Sabbatical Julie Report #4

March 24, 2019
      Today started earlyyy at 5:30am. I gathered up my things and went to the front desk at 6:00am. I wanted to give myself some extra time just in case something popped up last minute. I also wasn’t sure which flight I was actually on – the 7:55am one or the 8:05am one. Thankfully it was only a difference of 10 minutes so getting there for the 7:55am one wasn’t a big deal. I heard that I only needed to be at the airport an hour early (since I had a layover in Santa Cruz – domestic). Being from the States and hearing this is still hard for me to believe. Anyway, I went to the front desk to check out and pay. I pulled out my credit card and the guy looked at me and goes, “Uhhh we don’t accept cards.” WHAT! Oh geez. This was the first hostel that hasn’t accepted cards and I was shocked because it seemed pretty well-run. I told the guy I didn’t have cash and asked what we were going to do. He asked if I was in a rush and I said yes. I wasn’t expecting THIS to happen! He quickly drove me to the closest ATM and I withdrew the amount that was needed to pay off the room. He then called a taxi for me and it arrived 5 minutes later. Wait. How am I supposed to pay him? Does he accept card? Oh he doesn’t? Greattt. Another trip to the ATM it is! I swear I hold the title for most visits to that ATM. The taxi didn’t have seatbelts in the back which freaked me out. Especially considering my past and how a seatbelt literally saved my life about 10 years ago. I asked where the seatbelt was and the driver said there wasn’t one. Gulp. I really hope everything goes smoothly then. The inside of the taxi was pretty beat up and it looked like the entire vehicle was about to fall apart. Every time the driver shifted gears, it made a loud squeaky noise. Despite everything that happened we arrived at the airport at 6:55am, exactly one hour before the earlier flight. The guy had issues finding my booking but after about 10 minutes everything was set to go. I ended up having the earlier flight after all. I then walked to security and then to the gate. All of that took a grand total of 15 minutes. Even though I’ve been doing this for the past few weeks, I’m still amazed at how efficient everything is. I boarded the plane and it was only a 40 minute flight. But that didn’t stop Boliviana Aviaciana from serving us snacks and a beverage. I’m really impressed with BoA and I would definitely recommend them. They are always on time and well organized. I arrived in Santa Cruz and grabbed my luggage. Baggage claim was literally a 2 minute walk from the plane. It was amazing. I checked in with Amasonas which took about 2 minutes. I then went through security and immigration which took about 10 minutes. So in grand total everything for an international check-in took less than 15 minutes. Mind blown. I arrived in Asuncion a tad early which was good because the On Arrival Visa booth was un-manned for like 30 minutes. Me and an Asian guy were the only two that needed a visa. Both he and I were getting very impatient. After what seemed like an eternity, a guy showed up to help us. He didn’t accept the Asian guy’s $100 bill so the he needed to go get change for it. While he was gone, I asked the guy if he would accept all my US $20 bills. He rejected 3 of them (out of the 8 total) because they had small marks or dirt on them. He was veryyy picky. Apparently they need heaven-sent bills that are crisper than a sheet of paper. I took my 3 sad, rejected bills and went to the ATM nearby very quickly (today was ATM day!) and got $60. I returned to the desk and I didn’t think he would accept them because they looked similar to the ones I already had. I was thinking, “Oh geez. Am I gonna need to withdraw a ridiculous number of bills from the ATM until we find some that are worthy?” To my surprise, he accepted them. Ok, I’ll take it! He handed me my passport with my new Paraguay visa and then I went through Immigration in 2 seconds. I didn’t need to go through customs since I didn’t declare anything. The whole lackadaisical visa process (waiting for someone to help us and no one else seeming to care) gave me a glimpse into what I would find to be the Paraguay style of living. It was very chill and seemed like they weren’t affected by the fast-paced rush of the world like most other countries.
      I asked an airport officer where I could find a taxi because again, there seemed to be hardly anyone around to help, and he walked me outside. There was literally one guy out there and he whistled to a coworker about 50 yards away to get me a taxi. The officer and the taxi guy waited with me while the cab pulled around from the other side of the lot. Again, very slow paced. I was kinda digging it. It was like they lived in their own little world and weren’t phased by the outside world. I asked the driver if he accepted card and he said normally he does, but he didn’t have the machine. Oh boy. Do I need to visit my best friend, the ATM, again? He said he did accept US dollars. Well, sweet! I guess it was good the visa guy rejected some of my cash after all. As we drove through the city, there was literally no one around. It felt like a ghost town. It was very eerie. I asked, “Donde estan todas las personas?” The driver laughed and said that most people stay in their houses on Sundays. How odd! He dropped me off at La Casita de la Abuela Hostel around 1:55pm.
      I walked up to the gate of the hostel and rang the bell. A guy named Gonzalo came rushing to my aid and led me into the hostel. He only spoke Spanish to me so I already took a liking to him. The hostel itself is pretty rundown, but the staff is very nice. I took a taxi to Na Eustaquia which is a place I read about online. The taxi driver was very nice and we spoke Spanish the entire time. I think my Spanish will improve here in Asuncion. Finally! Unfortunately, the card reader wasn’t working so we went to….you guessed it! An ATM. I hadn’t properly researched the currency conversions yet, so I went for 1500.000. Well that was a mistake haha. I ended up getting $250 worth. Guess I’ll be visiting the currency exchange later! My head is starting to spin with all the different currency conversions. Thank God for the Currency App I downloaded. At 3pm I arrived at Na Eustaquia and I ordered Vori Vori soup (soup with chicken bits, potato balls, carrots, and other veggies, yummy), a traditional Chipa (a bread ring with cheese in it, very yummy), and a beer. Though when I received the beer, I was in for a surprise. The lady brought it to me in an ice bucket and it was a 3.75L bottle. I must have misunderstood what I was ordering. Oopsies (or was it??) I looked back on the menu and that was literally the only one that was 3.75L. All the rest were normal size. I bet people on the restaurant looked at me funny. Seeing a small lady drinking all that beer is probably not common here. It was only $2.50! Mind blown. This could be dangerous now that my head is feeling better…
      I then walked around the deserted city center. I went to a park that took up four blocks. It was a big square broken into four smaller squares. They were called Plaza de los Heros, Plaza de la Libertad, Plaza Plaza Publica, and Plaza de la Democracia. None were especially beautiful because there was mainly dirt and trash throughout each park. Though I looked online at photos and I guess at one time they were beautiful. Even still, there were a handful of people sitting on park benches. Enjoying the trash I suppose. I then walked to another park called Plaza Uruguaya. This one was much better. It was very large and had more green grass within it. Man, do I miss the parks in Cochabamba! I continued walking along the main road (Avenida Mariscal Lopez) and eventually came across Palacio de Lopez which was a very pretty building. It was also heavily guarded by police. I think the president lives there? The architecture on the building was fabulous – it had many arches and columns. The color of the building also stood out from everything else I had seen. It was a rusty orange-ish color and it really popped next to the vibrant green grass in front of it. I took a few photos, walked around the park next it called Plaza de los Desaparecidos, walked down to the promenade called La Costanera, and took a few photos of the Asuncion tourist sign. La Costanera is a place that Asuncion built to encourage tourists to walk around. It was nice (definitely nicer than the rest of the city). I then hopped in a cab and arrived back at the hostel around 7:30pm.

