Hi Everyone,
I haven`t been avoiding you life just keeps on happening and internet cafes are not always close by.
Bariloche was fabulous but mostly because of the hostel and the delicious group of young guys I called the Puppy Dogs who ran it. It was like living in a mad family where there were buckets full of affection, laughter, friendliness and fun. A great friend that I had made in Peninsula Valdez turned up out of the blue which was lovely too. I did one treck up into the forest and nearly died, realizing how unfit I was. I loved it but didn´t get to the top. Amazing trees and a bamboo type plant particular to Argentina. I also did half a days riding in the foothills of the Andes which was magic. The other 4 people riding with me had not one idea how to ride which made me chuckle. Not even turning left or right!! The family who ran the ride from their farm were welcoming and generous giving us a delicious ásado` with wine and all the trimmings. I felt part of their home.
We also saw condors. As well as the astral lapwings who drive me made with their shrill shrieking to lure us away from their nests. If they just shut up we`d never even notice!!
For those that don`t know Bariloche is an Alpine Lake District sitting on a beautiful lake. It is also an ultimate destination for students finishing their final year at school. So they were every where in groups and hordes just filling up the town. There was also a gang of dogs that lived around the streets - their favourite past time was chasing cars - and when they weren`t doing that they were lurking round tourists hoping for food and affection. Bariloche is also famous for chocolate - shame I don`t like it!
Starting to go north I stopped for a few days in San Martin de los Andes. As a town it felt too pretty, too tidy and too ordered for me - a bit lifeless. However lovely walks, lakes, beautiful woods, wild flowers and views. I palled up with a friend from Paris and we went to visit a Mapuche community up in the hills. On arrival we heard a group of youngsters playing fabulous Andean music - apparently part of a bigger orchestra. I could have listened to them all day. The wife walked with us up into the hills. It had a lovely feel to it this area - she talked about the spirits of the earth and the trees and how the Mapuche try to work in tune with nature. Maybe they have something that we have lost. Each Mapuche family has their own house and some land and each one specializes in growing something or contributing in some way to the whole - be it chickens, sheep what ever. I thought it looked a great plan. I know they have had to fight for their land, and to keep it, and have only in the last 10 years had full communication i.e. internet, phones, but this seemed something to aspire to for all of them. They have their own school and Mapuche is taught for 2 hours a day. However the only thing I will pass on next time is the family `car´that we went back to the village in. The husband said he would give us a lift so we agreed before seeing the MOT certificate! Only one door worked in the back and I have never seen such a dilapidated specimen. The windscreen was peppered with holes and cracks and the seats were all in different states of disrepair, some closer to the ground than others. As we rattled down the hill the dust came up in clouds through the floor and we could hardly see in front of our noses. We survived!
En route to a little town called Alumine the landscape changed to a volcanic skyline - very dramatic. This little town gave me a completely magic experience. I wanted to visit the lakes but the bus had gone and the lass in theTourist Office suggested that I hitch hike. She said it was completely safe. So I set off with my picnic in my little ruchsack and a bottle of water. For a while I walked with a kindly old man on a horse - I haven´t a clue what he was saying but he didn´t seem to mind. Eventually after about 5 kilometres a little car stopped beside me. Inside was a young girl and her 4 year old daughter. I jumped in and off we went. After a little while of chat she invited me to visit her parent`s farm (which was where she was going) as it was the day that her father, brother and her husband plus other gauchos branded the cattle. Would I be interested? I didn`t hesitate. They were an amazing family who didn`t bat an eyelid when a strange English woman turned up to join them for the day. The cattle were driven across a river to a piece of land that was flat and easier to work. We stayed this side. But after a while I said to Marielin that it was very difficult to photograph through the trees. So back we went to the house and I was kitted out with gym shoes and given a sturdy stick. We forded the same river on foot in a very fast flowing current. It was not easy and I certainly didn´t want to fall over with my camera on my hip. However all was well and we walked up to join the gauchos who were just getting on with a days work of lassoeing calves and cows, branding from the fire they had made, dosing them with medicine and clipping their ears. After about 1 hour Marielin asked me if I would like to go for a ride. So we each take a horse and headed up the valley. How wonderful was that. Later in the afternoon we have a second ride in the opposite direction. At the end of the day we all road home on horseback fording the river with some horses carrying 2 of us. I was invited to join them for the inevitable asado which was delicious and then driven back to Alumine by Marielin and her husband and their little daughter. It was a full moon and the landscape was bathed in its light - what a fabulous dreamy day! I am constantly amazed by people`s openheartedness and generosity.
