47 hours between two worlds, two nights in a plane, 10 hours stopover in Atlanta and an awful mixture of feelings later, I am back in Europe.
I could be happy that I am finally home with my friends and my family. I could be sad that I left a country full of colors and adventures.
My last two months brought me to a side of the world that I could never have dreamed of to see.
It all started with the North of Argentina over Paraguay and Brazil. It continued with the Mid- and South-West of Argentina over Chile until the End of the world. And it ended with fantastic days in the Great Lake district in the West of Argentina.
Words cannot describe what I experienced. Pictures cannot show what I saw. But my memory will keep these amazing impressions...forever.
And the only advise I can give you for now: Go and see it yourself!
Right now I am working on a little online- photo presentation which gives a sufficient overview of my semester in Buenos Aires, the life in Argentina and the travel trips through the South of Latin America.
It was the toughest time of my life but it was soooooooooooooo worth it.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Peninsula Valdes
Friday Evening.
Traffic jam on its best in Buenos Aires.
The Bus terminal is filled with thousands of people.
Everybody wants to leave Buenos Aires over the long weekend.
Our bus takes of together with 1500 others.
They go all into different directions.
We go to Peninsula Valdes…
Day 1:
Peninsula Valdes is often called an "open air zoo". It is a unique wildlife sanctuary and an ideal place for close-up watching of whales, penguins, dark dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions, birds and Patagonian land-based species.
Puerto Madryn is the gateway to the peninsula and the place where all organized tours start from.
Katie and I arrived at 13:00. After 30 rejections we still did not have a hotel or hostel. Call it luck or fate but we got the last two beds in any hostel in or close to Puerto Madryn;)
Having still half a day of beautiful weather ahead, we decided to rent some bikes and do a little and relaxing tour to one of the sea lion colonies which were just 17km away from Puerto Madryn.
Let’s just say that our sportive condition was the smallest problem. The road which was more an unpaved, dirty and dusty and hilly path eventually made Katie conclude: “This was one of our best and worst ideas of the trip”.
However it was defiantly worth it :)
Puerto Madryn beach
Katie, still happy ...
Dust, Dirty, Heat....
Sea lion colony
Kati and the sea lions ;)
Our bikes
Day 2:
Wales, 10 m from the cost
Playing wale
Traffic jam on its best in Buenos Aires.
The Bus terminal is filled with thousands of people.
Everybody wants to leave Buenos Aires over the long weekend.
Our bus takes of together with 1500 others.
They go all into different directions.
We go to Peninsula Valdes…
Day 1:
Peninsula Valdes is often called an "open air zoo". It is a unique wildlife sanctuary and an ideal place for close-up watching of whales, penguins, dark dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions, birds and Patagonian land-based species.
Puerto Madryn is the gateway to the peninsula and the place where all organized tours start from.
Katie and I arrived at 13:00. After 30 rejections we still did not have a hotel or hostel. Call it luck or fate but we got the last two beds in any hostel in or close to Puerto Madryn;)
Having still half a day of beautiful weather ahead, we decided to rent some bikes and do a little and relaxing tour to one of the sea lion colonies which were just 17km away from Puerto Madryn.
Let’s just say that our sportive condition was the smallest problem. The road which was more an unpaved, dirty and dusty and hilly path eventually made Katie conclude: “This was one of our best and worst ideas of the trip”.
However it was defiantly worth it :)
Puerto Madryn beach
Katie, still happy ...
Dust, Dirty, Heat....
Sea lion colony
Kati and the sea lions ;)
Our bikes
Day 2:
I do not need to explain a lot when it comes to the one- day trip around the Peninsula Valdes. The only thing I want to say is that I still hold my breath every time I remember the awesome moments on the peninsula.
Pinguines :D
Kati and the sea elephants
Wales, 10 m from the cost
Playing wale
Kati and Katie on the boat tour
Wale spotted ;)
Day 3:
Pinguin colony
Lamas and pinguines living together
like a cat :D
Kati, the Animal Planet fan & new pinguin fan
Wale spotted ;)
Day 3:
The last day of our trip was dedicated to Latin America’s biggest penguin colony with over half a million penguins. Again, pictures say more than words but I still have to make one short remark. Long live PINGUINS….my favorite animals right after cats…or should I say my favorite kind of little people :D
Pinguin colony
Lamas and pinguines living together
like a cat :D
Kati, the Animal Planet fan & new pinguin fan
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Call me...
