Un beso grandisimo a la bella Buenos Aires

Literally cannot believe I’m writing my final blog post in Buenos Aires. I’m all packed up and I’ve said my goodbyes, but I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that I’m leaving this beautiful, exciting, and mostly crazy city. This semester has been full of learning, traveling, and memories. I’ve learned more about myself and other cultures in just four months than I thought was possible in years. I visited eight cities and three different countries, each more beautiful and captivating than the last! Although there were some difficult/homesick/culture-shock moments I truly made some of the greatest memories with some of the greatest friends I could have asked for.

I had no idea how much I could grow to love my host mom, my Argentine madre. Maria is one of the most caring, loving, sincere, and utterly selfless people I have ever met. She was everything I could ask for in an Argentine mom! Saying goodbye to Maria will be the hardest part, hands down.

From cafes con leche and glasses of vino in adorable cafes (maybe a little too often) to sleepless nights out on the town in crazy Buenos Aires, I can’t begin to explain the fantastic times I’ve had in BA. I can’t explain the feeling I got every time I mastered a new bus route, the warmth I felt when a local helped me with directions, the satisfaction I experienced every time I was able to have a full conversation with a porteño. It’s these moments that I will miss more than anything.

Un beso grandisimo a Buenos Aires y todos mis queridos amigos!! Words truly cannot express the love I have for all of you!

‘Merica, I’ll see you soon! ;)

LIXO, Dutson

Jam packed last weeks!

As it gets closer and closer to returning to the land of the free I’ve been jam packing my days with activities to make the best of the rest of my trip. It’s so weird to me that soon I’ll be saying I lived in Argentina, when it feels like I was just getting on my flight down here yesterday! 

Last weekend we went to the Argentina v. Ecuador soccer game. It was incredible! Argentina won 4-0 and the fans were nuts! I was super happy I got to experience a real soccer game in South America. It almost puts Drew’s football celebration cheers to shame, but not quite! :P 

Estadio Riverplate

This week was full of fun happy hours, a crazy drag show, and lots of friends. We went to the horse races at the Hipódromo Argentina on Friday, which was a blast! It’s a beautiful place and you can place bets for as low as $3ARG (about $.75US). Two of my friends won some dinero back! I also went to Feria de Mataderos on Sunday which is a market with a lot of artisan trinkets, jewelry, and delicious food! I was actually mistaken for a real life Argentine for the first time since I’ve been here – score! 

Friends at the horse races

Feria de Mataderos (Dad you would have been in meat lovers heaven at Mataderos! Check out the lower right picture above... All sausage and steak!)

Unfortunately I’m buckling down for the week since I have a massive amount of projects and essays and finals and orals to study for… still wondering when this became real school? I have lots of plans for the rest of my time in Argentina though!!

Te extraño muchísimo! LIXO, Dutson

Bienbebidos!

I went on my last trip last weekend to Mendoza! Mendoza is on the western border of Argentina and is known for their wine production. The most famous wine from Mendoza is the Malbec, but they also produce fantastic Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons, and many more.

We left for Mendoza on Thursday night in a bus cama. This is a step above the rest of the trips we’ve taken in bus semicama and there was a WORLD of a difference! We got to Mendoza at 10 am on Friday and headed straight to our hostel, Damajuana. The hostel was adorable – lots of lounge space, a pool, and a bar attached to it!

The lounge area at the hostel

We changed quickly and headed off to a bike vineyard tour! The tour group was called Bikes and Wines and they provided empanadas and plenty of wine beforehand.

The group at Bikes and Wines

We went to three different vineyards and one olive oil/chocolate/liqueur place (confusing, I know!). Each place gave us a tour of the vineyard and let us taste some wine. I loved how unique each vineyard was!

Diana and I with some Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Adorable wine tasting

The “olive oil/chocolate/liqueur place” was heaven! We were able to taste about 15 different dips, types of olives, and olive oils. I have a new found love for green olives that is quickly turning into an obsession. Afterwards we turned around and there was another table filled with different jams, chocolate spreads, and most importantly, different types of dulce de leche. And if that wasn’t enough they proceeded to present about 10 different liqueurs that we could try!

