[Editor's note: Stephanie Bowen is radical smothered in awesomesauce. She's a great writer. And she's a generous person. One particular example of her exceptional verb-against-noun-pushing lies below. Thanks very, very much for sharing your experiential learning of the Bolivian community, Steph. We're happy to have you home soon!]
In the beginning, there was trekking
“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not you enemy. This will transform your whole life.”
-Eckhart Tolle
Yesterday I spent 8 hours on a transport truck, wedged between sacks of potatoes, bales of corn, chickens, farmers and their children. I had been trekking through the Maragua Crater with a stellar group of guides and volunteers from Condor Trekkers (my ethical tourism volunteer gig) when wooziness set in. By the time we stopped for the day I had a spiking fever, and by morning it was determined that catching a camion home was my only course of action.
While disappointed to miss out on waterfalls, hot springs, sleeping under the stars and good company, I was relieved that in four short hours I would be back in the comfort of my little apartment.
Given my luck with transport, I´m sure you can guess where is this is going.
When I climbed aboard the camion (ostensibly a pickup truck with 5-foot walls around its bed, used for all manner of transport between country and city), a Bolivian guide named Henrry explained to the passengers that I was very sick. When I smacked my head on the overhead scaffolding, he explained that I was also very tall. My co-passengers nodded and smiled sympathetically, unsure which was a worse affliction. I laid my newly aching head on my pack and tried to ignore the obvious bad omen.
Crowded Camion
Camions are notorious for their cramped, dusty quarters, death-defying driving, and cheapness, with trips costing little more than a dollar. They’re also the perfect metaphor for Bolivia in general: inexpensive, inefficient, surrounded by beautiful scenery and a total test of patience.
The trip from Arapampa, where we’d slept, to Sucre, where I am currently residing, is a mere 65km, which translates to roughly 4 hours of bumpy driving. For no discernable reason, however, that Sunday driver elected to circle the same loop of the crater for four hours before even approaching the perilous switchbacks that would take us into the city. With every stop, new 50lb bags of crops were piled under, beside, and sometimes on top of me as I attempted to steal some precious moments of sleep.
The trip might have caused fond memories of my Mexican highway nightmare had it not been for another Bolivian staple: kindness. After an hour of dodging bags of crops and banging my lolling head against the truck’s walls, I was offered sugar cane to chew by a farmer, to help clam my churning stomach.
Perilous country-to-city switchbacks
When the truck came to an unexpected stop at noon due to a car rally on the mountain, an elderly lady gestured for me to sit beside her in the vehicle´s limited shade. Stumbling awkwardly over bodies and livestock, I curled myself around a bag of potatoes next to my adopted grandmother. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she gently stroked my hair as I drifted off to sleep.
Beyond the camion walls
An hour later when the obstruction finally cleared, I was woken by the soft cooing of fellow passengers, who grinned as I returned to my place in the sun.
I don’t mean to romanticize my experience. It was hot, dusty, smelly and rough. Dirt roads, virtually no shocks and no seats to speak of do not make for a comfortable 8 hours in any vehicle, let alone one piled 60 deep with bodies. I arrived at my apartment at 5:30 at night, coated in a layer of grime and ready to collapse. Like so many experiences I’ve had thus far in this wonderfully bizarre country, my journey home had been fraught with confusion and discomfort. But the trip was also a testament to the calm stoicism and warmth of the people here.
While in Sucre I’ve befriended a host of lovely, quirky folks, one of whom is an inspiring young woman in the throes of opening a restaurant. She attended one of the world’s finest hospitality institutions, is passionate about healthy, well prepared food, and wants her restaurant to bridge some fairly obvious gaps between locals and travelers. When she arrived in Sucre she was armed with an airtight business plan and had a location all but secured. 6 weeks later, she’s finally been able to nail down some of the specifics of renting her space.
Nothing in Bolivia happens quickly. In fact, nothing in Bolivia happens today. When enquiring about business dealings, administrative protocol, transport schedules, or the cessation of near-daily political protests, the answer is always manyana – tomorrow. Want to rent a vacant space and open a restaurant? We’ll look at the contracts manyana. Need a residents’ ID card? It’ll be ready manyana. Want to know when you’ll at long last be able to disembark from the flatbed of a truck and dead faint into your sickbed? Probably manyana.
