I know the title's cheesy, but it did rain for my last week so I think it's justified. I arrived back in Columbus, Ohio just a few hours ago, after 17 or so hours of planes and running through airports. It's still hard to believe that I was in the big city eating lunch in Palermo Soho yesterday, and that I won't be meeting up with my new friends for kilos of ice cream anytime soon.
I managed to cram a lot into my last few weeks -- la Boca, mate in the park, dinners with friends, and even a trip to Iguazú with my parents to name a few -- but I'd rather use this last blog post to reflect back on my experience.
Buenos Aires, Argentina and this summery day in Columbus feel like two completely different worlds. I'm already feeling some of the uncomfortableness that comes with reverse culture shock, namely in that every stranger that I meet is expecting English, not Spanish, to come out of my mouth. This was particularly hard with the airport officials. A lot of it is good though, too, like the smell of a clean kitchen and dishes that aren't sticky. There's a lot about Buenos Aires that I won't miss. And a lot, I'm sure, I will.
Going from scheduled, fast-paced, busy busy busy America to the *much* more laid back Argentina stretched me as a person and taught me some valuable lessons. Latin time really is a thing, and life in Argentina was less scheduled, less hurried, but also less organized. As someone who enjoys planning every minute aspect of her life, this relaxed approach was very stressful. Information isn't readily available online and often is only accessible by going and talking to someone, an approach that makes me nervous when it involves, say, not knowing what bus you need to take until you fly to the new city and can ask someone on the spot. Being forced to literally ask people for help over and over, with no alternative, really washed away the introvert's anxiety in me (for this particular subject) and helped me handle curve balls thrown at my plans. At some point, I stopped worrying about my Spanish and what I would say, stopped wasting time debating the need for the human interaction, and started asking strangers on the street and kiosqueros for directions, the time, and any other problem that needed solving. As Caroline says (in Portuguese), "If you have a mouth, you can get to Rome."
Another theme I want to touch on relates to the values we place on study abroad experiences. In the beginning, I remember forcing myself to use the bus or go out to a bar spontaneously, using the value of the event as a learning experience as motivation. When you're abroad, everything is a learning experience. Whether you're practicing language skills, learning life skills, meeting new people, or trying something new, there's an innate value to everything. Going back to Hamilton this fall, I'm worried I will feel undirected and useless, like my daily life is pointless. Sure, I have end goals that will be hopefully be impactful, but what's the point of going out to that party when I'm already cozy and in my comfort zone in my own bed? Reflecting on this has led me to give myself, and everyone else, if you're feeling this way too, a new challenge. Every time you feel a little stuck in the rut, like the life you're living isn't quite satisfying, focus on what value whatever you're doing might have. Are you making a new friend? Uplifting someone? Where is there potential for you to improve? What skill are you refining? How can you connect better with this person? Going back to Hamilton will be challenging for me for a variety of reasons, but I hope that if I stay positive and reaffirm myself, study abroad will have changed me for the better.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Week 16: Tigre (again), la Casa Rosada, and el Congreso
I may have lost track of exactly how many weeks have gone by, but it's only because of how insanely close I am to the end of my stay! It's hard to believe that in two and a half short weeks, I will be on a plane back to the US. With this impending deadline and most of my classes accounted for, I've started checking things off my Argentina bucket list again. After all, there's only a few non-rainy days left to see and do everything!
A few weeks ago, I went back to Tigre with my friends Liz and Julia. We went to Puerto de Frutas again, got ice cream and churros, and took advantage of the beautiful day by going on a boat tour of the river. Though it was a bit chilly with the wind, the sun was shining on the water and some of the houses we saw were beautiful. My understanding is that many of them don't have road access, and are only connected to their neighbors and the town via the waterways.