      Mateo (another hostel worker) let me in and everyone was just chilling in the communal area. It was really nice. I joined them all without even dropping my stuff off in my room. I kept practicing my Spanish with Gonzalo and he loved it. On a chair nearby, there was an older gentleman probably close to 75 years old who was typing away on his tablet. The three Spanish speakers and I discussed futbol and other things. I spent a long time booking a hostel in Buenos Aires and also a long time conversing with Mateo about Iguazu Falls (in Brazil/Argentina). People kept telling me it was necessary to visit the Falls so I added them to my Asuncion trip last minute. I eventually figured out a game plan for my trip there and booked the two buses. March 26 12:05am Asuncion to Foz, stay overnight for $30, and then return March 27 late at night. The roundtrip bus ticket was only $18! And it was 5.5 hours each way! Incredible. The bus apparently has chairs that recline to almost a bed position.
      Gonzalo asked if I wanted some mate (similar to tea) so I said yes. It was my first time! I felt like a part of the family as we all passed around the mate. I walked to the kitchen which required passing through a garden-esque area with hammocks which was very cool. There was another older gentlemen sitting at the kitchen table watching something on his laptop. We chatted for a bit but he couldn’t hear very well so I had to practically shout my responses to him haha. I mentioned I grew up in Yorktown, VA and he very much liked Yorktown. He kept going on and on about it. Gonzalo ordered pizza for all of us and it was such a nice atmosphere. I really did feel like a family with all of us at the table chowing down on pizza. I forgot to mention that as soon as darkness hit, the mosquitos came out in full force. I have a bunch of bites already. Hopefully none turn into a disease. I’m a little worried to be honest. The older gentleman went into a spiel about only the large mosquitos after 10pm carrying diseases. I hope he is right. He then went on to say he drinks the water from the tap because the bacteria is good for you. Ok, now he seemed a little crazy haha. The vibe in Paraguay is definitely a chill one so far and I'm really enjoying it! But I definitely couldn't do it for more than 5 days. I think I would get bored.

March 25, 2019
      So today turned out to be a lot better than I thought it was going to be! I thought I was going to explore the area Villa Morra by myself for about 6 hours. However, what ended up happening is that Gonzalo joined me! He said that I shouldn’t use a taxi because it would be very expensive, and that I should just use the bus. I then asked him to explain how the bus system worked. He walked out with me to show me the bus stop and I asked him if he was working today. He said no and I then I asked him if he wanted to join me. He said he would love to join me and we hopped on the bus together. During the ride we chatted about many things and I discovered he was diagnosed with dengue fever a few years ago for 3 months. So scary! I can’t even imagine how horrible that would be.
      We then went to brunch at Café de Aca. He helped me order some traditional dishes by pointing to the best ones on the menu. We ended up sharing all of the food which was awesome. It was the perfect amount of food for both of us to share because I didn’t eat very much. We ordered Mbeju (a circular flatbread with half inch thickness with bits of cheese baked within – yum!), Sopa Paraguaya (which is not soup! It’s like a cornbread – just eh), and Tarta Pollo Captupiry (Casserole with chicken and raisins – very good). By the way today was 180 degrees different as far as city life. The city was bustling with people everywhere! Another side note: It was only $0.35 to ride the bus to brunch what was about 30 minutes away. It’s so cheap!
      Next up was Parque de la Salud which was ginormous. The park had a bunch of tall trees with a lot of greenery and vines. It was like we were exploring a jungle. It took out about 45 minutes to do the whole circuit. We then walked to the nearest playground and I suggested we should go on the swings. It was a lot of fun acting like little kids. I wanted to go to a brewery nearby, but he said he needed to get back because he didn't realize how late it was and he wanted to say goodbye to one of the hostel patrons who was leaving today. I told him no big deal and that I would wander over to Villa Morra and then go to the brewery by myself. We parted ways at the bus stop and I thanked him profusely for joining me for the day. It was much more fun to have somebody around especially to practice my Spanish for 4 hours!

      After visiting the brewery, I caught the number 12 bus back per Gonzalo’s suggestion. He said it was a little more pricey because apparently it was more comfortable. It seemed the same to me haha. I love the bus system here because they come so frequently and they hardly come to a stop for you to get on, so it was very efficient. You would push the button to get off and the bus would still be moving very slowly as you hopped off. As soon as people entering the bus put two feet on the stairs, the bus driver would take off. I got off at the Plaza de Armas area and walked two blocks to Bolsi for dinner. It had a wonderful selection of dishes. I went for the traditional Paraguay food. I had the combo platter which included Pastel Mandi’o, Pajagua Mascada, and Chip Argolla. I then used the same bus number 12 to return to the hostel. I was starting to feel like a local now! I walked into the hostel and everyone said hello to me. I went to my room and then started packing up my things so I could make it on time for the bus to Iguazu Falls. I packed my little daypack, showered, and then hailed an Uber for the first time in Paraguay. Finally a successful Uber! The driver took me to the bus terminal station where I waited about 30 minutes before the bus arrived. It left right on time at 12:15am which contradicted what I read online about the buses always being late. Thank goodness I didn’t take that online advice to heart. Hopefully I get some sleep tonight on the bus. Though I’m not counting on it.

March 26, 2019
      Today was a long day! It actually felt like two separate days because I did so many things. So first I caught the bus in Asunción at 12:15am and rode it about 5 hours to the edge of the country. At the Paraguay border we all had to get off the bus and receive our exit stamps. We continued driving and the driver dropped us off at the terminal at 7:30am. I took a taxi to the hostel where I dropped off my stuff and tried to figure out what I was going to do for the day. There is a tourism company that works closely with the hostel which made things very easy. I asked the guy in charge if it was a problem that I didn’t receive an entrance stamp for Brazil. He said yes and that I should go to the border later to get a stamp. Dang it. I decided to do the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls today so I booked a spot on the shuttle with the rest of the crew. It seemed pretty organized and I’m happy that the hostel provided that service. It wasn’t too expensive either. We left at 9:15am and we arrived at the national park around 9:45am. In addition to the Iguazu part, I also bought a ticket to the Park of Birds since it was across the street. It was actually really cool! Some of the bird exhibits were boring and you could just see those kinds of birds in any other zoo, but what I enjoyed the most was the aviary with big macaws that were rainbow colored. There were the iconic red/green/blue ones and then there were the blue/yellow ones. They were all flying above us and they were very majestic! It was amazing. And there seemed to be about 100 of them. It felt like we walked into some kind of dream world. The next thing I really enjoyed was the butterfly exhibit. It also had a bunch of hummingbirds in it. As soon as you walked in, it was very quiet and tranquil. You could almost hear the soft sounds of the butterflies’ wings. It was quite a contrast to the macaw exhibit which was very loud. In another aviary, I saw a toucan for the first time in my life! It was amazing. I didn’t realize how beautiful and mythical toucans were. I was fascinated by its beak. The only encounter I’ve had with a toucan before this was the Fruit Loops toucan. Seeing one in real life was incredible.

      After about an hour in the bird park, which was longer than I thought I would take, I walked to the National Park to see the famous Iguazu Falls. In the beginning of the trail we saw a bunch of waterfalls and they were impressive, but not super impressive to me because I had seen Niagara Falls before. However, as the trail continued the views got even better. It was incredible how the span of Iguazu Falls went on for what seemed like miles. It was definitely much longer than Niagara Falls which was very condensed. It also had a more natural feeling to it – not as built up or theme park-esque as NF. There were waterfalls all over the place throughout all of the forest. At times, you would see one randomly poke out of the forest and then a rush of water streaming through. It was like the earth was bleeding water everywhere! Sooo many waterfalls. Also there were these animals called Coaties that wandered around begging for food. The bus driver warned us not to feed them. They ended up spooking me a couple times because when I was taking a photo, one would pop up right next to me either on the handrail or on the pathway. It was quite funny to watch everybody’s reactions. My favorite part of the trail was the very end where you could walk out onto boardwalk in the middle of the falls. It was called the Devils Throat. It was very impressive with all the falls around you. I kept thinking “how in the world could the Argentinian side be better?” because everybody has told me the Argentinian side is better. But the Brazilian side puts you smack dab in the middle of the falls! I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. I walked out to the Devils Throat with my raincoat and took a few photos and videos. There were even a few rainbows that appeared among the waterfalls. It was brilliant. It really was like living in a fantasy world. At that point I decided Iguazu was better than Niagara Falls (sorry, Niagara). Niagara Falls is just so much smaller horizontally. It might be similar in height. After this I ate lunch at a buffet and then took the shuttle back to the hostel.

