Bula!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, I have just completed my 5th night in Fiji, one of the first nations on Earth to ring in the New Year each year. Even as I write here at 12:10pm on New Years day, no doubt most of you are still preparing to celebrate. May you enjoy yourselves as much as I have . . .

Since my last update I spent my remaining 4 days in Buenos Aires, just hanging around and touring a few more parts of the city. I finally took myself to San Telmo, a classicaly European quarter rich with street performers and charming architecture. On the subway there I ran into a couple from New York, Becca and Joachim, who both were kind enough to have me along to dinner. One of Becca's favorite steak houses in the entire city, the meat was so tender and succulent that the wait staff cut it up at your table with a spoon, never a knife. Because of how the cattle are fed and cared for, the beef in Argentina is simply better than in most places. For all you non meaters, my apologies.

I spent my last night at a housewarming party for an Australian gal who Estee had befriended earlier in the week, and then it was off to the airport with Paula and Camila! Again, much love to you Nunez/Martin family. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have befriended and spent time with you. We'll be seeing you real soon, I promise ;-).

Three relatively uneventful flights later, on Christmas eve I arrived in LA to a warm greating from my brother Anthony. We made a frantic dash to REI to help me find some lighter and more versatile clothing. After that it was sushi for the both of us in Santa Monica and on to our brother Francis's home for Christmas. I lightened my baggage load by nearly 1/2, as I soon had come to realize that I didn't need half of what I originally packed. After some breakfast shopping with Anthony and laundry, Mom, Christina and Merwan arived Christmas day around midday. For the first time in our family's history, we celebrated Christmas together somewhere other than one of the parents' homes. I schooled Mom on the proper protocal for drinking yerba mate from Argentina, and we all enjoyed a fabulous heat n' go meal on behalf of Francis. The theme this year was scarves, as Francis, recently back from India, delivered at least one to each of us. The photos, once posted, will speak for themselves. After some time spent with Francis's girlfriend Vivian and her father, Mom, Christina and Merwan headed home, and Anthony and I to the airport. For being my only day of winter this year, I certainly chose a good one to spend at home. It's always a treasure to return home to family, even if for only 24 hours. Unbelievably, I was now on my way to Fiji!

The warmth, friendliness and happiness of the Fijian people radiates! And I was feeling it before we even departed LAX. The crew on the flight were all Fijian, were all helpful, were all smiling. It's hard to describe the virtual fresh air you breathe in such warmth and happiness. Crossing the international date line, I departed the night of the 25th and 10 hours later arrived in morning of the 27th. I hope you all had a smashing Boxing Day. Mine evaporated before it even had a chance! :-) After a long wait in customs and for luggage, I was supposed to depart for Momi Bay, about 40 minutes from Nadi, to begin my open water scuba course. Before I could even say "taxi," I was warmly greeted by Amy, no doubt the slickest travel agent in all of Fiji. Before I knew it, Amy had me up in her office convincing me that my time and money would be better spent in the Yasawa island chain a two hour boat ride away. Funny thing, it turned out . . . I wanted to go to the Yasawas! I just thought that I would go later, after my dive course. There was an open water course available for me on MantaRay island, and a package that included accomodations, food and all transfers. I could kill two birds with one stone. After some frantic phone calling, the package was booked, I was hurried into a cab for a 30 minute ride with 45 minutes to make the boat. I got to the harbor, dropped my bag, and got on the boat. Done! Now I was heading for an island chain of white sand beaches and amazing coral reefs to learn to scuba dive! Total whirlwind, but well worth it all.

I sat down and immediately began telling my arrival story to Liz and Nikki, two great Australian gals on holiday from Canberra. We laughed and joked the whole 2 hours to our respective islands. The ferry stops at something like 20 islands going North and back South again. But instead of docks, it stops 100 meters or so off the island and a little boat comes to collect you and your luggage. After bidding goodbye to Nikki and Liz, who were staying on another island, we arrived at Manta Ray. Upon hopping on the little boat, we wizzed to shore to be greated by a Fijian seranade, compliments of the staff. I checked into my room, and sought out my scuba instructor, Ryan. Ryan is a lively young Australian with the classic Ozzy flair and laid-back manner. He handed me my course book and set me to studying. Tomorrow was to be my first introductory dive. I ate a little, snorkeled the most vibrant and alive reef I have ever seen in my life, and studied. Jetlag still weighing on me, I headed to bed early, excited about the next 4 days of underwater adventures!

