That's A Wrap

I know I left you hanging the other day. We were destined to scramble about the city of Rio de Janeiro all on our own. A scary thought, I know.

As it turned out, we survived, even thrived. After a more than leisurely breakfast we hopped in a cab and headed to the Botanical Garden.  Founded in 1808 it is lush, green and has some of the tallest palm trees I’ve ever seen. It also was very hot and very humid. We strolled around about an hour and decided that something air conditioned was in order.

Another cab was just the ticket but the Lady who reigns over metro Atlanta and the Lady who is in charge of Los Angeles both decreed that they would only ride in a cab with certified cold air blowing from the vents. Lucky for the guy waiting for his next fare, his cab passed the cool test and we were on our way. Bert, our Formula 1 guy, rated our cab drivers skills as top notch and only winced once as we careened our way through the streets of Rio. He declared that if any cab driver deserved a tip, this guy did. The rest of us were just plain terrified.

Next stop: the Museum of Tomorrow, an iconic structure that wants to be the next Sydney Opera House, but in this city it will always be competing with Christ the Redeemer for such honors. The museum was designed by Catalan architect Santiago Calatrava who is said to have been inspired by bromeliads in the very botanical gardens we had just visited.  I think the description penned by Jonathan Watts of the Guardian about the time it opened sums it up nicely, “Rio de Janeiro’s new museum, focusing on ideas rather than objects, ecology more than technology, is a little trippy, a little hippy, very worthy but rarely dull.“

This clever writer managed to lose his dark glasses during the visit but they were rescued and returned by a team of intrepid members of our tour group. I think I’ve found the answer to my penchant for losing things, a team of 32 around me at all times. The Lady who has to help me find these missing items would be delighted.

One small problem looms, though. We encountered what I can only describe as “baby death turtles” in the area surrounding the entrance to the museum. How they grow and travel as far away as Santiago is a mystery to be solved another day. Just watch where you are walking.

Returning to the hotel, we had just enough time to enjoy a bowl of ice cream and watching the people across the street on Copacabana Beach. Then it was time to head to the airport.

The kind people of Rio created a sendoff appropriate for the 21^st Century, at least the way most of us live it. They all piled into their cars, busses, motorbikes, police cars and ambulances to escort us to the airport. The normally 30 to 45-minute trip took a resounding two hours. What a sendoff.

We returned to Atlanta to find it cold and pollen-ey. What happened to warm and inviting Spring? I want to go back to Rio.

One travel note: if you travel out of the country, even once a year, consider signing up for Global Entry. No long lines at customs and immigration. Just a minute at a kiosk and a brisk walk out. You also qualify for domestic Pre-check, which is a bonus.

Thanks again for coming along with us. I’m pleased to tell you that the Lady who plans these things has signed us up for a trip to Japan in March 2017. So, be patient and I will return.

The Last Day and Rio’s Bad Rap

The Lady who sleeps next to me likes to comment sometimes as our tours proceed, “Well you know, this time next week we will be home,” and such as that. I personally avoid thinking about the approaching end because it’s about that time that I am really into to the trip. I’ve learned everyone’s name and how to count seats and find my place on the bus. I finally remember to ask for milk in my coffee since it mostly hides the fact that, if black, it looks like used motor oil.

So, there are many reasons to avoid thinking about the last day, but it eventually shows up. As last days go, this one was a lot of fun. But, more about that later.

First, I would like to deal with the bad rap I think Rio de Janeiro has gotten. I will admit to buying a little bit into the unsafe, crowded, dirty reputation the city seems to have, at least in the U.S., but based on my experience on this trip, that reputation is underserved. The city is beautiful and has an energetic vibe. People are out and about everywhere and the area around Copacabana Beach where we are staying is delightful. Our local tours took us all over the city and the people we encountered were friendly and helpful. Now, I'm sure, like every city in the world, there are places tourists should not venture. But, if you exercise a little common sense, Rio is a wonderful place that you should visit if you have that opportunity.

