New the end of Argentina trip

The days of the $10 Fillet Mignon are coming to a end. It has been a great trip and great experience to live in another country. Learning how others do things and live is quite an experience. I now understand why so many people what to travel to the US. Though far from perfect it has it's advantages.

Some of the lessons that we learned:
You don't need as much stuff
You don't need a car
Speaking to cab drivers in another language is fun
You can use public transit,
A 100yr old subway train works as good as a new one and more fun
Remember that 2 ton cars aways have the right of way, same goes for 300 lbs scooter
You can get by anywhere
You don't need a 3000 ft house 600 ft is fine
People are just people
You can make friend anywhere if you want to
Washing dishes by hand is just as easy and time saving as a dishwasher and you save electricity
Quite is a luxury in many places
It is great to shop for your food everyday
Getting drinking water from a tap is a luxury
Only take 1/2 of what you want to. you don't need the rest
Slow down the rest of the world is not in a hurry like we are (excluding bus drivers)
You don't need a TV, a huge brain and time drain
Reading is a great option
Bidets are great
plastic bags work as well as glad wrap without the cost
Feeling at home in another country is really great
You can get a lot of work done in a foreign country
Have fun, do it all life is short, just go

Jeff and Marie 08/2009
Buenos Aires

July 11th in Buenos Aires

It's Saturday, July 11^th, and we're in BA. The sun is shining but it's in the 40's, maybe low 50's by afternoon. We headed out about 11am to do some exploring. First coffee and to decide where we want to go. We walk along the Av. Del Libertador Ave, it's 9 lanes of traffic going each way and it's our favorite place to walk because the highway of traffic is so wide you can get sun on the sidewalk. There is also a huge park that runs most of the length of this highway between the two directions of traffic. It is so wide in many cases , and sometimes with buildings in between, that at times you can't see the traffic going in the opposite direction. So we wound up in the Recoleta neighborhood and did some shopping at our favorite mall (didn't buy anything). We had lunch at a the restaurant San Juanito. The servers are a lot of fun here and the food is excellent. We walked from 11am until about 4pm today, with a break for coffee and lunch. Took a nap this afternoon in anticipation of going out for jazz this evening. The event starts at 10pm.

We decide to go out on another night due to how we're feeling ( not so good). We made chili yesterday and it's really ready to eat today, so we had a delicious dinner. Last night we talked with Jan, Jeff, and Michael on Skype, we feel so lucky that we can be so in touch with our family while we are here. Today I sent Chuck, Becky and family an email in hopes that they can get on skype and we will also talk while we are visiting in BA. Our internet speeds are good enough to carry on a good conversation. Hope to talk with the Wheelers tomorrow evening! All is well. Tomorrow's excursion should be to San Telmo where hope to see some street tango. Hasta Luego!

Arrived Buenos Aires

Hello All,

We are back in the big city and we have our new apartment. It is very nice on the 11 floor. We had a bit of mix up with the keys to get in. We had to wait in the lobby for 2 hrs. We almost left to get hotel but it worked out and all is good. We meet our new Spanish teacher and I think she will be good. We have been working a lot so we haven't ventured out much, just coffee and food.

I will will write again when something exciting happens. This is our eighth stay in BA so it is not as exciting as the first few trips.

Jeff

An Evening to Remember

A dinner to remember.

Marie and I were invited to Armando's house for dinner on Saturday night and Leando our other new friend and landlord was also invited and decided to joined us. Armando is our friendly doorman at the new high end Villa Carrera Apartments. Argentines eat late compared to US standards and for that, the rest of the world. But on Saturday Nights they tend to eat even later. Leandro volunteer to drive us in his new red VW Golf. We were invited to arrive around 9:30 so we rang the door bell at Armando's home in Mendoza around 10:00 as expected. Armando's introduced us to his wife Rachel which she quickly told us that she spoke no english, nada. We had been informed of this earlier by Armando who himself spoke only broke english or what he calls, “Sanglish”. Leando's english is pretty good, our Spanish is not so great, but getting better so we were adventuring on a very interesting and somewhat apprehensive evening of conversation. Armando started the parrilla (grill) shortly after we arrived. This consists of starting a fire with small pieces of wood that are purchased at the local store for 4 peso (1.25 USD) a bundle, about 1.5 sq ft and burning it till it has the heat and cooking properties of charcoal that is well lit. They do not use charcoal because they say, which I believe, does not have the flavor of wood. They then push the hot coals under the grill that holds the meat. Who knows how long the meat has been out but it was about 38 deg F outside so you don't have to worry about the meat going bad. Their meats is also very fresh, the markets have real butcher and the meat is fresh everyday.

