Well we have returned now back to the states.
We spent the last week in Buenos Aires and the last few days in Lima. Buenos Aires was an amazingly energetic city full of alternative spaces, galleries, and museums. We spent most of our time their visting all these spaces and discovering a few new favorite artists, Berni, Quinyuelas, and Solana. This city was artistic from the antique stores of San Telmo to the craft fairs surrounding the cultural center of Buenos Aires.
Our last few days in Lima I was reminded how sometimes it takes awhile for an art community to appear. Initially we found Lima to be overwhelming. We were looking forward to returning for our flight. Walking around one night we went into a locally desgined clothing store inside we found a mini art show in a hallway. The people running the store also gave us a clue into the grafiti artists known as "fuma kaca". They were a group of artists that chose to see the city of Barranco as a night time circus in their grafiti imagery and through their costumed street performances they turned the city streets into stage and audience.
The next day as we were leaving we stumbled across a university art show by a collaborative called the "gran olla" which roughly translates into potluck. These three artists two chileans and one peruvian exhibited their work and incorporated community interaction. The artists tried to spend most of their time live at the show. One of the printmakers in addition went out into the streets and cooked local food to share with people. The painter known as Lucuma a sign painting reformed prisoner, created all of his works in the streets of the jungle town Iquitos. We shared contact information with these artists and hope to continue a dialogue.
Being back in the states, I am trying to sort through what this trip has meant for me. I am going through a sort of culture shock. I felt sad to leave honestly.
Countries are like relationships you fall a little bit in love with all their eccentricities and you become angered with their injustices and stubborness to change.
On this trip I did meet my initial goals, I connected with presence and opportunity.. We shared with people, i remebered hope.
Now that we have returned I continue to be humbled by these qualtities in people strength, genorosity, and vision.
A friend of my mothers has kindly offered for Cam and I to stay in a cottage on her property. She is an artist as well. As I sit I am surrounded by: books on Burri and Goldsworthy, her collections of feathers leaves and stones, and the woods. Her work is quiet and fragile just like this house. I hope here will give me time to think.
Sarah
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Surfing in Spanish
Since we last wrote we have been spending our time on long distance buses and the beaches of Chile. Our first stop was Iquique a beachtown located in the desert. We walked through the city and along the beach. Watching people learn to surf reignited my own desire to learn. Although we needed to move on we talked about trying to find another town to learn.
The next place La Serena was a beautiful green college town but the beach was too rugged to swim or surf in. The first night there instead we went out to an observatory. We saw clearlythe line of the milky way several constellations such as the southern cross, which i could not see in the states red and blue giants. infinite universe feelings. The next day we wandered around the city and then ended up painting and drawing on the beach. That night we watched a free movie at one of the only interesting galleries we had seen in a while. DANTON was a french revolution piece starring gerard depardieu it was a reminder of the struggle for a free state and the dangers of a state powered by few or semidictatorship. there was no intro or discussion at the place, i was hoping for that in chile, in all not many people talk about the past to us travelers.
from la serena we went to valaparaiso. we hung out with other travelers at our hostel. it seemed to be the right combination of people because when we were together we talked about nearly any and everything from politics to soda to bands. the next morning we walked all over valpo. our search for the closed musuem of art led us on a stencil trail to the neruda house. this was also super scenic looking over the city. on our way back from his house we passed the open air musuem of murals but by our judgment the tons of graffiti on the streets and public murals was just as interesting if not more. that night we spent with our hostel friends again. a highlight for me was when cam made a small impromptu tape drawing on the wall.
the next day we went to neruda favorite house at la isla negra. this house he built in honor of ships and the ocean. inside he had collections of shiphead ladies, glass bottles, shells, insects, books, and art. i think cam wants to build a house like this someday.
still i wanted to surf, we had heard about a town perfect for surfing called pichilemu. we werent sure how far it was or how to get there from where we were. but after to talking to a lot of people we decided to try. from isla negra we took a half hour bus to a larger town. then a collective driver told us to go to one station with a taxi, the bus did not leave from there. finally at another station we got on a bus to melipilla. two hours later we arrived in meli with just enogh time to get onthe bus to pichelemu. one catch the bus was standing room only and the entire aisle of the bus was filled. an hour ;into the bus ride i was able to sit down. As soon as we arrived in pichelemu a residencia worker offered to show us a room. which we took at seven dollars. the next morning we ate empanadas and walked on the beach until we found the surf shop. our instructor elvis agreed to teach us as 2 30 until then we watched people surf and sunbathed. by 3 we had our wetsuits on and we were instructed to run on the beach and stretch in order to warm up. then he had us pratice push up \sun salutation like motions that were how we were supposed to get up on the board. once in the freezing water we paddled out into the middle and from there elvis pushed us into the good waves as we struggled to stand up. for the best of me i was able to surf on my knees and with one leg up. as soon as i stod up i would fall over. and by the end of the day i could barely lift my head or push up.. cam stod up 2 times, once he rode the wave for a while. elvis was an awesome enthusiatic teacher and i was envious of his life in the water teaching surfing. three hours later we were exhausted and frozen but it was fantastic to use so much of my body and the moments when i did feel the wave pushing me forward in the water where magnetic. it made me want to live by the water so i could try on a regular basis.
