Today marks our second full week in Argentina and the last day of language classes for now. Though becoming accustomed to the rhythm of the country, some things still feel strange (mainly, eating heavy meals after 9pm ... people here don't really have dinner until ten or even midnight).

Though I decidedly dislike the constant city noise, I fell in love with the round the clock activity that happens in this city the other night when we caught a collectivo (bus) home at 12:30. There were men working on a building behind the bus stop, up on ladders and all, doing who knows what, as we walked 2 blocks from our friend's house and were dropped off 2 blocks from home after a wait of only 15 minutes. On the corner down the street from our flat was a cow rib cage with a dog in a coma laying next to it (just to clarify, this is in front of a butcher shop). There's something pretty awesome about so many people here in this one place, who are each in their own worlds.

After months of searching, we finally found some flora guidebooks for native Argentinian plants! Since, unfortunately it was a series of 6 books, which our budget (and our backpacks) could not afford, we will be specializing in flowering shrubs/trees and monocots while we're in Argentina. The dicots were split up into two different books, and I kind of had a hard time leaving out orchids, bromeliads, and lilies. Anyhow, enough geek speak on that for now.

Yesterday Rosa and Fernando hosted a full blown Argentinian asada, complete with friends, plenty of Stella, and plenty of meat. Fernando started up the parilla mid-day (a parilla is similar to a barbecue), but as la ley de Murphy (murphy's law) would have it, the heavy heat and humidity turned into rain just as we were settling into our seats on the terrace. Though unfortunate, everyone maintained good spirits and the food was still amazing. An asada is basically a ton of different cuts of meat all slow grilled, mostly beef, but some pork The most interesting is the morcilla (blood sausage).

Today we checked out La Boca, the first port of BA, and one of the more poverty-stricken sections of the city; it is noted for its colorful buildings that are composed of brick, concrete, and corrugated tin. It is also known for several Argentine artists who were born or lived in the area. It was eclectic and cute, and we sat for a while at an outdoor cafe observing tango and gaucho traditional dances.

Though I'm not a 'shopper', I've got to say, the shopping is great in BA. The thing is, we don't have a ton of extra cash, nor much space (or want more weight) in our packs for extra goods, and shipping isn't cheap, so we'll have to be selective with what we decide to send home. Its unfortunate, really. I guess on the other hand after clearing out so many things at our home, I also don't want to overload us. The only reason its not hard to abstain from purchasing is because I'm so unaccustomed to really buying much in the first place. But there are so many cute little craft markets with many gorgeous goods, shoes, mates, jewelry, crafts, leatherwork....

Anyhow, tomorrow we brace ourselves for a 20 hour bus journey. The Argentinean buses serve meals (we'll get breakfast and dinner, includes wine), entertainment (movies, I think), and sleeper seats, so hopefully its not too bad. In any case, wish us buenos suerte!

Deep in the heart ... of Buenos Aires

We have begun to fall into step with things here in Buenos Aires - they are no longer quite so new and awe-inspiring as one feels the moment they enter a new place, though the greatness of the architecture remains quite enchanting. After nearly two weeks in a city with so many people, I notice with more frequency the other side of the charm: the black smoke from the buses that fights its way into my lungs, the homeless woman on the sidewalk treating some grotesque wound on her ankle, the unceasing clamor of a crowded metropolis.

A few glimpses:

Some "typical" architecture.

A parillon: serves the best sandwiches you can imagine for 5 pesos (about $1.50) that you can add all sorts of superduper toppings to)

Entrance to the Recoleta cemetary: where Evita is buried.

One of the most unica sitias we have come across is the El Gato Viego - an art gallery in this crazy warehouse type atmosphere, surrounded by large sculptures made from reclaimed junk metal and fashioned into things like dinosaurs and airplanes. It's pretty out of this world. We arrived to the art opening (they have one each Thursday, along with dinner) rather late, and missed most of the band (their last song sounded awesome), and we may return.

