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Main | Journal: Buenos Aires, AR | ||
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Buenos Aires, Argentina Tuesday, March 9
Greetings and Salutations!
Editor's Note: Please excuse me if this edition becomes incoherent
after a paragraph or two--I have just arrived in Buenos Aires after a
twenty-hour bus ride from Iguazu Falls and like all of my bus travels,
I was unable to catch a wink.
The bus journey here was a trip in and of itself. Currently, I'm
traveling with two girls from London, a guy from Western England and
an Aussie. We took seats in the back of the bus so that we could sit
together.
I spent the previous four days in Iguazu Falls. If Carnaval is
supposed to make Mardi Gras look like a backyard BBQ then Iguazu makes
Niagara Falls look like a water slide in a kiddie pool. Truly one of
the greatest natural phenomena that I have witnessed, Iguazu Falls is
a must-see for any traveler in South America. The Falls stretched for
what must have been several miles and ranged in sizes from small to
grotesquely obese. My words here can do them no justice so hop around
on the Net and see for yourself.
 On Saturday, my friends and I got on the wrong bus and wound up near Paraguay so we took a look around. Talk about your cheap CDs, I picked up 5 CDs for $10. The sketchy nature of the place kept us from staying too much longer though. The hostel that I stayed at near the Falls was similar to a resort. It had a pool where everyone congregated and had great atmosphere. I met a couple of Israelis that provided me with a few Hebrew lessons and promised more if I make another trip to Tel Aviv. I also participated in a few soccer games on a field that would make a landscaper quite proud. As I look at my tanned skin and think about the great people I've met thus far, I can't imagine going home. Some of you have asked about my immediate and long-range plans. I can only say that for now, I'll go where the wind blows. In the longer term, I plan to travel through Australia and New Zealand within a couple years of coming home. By that time, I should have free accomodations all around those areas. Anyone want to join me? This trip, only one month young, is beginning to change the way I see myself and how I fit into the world. Just a couple of years ago, I was trained to fight and kill as a banker or a consultant. For those of you still on that path, sorry, but I'm starting to see the light. Go away for awhile and see what suits you. Well, I think I've gone on quite enough for now. I can't believe that I'm going to miss the NCAA Basketball Tournament for the first time, but I'll be occupied just fine. All the best! Dan
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In the future, I will prefer solitary confinement as the
smell from the bathroom shot into my nostrils and became more and more
pungent as the night wore on. I'm not quite sure, but someone might
have died in there during the wee hours of the morning. We offered
free beer to anyone who could stay in there for 10 minutes. All
declined the offer. Anyway, the best part of the trip was the family
that sat adjacent to our group. The family included a fireball of a
10 year-old girl who spoke Spanish just the way I like it...SLOW! Her
and I became buddies instantly. Within one hour, I was giving my
first English lesson! As a result, she has added ten English words to
her vocabulary. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a written
recommendation from her that I could take to the language schools
here. After our lesson, I spoke with her father for about two
hours--in Spanish! I can't believe how much fun it is to speak
another languague! However, since then I have been mentally exhausted.
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