We all know the joke about being in a foreign country and lying about your nationality. A joke yes but i have never before actually felt like maybe there is some truth to that before now. Argentines are generally quite friendly but without fail, when they find out where you are from they ask you if you are a republican. At first i was surprised that they knew so much about the United States political system but, as a taxi driver explained to me, why not? US politics and the decisions that our government make effect the rest of the world more then we will ever know. The general sentiment here is that it would be ignorant of Argentines to not know more about the "most powerful empire on earth" (says my host brother Rodrigo).
I bring this up not just to give a small perspective on a persepctive, but rather to try and explain that for the first time since arriving in South America have i actually felt like i should lie. I spent my weekend in Colonia Uruguay alone and as was my goal in going doing this sola, I refused to speak any english. People still asked where i was from whenever i opened my mouth. "Los estados unidos" i would say and every time, no matter how nice they were to try and cover it up, i got the same "oh" reaction. The kind of reaction that encompasses so much about you and their views. For instance that one monosyllable reaction explains to them why you are a tourist and further why you are the only female around traveling alone. It got to a point where i was compremising not lying by quickly adding in that i lived in Argentina. The "oh" would then change to "muy bien". The treatment i recieved by adding just that little detail was noticable.
Colonia, where i went to in Uruguay, is an unknown jewel on the Río Plata. That would explain why the whole tiny city survives on tourism. A well preserved former Portuguese colony that is so compact that cars are few and people get around on rented motor bikes, mopeds and even golf carts. It was amusing to watch tourists try and drive over the uneven cobblestones and then stop at every souvenier shop despite the fact that each one sold the exact same things as the one previous. The entire old town has cobblestone streets and pedestrian alley ways that all lead to the rio that surround the small peninsula. Absolutly gorgeous.
To those that heard all about my interesting hostel experience in Salta two weeks ago, join me in celebrating the even worse conditions of the one i stayed at in Colonia. I don´t know why i have stuck with this hosteling international chain because its just been a progressively worse-- or i guess you can say a more interesting experience since. This one was gratefully quiet and peaceful. The inner courtyard was beautiful but the services left much to be desired. I was greeted by a room that was colder then outside with windows that i not only couldn´t reach but also that wouldn´t remain closed. I had the 6 bed room to myself which was good if only because there were only two lockers in that room (both of which had no place for a lock). I recieved a key for the door but that was the biggest joke of all. The key was for appearances only because the moment i pushed on the joining of the french doors, they would open locked or not. I did stay the night there but it was mainly on the principle that it was almost completely devoid of people. Again, quiet and peaceful. Maybe its ironic but in a twisted way the lack of almost all security made it safe in this tourist town.
After my Salta trip as well, i made sure this time to book with a different bus company. There are three types of buses here: semi cama (which is like the greyhound in the US), cama (which are wide lazy-boy like seats with a feet apparatis that comes off the chair in front of you so you can rest your feet at an angle), and the third which i have only heard about which are full camas (that implies fully reclining squichy seats). My Salta bus of 16 hours on a cockroach infested semi cama was the dark ages to my Rosario to Buenos Aires bus. The only thing better then this 3am cama bus were the excellent conditions of the ferry i took across the Río Plata into Uruguay. It was HUGE and clean with live entertainment. But the best part of this experience was the mere fact of being alone. I never realized before how much easier it is to meet people when locals don´t hear you chatting with friends in english. Right away i met this really sweet couple from BA who essentially adopted me for the voyage. They spoke no english and were very talkative. We spent three hours talking, looking up words in my dictionary and checking out the view. The trip back was with a korean girl who read in spanish and spoke in english. Thank goodness for the distractions because huge ferry or not, i couldn´t eat or drink anything for fear that it would all come back up. Which would be horribly gross.
Not to make this email to much longer but my summer in winter is winding down. I am in my second set of midterms which is not stopping me from going out every night of the week. In fact, in the last 10 days i have been home for dinner twice. I finally understand that Argentina does not kid around when they say that there is something to do every night of the week. I have had two salsa lessons and three tango lessons in the last week. I have also further discovered that there exists no real mexican food here. I tried the one place here and all i got was a cheese wrap with a few raw beans and over mayo-ed guacamole. That, and the 20 peso sitting fee compounded with the servers making sure that we understood that "tip was not included" by writing it on our bill in english as they stood over our shoulers. After that experience, friday night was like a heaven-sent: the mother of a friend of mine came to visit and with her brought two pounds of chedder cheese, refried beans, tortillas and spices (finally something besides salt). The resulting fiesta was fantastic and i happily gorged myself.
