** IMPORTANT NOTE: This video is not trying to deliver any political ideologies. Characters like Ernesto Guevara, Eva Perón or Jorge Videla are part of Argentina's history and by introducing them I don't mean to judge anything. I'm fully aware of controversies and don't want to be a part of dispute. **
The third part of our travel - 5 months in the midst of the vast land of Argentina.
It's not easy to plan your journey when you cycle trough the country that is 3,650 km long and has more than 1,400 km at its widest point. In the beginning we had a strong feeling that because of our 'limits' we're missing a lot. Then a moment came when we realized that it wasn't about places you visited, but people, smells, tastes and before all about those magic moments which were inexplicably unique for every of us. Instead of breathtaking landscapes I'll always remember hundreds of curious loud parrots following my bike in the middle of nowhere, 85 years old gaucho one day of horse riding from his herds and faces of people dancing in boliche club.
Argentina... It's amazing that you can find so many different worlds in one single country. Sometimes you can feel almost like in Europe, sometimes you start wondering if you're already in Bolivia. On the top of Argentina's amazing identity lies enormous labirynth of Buenos Aires with it's own contrasts. Villa miseria surrounded by modern skyscrapers, homeless sleeping next to the fancy restaurants and goverment buildings. Weak currency and high inflation rate touch everyday life of many Argentinians. Deforestation in the north and tentacles of Monsanto are even more serious problems because of having long term effects.
I know that trying to describe the beautiful soul of Argentina with words is pointless... I'm not sure if my images caught at least a little piece of it but I'm sure that I left piece of my heart somwhere across the ocean. Thank you Argentina. Thank you South America.
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music: "The Aviators" (Extended Version) by Helen Jane Long
audio in order of appearance:
- "Milonga de dos hermanos" by Jorge Luis Borges
- Jorge Videla during press conference in 1979
- mother of the Plaza de Mayo (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary)
- football commentary by Víctor Hugo Morales
- "Gracias a La Vida" by Mercedes Sosa (lyrics and song by Violeta Parra)
- "Madres de la Plaza de Mayo" by Antonio Gala (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary)
- Ernesto Che Guevara during Afro-Asian Conference (Algeria, 1965)
- "El pueblo victorioso" by Pablo Neruda (voice of Víctor Heredia, from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary)
- "El derecho de Soñar" by Eduardo Galeano (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary)
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author: Bartosz Lisek
gear: Canon EOS 60D + EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, Fader ND
blog: iscswojadroga.pl/