Montevideo Life
How’s my life? For lack of a better word: awesome. So, what have I been up to for the last few weeks…
I work every day which is going great. Within a few days I already had my own projects and felt like a full employee. I am contributing some ideas to the lab and learning many new skills. I really love the people I work with, everyone is so friendly! We are three girls that make up the validation department with a male boss whom we now call Charlie as we are his three angels.
I am meeting up with people almost every day. The Uruguayan people are so kind and always willing to help. Most impressively, they have the patience to deal with my poor Spanish (which has been improving). It has been very easy to make friends. I just find that people are more willing to open themselves up and get close. Within a few minutes of meeting someone you are best friends! So, to say the least, I am being entertained.
I have taken up running along the boardwalk of the beach. I always hated running but I find the ocean to be very inspiring and I find myself enjoying my runs (not to mention that gym memberships cost $120/month). There are so many people out on the boardwalk walking, running, biking or simply hanging out and drinking mate.
Once again I have been shown what a small world we live in. Prior to leaving on this trip, I started working on my family tree and got in contact with Irena, the wife of my third cousin (whom I met once at the wedding). We started chatting via Facebook (is there any other way?) and it turns out that she spent one year living in Montevideo. She introduced me to her friend Ernesto via Facebook whom I’ve been in contact with but never met. In Montevideo I went out for dinner with Tom and Patrick, two brothers from Couchsurfing. A few days later I get a Facebook message from Ernesto saying what a coincidence: he went out with his friends Tom and Patrick who met up with a Canadian girl…
After two weeks of work I started two weeks of vacation. I am now in Buenos Aires and will tell you more later.
My First Weekend
After 24 hours of traveling, I arrived on Friday night to a beautiful apartment located just half a block from the beach. Yes, I have an “ocean-view” (although technically it is a river) from my balcony. Once the excitement settled, I went in search of food to find that the fridge and cupboards were empty, but that didn’t matter since I discovered that the gas for the stove is turned off. No cooking for me!
Saturday was about exploring the neighborhood, Pocitos. It is truly beautiful here, with the beach in one direction and a park in the other. The area is considered to be a wealthy one and its inhabitants to be snobby. I walked to the nearby mall to get some money from the ATM...I went to one and it didn’t work so I went to a second and it didn’t work. Ok, don’t panic, there was still one more bank to try. No, it didn’t work with my international debit card. Now I panic as I have $3US in my wallet.
Upon returning home, almost in tears, I ran into my neighbour to whom I told everything. Not only did they lend me some cash to tie me over, but I got invited for lunch the following day. Yay! At night I made my way to a Couchsurfing Party. Although there were many “internationals”, many lived in Montevideo and had near-perfect Spanish. I tried to follow the conversation and contribute but in the end I just got a BIG head-ache. Too much concentration.
Sunday was an action-packed day! I woke up and decided to go for a run (yes, I said run!) along the Rambla. Translation: boardwalk. I got back to the building to learn that there is a leak in the water system of the building. All I wanted to do was take a shower, but the water was turned off. I had to go for lunch to my neighbours and I smelled like an old pair of tennis shoes. Yuck! I had to wash the main parts with mineral water!
Lunch was great with my neighbours, and we spoke only Spanish. I feel like I’m getting better already. Later in the afternoon I met up with a couple of Couchsurfers from the night before to drink yerba mate on the beach. I felt like a true “Uruguaya”! At night I met up with our family friends, a Uruguayan couple that now live in Winnipeg but are visiting. They made a parilla, a true Uruguayan BBQ for all the family. It was incredible!
I just want to apologize for the lack of photos. I packed the camera but couldn’t find the charger for the battery, which is dead! Tomorrow I am going to the center of town to buy one and I will give you a photo update of my surroundings.
Miss you all!