I wont go into all the details of the course or all the great people I met at the island during my 4 days there. I will say that without a doubt I am so disheartened that I waited as long as I did to learn to scuba dive, knowing full well all along that I would absolutely love it. Clear, beautiful waters with vibrant, large, colorful reefs and thousands upon thousands of tropical fish. By the end I had completed an 18 meter dive along a much deeper sea wall. The weightlessness, the colors, the fascination with every little creature and plant life has been one of the greatest gifts I've ever given to myself. I passed my skills and written exams with flying colors. I'm now certified and looking forward to the next dive - in 2 days in fact. During my stay I met a fun loving Kiwi named Kirien who convinced me to do a 27 meter shark dive with him. Ryan sung praises to the dive as he had done it a few weeks prior. You dive in open water to 27 meters, where the dive company them chums the waters and the next thing you're looking directly at a feeding frenzy of bull, reef and white tipped reef sharks only meters away. Occasionally a 6 meter tiger shark shows up! While I have mixed feelings about swimming with a tiger shark, I'm actually really looking forward to the craziness. Photos to follow.

My stay on MantaRay ended yesterday. I hopped on the boat back to the main island harbor, and there again I found Nikki and Liz. They kindly allowed me to join them at the hotel for the evening. We went out to dinner, and headed to a local club to ring in the New Year. After connecting with about 7 or 8 other Ozzies, and a drink or two too many, we rung in the New Year dancing and clowning around. Off to bed, and up for breakfast this morning. Nikki and Liz headed back for Australia today, and I'm presently biding my time waiting for Kirien to arrive from MantaRay. Tomorrow he and I are off to Bega island for the dive. Unfortunately I can't load photos on this computer at this internet cafe. The remainder of Argentina and Fiji to date will come as soon as I can get them up.

Vinaka from Fiji! Catch you soon.

Jonathan

There. Are. No. Words.

Good afternoon,

Well, I´m certainly glad I took the opportunity to write my last entry prior to this one. Because of my experience over the last few days visiting Iguazu Falls in Misiones, there would be no way whatsoever I could have remembered anything prior to this brief and spectacular trip.

Esthee and I departed Buenos Aires at 19:40 last Tuesday, the 16th of December. After fixing a little glitch in which the bus company sent our tickets to the wrong departure point, we boarded our bus on time and were soon riding comfortably ¨tuto letto,¨ meaning full bed. If you ever have the opportunity to ride in a seat on a bus or a plane that reclines fully flat, including the foot rest, I highly recommend it. Just prior to departure we connected with Aparna, another couchsurfer, this time from Bombay, who like Esthee and me quit her job to travel. She´s into month 3 of 6 in South America. Sadly, Aparna had to take the bus which departed 20 minutes after us, so we weren´t to connect with her until our arrival the next day in Puerto Iguaza.

The ride was pleasant, the entertainment strange. We were first made to watch a 20 minute promotional video for the bus company Via Bariloche. They sold us on everything from their stellar maintenence, to their food preparation plant which looked more like a lab than a kitchen. After the video´s conclusion, we were then offered a sorted array of soft rock videos from the 80´s. Lionel Richie and Roxette seemed to be favorites of the tour company. I remarked to Esthee that I should have had the foresight to book seats in the very front, as we were seated on the second level of the coach, as we would have had the full panoramic view through the large windows. Didn´t matter all too much as nghtime soon descended and after some very bad movie we were all fast asleep.

Daylight brought us breakfast, which for this coach line meant bread, tea and chocolate - lot´s of it. After breakfast came what appeared to be a routine stop at a gas station. After about 10 minutes of waiting, we were informed that we would have to be transfered to another bus as ours was having mechanical problems. You wouldn´t have guessed. Nevertheless, the next bus came by only about 10 more minutes later, and we hopped on, filling it completely and sadly leaving some of the original riders behind to wait for the next. True to my intuition, we found seats all the way in front, top level. By this time the vegetation was getting quite thick - semitropical forrest, so it was a good time to be there. Though our new seats only reclined partially, it was more than a fair trade-off.

