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