Perilous Switchbacks
It can be frustrating to leave a home that prizes efficiency to a fault, and attempt to go about your business in the Land of Manyana. It’s hard to get a lot done here (witness the complete cessation of this blog during my 5 weeks tenure in Sucre). But the upside of all of that inefficiency is that it’s hard to get a lot done here. When things move slowly, so do you. And when you move slowly the world can be a far more interesting place.
Curled up on that bag of potatoes, I realized that my apartment might as well be in Toronto for the amount of time it was going to take me to get there. Bit by bit, the anxious longing I often feel for impossible outcomes ebbed away, and when it did something remarkable happened. I was finally able to feel the relief of the cool breeze that was sweeping through the camion. I cracked open my fever-swollen eyes and stared at the rolling green hills and blue sky beyond the truck’s walls. I marvelled at the comfort of a stranger’s weathered old hands sweeping the hair off of my sweaty forehead with all the gentleness of my mother. And I was overwhelmed with gratefulness for that improbable moment.
In Bolivia, where everything is happening tomorrow, you might as well enjoy what you´re dealt today.
In an ideal world, citizens´ desire to participate would create and build communities. In our less than perfect world, communities often get strengthened when facing an external threat. Because they tend to affect everybody, environmental hazards frequently play that role, reinforcing existing communities by forcing them to mobilize. That is to say, sometimes good things come out bad ones.
That brings me to discuss the case of Esquel, a small town situated in the argentine south, in the Chubut province. This community has organized a successful movement to oppose an open pit mining project and has contributed to the formation of a nation-wide network aiming at protecting the environment and natural resources.
Even though mining exploitation has been a relatively marginal activity in the past, since the neo-liberal reforms of the 90s, the country has become very attractive for mining investments, mostly because of very low royalties, 100% deductions of investments and little or no environmental control by provincial authorities (in charge of natural resources). Multinationals basically do what the want and pay very little to the country or affected communities. In this “favorable” context, the Canadian based company Meridian Gold proposed a gold mining project near Esquel.
Alarmed by the prospect of polluted water caused by the extensive use of cyanide, some citizens started gathering information about other open pit mines and possible consequences associated with this type of exploitation. In 2002, they formed the Asamblea de Vecinos Autoconvocados de Esquel to increase awareness and organize a civic and political resistance. It is worth mentioning that the assembly is based on horizontal, democratic and participatory principles, which means a total absence of hierarchy within the organization. They organized numerous actions such as manifestations and educational activities. In collaboration with the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, they also made public scientific information to clarify the possible environmental consequences of open pit mining. They also initiated legal actions to stop mining projects.
Supported by this popular mobilization, the local government (municipality) organized a referendum on the issue in March 2003, in which 81% of the population rejected open pit mining. More importantly, that same year, the provincial government passed a law forbidding open pit mining and the use of cyanide on its territory. It is worth mentioning that people of Esquel stay mobilized, because different mining companies maintain interest.
In definitive, citizens of Esquel successfully organized a classic NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) campaign, reinforcing community ties and identity in the process. Following this victory, the assembly started helping other communities getting organized. Members of the assembly informed and supported other towns facing similar mining projects, basically “exporting” their knowledge, organizational model and strategies. Dozens of similar assemblies were formed in different provinces, to the point that they all formed the Red de Comunidades Afectadas por la Minería (Network of Communities Affected by Mining)in 2003, which will become the Unión de Asambleas Ciudadanas (Union of Citizen Assemblies) en 2006 in order to integrate organizations preoccupied by other environmental and social issues. The UAC clearly emerged out of the Esquel experience, for that matter, it adopted the same horizontal, participatory and democratic principles. This wide network is basically a community of communities, including more than 70 local assemblies and popular groups (peasant, indigenous organizations). It facilitates the diffusion of information and mobilizes thousands of people. This social-environmental movement has accomplished many political gains in the last 8 years or so. It has pressure many provincial governments to pass laws restricting open pit mining. More recently, the Argentine Congress has voted a law protecting Andeans glaciers, which represent essential sources of fresh water in many dried regions of the country. This national law will most definitely offer new instruments to resist mining project, especially in provinces where local governments “are in bed with the industry”.
In many South American countries, high demand for natural resources has contributed to better economic times. However, natural resources exploitation often comes with extremely negative environmental consequences. In the case of mining in Argentina, small town citizens, such as those of Esquel, have confronted multinationals and more often than not, their elected officials to protect their communities against environmental hazards. Going beyond local issues, they have forced a debate about the nature of these resources, so as to start considering them as “social assets” and not only commodities to be exported for the benefits of a few. In the process, they have strengthened their local communities and have built a strong community of communities.
