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Climb Every Mountain… March 23, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, English, photos.
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Ford every blah blah blah….

Yes, today I climbed a mountain. Uritorco. 3 hours up, 1.5 down (at breakneck speed using all the precarious shortcuts). The summit was submerged in cloud cover so the views were practically non-existant but the vistas on the way up were beautiful.

Uritorco towers over Capilla del Monte, the nearest town to Yacu Yura eco village. Uritorco was supposedly the site of UFO sightings in 1986 and has long been purported to be blessed with mystical and natural energy properties. The town of Capilla del Monte reflects this, with tarot readers, ‘Alien Handicraft’, Mayan beliefs, mediums, Kirlian photography intermingling with the numerous shiatsu, yoga, meditation and holistic medicine practitioners. It’s a delightful town, actually, and if I weren’t so exhausted and hungry I would write more about it!

Next post, I promise. Maybe I’ll even talk about the Eco-village… Hmm, where to begin on that one…

aguas claras March 16, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, Español, Yacu Yura, photos.
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Yacu Yura es un nombre que a la inmensa mayoria de vosotros no os suena nada. Pues bien si pasais tiempo conmigo en un futuro se os acabara quedando grabado de tanto que hablare de el. Infinitas gracias mas una a Xabier, que hizo que nos decidieramos finalmente a venir.

Este lugar es un viaje en si mismo. Peter y yo hemos estado recorriendo largas distancias durante esta semana, sin movernos apenas de donde nos encontrabamos.

Yacu yura es (fisicamente) una finca que se encuentra a varios quilometros de distancia de pueblos o carreteras. Es bastante extenso pero solo una pequeña parte esta siendo utilizado, la mayor parte es bosque casi inexpugnable. En la parte habitada hay varias casas, un cuarto de ocio, una cocina, varias salas de actividades, sala de herramientas, un riachuelo, varios laguitos, una piscina con agua del arroyo, una huerta, caminos ondeantes, mariposas gigantes, flores, puestas de sol, cielos estrellados, plantas con pinchos, abubillas, algarrobos, una sala de oracion/meditacion con forma de iglu gigante en lo alto de un repecho, compost, un gato que se llama Jade y otro Nada, cisternas que no funcionan, energia solar, internet fluctuante, comida vegetariana, ceniza en vez de jabon, etc.

Aqui se vive en comunidad, y la comunidad consta de gente como nosotros, visitantes con mas o menos tiempo y una pareja que habita de forma permanente: Jimmy y Gabi. Cuando leais como transcurre un dia cualquiera os hareis una idea de lo marciana que nos ha resultado por momentos esta experiencia. El dia empieza con un desayuno muy austero en el que guardamos absoluto silencio. Luego hacemos unos estiramientos y respiraciones (de purificacion, invocando los elementos, pranayama, etc) unos cantos y danzas en circulo de varias tradiciones del mundo (hemos hecho de los arapahoe, guarani, hebreo, hindu) y por ultimo un circulo para expresar lo que queramos a los demas. Luego repartimos tareas para la mañana (trabajo en el huerto, abrir caminos, limpiar la acequia, preparar comida, etc). despues hacemos circulo todos juntos otra vez, vamos al iglú para meditar durante unos 20 minutos. A esto le sigue la comida, que tambien comemos juntos. A partir de ahi cada uno hace lo que le place.

Me olvidaba de comentar que despues de cada circulo nos damos abrazos. Muchos de vosotros sabeis lo sobón que puedo llegar a ser por lo que esta parte no ha sido muy chocante.

Mi experiencia esta siendo estupenda, aunque no exenta de encontronazos emocionales. Por eso mismo es valiosa, por que me curte. Al hacer tantas cosas en grupo y tener que acatar las normas del lugar me he sentido como cuando era niño, me he tomado unas vacaciones de mi constante tomar infinitas decisiones, grandes o pequeñas, que es nuestra cruz como adultos. Eso ha hecho en parte que me haya permitido el lujo de observarme y observar a los demas sin (tanto) miedo a lo extraño.

He sentido mucho amor estos dias, y creo que tambien he dando un poquito tambien. Los chicos que estaban con nosotros se han marchado ya, y aunque han sido solo 5 dias con ellos hemos llegado a acercamientos que a veces cuestan años en la “sociedad al uso”. El mirarse directamente a los ojos con un extraño por mas de 5 segundos produce mas adrenalina que 3 Dragon-khans.

