I played this to my 90 year old Welsh dad. He was born in Gilfach Gogh in 1934. Got all his marbles, very active for an old dude and he absolutely loved this vlog mate. He, unsurprisingly, was aware of the story of the Mimosa but his overwhelming take on this vlog was how anyone couldn’t be enamoured by your personality, enthusiasm and genuine will to befriend people. There you go, a 90 year old Welshman has given you the seal of approval! If you’re ever in the Oxfordshire area, give me a shout. This man has some stories from Wales and beyond, you wouldn’t believe!!
Beautiful video Simon! Apart from all the interesting facts about Welsh settlement in Argentina, teree is one that was determining for the country, when Chile disputed ownership of Patagonia, the Welsh community in Chubut declared that they had obtained permission to inhabit the colonies from Buenos Aires, and that was a vital part of Argentina´s claim of Patagonia, so we have the Welsh to thank for having Patagonia as a part of Argentina.
Actually, the borders between Argentina and Chile were decreed by the King of Spain, before the independence, and the present limits are exactly the same. There is no legally valid dispute. The University of Chile wrote a document called “guerra de mapas”, where they debunk the dispute for Patagonia as a recently invented issue, made up by military dictatorships. There are also legal precedents in border disputes, created by the British crown, (as arbiter) and the International Court of Justice, that solved the disputes by applying the limits decreed by the King of Spain, to the letter. By the way, those legal precedents created by the British crown, also apply to the dispute for the Falklands, and unilaterally favor Argentina.
Yeah, and the same happened with the English colonies. In Ushuaia for example, it was the Bridges family (English) who invited Argentina to send government representatives down there. That's the only reason Tierra del Fuego is not English or Chilean now.
@@hpatdh077 What's British? There are not british colonies in Tierra del Fuego Island. Chilean, yeah, obviously. But there's only like 1 small Chilean village down there. Argentina got the most important towns and cities, thanks to the Bridges family who invited the Argentine government to take over and send representatives down there.
as a welshman that now lives in England and hasn't spoke much welsh since primary school! watching this has inspired me to relearn my fathers native tongue! Diolch yn fawr iwan Simon
It's so nice to hear so much Welsh. These old European languages like Basque, Welsh, Breton, Rhaeto-Romance, Frisian etc. are so vital to keeping hold of our cultural heritage.
My niece is 2 and goes to pre school in wales, she can count in Welsh and knows lots of words for things around the house and I really hope it continues as she grows up, her Welsh side of the family are predominantly English speaking I think it’s so brilliant to be learning the native language and I’ve been trying to learn too to encourage her (I’m not from Wales)
Rhaeto-romanic and Frisian are not old at all, the first is vulgar latin very easily understandable for us Argentines and the second is a Germanic language related to Old Dutch and Middle English
@@MrLaizard we are talking about remaining languages that are still in use by a large group of people, functioning as their de facto language within their respective national societies. Nobody speaks Old Dutch, proto-Germanic languages, never mind Latin in daily life... Furthermore, all Romance languages basically date from the same period, it is impossible to distinguish when these dialects where in fact fully formed. We only know when they were spoken by larger groups and thus become more noticeable. Vulgar Latin was spoken in the times of Augustus for example, I would say that is a considerable time for a tiny off-shoot language to survive in a region with so many languages from larger populations pushing and pulling, as people were displaced and nations were formed. Frisian is roughly dated to the 8 century AD, in fact the closest living language group to the Anglic languages. Pretty old, and amazing to see it is still there. Considering that a current English speaker would not even be able to understand a word of Tudor English (5 centuries ago), I don't understand what your point is.. what do you mean, 'not old at all'. Compared to what exactly? Welsh is 400 AD, and Basque's origins are traced back to the 1st century BC.. the oldest living language in Europe.
As an Argentinian with Irish descend, interesting video. My mum was born in the Patagonia region, a bit north of Chubut but her town was populated mostly by Italians and Croatians....interesting to see the Welsh legacy there!
@@chipaguasustudios - More than just like...we're crazy about it ! We talk about football all day long and not only about our league but we are also fans of different Premier league teams . In fact we follow most of the Europeans leagues , and since Messi began playing in Miami we got interested in the American MLS, too.
This is undoubtedly THE best video you've ever made in my opinion. You have shown something that very few big travel youtubers have, you have shown genuine culture and its history, understood it, and been respectful to it, you have met such lovely people, you have shown your real enthusiasm for your language and your culture. Everything about this video is just truly incredible. Please keep doing stuff like this and stop associating with people like Bald. He could never in a million years make a video as positive and lovely as this one, keep doing this and don't leech off those bigger youtubers like bald, because trust me, they are going to go down very soon. keep doing this Simon. Love from London UK
None of the actual Welsh tea houses accepted to host her, since for Welsh people she was part of the usurper British crown. The tea house that finally agreed was owned by people of Spanish ancestry.
the interaction at 3:57 is golden, that's what argentina is like. You got a pale redhead speaking spanish and a mestizo speaking welsh. You'd think the redhead would be the one speaking welsh, but that's argentina for you!
@@MatiasCatron-pi3gs No, provincia, y es verdad, fueron los Galeses los primeros en construir pueblos y fomentar la economía en la zona, antes de la campaña al desierto. De hecho los galeses fueron muy amigos de los pueblos originarios locales, al revez de lo ocurrido con la campaña, ya que se ayudaban mutuamente a sobrevivir en un territorio hostil como lo es la patagonia costera (desierto, frio y terrible viento).
Argentina surprising the world for the nth time... No matter where in the world you are, there will always be an Argentine standing out. No matter where in the world you are from, there will always be something in Argentina for you.
An interesting fact is that the Welsh community had a very good relationship with the natives of the area, the Aonikenk (Tehuelches) (a nomadic and peaceful group that traveled from the mountains to the ocean where you were. That was not the most usual situation when two different cultures met. The Aonikenk natives had a very good knowledge of the land, so they tended to collaborate over the years. Always welcome here Simon, Argentina loves you.
The most curious thing about this is that the indigenous people of the Patagonian area had a terrible relationship with the "whites", the native Argentines of the central government of Buenos Aires, during the time of the arrival of the "Mimosa", the "desert campaign" took place "where the then president Julio Argentino Roca advanced with his troops into Patagonian territory, devastating the indigenous populations, who refused to have their lands annexed by the young Argentine nation. However, for some reason, the tehuelches did not see the Welsh as "invaders", and forged bonds of brotherhood with them.
@@calebmalkavian Los que masacró Roca fueron los Mapuches, que no eran origianrios de los que hoy es patagonia argentina, sino de chile. Fueron usados como mercenarios por el gobierno de chile para debilitar le conomia ganadera argentina. Fueron los mapuches los que masacraron a los aonikenk (tehuelches). Por eso el reclamo de los mapuches como pueblo originario de Argentina no tiene razón alguna. Soy prof. de historia
I visited Gaiman in 2009 and met Ana (Ro's mum) in Plas y Coed. We got chatting in Welsh and it turned out she'd spent a few months living in Caerphilly in the house of a former teacher of mine, small world!
Hi Simon, I'm Irish and am used to seeing towns around the world with Irish roots. I was delighted and fascinated by your visit to this Welsh heritage town in Argentina. Never heard of anything like it before! It looks like all the Celts got around and took their language and traditions with them!
There are a couple of irish districts in Buenos Aires as well. Hurlingham, Coghlan and a bit more but im not sure if they are scot or irish. There is a rugby club called Hurling Club
In fact, the Irish community in Argentina is far larger than the Welsh, spread mostly over the center and southern provinces, and Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated almost as lively as in Ireland or NYC !
@@rainbowseeker5930 Y Wladfa was not only Welsh, The colony was also built by English, Scottish, Irish and North American citizens (of british descent). Mac Karthy born in Dolavon is a politician from Chubut, and he is not welsh but Irish. Melkisedeck or Lugh música celta from Chubut is Irish-based. San Patricio is also an Irish futsal club from Chubut. Even Argentina mixed up the nationalities and terms. Rawson the capital, is the English surname of a very important North American family. “Té Galés” “Dulce de citrón galés” or “torta galesa” are not even welsh. They are called welsh by the argentines, because it’s from the colony, but the culture is english, scottish, irish and south african/canadian. They have nothing to do with wales. It’s related to welsh Patagonian culture which is just a british mix.. in welsh and english the terms change to “black patagonian cake” so it’s only a term the Spanish speakers added the “welsh”. Always wondered why they were grouped as welsh, when many things are celtic, english, british and even cornish. There’s no way the Celtic festival in Esquel with Belenus, Aran Erin, Highlanders Puelo and Trevelin’s Saint Patrick are welsh celebrations.
Speaking Welsh to locals, in a Welsh town in the middle of an Argentine desert is something we just can’t make up 😂. One of the more unique uploads so far. Cheers!
Hi Simon! I don't know if you know this, but the number counting system used in the modern Welsh language was actually developed by the Patagonian Welsh. The Welsh language originally used a base-20 numeral system, but the Patagonian Welsh developed a base-10 counting system that was later adopted in Wales itself.
I've heard this pouch of Welsh living here served as "culture keepers" during the days of Welsh persecution by the English, and that some of them even sailed back to Wales after those harsh days to reintroduce the supressed identity
This is great to see. When the Welsh first arrived they planted their crops not realizing that the seasons were opposite to the northern hemisphere and they nearly starved. The local tribes had to show them the error of their ways.
