I am sitting in the computer lab of FLACSO (my program´s building). Sunday, February 24th I woke up around 11 just in time to shower and wake up enough for the welcome party the family had set up for me. Around 1 PM, Olga´s children arrived with their families. Her daughter, Natalia is divorced with two kids. And her son has a wife and two kids. Her son´s family had just gotten back from spending 20 days in Mar del Plata...tough life... We had leftover empanadas, a quiche-type tort thing, and lots of steak. Everything was pretty good and it was [View Full Entry]

---

---

This point marks 3 hours on the computers here in El Calafate, and I´m still writing about what I did a week ago! Here is the end of my trip in El Bolson! I woke up and took a look at the map, deciding to head to Refugio Hielo Azul. I heard from many people that it was a very difficult hike and fairly long, but possible to complete nevertheless. I woke up about 10:30 (This time seems to be my natural wake up time throughout my journey) and waited for my friends to wake up at about 11. I wanted [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today, I awoke right along with my internal clock at 10:30. I didn´t have many options for hiking today and had already decided I would hike up to the glacier in the morning, take a small break, and return to El Bolson. Since I hadn´t walked the same way into the mountains, I had no clue what it would be like to get down and how I would return to town...nor did I think about it until I was at the bottom, confused and tired. I did some very stupid things on this day. It was not horrible, but just made [View Full Entry]

---

---

During my research and my whole way to El Bolson, even at the tourist office, I planned to stay in hostels here. However, I don´t want to get ahead of myself. A New Yorker ended up sitting next to me on my bus from Bariloche to El Bolson (2 hours). We talked about everything possible and he let me take a look at his Andean trekking guide which is an essential tool. Good thing everyone else has one! His wife was seated in front of us. They met while he was studying abroad in the Czech republic. A little foresight...I ended [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hi there faithful readers! I am sorry it took me so long to get a new blog out, but I have been cookin up new stories to tell. First, I would like to say THANK YOU for all your wonderful feedback...I love reading proof that people are actually reading and enjoying this since it does take some time and effort. Second, to answer a couple questions. My classes start in early March and I have to be back in Buenos Aires on the 22nd of February for orientation. These couple weeks are just for traveling and getting to know the country. [View Full Entry]

---

---

So I skipped out of Buenos Aires pretty quick, realizing how much time I would be spending there afterwards, and caught the 13:00 bus to Bariloche. The drive was scenic and beautiful, but I was only able to sleep for four hours of the twenty hour ride. We passed fields of sunflowers, countless estancias, and I even saw a flamingo hanging out in a pond. As we got closer to Bariloche, the terrain changed from flat farmlands to a hilly, slightly wooded area with large rivers in the valleys. It was gorgeous just as the sun was rising. We arrived at [View Full Entry]

---

---

Day One, February 4th, 2008 So I´m here and I found a hostel and I´m safe. I already have so many interesting experiences to write about...and I don´t feel jetlagged at all. I got semi-duped by a taxi driver and let him take me to a crappy hostel that he said was very good. That was no big deal...I walked down the street a block and half and found a hostel called Cambacha hostel. I am the only American here. Every other person is Israeli...It is incredible! Some guys I met are leaving for Ushuaia tonight and others are headed [View Full Entry]

---

---