Yo No Hablo Español

Spanish would have been a useful language to have in my tool-belt for my time in South America.

I know that sounds obvious but I’ve travelled before to other places where I didn’t speak the language and I managed just fine.  And I am managing just fine.  But it would have made things SOOOOO much easier and probably a bit more fun, as well if I could speak Spanish.  Unlike in Israel, where even when I speak Hebrew to people and they hear my accent so they speak back to me in English (yes, that still happens to me, even after 3 years of living there), here in Argentina, even when I tell people I don’t speak Spanish (in English sometimes even, mind you) they say “Ah, Okay…” And yet continue to then speak to me in Spanish.  As a result of that, as well as just being surrounded by it, my Spanish understanding has certainly improved.  Most of what I am understanding is just English with an “ito” at the end, or some other suffix, so it’s kind of cheating.  But I’m getting my numbers down pat.  And the other day when I went to buy my next bus ticket in super broken Spanglish, the teller even asked me how to say “mil” in English and I was able to answer him (it means a thousand).

I’ve just spent the last week in Argentina’s 2nd largest city called Cordoba.  It’s a nice city.  In truth I had terribly high expectations coming from recommendations from home and I didn’t quite get to the top.  I stayed here so that I could be with Chabad both for the first and last days of Pesach.  I wasn’t drawn towards spending either of those alone or back in Buenos Aires so Cordoba it was for the week.  I had a nice time.  Nice.  Not amazing and parts were actually pretty enjoyable.  If it hadn’t been Pesach, I wouldn’t have stayed here more than maybe a couple of days. Being at Chabad was a new kind of experience for me.  Firstly, the family isn’t Israeli.  The couple is American but have been living here for the last 26 years so for all intents and purposes, they are Argentine and speak English – as do their 10 kids (9 of whom were here).  Other than them, people in the community didn’t really speak English.  Some spoke some Hebrew which was nice.  But even the kids spoke Spanish amongst themselves.  This left me with a lot of time to sit back and observe and listen.  I’ve actually refined my creepy observing skills.  I usually have a pretty astute attention to detail, but all this time of being unable to converse in the local language has really sharpened that skill.  I feel like I invaded some personal emotional space by taking in the details that I did – but what else was I supposed to do while everyone else was speaking a language that I couldn’t speak? Normally I’m pretty good about starting conversation with strangers – but you can’t do that when the language is not something you have in common.  But by the end of the second days, even the non-English speaking people warmed up to me and kissed me goodbye on the cheek even though they never really said hello to begin with.  The quiet time allowed me to rest up, recover from a weird and annoying stomach virus (also not so fun) and read a whole book – an unexpectedly interesting find from a Hostel shelf.

I feel like I’ve seen most of what Cordoba as a city has to offer.  I spent A LOT of time walking around, seeing the different parks, the landmarks, the river, the architecture.  When you go to a Hostel, they give you a map of the main part of the city and it often highlights what there is to see.  I took a tour of one of the local Universities (highly recommended by lonely planet – and that did actually live up to its expectation! All for the grandiose price of about 90 US cents! In ENGLISH to boot!) and that was not only enjoyable but it allowed me to meet some other travelers who I spent the rest of the evening with.  As it is off season, there are far fewer travelers around.  Even for the Seder Night, Chabad used to get numbers in the hundreds signing up!  This year I think they topped off at about 60.  The Israeli table consisted of about 10 people – the rest were all locals. The family here explained to me that hundreds of Israelis used to come to Cordoba because it used to be the only place in Argentina to go skydiving.  However, so many other places have opened up around the country that there is no other special reason for them to make it over to this city so they stopped coming by the bus-load.   It’s interesting how one thing can influence another like that.  On this off season there were few people staying in the hostels as well.  Once again, I had an 8 person dorm room to myself for two nights.  I did meet a few interesting people, though.  I had a really great long conversation with someone that re-opened my eyes to what happens when you travel.  It was thought provoking to get a look into the perception of someone who was new to this way of life, was also from the United States, and was older – around my age – yes, I’m in the older category of people I am finding traveling in this part of the world.  We spent hours discussing the influences from our regular lives and our traveling lives, and the routines of “home” and how breaking free from them can be eye opening.  These are the moments I cherish when I travel.  This guy is essentially a stranger and in all likelihood I will never see him again and yet the exchange of words we had was quite a bit more impactful then most of the conversations I’ve had with people who I have known for longer and generally see on a more regular basis.  Of course I have meaningful conversations with friends for sure, but a stranger in comparison to usual acquaintances…. Interesting.  I also met these two German girls with who I shared a room for an evening.  We spent one day walking around together and at one of the many moments when we marked ourselves as tourists by pulling out a map (I think my neon yellow day pack also usually gives me away… as do my shoresh sandals… and probably a few other traits/characteristics) an older gentleman approached us in English and asked us where we are from.  I said I was from Israel and the girls said they were from Germany.  He immediately identified himself as Jewish and preceded, un-instigated to declare that it was amazing that in this day and age a Jewish girl and a German girl could interact socially, free of religious divides - I fully agreed with that and it would have been nice if he stopped there.  But he didn’t. He then went on to explain the atrocities of Hitler and his lack of understanding of how so many Germans went along with the nonsense and so on and so on.  It was a pretty awkward encounter.  After he walked away I tried to smooth it out by saying that some old people just feel like they need to share their opinions and be heard and the girls took it pretty well in stride (well, one of them did – the other was kind of taken aback).  And just as I thought we were moving past it, the guy came back and started talking again! This time when he was done, we decided to walk away.  Just another interesting encounter on the streets of Argentina. 

