Nothing to Wine About

Well I just returned from an AWESOME and relaxing bestie getaway to Mendoza. There was definitely nothing to wine about. Here's a recap to make you envious of my adventures in wine country.

After ditching class a little bit early, Alex and I went to dinner and started off the trip off right with this delicious dessert.

It was a good thing that we ate then because we weren't served dinner on the bus- or given a pillow- or blanket. Needless to say it was a long night with little sleep. In the morning, we awoke to beautiful mountain views. We arrived to Mendoza around 11am and checked out our hostel, and enjoyed a yummy meal at Maria Antonieta before heading on a wine tour for the afternoon.

We stopped at two vineyards, a traditional one and a more modern one. At each we got tours and did some wine tasting. We then went to an olive oil factory. I had no complaints about anything I tried! That evening we hung out in our hostel, playing cards, reading and enjoying free wine hour before meeting my friend and her parents for dinner who were also visiting Mendoza! It was a lovely evening, but I was definitely ready for bed.

Cavas de Don Arturo

Vistandes

Sunday morning we woke up and walked/ran to Parque General San Martin, which was gorgeous! Rose gardens, a lake, and awesome views.

We then headed to Bodega Ruca Malen, to have yet another tour of the vineyard, but here comes the best part- we enjoyed a 5 course meal, each paired with a different wine. By far one of the best meals I have ever had. Don't worry, I documented each course. The view of vineyards and mountains was surreal. The pictures will do the talking.

Chardonnay leave roll stuffed with ricotta cheese and wheat

Goat cheese and grilled eggplant

Smoked filet and legume salad

Grilled tenderloin steak with potato wedges

Hazelnut ice cream on a brownie

That night we ventured into the city to check out the night life. Definitely a different vibe from Buenos Aires, but a nice change of pace! Monday we woke up to go on our rafting adventure on the Mendoza River! We were looking and feeling pretty good in our tight wetsuits- especially after our meal the day before. Although the rapids weren't anything too crazy, it was so much fun and a great way to see the mountains! After one more unforgettable meal, we were on our way back to the big city. We definitely got a good feel of what Mendoza has to offer and enjoyed every second of it!

Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My!

Well I feel like I am running out of time as I have officially been here for 13 weeks, my family comes to visit in a month, and I only have two weeks left once they leave! So much to do, so little time!

Here is a quick update of my life in the city before I head off to Mendoza to soak up the sun in wine country for the weekend! Last week, I had my first and only “midterm,” which was for my photography class. It was open book and if someone was confused by one of the questions, our professor was happy to explain the answer. As I have just received an email about course registration for next semester, I am scared of the reality I will have to face back at DePauw. Thursday night we checked out a cool bar called La Puerta Roja, where we were asked a few times too many, “do you speak English.” We then went to Hip Hop Culture Club, which is a boliche that on Thursday nights only plays hip-hop. While Spanish rap is very hard to follow, we definitely enjoyed hearing some of our favorites from home on occasion. 

Saturday was definitely a day to brag about- I kissed a lion, pet a tiger, fed an elephant, and rode a camel. We trekked to Zoo Lujan, supposedly “the most dangerous zoo in the world.” Luckily, I still have all of my body parts and some pretty awesome pictures to capture this once in a lifetime opportunity. 

That night we celebrated my friends 21^st with dinner and drinks, but the zoo wore me out, so I didn’t make it to the boliche after to dance until dawn. 

some of the birthday crew!

Sunday was a productive day, enjoying a delicious brunch and getting some of my reading done in a bookstore.

my delicious study snack

This week has flown by once again! Nothing too exciting to report, just the normal routine of going to class, working out, eating, and, sleeping- not bad! Yesterday on my free day, I purchased my tickets for Patagonia! Can’t wait to conquer the glaciers and explore that part of the country. I also can’t wait to get up for our 4:45am flight… After that we checked out Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which had some pretty fantastic paintings, and then I continued my cultural adventures and saw the opera, Jenufa, that lasted 3 hours!

Teatro Avenida

Well, time to finish my packing for the weekend and mentally prepare for the 14 hour bus ride ahead. 

Ciao for now!

From the City to the Country

This past week I've had the opportunity to spend a normal week in the city, and also relax in the countryside for the long weekend.

