School and Moab

So...we've been home for just over 2 weeks.  2.5 weeks to be exact.  

Derek started PT School 2 weeks ago and as you can see

he is really excited about it.  (This was his 1st day of school pic).  No but really, it is a lot of work.  He is super busy (which sometimes sucks for me) but he really loves Physical Therapy School.  We are really glad he has chosen a profession he is so passionate about.

As for me...I am on the job hunt.  Anything full time in Rec Therapy, let me know.  Yes, I have a job, but it is only part-time and that just doesn't cut it when you're the only one working.

Other than that...we went to Moab this weekend and it was AWESOME!  It was us, our friends, Brain and Jess Francom, James Marshall, Dez Dejong (no she isn't asian.  blonde and blue eyes), and my dad and sister, Lisa.  It was really fun!  We biked Klondike Bluffs (and I actually stayed on my bike)

And then we did the Daily, which was at 24,000 CFS at the time.  It was super fun.  (Cloudburst and Whites are amazing hits right now.)  And....it was warm (except the water).  Oh and it was the Moab Arts Festival.  And we just hung out.  Did some hiking.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

We love Moab so much.  I want Derek to get a PT job there at the new hospital when he is out of school.  I could live there forever and be happy.  Although I would miss skiing in the winter....But I think it would be totally worth it.

New Knowlege

Things We Learned In South America
1. Never travel without toilet paper (most bathrooms = no TP)
2. Never travel without hand sanitizer (50/50 chance for soap in bathrooms)
3. Always have your own water and NEVER get it at a restaurant
4. Cars don't yield to peds (except in Esquel)
5. J-walking is okay and encouraged
6. Don't take bags to the supermarket (you have to put them in a locker)
7. The police are EVERYWHERE but they don't do ANYTHING
8. Never ask a Peruvian for directions (if they don't know they won't admit it, they'll just make something up.  You always end up going left....)
9. People are people, not numbers or a waste of time.  Make time for people they are what matter and enhance experiences more than places.  They create memories.
10. The experience is in the journey and the people you meet, not the destination.
11. SLOW DOWN, don't take life on at such a fast pace
12. S.A. time = Mormon Standard Time
13. Take time to smell the cucumbers
14. Be flexible with your plans and time
15. Be grateful for cheap food
14. Everyone smokes and drinks (it's cheap)
15. Toilet Paper is for the waste basket, not the toilet
16. The soap smells bad
17. Argentina looks a lot like UT
18. Walking sticks are so wonderful in so many ways
19. speed bumps are an effective means of controlling speeding
20. Hankies are great companions to have
21. Always bring extra layers on buses
22. Get used to having cold feet
23. 20 blocks is not far to walk
24. Embrace who you are and why you are the way you are
25. You know you're in Argentina when they ask for your small change at checkout stands so they only have to give you bills
26. Avocados = best super food ever
27. Staring down dogs is effective 75% of the time
28. I'm tall
29. Cough drops can taste good (their gum is nasty and loses flavor in 10 seconds.  That is why everyone sucks on cough drops)
30. People are always willing and wanting to help you in any way they can (we'd like to be the same)
31. Eating straight carbs isn't as bad as everyone says it is (as long as you walk a lot with a big backpack on everyday....)
32. To stay up past 10 o'clock, and to in fact have dinner past 10 o'clock.
33. My life can be split in half and I can live lives that are totally separate from one another.

It was a good learning experience.  I know we learned more than this, but this is all I can come up with at the moment.

Bariloche, the Mish, and Buenos Aires

It is weird to be able to take as long as I want from this because I am at my own computer, not a locotorio.  Yes, we are home.

Last installment of the saga in South America.

We finished the 7 Lakes Route and ended up back in Bariloche.  It was such a beautiful drive.  Lakes and mountains and just stunning.  We happened to be in Bariloche for its 109th Birthday and they had a big party in the main plaza with acrobats and music and light show and fireworks.  It was awesome!  Then we went out to dinner for the first time in Argentina.  (Pretty good huh).  It was a vegetarian restaurant and holy crap it was so good.  No menu, they just bring you what they made that day.  We drove up to a trailhead and slept in our car.  Good call.  Really comfortable and so warm.

The next morning we hiked Cerro Lopez.  But not all of it because A. we didn't have enough time before the car had to be back and B. The trail was horrid.  But the views were incredible.

We stopped be Cerro Campanario on the way back.  You take a chairlift up to see what National Geographic has rated in the Top 10 Most Beautiful Views in the World.  And wow is it ever beautiful and WINDY!  But the funnest part was riding the chairlift back down the mountain.  I've never done that before.

We went out to a resort, Llao Llao.  Let down.  Just fanciness.  We stuck out like two soar thumbs.  We finished the night off around Bariloche and had the BEST gelato ever and then took the bus to Villa Regina.

Villa Regina is an area Derek served in on his mission.  Not a tourist place.  I got about 2 or 3 hours of sleep on the bus.  We got there and hiked up to a GIANT Indian on the mountain then went in search on members.  For the first while we were having rotten luck.  But we found Hermana Reyes, and she fed us lunch.  The cool part is when she woke up in the morning she had the feeling to make 2 packets of spaghetti, she knew someone was coming.  We visited with her.  Went and saw another family, found Lucas, and then Lucas came back to Hermana Reyes with us where we had mate and tortas fritas.  Then it was off to Neoquin.  

Neoquin is the center of the mission.  We could not find ANYWHERE to stay.  It was horrible.  We couldn't even rely on the charity of the Mission President because of transfers and Zone Conference.  

