Argentina Half-Way! -- part dos

Round two of what happens here. I'm getting a little better with the language so it gets a little easier to get around. This isn't all of what happened but some of the highlights!

On a Wednesday, when the tickets were half-price, some members of the group headed over to El Teatro Presidente Alvear, not too far from where I lived for a two-hour live tango show. It was almost a cross between a musical and a ballet, with "tango" as the type of music and dance. People didn't speak (which meant I understood as much as the next person) but there was music, some with lyrics. Overall, I was entranced by most of it, and I think the intimacy and spurts of passion tango exemplified has a place in my heart.

Closing of Chantecler Tango

One of the first weekends we were here, we went to an Estancia, a form of rural tourism that has developed in Argentina for tourists to get a taste of the traditional life. Tried asado for the first time (thought not the last time for sure!) here and spent a day riding horses. A restful and beautiful day! 

View from the balcony

yes, the horse is lying down but it's alive and safe...

One of the mini-trips the group took was to El Tigre. We didn't have much luck with the weather but it was a cute little town an hour or so train ride away from the city. It was great just being able to drown out the noise in the city for a cute little boat ride down the river. 

the crew

On the long weekend, I took an 18 hour bus ride (it was so much better than it sounds) to Iguazu Falls to see this one of seven natural wonders of the world! Fortunately, we got to see a lot of it before it really started to pour the high water meant we couldn't so see the San Martin Islands. However, the rain and the overall water turbulence made the boat ride right into the mouth of the devil's mouth one of the most accelerating thing of my life! i swear to got the boat was going to tip over and/or crash at one point or another!

Catarata de Iguazu!

last note. my friend brittney and I have become incredibly obsessed with a type of chocolate here called Coflers, especially the one with white chocolate outside and a mousse inside. we visited 9 kioscos, which are essentially convenience stores with only snacks and chocolates to find these the day we discovered how amazing they were. in case i every visit again, mental reminder to buy a whole box of these and oreo alfajores. life rocks.

i could marry these

and maybe the next post i'll actually write about a book...

Argentina Half-Way Point!-- part uno

Still haven't finished the book and haven't written updated posts about Argentina. I know, I'm a terrible person. But I do have some exciting updates since I last posted. It's officially now my third week here and I am half way done with the program. I've gotten a lot more used to it here, but I think a lot of it has to do with accepting; accepting that I will always look, sound, and act like a foreigner, accepting that some people act superior just because they speak a language better (I speak four languages, thanks), and accepting that I  can improve when I put in the effort.

Mostly, that's been the difference from the first day to today. I make more of an effort to go out and about to explore because I want to see as much of the city as I can for myself, not for the sake of other people and showing off on facebook. But, enough ranting, here's what did happen. I had to break it into two post so here is part one.

The first weekend here, I managed to go to San Telmo Fair, a rather touristy affair with an entire street for 20 or so blocks just blocked up with stalls lining the sidewalk. I had to go back to a pretty little cafe called tea connection to study for my test the next day, and so didn't see all of it, but was pretty cool. But what I loved more was a traditional market further in San Telmo that sold a lot of hand made goods at lower prices than the fair I saw at Plaza Francia. I ended up buying a rather cute and very warm sweater, the price for which I managed to haggle down a full 50 pesos! haha

Where I was studying in Tea Connection 

Just for kicks I also visited three different malls here on a holiday because nothing else was open: Patio Bullrich, Galeria Pacifico, and Shopping Abasto. They are all in historic building that were absolutely beautiful! Patio Bullrich was in an old auction house and had the most beautiful lamposts and clock tower. Galeria Pacifio had a fountain and high ceilings with murals on them. Shopping Abasto was more impressive from the outside than in but loved it none the less. I wonder why they put shopping malls in such beautiful buildings.

Galeria Pacifico with my friend

One of the coolest things I've done yet is go on a sunday night to a Pena on Sarmiento called Catedral. It was a very local affair and I'm pretty sure we were the only foreigners there. The building was in an old warehouse but was decorated beautifully. I took a short one hour class before everyone else joined in. I have two left feet and the lady kept trying to work with me, but it didn't work out. It was still one of the coolest places I got to visit in Buenos Aires so far.

Dance floor of Catedral

Hopefully next post will be in the next 24 hours! 

Until then,