Learning Spanish continues to have its ups and downs. After my class last Friday I felt as though I´ve learned so much this week, but today I felt all stupid again. There are so many levels of understanding: reading, writing, hearing, speaking for basic communication, speaking using correct grammar and tenses, speaking faster than a sloth... But overall it has been a positive experience and I think it is the best way to learn a language. Concepts are continually being reinforced, whether it be in our conversations with Rosa and Fernando, eavesdropping on passers by, reading advertisements on a bus, or interpreting guerilla graffiti.

Saturday we had the chance to view some art at one of the Museos here, and saw both classical pieces and Argentinean works. Its actually been quite a long time since I´ve seen classical art, and I found a newfound appreciation for it's storytelling ability. The Argentinian art was nice, too, my favorite piece was one that initially appeared abstract, but upon closer inspection I realized that it was an image of South America, upside down (according to our north-centric ideology of the world), dwarfing the North American continent. It hints at a few of the intricacies of the complex relationships between the two regions.

Jameson and I are beginning to replace our coffee habit with a mate addiction. Mate is

Today we booked our tickets on out of the city, and into Los Andes to the city of Bariloche. The area looks very beautiful... it is right on a very large lake. I am excited to escape into la sierra y commune with this new nature.

Immersed.

Now that we are here there is so much to write about that I almost do not know where to start. There would be no way to capture it all so I suppose I´ll just have to focus on a couple of phenomenons.

Buenos Aires is a city of approximately 13 million people. To facilitate the movement of people here they have a subte (subway) system that consists of several lines. But what is even more amazing is the bus system here. There are over 200 different city buses. And, I´m not sure exactly how it works, but many of them dock at different places and they have a different exterior paint job according to that - basically, each of them look pretty different! It gets better - they have all the route information for the busses and subtes, along with a map of the entire city, contained in a small little book, the Guia T, that fits in your pocket! The buses and subtes don´t need to have a schedule because they all come every five to ten minutes.

Learning a new language has been quite an amazing experience. It has been enhanced quite a bit by staying at the home we are living in, and I feel like the amount we have synthesized in this past week has been much more than if we were not immersed in the language and culture after class, as well. What is very interesting to me is how things are conveyed, and how some words are used similarly and others are used very differently. For example. there are two words for ¨to try¨in Spanish: probar and tratar. The first indicates trying new thingsClasses are very difficult! I feel like there are many steps to learning the language, and comprehending the native speakers talk at their pace is still one of the hardest. Our understanding of the verb tenses and construction is coming along, but there are simply so many to learn! The other frustrating thing when speaking is that I have to talk so slow to convey any one thought. There are many instances when we feel just plain stupid.

Rosa and Fernando have continued to be wonderful to live with. We´ve been having dinner together most nights, and have had the traditional empanadas (I got to help make them - pretty simple actually), as well as other typical porteño food: pasta, pizza, and meat. We had an asado a couple nights ago - four different cuts of meat all slowly barbecued over low coals... all the beef here is free-range and grass-fed simply by matter of tradition, and extremely delicious! We´ve had many culture sharing sorts of conversation. We´re pretty fascinated by the tumultous recent history that defines Argentinian culture, as well as the very complex and tangled relationship that America has with the rest of the world. Even though the United States has exploited many people in Latin American countries, there still seems to be a fascination of us. Jameson and I are coming to terms with how to accept this, as we reject much of what a stereotypical view of the United States stands for. Its appalling to think about the media that crosses our borders. Fox News, for instance, is broadcasted in Australia. Our Australian friend in Jameson´s language class was happy to hear that our views, and the views of all Americans, are not in line with those of Fox News.

There is much to learn about in this respect, and we plan to continue to focus on not only our interests in ecology and sustainability, but also try to come to a clearer understanding of how we fit in to this global picture of the world.

Bienvenidos a Argentina

Hola desde Buenos Aires...

