Hey all!
I just got back this morning from Catamarca to visit Ivi and her family. Ivi is my REALLY good friend from high school when I was a sophomore when she studied abroad. I decided to go really last minute and had to miss most of my classes this week but it really was totally worth it. Anyway, I went to Córdoba first to meet Ivi and then on Friday we went to Catamarca together. When I saw her I was sooo stoked!! We hugged a bunch and it was just amazing! I arrived early in the morning and we took a taxi to her apartment. It's really awesome. She lives alone in a two- bedroom apartment with a lovely kitchen, and a huge patio. I took some photos so I will upload them to facebook. We had a great morning, we had mate on the patio and talked all morning. Later, we went out for a walk and to eat lomito sandwiches, which are the best in Córdoba, so I had to try them. Sooooo good. We tried the vegetarian one with eggplant and the regular one. I was so full after that. That night we meant to go out clubbing but before we went we decided to take a nap. Well...we never really woke up lol. It's cool though because I got a lot of needed beauty sleep. On Friday, we just hung out again and took a walk. Before our trip to Catamarca at midnight, we decided to get a beer hehe ; ) We shared two bottles of Stella, the beer that beer haters love. I definitely realized how amazing Córdoba is and how I have to go back. Our bus trip was great. I fell asleep and pretty much stayed asleep the whole time. Nine hours later, I was in Catamarca!
We then took a taxi together to her house (It was only 6:00 am). Her house is gorgeous! She has a pool in the backyard, a hammock, ect. Unfortunately I meant to take pictures but I didn't. So we watched TV and went to sleep. I met her family when we went to my first Argentine asado (Barbeque…it was seriously the best barbeque I have ever had in my entire life). There is Ivi’s father, Carlos, Ivi’s mother (I don’t know her name bleh), Juan Agustín, the 17 year old brother, and Matias, the 7 year old brother. There was steak, ribs, and sausage but it's really nothing like anything I have ever tried, so don't imagine what it's like...just come here someday and try it ; ) Also, I got to try this great regional wine that was so smooth and velvety, a perfect addition to my asado.
The next day, we went to el Rodeo, a beautiful scenic drive through the mountains. I took so many photos, so you'll be able to see what I am talking about. One fun thing was this little aqueduct that looked like the water would flow up the mountain, but when we tested it, the water went the opposite way I thought. We ate lunch at this nice restaurant and I ordered Pollo con Salsa Marsala (Chicken Marsala). It was super yummy, and the chicken was just so much better quality than I usually eat in the States.
I also got to try Alfajores Cordobeses after dinner one night (Alfajores are cookies filled with Dulce de Leche in the middle...they are yummy). Alfajores are very regional, so the ones from Córdoba have a sugar-type coating on the outside of the cookie part.
On Monday night, there was a party for Arcor, the company that Ivi's dad works for commemorating their achieved goals last year. It was really fun and the food was good too. I ended up dancing which was a super fun.
Yesterday, before I left, we decided to make brownies, so I grilled my brain about what we needed to make them and they turned out to be great!! Also, Ivi's mom just happened to make plum preserves, so we had homemade brownies with plum sauce.
Well this is definitely not everything but it’s some highlights of my trip!
Chau,
Julia
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Last Few Weeks
Hey,
So I´m going to try to go in order but I may not. tehehe. So the first thing I can think of is talking about Tigre. It was very beautiful even though it was lightly raining during our boat ride in a catamaran. It´s only a train ride away from Buenos Aires, and is well worth the time to visit. I got a smoothie before we left on the boat and later we went to Puerto de Frutos where there was a nice open-air market. I bought my first mate pronounced (Mah-tay) for yerba mate, my new addiction! I also bought a CD with tango music that was only $25 pesos.
Then, that week, one interesting thing was stepping in cat vomit one day that I woke up. It was gross but pretty funny at the same time. Also, Marcela´s birthday party was on Monday, Feb. 24 and I bought her a bouquet of flowers which she ended up really liking. I really am loving soaking up the culture here, and I realize how important family and friends are. I don´t take you all at home for granted.
On Thursday, I had my exam which I felt pretty good about. Often, that´s not a good feeling to have because usually that means you messed up royally. Anyway, that didn´t happen to me luckily because I got a 9! That´s a really good grade here in Argentina. Also, on Thursday, I signed up for the classes I am taking this semester. Here they are:
1. Tango Danza
2. Tango Teoria
3. Los sistemas politicos latinoamericanos comparados
4. La literatura argentina y latinoamericana
5. La base biologica del comportamiento
6. Arte argentina contemporanea
and maybe
7. Psicologia educacional
The best part is that I only have class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday!!! That will be nice when my parents/sister and possibly my boy visits me.