I’ve come to realize that in general I prefer the smaller cities and the “suburbs” to these cities when I travel.  Argentina has many beautiful mountains and lakes and combinations of the two.  There is something about clouds sitting low on mountain tops that really gets me.  I think it reminds me of New Zealand which was the first place to which I traveled and wanted to return to because of its physical beauty.  I think Argentina also has a beautiful landscape.  In my attempt to break away a bit from the city and go on an adventure, one day during the week I decided to head out to a nearby National Park to see a natural breeding ground for Condor Vultures.  I took the two hour bus ride out there by myself (mind you I found my way around the bus terminal by myself, talking to people by myself, very awkwardly and almost unsuccessfully buying a bus ticket by myself) after waking up very early in the morning – everyone recommended to get a good and early start to the day – and on the way I started to really appreciate the view.  The mountains were gorgeous.  And there were these low sitting clouds that added to the picturesque scene.  We made a pit stop on the way and I realized there was quite a drastic temperature change… thank God I had brought my little rain jacket as another layer.  The clouds and the weather change should have given me a hint that something was off, but they didn’t.  Not even when we turned a bend on the road and seemed to be in an actual cloud did I realize this wasn’t great.  I did have the thought that it might be difficult to see the birds but at least I would enjoy the few hour hike on the way.  However, when I got off the bus, I could barely see 20 feet in front of me.  I walked over to the entrance to the park and the gate was actually closed.  There was a park ranger who was in his car nearby (thank God he spoke English!) and he explained that due to the weather the trails were closed and there was no entering the park today… gotta go home.  So basically about 15 minutes after I had gotten off the bus that drove me there in 2 hours, I was back in the opposite direction on another bus heading right back to where I came from.  So that was a bust.  At least I enjoyed the view on the way there and back, right?  Man plans – God laughs.  When I got back to the bus station I actually walked a different way home which shed some light on the city for me.  It seems to be that there are different districts.  I walked through a number of consecutive blocks that has stores that only sold shoes.  Another set of blocks that only sold clothing.  Another set that only sold electronics.  Another with Motorcycles.  Jewelry.  It was interesting to see this divide and it gave me a different perspective of the city that I hadent yet seen.  ‘

What else does Cordoba have to offer?  Other than the many different green parks (or make actually because of them!) my allergies have come to life here.  For the first few days I had to wear my glasses because my eyes were soooo itchy.  Additionally, I feel like the entire city is infested with mosquitos!  I hadn’t been touched by one until I came here and now my body has been eaten up!  I finally bought some OFF but reapplication is brutally necessary… I’m practicing bug-safety, right Andrew?  In truth these are minor disturbances and Cordoba really is a nice city.  

Two other things to note which are not specific just to Cordoba but to Argentina in general.  One is that people from Argentina travel around Argentina.  I like it and I think it is refreshing.  This is a beautiful country that has a lot to offer and the locals are taking advantage if it.  Secondly, I had this thought and I didn't specifically share it with anyone, but then a girl I was walking around town with voiced it outloud: all the women wear major platform shoes!  I've seen it since having arrived in Argentina and I wasn't sure if this is the style in the world these days (I've never been accused of being totally up on popular fashion trends) or if it was just here, but its all you see on the feet of the women and on the shelves of local stores.  And we're not just talking about a little heel - we're talking major 4-5 inch platforms - old school Steve Madden style - on everything from fancy shoes, to sneakers to flip flops. Unbelievable...

I’ve enjoyed my time here in Cordoba and will be happy to move on once again.Tomorrow I take what will be my longest bus ride yet – a whopping 22 hours from Cordoba to the Iguazu Falls.  This will be my last stop in Argentina before heading into BRAZIL!!!  Peace out for now – Pesach is over and I just broke my chametz-fast on a delicious slice of Pizza… yum!

Lots of beauty and excitement in Argentina

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

If I’m going to be honest with myself, the start of my trip was a little rough.  I didn’t find everyone to be very friendly, and I’ll also take responsibility for the fact that it took some time for me to get back into the mode of being a backpacker.  I now feel light-years away from any of those feelings and I’m literally having the time of my life!  Every single day I make a point to not take what I am experiencing for granted – and fortunately it is not that hard to continuously feel amazed!  I’m seeing beautiful views, meeting amazing people and getting the chance to explore the world.  Seriously, how lucky am I???

It’s pretty incredible to think back about what I’ve done in the past week and a bit.  Leaving Puerto Madryn was a little sad because it was gorgeous there and the Hostel was amazing.  But luckily I was traveling with a great new friend who I got to bond with and form a real relationship with that I hope will last past the bounds of our individual backpacking adventures.  The bus ride was actually not bad, and we got the front seat on the top level of  a double decker bus!  It gave the feeling of a rollercoaster, and was also sometimes a little scary in the middle of the night seeing the speeds at which we were traveling on these really narrow roads and being quite high up.  The main plus side was waking up to an incredible sunrise right in front of me – nice treat! Arriving in Bariloche was actually great.  If I thought the last hostel was fun, the new one here offered the best views I have ever seen from a hostel or hotel in my life!  It was up on the 10^th floor, in the penthouse (appropriately called penthouse 1004) in a building just next to the river.  Lonely Planet says it has 5 star views, and that is spot on (see facebook for pictures).  The common area was also really fun and fostered great opportunities for people to meet each other, which they did in fact do (myself included).  I met some great people at this place.  I even encountered a father/son duo who have been traveling together for the past 7+ months…. What an incredible experience and opportunity for the both of them!  North Americans don’t have a reputation for backpacking around and yet I actually met many of them in this place surprisingly.  There is a Chabad house in Bariloche which was nice.  They are actually a temporary location catering to the swarms of Israelis who come in during high season.  What that means is that the Chabad couple comes to Bariloche from Israel between Novemberish and start of April.  This was there second to last Shabbat before closing shop for the season and returning to Israel.  Lucky I made it in!  Dinner was relatively small for what they usually get (about 30/40 people) and lunch was actually only 7 of us – quiet and intimate.  On Sunday I had really wanted to go rafting (despite its hefty price tag) but unfortunately they didn’t offer it that day because of the low season’s lack of interested parties.  I already had to plan in advance to leave Bariloche on Monday afternoon because there was a planned bus strike for Tuesday and that would mean leaving on Wednesday which would give me no time at all in Mendoza – a place I really wanted to stop in before heading to Cordoba for Pesach.  And so, I forwent the rafting but actually met up with a lone Israeli traveler (a phenomenon!) with whom I exchanged numbers at a travel office that caters to Israelis – she brought with someone from her Spanish class and I brought with a guy I met in the morning with whom I was sharing a room, and we all went on a local excursion.  We climbed this peak called Carre Campanario which offers some of the most amazing views of the whole area.  It was actually breathtaking (and not just because of the difficulty of the climb!).  The guy from my room and I decided to continue the days adventure by extended the hike about 20 kilometers down the road to walk around a Nature Reserve to see more of the area and the views.  More gorgeous beauty.   That evening, a bunch of us from the Hostel (including an Argentinian guy from Buenos Aires) went out for a drink at a local pub and sat amongst the locals which was fun.  Monday afternoon was my bus out of the city so I spent the morning walking around the town, seeing the local shops and being by the water just nearby.  Many people express that they love Bariloche and now I know why J

