The World is too Small

Because of Chris: pictures from our trip

2009-02-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Rome

Dear family,
These pictures are for you. I hope you enjoy them.
Love, Morielle

In Rome there are vending machines for pasta. Brandon and I decided that to buy some pasta from one was a once in a lifetime opportunity we did not want to miss out on. And believe it or not, it wasn't half bad.

On the last Sunday we were in Rome, we stood in St. Peter's square and listened to Pope Benedict XVI give his usual Sunday address. He was much too far away too see, however, and the TV screens were not being used to help.

Brandon and I in the front of the Trevi Fountain (our picture from our last visit to Rome did not turn out so we were really happy to get a good one this time!)

My most favorite sight ever! A charming Italian quartet was performing in front of the Duomo.

I stood on the original marble floor in what would have been the Emperor's palace in Rome—the Palentine.

This is Brandon and I at Cafe Argentina on our Gen and Fiona sponsored date :)

In front of the Collisium...

You can see St. Peter's Basillica behind us :) (it was pouring rain that day)

We found the biggest Lindor chocolate ever!! (these are two of our friends who were in Tolkien with us)

Just a nice view of ancient Rome.

I tried roasted chestnuts for the first time in my life... the were weird, kind of tasted like a denser sweet potato.

The Cathedral of St. John Lateran.

Last picture: Brandon and I in front of the Spanish Steps which were funded by the French and designed by an Italian—famous for being the longest and widest staircase in all of Europe.

Orvieto

2009-02-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I arrive in the Orvieto train station.

Amazing view from the top of the Orvieto plateau.

We hopped the fence...I was pretending I couldn't get back over.

My favorite picture from the trip...

There is evidently a very famous wood craftsman who lives in Orvieto. This was one of his creations located just outside of his wood shop. Sadly we did not get to go inside.

Brandon sitting on a wall right on the edge of the Orvieto plateau. It was amazingly foggy for most of the day!

This is the Orvieto Cathedral...it was built over a period of over two hundred years! It is also one of the few semi-gothic churches in the southern half of Italy.

Awesome street with awesome authentic man.

Which is more awesome: Elephant Bar Orvieto or Elephant Bar La Mirada??

yes, we are home

2009-01-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Lol...so much for my high and illustrious ideas about blogging each day. By the time we got the internet I was so far behind in my blogging that I only accounted for four of our days there.

However, the last week was not too eventful. All around it was a very pleasant and fun trip. We were both very grateful to have been able to go. :)

For now, it is back to the semi-busy and irregular every day life with me working at the Elephant Bar and Brandon going to school. One semester left! Wahoo!!

I will post a few pictures from the trip when I get a chance.

2009-01-16T11:45:00.002-08:00

Fourth day in Rome:

On Monday, we went to the Vatican for the first time. Our professor had made a group reservation for us to tour the Scavi of St. Peter's (underneath the basilica) which was pretty much awesome! Originally, there had been a necropolis, or a city of the dead, there where both Christians and Pagans were buried. Most importantly, they found the tomb of St. Peter himself in the Necropolis. There are three basic levels of the area St. Peter's is built upon: the Necropilis, a church built by Constantine in honor of St. Peter, and the present St. Peter's Basilica. Reserved underneath the alter of the present Basilica are the bones of St. Peter contained in small clear boxes. We were able to see them on our tour. Other than that the day was uneventful and rainy. Most everyone from our group decided to climb the dome of St. Peters but we opted not to since we had already climbed it last time we were here and also it was a very cloudy day and thus would not have a very rewarding view.

Anyhow, more updates to come later :)

2009-01-16T11:45:00.001-08:00

Third day in Rome:

On Sunday, Brandon and I miraculously found our way to a Bulgarian Orthodox Church which was right next to the Trevi Fountain. The church itself looked very similar to any of the other churches/basillicas that we have been seeing because it was a Roman Catholic Church that had been donated to the Bulgarian Orthodox in Rome by Pope John Paul II. Although it was a very very cold and not-english service, we were very grateful to have been able to find an actual Orthodox Church here.

For the most part, the rest of the day we spent relaxing and storing up energy for what we knew would be a very busy week!

2009-01-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Second day in Rome:

Saturdays are free for us to do whatever suits our fancy (well maybe there are a few rather strict and invasive biola rules) and so we decided to shopping in the Via del Corso shopping district. Brandon and I bought some delicious smelling herb mixes for chicken, beef, and pizza :) as well as a huge blog of parmesan cheese to bring back to the States. Our resolution is to not eat it before then although it is a constant source of temptation. For the rest of the day we simply meandered around the city popping in and out of small shops and just absorbing the general atmosphere.