In fact several times in the video you see a third flag alongisde the Welsh an Argentinian one, a blue, white and yellow flag with an arrowhead in the center. That's the flag of the Tehuelches, the native tribes that lived there when the Welsh arrived, and that intermarried a lot with the settlers.
I saw that lady at 19:37 and I immediately knew it was that girl's mom before she ever said anything! Spitting image. What a lovely family, I had no idea this little corner of the world existed. Thank you so much for showing us Simon!
Son varios los pueblos donde hay pobladores descendientes de galeses. En cuanto a pequeño rincón del mundo, no es pequeño en absoluto. Gales tiene poco mas de 20.000 Km2 y la provincia de Chubut 225.000Km2, un paraíso desde el Atlántico a la cordillera de los Andes y lo de desierto es para el que no saben distinguir un guanaco de un camello, jajajja. Entre los pueblos de la costa y los de la cordillera hay unos 600 km.
I'm Welsh and I live near Bridgend mid Glamorgan in a little village called coity and this is my first time viewing this channel and what a great first video to watch, it's amazing to hear Welsh being spoken in a foreign country and it's heartwarming to know that the people there are keeping Welsh language and history alive and basing their businesses on the Welsh culture, I'm subscribing to the channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more adventures.
Argentine-Welsh here but from another Welsh town called Trevelin, sadly the language is fading away in my hometown, I remember my grandparents speaking Welsh, but they only did that when they didn't want us to know what they were talking about, so basically that's the reason I've never learn it at home, another reason is because of the arrival of people from other parts of the country in our town in the subsequent years
My grandparents used to do that but in Russian XD , when they started arguing they immediately changed to Russian , so we dont understand the conversation , not my Mother or my Uncles learned the language because of that , it was the "secret Code" . I missed them .
@@ConstantThrowing 🙂 I love you boys really, I'm a Cardiff boy and fairly recently I found out that my great-great-great grandfather was from Nicholl Street!
I went to teach Welsh over in Gaiman for 5 weeks last summer! So weird seeing you visit the place and visit Plas y Coed which is where i stayed! Ana was incredibly kind and made us breakfast every morning before we went to the local school.
This is what wholesome patriotism looks like. Simon is absolutely in his element here speaking his native tongue, getting in touch with the way the original settlers lived and marveling at how the heritage lives on today 🏴 🇦🇷
I'm from Argentina, and seeing the foreigners who visit our "Colonies" (that's what we call the immigrant settlements), it's surprising how amazed they are by the culture that their ancestors were able to maintain. In Argentina, colonies are very common, Each migratory group was divided into communities. The most important ones where the culture could be maintained and influenced by the gaucho culture were in northern Argentina, province of Misiones, along with the Ukrainian community and the Volga Germans in the province of Chaco, Entre Rios, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. 🇦🇷👏!
That was amazing - a Welsh tea-room over 7,000 miles from Wales. Amazing town too - all so friendly. It was almost like being in Wales but with wide roads and glorious weather. Even some of the older buildings had a hint to their roots. Would be great to have closer ties with the town and wales.
Hay 10 pueblos mas galeses en argentina...en el pueblo de trevelin hay un molino harinero del primer fundador del pueblo todavia funcionando y administrado por su bisnieto.....saludos desde argentina
And even better, your inflections are identical in both languages! Even if I don’t understand what you’re saying in Welsh, it’s immediately recognisable as you!
As a born Argentinian, that has been raised in Australia, this was a brilliant video. I plan to travel around Argentina soon and I have heard about the Welsh community since I was also young and this is definitely on my bucket list .. Thank you.
Que bonita tierra la argentina tan diversa y amable con los inmigrantes a quienes se les permitión continuar con su idioma y cultura ,es realmente una tierrra que debería volver a tener buenos dirigentes que la vuelvan a poner en un lugar de bienestar de todos sus ciudadanos.
mad mate as an englishman with welsh in our family who speak welsh knew about this place but firsttime seeing it fantastic and what lovely people just shows the worlds not all bad
Welsh colonizers were so kind that the Peheuenches and Tehuelches taught them how to live from the soil, that they given some of their European chores and converted them to Christianism. The federal government was happy, because they wanted to settle Europeans in the south, partly to stop the Chilenean invasion of Mapuches that pillaged, raped and kill the natives, and partly because the Federal gov of Buenos Aires wanted a full expansion to the south. We are always grateful for those brave Welsh go gave their lives into adventure and made my country's history more rich. We salute them.
My Mum in Law went over to Patagonia to visit the Welsh colony, with a few like minded Cymru people on an organised Cambrian Society trip. She was in her 70s as were all the other members of the party. All were Welsh speakers from birth and found it amazing to be able be able to speak with the locals.
I love the internet - this popped up as a suggestion and I had no prior knowledge of this Welsh community in Argentina - absolutely fascinating! Also I loved how welcoming everyone was and the history you were able to discover. Wonderful!
The argentinians in general no matter form where their ancestors came from tend to be extremely warm, hospitable and welcoming towards foreign visitors
@@carlosrosa Gaiman no es una colonia galesa.. lo confuden con colonias o asentamientos de inmigrantes. Es una localidad de las muchas que forman parte del territorio de la colonia. No importa si sos de Gaiman, Trevelin, Tir Pentre, Dolavon, Bryn Gwyn, La colonia Galesa es una sola y se llama “Y Wladfa” o “Y Wladfa Cymreig”. En galés significa la colonia galesa, o el pequeño país de Gales, porque Wladfa es un diminutivo que viene de la palabra Gwlad o Wlad que significa país. Y = La Wladfa = Wlad (país) + fa (diminutivo). significa colonia o pequeño país Cymreig = perteneciente a Gales Lady Di vino porque la historia y la importancia de la colonia fue y es muy importante para Gales. Al día de hoy, dependemos absolutamente del Gobierno de Gales para que envíen profesores de idioma galés a la escuelas, material educativo, ayuda a las asociaciones, para mantener proyectos como el Urdd gobaith Cymru Patagonia, ellos financian a la colonia a través de Project Hiraeth y ayudan a mantener todo lo que existe incluyendo el fomentar actividades deportivas en los clubs, mantener las capillas y la religión protestante, la unión entre el país y la colonia.
I’ve been learning Welsh for the last year or two as my father is Welsh and sometimes it’s easy to forget why I’m learning it, but watching this has reinvigorated me with energy for it! Fantastic video!
@@piasueldo1101 es verdad si lo son, pero más que un crisol de razas ustedes son un crisol de culturas, en México no se conservan tan bien las tradiciones extranjeras como en Argentina.
@@AbelPeña2067 es por la cantidad de personas que vinieron a poblar estas tierras de cada parte del mundo. Y todos somos argentinos orgullosos de nuestra cultura diversa. Somos mezcla en cada rincón, si sales del circuito turístico, encontrarás distintos pobladores con distintas costumbres en comidas, fiestas patronales con trajes típicos de cada región y bailes. Por tanta cantidad de personas venidas hace más de un siglo se conserva en cada aldea, pueblo y ciudades su esencia de origen y su presencia en lo actual e histórico como argentino. Un coctel que lo tomas y te sabe distintos sabores desde donde lo visites. Si algunas vez viajas a estas tierras, recuerda lo que ves, no lo es todo lo que hay. Bendecidos estamos México y Argentina muy distintos y lejanos, pero con mucha riqueza para explorar como personas curiosas. Recuerda que antes de ser Argentina ya la colonia del Río de la Plata, de 1.500.000 de pobladores ya estabamos mezclados eramos sociedad de indígenas, aborígenes de distintas etnias con lenguaje distintos, criollos, paisamos, gauchos, blancos, negros que se juntaron todos a pelear batallas y pedir y elegir ser libres de España. Ya este 25 de mayo de 1810 se recordará la Revolución de Mayo hacia la libertad e independencia luego y los ciudadanos dejaron de ser colonias para convertirse en argentinos con derechos y responsabilidades, unidos todos. Hoy 47.000.000 de argentinos cada uno con distintos ascendientes pero argentinos todos en esta patria Argentina. Con malos políticos y sin embargo la riqueza del pais sigue en abundancia pese a los ineptos que han gobernado, hoy hay cambios de aires y una nueva esperanza. Al menos hay honestidad y cumplimiento de palabra, trabajo feaciente, aunque muchos lloren y no quieran dejar gobernar, hay apoyo legítimo del pueblo trabajador. Seas bienvenido si paseas por Argentina.
@@AbelPeña2067 la galesa es una de las comunidades más chicas a mí parecer pero mejor conservadas, las demás no se unieron en comunidades, se mezclaron todos y ahora los hijos de inmigrantes somos todos argentinos, no vas a escuchar a nadie decir soy italiano - argentino , y sinceramente nadie estudia el idioma de tus padres, lo único que sí mantenemos son las comidas (la gastronomía) de nuestros padres y abuelos
Biggest love from Alba (Scotland) 🔵⚪ I love to see our Celt languages getting used on UA-cam, just wish soon we up in Alba follow the footstep of you amazing Welsh is keeping our language alive :)💚❤🤍
this has to be one of my fav videos youve done, going all the way down there meeting welsh speakers, stories been told and immortalised in YT now. awesome fair play
Now this is content i love to watch! Im not even welsh but i hope the welsh language can be preserved both there and in Wales. This is culture and we cant let it go extinct.
