Evo Morales

The Bolivian president, Evo Morales, visited La Plata yesterday. He came to town to receive the title Doctorado Honoris Causa from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. The university gave him the title for being a symbol of the struggle to defend the latin american towns.



looks like I wasnt the only one who wanted to see a glimpse of the Bolivian president





guess you guys were hoping to see a picture of the president himself, but I´ll have to dissappoint you..
I just got a quick glimpse of him leaving his car, no photos

Ushuaia: Tour del farao

during our trip to the south we made a boattrip over the Beagle canal


leaving ushuaia´s harbour, giving us a nice look on the town





the mate is always pressent

we first navigated to the Isla de los Pájaros, the island of the birds




and saw the Isla de los Lobos, the sea lion island.


finally navigating to the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse,
misleadingly known as the lighthouse of the end of the world




after which we anchored on the shore of an island with pinguins
being able to see them ´wiggle´ around

finally the boattrip ended at the harbour of Estancia Haberton,
the oldest settlement in Ushuaia




we left with a little van back to ushuaia and stopped on the way
to see the ´bandera´ trees (or flag trees)

Tejidos

Showing of some of the weaving I´ve been doing here in Argentina, because Karen has been giving me Mapuche weaving classes.
Weaving on a Witral, weaving vertically


As you can see on the left, this one has a patern on it

And some tejidos I made here Guatemala-style, weaving horizontally




thanks to Vera for giving me the rope
and to Gonz for the photos

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you all!
Here in La Plata there arent much Easter Celebrations as far as I noticed, nothing like I experienced in Spain and in Guatemala where Semana Santa is celebrated with religious processions threw the city.
I only noticed some difference in our bakery:
they had some special sweets during these days..
and of course I had to try this typical Argentine sweetness

like this Rosca de Pascuas, the original one is a type of sweet bread with pastery cream

we bought the one with dulce de leche and chocolate of course
The bakery also made some huge chocolate eggs, I guess I´ll have to try those next year.
They´re in different sizes and prices, nothing like those small dutch chocolate eggs..
(some are 30cm high, filled with little chocolates for about 50 euro!),

So stop drooling you guys, and come over to try some, there still are some left..

El Clasico Platense

Last sunday we went to see ´El clasico´, a football match between rivals Estudiantes and Gimnasia, two football teams from the same town, La Plata, both playing on a national level.
Football is a big sport in Argentina and lot´s of Argentinians are very passionate about it.
I heared about a couple who at their wedding used the colours of their favorite football team and met Lara, a 15year old girl, who had a photoshoot and of all places chose the stadium of her favorite football team as the place, wearing of course a shirt of the team. And after seeing a documentary about Argentina ´barra brava´, I got curious to this extreme football fanatism. And a game like ´el clasico´ would be the perfect moment to be able to get the best experience to that argentine football passion in La Plata.

the football experience already started getting to the stadium,
where the streets are filled with little stands selling
hamburgers and choripanes (chorizo sandwiches)

As Gonzalo is a Gimnasia fan, it made me a little fan of that team too.
unfortunately the tickets in the Popular stand, standing places behind the goal,
where the biggest fans are, were already sold out,
the good thing: we had a better view over the game and some seats.

people started entering the stadium

when the teams came on the field the crowed got really exited,
they started cheering a lot and there were blue smoke boms

and fireworks



the audience behind the goal got decorated in blue and white

the other side in red and white

although we were in the sitting area, people kept standing



things got agressive when the captain of Estudiantes was trying to take a corner
and police had to come out and protect him from things being thrown at him

at half time the game was still 0-0, but shortly after..

gooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllll!!
(I guess argentina football tv-reporters are choosen on
the length on which they can pronounce the word ´goal´)

1-0 for gimnasia

lots of happy people all around us, even the kids



Gimnasia seemed to be winning and some Estudiantes fans
were already leaving the stadium, cheered away by Gimnasia fans
but in the very last minute, Estudiantes made a goal,
making the score 1-1,
leaving the Gimnasia fans who thought they had already won,
disappointed..