Tag Archives: Argentina

Majestic Andes Mountains

Posted on by
2

After a few days enjoying the heat of Mendoza, we ventured into the Andes Mountains to a very small town, Cacheuta. Known for its natural hot springs and arid mountain surroundings, we were ready for a day of relaxing.  The hour bus ride out of Mendoza took us through more typical looking wine country.

 

 

I was curious who would be at this little hot springs in the middle of the week, and to our great entertainment… we were at the “fountain of youth.”  It was full with weathered Argentines, enjoying the rejuvenating hot springs, sipping mate tea, toasting with red wine and filling the place with hearty laughter.  Truly enjoying life!  There was a rowdy group next to us that laughed nonstop, and I would have loved to be able to understand them…and join them for a mate.

 

 

We enjoyed the bounties of summer with a fresh, delicious picnic.  Notice the complementing colors?

 

 

Then it was the sad time to depart from Heather and Joanna…they were going back to Cordoba and this was the breaking off point for Sherry and I to forge ahead on our own.  It was bittersweet. I really loved those few days with Heather and Joanna.

 

Sherry and I headed another two hours away from Mendoza to Upsallata, a much more rural town.  We wound up into the Andes at dusk and watched the sun set as we dozed off and on after a long day of soaking up the hot sun.

 

 

Arrival in Upsallata was very late and we hadn’t really pre-planned a place to stay.  The hostel in the Lonely Planet said it was several miles outside the town, and seemed out best option, but we either missed the bus stop or they didn’t stop at all.  Either way, it worked out better that we staying in town. Sherry did a great job working her way through our first full Spanish only experience.  Pepe was the sweet old man who owned a small hotel in town.  With a kiss on the cheek from him, we crashed hard for our first good night’s sleep in a long time.

 

 

We had a few hours to kill after we found the only bus was leaving at 2 pm for Santiago.  With Sherry’s limited Spanish and my big hand gestures, we found our way to a small hike just outside town.  We think they said something like…”follow the dirt road out-of-town and take a left when you see the white cross on the hill.”  So we did!

 

 

The monochromatic hills are incredible and as always the pictures just don’t do it justice.  From the hill we climbed we got a great bird’s-eye view of the sleepy little town of Upsallata,  a little oasis in the high Andes desert.  We climbed straight up this little knob that did have an iron cross at the top.  It was a beautiful vista!

 

 

We found out that we came up the hard way and around the knob was a trail, dotted by crosses leading up to the top.  I was fascinated by the rock.  All of it was like sandstone, just pressed together, not at all like the volcanic rock I am used to in the Washington, Idaho and Alaska mountains.  The colors are stunning in contrast to the green trees and brush.

 

 

All of the Andes in this area of the country are made of this rock.  The rivers that run through this part of the country look like chocolate milk because they are so full of the brown sediment.  It made me think of the Alaskan glacier sediment making the rivers and lakes turquoise in color.

We soon boarded our epic bus ride across the Andes.  The power and majesty of these mountains captivated us.  The color palate God used to paint these mountains is so unique. We couldn’t take our eyes off of them the entire trip over!

 

 

 

 

 

We reached the Chile border just as Aconcagua came into view, in a stunning line with its brother peaks.  Aconcagua is the highest peak in all of North and South America touching the sky with 22,841 feet in elevation.  It was a little less impressive than I was expecting because the highway is also incredibly high in elevation.

 

 

 

Chile border crossing

PRO:  We didn’t have to pay the expected visa charge!  +2 points Anna & Sherry

We got another cool stamp in our passports! +3 points Anna & Sherry

CON: We got caught “smuggling” salami into another country and everyone watched as the dogs sniffed through our food bag.  Those ignorant Americans. Ops!  -8 points

 

 

This Andes crossing is known for its incredible road engineering. This photo is in tribute to my Grandfather Gibbs, who was a highway engineer.  30 hairpin curves took us down more than 10,000 feet in elevation to the valley leading into Santiago, Chile. The picture says it all.

Ending in Santiago that night, we met up with our gracious hostesses Jeanette and her daughter Estephanie.  It was a wonderful evening of delicious food, uplifting conversation and our first big Chile history and culture lesson.

 

Cordoba to Mendoza

Posted on by
2

Heather and Joanna joined Sherry and I on the first leg of our trip, and what a fabulous time we had!  Our grand travels began with a 10 hour bus ride from Cordoba to Mendoza.  Of which I mostly slept, as I was recovering from a quick stomach flu.  However, it was my first experience with the Argentine long distance bus system…and what an enjoyable experience it was!  Better than flying, with leg room, service, clean… top of the line and it held true on our entire trip.  I was so impressed with those double-decker buses, the cute drivers in their suits, their timelines and the fact they were so helpful to Sherry and I as our travels continued.

