Esto es Cucuta…

July 28, 2009

This session has gone by so fast, I have no idea where it has gone.  I think about where I will be two weeks from today… sitting in the Caracas airport waiting for my flight to Miami.  It is just crazy.  I set out this summer with some goals and one of them being to go to Colombia, this past weekend that goal was accomplished.  I didn’t meet Juanes or any FARC members but still did have an amazing time.

We left for Colombia on Friday morning under the impression that would be in Colombia by three or four that afternoon but as the day progressed it be came clear that was not going to happen.  We first had to take a bus from Merida to El Vigia a town about an hour away to take us to our next spot.  Once we got to El Vigia there were no buses that we going directly to the place we needed to go to but still one was going to San Cristobol, which would get us close to the Colombian boarder.  We arrived in San Cristobol thinking we could hop on a bus and just go straight to Cucuta, Colombia (our final destination) but as a reoccurring theme through out this trip, that was not the case.  We probably looked ridiculous, 5 white girls with giant backpacks just wondering around a bus terminal.  We found a guy that would take us to San Antonio for us to get out exit stamp for Venezuela, and then take us to get our stamp for Colombia and then take us to the hotel we were going to stay at.  We were very lucky that did not back fire on us.

We stayed in this hotel named Hotel Arizona, probably one of the nicer hotels in Cucuta.  It was recommended to us by one of the teachers at VENUSA, it had a pool and two meals everyday. So we saved a lot of money on food because the entire time we were there we only had to pay for one meal.  We didn’t to the hotel until around five so we checked in, cleaned ourselves off and went to dinner.  After dinner we went on a search for an ATM so we could get some pesos and then went to the giant mall across the street.  The main reason people go to Cucuta is for the malls.  This one was almost comparable to MOA it had a movie theater, mini amusement park, and three solid floors of stores.  Friday nite we just looked around and decided to see Harry Potter.  I know pretty exciting nite in Colombia.  The movie was in Spanish which one of the workers at the movie theater reminded us several times but still I was able to either remember the book/semi understand what they were saying.  The movie got out really late and we were all exhausted so we just went back to our hotel and went to sleep.

Saturday was spent sitting by the pool, shopping and buying present to bring back home. We walked around Cucuta for a little bit but we really never got to see the city besides the part we stayed in. Since we had to provide our own dinner we went to an authentic Colombian restaurant were we had these huge plates of food, half of it I had no idea what is was but it was still pretty good. 

Sunday was full of traveling and adventure.  In all it took over eight hour to get back to Merida.  On the way back again we put our full trust in taxies and buses to get us home safely.  Minus the minor car accident, getting the bus searched for drugs by a national guard and a dog and not being able to pay for a bus ride back to Merida it was a decent right home.  I am just thankful that is the last bus trip I will have to take here.

Looking back it amazes me how we all even got home, after Sunday.  It even amazes me more that we put our trust in these taxi and bus drivers almost every trip and nothing has happened to us, unlike the stories you here all the time.

This past week of school wasn’t very exciting expect for the fact that Chavez has been on a huge tirade for the past couple weeks.  This week it was all about Colombia and how they are no better than the United States and how there should be a boycott on buying anything Colombian. Sorry Hugo, but I failed you…

 

Waterfalls and Strawberries

July 20, 2009

I completely forgot to mention last time, that I experienced an earthquake.  Well when I say experienced I mean I slept through it.  But that was two weeks ago, now for this past week.  This week of school has been pretty uneventful nothing super special this week. It was just school, getting to know people and getting my plane ticket from El Vigia to Caracas.  

Over the weekend I went to a town about a two hour bus ride from Merida.  The town was known for two things strawberries and waterfalls.  We got to Bailadores around noon and our first priority after finding a hotel to stay was getting food.  We found this little restaurant where four of us shared this thing called a Parilla.  It included a couple pieces of fried chicken, couple pieces of pork, steak, plantains, yucca and rice.  All this was for around two dollars, not bad at all.

