To get into the mood for writing my Co-op report, I thought I would put pen to paper (or fingers to keys as it were) on my recent exploits, tribulations and overall experience here in Argentina. I suppose I’ll start at the beginning, at a passionate speech by a certain Jerry Cronin (if you’re reading this, the vast majority of you will know Jerry, and introductions are not necessary, for all the others, simply put, for all of us in the University of Limerick doing Co-op, he’s our leader). So, there I was, young and naïve in first year, and faced with where in the world I wanted to go and do my Co-op, and I narrowed it down to two places, Ghana and Argentina (despite some impassioned pleas for Uganda). After both talks, I was still in turmoil, and decided that because I’d have the opportunity to learn Spanish in Argentina, and Ghana would be so different that I might hate it, I filled out the form, did the interview, got the placement, and s*#t myself for the next four months until I was to depart.
Upon arrival, I will never forget the intense, heavy humid heat that hit me as I walked out of the airport. Having departed Ireland in March, I had been wearing a coat with all my essentials (passport etc.) safely tucked away, and so was nearly melted by the time we got to the bus. Two quick days, a scavenger hunt for an ATM, and a 16km bike ride in 30 degrees heat in BA later, we went north to Baradero, a small town near Rosario, for 2 weeks. Sure then, it was myself and 22 other students, and true to form, we found a bar a few doors down, and transformed it into our local. They played traditional Irish music for us, and lambasted the place in green on Paddy’s Day. It was there we realized everything was dirt cheap, and so a love of Isenbeck and helado began. I will never forget my first mate, downing a scalding flask of it in order to try and win a competition, the first asado with the crickets, and the pool on a scalding hot day after the Spanish classes. Baradero had it all, both ups and downs, from interesting nights out (we know the ones I’m on about), an unreal talent show and a hilarious play, to a serious over-use of the toiletry facilities, and a toilet destroyed in a helado parlour… I won’t name the culprit.
After two weeks of living in each other’s pockets, we zoomed off to Retiro and off to different ends of the country. I’ll never forget falling asleep and waking up at 6 in the morning to desert as far as the eye could see. My first placement was a town called Catriel, a small oil town of 20,000 people, and one disco. However, I got to know a lot of people there and made some friends, as well as obtaining the use of a scooter, and got to experience first hand the lethal non-system driving of the Argentineans, as well as an error of driving the wrong side of the road my first time out, it had it’s moments lets say! Everyone there was so friendly, and my family were such unbelievable people, For the Easter break, I went with some of the other people in the programme to Bariloche for the weekend, where I fell in love with Fernet, and went white-water rafting in the Andes, with an asado there after… coolest thing I have ever done! The nights out were awesome, but what happened there is best left to the legends of Bariloche…
My next placement was the capital of the province Rio Negro, a city called Viedma. There I lived with the headmistress of the Institute, and couldn’t have been treated better. I saw lobos (sea-lions) and the beach resort of the city. The city has a beautiful river, in which they swim in the summer and do all sorts of water activities, it really was a beautiful spot, with Patagones, a different city, across the river, which is really old, and very typically old South America. One of my adult students brought me to his “small” farm on a Saturday, I have never known a man with so much land, It was incredible! Target practise with a rifle, drove a pick-up around the desert, and then came back to a sheep being slaughtered and prepared for asado by a gaucho, brilliant! For my Visa week, I went to Puerto Madryn for a day and saw some whales, and then headed to Calafate for a week with Ronan Deasy, a compatriot English teacher. Patagonia is truly a desert, after Four Weddings and a Funeral, I decided to look at the night scenery, and saw nothing, not one light, for five hours, truly spooky stuff. After witnessing the worst place in the world, Rio Gallegos, we headed to Calafate, where we chilled for two days before visiting Puerto Natales in Chile for a freezing night, and back to Calafate, where I witnessed one of the most spectacular sights I have ever witnessed, the Perito Moreno Glacier, definitely worth a look! After a day of jumping fences to look at flamingos, and drinking with a lot of strangers from Europe and America, I returned to Viedma, and onto my final placement.
Villa Maria is indeed my last port of call, the last placement in this saga of, well, placements. I wanted to go North after Patagonia, and got my wish, being placed in the perfect spot, one hour away from Cordoba! I live here also with the headmistress of the Institute, and everything has been top-notch. I graced Cordoba with my presence last weekend, and decided to visit a zoo for the first time, with the result of me being locked in the zoo in the pitch dark, and finally jumping a wall and some razor wire onto a street, where I had no idea as to my location or general bearings, fun! After a brief visit to a spot in the mountains called Carlos Pass, I returned to Villa Maria for what can only be described as a special night, involving a nap in a park and some friendly police officers sheltering me. Situations do arise with a need for Spanish, and it is always best to have the necessary level, I can assure you! Also, the weather in the north has been very like Irish weather, with a lot of rain and low temperatures, and the ashes from the Volcano in Chile didn’t help matters either! I also made some brown bread and Irish tea for my host family, and they loved it, nothing like sharing the ole culture!
And so, if you haven’t got bored and drifted to sleep, I hope you enjoyed me regaling you about the tales of my minor misfortunes, and unbelievable experiences. Overall, it is a life-changing experience, it truly is, and opens up your mind so much. You meet some great people, live a different life, become addicted to Mate, Dulce de leche, Milanesas, Alfajors and Empanadas, if not addicted, you will have your fill, I can assure you. Oh, and Fernet, not quite like anything you will have tasted before, but this alcoholic drink is brilliant! Also, if you think 3 hour bus rides are long now, here you will do 10 hours with no problem at all! My experiences above is to give you an idea of whats ahead, and where-ever you get placed, you will have an amazing experience, and if you have already lived in Argentina, then you’ll know what I’m on about. Where I shall travel to next I cannot say, but the North calls, with the Falls, La Paz and Machu Piccu to come, it ain’t over by a long shot!
