BA Days

Nasca

2009-05-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

My next stop was Nasca. The main attraction here are the Nasca Lines
- geoglyphs carved in the middle of the desert hundreds of years ago
by pre-Incans that are only visible by air. I took a flight in a
Cessna to view the lines, but archeologists are baffled as to how the
ancient people created the drawings. Since they are only able to be
seen from above, it is a mystery how the geometry was worked out
initially. Incidentally, most Peruvians I talked to are convinced
that the Nasca people used San Pedro cactus to create the drawings -
the incredibly-potent hallucinogenic supposedly allowed the Nasca
people to leave their bodies, fly above the desert, and direct the
drawings from the air.

The other interesting thing to do in Nasca is sandboarding. I hiked
for hours through the desert before dawn to climb the world's tallest
sand dune (2,000 meters!) only to slide down the whole thing in about
25 minutes. It was amazing, but I was camera-less for fear of ruining
lenses with sand. Seriously a beautiful hike though.

Colca Canyon

2009-05-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

Six hours north of Arequipa is the Colca Canyon - twice as deep as the
Grand Canyon, but almost an afterthought on the tour circuit. I spent
three days walking from the rim to the base of the canyon (and back),
stopping to view a family of massive condors, swim in natural hot
springs, eat cuy (roasted guinea pigs) in a small village, and watch a
woman check her llama in the luggage compartment under the bus back to
Arequipa.

Arequipa

2009-05-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

After Puno and Titicaca, I headed west to Arequipa. Set in the
foothills of eight active volcanoes, Arequipa is known as the "white
city" because the mineral content of the lava rock used to construct
its major buildings makes the stone bright white. Arequipa ended up
being my favorite city in Peru - in addition to the eye-catching
building materials, there was an enormous monastery in the center of
town that boasted great architecture and plaza space, a museum devoted
to the "ice mummy" Juanita (a young girl sacrificed by the Incas in
the mountain tops, then discovered perfectly intact hundreds of years
later after volcanic activity dislodged her from the ice at the peak
of the mountain where she was killed), and some of the spiciest (and
tastiest) ceviche I ate in Peru.

Titicaca, continued

2009-05-12T17:21:00.001-07:00

My second stop in Lake Titicaca was the island of Amantani. The
island was nearly as rustic - it lacked running water and electricity,
though it featured buildings set on solid ground - but it was a
pleasure to spend the night on the island. I stayed with a host
family that was very welcoming - I played soccer with the 10-year old
boy before eating a meal of quinoa, potatoes and eggs with the family
- despite only knowing a few words of Spanish (the main language in
this region is quechua).

In addition to hiking around the island to take in a sunset, I went to
a "traditional" island dance, with live music and Inca Kola... plus,
my host family provided me with a poncho and stocking hat to help me
fit in at the party. I didn't have my camera with me that night, but
there are enough pictures of me and my fellow tourists in our costumes
on Facebook that I am sure you can seek one out if you are really
motivated...

Urso Islands

2009-05-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

After leaving Cusco, I headed south to Puno, the port city on the
Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca. The city didn't offer much - it was
small, suffered from a malodorous lagoon, and was overcrowded - but
the trip to the lake made it worthwhile.

I took a two-day tour of the lake; the first stop was a floating Urso
"island" built out of reeds. The Urso culture pre-dates the Incas in
Peru, and they were notoriously isolationist. Rather than allow
themselves to be assimilated by the Incas, they left their original
homes on the banks of the lake and built boats, houses, and civic
buildings out of floating reeds, then left land behind. Today, they
still live on these small floating islands, but are much less focused
on isolation - they subsist primarily by giving tours of their homes
and selling crafts to tourists.

And we're back!

2009-05-12T16:51:00.001-07:00

Again, sorry for the delay. After leaving Cusco, I had really poor
WiFi coverage and few opportunities to upload photos. Please bear
with me while I catch up on the last three weeks of my travels in
Peru.

To kick things off, here's one of my favorite pictures from Machu
PIcchu. Nothing new to say about it, I just thought it was a pretty
way to reintroduce myself to blogging.

Disculpeme...

2009-04-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of activity in recent days. After Machu Picchu and
Cusco, I traveled south to Puno, spent two days on islands in Lake
Titicaca, went trekking for three days in the Colca Canyon, and now
find myself in Nasca preparing for a flight over the Nasca Lines and
sandboading on Cerro Blanco (the world's tallest sand dune).

