Bobby Digital

Thought I posted this a while ago but this is the last post of my travels….

We enter Chile through the Andes during the day. Definitely one of the highlights of actual transport since most of our busing has been done during the night (although it was super awesome to be in a bus at night in the middle of nowhere and you can actually see every star in the universe at that moment). We were told to take this trip during the day because of its beauty and gosh darn-it they were right. Something I would highly recommend doing if you ever have the opportunity. 

We arrive in Valparaiso and make way to our hostel on Cumming St. (Please don’t laugh) Our cross street was Wagner and Cumming (now you can laugh) and this entertained us for the 3 straight days. Valparaiso was a cool city. Its a port town about 1.5 hrs from Santiago. When we arrived, i barely saw any evidence of the earthquake which surprised me. I expected to see a lot of damage but we mostly saw cracks in concrete and broken windows which still haven’t been repaired. We spent most of our days walking around the city and hanging out with some people from the hostel. There was a cheap sandwich place next to hour hostel that had $2 lomito (steak) sandwiches. We ate this for, literally, every meal. So cheap and delicious. The part we were staying in was built on a hillside so I took a nice walk upward and found some pretty cool view points. My great aunt was born in this city which I thought was pretty cool. My grandmother used to live in a town called Quillota which was an hour north,  but I did not plan on going there because I had 1 day left and had already booked a ticket to go to a small town called Pucon, 12 hours south, to climb a volcano. But that night when I went out to a club, I met a group of (sexy) girls from Quillota. This was a sign. The voice inside my head said “get off your lazy ass and go see where your Grandmother used to live”. So I woke up super early the next day (which was very difficult) and took a bus to Quillota. I had to be back in time to catch my bus to Pucon. 

Quillota was the farthest thing from a tourist city. I was literally the only tourist there, which made it AWESOME. People were staring at me and asking where I was from. The street names have all changed and unless I could find someone who was over 80 years old and remembered street names, I couldn’t find where my Grandmother used to live. So instead I walked around the main square and the surrounding neighborhood. All the architecture was colonial style which is very pretty. I will be designing my house like that one day. There really was nothing super special about the city itself, it was a normal working city, but to see the city that my grandmothers eyes have seen over 80 years ago was an amazing feeling. I accidentally took the looooong ride home on another bus but it was cool because I got to see more local smaller towns. Again, being stared at. Nothing dangerous, just “why the hell are you here?” kind of looks. 

I get back to Valparaiso, eat a lomo sandwich, and go for the bus to Pucon. Originally I was just planning on taking it easy and staying in Valparaiso the whole time but people have been saying how awesome it was to see the Volcano, named Villarrica. On the bus, I met a German guy named Matteus. He and I were the only two people on the bus. We conversed a little and he ends up following me to my hostel. This was good because traveling alone really sucks (Joey and Samuel decided to stay back). It’s good to talk to someone. Since we arrived in the morning, we asked the hostel owner of something fun to do. He told us of this park that 30 Americans bought, and is not in any of the travel books yet. The park was actually “closed” but he said you can just climb the gate to get inside. His directions are “Take this bus to this intersection and hitchhike to the park entrance” So we did that. It was so easy this time to hitchhike. The 2nd car stopped for us. It was only a 1/2 hour drive. The people who picked us up were an old couple in an OLD Chevy Nova. Nobody said a word the entire ride, they just dropped us off, we thanked them and we walked. 

Just like the hostel owner said, we walked up to a gate, and just opened it and walked in. There was a booth there to pay someone but it was closed. We enter the park and were told it was easy to follow the trail to the Mirador (lookout point). Just follow the yellow arrows of course! Well we missed one and ended up in a field with like 100 dead trees. It was pretty eerie. We knew we were off track but thought if we climbed the peak just south of us, we would be able to see the volcanoes anyway. Turns out trying to walk though unchartered land is pretty difficult. We were using the dead, falled trees to cover lots of ground but once we were on the floor again it took forever to move. We decided to turn around and try and find the real path, although it was already late in the afternoon. (We brought our flashlights for this situation exactly). We ended up finding the right path (We had to hop another fence to find it) and we make our way. We run into some other hikers that tell us to hurry because we don’t have much time. Since already hiking for 3 hours uphill in the wrong direction, my legs were exhausted. We had to run to the Mirador (lookout point) before the sun went down. Oh did we run. We got to the top and collapsed. Pretty intense but SO BEAUTIFUL! Not a cloud in the sky and you can see 3 Volcanoes from up top and you can see for miles and miles and miles. Villarrica, the one we were both conquering the next day, was the tallest and most intense looking. There was another group of people on the top who left right when we got up. We had a banana and got the hell out of there. Upon running back, we caught up with the other group and nonchalantly mentioned we had to catch a bus. The guys says “Oh you can just hop in the back of my truck, I’ll take you to Pucon. BOOM! We got a ride! Now we just have to make it back to the truck before it gets dark. Which we BARELY did. Walking in a forest at night is very scary. The ride home was quick and cold. What was super cool though was seeing the volcano at night. You couldn’t see the actual form, but instead, just a red pillar of smoke illuminating in the middle of the sky. That night was a restful night. In bed early to be ready for Villarrica.

