time we got to the top we were in shin deep snow (knee did in some places). And the wind was starting to get stronger and stronger. At some points it was so strong we had to hit the ground and find a rock to hold onto so we woudn't fall over. The trail was on the side of the mountain so if we fell, we were going to keep falling... Molly was wanting to go back but we hadn't quite gotten to the top yet, so Camille and I were planning on going 20 or so more feet, hoping to get a better view. Then all of a sudden the biggest gust came through, lasting 10 or so min. (which i guess that wouldn't make it a gust anymore)  and it was at least 70+mph - not exaggerating. With all the wind and snow we couldn't see very far around us. Molly was only 10 ft below us on the trail and we couldn't see her at all.  I normally don't get scared but at that moment it was a little nerve racking and an adrenaline rush. Once the wind let up we all agreed it was time to head down. We made it to the top in 3 hrs though. Record time! Sadly it was too windy and snowy so we weren't able see the amazing view of Fitz Roy. Totally worth the trip though. We got down the steep part and found a wooden hut to have lunch in, protecting us from the snow and wind. But by lunch time we were all getting really cold. Expecially Zander with shorts and no gloves. So we ate a fast lunch and kept going, trying to get warm. Sadly on our way down, we weren't the only one's on the mountain. We must of seen 50 or so other people. I really enjoy feeling like we are the only ones out there. Just you and nature. As we descended, the sun started to come out and we were able to get a lot of good pictures. But it was still a blizzard on top so we never saw Fitz Roy. But it was so great and we took so many pictures that it took us 4 hrs to get down.

We got back to the hostel, spent a few hours packing up and headed off to the bus to take us back to Calafate. It was a great 24 hr trip. Here are some pictures:

I borrowed this from a friend who went a few days before. This is what he saw...

And this is what we saw

                                                         Molly giving thanks to Pachamama (mother nature)

The valley

We got back into Calafate around 9 and then went over to Ema's for dinner. He had invited us over for an asado. Which is an Argentine BBQ. We had pork, blood sausage (personally not my favorite), Chorizo (which is like a bratwurst), and steak. It was incredible. Ema is a very outdoorsy sort of person, and you can just tell by looking at his place. He lives in a 1 bedroom house that he built himself. His kitchen table are 2x4s put together with a slab of marble on top. His cutting board (my personal favorite) is a round of wood...from a tree in his yard! He has camping gear hanging out everywhere to dry. And he was going to cook the asado outside over the fire but it was too windy. So he cooked it in the oven instead. I don't know anyone who would opt. to cook an entire meal outside over a fire when they have an entire kitchen at their disposal. He was so interesting and in love with the outdoors. He showed us pictures of his previous trips and a map of where he's planning his next adventure. Apparently he's going to find a new route up and over the mountains. The Argentine people are very proud of their culture and want to share it with everybody. And that is exactly what he did. We talked for hours drinking wine and talking about nature, outdoor sports and life in Patagonia. Ema had us try all sorts of Calafate exquisites. He went on and on about these great local berries (called Calafates) that are only found in this part of Patagonia. And how they make jam, ice cream and all these other great things out of this amazing berry. Then he opened the bag to show us and they looked exactly like blueberries. We just broke out laughing thinking that these "amazing" berries were just blueberries. Turns out their not but similar, and very good. He also had us try this vodka that was made from Calafate plants. It was also very good and didn't taste like alcohol at all. It tasted like the plant. My favorite was the bark...There is bark that they grind up and use as seasonings. But we chewed on the real deal.  It's so strong that he gave us a 2mm piece. This tiny piece of bark was surprisingly very spicy and flavorful. Also had a hint of tree to it. So we once again had a great night talking and then went back to our hostel at 2am. 

Friday was our last day in Calafate and nobody wanted to leave. It was hard for me to transition back into city life again. But we walked through El Calafate one last time, sat in the sun and wrote postcards to family, said our goodbyes and left. It was a great trip! 