As the trip has become more rugged, wifi access has been limited so I
haven't been able to upload photos. I'm back home in a week though,
so stay tuned for full reports and lots of new photos soon!

Not sure why...

2009-04-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

...but one photo didn't make it up yesterday, and everything was
posted out of order. Regardless, there are two pages of new posts and
pictures below to check out!

All's well that ends well

2009-04-16T12:32:00.004-07:00

Despite some headaches, nothing can detract from how special a place
Machu Picchu is - one of the most awe-inspiring places I have ever seen.

¡Llamame!

2009-04-16T12:32:00.003-07:00

This is a sequel to the playful buffalo picture I took in Yellowstone
last summer.

Machu Picchu from above

2009-04-16T12:32:00.002-07:00

The fog lifted before long

2009-04-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

But that makes it look dramatic!

2009-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Almost there!

2009-04-16T12:31:00.002-07:00

After crossing over the mountain and descending through a cloud
forest, we only had a few more hours of walking along the river to
reach Machu Picchu.

It was a little foggy when we showed up

2009-04-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

Mount Salkantay

2009-04-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is the 4100 m high mountain we walked over on the way to Machu
Picchu.

Somos Peru - ¡Juntos Lo Podemos!

2009-04-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I think the above slogan refers to taking advntage of
tourists. Matthew and I signed up for a five-day trek over Mt
Salkantay to Machu Picchu, covering 78 km and crossing a 4100 m peak
en route. We had a number of lowlights, including:
- a leaky tent with a zipper that required four hands and 20 minutes
to close; two inconveniences during the rainy season in mosquito
country;
- a wet down sleeping bag without a working zipper; only an issue the
first night while trying to sleep above 3600 m;
- an anti-semetic tour guide; bad in general, more of an issue because
of the six Israelis in our group...
- a booking agency that failed to buy us return tickets from Machu
Picchu, but didn't tell us until 20 minutes before the last train was
supposed to leave; no one wanted to go back to Cusco (where there is
hot water, nice food, flush toilets and clean clothes) anyway.

But honestly, despite being a bit irritated by the hassle and lack of
service, the trip was amazing. The Peruvian countryside is lovely, and
I walked over a snow-capped mountain, through a cloud forest, and
along a river valley in just a few days. I saw stars, monkeys,
orchids, llamas, hot springs... All en route to Machu Picchu, which
was a site worth any amount of hassle to visit. Plus I learned a new
card game, Yanof, from the Israelis, my Spanish got better with lots
of help from Matthew, and I met some fun fellow travelers along the way.

¡Vale la pena! To prove it, some nice photos will follow this post...

Inca bound

2009-04-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Cusco this morning, and after a hearty lunch of fried
trout and two mugs of tea I felt properly amped to plan my hike.

This photo is taken from the balcony of my hostel, which I'll be
leaving at 430 tomorrow morning to start hiking up to Machu Picchu.
The trek lasts five days, but I'll update photos and impressions when
I return to town next week.

Torres del Paine

2009-04-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

The iPhone can do quite a bit, but it doesn't really do justice to the
color landscape, the scale of mountains, or the intensity of the sky
here. Still, it is better than nothing...

Hiked about 500 meters up the mountain in the foreground today, then
down an equal distance to a river for lunch before reversing course
and catching the bus back to town. Nice warm up for the multi-day
kayak and camp trip I am doing on Monday.

Big sky

2009-04-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Wow - the town is pretty tiny and remote (go figure) but I don't think
that it is an overstatement to call the scenery dramatic.

A la frontera

2009-04-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Crossed the border in to Chile today to spend five days hiking,
boating, and outdoorsy in general. I hope it was worth the six hour
bus ride along a mostly unpaved road - I'll report results when I can.

The cold part of the world

2009-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

After five weeks in BsAs, it was something of a relief to get away
from the hectic pace of the city. Patagonia feels worlds away from
BaAs; outside of Alaska it is the biggest area of untouched land I
have seen.

Flying in to El Calafate, a small town on Lago Argentina that is the
closest outpost to Argentina's Glacier National Park, the only things
I could see were lakes, snow-capped peaks of the Andes, and brown
earth wiped flat by glaciers as the ice retreated at the end of the
last ice age.

The main attraction here is the Prieto Moreno glacier, one of the few
advancing glaciers in the world and part of the world's third-largest
ice field (after Antarctica and Greenland). I spent nearly an entire
day here watching the glacier from across the water. Spending six
hours stating at a block of ice might sound dull, but I loved it. The
sensation was a little like watching the tides - from dawn through the
early afternoon the view continued to evolve as the changing light
brought out different colors and tones in the ice.

The glacier moves in the same way a river with whitewater does - it
advances at different rates over obstacles and changing terrain,
creating turbulence and motion at the surface. The frozen rapids of
the glacier can be unstable - I was lucky enough to see several
iceberg-size chunks dislodge from the main glacier and crash into the
water below.

For Day 2, I joined a tour and went out on the glacier itself,
trekking about for several hours. Despite feeling worn out from hiking
(and sun exposure), it was great getting close to the ice.

Perito Moreno

2009-04-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time or bandwith, but I wanted to get one photo up
quickly. Day 1 in Patagonia was spent gazing at glaciers, tomorrow we
will be trekking on the ice itself. More details when I can...

a few more photos

2009-03-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

I've been shooting some real film on a camera I was given for
Christmas (thanks, Diana!) and wnated to share a couple of shots I
took with it. I don't have a film scanner with me, obviously, so I
took pictures of the pictures... they lose a little bit in the
translation, but I think they are still sort of neat.

No matter how it ends, no matter how it starts

2009-03-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

I go to a lot of concerts, and I am usually pretty good about getting
up close, dealing with crowds, and holding out to be in the thick of
things. But man, these porteños kicked my but tonight! The crowd was
so hot, smelly, and pushy, it made the rush-hour subway here seem
pleasant by comparison. After one song, I bailed to a spot where there
was room to take this picture, and halfway through the set I moved
back again so I could get some water and air. Radiohead put on a great
show, as always, and I enjoyed how into the music the crowd was. Not
only did they sing along to almost every song, but they sang soccer
chants between tunes as well. Now that is dedication! Anyway, even
though I am probably the only one who cares, setlist is included below:

15 Step
Airbag
There There
All I Need
Kid A
Karma Police
Nude
Weird Fishes
The National Anthem
The Gloaming
No Surprises
Pyramid Song
Street Spirit
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Idioteque
Bodysnatchers

March 24 is a national holiday in Argentina - it is a day of
rememberance that commemorates the Military Government's rise to
power. Ed spoke to the crowd in Spanish (slow enough that I could
understand) letting them know that the band was aware of the
importance of the date 33 years ago, and that they joined the crowd in
remembering the citizens killed and totures during the era of military
control. Of course, given the history of the desaparecidos, I thought
the next song was a tacky choice.
How to Disappear Completely

Set Break 1
Videotape
Paranoid Android
House of Cards
Reckoner
Planet Telex

Set Break 2
Go Slowly
2+2=5
Everything in its Right Place

Set Break 3
Creep

I can't believe they closed with Creep -I think that is the first time
I have heard it live since 1996.

More falls

2009-03-24T07:06:00.001-07:00

A few extra shots

Iguazu Falls

2009-03-24T07:05:00.001-07:00

Ordinarily, I am inclined to agree with Bjork's lyric about waterfalls from the song 'I've Seen It All'... it's water, water is all. But these falls topped that and beat any expectations I had. Two large chains of falls make up Argentina's border with Brasil. Both sets of falls are taller than Niagra and are nestled in the midst of a well-preserved national park. My little snapshots don't do it justice, but the park was way cool - trust me.

Chau Buenos Aires

2009-03-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

So I have finished my month of Spanish classes in Buenos Aires and am feeling much more comfortable with the language. I make a ton of errors when I speak and can't say half of what is in my head, but that isn't the worst thing ever... plus now I can follow conversations with native speakers (sometimes), make basic small talk, and navigate around without too much trouble. Lots of thanks to my great teacher, whose rapid style of speaking (and equally quick sarcastic wit) pushed me to be a better listener. Also to my fellow students and housemates who agreed to speak almost only in Spanish, even when that meant our initial conversations were limited to 'where are you from?' 'what is your name?' and 'do you like dinner?'