@@aldozilli1293 Well, 51% of the Argentinian ancestry is from Italy. Even more than Creole ancestry, also spanish culture is very similar to italian culture, so italians rapidly became Argentinians and adopted Spanish language (wich also is very similar to Italian).
Simon, you have posted some awesome videos over the years, but that was your best one ever! As a Welshman I was taught about Patagonia at school (like you) but thanks for using your platform and huge world wide audience to let others know a little bit about it too. Visiting Patagonia is definitely on my bucket list. Diolch yn fawr🏴🇦🇷
Not to be a dick about it I'm sure the records are genuinely very old, likely early 20th century but vinyl records were first invented in 1887 and the ship came over 22 years before that so ...
Hi Simon,I was recently in Rio,Brazil and Peru.I must admit that South America is beautiful with many emigrants from Europe and I was shocked how many cultures living there.Argentina is on my bucket list,including Patagonia.Thank you.
Welshman goes to Argentina and the first house built by a Welshman in the country brought a roof over from my hometown of Wolverhampton! Love it! Great Video Simon!!
Loved the Video Simon! I had a similar experience in an Argentinian town called Villa General Belgrano, it was formally colonized by Germans so a lot of the locals there spoke German, which is such a bizarre feeling knowing how far away you are from your country, i love Argentina, such a beautiful and diverse country with such kind people everywhere, glad you got to go there yourself a few times now and you seem to have enjoyed it ☺️ hope to see you back there in future :)
My great grandpa was from Wales, grandpa first generation American, and I’m a Spanish student who literally started studying welsh like a week ago. This is a must visit for me!
@@dominicsouthan4492 Don't exaggerate, there were Nazi characters in Bariloche and in some province in the northeast near Brazil, and some in Buenos Aires, the rest of the country practically did not receive important Nazis. They entered during the governments of a fascist populist such as Juan Perón. Greetings from Mendoza, Argentina. (translated with Google translator)
@@rainbowseeker5930 Nonsense, people in big cities in Argentina, specially in Buenos Aires are as friendly and hospitable as those charming patagonian lads and lasses
As a fellow Welsh man, our proud small nation needs more inspiring people like Simon. He never forgot his background and still promotes Wales overseas using his fab platform. This really makes the Welsh Parliament look usless!! 'Da iawn!' 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
As an Argentine, from Buenos Aires in my case, I thank you enormously for sharing this video about Gaiman. You have truly managed to showcase the culture of the place in an incredible way. I have visited Gaiman twice, but I was not able to feel the Welsh culture in this way. You have been able to connect with the local people, and from what I read in the comments, also with your followers. Excellent work!
I've seen more Welsh dragons in this one video than I have in the past 37 years living in Wales. And that young lady that showed you around speaks Welsh with such a distinct Gog (Gogledd: Northern) accent you could easily be mistaken believing she came from Bangor. And knowing that Andres has visited my hometown of Aberystwyth with the Gaiman youth choir is just crazy.
It's a small world, indeed, and with today's fast means of communications people travel round the world so much that in the end we come to realize that we all are a big family connected in many ways, even if we speak different local languages and live on different continents, we're family !
Dude, Simon! Im not remotely colose to being Welsh but this made my heart so happy for you! All that history of your ancestors and even people from your same village. You must have felt a surreal connection with this place and its people. Probably my favorite video of all time!
For once UA-cam recommended me an amazing travel vlog : super interesting, entertaining and unique, I don't think I've ever heard welsh language before. Huge respect to these people for keeping their ancestor's language alive👌
I’m Welsh, and went to Welsh schools. I used to be fluent.. but I left Wales in 2015 to live in Thailand and have hardly spoke a word since. I’ve always heard stories growing up of the Welsh colony in Argentina, but kinda thought it was a myth! Really enjoyed watching this video. And also surprised by how much Welsh I still remember. Diolch Simon!
@YesSir-ms3uk Pointless???? That is certainly coming from someone who doesn't speak the language or understands what it means. Makes a difference when you want to go for certain jobs in Wales, or if you maybe work in sales or run your own business and you can see the difference it makes when people know you speak Welsh. You can be anywhere in the world and bump into a fellow welsh person and it's like you've known each other for years, that's the Welsh for you. The best part though is when we come across people like you and we can just switch between Welsh and English and you have no idea what we are on about. Believe me it's useful!! But one thing I don't understand is, how can we have a First Minister who is basically the leader of our country, but doesn't actually speak the language of the country he runs?
The Welsh also settled down in some towns in the foothills of the Andes on the other side of the province of Chubut. The towns of Esquel and Trevelin come to mind, there may be others
And also in Rio Negro: Tir Pentre or Villa Galense (known as Fray Luis Beltran today!). There are many wonderful Welsh families that settled, being the first settlers and workers. They built a beautiful Anglican-Methodist chapel and the first irrigation channels in Patagonia. There is an important Welsh celebration to commemorate this known as the “Welsh Provincial Irrigation Channels Festival.” The town has a page dedicated to the culture in Spanish, English, and Welsh! Also Allen (Named after Henry Charles Allen, who was half English and half Welsh, he worked building the railway connection in Rio Negro and Chubut), Darwin (after Charles Darwin, who came to Patagonia and visited the region and the Colony), and Bahia Creek (named after the creek. the North Americans who were of British descent came to the colony, and often their vessels couldn’t get to New Bay in Chubut, so it was easier to disembark further north on the coasts of Rio Negro and Carmen de Patagones. They were also great fishers, explorers, and herbalists.) Some also settled in Neuquén and named places like “Cerro Dragón” after the Welsh dragon, mentioned in the Welsh Patagonian anthem for its white peak. There are also many tea houses, and they also sell the Welsh Patagonian cake. This is in the town of “Plottier.” Some families arrived in “Patagones” on board the vessel Rio Negro or Negro River, commanded by Benjamin Summers. This is also mentioned in the book “Los Galeses en el Rio Negro,” written by Emma Nozzi and Silvia Edelstein Itzkow. It is a book from the Museo histórico Regional “Francisco de Viedma.” Some moved to Santa Fe and Buenos Aires because they preferred to live a peaceful life under the Argentine flag. When the colony started, Patagonia was not part of any country yet. It was harsh, and many people couldn’t afford the weather, the natives, and starting with nothing in the middle of nowhere, a steppe, or desert. The Welsh government just pacted with the Argentine, to give up claimed land in Patagonia for the colony. We didn’t have the protection nor help from the Argentine government nor the British government. We had to build our own government, with our own rules and the “Welsh Colonising and General Trading Company.” Records of people born, married, or deceased in Patagonia were kept in the chapels and the famous “Berwyn’s Welsh Register.” We wanted to keep our language, culture, religion, ethnic origins, traditions entirely Welsh (Brythonic). That’s why the towns are in Welsh, the anthem, the different flags, religion/chapels, schools, the food and traditions are Welsh, the dialect... everywhere you see has a Welsh root. This is and wasn’t possible under the Argentine flag not British flag. When we joined Argentina they even changed the name to Spanish translations: Puerto Madryn, it was Porth Madryn or just Madryn, and New Bay is now Bahia Nueva and so on... and many national news wrongly said “the welsh are fully integrated”. Even in the first Argentine census we were a separated territory “Colonia Galesa”, and we had our own censuses. Many left because when the vessels arrived in Patagonia, people had to start from scratch without any help. They had to sleep at caves near the cliffs and the sea and walk looking for water/a river, explore, learn how to cultivate the land, and interact or learn from the natives, everything built from dust. The Welsh Americans founded the idea of a colony, the British approved it giving the ships or vessels, and Argentines gave up their claim over the land to the settlers. But the Welsh and Welsh families had to do all the hard work. The biggest Welsh Patagonian colonies abroad are in Canada, Saskatchewan (more than fifty towns self-identified as Welsh Patagonian: Saltcoats, Llewelyn, Bangor... all the Welsh in Canada are related to the colony!). The Canadian government says: In 1902, Welsh immigrants arrived from Patagonia, which had been incorporated into Argentina in 1881 and 1902. Compulsory military service, national Spanish law, and a series of floods left the colony in decline. The colony requested for help to the Canadian government. New South Wales in Australia also has a significant Welsh Patagonian population. (The Colony in Patagonia was already known as “New Wales.”) This was because when Argentina, the UK, and Chile entered into dispute, the colony had to vote or get into a war. The Welsh stopped Chile and Argentina, and made the British act as mediators for the Colony, holding votes through a plebiscite and signing the treaty’s in 1881 (delimitation of borders) and 1902 (legal division of borders). Everyone’s dream was to be independent. But in the end, people had to choose where some wanted to be under the Argentine flag, while others wanted to be back under the British flag. It is also noted that people born in Patagonia had to choose a citizenship, and while many requested the Argentine government years later, most of the people born in Patagonia before 1902 were considered children of legal British citizens (Welsh parents) and had the right to claim “Welsh nationality” and thus British citizenship for being born abroad or overseas. So many people in Patagonia today actually keep both, the British and Argentine passport. Many also had North American citizenship (the British descended from North American citizens, the heritage is huge.) Even the project for the colony started in the USA, and the capital of Chubut is an English surname “Rawson,” son of Raw. An important family of British roots who came from North America to Argentina, founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were in the Argentine government and mediated between Argentina and the colony. The colony though, was independent enough to arrange between the UK/USA and the ships to the colony and everything related to relations between settlers and resources to found the settlement). There are thousands of small settlements, most of them are welsh. Actually, we have an English/Welsh term for everything because some were just later translated to Spanish. Chubut has more than 300, including the Ginebra boxes (the story behind the villages is so funny) or places like Rocky trip. There are wonderful stories and secrets, but they’re only kept within the welsh community. People always mention towns from the east valley (Dyffryn camwy) and west valley (Cwm Hyfryd), because they’re the popular ones that are well-known. That’s why those foreign to the colony can only name a few!
