Uruguay, Tango, and Finally Fútbol

So I haven’t really posted in a while.  This isn’t due to a lack of blog-worthy adventures, but rather to too many.  The past two weeks, I’ve been working on a documentary, leaving me little time to eat, sleep, or blog.  But I have found opportunities for exciting experiences, even if I shuffled through them like a baggy-eyed zombie.

The first note-worthy trip was my day excursion to Colonia, Uruguay.  Only an hour away by ferry, the small, traditional town was beckoning, partly for its quaint sights, and partly for that one more passport stamp.  The town was gorgeous: cobbled streets gave rise to colorful buildings and curving, iron streetlamps.  Old-fashioned cars gleamed outside of umbrella-bedecked cafés.  There wasn’t a hwole lot to do other than wander through the artesian shops offering alfajores, jams, and typical souvenirs.  We tasted the typical Uruguayan “chivito” which was like the Big Mac of South American sandwiches, donning a fried egg, beef, ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Other than that, we made our way to the beach to relax for a bit before a stop for sweets and the return ride home on the “Buquebus” (boatbus).

The following weekend, I made an effort to see and do all the things I hadn’t gotten around to in my four months here.  I went to a peña, a venue where you can watch traditional Argentine music while sitting around a table with a bottle of “vino” (wine).  We even joined in the dancing, though we looked ridiculous, as we definitely did not know the steps to the folkloric dances.  The following night I actually went to a tango class.  It was a lot of fun meeting different dance partners and practicing my Spanish, but  got a little bored with the basic step, which is all we learned.

Sunday night was probably the most exciting.  A friend and I made a spontaneous trip to the somewhat-sketchy neighborhood of La Boca to see a Boca Junior “fútbol” (soccer) game. Argentina is crazy about its soccer, so going to a game is a must. Cops armored for battle lined the streets, alongside vendors hoping to peddle blue and yellow everything to all-to-eager tourists.  We were tricked by a scalper (yes, we got there too late to buy tickets from the legitimate venders), and ended up paying the price for real seats when we our tickets actually placed us in the “populares.”  This section is notorious for to-be-avoided-unruliness, as the rowdy mob turns dangerous on a regular basis.  We weaved our way through the festively-dressed crowd (of mostly men) and found a spot completely clear of fans.  It’s dumb now looking back on it, but we eagerly snatched our bit of open concrete and planted our feet there.  We didn’t realize why this area had been left unoccupied until sticky gobs splattered on our heads.  We nervously looked upward and realized the edge of the upper section, which housed the opposing team, ended directly above us.  Soon, bags of what I suspect was pee sailed over the edge, followed by beverages and an assortment of unidentifiable objects.  My friend and I shoved our way upward, under the protection of the balcony, though this was no easy task.  Despite the unanticipated deluge, the game was ridiculously fun.  The fans never stopped singing, hopping from one chant to the next, all the while jumping and shaking their fists with unparalleled zeal.  Boca won with four goals that inspired absolute chaos, and we joined in the fervor, chanting what we knew: “Dale Bo… Dale Boca…”

Bogged down…

This last week has been pretty stressful and I haven’t really been taking advantage of the fact that I’m in Buenos Aires.  Overwhelmed with finals, projects, and papers, I haven’t really left my room other than for classes or meals.  As I’m approaching the end of my time abroad, I’m filled with a mixture of excitement to be home and sadness that my great adventure will be over.  I have experienced so much, but there are still some things I want to do.  I still haven’t gone to a tango show!

Probably the most burdensome of all is the documentary I’m working on for a class.  It isn’t getting a good grade that is motivating me to put in tons of time on the project; it is that I actually do care.  I want it to turn out well, and that means tons of hours of filming and watching footage.  What has been frustrating is that we have to share the cameras with other groups who have been making it really hard for us to get our work done.

Other than that, I had a little issue with the laundry place refusing to give me my clothing without a ticket (I swear they never gave me one!) and problems with class registration back at Northwestern.  But now that I do have clothing and classes, I hope to enjoy my last two weeks worry free!

March of the Tourists

Thursday afternoon, my friends and I boarded an 18-hour-bus to northern Patagonia. Well, almost all of us did. Frances, however, missed the bus, and had to hire a taxi to race it to the next stop, where she arrived with only seconds to spare. It was a tense moment, and we were prepared to break out some stalling tactics.

When we finally arrived in Puerto Madryn, we checked into our cozy hostel room, which we shared with a Scottish traveler. The five of us Americans rented a car (don’t tell our program), picked up some delicious empanadas, and made way for Punta Tombo, the domain of the penguins. I had expected them to be clustered in a large mass of black and white, but the small creatures wandered the dusty landscape solo. Many were tucked away in dirt holes, incubating eggs that are soon to be hatched. It was incredible how comfortable they were with the fascinated humans chasing them with flashing cameras. They wobbled along, seemingly disinterested in our excited behavior. It was something I’d never expected to see, and the gorgeous seaside location only made it all the more enjoyable.

The following day, we rose bright and early for an all-day tour of Peninsula Valdez. We stopped at different spots along the coast to observe the various marine animals that inhabit the area. We saw everything from elephant seals to armadillos, and were able to get really close to the creatures. One stop included a whale watching boat ride, during which Frances and I felt nauseous and were given ‘just in case’ plastic bags by the crewmembers. But the seasickness was worth it. The whales came right up to the boat, surfacing, groaning, and spouting water. Their grey bumpy bodies were enormous, and the boat rocked when they swam below the vessel.

That night was Halloween, and though not many Argentines celebrate the holiday, we couldn’t skip it. We cooked pasta and garlic bread, and invited some Argentine friends-of-friends to join us at the hostel. My friend Lauren carved an Argentine vegetable that is small, green, and somewhat round to top the table, and we enjoyed some Patagonian chocolate to start off the night. Our new Argentine friends showed us the city, including one of its popular bars where we danced until morning.

A few hours later, the unfortunate trill of the alarm sounded as it was time for our final excursion. We dragged our leaden limbs out of bed and into taxis, which took us to the beachfront store where we wiggled into wetsuits. A short boat-ride and some mate later, we motored to a cove inhabited by lobos marinos, or sea lions. This is where we hesitantly jumped into the frigid water. It was so cold that my leg kept cramping up, rendering me momentarily unable to swim. We were promised contact with the creatures, but so far they were resting on the shore while we struggled in the cold water. Our guide made us swim back and forth incessantly to tempt the animals into the water. At this point, it seemed that our 400 pesos were going to have been wasted on a glacial swim. However, the sea lions got curious, and plopped into the water. They swam all around us, their formless bodies whirling and diving with natural grace. I kept reaching my hands out to touch them, but my three-fingered orange gloves kept scaring them away. I did finally have success and stroked one of their rubbery backs! One of them swam right up to me, its gentle eyes meeting mine before it flipped around and dove to the dark depths. The experience, though quite cold, was one of the best things I have ever done. It was amazing to be able to interact so closely with another species, and it was hard to leave.