Some of highlights of my week include working on a group project for my radio class with other Argentine students. While it is definitely intimidating/difficult to speak up, it is a cool way to get to know the locals, and practice some spanish. Out of class we communicate via facebook, and I made the mistake of friending the wrong Francisco. This one quickly accepted, and messaged me "gracias por agregarme eres real o un angel un beso para vos preciosa." That can be translated as, "thank you for adding me, are you real or an angel, a kiss for you, precious." As flattering as it is, just is a little taste of how creepy some of the Argentine men can be. Alex and I also experienced too many whistles and catcalls as we got lost on our way home from an delicious lunch. I ended up leading us in the wrong direction, so we got a nice tour of the city, and a 44 block walk in as well!

WAY better than Chipotle- chicken, quinoa, baba ghanoush, and guac

The best part of my week was definitely receiving a care package from Alpha Phi filled with notes, dark chocolate, my favorite oatmeal, and other yummy goodies! Waiting for 2 hours at the post office to pick it up was definitely worth it- couldn't ask for better friends to call my sisters :)

After a typical week in the city, my friends and I ventured out to the countryside for the weekend. The escape, only 2 hours away, was much needed. Saturday morning we left for San Antonio de Areco, where we spent the day exploring the quaint town. We couldn't pass up the chocolate factory, where we enjoyed our delectable chocolate in a nearby park. We then attempted to be Argentines and stopped at a mate bar where we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, drinking mate, and eating fresh bread and homemade marmalade. A great way to spend time out of the city.

San Antonio de Areco

mate time

On Sunday, we spent the day at an estancia (a ranch). It was beautiful! When we got there, we were served empanadas and wine, so we knew we were in for a great day. After some lounging, I went horseback riding for the first time that I can remember! It was definitely a new experience, but I enjoyed it and the scenery was incredible!

Estancia El Ombu

We then enjoyed a large meal of salads, meat galore, wine, and ice cream. A typical gaucho (cowboy) also provided some lunchtime entertainment.

After lunch was when things got a little weird. A horse whisperer got pretty intimate with his horse. And then we got to pose with this horse. After lunch, we went on the horses again which wasn't as enjoyable of an experience. My horse was much bigger and liked to go fast. Not the most comfortable thing while I was still digesting my feast. We spent the rest of our time there enjoying the beautiful scenery and some much needed cafe con leche. The night we stayed in with our cheese, wine, and veggies, playing cards in our hostel- needless to say, I dominated gin rummy.

Monday we decided after our big lunch the day before, a run might be a good idea. We found a beautiful path along the river and then treated ourselves to massages, which were only USD$20! We came back to the busy city life, feeling relaxed and rejuvenated for whatever is ahead!

Oktoberfest- Córdoba Style

Well, I survived my first Oktoberfest and it was awesome! While we went expecting delicious German food and beer, we had no idea the festival would be in such an incredible place! Villa General Belgrano, about 10 hours from Buenos Aires, is a quaint, German town, surrounded by the mountains. No matter where you looked, there was always a great view. We also couldn't have asked for better weather- now that the sunburns have turned to tan!

We arrived to the town Thursday morning, after a sleepless night on the bus that left the city at 10pm. First, we checked into the hotel where we scored on the cutest cabin that was just perfect for the four of us! We hung out there/explored a little bit and were in awe of our view.

Not bad right?

our humble abode- Luz de Luna

We then walked into the town, got some authentic German food for lunch, and our first of many beers. 

Goulash with mushrooms and spinach spaetzle

We spent the rest of the day exploring the town, enjoying some ice cream, and then picked up some dinner items for our attempted cookout. We were all more than content just sitting, enjoying the sunshine, view, and each other's company. Definitively a pleasant change from the busy city life.

Villa General Belgrano

After a good night sleep, we were ready for day 1 of Oktoberfest. Thinking it started at 11, we arrived to a pretty quiet town still setting up for the festival. We waited it out by enjoying beer and snacks at a restaurant outdoors. We pretty much had the beer park to ourselves for most of the day- which wasn't a bad thing! After purchasing our authentic Oktoberfest mugs, we filled them up and spent most of the day sitting, eating, drinking, and getting sunburned. I couldn't ask for much more. As the day continued, more people started to join us, and the festival entertainment of singing and dancing started. As the sun started to set, we couldn't handle the cold, so headed back to our cabin where we ordered burgers for dinner that never came. We snacked on peanuts and got a good 12 hours of sleep instead. It ended up being for the best because we all had enough money left to go on an awesome excursion the next day to a nearby town!

We woke up not really sure of our plan for the day, but stopped in for some tourist information about La Cumbrecita, and took a scenic bus ride to the nearby town. It was a great decision! We enjoyed lunch by the river, did some rock climbing, and explored the town before heading back to Villa General Belgrano for our departure back to the city. None of us were ready to leave. With or without Oktoberfest, it was an awesome place to visit, and I couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

La Cumbrecita

Our last view of Córdoba

La Mitad

Today I learned that "mitad" means half, which is fitting considering I am officially halfway done with my adventures in Argentina. That just doesn't seem right. And with all of the excursions I have coming up, time is actually just going to fly. Of course, right when I want it to slow down. As my life here has only gotten more comfortable, I can confidently say I love it in this city (with a few exceptions) and can't imagine spending the semester anywhere else!