Villarrica. One of Chile’s most active Volcanoes. Stands at 2,847 meters or 9,340 ft. We get to the base really early. I signed up for a group of 6 people plus 2 guides. At the base, we CANNOT SEE THE TOP. We cannot see up 100 meters. This is because of the heaviest damn fog you’ve ever seen in your entire life. It was freezing, windy, and raining. There are other companies that show up at the same starting point and of the 20 groups that were there, 3 decided to go up. Of those 3 groups, 1 decided to continue after walking a short 40 meters. My group has been waiting at the base trying to make a decision. The guides were not recommending going up. Turns out, 3 out of the 6 people in our group want to go back home because they have tomorrow to hike the volcano in much better weather. I was leaving this same night in order to make it back to Santiago in time for my flight back to the states. I had no other choice to go up, but the guide said I couldn’t go up by myself, there needs to be a minimum of two people. So I said yes, 3 said no, leaving 2 people undecided. These two people were a couple from England, who were also leaving that same night. At first they decided not to do it. I was so pissed, and they saw that. Then they realized they will probably never ever go back to this volcano and finally said yes. I GET TO CLIMB THE VOCLANO!!!! And it was one of the worst weather experiences of my entire life. I’m talking 30-40 mph winds (i kept loosing my footing because of the wind), freezing cold rain hitting me in the side of the face, fingers and toes frozen, snot constantly dripping down…it sucked so much. At least they give you all the necessary equipment to hike. Boots, Clamp ons, ICE AXE!!!!, jacket, snow pants and helmet. 

The total climb was 4 hours. 2 hours and 45 min of this hike was complete hell in shitty weather.  Then it happened. WE BREAK THE CLOUDS. We are now above all the clouds in this area. Still cold and windy but now we can see. And the sun is warming us up. And it is dry! At this point, we have to put on our clamp on’s and grab our ice axes and climb the ice! This part was so awesome and intense. I felt like i was taking over Everest! We get about 100 meters from the top and none of us can breath. Its because of the wind directions, all of the sulfur is being pushed down right into our path and we are having trouble breathing. We are forced by our guide to turn around for our own health, and that we did. So now we have to climb down, but we are climbing down ice and ice is slippery so what do we do? We slide down the entire snow covered area! The conditions were pretty bad that we didn’t slide so fast so i got up and started running down the mountain. That was pretty cool too. We make it back to the clouds and its just as shitty as before but I am so happy to see what I have seen and to climb a damn active volcano. Not many people can say they have done that. I catch my overnight bus to Santiago and relax there for the day. Walked around a little bit and then took 3 naps that day because i was so exhausted. Joey and Samuel met back up with me at the hostel there and we just took it easy. I had to be up at 4am to catch a plane back to the states. 6 hour layover in Bogota which sounds bad except there were so many good looking women to look at. I arrive at midnight back in my bed and have never slept so well.

It’s great to be back. 

This trip was an amazing experience. I am truly blessed to have experienced something like this. I wish everyone may someday have the opportunity to do the same. Now lets get some beers and I can tell you all about it in person!

Hello. Hello Friends.

