Post Relaxation?

Spring Break is definitely over, but I am retaining the sense of calmness that I gained. Let me recap it so you can visualize, and then we will get down to the business of analyzing. It was just the two of us the whole break, which made decisions and meals and traveling much easier.

Step 1: Overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, Argentina
By the end of Day 1, Mendoza had my heart. It is near the border with Chile, and known for its vineyards and olive oil. I arrived expecting fantastic wine tasting, food, and beautiful greenness, but the thing that I loved the most was the warmth of the people. Everyone was so friendly, so laid back, so relaxed, just had the best vibes. I love cities where the people look you in the eyes, where you don't feel rushed out of conversations, where a smile in the street is more common than a glare. Granted, it is a machista culture like much of South America, so Des and I also got growled and whistled at incessantly, but if you take that as it is, the people treat each other with so much warmth and respect. Another thing that I loved: the women have actual curves. In Buenos Aires, in Capital, there is one primary body type: tallish, very thin, curvy within a petite framework. Mendoza has much more physical diversity (and we all know how much I love diversity). We spent a day in the Andes mountains, on the Chilean border, which was breathtaking and full of so many shades of red, browns and yellows juxtaposed with the bright blue of the sky and the intense white of the clouds. I had one of those "I AM IN (insert name of place in the world here) RIGHT NOW" moments, and could barely believe it was real. In between wine and olive oil tasting and lounging in the many green plazas in the city, I found a comfort and easy breathing that had been lacking in Buenos Aires. Maybe I am a slow-paced, urban but friendly-sized city girl and not the bustling-city girl I thought I was? (Okay, so I guess I am completely unable to leave the analysis out of the summary. Big surprise, huh?)

Step 2: Overnight bus to Bariloche, Argentina
Bariloche is in the Northern area of Patagonia, known for its many beautiful lakes and for being the Argentinian home of chocolate. We went kayaking on the clearest water I have ever seen in my life---all of it is potable!! It was absolutely beautiful, and so tranquil. We ran into a café that had "churro and chocolate caliente" happy hour--2 cups of steaming hot, amazing hot chocolate and two churros a piece for a grand total of 12 pesos (about 3 dollars). We only stayed for a couple of nights, but our hostel had free dinner included, we roamed the streets and shops, the air was perfectly autumn-tinged, again, the people so so friendly and wonderful.

Step 3: Flight to El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina
El Calafate is most famous for its glacier, Perito Moreno (not my photo, but check it out here: http://duke3d.com.ar/bluke/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/perito_moreno_glacier_patagonia_argentina_luca_galuzzi_2005.jpg). I am overusing this word, but no other will suffice; it was BREATHTAKING. There is not a lot to do in El Calafate but see the glaciers, but we were at the end of our trip and in relaxation mode. We went to Perito Moreno one day, spent another day and night in El Chaltén, a nearby hiking town, saw the flamingos that live in a lagoon in Calafate another day. I read lots of books and journaled more than I have the entire time I've been in Buenos Aires, met lots of interesting people in the hostels and on the trails (LOTS of Israelis, because a lot go to tours of South American after they exit the army), and were genuinely cold for the first time since we've been here. El Calafate is way South, almost at the very Southernmost tip of South America.

Step 4: Returning to Buenos Aires initially filled me with dread. I didn't want to return to a huge, impersonal, non-green city after this week and a half of indulging in rich foods, clear air, gorgeous scenery, and friendly people. If I had to return to a big city, I wanted it to be New York. Sunday night, the night we got back, I spent moping and missing my friends and family from home (both homes). But the natural high of nature and good spirits has remained with me, and I have been in such a healthily happy mood all week. It doesn't hurt that almost everyone in our program has been riding their own personal nature and relaxation highs. The real analysis and in-depth descriptions will follow shortly. I wanted to check-in a bit, for now.

I love you all. Thank you for reading! It means a lot to me :) If you have a blog, please send me the link so I can keep up with you.

Besos, abrazos, y buenas ondas,

L