Looking up, down and around

Mendoza is unfurling itself to me, as is Argentina. Slowly, but steadily every day something small becomes clear, such as why the city´s 1.4 million trees were planted in the deep, wide gutters that run along the edge of every street. (They aren´t traditional gutters for rainwater run-off as there isn´t any precipitation here. Instead they are part of an elaborate irrigation system that keeps this city high in the desert green). Or the rhythm of the city, which sees the streets deserted at 3pm and 11pm, but crazy busy around 1pm as the inhabitants hot foot it home for lunch, and also after midnight when people finish their dinner.

Some people engage with a new city on its own terms straight away. They arrive, adjust, absorb and dissolve into the place within days. For others, perhaps most, it´s different. While on the road they develop a protective force field which shelters them from difficult or dangerous situations and gives them a sense of homely security. However, it also creates a certain emotional and cultural distance between them and their locality, stifling the traveller´s interaction with locals. It won´t be hard to guess which type I am, but I have only just worked it out! Language can be part of the barrier, as here, but you can notice things even when travelling in an English-speaking country like New Zealand; like a hesitation before you enter a shop (what system for shoe sizes do they use here?), or the decision to choose inconvenience over awkwardness by walking for an hour to avoid a possible embarrassment on a bus over small change or a confused destination.

This behaviour is deep-rooted and, it is comforting to learn to accept, it is not necessarily a bad thing. What´s more, with time, or a dose of Dutch courage, or just a hearty "Fuck it, you only live once", you can summon up enough blood to buy something unusual from a store or walk a different route to school. Eventually both the heart and mind will open a little wider and the people and place will rush in and find a place in each.