Catch the travel bug.

I have it and I would like to spread my germs to you... in a non-gross, micro-biotic way.

This is a really cool interactive map that shows the most and least traveled places on earth.  Any and all fellow travelers will love it--as will anyone who likes pretty colors and wants to be more informed!

Enjoy:

Tourist Map : Google Earth

Come on baby let's go to Vegas

Class was canceled on Thursday.  A day with nothing to do?  Let's jump on a bus!

Leigh, Juan, Austin and I headed to the town of Carlos Paz for the day.  Carlos Paz is some 40 minutes away from Cordoba, and it a common escape for the Cordobeses.  The day was dreary, but our spirits were high.  I was most looking forward to the chairlift that takes you up, up and away into the mountain.  Alas, it was under construction.  Rain pending, we headed to a small restaurant on the main strip and indulged in a healthy lunch of pizza and french fries.  Yes, yes I know.  I say again, don't judge.  It was delicious.

We wandered about the town, eating ice cream and taking in the sights that this place has to offer.  Finally, getting chilled, my companions and I decided to head inside, and check out something else Carlos Paz is famous for.... casinos.  I felt like I was on the set of Ocean's 11!  It was fun just to walk around and take in the lights and glamor.  My friends tried their hands at some blackjack and it was fun to watch.  Afterward, we headed back to Cordoba, but it was a nice way to spend the day seeing more of what this great province has to offer.

Thanks for another fun day Cordoba!

Llamas, Chickens and.... Dancing Elephants?

I went to the Zoo!

Yes.  I'm 21 years old.  Don't judge.  You know you love the zoo too.  The zoo is located within the lush greenery of Parque Sarimientos, the largest park in the city.  Juliette and I decided Wednesday morning would be a lovely opportunity to take in the Argentine version of a beloved pastime.

Results? A nice and relaxing afternoon.  Back in February, Brice proffered that perhaps the zoo was nothing more than a stray dog chained to a tree... Luckily, this was far from the case.  The zoo has a beautiful landscape, which is almost better than the animals.  The animals are varied, but mostly  focus on the wildlife of South America, specifically Argentina and Chile.  It was funny to see some of the "exotic" animals... like the north American buffalo.

My father should be happy to know that I've finally seen a donkey... in the zoo.  Before I came here, he insisted that my host mother would take me home on the back of our burro.  I keep trying to convince him that this a developing country... he's a good sport.

The elephant came out to say hello, and she did a little dance for us.  I don't know if it was on purpose.. but it certainly seemed like it!

Unfortunately, we missed the Aquatics show, renowned as the highlight of the zoo adventure; we'll have to catch it next time.

The zoo was a fun and silly way to pass the morning.  It was a beautiful setting to walk and talk and have a little nature time.

Alta Gracia... take two. ACTION

The province of Cordoba offers free admission to all museums and historical sites on Wednesdays.  Armed with this wonderful newfound knowledge, my friend, Will, and I have dedicated every Wednesday to a cultural adventure of one sort or another.

Last Wednesday, we started with Alta Gracia.  Now for you diligent readers, you will remember that one of my first weekends here, we went to Alta Gracia for the World Fair.  However, we didn't see much of the town itself.  Plus, the bus ticket there is $7 pesos argentinos.  That is, just over $2 USD.  It's about 40 minutes to the south of the city and is a marvelous little town.

The center of the town is a small lake... glorified pond really.  Not to discount it, for it provides a beautiful fall backdrop this time of year.

After walking around the lake, we found the
tourist office and set to work.  The friendly woman at the office outlined a quick tour of the town for us.  It was a quite circle around the town ending at the bus station... "from where you can leave," she told us in a very matter-of-fact way.  I would venture that Alta Gracians don't appreciate the day tourists too much, but put up with them none the less.  Or maybe it was just this woman.  She also thought Will looks like an Argentine doctor.  No, better said, she insisted Will was an Argentine doctor.  I don't see it... but tell me what you think:

Regardless, map in hand, we set off for an adventure.

Now for the less linguistically inclined of my dearest readers, Alta Gracia directly translated means High Grace.  Not knowing the origins of the town, I assumed it had a religious significance.  It undoubtedly does, but I believe it also refers to the many hills the town possesses.  Sure, maybe it is a place of grace, but you will have to be up pretty high to receive it!

Our first stop is probably the hallmark of Alta Gracia--Che's house.  Formally, it is the old residence of Ernesto "Che" Guevara--the communist revolutionary war hero.  This house (where he actually only lived for about 10 years) has been converted into a museum celebrating his life and legacy.  (See post titled El Che)

Che's house...

Manuel de Falla...

Next, we ventured to the house of Manuel de Falla, a Spanish composer who spent his later years in Alta Gracia.  I've been absolutely in love with classical music lately and I think he is a great composer.  His works ebb and flow beautifully and are just a joy to listen to.  Check out El Amor Brujo, one of his best known works.

Tired from all the hills and culture, we sat at a nice outdoor cafe and had a tabla--a wonderful little snack.  Tablas consist of various finger foods which are great with a refreshing beverage to relax in the afternoon.  Usually, tablas have peanuts, cold slices of ham, bread, cheese, olives, and other treats.

After this, we felt rejuvenated to tackle the Jesuit Estancia in Alta Gracia.  Estancias are a fancy words for a home or compound.  A bunch of Jesuits lived and worked here back in the day.  It was full of interesting old things, including a buffet that was over 12' tall... apparently they were giants back then.  Unfortunately, I didn't plan ahead, and my camera ran out of battery before I could snap a photo.  Regardless, it's always nice to learn more about the Jesuits, as they have influenced Cordoba so much.

Thanks Alta Gracia, for a full and educational day...

   

El Che

~ An in-depth analysis of all that is Che~

Image property of World Press: http://dchd9.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/che-guevara-serna.jpg

So what of his life and legacy?  He is El Che.  Che is the common Argentine interjection and therefore demonstrates so much about what this man means to Latin American culture.  Che is almost equivalent to how people could say, "Hey buddy, man, dude, etc" But is used much more frequently among people of all ages.  For example, "che, que hora es el examen?" (Hey, what time is the exam?) "che, me prestas un boligrafo por fa? (Dude, can I please borrow a pen?) "che, cuanto cuesta esta falda?" (Excuse me, how much is this skirt?)  It can be and is used with any person, in practically any situation.  Ergo, El Che represents Every Man--the epitome of culture.  He has become an international symbol of fighting for the rights of the poor and depraved.  Che is absolutely revered throughout Latin America.  The following picture is compliments of my friend Hector Bautista.  He encountered this on a pillar in the center of Cordoba a few weeks ago:  

Meaning: Che Lives

He was born in Rosario de Santa Fe, Argentina on June 14, 1928.  He passed his boyhood brilliantly, although very acute bouts of asthma caused the family to eventually move to Alta Gracia.  He was an avid reader, and athlete as well.

In his teenage years, he truly became the Che that we know today.  He took a year off from medical school and traversed South America on motorcycle with his friend, Alberto Granado.  Che was so astounded by the absolute poverty they found in the hills of the Andes, and in the communities throughout their journey.  They went from place to place, doing good for the people--eventually spending weeks in a leper colony--something that made international headlines.  

In 1953, he started another journey, this time traveling all the way to Mexico, and fatefully meeting Fidel Castro.  The two planned the coup d'etae to overthrow the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista.  They considered Batista to be a puppet at the hands of the US's money interests and wanted to take matters into their own, Latin American hands.  The important thing to remember is ideologically, they were Marxist in thought.  Culturally, we've been trained to have such a strong aversion to anything resembling "dirty commies."  However, at the start, they had noble goals of helping the poor and raising up the common man.  It's just a fact that Marxist thought can never work... anywhere.  It's too philosophical of an idea and has no practicality for human nature nor the world in which we live.  Okay, maybe that's my opinion a little bit.  We all know what happened in Cuba, and the results thereof, so I need not expound upon that any further.  

Eventually, Che tried to encourage a communist uprising in Bolivia and was killed.  Now we come to another interesting crossroads.  In American textbooks, it will say that he was captured and killed by Bolivian militants.  However, the museum declares without shame, and with reason, that he was assassinated and blames the CIA.  The CIA did train some Bolivian forces and aided their effort, but Bolivians carried out his actual execution, to the best of my knowledge.  It's just interesting how history changes tone a little bit, depending on who is writing it.  

My overall thoughts:  Che is known for his catchphrase: !Hasta la Victoria Siempre! and some remember him only as his battle instructor deemed him, one of the best guerrilla fighters known to man.  However, I think there was a lot more to this man than his guerrilla tactics.  Call me victim of the propaganda, but since being here in Argentina, I can see the valiant hero behind the hype.  I'll never be a fan of any sort of Marxist/ Communist thought, but I can respect how he dedicated his life to working to improve the conditions of the people of Central and South America.  Even today, there is a huge disparity between our continents--believe me.  I plan to blog about this very soon.  Che was more than a revolutionary war hero, he was a philosopher, a writer and a family man.  I cannot be a true Che fan and follower like so many are, but I hope that you, like I, can find respect for this man, even if we cannot find admiration.  I was exceptionally affected by this poem in the museum, set in front of Che's infamous garb, that Che wrote (translation mine):

To read and write is to march forward

young people must create

a youth that does not create is an an anomaly

all must be endured

without ever losing tenderness

university should paint

black, mulatto, worker, farmer

so that it paints the people

we must unite the worker with the conscience

of the importance the creative act contains

so that he accomplishes it day to day, that he does the work

something created, something new

The requirement to be human is to

come closer to the best of humanity

so that man is purified through 

the work, the study, the solitary exercise

continued with the people. 

A Love Story

Like most South American countries, Argentina's population is a mixture of indigenous persons and European immigrants.  However, as Olga was explaining to me yesterday, Argentina is singular in the fact that the two groups have mixed less than in other neighboring countries.  She proceeded to tell me the lovely tale of her immigrant ancestors, which I would now like to share with you:


Olga's paternal grandfather was from Barcelona, Spain.  Olga's great-grandmother died when Olga's grandfather was very young, nothing more than 7.  Soon after her death, her husband, so afflicted with pain and torture, married a woman from France and ran off to the north to live with her.  Olga's grandfather and his four siblings fell under the care of a loving aunt.  This aunt and uncle raised him as if he were their own son.  However, when he was 15 years old, his uncle had to go to Argentina on business.  He was a blacksmith and was commissioned to work on some iron gates leading to the university here in Cordoba.  Hoping to give the young man a global perspective, he took him along.  They stayed in Argentina nearly two years--during which the young man met a beautiful girl, a criolla--meaning of European and indigenous mixed decent.  The two fell in love and passed every day together.  His uncle was furious with this pairing and returned to Spain as soon as he found out they were in a relationship.  He insisted that Olga's grandfather return with him.  As Olga explained to me, this was a time when children obeyed their elders without question and without fight, so her grandfather returned to Spain, with the promise that he would come back to Argentina and marry his beloved.  When he stepped off the boat in Spain, his uncle turned out his pockets to remove but every dime from his pockets, jeering, "Let's see you return to Argentina now."  He knew he would have to work very hard to save the money he would need to return and marry in Argentina.  


He started working and saving but less than a month later, he was called to military service.  He knew that if he entered this bloody war, he would die.  Therefore, he pretended to be a deaf-mute during the examination.  The poor fellow was put through the ringer with their tests.  They shoved instruments down his throat to try to get him to scream out... and dropped money/ books behind him to see if he would react to the sound.  He was patient and put up with all their tests--and passed.  


Meanwhile, his beloved waited.  And waited.  And waited.  At some point, she befriended a different young man, studying in the seminary.  Although he was about to take an oath to dedicate his life to God, he still fell a little more in love with this beauty everyday.  Eventually, he gave her an ultimatum.  He came to her house, dressed in regular clothes and asked for her hand in marriage.  He had given up his robes and his place in the seminary for the possibility of her love in return.  Absolutely disraught, she asked for but a day to make her decision and chose between these two wonderful men.


That night, at the strike of midnight, there was a knock on her door.  It was Olga's grandfather, returned from Spain.  He had secured passage by working on a ship during the trip.  Of course, she chose him.  She is Olga's grandmother, and the heroine of a fantastic love story.

Dancing Queen

Question: Do South American boys go straight from the womb to dancing shoes?


Answer:  Yes.


Well, apparently at least.  Friday night was a very special night for me here in Cordoba.  My church here is absolutely filled with young people-- people between the ages of 18-25 make up over half of the congregation.  It is a really cool experience to be around so many youths and they are such nice people who've really welcomed me.

Point of the story is, we have a lot of activities for our church and others in the area geared towards the youths.  They are a blast!  On Friday, we had a dance.  Now, I must say... a few elements were very middle-schoolish, but I loved it all the same.  It was everything good about middle school dances, minus the drama, girls crying and bad music.  Basically, it was just a bunch of friends, dancing the night away, laughing and being silly.

The music was all up beat and fun--ranging from salsa to reggaeton to cuarteto.  What is that you ask?  What is cuarteto? ... let me explain.  Cuarteto is a form of music and dance that was born right here in Cordoba, Argentina.  It sounds most similar to a merengue and the dance is a bit of a modified salsa--more turns than hip shaking though.  It is called cuarteto because it is traditionally made up of a four piece band: violin, piano, accordion, and bass.  It's a really good time.  Have a listen: 

I am marveling at the South American boys right now for a few reasons.  One, every single one of them knows how to boogie.  Second, almost every single one of them loves to dance.  This is an AWESOME combination.  I didn't have time to rest my feet once!  Every time I stepped off the dance floor there was a pair of big brown eyes pleading and a hand held out.  Oh alright, let's go for a spin.  I felt like I was on Dancing with the Stars the whole time.  My tired legs finally dragged themselves home in the wee hours of the morning and I fell into an exhausted, but blissful sleep.  I'm so happy to have found such great friends here and so blessed to have these experiences with them.