cuatro dias

I typed this yesterday, but I didn't have access to the internet:

It's our third day in Nueve Córdoba, and I am feeling better about it. (Just so you know Córdoba is spelled Córdoba, but I don't know how to get the ó without going to the character map, so for simplicity sake I am writing it Cordoba.) Danny started work today, and I am writing to all of you and reading about what to do next. I am really excited to explore all that Cordoba has to offer.

I guess all the pictures I saw and information I looked up led me to a false sense of what it would be like here. It has the beautiful architecture and friendly people the books talk about, but there are a few pages missing from the guidebooks.

I am going to give you my first impressions of what little I've seen so far. From my short encounter with Nueve Cordoba I've found it mostly to consist of pastry shops (Cordobes love their treats and sweets), clothing stores (they're very fashionable), little eateries, and other various small businesses. The streets are filled with bustling Argentines (especially late at night, their average bedtime is 1:00am, and the majority of the cities inhabitants stay up all night on Saturday night and party like it's the last night on earth...or at least that's what it sounded like), garbage, stray dogs (and their poop), explicit posters and advertisements of women (which I am not a fan of), and lots of drivers (who do not believe pedestrians have the right of way). Again, I am trying to paint an honest picture of my first impressions of the city. I've had a more positive outlook since last night.

The contrast of what I read the city to be like and the reality of it made me feel a bit disappointed. Not to mention, being away from my support system, and grieving about missing you guys. So I might have seen things through darker glasses at first.

Argentines honestly eat dinner between 8:30pm and midnight. They stay at restaurants for several hours at a time, and they know how to take it easy. Oh, and if you don't ask for your bill, they will never bring it to you, unless of course you try to leave without paying, or at least I am assuming that's the case. Since they take their time, you let the server know when you're ready and they will not bother you a moment before you're ready.

I love that they have sunshine here even though it's technically still their winter/springtime! In Oregon, I usually wake up feeling like I have a hangover every morning (Don't worry grandma, I don't know what a hangover feels like), but I don't need an alarm clock here, and I feel refreshed, and awake...it's odd.

Oh my word, I forgot to tell you about flying over the Andes Mountains. Holy moly, what a awe inspiring view that was. Danny took a picture on his phone, which I will publish later. He has our phones at work, in attempts to get them up and running.

Cordoba's food and drink: (what I have found so far) They really love pastries, mate, wine, bread, and cheese. I have heard all this talk about what big meat lovers they are, but I've found they're more gluten, sugar (azucar), and lactose lovers. I just read that their steak houses are fast disappearing here, for reasons of which I know not. The beef that we have tasted is superior to most American beef that I've tasted. They feed their cows with grass, and a lot of American cows are corn fed. There's a lot more flavor to it here. Yes, they love their wine too. I personally don't like the taste of alcohol, but I will definitely have to try some of their red wine (vino tinto) while I am here. If you don't know, Argentina is famous for their amazing wine. Often times Argentines put sparkling water (Agua con gas) and ice cubes in their wine.

We've tried empanadas at 2 different locations, one of which was outstandingly delicious, and the other was good. One of our favorite meals was the steak fajitas at a touristy spot called Johnny B. Goods. We wanted to see a picture of the foods we were about to eat and the dishes were titled with English names.

I am discovering that there are little gems sprinkled through out the city. We stumbled upon one last night, Paseo del Buen Pastor (Pictured). It's just a few blocks from our apartment. We saw it during the day on our first day and it looked like a fun place to hang out and I thought it would be a great location to create some of my art, but it really came alive at night. The building was originally the women's prison and was rebuilt and restored as a cultural, tourist, and recreational center. It recently became a location to showcase young emerging artist's work. It has contemporary art with shows rotating several times a month. Danny and I perused the bottom floor, displaying comic strips from an assortment of artists. We could understand a few words here and there, but the enjoyable part was seeing the pictures. They were done in all different types of media, and with very different styles. I am excited that there are a few different places to view art. I will visit Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes next. It has a more permanent collection from the 19th and 20th centuries.

We also saw a beautiful neo-gothic style church called, Iglesia Sagrado Corazon, but most people call it Los Capuchinos. I will tell you more about it later and show you pictures. I am going to get started with my day.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I am so thankful for your support and prayers. I love you and miss you all!