We are in Lima. Where are all the beans?

We have been in Lima for 2 days and so far it is nothing like I expected. The city is clean and modern, the people friendly, and I haven't seen a single bean. I have however had some delicious seafood, listened to some great live music, and met some nice people of all ages in our spanish school. The only thing I would change is our housing, and Brent is working on that. Our apartment through the school is hot and does not have a real kitchen. We will be looking at apartments tomorrow.
I am very glad we decided to go back to school for our last month in South America. There is nothing like being forced to practice for 4 hours a day with people who are as interested as you are about learning. The students here are a little more diverse than in Argentina. There are the students just out of college, but there are also two women here who I am pretty sure are even older than me!
We took a brief walking tour of our immediate area yesterday, and this afternoon we are going with some classmates to a park with some kind of light show with fountains. I have no idea what to expect, but if it is anything like the rest of our trip I am sure I will be pleasantly surprised!
Later!

Lastima Dia

Today was our last full day in BA. It sucks sucks sucks sucks....sorry got on a roll there. We spent the day a little hung over because last night we hooked up with our only authentic, born here, raised here, friend at The Drink Gallery and ended up talking till 4:30 in the morning. His girlfriend was really nice (first time we have met her) she is from Finland and speaks great english but is like me as far as being timid to speak spanish. We swapped some amusing stories about misunderstandings in spanish. For instance, you would never say estoy sucio if you were trying to tell someone you were sweaty and dirty, because you would essentially be saying I am a dirty girl -wink wink. Anyway it was entertaining to have someone besides Brent to talk to.
We woke up this morning and finished our last errands. We went and bought a new duffle bag, Brent dropped off our excess luggage at the bed and breakfast, and I donated our excess clothes. I still have to clean the apartment tomorrow, but aside from that, we are ready to go.
Argentina played Venezuela this evening in a world cup qualifier so we went down to our sports bar and watched Argentina put a whupping on those whimpy commies! 4-0. There was a group of guys watch the game with their dog. Every time Argentina scored the dog went crazy! After the game the dog got on a motorcycle (and this was a big dog) and rode away with his owner the whole way down the street popping a wheelie!
As we walked home, I knew we had good karma following us when Brent found a 10 peso bill laying in the sidewalk right around the corner from our apartment. It was almost like Argentina was trying to bribe us to stay (or paying us to leave; kinda a half full, half empty proposition).
Anyway you pour it, we are off to Peru tomarrow!
Later!

The lions are pacing

Today Brent and I are trying to get everything packed up for our trip to Lima. Neither one of us wants to do it and spend a good bit of the time pacing around our small apartment, bumping into each other. The second one of us goes into the bedroom to make an attempt, the other jumps onto the computer to look up something "useful"- like do people in Peru use pepper as a table condiment? Well maybe not that obscure, but clearly the internet is being used as an avoidance mechanism.
We just have so much stuff! We didn't even buy anything! We are giving a garbage bag of clothes away before we leave and I still don't think we are going to fit everything in. We fly out of here on Sunday and tomorrow we are going to drop off a few bags at the bed and breakfast we will be staying at when we return. Thank goodness they were nice enough to let us do that, or we would have had to hire Peruvian sherpas to get our bags from the airport to our lodging. We will be staying in a shared apartment thru the school for the first week, and then we may try to find our own place. It will be nice to have a daily routine and I think fun to live with some different folks for a while.
I am not sure about internet access in Peru so I may be a bit hit or miss with the blog for the next few days. Be assured I will get back to it as soon as possible!

3 more days

I thought I might jot down the names of some of the places we have enjoyed while we have been here so at least I would have a record for the next time we come down.

Restaurants:

Las Cholas- really good chicken quesadillas, good beef tamales.

Jackie O's- excellent lamb.

El Cantones- chinese delivery. fried rice mixto is excellent. Also pollo frito con salsa de ostra.

Bokoto- favorite sushi. Buenos Aires roll particularly good.

