Today was awesome! I was pleasantly surprised to wake up today feeling so much better and like I knew I had a choice here. Sure, I could choose to stay home and recharge, spending the day writing, practicing qigong, reading, studying Spanish, etc, if that´s what would really be best for me. But this morning, that was no longer resonating as the best thing for me. Instead I had this feeling that today was the day-- the day for my trip to Colonia, Uraguay!
So, after only 5 or 6 hours of sleep (which has been pretty common here for me), I rolled out of bed, looked up some info online, and although it wasn´t totally clear that I´d be able to go, I decided to get ready pretty fast, but without rushing, and just head on down to the port, having a feeling that today things were going to work out, be more easy, and flow.
I remembered today the power of the mind and of words, and so since I got so much of it out of my system last night, now it was time to stop thinking about and talking/writing about how ¨nearly everyday something goes wrong¨ or generalizations about the people here. It doesn´t have to be like that. And today, it wasn´t. Everything was oh so right! Even the doorman who usually seems so unfriendly smiled at me for the first time tonight when I came home and asked if I had gone to Colonia. I think my fave doorman, who had been there this morning, must´ve spread the word. It was a pleasant surprise ending to such a pleasant day. Perhaps his shift had to do with the shift in my own vibe and that today I was not anticipating any negatives.
So, Colonia.... I left my apartment, walked outside, and a taxi came by within less than a minute! I got to practice my Spanish. It´s cool to see that I´m still improving even though I haven´t had a lesson since last Thursday. Although, as my Spanish gets better, my English gets worse. I notice I leave out words and letters when I type. I also sometimes choose the wrong or not quite right words when typing or speaking. For example, today I met a family from Nova Scotia and said, ¨i haven´t been talking much English here.¨ And then laughed and corrected with ¨speaking!¨
Anywho, got to Buquebus (boat company)with plenty of time to get info (went very smoothly), buy ticket (again, went very smoothly), and check in. I even had great luck when I went to buy water in the waiting area (yesterday I was feeling like i´d been on some sort of unlucky streak. but no.) The water-- another thing about today was that I decided to only drink water today. No food. In Spanish I was able to tell this guy that and ask if they had any bigger bottle of waters and ask if there was water on the boat. The water was so expensive and a very small bottle. He said I had time to walk 3 blocks to buy some. This is notable, because some clerks would not have been as helpful. I felt lucky. I also felt empowered, as if my whole attitude that morning really was helping to create a better reality for me.
I was also so happy to finally be going to Colonia. I´d been wanting to go so badly, and also wanting to get out of the big city. I was taking the 3 hour boat there, and then would return on the 1 hour boat. I´d have 5 hours in Colonia.
In line for boarding, I met 2 women from New Jersey. We hit it off immediately. We talked a lot in line, and then towards the end of the boat ride. We also made tentative plans to meet again in Buenos Aires this week and/or weekend. During the ride, I spent about half the time sunbathing. I met a nice elderly couple from Buenos Aires was able to practice a lot of Spanish with them. They also wrote down some suggestions of more places to see in and nearby Buenos Aires. After I´d had enough sun, I sneaked in to the First Class cabin to practice some qigong and meditate in a comfy reclining chair! I practiced Sheng Zhen Qigong´s Nine Turns, a non-moving Qigong and Meditation practice. And then there was some live music outside of the first class cabin. I went to check it out, then sunbathed some more, then found the New Jersey ladies and chatted until we parted ways in Colonia, as they were signed up for a tour and later return to Buenos Aires.
I found a tourist info office and was happy to be advised to do what I really wanted to do: a walking tour on my own rather than a guided one! I´d been considering a walking one though, since it was only going to be an hour long and might be a nice general overview. However, it turned out to be just perfect being on my own. It was so nice taking my time and letting intuition guide me, walking through this peaceful quiet town. Ah, what a relief from the big city! What a breath of fresh air, literally! The small streets, the drivers who actually slow down and wave at you to cross the street, the cobblestone, the river, the flowers, the quiet and calm...
The first thing I did was look for a Cultural Center that turned out to be nothing, but that lead me to a playground where I sat under some beautiful trees, in total bliss, feeling so at peace and content, as if I´d returned home. Not home, as in Seattle, but home as in my true and highest self. Spent some time just sitting, listening to birds chirping, watching and hearing children playing, and then discovered there was blue ink all over my hands and arms! It must´ve been from the label on my huge water bottle! I used some of that water and a towel to wash it off.
After the park, I went to a crafts market, where I had a fairly long conversation (mostly in spanish!) with a man selling stones and crystals. We talked about collecting them, out in nature, rather than just buying them. He wrote down some places and instructions on how to get to places where I could look for crystals and stones, in Uraguay. But it was 10 hours away, so maybe next trip down here! I also bought some jewelry from another man; he and his wife hand-made it all. And it´s crazy how cheap stuff is here. In some ways I´m glad that I am packing/traveling light though, or I´d acquire so much more stuff even though I´m really wanting to get rid of even more when I return home!
