Sunday, January 25, 2026
Update 6
Good news! The man, Fran who'd escaped has been returned. Found naked in a factory. He is only about 30 and as I mentioned, needs meds to control his schizophrenia. He is good looking, fit and always walking usually with a scowl. He ignores everyone but the sisters give him lots of jobs. On Thursday, the nuns have what they call a day in. Locals showed up, builds a wood fire, put a plow share on top & cooked a local dish called Sorrentino. Kinda like a stew. They gave us a big pan of it. Delicious. Since the nuns weren't around to tell us what to do, we spent more time coloring with the men and playing balloon volleyball which they loved. We saw some move in ways we didn't know they could! We spent more time with Atilio. He especially enjoyed listening to The Raven, by Poe and a couple poem by Frost. We ate Sorrentino for dinner so had longer bike ride instead and we had time to play a couple games of cribbage.
Friday was my birthday and I was flooded with birthday wishes via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger & Instagram! Amazing and confusing to have some many ways to communicate…and all free!
I told Rog not to tell the nuns it was my BD as they already have so much to do & would probably feel obligated to do something. And the men don't seem to be capable of understanding or couldn't do anything if they could. Except Atilio—so I told him & took him a piece of chocolate bread we had. We went about the day encouraging coloring, volleyball, building with duplo blocks and preparing & serving meals. Left on our bikes around 8 in search of a good steak dinner. Rog had checked several restaurants out by looking at their website pictures & ratings. We headed for the best. The restaurant was quite simple & the waitress had a sleeping baby on her shoulder. An older man who seemed to be the owner brought us appetizers & tried to talk English but we ended up using our translator. (They are fantastic!). The steak was tender & delicious, the French fries & onion rings were crispy and Rog had a cold beer & I had Coke Zero. The owner checked on us man times & chatted with us. He was pleased to hear we were from USA, helping at MofC and that it was my BD. He brought us a creamy, Carmel topped flan and champagne. A vendor selling flowers came by & Rog couldn't resist so he bought me flowers & had to pay over $10. When we got our dinner bill of $38, Rog pulled out his credit card, as usual. Unfortunately, they didn't take credit cards. We pooled what pesos we had & were still $10 short. (Shouldn't have bought those flowers.). The owner said, "No hay problema. Manana!" So we biked off feeling pretty strange. (Update: took him $ next day with a big tip). I went to sleep thinking about all the countries I've celebrated my BD in, all the BD wishes I got, and the chance to talk to so many people I love dearly. I thought about how lucky I am to be well enough to celebrate my 75th birthday like I did today!
Friday was my birthday and I was flooded with birthday wishes via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger & Instagram! Amazing and confusing to have some many ways to communicate…and all free!
I told Rog not to tell the nuns it was my BD as they already have so much to do & would probably feel obligated to do something. And the men don't seem to be capable of understanding or couldn't do anything if they could. Except Atilio—so I told him & took him a piece of chocolate bread we had. We went about the day encouraging coloring, volleyball, building with duplo blocks and preparing & serving meals. Left on our bikes around 8 in search of a good steak dinner. Rog had checked several restaurants out by looking at their website pictures & ratings. We headed for the best. The restaurant was quite simple & the waitress had a sleeping baby on her shoulder. An older man who seemed to be the owner brought us appetizers & tried to talk English but we ended up using our translator. (They are fantastic!). The steak was tender & delicious, the French fries & onion rings were crispy and Rog had a cold beer & I had Coke Zero. The owner checked on us man times & chatted with us. He was pleased to hear we were from USA, helping at MofC and that it was my BD. He brought us a creamy, Carmel topped flan and champagne. A vendor selling flowers came by & Rog couldn't resist so he bought me flowers & had to pay over $10. When we got our dinner bill of $38, Rog pulled out his credit card, as usual. Unfortunately, they didn't take credit cards. We pooled what pesos we had & were still $10 short. (Shouldn't have bought those flowers.). The owner said, "No hay problema. Manana!" So we biked off feeling pretty strange. (Update: took him $ next day with a big tip). I went to sleep thinking about all the countries I've celebrated my BD in, all the BD wishes I got, and the chance to talk to so many people I love dearly. I thought about how lucky I am to be well enough to celebrate my 75th birthday like I did today!
