Monday, March 20, 2006

March 15, 2006 Day 20, Patagonia Trip

March 20, 2006 Seattle!

We finally landed this morning. I waited for Terri to land an hour later than myself, and we shared a cab back home. BACK ON US SOIL! Door to door, the return trip took 21 hours. I COULD USE A SHOWER! The weather here in Seattle as what we had hoped to leave behind. 39 degrees, rainy, with the cabbie reporting some hail and spitting snow the last couple of days. Geez.I gotta tell you, after 3 or 4 weeks away from the US, there are certain things you appreciate a little more. Anyway, before I get too crazy, I'll share just a few of the striking differences between the Americas:1. The people themselves. Living in Seattle, you come to see lots of different styles of people. Although other areas are more or less diverse, Argentina is very distinct in their people and culture. A high majority of their ancestry is Spanish and Italian. That remains highly prevalent, along with a Catholic faith. Southern Argentina does have more Germans, reportedly due to the Nazis seeking refuge when things unfolded in Germany. But for the most part, very few blacks, asians, or other minorities can be found in Argentina. Even fewer would be the native peoples of the region. The history we've read and learned state that nearly all were killed by either war or "new" disease 200 years ago. Other than the rabidly crazy people in La Boca the night of the soccer game, most everyone we came in contact with were very nice. Many locals in Buenos Aires were happy to help us get around, some even offering help in English. Of course, as a traveler, this comes with a grain of salt. Terri and I might as well have had a dollar sign on our foreheads, as a majority of people we got to know were guides or workers in the tourist industry. Regardless, the people of a country to me are the most important thing you take back, and Argentina was very welcoming.2. Food. If you've been reading these blog entries, our love of the food in Argentina is well documented. An average steak here is above and beyond what you'd get in say, Outback Steakhouse or even somewhwere nicer. It's like eating fresh salmon in Alaska. You just won't get better. Anywhere. The eating schedule for me was difficult to acquire in Argentina. Breakfast is minimal. Just some juice, coffee (which I hate), and bread. Lunch is usually very modest as well. And dinner. Well, the locals just pile it on there. But at REALLY weird hours. We would go to restaurants at 10PM and they wouldn't fill up till closer till 11 or midnight. I just don't know how they all stay so thin.That said, I clearly did not accomodate for this the way I should. Upon hopping my fat rear on the scale, the numbers don't lie and aren't suprising. 5 pounds added on to the frame in the last 3 weeks. Terri would annihilate me if I reported her figures, but let's just say our next vacation will be tonight at 7PM on the ol' treadmill--quite the foreign place for the last month.... And was it worth it? Yes. And Terri would tell you the same.3. Smoking--If you're a smoker, I don't write this as a jab at you. I simply just don't do well with it due to my eyes. Having lived in FL, CA, and now WA, it's wonderful that public smoking laws are in effect in buildings. Going to Buenos Aires, it was an all-out aerial assault on me. Am I just being paranoid or does it seem every smoker here in a 10 meter radius is magnetically attracted to blowing smoke directly into my face? It's very evident everywhere--hotels, restaurants, internet cafes, and on the street in general. Pretty much anywhere but an airplane as far as I can tell. Enough said about that.4. Traffic--I've been told India and some other places is worse. However, in B.A., there are no rules to the road. I've noticed people don't run red lights at all here and will SLAM on the brakes to avoid doing so. Otherwise, the road is first-come, first-serve. Lanes are broken through with reckless abandon. Turn lights and blinkers are never used. If you can wedge your little car into a spot to cut someone off, well that's part of the game. People don't get mad about being cut off. Want to know what they get mad at? Waiting at a light for ANY reason. Someone could be bleeding and lying in the middle of the road. And guess what? You'll have 25 cars BLARING their horns till someone scrapes that poor soul off the pavement. For completely reasonable situations, people will just lay on the horn for 15 seconds at a time. And not just one person--it's usually ten at a time. It's ridiculous.The other big difference is the pedestrian traffic. I learned quickly--cars have the right of the way. At all times. If you're not completely aware of where you are on the slim sidewalks, getting hit by a car is a very real consequence. Buses come whipping by and leave almost no room for chance. The sidewalks are definitely 2-3 times bigger in Seattle--we recognized it immediately upon getting home. And with far less people... B.A. is a HUGE city---13 million people is what Lonely Planet says. In contrast--New York is 8 million. Enough said.5. Architecture--Buenos Aires is grand, huge, and magnificent. If you were magically placed on some of the streets, you'd swear you were in Paris or New York. There are fountains and monuments everywhere, and it's all a bit surprising. However, the grafitti is a major problem in Argentina and Chile. They really don't seem to combat it, and upon closer inspection of some of their major statues and landmarks, there is just far too much grafitti. It's quite overpowering. Upon returning home, I can look out my window and see a striking contrast to the environment we expect. Of course, Seattle is pretty much Ground Zero for "Tree Hugger Nation," but it is nice to have clean surroundings.6. Summer Style--We were fortunate to spend 2 or 3 great sunny days in Buenos Aires. We're talking 80 degrees, very humid, and sunburns for all pasty white-skinned Americans around... So imagine me--T-shirt, shorts, trekking shoes, backpack, and camera around my neck. Not a stretch to imagine I guess. But the locals NEVER seem to wear shorts. The guys wear slacks and nice shirts, the women--mostly pants and some long skirts. I commented on this to Terri, and for about a 5 minute stretch, walking through downtown B.A., we could find NO ONE wearing shorts on a hot summer day. Really weird. Also running out of clothes, I spent parts of 2 days shopping for just a basic T-shirt to make it through. Sadly enough, the only thing I could find were soccer jerseys that would have ZERO re-wear value upon returning home. No T-Shirts. I'm beginning to think perhaps that we as Americans meet the stereotype that other countries have tagged us with. Yep. That's right! We're bad dressers in public. You won't find sweat pants in B.A. Nor will you find shorts, tennis shoes, or anything comfy. The same was true in Tokyo. Society apparently sets the bar much higher in other parts of the world. Good or bad? Not sure... It just is. 7. Landscape--Patagonia was the big draw on this trip for me. It's an area in southern Argentina/Chile, and it came as advertised. It is incredibly remote, and the desert wildlife and mountains were surreal. I'd recommend it to anyone. Unlike our mountains in the West, the Andes and Patagonian Andes are sharp, distinct, and jagged ranges. It makes for dramatic scenery, no doubt. Despite our poor weather in the national parks, I still greatly value the experience. The intensity of the wind in Torres del Paine was far greater than the swiftest wind I've ever been part of. The dynamic and colorful changes in weather were also impressive. All 60 miles of the hikes were wonderful, and I'd definitely do it again. If you'd ever consider a trip like this, I definitely recommend it. You definitely would have to lower your living conditions requirements, but the things you see will blow you away.Pictures are coming to this website. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading,Brian

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