Anyway, I now am in Mendoza. Today is Tuesday, so I have one more night here at the hostel. So far, we have done a lot of fun things! The first day, we explored the city a bit and found out that there was a wine tasting in the city that night. We got cafe, and then went to dinner (I got a delicious steak, wine, and a peach daquiri). For $20 pesos, we got to try 8 glasses of wine...soo good! I marked down all the ones I liked which was fun. I really only drank 6 of the 8 to not get drunk haha.
The next day, we took a long hike to see the large monument dedicated to San Martin, the character in Argentine history that liberated Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay I think. It was very beautiful and I took a lot of photos. I realized that day how out of shape I am...so I think I will work on that. We then made Chorizo sandwiches with peppers and onions, a good way to end the night.
Yesterday, we went on a tour on bike to check out some vineyards in the Lujan region of Mendoza. I was expecting to ride in the countryside and just have a very chill day. It turned out that we had to ride our bikes on the road with busy traffic (without helmets), which freaked me out a definite few times. Though overall it was a great way to do a tour of 4 to 5 vineyards. I ended up bringing my backpack in case I wanted to buy any bottles, so I bought a rose, a malbec and regular, nonalcoholic grape juice. Man, did the bikeriding get much harder after that. jaja.
Today, we are pretty much taking it easy. Tonight at the hostel there is a BBQ which includes alcohol so that should be fun. I am getting excited for Mar del Plata too which will be here in a few days. Woot woot. Hopefully the trip back to BsAs wont seem too long.
Un beso,
Julieta
So I´m going to try to go in order but I may not. tehehe. So the first thing I can think of is talking about Tigre. It was very beautiful even though it was lightly raining during our boat ride in a catamaran. It´s only a train ride away from Buenos Aires, and is well worth the time to visit. I got a smoothie before we left on the boat and later we went to Puerto de Frutos where there was a nice open-air market. I bought my first mate pronounced (Mah-tay) for yerba mate, my new addiction! I also bought a CD with tango music that was only $25 pesos.
Then, that week, one interesting thing was stepping in cat vomit one day that I woke up. It was gross but pretty funny at the same time. Also, Marcela´s birthday party was on Monday, Feb. 24 and I bought her a bouquet of flowers which she ended up really liking. I really am loving soaking up the culture here, and I realize how important family and friends are. I don´t take you all at home for granted.
On Thursday, I had my exam which I felt pretty good about. Often, that´s not a good feeling to have because usually that means you messed up royally. Anyway, that didn´t happen to me luckily because I got a 9! That´s a really good grade here in Argentina. Also, on Thursday, I signed up for the classes I am taking this semester. Here they are:
1. Tango Danza
2. Tango Teoria
3. Los sistemas politicos latinoamericanos comparados
4. La literatura argentina y latinoamericana
5. La base biologica del comportamiento
6. Arte argentina contemporanea
and maybe
7. Psicologia educacional
The best part is that I only have class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday!!! That will be nice when my parents/sister and possibly my boy visits me.
Anyway, I now am in Mendoza. Today is Tuesday, so I have one more night here at the hostel. So far, we have done a lot of fun things! The first day, we explored the city a bit and found out that there was a wine tasting in the city that night. We got cafe, and then went to dinner (I got a delicious steak, wine, and a peach daquiri). For $20 pesos, we got to try 8 glasses of wine...soo good! I marked down all the ones I liked which was fun. I really only drank 6 of the 8 to not get drunk haha.
The next day, we took a long hike to see the large monument dedicated to San Martin, the character in Argentine history that liberated Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay I think. It was very beautiful and I took a lot of photos. I realized that day how out of shape I am...so I think I will work on that. We then made Chorizo sandwiches with peppers and onions, a good way to end the night.
Yesterday, we went on a tour on bike to check out some vineyards in the Lujan region of Mendoza. I was expecting to ride in the countryside and just have a very chill day. It turned out that we had to ride our bikes on the road with busy traffic (without helmets), which freaked me out a definite few times. Though overall it was a great way to do a tour of 4 to 5 vineyards. I ended up bringing my backpack in case I wanted to buy any bottles, so I bought a rose, a malbec and regular, nonalcoholic grape juice. Man, did the bikeriding get much harder after that. jaja.
Today, we are pretty much taking it easy. Tonight at the hostel there is a BBQ which includes alcohol so that should be fun. I am getting excited for Mar del Plata too which will be here in a few days. Woot woot. Hopefully the trip back to BsAs wont seem too long.
Un beso,
Julieta
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