Ademas de esto se esta celebrando un curso de danza llamada contact en el lugar. Empezo cuando llegamos y continuara hasta la semana que viene. Ya os hablare de mi experiencia con la danza en el proximo post.

Bueno amiguitos, me llaman para comer, solo deciros que seguramente pasaremos 2 semanas mas aqui, y que lo mas probable es que internet siga sin funcionar el el lugar (ahora mismo estamos en el pueblo de al lado pasando el dia). O sea que la proxima vez sera…el domingo que viene! si nos entra el gusanillo de la civilizacion nos podemos acercar al pueblo, pero… ¡Se esta tan bien en Aguas Claras!

Os quiero malandrines!

dom

mes català que mai March 10, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, Español.
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El otro dia paseando por San Telmo (recordad, el barrio que mas nos ha gustado) fuimos a parar enfrente del Casal de Catalunya. Con un patriotismo improvisado entramos a curiosear el lugar. La recepcion fue inesperada, ya que pensaba que a lo sumo nos iban a dedicar una sonrisa de compromiso y enseñarnos la salida. Por contra al instante uno que debia ser el portero nos enseñó el garito sala por sala. El buen hombre parecia loco de contento con nuestra visita. Ahi estaban los clasicos basicos: una Moreneta, una sala para hacer punta de coixi, otra para bailar sardana, paellas gigantes para celebrar Sant Jordi, la Merce, y lo que el llamo el templo: un cuartito dedicado al Barca. Repitió mil veces que podiamos considerar esa como nuestra casa y que en todo momento estarian encantados de servirnos en lo posible. Casi nos obligo en seguirle por el largo itinerario y sacarle fotos a todo.

Ya os podeis imaginar que cara se me iba poniendo segun recorriamos los “pilares de la cultura catalana” El portero insistia en cuan arropado e identificado debia de sentirme por todo aquello. Asi es como en una tarde de marzo pase de ser un xarnego de Bellvitge a català universal.

One night in Cordoba March 10, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, English.
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Yesterday evening, I was sat in a battered, old, art deco, tan leather armchair in the courtyard just outside my hot-pink and yellow coloured bedroom as the torrential rain punded against the corrugated tin awning two floors up.

A light spray would reach me once in a while, refreshing me in the humid heat. Our hostel, Morada Hostel on Humberto Primero, is such a change from the glum, oddly oppressive Downtown Maté Hostel in buenos aires. The staff here are friendly and relaxed and the buliding is painted in a cornucopia of vibrant colours,with modernist and expressionist paintings adorning the walls.

Potted plants and wooden furniture bring the outside inside and the original patterned floor tiles hint at the building’s past. The whole place conveys a gloriously shabby sensibility and was the perfect hideaway in which to rest our weary bones.

We left Buenos Aires at 1.30am after a wonderful final day in the city. We strolled around aimlessly before the rain forced to seek shelter where we chose to feast on a delicious slab of prime Argentinian meat. Our appetites sated, we set off to stroll again and ended up chatting to a guy called Esteban. He’d spied us earlier in the day with our backpacks and was intrigued to see what we were doing. He was really nice and talkative and madea nice change from the crazy older lady who’d stopped us in the street to query why on earth we would chose to visit Buenos Aires. “Go to Nicaragua or Costa Rica,”she said, “not this god-awful city!”

Esteban had livved for three years in the world’s southernmost city, Uchuaia, and i found myself longing to visit the south and see the whales and Patagonia… I was really impressed to be able to chat to him in Spanish – my first proper conversation!

The bus journey wasn’t quite the 9 hour direct service we had been promised, instead taking 11.5 hours and stopping at every small town. Thankfully, though, the seats were very comfortable adn I managed to doze for most of the trip.

Cordoba seems nice but, being a Sunday, everywhere is closed. Today we don’t have time to see the sites but hopeto return after our stay in the Eco Village and have a guide we can now call on – Paula, the lovely receptionist at the welcoming hostel Morada.

Hasta la proxima!

