Looking back, Argentina has had a profound impact on me. Some lessons have been forgotten, but I am left with a profound need to go back with awareness I have now and see what new lessons await me!
From the journal: 6 de Julio, 2009 written on a colectivo en route to a then unknown location between Salta City and Cafayate, Salta, Argentina. ...From Tilcara we took a day trip to Purmamarca to see the Cilla de Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colors). Though the town is tiny the 2km walk around the "hill" was VERY impressive. We took tons of photos! We met a lovely family from Michigan who were very friendly and had really adorable children! We paid 40 pesos and took a remis (a car for hire) up to Las Salinas Grandes (Salt flats on the road to Bolivia). The ride totaled 3 hours and I would estimate that we were at the salt flats for 15 minutes. Totally worth it though! The flats were incredible. It was like another planet. I could hardly see because of the sun reflecting off the huge white landscape. It looked like snow... ...Back in Tilcara I learned the danger of combining guilt and Fernet con Coca when I nearly cut off a dreadlock to give to a man I had mistakenly insulted the day before. I am grateful and forever indebted to Ashley for putting a stop to the madness...
Purmamarca's backyard. Are you jealous? I am.
Town is a generous word for Purmamarca (though who am I to talk, coming from where I do) but it has a treasure in those hills. The hills were ridiculous. Every corner we turned yielded more perfect photo ops and elicited more oohs and aahs. It never got old. I think we could have walked around the route 3 more times without getting bored! Remarkably, we only encountered two or three other people on our walk. A car full drove by, and a little boy was sitting under an overhang selling trinkets. I think he had a slow day...It is incredible that the area is not more heavily populated.
A salt ridge at Las Salinas Grandes
We were late getting to our remis for our trip to Las Salinas, and unable to find a restroom, we begged the driver for some direction. He promptly knocked on the door of the house we were outside of, and they let us use their toilet. I was incredibly grateful that I spoke Spanish at that point. It was awkward.
My very own nativity set
Never inclined to miss an opportunity to shop, Ashley and I scooped up some treasures in the decidedly more pricy market around the town center. Frankly I am beginning to wonder if all of Argentina has conspired to make it impossible to catch a bus without waiting for hours near a market. The result was this lovely nativity set that is currently residing on top of my TV.
Quinoa salad and tamales...mmmm
To pass the time we also had a delicious and remarkably healthy meal at a lovely (I think the only...) hostel in town, right across from the bus stop (El Cardón, I believe).
In short, Purmamarca is a fabulous day trip! Don't spend the night there though...there isn't enough to do besides shop!
View from the ruins, overlooking the valley From the journal: 5 de julio, 2009 Hostel Terra Oculta, Salta City, Salta, Argentina ...The second stop on our journey was Tilcara, about an hour south of Humahuaca. It is a bit bigger and decidedly more touristy. Though our hostel was cheaper (a mere $25 pesos) the rest of the town was more expensive. We showed down some lovely fried empanadas and delicious treats from Mama Pacha, our new favorite shop in all of Argentina. Our first evening there we picnicked in the plaza with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, grilled flatbreads and pumpkin alfahores [how posh!]. It was very pleasant, though we were eventually frightened away by some wild and reproductively intact dogs...
Cacti in the botanical garden
We flaked a little bit in Tilcara, opting not to do the recommended hikes because our potential guide was trying very hard to rip us off, and we didn't find him all that pleasant to begin with. We spent a couple of nights in the Pena right in the plaza where we saw the two groups you see pictured. We were aware that it was the tourist bar, but we made a couple of new friends there and thus kept going back. It was there that our trip really began. We forged a little community for ourselves in the three nights that we stayed and by the time we left we were able to walk through the town and greet people as if we lived there.
Alpaca cria rolling in the dust
We spent a morning in the Pucará Ruins, which are reconstructed pre-columbian ruins. We thought the fake pyramid at the top that was dedicated to the archeologists was pretty funny. We passed an hour or two in the attached botanical garden laughing at the alpaca cria and the "yerba buena" before wandering back into town...