      When I got back to the hostel I asked the main boss guy about the round trip ride to the Argentinian side tomorrow. I figured I should just book all of it with them because then I’ll know I will have transportation there and back and not have to worry about pesos (Argentina money) or Reals (Brazil money) or what not. I then went on a search for a money exchange. I exchanged my Paraguay money for the amount of pesos I needed for tomorrow’s entrance fee. Apparently they don’t take credit cards there. The next thing I did was go get my Brazil entry stamp. The boss man called a taxi guy and boss man explained to taxi guy the game plan. Taxi guy was going to drop me off at the border, wait for me, and then drive me back. It was very nice of him. He even did more than that and walked me into the border control office so I knew where to go. It was very easy and very quick. Thank God I remembered to bring my Brazilian visa with me on this side trip! If I hadn’t brought it, I don’t know what would’ve happened. They might’ve sent me back to Paraguay…Anyway it was time for me to pay the taxi driver which was a fun experience. First of all, there are 3 different currencies floating around in my purse (actually make that 4! I have US dollars, too). Guaranies (Paraguay), Reals (Brazil), and pesos (Argentina). I haven’t pulled out much cash for any of them because I’m worried that it won’t be accepted for one reason or another depending on which country I’m going to be in for whatever activity I’m going to do. I tried to pay the driver with my credit card but the machine wasn’t working. I tried another credit card and it still didn’t take it. At this point I didn’t have enough Reals to pay the driver, I had a lot of Guaranies but I needed them for my return to Paraguay, and I only had enough AR pesos for the entry to the national park tomorrow for the Falls. I also discovered that I had US dollars. So I asked if he accepted US dollars. He said yes. Hallelujah! I guess they accept 4 different currencies here which is crazy. Anyway, I finally paid off the taxi driver and I had my Brazil entry stamp. Everything was looking up. I just need to remember to keep getting stamps as I go in and out of countries - I need make sure that the bus driver tomorrow will stop at the border between Paraguay and Brazil for my exit stamp otherwise who knows what will happen…
      I really enjoyed my day today! I think the trip out here was worth it even though it’s been complicated and stressful and crazy. I’m looking forward to the Argentinian side tomorrow.

View from rooftop pool at hostel

March 27, 2019
      Today I went to the Argentinian side of the Iguazu Falls and it was out of this world! The day started off early with a shuttle pickup at 7:30am. I made sure to ask the driver if we were stopping at both the Brazilian exit border and the Argentina entrance border. He said yes and we made both stops which didn’t take much time at all. He dropped me off then I grabbed a map to figure out a game plan for the day. I got there right as it opened at 8:30am, so I was on the first train/tram out which I took to the furthest trail called Garganta Diablo. Which means “devil’s throat.” As I approached the falls I could hardly hear anything because the sound of the water was so loud as it fell from great heights to hit the water below. It seemed like we were 200 feet above the bottom, maybe more. The tops of the falls cascaded so violently that it was mesmerizing to watch the water move around within itself before it landed to the bottom of the pit. It was like a wall of waterfalls in a horseshoe shape. It was absolutely incredible. You couldn’t even see the Brazilian side’s Devil’s Throat below because the water from the falls misted up so high and so dense. It was incredible. There also was a large group of birds flying around within the mist. There were hundreds of them swirling around! I guess this was their way of taking a quick shower. It felt like a National Geographic documentary and it was marvelous to watch. I took about 10 videos of the birds and the falls. I definitely overdid it and I’ll filter through them later. But I was trying to capture the essence of the situation. The enormity of these waterfalls was just unbelievable.

      I then walked back to the tram and rode it almost to the end station. The trail I did first was called Circuito Superior. It essentially placed me on top of all the waterfalls closest to the entrance. The views weren’t as great as the Brazil side because we were on top of the waterfalls, but at one point there was a lookout where you could see a straight line of maybe 20 different waterfalls and then each would fall onto another waterfall. It was unbelievable - very picturesque and amazing. As I walked along the boardwalk I noticed ginormous spiderwebs over each stream or river. Each spiderweb was probably the size of a 2’x2’ table. And the spiders themselves were monstrous too. I was so glad there was a large distance between me/the boardwalk and each of the spiderwebs. Even though they freaked me out, I couldn’t help but stare at them every time I came across one. They were beautiful. It made me realize how amazing spiders actually are and also appreciate the time and effort they put into their creations (webs) in order to eat.

      Next up was the Circuito Inferior trail. Inferior in Spanish means lower so this was one where you could walk up to waterfalls but also view them from a distance. I really enjoyed this trail. Most of the time the views from a distance included rainbows that were created from the mist. There were rainbows and waterfalls everywhere. It was seriously like a sci-fi movie. The end of the trail came to a large waterfall similar to the one in the Devil’s Throat. The force from the water pounded upon the rocks below and water misted around the area. It was amazing.

      The shuttle guy came right at 4pm and offered a seat to two other people (Germans) who were waiting as well. We drove to each of the borders, however, the two people from Germany didn’t need to get out for the Brazilian stamp. I found that strange. The driver informed me that it was because if you have 5 or more people within the vehicle (which they had done earlier this morning) then you just write everyone’s names on a list and then border control stamps the list instead of each individual passport. Maybe that’s what ended up happening with the whole bus situation the other day for me…
      I caught the bus back to Asuncion, Paraguay at 6:30pm and it took off right on time as usual. It stopped at both borders this time and people got out as they should. I don’t know what the heck happened the first time around with the other bus. Maybe because it was an overnight bus things operated differently. I got back to the hostel around 1am and passed out in my bed. What a wonderful adventure and it was definitely worth a side trip despite all of the troubles and obstacles!
      Side note: I received 6 stamps in one day (Brazil exit, Argentina entrance, Argentina exit, Brazil entrance, Brazil exit, Paraguay entrance). Crazy!

March 28, 2019
      I slept in pretty good this morning. Though I still woke up before my alarm which was set for 9am. I grabbed some breakfast and then took my laundry to the nearby laundromat. Gonzalo told me a good one to go to. I typed a little bit in my tablet as everyone else sat around the table with their phones or tablets as well. Gonzalo started cooking lunch at 10:30am and asked if I wanted to join them. Again he made me feel like part of the family. Everyone was speaking Spanish and it was awesome. At noon I went back to the laundromat to pick up my clothes. Everything was in shipshape. I was so happy I could do my laundry because I literally had only one other outfit to wear. I returned to the apartment and packed up all of my things. I then went back to the kitchen/dining area and Gonzalo served lunch. There were six of us at the table: me and all of the people who worked at the hostel. One of the guys made us all terere which is cold mate. I really enjoyed it. Definitely better than the warm mate. A couple from Argentina joined us at the table and drank some of terere as well. There was a lot to go around. I had a few other things on my to do list for Asuncion, but I didn’t end up having time to do it all. And it was nice to have a relaxing day before my flight to Buenos Aires. I decided to leave at 2:30 so I could get to the airport with plenty of time before my 6pm flight. Gonzalo and I hung out on the front patio for a bit and just chatted before my taxi arrived. He gave me a big hug as I got in the taxi and then I was on my way.