yesterday we came to santiago. we were warned about the dangers of this city robbing etc. beacuse of a national holiday though everything has been closed down and quiet. today we walked around for hours climbing hilll in the middle of the city from where you can see everything and are taller than most buildings. and we walked through a peacefule protest gathering on behalf of the mapuche tribe. music, food, costumes. here instead of columbus day they celebrate che and the mapuche tribe. it was refreshing things look very punk rock and ska influenced lots of two tone, mohawks, we even bought a few cool patches. we ran into some friends from valpo they are leaving for new zealand for 6 months. one said to me he didnt know how to feel . i said it was all exciting ending one adventure and starting another.
sarah
The next place La Serena was a beautiful green college town but the beach was too rugged to swim or surf in. The first night there instead we went out to an observatory. We saw clearlythe line of the milky way several constellations such as the southern cross, which i could not see in the states red and blue giants. infinite universe feelings. The next day we wandered around the city and then ended up painting and drawing on the beach. That night we watched a free movie at one of the only interesting galleries we had seen in a while. DANTON was a french revolution piece starring gerard depardieu it was a reminder of the struggle for a free state and the dangers of a state powered by few or semidictatorship. there was no intro or discussion at the place, i was hoping for that in chile, in all not many people talk about the past to us travelers.
from la serena we went to valaparaiso. we hung out with other travelers at our hostel. it seemed to be the right combination of people because when we were together we talked about nearly any and everything from politics to soda to bands. the next morning we walked all over valpo. our search for the closed musuem of art led us on a stencil trail to the neruda house. this was also super scenic looking over the city. on our way back from his house we passed the open air musuem of murals but by our judgment the tons of graffiti on the streets and public murals was just as interesting if not more. that night we spent with our hostel friends again. a highlight for me was when cam made a small impromptu tape drawing on the wall.
the next day we went to neruda favorite house at la isla negra. this house he built in honor of ships and the ocean. inside he had collections of shiphead ladies, glass bottles, shells, insects, books, and art. i think cam wants to build a house like this someday.
still i wanted to surf, we had heard about a town perfect for surfing called pichilemu. we werent sure how far it was or how to get there from where we were. but after to talking to a lot of people we decided to try. from isla negra we took a half hour bus to a larger town. then a collective driver told us to go to one station with a taxi, the bus did not leave from there. finally at another station we got on a bus to melipilla. two hours later we arrived in meli with just enogh time to get onthe bus to pichelemu. one catch the bus was standing room only and the entire aisle of the bus was filled. an hour ;into the bus ride i was able to sit down. As soon as we arrived in pichelemu a residencia worker offered to show us a room. which we took at seven dollars. the next morning we ate empanadas and walked on the beach until we found the surf shop. our instructor elvis agreed to teach us as 2 30 until then we watched people surf and sunbathed. by 3 we had our wetsuits on and we were instructed to run on the beach and stretch in order to warm up. then he had us pratice push up \sun salutation like motions that were how we were supposed to get up on the board. once in the freezing water we paddled out into the middle and from there elvis pushed us into the good waves as we struggled to stand up. for the best of me i was able to surf on my knees and with one leg up. as soon as i stod up i would fall over. and by the end of the day i could barely lift my head or push up.. cam stod up 2 times, once he rode the wave for a while. elvis was an awesome enthusiatic teacher and i was envious of his life in the water teaching surfing. three hours later we were exhausted and frozen but it was fantastic to use so much of my body and the moments when i did feel the wave pushing me forward in the water where magnetic. it made me want to live by the water so i could try on a regular basis.
yesterday we came to santiago. we were warned about the dangers of this city robbing etc. beacuse of a national holiday though everything has been closed down and quiet. today we walked around for hours climbing hilll in the middle of the city from where you can see everything and are taller than most buildings. and we walked through a peacefule protest gathering on behalf of the mapuche tribe. music, food, costumes. here instead of columbus day they celebrate che and the mapuche tribe. it was refreshing things look very punk rock and ska influenced lots of two tone, mohawks, we even bought a few cool patches. we ran into some friends from valpo they are leaving for new zealand for 6 months. one said to me he didnt know how to feel . i said it was all exciting ending one adventure and starting another.