This is just a sample of how Argentinians turned out to be the most European of all Latin American countries...In the late 19th century and early 20th masses of immigrants belonging to different European nationalities settled in Argentina . Buenos Aires is considered the Paris of South America, and the overwhelming majority of the Argentinians look like Europeans.
I'm from Esquel and if I'm not mistaken Esquel wasn't settled by the Welsh like Trevelin was, even though you can find a lot of people with Welsh surnames in Esquel: Evans, Jones, Iwan, Williams, Freeman, Hughes, etc.
@@Aelfraed26 Of course it is welsh, it was founded as part of the West Valley (Cwm Hyfryd). Esquel is also Welsh. And It was settled by the Welsh. Esquel has the Welsh Chapel “Seion”, the “Asociación Galesa de Esquel”, they own the “Canolfan Iaith Gymraeg” and the Welsh Newspaper in the Area. They have the tourist agency “Gales al Sur”. The school “N 20 Esquel” was welsh and it started in a chapel. Actually, Esquel from “Esgel Kaik” means thistle or shaking in tehuelche, and tehuelche words were often welsh/english based. In welsh that word is pronounced “Ysgydwad”. (In Spanish it may sound like Esgeld uak).
My mother's family comes from Esquel, close to Trevelin, near the Andes. Beautiful place. I grew up listening to stories about people named Evans and Humphreys, and a lateral branch of my family even ended up marrying some second-generation Welsh. Long live Y Wladfa!
this was your best video yet simon, i don't speak welsh but got a little emotional seeing you hit it off with other welsh speakers such a distance away and all the history and people involved. there is something very important about keeping a language alive and i hope it thrives.
Awesome! I'm a Wrexham lad. I drove an adventure truck round the world, shipped back to Tilbury from Buenos Aires. Unfortunately by the time I got to Mendoza, I'd been travelling for four years and wanted to get home. So, I didn't get to visit Puerto Madrin. Loved your video!
I played this to my 90 year old Welsh dad. He was born in Gilfach Gogh in 1934. Got all his marbles, very active for an old dude and he absolutely loved this vlog mate. He, unsurprisingly, was aware of the story of the Mimosa but his overwhelming take on this vlog was how anyone couldn’t be enamoured by your personality, enthusiasm and genuine will to befriend people. There you go, a 90 year old Welshman has given you the seal of approval! If you’re ever in the Oxfordshire area, give me a shout. This man has some stories from Wales and beyond, you wouldn’t believe!!
Gilfach Goch ❤
this whole video and comments section is so wholesome it’s crazy
I hope Simon sees this. God bless your father ❤
Thanks for sharing! Words of encouragement from the elderly are so valuable. They know what is important, they have to from experience.
Means a lot mate❤️ please tell your dad I’m send my regards!
That girl speaking Welsh proper blew me away. Absolutely brilliant! 🙌🏽
And with a North Wales twang as well!!
And she was very pretty 😆
Who would have ever thought Simon would upload a video where he's predominantly talking in Welsh...in Argentina!
Great video
@robg1358 Would love to see that . iechyd da
You’ve excelled yourself Simon . An absolutely wonderful video .
@robg1358 yeah me as well. ive literally been waiting for him to do this ever since he did that recent video/videos in Wales
By far the best video that I've seen that you've made.
Love everything about Wales and its culture and heritage.
Thank you
Beautiful video Simon! Apart from all the interesting facts about Welsh settlement in Argentina, teree is one that was determining for the country, when Chile disputed ownership of Patagonia, the Welsh community in Chubut declared that they had obtained permission to inhabit the colonies from Buenos Aires, and that was a vital part of Argentina´s claim of Patagonia, so we have the Welsh to thank for having Patagonia as a part of Argentina.
Actually, the borders between Argentina and Chile were decreed by the King of Spain, before the independence, and the present limits are exactly the same.
There is no legally valid dispute. The University of Chile wrote a document called “guerra de mapas”, where they debunk the dispute for Patagonia as a recently invented issue, made up by military dictatorships.
There are also legal precedents in border disputes, created by the British crown, (as arbiter) and the International Court of Justice, that solved the disputes by applying the limits decreed by the King of Spain, to the letter.
By the way, those legal precedents created by the British crown, also apply to the dispute for the Falklands, and unilaterally favor Argentina.
Yeah, and the same happened with the English colonies. In Ushuaia for example, it was the Bridges family (English) who invited Argentina to send government representatives down there. That's the only reason Tierra del Fuego is not English or Chilean now.
Part of Tierra del Fuego is Chilean
@@lukecole5056 most of the island of tierra del Fuego and all of the sorrounding islands are Chilean or British.
@@hpatdh077 What's British? There are not british colonies in Tierra del Fuego Island. Chilean, yeah, obviously. But there's only like 1 small Chilean village down there. Argentina got the most important towns and cities, thanks to the Bridges family who invited the Argentine government to take over and send representatives down there.
as a welshman that now lives in England and hasn't spoke much welsh since primary school! watching this has inspired me to relearn my fathers native tongue!
Diolch yn fawr iwan Simon
Good, man, do that !
Glad you liked our town Simon. Come back anytime👏🏻🇦🇷🏴
Siarad cymraeg?
@@alexbengough7522 dwi yn. 😂
@@4.20Everyday o cymru?
@@alexbengough7522 ia tad , o pen llyn
@@alexbengough7522 o Gymru*
It's so nice to hear so much Welsh. These old European languages like Basque, Welsh, Breton, Rhaeto-Romance, Frisian etc. are so vital to keeping hold of our cultural heritage.
My niece is 2 and goes to pre school in wales, she can count in Welsh and knows lots of words for things around the house and I really hope it continues as she grows up, her Welsh side of the family are predominantly English speaking
I think it’s so brilliant to be learning the native language and I’ve been trying to learn too to encourage her (I’m not from Wales)
Welsh is a useless language tbh
Rhaeto-romanic and Frisian are not old at all, the first is vulgar latin very easily understandable for us Argentines and the second is a Germanic language related to Old Dutch and Middle English
@@MrLaizard we are talking about remaining languages that are still in use by a large group of people, functioning as their de facto language within their respective national societies. Nobody speaks Old Dutch, proto-Germanic languages, never mind Latin in daily life...
Furthermore, all Romance languages basically date from the same period, it is impossible to distinguish when these dialects where in fact fully formed. We only know when they were spoken by larger groups and thus become more noticeable. Vulgar Latin was spoken in the times of Augustus for example, I would say that is a considerable time for a tiny off-shoot language to survive in a region with so many languages from larger populations pushing and pulling, as people were displaced and nations were formed.
Frisian is roughly dated to the 8 century AD, in fact the closest living language group to the Anglic languages. Pretty old, and amazing to see it is still there.
Considering that a current English speaker would not even be able to understand a word of Tudor English (5 centuries ago), I don't understand what your point is.. what do you mean, 'not old at all'. Compared to what exactly? Welsh is 400 AD, and Basque's origins are traced back to the 1st century BC.. the oldest living language in Europe.
En mi caso, una de mis bisabuelas era galesa y uno de mis bisabuelos bretón.
As a Welshman this was amazing to see, her pronunciation is very good, our language is ancient and it’s great to see it spoken abroad
As an Argentinian with Irish descend, interesting video. My mum was born in the Patagonia region, a bit north of Chubut but her town was populated mostly by Italians and Croatians....interesting to see the Welsh legacy there!
Yugoslavs maybe
Did I get this right? This fine lady flew all the way from Argentina to Wales to watch a second division football match? What a legend!
4th division, even more mental
Argentinians like football (soccer)
@@chipaguasustudios - More than just like...we're crazy about it ! We talk about football all day long and not only about our league but we are also fans of different Premier league teams . In fact we follow most of the Europeans leagues , and since Messi began playing in Miami we got interested in the American MLS, too.
@@rainbowseeker5930of course! We love football. A few years ago I went to Barcelona to watch Barcelona vs Manchester City.
Yes, those things happen here… 😂 My own son (Argentinian, 16 y.o.) is a Colchester Utd. fan, he dreams of going to watch them play 🫶🏼
This is undoubtedly THE best video you've ever made in my opinion. You have shown something that very few big travel youtubers have, you have shown genuine culture and its history, understood it, and been respectful to it, you have met such lovely people, you have shown your real enthusiasm for your language and your culture. Everything about this video is just truly incredible. Please keep doing stuff like this and stop associating with people like Bald. He could never in a million years make a video as positive and lovely as this one, keep doing this and don't leech off those bigger youtubers like bald, because trust me, they are going to go down very soon. keep doing this Simon. Love from London UK
you must remember princess DIANA in the 90 s visited GAIMAN had a cup of tea wich was kept as a souvenir greetings from buenos aires
None of the actual Welsh tea houses accepted to host her, since for Welsh people she was part of the usurper British crown. The tea house that finally agreed was owned by people of Spanish ancestry.
the interaction at 3:57 is golden, that's what argentina is like.
