La Rioja continued....the food, the barrio and some art..September 18th

I came to Argentina and it has changed me. I am a better person for this experience. I came thinking I could help. Maybe I can, but Argentina has opened my eyes.

We made our first trip to the grocery store. Something I always find to be very interesting and that gives you a good idea of the local prices and priorities. La Rioja grows oranges, peaches, walnuts and olives. Peach trees are just blooming now so they add tremendously to the color in town. Geraniums are popular as are the brightly colored purple and rose bougainvilleas that topple out of many courtyards and across fences. Many brighten what is otherwise a less than bright living situation. The oranges, walnuts and olives (including the oils for both) are readily available, inexpensive and wonderful. That and a little vino locale of malbec (red) or torrentes (white) have completed the evening for Carolyn and myself many evenings so far. La Rioja was settled by the Spanish and named after the La Rioja region of Spain. La Rioja, Argentina also has bragging rights to excellent wines. We've also found that the people of La Rioja love sugar. I mean LOTS of sugar! Mate (a tea that is brewed and sipped through a silver straw from a small handless cup often made from leather) and coffee are both consumed with major sugar additions. Dulce leche is also widely popular here as it is in other South American countries.

The first full day at the medical clinic for barrio San Vincente was also our first trip into the barrio. I almost have no words to describe what we saw. First we met with the association for the barrio so Dr. Vega, the clinic director, personality plus, innovative and dedicated physician that has committed himself to irradicate dengue fever in the area. His presentation was informed the group about the need to clean up any garbage, do away with standing water and clean their homes. The local police and garbage commissioner were also at the meeting. This all seems really doable until you realize these people in the barrio have no running water, no real trash pick up and their homes for the most part have dirt floors, are open to the elements and any water they do have is precious....polluted or not. From our meeting we went to the area next to the community center and walked up a short hill to view the most unbelieveable collection of trash spread over a huge field. Since the residents have no good place to take their garbage this is where they dump it...words escape me.

We went back to our apartment that night feeling quite blessed and wondering what we had gotten ourselves into, but it was the weekend so we made plans to see some local sites. We met a gentleman that is the cultural arts director for La Rioja. He is publishing a book of local artists. La Rioja has some very talented local artists. I hope to work with him to include a local artist on the Acquire Art web site. On Sunday we spent the day in the mountains outside of La Rioja and saw lovely little colonias like Anillaco, Chuquis, Pinchas, Agua Blanca and Las Penas. We met a woman weaver, Frescura, who has travelled the world showing her weavings. She makes and dyes her own yarns. Her works commemorate the local scenery, history, people, animals and traditions. It is magnificent! We felt fortunate to meet her...she is truly a gentle soul. The trip through the mountains was sunny, warm and reminded me of my years spent in the American Southwest. Current roads are good. The road we traveled through the mountains in the not too distant past was single lane and unpaved....we felt lucky!

Monday, September 14th brought us back to the clinic and the barrio. We went with two students from Universidad de Barcelo, a social worker and a resident family physician. I think they sent the two male medical students along so we would feel safe. The students were delightful, but we never felt unsafe, although, I understand why one could feel unsafe in the barrio. Have I mentioned the dogs? There are dogs everywhere. Everywhere is not an exageration. Most are unfed, dirty and roam at will. Even the most basic of lodgings seem to have a dog and many have guard dogs. I wondered what there was to steal. We spoke of dengue and they asked for birth control. We spoke of clean up and they said where were they supposed to put their garbage. It doesn't get picked up anyway.  We spoke of draining standing water and they said that was the only water they had....we left the barrio different people.......