Plaza de Armas

Back to Backpacking

Due to a delay in Buenos Aires, I missed our flight to Cusco on Saturday afternoon, so I had to spend the night in Lima. Lima was an okay diversion, but the trip really began when I landed in Cusco on Sunday morning.

The 11,000 feet of elevation has been playing games with my head and lungs, but that has not stopped us from hiking several miles yesterday and going for more today. We have arranged our hike on the Inca Trail for Thursday thru Sunday.

Cusco
Once the capital of the most expansive empire in the world, Cusco is still a beautiful spot to visit. The surrounding mountains are beautiful and the colonial architecture and the narrow, climbing roads have been fun to wander.

Devlin and I have been staying at a hostal up a hill from the plaza de armas. It's been great to get back into the backpacking lifestyle. We have met Argentinas, other Americans, and Australians all on their respective adventures around the world or throughout South America. It's amazing how many people from various countries are taking the time to get to know the world.

Backpacking is a subculture that is several worlds away from the Sheraton in Buenos Aires, but there is something about roving the world on a shoestring budget that appeals to me. Especially when that part of the world is South America. It's been great to talk with Peruvians about the rest of their country and to talk with Devlin about his plans to visit Colombia. It reminds me that there is a lot of South America that I have yet to discover!

Coca
One of the best parts of the trip so far has been drinking mate de coca and eating coca candies. For thousands of years, coca leaves have been chewed and used in teas and food to help the natives tolerate the difficult conditions. Since arriving here, I've had at least a couple doses of mate de coca per day, and more than a few pieces of chocolates de coca!

It's Good to be a Rock Star

On Monday, Devlin and I were exploring the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman when a flock of girls must have recognized us as two of the Palacio boys. They were on a ledge above us and it appeared that they were taking our pictures, but I didn't believe that they were doing so until a couple minutes later when we climbed up the ruins and ended up walking toward the group when one of them suggested they take a picture with us. For the next 10 minutes, approximately 50 girls and 10 mother-chaperones took their turns taking pictures with us. I think 10 cameras were being used, and lots of people were saying, "quiero una foto con el gringo." One of them was leaning against me, with her head near my heart, and she said, "siento tu corazón, gringo." I think the funniest part of the experience was that the mothers even wanted to take their pictures with us. Personally, I think it was because of the authentic poncho that I was wearing, but common sense would indicate that they do not get to meet many nice gringos around their parts (in Guadalupe, Peru).

When the paparazzi was finished, we took the photograph above for our own scrapbooks. I must say, for 10 minutes at least, it was good to be a rock star...

Reflections on Buenos Aires

In the last two weeks I really learned to appreciate Buenos Aires and Argentina. The people are very friendly, the accent is fun, the nightlife is vibrant, and the food is of high quality for a low price. The following are some of the more notable memories and observations from this great city.

The Subte
In a desperate attempt to avoid street-level pollution, my co-worker and I inquired about the local Subte (Subway). We liked what we heard and for the entire second week we took the Subte to and from work for only 0.70 Argentine Pesos (about a quarter per ride). Besides representing a savings of approximately US$5 per ride as compared to the cost of our 8 mile taxi ride, the Subte provided much fresher air, the ability to stick your whole torso outside of the windows (if you were so inclined), opportunities to jump off the train while it is moving, and last but not least, the satisfaction of knowing that we were not responsible for any of the cars that were at that very moment emitting visible and toxic particles into the dirty Buenos Aires air.

Kisses
I´ve known for a long time that most women who speak Spanish as their first language customarily greet both women and men with at least one kiss on the cheek. However, in Buenos Aires it is also common for a man to greet a man with a similar kiss. Each morning at the office I observed most of the guys in the office kissing each other hello. Also, last Saturday night Devlin and I went to visit a friend´s house in the suburbs, and upon saying goodbye we kissed all the family members, male and female on the cheek. While I must admit that it is very hard for me to imagine doing the same with my male friends and family up north, this act of affection felt very natural down here.

La Lengua Argentina
I´ve made a decision that if I become a high school Spanish language teacher, I will teach the `vos` form as it is used in Argentina. I´ve been using it in the office and with our Argentine friend and I´ve had a lot of fun. Che, capáz que vos no podés entender si no hablás castellano, pero vos debés darte cuenta que es muy divertido hablar como argentino, entendés?

Apart from the vos form, I´ve also really enjoyed the so-called `lleismo`, or when they pronounce the `y` as a sound that is somewhere between an English `sh` or `j` sound. Whether in English or Castellano, accents are just plain fun.

Garbage Picking
One of the difficult parts of visiting any country where poverty is pervasive is when those people who are in dire circumstances approach me for money or help. Perhaps I´m wrong for thinking this, but in the United States I can easily decline to help panhandlers because I assume that those in need have easy access to charities run by professionals (governmental and non-governmental) who can help them more effectively and with more accountability. Also, a dollar given to a person on the street might just as often go toward a bottle of whiskey rather than toward food. With that said, when an adolescent tried to sell me pens while I was in a taxi and I declined each of his various combinations of quantities and prices, his sarcastic farewell in which he hoped for me to enjoy the bread on my plate that night made me stop to think. In a similar vein, it is with difficulty that I decline to give money to younger children who are sent by their parents to ask for money from wealthy patrons of outdoor restaurants or any passersby on the main shopping street (Avenida Florida).