You got a pale redhead speaking spanish and a mestizo speaking welsh. You'd think the redhead would be the one speaking welsh, but that's argentina for you!
It's not "mestizo ". He is hispanic. Everyone is mestizo in fact....so racist your comment.
@@gustavogabrielacosta8124 he's mestizo hispanic I'm also mestizo and I don't find this racist at all
@@gustavogabrielacosta8124It's not racist at all
@@gustavogabrielacosta8124 Argentinian here, stop calling everything racist it's absurd.
@@DrowsyBoi
No te preocupes, se entendió el sentido de tu comentario.
There's a welsh town in the most beautiful place you'll ever see in western Chubut, in the alpine-like andean region.. It is called Trevelin
Indeed its beautiful I went several times and you can get a grasp of the welsh culture but it is in Gaiman where the most speakers are located.
the welsh literally built that province
Provincia ? Pueblo querras decir.
@@MatiasCatron-pi3gs No, provincia, y es verdad, fueron los Galeses los primeros en construir pueblos y fomentar la economía en la zona, antes de la campaña al desierto. De hecho los galeses fueron muy amigos de los pueblos originarios locales, al revez de lo ocurrido con la campaña, ya que se ayudaban mutuamente a sobrevivir en un territorio hostil como lo es la patagonia costera (desierto, frio y terrible viento).
@@MatiasDypala mira vos ! Gracias por la respuesta. Pense que habias errado al decir provincia.
Argentina surprising the world for the nth time...
No matter where in the world you are, there will always be an Argentine standing out.
No matter where in the world you are from, there will always be something in Argentina for you.
As Argentinian i can tell you... its true. We are everywhere and we know every language only to be friendly and talkative people. :)
tienes toda la razón hay argentina muy destacados en todo el mundo soy un hispano argentino 🇦🇷 🙋 saludos
An interesting fact is that the Welsh community had a very good relationship with the natives of the area, the Aonikenk (Tehuelches) (a nomadic and peaceful group that traveled from the mountains to the ocean where you were. That was not the most usual situation when two different cultures met. The Aonikenk natives had a very good knowledge of the land, so they tended to collaborate over the years.
Always welcome here Simon, Argentina loves you.
that is interesting, thank you
Wow thanks this is amazing!
The most curious thing about this is that the indigenous people of the Patagonian area had a terrible relationship with the "whites", the native Argentines of the central government of Buenos Aires, during the time of the arrival of the "Mimosa", the "desert campaign" took place "where the then president Julio Argentino Roca advanced with his troops into Patagonian territory, devastating the indigenous populations, who refused to have their lands annexed by the young Argentine nation. However, for some reason, the tehuelches did not see the Welsh as "invaders", and forged bonds of brotherhood with them.
@@calebmalkavian The Tehuelches had almost no conflicts with the "white men", they were very peaceful and friendly tribes unlike the araucan Mapuches
@@calebmalkavian Los que masacró Roca fueron los Mapuches, que no eran origianrios de los que hoy es patagonia argentina, sino de chile. Fueron usados como mercenarios por el gobierno de chile para debilitar le conomia ganadera argentina. Fueron los mapuches los que masacraron a los aonikenk (tehuelches). Por eso el reclamo de los mapuches como pueblo originario de Argentina no tiene razón alguna. Soy prof. de historia
I visited Gaiman in 2009 and met Ana (Ro's mum) in Plas y Coed. We got chatting in Welsh and it turned out she'd spent a few months living in Caerphilly in the house of a former teacher of mine, small world!
This might be my favourite video of all time on UA-cam. Thank you Simon you’re a legend 🏴
Yo soy de Argentina , y desconocía la existencia de este pueblo 😮
Hi Simon,
I'm Irish and am used to seeing towns around the world with Irish roots. I was delighted and fascinated by your visit to this Welsh heritage town in Argentina. Never heard of anything like it before! It looks like all the Celts got around and took their language and traditions with them!
Love Ireland in Argentina, from an Argentinian.
There are a couple of irish districts in Buenos Aires as well. Hurlingham, Coghlan and a bit more but im not sure if they are scot or irish. There is a rugby club called Hurling Club
@@guaripoxYeah, there’s also Saint Brendan’s. Both the school and the rugby and hockey club
In fact, the Irish community in Argentina is far larger than the Welsh, spread mostly over the center and southern provinces, and Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated almost as lively as in Ireland or NYC !
@@rainbowseeker5930 Y Wladfa was not only Welsh, The colony was also built by English, Scottish, Irish and North American citizens (of british descent). Mac Karthy born in Dolavon is a politician from Chubut, and he is not welsh but Irish.
Melkisedeck or Lugh música celta from Chubut is Irish-based. San Patricio is also an Irish futsal club from Chubut.
Even Argentina mixed up the nationalities and terms. Rawson the capital, is the English surname of a very important North American family. “Té Galés” “Dulce de citrón galés” or “torta galesa” are not even welsh. They are called welsh by the argentines, because it’s from the colony, but the culture is english, scottish, irish and south african/canadian. They have nothing to do with wales. It’s related to welsh Patagonian culture which is just a british mix..
in welsh and english the terms change to “black patagonian cake” so it’s only a term the Spanish speakers added the “welsh”. Always wondered why they were grouped as welsh, when many things are celtic, english, british and even cornish. There’s no way the Celtic festival in Esquel with Belenus, Aran Erin, Highlanders Puelo and Trevelin’s Saint Patrick are welsh celebrations.
Speaking Welsh to locals, in a Welsh town in the middle of an Argentine desert is something we just can’t make up 😂.
One of the more unique uploads so far. Cheers!
Hay 9 pueblos galeses mas asi en argentina ....en el pueblo de trevelyn hay un dragon que escupe fuego
Asi es Argentina, nuestro pais.
No tanto desierto, Gaiman está enclavado en un valle fértil increíble, que lo une a Trelew. Muy similar al Valle de Río Negro. - .
@@rhcubitto Ojo te alejas un poco de la zona de regadío y es un paramo, fascinante pero super-desértico
Argentina seems to be an amazing country, I'd love to visit it.
ur welcome 😊
Lo es no te lo pierdas 🇦🇷❤️🧉
You Will be welcome
the south is amazing. the north is africa. and buenos aires is dangerous but has good places.
@@ivoturi What does it mean "it's Africa"?
I'm from Argentina but it's lovely to see such a beautiful and ancient language being preserved by fellow countrymen 🏴🇦🇷
Hi Simon! I don't know if you know this, but the number counting system used in the modern Welsh language was actually developed by the Patagonian Welsh. The Welsh language originally used a base-20 numeral system, but the Patagonian Welsh developed a base-10 counting system that was later adopted in Wales itself.
I've heard this pouch of Welsh living here served as "culture keepers" during the days of Welsh persecution by the English, and that some of them even sailed back to Wales after those harsh days to reintroduce the supressed identity
cool
Possibly your best video, hearing you speaking Welsh in Argentina with Argentinians is amazing.
This is great to see. When the Welsh first arrived they planted their crops not realizing that the seasons were opposite to the northern hemisphere and they nearly starved. The local tribes had to show them the error of their ways.
In fact several times in the video you see a third flag alongisde the Welsh an Argentinian one, a blue, white and yellow flag with an arrowhead in the center. That's the flag of the Tehuelches, the native tribes that lived there when the Welsh arrived, and that intermarried a lot with the settlers.
@@Mateo-oq7ui Tehuelches were a great and good people, they were massacred by Mapuches, that came from Chile.
Those crops were the best in the country back in the early days of Argentina.
@@Mateo-oq7ui Gran comentario! Algo nuevo aprendido.
@@Mateo-oq7ui tehuelches en serio sabes de eso
Great video, it's amazing the variety of cultures you can find in Argentina
I saw that lady at 19:37 and I immediately knew it was that girl's mom before she ever said anything! Spitting image. What a lovely family, I had no idea this little corner of the world existed. Thank you so much for showing us Simon!
Same smile
Hola...en argentina hay 10 pueblos galeses....gaiman es el mas conocido
Son varios los pueblos donde hay pobladores descendientes de galeses. En cuanto a pequeño rincón del mundo, no es pequeño en absoluto. Gales tiene poco mas de 20.000 Km2 y la provincia de Chubut 225.000Km2, un paraíso desde el Atlántico a la cordillera de los Andes y lo de desierto es para el que no saben distinguir un guanaco de un camello, jajajja. Entre los pueblos de la costa y los de la cordillera hay unos 600 km.
I'm Welsh and I live near Bridgend mid Glamorgan in a little village called coity and this is my first time viewing this channel and what a great first video to watch, it's amazing to hear Welsh being spoken in a foreign country and it's heartwarming to know that the people there are keeping Welsh language and history alive and basing their businesses on the Welsh culture, I'm subscribing to the channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more adventures.
Adam, you are more than welcome to visit here anytime you can!
@@aphewtxin thanks for saying that, if I could afford it then id be on a plane tomorrow but right now I'm not able to.
come visit any time my friend, you are more than welcome here Adam
Many welsh towns in Chubut, like Gaiman , Trevelin, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Dolavon
Y colonia sarmiento tambien hay muchos galeses
@@josemariabravin7692no tanto. Sarmiento es más de Bóers...
Argentine-Welsh here but from another Welsh town called Trevelin, sadly the language is fading away in my hometown, I remember my grandparents speaking Welsh, but they only did that when they didn't want us to know what they were talking about, so basically that's the reason I've never learn it at home, another reason is because of the arrival of people from other parts of the country in our town in the subsequent years
My grandparents used to do that but in Russian XD , when they started arguing they immediately changed to Russian , so we dont understand the conversation , not my Mother or my Uncles learned the language because of that , it was the "secret Code" . I missed them .
I'm from Swansea and I speak basically no Welsh. Mad that I can hear her North Walian accent through her brilliantly spoken Welsh.
You jacks don’t have colour TV either do you? ;-)
@yrath5034 we've just recently got FM radio mush
@@ConstantThrowing 🙂 I love you boys really, I'm a Cardiff boy and fairly recently I found out that my great-great-great grandfather was from Nicholl Street!
I went to teach Welsh over in Gaiman for 5 weeks last summer! So weird seeing you visit the place and visit Plas y Coed which is where i stayed! Ana was incredibly kind and made us breakfast every morning before we went to the local school.
I wrote my dissertation on the Welsh colony in Argentina, it’s an amazing story 🏴
Very interesting, do you think you could send me your dissertation to read at all?
agrega a tu tesis los galeses que combatieron por malvinas galeses argentinos!
God bless Argentina 🏴 🇦🇷
Gracias hermano.
Ven a visitarnos a Gaiman Chubut
gracias hermano. humanos hermanos unios
dios te bendiga a ti
This is what wholesome patriotism looks like. Simon is absolutely in his element here speaking his native tongue, getting in touch with the way the original settlers lived and marveling at how the heritage lives on today 🏴 🇦🇷
Love hearing Welsh! Grew up near wrexham speaking welsh but have since moved around and lost a lot of it, this is motivation to get learning!
I'm from Argentina, and seeing the foreigners who visit our "Colonies" (that's what we call the immigrant settlements), it's surprising how amazed they are by the culture that their ancestors were able to maintain. In Argentina, colonies are very common, Each migratory group was divided into communities. The most important ones where the culture could be maintained and influenced by the gaucho culture were in northern Argentina, province of Misiones, along with the Ukrainian community and the Volga Germans in the province of Chaco, Entre Rios, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. 🇦🇷👏!
also the croatian.
That was amazing - a Welsh tea-room over 7,000 miles from Wales. Amazing town too - all so friendly. It was almost like being in Wales but with wide roads and glorious weather. Even some of the older buildings had a hint to their roots. Would be great to have closer ties with the town and wales.
The weather is only good during the summer and only when it's not windy. The rest of the year it's cloudy and cold.
Hay 10 pueblos mas galeses en argentina...en el pueblo de trevelin hay un molino harinero del primer fundador del pueblo todavia funcionando y administrado por su bisnieto.....saludos desde argentina
This video is MAGICAL. Hearing you speak in Welsh is wonderful! And what an incredible story about that town!
And even better, your inflections are identical in both languages! Even if I don’t understand what you’re saying in Welsh, it’s immediately recognisable as you!
This is so fascinating.
As a descendant of Welshmen in Texas, I really enjoy the Welsh content!
Awesome. I'm a Canadian of Welsh heritage and I now live in Mazatlán Mexico. I'd heard of the Welsh town in Argentina. Fascinating. Thank You
Hola....te comento que hay 10 pueblos galeses en argentina
As an Argentinian living in England this is amazing to see! I've been in Wales for hiking and loved it! Great video Simon
La verdad no deja de sorprenderme la cantidad de cosas que descubren los extranjeros de argentina, incluso cosas que nosotros mismos no sabíamos.
As an Englishman from just across the Severn, I have to say this was fascinating, thanks for sharing your visit to the "other" Wales
As a born Argentinian, that has been raised in Australia, this was a brilliant video.
I plan to travel around Argentina soon and I have heard about the Welsh community since I was also young and this is definitely on my bucket list .. Thank you.
Welsh must be a very ancient celtic language, hope it's preserved because it sounds really pleasing to the ear.
Que bonita tierra la argentina tan diversa y amable con los inmigrantes a quienes se les permitión continuar con su idioma y cultura ,es realmente una tierrra que debería volver a tener buenos dirigentes que la vuelvan a poner en un lugar de bienestar de todos sus ciudadanos.
mad mate as an englishman with welsh in our family who speak welsh knew about this place but firsttime seeing it fantastic and what lovely people just shows the worlds not all bad
Welsh colonizers were so kind that the Peheuenches and Tehuelches taught them how to live from the soil, that they given some of their European chores and converted them to Christianism. The federal government was happy, because they wanted to settle Europeans in the south, partly to stop the Chilenean invasion of Mapuches that pillaged, raped and kill the natives, and partly because the Federal gov of Buenos Aires wanted a full expansion to the south. We are always grateful for those brave Welsh go gave their lives into adventure and made my country's history more rich. We salute them.
My Mum in Law went over to Patagonia to visit the Welsh colony, with a few like minded Cymru people on an organised Cambrian Society trip.
She was in her 70s as were all the other members of the party.
All were Welsh speakers from birth and found it amazing to be able be able to speak with the locals.
I love the internet - this popped up as a suggestion and I had no prior knowledge of this Welsh community in Argentina - absolutely fascinating! Also I loved how welcoming everyone was and the history you were able to discover. Wonderful!
The argentinians in general no matter form where their ancestors came from tend to be extremely warm, hospitable and welcoming towards foreign visitors
This is cool. I never knew there was a Welsh colony in Argentina. I'm an American of Welsh descent and I really enjoyed this, thank you
Uff hay varias en realidad... Pero tengo entendido que predominan en el sur del país.
Yo soy argentina y ni idea tenia de que existiera
Lady Di estuvo,en la colonia Galesa de Gaiman, estuvo en un café y comió la famosa torta negra galesa
@@carlosrosa Gaiman no es una colonia galesa.. lo confuden con colonias o asentamientos de inmigrantes. Es una localidad de las muchas que forman parte del territorio de la colonia. No importa si sos de Gaiman, Trevelin, Tir Pentre, Dolavon, Bryn Gwyn, La colonia Galesa es una sola y se llama “Y Wladfa” o “Y Wladfa Cymreig”. En galés significa la colonia galesa, o el pequeño país de Gales, porque Wladfa es un diminutivo que viene de la palabra Gwlad o Wlad que significa país.
Y = La
Wladfa = Wlad (país) + fa (diminutivo). significa colonia o pequeño país
Cymreig = perteneciente a Gales
Lady Di vino porque la historia y la importancia de la colonia fue y es muy importante para Gales. Al día de hoy, dependemos absolutamente del Gobierno de Gales para que envíen profesores de idioma galés a la escuelas, material educativo, ayuda a las asociaciones, para mantener proyectos como el Urdd gobaith Cymru Patagonia, ellos financian a la colonia a través de Project Hiraeth y ayudan a mantener todo lo que existe incluyendo el fomentar actividades deportivas en los clubs, mantener las capillas y la religión protestante, la unión entre el país y la colonia.
now you had an excuse to come and visit
I’ve been learning Welsh for the last year or two as my father is Welsh and sometimes it’s easy to forget why I’m learning it, but watching this has reinvigorated me with energy for it! Fantastic video!
As a Mexican I don’t know why I am here, but I enjoyed every single second of this video. Thanks.
Ahora entiendes cuando decimos que los argentinos somos un crisol de razas. Saludos
@@piasueldo1101 es verdad si lo son, pero más que un crisol de razas ustedes son un crisol de culturas, en México no se conservan tan bien las tradiciones extranjeras como en Argentina.
@@AbelPeña2067 es por la cantidad de personas que vinieron a poblar estas tierras de cada parte del mundo. Y todos somos argentinos orgullosos de nuestra cultura diversa. Somos mezcla en cada rincón, si sales del circuito turístico, encontrarás distintos pobladores con distintas costumbres en comidas, fiestas patronales con trajes típicos de cada región y bailes. Por tanta cantidad de personas venidas hace más de un siglo se conserva en cada aldea, pueblo y ciudades su esencia de origen y su presencia en lo actual e histórico como argentino. Un coctel que lo tomas y te sabe distintos sabores desde donde lo visites. Si algunas vez viajas a estas tierras, recuerda lo que ves, no lo es todo lo que hay. Bendecidos estamos México y Argentina muy distintos y lejanos, pero con mucha riqueza para explorar como personas curiosas. Recuerda que antes de ser Argentina ya la colonia del Río de la Plata, de 1.500.000 de pobladores ya estabamos mezclados eramos sociedad de indígenas, aborígenes de distintas etnias con lenguaje distintos, criollos, paisamos, gauchos, blancos, negros que se juntaron todos a pelear batallas y pedir y elegir ser libres de España. Ya este 25 de mayo de 1810 se recordará la Revolución de Mayo hacia la libertad e independencia luego y los ciudadanos dejaron de ser colonias para convertirse en argentinos con derechos y responsabilidades, unidos todos. Hoy 47.000.000 de argentinos cada uno con distintos ascendientes pero argentinos todos en esta patria Argentina. Con malos políticos y sin embargo la riqueza del pais sigue en abundancia pese a los ineptos que han gobernado, hoy hay cambios de aires y una nueva esperanza. Al menos hay honestidad y cumplimiento de palabra, trabajo feaciente, aunque muchos lloren y no quieran dejar gobernar, hay apoyo legítimo del pueblo trabajador. Seas bienvenido si paseas por Argentina.