Now for an update of what I have been up to since Iguazu Falls-
Monday, I got off the bus after an 18 hour bus ride and was somehow motivated enough to make it to my class. In order to actually get there in time, I took a taxi home, dropped my stuff off, grabbed my backpack, and was out the door. I felt bad for whoever was sitting next to me in class because I was definitely in need of a shower, but sometimes academics come first! This motivation continued and somehow I made it to the gym right after class. When I got home, I finally crashed. But I also came home to some exciting news that Liza and I are now more than just sisters by blood! She is also an Alpha Phi! (LYLAS). Tuesday was a typical day consisting of stopping at my favorite takeout lunch spot, Baking, heading to Castellano, and then to the gym. I also discovered a place nearby my house which sells an assortment of dried fruit, trail mix, and other natural goodies. I've also been thinking too much about the chocolate covered almonds I saw, which I think will be a must next time.

Wednesday, my Registrando Buenos Aires class was "cancelled." Basically, we were supposed to go to a museum in a part of town which can be dangerous, and our program prohibits us from going. So everyone in my program was exempt from having to go that day. That definitely cleared up my schedule, which made for some quality skype time with my besties! That night I had a mandatory dinner at Mario's (our program director) house, where I enjoyed some awesome homemade ravioli, which happened to literally be food for thought. Mario did most of the talking and proposed some really interesting ideas. He told us that we didn't actually start our program here until September 1st, which seems to be when everyone actually relaxed and was more comfortable here- "no longer like robots, scared of everything." Thinking back, I couldn't agree more. It was probably around then that I felt like I actually lived here and was starting to enjoy my time more. Another thought he left for us to ponder was, what will we bring back to the states from this culture/experience? While that is obviously a multilayered question, a few things that came to mind were a different concept of time and independence. Because I am very punctual, the lax view on timing was very frustrating at first. Since then, I have learned to appreciate it, because most of the time, I have nowhere else better to be. I have also learned how to live on my own, and most of the time have my own plan of what I want to do, and just hope other's want to jump aboard. But if not, I don't mind just doing my own thing! Okay, enough deep thoughts. After a delicious dessert of dulce de leche and maracuyá (passionfruit) ice cream at Mario's, I met Alex and Traea for drinks nearby since they are apparently neighbors with Mario.

Thursday was a very productive day considering I bought bus tickets to go to Oktoberfest in Cordoba, San Antonio de Areco (the countryside), and Mendoza! While I have a busy month ahead, I can't wait to explore other parts of the country! Alex and I met for a DELICIOUS brunch earlier that day. I was so excited to finally have granola again and then we ran it off later around her barrio. We even had time to squeeze in some homework after a busy day.

The weekend quickly arrived and I headed to a bar with a few friends from Caballito and we met up with some Argentine guys that might not have been as aggressive as most, but were both shorter than me. #tallgirlprobs. Saturday was gloomy, but Alex, Traea, and I decided to check out this women's convention where there were booths of clothes, jewelry, food, and hair/makeup. What else does a girl want?! After being misled to buy tickets for a college fair, we got free manicures at "Espacio Mujer," which definitely made up for it- even if we did have to stand in line for an hour and a half to get them. Like I said earlier, we didn't have anything better to be doing, and it helped time pass before heading to another amazing meal at Cumana. Sunday the sun was shining and I spent the day doing one of my favorite things here- sitting in a cute restaurant/cafe, enjoying delicious food, and chatting, in no rush at all. We stayed long enough to work up an appetite for some froyo.

taking a cheese stick to a whole new level

new favorite spot: Bartola 

Monday, I was "back to the books" and had to awkwardly join a group of Argentine students for a radio project we have coming up. Considering my lack of spanish fluency, I have a feeling I will be more a burden when it comes to this project than anything. I then got to open presents with the big birthday girl, Miss. Katie Katharine McLaren Ware, via skype. Good luck with your permit test, and please don't crash the car :)  I also found a way to watch all of my tv shows that I thought I would be deprived of since I'm not in the states. This could get dangerous. Yesterday, I watched the Revenge premiere! SO GOOD, but will be weird not watching it at school with my friends. And today, I had to double up on class, since I am off to OKTOBERFEST tomorrow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY