Darren hails from the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts but his travels have taken him all over the world from Chile to Alaska. A graduate of UMass Amherst Darren has been working in the field of outdoor education for the better part of a decade. This will be Darren’s first year leading a trip with Global Works but he comes to us having led numerous international trips in the past. 
Molly is a Colorado native who holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Colorado. She is returning to Global Works this year for her third season. Molly has combined her love of travel with a passion for service. Her global volunteer work has taken her from instructing environmental education at an Ecuadorian middle school, to conducting wildlife rehabilitation in South Africa. 
A travel and learning enthusiast Chris is entering his fouth year with Global Works and his third year as Argentina’s country director. Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends. We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world. As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
—
Update #1:
Day One – 6/27/11 – by Kyle Starkman:
Today, we all arrived in the airport of Buenos Aires and we were all exhausted. We dragged ourselves to exchange money and eat some breakfast. After that, we waited outside in the cold, beautiful weather of Beunos Aires. When the bus arrived, we were all surprised because it was a coach bus and there was more than enough room for us. When we got onto the bus, we all sat down in different rows and spread out to relax. During the ride everyone kind of loosened up and started to talk. When we got to the hostel, we all went into our rooms and pulled out warmer clothes in order to walk around the city. It was abnormally cold and we all wanted to stay warm. We walked around the city for a while and finally came to this plaza to do an actividad. We split up into four groups and all got this small piece of paper with a safety scenario on it. After acting out all the scenarios and talking about them, we walked back to the hostel and ate some chorizo with bread and vegetables. After dinner we had a meeting and told each other our highlights of the day and talked about things we were excited for on the trip. Then, we all got some much-needed rest.
Day Two – 6/28/11 – by Rachel Seidman
Hello Parents, Friends, and Readers! On our second day of this wonderful adventure we took the pleasure of touring around the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. We started our day off in the cocina where a delicious array of foods awaited us: juice, milk, bread, eggs, medialunas (Argentina’s famous croissant-like treats) and a selection of sweet spreads. After a very satisfying breakfast we headed over into town to get on a double-decker tour bus! In our group of 15, we dominated the back of the bus, with our smiling faces and luscious hair blowing in the wind. We passed through Plaza de Mayo, getting to see the huge Casa Rosada (the PINK house), much cooler looking than our white house. It was a little chilly up on top of the bus with the breeze, but the sun and a brief hot chocolate break helped warm us up. Seeing all the architecture, parks, and excitement of Buenos Aires made us all hungry after a while, so we hit up a great Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and enjoyed our arroz salteado (fried rice). Later, we split into 4 groups: Los Gauchos (Isabel, Kyle, & Rachel), Team Loco (Mandy, Carrie, & Ben), Team Blank (Nikki, Marlee, & Johnny) and Team “Be Back at 5:15” (Zoe, Jessica, & Bobby), and set out for a scavenger hunt, testing our Spanish skills and Argentine knowledge! To finish off this fun-filled day, we made a group contract, written on our very own Argentine flag, where we included what we could each bring to the group and what we each want from the group. Pizza pizza, yum yum and after some nighttime stories and fun we faded off to sleep. What a day!
Day Three – 6/29/11 – by Ben Langer:
Today was a very interesting day. We woke up and had some desayuno (Spanish for breakfast) around 8:30 or so. After a carb-filled breakfast, we walked to a bus stop and took a bus all the way to the other side of town. It was like a 40-minute ride. We got off the bus and walked some. There was a lot of interesting graffiti on the buildings. After a short walk through the neighborhood, we met up with Cynthia. She works at the Boca Juniors Stadium. She was helping us with our service project, which was helping out with the preparation of a huge fair at a free community theater in Buenos Aires, more on that later… After we met her, she led us to this room where we had some snacks and also had a briefing about the service project. It was a little hard to understand Cynthia because she only spoke Spanish, but we all listened very carefully and we were able to pick up a lot of what she was saying. Later, we went to La Boca, which is a very colorful area. People were showing off their art and tango dancing. We had lunch at this restaurant where they had live tango. We then finally started the project. We helped dust and measure curtains for the stage. After that, we said our goodbyes to Cynthia and went back to our hostel for dinner and a movie. We watched La Historia Oficial, a movie about the search for missing children after the military dictatorship in Argentina.
