My time in Argentina has gone by so quickly and it will be bittersweet to leave this lovely country behind. While I've been here, I have had so many great experiences!Here are a few of my favorite Argentine experiences, but of course, there are so many more that I would recommend.
First of all, when you study abroad, taking side trips is an excellent way to learn more about the country you are living in and those around it. My first trip outside of beautiful Buenos Aires was to Mendoza, a beautiful city near the Andes mountains that border Chile. Mendoza is known as the wine country of Argentina. This was my favorite CEA trip!
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| Aconcagua (the tallest mountain in the Americas) |
My favorite day of our excursion is when we traveled to the Andes! This picture is from a hike that we took with excellent views of the mountains.
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| Bench at a Winery |
One day we had a relaxing picnic at a local winery. The landscapes and scenery in Mendoza are so beautiful!
Earlier this month, a couple of my friends and I decided to go to an Argentine cooking class. We learned how to make empanadas, lentil stew, and alfajores. I'm excited to be able to go home and make these recipes for my family!
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| Empanada Making |
As we worked on cooking, we perfected our empanada wrapping skills and learned the secrets to the most delicious Argentine foods.
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| Fresh Empanadas |
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| Finished alfajores |
One of my favorite foods in Argentina are the alfajores (which I will miss dearly). There are different kinds, including ones dipped in chocolate or meringue. Yum! We learned how to make Maicena alfajores (little cookies filled with dulce de leche and the sides rolled in finely shredded coconut).
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| Drinking Mate |
After we spent an hour or so cooking, we sat down to enjoy our efforts. As we ate our finished alfajores we passed around the mate (pronounced MAH-TAY). The most traditional Argentine beverage. It is an infusion of yerba mate that is shared as a part of a social event.
Annalise Pownall is the Spring 2016 MOJO in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently a senior at Central Washington University.