the best trip of my life

Well it has been a while since my last update, but let me assure you that I have been doing so many crazy-amazing things. Let start with 2 weeks ago. For Rosh Hashana I went to Hacoaj center and celebrated the new year with over 1000 others from a conservative shuel that i go to on Shabbat. It was great (except that I sat behind a basketball hoop) and full of singing and holding each other. The rabbi did this great call and response song that got everyone singing and smiling and really celebrating the new year. I couldnt believe that when i was younger i was unable to sit down for these services, and i realize i missed so much. I enjoy so much services and the time to think, reflect, pray and be with others from my community. Its really cool how I am growing up. I went to dinner at a couple´s home (strict orthodox- like ¨won´t shake my hand when I introduce myself to the wife¨-orthodox) which was interesting and fun. YOUNG couples, like 26 with 1 kid and another on the way... the best birth control of my life. we ate like kings, and i returned home to study for my midterm exams... which went well= thanks to time managment. now. the best trip of my life.

Me and four other guys from my trip went on an incredible journey and saw everything... literally everything!!! we flew to el calafate, saw flamingos and walked around the glacier lakes, then spent a whole day hiking on the Perito Moreno Glacier. it was amazing. the water was so blue and the ice so massive and old, my eyes could not interpret I saw. after a long day on the glacier, topped off with free whiskey (chilled with glacier ice) we took a 2 day bus to bariloche.
Bariloche is a really cool ski town with wooden everything, great food, and sits at the foot of one of the 7 freshwater lakes that flow from the andes mountains. so after arriving, we walked around, then jumped in a car toward san martin de los andes. we took gravel roads with rocks and cliffs, and saw wild horses, cows and these rabbits that run on four legs like dogs. we made it to san martin de los andes, a gorgeous town a the foot of one of the lakes, spent a night in a hostel and woke up 4 hours later to see the sunrise on the first of seven amazing lakes. it was amazing, i think i took 100 photos of just the sunrise on that lake, and little did i know what was ahead of me. the siete lagos are literally the most beautiful things my eyes have seen, ever. perfect reflections of snowcapped mountains over tranquil lakes, of all different colors!!! some of the lakes were green, some dark blue, light blue, purple looking... everything! it was incredible. every 5 minutes we would jump out of the car, hike up a fresh water river or waterfall, hop fences at ranches to catch the view from the shore, and or take pictures of how the sun graced the view. we saw tons of israelis =actually a freakishly large amaount, and hopped from lake to lake all day. we returned to bariloche, ate the best steak ever, and prepared for the next day. the next day we skiied on the peak of mount catedral, overlooking barilohce and the lake. the snow was not too good as it was the last week of the season, but it was exhilarating and a treat to have skiied the andes mountains. that night we jumped on another long bus towards puerto madryn, arriving at the eastern coast in the morning. we then scouted out a company to go scubadiving with , and, out of luck, went 2 hours after arriving to the city. scuba diving was crazy!!!! we saw whales in the distance and i fed fish 15 meters underwater. my friend josh had his flipper bit by a sea lion!! then, after the four of us dove individually, TWO WHALES CAME 5 METERS FROM THE BOAT AND GAVE US A BUMP!!!! it was incredible. the whales were huge and friendly and literally were in front of my eyes. i mean how could this get better right? we definitely did not need to go on a whale watchying tour now!! the next day we drove around peninsula valdes and saw penguins, sea lions, and all other crazy animals that walk weird, and ended our trip with a huge bon fire on the beach. we went from glacier to beach, underwater to ontop the andes mountains. and it was incredible. I hiked, a skiied, i scuba dived, a sat on a bus and car, i ran through the woods, ate lunch on a glacier, hung out with penguins and whales, and experienced yom kippur on the seven lakes. and now, i will sleep.