PHOTOS:
Update #2:
Day Four – 6/30/11 – by Johnny Ardissono
Today was our 4th day in Argentina and our final day in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. We were able to sleep in today and we all enjoyed the much-needed rest. After our late start, we walked to a local food court and on the way there, we stopped to but things that people needed for the homestay. After eating, we walked back to the hostel and the leaders answered everyone’s questions about the homestay. This question and answer session left everyone feeling excited and less nervous about the homestay. We then quickly packed our bags and headed to the bus station. We boarded an overnight bus and were able to enjoy the luxury of first class seats. We all fell asleep excited to meet our homestay family in the morning.
Day Five – 7/1/11 – by Jessica Lopez
After 12 hours on a bus, we finally arrived in Bonpland. As the bus pulled up there was a group of families waving at us in excitement. After being introduced to our homestay families, we were dismissed by the leaders to go settle in with our families. We all had lunch in our new homes, and then reported to la Municipalidad where we met up with our group to take a walk around town. It was important to get to know the area and where our other group members were staying. After walking the town, many people (including myself) were still confused as to where everything was located. Afterwards, we walked to a community center where we played volleyball with the locals. Volleyball worked up an appetite for most of us, so we all journeyed home for a much-needed dinner. While eating, we got to know our families a bit more and practiced our Spanish by trying to converse with them. All the excitement from the day exhausted us as we headed to sleep and dreamt about the adventures to come.
Day Six – 7/2/11 – by Nikki Martin
Today was our first day of service work in Bonpland. First, we met at the Municipal building and then walked twenty minutes to our worksite. Once we got there, a field of overgrown grass, bushes, and trees awaited us. Carina and Jorge, the owners of the farm, greeted us with sweet appreciative smiles. Starting our work, we began to make holes and prepare garlic for planting. We then continued to plant cabbage, onions, and arugula. Seeing what we had accomplished felt pretty incredible, but it was now time for a well-deserved lunch break. In Argentina, lunch is typically the most important meal of the day. So we all went and had a delicious lunch with our homestay families. At around three o’clock, we started our work again. This time, however, there was no more available planting space. We had to begin to pull apart the overgrown farmland until finally a layer of fresh brown dirt covered the ground. This was not easy work and it took a ton of strength. As the group worked, we came across a few tough roots, which we jokingly named pulpos (octopi) due to their many limbs that tightly held on to the ground! The end result was a nice dirt planting space and a feeling of joy from the group.
Day 7 – 7/3/11 – OUR VERY FIRST VIDEO BLOG!!! by Marlee Rudman (coming soon)
PHOTOS:
Update #3:
Day 8 – 7/4/11 – by Zoe Kayton: When we gathered in the school this morning, smiling faces were peeking out from every open door. The school bell rang and the kids rushed outside to greet us and play a game of “duck-duck-goose,” or “pato-pato-ganso.” After signing autographs and giving many hugs, the bell rang once more to signal the start of a class. We split into groups of two to teach English to the kids, who especially enjoyed singing “head, shoulders, knees, and toes.” Exhausted but satisfied, we headed to a field to play some hilarious games, this time without the school kids. Then we went home to eat lunch with our homestay families, and soon returned to the school to teach the students that come in the afternoon. To end the day, we met up in the home of one of the homestay moms. We discussed the mural we’ll be painting later in the week, played some card games, and enjoyed some panqueques with dulce de leche, an Argentinian treat. We can all agree that this was one of the best Fourth of Julys yet.