Dancing in circles
View of the kitchen decor at Hostel Tilcara (though you can't see the dried frog he had hanging in the window)
From the journal: 5 de julio, 2009 Hostel Terra Oculta, Salta City, Salta, Argentina
...We flew into the city of Jujuy [on June 30] but were unimpressed and decided to move straight on up to Humahuaca. We enjoyed it there, though I did a shameful amount of shopping, It was a very small town nestled between mountains (as these northern towns are) that was remarkably cold at night in contrast to the desert heat during the day. I especially enjoyed our hostel, Posada del Sol, which was a fair ways out of town and very peaceful. We had a delicious breakfast there of breads and spreads and tea, served in beautiful red earthenware. Both nights we had lovely Irish roommates, the first a young man and the second two girls our own age [all heading up to Bolivia]. I felt at peace there for the first time in weeks. I think I could have stayed much longer...
Sweet relief from the sun in the tamale shop
The truth is that in Humahuaca there wasn't much to "do" once the gifts had been purchased and we had seen the noontime holy cuckoo clock. For that reason I wholly enjoyed it. We laughed at the sight of dogs running around on rooftops. We wandered around and stared in awe at the views which were unlike anything I had ever seen before, having never left the east coast of the United States. We sat in the square and ate mandarinas, four for a peso, while identifying new birds for my list. We went to bed early, and got up early, a routine which was strange to me, but came naturally during those days. One afternoon we took a walk up to a mirador, a look-out point, that we had been told about. Though we had no idea where we were going we were joined by a dog who never left our sight the entire walk up and down. We ate some tamales and sampled the traditional "locro", a stew that I can't honestly recommend, as it is very greasy and gave us both indigestion.
In this manner we passed two nights in the small town of Humahuaca before catching a 4peso bus to Tilcara...
We now (hopefully) return to our regularly scheduled program. It's been a whirlwind ever since I got home! Sorry for the huge gaps in posting. I hope to be back on track now.
Pattern: My own Size: CO 15st, knit to fit Materials: 60-70 yds Yanabey Lana Mecha Needles: #9, 5.5mm Start Date: June 29, 2009 Finish Date: July 1, 2009 On Ravelry
This was my project for the July/August period of Project Spectrum. During July and August we focused on the South. I thought it was perfect timing for my trip through Argentina, as we finished our trip in Patagonia. We were also focusing on the color red and the element of fire, which I tried to incorporate in my use of a clay bead, and of course my color choice. My goal was to finish this in time for the south of Argentina where we anticipated it would be very cold. I ended up finishing it on the second night of our trip, up north in the desert. It was freezing cold at night there! Who would have thought?
Tilcara, Northern Argentina*
I couldn’t find a headband pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so I made this one up! It’s a simple 3x3 rib that I reversed every three rows to make it look like a weave. The decorative button is made of clay, while the two functional buttons are bits of branches.
San Martin de los Andes, Southern Argentina*
As you can see I've already gotten a lot of use and enjoyment from it!
This is a very special Music Monday! It's my first post from home! That's right, the trip has ended and I am back in New York. I would say the adventure has ended, but I have begun so many new friendships and I have changed so much that I know that Argentina is not done with me.
This song is a special one. Shindell's music has always struck me but I feel a closeness with those songs he writes from his experiences in Argentina. On my last day in the city I was running errands and walking through my old neighborhood, remembering. I came to an intersection and found two young men juggling pins in front of traffic. They finished their routine and I was happy to see the number of hands reaching out of car windows to offer change. I smiled, remembering this song. Two blocks later I came across another juggler who seemed to just be learning. He finished his routine too late, and the light turned before he could pass his hat. It occurred to me that there is an art to what they do, beyond their talent. On my way home I took the Subte and to my delight my favorite group of street actors just happened to be in my car. I gave them a smile and one last token. They don't know how much they light up my day, how much people appreciate the relief and amusement that they offer to the city.
I am thrilled to be home, and there were times that I felt strong resentment towards Buenos Aires but I am finding that all I can remember are the good things. I'm grateful for this song as a moment to recall the city I called home for those short but powerful five months. Want more Music Monday? Click here!
