January 15 2007
We arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America (B.A., AR., S.A.). From the
EZE airport we take a prearranged remiss to the Kempinski Park Plaza Hotel. A
beautifully restored hotel with old fashioned manual elevators. Very sweet place.
The staff was great and multilingual offering us the best complimentary coffee and
anything else we wanted. We stayed there 4 nights. We walked every where. The
food was great and so inexpensive. The best steak we’ve ever had with appetizers,
French fries, bottled soda water and enough beer for 3 people, so much we
couldn't’t finish it all, for $15 dollars including tip! The meat down here is like none
I have tasted. It is so good! Gil says it reminds him of the meat from his childhood.
Gil will be 63 July 29, 2007. The cows here are not injected with crap or fed
rendered food. They are pretty much genetically pure.
While in B.A. We made arrangements to go to La Rioja. LR is where Gil was to
possibly go to med school to finish getting his M.D... He has had a difficult time
trying to decide on whether or not to go to school which could take up to 5 years
and that would be time spent away from our goal to help people. We knew there
had to be another way. For in S.A. You have to have an M.D. License to practice
acupuncture. Peru being our ultimate goal for clinics this is an obstacle.
So we booked our flight to LR anyway to get a feel for it. LR is the poorest
province in S.A.
Our friend Veronica is from B.A. Veronica did her networking, and low and behold
we get an e-mail from one Daniel Papeleo in LR. He wrote for us to give him a call.
So I did, but I got his secretary. She does not speak English but my name
triggered a response. She gave the phone numbers of a young brother and sister.
We were to fly out the next day. So I call Raquel Cuevazs in LR. No answer. I leave
a message and we head for La Rioja, blindly, in the morning. We land safely at the
very small airport. It has one small lounge and one ticket booth. And here we are
2 Gringos with an 18 mo baby and 8 pieces of luggage. We were very pleased to
see the van from the hotel we were booked at. On our way to the hotel, a 20 min
ride we seemed to be in a ghost town. All of the stores were closed and no people
about. We arrived at out hotel home hungry and nervous. We ate at the
casual café in the hotel and went up to our room to call Raquel again. I needed to
leave another message. A little later the phone rings. An angel’s voice on the other
end. It was Raquel. Speaking near to perfect English she asks if we can meet in
the morning. Later that night we go down eat again and when we looked outside
we were amazed. People of all ages everywhere. This town was booming’. Our first
taste of the different hours of a siesta lifestyle.
In the morning we go to the lobby to meet our new friend. Instantly we felt
comfortable and of course she fell in love with Indigo, as everyone does. We sat
outside and had café and Indigo had his usual aqua con gas (soda water). We told
her our story and that we were looking for a place to rent by the month. So we
arrange to meet again. She studies English but was on summer break so she had
time and was happy to help and practice her English with us.
She helped us around and to get a Sim card put into our cell phone so we could
use it there. You buy your phone time with pesos.
At this point in our journey Gil and I are lost. Should we stay here? Go where? I
never felt comfortable in LR. Yet we found a new family in Raquel and her parents,
Estella and Cesar. On another occasion we met Estella with Raquel. A most
delightful lady. She does not speak English but she and Indigo instantly bonded.
She calls him her grandson. They adore each other. We walked around town then
shared a pizza at the hotel. We felt at home only in there company.
Raquel translated for us to help us find a house to rent. We saw homes we liked
but nothing was flowing. We could not afford the hotel any longer so we moved
down the street to the Vincent apart hotel. We stayed there for 10 days before
realizing the Universe had somewhere else in mind for us. We spent most of our
time walking around and with Raquel.
One day she came and picked us up with her father, Cesar. They wanted to show
us the mountains and take us to a friend’s home in Penches. We sat under the
different fruit trees and ate fresh grapes off the vines that grew wild everywhere.
The most deliciously sweet uvas (grapes) I have ever tasted. I also had mate for
the first time. I had only seen it once before in B.A... Driving to our hotel from the
airport a man next to us was sipping out of a metal goblet type thing through a
metal straw. Then I saw the same goblets in the store windows. Well through
Raquel I finally found out what it was all about. Mate (mah-tay) is an herbal
mixture like multiple teas. It is a social drink and when in the company of friends
every shares the same goblet and straw. It is quite a beautiful custom and an
acquired taste. Later that night we went to there home for dinner. It was so great
to sit down with friends in their home. Even if only one of them spoke English. Her
parents spoke with their eyes. Clearly understood. Like the purity of a child. The
connection was so warm and honest. I have not been reciprocated that kind of
eye contact in the U.S. ever. However, my Spanish has been progressing quickly
and I could understand quite a bit and speak a little. We had been eating out for
every meal since Jan. 14 and we always cook so it was refreshing to sit and eat a
home cooked meal.
We discovered the only reason we were sticking around LR was because of
Raquel, Estella and Cesar. We thought we would just go ahead and try Peru. Still
unsure and unfamiliar with everything we hesitated and decided to go back to B.A.
because all flights leave from there. In hindsight, I think we just wanted to be
around someone familiar.
We had lunch with the Cuevazs’ again and said our goodbyes with tears from all of
our eyes. LR just wasn’t meant to be but we found a lasting friendship and a new
family.
Back in B.A. Feb.1 2007. This time the Kempinski park elegance. Just as great. We
stayed there 5 nights before moving again.
Veronica has a home in Olivos B.A. where her mama was staying until she moved
back down to get her on their way to Bariloche, AR... There was an empty one
room apartment upstairs that we could rent and get our bearings and save
money. The mother and daughter taking care of mama did not speak English but
we hit it off right away.
Again we walked everywhere and it was HOT. We were going crazy. We were in a
foreign country not speaking the language with our 19mo son not knowing where
we would be next and wanting to settle.
Veronica had been in the States and wasn’t moving to AR. Until April. She had told
us of Bariloche and that she was going to set up a practice there. She is an M.D.,
acupuncturist, homeopathic. She and Gil had talked about opening a practice
together. Gil could practice with out an M.D. License under an M.D. from AR. She
said the land was affordable and very inexpensive to live there and gorgeous. This
sounded great and we would know someone. I think our language had made us a
bit insecure. But we could not go there until March because nothing was available
to rent not even a hotel room because it was high season. So we occupy
ourselves by seeing sights and walking around until we head out again on Feb.
28.
San Carlos De Bariloche
The Journey
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Raquel and Indigo
| Japanese Garden in Buenos Aires Argentina |