If I could compare Bariloche to any other city. It would be a mix of Denver and Switzerland. This, I did not like. It was an expensive town with expensive foods and expensive everything. We did end up partying a lot so that made it worth the while. Apparently Bariloche is the place to be for Passover. Every Israeli in South America comes here for Seder. Seder was a trip. I was the ONLY American in a room of 500 hebrew speaking Israelis. I did find two girls to chat with but they said they were going out for a cigarette and never came back :( Story of my life. Seder was nuts. Everyone yelling and dancing and fighting for food and wine. I barely got any food and they didn’t even have matzoh ball soup. We spent most of our days there walking around the city. It was expensive to check out the 7 lakes so instead we went hiking 20 minutes out of the city. The guide said this trek was “Easy to Moderate” “Good for families of all ages for a day trip” This trek was the fucking hardest thing I have ever experienced. Inclines where you are using both hands to hang onto the wall. No signage of where the trail is and we kept getting lost. We were with 2 Portland, Oregon-ers and they hike all the time and were flying up but Joey and I were struggling in the back. It was also the windiest wind I have ever experienced. We got knocked down a few times because of it. We got to the top and there is a house there where you can have lunch. We ate fruit, canned corn, canned tuna, and had beers. It also dropped like 30 degrees up there and it actually started SNOWING when we started our way back down. We were NOT prepared for that. It was still very awesome. We spent most of our time with two awesome Brazilians and two awesome Portuguese girls. Its been so great meeting other people.

We then bussed it over to Mendoza.

*Quick side story. In the summer of ´05, I was backpacking through Europe on a short 2 week trip. We ended our trip in Madrid. The night we get there, it happened to be the BIGGEST festival of the year, and every hostel-hotel was booked to the brim. No space. We ended up having to take a train 30 minutes out of the city to rent an apt at the scariest hotel in the world* 

This happened in Mendoza. Easter Weekend is super famous in Mendoza. Everybody comes here. So we ended up walking around to every hostel and asking for room, but there wasnt any. We ended up sitting around and waiting until things opened so we can start calling places. We went to the Office of Tourism and they found us a place not too far from the center. It was pretty nice, except the owner kept giving us shit. Slamming the door, coming back late from partying, using a little olive oil for our rice. We have been cooking some awesome meals here, and one night, her niece came to visit her and she was really friendly with us and all of a sudden, the owners attitude changed and she was the nicest person every. Too bad we were leaving the next day because that place was so damn expensive.

We ended up going to another hostel completely in the opposite direction but it cost 22.50 pesos a night. That is 6.50 USD! And its awesome. The owners are cool as hell and they have an awesome dog. Joey and I did a great bike and wine tour (the same one i did 4 years ago when i stopped in mendoza) and it was just as awesome. You just get bikes and drink wine and ride along a highway and pray you dont get killed!

At the new hostel, we met these two Texans, Shawn and Jessica. Shawn has been traveling for the last 3.5 years! He has some crazy stories (including hitching a ride on a sailboat across the Pacific. Pretty much breaking his arm half way through the ride, and even after reaching land, not finding a doctor for 3 weeks!). They invited me to go to a hot springs at the base of the Andes with them the next morning. So the 3 of us went, and it was pretty cool. We are just chilling in these spring pools and looking at a river flowing through the canyon we are in. VERY relaxing. We got back and made some amazing empanadas on the grill and also some good Argentinean steak. It´s going to be a shame to get back to the states and have to buy overpriced foods. (A steak dinner with empanadas and wine cost me about 4 USD)

Also, my storage unit in NY called my house and told me there might be some water damage in my unit. My brother went to go check it out and almost everything was ruined. (My laptop was underwater, my hard-drive with my Jesus movie-documentaries-and photos, My photos from photo class, my mattress, my shelving unit which was brand new, and all my clothes had mold growing on it) They wanted to move all my stuff but said my Brother couldn’t do it without a notarized letter from me. This was on a Saturday. EVERYTHING IS FUCKING CLOSED HERE ON THE WEEKENDS. It took me 2 hours to find a place that could print and fax. When i got the letter, NOTHING WAS OPEN TO GET IT NOTORIZED. Nothing, I mean nothing was open. I even called the US Embassy to see if they could help, and they were closed. Unbelievable. I ended up talking to the lady there and sending the un-notarized paper and begging her to let my brother just move the stuff. Saying things like “Listen, he´s a doctor, you can trust him. He has pictures of me on his phone, he has the same last name. Please please please” She said she would ask her boss the next morning and i guess it worked because he got in a moved everything. Shitty situation. All my stuff has been destroyed. My brother did tell me something pretty cool though. In Buddhism, you get rid of all your worldly possessions, and even have a funeral for your death. You are then reborn a monk. So this is kind of like that. All my things damaged and destroyed. Hopefully the insurance I paid for will cover everything but you know how those corporate companies screw you with the contracts they make you sign.

We leave tomorrow for Chile, the other guys want to go to Valparaiso but I want to go to Pucon to climb a volcano i was told is super fucking awesome. I leave next Wed. for the states and will be starting over.

Much love to everyone. Talk to you in a week.