After 80 years of waiting, Africa’s history has been modified and strengthened by hosting FIFA world cup 2010. The vuvuzelas, the heavy traffic and city modernization efforts initiated and executed by South Africans to bring the 2010 soccer extravaganza to Africa is commendable. This is beautiful and big history for Africa! Africa will benefit from the 2010 world cup for years to come.
According to research posted on www.fifa.com, an accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France ’98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadia. This gives an idea of how many people are watching the World Cup and how Africa can use this platform to change its negative image forever. For PR purposes we should have the following infomercials aired before the beginning of every match, at half time and at the end of every match:
Johannesburg is not the capital city of Africa, Africa is actually a continent with more than 52 countries! Africans don’t keep Lions as pets, Lions are dangerous wild animals only found in the parks! ..and That Mandela is the President of South Africa and not Africa. All these infomercials can help change the perception in the West about Africa. A good example is Melissa who toured Africa the other day and uploaded this on her facebook status “ ..Just learnt that Africa is not a country and that Egypt is found in Africa. This is all news to me as I thought Africa was a country and Egypt was in the desert and that you would never get pyramids in Africa, just like you would get elephants in Egypt… apparently I am wrong.”
Pundits predicted that Africa could surprise many and lifting a FIFA World Cup Trophy. However, Africa has been surprised. South Africa has written history as the first host nation of a FIFA World Cup not to qualify for the second round! That means Bafana Bafanas’ dream of playing the eleventh World Cup special match ball named Jubulani made by the German sports equipment Adida at the finals will never come to pass. Jubulani is a isiZulu word which means “bringing joy to everyone”.
Ghana has made history as the only nation in Africa to qualify for the second round. Figures are crossed and many have sworn not to miss any match being played by the new “African heroes”. My friend who is a tech wizard in a busy organization and a football fanatic developed a solution named “ FIFA World cup2010 boss management solution”. I have decided to share the same with you so that you can have freedom at your workplace and watch any world cup match without being terrorised by your boss. Remember this solution has worked in some organizations in Kenya and is only applicable until 12th July 2010. It reads:
Dear Sir / Madam,
I wish to let you know that the FIFA World Cup is about to begin. This is not just any other tournament, it’s the World Cup! Please note that this tournament takes place every four years and a month to finish, i.e. from 11th June to 11th July for this year. During this period take note of the following:
1. I will be knocking off earlier than usual in order to watch the kickoff of the first game.
2. Do not be surprised if I report a little bit late every morning, it will depend on the time the last game finishes.
3. Production will go up during this month as almost all employees will be happy and highly motivated (Check Maslow’s Motivation Theories with Human Resource).
4. I know you are into other boring sports like cricket, bowling, etc. Please, if you want to fit in the work environment for the next one month, try to know something about soccer, even asking a foolish question like “Is Malawi playing tonight?” that is if you really want to fit in, or else you will be a loner for one full month.
5. Greeting each other in the morning will change from “Good morning” to “How was the game last night?”
6. I will not accept to work overtime during this period as no amount of money can buy me to miss a game. Therefore make sure you don’t give me any work after 16:30 hours.
7. I will need to be up-to-date with the latest; therefore, the first hour every morning is for accessing sports websites and other updates on the internet and also chatting with friends on phone.
8. Lastly, please do not think you can fire me should you decide to break any of the above rules, as you will have to fire everyone.
Thank you for your understanding.
Yours faithfully,
Staff
Cc: Management
Cc: Secretary General, Central organization of trade Unions
cc: Human Right Commission
cc: International Labor Organization
cc: United Nations Council for Human Rights
cc: FIFA
cc: Moreno Ocampo, Prosecutor, International Criminal Court Prosecutor
Douchebag does not have a literal translation in Argentinian Spanish. However, the term “tarado” , in the right context, can refer to a douchbag. Literally, a “tarado” is someone mentally ill, but nobody would actually use it in that sense (the closest word in English might be “retarded”). In Buenos Aires or Montevideo, someone who cuts in line would get called “tarado”. In Argentina, everyone has a little “tarado” inside (I call mine Pedro), since general behavior in the public space is far from being valued. Argentinians show little respect for others and public life in general. It is more than common to see people throw garbage out of their car windows, they use the car horn a lot (I mean a lot) to express their frustration and as a rule are quite rude to each other. However, the same person who just yelled at you for no apparent reason or threw is cigarette’s butt in the hallway might be the most helpful person you have ever met if he or she knows you. Interaction between strangers and general perception of public life make it almost impossible to distinguish “tarados” from “none tarados”.
