When I was 22 years old, I made a rather unusual promise to myself. I decided that by the age of 40, I will speak Spanish. I don’t really know why I made this promise. At that time, Spanish was absolutely irrelevant in my life. I had no exposure to […]
Read More
Ten years ago, I was inside a small ceramic shop in Santa Fe, on a street lined with art galleries, hipster coffee shops, and boutiques. “$260!” I exclaimed, “I mean that’s a pretty vase, but $260!” “That’s Mata Ortiz!” Victor gushed, “Look at the geometrical design! It’s the modern recreation […]
Read More
Start From The Beginning: Hiking in Argentina We arrived in El Calafate a bit beat up from two days of hiking in El Chalten. My blisters had blisters, all my hiking socks were dirty and torn, and my supposedly waterproof brand-new hiking shoes were very much soaked through. But none […]
Read More
Start with Part I of Argentina Travels to figure out who Ayala is and who we are. “First hike in El Chalten,” Victor said, “Is twenty-six kilometers. Next day, we’ll take it easy and do nineteen. The following day, we get to El Calafate and hike up a glacier.” “When […]
Read More
“We are going to Brazil!” we excitedly announced at a picnic with friends a few years ago. One of our friends, Will, a giant 6’4’’ former U.S. Army Officer who grew up in Brazil, looked us up and down. “You are probably going to get robbed.” He flatly stated. The […]
Read More