La Fidanzata- empanadas are cheap and good expecially the cabresse. Great place to watch River play on Sundays.

Parilla Pena- best steaks.

Campo Bravo- excellent pasta dishes.

Palermo subte station- cheap tasty choripan.

Places:

La Rural- great festivals and expo venue

Nuevo Chicago- cheap neiborhood with delish street food and live music

Campo de Golf- Best course for next to nothing

Geba equestrian/ hippocampo

The countdown continues

Today I had a lesson at the farm. It was not over big jumps. In fact it was over poles on the ground. I could not do it. Could not focus. Too many things going on.
Kinda like what is going on in our lives right now. What are we going to do when we get home? What are we good at? Hell, what can we sell?!? Instead of solving all of life's questions we decided to go watch some polo and get a choripan.
Tonight we went over things we did not accomplish, and things we thought we would find here and did not, and things we thought we wanted to do and did not do. On top of Brent's list was that we did not live in a sleepy little beach town. On top of my list was that we did not find a new meaningful career here and still do not feel comfortable in Spanish. Maybe we will accomplish both in Peru, who knows. All I do know is that I will be back!
Later!

Nancy Negitivity

I am one of those people who likes to assume that things, places, or events are going to be terrible; so that when they turn out good, I am pleasantly surprised. I am trying to keep that knowledge about myself in the forefront of my thoughts as I consider our move to Lima. To be honest, I know next to nothing about Peru or Lima. Brent's feeling is that is what makes travel exciting, wheras me, Negative Nancy, is feeling like we may have made a hasty decision.
Today we sold all our unwanted books to a book buyer and picked up a copy of Loney Planet's South America Guide. Granted, South America is a large continent with many countries, so there were not a whole lot of pages dedicated to Lima, Peru. 5 pages. Most of them filled with information about the poverty levels, the constant fog, the unmetered taxis, the unsafe areas at night, ect. So, of course, I am a little freaked out. There is a reason I chose to come to Argentina and Buenos Aires in particular- it sounded (through months of research) like a great place. Even without the dose of negativity beforehand I would have been pleasantly surprised. Brent promises to go get a guide book devoted solely to Peru tomorrow. I only hope it will be full of fantastic complements so I can retire some of my fears. Come on, Peru! Surprise me!

Flashback from the past

They say sound can trigger all kinds of memory from your past. I have to agree with whoever "they" are after listening to a band from my past, Donkey. After about 2 bars of the first song I was transported back in time to when I was 25, carefree, and full of Potential. Donkey is one of the best bands I have ever had the pleasure of seeing live, yet they only lasted a few years, breaking up for God knows why. What could this possibly have to do with our trip to Buenos Aires, you might ask? Well, it is an all good things must come to an end situation. Sometimes you just have to move on.
We are headed to Peru on Saturday to continue on our journey of learning and exploring life outside of the states. I am a bit sad about leaving although I am looking foreward to meeting new people and experiencing a new culture. But... what if they like eating dinner at 6 pm and all the girls wear nothing but turtlenecks and sweatpants? You can only assimilate so much!
Tomorrow we will go back to the school where we started or language learning process and arrange for 4 weeks of classes in Lima and then book our flight and confirm our apartment. Also I am meeting with a local bookseller to sell all of our books, and later go by the salvation army and donate the clothes that I now know I will never wear again. Hopefully that will get our luggage down to a reasonable weight.
I know you can never go back, but I hope when I here the sounds of tango, or the call of an ice cream seller, I will be happily transported back to Buenos Aires, just as I was transported back to those great times in Atlanta by the music of Donkey.