Beautiful table full of treats!

Me on my precious pink bike

That night we enjoyed a delicious asado (BBQ) and passed out super early! The next day we woke up early for our Alta Montaña excursion. We drove up through the mountains, stopping for pictures, until we got to the Puente de Inca. It was snowing! It was truly crazy to be in the snow in May! We ate lunch in the mountains and I tried locra, an Argentine specialty that is similar to beef stew. It was delicious and perfect for the cold day!

Snow in May at the Puente de Inca

Locra accompanied by a delicious Malbec

The next day we had big plans to go paragliding, but unfortunately there was too much wind in the mountains and we weren’t able to go. Instead we went on a city tour of Mendoza! It was really cool to see the whole city. That night we headed back to Buenos Aires. It was a spectacular trip and I am so grateful that I was able to go!

Meanwhile back in BA, I can’t believe that I have less than a month left of my semester abroad! I still have so many things I want to do, but my teachers are trying their hardest to glue me to a desk. Finals, presentations, and essays keep piling up! In even worse news, the inevitable happened: I was robbed. Yesterday someone stole my wallet out of my purse. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, but it’s a terrible terrible feeling to be robbed in a foreign country and left with no money or identification. Thankfully I have the greatest parents ever to help me get my life back in order!

I miss you all so much and as sad as I will be to leave Argentina, I am extremely excited to be reunited with each of you! J

LIXO, Dutson

Obsessed with beautiful Brazil

Last week we took a trip to Brazil and it was absolutely fantastic! I hadn’t originally planned to go to Brazil while studying abroad, but I am so glad I decided to. The people, the food, and the beautiful ocean are only part of what makes this country so great. I went with a group called BAIS (Buenos Aires Int’l Students) and three other friends: Leticia, Diana, and Darnell. Luckily we made so many friends on the trip that we’ve been hanging out with a bunch since we got back!

We left on Tuesday morning and took a bus to Ezezia Int’l Airport. We got into Sao Paulo, Brazil that evening and went to the biggest mall in South America to wait for the second group. After meeting up with them we drove seven hours through the night to Angra Dos Reis. Angra Dos Reis is a small city that is on the coast of Brazil and is made up of 365 islands! I was absolutely shocked by how nice our hotel was! Usually when you go on trips like these we rough it in hostels, but this hotel was right on the water, spacious, and had a pool (AND a hammock outside each room).

Everyone at the airport in Sao Paolo

View from the hotel

The first two days we rented a private boat and toured the different islands and absolutely stunning beaches. We had breakfast on the boat, asado for lunch (delicious choripan, which is chorizo (sausage) on bread), and lots and lots of caipirinas! The second day we stopped on an island and hiked about 30 minutes to find a hidden beach that was amazing!

Breathtaking views

Friends on the boat

Hidden beach

Early Friday morning we packed up and headed to Rio de Janeiro. The bus ride was only about three hours and we went straight to see the Cristo Redentor. Unfortunately there was a ginormous cloud on it so we couldn’t see anything. We ended up coming back three more times during the weekend before it was clear enough to see.

Cristo: Take 1

Cristo: Take 2

We stayed right across the street from Copacabana while in Rio. It was quite the view! While the hotel wasn’t as nice, it was worth it to be so close to the beach. While in Rio we did a lot of sightseeing: we got to see the future World Cup stadium, the Carnaval grounds, the Favela, and Pan de Azucar. The Favela is a ghetto in Rio and is absolutely fascinating. It’s located on a hill on the edge of Rio and all of the houses are painted bright colors. Pan de Azucar is a mountain that has amazing views of the entire city. We went during the night and I was blown away at how beautiful Rio is!

View from hotel in Rio

Favela

View from Pan de Azucar

We also got to go out a few nights in Rio. We went to an area in town called the Lapa. It is a bunch of streets that are filled with vendors selling Caipirinas and delicious Brazilian food, live bands, and thousands of people dancing. It was quite the scene and really enjoyable! Unfortunately it was really overcast the whole time we were in Rio, so we didn’t get to spend too much time on the beach. I made sure to get my feet in the water once though!

