January 2006: ACES Global Ambassadors in Argentina

Saturday, January 14

Hola for the last time from Argentina! We have really enjoyed our limited time here in Venado Tuerto. Today we learned that this is the best farming area in Argentina, and possibly the world, rivaling the farmland we have around Champaign.

We started learning about this agriculture this morning by touring a large dairy farm. The farm is very different from dairy operations in the U.S. in that all the cattle are pasture-fed year-round. The operation runs 1,300 cows on about 3,000 acres using a rotational grazing system. We had a great time learning about the operation and visiting with the owners, who were so eager to both teach and learn from us. They truly reflected the hospitality we have experienced so often during our stay here.

We then visited a local mall (with our shoes still covered in cow manure) for lunch. After lunch we saw large-scale Argentine agricultural production at its greatest. We toured a 10,000-acre farm, all in one contiguous piece, that produces corn, soybeans, and wheat. The farmer was very open to discussion about current agricultural issues between the two countries, including U.S. farm subsidies and Argentines avoiding royalty fees on genetically modified seeds. We toured the farm by bus and were amazed at its size, soil, and good-looking crops. Honestly, I could have been convinced I was in Illinois in July because things were so similar to home.

So now we are taking it easy during our last night here in Argentina. It has been an awesome trip, we all agree, but it is time we get home so we can tell everyone personally about our experiences. To wrap things up, Argentina has been so good to us, we appreciate everything everyone has done to make our stay here a great one, and we will do our best to enlighten everyone in the U.S. about the legacy of this country.

This is Regan Joehl for the Argentina travelers, signing off...

Friday, January 13

Hola (finally) from Venado Tuerto, Argentina. Boy, do we have a story for you this time!

Before I get to that, I want to let everyone know that Thursday (our last day in Mendoza) was a very relaxing one, which we all enjoyed. We were able to sleep in until our farewell lunch at the Mendoza Rowing Club, where we shared a very nice meal with Francisco, who was our coordinator/guide for our time in Mendoza. We are all very appreciative for the assistance and leadership Francisco and his students gave us during the visit. It was very difficult to leave such good company.

We did leave, however, Thursday evening, and that is where the fun began. We successfully strapped our luggage to the roof of our small touring buses and made it to the bus terminal without incident—we were even a little early! Our overnight bus to Venado Tuerto, however, was an hour late, so we did not get on the road until 9 pm. Still, we were not too concerned because we had a very nice, large, double-decker bus as opposed to the cramped ones we had taken earlier in the trip. As soon as we stepped on the bus, however, we were overcome with the smell of diesel fumes. Thinking the bus had just gassed up and spilled a little fuel to cause the smell, everyone settled in for a good night's rest during the expected 8-hour drive.

About 11pm we rolled into one of Argentina's many toll checkpoints. To our dismay, as the bus reached an idle, it sputtered to a stop, the engine died and the lights and air conditioning went out. Luckly, there was a convenience store at the toll stop, so we all got off to grab some dinner while they figured out the problem. After about an hour of discussing the problem, the driver signaled us to push. We all thought it was a joke and laughed it off, but he was serious! So here were passengers pushing a full-sized interstate bus off to the side of the road. After the job was finished Dr. Skirvin reminded us the clock had just struck midnight, ushering in Friday the 13th under a full moon.

Unfortunately, the fun did not stop on the side of the road! The drivers found the problem, a pretty bad diesel fuel leak, and figured the best way to fix it was to prime the engine and drive on. So we finally got going around 2 am and awoke at 7 am the next morning to the bus dying AGAIN in some random Argentine town. After carrying out our normal process of pushing the bus off the road and primimg it we were on our way (we thought) by 9 am. Four blocks later—you guessed it—the bus dies. By now we are getting low on diesel fuel and the passengers are getting restless. After another two hours of priming, the bus was started and we coasted to a nearby bus terminal (that was probably a 15-minute walk away).

By now it was around noon and they finally offered us a new bus. As we exchanged tickets, there was another problem (besides the language barrier)—four of us would not fit on the bus. Not wanting to split our group between two buses, we offered to squeeze three to a seat so we all could fit. By this time we had made a lot of friends among the other passengers, and they argued in our favor to let us board. Finally, the driver agreed to let us on and the entire bus cheered as we boarded, not to mock us, but to show their support for the stranded Americans!

Despite the tension of the trip, we had a great time getting to know everyone on the bus. Language was a small issue, and by the time we reached our destination 4 hours later, we were not people from two different cultures, but friends getting through a tough situation. When we finally got off the bus at Venado Tuerto, 20 hours after we had left Mendoza (for what was meant to be an 8-hour bus ride), everyone remaining on the bus waved at us and wished us better luck on the rest of our trip. None of us will soon forget the impact those passengers had on us.

So here we are in Venado Tuerto. We were able to tour a Pioneer seed research facility late this afternoon and enjoy barbecued hamburgers, a pool, and a friendly soccer game here at our hotel.

What a trip it has been getting here! Sorry my explanation got so long-winded; thanks for taking the time to read it. We all learned today that even tough situations can yield valuable experiences—it all happens for a reason!

