Argentina Conclusion

Overall, Argentina blew me away with its delicious food, the lovely people, and the majestic scenery. I never had an unhappy moment here. This was my favorite country to visit so far. To be honest, I had high expectations for Argentina because of its size, population, and the stability of its government. These expectations were met and exceeded. My favorite part, however, was not made by Argentinians, but by nature. Patagonia and its wild scenery and colors was truly breathtaking and I have never seen, or ever will see anything like it. For the most part, south american countries are usually poor and not industrialized but Argentina is fairly progressive and stable. I had a blast in Argentina and would definitely go again.

Argentina Day Two

Today I got up very early around 4:00 to be able to watch the sunrise in Patagonia. After leaving my hotel, I went to the bus terminal and hopped on the 4:15 bus to Bariloche, a town in Patagonia that is surrounded by a glacial lake. Once I arrived I stopped at the many famous chocolate shops. I noticed the buildings were designed similar to those of the Swiss Alps. In fact, the surroundings of jagged mountains and gorgeous lakes is very similar to that of a small town, high in the Alps. I tried many different types of gourmet chocolate that tasted like regular chocolate. But soon after I was done exploring the town, I turned my attention to the calving glacier to the west of the town. This massive glacier is called Moreno Glacier and it covers over a hundred square miles. After watching this colossal glacier, I witnessed a chunk of ice the size of a truck crack off and fall into the water! Cuernos del Paine was my next destination. This spot is one of the shining jewels of Patagonia. Cuernos del Paine is in Paine National Park. Argentina has 33 national parks across the country. I then began a backpacking journey all over the jagged mountain. The hardest part of the backpacking was the lack of oxygen because Patagonia is already several thousand feet above sea level and is lacking in oxygen.After I had finished my route, I went and visited several small villages in the area. These extremely poor villages were full of weather tested people and shelters. Patagonia was like an alien world to me because of the uniqueness of its landforms and the scarceness of life. The extremely jagged mountains and the massive glaciers were unlike anything I had ever seen before. I got back to my hotel safe and sound and am incredibly sore from all the hiking. I really wish I had longer to explore Argentina.

Gourmet Chocolate

Cuernos del Paine

Villagers In Patagonia

Argentina Day One

Upon my arrival in Buenos Aires, I checked into my hotel, dropped my bags off, the returned to the streets. I walked through downtown and saw vendors selling Lionel Messi jerseys and posters I soon picked up the trend that many people were walking and looking in one direction more than the others. I looked over and saw a large mass of people carrying banners and marching peacefully in front of the Playa De Mexico.The Playa is a historical building from the early 18th century. I learned that these peaceful protests are an effective way to spread your message in Argentina. The calm protests are a kind of tradition and one takes place about every month or so. However, Argentina is fairly progressive with its policies. Democracy is beginning to take root in many areas and women have almost equal rights to men. I know that this doesn’t sound like a perfect government but it is pretty good compared to the harsh and unfair rule of some neighboring countries who are under the control of dictators. After watching the protest for a few more minutes I began looking for a nice place to eat. I ordered some beef burritos and a Dulce De Leche cake. The Dulce De Leche cake is an Argentinian cake and is made from milk which is turned into a thick caramel type spread. This is then spread over a cake. After this I walked to the beach and observed the La Brava beach. This means “The fierce.” The water is fairly cold and not really for swimming in. I just spent my time relaxing and reading. I stayed and watched the sunset till it was time for dinner. I went to a local restaurant and ate a large bowl of Chicken and cabbage stew. Tomorrow I will be hiking through Patagonia. This is one of the most exotic and fascinating places in the world.

Vendor selling Messi Souvenirs

Protests in front of the Playa

Dulce De Leche cake

Argentina Introduction

On my tour of a few Latin American countries, my last stop is Argentina. This country is the world’s eighth largest country. It is also one of the world’s most culturally and geographically interesting countries. Despite the vast areas of the Pampas and Patagonia, Argentina is a mostly urban country. Its capital, Buenos Aires, is an extremely large city and is my first stop. Argentina is made up of four major areas: The Andes, The North, The Pampas, and Patagonia. The majority of the county is of Italian or Spanish descent. The official religion is Roman Catholic and it is practiced by the vast majority of the population.The second most popular religion is protestant.  Spanish is the official language. Argentina has a very stable economy relying on cattle and grain production. International superstar, Lionel Messi, was born in Argentina and is extremely well loved there. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Patagonia because it is so exotic and beautiful. My plane is beginning its descent so I must update when I land. I am very excited.