Google Images says that this picture is representative of a "Tarado" - what do you think?
In my opinion, a few factors make Argentina a low social capital country: a history of dictatorships, bad governments (check out Carlos Menem in Google for a hint), some degree of corruption (though not as pronounced as other Latin American countries), strong social inequalities, a better past (Argentina used to be a model of social equality, dominated by a strong middle class). This context makes most Argentinians think that nothing works as it should and everybody will try to take something from them. In recent years, the sensationalistic media has amplified this trend with an overemphasis on crime, fear and corruption. If nobody acts for the common good, why do it? This very cynical, often nostalgic, view of society justifies letting our little “tarado” express himself freely.
Do you think that everybody has a little douchebag inside them? I know that Pedro would want me to say something like, “would you like some?” Oh, Pedro…
One of my favourite stores at which to consume things is Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade and mostly organic business founded in 1946 after now famous Mennonite Edna Ruth Byler took a trip to Puerto Rico and taught sewing classes with the hope of raising awareness for women’s rights. Much has changed since Edna’s trip in 1946 and thanks to Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Wayne Gretzky, and people like me who shop at Ten Thousand Villages, the world is pretty much equal. Utopiatic, even.
Not convinced? Well, if you think we can do better, I challenge you to consider a simple strategy from the Syracuse Cultural Workers, which outlines How to Build Global Community:
Think of no one as “them”
Don’t confuse your comfort with your safety
Talk to strangers (editor’s note: see, mom!)
Imagine other cultures through their art, poetry and novels
Listen to music you don’t understand and dance to it
Act locally
Notice the workings of power and privilege in your culture
Question consumption
Know how your lettuce and coffee are grown
Look for fair trade and union labels
Help build economies from the bottom up
Acquire few needs
Learn a second (or third) language
Visit people, places and cultures – not tourist attractions
Think about re-defining our global community.
Learn peoples’ history and re-define progress
Know physical and political geography
Play games from other cultures
Watch films with subtitles
Know your heritage
Honour everyone’s holidays
Look at the moon and imagine someone else, somewhere else, looking at it too
Read the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Understand the global economy in terms of people, land and water
Know where your bank banks
Never believe you have a right to anyone else’s resources
Re-think wearing logos
Question military/corporate connections
Don’t confuse money with wealth or time with money
Have a pen/email pal
Honour indigenous cultures
Judge governance by how well it meets all people’s needs
Be skeptical about what you read
Eat adventurously and enjoy vegetables, beans and grains in your diet
Choose curiosity over certainty
Know where your water comes from and where it goes
Question nationalism (editor’s note: cheer for everyone during the Olympics!)
Think South, Central and North – there are many Americas
Assume that many others share your dreams
Know that no one is silent though many are not heard; want to change this
Now. One of the more important points above is to “be skeptical of what you read.” I don’t believe in everything above to say the least. But I will say it’s a great conversation starter. So, read it off at your next party and see what people think!
Ideas from everywhere. That’s our motto here at The Daily Gumboot. Sometimes, we even take ideas from Quebecois scholars living in Buenos Aires, Argentina who have informed, creative and interesting opinions about the political happenings in Uruguay. Some might say this blog is too “generalist” or “without a niche focus” or “not specialized” – well, cynics, I introduce to you Martin Renauld, The DG’s Uruguayan Political Affairs Correspondent. It doesn’t come more specific than this, kids!
Welcome to Uruguay - population: democracy!
Even though I agree with most people that politics is often superficial, blindly partisan and offers look-alike choices, I am still deeply convinced it represents the best mean to achieve social change, including the focus of this blog: community building. Public policies can create favorable contexts for healthy communities to emerge or just the opposite, as we have seen in the last decades. Transport, education, cultural life, social programs and economic development are direct determinants for communities’ well-being.
For quite some time, Canadians have been disabused with the electoral process and political life in general. The ridiculously low participation rate of the last federal elections makes no doubt about it: 59% of register voters. Without trying to explain this sad statistics, let’s just say that our outdated parliamentary system, a generational shift away from political activism and the professionalization of politics could have played a role in this.
This brings me to talk about a small Latin American country I care a lot about. I visited my family in law in Uruguay last weekend (October 24-25), so that my Uruguayan girlfriend could vote in the first round of the presidential election. Unfortunately, the FrenteAmplio (a coalition of left wing party headed by a former guerrillero) fell short by 1,8% of the necessary 50% to win the presidency in the first round. The final vote will be held on November 29th. This party has been in power since 2004 and has put forward many initiatives to fight poverty, improve public education, public health care and defend minorities’ rights.