One cautionary note: this city has some significant challenges in order to be ready to host the Olympics. Our local tour guide commented that most citizens are crossing their fingers that all of the infrastructure projects get completed because if the Olympic deadline passes, the work may never get done.

Our first activity today was a boat ride around the bay with some photo-worthy postcard views of the city and Sugarloaf Mountain. We departed and returned from the venue to be used for Olympic Sailing events. The main venue building seemed almost complete. However the streetcar line serving the area has a ways to go. Also, two subway lines are under construction and what we saw looked incomplete to say the least.

We had lunch in the center city at a genuine Brazilian Steak House. I guess every steak house here is Brazilian but you get the idea. They served every part of the steer except the “Moo” and all the bits were quite tasty. In addition, there were side dishes of French fries, onion rings, fried plantains as well as seafood and chicken options. Dessert was ice cream over a bed of mixed fruit. We do not go hungry.

Returning to the hotel after lunch we had a bit of free time. The Lady, who you should remember does not like to get wet, wanted to at least stick her toes in the sand of Copacabana Beach and so we did. Unfortunately, the Copacabana surf did not fully cooperate and wet the Lady’s feet. She accepted this baptism by feet with grace but moved quickly to dry herself off.

In the late afternoon, we commenced what the Lady likes to call the “Closing Ceremonies.” We traveled to the base of Sugarloaf Mountain and took a succession of cable cars to the top were we looked down on the city we had earlier crisscrossed. We returned to a lower peak and had a cocktail reception complete with a small musical ensemble and samba dancers. The views from there at night are spectacular.

We then joined a host of Rio residents trying to get home in rush hour traffic seen below and made our way once again across town to a lovely restaurant for the traditional farewell dinner.

The photo above was taken outside our hotel with friends Betsy and Bert. Now our attention is focused on getting home. Fortunately, Delta’s schedule gives us the whole day tomorrow on our own since our flight does not depart until 10pm. You know what that means, loyal readers, . . . you will get a bonus installment of the blog recounting our adventures as we explore the city unsupervised,  except by our travel buddies, Betsy and Bert. There is no telling what kind of trouble we might find.

Tune in on Friday to hear all about it.

A day of inspiration, fun and surprises

Today’s schedule was full. Up and out of the hotel at 7:30am, we would not return until after 4pm.

Our first activity was to visit the world famous Christ The Redeemer statue on Mount Corcovado that is the iconic symbol of Rio. This required a 20-minute cog railway ride up the mountain and then climbing 252 steps to get to the base of the statue. I wasn’t sure if my gasping for breath was the result of the 252 steps or the breathtaking views of both the statue and the surrounding city.

Completed in 1931 and constructed of soapstone, the width of the arms is almost as much as the height. We were one of the first groups to ascend the mountain, which meant that it was less crowded than usual.  There was plenty of time to look around and enjoy being in a place that you had seen in books, magazines and on TV and realize that you were really there. Clouds floated around and above the statue adding a dramatic effect to the scene.

After this mountaintop experience, we were able to visit another remarkable Christian landmark in Rio, The Cathedral of San Sebastian. This pyramid shaped church was designed to comment critically on the tradition of pouring riches into churches rather than supporting poor parishioners. Its stark beauty is a testament to the power of simple design and construction that can inspire and nurture the soul without taking vast sums of money from those who can least afford it. The soaring vault contains three beautiful stained glass windows that decorate the inside of the structure.

 

After a fun lunch in downtown we headed for the Carnivale district for a visit to the warehouse of one of the city’s many Samba Schools. Samba Schools are the rough equivalent of Mardi Gras krewes in the U.S. and are called ‘Schools’ for tax purposes. The one we visited also supports community outreach programs for children who live in many of Rio’s slums.

We were given the full Carnivale (pronounced Car – ne – vaal) treatment. That included a taped presentation on the history of Carnivale, a tour of the work areas where right now they are in the tear-down phase in preparation for next year’s events. Then the real fun began. We were all offered the opportunity to dress in a Carnivale costume and parade around for photo opportunities. Once again, the Lady who occasionally makes my oatmeal strode out looking like the model for Carnivale success. A second career maybe?

Winding up our Carnivale experience was a blood pumping Carnivale dancing session. I believe I have enough blackmail video of my tour mates to finance our next trip. This was “Dancing Without the Stars.” We gained new respect for people who participate in the Carnivale contests when we found out that they have to wear these heavy costumes and dance for 82 minutes.

It was really a fun afternoon.

We returned to the hotel for a free evening. Betsy, Bert, Denise and I strolled along Copacabana Beach and found a lovely shore-side restaurant where I practiced my total lack of knowledge of Portuguese. Once again, smiling, pointing and waving ones arms resulted in a scrumptious dinner. I just don’t understand all these people who won’t travel because they don’t speak a foreign language. it's just so easy.

And then there were more

We said farewell to Argentina this morning and after a short drive were in Brazil. We arrived there to view the Iguazu Falls from a different country. About 80% of the Falls are in Argentina with 20% in Brazil.

My initial thought was, “well, we’ve seen 80%, what to see of just 20% more?” Color me very mistaken. As you can see from the pictures below, it’s all about perspective, my friends.

From the Brazil side you can see all of the Argentine falls, top to bottom and it was spectacular. Also at the end of the walk you can stand within about 30 feet of these raging waters.

Visiting the Brazil side of the falls was well worth it.

We soon headed to the airport for our 1 hour and 15 minute flight to Rio de Janeiro, which we learned on our trip into town from the Rio Airport means River of January. The discoverers thought that what is really a bay or estuary was a river.

It was dark when we arrived so there was not much to see except Monday afternoon drive time traffic. I’ve come to the conclusion that we members of the human race share a mutual bond: more often than not, we are all stuck in traffic. That should give us a good starting point in all of our international relations.

Tomorrow is a full tour day in Rio. Check this space for details.

Let me tell you, It is HOT here

Someone grab the Thesaurus. I’m going to have trouble finding enough special words to describe today’s activities at Igauzu Falls.

First let me tell you it was hot here today and that was at 7:45 am. Not just hot, I’m talking Hell’s Annex hot. And humid. The humidity must be 283%. I had sweat drops with their own sweat drops. My clothes were a sticky mess. I considered trying to be nekid but decided against it because of the international incident it would have caused.

But even with that level of discomfort, the views of the Falls are almost indescribable, but I will try. The Falls, which here are called cataracts, stretch to the horizon. They are scattered along almost two miles and the amount of water cascading over them is millions of gallons per minute.

The presentation and experience in the park is an engineering masterpiece. You reach the observation points over a series of metal grated bridges, crossing sections of the river that eventually plunge over 240 feet to create the Falls. The first walk, called the upper walk, was about one mile. This walk provided four or five observation decks where you could see eight or ten falls stretching out in the distance.

We then took a train ride to reach an entrance to walkways for an area of the falls called the Devils Throat. It was ¾ mile out to these falls where it was definitely “get wet” time. The Falls create giant sprays which douse you when the wind changes. Although I had a plastic bag for my camera, I had to do strategic retreats from the edge when the spray would head my way. And, of course, the Lady who prefers not to get wet, didn’t, but managed to see all the activity. How she manages that is a mystery to us all.

Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to mention that along most of the walkways were veritable clouds of butterflies. Brown, gold, green and multi-colored gems that would land on your clothes, hands and arms. It was a riotous display of colorful nature.

This foray to the falls lasted until lunchtime and we walked back to the hotel. We were offered at least one additional walk as well as various boat rides after lunch. Not wishing to be subjected to wilting mid-day high temperatures and humidity, we declined these walks but, instead, signed up for a jeep ride through the jungle in the late afternoon.

While we did spot one Toucan and footprints of some jungle cats, the animals were keeping a very low profile. We got out of the jeep and walked into the jungle to see a number of plants including orchids growing in the forked branches of several trees.

We returned to the hotel in time for a reviving shower before retreating to the dining room for much needed sustenance.

Tomorrow we cross into Brazil and after seeing more of the Falls from that side, we head to Rio.

