The People of Patagonia

CYMRAEG

Patagonia is like a myth – this Welsh corner of Argentina. I've heard a lot about the place and I think it's inspiring, but to see it with my own eyes has made that myth come true.

As I walked down the street to the bakery in Gaiman – called ‘Siop Bara’('Bread Shop') – I could hear people speaking Welsh. I saw mother in law's old colleague sitting outside a shop and to have someone greet me saying 'Helo Osian, shwt wyt ti?' was great.

The people here live their lives as we do in a way, in Welsh and Spanish as we live our bilingual lives on the other side of the world. That's normal for them – which is strange for me! But it's amazing to have a taste of this Welsh community.

There was one poignant moment during a choir practice in Gaiman, where a female choir sang a piece about 'Y Wladfa' by Héctor Macdonald (a Patagonian composer). They sang so passionately that by the end of the song I couldn't move and tears of emotion filled my eyes.

Catrin Heledd Morris – my teacher from Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen in Pontypridd – now lives in Patagonia. She is now a teacher in Ysgol yr Hendre in Gaiman. She moved to y Wladfa 17 years ago, where she found her husband.

We've stayed in touch since I left school and, although we spoke often before I came to visit, it's lovely to see her again. We did an interview together on Eleri Siôn's programme on Radio Wales, and both of us were quite emotional as we spoke.

I think that seeing BBC NOW working in her school, Ysgol yr Hendre, has hit home and that she misses Wales as she remembers all the things that she left behind. On the other hand, it has made her more eager to see more of this sort of thing, and hopefully this journey will lead onto more opportunities.
It's difficult to put into words how amazing this experience has been. The people are so welcoming and everyone is happy to see us and are so glad that we are here. We have been talking about this trip for 18 months and now that it's finally happening, it's fab.