Submitted by Jacob Parish on the 2018 winter session program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
This weekend was simply unforgettable.
When my friends suggested that we spend our only free weekend all month traveling to Patagonia, I was very skeptical. The flights, the excursions and the lodging were not expenses that I really wanted to fit into my budget. Also, I am not a fan of cold weather (which is partly how I ended up here), and El Calafate is one of the southern-most points on the map besides Antarctica. However, I did not want to be left in Buenos Aires alone, so I paid up, took a backseat in planning and tagged along for the weekend.
As usual, my initial thoughts were completely misguided. Starting from the descent on the plane ride to the airport lobby to our cozy airbnb, the view from each and every location was simply incredible. The Andes Mountains could be seen from nearly everywhere, and the water was the clearest blue I have ever seen.
After the exquisite cuisine of dinosaur chicken nuggets and mac and cheese the first night, we were all thrilled to visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier on Friday. The glacier, one of the few left in the world still growing, as opposed to collapsing, was nothing short of breathtaking. The pictures from the boat cruise and hike absolutely do not do it justice.
Luckily, even a 5 hour city-wide power outage did not take away from the experience, as it allowed all of the separate houses to meet up, spend time together and explore the unique city. Saturday was filled with a morning hike through the Laguna Nimez Reserve, which many described as feeling as if they were in heaven. From the countless flamingos to the special bird species to the endless flowers to the calming beach, the entire hike felt like something out of a dream.
I am deeply saddened by the fact that there is less than a week left in Buenos Aires. This entire experience was more than I could have ever imagined, and the month flew by so quickly. From the tours to the excursions to the relationships formed, I know I will never forget this month. I would like to end my last blog with a huge thank you to UD for this opportunity.
Good-bye Argentina. You will not be forgotten.
