Blogs from Mina Clavero, Córdoba, Argentina, South America

After a week of Spanish classes Liz has progressed to being able to answer philosophical questions about the past and Ross has learnt how to order a litre of beer. We both agree that Ross' classes have therefore been much more useful. Having spent ten days in South America's second largest city (we think) we were keen to get out into the nearby Pampas in search of gauchos (cowboys), so we headed to a small and what appeared to be sleepy town called San Antonio de Areco. We arrived during siesta time and quickly begun to wonder whether anyone actually lived in this town. After checking into our hostel, we had a wander around and realised almost the entire population was either in the river or barbecuing next to the river. Whilst Liz really wanted a ... read more

The Sweet Sierras of Cordoba Traveling between the popular tourist meccas of Mendoza and Codoba, I eschewed the overnight bus taken by most travelers, and spent a month exploring the charming small towns enroute, first in the state of San Luis, now in Cordoba province. The beautiful, colonial city of Cordoba is ringed by mountains set with jewel-like towns offering cool respite from the sizzling city. The mountain towns are all built along grassy-bordered rivers with boulders in fanciful Henry Moore shapes, and shaded by tall trees--perfect for cool afternoon walks. In the blazing hot, northern Argentine summers, the towns are bursting with refugees from big city Cordoba. Fortunately, I was there in September and October, spring, when the mountain temperatures were perfect for hiking, and I had river and hill walks and swimming holes to ... read more

We are getting to experience education in Argentina! Andy and Sparta Principal Dale Stafslien are here on Fullbright Exchanges. Cecelia, who we are staying with and who is a principal at a secondary school here in Nono, Argentina came to Sparta last year and now we are here to work in her school. The school is about a 30 minute drive from Cecelia's house. All of the students and other teachers at her school have been more than welcoming to us. They are so interested in our lives and what it is like in los EEUU. Of course the first thing we noticed is that students are students wherever you go, as we looked into one of the classrooms and saw a few students texting discretely under their desks. We have given many presentations to different ... read more