Thank you all so much for your comments on my last post! They were lovely to read:)
We arrived in the city of Salta on Sunday, and we found it quite overwhelming. I was sick and we had decided to just move on in the morning. That night we met up with some friends from UCA, and they told us about their next adventure, and invited us along! That´s how we ended up in Moldes, Salta, in a lake front cabin with peacocks and hammocks, canoes and a dog named Tyson. It was truly wonderful. We stayed two nights, went white water rafting, and took a boat trip across the lake to see some rock-paintings!
Home sweet home...
The crew
View from the road...
A funny sight we saw...
Off we went...
Rapids!
I also watched birds! A Kingfisher!
I promise that once I´m home I´ll show you more pictures and perhaps share some bits from my journal. This is just a sort of preview!
Taken from the Mirador (viewing point) that we think we found in Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina. We´re still not sure we found the right place, but the view was great and it was really windy!
How many of you didn´t belive that I would post today? I didn´t. Please excuse any typos or strange letters, I have a line growing behind me to use the computer. I wanted to share some photos of the beginning of our trip! For more photos check out my Flickr page. They don´t have titles or descriptions yet because the internet out here is pretty slow. Also, I hope you like my outfit, because I only have two!
In Humahuaca we stayed in a WONDERFUL adobe Hostel called Posada El Sol that we highly recommend. Here´s the view from our bedroom door. Homey, right?
It´s the desert! It´s blistering during the day and freezing at night. Look! Cacti! Cactus? We were hiking to the "ruins" in Tilcara, Jujuy, Argentina.
This was taken from a view point at the Hill of Seven Colors. It was incredible! Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina.
On our way up to visit the Salinas Grandes. It was SO HIGH. I´ll find out how high soon!
At the Salinas Grandes. That´s all salt! I couldn´t see, so I look like a dork.
I have to run now, becauase the line is huge. Click through an image to get to a few more photos. I promise m,ore news soon!!
I was going to show you a photo of my packed backpack for our trip, but all of my laundry is still wet, so my bag isn't packed. It's causing me a good deal of stress. Instead I'm going to spend the afternoon reading through some travel guides and packing up my suitcases to put in storage!
I've decided that I can't bear to leave my second BsAs hoop behind. It's my Project Spectrum hoop and it's perfect. I've doubled it up and hopefully it will travel home safely in my suitcase. Cross your fingers for me!
We are in the midst of refining our travel plans, and I have to admit I'm feeling some anxiety. I just feel like we don't have enough time! Maybe I set my heart on accomplishing too much. We're off bright and early Tuesday morning, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to take a deep breath and just let things roll forward. We'll get to what we get to, I suppose. It's going to fly by so fast! I'll try and keep you updated as things change!
I spotted this Burrowing Owl while my friends and I were at a polo club outside the city of Buenos Aires. I couldn't believe how close it let me get!
I've just finished my birdwatching class at UCA, and I'm so pumped about how it went! I'm very sad to say goodbye to my professor and my classmates. We were a small, tight-knit group, and we had a lot of fun together. Yesterday we saw some incredibly cool birds, including a father and son pair of Rufescent Tiger-Herons, a whole mess of Monk Parakeets, a Golden-Breasted Woodpecker, and the silly looking Guira Cuckoo (Looks like he's got bad bedhead, right?).
This is a portion of my list of birds that I've identified from Argentina and the US. It's growing, hopefully forever! I'm very excited to take my book with me on my trip and see what else I can find! You can click the image to see it more clearly.
I had my friend take this photo for me in Mendoza, Argentina while we were touring the vineyards. I couldn't believe it when I saw the John Deere! I had to give it a hug. It made me think of home and of you. I love you! Happy Father's Day!
I wasn't home for World Wide Knit in Public day this year! I knit in public all the time, but that's beside the point. KIP day is a chance to hang out with your friends and do what you love most! Knit!
I ended up participating in a charity knitting event sponsored by Coats. The reality is that the yarn suuuuucked. It was all acrylic crap. I know that it was a promotional thing but they didn't convince me! I actually ended up buggering my shoulder up a bit because I felt like I HAD to finish something. I didn't, and I'm not going to. I feel a bit guilty, but not guilty enough to hurt myself!