Luckily, I found the people of BA equally as fun and helpful. For every shop keeper that couldn't understand what I was asking for or looked at me funny before addressing me in English, I met four people willing to listen, understand me, correct my mistakes, and have a conversation about whatever (the show we were at, what type of work we did, how long I have played guitar, etc).

The friendliness of people here helped to balance out all the noise, crime, and downsides that come with living in a big city, and I know that I'll miss the activity of the city while I travel through the Patagonia then Peru over the next month-plus. Luckily, I still have a little time left here, which I'm going off to enjoy. Chau!

Mariposas, otras cosas

2009-03-24T06:46:00.001-07:00

Although the real draw at Iguazu is the waterfall, I was equally drawn in by the animals in the park. I saw more types, sizes and colors of butterflies than I can ever remember, plus tropical birds, lizards, alligators, turtles, and coati. Que tierna!

Mar del Plata

2009-03-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

Buenos Aires can be a demanding city. It is huge, crowded, noisy, hot... this intensity makes the city fun and exciting, but it also makes breaks from the city feel neccessary. The weekend after my trip to Mendoza, my housemates and I headed south to Mar del Plata, a beach town five hours south of BA by bus. Of course, calling Mar del Plata a 'town' is a bit if an understatement since it has nearly the same population as San Francisco, but it provided a change of pace regardless.

Despite being the start of fall (and the end of peak season), the beach was fairly crowded, and the restaurants and clubs were even more packed. I'm slowly getting used to the late schedule of things in Argentina, but it still amused me when our cab driver teased us for going out too early - hailing him at midnight after dinner (that started at 10 pm) seemed silly to him. Rather than go to a club, we ended up in a coffee shop for an hour when the bars opened, then hopped a bit until 3 when the clubs started letting people in.

So much for the restful weekend... but at least I could sleep on the beach and on the bus going home to BA.

Bife de lomo

2009-03-19T05:09:00.004-07:00

This one is my favorite cut - a tender medallion cut from the back.
Buen provecho chicos!

Sandwich de lomito completo

2009-03-19T05:09:00.003-07:00

Thin cut of steak used in a sandwich with ham and cheese; sometimes it
is topped with a fried egg as well.

Ribs

2009-03-19T05:09:00.002-07:00

Not much to say other than don't bother, stick with a steak.

Florentine

2009-03-19T05:09:00.001-07:00

You can also get Milanese prepared with various sauces and toppings -
this one has spinach, cheese and sweet potatoes. The meal in the
picture is a half-portion, by the way.

Milanese

2009-03-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

Another popular dish is Milanese - steak or chicken pounded thin, then
breaded and fried. I've ordered one of each, and topped them with
chimichurri (oil, garlic and parsley) and salsa criolla (tomato, onion
and parsley).

Ojo de lomo

2009-03-19T05:07:00.001-07:00

This is a rib eye, nicely marbled and served with mashed potatoes and
a glass of wine for about $6 US.

Parilla

2009-03-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

By request, I'm uploading a series of photos about Argentine steaks.
To start, here is one of my favorite parillas (grill house). The chef
stands over the grill, slicing steaks, chickens, sausages, organ meat,
and just about anything else you can think of while tending to the
coal fire. Order directly from him, then find a table and wait for
your food.

El Choque Urbano

2009-03-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the Ciudad Cultural Konex, an open-air theater
that is made from a reused industrial space. In addition to the stage,
there were a number of art installations and exhibits - I arrived
early and got to practice my Spanish in the wild before the music
started.

The band was great - they played pipes, pots, pans, plastic bags, oil
drums, etc rather than instruments, and created an effect that sounded
like a mix of Stomp and LCD Soundsystem. Not bad for less than $4 US.

Per special request, my next post this week will focus on food here -
if other people have questions, topics, and whatever that they want to
see here, please let me know.

Bears for Peace

2009-03-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

As part of a traveling art exhibition, there are 140 bears in Plaza
San Martin this week - one for each of the countries represented in
the UN. Here I am, striking a pose with the Italian bear. If I look
a little groggy, it is because I ate a steak and a chorizo sausage for
lunch, but luckily it has cooled down enough here that I was able to
go for a run in the afternoon to work it off.

