¡Hola Argentina!

I went to Argentina to renew my visa this weekend, a 7-hour bus ride over the Andes skirting the base of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemishpere. The trip there we did during the day and I didn’t even notice the last 3 hours pass because I was wide-eyed and plastered to the window watching the incredible scenery. We arrived in Mendoza in time for a shower at our backpackers hostel before hitting the streets to get a taste of the other side of the border. It was wonderful to be in Argentina again, a country of the most beautiful people and the most lively and passionate Spanish I have ever heard. I wish I could include some sound-bites because it’s just impossible to explain. It brought back so many memories from my time in Buenos Aires 5 years ago (oh my god, its been that long!). Y saludos a Tomas especialmente, aunque tengo que confesar que no encontré ese "Fernet" por ningún lado! En serio, ¿lo has inventado?

It was a fantastically random time. Over the weekend, I found myself sitting in an outdoor puppet theater with a Dixie cup of cheap wine watching a poetry slam turned interpretive tutu dance complete with Zorro masks; Dining (scarfing) with the elderly population of Mendoza at an all you can eat barbeque house/casino serenaded by a lounge singer; and in the middle of a spontaneous dance party, at which point an Argentine girl there asked me ¿Dónde aprendiste bailar en Español? Literally: Where did you learn how to dance in Spanish? That was no typo… I thought it was such a beautiful way to really express so many of the small subtleties of a culture that come out through the language. And kind of flattered she thought I knew how to “dance in Spanish”.

Because of the exchange rate (bad for argentina, good for visitors) I felt like I was actually on vacation and my very strict budget was able to go much further. After stuffing myself with dulce de leche, Havana alfajores, steak, wine, cafe con leche, sweet medialunas and the best icecream in the world I rolled myself onto a midnight bus and we made our way back to Santiago under a nearly full moon. I arrived to a couple changes – first, the clocks… Autumn is on its way here, and second, a newly inaugurated president. Or, I should say... Presidenta!