Papā te whatitiri!

Ka wehe atu i Resistencia, ka wehe tōmuri! Ka tae ki te karāti o FlechaBus, kua raruraru te pūkaha. Ka tōmuri atu... Nāwai rā ka wehe atu, engari kīhai i roa ka pōngia mātou ko te pahi. E rua hāora pea i muri mai ka tīmata te āwhā...

Engari taua āwhā! Ānō i te rere atu mātou ko te pahi ki te mura o te ahi o tētahi pakanga nui, ko Te Arawa e tere atu ana ki Te Korokoro o Te Parata. Kōherahera mai ai te uira, i tērā pito, i tērā pito. He kanapu, he rapa, kāore he tauira, ko te hiahia a ngā atua! I ētahi wā ka tere tika te uira ki te whenua, ā, ka pahū te mura i reira. I ētahi wā ka tāwhana i te rangi ānō he iaia toto – he toto atua. I te huna a Aroha i te kanohi ki ngā ringa, he mataku noa. Engari ahau, he mīharo hiamo atu.

I te tīmatanga ka tū te pahi. Ko te āhua i te whakaaroaro te kaihautū o te pahi mehemea me haere tonu rānei, me hoki rānei. Nāwai rā ka āta haere atu. Kitekite atu ai mātou i ngā kararehe e karioi ana i te taha o te rori – he kāihe, he hōiho, he kau – pōkaikaha ana i te hanga o te pō, i te uira, i te ua.

Taetae ai mātou ki ngā tāone i te koraha kua waipuke katoa ngā tiriti. I ētahi wā ka papā te whatitiri i runga tonu i a mātou, ā, ka whakaruerue noa te pahi, ko te mutunga o te ao! Koina te hanga mō ngā hāora e toru pea. Ka ao te rā, ka puta ki te whaiao, ki te ao mārama. Kātahi te wairua ka tau.

Te reo tuhituhi...

Aī! Kua tōmuri rawa te rātaka nei. Ehara i te mea he nui ngā mahi. Kāore te kura e tīmata anō tae noa ki te mutunga o Pepuere!

Ko tā māua ko te tirotiro ki ngā putanga o ngā ākonga o Te Koutu me te whakatau kōrero i reira. Ko te hanga nei i pai te Tau 11 i te taha o Maru. He pai hoki ngā putanga mo te Waihanga (he pai rawa atu) me te Reo Rangatira. Ko te hanga kino rawa ko te maha o ngā putanga i te ngaro, arā, ko ngā mea rāroto kāore i tāpiritia atu. Ko te mate i tae tāreparepa atu ngā pepa ki ngā ākonga me ō rātou whānau.

Ko tā māua hoki ko te pānui – me Aroha hoki! Kāore au i te mōhio ki te hāora i moe ai a Aroha inapō engari he tōmuri rawa. He aha ai? Kia mutu rānō te pānui i tana pukapuka, ‘Serena’ na Ron Rash. Engari te pai o te pukapuka! He momo ‘MacBeth’, arā, he aha te mutunga mai o te hiamana... E kī!

I mua i tērā ko ‘Te Wharetūroro’ (‘The Pesthouse’) na Jim Crace. Ka mīharo ki ngā kaituhi e kaha ana ki te whakaahua i te ao mō ngā kōrero, koina hoki tā Jim Crace, he ao no muri rawa atu nei. He āhua rite ki tā Cormac McCarthy, ki ‘Te Rori’. Ahakoa ehara te pai i te pērā (he pukapuka e pērā ana te pai?!), i rata tonu atu. Kia hoki ki Aotearoa me rapu ētahi atu pukapuka na Jim Crace.

Ko te pukapuka tuatahi i pānuihia ko ‘Ngā Wāhine Tokoono a Hēnare VIII’ na Antonia Fraser, engari i roto i te reo Paniora, ‘Las seis esposas de Enrique VIII’. I a au e tamariki ana ko Ana Boleyn te tino wahine, he pānga no te hītori Mihinare, i te mea ko ia te whaea o tērā o ngā tino kuini, o Irihāpeti I! Ka aroha hoki a Katerina o Arakona!

