The pounds just keep on coming on...

So I lost weight in Argentina and am gaining weight in Brazil... Everyday I wake up a little bigger... this lifestyle is not a healthy one, but FUN it is!

We finally managed to leave the house before sunset! I feel like a vampire these days, certainly showing my nocturnal side. We went to Sugar Loaf mountain, besides the beaches the only real tourist attraction here. For those of you that don´t know it is two mountains in the city that you take a cable car to the top. Some extreme crazies climb it, but a 2 minute cable car ride and $20 later, I was at the tippy top. It was a beautiful view of the city; it was cool to see the geography of the city and where the beaches were and such. There was a good view of a Favela that was really far away- but it is the biggest Favela inside of a city in the world. You really could see how vast an area it took up; it was practically a city of its own.

I am not sure that I explained what a Favela is. It is an EXTREMELY poor neighborhood. The don´t really have houses, they are shacks. They have card board boxes as roofs and no glass in the window, only holes. Each one is right on top of each other, it looks as though they are dominoes and if one house were to fall the whole Favela would come tumbling down. These neighborhoods are EXTREMELY dangerous. I already told you about the shooting war the other day. I am very curious to go to one, but clearly I cannot. In Sao Paulo we drove through one but it was nothing compared to what I have seen from the highway here in Rio. I tried to take as best of photos as possible- but it is a funny feeling to take a picture of peoples misfortunes- but I really wanted to share this injustice with everyone. They are quite a sight, truly unbelievable that people live this way.

There is such a harsh contrast between the rich and the poor here. The friends that I have made here talk about how ´all American´s are rich´ because we can travel. These friends can´t travel, they haven´t the means at all and yet they are lawyers and are considered to be pretty well off. It´s a harsh reality to the world outside of my own. I knew this existed and there was a time that I couldnt travel either (I made sure to clue them in on our own poverty issues)- but to see it like this is depressing to say the very least, but I suppose this is the point of this trip as well.

At stop lights people roll up the car windows to avoid danger. Every single time, not just if you see a sketchy character around. But with all of this crime and poverty, you do find really lovely people. I have found that everyone I meet in Rio is super nice, friendly and always smiling and as for the land, it really is a tropical beauty.

We also drove by the beaches. This I have to say, I don´t really understand all the hype. They are pretty but- they don´t have much sand at all and they are very crowded. The beaches in Aruba were far nicer. I would say these are comparable to the ones in Dominica but crowded like Portofino. I don´t know, I am not that impressed. I really hope going to the Northeast works out... though I don´t think it is. This is a huge suggestion... if you come to Brazil- hit the Northeast. But who knows... a lot can happen between now and whatever is two days from now!

So that was my one day as a tourist... last night we went out for a beer and had every intention of making it an early night... as we drove home and saw the sunrise at 6:30 am, once again we realized we failed! It was a fun night though.. as are all my nights here! Oh and of course the only words I am learning in Portuguese are the dirty ones... but I learned a term here that is one of the funniest things I have heard... Rotisserie Chicken... if you are curious I will let you know...

Chicken hearts and charades

Angela took me to her friend´s bbq. My first real experience with Brazilian bbq here. Delicious! But before I talk about food (again) I´ll introduce the cast of characters that were there. It was a small bbq with just close friends invited in honor of the birthday boy who was so sweet, but I forgot his name! He is married to the sweetest woman, who´s name I also forget, and they have a 4 month old baby named Ariel (phew a name I remember)! Their friend Guilleme was there who spoke no English, that was a challenge! And another lady and her baby. So basically a bunch of people who made me feel at home but who´s names have completely escaped me.
The food... chicken hearts.. I ATE CHICKEN HEARTS!!! They were really good, they taste like chicken, only better- like the dark meat. I actually think even Kat and Nick would like them... I swear! Tony- you would eat them like popcorn! We also had sausage, steak and chicken wings. They eat everything here with cornmeal. This is true in Sao Paulo too. They mix it with some, I am not even sure what, and use it as a side to accompany meat and rice. It´s very good, but I am not really sure I understand the point of it... it doesn´t really add that much flavor. I really enjoyed the food though. The meat, the steak was rubbed with rock salt an hour prior to its cooking. The quality of the meat kicks our best in the USA. It is super tender and filled with flavor- it tasted like it was marinated in butter, but it wasn´t at all!

Another interesting thing about Brazilians is that they like there beer SUPER cold. I already knew this from Paula, but its interesting to see when it is a whole group of people rather than just one person. We all drank out of glasses and we shared the cans of beer so you would never have a warm glass. And we drank a lot...

We played charades in the front of the house. Though it was very difficult because it was in both Portuguese and English. I am not really sure the game worked, but it was fun just the same. The birthday boy was very sweet and said that out of anyone that Angela has ever brought over, he likes me the best. He said that my energy was amazing, very open and that I break all the stereotypes of being an American. He says he can totally see me travelling the world with no problem and fitting right in. He said I was Brazilian at heart and this point was heightened when they were teaching me to Samba... all of the guys (at this point some neighbors joined us- three HOT guys and a super sweet lady who is a samba instructor) and girls almost died when they saw me shake my booty... jaws dropped in disbelief as I picked up the Samba right away! It´s very different than what I had seen in BsAs. It is very, very fast here with lot of jumping... hard to explain but if you ever have seen me dance you could understand why I would be good at this.

I must say being the foreigner is like being the new girl in school... let me tell you, it´s fun! I had almost all of the guys interested in me and well, I loved the attention! I don´t know what it is with me and 18 year olds lately... but there was another cutie patootie 18 year old who dug me... so sweet.

The night took an interesting turn when we had to stay over because there was a shooting war between two poor neighborhoods- Cidade de Deus and another. A few people were killed- it was over drugs. But it was all over the news and they advised people not to drive by these neighborhoods- the problem was that we have to pass through both on the highway. So, we did not take our chances and we decided to stay over! Don´t worry mom, I like my life far too much to get stuck in cross fire! It´s crazy to think that this is a problem though! Imagine not being able to go to Union Square East because Alphabet City and Murray Hill were shooting at each other.

We ended up going swimming as the sun was coming up... so I guess we never really went to sleep there... and once again we made it home at 7:30 am.

I really hope to see some sites today... maybe tomorrow. You can definitely say I am getting a true view on life here... though I really need to do some touristy things... and a lot more Samba!

More like am at the am/pm

Well we got to Rio at like 8pm on Wed or Tuesday... hmmmm, not really sure- I´m losing track of my days. I firstly would also like to mention that the very first question Angela asked me in the car was if I like to drink. Oh boy, I can see what my time in Rio is going ot be like!
We went out to Baja a neighborhood in Rio. It is very cute, very clean and very fun! We had dinner at a casual bar/restaurant. The area kind of reminded me of Fanuiel hall or Campo Di Fiori. I ordered a pizza with no cheese and I thought I had commited a crime. You should have seen everyones faces filled with disgust! They almost didn´let me order it because they just couldnt understand! But it was exactly what I wanted.

