Onward and Upward

Trips tend to have stages, I've noticed, both physically and psychologically.

Ours started with the four girls, fresh out of studying, full of enthusiasm and amazement of the world and ready to jump into tourist traps because we've got to see it! We got up early, stayed out late, and talked to everyone we met. Then it was Kira and I, and we ran around without plans, free and liberated and ready to relax into the daily nothings and everythings of traveling, talking to people who we found interesting and having a relatively chill time of it. We are now with Angela, friend from UVM, and we've spent the whole day in Cordoba sleeping and eating. It's more organized but more careless, and minds are turning towards going home, now less than two weeks away.

Bariloche was frigid. We arrived in the middle of a storm, a dark afternoon of cold rain and incredible wind. In the hostal, tallest building in town from which we couldn't see the ski town spreading below us, we met up with Kira's friends from school David and Angela, who had been skiing for a couple of days. We celebrated the fourth of July, our great day of independence, by celebrating the birthday of the hostal with a bunch of Irish and English, and a few South Americans. It was a potluck, so we brought the beer and made pigs in a blanket, good ole American dining. The pigs weren't so much of a hit with the foreigners... shows what they know. Outside, it started to snow.

The morning broke beautiful, and finally we had a view of the snowglobe world spreading around us. The lake is unbelievable, stretching in a bowl that mixes the white water of glaciers with the deepest blues and greens and rising in swollen waves topped by angry whitecaps. What else could we do but head to the slopes! And so I got my first taste of what real skiing is. The resort is easily five times bigger than any resort I have skiied at, and the FRESH POWDER was up to my knees at points. Needless to say, my inexperienced powder skiing left me on the ground quite often. The view made up for it all though, and by the end of the afternoon I was getting the hang of it. I really want to go back now! I actually had to yank my arm out of powder and dig dig dig for my ski after one epic wipeout...

Going out dancing that night with some of the Argentine ski bums from the resort was quite a blast, especially since the hugely entertaining Irish and English boys accompanied us. We trekked out through the whipping snow to find the warmth of "the best baliches in all of South America!!!" and to dance until very late. We came back and no one was tired, so we visited our childhood and raced in the elevators for a good hour or two. Then we realized David had gone to bed with the room key, so stayed awake in the kitchen until the reception woke up and let us in at 7. At one point the Irishman woke up and came out into the kitchen in his boxers, poured himself a small mug of Whiskey, drank up, and went back to bed. Gotta love the Irish!

Now we're headed north.

Mendoza was the perfect break in the middle of another 25+ hour bus ride to Cordoba. Arriving around 9:30 in the morning, we spent the day on rented bikes visiting a few of the wineries in the area. We got to taste some of theh delicious and well-known Mendoza Malbec wine, which is almost exclusive to Mendoza because of its dry climate, warm days and cool nights. It was really interesting to see the way they make wine artesanally, and finally learn how to test for good wine! Now I don't have to pretend every time I do the little swirl-sniff combo. It felt good to use my legs after so long sitting, and after so much time without real exercise. We also went to an artesanal liquor and chocolate store, which was divine. I bought my pops some amazing Coñac, which the next day ended up in pieces in my backpack. All of my clothes are now the lovely aroma of Coñac...

I'm still not really used to the buses, especially when they tell you you're getting dinner and breakfast, and there is no such thing.

My dad has a picture very similar to this one of him and two buddies skiing in Germany when (I think) he was about the age I am now. Cool, eh? I think he's even on the left in the photo too.

Now we're in Cordoba, and today is their independence day. Instead of celebrating like we do though, everything is closed. There is no one on the street. I'm kind of glad... we went out Argentinian style last night, which means we left the hostal at one in the morning, danced our bottoms off to electronic music, and stumbled back into the hostal at 7:30. Sleeping and making some form of macaroni and cheese were in order. And laundry.

Yesterday we went to one of the famous types of Argentine restaurant: a tenedor libre. That literally means "free fork," as in uninhibited. Think buffet, but huge. There is a section for parrilla (grill), pasta, Asian, bread, potatos, seafood, soup, salad, dessert, and wine. And it's all delicious, not like Golden Corral or anything. Here is some of the damage we did, after they removed a stack or two of plates.

Tomorrow we're going to look for a car rental place to make the trip up to Salta. Some of the most beautiful things in the area aren't actually in the city, and since we're sick of buses we thought we'd do it a bit differently. It's going to be weird to be driving again...

As I said before, thoughts are turning towards home more and more. It's kind of strange... I'm homesick for my Chilean family but soo excited for being home in the States. I think subconsciously I already know that I might not ever see my Chilean fam again (no, I will, one day!) and so I'm already starting to miss them, ademàs I'll be seeing them sooner and coming with gifts I know they'll love! Thinking about home brings great thoughts and images of who I'll be seeing and what I'll be doing, where I'll be living, all the plans I have for the coming year. There are so many things I want to accomplish or do with my schooling and my life in general... it's going to be tough to find enough time for it all. If it's what I love though, I guess it's not really finding time, but more making a life. It's just all so invigorating! And only two weeks away.

That scares me.

Feel the love baby! This girl has been by my side almost without a break since June 7, and always close for the months before. I'm really going to miss seeing that rubia every day! We live, we grow, we change, we move. But you are always close to those who matter.

See you soon, everybody!