Going with the flow. . . .

A popular tag I have been seeing around South America.
This one is on a wall of a business in Montevideo

So, where am I? I haven't written since Mendoza, two weeks ago. I don't even think my mom knew where I was until I called her last week to say, "Happy Thanksgiving", when she advised me I was a week early. Horseback riding in the Andes has already become a distant memory, as has the old crumbling architecture of Montevideo and long-stretching miles of beaches of Rio de Janeiro have already replaced the "used-to-be-dream-turned-memory." After three months of transplanting myself in foreign cultures and absorbing enormous amounts of information on my own country and others, I am soaked with a new understanding of travel, the world and I am soaked in foreign culture. I am beginning to have a cultural identity crisis as I battle where I have come from with where the hell I am all the time.

With this crisis is also the excitement of building new understanding of places I only imagined before coming on this trip. Mendoza used to be the dirt in the bottom of my glass of Malbec that I would taste with Brian, my manager and friend from The Vine. Noting chocolate notes, creamy french oak and supple tannins, Mendoza was just a far away new world wine destination for old world wine growing. Now its a new sensation in my mind, joining with the sense of taste a new addition of familiar sights and emotions. When I taste Malbec now, I will feel the heat from the blazing sun over cacti; I will visualize the snow capped Andes behind sprawled out vines; and I will remember the poverty of the Argentine people that surround the million dollar vineyards owned by their rich Europeans neighbors.

Back to Buenos Aires
This has been the theme of the past few weeks: perception transformations. After Mendoza, my friends and I went separate way and I was now traveling on my own. My perceptions have been heightened as I changed environments alone. After Mendoza, my plans to head to southern Argentina fell through as the crunch of time was already closing in. I decided to head to the Brazilian portion of my trip and headed back east. I had to stop in Buenos Aires first to break the trip up a little bit. I stayed with a friend I had met earlier on from the Dominican Republic. His name is Leo, and I am very lucky to have kept in touch with him as allowed me to stay for free at his place for a couple days. Leo is one example of my joy for traveling: meeting good people far away and making a new friendship. I was happy to meet an interesting person and learned a few things about economics and Latin America politics. Buenos Aires was, of course, a completely different place to me now. I had already left and said goodbye, driving down Santa Fe Avenue with my friend Kari Keach, past the big signs and billboards, millions of cafes, racing with a cab through red lights, past the gleaming orange of the setting sun behind the Obelisque, through the thousands of people in the streets, the busy intersections that almost killed me and the hundreds of memories I had made; I was ready to leave. Now I was back, and enjoyed the time there as a foreigner again, not living there, no school, no 30 other American friends scattered around the city. My perception of Buenos Aires was so different as I just roamed the streets and discovered new places I hadn't seen before.

An Unexpected Stay in Montevideo

Las Acuñas, Ismael y su mama

I decided to go through Uruguay and stop in Montevideo for a day after I left Buenos Aires. Before arriving, I didn't know anything about Montevideo, only the name. This was also going to be my first couchsurfing experience. Couchsurfing is unbelievable. I signed up for it a few years ago and have been hesitant to use it until now.

Tango on the Streets

Sebastián Acuña

Once I met the person I was going to be staying with, I knew everything was alright. His name was Sebastián and he has lived in Montevideo all 33 years of his life. He brought me to his huge 83 year old house where he lived with his partner, their child and sister of his partner. The next few days were incredible, as they completely opened up their doors to me and showed me life in Uruguay. My impression of the culture and country was very positive. Seba took time out of his day between work and spending time with his son, Ismael, to show me around the entire city by foot. They cooked me dinner, breakfast and we communicated about our ideas on globalization, music, life philosophy, Barack Obama and our knowledge on each others countries. They only knew Spanish (so Seba told me, but I later found out he knew a good amount of English), so this was a good way to get back into just speaking Spanish. My idea of Uruguay now has changed. It is a very rich culture with very good people, and with so much old architecture drenched in history. Unfortunately it does not have a very strong place in the world economy. Its lack of industry makes it very dependent on neighboring and larger powers and is stunting the growth of the capital city. (Uruguay is already very small, but the future of the country may see its borders eaten away and taken over by larger neighboring powers.) All of this was an experience given by just the kindness of others, for free. Couchsurfing is a revolutionary mode of experiencing foreign places through the people. I can't thank Sebastián and his family enough (couchsurfin.com).

