Hola todos,
Here's a quick Argentine cultural lesson for you regarding the US dollar here in BA. It has two values. Yep- two. In almost any other country, the dollar is worth one value- whatever the market has set it at. Some days it goes up in value, and some days it goes down. Regardless, you always want to check the day's exchange rate online so that you can practice your rapid mental math skills when buying things or withdrawing cash.
Here in Argentina, all of that occurs too- except that it isn't supposed to. The government here in Argentina more or less fixes the exchange rate for the US dollar and Argentine peso. Every single day, I can wake up knowing that the USD is worth just over 8 ARS (Argentine pesos). That number does not fluctuate much, if at all. Cash or credit, the exchange value stays the same. So that means that I shouldn't worry about what the value is when I exchange my dollars for pesos, or how much my international (read: fee free) credit card is being charged at a store.
However, the market will do what the market will do. There is something called El Dólar Blue (do I really need to translate that for you?) which is the unofficial fluctuating dollar value. This number fluctuates much more than most currencies, but it also gives you a much higher ARS to USD exchange rate. When we arrived, the rate was around 13.5, about 6 weeks ago it peaked at 15.8, and it is currently 12.9. This means that, at the peak rate, I could have received nearly twice as many pesos from an exchange place than I would have received at a bank. Which is awesome! My dollar has more power here than the Argentine government lets on, which means that products here are fairly cheap compared to standard US prices. Unfortunately, this method of exchange isn't officially recognized, but the TV news and newspapers all report the day's blue dollar rate along with all other currency in its economics section.
The downsides: the fluctuation and credit cards. The fluctuation stinks if you wait too long or go too early. The rate doesn't change much within a single day, but week to week you could be jumping for joy and changing tons of money or scrimping your pesos until the rate goes back up so you can exchange dinero again. And credit cards, unfortunately, use the official rate. This means that if today I use my credit card, I will pay 1.5 times as many dollars (but in pesos) than if I had just used the pesos I had exchanged at the better 13-ish rate.
Ultimately, I'm glad we have the Dólar Blue because it helps my money go further and makes living here in BA less expensive as a US American. And looking back on this post, I realize how incredibly long it was. I'm so sorry. At least you learned something!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Friday, November 21, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
An Adventure to Nowhere
Hola todos,
It has been forever since I last published a post! Between school and traveling nearly every weekend, time is flying by faster than I could have ever imagined. I promise to try and be better about posting more Argentina fun facts or information about my adventures, and I hope the following post makes up for the recent drought.
This past week, I had the extraordinary opportunity to travel to the middle of nowhere in Patagonia. Other than the clothing brand, Patagonia refers to a geographical region in southern South America that encompasses, more or less, the bottom triangle of the continent, including Chilean and Argentine territories (the orange-ish region on the map below).
We next traveled to Cabo Blanco, a two hour drive from Puerto Deseado. The only thing in Cabo Blanco is a lighthouse, a rugby field, a stone house, and a metal shed. Oh, and perfectly picturesque beaches with stunning sunrises and sunsets and clear, unpolluted waters.
We painted the shed, reconstructed the rugby field fence, and slept on the beach one night (strongly NOT recommended unless you have a tent or a million socks...) and I saw more stars in the sky than I even imagined could exist.
Jaramillo is a small town of 400 Argentines and was our next stop between Cabo Blanco and the Comodoro Rivadavia airport on the day of our return. Here, we sanded and stained an old railway car and ate a lamb asado (cookout).
Finally, we drove back to the Comodoro Rivadavia airport, only to arrive as our plane was taxi-ing on the runway. As it was 10 pm, the next flight to Buenos Aires was at 5 am the next day, so we pulled out our homework and sleeping bags and spent the night on the airport floor.
Somehow, the 5 am flight had 21 open seats, so our entire group was able to make it back to BA by 7:30 am- many of us arrived to campus just in time for our 8:45 am classes. (Mind you, we hadn't showered for 4 days.)
