weekend retreat does a body good

(okay, i have to apologize, this is long and stream of consciousness.)  oh my gosh.  if there is one thing i could share with you it would be a weekend on the farm.  i am floating two feet above the ground and grinning from ear to ear after having spent four days out at Marina´s campo.  Marina is our landlady and ¨campo¨is the countryside.  ¨estancia¨ is more descriptive for what it is but i won´t get into that right now.  i just want to tell you about it´s wonderfulness.  (okay, extancia is the farmstead)

as i´m sure you´re all happily aware… and we´re sadly lacking, it was halloween weekend and the celebrations here were less obvious.  apparently costume parties go on here all month long, or whenever the hell they want.  we´ve seen random groups parading around in costume all month and wondered at it till someone explained.  so anyway, we thought we´d find something fun to get our halloween fix till marina invited us to the farm.  we thought about it a moment and then decided it just didn´t feel like halloween anyway so we´d go out to the country and get some sun, fresh air, and relaxation.  SUCH A GOOD DECISION!  we have this fantasy that marina is putting us through some odd initiation of tasks.  there have been a couple things where we´re just like, ¨hm, this is weird… she´s going to kill us right?¨  haha.  so anyway, she sent us out to some random corner in the city to wait for a ¨van¨ that would pick us up.  we had to tell the driver where we wanted to get off.  okay…  she would meet us at the station two and a half hours away cause we had to get a cab from there.  there would be no phone reception and no way to be in touch once we left.  haaaa…  we caught the ¨van¨ at the designated corner and it really did just pull up and open the door for us.  there was so much that happened even just getting there that i won´t go into all that detail, but it got dark, we thought we were going to die from the crazy driving of everyone on the road, passed through little villages where people randomly got off the van.  finally we saw a sign and asked to get off.  there was marina.  our lives still intact.  by the way, ¨we¨ is mike, our housemate andrea from NY and i.  we got in a cab after having a coffee and receiving complimentary souvenir ash trays (no of us smoked…) took a bumpy ride into the night and the fields.  out of nowhere came a fence which marina opened and then a stand of amazing towering trees.  we drove through the lawn up to a little cottage. 

look through my photos (when i get them up.)  we built a fire and stayed up late apprecitating the sounds from outside.  at some point we stepped out to admire the stars and stood agast.  mouths gaping till we realized the mosquitoes were devouring us.  i´d never seen the stars so clearly.  they twinkled so much it gave the illusion of them all moving.  we didn´t believe they were stars. 

we spent the weekend exploring the land.  the residents include cows, sheep and horses.  the land has been in marina´s family for a couple of generations.  they planted the trees that now tower above and give habitat to soooo many different types of birds.  hawks, woodpeckers, colorful song birds, herons, owls though we didn´t see any.  they now rent the land to farmers who herd the cows and sheep. 

i am currently sitting gingerly as punishment for riding horses two of the days.   i was suspicious at first… you know, horses have crazy mind controling powers that turn you into their slave.   so i believe that i was riding the horse, but it may have been riding me, figuritively speaking.  anyway, i was loving it.  marina says i nearly gave her a heart attack, but that i have a hand for it.

what else… the FOOD!  au natural!  we actually picked kumquats and made jam.  ha.  and it´s pretty delicious.  we had fantastic veggie meals of squash and red pepper and pea soup.  picked lemons to squeeze lemonade.  some kind of mint and made tea with honey from the land…  if you are familiar with my someday dream of living self sustainably you can imagine that i was in heaven. 

all communication with marina was in spanish.  i have to admit i´m not doing very well getting a word in but i´m understanding a lot.  rest of the time i spent admiring the farm architecture (which i will scan my sketchs of (look at mike´s photos too))  walking to ¨town¨to buy groceries, gynastics and juggling in the lawn, card games and banjo playing into night.  alright.  i´m sorry to gloat, but it was just the best time i could imagine.  i´m very happy right now, just wish i could have you all here to experience it.   thank you sooo much to marina for the awsome opportunity. 

hope everyone had a happy halloween.  thank you for the messages, i love to hear that you´re doing well and up to fun.  talk soon.  (and more photos, i promise.  we still don´t have internet.  this is another of marina´s evil plots against us.)

okay folks…

who´s coming to buenos aires for new years!?  come on.  we´ll have fun, i promise. 

Invisible Cities

almost a year ago sean gave me a book called Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino…  the author tells fantastic tales in describing the cities that are more like songs. 
i´ve been thinking that Bueños Aires could easily be several of the cities dreamed of in the book. 

Where movies are filmed below your balcony.  armies of dogs, every shape, size, and color… marched in formation, radiating from a single belt harness.  must love dogs?

political demonstrations into the night, fireworks in the street, beating drums, dancing and singing, hoping to find the single man who witnessed years of political crime.  disappears just before his court date.  most believe he´s dead… as children run by with spray cans, cops are nowhere to be seen.

the intonation of an accordion may rouse you from sleep and on opening the shutters you may find a market of fresh vegetable, fish, plants, nuts and grains has gathered around the old man with the melody.

and on saturday night… the streets below are alive till dawn.  young loves, golosos, finding no privacy submit to the throngs of people and embrace till the world around them disappears.  electric youths surround mysterious doorways and bars spill out into the streets with celebration.  stray dogs are happy for the company while the cats lurk in shadows till the crowds disperse.