The nicest thing about being here in January is that everyone is a lot more relaxed and there are SOOOO many less tourists! In fact, we are having a rather pleasant time. Coincidentally enough, there was also a group of art students from Biola on their abroad trip who were in Rome for a few days at the same time as us. A couple of our friends are with that group so we met up with them for a lovely dinner.

We are very excited for our next Saturday where we will be going to Orvieto for a day trip!

2009-01-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hooray! They finally fixed our internet! I am suspicious of the fact that the internet was down the whole time it was just our group staying here but when several more groups moved in, the internet was suddenly working. However, I am grateful nonetheless.

With only four more actual days in Rome, I feel that I am quite behind in my blogging. But I will attempt to catch you up as best as I can.

For our first day in Rome, we did not mess around. By 9 am we were up, showered, breakfasted and ready to catch the metro into the central area. Our itinerary for the day was as follows:

Circo Massimo
Aventine Hill
Church of Sant' Anselmo
Church of Santa Sabina
Church of San Giovanni in Laterano
and the Scala Santa

As we were climbing towards the Aventine Hill we passed by the Circo Massimo, which was the first significant sight we had encountered in Rome. The funny thing, though, was that even though what we were supposed to be looking at was the Circo Massimo itself, what everyone ended up taking pictures of was the ruins around it and the view in the distance. Circo Massimo is now a grassy area, far different what it would have been in its glory days. The ruins of the Palentine (where the roman imperial palace would have been) overlook the Circo Massimo and present a far more impressive sight. Moving on, we began to scale Aventine Hill—one of Rome's seven hills. (sidenote: a famous keyhole is on the way through which one can look and see St. Peter's basilica framed perfectly. attempts to take pictures of this sight, however, were unsuccessful...I am thinking I need a new and better camera.) From the Aventine Hill is a perfect panoramic view of a large portion of Rome. So that was exciting.

The rest of the day was spent in churches of various sorts for various reasons.

The internet has failed me

2009-01-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

So much for my high and illustrious plans to keep everyone updated on our trip to Rome. The internet in our hotel is down and in spite the many times we have asked for them to fix it, they sadly have not.

I will just have to start blogging about it either when I get back or whenever they decide to fix the internet.

Going to Italy

2009-01-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Haha...I just realized that it has been almost exactly one year since I last posted on this blog... sad day.

Oh well...)

Inspired by my dad and his recent resurrection of his travel blog, I have decided to keep anyone who is interested updated with my travels to Italy. Brandon and I are going on a two week trip with Torrey for our second visit to Italy (Rome in particular and its nearby surroundings). We leave on Wednesday at 3pm and I will try to make mostly regular posts from that point on. :) So check this blog to keep updated.

And now I am back

2008-01-03T20:04:00.001-08:00

With my man :)

And very very very happy.

Posts and Pictures and All that Jazz

2007-12-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

Pretty much, Guatemala was AMAZING! I spent 6 days there with Mrs. Buscemi's extended family before Diane and Denise even arrived but even those 6 days were a blast. My experience of Guatemala was one of community and traditions and it was incredibly enjoyable.

A few highlights were: being able to help make tamales—a process that begins at about 4:3o in the morning and ends when they are finally cooked in the late afternoon, climbing the volcano Pacaya, and staying up half the night before Christmas setting of and watching other's set off fireworks. The days flew by, my spanish dramatically improved, and overall it was an experience I will look back fondly on for the rest of my life. :)

Here everyone is preparing the leaves in which they eventually wrap the Christmas tamales:

The very large pots in which were the corn meal mixture and salsa:

Christmas Eve. Denise, Diane and I. With sparklers. Yeah!

The bones that were removed from the uncooked Christmas turkey:

The finished de-boned awesomeness (which they promptly stuffed with all sorts of other delicious things and then cooked):

Diane, rudely protruding her head into my lovely Christmas dinner table picture:

Diane and I on our way to climb Pacaya:

Denise, Diane, and I part way up the volcano:

Other volcanoes from a distance:

Diane and I :) :

Almost everyone (besides the old fogies) who climbed the volcano:

Me :) and behind me is some black rock like stuff which is actually the end of the cooled lava stream:

Denise and I with Pacaya in the distance (you can see the cooled lava stream even better):

Some of us at the first main point where you can see the lava from. Originally this was going to be our destination but we decided to climb even further so that we could be right next to the lava:

Climbing. Reminds one of the journey to Mordor:

And the lava. Pretty much, awesome! If you look you can see the red stream in the center of the picture:

So that was about it!

