Originally we had grand plans for traveling throughout South America. The realities of work schedules and money have made that difficult. We get out of town once a month or so for at least some short excursion, but we have yet to leave Argentina. It turns out that Argentina is pretty damn big. We keep coming up with different plans for when we finish working at the end of November and we’ve changed plans hundreds of times. We’ve never written in the blog about future plans because we’ve never settled on any one. Right now I think we can finally say that we are going with scenario # 532. In this scenario, we take a couple of weeks in November and December to explore Patagonia, specifically the area near Bariloche. We found out that getting up to Bolilvia and Peru would be a little more work than we imagined. So, this is the year we see Argentina. We’ve been all around the northern half of the country. It’s time to see the south. We’re not going to make it to the Tierra del Fuego though. We don’t really have the warm clothing for that anyway. All in all we should count ourselves lucky for having been able to travel as much as we have. We’ve already done more traveling than many Mendocinos ever will in their lives.
The main reason we will only have 2 or 3 weeks after school ends here is that Louann is returning to the U. S. of A in mid-Decemeber. When we came down here we thought that she would wait until next Septemeber to go back to college. But we’ve had a lot of time to think and imagine 500 exit scenarios and realized that she could just start in January. Sure, getting all the paperwork and stuff together would have been easier from home, but where’s the challenge in that? So she’s flying out Dec. 18th.
So what the heck am I going to do? Not sure. I’m going to have to work on my own solo scenarios now. I don’t know if I know how to travel alone. I’m not even sure I know how to cook any more. I am expected to be back at work in Minnesota at the end of March, but I know the money won’t last that long. So I don’t know where I’ll go or when I’ll return. I’ll know better when the time comes and I can figure out what is still within my means. If you have ganas to come to South America, let me know where you want to meet in December, January or February and we’ll work something out. Seriously.
2 comments:
Dan & Lou: I found your blog searching something about Las vegas Potrerillos and must say I got hook to every single daily story you have posted, which might be boring for others, but not for us. Now you wonder why? very simple myself and my wife Graciela were born and lived in Mendoza for 20 years and more, then if you would like to know what inflation is all about ask people what they remember from 1988, the year we decided to leave Argentina. We moved to Toronto Canada that same year, two years ago I completed a long distance education course from Bemidji State University from George Brown College, I think this is your home province in the States. I never got the chance to fly there for my graduation but my wife and I are planning a trip some time in the future. Although you know the future here may mean next month or so. Hope you don't get offended for my introduction out of the blue, but I have to say I admire your "bolas" for living in a place that we know like the palm of our hands, and every time we are there we are as you mentioned in one of your blogs "uptight". We never feel 100% safe there, believe me in 1988 and before this year you could walk as I did many times, anywhere in Mendoza at anytime, 24 hours a day and never nothing happened to me, I think this time will never come back. We enjoyed the very best years of our lives, in a sense of "seguridad personal" I celebrated my birthday last October in Mendoza especifically in a party salon across plaza Las Heras where the municipality of Las Heras is located calle San MIguel y Rivadavia. All our relatives live in Las Heras and Panquehua and they are a lot of people. I like all your photos and yes is true, you guys know Argentina a lot more than we do. Our plans also includes traveling to different part of Argentina, but our trips are for a short period of time. In your case I must say ENJOY IT !! that siesta thing you will not have anywhere in the world and remember when you come back home, it will be missed a lot. We are planning another short trip to Mendoza at the beginning of next year 2008 where we can meet an plan something. My father-in-law grew up in a ranch inside the mounting range in Uspallata he has horses available back horse riding "free of charge". How you like that, I knew you would.
So much more to share but we can keep communicated. My work e-mail is rguercio@mclgroup.ca Buena suerte con el resto de estadia en Mendoza no te olvides, "Tierra del Sol y del Buen Vino". Por suerte tenemos dulce de leche en los negocios latinos en Toronto pero hay que cuidar las calorias una cosa del norteAmerica solamente, porque los mendocinos estan pasaditos de kilos con los famosos asaditos. Por ultimo los viejos alla tienen un dicho "a la moda del pobre, a comer todo ahora antes que sobre"...... Un abrazo
Raul
Hey, I'm having one of those "the-world-is-really-small" moments, Raul.
Thanks for your advice and thanks for reading and commenting. I feel a little humbled knowing that Mendocinos have been reading our reactions to their hometown. I'm off right now to meet a student at Jumbo in Godoy Cruz. English class at a supermarket? Hey, we do what we have to, right? I´ll be in touch via email. Thanks agains for your thoughts.
-Dan
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