New Adventures
It is now two months since we've returned from our world trip and many ask what we’ve been up to. Here's the scoop:
Gadi went back to his old position at his old company. They were e-mailing him while we were still away asking for him to come back. The interview was scheduled for two days after we arrived and he started two weeks later. It’s good to get back into a routine, and, well, start making some money again.
As for me, I’ve been milling about, not really accomplishing much. Oh, I forgot to mention that we are now living in the basement of Gadi’s parents’ house. I feel totally displaced, all our things are still in boxes, I have no means of transportation, I have little to do. I don’t really feel like I am at “home”.
So, why haven’t I done anything with me life and why haven’t we taken steps to move out? Here’s the thing: I was casually offered a three month work experience in Uruguay and I wanted it. The plan was for me to go work as soon as I got back, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
The end result, I am now sitting in Sao Paulo airport waiting for my next destination: Montevideo, here I come! I am quite excited. I will be working in a pharmaceutical company giving me more exposure in my field. I am getting an apartment in the center of town, beside a park and just a few blocks from the beach.
The trip didn’t get off to a great start. I did my research and knew that Canadians need a visa for visits longer than three months. I planned to visit Buenos Aires, a two-hour ferry ride from Montevideo, and upon returning to Uruguay the 90 day count starts again. I booked tickets spanning longer than three months but what I didn’t know is that the airline has a right to refuse check-in without the visa. I was shocked when I arrived at the airport. I told them that I will be in and out of the country and I wouldn’t need the visa.
Nope, they couldn’t take my word. I had to get the reservation changed, so now I return a few weeks earlier than expected. Definitely a learning experience. Oh well, it is all behind me and now I can look forward to my life in South America. I will keep you posted on my new adventures.
Hot, Cold, Bitter, Sweet
With my brother gone and five days left one our world tour we decided to make our way to Rotorua, New Zealand's Maori cultural heartland and home of Zorb. To get there we decided to try our hand, or shall I say thumb, at hitch-hiking. It was very easy get rides and we never waited for more than 20 minutes. Everyone who picked us up was so nice and the last driver into Rotorua drove to us to doorstep of our couchsurfing hosts.
Kylie and Maureen, our amazing hosts showed us a great time. Firstly, these girls have a fully functioning "pub" in their garage! They showed us around town and took us on road trips to lakes and beaches but the best part was when we went to "Hot and Cold". This is a magical place where two rivers, one naturally hot and one cold meet. You have to swim around to find the ideal temperature between the two rivers. It was very cool!...and hot. The best time to swim is at night, apparently as not to see the sliminess of the water. People bring candles which give this natural wonder a romantic touch. We loved it so much that we went there a second time!
Kylie, Maurine and us at L&P bottle, famous drink in NZ
We never made it to the Zorb but we did have one last chance to go white water rafting. We went down the Kaituna River and its class 5 rapids. The craziest part was when we went over Tutea Falls, the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall, a whopping seven meters. It doesn't sound like much until you go over the edge!
Seven meter waterfall on Kaituna River
Considering Rotorua is Maori country, we had to get a little but of Maori culture in. We visited the Mitai Village where we experienced a full night of Maori culture. We were greeted by Maori warriors who performed their various haka, a Maori traditional dance and yes, they use a lot of tongue. We were provided with explanations of traditions, rituals and the meaning behind the tattoos. We then got to partake in a traditional hangi meal that is cooked in the ground. At the end of the night we saw our first glow worms in their natural habitat, although I probably wouldn't have noticed them if they weren't pointed out to me.
Maori Warriors performing haka
With one day left of our fantasy life, we hitched back to Auckland. That's it, January 11th we sat on the plane and made our way back to reality. We flew Auckland to Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Minneapolis and finally Winnipeg. The return was bitterweet. On one hand I was so sad that our travels were ending (and I was coming back to Winnipeg in the dead of winter). On the other hand, we get to start our real life and live out life's wondrous adventures. I have to admit, the tears were falling as the luggage came off the carousel but as soon as I saw our friends and family greeting us, the biggest grin spread across my face.