@@AbelPeña2067 la galesa es una de las comunidades más chicas a mí parecer pero mejor conservadas, las demás no se unieron en comunidades, se mezclaron todos y ahora los hijos de inmigrantes somos todos argentinos, no vas a escuchar a nadie decir soy italiano - argentino , y sinceramente nadie estudia el idioma de tus padres, lo único que sí mantenemos son las comidas (la gastronomía) de nuestros padres y abuelos
Argentina es un mix de gente
SIMON GIVING EVERYONE A RUN ! Slow down mate. The Welsh Argentina girl was sweating bullets :P
Always sprinting. Looks hilarious when he's with other ppl trying to keep up 😂
Awesome video! I am so glad that Welsh has survived there in Argentina
Biggest love from Alba (Scotland) 🔵⚪ I love to see our Celt languages getting used on UA-cam, just wish soon we up in Alba follow the footstep of you amazing Welsh is keeping our language alive :)💚❤🤍
Yr Alban in Welsh.
The Scot Alexander Watson Hutton, born in Glasgow in 1853, was the founder of Argentine football in 1893 and is considered a sports hero.
@@yaqui4994 Argentine Professional Football League was the first to be founded outside the British Isles
this has to be one of my fav videos youve done, going all the way down there meeting welsh speakers, stories been told and immortalised in YT now. awesome fair play
Now this is content i love to watch! Im not even welsh but i hope the welsh language can be preserved both there and in Wales. This is culture and we cant let it go extinct.
Crazy to see Argentinians speaking Welsh when people barely speak it in my Welsh town xdd
and moving there hands like italians when they speak welsh
They're not in Italy
@@aldozilli1293 but we use our hands as we speak, just like Italians, Argentina is very influenced by Italian culture
@@aldozilli1293 Well, 51% of the Argentinian ancestry is from Italy. Even more than Creole ancestry, also spanish culture is very similar to italian culture, so italians rapidly became Argentinians and adopted Spanish language (wich also is very similar to Italian).
@@MatiasDypala 60% ++
Simon, you have posted some awesome videos over the years, but that was your best one ever! As a Welshman I was taught about Patagonia at school (like you) but thanks for using your platform and huge world wide audience to let others know a little bit about it too. Visiting Patagonia is definitely on my bucket list. Diolch yn fawr🏴🇦🇷
Many welsh towns in Chubut, like Gaiman , Trevelin, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Dolavon
I got goosebumps when they played the welshsongs that came over on vynyl almost 200 years ago
Not to be a dick about it I'm sure the records are genuinely very old, likely early 20th century but vinyl records were first invented in 1887 and the ship came over 22 years before that so ...
Hi Simon,I was recently in Rio,Brazil and Peru.I must admit that South America is beautiful with many emigrants from Europe and I was shocked how many cultures living there.Argentina is on my bucket list,including Patagonia.Thank you.
Many welsh towns in Chubut, like Gaiman , Trevelin, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Dolavon
That is my best ever of your videos. Welsh speaker from Anglesey. Blown my mind at the locals Welsh. Awesome
As a local from Anglesey who doesn’t speak Welsh. It’s kinda embarrassing
agreed. absolutely his best ever
Algunos lugareños son argentinos/as, descendientes de galeses.
@@lucimaria-x3btodos los que hablaban son nietos y bisnietos de galeses
i dont speak any welsh or spanish but this might be the coolest video i have ever seen. so interesting!
AS WE ARGENTINES SAID "ARGENTINA, YOU WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT" IS PART OF THE MAGIC
se lo decia en gales ..mierda ibas a entender
Welshman goes to Argentina and the first house built by a Welshman in the country brought a roof over from my hometown of Wolverhampton! Love it! Great Video Simon!!
I love this, from an Irishman i cant help but love this type of content. Welsh is such a beautiful language, just like Irish. #welshindy
Wow!!! This is incredible. As a Welshman I found this video so interesting. Makes me want to visit. Great video Simon 👍 Cymru am byth 🏴🇦🇷
you are welcome here any time friend
Many welsh towns in Chubut, like Gaiman , Trevelin, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, and Dolavon
Loved the Video Simon! I had a similar experience in an Argentinian town called Villa General Belgrano, it was formally colonized by Germans so a lot of the locals there spoke German, which is such a bizarre feeling knowing how far away you are from your country, i love Argentina, such a beautiful and diverse country with such kind people everywhere, glad you got to go there yourself a few times now and you seem to have enjoyed it ☺️ hope to see you back there in future :)
Sos aleman?
You should visit Crespo city, in Entre Ríos province.. that entire province has a strong german descent
Beautiful country, it has all the ecosystems, all the cultures, and the most beautiful women. Greetings from Argentina.
My great grandpa was from Wales, grandpa first generation American, and I’m a Spanish student who literally started studying welsh like a week ago. This is a must visit for me!
This is probably your most interesting video, lovely to hear this story and piece of history, especially as an Irish person
Fantastic ! So many friendly and nice people...I loved this video.
Finding a Welsh colony in the Argentine desert is like my Monday motivation quest…ambitious and puzzling.
Can find a German/Nazi colony as well
@dominicsouthan4492 like those Pakistan colonies in Rotherham?
@@dominicsouthan4492Yeah, not as well occulted as the numerous german and japanese criminals that went to the US to work for the government...
@@dominicsouthan4492 Don't exaggerate, there were Nazi characters in Bariloche and in some province in the northeast near Brazil, and some in Buenos Aires, the rest of the country practically did not receive important Nazis. They entered during the governments of a fascist populist such as Juan Perón.
Greetings from Mendoza, Argentina. (translated with Google translator)
@@dominicsouthan4492 yea next to a jewish community as well
To quote Simon J Wilson, what lovely people! Seems like such a friendly little place. Great episode
Small town people are that friendly everywhere...bad guys tend to settle in the big, densely populated cities !
@@rainbowseeker5930 Nonsense, people in big cities in Argentina, specially in Buenos Aires are as friendly and hospitable as those charming patagonian lads and lasses
@@MrLaizard - I didn't mean specifically big Argentine cities...I meant that usually such thing happens all over the world !
As a fellow Welsh man, our proud small nation needs more inspiring people like Simon. He never forgot his background and still promotes Wales overseas using his fab platform. This really makes the Welsh Parliament look usless!!
'Da iawn!' 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Fair play. He's a genuinely good lad.
Probably one of my favourite videos Simon. What a strange chain of events. Epic!
Not sure I've ever seen Simon so happy in a video!!
As an Argentine, from Buenos Aires in my case, I thank you enormously for sharing this video about Gaiman. You have truly managed to showcase the culture of the place in an incredible way. I have visited Gaiman twice, but I was not able to feel the Welsh culture in this way. You have been able to connect with the local people, and from what I read in the comments, also with your followers. Excellent work!
Nothing better than an new video with Simon saying “Morning”
Fair play
💯
“Literally” or lit’rallee
I've seen more Welsh dragons in this one video than I have in the past 37 years living in Wales. And that young lady that showed you around speaks Welsh with such a distinct Gog (Gogledd: Northern) accent you could easily be mistaken believing she came from Bangor. And knowing that Andres has visited my hometown of Aberystwyth with the Gaiman youth choir is just crazy.
It's a small world, indeed, and with today's fast means of communications people travel round the world so much that in the end we come to realize that we all are a big family connected in many ways, even if we speak different local languages and live on different continents, we're family !
i think its your turn to visit them in gaiman
You just love a video that makes you feel that the world is out there, and it's filled with 99.7% of good people
Dude, Simon! Im not remotely colose to being Welsh but this made my heart so happy for you! All that history of your ancestors and even people from your same village. You must have felt a surreal connection with this place and its people. Probably my favorite video of all time!
This video made me proud to be Welsh 🏴
Soy argentino, desconocia de esta ciudad, saludos hermano y viva Naruto Uzumaki!
@@frankschallenguer3410hay 10 pueblos galeses en chubut 《 argentina》
For once UA-cam recommended me an amazing travel vlog : super interesting, entertaining and unique, I don't think I've ever heard welsh language before. Huge respect to these people for keeping their ancestor's language alive👌
This should be made into a mainstream tv station documentary! It’s fascinating!
No no keep this away from the mainstream ..he is doin fine by himself ...thats only my opinion
Love stuff like this! Amazing to meet people speaking Welsh in argentina
My Welsh parents always had a Dragon plaque in the kitchen that was made in a Welsh village in Patagonia
I’m Welsh, and went to Welsh schools. I used to be fluent.. but I left Wales in 2015 to live in Thailand and have hardly spoke a word since. I’ve always heard stories growing up of the Welsh colony in Argentina, but kinda thought it was a myth! Really enjoyed watching this video. And also surprised by how much Welsh I still remember. Diolch Simon!
