hit the road.

absolutely refreshed & with a full day alone in b.a. at my fingertips i decided to explore a neighborhood that has been likened to the plateau in montreal called palermo. i wended the day away walking from park to park - taking a reading break here and there. there are parks everywhere & i lucked out with a gorgeous, sunny day. i traipsed my way through the botanical gardens & neighborhoods both delightful & delapidated. after over six hours of walking, my feet were about to turn their backs on me, so i headed back to the hostel. i afforded myself a quiet evening relaxing in the courtyard in the middle of the old converted mansion & met some interesting people from england, new zealand, and canada. i was relishing my time alone so i kept the socializing to a minimum & buried my head in my epic book - a welcome moment of calm after all of the movement.

the solitary miranda.

un dia de viajando.

our last day in uruguay was a practice in patience. we had three legs for the journey back from punta del este to b.a. the first two legs were unremarkable with a bus from the punta to montevideo then from montevideo to colonia. with a few hours to spare and a few hundred uruguayan pesos to rid ourselves of, we decided on a splurge for food (there isn´t much else to spend your money on in colonia). we found ourselves a great little bistro (for which we were clearly underdressed) & i had myself a wonderful caprese pasta. (nothing too much to gloat about yet dad, at this point in the trip; an entire entry on cuisine will soon be dedicated to you.) the rest of our time was spent wandering my beloved cobble stone streets, checking out all the funky restaurants, and wasting time. the last leg of the trip, the ferry back to argentina, sat docked, with everyone on it for almost two hours. the one redeeming part of this experience was the sunset we were privy to from our position on the water - what a view. we finally made it back to b.a. exhausted from over 14 hours of travel.

phil´s mom had arrived in b.a. a few days before and greeted us at the apartment on our return. with the small quarters, i chose to stay in a hostel in b.a. for the two nights we were stopping over so phil & his mom could have some q.t. and i my independence. weary & waning, i made it to the hostel just in time to crash. i had one of the best sleeps of my trip yet that night.

the back in b.a. miranda.

punta del este.

the second day in punta at first glance was to be dreary, cool, & rainy. but, as we breakfasted in the lovely glassed in common room at the hostel, the day began to brighten. with the prospect of rain a faint memory, phil & i headed down to the beach for a walk along the surf. the river side of the peninsula is very calm & jelly fish infested, whereas the ocean side has impressive tides & little sign of jellies. punta del este is a known surfing spot & the waves on the ocean side were telling of that. with a walk along the beach under our belts i decided to get my bathing suit on and brave the chilly waters. phil & i split up, he wasn't interested in swimming just yet, and i had a luxurious play in the refreshing cool waters. we met back at the hostel for a delightful lunch of bread, cheese, and salad & then lazed some of the afternoon away on the hammocks.

finally convinced of the merits of swimming, phil & i took a jaunt down the beach again. the tide was much stronger now so we got ourselves quite the workout. you had to be vigilant or you could end up pulled into more dangerous waters. even though more work, it was an exhilarating recess in the waves. back at the hostel i decided to rent a bike & explore the punta a little further. an australian friend of mine, whom we'd met at the hostel, decided to join me. we had a lovely ride all over the peninsula & were privy to an unbelievable sunset. i got an opportunity to see most of the area & by the time we headed back it was already dark.

phil & i made dinner & had since decided to hang out at the hostel & perhaps make our way to this outdoor rave at a farm about 20k from the punta. a pick-up time of midnight turned into 3:30 in the morning and by the time the van arrived phil & i were thoroughly engrossed in partying it up with the people at our hostel & decided not to spend the money to go to a party we were uncertain would even be our style. a decision that was all for the best because we made some new friends, exchanged tips, & got email addresses left and right for future contacts. pleasantly tired from a long day of swimming, biking & socializing, bed beckoned.

the sea swept miranda.

a familiar feeling destination.

with less than a great love for montevideo, phil and i decided to take leave of the city sooner rather than later. we breakfasted like kings, packed our things, & made our way to the bus station. fret not mother, we decided on public transportation to our next destination, punta del este. punta del este is another peninsula but it runs north/south with the western shore on the rio de la plata and the eastern shore on the atlantic ocean. as lonely planet posits, the 'punta' checklist is: "skimpy bikini (men and women), designer sunglasses (imitations will be sniggered at), dancing shoes. bring plenty of: cash, attitude, all-night party stamina." lonely planet was not far off the mark. what a change of scene from montevideo to punta. i felt as though i had been transported to miami beach.