We arrived Friday morning, after two almost sleepless nights - the first packing up the few items we are taking for the trip, and the second restless in uncomfortable aisle seats on the international plane. Despite our exhaustion, we were recharged during the taxi ride into the city, taking in the sights and sounds.

Our temporary casa is perfecto! We have a room with a double bed that has a door out to a little balconeria, complete with little chairs and potted plants. It lets in a good bit of light. The flat is fairly spacious, and there are several outdoor terraces with different seating areas. Our hosts, Rosa and Fernando, are amazing and have thus far offered exceptional hospitality, beyond what we could ask for. Por ejemplo, on our first night here, they took us to an underground art studio / bar where there was some experimental music playing, and several rooms showcasing different artists. It reminds me a bit of something that one would find in the 619 Western artists' building in Seattle. Fernando has been a part of the experimental music scene in Buenos Aires for over 15 years. He and some friends did a recording before we went out that evening... it was amazing to watch as ethereal sounds emerged from his guitar, and as another musician created rhythms from a French horn, and another used styrofoam, cardbord, and a violin bow as his instruments. ¡Esta musica es el nuevo tango!

Other than that, we have been walking around our barrio and in central Buenos Aires. We are in the Montserrat/San Telmo barrios, and there are many restaurants, bars, and tango clubs. The architecture is remniscent of Spain and Italy. We also wandered into the Reserva Ecologia and saw many birds and speculated about the plant families we were seeing. The beach sand and rocks seemed to consist of eroding building materials - sections of a brick wall softened by crashing waves.

Our Spanish is coming along but is certainly a challenge. Rosa y Fernando are patient with us... thus far they have been primarily speaking in English (I kind of think they enjoy the English practice) and coaxing us along. It has been good for orientation, as we've engaged in some long conversations about Argentinean history, culture, and the economic crash which would not have been possible if we were only using Spanish. Rosa said she will begin speaking only in Spanish beginning on Monday, which is when we will begin our classes. I find that I get kind of scared and flustered, especially when in a store or meeting someone new, and forget even the most basic things I know. One thing that is particularly difficult is that the 'll' sound is completely different here; instead of a 'ljey' sound (um, is that how you spell it?) Argentinians pronounce it as 'sh'. So, all these words we are familiar with now sound completely different than we are accustomed to. And they speak fast! But, we are learning and enjoying the challenge.

By the way, I just want to say sorry to all the wonderful people in New Mexico for skipping New Mexico in our postings... basically, we had a lovely time with Jameson's family and family friends, we went on long walks or hikes almost every day, and I completed my thesis, mailed it off, and completed two graphic design jobs that were hanging over my head (on the very last day there, no less!) Since all of those things required staring at a screen I never had much inclination to go online and write... In short, November in New Mexico is beautiful, the village of Corrales is relaxing and lovely, the city of Rio Rancho freaks me out, and the people we spent time with were all very loving and kind and we appreciate your hospitality.

Until next time...

Wild Turkeys and Big Rocks

Next step: road trip.

As we drive our scenic route to New Mexico, visiting family and national parks along the way, Jameson and I realize how much easier it may have been to plan an 8 month journey through North America, still seeing gorgeous country, different cultures, and learning. But, our budget would have to be at least triple, and it would not be nearly as exotic. Though, shedding exoticism would also mean avoiding uncomfortable encounters with parasites and such. I suppose each venture further into the unknown opens into both disquieting situations, and ideally, greater rewards.

We were fortunate to drive the Avenue of the Giants (weaving through groves of luscious old growth redwoods), visit one of my fave breweries (Lagunitas... yum!), and friends in the Bay Area en route to my mom and stepdad's house nestled in the western Sierra Nevadas. We got to check out a couple of wineries (Butterfly Creek was pretty super! - the owner even invited us to come help bottle the next day), hike in Yosemite National Park, and just hang out. It was a perfect visit in a beautiful place, with the oaks changing colors and the invigorating crisp fall air. Oh yeah, and she has wild turkeys that frequent her backyard.

... when turkeys knock at your back door...!

