Buenos Aires in 50

Hola todos,

[Quick disclaimer: Okay, yes. This post is super duper late. I landed in the States almost two weeks ago, but between a flurry of trying to get to Phoenix from LA, getting sick right after I got home, and my family's new cable TV system, I've been pretty preoccupied.
Okay, lazy. The word I am trying to describe is lazy. Regardless, I had most of this post written right after I got back home and the only thing that I was procrastinating was the editing portion of this post. Enjoy!]

Well, I think this might be my last post. I've landed in Phoenix after a few days in the States, and the trip from Buenos Aires to California was relatively uneventful except for the amazing Einstein bagel that I had in the Houston airport (because bagels don't exist in BA). Also, one of my bags broke from Houston to LA, so I had some clothes strewn around the baggage claim carousel in LAX. That was pretty fun.

I've said my goodbyes and am ready to move on to my next adventure, but it's still pretty crazy to think about how much I have learned and changed in the past school year. (Not to mention that now I am an upperclassman!)
It's strange to think that life continued on in the States while I was away, and sometimes BA seems like a dream. I get these blurs and flashes of images and emotions, and trying to think about how I "studied" rather than "am studying" in BA is pretty weird. However, getting re-accustomed to America, English, and life here has been going well- if nothing else, I am happy that my daily number of awkward situations due to miscommunication has gone to zero!

With all of these thoughts going through my head, I figured that I would list out 50 things that I did this year while it's still fresh in my mind! Here goes:

1) Went to school in the Belgrano neighborhood.

2) Attended classes that I loved and, of course, took classes that I really really really didn't like (which I feel is almost a requirement for any given year in college...)

3) Tried a ton of local foods at cafes and restaurants.

4) Practiced my Spanish daily with locals and my madre.
5) Probably broke several laws and snuck into a River Plate fútbol game. It was super sketchy, but totally worth it.

6) Traveled to Cabo Blanco, a random peninsula in the middle of nowhere.
7) Scaled cliff faces and saw the bluest water ever!
8) Met some Argentine college students who will be life-long friends.
9) Flew to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.
10) Learned to ski in the Andes.
11) Drank Ushuaia's craft brew, Beagle (named after Charles Darwin's ship).
12) Bused to Mendoza, the wine region of Argentina.
13) Rappelled down a 60 meter cliff face.
14) Tasted some delicious Argentine wines.
15) Went to El Tigre, Buenos Aires, where I took a boat tour of the adorable island village!
16) Traveled to Córdoba, Argentina to kick off my winter/summer break.
17) Toured the Villa General Belgrano, a small German town buried in the beautiful mountains.
18) Had my first international experience since coming to BA and crossed the border into Chile.
19) Toured the city of Santiago alone for nearly a week.
20) Nearly got stranded in El Quisco, Chile (aka quite literally the middle of nowhere) on my way to Valparaíso, Chile.
21) Saw all three of Pablo Neruda's eccentric houses.
22) Flew to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, via São Paulo...
23) ...And got lost on Copacabana beach with no money and a very small Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary and (very fortunately) a map with all of my belongings on my back.
24) Spent two weeks seeing the sights in Rio, including Sugar Loaf, Christ the Redeemer, and the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
25) Ate Christmas dinner at a street-side burger joint since my group couldn't find an open restaurant.
26) Spent the night of my birthday at a dance party in a favela where my group met some locals.

27) Saw the famous Rio de Janeiro fireworks over Copacabana beach at midnight on New Years Day.
28) Accidentally stayed overnight in a hostel in a favela. The view was great, the security was not.
29) Stayed awake overnight while I spent 18 hours in the Rio airport waiting for an early flight to Peru.
30) Met my dad in Lima, Peru, after over four months of not seeing him!
31) Toured the small, cute city of Cusco, Peru.
32) Ate (and LOVED) Peruvian cuisine.
33) Hiked for 4 days and camped for 3 nights on the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu, Incan city.
34) Drank Pisco, the national drink of Peru. I even mixed my own!
35) Walked around Lima with my dad, which made it safer to tour off the beaten path.
36) Began my second semester of school in BA with some new professors and new students.
37) Ate too much meat (because although steak is delicious, red meat for lunch AND dinner several times a week just isn't okay....).
38) Became a pseudo-vegetarian for a few weeks just to give myself a break.
39) Ran around a park near my house, called the Parque 3 de Febrero. It had a one-mile loop around a lake and a lot of grass- it was a nice way to escape from the city for a while!
40) Took a ferry across the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay.
41) Visited three separate cities in Uruguay in as many days. And we almost got lost several times.
42) Re-experienced BA as a tourist when my mom visited, and re-fell-in-love with all that BA has to offer.
43) Went to Iguazu Falls and checked another World Wonder off of my list.
44) Hiked on a glacier in El Calafate.

