Magic in Rio!

Rio de Janeiro - the first big city that I have been to that I actually really enjoyed.  The city and I got off to a rough start - I had travelled many hours by bus (25 to be exact) just to get to Rio, and then it took another 2+ hours to get to my hostel because of the serious traffic going on in town.  I also felt sleep deprived, hungry and thirsty, and it is hot as hell here!  So I thought that would be a bad sign but it´s all been a major improvement since.  

So what makes Rio different from all other cities?  For me I think it is a mixture of the beautiful beaches, and the fact that the touristy cultural things to do are actually in the city itself, not a days excursion out of the city.  It is a massive city with many different areas, each of them having their own feel and even topographical quality.  So what is there to do other than the beach (which there are many of, and are also really awesome)?

One of the highlights for me was going to see Salaron´s steps - the set of stairs covered in tiles from over 120 countries from around the world.  It was so iconic and so colorful and beautiful to see that I felt like a kid in a candy shop seeing them in person, and I had this big goofy grin on my face the whole time!  

There is this massive Jesus statue that overlooks the city on a mountaintop called "Cristo Redentor" (It means Christ the Redeemer).  It was built by a French designer in conjunction with a Brazilian architect.  Recently it has been named one of the 7 wonders of the world (but there are many lists, and they change all the time).  He stands up tall with his arms very straight out to the sides, fingers together.  It is pretty huge and kinda cool to see from up close, but from far away, from around the city it just looks like a big cross up in the sky because of his body position. He is so popular and famous that it´s the cool thing to do so pose with him.  What that means is that you so people lying down on the floor to take pictures with the proper angle to include Jesus, too.  It´s actually quite funny to watch, and I took some pictures of people taking pictures.  To get my own picture with him I used my frontal camera on my phone and just took a good old Selfie.  Others also used the ever popular selfie-stick.  That the situation of the place is so high up really facilitates a great view of all of Rio from a number of different angles.  

Sugar Loaf is another popular attraction.  It is another big mountainous rock.  To get to it you first take a cable car up to Urca mountain (the name of the area where it is located is called Urca) and from there you take another cable car up to Sugar Loaf.  It also provides really beautiful views of the city and the beaches.  We went up while it was still light out and came down when it was dark, so if it hadn´t been so cloudy we would have actually been able to see the sunset (we did see some nice pinky-orange poke through the clouds at one point), but it was pleasant to watch all of the lights in the city slowly turn on - very pretty.  

Rio has incredible street art through the expression of graffiti.  It is super colorful and often playful.  Somehow it doesn´t seem like vandalism, but rather a decorative art form.  The prevalence of the graffiti adds a special pulse to the city and it just so visually interesting to look at!

There is a Hippie Market by Ipanema beach, one of the supposedly safer areas in the south of the city.  There is definately a hippie feel to it, and they sell lots of different types of things to tourists and locals alike.  In addition to the clothing, bags and knick-knack souvenirs, local artists also showcase and sell there work of either paintings or woodwork.  Its also beautiful and cultural and gives a taste of some of the local lifestyle.  

It is important for me to recount what a special Shabbat experience I had.  I had specifically planned to be sleeping near where I thought the Beit Chabad was and I got all the information form the Rabbi before Shabbat.  I must have a little bit misunderstood because I went to Shul on Fri night but didn´t realize that it was a local shul (one of many actually!) and not associated with Chabad - which meant that it didn´t have a meal to join - and I was relying on that for food and my Shabbat experience.  In short, a local man from the community invited me to join his family for dinner and it turns out that he lives about a 4 minutes walk from my Hostel and was also able to show me where the actual Beit Chabad was (just a minutes walk from his house) so that I could go there for Shabbat day.  The family was so warm, inviting and welcoming!  This surprising and lucky turn of events allowed me to meet local Jews and experience Kosher food (and lots of it) with authentic Brazilian style.  The meal experience was tri-lingual taking place with a mixture of Portuguese, Hebrew and English, taking into account everyones abilities and strengths, with lots of translations.  They were so patient and it was a true, incredible experience!  The next day at Chabad was also really lovely - I was the only "backpacker" there as the local branch caters to the community.  Once again the food was delicious (my belly wasn´t actually used to eating so much but it was worth it!) and I met some really nice people - one woman in particular who was so excited to speak to me in Hebrew as she has a tremendous love for Israel and Hebrew!  Overall, a really special Shabbat and it is really incredible how what initially seemed like a very disappointing and difficult situation turned out to be one of the best experiences for Shabbat that I have had yet! In addition to the many shuls, Rio also has two Kosher supermarkets and one kosher dairy and one kosher meat restaurant (I got a Pizza one night - perfection!).

