I'm packing up and moving to RIO DE JANIERO!

...Now where can I find a Portuguese teacher and some Samba tutorials?

Traveling to a city like Rio de Janiero has always been a dream. It just seems like such a foreign, tropical, cultural haven – a now trendy locale given that the city is really being boosted in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Rio is only about a two-hour direct flight from Montevideo, but it wasn’t that easy finding a reasonable ticket and nearly impossible to find one that was non-stop. Like the difficulty of getting to Iguazu Falls, we really had to work to make it there (my new business plan idea: train routes in this region connecting the various countries in MERCOSUR; it has to be one of the most impossible regions to travel around in the world!) By chance Pedro saw a random Brazilian airline, Gol, in the Montevideo airport – I looked it up online and found a relatively reasonable ticket to Rio (with multiple stops but at this point, we didn’t care how long it took!) After realizing they didn’t accept Visa online (what?!) we trekked to the airport to pay, where we realized they don’t accept American Visa at that airport (what what?!) After multiple calls to Gol and 3 payment rejections our inboxes were finally flooded with multiple flight confirmations. Minutes after receiving them our office informed us that one of our bosses would be coming to Uruguay that Friday (the day we needed to take off) and that only ONE of us could take that Friday off (what what what?!) We were ready to fight, however, especially after how hard we worked to make this trip possible, and we won! I gave a sigh of huge relief – or was it frustration? - once I got on that plane at 5am on Friday morning with Pedro by my side.

Once in Brazil, we could feel an immediate change in atmosphere. The warmth of the air and the people was an exciting welcoming, and our taxi driver tried to point out some of the main landmarks on the way to our guesthouse. Sometimes I can really understand Portuguese and sometimes it is downright impossible. So we just smiled and nodded and gawked at the enormous city composed of harbors, ports, lakes, beaches, mountains, tall buildings, and old monuments. We wound our way up into one of the most trendy, bohemian neighborhoods of Rio, called Santa Teresa, where our guesthouse was located. The owner and his two huge dogs were there to greet us, and they all showed us our room (one of three in the antique-style mini-mansion) It had an amazing balcony and hammock directly overlooking Sugarloaf mountain, one of the signature landmarks of the city. Both sunsets that weekend were spent with homemade cocktails on that balcony – so amazing! The lodging was one of the most unforgettable parts of the trip – the cute pink guesthouse was elaborately decorated and extremely unique, not to mentioned nestled in a perfect location next to funky restaurants, bars, and shops.

View of "Pan de Azucar" (Sugarloaf Mountain) from our balcony

First touristic thing on the list was the true icon of not only Rio de Janiero but of all Brazil: The Christ the Redeemer statue. Standing 160 feet tall, the awe-inspiring statue of Jesus always gives me chills when I see it in movies or photos. It is honestly one of the main reasons why I was so magnetized to the idea of seeing Rio. We had to take about a 25 minute train ride up the mountain to be at the base of the enormous statue, and spent a lot of time up there taking pictures not only of Christ the Redeemer but also of the amazing views showing the city of Rio in all directions. Every five minutes a helicopter would swing by extremely close to us for big-money-spendin’ tourists who want to see the statue and city on a whole different level (I was not pleased as I was wearing a flowy skirt that didn’t really want to cooperate with the wind). After getting the most important “to-do” scratched off our list, we headed back to Santa Teresa for some happy hour passion fruit cocktails on the balcony! Every Friday night in Rio there is a street party in the district of Lapa, where rows of seedy but insanely fun bars and dance halls line the streets. Cars are not permitted in this district on Fridays, and hundreds of people come out to walk the streets with giant beers in hand, hopping from one Samba dance bar to the next. The rest sit and enjoy dinner and drinks in different “Botequims” that overlook the madness. Botequims are small, simple drinking establishments that jut out into the streets of Rio – people sit outside for all hours of the day enjoying the warm weather and drinking cheap Brazilian-brewed beers and caipirinhas. Pedro and I chose a random one and ordered some caipirinhas right away. The national drink of Brazil, the caipirinha is a dangerous combination of lime, sugar, ice, and cachaca (sugarcane fermented and distilled). They leave you feeling good after one, drunk after two, and done for the night after three, so we sipped them slowly and soaked in the Friday night scene in Rio de Janiero before joining the party late into the night.

Christ the Redeemer is one of the "new" seven wonders of the world

Saturday was designated to exploring one of the many beaches that Rio has to offer. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are the some of the most famous in the world, where hundreds of thong-clad women and beer-guzzling men relax in rented chairs one next to the other on sunny days (it is literally impossible to even find a spot of sand, but that’s half the fun). Most of the beaches have not only beautiful oceans but also mountains views which also add to the their inimitability. We headed to Ipanema beach, rented a couple chairs, bought some beers, and parked for a morning of people-watching and sun-soaking. There wasn’t a dull moment: just watching the vendors walking around trying to sell everything from home-made sandwiches to bathing suit tops to sarongs to blocks of cheese (which are fried right in front of you with a personal, travel-friendly fryer) to iced tea, was entertainment enough. We bought a “Coco loco”, which is agua de coco served straight from a freshly-opened coconut and a Brazilian woman scolded me because my feet were turning bright red and she thought I hadn’t put any sunscreen on them. Next we headed to a cheap, outdoor Brazilian restaurant for lunch and struggled ordering some “typical Brazilian stuff” in Portuguese. We got random juices, some sandwiches, and an Acai-and-granola. Acai is a fruit grown mostly in Brazil and Peru, and the frozen pulp of the nutritious berry is eaten everywhere in Rio as a dessert or filling snack. It is supposedly all the rage in health stores worldwide, universally acclaimed as the #1 “superfruit”, so I took in as much as possible!

That afternoon we took the teleferico (cable car) to the top of Pan de Azucar (Sugarloaf mountain – the mountain we had a view of from our balcony) to capture more breath-taking views of the city. We snapped more pictures of the city from above, and I loved being able to see the Christ the Redeemer statue from afar. Also visible were some of the many favelas surrounding Rio. Favelas are “shanty towns” in Brazil, and Rio has the second-highest population of them after Sao Paolo. However, Rio’s are considered the most well-known because of their placement. They cover many of the high hills overlooking Rio’s rich and touristic neighborhoods, and from almost any area in the city you can see the vast amount of colorful shacks shoved together. Some are considered the most dangerous areas of the world, home to numerous drug rings, child murderers, and gangs. Many police don’t even enter these neighborhoods due to pure fear of being killed for no reason, and these settlements play a grave role in Rio’s history and culture. Another infamous aspect of Rio is the amount of prostitutes and transvestites that roam the streets night and day. On the way home from Sugarloaf mountain our taxi driver was lost and stopped to ask directions from a woman wearing a trendy one-shoulder dress. “She” pointed us in the right way as Pedro’s whispered to me that the “she” was most definitely a “he”. As a (relatively) naïve, unexposed American I purely didn’t think that at all, and the taxi driver started cracking up when Pedro told him I wasn’t convinced. At night we saw copious amounts of nearly-naked men and women prostitutes, which added even more to the transparent looseness that defines the city.

Beautiful view of Rio from Christ the Redeemer Statue!

That night, we walked to a recommended Amazonian restaurant, where everything on the menu is cooked with a vegetable or meat from the Brazilian Amazon. I could have chosen everything on the menu; it was so special and unique. We enjoyed a nice, long meal on the restaurant’s back porch, sipping on a pulpy cocktail served in an Amazonian gourd. We had a two-person shrimp and coconut dish that filled me to the brim, but nothing was going to stop us from enjoying our last night in Rio with a lot of Samba dancing! We headed to a Samba club in Lapa that someone had recommended, immediately ordered caipirinhas and transformed into real “Cariocas” (what Rio citizens call themselves) – dancing and drinking with the locals until I could no longer move. Samba is Brazil’s leading national expression and although my musical inexpertise doesn’t allow me to fully explain the rhythm and beat, I can say it is a Latin way of dance that suggests you are truly in the middle of South America.

Sunday morning we went to breakfast at the usual spot (the guesthouse provided coupons for a breakfast of cheese, bread, and coffee at a local hole-in-the-wall convenience store that was immensely popular for those who wanted to sit outside the store all day and night ordering liter after liter of beer). Then we walked to the famous Lapa steps – they were constructed by a Chilean artist, named Selaron, who fell in love with Brazil years ago. First the steps were made up of simple, colored tiles, but now Selaron spends his days painting the tiles with images from around the world. The steps have been featured in many magazines and promos for Rio, and the artist calls the steps his “great madness”. A quite crazy man, he called Pedro and I into his art shop only to talk crap about the Spaniards and how Picasso didn’t even spend any of his time in Spain, but in Paris. Then once he realized Pedro was from Colombia he started talking even MORE crap about Colombians, especially the “Paisas” from Medellin (Pedro’s hometown). The cruel Spanish adjectives he was using to describe the people from Medellin were insanely insulting, and Pedro had to just walk out so not to punch the guy in his old, deranged-looking face. Someone from Medellin must have really pissed him off earlier in his life…

A painted tile on the Lapa steps artfully describing life in a favela

After that it was back to reality, back to Uruguay and work. However, if anyone ever asks me what is the one place I recommend he or she to go, without hesitating I will say Rio de Janiero. It is a crazy, upbeat, passionate, colorful dream – one that I hope is a repeat.

Uruguay-Argentina-Brazil-Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay-Brazil-Argentina-Uruguay

My passport has the stamps to verify it – getting to, from, and around Iguazu Falls in South America is a country-hopping adventure. Set between Argentina and Brazil, these waterfalls are what some claim to be the most spectacular in the world, and even though I clearly haven’t seen every waterfall in the world, I will probably have to agree. I feel like I saw literally hundreds of falls within the two national parks where the falls can be seen. One park is in Foz Iguazu, Brazil, while the other is set in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. About a 20-minute drive from one another, both parks allow visitors to walk through jungle-enclosed pathways and open-air bridges, showing utterly amazing views and angles of the many waterfalls. Meaning “Great Watera” in Guarani, the national language of Paraguay, Iguazu is also extremely close to Paraguay as well.

