Patagonian Peregrination Part 3

The rest of DAY 2 Almost!


After finishing my ride on the Tren del Fin del Mundo I ended up in Tierra del Fuego Parque Nacional, again for my non-Spanish speakers that is Land of Fire National Park. This place is AMAZING!! It is a combined effort of Chile and Argentina to preserve some ridiculous number of pristine hectares of mountains and forests. And they really do preserve it. There are certain places that are designated camping grounds but other than that there is NOTHING and it is IMMACULATE!! Everything from the trees, to the grass, to the water looks like it is straight out of a commercial about what the world looked like before people.


Tierra del Fuego is home to a large amount of the native animals of Ushuaia. Most of the native animals are types of birds, but they do have some other species like gray foxes. A lot of the animals of Tierra del Fuego were actually introduced species. Some like the rabbits and European foxes came over like they did in North America and thrived but eventually assimilated into the habitat. There was one animal however that really effed stuff up from an ecological perspective though.


Here comes the environmentalist in me....ready for it.....so the greedy people who helped establish Ushuaia and Patagonia as productive part of Argentina thought that one industry that could thrive here was FUR. That's right PETA.....Ushuaia was supposed to be a fur industrial complex. So they shipped in a bunch of beaver thinking that they would thrive the same way they did in Canada. Unfortunately, what no one thought of is the fact that summers in Ushuaia are actually warmer than summers in Canada. This means the beavers got lighter and thinner coats which suck for making a warm fur-lined jacket. What were the beavers good for? Oh that's right making dams to protect themselves against natural predators like wolves and bears...wait what's that you say there are no wolves and bears in Patagonia.....and the dams are really just stopping the mountain springs and causing destruction of entire forests and therefore everything that lives within it???? What a dilemma we have caused.....stupid humans! So now in order to preserve the natural habitat that is Tierra del Fuego there is a joint effort on behalf of the Argentine and Chilean governments to eradicate the beaver in this area.....what does that mean exactly? Find a beaver, kill it up, and all the day no one really cares. I know that sounds terrible but that truly is the problem with invasive species. So until someone figures out how to get rid of them or help them co-exist in their new environment that is what has to happen.....I have dubbed this the BEAVER PROBLEM....just cause I think it's a funny name.


Well now that I have told you that wonderful peace of disturbing news let me put up some pictures of Tierra del Fuego.....

This is a shout out to the Yámana...the native people that lived here before the Argentines sent down their prisoners....I always feel a subtle pang of guilt whenever I talk about extinguished Native American tribes.

I learned how to use the landscape tool on my phone....get ready I have a lot of these now!

Reminds me A LOT
of one of the mountains in Bali actually, isn't that funny.

I have been to the end of the PanAmerican Highway!!!! What what!?!? So cool!

Those are some of my pictures from Tierra del Fuego. The place is absolutely AMAZING!!! If you ever get the chance you have to check it out. I mean getting a chance to hike in the Andes Mountains, which because of how South I was went from East to West instead of North to South, just a lot of FUN!!

Patagonia Peregrination Part 2

Okay so let me first start by saying that originally I was just going to do days in my journey, but realized about an hour and a half into today's trek that I was going to have to break today up into 3 different parts. That being said let's get to business because I have a lot of pictures and information to post.

START of DAY 2

Today I got up bright and early had my typical Argentine breakfast, that is an oxymoron trust me, and headed out. My first stop on today's adventure was El Tren del Fin del Mundo....for my non-Spanish speakers, The train of the end of the world. It sounds so dramatic doesn't it? I was so excited for this actually. The way it works is it picks you up at the original train station and brings you into the Tierra del Fuego National Park.


Now the Tren del Fin del Mundo is cool for a lot of reasons but the one that everyone knows pretty much off the top of their head if they are traveling in this region is that its the train that carried the prisoners to jail in Ushuaia. That's right a regular old prison train. Add this to the fact that the prisoners were sent to this area to build their own prison and then occupy it and you have yourself a doozy of a time trying to realize what exactly it is you are doing.


Having heard all of this information as a sort of prologue to my journey to the train I was expecting a lot. I was thinking that I was going to be herded into a train car prisoner style, maybe expected to stand, as I road the train to some remote region in Tierra del Fuego where I would find a broken down prison and maybe be able to see some sort of frozen tundra. I realize the sheer geography of me being able to see frozen tundra is a bit ridiculous considering Antartica is about 1,000 km away, but I can't help the image I had created in my mind. My imagination per usual was extremely inaccurate.


When I arrived at the train station I was actually reminded of something like a cross between Kittery Trading Post in Maine and the entrance at the Blue Hills. It was VERY touristy. This is not to say it is bad, just not anything that I was expecting. I was thinking that the place was going to be deserted, I mean what kind of crazy tourist wants to take a prison train to the end of the world right? I mean besides me obviously.


