Getting to know Uruguay and Argentina:
If there is one thing to know about me it is probably how much I love and need nature in my life. That’s why one of the first things I did after landing in Buenos Aires from a 15-hour flight was starting another adventure in Uruguay, exploring all this beautiful country had to offer. While doing my research on all the places to see and explore in Uruguay, I faced a first challenge: there was a very limited number of resources in English and not much more in Spanish. After countless hours spent on Google, various travelling blogs and trying to see videos online, I decided that there was no much point in carrying on this senseless fight and I will have to do it another way. So, instead of a carefully planned trip, my fiancée and I decided to go a little bit more adventurous and spontaneous and without booking anything in advance we arrived at our first stop, in Colonia del Sacramento, only an hour away by boat from Buenos Aires. Wandering around the cozy little streets, while spotting countless locals enjoying their time with friends while sipping yerba mate, was definitely a very good start to our travelling. We were very lucky to witness one of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen over the river (check out the attached pictures!) and met a few other fellow travellers exploring this gorgeous place. However, as much as we loved Colonia, the part of the trip I was truly excited for was still ahead.
So, after packing our bags and boarding on a 4-hour bus, we arrived at our next stop, La Paloma, a tiny fishing village located right by the coast of Uruguay. We were picked up from the bus terminal by the best host I’ve ever had, who greeted us with a hug, a huge smile on his face and ‘¡Hola!’ He not only made us really welcome in the place but also offered a car tour around town, showing us all the cute spots, beaches, shops and much more to explore in the following days. We were even lucky enough to have our own bikes so we could explore the whole area without any issues, cycling long miles on the completely abandoned beaches that surrounded our cabin. The next couple of days were filled with endless time at the beach and observing the huge ocean that was expanding into the horizon. There is definitely nothing better than a beach off-season, with all its calmness and beauty reserved just for you. I was also really surprised by how similar this place was to Scotland, with its coastline, pristine nature and friendly people who are always willing to help.
After this much needed nature escape, we embarked on a journey to our next stop, Cabo Polonio, known as a hippie town located in the middle of the dunes by the ocean. This place definitely attracted us by its remoteness, as the only way to get there is by four-by-four. Without being connected to electricity and running water, Cabo Polonio was definitely different to anything I have ever experienced before while travelling. As the village is very popular with local artists, all of the cottages and houses were covered in art, bustling with colours and creativity. Even our hostel was different to any other I have stayed in before (and I’ve stayed in a lot of hostels!), with its walls, mirrors, doors and walls covered in colours and life. We instantly made friends with our hostel lady, Aya, who was an inspiring musician who travelled to this place all the way from Spain. She chatted to us about the history of this place, which was initially inhabited by the indigenous tribes for thousands of years. This place was also a refuge for pirates (unfortunately we didn’t spot any), before the first settlements started to be raised up from wood collected from the ship wrecked upon the shores of Cabo Polonio. She also recommended that we go to the lighthouse, only a few minutes away from our accommodation, which is home to one of the biggest colonies of sea lions in the world (they were super cute!!). The village was a perfect place for calming down after an intense year of academics and reflecting on the whole year passed. It was also time for me to prepare for the intense 6 weeks of volunteering ahead, with all its excitements and fears. I’m extremely grateful I could spend so much time reconnecting with nature, especially as I would be spending the next 6 weeks in the hustle and bustle of the city bigger than I have ever experienced. Lastly, during one of the long walks on the shore, my fiancée spotted not only a sea lion enjoying their time sunbathing but also the whole group of dolphins playing together in the ocean close to the coastline! So, if like us you enjoy nature and observing wildlife in its undisturbed setting, Cabo Polonio should definitely be on your bucket list of the places to explore:)
On our way back, we were also lucky to have time to explore the city of Montevideo, which is the capital of Uruguay. We booked one of the free tours and our tour guide, Jorge, made us understand a little bit better what Uruguayan identity is and made our time in the country even more special. Something that was definitely a highlight of our exploration of Montevideo was Plaza de la Diversidad Sexual (The Square of Sexual Diversity) that was honouring the rich history of queer communities in Uruguay through the art and photographic exhibition. As a lesbian couple, it was very empowering to see how important the queer community is in Uruguay, with its history and culture celebrated everyday. It definitely made us feel not only tolerated but also welcomed and accepted.
First days of volunteering: Villa 21
The first days of volunteering with Voluntario Global in the soup kitchen were anything but boring. On our first day Lucia, one of the coordinators from the Voluntario Global, was kind enough to show us how to get to the place we will be working in for the next two days. Only one bus ride away, Villa 21 is the biggest slum in the city, known for its issues with poor sanitation and highly polluted environment. Villa is located right on the bank of the Matanza-Riachuelo River, which is not only the most polluted river in Argentina and all of Latin America but also one of the most polluted rivers in the world due to the industrial waste, sewage and garbage. Containing extremely high levels of heavy metals, the water is a constant danger to the communities living in Villa 21, with approximately 25% of the children having lead in their bloodstream and even more struggling with respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. The pollution from the abundant factories in the neighbourhood also affects the soil and air, further worsening the health problems of the residents of Villa 21.
Reading numbers is one thing, experiencing the glimpse of the people’s everyday life is something completely else. When walking through the streets leading into the soup kitchen, seeing countless blankets with people underneath them and breathing the air that smelled of chemicals, I was painfully aware that something that is only two weeks of my life is someone’s everything. When passing factory after factory, some of which produce brands I know and use on a daily basis, I understood that the price of my canned beans or bowl of porridge is much higher than just a pound. I understood that the real price contained the fumes of toxins escaping through the chimneys of the buildings surrounding me and in the signs warning from swimming in the river, it laid in children growing ill simply for wanting to play outside. The situation that we witnessed during our short walk to the soup kitchen was further explained to us by Lucia, the founder of the soup kitchen and the nursery for the local community. We learnt about the financial and political crisis Argentina is experiencing right now, which, as always, disproportionately affects the poorest. I think that my first trip to the grocery store illustrated the severity of the situation quite well, with prices of products such as baby formula, fruit & vegetables and pasta similar to the ones in the UK, despite the minimal wages being over 13 times lower in Argentina compared to Scotland (£12.21 vs £0.91 per hour). The food became so inaccessible to so many people that it is not uncommon to see the entrance of the supermarkets guarded not only by the security, but also by the armed police. That’s why it is so crucial to see places like Lucia’s soup kitchen exist, providing at least one full and well-balanced meal for children, their families and homeless members of the community.
Despite all of this, it was truly incredible to see how warm of a welcome we received not only by Lucia and other ladies working in the kitchen but also by the people queuing in wait for the food. Casual chats with people became my favourite time of the day, trying to get to know the people a little bit better with my broken Spanish. People started recognising us, with one person screaming cheerfully Dzień dobry! (Good morning in Polish) whenever they saw me and another always asking about my day.
The level of warmth and welcome from people the society teaches us to fear in our warm bubbles of first world countries was refreshing. It is so easy to get used to such a comfortable life in St. Andrews, with all its private schools, privilege and entitlement. I really hope that one day our society will be ready to sacrifice its private yachts, luxury hotels and yearly trips to Bahamas for the basic dignity for all.