here's what happens... i log onto blogspot. then i see that other people have updated their blogs. then i read those and find new blogs and read those and at some point the internet is going slow so i wrestle with that and then see that someone commented me on facebook and then, before i know it, history class is over.
ill just tell you about macchu pichu when i see you. it was great. i love peru. i got a beautiful ring in an artisan shop in cusco. bargained 70 to 40 soles. and i do not speak spanish.
but last week.
we had a 5 day weekend. whichs means a 2 day week. which means travelling - yes please.
i was torn between 2 trips, i wasn't able to settle on one. mendoza or salta. and then, sunday afternoon with alyssa and sierra, decided to hop on board of alyssa's trip to puerto madryn in the chubut province in patagonia, which is the southern region of argentina. good plan? um, yes.
monday was stressful- buying bus tickets and booking the trip. pato is an incredible woman for working out everything for us.
tuesday it rained. but somehow when i walked outside to attempt to find a taxi home, one was waiting, and same thing when i had to go back to school. i didnt have my credit card so i wasnt allowed to pick up my bus ticket... sierra had gone ahead and almost jumped off the bus when it started leaving. alyssa and i were escorted around the back of the station to get on.
and i took a deep breath.
we met lula the next morning in puerto madryn. she got us a taxi to our surprisingly nice hostel and informed us that we would be kayaking later that afternoon. we had a nice lunch, wandered around the small town, and walked down the long pier. i was so glad to be near the ocean again; i've been having withdrawals.
that's probably why kayaking was so fun. spending time on the ocean. not intensely, not for long, but definitely quality time spent. i frolicked a little more then the other girls. i love swimming. its my favorite free time activity. and i got to go in my own kayak. sierra and alyssa went together because they hadn't been before. oscar, our guide, obviously went alone as well. i'm sort of introverted so that worked out well.
an early bus the next morning took us to puerto pyramides. favorite.place.ever. the entire town has about 300 people in it. the difference in high tide and low tide is so drastic that if they were to have a pier it would have to be realllllly long. so instead they have tractors that pull boats in and out of the water. entertaining? yes.
wandering...lunch...walk on the beach... sandboarding. what is sand boarding? only the coolest thing ever. kinda. i mean not really. but it was fun. basically snow boarding. but on sand. it provided lots of laughs (especially at the really hard falls) and a nice way to spend the afternoon. we were probably all awful. except lula, of course.
run to the hotel. change. warm clothes. grab the camera. ponchos. life vests. whale watching!
about 20 of us climbed up the stairs onto the boat and were towed out to sea.
um. so. well. i took about 500 pictures in 2 hours. we had a mother and baby southern right whale come up to our boat, literally touching it, for about an hour. there are only 3 white babies this year (they get grayish/blue later, others are born that way), and we got quality time with one of them. closer to the time of the actual sunset we had 6-8 whales surrounding our boat, jumping and splashing their fins. and the sunset was beautiful. and there was a penguin chillin at the bow of the boat for a while. it was perfect. probably the most incredible thing i've ever seen. (wait to see why i only say "probably")
the next morning we slept in and enjoying a nice argentine breakfast of bread and dulce de leche and bread. and more bread. and some coffee. with bread. hiking with lula to the sea lion colony. mmm. lovely minus the sand blown into my eyes by the wind. there were 2 sea lions that i loved best because they were cuddling friends. so cute.
what should we do now?
scuba dive?
with sea lions?
are we certified?
no.
are we hardcore?
yes.
so we went to maxi's house. who is maxi? i dont know. a man that has a lot of wetsuits and a boat. we got wetsuits and jackets. thicker and awkwarder-fitting then usual. then a nice walk down to the boat on the beach. climb up. tractor out. beautiful ride to a different sea lion colony. we were given brief instruction on how to breath through the thing and what to do if you get water in your mask. oh, and told to pop our ears. and that was it.
ok. i would love to say that i was soooo excited and not nervous at all. but that would be lying. i was freaking out. until sierra jumped in and popped up 20 minutes later exclaiming "that was so cool!" alyssa was next. i got in the water about the same time as her. sitting at the surface i practiced breathing underwater. i was ready to go; it felt like i was waiting forever. finally they surfaced and it was my turn. i was led underwater by the guide. i dont remember his name. thats how close we were. anyway. we swam down to the bottom. there were sea lions all around me, like giant swimming puppies. i sat on the bottom for a while because thats what the guy told me to do. a sea lion came up to my face. one bit at my flipper and my head. i got bored of sitting there and started swimming around. with sea lions. because there were sea lions all around me. oh on the bottom of the ocean are snails. but they are in shells that you find on the beach. and open mussels. and moving spiky things that i cant remember the name of.
i love sitting on the bottom of the ocean surrounded by millions of creatures. i love swimming. this allowed me to swim without having to come up for breath. i was surrounded by sea lions.
it. was. incredible.
i am planning to go back to get scuba certified. because its cheaper here then anywhere else.
that night we had amazing dinner and made friends with a lot of argentines.
we woke up for our tour of peninsula valdez. alyssa, sierra and i got in the car with gaston, an amazing english-speaking tour guide. we saw some random animals while driving; these things that are like camels/llamas were hanging out in the middle of the gravel highway. we saw a million sea lions and elephant seals. we stood inches away from penguins and saw how they dig holes to lay their eggs. the tour was beautiful. i have pictures. for later. or facebook. whatever you want.
lula forgot to book us tickets on a bus back to puerto madryn. so i stood the whole hour (and then some) ride. from there we ventured the 20 hours back to buenos aires. it was alyssas birthday sunday, the second half of the bus ride.
it was a great weekend. the greatest.
i was glad to return to my family. and excited for the new mattress on my bed. and my madre's cooking. mmmm.
oh except last night when i had two visitors in the form of roaches. i hate roaches and am terrified of them. i cried and squished them with my rainbow sandal. i couldnt sleep because i was so scared. today has been more difficult then not.
but i'm learning that every day here is different. i dont really have a routine. i journaled today that i am finding my niches. but every day is different. like up and down mountains. or to the bottom of the ocean and back.
and obviously, my english is getting worse. shoot.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment