So I have fallen behind on my updates...
But I did survive the world's deadliest road and 65 kilometer hike to see Machu Picchu, so yeah me!
San Pedro prison in La Paz was the most surreal 3 hours of my life. On my way to La Paz some Aussies on my bus were talking about things to do in LP. They recommended looking into going to San Pedro. When I arrived I asked the girl at the front desk how to visit San Pedro, so she gave me two numbers to call a man named Kenneth.
I called Kenneth, who as it turns out is a South African prisoner in jail for large amounts of drug trafficking. He arranged a tour for 6 of us from my hostel. He told me to bring 150 bolivanos and a goodie bag full of cigs, deodarant, and toys for the kids inside. Yes, there are kids inside of the prison. So we did as we were told and walked to the prison. Once arriving we walked through a metal detector that with 100% certainty was not working, and walked right past the guards. They didnt check our bag of goods or pat us down or anything. I could have brought 6 sub machine guns, a couple of stun guns, some grappling hooks and a Chipotle burrito and they wouldn't have noticed. Once inside we were rounded up into an apartment type room and given a brief overview. Another South African would be leading our tour through the prison. About the apartment, they dont have cells in the section we are in, they have different properties, which can be bought and sold Monopoly style. The rich live in what amounts to a crappy dorm room, while the poor cram into what the engine room workers on the Titanic would sleep in.
There are no guards inside the prison, the prisoners elect leaders who run the security and make sure things stay under control. There are 8 sections in the prison, the section we were in had 90 prisoner and plus or miuns 15 women and kids, overall the prison has 1100 or so prisoners. I visited the nice section, meaning many less stabbings and assorted violence. The prison as a whole averages 4 deaths amonth, some are natural and some are chalked up to ¨accidents¨. We walked through the courtyard where kids were playing soccer, visited some different apartments, and hid in the gym while our group leader sorted out some two year old beef with another guy who didn't like tourists. We visited zona roja, the area where all of the junkies elect to live. I talked to ¨Superman¨for awhile, a 49 year old Canadian who smokes 20 grams of crack a day. INSANE. When I looked around where I was inside of his room I seriously thought I was living in a dream world. I saw him and some buddies make some crack and smoke it, Jesus Mary and Joseph that was nuts. The prison is said to have the best cocaine in all of Bolivia, which would make sense seeing that 75% of the inmates are there for drug related crimes. After the tour we went back into the apartment where we originally started and were offered a chance to order a cornocopia of different products for sale. Since it was St. Patty's, I shared a bottle of whisky with some buddies from the hostel. After 3 hours I walked out wide-eyed and forever changed. I honestly can't explain what was going through my head throughout the experience, other than a lot of Torbush's.
p.s. The Machu Piccu hike was great. More on that later.
Torbush- http://www.utexasclan.com/images/wow.gif
Song of the moment- Sufjan Stevens- Chicago http://www.seeqpod.com/search/?plid=c29bfe9d21
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I went to San Pedro prison yesterday on an unoffical tour. Most surreal experience of my life. Here is a brief synopsis on BBC News.
It cost $150 bolivianos to get in and you had to bring a goodie bag of toiletries and cigarettes. I will go in more detail on my next posting, I am still trying to wrap my mind around the whole experience.
The St. Patty's Day party at the hostel was insannnnnnnnne. Had a blast, and met some really cool people. It is supposedly the highest st. pattys day party in the world (3748 meters above sea level)
At 7am tomorrow I am waking up to bike down the worlds deadliest road. I can't wait. I get a free picture c.d. included so that is sweet. The bikes are really nice, so I feel as safe as I can.
It cost $150 bolivianos to get in and you had to bring a goodie bag of toiletries and cigarettes. I will go in more detail on my next posting, I am still trying to wrap my mind around the whole experience.
The St. Patty's Day party at the hostel was insannnnnnnnne. Had a blast, and met some really cool people. It is supposedly the highest st. pattys day party in the world (3748 meters above sea level)
At 7am tomorrow I am waking up to bike down the worlds deadliest road. I can't wait. I get a free picture c.d. included so that is sweet. The bikes are really nice, so I feel as safe as I can.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Bolivia holla!