Almost Out of Argentina

I’m writing this evening near the border of Argentina and Brazil. Before we leave Argentina I want share some comments about this interesting country. Fun fact: the name of the country is derived from the Latin word for silver – Argentum.

Argentina shares a lot of similarities with the United States. First and foremost it is a country of immigrants. The Spanish discovered Argentina but their only interest was in using it was to get to the silver in Paraguay. They also deposited a language here that seems to have taken hold.

There are very few indigenous people. The country was actually settled by loads of immigrants from Europe including large communities of British, French, Italian and German. For that reason when you walk around the cities, the people look a lot like those in the U.S. and have names like O’Hanrahan, Kruger, Bianchi and Jones (although they pronounce is ‘ho-ness’.)

Buenos Aires is a big city that has copied elements from all the major European and American cities. We had a chance this morning to ride around and, even though it was raining, you could see that it is a beautiful city with many wide, tree-lined avenues and lovely parks.

We also learned that Buenos Aires is a city of dogs. We saw a number of dog walkers about and at least one was leading 15 dogs. We were told that owners pay about $50 per month per dog and the walkers spend about four hours a day with the dogs.

We flew out this afternoon headed to Iguazu Falls some 800 miles north and a little east of Buenos Aires. The Falls straddle the border between Argentina and Brazil. Tomorrow we will tour the Falls from the Argentine side and then the following day we will see them from the Brazil side. When we landed it was dark so even though we know we are in a tropical rain forest, we couldn’t see a thing as we drove to our hotel. However, when we walked out of the airport to get on the bus, it felt just like Atlanta, very hot and very humid. All of our non-Southern friends were gasping for breath but the Lady and I just rolled on.

We are staying at a Sheraton Hotel in the National Park and, while it’s not quite up to the standards of the Alvear Palace that we just left, it is within a short walking distance to the Falls. The next nearest hotel is some 18 miles away outside the park.

There’s a good chance we will get wet from the spray of the Falls tomorrow so bring along your umbrella and rain jacket.

Of Opera Houses, Cemeteries, Leather Factories and High Tea

This is Day 2 in Buenos Aires which we have found to be a safe, walkable city.

We started the day with a tour of the Teatro Colon, the main opera house in Buenos Aires. A spectacular building in the European tradition it was renovated just a few years ago for a cost of $100 million U.S. And it certainly looks it.

We returned to the hotel and then walked about two blocks to the Recoleta Cemetery, a famous landmark in the city. Established in 1822 it contains over 6,400 statues, sarcophagi, coffins and crypts.

The most famous and a major tourist draw is the resting place of Eva Peron. One note: the Lady who carefully peruses my blog and corrects me when she feels it is necessary had complained that I incorrectly identified the famous Peron as Eva instead of Evita. I calmly explained that while the world mostly knows her as Evita, that name is a diminutive of her real given name, Eva. Interestingly, Eva is resting in a rather simple crypt owned by her father’s family in Recoleta. We learned today that knowing that she was dying, she designed a burial monument in the shape of a peasant worker intended to be larger than the Statue of Liberty with her glass topped coffin on display to the public at the base of the monument. Before these plans could be realized, her husband was deposed and her body began a twenty-year odyssey finally returning to Buenos Aires and the family crypt. If you are interested, there is a detailed history of her post death travels Here.

Next up was a trip to the leather factory where the Lady who would make sack cloth and ashes look extraordinary indicated that she had absolutely no intention of buying anything but it would be fun to just look.

Raise your hand if you think things worked out that way? Ha! A red leather jacket that looks stunning on her stole her heart. I think we went through at least three rounds of  “I’m getting it, I’m not getting it, I’m getting it” --- I think you get the idea. 

We got it.

Most amazingly, we visited the store around 2pm, she was measured, and the completed garment was delivered to the hotel around 7:30 pm. Talk about ‘just in time’ delivery. And it was perfect, much to my relief.

