the concrete jungle

it's been a while since I've posted anything and I have quite a few pictures of the city- so here they are.. several pictures of the Recoleta and Chacarita Cemeteries. Most of the famous people in Argentina's history are buried in the Recoleta Cemetery and it's pretty impressive... For some reason Argentinos make a big deal out of the day people die instead of when they're born.. holidays for famous people are celebrated on the day they died in Argentina

and I cut my hair.... didn't plan on taking it all off, but the clippers i was using broke

One of the most famous places in BA- Recoleta Cemetery
Some of the big names in Argentina's colorful past are buried here  

Massive protests in Buenos Aires a few nights ago due to recent government changes- the President is trying to swallow up all the local banks by making them transfer their money into the national bank.. This was one of 4 areas where people protested, and the main meeting spot in BA had around 200,000 people. Cities throughout Argentina participated in the event with people meeting in common areas, others laying on their horns while driving, and old ladies banging on pots and pans from the balconies of their houses 

Casa Rosada
The pink house- the White House equivalent, except the President doesn't live there 

La Plata- a few cities south of BA. I was told this is the largest cathedral in South America... pretty cool  

The obelisk is found on the street 9 de Julio... the widest street in the world
There's a saying in BA when someone is boring: "tenés menos onda que el obelisco"or you have a worse vibe than the obelisk

Never ending rows upon rows of mausoleums in the Chacarita Cemetery

Shot taken from the top floor of my school 

The tower given to Argentina from Great Britain once they gained independence

Uruguay ---> Punta Del Este

After a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires you can set foot on Uruguayan soil. From there, it was well worth 5 hours of busing to arrive at Punta Del Este- the place is a collision of yachting and surfing cultures with some of the friendliest people I've ever met. The area is exploding with development and everywhere you turn it's evident that unlike Argentina, outside companies are welcome in Uruguay with businesses including Sea Doo, Trek, Billabong, Volcom, and a giant supermarket called "English Store." One of my teachers summed up Uruguay's economic situation well when she said Uruguay is a country of economic stability in a region of financial turmoil. With the laid back culture and cheap prices nearby the point it was no surprise that an American couple in my hostel was finalizing their purchase of a home during their permanent move to Uruguay. Three things set Uruguay apart from Argentina: Philadelphia Cream Cheese, peanut butter, and being able to receive U.S. dollars from ATMs.   

The best way to travel along miles and miles of beautiful coastline.
The brakes didn't work at all and I hit an elderly lady at one point who was looking in the opposite direction when she stepped out into the street :/  The bike also broke down in between two cities, and some awesome construction workers helped me fix the thing

Pretty realistic looking fingers coming out of the sand at the point of Punta Del Este. The sculpture is called "Los Dedos"

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Casapueblo is one of the those "gotta see sites" close to Punta Del Este. It's at the end of a peninsula and is famous for its unique architecture... perfect spot to watch the sun go down

Prof. Roger

I haven't made up my mind whether my economics professor is completely off his rocker or a pretty smart guy. Anyways, the guy has more quotes than Michael Phelps swims laps. A few weeks ago he was asking everyone where they were from, and finding out I am from CU Boulder he began talking about his supposedly brilliant friend Carlos Felippa who teaches at Boulder. In reference to his friend he said "The Argentinos are very smart when they're alone, the problem is when they're together." I thought it was pretty funny considering how many problems the gov't here in Argentina has.... Prof. Roger is a HUGE critic of the government in Argentina... for good reason. No one wants to hold onto Argentine pesos because of the high inflation rate, foreign investment is almost non-existant in the country, imports are so heavily restricted that doctors have trouble getting basic supplies, and most everyone saves their money abroad because of government seizures of banking accounts in 2001.

anyways, here are some other things Professor Roger has said:
http://bx.businessweek.com/international-business/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F~r%2FRecent-Travel-Blogs-ATOM%2F~3%2FzLZIJ3aSxtU%2Ftpod.html

into the wild

Considered to be one of the most controversial zoos in the world, i knew Lujan wasn't going to disappoint. After only a 2 hr. bus ride from Buenos Aires one can pet literally go in the cage to pet and feed lions and tigers, ride a camel, feed an elephant, and basically do stuff that you can't do anywhere in the U.S. The reason that many people think the zoo is inhumane is because of how relaxed all the predatory animals are..... some say it's because of tranquilizers or relaxants that are given to the animals on a regular basis.... but the zoo keepers insist that the animals are mild-mannered because of the way they're raised

Iguazu Falls

Probably the coolest place I've been so far in Argentina. Iguazu Falls had a tropical, very Costa Rican feel to it. The falls themselves are unbelievable. The main falls form a giant horseshoe of millions of gallons of water falling about 80 meters. After seeing Iguazu Eleanor Roosevelt said "Poor Niagara! This makes Niagara look like a kitchen faucet." 

Paraguay across the river where the sun in going down... picture taken from point 7 on the map above

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 THE MAIN FALLS

Some random mission that had some sort of historical importance