Lara&Adam

Chau Argentina

2007-06-19T12:19:00.000-03:00

It is time to say goodbye to this beautiful city which has been our home for the past year and a half. We fly out today at 9:00 pm and will be back on the west coast at 1:00 pm tomorrow. We are packed, cleaned and ready for our departure. Here are a few last minute photos of our final days in the Big BsAs. We will see you all soon!

Leaving is hard- Part II by Adam

2007-06-15T18:14:00.000-03:00

From the moment we moved here we have been trying to find our place in this city. It started off with things like finding jobs and finding an apartment, then figuring out how to get around the city, where to eat, how to make friends, where to shop, fun things to do on the weekend, you get the idea. Well, we feel like we have finally done most of those things. We finally feel like we have found our place in this city and now we are leaving it.

One thing in particular that I will miss is the availability of soccer jerseys. Over the past few years I have become a jersey glutton, as you can see from this photo. They have become my mementos of the places we have been. Some people collect patches or spoons, I collect replica soccer jerseys.
Of course I will miss the firends I have made at my school.

Leaving is hard- Part I by Lara

2007-06-08T20:05:00.000-03:00

Why is it that I had to meet all the good people right at the end? For the past four months I have worked at a school called Riverside. It is a big change from my last school. Riverside does not carry the same privileged reputation as Northlands, but I have enjoyed it SO much more! The teachers I work with are incredible people, and it is hard to leave such a dynamic and accepting group. There are nine of us, all female, and yet there is no petty back-stabbing, caddy gossip or competition. They are just generally nice people who enjoy being around each other. They have taught me all sorts of vulgar expressions and have become a welcome social outlet. Cheers to the women of Coligio Riverside who have nuzzled there way into my cold, American heart!
Here are a few of the ladies in the staff room
and me with my cool hippy-friend Sandra who takes drum circle lessons and is a glass-cutter after school hours. I’ve gotta get me some cool hobbies!
Some of my students eating their modles of Willy Wonka's chocolate room.

Foz do Iguaçu

2007-06-02T08:30:00.001-03:00

Click here for a video from the Brazilain side.

Have you been to the falls? Conoces las cataratas? Whenever the topic of Argentine travel comes up, this is the first question asked. Until last week, the answer was always "no," which was then met with an infatic "well you must!" But now, after our trip to the Argentine/Brazilain boarder, we no longer have to say "no," we can say "yes, and they are beautiful!" Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Iguazu Falls- "The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet).The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat (Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped 150-metre-wide and 700-metre-long (490 by 2300 feet) cliff, is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side a more panoramic view of the Garganta del Diablo is obtained."

These are called coati mundi, they are all over the falls and although they look cute, they are sneaky little thieves!

Bus trips-- revisited

2007-05-23T02:47:00.001-03:00

To add to the story below, we took our final bus journey this past weekend. Now I hope that I didn't leave a negative impression in anyone's mind in regards to our fondness for the South and Central American bus systems. I can't say that I have much (or anything) to compare it to, but still, I believe it to be second to none. Seriously. We were looking at a map and realized that we have darn near covered the distance from Mexico to the Southern tip of Argentina (minus the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia where the PanAmerican highway disappears completely, and snakes and wildlife might have eaten us, also, the southern most part of Mexico and Northern Guatemala). That is about 5500 flying miles, probably 15,000 road miles with the zigzagging, mountains, backtracking and everything else, and honestly, with the exception of a few inconveniences, we have never had a problem. Could we really have said the same if we had traveled that far by Greyhound? I doubt it.

Back to this weekend... do you see how easily I get off track? You should see me in a classroom :). So, we took our last opportunity, Argentine Independence weekend, and traveled to Las Cataratas de Iguazu or Foz do Iguaçu (isn’t Portugues funny) between the boarder of Argentina and Brazil. For our last bus experience, I must say that it was memorable!

We showed up to Retiro, the bus depot in BsAs, and saw a window with a promotion to the Falls. "Great." we though, "leaving in about an hour, we can get some dinner and be on our way." "What is super-cama?" I asked Adam. We had taken the luxerious coche-cama before and more often the semi-cama, but super-cama was new to us. "Who cares," he said, "the price is right, heck it's a promotion... how bad can it be?”

I'll tell you how bad... FREAKING AWESOME! Probably the best bus in the history of the world. We had a little cabin like area where our seats fully extended into beds—que lujoso. We had curtains and a hot young steward-guy that brought us coffee and dinner. He even gave us champagne! If I had known such things existed, I would never have stayed a night in a hotel/hostel. Think of the miles we could have covered!!! Super-cama lives up to its name as a SUPER bed. The 16 hours just flew by. Ok, that's it for the update.

There is honestly nothing in this world like long distance bus rides. It is the best way to see the landscape and to get to know the people… intimately. We have logged weeks worth of bus hours, and as a result have plenty of stories to tell. Stories of wheel wells catching fire, a mix up (or maybe not) of a porn video instead of the Van Dam movie they normally show (see picture) , a bus accident that left us stranded on the side of an unpaved rode in the middle of the night, military searches, boarder crossings, being dropped here there and literally everywhere. We have slept in bus stations and found travel companions in the ticket lines, but few memories are as clear and vivid as one particular ride from Villazon, Bolivia to Potosi.

From the get go, we knew these particular 12 hours were going to be grueling. The bus was beyond sold out, and as we were some of the last to purchase tickets, we were stuck in the very back. The back row had 5 seats, but had been sold to 8 bodies, Adam, three adults, three children and me. It was an over-night ride which presented more of a space problem than it would have had it been day; there is just something about the night that makes people want to spread out and cuddle with whom ever is nearest to them.

The roads in Bolivia are how I imagine the surface of the moon, only with very earthly gravity pulling the bus towards the edges of the sheerest cliffs known to man. I admit that I am easily frightened of things like airplanes and fiery bus crashes, but I feel that I was more than justified during this journey. My knuckles were white with fear as I gripped the seat in front of me, yet amazingly, the other passengers seemed calm, and even began to drift off to sleep between the violent, jerky bumps. It grew very cozy in the back row. We made small talk with the family and were soon like old friends. The kids got hungry and started in on a bag of cookies. Wet, half eaten bites flew from their hands as the bus weaved in attempt to hit each and every pothole. The crumbs were ground into our sweaty, closely pressed skin and clothes. Adam had the window seat and was sheltered from most of the debris, while my arm became sticky with sugar and baby drool.

Babies have to eat, even on long bus rides, so I was not offended in the least when the woman next to me whipped one out and fed her child. I am pretty desensitized to this action and feel that it is natural and necessary. It wasn’t until the woman began to drift off to sleep that I wished her large, milk engorged breast clothed. She started to lean in the way that people do when they fall asleep upright. Her child unlatched and was gently shifted toward me. A baby in my lap was one thing, but with each bump the breast was also encroaching on my space. Slowly it crept. I tried to barricade the child between its mother’s right boob and myself, but alas, it was hopeless. The breast jiggled and shifted with the contours of the road until at last, it came to rest- firmly in the crook of my left arm. The lactation had apparently not ceased from the recent feeding, and warm milk pooled in my elbow crease. I was wedged in my seat; pinned by my husband to the left and by a giant breast to the right. Helplessly, I shifted and tried to gently lean my left shoulder into the sleeping woman, but it was no use. In the end, I repositioned the child in my lap and focused my attention not on the lactating boob, but toward the terrifying mountain scenery hundreds of feet below the wheels of the bus.

(Bus picture of Adam drinking Cocaquina)

Boca Juniors

2007-05-19T14:17:00.000-03:00

After being here for about a year and a half we finally made it to a Boca Juniors game. Boca is the most popular team in Argentina and when we first came to Argentina we lived near the neighborhood of La Boca. We became fans instantly and have tried to follow them throughout our time here. We always said we wanted to go to a game and after talking with people here it seemed it would be difficult to get tickets. Not the case. Last week, as were doing some sight seeing we stopped by the stadium and were able to buy tickets easily.

It was a great to experinece a soccer match in Argentina, especially at this historic stadium "La Bombonera."

The game was against Arsenal, another team from the area. It ended up a tie (1-1) but Boca is still in second place with only five more games to go. Here is Martin Palermo and Juan Ramos Riquelme celebrating after a goal.

Visiting Pato

2007-05-06T20:22:00.000-03:00

This weekend we traveled to Rosario to visit Patrick and meet his host family. Even though the weather was horrible, we had a great time seeing Patrick (or Pato as he is called in Rosario) in action. Patrick’s host family is great; they are incredibly warm and hospitable. His host mother is a baker and his host brother owns a bar… sweet deal for a study abroad!

Patrick and Maria, his host mother

In front of a famous monument

Cuñado Love

Doing what we should have been doing for the past year and a half.

2007-04-25T19:06:00.001-03:00

We are trying our hardest to pack everything into our last 2 months here. We have still yet to see Iguazu falls, visit Patrick’s host family (if he ever contacts us… DO YOU HEAR THAT PATRICK? Yeah, like he even checks our blog), visit friends in Cordoba, go to a soccer game at Boca stadium and perfect our porteño accents (HA).

Recently, we checked “see concert in Argentina” off our list by attending Quilmes Rock, a 4-day concert held in enemy territory, River Plate stadium. It was quite an experience, though we were incredibly disappointed that Quilmes, the national beer and sponsor of the concert did NOT sell Quilmes during the festival. Don’t worry, Philip Morris was there to hand out free cigs, but no beer. None. Though we debated trading in one guilty pleasure for another, we resolved to spend the concert substance free (more than I can say for the other concert go-ers and their plumes of… sniff, sniff… not Philip Morris smoke).

One major difference between a concert in Argentina and a concert in the States, is the size of the people. We had campo, or field tickets, and were in the thick of the rowdies. But, and maybe this is because the headliners were Keane, Aerosmith and Evanescence, not Slipknot or Rage Against the Machine, we never felt intimidated. In fact, we could have very well been the bullies of the mosh-pit. We scoffed at the tiny, 100 lb waifs and strutted around like the Godzilla Americans we are. God bless all those bovine growth hormones!

We only attended one of the 4 magical days, but we were totally impressed and satisfied by what we saw. No, we didn’t see Areosmith, they played a different day, but we did see Keane, 3 awesome Argentine bands, and the British band that contributed to the Sixteen Candles Soundtrack— if you ever get the chance to see the Psychedelic Furs in concert, go ahead and pass it up. Now to the next on our list…

Uh Ummmm, Attention Please

2007-04-13T08:30:00.000-03:00

We can now make it official; we will be coming home on June 19th! We will most likely be in Salem around the 21st or 22nd, but that is still to be determined. It is hard for us to say goodbye to Argentina, we will miss it terribly. But, we are more than excited to see everyone, our dog, and to rediscover all the things that we have forgotten about over the last two years. I expect that we will come back quite changed. Be patient with us, and tell us kindly to shut up if we go on and on about the land of futbol, malbec, wonderful doormen, BAICA and Riverside. These past two weeks we have learned how bittersweet transitions can be. Although our adventure is nearing its close, stay tuned, we may have a few posts left in us ;).

Just when we thought we had seen it all...

2007-04-10T00:01:00.000-03:00

We go and stumble upon this crunchy chunk of ice.

Glaciers are the coolest! I am convinced that by seeing the Perito Moreno up close, even the slickest of oil executives would be transformed into conservationists. We have been self proclaimed tree-huggers for quite some time now, but witnessing this beautiful, flowing mass of coldness has reinvigerated our love for nature. It also makes us lament the fact that our children will likely be robbed of this experience. Go see it now folks, cause it may not be around for much longer.

We took a little trip down south for Semana Santa to see the Lake District and the Patagonia. If traveling was a professional sport, we would have won a gold medal for this trip. Offense wins games, but sleeping in bus stations and hitchhiking with oil truckers wins championships. We got ourselves in a bit of a pickle at the wee tip of Chile. With only 4 days remaining until we had to be back at work, we were told by one grumpy ticket clerk after another that the buses were either full or not running for the holiday. Nay-sayers! "No buses until Monday!" they scoffed, "You will never make it back in time!" About 48 hours of solid bus riding stood between us and Buenos Aires, leaving on Monday was a serious problem. Our thumbs had already come in handy a few times during the week, but were they ready for such a task? They sufficed when we needed a lift to or from a national park, but more than 2000 kilometers is a whole different ball game. Out of our clenched fists they rose, and like tiny, fingernailed pillars of hope, they attracted the likes of Daddy Yankee thumping teenagers (and mothers), famous Argentine wool barons, and a petrobas truck driver named Louis. Boy can those South American truckers haul gas! (I know, I know, keep those sweet puns rolling!) So to all the haters at Tasca bus, Valle, ViaBariloche, Joakim Noah and Express Patagonia... Where were you this sunny Easter morning? We were taking long over due showers in the comfort of our apartment in BUENOS AIRES!!!

Pictures from top to bottom: 1,2-Perito Moreno Glacier, 3-Biking around Lago Nahuel Haupi (Bariloche), 4-Lago Moreno (Bariloche), 5-Hacer dedo en El Calefate, 6- One the road, 7-The Patagonia from the bus window

Bienvenidos Patrick

2007-03-25T19:06:00.000-03:00

Patrick (Lara's brother) made it to Buenos Aires yesterday. It had been almost 2 years since Lara has seen him and it was a happy reunion. Despite an arduous 24 hours of travel Patrick had enough energy as we dragged him around the city for some quality time with our brother/brother-in-law. After a short time in Buenos Aires we sent Patrick off to Rosario (a nice city about 4 hours north of BsAs) where he will be living and studying for the next 3 months.

The Nephew Post

2007-03-21T09:34:00.000-03:00

Here are our nephews, Cristopher and Jathan, in their sweet new Bolivian hats and Argentine soccer jerseys... no more chilly heads or ears! While I'm at it, here are a few more pictures over the last year. I know we are biased, but aren't they two of the cutest boys you have ever seen?

Back in the swing of things

2007-03-12T08:13:00.000-03:00

As Adam reached across me this morning in sheer panic, as he does every weekday morning, swiping wildly at the snooze button on our horrid alarm clock, which was no doubt assembled in the pits of hell, it dawned on me that we are back to life as normal. Ten minutes later the alarm sounded again. I rolled over and as I lovingly watched him stretch (the alarm still shrieking) I said a short prayer, "Please for the love of God, beat that terrible clock into tiny, unrecognizable bits!"

No more beaches, no more mountains, no hikes, no rum, and sadly no more hammocks. We are back to the daily grind, the heart-attack alarm clock and the never-ending pile of dirty dishes. But it's not all bad. This past month has been full of more than just the monotony of routine. We had visitors! Adam's Grandma and Don braved the 17-hour flight from Oregon to BsAs and impressed us with their travel savvy ways. With no more than basic Spanish, they navigated themselves around the city while we were at work; attending horse races and visiting a total of 4 South American countries in 2 weeks.

This past month was also Adam's 25th birthday and the lone time each year that I bake. He requested a brownie (perfect, those come in a box) smothered in dulce de leche and peanuts. I added the frosting and sprinkles as my own little touch. If that doesn't get me nominated for wife-of-the-year than I don't know what will.

Also on the list is my new job! I am officially (actually the opposite of official, but that will be our little secret) the English literature and language teacher for the 5th and 6th graders at Coligio Riverside. The school is a 25-minute walk from our apartment or a 10-minute walk/train ride. I love the location and people I work with.

A bit of exciting news for you all... Patrick is coming! He will be studying for 4 months in Rosario, a town about 4 hours north of here. We are excited to introduce him to life in the southern hemisphere.

Well folks, I can see the bottom of my morning coffee cup, you know what that means... 3 more hours in my PJs then off to work. I said I got a new job, I didn't say it started at 8:00am :).

PAC-10 Champions!!!

2007-03-10T22:09:00.000-03:00

GO DUCKS!!!

We Have Returned

2007-02-26T13:36:00.000-03:00

Were to begin!?!? We had a fantastic journey through the beautiful continent of South America. Our plans changed mid-trip and we were not able to see Chile, but in place of (chilly) Chile, we headed north to the warm beaches of Ecuador and Colombia. Instead of recounting our epic adventure in this one, single post, we are going to give you a country-by-country extravaganza... bloggy-style!
The path taken, although in reality there would be no straight lines because the roads through the Andes are nauseatingly curvy.

Colombia, then back to Ecuador

2007-02-24T17:38:00.000-03:00

Colombia was our forbidden fruit; it tempted us and in the end Adam could not resist. We only spent 2 days in Colombia, but did manage to smuggle back some of the stuff Colombia is famous for. No, not that stuff... Jeeze Cheech, think Juan Valdez not Pablo Escobar. What little we saw of Colombia was enough to ensure a return trip some day. The landscape was beautiful and the people were some of the friendliest we have met.
We returned to Quito before flying back to BsAs. We signed up for a bike trip down a volcano called Cotopaxi and it snowed. Summer in Ecuador and it snowed! Here is a picture, if you click on it you may be able to see the snow falling in the background. The Volcano was pretty much fogged in, but you get the idea. Here's a picture from Quito's Old town.

Ecuador (with a rolled rrrr)

2007-02-15T22:13:00.000-03:00

Our original itinerary did not include sights, cities or countries north of Cuzco. However, after days of bus travel, what's a few more? Plus, we were so cold after spending a month in the mountains that a little R&R on the equator sounded sublime. So, the day after we returned from the Inca Trail we said goodbye to Cuzco and our new friends and took a bus to Lima. From there we changed to another bus and headed for the boarder. After we made our way through what ended up being the worst of all of our boarder crossings, we got back on the bus and finally arrived to our destination 52 hours after setting off. We stayed the night in Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, then headed straight for the beach. One thing that we noticed, particularly in Ecuador, is that there is a lucrative business in affordable backpacker tourism. Two places in particular, Montañita (the first beach we went to) and a neighborhood called the Mariscal in Quito, seem to have warped into a sort of backpacker's Disneyland. It is sad because these areas are almost void of all things Ecuadorian. That said, we spent some blissful time in Montañita surfing, applying liberal applications of SPF 10,000, laying in our porch hammock and drinking tasty concoctions of rum and blended fruit juices. However, like time spent in Las Vegas (only much, much smaller and without gambling), 3 days is the threshold between fun and addiction, so on the morning of our fourth day we made our way to the highway and caught a bus north to a national park on the Pacific (no, not the Galapagos, we wish!). From there we went to Quito and last to a huge, artisan craft market in a beautiful town near the Colombian boarder called Otavalo.
(View from the mirador in Parque Nacional Machalilla)
As we draw nearer and nearer to new boarders, we salivate, day and night we dream of the missing stamp in our passports. Our eyes become narrow, fixed on the immigration office adorned with a mysterious new flag. There is little we can to do control our urges, the only medicine-- black ink administered from the stamp of a grumpy man in Colombian army fatigues...

Peru- The second installment: Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail

2007-02-13T23:56:00.000-03:00

Let's face it, Machu Picchu is a tourist attraction. But there is a reason why so many people make the journey to see the fabled Lost City of the Incas, and tourism aside, it is a world wonder; a phenomenon that reserves its own spot in the memory of any traveler who has seen it with their own eyes. Just as you could make a month of Cuzco, you could make a month of Machu Picchu.

We took the Inca Trail, a four-day hike along a portion of the original Inca path that culminates in a stunning view of Machu Picchu. The path winds through mountain passes, rivers and other ruins for a total of 45km. It is not an incredibly long trail, but it is difficult due to the altitude. The second day is entirely up hill, with the highest point well around 4200 meters (in comparison, the top of Mt. Hood is 3500 meters). Needless to say, sweaty pits and great views abound. If Adam had been more of a gentleman, he would have ditched the sleeping bags and carried me in his backpack.

The new law requires tourists to hike the trail in a group with a guide. There were six of us in the group; three Argentines, one British and the two of us (Lara was the lone woman). We also had a guide, a cook and two porters who carried the gas stove, cooking supplies and tents. We lucked out and ended up an awesome group, people that we hope to visit in the near future.

Prepare to be bombarded with pictures…
Setting off

Our group- in the Center is Octavio the behemoth Argentine, to the right of him is his friend Walter, then Mark from England, then Fabian. To the left of Octavio is our porter Mario and our guide Odon, and of course Adam, Lara is taking the picture.

The highest point of the trail

Celebrating our arrival

The main attraction

Peru- The first installment

2007-02-13T15:57:00.000-03:00

Peru is majestic--there is no other word that can so accurately describe the feeling of being in Cuzco (also Cusco), the heart of the Incan Empire. We crossed the Bolivian-Peruvian boarder near the lake city of Puno where we saw an over commercialized tourist attraction called Las Islas Flotantes (the floating islands). The story of the islands is out of the ordinary, which makes them worth a visit. If anything, it is a good way to kill some time while waiting for a bus to Cuzco.

We spent 2 short weeks in Peru, and although we had intentions of seeing more of the country, the Sacred Valley, which stretches from Cuzco through the Urubamba River valley high in the Andes, captivated us for the majority of our time. Machu Picchu is the most famous attraction in the area, but it is only one piece of the Sacred Valley puzzle. We could have spent months in Cuzco and found something new to do each and every day. Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail will be featured in the next entry. (Pictures from top to bottom: Plaza de armas, view of Cuzco from our hostle, trail to Pisac, part of Pisac)

Oh I almost forgot, you want to know the story of the islands, well here it goes…

A long, long time ago there were two indigenous groups living on the Southwest banks of Lake Titicaca. One group was much stronger than the other, but for years the two had lived side-by-side in peace. Then one day, the leader of the large group died and the tribe held an election to choose a new leader. Two candidates emerged, one who was peaceful and experienced while the other was forceful, and though he was far less intelligent than the diplomatic man, he was a well known descendent from a long line of wealthy tribal leaders. The day of voting came and the people cast their ballots on reeds from the lake. After the first count, it seemed that the peaceful man had won, but then questions arose over the validity of some reeds. It appeared as though many elderly members of the tribe were not able to punch clear holes in their ballots, and thus their votes were thrown out. After another count excluding the feebly punched ballots, the more aggressive man emerged victorious.

The smaller tribe followed the elections closely, fearing that the fate of their existence hung in the balance. Word spread quickly that the candidate they had backed was defeated. They scrambled to devise a plan, and sent their most articulate representative to speak with the new leader. The new leader seemed personable at first, but soon showed his imperialistic intentions and warned the small tribe to assimilate or be destroyed. The small tribe feared for their lives, and as the large tribe encroached on their village, they loaded their families and belongings into boats and took refuge in the lake reeds. As time went on, their boats began to rot. Panic set in as the people sank lower and lower into the water. It seemed that there was no other option but to return to land and face their doom.

Suddenly, a small child flung herself from the arms of her mother and into the cold waters of Lake Titicaca. Her mother, acting on instincts, jumped in after the sinking child. The mother could not swim, and so as she leapt into the icy waters, she clung franticly to a cluster of reeds. The reeds snapped under her weight and the woman plunged deep into the water. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman bobbed to the surface, her daughter safe under one arm, and the buoyant reeds under the other. The tribe members looked at each other, then one-by-one flung themselves off the boats and into the clusters of reeds. They bound the reeds together and over time formed islands. The tribe lived on the floating islands for centuries, preserving their culture and liberty until the tourism boom of the late 1990’s.

Here is a picture to prove the accuracy of this story... for Mr. 29☺.

Bolivia

2007-01-29T13:50:00.000-03:00

Last year, around the same time, we were captivated by Nicaragua. There is something about the robust, Central-American country that we fell in love with; the landscape, the hearts of the people, the history and the way we felt and thought while we were there. We have again been captivated, this time by Bolivia. It is our Nicaragua of the South so to speak. Emmy told us before we left that we would fall in love and want to stay, Right-O Emmy.

Bolivia is a landlocked country with three main climate types; mountains, high plains and jungle. We did not make it into the jungle, but we hiked hiked and hiked in the mountains, plains and around Lake Titicaca. For two not so outdoorsy people, we did a LOT of trekking (as the call it now a days) and loved it!

Here are some of the highlights:

The mines of Potosi, Bolivia. We went in thinking it was just going to be a tangible history lesson (THE silver capital of Latin America until the Spanish stripped it bare), but it turned out to be a shocking and hugely memorable experience. The mines are still worked today, and although they don't have much left in terms of silver, they are the heart of Potosi. 40,000 men mine composite minerals daily (and nightly), and although it is now a co-op, the low international prices have given the miners little opportunity to modernize the mines. As a result, the mines are horribly dangerous and quite reminiscent of the slave-like conditions that the Spanish imposed... all so we can buy things like batteries, electronics and other metal parts for a few cents cheaper.

Adam holding a stick of live dynomite. It seems as though he is less worried about his head exploding than his... nice helmut placement.

Solar de Uyuni- A prehistoric salt lake turned salt desert.

Near the top of the volcano seen in the background of the picture above. We stayed the night on the island before climbing to 5,000 meters (16,500 feet). We were very proud of ourselves and took about 1000 pictures from near the top (I say near, because we never actually made it to the real top:) ).

Christmas in La Paz, Bolivia

Isla Del Sol, the birth place of the Incan civilization located in the middle of Lake Titicaca. Click for a close up- it may look like a nice warm island, but don't be fooled, it is freezing. Notice the llamas, they are by far the most common animal living at high altitude in the Andes... one spit grass on Lara on this very island.

Huari Bolivian beer, probably the coolest label EVER! Bolivia is a HIGH country with Potosi as the world's highest city (about 8,000 feet higher than Denver... imagine if Potosi had a baseball team), La Paz is the highest capital at 12,000 ft and Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake. Interesting things happen at high elevations. Aside from altitude sickness, beer foams up way more than normal... pitcher of beer? Ha! try pitcher of foam. More pictures (and pitchers) to come from Peru and beyond.

North, but still Argentina

2007-01-29T13:48:00.000-03:00

With our passports nearing expiration, we took to the northbound highway for Salta, Argentina, 22 hours from Buenos Aires by bus, and a mere 8 more to the Bolivian boarder. Salta is a world away from Buenos Aires; a truly different Argentina. The authenticity of the city, Latin feel and scenic hills could have kept us detained for more than our passports allowed, but fear of the pinche muelta (fine) pushed us onward. A BIG thumbs up to Salta!
A hilltop view:

Adventure Underway

2007-01-05T13:26:00.000-03:00

We apologize for the long absence! We have been going non-stop for the past 3 weeks and have been having an incredible time. Tomorrow we leave for the long anticipated highlight of our trip (and Christmas present... THANKS), The Inca Trail. The Inca Trail is a four day hike to Machu Picchu, the mother of all Incan Ruins. We will be posting more about our journey when we return to Buenos Aires on the 28th of January. Until then, here are a few pictures...

Leaving sunny BsAs

Enjoying a Salta in Salta (Argentina)

One the shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia

Last Day with the Northlanders

2006-12-05T13:44:00.000-03:00

My first full year as a middle school teacher has come to a close. Although I am ecstatic for our summer vacation plans, it was sad to say good-bye to my rowdy, puberty-stricken, Argentine students. They have come a long way since I began in March, but after months of grooming they have finally learned to:
Throw their own garbage away after a.m. break
Get me off topic by asking my opinion on political issues, or by offering to teach me Argentine slang and/or curse words
Hum the Oregon fight song
Understand idioms such as "fat chance," "not in your wildest dreams," "skating on thin ice," and "pushing my buttons,"
Laugh at my jokes out of politeness, even when they don't understand the humor
Write an essay- as opposed to plagiarize an essay from the internet
Realize that most books are better than their movie counterparts... if you too need convincing, watch the film version of Animal Farm.
At times it was a battle, but the beauty of middle schoolers is that they are capable, responsible and polite when they are expected to be, yet not too old or jaded to be silly and enthusiastic about their education.
Here I am with the other English teacher

Meal of all Meals

2006-11-24T20:47:00.000-03:00

Although we may have mixed feelings about the historical accuracy and implications of Thanksgiving, we cannot deny the goodness that has become Thanksgiving dinner. While the Pilgrims and Native Americans doubtfully held hands around a table of turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie in the early 1600's, you can mark down November 23, 2006 as a historical day of thanks.. American-Argentine style (we will make our primary source as specific as possible so that future history textbooks can finally get something right... yeah that's right Edward Winslow, IN YOUR FACE!).

We had a humble gathering here in our apartment. It was re llena de gente though we were only five, five is about the limit for our cozy place. But what we lacked in space we made up for in taste! As you might imagine, Thanksgiving is not widely celebrated here (odd, since we do share a very similar genocidal history... ok ok, no more liberal propaganda, I promise) and so ingredients are hard to come by. It turned out to be a blessing in flavor, as everything we made was from scratch, and I do mean SCRATCH. Adam had the holiday off and busied himself preparing for guests, making giblet stock and cornbread for the pecan bourbon stuffing. We got a nice little 3.8 kilo bird and violated it Thanksgiving style. Lara got home from work and team Clarkhelm toiled feverishly; basting, mashing, chopping, sautéing, roasting, baking, washing, washing, washing and washing... why are there so many dirty dishes, where do they all come from? The end result was turkey, stuffing, gravy, parmesan asparagus, mashed potatoes, wheat rolls and of course pumpkin pie. Delicious! We were happy to share the meal with our friends Diego, Paul and Jorge who affirmed our culinary skills by taking seconds.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T20:46:00.000-03:00

We did our best to be festive...pumpkin is pumpkin. Blog record...7 posts in one month!

Tasty

2006-10-29T11:59:00.000-03:00

We have become expert chefs, hence the curry chicken salad with garbanzo beans and whole-wheat bread with olive oil and vinegar for dipping (and a bottle of Malbec makes everything taste better). We cook the majority of our meals, but that is not because the food here is inedible, on the contrary, the food is excellent. Argentina is known for its world-class beef and red wine. We seldom indulge in the beef (Lara's cholesterol), but frequently wash down a meal with Mendozan wine (again, Lara's cholesterol). Our favorites are the baked goods. Medialunas (basically croissants) are delicious here, there are versions called facturas that are filled with dulce de leche (kind of like caramel), quince (a reddish fruit) cream cheese, chocolate and other delicious fillings. Churros are popular here, eaten with a bar of dark chocolate submerged in hot milk. Almost everything sweet contains dulce de leche and is heaven on earth.

Empanadas are also a standard; little moon-shaped potpies filled with chicken, beef, ham and cheese, spinach, squash or creamed corn.

Ice cream. Now, this deserves its own post really. It is outstanding, addictive, creamy and everywhere. Argentines love their ice-cream. The Italian influence is evident in all of the food here, ice-cream in particular. It is a creamier texture than in the States and scooped to a point, always with two flavor choices. The most popular.. you guessed it, dulce de leche granizado (with chocolate shavings). We enjoy a cone of DDL and chocolate amargo (semi-sweet chocolate) from time to time.

Delivery is part of life here. You can have anything delivered. ANYTHING. Sushi, a video, a half dozen empanadas, a jar of dulce de leche, an ice-cream cone, toilet paper, a sandwich, 1 coffee, seriously anything. Noisy little motorbikes are all over the city and suburbs delivering lazy portenos food free of charge (and tips are not customary, they look at us strange when we tip in fact).

Breakfast time- doesn't really exist, lunch at 12:00-2:00, mate (tea) time 4:00-7:00, dinner 8:00 at the earliest, most don't eat until 9:30-12:00 on weekends

Some of the other tasty Argentine food items include:
Pastas, every shape and type
Milinesa (breaded beef or chicken either in a sandwich or with a marinara sauce)
Lomo (steak or steak sandwich)
Pizza, not very good but everywhere
Alfajores (or A-jos as a friend calls them)
Churipan (sausage sandwich)
migas, tostadas (white bread sandwiches)
Spanish tortillas (a potato, egg and cheese omelets)
Locro (kind of a corn, meaty stew)
Panchos (hotdogs with a sauce and little chip things on top)
Mate (like a tea)
Tartas caseras (homemade quiche)

Food that we miss and cannot really get here:
Spicy anything (Argentines do not eat spicy food, they think they are eating spicy food when the put garlic in things)
Peanut butter (we can get it at the Chinese market, but we have just replaced it with DDL)
Whole-wheat bread (possible to get, but not readily available)
Beans (or Mexican food in general. There are a few restaurants, but none are great)
Pumpkin pie (but thanks to Emmy that is not a problem)
Bacon
Breakfast (breakfast here is not much more than cafe con leche and maybe a medialuna, no waffles, eggs, bacon, french toast)

All this food talk makes us hungry... time for lunch, our doorman made us Pizza.

Tourist Weekend

2006-10-24T03:27:00.000-03:00

We decided that we were long over due for a tourist weekend. To remedy this, we headed 2 hours west to the goucho town of San Antonio de Areco for a day of museums, ice cream and meandering. Although the museum was a tad on the boring side, the trip itself was a breath of fresh air.

We also spent some time in BsAs snapping photos and eating at our favorite cafe near the cat park (there is a park full of cats, probably hundreds, and no dogs are allowed inside, odd for a city obsessed with dogs... really they are).

Adam's dream is to eat an alfajor this big.

A Day on the Train

2006-10-20T08:14:00.000-03:00

Yes, I know, enough about the train already, but since it is a HUGE part of my day, I thought you should come along on the adventure with me.

First, I buy my ticket from the ticket dispenser. Sometimes it is out, in which case I buy one from the mystery man who lives behind the two-way mirror. He often doesn't understand me and gives me a ticket to the wrong place. I curse him in English and then we start over again. A ticket is anywhere between $O.17 and $0.31 American, or $0.50- $0.95 Argentine, depending on the destination.

Nothing warms my heart like stencil graffiti of... wait, who is that on the automatic ticket dispenser? Hehe

After waiting a few minutes (6-15, they come more frequently during peek hours), I board the train. If it is busy we all push each other like cattle, but for the most part are pleasant and comfortable with extremely close contact.

As you can see from the picture, this is neither peek, nor is it dead hours (this photo was taken on a weekend, so there is not a standard busy time unless a soccer match is being played).

I have arrived in Retiro, the end of the line and opposite way I normally go. Retiro is the station in the city; on a work day I travel to Tirgre station, about 50km north. This is just one of many lines that enters and leaves the city. It is rumored to be the most reliable, cleanest and safest line, attributed to its destination in the swanks of suburbia BsAs.

The Cheek Kiss

2006-10-13T08:33:00.000-03:00

As many of you may know, much of the world greets with more affection than North Americans are accustom to. Argentina is no exception to this rule as the cheek kiss greeting is standard for anyone you a) are being introduced to, b) see on a regular basis c) work with d) are friends with e) are relatives of f) are slightly acquainted with g) have ever seen before in your life h) have ever spoken to, this includes bus drivers, doormen, sweaty hulks at the gym etc.

This custom is nothing new; we experienced similar greetings in Mexico and Honduras. However, the difference here is that everyone cheek kisses everyone. There is no gender exception to this rule. You boys may be squirming in your seats at the thought of kissing another grown man, but it turns out to be a very pleasant and secure ritual. There is nothing like seeing Claudio Martinez campeon Sudamericano (see previous posts) plant one on another beefy, mullet sporting, muscle man.

The tricky part of this tradition is when someone is aware that North Americans don't do this. Adam is often faced with the awkward lean in, only to find an eager Argentine with his hand extended waiting to try out the Hollywood handshake. Then there are the foreigners, what do you do with them? Many have adopted the cheek kiss, yet it still seems a bit creepy for an American or British man to smooch other foreigners... especially because they do discriminate by gender, which makes them look like they're just using culture to get a piece.

Smooching the old men and religious folk is an adventure as well. There is nothing that says "hello" like a little mustache in the kiss. In general, the cheek kiss is not really a kiss; it is more a pressing of cheeks with the kissing sound made past the face... not the case with old men and religious people. With them, it is a dead on, juicy, lips on the face kiss. A popular technique for this demographic is to use the hands to steady the recipients face, kind of like in a mobster movie.

Regardless of the occasional North American blunder, such as the face bruising cheek collision, we have adapted fondly to the cheek kiss. It is such a gentle and warm greeting vs. the impersonal “firm handshake.” No, there is nothing firm or assertive about the kiss, but as a result there is no declaration of dominance or intimidating squeezes, just 4 lips, two cheeks and a little bit of five o’clock shadow. Try it out, you’ll like it!

Happy Birthday Dad, a big kiss to you... from both of us :*.

Check out the view!

2006-10-06T15:06:00.000-03:00

This is a view from our apartment building. Unfortunately the view from our floor (the 3rd) is not as spectacular.
This is the view to the east. There is a nice view of the city to the south, and to the west the Andes and if you really focus to the north you can make out the Statue of Liberty... ok, the last two are lies, BsAs is really flat, not a mountain for hours. And of course you can't see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building blocks it completely.

Nothing new, posting anyway

2006-10-01T16:06:00.000-03:00

"We should do something and take pictures of it," Adam said while thinking of a new post idea. Spring is here, but taking a whole post to discuss the weather seems so impersonal. Instead we will run you through a typical day in the lives of Adam and Lara.

Adam gets up at 7:15ish, dresses in nice work clothes, slacks, button down shirt- the whole bit, and walks five minutes to school for his meeting/devotional. Adam spends the day as the resources and activities coordinator (not totally sure what that entails), teaching computers, P.E. and recently filling in for other classes as there has been an influx of absent teachers in the past few weeks.

Lara gets up at 8:00, dresses in what ever isn't on the floor and begins her daily hour and a half walk, train and bus combo to Colegio Northlands. There she teaches literature to amazingly bilingual Argentine 7th and 8th graders who have to wear ties and sweater vests every day. In the warmer months they get to wear short slacks and they all look like Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh.

Lara finishes teaching at 12:30 and arrives home a little before 2:00. She has been taking a Spanish class at the National University in the afternoon, but it ends this week so she will dedicate her new free time to cooking, sewing and cleaning. Spanish ends at 6:00, but due to its location in the heart of the city, she must join the mad wave of commuters and rarely gets home before 7:30. If you have ever had the privilege of taking public transportation in a big city around rush hour, you will understand the importance of keeping your hands above waist level at all times.

Adam finishes work at 4:00 and also takes Spanish. He is currently taking private lessons two days a week and on the weekend. When he gets home, he has a snack, cleans up a bit and makes yerba mate for Lara when she gets home.

We enjoy our yerba, or on the occasion that the students were extra punky, a liter of beer and peanuts. After this, we always intend to exercise, but that does not happen as much as we would like, although Lara did recently get a membership at Gimnasio Claudio Martinez, Campeon Argentino y sudamericano (Argentine and South American body building champion). If you don't believe us, we can show you the receipt with his picture in nothing but a speedo.

Around 8:30 or so we begin our quest for dinner. Across the street is our favorite Ideal Supermercado ran by the "Chinos" as the door man says. We normally go there and pick up produce, pasta sauce, wine and alfajores (delicious, yet unexplainable). The produce lady is in love with Adam, so he always comes home with a few more apples than he asks for. We spend time talking with our old men friends, Berto and Oswaldo, then off to bed to start the day again.

We probably should have stuck with a weather post... Spring is here!

A place to call our own

2006-09-17T17:35:00.000-03:00

After spending a few months living with Elvira, an extremely motherly (we will refrain from adding other adjectives ), Argentine woman, we decided it was time to find our own place. We are pleased to say that we have done just that and are currently living at:

Chile 32
Torre 1 Piso 3' B
B1642EEB San Isidro, Buenos Aries
Argentina

Our new telephone number is:
011-54-11-4742-9019

Aside from a few minor details, we LOVE our new place. One such detail is best expressed through a particular episode of Seinfeld. If you have seen the episode where Kramer goes crazy because of a large neon sign outside his window, than you can visualize what the large Fiat sign looks like outside our window. It really doesn't bother us much however, because it is switched off at about 9 every evening.

Our place has been graciously furnished by Adam's school. It is small and cozy, but with the addition a few plants and background music to drown out the sound of the street, it has become our little slice of heaven.

WHAT???

2006-09-16T21:45:00.000-03:00

Technology has recently blessed us with streaming duck o-zone radio. Is it possible that what we heard was true, did the ducks really overcome such a deficit in the last 3 minutes? We may be thousands of miles away, but one thing remains, our love for the Patos!

GO DUCKS!

Where has the time gone?

2006-08-04T10:57:00.000-03:00

I must say that it has been a long time since we last posted. A lot of things have happened, and due to our recent move, our access to reliable internet has been limited. Argentina didn't win the World Cup, sadly they lost in the round of eight.

Adam was in Oregon and he was able to get a lot of work done on the house, and we found a new renter. He was also able to see many friends and family and share stories from our time in Honduras and here in Buenos Aires. Highlights included sharing some of the traditional food and drink. "Mate? Are we all supposed to drink from the same straw?" Helping Patrick celebrate his 21st birthday. And just spending time with the people we have been missing. It was wonderful to see everybody and we both miss all of you very much.

When Adam got back to Argentina we were able to go on a little vacation to Mendoza, an area near the Andes Mountains. We went to a few vineyards in the area and enjoyed what the region is famous for. Wine. We also tried to go to snowboarding. There is a famous resort called Las Lenas that has 38 chairlifts and some of the best powder in the region. Sadly, the one day that we were there it was raining and the only "lifts" operating were two rope tows. We hiked up once and called it a day. Still, we are able say that we have been snowboarding in the Andes.

Now we are both back to work. We are also in the process of finding an apartment. Lastly, on August 9th we hit our one-year mark in Latin America.

Vamos Vamos Argentina!

2006-06-18T17:15:00.000-03:00

Yes, it is World Cup time. We have enjoyed watching Argentina as they show their strong soccer skills. After two games, one in which Argentina scored an amazing 6 goals, the team has secured a position in the next round.

We have moved, which is why it´s been so long since we´ve updated our blog. We now live in Beccar, which is a area just outside of downtown Buenos Aires. Our move has treated us well and we enjoy our new home. We now live in a house with an Argentine lady who hosts teachers from my school, and girl from Costa Rica who is here studying to become a chef. The environment has been good for our Spanish and the location is great for our commutes to work.

Adam has changed his flight dates and will be in Oregon June 22nd until the 6th of July. He looks forward to seeing you all.

Clarity

2006-05-07T20:07:00.000-03:00

For those of you who may be wondering, we finally have a plan. As we were looking through our blog recently it became apparent that our posts are not as exciting as they once were. We are no longer posing on beaches, in the jungle or drinking beer in the... ok scratch that last one :). Why is this suddenly the case? Well it looks as though we are no longer on vacation and finally settled down. As much as we enjoyed long weekends in the Caribbean, it could not last forever.... or could it??? Reality has set in and roots are being planted. Adam has been offered a 2 year contract as a teacher at a missionary school outside of Buenos Aires and has decided to accept. We are excited to have a home for at least the next two years here in Argentina. We appreciate the support and prayers you have given us over the past 9 months and look forward to what lies ahead. We'll keep you posted!

Visiting

2006-04-13T12:56:00.000-03:00

Adam will be in Salem for a visit from June 22nd until July 6th. He has a long winter break (yes winter) from June until the beginning of August. Unfortunately, Lara will be staying home in Buenos Aires, not enjoying as lengthy of a break :(. Along with visiting family, friends and Zoey, Adam will be searching for a new renter for our home. Sooooooo, if anyone is looking (or knows anyone who may be looking) for a two-bedroom gem of a house, the price is right and it's ready to rent. Here are some pics just in case you forgot what our house looks like :). Is it wrong to use our blog as an advertisement opportunity? Happy Easter!!!

Where's Uruguay???

2006-03-26T11:52:00.000-03:00

Uruguay might not sound like a tourist destination, but truth be told, it is a spectacular place! The town of Colonia is just a hop, skip and a jump away from us, or rather a three hour ferry ride north across the mouth of the Rio Plata as it empties into the Atlantic.

We saw some interesting things in Colonia:

Local pirates eating shirtless on a sailboat

The beautiful yet murkey (due to the clay and other sediments) Rio Plata

We spotted Lara’s long lost dog Max (that her parents callously gave away… yes, she is still bitter) from the top of a lighthouse. Who would have thought that he moved all the way to Uruguay?
All of the trees reminded us a little of the PacNW

Sweet Sweet Peso

2006-03-23T18:08:00.000-03:00

We are both teaching now, Adam at a school called BAICA and Lara at Northlands (no longer a substitute at the American school). Both are part time positions that fit perfectly with our Spanish classes. Adam is teaching high school P.E. to a group of boys from all over the world, and Lara is a the Care for Magical Creatures professor for 7th and 8th at a Magical British-Argentine school. We are both enjoying our jobs, with the exception of the long commute (Adam's is 1.5 hours and Lara's is 2). Scratch the comment on the previous posting about loving public transportation so much that we could ride the musty subway all day; 2 hours each way is more than we could have ever hoped for... about an hour and a half more to be exact!

Suburb of San Isidro where Adam works

Northlands School

We are really loving life here. There is so much to do and see in this incredible city. Saturday we are heading to Uruguay to do a little site seeing and to renew our visas (valid for 3 months at a time). Has it really been three months?!?!

We are slowly learning Spanish, a process that is much tougher than we had hoped. This is not a full immersion, study abroad deal, much of our day is unavoidably in English (work and home), although we are feeling much better about our increased opportunities to speak. It is hard to see the progress we have made, but we are confident that it is happening. We plan to stay here for a while, so sooner or later we will get the hang of this thing they call Castellano (the way Argentines say Spanish).

Simply Fascinating!

2006-03-14T21:32:00.000-03:00

We thought that you might be interested in some of the differences we are experiencing here on the other side of the equator...

First and foremost, bidets are the coolest thing EVER… except ours because it spews nothing but scalding hot water. So unless you want to burn your hoo-hoos and your haa-haas, I would not recommend indulging in this particular sanitation wonder.

Another fun little Argentine quirk are the keys. We feel like we are unlocking the secret garden every time we pull these babies out of our pockets.

…Next to Bidets, public transportation is the greatest thing on earth! We could spend all day in the musty depths of the Subte. Lara has a little infection on her thumb (a fun souvenir from Honduras that just won’t go away), so people are a little hesitant to hang on to the metal handles after we exit the car… it’s not like it’s contagious, jeeze! It seemed so odd to us how ALL the Argentines sleep on the Subte. Don't they miss their stops? Then on day, as elderly and pregnant women boarded the subway, one-by-one the conscious commuters gave up their precious seats. Curious how all the able-bodied “sleeping” people were allowed to remain in their seats guilt free. Maybe they are on to something ;).

Lara Got a Tat

2006-03-07T00:03:00.000-03:00

It was bound to happen. When Emmy and Lara spend extended time together you just never know what will transpire... Imagine if Becca had been in the mix, they would have broken into the tattoo parlor after hours and tattooed themselves finger paint style (are inside jokes allowed on blogs?).

Adam's B-day in Mar Del Plata

2006-03-06T23:16:00.000-03:00

We spent Adam's birthday in Mar del Plata, a coastal resort city on the Atlantic about 6 hours south of BA by bus. It was beautiful, crowded and full of entertainers doing all sorts of interesting things. It was a great two day get away.

2 Months and Going Strong

2006-03-06T23:01:00.000-03:00

It has been a while since our last blog update, for all of you loyal bloggers we apologize. A lot has happened in the past month, mostly involving visitors. We had to say goodbye to Emmy and Scott. We left Emmy in a public hospital in Rosario and got on the bus back to Buenos Aires... aren't we just model friends :). Good news though, after several amputations the gang green seems to be gone and she is expected to recover just fine.

John Kirk, a friend from church, came baring gifts of peanut butter, hot sauce, homebrew and books. We had a mouthwatering steak dinner before he left for a fishing trip in the wild Argentine back country. We hear he caught a fish THIS BIG!

Last but not least, Lara's parents came for 10 days and left on the 2nd of March. We had a wonderful time in Mar del Plata for Adam's birthday, and spent many hours sauntering through the city (BA) despite Joel's swollen knees. If anyone is interested in taking a tour of the city, Lara is now an experienced tour guide.

We know some birthdays have happened back home, so a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... LINDSAY MESSOLINE (really late!), STACIE CLARK, ABE HUFF, EMMY CALLERO, MR. GARRETT, MEGAN MUCKEN, MERRISSA HAYDEN, JERRI SAUNDERS and all you other winter/early spring babies.

More to come...

Hit'n the Yerba... Mate that is

2006-02-02T06:00:00.000-03:00

If you are like us, yerba mate (pronounced jer-ba mah-tay) is or was an unknown beverage. Made from a common Argentine holly, this tea like drink will put some pep in your step! Consumed from a distinguishable gourd, the ritual of mate is seen everywhere in Buenos Aires. Argentines don’t leave their houses without their mate travel packs- a thermos shaped shoulder bag with room for a tupperware of ground mate, a gourd and a bombilla (the straw with a built in filter). Adam has taken it a step further, refusing to wear anything in public that does not coordinate with his new Boca Juniors mate cup.

♡Sweet, sweet Mate♡

Jobless, but not Homeless

2006-02-01T14:35:00.000-03:00

(Last day in our hostel)
At long last we have a home to call our own. It has been an arduous task to find an apartment in this metropolis. We have waited one very long month for our little nook in Palermo (an area of the city). We have endured a month and a half of communal living, sleeping and eating, but have been handsomely rewarded with a sweet new pad. No more cramped hostels lined with bunk beds, no more flip-flops in the shower and no more suitcases! Our apartment is conveniently located across the street from a video store, a produce/ meat market and a gym, and next to an empanada/pizzeria, a pharmacy and plenty of cafes. God bless big city living!

For anyone interested, our phone number is 011-54-11-4823-9883. Address to come shortly.

Here's a little tour of the place, This is our apartment building. It is small in comparison to the monster buildings in other parts of the city. Palermo is still very much the city, but it has a peacefulness that we like. Our window is the open one on the top left.

This is our door, notice the classy graffiti... that is how we recognize. It is nice to have an identifiable characteristic to look for because we tend get thrown off with all of the look-alike doors. Once Lara was sitting outside the wrong door in a fit of rage because her key didn't work.... hmmmm.

Yeah, that's right, that is our sweet new living room. It is a little swanky for us to tell the truth, but I guess we will just have to learn to live with it. The burdens of a fully furnished apartment (sigh).

Last but not least, the hood. We are very pleased, or as Lara's mom Gayle would put it "tickled pink" with the area we are in. The trees are a nice touch and there is so much around us. We are in the process of finding our locals; those little gems with dollar beers and 3 peso lomo sandwiches.

We Have Arrived

2006-01-14T13:19:00.000-03:00

We have reached our destination, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and although our Central American adventures are over (for the time being), our journey in South America has just begun. This city is HUGE. We have not experienced big city living, so everything is new and exciting to us right now. That is not to say that all is smooth and perfect, to date we are still homeless and jobless. We recently put an ad in the paper to advertise our English expertise, so cross your fingers that a) we get some interested folks, and b) that we are not deported for working illegally.

We are currently reunited with our fellow traveler and long lost friend Emilia Callero (pronounced Cajero in these parts). All of the city exploration has unfortunately caught up with her, and we had to take her to the hospital to get some antibiotics yesterday. In the process, a very important bag containing her passport and camera were left in the taxi. It was a frustrating day to say the least.

We will be posting more news as we get our feet on the ground. No number or address yet, but as soon as we are established we will let you all know!

Surfing on Christmas Day

2006-01-07T13:56:00.000-03:00

It was an adventure, but we did get up...

BARELY!

Christmas in Nicaragua

2005-12-26T00:44:00.000-03:00

Here we are on Christmas day with flip-flops and shorts on. This is our first Christmas away from home, and although we are missing family and friends very much, we cannot imagine a more beautiful place to be for Christmas. Nicaragua is an amazing country! Since we have been here we have visited the oldest colonial town in Central America (Granada), swam in one of the world’s largest lakes (lake Nicaragua), climbed (halfway) up an active volcano (Concepcion, Ometepe), kayaked around a lagoon (Apoyo), seen howler and white faced monkeys and today we rented surfboards and got thrashed by the pacific ocean (San Juan del Sur). This may sound like a travel promotion for Nicaragua, but in all honesty we have had a once in a lifetime experience traveling here. Each town we end up in seems to get better.

Traveling in Central America is a bit of a contrast to living here. We still see the poverty that we experienced in Comayagua, but we are definitely more removed from it. As tourists we are no longer a part of the city, we are just temporary boarders or another gringo taxi ride. Despite our tourist status, people have received us well, spoken almost entirely Spanish with us and have been overwhelmingly friendly. Because these places are not frequented by Americans, it is not always assumed that we are from the States; giving people a less bias opportunity to find out why we are here. It seems that so many references have been made to the movie The Beach, and it really is a rather accurate comparison. We are here as a small group of people, all of whom feel a desire to escape gringo tourism, but essentially we ARE what we are trying to break away from. This realization aside, we are learning a lot and will not forget this Christmas in Nicaragua.

Merry Christmas from Adam and Lara!

(Pictures top to bottom: Lake Nicaragua from Isla Ometepe, Flip into the lake from one of the 365 isletas, sunset on Christmas Eve in San Juan del Sur, Christmas Day on the beach)

Adios Honduras

2005-12-07T13:51:00.000-03:00

After exactly 4 months from our arrival in Central America, we begin the process of saying good-bye. It has been an amazing experience here and we definitely have mixed feelings about leaving. We have learned so much about this part of the world and of the struggling realities that nations living in the shadow of a much larger, northern superpower face. Although Honduras will always have a place in our hearts, is time for us to move on and in ten short days we will be departing Comayagua. Our next adventure begins on a Tica bus to Nicaragua where we will spend a week on the shores and volcanic islands of Lake Nicaragua. ( A quick fact for you all... bull sharks are a unique species of shark that live in both salt and fresh water. Lake Nicaragua happens to be the only known fresh water breeding ground of these particular sharks.) Our tentative plans are to spend Christmas drinking rum and surfing on the Pacific coast in a town called San Juan del Sur. From there we will bus to Costa Rica and spend a few days before we fly out of San Jose and on to our next destination. Stay tuned...

Here we are with our roommate Sabrina (whom you will be seeing more of in the future*) at an Escuela Bilingue Honduras holiday celebration. It is such a classic example of the dichotomy we face here every day... living in the third world, but socializing with our school at a private golf club. It is fair to say that we will leave here with some regrets.

Adam and our neighbor Francesca "How could you deny that girl anything"

Thanksgiving in Copán

2005-12-06T14:23:00.000-03:00

We went to the Mayan ruins of Copán for Thanksgiving weekend. It was well worth the grisly 8-hour bus ride to get there. They packed us in so tight that we had to sit on plastic stools in the isle. There were at least 75 people on the bus, which was an old BlueBird school bus from the US. We had two flat tires on the way there, and at one point the bus was stopped and all the men, including Adam, had to get out and be searched by the police.

The town of Copán Ruinas is everything that an old colonial town should be: Cobblestone streets, a picturesque church and a lush backdrop. It was gorgeous! We hitchhiked to some hot springs on the outskirts of town that were quite possibly the highlight of the trip.

Growing out the Locks

2005-11-22T21:23:00.000-03:00

The last haircut Adam received was from Lara's Grandpa back in early August. Check out the monthly progression.

Adam at one month...

Adam after two months in Honduras

Three months, looking a little shaggy

Looking a bit run down at the four month mark... Corn rows are Adam's new style. He has also decided to add a beard and glasses to his new look.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! We will be celebrating in an ex-pat military bar of all places. Hey, pumpkin pie is pumpkin pie!!! Do you see what this place has done to us :).

Primero B con Mr. Adam

2005-11-21T18:25:00.000-03:00

Adam's first grade class decked out in their P.E. clothes. This is a good group of 17 young kids, all learning new and important subjects, to make things even more difficult they are doing this all while learning English. The students arrive at 7:00, have a total of 10 classes throughout the day, and leave at 2:30. The students have eight subjects with me and five others that are taught in Spanish, with recess and lunch thrown in. It is a pretty amazing feat for 7-year-olds to accomplish, but the kids (and their teacher) make it through the day.

Here they are working diligently on an assignment.

Escuela Bilingue does not offer after school activities. It is unfortunate, but as a result it lacks a sense of community and school spirit. The P.E. teacher took it upon himself to change this. He has organized an annual folkloric festival for the students to showcase traditional Honduran dances that they have learned. This was refreshing for us because we have felt very excluded from the Honduran culture since we arrived. In general, the school does not foster a strong sense of culture or history, but during the festival we saw an enthusiastic side of Escuela Bilingue Honduras.
Here is Adam's class during their dance.

Lara's Class

2005-11-21T16:59:00.000-03:00

2nd grade takes a lot of energy! Process seems to be much more important than content at this point. It has been a challenge adjusting to this age, but it has helped that the kids are so sweet and eager to learn.

Lara's class took second place in the folkloric festival.

Warning: The Electric Fence Does NOT Work

2005-11-17T14:39:00.000-03:00

Halloween brought out the weird-Os! The winner of our costume party was Tazer the Latino WWF wrestler, in a close second was the Adam and Charles duo dressed as... well we are still not exactly sure. Tazer decided that it was time to test out the electric fence, so armed with a mask, cape and borrowed tighty-whities, he took a firm grip and............ NOTHING! That is correct, the fence is just a facade. Fortunately (or rather hopefully), we, the residents of the compound, are the only people aware of this. But now that you know, if you are thinking of coming down here to steal our bikes, think again! We still have our armed guard, and if that is not enough to scare you off.... TAZER!

There is no such thing as a Halloween party without a pirate!

Firecrackers Blow (pun intended)

2005-10-29T02:53:00.000-03:00

It has always been loud in Comayagua. Even though we are at least a mile from the busy part of the city, it is still hard to find a peaceful moment. Recently the noise has worsened thanks to a group of people who have invested in a large shipment of firecrackers. These firecrackers must be cheap and abundant, because they have become the new fad with not only the children, but grown men as well. In fact, people love them so much that they wake up at 4:00 am to shoot them off. The fascinating thing about these firecrackers is that they don’t do anything but make really loud gunshot noises. No sparks, spinners, whistles or flames, just an extremely large bang. At times, the only way we can distinguish between a firecracker and a gunshot is whether or not we hear it cocked before the explosion. We are crossing our fingers that they run out shortly.

The firecrackers drove us to dismiss the hurricane warnings and head to the coast for the weekend. We figured that Wilma’s recent passing would keep people away from the Caribbean for the time being. Six of us hopped on a bus and headed to Tela, where the weather was excellent, and the only sign of the hurricane was the uncharacteristically large waves in the typically calm Caribbean. Travel is inexpensive here; with six people we were able to stay in an incredible hotel for less than ten dollars each. Come Sunday, it was hard to get back on the bus, but the weekend away gave us just enough momentum to persevere through the week.

View from our Hotel

Extremely Strange Coincidence!

2005-10-23T20:21:00.000-03:00

We currently have 13 teachers living in the three gringo houses in barrio San Blas. At times I think we could film ourselves and be an episode of the real world, but for the most part things are pretty low key here. Of the 13, most are American, though we do have a Canadian and a Russian in the mix. Each house has a very different climate, although we all float between the three houses(we have easy access through back gates).

When we arrived at the airport in Tugucigalpa, we met two of the other teachers, one from New York and the other from the Bay area. We were driven in a humungous red Ford F-350 to the school in Comayagua. Unnecessarily large vehicles generally disgust us both, but after a few minutes on the Honduran highway we became very appreciative of the fact that we were the largest vehicle on the road. At the school we met up with a few of the other teacher that had arrived, both from Canada (one has left). We were informed that the date of our training had been changed because we were still waiting for a few teachers to arrive, and then we were asked if we were hungry. Hungry?... of course we were, we had been traveling for twelve hours. Excited for our first Honduran meal, we jumped back in the red beast and were taken strait to Wendy’s. The only American restaurant in all of Comayagua, and that is where we had our first Honduran meal.

A week later training began and the majority of the teachers had arrived, although we were still missing one couple scheduled to come the following day. Lara was anticipating the arrival of the two new teachers because one would be sharing second grade with her.

Tuesday came and in walked the new couple. “Lara?!?!” said a familiar face. What are the odds? A childhood friend of Lara’s, Amanda Arran, and her boyfriend Michael West (also from Salem), were the last of the teachers to arrive at EBH. Of the thirteen original English teachers, four of us were born and raised in Salem, Oregon and five of us graduated from the University of Oregon.

A birthday party at casa verde

La Casa

2005-10-15T02:02:00.000-03:00

So far the focus of our blog has been everywhere but our actual home... so here it is at last. At some point we hope to add pictures of the city and the school, but for now we are still weary of taking our camera out of the protection of our compound.

Welcome to barrio San Blas. Our refuge, our pulperia and our prison. We have spent a good deal of our time literally locked in our pink home with the blue door. We have grown very fond of it, yet despise it all the same… I guess you could say we have developed quite the love hate relationship with our place of residence. When it rains, which it does quite often, (especially with all of the tropical storms in the Caribbean lately) our unpaved street becomes a muddy river.

We live in the pink house with the bright blue gate. We are the middle of the three Gringo houses. Our houses are great and so are the other teachers, however, we really wish that we were living with Hondurans so that we could learn more about the culture and language. We are looking into homestay possibilities, but are content with our living situation for the time being.

Comayagua sits in a gorgeous valley. In all directions we can see the mountains. When we want to go hiking we can literally go out our door and right up into the hills. It is nice to be out of the city, but because we don’t have access to public transportation, we do a whole lot of walking. There is always the option of taking a taxi, which are plentiful in this city, a 10 minute ride costs about a buck fifty for both of us.

We have mixed emotions about the installation of the electric fence and bars. We realize that it is necessary, but it sure ruins the view from our balcony. We are spoiled, the couples get larger rooms with a nice little balcony. We try and spend as much time out there as we can, it is a luxury to be able to see over the wall.
Adam’s favorite thing to do is to sit on our balcony, drink Salva Vida, listen to music and watch the lightening storms… they are incredible here.

Our room is simple but nice. Everything is brand new. We have had our fair share of problems though. The walls have been ripped out several times to find out why our stairs get really hot when we take showers. The power goes out often, but that seems to be a way of life here. In fact, when the power goes out in Comayagua, it goes out in the whole country.

La Tigra

2005-10-03T11:57:00.000-03:00

We spent the weekend in La Tigra, a national park in the mountains of Honduras about an hour and a half from Comayagua. We went for Lara's 24th birthday. We stayed at a bed and breakfast owned by German veterinarians. It was nice to be in the mountains, we could drink the tap water and sleep with blankets on our bed. We did not realize how much we would miss cool weather.

La Tigra is in a cloud forest that over looks the town of San Juancito. It used to be an old silver mining town, but became a ghost town when American mining companies extracted everything and left. Old American style houses still stand, although they are very decrepit.

It was quite a hike to get up to the hotel and national park. We asked in the town where the "hotel de los Alemanes" was, and the responses were consistent... "arriba"...up. No kidding! We made it past the town and to a fork in the road where we noticed a little dog with a green collar (most dogs here are stray, so it was strange to see a dog with a collar). We followed this little dog for about an hour and a half. We began to trust him, and because we had no directions, address or even the name of the hotel, he was all we had to go on. The first time the road forked we joked that the dog seemed to be our guide, so when he chose left, we did too. After about an hour, the little dog was still with us. When we stopped for water he would wait. He was always about 15 feet in front of us. Finally the incline leveled out, we were drenched in sweat and ready to collapse. We walked passed an unassuming iron gate, and after a few minutes we realized that the dog was no longer with us. We took it as a bad omen and turned around. As we passed the gate again, we heard a bark, I would even go as far as to say it was a welcoming bark. We entered the gate, followed the dog down the trail and sure enough we had arrived. A man with a thick German accent greeted us. We asked about the dog and he told us that it was his, and that Rudi (the dog) had began guiding tourist up the mountain on his own about a year ago. He said that it was his talent. At the end of our stay he led us back down the mountain and left us at the fork in the road.

Belikin in Belize

2005-09-16T12:01:00.000-03:00

A few weeks ago we went to Belize during a five-day weekend. It was a journey getting there. After 3 buses, 2 boats, 2 taxis and some hitch hiking, we ended up on a five-acre island called Tobacco Caye off the coast of Belize. We stayed with an elderly couple who treated us like grandkids. It was wonderful; we ate great food and snorkeled right off the dock. We saw stingray and other amazing fish and coral. Oh, and we drank Belinkin beer which is sooooo much better then Honduran beer.

Lago Yojoa

2005-08-21T16:17:00.000-03:00

We did not realize how spoiled we are as beer drinkers in the Pacific North West. Honduran beer just does not do it for us; it lacks both quality and variety. We were pleasantly surprised when we ran across a brewery (ran by an Oregonian brew master) in our travel book near a lake about an hour and a half from Comayagua. We spent the weekend at Lake Yojoa and it was absolutely beautiful. We stayed the night right on the lake at a hotel called Agua Azul. Aside from the mosquitoes, it well worth the wild bus ride. The brewery was tiny– the beer was brewed in a truck trailer. It was delicious though, made from Oregon hops.

Adam and Lara in Roatan

2005-08-11T12:11:00.000-03:00

We traveled to the Bay Islands at the end of August. What a place! We have never seen such beautiful beaches. English is the main language of the islands because the population is mostly Garifune, a group of African people brought to the Caribbean by the British. It was a wonderful and relaxing trip.

Word to the wise...

2005-08-11T05:22:00.000-03:00

Wash out your snorkeling gear before you wear it!

Hello!

2005-08-10T13:10:00.000-03:00

Hello from Comayagua, Honduras! Thank you all for checking our blog. We are new to this advanced form of communication, but thought it would be a fun way to keep in contact with people from back home.

I can't believe it, but we are already nearing the 2-month mark here in Honduras. It really has gone fast. We have been keeping ourselves busy teaching, traveling and getting this city figured out. The landscape of Honduras is stunning, but the city of Comayagua is quite dirty. Honduras is about the size of Tennessee, so we are able to travel easily to the coast, mountains and other Central American countries.

The location of Honduras is perfect in terms of travel opportunities, however there are plenty of challenges here as well. We have been robbed several times, 4 to be exact. In a town of 85,000 people, 12 Americans/Canadians living together become quite a target. Unfortunately, our employers did not use the best logic in their decision to place us in brand new, brightly painted, pastel houses in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city. Our 12-foot walls topped with razor wire proved to be quite penetrable, as we were robbed 4 times in one month. Adam and I have been lucky and only lost a few pairs of shoes and a bike. Other people lost everything including laptops, CDs, passports, credit cards, clothing, etc. After the third robbery the school decided to increase our protections and hire a guard and put up electric razor wire with an alarm, but the first guard robbed us and shot a hole in our wall. So now we have a new guard and have hopefully seen an end to the robberies... we really don't have anything left to take anyway.

Everyday is a new experience here, and we will continue posting to keep you all up to date. We would love to hear from all of you, so don't be shy! Thanks for all of your prayers, kind thoughts, e-mails, and encouragement, they are helping us to stay positive!