Where do you begin to describe Argentina? It’s a country of contrasts, between immense natural spectacles and vast dry plains, joy and melancholy, between folklore music and tango, incredible wealth and indelible poverty, natural riches and their mismanagement, between amazing hospitality and regrettable deceit. This may sound like the text to a Tango song, which may be the case—it is hard not to pick up on the tone when describing the country.
Isaline and I got into Buenos Aires on Monday, 1 February, and stayed with our friends Martin and Kika Vogel in their flat. Their flat has a balcony overlooking one of Buenos Aires’ main roads, so every day we were able to witness the crazy driving (and a share of accidents!) from a birds’ eye view. Our first two weeks in Buenos Aires were spent walking around town, meeting with old and new friends, and the occasional late-night conversation (i.e. 4 AM in Argentinean terms). Isaline took Spanish lessons with two teachers, and was able to rap in Spanish—Porteño style— after a few days.
Our 3-week trip around Argentina first took us north to Iguazu, the three-country border (with Brazil and Paraguay) with the Cataratas waterfalls. These waterfalls are absolutely amazing, a must see for anyone travelling South America. Coming to a small town in the countryside was a nice change, having come from the frantic pace of life in Buenos Aires. People are very laid-back in Missiones, and we enjoyed eating asados, wine, mate tee (as we would throughout the trip). Mendoza was a similar experience, and we probably never had so much meat and wine at the same time.
I noticed that all of the earlier blogs were a bit of a summary of our travels without any deeper philosophical input… so here we go: while leaving Bariloche and crossing Patagonia in a bus for 27 hours from Bariloche to El Calafate, I got to thinking about the immense tracks of relatively undeveloped land. We had seen similar land in similar climate in the United States, but while in the United States every bit of land fit for development was either developed, or in the process of being developed (usually into perfect squares or perfect circles), these Patagonian tracks of land were relatively undeveloped (with the exception of a few sheep here and a few cattle there). Perhaps systematically developing these lands and adapting them to the world’s demands would mean an economic advantage for Argentina? Perhaps, but perhaps it would not serve the common good if the money never reached the people working the land, into their schools, into their hospitals, into all the institutions serving the common good, whose prosperity should be a natural correlate of greater local wealth. Perhaps the land, its workers, and particularly its landowners and government, are resistant to the changes economic development would bring, as this might rip away the identity of this raw countryside, and of its people, by turning them into a means (agricultural development) to an end (satisfying the international market’s demands), rather than leaving them as the beautiful pieces of land, relatively unchanged since they were discovered.
The Perito Moreno glacier near El Calafate was absolutely astounding. Isaline and I spent 5 hours in awe just sitting and watching the glacier. The spectacle of seeing some of the massive walls break off and crash loudly into the glacier lake was exciting every time, and we were able to catch some of it with our camera. As the glacier walls average a height of 74m, every time one breaks off gives you the impression of a cathedral tower crashing into the sea. Amongst the photos you will find four in a row showing one tower falling off. If you ever travel to this part of Argentina, let us know... we can recommend you a fantastic hostel in El Calafate.
We did a three-day hike to see Mt. Fitzroy and the Cerro Torres mountains, and had absolutely astounding sunny days. I will let the pictures tell it all…
Our last stop before coming back to Buenos Aires was at the region around Trelew, where Welsh Christian immigrants in the 19th century founded a handful of communities started a few settlements. We visited one by the name of Gaiman, which didn’t seem to have changed in over a century: active chapels and Churches everywhere, tea houses, little crime, clean central park and friendly people. We spent all Friday afternoon talking in a tea house with Welsh cakes and 6 pots of tea—it felt like we were transported into the 19th century. We liked it so much that we came back on Sunday. Inbetween our stays in this Welsh settlement, we visited the massive Peninsula Valdez, watched sea lions, Pinguins, cows, sheep, and even a handful of sea elephants. I had no idea how big they were! Male sea elephants weigh 4 tons and are the size of a minibus! (Shouldn’t there been a video game or horror movie with Sigourney Weaver about Argentinean sea elephants fighting Australian crocs? Think about it.)
We came back to Buenos Aires, and spent the first few days with our friend Heidi Stephan in Beccar, an hour from Buenos Aires. Her house has the best food north of Buenos Aires, and we spent a lot of time talking and praying around mealtimes, and playing with the dog (hence the many photos of her). The last few days we spent in central Buenos Aires again with the Vogels, visited our good friend Kobus in San Isidro (again until 4 AM…), and enjoyed good meat and salad, fantastic “dulce de leche” ice cream, and good company until our flight back.
The trip around the world was absolutely amazing: to see Thomas, Petra, and Annabelllllle in New Zealand, being able join in their community of friends; seeing old friends across the Southwest of the US and sharing in their lives; and experiencing the community of the Kingdom of God across the globe—all these experiences were priceless. We also feel like we got to know each other as much in three months, as we might have in 3 years, through sharing most waking and sleeping moment together. Being back in Riehen is amazing. My family and good friends filled our fridge and kitchen with plenty of food, and we are taken aback on how much love we are surrounded with both here and around the world. We’re filled with gratitude, and are grateful for all the people who surround us both here and around the world. We look forward to catching up with all of you, wherever we meet!
Cheers
Mike
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