Hola

So it is time for a new update. Today I moved into an apartment in Palermo Soho, and it is wicked. Marble coutertops, wood floors, cable t.v. (not like I'll use it), and 1.5 baths for $350 a month. Palermo Soho is the spot you want to live in BsAs, so I am super stoked. My roommate's name is Nicolas and he speaks about 10 words in English, so hopefully this will develop my Spanish speaking skills rapidly. Today was the first time I was able to go to the supermarket, and the first time I realized how much I was getting gouged at hostels for a bottle of Quilmes. At the hostels a liter of Quilmes is 8 pesos, at the supermarket a liter is 2.50 pesos.

This weekend I am flying up to Iguazu Falls with a friend so that should be a lot of fun. I'm positive the pictures don't do the actual site justice, so I am really excited to see them live.

Sunday Plans

So the game was great. It was only a preseason game and it was probably second only to the 2006 Rose Bowl in intensity. I sat in the middle of the Boca Juniors section and witnessed a 2-0 victory. The stadium is split 50-50 and no fans are allowed on the other teams side. There were well over 500 cops in full riot gear with batons and shotguns to keep the peace. After the game the River fans were forced to leave directly after the game while the Boca fans were locked inside to wait for the River fans to walk at least 2km away from the stadium. Quite an experience.

Today I am going to the San Telmo market, a huge outdoor bazaar, with more people and crap for sale than you have ever seen. Tonight I might go to a club with some friends but I am n0t too sure. Most clubs here don't open until 2 and dont't close down until 8.

This week I am looking at some apartments in the city (they are sooooo cheap), and on Friday I am going to Iguasu Falls for the weekend. Hope everyone is doing well. Pictures should be posted within a day or two.

River Plate vs. Boca Juniors

I have a ticket to the biggest sporting rivalry in the game. El Superclasico is the biggest futbol game in the world, and about 15 friends and I are going.

Top 50 sporting events to do before you die.

I am in my 4th day of Spanish classes and I am improving slowly but surely. Tonight they are having a soccer themed party at my hostel so we will see how my 80's polyester Brasil jeresy works out. I think next weekend I am going to Iguazu Falls. I have some great pictures of La Boca and Caminito I will put up when I get on a computer with the capabilities. I think I am getting an apartment here (in San Telmo or Palermo). My last 7 weeks of traveling are going to be wild. Hiking the Incan trail to Machu Piccu, ice trekking, sand boarding, amazon exploring, and biking down the worlds deadliest road.
Adios

Week 1 in Review

Saturday Morning Update

So far, so great. I have met some great friends with unreal stories and experiences. It makes me want to spend the next 10 years traveling the globe. The architecture here is definitely influenced by Spain and France and the streets are absolutely enjoyable to walk. Today I am renting bikes with some friends to explore the city some more. My hostel is a stones throw away from the obelisco, which is pretty much times square of B.A. For all of you wanna be real estate moguls, I think you would be foolish if you did not strongly consider investing in a few condos here. A nice one can be had for less than 75,000 usd, which I could see increasing 5x in the next 10 to 15 years. I could see myseld staying down here if my Spanish wasnt as brutal as Duane Akinas defense this year.

My hostel Thursday night was called Sandanzas and was in the neighborhood called San Telmo. It was a smaller hostel (25 beds), but everyone bonded really well. They had free tango classes at night, and 16 out of 25 people showed up. The lesson was taught in Spanish, so I tried my best to pick up on certain words. I am in dire need of some Spanish lessons and am looking to start classes on Monday. I am also checking out neighborhoods for a possible apartment for February. Today I walked about 8 miles with some people from the hostel. We went to the famous cemetary in Recoleta, and saw Eva Perons grave. After that, I got to see River Plate stadium which was cool, but we took so long walking (even though busses cost $.30, and taxis cost about $4 usd) we missed the last tour. Next weekend I am going to Mar del Plata, which is 5 hours south, to see River vs Boca, the biggest rivalry match in the world. This was my main goal when I came down here, so I am glad I will get to complete it early in th trip.

I have only slept 22 hours since I left on Monday and I feel great. I think traveling completely changes my equilibrium and has me going non stop. Tonight I went to a great old tango hall and stayed up with friends watching the sunrise. I wish I could post pictures, but this computer was made in 1988.

Hasta luego,
Kyle

p.s. have fun in Vegas, CATI

I have arrived

Buenos Aires is the bee´s knees so far. I almost died walking from the bus station to my hostel, apparently wearing jeans and lugging 40 pounds worth of gear half-way across the city can cause heat stroke. Hostel Estoril is where I am staying, which is in the center of the city, a short block from the Obilisque and Congresso. The hostel has a 6th floor terrace and bar which makes it easy to meet people and have a good time. Last night there were probably 15 of us drinking some Quilmes and only 2 of us were American. The biggest difference from the states is the daily schedule. Today I at lunch at 4:30, and last night I finished my dinner at 1 am. A lot of bars don´t really get going until 2am and no restaurants open before 8 for dinner. Argentinian steak is amazing and if I don´t walk 5 miles a day I will comeback looking like Violet Beureguard from Willy Wonka.

Today I went with one of my roommates and explored the Palermo and Recoleta barrios. Palermo had a some nice parks and a cheap zoo ($8 pesos). Recoleta is a very affluent neighborhood with good restaurants and bars. We stopped by the Museo Nacional de Balles Artes, and saw a lot of famous artworks.

I hope everyone is doing well, happy hour is starting, so I gotta go

-Kyle

Pre-trip Outline

In five days I will be heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina for three months. As of now my preparations go as far as getting all of my shots, flipping through a book on B.A. and borrowing a backpack from my brother's friend Zach. This isn't too worrisome, as I normally preform better under the gun, as my college career bares out. Today and tomorrow I will get all of my gear ready and book my first week of hostels. I have a lot of nervous energy but it's excitement more than anything. For the first two weeks I will be taking Spanish classes and tango lessons at a local universidad in Buenos Aires.


Due to the god-awfulness that is the Brazilian consulate in Houston (and Washington D.C. and Chicago, seriously how hard is it to return a call or an e-mail?), I am planning my trip around Argentina and the western countries of South America. If I am able to obtain a visa once I am in Buenos Aires; Brazil will be added back to the itinerary.
This may be a blessing in disguise because I have now canceled my plans to go to Carnival, which would have most likely bankrupted me three weeks into my trip.

Tentatively, I am planning on visiting these locations:
*Iguazu Falls (the background picture at the top of the page) located at the border between Argentina/Paraguay/Brazil
*Montevideo and beaches in Uruguay
*Santiago, Chile
*Lima, Peru and Machu Picchu (200 miles outside of Lima)
*Ushuaia and the Patagonia region of Argentina.
*Quito, Ecuador

I am completely open minded about travel locations so please leave some suggestions.