Decision made

Well here it is- we are going to Lima for a month. We are going to go to school 5 days a week for 4 weeks and experience living in a different country. I have a few concerns; I feel bad about not seeing Cordoba and Iguazu Falls, and I am afraid that I won't like Lima and I will be stuck there for too long. Brent assures me that we will be back to Argentina in the near future and we should leave some stuff to see for next time. So I guess I am on board with this decision.
The major benefit for me is the chance to go to the beach. I spent most of the day online trying to find an apartment with an ocean view. The prices for apartments seem to be inline with the prices here in BA. Other good things about going to Lima are:
1. We won't have to move around once we get there- no housing hassels.
2. We will get a chance to meet up with our friends from New York.
3. Studying at the same school for the 4 weeks straight should cement some knowledge into my brain.
4. Suposedly the spanish they speak in Peru is clearer, slower, less slangy, and closer to real spanish than anywhere else in South America.
5. Lima is much further north, so it should stay warm through our stay.
If this sounds like I am trying to convince myself that this is the right decision, well I guess I am. It's funny, I thought 6 months would be plenty of time to see and do everything I wanted to do, and that I would be ready to come back to the states at the end of the trip. How could I have been so wrong!

The world's shortest blog entry

Today I finally got Brent to realize that we have to start making real plans for our last month here. He spent most of the day on the computer looking up spanish schools in Peru, Chile, and here in Argentina. We now know more than we did but still no decisions. I vote for sushi, wine and sleep and try again tomarrow!
Later!

Really? Every day?

Brent and I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out career paths for when we return to the States. We have a few requirements for our careers, the major one being one of us has to make at least $20,000 just to cover our expenses. This fact eliminates job possibilities like taking puppies to the park, or selling friendship bracelets outside the supermarket. Unfortunately, we might be able to squeek by on Walmart pay so that has yet to be eliminated. One job that I have always thought I could do and enjoy is writing. Foolishly, in a drunken ramble last night, I let Brent in on this idea, resulting in me promising to write something on the blog every day. This means, my loyal readers, that there may be some really boring blogs coming your way. I mean, it is great down here, but everyday is not a circus. For instance- today I woke up a little foggy, had a sandwich, got dressed, Brent went to play golf, I went to ride. Blah blah blah.
Oh- but did I mention I met a girl from Sweden who is now riding out at the barn and learning Spanish? I have a new practice partner! Or the guy who rode in my lesson who has 3 horses at the barn and a good sense of humor? I have a new friend! Or the flock of 15 green parrots I walked through on my way home? Crazy nature! Huh. I guess I was wrong. Things could never get boring down here!
Later!

countdown to outtahere!

Brent informed me tonight that we have exactly 10 days left before we leave BA for parts unknown. I have to admit it depresses me a bit; I love this city. Tomorrow we will be making our final reservations for school in Chile on the coast and Cordoba in central Argentina, not to mention our side trip to Iguazu Falls.
Last weekend was relatively uneventful, we went to the park to study spanish on Saturday, and on Sunday we went to Codigo Pais Festival. What that basically entailed was a $20 peso ticket to go see Atlanta College of Art and Design's Fall Fling. There was some really bad statuary, "outsider art" graffiti, and a bunch of clothing designers selling painted jeans. The photography was pretty good though. It made me think that we could put something like that together in Atlanta pretty easy and make some money. Brent wanted to try to make some money here by simply standing next to the ticket booth and telling every guy who came up to give him $10 pesos to tell him not to go in. Win- win situation; you saved $10 pesos and didn't have to waste your time looking at women's homemade purses and headbands! We left and went to watch some futbol. Much more entertaining!
Later!