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Update 5
Things looked pretty quiet this am so we did some of our wash. We've been gone one week so it was time. As we were hanging the last few, Sister Joan came & asked us to take her to the market so off we went. Since her driver always knew the way, she had a hard time figuring out how to get there. Even had to say a prayer once…but we got there. It was a huge warehouse with lots of fruits & veges. She said yesterday was the big market day & there would have been tons more produce, but we got enough to fill up the van: potatoes, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, turnips, cabbage, egg plants, bananas, apples, oranges, lettuce, melon & eggs. Most she paid for but several vendors gave her their less desirable produce which she gladly took. We stopped for cheese, ham, tuna & chicken at another market on our way back. By 11 we were back in our villa eating lunch. The afternoon was slow. I tried to play tic/tac/toe with a few men but only got blank stares or they shook their head no. Finally at 4, we started cleaning the veges & putting them in storage. that kept us busy until 7. Dinner & dishes were handled mostly by residence. Some of them that I thought were staff, were not. We've been able to borrow the nuns bikes which has been a nice way to get to nearby restaurants for relaxing dinner next to the river. Our evenings have been filled with reading, writing & phone calls.
Here's a funny story I don't want to forget…Rog noticed a lot of yogurt like containers in our frig so he opened one & tasted it. He thought it just needed sugar so he added some. Better, he said so he ate the whole thing. Later we learned, it was cream cheese.
Next morning there were more veges to peel, cut, cook or store. I was dicing onions when Sister Joan walked by & told me not to cry…so I started singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina and she immediately joined in. She loves to laugh. Yesterday on our way to the market, she'd laugh when we came to a speed bump & say "Loma burro" (hill donkey). She is the main cook and I don't see her using recipes. She said she uses what she has & her imagination! Yesterday a bakery brought left over bread. There were @50 left over croissants so she had me slice them & put a piece of cheese & ham in them. She popped them in the over 15 min before dinner and wella….super meal eagerly gobbled up! She had me cut up some donated French bread into chunks & that'll be breakfast along with jam. The harder buns were broken into chunks & made into bread pudding! Buns not too bad were set aside for families that came later. Too hard one were put in a bag for a lady who has pigs who will come later to get them. Not a crumb wasted. At the market someone gave her a crate of egg plants because they were old. Today Rog helped peel them & slice them. Sister boiled them and then I helped dip them in egg & cover them with bread crumbs. She stirred up a tomato sauce, spooned that on each & added a slice of cheese. Another good meal created from free food. Other than the instant potatoes, everything else has been made from scratch and with much care. Much of the work is done by two young Argentina girls who hope to join the MofC. One, Helena speaks good English so we chat with her while we work.
Today's trip to town was with a local lady, Michaela. She's a HS Math teacher with extra time to volunteer since it's summer break here. She has volunteered her for over 30 years. We went after bike locks & groceries. Before we left, we asked Sister Anita what the men might enjoy. She suggested coloring books & Duplo sets. We found both! Later as the men started coming to the dining room tables, we put them out & BINGO…several started building towers & coloring. Success! Later, as we were cleaning up, Sister Joan told me she was missing me. I said, we aren't leaving for at least a week…she said she knows but is already starting to think about missing me. I'll miss her too.
Here's a funny story I don't want to forget…Rog noticed a lot of yogurt like containers in our frig so he opened one & tasted it. He thought it just needed sugar so he added some. Better, he said so he ate the whole thing. Later we learned, it was cream cheese.
Next morning there were more veges to peel, cut, cook or store. I was dicing onions when Sister Joan walked by & told me not to cry…so I started singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina and she immediately joined in. She loves to laugh. Yesterday on our way to the market, she'd laugh when we came to a speed bump & say "Loma burro" (hill donkey). She is the main cook and I don't see her using recipes. She said she uses what she has & her imagination! Yesterday a bakery brought left over bread. There were @50 left over croissants so she had me slice them & put a piece of cheese & ham in them. She popped them in the over 15 min before dinner and wella….super meal eagerly gobbled up! She had me cut up some donated French bread into chunks & that'll be breakfast along with jam. The harder buns were broken into chunks & made into bread pudding! Buns not too bad were set aside for families that came later. Too hard one were put in a bag for a lady who has pigs who will come later to get them. Not a crumb wasted. At the market someone gave her a crate of egg plants because they were old. Today Rog helped peel them & slice them. Sister boiled them and then I helped dip them in egg & cover them with bread crumbs. She stirred up a tomato sauce, spooned that on each & added a slice of cheese. Another good meal created from free food. Other than the instant potatoes, everything else has been made from scratch and with much care. Much of the work is done by two young Argentina girls who hope to join the MofC. One, Helena speaks good English so we chat with her while we work.
Today's trip to town was with a local lady, Michaela. She's a HS Math teacher with extra time to volunteer since it's summer break here. She has volunteered her for over 30 years. We went after bike locks & groceries. Before we left, we asked Sister Anita what the men might enjoy. She suggested coloring books & Duplo sets. We found both! Later as the men started coming to the dining room tables, we put them out & BINGO…several started building towers & coloring. Success! Later, as we were cleaning up, Sister Joan told me she was missing me. I said, we aren't leaving for at least a week…she said she knows but is already starting to think about missing me. I'll miss her too.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Update 4
I actually didn't mean to include the picture of Noah being on the Dean's List with the last set of pictures…but I guess bragging about a gson isn't a bad thing!
Now we feel like we know a few more ways to pitch in & help. Seems there's always something that needs cleaning, ways to help the cook and a man who needs a smile or pat on the back. We have made a good connection with a few. There's Alitio, who has a disease that has quickly put him in bed full time with the use of only one arm. He is one of the few who speaks English so we visit him often. Just 18 months ago he was a computer analyst and teacher. Now drs don't know what's causing his rapid decline. He knows he's dying. He has zero family. He feels lucky to be here & is eager for us to visit. And there is Miguelito. He has been here for years because his mom died when he was very young & he has Down syndrome. He is the best worker here. He dries dishes after every meal…as fast as I can wash them. Then he gives me a huge smile & high five. Another man recently escaped so Roger drove Sister Anita around looking for him & to the police station to report him missing. She says he is not dangerous but without his meds, he will be hearing voices in his head. There's 28 men with various disabilities here all getting lots of TLC. In spite of their own disability, I see them helping each other walk, eat, move wheelchairs and just chat. Those who can have jobs & all seem to enjoy watching movies.
Yesterday a local youth group came with boundless energy and filled the building with chatter, singing, dancing and giving lots of hugs. Most of them were 16-17 yrs old and knew some English. They eagerly asks us questions & freely told us about themselves. When they asked what I wanted them to sing, I suggested their national anthem. They sang it with gusto arm-in-arm and dancing. They eventually got us & a man who could to dance with them. Before they left, they set up a WhatAp group, took selfies & recorded us telling their English teacher how well they did speaking to us. Meeting these "real" kid is one of the bonuses we get when we volunteer locally. Just doesn't happen when we're tourist.
Yesterday Sister Anita asked Rog to be her driver the next morning so he was up early & ready to go…but then she said she wanted my to go also…so I jumped out of bed & was out the door in 10 min. Off we went in their quite new van along with 2 nuns & a young girl who's been here testing her desire to be a nun. There's roads were good & traffic fairly light so with the help of Google Map, we found all the stops needed: hospital, pharmacy and two other M of C centers. One for AIDS patients & other for girls with disabilities. I certainly felt that God provided when we happened to be waiting for the nuns by the pharmacy…which was next to a store with a COKE banner! I quickly ran in, got by Coke Zero (no Diet Coke) & along with the peanuts I always carry, had my normal 11 lunch! While we waited at most stops, I gave simple English lesson to the young girl thinking about being a nun. As it turned out, Sister was right to have me come as I could read the Google Map directions to Rog so he could concentrate on driving. Stop signs don't exist so when he came to a 4 way, he had to slow down & figure out if he needed to stop. We both enjoyed Sister Anita's stories as we were about the areas & shops we were passing. As we arrived back, she said she was glad she did not have to pay a driver because they charge a lot. Roger teased her saying since it was his vacation time, he charged double. She just grinned & said you will get your pay in heaven. We were back at 2, dinner prep at 4, served dinner at 6, cleaned up & were back to our "villa" by 7. We heated up some left overs from yesterday: country fried steak, instant potatoes & homemade pizza with caramelized onions…all we'd helped prepare yesterday. It had been a full, hot day and we were glad the temperature had cooled down so we could sleep well.
Now we feel like we know a few more ways to pitch in & help. Seems there's always something that needs cleaning, ways to help the cook and a man who needs a smile or pat on the back. We have made a good connection with a few. There's Alitio, who has a disease that has quickly put him in bed full time with the use of only one arm. He is one of the few who speaks English so we visit him often. Just 18 months ago he was a computer analyst and teacher. Now drs don't know what's causing his rapid decline. He knows he's dying. He has zero family. He feels lucky to be here & is eager for us to visit. And there is Miguelito. He has been here for years because his mom died when he was very young & he has Down syndrome. He is the best worker here. He dries dishes after every meal…as fast as I can wash them. Then he gives me a huge smile & high five. Another man recently escaped so Roger drove Sister Anita around looking for him & to the police station to report him missing. She says he is not dangerous but without his meds, he will be hearing voices in his head. There's 28 men with various disabilities here all getting lots of TLC. In spite of their own disability, I see them helping each other walk, eat, move wheelchairs and just chat. Those who can have jobs & all seem to enjoy watching movies.
Yesterday a local youth group came with boundless energy and filled the building with chatter, singing, dancing and giving lots of hugs. Most of them were 16-17 yrs old and knew some English. They eagerly asks us questions & freely told us about themselves. When they asked what I wanted them to sing, I suggested their national anthem. They sang it with gusto arm-in-arm and dancing. They eventually got us & a man who could to dance with them. Before they left, they set up a WhatAp group, took selfies & recorded us telling their English teacher how well they did speaking to us. Meeting these "real" kid is one of the bonuses we get when we volunteer locally. Just doesn't happen when we're tourist.
Yesterday Sister Anita asked Rog to be her driver the next morning so he was up early & ready to go…but then she said she wanted my to go also…so I jumped out of bed & was out the door in 10 min. Off we went in their quite new van along with 2 nuns & a young girl who's been here testing her desire to be a nun. There's roads were good & traffic fairly light so with the help of Google Map, we found all the stops needed: hospital, pharmacy and two other M of C centers. One for AIDS patients & other for girls with disabilities. I certainly felt that God provided when we happened to be waiting for the nuns by the pharmacy…which was next to a store with a COKE banner! I quickly ran in, got by Coke Zero (no Diet Coke) & along with the peanuts I always carry, had my normal 11 lunch! While we waited at most stops, I gave simple English lesson to the young girl thinking about being a nun. As it turned out, Sister was right to have me come as I could read the Google Map directions to Rog so he could concentrate on driving. Stop signs don't exist so when he came to a 4 way, he had to slow down & figure out if he needed to stop. We both enjoyed Sister Anita's stories as we were about the areas & shops we were passing. As we arrived back, she said she was glad she did not have to pay a driver because they charge a lot. Roger teased her saying since it was his vacation time, he charged double. She just grinned & said you will get your pay in heaven. We were back at 2, dinner prep at 4, served dinner at 6, cleaned up & were back to our "villa" by 7. We heated up some left overs from yesterday: country fried steak, instant potatoes & homemade pizza with caramelized onions…all we'd helped prepare yesterday. It had been a full, hot day and we were glad the temperature had cooled down so we could sleep well.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Update 3
FYI **Obviously didn't edit my last update as I said I was editing…false news. NOT editing.
Today it was time to head to Zarate where the Missionaries of Charity nuns were waiting for us. But how to get there?? Normal train service was out of order so we took an Uber to the first train station operating…about 45 min away. Then thanks to a very kind young man, we got our tickers & found where we'd board. He was so happy to help and later actually returned to give us a bag of Argentina candy & ask for a selfie. He wouldn't accept pesos but gladly took American dollars. The train was ancient looking & very, very basic. It was about 30% full and there were 6 bikes too. Soon after we left the station, the police man guarding the doorway told us to put up our windows which were almost impossible to see out of. A man explained to us that people throw rocks at the train. Before long, we passed by dilapidated shacks, trashy yards, burned out cars. Worse we'd seen in Argentina. I didn't take pictures as I was sitting close to many locals. After about 5 miles, we came to weedy open spaces, expressways and a series of small towns with parks, sports fields, skate parks, 2 story homes & rather new tall apartment buildings. We passed by a well manicured golf course with mansions on one side…and poor houses on the other. As we got closer to the port city of Zarate, huge manufacturing plants & warehouses were next to transfer stations. Zarate was the last stop and a pleasant surprise as it was mostly a nice town. Uber didn't work so a kind man offered to get us a taxi & we soon were at the M of C compound. The gate keeper opened the gate with a big smile & Sister Anita was soon there to greet us. She speaks very good English as do many of the M of C nuns (think Mother Teresa) as it is the common language of their order of nuns. I'd spoken to her several times on WhatsApp, her suggestion! Who knew nuns were so tech savvy?? Sister Anita gave us a quick tour of the hoe that houses 29 men with a variety of issues. Six nuns & several staff feed, bathe, exercise, care & love them. Sister showed us our "villa" near the end of the rather large compound surrounded by a wall. It has 5 simple bedrooms, a large basic kitchen/dining room, bathroom & a front sunny area. We'll be very comfortable here! They even stocked our frig with cheese, ham, fruit & water and bread & crackers were on the table. We feel mighty blessed! After getting our stuff situated, we were soon mopping floors & hanging clothes to dry. This place is spotless. Heard of the saying: Cleanliness if next to Godliness?? The nuns must have! We helped dish up dinner plates, fill water glasses & then it time to wash all those dished. Next more sweeping & mopping floors. At 7, we walked to a very close restaurant for a dinner of fresh bread, grilled chicken, Fr fries, a beer & a Pepsi Black (diet). We devoured that meal. Found a Coke Zero at a little nearby store so I'm set for tomorrow. Two tired people hit the sack @9:30 wondering how did we get so lucky??
Today it was time to head to Zarate where the Missionaries of Charity nuns were waiting for us. But how to get there?? Normal train service was out of order so we took an Uber to the first train station operating…about 45 min away. Then thanks to a very kind young man, we got our tickers & found where we'd board. He was so happy to help and later actually returned to give us a bag of Argentina candy & ask for a selfie. He wouldn't accept pesos but gladly took American dollars. The train was ancient looking & very, very basic. It was about 30% full and there were 6 bikes too. Soon after we left the station, the police man guarding the doorway told us to put up our windows which were almost impossible to see out of. A man explained to us that people throw rocks at the train. Before long, we passed by dilapidated shacks, trashy yards, burned out cars. Worse we'd seen in Argentina. I didn't take pictures as I was sitting close to many locals. After about 5 miles, we came to weedy open spaces, expressways and a series of small towns with parks, sports fields, skate parks, 2 story homes & rather new tall apartment buildings. We passed by a well manicured golf course with mansions on one side…and poor houses on the other. As we got closer to the port city of Zarate, huge manufacturing plants & warehouses were next to transfer stations. Zarate was the last stop and a pleasant surprise as it was mostly a nice town. Uber didn't work so a kind man offered to get us a taxi & we soon were at the M of C compound. The gate keeper opened the gate with a big smile & Sister Anita was soon there to greet us. She speaks very good English as do many of the M of C nuns (think Mother Teresa) as it is the common language of their order of nuns. I'd spoken to her several times on WhatsApp, her suggestion! Who knew nuns were so tech savvy?? Sister Anita gave us a quick tour of the hoe that houses 29 men with a variety of issues. Six nuns & several staff feed, bathe, exercise, care & love them. Sister showed us our "villa" near the end of the rather large compound surrounded by a wall. It has 5 simple bedrooms, a large basic kitchen/dining room, bathroom & a front sunny area. We'll be very comfortable here! They even stocked our frig with cheese, ham, fruit & water and bread & crackers were on the table. We feel mighty blessed! After getting our stuff situated, we were soon mopping floors & hanging clothes to dry. This place is spotless. Heard of the saying: Cleanliness if next to Godliness?? The nuns must have! We helped dish up dinner plates, fill water glasses & then it time to wash all those dished. Next more sweeping & mopping floors. At 7, we walked to a very close restaurant for a dinner of fresh bread, grilled chicken, Fr fries, a beer & a Pepsi Black (diet). We devoured that meal. Found a Coke Zero at a little nearby store so I'm set for tomorrow. Two tired people hit the sack @9:30 wondering how did we get so lucky??
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Update 2
*FYI: I am taking the time to edit my writing…just trying to record our trip so someday when I'm too old to travel…I can re-live it!
Checked off the last of our packing list & headed to Ben's by 9 am. He dropped us off at the airport, flew to Dallas & had a 7 hr layover & then arrived in Buenos Aires around 10 am the next day! (Note +2 hour time difference). McD, Burger King & Outback were there ready to greet us! We grabbed an Uber & headed for our hotel. I got Verizon on the line because our data plan didn't kick in…it took about 1 1/2 hrs to successfully get it working! Meanwhile, we juggled our cell phones which had to be hooked to our power pack & our luggage all the while trying to get into our hotel room. Exhausting but it worked ! Then we went out in search of food & quickly found empanadas in a small local stand. We walked by a McD & Kentucky. Back in our hotel room, we took a power nap then went off to check out the block we're on. The highlight of the day was a show at Senor Tango. And what a show it was! Two & a half hours of precision dancing, live band, elaborate outfits & terrific vocalists. The grand finale included an awesome & inspiring rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Almost made me cry!
Our Uber driver back to our hotel was a young man who seemed wise beyond his years as we talked about the Argentina & US political climate. He said Argentina is filled with good people & we all just need more empathy. I think that's true for all countries. We crashed at 12:30 am.
Day 2 started after a light hotel breakfast before catching the Hop-on-Hop-off bus at 9:30 a.m. Riding on the top deck catching the breeze under a bright, blue sky and hot sun, we passed by most of the iconic sites & buildings while listening to a recorded descriptive narrative. We hopped off in China Town for lunch & a stroll and then finished the 3 hour tour. We were impressed with Buenos Aires: lots of trees & open spaces, orderly traffic, public busses every where, clean and so many ornate buildings with unique architecture! We did see lots of tall housing units that looked pretty shabby on our way into the city coming from the airport yesterday so assume that's where most the workers live.
By 3 it was time to get out of the 90 degree temp & rest. Around 5 we headed back out and though it was drizzling, we walked toward the Central Park to the palace where Evita gave her last speech from the balcony to thousand of her devoted countrymen. It seemed appropriate that it was sprinkling…Don't Cry for me Argentina! Luckily we were also able to go inside the home cathedral of Pope Francis. The sun came out on our walk back. What a full day of enjoying Buenos Aires!
Checked off the last of our packing list & headed to Ben's by 9 am. He dropped us off at the airport, flew to Dallas & had a 7 hr layover & then arrived in Buenos Aires around 10 am the next day! (Note +2 hour time difference). McD, Burger King & Outback were there ready to greet us! We grabbed an Uber & headed for our hotel. I got Verizon on the line because our data plan didn't kick in…it took about 1 1/2 hrs to successfully get it working! Meanwhile, we juggled our cell phones which had to be hooked to our power pack & our luggage all the while trying to get into our hotel room. Exhausting but it worked ! Then we went out in search of food & quickly found empanadas in a small local stand. We walked by a McD & Kentucky. Back in our hotel room, we took a power nap then went off to check out the block we're on. The highlight of the day was a show at Senor Tango. And what a show it was! Two & a half hours of precision dancing, live band, elaborate outfits & terrific vocalists. The grand finale included an awesome & inspiring rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Almost made me cry!
Our Uber driver back to our hotel was a young man who seemed wise beyond his years as we talked about the Argentina & US political climate. He said Argentina is filled with good people & we all just need more empathy. I think that's true for all countries. We crashed at 12:30 am.
Day 2 started after a light hotel breakfast before catching the Hop-on-Hop-off bus at 9:30 a.m. Riding on the top deck catching the breeze under a bright, blue sky and hot sun, we passed by most of the iconic sites & buildings while listening to a recorded descriptive narrative. We hopped off in China Town for lunch & a stroll and then finished the 3 hour tour. We were impressed with Buenos Aires: lots of trees & open spaces, orderly traffic, public busses every where, clean and so many ornate buildings with unique architecture! We did see lots of tall housing units that looked pretty shabby on our way into the city coming from the airport yesterday so assume that's where most the workers live.
By 3 it was time to get out of the 90 degree temp & rest. Around 5 we headed back out and though it was drizzling, we walked toward the Central Park to the palace where Evita gave her last speech from the balcony to thousand of her devoted countrymen. It seemed appropriate that it was sprinkling…Don't Cry for me Argentina! Luckily we were also able to go inside the home cathedral of Pope Francis. The sun came out on our walk back. What a full day of enjoying Buenos Aires!
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Update 1
Well we're off again! Headed for Buenos Aires first, then Uruguay and finally Chile before going back to Buenos Aires to fly home March 27. Here's your opportunity to opt out of my way-too-detailed updates. Really I mean it…you will NOT hurt my feelings if you ask to get removed!! And for those who asked, I've included my blog site where previous trips are recorded.
Hope you stay healthy and in touch!! I will be able to receive emails😀and get WhatsApp phone calls & messages😀.
Jane
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Final Bits & Pieces
Unusual sites: black Q-Tip's, go cart city tours, sink on toilet tank cover, auto open car doors, buttered bread packaged & sold at store, eating while standing up at counter in McD
Things we noticed: lots of dark clothing & thick heeled shoes; red lipstick contrasting black, straight hair & white complexion; mostly traditional tiled roofs; solar panels; lots of cell phones; rice paddies & fish ponds often in center of town/group of homes; sculptured trees; gas $5 a gallon; wild bamboo forest; face mask fairly common; many men dressed in suits & women in skirts; most homes in central location & similar to all homes; only a couple luxury homes
Public Transportation: efficient; cheap ($16 for 4 hr train ride); spotless, even the windows; loud speaker announcement: No leakage of music. Take your trash home; People lined up, entered & exited in a single line quickly & orderly.
Japanese people: quiet, reserved, orderly, neat, kind, law abiding (bikes generally not locked up anywhere)
Final Thoughts:
We had hoped to experience a different culture. We certainly did. We, again, felt extremely fortunate to have had another great trip…and glad we could quickly get home.
Update #18
I've been home a week now. Yesterday we buried my sister, Sal. It's been a sad whirlwind. Here's the rest of our trip:
Another train trip got us to Fukuoka, a major port city. We found our Airbnb & enjoyed the afternoon sun sitting on our balcony over this large, modern city. Around 4, we headed out to find the central park. Lots of people were there many jogging, strolling, and walking dogs. A couple of islands had connecting bridges so you could cross to the other side of the large pond. Lots of large swan paddle boats were filled with smiling people and the ducks swam close begging for food. Quite pleasant. It was time to find dinner and to my delight, we found pizza!! Rog got roti—good but not as good as my pizza! Back at our Airbnb, we filled the washing machine available for our use and then hung our clothes to dry. Imagine how satisfying it felt to put all clean clothes back in our suitcases. First time since we left Pittsburgh on Feb 13. It's times like this that make us appreciate all our luxuries at home. Though we both agree that the warm toilet seats & bidets are a luxury we need. We had a folk museum on our agenda today where we walked through a traditional machiya (house) that was the home to a silk merchant. The weaver was set up and many items made from the fine material on display. Loved the enclosed garden. An attached building housed lots of local items and we watched a film about the annual festival, The Yamkasa. To honor the sun god, men carry a massive, tall & overly decorated float (think Madri Gras but with no wheels). Must weigh tons! Each part of town builds one and then they race with each other. The film caught the excitement of the crowd and the exhaustion of the men who carried them. The after sun was bright as we climbed into a boat 😊 and cruised down on the several canals in this town nicknamed Canal City. It's also called the Food Truck Central so after dark, we took a walk through that chaos…and the got a sandwich at the local bakery and went back to our Airbnb to eat.
That's when we got the news that Sally had taken a major turn for the worst. She'd been in the hospital over a week & I'd talked to her just a couple of days ago. I slept fitfully with my phone by my head. By morning, she was gone. Rog cancelled the reservations we'd made for the next couple nights, we packed up & headed to the airport. Luckily, we were in Fukuona with a large airport. We got lots of help from a kind lady at the ticket counter who in the end, advised Rog to just get a ticket online. Within an hour, we had new tickets. We flew to Tokyo, (about a 13 hour flight, so we landed a half hour before we left thanks to time zones…), then Atlanta and finally Pittsburgh. Jake picked us up, we got to bed around 1, got up to hug the kids & Sarah as they left for school and then got in our car and headed home. Home to my heartbroken siblings & their families and my kids & gkids. In 2012, I was in China when my mom died. You can be very far from home…but family is always close to your heart.
Monday, March 10, 2025
Sad
We are on our way to the airport. My sister, Sally just died. She had a heart attack and was improving until she wasn't. My heart is breaking for her 3 kids and 3 young gkids. Sally is 5 years younger than me. It makes me realize how quickly things can change.
Update #18
We got off the train in Asa. Gotta be honest, after walking around a bit and getting blank stares when we tried to ask about attractions, we wondered why we'd reserved 2 nights here. The hotel room was ok & we did each to to the onsen in the hotel (men/women separate). Since you don't wear bathing suits, I was glad I was the only one in mine! We found a local place to eat where an older woman was working as fast as she could making okonomiyaki…a traditional dish that combines noodles, cabbage, eggs, bread crumbs & shrimp. On the hot griddle at our table, she cook the bacon for short minute and then poured the mixture on top of it. After 10-15 min, she flipped it and cooked the other side another 10 minutes. Then she brushed it with a thick sweet sauce (like Hoisin) & sprinkled spices on it and tada…ready to eat. We'd had this once before so we knew it'd be good. Back in our room, we played some cards & tried to figure out how we'd fill the next day. Thought we'd hop the train & head to a nearby town. Our hotel had a huge buffet breakfast (think dinner). Rog filled up on a variety of local foods while I ate some yogurt. Then we headed to the train station. On the way, I noticed a group of men setting up what looked like a stage. I went over & a sky why & thanks to Goggle translator and a guy who spoke some English, found out there was going to be a Hina Doll Festival starting in an hour. So we scrapped the train plans. Rog had noticed some bikes by our hotel, so inquired about renting one & for $1.50, he was a happy biker! The town ladies were setting up bazaar & food tables so I checked that out. One table was set up so kids could do origami art. As I looked on, I was given the materials and thanks to the kids around me, I now have one myself. Around 11, Rog came back and the drumming started…loud & with a great beat. Most of the drummers were young & the guy setting up who knew some English, well he was the drum teacher. As we were watching the performance, a young lady who heard us speaking English approached us and introduced herself, Juicy Mae (Jumae Lina's). Soon we were best friends. She is from the Philippines and is here teaching English. She hung with us the next couple hours often introducing her students to us and encouraging them to practice their English with us. We were in lots of selfies! After the drumming ended, about 20 girls (3-18 yrs old) dressed in elegant kimonos lined up and after lots of pictures, paraded single file to the shrine that overlooked the river. Once there, a prayer for good health was said & then each girl was given a paper boat with an emperor & an empress inside. One by one, the boats were lowered into the river. Because Juicy & I were standing close, we were each given a boat too! We trailed ours as they went down the river & over small waterfalls cheering when they popped up after each. We both were happy that our boats were still afloat for as far as we could see! Surely good health for all my girls…the symbolic meaning of the event! We then headed back to the center of the festival & Juicy got a bowl of noodle soup & I got popcorn!! It wasn't buttered or salted rather peppered & sprinkled with ground parsley but close enough and since there was a Coke machine close by (which there is on most every corner), I got my Coke Lite and I was a happy girl. We sat chatting about school. Juicy says she loved teaching here as she has NO discipline issues and pay is much better. She said the Japanese are taught young to live in harmony. Harmony-what a beautiful word. Rog joined us after a bit and caught the tail end of a group of kids dancing to hip-hop music. Juicy had to leave to teach an online class but first we exchanged contact info. Spending time with her had been such a lucky experience! Rog then went to buy some soup & the women were so excited they bowed & laughed like teenagers. Around 2, clean up began so we were finishing up when the drummer teacher came over to introduce us to his young son. We gave him a balloon & he just belly laughed & started blowing it up. With just a few more hrs of daylight, I also rented a bike & off we rode through several neighborhoods getting an up close look. Rog spotted a barber so we stopped in as his hair needed a trim. An hour later, after a major trim, hot lather shave of his neck, chin & forehead and a massage of his head & shoulders…he was a new man and just $23 less in his wallet. Today was a great example of the reason we don't get too rigid in our planning & just grab on to whatever pops up!!
Update #17
Our next train ride took us to Iwakuni. As we stood talking about how we'd get to our hotel, a man came over & after chatting a bit, we were in his car headed to our hotel. Thanks Brian from Indiana! We picked this stop mostly because we wanted to stay in a shipping container. Called The Yard, there were two rows of 15 each facing each other and about 2 ft between them. These shipping containers were still on wheels with the trailer hitch. There were called Rescue Containers and designed to be moved quickly to any disaster location. There are about 25 similar set-ups in Japan. Great idea! Inside was amazingly spacious with double bed, narrow desk with chair, small frig, microwave & what seems the usual tiny bathrooms we've had almost everywhere. It even had a window! When we checked in, we were given two frozen dinners. Bonus!
We had arrived much before check in time so went in search of lunch & found an Indian restaurant with naan that melted in your mouth. Next we headed toward the 3rd most beautiful bridge in Japan, Kintaikyo with its 5 stone arches. As you cross, you climb up & over the arches enjoying the fast running river below. On top of a mountain overlooking it, sits the castle, of course. We rode a tram up the mountain getting a great view of the bridge & valley below. We skipped the castle. Kinda castled out. Back at The Yard, we popped our frozen dinner in the microwave and called it a day…a good day!
Back on the train @ 9:30, we slowly passed through mostly small town & fields with mountains on one side & ocean on the other. It was an easy way round get a glimpse of the lives of people outside a big city. Gardens, cloth lines & the occasional person going in or out of their home or store gave me a tiny window into their lives…which I love.
We had arrived much before check in time so went in search of lunch & found an Indian restaurant with naan that melted in your mouth. Next we headed toward the 3rd most beautiful bridge in Japan, Kintaikyo with its 5 stone arches. As you cross, you climb up & over the arches enjoying the fast running river below. On top of a mountain overlooking it, sits the castle, of course. We rode a tram up the mountain getting a great view of the bridge & valley below. We skipped the castle. Kinda castled out. Back at The Yard, we popped our frozen dinner in the microwave and called it a day…a good day!
Back on the train @ 9:30, we slowly passed through mostly small town & fields with mountains on one side & ocean on the other. It was an easy way round get a glimpse of the lives of people outside a big city. Gardens, cloth lines & the occasional person going in or out of their home or store gave me a tiny window into their lives…which I love.
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