Thanksado

I didn't realize how much I'd miss Thanksgiving (usually one of my most dismissable holidays); I really want to be with the babe, though, and eating M&Ms and chatting with my fam and maybe even wearing a sweater. On the bright side, I'm working tomorrow (8 hours serving a Thanksgiving dinner at an American bar; I get to keep tips and have yet to find a job teaching, so I'll take what I can get) and then we're having a Thanksado! Garlic bread, mashed potatoes, and carne carne carne (polvo, or turkey, is scarce here, but beef is plentiful) -- a less traditional holiday meal (especially since it's humid as hell and supposed to be 85 degrees tomorrow) complimented by oh-so-traditional Malbec. I might go to the kiosko and buy some M&Ms for myself, too.

This is actually asado number three of the week, we had one Tuesday, and didn't finish the meat so had another tonight. I really think it may do me in. I'm going to be 10 pounds heavier and 15 years closer to my first heart attack by the end of this week. I give thanks that I am living all my meat-eating dreams.

Thanksado pics on Friday? Hopefully a positive job update?

Leonitas, or Another Animal Post

One of the great things about South America is the complete lack of red tape on things that are very heavily restricted in the U.S. Like holding recently-born tiger and lion cubs AKA how I spent my Thursday.

It was Justine's friend Shane's last day (literally, he caught a flight to America 11pm, after being here for three months), and he had heard from a friend who had heard from a friend about this bomb zoo that allows you to pet the animals. Not just goats and ponies or whatever, but legit lions and tigers (bears only in my dreams). After a frustrating morning (slash week and a half) of job hunting, I went with them to this magical-sounding zoo yesterday afternoon.

Shane bought us a taxi for the whole day (he's actually the best, sad I met him only now), and we began a long trip (we drove 40 minutes, went to the wrong zoo, paid, got a refund, then drove 45 more minutes) through rural Argentina. The drive was actually another great part of the day; it's strange to think how much my(/so many people's) opinion of Argentina is based on the well-to-do, touristy areas of Buenos Aires -- comparable to foreigners thinking of America as the Upper East Side. We drove through outer outer suburbs of the city, where housing is probably a quarter of the price and it's safe to ride bikes and men sit in clumps on the corner and drink mate and chat.

ANYWAY, we finally got to Zoo de Lujan, this HUGE reserve, paid the $10 entrance fee, and chatted up the large cats man. He took us to see a tiger that had recently given birth -- then took one of the babies and gave it to us to cuddle. Actually the size of a kitten; it fell asleep in my arms.

The man then took us to a pen with two-month old lion cubs, (in which they also put puppies [for companionship/to assist in taming the cubs, I think]). After a minute of exclaiming outside the pen, he let us in to hold and pet and feed them. Yeah, hi:

fed 'em too

lions for everybody

oh hiii what's up

As I said, this zoo would be SO shut down in the states -- apparently it is hella contraversial worldwide (wonder why) but the employees were extremely nice and since we were more interested in holding/feeding the babies rather than the grown lions/tigers (which you can also do apparently) I didn't feel unsafe. The animals weren't drugged and seemed pretty well-cared for and content. Zoos by nature are problematic, and this one didn't seem any more so than any I've been to in the past -- just wayyy more awesome.

The park also had some elephants (though you couldn't get up close so not that different than a normal zoo), crazy tropical birds galore (toucans look fake up close), pumas, camels, monkeys (who shake yr hand if you let them) and BBBEARS. The bears were being moved as we left -- literally, bears just strolling on a leash right by us. More pictures:

ain't no thang after that horse

back when I was 9 and wanted a monkey for Christmas this would have been my dream

oh hey ossos

Mendozz Part III

A preface: I've never been a horse person. I never had that phase where I bought horse folders and wanted to go riding (at least not that I can remember). I avoid horses in much the same way I avoid dogs -- not only do they smell terrible (let's be honest here, they do) but there's so much that can go wrong on a horse. If, for example it gets spooked by something (let's say a snake, to make the scenario even more dramatic for me) and freaks out, I could not only be bucked off but also entangled in a stirrup or fallen upon. Not fun! Christopher Reeve!

This being known, it may come as a shock that on my third day in Mendoza I willingly and eagerly paid money for a guided horse tour. And it was totally awesome. We took a bus, then a van up through the Andes to a small stable in a small town. A cute little gaucho man designated horses for us, and we took a three hour horse ride through the mountains. LE-GIT.

It's me! No lie.

Having ridden a horse only once before, I found the first thirty minutes absolutely terrifying -- I freaked out when the horse moved its head after I first got on, I freaked out when the horse started walking into another horse, I FREAKED out when the horse started trotting down a steep incline. The gaucho guide kept saying "no fear, no fear" which I initially believed were kind words to calm me but realized was a strained warning not to spook the horse with my nervous yelps. A ways in, I grew used to the ride and was able to keep my composure up and down hills (though I was not going to risk taking a hand off the reins to take any photos, so the ones I have are from before/after/other people's cameras).

Tranka, Spanka, Jappa // my "no fear" face, obvi

My horse's name was Spanka (no joke); Becky's was Tranka, and Debbie's was Jappa. Garrett had the least-funnily named horse with Gaucho (which seemed to fit since he was the only one able to ride -- he actually got scolded a few times for galloping when the going speed was mine aka a concerted effort to move forward at all aka I was more cool with this than I should have been, plodding meant safe). The route was scenic to the point of ridiculousness. No but really look at this:


Anyway, when we got back to Mendoza we had four hours before our bus left, so we walked around the city. Mendoza has a park that's as large as the city proper, which we found comical, and an odd water drainage system that forms a moat on every block. It's a really cute place, and I'm looking into teaching English there (at the moment I'm looking into teaching English anywhere in the world, actually, but that's another post). On the way back we got a movie (!) and more packaged cookies (!!) aaaaaand a bus that was still 60 degrees in the middle of the night. Whatevz. Good weekend. Anybody who comes to visit we're GOING.

No but what if a kid falls in there? Why is it on underline?

SIDENOTE

The infamous Buenos Aires summer weather has arrived. It's been unbearably hot and sticky the last two days (bought a popsicle on the street today and I think it was actually the best thing I've ever eaten) and in the last hour an almost-biblical rainstorm has begun. Good thing applying for jobs requires me to be inside all day!

Mendozz Part II

We woke up for our second day in Mendoza to perfect weather. PER-FECT. Like 83 degrees and blue blue skies. While everybody else was still sleeping, I went for a little run through the streets of Mendoza -- HUGE difference from Buenos Aires; honestly, it felt more like running through Northfield. I saw maybe 20 people out and about, and when I needed to cross the street, no car tried to run me over. Glorious. The city is so so charming, and hitting it mid-springtime was perfect. Mendoza has like 8 plazas and a gigantic park (more about that tomorrow) with fountains and flowery trees, plus the gorgeous European architecture of Buenos Aires. (Plus a backdrop of the mountains.) I'm becoming increasingly in love with running as a way to see a city -- at the same time as exercising, I can really see the architecture and inhabitants of a place (fo free). Alllllll about multitasking.

After I got back and everyone had showered (and eaten the continental breakfast, which consisted of flaky bread, jam, and dulce de leche [really 'breakfast' in Argentina could be better classified as 'morning dessert']), we put on our swimsuits and boarded a 7.50 peso ($1.75) bus to a thermal spa an hour away, not sure what to expect but enjoying the idea of relaxing next to natural rock pools.

The therma park ended up far surpassing my expectations. Mendoza is a desert city, so the outer mountains are dry/rocky/orangeish/resemble my idea of New Mexico. Nestled into the canyons was this park with rock pools upon rock pools, a lazy river, waterfalls, flowers and cacti.
We sunbathed and swam in the cold water pools during the heat of the day, ate two dollar hamburgers and drank beer at lunch, then attempted to hike (though only Garrett's freakishly long legs could rock-hop across one creek, so the rest of us skipped rocks and chilled in the canyon). When it got colder in the evening, we sat in the hot pools (actually boiling) until it was time to catch the bus back. Had Mexican food for dinner (margs! they don't have margs anywhere here! though it felt like blasphemy to drink tequila in wine country) outdoors and chatted until bedtime.

ummmmmmm HI, actually paradise

Garrett crossed the rocks to the other side of the river like a champ.

And the rest of us just chilled in this canyon valley.

Every single one of us unintentially got sunburnt to the max -- my lips have been dry for 10 days now.

Tomorrow: horseback riding through the Andes -- alllmost too much for me to handle.

Mendozz

I realize that I haven't posted for two full weeks. I'll get better, I promise, starting with a three-part recap of my weekend getaway to the Dirty 'Doza! (aka Mendoza, and actually that's a misnomer because it's one of the cleanest, nicest cities I've ever visited).

Friday afternoon I finished my TEFL course, taught my last practice class, packed up my clothes and, in a sweaty flurry, hopped a 15-hour bus from the Buenos Aires Retiro bus station to Mendoza. I went with two girls from my house, Becky and Debbie (friends from Iowa / the rest of my midwest contingent) and Garrett, who grew up in Texas and is the most generous, curious, non-bro-like bro. Garrett brought three bottles of wine for the bus there (to get us in the Mendoza mood) and we made a shitshow by spilling the wine all over the seats/our clothes/the floor -- due not to intoxication, but rather a bumpy bus and "creative" bottle-opening methods resulting from lack of a corkscrew. The seats were roomier and more comfortable than airplane seats, though during the night I swear it couldn't have been more than 60 degrees on that bus. Mendoza's on the west side of the country (only like four hours from Chile) at the base of the Andes (heard of 'em?) so the last hour or so was made bearable by gawking at the mountains.

Taken from the bus; I have better pics but you have to wait until Days 2 and 3

We wasted no time after checking in at our hostel, and immediately left for Mendoza's infamous "bike and wine tour" -- basically for 25 pesos ($6), you're given a bike for the day and a map of 12 vineyards spread out in the town of Maipu (about 10 minutes from Mendoza, and the source of unabashed immature snickering "Maipu, el mejor lugar para vivir"). The vineyards all having tasting specials, ranging from free to 15 pes for 3 glasses. On the way, there's also an olive oil factory (FREE SAMPLES + BREAD) and a chocolate/liqueor house. What none of our predecessors told us is that the first and 11th vineyard are SEVEN MILES APART. We thought it'd be an ingenious plan to bike to the end and make our way back, but time (we started at 1pm and the vineyards close at 6:30) and the effort exerted to bike down miles of bumpy roads worked against us. The "bike" ended up outweighing the "wine," and in the end, we visited just three vineyards and the chocolate house. It felt like a go-see challenge on ANTM, in which we had to make a good impression at as many vineyards as possible but still make it back in time. A go-see challenge that gives the models a really sore butt at the end of the day.

So for future ref -- if you go to Mendoza and want to get drunk on the bike and wine tour, stay in a concentrated area of vineyards and start early in the morning. STILL, the sun was out all day, most of the bike ride was gorgeous, and we got a special tour of the processing area in one of the vineyards. We found out how they make Malbec (and Rose, did you know Rose just has less time with the skin? did you know I still don't remember how to make accent marks on the computer?).

Chock-full of vino tinto

Garrett leads the long ride home

I mean we did drink some wine.

We then went out to dinner at a parrilla (meat meat meat), had more wine, and chilled with other people from the hostel. Buenos Aires is all about "going out" all the time, and it was kind of nice to be in a city where things close at midnight and cars put less effort into running over pedestrians. The city has only about 150,000 people, so that's a BIT of a difference as well from BsAs's 13 mill.

Tomorrow: the most gorgeous hot springs you ever did see.