we used to microwave, now we just...

el marzo

March, to quote Dylan, it flew by faster than a lubed up hippo on a slip n slide. But, as they say, time flies when you´re stompin clay. So summer has officially ended in El Bolson, otoño has arrived with bitter frost on the grass in the morning. But, we have boarded up the house and have been keeping warm by the fire, sitting on little stools and chairs we made. Most days, however, we experience all four seasons of weather...15 minutes of sunshine, followed by a rainstorm, with some crisp wind in the afternoon. I am pleased to say that I have become quite competent in the use of various powertools as well. Its fucking awesome. In other important events, we witnessed our first murder of a cow. One strong blow to the head, a wailing moooooo, and then a slice to the throat. That night we ate hamburgers for dinner, and things really had a new perspective. The next day we got to see how Chuno, our gaucho neighbor, slices up the dead cow with his chainsaw (which he uses for just about everything, I bet he would use it to cut his steak if it would fit at the dinner table). Dylan and I also had a nice mountain holiday. Surrounding El Bolson, in the mountains, are small log cabins called refugios. We backpacked all day, through a forest of tall trees, rotton morel mushrooms (such a travesty), and over rickety old bridges. Our refugio destination was called El Cajon del Azul, which we learned the meaning of as we crossed a bridge over a canyon that was maybe 10 feet wide and 100 feet high. at the bottom of the canyon flowed the Rio Azul...a vibrant blue river with the clearest water I have ever seen. Dylan was drooling over the plentiful trucha (trout) everywhere. One awesome thing about the refugios is that they all make their own beer! So, we charged in and got a delicious pizza and some cerveza casera (home made). Another awesome thing about this particular refugio was that there were millions of little kittens running around everywhere outside. it was magical! Yay! Kitties!!!
This weekend we are going to Chile I believe, Los itos, so that we can get our tourist visas renewed when we come back into Argentina. I hope everyone at home is enjoying the first days of spring!
love

Full Moon

Today we met at lago puelo to celebrate the full moon. All the hippies of el bolson joined together, hand in hand, in the rain, singing...like hippies tend to do...dylan and i not really knowing what was going on, so we just said ``ommmmmmmmm`´ to fit in. Then we met up with even more people to accomplish an important mission, to activate an energetic crystal. Once again, Dylan and I did not know what was happening, so we just said, ``ommmmmmmmm``
an interesting experience, to say the least.

Workin for La Gringa

building her bathroom, tending the greenhouse, collecting firewood, making furniture, jimmy riggin sheds, stomping clay, widdling chopsticks, carving coatracks, insulating her house, and knitting all sorts of fun stuff. not to mention the bread!
and last night we made mexican... they dont sell tortillas here so we made our own tortillas, and were both swearing never to buy tortillas again. yum.
the greenhouse and a wall jacqui insulated con botellas!
to come... a fire oven, indoor shower, more cob, and more newer woofers!
gotta go
dylan,

our house, is a very very very fine house

Working for a french woman. ..
"Ze bauttles, ze bauttles!" Haha, I love hearing her say that as wek insert wine bottles as we build the wall of her house. We are learning to build a house! Out of all reused or natural materials. We wake up, open the greenhouse, eat some museli, and home made bread, and then, then we step our feet into some cold clay. We stomp the clay much like wine makers stomp their grapes. We prepare it, aka stir it with our feet, into a yogurt like texture. Then we mix it with some hay. Voila, we have wall building material. Its beautifucl, natural, simple, annnd good for your skin! I love it. I feel like learning how to build a house is an important skill, and I plan to build my own one day. To add natural light, we put wine bottles into the wall, the final result is gorgeous. After a siesta and more work, our evenings have been filled with yummy dinners con verduras from the greenhouse, pass a doodles, knitting, and some good old fashioned wine with relaxation. One evening we visited this womans property for a chacra healing. Her name was anna, she was an older woman with beautiful tanned skin and all white linnen clothes. She giuided us to a small wooden hexagon shaped room where dylan, christal, and I all lie down on soft mattress pads on the floor. We closed our eyes and she began. The chacra healing involved the use of many sounds, from many instruments (harp,flute, singing bowls, her hypnotic voice, a rain stick, drums) to create vibrations from the sound to massage to heal the body. It was mighty relaxing, and all of us experienced crazy out of body experiences. I enjoyed it very much.
> Yesterday we participated in the "minga". This is a communtity work day, organized at the full moon, that takes place every other friday. All the members of the hippie communtiy meet at the designated persons house and help them with their building. It was fun to be a part of it. It was a very happy and relaxed atmosphere.
> El bolson, and the mallin ahbogado have won me over. Friends, family, you may have to move down here so we can all build houses together and live happily ever after
>

