i'm back! wow, talk about an adventure. i had an absolutely fabulous time. i loved argentina. beautiful places, friendly people, fantastic food...couldn't have been a better trip. now i have the travel bug though...where to next?!?

i'll have pictures up soon...my pictures from patagonia are almost surreal...i can't believe *i* was there. i traveled from ushuaia (the southernmost city on the planet) to humuauca (in the very northern reaches of argentina, almost to bolivia)...was fortunate to see most of argentina. such diverse landscapes. went trekking, rafting, horseback riding.

argentina is a country with much political turmoil...three years ago the nation underwent a financial crisis where the peso, which was pegged th the US dollar (US$1 = ARG$1), suddenly was worth only US 25¢, and many people lost most of their savings. many of the police departments are corrupt. there is no predictability, no financial security. prices for imported items are outrageous (microwaves started at ARG $400, hairdryers ARG $75). yet the people are warm, friendly, caring and generous. family is very important...it's not suprising to see sunday asados (bbqs) of babies, teenagers, parents, grandparents, parents' friends. meals are social and gastronomical gatherings. the food is simple, but fresh and soooo good. everywhere you find coffee for sale, you find an espresso machine. when you order a 'cafe' or a 'cafe con leche', you get espresso, or espresso with milk. yum. i just always forgot, when buying water, to remember to buy 'aqua sin gas' and ened up with soda water...'aqua con gas', which is commonly drank there....

more soon...just got back....moving on friday...busy busy!