Last weekend, a group of friends and I took a tour of la Casa Rosada, the Argentine equivalent to the White House. Sort of. No one actually lives in la Casa Rosada, although one president (Roque Saenz Peña) took up residence for a short president when the daily journey between office and home became too much for his failing health. Now the building houses the President's and Vice President's offices, a fancy room where presidential addresses are held, and various other offices and conference rooms. We only got to see the Vice President's office at a glance, the presidential address room, and some less important halls and such, but being free the tour is definitely worth it. For those wondering, the President lives in a special residence in Olivos, outside of the city. He apparently helicopters in to work every morning.
Before the tour, I took advantage of my lack of work and things to do in general and visited the Congress building. The plaza out front is currently under construction, so the view was less impressive, but the building is very beautiful.
Aside from visiting monuments, the latest big event in my life was my last real Castellano class today. To celebrate, I baked a chocolate and orange tart, which (not to toot my own horn) was delicious. The class also got together to buy a parting gift for our amazing professor, Celina -- two tickets to La Omisión de la Familia Coleman, a play that we saw as a class but she had to miss. It was an emotional moment, but with another theater visit on Sunday and our final presentations next week, we haven't had to say goodbye yet.
Since I only finished my USAL classes last week, and I still have two papers and a presentation to go, this is all the exploring I've done in my renewed enthusiasm. However, I'm looking forward to seeing a soccer game this weekend and visiting the ex-ESMA and Barrio Chino next week. Plus, my friends and I have been using the necessity of food to explore some cool restaurants -- check out our yummy eats on my food photos page.
A few weeks ago, I went back to Tigre with my friends Liz and Julia. We went to Puerto de Frutas again, got ice cream and churros, and took advantage of the beautiful day by going on a boat tour of the river. Though it was a bit chilly with the wind, the sun was shining on the water and some of the houses we saw were beautiful. My understanding is that many of them don't have road access, and are only connected to their neighbors and the town via the waterways.
Last weekend, a group of friends and I took a tour of la Casa Rosada, the Argentine equivalent to the White House. Sort of. No one actually lives in la Casa Rosada, although one president (Roque Saenz Peña) took up residence for a short president when the daily journey between office and home became too much for his failing health. Now the building houses the President's and Vice President's offices, a fancy room where presidential addresses are held, and various other offices and conference rooms. We only got to see the Vice President's office at a glance, the presidential address room, and some less important halls and such, but being free the tour is definitely worth it. For those wondering, the President lives in a special residence in Olivos, outside of the city. He apparently helicopters in to work every morning.
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| Plaza de las Palmas |
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| Sala de los científicos |
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| View of Plaza de Mayo from the balcony |
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| The Peróns |
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| Room where the presidential addresses are held |
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| Entrance hall with busts of various presidents |
Before the tour, I took advantage of my lack of work and things to do in general and visited the Congress building. The plaza out front is currently under construction, so the view was less impressive, but the building is very beautiful.
Aside from visiting monuments, the latest big event in my life was my last real Castellano class today. To celebrate, I baked a chocolate and orange tart, which (not to toot my own horn) was delicious. The class also got together to buy a parting gift for our amazing professor, Celina -- two tickets to La Omisión de la Familia Coleman, a play that we saw as a class but she had to miss. It was an emotional moment, but with another theater visit on Sunday and our final presentations next week, we haven't had to say goodbye yet.
Since I only finished my USAL classes last week, and I still have two papers and a presentation to go, this is all the exploring I've done in my renewed enthusiasm. However, I'm looking forward to seeing a soccer game this weekend and visiting the ex-ESMA and Barrio Chino next week. Plus, my friends and I have been using the necessity of food to explore some cool restaurants -- check out our yummy eats on my food photos page.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
A Day in the Life
Though the past week and a half has been fun, filled with meals with friends and small events, nothing particularly blog-worthy happened. So, to procrastinate writing my ecology paper, I thought I'd give you what a typical boring day looks like for me instead.
