December 21, 2010

homemade oreos.

yum. yum. yum.

ive been eyeing this recipe for quite sometime now and today was just the type of day for baking. the recipe is from one of my favorite cooking blogs, smitten kitchen. this blog is great because it separates recipes by season so its a great match for our garden! although i got the recipe from smitten kitchen, i first saw it on another of my daily reads, cupcakes and cashmere. emily the blogger is great and she went to scripps college down south which i just find so fun and cool cause my bff jen goes there and i somehow feel like she's connected to me (even though she is totally not). she posts great recipes, hostess ideas, shopping finds, decorating tips, fashion updates, and most of all i love her 'friday five thing' where she posts on the things she thankful for/ things that are making her happy that week. great idea i think!

well anyway now that i have completely detoured you from my original blog title... back to homemade oreos! they are so cute and fun (super easy too)! a perfect little gift or hostess gift im thinking... well anyway here they are and i love them!
p.s. dunk em' in milk:)

December 15, 2010

the last few weeks...

heres the last few weeks... in pictures!
all things holiday.
christmas parade.
brandon's graduation.
all types of parties.
time with friends.
family gatherings.
everything.
sooooooo fun:)
hope your holiday season is in full swing and super fun so far!
i know im so excited for christmas eve and morning:)
looking forward to a rainy week too!

November 22, 2010

week of thanks

happy almost thanksgiving day!

im grateful for many things these days.
some of them being...

1. my sister is coming home wednesday
2. hanging out with mom, dad, and home-cooked food starting tomorrow
3. my soon-to-be pt brandon
4. all of my hilarious roomies
5. the almost wintery weather- bring on the cold
6. high school girlfriend reunion this week
7. new neighbor friends that are the best
8. homey fireplace, pumpkin, and christmasy smells everywhere
9. my beautiful camera
10. a new homework hideaway-kreuzberg book bar and coffee lounge in slo
11. christmas right around the corner
12. the return of the peppermint mocha

just to name a few...
what are you grateful for? big or little? past or present?

October 20, 2010

i run to be.

i successfully completely the Nike Womens Half Marathon! wooo!

alright so i ran about 5 miles and walked about 8 miles of it. i didnt train really and i had a double ear infection, so im happy with my results:) and i got my pretty tiffany's necklace from a sf fireman!

inspired to actually train and run one... maybe the disneyland half marathon in august 2011? sounds fun!

$3.45

today money brought me happiness...
in the form of a medium iced nonfat vanilla latte from black horse

its was a lifesaver, let me tell you.
honestly, doesn't coffee make the world go round? (starting to sound like an addict, maybe?)

(best picture ever brought to you by google. thanks googs!)

October 13, 2010

mo' beta

today my sweet boyfriend brought me a bottle of mo' beta to make me feel better.

i arrived home from a long, sick, overwhelming day to bunches of yummy homemade snacks. thanks b!

im sure ill feel mo' beta asap:)

October 11, 2010

i love fall.

its officially FALL... despite the crazy changes of hot-warm-rainy-cold weather. and I LOVE FALL! besides 'the most wonderful time of the year', fall is definitely my favorite.
stealing away a few minutes from microbiology studying to blog... huge week of midterms with the added plus of an annoying little cold. nothing that a little coffee/tea/fall soup cant fix:)

a little assortment of all thing fall that i am loving!
roasted red pepper and white bean soup from a new find (i love this blog!) so many great recipes on the blog but im going to have to start with this one especially because dad/mom brought by the last of the summer sweet and bell peppers (and eggplant-WOO).
how about the soup with a big slab of this deliciousness that i have waiting in my cabinet! a favorite TJ's find that pops out in stores in the fall.
who can forget the return of the pumpkin spice latte!?!?
drooling over/wishing i had one of these at the apt... maybe ill have to steal it from home. you know how much i love to cuddle up with blankets with tea/coffee/hot cocoa during the fall/winter.

as for these two lovely fall scarfs... i think i may need to add an "eternity" scarf to my fall wardrobe (you know the kind thats like a circle that just wraps a few times)!
and recently ive had a little annoying cold and have turned to my favorite tea brand... this time for a honey vanilla for the throat.