After many beers we went to another bar in same little area. The bar was cool, everyone was hanging out, outside and there was a live band that was playing practically outside the bar as well. Angela´s friend was with us, a girl they call Baby. She speaks English- so she is my best friend! hahaha, people barely speak English here! She was a lot of fun. She was explaining to me that we audition guys here. One group will sit down with us and we can tell them to leave if we aren´t interested and the next will gain courage to come and sit... and it´s true it really did happen like that! We had a cutie patootie 18 year old sit with us- he was a model... hot stuff! Anyway, he wanted to practice his English and so he asked if he could sit with us. His friend was in awe of me, but we didn't invite him to sit with us- so he would just stare at me for a while then come over and talk to Angela or baby and explain how beautiful he thought I was... truly flattered... but what you don´t know is that this is the same guy that came over about 10 minutes before and came up to me to say `Your big beautiful tis´... uh huh? he said it again and pointed this time.. ´Your big beautiful tits´... yeah, not so smooth. I guess boobies are a novelty here. The brazilian body is smaller on top and a great booty.

The night was fun, drank some caçaca (I have no idea how to spell it). It is that alcohol I wrote about before- it´s very strong but here they serve it as a shot that you sip with honey and a Cinnamon stick. Yummy! As the bar closed we had to ditch some guys that had sat down with us. The three of us girls and their friend Guido, went to the am/pm gas station for microwaveable cheese burgers and Smirnoff ice. Sadly, it´s true. I think this is a personal low for the trip, but when in Rome... we hung out there for a couple of hours as the sun came up. It´s odd but people really do hang out at the gas station late night, or I should say early morning to eat and drink more. We made it home by 7 am.

xmas sting

Well, I am away from the farm now... but I have to back track a bit. I had a wonderful time there, a truly peaceful Christmas which I suppose is appropriate. We had a lovely meal on Christmas Eve. For you foodie´s out there we had a traditional cod dish cooked with potatoes, onions and peppers. A little salty for my taste, but filled with flavor. We also had a lot of processed foods wich seem to be more popular here. They don´t eat very healthy here. We had a chicken salad, a canned ham thing I was not a fan of, and to be honest with you a lot of other unmemorable foods. I´ve decided the food here is like domestic prosciutto- just not as good as Parma but not bad either... it´s just okay. But my time at the farm was wonderful despite my BEE STING on Christmas day. Uh huh... a bee stung me as I was tanning poolside... but the guinnea in me ran and got some fresh basil, rubbed it on it and the pain went away in minutes.

I had a very interesting conversation with Leo about relationships and the dynamic between and the mentality of men and women. Wow... all I could do was picture Amber in the car, she would have gone off on him! Basically men cheat on women with prositutes and it doens´t count because there is no emmotional attachement. Women also cause the men a lot of stress and that leads to them cheating. Basically all the blame is put on the woman and the man takes no responsibility for his actions at all. It was very interesting to hear, though I must remember this is only one persons perspective. He was scared I might have a negative view of him and not like him anymore... I told him I liked him just the same but I could never marry him. Lesson learned I will NOT find the man of my dreams in Brazil!

He was also telling me about the court system here. Only four types of crimes go before a jury all the rest just get a judge. The four all have to do with murder, at least in their eyes. Abortion, murder, killing your baby due to post pardem depression and aiding a suicide. Clearly abortion is illegal here- another difference with Argentina.

I met up with Angela another one of Paula´s friends. We drove to Rio together today. Last night her mom got me drunk. Kids, it only took 3 cans of beer, I barely drink these days though I think that is gonna change this week in Rio! Her mom and I stayed up till 3am talking about everything. She is a very progressive, spiritual woman. She explained the differences between Rio and SP. SP is more stuffy, business oriented and Rio is truly for free spirits where the young, old, rich and poor all mix together. SP is much more elitest and narrow minded. I am excited to see Rio.

The drive over was beautiful, but it looked just like Costa Rica- again. I really think all tropical land looks the same... but it´s still equally as impressive. I can´t wait to see the beaches here- that is what will make this place really stand out. During the drive Angela showed me some favela´s. A Favela is a very poor neighborhood that are filled with crime. It was very sad to see the conditions in which people live here. It is very depressing. Their is a vast difference between teh poor and the rich here. Soem interesting stats:

Less than 5% of the Brazilian population go tto college.

Over 50% of Brazilians are illeterate.

Well this is it for now...

PICS!

I hope this works... below is a link to the first set of Argentina pics. It is only album 1 of 4, but it took me 24 hour sto upload.... so I am not sure when you get to see the rest! The pics are of Iguazu falls, Recoleta Cemetary and some random nights out... enjoy...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=6ci54muz.6gbqn3y3&Uy=ccljwd&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=220520152178_161088488107

The Farm vs. Private Island

Well, i received the sweetest email from my cousin Dan giving me a hook up here in Brasil. He had me call an executive producer of my favorite show, the Office, who is here vacationing. Ben was the sweetest to talk to and graciously offered to fly me down by helicopter to a private island he would be on for xmas... in the end I decided to go to the farm with Leo for a good old fashioned xmas, minus the snow plus 90 degree, sunny weather. What a crazy turn in the trip it would have been though! I hope to meet up with him at another time... I am so grateful for his kindness... people are really looking out for me, even when they don´t know me! I am so lucky... I need to stop saying that, but I feel it everyday!

The farm is amazing!!! The land is huge and green and beautiful! We drove into the gate where their family emblem was hung (the same emblem that is on all of their china that we use for every meal). I woke up this morning to an already made table filled with breakfast treats awaiting my arrival. I sat pool side all morning to the early afternoon catching some rays... the maid brought us out some beer and snacks. She then called us in for lunch. I can really get used to not making my bed (like I did before, lets be real), leaving my dirty dishes on the table and lounging all day. This is a great xmas eve.

They have 6 dogs that have showered me with cuddling love, 4 cats and a bunch or horses and ready for this? Buffalo. I have not gone down to visit the buffalo yet... but I will. Apparently they are very sweet- that suprises me, but what do i know about Buffalo?!

My life is so odd right now... but no complaints... I´m loving it! This is so dope!!!

A day in Sao Paulo

Well, I explored the city. I went to the MASP- Museo do Arte Sao Paulo... or something like that. Amazing... again, I was hit with the feeling of why me?! Why do I get to enjoy all of this culture and exposure to life?! Well, I don´t take it for granted and I know how lucky I am. With that being said... I am living up every moment of it!
The museum had amazing pieces... I saw Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Cézanne and many more. Wow... what else can I say. I have been to museums before, but there is something about going to a museum solo, in a foreign land that makes it seem all the more impressive. For all of you ´art´ people out there... here were my favorites... the titles of the paintings are in Portuguese...

Edovard Vuillard-- A Princesa Bibesco c. 1920
-- She is sitting on a chaise lounge in a shabby chic room... I just wanted to be her!

Paul Cézanne-- O Grande Pinheiro 1896
-- it was of a tree, very fluid, strong colors of burnt orange and green / blue sky

Picasso-- Natureza- Morta com Melancia e cacto 1948
and Toalete (Fernande) 1906

A Modigliani that looked unlike the others they had of his. Most of his paintings were of people with ovular shaped heads and really long skinny necks- I didn~t care for them. But there was this one that was way more abstract though still defined... it was Retrato de Diego De rivera 1916.

