Blogging Through My Bucket List

When I Don’t Have Time, I Creep the Locals!

caitiegoddard — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:00:00 GMT

Spending less than 2 weeks in a city while working or in my case, taking Spanish lessons means you don’t have a lot of time to explore. I’ve done a bit of traveling and have found a few good ways to make the most of my time, hopefully they can help you as well!

1. WALK. And walk everywhere. If it’s a walkable city (sidewalks, not too spread out, some semblance of order, etc.) forget taking the bus or the metro. You will be able to acclimate in a few days and get a decent sense of direction if you walk everywhere. In Córdoba, walking provided several perks including finding the hole in the wall post office that no one I talked to knew about where I could send my stockpile of postcards home as well as some great small shops and out of the way parks and local hangouts I wouldn’t have known about. This has worked for me in every city I’ve visited. It’s also a great tool for rationalizing why you need to order the massive scoop of gelato rather than a sample size. Or maybe that’s just me.

2. Lonely Planet. I’ve had conversations with people that loathe these books because it turns a trip into a “tourists only” view of a city. There is definitely truth to that and that’s where my #3 will come in but these books have made_______ filthy rich for a reason. When you have limited time in a city, you have to accept the fact you’re not going to ‘live like a local’ and you don’t want to do all that walking to check out the suburbs…the guidebook points you in the right directions to the gorgeous architecture, delicious food stalls and fantastic tango spots! It also gives you some very interesting information you probably wouldn’t find otherwise; did you know Casa Rosada, the presidential house gets it's salmon pink color because it was painted with bovine blood? Ew.

3. If you want the real experience, creep the locals. By creep, I mean watch what they do and see what they’re up to in their free time! If there is a long line and you have no idea what it’s for, go up and ask! If a place looks busy, poke your head in to see why. You’ll be surprised at what you discover!

4. Sign up for a class, group or tour if you can. I had Spanish class and tango lessons (thanks World Nomads!) that I took in Buenos Aires and helped me encounter ‘la cultura de Argentina’ very quickly. Language class is a great way to make friends and learn more about the people and place you are visiting. If you want less of a time commitment and are in a country that doesn’t speak English, use google or grab the local English newspapers/magazines (almost every place has at least one) to give you some suggestions of things going on in the area.

5. Eat on the streets! This one is a no-brainer to me since I plan days around going to certain restaurants or locations to try specific things but if food does not make your world go round, it’s worth mentioning. Some of my favorite foods EVER come from carts on random streets sold by locals hoping to make a few dollars a day. I’m normally a pescatarian (it’s ok to roll your eyes) but when I go to other countries I make an effort to try new things, especially the unknowns from the street! Rolexes from Uganda and fresh squeezed orange juice from the streets of Buenos Aires are two of my favorites; once you find a favorite, it's to strike up a conversation and learn more about the country, their personal experiences and usually a dose of politics and opinions about your country, requested or not!

These are things I’ve done and strongly believe made short visits much better than had I not. There are a few other ideas I think would ultimately make your richer (couchsurfing comes to mind) if you’re truly into getting to know the culture and locals in a short period of time but since I haven’t done the couchsurfing deal yet, I won’t personally recommend it. Obviously there are people who won’t be able to do one or all of these but it makes the experience so much richer and you leave with a sense that you had an experience, not just a holiday.

Alta Gracia; Good for Asthma

caitiegoddard — Fri, 8 Apr 2011 11:04:00 GMT

Day Trip! Week one in Córdoba is over and since I only have one weekend here, I wanted to make the most of it and venture to one of the nearby cities. There are lots of places around Córdoba where you can do pretty much anything outdoorsy; horseback ride, hike, mountain bike, swim, skydive, etc. I decided to head to Alta Gracia, a small pueblito about an hour away because I wanted to have the opportunity to visit the house Che Guevara grew up in. Rosalie, the cuteset little Brazilian I’ve ever seen wanted to check it out as well so we planned to head out early Saturday morning. Being good little Argentinians, early meant leaving her apartment at about 12:30pm when our goal had been 9:00am…trust me when I say this is actually a success.

Just to stay true to form and maintain my “oh don’t worry, at least it’s a funny story!” reputation, I rationalized that since it’s supposed to be summer in Argentina and every single day had been hot enough to wear a tank top and skirt, I donned an appropriate summer outfit and flip flops and headed out. Aaaand then it got cold. Real cold. Cold enough that every person we saw was wearing pants, a jacket and scarf, and basically prepared should a blizzard come to town. So here I am in some ‘spot what’s wrong with this picture’ outfit speed walking to get to the next warm spot. As Rosalie kindly noted, “everyone stares at you when we walk by!” Uh yes, that’s because I look like I have escaped from a mental institution because at age 27 I clearly can’t dress myself.

Cool shoes, right?

I’d rather not write about how I went from freezing to tacky and freezing when I put on my hiking shoes (brought in case we stayed the night) so to get a bit warmer wore hiking shoes with my outfit (so cute, right?) or the fact that I ran from room to room in the monastery deemed a World Cultural Heritage spot in order to keep warm in the semi-heated rooms while hearing a large tourist group comment that I was ‘loca’. So I won’t. I will talk about how awesome Che Guevara’s house was and how I learned all about his life (and how to set off motion detectors).

Little Ernestito 'Che' Guevara's house is a pleasant walk (when wearing sensible clothes) from the center of the city and it’s kiiinda easy to pick out with the massive Argentinian and Chilean flag on the doorstep along with a poster and bronze statue of Che as a boy. Once inside, the entire house is a museum devoted to his life and childhood. As a young boy, Che's asthma was so serious his family packed up and moved to Alta Gracia, famous for it's dry, fresh air. You walk through his childhood home where each room has artifacts from various stages of his life; from when he was a baby to a revolutionary, with each room representing a time period. My favorite room was the first room with photos of Che as a small child and information about him as a student and young boy. I was a little skeptical of the books laid out to show what Che might have read as a boy considering all were stories like Robinson Crusoe or El Rey del Mar (King of the Sea). Ummm where are the Goodnight Moon or Berenstein Bear books? Did he really read these books at age 5? I guess that explains why his childhood home is a museum and the only revolutionary ideas from my childhood were how to convince my parents to get sugar cereal rather than plain shredded wheat.

Other rooms held items from his political career and his famous bike trips through Central and South America. When I walked into the room where his bike is displayed as well as the map showing the routes he took, I listened in on a guide giving a tour in Spanish and discussing Che's adventures to a few tourists. Leave it to me to make an casual situation and make it awkward by setting off the motion detectors! Next thing I know the alarm is going off, the guide is looking at me and I get an irritated look from the woman collecting tickets because did I mention that this was the 2nd time setting off the alarm? Ooops! How am I supposed to overhear and get a free tour when I can't lean in?

Che Guevara rode a bike like this all over Central and S.America

After leaving the museum and making a bathroom stop which turned out to be much more entertaining than finding a bathroom should ever be, we headed back into town to visit the Jesuit Monastary, a World Heritage site and also where the Jesuits who founded the city lived for centuries. They've done a great job trying to keep it intact and throughout the museum are many artifacts that help you to see what life must have been like in the 17th and 18th century, Alta Gracia.

Córdoba!

caitiegoddard — Mon, 4 Apr 2011 11:01:00 GMT

For 2 weeks in Buenos Aires I stayed in an apartment with about 8 other Spanish students from around the world. I loved meeting new people, listening to people speaking Portugese, Dutch, Serbian, and German and hearing about the differences and similarities between countries. Tons of perks when doing the hostal or residency thing abroad. The negative? With varying abilities of Spanish, almost all conversations were in English. Great practice if it’s not your native language but if it is, it’s hard to improve when you’re mastering what you’ve already erm…mastered. You also are with people who come and go and don’t get the personal feeling of a home or daily conversations about issues and problems that occur when you’re a local like oh, you know, “how to get out of the house after you’ve locked yourself in”. Wait, that’s just me? Enter my experience in Córdoba, my home for the next week and a half.

Settling in and feeling comfortable took all of 5 minutes when I met Yamil, my “hermanito” and self proclaimed best host ever (I won’t argue) Originally from Guatemala, he lives in the house along with his mother and sister and at various times up to 7 or 8 students studying Spanish or going to University in Córdoba. When I moved in, my “familia” consisted of 2 other American girls, a Brazilian, German, Colombian and the family-helloooo diversity! I was supposed to share a room but got lucky and had a whole room to myself which quickly looked like 2 people were occupying it once I did my “spread out all my stuff because we all know it’s easier to be organized when you can see every.single.thing you brought with you,” thing. It was great that they understood English but it was so nice to have native speakers to practice on at home!

Mi Profesor

I forgot to mention my grand entrance to the city: after deciding the best decision ever was to save a bit of money on accommodation AND not miss any Spanish school, I took an overnight bus from Iguazu to Córdoba (hello 22 hours of fun) that was supposed to leave at 10:30am on Tuesday and arrive at 8:30am Wednesday, perfect since Monday and Tuesday were off because of the Carnivale holiday- Great! My plan was to arrive, head to class for a few hours and then go home to a relaxing afternoon of relaxing and unpacking. Hah. Hahahahaha. I arrived after 10pm and then discovered that no country is remiss from the post vacation traffic nightmares. Wednesday ended the Carnivale holiday and every person living in Córdoba decided 10am was indeed the time to return to the city.