Na, ko te pukapuka whakamutunga ko ‘Edgar Sawtelle’ na David Wroblewski. He pērā me ‘Serena’, kei te whai i tētahi o ngā tauira a Wīremu Shakespeare, engari ko ‘Hamlet’. Me mihi i konei ki te atamai whakaharahara o taua tangata, e pāorooro tonu nei ana kōrero. Otirā, koinei tētahi o ngā tino pukapuka i pānui ai au. Ānō he kawa no te ao, he utu hoki mō ngā hara, na, i ētahi wā ka ea te utu i te hunga harakore. Na, ka āta ahu atu te waitara ki tōna mutunga maiki, ka hemo te kaipānui i te aroha ki a Tuahangata me te tūmanako whakamomori e parea atu tōna utu. Aeha!

¡Hace Calor!

Ka wehe i Puerto Iguazú ma runga pahi i te 11:30 i te ata, kotahi hāora e tōmuri ana! He roa te haerenga ki Resistencia, 11 hāora. Tokorua ngā tamariki i ruaki, kotahi i mua tonu i a māua. E toru hoki ngā wā i āta tirohia te pahi e ngā pirihimana, ngā uruwhenua me ngā pēke. Ahakoa ērā hanga hoha, he pai rawa te haerenga ki a au. He papatahi rawa te whenua, engari ka kitea te kawenga kētanga o te whenua i te whakatatanga atu ki Resistencia. Ka ngaro te wao i tua atu o Posadas, ā, ka huri hei mānia. He maha ngā manu, me ngā momo manu. Engari te rahi o ngā kōtare, he rite ki tō te kookaburra o Ahitereiria. Ehara te kōtuku i te manu tapu i konei i te maha!

Ka whakawhiti i te awa whānui rawa, ko te Paraná, i tua atu i te tāone nui o Corrientes. Ka tae ki tāwāhi kua rere kē te whenua, ka nui ngā niu e tupu ana i te mānia. Koina te tīmatanga o El Chaco, he mānia nui rawa. Ahakoa te hoihoi o te pahi me ngā tini motokā ka rongo i ngā tarakihi i waho. Kātahi te hoihoi! Na, ka tae ki Resistencia ka rongo i te wera, auē! I whakaingoatia te tāone nei mo te maha o ngā huakanga a te tangata whenua inamata!

Ka oho i te ata ka haere ki te kimi i ngā wharetaonga, engari i te kati! Ka tae hoki ki te pāka tirotiro haere ai i ngā whakapakoko, he rongonui a Resistencia i reira. Ko tētahi i kitea ko tō Fernando, he kurī i arohaina nuitia e te iwi o te tāone. Nāwai rā kua patua rawatia e te wera, ¡como una sauna! Ka oma atu ki te toa aihikirimi, ka mutu, ka oma atu ki te toa pukapuka me te aire acondicionado. Na, i reira ki te wharekai.

Ka mutu te kai, ka puta ki waho, kua kore ngā tāngata! Ko te wā o te siesta, ko ngā pōrangi nō tāwāhi anahe i waho! Ka hoki ki te hotera tatari ai i ngā pūeru o te whare horoi me te pahi e whakawhiti atu ai i El Chaco ki te tāone o Salta. Ka taha atu i ngā tini rākau mango e tupu ana i te taha o ngā tiriti, me ngā hua huhua o runga. Ka whakaarohia te utu i Aotearoa, aī!

Tres países – E toru ngā whenua

I te rangi tuatahi i Puerto Iguazú, i haere atu māua ko Aroha ki te pito whaka te raki o Argentina. I ērā atu taha o ngā awa (ko te Paraná, ko te Iguazú), i kitea ngā whenua ko Paraguay me Brasil! 