      The flight took about 2 hours to land in Buenos Aires and as we flew into the city at 9pm, I counted 18 futbol fields and all of them had people playing on them! It was a wonderful sight. I arrived at the hostel and spoke only Spanish to the front desk lady and thankfully she didn’t switch to English like everybody else has. I really appreciated that. This hostel seems really cool and organized. I walked into the room which is a 4 bed mixed gender dorm room with a shared bathroom. As soon as I walked in the girl sitting in the bunk below mine introduced herself and we chatted for about an hour. I forgot her name, I think it’s Katie, but she seemed really cool. She asked me a lot of questions about my trip as our two other roommates came in. They are an Australian couple from Melbourne. Apparently Katie knows them from a few months ago when they met in Cuba. The Australian couple is traveling for six months and Katie decided to join them here in Buenos Aires since they had such a great time in Cuba. That’s the beauty of traveling. The network of friendships never ends. I’m going to bed at 12:30am! I don’t have much of a plan for tomorrow so we’ll just see what unfolds.

March 29, 2019
      I had a very well-balanced day today. It started off rather slow as I stayed in the hostel to relax. At 3pm I went to the free walking tour at the city center near the Congress building. At 3:15pm we began the walking tour and the girl guide was very funny. She kept making side comments that made us all laugh. I was very impressed with her English vocabulary. Many of the words she used are not easy, even for a native English speaker. Though she did say “organisms” rather than “organizations” which was hilarious. These are the things that I learned during the tour:
• The statues on the congress building that show partial nudity are actually replicas of the originals because it was such a scandal to show partial nudity at the time. A city in the north of Argentina took the statues from BA for free. The ones on the building now were built in 2013 to celebrate 30 years of democracy
• Green headscarfs support abortion in Argentina, light blue is against it. It goes to vote this year. Last year the deputies voted for it and senators against it which is how the whole controversy/spirit started
• Paris influence throughout all of Buenos Aires
• There a mix of architectural design along Avenida Hipólito Yrigoyen because each store can refurbish their facades however they want. Most times it’s only the lowest part closest to the street because it’s cheaper than reconstructing the architecture. These lower parts tend to have a more modern style which contrasts with the ornate architecture above them.
• Eva Duarte: wife (who was a prior prostitute) of president Juan Peron in 1945 who could talk during congressional meetings. Lots of controversy because usually women could not speak during a governmental meeting, especially one that had history of being a prostitute.
• Presidents from Peron (1945) up until recently have been married couples running together as a Peronists (named after Peron since he and Eva ran together as a married couple, now the political party is called Justicialists)
• 9 de Julio: one of the widest avenues in the world
• May 25, 1810 start of independence movement. 1816 signing of document - declaration of independence. Therefore Argentina has two independence holidays.
• Military coups since 1930, dictatorship 1976-1983. During the dictatorship around 30,000 people were taken by force by the military because they were thought to have opposed the government. They were called desaparecidos because they had “disappeared.” They were tortured and many of mothers of the “disappeared” came to be known as the Madres de Mayo because they would show up to Plaza de Mayo and march around the monument in front of the Royal Palace as a form of protest. They were the first major group to organize against these human rights violations. This helped lead to the fall of the dictatorship, because during the World Cup in 1978 (hosted by Argentina) a reporter who was allegedly covering the sports aspect was actually interviewing the Madres de Mayo. Word got out about the cruelty of the situation in Argentina and things started to change.
• Presidential Palace was starting to be demolished because the city wanted to create a river view from the plaza. There was no approval from Congress and then there was public outcry so de-construction halted. That’s why the right side of the building is shorter than the left! It’s pink because it gets so humid in BA and the treatment is to improve the permeability of the walls.

      It was a beautiful day today and it was great learning so many things about the city. The tour ended at 6:30pm and then I rode the metro back to the hostel. I figured I would stop by Don Julio on the way to grab dinner. This was a place that was highly recommended for its meat and wine. It opened at 7pm and I was there just as it opened. What great timing! There was a line winding around the building. Dang this place must really be popular. I went up to the hostess stand and thankfully I didn’t need a reservation and they didn’t shoo me away for only being one person. They gave me a little flower as they did for every other customer. It was like a boutonniere and it was very cute! I ordered a sirloin steak and wine. Two things I never order in the States. The big, juicy steak was incredibly delicious. I haven’t had a steak in years. And the wine wasn’t too shabby either! I sent out a few Snapchats to people saying “I’m drinking wine!! Who am I?!” After a delicious meal that surprisingly only cost $30, I walked back to the hostel. After several hours I went out salsa/bachata dancing. Though I didn’t get there until 1:15am because that’s when the social dancing started. I was so tired before I even set foot on the dance floor. It was fun, but I only stayed an hour and a half because my eyelids were getting heavy. The upside is that the 15 minute Uber rides to and from the venue were only $2 each!! Tomorrow I am attending the Independiente futbol match. I bought tickets through a group that has a bilingual guide because I heard the fans can get rowdy and it’s a good idea to go with someone who knows the system.

March 30, 2019
      Since I didn’t fall asleep until about 3:30am, I slept in pretty late. Around 2:45pm I gathered my things for the futbol match. The meeting point was at a plaza about three blocks away from my hostel at 3:30pm. A group of people was scattered at the specified corner and then the group leader came and collected us. We discovered that out of the 5 of us who were from the States, 4 of us were from Colorado! It was hilarious. The tour guide asked if we knew each other and we all said no. The couple of course knew each other but me and the other guy and the couple didn’t know each other. The odd guy out was a young kid from Ohio. We then collected more people at another stop about 30 minutes away. So in total the group was about 15 people. The guide was hilarious and he told us how intense the games can be and how Independiente is his favorite team out of the Argentinian teams. Before the pickup, he warned us through email that we all needed to wear red or we could be heckled/hurt. During the bus ride he taught us a few chants against the refs. He said “most times we make fun of the ref’s mothers” and there are some very very bad words that are said. He also said that if you ever cheer for anything the opposing team does, you will die. It was pretty hilarious. Most of the people on the bus had never been to a futbol match before which was mind blowing. I guess you have to start somewhere. We got to the pregame location and we were served as much beer as we wanted and hamburgers. We then went into the stadium and sat down. It wasn’t a full stadium but it was still very loud throughout the entire match. Especially when the home team, Independiente, scored - the place went nuts. It might’ve even been louder than some of the other futbol stadiums I’ve been to in Europe. The match itself in the first half was horrible for the home team. They were making mistakes all over the place. Then in the second half they stepped it up and looked really solid. This is when the whole stadium started going nuts and chanting the same words in a synchronized manner. It was awesome. After the match we waited a little bit for the craziness to dissipate and then walked to the bus. The bus dropped us off around 9pm and I debated going to La Glorieta to watch milonga in the streets because it was highlighted online. I decided against it in the end because I didn’t want to travel solo at night. I also was pretty tired despite how much sleep I got last night. I decided to use my “free welcome drink” at the bar on the rooftop of the hostel. It was a pretty neat setup and the drink I ordered had rum and some other tasty things in it. It wasn’t super strong but it definitely was delicious. The rooftop became very popular within 20 to 30 minutes after I arrived. The view from the roof was pretty great as well. At 10:30pm I walked back to my room and my new roommate was already asleep.

