Back to the States

I left Argentina on Monday and flew to my sister's house in Arizona. I can't believe how much I've seen and done in only nine weeks of travel! I've met such amazing people and eaten the most delicious food. I climbed a million stairs at Machu Picchu, hitch hiked by myself with some very helpful Peruivians, went to a Mexican circus in Chile, ate too many hot dogs, relaxed on the beach, took hundreds of photos of beautiful street art, drank too much pisco with two wonderful ladies, celebrated the 4th of July with a bunch of Chileans, spent hours in the most beautiful cemeteries, rode drunk on bicycles around Mendoza, sipped absinthe until my head spun, jumped around on a desert of salt, drank maté every morning, smoked a Marlboro with a gaucho while riding a horse through a field, ate seriously the most amazing steak ever-seriously, saw the most epic waterfalls, watched people tango in Buenos Aires, ran around the biggest cities I've ever seen, sat on buses longer than I ever thought possible, went to more street markets than I've been to in my entire life, and even had a man try to rob me with a toy gun.

All in all I'd have to say I had a pretty fucking awesome time and it was worth all the hard work. I am so grateful to have met so many wonderful people from around the world and hope to see you all again someday. Thank you to everyone who helped me get here and to everyone who helped me along the way. I love you all! I can't wait to travel again! 

glad to be heading home, but you will be missed South America

(I promise I'll come back soon)

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thomas and Marie headed north to Brazil, while Ben and I hopped on another long bus south to Buenos Aires. We arrived in the morning and took the subway to the hostel. Our first view  from the subte was 9 de Julio-seven lanes on each side with two parallel streets of two lanes each on either side. You are only able to get half way across during each light.

welcome to a city of over 12 million people! 

McDonald's is everywhere... 

underneath a bridge 

this giant metal flower closes when the sun goes down 

I like you Argentina. 

oh, just part of the view from the terrace of our sixth floor hostel 

meh, not bad for a hostel view

the old elevator up to the hostel 

old elevators are so much cooler

Ben and I explored the city and went to the massive graveyard. I never seem to get tired of seeing where the dead sleep. The cemeteries here are all so amazing!

 

a city within a city 

lots of the tombs just had the caskets stacked on shelves 

we found Evita's grave-she is very popular 

The next night, we headed out to watch a tango class and have some food and wine. We took the subte and rode on the oldest subway in South America.

1913 

tango and delicious vino

In the morning, I got up and headed to La Boca. It's a very poor neighborhood and the walk there was pretty boring and gross.  

bienvenidos! 

Riachuelo-the smelly, brown water welcomed me to the neighborhood 

Puente Transbordador-the old ferry bridge built in 1914

view from the art museum 

 another view from the museum

this famous image was not at all what I expected-

this street just felt like Toon Town in Disneyland

On Sunday, I caught a bus with a Canadian girl out to Feria de Mataderos, a market I had heard would be amazing. It was! handicrafts, music, dancing, asado, and a pony! We spent a few hours there and then went to another market closer to our hostel. Street fairs just never get old.

adorable women dancing together

asado!

handicrafts for miles

ToniMontaña

my very first subway show

On my last day in Buenos Aires (and South America), I went on a walk with an English girl, Anna. We wondered to Palermo and then to some nearby gardens. Right when we sat down on a bench to check her guide book for places to see, I saw a man lean his bike against a trash bin behind us and start walking up to us. My first thought was "fuck, he wants to sell us some socks or ask for money" but then I saw him reach in his pants and pull a gun up into his jacket. Fuck... My heart was pounding as he told us to give him our phones. I just kept staring at his gun. "I don't have a phone!" We both repeated this about five times before he gave up on that idea and told me to give him my bag. His gun was pointed into his jacket with only the handle peaking out. It looked like an old western revolver. I didn't take my eyes off it. I finally decided it wasn't real and if it was, maybe he should point it at me. I stood up and started calling to two guys sitting on a nearby bench. The men didn't even turn around. I think I scared the guy by standing up right in front of him. He immediately turned to his bike and started yelling at me not to tell anyone. Anna and I walked as fast as we could out of the park and to a busy road at the edge. Our hearts slowed down and we went out for lunch and coffee with all of our belongings still on us. I can now say I've been robbed with a gun, but luckily it was just a toy.

Iguazu Falls

I met some Germans in Salta and we all decided to travel together to the falls. It was a lovely twenty-something hour bus ride, but we made it. Ice cream was definitely in order. I love ice cream.

Thomas, Me, Ben, and Marie

The next day we got up early and took another bus from town to the falls. We found out later that although we didn't go on a weekend, it was still winter holiday for the Argentinos, so everyone and their maté was there crowding around the edges to take a photo. I tried my best to crop that part out of my own photos...

 I wish I could rent the falls for a day so I could be here all alone

the only area where people are allowed to swim-unfortunately, it's winter and the water is too cold and high 

pretty bird! 

rainbows are pretty 

one of my South American goals was to jump off a waterfall, 

but I was pretty sure I wouldn't survive this one... 

here's what's going on behind the camera 

(is that Thomas?) 

cotton ball clouds 

next we decided to do a jungle trek 

it wasn't very jungley, but we did get to pretend we were Tarzan 

the trail ended at the top of a waterfall and we decided to walk the path to the bottom-

a few wooded stairs and boards along the path were broken or missing

when I was a kid, my leg got stuck in a broken bridge on a pizza restaurant playground-

a clown tried to save me...

this is my "I really hope I don't have to see a clown today" face

the tiniest of the falls 

I saw some ants and got really excited about all the huge things they were carrying 

Ben was helping me find a good slingshot to bring home for my friend Wes to make epic for me, 

but the jungle doesn't make sturdy branches

 [PS Wes makes amazing slingshots and you should buy one HERE]

 swirly

after the trek, walked back to the train 

the last train to Gargantua del Diablo-the biggest fall

 the line-it took FOREVER!

but when we first spotted Gargantua del Diablo, aka Devil's Throat, it was well worth the wait

I felt like I was at a show trying to squeeze to the front to see the band 

we pushed and shoved and the band was AMAZING! 

these pictures can't even begin to explain how epic this really was 

so mush water! 

being really cool 

mist 

we were ushered out and back down the long bridges to the train-

the sun was setting and we smiled the whole walk back

When we got to the train, we got in line. A guy turned around and was very angry at us. He pointed out the end of the line (it was nowhere near where we were...) We didn't move though. We are bad people. Ben and I sat next to a South African guy when we finally got on the train. "Ah, the queue jumpers!"