Sherry, Joanna and Heather

 

Cordoba is in the agriculture center of Argentina with foothills rising in the distance.  The fields continued as we drove, and it was easy to feel that I was in the heartland of the US.  It actually reminded me very much of central Washington with its fields, arid climate and the wineries that sprung up the closer we got to Mendoza.  The distant Andes Mountain range standing on guard, flanking Mendoza, was arid and barren of any vegetation.  Mountains unlike I have experienced.

We arrived in Mendoza at night and followed the Lonely Planet’s recommendation for Hostel Indepencia, a converted historic mansion in the heart of the city.  It held true to its high standard and was a lovely home for several nights as we explored the area.

 

 

We spent every morning in the lovely vine-covered courtyard journaling and drinking our cup of joe before starting off on our adventures. Many conversations were had about the “traveling life” as most of the people we met were on a 3 month to 1+ year backpacking journey.  We met some interesting travelers here, including a couple from South Korea who are riding their bicycles around the world.   Talk about inspiring!

 

 

The best part about that first night was dinner with our friends Antonio and Natalia who were at the English Village with us.  They were on their way driving back to Santiago.  Sherry and I would meet up with them later on the trip.

 

 

We had a wonderful day exploring the city and a HUGE beautiful park that had over 300 species of trees.  It was incredible!

 

 

 

At the top of a nearby hill, was a grand monument in tribute to San Martin who freed Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay from the Spaniards.  It was on of the most beautiful monuments I’ve ever seen.

 

 

 

Mendoza is the heart of Argentina wine country.  Known for its Malbec, I was determined to ride a bike through wine country, sipping some vino and enjoying the countryside.  We did just that…and more!  Homemade chocolate, liqueurs and olive oil were also along the way.  Olive groves grew throughout this area and added to the general splendor of the place.

 

 

A few people from the hostel joined us for the first part of the day.  It was a fun group!

 

 

We spent most of our time at an amazing winery – Trapiche.  The grounds were from the early 1800′s and recently restored.  After a full tour, we got a delicious tasting.

 

 

Intermixed with their vineyards were olive trees.  It was my first experience romping through an olive grove!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We purchased a bottle of wine and enjoyed an exquisite picnic under the shade of olive trees.  Bliss!  We were joined by a fellow traveler who was making her way north through South America.  It was the perfect afternoon.

 

 

 

That night we had yet another delicious meal (notice the trend of eating?), the restaurant picked because the waiter was the cutest.  Easy choice.  Yes, we are holding hands and enjoying the moment…Sherry and I were only half way through the solid month we spent together, almost every second of the day.  What a perfect traveling partner she was!  I couldn’t have asked for a better person to join me on the journey.

 

 

I truly loved those first few days with Joanna and Heather.  Incredible women of faith and character.  We had some great heart talks, delirious laughter and funny episodes.  I foresee more travels together in the future, if not all together with one or the other.  Joanna lives in Colorado, so she’s basically cool just because she lives there…but that was only the beginning of the amazing connections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflections on English Village

Posted on by
1

I hate the question “how was it,” when you return from a long trip.  Do people really want to know?  How much do you share?  Usually, I just prepare the two sentence explanation and see if people want to dig any deeper.  As I type this blog post, I’m enjoying some mate tea in my Argentine gourd, purchased one night at Cordoba’s downtown craft fair.   Here are some pictures to put a visual to the two weeks I spent in Cordoba at Campos Blancos with some amazing believers from all over South America.  Pictures are way better than words!

 

The tutors came from all over, several missionaries from Bolivia came down and what a blessing they were!  Fluent in Spanish, they partnered with those students who had less English.  Colorado, South Carolina, Michigan and Alaska rounded us out nicely.  We had a lot of fun together!

 

 

The wonderful ladies in my tutor group.  Carolina from Santiago on the left and Shiela from Buenos Aires on the right.

 

 

Pedro, from Brazil was also in my group… and little Juan-Nacho was his buddy the whole week.

 

 

We taught them “I’m a Little Teapot!”

 

 

We played with the parachute…

 

We made chocolate chip cookies and brownies together.  Yummmmm.

 

 

We put on a mock Cafe, Airport, Dr. Office and Boutique for a role playing experience to help with language acquisition. Featured here is our Cafe…only the best in fine dining.  Every group seemed to be celebrating a birthday!

 

 

 

Explored some the expansive cathedrals…and stood in awe of the history found in Cordoba.