Patagonia - El Calafate

This is without doubt the best experience of my life. Sunday March 6th was a pretty uneventful day. My roommate had left already for Patagonia, and my host family had left for the beach for the week. So it was just me in the apartment. It was the first time I'd been completely alone for over a month, and it was a really weird feeling. I had to leave at 5:00 am to catch a bus down to the airport for my 7:00 flight. So I had plenty of time to pack...I listened to music, ate, danced around my apartment, and then bored ate until about 1:30am when I decided it was best to start packing. I got on the bus and to the airport with no problem. But when I got my ticket they told me I couldn't check in yet because they didn't have the gate number for my plane. Turns out my flight wasn't until 8 and they weren't going to know my gate number until 7:00... So I ended up waiting/half falling asleep for two hours. Normally I would have Katie to keep me entertained, so in honor of her bought myself a Sudoku book. Thanks KT. 7:00 finally rolls around and I go to the correct gate number and then wait there another 2 hours since the flight was delayed. I learned on this trip that domestic flights in Argentina run on Argentina time as well. Always 1-2 hrs late. :) On the plane I met two people from Israel who had just finished three years in the army and were taking 5 months to travel. Throughout the entire week I probably meet 10+ people from Israel. South America is apparently a popular place to travel after the army.

So I arrived in El Calafate and shared a cab with my two new friends. Sadly I didn't see them again. I couldn't believe how fresh the air was and the gorgeous mountains with a light covering of snow. The surrounding area was beautiful. I hadn't realized how much I really missed the mountains and the not so busy cities. There was no bus system, no honking cars, and no sirens like in Buenos Aires. It was a very peacefull mountain village. I arrived at the hostel meeting up with Molly and Camille who had already been there for a day. They showed me around the village which took a whole 15 min. There is one main street with shops and excursion offices and that's about it. The city is very dependent on tourists, so there are many advertisements and specials for excursions. Before I arrived Molly and Camille did all the reasearch for the best deals and excursions offered. We had decided climbing on the glacier was one of our main priorities. So instead of doing lots of little excursions that were cheaper we went for one big one. Go big or go home right? For some reason while packing for Argentina I decided I wouldn't need my hiking boots, so I left them at home...in Woodinville. Luckily there were places to rent boots for $10 a day. After finalizing our plans we bought some wine and cheese/crackers and walked down to the lake for sunset.

Tuesday was when the real adventure began, we were doing the Big Ice excursion on Perito Moreno Glacier. At 7am a tour bus picked us up from our hostel and we were greeted by a very energetic man named Marcelo. He would speak in spanish and then in english. It was fun listening to the spanish first and being able to understand almost everything he said before he spoke in english. We picked up other people at different hostels around the city and then headed to the glacier. We met a few other guys who coincidentley are in the same program we are. And they had already been in Patagonia for 4 days so they were giving us all sorts of ideas for the week to come. The day I arrived it was clear blue skies and 70 degrees. But today we weren't so lucky. It was windy, rainy, and very cold. We first went to a board walk in the national park that circuited around the glacier showing both faces and the surface of the glacier. We were a little bummed about the lack of visibility but were still hopeful for the hiking later on in the day. The glacier is just massive! It's bigger than the entire city of Buenos Aires. Every once in awhile it calves, dropping huge chunks of ice into the water. And everytime it makes a thuderous roar. It's the coolest thing to watch. The glacier is the only one in the world not receeding. Scientists consider it at equilibrium which means even though it's losing ice, each winter it accumulates more to counteract it.  We walked around the boardwalk for about an hour taking all sorts of pictures. Molly and Camille decided they were tired of the rain and did some yoga sun salutations, hoping the sun would come out. And i'm not lying, 10 mins later it stopped raining, the sun started to come out and there was a rainbow. After about an hour we got back on the bus and headed to the ferry that would take us to the glacier. Here are some pictures from the board walk

