Roughin' It

This past weekend a group of friends and I headed outside of the city for some much needed time in Nature and relaxation.  El Tigre is a vibrant city about 45 minutes outside of Buenos Aires proper, so for 1.10 pesos (about 30 US cents) we hopped on a train Saturday morning and were greeted by pure blue sky and warm temperatures in El Tigre.  After meeting up with the rest of the group, we hopped on a ferry that makes a thousand stops to all these little river houses throughout the Delta.  Almost 2 hours later, we arrived at our camp site where we were greeted by perhaps one of the strangest men I have ever met.

Dario, our host, is a small man who owns a camp site and little local store where you can get almost anything you need-- at a much higher price.  There were 7 of us and we had rented 2 cabins at $100 US a piece and I must say I have spent a better 100 dollars on bottles of wine.  However, this trip was not intended to be luxury, so I don't want it to seem as though I'm complaining, I'm just trying to paint a picture of our home.  There was 1 double bed, 2 bunk beds, a tiny bathroom, a table and the smallest "kitchen."  It's what I picture the flats of some of my friends who live in NYC.  The walls were ply wood, we brought our own sheets, and I am thrilled that we did-- the beds were pretty gross.  But after foraging for wood, we began to set up camp.  And by we, I mean the 5 boys who I was with.  I'm glad I was there with some guys who know how to camp and chop wood and start a fire.  A few of us went for a walk/hike and some stayed behind to play cards and enjoy the simple life.  After exploring our surroundings, it was time to sit in the sun and enjoy being in nature with the only sounds around are animals, boats, and the laughter of some Argentinos nearby.  We started the grill and made our own asada complete with steaks, chorizo, grilled veggies, french fries, and freshly made bread. 

The wood that we found earlier in the day was a bit wet, so it took a long time for the fire to catch, but the boys were diligent and we sat around a fire pit, drinking wine and beer, and telling stories to each other until the wee hours of the morning.  I'm still amazed at how quickly we all become friends here.  It doesn't matter that you met someone 3 days ago, you're now huddling close together to keep warm.  Perhaps in your other life you may not be friends-- different economic scenarios, or life style, or just plain personality conflict-- but here none of that matters.  You're friends because in this moment of time you're in the same place with the same general goal: see the world and learn a language.  Our school is relatively small, 35 to 40 people at most, so it's fun to really know everyone.   

Well, it's Sunday night and I have another week of classes.  We will be getting a new teacher this week, and it is the last week with 4 of the 6 students in our class, so it will be a bit bittersweet.  However, change is good, and with each new person, comes a different dynamic and opportunity for learning and growth.  I am currently in a class with 5 boys and myself and there is a lot of testosterone, joking, and sarcasm.  We can be heard laughing all over the school.  So I will miss the joviality, but for this week, I still have my boys and my laughter.

I'm having difficulty posting pictures on blogger, so I'll be posting links to my facebook site so that you can see the pictures.  Don't worry, you don't have to be logged in to see them, just click the link.

Colonia and Montevideo: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=72533&I9e458&id=657960906

El Tigre and the Delta: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73101&I=b6309&id=657960906