I also went to explore China town / Japan town. They are the same area. Actually it is Chinese, Japanese and Koreans all together. Totally different than New York... and you don´t have to dodge snot rockets or smell the nasty fish markets like you do in China Town in NYC. It was okay... but I wouldn´t come to Sao Paulo to see it. I ended up eating at this fast food buffet place because I waited way to long to find a place to eat... I was starving. Anyway, they weigh your plate and that is how they price it. Of course they put all the yummy things at the end so you load up your plate with way too much. Well, I should say it looked yummy... because as starving as I was, it didn´t skew the fact that this food was nasty! Just terrible.

As i was heading to downtown Sao Paulo to check it out, I noticed all the fast food restaurants the dudes on the plain told me to go to... to think I laughed at their suggestions... I should have listened! (did I tell you guys about them?!)

Well downtown Sao Paulo reminds me of old school west 181st street... exactly like it... dudes selling fruit on a stick and tacky, tacky cheap clothing stores. What was odd though, was that among these cheapy stores were really nice jewelry stores... but I wouldn´t dare buy anything there... yeah right, can we scream tourist?!... I would buy, they would rob me as soon as I stepped foot out the door! I have had no problems with crime here, but it is apparent that stuff goes on... I do not feel as safe as I did in BsAs... but that is just a fact and even Brazilians will tell you so. It is a dangerous and corrupt city as is Rio.

Speaking of corrupt... when I was at the roof top pool in my building, a man and his son were up there. I told Leo about them and Leo shared their story with me. This man was married to the daughter of what once was a very important judge. I think his name was Lalao or something like that. The judge was shaddy and had side stuff going on to say the very least. He had an enormous apartment is Miami to entertain guests and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. Well, this man and woman were getting a divorce. He asked for the house and other material items and she refused. He threatened to give up the fathers secrets if they didn´t comply and he did just that! The judge is now on permanent house arrest, lost his other homes and his career is done... all because of the man I was swimming with. I think I will stay on his good side...though what am i gonna give him, my back pack?! He can have it!

My first taste of Brazilian Night life

Well dear friends I sit here after a two hour nap, a long day being slightly hungover, now listening to the rain outside. The rain for starters killed my idea of going for a dip in the pool, so instead I slept. It was much needed though after last night, a late one.

By the powers of the "I can't believe this worked out" Gods, I met up with my good friend Sjoerd from NY on his last night in Sao Paulo, my first. He invited me to a Jazz club, where his dad and his old buddies were gathering for a reunion of sorts; great music, strong drinks, all in one smokey room. There was a sense of history, culture, life, experiences, love and old kinship's throughout the night. I was fortunate to be a part of it.

The room... as I said before, it was/is an old Jazz club. His dad and his buddies used to play there over 20 years ago and have not been in a room all together since. It was a small place with marble top cafe tables, wooden chairs, small tiled floor, with old framed pictures of some of the greats... Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Art Blakey- antique gold frames with a soft yellow spotlight hitting each, which was just about the only light in the room. I shouldn't have looked up though, the ceiling seemed a little, well, scary; it looked like asbestos spray painted gold. It looked cool, added to the mystique- but I wish I didn't know what asbestos looked like... especially since my lungs have been wheezy all day! The band was set up in the front of the place, a grand piano in the corner, a bass and a set of drums... the band played, we got to see Peter deJong, Sjoerd's dad (who we will call DeJong as his buddies did all night)in his element, on cloud nine- he was beaming.

Let's talk about DeJong for a second... he is a tall dutch man, intelligent, has travelled the world, speaks a handful of languages... a bachelor, a playboy... totally charismatic, a smile that lights up his face... someone your dad tells you to stay away from, your mom blushes in front of and you can't help but admire. Very cool to say the least... and it was evident that men and women, all ages, friends and strangers alike fall into his spell. He reminds me a lot of my dad- with an added two feet, hey Sicilians are short.

People sat with FULL bottles of liquor on their table-for-two's as they waited for the great, Misty to come out and grace everyone with her powerful presence. I saw a lot of scotch drinkers... but we instead had Caipirinha which is a very strong Brazilian drink made with an alcohol which native to the land. One was enough for me, yep, 1 drink is all I had (okay a bit of another) and I felt pretty good and in the groove to the music. Sjoerd on the other hand had three... people were taking bets on who was going to carry whom home (he is one tall dude, ex D1 basketball player)... but people underestimate the north American drinking capacity, we were both fine.

After a short break the music started up again. Now with an enchanting version of White Christmas, Misty was signing the lyrics but still not present in the room... Her voice was a little scratchy, but it was clear she could belt them out at any given time not missing a note... goose bumps ran up my arm as she sang. She finally came out, mid song- gotta love how dramatic it was... she broke through the smokey spotlight with her very dark skin and bright red dress. There was sadness to her eyes, nostalgia of what was and is... as the second song came on this feeling overpowered her ability to sing, the tears poured out, the music played on, but she was silenced. The sight of all of her old friends in one room was muting, but I think it was when she saw DeJong, that it had hit her. She got herself together and graced us with a powerful, cheerful and nostalgic set. She ended with ''Baby I need your loving'' where she walked amidst the crowded tables in the packed room and people couldn't help but sing along. As the chorus was being sung for the last time, she left, with people still singing... just as dramatic as her entrance.

We hung around the joint as DeJong caught up with his old pals. And lucky, we were, to hear him on piano as Misty sat and sang beside him. The room was gone to them, as they looked into each others eyes and saw each other as they were 20 years ago, and sang together, to each other. Once again I have to say I felt privileged to share this moment even if they didn't realize it was being shared. The chemistry between them was apparent from the minute she came out. Clearly they had been, for a lack of a better word, friends- great friends.

As I sat there through out the night, De Jong and I even spoke of this... the night encompassed the theme of this trip... random nights / days that almost weren't, maybe happened by chance- or as he says everything happens for a reason... maybe so, and so I sat thinking to myself how perfectly odd of a night it was.

thank you to both DeJong's for sharing it with me. When you are in a room filled with people who love each other, the love can't help but spill, pour out... to be consumed by others. The happiness was shared and filled my soul with content, knowing strong connections can be made anywhere and can surpass any amount of time if they are true.

One last comment about the night. Misty, both DeJong's, myself and a few others sat around at table at about 3 am... there was a projection screen where the band had been. They were showing a muted movie starring Jane Fonda, in her prime, but it was trippy... dolls were biting people. P, Tan, Damien or anyone... what movie is this? It of course did not seem out of whack at all last night!

