here's some of the centro (the plaza in the center of the city), some from dinner, one of my madre Celia, some from the hikes, the asado del campo, etc.
Monday, June 22, 2009
pics from the first few weeks
here's some of the centro (the plaza in the center of the city), some from dinner, one of my madre Celia, some from the hikes, the asado del campo, etc.
more pictures
since i can't load pictures on facebook, i'm just going to do it here. most are of wineries and San rafeal. I'll upload pictures from the beginning of the trip later.
the spa
I figured out how to upload pictures on my blog! haha can you tell?
Anyways, this past weekend was amazing! My favorite by far. Friday, we went to a Bodega (winery) after school. However, there is this little thing called Sando (hot wind) is Argentina which happens when it snows in the mountains. So on Friday the wind was so crazy that tumbleweeds trapped in our van and it took like about 45 minutes to move them so we could get out. I took a picture so you can see just how big these tumbleweeds were, but in case you can't tell, they are bigger than me.
On Saturday we did a 9km hike..that part wasn’t quite so fun. However, when we got to the top it was amazing. We were IN an actual cloud. We drank mate with our guide and then walked back down. At the bottom of the mountain we ate the best empanadas in the world! They were tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Yuuummm. Then we went to the spa. (:
It was in the middle of the mountains and had natural hot spring baths and a sauna. We mainly just hung out there and did mud baths all weekend. And I finally got my facial and massages. They were much needed.
Oh and at dinner on Saturday, Rue proposed to Rylie. It was sweet. Haha
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sorry I've been missing
No worries! I’m still alive. I’ve just been busy, and when I do have free time, I usually don’t feel like going into town to find some place with wifi. But Kendall found a café close to our houses that we can walk to, so that makes things much easier.
This trip has flown by so fast! It’s hard to believe I’ll be home three weeks from today…kind of exciting, I won’t lie, but I will miss so much of Mendoza.
This past weekend was Flag Day (it’s a really big deal here…kinda funny to me) and we got Monday off from school. It was the first weekend that we didn’t have any excursions planned through Baylor so we decided to take advantage of it. A bunch of my friends and I (about 20 of us) rented a bus for the weekend and went to San Rafael. On Saturday we went to a place where they made Champagne and two other wineries. It was really cool and interesting, but the tours were in Spanish so I didn’t get much out of it. And yet I knew exactly what to do when they brought out the wine for us to try (: It was mostly champagne, but the last winery had a realllllly good Malbec. That place was my favorite! I wish I had taken more pictures, but I figured I could just steal everyone else’s once they put them on facebook. Anyways, so the last winery was huge and had a golf course and this beautiful restaurant and lounge area outside where you could eat as well. The lunch was probably the best meal I’ve had since I’ve been here. My favorite part was the olive oil… odd, I know, but it was soooo good! So I ended up eating a lot more bread than I should have… surprise, surprise. At lunch we told a bunch of stories about how weird we were when we were little kids, and I won that contest hands down. I couldn’t even get through my stories without crying because I was laughing so hard. After lunch, some girls and I went outside and sat on the couches and hung out for a little bit. It was sooo pretty! I could have done that all day.
So Rylie and I crashed for about two and a half hours after we got to the hotel. Then we all went to dinner, then hung out for a while at the hotel (which was really cool!), then…. I had my very first boliche experience. Not one I would like to repeat every weekend. It was really fun though! I felt like I was at a rave…seriously though. It was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, foggy, and there were laser lights everywhere. Haha We got back to the hotel at like 5:30 am (I was really proud of myself for not falling asleep early for once) haha. Is it sad that I am going to be a senior in college and I’ve never stayed out that late before?
Anyways, the next day was a little…rough. We had a really bumpy 4 hour bus ride to the country, which didn’t help my already unsettled stomach. The scenery was beautiful though! Again, I really wish I would have taken more pictures. I’ll just steal them from Julia. So the hotel we stayed in Sunday night was a bit…different from our previous one. Picture a horror movie where a group of college students stayed at a hotel in the middle of nowhere and were all murdered in the night. That is what it looked like. Haha It wasn’t that bad. It was just creepy because it was in the middle of the woods, nothing around it, and we were the only people staying there. After dinner, I just went to bed. Haha I can’t stay up late two nights in a row. But Julia, Katy, Megan, and Jonathan went to another boliche that was 45 minutes away (because there was no sign of human live within a 30 mile radius of our hotel). Haha 45 minute cab right there and back…that’s dedication right there.
