Fuerza Bruta

I sat down last night after experiencing this show at the Recoleta Cultural Center, just blocks away from my house. As I thought about the event I just saw, millions of thoughts raced through my head, but I truly could not spit them out on paper. This show is the epitome of indescribable.

A couple of weeks ago, a few of my co-workers recommended this show called "Fuerza Bruta," all claiming that they have gone multiple times and it is unreal. I thought their lack of description was due to the language barrier, but now I know that there are truly no words for this amazing event.

After doing some research about the show, I found that little is said. It was all started by Argentine Diqui James (who also founded a similar show, De La Guarda), with Pichon Baldinu and it has now been carried out for more than 7 years.

James was born and raised in Argentina as an actor, director and creator of three successful companies, but he was constantly searching for the return of theatre in its most primitive origin: "that it is universal for all."

Each show is staged around the standing audience and put into action using the large and diverse scenic and mechanical devices.

Here are a few bloggers' reviews I found, for lack of better words on my own:

"You really can't describe Fuerzabruta, you have to experience it for yourself. And oh man, what an experience it is."

"This isn't experiencing theatre.
It's a theatrical experience."

"The long and the short: A mass of people, standing in a dark room, while incredible combination of acrobatics, aerialists, swimming, dancing, music, group interaction, lights and sound SURROUND you."

"A truly communal and tribal evening. Leave your expectations at the door and go in ready to embrace FEELING and SEEING things you never could have imagined. It's dreamlike. It's transportive."

Still not convinced? Check out the video of MY experience below:

Feels Like Home

After the Mendoza trip, you would think I would be ready to wind down a bit. However, I excitedly waited the arrival of my friend, Brittany. Her Dad is a pilot, which makes traveling internationally a bit easier and we have been talking for months about her visit. Finally, it was time for her arrival!

Since she flies stand-by, her arrival was post-poned until Wednesday, which worked out for me, as I was stressing about the test I had on Tuesday and still working all week at the internship. I greeted her Wednesday morning, although I was off to my internship for the afternoon. That night, I made an effort to be a better hostess and took her to one of our favorite places in town, only to find out that they serve wings. HOT wings. Spice and fire is something we have missed being down here in South America, and this was the closest thing we found to tasting like home. Obviously, we indulged.

The next day we had a similar routine, but later that night we ended up at Crobar, which happened to have live music that night. It was packed and we got to see an awesome show, despite the wall-to-wall people.

That Friday marked Argentina’s Independence Day, so luckily I was off work for the afternoon. I took advantage of this and showed Brittany some sites around town. Our first stop? The Japanese Gardens; a place I had not seen yet. We met up with some fellow group members and headed over for the afternoon. We looked around at all the pretty landscaping surrounding a cute pond and Japanese-inspired bridges and other sites, but one thing did not seem right. Why was the entire park filled with Argentines dressed in crazy costumes? Hats, jackets, fangs, blue hair, chains, wings, you name it-they were wearing it. After following through the park and hitting up the restaurant in back, we were shown to a convention. An anime convention—I should have known.



After escaping the cartoon characters, we wandered over to Plaza Fancia to look around the market and grab a cheap bite to eat. Brittany was able to find a cute new bracelet and fake TOMS shoes (the same ones we all have purchased!). We were right next to the famous cemetery where Eva Perón is buried, so of course, we headed in for a free look around. After snapping pictures there, we decided to head over to see La Flor in the nighttime. However, when we went to leave the fair, Brittany realized her camera was missing. After living here for about two months, my fears of pick-pocketers has dropped, but I was quickly reminded that you can never be too careful. This was a huge eye-opener and an even bigger bummer for Brittany’s trip.

However, she didn’t let it ruin her time here and after looking long and hard and asking around in Spanish like fools, we proceeded to La Flor. It was beautifully lit up, however still not functioning properly. It is supposed to open at sunrise and close its petals at sunset, but all summer, it has remained open. Still an unbelievable site to see.