The journey to San Rafael was another 2 day affair. The last lap was more extraordinary landscape this time dotted with monkey puzzle trees that are native to this part of the world and growing in desert like conditions. Extraordinary. Yet another lovely hostel - more Swiss and Israelis with Canadians buying land here. I spent Christmas Eve on a lake swimming and laughing with a gang from the hostel. The lovely family that run it (3) daughters invited us to a meal with them in the evening - Christmas eve is more special to them. I gave everyone a candle to light and make a wish with or remember someone close to them - and of course to light with the meal.
12 of us sat down together and it was great. It was a late night as we chatted and ate and drank into Christmas day.
I am now staying with Kate and her family just outside San Rafael before I make my next jump, my next trip. It is hot now - over 40 centigrade!
As usual I have no idea where I shall be for New Year. But I wish you all lots of special things for 2011, friendship, unexpected moments, dreams coming true and a good life where maybe we make a difference - somehow. I also hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas - I meant to send you good wishes but somehow it never happened. I thought about you!
Lots of Argentinian hugs and much love
Sal xxx
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Saturday, 11 December 2010
How do you talk to a Glacier?
Since I last wrote I have been to El Calafate which is quite far south and sits on a milky turquoise lake. The town is an architect´s dream with random houses all over the place with no need for planning permission for colour, shape, size or position. Lots are pink, mauve, purple, yellow and green of the most extraordinary shapes and sizes. It had a feeling of being temporary but is growing daily as I noticed big hotels half finished and others under constrution. The hostel was run by two lovely young guys with dreadlocks and great smiles. Very friendly. Met people from all over and shared a dorm with a great English couple. The guy reminded me of Rupert a great friend of mine.
So the point of coming to El Calafate was to visit the Perito Moreno glacier. No, I have never seen a glacier before and especially one this size. I took a boat trip to get close and still couldn´t really comprehend this wall of ice towering above me. Inside the ice there are fabulous reflections of blue, purple and turquoise making it seem even more unreal. I just found it very hard to relate to but recognized that it was extraordinary. It is miles long and a kilometre wide. It moves 2 metres a day which is amazing. There are long walk ways that take you close to the glacier. After some lunch I went back again and walked a distance, mostly on my own in a small peaceful wood that ran alongside this white monster that cracked and rumbled like gunshot as parts broke and fell into the lake. It was quite mesmerizing and I have taken endless photographs somehow trying to understand the nature of it. It was a bit like drawing, once I start then I begin to understand the subject matter more and more - so with photographs of the glacier. It was truly awesome.
From the same hostel I spent a day in El Chalten - a town not dissimilar to El Calafate. The idea was to walk for most of the day up into the mountains and see the famous peak of Fitz Roy but the mist came down and the snow and it was not to be. However I found lots of wild flowers I did not know and met a charming Swiss family. Two sons and mother and father on a holiday together. We all ended up having lunch together to recover from the cold. The younger one and I walked together quite a bit. He was on an exchange in Buenos Aires and was fascinated by how emotional the Argentinians were compared to the Swiss - he told me this with a wistful touch to his voice. I wondered whether some countries are ruled by their heads and other countries by their hearts. Switzerland and Argentina seem two good examples - not that I know many Swiss people so that is a huge value judgement!
