Scaling New Heights

I've been in Argentina for over a month now and I'm struggling to believe  that one fifth of my time here has already expired! I couldn't have asked for a better first month though - I can't believe how amazing my time has been so far! If the next four months continue in the same manner, I will return to Australia a very exhausted but very very happy man. (I turn eighteen in about a week!)

This time I'll start with the more exciting stuff. Firstly, an update on those guys that we saw being held at gunpoint at the checkpoint on the way to Chile- apparently they were attempting to smuggle 23kg of marijuana over the border. I also forgot to to mention that Pucon in Chile had in place a full volcano alert system in case the permanently active volcano decided to start spewing something slightly more dangerous than a steady stream of smoke.

The 'Walking Group'

Secondly, when I signed up for my host father's 'walking group' I wasn't sure what to expect. I hoped that, at least, it would be a good way to keep fit and get to know more of the local landscape. On Saturday I took part in my first monthly group 'walk'. It turned out to bear a fare closer resemblance to hiking (and at times mountain climbing) than walking. The landscape that I would be getting to know turned out to be a 'hill' (again by Argentinian standards) that reached an altitude several hundred metres higher than the highest point in Australia! The experience was one of the most incredible of my life so far! I'm still struggling to find the words to describe it.. I was challenged, at times frightened,  entertained and richly awarded by views more beautiful than anything I've witnessed before.  

Sitting at the summit, munching away on our sandwhiches and sipping mate, with everybody chatting away in Spanish, I was hit with a strong sensation of amazement at how lucky I am to be having these experiences half way around the world. This is a feeling that I have been getting quite a lot lately. The other occasion that I recall most strongly feeling this was way, was whilstcycling by myself along the same route that I rode with Agus and Luis my first weekend here. With the volcano before me, the beautiful scenery around me, the narrow dirt road and cars narrowly avaoiding me on my bike (Mum, they weren't really getting that close - I say this merely to add effect) I was struck by a strong sense of where I had found myself in the world. The fact that I was doing this at two in the afternoon having already finished school for the day and with a siesta awaiting me when I got back to the house, the beauty of my lucky life was really affirmed.

In the week since my previous post I also survived  the most spectacular electrical storm I've ever witnessed. I was preparing for a bike ride when the sky began to rumble - a deep throated growl that slowly built in intensity. Within seconds the sky was lit by an onslaught of fork lightening and all I could do was sit in awe and enjoy the show. With the start of the rain, everything just seemed to get more intense. The thunder shook the house, seeming to echo in the hills for minutes on end. Soon later a lightening strike knocked out the house's electricity, only adding to the atmosphere. I snapped the below picture soon after the storm's end, just capturing a fading rainbow.

Now for the update on progress in daily life.

School continues to go well, I feel that I am understanding more each day. In some classes I can recognise almost every word, however I'm not yet able to think fast enough to do more than piece together the general topic. I am able to understand far more in general conversation but still struggle when people speak directly to me, however this is improving. Just like in Australia, most adults are far more clear in their speech than teenagers, so I generally fare better in conversations with older people. I was able to communicate to my coordinator (I also got a quick trip to talk to her in San Martin) and my host parents that I would like to take Spanish classes (I did this in Spanish so I was quite happy with myself). So, starting as soon as possible, I will be having three hour -long lessons per week with a friend of Elsa's.

I am really enjoying music lesson at the local 'Escuela de Music'. The teachers are amazingly talented! I would happily just sit and watch them play during my hour long lessons. I have one guitar lesson and one piano lesson per week. On both instruments I learn traditional Argentinian music which I really enjoy. Over this month I have come to develop a love for a great deal of Argentinian music, in particular the 'rock nacional' that is constantly being played and listened to by my host family.

I feel that I am really starting to settle into the family well, happily hanging out with my host brothers and constantly joking around in English and Spanish. At one point, amidst fits of laughter, they informed me that the way I speak Spanish often bears a very close resemblance to the way that Yoda speaks in the Spanish dubbed Star Wars movies. I chose to take this as a compliment and feel no incentive to change. On another occasion I was busy trying to communicate something to Nico and Luis in Spanish and was apparently doing realy well. Then I lost my train of thought and expressed my frustration in English to cries of dismay from the pair - "You changed languages!!" I am quite enjoying the Argentinian sense of humour, especially with my host family and their friends. As I gain a better understanding of the language I am realising how similar much of their humour is to the Australian humour that I know and love.

The super long Argentian days are still getting the better of me, rendering me truly exhausted every evening and the following morning. No matter how hard I try and avoid it, I always manage to have a little nap in the first lesson at school. To compensate I have been over-eating -  a good short term energy fix but probably not the best idea in the long run. I head into this coming week vowing to eat a little less, sleep more, further improve my Spanish and continue to make the most of the amazing life that I have here.

That's all I've got for now. Once again thanks for reading - the support has been amazing!  All the best!