OHH! and did i mention we have pumpkins waiting to be carved after the crazyness of midterms round one. i smell TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS in my future!!!

just a few reasons to be happy about the fall season. more to come!

October 4, 2010

dr. weipert in the making

guess who got their first call for an interview for grad school today... thats right! brandon- that amazing, handsome, smart, supportive, hardworking best friend of mine!!! asuza pacific physical therapy program! pediatrics! his favorite school!

i couldn't be a more proud girlfriend:) i always knew this day would come and can't wait until the official day of "dr. weipert, dpt"!

good luck and congrats b! we all know you don't need the luck but well send it anyways and i truly believe that apu would be a better place for having such an amazing person in their program:)

September 26, 2010

links to my life

soooo busy these days.
school started... aka microbiology and senior project have just begun.
work is is full swing... three nights a week at least.
senior year... completing everything so i can be a "college grad'= scary.
looking beyond cal poly... internships, grad school, etc.
in other words...im using most hours of the day, everyday.

a few links to give you a preview of my life as of right now...

gennaros restaurant

senior project with the STRIDE Center (leading up the 'Flash' Study with a few other seniors)

highly considering applying for a ChildLife Internship next summer at UCSF or Oakland Children's

my ideal grad program (from all of the ones that i know of so far)... ucsf=heaven

half-marathon that i will be jogging/walking on october 17th...

that should give you a bit of a taste...

goodnight my friends... a BIG week lies ahead:)


September 12, 2010

sunny, sunny sunday

a sunny, sunny sunday.
complete with a trip to big sky for breakfast with the padres.
some outdoor lunchy time with brandon.
an afternoon stroll on the 'bob jones trail'.
reunion of 1144 walnut street tonight.
and no work, no babysitting, no nothing.

ahhh sunday!

September 8, 2010

work.

okay so i have been m-i-a recently.
working mornings until afternoon babysitting
and afternoons until nights at 'gennaros garden and grill restaurant'.
my new place of work that i loveeeee...
please come visit me and enjoy the most amazing food.
no seriously its amazing.
i promise.
(try the mancheco salad, creme brulee, gennaros risotto, halibut,
sparkling lemon mojito, and layered vegetable lasagna... oh gosh)

but really...
ive had no time unfortunately to cook, craft, hike, kayak, explore, etc.
so nothing too exciting to post these days.
but im loving the work and all of my little babysitties!

only a bit longer of this crazyiness and then ill be back!
see you then!
goodnight my friends:)

August 29, 2010

missin' you

missing you BA and missing my BAer's even more!
wish i was back there with you all!
mwahhh from san luis obispo!
excited about my new google-picasa photo editor thingy too.
still tryng to figure it out but its pretty fun:)

August 25, 2010

happy.

wait til you see my...

ribs... ohhhhhh!
yummy, yummy barbecued pork ribs with maple rub! i highly suggest giving them a try. they are more like a dessert than a meat. oh well:)

this sunny weather has me living the 'summer' life these past few days.
cooking yummies with fans to cool the kitchen.
cold rootbeer floats.
movie evenings from the hot tub.
barbecued ribs.
lazy beach days.
icy lemonade and margaritas.
fish tacos.
crisp cantaloupe and juicy tomatoes from the garden.
im sensing a theme? are you? food?
gotta love summer!

August 23, 2010

all things material

alright, so to start it off, i am by far one of the most "un-instyle" people and have no say in what is cool and hipster but i can pretend i know what i am talking about every once in a while. so i actually compiled a few of my favorite "totally cute and fun parts of outfits that i like these days." and let me tell you, there gonna be all the rage next week (not).