After getting over the shock of the train station I saw the train. No joke I actually thought it was a model. It slightly resembled one of those trains you would see in Storyland in both size and theme. When I was told that was the actual train I was shocked. We were then herded into the train cars which were all very nice, just again not what I was expecting. The train made a stop along the way where we were actually able to get out and walk around. There was even a waterfall and a lot of horses. I question whether or not the horses were truly wild horses as they all appeared to have been branded. The train ended in the middle of Tierra del Fuego.


Everything was more than beautiful and I have the pictures to prove it. El Tren del Fin del Mundo is definitely worth the time to go and see and enjoy, just try and go without expectations....unless of course you have read my blog and know exactly what to expect.


Without further ado some pictures from the end of the world:

 

This use to be a giant forest...then the prisoners cut it down to build the city of Ushuaia.

The station at the end of the line.....

Patagonian Peregrination Part 1

That's right the first in another multi-part series....Patagonia. Since my crazy hectic week was over I decided it was time to see a little more of Argentina. So I got on a plane and headed first for Ushuaia and soon to come el Calafate. I got into Ushaia this evening around 5:30. My flight was supposed to depart from Buenos Aires at 12:45 but in true Argentine form didn't even take off until about 1:30, which was fine because what did I care. I actually got really lucky on the flight I was the only person on the whole flight who did not have to sit next to anyone!! I got so excited....I always think that is the most awkward part of any flight sitting next to someone you don't know or worse yet someone who smells badly. I actually booked the trip through a travel agent in Buenos Aires so I have the whole thing planned for me and I basically just have to show up....it is AWESOME!!!

Now for my geographically challenged let me point out on a map of Argentina where Ushuaia actually is....

Actually the big touristy slogan for Ushuaia is come see "the End of the World". Its interesting to say the least. The place is very unique. There are boat trips and excursions available all over the place, there are a ton of tourists, I think more people speak English here than they do in Buenos Aires (that may be an exaggeration but I'm honestly not sure), there are trips that leave for Antarctica, and then there are all the locals. I have never really seen anything like it to be honest. 

I am staying at a gorgeous hotel. Seriously from the outside it doesn't look like much but it is a great place call Mil810! Here are some pictures of my room and the view from the dining room/cafe.

                                                        

                                         

                                        This is the cafe which has a balcony where I took the following pictures...

After scoping out the view from my hotel and checking the hotel out which is really just awesome I decided to trek down to the main road in this part of town called San Martin. Below is a picture of the giant hill I had to climb down and then back up to head to the main part of town. Then a bunch of pictures that I took of Ushuaia today. I'm sure there will be more to come tomorrow but I leave you with a few pictures, and by few I mean a lot and by leave you I mean head to the Irish Pub down the street from my hotel! 

The following two pictures are for those who may feel that this is simply a vacation....it is NOT!! I am doing RESEARCH on nursing conditions in all different parts of Argentina....as is demonstrated by my pictures of a nursing strike here in Ushuaia.....and that's my story and I am sticking to it!

 

This is for certain members of my family (you know who you are)!

By far the coolest tag I have seen here. It says "Ushuaia, the end of the World and the Beginning of Everything!" I LOVE that....I mean I don't think it will be the beginning of EVERYTHING for me but maybe the beginning of something! Here's to hoping! Now I am off to the pub!

The Last Two Days....

As promised here is the blog post about the extra special event, and the day after. So what was the event you wonder? Let me tell you....I was asked by the cultural office at the US Embassy to be part of a panel to explain the American Healthcare system and compare it with that of Argentina. I know this, in and of itself actually sounds boring and not important at all. I mean that is what I thought when I first agreed to do it and then I kept getting more information.

For one I was on a panel that included other Americans. I'm thinking probably other students and we are all going to give our perspectives. I was wrong. I was so very very wrong. The panel was actually composed of other people from the US and I think there was only one person, besides myself, who did not have a PhD. Who was my fellow non-doctoral prepared presenter, the Secretary of Political and Military Affairs for the US Embassy in Argentina. Basically even though he didn't have a doctorate he outranked everyone sitting at the panel anyways. I have NO idea how I ended up in such company. I can only assume that it is some higher being's way of laughing at me in really ridiculous situations.

Actually let me post a copy of the program so you can see exactly who else I was presenting with:

At this point I was sort of a little anxious. I really hate looking stupid. I really don't think that there is anything I dislike more than feeling completely under qualified to do something. And when I saw the list of other panelists that is exactly how I started to feel.