So the last week I have been travelling around Bolivia. I left Salta at 7am on Monday (terrible idea to leave that early) and made it to the border at around 2pm. I sat next to a
mouth-breather who decided to read every word of the paper out loud. I could not stop thinking of different murder-suicide methods throughout the 7 hour trip. Upon arriving at the border I got to deal with the long dick of Bolivian customs, as Bolivia has now placed a ridiculous amount of requirements for Americans to enter the poorest country in South America.
Tourist Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens Enteringinto Bolivian Territory via Airports and at Border Entry Points
1. The sworn statement for visa application form
2. A passport valid for six months
3. Hotel reservation or invitation letter
4. Photocopy of roundtrip ticket or travel itinerary
5. Economic solvency
6. Payment of $100 visa issuance fee
7. International yellow fever vaccination certificate
what a pain in the ass.
So after scrambling around La Quiaca, the Argentina border town I managed to compile all but number 4. It turns out that they didn't care one iota about any of the requirements except for the $100. Nice little money grab they have running here. After entering Bolivia I ran into a British couple Hannah and George who were staying at my hostel in Salta. They helped me figure out how to get to Tupiza and filled me in on all the details of the Salt Flat tour. I stupidly left my ATM card in the machine in Villazon so I am currently down to a credit card and my dashing good looks. After taking the bumpiest road in the history of man from Villazon to Tupiza I was able to relax in a nice hotel surrounded by the Andes.
On Wednesday I began my 4 day tour of the Bolivian Salt Flats, one of the best trips of my life. Unfortunately I don't have a camera, so I am relying on the charity of fellow tour mates to hook me up with some pictures of our trip. I was in a 1985 Toyota Landcruiser with Hannah, George, two other British birds, Samuel the driver, and Archie our awesome english-speaking guide.
I guess the easiest thing to do would be give a run down of the days.
Day 1: Begin in Tupiza and drive through some impressive mountain passes. We saw routes that Butch Cassidy and Sundance used to avoid the law, and ate some llamales (tamales filled with llama meat). At night we stopped in a remote village that was over 4200 meters in elevation. I had the genius idea of rounding up about 8 of us gringos to challenge the local kids in futbol. Needless to say we lasted about 5 minutes before we were doubled over and tasting blood in the back of our throats. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Because the kids thoroughly destroyed us, we had to buy them 2 large sodas.
Day 2: We rose at 4:30 am to see the sun rise over the mountains. It was amazing terrain, however it was a really long day. We saw the landscape that Salvador Dali used for his background in ¨Melting Clocks¨ and also saw some cool lagoons all of which were a variety of colors. We also drove onto a volcano and got out and walked around active geysers. This was absolutely in no way safe. I mean, we were walking on 6 inch ledges with boiling water to both our left and right, and steam hissing from underneath or feet. I was glad that we escaped with all of our limbs in tact. The place we stayed was in the middle of nowhere which made for the best star gazing opportunity I have ever had. I think we were able to identify at least 3 planets and a ton of constellations. It was an incredible view, and even though I was freezing, I didn't want to go inside.
Day 3 was fun as we climbed on some huge rock formations and got some good group pictures. We had lunch by the ¨stinky lagoon¨ a pond with thousands of flamingos and a lot of domesticated llamas. At night we stayed in a hotel made completely of salt blocks. You could actually lick the walls. It was quite a unique experience.
Day 4 was my favorite as we drove to the middle of the salt flats to watch the sunrise. It was probably the best sunrise of my life. The pictures I have really do not do justice to how big the flats really are. The guide said they are the same size as Belgium (hi Talie!). We had a lot of fun taking pictures and hanging out, soaking in the last little bit of our time together. We finished the trip in Uyuni, and had a few drinks at a crazy tourist bar before we headed our seperate ways.