Brazil, and Rio in particular, is very expensive.  People here are also covered in tattoos - for that works just fine becasue I love looking at it!  It is hot as anything here!  What that means is that the temperature lends itself to less clothing-wearing and a scantily dressed lifestyle.  It is one of the reasons that Brazil is known for being so sexy - especially by the beach where people wear even less.  It is almost like a competition to see who can get away with wearing less clothing or fabric without actually being naked.  Because of this culture and lifestyle, the locals tend to keep in shape.  Even older woman can be seen jogging on the beach, of course in a skimpy bikini top and what I think it meant to be a thong bikini bottom.  Many people ride their bikes along the coastline and sweat it out with a jog along the beach.  At night you can find people playing volleyball - at Ipanema beach I saw a bunch of different clubs and closed groups having practices!  There is also another volleyball variation that seems to be popular which is hitting the ball with anything but your hands - namely your feet and your head... interesting, but seems pretty difficult.  For me, I was just happy to see some volleyball - finally!

I´ve moved on from Rio for now, and the rest of my week´s adventures will be to come shortly!  I´m thank God in great spirits, meeting wonderful people and experiencing awesome experiences.  Very grateful but still missing friends and family back at home... So I´m sending my love!!!

The Majesty that is The Iguazu Falls

I’ve official been reminded of what it means to be emotionally moved by nature. 

The first experience I had that I can remember off the top of my head (and lets take into consideration that I feel like I haven't slept properly in almost 3 weeks so I’m just kinda tired) was the first time I went SCUBA diving with an introductory dive in Eilat about 10 years ago.  The colors, the fish, the experience – it was just magical and felt almost religious! So this week I had the great fortune of being able to visit the Iguazu Falls both from the Argentine and Brazillian sides.  As per the recommendation, I crossed the border from Puerto Iguazu and went to the Brazilian side first.  It’s a relatively short visit and provides a beautiful panoramic view of the falls.  You first get exposed to a part of it and think it’s beautiful, but you continue along the path, going lower and lower and more and more of the falls expose themselves to your viewpoint.  It continues to just get more and more magnificent!  By the end of the trail, you take a foot path bridge out to the middle of the water and you are right below one of the waterfalls.  When I got up close and got my first real shpritz from the water’s mist (which was much appreciated by the way as it was a hot day), my breath was literally taken away.  I felt the power of the falls and for some weird reason I was actually moved to tears for a brief moment.  I felt the energy of the water surrounding me and it was incredibly moving.  I didn’t realize at the time that the part that I was near was really just a small part of the falls because from the perspective there is seem ginormous.  The whole experience reinforced for me the sheer power of the water.  I guess I’m drawn to water…

The next day I went to get the other perspective from the Argentine side.  If the Brazilian side provided a Macro view of the falls, then the Argentine side gives you the Micro.  You can take a 15 minute very slow train ride out to the real meat and potatoes of the thing – the Devils Throat, which is the biggest and most powerful  area of the falls and is a must see for the visit – or you can walk along the path and get there is about 25 minutes.  Then you walk along another path across the water out to the falls which takes about another 15/20 minutes and the end places you right above the Devils Throat.  You can stand there for ages (of course among all the other millions of visitors – a super touristy place – and justifyingly so) just taking in the power of what is going on below you.  It’s an experience for all the senses – you can see the falls, hear the power, smell the nature and feel the rising shpritz (I guess you can taste it if you open your mouth when the shpritz comes…).  Whats also amazing to see is the water before it gets to the drop – its so calm and seemingly unaware of the death drop it is about to take so the juxtaposition of the calm flowing water and the intense drop of the falls is really interesting.  To explore the rest of the falls there are two other trails to hike – the upper and lower – that bring you to different viewpoints of the various falls.  Another beautiful perspective provided. 

