Now after travelling you kind of need a break, so we decided to extend our stop over in Miami for a couple of days. Literally went from hostel to beach to hostel so not much to tell really! We managed to wash our clothes, and honestly clean clothes are the best thing ever when travelling. The hostel had amazing orange juice for breakfast and both of us got burnt (although Steph much more so). The most amusing Miami related story is definitely how on the plane to Miami Steph's iPod flew out of the seat pocket on takeoff and (once the seatbelt sign had gone off) Steph proceeded to crawl up and down the floor of the plane looking under people's seats. The flight attendants were slightly bemused at the crazy British girl's antics to say the least. Luckily the iPod was found.
From Miami we went to Vancouver, and I have to say that Vancouver is one of those cities which I definitely need to go back to when I have more time and money. However, it was still a great stop, albeit brief. When we arrived we met up with Philly and her friend Amber and went for wings. I hadn't quite realised just how much I missed wings, and it's definitely something I'm gonna really miss when I'm back in the UK. The next day we went to Stanley Park and cycled round there. We were joined by Beanie, another British Year Abroad-er we met in the hostel. Stanley Park is gorgeous, truly truly stunning, I can see why people say that Vancouver is a beautiful city. Afterwards we went for Poutine, and much as it was nice, I don't think it's a patch on British chips, cheese and gravy! That afternoon me and Steph went to Lynn Canyon park and enjoyed the suspension bridge and the gorgeous scenery.
The next day it was time for us to drive on the wrong side of the road. We went to Enterprise and managed to get a really good deal on the car, plus an upgrade to a compact SUV, WIN! It was an amazing drive, the views through the Rockies are amazing, and so different seeing it all green rather than just full of snow. We stopped overnight at Lake Shuswap, staying in a hostel where you sleep in an old railway carriage. The hostel was lovely, mainly thanks to Blair (the owner) being really kind and the gorgeous dog and two cats that there were. Could have spent all day cuddling them! While we stayed there we went to Treetop Flyers in Chase nearby and got to go zooming over waterfalls which was very exciting! A lot of trip really has involved waterfalls but nothing wrong with that! That evening chilled out with Blair, and the rest of the hostel staff and watched Julie and Julia which was a great film! The next day we finished our drive to Calgary which was equally stunning as the first bit of the drive.
It was so nice to be back in Calgary, the first day we spent some time with Steph's family, went shopping at Chinook and went to the cinema to see Iron Man 3 with Erin. Was so happy to finally see the movie! Then the next day after going to see a prof, managed to meet up with Matthew, then the IVCF Christian group, then finally work people. It was lush to see everyone again, really missed them all and of course will stay in touch with everyone as they are amazing people. Then after some frantic packing moved from Sandy and Marie's house to Kate's house. Although we planned to go to the zoo, the weather and long lunch put paid to that! So instead just chilled out at Kate's and had a games night! The next day I was doing practical things like closing bank account, saying goodbye to Steph's family and then saying goodbye to Steph at the airport before chilling with a movie and an inordinate amount of snacks.
Today is my final day and I'm just relaxing and making sure I've got everything packed. I'm really excited to be going home and seeing everyone again, but I'm also really sad to be leaving Calgary. Luckily it's not going to be leaving forever, just for a while, I will be back (ominous as that sounds), and I am already looking forward to seeing all the great people I've met this year again!
So there it is, the end of this blog, the final post! I guess I should end with words of wisdom and there's nothing that I can say to really sum up such an amazing year, therefore I'll just have to end with telling people that, cheesy as it sounds, they wil never regret going on their year abroad because it is the best year of your life.
Friday 31 May 2013
Monday 20 May 2013
Buenos Aires and Iguasu
Something you don't expect when you arrive in Argentina is the passport security guy to have a nice conversation with you in Spanish about Alberta, as he had previously worked in Edmonton (nearish Calgary for those non-Canadians reading my blog). However that is what happened. This reminded me that my Spanish isn't that great, and without Julia around we might struggle a bit! After a long taxi to the hotel we arrived and got in a rickety elevator which I was pretty sure might collapse. The hotel was really gorgeous, and it felt like we were living in our own house as we had keys to front door of block, front door of hotel and our room door as well. As it was a boutique hotel each of the 5 rooms had been painted differently and it just felt really awesome and artsy. After dumping bags we walked down the street to a typical Argentinian restaurant and of course ordered steak. Although I ordered mine extra rare it came out more medium rare but was still tasty, and we got a free glass of champagne with the receipt, lovely! Then it was straight to bed before an early start the next day.