March 31
      I jammed a lot in today! I’ve discovered that if I create a schedule ahead of time with certain time ranges that I get a lot more done. I took the metro to La Catedral which is the station near the presidential palace, Palacio Rosada. I then walked a few blocks to Café Tortoni. This place was recommended to me because it has been around since the 1800s and apparently has great decor and architecture inside, similar to the cafés in France. I walked in and there were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling but not the fancy ones, the ones that have more character to them and they were made of iron bars. There were also a couple glass ceilings that displayed many different colors and shapes. It was very beautiful. I sat down and ordered cafe con leche, medialunas, and a Submarino. The Submarino is essentially hot milk served with a chocolate bar. The idea is to drop the chocolate bar like a submarine into the glass of hot milk so it melts and created hot chocolate.

      Next up was joining the free walking tour group near Teatro Colón. This walking tour took place around Recoleta and Retiro. I figured I would go for it so I could see even more of the city and learn more about its history. It was a fabulous, fabulous tour. I really enjoyed it. The guide linked all the different types of architecture within the city to stories of how they came about and their significance in Buenos Aires’s history. During the tour I also made friends with a girl who was from Belgium. She’s currently working in Buenos Aires for an internship and staying with a girl she met in a hostel in Brazil. It’s pretty crazy how those connections form so quickly and if you stay in touch how easy it is to reconnect. She and I talked about this phenomenon of traveling and also shared stories of other travels.
Tour facts:
• In 1880 the mayor said the town was old and ugly and then redesigned all of it. Therefore, all “historic” buildings are from that time. There are hardly any colonial buildings left from Spanish ownership (1500-1800).
• No indigenous culture like other Latin countries. No other language, just Spanish.
• Buenos Aires welcomed immigrants which led to huge advancements in cultural and ethnic diversity.
• Free universities/education
• Heritage protection didn’t exist before 2000 therefore no buildings were protected/preserved before then and many of them became cafes or shops or other “trivial” places. This avoided the “tourism facade” that many historic buildings have and made Buenos Aires more authentic.
• Hills are always near the river. There are no hills throughout the city.
• Trains ride on the left because in 1900s UK paid and constructed the railways/harbors because Argentina was producing and supplying all of their goods.
• From 1870-1920 the population multiplied by 7 and the economy multiplied by 11. Crazy economic boom.
• Huge gender equality/feminist movement in Buenos Aires right now.
• In 1982 the dictator president went to war over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. This went against the essence of Argentina being a peaceful place which avoided/escaped war.
• Juan (tour guide) said that military dictatorship in the future is impossible in Argentina due to the education system and the new structure of the military which needs to get approval from the executive branch.
• 9 de Julio (avenue) is exactly one block wide because to create it, the dictatorship government destroyed the entire block and the two streets on each side.

      After the wonderful 3.5 hour walking tour I walked across the street to the major park in the Recoleta area called Park Plaza. It was in front of the famous cemetery. There was a huge street market going on so there was chaos and merchant stalls all over the place. I then walked 5 minutes to the famous Recoleta Cemetery. I didn’t know what to expect and honestly I don’t like cemeteries much so I almost forwent the whole experience. However, I’m very happy that I did not. Walking around all the different tombstones that were essentially the height of the small houses was incredible. The entire cemetery took up several blocks widthwise and lengthwise. Around every bend was a new set of structures and it felt like you were trying to find your way out of a maze. The different tombstones or houses or whatever they call them were all very different. Most had the same rectangular shape but then the decoration and architecture was different. Some of them had their windows open or the glass was broken so you could see into the structure. This is what freaked me out a little bit because you could see the caskets where the dead laid. You couldn’t see the corpses of course, but you could see the caskets and you knew what was laying inside. I would definitely recommend a visit to this cemetery for anybody who travels to Buenos Aires.

      I then took an Uber toward the San Telmo Mercado because it was something recommended online. Earlier, the walking tour guide (Juan) said that it was overrated. It took me a while to get to it and I took some detours because there was a lot of construction going on along the main avenue. I couldn’t cross for numerous blocks! Instead I opted for walking along Puerto Madero next to the river. I visited Puente Mujer which has been highlighted in a couple engineering magazines. It was a very nice walk and it wasn’t too hot outside. I then did a U-turn and walked toward San Telmo. The Mercado was also close to the plaza, Plaza Derrego, where I had heard a milonga occurs on Sundays. Milonga is a place where people go to dance tango. This specific one was going to be in open-air, public, and free. I walked toward the market and it was bustling with people. The guide was right, it was like any other central city market and it was just really crowded and overrated. I then walked to Plaza Dorrego and waited for the milonga to start. I wrote a couple postcards as the people strung up the lights. There was definitely a romantic feel in the air. Then music started playing. Multiple people were sitting around the plaza and waiting for the show to start. The MC introduced himself and welcomed everybody to the plaza. He then asked where certain people were from. People were from anywhere in the world you could think of. He played a few songs for different cultures, like salsa for a Colombian couple and they went out to dance salsa. He did the same for Brazilians by playing samba and he did the same for others as well. It was pretty funny. The vibe in the air was one of strong community and I was loving it. Then, an older couple went onto the makeshift dance floor and started dancing tango. It was lovely. Next a lady in a wheelchair and her partner danced tango. At first I thought it was going to be silly and not worth watching, but it ended up being very emotional and very moving. The lady in the wheelchair was very talented and the man was especially talented. He would dip her and swirl her around like a regular tango dance. I teared up a little bit. Next up was a couple that was more professional and dressed for the part. The guy was in a tux. This was something special. They moved their feet all around the gaps between the other‘s legs as you would see on TV and it was mesmerizing. I left around 7:30pm to meet with Heberth who I connected with through my travel App.

      We met outside Ragnar Beer Pub at 8:15pm. We walked into the bar where there was no one else inside. It was a little unbelievable because it was 8pm on a Sunday and you would think people would be there drinking. We walked upstairs where there was a amazing balcony overlooking the plaza and streets below. We started speaking in Spanish and for some reason my Spanish wasn’t doing as well as it had in the past. However, the longer we hung out the more comfortable I became and the easier it was for me to talk. He joked it was because of the beer that my Spanish was getting better. We talked about careers and I discovered he is a software engineer. At around 9:30pm we decided to walk to another bar called Antares. This place was amazing as well. I was fully enjoying my time with Heberth and I couldn’t believe how quickly the hours passed. Next thing we knew it was 12:30am. He walked me back to the hostel and we agreed that we would see each other again tomorrow night. I currently only have one roomie in the dorm room which is fantastic. And he sleeps a lot.

April 1
      Today I took a day trip to Tigre which is a small river town just north of Buenos Aires. It only cost 21 pesos which is like 50 cents! It was a 45 minute train ride and it was very popular. The trains ran every 10 minutes and they operated on the left side as my tour guide mentioned yesterday. I had no plan of what I wanted to do but I knew I was going to do a kayak or boat ride. It was a mostly cloudy day so unfortunately the sky wasn’t very blue and the sites weren’t as vibrant as they normally would be. I walked along the river and it was a gorgeous day despite the cloudiness. There were different cafés and restaurants along the way with tables outside and umbrellas. It was a very relaxed feel and I could see why so many people visit Tigre. It was a quick and cheap way to escape the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires and it provided a place of solace. I took a boat ride around the delta at 1:30pm. The boat ride was pretty boring as it was just a typical ride in a river with hardly any amazing sites. However, I’m glad that I did it and it was cheap anyway. We disembarked at 2:45pm and then I walked around a different part of town. The walk in the opposite direction along the Tigre River was also beautiful. Then I walked away from the water and more towards a historic district. Unfortunately, there was hardly anything open. It was 3:30pm at this point and most of the restaurants or cafés had a break from 2pm to 5pm. It was kind of sad but I ended up at a wonderful place that included a main course, salad, dessert, and soda for about $7. At 5pm I jumped back onto the train to go towards Buenos Aires and it was just too simple and straightforward.