Most of my classes are in the afternoon or evening, so I usually start the day by telling myself to get up at 8:30 but getting up at 10 instead. I lay in bed waking up slowly and enjoying the coziness before throwing on a jacket and sweatpants (my room is usually chilly) and heading into the kitchen to make breakfast. I alternate between toast and cornflakes for breakfast, often with a piece of fruit and a glass of drinkable yogurt. Sometimes a coffee if I'm in the mood. I try not to put dulce de leche on my toast every day in an effort to be healthy, but I usually fail because dulce de leche addictive.
In the few hours before lunch, I usually either get some work done and do chores, like cleaning my room, hanging laundry, or going grocery shopping. Actually though, I love grocery shopping. Because I'm taking three science classes (Ecology, Contaminant Control, and Health and Quality of Life) and two IFSA classes (Castellano and a literature/film class), the amount of reading I have per week is significantly less than my peers. As such, my homework involves a bit of reading, watching some videos, preparing for an upcoming exam or presentation, and writing an essay. Currently I'm avoiding working on a research paper on an issue in conserving la Puna and los Altos Andes, two biomes, to give you a sense.
Sometime between 12:30 and 2, depending on the day, I go out of my room again to eat lunch. Because our lunches aren't covered by the program, I've been preparing large batch meals and eating them throughout the week. Then, on the weekends, I cook up a new dish for the next week. Most recently I've made a couple curries and stews, since the weather is getting colder. If I'm lucky, I'll have made lunch plans with friends and treat myself to a meal out. Today, I met up with Lauren and Michaela after class at el Banco Rojo, a hole in the wall place in San Telmo (off the beaten track for me) for some deep fried empanadas and a pita sandwich.
If I don't have an afternoon class, I somehow manage to pass the time until the evening. I must not do work all afternoon since I'm really never that productive, but I also don't just watch tv all day, so I really don't know where the time goes. If I do have class, I head out to class right after lunch, either walking five blocks to the D-line Subte stop Pueyrredon if I'm going to IFSA or walking the 11 or so blocks to my USAL classes by Facultad de Medicina.
Sometime between 4:30-7 I have a snack to hold me over until dinner. If I'm at home, this is usually either some baked good that I've cooked up over the weekend (currently, apple cinnamon bread) or toast. If I'm out, I'll go to a cafe with friends and have a coffee, maybe with a baked good from there or more likely an empanada or toast that I've brought with me.
My classes are mostly lecture based, with the exception of Castellano and Contaminant Control. My literature class is supposed to be discussion based, but Diego, the profe, usually ends up just telling us about whatever text we read. Contaminant Control is made up of students who are retaking the course, so we spend a lot of time doing practice problems on the board. Since I'm a chemistry major, the problems are really basic to me and I usually study for another class simultaneously. For Castellano, there are only eight of us in the class, and it's very conversation based. Our profe, Celina, is amazing -- sarcastic, hilarious, and really focused on our speaking ability above all else. It's by far my favorite class I've ever taken.
After class, I take the Subte back to Pueyrredon (only one stop from USAL, I know it's lame) and walk from there. Even though it's only a 20 minute walk from USAL, we pretty much always get out after 8:30 and I really don't like walking alone in the dark. By that point, I'm usually starving and eat as soon as I get home. My host mom is supposed to feed me dinners every day except Saturday, but she doesn't normally eat with me. Sometimes by chance Martina, the other boarder, will eat with me just by happenstance. Dinner usually consists of a main course and a vegetable, per my request at the beginning of the semester. I get roast chicken and potatoes fairly frequently, as well as Milanesa (a thin piece of chicken or beef breaded and fried like schnitzel) and fried rice. The vegetable is usually just salad, but she's started giving me canned peas with egg recently.
Because I can't help myself, I'll usually finish washing my dishes and treat myself to a desert, retiring to my room to watch netflix or skype some lucky party in the US. Since I have no willpower, I usually go to bed sometime shortly after midnight. A pretty exciting day, right?!
