¡Hola a todos!

Oh dear me, it has been an age since I last blogged and, much like anything - pleasant or otherwise - that is delayed and delayed, I find the prospect of updating a rather daunting task. Nonetheless, I finally find myself with time and will here in Bariloche and so I can start to make a dent in my pile of experiences awaiting their moment of electronically interactive fame.

A mere two and a half weeks ago (although it does of course feel much longer), I returned from Iguazu to Buenos Aires, where my charming friends Niall and Juan were kind enough to offer me residence until I lumped together some vaguely cohesive plan for journeying to the south. Thus I spend a very pleasant four days relaxing in the barrio (neighbourhood) of Once, drinking banana liquados (milkshakes) at quiet cafes, hitting up parties thrown by classmates from the previous month's linguistic frivolities and over-indulging (to a horrifying extent) in decadent Italian ice-cream, during which time I happily waved goodbye to any slimming progress made during my first month abroad. Niall especially was a regular feature in these hedonistic exploits and has become a very good friend in such a short period of time. I hope very much to return to BA one day to catch-up with Niall and my other friends making the city their home.

Monday evening came and with it my final night in BA. The previous day had seen some frantic activity as my Australian classmate Monica contacted me with the information that LAN were offering a fairly cheap flight (for Argentine prices) to El Calafate, departing midday Tuesday. Seizing the initiative, in itself a novel experience for me, we booked two tickets and waved a rushed goodbye to our homes for the past five weeks (for me) and two months (for Monica). I spent my last evening relaxing with Niall and Emily, another close friend (of ecological reserve walking fame), eating empanadas and - of course - more delicious ice-cream. At some early point in the evening, these two delightful people discovered my on-going saga involving a faulty MP3 player and my complete lack of music: cue some hours spent (largely by Emily) deciphering and then resolving the problem. A couple of hours, three music formats and much choice cursing later and once more I had a functional music player, charmingly re-christened the s***-pod (I forget who by). I have since then been wholly indebted to these life-saving friends, with countless hours of long-distance transit softened by a healthy selection of fantastic music, though I do say so myself.

The selection, organization, perhaps even an implied hierarchy of categorizing experiences has become of great interest to me as my trip progresses. I have, at times, found it strange how such wildly different memories can invoke such similar feelings, despite seeming wholly incompatible. This is sure to reappear as a feature of later blog entries but, for the moment, I am content to say that those final few days in BA, featuring good company and leisurely though subdued experiences, are among my favourite of this trip thus-far. I left BA, my temporary yet endearing home of five weeks, full of heart, cheer and bittersweet nostalgia. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Argentina's capital, from my first, adrenaline-fuelled night with Laura and her family, through to my last, low-key evening spent at Niall and Juan's apartment. I am happy with my choices - of home-stay with a local family, of a challenging Spanish class level, of using a company to facilitate an easier experience for the first month of my trip. This company, GIC, are among the biggest offering such a service within Argentina. When I first explored the various options available for studying Spanish in Argentina, I was struck by just how little impartial information there is on the internet - even concerning GIC, a very large company operating out of five of Argentina's largest cities and dealing with hundreds of foreign students every month. I resolved to add my own thoughts on my personal experiences to this scant list upon completion of my time in BA and, though it is perhaps lacking in some detail, it may well be of help to others who face my predicament in future days.

There are some stories, although they are thankfully few, of GIC being a particularly poor organization. This is not so much in comparison with other Argentine companies, rather with foreign students' experiences of such organizations from their own countries. For instance, GIC deals with many American students, not all of whom are overly complimentary of its services. This seems particularly to be the case concerning GIC's medical programme, which involves voluntary work at a local medical centre in one of Argentina's main cities. I must stress that I did not complete any such programme and that the stories I heard were few. It is also worth noting, however, that the corresponding number of those undertaking such a medical programme is also small. I myself signed up through GIC to complete a month-long Spanish programme and to live in a 'home-stay'; namely, to reside with a local family during my time studying at the local language school. My experiences, as stated above, were largely happy ones. My host family was friendly, helpful during the early days while I adjusted to my new, somewhat alien surroundings and later, as my fledging Spanish progressed, in providing practice partners, especially in the evenings around meal-time. The language school was of a fairly high standard and I felt real progression in my linguistic abilities during my time there: my professors were helpful and empathetic to my struggles with the language and there were numerous, interesting additional cultural activities organized by the school itself. The GIC staff were a mixed bag but, generally helpful when need arose and often able to offer some practical advice where necessary. Some staff members could, perhaps, have been a little more genuine in their interaction with we foreigners but, it is important to remember that this is their job and that we do occasionally all have a bad day - perhaps I am overly kind to one or two characters.

In the main, therefore, such a company as GIC is very useful in helping a potentially disorientated, first-time traveller find his or her feet when first arriving in Argentina - this was certainly the case in my experience. Nonetheless, such services as GIC offers can doubtless be provided, at a cheaper rate, by one's own initiative: the Spanish course and perhaps the home-stay can be arranged directly (although I think that the latter is a little risky). Certainly alternative accommodation can be furnished directly, through advertisements and other means. It is simply a case of individual preferences and is worthy of serious thought before arrival in Argentina. Ultimately, money was not the most important issue in my decision-making and GIC certainly helped me to enjoy my time in BA, although I found little use for them once I became settled after a few days. Indeed, of the multiple activities GIC claim to organize, most were cancelled (apparently due to low numbers of interested students). Nonetheless, where a GIC-organized activity did go ahead, a one-off tango lesson for example, a brilliant time was enjoyed by all and at very little hassle to the individual in terms of organization. Overall then, GIC is useful for those travellers who desire a little support and structure during their trip - perhaps for those travelling alone for instance, as was my case - but, they are by no means necessary if one is willing to show a proactive nature and a little courage and fore-planning. Such is an important decision and I certainly do not intend to directly influence anyone, nor to discredit GIC in any way: they are a credible company and my opinion remains exactly that, a one-off, impartial, though personal opinion.

Phew, back to brighter, more carefree topics! In my next blog, I intend to concentrate upon the first of my southern adventures, that of El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier.

¡Saludos!

David xxx