Last night I took an overnight train for La Paz, and arrived safely at 7 this morning. I haven't done to much today, but I needed a day to recover from the salt flat tour. Tomorrow is St. Patty's day and my hostel is having a huge blowout. Hopefully it is a lot of fun. I think on Tuesday I am going to bike down the world's most dangerous road. Wish me luck.
Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats)
View of Tupiza from my hotel
mouth-breather who decided to read every word of the paper out loud. I could not stop thinking of different murder-suicide methods throughout the 7 hour trip. Upon arriving at the border I got to deal with the long dick of Bolivian customs, as Bolivia has now placed a ridiculous amount of requirements for Americans to enter the poorest country in South America.
Tourist Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens Enteringinto Bolivian Territory via Airports and at Border Entry Points
1. The sworn statement for visa application form
2. A passport valid for six months
3. Hotel reservation or invitation letter
4. Photocopy of roundtrip ticket or travel itinerary
5. Economic solvency
6. Payment of $100 visa issuance fee
7. International yellow fever vaccination certificate
what a pain in the ass.
So after scrambling around La Quiaca, the Argentina border town I managed to compile all but number 4. It turns out that they didn't care one iota about any of the requirements except for the $100. Nice little money grab they have running here. After entering Bolivia I ran into a British couple Hannah and George who were staying at my hostel in Salta. They helped me figure out how to get to Tupiza and filled me in on all the details of the Salt Flat tour. I stupidly left my ATM card in the machine in Villazon so I am currently down to a credit card and my dashing good looks. After taking the bumpiest road in the history of man from Villazon to Tupiza I was able to relax in a nice hotel surrounded by the Andes.
On Wednesday I began my 4 day tour of the Bolivian Salt Flats, one of the best trips of my life. Unfortunately I don't have a camera, so I am relying on the charity of fellow tour mates to hook me up with some pictures of our trip. I was in a 1985 Toyota Landcruiser with Hannah, George, two other British birds, Samuel the driver, and Archie our awesome english-speaking guide.
I guess the easiest thing to do would be give a run down of the days.
Day 1: Begin in Tupiza and drive through some impressive mountain passes. We saw routes that Butch Cassidy and Sundance used to avoid the law, and ate some llamales (tamales filled with llama meat). At night we stopped in a remote village that was over 4200 meters in elevation. I had the genius idea of rounding up about 8 of us gringos to challenge the local kids in futbol. Needless to say we lasted about 5 minutes before we were doubled over and tasting blood in the back of our throats. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Because the kids thoroughly destroyed us, we had to buy them 2 large sodas.
Day 2: We rose at 4:30 am to see the sun rise over the mountains. It was amazing terrain, however it was a really long day. We saw the landscape that Salvador Dali used for his background in ¨Melting Clocks¨ and also saw some cool lagoons all of which were a variety of colors. We also drove onto a volcano and got out and walked around active geysers. This was absolutely in no way safe. I mean, we were walking on 6 inch ledges with boiling water to both our left and right, and steam hissing from underneath or feet. I was glad that we escaped with all of our limbs in tact. The place we stayed was in the middle of nowhere which made for the best star gazing opportunity I have ever had. I think we were able to identify at least 3 planets and a ton of constellations. It was an incredible view, and even though I was freezing, I didn't want to go inside.
Day 3 was fun as we climbed on some huge rock formations and got some good group pictures. We had lunch by the ¨stinky lagoon¨ a pond with thousands of flamingos and a lot of domesticated llamas. At night we stayed in a hotel made completely of salt blocks. You could actually lick the walls. It was quite a unique experience.
Day 4 was my favorite as we drove to the middle of the salt flats to watch the sunrise. It was probably the best sunrise of my life. The pictures I have really do not do justice to how big the flats really are. The guide said they are the same size as Belgium (hi Talie!). We had a lot of fun taking pictures and hanging out, soaking in the last little bit of our time together. We finished the trip in Uyuni, and had a few drinks at a crazy tourist bar before we headed our seperate ways.
