Ghost Stories and Truck Drivers

Buenos Tardes.

Around 1840 in Argentina a womans husband was recruited in the army to fight in the civil war. Fighting difficult conditions, hunger and lots of men with guns he became sick. Upon hearing this news Delinda Correa decided she needed to be with her husband. Baby in tow Senora Correa followed the tracks of the Montaneras in hopes of curing her husband and avoiding becoming a young widow. It wasnt long though that she ran out of supplies and water and died in the San Juan province in western Argentina. It was days until her body was found by passing gauchos (farmers). The story that continues today is that the gauchos found the baby still alive suckling on its monthers ever full breast.

Word spread, slowly at first, but soon got out of control. At the suposed site of her death a shrine was built, soon the shrine drew a few houses, the houses grew into a village and then into a town. Today centred aournd the shrine exists the town of Vallecito, home to over 17 chapels dedicated to this miraculous woman. Stories bacame spreading of miracles performed by the ghost of Correa, saving truck drivers from burning wrecks and keeping lost children alive for days. On Easter Sunday over 200,000 people make their way to her shrine and ask for her help.

Officially she is not a recognised saint so technically she is a ghost. Left terribley thirsty and doing miracolous things for devotees.

In fact she is so popular with truck drivers they have made a shirne for her every 500km or so. To keep her working for them they leave a water bottle to quench her enternal thrist. They park, run over to the shrine, leave a water bottle, pray a little and then run back to their car and cruise at about 50km over the limit without lights down route 40.

To be honest in I was Delinda Correa I'd be pissed off. I'd be think DAMN I'm dead, I dont need the water now! If you are going to leave anything at my shrine why dont you make it cake or cheese, better yet cheesecake!

If you bit the dust and people were to leave something at your shrine, what would you like in the afterlife?

Keeping you awake with ghost stories in Buenos Aires,

Mike

Kiss Me If You Can!

Along with people playing with their ringtones on public transport, talking loudly in public spaces, public displays of affection (PDAs) are high on peoples list of pet hates. Why? Well I guess it could have something to do with being involved with other peoples interment moments or simply you think that making out in public is a little off putting because you are afraid that you look like that when you are passionately kissing someone. Any way you look at it, seeing a serious make out session or 'pash' in public gives you that awkward little feeling in your stomach and makes you look away as quickly as possible.

Well here in South America PDAs are not a problem in fact they are celebrated. What? How can you celebrate PDAs? It is easy to celebrate a PDA and South Americans are good at it, well the youth anyway.

Walking through La Paz can leave you feeling a little on edge, seeing semi naked people being wiped down by a missionary or seeing a beggar with serious illness mumble dispasionatly about spare change not only trying to hide his physical and mental illness but his guilt and shame as well. You may feel a little overcautious or scared but if you were to walk through Plaza Murrillo in front of the cathedral you may be overwhelmed by awkwardness and a need to flee as soon as possible. Benches lined from end to end of youthful people making out like they have never kissed someone and will never again. With over at least 15 benches in the park and space enough on each bench to fit 3 kissing couples you are looking at over 45 PDAs celebrated by under sexed over religious youth.

In Argentina you may feel pretty safe walking most streets. The people are friendly, the area is relatively crime free but be warned street corners, parks and plazas are prime sites of PDA awkwardness. Kiss kiss, breathe... pause... kiss kiss kiss. 'GET A ROOM' may fly through your mind and then it hits you. Catholic kids in a Catholic country have no where else to go to be together. Away from parent's prying and overbearing eyes these youths flock to the streets to get a taste (literally) of passion and dear I say it... sex!

With 71% of the population Roman Catholic,0 and a rather large percentage of the remaining Christian, these poor kids are doomed to a youth of PDAs and sexual frustration. Maybe a sexy salsa or tango session will help ease the pain but the only way to really bust out is to kiss someone in public as passionately or intimately as possible.

So if PDA are your thing enjoy them like South Americans, if not well be like me and look away, push down the awkward feelings and hope you don't look as awkward as they do when you kiss someone.

Ciao for now
Mikey

Spanish Directness and Inadvertant Political Incorrectedness

The Spanish language can be stunningly poetic, romantic and in some case beautiful. Certain phrases translated into English can leave you on the verge of tears or make you instantly fall in love with the speaker. Certain Spanish language phrases come to mind. A perfect example is how Spanish speakers say to give birth; dar la luz (to give to the light or give light) or I cried; Las lasgrimas me saliaron (the tears left me). Is your heart on the edge of it's seat? If it isn't you have a heart of stone!
Aside from having a poetic tongue Spanish speakers are allowed the luxury of being direct and not wasting words as 'fill'. Words such as 'claro' can be: sure, no worries, I told you so, sure thing, I knew it, don't you know it etc... This directness has come to lead to some very awkward and some funny moments throughout this little romp around Cuba and South America. The problem isn’t how the locals speak, it’s how it sounds translated. In Cuba a Scottish girl with Asian features was referred to as ‘chinita’ Little Chinese. In Mexico while playing Spanish bingo in the hostel the black man in the picture was referred to as ‘nigger’. In Columbia a Spanish girl referred to the arrival of black people in Cuba to an African American guy as ‘the nigger slaves were sent to Cuba...’ These phrases have continued to lead to pretty awkward moments. Awkward moments aside poorly translated hostel signs can be pretty funny too; ‘Please not make sex in dorm rooms’, ‘make party not make war’ , ‘please dip toilet paper in bin not water please’.
So if travelling in South America or Spain you’re guaranteed to cringe at poorly translated politically incorrect terms but don’t let this ruin your holiday. Roll with it and you can just roll right over it and put it down to language barriers claro!

In Mendoza drinking wine,
Mike