Day 9 – 7/5/11 – by Bobby Ardissono: Today we rode the bus to the community of Santa Ana to do more community service. We worked with a local farmer to clear and prepare land for the construction of a greenhouse. We used hoes and our hands to remove grass and small trees that were growing in the area where the greenhouse was going to be built. We also dug post-holes for the supports for the greenhouse. After a morning of work, we went to the house of one of the locals for a homemade lunch of spaghetti and meatballs along with a vegetable pie and yucca (a potato-like Argentine vegetable). After lunch we relaxed at the house and ate freshly grown mandarin oranges. We then returned to the worksite and worked for another hour before we had to go and catch a bus. Because we had a little bit of extra time, we decided to get ice cream because the weather had warmed up a bit. Unfortunately, we had to settle for pre-packaged ice cream at the gas station because the only place that we could find that sells ice cream only keeps it in stock during the summer. After eating the ice cream and catching a bus back to Bonpland, we all said our goodbyes and returned to our homestay families for dinner and sleep. It was a great day.
Day 10 – 7/6/11 – by Isabel Barry: This morning we met at the municipalidad at the same time, but we were about to venture into a whole new world – the community of Ebohti Ocara, home of a group of Guarani Indians native to the region. We walked leisurely to the community, taking in the gorgeous scenery, massive green trees, a sparkling river, and of course, plenty of mooing cows! We stopped before we reached the town for a bit of lunch, and then we were met eagerly by the villagers, mostly women and children. We were not exactly sure how to communicate with them because they did not speak much Spanish, but we started a game of Duck Duck Goose and pretty soon everyone was having a great time. Those kids were fast! Then, one boy brought out a special 5-string guitar and they sang and danced for us. We taught them the names of some animals in English and they taught us the names in Guarani. Then, we gave the remainder of our lunch to the kids. It was a wonderful feeling seeing their faces light up as they bit into the empanadas. After lunch, we started working on the school, making the floor level so we can pour cement on Sunday. One man from Bonpland has been working on building this school, the first one in the community, for several months and it felt great to be able to help him. We hiked back to Bonpland and it was warm enough for short sleeves! We soaked up the beautiful sunlight and then relaxed for an hour before meeting up for our talent show. We walked over to the boarding school and, although there was some confusion about the timing, we had fun just hanging out with the students and singing along to guitar and ukulele. After hanging out for a little while, we returned to our housed and watched the futbol game. !Viva la Argentina!
Day 11 – 7/7/11 – by Carrie Johnston: Today we slept in and didn’t meet up together until 10:15. From the muni we walked down to the bus stop. We rode the bus for a while until we got to La Puma – a rehabilitation center for animals. It is called La Puma because the first animal they received was a puma. From where the bus dropped us off, to the rehab center we walked along some dirt roads and caught a glimpse of Paraguay located on the other side of the river. We managed to find a staff member at La Puma to show us around. They have many different kinds of animals, such as monkeys, birds, leopards, alligators, and wild boars. Most of the animals are native to Argentina and the surrounding countries. Many of the animals we have never seen before. After we were done touring we made our way back to the bus stop. We took another long bus ride through a few towns until the bus dropped us off at a bus station. From there, we hopped on another bus, which took us into Posadas. We walked around Posadas and found a restaurant to take a break and eat. When everyone was refueled, we decided to go see a movie. We walked over to the mall and bought tickets to the next movie: Kund Fu Panda 2. It was in Spanish, but for the most part, we were able to follow along. When the movie was over, we walked around Posadas more. Posadas is a small city and definitely not as big as Buenos Aires. We walked down to a boardwalk that goes along the water. Across the river there is a bridge that was lit up, a beautiful sight. We also brought out our inner children when we played on the playground that was next to the boardwalk. We walked back through Posadas and went to the grocery store where we bought dinner and ingredients for the dinner we are all going to cook for our homestay families on Sunday. After a hectic time in the grocery store, we all climbed into a small bus that drove us back to Bonpland. We arrived back late and went right to bed.