The next day we woke up a bit late and decided to head over to the other side of town to show Brittany around. Our first stop was the Casa Rosada, the equivalent to the White House at home. They offer free tours everyday, so after a check through our bags, we were in within a few minutes—not quite the security we are used to at home.
We had free reign of the bottom floor and even got a picture with a guard. After waiting in a short line, we were taken on the tour of the entire House. It was incredible to see where the Argentine President works everyday and it was even more unbelievable knowing that we got to see so much of it. How does she ever sneak in and out of there with all these people around?



After the tour, we grabbed some grub and walked around the centro a bit, near where I work. It was dead due to the Uruguay vs. Germany that was currently playing on every TV, so we made our way over to Puerto Madero. I showed Brittany where the Mizzou office is located and she really enjoyed the port of the Río de la Plata. It was perfect timing to see the sun setting right over the water as we were crossing the “Woman’s Bridge.”

Sunday was the World Cup championship, so we all headed over to the boys’ apartment for a watch party. After going into overtime, I was a bit nervous (I wanted Netherlands to win in order to help my bracket scores). However, in the end I watched Spain take the title. After the game, it was getting dark, so we headed back home (and took a detour through Plaza Francia, where Brittany found an amazing leather purse!). That night a few of us went out for an incredible steak dinner. Where else can you find endless amounts of bread, a small empanada, water, champagne, a steak the size of your head, French fries, and a huge scoop of ice cream for 20 American dollars? I love this country!

The next day, we headed to the US Embassy for a class visit and then I had to work for the afternoon. Once I got home, we researched some places to go and we were off to a place called La Puerta Roja for some dinner and drinks. A hostel group came through and we followed them through town meeting many characters along the way and ensuring a memorable night.

The week was a blast and it was nice having a little taste from home by getting to see Brittany. The countdown begins as I am approaching my final month here. Where does the time go?

The 4th of July Doesn't Always Mean Fireworks

Hello hello, my fellow blog followers…it’s been a while since we have talked….
As of now, I have traveled near and far in the country of Argentina and in many different forms. If ever asked my recommendation on which way to travel? I would have to strongly encourage traveling in a Cama Suite bus. Just a few weeks ago, we decided to upgrade our bus to Mendoza to this “Cama Suite” and I don’t think we have made a better decision thus far.

The trip to Mendoza was well anticipated and hopping in the fully reclining bed-like chairs and getting served endless amounts of drinks and a 3 course-meal confirmed that this would be a trip to remember.

We arrived at the hostel just a few (and by few, I mean close to 14) hours later, dropped off our stuff, met the most hospitable staff thus far and we were well on our way to explore the city. We watched Brazil get defeated against Netherlands (the first start to en epic South American downfall in the World Cup), walked around for a few hours, and before we knew it, it was time for our bike wine tour through the vineyards of Mendoza.

Our trip started off at a winery (or Bodega, as they call them here), where we were able to view the miles of vines (and sparse orange trees!), before tasting the different kinds of wine they had to offer. Our trip through the wineries started off well, but of course got a little rocky. And by rocky, I mean we first had to mount our bikes in the rockiest part of the winery, which left a few group members with broken bikes and some others opted out altogether. Did I mention that we only had enough helmets for half of the group? That’s South America for you.



After getting through that rough patch, we had a short bike ride to our next destination. We toured a more modern winery just down the way before heading off to our final winery of the day. This was by far my favorite of the three. We were able to give ourselves a walking tour of the vineyards, before heading up to the deck for the tasting under the beautiful setting sun. Marcelo, our bike tour guide, made sure we made the most of our time in the beautiful view.

After making some memories there, it was time for one final stop. As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I was anticipating this final visit. We were taken around a private chocolate liquor family-owned business and heard endless stories from the character of a woman that led us through the tour. After tasting some delicious chocolate-flavored treats, cheese, and countless spreads, I left with a handful of purchases. (Mom and Dad…can’t wait for you to try this stuff!)

