The Never Ending War with Technology....

4-17-10
Today, I woke up and checked up on my computer. No progress. This is frustrating. Due to that, I went to the computer room in the residencia across the street. There, I checked emails, facebook etc. I got a facebook message from my 11th grade math teacher, Mr. Robertson. Him and his family are moving back to Seattle so we might catch up over the summer which would be cool. After, I left this computer, I tried another scan but alas no change. Whatever is in my computer, is in deep. The pro is that it forces me to be more focused on work. The con is that I need my computer for work coming up. Looks like I will be using one of the computers across the street or in an internet cafe tomorrow to type something up. I read a good portion of the book for literature. After reaching a stopping point, I grabbed some empanadas for lunch. After, I read more before reaching another stopping point.

I walked the four blocks to my hostel here, where the ladies who still remember me told me that if I came on Monday, the guy can look at it. UGH. I tried to download some software to try to solve the problem. But one required my computer to update some stuff which it couldn't due since to make it work, I have to keep my computer in safe mode, but that means no internet. So it looks like I am stuck without my computer until Monday. Booo. The never ending battle with technology continues. 65 days till I am home, 76 until my birthday which means a new and much needed computer. I will continue to read for a bit more before I am going out to meet up with some of my friends from my trip to Mendoza.

So I guess, the best way to reach me is via email at the moment or facebook. :(. Hopefully it can be fixed on Monday.

Mom, I guess for skyping for Nick's birthday tomorrow, email me a time that works and I can either ask one of my friends to borrow their computer for like ten or so minutes or go to a internet cafe.

So it begins...

2-24-10 continue
So I got to the bus station but I was told to get on the wrong bus. So I did until someone came and claimed the seat. Then I had to grab my suitcase and wait for my bus. Luckily this didn't take too long. I rested for a while until a woman came and sat next to me but she was in charge of the blinds which she wanted to see everything. This disrupted some of my sleep. So it was not as easy to sleep on this bus as the one to Mendoza.

2-25-10
I drifted in and out of sleep due to my refusal to do anything. My bus took forever to back to Buenos Aires but it finally did but an hour late. I quickly hopped into a cab and got my hostel. I put down my bags and checked things online. I checked Nikon's website and based on my translation they had told me that there was no point in fixing it. I wanted to double check, so I quickly dashed out the door. I got to the Nikon store where I was told this. So I have to get a new one. But to add insult to injury, they gave me back my camera and lens. It felt like salt on a wound. When I asked why, he never gave me a real reason why. I then headed around the store and asked what their various options.

After getting some prices, I headed to a used camera store that I knew of. I quickly rushed there. Turns out the street it is on, has several different used camera stores. So I went to various ones and find outing my various options and writing them down. So I came back with 5 different options to decide from. I then headed to try to meet my friend Dana to get back my camera from her but I ended up not being able to at that time because she was running errands. I headed back to my hostel. There I emailed my rents and explained the situation. Then I was able to meet with Dana. Then I headed to my hostel. I asked someone who had a camera if I could see if my lens still work and it DID!!!!!!!!!!! I was happy about this. Then I got changed and met up with Desiree. We got sushi at this restaurant that she knows the bartender. We got free shots periodically. It was nice. We talked and had fun. Then we moved to a bar. It was a lot of fun. Then we grew tired and called it a night.

2-26-10
Woke up and got my stuff together. Then I started to move into my residencia and meeting people.

120 Days...

2-20-10
After drifting in and out of sleep on the bus, I woke up around 9 or 10. We got to Mendoza, I am not sure exactly but a little later than expected due to the weather. I grabbed a cab to my hostel. I checked and relaxed. I talked to some of the people in my hostel. I then decided and booked the following schedule; on Sunday evening, I am going horse riding and having BBQ dinner, Monday I am going wine tasting for the afternoon, and on Tuesday, I am going to face my fear and try paragliding.

