Pix from around Esquel

These photos are all from when I was in the Esquel field during August.  The above photo was taken walking to Sunday am mtg.

Sara Mereles and I - Sara was in the work for a few years and we worked together in the north of Argentina 2006 and 2007.

The painting we did on Sara's kitchen wall.  Top right is the one she saw on internet that she liked, I sketched it in chalk and she painted over it with acrylic!  Not bad for a pair of amateurs. (non-artists at that)

The little town of Trevelin.  Originally a Welsh settlement, Trevelin has retained a lot of it's Welsh roots, including the high tea that they offer in tea shops in town.  Typical surnames are: Hopkins, Williams, Jones, and a whole lot of other British names.  Kind of incongruous in a latin country.

Some of the exhibits in a local museum.  Note the museum sign written in Welsh as well.  Also a page from the Welsh Bible, different saddles including a side-saddle, spurs.

Predecesor to the JD? An old combine harvester behind Sara.

Playing ladies...taking high tea.

The absolute best cake is the cream cake on the right side of the plate...closely followed by the raspberry tart!

View out the bus window travelling to Sun am mtg (note, it's not that early, about 8.30am, but the sun rises really late in winter on the west side of the country.  Should be an hour's difference to the east, but too difficult to do that!!)

Buying "choripan" one cold, wet night.  (Spicy sausage grilled over the coals, wrapped in bread).

Drinking rose-hip tea at Haidee's.  The rose-hips are in the basket to the left of the photo.  Apple fritters and cream to go with!

This is a typical way they build the fire...stick a big log in and push it in as it burns.

Two cute little fellas added to the family!

A wet, gloomy scene.  Behind those clouds is a magnificent mountain view.  The farm at Trevelin, belonging to Luis and Haidee Estuardo.

Haidee's son's partner Evelyn came to teach Ronda and I how to make the Welsh cream tart.  Delish! (she is of Welsh descent and worked in a tea-house, baking).

Esquel on a snowy, wet morning.

Putting together "Arab empanadas" at Rosa Sanchez' house.  Silvana her daughter-in-law and Ronda helping, son Alex watching on.  These little pies are filled with a mince mixture that has been marinaded in lemon and then given a quick burst in the oven.

Going out for a drive to a lake with the Sanchez one afternoon.  Beautiful scenery.

With Rosa Sanchez

Rosa's husband Benio

The car broke down about HERE.... i.e. miles from nowhere, not much cellphone coverage...

Standing freezing in a patch of cell coverage waiting for tow-truck man to ring back....

On way home drove through this part of the forest where there were huge fires earlier this year.  Looks eerie now, just black skeletons for trees.

Sara treated me to this that evening! Very typical Argentinean fare.

Pulling out of Esquel on the bus, bound for my field of Neuquen to the north.  The wide open spaces never fail to fascinate as do the long, long roads stretching on forever...