Andes

2009-03-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

While in Mendoza, I also took a side trip to the high Andes, right along the border with Chile. I exhausted my camera battery before the summit (and before my paragliding trip the next day), but I snapped a few scenery shots before it went dead.

Bodegas

2009-03-09T12:52:00.001-07:00

No trip to wine country is compete without a tour of a bodega (the Argentine term for winery, not a store like is used in the north). Start with some grapes, bottle and age them, drop a Malbec label on it, then sit in the sun and enjoy.

Mendoza

2009-03-09T12:42:00.001-07:00

Already wanting a break from the hectic pace, crowds, dirt and noise of BA, I escaped to Mendoza for the weekend. Mendoza is the heart of Argentina's wine region, in the foothills of the Andes, and as luck would have it it was the first day of the harvest season when I arrived. There was a citywide party and a beauty pagent, where contestants competed to be Queen of the Harvest.

At the center of the city of Mendoza is a large plaza full of fountains, and four smaller plazas are spread out from there, each one representing the city's heritage (Plaza Espana, Plaza Italia, Plaza Chile, and Plaza Independencia).

The photos above show the main plaza, some of the art in Plaza Espana, a child playing in a fountain in Plaza Independencia, Amistad statues from Plaza Chile, and another fountain in Plaza Italia (with the water died purple for the festival).

Loca for Boca

2009-03-02T03:55:00.001-08:00

Soccer isn't my favorite sport to watch, but I didn't want to come to
another futbol-crazy country and miss out on going to a match (why
didn't I see AS Roma while I was studying there? Que tonto soy!). The
experience lived up to the hype, despite a smaller crowd than normal
owing to the torrential downpour that parked itself over BA today. The
wet crowd sang fight songs for the entire match (and nearly an hour
beforehand), and the applause was literally thunderous - it drowned
out all but the loudest thunder claps. Boca played a pretty sloppy
game, blowing four set plays and failing to score until the 30th
minute of the second half. But as they say, when it rains it pours,
and Boca scored three times in the final 10 minutes to win easily. The
third goal was especially dramatic, timed perfectly with a flash of
lightening and the biggest dose of thunder of the day.

Good times all around.

EP de la Boca

2009-03-02T03:55:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone wondered what I might look like while watching a
futbol match, now you know.

Cementerio de la Recoletta

2009-02-28T14:20:00.001-08:00

I spent the better part of my afternoon taking pictures on film in el
Cementerio de Recoletta today. The cemetery is a city of the dead -
it is huge, with blocks and blocks of above ground crypts and
mausoleums. In addition to the tombs, there are many statues, both of
religous icons and of the departed. Most of my shots today were with
my film camera, but here are a few I captured digitally.

I didn't cover as much ground as I had originally intended (owing to a
lack of energy associated with drinking and dancing until almost 7
a.m.), so I'll have to scheudle more time for a more extensive photo
tour of the city's northern neighborhoods. On the plus side, I
stopped in a great cafe that featured traditional northern Argentine
food. A spicy beef empanada and a bowl or lorco (a hearty stew with
white corn, chorizo, pork back, and beef tripe) turned out to be the
perfect way to recharge. Buen provecho!

La Plaza de Mayo

2009-02-26T17:16:00.001-08:00

I snapped these three shots after class this afternoon - The first is
the Casa Rosa, which is basically the Argentine White House and the
anchor of the southern end of la Plaza de Mayo. The Plaza, which is
the largest in Argentina, was developed to commemorate Argentina's
independence from Spain. Today, Los Madres de los Desparacidos march
in the Plaza every Thursday as a continued protest against the
government's kidnapping, jailing, and execution of 30,000 citizens
between 1976 and 1983.

Southern Neighborhood Notes

2009-02-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first time in the neighborhoods south of the center: Boca, San Telmo and Puerto Madera.

Boca was at the mouth of the Rio Plata and the main harbor for BA in the city's early days (the river has since been channelized, and the port is north of the city, directly on the Atlantic Ocean). This neighborhood was the landing point for the first wave of Italian immigrants, and it continues to be one of thepoorest areas of the city, the Italians are long gone, but it is still primarily an immigrant neighborhood. It is one of the lowest parts or the city and prone to flooding, so as soon as one can afford to, they move to higher ground. Despite the poor reputation (and poor plumbing), I found the colorful buildings and small, narrow streets inviting - it is a shame that the main drag in Boca has been taken over by chintzy tourist shops and everything off the main street is a broken-down slum. Still, I'll return this Sunday for a futbol match - Boca is home to Argentina's most popular and successful team.