"otk boots" as they are called these days.
'wanted dubai' from piperlime.com
ill admit that i already bought this... woops.
oldnavy.com
simple wrap leather watch, lamercollections.com
okay i have these too, but i love them and "feminine detail" is apparently all the rave
'maine-iac mauve'... l-0-v-e!
'hive and honey'- green cluster necklace that i need, yea?
$8.00 from target!!!

okay well im sleepy and my uploader is quite slow.
but these are fun.
enjoy:)

what are you liking these days?

August 21, 2010

beautifully wed

incredibly beautiful. perfectly planned. deliciously exquisite. simply extraordinary. blissfully happy.

just plain perfect!

the wedding was at the brides families insanely beautiful tuscun mansion. im talking "central coast magazine" front cover with the most beautiful bride i have ever seen. best hair, dress, make-up, smile, everythinggggg. the ceremony was in the front yard, cocktail hour in the backyard around the pool area, and dinner in a magnificently large tent that turned a horse arena into a picture perfect restaurant, night club, and party area !

one of the best parts of the whole wedding was reuniting with over 20 of my classmates and friends from preschool and elementary school. the bride was the oldest of the graduates of MCS (my elementary school) and the group of families and "children" had a blast dancing, catching up, drinking, and sharing memories. ohhh montessori!

congrats bianca and andrew! im so happy for you!

August 20, 2010

slacker status

if its any consolation seven keys on my keyboard are broken and i can barely type. i know bad excuse... i got in bed last night, rolled over, sighed, and "c-r-a-p i didn't blog" popped out of my mouth.

terrrrrrible!

well looking forward, here's what the weekend has in store:
::: a 2 and 3 mile run (training for the nike women's marathon see "october 17th)
::: brick laying in the almost done, super cool, chapel looking, beautiful greenhouse
::: date with the lover boy
::: send off of the parents to v-e-g-a-s for dad's 50th birthday... old geezer ha
::: bit of back to school bargain shopping
::: make a few veggie recipes and a camera strap cover for my baby "tamara the camera"
::: movie with the extended fam and maybe seeing the roomies if they are back in town

as for tomorrow... a much more exciting blog. we went to a wedding tonight and it was soooo fun and beautiful. its very much "blog worthy" and hopefully a few of my pictures came out well!

August 18, 2010

show-off

ive learned that sometimes its okay to brag...

like when you grow the most beautiful green, yellow, and rattlesnake beans...
or when your flowers look like the picture on the front of the seed packet...
maybe when you produce the best edamame you've ever had on your first try...
maybe when your peaches are so juicy, ripe, and pretty that three is absolutely not enough...
or when "sunset" magazine could come and take a picture of your ridiculously straight rows and garden patches...
and maybe when you have imagined and created a greenhouse with such precision that not a 1/4'' is off...

ive learned that its definitely bragging material when your dad did all of this.
great job dad.
i surely do love our garden and all of its goodies!

"they say"

... it takes 21 days to create a habit.

well lets see.

1 post.
everyday.
{short or long - pictures or words}
for 21 days.
not that bad, right?

i want to be a "legit" blogger and i think this may be a step in the right direction.

August 6, 2010

home sweet home

im back in slo and loving the weather! missing BA and my new BA family very much but glad to see my family and friends! i will admit that i would go back in a heartbeat... i love that city and country sooo much!

reasons why i am loving being home...
-fruits and veggies. especially since our garden is FULL of ripe and beautiful goods!
-BRANDON!!! i love that guy!
-warm weather aka flip flops, beach, and outdoor time
-family and friend time
-clean air and green mountains... ahh san luis obispo
-my bed, car, and own room- luxury at its finest
-wednesday night farmers market dinners
-being able to wear clean clothes everyday
-holding my purse on my back and not worrying about theft
-quietness... ahhhh love

reasons why i am missing BA...
-my BA family and the fourth floor hangout
-pubcrawl nights and dancing all night
-tripod
-old beautiful buildings
-waking up, picking a destination, and exploring that new part of the city
-casancreme, medialunas, cafe con leche, argentine steak, queso!!!
-never knowing what tomorrow will bring
-meeting the locals and taking taxis
-trying to speak spanish
-taking pictures
-finding little cafes and scoping out the local spots
-sleeping at the most random times of the day

and so much more but you get the idea. im going to put up the last assortment of pictures on gallery.mac.com/epalm25 today so head over and check them out!