We took a 15 min ferry to the base camp where we met all our guides and other members of the group. We were given the option of taking the tour in English or Spanish and were really tempted to go with the spansih group. But then decided if something went wrong, we wouldn't want to risk our lives...so we went with the english speaking group. We hiked for about an hour through the trees along side the glacier. It was just gorgeous and so massive you couldn't see where it ended. Once we reached the point on the glacier were we would start our trek, they gave us harnesses and crampons and off we went. The dynamic of our group was interesting. There was a couple from sweden on their honeymoon (which i thought was so cool), other college students, a guy asian couple, who would stay behing taking pictures and making out (the guides were getting annoyed because they would slow everybody down) and then others from France, California, Canada, and Brazil.

We trekked across the glacier for a few hours, over cravasses, through glacier streams, and up many glacier hills. When we walked over streams it was the weirdest feeling, because you could see the water moving but the top 2-3 inches was pure ice so we could still awalk over it without getting our feet wet. Then for lunch the took us to a lake in the middle of the entire glacier. It was gorgeous and the most pure water I had ever drank. It was crystal blue water, and so cold, it would give me a brain freeze only after 3 sips. The day had turned into a a great blue sky day. And even though we were on the glacier it was really warm. I ended up sheding most of my layers. As we ate our lunch we were talking to our guides (in spanish) and they were telling us all about their life in Calafate, how they became guides and so on. One of them was taking a liking to molly, so they started chating the rest of the trip. And when we'd go down something really steep no matter where he was in line he'd race to the front to help her down. It was really funny. We thought it was just an act but turns out he is acutally a really genuine guy. He even invited us to one of his friend's birthday party that night.

After lunch we walked on the glacier for another 2 hrs or so. They explained to us how the glacier is still "growing" and that the middle of the glacier moves about 2 meters a day. And the more blue the ice is, means it's more compact (more dense/more snow) and less oxygen in it. And that was our 4 hour adventure on the glacier. We then hiked back down to the ferry boat to take us back to our bus. It was so much fun but by the end we were just exhusted and as soon as we got back to our hostel we crashed.
Here are some pictures of the glacier

   

This was the hour long hike alongside the glacier

           

We at lunch at the lake

                                             

So our guide ema had invited us out to one of his friends birthday party. We were a little skeptical at first but decided why not, he seemed to be a very genuine guy. He told us he'd pick us up from our hostel at 10:00pm and we figured argentine time, so we'd be ready by 11. At 9:50 I just woke up from my nap and exactly at 10 he was outside our hostel. No one was ready. So he said no problem, i'll go home and then come back in a half hour. Three girls in one room trying to get ready in 30 min is more or less a shit show. But we got ready and once again exactly at 10:30 he was there. Molly had no worries at all, she was stoked to go, but Camille and I weren't really sure where we were going and wanted to make sure we had a way out if we wanted to leave the party for any reason. But as soon as we got in the car Ema said, "at anytime, if you guys want to leave, just let me know, and i'll drive you back." My worries had vanished. We had stopped along the way to pick up some artisanal beer from a local brewery to bring to the party and since the town is so small we got to his friends house 10 min later. 

Almost everyone there were guides or climbers and they were all very welcoming. The entire night was very light hearted and fun. There was a bond fire, homemade empanadas warming by the fire, loud music, low lit christmas lights, and little kids running around. Argentine culture is all about sharing and trying new things. So if someone brought wine or a litter of beer, it was never for them. They might have a glass but the rest was to share with whoever wanted it. Completely different when going to a party in the U.S. We talked in spanish all night, meeting all sorts of  people. At one point, one of his friends got everyone's attention so he could give the birthday boy a package of cold meat. And everyone started laughing. I'm not sure if this was an inside joke with their friends, or an Argentina thing but it was fun to be apart of. The starts were amazing too! Buenos Aires is too bright so I haven't been able to see the stars in awhile. I saw new constellations, like the southern cross. We had a great evening, hungout until 2:00 am and then headed back to our hostel.