Pedro and I have been trying to plan a trip to these falls pretty much since we started working in Uruguay. When Pedro’s sister decided to come visit us in Uruguay, we found the perfect opportunity to all go together, along with our friend Juanita. We thought it would be simple as Iguazu is relatively close to Uruguay – but many barriers forced us to be extremely persistent in planning and figuring everything out with the trip. Firstly, as an American I needed 2 visas – one for Argentina and one for Brazil. I already have an Argentine visa, but after gathering about 10 documents to apply for my Brazilian one, the consulate finally approved my application. Secondly, as flights were outrageously expensive, we had to get creative about transport. The impractical Uruguayans don’t allow rental cars outside the country, so we made tons of calls and research to see where we could leave our car in the north of Uruguay, where we could then get a taxi to the bus station in Argentina, what bus we should take for 12 hours to get to Puerto de Iguazu, and finally where we should catch a taxi to finally make it to our hotel in Brazil from Argentina. It actually ended up working perfectly because not only did we save money on airline prices, but the 12-hour overnight bus to and from Iguazu served as two hotel room nights as well (we should be travel agents, for real). Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the buses – they provided “cama” seats that turned into beds, played movies the whole way, served two meals and wine, etc…it was like the first class of a plane! We had opted to stay in the Brazil side of the waterfalls as none of us had ever been in Brazil and wanted to experience a little of the culture there.

Brazil side of Iguazu

The first day we headed straight to the park in Brazil to see the falls from the “Brazil side” after a short double-decker bus ride through the park. We were dropped off at the entry point to the pathway where you can see the falls and the first glimpse of the cascades was probably my “high” of the entire trip! You are somewhat blown away when you see the immensity of the waterfalls and the sheer amount of them! We paced through the trails stopping to take pictures every 2 seconds because literally every view was photo-worthy. There are even pedestrian bridges that jut out into the water so you can get as many up-close and personal shots as you want.

The second day was designated for Argentina! I have gotten mixed reviews on which side – Brazil or Argentina – is better to see the falls from, but they are actually both pretty different. Argentina has more of a “nature trail” feel to it – you have to hike a while to get to the viewpoint of the falls, with wildlife leading you the entire way. The waterfalls are also extremely stunning and even though it was a grey day, we managed to take equally as many photos as the day before – minus when we were on our boat tour. Our 20 minutes boat ride brought us literally underneath the falls and we were completely and utterly soaked. I was screaming the whole time and could barely see anything because water was continuously flooding our boat, our laps, our heads, and our shoes the whole trip!

Perfect Rainbow!

Before leaving for the trip I knew that the waterfalls would be picturesque, astonishing, and unrivaled. What I didn’t realize is how much I would love the Brazilian culture. Like I said, it was wonderful to stay in a hotel on the Brazil side. We entertained ourselves making fun of the Portuguese accent and learning Portuguese phrases (the only advice I can give in learning the twang is to speak Spanish with your throat – does that make sense?) The hotel had a nice outdoor pool; our nights were such a pleasant change from those in Uruguay – we could actually sit outside without sweaters, pants, and boots – instead opting for shorts, dresses, and Brahma Brazilian beer. The food in Brazil was also exceptional; every morning breakfast equaled feasts of fruits and dozens of tropical fruit juices. The sweet and salty breads were also unique and addictive – our favorite is a popular snack throughout Brazil named “Pao de queijo” (cheese bread) and is found all over the place – SO good! Nice people, beautiful backdrop, good food, fun language: pretty much everything you want when visiting a foreign country, no?

The whole gang on our boat excursion in Argentina!

Colombians and an American ventured to one of the most sought-after tourist sites in the Americas; we had the time of our lives not only because of the sights but because of each other. We all clicked really well and made the trip an unforgettable one. I’m going to have to bring up an old adage that is perfectly cheesy but perfectly fitting for this particular trip: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And that, damas y caballeros, is the most intriguing, captivating, and addictive element of travel.

Los Padres en Sudamérica!

It’s Saturday morning and just a week ago I was enjoying copious amounts of coffee, croissants, cheeses, and meats in a quaint, 3-room bed-and-breakfast in Colonia, Uruguay with…. MOM AND DAD! Yes, they made the 12-hour plane ride down to South South America, for a week vacation in Argentina and Uruguay! The anticipation of them coming was almost as exciting as their visit – would dad fit in our tiny car we dub, “La Abuelita” (Little Grandmother)? Would the cab drivers completely rip them off when we weren’t there? (We intelligently solved that problem by having Pedro write personal Spanish letters for Mom and Dad to give to them before a ride) Would Mom find at least one souvenir for everyone in the family? Could we keep up with Dad and his love for Argentine/Uruguayan meat? Just a few of the preliminary questions I pondered before their arrival…but everything went VERY smoothly. We laughed, sight-saw, drank and ate our hearts out, practiced a little Spanish, and just had a great time!

The trip started in Buenos Aires, and Pedro and I had been there for the weekend before the parents arrived on Monday morning. My second time in the most happening city in South America, I fell in love with it even more. I think it had something to do with coming from relaxed and small Montevideo, but I was continuously amazed at the size and energy of the city – at 1pm party-hoppers were still moving club to club from the night before!! After picking up mom and dad at the airport we headed stright to the hotel in downtown and then cabbed it to El Caminito, my favorite touristic spot of the city where Tango originated and still defines the neighborhood today. We enjoyed a welcoming drink, ate lunch, and enjoyed some live outdoor tango shows. Despite their jetlag, mom and dad were up for more city exploring, and we checked out the Casa Rosada (President’s house), Plaza de Mayo, and leather markets. We finally found a working ATM before hitting the shops, and Mom was so relieved she yelled as running from the ATM to the cab “I’VE GOT MONEY!!!!” We died laughing as the taxi driver looked at her aghast explaining to Pedro that she really shouldn’t do that in downtown Buenos Aires.

