Las Vacaciones

This Spanish class that we are in now ends on the 19th of July with a final exam.  After that, we have a week and a half of vacation before the semester at the university starts on August 1st.  So, of course, Maria and I have been thinking about what trips we can make in that stretch of time.  I would love to see Machu Picchu, and I know we both want to see Iguazu and Patagonia, as well as several other places closer to the city.  So today Maria told me that our friend Albertina who lives on her floor has invited us to go with her up to Misiones (where she lives, and where Iguazu Falls is) and stay there and see the falls when she goes home on July 27th.  Not only is that exciting to travel with Albertina and get to know her and meet her family, but it's also a free place to stay when we see the falls!  So I'm hoping that if we can get to Machu Picchu, we will go almost immediately after our class ends, so that we can return to Buenos Aires in time to travel to Misiones with Albertina.  Then on weekends we can make our trips to nearer places like Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, las estancias in gaucho country to the west, and of course visits to various barrios within the city itself.  Hopefully this coming weekend will be San Telmo.