      I got back to the hostel around 6pm and took a nap. I slept for about an hour and a half and once I woke up, our other roommate, Justin, came in. We struck up a conversation and I found out that he lives in Washington DC and that he graduated from Virginia Tech in 2015! Small world. H (I’m going to refer to Heberth as H from now on) met me at the hostel at 9pm and then we took an Uber to Cathedral Club to learn and watch tango. We arrived around 9:30pm and the guy at the door said the next lesson started at 10:20pm. We decided to stay and have dinner while we waited (yes, dinner at 9:30pm. It is typical for Argentines to eat very late). We walked up the stairs which were shrouded in darkness so it seemed a little sketchy. However once we got to the main floor at the top, there were low-lit light bulbs around the dance floor and many small, date tables with two chairs at each and a candle as well. It was one of the most romantic setups I’ve seen in a long time. It was somewhat similar to the Mercury Café in Denver but on a grander scale. We sat down and watched a little bit of the class that was currently being held. At 10:30pm the next class started and we handed in our little ticket stubs. There were about 10 or so people, so about 5 couples. The instructor kept telling H to stop moving his hips like he normally would for salsa. It was funny. We learned the basic tango steps and eventually we were able to complete the square movement together almost in-sync. After the class, we watched several couples go to the dance floor and they looked very smooth. Eventually we went onto the dance floor to practice our moves. It was a lot of fun especially among so many other couples. There were a lot of people that ended up coming to the place to watch. Maybe 40 or so. It was about 1:30am at this point. We both were soaking in the entire experience and loving every second of it. Then a guy went out into the middle of the dance floor and started playing guitar and singing. It was amazing. We closed the place down at 3:30am and then H walked me home. It was a wonderful night! It’s no secret that H and I really like each other so we made plans to hang out again tomorrow. We’ll see how often we get to hang out in the next few days....I hope it’s a lot.

April 2, 2019
      Today was Malvinas Day which is a holiday observed as a tribute to Argentina's soldiers killed in the Falklands War. Due to that, there were many more people out and about during the day. I decided to sleep in and then explore the Botanic Gardens close to my hostel. It was very relaxing and the entire park was incredible. I loved being surrounded by nature like that and it was wonderful to have such a huge space in the city for it. There were tree limbs draping overtop the pathways as if making tunnels of leaves. In other areas of the park there were lots of flowers. I then walked all the way to the Monument de la Carta Magna and passed many other parks along the way. It was a beautiful walk.

      I returned to the hostel at 6:30pm and relaxed/showered until meeting with H at Gran Dabbang for dinner at 8:30pm. This place is ranked 38th in the world’s best restaurants which is pretty impressive. We arrived only 30 minutes after it opened and there was hardly anyone there. I was wondering if it was the correct place. Then about 30 minutes later it was packed and there were people waiting outside to get in! H and I ordered 4 different plates of food since the servings were so small. Each plate was very different than the other and each was sooo delicious in its own way. It was an Asian fusion restaurant which usually I’m not a fan of but this was really good. I also ordered wine but neglected to notice that it was a bottle. Whoops. I asked H if he liked wine and thankfully he did so we split it. It was a fun time. We then walked to Temple Bar about 10 minutes away for beers. They had a great selection and we sat down inside. After an hour or two we parted ways and agreed to meet again tomorrow.

April 3, 2019
      I hailed an Uber to Caminito for the walking tour in La Boca at 11am. Here are some facts:
In Boca there are no stop signs or stoplights.
• In 1945 the entire country of Argentina switched the flow of traffic to be on the right side rather than the left. It was practically overnight.
• The president in 1880 didn’t like the non-conservative ideals the immigrants were bringing over so he forced them to create lives for themselves instead of providing houses etc. like in the past. He wanted to reject immigrants completely but couldn’t due to the Argentine Constitution. Therefore, immigrants were forced to get laborious jobs for little money and started building their own homes in Boca made out of shipyard parts like corrugated metal.
• Many of the immigrants did not speak Spanish or even the same language, so they used music to connect/converse. Hence, tango was born.
• Tango is danced to an instrument called a bandoneon (similar to an accordion) which was brought over by Germans but now they are only made in Argentina and Uruguay
• Beginning stages of tango were between two men as a competition. Some of the moves were done to try to trip the other person.
• 1903/1904 tango was illegal because the aristocrats didn’t like it (they thought it was dirty)
• Carlos Gardel wrote the very first tango song in 1917. Before that tango only used instruments, no voices. Gardel was invited to sing tango in Paris and then due to its popularity, tango was accepted again in Argentina.
• Only two fire trucks for the neighborhood of La Boca. They were painted yellow and blue instead of white and red because white and red are the colors of rival futbol team River Plate.
• Every Thursday women march at Plaza de Mayo (in recognition of Madres de Mayo)
• La Boca stadium: The architect planned for a 80,000 person oval stadium but then the homeowners on one side quit negotiations so now it’s only 50,000. One side looks cutoff and it is a D shape. Because of that, acoustically it’s insanely loud. It was built veryyy tall to accommodate the people. Also it was designed to give a little (stands move) so the crowd could feel the pulse.

      The area of La Boca was really fascinating. It seemed to be a completely different world than the rest of Buenos Aires. I enjoyed learning about how it came to be and the history of its roots. It was all very intriguing. I also really appreciated all the colorful buildings and streets. It felt like I was plopped into a coloring book. After the tour I walked around the streets for about 20 more minutes and then caught a bus back to the Puerto Madero area. I walked along the river and then stopped in a small café to order a coffee. I enjoyed sitting out in the open air while sipping on it. I then crossed the Puente Mujer (bridge) and continued my way to the metro station near the Palacio Rosada. I returned to the hostel and just relaxed until I met up with H.
      H and I met in front of my hostel and then we took an Uber to La Viruta Tango. I mentioned to H earlier that I wanted to check out another place with tango/milonga and he found Viruta. It seemed fancier from the photos on Google and it definitely was. We ordered food and then participated in the tango class. After the class, we watched some of the couples on the dance floor and then we danced a little too. We left at midnight and we both agreed the other place was wayyy better. Both for the lesson (because there weren’t as many people to bump into) and for the ambiance.

April 4, 2019
      Today I was planning to sit down with my tablet and really catch up on a bunch of things. Especially two of Brittney‘s emails that she sent me about our future trip to Bogota. However, instead I ended up taking a nap for about 3 hours and then running around trying to find specific things i.e. more cash, water, etc. By the time I got back to the hostel it was 4pm and I was meeting H at 6:30pm for dinner. We met at the restaurant La Cabrera because I had heard many great things about it. The waiters and waitresses were a little rude and short with us, but the food was amazing! I decided that I would recommend this restaurant for the food but not for the wait staff. We then went to a nearby brewery called Taberna Odin. We enjoyed our two different beers and there was a special for happy hour where you buy one get one free. So the beers only ended up being $1 each! We then went to another brewery that was recommended by his friend. He actually called his friend before we went there because he didn’t want to steer us wrong. This place had a great spread of beers and reminded me a lot of Colorado breweries. We tried a bunch of them and then sat down. Unfortunately we didn’t get to stay out too late tonight because I have an early ferry ride at 8:15am to Uruguay tomorrow morning. Once we left the brewery, we took about an hour to say our goodbyes because we didn’t want to part. H offered to wake up early tomorrow too so he could accompany me to the ferry station. It was super sweet of him and I took him up on the offer. We plan to meet at my hostel at 6:30am to take an Uber to the ferry station together. I can’t believe my time in Buenos Aires has already come to an end! I feel like this portion of the trip went by super fast.

