Well you guys, my study abroad experience in Buenos Aires is slowly trickling to its end. I have two more mere weeks here. So now I want to write a post about the excursions I went on with CEA, during my study abroad experience in Argentina.
I went on three big excursions with CEA: Iguazú Falls, the Estancia Rosada (ranch) in Lujan, and Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.
Iguazú Falls:
Iguazú Falls are one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and they are located at Misiones province of Argentina. We were there for three days. The first day we went to the Güiraoga animal reserve to see the native animals of the falls. After that we saw the Wanda mines and all of their exquisite stones. Saturday we went to the Parque Nacional Cataratas del Iguazú (Iguazú Falls National Park) and Sunday we went to tour Aldea guaraní M’Borore, a Guarani native community that invites people to learn their history. The Guarani are one of the original communities of Argentina.
My favorite part of this first excursion was the waterfalls. Iguazú falls have about 275 waterfalls and the park is split in half. There is an Argentine side and a Brazilian side. We stayed on the Argentine side, because you need a visa to get to the Brazilian side. The park sight on the Argentine side with one of the pretties views is called La garganta del Diablo. The whole time we were there the province was raining and freezing cold, but some of us still went on the optional boat ride under two of the waterfalls. This was a spectacular experience with another breathtaking view!
I sadly lost a lot of my Iguazú photos. Here are two photo that my friends took:
Estancia Rosada:
The ranch was a relaxing experience at a town about two hours outside of Buenos Aires. We ate lunch and during lunch enjoyed a performance that included folk singing and dancing. After this, we watched a gaucho show. A gaucho is an Argentine cowboy. The trip was a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the big city coupled with a great asado (barbeque). It also reminded me of home, since I am a Texan and so there are literally horses around almost every corner.
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay:
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay' is an hour by rapid boat away. The old part of town is like a snapshot in time. It is filled with tranquil shops, cobblestone roads, and surrounded by a beautiful beach. We spent our time here taking a tour of the town and then were given free time to explore. Many of my friends went swimming, but because I like to shop, one of my friends and I walked around and checked out many of the local shops. We also went to the top of the Faro (lighthouse) and saw a wonderful view of the city. A cool thing about this town is that you can pay for things in dollars, Argentine pesos or Uruguayan pesos.
I thoroughly enjoyed the excursions I got to go on with CEA! They helped me not only learn and explore Buenos Aires but around other parts of Argentina and another country as well!
- Chau Chau
Maya Sykes is the Fall 2013 CEA MOJO in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently a junior at the University of Oklahoma.