We opted for a late sitting of High Tea in the hotel instead of dinner, and had a wonderful time with Bert, Betsy, and new friends Steve and Cynthia. This was a good decision since South Georgia-like thunderstorms are rolling through the city dumping enormous amounts of rain in the streets. Our companions at Tea were fascinated by the storms since they are all from Southern California and almost never experience precipitation like this. I wonder if there is any money in ‘Thunderstorm Tours of Georgia?”

We are scheduled for a bit more city touring tomorrow morning and in the afternoon head for Iguazu Falls. Please come along.

Blog Extra – The Tango

I’ll admit to major ignorance regarding the tango. Up until yesterday, the tango was just a dance step. Today I am armed with almost way too much knowledge.

Tango developed in Argentina in the mid 19^th century to make brothels more productive. This very sensuous dance was conducted in a way to excite men to the point that the subsequent transaction upstairs happened very fast. Very fast meant more money for the brothel owners.

Fast forward a century and the dance, while still sensuous, became mostly respectable and was exported to Europe and America. It fell out of favor in Argentina with the arrival of Rock and Roll in the 60’s and it was not until the dictatorship following the Peron era that Argentineans brought it back and nourished it as an important part of their heritage.

There are two major types of tango, improv and choreographed. Our lesson the other day was of the former and the show we saw tonight was the latter.

The show we attended was the Esquina Carlos Garde Show in a dinner theater. We had tables in the balcony and after the meal the tables were removed and the chairs moved forward so we all had great views of the stage. Music was provided by a live orchestra with instrumentation including piano, three violins, a double bass, a cello, and most important, two concertinas knows as bandoneóns. The bandoneóns are like an accordion but without the keyboard. In addition to six pairs of dancers there was also a male and female singer. Tango music has a history as complex as the dance, too much to cover here. Suffice it to say it is lively and distinctive.

The show consisted of about 10 numbers featuring individual dance pairs as well as groups of dancers. Each of the singers performed a couple of songs as well. Many of the dances had an almost ballet like quality and at least once sequence include acrobatics worth of the Olympics.

Two of the dancers visited our table and we had a photo opportunity as seen below.

It was a fun evening rich in history and a cultural lesson worth the trip.

  

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina

Before we get to today’s activities, I need to address numerous requests that have occurred as a result of a previous blog post. Many of you loyal readers were entranced by the report of our foray into the world of international dance, namely our participation in the tango class. You confidently requested video evidence of this activity.  I had the camera out and was video taping our friends Bert and Betsy when it was my turn to dance with the instructor. I handed the camera to the Lady who has never met a technology she could not overly complicate as I folded the instructor into my arms and proceeded to dance the tango such as you have never witnessed in your lifetime.

When I returned to my seat with the flush of success on my cheeks and checked the resulting footage, not a frame was to be found of my dazzling performance, not one. So, I am so sorry to disappoint you, loyal readers, but while it may take two to tango, it takes a licensed videographer to correctly record such activity.

Now, about today. We set out around 9 am for a tour of this beautiful city. It was a perfect Fall day in Buenos Aires and traffic was very cooperative. Our first stop was the Pink House, the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina although not the official residence. Of most interest was the balcony on which Eva Peron gave her famous farewell speech seen in the photo above.

Nearby we visited the Plaza de Mayo, a park where hundreds of mothers marched in silent protest of the thousands of family members who were “disappeared” by the military dictatorship 1976 to 1983. Their protests brought worldwide attention to the issue and today they are a well know human rights organization. The park today is ringed with symbolic scarves, seen in the photo above, to represent their protest.

Also close by was the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral known for its famous priest who just happens now to be the Pope. It is a beautiful church with some unique features, not the least of which is a chapel that honors members of the Jewish community slain by bomb blasts at the Buenos Aires Israeli Embassy in 1992 as well as holocaust victims.  It is a somber and reverent testament to the ability of religions to live peaceably together.

We moved on to Puerto Madero an area by the river where a beautiful pedestrian bridge, called the Women’s Bridge (Puente de la Mujer) is located. It was designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava.

In Boca, a former warehouse district, we were able to begin shopping. This area contains many restaurants as well as iconic multicolored buildings.

