No more school: Tierra De Fuego

Salut tous! Et oui les cours sont fini depuis mercredi cette semaine! Donc sur un coup de tête, hier j'ai décide d'acheter un billet d'avion pour Ushuaia, et je quitte dans 1 heure! Pour ceux qui savent pas, Ushuaia est dans la terre de feu, communément nommé la fin du monde. C'est la partie la plus au Sud de l'Argentine... j'ai bien hâte de vous raconter ca! J'ai décidé d'acheter seulement un billet d'aller (vol de 4 heures) et revenir en autobus (36 heures) ouf! Je sait c que ca fait longtemps pour revenir, mais je suis prêt pour l'aventure! De plus y a tellement de belles choses a voir, et c'est clair que je vais rester quelques jours a El Calafate, question de voir les glaciers! Chau!

Deuxième voyage: San Carolos de Bariloche, Patagonia

Salut tous! Eh oui, j'ai finalement eu la chance de passer quelques jours a Bariloche, dans le nord de l'Argentine. Pour vous mettre en context (pour ceux qui ne savent pas), Bariloche est la destination ski en Argentine, et se trouve a environ 20 heures de Buenos Aires, direction sud, en Patagonie. On est arrivé deux jours après que la saison de ski soit fini, ce qui est bien car j'avait pas necessairement l'intérêt d'en faire. A la place, j'ai passé quatre belles journées a visiter les environs et les paysages incroyable, incluant une ou on a fait du trekking dans une montagne et une journée de rafting dans la Cordillière des Andes. Bariloche est une ville d'environ 160 000 habitant, entourée de montagnes et un nombre infini de lacs. Malgré que ce n'est pas première expérience de rafting (la dernière fois fut il y a 10 ans! - ouf je me sens vieux) ce fut incroyable comme expérience.

Premièrement, la vue était incroyable, comme vous allez pouvoir constater sur la première photo suivant ce texte. On a fait environ 20 km de rivière, incluant une partie qui est situé entre l'Argentine et le Chili. Deuxièment, on a passé a travers de chutes féroces, incluant une de niveau 4 (le niveau maximum en rafting est de 5), ou d'ailleurs je vous jure que je croyait que c'était mon dernier moment sur la terre! Ce qui est arrivé c'est qu'une vague énorme m'a emporté assez loin du bateau, comme vous pouvez voir. De plus l'eau était glacé, ce qui n'était pas les meilleurs conditions pour respirer normalement, ni nager a travers les explosions de vagues!

A part de ca, je suis présentement en fin de session, et tout ce passe pas mal bien. Demain mon dernier examen... De plus, je planifie aller faire un petit tour en Uraguay après le test, rien de confirmé encore mais je vous tient au courant!

Yassine

Finally an update: Iguazu

Ok so I know I haven't updated my blog in a while... I guess I been busy with all kinds of stuff including school, getting settled into my apartment, and I actually traveled a bit to. The first place (and only to date) I visited is Iguazu. Iguazu is at about 17 hours from Buenos Aires, and I spend 3 days there. I had a great time, it's a beautiful place - where I got to see the waterfalls from the Brazilian side the first day, then from the Argentinian side that same night and the next day. I also got to visit a Guarini village, where aborigines live, which are a mix of Paraguayans - Brazilians & Argentinians. Here are some pictures of Iguazu:

And now some of the Guarinis:

Floralis Generica / Universidad de Buenos Aires

Alors j'ai finalement commencé à prendre des photos de la ville un peu. Hier je suis allé voir la Floralis Generica, dans le cartier Recoleta. Pour ceux qui en savent un peu... la fleur est ouverte le jour, et se referme lorsque la nuit! A date je l'ai pas encore vu ouverte... mais bon ca ne devrait pas tarder! (he he j'espère!) A part de ca, ici tout va bien, la température est moins froide, tout mes cours on débutés... et je commence a ma retrouver un peu dans la métropole!

A+

Yassine


P.S. Vous pouvez également voir dans la deuxième photo l'édifice de la faculté de droit de la plus grosse université à Buenos Aires, qui se nomme la UBA (c'est une université publique... pas la mienne!). Huge... non!?!

Finally got an apartment / Watch gone !

Hey everyone!

I know I know, it's been a while! Last week was quite crazy! First of all, since I last updated the blog I switched hostels cause I just couldn't stand the cold anymore, there was an open window in my room! I spent two more days in the other hostel, which was quite cool and actually had heating and no open windows!
But I spent only 2 nights there... cause I finally got my own apartment! It's a 4 and 1/2 in Palermo Viejo, and I am living there with 2 Columbian s, one who studies at my University as well, and the other is taking classes somewhere else... and yeah and they speak only espanol. We got the apartment last Tuesday, so everything is going pretty fast I could say. As of now I still don't have an internet connection at home, but I'll try to update the blog when I'm at school.

Other than apartment hunting and trying to get adjusted here, I have had the chance to taste some of the nightlife in B.A.

Asia de Cuba (July 27th):

This is a really ritzy club in Puerto Madero. Lot's of fun, we got there at around 2:30 A.M. and left at around 6:00 A.M. Good music, with a video monitor showing the music videos... but quite expensive! In this picture you can see Tanguy (from France) with Analia and her friend (two girls we met at the Club) and to my right you can see a part of Cindy (from France as well).

Here are a few pictures of the second hostel I stayed in:

In the second picture you can see Shery, one of my roommates from Columbia, and in the last one you can see me in the cab, that was packed to the max with my stuff and hers, when we needed to move from the hostel to our apartment last Tuesday!

Maluco Beleza (August 3rd)

This is a Brazilian club... A-M-A-Z-I-N-G music, dancers and Caipirinas! Had a great time with a bunch of Canadians who have been in Argentina for 6 months already! Ah yeah, and got my watch stolen from my arm without even noticing... professionals!