Most of my classes are in the afternoon or evening, so I usually start the day by telling myself to get up at 8:30 but getting up at 10 instead. I lay in bed waking up slowly and enjoying the coziness before throwing on a jacket and sweatpants (my room is usually chilly) and heading into the kitchen to make breakfast. I alternate between toast and cornflakes for breakfast, often with a piece of fruit and a glass of drinkable yogurt. Sometimes a coffee if I'm in the mood. I try not to put dulce de leche on my toast every day in an effort to be healthy, but I usually fail because dulce de leche addictive.
In the few hours before lunch, I usually either get some work done and do chores, like cleaning my room, hanging laundry, or going grocery shopping. Actually though, I love grocery shopping. Because I'm taking three science classes (Ecology, Contaminant Control, and Health and Quality of Life) and two IFSA classes (Castellano and a literature/film class), the amount of reading I have per week is significantly less than my peers. As such, my homework involves a bit of reading, watching some videos, preparing for an upcoming exam or presentation, and writing an essay. Currently I'm avoiding working on a research paper on an issue in conserving la Puna and los Altos Andes, two biomes, to give you a sense.
Sometime between 12:30 and 2, depending on the day, I go out of my room again to eat lunch. Because our lunches aren't covered by the program, I've been preparing large batch meals and eating them throughout the week. Then, on the weekends, I cook up a new dish for the next week. Most recently I've made a couple curries and stews, since the weather is getting colder. If I'm lucky, I'll have made lunch plans with friends and treat myself to a meal out. Today, I met up with Lauren and Michaela after class at el Banco Rojo, a hole in the wall place in San Telmo (off the beaten track for me) for some deep fried empanadas and a pita sandwich.
If I don't have an afternoon class, I somehow manage to pass the time until the evening. I must not do work all afternoon since I'm really never that productive, but I also don't just watch tv all day, so I really don't know where the time goes. If I do have class, I head out to class right after lunch, either walking five blocks to the D-line Subte stop Pueyrredon if I'm going to IFSA or walking the 11 or so blocks to my USAL classes by Facultad de Medicina.
Sometime between 4:30-7 I have a snack to hold me over until dinner. If I'm at home, this is usually either some baked good that I've cooked up over the weekend (currently, apple cinnamon bread) or toast. If I'm out, I'll go to a cafe with friends and have a coffee, maybe with a baked good from there or more likely an empanada or toast that I've brought with me.
My classes are mostly lecture based, with the exception of Castellano and Contaminant Control. My literature class is supposed to be discussion based, but Diego, the profe, usually ends up just telling us about whatever text we read. Contaminant Control is made up of students who are retaking the course, so we spend a lot of time doing practice problems on the board. Since I'm a chemistry major, the problems are really basic to me and I usually study for another class simultaneously. For Castellano, there are only eight of us in the class, and it's very conversation based. Our profe, Celina, is amazing -- sarcastic, hilarious, and really focused on our speaking ability above all else. It's by far my favorite class I've ever taken.
After class, I take the Subte back to Pueyrredon (only one stop from USAL, I know it's lame) and walk from there. Even though it's only a 20 minute walk from USAL, we pretty much always get out after 8:30 and I really don't like walking alone in the dark. By that point, I'm usually starving and eat as soon as I get home. My host mom is supposed to feed me dinners every day except Saturday, but she doesn't normally eat with me. Sometimes by chance Martina, the other boarder, will eat with me just by happenstance. Dinner usually consists of a main course and a vegetable, per my request at the beginning of the semester. I get roast chicken and potatoes fairly frequently, as well as Milanesa (a thin piece of chicken or beef breaded and fried like schnitzel) and fried rice. The vegetable is usually just salad, but she's started giving me canned peas with egg recently.
Because I can't help myself, I'll usually finish washing my dishes and treat myself to a desert, retiring to my room to watch netflix or skype some lucky party in the US. Since I have no willpower, I usually go to bed sometime shortly after midnight. A pretty exciting day, right?!