After the market, I ended up at the beach and decided not to stick to the walking tour map, other than that I did want to see some ruins before leaving. The beach has some nice sand, but the river water is so brown! I came prepared to swim, but didn´t feel I had the time, or the desire, so I just beach-combed a bit and looked around. I also decided that the water fast today was no longer serving my best interest. Part of why I was doing it was to experiment with a practice that says doing a water fast on Tuesday (but weekly, for many weeks or months) can help get rid of violent tendencies. Why would I want to do this? Because I´ve been so hard on myself, and that´s a form of violence. This is all related to some discussions with a friend here, but I don´t want to get into the details now... But I decided that fasting, rather than treating myself to some Uraguayan food and beverage, could actually be considered ¨being hard on myself.¨ So I found a restaurant recommended in my Lonely Planet guide, and it just so happened to be next to the ruins and lighthouse I´d been looking for!
I had a rice and seafood dish, plus I tried a drink called.... ah! I don´t remember the name exactly, but it was something like Ferimenta. Some sort of licquor with mint(menta). Apprently it´s usually served with Coke, but I said no to that. I was warned by another traveler that it would be strong, but I wanted to try it, as it was something unique to the region. When the waiter brought it to me, I was shocked by how much was in the glass, since I´d expected a full tall glass only if I had said yes to the Coke! I tasted it and liked it, but I realized I better ask the waiter. So I tried in Spanish to tell him that I don´t want to be drunk, but the word for drunk and cheap are very similar, and I think I used the wrong word, so he didn´t understand me! I tried to explain another way, by asking how much alcohol and if stronger than wine, and if that whole glass was full of alcohol. He said yes! So I´m glad I asked!
After the food and drink, it was time to go back to the boat. But I was willing to risk missing the boat! ;) I went to the ruins and then up into the light house. The steep spiral stairs were fun, especially after drinking half of that strong mystery drink. I wasn´t drunk, but was a teeny bit buzzed, so was extra careful! Dropped my water bottle, but made it up and down in one piece, and got to the boat just in time and without rushing or stressing.
I loved today. Not just where I went, what I saw, and what I did. But how I felt inside. I felt tempted to spend a night in Colonia, or to return to Buenos Aires, pack up my things, and then return to Colonia, as it resonated so much more with me than this huge, fast-paced, loud city. But then it occurred to me to instead take back to Buenos Aires the peace and joy and love and light I was experiencing today. I also enjoyed a conversation with the taxi driver on the way home about big cities verses small cities, and the craziness versus the tranquility. I´m excited to see what unfolds during the rest of my time here. Although this whole time here has been full of ups and downs, this particular up somehow feels bigger, more profound, like something that just might stick.
I know that there are about 10 days that have passed since my last travel update, so I do intend to post a summary and/or detailed entries. All my journal entries are typed up. Just gotta take the time to edit them! Oh, I might as well give the super short run down here:
Day 8: Tigre and river tour and first (funny) train ride with Brazilians! Found usb cable for camera, but it ended up not working.
Day 9: Tango lesson with awful partner, Milonga with awesome partner, dance club with Brazilians til 5 in the morning!
Day 10: Yoga with and meeting Forgiven (an amazing woman from Seattle who has lived here for years now, and who is a friend of friends, and is now my friend too!)This may have been the day I finally got the hot water back on in the shower...
Day 11: First private Spanish lesson with Patricio, an awesome teacher! First bus ride. First steak. A rainbow!
Day 12: Compared salsa teachers. One lesson in the early afternoon, and one later on with a couple (Richard y Faby). Loved it! Met Sophie, another Salsa student, and we planned to go out dancing some time
Day 13: Realized I lost my ATM card. 2nd lesson with Patricio. Salsa lesson with Richard y Faby. Feeling a bit tired and also stressed about ATM card.
Day 14: Dealt with lost ATM card. Broke down and cried in front of my fave doorman when a woman-- actually, I don´t want to give away this story here. I´ll write about it soon! Spent time with Forgiven, deep sharing and philosophical and spiritual discussions. Went to another salsa lesson with Richard y Faby. Met with Forgiven again for late dinner at a Brazilian restaurant. Funny faces at dinner, relaxing different facial muscles!
Day 15: Brazilian friend was going to spend day with me, but went to airport early instead, so I went to zoo alone and then to see Meet the Fockers!
Day 16: San Telmo market, big wind and rain storm; it was so much fun! Got drenched and loved it! Took a nap when I got home. Forgiven came over. More great conversations, then received some powerful energy work from her.
Day 17: City Tour Bus, saw lots of neighborhoods and sites, most notable was La Boca. Also had my first Chorizo. Also found out that some museums and an ecological reserve I wanted to see are closed on Monday. Felt burned out and hyper-sensitive and reactionary at the beginning of the day and the end of the day, but alright in between.
Day 18: That was today! Felt great! :)
© 2011 Rebecca Clio Gould. All rights reserved.
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