A Blog From Marysia

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Hello family and friends! I have commandeered Erik’s blog so that I could update you all on our South American activities, which have been quite the adventure so far. Our current situation being a perfect example. It is now 2:45pm on Wednesday. We are sitting on a bus somewhere on our way to Puerto Iguazu. We have been at this same spot since 10am and on this same bus since 7pm last night. If nothing was lost in translation, we think we should be on our way about 4pm. Erik and I have both been putting off the blogging, so this must be life’s way of motivating us.

When we first arrived in Buenos Aires, I was overwhelmed at the size of the city and the number of people. I don’t know the population of BA compared to London or New York or Rome, but it felt far more crowded. So, what did we do on our first full day in Buenos Aires? We left that country. Early in the morning, we caught a boat across the Rio de Plata to Colonia, Uruguay. I was very excited to head to Uruguay, mainly for the extra stamp in my passport, but once we arrived I realized Colonia would be far more than just a stamp. The boat ride over was unreal. The river is so large you cannot see anything on the horizon but more water. No land to be seen anywhere. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought we were crossing the ocean. Compared to the hectic atmosphere of BA, Colonia was very peaceful. We were on the first boat from Argentina, so there weren’t many people there yet and shops were just starting to open. Sunny, clear blue skies meant we could not ask for better weather for a walk around the city. We walked along the old city walls and visited a church. The museums we peeked into were very small, about one room each, so most of our time was spent wandering. In one of the little stores we met the nicest shop keeper. Erik translated our questions and her responses. She was very patient with us and did all she could to help us understand her. It’s the people like her that make traveling to a new country so much fun and memorable.

Our next day in Buenos Aires we decided to go to the Recoleta area of town. With fewer people and bigger streets, this section of town felt far less crowded and consequently improved my feelings towards Buenos Aires. The very first site we explored was the Cementerio de la Recoleta. Basically, the cemetery is a miniature city of mausoleums. It has wide roads and narrow streets that wind between an assortment of differently styled mausoleums, from simple facades to elaborately decorated buildings with incredibly detailed statues. It would be very easy to get lost if one was not careful.

After the Cementerio de la Recoleta, we found a spot for cafes con leche, which are my new favorite drink! They are just coffee with steamed milk and you can add your own sugar, but they are delicious any time of day, especially when it‘s slightly chilly. Our timing was perfect because the USA vs. Slovenia World Cup match had just started. Besides the four of us, there was a man and a woman who were watching the game as well. We spotted him as an American right away because of his ‘Dempsey’ jersey. Although the U.S. got off to a rough start, we came back to tie the game. There were a lot of cheers and high fives shared among fellow countrymen in a foreign continent. Erik says that is a cheesy thing to say, but it’s very true. We have found that watching World Cup matches is an excellent way to spend the afternoon while most shops and buildings are closed.

The next day Dad, Karyn and I headed up to Rosario. Erik left the night before to attend a farewell party with his fellow study abroad classmates. Rosario is a very beautiful city and is said to be the home of the most beautiful people in Argentina. We think the reputation is well deserved. While in the city, we:
-Visited an artisan fair
-Rode an elevator to the top of the flag monument
-Visited Erik’s school and met some of the staff he got to know
-Watched Argentina defeat Greece in a café full of excited and enthusiastic Argentines-
-Met and had dinner with Cristina, Erik’s host mother
-Walked along the pedestrian shopping streets many, many times
We were very busy in Rosario, but after 4 days we were all ready to move on. Our next stop is Puerto Iguazu… once the bus starts moving again.

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