Monday - Estancia and La Colonia

Last Friday I went home from school with a terrible cold..took medicine...used hotpad...and "snap!" all better...thank goodness. Saturday four of us went to the Candalaria Estancia, website: www.estanciacandelaria.com. Absolutely beautiful (would have even been much better if it were in the Spring). We ate a wonderful Parilla (Argentine Bar-B.Que), with all types of meat. We then saw a "gaucho" (famous Argentine cowboy) show of dancing and then gaucho horseplay (literally). It was a great day of fun...We came back home around 7:00P and dropped...to get ready for Sunday.
Sunday, four of us went to La Colonia, a small town in Uruguay. We had to take a 45 minute ferry to get there. It was very interesting and even more interesting to change Argentinian pesos to Uruguayan pesos and then try to figure how much in US dollars I was spending. It was a real test!! I´m not sure I passed! It has been very cold (for here)...in the low 40´s. We got back home around 6:30PM and I spent about 5 hours studying. I didn´t get to sleep last night until around 12:30A, but felt better about my studies today. Tonight, Rachel, the young woman staying at the same residence, and I are going to hear a percussion group. Today is a celebration in Buenos Aires for Eva Peron. There will be some marching and also "fiestas" around the city.

Some more observations of things different than home:

-Black pepper is never served at the table, nor do they have any to give to you.
-Lots of McDonalds and Burger King, Subways
-Can´t find hot soup in most of the restaurants
-Everywhere serves pastries all day...usually under the heading of "cafeteria" along with the different types of coffee and teas.
-Most people eat pastry for breakfast...very few eat eggs. Eggs are usually served in salads.
-All beef has been much tougher than at home. During the drive to the Estancia, several of us came to the conclusion it is the type of grass the cows are eating...it is very coarse. The land is very flat, so the cows don´t have to use their muscles much...it has to be their food!
-There are large pedestrian walkways with vendors in the center of them. People walk both ways on both sides of the vendors...sometimes 4 together cross the walkway, leaving no room for anyone else. No one is in a hurry and it is absolute chaos at 5:00P and later. There are so-o-o-o many people!! At least in NY people are in a hurry so you can get somewhere. Here you have to meander behind mountains of people to get anywhere after 5:00P. Since people don´t usually eat until 10:00P, they are out and about..drinking cafes, etc.

Time is passing quickly. This weekend I am off to Iguazu Falls and will try to see the Brazilian side as well as the Argentine side (if I can pull some strings...you need a VISA to get into Brazil). It is much warmer there and should be absolutely beautiful. I am very much looking forward to it. The following Friday I leave for my 6-day trip to the south of Argentina, near Antarctica..br-r-r-r!! Well, time to run...studying to do before tonight. Luv u all.