Uruguayan elections offer a great example of a vivid democracy, where people still perceive elections and political implication as the most efficient strategy to bring about change. For Uruguayans, elections represent both a patriotic duty and a huge celebration. In a country where an important minority lives in precarious conditions, more than 90% of registered voters showed up at the polls. A short walk in any of Montevideo’s neighborhoods will convince anyone how much they care about their elections. Everywhere you can see party flags, political signs, improvised manifestations and even more important, people talking about politics, often in a very passionate way… As a Quebecois, it reminded me of the fervent atmosphere of the 1995 referendum. The next section presents a non-exhaustive list of what I consider to be some factors contributing to making Uruguayan elections so successful.
Voting is mandatory In case of not complying with one’s civic duty,
Ex-guerrilla, Jose Mujica might be heading into a run-off election in a month
the consequences are minors (a small fine and a few bad looks), however, it does send a strong message about the importance of elections.
Elections are held on Sundays Enough with excuses such as I’ve worked all day, I’m tired or Doctor Phil is on. Go vote, you have nothing else to do.
Prohibition is back for 24 hours What? I can’t party and vote on the same day? Negative, bars and clubs are closed the previous Saturday until voting is over, so that everybody wakes up well and sound. Even though that law was originally passed to avoid violent confrontations between drunken men too passionate about politics, it still has a positive impact today.
A political system based on real representation Without entering in a deep analysis of the electoral system, let’s just say that it leaves some room for small parties and political diversity. The latter is very present inside the different parties. Basically, each vote goes to a list of deputies and senators associated with one presidential candidate. Therefore, two electors can vote for the same presidential candidate, but for different legislators.
A united left Thanks to the electoral system, the multitude of left wing parties (from hard-core Marxists to very moderate Social Democrats) forms the FrenteAmplio. Basically, they accept their differences while recognizing the necessity for compromise to build a real political force. The party presents one presidential candidate, but many different lists. Even if it does engender very intense debates, sometimes too intense, it has the virtue of offering manyas Prime Minister, but for MPs of the Bloc, the Green Party or even the Marijuana Party? Or any other combination you would like to see. Not to the same extent, but a similar diversity also exists within both traditional parties (PartidoNacional and Partido Colorado).
These 5 points strike me as positive characteristics that could inspire us to improve our Canadian democracy. Furthermore, Uruguayans’ passion and involvement in politics is a great reminder that popular participation is an indispensable component of any democratic system. Even if Canadians seem to have forgotten it, politics is the best way to make change happen. Hopefully, we can learn something from Uruguay and reverse this trend of political disinterest, low participation and empty debates. Revalorising elections is the first step toward building a strong democracy, essential for social change, both global and local.
Well, Michellé y Juan have returned home to Downtown Canada (Editor’s note: on Sunday night, we flew over mountains and ocean and rivers and green space into Vancouver…and then we were lucky enough to meander up and down The Drive during the tail-end of Summer Days – people, we are so, so fortunate to live where we do…tourists must orgasm when they arrive in this part of the world!).
But enough about Vancouver and beautiful British Columbia. Let’s get back to Downtown South America! So, the last time we checked in with Juan y Michellé, we had thrived in the Andes, learned about olive oil, defended against nuclear zombies at the Difunta Correa, and survived precarious paragliding. The next challenge for this delightful power couple: smog, traffic, rain, and a hospital in Buenos Aires!
So, Buenos Aires is a city of 13 million people (give or take a dozen). Some of the city’s highlights include the world’s largest street, 9 de Julio, and Christianity’s answer to Disneyland, the Parque Tierra Santa. According to the country’s maps, Argentina, not Britain, owns the Malvinas, not Falklands (shhh, don’t tell the United Kingdom!). Argentinians, as described by the “rest of South America” and “Lonely Planet” are “Italians who speak Spanish, want to be French and behave like the English.” One travel writer also used the term “a-hole” to depict these “Europeans of the Third World.” In the experience of Juan y Michellé, the Canadian travelers were discriminated against more by French Canadians named Martin than by Argentinians; everyone was pretty darn nice, in spite of the hazy busyness of the city. In the end, Buenos Aires grew on us.
