Movie Star

What seems like very long time ago, back in Buenos Aires, I was starring in a short documentary about how to make traditional Argentinian mate tea. My friend/host made a shorter viewer friendly version of it for her website.

Week 12, Part 1. Completing To-do List In Argentina

My last days in Argentina for this trip (never say never though)! I am ready to go, cannot wait to see more of Chile.
I still a lot of to-do list to complete for Argentina, which I started last week, so this is a plan for the first half of this week.

Week 11, Part 2. Going up North

There are so many English people in the hostel in Bariloche! Most of them are from Oxbridge. I love their English! I wish I heard more English like that when I was in the UK.
I also meet so many people from Gloucestershire: Nailworth, Cheltenham (Heatherley), Stroud, Corencester. Feels like all of them just followed me to South America!
Autumn, although beautiful, still depressing: cannot change my European state of mind here. I have decided to start 'yet another new life' (I started every 3 months or so I think?). I need to occupy my brain, it begs for work.

Week 11, Part 1. Lakes, Rain And Chocolate

It rained all night from Sunday to Monday! Although it was nice in cosy sitting in front of fire place in El Bolson, I wanted some action (had enough of sitting!) and escaped to Bariloche hoping I could do some hiking/rock climbing/paragliding there.

Week 10. Part 2. Lake District

I have decided to do 2 posts a week, so ou have less to look through and everyone knows that I am still alive. Did not succeed on this much: was too lazy.
I became very lazy somehow: prefer to stay inside and do nothing, rather than go hiking or cycling, or whatever. I do not write in Spanish anymore, I think in English, because it is easier to find words than in Russian (and als lack of practice).
Also this 'doing nothing thing' makes me bored. I was so excited a night I left Puerto Madryn! Staying in one place for more than 3 nights is boring, I need to move, I need something to be hapening. Not being on the road is boring.
From the other side, I miss some sort of normality in my life, habits, something I can do on daily basis, I miss routine. I am a mess as usual.

Week 10. Part 1. Wild Animals

Sunday 30/3. Sunday tea
Ok, I spent 3 days drinking tea (those of you who has FB should have seen my feasts), here they are:

Week 9. Crossing Patagonia (Yes, Still There - It Is Huge!)

I am slowly going North in Patagonia, and it is getting warmer and warmer, but the landscape does no change: steppe, and steppe again.

Week 8. Out Of Service

Tuesday, 18/03. Puerto Natales
We came back from the trek on Monday, saw lotls of guanacos (southern version of lamas with long eye lashes) on the way when were not sleeping. Interestingly, have not met a lot of wild life in the park, just another campers going in both direcions. We actually were walking as a huge group with other people who started W-circuit at the same point as us. Now we keep meeting these people in town, feels like we know everyone around!

Week 7. Due South

This week is all about nature, Patagonia, hiking and cold.

Week 6. Solars, Wine And End Of The World

How do you like my new map?
I have also created new album for you to check out.

Week 5. Andes, Carnival And Parties

Photos are here

A Month Of Travelling

It has been a month since I left Northern hemisphere.
It feels such a long time ago, I barely remember my life in UK, but the days sometimes go so quickly, so I do not have time to do everything I plan for them.
In one month my Spanish got better, I can do crossfit, rafting, read Cosmo and talk politics. Argentines suffer with me: I make them repeat and repeat phrases in Spanish until I understand. Sometimes it takes to repeat 5 times. Poor people!
Month overview?
Parting all night? - Checked.
Drinking mate with Argentines? - Checked.
Taking part in asado parties? - I haven't eaten that much meat in one go in my life.
Got burned on the beached of Uruguay? - Checked, checked, checked - I got all new skin now.
Walking alone in the jungle and watching wildlife? - Done that.
I guess the only thing I've missed is Parillas, but they are everywhere, I have another 52 days (according to stamp in my passport) to catch up.

3 weeks in Buenos Aires felt like months. This city became my home (not that I want to live there though). Portenos are different from people of the rest of the country as it usually happens with capitals.
Buenos Aires never sleeps, they only start going out at midnight, while in the regions everything closes at 11pm. I guess big cities are exempt - going to confirm very soon.
There are a lot of musicians in Subte who very often give good performance with musical instruments and mics.
The passangers are good audience, they always readily appload and give money (2 $ usually).
People read a lot of newspapers and are less plugged in than in Metro in Moscow.
They as easy as selling umbrellas (paraguas) in the street, as they run their illegal blue market business. On a rainy day around Florida street one only hears 'Paraguas, paraguas' mixed with 'Cambio, cambio' at every corner.
In their language saying 'Que linda' to a passing girl is just an acknowledgement of fact that a girl is passing by. You can hear it from everyone: from a young guy, almost a boy, to an old respectful man in business suit.
Buenos Aires is filled with farmacies, banks and beauty salons like Moscow.
In the banks there is always a queue of people.