Summary:
In case this post was too long for you and you skipped to the bottom, just know that the 5ish days that I spent in a little-known area of Patagonia with 20 classmates and about 10 Argentine students was one of my most memorable experiences in Argentina thus far. If you ever want to take some time to backpack through a foreign country or region, don't go to Europe. Everybody goes to Europe. Come to Patagonia and see some of the most breath-taking views of nature! And make sure to drop by Puerto Deseado and Jaramillo and tell the locals that Pepperdine says hi.
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
It has been forever since I last published a post! Between school and traveling nearly every weekend, time is flying by faster than I could have ever imagined. I promise to try and be better about posting more Argentina fun facts or information about my adventures, and I hope the following post makes up for the recent drought.
This past week, I had the extraordinary opportunity to travel to the middle of nowhere in Patagonia. Other than the clothing brand, Patagonia refers to a geographical region in southern South America that encompasses, more or less, the bottom triangle of the continent, including Chilean and Argentine territories (the orange-ish region on the map below).
A group of 21 Pepperdine University students, including myself, got together with about 10 students from the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) and flew about two and a half hours from Buenos Aires to the Comodoro Rivadavia airport, from which we took a four hour bus ride to Puerto Desado. Below is a map of our travels: we flew from the blue dot in the upper right corner to the white circle at the bottom, and then drove to the end of the red pin.
Puerto Deseado is a small beach town that never receives tourists, but has some amazing sights and animal-watching to offer. Here are some things we did in Puerto Deseado:
Saw dolphins and penguins
We saw some beautiful sights of the ocean
And scaled the face of a cliff to get even better photos
A fellow student and I also appeared on the Puerto Deseado radio show. The town almost never receives visitors, much less foreigners, so our group was quite a hit. If you would like to hear me stumble through a radio interview in Spanish, click here!
We painted the shed, reconstructed the rugby field fence, and slept on the beach one night (strongly NOT recommended unless you have a tent or a million socks...) and I saw more stars in the sky than I even imagined could exist.
Jaramillo is a small town of 400 Argentines and was our next stop between Cabo Blanco and the Comodoro Rivadavia airport on the day of our return. Here, we sanded and stained an old railway car and ate a lamb asado (cookout).
Somehow, the 5 am flight had 21 open seats, so our entire group was able to make it back to BA by 7:30 am- many of us arrived to campus just in time for our 8:45 am classes. (Mind you, we hadn't showered for 4 days.)
Summary:
In case this post was too long for you and you skipped to the bottom, just know that the 5ish days that I spent in a little-known area of Patagonia with 20 classmates and about 10 Argentine students was one of my most memorable experiences in Argentina thus far. If you ever want to take some time to backpack through a foreign country or region, don't go to Europe. Everybody goes to Europe. Come to Patagonia and see some of the most breath-taking views of nature! And make sure to drop by Puerto Deseado and Jaramillo and tell the locals that Pepperdine says hi.
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Monday, October 6, 2014
Visiting the End of the World
Hola todos,
This past week, I had the privilege to visit the southern-most city in the world, which is so far south that it is on an island south of the South American mainland. This city, Ushuaia, is more like a small, touristy town than an actual city. It is super cute and quaint, and I loved my 5 day adventure there. Here is a brief summary of what I did:
Learned to ski in the Andes Mountains
Ushuaia is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in September and October, so I was learning to ski while surrounded by the Italian women's ski team and another country's freestyle team. I'm not too bad, and I was able to hit some green and blue runs by our third and final day of skiing.
Saw a penguin
During my junior year of high school, I had to write a little summary of an article about Argentine penguins for Spanish class. Back then, I never thought that I would actually see one! I didn't manage to get a picture because it swam away from our boat super fast, but here is a picture of some penguin-looking birds that we saw :)
Rafted in the Lago Escondido (Hidden Lake)
This lake was beautiful and the view, no matter where you were standing (or sitting in a boat, as it were), was absolutely stunning. The mixture of forest greenery, mountains, snow, and lake was picturesque and seemed almost fake.
Drove through a lake in a Range Rover
It's a really good thing that I don't get motion sickness, because we drove off-road through parts of a lake and the surrounding forest. At one point, the water was almost to the bottom of the car window. Basically, I was in an Indiana Jones movie.
