Buenos Aires starts to feel like home

COUNTRY: Argentina
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Kelvin Wicks & Bronte Coleman

Volunteering, trips to Mendoza and growing accustomed to life in Argentina, we have finally begun to view BA as our new home. The volunteer work only seems to enforce our pleasurable stay and understand how lucky we truly are. I've also gained a greater understanding of the football passion which the Argentines have, especially with Lionel Messi. His face and name is plastered all over the city on oversized billboards and cardboard size cut outs of his figurine whilst the kids wearing the famous 10. The city is always bustling, there is always something to see and do, whether that be the Sunday street market, going to La Boca or watching football on tv. BA seems to be the correct choice for all of us.

As the volunteer work commenced, the purpose of our stay gained greater purpose, opposed to the tourists we felt we were in the first week. Volunteering most days in the slums or "Villas", our role has been plain and simple, provide an after school care for kids and let them be kids. For kids here are often left to their own devices after school and can get into all sorts of mischief and trouble. Personal possessions don't really exist, stealing is common and kids seem to be street hardened by as early as 12. There have been some worrying instances already with their behaviour and personal hygiene, no kid seems to have ever brushed their teeth and the boys find amusment in pegging rocks and bricks as hard as they can at each other. Which is why L.I.F.E, the volunteer organisation, hopes that by allowing these kids to skip, draw and play football, they will be able to enjoy their childhood and vicariously through us volunteers seek to do more with their lives in regards to the bigger picture.

Volunteering aside, the city has had much to offer. A day in the colourful area of La Boca has been a highlight. It's packed with colour, culture and masses of tourist pariphinalia. Eddie, Tom, Bronte and I enjoyed a nice lunch soaking in the general ambience. The Antique Markets in Palermo was another stop on the list of things to do being famous world wide. The long cobbled stone roads on which the market is placed was an afternoons worth of meandering and temptations for all, I couldn't withstand buying a Boca top, Bronte wanted all sorts of clothing and Edward just loved finding old photos that he couldn't resist purchasing. With drum players on the side and having had beautiful weather for many days now, BA had stood up to its hype. But the rest of Argentina was equally tempting.

For most of us, it was time to see what else Argentina had to offer. So venturing off into the foothills of the Andes we aboarded a bus for a 15hour trek across the flattest land Bronte had ever seen.



Here we enjoyed half a day of wine and olive oil tasting (yes it sounds weird but it was the most delicious pieces of bread and Oil Eddie had ever tasted). Possibly the perfect mix? The weather again held up to its sunny best and the mountainous backdrop to the vineyards was postcard worthy. Wine and bread with oil later that night on the terrace was a perfect way to relax and unwind. The following day took a trip into the Andes as we drove for a soild 2hours straight none of us could comprehend the sheer mass and height of the surrounding mountains. It was stunning and both daunting to have felt so small. Topping off these magnificent views was an hour and a half trek to the base of Aconcagua. It was the highlight of the day with the stillness of the place mesmerising and too many good photos to take back with us. We returned later that day after having been up since 7am and having travelled more than 400 km on the bus. We were exhausted.

Everyone's spanish is improving and we're feeling like less like tourists now. Some of us are intending to travel up to Iguazu soon, as well as a few football matches perhaps.