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Week 11: La Plata, Ed Sheeran, Tango, and a cooking class
This Saturday, my friend Lauren and I had tickets to the Ed Sheeran concert in La Plata, a smaller city about an hour from Buenos Aires. Because public transportation is limited between the two cities late at night, we decided to spend the night in La Plata and make a day trip out of it. Our friend Liz, and her friend from home who was visiting, tagged along. Unfortunately, while we were waiting at the bus stop to take us to the bus terminal to take us to La Plata, I received a text message from our airbnb host that said "Oh I just saw this, we're not renting the room right now so I don't know why it let you reserve it, sorry" and we proceeded to panic. Luckily, we had a few distant connections to people in La Plata, so we called everyone. After getting on the various buses and meeting up with Liz, we arrived in La Plata and looked for a place to eat. Lauren and I were remarkably calm about the whole potentially-sleeping-on-the-streets situation; I guess the Argentine attitude of taking it easy has sunk in a little. During lunch, we heard back from one of our friend's friends, and secured a bed in a college house near the central plaza. Score!
With the knowledge that we would have a bed/sofa that night, the four of us headed to the cathedral at Plaza Moreno, which was surprisingly large and gorgeous for an otherwise fairly unremarkable city. Then, we somehow manage to take a bus to the natural sciences museum to the north of the city. These are basically the two main attractions of La Plata. The museum was huge, with an impressive collection of bones and taxidermied animals. They even had a periodic table and explanation of crystal structures using molecular models, so I was happy. After poking around for a bit, we said goodbye to Liz and her friend and went to meet our new host and snack before the concert.
Gabrielle, our friend's friend who is doing a Fullbright in La Plata, was amazingly sweet and hospitable. As it turns out, she also studied abroad in BA with IFSA, and her friend lived with my host mom. We had a good time chatting and connecting with her over all our Buenos Aires experiences and IFSA professors.
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| Yay chemistry! |
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| Sad, soaked, and blurry Lauren and Leah |
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| But happy and dry by the end! |
Sunday, after arriving back in Buenos Aires, Michaela and I went to the final round of a tango competition. We met with a giant group of students, organized by a group called Study BA, and walked over to the event hall together. What we weren't told was that the event was in La Boca, and that we would be making our way home by ourselves in the dark. I was very thankful that Michaela was with me. The competition was interesting but not thrilling, so we left before the winners were announced and before it got too late. On our way home, we stopped at Freddo and purchased two kilos of ice cream (we had a coupon!), and Lauren and Caroline came over after dinner to devour it all. We did not devour it all, so I now proudly possess half a kilo of ice cream -- it barely fits in the freezer.
Monday, I went to a private cooking class that IFSA had set up for us. Though my weekend was really great, this might have been the best part. Norma, the instructor, is a lovely middle-aged woman who gives cooking classes in her spare time; she was super easy to chat with, and the lentil stew (Guiso de Lentejas) and chocotorta (chocolate cookies soaked in coffee layered with a dulce de leche and cream cheese mixture) that we made were delicious.
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| Guiso de Lentejas |
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| Chocotorta! |
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| I ate like three servings of this |
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| Bonus: mini alfajores |
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| It pays to live on the 11th floor |
Monday, May 8, 2017
Week 9: Welcome to the End of the World
This weekend I was fortunate enough to travel to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. In two days, my newfound traveling companion Ben and I packed in a treacherous ascent of Cerro Medio, a boat tour of Beagle Channel, a day of exploration of Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego and the included visit to the end of the Pan American Highway, tourist shopping, and a marvelous stroll around the city and up to the old prison turned museum and naval base.
Thursday, I attempted to mess up my sleeping schedule as much as possible, making it to bed around 9:30 and attempting to sleep until 1:30 (unsuccessfully). Around then I got up, showered, ate, and headed to the airport for our 4:30 flight to Ushuaia. Because Ushuaia is so far south and it's almost winter, when we landed around 8am, it was still dark. We watched the sunrise as we ascended to our B&B in a taxi.
