Series of Fortunate Events

I admit, tears came to my eyes as I stared out of the bus window at the landscape before me. The tall snowy peaks of Mt. Torre and Mt. Fitz Roy were in the clouds but the scenery below it was just as magnificent. I felt a tightening in my chest and new, at that moment, I had been searching all these years for something unexplainable, and here it was right before me. Time to back up a little, my grandmother and I were on our way to Parque Nacional Monte Leon just a few days ago. This area is a reserved piece of land in the middle of nowhere along the Atlantic coast. We were truding up the hill out of Puerto Santa Cruz when the rental started sputtering and clanging. I pulled over and the car completely died. Great. Maybe we smacked one to many rocks on the bottom of the car while driving across the rocky road from El Calafate. We got some help getting it to a mechanic and the people that kindly helped us called for an english translator. And this was where we first met James Louise. ¡Dios mio! He took us to his home, fed us tea and biscuits and called the Hertz car company for us. Simply put, we would have never met James if our car hadn´t broken down. He is the curator of the museum in Puerto Santa Cruz, english teacher, and musician. He owns two pieces of land in Argentina, one of them being north of El Chalten called El Condor. He actually drove us over 200km to the intersection to El Calafate and El Chalten but no gas stations had gas so he had to leave from there while we caught a bus. The locutorio is expensive here! Time to go explore the area and dream of the day when I will get to come back and ride horses through the fresh breeze and trek along the icefield behind Mt. Fitz Roy. Chau

I stood contently in the middle amongst chattering friends, watching the smiling faces, gentle pats on the back, abrazos y besos. Erik stood nearby tending to the asado meat choices of cow, pork, and chicken flaming over the hot coals. Some sat at the large table while others mingled around the balcony porch underneath the starless sky of the polluted city. ¨Smear some pork fat on dem lips,¨ Benjamine commented to baby Luca, with his gummy toothless grin (thats the baby, not BenG, although I could picture him so with a comment like that). Mama Ashley held him gently then passed him off to other members of his new extended family. Musical flute tunes by Morgan flowed around the bodies and intertwined with the pulses of the city street life.

I wrote this last week at about 5am when I couldn´t get any sleep. I had just gotten over a flu and had three presentations to prepare for, then had to plan my granmothers arrival. I got to bed around 7am that day, got up at about 9 am. I probably wasn´t too productful, found myself crying randomly when nothing was going right. But in the end all went well. All presentations were the best they could be, considering the circumstances. I got all of my upper division credit so I might as well go for a Bachelors of Science with a minor in Spanish, si?

Now Im in the over priced town called Calafate named after a spikey shrub. Calafate, a word I use to curse with after countless hours of it piercing my legs in the backcountry. The cold winds are so strong here I wouldnt be surprised if one day this town rolls over into the large Lago Argentino. The beautiful milky blue lake is fed by the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Today mi abuela y yo took the rental car to a remote area of the park for lunch and a walk. Later we visited the glacier and watched as this fast moving glacier, two meters a day, threw large chunks of ice out into the lake.

Tomorrow we are driving to the Atlantic Ocean, Parque Nacional Monte León and staying at an estancia. From there we will be exploring some caves and visiting Patagonias residents, magellanic penguins, sea lions, and sea birds. After this we are driving back inland north of Calafate to El Chalten. If the weather is nice we will get to see Mt. Fitzroy and Mt. Torre. THEN, back to Calafate, Buenos Aires...and home! Que bueno, estoy listo.

Azul

I met a girl named Azul. She was 11 years old and looking ill as the double decker bus swerved side to side on the twisty road into Chile. In my poor spanish I came to learn that she loved to macrame bracelets, she showed me all the colorful twine, circuling her tiny wrist and ankles. She liked my trenza and wished she could have one but they wont let them wear trenzas at school. I wanted to give her a gift, a little jewel of some sort but they were packed away in my bag beneath the bus.

The color of the water wasnt quite blue like the sky, it was mixed with green colored geese poo. A naked little boy gleefully dove and splashed into the water as four kids stood watching. He quickly got out and screamed at them with happiness, all the while shakin his little booty and stinking his tongue out. A little girl stood next to him wearing a safari printed dress that held a small pouch around her waist and brown color print up to her neck. Her brown matted hair, bleached by the sun was pulled back into a blue clip. A dread of hair ran long down her back. It flung wildly as she pushed the boy into the water. Four mothers stood nearby in their bright flower printed flowing dresses, their hair pulled back into a loose bun. They had already tried getting money from me and every other person relaxing in the park. She wanted to read my palm but I wouldn´t understand a word of her so I passed.I wondered if those young spirits would ever go to school.

