El Otro Hemisferio

Río de Janeiro

2009-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

¿Herbie?

Vacaciones a Perú

2009-02-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

View at night of Lima, Perú from our hotel

Mini Cooper old school!

¡¡MACHU PICCHU!!

360˚ from upper part

Posted: Please do not climb walls. (oops)

I thought the camera didn't look right side up!

Emperor Kuzco?? =)

Profile.

Let's just say you wouldn't want to trip on these steps!

I didn't climb it, but I touched the top!

2009-02-04T05:32:00.000-08:00

Leaving the UAP!

Coldest bath I've ever taken. I will no longer complain about cold water in the shower. I will no longer complain about cold water in the shower. I will no longer complain about cold water in the shower...

Is there a Dustin in there? Not sure...

All I remember from new years...

So here's some mountain we climbed in Ushuaia because we didn't have any $ to do the tourist things. It took us all day Saterday and I couldn't feel my legs the next day. It was a BLAST! ;)

Perito Moreno

(Directly after photo: Stuffed penquin verses real penquin. Innocent tourist wet pants)

How many people have gotten slapped by a penquin!? Oo. Oo. Pick me!

Café. Warmth in the belly.

Glacier water... refreshing.

Freshly made store bought empanadas for lunch! =)

Some of the lush growth down south.

The continuous view on the way back.

¡Navidad! (A little different this year...)

2009-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

This was the one and only Christmas tree that I saw... Decorating trees just isn't a part of their culture here. Neither is leaving cookies for Papa Noel! So I guess that just proves that he grows his huge belly from the food that they leave him up in NORTH America! Hmm...

Misael my roommate with Beby and I on the roof watching fireworks or fuegos artificiales for Navidad! It's quite the sight to see and hear. Untill 12:00am the 25th there's no one on the streets but soon after everyone's done toasting with their non alcoholic Adventist drinks, the streets are PACKED with people shouting and blowing up things... lets just say the fireworks here wouldn't be approved in the states! =) ....¡¡BOOM!!

Gathered with friends from the UAP, we had our own little reenactment of the Christmas story, Argentina style...

Buenos Aires

2008-12-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

Buenos Aires; an enormous somewhat-clean city that never sleeps...

The famous "Caminita" in the Boca of Buenos Aires

The Cafe Tortoni where many famous people go to drink their $20-6oz. cups of caffeine... I had to try it for myself of course!

The only starbucks in Argentina...

We went to an opera called Opera Pampa which displayed the history of Argentina in a very well done interesting style with horses, gauchos and pyrotechnics!

Buenos Aires

2008-12-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

So our hotel is actually the little red one in the reflection! The cozy little 4-star...

The Cavanaugh... made entirely of cement

Azul

2008-11-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

Mi Bicicleta

2008-11-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Caked

2008-11-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Got into a little food fight... con torta.

Rosario

2008-11-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

Monumento a la Bandera

At the Monumento a la Bandera in the center of the city

A few amigos of the choir...

I got to with a friend and accompany one of the choirs on their trip a few weekends ago. They sang at three different little churches in Rosario, so I got three times the blessings AND almost memorized all the songs they sang!

Some of the many high appartment buildings in Rosario

2008-11-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Check this stuff out! A real live hanging vine that you only see in Hollywood or George of the Jungle. In this case... D of the Jungle. It was attached so high up in the tree, the ride lasted forever!
Biggest leaf I've seen... could build a house outa this!
Que turistas, no? What tourists... pretty cool "88" butterfly though.
Una bicho verde. Green little bug I was lucky to spot...

Las mariposas! The butterflies are pretty friendly...
Hey look at the good lookin' group from WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY!! yee-aaw!

¡Las Cataratas de Iguazú!

2008-11-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

Mira, es el grupo mas grande de la historia de ACA! Biggest group of kids in the history of ACA at the UAP!

Here's some of the MANY beautiful falls of Iguazú

This may look inviting, but wouldn't be recommended for swimming...

Amigos

2008-10-17T07:14:00.001-07:00

Cucaracha Grande!! A quick whack with a shoe confirmed this little guy wasn't going to sleep under my pillow!

The only graffiti here is shouting a positive message! Esperanza = Hope

Campamento

2008-10-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Went to camp this weekend 14 kilometres outside of Libertador San Martín (where the Universidad is located) with about a hundred others. The directors took our bags for the weekend in a huge truck straight to the camp and we got to ride our bikes through the country for 9 miles! It was super fun but hot... Like my new bike? =)

I got a little burnt from the super hot sun; kinda forgot el bloque del sol or sunblock. I hear it's an important thing to have especially this close to the equator...

