Every country in South America is very special. Argentina is no exception. It is a large nation with more than 36 million people who primarily are Italian, Spanish and German background. It is a country that is totally self-sufficient in everything it produces. After the Second World War, Argentina was one of the most prosperous nations in the world. From its agricultural production to its oil and natural resources, it is a country that has no limits. Even though the country has many cultures of Indigenous and European, the culture is a gorgeous mix of all that is good, beautiful, graceful and delicious. The Italian influence in Argentina is unmistakable and its food rivals anything out of Europe.
The Argentines are beautiful, spirited, loving and generous. They are a people with bright faces, indefatigable energy and smiles. Their understanding of hospitality is a beauty to behold.
Our first stop was in Salta in the northern part of the country. Salta is a beautiful colonial city established 300 years ago. It is rich in old Spanish heritage. Situated between 2 mountain ranges, the province is a large producer of agricultural products as well as the center of transportation from Chile in the west to Brazil in the East. The people there are calm, gracious and devotional. Everywhere we go in Salta we are stopped and asked questions and requests for blessings. It is very easy to see why Salta is a beautiful environment to raise a family. The night we arrived in Salta we were directly brought to a reception in our honor. More than 70 people [including 20 children] came to the dinner reception. They are all new students to Kundalini Yoga, Shabad Guru and the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. Guru Amrit Dev Kaur and her husband, Carlos [now Sat Nam Singh], for the past year have been sharing the wisdom of all the teachings with Salta. The warmth and hospitality they showed to us was overwhelming. The evening was filled with food, a puppet show and chanting. It was a beautiful night in Salta.
The following day saw us on the road to visiting our Sikh sangat. It is in this province, that the Sikhs first came to Argentina in the 1900’s to build the railroad for the British from Bolivia into Argentina. Everywhere you go throughout the north of Argentina you meet many people whose surname is Singh. Rosario de La Frontera – 2 hours south of the City of Salta – has the first Gurdwara in Argentina since those times. The sangat there is a wonderful blend of Punjabi and Argentine culture. For more than 100 years, they have carried the Guru on their shoulders in South America.
For two more days, we were hosted on television, taught classes and met with federal prison officials to finalize plans to teach Kundalini Yoga to inmates and corrections officers alike. Our Lord of Miracles lecture was attended by a completely different group of Salta’s citizens as well as people from Jujuy which is the province two hours to the north of Salta and on the Bolivian border. It is amazing how fast news travel through word of mouth and television. People heard we were there to share the wisdom of the teachings.
After our nonstop visit to Salta, we flew to the capital of Argentina. A full one third of the population lives in Buenos Aires – one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has an urban life that lives beyond midnight. In fact, things don’t get started until after midnight. Until dawn, Buenos Aires is alive with tango, sidewalk cafes and restaurants.
Our two days in the capital started off with a private meeting with the Indian Ambassador to Argentina, R. Viswanathan. The meeting was a gracious conversation about Yogi Bhajan, the Sikhs, the Lord of Miracles Tour and how the Sangat in Buenos Aires can integrate and develop programs with the rest of the Indian community.
Our final day was meeting with representatives from 5 other cities in Argentina as well as Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay. The Lord of Miracles Lecture in Buenos Aires concluded our visit to Argentina where over 20 people from Uruguay came to attend, some traveling over 10 hours to just be in the light and love of Sangat and to experience the energy of Guru Ram Das. After the class we had to make our traditional stop at a local Pizzeria which, on top of having to leave the beautiful Argentineans, made us regret having to leave. However, the next morning we were on our way to beautiful Santiago de Chile and more pizza.
To be continued………..