Update #4:
Day 12 – 7/8/11 – by Mandy Palmer
We stepped out of our homes this morning with t-shirts & smiling faces. After meeting at the muni at 9am, we walked to the community plaza in the center of town. We gathered in a circle for a group meeting where we shared our challenges and highlights from the homestay. Now, we were ready to work! We swept, raked, and cleaned up the trash in the plaza until we worked up an appetite for lunch. We were greeted at home by our families as a surplus of pasta, meat, and salad awaited us. At 3 o’clock we split up into two groups. Carrie, Rachel, Ben, Isabel, Johnny, and Bobby painted the street curbs white (a Bonpland tradition for the holidays). Jessica, Kyle, Nikki, Zoe, Marlee, and Mandy started prepping for the mural in the palideportivo (sports complex). After hours of hard work, we went home for dinner and a well-needed rest for the next day… Argentina’s Independence Day!
Day 13 – 7/9/11 – by Kyle Starkman
Today, the leaders let the kids sleep in. The artists in the group woke up earlier so that they could get to work on painting the mural, which was beginning to look fantastic. Some of us played hacky sack while the others painted. At around two, we went home to go eat one of our last lunches in Bonpland. After lunch, we worked on writing thank you letters to our families for all the smiles they gave us, and for letting us sleep in their cozy homes. Later that day, we all went to Chuta’s house to have a mouthwatering, savory asado. We all stuffed our faces with steak, chicken, sausages, and salad. After all the laughter and stuffing of the faces, we went home to rest.
Day 14 – 7/10/11 – by Rachel Seidman
Today was a particularly special day for the group as we “lived up” our last full day in Bonpland. As a project/gift for the town, we finished painting a beautiful mural for the people of Bonpland. This project was really special to us because we though of the idea of creating a mural ourselves; it was not on the agenda (special shout-out to Marlee, Nikki, and Jessica, some of our talented artists who really took charge and made sure that everything went smoothly!) To refuel us for the afternoon, our homestay families prepared a feast-like lunch so delicious that we could not stop asking for more. After a most satisfying lunch, we headed off to our kitchens to begin cooking our North American meal for our homestay families as both a “thank you” gift and part of our “goodbye” ceremony. Luckily, our Emeril and Rachel Ray skills came to us, and we prepared a delicious meal including: guacamole and chips (to start), a mixed salad, mac & cheese, spaghetti & red sauce, kebabs and more… At dinner, our families were so impressed by our cooking skills and were also very excited to try guacamole for the first time. During dinner Rachel stood up on behalf of the group to thank our homestay families for their hospitality, and the love and care that they showed us for an unforgettable ten days. Isabel brought out her ukulele and played while singing a song (IN SPANISH!) that she wrote, to the tune of “I’m Yours,” by Jason Mraz. We need to get that girl on American Idol! Afterwards, Kyle brought out his guitar and played some tunes as we joined in and sang along for a bit. Once Kyle’s Hendrix-like fingers started to get tired, our families got up one by one to say nice goodbyes to all of us. Cristina, one of the main coordinators from the Bonpland group, stood up to say goodbye to Mandy & Carrie. Merci, Ben & Johnny’s mom, did the same, along with Ida, Zoe’s grandmother, and Alicia, Kyle and Bobby’s mother. They all told us how happy they were to have us in their homes, and that their doors will always be open to us. Thoughts of us leaving brought tears to Chuta, one of the cuddliest and cutest grandmas we’ve ever seen. Upon seeing her cry, a bunch of the girls went over to hug her and sit with her. It was a really nice last night for all of us, filled with delicious food, music, laughter, and tears. We’d like to give a really special thanks to our homestay families for taking such good care of us. We spent some really great time with them, and developed bonds that will hopefully be maintained for the rest of our lives. We will try our hardest to keep in touch with them!
