Northern Argentina Painted Mountains!

The Road Trip through the Awesome Mountains of SALTA was

a wonderful experience!  There were so many majestic colors playing

in the landscape!  Greens, reds, blues, tints of purple could be seen!

The photos below will give you an idea of the powerful beauty.

 

 

There were two huge caverns which we entered!

The first one was tall and powerful, the name is Garganta del Diablo!

 

"The Mouth of the Devil!"

 

The second is called, El Anfiteatro.... "The Amphitheater."

 

 

 

There were small piles of rocks inside the caverns.  The legend of the caverns promise that if

you place a rock on one of the piles and make a wish, it will come true!

 

Above are two men playing music in the Acoustic Cavern.  The sound of string instruments and flutes bellowed off the walls!  The music was emotionally moving!

This young lady was cooking on an open fire next to the caverns.  She took the hot coals from the fire
and placed them under a grill.  Next she made grilled sandwiches which she sold to the travelers!

 

 

Below is a photo of her stand where she makes and cooks the local food!

 

This vegetation was growing on the side walls of the cavern.  The plant has

a silver shine to the leaves.  It was very lovely!

 

What will we learn about next?

You'll find out soon!

Check back often and stay connected!

Dr. Patschke

Road Trip ~ Argentina Style!

Dr. Patschke had the privilage of joining Sra. Carrizo and 12 other awesome

people from Jesus Maria on an adventure to the northern Provence of SALTA.

 

Along the way, cars are stopped by the boarder police.  The officers check to make sure

that everything is OK in each vehicle, and then they wave the car on.  If there

is a concern, they pull the car over to the side of the road for further investigation.

 

 

Once in SALTA, this is the cabin where we stayed.  It had a full kitchen, running hot water,

electricity, and indoor/outdoor dining area.  We weren't "roughing it" at all! 

 

Cactus were a common sight along the journey!

 

This is what an Argentina Licence Plate looks like!

 

The landscape was breathtaking!

 

Below, the group took a break overlooking a beautiful lake.

 

Below is the entrance of a restaurant.  The food is SALTA was just as awesome

as the food in Cordoba!

 

 

Motorcycles were everywhere!  Many Argentineans enjoy

traveling on cycles. 

 

In a small town along the way, we walked the streets.  People were selling gooods.  The town was alive! On an open fire, we watched a person

on the street cook a food which is just like a grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich.

We bought some of these treats and enjoyed their rich flavor as we continued our walk.

 

 

Next we came upon men playing beautiful music which filled the town with

happiness!  Many people stopped to listen to the soft soothing music.

 

Another stop at a Hotel in SALTA which resembled a Castle.

We climbed to the second floor and captured this photo!

 

Below is Brenda, Sophie, and Augustina, three terrific girls that

attended the road trip adventure.  Sophie lives in Argentina now, but is originally from Europe.  In this photo she is sharing her DS with the other two girls.  Hand held electronic games are common in the USA, but kids in Argentina don't have these types of games available to them. 

 

 

What will we learn about next?

You'll find out soon!

Check back often and stay connected!

Dr. Patschke

"La Casa de Matias!" An Amazing House of Kindness and Love for Many Children!

 

There is a very special place in the town of Jesus Maria, Argentina!

 

 

La Casa de Matia is a home for children that need help,

 run by a woman with a huge heart.  Below is Dr. Patschke with Roxana.  She's the mother

of a home that helps many children who need a place to sleep, food in their tummy, and

motivation to work in school.

Twenty children between the ages of 3 and 18 sleep at her home. 

Over years and with the generosity of private contributors, the home has expanded to

allow every child their own bed. 

The children that stay at the casa don't have a family able to care for them.

 

 

This is the room that the girls in the family use!  How nice!!

 

Above, Roxane stands on her porch.  Inside, the doors lead to three rooms, the living areas with enough tables to feed 50 people and a large kitchen!

 

This is the bedroom for the boys.
There are about 15 beds in this room.
The children are held responsible
to make their beds and help with
all the chores at the house,

The home also has pet dogs, a sheep,
and a resident pig!

 

This is the kitchen that is used to feed many people, 4 times a day!

In addition to the 20 children who live at the home,

Roxana and her husband also support an additional 30 + students that visit in the

evening for food and homework help.

Many local businesses support the home by donating food and other products.

 

 

Here are several of the La Casa de Matias family members with Dr. Patschke!

They spent the afternoon with her and shared lunch!

It was so nice!  All the children come from different families,

but in La Casa de Matias, they are sisters and brothers who love each other!

 

 

Here are two articles which were written about this wonderful home in Argentina!

 

Before this, Roxana was a teacher.  One of her own sons died in an accident at the age of three.  Her passion to help children grew after this terrible loss.  Over time, she started helping neighborhood children with homework, and eventually, she realized some didn't have a safe place to be at night.  This is what motivated her to create "La Casa de Matias."

May people refer to Roxana as an angel!

 

 

 

The home is run on the income of Roxana's family as well as private denotations of

food and supplies!  It's an amazing operation with the goal of keeping

children safe, working hard in school, and loved!

 

If anyone is looking for a unique project to support,

 this would be a great one!

 

 

What will we learn about next?

You'll find out soon!

Check back often and stay connected!

Dr. Patschke

 

 

 

Learning Local and Growing Global!

The Ocampo garden is wonderful! 

 

Here's Broccoli Bob playing among the lettuce leaves!

 

 

Broccoli Bob is "hanging" out with the scarecrow in the garden!

 

 

Friends of Ocampo have painted vegetables on the wall facing the plants!

 

The garden is large.  It is surrounded by sturdy posts and secure fencing.

In Argentina, there are stray dogs that are cared for by the general community.

They don't have a specific home, but they are loved and cared for by many.

Several even join the Ocampo students for recess.  Imagine that!

 

 

The fencing helps to make sure these dogs are not running through the vegetables.

 

The CD's below are used in the garden to scare away birds. 

 The shiny reflection of the silver CD's helps keep the birds away.

 

Here you can see the vegetable paintings on the back wall.

 

Look how healthy and green the garden grows!

 

This is inside the garden shed.  All the tools are organized for use with the students.

 

Can you find Broccoli Bob?

 

 

In this photo we can see the shed.  It's against the wall and painted with beautiful pictures.

 

These parents run the snack shop at the school.  Students are

encouraged to make healthy choices if they purchase a snack during recess.

Remember that Ocampo students go home for lunch with the exception of grade 6.

The 6th graders eat a packed lunch from home at about noon.

 

Here is Sra. Carrizo with the bookmarks that UPES made for the children of Ocampo!

Every child received a bookmark and a pencil from UPES.  They LOVED them!

These gifts are so special!!

 

What will we learn about next?

You'll find out soon!

Check back often and stay connected!

Dr. Patschke