April 5, 2019
      I woke up early at 6am so I could catch the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. H arrived at my hostel at 6:20am which was earlier than we agreed upon. I joked that he was early which never happens and told him I wasn’t ready yet. He said that he was making up for all his tardiness in the past haha. We called an Uber and took it us all the way to the ferry terminal. We didn’t say much in the car, I think we were both too sad to say much. We arrived at the station at 7:15am and I checked in. H waited with me until the last moment when I walked behind the wall to get to security. I definitely will miss him….we agreed that we want to stay in touch and try to find a way to meet up again. H even suggested coming to Colorado if the visa process goes smoothly. Or maybe we will meet somewhere else that is midway. Who knows, but we are both hopeful.
      I went through the customs process and then walked onto the boat. It was a very large ferry and it could hold more people than an airplane. Though the setup was similar to an airplane. It was nice because you had the freedom to walk around and there was a lot more space. I dozed off and on but there was a crying baby that I swear came from the devil. The baby did not stop screaming and it also shouted merged words while screaming. It literally went for over an hour. I don’t know how the mom put up with it. Almost everyone on the ferry could hear the baby and at one point would turn their head to look back. It was THAT loud. I had to put in my iPod earphones to block it out. Then we docked and we all walked off the boat (surviving the devil baby shrieks). I walked into the ferry station and decided on a whim to buy a Hop On Hop Off bus tour which also included a walking tour of the historic area. It was actually the best decision that I could have made. I rode the bus around the loop which was about 1 hour and it had multiple stops along the way. Both the people that sold me the ticket and the tour guides themselves only spoke Spanish which was really cool. I understood most of what they were saying for both the bus tour and the walking tour! I got off at stop #10 because it was near my hostel and I wanted to drop off my luggage. It was noon at this time as I walked along the cobblestone streets with the tallest trees I’ve seen in a while. I loved it. Although the cobblestone streets did a number on my suitcase, it was a gorgeous picturesque image. All the white-trunked trees lining the streets had a old timey feel to them. They don’t even have stoplights in this city. The cars would simply come to a slow halt if they saw pedestrians or other cars in their way. It was definitely a toned down sort of lifestyle and I enjoyed it. I went to a nearby restaurant that had tables outside and I ordered a beer and ravioli. I had the view of a governmental building to my left and the streets were bustling with people. Not bustling in a bad way where it’s very crowded, just a consistent flow of people, bustling. I spent 2 hours at this restaurant and then went back to the hostel at 2pm to check in. They ended up upgrading me to a suite instead of a 4-bed dorm room! I was ecstatic. I sprawled out all my stuff and I was excited to just relax and have my own space. It was definitely overdue.

      I left the hostel at 3:45pm so I could make the 4pm walking tour. The walking tour began and it only lasted 45 minutes which was perfect. We walked into the historic area where cars are not allowed to drive. It was fascinating to see all the different buildings and the stone ruins that remained. I really enjoyed this portion of Colonia. It felt like the clock had been turned back centuries. The tour guide told us about how old the Portuguese and the Spanish fought over this area for decades, and then it eventually became Spanish. There were remnants of walls and forts and government buildings. Some of it had been re-constructed to imitate what used to be there. It had a very peaceful ambiance and every corner had old-timey buildings and roads. I could’ve stayed there all day. I met up with the Hop On Hop Off bus at 6pm so I could watch all the scenery go by at a different time of the day. And I also wanted to make the most of my money. The sun was starting to set which made it even more beautiful as the bus drove along the shore. I got off at stop #10 again and then watched the sunset for a bit. It was in an area where there was a white stone railing made out of small columns. It was very picturesque and peaceful. This little city is amazing. I could definitely spend 3 days here, but 1 day is probably sufficient for seeing everything you need to see. I then walked to the boat docks to watch the final descent of the sun with many other people. I started thinking how amazing it is that every day the sun sets and every day there are millions of people around the world watching it sink into the horizon.

      I then walked to a brewery that I tried to go to earlier called Cerveceria Barbot. It had just opened at 6pm and I got there at 7pm. It was only me in the entire place and so I got special attention from the bartenders. They gave me some popcorn, I asked about their beers, and I tried many of them. I was impressed with their selection. I also ordered an empanada with onion and cheese. I got back to the hostel around 9pm excited to relax and then go to sleep early. However, I think there’s a huge, rambunctious group of young kids staying here as well. Thank God the hostel moved me to a nicer room with my own space otherwise I would’ve gone crazy.

April 6, 2019
      It was literally throughout the entire night that the young guys were being loud. I could hear them yelling and screaming and playing music and I could even hear them outside as well. It was like they had taken over the entire hostel. In the morning, I hung out in the hostel, ate breakfast, and drank mate until I checked out at 11am. Thank goodness I tried mate with Gonzalo and friends in Asuncion because the lady just handed it to me here in Colonia and assumed I knew what I was doing! I then walked to the bus terminal and bought a ticket to Montevideo on the spot. There were about 3 different bus companies all with buses departing almost every hour. I was impressed. And the ticket for the 3 hour ride was only $10! It turned out to be a VERY popular route. Half the time people were standing in the aisle. Later today, after I check-in to the hostel, I’m meeting up Fernando (we met in Spain, keeping in touch for 2 years!) and going to watch the Penarol soccer match. It should be fun!

      I checked into the hostel around 4pm, grabbed some food nearby, and met up with Fernando at 6pm in front of my hostel. We chatted in Spanish for about 20 minutes until we picked up one of his friends. His friend was funny, but he talked really really fast so it was difficult for me to understand most of what he said. The stadium was far! I had no idea. It was close to the airport. Fernando said it’s new and the traffic gets really bad because there is hardly any public transportation to get there. I was so thankful that I had Fernando as a connection otherwise I don’t know how I would have gotten to the match! I probably would have skipped it because it was a big hassle. Fernando also brought a Penarol jersey for me to wear so I would fit in. Both Fernando and his friend brought their own mate carriers and his friend was sipping on his in the back seat. He then offered some to me. I felt like I was getting the true local experience and we weren’t even at the stadium yet! Traffic was building and Fernando’s friend hopped out of the car. Apparently he was sitting in a different section of the stadium. We parked the car and then walked over to the entrance. Fernando pulled out two membership cards and we received special VIP wristbands. Say what?! He has VIP access?? I had no idea. He then explained to me that his dad used to play for Penarol and so each year they buy VIP section season tickets. Holy smokes!! I was so impressed. How lucky am I?? For the first half we sat in the lower section near the field to get the open air experience. Fernando started concocting his mate and offered me some every 10 minutes or so. It was interesting to see how drinking mate was so engrained in the Uruguayan culture! Just about every person in the stadium had a carrier for their mate and would sip on it every 2 minutes. Seriously everyone. It was like an essential part of their life. For futbol matches you bring your ticket, your jersey, and your mate. I also noticed earlier that people would carry it in the streets as well. I wonder if a Uruguayan would combust if they forgot their mate one day. The fan section behind the goal was going nuts. Fernando mentioned that they, “the hooligans,” can get violent. At one point I saw them pushing each other around and into the fence. Geez! I’m so glad we didn’t sit there. Though that’s my one rule for futbol matches in South America – avoid sections behind the goals - because those sections are notorious for getting out of hand. Penarol was doing very well but couldn’t capitalize for the longest time. They definitely were dominating the match. Eventually they scored a goal and the stadium went crazy! The stadium was only 75% full, but it was still extremely loud.