Brazil... day one

So I am now in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I don't know much of the city yet... otehr than saying it seems huge! It has 11 million people living here.
I flew in last night... it was the prettiest city to fly into. Being that it was at night, all of the lights lit the city up like a huge light bright board. The city is squiggly... that is how I would describe it and it made it look so cool!
I am staying with a friend of a friend... in this fabulous apartment building. I swam some laps in the roof top pool this morning... went to the grocery store and now at his office checking in with all of you guys.
I met two strange dudes on the plain coming in. They are friends, one beign form here and the other beign from Switzerland now living in Rio. It was odd to say the vere least. The Swiss guy was reading 'In the Meantime; finding yourself and the love you want'. He placed the book in the seat between us, I think strategically so I could see it. Yep, especially awkward when he brought up the book and how it is changing his life. Well, the one who is form here was a little more down to earth..but when I asked him for suggestions on where to go... his eyes lit up and he started telling me about all the great fast food restaurants, TGIFridays and Outback... oh jeeze. He offered to take me around... and Swiss guy asked me out- to a museum on a date that he already has with a girl... strange.
We'll see what adventures come my way... stay tuned... and I know you peeps are reading this... write in!

Argentine Wrap up

Sadly I am no longer in Argentina. I am sitting in a law office in Sao Paolo as I type. I almost extended my stay in argentina but after Calafate I decided there is so much of the world to see... that it was really time for me to move on- not to say that I wont be going back! I want to bring a few thigns to your attention that I may not have already....

1) Dulce De Leche... the most amazing yumminess, aside from Peanut Butter, ever invented. It is basically a creamy caramel spread that they put on any and everything! Haagen Daaz made it popular in the states... but it is nothing compared to what they have here. You find it in the best cookies from havanna bakery- a local chain of heaven. You find it in the richest of ice creams at Freddo Ice cream shop... they have it in regular, with chocolate chips, with brownie bit and my favorite Dulce De Leche tentacion... which is with actual globs of dulce de Leche in the self flavored ice cream. You find it in pastries, which they call facturas and that are eaten in the morning- covered with powdered sugar. You also find it in tubs at the super market to spread on toast or whatever your fatty heart desires. I think I have gained five kilos from my last week in Argentina due to all of these products.

2) People wait on line, sorry In Line for non-New Yorkers, for the public busses. Not in a heap of a crown but htis strange single file that leads all the way down the block at times. It is quite civilized yet chaotic when the bus driver desides not to stop for no reason at all. I don't think this would work in America... which leads me to...

3) America. I was in America, only South America. I can't get used to the idea of not answering America when asked where I am from. I think it must be insulting to them and makes me sound like a dodo for not saying North American... working on it.

4) SInce the economic crash, it is evident that many people are in bad shape. A good example of this is are the people that go around digging through the trash for recyclables. I am not really sure how it works... but I saw a man ripping a book apart and putting it with his tied up boxes as others collected the cans. I was told that before the crash these people had wage earning jobs.

5) There is a really cool bar called Million. I went there last week. It is in an old town house...think upper east side via Madison or Park... the entire thing, every floor, room, corner- is part of the bar. Even the backyard has tables. It is really gorgeous. It was turned into a bar when the owner died. His kids were extremely resentful that he never allowed them to have any parties, attend parties or hav emuch fun... so when he died... they turned it into one of the nicest bars in BsAs. Gotta love it.

6) The last few night we were in BsAs the crazziest thunderstorms lit the sky. The thunder woke me from my sleep! I have never seen it rain this hard, aside from Costa Rica during their winter. Huge blots of lightening would come crashing down!

I think this might be it for Argentina... so sad not to be there anymore. I have to tell you it is one of my favorite places in the world... everyone is super friendly, it's safe, a huge nightlife though they don't drink that much, amazing food and the weather is great... With out a doubt I could live in BsAs. Ciao...

Brought to tears

The glaciers are more stunning and massive than you possibly could ever imagine. I was brought to tears. Like Iguazu, it is very difficult to try to describe... nothing I say or write can do it justice. I was 100 ft away from 300 ft. Icebergs- it was out of this world. The color of the glaciers were equally as impressive as their size, they were a mix of blue rock candy and opaque, like light blue cotton candy. When the sun hit them, they seemed to glow a darker blue in every crack and crevice.
We went to Perrito Moreno for our first excursion and did two different boat rides to the glacier, one facing the south side the other facing us to the north side. I´ll just say this... our tour guide was super cute and asked me out! All in all, great day! We had lunch in front of the vista... to have a panoramic view of these massive ice formations while eating a ham sandwich is surreal.
That night our new friend Sebastian, one of the local waiters... from the lamb empanada place... took us out to dinner to Pura Vida. This hippie-chic restaurant with Shepard's pies and pot pies.... comfort food to warm us up... yummy! We had plans with one of the hotel staff guys to go dancing... but we had to call it an early night and cancel because we had another early day ahead...
The next day we went on another excursion. An all day boat ride to see three different glaciers. We saw Upsala and two others... eh you know, see one glacier, you see them all... joking! I just can´t remember the names... but that is not to say it wasn´t again the most spectacular natural sight I have ever been privileged enough to see with my own eyes. The crisp cool air was blowing pretty hard on the boat- but it was so clean and fresh... I have never felt anything like it. I can´t wait for you all to see the photos... which will be this week!
That night we went out on my date (I was Ev´s chaperon the day before with Sebastian and she was mine this night)... We went for drinks at this one bar that had an amazing view of the lake and then we went to Don Diego´s for some dancing.
We were suppose to leave on Sunday, but had all day to spend there. We wanted to slit our wrists by the end of the day. We were so bored... not to mention the couple of hours of sleep I got was not enough!!! We went for lunch at Sebastian´s place and hung out there for a while... and really did nothing (but you better believe I ate like 5 empanadas and tried to get the recipe off them). We walked around the town and oddly, there was a line at the airline´s office... it went down the block. I remember looking at it and thinking it was strange... but when bored, your mind doesn´t really think very clearly... so I said and did nothing. Finally it came time to leave. We went back to our hotel and the adorable reception desk dude just started laughing and said he had bad news... our flight had been delayed till 6 am!
So... we were then one of those same people on line at the airline office. We had to get our hotel and dinner vouchers... BUT, we had a plan. There is one hotel in Calafate with a swimming pool, we had our suits with us... could we achieve an upgrade?! We were next in line, hoping to get one of the two guys working behind the desk... we knew our smiles would not work on the lady behind there. Our amazing luck... we got the male manager... so we got the private office where the other passengers could not hear anything. I will also say that they were all grumpy, annoyed and taking it out on the employees... so there we come, with smiles... ´´Hola, que tal?!¨ All happy... Ev, not so discreetly, laid her Delta ID card on the desk... and as he asked us if we liked the 3 star hotel we were staying in... I very innocently said ´´oh yes, but do you have one with a pool?!¨ This of course in spanish... Well... a success... we walked out of there with an upgrade to the 5 star hotel... it was all too easy!
Our boys at our hotel were sad to see us go and saw us off to our cab... We had bought them a box of chocolates for all their hard work in making us feel at home! Best service I have ever gotten! We got to our new hotel... A big... in my best Brooklyn Accent... ¨Oh, My GOD!¨... dope. Let me tell you about this massive, heated pool who´s water goes right up to the rim of the edge to be level with the floor... it had lights that changed the color of the water every few seconds... it was surrounded by windows that overlooked the glaciers from afar. We went in the private whirlpool baths with essential oils in them... talk about relaxing! We were in them for about an hour and have never felt more relaxed. A mere hour before this... we wanted to shoot ourselves from boredom... and now we were here... why us?! The amazing good fortune we encountered in Calafate is unprecedented in my life... after the sauna we went to prepare for dinner.
Sebastian met us out again... we had a wonderful dinner, his treat again, and in the middle of it he ran off and returned 15 minutes later... with traditional Pampa cross necklaces one for each of us. Too sweet! We went out afterwards.... had a lot of wine... and made it back at the hotel at 3:50 am just in time to catch our ride to the airport. I was not in the best shape... but there was a dude in much worse shape than me!
I cannot explain our luck... we had a vacation from our vacation... it was unreal! Karma... that morning I had a moment of truth... I had to pay a bill for something and no one was around. We left and it would have been a great story... exciting as we ran off... but I just couldn´t skip out on it (in fear that the Calafate police would come and find me... no thanks for going to jail in some foreign land!)... anyway.. so we went back and the bill was paid (not by me though... but it was my honesty that made that happen)... so I think I had karma on my side.
All in all the trip was amazing. Seriously, the town loved us... except for this one girl that gave me the evil eye in a chocolate store... we didn´t get to the bottom of that... but eh, what are you gonna do... not everyone is gonna love me. Mostly everyone was so sweet and hospitable... el Calafate is highly recommended... but splurge and go to the 5 star hotel... I think it is priced at about $250 USD per night. And don´t go longer than 4 days... because well... just don´t.
I have to end with the glaciers again and just say that I feel extremely fortunate that I got to see them. It is really unfair to think that some people will never get the chance to... they are something everyone should see. I am truly lucky.