Ka oho i te ata, ka rapu tikanga e wehe atu ai i Puerto Iguazú. Ka 24 hāora te haerenga atu ki Córdoba, kāore rawa a Aroha i whakaae atu. I te mutunga atu ka hokona ngā tīkiti ki Resistencia. Ka rite ngā mahi, ka haere ma runga pahi ki tērā atu taha o te awa Iguazú, ki Brasil!

Ka puta i te whare uruwhenua brasileña ka haere ma runga tēkihi ki Itaipú. Koina tētahi o ngā pāpuni nui rawa o te ao, engari te nui! He tino pai ngā whakaritenga mo te hunga tirotiro. Ka eke ki runga i te pahi hau mātao, ka haere atu ki te ngutu o te pāpuni. Ka mutu te tirotiro, ka heke ki roto, i te taha Paraguay (ko te whenua tuatoru o te rā!). Ka heke i te papahiki ki raro rawa atu titiro ai ki tētahi o ngā mīra hiko. Ka nui te mīharo ki tā te tangata mahi!

Ka hoki ki te tari tūtaki atu ai i a Alvino, i te kaitaraiwa tēkihi, ā, ka whakawhiti atu i El Puente de la Amistad (Te Arawhiti Whakahoahoa) ki Paraguay. I runga i tā māua tohe ko Aroha ka peka atu ki te whare uruwhenua (ahakoa ka uruuru poka noa te nuinga). Na, ka meatia mai me tiki pepa whakauru mehemea nō Aotearoa! Nō reira i hoki tika ki Brasil! Heoti, i tae atu...

Ka waiho a Alvino i a māua i tētahi wharekai i te tāone nui o Foz do Iguaçu. Engari te pai o te kai – ka nui ngā momo kōrau me ngā momo mīti. Ka mutu, ka haere ma raro ki tērā pito o te pūtahitanga tatari ai i te pahi, ā, ka hoki ki Argentina. 

Las Cataratas – ¡inolvidable!

Koinei te rā ka kite i tētahi o ngā tino mea whakamīharo o te ao, ko ngā waiheke Iguazú! Ka tae atu ki te pāka, ka ohorere i te pai me te mā o taua wāhi, kāore he para, he hōu rawa te hanga o ngā whare me ngā ara katoa.

Ka mātua whai atu i te sendero inferior (te ara tōraro). Ka kōpikopiko haere, kātahi anō ka kite i ētahi o ngā waiheke. He uaua te whakakupu i ngā whakaaro, i te mīharo ki te kitenga atu. Te rahi, te nui, te ātaahua, te whakamataku hoki! Me te hanga o te whenua, te kākāriki o te kūwao, te kikorangi o te rangi. Me ngā tini manu, ngārara, ngangara o roto! Ka heke ki te taha o te awa, ka eke ki runga i ngā waka i hari ai i a mātou mā ki mua tonu i ngā waiheke. Ka mākū pai i te rehu me te wai e paratī ake ana – me te hoihoi! E toru ngā wā i tohe atu mātou ki ngā waiheke. E panapana pai ana te manawa!

Ka heke i taua waka, ka whakawhiti atu ki tētahi atu waka i tae atu ai ki te moutere i waenganui i ngā waiheke matua. I te tīmatanga e hia ke ngā kaupeka o te arapiki e tae ai ki runga. Ko tā ngā tāngata e heke ana, ‘¡Vale la pena!’ (‘Ka whai hua te mamae!’). He tika tā rātou! Ka tae ki runga, kātahi ka kite atu i ngā iguana nunui e tatri ana kia whāngaia. Ka tae atu ki tērā atu pito ka tū ki waenganui i ngā waiheke matua. Ka tū kau me te waha e tuhera ana!