After lunch we started our walk to the waterfalls.  We found a sign that said 2500 mts, which did not seem so bad until we saw the hill we had to climb.  So we made it about forth of the way up the hill when we realized that this was going to be hard than we thought.  Luckily a man with a truck came driving by and offered us a ride up the hill.  After we were dropped off we saw the waterfall in the distance.  After about another twenty minute walk we FINALLY made it to the waterfall.  It was a cool park with mini waterfalls and one very big waterfall.  Since Bailadores is also know for strawberries we had to get some strawberries with cream probably the most popular way to eat strawberries here.  They were delicious.  We got back to our hotel found some more people and went and hung out at the Plaza Bolivar. After that we grabbed some dinner and made our way back to the hotel for the night.  I am really glad I went because it was a chance to meet and talk with people from school that I really never had a chance to talk to.

I got back today to my house just in time to celebrate Children’s Day.  Yes, here in Venezuela they have a day to celebrate children.  When I was growing up my parents told me everyday is Children’s Day.  I told my host family that here, they just laughed.  So we got to experience Children’s Day with the family having a huge lunch and cake.

Probably not the most exciting week ever BUT COLOMBIA is the weekend!

For Me Argentina

July 11, 2009

So last time I left you guys in suspense about the rest of the trip, I am sorry it has taken so long but this thing called school is getting in the way of things.

We were suppose to leave for Uruguay Wend morning but do to less than ideal conditions we weren’t able to leave to Wend nite.  So that gave us an extra day in Buenos Aires, which meant Evita museum.  The museum went through he entire life and I actually learned things. Yes, there were parts of Eva Peron’s life that I didn’t know.  We left for Uruguay around 7 and got to Uruguay around 8.  The boat ride was actually pretty fast and nice but I really don’t have anything to compare it too.  The hostel in Uruguay was nice except for the fact that I got bed bugs. We stayed in a town called Colonia, which was first, a colony of the Portuguese but then was turned over to the Spanish.  Part of the town is a World Heritage Site so it looks exactly like it did in the 1700’s.  There are museums (one room exhibits) we went too and a lighthouse.  I met a really nice Brazilian who offered a place to stay anytime in Brazil, so people let me know if you want to go to Brazil.  The rest of the day was spent watching the sunset, which was beautiful and then going to a Casino, which was awful.  Not because I lost money just because there were only really old slots.

Thursday we returned to BA and changed locations to the main downtown area.  While walking around trying to find a place for lunch I found something that would change the rest of the trip….  There it was sunbeams shining down on it a Phantom of the Opera sign, first I thought it was an illusion because that would just be too good to be true.  But after standing in the middle of the street just gawking at the sign and being pushed by many Argentines I realized that it wasn’t an illusion, Phantom of the Opera was in Buenos Aires.  Needless to say I ran across the street and bought tickets.  At that moment I couldn’t believe I get to live one of my life goals inside another life goal.  The rest of the day was spent going to Plaza Mayo to see the Mothers march and of course to see the Casa Rosada.  Thursday was almost too much to handle I got to see where Eva Peron addressed thousands of people and got tickets to Phantom.

Friday we went to a town called El Tigre a suburb of Buenos Aires.  It was kind of nice to get out of the city.  In El Tigre we walked along the riverfront and went to a giant flea market.  Going to El Tigre also meant the completion of taking all modes of transportation in Buenos Aires (train).  The rest of Friday was spent window-shopping down the only two pedestrian streets in Buenos Aires and dinner at a Parilla or grill.

Saturday we saw the last of the tourist spots and went back to Plaza Mayo to find them filming a movie.  We sat and watched it for a while; kinda hoping they ask us to be extras or something.  Saturday nite was devoted to Phantom.  It was amazing, in Spanish but that didn’t really affect anything since I pretty much have the whole musical memorized.