 

Shared each other’s culture one night…

 

Shared devotions and worship time together each morning.

 

Worked really hard on our tans.

 

 

And made some sweet friendships!  Joanna, Heather pictured here joined Sherry and I on our first few days of adventure.

I fully enjoyed my time at the English Village and left feeling very encouraged by everyone’s heart’s to serve and to learn.  I also now have some tools under my belt for when I need to acquire a new language.  Best of all, I have new friends all over South America and can’t wait to visit them again!

English Only Please

Posted on by
3

The days are long and full of so much to share.  So many great things have happened during the last week at the English Camp!  I am used to speaking slowly and in simple English, with big hand gestures and lots of nods for “okay?”  So, I feel that I am doing this as I type this blog post. 

Reflections…I am surprised that our cultures are not as different as I first imagined.  This makes relating to everyday life easier and creating deeper relationships much quickly.  A few cultural things I have enjoyed since being here.  Yerba Mate (tea)!  I was first introduced to this in high school when I worked at a coffee shop and my boss brought Mate back from a visit to South America.  I loved it then and it’s even better experiencing it with true Argentine people.  We drink the tea out of a goard and a shared straw as it is passed around the circle.  It’s done in the late afternoon, after siesta and with a little pastry snack.  It’s a great treat since dinner is traditionally eaten at 9:00 pm.  At first this was hard to get used to, but I’ve all ready adjusted and 5-6 pm seems like 3-4 pm in the afternoon.  Siesta is a perfect treat and welcome with our long days and heat.  (But the heat has not been bad at ALL, thanks to a strong breeze and a pool).  It’s actually the perfect weather!

I am so encouraged by my students!  Pedro, the 14 year old from Rio Dejanerio, Brazil, Shiela, the beautiful young woman from Buinos Aries, Argentina and Carolina, the spunky 27 year old from Santiago… we are a super fun group!  They are intermediate with their English, so we can definitely communicate, and are adding “every day” words to their vocab.  I have relearned English verb tenses and am dusting off my grammar skills.  You would be proud mom.  But MAN English is not an easy language to learn and I have so much respect for the patience and perseverance these students have each day.  They learned quite a bit last week, and today we started writing out stories (testimonies, but I hate that word) to share with the group.  I have been deeply encouraged and touched by Caroline and Shiela.  Caroline has a heart for Nepal and has given me many words of wisdom about trusting the Lord in my desire to serve in Africa.  Many students here will be going to the mission field within the next year, and many have a heart for missions, but are just at the beginning of seeking.  I can’t wait to hear everyone’s stories.

This past weekend, we had a full cross cultural immersion!  On Saturday, the whole group went into Cordoba for a tour of the city.  It was in English to give them a shared experience…but many I know were very overwhelmed with the English.  We visited several incredible cathedrals and the oldest university in all of the Americas.  Built in the 1600’s, we saw books brought over from Spain and carried across Argentina by slaves that were used in the university.  It was incredible to see these books…just sitting there in a glass case, no protection, no preservation.  Books written in the 1600-1700’s!  A Bible written in 1740 translated in 7 languages!  Cordoba is a beautiful city and a mix of modern and old world.  We enjoyed some famous ice cream afterward and came home, exhausted.  Fortunately the weather the past few days has been overcast and cooler in the high 60’s to low 70’s with a brisk breeze, so just perfect for touring.

Sunday, the tutors took a train from Cordoba into the mountains surrounding the city to visit a small town, Cosquine.  The train ride (my first!) was super fun, and we all had a blast on the way up.  We saw the “slums” of Cordoba, which were nothing compared to what I expected or have seen in Africa, but poor none the less.  They live on the dump and their homes are built from whatever they can find.  However, the government has housing that is built by these places and families can apply for a home.  Though trash may be around in the city, people take immaculate care of their own homes and property.  We also saw more suburb neighborhoods with cute houses.  I love that they aren’t afraid of color, so many houses are beautiful, bright colors! Homes are small here, with a mini gated yard, perfectly maintained.  They take such pride in how their homes looking nice and neat.

Cosquine was ‘asleep’ as we arrived during siesta and on a Sunday nothing was open.  But we brought a lunch and ate in on the shores of a river… it was perfect and relaxing!  The train ride home was not as restful, as it was packed full…so standing room only on the 2.5 hour ride.  We managed a seat and took turns sitting.  But the train was clean, not smelly and AIR CONDITIONED, so we had nothing to really complain about.  Back in Cordoba, we went downtown to a big arts and crafts market to do some shopping.  Under the arch of a rainbow, we hit the busy market vendors, much like you’d see in an American art fair.  About 30 minutes into wandering around, we were hit with torrential downpour and everyone started packing up to head home.  Boooo.  I did manage to get a few small things but wished we had longer.  We ducked into a café for some food, but not before we were soaked to the bone. It was a long, fun day and I was so thankful for a siesta today!!