We got back Monday afternoon and my life has been boring every since. Oh I lost my Mendoza cell phone. Well, I didn’t actually lose it. I know exactly where it is. On the bus we took home. Convenient, isn’t it? Oh well, I didn’t use it that much anyways. Just to text my madre and a few other people. Buying credit for it was using a lot of money anyways. Not the biggest loss in the world. Just a bit inconvenient. Lots and lots of school work. I had to give my first oral presentation today and I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest right there on the spot. I HATE public speaking more than anything on this planet. I would rather go whale hunting than give a speech in front of a group of people. So I prefaced my oral by telling everyone that I was probably going to get so flushed that it will look like I broke out into a huge rash all over my face, neck and chest, and if I did, not to be alarmed. Everything would be fine. So during my speech I literally start shaking so bad that the teacher has to stop me mid-sentence and tell everyone in the class not to be nervous because it wasn’t a big deal. So I resumed, shaking, possibly could have started crying. Uggghhh I hate it! I didn’t used to be quite this bad either. I think the fact that my speech is in a language that I already suck at speaking made me even more nervous. Anyway, I have to give another one of Friday and I’m praying to God it goes better than today. If not, I might need therapy when I get home due to intense humiliation. Ugh, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
So tonight Kendall, Rylie, and I are going to this Mexican restaurant that’s supposed to be really really good! I’m so excited! I haven’t had Mexican food since I’ve been here. Well the other week we went to this place called Taco Bar, but I don’t think it should count. They gave you about a teaspoon of salsa that tasted like someone just mixed Tabasco with diced tomatoes, and the guacamole came in little Dixie cups. Haha the whole experience was pretty funny actually. But I’m craving Ochoa’s, but until I go to Malakof, Texas, this will have to do.
Exciting things to look forward to:
- This weekend we are going to the SPA!!! Yaaay! I am in dire need of a massage and a facial. (only downside is that we have to do a 9 km hike before we get there)
- Father’s day is on Friday and I have the best father in the world to be thankful for! Too bad I’ll be in another continent.
- June 23: two and a half year mark of having the best boyfriend ever to have existed. We’ll have to postpone celebrating when A) I’m home. B) either one of us has money to spare.
- June 24: MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY! My real one, not my host one. I’m sad I won’t be there, but I found out about an antique Argentine flea market, and I’m going to go scope it out for you. I hope you have an amazing birthday! I wish I could be there so bad!
- Next weekend: our second and last free weekend… skiing in Chile, anyone? I heard they aren’t holding American travelers under quarantine anymore. That’s a plus.
- The weekend after that: Buenos Aires! Soooo excited. Too bad, people are dropping from that trip like flies. Lame. It’s going to be so much fun!
- 3 days after that: HOME SWEET HOME! Sushi. Baths. Strong water pressure. Internet at my finger tips. My car. My boyfriend. My family. Waco. My bed! Friends. The possibilities are endless. America is my country.
Ciao.
This trip has flown by so fast! It’s hard to believe I’ll be home three weeks from today…kind of exciting, I won’t lie, but I will miss so much of Mendoza.
This past weekend was Flag Day (it’s a really big deal here…kinda funny to me) and we got Monday off from school. It was the first weekend that we didn’t have any excursions planned through Baylor so we decided to take advantage of it. A bunch of my friends and I (about 20 of us) rented a bus for the weekend and went to San Rafael. On Saturday we went to a place where they made Champagne and two other wineries. It was really cool and interesting, but the tours were in Spanish so I didn’t get much out of it. And yet I knew exactly what to do when they brought out the wine for us to try (: It was mostly champagne, but the last winery had a realllllly good Malbec. That place was my favorite! I wish I had taken more pictures, but I figured I could just steal everyone else’s once they put them on facebook. Anyways, so the last winery was huge and had a golf course and this beautiful restaurant and lounge area outside where you could eat as well. The lunch was probably the best meal I’ve had since I’ve been here. My favorite part was the olive oil… odd, I know, but it was soooo good! So I ended up eating a lot more bread than I should have… surprise, surprise. At lunch we told a bunch of stories about how weird we were when we were little kids, and I won that contest hands down. I couldn’t even get through my stories without crying because I was laughing so hard. After lunch, some girls and I went outside and sat on the couches and hung out for a little bit. It was sooo pretty! I could have done that all day.