we got into punta in the late afternoon & easily found our hostel. it had a gorgeous view of the beach & hammocks out on the patio for our enjoyment - it had a great aura to it. we got ourselves situated (our room had a view of the water too) & decided to walk down & around the punta (the point). it was a beautiful area and the rocky views off the end of the point were breathtaking. we even saw some dozing sea lions along the way.

with prices so exorbitant, we decided to save our cash & make our own food for the two nights there. we obviously were not the only ones in our hostel with that idea and found a shockingly young, english speaking community at our hostel. we met a few fellow canadians & americans as well as some australians, swedes, & dutch folks. our first night in punta was rather tame & we just hung out on the beach & took to our beds relatively early hoping for sunny weather.

the beach bum miranda.

montevideo.

we woke to a lovely spread of fruits, breads, coffee, and tea at our hostel on our first morning. usually free breakfasts are not nearly as elaborate so we took advantage of the generous & fulfilling meal. thus commenced our first day in the capital city of uruguay. it was quite evident on our first day in montevideo that the poverty was much more visible in this city than in buenos aires. in an area called "ciudad vieja" (the old city), dilapidated mansions had been transformed into slum housing and there was waste all over the streets. as phil had been told, montevideo is like b.a. ten years ago, still recovering from financial crises & the overwhelming poor population. an important reminder of the fortunate lives we lead.

montevideo is a peninsula that runs east/west with the rio de plata running on the southern shore and the bahia de montevideo along the north. i was not as taken with montevideo as with b.a. so our exploration on the first day lacked fervor. we wandered through famous plazas & open air markets but did not feel the need to run ourselves haggard finding the sights listed in my lonely planet. phil & i took leave of each other for part of the afternoon just to get some time alone and relax. i found myself a lovely outdoor patio, got myself a cafe con leche & delved deeper into the cheesey epic novel i am currently reading. we rendez vous-ed back at our hostel, a converted old mansion, & headed down to the water. it is a beautifully situated city & phil & i spent the rest of the afternoon sitting down by the water reading in a series of lovely parks.

our money was worth even more in uruguay than argentina so we decided to find ourselves a nice restaurant & get a fancy meal for under $10 US. unfortunately, we chose poorly. for all intents & purposes the restaurant we set out sights on seemed perfect for a big plate of pasta, it even smelled heavenly as we walked in the door. we were sorely disappointed when we got our meals - our pasta was overdone to the point of paste, my primavera appeared to contain a bag of defrosted veggies & a dash of bad white wine, & i just about had to force myself to eat some of it just to get the sustenance. the meal left much to be desired to say the least. discouraged and with a bad taste in our mouths (literally), we made our way back to our hostel, read for awhile, & hit the hay.

the underwhelmed miranda.

adendum.

after reading my post re: hitch hiking through uruguay, i felt i really hadn't done phil and myself justice in the comedic factor of it all. looking back, it was hilariously absurd and at points i just could not stop myself from laughing uncontrollably at the predicament that we had put ourselves in. at one point we were exhausted, bodies aching and laid out in a pasture, taking turns at the side of the road pleading with our eyes to each motorist that flew by. it was just priceless. thinking we might not get another ride at the rate we were going, we had made the decision to try and walk the 20k to the next city (rosario); what a pair we made. as you can see in the previous post, we were, thank sweet mother, picked up and driven to rosario.

we have since averred that we employed the wrong tactic & walking into the middle of nowhere was probably not the most judicious decision. but, we've come up with an excellent way to justify it all - we were training for our real trek in patagonia - yes, all part of a master plan. so, in reality, brilliance was at work that day & our bodies are stronger for it. disillusionment is bliss. here are some pictures so you can laugh along with us...

the humored miranda.

adventures in the countryside.

we spent the next morning in colonia & then attempted (mom, avert your eyes) to hitchhike to montevideo, the capital of uruguay (a distance of 180 kilometers). optimistic & energized, we hit the road with our packs in tow. after walking for about 8 kilometers, spirits waning, we were finally picked up. unfortunately, the driver was only going along our way for 15 kilometers but at that point we took anything we could get. we were dropped off in the middle of farm country with nothing for miles on either side. thankfully, we had thought ahead and had snacks & water to keep us going. we walked another 4 kilometers, stopping here and there for breaks, rethinking our initial plan to make it to montevideo; at this rate it would take us days. in the midst of another stint of walking, as i was losing hope again, we were picked up. not wanting to take any more chances with our poor hitchhiking luck, we decided to ride with this kind citizen to his destination, a small city called rosario & bus the rest of the way to montevideo.

