Monday, February 16, 2026
Update 16
We needed a rest, plan ahead & catch up day. Got it. We were able to talk to Solei in Buenos Aires & lined up some volunteer work there when we get back from our cruise. Solei and I had connected just days before we left for this trip. She was an exchange student in US several years ago so speaks English. She coordinates volunteer opportunities with Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace). I was glad to make those arrangements. We also went to the airport & got tickets for tomorrow a.m. to Buenos Aires. There's a point over looking the river near here where you can be standing in Argentina & see both Brazil & Paraguay…so we checked that out too.
It's Friday…so we must be in Uruguay! Our flight this am left at 8:45, landed in Buenos Aires where we went to the ferry station & boarded one headed for Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. It's a very ancient & quaint town that must of decided years ago to just keep the old buildings & stone walkways…which turned out to be a good idea. Our hotel & several other businesses are now in the old buildings. The city was crowded with people snapping photos of the old buildings many with flowering vines crawling up them. Such vibrant shades of purple, yellow & red. The town boasts 8 museums so on Saturday, we wandered through 5 of them filled with indigenous tools & clay pottery; Spaniard soldier gear & furnishings; birds, butterfly & extinct animal bones; and modern art. The weather was much cooler with a nice breeze. We found a grocery store with sandwiches, empanadas & Coke Light so we had a nice picnic in a quiet part around 3. From there we grabbed our luggage & headed to our booked room further from the center of the city for the night. We were in for a surprise! The man who answered the door told us (via translator) that his family had rented it for the weekend…and we were not the first to show up with confirmed reservations. So now what?? The man spent the next 45 minutes calling around (because he was Uruguayan & very kind) and somehow he found us a room…even though our searches showed everything full for miles around. Then he called a taxi for us. He couldn't have been more helpful! He was here in Colonia del Sacramento celebrating his 70th birthday….we were celebrating his kindness!! So back to town we went & found the hotel…a very nice one. By 6, we were ready to go to the city park where 2 musicians were putting on silly skits. We couldn't understand the jokes but could sure understand how much the laid back crowd enjoyed the show! We especially loved watching the happy toddler & kids freely roam and interact with the crowd sprawled out on the grassy hillside. And…since it was Valentine's Day, we found a place serving chocolate cake with layers of duche de leche (like Carmel) and flan too. MMMMmmm. Slept well in our nice accommodations.
Next morning it was raining. First big rain since we left home. It gave us time to research later stays. Our bus to Montevideo ( the capital) left at 2 and for 3 hours we had window views of the country side: corn hay & soybean fields, dairy cows, and housing similar to Argentina. Road was smooth & bus comfortable.
It's Friday…so we must be in Uruguay! Our flight this am left at 8:45, landed in Buenos Aires where we went to the ferry station & boarded one headed for Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. It's a very ancient & quaint town that must of decided years ago to just keep the old buildings & stone walkways…which turned out to be a good idea. Our hotel & several other businesses are now in the old buildings. The city was crowded with people snapping photos of the old buildings many with flowering vines crawling up them. Such vibrant shades of purple, yellow & red. The town boasts 8 museums so on Saturday, we wandered through 5 of them filled with indigenous tools & clay pottery; Spaniard soldier gear & furnishings; birds, butterfly & extinct animal bones; and modern art. The weather was much cooler with a nice breeze. We found a grocery store with sandwiches, empanadas & Coke Light so we had a nice picnic in a quiet part around 3. From there we grabbed our luggage & headed to our booked room further from the center of the city for the night. We were in for a surprise! The man who answered the door told us (via translator) that his family had rented it for the weekend…and we were not the first to show up with confirmed reservations. So now what?? The man spent the next 45 minutes calling around (because he was Uruguayan & very kind) and somehow he found us a room…even though our searches showed everything full for miles around. Then he called a taxi for us. He couldn't have been more helpful! He was here in Colonia del Sacramento celebrating his 70th birthday….we were celebrating his kindness!! So back to town we went & found the hotel…a very nice one. By 6, we were ready to go to the city park where 2 musicians were putting on silly skits. We couldn't understand the jokes but could sure understand how much the laid back crowd enjoyed the show! We especially loved watching the happy toddler & kids freely roam and interact with the crowd sprawled out on the grassy hillside. And…since it was Valentine's Day, we found a place serving chocolate cake with layers of duche de leche (like Carmel) and flan too. MMMMmmm. Slept well in our nice accommodations.
Next morning it was raining. First big rain since we left home. It gave us time to research later stays. Our bus to Montevideo ( the capital) left at 2 and for 3 hours we had window views of the country side: corn hay & soybean fields, dairy cows, and housing similar to Argentina. Road was smooth & bus comfortable.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Update 15
Back on a bus and this time…really headed to the Iguazu Falls. Seems we've been headed here for a week! Just a 7 hour ride which included the 30 min we had to wait for a replacement bus when ours quit. We headed right to the closest restaurant and enjoyed the traditional Milanese dinner. (Think country fried steak). Our hotel was a short taxi ride away & the pool was a sight for poor eyes! We made several phone calls home before turning off the lights. Rog was up eating breakfast by 7:30. I'd decided to skip it cause the little I eat for breakfast wasn't worth the extra $6 charge. After a short taxi ride, we had arrived!! Excited, we eagerly headed down the path…after almost an hour we still hadn't seen any waterfalls! Really…haven't we waited long enough!?! Then we started hearing them. It got louder & louder until it was a roar & then around one more corner…and there it was!! The first of so many incredible falls we continued to see around each bend. Just phenomenal !!! The area is massive in size. Each waterfall magnificent on its own but next to so many others…just indescribable!
Our final view was at Devil's Throat where several falls merged to create the grandest & loudest falls of all. And in its mist was a perfect rainbow! Breathtaking! The kind that makes your legs feel like rubber & your heart stop beating. The Iguazu Falls. So worth the 2-3 miles of walking in +95F hot sun…fortunately about half was in the shade. Another plus was we got to see coaties, black horned capuchin monkeys & plush crusted jays along the path. We also were in the right place at the right time (& have gray hair) to catch a golf cart ride & took the train ride back to the entrance which spared us an additional 2-3 miles. Frequent water stops & using cool water towels helped us survive but we were both overwhelmingly exhausted when we got back to our hotel & jumped in the pool. I think I heard a hiss as our hot bodies hit the cool water. After a long soak, we walked to the nearest restaurant & gobbled down grilled veges & Sorrentino (stuffed noodles/Argentina dish).
This was truly a day we'll never forget!
Our final view was at Devil's Throat where several falls merged to create the grandest & loudest falls of all. And in its mist was a perfect rainbow! Breathtaking! The kind that makes your legs feel like rubber & your heart stop beating. The Iguazu Falls. So worth the 2-3 miles of walking in +95F hot sun…fortunately about half was in the shade. Another plus was we got to see coaties, black horned capuchin monkeys & plush crusted jays along the path. We also were in the right place at the right time (& have gray hair) to catch a golf cart ride & took the train ride back to the entrance which spared us an additional 2-3 miles. Frequent water stops & using cool water towels helped us survive but we were both overwhelmingly exhausted when we got back to our hotel & jumped in the pool. I think I heard a hiss as our hot bodies hit the cool water. After a long soak, we walked to the nearest restaurant & gobbled down grilled veges & Sorrentino (stuffed noodles/Argentina dish).
This was truly a day we'll never forget!
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Update 14
Paraguay
This morning Rog said he thought getting to Encarnacion, Paraguay was going to be easy. It's just across the river. Take Uber to train station & then Uber to hotel. Wrong. Our Uber driver took us to the train station but there was no train to Paraguay. He refused to take us to Paraguay. But because we just lucky, our Uber driver found us a taxi driver who agreed to take us to our hotel in Encarnacion! There we dropped out luggage & the hotel clerk exchanged $50 US for $300,000 Paraguay Guarani (PYG). We're rich! Enchiladas at a local restaurant lured us in. Rog got a sausage hot dog too. We headed to a large park that had a Japanese garden. Always fun to watch kids playing. Went back to our hotel for a swim & rest. Around 4 we found the #2 attraction in Paraguay….the beach. I have NEVER seen so many people enjoying a beach! Thousands! Standing in the center of the beach, you could barely see the ends. Tents, umbrellas, lawn chairs, coolers & solid people. Kids shrieking with happiness & building sand castles, adults sipping mate or beer. The sand was fine & a rusty brown color. The water fairly clean especially considering it was the Parana River bank. We found a shady spot kind of far from the crowd, rented chairs & just soaked it all in. There was continuous activity on the nearby volleyball court. A couple of kinda drunks sat by us & even though we told them several time we couldn't understand them…they kept talking to us. They were having so much fun whistling & eyeing the girls walking by whose butts were in full view. When the sun got lower & less intense, we moved closer to the beach in time to see the sunset. Just at sunset, there was a mass exit from the water. A life guard walked the beach assuring everyone was out. No need for parents to try getting their kids out of the water! For the next hour or so, girls posed for photos. Seriously how many pictures do you need! We went back to our room ready for a shower, swim & bed.
Next morning we went down to breakfast the hotel provided. It looked like quite a spread but besides the scrambled eggs & fruit…it was over 10 types of bread! Guess they like to fill up on bread much like in Argentina. Our hotel called a taxi for us to get us to the bus station where we thought a bus to Trinidad left every 1/2 hour. Wrong. After 2 hours, the guy who'd sold us tickets pointed to a dilapidated mini bus that would take us to the #1 attraction in Paraguay—the UNESCO site of a Jesuit mission. We noticed the Paraguay was had more hills & smaller farm fields and also lots of tractors. Housing and small towns looked about the same as Argentina. The bus dropped us off at a bus stop in the middle of no where. Luckily a young girl got off there too & she knew how to get a taxi…well it did have 4 wheels but wasn't as good as most demolition cars. We rattled down a dirt road then dropped the girl off first where she was greeted by hugs. Soon after…tada…well arrived at Jesus de Tavarangüé. This massive structure took some imagination to visualize what it had been. Actually it was never completed as the Spaniards killed or ran the priests off. The Spaniards didn't like the Jesuits because they were educating & protecting the natives who the Spaniards wanted as slaves. As we walked out, we read on the information board that there was a restaurant just 10 min walk. We found it with an open sign lit & food displayed in the barred window…but no one around. So we walked on and found another one. Same scenario. Walked on & bingo…found one! Since there were only cookies & cakes displayed, we asked if the clerk would make us a sandwich. She happily did & we bought a large, cold bottle of water. Perfect. Then we tried to get an Uber ride. Nope. Few cars around & no taxi cars going by. Now what ? The clerk who'd made us sandwiches, didn't know how to get a taxi. We'd noticed some people sitting in their front yard earlier so we went up to their gate & held up our translator asking if they could call us a taxi. They opened their gate, moved a bench to the shade & invited us in. A young girl left with her phone and so we spent the next 15-20 minutes visiting via translator. They were an older couple who sipped their mate (which they offered to us too) and seemed very pleased to have us there. After a bit, the young girl came back smiling & told us she'd called a taxi. So though we seemed stranded in the middle of nowhere…we actually were getting a free authentic experience with some friendly & helpful Paraguayans! Priceless! A much older car with a taxi sign magnetically stuck on top (which later he took off) picked us up & took us to our hotel in Argentina. Our Paraguay experience reminded us of others we've had where we are reminded to "See the journey" which is as rich as our destination!
This morning Rog said he thought getting to Encarnacion, Paraguay was going to be easy. It's just across the river. Take Uber to train station & then Uber to hotel. Wrong. Our Uber driver took us to the train station but there was no train to Paraguay. He refused to take us to Paraguay. But because we just lucky, our Uber driver found us a taxi driver who agreed to take us to our hotel in Encarnacion! There we dropped out luggage & the hotel clerk exchanged $50 US for $300,000 Paraguay Guarani (PYG). We're rich! Enchiladas at a local restaurant lured us in. Rog got a sausage hot dog too. We headed to a large park that had a Japanese garden. Always fun to watch kids playing. Went back to our hotel for a swim & rest. Around 4 we found the #2 attraction in Paraguay….the beach. I have NEVER seen so many people enjoying a beach! Thousands! Standing in the center of the beach, you could barely see the ends. Tents, umbrellas, lawn chairs, coolers & solid people. Kids shrieking with happiness & building sand castles, adults sipping mate or beer. The sand was fine & a rusty brown color. The water fairly clean especially considering it was the Parana River bank. We found a shady spot kind of far from the crowd, rented chairs & just soaked it all in. There was continuous activity on the nearby volleyball court. A couple of kinda drunks sat by us & even though we told them several time we couldn't understand them…they kept talking to us. They were having so much fun whistling & eyeing the girls walking by whose butts were in full view. When the sun got lower & less intense, we moved closer to the beach in time to see the sunset. Just at sunset, there was a mass exit from the water. A life guard walked the beach assuring everyone was out. No need for parents to try getting their kids out of the water! For the next hour or so, girls posed for photos. Seriously how many pictures do you need! We went back to our room ready for a shower, swim & bed.
Next morning we went down to breakfast the hotel provided. It looked like quite a spread but besides the scrambled eggs & fruit…it was over 10 types of bread! Guess they like to fill up on bread much like in Argentina. Our hotel called a taxi for us to get us to the bus station where we thought a bus to Trinidad left every 1/2 hour. Wrong. After 2 hours, the guy who'd sold us tickets pointed to a dilapidated mini bus that would take us to the #1 attraction in Paraguay—the UNESCO site of a Jesuit mission. We noticed the Paraguay was had more hills & smaller farm fields and also lots of tractors. Housing and small towns looked about the same as Argentina. The bus dropped us off at a bus stop in the middle of no where. Luckily a young girl got off there too & she knew how to get a taxi…well it did have 4 wheels but wasn't as good as most demolition cars. We rattled down a dirt road then dropped the girl off first where she was greeted by hugs. Soon after…tada…well arrived at Jesus de Tavarangüé. This massive structure took some imagination to visualize what it had been. Actually it was never completed as the Spaniards killed or ran the priests off. The Spaniards didn't like the Jesuits because they were educating & protecting the natives who the Spaniards wanted as slaves. As we walked out, we read on the information board that there was a restaurant just 10 min walk. We found it with an open sign lit & food displayed in the barred window…but no one around. So we walked on and found another one. Same scenario. Walked on & bingo…found one! Since there were only cookies & cakes displayed, we asked if the clerk would make us a sandwich. She happily did & we bought a large, cold bottle of water. Perfect. Then we tried to get an Uber ride. Nope. Few cars around & no taxi cars going by. Now what ? The clerk who'd made us sandwiches, didn't know how to get a taxi. We'd noticed some people sitting in their front yard earlier so we went up to their gate & held up our translator asking if they could call us a taxi. They opened their gate, moved a bench to the shade & invited us in. A young girl left with her phone and so we spent the next 15-20 minutes visiting via translator. They were an older couple who sipped their mate (which they offered to us too) and seemed very pleased to have us there. After a bit, the young girl came back smiling & told us she'd called a taxi. So though we seemed stranded in the middle of nowhere…we actually were getting a free authentic experience with some friendly & helpful Paraguayans! Priceless! A much older car with a taxi sign magnetically stuck on top (which later he took off) picked us up & took us to our hotel in Argentina. Our Paraguay experience reminded us of others we've had where we are reminded to "See the journey" which is as rich as our destination!
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Update 13
So we cleaned up our villa, got in the van with Juan at 9 am. We pulled out after many waves, more good byes & some honking. Juan took us to the bus station & though we were there an hour early because we wanted to make sure we didn't miss the bus, Juan insisted on staying til we loaded. Rog & he ended up having a great time conversing via translator. Juan eventually downloaded the app so he could practice using it himself. He's anxious to learn to speak English more fluently. Turns out his wife (whom I helped in the kitchen on Sunday) has a 3X black belt & has won many competitions. A nice bus arrived on time. Rog had us in (clean) window seats on the shady side of the bus. Always a good planner. So with our trusty collapsable cooler (that we got for our Hawaiian breakfast on the beach long ago) stocked with cheese, ham, bread, water & Coke Zero we were off for a pleasant 6 hour bus trip. I love window views: huge fields of corn & soybeans, pastures with cattle, road work, small vendors, jugglers 2 intersections, kids playing in small pools, too much trash, lots of bars on windows & barb wire, police stops, poor & nice housing and mass plantings of both rubber & eucalyptus trees…but no kookaburras!
We got off the bus in Concordia & caught an Uber to our hotel & soon were in a pool…not the clearest but it felt great. we found a hamburger spot later &since we could, watched an English speaking movie in our air conditioned room with no mosquitoes. Next morning, our host brought us a basket of fresh breakfast rolls & we had coffee & hot chocolate mix. Our first place to check out was the Museum of Anthropology & Nat'l Science. Huge skeleton display of a deodicurus (picture of huge turtle) and a giant sloth. We found a pizza for lunch & picked up some food to replenish our supply for our trip tomorrow. The afternoon heat made jumping in the pool very inviting. Around 3 we headed to see Castillo San Carlos. A bit overrated. Supposedly the man who wrote The Little Prince got many of his ideas here after he had made an emergency landing on the immense castle grounds & befriended the family. It was extremely hot! The park thermometer read 45C (that's 113F)11. Quite amazingly, there was a small stand nearby where we got cold drinks & miracle of miracles…a chocolate crepe! MMMMmmm. Also almost as good as the crepe…there was a hose with dripping water hanging over the pergola. We both soaked ourselves …several times. Felt soo good. We slowly walked back to the road where we called for an Uber. One more swim & then early to bed cause we had to be up at 2:30am to catch a bus. It was a nice bus so we easily fell to sleep & woke up to see the gorgeous sunrise & got off in Paso de Los Libres. Brazil is right across the river. A taxi took us to our hotel which we'd rented for 2 days (only $30 ea) so we could check in right away. Basic but clean & cool. Rested a while & then went to check out this town. Lots of nice stores, some rough areas but mostly okay. We couldn't find any restaurants open so we had to settle for a hamburger at a gas station. We were hot & tired when we got back to our room and took a as cold as possible shower. Since there is not much happening in this town, we watched a The Starling…in English! Later we headed out looking for a nice dinner but struck out again & only found bread, beer & a Coke Zero.
Moving on, we were on a bus at noon headed for Posadas…7 hours away. Window views are similar to what we've been seeing with some nice housing in town centers & mostly not good outside.
Posada is a large town & quite modern looking with much more traffic & large stores. You can see Paraguay across the river. Our booked room was out a town a bit and in a very quaint & artsy house. The owner is a chef & has filled this place with interesting decorations and plants. He has a waterfall in the living room & an inviting pool in the back area. About 8:30 we headed for dinner but it seemed we were in the wrong part of town for restaurants so ended up getting cheese & corn stuffed rolls & a burger at fast food places. Then we went into an ice cream shop & I asked if we could eat there & then order ice cream. Three young girl clerks giggled & nodded yes. The ice cream & girls were the best part of that meal. We were both tired, hot & ready for bed. Breakfast was at 8 & elaborately displayed: 3 types of bread, cheese, ham, omelet, coffee & passion fruit juice…enjoyed! Then off we went to find the few sites in town…a giant statue that looked very much like the tin man in Wizard of Oz & a few hero statues and the walkway by the river. We play shade hopping as we walk. It's sooo hot! Luckily, we found a nice, cool restaurant open and shared a lasagna meal. They seem to have a ham addiction here cause even though it was mostly beef filling, it included ham! Uber took us back to the room & the cool pool was calling our names. I am sitting by it now under a gazebo area covered with a trumpet vine…much like the one we had at the farm! Tonight we hope to go to a museum & neighborhood Carnival…but we never know what we really end up doing.
Tomorrow we're off again…headed for Paraguay!
(Update: Museum closed but carnival pretty cool and got popcorn !!)
We got off the bus in Concordia & caught an Uber to our hotel & soon were in a pool…not the clearest but it felt great. we found a hamburger spot later &since we could, watched an English speaking movie in our air conditioned room with no mosquitoes. Next morning, our host brought us a basket of fresh breakfast rolls & we had coffee & hot chocolate mix. Our first place to check out was the Museum of Anthropology & Nat'l Science. Huge skeleton display of a deodicurus (picture of huge turtle) and a giant sloth. We found a pizza for lunch & picked up some food to replenish our supply for our trip tomorrow. The afternoon heat made jumping in the pool very inviting. Around 3 we headed to see Castillo San Carlos. A bit overrated. Supposedly the man who wrote The Little Prince got many of his ideas here after he had made an emergency landing on the immense castle grounds & befriended the family. It was extremely hot! The park thermometer read 45C (that's 113F)11. Quite amazingly, there was a small stand nearby where we got cold drinks & miracle of miracles…a chocolate crepe! MMMMmmm. Also almost as good as the crepe…there was a hose with dripping water hanging over the pergola. We both soaked ourselves …several times. Felt soo good. We slowly walked back to the road where we called for an Uber. One more swim & then early to bed cause we had to be up at 2:30am to catch a bus. It was a nice bus so we easily fell to sleep & woke up to see the gorgeous sunrise & got off in Paso de Los Libres. Brazil is right across the river. A taxi took us to our hotel which we'd rented for 2 days (only $30 ea) so we could check in right away. Basic but clean & cool. Rested a while & then went to check out this town. Lots of nice stores, some rough areas but mostly okay. We couldn't find any restaurants open so we had to settle for a hamburger at a gas station. We were hot & tired when we got back to our room and took a as cold as possible shower. Since there is not much happening in this town, we watched a The Starling…in English! Later we headed out looking for a nice dinner but struck out again & only found bread, beer & a Coke Zero.
Moving on, we were on a bus at noon headed for Posadas…7 hours away. Window views are similar to what we've been seeing with some nice housing in town centers & mostly not good outside.
Posada is a large town & quite modern looking with much more traffic & large stores. You can see Paraguay across the river. Our booked room was out a town a bit and in a very quaint & artsy house. The owner is a chef & has filled this place with interesting decorations and plants. He has a waterfall in the living room & an inviting pool in the back area. About 8:30 we headed for dinner but it seemed we were in the wrong part of town for restaurants so ended up getting cheese & corn stuffed rolls & a burger at fast food places. Then we went into an ice cream shop & I asked if we could eat there & then order ice cream. Three young girl clerks giggled & nodded yes. The ice cream & girls were the best part of that meal. We were both tired, hot & ready for bed. Breakfast was at 8 & elaborately displayed: 3 types of bread, cheese, ham, omelet, coffee & passion fruit juice…enjoyed! Then off we went to find the few sites in town…a giant statue that looked very much like the tin man in Wizard of Oz & a few hero statues and the walkway by the river. We play shade hopping as we walk. It's sooo hot! Luckily, we found a nice, cool restaurant open and shared a lasagna meal. They seem to have a ham addiction here cause even though it was mostly beef filling, it included ham! Uber took us back to the room & the cool pool was calling our names. I am sitting by it now under a gazebo area covered with a trumpet vine…much like the one we had at the farm! Tonight we hope to go to a museum & neighborhood Carnival…but we never know what we really end up doing.
Tomorrow we're off again…headed for Paraguay!
(Update: Museum closed but carnival pretty cool and got popcorn !!)
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Update 12
This morning we left Hogar Paz Y Algeria. On the last night just before dinner, all the men, Sisters & some staff gathered & sang a TY song. They gave us a beautiful mate cup with the metal straw & a bag of mix. Many had tears in their eyes…as I did. Each gave Rog a hand shake & me a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to say so much but was way too choked up. Rog usually can but he too couldn't. 18 days-29 men- 6 Sister & several staff now crowd my heart. Though I don't even know each of their names, I know their smile and feel their love. Sister Jane (NOT ME but MofC) assured me she would continue to set up an activity table & encourage the men to stay active. She told me it made her so happy to see us become one of them…no inhibitions inspire of the drilling, poor coordination & slow response…we connected. Though I could write pages about each one, I will try to safe just a few not already mentioned in my updates:
Beto: the longest resident, grumbled as he walk about but soft inside
Carlito: always willing to help nuns & other less able
Benjamin: suffered several strokes so very had no facial expression, tiny unsteady steps, only one hand yet very interested in tried so hard to do whatever we put in front of him
Herman; former boxer who loved talking with my translator & mourned his lack of contact with his brother
Lujan: former jockey who laughed that the others were doing useless stuff but then did them too. He loved proving he was the strongest
The careful colored: would wait till I offered to walk him to the table & then spent hours staying in the line using one color
The swollen feet man: could not make a decision & struggled which piece of the 4 piece puzzle was next
The one foot man who grinned & drooled constantly & always wanted to kiss my hand
The almost blind man who loved to just squeeze my hand
The man with the crutch who used it lots playing with the floating disc
The man I called Danny DeVito who always looked glum but loved to play with the Zip line
The oldest little old man at 81 who was willing to do anything
The young kid with jerky motions & no expression who tried hard to get a rhythm going for the Zipline & had such a short attention span
Nicoli- good looking young staff who joked with the men while picking them up & cleaning them
Truly volunteering is the best part of our travel. Rewarding. Meaningful. Priceless
Memories flood me but it's time to move on…
Here's Roger's thoughts on Zarate:
I recently heard a life coach talking about the choices we make and his advice was to make the most of the situation where you are right now. Then he said something that we all know and usually avoid saying. We will all soon be dead. True. The ball gets passed on and we become a memory for some. How will I be remembered? That is a question we all should consider.
The men at the home in Zarate have come there to die. The nuns work nonstop to care for them and provide them a clean place to live. They work with seldom a word of thanks from anyone. When I thanked a nun for mopping the floor she said the men deserve a clean place so they can die "like a human being". I will remember her for her service to others.
They also smile and laugh with the men, tease them, play music, sing, and hug them. They show them love. I will remember their love for those who are sometimes difficult to care for.
We have new appreciation for our lives after visiting with the dying men for three weeks. Many of the men were not as old as we are, but they have suffered severe health issues that prevent them from adequately providing for themselves. It is clear that they would soon die if not for the nuns. It is not hard for us to imagine ourselves in their position and we feel fortunate that we have so far been able to enjoy our lives by spending time with our families and friends, pursue travel experiences, and manage our home. Life is Good!
This morning we left Hogar Paz Y Algeria. On the last night just before dinner, all the men, Sisters & some staff gathered & sang a TY song. They gave us a beautiful mate cup with the metal straw & a bag of mix. Many had tears in their eyes…as I did. Each gave Rog a hand shake & me a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to say so much but was way too choked up. Rog usually can but he too couldn't. 18 days-29 men- 6 Sister & several staff now crowd my heart. Though I don't even know each of their names, I know their smile and feel their love. Sister Jane (NOT ME but MofC) assured me she would continue to set up an activity table & encourage the men to stay active. She told me it made her so happy to see us become one of them…no inhibitions inspire of the drilling, poor coordination & slow response…we connected. Though I could write pages about each one, I will try to safe just a few not already mentioned in my updates:
Beto: the longest resident, grumbled as he walk about but soft inside
Carlito: always willing to help nuns & other less able
Benjamin: suffered several strokes so very had no facial expression, tiny unsteady steps, only one hand yet very interested in tried so hard to do whatever we put in front of him
Herman; former boxer who loved talking with my translator & mourned his lack of contact with his brother
Lujan: former jockey who laughed that the others were doing useless stuff but then did them too. He loved proving he was the strongest
The careful colored: would wait till I offered to walk him to the table & then spent hours staying in the line using one color
The swollen feet man: could not make a decision & struggled which piece of the 4 piece puzzle was next
The one foot man who grinned & drooled constantly & always wanted to kiss my hand
The almost blind man who loved to just squeeze my hand
The man with the crutch who used it lots playing with the floating disc
The man I called Danny DeVito who always looked glum but loved to play with the Zip line
The oldest little old man at 81 who was willing to do anything
The young kid with jerky motions & no expression who tried hard to get a rhythm going for the Zipline & had such a short attention span
Nicoli- good looking young staff who joked with the men while picking them up & cleaning them
Truly volunteering is the best part of our travel. Rewarding. Meaningful. Priceless
Memories flood me but it's time to move on…
Here's Roger's thoughts on Zarate:
I recently heard a life coach talking about the choices we make and his advice was to make the most of the situation where you are right now. Then he said something that we all know and usually avoid saying. We will all soon be dead. True. The ball gets passed on and we become a memory for some. How will I be remembered? That is a question we all should consider.
The men at the home in Zarate have come there to die. The nuns work nonstop to care for them and provide them a clean place to live. They work with seldom a word of thanks from anyone. When I thanked a nun for mopping the floor she said the men deserve a clean place so they can die "like a human being". I will remember her for her service to others.
They also smile and laugh with the men, tease them, play music, sing, and hug them. They show them love. I will remember their love for those who are sometimes difficult to care for.
We have new appreciation for our lives after visiting with the dying men for three weeks. Many of the men were not as old as we are, but they have suffered severe health issues that prevent them from adequately providing for themselves. It is clear that they would soon die if not for the nuns. It is not hard for us to imagine ourselves in their position and we feel fortunate that we have so far been able to enjoy our lives by spending time with our families and friends, pursue travel experiences, and manage our home. Life is Good!
Empty Update 14??
FYI. If you're wondering why you got an empty update… Roger opened my emails prepared with addresses and ready to write my updates. Need I say anymore??
Monday, February 2, 2026
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