Dad got an Argentinean OFFICIAL jersey in wonderful Carolina blue, and Mom and I searched for good jewelry and leather deals! The night started with a little Fernet, the liquor of champions in Buenos Aires – a little like Jagermeister, the minty liquor is just not good the first time you drink it, so we swallowed it down with the spirit of “well since we’re here, I guess we HAVE to try it…” But dad actually liked it, I’m sure! Next we headed to “Siga la Vaca”, an all-you-can-eat meat restaurant perfect for trying a little of everything. We ended up spending a little longer in there than normal, because we felt bad leaving any leftover wine (we were pleasantly informed that yes, a bottle of wine does come with each person’s meal, not just a glass). However, the next day on the rocky ferry I was regretting the Argentine’s affinity for heavy wine-drinking and late meals…Pedro and I call it the “meat hangover” and it is just not fun.

Next was Montevideo, my home! I really enjoyed this part of the trip because it was great for my parents to understand and see my lifestyle; they stayed in the hotel where I live, saw my semi-dorm-style daily life, and walked around my neighborhood. We all tried Uruguayan beer and Tannat wine (the grape made in Uruguay) and enjoyed some of my favorite restaurants; I made them try chivitos, dulce de leche ice cream, parmesan cheese dip, and of course, meat!! Their favorite thing however was the alfajor, the infamous and delicious cookie sold everywhere in Argentina and Uruguay. We took them to a store where they could buy the cookies in bulk, and the astonished cashier asked me, “Do your parents know what alfajors are…?” Aka they should before buying 10 boxes…The store owners offered us free coffee and cookies as I don’t think they had ever had such good customers. That same day we walked around Mercado del Puerto, the most touristic spot of Montevideo by the main port of the city, and enjoyed lunch in the big warehouse-type restaurant that specializes in duh, meat, and Medio & Medio – the wonderfully easy idea of champagne and white wine mixed together (Another of Mom’s favorites!)

Coast of Montevideo!

So you may be thinking, did they just eat and drink the whole vacation? Well NO, and yes…Mom said moving from restaurant table to restaurant table is all part of the deal, right? The tradition continued as we road-tripped 2 hours to Colonia, Uruguay, on the Northwest coast of the country. We stayed in a 3-room bed-and-breakfast run by an old Argentinean man named Freddy, and was the perfect “last stop” to relax from the more fast-paced sightseeing! Mom and Dad had a wonderful back patio on their room, so both days we enjoyed Uruguayan wine in the nice weather. We played games laughing the whole time (wine came out of Mom’s nose – haha not really but almost) and we couldn’t help but feel at ease in the European style B&B, decked out in funky furniture and imaginative paintings. We toured the small, cobble-stone city at our own pace, climbing the lighthouse, checking out old ruins from Portuguese and Spanish invasions, and souvenir shopping the days away. The perfect way to describe Colonia is quaint, and honestly the bars, cafes, tea houses, and restaurants are the main attraction of the small town. One of our favorites was “El Drugstore” where we cheers-ed (salud!) to our last night together. The staff was so nice – we asked if they had nachos and they felt bad they didn’t – so brought us some spicy mayonnaise and saltines instead…inventive!

Cute Colonia

It was a true breath of fresh air to have visitors come, especially family! Certainly a vacation for us too; their trip took me out of my day-to-day life abroad and helped me realize once again that I am living a very foreign lifestyle! Sometimes I forget after being away for so long that I have actually made living abroad comfortable and familiar.

Uruguay: The Deep South

I am settled in my sixth new home since I started the job about 14 months ago! I am extremely happy to still be in South America, and Uruguay is definitely a completely different culture than Colombia or Peru. (But almost exactly like Argentina!) I feel more in Europe than anywhere else. The espresso is served with a small glass of water and cookie (Europe), the fashion is baggy outfits, scarves and cropped boots (Europe), the city roads and sidewalks are developed and symmetrical (ok, this is in a lot of places, but also Europe!), I look more like a citizen than Pedro (Europe), their accent is more Spain Spanish than Latin Spanish…you get the idea.

Instead of pronouncing the double “L” as in “ellos” with a “y” sound, they use a “j” sound. Speaking rapidly and more slurred, the Uruguayans are pretty hard to understand for me; the Colombian and Peruvian accents are much more sympathetic to a struggling Americana.

The city of Montevideo is beautiful, and extremely small and easily navigable in comparison to most capital cities. The entire population of Uruguay is a mere 3 million; everyone knows everyone – on multiple occasions I see people hugging on the streets and everyone I have met with in the government knows everyone else in the government and the private sector. People are active and energetic; a large bike/walking path lines the entire coast of the city hosting a generous stream of people daily. Despite the extremely cold weather in Uruguay right now (opposite winter/summer than in the United States) many people enjoy being outside and I can only imagine how crowded and lively it gets in the summer.

