Update 20

The Cruise Days

Day 1
I could write all about the abundant buffets and artistically presented evening meals…but those are common knowledge. Our cabin is lovely & surprisingly spacious with every nook & cranny cleverly used. We never shut the curtains so enjoy the view where ever we are.
We first loaded about 2 & set said about 5. It's our 3rd cruise. First one Ben planned to some Caribbean Islands for his 21st birthday. Second when invited to join Dick & Nell Grannis on Nell's retirement cruise to Alaska. I can't say we're in our comfort zone, but we are taking advantage of all this ship has to offer!

Day 2
We pulled into Montevideo port but since we'd already spent a couple days here, we just discovered our way around the ship. Most people had gotten off the ship so we pretty much had the ship to ourselves. The quiet pool & hot tub were irresistible in the bright sun & warm weather. The evening entertainment was a Tango Show. Pretty amazing how much & fast some people can move their bodies!

Day 3 & 4
These were sea days. Lots of time to eat, wander & lucky for us, another warm day made the pool & hot tub a must. We also went to almost all the talks by the historian, naturalist & a professor. We've.learned lots about whales, seals, ice, ship wrecks & tales of the Land of Fire ( Tierra del Fuego)…all will enrich the places we're headed for.
Evening entertainment shows was a showtime performance with all the bells & whistles and a hilarious comedian, Bryan Gambi.

Day 5
We boarded the tender to Fort Stanley, Falkland Islands. About 4000 people & 400,000 sheep live there. Sedimentary rocks with many uplifting and rivers of broken boulders with peat between pretty much describes the East Island…and we hear most of the other 700+ islands that make up the Falkland Islands. Farming, fishing & tourism are the sources of income. We had to wonder why Argentina wanted it so bad that they went to war with England for it. Both our guides said the islanders didn't want anything to do with the Argentinians . We came to see the gentoo penguins and we were not disappointed…though the heavy rains & gusty winds did their best to deter us! The closer we got to Bertha's Bay, the harder it rained, the stronger the winds got & the colder…about 50F. We put on our rain gear & faced the elements to get a great view of hundreds of penguins who didn't seem to mind the weather at all. Nothing cuter than drenched penguins! Fortunately we had a warm van to take us back to town where we just walked about the town visiting the 2 churches, the museum & looked for Diet Coke in the grocery store. They only had Cherry Coke. Fortunately I can get all the Coke Zero I want on the ship…for $5.70 a can. We got back to the ship about 5, changed into dry clothes & headed to the buffet. Evening entertainment was a Broadway Caberet - amazing , talented singers. We then crawled into bed and enjoyed watching a movie, Sarah's Oil.

Day 6
Sea Day so took our time eating breakfast, went to presentations on glaciers & shipwrecks around Cape Horn. The historian, Jacob Marvin who tells the stories is so fun to listen to because he's so excited himself about the story that he loads them with both interesting & silly details. I also went to the salsa dance lesson. Olga & I were fast learners. (8 steps in place, 8 to the R, 8 to the L, 8 to twirl your partner, 8 to walk side by side, 8 to untwirl you partner 8 back, 8 forward. Of course move your hips at all times.) We met a couple at lunch from England & chatted lots about traveling. We quit eating at our assigned restaurant table where we were served because we were alone at the table. So tonight, we were invited to eat with Servi & Gtoo. They are Indians both born in Africa but were refugees who ended up in Canada. Vern & Beris, a black couple also from Canada joined us. He was a superintendent & she worked in a HS office. All of us have 3 children & have had many experiences similar. If only more people had the opportunity to spend time with people from different countries & cultures…maybe we'd have less conflicts! Tonight's entertainment was a lady who gracefully and quickly produced some pretty cool art using sand on an overhead…much higher quality than the one I used when I was teaching.

Day 7
We rounded Cape Horn today! Weather was fabulous so the sea was calm as we sailed through Drake Passage and around the southern most point of South America. Drake Passage is known for its deadly winds causing many shipwrecks. Jacob Marvin told fascinating stories about a few of them. We crossed the line between the Atlantic & the Pacific Ocean. That line is very visible as the colors are different. We were treated by a few whales spouts but no performances. Today was Reagan's 18th birthday. She too is passing between two great oceans: youth & adulthood. Temperature is 55F but sun was bright so we soaked in the hot tub as we passed many barren islands that make up the Cape. Tonight's entertainment was a singer dressed in red glitter & singing love songs.