I couldn't help but stop and take a photo of my unusually long shadow!

2008-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Mi amiga buena Bebi. Taking time to stop and smell the roses...

2008-09-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

A little alley way within one of the small streets of Libertador...

2008-09-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

One of the little alleys in Libertador San Martín just a few blocks from the entrance of the Universidad...
A common looking drive way in Libertador

One of the little alleys in Libertador San Martín...

2008-09-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Went to Paraná on Friday and saw many things. The city is fairly big and is full of people. Restaurants on every block and tiny appartments wedged in every place possible... very busy but beautiful.

2008-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Cement telephone poles...

2008-09-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Group of amigos posing under a very pink tree.

2008-09-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Here's one for my dad... I finally found a motorcycle that he has to claim is his! Moto-Mel. Ha.

2008-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

The main gate to la Universidad Adventista del Plata in all its glory.

2008-09-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Me drinking maté which is the drink of Argentina. It's like a strong tea but kinda bitter! They use a cup full of grinded maté and pour hot water on top and drink it through a filtered straw. I'm actually drinking Tereré here which is pretty much the same thing but with cool refreshing juice of your choice instead of hot water. It seems to quench the thirst better on a boiling hot day...

2008-09-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the Día del Estudiante or day of the students and the university held a fiesta or party for all the students. It was super fun, but exhausting. So we snatched up the chance to have our own little ciesta at the casa of an amiga. Left to right: Sheshe, Jason, Gabi, Yo (me), Michael, Erika, y Romina.

2008-09-19T11:43:00.002-07:00

So if I want to play basketball, soccer or just hang out with people, all I have to do is simply walk out the front door of the boys dorm! At nights there are a lot of people just hanging out on the steps and relaxing.

2008-09-19T11:43:00.001-07:00

So here's something probably only a person like me would notice or at least care about; the locks have two sets of pins inside that run on either side of the key instead of one set running on the top of the key. Also, if you feel like twisting the key an extra time, the lock will pop out an extra little bit. Don't ask my what the point is, 'cause a lock's a lock. It took me a quite some time of standing in front of my door twisting the key to figure that one out... pero muy interestante, no? =)

2008-09-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

So far we have had plenty of down time to walk the small streets and orient ourselves a little...

2008-09-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the meetings all the ACA kids had the other day. This is still minus about 20 kids... it's the biggest ACA group in history! I've met about half of them and forgotten about all of their names. Most of the kids are from PUC and a handful are from Walla Walla.

2008-09-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

So, let's just say if your running fast, make sure you look where you're going! Good thing the hospital is next door!

2008-09-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

So the cars here are pretty small... most run on diesel. I want one. =)

2008-09-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mi dormitorio, duermo abajo (here's my huge room. I sleep on the bottom bunk.)

2008-09-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

360˚ view of a part of the campus. Don't ask me which way is north because the shadows fall on the opposite side of the trees down here... gets a little confusing! (Couldn't find the guys dorm the other night...) haha

2008-09-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here's my compañeros y yo! Of course with the crisp gafas del sol (sunglasses.) They are both studying Fisioterapia or Physical Therapy as my dad calls it! Left is Daniel, Me, and Misael. They are Peruvian.

Llegada - Arrival

2008-09-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hola mis familias y amigos! After too much time sitting down I finally arrived to the beautiful campus of the UAP - Universidad Adventista del Plata and greeted by my two very nice roomates who happen to be brothers. Getting settled was a little hard since neither speak any english, but with broken spanish I got to know them pretty well. The campus is pretty diverse; lots of people from all over Sud America as well as Germany and other places. This first week is only orientation and after a placement test, we begin classes next week. Even though in the surrounding village where the "supermarkets" are "super" small, it's still possible to find most everything necessary to survive; although the first have of the pack of ACA kids wiped all the "supermarkets" clean of clothes hangers... Oh, and the other major detail is, there are tons of dogs and pidgins... keep a constant eye on the sky, of course with your mouth shut tight.

In the beginning...

2008-09-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well with just two weeks till departure from the United States, I have yet to pack, buy appropriate clothing, move my belongings from my college dwelling to the folks house, and mentally prepare myself for a year of ESPAÑOL!!