Sunday was a huge day of flying and standing in lines but we made it home safely on Monday morning.  What a trip, it was more than I could ever imagine.  While over my 24 hours just sitting I realized how lucky I am that I was to this.  I still am just amazed.  Well its back to the whole school thing, it is hard to believe that a month from today I again will be on a plane but this time back to the United States.

Don’t Cry

July 7, 2009

I got to accomplish two of my life goals this past week: one go to Argentina and two see Phantom of the Opera. So now that my list is slowly being crossed off, I need new life goals because honestly all that is left is going to Machu Pichu, Ireland and the rest of Latin America. Its also pretty cool while I was living out one of my life dreams, my Dad was living out one of his.

But the trip, so we left Merida at 9pm Thursday nite and arrived in Buenos Aires around 5:30 am Saturday morning.  Thursday nite I had to take a bus to Caracas.  It wasn’t till 8 pm that nite that I was informed that where the bus station is… lets just say probably not the best part of Caracas for a pale white American girl to be with a suitcase.  BUT everything went absolutely fine, the taxi was cheap and safe and the worst part of bus experience was being called white as I was walking out of the bus station.  I mean at points I had thoughts I would be the next person on Kidnap Express (where a “taxi” basically kidnaps you for money and/or makes you take all your money our of your bank accounts and then leaves you in the middle of Caracas), which is one of the most frequent crimes that occurs.  We got to the airport really early but it turned out to be a good thing.  Probably the worst part of this entire trip wasn’t being able to shower for almost three days, it was having to go through Venezuelan Migration.  It took almost two hours to walk 50 feet for a person to stamp my passport, I blame swine flu.  We got on my plane to Lima, probably spent 15 minutes in Lima all together and got on my plane for BA.

So my first day in Buenos Aires (Saturday) basically consisted of walking around the neighborhood that my hostel was in, getting medicine for a stomach condition I had and sleeping.  Both Madeline and I were completely exhausted, we ended up going to bed at 8 and woke up at 9 the next morning.

Sunday was supposed to be the day of the soccer game but since it was election day everything was canceled, so no game.  Instead we went to the neighborhood called Recoleta.  There was a cemetery filled with famous people.  Eva Peron’s grave just happened to be there, just as a man singing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” just happened to be there.  After the cemetery we had lunch at an Irish pub where I was introduced to the amazing drink called a liquado.  Basically its fruit, water and a little sugar blended together.  I managed to have a liquado at almost every meal after that.  After lunch we walked to the Flores Gradius.  A big mechanical flower that is opens up in the day and closes at nite.  After the Flores Gradius, we stumbled to the Biblioteca Nacional.  See didn’t die in the library, it was created into a library about 20 years later during the Menum administration. I did not know until we got there, that this was the place Eva Peron died.  I just want to clear things up, I did not go around Buenos Aires trying to relive Eva Peron’s death, some things just happened to be about her, I am not that crazy and obsessed as some of the pictures we say otherwise lead you to believe.  

The third day we were there we went to the Boca neighborhood.  This is the blue-collar part of BA and probably one of the more dangerous areas.  And by saying that it was basically like we were back in Venezuela.  We went to the Boca Junior soccer stadium probably the biggest team in all of Argentina and maybe all of South America.  After that we walked around the touristy part of the area where we constantly were trying to be persuaded to watch a tango show.  After lunch in Boca we went to the MALBA or Museum of Latin American Art.  I was kind of disappointed because all the guidebooks said it was the best museum of Latin American art in Latin America but really it was only a floor of paintings.  Oh well, after that we returned to our hostel to get ready for the tango show.  The tango show was really fun.  Had a huge meal with all the wine or water you could drink.  The water was wonderful, sorry parents I really tried to like the wine but it was just not happening.  The tango went on for about 2 hours and concluded with the Spanish version of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” with Argentina flags and everything.  

So I am not going to overwhelm all of you (and myself) with one massive blog entry, instead I am going to break it up.  So you will just have to wait on the next one, its about Uruguay.