These pleas for help would be a lot easier to ignore if I didn´t also see various families picking through garbage bags on the streets for food, recyclables or anything else of value. I certainly don´t have the answer or cure for this problem, but I´ll carry these observations and thoughts with me as I return to the wealthy world. And I´ll pray for compassion to give what I´m able to give in wisdom and discretion.

This Moment in Ezeiza Airport
I should rise up from deep and dark thoughts, and describe my current situation. My flight from Buenos Aires to Lima is delayed approximately three hours and I will miss my connecting flight to Cusco. There are many flights to Cusco, so that won´t be a problem, the only problem is that Devlin is flying on a different flight Lima, although we fly together from Lima to Cusco. Anyway, the seat next to him on the flight to Cusco will likely be empty or else filled by someone other than me... No fear, though, our plan B is to meet at our hostal in downtown Cusco.

We will be at approximately 11,000 feet above sea level, an altitude that is bound to lighten my head and complicate my digestion and respiration for the first few days; a small price to pay to visit the ancient Inca capital, and to be closer to one of the destinations I´ve been dreaming of going to for a while, Machu Picchu. With that said, I´ve got to read up a little more about El Perú...

Ultima Noche en Buenos Aires

The time here has flown too fast. Every night and day has been full and fun, but now I´m on cloud nine because the work is finished and from now until 29 November I am on vacation!

Tomorrow morning, Devlin and I will fly to El Peru. El Peru will be the 28th country that I visit, and I am 28 years old. This is the first time I have caught up to my age with countries visited, and, though I´m not sure why, I think this is a very significant step. If I continue visiting one new country each year and I live until I´m ninety, heck, I´ll almost see half of the countries in the United Nations...

Anyway, that´s all I can write at the moment... now that I´m on vacation, I hope to be able to write more soon...

Buenos Aires – the City of Good Air

The air here is anything but ‘good,’ the pollution in the air is palpable. During each taxi ride, we have seen the exhaust systems of several automobiles spewing out gray or black smoke. I’m not sure if it’s only because Buenos Aires is fresh in my mind, but I really feel that the pollution here is worse than it is in Mexico City.

Regardless of the lack of clean air, this city has a lot to offer. Devlin and I have been enjoying the local restaurants in the evenings, and, during the day, I’ve been going to work as Devlin goes to a local café to practice his Spanish. As Argentina is famous for its parrilla (grilled steaks), I’ve eaten steak 3 out of 4 evenings so far, and I haven’t been disappointed. And, the prices are tough to beat. We’ve had quality cuts and wine to complement the meals all for less than $30 for the two of us most nights. I look forward to more of the same in the next week.

Last night we saw a Gotan Project concert after dinner. The Gotan Project consists of Porteños and Parisians who play a much modernized brand of tango. Gotan’s music is frequently played at the Palacio, so it was nice to hear them live.

It has been great to catch up with Devlin during this week. After seven months, we had a lot to talk about, and, of course, Buenos Aires is a great location to seek out new adventures. Indeed, this weekend will be a great time. And, as I take deep breaths here in the city of Buenos Aires, I have certainly increased my appreciation of the role played by the Environmental Protection Agency back states-side... Let's hope the air gets better here and everywhere around the world...

Back in Santiago

Wow, it is good to be back in this city! I have so many wonderful memories here, having come here three times for work and now twice for leisure. After a brief 72 hours in the Palacio, I left the office on Friday evening for O'hare airport and a flight through Miami to Santiago. I must admit that I was still a little bewildered from changing locations so many times, so when I checked in at the American Airlines desk, I said that I was flying to Buenos Aires through Miami. The agent said that he couldn't find a Buenos Aires itinerary, but he could find a Santiago one... "Oh yeah," I remembered, "that's right, I'm stopping for a couple of days in Santiago on my way to Buenos Aires!"

This morning I hopped in a shared taxi and headed to the apartment of my friend Valeska and her boyfriend, Juan. Devlin has been staying with them for the past 5 weeks as he was taking Spanish classes nearby. I couldn't wait to see Valeska and Devlin, and of course to meet Juan. I arrived at about 10:30 in the morning and knocked on the door to wake up Devlin, who was struggling to smile on 3.5 hours of sleep! Nevertheless, we enjoyed catching up and going out in the Providencia neighborhood for a quick cup of wonderfully average Chilean coffee.

When we returned to the apartment, we woke up Valeska and we all had a morning chat before getting ready for the day and heading to the cerro San Cristobal, where we took in some marvelous views of the Andes mountains and Santiago's skyline. After taking some pictures, we took the funicular down the hill and went to the taxi stand where Valeska's brother works to wait and see him and to make dinner plans for the night. It has been nearly three years now that I have known Valeska and her brother, and it's been a year since the last time I saw them. They are both very dear people to me, so being able to see them again, and on top of that being able to sit and chat with them and Devlin in Spanish has been a real pleasure.

As I walked the familiar streets of Santiago with Devlin and Valeska, and the three of us shared stories, jokes and opinions like three old friends, I was full of wonder and glee. To think of these two friends and the variety of experiences we have shared together and apart, is to remember the mystery and value in each of our lives and relationships. And the fact that Devlin, Valeska and Juan have become such quick friends reminds me that this world is full of good, generous and loving people. I am certainly blessed to know both of them and to be sharing some time with them this weekend.

Closing Thoughts
As I sit in my friends' apartment 5,000 miles away from Illinois, it's great to feel the familiarity and warmth of 'home' and friendship. This Santiago stay may be brief, but I would not have missed it for the world...

Valeska y Yo

Valeska y Yo en el Cerro San Cristobal