What's new Buenos Aires?

I arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday. The trip went seamlessly except for the ending, in which I decided to attempt to save the US$35 dollar cab fare from the airport to Buenos Aires by taking the public bus for 2 pesos or 50 cents. Big mistake. The hostel had been very helpful in giving me directions and noting it would take over an hour and a half. I asked the information desk where to catch the bus. The lady wrinkled her nose, which should have been an indication. The crowded and unheated bus took nearly 2 hours and went through some rather interesting areas of Buenos Aires. And missed my stop, resulting in me having to drag my 70+ pd luggage 12 blocks in 40 degree weather.
The hostel wouldn't let me check in until 1 pm but kindly let me store my suitcase.
I went to get lunch at a cool cafe that looked straight out of SoHo in NYC. I have been worried about finding vegetarian food but they had over 10 things on the menu that were vegetarian, and 3 that were vegan, which is more than most American resturants. They also had good coffee and Argentine jazz music in the background. The whole meal was 48 pesos, or roughly 12 dollars. I am quickly falling in love with Buenos Aires...

Espana wins El Mundial!

I am so grateful to be in Spain when they won the world cup for the FIRST TIME. The streets were filled with Spaniards celebrating.

I watched the game with Holly, Jenny, Andra, and Julia. Here we are waiting for the game to start.

Spaniards celebrating in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca.

Me with vuvuzela... which created a constant buzz on the TV and were super annoying when blown nearby

Ávila/Segovia- Of Alcázars and Aqueducts

On my last weekend in Spain and the day of the world cup final between Spain and Holland, I went to Ávila and Segovia with friends from school, some Turkish girls and a Belgian.
Ávila is a medieval city with one of the best preserved walls from 1090. We were able to walk along the walls and see the city, which probably had more tourists than residents. The wall is so well preserved you can easily pretend you are back in the medieval period.












Next we went to Segovia. First we went to the Aqueduct, which was amazing as it was built sometime in the 1st century by Romans without any mortar and is nearly 100 ft tall. This is a reminder of the variety of Spain's heritage, from Romans to Moors, who damaged it in their bid to invade Spain. It functioned until recently to bring Segovia water.





Next we toured the city, nearly all of which is brutally historical.
This is Asli and me at the Cathedral











Finally, Segovia's Alcázar is notable as this was the where Isabella was living when she was proclaimed queen. It looks straight out of central casting for a castle for a Disney movie.
pretending to be a princess...