My trip to Mendoza would be my longest bus ride yet.  However, it turned out to be the best ride so far, too! The bus was packed because everyone wanted to leave the city before the bus strike.  They showed two English movies on the bus (“The Theory of Everything”- AMAZING! And “Gone Girl”- also pretty good), and we also played a bus-wide game of Bingo which was really cute!  There was a steward in the bus who was incredibly attentive and very cheerful – that with our spacious reclining seats made it feel like we were in first class… OK, maybe business class.  The best part though was my bus-mate.  I sat next to this Colombian guy who is doing a Masters in Physics at the University in Bariloche and was heading to Mendoza for vacation to visit some friends.  It took a few hours until we actually started talking to each other but what’s the loss of a few hours on a 19 hour bus ride?  We ended up having great, stimulating conversation and a bunch of laughs.  We exchanged numbers and the night of the day we arrived, I went out with him and his friends and really hung out with the locals!  They were all incredibly intelligent and super hospitable and it was a really cool experience that I was very happy to have.  Arriving in Mendoza, I checked into my hostel, took a shower, handed in my laundry for the first time (much needed after 2 weeks of travel) and sorted out the rest of my time there.  I met someone in the hostel who was also stuck there that day because of the bus strike and so we ended up walking around the city together.  He was visiting from Brazil and had learned in a program like America’s West Point and was super knowledgeable about the history of where we were.  It was like having a personal tour guide as well as a cool friend to hang out with.  For Tuesday, I signed up for an excursion that included a trek, repelling and a visit to the local hot springs.  The trek was fun and a good workout (I was happy that there was another girl who was having a harder time climbing up the mountain because she kept needing to take a break and with my pushing myself, I was happy I didn’t have to be the one to slow down the group!).  The top of the peak once again offered really beautiful views!  About half way down the other side, we started the repelling.  There were 3 descents  - 12 meters, 7 meters and 47 meters.  I had never repelled before and when we got to the first descent I almost had a heart attack!  I was so scared!  My heart was pounding and I thought I would throw up.  In reality, it wasn’t so scary and was in fact really fun – also seeing the guide show us what to do and explain technique made it more approachable.  I had a great time and was proud of myself for doing it despite my initial hesitation.  The hot springs were also nice, and after a morning of physical activity, relaxing in all the different pools was a nice treat! Wednesday I finally got to go rafting!  In retrospect I’m happy that it wasn’t available in Bariloche because the rafting in Mendoza was a 3^rd of the price!! While waiting to be picked up from the hostel, I met another guy who was going on the same trip.  It turns out he is starting to work for the agency that does the tours and they sent him to experience the trip.  We clicked right away and the rest of the day was like spending time with a best friend!  Like a typical encounter, after about 10 minutes of talking I asked him his name and it was Gabriel!  And our similarities didn’t stop there.  We were laughing the whole day, making jokes – he helped me with my Spanish and I provided some English guidance (though his English is faaaaaar better than what I can only call my lack of Spanish).  But in truth, by the end of the day, I felt like I had learned a lot and we practiced some useful phrases as well as some silly ones (Malardo Basterdo! Or something like that…).  The rafting too was a lot of fun and it was a beautiful day!  Overall a tremendous experience!

I kept shaking my head in disbelief with a smile on my face just appreciating my current circumstances.  What did I do to deserve these opportunities?  I really felt (and still feel!) so lucky!  But last night also brought my first blip of the trip.  Well two actually – firstly I lost my sunglasses.  It’s unfortunate but they were cheap and now I just need to buy another pair.  The second and more serious thing that happened is that I missed my bus to Cordoba.  I had purchased my ticket upon arrival in Mendoza and planned accordingly.  When I got back to the hostel afer the rafting trip, the plan was to call a taxi about half an hour before the bus and get there about 20 minutes before departure.  Normally, when they call a taxi (I don’t normally treat myself, but the cost was about $2.50 and so I thought I would splurge) it comes right away and all is fine.  However, after the call was placed, the minutes kept ticking by and nothing came.  I waited patiently at first but when it was about 20 minutes before the departure I started to think about plan B.  5 minutes later it still didn’t come so I figured I would go out to the street to just pick up a passing taxi.  It took another 7 minutes until I actually found one and by that time I had about the same until the departure.  My heart was pounding and the driver pushed the pedal to the metal and sped me there.  I ran inside like a chicken without a head, frantically searching for a bus which apparently had already left.  Once again, I thought I was going to have a heart attack and most likely throw up.  This bus was important because Today is both Friday and Erev Pesach and it was really important for me to get to Cordoba to celebrate appropriately with the Chabad here (who I had booked a place with about 2 weeks ago).  I freaked out and burst into tears!  I couldn’t stop crying not knowing what to do as everyone kept pointing me in another direction.  I MIRACULOUSLY passed a bus with the destination of Cordoba written on the front.  The steward of the bus was an angel and literally took my by the hand inside the terminal, helped me figure things out and I ended up being able to buy another ticket on their bus and get to my needed destination.  Even once on the bus I had a hard time calming down.  If that bus wasn’t there, I would have had to rent a car and drive the 10 hours by myself, through the night to get to Cordoba.  My first thoughts were that I was an idiot by not getting to the bus station far in advance, especially for a bus trip that was so important.  But I also then realized that instead of thinking of myself as unlucky for having missed the bus, how lucky I actually was that there was another bus there and the opportunity to take it.  Despite my $45 loss on the unused bus ticket, I felt completely relieved and fortunate that things worked out just fine in the end.  Lesson learned for sure. 