sarah
Monday, October 1, 2007
Week 2 and a Half
We spent over a week in Cuzco. We stayed for wuite some time because we had arranged before we left to do a project with a prgram called Aldea Yanape. We weren{t sure at the outset what the project would entail but when we got there Yuri (the director) remembered our images we had sent and asked us if we wanted to do a mural. I think that Sarah is going into much greater detail than I am on this point but it turned out to be both a rewarding and frustrating experience. We happened into the program when there was a lot going on and the initial idea to do a piece that was essentially our own and leave it for the school turned out to be much more like us doing a piece that was in line with what they envisioned they wanted. The beauty of this is that we got to work with a number of other people on a mural and that in the end when we had to leave due to time constraints, it was much easier letting the group carry on without our help.
The program itself was really great. Essentially an all volunteer after school program for disadvantaged kids, they are doing a lot of good. Helping children who have been involved in street crime and witness to violence etc. they provide a healthy and loving atmosphere where the kids learn social skills, have time for art and homework and learn a bit about the rest of the world. The whole thing is funded by a restaurant and donations. We met a number of great people from all over the world who volunteer there and I hope we left them with something of value.
Cuzco as a city otherwise is quite beautiful. There is a wealth of a strange marriage of Inca stonework and Colonial building that makes the whole place look quite magical (at 5am). The real problem for me was that the entire palce felt a bit like Peru, Las Vegas. Everything was specifically geared in the central part of the town for the tourist rade and as such I got sick of being hassled to go into a restaurant or get a massage every thirty steps. There was something really wonderful about the experiences we had in all of the less tourist filled cities. I also got sick in Cuzco which made it a bit of a drag. Sarah thought I had typhoid or mylaria but I got b etter in a couple of days and I have come to believe that I just got a bug that all of the vulunteers at the school were passing around.
We went to Maccu Piccu on Friday. Its true that Aguas Calientes is a place that you would have no reason to go to other than to get to Maccu Piccu. The entire little town was awash with vendors and restaurants. We hiked up the mountain to the site. A hike that we had no idea would be as hard as it was. We walked 8km in an hour and a half about two of which were straight up the mountain. It was literally a stone staircase that gained about 2000 feet in 2km. The site itself was really amazing. I was surprised how little I felt the presence of the hundreds of other people who were there. Not sure what else to say. Im sure most of you have at least seen pictures and other than describe the way it lo0ks Im afraid anthing else would in one way or another fall short.
We left for Puno and Lake Titicaca on Saturday Morning and went out onto the lake Sunday. We visited the floating islands whish was a place like nothing I have ever seen. Essentially they are giant rafts made of reeds with houses built on them that are anchored in the middle of a sea of reeds. As this is a kind of standard pitstop on the lake, there is a sense here too that there is an unfortunate overabundance of commercialization. There is esentially a talk and them the rest of the time there someone is trying to get you to buy something. At least here you can see them making most of the things they are selling. It was really a strange place to see. literally surroundsed by reeds, it felt like walking on a mattress, with these strange reed boats lazily floating about. We also visited Taquile Island. Aside from the look of the people there was something about the scenery that Sarah and I both felt was somehow what we thought the mediterranean should be like. The men there make these really nice hats. They apparently learn from a young age to knit them themselves. They are like a very long stocking cap that flops over in the back so that they get some protection from the sun. The length also provides a storage area for their coca.
Today we left Puno for La Paz. We pulled in tonight and it already feels like a real city. There are stores everywhere that arent necessariy for people from out of town, Hardware stores, tire shops and everthing. I like it already.
Camf
The program itself was really great. Essentially an all volunteer after school program for disadvantaged kids, they are doing a lot of good. Helping children who have been involved in street crime and witness to violence etc. they provide a healthy and loving atmosphere where the kids learn social skills, have time for art and homework and learn a bit about the rest of the world. The whole thing is funded by a restaurant and donations. We met a number of great people from all over the world who volunteer there and I hope we left them with something of value.
Cuzco as a city otherwise is quite beautiful. There is a wealth of a strange marriage of Inca stonework and Colonial building that makes the whole place look quite magical (at 5am). The real problem for me was that the entire palce felt a bit like Peru, Las Vegas. Everything was specifically geared in the central part of the town for the tourist rade and as such I got sick of being hassled to go into a restaurant or get a massage every thirty steps. There was something really wonderful about the experiences we had in all of the less tourist filled cities. I also got sick in Cuzco which made it a bit of a drag. Sarah thought I had typhoid or mylaria but I got b etter in a couple of days and I have come to believe that I just got a bug that all of the vulunteers at the school were passing around.
