Rosario

Hello All!

Its been a while since my last post, which I think may become a trend, but we'll see what happens. I´m approaching the end of my first week in Rosario, and everything is going really well. I moved in with my host family, and I really like them a lot. I live with Sonia, my host mom, and her son Carlos (he´s 20) and her daughter Lucia (she´s 16). They have an apartment about 10 blocks froms school, so its a really easy walk for me. On Wednesday, Sonia went with me to the orientation for my program, to show me the way from the apartment, and I took the placement test there as well. I tested into the third level of classes, which is right where Iwanted to be, so thats really good. I think that I will be challenged enough, but I´m going to learn a lot. One of the other girls in the program lives 2 floors below me in the same building, so we have been walking to school together. I had my first day of classes yesterday, and they went really well. I had my grammar class and my conversation class, and then on Monday, I start my elective courses. I chose an Art and Lit. class, as well as a class called Topics, which basically deals with everything Argentina. Both of those classes are in spanish as well. Today I don´t have class, but I am going on a walking tour of Rosario with the rest of the group. I think that they just want to show us around a bit, and we are also going to visit the monument to the Argentinian flag, which was designed here in Rosario. There are a little over 1 million people living here, but the city has a totally different vibe from Buenos Aires. Its a bit more laid back, and not quite as frenetic!

Last week I was traveleing around quite a bit. From Puerto Iguazú in the northeast, I went on to Salta in the northwest, which was a mere 26 hours on the bus, incuding several delays. Iguazú was incredible; I don´t think that I have ever seen that much water in one place! The town really wasn´t much to look at, but the park was really beautiful, and I had a really good time. Which is agood thing, because we are going to go back there as a group. AHA changed the excursions from what they told us before I left, from going to Mendoza to visiting Iguazú. Thats OK with me, I don´t mind seeing the falls again. After Iguazú, I went to Salta. Its a much smaller town, with lots of museums and chiurches, and lots of green space. There is a local mini mountain called Cerro Bernardo, named for a saint, that I hiked up. There are 1040 stone steps that go up the side of the hill, and when you get to the top, you have a 360 degree view of the city and the surrounding valleys and hills. It was really beautiful, but it was starting to rain when I was ready to go down, so I took the gondola cable car back down. I also visited a museum called the High Mountain Anthropologic Museum, which was dedicated to the Incan society that was living in the region way back when. They had some really amazing artifacts, perfectly preserved, including several mummified bodies of Incan children that were found on the tops of mountains, most likely from ritual sacrifices. The bodies were not covered in shrouds like egyptian mummies, they were just preserved by the intense cold, so they looked like they could get up and walk away. It was a little un-nerving, to tell the truth.

After Salta, I went on to Cafayate, where I went hiking in the Quebrada, which is a desert landscape with amazing sandstone formations and slot canyons. There are lots of oxidized minerals in the rocks, which gives them a really incredible rainbow colored palette. I also had some really tasty empanadas while I was there. After Cafayate, I had to head back to Buenos Aires so that I would make it to Rosario on time. I spent on day and one night in Buenos Aires, and I met a friend of a friend named Sofia, who showed me all around the city and took me to all of her favorite places.

On Monday, I took the bus to Rosario, and I walked around the city for a while, and then in the evening I hung out with this nice German guy that was staying in my dorm in the hostel. We went to the Reggae bar next door and had a pizza, listened to Bob Marley, and enjoyed the cool evening out on the sidewalk. Which brings me back t0 Tuesday, when I met my host family.

I think that this weekend I am going to stay in Rosario, and try to get more aquainted with the city. I have so many weekends to travel, and I am a bit burned out from all the busses I took last week! But there is plenty to do here, so I don´t think I´m going to mind staying here some of the weekends. On Monday, I start my full school schedule, and I think that it is going to keep me really busy. I also bought a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer´s Stone in spanish, so I have been reading that in my spare time.

I think thats all for now, and I´ll try to keep posting these at regular intervals. I hope that everyone is doing well, and has been enjoying the first days of spring. I´m having a great time, but I can´t wait to see everyone when I get back in June!

