Europe Round Three - France

For the first time in four years, I decided to take an actual, real vacation. (My "workcation" holds me over.) For the first time in my life, I willingly chose to do it by taking tours. Is this what getting old feels like? Hahahah.

Destination one: Paris.

Surprisingly, I had never been to France dispite my two previous Europe trips. I had decided to skip it due to budget on my last trip, and this time it was the cheapest flight to Europe, so it seemed like a pretty easy choice for the first stop on the way to Egypt (the actual destination!

Arriving in France I admit that I had some unfair stereotypes and expectations. I had heard many times that the French are not the most welcoming people, that getting around is incredibly difficult, it's expensive, etc, etc. Happy to say that I was pleasently surprised by the kindness of the people I met. It is true that on the street they are definitely not the type to let you go first, and won't usually smile at you, but this isn't any different from any other big city. So, I focused on the fact that each person I met and talked to was in fact, quite friendly and helpful. I love realizing negative ideas are false.

I did, however, completely fail the jetlag test. After traveling and not sleeping a wink on the plane, I arrived at 6 am. I walked around, thankfully only traveling with a backpack and small shoulder bag, exploring the city until I could check into my hostel. That evening, 8 pm, I was exhausted, so I went to sleep....only to wake up at 1 pm the next day. 17 hours!!? So, naturally, I wasn't tired the next night, so was awake until 6 am (more on that later...) In the end...I didn't adjust for two whole weeks. Next time, I'll set my alarm on day two. :')

My first order of business was stopping at a cafe to get my bearings...A latte and scone were in order. Nothing too impressive, and honestly, every coffee after wasn't too impressive either. I am definitely a specialty American latte girl...European coffee is a bit strong for me.

After recovering from arrival, I started my exploration of the city. Notre Dame, (still under construction) The Louve, and of course, the Eiffle Tower. Everything in Paris was mind blowing. I believe that of all the places I've been, Paris was the most surreal - especially the Eiffle Tower. All of the buildings, the details, the architecture, reminders of history that has withstood time..I loved exploring, walking 15 miles a day, seeing every part of the city. 

My favorite? The Parthanon. Just, wow. :)

In the evening on day two (after sleeping 17 hours) I didn't have a ton of time to explore other than getting some food, but, in the evening I went on a short cruise down the Seine River, and saw the sparkling tower. The music on the boat sounded like a child playing with the radio, which just added to the positive commeraderie with my fellow tourists on the boat.

Before the cruise I had connected with some couchsufers (best way to meet people while traveling!!) We had planned to meet at 11 pm, but, the tour went long, and navigating Paris is a bit tricky, especially with no French. I considered canceling, but two guys were waiting for me (sounds bad, it's not!) having a drink while waiting to go salsa dancing. So, at 12:30, after seeing the metros were closed, walking a mile or two, getting a bit lost, and finally finding another metro, I finally arrived to meet Nitzan and Ahmed - from India, and Tunisia. 

We tried to go salsa dancing but found out that the "salsa" place (Called "Salsero") was actually just a normal latin club. So, we opted for some wine (a lot of wine) and life conversation...a Muslim, Christian, and Hindu, walk into a bar...and become best friends for life. I truly value this part of travel. After wine and conversation, we did go back to dance for a few hours, before they walked me back to my hostal at 6 in the morning, happily traversing the empty early-morning Paris streets. Day one, and already a deep soul experience.

The next day I headed south to Lyon. I had only planned three days in Paris, and, unfortunetly, slept through most of my second day in Paris. Lyon was pretty unimpressive. A few cool buildings and super cute steets, but mostly commercial shops and quite a few sketchy homeless areas.

There was one area with endless stairs with a cool view of the city and a pretty sweet castle on the hill.

 I was glad I only stayed one night before catching the bus south and into Italy.  

I must say though, southern France is breathtakingly beautiful. It's funny, because while talking to a friend after France I said it wasn't quite my vibe and she laughed and said, "I never thought it would be." A positive experience, but three days was a perfect time for me to see what I wanted to see there - onto Italy!

(The town of Modane. I added it to my bucket list to visit!)

Foz Iguazu, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay

 It's been a strange whirlwind of history and cities, work and crossfit, random adventures and new friends.

After leaving Paraty, I got a flight to Do Iguazú. Right on the border with Paraguay and Argentina, the falls are massive.

They wrap around as far as the eye can see. On the Brazil side where I checked out the falls, it's mostly water. I've heard from across the way - in Argentina - there are more trails to check out, but my schedule and budget didn't allow more exploring this time.

 I arrived early and did the trail backwards - highly recommended to anyone who wants to avoid crowds. When I was returning, the overlook that had been relatively empty when I arrived was packed with hundreds of tourists.

After the falls I walked to (my favorite) Parque Das Aves - Bird park. The park was founded to rescue and care for birds taken from the wild intended for pets, and has since expanded to include countless aviaries and bird types.

