Igua-Zoo

Wednesday, May 31st, 2006

She came to us the very first night we spent here, in Puerto Iguazu, and stayed for five days. She came through our rooms window, as she probably done many times before, and we didn’t chase her away as she was so soft and obedient. We let her sleep in the same bed as us and she did, for the whole five nights, purring like a tractor which, by the way, was very soothing.

Tags: nature
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If they build it, we will come

Friday, May 26th, 2006

San Ignacio was just a short stop, not even half a day, on our way to the main and last attraction in Argentina – Iguazu Falls. The Jesuit and Guarani cultures are an important part of this country’s heritage and this is where we chose to have our history lesson.
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Tags: architecture, ruins
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Resistence is futile

Thursday, May 25th, 2006

Just our luck. Coming in to town we find out that every hotel room in town is booked due to some Evangelistic convention, some sport championship, and another event we don’t even remember. We came to the town of Resistencia to see for ourselves at least a small portion of the some three hundred sculptures scattered in the area. I was really excited about this place, so we stored our backpacks with a very nice hotel manager and for about five hours roamed the streets.

What we found was very interesting, but it wasn’t only statues. It was the day of 25th of May, and we should have guessed there will be a celebration in every town in Argentina on this date, as pretty much every city, town, and village, we’ve visited so far had a “twenty fifth of May” plaza. It was something like the Argentinean Independence Day, the history of which I’m going to spare you. The streets were full of people, and the children were dressed in national costumes. Also was there a parade featuring about everyone in town, almost to the point that we were wondering who were the people watching this thing if all the schools, clubs, and organizations in town were in the parade with all their members.

Tags: art, festival
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Cordoba, Argentina

Wednesday, May 24th, 2006

We spent wonderful time in Cordoba and I have exactly zero pictures to show for it. Actually, it’s for the better; this is a family show after all. All extracurricular activity was strictly restricted to the hostel room we dared not to come out of under the grave fear of ending the blissful feeling we acquired by just being with each other and doing absolutely nothing.

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Houston, we have a problem

Sunday, May 21st, 2006

Let me tell you how it usually is – We reach a place, an amazing place, where nature is grander than life and so beautifully amazing no camera in the world can possibly capture and express what our eyes are seeing. Usually, I feel extremely lucky, but at the same time saddened I cannot fully share my experience with everybody else; but this time I can honestly say that seeing the pictures is more enjoyable than the actual visit.

Tags: nature
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Valparaiso, Chile

Thursday, May 18th, 2006

An entire town situated on steep hills surrounding a tiny strip of land where one of the oldest and busiest of Chilean ports is located. Exploring the town would probably prove impossible if only not for the fifteen cable-cars ready and willing to take you wherever you wish.

Tags: architecture
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The simple life

Wednesday, May 17th, 2006

Never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I have grown tired of big cities. If you know me, you must know that I always spoke of NY, for example, as of a kindred spirit and portrayed myself always as a city girl mortified by suburbs. Now though, while I still cringe at the idea of living in a suburban area, I also must admit that after shlepping around Argentina’s Mendoza and Chile’s Santiago for a few days, I’m ready to move on to a less crowded area where most roads are dirt roads, and where I don’t have to clench my handbag every time I go outside.
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Tags: art, nature
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Heaven on Earth

Friday, May 12th, 2006

“Heaven on Earth,” said a Russian guy selling matrioshkas (babushkas) on the weekend artisan market. “You came here in the wrong time, though. In the summer everything here looks much livelier, but even now when it doesn’t, this is still the best place to live. I have cabins near here that I rent, with banya (Russian sauna). Built it myself. I’m also building a house. Move over a bit guys, I’m still trying to sell here. Were was I, oh yeah, I’m building a house all on my own, bit by bit, and you know much the tax on my land is for a year? Fifteen dollars. That’s all! Both my cars, never registered. If the police stops me, they just check on the computer that the car isn’t stolen and send me on my way. ‘Carry on chief,’ they say. And so many things here are free. The gas, the education, medicine. It’s communism, I tell you. The good kind. I know a couple of academics that came here from Simferopol a year ago with nothing. They started making little gnomes from play-doh and selling them at the market, just like I’m doing. Now they have a house, a car, and a motor boat. I’m telling you, this is the best place to live. Heaven on Earth.”

Tags: art, climbing
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Hobo Marino

Monday, May 8th, 2006

A short stop on our road-trip, Valdivia’s Fishermen’s Market with its mountains of sea food and mountain-like sea lions, is like a “DO feed the animals” zoo where the fishermen clean their catch and toss the leftovers behind their shoulder where the lobos-marinos (sea lions) catch them in flight unless the local Cormorant birds get to it first.

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Water Falls, Water Warms

Sunday, May 7th, 2006

A day of well deserved active rest. Once again we set our goals for a hike in the woods, but ended up not going much further then the next picnic area. This time though it wasn’t just out of laziness, but also frugality. When we arrived at the entrance to the National Park we found out the price of admission has doubled, if not tripled, in the past few years, after our guide book was published. Nevertheless, the place we chose instead had worked out for everybody both in price and view. We drove around and hiked up each time only a hundred meter or so to see some very nice waterfalls. And when we got bored from that we proceeded to the real cherry on our sundae – Thermal Spas, also known as natural hot springs. All over the area we’ve been seing these road signs that look like somebody is being cooked in a pot. Fittingly, we all dipped in steaming waters in accordance to the recipe of Shir and Almog who, if you are wondering, are members of a nudist community in Israel.
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