Things is Buenos Aires are still going very well. This week, I went to Iguazu Falls, started classes, and got a kitten. Here's a summary-
On Thursday night, I left with about six of my friends on a bus bound for Puerto Iguazu (20 hour trip), a small town in northern Argentina in the province of Missiones, right on the triple border with Paraguay and Brazil. We decided to splurge a bit and paid the extra $5 to ride on "cama ejecutiva." The bus was incredible- big leather seats that reclined to almost 180 degrees, dinner, breakfast, wine, etc. The ride itself was like a little vacation. We got to Iguazu on Friday afternoon, got settled into our hostel and walked down to see the tres fronteras (where Brazil, Paraguay and Argentine are divided by two rivers). We spent the evening relaxing and exploring around the town a bit. Saturday, we woke up early to get a full day at Iguazu Falls National Park. The falls were absolutely INCREDIBLE! There are waterfalls everywhere, big and small, some hidden away in the jungle and others clumped together. It's hard to even explain how cool they were, (I took a bunch of pictures). We took a 15-minute boat ride under a few of the falls and got absolutely drenched- very fun. My favorite was the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's throat), which is the biggest waterfall in the park. It literally looks like an ocean falling off a cliff, and was definitely one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. The power of the waterfall is incredibly humbling, and it was really cool to stand and let the mist from the waterfall drench me. A truly unforgettable day, with the one hitch of getting my lunch stolen off of my lap by coatis (raccoon like jungle animals that only seem cute at first).
The next day, I went to an animal sanctuary and saw monkeys, toucans, alligators, and lots of raptors that are either being rehabilitated or are living there. They have a training program to re-teach the previously captive eagles, hawks and falcons how to hunt, and that was cool to see. I found myself with a spare couple hours after, and of course went back into the park and just stood by the garganta for about half an hour. At about 4 in the afternoon, we caught the bus back to Buenos Aires.
Since getting back from Iguazu, I've been focused on two things. The first is visiting service organizations for my service learning class internship. I first visited the Madres del Plaza Mayo, which won't fit into my schedule but was really amazing to see. The organization was founded in the 1970s by the mothers of those who were forcibly "disappeared" during the dictatorship (called the Dirty Wars in the US). We went into their office, and it was full of old woman who are still working to find out what happened to their children and improve human rights and government accountability in Argentina. The walls were covered with the pictures of their disappeared children- most of whom were about my age when they disappeared. The mothers told us their stories and about what they're trying to achieve today- the whole experience was very moving. I also visited an organization called Help Argentina, which links donors around the world to non-profit organizations in Argentina, and a community center in one of the poorest barrios outside of Buenos Aires. On Monday, I'm visiting a center that focuses on drug policy and treatment and addiction prevention. They all seem really worthwhile and interesting, and I'm still really not sure which one I'll pick.
The other thing I've been doing is going to class (school was bound to happen eventually). I've only been to two classes so far. The first was my Argentine Fiction class, which is taught by an Argentine professor but all foreign kids from my program, so it's pretty similar to the classes I take at school at home. My first history class, at UBA (the public university), was much more interesting. The building has very cool old architecture, but it's a bit run down. The walls are covered with pamphlets and grafatti, most of which is advocating very leftist causes (lots of pictures of Che). My class was extremely interesting- it started very late, random students kept coming in to present different groups/political causes, and students wandered in and out. However, the content of the class was extremely interesting. We spent most of the class discussing the meaning of a unified "Latin American" identity- what does it mean to be Latin America? The students were all very passionate and engaged and everyone had some kind of answer. Overall, the UBA is a little run down, but I was very impressed about how much the students care about the content and quality of their education. Everyone there really cares about what they're learning and wants to be there. I'm excited to see what my politics class will be like.
Most importantly, our apartment welcomed a new family member last night- a kitten. She is white and gray with stripes and beautiful and snuggly, and her name is Paqui (I don't know why they named her that and they won't tell me. Apparently it's a long story).
I hope you're all well and send all my love.
Melanie
Photos from Iguazu
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
More from Buenos Aires (August 5-12)
Things are still going great here in Buenos Aires. I still haven't started classes (everything got moved back as a precaution with the swine flu outbreak), so I've gotten a good chance to do a little exploring around the city. Here's a summary of what I've been up to...