Robert

PS. There is a pick up line we learned here (that only works on Argentineans) It goes like this

You point to the ground and say “Se te cayo tu papel” meaning “You dropped your paper”

They look at the ground for the paper they dropped

Then you say “El que te envuelve Bon Bon” which means “The one that wrapped the Bon Bon” (Bon Bon is a chocolate here)

THE GIRLS GO NUTS FOR IT. I don’t understand it. I guess you are calling them sweet but they start blushing and laughing and it has probably worked 98% of the time. Its pretty fun to do to everyone we see since every girl here is gorgeous.

So we had the luck of finding the cheapest hostel in Calafate. There are many excursions to do there but all for a hefty price. We came for one reason and one reason only - to see the Perito Moreno, a huge ass glacier.

There were two options to see the Glacier.

1. Pay a taxi 250 pesos to drive you to the park (which was one hour away) and he drops you off for two hours then takes you right back.

OR

2. Rent a car and have the whole day to yourself

We rented the car

**I want take a second and thank my mother, Dinah, for the quick story i´m about to tell. I turned 15 and just received my learners permit. My mother called over her Tio Moises to come to the house in his (I believe 61) jet black Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The car was a 4 speed manual. She said “You and your brother are going to learn to drive manual today”. I said “Why, every car is automatic now anyways”. She responds “One day, you are going to need to rent a car in some other country, and all they are going to have is a manual”. Well, EVERY car at this rental place was a manual. I was the only person in our group who went that could drive stick. Gracias, Mami. I love you**

The drive was spectacular. Vast mountain ranges and the most bluest lakes you can imagine. The water from the lakes is glacier runoff which gives it this amazing blue color. We arrived at the park and the we took a boat tour which brings you up to the face of Perito Moreno. This was something incredible. The huge wall of ice, just 50 yards away from us, was breaking in front of our faces, causing these huge splashes. The sound of the ice cracking was the most impressing part for me. The cracks were soooo loud and then you would look to see a huge chunk landing in the water.

After that we did the walking tour which is just a walkway they made to go above the glacier. The glacier goes back as far as the eye can see. And it looks straight out of Superman (the original) when he goes to that ice planet. Just sharp slabs ofice prturding 50 feet into the air. Such a beautiful sight to see.

We heard from everyone to visit a town called El Chantel, because of the famous Fitz Roy. It is a mountain peak that is the logo for the company Patagonia. It is so difficult to climb, that only 1 person does it a year. We research our options to get out of El Chantel to head to Bariloche and learn that these towns are run by one company. It´s a damn monopoly. More on this later.

El Chantel is a very small town located within a park. They are very strict on polluting and obeying all rules. Our friend Samuel, the Dutchman we have been traveling with since Iguazu, got very sick and couldn’t get out of bed. Joey, another dutch girl we met and myself , set out for Fitz Roy the next morning. The hike was incredible, we had been warned there will be rain but nothing yet. I had brought with me, 3 peaches, 3 plums, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and a small package of cookies - all for the day (we planned to be out until nightfall) Turns out this dutch girl forgot everything and being the gentleman i am, offered to split my rations.

Besides this, the landscape was so beautiful, we even saw more glaciers in the distance. Surrounded by mountains and rivers and lakes - It was completely in the wild and i loved it. We didn’t run into many other hikers so it was very isolated and i loved that. We did happen to meet a mother and daughter who were from Gainesville (what are the chances?!).

So this is where the two most boring/frustrating days of my life come into play. First off, there are only two companies that leave out of Chantel towards Bariloche. One on even days and the other on odd. Turns out, they have the same owner! So this is how it goes. This bus is supposed to be going down the brand new Ruta 40 to get to Bariloche. It takes 2 days. EVERY other bus we have taken in Argentina gives you the option of a Cama or Semicama (a seat that reclines into a bed) they give you food, drinks, and movies to watch. THIS COMPANY HAD NONE OF THIS. To make it worse, RUTA 40 is so new, that its not even paved yet. 2 days of off roading on a fucking bus that has seats that don’t recline. YOU CANNOT SLEEP. It was so bumpy. So, i decided to read. I started and finished The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao. Shout out to George Wasgatt for the rec. It was effing awesome.

First day is 12 hours and the second is 13. I have been on worse but what really ticked me off about the whole situation, this was the most i have payed for a bus ticket my entire time in south america, and it was the worst one.