First highlight, Caminito: ladies and gentlemen, welcome to La Boca, a neighbourhood built on Italian immigrants (not literally), tango and Maradona’s football club, Boca Juniors, where the now coach of Argentina’s National Men’s Club played his career. Caminito was/is a tourist mecca.
Throughout our travels, Juan typically looked out of place with his Panasonic Lumix draped around his neck; however, amongst the restaurants, souvenir shops, cheesy tango dancers, and colourful buildings of Caminito he was right at home. Besides, dozens of Argentinian tourists had, ahem, much longer lenses than he did.
Fun fact about tango: contrary to popular belief, tango is actually not at all about dancing; originally, the art form was created as a comment on class-romance-relations, where a man would sing to a woman about, well, forbidden-esque love. For questions about tango, please email Martin Renauld at renauld14(at)hotmail.com.
Probably the most hilarious part of the Caminito trip was the Maradona impersonator.For a modest price of, we think, 10 pesos, you – yes, you - can have your photo taken with a guy who looks like Maradona. Again. He’s not Maradona, but he kinda sorta maybe looks like him. Needless to say, we don’t have a photo of this gent. But we do have a great idea. A “business venture” if you will. Would you rather pay 10 pesos for a picture with a fake Maradona, or 8 pesos for a picture of the real Martin Renauld. We know the answer… Second highlight, San Telmo Market: as Summer Days in Vancouver sputter towards cancellation (such is the word on the street about carless streets), the San Telmo Market, which is exactly where the thoughtful, visionary, humble, street-savvy, and amazing Andrea Reimer will be taking Vancouver in the years ahead, will be the vibrant, colourful and, yes, carless Sunday street market that it has been for decades.
Hey, man, Buenos Aires defines itself as a “European City,” so it’s understandable that such street culture survives and thrives amidst the rise of the automobile in the Southern hemisphere. Argentinians see cars as a status symbol, sure, but having a street or two closed in a neighbourhood will never deter people (most of whom still walk everywhere, which is why the wine and meat can’t make ‘em all fat!) from visiting the neighbourhood.
From the locally made crafts (most of Argentina’s consumer products are also local) to the amazing street performers (see video and prepare to dance!) the market was a delightful romp that was so extensive that it took up all of Sunday afternoon and most of the evening.
Third “highlight,” public health care in Argentina: nothing says “adventure” like heading to one of Buenos Aires’s hospitals during a swine flu epidemic that has inspired a “state of emergency” from the city’s mayor, Mauricio Marci.
While free health care for all is certainly admirable, in a city of 13 million with a 51% poverty rate, it obviously comes with a fair share of challenges. One such challenge is limited resources coupled with high demand: there’s nothing quite like waiting 2 hours in a crowded waiting room only to share a 6×8 ft doctor’s office with three other individuals, each suffering from a different ailment.
Despite the ‘health care for all’ mantra, a tiered system was still fairly obvious: one of the first questions Michellé was asked was why she had come to the public hospital and not the nearby private hospital. With symptoms that some sources (mostly questionable organizations like the WHO) say represent the swine flu (5 out of 6 symptoms isn’t that bad, right?) Michellé was lucky to have made it out alive two x-rays, one ventilator, numerous threats of quarantine, and 5 hours later. Fourth highlight, artful museums, cemetaries and freezing rain: for two days in Buenos Aires it rained like it was November in the Pacific Northwest.
And we took the bus.
First, buses in Argentina are superfun, because they only stop for, like, 30 seconds to let people on. And, when you get off, sometimes you just have time to jump off the back as the bus slows down. Needless to say, a fun time. What is not fun is putting 2.50 pesos in change (biggest coin in Juan’s hand was 25 cents) into a rickety old machine that eats a lot of them (bus companies may or may not be a leading cause of Argentina’s coin shortage).
And what is hilarious is when a five-person line up forms behind Juan as the bus careens around Buenos Aires streets and he tries – with little success – to pay for the tickets from 10 blocks ago.
And what is amazing and community-inspirational is when the five-person line-up cheers Juan on and gives him high-fives when the tickets finally spit out of the machine. And then the unraveling travelers got off the bus at the next stop…
So, we nerded out in a couple of musems, including the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (picture), and then braved the chilly weather in one of Buesnos Aires’s coolest, and creepiest, attractions: the La Recoleta Cemetery. Some of the famous burials include Eva Peron, Domingo Sarmiento and Isabel Walewski Colonna (grandchild of Napoleon Boneparte).