Day 8
We got off the boat at 8:30 a.m & loaded the bus headed to Tierra del Fuego National Park. It was named by explorers who spotted the many fires the natives had burning to keep them warm. Here we got to marvel at the majestic, snow covered Andes surrounded by jet blue waters. Then we headed to Beagle Channel & got on a catamaran for an up front view of the lighthouse at the end of the world. We paused at a couple of islands crowded with sea lions & cormorants…and their poop. The Sei whales in the bay welcomed us back to Ushuaia, the last city in South America…once home to a prison so we heard lots of prisoner stories. We only had a bit of time left before we had to board so we called Reagan to wish her a belated Happy Birthday. Our evening entertainment was another talented tango couple.

Day 9
We're cruising the Straits of Magellan seeing mostly barren, ragged ridged land with snow covered taller ones in the background. We marveled at size of the snow covered mountains that send their sharp, pointed tops up high into the clouds. The lower grounds look like a soft green velvet. It's a sea day so we are just enjoying the views. Captain okayed viewing from the helicopter deck…until the winds picked up. Since we could see views from our room & watch a movie…we watched Origin. Very thought provoking movie about the root of the treatment of blacks, Jews, the lower caste in India and how they are all related and created by the same mentality.
We ate dinner with Servi & Gtoo again. They also are concerned about the state of our world right now. Our evening entertainment was a magician—he was ok but magic shows have never impressed me much & when I heard later that we missed seeing some gorgeous blue glaciers…I was bummed. Recalling our Alaska cruise 13 years ago eased my disappointment.

Day 10
We woke about 7:30 to our Captain announcing the Punta Arenas port was closed so we could not dock there as we'd planned. Weather was dense fog, wet & windy. That ended our plans to call home & catch up on email cause on land we could have WiFi. Manuel, our cruise entertainment director quickly put together some activities. By 10, we were sitting listening to Jacob Marvin tell the fascinating story of Schackelton. He was an Antarctica explorer & inspirational leader whose #1 priority was keeping his crew alive & good spirits under the harshest conditions possible. Ben was given the book while working for Schneider Logistics to inspire him and then he gave it to Rog. Both probably absorbed some of Shackelton's traits which have served them well. After stuffing ourselves…again…we found Vern & Beris playing Mexican Train in the Sky Lounge. They invited us to join them so that filled a couple of hours with fun & good conversation. Vern has a calm presence & spoke of several times she diffused a situation saying it was actually God who spoke through her. I understand this feeling. We ended up going to our room so Rog could watch a movie while I typed up my updates. Because we didn't dock today, we were allowed 1 hour of free WiFi. We lucked out as we were able to talk to all 3 kids. No major news so it was just nice to catch up. Entertainment tonight was again the comedian Brayan Gambi. He does make me laugh they way he uses his eyes & mimics the behavior of the chosen audience members.

Day 11
Sea Day so lots of down time. Rog went to hear the Staff Captain talk about the ship navigations & mechanics. Right up his alley. I stayed behind & caught up on my writing. Both of us went to hear Jacob Martin tell the Welsh in Patagonia story. After the more than we needed lunch, we joined a game kind of like Password…and we won! We got a Celebrity Cruise caps. We both are reading good books so we're happy spending some time reading. Rog is reading Einstein. I am reading On the Bright Side by Hendrik Groen. It's a diary of a 85 year old filled with humor & reflections. About 4 we went to find a bright place to play some cards & walk about a bit to try to work up an appetite. The evening entertainment was a Vegas like production described as a mix between Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz. Good description. Extravagant and very enjoyable.

Day 12
We docked in Puerto Madryn, a Welsh settlement (I'll have to ask my neighbor Ann about this). It's at 42 degrees S. Dexter is 42 decree N. Interesting! The port town is a large but it's the only town for miles as it surrounded by dry shrubs on flat ground. Truly wonder why the Welsh stayed? An aluminum plant, sheep & tourist are it's only $$ makers. Tourist come to see sea lions, penguins, guanaco (think llama), Orca & Right whales (but not in March). After about an hour & half van ride, we were walking around the largest Magellanic penguin rookery in the world. Hundreds of those guys were hanging out mostly just molting. The penguins seemed to be as curious about us as we were about them. Their own burrows where they yearly lay usually 2 eggs were everywhere! A gray wolf wandered about but didn't bother the penguins. After another hour and half drive passing by more barren land , we found a slew of mother sea lions & their pups hanging out at the beach. The males were off so it was a quiet & peaceful scene. Our final stop in this middle of nowhere was Estancia SanFernado . A family owned sheep ranch. The GGGpa bought this land for pennies…and it was a "penguin & sea-lion" gold mine. They served us a grilled lamb dinner. I had to chuckle looking at the sheep roaming the endless pasture joined by scads of guanoco. One is free for life…the other is not. Does make you wonder how they feel about each other. The van ride back to our ship was long & boring (2 hrs) but we had WiFi so we got caught up on WhatApp, email, Facebook, Messenger & Instagram! Bonus! we got back to our room around 5. It was 84 degrees so after a short rest, we headed for the hot tub & then dinner. We decided to skip the magic show tonight so we started watching Hamilton. Full day!

Day 13
Woke up to a spectacular morning sunrise. It's another Sea Day. Rog has been going to breakfast and brings me back yogurt. Works for us. We went to the morning Salsa dance class but Rog didn't make it past the first 4 steps so that didn't work for us. He then went off to an archery competition and I grabbed a burger & then went to a hair show…which was actually just a hair product sales pitch. Rog then got into a volleyball game. The sun was shining so we got into the hot tub for a long soak. It was dress up night except at the buffet & since we'd be very underdressed every place else, we ate there. We really like the variety anyways. Evening entertainment was a powerful singer, Kristina Wells. Another excellent performance!

Day 14
We were pulling into Punta del Este when we woke up. We got in a tender around 9 and walked to the beach with the giant hand sculpture, La Mano. This city's spectacular beach spans its entire length. We took advantage of having WiFi to call several of the kids & gkids. Got back to our ship @ 3:30 and packed our bags. We'll be getting off the ship at 8 am tomorrow. The last day to be pampered, entertained & overfed. It's been so much more plush & different from our normal mode of travel. We both agree we are not cruise people….but that didn't stop us from enjoying & spending time with "cruise people" and living the cruise life! When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Update 19

Here are some tidbits I want to capture:
-In all three countries cars are quite new & mostly small
-Lots of motorcycles and most people with helmets
-In Uruguay, we saw lots of horses
-In all three countries, we do not feel like we stand out as tourist as our skin color & dress is similar to everyone around us. We do however miss hearing English as we didn't hear any except in Buenos Aires. Some speak it if we ask, but few.
-English T-shirt captions crack me up: Church of Good Shepherd, Central Michigan University, Tigers, Fathers-Son Weekend Camp, Holy Spirit Beach Club, Lovely Cat Friend, I know Everything, You're Always Loved, Harvard…etc. (Remember…these guys don't speak English!)

I love peering out the bus windows and seeing everyday life happening; see the homes people live in; see the stores they shop in; see the kids playing; see the churches they worship in; see the laundry hanging on the line; see the jugglers, windshield washers & peddlers at the intersections; see the fields planted to corn, hay & plants I can't identify; see the small roadside stands with the lonely merchant; see the people waiting for & loading buses; see the plants on the balconies of the tall apartment buildings; basically anything I see!

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Update 18



Got back on the bus and this time headed for the beach just 2 hours away near Punta del Este.  Guess you could say the bus stops here…at least for a good week!  We quickly put on our suits & spent a couple hours in our lovely hotel pool then a couple at the beach which is just a short hike.  It's very much like a Lake Michigan beach surrounded by sand dunes.  The Atlantic is cold so that made the air refreshingly cool under the hot sun & about 90 temp.  Later we walked down to a small grocery store and got enough food for the next several days.  We ended up going back there several times for food, Coke Light & a shade umbrella.  We had a good rain one afternoon & another one morning.  Other than that, the weather has been wonderful.  We play a lot of cribbage & learned two new card games.  We are totally relaxed.  There are a few other families here and it's fun watching the kids play in the pool and on the beach.  Just wish they were MY grandkids!  One brave boy asked us where we were from in English.  We just don't hear English here.  We had a nice chat with him & his mom who called our Spanish, "Baby talk."  Truth.  The major attraction here is Casa Pueblo so we did go to town one day to see that.  It's the unique home built on a cliff overlooking the ocean by Páez Vilaró, a local artist.  Paez said he used his imagination, muscles & friends to build it. He died a few years ago & now his home is part hotel & part museum.  It really is a stunning, sprawling, massive masterpiece.  A glowing white with sea blue accents building with soft curved roofs & passage ways.  The rooms are filled with his art:  ceramic, painting & sculptures.  Ironically, one of his sons was a survivor in that plane crash we'd learned about at the Andes Crash Memorial last week.  

All our other days are the same:  sleep, eat, beach, pool, read, cards, phone calls (via WhatsApp), sunset, repeat.  We'll be leaving here by bus to Montevideo, then ferry to Buenos Aires & then cruise to the southern tip of South America!  Cruising has never been our style but since there's no train, bussing would take a week, & a plane ride would by pass everything between Buenos Aires & there, we decided to cruise.  It also seems like a good way to celebrate our 75th birthdays and our 55th wedding anniversary.  We know we are truly blessed to be able to celebrate both!  

Two tidbits I've been meaning to add:

Tattoos are thing & gas prices are about $5 a gal in Argentina, Uruguay & Paraguay.  

Here's something that Rog wrote:  

> The Earth is the same, but our view of it has been altered.  Our perspective has changed. We have seen several mugs and maps showing the continent of South America oriented in a way that looks upside down to us.  South is at the top.

As seen from space the Earth isn't always oriented with North on top. The people here are not always "under" the northern hemisphere. It is just that maps have traditionally been drawn with North at the top.

There is another way our perspective has been challenged here.
We are Americans…but are Argentinians and Uruguayans not also Americans? I think they are. South Americans. How about Canadians and Mexicans?  Being American describes many who do not live in the US.

I think Bad Bunny would agree.

   Roger

Update 17



I got a McD hamburger & medium Coke Light at the Montevideo bus station…cost $10! It tasted great but not $10 great! We were pretty awed by the Airbnb we'd booked. So elaborately decorated with stain glass windows, chandeliers, unique tiled floors, chess sets from many countries & musical instruments including my old accordion & Rog's trombone. Every corner, table and shelf had an antique. It's truly a hidden gem in this old part of this huge, sprawling capital city and a peak into a past world of a rich life style. We went out for a walk around the area and were surprised & fascinated by the many ornate, beautiful old buildings with balconies, terraces, rotundas, cupolas & other classical architectures. When did we quit building these types of gorgeous buildings?? Next morning we went to another part of town and found more buildings with lots of character. At noon we had to leave our fabulous Airbnb and move to a more affordable hotel much plainer but very functional. Our first goal was to secure tickets for the carnival show tonight. We were told just to to a Abitab store so off we went searching…found 5 but all closed. Went back to our hotel, got on WiFi & using our phone to translate….managed to secure tickets at the Teatro de Verano 8:30 Carnival show!! Then off we went to the Groucho Museum which we thoroughly enjoyed…especially the immersion show. A great peak into the life of the Gaucho (cowboys here). It was housed in a massive & spectacular building which was one of the first banks. Still had the old teller cages. About 5 we decided we'd better take a nap. At 7:15 we were getting into our Uber car & by 8 into our seats in the outside theater. When we were booking, it looked like all the center seats were reserved & we wondered if that was possible. Yup! Filled to the max except for the nose bleed section. It was so fun watching people arrive greeting each other with hugs. It appeared many were season ticket holders who knew everyone seated around them. People of all ages came carrying their thermos & mate cups. A count down clock gave them fair warning when to actually sit down at which time the crowd started clapping a five beat clap while flashing lights & pounding drums filled the air. Then the rumpus began! Flashy costumes, feathers, glitter & lots of shaking of every possible body part all moving to a sound of the booming drums & other instruments. The crowd swayed & clearly was enjoying it…as were we! After an hour show, the performers exited the stage & paraded through the welcoming crowd. Since no seemed to be leaving, we didn't either. The the count down clock started again…20 minutes later…another amazing show! This one was a bit less dancing & more talking so we used our translators to give us an idea of what was being said. We couldn't catch it all but enough to know it was about whites not loving blacks, US stealing Venezuela oil & the importance of brother hood. Again that show ended with the parade of performers greeting the crowd as they left…but all in the stands stayed. Third act was also full of dancing & more political jokes. The guy in front of me was laughing so hard he was crying! It was now midnight and though we didn't see others leaving…we did! We later heard we missed 2 more acts. How do they stay up that late??? We got back to our room around 12:30 and fell into bed and slept until almost 9 am the next morning. Headed to the Andes Crash Memorial Museum first. In 1972 a plane crashed in the Andes that was carrying the Uruguayan Rugby team & others…45 in total. 16 managed to survive the incredible odds with -22F and after a few days, an avalanche that covered what was left of the plane where the men were sleeping. They survived by eating the dead after agreeing to a strict code of conduct & brotherhood. After 62 days, the two healthiest men hiked for 10 days climbing & descending the Andes until they finally met a cattle drover. 72 days! The survivors stories were heart wrenching. This incredible story was published & made into a movie: ALIVE.
Lunch next at a shawarma place. Best sandwich yet! Grilled meat, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers added in a well toasted tortilla. After a quick rest, we went to the Salvo Palace. A 1928 building that was the tallest in South American when first built. Now it has apartments ($350/mo), offices & tours. It had once been an exquisite hotel…now it's scraping by. The alterations someone did to make the apartments reminded me of how Gordon Hall in Dexter was totally destroyed by U of M when they made it into an apartment building. With a bit more daylight, we headed to the walkway along the ocean. Lots of people catching the cool ocean breeze joined us. We passed a couple bars on the way back hoping to see some tango dancing but since it was only 10…we were too early. So just went back to our room. Early to bed for us ol' folks!

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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.

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!







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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!



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