We talked or communicated for quite a while when Armando knowing that I was of German decent told me that he worked for a German mining company for 14 years before Argentina put the kibosh on open pit mines. He proudly handed me a pre WW2 German book of small hand painted pictures that were on some type of small cards pasted to the pages of the book with a thin onion shin like paper separating the pages. The book also contain an authentic German Nazi solder cap with adorning swastikas which was laying between the pages. I must say that I was a bit surprised when I saw the swastikas without any preamble or warning. He then proceeded to show me two German Metal on which I knew was a Iron-cross and other which I was unable to identify even with the German description. Armando was very proud of his possessions that he received while working for the German company. We told me that they were not for sale at any price.

The time is now around 11:30 and the dinner is still on the grill. Asado cooking is very purposely slow. Armando informed us that he had an old friend from the mining company coming later to join us with his girl friend. Kristina and Randy join us a around 11:50 and the conversation moved a bit faster because Randy and Kristina spoke english. For “economy of effort”, Tamara our pretty Spanish teacher called being lazy, I will move the story forward a bit faster. Randy is a geologist for the mining company that Armando worked for but was working in Chile where they still allow open pit mining for Copper and Gold. At 12:10 they announced that dinner was to be served. I know the time because I had been looking at my watch quite a bit. The dinner consisted of the normal Asado, chicken, sausage, short ribs... It was very good.

Leandro told be that he was ready to leave anytime that we were, I gazed at the clock on the wall and to my amazement it was 3:10 AM. We said our good byes to our new Argentine friends and headed home to our apartment. It was a great experience that I will not forget. You can communicate with anyone if you want to. This is the best part of traveling that you can experience, dive in and enjoy.

Jeff

Another Sunday Morning in Mendoza

Sunday mornings are one of my favorite times no matter where I am and they haven't disappointed me at all here in Mendoza. This Sunday is Father's Day and Jeff and I called Jay, Jeff's dad to see what he was up to. He said, it's been an exciting kitty day with B&J. Yesterday was nap day. Jay and June have been "baby sitting" the kitties since we left for our trip. We thank them!

The sun is out and the weather is supposed to hit the low 50's today so we are headed for the big park at the University of Mendoza. Jeff and I get our exercise and practice our Spanish while we walk. Without a Spanish book with us, we sometimes have to improvise with what we are trying to say. We decided that was probably okay... at least we understand each other. Hmmm.... well, that's one strategy to learn a new language, it working out so far. Our profesora has her work cut out for her.

Last night we ate at a restaurant called Azafran's and had a great dinner. The restaurant is either a working store during the day where they sell cheese's, deli meats and bulk spices or perhaps that is all for show. On their menu they have numerous starter plates which take advantage of their deli products. The atmosphere was very quaint and comfortable, food exceptional and service excellent.

My waistline is unfortunately responding to all of the great food experiences we have had over the last few weeks. Smaller portions and more exercise. Although we walk almost everywhere we go, we still have this problem...Eating seems to be our favorite entertainment.

Missing our high speed internet, but we are thankful to have a computer and any Internet. Our apartment doesn't have cable connected, so we read, watch movies or blog in the evening. I'm out of reading/ books in English and we've watched out last movie, so we bought a movie on-line and downloaded it overnight. It worked! For a stereo, we also use the computer, although streaming music doesn't work, we have a lot of music available on the harddisk. Watching youTube video's also don't work at this speed. The Internet connection issue looks like it will cause us to go back to Buenos Aires (BA) for our last month here. The issue can eventually be resolved, but apparently not quickly... That's okay.

