The last week I was pulled out of class and asked to proceed to the front office. I sat and tried to think what I could have possibly done wrong. As I entered the office guided by a friend a wave of fear came over me. I was directed to a telephone. On the other side of the line was Marta from Rotary. What came next left me speechless, she informed me that the Rotary club had all pitched in to pay for my trip to the South of Argentina and Chile, with all the other exchange students. I was in utter shock with an overwhelming feeling of greatness. She informed me that the trip was departing the next day and that I needed to work fast to get paperwork signed. I was still in shock as I tried to take in all she was telling me. Shortly after we hung up I looked over at the school sectary and gave her a huge hug. I’m pretty sure she is afraid of me now. My friend was looking at me all weird as well but I was just so overwhelming happy. I proceeded home to prepare my things. I’m not going to lie I cried sitting there alone on the bus. I just couldn’t believe how fortunate I had been.
The next day all the exchange students from the provinces of Cordoba and Catamarca met in the center suitcases in hand packed full of sweaters and scarf’s we were set out for the South. These next seventeen days would end up being some of my life’s best memories, but little did I know. We would travel through two countries and over 8,500 km. A group of girls from New Zealand (which I would latter befriend) had laid out an extensive photo scavenger hunt including things such as…
· Dance tango on the roof of a car
· By something at a Kiosko (convenient store) and give it back as a gift to the person behind the counter
· Make a meal in a restaurant
· Ride in a garbage truck
· Supporting gay rights (be creative)
· A sign in Spanish that means something funny in your native language
This list went on for over 200 items and provided us with endless fun throughout the trip.
The following our excerpts from my travel diary ….
October 22, 2009
Coming to you from our little apartment in Puerto Madryn, my roommate from New Zealand lolly’s angel like voice rings over the sweet sound of a acoustic guitar. The atmosphere is very tranquil. I’m so thankful to be here; I don’t think I will every truly be able to express my thanks to Rotary. Today I woke up on the bus and was greeted by the barren Patagonian land. We pulled into Peninsula Valdez around lunch time, a little town which bases its economy of whale watching. The ocean fog formed a blanket over the town. We ate lunch in a little café on the cloudy beach side. Afterwards I ran down to the beach to soak my feet and take pictures. Forty Five of us crammed onto a boat in our stylish orange safety vests; we were off to see whales. As the boat began to pick up speed the cold Atlantic water splashed across my face. The water was dark making it difficult to spot the whales, but as they came up to breech for air the whole boat stood there in amazement. We even spotted an albino whale which was very interesting. The feeling that comes over you when you are surrounded by such large beings is indescribable; it’s hard to believe that we share the same earth. The wind was not to obad but with the splashes of salt water a bitter chill began to form. Latter in the afternoon we arrived in Puerto Madryn were we were each given keys to our little apartments. We all took some time to relax and prepare for dinner, which included an involuntary ice cold shower…
October 23, 2009
Today we woke early and prepared for breakfast a word that virtually does not exist in Argentina. We were off to see the sea lions in Peninsula Valdez. The natural reserve was about three hours from Puerta Madryn. Upon entering the bus everyone cuddled up and went back to sleep. We stopped half way through the journey at and overlook were both sides of the Peninsula could be spotted. Let me tell you now sea lions are some of the funniest animals I have ever seen. A baby sea lions sneeze is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. ….That night after dinner a group of friends and I were sitting around talking in the restaurant after everyone else had left, when another group of friends entered. Originally there was an extra excursion on the trip to hike the Moreno Glacier in Califate. I didn’t think many others were going to do it because of the extra cost; but I guess me and a girl from Germany were the only ones. In result the entire group pitched in so we could participate. Now I really couldn’t get over how unfortunate I was. I hugged everyone but when I got to my friend Lena all I could do was cry.
October 25, 2009
The morning started early as the bus rolled up to a little roadside café. Little motivation was collected from the group to get off the bus, we were all still about half awake. I decided after lasts night’s events of getting sick over cold empanadas it was probably a safe idea to skip breakfast. Upon retreat to the bus I quickly fell back asleep and within forty five minutes I woke to the distant view of snow covered mountains. As we descended from the mountain side into the little town of Califate Argentina’s European influence became more and more apparent. We were given two hours to explore the little village but I felt very week and ill. For lunch we ate all you can eat Chinese food, which I found out we would be eating for the next six days in Califate and Ushuaia, lunch and dinner. If you think Americanized Chinese food is interesting you need to try Argentinianized Chinese food. Dumplings are rather empandas in disguise. We stayed in little “A” frame cabins just outside the main city plaza. I cooked the worst crepes in my life that night. I don’t know what it was but no matter how hard I tried they would just fell apart. Sadly the reason behind making them was to say thank you too the group for all chipping in; although they seemed to enjoy them whether or not they resembled a crepe.