I had a really lovely time with my new knitting friends, and even made some even newer friends at the event. It was all very, very overwhelming because everyone spoke Spanish and I didn't know what was going on most of the time, but it was an adventure!
I don't know what it is about this sweater! If you click through you'll notice that this photo was taken in February. FEBRUARY, and it's still an accurate representation of this sweater! (Not to mention that I started it on January 1st.) I stole the tips from it a couple months ago, and left a note in the bag stating what size they were. Turns out, I was wrong about the size (which explains why my other project wasn't getting gauge)so when I put the tips back on last week, they were a size too big. I managed to knit 4 inches, at about 300 stitches per round before I realized it was coming out too big. I set it aside for another week. When I picked it up I finally recognized the problem. Riiiiiiiiiip. It is not fun picking up 300 laceweight stitches. NOT FUN.
In any case, I'm knitting on it again, trying to catch myself back up, but because the yarn is coned I can't take it on my trip with me...so it's going to get shelved again in two weeks! Poor sweater...
...Unless (lightbulb!) I can figure out how to wind a center-pull ball off the cone without cutting the working yarn. This really would be the perfect travel project...
Do you have a project that plagues you? Tell me about it!
On an unrelated note, insert whining about being sick, forgetting my script the first time I went to the lab for blood work, repeating the hour long trip, crying in public, and having an incredibly bad headache. I miss my mom.
I decided that if there was ever a time for another installment of BSPT this was it. So, without further ado...
Big, small, profound and trivial things I am grateful to have discovered since coming to Argentina:
I can travel. 15 hours in a sleeper bus really isn't all that bad, and it's not very expensive!
I love my 10-15 minute walk from the Subte to UCA and back. It's time to myself.
I am learning to cook, and enjoying it!
Living with a sorority girl scared me into flossing every single day. My teeth are happy for it.
I am living in a foreign country.
I love the small acting troup that sometimes ends up in the same Subte car as me. Sometimes I see them out in the real world...it's like spotting a celebrity!
What are you grateful for? What have you recently discovered? Tell me!!
Two weeks from Tuesday my friend Ashley and I will embark on our cross-country adventure! We will be flying up north, then busing down through northwestern Argentina, into Chile, and then down and back into Argentina. This map shows our plans! The towns I hit are the "major" towns, or rather, our base camps. There are great places to see surrounding all of these areas, and we may end up spending some time in those as well! We're very excited, and trying hard to come up with a feasible budget plan for this. Ashley just bought her plane ticket to Jujuy, and I'm working on getting mine as well!
If you'd like to see the map larger so you can actually read some of it, click here!
From the top: Jujuy, A Salta, A Tucuman, A La Rioja, A San Juan, A Mendoza, A Santiago, C Valparaiso, C Vildavia, C Osorno, C Bariloche, A El Bolson, A Buenos Aires, A
We're very excited! I'm not sure how consistent my blogging will be, but I promise to do my best!
Don't forget that my Etsy Discount Offer is still available, until this Thursday!
Yesterday a friend of mine and a friend of hers planned to meet up for some gift shopping in Recoleta. Her friend arrived in a tizzy and said that her friend had 3 tickets to the Argentina vs Colombia World Cup Qualifying game, and would we like to go? $100 pesos each! Practically free, as soccer games go. "Of course!" we shouted. "Let's go!" she said. Game started at 6, and it was 4:15 already.
It wasn't until we were in a cab and positive that we were headed in the right direction that we found out we'd be sitting in the Colombia section because the tickets belonged to the girlfriend of the friend of the friend of my friend, who is Colombian (say that three times fast!).
We were a little nervous, because secretly we were crossing our fingers for Argentina, and we didn't want anyone to find out and beat us up! The truth of the matter is that after 10 minutes in the stadium it was clear that Colombia is SO MUCH MORE FUN than Argentina. We didn't hear a peep from the Argentine fans, but Colombia was all over it!