First we headed to La Casa Rosada, the pink house where the president does her work, we relaxed in the sunshine and enjoyed the view before trying to get a bus to La Boca to see the colourful streets where tango started. Unfortunately getting a bus in Buenos Aires is easier said than done, not only are there multiple buses and no clear way of finding which buses go where and where they stop but also they only accept coins. Now you wouldn't think this is an issue, except change is famously short in Buenos Aires, shopkeepers will often charge you less so they don't have to give you change, banks don't have change to give and those who do have coins hoard them. This is partly down to the buses and also partly due to the fact that the metal in the coins is worth more than the coins themselves. However, finally we managed to get some change and get on the bus. Once in La Boca we headed for lunch (empanadas) then wandered around the street Caminito which is a street museum full of things related to the tango and brightly coloured houses. While not a patch on Valpairiso it was definitely worth seeing. Then in order to get more change I bought some postcards and demanded change so we could then get the bus back. We had another early night before the early start to get to Iguasu the next day.
At 6:45 in the morning we left the hotel to get the taxi to the airport where we were catching a plane to Iguasu. While waiting for the plane we saw the Boca Juniors football team (VERY exciting). Unfortunately our plane was delayed about half an hour but we did make it to Iguasu where we were greeted and got in a minibus to be taken to our hotel. The roads there are ridiculous, speed bumps ever few feet, and I have to say I was feeling a little unsteady on feet when finally reached hotel. It was a gorgeous hotel, right by the town centre as well so after dumping stuff we went out for lunch then lazed about and watched movies that afternoon. After dinner it was once again an early night for a very early start the next day.
7:15 we were picked up from the hotel and taken to Iguasu national park. As it was Steph's birthday we were hoping for a super awesome day and we weren't let down. We'd been warned it would rain so while there I bought a poncho. This was a wise investment as within 5 minutes of being there it started to rain. It didn't stop all day. Out of the tour of about 25 people, me and Steph were the only English speakers, however this meant that our guide would come over and explain stuff to us. First of all we went to the Devils Throat, while there we realised just how massive the river was, and just how big the waterfalls were. Then we went and did the circuit of the Upper falls, once again marvelling at just how much water there was. By this point we had also absorbed a large amount of water so were grateful for the lunch stop. I decided to be ingenious and use two plastic bags over my arms to try and stop my soggy hoody soaking through to me any more. It was semi effective, but after walking the Lower circuit we got on a boat. This boat not only went up close to the waterfalls, but actually drove through their spray so we got a full on shower by the falls. From there it was a truck through the jungle back to our coach where we all sat very soggily. The shower we had after that was probably the best shower we'd ever had. After dinner we had a phone call saying that our tour for the next day had been cancelled due to rain. Gutted though I was to not be able to go ziplining through the rainforest I was glad of the lie in and glad to just have another relaxed day...travelling really does take it out of you!
After a chilled day we got on the plane back to Buenos Aires. We were staying in another hotel and although it wasn't anywhere near as nice as the first, it was slightly closer to things so that was good. On the Thursday we headed to a free walking tour of Buenos Aires we'd heard about on Trip Advisor, it was run by an expat, Jonathan, and apart from me and Steph there was only another American guy on the tour so we really did get a very exclusive tour. There are no words to describe how highly I recommend this tour. Not only did he explain the bus system to us but also had lots of really great and interesting information about Buenos Aires. First we went to Abasto and looked at the house of Carlos Gardel who is the "father of tango" as he brought tango to be thought of as a classy dance. The streets all seem to be dedicated to him with paintings everywhere. Then we went to first shopping mall in South America before heading to the National Congress building. Next we stopped at a building which was designed solely to mimic Dante's Divine Comedy, for an English geek it was really super cool and exciting. Finally we headed back to the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo where Jonathan filled us in on all the political goings on which was fascinating, even for someone like me who isn't really into politics. After the tour me and Steph headed to El Ateneo Gran Splendid which is a bookstore built in an old theatre. I'd heard about it on the internet and was so excited to see it. It lived up to my expectations and was absolutely gorgeous! I wish we had one like it in Glasgow as I would spend all my time there for sure! Then we headed back to hotel before going out for dinner. As I'd been a bit underwhelmed by the steaks I had grilled chicken, and I have to say this is something Argentina fully excels at. Yum!