July 30, 2010

happy anniversary love!

its been three years today:)
happy anniversary brandon!
i cant wait to be back with you next week:)
im so lucky and so happy to have you as my best friend:)
i love you so much!

July 28, 2010

winding down?

as the weeks fly by im starting to wind up, if you can believe it. the closer i am to going home, the more things my friends and i have been packing into the days and the less sleep i seem to be getting. don't get me wrong... its been soooo fun and itll be bitter sweet to head home next week.

sunday our entire program of people took a trip to colonia, uruguay for a historical tour around the portuguese port settlement. we traveled by ferry boat, had a great uruguayan meal, walked around the port listening to a tour guide explain all of the history behind immigration in the south american countries. im not gonna lie... not really my favorite day and the eight degrees celsius and rain really didn't help that much either but it was fun none-the-less.

monday we had a great history, preparation, and tasting class on the traditional mate that is everywhere (literally everywhere) in BA and argentina for that matter. it was really cool and some of the most interesting info that ive learned about the culture thus far. i dont know if you have read the book "three cups of tea" but the traditions of sharing mate in argentina are similar and the argentines believe in different ways of serving and preparing the mate based on spiritual, emotional, and often relational ideals. it was really interesting and i love mate so that helped too:)

la bomba del tiempo! on monday we went to a percussion concert and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! there were 12 members and special guests and they played their drums and we danced for two and a half hours straight. everyone in the croud was crazy, sweaty, and rocking out to all different kinds of drums and percussion insturments. so fun. and to top it off it was a this really interesting and weird cultural center outdoor/indoor venue thing. one of the top cultural adventures of the trip thus far.

despedida time! its despedida time, aka its "a great reason to get a bunch of people together for dinner and drinks and go out to a bar or apartment and have a bunch of fun before someone leaves the program to go back home" time. since our school program ends on friday many of my friends are headed back to their homes friday or saturday and so we have been savoring the last few days together. oh so fun but ill be glad to get in bed at a decent time tonight!

oh and that thing called spanish class, that little reason why i signed up for this program... yea about that... well i have finals tomorrow and friday. an oral and a written. shouldnt be to bad but i bought myself a nice array of my favorite argentine snacks and ill be studying tonight.

again, i hope we chat more about my adventures and great stories when i return. talk to you soon and until then buen suerte!!!

p.s. i cant wait to see you brandon and roomies!!!

July 24, 2010

prayers for poverty

buenos aires is your typical big city. taxis everywhere, chain restaurants, periodical stands, rushing business men, towering skyscrapers, overflowing garbage cans, packed apartments, and poverty. it is rare that you pass by a block in BA without trash, graphitii, transients, families cooking meals over small fires, porn flyers, broken sidewalks, or dirty people trying to sell you a little bag of tissues for one peso. you are bound to be a witness to poverty in buenos aires.

despite the extreme poverty, the aura of argentina is bold and alive. everywhere you go argentines are proud to be argentinean. people value their dirty, old sweater or their little trinket that they just found on the street corner or that their team just won another game in the world cup. its a strange thing to see for someone that has grown up in a clean, wealthy, safe, and plentiful environment, and a small town none-the-less. people here beg because they don't have a shoe, they are literally homeless with no where to go, they lack a bottle of water or piece of bread, and sleep on a dirty, wet step somewhere different each night; but when you give them 50 centos (equivalent to about 15 cents in the states) they thank you for 3 minutes and give you blessings. its an entirely different world here.

