San Julian

So my idea was to visit the small towns along the way from Commodoro Rivadavia to Ushuaia. Pick a few and go and see what they have to offer (by bus) The busses here are quite the way to travel (if you go with a good company). The first company Don OTTO was okay. The "executive seats" go almost all the way flat so you can get some sleep which is good becasue my busride began at 7PM and ended in the town of San Julian at 2AM. Now my stomach was not feeling so hot and I feel really bad for those ppl on my bus who were near me. However I was asleep so I no nothing. I landed in San Julian and got dropped off at my hotel. Mind you the conversation I previosly had to reserve my room was completely in Spanish which is why the hotel I thought I booked was completely sold out for that particular night but not the next (technically it was the next day but how can one explain that at 2AM). Anyhoo (in Spanish) he explained that they were full but he owned the hostel next dorr. At this point my stomach was making noises and I did not want to shart in front of him (JG you can relate) so I said sure no problema...lead the way rapido. It was an okay joint BUT behind door number 2 was a completely NEW bathroom that was ALL mine. I could have kissed him. Garcias, Gracias I said over and over again as I shoved him out the door. I won´t go into the details but I was a very happy girl.
Next day I awoke feeling much better and excited to see what this small town had in store for me...not much. Okay I was not deterred I walked around and I found a small shack that did "excursions". It said you had to have 4 ppl to go out (so basically everyone in the town??). I started talking with the captain and he said he was going out to pick up his wife who was doing rersearch at one of the islands and he would take me out...for a little more money than the standard price...whatever, i had nothing else going on. The other girl on the boat was a guide who spoke perfect English and she said we would be going out pretty far and we shall see some dolphins, seals, penguins and many birds. Great! There were Penguins everywhere. Their little heads popping up everywhere we went. On the way out no dolphins but as soon as we hit an hour out about 30 of them were surrounding the boat. They are called commerson dolphins. They were not very cooperative with my photo skills so I took some really nice pics of the water hoping for the perfect shot. After this we went to one of the islands and hung out with the penguins. They are completley trusting creatures. It was the season for hatchlings - did not see any but they were all on their nests and you could get really close. So cute.

Uraguay and Punta Del Diablo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY, TRICIA AND AUNT SUZANNE.
I took the ferry over to Uraguay which was nice. I landed in a small town of Colonia. It is a very historical town that took all of 20 min to cover on foot. I met two guys in the hostel who were going to rent bikes and tool around...I should have informed them but it was not my place.. -with a smirk i said have fun (half the town is in cobble stones". I saw them at lunch - needless to say they got off the bikes after 10 min. I was killing time - my bus for Del Diablo left at 1:30. It was a full day of traveling and I emailed the girl who owns Tranquillo el diablo and said I would be there around 9:30Pm and i hoped there were taxi´s. The bus ride was uneventful. Silly me i had thought the bus route was along the coast but no it was just cows and more cows. I thought crap i am wasting a whole day traveling...
At 9:30 PM I got off the bus and I just laughed. There were no cabs, no ppl, hadly anyone had eñectricity, it was a VERY small town. I thought I am screwed becasue me thinks not very many ppl will understand my poor spanish. However another girl got off there two and we both looled a little nervous at out surroundings. I looked at her and said in my poor Spanish, " where are you headed"? Tranquilla del Diablo - she responded in perfect English. Thank the stars for her. In perfect Spanish (becasue she is from BA but her sister lives in manhatten - crazy) she asked a local where are place was and he said it is not very far and you can walk. Well it is a VERY small town and we managed to get lost a few times but we had a great conversation and when we found it I thought...AHHHHH what a great place. It is owned and operated by a young couple from Wisconsin. Everything was very American in this hostel which I did not mind a bit. My plan was to stay here two days and then a night in Montevideo. I stayed three days and hung out like a beach bum. Everyone said you are not missing anything in Montevideo. It is a smaller version of BA - I thought good enough for me. It was so peaceful. (I will upload pics soon). I met some great people and they had a great resturant. Becasue their summer does not really start until the middle of dec - their hostel is the only one that is opened year round so they were the only game in town. It really reminded me of what those small towns in CA would have been like before all the developers moved in. I think if I went back here in a year or so it will be different but still quaint. I had a beach all to myself and fell asleep and got very burned. That will teach me to get cheap sunblock- when I read the sunblock after the fact it said and I quote, "This is very, very water resistant" shame on me #1. After 3 days I am still burned. Sadly I left for a flight for Commodore Rivadavia from BA (which means I had to travela full day and then a flight) - It was still worth it. Commodor was only supposed to be a brief stop over to get a bus ticket to the next place (Puerto San Julian). But the busses do not run until after 6 pm (my plane landed at 8 Am in the morning) so I am stuck in this pitiful town for several hours. Shame on me #2. I did not plan this part of my trip out I wanted to play it by ear...well so far not so good but at least I got to update my blog!!

Yo Ho Yo Ho a hostel life for me...

