Sunday, August 21
By Kathleen Allan and Erin Eaton

Today was one of the most exciting days yet. It was our last day in Mendoza and it began with a very early rise at 6 am. We had to have our luggage ready before we left for the day, so it was quite a rush in the morning to get packed. To make things a bit more difficult, the power went out leaving us to gather our things in candlelight.

When we arrived in the school, we were divided into three buses, and headed for the Andes Mountains. Our witty tour guide Andrea, made our scenic trip much more enjoyable. It was a very long bus ride but we were not troubled by this as the scenery was so stunning. As we knew it was going to be cold, the choir decided it was going to rent winter boots. This stop was also an opportunity to purchase much needed snacks and hot drinks. We continued enjoying the beautiful scenery, stopping once to see a herd of creatures called Guanacos in the mountains.

When we reached our destination, we could see Aconcagua, the second highest mountain in the world. We were reminded of home by the snow and the ice that covered the ground. At an altitude of 6959 meters, Aconcagua is an enormous mountain. From where we were standing at over 2500 meters, some people left feeling slightly sick. After we spent some time climbing around and taking pictures in our fashionable winter boots, we slid back to the buses and headed down the mountain.

Aconcagua




On our way back we stooped to see a bridge, that was used by the Incas in their travels, between Chile and Argentina. It has been preserved for over 500 years and is miraculously still standing.

On the site there were markets which sold authentic Argentinian crafts. At this time many of the choristers required to venture into the disgusting bathrooms, which by now we had been accustomed to. The lack of toilet paper, soap, and flushable toilets, made an outhouse seem elegant.

We ate packed lunches on the bus and continued enroute to the school. When we arrived we were greeted by our billeting families who yet again presented us with a feast. We exchanged gifts, and enjoyed our last time together. Together we drove to the airport managing to squeeze two huge suitcases and six tall people into their intimately small vehicle. When we arrived we said our goodbyes and joined the rest of the choir.

The flight was delayed for what felt to be an eternity but the time was spent enjoyably. As many made out exceptionally well with their Mendozan counterparts, the airport was full of passionate and drawn out goodbyes. The flight and bus ride to La Plata was uneventful, but by the time we arrived at our new billet home it was 1 a.m. and we were all exhausted. Yet once again we managed to consume another meal before heading to bed for some much needed rest.




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Saturday, August 20
By Allison Malone and Erin Aylward

The Blog to end all Blogs!!

Today began at a slightly excruciating hour, but us choristers rose bravely to the challenge as our “day of purchases” was upon us. And purchase we did! After three hours of fabulous shopping, many a chorister returned laden with quite heavy shopping bags (special mention should be given to Mrs. Noble whose tireless leadership and fierce determination resulted in the purchase of three tremendously fashionable pairs of shoes).

From downtown we were bussed to the school where we feasted upon lunches from our billets (who have been phenomenal).

We were then educated in the delicate art of wine making at a renowned winery here in Mendoza. From there we went to an amazing archaeological museum about pre-earthquake Mendoza, which was followed by a trek to a stunningly beautiful park, where we enjoyed Empanadas, tree climbing and a spectacular view of the city from the monument high in the park. It was then time for the final leg of our Day of Purchases at the mall, which bore witness to some inspirational power shopping.

War Monument in Mendoza Public Park



And finally, we returned to our billets’ house for packing (which has become quite a challenge with all of our purchases), gift giving, and lots of sleep for an early rise in the morning.