Love,

Sarah

The last time that I posted something was right after I arrived in Los Angeles prior to leaving for Argentina.  I have now spent one week here, and I am having a really good time.  I spent 6 days in Buenos Aires, and then yesterday I took an overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu.  It is an 18 hour, overnight trip, and I arrived today at about 2 PM.  

Back to Buenos Aires though.  I arrived at the airport on March 6th, and both of my bags arrived with me.  I went through customs and immigration, and then I changed some money, then proceeded to the local bus stop to catch the 86 bus into Buenos Aires.  It took me a while to find the place, but I didn't have to wait long once I found the stop.  Once the bus arrived, I told the driver where I was going and paid the fare, then sat back and enjoyed the ride.  It took about two hours to get into the city, what with the traffic and all of the stops that we made.  However, once we got to the Plaza de Mayo, which is at the heart of Buenos Aires, I had a little complication.  The driver stopped the bus, and I got up and grabbed my bags, but before I could get off the bus, he started moving again, and i had to wait until the next stop to get off, and I ended up having to walk a lot further than I had anticipated with all of my luggage.   I found my hostel, The Art Factory, in San Telmo, and I checked in, and they showed me around, and then I fell asleep on my bunk in the middle of sending an email to my parents telling them that i arrived.  

That night at the hostel, there was a parrilla, which is a traditional Argentinian barbeque, although I think that this one was tailored to out-of-towners, omitting all of the organ meats and parts that are usually present.  The food was amazing and the people were really friendly.  

I met a lovely couple from Germany named Christian and Miriam, and another couple from England, Oliver and Katie, as well as a man from Vancouver BC named Peter.  On Saturday, my first full day in the city, I took the bus to Recoleta, which is one of the more affluent barrios in the city.  I spent time in the cemetery there, wandering around on my own and going on a tour 

( in spanish!).  This is the cemetery that houses the mausoleum of the Duarte Family, Eva "Evita" Peron's family plot.  There are flowers all over the front of it, and there was a steady trickle of people wandering by it all day.  It was smaller and less impressive than I expected it to be.  I have seen pictures of it, but you never see the small alley that it is in, or the other plots on either side of it.  I met an older woman named Blanca in the plaza outside the cemetery.  We had  a really nice conversation in spanish, and we took a picture together.  She was the first local that I made friends with, and I was really excited about it!  That night, I went out to a cafe in San Telmo on the Plaza Dorrego with some of the people in my dorm, and a group from Belgium.  There was drumming  and dancing, and apparently there was a famous dutch movie star there as well.  It was a really nice atmosphere, sitting with all the porteños (people who live in Buenos Aires) out on the Plaza late at night, surrounded by beautiful old buildings.

The next day, Sunday, was the traditional weekly art and antiques fair in San Telmo.  I wandered around there in the morning, and enjoyed an empañada from a street vendor for lunch before heading back to the hostel for a little rest.  In the evening, I walked down to Puerto Madero, the old port, and walked on the docks, listened to some live music, and tried my first Argentine ice cream.  Its really good, they aren't kidding.  Monday, I took the Subte, the subway, out to Palermo, to see the parks and gardens.  I went to the Botanical gardens, walked around in the park, passed my the US Embassy, and walked by the old house of Jorge Luis Borges in Palermo viejo.  

Tuesday, I went on a walking tour of San Telmo with a group from the hostel that explored all of the historical buildings in the neighborhood-- its one of the oldest ones here-- and outlined the perimeter of the barrio.  It was supposed to only last 2 hours or so, but we ended up staying out for about 5, including a break at Plaza Dorrego to watch a tango show.  Later that evening, I went tango dancing myself.  I went down to the Microcentro to the National Tango Academy, and i took a 3 hour lesson.  It was a really fun, local place, with goofy instructors and nice people.  I danced with a gentleman named Etto, and I learned a lot from him.  