To reach Bariloche it was a 2 day bus journey up the legendary Route 40. An amazing road which is mostly untarmaced and stretches miles into the distance bordered usually on both sides by ridges and outcrops. Vast stretches of sky that changed as we moved through the landscape. Our bus drivers were called Nelson and Andy - very chatty and relaxed. The rest of the busload turned into a family as we trundled up Argentina. I sat initially with a french guy who had just hitched a lift on a french boat for 20 days, a loner who disappeared half way through the journey to take his own route. The next guy was also French in his 70s but very sweet natured and easy to be with. You learn people´s life stories when you sit on a bus with them for 24 hours. We stopped at a hotel for the night and I shared a room with two young Israeli girls who had just finished their 2 years national service -perhaps not a good thing to mention that most of England supports the Palestinians! However they were well able to defend their position. Apart from being asked out by Nelson the bus driver the journey was just about snoozing, chatting, reading, stopping at Estancias for a break and wondering if it would ever end.
I am now in Bariloche which is on an enormous beautiful lake with crystal clear water and reflections of snow capped mountains. This is a big town which is the haven of the rich to ski, sail, ride, trek, water raft and climb. It is also the centre for chocoholics - this is a speciality of the area - what a shame I don´t like chocolate. The main square has men standing around with St. Bernard dogs - and today they had 2 puppies. The dogs are a lure to have your photograph taken - no thank you! I am not sure if they still use them for serious rescuing - the poor dogs were paraded around with the barrels under their chins.
I am off to the mountains tomorrow hiking with a group from the hostel ........... more of that next time.
I feel a bit more in sympathy with the bad weather you have been having - snow and sleet, but we do have sun too.
Big hug and much love to you all
Sal xxx
sta
So the point of coming to El Calafate was to visit the Perito Moreno glacier. No, I have never seen a glacier before and especially one this size. I took a boat trip to get close and still couldn´t really comprehend this wall of ice towering above me. Inside the ice there are fabulous reflections of blue, purple and turquoise making it seem even more unreal. I just found it very hard to relate to but recognized that it was extraordinary. It is miles long and a kilometre wide. It moves 2 metres a day which is amazing. There are long walk ways that take you close to the glacier. After some lunch I went back again and walked a distance, mostly on my own in a small peaceful wood that ran alongside this white monster that cracked and rumbled like gunshot as parts broke and fell into the lake. It was quite mesmerizing and I have taken endless photographs somehow trying to understand the nature of it. It was a bit like drawing, once I start then I begin to understand the subject matter more and more - so with photographs of the glacier. It was truly awesome.
From the same hostel I spent a day in El Chalten - a town not dissimilar to El Calafate. The idea was to walk for most of the day up into the mountains and see the famous peak of Fitz Roy but the mist came down and the snow and it was not to be. However I found lots of wild flowers I did not know and met a charming Swiss family. Two sons and mother and father on a holiday together. We all ended up having lunch together to recover from the cold. The younger one and I walked together quite a bit. He was on an exchange in Buenos Aires and was fascinated by how emotional the Argentinians were compared to the Swiss - he told me this with a wistful touch to his voice. I wondered whether some countries are ruled by their heads and other countries by their hearts. Switzerland and Argentina seem two good examples - not that I know many Swiss people so that is a huge value judgement!
To reach Bariloche it was a 2 day bus journey up the legendary Route 40. An amazing road which is mostly untarmaced and stretches miles into the distance bordered usually on both sides by ridges and outcrops. Vast stretches of sky that changed as we moved through the landscape. Our bus drivers were called Nelson and Andy - very chatty and relaxed. The rest of the busload turned into a family as we trundled up Argentina. I sat initially with a french guy who had just hitched a lift on a french boat for 20 days, a loner who disappeared half way through the journey to take his own route. The next guy was also French in his 70s but very sweet natured and easy to be with. You learn people´s life stories when you sit on a bus with them for 24 hours. We stopped at a hotel for the night and I shared a room with two young Israeli girls who had just finished their 2 years national service -perhaps not a good thing to mention that most of England supports the Palestinians! However they were well able to defend their position. Apart from being asked out by Nelson the bus driver the journey was just about snoozing, chatting, reading, stopping at Estancias for a break and wondering if it would ever end.
