March 17, 2009

Back to Real Life

After three months away...I'm back home again. It seems like everything should of changed, but things are still the same. I miss traveling the Gringo Trail, but it's still good to be back. I desperately need to do laundry.

It feels strange being behind the wheel again. Driving. Filling my car with gas--all these mundane things that I never thought about while on the road and traveling dirty-backpacker-style. I need to go for a drive and think.

I catch myself slipping in a "gracias" to the clerk when he hands me my change. Things are a little different, but I think it's me who's changed.

March 15, 2009

Art for Peace: United Buddy Bears

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We have to get to know each other better, it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully


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We stumbled upon an art exhibit in the middle of one of the open-air plazas of Buenos Aires, Plaza San Martin.  It was hard to miss the colorful, life-size, fiberglass bears all lined in a circular row.  I love the idea of art with a social message.  

The United Buddy Bears, are a traveling world exhibit intended to promote world peace, understanding, and tolerance.  Each of the bears is uniquely designed by an artist from one of the 140 countries recognized by the United Nations.  The bears started their world tour in 2002 in Berlin, and since then have made their rounds to 17 international cities, with the latest being Astana, Kazakhstan.  


The bears are always arranged in a circle to look like they're holding hands.  Too bad peace and cultural acceptance isn't this easy in real life...  


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March 12, 2009

Bikes and Wine

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Wine tasting on bikes--what a novel concept!  The town of Mendoza is outfitted perfectly for this activity.  Timmy and I rented bikes for the day from Mr. Hugo's Bike Shop.  It's 50 Argentine pesos for the day, which gets you a map of the wine route and the use of a rickety old bike.  

The late start had us determined to see as many vineyards and do as many tastings as time would allow. We stopped at a food and liquor tasting first, then it was on to the vineyards.  We toured a working vineyard and got to see some of the inner workings of the wine making process.  Then we sampled many glasses of good Argentine wine.  I lost count as the distinctions of each place seemed to blur together past the bucolic scenery. 

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The police in Mendoza are very tourist friendly.  Since wine tasting on bikes is such a common activity, they patrol the area looking for wine tasters that have had a few glasses too many, and offer rides to the riders and their bicycles.  When Timmy and I had trouble finding one of the vineyards, a police officer on a motorcycle offered his help.  He ended up giving us a police escort--leading the way on his motorcycle in slow speed so that our bikes could follow--right up to the front doors of the wine tasting room!

At our second to last stop we met Wally, a crazy, fun-loving Canadian from the Yukon.  It was clear Wally came to Mendoza with two goals: to get a tan and to get as drunk as possible while still retaining the ability to ride a bike.  Wally turned everything into a big party.  We joined him and the two girls from New Zealand, shared a bottle or two at the next stop, and marveled at the view of the sun-drenched vineyards from the patio.

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Wanting to savor the moment, we lingered a little too long at the last place, and had to race back to return our bikes to Mr. Hugo's on time.  When we got there, Mr. Hugo was throwing a party of his own for all the people who had rented bikes from him.  We sat in his yard, talking, laughing, and drinking some cheap table wine supplied by Mr. Hugo who made everyone feel like family. 

March 3, 2009

San Telmo Sunday Market

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I'm back in BA--and at the right time--just in time to see the streets come alive for the Sunday Market in San Telmo. The streets are littered with blankets of rasta jewelry for sale, food vendors selling baked bread, mate, and fresh squeezed juice, and an antiques market in the public square selling everything from old buttons to chandeliers. Beautiful music floods the streets and tango dancers perform for the crowds. There are enough street performers to make Venice Beach seem like a sideshow.

I can't help but smile, getting swept up in the festive mood of San Telmo. This is the Buenos Aires that I've been waiting to see!



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I try to navigate the busy streets with the Australian girl I just met, and we go in search of the fresh fruit stalls. The only thing that could interupt the festivities of the day is bad weather. It starts to pour and we duck into the antiques market to wait out the storm. The tables get folded up, the blankets of jewerly wrapped up, the musicians begin to pack up their instruments, people start scatter like ants--And just like that, the party disappears.

When it rains in Buenos Aires, it really pours! I'm kind of disappointed, but at least I still got to catch a glimpse. Maybe when the rain calms down, I'll get off the computer, and take another look around.

March 2, 2009

Montevideo, Uruguay

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I packed my small daypack and took a three-hour bus from Colonia to Montevideo whose crowded urban sprawl is such a dramatic change from the quiet life in little Colonia. I fall asleep on the bus, and suddenly I'm surrounded by the noise of traffic and car horns. Montevideo's terminal surprises me--it's one of the biggest bus stations I've ever seen (it's also connected to a huge shopping mall).

I head over to the tourist information area, and ask the lady what I can see in Montevideo in ten hours. She starts circling things on the map, telling me excitedly about the big modern shopping mall they have on the edge of the city. She starts rattling off expensive Western brands, and hands me back the map.  I thank her, and smile politely, hoping that it conceals my disappointment.  I didn't come all the way to Uruguay just to shop at stores we have back home.  Instead, I opt to do some exploring on my own.

I exit the station and look around for the intercity buses. I spot one that is marked "Ciudad Viejo." Sounds interesting.  I hop on the bus and hope it will take me somewhere that isn't a mall. As we pull away from the station, the big windows pass views of skyscrapers, old stone buildings, and street markets.  I have no idea where I'm going or where I'll end up, but I'm excited!



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March 1, 2009

Colonia de Sacramento

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A short ferry ride from Buenos Aires (1-3 hours) will take you into Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay. Colonia is a charming little Portugese town officially declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The cobblestoned streets, fortified walls, and old churches make it seem like you have stepped back in time. There are no traffic signals or stoplights in town. The pace of life is relaxed and mellow--a world away from the chaotic movement of Buenos Aires or even Montevideo, Urugauy's busy capital city.



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