Argentina - Meeting up with Sam & Taiwanese reunion!

Parlament Building on a sunny day!

Buenos Aires (officially known as Districto Federal Buenos Aires), Argentina.

(Note: This is NOT a chapter full of introspection, rather of refinding joy and laughter in great company and in gorgeous surroundings! Enjoy!)

What a gorgeous city !!! When I first arrived, took me a moment to realize that no, I am NOT in Europe, but indeed in South America. It was such a contrast to the rest of the latin american countries I've visited so far as the people are 95% white and major parts of the city still retain its colonial buildings and the culture from the old world of discussing politics or meeting in cafés and eating pizzas, helados (ice creams), very much remain the influence from the Italian and Spanish immigration. To think I've almost skipped this country, if it wasn't for Sam, would have been a mistake! The architecture is just absolutely gorgeous, remind me too much of Europe. It IS Europe in South America!! To add to the effect, Argentinians, at least the capital city dwellers, so called porteños, are quite different than the stereotypical latin american. Not as friendly as the rest of their kinds, lol... another trait carried forward from the old world ...


Thanks to my brothers, Samantha and I were connected to fabulous Taiwanese folks with whom I've spent Christmas and New Year with! (For those that do not know, in the past there had been a big immigration movement of Taiwanese to Argentina. Later, when the economy of Argentina started to decline, a bit portion of them immigrated elsewhere, notely Canada). Making our time in Buenos Aires a very distinct and full of warmth. First, while waiting on Sam's arrival, I scoped out the city, hung out with Luis and his Argentinian wife. Luis had to be one of the most hospitable, generous and attentive host I've met! He treated us like family! Living with him and his always joyful wife immediately felt like home, oh and not to forget the reconnection with civilization and FAST INTERNET CONNECTION WITH DOUBLE SCREEN!!! After the episode in Peru, I was in real withdrawl... One night, I stayed up until the power cut (it happens from time to time), which was around 5a.m... As much as I love the raw country experience, I miss technology :D  We even watched American sitcoms during dinner time, making me feel completely at home! This is a country in South America but with all the available technology and necessities to be comfortable.

We really enjoyed strolling in and around Buenos Aires! Finally I was reconnected with my foodie counterpart! We walked through the city ALWAYS in search of FOOD and generating so much laughter that puts the contrast of the sour puss faces of city dwellers (is that correct Sam?) even bigger, lol. People would glance at us as we do not behave "normal"! Such fun we had!! And with all that good food (pizzas, empanadas, quiches, yummy icre cream and ARGENTINIAN BEEF!! and not to mention Sam is a vegetarian who has tasted the beef in Argentina and may never go back to being a veg!), we actually did not see many museums. Actually none! The fact is, Argentina is one of the pricier countries to visit in South America but the salvation is that Buenos Aires' attractions are mainly outdoor. And food. And great company, which I definitely had amongst my Taiwanese compatriots and Samsita! that is me trying to put Sam in dimuntive form that they use in Spanish all the time)

New Year 2011: We thought we were going to spend it alone just the two of us at the apartment, but one phone call later, we were invited at Cindy's place (Taiwanese friend of bro) to celebrate it with them! Not very Argentinian but very rich in culture! This is a taiwanese family that has lived in Buenos Aires for 30+ years, whose friends have moved to Montreal, which are also friends of my father! I had the luck to meet up with Cindy, as she has just came back from abroad to visit her family, and Cindy's brother and her Guatemalan wife. Luis' wife, Mildred, shared a very insightful family tradition for New Year. Each of us was given a bowl of exactly 12 grapes. One must think of what the 12 months of the New Year means to them before taking in all the goodness of the bubbly fruit, waiting to burst its sweetness in your mouth, and savor it as the thoughts get processed. What a wonderful experience it was :) We later went to the rooftop to watch the rising mini hot air balloons (a tradition usually done for Xmas by putting a wish in the hot air balloon and let it rise into the sky) and fireworks (home purchased! and yes it's legal here!). The return home was smooth, even at 1AM, as the public transport ran all night long on New Year's Day! Cheers to Argentinian public transportation!

