Here's to You, Uncle Sam

About two days ago, I received a very interesting e-mail from the Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy here in Buenos Aires. It was basically wishing me (and all Americans abroad in Argentina) a Happy Independence Day, but the tone was very...patriotic to say the least. Check it out. Note: you may have to CLICK this image to open it in a new window in order to be able to see what it says clearly.


In honor of the 4th of July, I have decided to make a list of things (because there would be far too many people to name here) that I have missed most about the United States and home during my time abroad:

• Pancakes
• Sleeping
• Fireworks
• Warm weather
• Beaches
• Choosing what I want to eat for dinner
• Skim milk (and not the condensed form either)
• Baseball
• Wide sidewalks and streets
• Having NOTHING to do on any given night
• A nice gym to work out in as much as I want
• HEALTHY foods
• Efficient service in restaurants
• The ability of restaurants to SPLIT a bill
• SANE taxi drivers and sane drivers in general
  

UPCOMING TRIP TO MENDOZA, ARGENTINA AND CHILE

Tonight, at 8:30, I will embark on the final part of my South American adventure. I start off with my friend, Colin, in a long-distance bus from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. We arrive at approximately 9 AM Sunday morning, and we will use the day to tour the city and perhaps visit a winery or two. Monday will also be spent in Mendoza, and we are hoping to do a little outdoor activity like a horseback ride, a hike, or potentially even whitewater rafting.

Then, on Tuesday morning, we will leave by bus to go to Santiago and arrive in the early afternoon. The ride through the Andes Mountains is supposed to be fantastic, and we have a first row seat on the upper level of the bus reserved so the views should be perfect. We will spend Tuesday afternoon touring the town of Santiago.

After Tuesday, the details of our trip become a little more uncertain. What we do know is that we will be visiting Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, and wine country. The dates are still up in the air, and we're not sure if there are some other places we might try to visit as well. I will try to post a couple of blog updates from the hostels where I'm at, but I can't make any guarantees!