Day 15 – 7/11/11 – by Ben Langer
The day finally and unfortunately came when it was time to leave Bonpland. We hugged and kissed our families goodbye. As soon as we got on the bus, we set out for Iguazu. The Bonpland town sign slowly faded away in the distance as we drove further and further away. After about an hours drive, we stopped for lunch in a small town called El Dorado. We had burgers, fries, and ice cream. Now their burgers were much different than the burgers back in the States. These had an all-beef patty, egg, ham, lettuce, cheese, and tomato. They were very good. We then drove the rest of the way to our cabañas in Iguazu. They were very spacious with a living room, an upstairs, and a kitchen. Pretty soon after, we walked to the downtown area. Since we were all very hungry, Chris chased down a guy selling chipa, which is a cheesy, twisted bread that people usually eat down here. With chipa in our stomachs, we were able to enjoy the town until dinner. Our dinner consisted of stir-fry noodles with whatever meat we wanted. After dinner, we walked to a supermarket to get food for our Iron Chef Cook-Off, which would take place the next night. I just wondered what the secret ingredient would be. We left the supermarket with loads of ingredients and we headed back to our cabañas to get some rest for our big day at Iguazu Falls.
Day 16 – 7/12/11 – by Johnny Ardissono
Today we woke up after enjoying our first night in the cabañas and we enjoyed a breakfast buffet provided by the hotel. After our delicious breakfast, we took a short bus ride to the falls where we met our guide Carlos. We started out by walking to see La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil’s Throat) waterfall, which is the biggest. We were all awed by the sheer power of the waterfall. Once we had enjoyed the sight of the waterfall and taken many pictures of it, we walked to the Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters) waterfall and we were once again shocked by the intensity of the falls. After viewing the falls, we got into a boat which took us almost under the waterfalls. It was a very cool experience and everyone enjoyed it even though we got soaked. Then we ate a picnic lunch of sandwiches with a variety of meats and cheeses on them. After lunch, we returned back home and relaxed for a few hours. Then we started the Iron Chef competition. The secret ingredient was butternut squash. All of the groups frantically cooked for an hour and a half. Once the groups had turned in their food, the judges decided that the chicken pasta made by Mandy, Jessica, Zoe, and Carrie won. The ham, cheese, pepper, and onion Panini’s made by Johnny, Bobby, Ben, and Kyle finished second and the vegetarian pizza made by Marlee, Nikki, Isabel, and Rachel finished third. All of the food was excellent and we all enjoyed the experience. We all fell asleep excited for tomorrow when we will fly back to Buenos Aires.
Photos:
Update #5:
Day 17 – 7/13/11 – by Jessica Lopez
This morning we enjoyed our last breakfast at the lovely cabins in Iguazu. We all hopped in the van and made our way to the airport while jamming to some sweet tunes. We reached the airport in happiness to see that our flight wasn’t delayed or cancelled due to the volcanic ash from Chile. After a couple hours on the plane, we arrived in Buenos Aires to settle into our hostel yet again. Once we were rested a bit, we headed out to dinner on foot. Luckily, the journey to dinner worked up an appetite for all of us. In other words, we cleaned our plates. No matter how much food is consumed, there is ALWAYS room for ice cream (motto of the trip). With that said we stopped at a nice ice cream shop called “Freddo.” Hands down the best ice cream ever! You can’t go wrong with Dulce de Leche flavored ice cream that melts in your mouth. We then caught a bus back to the hostel with our bellies at maximum capacity. The night came to an end when we got to the hostel. We watched about half of a movie called La Mision, but many of us were exhausted so we all headed off to our rooms for some much-needed sleep.
Day 18 – 7/14/11 – by Nikki Martin
Starting our day off at the hostel in Buenos Aires, we awoke to a wonderful breakfast consisting of eggs, medialunas, spreads, and more. Today we continued our cultural exploration of the city, but from a different angle. Our combination walking/bus tour of the graffiti art in Buenos Aires was both informative and an incredible sight. We met our tour guide, Johnny, who introduced us to the works of street artists such as “Nerf,” “Pum Pum,” and “Jazz.” Johnny explained to the group how street art in Argentina is more than just tagging your name on a wall. Many artists use art to make political statements or express feelings in a very public way. After the tour, we headed back to the hostel for some lunch and relaxation. At around six o’clock we left to embark on our second overnight bus headed to Malargue!
