A few days ago, I awoke to a completely "locked" lower back. I could not get out of bed, nor bend, nor twist, nor lift anything, or really even walk for 48-hours. Yikes!

The first day I was curious because while I have known people this has happened to, I was lucky to have escaped this condition to date. The second day I started to panic thinking about how I would endure 6-months of this while traveling. Or worse, have to seek serious medical help or even cut our trip short. Thankfully, on the third day it was about 20% better and I limped down to a walk-in back clinic and saw a doctor who could speak a little English. There was no admittance process, no forms and no inquires as to previous conditions, medical history, allergies, etc. Although the leather sofas and decor were very nice. :)

After lifting my legs a few times on the examination table, he said that we should give it a week to see if it goes away by itself, and he would give me a prescription for some pain pills ($8.30 U.S. Dollars!). And if not, he would order an MRI! He then went and handed me a "free sample" of something, and said if it really hurt, I coud inject myself with this - a cortisone shot ("make sure it is in muscle"). Wow! Seriously? We still have it, and maybe I'll do my sore throwing-shoulder instead!

And then we talked about comparing Argentina's Mendoza wine country (where he grew up) to Napa Valley (which he visited after a medical conference in SF).

Thankfully the next day, it was 70% better and now 90% back to normal (just a little stiff in the mornings still). My condolences to anyone who has lower back problems and I am hoping that was a one-time fluke from a perfect storm of lifting too much luggage, walking too far on cobblestone streets, and a too-soft mattress.

Here's to avoiding as many medical emergencies as possible while traveling.

- Mike

    Freddo is our new Dairy Queen! It has flavors from limon (lemon) to Dulce De Leche. Also, lucky for us, we found it in a mall close to us, a mall far from us, and on the street by some restaurants. Personally, my favorite is the limon (ly-mone). Izzy likes the Dulce De Leche and Strawberry and Ben like the classic chocolate. Mom's fave is coconut and Dad loves Americano (it's in his blood).

Right down the street from our apartment is the National Museum of Buenos Aires.  A brief family meeting this morning and the early arrival of the cleaning person prompted a visit. 

We arrived at 11:30 am when the temperature had already reached 89 to find the museum doesn't open until 12:30pm. We were not the only tourist group whom this was a shock to as several others lingered on the steps with us. Again, things really do start later here.

This extra hour gave Ben and I time to walk around the park and see what we could find about the Free bicycle program available in the city. Turns out all you need is your passport, a copy of your passport for them to keep (??) and to fill out a few forms. Then they will give you a bicycle, helmet and lock to ride around the city. Am I being too cautious about giving a copy of my passport to a grungy, 20-something in a large metal box that resembles a small shipping container in the middle of the park?

This little trip only takes 15 minutes so we still have 45 minutes before the doors open. Why not go in search of a light snack and a drink. It's hot, right?  I realize progress has been made in our children's ability to acclimate to new situations when the strawberry smoothie that Izzy orders come out made of bananas instead.  No, Izzy didn't smile and drink it happily. She dipped her finger in it and discerned that is was of no value to her and she would sit and have nothing instead.  However, Maddy agreed to try it and concurred with us that yes, it was indeed a very good drink and she would like to enjoy it herself. Not enough to give Izzy her Fanta in trade but enough to not let it go to waste.  Ben even agreed that is was worthy of finishing.  Progress, people, progress.

Back to the museum we went. Turns out the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is free to enter. And it's not to crowded on this hot day.  The kids stumble in from the heat and we find the first written piece in English since our visit to BA began. There is a museum guide in our language!!! Again, this has no value to Izzy but everyone else take a copy.  Something she will regret in about 5 minutes when we realize the their no air conditioning in the building.  Oh, paper fan!! 

Once I get settled in and read what I can, I am truly amazed at what is hanging on the walls of this modest building. This is the largest public collection in Latin American.  Complete collections donated by wealthy families There are Degas, Monets, Guaguins, Manets and even a Van Gogh that I never knew existed.  As a novice Impressionist Art aficionado I was giddy. Knowing walk two blocks and visit these pieces for free everyday is a thrill.  What a wonderful way to begin your day (or in this case your afternoon;)

The rest of the museum was a fabulous collection of French, Spanish and Argentinian artists that were not that familiar to me.  The beauty of this visit, as I told Maddy, was that I didn't feel pressure to absorb the names and details of the pieces because I couldn't read them.  Here was our chance to look at beautiful art and simple enjoy the image. Nothing more. Or it could be everything.

