Argentina

As Mary has said, the start of our relationship with Argentina was a little rocky. We hadn't planned to go there, but for this farming activity that didn't pan out, and at with that rocky start, I was not feeling loving about the country. Now, I have to say that while we still have one country to go, I think it will be a tough affair to top. I didn't want to leave when it was time to go,  and cried when we left.
Every day I saw some natural beauty that was so stunning that it truly took my breath away. I hope we can at least give a glimpse.of that in our ph
otos, but it was such big beauty that it was hard to capture.  Every day I met someone new, or saw a familiar face that made my heart feel warm and happy. And Argentina (along with our friends Alejandro and Vilma) unexpectedly gave us the experience that I had been unsuccessfully trying to create for us in the planning of this trip.  Our prime directive had been to try to live as much in each culture as we could - ideally in a small town, in a house in an area where local people lived, with opportunities to get to know those people on more than just a superficial basis. Alejandro, with his unofficial mayor status and connections and his warm and welcoming family. Vilma, Olga and Abuela with their willingness to not only share their farm with us, but also their culture and daily lives. Then their was Lucia, the chatty proprietor of our favorite panaderia (I really miss those libritos!) , Sebastian one of our crazy taxi drivers and Silvia the owner of our house who took such great care of us, and taught us how drink mate (I sure hope we can find that when we got back, or Mary and I are in big trouble). South America has been such a great experience already, but even if we'd only really enjoyed Argentina, the whole trip would have been worth it. We're not even home yet, and I can't wait to go back.
The picture below is of a huge metal flower in Buenos Aires that opens and closes with the sun.