Visited the Malvinas War (Falklands War) Memorial
For Argentina, the Malvinas Islands, otherwise known as the Falkland Islands, are a huge topic of debate. The Memorial had a wall of names and an everlasting flame, along with a walking history of the conflict. The Memorial reminded me strongly of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, and it was a privilege to be able to experience such a significant cultural landmark. This is not a pic of the Memorial, but of me looking at it.
Saw Chile from Argentina
Of course, it is illegal to cross into Chile without completing the appropriate documentation, so we couldn't step onto Chilean soil. However, many of the snow-capped mountains that we saw were the natural boundary between Argentina and Chile, and technically considered part of Chile.
This was my first non-Buenos Aires adventure in Argentina, and it served as a reminder that Argentina has so much more to offer than just its capital city. I have more trips planned outside of BA during the following seven months, and I can't wait to experience them and then share them with you!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
This past week, I had the privilege to visit the southern-most city in the world, which is so far south that it is on an island south of the South American mainland. This city, Ushuaia, is more like a small, touristy town than an actual city. It is super cute and quaint, and I loved my 5 day adventure there. Here is a brief summary of what I did:
Learned to ski in the Andes Mountains
Ushuaia is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in September and October, so I was learning to ski while surrounded by the Italian women's ski team and another country's freestyle team. I'm not too bad, and I was able to hit some green and blue runs by our third and final day of skiing.
Saw a penguin
During my junior year of high school, I had to write a little summary of an article about Argentine penguins for Spanish class. Back then, I never thought that I would actually see one! I didn't manage to get a picture because it swam away from our boat super fast, but here is a picture of some penguin-looking birds that we saw :)
Rafted in the Lago Escondido (Hidden Lake)
This lake was beautiful and the view, no matter where you were standing (or sitting in a boat, as it were), was absolutely stunning. The mixture of forest greenery, mountains, snow, and lake was picturesque and seemed almost fake.
Drove through a lake in a Range Rover
It's a really good thing that I don't get motion sickness, because we drove off-road through parts of a lake and the surrounding forest. At one point, the water was almost to the bottom of the car window. Basically, I was in an Indiana Jones movie.
Visited the Malvinas War (Falklands War) Memorial
For Argentina, the Malvinas Islands, otherwise known as the Falkland Islands, are a huge topic of debate. The Memorial had a wall of names and an everlasting flame, along with a walking history of the conflict. The Memorial reminded me strongly of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, and it was a privilege to be able to experience such a significant cultural landmark. This is not a pic of the Memorial, but of me looking at it.
Saw Chile from Argentina
Of course, it is illegal to cross into Chile without completing the appropriate documentation, so we couldn't step onto Chilean soil. However, many of the snow-capped mountains that we saw were the natural boundary between Argentina and Chile, and technically considered part of Chile.
This was my first non-Buenos Aires adventure in Argentina, and it served as a reminder that Argentina has so much more to offer than just its capital city. I have more trips planned outside of BA during the following seven months, and I can't wait to experience them and then share them with you!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
My First Thoughts
Hola todos,
Even though this post is entitled "My First Thoughts", these are not my very first thoughts upon arriving to Buenos Aires (because, after a 10 hour flight, my first thoughts were "Where is the nearest bathroom?!"). Rather, this is a preliminary survey of my thoughts and experiences in Buenos Aires from this past week.
1) This is a lot like Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
When I flew to the Monterrey airport, the customs were similar, the language was the same, and all of the signs were also in Spanish, then English. Also, there was a lot of greenery: trees, grass, etc. (Coming from Arizona, this is absolutely worth noting.)
3) This is a lot like Athens, Greece.
A curious blend of modern and ancient architecture with decrepit buildings, all crammed together, gave me serious deja vu when I first drove through the city.
4) Hey, that looks like the Berlin Wall, before it was torn down.
Graffiti is on nearly every wall here. I'm sure that is true of every major urban area in the world, but the best part of this graffiti is that, for the most part, it has a purpose. It is either political commentary or beautiful, abstract art.