Friends at Lapa

Missing all of my beautiful Chi Omegas!

Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without fantastically delicious food. Each night we went to either a buffet or an all-you-can-eat restaurant. Although it’s not necessarily a cultural norm, it was a great way to get to try everything while we were in Brazil. And I mean everything. There’s a good chance I ate my entire body weight… every night. The food was amazing though! We went to an all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant where the waiters bring around every imaginable kind of pizza and you just ask for slice after slice… after slice. They also had dessert pizzas like white chocolate with strawberries! Omnomnom!

We headed back on Monday and spent the whole day travelling (seven hour drive from Rio to Sao Paolo, three hours in the airport, two hour plane ride, and an hour drive home)! It was a long day and I was wiped out! I can honestly say this was the best trip I’ve been on so far. It was beautiful and such a blast. And best of all, we made a lot of great friends! I even picked up on some Portuguese! Abrigada means thank you… that’s about the extent of what I picked up though… J

I love you all! Can’t wait to see you in two short months!

LIXO, Dutson

Iguazu Falls!

Last weekend was Semana Santa and we had Monday, Thursday, AND Friday off from school. It was great to have a little break from school to get to travel. Four other friends and I all went on a trip to Iguazu Falls! Iguazu Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. (I never knew there was more than one list, but apparently there are many many wonders of the world and seven didn’t cut it.)

We left on Wednesday night and took a bus for 18 hours to Puerto Iguazu! When we got there on Thursday afternoon we checked into our hostel and had the rest of the day to relax. The hostel was pretty nice – I’d never stayed in one, so I don’t have anything to compare it to though. On Friday morning we went ziplining and repelling; it was so much fun! We got to go on a nature walk in the jungle and learn more about the natives in Pto. Iguazu – the Guarani. 

Ziplining!!

Repelling!!

That afternoon everyone went to the Brazil side of the falls. Americans and Mexicans have to have visas to go to Brazil so a group of girls I met on the trip and I went to las Tres Fronteras. (Think four corners, but it’s three countries: Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.) It was absolutely beautiful! 

On the left is Paraguay, right Brazil, and I’m standing in Argentina!

On Saturday we all went to the Argentina side of the falls! All of the actual waterfalls are located in Argentina, but Brazil has a view of all of them. The first thing we did was La Gran Aventura! We all got on a boat and it takes you under the falls, drenching you, then around to other falls and through rapids. It was a blast! 

If you look closely you can see a boat right by the waterfall; that's what we did!

We spent the rest of the day walking through the national park and looking at all of the different falls. There are between 250 – 300 waterfalls depending on the rainfall each year and they say it takes at least 10 hours to see them all!

La Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat) is the biggest waterfall in Iguazu! If you look closely you can see a little rainbow. This was absolutely breathtaking!

That night we had an asado at the hostel. An asado is a barbeque and is super popular in Argentina! It was soo delicious! Afterwards they had a show for us. It was pretty interesting, complete with two scantily dressed go-go dancers, but fun nonetheless! After all, I am in Argentina!

On Sunday morning we headed back to Buenos Aires. On the way back our bus broke down in a really small town for about two and a half hours. We all got off the bus and went over to the nearest restaurant, which was actually someone's house and she was selling empanadas. Everyone immediately bought a bunch of beer and started having a party while we waited for our bus. It was so much fun and a perfect example of how everyone is so relaxed here! I love that about Argentina!

I posted lots of pictures here, but have even more on my facebook!! Missing you all everyday! LIXO, Dutson

La vida súper relajante

I’ve been exploring all around Buenos Aires lately! Last weekend we went to the Isenbeck Beer Festival which was a lot of fun. There was a really cool club inside called SilentFest where everyone had head phones and you could choose what kind of music you listened to. Red, green, and blue light represented different genres of music. It was so much fun!