Futbol is the national obsession. Every corner I turn there is a new futbol field filled with either young teams competing, or old leagues keeping alive a sacred country tradition. Shirts all over boast “Yo soy celeste” meaning “I am light blue” (the country’s flag and jersey color) and I feel right at home pretending I am in my own little Latin Tar Heel nation. The first day we arrived, jet-lagged and our luggage lost, we trekked to “Mercado del Puerto”, a large warehouse-type open building at the south port of the city, housing many various “asados” or barbeques of hundreds of types of meats. The beef here is thought by many to be the best in the world, and little Uruguay has one of the highest cattle per capita in the world (meat and sheep farming occupy 60% of the land and is their largest export). We feasted on the country’s flagship meal and watched Uruguay take on Paraguay in the final of the Copa America, the Latin America futbol championship. Uruguay won easily, making it the number one team on the continent, and the crowd went wild, setting off fireworks and running to the main square. Pedro and I followed along a cheered with the crowds screaming from cars, balconies, and rooftops throughout the city. It was definitely the perfect first day in our new country, and immediately I understood the main passion of the Uruguayans.

Like I said, the noteworthy cuisine of Uruguay is beef, but other staples in the local diet include the likes of chivitos, milanesas, mozzarella pizza, ham and cheese sandwiches, and dulce de leche. Chivitos are huge steak sandwiches packed with vegetables, eggs, and mayonnaise. The locals here rave about them and I have been asked numerous times “Have you had the famous chivito yet?!” And yes, I like them (hold the mayo) but not every single day at lunchtime! Milanesa is breaded meat served at all restaurants all the time (a majority of restaurants are cafeteria, old-fashioned type places only serving the above items). Dulce de Leche is like a soft, sweet caramel that is put in all deserts that I love, but again, too much of it for me in the first week. Mate is the herbal tea I mentioned they have a lot of Argentina as well, and everywhere we go (shopping malls, pedestrian streets, bike trails) locals are holding their Mate mug and large thermos of hot water. You first put the Mate herbs in the special mug and then pour hot water over the herbs every time you take a sip from a large metal straw included in the Mate mug. Writing the description makes me realize that maybe it’s just something you need to see for yourself because I don’t think I explain this other national obsession quite so clearly.

I am in a constant attempt to find touristic activities/ways to spend the weekend in Montevideo, but again, it is one of the most relaxed and quiet capitals I have ever been too. Pedro and I went biking along the coast which was extremely refreshing and fun, and also have been taking advantage of the numerous “Tea Time” spots around the city. Teatime is as celebrated here as it is in England, with a full tea every afternoon in most cafes. Tea for two includes tea, media lunas (meaning “half moons” in Spanish – delicious little sugared croissants), ham and cheese sandwiches, scones, and alfajores (my favorites desert here and in Argentina – cookies filled with dulce de leche) – needless to say after an “afternoon tea” you don’t want to eat for the rest of the week, so we’ve only attempted this calorific activity a few times.

What else to talk about other than the reason I’m here: trabajo! We are working with a media that I am not familiar with: the magazine Wall Street Market Research, which is distributed in the United States. So we’ve been doing research making connections between the US and Uruguay, noting which sectors of the economy are most linked and which need most investment. Uruguay has many advantages: the least corrupt country in Latin America, free education through college, extremely skilled labor force, founding member of MERCOSUR, highest literacy rate in Latin America – so it is an extremely safe place to invest but the main problem is that people simply aren’t aware of the opportunities. So far we have just been meeting with the government and newspapers here to learn more about the country and gain their support, and this week we start with commercial meetings at various companies. So far everyone has been extremely open and nice, but speak far less English than in Peru so I have been improving even more exponentially, forced to use Spanish in most business meetings. We hope that everything goes smoothly in the project and because the country is so small, it could very possibly be a short one! But when has that ever happened...

Jungle Fever

A three-day, two-night trip to the AMAZON is the perfect way to spend a final weekend in tropical Peru, right? That’s exactly what we thought and so booked an all-inclusive package to the Amazonas Sinchicuy Lodges outside of the northern town of Iquitos. A short flight, short ride through the city of Iquitos, and long boat ride through the Amazon River landed us in these simplistic but enchanting lodges in the heart of the jungle. Completely made of wood, with mosquito nets covering all rooms beneath secure, leaf-thatched roofs, the lodges captured perfectly what it was to be encased in “la selva”. Little rooms with hammocks and hang-out chairs lined the river for a wonderful view, and parrots greeted us as we entered the common room to enjoy our welcome drink of some kind of juice (can’t remember the name, but every meal we had a different fruit juice from one of the hundreds of unique fruits found in the Amazon). The actual rooms were plain in a cute way, with no electricity or hot water, and definitely not much privacy because the walls were basically mosquito netting!

Sinchicuy Jungle Lodge

Our first day was the most action-packed, and we set out for one of the oldest still-existing Amazon villages in Peru. The inhabitants were dressed in traditional outfits, skirts made of durable bamboo, and showed us their hunting weapons and body paintings. We even got to take a “shot” at a hunting target, and if we hit the target we got a picture with the hunters (I was a good shooter, FYI). Then we browsed in their hand-made market full of purses, jewelry, and carvings, and made some purchases to support the village and satisfy our souvenir-hungry families back home J That afternoon we headed to another village to learn about the medicinal uses of different plants, flowers, and trees in the Amazon, and tried some of the many remedies sworn to help arthritis, gastritis, migraines, etc. Pedro was sold and bought some of the concoctions, but I’ll just stick to my extra-strength Tylenol, thank you! The night itinerary included dinner followed by a canoe ride through the complete darkness of the Amazon – at one point we were all silent for about 20 minutes just listening to the millions of sounds coming from the jungle: birds, insects, monkeys – it gets SO loud at night and even makes it a little difficult to sleep. Because we had no electricity, only lanterns, every night was an early one as there is literally nothing to do in the pitch black dark in the middle of nowhere.