Day 19 – 7/15/11 – by Marlee Rudman
Today we arrived in San Rafael where we were welcomed by chilly air and beautiful blue skies. We all climbed into the bus that would bring us to our hostel in Malargue. The ride flew by while we played games and admired the breathtaking Andes Mountains that lined the winding road. While Johnny, Bobby, Kyle, Ben, Mandy, Nikki, and I played 20 Questions, Carrie, Zoe, Rachel, Jessica, and Isabel listened to music. Before we knew it we had arrived at the Eco-Hostel. The Eco-Hostel is made from mud, clay, and other local/natural resources. As we pulled up, we were excitedly met by the Hostel owners’ sweet smiles. They showed us around and served the group a delicious, mouth-watering, home cooked meal. Once our stomachs were stuffed, we took off to the Observatory and learned about cosmic rays. Soon the sun set and a gorgeous growing full moon came out. It was the perfect way to end such a great day.
Day 20 – 7/16/11 – Video Blog by Zoe Kayton!
Photos:
Update #6:
Day 21 – 7/17/11 – by Bobby Ardissono
After finishing our final service project yesterday, we headed into the beautiful mountains for a relaxing excursion to La Caverna de las Brujas (The Witch’s Cave). We arrived at the park excited and ready to go caving. We split up into two groups. Armed with helmets and headlamps, we climbed with our guide to the entrance of the cave. When we entered the cave, we took a minute to let our eyes adjust and the guide told us the story behind how the cave got its name. Then we continued deeper into the cave along the “tourist path” which our guide said was one of the most natural cave tours in the world. On the tour we saw various formations of stalactites and stalagmites including one that looked like a shark’s mouth rising out of the water, and one that looked like a set of curtains waving in the wind. After thoroughly enjoying the caves, we stepped back outside into the frigid air (the caves were warmer than outside) and enjoyed some delicious ham & cheese empanadas. Next on the agenda, we planned to go on a tour of a local site where many fossils had been found. However, it was so cold and we were all so tired that we decided to skip it and head straight to a ski shop to rent our equipment for the next two days. There we got skis, boots, poles, helmets, goggles, jackets, and pants. Finally, we returned to the hostel to relax and prepare for skiing and snowboarding.
Day 22 – 7/18/11 – by Isabel Barry
We rose before the dawn today to eat a good breakfast before heading off on our next adventure: skiing at Las Leñas. When we walked outside, a surprising sight met our eyes; the ground was covered in glistening white snow! We began our long drive up into the mountains and the view grew ever more breathtaking as we continued. The snowy peaks sparkled in the early morning light. After a few hours in the van, we arrived at Las Leñas and squeezed into our ski boots, ready to start the day. We split into groups based on experience, with Johnny and Bobby heading to the hard trails with Darren right off the bat. Ben, Carrie, and Zoe perfected their technique on the bunny slope after learning the basics from an expert teacher: Chris! Jessica and Marlee quickly caught on to snowboarding and by the end of the day, they were ready to shred up the blue trails with Mandy, Nikki, and Rachel. Molly was very proud of her skilled snowboarders! In the middle of our day of skiing, we headed back to the van for ham & cheese sandwiches. We stocked up on energy for the afternoon and caught snowflakes on our tongues before heading back up to the slopes. After a few more hours on the slopes, everyone met up to defrost in Brasero, the restaurant at the resort, and Isabel and Kyle performed three songs for the customers, ending with a rousing rendition of “Hey, Soul Sister!” Then we loaded up all of our gear and headed back to the Ecohostel for some delicious gnocchi and chicken. After dinner everyone settled in to watch a movie in Spanish for our language activity. We headed off to bed early, exhausted but satisfied after an awesome day on the slopes!