1. It's a coastal city, yet with no access to the shoreline due to heavy industry. This is why it is not more of an international tourist destination, IMO.
2. The guidebooks were right, Argentines love steak, pizza, red wine, beer and ice cream. Hard to find and order a vegetable or salad here. Average body type therefore, very Americano.
3. The architecture is stunning, but the sidewalks, streets and public parks are all a little shabby by our standards. They need some Chicago-style "Streets and Sans" and "Parks and Rec" patronage jobs down here.
4. The interior walls are all hard plaster or marble with no drywall to be found.
5. The sidewalks are all tiled (and cracked) with very little poured cement.
6. Red wine is so very plentiful and cheap here - by more than half in the stores (our $12 bottle is $5 here) and by two-thirds in the restaurants (our $36 bottle is $12 here, even in the actual restaurants).
7. The traffic is crazy, but nothing like what I am expecting in India
8. Their super-wide Avenues (up to 16 lanes wide) are just amazing to see in person
9. Like many European cities, it runs on a very late clock (which suites the Wychocki family perfectly). Restaurant kitchens open at 8 PM and people are still eating pizza in the sidewalks cafes well past 1 AM (even on work nights).
10. The French auto industry owns this town with the majority of cars being Peuguots and Renaults; followed by Fiat and VW, then probably Chevy and Ford. Some Toyota. I was very surprised by this!

BONUS. 11. Like many large international cities, hordes of 125cc - 250cc motorcycles buzz around the cars likes flies. A friend-of-a-friend we met here promised that her brother, who has two extra motorcycles, would take me out with him to try my motorcycle skills in this traffic before we left. I hope that happens!

 When we went to Tigre Delta, I was kind of disappointed. (We were only smiling in the picture because it's a picture). It was supposed to be a resort town but it was poopy. We got there on a train that was dirty and sticky (but free). When we got there we walked around and got hungry, so we stopped at a restaurant.

The place was kind of dirty but the food was good. After that we decided to go to the amusement park. We took a look at it and decided it was rundown and we would spend our money elsewhere. But then we got super cheap cotton candy. We were walking back to the train station when we decided to go have a look around at a few little shops. Ben got a mini cactus.

-Maddy

Suzanne planned a great half-day outing and it wasn't too bad; sort of like Door County mixed with Navy Pier mixed with Indiana Beach (Schafer Lake, IN). Not great, but certainly not "poopy!". As it is a delta, it is a series of inter-connected waterways, and we would have taken a boat ride, but we just got off a long train ride. It is a very poular weekend get-away for people from the city. If you go just a little further up in the delta, there are rental cottages with swimming, etc. but that is a much bigger commitment.

- Mike

1.     There is no half & half in Argentina

2.     Wine is cheap. And good. $5 a bottle

3.     Finding a yoga studio is hard. I think there must be a secret knock that I don’t know.

4.     Most restaurants don’t have hostesses. You just go in and sit anywhere.

5.     Not everyone obeys the traffic signals. Just some people.

6.     The sidewalks are not good for people with weak ankles. Like me. 

7.     I over-packed.

8.     Finding a nail salon is hard. I think that there must be a secret knock or something.

9.     My kids are more pleasant when they are playing on their devices.

10.   I plan to change that soon.


 - Mom (aka Suzanne)

Yesterday we visited the famous Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, a place where they don't bury the bodies, but place them in little buildings called mausoleums.

In the picture, is Eva Peron's tomb. Evita was a very famous person in Argentina, a commoner who married a future president of Argentina.

We saw many tombs and many cats.

As many Argentines are either Spanish or Italian, we even looked for a Baroni!

It was very cool looking at all the amazing mausoleums!

- Izzy

This is the tale of our visit to the Buenos Aires Zoo, a place where about a hundred furry little rabbit-deer-cat things (shown) run free and virtually no one staffs the place. They actually had a pretty good selection of animals, with everything ranging from monkeys to elephants and even camels and llamas at the exhibits. We actually saw two housecats there, one sitting on the sidewalk, and one in an empty cage. Some of the cages were of questionable security, such as a black panther being kept in a chain-link and netting enclosure, and an elephant with only a four-foot-deep and five-foot-wide channel surrounding it. All in all, while being a little off-center in style, it was a pretty good place, and I would probably go there again (maybe because of the cats.)

-Ben