Mirador del Beagle, our B&B, was amazing. Yes, it's a bit of a walk uphill from town, but the hosts are wonderful and the view is worth it. When we arrived, Marina situated us in our room even though it was before check-in time, and offered us warm drinks and a light breakfast. After consulting her, we decided to hike up Cerro Medio rather than Glacier Martial, since the trailhead was right next door and the glacier would be covered in snow anyways. The ascent was beautiful, with a mystical forest and dustings of snow. The wind was howling above us, and you could tell that was typical since there were downed trees all around. As we climbed, the snow became more even, thin slippery layers covering the path. We ran into a European couple who had made it past the tree line, but said they had to turn back because of the wind. When we reached the tree line, it was clear that we would have to do the same. We made it to a rock and sat for a bit, enjoying the amazing view of the channel and city below. It was a bit sad that we couldn't summit the peak for the 360 view, but we were happy we accomplished as much as we did.
After, we climbed down the mountain and into town rather quickly. We purchased some empanadas and ate them outside, on a set of stairs somewhat sheltered from the wind. Sufficiently warmed and satiated, we bought our boat tickets and boarded the catamaran for our tour of the Beagle Channel. This was a touristy splurge, and I might not have done it if it hadn't come so highly recommended. If you don't like sea lions and birds it probably isn't worth it. Sea lions aren't seals, but I got overly excited anyway (see photo below). The tour also included a short walk along one of the islands, panoramic views of the city and the mountains from the water (a unique viewpoint), and a turn around Faro Les Eclaireurs, iconic to Ushuaia tourism. After a quick nap on the journey back, we headed to the grocery store and back up the hill to make dinner and sleep (finally).
Saturday, we attempted to get up early and head to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, but accidentally left a little late. We speed walked down the hill to catch the 11am bus to the park. The bus dropped us at Zaratiegui Bay, and we dilly-dallied taking pictures. I sent a postcard to my mom from the post office there. Next, we started to hike up to Pampa Alta for the promised viewpoint, but decided we didn't have time after we lost half an hour looking for the correct trail. We headed back down and followed the trail Costera Sur along the bay. With the little time remaining after this gorgeous hike and a pit stop at the visitor's center, we decided to attempt the short hike (~1 mi) down to the end of route 3, the official end of the Pan American Highway. We followed the road for a while until a combi picked us up and carried us to the end, a stroke of luck since we might not have made it for our bus back. I like to think we would've. When we arrived back in town, we popped in a few tourist shops and stopped for hot cocoa in Dublin, a cute cafe our B&B hosts had recommended.
Sunday, we intended to go to one of the museums in town to learn a little more about Ushuaia's interesting history, but we lingered a little over breakfast and were left with only a few hours before our flight. We wandered the main street looking for some souvenirs, then walked over to the Museo del Presidio. The museum actually has multiple components -- about history, art, and Antarctica -- so it makes sense that it was so expensive (~$15). Since our time was limited, we decided against entering and enjoyed(?) the view of the historic prison from outside. Then, we walked along the shoreline and ate lunch before heading to a cafe for a quick coffee. With that, the vacation festivities ended and we headed to the airport.
Though I debated the cost and effort involved for such a short trip a while before I committed to it, I am incredibly thankful I went. I got to make a new friend (we're friends now, right Ben?), practice my Spanish with the townspeople and other B&B goers, and experience some of the most beautiful nature in the world. On top of that, I can officially brag that I've been to the end of the world! I'm not sure if anything else this semester can top this trip, but I can now get back to schoolwork rejuvenated and even more thankful for my lot in life.
Thursday, I attempted to mess up my sleeping schedule as much as possible, making it to bed around 9:30 and attempting to sleep until 1:30 (unsuccessfully). Around then I got up, showered, ate, and headed to the airport for our 4:30 flight to Ushuaia. Because Ushuaia is so far south and it's almost winter, when we landed around 8am, it was still dark. We watched the sunrise as we ascended to our B&B in a taxi.