I finally caught a bus to Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil. I found out my friends Ryan and Jessie were traveling from Punta del Este in Uruguay on the same bus. So I surprised them! It was an awesome reunion. From here, we wanted to go to Sao Paulo, but instead somehow stayed on the bus to Campinas, 2 hours outside of Sao Paulo. I did not know this until they were already gone. I was alone, and back to not knowing any Portuguese. I kept trying to use my Spanish, but did not get any response. You just can't win: I learn one language and feel confident in speaking it, then your lost in another country without knowing the language. After a five hour delay, I was leaving Sao Paulo for Rio.

Discovering Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

Sunrise on Praia do Botafogo after an
amazing all night Samba experience

View from atop the Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer Statue)

The masses atop the Corcovado

I've got friends in low places, really low places. Like 4,000 miles below the equator in Rio de Janeiro. A few years ago I worked at World Famous Dog Wash in Ocean Beach. Yep, a dog wash; at the same time while working at a wine bar, weird enough. It was here that I met Gustavo Vaz Mariano from Rio de Janeiro. I only knew him briefly until he suddenly had to return to Rio. Before he left he was looking for a cheap pair of Diesel Jeans, so I took him to a local thrift store in OB, where they sat, near brand new, for $13. They cost about US$500 in Brazil, and about US$100 in the States. He was so happy and told me whenever I wanted to come to Brazil I had a place to stay.

My first night as a Carioca with
my new family for the next 2 weeks

Now, fast-forward to this month. I arrived at Rio's bus station at 9pm last Sunday after 48 hours of traveling. I was dirty, I found some mold in my shoe, and I was starving. I called Gustavo in Porto Alegre and he was all ready for my arrival. He picked me up from the station, and right away we went to dinner with his family at a Brazilian restaurant. It was all you can eat and also all you can drink-including shots of Cashaça, a Brasilian liquor, straight from the barrel. I couldn't believe it: I was in Rio!! His house is located in Botafogo, right in the center. When we were pulling into his house, I looked to the left and saw the Christ the Redeemer statue ("Corcovado") at the end of his street and the bay with the famous panoramic stretch of Rio mountains on the water, including the most famous "Pao do Açucar."

My Brazilian Mae, making home made feijoada

Suco bar on the corner of my street,
Rua Visconde Ouro de Preto, and Praia do Botafogo

The next week was incredible. Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, waterfalls and jungle trails in the city, Samba clubs and drinking Cashaça in the streets. I love this place. On every corner there is a "Suco" bar with fresh juices and smoothies from the most delicious fruits imaginable. My favorite has been maracujá (passion fruit). Brazil grows so much of its own produce that they have their own crazy unique names for fruit, including the famous Açai. The açai here is from a different planet compared to that in California. They serve thick açai sucos that taste like a chocolate fruit. And all the fruit here is grown organically. The idea of soaking produce in chemicals is absurd to Brazilians, one of many reason why they are probably so in shape here. Unfortunately it has been raining a lot in Rio, so the natural beauty has been disguised under clouds and water, but I got a couple of beautiful days in to experience the real reason Rio rocks.

It has been such an interesting trip all together, as I am not in another city, in another country, staying with another completely different family. Gustavo and his family have been amazing. They keep referring to me as the guest, and the guest is not allowed to do any work, must be fed and must enjoy himself in their eyes. I did not expect more than a friend in the city and maybe a place to sleep if they had it. But they keep giving and giving! This trip has been filled with unexpected delays, awful encounters with trouble, and plain bad luck, but I have also been fortunate enough to find such guardian angels to help me like his family. Staying with another family is also making me understand the family structure a lot, and I am beginning to understand my own more and more through these others.

Irmãos Brasileros, Gustavo and Andrea

Rio has an amazing night life. Samba on the streets, packed clubs with almost every beautiful person in Rio (which are ALOT!), guys walking around selling beers in coolers, and the non stop rhythm of the "Carioca" night that lasts until dawn. Last weekend we went to Lapa, a famous district with run down buildings and the famous colonial Lapa Arcs where people step to Samba underneath. This is the club and bar district for only traditional Brazilian music and dance, like Samba, Forro, Chorinho, and there is even a couple of Salsa bars. On Saturday we checked out a Samba show at "Manguera" a famous school of Samba in the North Zone of Rio. It was one of the best experiences I have had yet, with so much energy and smiles. The dance is the most different style I have learned yet, and its hard for a gringo to jump into. When they start moving fast though, its unreal. These schools practice and put on shows all year round, until the biggest show in February: Carnival. Rio is famous for it. All of the school take part in a huge parade that last three days and each put on hours long performances. There are cement stadium-style stands set up throughout the city that only get use during the week of carnival, and just sit there the other 51 weeks of the year. There is so much diversity in this city, with so many colors of people. It seems that mixed and black are the majority here, but when you are dancing Samba, there is no matter what color you are, all Brazilians get together and swing their hips and move their bodies with a rhythm that is woven through their culture.

Brazilians dancing to "Funky" downtown in Centro

Samba band at a bar in Lapa

I ended up staying here a lot longer than expected! I got stuck as I was denied a visa to enter Bolivia (like Brazil, Bolivia also requires only US citizens to have a visa to enter, "a matter of reciprocity" President Evo Morales said as the US makes Bolivian citizen go through the same process that is quite expensive for its citizens). I was mad the US, irritated at Bolivia and pissed off at the globalized world when I found out. So, with little time left, I will have to fly to Lima Peru. This weekend should be awesome in Rio, with my first Brazilian "futebol" game and possibly a capoeira lesson! Até logo amigos, biejos e abraços.

Drinking Brazilian beer Itaipavia on the
streets of Ipanema - its legal here!

Ipanema by day, the waves were between
10-15 feet high these days!

**I am having some difficulties with my camera unfortunately. When I work it out, there will be more photos up on my next blog of Rio. I have a lot of beautiful shots here from "A Cidade Maravilhosa" (The Marvelous City)

Mendoza

Last week I traveled west at the foot of the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina. Mendoza is straight across Argentina from Buenos Aires, on the other side of the country about 1,000 km. (close to 667 miles). As all of my travels down here, it was done by bus since flights are ways out of my budget and there isn't any sort of train system between cities. I found out the good news of Obama at around 5AM on the bus via text message from my friend Nathaly Espinoza. Thanks Nathaly ;) Everyone here that I meet is happy for this. There is actually a surprisingly common racist attitude throughout Argentina towards people of darker skin, so I was surprised to hear so many Obama supporters. Most people only know he is democratic, unlike Bush. And according to almost the whole world, anyone not like Bush=perfect for the U.S.!
Mendoza has been one of the places I have been excited to see for a long time. Since my time at the Vine in Ocean Beach, a small privately owned wine bar and restaurant, I have learned a tremendous amount of information about wine and wine regions of the world. Mendoza, Argentina is one place in particular that has always fascinated me and aroused my interest. Since I knew I was coming to Argentina, it was one place I knew I had to visit! And here I finally was! It is an awesome little city, with beautiful parks, mountain scenery and hot climate. There were a bunch of cool restaurants, cafes, museums and shops. It was a lot more quaint and smaller then Buenos Aires, but still a pretty busy town with a cable-bus system and taxis, and the tourism was very high.
There are so many activities to do in Mendoza! I went with a few friends, and as soon as we checked into our hostel, we found out about bicycling, wine tasting, renting scooters and quads, rafting, paragliding, sky diving, horseback riding. . . So the first day we trekked the town and had lunch at this highly recommended place called "Tablao" that featured mouth watering 'parrilla' style meat sandwhiches. By night we had our first Mendoza wine! The next day we were driven up to the mountains: a drive I will never forget. It was like driving through Arizona, Colorado and Utah, all in about 70 km. There were huge Rocky-like mountains, with rusted-red colored dirt hills, layered colors of rock, along with gigantic snow capped mountains in the background! When I first caught glance of the Andes, I remembering noticing the size. "I've never seen mountains that tall before," was all I could think. Once we arrived to our destination, I stepped out into the heat and caught glance of all that I was surrounded by: silent open space of heat and rock. For 8 hours we soaked up the landscapes vibrant energy with fun activities! For the first time I went rafting through some pretty good rapids, and got soaked from head to toe while paddling hard down a fast moving current. I balanced out the extreme sport with a mellow horse-back ride, spending two hours riding through desert like climate and climbing up and down huge hills- all on a horse! Note: this was like my third time ever horse back riding-and here I am in the blazing heat of the mountains riding a horse up and down pretty steep and rocky valleys! The view was unforgettable and was permanently seared into my brain. I could only hear a sound of silence I thought didn't exist. Only the wind, my horse, the sun and the Andes.