We went to Maccu Piccu on Friday. Its true that Aguas Calientes is a place that you would have no reason to go to other than to get to Maccu Piccu. The entire little town was awash with vendors and restaurants. We hiked up the mountain to the site. A hike that we had no idea would be as hard as it was. We walked 8km in an hour and a half about two of which were straight up the mountain. It was literally a stone staircase that gained about 2000 feet in 2km. The site itself was really amazing. I was surprised how little I felt the presence of the hundreds of other people who were there. Not sure what else to say. Im sure most of you have at least seen pictures and other than describe the way it lo0ks Im afraid anthing else would in one way or another fall short.
We left for Puno and Lake Titicaca on Saturday Morning and went out onto the lake Sunday. We visited the floating islands whish was a place like nothing I have ever seen. Essentially they are giant rafts made of reeds with houses built on them that are anchored in the middle of a sea of reeds. As this is a kind of standard pitstop on the lake, there is a sense here too that there is an unfortunate overabundance of commercialization. There is esentially a talk and them the rest of the time there someone is trying to get you to buy something. At least here you can see them making most of the things they are selling. It was really a strange place to see. literally surroundsed by reeds, it felt like walking on a mattress, with these strange reed boats lazily floating about. We also visited Taquile Island. Aside from the look of the people there was something about the scenery that Sarah and I both felt was somehow what we thought the mediterranean should be like. The men there make these really nice hats. They apparently learn from a young age to knit them themselves. They are like a very long stocking cap that flops over in the back so that they get some protection from the sun. The length also provides a storage area for their coca.
Today we left Puno for La Paz. We pulled in tonight and it already feels like a real city. There are stores everywhere that arent necessariy for people from out of town, Hardware stores, tire shops and everthing. I like it already.
Camf
coming to terms with the celestine prophecy through A Mural in Cusco
So I admit it, i read the Celestine Prophecy and I was hoping that some of my trip to South America would entail that sort of adventure energy and Cusco seemed like a place I might find this connection with people. But My initial take on Cusco was not so glowing. It seemed to mainly be about getting tourist money through restaurants, clubs, massages, and trip packages. I was tired of walking down the street and saying no thank you to all the people who approached us in sale.
In fact We stayed in Cusco for a week mainly to make a mural.
Aldea Yanapay was a space we wrote to while we were still in the states. They wrote us back and said that we could come do a short project. A project conceived in a short period of time while traveling proved to be a difficult but rewarding endeavor.
Aldea Yanapay is many things: an after school program offering homework help and art classes for street kids and orphans, a restaurant with funds going to its programs, an international volunteer project, and soon to be a hostel. The teachers are all volunteers and they come for any time period, though longer than a week is preferred. They live in a house with the director Yuri. I think soon they will also have the option of staying at the hostel. We first learned about Yuri the charismatic director, through his mother, she invited us into her house, also a sort of meeting point for volunteers. After meeting many people, Yuri instructed us to return that afternoon. Cam and I helped students make pinatas in the art class. We stayed after the art class for the weekly Friday theater performance, which was a recap of lessons taught that week. After talking with Yuri we agreed to make a mural for the new school. We spent that night working on designs and also volunteered to help paint murals for a jail. ( a program they had teaching kids at the jail.)
On Sunday we went to meet to paint the murals, Cam and I showed up two hours early due to my misinterprating Pablos accent, he said dos y media instead of doce y media. At dos y media we met with other tutors. They were very tied to each other but included us in a dinner invitation. Before dinner we went to Pablo house and designed and painted murals in the the narrow courtyard of his apartment. It was hilarious because it began to rain and so we pushed our 4x8 ft masonite under as much of an awning as we could. One of Pablo{s roomates was an artist as well so he provided supplies, music, and conversation.
There were a lot of people working with this program so it took awhile for us to get on the same page as everyone for the mural. on monday we met with Yuri and he approved our ideas and showed us the space in his new school. Cam worked on a chalk drawing while I taught an art class on mask making. Everything seemed to finally be going smoothly, until that night when we got home and it turned out Cam had a 1oo degree temperature. (everyone at aldea yanapay was also passing along a sickeness)
The next morning I woke up and went to get the painting supplies without Cam. I began to paint and fill in the shapes and designs, improvising as I went. This mural wall was large and we wanted to finish it in a few days. Luckily two volunteers, Mas and Linda from Denmark, showed up to help me. They brought music, food, and a good spirit. By the time 3 rolled around we had blocked in most of the mural and the kids began to help by drawing flowers. I think it inspired Yuri because he then began to think of other areas where we could work on murals and help spruce up some older drawings he had on the wall.