i have seen extreme poverty in rural mexico and peru. i have helped build houses, brought supplies, picked and washed vegetables, served food, and helped children in third world countries, but never have i seen this type of poverty. there is no where to begin and so much to do. it is different than taking cooking equipment to an orphanage in rural peru where there was no knowledge of computers, college, heating/air conditioning, or toothpaste. bringing new knives and pots/pans changed their lives drastically. but here, where inequality is incredibly prevalent, the differences are much more pronounce. and for that i ask your prayers and thoughts this week.

i have some particulary extreme cases that i have come across this trip...
- the man with the eye ulsers: their is a man that stands across the street from my residence everyday. his "job" is to flag down taxis, put peoples bags and such in the trunk, and open/close doors. he works solely for the few centos that people give him when he does these tasks. and he is probably paid every 5 taxis. in a days time he probably makes close to 15 or 20 pesos, about 5 dollars. he has a gigantic visual protrusion from his eyeball that is fairly disgusting to put it nicely. and for this many people don't want to give him money at the risk of touching his hand. this is his life as i have seen it the past three weeks.

- brandon: brandon is the eleven year old boy that i help at the afterschool program. he "lives" with his brother and father and "attends" the local public school. last week he was caught smoking cigarettes with a group of older adolescents and risked being terminated from the afterschool program because of drug use. his mother fled their apartment because of abuse a few years ago, and his father and brother are addicted to drugs. he barely reads spanish and his vocabulary when writing is limited to that of maybe an eight year old. when i asked him what english he knew from school, he responded "go sit outside" because that is the only thing he has heard from his teacher. he is verbally and physically inappropriate at times. despite all of these things he makes the entire room laugh. i told him that my boyfriends name was brandon too and since then he takes me by the arm and says "es mi novia" (this is my girlfriend). he is hilarious and enthusiastic.

- the people of constitucion: this area of town is one of extreme poverty and at times very unsafe. as a foreign student we were told that we are not allowed to go there ever, and all of us have adhered to that to the fullest. it is on the very far side of of the city and accessible by subte (subway) only because it is a bit outside of BA. contitucion's subways is known as the drug nucleus, the plaza is the center for prostitution and addicts, and petty crimes are abundant. i have only seen it through a taxi from above on the overpass that heads to iguazu and las pampas. there are cardboard shacks under most building overhang shelters, their are people urinating against buildings, and a quiet darkness in all windows and buildings. its people are dirt poor and poverty resides everywhere in the central area of constituction.

- the 17 year old girl and her two children: rosie, the coordinatior of our great volunteer program, got a call while we were volunteering last week. it was the second call that she has received from a 17 year old girl with a baby and young girl. she was forced out of her house when she had her first child and has lived on the streets since then. rosie is working on finding her a home and the those of us that volunteer went out and bought supplies that rosie will deliver to her. as of now she has no where to go with her two young ones.

i bet you are worried about my safety and i probably should have told you this once i was home but to ease your worries i am in an extremely safe area with 24hr security at my building, one block from the police station and german hospital, with well lit streets, and tourist filled sidewalks. i never go anywhere without at least one other person and the area that i am in is known as the safest area in BA. plus argentina is the safest country in all of south america. still you are worried, but i feel safe here and i am not typically your "i feel safe" person. poverty is everywhere in the world, just in a different perspective and place. hopefully you can take a few minutes this week and think about this too... its easy to forget when you don't see it everyday, but once you see it i doubt you forget it.

July 23, 2010

whirlwind recap

slacking blogger once again but ive been so busy and so tired by the time that i get to a computer that i have no energy to stay up. this past week has been so, so, so, so, so fun and exciting. i have so many stories and great adventures from this week but it would be much better understood over a coffee or frozen yogurt. ill give you highlights tho!!!

::: trip to las pampas to a gaucho ranch with traditional meal, horse racing, and gaucho ranch activities including a folklore show and parrilla (tons and tons of meat served to your table straight from the bbq) meal. it rained but that made it all the more interesting when watching the horse races and exploring the land... ps vo you would be in h-e-a-v-e-n!