I've been trying to go out to a little bit more authentic of places at night. It's very easy to fall into a pattern of going all to the more touristy clubs, which is fun but not what I came to Buenos Aires to do. My favorite was an Afro-pub called Akwaba, where we saw an Uruguayan trio play Afro-Cuban music. The place was small and poorly lit, and absolutely packed with people dancing salsa. I'm continually amazed at how well normal people can dance here (especially considering my own dancing skills). I did, however, dance a bit, and had a great time. Once classes start and I get into more of a schedule, I'm going to start taking salsa and/or tango lessons.
We've also been doing the actual registration for classes this week. The way my program's set up, we can take classes at three places: FLACSO (the program's headquarters, where the classes are taught in Spanish but are all foreign students), UCA (the private, Catholic University of Buenos Aires) and UBA (the public university of Buenos Aires). After much consideration and Spanish pre-testing, I've decided to take an Argentine fiction class at FLACSO and two classes at UBA- Latin American Politics and the Social History of Latin America. UBA is a free university of 300,000 students, almost all of whom are Argentine. It's supposed to be pretty wild- the class sizes are huge, the facilities are awful, and in some class rooms the students have to sit on the floor. However, UBA is also the most prestigious university in the country, has the best professors and the most intelligent students, so I decided to try my luck. For my fourth class, I'm taking a service learning seminar at FLACSO. Sometime during the next week, I'll select a non-profit organization to volunteer at about 5 hours a week in coordination with a once a week class at FLACSO.
In terms of extra-curriculars, I just joined the football interest club through FLACSO. With the group, I'm going to go to different Argentine soccer games. Also, starting next week, we will meet twice a week to play soccer ourselves. The group consists of all kids from my program but is run by Argentine students, so we will be playing every week with Argentines. It promises to be a fun but humbling and humiliating experience (the 8 year olds I see playing in the park are probably better than me).
This past weekend, our program took a trip to a small gaucho town about 2 hours outside of Buenos Aires called San Antonia de Acero. It was very fun and relaxing- we saw a gaucho show, went horseback riding, had a dance lesson, and ate an absolutely incredible amount of delicious beef. Although I am in love with Buenos Aires, it's very nice to know that there are such nice places so close if I ever need to get out of the city for a day or two.
I've also celebrated a few birthdays this weekend. A girl who stayed with my host mom about a year ago came back to visit and Saturday was her birthday, so we had a big birthday party. We filled the bathtub with ice and bottles of red wine, and spent the night dancing. It was a blast and a great opportunity to spend time with some more Argentines. On Sunday, my friend from Georgetown Jake's host family celebrated Jake's birthday with an asada (barbeque) at their house. We started eating at 2:00 pm and didn't get up from the table until 8:00 pm- Argentines really know how to enjoy each other's company.
With another friend from Georgetown (Raphy) who came to visit this weekend, I saw some of the prettiest parts of Buenos Aires. We walked along Puerto Madero at night, and saw the enormous bridge illuminated and reflecting on the water. We also went to La Boca for lunch, and saw a tango show as well as the beautifully colorful walls and houses.
I'm off to Iguazu Falls for a trip tomorrow, get back on Monday and start classes on Tuesday. I'm having a truly fabulous time, and am already starting to worry that I won't have time to do all the things I want to do here. I hope you all are very well, and I send all my love. Melanie
PICTURES FROM THIS WEEK
I've been trying to go out to a little bit more authentic of places at night. It's very easy to fall into a pattern of going all to the more touristy clubs, which is fun but not what I came to Buenos Aires to do. My favorite was an Afro-pub called Akwaba, where we saw an Uruguayan trio play Afro-Cuban music. The place was small and poorly lit, and absolutely packed with people dancing salsa. I'm continually amazed at how well normal people can dance here (especially considering my own dancing skills). I did, however, dance a bit, and had a great time. Once classes start and I get into more of a schedule, I'm going to start taking salsa and/or tango lessons.
We've also been doing the actual registration for classes this week. The way my program's set up, we can take classes at three places: FLACSO (the program's headquarters, where the classes are taught in Spanish but are all foreign students), UCA (the private, Catholic University of Buenos Aires) and UBA (the public university of Buenos Aires). After much consideration and Spanish pre-testing, I've decided to take an Argentine fiction class at FLACSO and two classes at UBA- Latin American Politics and the Social History of Latin America. UBA is a free university of 300,000 students, almost all of whom are Argentine. It's supposed to be pretty wild- the class sizes are huge, the facilities are awful, and in some class rooms the students have to sit on the floor. However, UBA is also the most prestigious university in the country, has the best professors and the most intelligent students, so I decided to try my luck. For my fourth class, I'm taking a service learning seminar at FLACSO. Sometime during the next week, I'll select a non-profit organization to volunteer at about 5 hours a week in coordination with a once a week class at FLACSO.