The view, you would think since we are in Patagonia, would be amazing. It wasn´t. Just straight up desert. FLAT. NADA. Oh and we make stops every two hours. Where? to little shops, built in the middle of the desert THAT THIS SAME BUS COMPANY OWNS. So now we are forced to buy food here at these places. We did have our own food so for day one we were good on saving money.

The hotel where we stayed at (because this bus doesn’t go on overnight, although every other bus in South America does) is ALSO OWNED BY THE BUS COMPANY. IT NEVER ENDS!!!!!That hotel btw was super effing scary. We thought it was haunted. Good water pressure though.

So day 2, just as shitty as the first. Started a book i read 100 times but still don’t understand but i love reading it. Stopped at gas stations this time, but still just as shitty - no hot food anywhere so i ate cookies and more  bread. But finally, while reading on the bumpiness - I notice my average words per minute greatly increased?! What was this, a paved road!!!!!!!! Then, some greenery, small shrubs, nothing to call home about. In about an hour, rolling hills, and then TREES GALORE! MOUNTAINS, LAKES, RIVERS. We were entering The Lake District. We finally made it. It was a pretty dramatic entrance, too. The sun setting to the west and the moon rising over a mountain range on the east. The reflection of the moon on the lake. Super romantic. I would have kissed the girl sitting next to me except it was a guy and it was Joey. So i didn’t.

Now we are in Bariloche. Im going to find a place tomorow to have Passover sedar and will try my hardest to keep it. We are going to go whitewater rafting here and possibly camping. Nature is beautilful. 

That reminds me of something my cousin Adam and Lauren taught me back in the day to say when somebody calls you a “bitch”.

A bitch is a female dog. A female dog barks. A bark is a part of a tree. A tree is a part of nature. Nature is beautiful.

Wont ever forget that. But also wont ever say that to someone who called me a bitch because i would probably get slapped.

Ok enough. Love you guys. Goodnight.

Robert

Que Pasaooo chicos?

Buenos Aires has been a trip! We were there for a total of 8 days and it was insane. So what do I mean by insane? Im talking huge steak dinners with bottles of wine and appetizers for 10 USD a person. I´m talking about going out clubbing until the sun comes out, and even later. This city is nuts. 

The first night out we went to something called La Bomba del Tiempo. It takes place every monday and probably was one of the coolest concerts I´ve been too. It is a huge drum circle in a warehouse and they play for  like 3 hours and everybody is just partying and drinking and having a great time. What made it even better was that all the other travelers we have been meeting along the way, met us there. We even randomly ran into two friends who we met in Cordoba in the subway on the way there! This night was out of control. And afterwards, I ran into another friend I made way back in Salta! I was overwhelmed with joy. 

My cousin Hilda got me in touch with a family she knows here and they have a daughter, Melany, around my age. She contacted me and we hung out a few times. She was an awesome host. My friend Joey knows a local girl here, Denise, who he met back in Puerto Rico and she also took us out a few times. We really got a good feeling of what it is like to live here as a local. 

 Denise took us to a neighborhood called La Boca, where they have El Caminito. They warn you that La Boca is dangerous but it was all good. I found El Caminito to be a tourist trap. It is a few blocks of extremely bright colored buildings and tango dancers in the streets. La Boca also has the stadium for the club team Boca. They call it La Bombonera. This is a very famous team that Maradona used to play for. They have a rival team, River Plate, and this rivalry is insane. This event was rated the number one must see sporting event by several sports websites and newspapers. We had to get tickets to this game but it was so difficult. They only give tickets to the club members and only sell a few to tourists. All the hostels and hotels where selling them for 750 pesos each! More on this subject to come later. 

After visiting the neighborhood, we went to check out Puerto Madero and the bridge that Santiago Calatrava built. I have seen this bridge 4 years ago but it was so amazing to see again. The bridge resembles a couple dancing tango. We just got to see it from a distance as I had to leave to meet up with Melany for an Artists Inauguration. Melany took us out to an artists inauguration. It was modern art, and it made me want to rock out. My favorite piece was a dresser cut in half with a mirror on the front, and all if this is on a mirrored platform. Don´t know what it means but I don´t think you are supposed to understand anything anymore. 