The next day we wandered around town and finally made it to a tiny café to watch the Argentina vs. Germany game. What. A. Downer. After wallowing in the loss and grabbing lunch, we tried to make the best of the day and headed toward the main plaza, Plaza Independencia, and saw the sites, made some purchases at the little market and settled down on a bench to enjoy the view. After just a few minutes of sitting, we made friends with a few 13-year-olds (who, unfortunately, had better Spanish skills than we did) and found a clown show to watch to pass the time. Little did we know Erik would be pulled on stage with the clown as the main event. That made for a few laughs.
That night, the hostel hosted an all-you-can eat parilla, where we stuffed ourselves with the famous types of meat they have here and ended the night with a party with fellow hostel-ers, all from different parts of the world including New Zealand, London, Australia, and even another guy from Mizzou. Small world.



On our final day in Mendoza, the hostel so graciously booked a High Andes Tour that took up most of the day. We woke up at the crack of dawn and hopped in a bus that toured most of the Andes. Although we were talked into renting hard-core snow gear, such as boots, snow pants, and heavy winter coats, which were all highly unnecessary, we still had a good time viewing the mountains, drinking the sweet cold water from the Andes and basking in the breeze. Did I say breeze? I meant strong, harsh, and powerful but unbelievably fun winds. We made friends with a few Aussies and a girl from London on our trip, which made the trip more exciting and gave us some more friends that accompanied us in laughing at our strange attire. It was a day I’ll never forget. I got to see THE ANDES on the 4th of July? What did YOU do…grill hot dogs? ☺

Iguazú Falls: A Site to See

Another weekend, another trip across the country. This time? Iguazú Falls. As one of our more expensive trips, we have been planning for this weekend for a while now, so you can imagine all of the excitement we had built up.

Erik, Ann, Jordan, and I woke up early Saturday morning and attempted hopping in a cab to get to the airport. We walked around a bit, made a few phone calls, and we finally hailed one on a random street corner in town. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time (you only have to check in 35 minutes before departure!) and we were on our way to the terminal. As we approached our gate Zack, another group member, greeted us. He arrived hours before us in order to fix some problems with his confirmation. Earlier, we did not expect him to come, so it was a pleasant surprise that he got everything figured out. We also met Kelly and Grace, who were on a different flight not too long after ours. Our flight didn’t last long, as I slept through most of it. However, I somehow conveniently managed to wake up just in time for the food box they provided. I couldn’t have gotten luckier. I opened the box and two delicious Havanna alfajores were staring me in the face. I was in dessert heaven.

After waking up from my coma (not sure if I was just tired or if it was due to the sweets), we were on our way to the hostel. Our hostel was more like a resort compared to the one we stayed in Villa General Belgrano. We dropped our bags and set out for an adventure at the falls all day.

We roamed around the park and found our way to a few trails to stop and take pictures of the falls. I would attempt to describe how magical these falls truly are, but no words could ever do them justice. We all agree that the pictures don’t even remotely resemble the powerful, yet beautiful force of water. I kept asking myself all day how nature could ever create something so amazing.



After completing both upper and lower courses, we came across an offer we couldn’t refuse. A moonlight tour of the falls. Usually, the park closes at 6pm, but 5 nights a month (the days surrounding a full moon), they offer dinner tours of the “Garganta del Diablo,” which is the highest fall of Iguazú Falls.



We retreated back to the hostel to grab a snack and freshen up and we headed back to the falls later that night. After waiting for a bus for what seemed like forever, we decided that we needed to hop in a cab to get to the Falls in time for our tour. We made like clowns and stuffed eight people in a tiny car that seats five.

The tour consisted of a bit of the history of the Falls and its surroundings. We learned that the raccoon-like animals that we had come across earlier in the day were not actually raccoons, but coatis. They are suffering from high cholesterol and dying out. As sad as it is, I had to laugh when I heard the tour guide explain, “they should not eat French fries, chocolate, or Coke.”



After the chat, we finally arrived at the Garganta del Diablo. It was even better than I remembered just a few hours earlier. It looked as if I was at a completely different waterfall. The moonlight hit the water in just the right places and the mist of the water was unreal. Unfortunately, because of the darkness, pictures were impossible. However, I will never forget how nature looked right then and there.

