This is where we have been living for the second half of the school year. San Carlos de Bariloche, 41 degrees south of the equator in the northern part of Patagonia, Argentina. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Carlos_de_Bariloche
When I imagine the most idyllic mountain landscape, scenes around here fit the vision. It is stunningly beautiful, a combination of galciated peaks, green valleys, and turquoise lakes. The area is protected as a national park the size of Yellowstone NP, and Bariloche is located in the center of the park.
Back in December, we grappled with the pro’s and con’s of
traveling further in Latin America versus living for the entire year in Ecuador . Our time in Ecuador was a special place for the kids to
get to know Latin American culture and begin to learn Spanish. For Patricia and me, it was a perfect place to help
with medical projects. For all of us, it was a place where we had the great fortune to spend time with the family of Jenny Cosgrove in Azogues.
Extending the trip to Argentina has
been a big, new adventure. We don't regret it, though we do miss all of our friends and family in Ecuador. We chose Argentina because it has such a different
culture and way of life compared to the countries of the Northern Andes like Ecuador , yet we
could continue to work on our Spanish skills.
It turns out, there are many similarities between life in Argentina and life back home in Montana. The cattle ranching culture of the gauchos has a similar influence in the region surrounding Bariloche as the cowboy culture has in Bozeman. And as in Montana, many people live here to hike and ski in the mountains of the protected public lands.
The house we rented is in the foothills, about 5 miles from the center of town. We are able to walk the kids to school and we found some great hiking/running trails around the neighborhood.
We're enjoying having a backyard.
When we first arrived, it was summer time!--although the weather here is like in the Northwestern US, so we've had plenty of rainy days.
Now in June, the days are short and cool and there's snow in the mountains.
Waiting for snow to fall down in the valley. One of the exciting parts of being in this part of South America is the prospect of skiing when winter time comes in earnest.
We've never lived in a house with a view like this before, so we're enjoying it immensely.
For Easter, the kids made chocolate eggs for our baskets. Since living in Bariloche, chocolate has become an essential part of our food pyramid. There are hundreds of artisan chocolate factories in town to help keep you supplied.
The caretakers, Hernan and Orlando, generous and caring guys who remind us fondly of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.
Oh yea, there is school...
No more fancy/shmancy private school uniforms!
A couple of days after arriving to Bariloche, the kids started classes in their neighborhood elementary school. By then they had a good grasp of Spanish, but changing to a new school and teachers, new classmates, and a new country and culture, made it challenging. But as it all becomes more familiar, they have grown to enjoy it more. They have special friends at school, they have learned tons (not all academics), and they have entertained us parents with lots of stories about young kids' school day antics.
The school is a 15 minute walk from the house, down a steep gravel road and through the woods on a trail that I widened a little bit with a borrowed machete when we first arrived. The school is "a little rough around the edges," a good ole public school experience to "complement" the more nurtured environment at the private school in Ecuador. Classes are in the afternoon only, so on 3 mornings per week the kids go to a Spanish language school to "learn some grammar." And a few days a week we do a little home schooling to keep up to speed with math and reading from grade levels back in Bozeman.
Annalise' classmates are exceptionally well-behaved...compared to Hans' class!
Posing for photos before a school play depicting Independence Week in May of 1810.
With friends, Mechu and Wara.
With their proud teacher after the performance.
Hans had a part in a play about Argentinian Flag Day.
The Bariloche old town center is surrounded by more modern homes and businesses, but many have a similar Bavarian architectural style.
And many of those homes and businesses have gorgeous views like this one.
A couple of pleasant houses that are down the street from ours.
But the Argentinian people are much more informal than Europeans, and often remind me of native Vermonters or rural Montanans. Many have a somewhat gruff initial appearance and enjoy dressing in jeans and a t-shirt most of the time. The way they sometimes say, "You're welcome" typifies their personality. After a cordial interaction and polite 'thank you,' they may without warning answer with a loud and stern, "NOOOOOOOO!" After a short pause, which gives you time to regain your composure in case you thought they might be angry, they follow with a firm, but more conciliatory, "Por favorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" You are probably very familiar with the literal translation, but the intonation and delivery are uniquely Argentinian.
We have found it pretty easy to get used to the Argentine custom of drinking wine and eating lots of beef. Here's our grill set up for when it's cold or raining outside.
It’s been a bit more of a challenge to get used to drinking the traditional hot beverage, yerba mate. It has plenty of caffeine in it (always a plus), but it's fiercely bitter and has the aroma of hay. The little cup (often made from a gourd wrapped in leather) and metal straw are so alluring though, as is the custom to always share a portion with whomever else is in the room, that we give it another try on a regular basis!
With only 5 hours of school, there has been a little more time to relax around the house than we usually have (with our best bedheads in place). We have grown to appreciate online books that we can download from US vendors, even from the Bozeman public library.
Hans turned 12 years old earlier this month! After burgers, cake and ice cream, Hans' friends Camilo and Mateo had a sleepover. And the next day, we went to a movie theater to see Madagascar 3 in 3D!
Annalise and her friend, Wara, at the local skating rink.
Scenes from day hikes around town.
We had superb weather during the summer and fall months.
Now, we're bracing for a Patagonia winter.
In the end, during our time in Bariloche we have had the chance to spend a lot of time together as a family (compared to our time in Ecuador where Patricia and I were working and where the kids were in school for a full day). The kids have been able to complete the full school year and continue with soccer programs, and at the end of the day, there has always been some time left over to explore some of the mountains and valleys of the Northern Patagonia region. It's going to be hard to leave!