      At halftime I bought a scarf per usual. Then Fernando took us up to the VIP section where we joined his dad and his dad’s friends. We had our own bar, bar stools, tv, food, and theater seats. It was SO COOL. I was blown away. I have never experienced a VIP section before. There were VIP sections for other families next to us as well which were separated by a clear glass wall. I think Fernando’s VIP section had about 16 theater chairs in it. He told me “sit wherever you’d like.” I was fangirl-ing so hard inside but I kept my cool on the exterior. The view from the VIP section was incredible. You could see EVERYTHING. I think I prefer the lower section in the open air because you get the full, true experience, but this VIP situation was still amazing. Of course everyone in the room had their own mate. The match wrapped up and we walked back to the car. Though, we had to wait for the opposing team and their fans to exit so that we didn’t cross paths. It was intense! I guess there is history of violence between the two teams. We hopped in the car, sat in traffic for a long time, picked up Fernando’s friend on the side of the street, dropped him off, and ended at my hostel. It was about 10:30pm at this point. Such a wonderful experience! I’m so blessed to have met him and stayed in touch all these years so that I could see this match. I also felt like a part of the “crew” by riding with both the guys to the match and riding back with them afterwards. Overall it was an epic time!!

April 7, 2019
      Today I slept in until 9:45am as did many other girls in the room. I rented a bike from the hostel for the day and rode to the Tristán Narvaja Sunday market. I was so glad I biked there because I got to see a good portion of the city along the way. The market was HUGE! It spanned about 15 blocks and it was so crowded. There were merchants everywhere and many of the stands sold fresh produce. The main street was the most popular but merchants also took over side streets and sidewalks as well. It was hectic! It was also beautiful because tall trees lined the main street. If you got tired of the craziness of it all then you could just look up and enjoy nature. We all tried to squeeze our way through the masses of people. It was a fun experience. I perused the area for a good hour or so and then grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant. After that I rode the bike to the historic district of the city and Plaza Independencia. There were tall palm trees scattered throughout the plaza and a few impressive monuments and large buildings. I then walked along a pedestrian street that was lined with palm trees as well. I was so happy I stumbled upon this path because it was very tranquil. Most of the shops were closed so there wasn’t too much foot traffic. Along this route were many parks or plazas that would pop up randomly. It was such a joy to stroll through the street. I think it was called Peatonal Sarandi. This street intersected with another pedestrian street called Calle Perez Castellano so I took that route next. The end of this street placed me right at the foot of Mercado del Puerto which was on my list of places to see/experience. It was a very neat market that had terraced architecture inside. It was mostly comprised of mini restaurants so there were lots of small dining tables scattered throughout and a variety of different smells filled the air.

      I then biked along the coast all the way back to Playa de los Pocitos which took over 30 minutes! Much longer than I thought. Along the way I saw a random outburst of dancing which was awesome. I love seeing cheery people in the streets dancing the day away. That happened in Spain a lot too and I wish it would happen in the US. The ride was very pretty as the water zoomed by on my right. Lots of people were out and about as well either walking, jogging, biking, etc. I ate dinner at La Pasiva which was a recommendation by Fabriezio (Jacobs employee) and ordered Chivito which was a recommendation by Heberth. It was a massive dish! I definitely didn’t finish it all. It reminded me of the Pique Macho I had in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I returned the bike and took it easy the rest of the night. I’m so glad I rented the bike because it was a great way to see the city. I also really enjoyed the historic district with its market, bars, plazas, and pedestrian streets. Highly recommended!

April 8, 2019
      Today I took it “Uruguayan easy” (I just made that term up based on how many people have told me Uruguayans are super chill) and just wandered around the nearby blocks. I first went to a café called La Latina Café and enjoyed toast with honey and jam and a café con leche which was somewhat expensive (it met US standards). I then walked about a block to a café that also was expensive! Is it Montevideo in general or just the places near the coast? I actually haven’t been paying much attention until today. I then walked to La Cigla which is an ice cream chain in Montevideo that Fabriezio recommended. This was a great choice! Again, expensive, but the ice cream was so creamy and smooth it was worth the money. Especially the Dulce de Leche flavor. I walked with my ice cream in hand along the shore of the beach Playa de Pocitos which was lovely. There was just the right amount of wind so the sun wasn’t too fierce. I walked the entirety of the beach and then moseyed around near the grass section which had a touristy “Montevideo” sign like Asuncion did. This beach was really nice because first, it wasn’t cluttered with people, and second, it wasn’t cluttered with shops/stores along the waterfront. It was one of the few beaches I have seen laid out that way. The promenade (rambla) was clear of everything which created more space for cyclists and pedestrians. Around 2:30pm I stopped in a restaurant/bar called Costa Azul where I spent about 2 hours with my tablet. The staff wasn’t super friendly, but the food was cheap. That’s right, I just said “cheap”! Finally!

      For dinner I walked to a nearby sushi place and the sushi was amazing! Definitely in my top 10 best sushi places. It was presented very well too. It came out on a small wooden boat with lots of garnishes. Tomorrow I may meet with a friend to grab a beer at a brewery, but other than that I have no plans and I like it :)

April 9, 2019
      I woke up early this morning at 7:30am. My new roomie (there are only two of us now!) is from Brazil and so we chatted a bit. It was funny because at first she started talking to me in Portuguese. I had no idea what she was saying and I thought maybe my Spanish brain hadn’t turned on yet. We then determined that we could speak in English. She is very sweet! She’s from Sao Paulo and she thought it was funny that she came here and I’m going to Sao Paulo tomorrow. I then walked to a café near the water and after that I just laid on the beach trying to even out my tan lines. The temperature was perfect and the water felt good too. There weren’t many people on the beach and there was no one in the water. I guess it’s too cold for Uruguayans. I met up with my friend Javier at the Montevideo Beer Company at 1pm and we chatted for a couple hours. Then we walked along the beach for a bit.

      I got back to the hostel around 4pm and then relaxed/prepped for my flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The plane doesn’t leave until 3:15am tomorrow, but I figured I would just stay awake, leave the hostel at 11pm, and sleep a little on the plane. There were some new people from Holland that were hanging out in the hostel. The one guy was playing Fifa with the staff worker from Brazil so naturally, it was Holland vs Brazil on the screen. It was funny. The Holland guy had two girl friends and they all spoke Dutch. But then their new UK friend only spoke English so they would all switch to English. It was really fascinating how they could all switch to another language so quickly. The Holland guy also knew Spanish and Portuguese so he switched to those some too. #goals
      I have been coordinating with Pablo who I connected with through Enlace (Jacobs employee network for Latinos/Hispanics) to figure out a way to see the Palmeiras futbol match tomorrow. It is the only futbol match we have a chance to see during our time in Brazil which is crazy! The Brazil league is on break right now and starts up again at the end of April. Ugh. Poor timing. The Palmerias match tomorrow is for the Copa Libertadores tournament which is essentially the South American Champions League. Pablo has been extremely helpful so far and he allowed us to use his resident number and profile to buy tickets. He plans to meet with us tomorrow at the metro station to walk us to the stadium and make sure all goes well. Apparently both he and Dad need to be present in order to retrieve the tickets. So complicated! Thanks so much Pablo! I guess without him we wouldn’t be able to see the match since we needed a local resident number.
      The flight departed right on time at 3:15am. Brazil here I come! It’s time to reunite with part of the Trumpoldt clan (Kenneth and Dad). I’m going to miss speaking Spanish though….I’m clueless with Portuguese. We’ll see what sort of crazy adventures we get into!