We have become one big family.  Growing closer as meals are shared, stories are swapped, games are played…it’s incredible to be here with believers from so many different countries.  We represent 6 countries, 6 cultures, 3 languages, but we all are children of God which is the strongest bond that can tie people together.  Sherry and I have begun planning our travels with our new friends and have adjusted our route.  Patagonia is sadly out of our reach unless we fly down there, and see nothing else.  Instead, we will head to Argentine wine country with Heather and Joanna (tutors and Heather is the daughter of Jon & Dawn and is a co-director of this week…so she’s fluent in Spanish and has connections in the places we’ll travel the first few days).  Then we’ll head into Santiago, Chile to visit some new friends.  Spend a day on the beach… and bus southward to the mountains and lakes.  Back into Argentina in the mountains for some more time there before heading back north to Cordoba.  So equal time in Argentina and Chile!   I’m excited to be able to spend more time with Caroline in Santiago and a few others we have met that live there.  Most Argentine’s live in Buenos Aires…which we won’t have time to visit. 

So much more I could share.  The time here is rich and I am seeing the Lord work in many ways, in my life and in others’.  I marvel at seeing plan the Lord has for my life unfold before me…

Como se dice

Posted on by
1

That is a phrase I have down in Spanish! I am experiencing my own version of Spanish immersion here in Argentina. I´ve been picking up a few words, and since I know the least of the tutors, I´m always the example up front, so learn a few more words and phrases each day.

Sherry and I arrived safely in the country and were picked up by Dawn and her daughter, Heather at the airport. Hot and sunny… The weather hasn’t changed much and a blessed breeze blows strongly each day. It’s perfect! Campos Blancos is the name of the compound and is on the south end of Cordoba surrounded by peaceful farm lands. It looks much like north America in landscape. The birds are everywhere and sitting in the shade of a tree with a book listening to them is bliss during the siesta.

The students arrived on Sunday night and into Monday. The earthquake in Chile set some of the students back, as they were travelling from there. We have students from all over Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Chile. Several of the tutors are missionaries in Boliva, so we are a mixed group! Ages range from 14 to 67, mostly women though. Each day we meet for five 1.5 hour sessions… some to learn learning techniques and some breakouts into tutor sessions. It´s a fun way to learn, as most of it is interactive rather than a traditional teacher to student setting. The goal that the student is in charge of their learning. To take it to the tutor and communicate what they want to learn, using the different techniques we teach them. My group is a Chilean woman who´s 27 and wants to be a missionary in Nepal, a 22 year-old girl from Buenos Aires who is still in University, and a 14 year-old boy from Brazil who loves music. He´s here with his brother and sister, and their dad is a pastor (or Shepherd as they call them) in Brazil. Though it´s a ´random´group, each of them is at the same learning level, so it´s perfect to do group activities. They can communicate fairly well, but need more vocabulary and verbs. So we have been doing things in the kitchen for the first two days. It´s so much fun to see them learn and remember! Today I taught them ´I´m a little teapot.´ Each day we try to do a fun outside activity. Yesterday we did a water balloon toss, today the parachute, a scavenger hunt, relay race, etc… all incorporating new words, directions, etc… It´s an awesome group of people and I have clicked well with many of the women here. The cultural gap is much less than I expected and I hope these friendships continue after these few weeks. Some are going out into the mission field very soon, and others are still in school, or will use the English learned in their occupation. With no Spanish allowed from breakfast to dinner, we come up with many creative ways to communicate with each other. The more the relationship forms, the more English some want to learn so we can communicate on a deeper level. Some are at a VERY basic level and the day is long and hard for them…and others are able to patch their way through a conversation. But I know their brains are fried at the end of the day! Many prayers needed for our students´ strength and that they would rely on Christ for their strength, not their own. I am encouraged by so many of the students` stories I all ready know and can´t wait to get to know others more (27 total students). It´s a blessing to be among my Latin American brothers and sisters in the Lord who are seeking him! This common thread we have together is better than any language either of us speak. This weekend, we get to have a field trip into Cordoba … I´m very excited! We went to church last Sunday, but most of town was closed down because it was Sunday morning. Finding time to post or email is less than I´d hoped, and am kicking myself for not bringing my computer…as uploading pictures is impossible. So I´m not sure how often I´ll be able to post, and it´s just not the same without pictures! Siesta time is very important as it´s a long day!!