So now I’m in Cordoba, getting my bearings and getting ready for Shabbat/Pesach.  Apparently it’s going to be a smaller crowd than what has been in the past but that suits me just fine.  I’m looking forward to the experience here, but I’m also missing family and friends back at home, especially for this holiday.  I’m excited for the good times to keep coming and I’ll be sure to document them.  Lots of pictures up on Facebook so feel free to check them out.

Ciao ciao and Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

Goodbye BA, Hello Patagonia!

Well if the first couple days of my time here in Argentina were slow-going, the past couple of days have been turbo-jet speed! 

Shabbat in Buenos Aires was nice.  I met a nice young Israeli guy in my hostel on Friday and invited him to come with me.  That turned out to be good for me because it gave me someone to hang out with and talk too.  I was the only non-Israeli born person there and the people were traveling in pretty closed packs.  I don’t want to say that they were specifically unfriendly, but they were not specifically friendly.  Anyway, it was relaxing and nice and good to have some real food!  Shabbat day brought a visit to one of the other Chabad houses in BA that caters to the wealthy local community.  When I got to the backpacker Chabad in the morning, the Rabbi was waiting outside for someone to wake up inside and unlock the door!  Because no one was waking up, we (the two of us and another local older man who came) walked the 35 minutes to the other location to join a minyan and here the Torah reading for Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh.  Despite out arriving shortly after 12pm, they had just started!  I was happy for the opportunity to see another part of the city that I hadn’t yet seen and to experience the local community. 

Sunday morning I jumped on a boat to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay for the day.  I met a lovely young American couple at the port station.  It was basically my first time speaking English since I got here!   The ride was just over an hour long.  After going through customs on the other side, I went on a brief yet wonderful and informative walking tour through the small town with a charming local guide named Fabian.  He explained to use a lot about the city and Uruguay in general.  In truth I’m sorry that I didn’t plan to spend more time in Uruguay because it was just lovely!  But I was happy to have the taste that I did.  Colonia is a UNESCO site since 1995 so since then everything has been preserved as is.  There is one traffic light in the whole city.  It is a quanit and sweet little place.  Traffic accidents that happen there are only with motorbikes and the many dogs that run around the place.  The dogs don’t have any problems with the people, but they run after and bark at all the motorbikes and cars!  The crime rate is Colonia is almost non-existent and only slightly higher in the rest or Uruguay.  The human population of Uruguay is outnumbered 4:1 by cows and 50% of the population lives in Montevideo, the capital.  Education is free in the country (even for non-Uruguayans) and surprisingly the public education is better than the private education.  Every student gets a laptop free from the government.  Colonia is a mix of Spanish and Portuguese influence.  Many streets are made of cobblestone.  Half of them are Spanish style, rounded in the middle so that rain trickles off to the side.  The Spanish style houses also have flat roofs made of brick or stone or wood.  The Portuguese streets go down in the middle so that when it rains people can walk on the sides and the rain goes down the middle, and the Spanish style houses have slanted tiled roofs.  It’s a beautiful mix to be seen around the town.  There is also a lighthouse that is no longer in use (despite its being a port city, all the boats now have GPS and there is no need for a lighthouse) but it provides a really lovely panoramic view of the city, and on a good day you can even see the tall building of Buenos Aires!  This little trip was one of the highlights so far!

That evening I returned to Buenos Aires and popped back to the hostel before catching a bus to my next destination.  Buenos Aires was a nice large city.  It was OK to be there but I was happy to move on.  There were A LOT of Israelis.  The city has one of the best public transportation systems I have ever seen and also incredibly inexpensive.  Getting around as well as to and from is quite simple. 

I then took a 18 hour bus ride down the eastern coast to a beautiful port city called Puerto Madryn.  The ride was actually fantastic.  The seats are first class and you have the option of “Cama” and “Semicama” which are the difference of lying all the way down or most of the way down.  I got the semicama, and its hard to understand how the Cama would be much better because it was like sleeping on a bed.  And sleep I did – for about 12 hours!  I think I was worn out and tired (and a little sunburned) from walking around Colonia all day so it was easy to rest.  They also play music and show movies.  I saw the same Disney Channel movie called “Cloud 9” about snowboarding, twice, and by the end I think I understood most of it… I think. 

Puerto Madryn is my first taste of Patagonia which has absolutely beautiful landscapes.  Over the course of my time here I have had the pleasure of seeing some of those.  I’m staying in a fantastic Hosteling International Hostel called El Gualicho.  It is clean, spacious and top quality with friendly and very helpful staff.  There has also been a great mix of people staying here so I’ve met some cool people from around the world.  My first night here brought my first group drinking experience of this trip.  There is a cool outdoor common area where a bunch of us had some beers, got to know each other, played a fun drinking game (5’s… “I would like to propose a lovely game of fives…”) and shared some laughs.  These are some of the fun memories I have from the first time I did a trip like this.  Anyway, on Tuesday I took a day trip out to Peninsula Valdes with 2 other females and another incredible local guide.  One girl only spoke Spanish and I only spoke English and he did a fantastic job of explaining everything in both languages.  The dual explanations also really helped with my comprehension of Spanish! Peninsula Valdes is another UNESCO site with amazing wildlife and views.  Over the course of the day we saw penguins, sea lions and Elephant seals and these Llama-like Guanaco running all over the place.  At one point we even saw an Armadillo running around!  The beaches we visited were beautiful and the weather was cool and lovely with some sun, and at some points we even experienced what Daniel our guide called a miracle for this season – Rain.  During the right season Whales can also be seen but we weren’t fortunate enough to catch a glimpse.  I also became really friendly with the other girl who speaks 5 languages (I’m able to communicate with her and shes been helping me as a translator as well!) and we’ve been hanging out ever since and will be traveling to our next destination together as well.  Yesterday morning we went to the bus station to book our bus to Bariloche for tonight.  We then went to the beach where we rented a double Kayak and spent a wonderful hour paddling through the water followed by a dry-off in the heat of the sun on the beach.  I then rented a bike and took a nice long bike ride (about an hour and a half) 17kilometers south of Puerto Madryn to Puerto Loma to see some more Sea Lions coming up to shore at low-tide.  The bike ride was really nice with gorgeous views, but after the first 4 kilometers about, the rest of the ride is on a dirt and often stone filled road since they are re-doing the roads.  A lot of it was slightly uphill as well which added to the challenge.  It was a bit difficult but a cool experience!  The view at the end was also gorgeous and seeing some more sea lions was cool.  The ride back was quite a bit easier (another 17 kilometers back, but more downhill so it only took a bit over an hour) but its been a long time since I’ve been on a bike and to put it nicely, my backside is quite sore.  I got back into town about an hour before sunset so the views over the water were just incredible.  I saw loads of people who drover out to a lookout point just stopping to watch the sun go down.  Needless to say I was pretty physically exhausted and last nights quite dinner and chill out with my new friend were a great way to end the day.  