Sam prancing down the red carpet!

Last but not least, we went to watch a wonderful Tango show the night before Sam left me for good. Yes, Buenos Aires was good to us but we had to say g'bye and continue the search of the legendary good-looking Argentinian men in other parts of Argentina... Onward we go!

***
The pursuit of good looking Argentinians was a deception. Sam and I looked all over the city and finally saw one or two. And not exactly true to Latin american men, seem to us even a bit snobby instead of being the Don Juan. They may think they are more beautiful then the women?!? Argentinians are truly a different breed of Latin americans!

Peru - Adventures with my Peruvian mom to Pampachiri



On top of the ruin "Sondor"



After a slightly traumatic beginning of my life in Andahuaylas for the first day, I quickly grew accustumed to the environment. My dear Peruvian mom fed me yummy home made Peruvian dishes despite of having an extremely rustic kitchen. Her cooking is fabulous and varied :

• Palta rellena (stuffed avocado)
• Estofado de carne con arroz (Pot roast of chicken with rice)
• Pato con arroz (duck with rice, a plate thanks to the asian influence)
• Sopa de olluco (Ulluco soup, a root vegetable, a tuber)
• Spaghetti con salsa de tomate y pollo con ceviche
• Panza de cordero en salsa amarillo y arroz (sheep stomach in yellow sauce and rice)
• Lentejas con higado de pollo (lentils with chicken liver)

I have to say, albeit Peruvian cuisine doesn't use much spices, they use lots of herbs and due to the freshness of the fruits and vegetables, food taste amazing!!! I keep thinking at our winter vegetables that lack flavour... here the people are poor but they eat well, and organic!!

A selection of the 3000+ types of
potatoes that exist in Peru !!!

Incredibly enough, as of day 2, I actually look forward to go to bed. There's something magical, enchanting about crawling into the attic space to sleep! I feel like a child again, playing "tree house"! On the other hand, I have to say I was a bit surprised to take a bath in a little shack in the backyard with a bucket of warm water given to me by Irma that she had boiled that morning... but then again, one gets used to these things quickly if one is well fed with food and love :) And in this household, love and generosity abound!

With regards to the kitchen, where I spent most of my time writing and chatting with Irma, it took me 4 days to take notice of the dozens of flies circling around and above the food. Funny how a few months ago that would have completely thrown off my appetite, but now, I barely took notice!

The adventures in Andahuaylas never ends! Usually, Irma would wake me up when it is time for breakfast. Once, I was woken up by a tickle on my hand. Something touched me. I woke up with a start and saw no one around me and realized that it could only have been the "compadre" of César, as he called it, which translates into "buddy". Have you guessed it? Yes it was a tiny gray mouse !!! The kind of "alegria" for living all sorts of new experience, at least for once :)

I can officially call Andahuaylas my Peruvian home! Living in a house filled with love and "chaleur humaine" (human heat!?) shared with the constant chewing of 12+ guinea pigs and 3 ducks and 1 duckling. My job at home is to do some grocery and to chase the chickens from the neighbours that come over to steal the food prepared for the ducks. 

Fizzy mineral water pool !!!

During my time there, I've also discovered a little piece of heaven: a mineral water pool at a nearby village called Hualalachi. What makes it so amazing is the fact that the water comes straight from the mountain into the pool and it is fizzy mineral water!! Swimming in such water makes me feel like Cleopatra but in the modern days (ok, she bathes in milk, and I swim in mineral water, not bad hein?). It is the most wonderful experience, aside the fact that it is freezing water! And that water is delicious! I'm sure the water has something to do with the reason of me staying longer than expected :)

Pampachiri

I was meant to go to Cuzco but I never made it as Irma was very eager to show me the town in which she grew up called Pampachiri (3362m): which is a name in Quecha (indigenous language) meaning Pampa = place, chiri = cold !  The 4-5 hours bus ride is one bumpy and chiri one with no heat on the bus of course! By the time I got there, I was starting to be uncomfortably cold. I went to bed at 6pm as my body was starting to shake from the cold and even under 5 layers of wool blanket, and layered with clothing + wool hat + wool scarf, my body would convulse and my teeth would chatter every 30 secs. 3 hours went by and my body and feet were still friggidly cold, completely unable to warm myself up until Irma came into bed. Slowly and surely, she warmed me up and I was able to go into a turbulent sleep. That night, must have been the longuest night of my life. I would wake up with chills, stomach pain, fever... not really being able to will myself to get up because it is like 8C outside of the blankets and even if I got up, the house we stayed in had no bathroom facilities (I'd have to wake up the neighbour to borrow their bathroom) and I knew I was coming down with some kind of bacterial infection + fever...  It was at that moment, that I truly cherish the comforts of home (with heating and normal toilet that we take for granted!) and the care of a loved one!!



Finally dawn came and the sun started to heat up the village. By 6am I was up and finally was able to will myself up but only to realize that neighbour hasn't got up yet. To which, I was directed a space, behind an abandoned house, to do my biddings... I tell you, when one is sick, you just do what is told and what your body asks you to do, no questions asked. Feverish and white, I spent the next day in bed and took some antibiotics that my doctor had prescribed me before leaving.

Bless the discovery of antibiotics! When finally the drugs took its course, I was ready to discover this beautiful, ableit cold, hometown village of my Peruvian mom. Together with Irma's cousin, we spent a day herding the sheeps and goats, watched Irma sing melancholically to the memories of her playing in the field of the pampas and the lost heritage fields that still need to be claimed, conversed with the locals in Quechua, and collect the remnants pieces of clay from an ancient ruin under the blazing hot sun.

Guinea pig being prepared

During the time that we were in Pampachiri, we were fed by Irma's cousin. One of the day was her daughter's birthday, thus she invited us for a feast. As we arrived, she has just started to kill the guinea pigs, and I watched the whole process being done and helped prepare the potatoes. I've had guinea pigs in Lima, but I've never, in my life, tasked as fresh as meat as this!! The guinea pig tasted more tender then chicken and with more flavour and has such a kick to it! As you chew on it, the flesh kind of kicks back with a nice tender elasticity! It is FRESH! WAOW! Irma and I both completely emptied our plates, even the potatoes, to which we usually don't consume a big amount. It was DE-LI-CI-OUS! :)  An experience hard to be forgotten.

Freshly killed guinea pig on my plate!

After dinner, we listened to her husband play the violin, danced around the fire in the kitchen, and chatted until bedtime. The memories I was able to leave them was actually a bottle of hand sanitizer alcohol gel (as she was very curious about it!) and promised her to develop pictures of her family that I have taken as souvenirs.

How does one shower in Pampachiri when there is no bathroom facilities? I didn't really want to know the answer and was only too happy when we decided to go to the natural thermal bath! After the bath, I made some friendship with relatives of Irma, who have lived in Australia and are now back in Pampachiri working to promote and bring tourism to this little-known village, and who've later invited me to go visit them one day in Lima.

With a constant clock ticking for my due date of arrival in Buenos Aires, we decided to leave Pampachiri on a night bus that leaves at 3AM in order to get back to Andahuaylas back in the morning. The getting up at 2:30am and the bus ride... somehow puts the -30C of Montreal into perspective. It felt coder. Way colder. Determined not to get cold, I had 3 pants on, 7 layers (2 wool) of tops, a leather jacket and a blanket... and guess what? I was still cold, but no fever this time... Heating is a BLESSING!!!

Back in Andahuaylas, had another yummy meal with Irma, (she killed 2 of her ducks that day! Again, fresh meat!) I had just enough time to say my goodbyes (with a teary Irma and Elida) and began my journey southwards, destination Buenos Aires, Argentina.