September 21.....the beginning of Spring in South America

It's really an adjustment to think of Spring beginning on September 21st. I've watched the flowers blooming and the leaves turning green on the trees since I arrived, but somehow it wasn't Spring to me. It turns out that the first day of Spring is a student and health care worker holiday. Argentine people love to party. Spring and the student holiday are a great excuse for music and dancing that lasts through much of the night. Actually, we have found that Friday and Saturday nights are also great times for music and dancing all night long.....the music seems to stop with the sunrise! Of course when you are trying to sleep......I'm almost used to the roosters that crow through the night and I've found that cotton does wonders to block the music when you really want to get some sleep. These, however, are just new sounds....at home I hear the bridge go up for the boats, the whine of motorcycles and cars and people laughing around the pool at the hotel next door. As with many things here I have found we are different, but the same.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Cordoba (the second largest city in Argentina) with my friend and the doctor and his family. HIs wife is also a physician and they have a beautiful two year old daughter. Even though I think my Spanish has improved a bit I found it disheartening that I couldn't understand a two year old.....my resolve has increased to try harder with my Spanish. The drive to Cordoba was long with five of us in a small vehicle. Fortunately, the scenery is quite beautiful and reminds me of Arizona and New Mexico. We stopped at the center of Argentina monument. It is very dry here and the lakes are very low. The weather was beautiful, the Argentine flags were furling and unfurling in the breeze, but their was much concern expressed about the lack of water. As we traveled along we found even the lakes in the higher altitudes with very limited water. The roads are good and the traffic is fairly heavy. Many drivers pass on yellow lines and curves so caution is important. We also passed through many police checks. Something to which I am unaccustomed. They ask for I.D. from the driver and question where you are going from and to. A bit unnerving. Cordoba is a very large city and we were fortunate to be there on the weekend. The traffic was bearable. The historic part of Cordoba is filled with huge cathedrals. They are truly works of art. They are surprisingly well maintained. Several were under partial renovation. Many were built with the labor of the indigenous people. The indigenous people are basically gone now. We were fortunate enough to see a wedding in progress at one of the cathedrals. It was beautiful. Cordoba has many pedestrian walkways and flowers are prevelant this time of year. After leaving Cordoba we headed to the family home of the doctor's in-laws in Millagro. It is a colonia. A very small town. Spending the evening with an Argentine family was a real treat. Many Argentineans are of Italian decent and we were served a wonderful lasagne and ricotta cheese cake. I once heard that the Argentinean people are Italians that speak Spanish....I think it must be at least partially true. I felt like I was at my Italtian husband's family home with the aunts and uncles, children running around and a lot of laughter and good food. The difference in Argentina is it all happens at midnight.

I have been back to the barrio San Vincente twice since my earlier visit. The second day was the most difficult. We saw many children that were home and unsupervised. They love to have their picture taken and then see the result on my digital camera. The faces of the children are beautiful. Many are unkempt and their faces are dirty, but the smiles and twinkles in their eyes reflect the free spirit and hope of all children. Unfortunately, many of these children have experienced hardships and abuse that many of us can hardly imagine. Their toys are what they can find and make, their clothes are through the generosity of others  and for most of them their hopes and dreams are limited by the perimeter of the barrio. Tomorrow I go to visit the Bolivian woman I met two years at the medical clinic along with her two children. She is barely in her twenties, has no front teeth and one of her little girls bears the scars of one of the many dogs that roam the barrio. It is my understanding that she now has another child. Her oldest daughter wanted to know why I spoke the way I did....she had never heard English before. I felt many emotionsduring that first meeting. I am looking forward to seeing Marta again. When the doctor told her I was here she wanted to see me too. I think it will be a good reunion.