Travels with Zen-Aida » Argentina

Pet peeve – literally

zda — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:52:24 +0000

What is it about people who get pets, mostly dogs or cats, and then dispose of them like so much garbage? And then these poor animals have to fend for themselves, scavenging for food in garbage cans, procreating, getting sick, maybe even spreading disease. Not to mention having to stake out and defend their territory.

Somehow, these bad human habits seem to be more prevalent in southern and eastern European countries and I have just witnessed them in rural Argentina and everywhere I visited in Chile, including the capital of Santiago. Invariably, I was followed by one or more stray dogs. Almost instinctively these poor beasts knew that they would find an empathetic soul in me. When I asked local residents, they shrugged and acknowledged, yes, it is a problem, but what can be done about it and looked the other way. Municipalities seem to do nothing or undertake a yearly poisoning-and-cremation-spree. Local pet shelters or programs are hopelessly overworked, underfunded and understaffed - if they exist at all.

It was especially bad on Easter Island. There are approx. 4500 year-round residents on the island and easily several hundred stray dogs. As a concerned animal lover, it breaks my heart to see these dogs, free to roam but unwanted and unloved, kept away from properties by persons throwing stones after them. The nightly barking contest was especially obnoxious. An American resident living outside the town of Hanga Rua, who shelters as many dogs as her family can handle, had just had three dogs (from a total of five) poisoned in one day by an ill-willing neighbor. Her small children were devastated. She told me of an American vet who had come five years in a row, volunteering his services, especially to neuter the animals, bringing his own equipment and medicine. The authorities, instead of welcoming these services, set up so many bureaucratic hurdles, that he ended up quitting his altruistic actions.

What is to be done? There have been attempts at trying to get university veterinary clinics to donate at least basic vet services, especially neutering. How successful these efforts are, I cannot say; but from the present sheer number of stray dogs in Chilean cities and on Easter Island, I don't think very. At any rate, these animals deserve a better life.

Easter Island: Paradise in peril

Iguazú: waterfalls and (tame) wildlife

zda — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:15:48 +0000

These world famous waterfalls bubble over with superlatives: 70 meters high, 275 different falls, located in a National Park declared Patrimony of Mankind by UNESCO, etc. etc. For me, it was seeing the coatís (a type of raccoon) up-close that proved to be the highlight. And the butterflies, of course (more...)

Definitely, I will be back in Misiones some day, preferably in late September/beginning of October, when the wild orchids are in bloom and nature goes wild with color. And I'll go to see the waterfalls from the Brazilian side (Foz de Iguazu), since that is where you get the panoramic views, as the falls themselves are on the Argentine side.

Saltos de Moconá, Misiones

zda — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:02:25 +0000

The "Saltos de Moconá" is a series of waterfalls of the river Uruguay, on the border of Argentina and Brazil, accessible from the Argentine province of Misiones at the small town of El Soberbio (more...)

Far less grand than the Iguazú Falls, it was nevertheless the highlight of my trip to Misiones. Depending on the amount of water coming downriver, the river drops between 10 and 30 meters along a length of almost 3000 meters, forming a series of "horizontal" waterfalls as it were (less water in the river, higher waterfalls). The easiest (the only?) way to see the falls is by boat ("gomón" = motor-powered life-boat), which can be arranged in the town of El Soberbio. Our captain took us upriver about 30 kilometers and then got us up very close (about 1 meter, so we all got quite wet) to the falls.

The best part was that we were the only humans there. We may have disturbed the sunbath of some turtles and scared up a flock of catamarans, but that's about it. Jungle left and right of the river. Actually, it is a nature reserve both on the Argentine and the Brazilian side, so this paradise will hopefully persist for some time.

The town of El Soberbio is the "national capital of citronella" and other aromatic essences. Founded in 1946 by a group of men who had bought 64000 hectares at auction, the first crop of citronella was harvested in 1953. Nowadays, lemon grass, petit grain, mint, tobacco and geraniol are also harvested. A small museum is run by the grandson of the founder (our captain Carlos-Arturo was the great-grandson of the founder).

Heaven for the bookworm!

zda — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:38:11 +0000

Bookworm alert! For all who, like me, cannot resist a good bookstore (worse than going into a candy store), Buenos Aires has a special treat: The "Ateneo Grand Splendid" centrally situated on Avenida Santa Fé has been rated 2^nd best in the world by the British newspaper "The Guardian" in a 2008 survey (more...)

And beautiful it is: It is housed in a restored theater originally built in 1919, converted into a bookstore in 2000. Now, about 3000 visitors per day stroll around and enjoy the theatrical atmosphere. There are over 120,000 books, CDs and DVDs in stock, comfortable nooks in which to sit and read and if you are hungry, just go on stage and have yourself a "café con leche y medialuna" (the equivalent of a cappuccino and biscotti in Italy).

Libreria Ateneo, Avenida Santa Fé 1860 , Buenos Aires, www.tematika.com

A night out in Buenos Aires

zda — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:28:33 +0000

Valeria Lima

You don't necessarily come here for the food, nor for the sound of the tin-ey sounding piano. You do come to this place because of the atmosphere oozing from the aged bricks and to enjoy the nightly changing program of classic and modern tango/jazz/vocals/Argentine soul.

On the night I attended, the young Uruguayan singer Valeria Lima accompanied by Julio Frade on the piano gave a great show. Ms. Lima is certainly a voice and personality to watch in the coming years. Also, my friend and I were the only foreigners there (week night in the middle of winter).

Don't forget to browse in the bookstore at the back of the restaurant before dinner. It is run by a good-looking dark-haired "muchacho" with a literary bent. There are lots of camp postcards, a good selection of prose in Spanish and even some books in English.

Valeria Lima - a talent to watch

Clásica and Moderna has been around for more than 70 years and has garnered many notable mentions and prizes for its cultural activities.

Clásica y Moderna, Callao 892, Buenos Aires. www.clasicaymoderna.com