Friday was what I had been waiting for since I got to Argentina. Wine tasting! We hopped on the bus and drove an hour out of the city to the region of Maipú. Maipú is one of three main regions in Mendoza for growing wine, the other two being Lujan and the Uco Valley. Lujan and Maipú are the two more popular and well-known areas that are right outside of the city central. Maipú was not exactly what I expected before hand, but once I arrived I understood why it looked the way it did. It is a very poverty-strickened area, and apparently a very dangerous one too. This was no Napa Valley. . . We were dropped off by the bus at our bike rental company in the towns central, and got our bikes, which was basically a little run down house with huge fancy looking signs. We jumped on and began to ride with a little map of 11 different places to check out, including 7 Bodegas (vineyards) and other cool stops. We rode all the way to last one, about 8 miles away, and got to know the little ran down town of Maipú; with old derelict buildings, houses falling apart, dirt rodes and rusty little bus stops, and all the while the breath taking view of the snow capped Andes. We kept passing bright green vineyards and huge yards with pretty landscapes. I stopped a few times to take pictures, and that's when police officers approached us and told us this town wasn't safe for tourists, especially with huge silver camera hanging from our necks. He advised to stay on the main road and keep riding our bikes for a few more kilometers where the area got safer. Who would think that in the same area where world famous vineyards produce wine was a rural ghetto?

We checked out a vineyard called Carniae. It was beautiful, small and the people were super nice. We got a tour of the vineyards, a property with only 10 hectares, the barn where the wine production takes place, and after we tasted their house wine of Cab and Malbes blend, a malbec rose, a Malbec reserva, then we tasted two of their finest wines: the prestige (a Malbec, Syrah and Cab blend that aged 15 months in French oak barrels) and the Gran Reserva Malbec that was also aged for 15 months in French oak. (Argentina is known for its Malbec, originally from France, it needs desert like climate-a lot of sun and heat by day and very cool temp's at night-like that found in Argentina to mature and thrive. In France its always been used as just a blending grape, especially in Bordeaux wines.) This place was rad: very personal and friendly! One interesting fact learned: roses are planted all over the vineyard as a French tradition (the owners are French). Farmers in France would plant roses in front of each row of vines so if there were any disease or harmful insects making their way towards the vines, the roses would catch whatever first, warning the farmers before something bad hit the grapes. The roses found on their vineyard were just for French traditonal decoration, as Mendoza is pretty much like a desert where roses can't really grow naturally.
The next stop was an olive grove called Paur, just across the street. They grow olives and produce oils, fine olives and also make bread and sun dried tomatoes. We got a little tour of the grove and trees, pressing machines for oil and the other machinery. Then we got to try them. The oil we sampled didn't impress me, but the olives were delicious. I also learned new facts: you have to use a special olive for oil, from different kinds of trees. The different colors of olives tell you what stage of readiness the olive was at when picked (black being completely ripe, purple being semi-ripe and green being the least ripe). You can only make oil from black or purple olives, not green. The darker olive tree on the right is grown for olive oil.

"Tempus Alba" was the next bodega. This was a more modern vineyard with lots of fancy looking tools and a very organized layout for their vines. There wine was okay, and their place was too modern looking for me. They didn't even give a tour, just pointed where the vines were outside (duh) and where the steel vats were. An Italian guy and I compared thoughts about the wine, and we both agreed the other place (Carniae) was better. This wine wasn't that complex, and we only saw steel vats and no barrels. These people were origianally from Italy. I learned a lot of the vineyards here are ran by Europeans. This is kind of sad to me, and maybe explains why the area is so poor as the land began to be exploited by outsiders and left the towns people in dust.

Our last stop (as we were drunk at this point and the raging temperature kept us from going much further) was a little place called "Historia y Sabores." Here, they hand made a ton of different liquors, chocolates and jams (including a Malbec grape jam!). Everything is made by hand, no machines and really good!! The chocolate was delicious, but the fun part was that we each got one free shot of one of their liquors. We sat with a couple of Brits and formed a big group to pass around our shots to try different ones. There was Absynthe, Chocolate liquors, Potato Vodkas, Mandarin creamy liquors, and I tried the Tia Maria, a strong and thick liquor made with mocha and coffee, with tastes of Grand Marnier.