a quiet time in the evening… there is a hush just before the families of cartonels file down the lonely avenues like a ghost train, picking through the remains of the day .  they push giant burlap sacks wheeled like impossible parade floats.  it is a secret life they live.  a secret language they speak.  perhaps a secret treasure they seek. 

performers too.  when lights are red grit and spit children run out before the traffic and juggle.  tiny arms and tiny bone legs have mastered five balls behind the back, under the leg.  waterfalling in the headlights.  hoping for change.  on pedestrian avenues, as the shops close, the lights shine on.  in an empty street an intersection will be brimming with crowds erupting in laughter and oohs and ahhs.  in the center is a charismatic man on a carton telling jokes.

some make a less honest living.  on a wednesday afternoon if you walk down a bustling street in city center during lunch, guard your watch.  you may be assaulted from behind by a mythological giant in business attire.  you may be colossal and put up a good fight, but when you realize you´re being mugged it´s best to let go.  and as the thief runs to the street to jump on a motor bike that dashed up, you should not hold on.  let Hollywood provide the action.  it´s too horrible to see it happen to friends who tumble into the traffic and come too close for comfort.  but you socked him good. 

dash the police who stood idle in front of the station. ”eh, that´s Argentina” they say.  thank you to the caring bystanders who ran to your rescue.  thanks to the stranger who lent a shoulder and bought you a coke then disappeared.  THAT´s Argentina.

bought some stuff.

mike nearly contained his excitment as we stepped into the juggling store.  this type of store is rare as it is, but this particular one is well known in the juggling crowd world-wide.  but you´d never know it´s there… one of those secret doors in a wall type places.  after playing with the glowing balls for awhile he bought clubs and 5 regular balls with the intention of joining the juggling crowds in Recoleta on the weekend.  we made friends with a guy (ensalada) from Mexico who does contact juggling and has clued us into many artistic performance events around town. 

we also bought cell phones for a little freedom from one another.  we´re definately ready to venture out alone.  then we ate some fantastic food and i bought a really nice waterproof jacket. 
we made some other friends at the hostel and have been going out with them.  i never thought i´d adjust to the lifestyle of dinner at midnight and staying out till morning, but i´m getting there.  haven´t been to any night clubs yet really.

so tonight is this city-wide museum party.  they are open till 2 am i think and then there´s a party in the park near our home.  i´m going with a new housemate and her friend.  

been thinking of stuff i´m missing in DC though… know there was a houseparty for sean´s band last night for instance.  hmmm.  hope all´s well.  love e

i keep a little note pad in my back pocket

wrote this on the bus the other day. 

big news of the day: we´re on the bus! 

oooh, big deal right?  well, to figure out the bus is to really be here.  the buses go everywhere and while the subte (subway) is pretty good and resembles the NY subway stops, it doesn´t go some places.  it´s funny, similar to DC metro not extending into Georgetown, it seems the subte has stayed out of the more prosperous regions of Recoletta and Palermo.  hm.  anyway.

deciphering the bus schedule is like doing your taxes… in another language.

the bus map is a book.  it cost 3 pesos ($1).  there are pages of maps which correspond to an index of streets which correspond to lists of bus routes.  intimidating.  we hear that you get the hang of it… and we seem on our way.

Mike observes that the seat are slippery and uncomfortable. 

besides reading the schedule and finding the right bus you also have to contend with the bus drivers.  they only come to a full stop on accident, in other words be prepared to jump and roll, or hang on for dear life.  before your foot leaves the ground we´re movin´.  AND you have to tell the driver how much to charge you.  ¨ochenta¨ is usually the fare.  the drivers are either unbelievably skilled or unbelievably stupid.  anyway, when i´m on a bike i don´t trust them at all.  they barrel along behind or next to you.  it feels like a scene from star wars. 

the buses themselves are a spectacle.  there are a variety of fleets, different colors and styles.  Mercedes buses.  they have all sorts of little flourishes on the windshield such as quilted curtains with tassels and fringe. 

(we made it to our destination!)

… our return trip:  
15 minutes in the rain trying to find the bus and route home.  it made no sense, (did i mention all the roads are one way) but now i understand, just trust the little book… 

a successful day in many ways.  we now ride a colorful bus, this one with lacy cut mirrors.  at the moment i´m actually really enjoying the bus.  i´ve got a fantastic elevated window seat at the back of the bus and i´m headed home to a dry pair of socks.  happiness.   xo

okay.

after just loosing an entire post i have to say that i miss a more dependable internet situation… however that said… we live in a fantastic new place with a zany little lady.  she´s probably in her 50´s but having a second life now that her daughter is grown up.  it´s pretty endearing to see her dart around the house to get us things.  in the middle of conversations she´ll sprint off down the hall and be back with an armload of maps or dictionaries.  she was formerly a language teacher.  now she plays the djembe and paints tapestries.  she pretty psyched that i´m vegetarian and she treated us to an fabulous meal last night that she made for her visiting artist friends. 
we have a good sized room where we can fit our bikes, two beds, a dresser etc.  there´s a lot of natural light from an interior courtyard. 
two other rooms to rent in the apartment.  it´s more cuban in character but i love all the bright colors.  best are the balconies and the farmers market below on saturday mornings.  we woke to an old porteno  playing the accordian. nice nice, very nice.

much has happened but as we´re running out of time at the internet cafe i´ll just not that i´ve taken lots of photos of the house and will get them up soon.  mike has started some photo series as well so maybe i can get a link up to his. 

lacking internet…

just lost my post… sorry.  internet cafe.  kinda stinks.