The Dry Chaco
The dry chaco refers to the parched plain of unruly thorn-scrub that covers most of central and western Chaco and Formosa provinces, northeastern Salta, and much of Santiago del Estero - where you'll find the best-preserved example of this ecosystem within the Parque Nacional Copo. This habitat was once more varied, but massive deforestation and the subsequent introduction of cattle has standardized the vegetation. There can be few places in the world where the cacti are not necessarily the spiniest of plants, as is the case here. Everything, it seems, is aggressively defensive: the vinal shrub, for instance, is dreaded by riders and horses alike for its brutal, reinforced spikes, up to twenty centimetres long. To the early explorers and settlers, much of the dry chaco was known simply as the Impenetrable for its lack of water and all species have adapted strategies to save water, about half of them losing their leaves during the winter drought. In places, a dense understorey of chaguar and caraguata grow: robust, yucca-like plants which are processed by the Wichi to make the fibre for their yica bags. The monte scrub grows from ground level to a height of some four metres, and from this ragged tangle, trees liberate themselves once in a while. The tallest trees in the dry chaco are the quebrachos , notably the quebracho colorado santiagueno (up to 24m tall and 1.5m diameter), exploited for tannin and by the timber industry; and the quebracho blanco , used extensively for firewood and whose bark - cracked into thick "scales", not dissimilar to cork-oak bark - has antimalarial properties. Its leaves resemble that of an olive tree, and its distinctive husk of a seed pod contains oval parchment-yellow flakes of seed. Several other species can also reach imposing sizes, such as the two types of carob tree , the algarrobo blanco and algarrobo negro , both of which play an integral role in the life of the Wichi and other indigenous groups for the shade, firewood, edible beans and animal forage they provide. Regrettably, the species have been severely overexploited to provide a much-prized reddish wood for the furniture industry. The beautiful guayacan , with olive-green bark that flakes rather like a plane tree and leaves somewhat like a mimosa, is valued for its extremely hard wood, also used for furniture. Perhaps the hardest wood of all is that of the endangered, slow-growing palo santo (meaning "holy stick"). This tree, characteristically with a profusion of knobbly twigs and a host to many small, grey, octopus-like bromeliads, flowers in spring with tiny blooms the colour of lemon yoghurt. Its fragrant, green-tinged wood can be burnt as an insect repellent; though carvings are sold by the Wichi and Qom, export of the wood has been prohibited. Finally, the palo borracho (or yuchan ) is the most distinctive tree of all, with a bulbous, porous trunk to store water; the tree protects itself, especially when young, with rhino-horned spikes, and it flowers with large yellow blooms from January to July, the seedpods producing a fluffy cotton-like fibre. Creepers such as the famous medicinal una de gato (or garabato ) are quite common. Cacti are some of the very few plants here that grow straight: predominantly the candelabra cardon (a different species to that which grows in the Andes), which grows to the size of a tree; and its similar-looking cousin, the ucle (which has seven lobes per stem, compared with the cardon 's nine). These cacti are sometimes planted so as to grow into tightly knit hedges.
your food is yummyisabella says "i think yalls food is super dooper yummy keep up the good work
" whatsamanth says "nothing. you can survive on your own. dont go there its a horrible place." what you needkatie says "bring lots of food and water. try to bring non perishable food. and bring warm and cold clothes. you will need it." Buenos Aires City of DesignBob Frassinetti says "In August 2005 Buenos Aires was appointed City of Design by the UNESCO. This is recognition the city of “good airs” shares with other top notch design areas of the world such as Berlin, Montreal.
This appointment evidences recognition towards what Buenos Aires is doing in this particular area, and it cannot be understood if not put in perspective to the recent boom that took place in this area recently. BA features a constant flow of movement in terms of design, from mind-blowing creations to average regular, items the broadness of the design movement in the Argentine capital provides a wide rainbow of options featuring something for every taste.
Buenos Aires has been among the firsts of the American Continent to take upon the challenge of design together with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Mendoza in Argentina –as well-. The turning point in contemporary design in South America can be dated at the end of the 1950s and all throughout the 60s. The decade of 1960 was a strong decade for innovation, creation and design in the deepest sense of the words. The Arts in general had a strong input back then, and design was not an exception, from aesthetics to usefulness, Argentina has been taking upon the challenge of designing new and innovative objects ever since. After a couple of decades of ups and downs, ins and outs, always in tune with the general panorama of what was going on in our country, today, Buenos Aires is breeding and furthering some interesting aesthetic and conceptual approaches to objects.
In terms of industrial design today in Argentina, there are at several different disciplines working in an avant-garde creations and innovating in theory and practice in this sense. The range goes from industrial products to vehicles, furniture and lighting, making of Buenos Aires a design spot pretty much hyper-comprehensive in terms of design for the visitors.
An interesting insight on design in Buenos Aires is provided by worldly known Argentine architect and designer Ricardo Blanco in his book entitled Crónicas del diseño industrial en la Argentina – Chronicles of the Industrial Design in Argentina-, where he reconstructs the path of evolution thru means of a particular historical perspective and journey. Not aiming to cover the entire historical process, but more in the sense of providing an organized insight into the world of useful aesthetics, Blanco attest to evidence the intention and cultural bases of the Argentine design path.
Thru means of the current literature and the ever growing production of industrial design objects Buenos Aires takes upon new airs of discovery, as it mutates from the traditional city of beef and tango to a much more interesting and amusing spot of arts, design and aesthetics… And all in all, in the meantime we explore the new inputs of design we can always stop to enjoy the delightful Argentine cuisine and culture, but now in a broader and richer way.
Bob Frassinetti, Buenos Aires, Argentina" GanjaFaith says "look for ganja at all times"
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