::: hilarious and enlightening spanish and culture class daily... except for a little "skive" as they call it on thursday to see the sites and have a day off. oops:) (roomies are you proud???)

::: a great potluck dinner on the 4th floor (where most of the grigos live). great to sit around my our favorite wine and foods the include food products other than the typical jamon, queso, y pan. sooooo lucky to have such a great and fun group in my program!!!

:::tango orchestra show in a back ally warehouse in a sketchy neighborhood with an unmarked building. the most argentine thing i have seen yet. a cool urban warehouse with miss-matched chairs, a bar complete with chalkboard paint to list the drinks, and a fabulous theatrical performance but a 12 person orchestra including 4 men with accordions, 4 men with violins, 2 with chellos, one on the piano, and a perfectly argentina tAAAngo singer. sooo fun and authentic!

::: south american liqueur tasting and class to learn/enjoy ganica, fernet, and hesperidina. these are the tradition liqueurs of argentina and as a change-up to wine tasting our program arranged for us to have a different kind of "cultural class" as they like to call it:)

::: my thursday adventure took me to san telmo district where i browsed argentinan antiques stores, watched street tango, enjoyed the quaint calmness of a sidewalk cafe, and searched the infamous street market for goodies. this was one of my favorite places so far and gave me a little glimpse of the "real" argentina that the locals see

::: walking tour of puerto madera, florida street, and microcentro. three great and vastly different areas within a (long) walking distance from my residencia. puerto madera is the upscale, waterfront area with ritzy bars and resturants that serve everything under the sun... but especially good steak, gancia batido, and helado:) florida street is one of the only pedestrian street in BA and is the location of locations for shopping. the best and most beautiful leather in the world resides here. ohh sooo fun! and as for microcentro, the center of town where "casa rosada" or the pink house (their white house), government buildings, national banks and the main and incredibly important "plaza de mayo" all are located. i was able to take a free (wahoo) tour through this area for a few hours and learn all about the history of argentinas politics. very interesting and a bit sad.

::: continue to next bullet point if you are a grandparent or parent of mine or if i watch your children:).... throughly experienced the "all night" club and bar scene this week in the notorious "vida nocturna de BA" and it is amazing! when they say argentines eat dinner at 10:30/11pm and party until 7:30am in the morning, they are not lying at all. from pub crawls across districts to sampling bottles of vino at traditional bars, i got my full dose of argentinas night (or more like morning) life. and i bet all of you read this anyhow so the disclaimer is that i was still the one to get everyone water, hold hair back, and hold everyones id's and such so im still quite responsible and carful:)

::: tango lesson in the palcio barolo with the one and only, best tango partner ever... alessia my roommate. she gave you a run for your money brandon:) the palace is where my programs office is located and it is b-e-a--t-i-f-u-l! fun little lesson and everyone brought food for a local soup kitchen as their admission to the lesson

::: volunteering- ill write another post to talk about this more. its was great!

::: trip to my favorite place in BA- recoleta! im in love with recoleta... its a district known for its artsy atmosphere and chic cafes. i headed to the market for the second time today and it was so fun and exciting even the second time around. street vendors fill plaza francia, groups of friends pass around mate cups while listening to local bands, women carry around fancy pastries warm from the cafes ovens, and hundreds of people shop the handmade stalls of jewelry, clothes, souvenirs, and all things argentine. its the best and love the local church, cemetery, and cafes aswell!

i know that it is not an exclusinve list of my adventures this week but i have pictures and stories to share when i return. i hope your week was great and your adventures fun too! hasta luego:)


July 15, 2010

cliche

i am in love with BA! i just thought id let you know. this city is amazing and so full of culture everywhere you go! i know quite cliche but it is true. i came and am falling in love with a city, the people, the language, the traditions, the food, everything (if only i had my B here:)!