we got into montevideo at around nine o´clock in the evening & found the youth hostel pretty easily. after such a physically & mentally taxing day, i showered, read, & passed right out.

the physically fit miranda.

uruguay.

the morning after my birthday we woke early & began preparations for our trip into uruguay. we took a massive ferry from b.a. to a small city called colonia. what a gem! colonia is right on the ocean with cobblestone streets and quaint restaurants everywhere. old buildings abound & it was quite the change of pace from the big city. we spent the afternoon just cruising around the town (something you can do in an afternoon) & then watched a gorgeous sunset. post sunset we wandered around looking for a suitable restaurant and found just the one. we enjoyed a delicious meal & local wine. on our walk back to our hostel (my first stay in a hostel ever!) we ran into a troupe of bongo players on the street. it is things like these that whet my palette for travel - an intoxicating beat filling the cobblestone streets as people danced along with them through the town - so exhilarating!

the transnational miranda.

mis cumpleaños.

for my birthday we decided to take sight-seeing to an extreme. our day began with a visit to cemetario recoleta, the cemetary where eva perron is buried. like no other cemetary i had ever seen, essentially it is a small city of mausoleums surrounded by huge stone walls. without grass it is a maze of simple to extravagent mausoleums beautifully kept inside. when you look through the glass, there are usually ornate coffins with large crucifixes hanging above. each one has stairs underground where the bodies are actually buried. some are better kept than others with plants and other decorations creating some breathtaking shrines. the site of eva perron´s family grave is constantly surrounded by people, so it isn´t hard to find. people line up just to take a picture next to the relatively simple mausoleum. their site is by far not the most intricate or grand, but most definitley the most sought after. i will post pictures once back in b.a.

from the cemetery we ventured to the large market that takes place every sunday. the stands house mostly antiques and other trinkets while other merchants lay down their wares on the walking streets surrounding the market. we spent a few hours there and then headed to plaza de mayo - the park which is surrounded by the argentina ¨white house¨(la casa rosada), the cathedral, & other government buildings. unfortunately, la casa rosada (literally the pìnk house) was under construction but you could still see the magnificent architecture. finding a nice plot of shade under a tree, phil & i spent awhile reading & snacking in the wonderful weather.

next, we were off to the cathedral, another beautiful piece of architecture and history. i´m always so pleased with the sense of calm that comes over me when i walk into any church, this one was no different.

as we had taken a bus down to the market, we decided to walk our way home; stopping here and there, generally enjoying the beautiful day, & taking in the sights.

we had decided to go to a tango show that evening in celebration of my twenty third year. the show took place in a famous locale - cafe tortoni - a site often frequented by the famous like, borges & garcia lorca. what a beautiful show! we had the pleasure of being seated with a lovely chilean couple, who were spending a week in b.a. for their tenth anniversary. while explaining our future destinations, i learned that they were from santiago & they insisted that we take their number so we could meet up while there. we are definitely going to take them up on their offer.

the tango was wonderful, with musical interludes while the dancers changed outfits, increasing mine and phil´s appreciation for the accordion. a delightful evening of food, wine, tango, & new friends & a birthday celebration i won´t soon forget.

the year older miranda.

exploracion.

phil & i had planned to wake early and spend a long day exploring but our late night afforded us a shorter day than planned. we went to the national library which is relatively new and constructed like a spaceship - but we weren´t able to go in without ID; an anticlimactic visit. i plan on going on our way back through buenos (that´s right, i am a geek & love libraries. from the library we bumped into the national art gallery - a museum that came highly recommended from a friend last night. like all museums should be, it was free of charge so we were able to peruse some familiar artists (manet, cezanne, degas, etc.), but also got a purview into argentine art - old and new. kudos to cultural experiences. from there we meandered our way through an open air market, stopping for a cafe con leche (coffee with steamed milk)in a beautiful square. while sipping, we were in sight of couple dancing tango in the plaza & then people watched the afternoon away. from a leisurely afternoon was bred a leisurely evening - our late night forays of the day before brought with them a desire for an early night. we cooked ourselves a pleasant meal, read for awhile, & hit the hay. it was a joyously relaxing & recuperative day.

the refreshed miranda.

amigos y vino.

my first full day in b.a. was more practical than anything else. we ventured our way downtown to get our bus tickets to central argentina & ferry tickets to uruguay. the downtown is far from original - loud, smelly, and busy - definitely not my favorite part of the city. but, we got the tickets that we needed & learned that we did not feel the need to return to that area.

after an exhausting afternoon of downtown mayhem, phil went to play a game of squash with his cousin & i went on an expedition for groceries. you may be thinking to yourself, miranda, we don´t care about grocery shopping, how utterly mundane, but, alas, there is a point to this inclusion. whilst innocently shopping along, desperately trying to remember all of my high school food vocabulary words, there was a deafening racket in the streets outside. yelling, drum-pounding, a pure cacophony. i was upstairs in the supermarket so was unable to see what was going on outside, naively assuming it was a parade or something of that sort. oh, how wrong i was. within minutes that racket was in store and then upstairs with me. as it turns out, it was a demonstration against the grocery store because the workers felt they weren´t being paid fairly. it was an exciting site to behold - lots of jumping, yelling, singing, drumming & a torrential flinging of flyers. what a mess! it was an exhilarating & unique experience, to say the least!

once out of the store unscathed, i returned to the apartment to cook dinner for phil & myself, delicious if i may say so myself. that evening we attended a gathering of friends at the apartment of the daughter of the ambassador of argentina to canada. a girl whom phil had met while still in ottawa. they were wonderfully welcoming & entertained us in a beautiful apartment. again, i was able to practice my spanish & this time i ventured further into politics and economics - learning new words at every turn. i made some new friends and am hoping i can someday return the hospitality. i didn´t return home until 4:45 in the morning - indicative of the wonderful friends & wine i enjoyed that evening.

the early morning miranda.

milion.

apparently i am not that adept at keeping up with my blog posts. i am going to do my best to catch up. phil & i went out to dinner my first night in the city to a ridiculous restaurant (a suggestion from his cousin) that was in an old four sotry mansion; complete with marble staircases & vaulted cathedral ceilings. the food was good and the wine even better. most of the wine offerings around here are from a region in argentina called mendoza - one of our stops in a couple of weeks. yahoo. my first taste of buenos was a success. phil´s cousin and some of his friends met up with us after dinner for drinks; at which point i put my spanish into action. i love all the practice; they are all very forgiving as well, which gives me an excellent opportunity to learn new words, etc. a lovely first evening in b.a. to say the least.

the acclimatizing miranda.

safe passage.

i made it to buenos aires safe and sound with little resistance; having a relatively stable command of the spanish language aids in all endeavors argentine. my connecting flight from sao paolo was delayed which threw phil into a slight panic as he envisioned my entrance into a gypsy cab never to be seen again; but, alas, we were united, unscathed.

what i have seen of the city so far is magnificent. the different influences in architecture (french, spanish, portuguese) create a dynamic & visually exciting experience and the weather is just wonderful. the climate is a welcome change of pace from the "deep freeze" i left behind in connecticut.

phil and i are staying in his mother's currently vacant apartment in downtown buenos aires; it's a lovely & inspiring place. we spent the afternoon wandering through his neighborhood with a stop for pastries & coffee along the way. as with barcelona (my previous destination), argentina works on a much later schedule, so dinner does not commence usually until 10 o'clock in the evening. we're eating out tonight, but don't plan on living in the lap of luxury for any considerable duration.

on that note, i am signing off to enjoy my first meal in argentina.

the arrived miranda.

mañana.

as this is my inaugural foray into the land of the 'blog,' forgive me if i lack any of the accepted norms related to this process. the purpose for this form of media is to alleviate the need for mass emails. if you care about my adventures, check it out; if you don't, this friendship is over.

but, i digress. tomorrow i embark on a trip to south america. my first destination is buenos aires, argentina. i will be meeting up with a wonderful friend from queen's university, phil, who will be accompanying me along the way. our plan isn't set, giving us the opportunity to go where the wind takes us, save a few set destinations along the way. we will be traveling throughout argentina, chile, and uruguay. i will do my best to keep this updated, but refuse to make any promises. i welcome any requests, dedications, or suggestions (again reiterating the absence of promises).

as phil so aptly put it in an email to me, "WE ARE GOING TO ROCK EVERYTHING." enjoy my posts, be well, and keep in touch.

the overly excited and anticipatory miranda.