Iguazu Falls

We can´t thank Nicole enough for bringing with her to South America her Gold Status at Sheraton Hotels. Willi and I have really made it to the big time now. We are staying on the top floor of the hotel, the only one within 20km of the Falls, looking straight out over the Falls. Monkeys and toucans play right outside our window. Giant ants compete for space on the sidewalks. But all pale in comparison to the roaring noise of the Falls. Even though water is at 30 year lows and half of the falls are dried up, the water thunders in the background. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the lap of luxury and cross into Brazil. Ciao!

Willi´s Birthday!

After a tango show, and our last steak dinner in Buenos Aires, the hostel rallied to celebrate the big night in typical Argentine fashion.

Nicole Converts to The Church of Maradona

Nicole has arrived. I think she has shopped herself to death, and eaten all the steak she can handle. Next stop had to be the National Church of Buenos Aires... the Boca Juniors soccer stadium. It is a shrine to all things Maradona. All in all, the neighborhood of la Boca is a bit too touristy, but a fun afternoon nonetheless. We will watch some more tango tonight over dinner before celebrating Willi´s birthday. Tomorrow we fly to Iguazu Falls and hope that Miami survives Ernesto. Love to all.

C´est la vie.

Well sadly I am writing today to pass on probably the most disheartening news of the trip. Last night while dining with some new friends from the hostel, my shoulder bag was taken off of my chair and is forever lost to the streets of Buenos Aires. You can expect something like this to happen anywhere and hindsight is always 20/20. I broke several of my own rules. Usually i watch even the shadows that pass and trail behind us on the sidewalks. I never take my bag off my shoulder unless i am against the wall. My camera stays in my pocket. Alas great food, energetic conversation and a seemingly safe restaurant atmosphere provided a bit too much comfort. Speculations abound, but in the end it does not matter because there is little that can be done now. The good news, there was only one thing of any value in the bag. Unfortunately, if there was one single thing that I would wish to survive the trip it would be this item. My camera. Almost half of our photos were on there, thus If a picture is worth a thousand words, at least one version of the novel has failed to make the printing press. Like an emormous full moon over the Tetons the images will be only as lasting as one´s memories and sensations. Luckily, we both were taking pictures, so the story is preserved. If the karma police care to mind, I laugh that all that was in the bag otherwise was a book on the history of salt that I had finished, a spanish english dictionary, and a thin windbreaker. Perhaps our thief will learn the amazing history of salt while translating the words to spanish. When the crisp winds blow up the street, perhaps he will find warmth under the shelter of my great thrift store find. As with any somber mood, a new day begins and i suppose we have one less thing to worry about. Thus until the sun shines a little brighter.............

Awwwwwwwwwww Buenos Aires

Well, the adventures in nature may have come to a hault but we have settled nicely into one of the world´s greatest cities. Just as our own optimism has come into fruition, the warmth of a hinting spring has dropped down onto the southern hemisphere for a delightfully comfortable change. We have an amazing hostel, filled with great people, great energy and wonderful views. We sit on the widest street in the world three blocks south of the obelisk, which can be seen from our roof top. People watching, wandering the streets and parks, and just relaxing have been our main activities. The nights are long, the days have been absolutely amazing. Buenos Aires, like any great city, has plenty to see and do. There is shopping, amazing bakeries filled with delicious sugar covered breads, chocolate cakes, empanadas, fruit tarts, empanadas haha. Museums, theaters, parks. Yesterday we snuck to the top a hotel in recoletta to catch a rarely seen view of the city (the photo). For twenty pesos we stuffed our faces with huge steaks and wine like gluttonous gordos for dinner. Good company, good times, and a good way to prepare for a long night of dancing. Today is a new day and the city is sooooo big, i am sure we can find something to do. Frida Kahlo exhibit sounds pretty good. Our only piece of sad news is that the smog has successfully blocked our view of the sky. But since Pluto is no longer a planet, I suppose there is less to look at anyway. Thus until our next journey of opulency.