Last night I took an overnight train for La Paz, and arrived safely at 7 this morning. I haven't done to much today, but I needed a day to recover from the salt flat tour. Tomorrow is St. Patty's day and my hostel is having a huge blowout. Hopefully it is a lot of fun. I think on Tuesday I am going to bike down the world's most dangerous road. Wish me luck.
Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats)
View of Tupiza from my hotel
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Some new pictures
Talie and I hanging out in Plaza San Martin, BsAs
Butting heads before we go canopying
Natalie rappeling by a waterfall
Look at that form
Delicious Malbec infused vanilla helado.
Amazing view of where we were hiking/rappeling/rafting/canopying
Our last meal together
Having a great time at a bodega in Mendoza
Amazing wine grapes
Enjoying a cold one after 3 hours of rafting.
View from the hill that we summited
Me going upside down over the lake, it was incredible.
Friday, March 7, 2008
To Chance Encounters...
Entonces, yesterday Natalie left back for Buenos Aires and then back home to Chicago. It was really hard to say goodbye, as we has such an amazing 6 weeks together. She is a really fun and easy person to travel with and made my experiences in BsAs, Iguazu, and Mendoza wayyyyyy better and more memorable. Have a safe trip home Natalie, I will miss you!
Our time in Mendoza was amazing, starting about two hours after we arrived. We decided to rent bikes and explore different bodegas (wineries), where we sampled amazing wines and ate delicious wine grapes straight off of the vine. The next day was Sunday and EVERYTHING in the town was closed, it seriously looked deserted. We manageged to round up enough people from the hostel to have a soccer game so that was a lot of fun. Throughout the week we decided to stay in and cook dinner rather than go out and we made a lot of good meals while drinking many top bottles of Mendozan Malbec. On Tuesday we went on a 25km white-water rafting trip through the Andes. I was the first one to fall out of the boat, ja ja (how haha is written in Argentina). It was beautiful and both of us had a blast. On Thursday we went trekking and rapelled near a waterfall in the morning and went canopying in the afternoon. Canoyping is similar to ziplining, but with 6 stations instead of one. The scenery was breathtaking as the last two lines ran across a lake and then back over. Both Natalie and I went upside down over the lake with the help of an instuructor. Describing it doesn't really do it justice, so I will post some pictures of it when I can. It was an amazing rush to be zooming over a beautiful lake in the mountains upside down. Yesterday we had a perfect last day together walking around Mendoza and checking out all of the sites we wanted to do before we left. We got a final helado that was exclusive to Mendoza, vanilla infused with Malbec, it was delicious. We made a last dinner of spinach ravioli, bruschetta, and a blood sausage sandwhich (ha!) with a final bottle of Mendozan wine. Perfection.
I hopped on a bus an hour after Talie left and now I am 17 hours north of Mendoza in the ciudad of Salta. It looks beautiful so far and like Mendoza, there are a lot of outdoor activities to explore. I am about to leave to explore the city. Next week my sisters and mom are going to Mexico for spring break with my aunt, so I want to tell them to have a great time and to enjoy some mojitos and attention from all of the guys. Two weeks from today, my dad, brother, and his roommate will be down here to hike with to Machu Piccu with me. I am really excited for that. I hope everyone is doing well, but I am not going to lie, I am in no rush to head back, Argentina is an amazing country.
Love you all,
Kyle
Our time in Mendoza was amazing, starting about two hours after we arrived. We decided to rent bikes and explore different bodegas (wineries), where we sampled amazing wines and ate delicious wine grapes straight off of the vine. The next day was Sunday and EVERYTHING in the town was closed, it seriously looked deserted. We manageged to round up enough people from the hostel to have a soccer game so that was a lot of fun. Throughout the week we decided to stay in and cook dinner rather than go out and we made a lot of good meals while drinking many top bottles of Mendozan Malbec. On Tuesday we went on a 25km white-water rafting trip through the Andes. I was the first one to fall out of the boat, ja ja (how haha is written in Argentina). It was beautiful and both of us had a blast. On Thursday we went trekking and rapelled near a waterfall in the morning and went canopying in the afternoon. Canoyping is similar to ziplining, but with 6 stations instead of one. The scenery was breathtaking as the last two lines ran across a lake and then back over. Both Natalie and I went upside down over the lake with the help of an instuructor. Describing it doesn't really do it justice, so I will post some pictures of it when I can. It was an amazing rush to be zooming over a beautiful lake in the mountains upside down. Yesterday we had a perfect last day together walking around Mendoza and checking out all of the sites we wanted to do before we left. We got a final helado that was exclusive to Mendoza, vanilla infused with Malbec, it was delicious. We made a last dinner of spinach ravioli, bruschetta, and a blood sausage sandwhich (ha!) with a final bottle of Mendozan wine. Perfection.
