Wine country and the tango

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date: November ? 2009. I think it´s the 20th, but I´m not sure...I tend to lose track of time and date here!

The fountain in the middle of Plaza Independencia in Mendoza, Argentina

I got into Mendoza, Argentina after an 8 hour bus ride from Santiago. The bus ride was stunning- my nose was stuck to the window the whole time since we were driving right through the Andes. Along the way were tiny beautiful ski villages just situated between the mountains. Mendoza is a town famous for its wine. I got the opportunity to visit some of the wineries and the factories where they make olive oil. The landscape was just lovely (and so were the wines!).

Wine tasting with Danny and Martin outside of Mendoza (not sure why some pictures posted twice...can´t figure out how to delete them)

Other than that, Mendoza offered lots of shopping and plenty of pretty plazas to spend some quality time reflecting on all that has happened so far. I got my first bout of the traveling sleepies in Mendoza. I hadn´t been tired of traveling at all until I suddenly felt exhausted midday in Mendoza. I needed to take a nap in the hostal- which had never happened before. After my nap I got and felt refreshed, but for a few hours there I was feeling all the moving and meeting I had been doing for the previous 2 months.

In Mendoza, I also got the chance to play with incredibly cute puppies, thanks to Eric and Julia, who saved them from the streets three weeks earlier. Yay for puppies!

Meeting lots of new people and getting the chance to practice my Spanish. Lately, Danny and Martin (my friends from Spain and Chile respectively), have been helping me understand the Spanish and Chilean accents that I find so difficult. Thanks, boys!

After Mendoza I took a 18 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires, where I am now. I am planning on meeting some teachers and going into schools this coming week, which is exciting. I also got an invitation to spend some time in Valparaiso (2 hours west of Santiago), where my new friend Martin´s mom has opened up a library for kids who don´t have the resources to read. She provides the kids with a wide choice of books in different languages and has been working with non profits to do so. She used to be a teacher and now works in children´s literacy.

Buenos Aires is an amazing city, full of interesing things to see. Yesterday, we went into La Boca, a neighborhood that holds the futbol stadium and lots of colorful buildings. Apparently, lots of Italians immigrated here about 200 years ago and since it was a really poor neighborhood, they were made to paint their houses with whatever paint they could find, which happened to be bits of brightly colored paint. The tourist area is beautiful, with people tangoing and streets decorated with cowboy (gaucho) wear, but outside the city is evidence that the area is still extremely poor. It is not a safe place to walk and the kids walking around were pretty rough.
The neighborhood of La Boca, home of the soccer team

A little tangoing...

After La Boca we walked around the pier in Buenos Aires, which was beautiful. BA has so many different neighborhoods, each with their own distinct characteristics.
The view from the pier

Not too much news on this end- lots of long bus rides lately and travel time. I have about 3 weeks left in South America before I move on to Kosovo. Craziness! I can´t believe how quickly the time has flown. Although I have loved Chile and Argentina, I am ready to move on to places that challenge me more- without the comforts and efficiency that modernity brings. I have found it easier to make real connections and to really experience the culture in places that don´t have as much money.

Ok, over and out :)

Besos y abrazos!

Happy Birthday to Leila!