BACK FROM SOUTH AMERICA

**bayern** · 03-25-09, 03:03 PM

Finally got back from South America via San Francisco late last night.

My wife and I left on Feb 14 and flew Buenos Aires arriving on Feb 15 around 8am. Checked in the Hotel and started walking around on the largest avenue in the world, 18 lanes wide (give or take1 or 2). It is WIDE. Got robbed at 1030am (my IPOD and Hearing Aid which was in a sack I carry). Someone threw some stuff on my back and I put it back down to clean up and, BY BY. Had a tour of the center town in a beat up Police Car (an old Fiat, I think). No one was hurt but I sure was pissed off. It is a very crime ridden city, with robberies and muggings in broad daylight in very crowed streets. At the local PD station, I was #13 in line to report the incident. Others lost a lot more and some were actually beaten up on busy streets. No one gives a damn.

Well, our next stop was Montevideo, Paraguay, then on to Patagonia (Port Madryn - Then on to rounding the Cape Horn and the Straits of Magellan with its 90 MPH winds.

Chile came next.Veryy nice place - everyone very friendly and nice. Visited some towns and the Capital and got to see the changing of the guards at the Presidential Palace. Nothing like England, but nice. Peru was next with lots of Police presence and guards at the Presidential Palace with AK 47s. Ecuador was a one day stop, and then on the Mexico (Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta). Then to LA and San Francisco.

Drank some beer in each place and must say the stuff from Chile was the best (old Germans who settled there in the 1800s own the breweries).

It was a very nice and LONG trip but it is good to be home. I wrote a 13 page journal and it would be to long to post, so you got a verrrry short summery. It was worth it. Found out my wife does not like the ocean for more then 1 day and HATES rough weather, although it wasn't really bad.

So, anyhow, it is good to be back in our own bed and house. The poor and middle class have it rough down there; living in shanties made of card board and tin.

BUT, if you ever get a chance to go, DO IT. It a place like you never seen. When we were in Ushuaia, Argentine (its near Cape Hope) it was only 300 miles from Antartica//

**Jenna** · 03-25-09, 03:05 PM

Sounds like you had quite an adventure!

Glad you made it back safely!

**Ace** · 03-25-09, 03:07 PM

Sounds like an awesomely crazy trip. What was the weather like down near Cape Hope? Pretty cold?

**bayern** · 03-26-09, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Ace

Sounds like an awesomely crazy trip. What was the weather like down near Cape Hope? Pretty cold?

Kinda cold and very windy. The Captain held the ship nose up to the Cape with 40-60 MPH winds and 15-20 foot waves. heardly felt the rolls but the wind was fierce.

They went to the lee side and put a boat over to go to a Chilian Naval outpost on Cape. Real cool.

**Odd** · 03-26-09, 08:56 AM

"awesomely crazy" <- I like that.

13 pages? Wow, sounds like you got a lot of stories out of it. When is the travelogue showing?

**Buttercup** · 03-26-09, 09:43 AM

That does sound like quite a trip! I'm sure it is good to be back home, I'm glad that you made it back safely.

**Wolven** · 03-26-09, 09:51 AM

Sounds great..maybe someday I'll get to go.

**BigDawg** · 03-26-09, 04:47 PM

Glad you made it back on our soil, sounds like you had a great time.

**Caveman** · 03-26-09, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by bayern

BUT, if you ever get a chance to go, DO IT. It a place like you never seen. When we were in Ushuaia, Argentine (its near Cape Hope) it was only 300 miles from Antartica//

For me Never.
Unless they let me cross south of the border in a tank.

Glad you had a good time though.

**bayern** · 03-26-09, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Odd

"awesomely crazy" <- I like that.

13 pages? Wow, sounds like you got a lot of stories out of it. When is the travelogue showing?

One of these days, I'll clean it up and see if I can put in a PDF format; however I doubt my wife would wnt me putting in about how she was praying when the boat rocked a little bit. Photo wise, I have over 1000 on my digital cameras. Would hate to have 35mm rolls to get developed. However, when I get them on the computer nd checked out, I will post a few, so just wait a while as I go back to work monday and will have to squeeze the time in.

**Willowdared** · 03-29-09, 03:56 AM

Welcome home intrepid traveler!

**Shoestring** · 03-29-09, 05:17 AM

AWESOME, sorry about being taken but hey its part of the experience

Getting out of your own counrty and seeing how others live is great. When my wife and I went to the Dominican, we went on a trip into the country and hung with the locals. Great food, honestly nice people. My first CPR save came on that trip at a fresh water swimming pond/waterfall where a local drown and the native folk were trying to beat the water out of him. I started resque breathing along with our guide and he came around.

Very Very Cool

**countybear** · 03-29-09, 10:18 AM

Welcome home, Bayern.

Trips like that remind you of how well we actually have it here, don't they?

Glad to know you made your travels safely.

**Jenna** · 03-29-09, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Shoestring

AWESOME, sorry about being taken but hey its part of the experience

Getting out of your own counrty and seeing how others live is great. When my wife and I went to the Dominican, we went on a trip into the country and hung with the locals. Great food, honestly nice people. My first CPR save came on that trip at a fresh water swimming pond/waterfall where a local drown and the native folk were trying to beat the water out of him. I started resque breathing along with our guide and he came around.

Very Very Cool

Wow!

Even on vacation, a sheepdog's work is never done!