That night Cam was still sick, I was tired, but then I became paranoid thinking Cam had thyphoid or malaria. I made him drink a bunch of ginger tea. his fever went from 100 to 94 to 100.
The next morning he was well enough and we went and finished the mural once again with the help of Linda and Mas. Two other volunteers Emily and Marcel pitched in to paint the murals. All the kids kept running in saying que lindo, que bonita. When we left Yuri seemed sad and he said perhaps we could come again and volunteer for a longer time. That night we had dinner with Linda, Mas, Emily, and Marcel, and the Aldea Yanapay restaurant. We talked about how we had come to be in Cusco what we had left behind (jobs, houses, dead ends). Earlier that week in Cusco I was a little disappointed with the sort of marketing of spirituality and experience I thought I saw happening in all the things for a tourist to buy., heck they liked to call cusco the father for world culture and the sprirutal navel. But that night all of us tired over our coffees soaking in the crazy kid space of the restaurant,I have to say that was the exact collaborative ennergy I was searching for and it was all free.
sarah
In fact We stayed in Cusco for a week mainly to make a mural.
Aldea Yanapay was a space we wrote to while we were still in the states. They wrote us back and said that we could come do a short project. A project conceived in a short period of time while traveling proved to be a difficult but rewarding endeavor.
Aldea Yanapay is many things: an after school program offering homework help and art classes for street kids and orphans, a restaurant with funds going to its programs, an international volunteer project, and soon to be a hostel. The teachers are all volunteers and they come for any time period, though longer than a week is preferred. They live in a house with the director Yuri. I think soon they will also have the option of staying at the hostel. We first learned about Yuri the charismatic director, through his mother, she invited us into her house, also a sort of meeting point for volunteers. After meeting many people, Yuri instructed us to return that afternoon. Cam and I helped students make pinatas in the art class. We stayed after the art class for the weekly Friday theater performance, which was a recap of lessons taught that week. After talking with Yuri we agreed to make a mural for the new school. We spent that night working on designs and also volunteered to help paint murals for a jail. ( a program they had teaching kids at the jail.)
On Sunday we went to meet to paint the murals, Cam and I showed up two hours early due to my misinterprating Pablos accent, he said dos y media instead of doce y media. At dos y media we met with other tutors. They were very tied to each other but included us in a dinner invitation. Before dinner we went to Pablo house and designed and painted murals in the the narrow courtyard of his apartment. It was hilarious because it began to rain and so we pushed our 4x8 ft masonite under as much of an awning as we could. One of Pablo{s roomates was an artist as well so he provided supplies, music, and conversation.
There were a lot of people working with this program so it took awhile for us to get on the same page as everyone for the mural. on monday we met with Yuri and he approved our ideas and showed us the space in his new school. Cam worked on a chalk drawing while I taught an art class on mask making. Everything seemed to finally be going smoothly, until that night when we got home and it turned out Cam had a 1oo degree temperature. (everyone at aldea yanapay was also passing along a sickeness)
The next morning I woke up and went to get the painting supplies without Cam. I began to paint and fill in the shapes and designs, improvising as I went. This mural wall was large and we wanted to finish it in a few days. Luckily two volunteers, Mas and Linda from Denmark, showed up to help me. They brought music, food, and a good spirit. By the time 3 rolled around we had blocked in most of the mural and the kids began to help by drawing flowers. I think it inspired Yuri because he then began to think of other areas where we could work on murals and help spruce up some older drawings he had on the wall.
That night Cam was still sick, I was tired, but then I became paranoid thinking Cam had thyphoid or malaria. I made him drink a bunch of ginger tea. his fever went from 100 to 94 to 100.
The next morning he was well enough and we went and finished the mural once again with the help of Linda and Mas. Two other volunteers Emily and Marcel pitched in to paint the murals. All the kids kept running in saying que lindo, que bonita. When we left Yuri seemed sad and he said perhaps we could come again and volunteer for a longer time. That night we had dinner with Linda, Mas, Emily, and Marcel, and the Aldea Yanapay restaurant. We talked about how we had come to be in Cusco what we had left behind (jobs, houses, dead ends). Earlier that week in Cusco I was a little disappointed with the sort of marketing of spirituality and experience I thought I saw happening in all the things for a tourist to buy., heck they liked to call cusco the father for world culture and the sprirutal navel. But that night all of us tired over our coffees soaking in the crazy kid space of the restaurant,I have to say that was the exact collaborative ennergy I was searching for and it was all free.
sarah
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