Well, we are back on the road again -- this time a shorter (2 months) trip to South America.

We started our SA adventure with a 10 day (free layover) visit to Argentina.  We spent most of our time in the wonderful city of Buenos Aires.  We also took a 3 day side-trip to Iguazu Falls National Park, near the Brazilian border.

First, Iguazu Falls . . . .  I have seen Niagara and Victoria Falls, so I was not expecting much.  In fact, I thought we would just see another waterfall.  I was wrong.  Ig Falls was absolutely stunning and far superior to the others I have seen.  The park has over 200 waterfalls, and we saw around 26 of them.  The best part, however, was not the 1,000,000 liters of water per second gushing through the Devil´s Throat, or even the myriad 70 meter waterfalls lining the Argentinian banks, but the overall setting -- a vast jungle and rainforest.  The entire scene was just magical.  Finally, we embarked on a ¨Grand Adventure,¨ which consisted of a jeep jungle ride and a speedboat ride, quite literally, into and through some of the canyons and waterfalls.  Aside from our crappy hotel in Port Iguazu, we had a fantastic time at the Falls.  It is easy to see why IF is considered one of the world´s natural wonders.

Second, Buenos Aires . . . a wonderful city.  BA defied our expectations in many ways, because it is very modern and developed.  At the same time, however, it has a distinctly latin american feel . . . and there is no mistaking that you are not at home.  There was no ONE sight or MAJOR monument that made our visit in BA special.  In fact, from a traditional tourist/city tour/photo-snapping perspective, BA is not really that special.  Nonetheless, it is a fascinating city . . . and when you really explore what it has to offer, you cannot help falling in love with the city and its environs.  We spent most of our time walking the streets -- people watching, markets everywhere, great colonial architecture -- and just soaking in the atmosphere.  BA has so many interesting neighborhoods, but our favorite was La Boca.  LB is a working class district with a strong artesan community and bohemian flavor.  Along with the ubiquitous tango dancing in the streets and craft stalls, all of the buildings in LaBoca are painted in vibrant, bright colors.  In addition, we saw a lot of movies -- in these great, old-fashioned movie houses (2 tix and 2 popcorns cost $2; do not, however, waste your time/money on Seed of Chucky -- a real loser even for $2).  Last but not least (in fact, last but best), we ate like royalty . . . for pennies on the dollar.  Every meal was a treat -- the steaks were just incredible.

In sum, we cannot say enough about BA.  If you visit, allow yourself some time to really explore the city . . . and so that you can justify eating several meals!!!