The Beach

So Im down to my last week and Im wondering what to do...but not really! I know exactly what I want to do I wanna go to the beach. So I book my bus to Uruguay and get ready. I started off in La Paloma. A very small beach town with not much going on. I really wasn't feeling it and wanted to leave pretty much as soon as I got there. So I went to the bus station and ordered up a fresh ticket to Punta Del Diablo. My buddy Robbie traveled thru Argentina last year and recommended the place. I booked my hostel at a place that looked good and I was on my way the next day. We roll into Punta Del Diablo and the first thing that went thru my head was "Fuck YeAH!!!!" Very small, quaint fishing village like something out of a movie. Big waves and lots of sand and boats on the beach. After once again wandering aimlessly looking for my hostel..(.when will I start taking down directions??) I make it to the hostel. It is amazing. Its like a hotel except its 10 dollars a night, right on the beach and our rooms windows open up to see the ocean. I just hung on the beach and chilled, played a little soccer and frisbee with some Argentines on holiday and partied it up pretty good. I met some really great people for my final stay and had a great time. I couldn't think of a better way to end this journey. It will be sad to go home but I am kinda excited. Its been a long time away and I am ready to get back into the kitchen and start working. I know who I was before this trip but who I am now...I am not sure. I have deff changed for the better, I am very proud of myself and can't wait to do it all over again.

Big, Big Falls!!!

After hangin out down on the farm I decided that I better make the trip to Iguazu. It was a tough decision because it meant losing two days on a bus for 1 day at the falls. Iweighed the options many times and cane up with this. 5 or 10 or 20 years from now when Im sittin back watchin the tv and a clip of Iguazu falls comes on Ididnt want to say...Oh yeah I was right there but I didnt go...I coulda seen that. So I ordered up the bus and took off. I got to the park and walked through the rainforest snapping pictures hearing the distant roar of the falls. After a small little train ride Iend up walking across a steel walkway going up to Garganta Diablo. The biggest fall there is. This walkway will take you right up to the edge on top. You can see the mist coming over the treetops as the roar grows louder. A few mor meteres and I am there! It is amazing, beautiful, loud and the mist soaks you ever few minutes. There are about 20 different falls and they look like someone designed them on the computer. I sat there for about a half hour just taking pictures or staring into the mist below. I am suprised more people dont die here because all of a sudden you just wanna jump into it. It seems so peaceful. I then walked the lower route where you can acctually get right next to a fall and almost reach out and touch it. A little later Ijumped on a boat and they took us right under a smaller fall and into the mouth of the Diablo. Everyone was laughin and soaked at the end. Ithen walked around a bit longer and headed back to the hostel. Have to get on a bus in the morning!

La Pampas ...and my day at the farm!

So I roll into General Pico (and when i say roll in im not all hip hop gangster...im comming there on a bus dammit!!!) Where you say?? General Pico..In La Pampas..The place nobody goes in between Buenos Aires and Mendoza. A beautiful place mostly shrubs and small trees. I met 2 brothers when I was in Bariloche...Diego and Facundo really cool guys and we talked of cooking, we talked of girls, we talked of music...you know the shit guys talk about...Somewhere once or twice or fifteen times i chatted of meeting a cool Argentine family where I could experience the culture. They really had no help for me but we agreed I would meet them in Cordoba where they lived, they^d put me up and pay for a big spread Id cook for them and friends...Sounded good to me!!! Free food, Free drinks and Im sure they'd bring some chicks!!! Well that never happened... but what did happen was Diego emailed me sometime while I was down south..The email subject read...Are you still looking for sexy food!?!? Now with the amount of spam I get and not having Diego's email on file..I thought...ahhh spam and almost deleted it...but I read it and it was an invite to hang with him and his family in the ever so famous La Pampas!!! I emailed him right back...hoping that this email had not ben sitting in my inbox for ever and he had forgotten...Yes!! Definitely! Im gonna go LOST here and Flashback!!! So I roll into La Pampas and its not like some hip hop...ahhhh you know...and Diego picks me up at the station...we go out for beers and they say the hottest Argentinian girls are in Rosario...well I bet half come from La Pampas...they were young...but DAMN!!! The next day we wake up and were off to the Carceneria for Pork Matambre, and Blood Sausage (which was amazing) both acct. We chowed til we were fat. We then went to the army camp where Diego's dad has a few horses and I tried to play Polo..See I have rode a horse maybe 4 times in my life the last time was 9 years ago in Atlanta. I felt just as out of place as I did then except this time I had a polo mallet in my hand. I smacked the ball a few times but my main concern was..don^t fall off this horse! I made it back to Diego's house in one piece...No problem tomorrow we^re off to ride his dads equestrian horses..bigger and faster!!! But tonight we go to his uncle Luis^ house to dine. He is cooking from his legendary Disk. A cast iron disk, kinda like a wok which he acct made up a sorta Chinese chicken stir fry but without the chino flavors. It was delicious. We ate, we drank, we laughed....Diego translated! I left thinking these people were great. The next day Diegos dad cooked up a mean Milanese (mmmmmm more meat) before we headed out to ride the horses. This time it was a little more brutal..We acct rode them and ran and galloped and all that stuff...My ass screamed for mercy!! In an hours time Diego and I were both worn out...It could be for the fact I forgot to mention we were out till 530 that morning and both a little foggy rollin in. But no biggy nothin left to do but go to the farm and watch a lamb slaughter!!! We head back over to Luis^ man I love this guy..super friendly always laughin just a cool soul. and He^s ready to go...Its Luis, Diego, Luis 3 kids and me. Luis runs back inside to grab a i dunno 1938 pistol and some shells... I felt like Michael Corleone and I just ordered a hit on this poor animal...I feel this car ride wouldn^t be happening if it wasn^t for me. We head to the farm...and we get there. We are greeted by a skinned lamb hanging in the garage. Head attached bloody... My stomach turns...I need to see this I tell myself...I turn around and there are 5 lamb in a truck hog tied...You^re just in time we^re going now! Ok here we go and everyone looks at me!! Diego says...Some people wanna go to Disney world...you wanna see lamb slaughtered...Some Dream!! And with that the farmer raises his knife and slits the lambs throat...GOOD!!! Blood pills into a pan and the eyes go blank...They then proceeded to bleed, skin, gut, and hang this animal in roughly 15 min. All pieces and parts are saved except the entrails which go to the dogs and chickens. Every piece of this animal is used for something or another. We continue to watch the other 5 slaughtered as we walk around the ranch..I geek out and take a bunch of pictures and everyone thinks Im nuts. We then take our lamb home and Diego's pops is havin an asado at his house with beef, pork and a nice hack of our fresh lamb. MMMMMMM More meat. I love it. Also the general of the Argentinean army is there and he is a really cool guy. Very friendly made me talk spanish even tho he knew english and Diego said If he wants you to leave the country....you just go! There was no disco this night..I was tired and full....Its cool cause tomorrow is the last day in La Pampas!! You know what that means...ASADO!!!! We had the rest of our lovely lamb at Luis^s house...Such a great family. He cooked up the lamb and some pork sausage while his wife made Brain sausage from Vaca (cow)... All in all that day I ate.. Pork Sausage, Beef Brain Sausage, Leg of Lamb, Rack of Lamb, (now the good stuff) Lamb Liver, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Tongue, then the best which im not sure which...The Lamb Eyeball and the brain scooped out of the skull...It was amazing. Luis is the man..He laughed and called me chancho due to my love for pigs and his family was very receptive and hospitable. It was everything I wanted out of Argentina and more. So much thanks...so much love...Viva La Pampas!!!!!