By the time we returned back to the main part of the park, we had worked up quite the appetite. Lucky for us, dinner was included in the tour’s package. Little did we know that this dinner was an all-you-can-eat barbeque that was in-cred-ible. We spent most of our time in silence, barely stopping to breathe and we racked up close to thirty plates in food!

The next day, we woke up in time for breakfast (even though, I STILL felt full from the night before) and then we went to Tres Fronteras, the point where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay meet. Very similar to the four corners we have back in the States. After snapping some photos and making a few market purchases, it was time to head to the airport and back home for the night.



We arrived back home and immediately hit up the only restaurant that had room for us, as it was a big day for Argentina. The Argentina-Mexico game. Of course, we came out on top ☺

Speaking of fútbol, I am doing really well in my work’s competition. How cool would it be to win? The only American in the office….

Until next time…Arg-gen-tina! Ar-gen-tina!

Una Semana Divertida

I have LOTS of catching up to do, so here goes another long post. Brace yourself.

Last week was fun-filled with a few different shows. It all started on Thursday night when a group of us went out to a concert porteño-style. Earlier in the week we found out about a Dante concert. For those of you that are confused as to who Dante is, I highly recommend checking out his music. Erik, the music guru, described him earlier in the week as being a cross between Jay-Z and Lady Gaga. That was enough convincing for us. The night was filled with amazing songs (some of which I had no idea what they were about) and it was a great show overall. Afterward, we stepped outside the venue only to be greeted by a documentary crew. If you know me and cameras, then you know I instantly gravitated toward it in order to get in a few minutes of fame. We screamed out the few Spanish phrases we could think of at the time (which translates to: “We LOOOOOVE music” and “Dante’s songs come from the heart!”). We joked that they’ll just play music over our kindergarten-level response in the actual video.



Because we just couldn’t get enough music in on Thursday night, the group set out for Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast) on Saturday evening. This was unlike any other performance I had seen before. The costuming, set, and overall talent was indescribable. Needless to say, I was floored by the performance (as my dorky theatre geek came out in full force this night) and I left with a grin from ear to ear and, of course, a shirt from the show.



We called it an early night, as we had to be up at the crack of dawn the following morning. It was time for Uruguay! I set out with a lack of sleep in hopes to sleep on the flight. I was wrong. By the time we lifted, we were already descending. Thank you, 30-minute flight. I arrived with bags under my eyes, but it was worth it. Montevideo, as big as it is, is nothing like Buenos Aires. I pleasantly enjoyed the sites, but most importantly the exchange rate. (1 USD=20 Uru Pesos).

Carolina, our program director, put together quite the trip. On Monday, we visited multiple media outlets including Monte Carlo Radio, El Observador newspaper, and Canal 10, the major TV network of Montevideo. It was amazing how similar and how different things can be run in different countries. We learned that much of the editing process at Canal 10 is the same as the United States, however we also found out that 98% of Uruguay listens to radio consistently, far from the numbers we reach in the U.S.

The following day we hopped on our van and set out for Universidad de Montevideo, a private university on the outskirts of town. Carolina had asked us a week or two prior to this visit to prepare a presentation about Mizzou and life in the U.S. Various group members chose topics such as Homecoming, Greek Life, Sports, and the J-School. Upon entering the building, we were slapped in the face with the biggest surprise yet. No, we weren’t going to be casually discussing these topics with other Uruguayan students. We will be questioned about OTHER (unprepared) topics. On the radio. Live. In Spanish. Talk about a heart attack. Remember how I said 98% of Uruguay actively listens to the radio?

After fumbling over our words and breaking a small sweat, we somehow managed to get through the interview. After a brief tour of the school (and amazing library), we headed to the school’s café in order to watch the game with some local students. Uruguay won, as they hoped, and a mass celebration broke out in the school, workplace, and streets. Nowhere has a heart for fútbol like Latin America.

On our final day in the city, we opted to go to ‘Punta del Este,’ a small, yet beautiful place about an hour and a half from Montevideo. We all agreed that this was one of our favorite places thus far. From bright sandy beaches and beautiful flowers, to breathtaking mountains and incredible sites, it was by far one of the prettiest places that I have seen. It was nice to feel slightly warmer weather and hang out in the sand for a bit. (Summer weather? I miss you!)