So Rylie and I crashed for about two and a half hours after we got to the hotel. Then we all went to dinner, then hung out for a while at the hotel (which was really cool!), then…. I had my very first boliche experience. Not one I would like to repeat every weekend. It was really fun though! I felt like I was at a rave…seriously though. It was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, foggy, and there were laser lights everywhere. Haha We got back to the hotel at like 5:30 am (I was really proud of myself for not falling asleep early for once) haha. Is it sad that I am going to be a senior in college and I’ve never stayed out that late before?
Anyways, the next day was a little…rough. We had a really bumpy 4 hour bus ride to the country, which didn’t help my already unsettled stomach. The scenery was beautiful though! Again, I really wish I would have taken more pictures. I’ll just steal them from Julia. So the hotel we stayed in Sunday night was a bit…different from our previous one. Picture a horror movie where a group of college students stayed at a hotel in the middle of nowhere and were all murdered in the night. That is what it looked like. Haha It wasn’t that bad. It was just creepy because it was in the middle of the woods, nothing around it, and we were the only people staying there. After dinner, I just went to bed. Haha I can’t stay up late two nights in a row. But Julia, Katy, Megan, and Jonathan went to another boliche that was 45 minutes away (because there was no sign of human live within a 30 mile radius of our hotel). Haha 45 minute cab right there and back…that’s dedication right there.
We got back Monday afternoon and my life has been boring every since. Oh I lost my Mendoza cell phone. Well, I didn’t actually lose it. I know exactly where it is. On the bus we took home. Convenient, isn’t it? Oh well, I didn’t use it that much anyways. Just to text my madre and a few other people. Buying credit for it was using a lot of money anyways. Not the biggest loss in the world. Just a bit inconvenient. Lots and lots of school work. I had to give my first oral presentation today and I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest right there on the spot. I HATE public speaking more than anything on this planet. I would rather go whale hunting than give a speech in front of a group of people. So I prefaced my oral by telling everyone that I was probably going to get so flushed that it will look like I broke out into a huge rash all over my face, neck and chest, and if I did, not to be alarmed. Everything would be fine. So during my speech I literally start shaking so bad that the teacher has to stop me mid-sentence and tell everyone in the class not to be nervous because it wasn’t a big deal. So I resumed, shaking, possibly could have started crying. Uggghhh I hate it! I didn’t used to be quite this bad either. I think the fact that my speech is in a language that I already suck at speaking made me even more nervous. Anyway, I have to give another one of Friday and I’m praying to God it goes better than today. If not, I might need therapy when I get home due to intense humiliation. Ugh, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
So tonight Kendall, Rylie, and I are going to this Mexican restaurant that’s supposed to be really really good! I’m so excited! I haven’t had Mexican food since I’ve been here. Well the other week we went to this place called Taco Bar, but I don’t think it should count. They gave you about a teaspoon of salsa that tasted like someone just mixed Tabasco with diced tomatoes, and the guacamole came in little Dixie cups. Haha the whole experience was pretty funny actually. But I’m craving Ochoa’s, but until I go to Malakof, Texas, this will have to do.
Exciting things to look forward to:
- This weekend we are going to the SPA!!! Yaaay! I am in dire need of a massage and a facial. (only downside is that we have to do a 9 km hike before we get there)
- Father’s day is on Friday and I have the best father in the world to be thankful for! Too bad I’ll be in another continent.
- June 23: two and a half year mark of having the best boyfriend ever to have existed. We’ll have to postpone celebrating when A) I’m home. B) either one of us has money to spare.
- June 24: MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY! My real one, not my host one. I’m sad I won’t be there, but I found out about an antique Argentine flea market, and I’m going to go scope it out for you. I hope you have an amazing birthday! I wish I could be there so bad!
- Next weekend: our second and last free weekend… skiing in Chile, anyone? I heard they aren’t holding American travelers under quarantine anymore. That’s a plus.
- The weekend after that: Buenos Aires! Soooo excited. Too bad, people are dropping from that trip like flies. Lame. It’s going to be so much fun!
- 3 days after that: HOME SWEET HOME! Sushi. Baths. Strong water pressure. Internet at my finger tips. My car. My boyfriend. My family. Waco. My bed! Friends. The possibilities are endless. America is my country.