Day 23 – 7/19/11 – by Carrie Johnston
Today we woke up early again to embark upon another adventure in the mountains. We slowly arose from our warm beds into the bitter cold. Once again we ate a great breakfast and piled into the van. After a long ride, we arrived at the ski resort where we took a quick bathroom break. We walked through the snow back to the van from the bathrooms where we then shoved our feet into our ski and snowboard boots. We split up into different groups and started a fun day of skiing and snowboarding. After a few times going down the trails, the girls met up at the bunny slope to have one last quick ride down before heading to lunch. The snowboarders took a bit longer coming down than the skiers because the trail wasn’t steep enough for them. We met back for a lunch of milanesa sandwiches. After lunch, we headed back to the slopes. Most people tried harder trails. Part of the group even went to the top of the mountain, which is over 11,000 feet. There was an amazing view. After another long day of skiing and snowboarding in the beautiful Andes, we headed back down the mountain to the Ecohostel. When we got back to the rooms, we didn’t even make it through the doorway before having a random rapping party. There was non-stop laughter while people attempted to rap. Later on, we ate yet another delicious dinner. After dinner, we tried to fit as many girls on one bottom bunk as possible. We ended this long, fun day by singing Happy Birthday to Darren’s mom before heading to bed.
Day 24 – 7/20/11 – by Mandy Palmer
As we come down to one of the last days of our trip, we reflect on all our memories from the past month. It seems like so long ago we were sitting in the airport playing the name game and getting to know each other. We began our journey in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires where we got to take a city tour and participate in a scavenger hunt. We learned about the culture & history of the city through tango dance. The next part of our trip (the favorite for most) was our homestay in the pleasant town of Bonpland. We had the amazing opportunity to teach elementary school kids English and do service work planting on farms. During our time in Bonpland, we got to know our loving and welcoming families, which made it difficult to leave. After getting used to the cold winter in Bonpland, we were in for a pleasant surprise as we arrived in beautiful, sunny Iguazu. We were all in awe of the spectacular falls. As we come down to our last days, we were able to hit the slopes in Mendoza for an exciting and memorable experience in the mountains. We are all shocked to see that the trip is almost over, but we leave with many memories, new friends, and experiences.
Day 25 – 7/21/11 – by Zoe Kayton
This morning we were each woken up with a tap on the shoulder and a plate of delicious treats held under our noses. The overnight bus to Buenos Aires had finally arrived and we all inwardly groaned. We knew that the arrival meant that we only had a couple more hours to spend together. After dropping our luggage off at the hostel, we headed to Florida Street to do some shopping. Among the soccer jerseys, twisted metal knick-knacks, and colorful mate cups, everyone was able to find exactly what they wanted. We even spotted some interesting talents along the way, like a Jack Sparrow look-alike and a man who could draw by holding a pencil with his toes! Soon we were tired out and walked back to the hostel to rest. We enjoyed each other’s company while listening to music and sharing snacks and stories. When night began to fall, our stomachs began to go rumble. We walked to a restaurant for a dinner of stuffed potatoes, stews, and salads. Once again we walked back to the hostel. We planned to stay up all night because it was our last night as a group! Soon, however, we had all fallen asleep with all the fond memories from our month-long adventure playing in our minds.
Some Final Thoughts from Global Works Argentina SSA 2011…
Isabel Barry – It’s hard to pick a single most meaningful portion of a trip so full of service and cultura, but I believe that the thing that will stay with me the longest is my experience in the homestay. My homestay mom was one of the most kindhearted people I have ever met or probably will ever meet. To open your home and share your customs with two complete strangers is truly a remarkable thing. Their generosity and caring showed me that everyone is the same, whether they live in a small town without even a supermarket or in one of the biggest cities in the world. I established a true connection with the people of Bonpland over the course of 10 days. The mix of service work and family bonding made the homestay a unique and unforgettable experience!
