COUNTRY: Argentina
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Antonia Ioannou
Hola for the final time from the 2012 Argentina Gapbreak group. Sadly our enriching time here in Buenos Aires has come to an end, but there have been a few events we must inform everyone of before we can truly say goodbye.
After our journey to Iguazu a few days rest were much needed and a few trips to the Lavandero to remove the bright orange dirt stains from our clothes. In no time at all, the volunteers settled back into our beloved roadhouse and into our routines with the thought of our time in BA ending so soon at the back of our minds.
As volunteering was coming to and end we all tried to make the most of our time by signing up for as many days as we could! We engaged in a special day of volunteering which was set at Ejercito Celestial (the hospital) and our aim for the day was to build a park for the children there. By the end of the day we had cleaned the area of rubbish, put in wire fences and laid down a large amount of dirt over the area! It was a lovely sunny day bonding with the children. Their smiling faces followed us as they were determined to do their bit to help us.
Courtney, Felicity and Ciara went along to another “Tacos Day” where tacos were cooked for the kids and fun was definitely had! Tears were shed for the children as we parted and knew it may well be the last time we see them. We know they appreciate all the volunteer work we have done for them and will miss us just as much as we will miss their beautiful happy faces! Volunteering has been an eye opening experience for us all and, if possible, has made us better people for life.
Amy, Antonia.C and Annabel continued with their Spanish lessons in the office next door, to the end of our volunteer placement which was an amazing effort girls! A few people discovered the high end shopping centre of Alto Palermo where copious amounts of money were spent, all for a good cause of course to keep up with the fashionable city of Buenos Aires.
Road to Argentina holds weekly events that we are welcome to go along to and this month’s activities included a jazz show, bike riding and rollerblading.
The group volunteering engaged in a bike tour around the beautiful area of Puerto Madero which was a nice change from the busy streets of Recoleta. A few practice laps got us riding around the streets and eventually ending up in the ecological reserve, containing the make-shift “beach” (which was too polluted to even swim in). We each produced beautiful photos from the day and sore legs the next.
Rollerblading was definitely a volunteer group favourite, as it is a popular daily activity for the population of Buenos Aires. A few of us had to find our feet before taking off on our rollerblades (or rollerskates for some). Laps were done of the park for some, and a few hundred meters for other. Nevertheless we all had a wonderful time!
A day trip to Uruguay was a much needed “cross off the list” event for us. We embarked on our journey to the port at 6AM to catch our ferry of 8AM. Unfortunately I cannot say that it was smooth sailing to Colonia, but I can definitely state that no one was sick. Our day adventure in Colonia was definitely a highlight of the trip for the volunteers and not only for its beauty but for the feeling of being away from the crowded city in Buenos Aires.
The Peaceful town of Colonia made us feel welcome at once, with the beautifully made street signs and majestic nature all around us. We began our day with a city tour, showing us the main square and then were off to explore the town for the day. We hired out golf buggies for the group and rode around. We visited the local beach, where only photos were taken and no swimming. We jumped the fence into the Bull Ring which truly was an imaginable experience to believe that one day previously, bull fights occurred before peoples eyes.
After a few more hours of exploring we made camp at the top of the hill beside the water to watch the sunrise. The memory of the sun setting over the water below the stormy clouds will forever be embedded within my mind as one of the most beautiful scenes i have ever witnessed. Amy and Antonia also went to Colonia the following weekend with their friends Jack and Sam from Sydney.
On one of the beautiful Saturday afternoons most of us departed the Roadhouse to Palermo to take part in a Graffiti tour with Graffiti Mundo. Usually graffiti may raise negative connotations, but what we saw that day was pure art. The detail was incredible and the talent of these street artists was plain to see. The intimate meanings behind the art was amazing, a truly incredible sight.
Since coming back from the Missiones trip we started a tradition of “Family Dinner” every Sunday night. The first Sunday chefs Anna and Amy made the family a delicious cabonara and pesto pasta with a side of salad. Week 2 included a extremely well made stir-fry by our own Cailey and Courtney. Spaghetti and meatballs was on the menu for week 3 (Antonia.C’s mum’s special recipe), made by Henry and Ciara.
For week 4 we were all privy to the famous Choripans from Giulian and Henry, with copious amounts of left overs! Delicious burritos from Felicity, Alice and Cailey were cooked for the family on week 5 and were nevertheless amazing regardless of the mess that was made while eating them! Amy, Cuz and Annabel sadly had to run off early though (after scoffing at least 3 burritos) to meet their Spanish teach Yahaira for drinks in San Telmo.
An adventurous trip to El Tigre was made by catching every possible public transportation method (we were very proud of ourselves). El Tigre is a gorgeous little town based around the Rio De La Plata, which would have made for a lovely boat ride but we unfortunately ran out of time.
The local zoo was visited as well as the petting zoo, Zoo Lujan, where the girls described their experience as one of which they were not fond of as the animals were treated badly. Nevertheless a baby kitten was found to be lost and by the end of the day its mother was found and brought back to them.
A few trips were made to La Boca, famous for its colourful streets and busy markets, although most of us had previously been there for football games. Also a day of paddle boating for a few of us was a nice way of relaxing along the beautiful lake while bearing the soreness in our legs the following day.
Three 19th birthdays were celebrated in our last month. First up was Annabel, then Giulian and lastly Antonia. Birthdays on our trip were a great way for the volunteering group to come together and have an amazing time soaking up BA’s famous nightlife.
These last few months have just been incredible, words cannot even explain. The friends we have made will be with us for life (including our very special international friends Jack, Julia and Sars) The experiences we have had will be treasured for life. The icecream we have eaten (daily) will be forever missed.
Thank you to Antipodeans for making this whole happening possible for us all, we will appreciate your efforts for life. Also to Road2Argentina for assisting us when it was needed. I never thought i would embark on a journey and come out with 13 new amazing friends. I love you all to bits and cant wait to explore the beautiful world around us once again together!
For the last time “We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all, we love each other.”
Ciao ciao,
Antonia.I, Cailey, Tim, Giulian, Freya, Felicity, Amy, Annabel, Anna, Courtney, Henry, Alice, Ciara and Antonia.C.
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