Then the next fun part. I was told my part of the presentation would be about 20 minutes. Not bad right? And then I was told it should be in Spanish. Okay so now I was freaking out. A 20 minute presentation, with really important panelists in Spanish??? What had I gotten myself into. For those of you who know me or have been in class with me you know just how out of character this fear of presentations is. Honestly, if every exam I had was an oral presentation I would probably have a 4.0 because I like giving them and I feel really comfortable standing in front of a group of people and talking. But this was different. I couldn't make jokes or side comments, simply because I don't know Spanish well enough to do those things.

I'm sure you are all thinking that the above is not that bad. Well it gets a little bit more ridiculous when you find out who I am presenting to. A group of Argentine doctors. Upon hearing this I get a little more anxious because I know doctors are not always the most forgiving crowd. Then I got told that its not just any doctors its the doctors who are in charge of other doctors. The leaders of the obras sociales major hospitals in Argentina and maybe one or two professors. That is right. So not only am I now giving a 20 minute presentation with other people who are way smarter than me but I was also going to have to do it in Spanish for a group of distinguished Argentine doctors. I am now in full on panic attack, what-in-the-hell-have-I-gotten-myself-into-mode.

I would love to know how I get myself into these kinds of situations. I don't ever really ask to be thrown into these things and yet somehow I keep ending up in the middle of them.

When I was done freaking out I sat down called my Connect-123 program advisor and asked her to be my Justin to Spanish translator. She was more than happy to and spent hours going over my presentation and my talking points with me. That's right I actually PREPARED for a presentation.....I seriously think that might be a first. In my preparations I attempted to make a typical presentation with a few jokes and stuff but I was very unsure of how they would go over and thought it was best to wait until the day of and get a feel for the room before I did anything.

On the big day, November 30th, I showed up at the American Club a little early and was per usual the first person there. I met the other presenters and was thrilled to find out that their Spanish was good, but was not Castellano and was not perfect. THANK GOD!! I know that sounds mean but I was really concerned about looking like a complete moron trying to speak Spanish. All of the other presenters were extremely nice before the presentation and actually we began talking about our experiences in healthcare. By our experiences I mean MY experiences. Turns out I was the only one on the panel who had ever worked in an American hospital never mind an Argentine one. It was at this point that I really calmed down. I really had been brought in to simply give the realistic sort of in the trenches version of what American healthcare was and how it differed from Argentina's version. Suddenly my job seemed infinitesimally simpler. Even if I made a mistake, who was going to call me out?

The presentation began but the set up was something I wasn't quite use to. I am going to link the website here. I have some pictures coming, but they're coming from a photographer who was at the event so until then I will just have to describe it for you. Basically it was sort of dining room table set up with the panel at the head of the table and the PowerPoint opposite us. It made me feel both more comfortable like I was at some weird Thanksgiving dinner and more uncomfortable like I was at some weird Thanksgiving dinner.

When it was finally my turn I began very slowly at first petrified that I would make a mistake. Then I made my first mistake and I stopped caring so much about that. I spent the rest of my 20 minutes trying to make sure that I got the main points home. Throughout my presentation I got several nods from people and some shocked looks at some of the things I said, but the best moment of the entire presentation came about 10 minutes into it. It was my joke. I wasn't sure how it would go over, but I decided I might as well go for broke right? I mean how many times do you get to present on behalf of your country. The joke involved one of the words from a previous post, a chanta. I was talking about the use of computers in the hospital systems and how it is practically impossible to practice medicine in the US without using a computer. I then said, "No soy un chanta es la realidad." or roughly translate, "I'm not a bullshitter its the truth."

The best part of this joke is all of the important Argentines thought it was hilarious. I don't know if it was simply because a gringo had used one of their words, and properly at that, or if it was they actually thought the joke was funny. Either way I don't really care because they laughed. When they were laughing the rest of the panel I was presenting with was simply confused. Chanta is definitely not a word used outside of Argentina and its definitely not a word you get taught in Spanish class so they didn't get the joke, which was fine because everyone else did. When my portion of the presentation was over I only got asked one or two questions that I was actually able to answer so that was good.

Then it was over. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. This big moment had come to an end and I was more than relieved. Several of the attendees came up to shake my hand and thank me for the presentation which I thought was very nice. Then as the Americans, myself included, were leaving one of them, I can't remember who said, "Oh and the ministry of health was there." I was confused, but apparently someone like the minister of health or the equivalent, was at the event and had been sitting directly to the right of me the entire time. He actually was one of the people who told me good job and thanked me. Looking back I'm stupid not to have known that seeing as he knew approximately how many nurses were in Argentina, but I am also very glad I didn't. Had I known I probably would have vomited at some point during my presentation, either vomited or cried, maybe both, who knows?

So yes now I can say that I have presented on behalf of the United States Embassy on comparative healthcare issues, sounds fancy doesn't it? Truthfully, I am thrilled to have been given an opportunity like this, not only to come to Buenos Aires, but to present for the US Embassy, talk about a cool co-op right?

Now the title of this blog post was the last two days. That all happened on Wednesday. What happened on Thursday you ask? Keep reading.....


Basically my trip here to Argentina has been one dichotomous situation after another. I go from working in an oncologists office to working at an NGO. I go from living in Buenos Aires to visiting Mar del Plata. I go from trying to write a women's health curriculum to a meeting with the embassy, so I really don't know why I didn't expect this kind of dichotomous situation after my presentation at the embassy but I didn't and it did happen.

 Thursday, December 1st was international HIV/AIDS awareness day aka World AIDS day. The NGO I work for and wrote the women's health curriculum for got a large supply of condoms for the day. So what did I do the day after my big embassy presentation? What I love most....public health. I went to some of the areas in Buenos Aires known for the prostitutes that gather there and passed out little baggies of condoms, lube, health information, and immigration information to the prostitutes. I quite literally went from presenting to some of the most important doctors in Argentina to the people who Argentina has clearly forgotten about in less than 24 hours. Talk about a difference.

It was like the cherry on the sundae for me. I loved presenting for the embassy and feeling important and special, but I loved more going into the poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and passing out condoms. I realize that sounds ridiculous but its true. I did not go alone, and I do have pictures which will be what I end with today. The people I went with were all Porteños so they knew the areas well and knew exactly what to say and how to approach people. What was really great is that I really felt uncomfortable sort of approaching people with my clearly foreigner Spanish, but if anyone had any questions I was there and had the answers. Some people for instance were asking about an injection to prevent fertility and I was able to explain that that type of contraception exists but it doesn't protect against STIs and that condom was really the best choice. It just felt right working that way on World AIDS Day.

Its one thing to be in the US for some international health and awareness day that was created by people in the US. You sort of assume there must be other people in the world doing stuff, but you are never positive. Now I am 100% positive that on World AIDS day, the same day my fellow Northeastern nursing students were providing free HIV screenings I was working to prevent HIV and other STI transmissions in Buenos Aires, Argentina. How cool is that??

Here are the pictures as promised, ENJOY:

The baggies we passed out. Now with more lube thanks to me
 and knowing that if you don't want people to use the wrong kind of lube
and destroy the condom you have to give them the right kind!

Two giant bags filled with all of those packets of condoms, lube, immigration information and of course health information!

The team that went out to pass out all of the baggies. Starting with me,
and going right, Juan, Manuel, I don't remember her name, she actually
is the woman who wrote the Chinese curriculum, then Veronica, Luciana, and Susy!

T

Argentine Musicians Part 2

Part two in our installment about Musicians here in Argentina. Hmmmm....well truth be told this one isn't going to be about particular musicians at all. Rather I am going to talk about two big music festivals that occur here in Buenos Aires. The first is the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival and the second is a festival known as Creamfields.

At first I was really surprised the Buenos Aires even had a Jazz Festival to be honest with you. I mean when you think of the capital of a South American country the first thing that comes to mind isn't exactly the low cool stylings of a random jazz musician in a smoky bar/club. But the Jazz Festival actually had a lot of different both local jazz people, others from Latin America, and even some from the US. Most of the events for the jazz festival were free, but the really big deal people tended to perform in theaters. The tickets weren't expensive, but you know my cheap ass so we went for the free stuff.

Last night I actually went to the final performance of the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival. It was held at the Cultural Center in Recoleta outside on the terrace. It was actually really really beautiful, crowded but beautiful. What I think was most exciting for me was I actually understood what the performer was singing. It was great! The woman's name was Roxana Amed....see a video of her below....

She is basically a Spanish blues/jazz singer....which reminds me a little of Portuguese Fado music....

So here are some pictures from the jazz festival.....

This is how far away we started.

This is how close we got.

Okay so those lights just twirled in circles but that giant light up man had a giant light up heart that blinked red like it was actually beating.....really cool!

Now the other music festival that is a big deal here is called Creamfields.....it is an electronica music festival. I personally have no interest in going to it for several reasons, the primary one being electronica is not really my jam for a concert necessarily. But to each his own. Since this one hasn't actually happened yet I am posting a video about the line up for this year....

Basically the vibe I get from everyone here is that Creamfields is really like an Argentina sort of version of Woodstock. All the people there tend to take some sort of drugs, drink a lot, and then just zone out with all of the electronic music. There is no seating just standing room in front of multiple different stages each with different artists throughout the day. To give you an idea of what it is like there is a video below of the end of last years and what it looked like and the type of beats that are bumping out(there is really no other way to describe it) all day and night long.

So I guess that's all I have for this one....pretty short and sweet. Hope you enjoy it!