We arrived to town without further incident a few hours later and headed to our hostel, the Hostel Inn Iguazu Falls. More like hotel than hostel, this little gem was a total find. It had a full functioning kitchen and bar, ping pong table, pool table, a swimming pool, 4 computers with free internet access, a volleyball court, a football field and nightime entertainment. After deciding that we would just take the remainder of the day to relax and then go into town, I hit the pool and chatted with other travelers. Soon after my swim, Aparna arrived. Also having experienced delays, she was happy to be there too. Aparna is quite a traveler, and now a good friend. Check out her blog at backpackingninja.com. A seasoned couchsurfer, she and her husband have hosted more than 100 travelers in their home in Bombay, and have a worldwide network of friends. Easy going, good spirited and always up for the next adventure, you´d do well to connect with Aparna if your travels ever bring you to India. We also connected with Mo, another Singaporian couchsurfer at the hostel as well. Mo is a student on holiday after studying for 6 months in Mexico. A mild mannered guy with a zeal for travel and a penchant for lots of laughs, he too turned out to be a great travel partner. That evening the 4 of us walked into town for some dirt cheap empanadas and a tour of this charming little nook. We returned later that night to a hostel abuzz with 60 -70 people all enjoying the BBQ buffet. We grabbed a few beers and joined the party, all the while fantasizing about the next day´s trip to the falls. After a rather fraternity-esque samba dance performance, which had drunken young men from around the world circled around this fantastic young dancer, all clapping and hollering, we retired.

The next morning we hopped in a cab and headed straight for the park. Upon entry Mo and I went completely tourist and bought tickets for boat rides, one beneath the falls and a short jungle cruise above them. After all of the gift shops and restaurants, you have to walk close a full km. before you even see anything. It was a nice stroll through the jungle on which we encountered a coati - a creature native to the area, somewhat of a cross between an aardvark and a racoon. Check out my video of these cute guys on Facebook. At a certain point in the path we reached a network of steal bridges, no more than a meter above the ground. You walk the bridge path, and the roar of the falls begins to intensify. For a while there is nothing to see, until you turn a corner and come upon this . . .

As before stated . . . There. Are. No. Words. The sense of overwhelm that struck me was so incredibly visceral and elating as we came upon the first of dozens of vistas in this, one of the most beautiful and amazing places on the entire planet. Again, I will emplore you - if you don´t have a facebook account, sign up for one. The photos of this place are quite spectacular. There were kilometers of bridge track at three different levels running along the first face of the falls. Words can´t describe what it´s like to see and hear a kilometer long section of thundering falls through beautiful subtropical forrest. Please do enjoy the pics and videos on Facebook. We spent the first two hours exploring the entire bridge network, before Mo and I hopped on our boat for an uplcose view of the falls. The boat took us immediately up to one of the falls, whereby we were gratuitously soaked. Actually, it was more that welcome on this hot day. We went back for two more passes at another section. Soaked on top of soaking. The cost, about 25 bucks. The time, about 12 minutes. The memory, indelible.

After our boat ride we hopped another boat for a small beach across one section of the river where we rejoined Esthee and Aparna. After a quick swim from there we took trails to more vista points before heading back across for lunch. Coatis abound during lunch time. These little gals and fellas were even more relaxed around people than the most seasoned racoon. Enjoy the video I was fortunate enough to grab of these babies as they were foraging for food right next to the trail our way out of the park.

After lunch all four of us hopped the train to the footbridge to Garganta Del Diablo - the Devil´s Throat. This spot hosts the tallest of the falls and is farthest upriver. The footbridge spans more than 1100 meters of river before coming across the most amazing display of water I have ever seen in person. It was as if God pressed a finger straight down into the river, leaving a U-shaped depression in the Earth from which water fell down all sides. Unbelievable. The curve of the U - the Devil´s Throat - is where several thousands of gallons of water per second all converge and tumble 87 meters with a roar indescribable. As with all amazing photos, they don´t compare to being there in person. Give yourself a gift and go one day.