Greetings from .................Uruguay?

Well, the lap of luxury continues. We spent several days in Cordabá, Argentina. The people were so sweet, from the hostel owners to the taxi drivers, the city is a very comfortable place to be. Still, it lacks a certain pizzazz so we decided to ship out. Before taking off on yet another long overnight bus we visited the small pueblo of Alta Gracia, childhood home of Ernesto ¨che¨ Guavera, the famous t-shirt maker. The small museum which was once the home of his family was a very nice reminder of the humanity that exists in everyone. So often our icons are left to be symbols some distant ideology or posed as emminent threats to life as we know it. The museum showed ernestito as a young asthmatic boy, bold, but quietly on the outside. The town is basically a wealthy suburb of Cordabá, which helps build the contrast that the museum is trying to present. We travelled then back to Cordabá and then to Buenos Aires by bus and to Colonia by ferry. Beautiful morning sunrise came up over the River Platte as we left the bustle of Buenos Aires in the still of the morning under brillant blue sky to the this quaint village. Very prestine and relaxed. There is little going on. The city fair is but a few stands with vendors more interested in another cup of maté than selling you silly trinkets. Still everyone is incredibly nice, wishing you the very best just for buying a sandwich. Alas, we both are yearning for some more adventure, but for now we will ride bikes and enjoy the crystal blue sky and fabulous manner of the Uruguayan people. Until next time. Ciao. Pasan bien.

Living the Hard Life

After our adventurous journey through the Andes it is time to take a break. Salta now Cordabá, we are basking in a strange calm that almost seems anti-climatic. We are actually yearning for some more drama, some more stress. In the mountains our days were spent battling the forces of nature, the chaos of andean infrastructure. We woke early and went to bed early. Modern conveniences have simplified things. We can enjoy a hot shower, a futból game on the tv, maybe even hail a cab to take us to dinner. We are a bit baffled by the concept of free time. Hmmm. what to do, what to do....................................

Futból Noche

The stadium is packed with standing room only. Riot police in full gear form a human wall, in addition to iron fences and one section of seats, separting the home fans from the visitors. Children climb high onto the top of the iron fences for a better view. Red Flairs, blue flags, and M-80 fireworks fly in the stands of the home team, Club de Atletico Belgrona de Cordoba. Cordoba scores twice in the first ten minutes against one of the best teams in Argentina, San Lorenzo de Buenos Aires. The fans are going crazy. They must know five different songs, and they sing them each over and over rejoicing in the embarrasment of San Lorenzo. But fortunes change quickly and San Lorenzo ties the game at two. The ref must be local, because all of the fans seem to know him by name, Sr. Puta Madre. Actually, Puta must be a common first name, because they seem to call everyone on San Lorenzo by that. Whistles rain down everytime the fans disapprove. We tie 2-2, but the fans accept this result and we dance and sing in the shoulder to shoulder crowd. As we leave, the scoreboard reads, "Cordoba, el corazon del mi pais!"

Sunset on the Andes

We´ve just returned from the market here in Salta in Northwestern Argetina. We stuffed ourselves with chicken, vegetable, and beef empanadas, hotdogs encased in pancake batter, regular hotdogs, and tamales. Oh yeah, and it cost us around $2. The vibe here is completely different from that of Peru/Bolivia/Chile. It feels very much like Western Europe, alah Italy or France. We enjoyed a ride up the town mountain in a gondola, of course, my eyes were closed most of the time. The Andes hang in the background of the city literally dividing us from the first half of our trip. Coming through them last night was a fun way to transition into the lowland weeks to come. After waiting three hours at Chilean customs for seemingly no reason we descended nearly 3000m in only a couple of hours. It was a series of nonstop switchbacks winding our way down the eastern slope of the Andes. Our ears popped over and over and we began to catch our breath for the first time in two weeks. We plan on heading to Cordoba tomorrow and possibly into Uruguay for a few days afterwards. We miss and love you all... I can´t wait for Nicole to arrive (Love you!!!).