San Telmo is north (and out of the flood plain) from Boca, and features much of the city's colonial architecture. It is more consistent looking, upscale, and ped friednly than much of the city, but it is also overrun with tourist shops - the wealthy abandoned the neighborhood following a yellow fever outbreak 100 years ago, and everyone else was priced out by the tourist shops.

Puerto Madera was the industrial zone on the Rio Plata that replaced Boca as the city's main port. Unfortunately, the locks and dams built along the river were too small for most shipping boats, and the port was closed and relocated to the north within 15 years of its opening. The warehouses were abandoned, and the whole area sat fallow for years. About 10 years ago, developers began rehabilitating the area - buildings on the west bank of the river were converted to student housing and classroom space for the Catholic University of Buenos Aires (along with a number of chain bars, including Hooters). On the opposite bank, most of the buildings were demolished and huge apartment towers took their place. Even with the crash of 2001, real estate in this area is doing well - one of the Argentines I asked claimed that apartments sell for $5000 US per square meter. This information is subject to be totalyl wrong, based on his lack of information and my lack of Spanish comprehension. Notice how my lack of accurate information doesn't keep me from writing things down.

For a city with a river and access to the coast, it seems to me that BA does a poor job of engaging or activating the waterfront. You could be here for days without seeing a drop of water (unless it fell on your head from a free-standing air conditioner), and even in the spots where the Rio Plata flows through the city, little is done to bring people to the water. The bridge is a nice feature, and as construbtion continues in the old port area it will be interesting to see if additional investment occurs to highlight the natural ammenity of the river.

OK - enough for now. I plan on heading back to some of these areas on Saturday to take more pictures. I'll also try to hit some more contemporary areas of the city for comparison.

Puente de la Mujer

2009-02-24T16:47:00.001-08:00

This bridge by Calatrava leads from the historic center over the Rio
Plata to a super-lux hotel, located in a restored grain silo. Rad.
I'd write more, but I'm off to dinner. . .

La caja in San Telmo

2009-02-24T16:44:00.001-08:00

La Boca

2009-02-24T16:42:00.001-08:00

Hijo in La Boca

2009-02-24T16:36:00.001-08:00

Something to Look Forward To

2009-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day of school - first time I've had one of those in seven years. It went well, which is a good sign considering I'll have another first day of school (albiet one with a bit more pressure, perhaps) in a few months.

Like I said though, the day went well and helped me set my expectations for the next four weeks as I cram as much Spanish into my brain as I can before hitting the road for other South American destinations.

I'm looking forward to not saying every third word in Italian. I guess it is a good sign that my brain recognizes that I am trying to access what I know of a language other than English, and I am comfortable rattling off complete sentances without the halting, searching, stubling moments that usually accompany a beginner's speech. Unfortunately, so far I fail to realize that half of what I say isn't English or Spanish until the teacher asks me to explain what I mean and what words I am using. I didn't even realize I knew this much Italian, but it is all pouring out. Oh well, it is only my second day here - lots of time to get the wires uncrossed.

I'm looking forward to getting to know Spanish better than I know the streets. No one believes that I just arrived yesterday because I know where all the neighborhoods are, which Subte to take, and which streets will be shortcuts to destinations. I walked around yesterday for a long time and spent a lot of time with the map on the plan ride in, so I have a handle on where things are. Now if I could only get a handle on what I was trying to say.

I{m looking forward to looking forward less. Turns out, I only know how to conjugate verbs in the present or future tense. When I finally manage to say something in Spanish, I make it sound like a grand plan for the future rather than something I did this morning or last week. This is my teacher's new favorite running joke.

So far I'm known as the Italian-loving, forward-looking guy with a knack for directions. Stop me when I hit something that is out of the ordinary - I could have told you that before I left.

A few more thoughts about logistics, then I'm going to wrap up for the day. Sorry for the long post and lack of phots - I'll fix both of those in the coming days. Before I do though, a few more details about where I live and where I learn.

