Two weeks Argentina, one week Rosario
Door: Melvin
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Melv
13 April 2014 | Argentinië, Rosario
Hola!
So my plan was to not spam you guys with too many updates, but waiting two weeks for a new story makes it pretty hard to be selective and concise when so many (good!) things have happened. My last post ended with me about to go to Andrés on Wednesday last week, I'll take it up from there:
Andrés lives with his parents in a tranquil neighbourhood in Buenos Aires' metropolitan city Lomas de Zamora. When Andrés and I arrived at his house after an half hour evening train ride - accompanied by a rhythmic on-board cumbia band - his parents warmly welcomed me. His mom had cooked delicious (patato) tortilla and tender milanesas of peceto. Next day, we celebrated Andrés' birthday with his 11 headed family. To celebrate according to Argentinian custom, his father got up at 9 in the morning to start the asado (let's say that's a bbq) so that the entire lamb could be slowly grilled for about four hours. Even though one entire lamb - which was delicious(!) - would have probably been enough for all of us, we were being spoiled with many sausages and other sorts of meat. I can't get enough of these family dinners/reunions with such lovely and welcoming people, who I had only just met.
The rest of my stay in Bs As, I spent sleeping siestas, visiting the cinema with Elián and friends, strawling around in Puerto Madero with Nayla, having dinner (picada) with Elián, Claudio and Cuca, visiting two birthday parties of two of Elián's friends, and Saturday night I finished off my stay in Bs As at club Piur celebrating Lucio's birthday. The next day, Sunday afternoon, Elián was so nice to wake me up, so I wouldn't miss my bus to Rosario.. which felt like a dejà vu of prior Sunday..
I've been Rosario for one week now. It's a beautiful "small" city (compared to Buenos Aires) along the river of el Paraná with many nice, green parks along the riverbank (check the internet for some impressions :). The Rosarinos are very hospitable and the distances from my house to many places in/around the centre are walk-able within about half an hour. Biking is also a good option and relatively safe (again, compared to Buenos Aires), which I will for sure do once we've "my" (borrowed) green oldskool bike fixed.
My house mate (and the house owner) is Juan. A man of 42 years old, but who seems much younger (I know you'll like this post, Juan, once you read it). I get along with him very well. He's a big fan of kayaking and he knows quite a bit about the area. Moreover, very conveniently, Juan has quite some friends who want to help me out with my research and who want to put me in contact with their friends/relatives that can help me out with my research. People here are very helpful and thoughtful, a characteristic trait of the Argentinians that I've always appreciated more than anything.
Saturday night I visited a birthday of one of Juan's friends. Many of his friends are kayakistas. They're very cool people and they really made we want to start kayaking asap (which I will, in a few days with Juan, who'll lend me his kayak during my stay!). This Sunday afternoon I went to an asado restaurant with Juan and Pato, some 20 km outside the city. As always the meat was great, and here also cheap (no more than 10 euros for a proper meal). Before going back home, we visited a friend of Juan, who lives close to the restaurant. He lives in a beautiful house (Pato kept saying it was the most beautiful house she'd probably seen, which I'd agree with), which owes its beauty and charm to its simplicity and traditional architecture and furniture of an old farm (and it was only 7 years old). Huge dogs (including a pitbull) were all over the place and my lack of trust in dogs initially made me fell uncomfortable entering, but they turned out to be very calm. In and around the house were many friends of Ariel (Juan's friend). And even though Pato and I didn't know anyone, we greeted them all with a kiss, one by one. The feeling of being welcome, and almost as feeling at home, is (once again) why I love this country). When leaving, I had a brief chat with Ariel, who's interested in my research, and who'd like to help me out in various ways. He knows isleños (island dwellers who've lived in el Delta for whole their life) and likes to introduce them to me. And it's more, he even offered me to fly over the wetland with him, as he owns and flies a small air plane. I couldn't be much luckier and grateful!
This week I also met with the team of my internship organisation. The organisation is composed of a very interdisciplinary team - including biologists, anthropologists, natural scientists, etc. -, which I love. Currently, I'm primarily getting to know the organisation. During my internship, we'll be interactively with the team looking for ways to create a map of the wetland of el Delta Medio del Paraná (my research area, as well). My internship and own research are, thus, very well related, because of which we can both benefit from each others work.
I'll leave it here for now, folks. I'm very happy with the comments you left on my previous post, so don't hesitate to leave one here again :) For those following me on Facebook: photos can be found on my wall! (Although I haven't made any photos in Rosario, yet).
Un re abrazo
So my plan was to not spam you guys with too many updates, but waiting two weeks for a new story makes it pretty hard to be selective and concise when so many (good!) things have happened. My last post ended with me about to go to Andrés on Wednesday last week, I'll take it up from there:
Andrés lives with his parents in a tranquil neighbourhood in Buenos Aires' metropolitan city Lomas de Zamora. When Andrés and I arrived at his house after an half hour evening train ride - accompanied by a rhythmic on-board cumbia band - his parents warmly welcomed me. His mom had cooked delicious (patato) tortilla and tender milanesas of peceto. Next day, we celebrated Andrés' birthday with his 11 headed family. To celebrate according to Argentinian custom, his father got up at 9 in the morning to start the asado (let's say that's a bbq) so that the entire lamb could be slowly grilled for about four hours. Even though one entire lamb - which was delicious(!) - would have probably been enough for all of us, we were being spoiled with many sausages and other sorts of meat. I can't get enough of these family dinners/reunions with such lovely and welcoming people, who I had only just met.
The rest of my stay in Bs As, I spent sleeping siestas, visiting the cinema with Elián and friends, strawling around in Puerto Madero with Nayla, having dinner (picada) with Elián, Claudio and Cuca, visiting two birthday parties of two of Elián's friends, and Saturday night I finished off my stay in Bs As at club Piur celebrating Lucio's birthday. The next day, Sunday afternoon, Elián was so nice to wake me up, so I wouldn't miss my bus to Rosario.. which felt like a dejà vu of prior Sunday..
I've been Rosario for one week now. It's a beautiful "small" city (compared to Buenos Aires) along the river of el Paraná with many nice, green parks along the riverbank (check the internet for some impressions :). The Rosarinos are very hospitable and the distances from my house to many places in/around the centre are walk-able within about half an hour. Biking is also a good option and relatively safe (again, compared to Buenos Aires), which I will for sure do once we've "my" (borrowed) green oldskool bike fixed.
My house mate (and the house owner) is Juan. A man of 42 years old, but who seems much younger (I know you'll like this post, Juan, once you read it). I get along with him very well. He's a big fan of kayaking and he knows quite a bit about the area. Moreover, very conveniently, Juan has quite some friends who want to help me out with my research and who want to put me in contact with their friends/relatives that can help me out with my research. People here are very helpful and thoughtful, a characteristic trait of the Argentinians that I've always appreciated more than anything.
Saturday night I visited a birthday of one of Juan's friends. Many of his friends are kayakistas. They're very cool people and they really made we want to start kayaking asap (which I will, in a few days with Juan, who'll lend me his kayak during my stay!). This Sunday afternoon I went to an asado restaurant with Juan and Pato, some 20 km outside the city. As always the meat was great, and here also cheap (no more than 10 euros for a proper meal). Before going back home, we visited a friend of Juan, who lives close to the restaurant. He lives in a beautiful house (Pato kept saying it was the most beautiful house she'd probably seen, which I'd agree with), which owes its beauty and charm to its simplicity and traditional architecture and furniture of an old farm (and it was only 7 years old). Huge dogs (including a pitbull) were all over the place and my lack of trust in dogs initially made me fell uncomfortable entering, but they turned out to be very calm. In and around the house were many friends of Ariel (Juan's friend). And even though Pato and I didn't know anyone, we greeted them all with a kiss, one by one. The feeling of being welcome, and almost as feeling at home, is (once again) why I love this country). When leaving, I had a brief chat with Ariel, who's interested in my research, and who'd like to help me out in various ways. He knows isleños (island dwellers who've lived in el Delta for whole their life) and likes to introduce them to me. And it's more, he even offered me to fly over the wetland with him, as he owns and flies a small air plane. I couldn't be much luckier and grateful!
This week I also met with the team of my internship organisation. The organisation is composed of a very interdisciplinary team - including biologists, anthropologists, natural scientists, etc. -, which I love. Currently, I'm primarily getting to know the organisation. During my internship, we'll be interactively with the team looking for ways to create a map of the wetland of el Delta Medio del Paraná (my research area, as well). My internship and own research are, thus, very well related, because of which we can both benefit from each others work.
I'll leave it here for now, folks. I'm very happy with the comments you left on my previous post, so don't hesitate to leave one here again :) For those following me on Facebook: photos can be found on my wall! (Although I haven't made any photos in Rosario, yet).
Un re abrazo
-
14 April 2014 - 10:28
Vroni Mars:
Hoi Mel.Wat een mooi uitgebreid verslag. Het lijkt erop dat je daar met je neus in de boter bent gevallen! Kayakken in dat gebied is natuurlijk helemaal super. En Vliegen, het kan niet op.Gelukkig ook nog een beproeving, dat huis met die honden, anders gaat het teveel van een leien dakje, ha,ha.Succes de komende week, knuffels, oma. -
14 April 2014 - 11:08
Joop Mars:
Hai Melvin, We genieten van je verslag. Het is geweldig om je al zo thuis te voelen. Misschien is het een goed idee om eens aan je vliegbrevet te gaan denken.Ik kijk nu naar de prachtige bloemen en mooie kaart die wij van jullie kregen, ook van mij nog hartelijk bedankt. Groetjes en knuffels, Opa. -
14 April 2014 - 13:37
Zus!:
Vliegbevret ja juist, ik zie je nu meteen voor me met zo'n debiel mutsje en brilletje (als in la pelicula Up).. Nou goed je hebt het helemaal geweldig daar, dat maakt het wat minder erg je hier niet te hebben! :) Oja en Skype op je mobiel is dus een tip! Beso grande, tu hermana! -
14 April 2014 - 15:18
Ross:
Goed om te lezen man! Geniet ervan! -
14 April 2014 - 19:14
Edith:
Hé kanjer, wat een geweldig verslag weer, ik zie je belevenissen voor me...zeker die met de honden haha gelukkig liep het beter af dan met die poedel toen je nog klein was ;-) Super dat je zo met volle teugen geniet en dat je zoveel hulp aangeboden krijgt. Liefs en knuffles, mamps xoxo -
14 April 2014 - 20:05
HDM:
Hey lucky you !
You've got the wind beneath your wings !!!
Wat een fantastisch verslag van je belevenissen zo ver, en wat een geweldige vooruitzichten !!!
Succes met alles wat je doet en we kijken uit naar de volgende =)
Liefs HDM
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16 April 2014 - 21:26
René:
Hoi Mellie, je valt weer met je neus in de boter met al die feestjes, bbq's, en leuke, lieve, warme mensen. Fijn ook om te lezen dat je zoveel support krijgt voor je onderzoek. Dat dwing je natuurlijk zelf af ;-) en dan hoort daar natuurlijk wel een vliegtuig bij, voor minder moet je het ook niet dan haha. Geniet van al het moois daar en heb je ook nog foto's van dat prachtige huis? Is Ariël de eigenaar van die woning? En wie is Pato? Ja veel vragen, ik blijf graag goed op de hoogte. Dikke knuffel paps
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