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Parrilla (Arg BBQ)
One of my first nights in BA... great parrilla with a friend Carlitos and his friends... Lorie in Patagonia Now...
Hey there everyone...
I´ve just arrived to Puerto Madryn, right next to the whale viewing destination of Peninsula Valdes located in the southern half of Patagonia on of course the Atlatic side (get out your maps!)... it´s where the right whales come to mate this time of year. There are boat trips that take you right up to the whales where they congregate just off the shore. It´s going to be incredible and I can´t wait. I go tomorrow. Penguins are here too, but NOT this time of year they come in the spring so unfortunately, I won´t see them. It is possible there will be Orcas feeding off the sea lions but again, not as likely. Many sea birds too. It´s raining here today not heavily, but it rains to top off my sentiments of loneliness! When I arrived the streets were empty for siesta time and for the rain... naturally this catches me at my weakest point after a 20 (YES 20 hour) bus ride from Buenos Aires to here, alone. I had a good seat, but really there is no great seat for 20 hours on a bus. I forgot just how
VAST this country is. I knew it was sizeable but I didn´t think it was as vast as it is...! Every destination is basically hours away unless you shell out for the plane. I will likely have to pay for 1-2 plane flights on my limited budget (alms for the poor??) just so I don´t go mad on too many more 20 hour bus rides. It´s just unbearable even if one has 2 months time... From here I will either go to the Glacier Moreno (one of THE biggest most awesome glaciers in Patagonia) but further south, or I will just got to Bariloche and-or San Martin abutting the Andes for some skiing, sight-seeing. The western part of the country here in Patagonia is more scenic in terms of mountains and trees and animals... the part I am in now, for nearly the entire drive down is very featureless and flat. Desert for the most part which has of course it´s own beauty but for a long trip takes it´s toll visually...
So here I am, and my plan is to head north eventually to Mendoza (Argentina´s wine country) and then north to Tucuman and Salta and Jujuy which
are all supposed to be awesome and beautiful places to go.
That said, I was in Buenos Aires for about 2 weeks and stayed, fortunately, with my good friend Matias´ parents in the northern part of the City. WHAT a great city! I´ve seen so much... so much... and naturally I´ve taken tango classes as this IS the tango capital of the world after all! Yes, pretty much while you´ve all been working away on DEIRs, MNDs and meeting after meeting... I´ve been in tango school, or sipping on cafe con leche in the myriad of cafes throughout the city. I went twice to a tango-milonga club where the locals go with some of my Argentine acquaintances from tango school. I had a good time, but the dance takes years to master of course...I did my best and enjoyed the challenge. The men I danced with were great and didn´t mind my not knowing the dance well... so I learned and they had fun too I suppose!
What immediately stood out to me is how CLASSY the city crowd is. Just the way they present everything is exquisite in dress and in food too... they don´t slop coffee
on your table...it´s all presented in nice dishware with a torte of some kind... and mineral water. No matter where you go it is done properly. And of course their medialunas (half mood shaped croissants) are to die for. There is simply no way any country can possibly beat the quality of desserts here. If you want ice cream, ARGENTINE ice cream is IT. The meat here, the milk here... so much better than ours. The animals are range animals and I think it must affect the way they taste. It´s just so so much better here. Not to mention the empañadas! Yes it´s an incredible gastronomic experience here as well!
So all has been very nice but the flip side to all this is that I have been incredibly lonely. I understand what I´m going through is considered culture shock and normal...but I have had many moments of weakness where I just want to turn back and go home. It´s knowing that I will not have a friend with me this entire trip, that I am all alone aside from friends I make in towns I go to here and there (and then that´s limited too as they
will only know me so much) and just traveling these long, long distances...more or less, alone. I´m not concerned with my safety at all... I´m pretty smart about stuff and there´s been no remote uncomfortable moment or threat at all. People are pretty relaxed and kind here. That doesn´t stop the pangs of loneliness I feel... If I were coming home in 3 weeks or in 2 months...but not then leaving my life in Ventura for Montana I might be more relaxed but my whole life is changing in a way that is great, but also too much emotionally. As you all may know, I like being around my friends and having direction, being productive. Here I float about, struggling with my Spanish (Castillano no less) and just feel a vast emptiness in my heart... seeing my upcoming long trips alone...my whole life in front of me... it´s exciting but with no firm base either.
I´m told these bad feelings will pass... but it would really help to have a friend here right now, it´s just not the same when you´re alone. I think someone once said, true happiness is not realized until it can be shared with someone
else...
I am lucky...and I am happy for my choices...but it doesn´t come without a cost!
I will be in touch soon, sorry for the long sporadic letter, but better than nothing. You just tapped into my brain for a bit!
I hope all is well in Ventura with you and yours... take care, be safe... and as they say routinely here upon departure "suerte!" (luck!)...
Besos y abrazos,
Lorie
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