Next day off to Cipoletti to find more members.  We visited a few families, got some dang food fruit at a market and headed back to Neoquin to head to Buenos Aires.

I slept better on that bus.  It was a 'tranquilo' day.  Saw sites.  Had lunch in the Main Plaza and watched college students rally to legalize medicinal marijuana.  Went on a tour of the Casa Roasada (their equivalent of the White House).  It was really cool, we learned a lot about history of the leaders of Argentina.  

We went to a Tango House and had a tango lesson, dinner, and a tango show.  Oh my gosh they were such amazing dancers.  And our camera died so no pictures.  But wow.  And they liked Derek.

We were able to go to church with Derek's companion, Ariel, and his wife, Melissa.  Then we just passed the day with them playing cards and drinking mate and eating cookies.

We were planning on doing a "Dia de Campo" when you go see the Gauchos and have asado etc.  So we bused 2.5 hrs out to San Andres de Giles and the place wasn't open.  The gal at the info place bent over backwards with us and we drank mate together while we waited to hear back.  So we hung out in town and went out to a small estancia, La Silencia.  It is run by a German woman and she, Derek, Hector (horse hand), and I went on a 3 hour horseback ride.  And we got to gallop and it was awesome. It was so fun.  No follow the leader horse line.  It was so great.  Not touristy.  It was real.  And after she gave Derek homemade empenadas (she knew I was a veggie) so I got facturas (pastries).  

Last day in BA we went to the Botanical Gardens and out to the Biopark.  The best zoo ever!  Tamaiken.  It was open, and clean, and beautiful, and really cool animals.  So awesome.

We went to dinner with the Sosas to asado.  I am proud to say I got through 7 weeks in South America (6 in Argentina the beef capital of the world) without eating meat.  I tried a piece of asado because you can't go to Argentina without eating beef.  I didn't like it.  But I tried it.

We can't believe the trip is over.  It was so incredible.  I miss it already and really want to go back.  I could easily live there forever and ever.

Lake District

We returned to Esquel after visiting members in Trelew.  It was nice, we rented bikes and rode up to the p of a mountain.  Whoever thought what a beast it woud be.  1.5 hours of straight uphill on dirt roads wit heavy bikes and no shocks.  Just like old times (at least for me).  And add insane wind.  There were times e couldn´t even move forward because the wind ws so strong, we had to get off and walk.  But it was fun.  We spent the rest of the day riding here and there and everywhere.

Next we were off to El Bolson.  A mountain granola town that I could live in for the rest of my life and be oh so happy.  My spanih would have to get better though, becuse people don´t speak enlgish here.  I could sell my art stuff 3x a week at market and do who knows what else.  Nevertheless, I´ll come home.

We started with an overnighter.  The overnighter that broke us.  Not only did we start late, but we chose to walk to the trailhead insead of getting a taxi or remisse.  Long walk, but there were bountiful amounts of blackberries to distrct us along the way.

We got to the ¨trail head¨ 2 hours after the lat recommended time for leaving and this is how we crossed the river. I swear this bridge was built 100 years ag and never touched again.  It was terrifying.  The scariest thing I´ve ever done in my life.  Way worse than bungee jumping or jumping out of a plane.

The trail was horridly marked not kept uuge trees falling over and bogs and UPHILL.  It was a beast.  We got to the refugio it was dark.  We did the last 10-15 minutes of the hike by headlamp.  We were plnning on camping but we were tired and he refugio had a fire and kitchen and matresses.  So we stayed there an do not regret it.  It was a really cool rustic cabin.  Not fancy at all like the other refugios we´ve seen.  But this also wasn´t  a National Park.  (Hence the terrible trail conditions)

In the morning, we hiked to the glacier.  We actually got on the glacier.  (Don´t tell my mom).  The snowfields were so grippy and looked like brainy climbing holds.  It was cool.

The hike out was a brutal uphill and then 100% downhill for a LONG LONG time.  Then we werehinking we were goin to have to walk a million miles back to El Bolson.  This hike broke us.  Luckily, we found another traveler and split a remisse back to town.  But because of this, we were able to find Edith.  She owns Ave Fenix, where we camped for 20 pesos each/night.  She made us gnocci that night and we ate with her, her daughter, and 2 other campers. 

We spent the next day at the market and relaxing.  Much needed. 

Day 3 in El Bolson (longest we´ve stayed put) we went to church and rented bikes and rode out to Parque Nacional Lago Puelo (pictured below).  It is beautiful.  It was 18 km ride each way but mostly flat.  It ws a nice Sunday ride and walks in the park.

Sunday night was Leandro (one of the other campers) Birthday.  So we had an asado and luckily for me, Leandr and Camille (campers) are vegetarians too.  So we had a LOT of meat and roasted veggies and I had my first taste of dulce de leche.  It was a really neat experence.  Everyone was so giving and fun. 

(This is me not wanting to leave El Bolson)

We left El Bolson for Bariloche on Monday morning and left Bariloche as soon as we got there.  Not that we don´t like it, but we rented a car and started drivin the 7 Lakes Route.  Holy cow, this country never ceases to amaze us with its beauty.

However, it was bitterly cold last night.  Our tent wasn´t just frosted.  Ice.  there was ice on my backpack (inside the tent).  It was cold.  We didn´t sleep well.  But it was free and we had  car to warm up in.  And because we didn´t sleep well, we got to watch the sunrise (pictured below)

I don´t know if I´ll post again before we come home.  We return to the states late next week.  Crazy.  I don´t want to leave this country.  It is incredible.  But we are excited for the next chapter in our lives as well.