45) Froze my you-know-what off during a miserable hike in El Chaltén.
46) Went to tons of markets in BA and bought too much stuff.
47) Took a tango class and experienced the music and dance scene at a milonga, or tango dance hall.
48) Ate a lot of bread. Like, a lifetime of carbs.
49) Experienced civil unrest in the wake of the death of an Argentine special prosecutor, Alberto Nisman.
50) Met 60+ other students who became new friends and, later, family.

To be totally honest, there were several times throughout the year when I thought that I would never see the end of the semester. Maybe it was a really long school week, or a day when I was traveling and I was worried that I would never make it to my destination, much less back to Argentina. And I think it will take several days to realize I'm not still traveling and will be staying put for bit!
I'm sad for this blog to reach an end... for now. Sharing my adventures with my friends and family was a cool way to force me to process, explain, and remember what life was like and what I did in South America. Whether you religiously read my posts throughout the year or this is your first, thank you! And if there is one thing that I have learned this year, it is that this world is small. I'm sure that our paths will cross again!

Besos, y chau!

Tina the Exploradora

Argentina's Eats and Sweets

Hola todos,

After doing a food post regarding all of the interesting cultural things I consumed during my winter/summer break (check it out here!), I was inspired to inform you all about what I eat here in Buenos Aires. (Plus, I couldn't believe that I hadn't done a food-related post yet!) I hope you have an appetite, because here are pictures and information about Argentine savory foods as well as (my personal favorites) desserts.

Eats

Asado

Think a big cook-out barbecue gone wild! A grill is heated up, and then tons of meat is cooked for guests. Bread and an array of sauces (most notably, chimichurri) join in on the fun, but the focus is definitely the meat. Beef, chicken, and chorizo (a thick sausage) are the primary meats. However, if you go to an American asado (like we have at school once a week) you will find hamburgers and veggie patties. This is the event to hit up if you are protein-craving!

Choripan

Chorizo (sausage) + pan (bread) = choripan

Basically, it is the Argentine version of bratwurst! Often found at roadside stands, but it can also be purchased at parrillas (grill houses) and choripan restaurants, and found at asados.

Empanadas

Although my first intro to empanadas was Mexico (where I would buy them fruit- or cream-filled), Argentina introduced me to the savory empanada. Filled most-commonly with chicken or ground beef (although they can be made with any meat or even veggies), these have become one of my favorite snacks/lunches. (Fun fact: The fillings vary by region of Argentina: some include raisins, hard-boiled eggs, or olives. Additionally, some regions include diced beef instead of ground beef.) A popular regional empanada is the humita variety, which has a sweet corn mixture inside. Yum!

(An inside look at the filling varieties!)

Pastel de papas

One of my favorite dishes here. It is basically sheppard's pie: a layer of seasoned ground beef placed between two layers of mashed potatoes- then the whole thing is baked. Just like the empanadas, the ground beef filling can include raisins, olives, egg, etc.

Milanesa

The big chicken nugget of Argentina: very thin slices of meat (generally either chicken or beef) are covered in crumbs and then deep-fried. Milanesa napolitana (my favorite milanesa variation) also has a slice of mozzerella, a slice of ham, and a slice of tomato cooked on top. It can also be made into a sandwich! These milanesas below are from a restaurant that specializes in milanesas: one is covered in guacamole, another in barbecue sauce, and a third with onion and fried eggs.