What I observed next of I can only refer to as organized chaos with a rapidly disappearing focus on the ‘organized.’ The line for a taxi had about 75-100 people complete with luggage, wrapped around the corner and into the station. What I initially thought were 2 workers tasked to help passengers hail a cab turned out to be 2 workers tasked with collecting your change. With taxis coming at a rate of 1/minute, it seemed obvious that one of these guys would head to the bottom of the ramp and start beckoning like a madman to the hundreds of passing taxis that “hey! We have enough business here to keep you busy for the entire day! Come visit!” This thought passed through my head for the next SEVENTY-FIVE minutes as I waited for a taxi. Had I been with someone else, I’ll be honest and say I would have ran like “that crazy American” down to the bottom of the drive and started flagging them myself. Unfortunately, the negative side to independent traveling is I wasn’t with someone and I had my massive backpack, small bag and overstuffed purse to keep me looking crazy enough.

And then, all cultural relating came to a standstill. I don’t think I will ever understand the concept of tipping someone who does exactly nothing to make your experience easier. When a taxi rolled up to drive me to the place I could have walked to in the same amount of time, these dudes held out their hands for a ‘propina.’ Why did I tip them you ask? Well besides one of them holding out his hand for a tip which would have made me extremely rude had I ignored the protruding hand into my personal space, they did hoist my bag into the trunk, the same bag I had been holding and lugging around for the last 75 minutes waiting to get a taxi. They also shut my door and then laboriously beckoned to the person behind me to step up for the next taxi. For those of you still waiting for an explanation I why I tipped them-yeah, so am I! But hey, I guess it’s the same for people when they come to the U.S and have been told to tip 15%, even when they think the service is awful, es la vida, no?

ANYWAYS, If you’re still with me (I’m done ranting I promise,) the rest of my day was fantastic; no more problems locking myself in, I met cool new people in my class, my new teacher was nice, and I went back to my temporary home and settled in. Córdoba looks promising!

(my new room!)

Iguazu Falls: Day 2

caitiegoddard — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:08:00 GMT

Day 2 in Iguazu and I’m finally going to see the falls! Rated in ANY guidebook as one of the top 10 waterfalls in the world and formerly in the running for the newly elected “modern 7 Wonders of the World,” Iguazu does not disappoint. In my opinion, Argentina has done an amazing job providing activities and excursions in the park without taking away from the natural beauty. With several kilometers of walkable paths (or you can elect to take a train,) you can cover most or all if you plan a day.

Arriving at the park, we had to pay about USD$25.00 for a park pass. I admit I did complain a bit when I saw the cost for residents (8 pesos) as opposed to the cost for foreigners (90 pesos) and then I stepped back and appreciated the gesture. It goes without saying that if you can afford to travel to a foreign country, you can probably afford at $25.00 entrance fee to one of the most outstanding natural wonders in the world. For those who live in Argentina and it’s their good fortune to have it in their backyard, they should absolutely receive a discount! It would be ridiculous for those living so close to be unable to afford to go to a site on their own land. My little tantrum finished, we got into the park and were ready to explore.

Even for the directionally challenged (mom, you’re still great) the park is easy to navigate. There are 2 main trails and one takes you to the upper falls while the lower is a circular walk and takes you down to the bottom. Of course we came to do both so after jaws dropped and I’m guessing over 2,000 photos snapped between us, we headed to the bottom half of the park where we were geared to take a boatride under the waterfalls!

The boatride costs a bit extra but if you go, I highly recommend it. You even get the bonus of the free shower that leaves you looking like this.

As for the falls themselves, I’m certainly not talented enough to do them justice. Hopefully a few pictures and seeing them yourself will make it easy to see why I definitely think this is a Must-Do in Argentina!

What to Do at Iguazu...When You're an American

caitiegoddard — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:03:00 GMT

Brazil rejected me. No nice words, no attempt to make it work, just a solid rejection. Arriving in Iguazu during the holiday weekend means if you don’t plan beforehand and you are American, Canadian, Australian or Japanese, you are not going to get the chance to go across the border and see the falls from the Brazilian side. So what are the options? A half-day excursion including rappelling and hiking on the Argentinian side for a reasonable price or a 5-minute walk to the animal sanctuary. My choice was immediately head out to rappel (something I've never done!) but apparently quite a few other people had the same idea. Unfortunately, the brochure I show in the video is as close as I got to that excursion! What I did get to do was head to the animal sanctuary for a 1.5 hour tour of birds. BIRDS. That may or may not excite you but for me, that is as exciting as someone telling me I can have 2 tasteless airplane bread rolls instead of one; hardly thrilling. As an American, I need a Visa to get across the border and I have to pay for it. Fortunately for my friends who are Norwegian and Korean, they had no problems and after very sweetly worrying about me and wondering if they should still go, I forced them to leave noting if I were them, I would definitely go! I headed down the road from our hostal to the petstore, I mean sanctuary. Every 30 minutes to an hour there is a tour in Spanish and English and so I waited for the next one. Our tourguide was a really nice woman who spoke Spanish as if she didn’t speak fast enough, the animals might escape. I tried to keep up but mostly waited for her English explanations which went something like this:

(Long Spanish explanation rapid-fire)

-“Sorry guys, my English is not great and I could tell you many things but there isn’t time so see all these birds? I will tell you about one of them.” (interesting 2 sentence explanation) “ok we go now. Follow me”

This just didn’t do it for me and I grew bitter that because the U.S.A is so demanding at their borders, payback by the S.Americans meant I was stuck staring at unidentified birds and steering clear of spiders the size of golfballs. So because I like to find a positive in everything, I went with the fact that I learned a great lesson: you usually can get away with planning trips on a whim but when it comes to visiting other countries, plan ahead! That or marry a foreigner from somewhere like Norway where everyone loves you and get dual citizenship. Whatever way works for you!

(This bird looks as confused as I was)

How to Make a Bus Trip Memorable

caitiegoddard — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:31:00 GMT

Leaving Buenos Aires was tough; the city is massive and I could have easily spent another 2 weeks exploring it and trying to get to everything I wanted. I had heard about Iguazu Falls from my roommates who went and highly recommended it so when I heard there was a 4 day holiday weekend and most things would be shut anyways, I decided to go! As much as I don’t mind traveling alone, it’s so nice to have friends on trips with you when you go sightseeing. Not only is it nice to have company, everything from accommodation to simple things like taking pictures becomes so much easier! Luckily for me, the day before leaving I noticed a sign on the board at school from Linn, a girl interested in going to Iguazu for the weekend and looking for others interested! This sounds made up but while reading it I noticed she mentioned if anyone was interested, to come talk to her AT THAT VERY MOMENT. Destiny, thank you again! 10 minutes later, I had 3 new friends coming with me to Iguazu and although Linn was the youngest of the 4 of us, she happened to be the most organized and before I left, she had worked out our accommodation, got on the same bus as me, and arranged a time to meet. I couldn’t have asked for it to be easier and almost felt like I should give her a commission!

Here is the thing about Argentina: it’s massive. It’s long, it’s wide, and everything is spaced out. As a non-resident, they also don’t make it easy to fly sometimes charging over double the price it would cost if you were a resident! The only way we were getting there was by bus and this meant almost 20 hours staring out of a partially curtained window at small towns and fields. When you take a long bus trip, you have a few options including a seat that is semi-cama (half bed) or cama (bed). I decided to brave it and go semi-cama to save some cash and I’m glad I did! You get to partially lay down and it really isn’t too bad, much more comfortable than an airplane seat, unless you’re in first class but let’s be honest, I could stay in a first class seat for days and feel great about life so that doesn’t really count as a comparison.

The bus ride went smoothly besides that it was 45 minutes late (is there any other way in Argentina?) and we arrived about 1.5 hours after we were supposed to, but still early enough to have a day ahead of us. The only unsmooth thing on the bus was, not surprisingly, me. I speak Spanish, I’ve been on long bus rides (college basketball days had a few classics) and I’m a smart person but leave it to me to make it awkward!

A few hours into the trip I went to the bottom level to use the only bathroom on the bus. You can’t tell if anyone is inside so I knocked and tried to open the door. It remained closed so I leaned next to the bus door and waited. I started getting concerned about 15 minutes into it and figured the person inside might have a friend so I kept peeking around the corner so everyone would know I was waiting, hoping someone would come check on whoever was inside. This is the point where patience should have given way to concern, frustration, anything really but for some reason I was feeling the love and just decided to wait it out. Another 10 minutes went by and the 2^nd bus driver came down. He looked at me a bit strangely (I think he had seen me go down over 30 minutes before) and asked me if I needed help. I hope he meant on the bus and not in a mental capacity but either way, I explained I was waiting for the bathroom. Keep in mind, this can be heard by everyone in the lower level so I just politely say I think someone is not feeling well. He peeked past me at all the passengers sitting down and then tugged hard at the door. No one, I repeat, no one was inside. I felt like the biggest idiot. I’m pretty sure he said “pobrecita” which basically means, “aw you poor thing,” laughed, and walked back up the stairs. When I came back out, I was too embarrassed to look at anyone on the bus but I’m pretty sure I heard someone clap.

