Nikki's blog

Chau, suerte: The Knaddisons say goodbye to Argentina

Nikki — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:19:04 +0000

One of my favorite Argentine-isms is the typical goodbye: chau, suerte! Bye and good luck! It's such a hopeful way to say goodbye to someone: a wish for the unexpected and perhaps fortuitous things to come.

Spanish Tour by the Numbers

Nikki — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:48:59 +0000

Here's some vital stats on the old Spanish Tour:

Months: 9
Books Read By Greg: ~20
Books Read By Nikki: ~15 (he reads too fast!)
New Random Websites Launched: 1, 2, 3, 4
Wineries Visited: 29 (winery visits and reviews)
Breweries Visited: 1 (Stone!)

Countries Visited: 10

USA
France
Spain
England
Canada (we stopped-over in montreal, and had to clear customs, eh.)
Argentina
Uruguay
Argentina
Chile
Argentina
Bolivia
Peru
Chile
Argentina
USA

Spanish class recommendation in Buenos Aires

Nikki — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:00:20 +0000

In preparation for taking the Diploma de Español como lengua extranjera, I spent our last two weeks studying Spanish in Buenos Aires. Through craigslist, I found Natalia, an incredible teacher with very reasonable rates. I've been taking Spanish classes much of my life, and Natalia is hands down the best Spanish teacher I've ever had. En serio.

Los colores de La Paz

Nikki — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:06:09 +0000

Central America can easily turn one off to Latin American capitals. Smog, poverty, dirt, and chaos prevail from San Salvador to Guatemala City, with the possible exception of Havana-esque Panama City. I'm glad we gave Latin American capitals another chance in South America. Buenos Aires, Santiago, Montevideo, and now, La Paz, have all exceeded our expectations and are well worth a visit.

Cafayate: Hiking, Biking, and Wineries in Argentina's North

Nikki — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Wine from Argentina's North

Argentina's North: Salta la linda

Nikki — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:11:24 +0000

The Argentine North

It's refreshing to spend some time in the north of Argentina, an area that differs culturally and geographically from the rest of the giant country. For a country that's obsessed with its European heritage, it's nice to experience the part of the country that prides itself on indigenous blood and to see its rich history.

9 de Julio Plaza

Bariloche and Neuquen: The Northern End of Patagonia

Nikki — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:14:57 +0000

Bariloche - Swiss Alps of Argentina

When our Chilean adventures wrapped up in just under a week we took two long bus rides down Chile - from San Fernando to Osorno - and then from Osorno across the lush tree-covered, lake-filled mountains of the Andes to Bariloche. We started at Hostel El Gaucho, which was friendly, but realized that the double room with private bath there was only US$3 cheaper than full hotel living at Hotel Cambria - so we moved :)

Favorite Hotels: Colonia, Uruguay; Cafayate, Argentina; Salta, Argentina

Nikki — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:06:49 +0000

I get it, I'm a princess

Our goal has been to find hotels that are cute, clean, and cheap. Is that so much to ask? On the travel portion of our time in South America, we found it worked well to make a reservation in advance for one night and then shop around for hotels when we got their if the hotel was not what our book promised. We just had to make sure we had secure reservations for big travel times like semana santa.

Accommodation prices in South America

Mendoza, Argentina's annual harvest festival: Festival de la Vendimia

Nikki — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:02:58 +0000

The pride of Mendoza

All year long, Mendoza gears up for the festival that celebrate the harvesting of its grapes: the Festival de la Vendimia. The festival started in 1936 and grows each year, recently seemingly for the benefit of tourists who flock the area to enjoy Mendoza's biggest annual party.

Carnivores in Argentina

Nikki — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:25:40 +0000

Our landlords in Mendoza had us over for a typical Argentine asado. Much more of a process than the typical American barbecue, having a Sunday afternoon asado is an Argentine tradition. The big difference in the taste is the quality of Argentine meat and the fact that its cooked slowly over wood embers.