The next day we had a bit of a lie in before heading for a guided tour of the Casa Rosada. While there we made very good friends with one of the Argentinian guards who was from Iguasu. My Spanish was a little bit iffy but when we left he came over to say a cheery goodbye to us as well. New best friend. Then we headed up to the Recoleta Cemetery which was gorgeous! It looked like streets made out of little houses for graves. Morbidly I really enjoyed the time there and could have gone back again and again. After a quick stop at the mall to try and spend the last of our pesos we headed back for yet another early night before a very early start. The 3am alarm was not nice but it got us to our next destination so that was all good! And there we go, that is Argentina!
First we headed to La Casa Rosada, the pink house where the president does her work, we relaxed in the sunshine and enjoyed the view before trying to get a bus to La Boca to see the colourful streets where tango started. Unfortunately getting a bus in Buenos Aires is easier said than done, not only are there multiple buses and no clear way of finding which buses go where and where they stop but also they only accept coins. Now you wouldn't think this is an issue, except change is famously short in Buenos Aires, shopkeepers will often charge you less so they don't have to give you change, banks don't have change to give and those who do have coins hoard them. This is partly down to the buses and also partly due to the fact that the metal in the coins is worth more than the coins themselves. However, finally we managed to get some change and get on the bus. Once in La Boca we headed for lunch (empanadas) then wandered around the street Caminito which is a street museum full of things related to the tango and brightly coloured houses. While not a patch on Valpairiso it was definitely worth seeing. Then in order to get more change I bought some postcards and demanded change so we could then get the bus back. We had another early night before the early start to get to Iguasu the next day.
At 6:45 in the morning we left the hotel to get the taxi to the airport where we were catching a plane to Iguasu. While waiting for the plane we saw the Boca Juniors football team (VERY exciting). Unfortunately our plane was delayed about half an hour but we did make it to Iguasu where we were greeted and got in a minibus to be taken to our hotel. The roads there are ridiculous, speed bumps ever few feet, and I have to say I was feeling a little unsteady on feet when finally reached hotel. It was a gorgeous hotel, right by the town centre as well so after dumping stuff we went out for lunch then lazed about and watched movies that afternoon. After dinner it was once again an early night for a very early start the next day.
7:15 we were picked up from the hotel and taken to Iguasu national park. As it was Steph's birthday we were hoping for a super awesome day and we weren't let down. We'd been warned it would rain so while there I bought a poncho. This was a wise investment as within 5 minutes of being there it started to rain. It didn't stop all day. Out of the tour of about 25 people, me and Steph were the only English speakers, however this meant that our guide would come over and explain stuff to us. First of all we went to the Devils Throat, while there we realised just how massive the river was, and just how big the waterfalls were. Then we went and did the circuit of the Upper falls, once again marvelling at just how much water there was. By this point we had also absorbed a large amount of water so were grateful for the lunch stop. I decided to be ingenious and use two plastic bags over my arms to try and stop my soggy hoody soaking through to me any more. It was semi effective, but after walking the Lower circuit we got on a boat. This boat not only went up close to the waterfalls, but actually drove through their spray so we got a full on shower by the falls. From there it was a truck through the jungle back to our coach where we all sat very soggily. The shower we had after that was probably the best shower we'd ever had. After dinner we had a phone call saying that our tour for the next day had been cancelled due to rain. Gutted though I was to not be able to go ziplining through the rainforest I was glad of the lie in and glad to just have another relaxed day...travelling really does take it out of you!
