Benedicto:

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets’ towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkey’s howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches where storms come and go as lightening clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you---beyond that next turning of the canyon walls. ---Edward Abbey (thanks Trudy Hall)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Argentina Crying for Me? Not At All...

"May I help you?"
Good Bye Hostel Betty in Patagonia
Magellan's boat is SO small!

Patagonia: 8:18 PM and still light enough for a rainbow

First Class Attendant!

December 11—we slept last night at the airport, or tried.  Les did a much better job of it than did I.  But in waiting, I saw such a wonderful sight through a translucent glass at a strong angle from me that could be a wonderful performance art or dance piece set.  People were communicating by breathing on the glass and writing, or with gestures, or putting their ear to the glass.  One woman took a photo of her son on one side and a friend on the other with arms around each other, but they had this glass barrier between them.  We changed planes in Santiago and were not looking forward to being in the front of the next plane with all the babies crying, but when we looked at our seats with our numbers we were shocked that they were in first class!!! Surprise!  So I said yes to everything our attendant offered: magazine, Pisco sour, beautiful course of salad with roast tenderloin, Malbec, moist hot towel, and little rolls.  I had THREE windows through which to see the Andes.  What a sight!  I could see imaginary climbing routes and hikes that would last for months! 
Sweet "Brisa" (Cristina's kitty)
Wake up, Les!
At the airport we had a comedy of errors, with me going in to look for information about a shuttle, while outside Les asked the shuttle to wait, but it couldn’t, and inside I had to call them, but didn’t have the change, I got some, then their last shuttle was gone (they said, but Les found it) so I  paid for another that left in 7 minutes, which of course we missed….  We got to Cristina’s place just fine.  It’s so nice of her to let us stay in the heart of San Telmo.
Genoveva and Nahuel
January 13-14—The highlight of one day was going to Palermo to have dinner with Genoveva and Nahuel.  We got there early and watched dogs in the park, looked for them and watched children play until ½ hour overdue.  We started to leave and there they were waiting for US!  We went to quite a fancy place with delicious food and a groovy atmosphere. 
Les and I went on the outskirts of town to a fair in Matadero where I bought some folkloric men’s pants years ago and a three-metal ring.  When we got there, nothing was going on!  It starts next week.  Anyway, the bus ride was beautiful and cheap. 
In the evening, I went to the park across the street to see if I could see more Murga dancing, and I fell into a little fair.  There were stalls with cheap stuff closing down and some folkloric dancers doing the Argentine Samba and Chacadera. 

Folkloric Dance: Chakadera and Samba

A young man in a suit evidently loved dancing, and was quite graceful and dashing with the ladies.  He joined the live band later with a mandolin type instrument.
one woman band street musician
January 15—Les took off for Ecuador this morning.  I will miss him!
Buenos Aires's version of "Freecycle"
After roaming the streets looking at Tango and things to buy in the street, I went back to the cheap fair and bought a pair of pants for about $2US, and cruised around looking for a very small book to write down finances.
Three Phases Of Woman


Sue with big bad wolf


Rodin's work in the park

"How long do I have to lie like this?"
Cristina and Nora (a friend and local actress/teacher) and I met at the Japanese Gardens to stroll through the park and to look at statues being repaired.  These two are like close sisters.  It’s fantastic to see how at ease they are with each other.’




I got to the dance jam and Gabriel recognized me from teaching long ago here.  I didn’t expect to negotiate faces from the past—I am so bad at this.  Genoveva was there and we had a dance that was airy, full of momentum and joy. 
Dani let me experiment with an idea I have for a class I want to teach next week in Chile about the muscles hugging the bones.  Our dance was full of friction, spiral, pressure and contraction, starting with an enormous hug.  Dancing with Paula and another presented a trio that inter-weaved the three of us with surprise, joy and satisfaction.  I was happily spent when the jam ended, and took the 24 bus back to Cristina’s nice home.
Cristina and Nora in the boat on the Tigre Delta
Mate on the lawn


The beach on the river

bathing beauties


January 16—Today was Tigre day.  Nora, Cristina and I drove to the delta of Tigre where we went to a park with a small river beach, and we ate fruit, drank mate and beer, and relaxed in the sun.  The river is brown, but a wonderful temperature.  I assume it’s pretty polluted, so I kept my head out.  We had a wonderful time going and coming.
Gabriel and Bryce
Cristina and Paula
Bryce and Gustavo
January 17—was a blogging and laundry day with a jam at the end.  Oh, it was great to see some of the old dancers again.  Gabriel, Gustavo, Genoveva, Paula and Bryce, and two others were there with Cristina and me.  Bryce is house-sitting this place with a yoga studio.  We did “contemplative dance practice,” then an open jam.  It was delightful.  So many people with different qualities and playful and deep work.  Gustavo and I had a quick light arm dance that snaked and whipped around.  Sweet. We got home late.
January 18—prattling around with making a blog movie and spending a long time going from one cash machine to another that would have money or take my card, then waiting in line forever at the grocery store while the electricity went out.  Coffee. Laundry.  Meeting the woman who made our rings.  Chile tomorrow!