Guatemala was my last country before heading back to the US so in some ways I was very sad but very excited the entire time. The trip was relatively short and I actually didn't take that many pictures but I was very grateful to have been able to go. I hope you all have enjoyed reading about our southern adventures :)

Guatemala

2007-12-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard from everyone else yet, we made it safely back to Montevideo, Uruguay. We also made it safely to Panama where we waited together one last time for about 8 hours. It was after Panama that my family and I separated paths. They went home, of course, and I began another adventure to Guatemala! This is my third day in Guatemala and it has been very fun so far. However, I came here to meet up with Diane but she still won't be here for another 3 days :(. Her relatives here are extremely hospitable and kind to me though and I have been feeling like one of the family.

I am homesick though. And tired. I am grateful that I only have 7 days before I will be back in CA.

I will try to take some pictures and write some more later on. Forgive me if it takes a while...

Missing everyone very much,
Morielle

Trumping the Volcano

2007-12-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

The hardest physical endeavor of my life, climbing the Villarrica Volcano is but the story of the past now. It was INCREDIBLE! The ascent was unimaginably difficult for poor out of shape me but the experience of reaching the top and the most amazingly fun adventure of sliding down made any pain I might have suffered well worth the while.

Pictures speak louder than words so here are a few just to give the idea of the day:

6 o'clock in the morning. We prepare our meager necessities: water, sandwiches, and chocolate :P

6:45 am. We arrive at the excursion center, tired but ready to go!

And don't they just look so cool? :P

Villarrica: The volcano of ascent.

Fiona and I geared up and ready to go :)

The view down the mountain. At the half point.

Lucky readers....get to see the inside of the volcano without having to actually climb it :P

Me. Triumphant. At the top. :) SO awesome!!!

Fiona, I'm sure, will post many more far adorable pictures...

Enjoying our time in Pucón

2007-12-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

This afternoon, Fiona, dad and I went to go try on the suits we will be wearing tomorrow in order to climb the Villarica Volcano (the one in the previous pictures I posted of Pucón) ! I am so excited! We may look a little dorky now but after we come back with tons of awesome pictures of the inside of an active volcano, everyone will be very jealous. :P

Here is the oh-so-sexy me:

Not quite as sexy but definitely beautiful ;) :

And then some pictures around our cabaña...

The studious (and not so studious):

Fiona reads by the cozy fire... its a shame the fire wasn't actually in the picture but when I tried to get them both in, she looked funny. So I sacrificed my perfect picture to make my sister look adorable:

Dad often plays cards with the kids...here is a picture of one occasion:

View from our porch. Most of the time, it is a view that could send you spiraling into contemplation at a single glance:

Same porch, different side:

So yes, tomorrow the three of us mentioned will climb the volcano. We have to arrive at the meeting spot at quarter 'till 7 (an EXTREMELY early hour of the morning for the schedule we have been on). We return at around 5pm. Between those hours were are planning on taking a lift up half the volcano so that our hike will only be 3 1/2 hours long instead of 7 :P (Dad thought that was a wise idea considering our very out-of-shape conditions. Fiona and I agreed.) Hike the 3 1/2 hour hike. Peer into the center of the volcano. And eventually slide back down on a snow slide that they have created for ease-of-decline. As amazing as the whole volcano-seeing-experience sounds, I must confess I might just be looking forward to sliding down the mountain more :)

Most likely, on Wednesday, I will be completely unable to move from soreness. So I am sure I will have plenty of time to post further pictures of the endeavor.

Pucón

2007-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Now we are at rest, for the most part, in the unbelievably beautiful area of Pucón! This area is focused around a huge active volcano with lakes all around. Our first few days were spent staying at a lovely hotel and scouting around. We hiked up to a waterfall and swam in the hotsprings even :) This is perhaps, one of the most scenic places I have been in my entire life. Spring time is full of flowers, birds, green grass, and most pleasant weather (With the exception of so much rain. Here, they get 200 hundred inches a year!)

Our hotel:

The tasteful garden/yard at our hotel:

The waterfall we hiked to!

Adorable us. On a bridge.

Elli and I, in our natural habitat.

Mountains, mountains, mountains! *sigh* Oh gloriousness...

If you look carefully, you can see the volcano in the distance. I'm going to try taking some better pictures later on.

Volcano, lush green field, and cattle.

I cannot possible describe how breathtakingly beautiful this area is! When we hiked to the waterfall, we had to drive up through the mountains and my soul was fluttering right and left. There are many areas that had been cleared out and been transformed into green meadows. In these meadows, wildflowers blossomed. The houses were perfectly nestled in their surroundings and the air was crisp and fresh. My dream: to one day live in a place like this.