Unlike almost anywhere else in Argentina, you can actually drink the water here (although I wish I found that out before buying my usual 6 litre water bottle upon arrival).  They don’t have a local water source so they have it brought in from a relatively nearby lake and so it is fresh, clean and cool.  But because water is relatively scarce here, there is no locally grown produce which means the fruits and veggies here are slim pickins’ and also pretty expensive.  Beef, like in most of Argentina is the food of choice here because it is plentiful and cheap.  Puerto Madryn exposrts Aluminum all over the world and Peninsula Valdes actually exports sea salt. Puerto Madryn has been great.  Today I’m taking it easy, walking around the town and experiencing more of the local.  

I’m having a wonderful time and looking forward to the next experiences.  I’m meeting great people which is always nice and excited to be exploring a new place in the world. 

Until the next time, ciao! 

A first taste of Buenos Aires

So now the journy really began!

I flew out of JFK airport Tuesday night.  It was such a weird feeling.... I've been planning this trip (at least mentally) for a quite a while now.  There was almost a giddy aspect to it - like, wow, I'm at the airport now because I'm flying out to start this 3 month trip.  I think I giggled when I left the car.  The flight itself wasn't amazing.  Firstly the entertainment system wasn't working.  They let us know before we got on the plane so that we could buy magazines it we wanted to.  The truth is that I've been suffering from what I think are allergies for almost a week now and that didn't help with getting over jetlag from coming from Israel.... so I slept.  I'm surprisingly not a great plane-sleeper even though I seem to easily fall asleep basically everywhere else.  But because I wasn't tempted to watch a TV that didn't provide a service, I at least tried to sleep the whole flight.  We were also delayed by over an hour because of the super heavy winds plaguing New York which even shut down altogether one of the takeoff runways.  The captain warned us it would be a bumpy takeoff - and it was.  I don't get scared from flying usually but we were shaking around the cabin so heavily that it was pretty unsettling.  But thank Gd I arrived safely and in one piece so that's that.

ARCHENTINA... I don't actually know if that is how they pronounce it here, but I pretend that it's like that.  Arriving, when you look out the window you see a tremendous amount of green. The airport seems to have been built on this green field with added concrete, because it is just surrounded by a lot of green.  It's also beautiful weather here right now.  Actually a bit hot for my liking (its been about 85 + but not too humid so at least its pleasant in the shade.  Getting through customs and baggage claim wasn't a problem.  Most of us from the flight seemed to wait quite a while for our bags.  I actually had the thought of what would happen if my bag didn't come?  Thank Gd I didn't have to worry about that because I did in fact get my bag.

Getting out of the airport - I consulted Lonely Planet and my friends Lauren and Lavi who traveled here a year ago as to how to get into town.  The book mentions that there are more expensive buses and shuttles that go from the airport into town, but for "penny pinchers" there is a local bus that costs only a few pesos but takes a bit longer.  L and L took the local bus so after I asked one of the bus companies how much it would be to take the private bus and received a very expensive answer, I opted for the local bus as well.  I wasn't really sure where to go so I started walking around and asked one woman who spoke English and she was very helpful.  I also knew that I needed coins and not bills for the bus so I asked her if she could make some change for me, and right off the bat she just offered me the change that she had.  I of course gave her the bill equivalent but that was my first exposure to local hospitality and friendliness.  When I got to the bus and went to hand the driver the money, he kind of just waved me on through and I didn't pay.  In retrospect it could have been that I was meant to pay behind him through a machine, but I didn't understand that at the time if that was the intention... woops.  I knew the bus was supposed to take between an hour and a half to two hours to get into town, but where was "in town"?  And where exactly did I want to go?  No clue.... At the hour and 15 minute mark I kind of found where we were on the map, also with a chuckle because in my real life would I ever do that?  Just kind of assume I'll figure it out and not really know what I was doing?  Maybe, but I'm not so sure... Anyway, even though I thought we were on the correct road, the bus suddenly turned and I wasn't sure where we were anymore and thought maybe we had passed my stop.  I "asked" someone on the bus who really didn't speak English (many people here don't) and she kind of indicated that we did in fact pass it.  So I got off the bus at the next stop.  I then stopped someone else on the street who did speak English (what luck!) and he ended up being the sweetest man!  Originally from Uruguay, he just wanted to be hospitable.  He let me know that I was quite far from where I wanted to go and walked well out of his way to get me to the subway, pointed me in the right direction and insisted on buying me the train ticket.  So basically I got all the way from the airport to my hostel for free....

I chose a hostel that I found in Lonely Planet and was right outside the subway stop.  It was nice enough and seemed to be well located so I booked myself in.  The architecture of all the buildings in the area, including this one, is old and beautiful and very charming.  It's not modern inside but well kept (much like our apartment in Jerusalem!).  And speaking of Jerusalem, Israel is very well represented here.  Especially at this hostel.  I get to the door on the third floor and the code to the building is written out in Hebrew.  On the front desk is a travel book in Hebrew.  And the guy behind the front desk, who is originally from Meitar (Hi Reubens!) is Israeli.  When I told him I was now living in Israel the rest of our conversation turned to Hebrew.  Oh yeh, and about half the people staying here in this hostel are Israeli.  So far that's not my favorite part about this, but I'm happy to have access to that contingency should I choose to be a part of it.  It did give me some "protectsia" - Tal, from the front desk called another Israeli guy to come to the hostel to switch dollars for me into Argentinian pesos.  The official exchange rate is about 8 Pesos to the US dollar, but the black market rate that he gave me was 12.6 Pesos to the dollar.