After doing this, I decided to walk around some of the city. I did this for a while. It is pleasant but I guess I kind of expected more from the possibly second biggest city in the country. It was also werid walking around without my nice camera in hand. I am dealing but its withdrawal for sure. Eventually, after grabbing a bite to eat, I came back. I then relaxed. I read a bit of my book and actually napped off and on for a bit. Then I woke up. I read some more. I met a Canadian chef, who looks a bit like the actress, Carla Gugino, and a Swedish man who looks kind of similar to Matthew McConaughey. We went out of drinks. It was a lot of fun talking about random stuff. Then some Aussies from our hostel joined us. Eventually we headed back. Now I will try to sleep which will be questionable since the hostel is blasting music and people are partying in the lobby, since I think some leave tomorrow. REALLY? Not neccessary.

PS. Read up about the San Pedro Prison in La Paz. Sounds crazy. I plan to read "Marching Powder" eventually.

Oh Tiger...

2-19-10
Since I woke up, I hung out, checked out of my hostel but pretty much relaxed there. I uploaded pictures, watched the Tiger Woods news conference, chilled. I met up with Dana to store my computer there for the time I am gone. Now I am hanging out till 6ish when I head to the bus station for my bus to Mendoza. It is a 14 hr ride. Will write on the other side.

Update of 5:30, I had to get money for a cab. Turns out, it was one of those days of major rain here. I am competely drenched and now waiting for my cab. Had I got money before when I dropped my bag, I could have avoided this. Funny how life turns out.
Ciao

Delicious Mexican Food

2-18-10.
After my night last night, I slept in which was enjoyable. I didn't feel too great in the morning but I managed. I relaxed for a while. Then I went off searching for this used camera store that Stephanie told me about. After many searches and go in a different store I finally found it. The guy was nice. I explained the situation. The guy there was really understanding. They actually had the models of my lens and camera there. I now have several options to work with after next week. I then grabbed food and then headed back to the hostel

There I finished editing photos (minus the ones I can not get off the card yet), so now busy uploading them to my Flickr and probably eventually my Facebook. Then I watched (500) Days of Summer, a wonderful movie that got shorted by the Oscars. Then I relaxed for a while before meeting up with Dana. We walked until we found a really cool, cheap, fun, delicious Mexican food place in the area. We ate great food and talked. Then I walked her a bus area. I said bye.

Currently watching Transformers, while uploading photos, writing my journal and relaxing. Tomorrow I head to Mendoza.

Editing Photos

2-17-10
I woke up and relaxed. I then booked my hostel and bus way to Mendoza wootie woot. I then chilled for a while and had a Skype date with Abbey. I went for a walk around the Botanical gardens where I got chewed alive. Eventually I got tired of being bit so I went to grab food. After, I hung and installed Photoshop on my computer. I finally am in the process of editing and posting photos. I have edited the Chile, Lima and the ones from the way to Machu Picchu.

Eventually, I went out to meet this girl Stephanie. We were getting drinks. I met her on the way to Machu Picchu. Its her head that is in the picture below. She was who I had the joking photo competition with. It was cool to catch up and talk. She has a show opening in a month or so I told her I would check out. She told me about a used camera store to check out so I am going to do that. Then this American woman, named Veronica, from Austin who heard us speak in English. We invited her to join us. She is a designer whose husband is copywriting and doing a job for a week here. We talked about all kinds of stuff like our experiences in South America and our futures. I might have made a potential buyer :). Then she mentioned a restaurant her friend had told her about. So we went there. Ate delicious food, drank great wine, talked about politics, tattoos, parenting and random other stuff. It was a lot of fun. After dinner, we said bye Veronica. Then Stephanie and I got another drink, well too but I mixed them together. Eventually, we said bye till after I get back from Mendoza.

My friend Desiree texted me asking if I wanted to go clubbing. So I changed shirts and met up with her. I took the bus for the first time. The club ended up being closed for Summer unfortunately. So we headed back and then grabbed a drink and talking. It was quite present.
Then I went to bed and crashed.