Viento sorta - strange wind

There is a strange wind that hits Mendoza this time of year it is called viento sorta. The temp went up to 84F and the hot wind was blowing hard. The old timers in town are afraid of the wind, so I've heard. Our landlord told us that we should not go out in it. It was nice and warm and we were not going to miss this. Well it is over and now it is raining and snowing in the Andes which we can not see now. We have been trying to get back to the taco stand that we found a week ago and finally made it today. We got the "Full meal Deal" for 59 pesos ($15.86 USD) 1/2 kilo of beef, to home made sauces, an herb quesasilla, beans, Guacamole, totillas, and liter of beer. We have leftovers.

The picture is of us in the Winery resturant
We also went shopping at the market today, half of beefs hanging fresh everywhere. The food is yummy.

I have gained a bit of weight but someone told me it is the Argentina way.

We are off to one of the best resturants in town aZufran (saffron)

adios

Mexico in Argentina

Today by chance we stumbled across a Taqueria a few block from our house. The place is just like a taqueria in Mexico. Most of the food is take out with only 4 seats inside and 4 outside. The food was very good because the lady that runs it is from Mexico. Homemade everything and fresh herbs that were growing in the pots. the address is Paso De Los Andes 1284 y cross street is Avellanado.

Eating through Argentina.

Steak and Calamari portions bigger than your head

It is a bit cooler today in Mendoza, but the sun finally came out. We had a huge steak and fried calamari for lunch. It was a .5 kg steak and platter of calamari. Great, the restaurant is Carmelo's on Villa Neavo st. Yesterday we went on a wine tour for a project we are working on and we drop in to Acheval Ferrer winery and the ask if we wanted to join a tasting. Well I thought to myself this is the best wine in Argentina, hands down, Ha, clairo (of course). We tasted 5 of their best wines. The Altimira their best sells for $135.00 USD down here. We were added to a group of Brasilians but the tasting was in english because the Brasilian told us that they speak spanish but they cannot understand the Argentines. So I do not feel as bad. I don't think that most of the Argentines can understand each other. I meet a woman from Columbia the other evening and she told us she could not understand them either. A lot of the letters in Argentine spanish are spooken so soft that it is hard to hear them. They sort of mumble. Oh we we are still trying and we get by fine.
Today the landlord came by to fix both sinks that were leaking. This is a new high end place. The workmanship, not so good. It is a shame. They just need a little leadership to guide the way to building guality products. GM and Fiat have a plant here and you see a lot of them on the road. We saw to Harley's today. You have to be very rich to own one of them because of the import tax. Shopping is also very interesting here. The shops are open from 8:00 - 2:00 than closed for siesta and they reopen at 5 till whenever. We have bread shops and butchers shop near by. It is fun to go get your food everyday from the different little shops. America has lost that pleaure. We have vegitable stands everywhere and their food is very good. You can buy a single egg in the street. We found so great little take out places also. It seems that not very many people cook around here. The ranges are very small and the kitchens smaller. All apartments and houses have wood grills. You can buy small bags of wood everywhere but there is no charcoal. The local tell us the the Chilians use charcoal and it is not as good. Argentina does not like Chile.

Bienos Notches
Jeff

market

We finally found the market where you can buy all kinds of fresh food. Marie and I decided to have dinner there instead of making it. 12 empanadas (8 to go), three slices (small) of pizza two beers, cost $7.00 USD. It was good. we also got to practice Spanish. ha! We bought fresh cheese and smoked meats prosciutto and marmalade. None of the eggs anywhere are stored in cooler. Eggs don't meet to be refrigerated if they never have been. We waste a lot of energy in the US. The eggs are huge and very good, free range for sure. That was the excitement for the day.

Our new appartment is very nice. We are the first to live in it. It has a doorman and gates the wall between the next apartment has an electric fence. Everything has bars on it with lots of locks. We haven't seen any other signs of trouble. I am guessing it was from the last crash of their money around 2000 (i think).

adios

Jeff

50 things to do before you die from Matadortravel

Marie and I have done many of these. It was fun to list them.

1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica might be a tough one, but once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.

I think I am up to 5.

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.

Not yet

Not the country but went camping for a week on the tandem pulling a bob.

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever.

was on a elephant once

Photo by Ben Ditto

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next.

Doing that now

5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?

Did that and attended the Chicago blues festival

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.