Yeah...I don't think so. I arrived at Iguazu and went to a great hostel which had an awesome pool. That is the reason I chose it as well. I shared a room with 2 girls both from holland and it was really quite nice. It is a weird thing hostel living and those who stay there. You have the older Europeans who always travel in packs; the Frenchies who you don't really know what they look like until the smoke clears - if it ever does, the Brits (and Germans) who are paler than Casper and always wear dark socks. Then you have all the "kids", yes I will say kids becasue that is what they are...not that I am that much older but damn, I wish i did this when i was their age. They truly think they are rockstars. You have your clicks but all with a hippie vibe about them, reminds me of highschool. All in all- I met some really great people.
The Falls were incredible. Eleanor Rosevelt said in comparing Niagra to Iguazu, "Poor Niagra". I have never seen Niagra but one would have to think the same. They were truly amazing. I felt like a fool clicking 100's of pictures at water and rock formations TRYING to be artistic...but you can't get enough. I took the "Gran Adventure". Gran adventure my ass. The "sales" guys (there were two), the first was are cabbie and he kept telling us we need to do this it is great...i should have known then. The second actually worked for the tour company and the cabbie got a kickback etc...I was totally NOT going to do it but the group of girls i was with were all doing it so i did. What a joke. The "ride" through the "jungle" was a dirt road that lasted 15 min with the loudest engine so yeah...don´t think we are going to come up on any wild animals. Then we get on a boat and go through some "crazy rapids" (the sales guy again) I have better rapids when I fart in the bathtub. However they take this boat into the falls - you are getting soaked by these incredible water falls. The louder you scream the captain keeps going back for more. Afterwards when you look at it you think the boat could have been pulled in and we all could have died - totally worth it! Then for the last part of the "gran adventure" you got to walk the FREE trails and FREE train up to devils throat. It was still awesome despite the "Gran Adventure"!!

Good Bye Buenos Aries!

My three weeks has ended in BA ' time flew by. I am now fluent in spanish when getting into a taxi other than that I am still in kindergarden. On Novemeber 4th we went to a bar that was having Americano specials = cheap beer. I have to say with all honestly it was great to speak english for a night...well lets be realistic i still am speaking english everywhere but TRYING to speak spanish. Here you did not have to try with everyone there being American or english speaking. It was a very exciting night. Everyone was cheering when the states came up with blue or where blue was winning. Obviously this was an "O" bar. The McCain bar was on another street. A sad pitiful steet. Of course the official result was not going to come in until much later but that really did not stop anyone from staying there until 5am. It was pretty cool. The Buenos Ariens )???) were all very excited about O.
I am now in Iguazu to see the falls. Anyone who knows me knows how I like to travel so this will be an expierence because I am doing a shared hostel dorm room. Not sure what the outcome will be but it is cheap and I need to make the $$$ stretch. We shall see how long this dorm / hostel/sharing things lasts with me. I know i owe pictures and after i go to the falls i will try and upload some.

Futbol anyone?

So we went to the BOCA game last weekend. Wow these people love their futbol. I sat next to this guy who I swear was related to us. He looked like the South American Andrew Duffy. He was just as loud too! (sorry Uncle Andrew). They (the crowd) sang the whole time and it was not chants it was full blown songs.
So there are actual assigned seatis or the cheapos in which you stand the WHOLE time - this is where all the fanatics sit. two sides for the fanatics: the trañquillo loco side or the loco loco side. We opted for the trañquillo side of it. We made the right choice (i would have preferred a seat but I am immersing myself, Si?).
I could not wait to settle in and get a beer etc...no beer ONLY cocacola. Not even water was sold (doesn't CC own water companies???) like many things in SA it did not make sense. I can understand not serving alcohol to these fans but water??? That did not pose a problem as mucho sodas were consumed and there was that "funny" cigarette smoke that filled the air. That is the kind of second hand smoke you do not mind too much. Mom-i did not inhale.
The game was great they were so passionate. Even when BOCA did something wrong there were songs and shouts of encouragement. In the states u r in one min out the next.
Okay so this is the best....the game is over so they let everyone out except the two crazy sides (which are at either end of the stadium). When I say this I mean they actually LOCKED the doors to keep the fanatics in until the rest of the ppl got out and away. 1/2 later we were let out. The stadium was empty except the fanatics and the songs kept coming there was no one on the field. On the big screen they stated to replay the game and the crowds went crazy like they were seeing it for the first time. LET ME OUT!!

After that we went to the town of La Boca which is very touristy and you can eat and walk around while gazing upon the dirtiest river in BA. I am not making it up they actually say it is the dirtiest...is that supposed to be an attraction? It consists of resturants with tango shows and the houses were all very colorful reminded me of a carribean town. There is a house here that is pictures in all the books of BA - muy famosa.

First day of School

HAPPY Birthday Archer!!

The family I am staying with is very nice. A grandmother (Abuella) nombre Monica, her daughter Ceceila and her two kids; Nacho (that is his nick name but I still have not figured out his real name) and Lucilla (LooLi). Luli is 6 and she is actually learning English. So I do her home work for her and she does mine...just kidding. I actually am reading her books and I am getting pretty good. Their abuella LOVES - SEEEE ESSSSS Eye. (CSI). We have a little downtime- her and me -watching the show together. It is in English with Spanish subtitles. So I am cheating...my brain likes it after along day.

First day of school. i have to look cool i have to look cool. Whatever. I was late. You have to take a test the first day so they can put you in the right level. I already knew I knew nothing so I came a little later. Already a rebel. It was a good class and it became clear in a matter of mins that I was the only one who was really a complete beginner. Most of them "just cam frum my studies at university" or "just got done my under learning (means highschool)." Three girls are from Holland and they ..."you see vwee pic langveges up quite easuly because vwee hav tou..." Ahh no did know that. One German guy who is all of 18. One guy from India who speaks better English than I do and one Russian..actually they all speak perfect english. Joke-what do you call someone who speaks 3 lang=trilingual, what do you call someone who speaks 2 lang? = Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks 1 lang. = American.

Upcoming blogs (with photos) i promise);
Futbal game-yep they are´fíng crazy as they seem
How do you say....discotecha