Feliz Cumpleaños, Mama!

For the past month in a half, I have spent all my time in small towns on the edge of vast wilderness. I had just gotten used to the endless stretches of wind tortured pampas and epic vistas of unpeopled mountains when I was unceremoniously dumped into the bustling urbanity of Bariloche. Tall buildings, clogged streets, unbridled consumerism, gritty buses, lots of concrete, and culture shock.

Don´t get me wrong, Bariloche is a very pleasant little city that sits along a stunning blue lake in the middle of the Andes. Huge peaks, skiing in the winter, and a national park on its doorstep. Beautiful, really. It is not quite, however, the little mountain hamlet it is often made out to be. And for someone unacclimated (such as myself), it was a bit unnerving at first.

However! I found a very nice hostel, I have spent the last two days sitting in the breezy parks soaking up the very warm sun and reading my books, and tomorrow, I leave for Parque Nacional Nahuel Haupi where I will be trekking for 4-5 days. Crowned by the glacieted Cerro Tronador (I might have that name wrong), the park boasts pristine forests, huge mountains, and plenty of trails. Hooray!!

I really need to get going here so I can get my stuff together and packed before I call my mom for her birthday today (gotta give a shout out here: Happy Birthday Mom! Much love, and hope 39 is as nice as 38 was!!). But before I go, I need to give you all a quick review of Isabel Allende´s ¨Eva Luna¨:

Yeah, I´m a book snob. No doubt about it. Usually, when somebody suggests a quote-unquote ¨best seller¨ to me, I naturally rebuke them with an elitist scoff. In my opinion, if the lay-man drools their sub-par saliva all over a book, it is certainly not something I would condescend to read. Heaven forbid! But as I am slowly discovering in my maturity, my predispositions can (gasp!) be wrong sometimes. Though often branded with the ¨best seller¨ nomiker, I found ¨Eva Luna¨ to easily be the most enjoyable book I have read on my trip thus far.
What it lacks in depth, challenge, plot, detail, action, or surprise, it makes up for in seductive imagery, colorful and intriguing characters, compelling and thrifty writing, and a taste of South Americana.
Definitely a character driven book, the people in this book dance around the central Eva Luna with playfulness and a non-direction that seemed true to a real, colorful life. I also enjoyed the author´s evident autobiographical musings, and I couldn´t help but hear Allende´s voice through Eva´s character. Her description of the author´s ¨muse¨(the artistic compulsion to write) was elegant and illuminating. And lastly, this was certainly the most ¨South American¨ book I have come across on my trip. With themes of revolution, communism vs. democracy, isolation in the world, the influence of the USA, tropical ambience, magic, custom, conservative tradition, indigenous peoples, immigration, brutality, and insurrection, ¨Eva Luna¨ worked to embody the history of this dynamic continent.

Today I purchased ¨Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter¨, by Mario Vargas Llosa (from Peru). I will most likely have a reaction for you within a week.
Until then, keep your eyes on the skies!