We are about to head out for a late night. Dinner at 8pm, Tango Show at 10:30pm. Not back home until after midnight, Mom. I catch you up later, ok?

From Switzerland to Paris

Today this traveling road show moved from the Switzerland of South America, Patagonia, to the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires. Our charmed life with the weather degraded a bit but it continues to be quite acceptable. Until now, it has been sunny and in the low 70’s but today was in the mid 50’s, cloudy and drizzly. However, we expect to shake hands with high temperatures and home-like humidity when we reach Paris.

Our departure from Llao Llao was civilized: baggage-pull from the rooms at 9 am and on the bus at 10. A little more like vacation and a little less like camp.

The morning had a little bit of a “what are we going to do with these people until our flight at 3 pm” about it. I’m sure that’s the bane of existence of tour directors. Especially since yesterday’s weather was perfect for being outside but today’s was threatening.

On the way out of Bariloche we drove to a pure tourist destination, a place called Campanario. The premise is a chair lift rising about 900 ft to the top of a peak known for its views of the surrounding mountains. A perfect outing for a sunny day, a less than perfect outing with forecasts calling for 60 to 80 percent chance of rain.

 

The Lady who asks about the weather hourly is not known for enduring precipitation of any kind. It messes with the hair, you know. Granted that’s why she always looks like she stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine but it can wreak havoc on travel plans. Armed with her jacket with hood and two umbrellas we headed for the lift. For extra protection, our tour director was standing by offering rain slickers. We took those also.

The lift took about 15 minutes to reach to top and even under the cloudy drizzle, the views were spectacular. It was chilly and windy so we did not hesitate when word came around that it was time to start back down.

So, what else can you do to kill time? Eat, of course. It was close to the requisite four hours since our last meal so we drove about 10 minutes to the El Patacon restaurant whose sign outside boasted that they had been in business for 20 years. It was a nice place with excellent food. I tried the venison ravioli. It had subtle flavor and was not gamey at all.

A techie note: I saw a technology on our table that I had never see before. It was a free standing hockey puck sized object with three buttons on it. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I asked our waitress its purpose. Turns out, it is used by customers to summon the wait staff using wifi signal or some other kind of radio signal. Very clever.

Having successfully killed the morning and early afternoon, we arrived at the Bariloche airport with just enough time to check in, move through security and enjoy a brief wait. The flight to Buenos Aires took just under two hours and we were in a familiar Boeing 737.

We will camp out now at the Alvear Palace Hotel for the next three nights and premium camping it is. Built in the 1920’s, it is as glorious as you would expect from buildings of that era. Nice digs. You know you are at a top-notch hotel when you find not one but two luggage racks in the closet. No need for a polo pony here but a Rolls Royce might be helpful.

Reality intruded a bit as our tour director told us that we would be very safe here but we should remove all, and I mean all, bling – watches, necklaces, bracelets, rings, ear rings, nose rings, belly button rings, etc. Apparently, jewelry of any kind makes you an easy to spot mark. Duly and soberly noted.

We have a city tour tomorrow so check this space for more about this Paris of South America.

A Stationary Day

We are here at the Lalo Lalo Resort for two nights. That is significant in that if you stay two nights in the same place, you tend to have a bit of a down day in between. Being at this fabulous resort in the heart of what is call the Switzerland of South America, we were offered enticing opportunities for hikes, yoga, palates, archery, boating, fishing & golf. After careful and mindful consideration of all the alternatives I chose to sleep late and just be a lazy slug all day.

As I awoke, I asked the Lady who usually prepares my food to just set the breakfast tray beside me on the bed, whereupon she told me what I could do with the non-existent breakfast tray. I could see that this day was going to unfold without much support from my significant other.

Breakfast, it turns out, was available about 500 feet away from the comfortable bed, which I was forced to leave. The breakfast was quite good although what passes for fried bacon on this continent is quite dodgy.

After breakfast we wandered the halls of this magnificent hotel for a while. We took time to visit and photograph two bronze statues of magnificent dogs that a friend in Atlanta told us we had to see.