Winos on wheels

We are back in BA after a great trip to Mendoza for the wine festival. We flew in to meet up with our friends from New York and do a little sight seeing on the west side of the country. Overall the trip was fantastic, but it began rather dubiously. The hostel we had reserved was scary. I mean, I've stayed for a week at the Knights Inn in Lexigton, KY and this was worse by far. The paint was pealing, the beds were sagging, the carpet was threadbare, and I think there may have been a homeless man sleeping in the corner under a pile of rags. Needless to say, we found a nicer, although more expensive place to stay, the Hotel Zamora.
There was alot to see and do while we where there. The first day Brent and I rode bikes around the city and its fabulous parks. I hate to keep bringing it up, but why doesn't America have nice parks? This place was huge, with a big lake where people were rowing sculls, a paved trail up a mountain, a zoo, soccer fields, golf, horses, you name it. We had great weather and had a fantastic time. Later that night we met up with Nate and Sarah and went to a parrilla for dinner. The service was great and we got to try something new- teet! What is teet? You might recognize it by it more common name, udder, or maybe cow booby. It tasted a bit like tofu or a spongy piece of fat. I wouldn't recommend it but it was not horrible.
The next day we went on the bike wine tour. Fantastic! Basically they give you a bike and a map and you go at your own pace thru the vineyards. We sampled some fine wines and got an education on how they were produced. Towards the end of the bodega trail some of us would have paid money to throw their bikes in the back of a pick up truck and hitched home, but I won't mention any names. Anyway, we made it back to the bike rental place and then the day took an unexpected turn. We sat around the rental place and had a few beers and then realized that it was getting dark and we were the only people besides the workers left there. We asked one of the guys to call us a cab. About 5 minutes later a guy and a girl pull up in a jeep truck thing with 2 seats in the front and like a pickup all open in the back. That was our ride! We got in, along with the rest of the workers and headed back to the city. We made one stop along the way for gas and beer, the whole time the stereo is blasting The Doors. We tried to explain to the guys that if they did this in the States we would all be in jail. I love Argentina!
The next morning we were off to go rafting. The weather was a little overcast, but they put us in really attractive (NOT) wet suits so I wasn't cold. The river itself was really fun with rapids the entire way. Afterwards we ate lunch at the outpost. There were some guys there from England whose raft had completely flipped over during the trip. Their guide, trying to show off a bit, attempted to open their beers for them but ended up shattering 2 liters of beer and sending a shard of glass into one of the guys arms. Blood and glass everywhere. That evening we saw the parade of queens. Every grape producing town had a float and if was a bit like Mardi Gras without the boob flashing.
Our final day was pretty low key (thank God!). We got together for lunch, went and saw a movie, and then did snacks, wine and cards. I could not win to save my life but had a great time. We called it an early evening (1:30) and went to bed because we had to get up for our flight back home at 5:30. Mendoza Rocks!

I'm feeling awkward

Brent and I spent our last week golfing, riding and taking spanish. On Saturday I found a free tango concert next to the planatarium that I invited a girl I met named Mary from Germany/Ireland to meet us at. The music was amazing with old guys(maestros) on the accordian, piano and crazy chicks singing their lungs out. Apparently a good voice is not a requirement for fame in tango. Anyway, we hooked up with Mary and went to dinner and had a greatly intersante conversation about politics. Fantastic evening. Unfortunatly she is leaving on Thursday to go back to Germany.
On Sunday we had every intention of going to a polo match butwe were rained out.. Instead we went to our many local bars and watched every soccer game played. Our first team, River Plate lost big time , but our second team, Boca, were the winners in their game.
After soccer, we went to a local bar "The Soul Cafe" and Brent immeadiatly went to the bathroom.. While he was gone these three guys had this bet going on about pick up lines; the line of the night was "I'm feeling awkward". They tried it on me to see what the response wound be... it was laughter. When Brent got out of the bathroom, there was a armwresteling contest, and yet another dicussion about pick up lines. I was ready to go, so we headed out to the patio to smoke another cigerette. While we where there, a really cute girl was walking outside to follow Brent and neglected to open the door befored trying to come outside. I havent laughed that hard in a long time. Once we got home Brent wanted to go to bed, but instead he went out to get a bottle of beer and some smokes. The kiosko said it was too late to buy beer, so he only got smokes, but contnued on to one of our local bars and was able to convince them to sell him beer after hours. YEAH! His skills are getting scary. Until next time, oh yeah, he may want to race dirt bikes when he gets home.