Tortilla de papas

Another lunch favorite of mine! Scrambled eggs with potato chunks and onion are cooked into a very thick omelette-like patty. Even though it isn't super-flavorful, it is super good! (Word of warning, though: a tortilla in Argentina is much thicker than the Mexican tortillas that we are used to in the States. Here, usually, one tortilla de papas is about one-inch thick and the size of a dinner plate! Order una mitad, or half, if possible.)

Sweets :)

Chocotorta

My Argentine kryptonite. Chocolinas, an Argentine cookie that most-closely resembles Chocolate Cat Cookies from Trader Joe's (oddly specific, I know), are soaked in either coffee or milk and then layered at the bottom of a pan. Then, a liquid mixture that is one part dulce de leche and one part cream cheese (which, in Argentina, is the consistency of sour cream) is layered on top of the cookies. This layering process is repeated three or four times. Then, the cake is frozen until serving time! (Note: Chocolate graham crackers can be used for the cookie layer, but they aren't as good of a replacement as the Chocolate Cat Cookies at TJ's. Also, the liquid-y cream cheese doesn't exist in the States- instead, sour cream or plain yogurt (especially thicker Greek yogurt) are acceptable replacements!)

Alfajor

Two cookies with dulce de leche in-between and covered in chocolate. At least, that is your traditional alfajor.They can also be filled with other things like mousse. Some aren't covered in chocolate, some are glazed or covered in powder sugar, and some have a different type of cookie. So many different versions, so little time.

Flan

Eggs, milk, and sugar are blended together and cooked up in this delicious dessert! (I know it exists in other Spanish-speaking countries, but it is still an important part of Argentine cuisine!) It usually is served with either dulce de leche or a sweet sauce. (This one has both!)

Dulce de leche

See "Flan" photo!

The name quite literally translates to "milk jam" (dulce is a jam or jelly, and leche is a milk). It is sweetened condensed milk that has been boiled for several hours. I can eat this stuff straight, but I usually try to feel better about eating so much of it by eating it with a banana or apple (especially green apples!) It also goes great in oatmeal as a sweetener. Or on toast. Or in a milkshake or ice cream. (Can you tell that I am addicted?) It tastes very similar to caramel, but if you don't like caramel, don't worry: some of my classmates have said that they can't stand caramel, but love dulce de leche!

Medialunas

It is not a croissant. Let me be clear. It is better, goo-ier, and dough-ier. But the best way to explain it is to call it a croissant. (But beware: not all medialunas are the same. The best medialunas in all of Buenos Aires are in the Belgrano neighborhood, two blocks away from my school!)

Helado (ice cream!)

Alright, I know that ice cream isn't just an Argentine thing. But seriously- Argentine helado is some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my entire life. (Because of the European influence here, it is very similar to Italian gelato.) Plus, the flavor variety offered at ice cream shops keeps it interesting. My favorites? Tramontana, which is vanilla-based but with loads of dulce de leche and malt balls mixed in, and chocotorta (with actual chocolinas crushed up and dulce de leche inside!) I also like a nutella one that I stumbled upon (a rare find) and dulce de leche granizado (which means it contains chocolate shavings/chips).

If you can't tell, one of my favorite parts of exploring a new culture is the food. New foods, old foods a different way, and strange yet yummy combinations. I've been taking notes on how to make some of my favorites, and I'm definitely bringing back plenty of alfajores, dulce de leche, and chimichurri back to the US with me! Happy eating!

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora

"Poor Niagara:" Iguazú Falls

Hola todos,

First things first, some updates:
First: We are already one week into April, which is absolutely insane. This means that I have less than a month left here in BA (just over three weeks, actually). This reality of being so close to the final deadline of departure has been slowly hitting me, so I've been spending a lot of time checking out things on my "BA to-do" list and getting out of the school and my home so that I can have no regrets!
Second: my mom visited BA! It was so much fun and I had a blast showing her this city in which I have built a life for myself. Additionally, we traveled to Iguazú Falls together, which was crazy cool! (And, without further ado, here is the post...)

Rumor has it that, upon seeing Iguazú Falls for the first time, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed: "Poor Niagara!" I visited these incredible cataratas (waterfalls) recently and, although I haven't seen the Niagara Falls of New York, I can imagine that Iguazú is pretty hard to beat.
I got very upclose and personal with the Falls- I took a boat trip that took us into some of the cascading water! (But I didn't get any photos of this part because I didn't want to drown my camera...)