It was an interesting month full of discoveries and mind broadening experience (euh, my Russian English, I wonder how google would translate it?). I am in power of European stereotypes, so when I see guys kissing eacher other when they meet, they become a bit gayish to me. They do not do it so often in the rest of the country though.

I do not have clear plan for the next X amount of months, let's see what happens. I promise to write about the most exciting events. Thank you for reading.

Week 4. Iguazu Falls

Note to myself: always book accommodation over weekend, whether it is popuar touristic destination during high season like Iguazu, or small rural place where nobody goes - there might be a carnival and all hotels booked.
Note #2: Local tourist information can be very helpful, should use it more.
All photos are here.

Week 3. Last Week In Buenos Aires

Monday, 10/02. Russian vodka dinner

Сегодня готовила борщ для своих хозяев и их друзей. Они купили водку, я нашла соленые огурцы и капусту (ish). Russian dinner with vodka. Для аргентинцев странно пить водку с едой, а не в клубе и не закусывая.

С утра в попытках найти нужные ингридиенты бегала по магазинам. Какие же у них плохие овощи! Вроде все, что нужно есть, но выбрать свеклу практически невозможно. 

В магазине есть 2 типа картошки - мытая и немытая. Немытая в 2 раза дороже, но такая же гнилая. "Если нет разницы, зачем платить больше?"-подумала я, и набрала немытой на 0.5 доллара (что это теперь? 20 рублей?). Зато мяса много и на любой вкус. 

Начала готовить и поняла, что борщ я не варила уже несколько лет. Все переживала, что картошка переварилась (она у них какая-то мягкая и варится за 5 минут), капуста недоварилась. К тому же, один из друзей моих хозяев уже пробовал борщ: остальным можно было сказать, что так и надо. Но, то ли водка, то ли голод дал о себе знать, "muy rico". Международного скандала удалось избежать. 

Я не умею варить маленькими порциями, им еще неделю этот борщ есть. Холодная водка под корнюшоны (ближайший эквавалент соленых огурцов, который удалось найти) и квашеную капусту тоже хорошо пошла. Бутылку, правда, на 5х не смогли добить. 

Пока я готовила все, включая гостей, предложили свою помощь. Гости всегда приносят либо вино, либо десерт. 

Когда закончили есть, все дружно начали убирать со стола посуду, оставив только алкоголь. 

У них в языке нет понятия "хозяин" (по крайней мере, у моих хозяев), есть "приглашенные". Они ходят в гости к друг другу по очереди, помогают накрывать и убирать со стола - какие же они гости? Правда, никто ничегУ них, как и в России, принято приглашать людей в гости и сидеть говорить, говорить, говорить, есть, пить чай (мате в их случае). У нас вообще в этом плане много общего.

Week 2. Buenos Aires. Elpasaje School

So I have change the school this week for something cheaper and smaller. We are only 4 in the group as against 6 in the previous, and, as the classes are in the afternoon, we do not get to meet a lot of people. I am glad I chosen to go to Expanish first, it was more social, the building only belongs to the school, looks like they organize more events. Money well spent. Now it is time to concentrate on my Spanish.

If this is ok with you, I wil not reply to the comments in posts, but will try to answer in the next. I do not really have time to spend in internet, so I try to be efficient. Hope this it ok? I promise to update weekly. 

Warning: this post is a crazy mixture of languages, I apologize for it. Just felt like writting in other language sometimes. 

Rainy weekend in Buenos Aires

It was rainy and thundery over weekend, and I was not very motivated to walk under the rain. So I stayed in the barrio.

Beginning

I am in BA.
It is summer time.
Still do not understand what is happening. I am on the other side of the world!
When landing landscape looked like Germany: square fields everywhere.
They gave a declaration to fill. Oups! How am I supposed to do this? Was not aware I need to declare my mobile phone (what model is it??? Nokia with flashlight?).
Waiting in the queue on the border, i was thinking " I do not have print of my accommodation confirmation, nor of my Spanish courses. Are they going to let me in?"
Cannot say I was nervious though, whatever happens happens.
Crossing the border was easy:
"How long do you intend to stay?"
"2 months (ish)"
"Please have your 90 days stamp in the passport"
After baggage reclaim there was a scan. That is where I would theoretically need my declaration. No, did not need it.
Taking taxi was easier and cheaper than thought.
And that is where challenges began.