Meeting other people is one of the best parts of traveling. For a moment, perhaps brief, perhaps days, you have insight into another culture – another world. And not only that, but also the way that person interprets this third culture you’re experiencing as well. However biased it is- the more opinionated sometimes the more interesting – you can ask all you’ve ever wanted to know about some far away place.  On the three hour boat ride back from Taquile, we spoke with an Argentinean student of photography and politics. Those of you who know me know I’m horrible at small talk, but I find it much more fun to ask every burning and perhaps politically incorrect question possible (much to Jacki’s chagrin). A conversation which started with me asking about if there were just as many education strikes in Argentina as in Chile turned into an explanation of the entire eduation system and subsequently, regionalism, MercaSur, Unasur, and the fight of the ladinos against American Imperialism.

Lovely small talk.