Here is a quick map- my mom and I bused over 17 hours from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú, the town nearest to the Iguazú Falls National Park.

Before heading to the Falls, we went to the Tres Fronteras monument in Puerto Iguazú. From here, you can see three countries, thus the name Tres Fronteras (which means "three borders"). I am standing in Argentina, the land in the background on my right is Paraguay, and the land in the background on my left is Brazil!

Walking through the Iguazú Falls National Park is like walking through the Amazon! (Technically, although Iguazú is not located in the Amazon, it is located in a rainforest.)

You can see the mist from the Falls rising above the tree line- we are still pretty far away from the Falls at this point.

My mom and I at the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), the largest and most famous part of the Falls.

You can't see the bottom of the Garganta del Diablo because there is too much mist! The incredible power of the Falls continually awed me. Although they look incredible and, from a distance, seem peaceful and pretty, this raw power of nature could easily kill you. It's all about perspective.

(Garganta del Diablo again)

The little creatures were everywhere... And they were not afraid of tourists! One even jumped up onto the table where my mom and I were eating lunch and stole a whole pack of cookies! Don't be fooled by their cuteness and friendliness.

The Garganta del Diablo from further away- plus some greenery to frame the view.

Whoa. What. Iguazú Falls cannot be called a "waterfall" because there are simply too many separate waterfalls within the Falls National Park!

Hello, excuse me? Yes, sorry. I'm lost. I was travelling through Argentina and somehow made it here, to the Garden of Eden or something. Can you help me find my way back?

(There is a rainbow by my right arm!)

This picture that I was lucky enough to take is the perfect example of the crazy beauty of the Iguazú Falls National Park .

It's absolutely crazy to think that I got to experience this little piece of paradise, and to think that I wasn't even able to see the whole park. If you go, try and take two days to walk around to all of the view points (there is even one spot where you can go sit at a beach and swim in an offshoot waterfall!)

I took my last long South American bus ride and stayed in my last hostel... well, at least for now. But that doesn't mean my Argentina adventures are done! I still have a few more weeks here, so check back for future posts about my last few weeks here!

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora

Blue Backpack Break: Machu Picchu

Hola todos,

Well, as promised, here is a post just about Machu Picchu! Obviously, the most monumental experience during my winter/summer break deserved its own post. Especially since it took four days and three nights to get there! I hope you are ready for a LOT of photos- some of me and my dad (who accompanied me on this journey), but mostly of the beautiful ruins and nature that surrounded us during our travels along the 26-mile sacred Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

The Trek

One of the couples in our group took this photo- and I am so glad that they captured this moment since it is my favorite picture of all! Such a great picture of just my dad and I alongside nature. 

This was our trek group! There were 16 of us, and we really lucked out when it came to group quality. Usually, there is that one person who complains about everything or the couple that fights the whole time, but no one was like that! Everyone was super fun.

In our group, we had:

• one woman from Canada
• a woman from Austrailia
• couples from Australia, Washington, and San Diego
• a man from Denmark
• two recent college grads from England
• three recent college grads from Indiana
• my dad and myself

Our group diversity really kept things interesting, and we all got a chance to poke fun at each other's accents! Fun fact: At 20, I was the youngest member of the trek, and at [redacted], my dad was the oldest (although, with the way he was barely winded on some of the toughest steep parts, he definitely could have kept up with the younger guys!)

Getting ready to go on the hike! This was my first experience ever with a backpacking backpack, but my dad said I seemed like a natural!

Our first task- getting past the check point and conquering any fear of heights (which I have, by the way.) It wasn't that scary, but the bridge was a little rickety!

I told you there would be lots of nature photos.

The snow-capped and cloud-covered mountains gave me this constant feeling like I was in a Lord of the Rings movie.

One of our first Incan ruin sites, Llactapata. This farming area was built into the side of the mountain and is near the Urubamba River.

My dad, looking all backpacker-y. He was very diligent about getting photos of everything during the trek so that my mom and brother could see them when he got back!

Farm animals were everywhere along the beginning part of the trek because the land around the Inca Trail is still used today for farming.