I am now in Bariloche which is on an enormous beautiful lake with crystal clear water and reflections of snow capped mountains. This is a big town which is the haven of the rich to ski, sail, ride, trek, water raft and climb. It is also the centre for chocoholics - this is a speciality of the area - what a shame I don´t like chocolate. The main square has men standing around with St. Bernard dogs - and today they had 2 puppies. The dogs are a lure to have your photograph taken - no thank you! I am not sure if they still use them for serious rescuing - the poor dogs were paraded around with the barrels under their chins.
I am off to the mountains tomorrow hiking with a group from the hostel ........... more of that next time.
I feel a bit more in sympathy with the bad weather you have been having - snow and sleet, but we do have sun too.
Big hug and much love to you all
Sal xxx
sta
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Estancia La Maria and caves 5th December 2010
Travelling on coaches, mainly during the night, gives me a sense of time travelling. I leave one place and all the experiences I had there, the wheels turn and I am spun into another life of new people and new places. This week-end was so different from my time at Peninsula Valdez whale watching and being entranced by the dolphins it felt exactly like that. I had read in the Lonely Planet of this estancia where there were caves with prehistoric paintings in them - like at least 80 caves. Since I read about them in England I had become determined to find this place. I had tried ringing them, but it seemed that it would cost me 1000 pesos in taxi fees to get there. It is in the middle of nowhere with no public transpot in sight. Somebody suggested hitchhiking, but the problem would be the lack of cars, not any danger. At the Tosca Hostel Mariano had said that if it was my destiny I would find a way. I arrived in Puerto San Julian (at 4 .30 a.m) which is the nearest town to the Estancia with Manuela a friend I had met at the Hostel . We tried the Tourist Office when it opened at 8.00 and the lass said that Josefina (the owner of the Estancia) was in town collecting 2 guests but there was probably not enough room for me to but worth trying. We jumped in a taxi to the hostel and miracle of miracles they could sqeeze me in. A very hasty goodbye to Manuela, who was never coming with me at this point, and I was bundled into the 4 wheel drive and we set off on gravel roads for the estancia.
The track to the Estancia is 11 km in distance from a recognizable road. It is a wild, beautiful place with over 300 canyons and at least 80 caves that have cave paintings in them. They farm very little apart from 80 sheep, (I have never seen a fridge full of such enormous bits of raw meat) chickens and their own self sufficiency in the way of vegetables. This is not ´the Good Life´ this is ´The Hard Life`. The water arrives through a heavy duty black hose from a spring 3 km away, the lights only work during the evening and go out when Josefina goes to bed and the wind when it blows is so strong you can lean against it. There is a huge lake close by but since a volcanic eruption in Chile it has dried up and is full of volcanic ash. I had a sense of how vulnerable I was out here. There are puma and they will take sheep. Lorena the daughter learnt to use a gun when she was 11 years old. The father Ferdinando died several years ago but he and Josefina bought the farm together - for her it was love at first sight. The caves became their passion. The canyons and the caves are huge and imposing, I felt dwarfed by their presence. I had a sense of this being an ancient land that has been formed by the elements over thousands of years. The rock formations are awesome in the true sense of the word - they have been formed and moulded into extraordinary shapes; sculptured creatures, holes, crevices, folds and slabs, heavy entrances to deep caves, all in a variety of reds, golds and greys - and in many are these strange paintings - lots are of guanacos, the lama like creatures that still roam free and the family will eat if they can - many have lines signifying pathways and circles - maybe planets, but the most common are hands. These can either be direct hand prints or negative prints spraying the ´paint` over the hand. The paint was made from blood and urine and sand. These paintings are of great significance and archaelogists are working on them still. They were first discovered in 1902 and I think these 2 bought the farm in the 1980s. The previous owners had been uninterested in the paintings - for Josefina and Ferdinando it was a life´s work putting Estancia La Maria on the map.