In terms of extra-curriculars, I just joined the football interest club through FLACSO. With the group, I'm going to go to different Argentine soccer games. Also, starting next week, we will meet twice a week to play soccer ourselves. The group consists of all kids from my program but is run by Argentine students, so we will be playing every week with Argentines. It promises to be a fun but humbling and humiliating experience (the 8 year olds I see playing in the park are probably better than me).
This past weekend, our program took a trip to a small gaucho town about 2 hours outside of Buenos Aires called San Antonia de Acero. It was very fun and relaxing- we saw a gaucho show, went horseback riding, had a dance lesson, and ate an absolutely incredible amount of delicious beef. Although I am in love with Buenos Aires, it's very nice to know that there are such nice places so close if I ever need to get out of the city for a day or two.
I've also celebrated a few birthdays this weekend. A girl who stayed with my host mom about a year ago came back to visit and Saturday was her birthday, so we had a big birthday party. We filled the bathtub with ice and bottles of red wine, and spent the night dancing. It was a blast and a great opportunity to spend time with some more Argentines. On Sunday, my friend from Georgetown Jake's host family celebrated Jake's birthday with an asada (barbeque) at their house. We started eating at 2:00 pm and didn't get up from the table until 8:00 pm- Argentines really know how to enjoy each other's company.
With another friend from Georgetown (Raphy) who came to visit this weekend, I saw some of the prettiest parts of Buenos Aires. We walked along Puerto Madero at night, and saw the enormous bridge illuminated and reflecting on the water. We also went to La Boca for lunch, and saw a tango show as well as the beautifully colorful walls and houses.
I'm off to Iguazu Falls for a trip tomorrow, get back on Monday and start classes on Tuesday. I'm having a truly fabulous time, and am already starting to worry that I won't have time to do all the things I want to do here. I hope you all are very well, and I send all my love. Melanie
PICTURES FROM THIS WEEK
Monday, August 10, 2009
Mailing Address
I just received my mailing address here:
Melanie Pitkin
CIEE-FLACSO Program
Ayacucho 555
Buenos Aires, 1026 ARGENTINA
Melanie Pitkin
CIEE-FLACSO Program
Ayacucho 555
Buenos Aires, 1026 ARGENTINA
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Buenos Aires!
July 22nd-August 4th: Arrival in Buenos Aires
I arrived in Buenos Aires on July 22nd. I landed in the middle of the cold front- although the Buenos Aires winter is definitely milder than Colorado, it's quite a bit colder than I expected. My first night, I caught a car to my hotel and took a long, warm bath in my private room (in Peru, I stayed almost exclusively in dorm-style hostels, very few of which had warm showers). The next morning, the program began.
Apart from a rough first few days (I was pretty culture shocked coming almost directly from trekking in the jungle to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South America), the first week+ here in Buenos Aires has been great. The city is beautiful in a very European way. The architecture is predominantly colonial, and there are parks and squares scattered throughout the whole city. I have also loved the feel of the city. It's more relaxed than most big American cities, and sophisticated without being pretentious. The people are not exactly warm, but still very helpful and conversational.
As promised, the city never sleeps. We normally don't go out until 12 or 1 am and returning by 4 am is considered "early." There is an incredible array of things to do here. Although a decent portion of my time is still being spent at orientation for the program, I've been to the National History Museum, the Zoo, Puerto Madero, the Lonely Planet walking tour, the annual rural exposition, and a wide array of cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs. The coolest thing I've done is take a tour of the Casa Rosada (the Argentine equivalent of the White House). The security there is much looser than in American government buildings, and as we went on a Sunday we were able to see almost everything.
I'm living in a barrio called Palermo with a 35 woman who is a lawyer. Although she is very busy and not home so often, she is very helpful, kind, and funny. It's a nice mix of support and independence- she lets me do whatever I want, but if I need anything she's always willing to help. I went out to a jazz club with her and her friends one night, and spend lots of dinner discussing a wide array of topics with my host mom and her boyfriend. Through her, I'm sure I'll get the chance to meet a lot of cool Argentines. Also,the location of the apartment is great. It's in a very safe neighborhood where the majority of the bars and clubs are located, as well as a bunch of cool restaurants, cafes and shops.
The program I'm here with has also been very cool. Apart from the two directors, the majority of the staff are Argentine students between the ages of 22-27. Most of them are studying or have studied at the University of Buenos Aires, so they've been very helpful as we've waded through the registration process. Within a few days, I should know my schedule. As of now, I think I'm going to take an Argentine fiction class, a Service Learning class based predominately on weekly volunteering, a Latin American history class and a Latin American politics class. Due to the swine flu, classes were moved back and we won't be starting until around August 17th. I'm excited for the extra time to explore around the city!