I hopped on a bus an hour after Talie left and now I am 17 hours north of Mendoza in the ciudad of Salta. It looks beautiful so far and like Mendoza, there are a lot of outdoor activities to explore. I am about to leave to explore the city. Next week my sisters and mom are going to Mexico for spring break with my aunt, so I want to tell them to have a great time and to enjoy some mojitos and attention from all of the guys. Two weeks from today, my dad, brother, and his roommate will be down here to hike with to Machu Piccu with me. I am really excited for that. I hope everyone is doing well, but I am not going to lie, I am in no rush to head back, Argentina is an amazing country.
Love you all,
Kyle
Friday, February 29, 2008
Adios Buenos Aires
''Of all the gin joints in all the world.''
If you have never seen Casablanca, go rent it. Tonight! My time in Buenos Aires has sadly come to an end. It is time for me to spread my wings and get some more stamps on my passport. Tonight Natalie and I are taking a 12 hour bus ride across the country to Mendoza. I am really excited to begin the traveling part of my trip but am sad to leave Buenos Aires.
Mendoza is supposed to be very beautiful and is world-reknowned for its wine. Next week is a wine festival so the city should be pretty happening. I am going to look into taking a wine-tasting class so I can move up from caveman status on my wine knowledge. I met a really cool guy here who is a wine sommlier and is only 28. He was in charge of the wine for 10 restaurants in NYC but quit to start his own wine company. B-A-L-L-E-R.
So he has inspired me to learn more about wine. I think Natalie and I will be up to the challenge. I have some friends that I met here that will be in Mendoza at the same time so it should be a lot of fun. I also am going to look into hangliding.
I have become an awesome jaywalker in BsAs, a skill I look to perfect in NYC. If there were a jaywalking olympics I would be the odds on favorite to bring home the gold. I am going to miss the pizza guy who always waves to me when I walk by (if you are ever down here, order the Calaprese pizza from Almacen de Pizzas, it'll change your life) and the haircut guy who takes time to talk to me when I walk by (and also gave me hilarious looking sideburns today, but that is a different story). I am not even sure what I am rambling on about anymore. I loved my time here and highly recommend visiting. Way cheaper than Europe and the people are much nicer.
If you have never seen Casablanca, go rent it. Tonight! My time in Buenos Aires has sadly come to an end. It is time for me to spread my wings and get some more stamps on my passport. Tonight Natalie and I are taking a 12 hour bus ride across the country to Mendoza. I am really excited to begin the traveling part of my trip but am sad to leave Buenos Aires.
Mendoza is supposed to be very beautiful and is world-reknowned for its wine. Next week is a wine festival so the city should be pretty happening. I am going to look into taking a wine-tasting class so I can move up from caveman status on my wine knowledge. I met a really cool guy here who is a wine sommlier and is only 28. He was in charge of the wine for 10 restaurants in NYC but quit to start his own wine company. B-A-L-L-E-R.
So he has inspired me to learn more about wine. I think Natalie and I will be up to the challenge. I have some friends that I met here that will be in Mendoza at the same time so it should be a lot of fun. I also am going to look into hangliding.