... us at a viewpoint on 4 mile trail, with El Capitan in the background.

Instead of doing the crappy Central Vally drive south yet again, we elected to take Tioga Pass east through the Sierra Nevada, as I have been itching to go to Mono Lake ever since I read Cadillac Desert a couple years ago. It was amazing. We reached the lake in the late afternoon, in time to catch the sunset illuminating the tufa formations.


Tufa is made when calcium laden springs flow up from the lake bottom. It bonds to carbonates in the water, and forms calcium carbonate (a type of limestone). Over time, this builds up into a 'tufa tower'. Because the lake level was reduced (when Los Angeles bought the water rights to all streams flowing into the lake), these towers are revealed here.


We completed the route over the pass (the highest drivable pass in California, at 9,945 feet) just in time, as the very next day the region was carpeted in snow, and the pass was closed.

Our route from here took us to more and more remote territory. I don't think we saw a town with a population that topped 30,000 until we reached Phoenix metro. Instead we saw the dry Owens Lake (also a relic of Los Angeles' overconsumption of water), BLM land, and open high desert areas embraced by mountains in the Owens Valley. This transformed into the warmer desert further south, and desolate territory traveling on 2 lane roads leading as far as the eye can see, uninterrupted by trees or cities. I didn't really let myself think about what would happen if the car had a problem. I wondered about who lives in these little old run down places, hours and hours from any large city, and likened them, at least in some ways, to the tiny Peruvian villages I encountered last year tucked away in forgotten corners of the Andes.

We navigated ourselves towards Phoenix via the north end of Joshua Tree National Park, and were fortunate to get advice at the visitor center about a fee-free place within the park that gave us respite from the long car ride... this was not just a little wheelchair-accessible .2 mile stroll, but huge granite boulders to climb! Jameson turned into a mountain goat and we played for a couple of hours in the warm sun. Oh, did I mention warm? We escaped the incoming storm to enjoy the first real sun I've felt since August. How completely revitalizing.

Boulder fun

Phoenix is a huge (5th largest city in the US) sprawling conglomeration of pavement and vehicles, dotted with peaks and buttes. We had a great time with my brother and sister in law - hitting up a dueling piano bar, a couple other hot spots, and Camelback Mountain. Camelback was a superfun and fairly challenging hike and in some places scramble up, but chock full of Phoenecians getting in their Saturday morning exercise. The most crowded northwest hike is tranquil in comparison.

We've now made it to our final US destination: Albuquerque, New Mexico! Time to spend time with Jameson's family, and finish our preparations.

South to Sunny California

Everything has seemed to start off on the right foot.

First stop: Portland, to see Jameson's brother, Julian.
As you can see, they seemed to have a great time together. Julian made a superb dinner. It was the first realization that, well, we're not going home!

Wednesday itinerary: PDX to Big Lagoon County Park, CA. During our lunch break, we pulled off 199 at a sign that said "Botanical Walk" and saw the endangered and endemic Darlingtonia californica (by the way, this is my new favorite plant genus to say), aka, the California pitcher plant. There are two main awesome things about this plant: it grows in serpentine soils where other plants cannot survive, and it is carniverous. Since it gets its nutrients from bugs, it is able to survive in places with extreme soil conditions.

Another random stop in northern Cali gave us a magnificent Roosevelt elk viewing. This, again, was a hint from a road sign that said, "elk viewing area." Surprisingly, there was this herd of about 20-30 elk, and the males were all going at it to be the one in charge. Evidently its the tail end of rutting season, and we got an amazing show!

The day ended at Big Lagoon, a gorgeous park north of Arcata. Unfortunately I didn't really break out the camera, but the moon was nearly full, and when walking on the long spit, to the west was the crashing Pacific, and to the east, a calm lagoon. We practiced putting up our hammocks that will be our beds when we're camping in SA, and slept in them for the first time.