Game ended Argentina 1 : Colombia 0. After it ended security kept us up in the stands for about 45 minutes to let all the Argentine fans clear out. I've never been to a big sporting event. Is that normal? I can see the sense in it, but at the same time it was really late at night and we were cold and hungry!
The whole thing was a blast. I have lots of video, and I'm going to try and sort it out and piece it together a bit, even though the quality is pretty mediocre.
Image a photo of the toes of two socks here. I can´t actually showyou that photo because for some unexplained reason UCA has blocked access to Flickr.com (but not Myspace, Facebook, or myriadothersites that other universities, offices and schools have blocked). I thought I was so on the ball, uploading my photo to Flickr before I left so that I could write this post during my break. To paraphrase one of my professorsFlickr is a portfolio that you don´t have to carry, but can always look at (assuming you have internet access). Not so here at UCA! Where am I, in China?
In any case, I´ll blog it tonight when I get home. There´s not much sense in talking about something you can´t see!
I have been meaning to write about Richard Shindell since I got to Argentina, but it wasn't until I started Music Monday that I found a way to bring him up. I first heard this song on "Vuelta" which was the first album he released after moving to Buenos Aires. Though I have always loved this song for it's simplicity, it wasn't until I revisited it today that I was able to understand not only all of the words, but also the sentiment. Vuelta means a number of things, including "turn", "return", "journey", "voyage" and "change", all of which are things I am experiencing here, on my adventure. I can't speak for Shindell, but after spending a lot of time with this song (while compiling all the lyrics for the above video) I am beginning to feel as if this is a love song to Argentina, to his new home. I can't say I share his unconditional love, but this is what I strive to feel towards this country. Right now, this is how I feel about my home, in NY.
I've been talking for several weeks (ok, months) with my best friend Amanda, who is currently working in New Orleans, about whether or not she will be coming home. She told me today that she is back in NY for the week, to think about whether to stay in NOLA or not. She tells me all she can think of is New Orleans. It's home to her now. She could sing this song to the city, and mean every word of it.
A note about the subjunctive: Subjunctive is a conjugation in Spanish that can be used in the past, present or future to imply doubt, uncertainty, or flexibility. It's sort of the difference between stating something as fact (I know) or stating something as opinion (I think). When Shindell refers to the fascinating, impenetrable mystery that he doesn't need to understand because his love is certain, that's what he's referring to.
I love my maté. Really love it. A couple weeks ago I bought that great thermos on the left. It's incredible! I put hot water in it at 7am and opened it at 2:30pm and it burned me!
Tons of people in Argentina drink maté, but not nearly as many as do in Uruguay. In Uruguay every second or third person has a thermos under their arm, everywhere they go. Here in Argentina it's a really communal activity, similar to smoking a bowl, with it's own etiquette and language. (Except that it's legal, and instead of giving you munchies it makes you less hungry, and instead of making you tired it gives you energy.) One unspoken rule is that when you're sick you don't drink from a shared maté, which means that for more than a month I've been drinking my maté all alone. This might seem sad, but I actually enjoy my little quiet morning ritual.
I've started a new ritual with myself, and I thought it particularly appropriate to share it here. I've turned into a real whiner in the last couple of months. It's hard to read and hear about all my friends starting their gardens, going on hikes, and heading off to festivals when I'm here in Argentina, at a point in my trip that's pretty anticlimactic. At this point I just live here, and there's no dirt to put my feet in. I've worked on a farm for two summers now, and I miss it! I'm really just homesick, I know, but it makes me feel resentful towards Argentina, which is wrong!
My new ritual involves writing in my journal, my real journal. I've started to keep a list of everything I'm grateful for, or that I've learned or discovered since I've been here. It' helps! I had an incredibly productive day yesterday, based on the fact that I realized the upside of having too much free time! This is the free time I always wanted! I had two fabulous ideas yesterday, and the wheels are in motion to actually pursue them!
I've decided to share some of my list each week, so here's today's bunch! It's not all significant and huge, but it all makes a difference in my life.