Dude, where are we?!

Evelyn and I made it to Patagonia. El Calafate to be exact. It is a town of 8,000 and looks pretty much like Vail, Colorado. But more about that in a bit.
I will begin by saying we took Argentina Airlines which falls short of most security regulations. No one checked our id´s, we both walked in with lighters either in our purse or on ourselves and we had more than the 3 oz of liquid permitted in hand. I guess terrorism isn´t that great of a concern when flying to the bottom of the earth.
I am at one of the most southern towns on this earth... wow. As I said before, the town pretty much looks like Vail, only smaller... very Northern Exposure. I expect to see a random moose walk bye, but none thus far. The town is one strip of your average tourist trap, filled with crap stores... about 6 blocks long. We ´did´ the town in about an hour. Lunch was at a pizzeria, oddly they don´t use tomato sauce. Now I figure tomatoes don´t grow here, but there is a wonderful thing called importing... maybe that´s my million dollar maker, bringing tomato sauce to El calafate, but I have other ideas for this town.
I would say Ev and I stick out slightly here, mildly really... right and the two guys in the room next to us one with a zebra print phone attached to his ear and grey tight jeans and the other in warm up pants and lots of silver jewelery have the style down much better! I can say this though, the town loves us already. Our waiter, Sebastian has invited us to his other job after 8pm... he also works in a bar till 5 am. What?! This is a town of 8,000 and they booze till 5 am?! this is the same town who´s supermarket is 5 isles wide and one is dedicated solely to booze... call me crazy, but I see a theme.
As we dined Al fresco, and please read that as it is BRICK out here (not so smart coming from 90 degree weather... and they call this summer!)... we got some stares and waves from across the street. I think we will do just fine here. Our bus driver from the airport also sat down with us for a few minutes and gave us a briefing on the ´to do´s´ of the town... apparently the pizzeria turns into a dance club at night, that´s where he will be... that is where I wont be. I did however have the best empanada of my life... it was filled with juicy lamb. Lamb is a local specialty here as is trout... tonight´s dinner should be very yummy!
As we sat there I noticed people walking around aimlessly and they were all eating. That´s all people seem to do here... I now realize that´s all there really is to do. Unfortunately we were sitting near this loud American back packer... they really are so obnoxious and think so much of their travels, but cheap... they never really seem to do anything because they want to save a buck, yet they will spend all their pesos on beer after beer talking about where they were and what they couldn´t do. Their stupidity is astounding.
We returned to the hotel, napped and showered. We went to get some water from the hotel lobby. The front desk was filled with a few waiters and staff, again all friendly and wanting to engage in conversation. As we purchased our water, I was about to give them my room number... when the waiter blurted it out before I even remembered it. He said it with a coy smile... should I be flattered or totally creaped out?! The Sierra Nevada where everybody not only knows your name, but your room number too!
We are going to the glaciers tomorrow... we can see them from afar here. I can already tell you it is going to be a life changing moment. The bus driver says the sight of them drives people to tears because of their beauty, celestial coloring and vastness... I´ll let you know what I think...
My million dollar idea... a hot tub bar... our hotel doesn´t have a hot tub... it should. Open a bar, you get a plush terry cloth robe at entry, hang out in it inside... or go outside to the hot tub while staring at the glaciers... millions I tell you, millions!

I got a foot reduction

So the last couple of days here have been quite relaxing. Evelyn and I have not managed to do much during the day- but our short list of things to do is slowly getting crossed off. We seem to be adjusting to the nocturnal lifestyle here.
Sunday was spent in El Tigre, a lovely town outside of BsAs that is situated on a lake. It is primarily a flea market with amazing deals on leathers, meats and artistry. We spent the day at a café, around a table for hours. It was like the UN or a Bennetton ad... me, Evelyn from Holland, her dutch friend, 3 Argentine´s and a Swiss. There is really not much more to say other than I had a Choripan... the most delicious food, aside from my famous hot dog, that you would ever eat! It´s a sausage sandwich...mmmm.

I am sitting in an Internet café, in what seems to be a deserted city. The La Boca game is on- soccer of course. La Boca was supposed to win last week (a shoe in) to make it into the finals, but they had a heart breaking loss and this is their last shot... Everyone is indoors watching the game... as we walked down the street to come here, we saw people gathered outside store windows watching the game.... truly a sight out of a movie. Cab drivers are going nuts... they either scored or won... This is a huge game. Unfortunately it is not in the city or I would have been there... you know, with all of the connections I have made... hahaha.

Today I got a foot reduction...a what?! That´s right, my foot is about half the size it was before I got my pedicure... Let me tell you... this was the best foot scraping of my life! Ladies... it is worth the 13 hour flight to come here just for a pedicure... an 8 dollar pedicure! My feet never looked better , but that´s not saying much.

A few random thoughts...

1) there is a protest here everyday. About what?! Who knows! This is either democracy at its best or a waste of the people´s time... not sure which. But Argentine´s LOVE to protest. I have literally seen one everyday that I have been here. There was a big one the other day though over the whole papermill- Uruguay mess.

2) Another great quote... though it might get lost in translation. Last night I was hanging out with my military friend and an Argentine Lawyer- Judge. We´ll call him John Smith or Juan... he says Argentine´s look for the following three qualities in a wife - ¨One that is frugal with your money, is a whore in bed and a mom like their own mom.¨ He goes on to say that instead Argentine men all go for ¨the one that spends your money, sleeps with your friends and is a neglectful mom.¨ Not really sure about this quote... though I was laughing my tushy off last night... Coming from the source I thought it was Blog worthy.

