I’m still alive and still in South America. Buenos Aires to be exact. I’m having a great time visiting friends, exploring the city and discovering new places outside of the grand metropolis like Cerro Champaqi in Córdoba, Parque National El Palmer north of BsAs province and Uruguay.
It was strange and scary riding into Buenos Aires after being alone on long stretches of nothingness along Ruta 3. Of course, I rode into and crossed the entire city in the dark of night. Holy crap, exactly what I didn’t want to do. I was prepared to use my TV version of Kung-fu moves along with sound effects if need be, but thankfully I didn’t have to play that card.
Buenos Aires is BIG. 13 million in the city proper and 16 million including outlying areas. It takes me about 2 hrs to cross from north to south in bus. There are bike paths throughout the city that I’ve used several times. These “ciclovias” are generally safe and in good shape. They call BsAs the Paris of South America and they are probably right. Definitely a French vibe here although the population is around 50% Italian heritage and maybe 40% Spanish. They basically consider themselves Europeans with a Latin flair.
I arrived in BsAs just in time to join a small group of “Porteños” (Name given to people from Buenos Aires which is a major “Port” city) to climb the highest mountain in the province of Córdoba in the interior of the country. It was super fun. We hiked to base camp first day then up to the peak and back the second day and back down to the car on the third day. Apart from the wide expanse of views, underground water sources and endless blue sky, my favorite part was the dance in the refuge on Sunday night fully equipped with fog, disco lights and blaring Latin music. Who would have ever expected a disco at 10,000 ft.?
After El Cerro Champaqui, I rested one day before jumping back on my trusted steed and heading over to Uruguay. Thankfully, there is a one hour ferry ride that connects BsAs to Colonia, Uruguay that allows bikes. I spent ten days touring the coast from Colonia to Punta Del Este, including a few days in Montevideo. I learned a ton about this small but mighty country in a short time. If anyone wants to drink a glass of wine and talk about the merits of Uruguay let me know. Jose “Pepe” Mújica represent.
En Fin, as they say in Argentina, I’ve been blessed to have these awesome experiences. Haven’t really had time to slow down and process all this new information. I suspect that will take months or perhaps even years. Next week I leave Argentina and all the generous and welcoming people I’ve met here. I’m sad, but also happy to be moving on to Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile where I will have new adventures and meet other amazing people. It ain’t over until it’s over.
Aloha Denise!!
We were just getting worried. So glad to hear from you!!! You sure are moving around….3 countries in 3 or so weeks!!! You sound wonderful and the photos continue to amaze us!! We miss you! Much love!! ❤️❤️🌴🌴 🚲
Hola Harriet! Still riding the Latin American wave or, rather, washboard and loving it! Looking forward to checking in with you as soon as I get home and the dust settles. Love!
Denise, So good to hear from you.life is an adventure.youve set the bar high.
Glad to hear you’re safe and healthy and loving the trip.the next chapter will be great too. Warmest hugs and love, Nina
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Hi Nina! Let’s see what the next chapter brings?? Excited to meet Nina #2 in a week. I will stay with them in Santiago. Hope your adventure/road trip went well! Looking forward to seeing you soon. Much love!
Still rolling along – fantastic! So glad to hear about your latest adventures. Can’t wait to sit in the Seattle summer evening and listen to your stories while sharing a bottle of South American wine!! Safe travels and much love xxx
That sounds fantastic, Donna! Look forward to seeing you soon!
blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Wow! I had no idea you were still floating around down there😆 Good for you! Keep having a blast! I’ve been back in Colorado training for two huge rides with tons of elevation gain and miles. One is called the Death Ride and the other the Double Triple Bypass however I’m zipping to Merida for a week to take possession of the house I’m buying! Life taking it’s interesting turns. Continue to post and show the rest of us what a wild and crazy and fun interpretation and application of the joys of this world that you have.Ron
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Wow, you have a lot on your plate! I hope you survive the Death ride and Double Triple bypass to enjoy it all. That sounds intense. Congrats on the Merida house. Exciting!!
Are you ever coming home? Ride on Girlfriend!!
Ride on! I love that!! Yes, coming home soon. Looking at a early June landing date. Just around the quarter!!
blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Good morning Denise, I reread your latest post just to take the time to absorb it better. It struck me that within the context of my life in the midst of so many changing events, that the same adventurous spirit can manifest itself in such different ways with different people. I thought my recent process in purchasing my house in Merida, the purchase of my VW bug I always wanted to own 🙂 and an apparent new lady in my life (who is Mexican) was actually a kind of non-adventurous settling in to a foreign country. But in speaking to my friends here in the States, I may possibly be adventurous too! And who is to say, that the couple who have discovered they are now pregnant or someone starting a new job are not adventurous! The point being this: Anyone, who embraces life’s blessings placed before them without a mind-“set” on how to control those blessings, rather, having a mind-“open” , is a person of adventurous growth demonstrating the positive intent of creation. In elementary school, I did a research project on either Uruguay or Paraguay. Elementary school, when I attended as a student rather than a teacher, was a long long time ago. 😆 so the only thing I remember from the project was something about hilly terrain and post World War II German’s populating the place 🙂 It would be fun to take you up on that offer of drinking some wine and talking about the virtues of exploring Uruguay. Continue to adventure, continue to bless and be blessed, and maybe some day on a porch, bike, or mountain rock, we can have that conversation and that glass of 🍷. Your fellow adventurer,Ron
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Ron, thanks for taking a second look at my blog and for your insightful observations. I totally agree! Adventure can take on many different forms. If you go on a walk in a part of town you’re never been in before, that’s adventurous. It doesn’t have to be epic or Herculean. Like you say, having a “growth” mind-set that allows you to step out beyond your own self-imposed barriers is adventurous and worthy of respect. You, my friend, are adventurous! And, yes, bring on the wine!
blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Good morning Denise, I reread your latest post just to take the time to absorb it better. It struck me that within the context of my life in the midst of so many changing events, that the same adventurous spirit can manifest itself in such different ways with different people. I thought my recent process in purchasing my house in Merida, the purchase of my VW bug I always wanted to own 🙂 and an apparent new lady in my life (who is Mexican) was actually a kind of non-adventurous settling in to a foreign country. But in speaking to my friends here in the States, I may possibly be adventurous too! And who is to say, that the couple who have discovered they are now pregnant or someone starting a new job are not adventurous! The point being this: Anyone, who embraces life’s blessings placed before them without a mind-“set” on how to control those blessings, rather, having a mind-“open” , is a person of adventurous growth demonstrating the positive intent of creation. In elementary school, I did a research project on either Uruguay or Paraguay. Elementary school, when I attended as a student rather than a teacher, was a long long time ago. 😆 so the only thing I remember from the project was something about hilly terrain and post World War II German’s populating the place 🙂 It would be fun to take you up on that offer of drinking some wine and talking about the virtues of exploring Uruguay. Continue to adventure, continue to bless and be blessed, and maybe some day on a porch, bike, or mountain rock, we can have that conversation and that glass of 🍷. Your fellow adventurer,Ron
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