Mo and I finished the day with a short jungle boat ride back to the train station. It was mild, well away from the falls. We saw a small river crocodile, some attractive birds, and some small fish. Not a whole lot more. We caught back up with Eshtee and Aparna and departed around 4pm, completely exhausted and elated from the experience. Another relaxing night at the hostel, and off to bed.

The next morning we just hung around. Esthee impressed me with her wicked ping pong game, and Aparna´s enthusiasm matched Esthee´s skills. We headed out to town for a not so quick lunch before arriving at the bus station. We all said our goodbyes to Aparna as she was continuing north into Brazil. Lucky gal got to see the Falls from the Brazilian side, an excursion I would have taken had I had just one more day. Again, that´s what return trips are for. Mo, Esthee and I hopped on our bus at 3pm, and began our 16 hour treck back to Buenos Aires. There was little to be said on the way home. We all had just had one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. We arrived Buenos Aires this morning at 9:30 (we made several stops for those of you counting). I have 4 days left in Argentina before I head to LA for a brief visit with the family for Christmas, and then off to Fiji. We´ll see what´s cooking for me prior to my departure.

I hope you enjoyed this one. I certainly did. Until next time.

Jonathan

¡Viva Gimnasia!

Hola Todos,

Greetings once again from Buenos Aires. I figured I'd take this opportunity to write now as later tonight I am leaving for Puerto Iguaza in the north to visit the world famous Iguazu Falls at the Argentinian and Brazilian border. My guess is that by the time I return on Saturday night, I' have way too much to drone on about, so here' a quick check in.

I spent the last 5 days in La Plata, the capital city of Buenos Aires Province and about 30 minutes south of Buenos Aires city. I was hosted there by the amazing afforementioned Carlos Burre. Carlos is an amazing host. He ensured that one way or another there was always food to be had, he opened and closed car doors for me, took me on a walking tour of downtown LaPlata, visted the Cathedral of La Plata with me - twice! -, showed me the confines of his beloved local football team Gimnasi y Esgrima, introduced me to several friends of his within the Meher Baba communtiy, took me to listen to his band practice music, pretty much never let me pay for anything, helped me book my tickets to Iguazu, arranged with the bus driver to drop me specially in Buenos Aires on my way back, and did about a million other things that aren´t coming to mind. But other than all that, he didn´t do much. ;-). Quite simply the most thoughtful and generous host (for that amount of time, that is. Billy and Janet, you`re in a whole other league all together!) I have ever had. People should pay for the opportunity to stay with Carlos. Any of you out there wishing to come to Argentina one day, you are so advised to befriend Carlos. Jai Baba Carlos!

La Plata is medium sized city with a population of about half a million people. The main city area is circumscribed by 4 roads, making it square with rounded corners. Within it runs streets and avenues, all numbered. The one hitch - it' also loaded with diagonal streets, such that the map looks like a compilation of triangles, several of which merge at various plazas and parks. It makes for quicker getting from A to B, and it also makes for migraine headaches if you'e not familiar with the city. Turn a corner and you may be easily turned around, loosing track of East, West and diagonal. Luckily, Carlos is a big user of taxis, so I didn't have to worry too much about it.

On my second night in La Plata I had the great fortune of meeting, through Carlos, Victoriano Rodriguez and his younger brother Francisco. Argentinians - at least the ones I have met - have been so great with me about speaking English. Even when their accent is heavy, it has always been better English than my Spanish. I feel humbled by this, being from a society where multilingualism is more or less not valued. In fact, I have heard one author argue that multilingualism is a social detriment more than an asset in the US. But I digress. The point is that people have gone out of their linguistic way to be accomodating, to be helpful, to be loving. Victoriano and Francisco were no exception. They all took me out to dinner, shared stories of their family and spiritual lives, and shared a very warm and enthusiastic Argentinian spirit with me. Victoriano also had visiting from Spain his friend Natalie. We sang songs together, joked together, and relaxed together. Highly enjoyable, highly memorable. Joia and Martìn came to La Plata for a visit with other friends of theirs on Saturday. We enjoyed a relaxing day at a campo, a recreational site with swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, and lots of grass space for relaxing and stretching out.

