Every time I begin to think that things are about the wind down or that I might achieve some sense of "normal" here, something happens or I see something that just literally hits me in the face and knocks me right on my ass... in a good way, though. It feels like I am in some kind of dream. An extremely vivid and wildly amazing dream.
The Food. The People. The Streets. The Art. The Land. My lord, I could go on and on about everything that I love about Argentina. Even at times when I am stressed and angry I have this overwhelming sense of warmth washing over me. For instance, I had a full out panic attack today but I couldn't tell you that it felt bad. Actually, as strange as it sounds I enjoyed every second of it. I think it is because there hasn't been a single experience here that hasn't overwhelmed me. I cried and my teeth clenched together so hard I thought one of them might chip. But, when it happened it was like I was experiencing every emotion that I have felt over the passed several days, which have been soaked in wonder and amazement, in one instance. Like an explosion. I hate to sound vulgar, but it was akin to a very extreme orgasm. The muscles in my stomach contracted. Every hair on my body stood on end. It was such an intense and pleasurable sensation, but I was crying and convulsing like a basket-case!
I think I am literally in denial that this is my life right now.
I went zip lining in las sierras! OMG, what an experience. I thought it might be a rush like a roller coaster but it was surprisingly relaxing. The land here is incomparable to any that I have seen. About an hour and a half south of the city you start to see these gigantic mountains and they are nothing short of breathtaking. Tons of trees and vegetation that I have never seen before. Wild horses walking together on the same rural road as our bus. A waterfall winding all the way down the mountain into a clear river at its basin all of which I got to see from a hundred feet in the air while flying down a wire at god knows what speed. The sweet smell of the wind passing my face. I was tempted to just brake in the middle and hang above everything for a little while, but the person behind me might not have appreciated that...
At times it is difficult to understand people when I am talking to them. It is a little bit of a different dialect than I am used to, but it hasn't been much of an issue. Everyone that I have spoken with has immediately realized that I am from the U.S. and been very patient with me. It is actually kind of weird because we don't even have to speak and they already know we are from the states, but what exactly does someone from the United States look like? I mean, it is a pretty eclectic mix of people there. Why couldn't I be from Europe? Somehow they just know and every once in a while we can hear the locals say to one another when we pass them, "Ellos son de los Estados Unidos!" It is actually quite comical.
The food is very good. My house mother, who is a sweetheart, cooks dinner for us every night and she is quite the chef! We've had arroz con pollo, fried fish, and one night we had mashed potatoes with meat, I believe. Yummy in my tummy without a doubt. Meat is whats for dinner 24/7 here. They are obsessed with ham and eggs and put it on just about anything that you can imagine. I've had them both on hamburgers, hot dogs, and I hear that they like to scramble eggs and chop them up over pizza with beats. One of the best dishes I have had was called Milenesa. It was like chicken parmesan made with beef. They also love french fries. Beer, wine, soda (much more carbonated and many of them infused w/ fruit juice), and agua con gas which is like club soda are generally what we drink.
Last night I went to an artisan fair that goes on every Sunday evening. They have so much cool stuff there and it is way cheap compared to the malls here. Some of the clothes they sell on the street are really cute, also. I will probably get all of my souvenirs there. I actually knocked down an entire table filled with mates, which are the cups they use to drink yerba mate. I intended on buying one at some point anyway so I went ahead and bought one from that vendor because I felt bad. Mate is always shared when you drink it. If you don't share it, it is considered rude. The drink itself is like a tea with many pulverized leaves that are free floating at the top. You drink it with a metal straw called a bombilla, which I found out the hard way you cannot move around once the mate has been prepared because it will get clogged with all the leaves. It is also customary to make a slurping noise when you drink it... very interesting indeed!
Ciao Amigos!!!
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