Our first campsite was in a valley (which you can see if you look at the background). Our tents were set up and taken down daily by chaskis, or porters, who basically did everything for us except hike. (Which they did on their own, carrying our tents and cooking equipment. And they beat us to the campsite every time.)

Another incredible view. The beauty of the nature surrounding us was constantly taking my breath away. (Okay, maybe that was the rigorous hiking and the altitude, but still!)

A view out of our tent! The camp was covered in this cool layer of fog.

The sun, the mountains, and some Incan ruins. Casual.

Some snow-capped mountains for ya.

Getting a picture of us over a scary bridge- no big deal. The bridge seemed to be somewhat shoddily thrown together, and the river running under it was pretty strong!

Us after ascending to the highest point of the entire trek: 4100 meters. That morning, we had started off at around 3200 meters. The change in altitude on the way down actually deformed our plastic water bottles!

My dad wants to be a model for Inka Kola, the national soft drink of Peru. He loved that stuff, and even bought it on the trail when he could!

We actually got to walk around the inside of this preserved Incan city of Sayaqmarka, which used to be a protection check-point for travelers using Incan trails.

Yep- another one. They were all over the place!

Me posing with yet another set of ruins in the background.

These windows were everywhere in all of the ruins that we visited, and were used mainly for spiritual purposes since they always opened to an important location for the Incas (another sacred mountain or sacred temple, for example). 

Hehe- sorry Mom. Couldn't resist.

This is at a different place. My dad really wanted to get a photo to scare my mom!

Yes, we did take this photo in at least three different places. How else were we supposed to distract ourselves from the pain?

Me with the best hiking buddy ever!

Our first view of civilization since we started the trek- a glimpse of Aguascalientes, also known as Pueblo Machu Picchu or Machu Picchu town.

Really, the views of nature were incredible.

Not Machu Picchu- yet. But we still got to climb around these ruins, which was pretty cool!

Another set of ruins built into the mountains called Intipata. Remember this picture for later!

Some treacherous steps that we had to carefully crawl our way down.

Wow.

Remember the Intipata ruins on the mountain from a few seconds ago? Yep- these are them. Up close and personal! My dad is that little human on the right.

Llamas! Or alpacas... I'm not really sure. Regardless, we got pretty close to them!

We were in the middle, and we had to climb down more steps (ouch!) to get to the bottom.

Our last obstacle before heading to the campsite was completed- we were happy campers! Pun intended.

DAY 4

The spectacular view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. Oops. It was too cloudy for us to get a good photo at around 8 am, so my dad and I decided to come back later for a better photo.

Machu Picchu! (When we first got there, the clouds were still making a fog-layer.

But finally the fog burned off! With the sunlight and everything, what a spectacular view of this amazing sacred Incan ruin!

When you are at the ruins in person, Machu Picchu is just so amazingly huge- you can't help but feel tiny!

If you get tired of these photos, just scroll to the bottom. I don't mind!

The famous Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu. We couldn't go inside because of renovations or something, but it was still cool to see the outside wall!

Our trek group with our guide, Percy.

The quality of the Incan construction constantly shocked me. These people made this place without the wheel!

Note: The Machu Picchu complex is huge, so I was on one part of Machu Picchu taking a photo of this other part of Machu Picchu.

The way that the Incans built Machu Picchu into the mountain is incredible and provides for some awesome views.

A room is almost collapsing, but not quite! Hopefully mother nature (Pachamama, to the Incas) can ease up on the earthquakes.

The craftsmanship on these walls is absolutely incredible.

In order to get to the Sun Gate later, my dad and I basically sprinted up these steps. The Incas that lived here must have been really fit...

One final group photo! We were smiling because we were at Machu Picchu. (But mostly because we were finally done, I think...)

The Temple of the Condor featured a rock formation that looked like a flying condor (a holy animal to the Incas that represented the afterlife). Can you see it? (Hint: The wings are the large, smooth-ish boulders on the left and right, and the head is in the middle.)

The Sun Gate, from Machu Picchu. My dad and I sprinted back up there in order to get the photo we had missed before!

A view of Machu Picchu from the aforementioned Sun Gate.

Was it worth the extra sprinting and hiking after a 4-day long trek?

Absolutely.

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora