Mendoza

I painfully didn’t charge my ipod for the 18 hour bus ride from Bariloche to Mendoza, but it wasn’t a big deal considering the fact I drove through the most beautiful view of life. It was ok there was no more juice in my ipod because (I can’t believe I’m about to say this) for the first time in my life something was better than listening to music…the view outside the window simply beat listening to my music…I know, that’s how good it was.

What also made the bus ride fantastic was the grand game of BINGO…yeah, that’s right—the entire bus played BINGO! The best part was the winner received a free bottle of wine…too bad I didn’t win. (Mom, I wish you were there because between your luck at BINGO and me rooting for you...we would've won that bottle!) Next time...

Mendoza is considered the Napa-Valley of Argentina. It’s the largest wine-producing region in all of Latin America. Wine is not only a big influence in Buenos Aires (or all over Argentina for that matter) but in Mendoza it plays a vast role in every day life.  People practically breath wine there…and they do it with class. So, the next bottle of wine you drink (and if it’s a good one), you’ll probably notice it’s from Mendoza (or maybe Chile).

While the seven of us were in line waiting for a cab at the bus terminal, some guy walked up to us asking if we needed a ride. Being frugal travelers, we barked at his question and said, “YES!” He responded by saying, “Ok--- follow me to my car.” We did. After walking 2 blocks to get to his beat up cruiser, the seven of us crammed (and I mean CRAMMED) into the back of this man’s car. You’re probably wondering why we didn’t wait to take 2 cabs…great question. Well the thing is when you’re traveling, the common rule between all backpackers is that you’ll do pretty much anything to save money---and that’s why we chose our Jefe (boss); we wanted to each save 3 pesos…you gotta love the traveler’s life-style…it’s amazing! After repeatedly turning on and off his car, Jefe’s engine started working. He finally dropped us off at Damajuana Hostel.

WOW. Damajuana isn’t your average hostel. It’s more of a, let me think, it’s definitely “the” hostel to stay at in Mendoza. The hostel was an old house converted into a hostel. If you like the grungy, loud, and little sleep environment, then stay here. The seven of us walked into our hot, muggy dorm room and noticed there were about 16 beds and each one was taken with people’s smelly towels and bags. Yuck. Our room had awful circulation and the living conditions were poor, but the amenities and location of the hostel were outstanding. There was an outdoor pool, a bar in the hostel, and it was on the main street in Mendoza. It was a great hostel to meet other interesting backpackers.

Mendoza has so much to offer and is a great city. It’s very metropolitan. The Andes Mountains are near by for trekking, there are heaps of wineries, and rafting, horse-back riding, paragliding and the hot-spring are also close by. Mendoza is definitely a place everyone should visit if you’re in Argentina or Chile. After my few days in Mendoza, I really can say I felt the essence of the Napa Valleys!

Biking in Bariloche

I don’t care what people say- biking through mountains is definitely not an easy task to fulfill. While we were in Bariloche we decided to partake in a 27Km bike ride (18-20 miles) through the mountains. (Side noteà When I’m home in the summers, I usually go on 15-20 mile bike rides and barely break a sweat (ok- that’s clearly an exaggeration) but the point is these bike rides are not strenuous.) The bike ride we encountered in Bariloche definitely did not fall under the category of leisure bike rides. We primarily rode uphill or downhill and by uphill I mean we walked our bikes up steep mountains and prayed to reach the peak so we could cruise down these drastic hills. (Yes, we pretty much paid 65 pesos to walk our bikes…but it was definitely worth the price.) Flat roads simply weren’t part of the equation on this biking excursion.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to go biking. The bright sun shined down on the glimmering water and snowcapped mountains which made the day perfect. It was really cool because there were 7 designated look-out points to observe the views…we obviously stopped 28 other times…or more…but these “resting points” captured the most beautiful views of Bariloche. The glistening sun, radiant snowcapped mountains, clear-blue waters, and cloudless skies were magically placed in each view point. It was unreal. Every where I turned I kept on thinking I was in a different world---A world that only focused on the beauty and simplicity of nature because after all that was the world I was living in at that exact moment.

Peddling was, unquestionably, a challenge that day. The altitude, the scorching sun, and continuously walking our bikes up steep mountains did not make for an easy day; however, it was certainly an accomplishing adventure. The amount of laughter I (and we) exerted that day was unreal. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard since Mach Hach (my summer program in Israel) or my NCSY days with Alana! Literally it got to the point when Mayber and I physically couldn’t bike nor walk our bikes- We “fell” on the side of the road so many times due to laughter (and mainly because we were out of breath and watching her use her inhaler was hilarious….I guess I was jealous because I was in major need of a puff, but couldn’t find mine…I probably lost it!) Jajaj! It got to the point when people who were walking walked faster than us (even when we rode our bikes…sad but true). It was as if we metamorphosed into snails and turtles. Something was definitely in the air that day because we uncontrollably lost it when Mayber said, “Now I know what a mule feels like.” Sauntering up mountains and shlepping our bikes was definitely brutal but it allowed for a great bonding day.

As the day went on, we remembered how the bike rental shop warned us by the last 7Km of the route the traffic drastically increases as the day progresses. The validity of that statement couldn’t be truer. Lena and I were extremely wiped, and I didn’t realize I started zigzagging on the street. All of a sudden I heard the obnoxious sounds of an annoyed man blasting his horn. It was the style of honking only a loud semi-truck could exert; however, it came from an old, beat up Chevrolet. How that was possible is still unfathomable to me? I was oblivious and didn’t pay attention to the honking and assumed he was honking at a different car. Lena was biking a few feet ahead of me and thought it was directed at her, but she turned around and saw me in the middle of the street and signaled me to move over. The guy in the Chevrolet rolled down his window and cursed the life out at us and continued driving. Yep, he was clearly honking at me. Oh well. Once again, all Lena and I could do was hysterically laugh. (Haà Dad, I know you’re not laughing right now but at the time it was hilarious.) I know it was the wrong reaction but something that day made us uncontrollably laugh.

After almost dying from the car, we finally made it back to the rental shop. So, remember Hott-Nick? The guy from the hike? Well, he also decided to do the bike ride and left around the same time as we did. Shockingly, at the end of the day he handsomely rode into the rental shop (looking perfect) at the same time as us. We automatically thought wow, here’s hott-Nick, who is clearly fit, he started and ended the bike ride at the same time as us…I guess we weren’t slow after all. I can’t believe we actually thought that because here was the main difference: Hott-Nick went on an hour excursion and did the chair lift (which takes an extra 30 minutes) all while we were still biking on the route. I guess we were slow…

At the end of the day we conquered this demanding bike ride (at least we thought it was) and had an amazing day. We laughed, saw dreamlike views, and made the best out of the day. If you’re in Bariloche (in the summer time) doing this strenuous bike ride is worth it…just bring your inhaler and a giant water bottle! You probably won’t even think it’s hard, after all Hott-Nick thought it was simple. Try it…

Trekking to Tronador

The tallest mountain in the southern Patagonian region of the Andes Mountains is called Tronador (AKA the Thunderer). There aren’t any services that permits you to hike up to the peak of Tronador; however, there isa renowned 8 hour trek that allows you to reach the bottom of it. After doing very little research and “paying” an arm and leg for this so-called “monumental” trek, we decided to partake in it. We woke up at 7:30AM and prepped our rears for the bumpiest yet scenic 2 hour bus ride of our lives. We entered Nahuel Huapi national park and started our hike with the view of the black glaciers. We were told the black part of the glaciers were from a volcano that erupted hundreds of years ago.

{We knew the following 8 hours was going to be very interesting considering we were the only girls, and we always have a good time together. The guys- well, let me just explain a few of them: Guyà the crazy guide who taught us Spanish words that definitely should not be repeated (at least not on my blog!!); Hott-Nickà enough said. Brettà the Jewish guy from South Africa who thought he was abnormally cool. The Spaniardà don’t get into Judaism with him (just ask Shoni). Los tres Swedish amigosà quiet guys but every time Mayber and I fell they were there to witness it…embarrassing!}

Since we barely did prior investigation for the trek, when we eventually reached the bottom of the mountain all we could do was sit and laugh. Can you imagine 4 girls hiking and assuming we were going to reach the peak of one of the tallest mountains, but after reaching our halfway point and realizing that we were only at the bottom was definitely not a factor in the equation. Typical…seriously, what were we thinking? Obviously we weren’t going to reach the top of it. Not only were we not wearing the proper gear but our overly thin sweatshirts and smelly shoes definitely didn’t make the checklist for trekking up Tronador. The gift of being naïve is precious. Coming to the realization that the bottom of Tronador was the closest we were going to get to the peak, I’m not going to lie, was shocking! It came to the point when Shoni said, “I love this hike, but this part is a bust.” Obviously, Hott-Nick responded: “Seriously, this is awesome; amazing, couldn’t be better!”  Jajajaja! The truth is is that it was a pretty awesome view!

Even though we only reached the bottom, it was breathtaking. The top of the mountain was plastered with masses of white-blue glaciers. It was really cool because we randomly heard and saw avalanches falling down the mountains. People think nature is typically quiet, but we don’t realize the shrill and loud effects it penetrates- avalanches, thunder, waves, ect…are all loud aspects of nature. While we were on the hike, one of the guides told us to stand still and be quiet so we can hear the avalanches. I’m not going to lie it was awesome hearing it from a distance, and then once we got to the site of it- it was that much more overwhelming.

After eating lunch and making fun of Guy for over an hour at the bottom of the mountain, we finally decided to trek back. One thing I didn’t mention was the amount of bugs that swarmed the path. These types of flies were treacherous; they stuck to your clothes and climbed all over your body. (Sarah- you wouldn’t have lasted more than 7 minutes on the hike.) Even the guys were grossed out because it got to the point where the flies were on your face and even some people accidentally swallowed them---those people being me. On the hike back, my friends and I got strangely antsy and decided to trail-blaze by leading the pack. We got to an area where the bugs were not normal- they were flying in every direction. I ran soooooo fast that I fell- it was the kind of fall that if Brett Favre was throwing a winning touchdown and the receiver catching the ball drastically tumbled into the touchdown area…well, that was me! I kept rolling and rolling and once I stopped, I got up as fast as I could because who wants to be that girl who falls?  (I mainly got up as fast as I could because the Swedish guys were behind me…and yes, I was embarrassed!) After my friends and I had a laugh of a lifetime over my fall, Lauren fell---this kind of fall was probably one of the funniest “plops” I’ve ever experienced. It was sooo funny that Guy came from behind her and stole her camera and began snapping shots of her! The hike back was hands down a memorable experience!

After a few swallowed bugs and sore butts we made it back to the start line, and boy did that feel good!

Overall, even though we didn’t hike up to the peak of Tronador, it’s cool saying that we got to the closest point…most people don’t even have the opportunity of traveling there, but we did! And the views made the trek amazing!

Bariloche

We finally made it to Omnibus (the bus station in BA) and headed over to our bus. As we checked in, the man collecting our tickets said, “Hola chicas! I remember you girls from when you went to Iguazu!” All we could do was just laugh (on so many levels)! So, we parked our behinds and checked out the glorious amenities Via Bariloche had to offer: comfy-bedlike seats (check), ish-movies (alright-alright), and NO wine (on that note, let’s catch the next bus then…) The following 22 hours was definitely going to be a ride to remember…

After orienting ourselves in Bariloche’s finest bus terminal, we checked into our “CHS” (cool hostel syndrome) hostel…After a few huffs and puffs and about 150 steps, we reached the lobby and checked into Hostel Inn. Those “mountain-esque” steps were definitely worth the hike because the views from the hostel were magnificent. From every angle, we glorified our eyes with these mammoth snowcapped mountains. We quickly dropped our bags and headed to town.

When people describe Bariloche as “mini”-Switzerland, they are by no means kidding. (Not that I’ve been to Switzerland, but I can only imagine what it looks like). Every street is doused with quaint stores and restaurants and it transmits a cozy feel to the town.  No matter where I turned, it was beautiful seeing the unreal scenery glowing from behind every street. The small town of Bariloche is configured in an area surrounded by mountains and water. If you like the cold, then the right time to go is in the winter so you can indulge in the famous ski slopes…but if you’re a wimp, like me, and enjoy the heat, than going to Bariloche in the summertime is ideal…you get a mix of the luscious snowcapped mountains with the bright sun beaming down on you...what could be better?

Not only is Bariloche known for being the Northern tip of Patagonia and for their insane ski-slopes, but the chocolate scene is to die for…trust me when I say that…I did! Calle San Martin (main street) is covered with beautiful chocolate shops lusting with chocolate truffles, bars, ice creams, ect. Also, if you play your cards right (which us girls obviously did), you’re able to get a significant amount of free samples to literally last you a life time. After spending the whole day sampling various chocolates, I no longer will ever crave chocolate…the amount we ate sadly will last us a life time…at least lets hope so…

People say after Israelis finish their service in the army, they either travel to Nepal or Patagonia. It was shocking to see the amount of Israelis backpacking and living in Bariloche (and in Chile too). One Israeli started telling us about his restaurant called Chezi and gave us the menu. Before looking at it I asked him if it was kosher and he enthusiastically said, “YES”! I looked at the menu and read the food options: pizza, burgers, panchos (hot-dogs), chorizo (pork sausages), ect…yeah, so I definitely don’t think Chezi was remotely kosher, jajaja! But seriously, there were loads of Israelis roaming the streets of Bariloche. It made the Israeli population of Miami look miniscule; so if you want to meet an Israeli outside of Israel, your next stop should be Bariloche because you’re bound to meet one there…

off to travel

I´m going traveling for the next few weeks so I won´t have anytime to blog...bummer, I know! JAJA!

I´m leaving today for Bariloche (which is mini-switzerland...and there are tons of glaciers near there); then I´m heading off to Mendoza (which is the Napa-Valleys of Argentina...or even the world!); and then I´m bussing to Chile (Santiago, Vina del Mar, and Valparaiso)...and finally flying back to Buenos Aires. I´ll be in Buenos Aires for a few days and then I´m UNFORTUNATELY flying back to the U.S....HELP!!!

SO everyone have a HAPPY HAPPY HANUKA (eat lots of latkes for me) and get ready for more blogs to come with in the next few weeks!!! WOOHOOO!

HAPPY HANUKA!!

Suarez- Jardin Travesuras

I woke up to the stumble of Lauren´s footsteps entering my room (or shall I say her guest room) at 7:10 AM. Why? At the age of 20, Lauren´s sister, Dana Mayber, started her own charity called Bear Hugs. The goal of her organization is to send a S.M.I.LE. (Shelter, Medical assistance, Independence, Love, and Education) to disadvantaged children locally and globally. Please check out Dana´s amazing website and help contribute to her inspiring organization. www.bearhugsonline.com

Lauren and I planned to spend the morning in a ¨school¨ called Jardin Travesuras in Suarez. (Suarez is one of the poorest towns in Argentina and it happens to be a 30 minutes train ride outside of Buenos Aires.) After spending this past Monday buying toys and gifts for these disadvantaged children, we took a train and delivered bags of toys to the school.

At the train stop, we met two English speaking girls, and they escorted us to the school. The only way I can describe Suarez is by comparing it to a demolished 3rd world country---There were mounds and mounds of garbage piled on every corner, unpaved-dirt roads, and ghostly looking dogs and cats roaming the roads. The town is so poor that people can´t afford to take buses or cabs, so they take Remisses all over the city. A remisse is a BEAT up car (ghetto bouncers don´t even compare to these electronic machines) that has a standard price for each passenger. It is a mix between a bus and cab in the sense that it´s a car but it has set stops. When you get in the ¨car,¨ you tell the driver what stop you´re going to. Also the best part is---there is no set limit on passengers....meaning, the more people that can squeeze in the remisse the better. So lying horizontally across random passengers is definitely standard...trust me it happened to us! When the girls told us we´re going in this cruiser I was like alright...I´m definitely going to have a real South American experience today. Jajaja. We squeezed ourselves in the car and for starters, the driver looked like the most Hispanic version of Michael J. Fox as you can get, (he was even wearing a paper boy hat). Also, the amount of Reggaeton I heard in the car was unreal...even the clubs here don´t play it with that much intensity...I definitely wasn´t in Kansas anymore. The car ride was a 15 minute ride, but on normal roads it would´ve taken a maximum of 5 minutes. In order to get to the school, he needed to drive through massive swamps---I´m assuming he thought he was driving a Ranger or Hummer, but clearly not. We made it through the minor creeks and walked a few blocks to the school. The amount of rubbish piles I saw made a typical garbage-can look as if it was part of ¨Honey I Shrunk the Kids.¨ The whole town smelled atrocious.