Ka hoki ki tuawhenua, ka whai i te sendero superior e titiro iho ai ki ngā waiheke. Kei auau ngā kōrero! Ka mutu, ka eke i te tereina i tae atu ai ki te ara ki La Garganta del Diablo (Te Korokoro o Hātana). I te hīkoinga atu ki reira ka kitea ngā tini manu, ngā honu me te yacaré (he momo ngārara nui). Na, ka tae atu ki te waiheke nui rawa, ko taua Korokoro rā. He kino atu i tō Te Parata! Ka tū te manawa i te kitenga atu.

Ka hoki ki Puerto Iguazú, ka hīrere, ka whakatā. I te 10:00 pm ka haere atu ki te wharekai La Rueda. Engari tētahi o ngā tino kai i te hararei nei! Ko te mea pai rawa ko te pūrini, crema de maracujá (te kātete hua taera). Kātahi te rangi o ngā rangi!

Rosario

Ka ahiahi, ka tae atu ki Rosario. Kua kōmarumaru te rangi, ā, ka ua i ētahi wā. Ka tae atu ki el Hotel Imperio. Ka tau, ka heke atu ki ngā tiriti o te tāone. Tokoiti ngā tāngata, ānō he tāone kēhua. Ka whakatata atu ki te awa whānui, ko te Paraná, titiro atu ai ki ngā tohu whakamaharatanga mo te haki o Argentina, na te Tianara Belgrano i hoahoa.

Kua āhua hoha i ngā tini tohu ki te mana motuhake o te whenua, me te hanga tito hītori. He tino tauira pērā ngā tohu i Rosario, me ngā whakapakoko hanga Rōmana, hanga Keriki. Me te tangata whenua? Kāore rawa e kitea i ngā tohu, i ngā whakapakoko. Ko te mana motuhake mo te hunga ohaoha!

He pai kē te rangi i muri. Ka roa tā māua hīkoikoi i te tāone, mīharo atu ai ki ngā whare tawhito. Kua kī hoki ngā tiriti i te tangata. Ko te hanga pōuri ko te tokomaha o ngā tāngata whenua e rapu kai ana i ngā ipu para (Kāore a Aroha i te rata!). Ko taua mana motuhake anō! Kei te whakaatu te whakaahua tuarua i te tohu e mea ana 'Malvinas, por siempre argentinas' ('No Argentina ngā moutere Falklands mo ake tonu atu'). Te mana...

Ka kimi i te whare i whānau ai a ‘Che’ Guevara, na, te mutunga ake he whare moni tiaki! Ko te ‘che’ he kīanga argentina (he rite te whakahua ki tā te Māori), koina i tapaina ai ki taua ingoa e ōna hoa.

Ka ahiahi rawa, ka hoki atu ki te teihana pahi, ā, ka wehe atu ki Puerto Iguazú. Hāereere noa i te pō...

El Año Nuevo

Ka hoki anō ki el Café Valerio parakuihi ai. Ka mutu, ka hoki ki te hōtera noho noa ai, he putanga pea no te rā o mua. Ka ahiahi, ka heke atu ki Puerto Madera, ki te tauranga waka o Buenos Aires. Kua whakapaingia, ā, e hia kē ngā wharekai i reira ināianei. Ka hīkoi i te taha o te awakeri, me te whakawhiti i el puente de la Mujer, he arawhiti rongonui na te kaihoahoa ko Santiago Calatrava.

Ka whirihia te wharekai Tocororo (he momo manu no Cuba), engari te pai o taua whiringa. He rawe te kai, ahakoa tētahi tamaiti pōhara i whakatata poka noa mai pā ai i te ngū me te matikara paru rawa! I te rangi ka kite atu i ngā mura kāpura. Muy romántico.

I te rangi i muri, ka haere ma runga tēkihi ki te teihana pahi i Retiro, ki te wāhi i i whānakohia ai te kāmera, engari kāore he raruraru. Ka ekengia te pahi, ka wehe atu ki Rosario. Adiós, Buenos Aires. Ahakoa ngā raruraru, kei te mihi tonu ki tētahi o ngā tino tāone o te ao!