Adios Buenos Aires… March 8, 2008

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And so we come to the end of our sojourn in Buenos Aires… I shall be sad to leave but am equally looking forward to our next step.
We woke up late after a cocktail-fuelled evening out Argentinian style to see our first cloudless sky of the trip. Sadly, by the time we had got our belongings together to check out of the hostel, the now-familiar grey clouds had regained their dominion over the skies and droplets of rain began to moisten our brows as we headed towards the Subte.
I`m not sure whether it was the late night or the sporadic soakings that have given me the beginnings of a good old-fashioned cold (perhaps it was a combination of the two). Suffice to say I am now sniffling and sneezing my way about the city, thankful for the spare Sudafed tablets I had packed before leaving London.
Last night we were blessed with a very sweet and attentive tour guide in the form of Mexican born New Yorker, Brendan. He’s been living in BA for the past couple of years working in banking – he did explain exactly what he did but my eyes have a terrible habit of glazing over whenever I hear the words ‘finance’ or ‘business’. I did find it interesting to hear about how low rent is here (about £120 a month to share a flat with balcony in a good location). Needless to say the wages are comparable and since the economy crashed in 2001, all but the very rich have had to struggle financially and the distribution of income is still very uneven.
The streets of Buenos Aires convey the country’s economic history perfectly. The tree-lined avenues of majestic appartment blocks are impressive and speak of great former wealth but are now in a state of disrepair, with some empty and neglected. Everywhere is well planted though, and this goes some way to combatting the constant stream of cars and buses that pollute the air with both noise and fumes.
The Jacaranda trees lining the streets truly are lovely – some have tall thick stems with fronded leaves and the most beautiful pink flowers, others have similar leaves but then the occasional most vibrant blue blossom. Then there is the Umbu tree – huge trees with the most enormously bulbous, sinuous root system.
The people here are so friendly (hostel staff excluded) and the city feels very safe – I feel much safer here than in London in fact. No gangs of teens hanging out on corners or drug-fuelled drunkards lurching about. The late night cafe culture means that the streets are always busy and there’s always a cafe you can pop into en route to your destination.
I`ve thoroughly enjoyed this beginning to our journey and would definitely recommend it to anyone tempted to visit. Check out San Telmo, Palermo, Recoleta, the wine and those empanadas if you do!
Next stop Cordoba and the eco-village.

luciferia March 8, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, Español.
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Acabamos de salir del peor youth hostel de la historia. Tal vez sea la edad, que ya aguanta mal que un bretón te justifique ETA, solo para que la conversacion tenga un toque transgresor. Tal vez sea que el otro dia pusieran en la madrugada “el condor pasa” ad eternum y a un volumen digno de Chasis. El condor pasó, pero el dolor de cabeza se instaló. Quizas es que me trastoca ver a esta gente que pasa un dia tras otro parasitando el lugar, comiendo pan bimbo con dulce de leche y hablando de alta geopolitica.

Ahora ya podeis entender el titulo que le he dado al post. La verdad es que me he sentido un poco azufrado por momentos, pero bien nos lo hemos buscado, ya podiamos habernoslo currado y buscar un hotelito barato.

Eating BA style… March 7, 2008

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Warning: certain parts of this post may not be suitable for vegetarian

Ok, one thing has become very clear to me so far – eating out in Buenos Aires is very reasonable.

Argentinian cuisine has a strong Italian influence and pizza bars crop up on every corner with most restaurants including multiple pasta options. Two nights ago, our pre-show light supper consisted of a slice of pizza each and a huge glass of wine for the miniscule sum of 1 pound! The pizza was so good we had to go back for a second slice and received the bonus edition of a savoury chick-pea cake slice that is served on top. Delicious.

Yesterday lunchtime was a meat fest the likes of which I doubt I will ever have again. Sausage, black pudding, something I have yet to identify, kidney and a huge plate of prime beef cuts came with a salad and bread for about 3 pounds each! add in a bottle of delicious red wine for 2 pounds and you have a bone fide bargain.

The coffee here is great and served at breakfast with small croissants, either plain or sweetened. I´ve also been really enjoying the empanadas - small pastries stuffed with either cheese, chicken, beef or vegetables (with multiple variations). They are seriously addictive and so small that you feel like one more won´t hurt…

Today we took advantage of the all-you-can-eat restaurant just down from the hostel. Salads, pastries, stews, fish, flans, fruit, mousses… I ate until I couldn´t move. And all for a ridiculously low price.