5) This looks like nothing I've ever seen before.
I know that I just listed a bunch of places that it looks like, but in no other place can you find the blend of all of these traits, with the culture, smells, and sounds of this city.
6) Holy cow, people here speak super fast with a non-familiar accent.
I probably say "Lo siento, una vez mas" (Sorry, repeat what you said) more often than is necessary, but between the castellano accent and the super fast speeds at which people talk, this is definitely NOT classroom, textbook Spanish. Fortunately, most people will slow down and use easier vocabulary for my benefit.
7) Where are my to-go coffee cups?!
Nowhere. There aren't in the Coto (think: Walmart), nor were they in the souvenir shop at the zoo. Culturally, having cafe is an experience that includes sitting down, ordering a pastry and coffee, and relaxing and talking with friends or reading the paper. Actually, the Starbucks has to-go cups, but only US Americans use them. And between the blond hair and the 'wide-eyed tourist' look, I don't need another way to stand out as a US American.
8) They eat late here. I'm hungry.
At about 7 pm, I want dinner. I eat at about 8:30 pm on an early night, and 10 pm on an average night. The struggle is real, especially when lunch is at noon. Luckily, the food is worth waiting for!
Of course, I'm still learning so much about the city and its inhabitants, and I'm so excited to continue this encompassing education every day for the next 8 months!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Even though this post is entitled "My First Thoughts", these are not my very first thoughts upon arriving to Buenos Aires (because, after a 10 hour flight, my first thoughts were "Where is the nearest bathroom?!"). Rather, this is a preliminary survey of my thoughts and experiences in Buenos Aires from this past week.
1) This is a lot like Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
When I flew to the Monterrey airport, the customs were similar, the language was the same, and all of the signs were also in Spanish, then English. Also, there was a lot of greenery: trees, grass, etc. (Coming from Arizona, this is absolutely worth noting.)
2) This is a lot like Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico.
Yes, again, the language is the same. But another similarity is the overwhelming presence of trash. Street curbs and sidewalks are filthy, as littering seems to be an unenforced issue.
A curious blend of modern and ancient architecture with decrepit buildings, all crammed together, gave me serious deja vu when I first drove through the city.
4) Hey, that looks like the Berlin Wall, before it was torn down.
Graffiti is on nearly every wall here. I'm sure that is true of every major urban area in the world, but the best part of this graffiti is that, for the most part, it has a purpose. It is either political commentary or beautiful, abstract art.
5) This looks like nothing I've ever seen before.
I know that I just listed a bunch of places that it looks like, but in no other place can you find the blend of all of these traits, with the culture, smells, and sounds of this city.
6) Holy cow, people here speak super fast with a non-familiar accent.
I probably say "Lo siento, una vez mas" (Sorry, repeat what you said) more often than is necessary, but between the castellano accent and the super fast speeds at which people talk, this is definitely NOT classroom, textbook Spanish. Fortunately, most people will slow down and use easier vocabulary for my benefit.
7) Where are my to-go coffee cups?!
Nowhere. There aren't in the Coto (think: Walmart), nor were they in the souvenir shop at the zoo. Culturally, having cafe is an experience that includes sitting down, ordering a pastry and coffee, and relaxing and talking with friends or reading the paper. Actually, the Starbucks has to-go cups, but only US Americans use them. And between the blond hair and the 'wide-eyed tourist' look, I don't need another way to stand out as a US American.
8) They eat late here. I'm hungry.
At about 7 pm, I want dinner. I eat at about 8:30 pm on an early night, and 10 pm on an average night. The struggle is real, especially when lunch is at noon. Luckily, the food is worth waiting for!
Of course, I'm still learning so much about the city and its inhabitants, and I'm so excited to continue this encompassing education every day for the next 8 months!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Friday, September 5, 2014
13 Hours in a Plane (or Two)
Hola todos,
We arrived in Argentina yesterday, and flew 13 hours in various flights over 25 hours (with a five hours time zone change)! Below is what I've done during the past two days, most of which involved driving, flying, or waiting in an airport.