I have become an awesome jaywalker in BsAs, a skill I look to perfect in NYC. If there were a jaywalking olympics I would be the odds on favorite to bring home the gold. I am going to miss the pizza guy who always waves to me when I walk by (if you are ever down here, order the Calaprese pizza from Almacen de Pizzas, it'll change your life) and the haircut guy who takes time to talk to me when I walk by (and also gave me hilarious looking sideburns today, but that is a different story). I am not even sure what I am rambling on about anymore. I loved my time here and highly recommend visiting. Way cheaper than Europe and the people are much nicer.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Iguazu Falls
Everything is going great down here, my tan is coming along nicely.
Valentine´s day was really nice, Natalie and I got some wine, some pizza, and went to a park and had a nice picnic. The pizza place by my apartment is insanely good. Like top 3 pizza I have had in my life.
So this last weekend I went to Iguazu Falls with Natalie.
There really are no words to describe how amazing the falls are. 2.5 km wide with over 260 different waterfalls. Talie took some awesome pictures that should be up soon. I would have taken some pictures except that my camera was stolen out of my pocket on the subway on the way to the bus station. It was crazy how deftly it was taken, especially considering how closely I watch my stuff. Hopefully the thief gets Schiavoed.
The best part of the trip was taking a jet boat that drove into one of the waterfalls and absolutely soaked us. It was insane. We also saw some monkeys eating in trees, and a lot of other animals they don´t have in the states. Natalie and I hiked 2 miles into the jungle to discover a waterfall that dropped into a pool. After hiking down we were ale to stand under the waterfall (over a 100 foot drop) and we got some awesome pictures. She is 1000x the model than me. I am like Zoolander in that I only have one look (not to mention I also am an ambi-turner). Anyway, I would really recommend making a trip to the falls at least once in your life. I am definitley returning.
Another highlight of my trip was my 30 minute conversation in Spanish with a 7 year old. Although I did not understand everything she said, I got most of it. Hooray! I am now able to communicate at a 2nd grade level!
This week I moved out of my apartmet early and back into hostel estoril. My roommate was wayyyy too anal about everything and I wasn´t meeting anybody. I didnt come to Buenos Aires to live the life of a 58 year old librarian. Eat a bag Nicolas. I love it back in the hostel, yesterday we had a Liverpool game watching party. Go Reds! I tried to organize a pickup futbol match but everyboy was being hungover and lame. I was planning on trying to join a game but my friend who works at the hostel said that it is a good possibility they will try to injure me because I am a foriegner. What a dump.
I have been hanging out wit a really cool guy named Joe from Michigan. Last night we went to a brewery in Palermo and finally had some chopp (draught) beer. I am so tired of Quilmes, it really is a terrible beer. We had a sampler tray with 8 different beers. The bartender talke to us for awhile and I actually understood a good amount of what he was saying, which was pretty sweet.
Here is a picture of us when we had dinner with his roommate (who is the exact opposite of Nicolas).
This is my last week in BsAs. Even though I love the city, it is some for me to move on and explore more of the great outdoors that South America has to offer. The tenative plan is to go to Cordoba for a few days and visit some friends I made in BsAs. After that I am going to to go to Mendoza and take a wine tasting class for 5-7 days. I will also probably take more Spanish lessons there. Then I will head to Salta and the salt flats, which I heard are amazing. Then I will make my way up through Bolivia to meet my dad, brother, and his roommate in Cuzco, Peru to hike the Incan Trail. How tits is that going to be?
Hope everyone is doing well, and don't stress out too much with school, life is too short.
Adios,
Kyle
Sunday, February 10, 2008
1 month in
So I have almost been here for 4 weeks, and am having an allsome time.
I have a novia (girlfriend) here in BsAs. I met her at hostel estoril the 1st week I was here. We have been dating for about two weeks and are going to Iguazu Falls this weekend so that should be fun. Her name is Natalie, she is 25, and is from California. She does modeling and tutoring in Chicago and is way cute. Her goal is to try every flavor of gelato in Buenos Aires and I am doing my part to help her reach her goal.
Sorry I don't have any pictures of the two of us.