There is a rich bird life here, notably for me, a pair of Southern Lapwings who screamed at me for most of the time I walked up one particular canyon - they were then attacked by a kestrel. They reminded me of the raucous parakets in Buenos Aires. I suspect the lapwings were trying to distract me from a nest. There is also a wonderful amount of wild flowers here which I love but was unable to name as I did not bring a wild life book with me. Surprisingly there were lots of wild roses and a flower that seemed very similar to an Evening Primrose. In this hostile environment lots of them have spines and spikes. The odd lizard and some very fat black beetles. No pumas in sight, except the skeleton of one hung on a fence. I also came across the complete skeleton of a dead horse. When I enquired what happened to it I was told it died of old age. No sentimental burial here!
Josefina and Lorena now run the farm and the business together. They both have houses in Puerto San Julian and live in town when there are no guests. A local man and his beautiful white horse tend the estancia while they are away. Lorena lives with her partner and is studying to be a Notary. Both she and her mother were welcoming and generous hearted. I hope it works out for them in this financial climate.
The Lonely Planet is fantastic for information on where and how and when but as far as costs go it is way out. Mine was published in 2008 and I probably have to multiply by at least 5 or 6 to get a more realistic cost of hostels. Inflation is escalating. I mentioned to Cliff in a postcard that the cost of milongas when he was out here was about 12 or 15 pesos. It is now 20 to 30 pesos. The Argentinians feel it keenly.
The track to the Estancia is 11 km in distance from a recognizable road. It is a wild, beautiful place with over 300 canyons and at least 80 caves that have cave paintings in them. They farm very little apart from 80 sheep, (I have never seen a fridge full of such enormous bits of raw meat) chickens and their own self sufficiency in the way of vegetables. This is not ´the Good Life´ this is ´The Hard Life`. The water arrives through a heavy duty black hose from a spring 3 km away, the lights only work during the evening and go out when Josefina goes to bed and the wind when it blows is so strong you can lean against it. There is a huge lake close by but since a volcanic eruption in Chile it has dried up and is full of volcanic ash. I had a sense of how vulnerable I was out here. There are puma and they will take sheep. Lorena the daughter learnt to use a gun when she was 11 years old. The father Ferdinando died several years ago but he and Josefina bought the farm together - for her it was love at first sight. The caves became their passion. The canyons and the caves are huge and imposing, I felt dwarfed by their presence. I had a sense of this being an ancient land that has been formed by the elements over thousands of years. The rock formations are awesome in the true sense of the word - they have been formed and moulded into extraordinary shapes; sculptured creatures, holes, crevices, folds and slabs, heavy entrances to deep caves, all in a variety of reds, golds and greys - and in many are these strange paintings - lots are of guanacos, the lama like creatures that still roam free and the family will eat if they can - many have lines signifying pathways and circles - maybe planets, but the most common are hands. These can either be direct hand prints or negative prints spraying the ´paint` over the hand. The paint was made from blood and urine and sand. These paintings are of great significance and archaelogists are working on them still. They were first discovered in 1902 and I think these 2 bought the farm in the 1980s. The previous owners had been uninterested in the paintings - for Josefina and Ferdinando it was a life´s work putting Estancia La Maria on the map.
There is a rich bird life here, notably for me, a pair of Southern Lapwings who screamed at me for most of the time I walked up one particular canyon - they were then attacked by a kestrel. They reminded me of the raucous parakets in Buenos Aires. I suspect the lapwings were trying to distract me from a nest. There is also a wonderful amount of wild flowers here which I love but was unable to name as I did not bring a wild life book with me. Surprisingly there were lots of wild roses and a flower that seemed very similar to an Evening Primrose. In this hostile environment lots of them have spines and spikes. The odd lizard and some very fat black beetles. No pumas in sight, except the skeleton of one hung on a fence. I also came across the complete skeleton of a dead horse. When I enquired what happened to it I was told it died of old age. No sentimental burial here!
Josefina and Lorena now run the farm and the business together. They both have houses in Puerto San Julian and live in town when there are no guests. A local man and his beautiful white horse tend the estancia while they are away. Lorena lives with her partner and is studying to be a Notary. Both she and her mother were welcoming and generous hearted. I hope it works out for them in this financial climate.
