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Published: November 6th 2011
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Mendoza
Final plaza picnic in Mendoza Well, such a lot has happened since my last entry, recapping from where I last left off, I got the job!!! Lesson went well and I really enjoyed it. Who knows what will happen between now and then but I have that to go to which is a relief. I met some lovely people in the hostel, one of the friendliest places that I have stayed. Then a bus to Buenos Aires, and my first couch surfing experience, which went really well. This is where you can stay or meet up with people from that city and they let you stay or meet up and show you the city, a great way to get away from the tourist places. So I met Tano from BA, Ana from Brazil who I am hoping to go and stay with if I have time and Pam from BA, such lovely lovely people and I have been blessed with my first couch surfing experience, and hope to meet up with people in Rio when I get there. I went to watch tango one night, where they give you lessons, but it was quite touristy and very serious, so I didn't do any dancing with anyone
Leaving Mendoza
My escorts seeing me safely to the bus station, Jemma, Jenna and Celine but now know the first 5 steps! Spent the day with Ana where we met up with another coucher who is living there and walked around city. I had a Spanish lesson which was good, I can now have a basic conversation in Spanish, very basic mind! They have free tours around Buenos Aires and I did this on the weekend and met Mel, who I am still with now. We got talking and I mentioned that I had found a place to go horse riding in Uruguay which wasn't the normal follow the guide for a couple of hours and as she loves horses as well, has one of her own back home, decided to come with me. More on that in a bit. So after the tour I met up with Celine, who I met at the last hostel in Mendoza, and we went for the most amazing steak recommended by Tano. Then we met up with the guy Celine was staying at and went to a local bar where people went to dance tango. It was incredible to watch, so different from the last time and one of the best nights I have had out whilst here.
Buenos Aires
Sunrise after 15 hours on the bus So onto the next day, last Monday and I met up with Mel at the boat and off we went to Uruguay. Wow! I could live in the place. We got a bus to Tacurambo, stayed there one night and then got picked up by Nahir and Pedro, a couple who own a working estancia (farm) and host people. Nahir's cousin Maria Rosa helped out with the cooking, and boy did they feed you! Four(!) meals a day and we have learnt the word Mas which means more and you could eat until you physically couldn't. Their farm consisted of 648 hectres which is BIG, they have horses, cows, sheep, ostriches and donkeys on their land and we herded most of them whilst we were there. Saw armadillos, and milked a cow, and rode in the morning, lunched, rode in the afternoon helping Pedro out with whatever he needed herding, afternoon tea-ed and then dinner, I really must diet now! I hope to go back there when I know more Spanish, I bet Pedro had some right stories to tell and it was frustrating not being able to communicate with them properly, but we managed to somehow over dinner with
Buenos Aires
Bus Buddy, Raphael, he plays the bandolino which is the instrument used when playing tango music my little translation booklet and lots of gestures. They were so welcoming, it is definitely one of the highlights of my trip so far, up there with Machu Pichu and the Amazon. No electricity and fields as far as the eye could see, heaven.
So we headed back to Buenos Aires :-( and have just arrived off a 20 hour bus ride to Puerto Madryn and we're off to watch whales to tomorrow, it is the Right whale's prime breeding season. And then I have got to decide what to do next, it's the hardest part trying to figure out what you have time and money for, especially as the clock is now ticking till departure, can't believe how quickly it is going to go. I think I'm going to carry on south with Mel, walk a glacier then head north to Iguacu and Brazil. I'm done with cities now, it's going to be all about the animals!
So hopefully I will have some great whale photos to show you soon.
Hope you're all good, miss you all loads and see you soon
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