I haven't done much since I got here as my first day was spent getting my bearings, walking around the area, buying Shampoo and conditioner and a huge Jug of water since you can't drink the tap water here, and finding the local main Chabad House, which is about a 5 minute walk away.  There are fresh fruits and vegetables in many street shops so that's good.  The Chabad house also has a kosher restaurant (Argentina is known for its kosher meat aparently) for buying real food.  I also signed up for both Shabbat meals there.  Today I walked around for many hours and I think I got sunburned - its still settling in.  Stupidly I didn't practice sun safety so tomorrow morning will bring a purchase of sunscreen.  Florida Street is a very long pedestrian street geared towards tourists and locals alike.  Lots of clothing stores, both upscale and not, and electronics and the like.  I went to the outdoor Cementerio de Recoleta which is a cemetery of important people in Aregentina's past - basically a nice large outdoor area with some statues and greenery.  I also visited the Museo de Bellas Artes which hosts a nice collection of famous fine art.  And a lot more walking around and just taking in the city.

Some things I've noted: People are really friendly, but don't really speak English.  Even when you tell them that you speak English and not Spanish, they often keep speaking in Spanish as if you understand... and weirdly enough you start to understand some of it!  Buenos Aires, Argentian's capital, is much like any big populated city.  The streets are also in a grid which makes it really easy to get around with a map.  At each corner where there is the stop and go signal that goes along with the traffic light, they only have it on one side of the street - not on both.  So even if it is OK to cross the street, you may have to look at the other side of the street to see if it is OK.  I guess it saves the city electricity?  Everyone here - and I mean everyone and their grandmother - has tattoos!  Young people, old people, middle-aged people.  They are everywhere.  On legs, arms, backs, chests and back of necks.  I can only imagine what I'm not seeing from body parts not exposed.  I obviously think it's a cool part of the culture.  

So my impression is that Buenos Aires is nice, and has the feel of a city.  I'm looking forward to shabbat at Chabad and then moving on to taste something different.  I haven't specifically found anyone to travel around with - just a few pleasant converstaions here and there.  But I'm hoping and assuming that will change soon.  In the meantime I'm trying to feel better, be well rested and enjoy my new reality :)

And the journey begins!

I’ve officially been in North America for a week.  4 movies, 3 Friends episodes, 2.5 hours of sleep and a 2 hour layover in Heathrow Airport brought me from Israel to New Jersey for the first time in almost 2 years.   I want to say it’s been nice being home but in all honesty this doesn’t feel like home.  When I made Aliyah almost 3 years ago (March 27^th will be my Aliyanaversary) I went through a bit of a mourning process.  I disconnected myself from my former life and started over new.  Part of that process was saying goodbye to here.  And for that reason, it’s been great being here – seeing family and friends – but it’s just not home. 

My apartment in Jerusalem is home.  My friends and family in Israel are home.  Hebrew is home.  This feels like a familiar, comfortable visit.  And it’s a lovely visit.  But not home.  I love the fact that this is how I’m feeling because it just reinforces how settled I feel in Israel and that is a great feeling!  It means I’ve done something right.  I’ve created a life for myself - of course with the help of my support system which is amazing – and it is that new life to which I feel more connected.  I say that with a grain of salt because many of those components of that new life are in transition now – no more school, I quit my job and I’m not sure where exactly I’ll be living a month after I get back – but I feel like I have the tools to find my way when the time comes.

So what’s next?  Tomorrow night I start my next big adventure and fly out to Buenos Aires, Argentina! It’s taken some time to get here but I’m finally feeling excited!  All the pressures and stresses of the last couple of weeks have hit me hard and it’s been difficult to feel the excitement through the other less than positive feelings.  But there’s no time like the present to start getting emotionally ready (I have a 24 hour countdown until takeoff so now would be the time….).  Since I’ve been in the States, I’ve done just a little bit of shopping, limiting my purchases just to things I need for the trip (with the exception of one skirt which I found on sale for $5 so I wasn’t going to pass that up) and I’m pretty much all ready. 

There are a number of key differences in preparing for this trip in contrast to my previous trips.  Let’s start with the bag.  On my previous trips I had this great, compact traveling backpack but it held a total of only 40 liters.  A traveler with less to carry is a happy traveler, but 40 liters is really pushing the envelope.  That really doesn’t leave very much room for anything other than bare essentials, and I ended up carrying just a bit more in an overflow bag.  I would have been better off with a bag that was just a drop bigger and allowed me to keep everything all is one place.  This time I’ve borrowed an 80 liter bag from a friend (double the space!) and that really sets a different tone.  I’m able to bring more changes of clothing!  I have products that make me feel more human, and more like a woman (mousse for my hair, nailpolish, eyeliner…. Nothing too crazy but some touches of normalcy).  I remember traveling through New Zealand in 2008 and seeing these girls with huge packs and a whole slew of dresses and one-use articles of clothing.  I thought “what the hell do you need that stuff for?!” but I’m getting more in touch with that side of my traveling self.  And the space in my bag allows for that – within reason. 

My amazing friends at my (former) job chipped in to buy me a gift certificate to a travel store in Jerusalem, and with that I purchased Shoresh sandals!  Those, and my new Israeli passports make it official - I am Israeli! People will look at me when I wear those shoes and know that I have some connection to Israel (I wonder if that will be a good thing….).  Other amazing friends bought me other travel-helpful items like a Swiss army knife, a traveling back-scratcher (those of you who know me know how important that one is!), a carabiner and a packable plastic bag water bottle that I can already imagine will make certain instances that much more comfortable and easy.  I think my former experience will be a good tool that will help me on this new journey.  I can learn from past mistakes and successes and let that guide me.  I’m also older (and maybe wiser?  More mature? Jury is still out on those) this time around and I’m sure that will come into play somehow. 

This morning I finally made a tentative outline for my first month in Argentina and I feel great about it!  Of course it really is just a tentative plan but having that kind of intention will be comforting to me so that at the very least I have a point of reference when it comes to deciding what to do and where to go.  I was reminded this morning by a friend that in these circumstances, you kind of plan maybe 2-4 days in advance at each “Stop” and take it from there.  I forgot about that mindset, but it’s a good thing to keep in mind because it works well.  You want to be open to opportunities that will come your way but if you have certain time frames you need to keep in mind or “must-sees” on your list, you can keep focused while being flexible.  I emailed the Chabad House in Cordoba which is where I plan on spending Pesach, and I already heard back from them so that also gave me peace of mind as well.  Things are coming together and it is exciting! 