About the blog

Naming things takes a lot of thought. I'm pretty bad at it, admittedly. I never named the garden I put in at the school. My cat came adorned with a name. Names are so laden, and I think they can end up confining the named.

There were many ideas I hoped to capture in figuring out the URL for this blog, making it even more challenging to determine something appropriate. Tambien, quisimos llamar el blog en espanol, pero not so obscure that our English-speaking friends would find it obtrusive. So I was excited when Jameson and I came up with the URL / blog title, "Diversidad de Vida [diversity of life]", I feel that it addresses so much of what this journey encapsulates: diversifying our own lives while learning about the way people live in different areas and how they counter place-based societal and environmental challenges. Also, it conveys our interests and future postings about biodiversity and ecological interactions in the breathtaking ecosystems we will encounter.

Saying Goodbye to Kennedy Creek Chum

Today we left Olympia.

It was with mixed feelings: sentiments towards the house, the garden, and all the work we've put into it alongside excitement for closing a chapter and opening a new one. As we closed in on getting every last thing out of the house it became very evident that change was imminent and things would not be the same - ever. I noticed a cedar at the top of the hill that we planted a few years ago, now five feet tall, and the alders by the front bridge, now 20 feet tall, seedlings when we moved in. I noted the creeks changing morphology, and the restoration work we've done just in the past year that has begun to flourish. A part of me questions why I would leave the paradise we've built, and then I recall the restlessness stirring within me, the desire to see new places and collect new experiences.



After the final goodbye to the house, and tying up loose ends in town, we paid our final tribute to the salmon at the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail. They return to the stream throughout the month of November. A few years back I did research on salmon and Kennedy Creek (since its upstream portion is in my backyard), and I've done many wanderings, drawings, photographs, and wadings in these waters, so the creek and the falls are very close to my heart.

I've been here at the cusp of October/November before only to find a couple chum here and there, but with the rains we've had in the last couple of weeks, I had a feeling the fish would have started swimming upstream. In my favorite viewing area there were many courting pairs.


My most vivid revelation was that the fish we saw today were likely from the eggs that hatched the year we moved in to the house: chum typically return to their home streams to spawn between 3-5 years of age. It gave me a sense of closure, and acknowledgment that a new page is turning. Salmon not only contribute to ecosystem health in the literal sense, but embody a metaphorical story of life in their ageless cycle in the Pacific Northwest.

Preparing

Leaving is hard.

Though we've been planning for a long time, and yearning to travel for even longer, when it comes down to it, the physical and mental challenges of preparing to depart are significant.

Material possessions become valueless and meaningless, and we shed them each day. Never do we feel so detached from possessions as when we realize that they won't be a part of our lives for about a year. And, probably since I've been working in sustainability and "waste minimization" for the past year, I really can't stand to throw anything away that has any value at all. Luckily, I have found homes for most things, and we have not actually taken that much to the transfer station.

I find myself ripping things apart into recyclable components, and seeking out artists who may want the random magazines and collage materials that I've collected. Being an artist, I have accumulated other people's junk, things that would already have been thrown away. Um, you can't sell those things... I have to justify their placement in the trash by telling myself that it would have been there three years ago had I not saved it then. Even so, it pains me to see resources put in a collective bin that is set into a landfill. Each item has a story, and so many resources that went into its production (from accessing the resource, getting all the components together, the energy that went into its creation whether by human or machine, the travel to its final destination), and we have fewer and fewer resources available to us any longer.

There are so many projects to complete, I don't know how it is going to happen, but I'll pretend I'm a superhero for another couple weeks. Finishing the thesis (presenting next Tuesday the 27th), doing some map design for this really cool audio tour book, doing an interpretive panel for the edible forest garden I put in. It is really this interesting transition period of completing everything everything at once, and proceeding forth with what is truly a new chapter.

And then when I can get past all that, I realize that I'll be on another continent for 8 months, and that just blows me away. I'm still kind of realizing what that means, particularly culturally, but I suppose I'll have more time to realize that after I finish my thesis.