as for the past two days... school is great, my teachers are hilarious and fantastic, cooking meals and enjoying wine with friends from around the world is more than fabulous, doing homework over medialunas and cafe con leche in small cafes in the morning is so sweet, red wine tasting class was delicious, and shopping in a town full of beautiful leather isn't too bad either:)

as for my cultural adventures these past few days, i ventured to la boca -caminito. the most photographed and most cliche area in buenos aires. you've seen the colorful housed with tango dancers on the front of national geographic and yesterday i was fortunate enough to see it up close and personal. ironically, this area is 2 square blocks and la boca district is the impoverished and at times the most unsafe area in the whole city (not caminito itself but other parts of this district). caminito- the small area of colored houses and stores was originally an italian port settlement consisting of incredibly poor laborers. they used any materials that the ships threw off the boat to build their houses including the random bins of paint... and caminito was born. we toured the museo and strolled the streets with our teacher learning about the culture in spanish. woo, mine is slowly coming along!

more to come this weekend and of course the 'real ba" stories to come over coffee when i return. chau chau!

July 13, 2010

in the swing of things (14/7/10)

today was quite nice. a bit of sleep, school, touring, dinner, dessert, time with friends, and program coordination. its been a while since i have had time to slow down and sleep in so that was quite nice! nothing too fancy today, except i have been craving vegetables... i know weird right? i never thought i would say this but i am getting quite tired of bread and cheese, and crackers and cheese, and bread with tomato and cheese, and a different version of cheese with bread and tomato sauce... you get the idea. and cheese is my favorite food too! but ive been missing out on veggies and tonight we went to an asian fusion place with noodles and veggies. oh yum. i also went to the store and made a good amount of food at my residencia aswell for better/healthier eating here so that i dont blow up to the size of a elephant.

pictures are up on embitions.blogspot.com and ill be here most of the weekend. i will be heading to "las pampas" this weekend on a day trip with our group to go to a traditional argentinian gaucho ranch, horseback riding in the pampas, and several other fun things.

xoxoxo from BA!

July 12, 2010

61. see iguazu falls

THE bucket list #61. see iguazu falls has officially been crossed off of the list as of saturday. as i said previously i traveled to puerto iguazu on the very northern part of argentina this past weekend to see the iguazu falls. never in my life have i seen something so amazingly breathtaking. yea it was more amzing to me that belize, italy, london, peru, california, than all other places that i have traveled. not to knock any of them at all, but iguazu is simply amazing. besides taking over 450 pictures here is what i did this (long) weekend

-18 hr bus ride from BA to puerto iguazu
-lunch at a tango bar and walked by a nursery(dad!) and hostital. pretty cool.
-hike to "hito tres fronters" or the location when paraguay, brazil, and argentina meet in one spot overlooking the divergence of the rivers that lead to iguazu falls
-traditional parailla argentinian bbq and brazilian caparinia drinks
-night out at "club libre" which i am still quite sure was the only club in puerto iguazuu, and the only "open" club in iguazu tambien. it was a blast.
-moist and rustic hostel room, complete with slugs and centipedes
-trip to iguazu falls including a boat ride under the falls, hike to upper and lower falls, truck tour thorugh the rainforest, overlooking water hike to the "devils throat", and countless views of the falls while getting misted with the water
-brazilian show at the hostel including way more than half naked women in small, small clothes, sparkles, and jewels doing traditional samba... owwowwww!
-the best meal i have had in argentina thus far at "terra" with a great group of people. the restaurant lets al of the customers chalk the walls, no two chairs were matching, i had great veggies, and and they had beautiful artwork everywhere. a little malbec added to the experience.
-another musty night in the hostel. woo... thank you wet rainforest:)
-a trip to misiones, the town near iguazu to soak up some culture and shop around
-nearly missed the bus... had to chase it down the street but we got it!
-18hr bus ride back to BA- the funniest bus ride ever! thank you friends:)
-arrvied in BA at 9:45am to a brisque very, very, very cold morning- then off to shower, laundry, homework, and class!

i cannot say enought good things about iguazu. it was simply phenomenal and the boat ride was the most fun i have had in a long time!

buenos noches amigas. estoy muy cansada. adios.