Opposite ends of the culture pole

The next day consisted of an intense hike through a thicker part of the jungle, admiring HUGE trees and being eaten alive by mosquitoes. No one told me that black attracts them even more, and guess what color tank top I was wearing? Mmmm-hmmm I am still looking like a 6-year-old chicken-pox super star. On our boat ride on the way back, we had a “pink dolphin” watch and were able to see around 10 of them! The Amazon River is full of these freshwater dolphins, which turn pink as they mature. That afternoon was the Peru-Colombia futbol game for the Copa America semi-finals, and we hiked over to the nearest village to try and find a TV. One of my most unforgettable experiences abroad was that game. Almost every futbol fan in the village was packed in a small shack watching the game on a fuzzy screen of a TV the size of my head. We all huddled cross-legged on the shaky, elevated floor, cheering for Peru (Pedro for Colombia) and regardless of the stares received from all the young kids, I felt so welcome and comfortable in one of the most destitute areas I have ever been. I don’t know why, but I just felt content sitting there among the Peruvians, the only American for miles, sweaty and itchy, not able to even see the players of the screen. Peru won, which made it that much better, and we celebrated with some beers back at the lodge.

The final day in the Amazon was my favorite because we got to see up-close the animals of the habitat. We ventured to a wildlife reserve full of different species of monkeys, sloths, snakes, turtles, and birds. We were greeted by a large black monkey who climbed all over us, grabbing our necklaces and even taking money from the pockets of someone in the group. All the monkeys loved this game and you never knew when the next one would come climbing up the back of your leg. My favorite though were the sloths; they grip onto you like you are their long-lost mother, literally hugging you and they don’t let go. I also held a beautiful toucan, and gawked as our guide pulled out an anaconda and a huge turtle from a nearby pond! Sad to say bye to all the cuties (minus the snakes) we hopped back on our boat and headed for our good-bye lunch at the lodge. All of the meals were wonderful, consisting of traditional food from the Amazon: rice, fish, banana, mango, different juices, etc.

Touuuuuucan Sam

Venturing back to civilization was bittersweet: it was sad to leave the natural beauty of the Amazon, but also great to get back to some electricity. I now feel extremely energized to finish up my final week in Peru and undertake the next adventure…

My Peruvian Winter

Finally, a little bit of settlement in my current home country of Peru. I have officially not taken an international flight in five weeks and it has been so wonderful to just focus on my project here in Peru and discover a little more about this country. The project has continued to fare well; it has been just Pedro and I for the past few weeks, which has made everything less stressful, more organized, and just easier! One of our coaches, Kelly, was here for a week, and we had one memorable meeting with the CEO of the second-biggest gold mining company in Peru. He invited us to his home for breakfast on a Monday morning, and awaiting us was a beautiful “hacienda” type walled-in mansion! His “muchacha” (house maid) served us coffee, fried eggs, and avocado on his porch as we listened to and watched his monkeys – yes, monkeys – play in the trees of his very own back yard! It was so wonderful and the man was extremely intelligent and kind. On top of the nice invitation, he sent us away with a $10,000 “donation” to our program and delivered all three of us “tourist bags” to our hotel, filled with Peruvian chocolates, coffee, coffee maker, a traditional blanket, and Peruvian olive oil (didn’t know they made that here). This anecdote shapes perfectly with the welcoming and heartfelt behavior of the Peruvians; even though it is an extremely slowwwwww culture, the people here mean the best and are always extremely inviting and warm.

Another highlight of the past couple weeks was interviewing the most famous chef of Peru, Gaston Ascurio, for our program. Every Peruvian is crazy about this man, as he is working extremely hard to put Peruvian cuisine on a more international level. He is opening one of his restaurants in Manhattan in Madison Square this summer, and is looking to expand all throughout the U.S. He told us he wants to make Peruvian food as common as Japanese – everyone loves sushi and it is extremely common all over the world, so why can’t Peruvian food do the same? The main issue is simply getting the word out that Peruvian food is DELICIOUS and unique, and also ensuring that the correct ingredients are available from this agricultural nation. The interview itself was awesome just because this guy is so famous here and I felt a little starstruck, but to be honest Gaston was a little bit of an ass! Definitely didn’t fit the depiction of typical Peruvians. Nonetheless, it was a fun experience, and here is an interesting TIME article on the foodie: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1924061,00.html.

The biggest, most influential event during the past month has been the presidential elections here in Peru. Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori are the names of the moment, and the entire nation has not stopped talking about the race between these candidates in some time. Humala is an extreme-leftist former army officer, who lost to Peru’s current president, Garcia, in 2006. He has a radical image to many, and mentioned cutting Free Trade Agreements and talks with some of the country’s greatest allies. Extremely socialist, he appeals to the country’s poorer population, which greatly outweighs the upper class. He was also supposedly endorsed by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, which is enough reason in itself for the business class to remain worried and aware. His opposition, Keiko, is daugher of ex-president Fujimori, who is now serving a 25-year sentence for corruption. More right-wing and “safe” than Humala, Keiko was the obvious choice for the Lima region, but her family ties also led many citizens to distress in who to choose to run the country. Humala proved triumphant, 51.5% versus Keiko’s 48.5%, and the week following the outcome was the slowest for us business-wise that we have had yet. The business world had a literal “freak out” and reaching companies and scheduling meetings was nearly impossible for us. One reply email I received simply read: “Today is not a good day, as you know we have had elections this Sunday and things may change, nobody knows what’s going on.”