7:30 am, Wednesday, September 3
A smaller group of us took a shuttle from Pepperdine to LAX, and then got in line for boarding passes. It took forever for everyone to check their bags and get passes, but both of my bags were under 80 pounds combined and I got my boarding passes without a hitch.
10 am
Security lines with 66 students. I feel like that is pretty self-explanatory. (That's the beautiful Jayci Givens in the foreground.)
12:12 pm
We boarded our flight to Houston. I got a window seat = sleep!
5:49 pm (Houston time)
We landed at IAH and lounged around during our layover. I bought dinner (expensive airport food, grr...) and charged my laptop.
8:45 pm
We boarded the flight to Argentina! Time for 10 hours of uncomfortable sitting/sleeping (and I only got 4 hours of sleep). But hey, I got to watch Captain America 2 and American Hustle.
9:05 am, (Argentina time) Thursday, September 3
We arrived at Ezezia (EZE), Argentina, got our luggage, and drove the school house, "Casa Holden".
12:30 pm
Our first lunch together was an "asado", which is a cookout-like meal with sandwiches with grilled meat. We also got Argentine ice cream/gelato after the main meal!
3:30 pm
My homestay madre, Ines, picked me up from the Casa and brought me to my new home for the next 8 months!
7:30 pm
After unpacking and getting oriented to my new surroundings Ines, and I ate an early dinner. I was exhausted from my limited sleep the past few days, so I crashed soon after.
The trip here to Argentina, and my first (partial) day in the city, were so eventful and informative, I am already planning future posts. I am so excited to continue this adventure that I have begun, and I can't wait to share all of my findings with you :)
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
We arrived in Argentina yesterday, and flew 13 hours in various flights over 25 hours (with a five hours time zone change)! Below is what I've done during the past two days, most of which involved driving, flying, or waiting in an airport.
7:30 am, Wednesday, September 3
A smaller group of us took a shuttle from Pepperdine to LAX, and then got in line for boarding passes. It took forever for everyone to check their bags and get passes, but both of my bags were under 80 pounds combined and I got my boarding passes without a hitch.
Security lines with 66 students. I feel like that is pretty self-explanatory. (That's the beautiful Jayci Givens in the foreground.)
12:12 pm
We boarded our flight to Houston. I got a window seat = sleep!
5:49 pm (Houston time)
We landed at IAH and lounged around during our layover. I bought dinner (expensive airport food, grr...) and charged my laptop.
8:45 pm
We boarded the flight to Argentina! Time for 10 hours of uncomfortable sitting/sleeping (and I only got 4 hours of sleep). But hey, I got to watch Captain America 2 and American Hustle.
We arrived at Ezezia (EZE), Argentina, got our luggage, and drove the school house, "Casa Holden".
Our first lunch together was an "asado", which is a cookout-like meal with sandwiches with grilled meat. We also got Argentine ice cream/gelato after the main meal!
My homestay madre, Ines, picked me up from the Casa and brought me to my new home for the next 8 months!
7:30 pm
After unpacking and getting oriented to my new surroundings Ines, and I ate an early dinner. I was exhausted from my limited sleep the past few days, so I crashed soon after.
The trip here to Argentina, and my first (partial) day in the city, were so eventful and informative, I am already planning future posts. I am so excited to continue this adventure that I have begun, and I can't wait to share all of my findings with you :)
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Saturday, August 30, 2014
The Before-I-Leave Checklist
Hola todos,
Less than four days until I arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I am so excited, nervous, stressed, hopeful, and pretty much every other emotion under the sun. Today, I am sharing with you the list of things that I want to complete before I leave.
1) Eat take-out Chinese food. Apparently, the Chinese food in Argentina is questionable, and only for the brave of heart- and stomach.
2) Go on a weekend bike ride with my mom. I won't be able to cycle in the crowded city.
3) Family trivia night at The Hungry Monk in Tempe. Good food and fun competition, plus we might win again!
