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Argentina The Puna



The Puna

The prepuna and higher puna of the Andean northwest encompass a range of extremely harsh, arid habitats that range from the cardon cactus valleys from Jujuy to La Rioja, to the highest bleak Altiplano vegetation below the permanent snow line. Everything that grows here must be able to cope with extremely impoverished soils, and a huge difference in day- and night-time temperatures. Prepuna habitat usually refers to the sparsely vegetated rocky gullies and highland meadows ( prados ) of the cordillera, and is found at altitudes of between 2000m and 3500m. You'll see bunch grasses, reeds and stunted quenoa trees, but the most distinctive prepuna plant is the candelabra cardon cactus (also called pasakan ), which indigenous folklore holds to be the reincarnated form of their ancestors. These grow in a fairly restricted range centred on the Valle Calchaquies, and take a century to reach their full height of 10m. Their beautiful yellow flowers produce a sweet fruit, and though they are now protected, their strong, light wood was used in the past as a building material.

The puna is found above 3400m, and is characterized by

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spongy wetlands ( bofedales ) around shallow high-mountain lagoons, and sun-scorched flat Altiplano pastures of tough, spiky grasses. On the higher slopes, you'll find lichens and a type of rock-hard cushion-shaped prehistoric moss called yacreta that grows incredibly slowly - perhaps a millimetre a year - but lives for hundreds of years. It has been heavily exploited - partly for making medicinal teas, but mainly because it is the only fuel to be found at these altitudes.


your food is yummy

isabella says "i think yalls food is super dooper yummy keep up the good work
"

what

samanth says "nothing. you can survive on your own. dont go there its a horrible place."

what you need

katie 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 Design

Bob 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"

Ganja

Faith says "look for ganja at all times"


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11/23/2008 8:37:43 PM