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| Like New York, Buenos Aires doesn't sleep, even at 4:30am |
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| Sunrise over Ushuaia |
Mirador del Beagle, our B&B, was amazing. Yes, it's a bit of a walk uphill from town, but the hosts are wonderful and the view is worth it. When we arrived, Marina situated us in our room even though it was before check-in time, and offered us warm drinks and a light breakfast. After consulting her, we decided to hike up Cerro Medio rather than Glacier Martial, since the trailhead was right next door and the glacier would be covered in snow anyways. The ascent was beautiful, with a mystical forest and dustings of snow. The wind was howling above us, and you could tell that was typical since there were downed trees all around. As we climbed, the snow became more even, thin slippery layers covering the path. We ran into a European couple who had made it past the tree line, but said they had to turn back because of the wind. When we reached the tree line, it was clear that we would have to do the same. We made it to a rock and sat for a bit, enjoying the amazing view of the channel and city below. It was a bit sad that we couldn't summit the peak for the 360 view, but we were happy we accomplished as much as we did.
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| View from the B&B |
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| View from the B&B |
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| This is why we didn't continue to the top |
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| View of Ushuaia below |
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| This tree saved my life. Twice. |
After, we climbed down the mountain and into town rather quickly. We purchased some empanadas and ate them outside, on a set of stairs somewhat sheltered from the wind. Sufficiently warmed and satiated, we bought our boat tickets and boarded the catamaran for our tour of the Beagle Channel. This was a touristy splurge, and I might not have done it if it hadn't come so highly recommended. If you don't like sea lions and birds it probably isn't worth it. Sea lions aren't seals, but I got overly excited anyway (see photo below). The tour also included a short walk along one of the islands, panoramic views of the city and the mountains from the water (a unique viewpoint), and a turn around Faro Les Eclaireurs, iconic to Ushuaia tourism. After a quick nap on the journey back, we headed to the grocery store and back up the hill to make dinner and sleep (finally).
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| Ushuaia from the Beagle Channel |
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| Cormorans on Isla de los Pajaros |
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| The view from our short excursion on foot |
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| Me super excited about the sea lions |
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| More cormorans |
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| Faro Les Eclaireurs |
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| View from the airplane of all the little islands we visited on the boat |
Saturday, we attempted to get up early and head to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, but accidentally left a little late. We speed walked down the hill to catch the 11am bus to the park. The bus dropped us at Zaratiegui Bay, and we dilly-dallied taking pictures. I sent a postcard to my mom from the post office there. Next, we started to hike up to Pampa Alta for the promised viewpoint, but decided we didn't have time after we lost half an hour looking for the correct trail. We headed back down and followed the trail Costera Sur along the bay. With the little time remaining after this gorgeous hike and a pit stop at the visitor's center, we decided to attempt the short hike (~1 mi) down to the end of route 3, the official end of the Pan American Highway. We followed the road for a while until a combi picked us up and carried us to the end, a stroke of luck since we might not have made it for our bus back. I like to think we would've. When we arrived back in town, we popped in a few tourist shops and stopped for hot cocoa in Dublin, a cute cafe our B&B hosts had recommended.
Sunday, we intended to go to one of the museums in town to learn a little more about Ushuaia's interesting history, but we lingered a little over breakfast and were left with only a few hours before our flight. We wandered the main street looking for some souvenirs, then walked over to the Museo del Presidio. The museum actually has multiple components -- about history, art, and Antarctica -- so it makes sense that it was so expensive (~$15). Since our time was limited, we decided against entering and enjoyed(?) the view of the historic prison from outside. Then, we walked along the shoreline and ate lunch before heading to a cafe for a quick coffee. With that, the vacation festivities ended and we headed to the airport.
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| The old prison |
Though I debated the cost and effort involved for such a short trip a while before I committed to it, I am incredibly thankful I went. I got to make a new friend (we're friends now, right Ben?), practice my Spanish with the townspeople and other B&B goers, and experience some of the most beautiful nature in the world. On top of that, I can officially brag that I've been to the end of the world! I'm not sure if anything else this semester can top this trip, but I can now get back to schoolwork rejuvenated and even more thankful for my lot in life.
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