After that we jumped on our bikes and dashed back to catch a cab. Kari had to catch a bus to Santiago, then a plane to Lima, Peru to meet her folks up. It was like a comedy, racing through Mendoza and running back to the hostel, all to catch a flight across South America. She ended up missing it! After saying goodbye to her, it was just Ryan, Jessie and I. We hung out the last day and got our trips in order. I was originally suppossed to catch a bus south to Patagonia, or east to Mar del Plata to see the International Film Festival. Both ended up not happening for various reasons and I wound up taking a bus back to Buenos Aires unexpectedly! It was sad leaving Ryan and Jessie, as I am now traveling alone. I learned alot from them, and they are both great friends. Its so wierd how we all converged the way that we did! I really like traveling with people now, but I am content with the rest of the solo journey ahead!

Now I am getting ready to head to Montevideo, Uruguay then on to Brazil where I will be staying with a friend in Rio! Saude!!

ps: Finally got a decent internet connection, so I added more photos to the last two posts: "Adios Buenos Aires" and "The Build Up to Departure"

Adios Buenos Aires, Hasta Luego. . .

This was my last week in Buenos Aires.

Things I have come to realize:

I want to live here. I really would love a new life here; with the same aesthetic offerings of New York City and other big cities, Buenos Aires is full of posibilities and opportunities. But it still has the most interesting and unique social and poltical isues that keep people aware and active, and also opinionated. There is actually a middle and working class here, hard to find in a lot of Latin American countries where the gap is large between the two. It would be an exciting struggle to stay here, and in the mean time, I would learn and gain a lifetime worth of new experiences.

This city is far more complex and rooted deep in latino culture than the European appearance allows it to admit. But it is still one of a kind for Latin America.

I want more. This trip has only further sealed my choice in becoming an anthropology major. I want to learn more about Latin America, its economics, its culture, infrastructures, superstructures, indigenous rights and life amongst globalizing continents, politics. . . .more, more and more. Yet, now I am ready to see and understand smaller cultures then big mega-cities. I can't wait for Anthropology at Berkeley!!

The United States has got it going on. I am very lucky to be from this place for the opportunities and pleasures it has offers. I am also very unfortunate and ignorant because of being so blocked out from the rest of the world. I am constantly embarassed by my superfluous conception of living. We definitely have a way higher standard of living, and alot of it is unnecessary. But, how can the people know this? Our day to day lifestyle revolve around the superfluoties. Its the responsibility of the public to educate themselves and for the power to inform us and make righteous decisions, something I can only hope (but pesimistically doubt) the future will hold for the United States.

I love my family. I really miss them and as I travel I realize how much I need to spend more time with them. I love meeting new people and being a nomad, but all the relationships I already have I appreciate and miss as well. I am also going to miss Ocean Beach and the Vine when I move. OB is my second home, and the Vine is my second family.

Enjoy the company of others, share happiness and travel with others can be fun. I am so not used to this, so this was a great a lesson for a lone-traveler.

. . . . .

It was so wierd knowing that our program was going to end so quick. In two months I came to know 28 other strangers so well, not to mention all of the other people I have met here. And all of a sudden, it was time to disperse in different directions and say goodbye. It was especially hard with the other people from San Diego. We all came together, experienced culture shock together and struggled through wierd and unforgettable times. So many moments here defined who I want to be and its hard to leave. Yet, after all the school work and all the time spent getting to know a foreign place, I am also ready to continue to explore more of South America.

Last weekend we went to Delta Del Tigre for our last Saturday. Its a little city north of Buenos Aires, and it houses a little river community along the Rio Paraná. We rode a boat along the Rio passing houses built on stilts over the river, for when the river rises during the wet season. Afterwards, we spent the day relaxing at a barbeque that was for us, on a little beach in Tigre, playng volleyball, drinking, swimming and kayaking. I had no idea it would be as rad as it was. I guess a lot of the rich own mansions around this area, but the actual river houses a little town with rustic and tranquil appeal. It was beautiful.

