Navigating South America

THE SOUTH AMERICAN TIME ZONE

Although only a 3 hour time difference, we continue to struggle to adjust to the "South American Time Zone".

In Argentina it goes something like this: people get to work around 9:00 am, work until 1:00 pm and then leave for lunch.  But lunch usually includes a nap since stores, restaurants, offices, don't open

again until around 4:00 and then they stay open until about 8:00 pm.

It doesn't seem to matter that stores, offices, and restaurants are closed, because everyone is sleeping anyway. It is just the funniest thing how people really do nap most of the afternoon. The Siesta is sacred here. By noon we are just hitting our stride and ready to go places and do things but everything is closed down (including tourist information offices) so we have tried to adopt the South American time zone with an afternoon nap but it has been messing with our overnight sleep schedule. We are still working on this.

Our eating schedule is also a little messed up. Restaurants typically don't even open until after 7:00 p.m., many not until 8:00 -- and this is even on week nights. Toddlers and school children are going to restaurants with their parents after 10:00 pm. People typically eat dinner around 10:30 p.m. We are having a heck of a time adjusting to this since we are super hungry around 5:30 pm but there is nothing but junk or snacks to buy. Apparently bars don't open their doors until after midnight, but remain deserted until about 2:00 a.m. when lines begin to form, again, even on week nights. Rarely do people go to bed before midnight here.

Our schedules are all mixed up but we are working around that and just trying to align ourselves to the South American rhythm.

GETTING ON TOP OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

Levi and Lana in class.

Our little Lonely Planet Spanish translation guidebook is getting lots of use but even the simplest transactions are painful and we are so ashamed.  We all underestimated our need to know Spanish thinking that there would be 1/8 people out there that we could count on...... not so much. It is more like 1/25, and broken at that. It was a breeze in Laos and Cambodia compared to this.

So we found ourselves in Rosario, a nice Argentine city about 5 hours north of Buenos Aires. There we happened upon a 1-week intense Spanish language course. Greg and the girls were in the more advanced course and Levi and I took the Spanish Survival course. Levi and I worked on his math, science, and spelling when Greg and the girls were still in Spanish class. A great little spot. We hung out there for a week. Studying and walking. Walking and studying. We figure that many days we are walking about 10 to 15km; this will come in handy as we have some nice walking/hiking treks ahead of us in Bolivia and Peru.

The sidewalks are very narrow here so we mostly need to walk single file. Greg goes first, then Levi, then the girls. I have the important job at the end of the line obstructing the view of all the men who crane their necks as the girls go by. The look of disappointment on their faces as I walk behind the girls is both sad and totally hilarious for me.

RELATIONSHIPS

Greg doing his magic of meeting and connecting with all sorts of folks which has opened doors to our whole family having unique and authentic experiences.

It can be as simple as a 30 minute, 4x4 sand dune truck ride with bunch of strangers and before I know it, Greg is laughing and connecting with all kinds of people. People he has met are suddenly cooking for us, showing us how to authentically grill carne (meat) on their Asado grills, exchanging money for us. 

My favourite was how Greg connected with our Spanish teacher's husband and suddenly Greg and Quinn were playing a real game of soccer with a bunch of really good soccer players in one of the coveted pitches. Of course the game didn't start until 10:45 pm.

FITTING IN, OR TRYING TO AT LEAST

  

We are doing our best to adapt to South American ways. We take the time to figure out the little local buses rather than taking taxis, have navigated the subway system in Buenos Aires and are figuring out the longer haul buses that take us from one city to the next and from one country to the next.

We've got the black market money exchange thing figured out and we are starting to understand and appreciate the local foods (OK, and beer and wines too).

The kids are doing great; they are flexible and open minded -- which is really critical since it takes so long and requires so much planning to get anything done.

To enhance the engagement and learning experience even more, the girls are now wholly responsible for our treks through both Paraguay and Bolivia. They are reading lots to suggest the places we should go and then the planning and navigating begins, no small feat but highly rewarding! Bus schedules, transactions in Spanish, securing accommodations, money transfers, they are responsible for it all.

Goal:  We are trying to groom gypsies.