So I’ll arrive in Buenos Aires (BA) Wednesday morning please Gd and I’ll stay there through the weekend.  I’m hoping to have the occasional opportunity to keep this blog up to date and hopefully send some pictures, too!  I’ll do my best to keep the link posted on Facebook when there is something new, but if you are interested in being kept up to date, just click “follow” on the blog itself and you’ll receive an email with the content of the post each time I write something new.  I’m hoping to have fun and exciting experiences that will give me good fodder for writing material.  I won’t have constant data access and will be relying on wi-fi for the occasional connection, but feel free to be in touch by whatsapp or email and if possible I will be in touch in return.  I’m sure these next 3 months are going to fly by but it will be good for me to be kept in the know as well.

Next up, Argentina!  See ya then!

It's the end of an ERA!

Wow – I just went back and read my posting from almost a year and a half ago (http://therealworldquestionmark.blogspot.co.il/2013/11/re-entering-student-hood.html) just after I started my degree at Hebrew U, and I’m so happy I put my thoughts into writing.  It’s amazing to have the perspective of “after” to be able to compare it to the “before.”  As of about a month ago I finished my class lessons.  I’m still finishing up some papers that need to be done, but other than that – doneso! It’s been an incredible ride.  I absolutely loved my classes.  It’s not that I’m specifically passionate about academia, but I found myself being enlightened by the class material.  You know it’s a good sign when you talk about what you learn about in class even when you are not in class (at least it’s a good sign for me – maybe less so than for my friends!). 

Going back to school after a 5 year academic hiatus was at first definitely challenging.  Getting myself to focus, meet deadlines, read and write A LOT, manage my time and still try to maintain some semblance of a normal life in addition to working (somewhat) professionally was not easy.  But I’m no stranger to a big work load… having been in the Jewish schooling system my whole life – even in college – prepared me for having a large course-load.  But the focus here wasn’t on the difficulties.  There were a lot of positives that came from this degree.  Firstly, my Hebrew improved tremendously.  In addition to my regular schooling, despite my having worked in an Ulpan, it was required of me to take Ulpan classes through the University.  In order to graduate one needs to pass the proficiency test in both Hebrew and English.  The English I placed out of without even asking for it (just as the Israelis do with Hebrew), but the Hebrew required my taking a placement exam followed by 3 semesters of classes, finally getting to and passing Level Vav – the dreaded Ptor Test (exemption).  I feared this test the duration of my degree.  It sat over my head always begging me to improve and find Hebrew function in every aspect of my life.  I am very pleased to say that on my birthday this year (Feb 9) I got the great present of finding out that I passed the test with flying colors!  It was a proud moment for me and I’m happy to be on the other side of it.  The Ulpan classes weren’t the only helping factors in getting my Hebrew to where it is.  I continue to use Hebrew on a daily basis and my surroundings certainly foster that.  All my classes were in Hebrew and most of my friends at the University are also Hebrew speakers.  Which brings me to the next “plus” of school... FRIENDS!!! I actually made some!  I was really nervous initially and at first I gravitated to the 2-3 other English speakers (and to this day I still very much cherish their friendship!).  But I also actually became friends with my other Hebrew speaking classmates.  Great people.  Lots of laughs.  Assistance when I needed it.  And a general smiley welcome every day I came to school.  While during my first semester I described feeling super lost and alone in the beginning weeks, by the end, I felt a little bit like a superstar walking around campus.  I know that sounds egotistical but it’s not meant that way.  I love the fact that I could walk around campus and constantly bump into people I know – new friends, from this new Israel chapter of my life.  Even some of my classmates would tell me that it’s weird that I knew more people than they did.  It gave me the feeling that I’ve been doing something right since I got to Israel because I have this whole new foundation that I’ve somehow very luckily created for myself – of course with the help of others.

I’ve also been able to get involved again with one of my passions in an official outlet – this past year I’ve been playing volleyball with the brand spankin’ new Hebrew University Girls’s volleyball team!  I LOVE IT!!! We put together a new team with fantastic girls who are like my little sisters (I’m very much the oldest on the team and the only one in a second degree program) and it gives me the opportunity to play a sport that I love in the framework of an official league (we are in the 3^rd level national league called ליגה ארצית – translated as National League appropriately enough) with a coach and uniforms and practices and competitive games.  When I came to Israel I made it my business to find volleyball outlets for myself, but being on a team, with responsibility to be there is something different and a whole new level of fun!  When we first got the team together we took a group picture after our first game and it was published in the school paper.  One day, one of my classmates who I didn’t know well at all (I don’t even know her name – we only had one class together) actually turned to me in the middle of class and asked if I was on the school team… she recognized me from the picture in the paper! So having that as part of my school experience has been a lot of fun as well.

So what happens now?  I once again find myself in the position of finishing up a particular chapter of life.  I’ve also been working at the same place since within a month of my having moved here which makes it almost 3 years… unbelievable, hey?  A few months ago I decided I would once again go explore a new-to-me part of the world and go traveling in South America.  So I planned it that after I finished school, I would quit my job and head on over to the other side of the world.  So it’s up to that point that I’ve gotten now.  Last Thursday was my last day at work (another meaningful ending – it’s always hard to say goodbye!) and next Monday I fly to NJ/NY for a week before heading to South America.  I Fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina and 3 months later I fly out of Bogota, Colombia heading back to NY/NJ for another week and finally coming back to Israel at the end of June.  What happens in between is pretty up in the air but my intended route will take me to Brazil and Peru as well.  I’m excited and of course a little nervous for this next journey but I can imagine that it will be nothing short of awesome!

Last time I went traveling I had a Facebook page to which I sent updates… but Facebook pages are sooo the first decade of the 2000’s.  This time my intention is to actually keep this blog up to date and hopefully attach some fun pictures, too!  Feel free to follow the blog for new postings and I’ll do my best to post a link to Facebook with each new one as well.  In the meantime, I still have quite a bit to get done here in this last week in Israel (Purim is coming!) but I’ll be sure to keep things updated!