What made the visit to the Argentine side a little different than usual was the fact that from the morning onwards, it absolutely poured the entire day! And I don’t just mean a little drizzle – I’m talking about torrential downpour with the occasional thunder and lightning.  By the end of the day I actually forgot what it felt like to be dry.  It wasn’t particularly cold outside so it wasn’t dreadful – it just gave a different aspect to the experience of it all.  It made me feel like I was one with the nature.  And I guess its appropriate to feel so wet when you are visiting Waterfalls – I just assumed the wetness would come from the falls themselves.  Overall, the falls were definitely a highlight of my trip thus far and I really feel privileged to have seen and experienced them. 

Puerto Igazu is also a cute little city and I enjoyed being there.  I actually went for my first run since having started this trip.  There is one point in the city next to the Rio Iguazu (Iguazu River) where you can see 3 countries in one place.  You stand on the Argentine side, across and to the right is Brazil and across and to the left is Paraguay.  It was a little anti-climactic to see, but I'm happy the journey got me to go for a jog and it also let me see other parts of the city which I otherwise would not have seen.  Also, down by the viewpoint, right next to the river there was a local ZUMBA class going on which was kinda cool to see!

Iguazu was my last stop in Argentina.  Don’t cry for me Argentina even though the truth is that I’ve just left you.  As Ive already said, I think Argentina is a beautiful country and Ive had some really lovely experiences.  It also marks the end of the first 3^rd of my trip and so I would like to reflect a little. Ive been super lucky, meeting great people along the way and many of them in strategic places where their language skills that I have lacked have come to be of beneficial use to me as well!  It seems that in hostels, almost half of the conversations that happen among travelers are about language – what languages people speak in different countries, what peoples experiences have been either with a language or the experiences of not having a language. 

That also leads me to my take on the Israelis traveling situation.  Its known that many Israelis travel through South America.  And Its also become quite clear that they travel in packs, and even if there are some small groups, they will hook up with other small groups – but just with other Israelis.  Why is that? Ive asked a bunch of people that Ive met why it is like that and also how they decide to get these big groups together - how they think or know that it will work out (group dynamic, budgets, intentions and plans regarding where to go and at what speed to travel… things like that).  Many have said that it has to do with culture and language.  Many Israelis don’t think that they would be well suited with travelers from other places and that there would be a culture clash if they were to actually travel together.  Also, Hebrew plays a big part.  Many of the Israelis here are not super confident with their English language skills.  They do just fine here because at least one person in each group speaks Spanish quite well.  There is also a wealth of information from Israelis who have already traveled here and have left it for the next set (available online and through travel blogs, facebook groups, word of mouth…) They don’t have to take themselves too far out of their comfort zone because everything is readily available.  I think they are missing out. Because they travel together, they are missing the opportunity to meet amazing people from other parts of the world and get to know these cultures.  And I think that many aren’t giving themselves the opportunity to fair on their own.  Some of them don’t trust themselves or their abilities to travel on their own or go to a place and have to figure it all out on their own when they get there.  I mean there is a benefit to having the advice and information available as it can make for more efficient traveling.  I am still on the fence about whether or not I want to access that well – I dip in sometimes but I think for the most part I’m trying to make it work as I go along.  I also don’t like being in the places where half the hostel is Israeli.  These tight-knit groups are hard to break into, so I don’t even want to try.  (By the way, I don’t say any of this in trying to put anyone down – the beauty of traveling like this is that you get to decide to travel however you want to so to each their own – I’ve just noticed some things). 

Usually when I walk around I don’t listen to my headphones.  I want to be open to taking in the sounds and music of where I am located as I walk the local streets (not in the prostitutey way).  They play a lot of English music here!  And when I do hear a song I know, or when I'm listening to my own music on long bus rides or whatever, the familiar songs often come with a pleasant association from back home and it brings a smile to my face.  My work friends will be very happy to hear that on occasion, when I come across a particular song, I still decide to listen to it on repeat 20 plus times J Hard to break old habits!  But I have heard some other local music and Ive actually made a list of stuff I want to look into upon arriving back at home.  Music to download.  Or even books to read.  Ive even started a short list of things I want to get involved with or try .. like maybe actually learning Spanish?  Possibly try my hand at bouldering?  Who knows!?

So as of today, I am officially in Brazil to travel around.  Its been a long day of 30+ hours of travel so the rest will have to wait until I´m not falling on my face from exhaustion.  At least now Spanish won’t be giving me any trouble but now I’ll have to start worrying about Portuguese – HELP!!

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!