7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.

Lots of sking 70+ days one year not heli yet

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.

Nope, but crossed Viet Nam on reunification train. On of the best things that I have ever done

9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one.

Nope

10. Dive with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.

How about bull sharks in Bahamas Nurse sharks, tiger sharks

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.

Fantasy fest in Key West, Halloween in the Castro, Columbus day regatta Biscayne bay

12. Dance Tango in Argentina.

We have done that, stayed in a tango hotel in Argentina

13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.

Butt surfs on kayaks many times

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment.

We Scuba in Cozumel Mex, Bahamas, FL Keys, Caves in N FL

15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think.

Photo by Creative Corners

16. Volunteer abroad for a month.

not yet,

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?

France on foot, and Rick Steve's Paris

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.

Not yet

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience.

We Hiked across Morrano Glacier in Patagonia

20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.

21. Climb an active volcano.

Just inactive ones

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.

We sold our house and quit our jobs moved on a boat in FL and went sailing

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics?

Did this many times. It is great to hunt for your own food then cook it and eat it

24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?

Nope

25. Travel around the world. Sure, you could do this without ever setting foot outside of planes and airports, but few people ever truly traverse the entire globe. Round the world tickets are great for budget-minded wanderers.

One of our thing that we want to do.

Photo by James Dorsey

26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.

Yep Whales off the coast of CA. all types of animals in the Galapagos.

27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”

Want to do it!

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.

Nope don't want to

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.

We have done that Blood sausage is goooood

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it’s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime.

Trying to learn english

31. Attend a music festival in another country.

Sort of

32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry.

Yep several times. Viet Nam Hanoi to Danag , Argentina Mendoza to Salta, Chile to Argentina bus.

33. Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town to experience a night of classic atmosphere.

Many times

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.

Not Yet

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.

Meet one

36. Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade. It’s one of the biggest festivals, attendance-wise, on the planet.

Nope

Photo by astropixie

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.

Nope

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

Huh?

39. Go to Oktoberfest. The meeting of over 6 million beer afficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.

Our German friend say to skip it, for tourist

40. Stand at the North or South Pole.

I don't know about this one

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.

Done that Boca Juniors

42. Visit the birthplace or gravesite of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important.

Who cares, but been to Neapolitan Bonaparte, Jefferson, Lincoln, Evita's grave

43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?

Call so place paradise any you can kiss it goodbye

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.

How about a fresh roll cigar by a cuban in Key West

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures.

Been to several, Paris, Munich, Naples, London, Milan

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.

not yet

Photo by Nickmunstr

47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.

not yet

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway.

Did part of it

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country.

OK

50. Participate in the world’s biggest water fight during Thailand’s New Year’s festivities (Songkran).

Wine and Baci Ball

Another great day in Mendoza. we started Spanish lessons with a young girl that is about to finish her bachelors in english. She is very good and it has been a lot of fun. we are taking lessons 3 times a week for 1.5 hours a time. Marie an I worked this morning and took off at 2:00 to enjoy the sun. We went to the Winery and had a snack and Torrontes wine. We played a few games of Baci Ball on their court. Marie is on the phone once again to our banks in US. Since the meltdown they have been so unhelpful and a pain in the butt to deal with. Don't they remember who bailed they sorry ass out of the mess they made. I am about sick of it. Let them fail until they remember who is the boss and customers. It has been a great experience to learn what it takes to live in two countries.

Jeff

Zuccardi Winery

It was a beautiful day in Mendoza so we went to lunch at Zuccardi in Mapu. It was a 72 peso ride to the winery. The lunch was very good in a very nice dining room in the Vineyard. Zuccardi make very good and highly rated tempranillo. It also carrries a high price tag. We had a 2004 Q series at $130 peso. It was very good. Big Nose lots of fruit and vanilla Great mid pallett with bright tannins and a long smooth finish.

The lunch was very good but it was the standard Argentina Parrilla that you can get on every corner of Argentina. The did provide their lower label Santa Jullia with the meal but I have found their standard reds to be sub standard. The reserve and the whites are much nicer for the price point. The shocker was the bill $130. peso each. This type of meal is never over $45 peso anywhere in town. So, I have to say it is a tourista ripoff! But, we still had fun.