Hippies VS Gauchos (Isla Vistas Parallel Universe)

we have moved in with a hippie... and i call her that only because the straight up gaucho that lives next door calls her a hippie. in reality chrystel is not what us californians would call a hippie. shes no dreadlocked lazy seudo activist selling weed on the corner, shes a french woman that couldnt take the insecurity of the capitalist system, living in an overpopulated city and in a home that could have the water shut off or the food trucks halted. and shes really doing it, with our help now!  in the last week weve put walls in her home, planted greens in her greenhouse and dug a trench for  fellow hippies water line (from the local stream). the food has been inciredible, simple, and always a group effort. plus, willeve spent no money
! ill write more about chuno, our gaucho neighbor, later.

Aqui lo magico es natural

El Bolson

Hola Chicos
so, we finally made it to our new home for a while. In fact, we only just arrived about 15 minutes ago, on one of the nicest buses I have ever ridden on...it was glorious. nt really enough time
for the town to make much of an impression, but I still have 9 minutes left for internet. Dylan already found a fishing shop, so I think El Bolson already passes his test. For now, we are waiting to hear back from our wwoofing host, so we are going to find a nice camping spot, rest our feet, and hunker down. Supposedly El Bolson has a craft fair 3 times a week, so we may go hunt for that. Well, we miss you all, hope things are well back at home.

Carretera Austral

  We made it!!!
So about 2 weeks ago we decided to hike to Chile and check out the road north, the "Carretera Austral".

Many, many buses, 7 cities, and a whole bunch of hundreds of kilometers later and were here, in Futuleufu...

The trip started in El Chalten. We then got out to Lago del desierto, about 40 km in a day and a half. 6 hours of hiking up and down the steep sides of this lake (were carrying 50 plus pounds gear the whole time) and we arrive at the north shore and pass out in our campsite. Next morning, and we have 19 kilometers to look forward to. Oatmeal, meet some awesome Austrians named Stefan and Lizzie, then start walking... alot. Eventually we reach the Argentine/ Chile border! Half way, so we listen to a few podcasts and mash on. Right before nightfall we stumble into the Chilean customs office and get stamped, then wander over to a campsite to have dinner with our Austrian Friends.
Raspberries everywhere! So Raspberry oatmeal. Eventually a ferry comes to take us across Lago Ohiggins, and its a total ripoff. Monopolies make adventuring less cool, but we get there around 11 at night and what do you know! Theres one bus that s overpriced! and the driver takes us to his personal hostel... yup, $20 to camp on his front lawn. But its too late... and at least theres oatmeal.
Next day we need to get moving, and big surprise! More Rip Offs. We get charged out of the last of our money (there are no ATMs for miles) and in exchange get the craziest bus ride of our lives. Our austrain friends bag flies off the roof at full speed (full of camp gas, no joke) but we get to Caleta Tortel. Its the bottom of the map to the right.
Its incredible, like an adventureland for real, all wood walkways across a beautiful fjordy bay, but we got no cash, so spend the last of it on a bus north were theres an ATM. Almost miss that bus... but get to Cochrane soaked and tired. Oatmeal time.
No one knows what to do now, so we get some PIZZA!!! WHile out we meet some 2 people that work for a conservation group called Round River. They were down looking at the new Patagonia Park owned by the guy that started North Face. They are soawesome! Ones Barbara, who is a conservation biologist, and the other is Rick who does GIS geography techno stuff. They are heading the same direction as us so we travel north with them. Since they{re on a "work" trip, they let us stay at this awesome cabana they rent in Rio Tranquilo. We get to see the marble caves there, make an italian feast, then head out the next morning for Coyhaique.
Coyhaique is big and expensive, and now were late for our el bolson farm, so we say bye to Rick and Barbara and hop a bus north to La Junta. We get there late, leave earlier, and get up to a little transfer city completely devoid of humans willing to talk to us. Lots of chickens though! The bus to Fufuleufu is already full, so we stand in the aisle for the 80km drive. I havent mentioned none of these roads are paved!!!
So, tomorrow afternoon we go to Esquel then El Bolson.
Unfortunately, i cant explain in words the immense beauty we were constantly in while moving around down here. Think a constant transition between temperate rainforest valleys, Coastal rainforest valleys, and beautiful farmed valleys, all surrounded by 3- 12000 foot mountains. All of it. Its really a shame we didnt have a few months to wander around the area... i dont think you could ever see all of it. But, i now know. and honestly after that whirlwind i think were both ready to do something solid like work on a farm.
¡Diviertete!
Dylan