Map of Argentina

Statue of Mary in Argentinian Church

Honduras Conclusion

Honduras really did surprise me with its fun and festive culture, its many interesting archaeological sites, and its mouth wateringly delicious food. I witnessed one of the biggest festivals of the year and experienced first hand, the joy of the locals. I also explored Honduras’ parks and famous monuments. The beaches were fantastic and were so fun with the snorkeling and the zip lining. But what really blew me away was the fact that a country with such a long history of harsh rule from dictators can still be exciting and interesting to a world traveler like me. Overall I loved my stay in Honduras and would definately visit again.

Honduras Day Two

After waking up to the Honduran sunrise, I went downstairs and exited the hotel. I then bought a fast food breakfast. I ate my eggs and fried sausages in the lobby of the hotel. Today I was going to travel to the beaches of Honduras. I took a taxi to the Roatan beach. This beach offered snorkeling, scuba diving, coral reefs tours, and zip lining. I began by renting some snorkel gear for a good price. I swam out to the coral reef and began to look around. I saw many exotic fish and species of coral that I had never seen before. After I got out of the water, I dried off and went to buy tickets for the huge zip line. Once at the top, I got a little nervous but eventually jumped from the platform and began to fly through the air. I got a great view of the beach and all my surroundings. Next, I took a cab to the ancient Mayan city of Copan. These ruins were very well preserved and showed the fascinating and unique culture of the Mayans. This city was occupied for over 2000 years and was the capital of the Mayan empire from around 500 AD to 900 AD. Once I arrived I signed up for a tour. We saw many ancients statues and monuments to gods that were worshipped by the Mayans. The hieroglyphic stairway and the ballcourt were my personal favorites because of how well preserved they were. This fascinated me because it showed how innovative, intelligent, and precise the Mayans must have been to create a stone temple that could last over 1000 years. The tour guide gave us a great tour and he often described what a Mayan citizen’s daily life would’ve been like depending on their job. It was, however, unpleasantly hot and humid. In fact, for the summer, Honduras’ average summer temperature high is 85 degrees and very humid. Once the tour was over and we had returned back to the hotel, I was extremely tired and ordered pork barritas with beans and rice to my hotel room. Finally, after writing this entry, I think I’ll go to bed.

Copan's Ballcourt

Huge Zip line over the Beach

Ancient Statue 

Roaton Beach

Honduras Day On

Knowing about Honduras’ extensive history of dictators, I was expecting a hardcore and straightforward regime from the people and the government. I soon learned that Honduras shows its culture, not through art, but through lively celebrations and holidays. I arrived in the middle of La Ceiba season which is the annual week long carnival. This celebration starts a week before the main event and is a series of music and partying. I was greeted by parades and loud music as a got closer to downtown of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Once in the city, I went to the La Leona park which gave me spectacular view of the city and and all the festivities going on. Soon I stopped at a restaurant to have some local food. I learned that almost every meal in Honduras includes beans, rice, and some form of a white tortilla. I had a delicious “pastelito” for lunch. Pastelitos consist of a flour or corn tortilla filled with either beef or chicken, as well as potatoes and various spices. They are folded in half and then deep fried. I had about three pastelitos, refried beans, and yellow rice. This meal was so delicious and filling because of the rich flavor and spices used to create it. Once I was finished eating my meal and I had payed the surprisingly low bill, I walked out and went up the same mountain as La Leona park and saw the famous Christ statue. This statue overlooks the city and is located in El Picacho park. The statues open arms and smile represent Christ’s welcoming and accepting personality. Finally I had a light dinner at the La Cacerola restaurant downtown. This place had very friendly waitresses and staff. I had a couple grilled beef enchiladas with melted cheddar cheese and tomato sauce. After this I traveled back to my room at the Tegucigalpa Marriott hotel. I am going to explore the countryside more tomorrow.

La Leona's Amazing View

La Cieba Festival

Beef Pastalitos

Christ Statue