The house is a two-story flat that I share with the landlady (who is not hot, for those of you who were wondering), her son, her dog, and four other boarders. One of the boarders is a medical student from Wales, one is a Japense ex-pat from Sao Paolo, one is from France, and one is from Germany. We all eat breakfast and dinner together, but during the day go to different programs during the day - interestingly, they are all women and all older than me. At school, I am in a group of six - also very international and also all women (though here all younger than me). It is interesting to see the different attitude the students have - the girl from Casablanca grew up speaking Arabic and already knows French and English, so she is tearing through the Spanish as though it were nothing. The French girl also has learned a few languages in the past and isn't she about speaking, though her Spanish has even more French in it than mine has Italian. The other three girls are native English speakers (from teh US, England, and Scotland) and HATE to speak - they know at least as much as the rest of us, but are shy, embarassed to make a mistake, and are quick to fall back in to English. I think it will be interesting to see how people progress and how much they are able to get out of the class based on these initial impressions. As always, all my predictions and prejudices are certainly wrong, or your money back.

Take a Walk

2009-02-22T10:55:00.001-08:00

I made it to Buenos Aires!

That`s the good news. The bad news is that it is cold and rainy today,
which reduces my urge to walk around and explore. I`ve sucked it up a
little bit and covered about four miles between my neighborhod and the
city center on foot, so I figured I could share some notes while I dry
off.

My apartment is in barrio Villa Crespo, which is a bit more than three
miles west of the center. It consists of mostly tall 1960s and 70s era
apartment towers, though from my 7th floor bedroom window I can still
see the roofs of many smaller shops and flats around me. The barrio is
mostly housing, with a few shops and bars mixed in - it is also on the
Corrients subte line, which can put me in the city center in about 15
minutes.

Walking northwest for about 10 minutes from my apartment tower, you
cross in to Palermo Viejo, which my guidebook billed as ``the hippest
barrio in BA.`` I don`t yet know if this is true, but it is at least a
believable claim. The buildings step down from 8-plus stories to one
or two levels, and the architecture is a mix of brick, modern class,
and old colonial. Mostly subdued colors and materials, though every
now and then a bright yellow, orange, or pink building pops up and
brightens up the street. Even on a rainy Sunday afternoon, the
neighborhood is a lively mix of cafes, bars and boutiques - I had a
tasty sandwhich and a lousy cup of coffee in a cafe facing a plaza
where I could watch passersby window shop and walk their dogs
(speaking of, there is crap EVERYWHERE - definitely watch your step
while walking around).

After lunch, I headed out in the rain and walked in to the city center
- here, everything is closed so I`ll hold off on pictures or
impressions until I am here at a more happening hour.

The Way We Get By

2009-02-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

It is a lovely clear day in Miami as I prepare to fly to Buenos Aires
via Panama City. Despite the ideal condituons, I nearly managed to
sabotage my trip before it even started through some last-minute
planning.

I have a one way ticket to BA, since I'll be returning to the States
from Lima in May. Entry to Argentina is only permitted if you can
prove that you are leaving within three months - knowing this, I
booked tickets late last night/early this morning to fly from BA to
Peru and Peru to the US. Unfortunately, I waited too long to buy my
tickets to have the airline process them, so when I arrived to check
in for my flight today I couldn't prove that I would be leaving within
the three-month window. Without a return ticket, the airline wouldn't
check me in.

Luckily, the staff from Copa and Taca (the airlines I am traveling
with) were very helpful and willing to cooperate with each other. They
agreed that my un-processes reservation was enough to let me fly
today. Assuming that I don't get fined and deported by a less-
agreeable staff person in Panama or Argentina, I'd say that the
situation worked out well. No thanks to me.

And to think, up until recently, I was professional planner.

Initial post

2009-02-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Even though I haven't gone anywhere yet, I figured that it was time to launch my travel blog.

This post comes from my storage locker in SF via cell phone. After a weekend in Tahoe and some family time in South Florida, I'll start blogging for real about living and studying in Buenos Aires, traveling in South America, and other random anecdotes I think people might find interesting. Whenever possible, I'll include photos too, since those will probably be more interesting than me raving about the 800th awesome steak I ate for dinner, how much I like Radiohead, or whatever other randomness ends up here.

Thanks for being interested in the continuing saga of my hobo year - I'll try to keep content updated and interesting (but no promises).

Be in touch,
EP