Signed, Regan for the Argentina Crew

Wednesday, January 11

Hola for the last time from Mendoza...

Despite our dwindling time here, we are not slowing down! We started out today with a visit to a French winery located deep in wine country. We were amazed at the simplicity and elegance the French use to make superior wine. Having now visited many other local wineries, we enjoyed comparing and contrasting the winemaking processes between the different companies.

After touring the winery, we traveled to INTA of Uco Valley, an extension research station run by the Argentine government. Here we got another taste of Argentine beef at an asado, or barbeque, and learned the impact research stations have on Argentine farmers.

Next we moved on to the highlight of the day: horseback riding at the base of the Andes. On a 70,000-acre ranch, we mounted trusty steeds and saw the country in true gaucho (cowboy) style. For many of us, this was our first time riding horseback, but by the day's end we all considered ourselves experienced riders. Moreover, we all agreed that touring the ranch by horseback was the way to go after trekking over the mountains on foot yesterday. Now we are living out our last night in Mendoza. This part of Argentina has been wonderful to visit, but we are headed to a new area tomorrow. Once again, I'm not sure of the access I will have to a computer, but keep checking in and keeping tabs on us!

Signed, Regan for the saddlesore in Mendoza

Tuesday, January 10

What a long day we have had in Mendoza! At 6 am we set out to explore the Andes Mountains, which have been looming on our horizon for the past two days. We boarded a bus and set out on our journey to the top of the mountains--an ascent similar to, and just as terrifying as, the one to the top of Pikes Peak in the U.S.

The trip was well worth it, though, when we saw the view from the top. We left the bus and hiked to an abandoned silver mine, which we toured along with the breathtaking scenery. Once at the summit, we were reminded that Charles Darwin had explored this area, and we viewed a petrified forest he had explained in his journals.

High in the Andes Mountains, the Global Ambassadors don hard hats to explore an abandoned silver mine.

Later in the afternoon we set out on an even longer hike to see ancient Incan ruins. After fording a gushing glacier-fed river, we made it to the top of our mountain. From there, we could see the old Incan road, which is still visible after 500 years of being abandoned, and various other Incan ruins, including an awesome llama corral. After wearing ourselves out on this hike, we are really looking forward to tomorrow, when we will be on horseback.

The group poses before the next challenge: fording rivers and scaling mountain heights to reach ruins of the Incan civilization.

After a sleepy trip back to our hostel in Mendoza, we enjoyed fine dining at a local McDonalds. So here it is 1 am already and we are all headed to bed—thanks for checking in!

Signed, Regan for the sunburned mountaineers in Mendoza

Monday, January 9

Hello from a very worn-out Argentina crew. We can honestly say that we are packing everything into our Argentina experience... We've had some long days but it has been great.

Today we began by touring Argentina's state-sponsored research center, where they carry out various research in the biological and medical fields. It was interesting to compare the research being done at the station to that being conducted at the U of I. Next we toured the Argentine government's wine-testing facility. The Argentines take their wine very seriously, and we got to learn all about that. Following on the same theme, we moved on to an experiment station, equivalent to the USDA, where viticultural research is conducted. Finally, we toured Argentina's school of winemaking, where all their chemists learn the tricks of the trade. We jokingly agreed that after today we should all receive minors in viticulture!

For a change of pace, we all got to go whitewater rafting on the Mendoza River. In the few instances we were not paddling to avoid obstacles, we were able to enjoy the scenery of the Andes Mountains and a very comfortable and dry 100-degree day.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to an all-day hike through the Andes mountains... so I'm off to bed to prepare for that. Thanks for checking in!

Signed, Regan from the Mendoza river-runners

Sunday, January 8

Hola from Mendoza, at the base of the Andes Mountains! What a trip it has been getting here—let me tell you all about it.

We started our journey Saturday morning by checking out of our hostel in Buenos Aires at a very early 7 am and boarding a bus to Luján. In Luján we visited probably the largest and most beautiful basilica I have ever seen. The basilica houses a statue of the Virgin Mary that is reported to have worked miracles on many people.

During the ride to Luján we finally got to see some of the Argentine farmland we hear so much about back in the U.S. Here, wheat harvest has just been completed, the corn is tasseling, and the beans are about knee high. The area is strikingly similar to the U.S. heartland, other than the fact it lacks any farmsteads, there are a few random palm trees, and the area is even flatter and more expansive than the land in Champaign County (if that's possible!). As a midwestern farm kid, I am awestruck by the similarities and the potential Argentina has to be a huge competitor to us in agricultural commodities.

After leaving the basilica we traveled to Los Grobo, a very successful farm management company based in Argentina. This company has become successful by diversifying into many farm services, from providing seed to crushing soybeans. This is a rare occurrence in Argentina where corporate success is hard to come by. The people at Los Grobo were very welcoming and provided us a large steak lunch as we interacted and taught each other about agriculture in our respective countries.

The ACES Global Ambassadors in Luján with their hosts from Los Grobo, one of Argentina's largest farming companies.