Right, this talk of food is getting me hungry… Bon appetit!

la vida es un cabaret nomas March 7, 2008

Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, Español, photos.
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jueves 6 de marzo. Llueve, llueve, llueve. Cogemos el subte para llegar a Palermo. Zona residencial, parques descomunales, siempre rodeados por un trafico demencial. En vano buscamos el lugar mas resguardado del rumor de los coches para seguir con nuestras lecciones de español ( yo le enseño español a P y el me enseña a enseñar: perfecto intercambio). Fuimos al jardin japones, donde carpas con sobrepeso abren la boca con desespero a nuestro paso. El lugar dista mucho de facilitar la contemplacion o meditacion, a no ser que seas duro de oido. Acto seguido huimos a los bosques de Palermo, titulo que nos sugeria una vegetacion mas salvaje y tupida. Por contra, se trata de un parque al uso con sexagenarias restauradas y perros con pedigri. Por ultimo, nos encaminamos hacia el Palermo edificado, y subimos la calle J L Borges, que sin ser gran cosa, le da un aire snob bonaerense al paseo. Comimos en un restaurante nada pretencioso donde por fin probe una carne de quitarse el sombrero, y asi tache de la lista de imprescindibles el comer carne en este pais. posiblemente fue una de las ultimas oportunidades de contar con nuestros amigos del reino animal para alimentarme (en Yacu-yura, nuestro proximo destino no comen animalitos).

Por la noche fuimos al teatro (guaaaau) y vimos Cabaret. Me gusto mucho, no habia visto la peli ni ninguna representacion anterior. P dice que Cabaret es el mejor musical de las que ha visto, y no me extraña. Es descarado, tierno, con momentos de tension y distension. pues eso que la vida es un cabaret nomas, nomenos.

Tube and Cemetery photos March 6, 2008

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ba2.jpgba1.jpg The old-fashioned tube

ba3.jpg Mother Teresa!

The Recoleta cemetery:

ba4.jpgba9.jpgba5.jpgba6.jpgba7.jpgba8.jpgba10.jpg

click on the thumbnails to see larger versions…

another day in BA March 5, 2008

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woke up this morning absolutely covered in bites! It´s taking such willpower not to scratch them – god knows why I get bitten loads and Domingo doesn´t.. maybe British blood is tastier… (let´s see how long before he reads that!)..

The itching marred an otherwise restful 12 hour sleep and we both woke up refreshed and raring to explore.

We hopped on the tube at Lima to head towards Recoleta. The subway (el subtel) here is amazing – Line A was built in 1913 and it seems remarkably well preserved with original adverts still in the panels set back in the tiled walls. The trains too are incredible – if it wasn´t for the fact they were moving you would think they were museum pieces. Wooden insides with ornate colums acting as handrails and simple lights seem a world away from the cramped Northern Line in UK.

It was surreal thinking that my Great Uncle Raymond could have sat on the same seat as me 50 odd years ago when he lived in Buenos Aires.

I know very little of my Uncle´s time here but the longer I spend in this city, the more I want to find out what he did. When he died he left all his effects to the RSPB so we don´t have any journals or diaries to turn to. I wonder what he would have made of my self-defence tactics against the pigeons yesterday… Hmm….

The main reason for heading to Recoleta was to see the much-talked about cemetery where Eva (Evita) Peron is buried. It certainly didn´t disappoint. Rows upon rows of crypts, mini-mausoleums and pantheons are crammed into the walled boundaries of the cemetery. Each crypt is different from the other – humble, disintegrating brick structures nestle between more grandiose marble giants, guarded by white angels and religious figures. Some resemble minature churches whilst others evoke the pyramids and sphinxes of Egypt. The reach of Gaudi can be seen there, as can Art Deco and modernist influences.

All share one thing in common, the musty smell of decades old sarcophogi and the sombre sense of faded majesty and history. Cats lounge on the stately tombs and the wind rushes through the narrow walkways, adding to the haunting sensation.

As we left the cemetery the heavens opened, forcing us in to the nearby art gallery of Recoleta. There was only one exhibit open as the rest of the gallery was mid re-hang. Photos of friends and families from 30 years ago were hung next to photos of the same group in a similar or the same setting today. Each current photo was missing one or more of the original group. Some were empty. The exhibition was about those who had either disappeared or were killed for disagreeing with the Argentinian regime in the 70s. It was incredibly striking.