After walking for 20 minutes in the wrong direction, Juan y Michelle arrived a little later than expected at the cemetery, which inspired them to split up – each with a camera – and document the amazing history of the site. Soon, we were approached by security guards who were understandably cold and ready to shut things down. And so began a giant game of hide-and-seek.
Basically, there were two strategies: first, Michellé pretended to not understand what anyone was saying (which she took to quite naturally); second, Juan just ran, man. The game was highlighted by pointing, shrugging and yelling of infinitives and nouns: “Amigo?! Amigo?!”
That’s right, Recoleta Cemetary Security, Juan leaves on his own accord…and because hypothermia was setting in. Oh, and, needless to say, given how the journey began, we took a taxi back to Ximen and Martana’s place… Fifth highlight, Tigre on the Delta: one can only imagine how excited Michellé was to travel into the river delta of Buenos Aires on a train and a boat!
While the train was, well, a jam-packed, uncomfortable commuter train that makes the B-Line look spacious, the boat-ride was enjoyable and adventurous (see “transportation culture” community-takeaway below), mostly because the boat doesn’t really “stop” for you to get off; the Captain (we’re nautical now, people) sorta backs up, the First Mate loosely wraps a rope around the “dock” and then you hop off as the boat pulls away.
Making the day even more enjoyable was the delicious lunch we had on one of the islands. Perhaps it was our nautical savvy, or our delightful Canadian air, but somehow we even managed to score free drinks at the end of the meal. We later learned that such drinks are given to customers when they (a) spend a larger-than-normal amount on a meal or (b) are well liked by their patrons.
Given that Juan’s meal consisted of “Provaletta El Hornero” – fried cheese – it was probably mostly column b that earned us the drinks. Top score for efficiency. Top score for deliciousness and customer service. Top score for adventure. Low score for safety. Still, well played, Argentina.
Our big night out with Ximen and Martana: finally, we experienced an authentic tango show. Ximena, breaking with Argentinian culture and social norms, called out to the singers with requests for songs. People turned and sent curious looks her way, but the performer totally got it: “this is normal in Uruguay,” she explained to the audience. You’re darn right it is! After several bottles of delicious malbec and the best steak Juan has ever had, Martin and Juan bid goodnight to the ladies and ventured out into the chilly San Telmo, well, morning. [INSERT YOUR GUESS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN 3AM AND 6:30AM HERE]. And then we meandered home to get a restful few hours of sleep before striking out into the city in search of delightful goods to smuggle into Canada. (Editor’s note: look, Canada Border Services, we might’ve brought a green herb back into the country, but, relax, it’s only maté.) In any case, Monsieur Renauld, you got it like you did in our Bishop`s University days, good sir. And then we came home. As it turns out, South America is far from the West Coast. But after 36 hours of traveling, which included extended stopovers in Santiago and LA, we made it home.
Terrifying fact about LAX: you can buy iPods and digital cameras in vending machines.
On the way home, there was really only one glitch.We had an unannounced two hour stopover in Lima, Peru. It was almost that medium-sized, um, thing that makes travelers lose it, break down and get a little nuts. Luckily, we channeled our craziness through humour.
And, so, here is an excerpt of our “things we hate about Lima” list:
1. The “L” has something to hide.
2. Alpaccas, unlike sharks and bears, are naturally violent, aggressive and angry creatures.
3. In Lima, terrorists outnumber teachers 11:1.
4. Machu Pichu was actually built in 1987.
5. We had to go there.
Luckily, Limans (number six on the list) have a good sense of humour.
As you, the readers, know, The Weekly Gumboot is both about community and the actionable steps/tips/ideas that can be implemented to build said community(ies). So, in no particular order, here are the five things Juan y Michellé would like to share about the Argentinian/Urugyuan community that, well, we North Americans can certainly learn from:
1.Maté – the green herb of which we spoke. This warm drink is all about community. It is commonly shared between family and friends over stories and laughs. Here are some rules about mate: only the server can touch the straw or “re-arrange” the maté; drinkers must drink until a slurping sound is made; once you finish your turn you must return it directly to the server. If anyone wants to stop by commercial drive for a little maté-party, like we said, we smuggled some back.
2.Transportation Culture – imagine how much fun it would be to take the 99 B-Line if, say, it only slowed down at Commercial and Broadway. And, hey, imagine if the bus from Vancouver to Calgary served champagne, unlimited wine and the biggest glass of whiskey you’ve ever seen. Not only that, imagine if, for a few dollars extra, you could lie down and sleep in a full sized bed the whole way. People in Canada don’t take the bus over long distances because, well, they’re shabby. But recent findings show that, because of things like oil disappearing, traveling by plane as we do will most certainly change. Don’t worry. There’s a large reserve of whiskey and 1980s music videos in supply.