Iguazu, you BETTER BE AWESOME!

Sunday in San Telmo

caitiegoddard — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:37:00 GMT

Sundays in Buenos Aires paint a stark contrast of activities, or lack thereof: while stores open late or not at all and unlike the rest of the week, the streets are quiet and empty, the markets of the city are packed to capacity. It's like the entire city agreed there is only a few places people are allowed to congregate Welcome to the San Telmo Market!

The San Telmo Market is a must-do while in Buenos Aires but it's important to know San Telmo, like many markets, is only open Sunday! Guessing conservatively, the market takes up 6-8 blocks of cobbled streets where on each side, vendors sell everything from jewelry to hand-painted signs to sponge puppets (seen first-hand).

Another bonus is the live and oftentimes unexpected entertainment. A lot of busking occurs and I witnessed a parade of musicians and dancers that took over the street as well as a belly dancing show. Along with the impromptu performances are ones seen weekly including a tango show in La Plaza Dorrega (the video shows what I got to see!)

I did the market properly and spent at least 5 hours exploring the streets. Full disclosure: I did stop when I found a sushi restaurant and at the time rationalized that I had had a tough day (uh, really?) and deserved a break. Thirty minutes and one amazing roll later, my life was complete and I went back to exploring.

Roughly 7 hours after starting, I made it back to my house with a few purchases- a techno tango cd called "Tanghetto"(when in Rome...) a beautiful bracelet and a mate cup (see my first experience tasting this "delicious" beverage here). Dropping about USD$20.00, I was satisfied and thus finished my Buenos Aires "shopping spree"

Exploring Recoleta and Envying the Dead

caitiegoddard — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:25:00 GMT

Friday! Although not nearly as exciting to state as it usually is (I love Spanish classes, even though by the video, I have lots to work on!) it was still nice to know I had the whole weekend to do whatever I wanted. With no tango class on Fridays, I went with Lotje and Bibi for their last full day in Buenos Aires to the famous Cafe Tortoni, the oldest restaurant in Argentina. Located in El Microcentro, the restaurant is a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. A doorman greets you andwelcomes you in by opening a massive door that leads into what could be an immaculate reception area of a theatre. High ceilings and beautiful photos indicate this place is fancy, and the prices confirm it! Sitting down for a cafe con leche and sandwich, I noticed that all the options had jamon (ham). I asked the waiter if it would be possible to just get the fillings (tomato, cheese and peppers) and make a sandwich out of it. The menu is in both English and French but for some reason they listed "peppers" only in English. I completely blanked on the Spanish word (ugh...pimiento!) and tried to describe it. Nodding enthusiastically, the waiter went to convey the order for a condiment sandwich. Returning, I realized the importance of mastering the vocabulary when somehow peppers turned into peas. I had cheese, tomatos and peas in french bread. I'm sorry vegetarians, I totally let you down on this one! I can't even imagine what the waiter must think of what he believes I actually requested be put in a sandwich.

One unusual condiment sandwich and very strong coffee later, I decided to head to a "must-see" spot in Buenos Aires, the Cementerio de Recoleta located where the name suggests, in the posh neighborhood of Recoleta. Arriving, I immediately realized why it's a must-see; I have never seen any cemetery come close to making the dead seem so classy. With some family tombs larger than a small house, I literally walked around with my mouth open. Row after row of incredible monuments were decorated with adornments I would expect to find on the fanciest of European churches. If this was the memorial for someone who can't even appreciate it, can you imagine the lifestyle they led while alive? The highlight was of course, finding Eva Peron's grave. Unfortunately, as important and famous as many of the dead were, I do not know enough about Argentinian history to appreciate them and spent more time thinking how if I were 10, this would be the mecca for hide-and-go-seekers. I had, however, done a little research before I came on Eva Peron (and by research, I read the paragraph insert in my Lonely Planet guide) and so really enjoyed finding where she was buried. She had a very intense and short-lived life and here are the interesting bits:

Making the most of my time in Recoleta, I headed to the beautiful church adjacent to thecemetery and then the Cultural Center where I oddly saw clowns practicing and later performing outside of the Center.

My last stop before heading home was El Ateneo Grand Splendid, ranked one of the top 10 bookstores in the world. It's set inside an old theatre where Carlos Gardel, arguably Argentina's most iconic tango legend, used to sing. I love bookstores (not that you're interested but I'm devastated Borders filed Chapter 11) and I love to read so I was probably more enthusiastic than the average tourist. The place did not disappoint, it's exceptional! The best part is the cafe is on the stage so you can order a coffee, wine, or even lunch and relax in a comfortable chair while checking out your purchases.

Igot back to my apartment at 9:00, just in time to get ready to go to dinner at Pertutti, a restaurant with amazing appetizers including ham and cheese sandwiches the size of abottle top, empanadas and garlic bread. Our "nations of the world" group consisting of Dutch, Brazilian, Serbian, Brit and American diners perfected the Argentinian dining experience and left the restaurant at the prompt time of 1:15am, just in time to head to the nightclub Rumi, opening at 1:30.

My first experience of an Argentinian "Boliche," was that a lot of things were incredibly similar to any club in the U.S or New Zealand (except in New Zealand if you had that many people in one place there wouldn't be any left for the rest of the country!) There were, however, a few interesting differences. The first obvious one is that Rumi, like mostclubs in Buenos Aires, does not open until many bars are announcing last call in America. The most interesting difference I noticed was the music. It started off with at least 50-75% of the songs coming from the U.S (although to be fair, I think it was Michael Jackson night so that upped the percentage). It was exciting that I actually knew the words and was familiar with the songs until...no. No they are not playing YMCA at 3am in a club. A popular club. A club people elected to go to, excitedly. Even more shocking, everyone went nuts. Well, nearly everyone. I can accurately and truthfully state I was so aware of the people who looked uncomfortably confused because I too, was looking around the room wondering what was going on and caught several bewildered looks. Aside from pointing out any adult male in a baseball cap, it was the easiest way I've ever been able to "spot an American" in my life. It might have been the hit of the night and the Y, M, C and A and have never been clearly demonstrated. It was a moment I should have put on video but forgive me, I never fully recovered.

Am I an Artist?

caitiegoddard — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:37:00 GMT

After an amazing day at the cemetery (that sounds so strange but my last post hopefully shows WHY it was so amazing!) I decided to visit the Centro Cultural Recoleta, an exhibition and cultural events center which also houses sculptures, paintings and concerts. I really went there because it was in my handy Lonely Planet guide to Buenos Aires and the blurb given to the Center sounded pretty interesting.

Now, for anyone who knows me, I'm clearly not your "artsy friend" with an www.etsy.com account and an easel and paintbrushes decorating a corner of my room. No, I am the friend who uses putty to post up pictures around her room of friends and family and I kid you not, bought construction paper to make cut out hearts and bubble letters thinking that was artistic and would give my room some "ambience." Oh my god, even writing that I cringe. THIS WAS LAST YEAR. Off the topic of the museum but WHAT? What was I thinking? How did my flatmates not intervene? I am just now thinking of what my most artistic and incredibly talented friend Kathryn must have thought. She was IN one of those pictures! She CAME to visit! How are we still friends?

Now that I've vented, you have the clear idea that I'm no critic and if you know the difference between mauve and burnt amber I'm already totally impressed with your abilities. This, however, seems to be my problem (back to the actual topic, sorry!) Entering the Center the first room I came to I was pumped; I saw the picture below and several others that impressed me and enjoyed reading about some of the artists and titles of their pieces, which a lot of times can reveal a lot about the artist and their work.

But then I walked a bit farther and entered into what I can only refer to as a "more modern than I can understand" art room. It doesn't take much to impress me I thought and yet here I was in a beautiful and important art museum/cultural center and all I could think was, "I could have made this! In fact, I did make this when doing a paper mache collage in kindergarten! Maybe you won't be as stunned as I was over the erm...complexity of the pieces and if that's the case, I would truly and genuinely love to discuss it with you because I really do want to understand and appreciate the mystery of art. I also would appreciate someone, anyone really, who feels the same way as I do to let me know! I promise I won't reveal your less than high-end artistic doubts and perhaps we can discuss my hypothesis that a lot of people pretend they get it, just like a lot of people pretend they can tell the exact region wine comes from when in a taste test, they really only get the "red or white" question correct!

I'll leave you with my 2 favorite, "Is this art or is this my kindergarten memory box" favorites. :)

The Ideal Night to Hit the City is...Wednesday?

caitiegoddard — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT

The week is flying by and it's already Thursday! I had my first nightlife experience in BA and went to the amazing restaurant/bar, Milion (check out the website and turn up your speakers, the site has some amazing music! I'm actually listening to the music from their site while typing this) The building is a restored mansion in the nice barrio of Recoletos and when you walk into the back, you step into a courtyard with a grand-staircase leading to to the upper-level bar. I was there for my roommate Bibi's birthday along with our diverse group including 12 people from Holland, a Brazilian, a Serbian, 2 Brits and an me, the lonesome American :) We were joined by several Argentinians and Brazilians that were friends of Bibi and Lotje throughout their time in Buenos Aires. The place is amazing and the ideal bar to try a new cocktail (their drink menu is bigger than the actual menu!) Like all good restaurants, the place didn't get too busy until 11:00pm and by close, it was packed! This is one place I would put on a "definitely visit" list when coming to the city and want a nice place for a drink before a night out! At 2:00 I headed back to the apartment since unlike most of those attending, I had the intention of heading to class in the morning! Those that stayed out went to Asia de Cuba, a nightclub they all highly recommend and a top spot in Lonely Planet, the tourist Bible.

Getting back "early" paid off since no one else showed up for the first 2 hours of my class and I essentially had a private lesson. Classes have made me realize how much my grammar needs to improve; I definitely regret not taking spanish in school or keeping up with my few years of French! My newest exciting find in the city is the vegetarian buffet on the same street as my school on Calle Suipacha. You have at least 20 options including a salad and fruit bar, empanadas, tofu and noodles prepared in a myriad of ways and a few things I couldn't quite identify but looked good! You grab a plastic container and just attack the tables. The most I've paid is 13 pesos ($3.25) and that's for a fair amount of food!

After school I went with Maude, a British student I also live with to an orphanage her College partners with on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Last year Maude came with a dozen classmates and helped rebuild, paint and plaster a new building to house more children as well as completed several other projects. She wanted to go back with a few gifts (they made calendars for the kids using pictures from their time there, so cute!) and I thought it'd be great to go along and check out. Not exactly realizing how far away it was, a 5 minute Subte ride, 45 minute train ride, 15 minute bus ride and 10 minute walk later, we arrive at Hogar El Alba, an absolutely gorgeous orphanage. They have goats, cows, dogs and lots of land for the kids to play. All the staff we talked with were incredible and the kids were great-almost all of them remember Maude and were genuinely excited to see her. I happened to notice some kids playing basketball so for the next 30 minutes I played the Argentinian version of 'twenty-one' and after learning the rules which tended to change a little depending on the score, I managed to dominate. Don't let former athletes tell you otherwise; if it's been awhile since you played, it's a rush to beat someone less than half you age...

A few games later and my dignity restored, Maude said a few more goodbyes and we headed out. I was really glad I went and with no more than a brief first impression, I was impressed with the kids and the facility. Maude mentioned that all the kids are trained in certain skills (working with the animals, sewing, carpentry, etc) so they can support themselves when they become adults. To me, that's essential or the result is simply another person who is dependent on handouts and aid as an adult through no fault of their own. The relationship with outside schools and organizations Hogar el Alba has also gives it a huge step-up with others invested and interested in the welfare of the children and I'm sure many, and hopefully all of them will go on to be independent and educated adults!

The Key to a Feminine Tango: A Good Headroll

caitiegoddard — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:06:00 GMT

It's already day 2 of classes and I'm loving it; I'm regaining confidence with my spanish although still really struggling with the accent! I'm in a class with 2 Brazilians and 2 Dutch students and love hearing more about totally different parts of the world. I have classes from 9am-2pm with a few breaks in between and then from 2-4:00...tango!

My tango class consists of 3 Brazilian girls (over half the students in the school are from Brazil) and one American woman on hiatus for a year. She teaches high school spanish in St. Louis and is enjoying the opportunity to improve her own spanish as well as taking a well deserved break. I had another "small world" moment when she told me she has a kiwi boyfriend, has lived in Madrid, and is from the U.S. Weeiiird!

Our teacher is also a female so for the students, I believe this passionate dance is missing a little of...the passion-where are the dudes?! At least we are definitely learning! In our first class on Monday we started with stretching. I swear we stretched more than I ever have when going out for a run or playing basketball. I didn't exactly see the purpose of 10 minutes of head rolls and "reaching for the sky" but I'll tell you what, that was absolutely the most confident 10 minutes of my time in class so I am now an incredibly enthusiastic stretcher! After stretching we moved on to some more difficult moves (I guess I can say that, what's not more difficult than stretching?) After having to practice even the simplest things several times, I really appreciate the professionals. You know that quote, "dance like nobody's watching?" I repeated that to myself several times and hopefully no one was, poor things!

After class we went for a little cultural outing to La Boca (the mouth), a barrio, or neighborhood in Buenos Aires. La Boca is famous for it’s live tango performances that take place in the streets as well as performances in various restaurants where patrons can take in a show while eating. It's extremely touristy with every shop selling trinkets and souvenirs but very cool nonetheless. There are two main streets housing most of the activity and both are gorgeous to look at. In Caminito, splashes of bright color decorate every wall and most building have a different color for every side of the house. At the beginning of the street are heaps of vendors selling all things tango and men ready to charge you to stick your head in a cut-out similar to the ones at any amusement park. Not only can you stick your head in a hole, take a snapshot and send it to your parents (they will totally believe that it’s you!) but you can elect to dress-up and take seductive tango pictures with actual dancers so when you go home, you can brag about your "casual day of tango in the streets." Had I not mentioned it in this blog, a picture of me casually dancing the tango would have found it’s way to quite a few of your homes. You’ll have to settle for a personal lesson of head rolling and reach for the skys instead. With those, I’m kind of amazing.