Ciao.
Monday, June 8, 2009
my weekend in "Tibet"
First off, I'd like to dedicate my correct punctuation and grammar in this blog to my father just to show him that I still know how to write a complete sentence.
Another wonderful weekend excursion! We went to Aconcogua, which is the highest peak of any mountain in either Americas, and it was absolutely beautiful! It's where they filmed Seven Years In Tibet. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't do it justice. Kendall let me borrow her camera chord so that I can load my pictures onto my computer, but facebook isn't letting me create an album right now. I guess my connection is bad.
This is from Aconcogua.
I just want to take a minute to tell you that the wifi cafe I am in right now is playing only The Beatles, and it is seriously making me miss my mom...as if I didn't already.
So Saturday we did a four hour hike which was exhausting but so gorgeous! Then we ate dinner at the hotel, and it was amazing. However, I have had a terrible cold so I went to bed right after, lame I know. Once I've decided to go to sleep, there's no stopping me. Next weekend I'll stay up late, I promise....probably. I just love my sleep.
Anyways, Sunday we woke up, went on another hike and went zip lining, rock climbing, and repelling. I felt like I was at camp. Haha it was so fun!
Now I'm back in Mendoza and at a cafe with wifi. I need to go write an essay though...booo.
Oh, and I'll be in Dallas in exactly one month from today.
Another wonderful weekend excursion! We went to Aconcogua, which is the highest peak of any mountain in either Americas, and it was absolutely beautiful! It's where they filmed Seven Years In Tibet. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't do it justice. Kendall let me borrow her camera chord so that I can load my pictures onto my computer, but facebook isn't letting me create an album right now. I guess my connection is bad.
This is from Aconcogua.
I just want to take a minute to tell you that the wifi cafe I am in right now is playing only The Beatles, and it is seriously making me miss my mom...as if I didn't already.
So Saturday we did a four hour hike which was exhausting but so gorgeous! Then we ate dinner at the hotel, and it was amazing. However, I have had a terrible cold so I went to bed right after, lame I know. Once I've decided to go to sleep, there's no stopping me. Next weekend I'll stay up late, I promise....probably. I just love my sleep.
Anyways, Sunday we woke up, went on another hike and went zip lining, rock climbing, and repelling. I felt like I was at camp. Haha it was so fun!
Now I'm back in Mendoza and at a cafe with wifi. I need to go write an essay though...booo.
Oh, and I'll be in Dallas in exactly one month from today.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
the earth will shake.....literally
so, before i talk about how fun my weekend was, i wanted to share how i started my day. I woke up around 1:00 AM to an earthquake....not just one, but two. i was dead asleep when i woke up (you know how sometimes you'll wake up and be so tired, you feel like you are still asleep?). anyways, so i jumped out of bed, freaked out for a minute, then went back to bed. Then I spent all morning convincing myself that it was a dream. Well, when i got to school i told rylie about it and she confirmed that it did in fact actually happen. so that was the scariest thing ever.
On to the good news, so every morning on the bus ride to school, the sun is rising over the andes and it is amazing. How many people can say they have seen that? and i get to see it every monday - friday for 6.5 weeks. i'm a lucky girl. it is one of the more beautiful things i have ever seen. i'll take pictures so you can see what i'm talking about. I put a playlist together of a lot of radiohead, bethany dillon, some copeland, iron and wine, and some other people and listen to it every morning (that is if i don't feel like listening to the sound of music...that always comes first). that playlist combined with the sun rise is amazing! even if i am on the bus with a thousand semi-smelly people.
okay so saturday!!!! aaahh best day ever. we drove a few hours up to this camp in the mountains. on the way we stopped at a winery to take pictures and toured an art museum. i think i was the only one who enjoyed that part. then when we got there we hung out, had some wine....or a lot, ate bread and they even had BUTTER! oh how i have missed butter, then we had a meal filled with so much meat that it would put fogo de chao to shame, then more wine, then we went horseback riding in the andes! i saw a heard of goats (or geets...for Jeffrey). they were traveling in a pack. it was crazy! then we came back, watched these people do tango, then i saw a dead puma that some of the dogs had caught! don't worry, i held up it's paw and did a "sic' em" picture. then we drank more wine and rode back. then rue, brett, julia, hannah and i went to dinner at the irish pub (terrible decision. never eat at a pub) and then we went to this bar called Zinc. we met some students from Michigan and hung out with them for the rest of the night. at around 1 i called it a night, but apparently i left before all the action happened. i'll just leave it at that.