We left Los Grobo to catch an overnight bus to Mendoza (about a 12-hr drive), and we arrived early Sunday morning. In contrast to the fertile plains of Buenos Aires, Mendoza is a more arid region at the base of the Andes Mountains, comparable to Arizona. Here, the weather is very warm (near 100 degrees today), but the region is blessed with an abundant water source from the Andes. This water source supports the production of many vegetable crops, the most important being grapes that are used to make wine.

We had the pleasure of touring two wineries this afternoon, Bodega La Rural and Bodega Familia Zuccardi. We have been exposed to the process of making the wine, from vine to bottle, and been able to taste many different kinds of wine. And, of course, you can't have wine without beef in Argentina, so we ate beef again for lunch.

We are now getting settled into another very nice hostel and planning dinner for this evening (beef, anyone?!). We can't say enough good about all we have seen in Argentina so far. With all the country has to offer and the strength of the dollar over the peso, it is amazing that few Americans visit Argentina. We will do our best to take it all in for you and convince you to come down here and see it for yourself!

Signed, Regan of the Argentine wine tasters!

Friday, January 6

Hola again!

I must apologize—this may be a short update as we are all looking forward to some much-needed sleep after an evening of tango dancing!

We started off the day with a tour of the Molinos food distribution center (Argentina's largest food disributor) outside of Buenos Aires. We were amazed at the technology they use, ranging from a logistics program that uses GPS to track 500 delivery trucks to a huge storage warehouse that can only be explained by comparing it to the warehouse in the movie Monsters, Inc.

After Molinos, we traveled to an area popular to Argentine vacationers known as the Tiegre. There we spent the afternoon browsing many craft and souvenir booths. After returning to the hostel and taking a brief siesta, we headed out to a tango bar. We enjoyed a nice meal among a great atmosphere of live music and dancing.

As much as there is to do in this city, Buenos Aires can contain us no longer. Tomorrow we leave to explore the country outside the city. I'm unsure of the access I will have to a computer, but I will do my best to keep everyone updated. Thanks for checking in on us.

Signed, Regan from the Argentina Tangoers!

Thursday, January 5

Hello again!

I am pleased to report that we have overcome our jet lag, thanks in part to a huge beef dinner Wednesday night. The stereotype of Argentinians eating massive amounts of red meat is definitely true! We were shocked and pleased with the amount of food we received, all for only about $15 US. University of Illinois alumni from the area joined us for the dinner, and we all had a great time.

On Thursday morning, we had time for some intense sightseeing and shopping. We quickly learned the ways of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, as we toured historical sights such as the Pink House (equivalent to our White House), the congressional buildings, a basilica, various statues, and other landmarks. We also browsed Florida Avenue, a walking street that runs through the city where countless stores and restaurants are located. Many of us took advantage of the dollar's strength over the peso and bought a lot of stuff.

In the afternoon, we were escorted by Carlos Steiger (by Subway) to Belgrano University, where he gave us a very informative lecture on the economic conditions Argentina is facing. In addition to the lecture, we were able to get an idea of how different an Argentine university is from one in the U.S.

After the lecture there was a little time for more sightseeing, and then we closed the evening out with another huge steak dinner.

So, to sum things up, we are having a great time experiencing Buenos Aires. After today, we feel much more comfortable with the city and can really appreciate all it has to offer. Moreover, we are all looking forward to another day of this experience.

Signed, Regan for The Argentina Crew

Wednesday, January 4

Hello from Argentina—

We finally made it! After missing our connection flight to Argentina in Miami on Monday, we were forced to wait 24 hours until the next one. No one really complained, however, because we spent the day at Miami Beach. We did finally catch the overnight flight Tuesday evening and arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. (That's 3 a.m. Illinois time!)

Despite the jet lag, we have already settled into our hostel and seen a lot of Buenos Aires. We have visited Cargill's Argentina headquarters and toured the U.S. embassy. Later this evening we are headed out to eat a large meal with some University of Illinois alumni that are in town.

At this point we are all experiencing quite a bit of jet lag. Something about an overnight flight and the time change really gets to you. Regardless, we are all enjoying the city. Of course, it is summer here, nice and warm and green—quite a change from back home. We consider ourselves lucky we don't have to drive ourselves around... it's hard enough to watch the insanity on the roads from the back seat! Aside from that, Buenos Aires is a beautiful city, completely different from anything we are used to, and we are looking forward to experiencing and learning more about it.

That's it for now. Keep checking for more updates as we continue the trip.

Signed, The Argentina Group

Tuesday, January 3

Hello from sunny Miami!

That's right, I said Miami, not Buenos Aires. Due to the bad weather on Monday in Chicago, our flight to Miami was delayed two hours and we missed our connection flight to Buenos Aires. Departing the plane, we were struck with the irony that we were MIA... not missing in action, but at the Miami International Airport. Regardless, we were able to check into the Sheraton hotel about midnight and get tickets for the next flight, Tuesday evening at 8:40.

As much of a headache as this has been, we all agree there is no better place than Miami to be stranded. It's about 80 degrees, humid, and sunny... quite a change from Champaign. For some of us, this is also our first time seeing palm trees, so we are very excited!

Thanks for checking up on us, and we will keep you posted on our journey southward.

Signed, "MIA in Miami," the Argentina travelers

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