Buenos Aires, Argentina: Wow! I guess I have to start there. I don´t know if it has to do with the time of year, but the people here are incredibly nice. Very hospitable, going out of their way to make sure you have a good time here. People who minutes before were complete strangers, invite me to Christmas dinner. This has happened multiple times. I haven´t spent a dime on accomodations for the last four nights. They insist I stay with them. So i must say, the people in Buenos Aires have been the kindest of all the people i´ve met. Not sure if its was just luck running into the right people, or everyone being in the Christmas spirit, but its going to be tough to leave this place.

Although i did manage to escape once for three days and head to Mar del Plata. Its their coastal getaway town. Very nice beaches, reminded me of Miami. As I always say, check out the pics. Except you may have to wait, because although this is one of the coolest cities i´ve been to, the internet service is horrible! At least thats been my experience. Well, at least uploading photos is difficult.

I think its three days until Christmas, but it really does not feel like it. I can´t say i´m looking forward to some time off, because ive been off for about 6 months! And i cant say im looking forward to being with the family, because I wont be with the family. But there is a sense of Christmas out here, at least in the commercial sense. Lots of folks out and about doing what i think we do best: shop. Lots of Christmas shopping going on. And being the scrooge that I am, ive never been fond of that part of Christmas. But i´ll find something productive to do on that day.

Can´t say enough about this city, but wait on the photos to see what its like. Ive not blogged in so long that i dont know where to begin.

Arrived in Buenos Aires right after Roasario, which I believe was the 10th or 11th? Not sure anymore. I took an overnight bus and found some girls I had met in Santiago, Chile at the bus terminal and they asked if I wanted to share a cab with them to Milhouse hostel. I said sure, and so I was on my way to Milhouse, intending to stay only three nights because I wanted to head to Mar del Plata. Three days turned in to seven, and that´s just how it is out here. There is always an invitation somewhere. The food is amazing, great steaks at great prices. Just last night I was invited to an asada, it was on someones rooftop, of their apartment building. Great views, reminded me of New York. The steak was incredible, probably the best ive ever tasted in my life!

The city never sleeps. One of my first nights here i was invited to a concert that did not end until 3am, followed by a dj playing until who knows when. I thought we were waiting for another band to come on, but at 5, I told my friends i was going to bed. I walked back and the sun came up by the time my head hit my pillow. Its like that most nights. And dinner doesn´t usually start until 11am, ending at about 1am. If you show up to a restaurant at about 9pm, youll be alone.

Which also means breakfast consists of only toast and juice or coffee. Your so full from last nights dinner, that you´re not hungry for breakfast. And its not just the youth that carry this schedule, youll see grandmas and grandpas out at all hours of the night. Walking the streets, having a coffee, or whatever else.

Ill post pics as soon as possible. Ill be here for Christmas, but then am heading to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Its said to be the St. Tropez of the south. Something like Miami, but even more exotic. The kind of place where the rich and famous go to ring in the New Year. Im not rich, nor famous, but ill be there. Ill take lots of pics.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New!

Love you guys!

Rosario, Argentina: Its already December, and as they say, time flies! I can remember getting in the plane with my grandma, to Mexico City, wondering where i´ll be for Christmas. It think its clear now i´ll be in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 15 days til Christmas, if you´re keeping track at home! Still the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion.



But its a bit different out here. For one, its summer time, and that means heat! Think about how weird it would be if December averaged 90 degrees! We´d freak out! But that´s how it is out here. It´s one of the reasons I had to leave Santiago, Chile a little early.



I left off (the blog, that is) in Viña del Mar, a beautiful coastal town in Chile. From there I headed back to the capital, Santiago, with plans to stay a week. Turns out I lasted two days. The primary reason was the heat. I couldnt take it! About 90 degrees during the day, and the sun does not set until about 9pm. Its hot until about then. Unbearable, at least it was for me. So I took the next bus to Mendoza, Argentina. But, Santiago was nice, very nice. I loved it, and as always, you can see pictures on Facebook. So far, maybe the nicest capital city. A little bit of NYC, a little bit of L.A., and even some SF. Really nice city. And the people, great!