I was pretty much super student the rest of the week, typing three papers, journals, that last blog entry, and taking two spanish tests. Meanwhile, I still managed to go to a new park everyday. Thursday was my last Yoga class at "DeRose Yoga." I have been going for a few weeks and met some pretty amazing people, from Capoeira practicers, and even a guy from Texas that moved here three years ago to study spanish and never left! He was around the same age I am now, knew nothing about Yoga, and whose spanish apparently sucked. Now, he teaches classes in spanish and performs in professional Yoga performances. Because all of the classes were in spanish, I learned a lot, to say the least! They practice Swasthya Yoga, a "yoga antigua" or old style of yoga. If you want to see something unbelievable, youtube Swasthya Yoga. This was also an experience that really influenced me. Meeting John, the guy from Texas, made me realize how much I can really do if I want to.

Friday was our last day, and our last Life and Culture class. We were taught about the military regime of 1976-1983 and the "dirty war" I talked about in my last blog. We actually got to meet and interview a veteran of the Malvinas War between Argentina and England in the 1980s over the Malvinas/Falkland Islands. After, ECELA had a little graduation for us on the roof of the school. All of the professors came and most of them were actually sad to see us go. This is funny, because it seemed like they hated us for a while. It amazing how Americans grow on other people. We were the rowdy group that never studied or spoke spanish (only some of us gave the whole group this repuation). By the end, I guess they realized how much fun we "estadounidenses" can be. ('estadounidence' is spanish for United States citizen, they prefer this over "American" because obviously, all of those who live in North and South America are "americans") .

We spent our last night together getting dressed up for Halloween (most people here know what it is but don't celebrate it, and those who do are probably not from here). We partied with the director and danced with our teachers. Where can you go get a drink with your professors at? Or better, take shots of Peruvian whiskey "pisco" with them on the roof of the school? Only Buenos Aires? Or only not the US? haha hm. . . . I also got to practive my salsa moves with my Peruvian history teacher. Shes hilarious!
Dancing Salsa with Monica King, my Peruvian history professor

Saturday a bunch of friends I met here took me out for my last night. I met a very cool guy named Leo from the Domincan Republic a few weeks ago and he has been a tour guide for me. I will miss him alot-he's been a great friend, and also another person to speak the language with. Sunday was spent at an awesome fair in the historic part of the city, San Telmo. I also checked out La Boca, and got to dance some Tango in the streets. La Boca is so interesting, as it houses a lot of older history of Buenos Aires and also some of the most colorful scenes that are most recognizeable to tourists, including the famous "El Caminito"- second photo down. Ironically, Boca is also the poorest and most dangerous part of Buenos Aires, and it is here that you can notice the difference between the rest of the population of the city. The main distinction is skin color. Why is it that most of Buenos Aires is European is European in appearance with fair skin, while the darker skinned people are oppressed and concentrated into one area.? I started realizing towards the end of my stay the huge racist attitude that underlies Portenian life. . . . . . . At night, Jessie, Ryan and I went to Azucar for our last salsa class. It was sad and the whole staff wished us farewell. I will miss that place the most. Learning Salsa was one of the coolest things I could have done here!

Monday was my last night, and I experienced probably one of the top 5 nights here all together! I went to La Bomba del Tiempo near Belgrano. Its a huge drum concert that happens every Monday! I went with ECELA people, including a new good friend named Rocio. She is the events coodinator at ECELA, and is only 24, so its easy to hang out with and practice spanish with. I also bumoed into a girl from England I met the first week I arrived. Que coincidencia! Afterwards I danced Cumbia Colombiana at a house party with a bunch of Argentines I didn't know, and then got taken home by three cute Portenian girls. . . I love this city.

My host mother was very kind and offered me to stay Monday night for free. I will miss her a lot. We became really close and she taught me alot about Argentine life and the Spanish language. She kissed me on the cheeck good bye and gave me three chocolate candy bars for the road. On Tuesday before we all left, Ryan Robinsons host mother made us all a huge dinner before we got on the bus and gave us little gifts and snacks. These Argentine mothers are so kind! My host mom
Ryan Robinsons host mom

Things I will miss:

My bidet

The meat

Medialunas (croissants)

Kisses on the cheek

Salsa

Crazy cab drivers

Ferias

. . . . . Much more. . . . .

Now its off to the wine country of Mendoza. . . . I will be on the bus over night, so I won't hear about the elections until I arrive in Mendoza. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Obama!