3. Eating – like maté-drinking, meals are typically a time when families and friends share moments and community is built. So, what better way to widen and deepen the community net than, well, adding another meal to the day? In Argentina, like in many South American countries, dinner is eaten much later in the evening – as late as 11pm – with a smaller meal eaten at about 6pm. While indulging in a small-child sized steak and a bottle of wine close to midnight takes some getting used to, the opportunities for community this tradition brings with it does not.
4. Coins (even if they are part of a black market racket) – if one stereotype can be said to be true about Argentinians – from the perspective of two humble Canadians – it’s that they’re laid-back. Symbolic of this laid-back lifestyle is the Argentinian attitude towards coins. With a low-supply-high-demand situation on their hands, the laissez faire Argentine solution is not to fight over limited resources (which cannot, sadly, be said about much of the world’s population), but to instead not worry about the details and round up or round down to the nearest peso.
5. Martana y Ximen – it is Canada’s loss that one of its greatest revolutionaries left Quebec in search of a “real” revolution in Argentina (without Che the place is pretty calm, though, Martin). And Ximena, well, she’s just hilarious and makes up for any lack of English-speaking with dramatic flare. When asked what her favourite part of Juan y Michellé’s visit was she said, “when you left and went to Cordoba.” The delivery was deadpan, too. In all seriousness, our hosts defined friendship and community, constantly putting themselves out to welcome us in. If Martin’s PhD dissertation doesn’t get finished on time, we are partly to blame. But, then again, it is South America. Being on time is just a little bit different in that neck of the woods.
So, Martana y Ximen, muchas gracias!
So there it is. The end of the unraveling travels of Juan y Michelle. Keep your eyes open for The Unraveling Traveler, our new adventure guide for community minded travelers (appendix on shade-finding included for free). We hope you’ve had as much fun reading as we have writing. So you know, we did our writing in installments… Our final tip: if and when all else fails, just say ‘si’…
Good day, good readers! In a matter of moments, a couple of The Gumboot‘s contributors – Michelle Burtnyk and, well, yours truly – will be heading way, way down South to the country of South America! Crap, I know better than that. After all, I am an historian. Michelle and I will be visiting our Latin America Correspondent, Martin Martin. He lives in BuenosAires, Argentina.
Funny story about BuenosAires. The city’s mayor, Mauricio Macri, just declared a state of emergency in Argentina’s capital. Now, pessimists will tell you that traveling through a city and/or country during a state of emergency will doubtlessly present problems. But I beg to differ. There will be fewer tourists jamming the streets downtown area. The many rides in BuenosAires will be free (I’ve been told/promised that there are several fun rides throughout the city). And here’s the biggest positive as I see it. Two words: discount pork.
In all seriousness for any of our friends and family who are seriously concerned, we’ll be fine. Michelle speaks fluent Portuguese and is a vegetarian (“Yo soy vegetariano!”). In 2004, she also, I kid you not, was teaching English in Guang Dong, the Chinese town that was where SARS started. She’s got street cred in spades, people. And, hey, even though I’m allergic to the Sun I went to Africa and survived – if not thrived – in the Dark Continent (which isn’t really dark at all, is it, misguided European colonial storytellers?!). And, much to my surprise, it turned out that I traveled through Northern Uganda during a civil war. Has Argentina been in a civil war since the early 1980s? I don’t think it has. But do you know what China, Uganda and Argentina do have? Adventure.
We will keep you abreast of our story-filled travels. Not swine flu nor revolution nor Sun nor emergency dental surgery will stop us from calling it as we see it and telling it like it is. We will collect stories from South America and use them to build community. At home, and abroad.
Hola, 
Fun fact about tango: contrary to popular belief, tango is actually not at all about dancing; originally, the art form was created as a comment on class-romance-relations, where a man would sing to a woman about, well, forbidden-esque love. For questions about tango, please email Martin Renauld at renauld14(at)hotmail.com.
omes with a fair share of challenges. One such challenge is limited resources coupled with high demand: there’s nothing quite like waiting 2 hours in a crowded waiting room only to share a 6×8 ft doctor’s office with three other individuals, each suffering from a different ailment.
And what is 
Terrifying fact about LAX: you can buy iPods and digital cameras in vending machines.
Good day, good readers! In a matter of moments, a couple of 
that was where