Photos: Buenos Aires!

caitiegoddard — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:43:00 GMT

After winning the trip of a lifetime from World Nomads, Airtreks, and GoLearnTo.com, I'm spending 2 weeks in Argentina taking tango class and spanish lessons and disfrutando mi vida!

First Day in Buenos Aires; Vamos!

caitiegoddard — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:39:00 GMT

I promised to write a blog of my trip to Argentina but haven't started because in all honesty, I had a hard time believing I was really going! Winning the World Nomads 'Terrifying Travel Tales' competition was unreal. I had this thought in the back of my head that I didn't want to get disappointed if it didn't happen so it's taken me this long to really get into the Latin spirit!

As soon as I got on the plane in Auckland, NZ for a direct flight to Buenos Aires, I got into the spirit. I settled down to read my last kiwi newspaper until I return but decided I'd check out the in-flight magazine instead when a headline story read, "Parrot Saved by Firemen." Uh...yep. I decided to focus on practicing my spanish and was ready to pull out my best attempt when selecting my decadent tinfoil surprise (otherwise known as dinner) until I heard this: posho o penne?" Ok so penne is pasta and posho? The same posho I ate for 9 weeks in Uganda that looks like mashed potatos at first glance but is so, so very not? I'll be real honest. I actually felt a bit nervous. Luckily, I remembered that in Argentina, the pronunciation is quite different and what she had said was "pollo" (pronounced 'poyo') which is chicken. Yes please!

That sounded like a good choice until the flight attendant asked me my name and proceeded to inform me I was getting a special meal. I’m all for vegetarian selections but somehow I got listed as what I assume must have been the meal for anyone who lives in a bubble and is allergic to all food elements. No spice, no milk, no butter, no seasoning. I ate lentils with a piece of tofu the size of a postage stamp and some breaded balls (gluten free I’m sure!) that tasted a bit like stuffing without the flavor. Dessert was berries stuck inside clear…jello? Anyways, it was a unique experience and made me sympathize with those who have food allergies. I will never roll my eyes again when someone at a restaurant orders a meal and then changes every item on it to fit a dietary need.

Arriving at my hostal I found out I was staying this week in a room with 2 girls from Holland, Latje and Bibi. They are 19,interesting, fun and great roommates! In my experience people from Europe tend to be a bit more mature at a younger age and these awesome ladies are no exception! They invited me to go with them to a jazz concert at the creatively named, "Jazz & Pop Club." My plans to be in bed at 10 quickly changed to, “ok I’ll come with you! 11pm we leave? Yeah, totally cool, I won’t be tired at all.” Right.

Although entering after 11:00, aside from the staff, we might have been the only customers in the bar! Walking down the stairs, we came into a long room that holds several round tables, an empty space for musicians and at the end of the room, an elevated bar. Dimly lit lighting allows patrons to see posters of jazz greats on the walls and when there is no live music, a tv on the wall plays famous songs from the 50's and 60's. We sat down and I wasn't expecting much, especially when 3 men aged 65+ jumped up to play. Hmmm...thinking back, "jumped" may not be the appropriate word. Let's say these men made it up (that fits) to the stage and started tuning up. Within 5 minutes, I wanted to take back any thought I ever had that people over a certain age can't be, well, awesome. These guys ROCKED. OUT. Although all of them brought their own flair and I appreciated the well-combed vibrant pony-tail of the keyboardist, I have to say the drummer was my favorite for his energy as well as his cut-off jean shorts. Yes, cut-off jean shorts and yes he wore them like a rockstar.

After listening for a few minutes, I felt like I had been let in on a secret. Clearly this was not a tourist spot and at first glance, it didn't appear the locals knew it existed either! They were incredibly talented and I could not believe I got to hear it for free. About 30 minutes later I realized that people did know it existed and the place began to fill. It was interesting to see that about every half hour, the average age in the bar decreased by about a decade so that by the time we left at 1am, we were listening to musicians in their 20's and 30's and they even threw in a singer (who doesn't speak great English but you would never know by his incredible voice) and a saxaphonist.

What a great way to start my trip! Hasta Mañana!

Photos: Uganda; The Pearl of Africa

caitiegoddard — Wed, 7 Oct 2009 08:18:00 GMT

I spoke Luganda while living in the kingdom of Buganda in Uganda. You figure it out.