Most appropriate way to end this post with a friends clip:

Speed Limit: Slow down!!!

“Wikipedia is like porn – everyone uses it but no one talks about it.”  One of my teachers referenced this quote in class as a worthwhile starter for a paper.  I can’t really find any source for it on the internet, nor do I know its origin.  Yet, even though this doesn't have much to do with what I want to go into, I did grab your attention, didn't I?

As we approach yet another end to a calendar year, I find myself once more being reflective – something I tend to do around my birthday, as well.  What’s new? What’s been continuing?  Have I moved forward in my life?  Do I have a new set of goals? Have I met previously set goals?  Am I conscious of my actions?  We all ask ourselves various questions, some more specific and personal than others, but these are a few examples of general thought-provoking ideas to be mindful of regarding the inevitable passing of time.

Society has gone through some changes in the past number of years.  The mnemonic “My Very Energetic Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets” is relevant no more.  We no longer have to ponder how Osama Bin Laden gets such good reception from deep within caves while ordinary people have dropped phone calls while walking through Manhattan (although the latter part of that sentence still remains a mystery). People have the ability to send casual pictures to their friends with a ten-second window for viewing which of course has drastically increased the number of nudie pics circulating the airwaves - not on 18+ sites.  Basically, technology (and apparently our solar system) is evolving and its exponential growth is having very real and important influences on our society and the individual.

Its not difficult to point out the positive changes that technology has provided.  For example, as someone who lives in a different country from the one in which I grew up the ability to relatively easily stay in touch and communicate with family and friends all over the world is a big plus.  And of course we can focus on some of the negatives, too.  Kids play with virtual friends online and through computer games instead of actually going outside and meeting real-life people (some connect this to the the ADHD epidem…. I’m sorry, I lost my focus there for a minute - where was I?).  

But these are all obvious correlations.  What about some of the other implications and repercussions?  What is the butterfly effect of this growing technologically-based lifestyle?

The other day I was sitting in a class that deals with the our sociological relationship to cell phones and how we stay connected.  I really do love this class and find it super fascinating! (The teacher of this class wrote his doctoral paper based on research that he did where he had a group of 75 high school student participants give up their cell phone for a week and keep a diary of what it was like…. can you imagine!?).  But it’s my last class of the day - a day that goes from 9:30am - 8pm… you can’t blame me for letting my mind wander a little here and there, despite the carrot sticks that I bring each time to nosh on to help me keep focus to the best of my ability.  Mixed in with the information that I was receiving from the lecture were some unrelated thoughts swimming around my head.  In my attempt to buddy up for life and look for a partner, I had been chatting with this guy for a couple of weeks, hanging out, getting to know him.  We kept a pretty steady flow of conversation, speaking just about everyday (yup - I checked - we spoke daily from the evening we exchanged phone numbers).  And at that very moment my eye kept “casually” looking down at my phone to see if the blue LED light would start to flash to likely indicate that he has responded to my last WhatsApp message… which I had only sent just a few minutes prior.  WHY HASN’T HE ANSWERED ME YET?!?!? I sent the text a whole 10 minutes ago… does he hate me? Of course, I’m female and I can get a little ahead of myself and sometimes I can’t help those types of thoughts.  (We’ve all been there, right ladies?).  My practical self told my over-thinking-things self to quiet down and focus on the lecture at hand.

(Editor’s note:  The irony is not lost on me that in a cell phone class, I’m becoming distracted by my cell phone… All of us in the class are aware of it, but what can you do?)

Anyway, back to class… We’re watching a short video entitled “Cell Phone Addicts” when I hear the following quote:

“We are slowly losing the patience to deal with things that are meant to take time.”

WOW!  That one hit me like a truck!  This reality slap-in-the-face was exactly what I needed to hear - both at that very moment and in assessing my current perspective of and reflection on life.  I’ve become so used to expecting instantaneous responses that I was actually bothered by the fact this this guy didn't write back to me in a ten minute window- which even in the cell phone world can still be considered appropriate.  Relationships are meant to be built, not received.  And building takes time.  And rightfully so!  There was no logical reason that I should have felt that my budding love affair was in danger because of a lack of immediate text response (It could have been in danger but not for that reason!).  Had we been having a face-to-face conversation and I had to wait 10 minutes for a response to an innocuously flirty question,  Houston would have been getting a report of a problem.  But the nature of technological communication is very different than that of in-person communication. While it does facilitate the potential for immediacy, it isn’t a requirement nor is it always possible.

I hate the fact that our phones have become reminiscent of those bells that you see in movies to summon the bellhop or a desk clerk at a hotel.  Of course I’m guilty of giving my phone the power to act that way on occasion, but I try and stay aware of it as a danger.   Our society often values the end as opposed to the journey.  What is the final result?  It almost doesn’t matter how you got there.  Cher from ‘Clueless’ changed her grades from C’s and D’s to B’s and A’s by arguing with her teachers - and her Dad was as proud as if they had been on actual academic achievements! It’s the reason we use Wikipedia (pretty slick re-introducing this seemingly unrelated idea, huh?) for quick answers.  Do you remember the days when doing a book report or term paper meant doing actual research…. with books?  We sat in the library not because it was quiet and was a hotspot for free wifi but rather that’s where the information was to be found!  And it took time to look for it!  

We so quickly want to get things done right away.  What if we were to take the cake out of the oven before it is done cooking?  OK, that would be delicious, so that's a bad example.  What about chicken?  It would be inedible! Stopping a marathon before the end is called a jog around the block.  There are just certain things in life that require more time.  It allows us to put more of ourselves into our actions, being more mindful and thoughtful in the process.  Both in the business world and in our personal lives, time can be seen as an investment.  It’s no wonder we have phrases like “The good things in life come to those who wait” and “The best things in life are those worth waiting for.”  Screw the early bird and his worm - the second mouse gets the cheese!  And what’s better than cheese? Patience is a virtue that is worth developing. In these life circumstances where a few more minutes in the hypothetical oven can make all the difference (think developing relationships as well as chicken), I think we will see that more often than not, the ROI will be that much better.