This morning we moved into, perhaps, the most amazing cabaña ever! I don't know how long we will stay but I think we are all sold on this area. The cabaña itself has an incredible view of the lake, 7 whole beds (after some of the housing situations we experienced in Argentina, you would understand why having enough beds is so wonderful), and last but definitely not least, wireless internet! (hence why I am finally able to post everything). So we are happy, more than content, and have exactly 8 days left before we need to be back to Santiago, Chile.

From Santiago to Viña Del Mar to Talca

2007-12-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we didn't stay in Santiago for long. It was very nice city but our main goal was to get our awesome big van and leave. So we headed out and drove to Viña del Mar—one of the most popular national tourist cities. It was lovely!

Here is a picture of the city from afar. You really can't tell much about it though...sorry.

A bridge over one of the rivers heading out to the sea:

Walking along the road shot:

Mom and I at the fountain. It was much bigger than it looks in the picture.

A lovely birthday lunch on the edge of the ocean...I felt like such a tourist! But it was very enjoyable.

Picturesque

After the three nights we stayed in Viña del Mar, we headed out to Talca. The Chilean peso was definitely a shocking contrast to Argentina:

[But before you freak out, the exchange rate is about 500 pesos to the dollar.]

(Here is us on one at our many bathroom breaks)

And this is the best restuarant we have eaten so far in Chile. They had no menu, and served only about 4 things but it was fantastic! And it, it only cost $20 (our only inexpensive meal yet in Chile)

Then we got pulled over. Hehe, actually, we accidentally drove up the wrong way on a one way street and caught the eye of the policemen passing by. We did not get a ticket. In fact, we got directions. So overall it was a very helpful experience!

Arriving at our hotel near Talca, we were delighted to discover how perfectly adorable it was. Everyone there spoke German, Spanish and English so it was quite the cultural surreality .

So green, so Elysian.

The first door to the right. That was our room.

Next post: Pucon! (we had quite a while of just driving and taking pictures so I am having to catch up quite a bit)

Over the Andes and Through the City

2007-12-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

(I woke up after we were almost to the top, thus missing almost the entire upwards view of the mountains but here are some pictures I was able to take out the window. I promise Mom will post many more pictures!)

(and now we start descending into the grassier greener parts)

(arriving in Santiago to pick up our awesome big enough van)

(Santiago city as we were driving out... it was beautiful and the picture of course cannot do it justice)

Lice Age

2007-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

(Elli and I did an olive-oil bath—one of the many suggested treatments. I had lice, her head just itched. So, we partied it out.)

(My turn...I think some oil got on the camera, hence why it is so blurry)

(tressed up for our lovely night sleep)

(Mom tediously picks through my hair for many hours)

(I tediously sit for many hours)

(and then we get a nit comb! Julia sweeps through my hair and vanquishes the lice)

I'm not sure if they are all assuredly gone now but we pulled out so many with the nit comb that I can't imagine there would be any left. We will, of course, be checking my head periodically but for right now, I am feeling very light and... sooooooooooooo comfortable!

was. comfortable.

2007-12-01T09:20:00.001-08:00

This afternoon, we discovered the cause of the incessant itching of my head that I have been experiencing over the last three weeks. To my great consternation, I was informed that I have a severe case of lice! I had suspected as much previously but each time I had mom check, she didn't find anything. But this morning we found three eggs right off the bat and one little louse. I believe I have a head full of hatching lice babies. Ugh! Mom says that tonight we will begin the tedious days long process of killing each and every alien we find...until then, I'm going to step outside of my body and stay as far away from it as I can.

"I am soooooooooo comfortable!"

2007-12-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

This is what I have been saying all morning long, to the point at which my sisters are getting annoyed with me. But it is true! I am unbelievably comfortable! The nicest think about not living the high life all the time is that when you finally do have a day or two of luxury, it is well appreciated. Thanks be to God, everything involved in getting us from Los Aromos, Argentina to Viña del Mar, Chile worked out. The fact we are even here is quite the miracle. And now, after a night and day of traveling over the Andes and across the entire width of Chile, we are safe, sound, and happily rested in a Best Western in one of the most favorite tourist cities in Chile. We have wireless internet, real pillows and mattresses (both of those being a rare luxury in both Argentina and Uruguay), and we were provided with a full American breakfast of lattes, strawberries, sausages and potatoes and any other kind of breakfast delicacy you could imagine. (well, no hot chocolate...but still!) The shower head works and not only does it work but it is one of the best shower heads I've ever had the pleasure to use. And the water stays hot!!! Hehe, I think after the last two places we stayed in Argentina, this feels like heaven!

And today is Fiona's birthday (shout out to her all you blog readers!) so we are probably going to go to the beach (the Pacific Ocean :P) and maybe stroll around this beautiful city a bit. Hooray!

Chile here we come!

2007-11-29T05:34:00.001-08:00

If all goes well, we should be getting on a bus tonight that will, after 16 hours or so, bring us into Santiago, Chile. I am very excited. After several weeks of staying in Alta Gracia—taking classes, making friends, going to latin mass, swimming in the river, waking up late, and generally becoming fat and lazy ;), we are finally on the move once again. When we get to Santiago, there should be a adequately large van (thank God!) waiting for us that we will be able to drive, at our leisure, down Chile, into Argentina to Bariloche, and back again. The remainder of our three last weeks should consist of traveling and seeing some of the most beautiful places South America has to offer. Pray for us as there are quite a few logistical complications that are going to be involved in this final adventure...

Also, here are a few pictures to tie you over until I can post the rest:

(our most wonderful coffee shop which someone in this family frequented at least once ever day. the workers were soooooooo nice!)

(sitting in the coffeeshop...mmm...my picture of the cappuccinos is still on my camera but i'll post it later.)

(argh, darn this sideways picture business! Fiona and I by the creek)

(Genny and I in a tree :P)

and the best part...

2007-11-13T07:56:00.001-08:00

the never ending delight of Argentina... "Moras" or Mulberries :)

Most awesome park in the world...

Fiona and I goofing off at the park (more pictures to come...)

God loves Argentina

Mom wanted everyone to be able to see the gauchos so she used me as an excuse to take the picture

Ice cream in Santa Rosa: worlds best Heladaderia! We at it 5 out of the 6 days we were there :P

Us+Ice Cream+one of our favorite people in Argentina

Irresistibly cute house

River we drove past

Elli in the window of one of the Cabañas we stayed at in Alta Gracia (not the one we are in right now)

whelp, here it goes...

2007-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

I've decided that trying to capture a South American experience in writing is inevitably disappointing. Unless something exceptionally interesting or funny happens (which the other 6 people who are with me will want to also write about) one would have to just be here, living, in order to breath in the full savor. Life is peaceful, and I think that is good (it could be far worse!). I've decided to write up a list of my top ten favorite things that have happened while we were down here so that when everyone asks me the inescapable "so how was it?" I will have ten carefully prepared and diverting answers. :) Ode to all those poor people who had to be content with my exhausted "amazing" in response to questions concerning my trip to Italy. Actually, I don't think it is too late to write up a list about Europe either...hm....

But for right now, I'll list the top 5 things I think Argentina far surpasses any other countries in:

1) The Cappuccinos, believe it or not, are stupendous!!! I will take a picture of one next time I buy one so that all your readers out there can drool in longing. All I'm going to say is espresso, milk, chocolate, more chocolate, whipped cream, and cinnamon....

2) Although Argentina and Uruguay are constant rivals of one other in their pride over their respective beef, I must say that the steak I have had here in Argentina has been some of the best I've ever had (and this is with mom buying it (there are times when years of being a hard and fast vegetarian has its effects) and me cooking it (which, if it can still be delicious after my charing and overcooking, says a lot!))

3) Friendliness of the people. Argentinians are extremely affable. Not only are our day to day interactions with random people above average in terms of positive, these people are exceptionally hospitable. They have a very strong sense of community inclusion and tend to consider kindness to another an honor rather than an inconvenience.

4) Prices! Argentina is even more economical than Uruguay :P (for now at least...) with a little over 3 pesos to the American dollar (although with the way each of the currencies are going—Argentina's up and America's down— I have little confidence that it will stay this good for long). But, so that you can drool even more, I can purchase one of the best cappuccinos in the world for the equivalent of between 1 and 2 American dollars depending on which cafe you go (and some of these are really nice cafes...the only coffee shop I was able to find in Uruguay was McCafe, owned my McDonalds). Beef...about 2.50-3.00 dollars for 1 pound of entrecot (the same cut they use for a filet mignon) and that is the most expensive cut. Oh the good life!

5) And most importantly, the climate and terrain is most exquisite! In Argentina, you will find almost any type of landscape you could desire. From mountains, to desert, to valleys, to rivers, lakes, trees, and everything else. It rains with thunderstorms in the summer and is drier in the winter so you actually get green summers and not many wildfires (I repeat...not many fires! praise God!) Sadly, we have not been able to explore everything but we are hoping to go to the Andes at some point and maybe scout out some of the other exotic wonders.

Hehe, you can see what kinds of things I care about the most...

more pictures...

2007-11-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

at the French monastery...

random place we stopped to climb around at.. the rocks were amazing!

lake. exquisite.

river with awesome rocks. so much fun!

the drinking age IS younger here...

i'll try to post more later.

Situated in Alta Gracia

2007-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are now happily resting in Alta Gracia. The plan at present seems to be that we are going to try taking spanish classes in Cordoba which is about an hour drive away. This town is okay. Cordoba is okay. Its a city. We have been able to meet some really wonderful people, however, particularly at the Latin rite church we have been attending. People make all the difference.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of our adventures up to date:

Colonia, Uruguay

waiting to see if we would make it on to the ferry to Buenos Aires

in Lujan, watching a hot air balloon get blown up (sorry its sideways...)

girls tea party at our first cabaña experience

Home Alone

2007-10-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the parents have gone and left all us kids here in Santa Rosa, Argentina. Dad needed to go back to Montevideo, Uruguay to fly back home and mom needed to go back to Piriapolis to wrap things up there. We have unanimously decided that it would be best to stay in Argentina longer. Right now were are in a lovely 6 person Cabana right near everything our hearts could desire: grocery store, internet, and most importantly Ice Cream! We would not be able to live without it! The ice cream is so good here, in fact, that we have made a habbit of eating it for lunch almost every day. Ode to the good life! The next few days are looking leisurely for us. There is a beautiful river/creek right in the middle of the town that has warm water and people actually swim in it. The weather is beautiful and the people here are very nice. After so much traveling, this break both from driving and (I confess) from parents is nice. :P Dont get me wrong, I love parents but it is kind of fun being on our own for a little while. Anyhow, I´ll try to keep you updated on the rest of our goings on.

Argentina!!!

2007-10-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well, our first experiences in Argentina have been quite phenomenal. I must say that the whole family is pretty smitten with the country, particularly myself. Granted, we had kind of an acceptional first experience complete with heart stirring concerts and spectacular fireworks. However, the overall atmosphere of this country is one we can relate to much more easily than the one we experienced in Uruguay. Although the people here may have a greater propensity to be vice-full, I am convinced that is only because they have a greater propensity to be life-full (which in turn leaves the possibility for virtue). We have, as of now, only been through Buenas Aires and stayed the night in Lujan. Today the plan is to drive to a gaucho (sp?) town to see what the more rural areas are like. Hehe, I am very excited...

Leaving for Argentina Wednesday (I think)

2007-10-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hola! For the next week and a half (starting Wed.) or so we are going to be traveling around Argentina. I don't know if our plans our fixed at this point and time but I know were are hoping to explore many different locations, particularly the more rural towns. Because of this, I don't know if we are going to be able to access internet and thus I don't think I will be blogging until we come back. However, afterwards I will post pictures, etc. and write all about it!

Pictures from Piriapolis

2007-10-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Dr. Seuss Bridge :P

random Uruguayan spot

Me and the backwards Uruguayan flag

a mansion

Inside the church in Maldonado

Punta...

Horrible picture of me with the lighthouse we got to climb

climbing the lighthouse...

the famous Punta del Este"Los Manos"

Piriapolis from above:

Town around the bend:

In Punta del Este

Cool castle hotel in Maldonado

Elli and...Birmingham :)

enjoy!

Happily in Piriapolis

2007-09-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well here we are in Piriapolis! It is so amazingly beautiful and peaceful! Granted, we are here on the off season while the town's population is only about 8,000 people but the town itself is very very pleasant. We went to mass this morning on the top of a hill. It was a special celebration for the official Day of the Bible in South America. I always wanted to be able to go to mass outside on the top of the hill with the wind gently blowing and the sun gently shining :) There are so many really positive things about being here but I think one of the best is the waterfront. The body of water is technically a river but it feels in every way like an ocean, just calmer. And the sunsets are absolutely divine!The sand is beautiful and soft and the rambla is much more inviting and casual than the rambla in Montevideo. The people here are so much more kind and friendly here too. We are just loving it! I will probably write more and post some pictures in a few days.

Last night at the school

2007-09-28T19:20:00.001-07:00

Tonight is our last night here. We ended up cutting or our original plan of staying here for four weeks down to three so we could head to Piriapolis sooner. I am really grateful that we decided to do that. I think being in the city and not having a place all to ourselves was becoming stressful. It was almost living in someone else's house but not. So far this trip has been really neat but really frustrating as well. I am hoping that when we get to Piriapolis we can settle down a little and each find our own nich so we aren't constantly stepping on each others toes. We leave at doce en punto (twelve o'clock) on the bus from the terminal heading straight for Piriapolis where hopefully new adventures and different adventures await us.

En el tejado de la esquela

2007-09-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

First time doing laundry :) We went up to the roof to check on our clothes only to realize it was the perfect day for taking pictures! hehe...

P.S.

2007-09-27T09:53:00.001-07:00

If you want to see more marvelously adorable pictures from our outing, see Fiona's blog: http://www.fionamarie-site.blogspot.com/

We're going on a bear hunt, we're gonna catch a big one...

2007-09-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day! We're not scared!

Fiona and I decided to take a day to explore the city on our own. It was so much fun! We went to the bus terminal where there is a shopping center on the upper level and successfully ordered café in an espresso shop. Then, we took the scenic route the way back and found a little pizzeria to have some dinner. The guys there were so nice and helpful and we felt perfectly empowered from the experience. Yay for trying to use Spanish even though I'm sure we were desecrating the language! :P

Here are some pictures taken to document the adventure:

(out side of the bus terminal...yeah, we thought it would be cool to take a picture of the back of the horse...)

(*wonders*)

(trying to order café can be very perplexing)

(its all gone :( )

(I can't do it!)

Todos.

2007-09-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

I was going to post videos I took of the parade but it was an awful lot of memory and it slowed my blog down a ton! I'll try to take a video at some point of the kids and post that...

Showing off the glories of Montevideo

2007-09-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures i've taken around town...

(Some random cool building that just happened to have an incredible celestial backdrop)

(view down the street as the sun was just setting)

(sunset off our balcony...I love red hues in the sky!)

(A classic Uruguayan couple... note the woman with both her Mate and her thermos full of hot water. These crazy people carry their gourds and thermoses everywhere!)

Crazy Parade

2007-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Gen, Julia, Fiona, and I set out on what would be a 15 block trek to watch Traditional Uruguayan Murga (an event with drumming and singing) only to discover a rather large random parade. We didn't mind, however, because it was very entertaining. :P I took pictures of several of the different groups of people.

(group dressed as...toys? they bobbled back and forth like the puppets in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

(The Greeks...proudly displaying togas and...Pandora's Box! I must say I thought they had the weirdest display. Periodically they would put this guy who had big plastic boobs into the box and then he would come out again. What that was trying to communicate I have no idea.)

(It was very cold out so I guess in order to be able to use the drums, they had to warm them up by building a fire in the middle of them. I thought at first that they were using their drums as a wind barrier so they could have a fire :P That would have been odd...)

(Parades in Uruguay are evidently reason enough for random other people to do random other things. Here is a man who was painted entirely green on one side and red on the other.)

(This was probably the closest thing we saw to what an actual Murga would be like... These people did not have costumes but they were very enthusiastically drumming and such.)

(I picked up on the fact that certain statements were trying to be made...)

(Strange people with tattered rags pinned to their clothing?)

(I was so afraid this man was going to come over an try to eat us!)

(Breakdancing. In Uruguay.)

(Bystandards or people from other parade events.)

(Crazy cave people!)

(So, it was freezing! And I have no idea how those girls managed to wear nothing and not catch Pneumonia. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves though.)

(On of the many flags...note how South America and Africa are, in our perspective, upsidedown. I saw that a lot and it actually makes sense. Don't be confined to Western dominance!)

We had no idea what this parade was for and evidently neither did the local shop owner, however, we did manage to come to the conclusive speculation (:P) that it could have been a parade celebrating cultural heritage...going all the way back to cave men. Hehe... anyhow, it was a marvelous surprise. I love Uruguay!

Being a Nincompoop in a foreign country

2007-09-19T15:58:00.001-07:00

Its amazing how captived one can feel when in a strange place with strange people and a strange language spoken. Even things like going to the grocery store can be a very overwhelming process. Yesterday I went shopping with Gen and the closest large supermarket, Disco, and found myself a most awkward lump of flesh because I didn't know which lines I could or could not stand in and where I could or could not wait for Gen to be done. Everywhere I was I felt I was in the way and I had no ability to tell the people around me that I was sorry. Until I learn spanish better, I perfer to stay locked in my room and not see anyone. However, if I do this, the process of learning spanish will take that much longer and as a result will be counterproductive to my own wellbeing. I think I just shouldn't let things I don't understand bother me as much.

Apologies

2007-09-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry about any confusion switching blogs around caused. So, this is the blog about Uruguay. The other one has been restored to its original occupation.

Winter Adventure

2007-09-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

So, here in Uruguay most people walk where they need to go. Obviously there are still personal cars, taxis, and buses but for the most part, everyone walks. On this bleak and cloudy day, Fiona Gen and I decided to courageously follow in these hardy Uruguatian's steps and walk Christopher and Elli to their friends house. It was supposed to be a 30 block walk round trip. I learned two lessons today: 1) Never let Genevieve lead and 2) If you go out when it looks like it might rain, it will and you will get drenched!

We probably ended up walking around the entire city. Gen said we just zig-zagged back and forth but it sure felt like we were walking in circles. And now I am soaked. But it was fun and it actually made me happy we don't have a car.

Its raining outside...

2007-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

...but here in my room it is cozy and warm. I am drinking Guaco which is an Uruguayian medicinal tea with lemon...mmm...so tasty! We just finished day two of spanish lessons which I must say was far less overwhelming than yesterday. I have cold...must have picked it up from one of the airports or maybe the people we stayed with when we first came to Montevideo. Its not a bad one but it is complete with sneezing and everything. Tea is the perfect thing for me right now. My itinerary for the rest of the day is to relax, rest, nap and study a bit of homework. Maybe write a letter or two. In some ways I am missing college life but I am grateful to be here if only for the fact that the work load is much lighter and much less pressured. On Thursday, we are planning to go to a carnival of sorts. Supposedly it is like the county fair except for it is for multiple countries...although its not really bigger (in fact it might be smaller particularly ride-wise). The plans for Saturday include a hike to the largest *cough* mountain in Uruguay (its not much more than 1,000 ft.). I'm pretty excited about that one and I am hoping that it isn't raining then. Some days it is so hot here that you want to wear shorts and a tank top but in fact, winter is just dwindling down and although it might not resemble a Wisconsin winter, it still gets cooler and wetter than in the summer. I'm kind of apprehensive over what summer will be like because, contrary to our previous belief, Uruguay is supposedly quite humid. I have finished drinking my tea so I think I will finish this and rest for a while. Ciao!

The verbal update

2007-09-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

Alright, I will actually write a post now. I usually think people enjoy seeing pictures more than reading anyhow but since so much has happened and my other two posts were deleted, i'll tell you about our adventures so far.

When we first FINALLY arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay the school where we were going to be learning and living was not ready to have us move in so a family by the name of Cambell were gracious enough to let us stay with them for the first couple of days. They showed us around the city a bit and fed us (which is what we were most grateful of since being in a completely strange place makes finding food very difficult!). We actually didn't do a whole lot for those first couple of days. I went to the fariae (pronounced fairy-ae and is basically a large farmer's market) with my mom and Mrs. Cambell to buy fruits and vegetables the second day we were there. At first it was kind of overwhelming just because there were many people and I didn't understand any of them and felt just lost in the midst of everything but I have no doubts that it won't take me long to get very used to it and be able to get around just fine. The people in Uruguay are not aggressive at all (sharp contrast to the Turkish salesmanship style!) and are very community oriented. They enjoy standing or sitting around drinking Mate and talking with their friends and such. The youth are also supposedly fairly welcoming however they do give off the impression of "grunge". This look is not so much as intentional as it is happenstance and says nothing about what they act like. Aside from the kind people who drove us and our 21 pieces of luggage from the airport to the Cambell's, and the people who are teaching us at our school, I have not met any other native Uruguayians (pronounced Uruguay-tio...which is different than what I have been saying so I was wrong).

At present, we just moved into the school (yesterday) and had our first day of classes. We will be being taught for about 4 hours each day by different teachers in small groups. The first day was pretty overwhelming as the teachers try to speak primarily in spanish and my knowledge of the language isn't proficient enough to even start to understand most of what they are saying but I am hoping I will catch on soon. I think I am going to have to study a lot in my down time so that I can actually learn all the words and things they are saying.

Thats all for now but I will post again in the near future.

Some more pictures...

2007-09-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

(me sitting on the railing of our very own balcony...very own meaning we have to share it with Gen

(Fiona on her bed in our room...small but cozy and quaint)

(Julia in her and Gen's room)

(the view of the street from off our balcony...I think its pretty cute :) )

I'll post pictures for now...

2007-09-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

(mi familia)

(playing at the park :P....it really was fun!)

(by the Rambla...Rambla being the sidewalk that goes along side the Uruguayan coast)

(for Diane...my awesome new converse! speaking of which...I noticed that probably 40% of the Uruguayans wear
converse :P makes me feel like I fit in!)

Ciao!