It actually felt good to be back!
Freaky New Zealand
With our trip to Australia drawing to a close it was time to look across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, where more discovery and adventure than we knew was waiting for us. Upon reconvening in Auckland, having taken different flights, we met with our gracious host Stephan with whom we’d be spending a couple days. The weather the next day wasn’t exactly fit for exploring, so we decided to check out the Auckland Museum, for a backpacker’s price, of course.
For anyone curious about anything to do with New Zealand, this is the place to visit. This museum covers everything from initial Maori settlement, the country’s involvement in the World Wars, and even massive freaky birds who wandered the land millions of years ago. There’s even a section about the volcano in the middle of Auckland Harbour, and what can be expected should it ever erupt. The simulation of being in a house in the volcano’s path is enough to knock your socks off, and anything else depending on how well you hold your nerves.
From Auckland we took a flight to Christchurch, our gateway to the Southern Island and ironically the center of Chabad Lubavitch in New Zealand. We rented a car there, being cheaper than taking the ferry, and quickly resumed on our way. Our first stop was in Dunedin, where we would see how chocolate is made at Cadburry World, and how beer is brewed at the Speight Brewery, both special commodities society simply cannot live without. Rebecca had the time of her life sampling beer at the brewery; she will never turn down a cold one. We also found out that Dunedin has the steepest street (Baldwin St.) in the world, not San Francisco.
Beer Sampling at Speight's Brewry
At the invitation of a phantom couch surfer we drove to Queenstown, where the most avid thrill seekers come to ride on the silver backed fern. While initially we thought we would go white water rafting, a new idea unique to Queenstown presented itself at the agency. Canyoning turned out to be an exiting activity where we would jump, slide, and climb, rappel and zip-line through gushing mountain rivers. First you’re dressed in a wetsuit, helmet, and marched up a never ending trail. When you figure the heat has become too much, that’s where the excitement begins. The inauguration isn’t exactly smooth; you’re specifically instructed step, not jump, from a height of 10 meters and land on your back, if you want to face another jump.
Canyoning in Queenstown
The next challenge would be one I’d have to face on my own, especially with my fear of heights. I had never considered doing bungee jumping before but when we made our way to Queenstown, New Zealand I thought, "When in Queenstown." I was apprehensive at first about jumping into the abyss, but then slowly I gathered my wits and made it to the edge. Then I took a deep breath, spread my wings, and with the help of a countdown I leaped to what I was told would be like flying. While the experience was undoubtedly exhilarating, I did not feel the promised flying sensation but rather a falling one, which coincidentally is exactly what I was doing. Now that this endeavour is off my list, it's time to pursue one not nearly as reckless, or perhaps one far worse...
With the thrill of Queenstown behind us, we looked to activities far more subtle, but none less breathtaking. In Wanaka we decided to check out Puzzling World, a place where every perception of reality is fooled by your own overactive imagination. You haven’t seen everything until you see people standing sideways, water flows upslope, and Gadi and I simply, “change sizes.” Further down the road, our journey consisted of many good hikes, and the vain search of the silver backed fern. One night even included sleeping in the car we rented, since poor planning and high demand resulted in all accommodation occupied for the remainder of our visit.
By this time I had only a few days left in New Zealand, and took as much warm weather as I could before I had to return to Calgary. We stopped in Golden Bay to see one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but found it hard to appreciate it being pelted by sand. Gadi also got too close to a seal, unaware they are just as agile on land as they are in the water.
Beach in Golden Bay
Fed up with the lack of available accommodation, we returned to Christchurch and stayed with our gracious hosts Merryn and Michael for the next couple days. This warm and loving family spoiled us by taking us on a boating trip. It was the perfect end to an incredible trip to see the other side of the world, and where I would part ways with Rebecca and Gadi, for now. The only thing now to do is wonder where I will go next. See you all there!
Ariel, Merryn, Michael, Tom, Gadi and Rebecca