I hope that you're all well, and now that I have reliable internet access I'll try to update this more often. I hope that you're all well and to hear about what you're all up to!
Love, Melanie
Photos from the first week
I arrived in Buenos Aires on July 22nd. I landed in the middle of the cold front- although the Buenos Aires winter is definitely milder than Colorado, it's quite a bit colder than I expected. My first night, I caught a car to my hotel and took a long, warm bath in my private room (in Peru, I stayed almost exclusively in dorm-style hostels, very few of which had warm showers). The next morning, the program began.
Apart from a rough first few days (I was pretty culture shocked coming almost directly from trekking in the jungle to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South America), the first week+ here in Buenos Aires has been great. The city is beautiful in a very European way. The architecture is predominantly colonial, and there are parks and squares scattered throughout the whole city. I have also loved the feel of the city. It's more relaxed than most big American cities, and sophisticated without being pretentious. The people are not exactly warm, but still very helpful and conversational.
As promised, the city never sleeps. We normally don't go out until 12 or 1 am and returning by 4 am is considered "early." There is an incredible array of things to do here. Although a decent portion of my time is still being spent at orientation for the program, I've been to the National History Museum, the Zoo, Puerto Madero, the Lonely Planet walking tour, the annual rural exposition, and a wide array of cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs. The coolest thing I've done is take a tour of the Casa Rosada (the Argentine equivalent of the White House). The security there is much looser than in American government buildings, and as we went on a Sunday we were able to see almost everything.
I'm living in a barrio called Palermo with a 35 woman who is a lawyer. Although she is very busy and not home so often, she is very helpful, kind, and funny. It's a nice mix of support and independence- she lets me do whatever I want, but if I need anything she's always willing to help. I went out to a jazz club with her and her friends one night, and spend lots of dinner discussing a wide array of topics with my host mom and her boyfriend. Through her, I'm sure I'll get the chance to meet a lot of cool Argentines. Also,the location of the apartment is great. It's in a very safe neighborhood where the majority of the bars and clubs are located, as well as a bunch of cool restaurants, cafes and shops.
The program I'm here with has also been very cool. Apart from the two directors, the majority of the staff are Argentine students between the ages of 22-27. Most of them are studying or have studied at the University of Buenos Aires, so they've been very helpful as we've waded through the registration process. Within a few days, I should know my schedule. As of now, I think I'm going to take an Argentine fiction class, a Service Learning class based predominately on weekly volunteering, a Latin American history class and a Latin American politics class. Due to the swine flu, classes were moved back and we won't be starting until around August 17th. I'm excited for the extra time to explore around the city!
I hope that you're all well, and now that I have reliable internet access I'll try to update this more often. I hope that you're all well and to hear about what you're all up to!
Love, Melanie
Photos from the first week
Last Week in Peru
Hi! I'm now in Buenos Aires, but I thought I'd write a little bit about my last week in Peru.
On July 15, I took a bus from Huancayo to Lima, which was very easy. I stayed at a hostel right near the center of Lima and had the opportunity to spend the evening looking at the governmental palace and other incredible architecture of the main square. Very early on the morning of the 16th, I caught a flight from Lima to Cusco. Although I was planning on sleeping for the whole flight, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the flight was. The airplane flew very low, and I watched the sunrise over the snow-capped Andes poking through a thin layer of clouds (it kinds of looked like islands in a very still ocean). I met my friend Frank in Cusco, (an absolutely incredible city) and we spent the day exploring. It was very interesting to see the buildings where the Spaniards built directly on top of the Inca walls. Although the Inca walls are much older, they have endured the time, weather and earthquakes much better than the Spanish walls have. After a quick briefing, we packed and went to bed early in preparation for the beginning of the Inca Trail!
July 17-20: Inca Trail
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was one of the most incredible things I've ever done. Although it's a little pricier than most of the trekking in Peru, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who ever gets the chance. Our group consisted of 9 hikers, 2 guides, and 13 porters. We hiked for 4 days and three nights along the trail the ancient Inca upper class used at a type of pilgrimmage from Cusco to Machu Picchu. I was amazed at how quickly the terrain changed... we hiked through forest, jungle, and more rocky and alpine terrain. The highest point (and part where I struggled most) was Dead Woman's Pass (14,000 feet). Our guides were great and the porters carried our tents and food. Although we were sleeping in tents, it wasn't exactly roughing it.... the porters went ahead to cook us amazing meals, set out bowls of warm water for us to wash every morning and evening, and woke us every morning by coming to our tents with hot coca tea.