Every Minister and CEO we have met since the outcome is worried. The Ministers will be replaced on July 28^th, and everyone is wondering how the economy and development of Peru will change. Will investors keep looking at Peru in the future or turn to more politically-stable countries in Latin America? Pedro jokes the only good thing about Humala winning is how it will maybe benefit Colombia’s economy – more investment left to go there! However, we have an extremely biased view about the next President – we have only been hearing the opinions of the top CEO’s and politicians of Peru, whereas the lower class is extremely hopeful that the distribution of wealth will be more balanced, as a taxi driver was explaining to us the other day. The only thing I can concretely say is that the result honestly has slowed down business; we have seen it first hand working as an international company here in Peru.

On a lighter note, the past two weekends have been filled with (surprise!) traveling. Pedro and I took advantage of having a rental car and took a road trip to the small coastal town of Paracas, about three hours outside of Lima. We found a modest, perfect hotel right when we got there, located directly on the beach with an awesome balcony and view of the ocean. A majority of the time was spent relaxing in the sun with cervecitas; even if there wasn’t much to do, it was so nice to get out of the exhaust-filled metropolis of Lima. The Thing-to-See in this area are the Ballestas Islands; tourists take a powerboat to get close to these islands famous for their penguins and sea lions, and also the fact that they are painted completely white from bird poo called “guano”. I have never seen penguins or sea lions in their natural habitat so was super-duper excited. However, when we woke up on Sunday morning to catch the boat, we and many other early-risers were disappointed to learn there had been an earthquake in the ocean near the islands so all tours were closed for the whole day! Bummed, we instead took the car through the Paracas National Reserve, which is basically a vast stretch of sand next to the ocean. The crazy thing about Peru is the range of terrains and temperatures throughout the country. Here we were, driving through the desert, when earlier that morning we were meant to sport our winter coats while snapping pictures of real-life penguins. Not to mention the various mountain ranges, beaches, and jungle that make up the rest of the immense country.

The desert of Peru!

The following weekend was spent in the second-largest town of Peru, called Arequipa. We flew down for some meetings on that Friday and Monday, so of course stayed the weekend to explore. Since being in Peru I had heard many great things about the city – that it was a neat, organized, colonial-type town with a constant clear view of the Andes Mountains. It was again nice to be outside of gloomy Lima (winter in Lima = no sun EVER, not exaggerating), and the air was extremely dry and fresh in the high altitude of the city. The meetings were really interesting – one with the oldest chocolate company of the region, another with the largest exporter of Alpaca fiber. Alpacas are members of the “camelid” family, very similar to llamas, and only found in the Andes region of South America. After this meeting we received a tour of the grounds, met some of the Alpacas (so cute, except for the spitting pregnant one and the one that jumped on top of Pedro), and learned how their fur is processed and made into knitted items. Extremely expensive and rare, Alpaca fur coats can cost up to $1000!

Typical business meeting playing with animals

That Sunday, we woke up early to catch a private mountain-biking expedition next to the famous Misti volcano outside of Arequipa. A driver took us to the top of the mountain range paralleling the volcano, and when we began our decent on bikes we were around 15,000 feet above sea level. I couldn’t walk without becoming extremely out of breath, and biking on any level but downhill was one of the most excruciating activities I have done! At many points it was pretty intense mountain biking through rocks and sand, and I could understand why our guide made us suit up head-to-toe in padding. The four-hour bike ride was exhausting but beautiful; the whole time we had a view of the snow-capped volcano sitting right next to us on one side, and an overhead view of Arequipa on the other. I wasn’t able to move that night or the next day, and luckily we were headed back to sea-level Lima for a little bit of a breather.

Mountain-biking in Southern Peru!

I’m writing all of this from Café Havanna, an Argentinean café situated on the coastline of Lima, so I’m looking out on the ocean and have seen about 10 paragliders flying past me in the past hour. It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I am trying to chill as much as possible because I caught an unforgiveable virus last week and have been out-of-commission for the past five days. I haven’t been so sick since I can remember, and the doctor told me it was most likely from something I ate in Arequipa. I can’t remember because I was so hallucinatory, but I think he said something like 9/10 tourists get a virus from the food or water here in Peru; I guess it was just my time. So I am taking it easy and trying to enjoy my last three weeks here in Peru. Pedro and I found out this week that this is our deadline, and we are continuing the Latin thang with our next placement: Uruguay! I am beyond excited because I wanted to stay in Latin America, and yet Uruguay is a different vibe completely from Peru or Colombia. More influenced by Argentina and Europe, it will be a nice, fresh change, where I can learn about a whole new culture yet continue practicing Spanish. Definitely more to come on that subject – until next time/country!

