Hasta Luego Buenos Aires

I can't believe it's time to go home. I feel like I had so much and yet so little time here! Bah studying!

There is so much left to see, do, explore. I can't wait to come back. I feel like I was just getting to know the city, and now I have to leave! I spent the first week trying to understand Peronism, Evita, and their history. The second week was mostly studying, the third week, mostly studying and exploring Recoleta. Now I need a fourth and fifth week to get down to business.

Here's what I'm doing next time:

Abuelos de Plaza de Mayo -just learned they still march every Thursday afternoon. How did I not know this? How is this not on everyone's top 10 of BA list? The guidebooks don't mention it. I am UPSET at myself for just finding this out now.

Visit MALBA

Enjoy the Botanical Garden...I really should have done this, it was so hot though and an hour walk away.

Feria de Matadores





Watch the stars at the Galileo Planetarium

Explore Argentina's past at the Museum of National History (just learned about this today, why!?!)

Go on a Graffiti Tour

Dance at a Milonga



Pay homage to Carlos Gardel at the Tango Museum

Visit Ex ESMA and pay my respects to the Desaparecidos

Go to an event at Teatro Colon

I love living in a different place so much. Understanding and appreciating the history (every place has its horrors and heroines), I love eating the food, listening to the language, reading the news, watching the movies, listening to the music. But 3 weeks is not enough! Especially with studying full time! Heck, I've been here 6 weeks technically and its not enough! It just leaves me finally beginning to peel apart the layers and figuring stuff out. Can't I stay longer?

But this is the great part of traveling. Now, I have my entire life to be interested and enthused and pay more attention. Still, there is something so unique about living in a place, breathing the air, seeing the architecture, the street art that just makes you want to dive in and learn more.

Casa Rosada

On my way to San Telmo, I noticed that people were walking right inside Casa Rosada. What?! Ok me too. A free tour? Yes please! It was awesome!  There is a beautiful art room, the room celebrating the Women of Argentina in which the President gives important speeches. There is the Salon de Eva Peron.  The tour even includes the President's office! No photos allowed in there, but man, Christina has a LARGE pile of books on her desk, and very sweet photos in her office. Could you imagine visiting the Oval Office?! Apparently no one comes to work on the weekend, and the President lives elsewhere. I was so pleased with stumbling across this experience!

Evita's desk

Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo

This cartoon runs on the children's channel of the Argentine Ministry of Education, explains the reasons and history behind the "Rights of Identity" and exactly what the Abuelas are still working for.

I'm sorry it's only in Spanish...

Who is Mafalda?

At the flea market today, I saw so many "Mafalda" items- t-shirts, bags, mugs, keychains, even refrigerator magnets. Clearly she was a character from a beloved Argentine cartoon that I knew nothing about. I thought I'd share with you my findings...

Mafalda is a cartoon character from the late 1960s to early 1970s, created by "Quino". She is a 6 year old girl, who "reflects the Latin American middle class and progressive youth, which is concerned about humanity and world peace and rebels against the world bequeathed by their elders". 






Aww! No wonder she is so beloved! I totally would have bought a t-shirt!

Update: I found Mafalda, La Pelicula with English subtitles on youtube, had to share!

Feria de San Pedro Telmo

I can describe the San Telmo Antiques Fair in just one word: OVERWHELMING!!!

The traditional antiques fair is centered around Plaza Dorego, but there are 270+ stands set up over almost a mile along Defensa. It's awesome and exhausting, so many people, so much stuff to look at, and several different bands playing throughout. A really cool place to check out. I hear it's a big pickpocket area, but I didn't have any trouble. I'm running out of pesos, or else I would have several items I'd be taking home with me!

View from my window in Recoleta

The stormy summer here in BA creates such beautiful skies! Counting my blessings :)

Ciao!

Julia

El Ateneo

I'm so sad I forgot to bring my camera today!

After a nice walk along Santa Fe, with some window shopping of course, I stopped at El Ateneo. El Ateneo was an old theater where many of BA's greats performed, and now it still has its original bones but has been made into a wonderful bookstore. I had a terrific lunch at the cafe, which is where the stage used to be.  I ate a delicious fugazzetta, that was amazing with some hot tea on this stormy day. Fugazzetta reminds you of Argentina's Italian heritage, with a BA twist. It's a rich cheesy pizza with onions and oregano.

El Ateneo

A replica of the fugazetta I had for lunch

Me in El Ateneo previously

"91 degrees, feels like 110"

That was the weather report for this afternoon. Oh boy it's been a hot one today! And I take a long walk to Museo Evita. Haven't felt this close to passing out before.

Some photos of the day...

My fresh pasta with pesto and baguette with brie

Unnamed sculpture nearby Recoleta Mall

The best of the US

Museo Evita, the building previously housed one of Eva's shelters for Women and Children

Evita Peron

A collection of Evita's stylish outfits

BA street art

Pampa Linda & Mount Tronador

After a bumpy two hour bus ride on dirt roads, we reached the epicenter of Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Pampa Linda. Little more than two campgrounds, a small restaurant and a hosteria, Pampa Linda is the main starting point for the backcountry, and climbing Mount Tronador from the Argentine side (there are three peaks, the Argentine, the Chilean, and a dual International peak on the extinct volcano). I loved the area immensely and now want to return to do the trek to summit Mt. Tronador, three days, crampons, ice axes, glaciers galore. The coolest thing about staying in the Valley was you could hear the thunder of glacial ice falling every so often, which gives Mount Tronador it's namesake.

The refugios are what make Nahuel Huapi really special. We spent three nights camping and one night in the refugio. Small, and built in beautiful locations, these mountain huts can fit up to 60 people a night, and feed even more. I had delicious gnocci, pizza, and even a small dulce dessert at the newest refugio on the block, Refugio Agostino Rocca, which overlooks a beautiful glacier with icy waterfalls, and am amazing Patagonian peaked landscape. We also day hiked up to Refugio Otto Meiling, the basecamp for the trekkers attempting to summit Mt Tronador.

The only downside to our trip were the tabanos. I would recommend going to Pampa Linda, but not until before or after the tabanos (aka BLOOD SUCKING HORSEFLIES) season. Highly unpleasant, 30% deet doesn't help, only swatting with fronds (aka tree branches) is a useful deterrent. Lesson learned the hard way!

Here are a ton of photos from the trip.

Rainbow on our bus ride to Pampa Linda

Mirador del Valle -Jon's favorite windy lookout

Our campsite for three nights

Starting our day hike to the Salta Gargante del Diablo

Black Glacier

Jump into the Throat of the Devil Waterfall

This view doesn't show the crazy intense hike it took to get here

Pampa Linda

Cooking pasta over the fire

At the base of Mount Tronador

View from the interior of Refugio Otto Meiling

So happy!

Andean wildflowers

This tiny refugio can fit 60 people at night

Ecstatic to be walking through an alpine meadow, even though there is a horsefly attacking my left cheek

Enjoying pizza in Refugio Agostino Rocca

Mmm Pizza

Glaciers, waterfalls oh my

Refugio Agostino Rocca

View of Lago Frias

I'm on cloud 9

Happiness

I stopped counting at 30 waterfalls

There were a few bridges like these on our hike

Pristine wilderness

Imagine hiking through miles of flower filled logs and trees

Caution

Or take a picture!

Made it!

After jumping in