But just couldnt take the heat, so off to Argentina I went.

I spent 5 days in Mendoza, and I loved every minute of it. I was not as excited as some travelers to visit Argentina. I had heard too much hype. A lot like Europe, the Argentinians consider themselves more European than Latin, and on and on. But I found none of it to be true. At least not in Mendoza. Not that there is anything wrong with Europe, but if you´re in Latin America, you should consider yourself Latin American. And they do! And they have great steaks, and great wine, and yes, the women here are absolutely gorgeous. Just had to throw that out there. Of course, they dont compare to California girls, but thats neither here nor there.

My first night in Mendoza I was sick. A horrible sore throat; I sounded like Froggy from the little Rascals. It was a friday night. So I slept all day hoping I would get better. And I did, eventually. Well enough to go rafting, horseback riding, and on a really cool wine tour in the next few days. Not to mention the zoo, which was fascinating and scary at the same time. I swear the animals could have escaped at any time. And im talking about bears, and tigers, and lions. But we were able to get so close, it was cool. And I was well enough to enjoy the food in Mendoza. The meat is amazing. I attended a few BBQ´s or Asada´s. All you can eat; I was in heaven!

The town was great, but I had to move on, so I headed to Rosario. Its a town near the river, and about 4 hours north of Buenos Aires. Also the birthplace of Che, and also home to most of the models in Argentina. At least that´s what some old man in Mendoza told me. But that´s not why im here. At least not the only reason...lol.

So far the town is ok. You need to take a bus from the city center to get to the river, which they call a beach. And, yes, it appears that most of the models in Argentina are from here.

Im currently at a hostel, and though ive mentioned that i dont prefer hostels, I think its hostels from here on out. In other countries I had the choice to get my own room at a hotel. In Chile and Argentina, prices wont allow me to do so. But so far ive enyoyed the experience. Yes, there are lots of foreigners, but you also meet lots of locals, because Chileans, and Argentineans travel more often, then say Peruvians, or Bolivians. So, for instance, there were lots of Chilean girls at my hostel in Mendoza because they had a four day weekend. So, even though I was at a hostel, I was able to hang out with ¨locals¨. Though I also met other folk who i really enjoyed spending time with.

But one Chilean girl made it clear that I had a long way to go with my spanish. She kept making fun of my pronunciation, and I kept reminding her that even if I was fluent in spanish I wouldnt speak like her because im not Chilean or Argentinean. In L.A. we speak Mexican spanish! She still continued to mock me! But i´m working on my spanish, and I think its getting pretty good. I´ll let you be the judge when I get back.

Times are good. Im deep into a book about Sudan. What is the What? is the name of it. By Dave Eggers. I recommend it to anyone interested in a good historical autobiography. The situation in Sudan is still on going, by the way. Also currently getting through Corinthians. Just finished the first part, will start the second after I log off.

I hope everyone is having a great December. If you have not yet gone out and bought a tree, do so! The longer you have it up, the better!

Love you mom, great chatting with you today!

Love you family,

Love you friends.

Michael.

Viña del Mar, Chile: In Chile! Love it here! Really nice. But significantly more expensive than the last two countries.

A bit of catching up first. I left Cochabamba and got to Uyuni via train. Great train ride, 8 hours. Was in town for a day and found a tour of the Salt Flats, 3 days. I was grouped with 3 Bolivians, and they made it a great trip. They were older guys, friends since childhood, and vacationing together. They were hilarious. And the Salt Flat tour was incredible. Check out the pics, I would do it no justice trying to describe it.

From there I arrived in Chile. Because I thought I was in a huge hurry I jumped on a bus straight to the capital, Santiago. Turns out I have a lot more time than I thought. But I met up with a friend in Santiago, and we headed to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is a coastal town near Santiago. It has lots of character. Again, check out the pics. We spent Thanksgiving in Valparaiso. It was a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Of course the place was dead because no one out here knows or cares that it was Thanksgiving. I looked everywhere for Turkey, but they just don´t serve it out here. But we did find a delicious chicken, and we had mashed potatoes to have some semblance of Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed it.

From there we moved to Viña del Mar, which is like a mix of Pacific Beach and Laguna Beach. Its obvious that there are lots of rich folks here. Not a single backpacker anywhere. I suppose its too expensive. But we found a great deal on a room across the street from the beach. We haven´t done much exploring yet, but today we´ll probably walk around and see what´s going on out here.

I plan on returning to Santiago tomorrow or the next day. Chile is definitely a beautiful country. Very modern, almost like a different world compared to Bolivia. It is quite puzzling how one country can be so behind in terms of infrastructure and technology, and all that sort of stuff when they are neighbors. I understand it has to do with financing and lifestyle choices, but it still boggles my mind a bit. Not to say I think any less of the people in Bolivia, I think they´re world class people, and the country is as beautiful as any i´ve seen. But, fix your streets! Modernize your plumping! Things like that.

I´m at the beach right now, but the weather is a bit cold, and windy. I hope it warms up soon.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It´s incredible to see how much we have to be thankful for, year after year. And after nearly six months of traveling, I think I have a greater appreciation and am more grateful for the opportunity to live where I live. Again, not to take anything away from all the beautiful countries I have visited, but I do believe I live in the greatest country in the world! And I am talking in terms of opportunity, and resources available to people to allow them to progress. Of course we can get better, but we´re doing pretty good. Just ask the dozens of people who remind me from time to time how much they would love to live in the states. Or at least work in the states. It is something to be thankful for.

Love you all,

Love you mom,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Relief! That´s what I felt when I finally finished painting. Who would of thought painting a room and a staircase would be so difficult! I was not so much happy, as relieved when the job was finally completed. It must of took three to four coats to get that done. Let´s just say it wasn´t Sherwin Williams paint. But it got done! And the tile work got done, and I took care of the roof problem, I think. I did my best, and they asked when I was coming back to visit, so I must have done ok.

All in all, it was a great experience, and i´m going to miss Cochabamba when I leave tomorrow morning. One of the days I had to just stop working, because the kids just wouldn´t let me work, but it was much more fun playing with them. They wanted to be on the swing most of the time, which made it easy. Just a push. And the kids are pretty brave; they kept saying, ¨mas fete, tio¨. ¨Mas fuerte, tio¨. They wanted me to puch them faster. They were great. Funny, as most kids are. It´s a great organization, check them out on the web. Casa de Amor, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Just Google it. You´ll find a great story about Jennifer, who started the orphanage in her early 20´s. The whole staff is terrific, modern day Mother Theresa´s is the way I see them.

I also got a nice tour of the city from a local. Great town, bigger than I thought. Look for pictures on Facebook in about a week. I won´t have good enough internet service to upload until then.

Every town has its little sayings, or manner of speaking. Cochabamba is no exception. After every sentence, it seems, they say, ¨no ve.¨ It´s almost comical. Talking about almost anything, they end with, no ve. So, they´ll say, the place you want to get to is over there, no ve. Or, I´ve lived here for 20 years, no ve. And every time someone would say it, I had to crack a smile, so they were probably thinking, what´s so funny? But it was hilarious to me. I even had to ask someone why they said it so much, but I guess when your so accostumed to it, you don´t notice.

I´m off to Oruro tomorrow, but just for about an hour, then i´m taking a train to Uyuni (in Bolvia), where I plan to take a tour of the Salt Flats. I´m hoping I can do a 2 or 3 day tour. They´re usually 4 days. It turns out i´m in a bit of a rush again. Not yet confirmed, but I may need to be in Brazil by December 17th. That means I have less than a month to finish Bolivia, then visit Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Should be a fun next couple of weeks.

I´m also thinking I may be in Central America for New Years. Was going to be in Brazil, but since I will be there so early, I could just leave a little earlier. Depends on plane ticked prices.

Great news from back home, my uncle and aunt just had twins! I hope they post pictures so I can see my new cousins (hint, hint)! Congratulations Uncle D and Aunt Yvonne!

No place like home for the holidays, but i´ll make the best of the next few months. I think i´ll be in such a rush I won´t even realize I missed Thanksgiving, or Christmas. When is Thanksgiving, anyways? They don´t celebrate it out here, so I may not know that I missed it. Christmas is obviously international, so I may notice that it´s Christmas time. I´ll probably be in Brazil.

Hope all is well at home!

Love you mom,

Love you family, (and its getting bigger!)

Love you friends,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Going to go out on a limb here, and proclaim Cochambamba my favorite city thus far. I reserve the right to amend this later, but I have to say, I have not been this satisfied with a city in a long time.

Now, there is nothing special about this city, and as I have said before, not many tourist, but that may be precisely why I enjoy it so much. For one, I can´t speak english here. No one in this city speaks more than four words of english! (Of course, that´s probably not true, but its nothing like other cities i´ve visited). Which is a good thing. I have really been able to practice my spanish here.

Two, I love what i´m doing at the orphanage. I started painting today, after a long morning trying to buy paint. Finding the orphanage was an ordeal in itself. I called for directions, and really could not get them. The phone was full of static, and there really wasn´t a proper address for the place. The best info I received was: next to Imba Pollo. And that proved to be the best way to get there. Tell the taxi to take me to Imba Pollo. From there I walked around until I found it.

The next day, which was today, I got up early to buy paint. Almost three hours later I had my paint, and off to the orphanage I went. Turns out i´m not a great painter, but I get by. It took me the whole day to paint a room. I have a bit more to do tomorrow. The kids are all under 5, and can´t help me, in fact they hinder more than anything. But, I love it! They call me tio, which is funny to me, but they always ask what i´m doing. Pintando, I keep telling them over and over. But again they ask, que haces tio? Its funny, but great to have them around. Once in a while they´ll get in trouble for being in the way, but not by me.

I left the place with wet paint on the walls, I hope its still on when I get back.

I´m also splurging again, and staying in a pretty nice hotel. Hot water, cable tv, clean bed, nice view...all luxuries when ¨backpacking.¨ There´s also a gym near by, and cost only a dollar for a day pass. I had to go, since its been months since i´ve done anything that remotely resembles working out. Of course I over did it, and will pay the price tomorrow. I even did squats! (That was dumb). I probably won´t be able to walk without pain in the morning, but it was good to get some kind of workout.

And, as an added bonus, and to my surprise, there are lots of really good looking girls in Cochabamba. Everyone talks about Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, and yeah, i´m sure the girls are good looking there, but who would of thought Cochabamba. And i´m talking lots of good looking girls. Not that its important, but there was enough to notice. And, yeah, it makes my stay here a little nicer!

If I can find the Pac-Cotto fight tomorrow night, i´ll be even happier. I´m thinking it will be the best fight in a long, long time. I think Pacquiao will win. Though Cotto is also a great fighter. Just think in a fight like this, you also have to have a great corner. I don´t think Cotto did himself a favor by hiring a friend.

So all is well. May stay here a bit longer than expected. At least until next Tuesday.

Love you all,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Finally remembered my password! It´s been a month since i´ve entered anything, so this may be a long blog....or really short.

I think last time I wrote, I was headed to Machu Picchu! Hopefully you´ve seen the pictures on Facebook. It was all its cracked up to be. Certainly was not disappointed. And my brother went with me, so it was that much better. If you have not seen the pictures, do so. If you don´t have Facebook, sign up, its free.

Shortly after Machu Picchu, Ruben left, but I was stuck in Cusco, Peru because another friend was coming to visit. I was certainly glad she came, but if I could have chosen any other city, I would have. I was in Cusco for about 3 and a half weeks. About three weeks too long. I did not enjoy my time there.

The city is much too touristy, and really nothing too exciting to do there. Its more of a launching point to Machu Picchu. Three days is about as much time as anyone needs there.

I was able to volunteer for a week. So that made it a little better. I volunteered with Bruce Peru, an organization that helps educate poor children in Cusco.

But even with that experience, I was happy to leave Cusco, first chance I got. Which was the day after Clarrissa left. From Cusco I headed to Puno with Maddie and Nicole, two other volunteers from Bruce Peru. One thing is certain, you´ll always meet great people volunteering.

Puno was great! We spent about three days there, and visited some islands on Lake Titicaca. We even stayed with a local family one night, that was fun. We also splurged when we stayed in Puno and stayed at a really nice hotel! Probably on par with the Marriott back home.

From Puno, Peru, I crossed the border into Bolivia. I had to pay a Visa fee for the first time. 135 dollars! Quite expensive, but Bolivia is so cheap, it all works out in the end. My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. Its another small town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. I also visited some islands, but only for a day. And while in Copacabana, I ran into a friend who I met in Ecuador, and traveled with him to La Paz. Also went with two American girls, one of which found out a few days ago she passed the NY Bar! She was pretty excited about that, as was I.

I was in La Paz, the defacto capital of Bolivia, for a few days. Great city, I enjoyed it. Each capital city has its own character, yet all are very similar. I think I liked La Paz more than Bogota, but not quite as much as Quito. I don´t think I really saw the real Lima, but that was probably the nicest capital city thus far.

I´ll post La Paz pictures soon.

And now i´m in Cochabamba, and very happy about it! There is not a single backpacker in this city. Atleast I have not seen any. Its not really a popular stop for backpackers, nor is it on the so called ¨Gringo Trail¨, which is the trail most backpackers follow. Most popular cities in South America are part of the Gringo Trail, and really you could come to South America, and never really experience the culture or even have to speak spanish if you follow this trail. You stay at hostels full of foreign travelers who all speak english, and visit the same tourist attractions, and eat at the same foreign owned restaurants, and hang out at the same bars, and never really have an authentic experience.

But if you come to Cochabamba, you won´t find that. But i´m not here to meet other backpackers. I came to do some work for Casa de Amor, an orphanage here in Cochabamba. I wrote them a few weeks ago and asked if there was any maintenance work, or cleaning I could do for them. I have been in contact with enough orphanages to know that I can best serve by doing things that most people do not like to do. I love playing with kids as much as the next person, but most orphanages need monetary help, or help with the upkeep of their facilities.

So they wrote back and said, yes! They need someone to paint, lay tile, and fix a Bolivian style roof. Not to mention massive yard work. And of course I said, yeah, I can do that. But now I find myself a bit nervous, remembering that i´m in Bolivia, not California, and i have no idea if there is a Home Depot near by. And i´ve seen people lay tile millions of times, it seems easy enough, but is it? And Bolivian style roof? What´s that? So i´m not sure exactly what i´m in for, but I´ll stay until all the work is done. There is no doubt about that.

So i´m nervous, but happy. This is really what I came out here for. To be of service. I love traveling, and visiting new cities, but truth is, i´m kind of over it. Meeting new folks from Australia or Britain is not what I came to do. Though i´ve met some wonderful people. The whole backpacking circuit has lost its novelty. I don´t really enjoy hostels or meeting new folks from other countries, unless their from the particular country i´m visiting, but this I do enjoy. Taking on a new challenge, and helping in any way I can.

Tomorrow morning i´ll take a look at what I need to do, find a store to buy the materials (which I assume may be the toughest part), then i´ll get to work!

I´ll try to keep up with the blog. I know i´ll regret if I don´t.

Hope all is well back home. This last month has been the toughest. Traveling at 28 is a lot different than traveling in your early twenties. Lots of young folks out here love it and wish they never had to go back. But admittingly, they say they don´t have much to go back to. I feel like I have everything to go back to. Besides all my family and friends, I´ve finished school and all that good stuff. So I can´t wait to go home! But I also realize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I thank God every day for the opportunity. I know when I get home you´ll be able to tell the difference in me. Its hard to see it in yourself sometimes.

You´ll also notice how much weight i´ve lost! I´ve confirmed the other day that i´ve lost close to 25 pounds! The food in South America is ok, but nothing like home, and there is no good Mexican food! Good food is expensive, and not easy to find.

Love you mom,

love you family,

and love you friends!

Michael

Cusco, Peru: Arrived in Cusco today at 7am! Our plane left from Lima at 6am, which meant we had to be at the airport at 4...which meant I had to wake up at 3:15am. I´m tired! But glad to be in Cusco, because tomorrow we go to Machu Picchu!

Last time I left the blog I had arrived in Quito. Absolutely loved it there! I stayed at the Secret Garden hostel. Great hostel, I highly recommend it if your staying in Quito. Great view from the terrace. Also lots of great people there.

Met lots of locals in Quito, and they were extremely nice. Also met up with Uncle D´s and Aunt Yvonne family, who took us to church and showed us around town. Ricky and Gaby were great!

The city itself is beautiful. Went to Mitad del Mundo, which is allegedly the middle of the earth. It´s said that the equator is not actually on the spot that the museum indicates, but that the real line is a few yards away. I visited both spots. It was cool.

Also went to Otavalo, which is supposed to be the biggest market in Ecuador, maybe even South America. It was nice, and actually did some shopping there.

I was pressed for time in Ecuador because my brother was coming to Lima on October 8th. So we left Quito prematurely, and headed to Banos. Banos was beautiful, we took a 3 hour tour of the waterfalls, which was nice. We left Quito in the morning, and arrived in Banos at 10am...15 minutes later we boarded a tour bus to see the waterfalls. We were in Banos less than 24 hours.

From Banos, we headed to Guayaquill, a port town in Ecuador. We were told to see Las Penas, and the Malecon, which we did. Again, we were pressed for time, so we did everything in a rush. Though we did have time to go to the mall and catch a movie while we were there. We watched ¨Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.¨ Don´t judge me! lol.

From Guayaquill we took a 24 hour bus to Lima. Its amazing to me how I manage to get around. Hours before I had no idea how I would get to Lima, but somehow when faced with necessity, you figure it out. I also got help from a random stranger who decided to walk me two and a half blocks to the bus station to buy my tickets. He just offered, and asked nothing in return. This was crucial because the main bus terminal had no direct buses to Lima, and I needed to be there the next day. And the Ecuador and Peru border is supposed to be one of the worst, as far as people trying to rip you off. We had no problems at the border crossing, and made to Lima on time.

From the bus station in Lima, we headed straight to the airport to find my brother. There he was, with Sean Lambert, waiting for us. It was great to see both of them. What a break. For the first time in months I could relax! And Seans place was amazing! Beach front high rise condo! The place looked like Santa Monica. I´ll post pictures soon.

Lima was nothing like I imagined, but maybe we saw a different part. We stayed in Miraflores, where all the rich folk live. Though we did venture one day to the center of Lima, which of course was a bit more dodgey.

But Lima was great. I felt like I was on vacation!

From Lima we flew to Cusco. I had no intentions of taking a flight during my time in South America, except from Brasil, but because of time constraints we flew to Cusco. A 45 minute flight.

We arrived today, and are getting acclimated to the elevation. Tomorrow we got to Machu Picchu. Looking forward to it!

Look for pictures soon!

I love you mom,

I love you family and friends,

Michael