Headlines: Basketball Teammates Take on Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

I returned to Resistencia a week ago for the specific reason that I was dearly missing everyone that I know here. Despite this strong psychological pull, I had no sentimental qualms in leaving again last weekend. I suppose the counterargument might be valid that this trip was actually taken with friends and had a definite ending point, unlike my other most recent travels. Friday evening I departed Resistencia with two of my basketball teammates, Yaneth and Gabi, for the small city of Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, located about 173 kilometers or just over 107 miles northwest of Resistencia in the Chaco province. Gabi is originally from Sáenz Peña and moved to Resistencia three years ago. However, she has not officially changed her address and therefore is required to vote in her hometown. As Sunday was a day for primary elections here in Argentina, she made the trip to fulfill her civic obligation; I was happy to tag along when she extended an invitation to visit this lovely place where she grew up. (Side note: Yaneth is from Resistencia but obviously could not vote on Sunday as we did not return until late in the evening. Supposedly voting is obligatory here in Argentina; supposedly the government can/will revoke the validity of your passport if you wish to travel internationally and have not fulfilled your voting responsibilities [multiple times?]. I’m not really sure what’s true and what’s not but clearly “obligatory voting” here has its own connotations.)

We boarded the day’s last colectivo destined for Sáenz Peña at 10:30 pm on Friday evening and pulled into town just after 1:00 am. I had a fleeting thought that we would be calling it a night shortly thereafter as both Gabi and Yaneth seemed rather tired on the bus. However, I don't I have been any farther from being wrong! Therein began a weekend of a lot of dancing and not much sleep. I will admit that if there is anything that I have not truly become accustomed to in Argentina, it’s the all night partying that happens on the weekends for young people. After arriving Friday night (or, rather, early early Saturday morning) we ate a bit at Gabi’s friend Gisela’s house, where we stayed for the weekend, and then went out to a boliche to get our dance on. I’ll spare further details, but know that Saturday was basically a repeat of Friday night with the addition of seeing Sunday morning's sunrise at the conclusion of our dance club “adventures.”

Primary avenue in Sáenz Peña

After pulling ourselves out of bed on Saturday and having some lunch, we went with several of Gabi's friends from Sáenz Peña to the provincial zoo, located just a couple kilometers out of town. I have always enjoyed visiting zoos and believe they can be an informational learning environment for people of all ages. However, given living conditions constructed within the zoo that are less-than-ideal and clear neglect for the animals' spatial, physical, and social needs, among others, certain zoos could be quite possibly humankind’s most cruel punishment toward the animal kingdom. I’m saddened to say that I think I experienced many of the aforementioned conditions in my visit to the provincial zoo on Saturday. Some of the most notable, deplorable conditions included the birds’ cages where there were clearly too many birds in the space allotted to a particular species, the lions’ cage where they lived amidst an area primarily covered by cement, and the physical status of the large population of jaguars that the zoo houses. It was evident that the jaguars (and lions) were both unhappy and disturbed, as the great majority of them constantly paced restlessly back and forth along the front wall of their cages, and malnourished as their flesh around their stomach and leg regions sagged in unexpected ways. I didn’t anticipate seeing fat jaguars persay, but these animals were clearly lacking muscle definition that we see in pictures of healthy members of the species.

A couple of beautiful parrots at the zoo. There were certainly some gorgeous birds among the animals here.

A rather impressive, and massive, hippopotamus

A lioness appearing rather bored. This grass behind her was both sparse and rare among the lions' quarters.

The alpha male lion also looking bored in his cement floor cage.

A very skinny bengal tiger pacing back and forth in the cage.

Maybe rather difficult to tell from this picture but this jaguar was so skinny, lacking any sort of muscle definition

 I’m not a person who will be running off to join PETA anytime soon. However, I believe that it is an injustice for zoos to neglect animals' needs (intentionally or unintentionally) and be able to continue in these harmful operations without repercussions. I also realize how this experience and my argument may arrive rather watered down in its content to any readers in the United States (or, really anyone outside of Chaco who has not seen this zoo). I actually had an extended discussion last semester with my fourth year students about this zoo and its subpar conditions. They had emphasized some of the things which I described above and I thought at the time that I understood what they were saying to me. However, I don’t think I really felt the severity of this situation until I was at this place, seeing the animals and their artificial habitats just meters in front of me. Just something to keep in mind as you are reading and seeing the few photographic images I have decided to post. Also, I've decided I shall never complain again about a zoo entrance fee; if I can see that the animals are well treated and placed in near-natural, albeit man-made, habitats, I will be more than happy to pay a fee that helps to ensure these conditions.

Continuing with the weekend, Saturday evening included an asado at Gisela’s boyfriend’s house and, as karaoke was set up, I sang a couple of American tunes to appease the rather unrelenting requests of new friends. As I already mentioned, the rest of Saturday consisted of some serious boliche action. There were a couple of particularly hilarious boliche moments for me throughout the weekend. The first occurred while dancing on Friday night: both Barbara Ann (The Beach Boys) and Y.M.C.A. (The Village People) were played by the dj. Gisela also found it quite humorous when I shared that we don’t hear Y.M.C.A blasted in a club/bar when we go out in the U.S., albeit during wedding receptions. My second side-splitting boliche moment came on Saturday night when one of Gabi’s friends thought it would be appropriate to act out all the lyrics of the songs being played so that I could understand and learn them. While I do find people’s exaggerated hand gestures and slower rate of speech unnerving periodically (I occasionally find myself thinking, “I’ll ask you to slow down if I don’t understand… how is it that you think I’ve survived here independently for 5 months if I don’t understand Spanish?” Excuse my rant.), this young woman’s dramatic nature was an absolute riot. I know, context is paramount when we decide how we feel in these situations. I’ll leave it at that and let you decide as to why I might have been so keenly amused.

Sunday consisted of another asado (I was feeling real Argentine by the end of the weekend with all this meat, boliche-ing, and lots of mate with Gabi’s friends) with Gisela’s super-welcoming family, a short drive around town, and a failed attempt to take pictures at the local train station after guards told us that it was prohibited in light of “preserving the station’s security.” Seriously? The things that are actually enforced as rules here baffle me sometimes. We eventually headed back to the station on Sunday evening and boarded our colectivo for Resistencia. The more of life I have the opportunity to experience here from my native friends’ points of view, the more questions I find myself asking about any and every nuance of culture that remain unanswered in my sphere of Argentine exposure .  Of course, this leads me to pursue whatever crazy adventure crosses my plate next—what a “vicious” cycle of inquiry. ;)

The "forbidden" train station

Traversing Sáenz Peña. Wonder where these feet are headed next...