There's also the border of the three countries. Lord knows I'll never get a good picture of me anywhere.

The next day I took a moto taxi to the border with Paraguay. I got my exit stamp from Brazil and walked across the friendship bridge to Ciudad Del Este. Unfortunately it was Sunday and it was almost a ghost town, but I wandered around looking at the few open markets and stores.

I was struck with how different it felt from Foz just a couple miles away. It felt dirty and chaotic, but honestly I loved it. People were friendly and I was thankful for the break from Portuguese to speak a little Spanish.

There wasn't anything to do except stop at a mall - a fancy upgrade from the majority of the city i'd seen.

Aside from the few tourist attractions, there wasn't much in Foz except 95 degree weather every day and no air conditioner. So after a weekend exploring and two weeks working, I crossed the border to Argentina (thoroughly disappointed that they have retired passport stamps) and hopped a plane to Buenos Aires.

I was immediately enamored by the city and it's European feel, and on my first weekend walked something like 10 miles on a self guided tour I'd created.

I explored the famous neighborhoods, Palermo (my favorite,) Recoleta, the woman's bridge...

(I love the huge parks in this city!)

 La Boca - known for its colorful buildings and touristy markets and shows. I stopped here for lunch, accompanied by a tango show.

Buenos Aires is also known for it's endless markets, so I took advantage and got some super creative crafts, art, and gifts for friends.

One of my favorite places was El Ateneo, a huge, famous bookstore in a old round building that feels like a museum and even has a cafe in the back.

I also met up with a couch surfing group (one of the best ways to meet friends.) And we shared food and drinks and good chats and went to explore the nightlife.

With some people I met that night, we planned a roadtrip a few weekends later for my despedida (goodbye) from Argentina. We left the big city and explored some small towns.

(Just being kids :D)

(Mate...everywhere)

We stopped at a resort with an overcrowded pool and some cows and horses. They weren't too friendly, but I'd met a nice one at our first stop.

My favorite, had lovely shops and cafes, a huge cathedral (one of the biggest in South America) and an expansive plaza with people dancing a typical Argentinan dance.

My new Argentinian friends also took me to a typical barbeque with some Mendoza wine. It was all dirt cheap for basically an all-you-can-eat meat buffet.

A cool part of visiting Buenos Aires is that it's just a ferry ride away from Uruguay. I planned put my trip and even though some people said it was tight, it turned out to be perfect.

I got a taxi to the ferry station where they simultaneously give you an exit (but no stamp) from Argentina and an entrance stamp to Uruguay.

I boarded the ferry and three hours later arrived to Old Town, Montevideo. I fell in love with the cobblestone streets and historic statues as well as the huge markets and plazas.

 Just as in BA, I walked something like 8 miles exploring the city. My favorite, the Rambla, a long Riverwalk that runs along the ocean. One of my favorite things about both cities was the amount of green space. Plenty of room to run or relax on the grass without getting crowded out by dogs and residents.

And as luck would have it, I happened to arrive in MV on the cities 300th birthday. I again connected with a group of couchsurfers and we explored the countless stages with music and ferias and food stands. The highlight was the drum circles. Even though we didn't stay up until midnight to see the final production where 300 drums surrounded the plaza, I got to watch a couple dozens practicing to get a general idea of the tradition. Defintely a unique experience.

(Find the mate...EVERYWHERE!)

The next day I took a bus through the Uruguayan countryside. The route was the most similar to the midwest USA than I'd ever seen. Windmills and cows and cornfields, silage bags, rolling hills, and lush green grass reminded me so much of home.

The midwest vive soon gave way to a little colonia town, Colonia. I've become a fan of exploring all the Colonian villages I can, so this one, being quite small, was a bit disappointing after the lovely Paraty in Brazil.

 

It had a few cobbled streets and markets and cute shops, as well as a lighthouse, but that was about it. I spent a bit of time exploring and enjoying a delicious coffee before getting another ferry back to Buenos Aires.

Mate...Mate everywhere. It was definitely one of my "funny" highlights. People in Argentina and Uruguay carry around their cup of mate and a thermos of hot water to refill. I got the chance to try it...Tastes like grass to me and I don't quite get the thrill.

 

Even though I'd love to explore more of Argentina, especially the south and more of the countryside, I've realized I've lost the drive of traveling alone. I'm so thankful for my life style and being able to work full time as I travel, but it's a lonely life. Since I can't stay in a hostel dorm due to my work, my human interactions are limited to brief meet ups and daily gym. I've found myself longing for more and deeper human connections, so after a couple weeks just living Buenos Aires life, I decided it was time to head back to my familiar land. I booked a flight for La Paz, excited to return to some dear familiar friends and my favorite apartment ever.

(Another highlight of Argentina, meeting my long-time student, Juan. :))

(Water Museum)

(My cute little Buenos Aires apartment)

(Someone had a bad day)

Milanesa. Not a fan of the egg-breaded chicken, but all the appetizers and lemonade were amazing!