Easter Escape in Mendoza

Two weeks in now, and we've already seen and done so many amazing things, The Flower, San Telmo and Eva Peron's Cemetery! Most importantly to note, is that we've all recovered from the seemingly never ending jet lag and settled into our new surroundings and routine! We've managed to suss out the best places to buy groceries, get chinese food and do the laundry, go to the gym and take out money. With everyone feeling very grown up cooking, cleaning and generally taking care of ourselves and each other I think we've got a pretty good thing going here at the moment. As a group, learning Spanish is perhaps one of the top priorities, with the majority or us taking lessons in one way or another at the Spanish school in the R2A office next door to our residence.

Over the Easter Weekend 12 of our group headed out to Mendoza on a 12 hour overnight bus for a weekend of adventure in the Andes. We enjoyed pizza and free tequila, and did not enjoy the hangovers the following day. We trekked through the Andes, white water rafted in glacial water and absailed down what was OBVIOUSLY the highest mountain in the whole of South America. We spent an afternoon wine tasting through the vineyards, visiting an olive oil factory and enjoying our 'treehouse' style bedrooms, which featured Three x 3 bunk beds! Our other team member spent the Easter break chilling and exploring BA and enjoying the independence and quiet of a mostly empty hostel!

This week however, the true work began, with orientations and the beginnings of our Volunteering! Between the 13 of us, Jess, Izzy, Rowan and Bree are volunteering at an Orphanage, Charlie & Connor at a school and Arabella, Rosie, Esther, Phoebe, Millie, Megan and Sarah are at 'LIFE' volunteering in the villes and slums. Our schedules range between 2 -5 days a week with an average of 3 - 6 hours each day. I think all in all, the experience so far has been hugely rewarding, even though we've only just started. It will no doubt be very challenging, but this I suppose is what we're here for...

We all send our love, thoughts and best wishes home!