Joeys cousin, Albert, was in buenos Aires at the same time. He invited Joey and I to eat lunch with him in Palermo before he left to go back home. We went to this delicious restaraunt where we ordered amazing steaks (3 different kinds) and a bunch of beer. It was a real treat since I was eating pasta and fruits for the past few weeks. (Quick side note. This neighborhood used to be called Palermo Viejo. But for some stupid as reason, they changed the name into two separate parts. Palermo SOHO and Palermo Hollywood. What the hell!) This night I went out with a bunch of Israelis (these isrealis also cooked me shabbat dinner!) and just started talking to a local group of kids next to us. One of them happened to work for La Bombonera and said he could sell us tickets for 300 pesos each! I got his number and prayed that he was not lying. Turns out he wanted to sell them for much more and they were shitty seats. (There are two sections in the stadium, one is Popular, which is standing only and notorious for being super dangerous because of the insane fans. The other is Platea, which is assigned seating which is said to be safer. He was trying to sell us popular) We were pissed. No, we were super pissed. Then, Denises Mother remembered she knows someone who works at the stadium as well. AND WE GOT TICKETS TO THE GAME FOR 300 PESOS! This was going to be insane! That night we celebrated by having a steak dinner with Samuel and Marc. (Samuel from Iguazu and we met Marc at the hostel) This was the delicious meal for 10 USD a person. Unbelievable. Shout out to Katie Fraas who recommended it to us. 

The following day, I wanted to check out the bridge again and walk across it as I only saw it from a distance the first time. I went with to amazing Swedish girls I met who knew everything about indie rock. Just like the new yorkers! They were super cool. I ended up going to this club that night with 20 kids from the hostel and partied until the sun comes up. I slept 3 hours before going to the BOCA-RIVER match. I bought a Boca shirt to wear to the game so I can fit in. We got to the stadium and it is POURING rain. And it doesn´t ease up at all. Puddles up to my ankles, huge droplets of water, and no overhangs to stay dry. At first we were pissed but then we just accepted it. We go to get into the stadium and the tickets were so wet, they did not scan. They told us they were not going to let us in but Denise, being a local, begged them. She saved the day yet again. We get into the stadium 2 hours before the match and people are already going nuts! This is a solid concrete structure and with all the chants and jumping, it was rocking back and forth like a shitty picnic table. 

Now, I wish I could describe the energy there, but this is only something you can feel. These people are soooooo loyal to this team people are beaten or even murdered from the opposing team. They warned us a  million times to wear different shirts and put the jerseys on in the stadium. There is a section only the River fans can sit in, and they are guarded by armed policemen and barbed wire fences. They also like to piss off the balcony onto the Boca fans and sometimes they even throw chicken! Live ones. Yeah, pretty weird. When the River team comes out, everybody is booing as hard as they can that the stadium is vibrating, as if this boo is at just the right frequency to crack a diamond. But when the Boca team comes out, HOLY SHIT!!! Everyone went nuts! People are throwing balloons and rolls of receipt paper and glitter and cannons are going off and air horns and chanting and jumping and singing and everything possible is going on at this moment. Then, all of a sudden, a banner comes flying over my head. this banner is part of every game where they hang it off the balcony and shake it left to right. It was probably 150 ft wide. I couldn’t see anything underneath the banner but the people around me and they are all singing and jumping and going nuts. Finally the match begins and its a joke. The field is so soaking wet that the ball would get stuck in puddles everywhere and people are slipping and falling and nobody can control anything. They end the match after 10 minutes and reschedule the game for next thursday which really sucks because we left on Tuesday. It was so worth it, though. The energy in that stadium was off the charts! (Another side note: If you wear your Boca jersey in the street, a lot of people stare at you, yell at you, and tell you to change your shirt. It seems there are a lot more River fans.) After the match, the River fans are escorted by police on motorcycles with another policeman on the back of the bike with a shotgun. This is not to prevent the Boca fans attacking the bus, this is to prevent the River fans from getting off the bus and causing havoc on society. 

It was such a cool thing to see. The last night, Melany and her family took me out to dinner and it was so refreshing. We had delicious dinner and it was nice to meet a full Argentinean Jewish family. They are so nice and talked so well about the Mitrani´s (My mothers side of the family). We had to get up really early to catch a flight to Calafate which is where I am now. Tomorrow we are renting a car and going to see some mother effing glaciers! The next day we are heading to El Chantel which is the trekking capital of the world, and after that, and fucking 2 day bus ride to Bariloche. YAY I CANT WAIT FOR THAT! Should be some amazing times here with the glaciers and then this trekking is supposed to be incredible. This city kind of sucks though because its a tourist trap and everything is so damn expensive, especially transportation out of here. I hope everyone is well back in the states or where ever you may be! 