Don't Cry for me Argentina

Ok, so I know my blog titles are getting a little cliché and corny, but one of the things I was most excited about when headed to Argentina was seeing “La Casa Rosada”, where Eva Peron aka Evita sang from in Madonna’s biographical movie about the famous first lady of Argentina. Also on my list of things to do was to visit Evita’s grave in El Cemeterio de la Recoleta. Growing up listening to the Evita sound track on the way to soccer games in my mom’s minivan may have something to do with my slight obsession of the charismatic Argentine. But this was not the only reason I decided to take a few days off from work to fly to the city of Buenos Aires…

My good friend from home, Ashley Craddock, is living in Mar del Playa, Argentina for a few months and so we decided to meet up in Buenos Aires for a few days of exploring in the European-influenced capital. For some reason, I have always been fascinated by Buenos Aires, and it has been on the top of my “must-visit” list for a while now. Working in South America gave me the chance to finally see what it is all about, and five days of sightseeing proved to be the perfect amount of time. Ashley and I stayed in a typical backpacker hostel in the neighborhood of Palermo, one of the trendy areas with a plethora of shops, restaurants, hotels, and apartments.

When I first arrived, I felt a definitely similarity between Buenos Aires and Madrid, Spain. There is significant influence from Europe in Argentina, and the architecture of the buildings along with the personalities of the people made me feel as if I was back in Europe. Also surprising in a Latin country was the attitude of the citizens of Buenos Aires. Most people I met definitely had a sense of superiority and when they asked me where I lived and I answered Peru, they would give me a weird look and shockingly ask, “But, WHY?!” as if it was the least-developed, unpleasant country in the world. I had heard that the Argentines were somewhat like this (the royalty of South America), but it was interesting to experience it first-hand.

Our days were filled with metro-ing to different districts of the city:

La Boca: Where “El Caminito” is located – a funky, bohemian district of the city filled with different-colored houses and buildings reminding me of a Dr. Suess book. Tango is a popular event here as well, and outside of many restaurants and cafes were various Tango performances. Ashley and I walked around and shopped at one of the trillion jewelry and art stands, and also sat to have a café con leche and alfajores at the famous Havanna café. An alfajor is a layered cookie dominantly sold in the South of Latin America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay – and you can even find some in Peru) and I can safely say it is my favorite foreign desert I have ever had. They come in all flavors, sizes, and brands, and 1/5 of every single corner store and food stand is rows of the different kinds. We also walked past the famous Boca Juniors stadium (Boca Juniors and River Plate are the two most well-known futbol teams in Buenos Aires, causing a huge divide and rivalry between the two teams’ fans).

El Caminito!

Puerto Madero: A newer district of Buenos Aires, where the famous “Puente de la Mujer” bridge is located. Supposedly the bridge is supposed to represent a couple dancing Tango, and in a modernistic, suggestive way I guess it does? See for yourself below…

We walked around the beautiful and modern harbor of Puerto Madero, where there are also many famous Argentine beef restaurants. We parked at one located right on the water, and enjoyed buffet-style the various meats and other foods of Argentina. I tried all different kinds of beef and even chinchulines (guts of veal). When in Rome…

Plaza de Mayo: This Plaza is where the famous Casa Rosada is located, the political building of the President’s offices (and where Evita sang from). “Plaza de Mayo” gets its name from Argentina’s revolution in May 1810 which led to the country’s independence. It is also the site of the “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo”, or the mothers of the desaparecidos. During Peron’s governance, those suspected to be part of anti-government activities were taken by the government, tortured, and killed. The mothers of the “disappeared” Argentineans use Plaza del Mayo as a congregation spot to show pictures of their murdered children to exhibit how corrupt the military regime of that time was.

La Casa Rosada

San Telmo Market: A huge outdoor market that only operates on Sundays, the San Telmo is the perfect place to find handmade jewelry, art, food stuff, furniture, and other Argentinean souvenirs. Although it was rainy when we went, we still enjoyed walking around and bargaining for everything from bracelets and Mate cups. “Mate” is a special type of tea typically consumed in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay. Our friends whom Ashley knew from teaching invited us over for Mate and “facturas” (pastries) after San Telmo. Basically you fill the Mate cup with dried leaves of yerba mate and add hot water yourself to the leaves every time you pass around the cup. After slurping up the soaking water, you pass the cup to the next person for them to do the same. It’s also bad luck to say “gracias” while passing the cup, and it took me about three passes to remember to not instinctively express my thanks. A truly hospitable tradition, Mate and facturas on a rainy Sunday afternoon served as the perfect way to experience another Argentinean tradition.

Cementario de la Recoleta: An ironically beautiful and peaceful cemetery located in the middle of Buenos Aires, La Recoleta houses the graves of most famous and historic citizens of Argentina. Eva Perron rests here, and flowers and notes still cover her grave from the hundreds of visitors that come daily.

Ashley and I also managed to have some fun nights out in one of the liveliest cities on earth. One night we went to a Tango show at a tucked-away bar called “Bar Sur”. Only us two and a group of Brazilians were there to watch the dancers, singers, and musicians, and the dancers invited us to the dance floor to learn some Tango moves. Sensual and passionate, Tango originated in Buenos Aires at the end of the 19^th century and since then has been an iconic past time in the city. We also attended the “Bomba de Tiempo”, a loco drum show that occurs every Monday night in downtown Buenos Aires. Somewhat like a rave concert, the drummers of the group perform a huge show as young partiers dance to the beat and drink huge plastic cups of Quilmes beer. Four nights of going out in Buenos Aires left us just a little exhausted.

Tango!

Moral of the Argentinean story is that I wish I could have been in the country longer – there are so many more cities and regions to visit there. Good thing I was forced to buy a 10-year visa upon arrival….