The Lonely Planet is fantastic for information on where and how and when but as far as costs go it is way out. Mine was published in 2008 and I probably have to multiply by at least 5 or 6 to get a more realistic cost of hostels. Inflation is escalating. I mentioned to Cliff in a postcard that the cost of milongas when he was out here was about 12 or 15 pesos. It is now 20 to 30 pesos. The Argentinians feel it keenly.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Leaving Buenos Aires Ist December 2010
I am now at Puerto Madryn, which is very close to the Peninsula Valdez, in the best hostel in the world - it is small and friendly with lovely staff who are incredibly helpful,with great senses of humour. I have made lots of friends in the brief time I have been here and have made two boat trips - one to watch Franco Astral Whales - I still can´t believe I actually did it - they were amazing - one just continued to surface with her fluke and then smashed it down in the waves - it was truly awesome. This is where they come to breed and then they will go south to the Antarctic. The gestation period is a year, they look after their young for a year and then they have a year off. I didn`t gather what the male whales do - except for the obvious. The second boat trip was to watch Toninos - small delightful black and white dolphins who just played around the boat with extraordinary speed and agility. They made us all laugh - I am not sure why but they were just irrisistible.
This is so different from BA. The musicality tango course with Joaquin was fantastic. He is coming to England in 2012 and it would be wonderful for all our group and more to experience his take on interpretation, timing and rythmn. He was so focussed and inspiring - I shall only remember a small amount of it but that alone will be something. Thank you so much Tony for letting me know about it.
My last week was wonderful - the last milonga at Ideal I danced non stop. Not all amazing dances but I have learnt to hold my own. I have only bought 2 pairs of shoes - so far and one is being altered while I am away travelling. I also took my old faithfuls to the shoemaker. When he asked when I would like to collect them and I replied `March` he was non plused. I hope they are still there when I get back! BA feels like home and I am so pleased I am returning there for my last month. Yes, I had my ups and down, but I ended on an up finding the milongas and Tea Dances that suited me. It all takes time. I have bought another camera so shall try and down load some photos of now. I shall also have a chance to take again some photos round BA that I would like to recapture.. Sadly the Jacaranda trees will be over by then - I know I cant have it all.
Am heading for Puerto San Julian and then across to Calafate and a few glaziers. I leave this great little hostel tomorrow.
I can`t believe that you have snow - it seems extraordinary from this side of the world.
The buses are amazing except one guy who snored and I poured water on his nose - he stopped. We were also stopped twice and searched by police with drug sniffer dogs - the dogs were so fat they could hardly move - obviously well rewarded by their owners.
Much love to all of you lovely people
Sal xxxxxx
This is so different from BA. The musicality tango course with Joaquin was fantastic. He is coming to England in 2012 and it would be wonderful for all our group and more to experience his take on interpretation, timing and rythmn. He was so focussed and inspiring - I shall only remember a small amount of it but that alone will be something. Thank you so much Tony for letting me know about it.
My last week was wonderful - the last milonga at Ideal I danced non stop. Not all amazing dances but I have learnt to hold my own. I have only bought 2 pairs of shoes - so far and one is being altered while I am away travelling. I also took my old faithfuls to the shoemaker. When he asked when I would like to collect them and I replied `March` he was non plused. I hope they are still there when I get back! BA feels like home and I am so pleased I am returning there for my last month. Yes, I had my ups and down, but I ended on an up finding the milongas and Tea Dances that suited me. It all takes time. I have bought another camera so shall try and down load some photos of now. I shall also have a chance to take again some photos round BA that I would like to recapture.. Sadly the Jacaranda trees will be over by then - I know I cant have it all.
Am heading for Puerto San Julian and then across to Calafate and a few glaziers. I leave this great little hostel tomorrow.
I can`t believe that you have snow - it seems extraordinary from this side of the world.
The buses are amazing except one guy who snored and I poured water on his nose - he stopped. We were also stopped twice and searched by police with drug sniffer dogs - the dogs were so fat they could hardly move - obviously well rewarded by their owners.
Much love to all of you lovely people
Sal xxxxxx
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