Much love,

Robert

In case any of you are wondering, Cordoba does NOT rent any bicycles….anywhere. We had to take the bus to Che´s house and when I got there, was very disappointed. The house is awesome, and they have great photos and letters of him throughout most of his young life, but in the backyard there is a shop which sells anything you can think of with his face on it. Something he would not be happy about. There were also photos of when Fidel and Chavez went to visit which was a series of awkward photos since Fidel probably killed the man. Anyway, we had a great rest of the stay in Cordoba, we hung out with some locals at a plaza to drink some Mate (accent over the e but cant figure it out on this keyboard). Another night, the whole hostel threw down some money and we bought a TON of meat and had an awesome Asado aka bbq on the rooftop. Met some awesome, super funny Israelis, a Canadian, a French couple, and two Englishmen, a Bolivian and everyone was great company. We went out that night to a club and EVERY girl you talk to does not believe you are a tourist and asks for ID like the police. It is hilarious. I haven´t been ID´d this much since trying to buy beer in high school. We didn’t get home until 5am and took a bus the next day to Iguazu.

23 hours on a bus and it actually wasn’t that bad! We met two Israeli girls on the bus and decided to stay with them. The hostel was an old hotel which seemed awkward because it was too large. They had a swimming pool so while we waited for check in, we got sun-burnt by the water. The following day we went to Iguazu. There really are no words to describe the falls. You walk past some brush and all of a sudden, you are at the top of The Devils Throat, and you cant breath. The site is unbelievable. Just tons and tons and tons of water falling nonstop. You then go to another view point and see something out of Indiana Jones, like 20 waterfalls forming into a river. Monkeys and birds everywhere. It was so amazing people. PLEASE PUT THIS ON YOUR “MUST DO BEFORE I DIE” LIST. We bounced out of there that night since there is nothing else to do there. Now, when we bought our ticket, the woman said “all you can drink for the entire ride”. Something like this makes me very excited. While killing a few hours before the bus, we met to New Zealanders and shared 3 bottles of wine and got pretty buzzed! They were awesome girls. Anyway, we shared a taxi and got onto the bus only to learn that the stupid American fell for the “All you can drink” routine to buy a ticket through that company. I was pretty pissed but then smiled because i remembered i had a bottle of whiskey in my backpack. Do not think i am drinking too much, This is how i save money from city to city instead of going out buying drinks at the overpriced hostel.

We arrived in  Buenos Aires and made it to a hostel where we met up with our awesome Australian friends we made back in Peru a month ago. It is a very cool feeling to meet up with people you know on another part of the trip. There are tons of people in BA to contact because everybody and their mother is here. I am trying hard to get tickets to a football game this Sunday, Boca vs River which is rated #1 must see events in several newspapers worldwide. Problem is that it costs 600 pesos for the gringos and is cash only. about 170 dollars. Might have to bite the lip again on this one.

Anyway, I will be in BA for a while so keep the emails coming. Miss everyone and hope to talk soon.

Robert

Robertewag@gmail.com  

Buenos Dias peoples. 

So the rest of Salta was pretty awesome. It felt really awesome to be back in a big city meaning i really fucking miss NY.  I feel the curse word is necessary for that sentence. We didn’t do many touristy things there - For example, I asked the woman at the hostel for the most un-touristy thing we can do. She says that she goes to a river with her friend to hang out. It´s an hour on the bus. A girl from buenos aires that we met in the hostel came with us. Before hand we ate at this awesome Market that no tourists were at and the food was really cheap and delicious. Empanadas are so delicious. Anyway, we get to this supposedly awesome river and there is NO WATER in the river. Its just a bunch of rocks. It kind of sucked but i had fun jumping on rocks like a 5 year old. At night we did the coolest thing. They have something called Peña´s, which is a restaurant that guitarists come to your table and play folklore songs and if you´re Argentinian, then you know the words. We didn’t, so we sat and watched. It was so awesome.

Two brothers who we met there showed us pictures of this town, Cafayate, and its amazing landscape. We decided to go there before Tucuman. This was a good and bad idea. The second we got there we booked a tour for the next day to go visit the Quebrada. After we booked the tour, we went to a free wine tour and tasting. There were a lot of wineries here. We bought a bottle of delicious cabernet. So that night was probably one of the worst nights of my entire life. 1. I was so effing hot, sweating non-stop. So why not just sleep on top of the covers, Robert? Because I was being attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Any exposed skin was attacked. I have over 20 bites on my body. Joey too. The other girl in our room, 0! I don´t understand. I was freaking out the whole night and we probably only got 1 hour of sleep. We woke up and hated our lives a little bit. So this tour we booked was not until the afternoon, so we rented bikes in the morning to visit the waterfalls of the Colorado River aka Cascadas del Rio Colorado.