Diana, Eva, and me at Isenbeck Beer Festival

I went to a cute street fair in Plaza Serrano this Sunday and bought a cute pair of earrings. I also found a Buenos Aires replica of Chipotle: absolutely delicious! We’re checking out a Mexican restaurant tomorrow and then hopefully sushi soon. Buenos Aires has every kind of food to choose from and, from what I hear, it’s all fantastic!

Plaza Serrano street fair

California Burrito

I’m really enjoying my classes so far. I’m taking Latin American Literature, Argentine Culture, Tango, and Spanish Grammar. Tango is great: we learn about its history on Tuesdays and actually practice on Thursdays. I went to my first milonga (tango club) this weekend and actually danced! Probably should have gone to a few more Thursday practices first…... But it’s all good.

La Catedral milonga

My classes don’t seem too demanding. They assign homework every day, which is different from CSU, but if you don’t do it the teacher doesn’t care at all. I think it’s “suggested” homework? I’m still getting used to the culture of the university. Super laid back and never exactly on time. Works for me!

The next few weeks are going to be super exciting! Next week we have Monday, Thursday, and Friday off. On Monday we’re going to La Bomba del Tiempo, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AONMv_i41Ts&feature=player_embedded#!) which is a weekly percussion concert. It’s supposed to be awesome!

On Tuesday we’re going to the Quilmes Rock Festival to see The Foo Fighters, Band of Horses, and MGMT!!

On Wednesday we’re off to Iguazu Falls for Semana Santa. We’re taking an overnight bus there because it’s about a 17 hour trip. The buses are called ‘bus semicama’ and are supposed to be super comfortable. The chairs recline into beds and you’re served dinner and breakfast.

I miss you all so much! Besitos! LIXO, Dutson

BEST weekend ever!

Friday morning we went on a city tour of BA that was organized by the University of Belgrano (UB). It was great to see more of the city, even if it was brief! My favorite part, by far, was La Boca. All of the houses are painted bright colors, the streets are cobblestone, and there are tango dancers everywhere! Que lindo!

La Boca!

After the tour we went to China town for lunch and then walked down Avenida Santa Fe window shopping. That night we decided to check out BA’s famous night life. We went to a bar at Plaza Serrano (a plaza in Palermo that has many bars and restaurants) and then to a club named Ink. It’s true that Porteños (people from BA) truly stay up all night; we took a taxi home at 4:45 am!

On Saturday we met up with a friend of Eva’s for lunch. Miguel, who is from Colombia, is living here because he’s an actor for the Disney Channel!!! We went to a great local restaurant for lunch then headed to MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano Buenos Aires). MALBA was phenomenal! There was an exhibition of a Venezolano and the art was incredible. Afterwards we went to the theatre and saw an independent film called El Estudiante. It was in Spanish with English subtitles, which was perfect to test myself while still understanding the movie. We went to dinner at La Cantina Guido, a delicious Italian restaurant, after that. Miguel showed us more of BA in one day than I’d seen so far!

That night we went to Franc’s Speakeasy. It was so cool! There aren’t any signs advertising the bar, the door is hidden, and we had to have a password to get in. The atmosphere was really elegant and the bar was reminiscent of the 60’s! (Favorite bar so far!) Afterwards we met up with a friend of Selina’s, who is from BA,, at a party at the Tennis Club for a famous tennis player! Party included fireworks, DJ, and free champagne… nbd. Night ended at 5:30 am!

Today (Sunday) we went to our first parilla, El Trapiche. Argentina is famous for their meat and asados (barbeques). The meat was so flavorful, but chewy. I read in my travel book that chewiness is desirable, but my jaw didn’t appreciate it as much. I’ll have to try another place!

Plate full of steak!

Afterwards we went to Avenida Florida (a huge walking street with lots of shopping), got some ice cream, and walked around. We saw a tango street show that was really cute!

Tango street show!

I start classes tomorrow; I’m stoked to meet some more people and keep improving my Spanish!

BESOS GRANDISIMOS! LIXO, Dutson

Tengo amigos!!