We moved into a new apartment. It is a very nice building, brand new, very fancy and clean. The best it is very quite. we could not sleep at the old place because of the traffice noise. We got a good deal, at $820 USD. We moved out of our old place and into here. I will send pictures later

On an off note: new place has new doors; got locked in Bathroom, could not get out Marie had to help get door open. The quality of Argentina workmanship is not the best by any means of the word.


Jeff

Working

It was raining today so a good day to get some work done. We meet some nice people and we tortured them with our spanish. we are learning but very very slow. Argentines have their own dialect and they speak fast. The place we are staying is very noisy from the street, it has been hard to sleep. They drive like Italians, Jack rabbit starts and stops, horns, pedistrians have NO right of way. which works very well. There are no errogant pedistrians in Argentina. Everyone know that the vehicle has the right of way.... Most of the vehicles run on CNG or diesel. My spell checker does not work because the browser thinks that I am in Argentina so most words are assumed to be incorrect.

Adios,

Jeff

Mendoza lunch at the Winery

We just had a great lunch at the Winery a great wine shop in Mendoza. One of the best so far. We just meet a couple from Amsterdam they were traveling for 4 months and on there way to Basil. Makes us jealous. We are going to look at a new APT this evening. meeting leandro.vdv@gmail.co

m. We are planing a trip to the Uco Valley.

sun sun sun

I got to work on the deck today. The more I am in Argentina the more it reminds me it Italy. HORNS We went for nice lunch in Villinouva Ave. had Pizza. we found a butcher shop on the same street we got the fixin for Empandas made from leftover. They give you a lot of food for a cheap price.

We have been trying to schedule a wine trip but our guy Marcello has been busy. It is the very off off season but there are still some tourist. A lot of kids heading to Patagonia. Hope the dress warm because it was quite cool in the Summer. We have been practicing our Spanish but know one knows what we are saying. We are still trying anyway. It is cool when you can get something out correctly.

It is almost time for dinner 9:00 PM, which is early here. I lit the stove with a match, us Americano's are so spoiled.

Adios

Jeff

Great wine store in Mendoza

We found a good wine store in Mendoza with good prices and nice worker

lat 32.892948 s
lon 68.852241 w

Jeff
Personal Health record for your iPhone
www.motionphr.com

now that is a steak

I just had a 1/2 kilo steak Fillet Mignon for 10 bucks. It was on of the best steaks I have eaten. Great. It was a great day in Mendoza 80 degrees we walked to the central park very nice. We were going to go out on this small island in the middle of the park but as we approached a police car they go out the the care on one had a shotgun and went over to the island. We decided that we did not need to go there. There were about 5 guys drinking on the end of the island and the police went to have a talk with them, With shotguns. They do not mess around down here.

Marie made a lentil soup for lunch with left overs it was very good. Here plan was to keep us un a $20/day budget, I don't think so.

adios

eat at home ran out of pasos

Marie and I had lunch at a Parrilla (pronounced pa-rees-shaa) it a grill this afternoon had leftover in a stew this evening after a trip to the local tienda(store) we have a huge grocery two blocks away.

I love the keys to the doors down here, skeleton keys like the one's we had in the 50's and 60's. It is always strange to be in a foreign country and notice all of the things we take for granted like a dishwasher, dryer... It give me better perspective. It is a bit of a bummer that everyone can tell by looking at us that we are Americans, even when we dress down.

I meet a young guy from England or New Zealand he was off to Salta. I gave him a few tips for the area. We were there last year. I am thinking about a trip to San Juan Argentina. It's not very far away.

We started to watch Little Miss Sunshine on DVD but it was all dubbed in Spanish with no subtitles and my spanish is not that good. Maybe we can watch it near the end of the trip.

I missed out on meeting with my doctor friends in BA because I gave them to short of notice. They tried to set it up but we decided to catch them when we returned in Aug.