When we got our bikes, two stray dogs followed us all the way there. It was a dirt road, all slightly uphill, and desert hot. Very dry and no clouds at the time. The two new friends were a small mutt that looked like some sort of terrier, and a german shepherd. When we got to the beginning of the hike, you leave your bike and pay the locals to watch it. They ask if you want a guide - but we said no. We wanted to do it on our own. Well it turns out, the trail is not that visible. You have to know where you are going. But did we get lost? No. Why? Because the damn stray dogs that followed us knew the entire trial! They showed us where to cross the river, where to climb rocks, where to sneak in between bushes! It was awesome. This little terrier knew every pass. We named her Guia (guide in spanish) She would lead the way. The german shepherd stayed behind is and would not pass. She was watching our backs. All of the sudden, both dogs dash past us and we hear barking. We walk through the bushes and there is a wild horse there in the path! These dogs scared it away! The same with Goats! We called the german sherpherd Angel, like our guardian angel. Not only was that awesome, but the canyon was so cool. We were at the bottom of this red canyon with awesome plant-life and a cool ass river we kept crossing by hopping on rocks. When we got to the waterfall, it was very steep and we had to do some cliffhanger type shit. The german shepherd couldn’t make it down the steep wall, so it sat on top of a huge rock and watched us the whole time. The waterfalls were the first 2 of 7. We didn’t have time to keep on going so we chilled there. Not another person in site. Just the sun, rocks, and running water. It was very zen. 

When we headed back, we passed all the other tourists and were so happy we woke up early and beat the crowd. We bought more delicious empanadas and a bottle of water and downed both. The ride back, which we thought was going to be difficult, was effing awesome. We pedaled once and it was all downhill. But just ever so slightly that you couldn’t tell it was downhill, as if someone was pushing us down. We got to the city and chilled in the plaza until our tour. We sat outside waiting for the bus, and there was this local who was WASTED off of fernet. He was dancing to this song that was blasting out of his car. And everytime the song was over, he would go into the car and hit back on the CD player. I guess he didn’t know that repeat existed. Whenever the song would start, he would stand in the middle of the street with his arms up in the air, and then spill a little of his drink. Then we would offer the 20 tourists watching him and tell everyone, 100 times, that he owns 2 stores. 

The bus arrived and about 15 of us got on and drove into the desert. Again people, the geography here is so incredible. Wide open deserts with rock formations just towering over us. We entered caverns and walked in a river. Then we get to an awesome thing called the Amputheather. A naturally formed amputheater that is MASSIVEEEEEEEEEE: There is a dude there playing the guitar and flute which just sounded incredible. I have a video and will post it when i get back. Then we went to something called The Devils Throat. It is a canyon where every rock was at a 45 degree angle! so incredible and lots of fun climbing. If you ran fast enough, you can make it up the walls. So much fun. 

So keep in mind that we got 1 hour of sleep. We get back and have to wait until 2.15 am to catch a bus to Tucuman. We have a fly infested dinner, and wait in the plaza for the bus. It arrives on time but it was the most uncomfortable 5 hrs ever. I felt constricted the entire time. We arrive in Tucuman at 7am, and decide to continue to Cordoba because everyone said Tucuman was an ugly city. Every company doesnt leave until 11am except one company which said they were leave that second. I stopped the bus driver as he was pulling out of the parking lot and we jumped on. THIS was the most comfortable sleep ever. I passed out the second i touched the seat. We arrive in cordoba and found the cheapest hostel which is quite expensive. 35 pesos a night. Our roommate is a 4th year med school, and the day we arrived was the day he found out he got is first choice residency in Canada for General Surgery. He invited us out and we had a great time. My lower jaw hurts because i have been dragging it on the floor. THE GIRLS HERE ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Why isn´t America like this? I don’t know. Every girl is more beautiful than the next. I hope there is a jewish one that i find and wants to move to the states with me and marry me and teach me to speak better spanish. 

Anyway, we are trying to find a bike rental place so we can cycle to Che Guevara´s house which is now a museum. It´s an hour by bus and so we think we can do it by bike. At least i hope we can. We plan to head to Iguazu Falls afterwards. That is going to be an expensive leg of the trip as it is as far away from anywhere we want to go. 20hr bus ride there, only to spend a day, then 15 hr to Buenos Aires. 

Paz, Amore y Felizidades

Robertico Lindo

Robertewag@gmail.com