On Wednesday, I spent the better part of the rainy day trying to mail my camera back to my parents.  It broke the other day, and its new, so they are going to return it, and send me my old one when i get to Rosario.  Unfortunately, I will not have pictures of part of my first week, but of all the things to happen to you when you are traveling, a broken camera is not the worst.  That night, I went to the movies with the group from Belgium to see Slumdog Millionaire.  There was supposed to be a movie night at the hostel out on the terrace, but it was canceled due to the rain, but that was what I wanted to do anyways, so we went down to the movie theatre in Puerto Madero instead.  

Thursday was my last day in the city, and I spent it with a family that I met it the hostel.  We met at breakfast, they are from Wisconsin, but the dad, Tom, knew people in Ashland, so we bonded.  We all, Sarah the Mom, Zan the daughter who is taking a gap year  working in Paraguay, Bobbie the other daughter, Tom, and I took the Subte to Retiro to buy bus tickets, then went to the Plaza de Mayo to visit the cathedral and the Cabildo, which was the seat of the 1810 revolution, as well as the government house in the early years of Buenos Aires.  We also walked along the Peatonal, the pedestrian street on calle Florida.  It has alot of shopping and is very touristy, but worth a look.  Then we all went out to lunch at Siga la Vaca (follow the cow), an all you can eat parrilla buffet.  Tom and Sarah treated me to lunch, which was delicious.  It was all you can eat, and you walk up to the grill, and you can order any cut of meat you can think of.  They also zip-tie your bags to your chairs, they say to keep them from getting stolen, but also to keep you from eating and running.  After lunch, we all rolled out of there, and walked back to the hostel via the Plaza de Mayo again.  They were leaving for Paraguay at 7PM, and I was leaving at 9:30 for Iguazu, so we wanted a chance to rest.  I read my book for a while, and took a nap on the couch, then I took the Subte back to Retiro again to catch my bus.  

Argentines have mastered the weekend getaway.  They have these double decker busses with reclining seats that are really comfortable, and they serve you food (bad food, but food) and they run overnight so you can get there during the day.  Anyways, I slept on the bus, and I arrived in Iguazu this afternoon.  I checked into my hostel, which is right across from the bus station, and was recommended to me by the Belgians.  It is nice, but it doesn't have the same vibe as the Art Factory.  I guess my first hostel holds a soft spot in my heart.  But, it does have a pool and a great open air kitchen.

Tomorrow I think that I am going to go to Brazil to see the Brazilian side of Iguazu falls, just for the day, and then Sunday and Monday I will visit the Argentine side.  Then, on Monday night, i think that i will leave for Salta via bus.  I think thats all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading!

chao, 

Sarah

The journey begins...

This morning, I flew (on a very early morning  flight) from Medford to Los Angeles.  I'm going to spend several days here, hangin' with the fam,  before I disembark to Argentina.  I finally finished packing...  It was a marathon weekend-- packing and unpacking and packing again-- until I was satisfied with the stuff that I decided to bring!  I slept most of the way on the plane, waking up only for the turbulence that we encountered about half way down, around Fresno.  When I got to LAX, I was thrilled to find that both of my checked bags made it there safe and sound with me, and I took the flyaway bus to Van Nuys, where my grandparents picked me up.  We went out to Brunch at Art's Deli, a great old standby in Sherman Oaks.  Other than the price of the food, nothing has changed.  I ordered a BLT, and the sandwich that they brought me was a good four inches tall.  I could barely get my mouth around it.  It was AMAZING!!

I have a couple of last minute things to take care of while I'm here, like buying travelers checks and local currency for when I arrive, but other than that, I'm ready to go and getting really excited.  I recieved the information on my homestay today; I will be living with Sonia Aguado and her family!  She/they live at 9 de Julio 1673 -4to "A", which is apartment A on the fourth floor on 9 de Julio 1673 in Rosario!  So excited!  This will be my contact address in Rosario once my study abroad program starts.  You can send me mail at 

Sarah Spector

C/O Sonia Aguado

9 de Julio 1673- 4to "A"

Rosario 2000

Argentina

After the 24th of March.

My Grandparents showed me a video slide show of pictures from when they first got married, and of their kids (my Dad included) when they were little, and it was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.  That was the first time that I saw more than a couple pictures of them from when they were young, and their wedding pictures were beautiful.  

I think thats all for now!  

Over and out...

Sarah