Barry White Blasting in McDonald´s

2-6-10
I woke up around 9ish or so. I checked emails and relaxed. Finally Michele and Natalia and I headed out. We dropped off some laundry and then headed to breakfast. We chatted about various topics, it was enjoyable. We then tried to go to the market to make some purchases, but it was too rainy. We then took a cab to a bus station. We are planning to go Pisac, a place of ruins, tomorrow and then went to the pharmacy because the girls are a bit under the weather.



On the way back to the hostel, I saw a bookstore I plan to check out this coming week. I read and watched some shows. I continued to relax before having a lovely Skype date with Abbey. It was nice to talk to her. I then got my laundry and some dinner. I ate chicken, rice, fries and noodles. I ate my dinner with Michele. It was nice. I then facebooked and watched the rest of the Harry Potter with some Brits. After that we plan to watch another movie then no idea.



I have decided that I am going to go to Mendoza and maybe Cordoba instead of going to Patagonia. I am doing to save money and since I prob will come to South America another time to see what I won´t see this journey, I will go to Patagonia then. This way, I can go horseriding and other things.

Another late night...

2-4-10


I woke up at ten because I went to bed at 1 after talking and hanging with the Argentines on their last night. I hung out and read for a bit. I then checked things online. My financial advisor at Guilford told me that I have to either try other or medical as my reason for applying off campus. I am currently trying to contact my doctor in Greensboro to sign off on it. He might have to exaggerate. Ugh. I then did some errands like get lunch and get a fake Argentine jersey for tonight.

Back at the hostel, I briefly talked to Abbey and watched the most recent episode of the office. I also looked at plane prices and I am trying to decide between Mendoza and Patagonia. There are pros and cons to both. I then hung out before school and discussed the plan for tomorrow. At the school in the art class, we made drawings that represented the values of the school. Some were really good, others were abstract per say. In the circle, we tried to play a game but the kids were too rowdy that we didn´t. In family time, we tried to the kids to focus. They kept fighting over rolls. The pinata was crazy and the kids fought over the goodies. I then headed to my hostel.

After a while, all of us who were going to the volunteer dinner left. It was a lot of fun. We ate delicious food and laughed at all our costumes. I got to meet a lot of the other volunteers who I had only basically said hi to before. Some went to USC. It was interesting hearing some people´s backgrounds. Some played bananagrams. After a while, we played 7 games of Flip cup that brought us Americans back to college. Then after that we hung out for a bit. Then around 11ish, some of us went to a bar called Bullfrogs because all the money raised was going to the people who lost their homes. After being there for a bit, we went to the club we went to last week. Equally as fun. So crazy. Electronic clubs are so much better than Hip Hop clubs. We all danced and sang and laughed. So much fun. Eventually around 2 something, three British girls and I headed back to the hostel and passed out.

Day 5 continued

I got some money and food for relatively cheap. I think the economy isn't much better here than in Argentina. I came back to my hostel and wrote for a bit. There were two American girls from Florida. When I told them that I go to Guilford, one of them knows someone who I am somewhat acquinted with. The small world theory that defines my life strikes again. They decided to nap, I to shower. After showering, I got up in my bed and starting Michael Crichton's The Lost World. Like Jurassic Park, it has traits of the movie but different prob better in the end. I then drank with the two Floridians some beeer called Cristal that the hostal was having a barbaque for only like 10 dollars max (I am not sure about the exchange rate). We chatted about our various travel plans, and maybe I will meet them somewhere in Argentina. We then moved our drinks outside and talked to one of the chefs of the evening, Sergio. He chatted to us about the conflicts that Chile has been, for example Peru and Bolivia, and how each country saw the conflict. I took some pictures of the intereaction that I will post sometime. He also talked about the election happening on Sunday and the various people running for the high office. Soon a group of Brazilians came and joined us and chatted about soccer. Then a German woman who is traveling around the world (I want to do that and plan it well). It was fun. Eating great food and chatting about travels. I then went to take my medicine for being up in Peru because of the high altitude.
If I dont go to Bolivia, again due to safety issues, maybe I will come back here for a few then bus it to Mendoza and start a trek from Mendoza to Buenos Aires.