To anyone who will be spending time with me right when i get back to the states, expect to eat nothing with me besides mexican food and sushi.
So with that update, pasar bien.
Jazmin
LETTER TO DANI:
Dani--
So i hope you read the my general email first because i have funny stories to add that i knew you would appreciate. In the context of being a lone traveler...
I was walking around the city alone yesturday morning bright and early and passed by this closed shop with a front wall of windows. I looked at it briefly and could see a lone security guard standing against the glass facing out. there was an advertisment on the window that went from his mouth to his knees. Another ad went from his forehead up. I only noticed this becuase as i passed he followed me with only his eyes. the effect was creepy into hysterical. instead of turning his head or his whole body to continue looking at me as i passed he used only his eyes. I looked away at first thinking this was just a coincidence by then i had just passed in front of the next shop and couldn´t help but look backwards--and there his eyes were nearly completly whited out from looking at me from the corner of them. Creepy but i laughed out loud so hard that a group of locals went so far as to point at me.
Secondly, the process of getting into the terminal of the boquebus ferry to BA. It was empty but still had this maze like line up to the front desk. So ridiculous but i went through it anyways twisting with every switchback. I felt ridiculous and i could see the two men watching me from the desk. An older man and a younger one about our age. They were both trying not to laugh. I decided to be funnier and take great big dramatic steps like i was climbing everest instead of moving from switchback to switchback. The younger one couldn´t contain himself although he tried so hard. He even pointed to me. When i got to the desk closer i realized he wasn´t exactly pointing at me but rather at my chest when he had laughed. I had my vest open and the effect of the straps of my giant backpack made me look like i had breasts each the size of my head. At the desk i zipped my vest and the boy turned bright red and wouldn´t look at me at all. Another reason for laughter was the express line that went straight to the desk that i apparently missed. Sigh.
Thirdly that i can remember right now was last night when i got out of the taxi on my street corner. I got out and couldn´t find the house key. I was freaking ou because it was midnight and not only would it be not fun to have to wake my family up to let me in but further if i lost that key, i know my family would be very very upset. I was totally freaked out. I looked in every pocket and right when i was resolved to failure the taxi comes back around my corner and the two new passangers come out and give me the key. OMG was i happy. I was relieved and so surprised that someone had not only found it but also that the taxi came back to find me so as to make sure i could get in my house. So cosmically lucky.
Jaz
I was walking around the city alone yesturday morning bright and early and passed by this closed shop with a front wall of windows. I looked at it briefly and could see a lone security guard standing against the glass facing out. there was an advertisment on the window that went from his mouth to his knees. Another ad went from his forehead up. I only noticed this becuase as i passed he followed me with only his eyes. the effect was creepy into hysterical. instead of turning his head or his whole body to continue looking at me as i passed he used only his eyes. I looked away at first thinking this was just a coincidence by then i had just passed in front of the next shop and couldn´t help but look backwards--and there his eyes were nearly completly whited out from looking at me from the corner of them. Creepy but i laughed out loud so hard that a group of locals went so far as to point at me.
Secondly, the process of getting into the terminal of the boquebus ferry to BA. It was empty but still had this maze like line up to the front desk. So ridiculous but i went through it anyways twisting with every switchback. I felt ridiculous and i could see the two men watching me from the desk. An older man and a younger one about our age. They were both trying not to laugh. I decided to be funnier and take great big dramatic steps like i was climbing everest instead of moving from switchback to switchback. The younger one couldn´t contain himself although he tried so hard. He even pointed to me. When i got to the desk closer i realized he wasn´t exactly pointing at me but rather at my chest when he had laughed. I had my vest open and the effect of the straps of my giant backpack made me look like i had breasts each the size of my head. At the desk i zipped my vest and the boy turned bright red and wouldn´t look at me at all. Another reason for laughter was the express line that went straight to the desk that i apparently missed. Sigh.
Thirdly that i can remember right now was last night when i got out of the taxi on my street corner. I got out and couldn´t find the house key. I was freaking ou because it was midnight and not only would it be not fun to have to wake my family up to let me in but further if i lost that key, i know my family would be very very upset. I was totally freaked out. I looked in every pocket and right when i was resolved to failure the taxi comes back around my corner and the two new passangers come out and give me the key. OMG was i happy. I was relieved and so surprised that someone had not only found it but also that the taxi came back to find me so as to make sure i could get in my house. So cosmically lucky.
Jaz