3) Remember my friend Felipe that I mentioned? The hot Colombian, my tango partner. Well I forgot to mention how he was back-packing from Mexico, threw Central America and down South America. He had to cross the Chilean border to get here to Argentina... his story is crazy! There were no buses, I can´t remember why. He and a couple of friends and to hitch a ride with some truck drivers... but get this... you know the trucks that carry all the cars in the back?! They hid in a mini-van to get here!!! Talk about an adventure! Not to worry mom... I wont be trying any of the sort!

That´s about it... I am off to Patagonia tomorrow. I am going to be at the glaciers!!!! Woah... so crazy!

From Polo to goth

Saturday was my best day yet. We went to the 113th Argentine Polo championship game where the defending champs, La Dolfina were taking on Aguada. Each team consists of four players... and get this... Aguada is a team of four brothers! Talk about a family having money! Each horse costs around $150k, and you need about 12 of them to train and have a team!
Needless to say, building up to this day and telling friends that we were going brought us even more excitement as their envy poured out... everyone wanted to go to this sold out game... and I got the tickets hooked up- all we did was say we wanted to go!
The game is really amazing for anyone who has never seen it played... and we saw it played by the best! These guys handled the ball, knocked into each other, practically leaning off the horses... it was so cool!!!
The game was a tight one, no one was ever ahead more than 2 points. There are 8 checkers that are 7 minutes each, with 3 minutes in between each. At the end of the 8th checker... a tie game!!! It was 13 to 13! Overtime is sudden death... so dramatic, fierce- first point in, wins it for the team. After some failed attempts by Aguada... my boys on Dolfina brought it in for the win!!! The crowd went wild...
We had a couple of bottles of Champagne there, like all the civilized fans of this sport do... and being that we were with my military friend, we left out of the private exit. It was through a parking lot... and who did we see??? One of the HOT Aguada brothers... and I got my picture taken with him!!!! Ahhh... it was like getting my picture taken with Derek Jeter... and he gave me a kiss on the cheek... so nice! I can´t believe my luck!!!
I went out to dinner with Ollie, Sam and his friend afterward. I had the best steak I have eaten thus far... and Morcilla (blood sausage) that was to die for. After dinner and great wine, Sam and his friend took me out. We went to an old church that was converted into a club. They played 80´s music, like most everything here... they are obsessed! What was strange though was that it was mostly goth kids... it didn´t seem to match. Goth kids rocking out to 80´s music... wacky! What was more wacky was that I was with a US military ambassador ... it was surreal to say the very least! I left at 4:30, which was very early. I was sweating like a pig and all the suntan lotion from the day was making me gross... I just wanted my bed! Can you believe 4:30 am is going home very early?!
When I got home... some people were rocking out on a roof top deck party... I swear the night just got funnier and funnier... as the sun was coming up I heard Argentine´s singing along to ´Your the one that I want´from the Grease sound track and then to Ghostbusters... hilarious!
Days like these are making my trip truly an experience!

Update to mafia parking lords...

Okay... so I got the scoop. Here we go. They can actually make up to 3000 pesos a month when the average salary here is like 700 pesos. The police drive around the blocks and allow this to go on... and I am sure you have guessed this already, for a piece of the action! They get paid off, about 30% per car.... corruption at its finest!

A chin rape and jazz hands

Friday night came and Evelyn and I got all dolled up to meet some hot Argentine men and ´shake our boodies on the floor tonight´... We had a delicious meal for $5 each- steak, beef ribs, some other cut of beef and a grilled veggie platter.
We went to a Brazilian club that plays Samba. WOW... that is all I have to say. Samba is the sexiest, most sensual dance I have ever seen. We stood, side court, just watching. There was no way either of us could attempt this dance without some prior lessons- watching dancing with the stars barely counts as an introduction to the dance. Everyone danced that well.
The most amazing part of the dance were the variations- one dude was dancing with two girls... he handled them well, let me tell you. He twirled one around as he danced close with the other and vice versa. It was quite impressive- jaw dropping moves. You should have seen when all three were dancing close... We also saw two guys dancing with one girl. Basically one guy would take the girl as the other guy would dance around them mimicking the same moves or something that would compliment it well- he then would cut in, but I use that phrase lightly because it was so much smoother than what you would expect... almost like a breath of wind would take one in and the other guy out.
A strange sight was a guy dancing with like 5 women... they were all over weight and they were jumping a lot more than the other dancers.... it looked more like a weight loss club and this was their creative way of exercise, we weren´t as impressed with their dancing.
Most impressive was this man who much have weighed an easy but massive 25o lbs. He was dancing with the most beautiful women and had moves that any hot guy would kill for. He was super light on his feet and had great power on the dance floor. Everyone there was about dancing- unlike the other club that I went to, where it was a meat market. It didn´t matter what you looked like, body type was or anything like that... people went to dance and dance with each other.
We felt a little over dressed as the girls were all in yoga pants and sports bras... as I said they were there to dance! Speaking of which... the Samba went on for the first hour or so...when on came some hip hop. I thought I would finally be able to dance, when I realized they all knew the same dance! Can we say Lido deck style??? There was a little platform, where Eve and I got cornered in the back watching as four or five people danced in front of us... and below that step, the entire club was doing the same dance! It was a cross between- line dancing, aerobics (think grapevine and box step), electric slide, ´Tootsie Roll´, latin moves, and Jazz hands all together in one crazy dance. Shockingly... it didn´t end there... This went on for a good hour and a half before we finally left. They have a dance for every song that came on!!!! How did they learn them??? Where??? Never in my life have I not been able to dance at a club.
Apparently this is not Argentine though... this is Brazilian... maybe this is a sign of things to come on my next stop!
Clearly, we being the beautiful women that we are, were approached by some dudes... one in particular I will mention... this big black guy comes up to me, appears out of know where... grabs my chin and starts gently rubbing it as he says ¨this black man thinks you are the most beautiful girl here´´... after that I really couldn´t understand what he said... but I was caught like a dear in headlights... jaw dropped and I just froze. I was chin rapped!!!!
All I wanted to do was dance... maybe next time.

Mafioso and some entertainment

I´ve learned the most amazing saying here... ´Que quieres... La chancha, los veinte y la maquina de hacer chorizo?!´It translates to... You want the pig, the piglettes AND the machine to make the sausage! Genius... I love it.

Another new one... when one complains of hunger... you know being a whiney brat about being starving... tell them to ´Chúbate el dedo grande´... it means so suck your big thumb. Clearly I´ve been hanging out with very mature Argentine´s.

But here is something very interesting, atleast I though so. In neighborhoods where you have a lot of restaraunts it is a little tricky to park. There are guys, rangeing in age from pretty old to young. they have a flag and stand about mid street... one guy per street, but both sides are their turf. They ´own´the street and will park your car for you or tell you where to park. They don´t work for a company, just for themselves. They cost 1 peso, which is a mear 30 cents. If you don´t use them or pay them and park on their street... your car will be messed up upon return! If they park 50 card a night... that´s 50 pesos, 5 days a week, for a month... that´s 1000 pesos... that is a lot of money for Argentine´s. These men do this till they are ready to retire and they then leave their block to someone... they have the rights.