Continuing on our wander, we found ourselves in the chinchilla shop. The Lady who can make any garment look good opted to pass on the chinchilla, which was all right by me. I imagined some trouble at customs in Atlanta on return and did not wish to see any customs agents manhandled by an angry Lady. This would not be a pretty picture.

As we continued to look around, I got the distinct impression that I would fit in here better if I had brought my polo pony but then the Lady that takes care of the animals on our estate reminded me I that I don’t have a polo pony. So much for fitting in.

The grounds around the resort have a number of walking trails. We selected one and got directions. In spite of my considerable certified Boy Scout skills, we got lost and wandered into the archery range and then on to the golf course. We managed to dodge any significant injuries and returned to the room intact.

After a rest period, we advanced to our afternoon activity, a Tango Lesson. A lovely local couple who have considerable dance skills but who obviously aren’t very smart instructed us. Not smart because they subjected themselves to dancing one by one with each of us from the tour. They then separated us by gender and proceeded to teach us a basic Tango step. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, stop, 6, 7, 8 and again . . .

We were then required to move into nerve-rackingly close contact with a partner to see if we could accomplish those coordinated steps without injury. My problem was that the Lady, who really wants to lead, was so concerned that I would step on her feet that she constantly looked at our feet and forgot to pay attention to her steps. We did eventually manage to make it through the eight steps while remaining upright. I am going to have to deal with the fact that at the end of the lesson during the wrap up, the male instructor looked directly at the Lady and commented that she was (after having danced with her) intelligent and poised. She will not soon let me forget those words. Learning the tango was fun and must have contributed to the wellness program since I was out of breath at the end of the activity.

The day ended at dinner with our friends Betsy and Bert and two new friends from the tour group. Jim and Suzanne split their retirement time between Jupiter, Fl and the Jersey shore. They are a delightful couple that shared stories from their extensive travels around the world.

There are various things planned for tomorrow through mid-day but they won’t tells us exactly what they are because (I think) they are afraid we will all run away and hide. Around 3pm we head to the airport for a flight to Buenos Aires.  What could possible top this day? Standby and we will see.

Look at the view from our room shown below. Now about that breakfast tray  . . .

You Can't Hardly Get There From Here

To say that today was a travel day is to put it mildly. And if it is true that it’s the journey not the destination that’s then thing, we really did the thing.

Over a period of ten hours using several boats and buses, we crossed the Andes Mountains from Chile to Argentina. It is now much easier to understand how, before the advent of air travel, the people of Chile spoke of themselves as being on an island because of the almost total isolation that the Andes Mountains created. The way we did it today, you really have to want to get there.

We started on a bus in Puerto Varas around 8 am. It ended with a short bus ride from our last port to the hotel at 6 pm.

In between we sailed on four lakes with mountain views almost not to be believed, with waters the color of emeralds. We tore through the rain forest on dirt roads almost to primitive to be called roads. For most of the trip we saw not one inch of asphalt. Think steep winding mountain dirt roads with no guardrails in sight.

We visited remote border crossing stations first in leaving Chile and then entering Argentina. They were complete with border guards who carefully checked our passports and dutifully stamped them.

This trip was so remote that our normally extensive food fare was reduced to a sandwich and apple in a brown paper bag. Now that’s roughing it.

On the positive side, my fear of possible motion sickness was unfounded. The lakes were smooth and while slightly terror inducing, the mountain roads were not barf producing.

All in all, it was a great day. Add our names to the list of intrepid adventurers who made it up and over the Andes Mountains.

We are staying two nights in a beautiful resort called Llao Llao, oddly enough pronounced zhoww, zhoww (like wow wow, but with a z). Its near the Argentine town of Bariloche.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a day of leisure, but if you are a loyal reader, you know that the Lady who sleeps next to me does not like leisure, believing that such lack of activity is a sin against nature. I suspect she will find a forced march to sign us up for or at a minimum a half marathon. My only hope is to lead her down the halls were I have heard that there are a number of interesting gift shops.

Wish me luck.