We made it to the school, stopped at the fence and rang the doorbell. Two of the cutest boys I have ever seen opened the door for us and kissed us hello. The school consisted of 40 kids all around the ages of 3-5 years old and were compiled into two small rooms and a yard to play in. These kids were the happiest children I have ever seen. Even though most of them didn´t have shoes and their teeth were insanely rotting...they were so happy to have visitors. Lauren and I played and got to know them. It was hard seeing kids like these because all I thought about was how my own nieces and nephews have everything they can ask for...shoes, clothing, healthy teeth, food, a loving family, and an over abundance of toys---and still they´ll cry if they don´t get their way.  (sorry Anna...I still love them to DEATH!). The average child in the U.S. is extremely fortunate...it was hard yet a beautiful experience seeing the happiness of these children even though they have so little. One girl, Lordes, (she probably will be the future Miss Universe) showed me where her house was...what she considered her house was what I consider a shack. I was soooo sad for her, but seeing her happy smile made me smile. And that´s the point of Dana´s organization---if you help and give to the unfortunate---they will smile and so too you will!

We delivered the toys we bought for the kids to them, and when I say I thought they were happy when I first met them...I clearly was wrong. They were ecstatic and screaming with joy when they saw the bags of presents.  It was incredible to hear the noises that came from these little human beings just from the simple fact that we got them coloring books, dolls, toy cars, and pens...Every kid loved their present to the nth degree. Lauren and I noticed something that would never happen in the U-S---when each kid got their present they didn´t complain even if their friend got something bigger and better. They were grateful getting something new and were happy that people thought to buy them gifts. (I know this is a bold statement, but the fact of the matter is that it is true---In the U.S. I can´t describe how every kid wants to be the same as their friend and have the same things. Every one needs to have the latest toy or gadget...there´s no individuality. So, if you give a girl a teddy bear her friend is going to cry until she gets the same teddy bear or something grander. The simple kids of Jardin Travesuras simply wanted attention from other people, and this attention happened to come with presents.

We left the Jardin and asked where can we pick up a Remisse. The teachers said, ¨Walk 2 blocks until you see the swamp and wait there until someone comes.¨ After walking those short but smelly 2 blocks, I finally made it to the swamp BUT in order to get to the Remisse you had to cross the swamp. There were areas of the swamp there were pretty dry so that´s where we crossed...of course, I obviously tripped and dunked my ¨clean¨ feet in the DIRTY brown gunky water. Typical. I ran for the shotgun of the remisse (so I wouldn´t have to lay horizontally again) and got dropped off at the train station.

Visiting the town of Suarez and the Jardin Travesuras really made me realize the importance of being happy with what you have. Lauren and I both concluded this was by far one of the most influential and memorable experiences in our lives and especially during our stay in Argentina.

Parrilla

Parrilla= a restaurant that specializes in all kinds of grilled and BBQ meats. (Argentina is known for them...they´re strictly on every street corner. They´re bigger than Starbucks and Dunken Donuts combined! Fine, slight exaggeration but it´s big here).

In honor of the first night of Hanuka, Shoni, Lena, and I decided to make our way to El Galoupe (a kosher parrilla). As I walked in the restaurant I definitely didn´t get the ¨kosher¨ vibe...it was better! After the patient waiter spent 20 minutes (yes, we´re girls) helping us decide what to order, we decided to split a ½ parrilliado (a whole assortment of meat). I asked the waiter what the platter of meat included, and he said, ¨sweat bread (the pancreas), intestines, and stomach...¨ shut up! Well that pretty much concluded my decision of NOT ordering the the ½ parrilliado...you couldn´t pay me to eat it. So we decided to order steak, which is always a safe bet, and split some chorizo and lomo (not really sure what lomo is but it was good). Chorizo is a type of hot dog and sausage which is UN-freaking-REAL. I personally hate hot dogs so I just had a bite of it, but OMG even I found the satisfaction of it. Anyone who is a lover of Romanian hot dogs (and to be a true lover, one must get Romanian hot dogs shipped to your house...like true Israelies), then I suggest you book your next flight down to Argentina and taste a real hot dog. Sorry Chicago fans of Romanian dogs, there´s no comparison!

Dinner last night was amazing...and the small amount we payed for dinner made it that much better. The amount of food we ordered should have easily been a 200 $US meal, but here it was only 20$US each...insane! And the quality is waaaay better here!!

Daniel and Dad---Just saying, it´s your mistake you didn´t visit me here. You guys would LOVE it...and what I ate last night spits on our pre-passover steak fests...sorry, but it´s true. Daniel, I actually must admit, that our chimichurri sauce is WAY better than any chimichurri sauce I´ve had in Argentina...good work!!

Alright, El Glaoupe was a great way to celebrate the first night of Hanuka...HAPPY HANUKA!!