I have returned back to my internship and classes for the meanwhile, but tomorrow starts yet another adventure. Iguazú Falls, here I come!

Hasta luego, vida de la ciudad!

After the hustle and bustle of the city streets in Buenos Aires, it was finally time to take a break and head into the mountains. This past weekend, six group members and I made the trek up to the Retiro bus station and headed out on a ten-hour bus ride. Destination? Villa General Bellgrano. Where exactly is that? Think small German influenced town northwest of Buenos Aires. It is directly outside Córdoba and barely reaches the population of 6,000 people. The inexpensive bus ride provided us with “camas,” so I quickly got on the bus Friday night after work and drifted off to “sleep” as we drove through the night.

Thanks to my roomie, Ann, we had a room at Hostel Rincón, a small ranch-like place run by a Dutch family just walking distance from the bus station (Oh wait, everything in the town is walking distance). We quickly dropped off our bags as the sun rose and grabbed a quick breakfast at a local café in town. After breakfast, we had the whole day ahead of us. But first, the fútbol game! Argentina played Nigeria in the late morning, so we sported our newly purchases OFFICIAL jerseys and sat down at a little German inspired pub in town. After a few celebratory drinks, it was time for “caballos.”



After a few comedic telephone calls with the horse owners, Grace finally had set up a horseback riding trip for the group that afternoon. At about 2pm, Patuco (an 82 year-old Villa General Bellgrano native), showed up with 10 horses for our choosing. We all hopped on our chosen horses (some with experience and others with none…sorry Erik!) and we started our trek up and through the mountains for four straight hours.
My horse was quite the fat-so, constantly stopping along the way to munch on every piece of grass or leaf, so naturally I took it upon myself to name him “Gordo” (No, not Lizzie McGuire’s BFF…the Spanish word for “fat”). We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better tour guide. Given no rules or instruction, we took paths I couldn’t have dreamed of taking in the States. We traveled through rocky terrains and up a mountain to forest-like areas complete with a trek through some streams. It was nothing short of amazing.



Back at Rincón, we finally checked in, however we were hit with a bit of a surprise. A surprise roommate. The lady in charge explained that if we roomed with a young man, our hostel room would cost significantly less. Obviously, we all agreed to go for it. We met the “chico,” Dan, who spoke less Spanish than me (I was just as shocked!). We find out that he is from a small town in New Zealand and plans to backpack through South America for the next four months, even though his Spanish is very minimal (and by minimal, I mean he thought an ensalada meant enchilada at dinner that night…we didn’t think he looked much like a “salad guy”). Bueno suerte, chico.

Sunday, we took the day as it came. After breakfast at the hostel and a few tunes on the guitar, we headed out to the mountains once again. We made a group decision to hike up a mountain trail, given that the day was almost as nice as the previous. It took us close to an hour to get to the top look out onto the entire town. After a few (or more than a few) snapshots and nice long chat, we made the hike back down, which was almost as challenging as going up!



Of course our group can’t go a day without sweets, so we stopped for some homemade ice cream at a local “heladora.” Yum-my. However, nothing can top the previous day’s treat: Conitos. Chocolate covered brownie and dulce de leche cones that melted in your mouth. Double Yum-my.

Exhausted from the two days outdoors, we hopped back on the bus, but of course, not without another mild heart attack. Bridget lost her ticket, which somehow ended up with her and Erik taking a trip to the police station to fill out a report on the missing item (not quite the way we do things back home, but whatever). Bridget was allowed back on the bus as long as she did this, so Erik accompanied her on her journey. We had no idea that this “journey” to the police station would take as long as it did. Luckily, after much debate on how to handle the situation, Erik and Bridget made it back to the station and on the bus with only minutes before take-off.

It’s easy to see that this was a successful trip. And there are many more getaways plans in the works. Until then…

Photos! Photos! Photos!

For all of you non-Facebookers....here is the link to my Flickr page:

www.flickr.com/photos/kelseyibach

Check out more pictures of my adventures there!

Hasta luego!