Club Huracan (August 4th)
On saturday, after trying to recuperate a bit from Maluca, I got convinced by Columbian friends to go to Club Huracan, which is a party that was thrown in a Basketball court and played live traditional Argentinian folk music... it was crazy fun to dance! Quite difficult but I got some cool peeps who were to glad to show me how!

Well, that's about it for the updates for now, for those who don't have Facebook and want to see the pictures of the Going Away party... here they are as promised:

Part 1 and Part 2


Take care people, I hear it's quite hot right now in MTL, lucky u's!

Y.

Los Gauchos / Mate

Salut tout le monde!

Today je suis allé passer la journée à la campagne, pour visiter les "Gauchos" (juste à cliquer sur le lien pour en savoir davantage). Je vous dirais que c'était une journée pas mal sympa (merde je pense que les francais commence à m'influencer) ha ha!. J'ai rencontré beaucoup d'autres étudiants d'autour du monde (Colombie, Londre, U.S.A) et évidemment il y a pas mal de Francais... pis en plus ils arrêtent pas de rire de mon accent! Pourtant j'essai de leur expliquer que c'est eux qui parlent mal! Un autre truc qui est drôle, c'est que un des Francais m'a demandé pourquoi je ne parlais pas avec les Américains, car pourtant je me débrouille assez bien en anglais (elle pensait que je leur parlait car je devait pratiquer mon Francais) ... lol. J'ai essayé de lui expliquer que c'est pas parcequ'on viens du même coin qu'on est sur les mêmes longueurs d'ondes! (Sorry Lynn) C'est juste que comme d'habitude, les Américains sont très bruillant, se pensent très coquin, et font à leur guise comme si ils était encore chez eux... anyways je n'aime pas généraliser... j'ai rencontré 1 Américaine super sympathique... pis elle habite à Montréal depuis 2 ans! He he

Pour retourner sur les sujet des "Gauchos", sur les photos vous pouvez voir un "Gaucho" qui est capable de contrôler un Cheval seulement en lui chuchotant dans l'oreille! De plus j'ai eu la chance de gouter au "Mate" pour la premier fois... superbe!

YG

P.S. Demain, en principe je devrait me mettre à la recherche d'un appartement avec d'autres étudiants... wish me luck tout le monde... parceque j'suis tanné de dormir dans le frette!

Day 3: My first protest / Got a cell: 011-54-911-5424-5373

Yo peeps. Today, not much... registered for my classes at school, it took forever to wait in line. first thing they told us yesterday is; try not to get frustrated with the bureaucracy in Argentina... it's not always well organized.. ha ha! Other then that got my official student card and then went to walk around town again. Got a cell phone (011-54-911-5424-5373) and saw my first protest! For those who don't know, Buenos Aires is renown for it's protests, it seemed small, but trust me it was louder and bigger then anything I have ever seen back home! Argentinians are very passionate about politics! I didn't take any pictures and didn't stay too long, but I would have to say that in the past few days I learnt quickly that Baires has a lot of personality!

Take care, I'm out

Yassine

P.S. Today was a beautiful hotter day, but it's still cold at night!

Finally in Buenos Aires

Hey what's up everyone?

I finally arrived yesterday evening! After 3 planes, countless hours in the air not being able to sleep, endless lines... I finally made it. I must say that it is quite cold here... which was expected... but I didn't expect my room to be as cold as outside (there's no heating and it doesn't seem to be isolated at all). Anyhow, I switched rooms to a smaller one, so it should be better (they gave me a temporary one that was bigger (4 beds...) but so damn cold!). I guess it's one of those hotels like in Cuba that is designed for hot weather (where inside is like being outside).... plus I don't have a private bathroom and there was no hot water left for a shower... so I need to wake up earlier tomorrow!

Other then that, today was my first day of school, where we got our selections for classes to register... I was quite late (long story) and the receptionist at the info kiosk told me to come back next week! So I told her no way, then she told me where the others where... he he. I made a few friends, 3 French people (I was unaware that they were in the same fight as me... he he small world) and 1 French-Canadian dude as well. We had lunch together (with the French people), but I ditched the Tango class half way to go walk a bit and find a place to buy a watch (he he) and an adapter for my lap-top. Other then that, not much to say yet, expect that it is quite frisky here 10C (it's winter) and the cost of living is amazingly cheap...

Now I leave u with the amazing first view I got of South America, and of the Mountains in Chile... breathtaking!

Y.

Connecting in T Dot

Hey what's up eveybody! I am presently In T.O. waiting for my flight to B.A. (Buenos Aires for those who haven't figured it by now) I must admit today has been quite a day full of stress! Everything was going pretty well... until I tried to check in my luggage at the airport... and I realized my passport was lying somewhere in my living room! Yes I know... I am not proud! Lucky me, I ended up having two GREAT friends who rushed over to my place and brought it to me at the airport... a few minutes before my plane for T.O. was leaving... ouf! (Thus disturbing their dinner plans.. he he.. thanks R & G)

Anyways, that's about it for now... I hope it gets more interesting soon :o)

Ah yeah and by the way... thanks to everyone who showed up at the party on Friday... I was so glad to see all of you!

P.S. I'll post up a link with the pictures from the party soon!

Welcome to my blog!

Hey what's up everybody! So I finally decided to create my own blog... after many years of constant and restless procrastination... I figured it was about time! Like most of you must know by now, in only a few days I am leaving for Argentina, and I figured this would be the best way to keep you guys updated on what's going on! Now obviously since I am very last minute and hardly prepared... I gotta go.. but welcome to my blog ya'll!