Good Night
Jeff

Mendoza and map

Here is a link to our apt in Mendoza.

http://tinyurl.com/qqbxkl

great location in the main part of town. picture to come. We have views of the Andes

Last day in BA

We had a great day in BA yesterday. Went to our favorite local restaurant for Locro a local stew. walked around town to get some exercise sun is out temp is mild. Ate dinner about 9:00 which is very early for Friday night. went to favorite place for Italian food, Mancini's. We had a Santa Julio Reserva Malbec 07, It was very good. I was talking to the wine guy at Disco super mercado and he recommeded it to me. A good cheap wine, second label for Zucarti. Nothing special happen because we are very familia with BA . My browser thinks I am spanish so it is all in spanish including the spell checker which say everything is mispelled. So if you see mispelling, well it happens. On to Mendoza today at 3:00 argentina time.

buenos aires newspaper show their Pres. Christina K. with Chavez and states they are becoming closer. HUH

Internet is working

Found a unlocked connection. Back to the real world. We ate at one of favorite hole in the wall places in BA for lunch and dinner yesterday. Sun is out an a beautiful fall day. Catching up on work and trying to coordinate dinner with Doctors in BA on short notice. Looks like it may happen.

adios

argentina we are here

we just landed in BA Continental lost Maries bag. hope to get it tomorrow. we have insurance from Amex if not. It is a bonito day in BA. it is fall it is time for lunch so I will catch up later.
staying in Park Chateau hotel. they charge 15US for wireless connection. not good. using free computer.

adios

Austin sailboat shop

My Brother-in-law owns the Sailboat Shop in Austin. They sell Hobies and Catalina sailboats. Marie and I helped him at the shop today.

austin, TX

We have been in TX for the last few days. A bit scary in Bush country. Hot, real hot, but it feels good. Heading to downtown today to check it out

ok rain keeps coming down

We are still in OKC watching it rain.

Sante Fe to OKC Drive

Great day for driving, overcast and no rain.   Kitties were a little anxious at first, Jerry hunkered down for the long haul and Benne decided to be a good traveler and was interested in seeing everything.

We stopped at the Big Texas Steak house for a burger and to give everyone a break.

Finally arrived in OKC about 7pm central time.

Santa Fe, NM

The drive was great and beautiful, going over the continental divide. Ben and Jerry prefer the super slab over back roads. The object to curves.

We checked out downtown Santa Fe, way cool and not to many people this time of year. On to OKC in the morning

4/25/09 It started out a great day. Clear skies, a light breeze and about 60 degrees. With our early start in Cortez, we were in Durango by 9am and found our expresso fix in the historical downtown. The little cafe dualed as a kitchen store with all the coolest new inventions. We moved on to the million dollar highway and explored the high mountain passes which at this point before Silverton were mostly clear of snow and were showing their beautiful red, tans, yellows and green colors. The spontaneous waterfalls were everywhere. After a short break at the information depot in Silverton we were on to Orvis Hotsprings Spa. The trip had spectacular views, waterfalls, very curvy and steep roads, finally snow in the upper elevations. Once we reached Orvis, we took another break. This place holds lots of memories from our last visit about 15 years ago with friends, where we had camped in the small campground right at the hotspring. After our spa, we moved on again. We lunched in Telluride, which was completely changed from the last time we were there. We had a great lunch of tacos at the local bakery in the middle of town, it was the about the only place open for business at this time of year. This was a beautiful day and a great 1 day loop.

Cortez CO

We took a great drive to Durango, CO, Silverton and Telluride. It snow on us at about 8K ft. The drive took us to 10K. We also stopped at the Orvis Hotsprings for a soak. Great place. Back in Cortez trying to get a little work done

Moab

We entered my favorite place in the world (so far). What 360 beauty. We hike Arches National Park, took lot of pictures. We had our dinner on the bank of the CO river at sunset. We just got a call from some old friends of our Michelle and Uwe and they are also in Moab so we are meeting them for coffee in a few minutes. We are leaving Moab to day and headed for Cortex, CO.
More soon.

day 1

We are in Jerome ID. Swinging place Ha! The cats were not very happy about the trip. But all in all not a bad trip

Jeff and Marie's Big adventure

Welcome,

To whoever cares, Marie and Jeff are about to embark on a trip that they have been planning and dreaming about for many years. To live for an extended time in a foreign country. 3 months in Argentina. This blogs will cover our story and adventure.

Here we go.