Polo tomorrow... and Patagonia next weekend!!! I might head to Tigre on Sunday too... and a Brazilian club tonight... more stories to come! Thanks for all the feed back, keep it coming! And a funny thing is happening- my English is getting worse.

Opera Bay and El Cemeterio de Recoleta

We went to see Evita´s grave yesterday. It was okay I guess. But the cemetery itself was breathtaking. It reminds me of Sicily once again. It was all mausoleums... and only the very wealthy get buried here. It´s crazy though because the caskets in many of them don´t go underground or unseen... you can see them right through the glass doors! There were also some walls where the caskets were put in, but because of age and time I guess, the concrete caved in, so again you can see caskets in them. The statues were amazing, very dramatic. I have really great pics... that one day you may all be able to see!

Opera Bay is a club. Wednesday night is the after work party, kind of like happy hour..except of course it doesn´t start till 9pm. It was awful. These guys have no game!!! Seriously... one guy came up to me and was talking about my eyes... blah blah blah... then told me to kiss him! When I wouldn´t he said okay have fun and walked away... and on to his next victim. The guys grab, grab, grab... and make the worst passes at you. I don´t understand how this can work for them?! Going to the bathroom was like a video game... how many guys can you dodge... my biggest piece of advise is don´t make eye contact!!! Also, the guys here don´t buy you drinks and have no qualms about coming up to you and asking YOU for a sip of your drink... what in the world makes them think that is okay?! I would love to hear an Argentine woman´s perspective on this!!! The place was modeled after the Sydney Opera house... it is huge and had an 80´s room, a 90´s room (so much fun!) and techno outside by the pool. I will never go back here. It was the first time I have ever not liked something about BsAs. How does one meet a guy here? Very curious...

Police chace, magic hands banging me and Derilicts

Well time is surely flying here. Yesterday was the first day I didn´t make it to the Locutorio- Internet café... no time!
Evelyn and I were waiting for our friend Anna when we saw some commotion across the street from us. This young guy was running as fast as he could and some screaming was heard from down the block. People were definitely confused as to whether or not to stop this speed demon or just let him go. Along came an out of shape older cop, go figure they have the same body type and demo all over the world! He clearly couldn´t keep up with this bank robber, pick pocketer, child molester- what could he have done? The coolest thing happened... there was a motorcyclist going by and the cop waived him down and the cop got on the back of the motorcycle... as they zoomed off the parking attendants screamed out which way the fugitive went... and people starting cheering them on... it was hilarious! I wonder if its the same guy that robbed Barbra Bush in San Telmo the other day?! I am not one to like cops very much... but it was pretty funny seeing him get on the motorcycle.

Magic hands.... I got my hair cut in Palermo. It was the fastest hair cut of my life... but the best shampoo job ever. I made Federico, an adorable early twenties Argentine shampoo boy blush pretty hard when my friends and I kept teasing him with the label of having magic hands... haha... Anyway... I got bangs again and a bad ass hair cut for ten US dollars...

Where do the derelicts fit in with all of this? We had a huge group dinner with some Argentine guys and my girlfriends here. It´s pretty crazy because we didn´t sit down till 10:30 and some of the guys didn´t come till like midnight and still sat down to eat. A few of us girls and the guys ended up going to a casino... it was HUGE... but totally futuristic. I felt like I had a microchip implanted in my neck and they knew my every move... ´beep, beep. number 3957367 is existing the poker room, please proceed to the communal area for refueling, expected ETA 5 minutes´. I swear I kept on expecting to hear that. The poker room and roulette room... they have no dealers!!!! The games is on a flat screen computer and they are color coded according to the amounts you can bet. The rooms were pretty quiet and serious... it was so strange!!! BUT one thing that never changes, is the enormous room that the slots are housed. The room was actually underground and takes up about 7 blocks. And I must say I´ve been to Atlantic city, Vegas, a cruise and now here... and all slot players look the same... they look like they have no business being there, not being able to afford to gamble. Their clothes are wacky, they smoke too much and they know their games! It´s pretty sad if you ask me. I am not a huge fan of Casino´s for that reason! Anyway this ´low key´night brought us home at 3:30 am... how do the Argentine´s live and work like this??? When do they sleep???

My first Mate experience

Well the roommates have arrived and things are in full swing here. I am even writing you from the very best machine at the Internet café... sweet, I am officially a regular!

I went with the roommates to meet their friend Maita (not sure of the spelling) she is a native of Argentina. My Spanish is improving with every get together like this one, but their darn accent keeps on throwing me off! We shared the ritual of the Mate. I am not sure how much of a ritual it is, but there is a certain custom as to how to drink it.... me, I would have just had my own and downed it... but I sat back, chilled out and enjoyed the company... that is what this tea is all about. You drink it out of this round cup where the crushed ´tea´leaves are filled high and it has a metal filtered straw you drink out of. You get a pot of hot water and pour in a little at a time as you take turns drinking a few sips and each time it is refilled. Now, don´t think scorpion bowls here... it´s not a free for all five straws in at once drink as fast as you can... after all this is tea. One is assigned the server and she fills the cup with the sips of water and drinks. She then repeats but gives it to the first person and she gives it back when done. The server then prepares it for the next person and so on. You don´t say thank you to the server till you are totally finished and don´t want anymore. Reminds me of other herbal rituals I used to take part of in college. But I have to say I am so glad I got my Hep A or is it B shot?! Sharing one straw... I definitely wont be sharing Mate with peeps I don´t know very well.
The tea is pretty strong and bitter. I really like it. It is a stimulant like coffee (caffeine) but this has teaine... not sure of that spelling. It definitely perks you up, but with out the jitters that caffeine can give you. In some countries it actually makes you a little silly, but not here. It is derived from an opiud (sp?), but does nothing of the sort...at least here in Argentina. Some girls apparently use it as a dieting tool, it speeds up your metabolism... I would try it as such, but then I think I might be the star of some after school special... I will stick with it on a social level.
You don´t really eat while you drink it. The flavors wouldn´t blend. Argentine´s tend to order salty snacks with it... Brent you would love these lard biscuits we had it with..hmmm, was I just talking about a diet?!
Things are booking up quickly for the week. I have plans almost every night. I was going to try and get away this week, but I think it will have to wait till next... I am most likely going to Patagonia with Evelyn.

Some random facts about BsAs and Argentina.

BsAs has one of the largest gay communities and as a whole the culture is very acceptive of gay people.

Birth control is $5 US and over the counter and abortion is legal.

How can anyone not love this place?! On Saturday I am off to the Polo game... those dudes came through with tix... woohoo!