so today, after the earth quake scare, we took a 3 hours walking tour of the city. it was the 3rd one we've done since we've been here. i mean, tours are great, but after one, i'd say you're good. oh! and i ran today. it was the first time since i got here and felt amazing/after i got back i realized that it kicked my butt. i guess the altitude makes it harder because i have been wiped out since i got back.
oh hey! okay this is mainly for jeff/my alumn friends. i finished season 3 of Lost! i stayed home last night and watched about 6 hours of it. kinda sad, but deff worth it. it was nuuuuuts. i am so sad charlie died! he was one of my favs. then of course i immediately started season 4, and will probably finish that by next week. thanks for lending it to me, travis!
okay well, i'm going to facebook chat with my boyfriend now. being away from him is not fun, so when i have the option of talking to him or blogging, i choose to talk.
bye.
On to the good news, so every morning on the bus ride to school, the sun is rising over the andes and it is amazing. How many people can say they have seen that? and i get to see it every monday - friday for 6.5 weeks. i'm a lucky girl. it is one of the more beautiful things i have ever seen. i'll take pictures so you can see what i'm talking about. I put a playlist together of a lot of radiohead, bethany dillon, some copeland, iron and wine, and some other people and listen to it every morning (that is if i don't feel like listening to the sound of music...that always comes first). that playlist combined with the sun rise is amazing! even if i am on the bus with a thousand semi-smelly people.
okay so saturday!!!! aaahh best day ever. we drove a few hours up to this camp in the mountains. on the way we stopped at a winery to take pictures and toured an art museum. i think i was the only one who enjoyed that part. then when we got there we hung out, had some wine....or a lot, ate bread and they even had BUTTER! oh how i have missed butter, then we had a meal filled with so much meat that it would put fogo de chao to shame, then more wine, then we went horseback riding in the andes! i saw a heard of goats (or geets...for Jeffrey). they were traveling in a pack. it was crazy! then we came back, watched these people do tango, then i saw a dead puma that some of the dogs had caught! don't worry, i held up it's paw and did a "sic' em" picture. then we drank more wine and rode back. then rue, brett, julia, hannah and i went to dinner at the irish pub (terrible decision. never eat at a pub) and then we went to this bar called Zinc. we met some students from Michigan and hung out with them for the rest of the night. at around 1 i called it a night, but apparently i left before all the action happened. i'll just leave it at that.
so today, after the earth quake scare, we took a 3 hours walking tour of the city. it was the 3rd one we've done since we've been here. i mean, tours are great, but after one, i'd say you're good. oh! and i ran today. it was the first time since i got here and felt amazing/after i got back i realized that it kicked my butt. i guess the altitude makes it harder because i have been wiped out since i got back.
oh hey! okay this is mainly for jeff/my alumn friends. i finished season 3 of Lost! i stayed home last night and watched about 6 hours of it. kinda sad, but deff worth it. it was nuuuuuts. i am so sad charlie died! he was one of my favs. then of course i immediately started season 4, and will probably finish that by next week. thanks for lending it to me, travis!
okay well, i'm going to facebook chat with my boyfriend now. being away from him is not fun, so when i have the option of talking to him or blogging, i choose to talk.
bye.
Friday, May 29, 2009
rylie's big mouth
oh one more thing...
so last night, after a couple glasses of wine, rylie decides it would be hilarious if she showed us just how big her mouth is. she proceeded by fitting the whole rim of a wine glass into her mouth. it was one of the funniest things i have ever witnessed. don't worry, there are pictures.
oh and everytime i eat a meal with my madre, she plays a playlist that consists of ballads from gloria estavan, maria carey, and michael bolton. i thought you should know.
so last night, after a couple glasses of wine, rylie decides it would be hilarious if she showed us just how big her mouth is. she proceeded by fitting the whole rim of a wine glass into her mouth. it was one of the funniest things i have ever witnessed. don't worry, there are pictures.
oh and everytime i eat a meal with my madre, she plays a playlist that consists of ballads from gloria estavan, maria carey, and michael bolton. i thought you should know.
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