October 26, 2009
With a bucket of pasta in hand which me and my friend had made the night before for dinner we boarded the bus. Looking out the bus window I watched the green landscape drip with snow. I was surprised to still have been in Argentina, it’s not exactly what you think of when you think South America. I was unprepared for how cold it was as we descended from the bus in front of the Moreno Glacier. I have never seen such a vibrant blue in nature before as I stood out over an overlook. Tourist from all over came to see the glacier. Standing down at a lower point I heard a large crack in the ice and a huge chunk fell into the cold water creating an enormous splash. Everyone stood in silence. We were given two hours to explore the glacier which I utilized to take photographs. Upon retreat to our cabins that afternoon we prepared for tea time in our little “A” frame cabin, an Argentine ritual. In the evening we walked to the grocery store to buy supplies to make fried rice for tomorrow afternoon. We spent the night relaxing and chopping veggies for our huge pot of fried rice.
October 27, 2009
In the morning we finished cooking our fried rice. We made a ton of rice but still managed to devour it all upon our arrival. We boarded a boat to which took us to the other side of the lake. On the other side we were greeted by a gorgeous spring forest. We hiked through the forest and across the lakes beach side to the glacier front. We were each given spikes to place on the bottom of our shoes called “cramp-ons”. It was hard to walk in them and they cut into the back of my feet causing them to bleed, but I was too preoccupied to care. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the ice, the snow covered mountains to my left and the green mountain side to my right were a waterfall trickled down from, not to forget the beautiful lake that stood in front of me. I knelt down and drank the water from the glacier, it was very cold and refreshing. At the end of the trek we came to a little table and chairs which had been set up on the glacier. We were each given cookies and whisky served with glacier ice. That night we cooked a cake for my good friend Antoine’s eighteenth birthday. We wrote his name in Rocklets (AKA M and M’s) on the front and took and old carrot and stuffed it with matches for a candle. The carrot was quite gross I’m not going to lie, you can imagine how soft it must have been for us to be able to stick matches into it. Latter in the night a group of friends and I dragged our blankets into the grass to star gaze. We were leaving Califate at four in the next morning and didn’t see the point behind trying to sleep.
To be continued….
The next day all the exchange students from the provinces of Cordoba and Catamarca met in the center suitcases in hand packed full of sweaters and scarf’s we were set out for the South. These next seventeen days would end up being some of my life’s best memories, but little did I know. We would travel through two countries and over 8,500 km. A group of girls from New Zealand (which I would latter befriend) had laid out an extensive photo scavenger hunt including things such as…
· Dance tango on the roof of a car
· By something at a Kiosko (convenient store) and give it back as a gift to the person behind the counter
· Make a meal in a restaurant
· Ride in a garbage truck
· Supporting gay rights (be creative)
· A sign in Spanish that means something funny in your native language
This list went on for over 200 items and provided us with endless fun throughout the trip.
The following our excerpts from my travel diary ….
October 22, 2009
Coming to you from our little apartment in Puerto Madryn, my roommate from New Zealand lolly’s angel like voice rings over the sweet sound of a acoustic guitar. The atmosphere is very tranquil. I’m so thankful to be here; I don’t think I will every truly be able to express my thanks to Rotary. Today I woke up on the bus and was greeted by the barren Patagonian land. We pulled into Peninsula Valdez around lunch time, a little town which bases its economy of whale watching. The ocean fog formed a blanket over the town. We ate lunch in a little café on the cloudy beach side. Afterwards I ran down to the beach to soak my feet and take pictures. Forty Five of us crammed onto a boat in our stylish orange safety vests; we were off to see whales. As the boat began to pick up speed the cold Atlantic water splashed across my face. The water was dark making it difficult to spot the whales, but as they came up to breech for air the whole boat stood there in amazement. We even spotted an albino whale which was very interesting. The feeling that comes over you when you are surrounded by such large beings is indescribable; it’s hard to believe that we share the same earth. The wind was not to obad but with the splashes of salt water a bitter chill began to form. Latter in the afternoon we arrived in Puerto Madryn were we were each given keys to our little apartments. We all took some time to relax and prepare for dinner, which included an involuntary ice cold shower…
October 23, 2009
Today we woke early and prepared for breakfast a word that virtually does not exist in Argentina. We were off to see the sea lions in Peninsula Valdez. The natural reserve was about three hours from Puerta Madryn. Upon entering the bus everyone cuddled up and went back to sleep. We stopped half way through the journey at and overlook were both sides of the Peninsula could be spotted. Let me tell you now sea lions are some of the funniest animals I have ever seen. A baby sea lions sneeze is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. ….That night after dinner a group of friends and I were sitting around talking in the restaurant after everyone else had left, when another group of friends entered. Originally there was an extra excursion on the trip to hike the Moreno Glacier in Califate. I didn’t think many others were going to do it because of the extra cost; but I guess me and a girl from Germany were the only ones. In result the entire group pitched in so we could participate. Now I really couldn’t get over how unfortunate I was. I hugged everyone but when I got to my friend Lena all I could do was cry.
October 25, 2009
The morning started early as the bus rolled up to a little roadside café. Little motivation was collected from the group to get off the bus, we were all still about half awake. I decided after lasts night’s events of getting sick over cold empanadas it was probably a safe idea to skip breakfast. Upon retreat to the bus I quickly fell back asleep and within forty five minutes I woke to the distant view of snow covered mountains. As we descended from the mountain side into the little town of Califate Argentina’s European influence became more and more apparent. We were given two hours to explore the little village but I felt very week and ill. For lunch we ate all you can eat Chinese food, which I found out we would be eating for the next six days in Califate and Ushuaia, lunch and dinner. If you think Americanized Chinese food is interesting you need to try Argentinianized Chinese food. Dumplings are rather empandas in disguise. We stayed in little “A” frame cabins just outside the main city plaza. I cooked the worst crepes in my life that night. I don’t know what it was but no matter how hard I tried they would just fell apart. Sadly the reason behind making them was to say thank you too the group for all chipping in; although they seemed to enjoy them whether or not they resembled a crepe.
October 26, 2009
With a bucket of pasta in hand which me and my friend had made the night before for dinner we boarded the bus. Looking out the bus window I watched the green landscape drip with snow. I was surprised to still have been in Argentina, it’s not exactly what you think of when you think South America. I was unprepared for how cold it was as we descended from the bus in front of the Moreno Glacier. I have never seen such a vibrant blue in nature before as I stood out over an overlook. Tourist from all over came to see the glacier. Standing down at a lower point I heard a large crack in the ice and a huge chunk fell into the cold water creating an enormous splash. Everyone stood in silence. We were given two hours to explore the glacier which I utilized to take photographs. Upon retreat to our cabins that afternoon we prepared for tea time in our little “A” frame cabin, an Argentine ritual. In the evening we walked to the grocery store to buy supplies to make fried rice for tomorrow afternoon. We spent the night relaxing and chopping veggies for our huge pot of fried rice.
October 27, 2009
In the morning we finished cooking our fried rice. We made a ton of rice but still managed to devour it all upon our arrival. We boarded a boat to which took us to the other side of the lake. On the other side we were greeted by a gorgeous spring forest. We hiked through the forest and across the lakes beach side to the glacier front. We were each given spikes to place on the bottom of our shoes called “cramp-ons”. It was hard to walk in them and they cut into the back of my feet causing them to bleed, but I was too preoccupied to care. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the ice, the snow covered mountains to my left and the green mountain side to my right were a waterfall trickled down from, not to forget the beautiful lake that stood in front of me. I knelt down and drank the water from the glacier, it was very cold and refreshing. At the end of the trek we came to a little table and chairs which had been set up on the glacier. We were each given cookies and whisky served with glacier ice. That night we cooked a cake for my good friend Antoine’s eighteenth birthday. We wrote his name in Rocklets (AKA M and M’s) on the front and took and old carrot and stuffed it with matches for a candle. The carrot was quite gross I’m not going to lie, you can imagine how soft it must have been for us to be able to stick matches into it. Latter in the night a group of friends and I dragged our blankets into the grass to star gaze. We were leaving Califate at four in the next morning and didn’t see the point behind trying to sleep.
To be continued….
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