In Granada

Thought I´d let you all know that I´ve safely arrived in Granada, Nicaragua. I don´t have much time to type right now, nor will I ever during the next two weeks, but I hope to provide occasional updates nonetheless. 

First and foremost, I want to say that although I am taking pictures, I have no means by which I can post them online.  All of my images will be posted on my flickr account once I return to the United States.  In the mean time, I will just find images on google and use them to give you an idea of what I´m seeing. 

Before I head off, I´ll just give a few words:  after being in Argentina for so long, I have forgotten how poor much of Latin America is.  It´s dirtier, and often smellier here than Buenos Aires.  There are more beggers and more filthy children here than I remembered.  Still, I feel quite comfortable.  Last time I was here, I felt as if the city was much bigger and more daunting, but now I find it rather simple and relaxed.  I feel quite at home here, despite the fact that I stick out more (my skin color contrasts more with locals here than in B.A.).

Also a note on expenses, for the financially inclined: a week of housing, plus 3 meals per day (which means I have no other expenses) costs about 130 US dollars. This trip, aside from the plane ticket, costs less than any other place I´ve ever been.  This is the draw of travelling here. 

My opinion is that many college students see travelling as extemely expensive, primarily because they think of Europe when they imagine travelling around.  I urge those who hold such a view to branch out and explore the poorer parts of the world.  They are cheaper*.  Also, are more foreign, so you may well grow more from your experiences.  Save the expensive places for the days when you´re old and sluggish, with less of a taste for extremes, and cherish the adventurism of your youth.

More later!

*For example: Met a guy today who´s been travelling around Central America for a few months who pays about 5 dollars a night for a clean place to stay.  Lunch costs about 1.50 in this town, if you go to the right place.  You can´t get a better deal anywhere.

Off Again

After a brief stay at home in Menomonee Falls, I am about to embark on the next major trip of my summer: Nicaragua.

On Monday afternoon I returned home after a 24 hour travel day from Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I had not slept a wink on the overnight flight, and only managed to squeeze in a rest during my layover in the beloved Atlanta airport.  I walked through the door to my new home, and immediately I was swept off to go swimming at Lannon Quarry, a man made lake near Menomonee Falls.  Ever since then, it's been a life of action being back home.  From Harry Potter 7 part II at midnight to Fish Day in Port Washington, I have crammed quite a bit of summer into these past 6 days.

Thanks a lot to everyone who helped me have such a great week!  I'm so grateful to have such amiable, outgoing, active friends here. I'll update once I've arrived in Granada as soon as I find a computer.

La Boca--Caminito

I ventured out to the famous barrio "La Boca" today to see the Caminito buildings.  I had seen pictures of these buildings my whole life, and they formed the image of Buenos Aires that I had before coming here.  After 6 weeks of being in the city, I never saw anything like this.

 
The colorful buildings are quite far from the main part of the city, and a very poor area surrounds it.  We were told not to go there at night, since it could be dangerous. This is not what I expected of the picturesque vibrancy that most of us think of when we hear the name Buenos Aires.  Despite the poor neighborhood circling Caminito, the actual location itself was fairly touristy.  Lots of people with cameras, restaurants, vendors, and music.




At dusk, when we left, however, the place cleared out quite a bit.

"It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams." 
-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The End of School

With a tremendous sigh, I left the IFSA office building on Monday afternoon knowing that I had officially finished classes for my Buenos Aires study abroad program.  It had been a mentally draining weekend.  I had just turned in 15 pages of final essays and walked out into the sunny streets, full of cars, people, scents and sounds.  I looked around, feeling a mixture of relief and confusion.  What now?

I enjoyed the mild daytime, walking around a part of town I rarely visit.  Low 50s, but pleasant.  I ordered a spot of tea, opened up A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. I read for a while, taking periodic breaks to gaze out at "9 de Julio", the biggest road I have ever seen. I often forgot, on this trip, that I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Once you get into a routine, no matter where you live, you start to become blind to your surroundings. Now that school is over, I'm realizing all over again how lucky I am to be here. 

There are still several things I'd like to see in the city before I head off on Sunday.  I would like to go to the famous neighborhood "La Boca", which you might recognize for it's colorfully painted buildings.  I'd like to see some museums, and find some more unique places to eat.  I'm also hoping to get some good running in before I return home, since the temperature and humidity in Wisconsin might be unbearable in contrast to the weather here.

I'm about to go out for some live music, but I wanted to post the books that I've read while here, since each of them influenced me in a unique way.  On this trip, my brain worked harder than it had in a long time, and these books helped contribute:

 

Finished with School!