Waterfalls and tongues all in the same day

So Marisa and I headed up to Iguazu falls. For those of you that don´t know, it is a massive set of water falls located in the rain forest on the Argentine and Brazilian borders. More about that in a bit- right now I will tell you about our 16 hour journey there and 17.5 hours back.
We weren´t sure what we were getting ourselves into... it seems like a pretty daunting journey- to spend that long in a bus with no stops! We went for the Coche Camio first class... we get an upstairs seat of the double decker bus and the seats fully recline with a foot rest.
It actually went really well... and I highly recommend taking the bus- it was 315 pesos both ways, that is about $105.
They showed three movies each way and fed us two meals... nothing better than airplane food... but I love me some airplane food! The steward came round every so often to offer wine and cookies. They even served Champagne. I have to say though the steward on the way back was busy in the front watching a soccer game (with the driver, a little scary)... it was pretty humorous... he left us all hanging for a good three hours before we saw food or drink.... but that´s Argentina for you- all stops when a soccer game is on! But all in all... it was really quite ´luxurious´. The bus left at 7 pm on the way there and 4 pm on the way back- so we were able to sleep, with a little help from my friend Valium, for most of the trip.
Ont he way back we were stopped twice for the police - scary army dudes to inspect the bus. They wore army get up and hand guns and all. The first stop they just asked to see all of our passports... but the second stop three of them came aboard with the canine unit and sniffed around... but no drugs were found on our bus. It´s funny though, they were really quite nice and said thank you on the way out. The dog was this adorable lab that looked no more aggressive than a house dog. It was a little puzzling, but made the trip even more of a wacky experience.
We arrived in Iguazu on the Argentine side at 11 am. We stayed in a four star hotel- more like 2 stars by US standards... but it was ´suficiente´.
We were at Iguazu by noon and decided on the controversial boat ride. Many people told us it was not worth it for 90 pesos... but it sounded amazing and for 30 bucks can you really go wrong?! No! We went aboard a 4 x4 truck through the rain forest down to the water and loaded onto the speed boat... and we quickly zoomed into the falls... The falls are the most breathtaking waterfalls I have ever seen... really the most amazing site I have ever seen. Amidst a rain forest water cascades down at tremendous force creating the most beautiful rainbows you have ever seen. The boat drove us through some of them getting us soaked!
After the boat we walked the trails up the mountain to get more of the aerial view (from where the falls start as appose to seeing them hit the ground water)... it was equally as impressive, if not more so. Devils throat is the biggest of all the falls... (my guess would be 20 falls in total varying in size). I can´t even describe the immensity of this natural beast... I was speechless... and to some degree, I still am. It really is impossible to do it justice with words, you just have to see it for yourselves (and we are counting on me to upload photos, I know!).
We did the Brazilian side the next day. We hired driver (so cool to say that!) to drive us over the boarder and bring us. Marisa did not have a visa, but for some reason these drivers are able to get you through if you pay them a lil extra. Again people have mixed feelings about the Brazilian side because you are not ´in´the falls as you are in the Argentine side... but the beauty of this is seeing the panoramic view and just how vast this natural site is. I could have done without this view (I felt the boat ride provided the same) but I absolutely needed to go to the falls again. Seeing them one time is just not enough, they are too incredible to absorb just once. Almost too unbelievable. My suggestion to anyone is to do the Argentine side twice.
The night in Puerto Iguazu was really nice; we were fortunate enough to be there for a full moon which lit up the sky. I have to say the moon kinda does look different from this side of the world- maybe brighter, closer... I don´t know... but surely impressive.
We left the same day as seeing the Brazilian side. We asked the cab driver for his favorite restaurant and stopped there for lunch. Oh boy... another adventure. They have a prix fixe lunch for 18 pesos- $6. It came with enough food for four... though I am not sure how much of it was edible! I will say this... I tried tongue... and it was well.. picture munching on your tongue... it was fleshy but tough and strong in flavor like liver... it came in vinegar with onions... can´t say I am a fan of them like I am testicles. They were grey in color and could see all the bumps which must be their taste buds... they were kinda fuzzy too... it was pretty ill. It also came with BBQ of different meats... I have never eaten so much meat in all of my life!!!!
Well that was Iguazu and I am back... Evelyn, my house mate is in.. psyched to see her. We are going for Mata today... which is a traditional tea served here in Argentina. And we are on for the Big POLO TOURNAMENT on Saturday.
Oh yeah... it was cool to drice through the country sides of Argentina. It completely reminded me of Costa Rica... houses and all. The trees were beautiful, rich in texture and color... such avivid bright but dark green. The difference to Costa Rica though was the earth. It was the most beautiful terracotta color. It was like taking the earth from New Mexico and bringing it to Costa Rica... the trees and earth contrasted each other to make them both stand out so much more. I am so glad to have been able to appreciate that.
Please all comment in... I love to hear your responses and keeps me motivated to write more! Thanksf or the comments already and looking forward on sharing more with you!

a couple of random thoughts

1) the yogurt here is out of this world... I got fat free vanilla. It was more firm than ours- more like a flan texture... it´s heavenly and almost makes up for the fact of not having peanut butter... though I hear rumors that I can get it at a health food store... I gotta check this out... but seriously... every bite I take of the yogurt I feal like I am indulging in a terribly fattening yumminess... yum.

2) In recoleta yesterday I was noticing the old people- which there were pleanty! They walk super slow, super slow... don´t get stuck behind one! But what struck me was their expression- or lack there of. They just had blank looks one their faces as if they were in a daze. I´m sensing a consperacy... is it as inoccent as peeps go to Recoleta as they do to Boca to wither away and die?... or are these people in some sort of trans, placed by an outside source and dumped in Recoleta to be ´lost´and forgotten about forever??? i don´t think I want to figure this one out...

3) One more thing... i lie. I was walking to cooking class yesterday... and what do i pass the very block I was on the night before... sketchy at night... not so bad during the day. I still wont go back there at night!

I love testicles

Hello kids. I am gearing up for a 19 hour bus ride to Iguaze falls. Apparently it´s a luxury bus with seats that fully recline to a bed and they serve Champagne (lets be real, they had me there).
Last night I went to a cooking class with Lauren and Marisa. It was over crowded, disorganized and we made fake tamales. The girls there were either crnchy backpackers or 21 year snobs... didn´t care for either. But suprisingly they had something in common... they ate like pigs and had no manners! There was without a doubt not enough food... it was more like an entrada than a meal... that was clear. Two gentlemen in particular would not serve themselves until all of us ladies had eaten... but htese girls went for thirds! One of the guys is in his 50´s I would say. Has done a lot from the military to now living in Costa Rica seeling Argentine wine. The other man is maybe in his early 30´s and is studying a masters program here to become military abassador in Honduras for the good ´ole USofA. They invited us to go out to dinner with them. Marisa, after my prompting agreed to go. They treated us to the nicest dinner I have has thus far. A bottle of bubbly, two bottles of Malbec, 3 rib eyes, 2 veggies, someone got the assorted meat meal which I will get to in a second, and coffee all around. It came to (though my wallet didn´t conribute)216 pesos... very expensive meal until you do the calculations and realize it´s really only $75 for all of that!
The assorted meats- I agreed to try them before learning what they were... Bull balls and some neck gland... I like, I do I do! I had balls!!! They were very flavorful but the texture was odd- almost like tofu but not quite... I have had that texture before but I can´t remember or place it for an accurate comparison. The neck glad was good too.
These guys have offered to take us to a the superbowl of Polo games next weeekend- I plan on going.
I have to say it was a much different evening than the previous!