Monday, September 21, 2009

Summer camp wedding and a killer time with Mom and Dad!


Oh dear, I swore to make these more often and more brief. Such a failure am I (and Yoda to boot).

Beach day in Rosario was good. Then headed to Buenos Aires where I found a dress for the wedding and hung out for a few days. The weather turned super cold so much of my time was spent indoors.

Flew to Boston and had a great time hanging out with Ali and Dave (thank you!!!!) both times I crashed at their place. Friday night met up with Johnny and Sam in Boston and on Saturday we headed up to the summer camp in NH for the wedding. Let me just say that the summer camp wedding idea was a fabulous one!! Even though I had a little fall and my face was a bit scratched up for the ceremony (no, do not expect pics), it was even more fun than it sounds. Talent show, kickball, bonfire, s'mores, a great wedding ceremony by the lake and party thereafter... Way to go Tom and Court!!! Before I left I got a quick dinner in with my cousin Alex to round out the week.

Had a few days in Buenos Aires to get things ready for Mom and Dad's arrival and sightsee. Unfortunately I had my camera stolen in a crowded subway car two days before they arrived and I lost all of my pictures from Bolivia and Argentina that I had been being lazy about uploading. I was really bummed about that. Thanks to Mom and Dad for getting me a new camera at the last minute as cameras in Argentina are more than twice what they cost in the US. Aside from the camera mishap, I had a great couple of days with some girls from my hostel in Buenos Aires. We explored the town and got to drink a penguin of wine (used in lieu of carafes in some places) at an awesome empanada house.

Mom and Dad flew in last Saturday early morning. I met them at their hotel and they were super troopers in shrugging off the jet lag (after a red eye) and walking to Plaza de Mayo and Puerto Madera. Later we went out to diner and to a Tango show at a classical BA institution, Cafe Tortoni. Sunday we ran all over town seeing the Recoleta Cemetary (where Evita is buried) as well as the Evita museum. Monday we took a ferry over to Colonia, Uruguay for the day and wandered around the old city and parks. Tuesday we relaxed a bit and went to the zoo and gardens and an art museum. Of course we ate well during all this (highlight being Juana M in Recoleta) and Mom and I sampled some Argentine white wines. Oh and Monday night Del Potro, an Argentine tennis player won the US Open. On the walk back from the ferry we stopped to watch the finals outside a bar with flat screens facing out into the street with loads of Argentinians. I love stuff like that!!

Wednesday morning we flew up to Iguazu to see the falls. It was a rather cold and rainy day but we perservered and saw the most incredible falls I have ever seen! Thursday the weather was still iffy so we spent the morning seeing other Iguazu attractions, the Plastic bottle house and the tree and stone houses. Both were way more interesting then they sounded (and I had totally made fun of Mom for wanting to go), especially the plastic bottles. Later the weather cleared up so we went back to the falls to see them in the sun and saw loads of rainbows. It is hard to describe the falls. The Devils Throat is insanely powerful and high. Then you walk the upper and lower circuits and just see the incredible breadth of the falls. I cannot even estimate how many there were...

Thursday night we flew back to BA and had diner close to the hotel due to rain and lack of taxis. Friday we rented a car (excellent work Dad driving in the crazy BA traffic) and went to San Antonio de Areco- home of the gaucho tradtions. We did the gaucho (cowboy) museum and other local sights before heading back that evening. We had our last dinner (and ice cream of course) out in Palermo. Saturday we did shopping and the planetarium before it was time for Mom and Dad to head home. We had such a wonderful time and covered a lot of ground! I am so so so glad they came down to meet me!!

OK, two days later and I am now in La Paloma, Uruguay on the beach. It is off season and really quiet here but it is nice to see the ocean. Yesterday I was in Montevideo which was fun for a day (except for getting locked out of my hostel for 2 hours, but these things happen). Tomorrow I think I am going to head back West. We will see how I feel in the AM though.

Thanks Jen for reminding me to stop putting this off! Will write in a few days so the next is shorter- at least that is the plan...

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