Don't Cry For Us Argentina

Yes, it is true; Argentina is in the rear view mirror for us. It was a land of beautiful people and incredible beef. Only in Argentina can you swear on your life that “this is the best steak I’ve ever had” every time you order it, no matter how many successive nights in the past the exact same words were uttered from the same lips. Only in Argentina can you find the highways littered with elaborate shrines to national heroes routinely visited by passers by and pilgrims alike. Only in Argentina can you find Leighton and Amanda making such a fuss with the police that they talk them down from jail to a $300 fine, to a $30 fine, to “have a nice day”. It seems the insurance card expired the day after we rented the car and fortunately it only cost us an hour on the side of the highway speaking broken Spanish to the police until they left us alone.

Leaving Argentina meant more than simply saying goodbye to another country. This was our last South American Country and the mid-way point on our journey. While it had its ups (did I mention the beef) and its downs (run-ins with the law), Navigating its highways and roads uncovered some truly wonderful experiences for us. Perhaps better than any other country we have visited; we were able to see it as more than just tourists. We camped, we drove, we stopped, and we talked. It was a country that begged to be explored as it keeps so many gems hidden from plain view. Such was our favorite stop – La Cumbre, a small town barely mentioned in the guide books.

Farewell Argentina. Hello Los Angeles?

We flew to the entertainment capital of the world for a two day layover on our way to Asia. Though we visited with my family and spent a day lounging at the pool, we were able to squeeze in some sightseeing. Amanda and I had always thought L.A. was big, dirty and crowded. After visiting South America it has never looked so good.

After our two day vacation from our vacation it was back to work as we boarded our Bangkok-bound flight. Twenty-four hours later we were getting buckets of water poured down our pants as we hauled our tired, hot, sweaty bodies with large bags attached through the streets of Bangkok searching for a hotel with A/C. It was the last day of the Songkran or Lunar New Year celebration and much to our horror – lots of water is involved. However, water is not so bad when it is 95 degrees out with 90% humidity.

We are now in Cambodia to see the famous Angkor Wat jungle temples (anyone seen Tomb Raider?) We are excited to be in such a new and different parcel of the world. We have 6 weeks in Asia and no itinerary – it should be quite a ride.