...intelligent or a smart ass but I am definitely a statistics genius. Yeah, you heard it right...the math world did not give up on me and appreciated my hard work;) with a 7 out of 10 points for my Statistics/ Operation Management exam.
And life becomes even sweeter. Tomorrow I will reward myself with some serious shopping. Nathalie and I have a intensive retail marathon ahead.
And it gets even cooler. Katie and I gonna go to the Peninsula Valdes the upcoming weekend. This amazing place is well- known for its whale season, right now. Besides, there are some huge penguin and sea lion colonies.
Guys, I am so excited that the fact that I already received 25 refusals on my request for a sleeping place in a hotel, almost doesn't matter to me ;)
The only thing I know, this is gonna be an adventure!!!
And life becomes even sweeter. Tomorrow I will reward myself with some serious shopping. Nathalie and I have a intensive retail marathon ahead.
And it gets even cooler. Katie and I gonna go to the Peninsula Valdes the upcoming weekend. This amazing place is well- known for its whale season, right now. Besides, there are some huge penguin and sea lion colonies.
Guys, I am so excited that the fact that I already received 25 refusals on my request for a sleeping place in a hotel, almost doesn't matter to me ;)
The only thing I know, this is gonna be an adventure!!!
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Back to life
FINALLY after some crazy days of pure studying I am back to life and it feels gooooooooooood.
Friday evening my exams were written, my study period was done and I could eventually look forward to a chill weekend.
Buenos Aires even showed its best side with a lot of sunshine and such an amazing spring weather. Yes folks, you hear it right....SPRING ....and I still need to get used to the Chrismas adds that ones in a while pop up somewhere in the city.
Eventhough Buenos Aires might be very dusty, dirty, stinky and filled with smog there are some nice green areas in town. Some botanical gardens where you feel like being in another world though still hearing the noice from the cars and little motorcycles. Just a little green island, Katie and I, two Sandwiches and a bottle of wine, a book to read and dozends of cats around us...we felt like in paradies :)
Independencia...my street:)
There is one person who is more crazy about cats than I am....KATIE
American way of opening a bottle of wine:)
Yes, it's me and 4 cats...can you see them ;)
Previous weekend some guys from my university organized a "Gangsta Party" where we had to come dressed as, yes right, gangstas. And can you imagine me as a gangster...no?! Well, then just wait for the pics which I gonna put on here soon;)
Friday evening my exams were written, my study period was done and I could eventually look forward to a chill weekend.
Buenos Aires even showed its best side with a lot of sunshine and such an amazing spring weather. Yes folks, you hear it right....SPRING ....and I still need to get used to the Chrismas adds that ones in a while pop up somewhere in the city.
Eventhough Buenos Aires might be very dusty, dirty, stinky and filled with smog there are some nice green areas in town. Some botanical gardens where you feel like being in another world though still hearing the noice from the cars and little motorcycles. Just a little green island, Katie and I, two Sandwiches and a bottle of wine, a book to read and dozends of cats around us...we felt like in paradies :)
Independencia...my street:)
There is one person who is more crazy about cats than I am....KATIE
American way of opening a bottle of wine:)
Yes, it's me and 4 cats...can you see them ;)
Previous weekend some guys from my university organized a "Gangsta Party" where we had to come dressed as, yes right, gangstas. And can you imagine me as a gangster...no?! Well, then just wait for the pics which I gonna put on here soon;)
Monday, October 01, 2007
lieber nah als fern
It's picture time again:)
Since my cousins and aunt took "some" pictures as well, we downloaded them all, in total 3100, on my laptop. So now, you can check out some poeple pics...not just the boring landscape ones;).
The area infront of me is ought to be a torrential river but it was completly dry...
My friend the donkey. Later on he got really pissed because I did not want to give it one of my cookies. As a result, it started biting the window and kick out at Bastel when he tried to get it from the car :D
The fantastic 4 :D
The boyz and I
However, now I am home alone again. My family left last weekend and from then on I hardly did anything else than studying:(
Can you imagine me sitting inside while outside the sun is heating up the air up to 30°C and the people on the street enjoy this wonderful weather. Well, yes I did. At least I tried except for the moment when I took this picture.
Kati above the roofs of Buenos Aires trying to study while outside the Tango music is playing and the smell of popcorn and steak is tickling my nose.
Yes, I really like Buenos Aires but I have to admit that I am also very happy to come back to good old Europe, to my family and my friends.
Being far away gives you the opportunity to experience new things, to get to know new people, to travel and see the world from another perspective.
However being home makes you feel comfortable and save. See you soon guys. I miss you all:)
Every journey has two heights: the one when you go out, adventuresome and full of expectations- and the other one when you come home, saturated from the impressions and of pleasant anticipation of your home. (Heinrich Spoer)
Since my cousins and aunt took "some" pictures as well, we downloaded them all, in total 3100, on my laptop. So now, you can check out some poeple pics...not just the boring landscape ones;).
The area infront of me is ought to be a torrential river but it was completly dry...
My friend the donkey. Later on he got really pissed because I did not want to give it one of my cookies. As a result, it started biting the window and kick out at Bastel when he tried to get it from the car :D
The fantastic 4 :D
The boyz and I
However, now I am home alone again. My family left last weekend and from then on I hardly did anything else than studying:(
Can you imagine me sitting inside while outside the sun is heating up the air up to 30°C and the people on the street enjoy this wonderful weather. Well, yes I did. At least I tried except for the moment when I took this picture.
Kati above the roofs of Buenos Aires trying to study while outside the Tango music is playing and the smell of popcorn and steak is tickling my nose.
Yes, I really like Buenos Aires but I have to admit that I am also very happy to come back to good old Europe, to my family and my friends.
Being far away gives you the opportunity to experience new things, to get to know new people, to travel and see the world from another perspective.
However being home makes you feel comfortable and save. See you soon guys. I miss you all:)
Every journey has two heights: the one when you go out, adventuresome and full of expectations- and the other one when you come home, saturated from the impressions and of pleasant anticipation of your home. (Heinrich Spoer)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Fin del mundo
4, 5 days and 2600 km later, I am back from trip to the Northwest. Exhausted and tired but full of awesome impressions and unforgettable pictures.
On Sunday my part of the journey was finished whereas my cousins plus aunt continued their adventure tour to the tropical Iguazu Falls in the Northeast of Argentina.
I had to get back home to study for my exams which come up at the end of this and next week. As a result, my life is not filled with excitement right now:D
And until my friend Arnd is going to explain me how to set up a photo slide show, you have to get along with the usual picture presentation:)
Panorama pic (click to enlarge)
Sunset (click to enlarge)
Tucuman, starting and ending point of our trip
Check out the wild horses on the right corner (click to enlarge)
Wild horses...unfortunately they run away from me;)
Welcome to the wildness...a horse skull
Everywhere cacti like trees in Germany
No people, no noise....
just a gaucho on his horse:)
Ruins of Quilmes and my jumping-excited cousin;)
130 km of Moon-landscape and this dusty road.
After 2h the sand was everywhere in our car,
even in the luggage and my hair felt like straw;)
A mirrow-play somewhere in no-where
Purmamarca
Cemetery
The Grand Canyon of Argentina...well the Argentinian are
know for extreme exaggeration:D
Echo...echoechoecho
Kati
Do you see the cat on the right side, the big stone one;)
On Sunday my part of the journey was finished whereas my cousins plus aunt continued their adventure tour to the tropical Iguazu Falls in the Northeast of Argentina.
I had to get back home to study for my exams which come up at the end of this and next week. As a result, my life is not filled with excitement right now:D
And until my friend Arnd is going to explain me how to set up a photo slide show, you have to get along with the usual picture presentation:)
Panorama pic (click to enlarge)
Sunset (click to enlarge)
Tucuman, starting and ending point of our trip
Check out the wild horses on the right corner (click to enlarge)
Wild horses...unfortunately they run away from me;)
Welcome to the wildness...a horse skull
Everywhere cacti like trees in Germany
No people, no noise....
just a gaucho on his horse:)
Ruins of Quilmes and my jumping-excited cousin;)
130 km of Moon-landscape and this dusty road.