The trail wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, considering that I carried most of my own stuff. Although most people hire porters to carry their clothes, sleeping bags, etc., Frank and I decided to carry our own. It definitely made the hike I bit harder, but it added a little sense of accomplishment to do it on my own. The hike was incredibly beautiful...I could hardly put my camera away. Not only were there incredible views, we saw one or two ancient Inca sites every day. The people in our group were great, and the trail wasn't as clogged with tourists as I expected it to be.
Machu Picchu was also incredible. Our group woke up extra early and was second in line at the check point. When the check point opened at 5:30 AM, Frank and I ran along the jungle paths (guided only by the light of our headlamps) and ended up being the 2nd (Frank) and 6th people to reach the sungate, giving us the unique opportunity to see the site before the 2,000 daily tourists arrived. Although not as mysterious and spiritual as the other sites due to the volume of tourists, Machu Picchu was amazing to finally see.
After the Inca Trail, we spent a night in Aguas Calientes, took the train down to Cusco, and then spent one final night in Cusco. On the morning of the 22nd, I flew to Buenos Aires. I had an amazing time in Peru. The people are so warm, friendly and generous. The hikes I went on were absolutely gorgeous, and the Andean culture is fascinating. Although I'm loving Buenos Aires, I definitely miss Peru too and hope to return again to see all the things I missed.
On July 15, I took a bus from Huancayo to Lima, which was very easy. I stayed at a hostel right near the center of Lima and had the opportunity to spend the evening looking at the governmental palace and other incredible architecture of the main square. Very early on the morning of the 16th, I caught a flight from Lima to Cusco. Although I was planning on sleeping for the whole flight, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the flight was. The airplane flew very low, and I watched the sunrise over the snow-capped Andes poking through a thin layer of clouds (it kinds of looked like islands in a very still ocean). I met my friend Frank in Cusco, (an absolutely incredible city) and we spent the day exploring. It was very interesting to see the buildings where the Spaniards built directly on top of the Inca walls. Although the Inca walls are much older, they have endured the time, weather and earthquakes much better than the Spanish walls have. After a quick briefing, we packed and went to bed early in preparation for the beginning of the Inca Trail!
July 17-20: Inca Trail
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was one of the most incredible things I've ever done. Although it's a little pricier than most of the trekking in Peru, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who ever gets the chance. Our group consisted of 9 hikers, 2 guides, and 13 porters. We hiked for 4 days and three nights along the trail the ancient Inca upper class used at a type of pilgrimmage from Cusco to Machu Picchu. I was amazed at how quickly the terrain changed... we hiked through forest, jungle, and more rocky and alpine terrain. The highest point (and part where I struggled most) was Dead Woman's Pass (14,000 feet). Our guides were great and the porters carried our tents and food. Although we were sleeping in tents, it wasn't exactly roughing it.... the porters went ahead to cook us amazing meals, set out bowls of warm water for us to wash every morning and evening, and woke us every morning by coming to our tents with hot coca tea.
The trail wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, considering that I carried most of my own stuff. Although most people hire porters to carry their clothes, sleeping bags, etc., Frank and I decided to carry our own. It definitely made the hike I bit harder, but it added a little sense of accomplishment to do it on my own. The hike was incredibly beautiful...I could hardly put my camera away. Not only were there incredible views, we saw one or two ancient Inca sites every day. The people in our group were great, and the trail wasn't as clogged with tourists as I expected it to be.
Machu Picchu was also incredible. Our group woke up extra early and was second in line at the check point. When the check point opened at 5:30 AM, Frank and I ran along the jungle paths (guided only by the light of our headlamps) and ended up being the 2nd (Frank) and 6th people to reach the sungate, giving us the unique opportunity to see the site before the 2,000 daily tourists arrived. Although not as mysterious and spiritual as the other sites due to the volume of tourists, Machu Picchu was amazing to finally see.
After the Inca Trail, we spent a night in Aguas Calientes, took the train down to Cusco, and then spent one final night in Cusco. On the morning of the 22nd, I flew to Buenos Aires. I had an amazing time in Peru. The people are so warm, friendly and generous. The hikes I went on were absolutely gorgeous, and the Andean culture is fascinating. Although I'm loving Buenos Aires, I definitely miss Peru too and hope to return again to see all the things I missed.
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