Carrie Johnston – This trip was amazing which makes it incredibly hard to come up with one favorite moment. Iguazu Falls is one of the most incredible places I’ve been to. It is so beautiful that it makes it hard to describe. The waterfalls are something that needs to be seen in person, not just through pictures. The best part was when we all got in a boat and went through the waterfalls, getting drenched with water. I loved sharing this fun experience with great people. At that point we had only known each other for two weeks, but it already felt like we knew each other so well because we were having so much fun together.
Zoe Kayton – This month-long adventure in Argentina has been one of the most amazing, beautiful, and rewarding experiences of my life. Our group could not have been more accepting or fun-loving that it was, and all of the activities we did were exciting and memorable. I feel that we accomplished so much through our service work, but we were able to find a balance between work and play by enjoying everything Argentina has to offer. Memories of taking a boat ride into Iguazu Falls and skiing down a mountain in Las Leñas will forever be ingrained in my mind, as will the close friends I have made. I had such a great time and created so many new relationships; this trip is something I will never forget.
Jessica Lopez – There are so many amazing things that pop into my head when I think about this trip. There’s something about learning new things in a new country that makes everything exciting. The homestay impacted me greatly, because everyone in the community was so nice and friendly. It’s impossible to not fall in love with the families there. The people there are so happy all the time and it affected me in a great way. This is a moment I will never forget.
Nikki Martin – A moment that stands out to me was during a group chat. We all were discussing what community service meant to us and everyone really opened up. We all shared our definitions and even though they all were different, we learned and listened to each other. This really summed up our experience with community service and made the group think more. It was only a small moment but it definitely had a big impact.
Rachel Seidman – When looking back on these past four weeks, I really can’t choose one moment in particular that was my favorite. Rather, I like to reflect on the trip as a whole and think about everything that I’ve gained from this incredible experience. Personally, this trip was the first time that I was thrown into a group of kids that I didn’t know. I will admit, it was challenging at first, but looking at the amazing friendships that I’ve made over this trip makes me realize that I’ve succeeded in trying something new, and I’ve enjoyed every step along the way. As I begin to embark on my journey back to New York, I feel a real sense of accomplishment, for having tried something new, learned a lot of Spanish, gained insight from my friends and leaders, and personally feeling a new sense of maturity. Thanks to everyone for an amazing time!
Bobby Ardissono – One of the most meaningful moments of the trip for me was saying goodbye to our homestay families. In that moment, I realized how much we had connected to that small Argentine community in the short ten days that we spent with them. In those days, we had gone from complete strangers to a community of friends, almost as close as a second family. We achieved that closeness by showing our willingness and desire to help them and at the same time living together and exchanging cultural and personal knowledge. That bond exists forever and despite the distance, we will forever be connected and most of us will stay in contact with our families over the coming years.
Johnny Ardissono – The highlight of my trip was the homestay. The part of the homestay that was most meaningful to me was when we taught English to the children in the community of Bonpland. It was cool to see how much the kids looked up to us and to see how happy we made them by coming to their school to try and teach them. It was the best moment because I was able to see the people I was helping and I could see the joy that I was bringing to the children.
Ben Langer – The homestay was very meaningful to me. It made me think about how I live at home versus how these people live. These people live a very primitive lifestyle. They are much closer to their families than we are for the most part. Not too many of these families have the latest electronics. It was great that we got a chance to help these people out. It really meant a lot to them and to us. It made me realize how “spoiled” I am at home and that these people cannot get whatever they want.
Kyle Starkman – One of the highlights of my trip was going to the Guarani village. When we arrived the whole village was greeting us with smiling faces. They played a native song for us and showed us a native dance. Afterwards, in the afternoon, we worked on the school. We were working on the floor. All the kids were watching us while we were working diligently. When we were done for the day, we were bombarded with many thank you’s and we felt amazing after the experience.
Video: