One more thing

We better use our camping gear! <i thought yall might want to know that my total weight of gear was 49.5lbs and blakes another 50lbs. We just carried our bags downstairs, really the elevator, and i almost fell over.

Tango and Beef

 View from our hotel room. Puerto Madero.

 A restaurant we walked by with, as you can see, meat cooking by an smokey flame. Wanted eat there but already had plans for tango show.

 Our faces with Argentina flag

 Bridge that crosses puerto madero. Very modern suspension cables. blake said they are for show, but i think they do something. What you think dad?

 Having dinner before the tango show.

Strollin around town...or should i say city.

 a picture of me on the cool bridge but i can´t figure out how to turn the picture.

 The Tango...

Singing words we have no idea what they mean but still was amazing.
These are pics from Blakes camera since <i forgot my cord the computer. He is happy we are using his i know. My camera makes fun of his when we are not around so its good to give it some confidence.


We are leaving BA this afternoon on a 14hr bus to Mendoza. BA has been great but we are definitely not big city people. Went to an amazing steak dinner the first night...THE BEST STEAK THAT WE HAVE EVER EATEN! The couple at the restaurant next to us only ordered steak. no veggies. we know next time to only order meat because they melted in our mouths and took up the entire plate! Stephen and Grace would be in beef heaven.

Yesterday we spent walking around the city. LOTS of people and traffic. Very interesting but would help to know the language for sure. One aspect of this city that we cannot get over is the way people throw their trash in teh streets! There are some garbage bins on the sides of the road but there are tons of trash bags. today seemed to be a little less because we saw trucks picking up trash last night after the tango show. Another crazy culture aspect of BA is the amount of dogs! One park we walked through had a gated area with probably 20dogs barking. around the fence were another 15 dogs tied to the gate by a leash. Other dogs are just chilling on the sidewalks with the homeless. Don,t worry we steered clear since we did not get a rabies vaccine :)

OK so I made this city sound very dirty. The port area is very nice and upscale (where we went to dinner) and other areas are as well but we stayed around this downtown area which is hustle and bustle.

The tango show was fantastic. The music and dance are so intimate and moving that my emotions seemed to follow the dancers. The show was held in an old building with a three course meal, bottle of wine and cafe.

The bus station is a panic attack waiting to happen Laura Merrill. Luckily when we did find the window we needed to buy our tickets a girl in line spoke english and spanish so translated for us! THANK YOU GIRL FROM LA! going to try and load some pics...

Buenos Aires

The wedding sat night was fun and beautiful. It was great to see friends, but we might have had a little too much fun the way our heads felt the next day! nevertheless, we made it to the airport in time , thanks doug hooker!! The flight was not too bad and we got to sit together with window and aisle seats! BA airport is easy to figure out and cabs were prepaid. The sheraton is super nice, thanks taylor! <just got checked in and ate a couple of empanadas. This city is HUGE. nap time.

Why Argentina?

As my parents know well, I get "the itch" every year or two to go somewhere fa fa awaay from here (Reference to Forrest Gump). Even though Denver is far away from home in Mississippi, it hardly has any culture at all. For me, traveling is about experiencing culture. Blake is not here right now, but I think traveling is about experiencing culture to him, also.
culture
a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations b : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time <popular culture> <southern culture>

Well known characteristics of Argentina include meat, tango, wine, and gauchos.  Blake has been talking about eating meat constantly. Hopefully, he will not have to be put on a statin when we get back because his cholesterol is out the roof. I am obsessed with Malbec wine right now which is what Mendoza produces the best. Hopefully my liver will rejuvenate itself when I get back :) Some of you have seen us dance at concerts,so you know the tango would not be our strongpoint. Nevertheless, we do plan to take a tango lesson even though Blake will not let me bring my high heels...

To close this poorly written post, I must talk about the outdoors. Blake and I both did a NOLS course in college. His was in Alaska, and mine was Yukon Territory. I do not know if y'all know but Blake hiked the AT. We love Colorado because of all the camping, etc. Argentina is known for outdoors. We plan on experiencing as much of the outdoors there that we can. We have asked the question to each other "should we take our camping gear?" probably 1,000 times or more (Hence, the title of the blog ). The final decision is we are taking our camping gear!! If I get too cold we will get a room somewhere... Fishing gear is another story. No room for sure. And no high heels for tango, but I think I will live.

P.S. I was not an English major.
P.S.S. Blake was not an English major.
P.S.S.S. Caitlin, you definitely not going to be an English major :) haha! she is working on homework.

Itinerary: Depart Jackson, Ms October 10th, 2010  yes we are missing Phish in denver
              Arrive: Buenos Aires October 11th, 2010 at 1000 am. Thank you Taylor for the friend  and                   family               rate at the sheraton for two nights!!

               the middle: unkown but will do mendoza region, Bariloche, Patagonia
                 Nov. 10th. Blake's birthday!!
                Depart BA Nov 12th
                Arrive Jackson Nov 13th
                Clare in Delta for 2-3 nights so friends get ready...bonfire at kallies??