After being in Buenos Aires for two weeks, my group and I decided to explore a little more and try out some weekend trips.  The first place we went to was Montevideo, Uruguay on our third weekend and the fourth weekend was to Mendoza, Argentina.  Each place was very different from Buenos Aires and it gave me some more perspectives about other places in South America.

To start, Uruguay was our first trip and we traveled there by boat.  The trip was not too long and it was interesting to experience a completely new country.  We got to taste Chivito, the most popular dish in Uruguay, which is a sandwich-style national dish consisting of a slice of thin meat, mozzarella, tomatoes, eggs, and ham. The people were very nice in Uruguay and everyone was drinking mate. We got the chance to walk around the city, however, most things were closed because it was a Sunday. Overall,  the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than Buenos Aires and I enjoyed my nice weekend in Montevideo!

 

 

 

 

Our second weekend trip was to Mendoza, Argentina, which was a 17 hour bus ride away.  The bus ride was worth it, because we got to ride horses in the Andes mountains and take a wine tour to learn about the process of making wine.  The views were incredible with snow covered mountains in the background.  The culture in Mendoza was also a lot more relaxed than Buenos Aires. The city was very small and everything was within a twenty minute walk, which was really nice!

 

Overall, it was great to take a break and explore some other places outside Buenos Aires. Less than two weeks left on my program and there are so many other things I want to do! I am happy to be back in Buenos Aires because it feels like my other home, and I can’t wait to see more of the city and experience all it has to offer!