Big, small, profound and trivial things I am grateful to have discovered since coming to Argentina: I can converse, more or less, in Spanish! I love drinking maté with friends, but I also love my morning ritual I can enjoy a beer, in a bar, with the right friends Ceci, Steve, Ali and Ashley I have time to knit I got to explore the city with Mom and Paula, it was wonderful!
The list is really long, so I'm breaking it up over time.
Now, I want to know, what are your rituals? What keeps you on track? What never fails to bring you joy?
Aha! And you thought all I did anymore was knit! (That's sort of true, actually.) My latest challenge is reading Harry Potter! "A challenge?" you may ask. "Yes!" I will say, because it is in Spanish! Depending on my level of concentration, it can be really slow going. I have to be in just the right mindset, or I'll either obsess over looking up every single word, or I'll look at every word as if I'm reading, but not take any of it in. Last week I had a great read, for a whole hour I just sat outside my Uni building and read. I think I made it through about 20 pages! Currently Ron and Harry are meeting Professor Trelawney, which is funny in any language. It's helpful that I already know the story pretty well, but I like to think I'm doing alright! One thing I didn't consider is the fact that most of the book is written in the past tense (woe is me!) Also, the Spanish don't use quotation marks, they often use "em dashes" (as in this book) which takes a helluva long time to get used to!
As it turns out, I was wrong about the 50 Book Challenge serving it's purpose and getting me back in the reading habit. This is only the second book I've read for pleasure ALL YEAR. NOT OKAY. Anywho, since I really can't be bothered to do anything that isn't on Ravelry (okay, all I do is knit) and Ravelry has a 52 book challenge group I figured, why not? I'll jump back on the horse. I started May 17th. So far I've read 1 and a half. I have until April 1st, 2010. Here goes!
Usually Memorial Day is a family holiday, a day off, a day to spend with the people I love. This year it's different because I'm far away, in another country, and I've been thinking. I've gotten a range of reactions from people when I tell them that I'm from the US. Most of the positive ones are from people who think NYC is a magical place, and they imagine that I live there and ride around in a limo and drink champagne with supermodels. Not so. Most often I get sort of an awkward "ohhh". You really reflect on your own country when you leave it behind, even if it's temporary, because you have to learn to navigate in your new environment, with new cultural norms and new social laws.
I've been robbed twice now (as I've written about) and my initial reaction is rage. Rage at a government for not employing adequate security in a HUGE city, rage at an economic structure that causes so many people to exist with so little. After fuming and storming for a while I realized what I really feel is rage at this society in which so few people extend a hand, or a smile, much less any help. Two weeks ago I started buying cookies and juice for a family of children that sits at the corner near my Subte stop. I've made friends with the business owners on my street, the man in the hardware store, the guys in the produce market, the Chinese family that owns the supermarket, the woman from Peru who sells fruit in the market on Estado de Israel. Once a week or so I visit the used book vendors near my Subte stop at school to have a chat and see what they've got. To get robbed after making these connections, after finally building a little community for myself, was almost enough to make me pull back completely. It has occurred to me over the last few days that if I do that I'll only be perpetuating the problem here. I can't fix the economy, I can't make the city hire more police, but I can show people that I care, that I am interested in their stories. I can show them that I am human, and they are human, and we are all human together. We all have stories, in that we are all the same.
It was difficult to find a song that was appropriate for today because I wasn't sure how I was feeling about the day. I'm not a political blogger, and I'm grateful for that. I hesitate to share political views because so often they shut down opportunities for conversation, rather than opening them. I'm still an idealist. I support our troops as human beings, and because they protect the rights that I have as a citizen of the United States. I do not support the global social and political mindset in which guns and bombs are necessary to secure our beliefs. I do not support the decision to bowl through other countries on the basis that we know what is good for them, without allowing them to search for their own new way of life. I believe in human connections, regardless of how we name it in our churches and temples. I believe we should bring our troops home because if we really, truly respected them as human beings we would not ask them to die for us without first trying to resolve our problems in a human, non-violent way. We are distinct in the animal kingdom because we alone have the ability to chose how we arrive at our future. I believe we should exercise that ability and speak, in memory of all who have given their one, single, irreplaceable life.
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