The Argentina crew grow an apetite for adventure.

COUNTRY: Argentina

PROGRAM: GapBreak

PROJECT: Care Work

WRITTEN BY: Madeleine Paradise

Another busy fortnight for the Argentine Nine. Amidst our Spanish lessons and work placement in the slums, we are fitting in more to our schedule than we ever thought possible. Even though we are already abroad, we continue to travel. Developing an appetite for adventure; devouring each new culture, experience, and country that is dished up. We've traipsed across the country, and even into another, with a weekend in Mendoza, and a trip to Uruguay for some.

We're becoming acultured with the Argentine lifestyle - in just one night attending a parilla - aka grilled meat food fest - at a friend's, before half of the group ventured to a Latin Jam night; learning the tango - the dance born in Argentina, epitomising a slice of South American culture we do not really know at home. However, trusted sources report a few members of our group have two left feet, but never mind, we have 6 more weeks to fix that!

The Argentine Nine, sans Dave, took a long weekend in Mendoza, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Embarking on an overnight, 14 hour trip to Argentina's wine country aboard a sleeper bus, with seats and service akin to business class (premium economy at worst!) seats on a plane, we were buzzing with excitement. As the novelty of the bus wore off, we ourselves drifted off to sleep, awaking in beautiful province of Mendoza. On our first afternoon, we took part in a wineries tour; sampling some of the country's best Malbec's, Sauviogn Blanc's and Merlo's. The wineries tour also took us to a small olive oil factory and vineyard. It was here we were audience to the most dynamic tour guide in all the land, we were taught the difference between Virgin and Extra Virgin olive oil... Just a few hundred times. But please, for your sake and ours, don't actually ask us to explain the distinction.

Saturday morning, we had an early start for our full day of exploration in the beautiful Andean Mountain range. The Andes truly are a sight to behold. Bewitchingly beautiful, we were captivated by the snow-capped mountains in all their grandeur. The snow fell on our faces all day; hindering our blood circulation, but never hindering our smiles. Our last day in Mendoza was spent in the foothills of the Andes; Cass and Beck exploring the quaint town, while Arj, Lyndon, Isa, Britt, Bron, and myself enjoyed Termas Cacheuta - thermal spas, hidden down the slope of a mountain. That afternoon, en route home to our hostel in Mendoza, our group may have perhaps gotten a little lost, this may have perhaps been a little my fault - naïvely encouraging everyone to hop on the wrong bus. Never fear, friends and family, we're all alive, and richer for the experience. Getting lost needn't be something to fear. We saw a side of Mendoza that wasn't expected, wasn't in the brochure, and definitely wasn't in the tour description. This is the beauty of travel. Finding places, and getting lost.

Last weekend David, Arj, Bron and Lyndon took a day trip to Uruguay. While I spent the weekend there with another experienced traveller. As an Australian, living in an island country, it's hard to fathom the idea that one morning I can be in one country, and by that afternoon, in another. Uruguay, while Argentina's neighbour, was a welcome contrast. A two hour ferry, and we arrived in a new country and a new town. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Colonia, was a trip through time and culture. The port town is rich in history and holds it's heritage high. The cars drive slowly, purring along the cobblestone, past the Portón de Campo and the lighthouse ruins. The town faces Buenos Aires, and by night, the city is visible, laying belong a cloud of light. Given I had the entire weekend, I ventured out of Colonia, to the small "beach" town of Juan Lacaze, camping on the dunes. I'm certain this sounds more beautiful than the reality of the experience. It rained heavily, the tent was flimsy, the beach was laden with dead fish, and there were giant rat/sea lion beasts threatening our existence. I may have feared for my life at more than one point. But I don't regret it for a second. As my own mother very eloquently put it, "YOLO".

Alas, there is still more travel on the horizon! We're nearing the halfway mark of our placement in Argentina, however, we are determined to make the most of our respective gap years; milking the minutes of these opulent opportunities. All nine of us are heading on a trip to Iguasu Falls this week. Here, we will volunteer with the indigenous community in the Misiones, and have a chance to explore the Falls and the Northern region of Argentina. Past GapBreakers have noted the volunteer Iguasu trip as a highlight, so we are eager to get up there and get stuck into it. In addition to Iguasu, many of us are in the midst of planning trips to Peru or Brazil, either after, or nearing the end of placement. The travel bug has bitten us all, quite hard.

On the home front, we're all very happy. Work is routine, but by no means a chore. It is often the highlight of our day. However, some days are more difficult than others, as with any job. Sometimes we feel redundant; not actively playing with the children, just sitting with them. However, we have learnt that this is sometimes more than enough. This may be idealistic, but our presence in las villas makes a difference in these children's lives. We're building relationships and a strong rapport with many of the children, and this makes a difference in our lives as well as theirs. There is nothing more fulfilling than making a child smile. Financially, we can make a difference. Many members of our group initiated fundraising before departure, and we're in the process of deciding where these funds need to go in order to improve the lives of the children we work with.

The Argentina Antips crew is less of a group, and more of a family. Speaking on behalf of myself here, I couldn't have imagined a better collection of humans to enjoy this experience with. We're diverse in personality, but common in purpose. To the families of Arj, Lyndon, Dave, Bron, Cass, Beck, Isa and Brit, thank you for permitting and supporting their travel. They're making my own experience here richer than I ever could have imagined, and I feel privileged to know each of them and call them mis amigos. No matter how weird their laugh - or how weird they think mine is, I love 'em.

Was that sappy? Oh well, it's the truth.