In other news, I am starting my 3rd week of Spanish classes tomorrow, and am sloooooooooowly improving my Spanish. I met a really cool guy from my Spanish school who has the exact same favorite c.d. as me, so that is pretty insane. We went out to some bars last night and had a good time. It´s pretty funny to think that I leave to go out to clubs/bars at the same time that the bars in Austin close. I think I am going to go back to the drum circle tomorrow night, it was one of the best things I have done since I have been here.
I also might take a wine tasting course here or in Mendoza. There are great wines available for about $3usd, and I am tired of Quilmes. Hopefully I come back with a little knowledge of Argentinian Malbecs. If anyone has any questions about what I am doing or what Buenos Aires is like leave them in the comments section and I will respond to them the next time I post.
Anyway, I can't really think of anything else to say except adios!
I have a novia (girlfriend) here in BsAs. I met her at hostel estoril the 1st week I was here. We have been dating for about two weeks and are going to Iguazu Falls this weekend so that should be fun. Her name is Natalie, she is 25, and is from California. She does modeling and tutoring in Chicago and is way cute. Her goal is to try every flavor of gelato in Buenos Aires and I am doing my part to help her reach her goal.
Sorry I don't have any pictures of the two of us.
In other news, I am starting my 3rd week of Spanish classes tomorrow, and am sloooooooooowly improving my Spanish. I met a really cool guy from my Spanish school who has the exact same favorite c.d. as me, so that is pretty insane. We went out to some bars last night and had a good time. It´s pretty funny to think that I leave to go out to clubs/bars at the same time that the bars in Austin close. I think I am going to go back to the drum circle tomorrow night, it was one of the best things I have done since I have been here.
I also might take a wine tasting course here or in Mendoza. There are great wines available for about $3usd, and I am tired of Quilmes. Hopefully I come back with a little knowledge of Argentinian Malbecs. If anyone has any questions about what I am doing or what Buenos Aires is like leave them in the comments section and I will respond to them the next time I post.
Anyway, I can't really think of anything else to say except adios!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
My New Haircut
1st update: My grandpa died last week, so I just want him to know that I love him and he will be missed.
R.I.P. Grandpa Ray
Now for a Buenos Aires update:
I got a new haircut today, and am currently one of 10 people in BsAs without a mullet, gotta love the porteño style. The guy at the haircut place spent about 30 minutes and made sure he got every hair right. The total cost was 20 pesos. For $17usd at pro cuts in the states I can get a 42 year old grandmother of 8 butchering my hair, itching the track marks on her arm, and accidently dropping a cigarette butt onto my lap, all in under 15 minutes! Hooray!
the word of the day is: Porteño
A porteño is a person native to Buenos Aires, and much like a Texan, they are proud to let you know about it.
The way they live their lives is the way I want to live mine. Porteños don't own watches, if they say they will be somewhere at 7, they will be there at 8. At a restaurant it takes 30 minutes to get your drinks and over 2 hours to get in and out, and everybody is cool with it. America can learn from this. They also take vacationing very seriously here. Pretty much everyone takes a month off during either in January or February. My roommate is a lawyer, and he goes into the office at noon, holla! Dinner doesn`t begin until well after 9, and the bars dont close until 8am. However, people dont get housed here like they do in the states, because porteños aren`t racing to beat the 2am last call, and getting borracho (drunk) is not becoming of a porteño, that is for the touristas. Here a drink is communal and meant to be enjoyed, not pounded. Porteños also drink mate, which if you stay tuned, will be the next word of the day.
I started back at school yesterday and it is going well. I am building my vocabulary, so I hopefully soon I will be able to communicate with my roommate at a level slightly higher than Helen Keller. I went to a drum circle last night that was unreal. 15 drummers are lead by 1 maestro who through a series of hand signs he invented are able to improvise amazing beats. I have some cool pictures from it that I will post the next chance I get.
Tomorrow I am going with my friends to Museum, an after-work club in San Telmo, I went last week and had a great time.
Waving the white flag afte I was unable to finish a 2 pound steak at La Cabrera
Until next time,
Kyle
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