Life is great in Buenos Aires! I had orientation on Monday and met a bunch of friends! Most of them are from Germany; they all know German, English, and quite a bit of Spanish. I think it’s amazing that they can speak so many languages. Already planning my next language and travel destination! (Kidding Mom and Dad…)

A picture with my first friend Kadda!

Kadda and I explored after orientation and went to a little café then we all met up last night and went to a local bar. It was named Caracas and served Venezuelan food! I got an arepa con carne!!

This morning I had my meeting with my advisor and I found out I passed the Spanish placement test as advanced! (Lucky too, because I had to in order for my credits to transfer!!) I’ll be taking Spanish Language, Argentine Culture, Latin American Literature, and Tango! AND my classes are only Monday through Thursday 2:30 to 5:30 pm! STOKED! So much time for activities J

I’m so proud of myself; I’ve finally mastered the bus, walking, and the subway in BA! I’m finally getting the hang of the city and I’m falling in love with it and the people!

THREE (of the many) REASONS WHY I LOVE BA:

The Ralph Lauren looks like a freaking palace. Clearly they know good shopping.

There are wine bottles bigger than me.

My Argentina Mom, Maria, keeps her water in a bottle of Vodka.

Tomorrow we’re going to Colonia, Uruguay! We booked a day trip that includes the three hour boat ride, lunch, and a city tour. I'm super excited!! I’ll post pictures soon!

PS: It’s extremely difficult for me to speak English now… I’m so used to either speaking/thinking in Spanish or speaking in an easier way for my German friends! Es muy comico!

BESOS! LIXO, Dutson

Una experiencia fantastica!

Today I went on a run in Parque Aleman, then came back and proceeded to get a terrible sunburn while lying by the pool and reading… naturally. For dinner I went to a restaurant on the corner named SCUzi. It was absolutely fantastic and the waiter was super nice.

I ordered a Quilmes, the local Argentine beer, and a Margarita pizza. It was delicious! I’d heard a lot about the ice cream in BA, so I tried a scoop of Dulce de Leche. I loved it! Argentine cuisine is extremely European and has a lot of similarities to Italian; but you’re never supposed to compare it to Italian—it’s much better! ;)

When I asked for the check, the waiter brought me a glass of champagne on the house. And I do love my champagne! It was a fantastic night!

Besos grandes! LIXO, Dutson

Picture of me in Recoleta!

Arriving in BA

My first day in BA was definitely an experience… I hadn’t realized how nervous I would actually be, but getting onto the flight from Dallas to Argentina was pretty scary. It helped, of course, that I sat next to my soul mate. Once we landed in BA my remise (hired driver), Alberto, took me to my home stay. My BA mom is named Maria and she is the sweetest lady!

After getting situated, unpacked, and showered we decided to go explore. I got a new cell phone that works down here and we took a bus to a cute plaza. Bigger parks are called ‘parques’ and smaller ones called ‘plazas’.  Maria had to visit her friend so she told me to explore around the plaza and meet her back on the street corner.

The plaza was amazing! So many people of all ages: children playing on the swings, middle school kids playing futbol, college lovers on the benches, and grandpa and grandmas holding hands. I walked around and took pictures then sat on a bench waiting for Maria. About an hour later it started getting dark and she still wasn’t back. I went across the street and ordered a glass of wine while I waited. (The wine was delicious!)

It was now 9:00 pm and Maria was nowhere to be found. I walked around the park, but she wasn’t there. Then a bird pooped on my head………  I decided to walk by where she had said her friend lived and the doorman came running outside. He said Maria had been looking for me and he would call her to come back. He was the nicest man and gave me a glass of Coke while I waited. Maria came running in; turns out I scared her a little more than I had been scared myself.

We went home and she made a delicious torta (similar to an empanada, but baked and more like a casserole). We chatted for a long time and then I hit the hay. Turns out traveling for 12 hours does take it out of you because I slept for about 14 hours!

Today we’re going to the Cementerio de la Recoleta and exploring around Recoleta/Barrio Norte!

Miss you all! LIXO, Dutson