¿Donde estan los condoritos?

Morgan and I sat in the shade, camouflaged by the leaves of a cipres tree. Most of the time we sat, staring out at the rocky cliffs in front of us or way up in the sky, hoping to see the 3m long wingspan of the great condor. But alas, we saw none. We sat, we stretched, read the Tao Te Ching book by William Martin, and fed some nearby ants the flies we killed. We eventually got so bored and killed so many flies that we focused our attention on how the ants were controlling the wrestling strength of the flies legs. It was amazing! There were ants that took pieces of dirt outfrom under the fly, ants that brought sticks over to lay on top of the fly, and ants that bit and tortured the fly. We didnt find the condors but we did find the wonderous life of an ant. Our goal was to try and find the nest of a pair of condors in an area within Nahuel Huapi. With the help of Sergio we buskwacked our way through thick bamboo and spiky plants that pierce the skin and clothing easily. On top of that, it rained the first few days. By GPS we made our way on top of a hill that looked into a 1km long valley with rocky cliffs on the opposite end. We learned a good lesson, the glorious life of a biologist is few and far between reality. Orlando thinks the pichon might have died. It will be furthur investigated. Off again soon to another nest location in Nahuel Huapi. In the meantime, anyone have any questions they would like to know about condors?

UPDATE:

I forgot to mention a few interesting experiences while we were out there. The second day it rained pretty good and our tent was dripping water from the top, down into the middle on our stuff. As it continued to rain we had to figure a way to stop the water coming in. We used two of our foam pads, brought so we could sit on the ground comfortably. There was a gap letting rain through between these foam pads so we cut a plastic bottle in half and set it there. We had a plethora of plastic bottles because the area we were in had no water resources so we had to rely on what water we brought. In the end our set up worked perfectly. The next morning the birds welcomed us to a new sunny and clear day. Birds such as the curious Chucao came as close to landing on top of our tent briefly with a loud chhuuuuuuuuuuucao. Skipping ahead now. At the end of our trip, Orlando, Morgan and I were hiking out and came upon three horses silently resting under the bright moonlight. We talked to them for a bit and one by one more horses arrived. It was getting dark so we left with a trail of horses behind us. As we walked on the sendero de los caballos, trail of the horses, under the guidance of la luna brillante, the bright moon, I had one horse behind me bump into me with its head. Morgan was following another horse when it decided to take a crapp. When we got the end of the trail only two horses remained and as we left, one horse gave us one last farewell.

¡Oh, Condoritos!

Buenos Dias, Allyce and I were discussing how strange how we are able to sleep better in the woods. The white noise of the rushing river flowing by our tent. The sweet cool breeze blowing in through the mesh lining, wafting in rhythms, filling our head with memorable dreams. Now we are in Bariloche, with a constant background of noises, the stale air inside the room made for a disturbing night. Morgan and I left eight days ago with Orlando and assistant Pablo.We took a trail halfway up to a well known Refugio called Jakob. Our condor location was off trail, once off trail we made our way up a river, scrambling over boulders and cursing while stromping over the sharp spikes of Michay and the whipping sticks of Colihue (bamboo). Once we got to the condor nest area we pitched our tent next to the river. For five and a half days we scrambled up steep, slippery rocks to our observation area. The condors nest is called a nido in spanish, although it`s not really a nest, just an indent in soil with a rock overhang for shelter. We had to get high enough to view the chick or pichòn. From about 8 am to 7 pm we looked through our spotting scopes at the lives of the condors. The pichòn is a cute, large, fluffy, and awkward bird covered in a pile of down feathers. Most of the time Pichòn slept, huddled in a corner but sometimes the parents came to feed. Unfortunately I don`t have enough time to write about all that we observed. It was amazing, special, unique, and I treasured every moment. Even mid day when the sun was scorching our brains and we went crazy looking for shade. Or when Morgans Nalgene bottle went tumbling down the steep slope and shattered into pieces. Morgan brought along two flutes so while he sang sweet melodies, I awkwardly tried to make a few notes. Heading out again in a couple of days. Going to enjoy the time off I have.

Nuevas aventuras

Morgan and I have successful connected with Sergio A. Lambertucci,a leading researcher of the Andean Condor. Today we head off into Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, cerca de Bariloche to camp six days and study the condors. We will be apart of a study that derives from a previous study done by Segio and Orlando. If you`re interested, this is the research paper we are basing our own study off of.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1557-9263.2008.00156.x/abstract
Once we get back we will camp another six days, twice in different areas within the park. Will keep you posted. ¡Nos vemos!

A list of what to bring while traveling

First off, everyone has different needs, the following list is what I have found to work well for traveling light. My grandmother Pamela is visiting me in March so I thought it would be helpful to put together a list plus there are things I wish I would have brought and what to bring while traveling in the future. List also changes on the time of year visiting.

1. Sturdy backpack, depends on your preference, it´s very helpful to have a sleeping bag zipper compartment at the bottom for quick access. Plan on carrying only a large backpack and a small backpack.

2. I wish I would have brought a clothes line that has clips on it. Super easy to use and light. I usually use some rope or like right now my clothes are hanging all over a tree. The thing is, without the clips, random pieces of clothing get blown away.

3. Wish I would have brought a collapsable plastic water container: My nalgene works just fine but doesnt hold enough water. For example, we are staying at a campground that is far from a water source. My professor has a nice container thats not too large and not too small, approximately 1.5 Liters or 50 oz. When he´s not using it, just squishes it down so its compact and light whereas two nalgene bottles do not have this option.

4. Boots, flip flops for showering in, and sneakers.

5. Watch with an alrm clock in it.

6. One warm jacket, once waterproof jacket

7. Sunglasses, warm beanie, ball cap...

8. Grams, I have a few things you can borrow like a beanie cap, gloves, camera, binoculars....

9. Sealable Tupperware container for holding a sandwich and another snack.

10. Only enough clothes to fit in a compressable stuff sack. Por ejemplo: two pairs of pants, one being hiking pants, one pair of shorts, three pairs of shirts, long sleeved shirt, and a light jacket for protection from the sun,two pairs of sneaker socks, and two pairs of warm boot socks. I doubt you will need to bring your boots. Just bring a good pair of sneakers.

11. Extra lightweight bag to bring back goodies in! You will leave with more than you came with for sure.

List of ``must haves`` in Argentina

Here is a list of what everyones buying. Plus a funny update. Last night Amy fell out of her top bunk bed last night. Luckily she´s as agile as a cat and landed on her feet!

First off, if you´re in Bariloche you have to buy:
1. CHOCOLATE!
Entonces...
2. Cuchillos, knives
3. Boleadoras
4. Sam bought a beaver trap
5. I bought a baca belt, cow belt with hair on it!
6. Mate´s
7. Bombillas for the mate´s
8. All types of clothing
9. Pan de Indio gal, not a pan de indio girl but a type of fungus that grows on a tree and forms strange growths.

As our adventures grow, so does this list

Estoy cansada

I´ve been wanting to write since my break in El Bolson but I´ve so busy ever since I got back to the real world. I´m staring at this computer and it´s swaying haha! Too much cafe and mate. I had spanish class this morning and shared my new ceramica mate gourd with everyone. It´s a pajaro, bird. After class I wrote my two spanish presentations, one on one of the founding fathers of Argentina, Perito Moreno and the other presentation on an interview of our choice. I interviewed several people in the artensanal feria in Bariloche, people like Daniel who made the ceramica mate cup I bought, a Cecilia who makes soap, and a Mapuche woman (a true native of Argentina) who makes beautiful silver jewelry.

Then I had a meeting with film director and producer of The Path of the Condor. Here´s the website: http://www.thepathofthecondor.com/
My classmates Morgan, Ben, and I asked him questions about possible projects to join about the condors. We have some more people to contact but it looks likely that my February project will be studying the Condor bird. I´m super excited because not a lot of study has been done on these magnificent birds. Every new information gained about them has great opportunities in areas of re-establishing populations here and in california with the californian condor, new inventions in paragliding, and much much more.

Time to go, tonight I´m eating at the restaurant Sesame with my roommates. Some other things I´ve been working on is a species presentation on the Black-Browed Albatross and another presentation on a research paper about the Condors. Sunday our group leaves to take rental cars north and south to different parks.

Here´s an interesting article my professor just sent me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/13/argentinian-founding-father-genocide-row

¡Nos Vemos!