After a chilled day we got on the plane back to Buenos Aires. We were staying in another hotel and although it wasn't anywhere near as nice as the first, it was slightly closer to things so that was good. On the Thursday we headed to a free walking tour of Buenos Aires we'd heard about on Trip Advisor, it was run by an expat, Jonathan, and apart from me and Steph there was only another American guy on the tour so we really did get a very exclusive tour. There are no words to describe how highly I recommend this tour. Not only did he explain the bus system to us but also had lots of really great and interesting information about Buenos Aires. First we went to Abasto and looked at the house of Carlos Gardel who is the "father of tango" as he brought tango to be thought of as a classy dance. The streets all seem to be dedicated to him with paintings everywhere. Then we went to first shopping mall in South America before heading to the National Congress building. Next we stopped at a building which was designed solely to mimic Dante's Divine Comedy, for an English geek it was really super cool and exciting. Finally we headed back to the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo where Jonathan filled us in on all the political goings on which was fascinating, even for someone like me who isn't really into politics. After the tour me and Steph headed to El Ateneo Gran Splendid which is a bookstore built in an old theatre. I'd heard about it on the internet and was so excited to see it. It lived up to my expectations and was absolutely gorgeous! I wish we had one like it in Glasgow as I would spend all my time there for sure! Then we headed back to hotel before going out for dinner. As I'd been a bit underwhelmed by the steaks I had grilled chicken, and I have to say this is something Argentina fully excels at. Yum!
The next day we had a bit of a lie in before heading for a guided tour of the Casa Rosada. While there we made very good friends with one of the Argentinian guards who was from Iguasu. My Spanish was a little bit iffy but when we left he came over to say a cheery goodbye to us as well. New best friend. Then we headed up to the Recoleta Cemetery which was gorgeous! It looked like streets made out of little houses for graves. Morbidly I really enjoyed the time there and could have gone back again and again. After a quick stop at the mall to try and spend the last of our pesos we headed back for yet another early night before a very early start. The 3am alarm was not nice but it got us to our next destination so that was all good! And there we go, that is Argentina!
Monday 13 May 2013
Chile - the perfect place for a mini Calgary reunion
After New York it was time to head to South America to see Julia. I got a little over excited at just how many good movies were available on the flight but still managed to get some sleep before landing. We managed to get a cab which took us to Julia's house (it decided that reversing up a one way street rather than actually go the correct way was the sensible way to do things, but we made it there). After an overexcited reunion with possibly too much squealing for the time of morning it was time for a catch up and breakfast. We popped to the shops and bought some Magdalenas, yum yum! That afternoon we headed to San Cristobal, a hill which overlooks Santiago. As it was very hot we decided to get a taxi up there, which was definitely a good plan after seeing some of the people who had clearly walked. We had a nice wee picnic at the top and looked over the city. For the picnic we had empanadas, a typical South American dish which is kinda like a Cornish Pasty, but kind of not - tasty though. It was gross to see just how much smog there is in Santiago, a grey haze definitely covers it. But still so gorgeous looking out and seeing the Andes with their snow etc. After coming down the mountain we went one of the parks and bought ice cream from one of Jules' fav shops, and I can see why she liked it! Awesomely tasty! On the walk back to Julia's, one of the stray dogs who'd be sitting by us decided to follow us. We kept on expecting him to give up and go back, but he didn't, instead walking us home and stopping at every crossing to wait for us. We names him George. Before dinner we brought mattresses down to Julia's room for me and Steph to sleep on, and we turned the room into a nest/obstacle course. Then we went to have tapas with Tania. It was such good tapas, in fact could eat it all again quite happily. Even though we were full we still decided that desert would be a good idea, and it was super tasty.
After a VERY long and well needed sleep we went and sat in the park in sunshine with Lawrence, before the sun went behind buildings and we decided to move park. However when we met up with Theresa to go chill in next park we discovered not only was it lacking in sunshine, but we were also all hungry so we went to supermarket and bought lots of food before heading to Theresa's where we cooked amazing burritos and had some nice Chilean wine. We ate a lot yet somehow still managed to find room for a really awesome cake.