After 2h the sand was everywhere in our car,
even in the luggage and my hair felt like straw;)
A mirrow-play somewhere in no-where
Purmamarca
Cemetery
The Grand Canyon of Argentina...well the Argentinian are
know for extreme exaggeration:D
Echo...echoechoecho
Kati
Do you see the cat on the right side, the big stone one;)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Germany visits Argentina
I am so exited. Right now, I am waiting for my cousins and aunt to arrive in Buenos Aires. With a 3 hour delay and me waiting at the airport, I can hardly wait anymore for them to land on Argentinean ground;)
They will be my first visitors out of three who decided to pack their things together, get on a plane and join me on my Argentina journey:)
Of course, the "Three" do not want to stay in BA the whole time. Therefore we will start a little travel trip on Monday probably heading to the north-west of Argentina hitting the boarders of Bolivia and Chile.
So, you can expect a lot of wonderful pics on my next blog and hopefully some very exciting stories.
Unfortunately I can just join them for 1 week since I have my first exams already in 2 weeks. And as you might imagine, I should study a bit because my Spanish certainly does not reach the level of easily writing an exam...YET :D
Okay folks, have a nice weekend. Greetings from the Airport;)
They will be my first visitors out of three who decided to pack their things together, get on a plane and join me on my Argentina journey:)
Of course, the "Three" do not want to stay in BA the whole time. Therefore we will start a little travel trip on Monday probably heading to the north-west of Argentina hitting the boarders of Bolivia and Chile.
So, you can expect a lot of wonderful pics on my next blog and hopefully some very exciting stories.
Unfortunately I can just join them for 1 week since I have my first exams already in 2 weeks. And as you might imagine, I should study a bit because my Spanish certainly does not reach the level of easily writing an exam...YET :D
Okay folks, have a nice weekend. Greetings from the Airport;)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Daily Life
I am finally back and I am sorry it took me a while but there had been a lot of things going on meanwhile.
I eventually moved...already 2,5 weeks ago...The apartment is perfect if we exclude the fact that our internet is still not working. Yes, the "I-don’t-have-internet" virus even reached me in Argentina (link to my German friends:) but my roommate and I working on the problem.
Actually, I did not make to many pictures the previous week. Violence and robbery are increasing in Buenos Aires. In times of the lowest employment rate since a very very long time and upcoming elections in October it seems like the country gets nervous.
Many have my friends had been robbed or at least had been tried to be robbed including myself. During the day you can still walk alone on the street but just in certain districts. At night you do not seem to be save anywhere especially if you are a woman and from abroad.
Therefore I just take my camera with me when I am on tour with a bigger group.However below you can see some pics from the view of my new apartment and some social activities;)
View from the living rooms balcony (click on the big to enlarge it)
Argentinan Parilla with Steak, Chicken, kidney, black pudding and organs...
And if I am just sick of meat...my friends cook for me
}
I eventually moved...already 2,5 weeks ago...The apartment is perfect if we exclude the fact that our internet is still not working. Yes, the "I-don’t-have-internet" virus even reached me in Argentina (link to my German friends:) but my roommate and I working on the problem.
Actually, I did not make to many pictures the previous week. Violence and robbery are increasing in Buenos Aires. In times of the lowest employment rate since a very very long time and upcoming elections in October it seems like the country gets nervous.
Many have my friends had been robbed or at least had been tried to be robbed including myself. During the day you can still walk alone on the street but just in certain districts. At night you do not seem to be save anywhere especially if you are a woman and from abroad.
Therefore I just take my camera with me when I am on tour with a bigger group.However below you can see some pics from the view of my new apartment and some social activities;)
View from the living rooms balcony (click on the big to enlarge it)
View from the balcony right before sunset
Ontour;) Kate (my roommates friend from the USA who came for a visit), Katie (my apartmentbuddy;) and Claudia (a Germabn friend of mine)
Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires
Gaucho market outside of Buenos Aires
Gaucho market: Kyle from Australia
Typical Gaucho
Argentinan Parilla with Steak, Chicken, kidney, black pudding and organs...
And if I am just sick of meat...my friends cook for me
Markus from Finnland helped Jeiro from Mexico preparing the food.....yaaaaammmyyyy
And here cooked Markus some Finish food...also very yammy
}Claudia, Arnd ( I am taking private Spanish classes with hime 3-4 times a week) and I ;)
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