4) Early birthday/Christmas celebration with the family. Because I'll be traveling through South America during my winter break, and won't return home until May.
5) Go on a hike with my dad. Think of it as training for Machu Picchu!
6) Pay my bills. Which are pretty sizable, considering that I just bought my text books...
7) See Frozen and The Lego Movie. I've seen both, but my family hasn't. I'm in for a night of laughs!
8) Pack. Oops.
9) Eat Micky Mouse waffles. Because, duh.
All too soon, I will be standing in LAX with a group of Pepperdine students awaiting our group flight. Until then, adios!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Less than four days until I arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I am so excited, nervous, stressed, hopeful, and pretty much every other emotion under the sun. Today, I am sharing with you the list of things that I want to complete before I leave.
1) Eat take-out Chinese food. Apparently, the Chinese food in Argentina is questionable, and only for the brave of heart- and stomach.
3) Family trivia night at The Hungry Monk in Tempe. Good food and fun competition, plus we might win again!
4) Early birthday/Christmas celebration with the family. Because I'll be traveling through South America during my winter break, and won't return home until May.
6) Pay my bills. Which are pretty sizable, considering that I just bought my text books...
7) See Frozen and The Lego Movie. I've seen both, but my family hasn't. I'm in for a night of laughs!
8) Pack. Oops.
All too soon, I will be standing in LAX with a group of Pepperdine students awaiting our group flight. Until then, adios!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
Monday, August 18, 2014
It's Time to Pack!
Hola todos,
I am a mere two weeks away from leaving the United States and traveling to not only another country, but also another continent (not to mention a different time zone, language, culture, and society!). As the date slowly creeps towards me, I am realizing that I need to pack... which seems like an incredibly daunting task. How am I supposed to pack enough stuff for 8 months in a foreign country? Especially where they don't sell some of my favorite products...
Well, never fear. I discovered this gem a while back, and it changed my life.
"The Universal Packing List" includes documents, clothing, electronics, and almost everything that I have ever thought to pack. You can customize it too, so that it includes special items related to you/ your travel plans. (Going hiking? It will included hiking boots. Have kids? It will remind you to bring pacifiers and car seats!)
However, there are always a couple of key items that should be highlighted as the cornerstones of packing for international travel. Below is a list of some of the most important things (in my opinion) to remember to bring while traveling abroad.
I hope the link and list above will help you start your next adventure... ready, set, pack!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
PS I didn't include underwear in my list, because I figured that its importance was obvious enough. But yes, bring plenty of underwear.
I am a mere two weeks away from leaving the United States and traveling to not only another country, but also another continent (not to mention a different time zone, language, culture, and society!). As the date slowly creeps towards me, I am realizing that I need to pack... which seems like an incredibly daunting task. How am I supposed to pack enough stuff for 8 months in a foreign country? Especially where they don't sell some of my favorite products...
Well, never fear. I discovered this gem a while back, and it changed my life.
"The Universal Packing List" includes documents, clothing, electronics, and almost everything that I have ever thought to pack. You can customize it too, so that it includes special items related to you/ your travel plans. (Going hiking? It will included hiking boots. Have kids? It will remind you to bring pacifiers and car seats!)
However, there are always a couple of key items that should be highlighted as the cornerstones of packing for international travel. Below is a list of some of the most important things (in my opinion) to remember to bring while traveling abroad.
Passport/visas
(obvious, I know)
Sweatpants
(because even if they don't have your comfort food, you can still be comfortable)
Professional clothing
(especially if you are traveling for business, but even if you are a student- you might have an internship opportunity come your way!)
Fake wallet with gift cards or expired credit cards
(if you get mugged, throw the fake wallet away from you to escape; the same works for an old cell phone)
Flashlight
(many countries have spotty electricity, especially if you are in a rural area)
Travel converter/adapter for international outlets
(because shorting out your hair dryer -or worse, your laptop- is the last thing that you want to do EVER)
I hope the link and list above will help you start your next adventure... ready, set, pack!
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
PS I didn't include underwear in my list, because I figured that its importance was obvious enough. But yes, bring plenty of underwear.
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