On the Wednesday, Julia had a lot of classes so me and Steph were left to navigate by ourselves for a bit. First of all we went to the Costanerra Center, a shopping mall in the tallest building in South America as Steph realised she'd forgotten her shorts. However our plans to buy her new ones were scuppered by the fact the Chileans thought that 26 degrees was cold, and definitely not weather for shorts. We then returned home before grabbing some more emapanadas for lunch. Next it was time to head off on a wine tour. We went to the Undurraga winery just outside Santiago. There we got to tour the vineyards and the cellars before tasting the wine. Unfortunately I'm still not quite sure that I can taste any difference between wines (excluding the difference between white, rose, red and dessert) but I wasn't about to let the snotty American woman who claimed that "young people just don't appreciate wine" know that. When we got back we had an omelette (which was slightly disastrous in that it was too big to flip, but still tasty), before starting on another Chilean speciality - Pisco. An odd spirit it is apparently what every young person drinks, and I quite liked it. At 8:30 we headed out to After Office, a bizarre club which exists on top floor of a car park. However upon arrival I could see why Julia had been raving about it, it had an awesome outdoor patio plus indoor sections. Also amazingly Julia has connections allowing us not only to be basic VIPs, but VIP VIPs which involves your own table in an exclusive part of club and champagne. Win! Plus one of the French exchanges told me that my French was good, and although clearly a lie that's always nice. There were also magicians - one hired by the club, and one who was a random guy who used it to charm girls. Both were very impressive, still not sure how the first managed to get Julia's phone into a balloon simply pressing a blown up balloon onto it! Overall an amazing night.
The next day while Julia was at classes, me and Steph went to Santa Lucia, the hill which Santiago was founded around. There were an awful lot of steps but it was nice to see the castle and once again get some great views of Santiago. That afternoon, me, Steph, Julia and Sarah cuddled up with some blankets and watched Mulan which eating burnt popcorn. Then in the evening we cooked a massive stir fry for 11 people, it was amazingly tasty although involved using two kitchens, and a lot of confusion over timings. We also had enough noodles to feed about triple the amount of people but ah well! Once again it was very tasty (yes I've realised this blog post is mainly mentioning how tasty the food was, but it really was great).
On Friday the three of us took a bus to Valparaiso, a town by the sea with Tania, Theresa and Helene. Now this was no Megabus or Greyhound, it was ridiculously cheap yet its seats still nearly reclined back the whole way and were more comfy than any public transport I've ever been on before. When we arrived we managed to find the hostel run by the friend of Julia's landlord then headed off to get a bus to Vina del Mar, a neighbouring town with nice beaches. After an amazing lunch us girls just went and chilled on the beach. Lawrence and John were coming that evening so on the way back we stopped at the supermarket and picked up everything we'd need for burritos again. It was amazing once again, and Tania taught everyone how to hold it in order to minimise spillages. After a few piscos we headed out to a slightly bizarre club where there was some interesting live Chilean rock music being played, not a scene I'll really get into! However the company was great and had a lovely night.
The next day, Helene and Theresa went back to Vina for more chilling on the beach while Lawrence, John, Tania, Julia, Steph and me explored Valpa more. We walked up the hill, admiring all the pretty brightly coloured houses and the views out to the bay before heading down to the town to try and find somewhere to eat. Unfortunately they seem to celebrate Mother's Day all weekend and a lot of places were shut. However we managed to find a really nice place and ordered chorrillanas (a plate of fries with onions, eggs and bits of meat). Our waiter was crazy and absolutely awesome and it was a thoroughly enjoyable meal. Us girls then headed to hostel to grab our bags before leaving on bus back to Santiago. When we got back, we chilled out with the Ugly Truth and lots of snack food before an early night.
All we had time to do the next day was pack and say goodbyes. It was super sad leaving Julia again but it was so nice seeing her so well settled in Chile. Think that's all for Chile, next update will come post Argentina! Sorry for all the food chat!
After a VERY long and well needed sleep we went and sat in the park in sunshine with Lawrence, before the sun went behind buildings and we decided to move park. However when we met up with Theresa to go chill in next park we discovered not only was it lacking in sunshine, but we were also all hungry so we went to supermarket and bought lots of food before heading to Theresa's where we cooked amazing burritos and had some nice Chilean wine. We ate a lot yet somehow still managed to find room for a really awesome cake.
On the Wednesday, Julia had a lot of classes so me and Steph were left to navigate by ourselves for a bit. First of all we went to the Costanerra Center, a shopping mall in the tallest building in South America as Steph realised she'd forgotten her shorts. However our plans to buy her new ones were scuppered by the fact the Chileans thought that 26 degrees was cold, and definitely not weather for shorts. We then returned home before grabbing some more emapanadas for lunch. Next it was time to head off on a wine tour. We went to the Undurraga winery just outside Santiago. There we got to tour the vineyards and the cellars before tasting the wine. Unfortunately I'm still not quite sure that I can taste any difference between wines (excluding the difference between white, rose, red and dessert) but I wasn't about to let the snotty American woman who claimed that "young people just don't appreciate wine" know that. When we got back we had an omelette (which was slightly disastrous in that it was too big to flip, but still tasty), before starting on another Chilean speciality - Pisco. An odd spirit it is apparently what every young person drinks, and I quite liked it. At 8:30 we headed out to After Office, a bizarre club which exists on top floor of a car park. However upon arrival I could see why Julia had been raving about it, it had an awesome outdoor patio plus indoor sections. Also amazingly Julia has connections allowing us not only to be basic VIPs, but VIP VIPs which involves your own table in an exclusive part of club and champagne. Win! Plus one of the French exchanges told me that my French was good, and although clearly a lie that's always nice. There were also magicians - one hired by the club, and one who was a random guy who used it to charm girls. Both were very impressive, still not sure how the first managed to get Julia's phone into a balloon simply pressing a blown up balloon onto it! Overall an amazing night.
The next day while Julia was at classes, me and Steph went to Santa Lucia, the hill which Santiago was founded around. There were an awful lot of steps but it was nice to see the castle and once again get some great views of Santiago. That afternoon, me, Steph, Julia and Sarah cuddled up with some blankets and watched Mulan which eating burnt popcorn. Then in the evening we cooked a massive stir fry for 11 people, it was amazingly tasty although involved using two kitchens, and a lot of confusion over timings. We also had enough noodles to feed about triple the amount of people but ah well! Once again it was very tasty (yes I've realised this blog post is mainly mentioning how tasty the food was, but it really was great).
On Friday the three of us took a bus to Valparaiso, a town by the sea with Tania, Theresa and Helene. Now this was no Megabus or Greyhound, it was ridiculously cheap yet its seats still nearly reclined back the whole way and were more comfy than any public transport I've ever been on before. When we arrived we managed to find the hostel run by the friend of Julia's landlord then headed off to get a bus to Vina del Mar, a neighbouring town with nice beaches. After an amazing lunch us girls just went and chilled on the beach. Lawrence and John were coming that evening so on the way back we stopped at the supermarket and picked up everything we'd need for burritos again. It was amazing once again, and Tania taught everyone how to hold it in order to minimise spillages. After a few piscos we headed out to a slightly bizarre club where there was some interesting live Chilean rock music being played, not a scene I'll really get into! However the company was great and had a lovely night.
The next day, Helene and Theresa went back to Vina for more chilling on the beach while Lawrence, John, Tania, Julia, Steph and me explored Valpa more. We walked up the hill, admiring all the pretty brightly coloured houses and the views out to the bay before heading down to the town to try and find somewhere to eat. Unfortunately they seem to celebrate Mother's Day all weekend and a lot of places were shut. However we managed to find a really nice place and ordered chorrillanas (a plate of fries with onions, eggs and bits of meat). Our waiter was crazy and absolutely awesome and it was a thoroughly enjoyable meal. Us girls then headed to hostel to grab our bags before leaving on bus back to Santiago. When we got back, we chilled out with the Ugly Truth and lots of snack food before an early night.
All we had time to do the next day was pack and say goodbyes. It was super sad leaving Julia again but it was so nice seeing her so well settled in Chile. Think that's all for Chile, next update will come post Argentina! Sorry for all the food chat!
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