@YesSir-ms3uk🤡
@YesSir-ms3uk Pointless???? That is certainly coming from someone who doesn't speak the language or understands what it means. Makes a difference when you want to go for certain jobs in Wales, or if you maybe work in sales or run your own business and you can see the difference it makes when people know you speak Welsh. You can be anywhere in the world and bump into a fellow welsh person and it's like you've known each other for years, that's the Welsh for you. The best part though is when we come across people like you and we can just switch between Welsh and English and you have no idea what we are on about. Believe me it's useful!!
But one thing I don't understand is, how can we have a First Minister who is basically the leader of our country, but doesn't actually speak the language of the country he runs?
@YesSir-ms3uk Your life perhaps
@YesSir-ms3uk maybe your existance is pointless dude
The Welsh also settled down in some towns in the foothills of the Andes on the other side of the province of Chubut. The towns of Esquel and Trevelin come to mind, there may be others
The small settlement near Nant-y-Fall
And also in Rio Negro: Tir Pentre or Villa Galense (known as Fray Luis Beltran today!). There are many wonderful Welsh families that settled, being the first settlers and workers. They built a beautiful Anglican-Methodist chapel and the first irrigation channels in Patagonia. There is an important Welsh celebration to commemorate this known as the “Welsh Provincial Irrigation Channels Festival.” The town has a page dedicated to the culture in Spanish, English, and Welsh!
Also Allen (Named after Henry Charles Allen, who was half English and half Welsh, he worked building the railway connection in Rio Negro and Chubut), Darwin (after Charles Darwin, who came to Patagonia and visited the region and the Colony), and Bahia Creek (named after the creek. the North Americans who were of British descent came to the colony, and often their vessels couldn’t get to New Bay in Chubut, so it was easier to disembark further north on the coasts of Rio Negro and Carmen de Patagones. They were also great fishers, explorers, and herbalists.)
Some also settled in Neuquén and named places like “Cerro Dragón” after the Welsh dragon, mentioned in the Welsh Patagonian anthem for its white peak. There are also many tea houses, and they also sell the Welsh Patagonian cake. This is in the town of “Plottier.”
Some families arrived in “Patagones” on board the vessel Rio Negro or Negro River, commanded by Benjamin Summers. This is also mentioned in the book “Los Galeses en el Rio Negro,” written by Emma Nozzi and Silvia Edelstein Itzkow. It is a book from the Museo histórico Regional “Francisco de Viedma.”
Some moved to Santa Fe and Buenos Aires because they preferred to live a peaceful life under the Argentine flag. When the colony started, Patagonia was not part of any country yet. It was harsh, and many people couldn’t afford the weather, the natives, and starting with nothing in the middle of nowhere, a steppe, or desert. The Welsh government just pacted with the Argentine, to give up claimed land in Patagonia for the colony. We didn’t have the protection nor help from the Argentine government nor the British government. We had to build our own government, with our own rules and the “Welsh Colonising and General Trading Company.” Records of people born, married, or deceased in Patagonia were kept in the chapels and the famous “Berwyn’s Welsh Register.” We wanted to keep our language, culture, religion, ethnic origins, traditions entirely Welsh (Brythonic). That’s why the towns are in Welsh, the anthem, the different flags, religion/chapels, schools, the food and traditions are Welsh, the dialect... everywhere you see has a Welsh root. This is and wasn’t possible under the Argentine flag not British flag. When we joined Argentina they even changed the name to Spanish translations: Puerto Madryn, it was Porth Madryn or just Madryn, and New Bay is now Bahia Nueva and so on... and many national news wrongly said “the welsh are fully integrated”. Even in the first Argentine census we were a separated territory “Colonia Galesa”, and we had our own censuses.
Many left because when the vessels arrived in Patagonia, people had to start from scratch without any help. They had to sleep at caves near the cliffs and the sea and walk looking for water/a river, explore, learn how to cultivate the land, and interact or learn from the natives, everything built from dust. The Welsh Americans founded the idea of a colony, the British approved it giving the ships or vessels, and Argentines gave up their claim over the land to the settlers. But the Welsh and Welsh families had to do all the hard work.
The biggest Welsh Patagonian colonies abroad are in Canada, Saskatchewan (more than fifty towns self-identified as Welsh Patagonian: Saltcoats, Llewelyn, Bangor... all the Welsh in Canada are related to the colony!). The Canadian government says: In 1902, Welsh immigrants arrived from Patagonia, which had been incorporated into Argentina in 1881 and 1902. Compulsory military service, national Spanish law, and a series of floods left the colony in decline. The colony requested for help to the Canadian government. New South Wales in Australia also has a significant Welsh Patagonian population. (The Colony in Patagonia was already known as “New Wales.”) This was because when Argentina, the UK, and Chile entered into dispute, the colony had to vote or get into a war. The Welsh stopped Chile and Argentina, and made the British act as mediators for the Colony, holding votes through a plebiscite and signing the treaty’s in 1881 (delimitation of borders) and 1902 (legal division of borders). Everyone’s dream was to be independent. But in the end, people had to choose where some wanted to be under the Argentine flag, while others wanted to be back under the British flag.
It is also noted that people born in Patagonia had to choose a citizenship, and while many requested the Argentine government years later, most of the people born in Patagonia before 1902 were considered children of legal British citizens (Welsh parents) and had the right to claim “Welsh nationality” and thus British citizenship for being born abroad or overseas. So many people in Patagonia today actually keep both, the British and Argentine passport.
Many also had North American citizenship (the British descended from North American citizens, the heritage is huge.) Even the project for the colony started in the USA, and the capital of Chubut is an English surname “Rawson,” son of Raw. An important family of British roots who came from North America to Argentina, founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were in the Argentine government and mediated between Argentina and the colony.
The colony though, was independent enough to arrange between the UK/USA and the ships to the colony and everything related to relations between settlers and resources to found the settlement).
There are thousands of small settlements, most of them are welsh. Actually, we have an English/Welsh term for everything because some were just later translated to Spanish. Chubut has more than 300, including the Ginebra boxes (the story behind the villages is so funny) or places like Rocky trip. There are wonderful stories and secrets, but they’re only kept within the welsh community. People always mention towns from the east valley (Dyffryn camwy) and west valley (Cwm Hyfryd), because they’re the popular ones that are well-known. That’s why those foreign to the colony can only name a few!
This is just a sample of how Argentinians turned out to be the most European of all Latin American countries...In the late 19th century and early 20th masses of immigrants belonging to different European nationalities settled in Argentina . Buenos Aires is considered the Paris of South America, and the overwhelming majority of the Argentinians look like Europeans.
I'm from Esquel and if I'm not mistaken Esquel wasn't settled by the Welsh like Trevelin was, even though you can find a lot of people with Welsh surnames in Esquel: Evans, Jones, Iwan, Williams, Freeman, Hughes, etc.
@@Aelfraed26 Of course it is welsh, it was founded as part of the West Valley (Cwm Hyfryd). Esquel is also Welsh. And It was settled by the Welsh.
Esquel has the Welsh Chapel “Seion”, the “Asociación Galesa de Esquel”, they own the “Canolfan Iaith Gymraeg” and the Welsh Newspaper in the Area. They have the tourist agency “Gales al Sur”. The school “N 20 Esquel” was welsh and it started in a chapel.
Actually, Esquel from “Esgel Kaik” means thistle or shaking in tehuelche, and tehuelche words were often welsh/english based. In welsh that word is pronounced “Ysgydwad”. (In Spanish it may sound like Esgeld uak).
My mother's family comes from Esquel, close to Trevelin, near the Andes. Beautiful place. I grew up listening to stories about people named Evans and Humphreys, and a lateral branch of my family even ended up marrying some second-generation Welsh. Long live Y Wladfa!
I'm from Argentina and I had no idea this was a thing! Lovely to see you had such a great time there, Simon!
Me admiring the crochet teapot thingy😲🤓
this was your best video yet simon, i don't speak welsh but got a little emotional seeing you hit it off with other welsh speakers such a distance away and all the history and people involved. there is something very important about keeping a language alive and i hope it thrives.
I forgot about this place.I am Welsh and I can't stop giggling.It's surreal.Great.🤫😄💗🏴
I really enjoyed this video. I would have never known about this migration of Welsh folks to Argentina had I not see this! 👍🏽
As an English man who visits wales often this almost made me proud for some weird reason. Quality stuff simon 👏🏼 great video as always
As an Argentine I didn’t know about this town, and don’t understand any Welsh, but found it simply fascinating to witness. Nice video!
es poco conocido aca y casi no se habla sobre gaiman, es una lastima cuando lo visite en 95 con mi familia, fue uno de los mejores viajes
Awesome!
I'm a Wrexham lad.
I drove an adventure truck round the world, shipped back to Tilbury from Buenos Aires.
Unfortunately by the time I got to Mendoza, I'd been travelling for four years and wanted to get home.
So, I didn't get to visit Puerto Madrin.
Loved your video!
Its great to meet your Welsh country men living in another counrty. Also very good they kept their Welsh language alive. Kudos.
Most of them are third generation argentines