The Cathedral de La Plata is by far the grandest architectural structure in the city. It sits right in the city center, for all to see from near and far. Its towers rise 367 feet, making it the tallest cathedral in all the Americas and the second largest overall to NY's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Built in the late 18oo's, with the towers completed in the late 1990's, it's a neo-gothic cathedral made almost entirely of exposed brick, making it unique amongst it's European counterparts. Not having ever visited a grand cathedral of Europe, this was my first experience in one of these things. There truly are no limits to humanity's imagination when it comes to building sky-high temples in the name of God. Whatever your thoughts and feelings about Catholicism, it was moving to be in such a space. And to finally get a look at flying butresses made me feel that my ancient and European historical art classes were finally paying off. In one of the towers is an elevator taking visitors high above the building skyline for a panoramic view of the city. In the other, a 25 bell carillon. Again, far too many photos to be found on facebook.

I´ll post all pics with descriptions of who's who and what's what on facebook. That more or less brings us up to speed once again. One more thought, from an email exchange with a friend this morning. She made mention of the economic downturn and it's effects on the general mood at home. I'm right there with you - I lost about 25% in my retirement account and opted to cut my losses and get out for the time being, but that's another story. The US economy is of interest to Argentinians as well. From my email to my friend this morning - "It's been great to get some perspective on the economic downturn. In 2000 the Argentinian peso, which had been way overblown for years, crashed. There was a run on the banks, banks didn't give people their money, and the peso became more or less worthless for a time. Since then it's been up and down ever since, with a slow but steady climb. Many Argetinians have said to me that they go through something like this every six months or so, and don't really understand the desperation in the US." Just some perspective that can only really be garnered when you`re away.

That`s it for now. Next check in will be of Iguazu Falls and hopefully a brief sojourn nextdoor over in Uruguay.

Much love.

Jonathan

Queso Cako!

Hello to one and all from Buenos Aires.

Today is December 10th, the day after my birthday. Now that the dust is settled, and that I have procured a usb reader for my camera´s memory card, I am fully operational and ready to update you on what´s been happening . . .

I arrived in Buenos Aires at 7am on December 3rd after a 10 hour flight. I was all ready to find a cab and drive into the heart of Buenos Aires to the home of my wonderful host family (more on them soon), when I was greeted much to my surprise by Carlos Burre, a Baba Lover from La Plata, a town roughly 45 minutes away from the airport - by cab - as Carlos doesn´t own a car. I was put in touch with Carlos and my host family by Gabriel Nunez, a new friend of mine who I had the good fortune to meet while he and his wife were staying on the Center in Myrtle Beach back in October. Gabriel´s father is from Argentina, and Gabriel has family here. Carlos, in the true spirit of love and community, came to the airport to simply escort me to the house. In other words, he took a cab, so he could take a cab with me, only to take a train, a cab, a bus and another cab home later that morning. Can you say overwhelmed with warmth and love??? Hello, who does that? I don´t see any hands out there, and you likely wouldn´t see mine either. For Carlos now, I will essentially do anything. As we drove into the city, we talked and joked warmly of people we knew in common, love for Meher Baba, the city of Buenos Aires, and trips to India. What a gift to get connected with others in the world! Carlos, a million times more fluent in English than I in Spanish was kind enough to oblige me in my native tongue.

After a 30 minute car ride, we arrived at the house more or less in the heart of a bustling Buenos Aires. Paula, my host, came out to greet me with a smile and the customary kiss on the right cheek. With men and women, you always, and I mean always, greet and say goodbye in this way - loved ones and new aquaintences alike. If you come, remember, move left and pucker up! Paula lives with her three children Joia (18), Javier (17) and Camila (15). Paula, originally from Buenos Aires, lived in the US for years prior to moving back to Buenos Aires with her husband at the time and children´s father Eduardo. She is a professional story teller who travels near and far reciting stories for audiences of all kinds - the first one I have ever met. After some initial introductions to Joia, Javier, Camila and Delia, the family helper, Paula showed me my guest bed, and I sacked out for a well deserved nap.

Buenos Aires is a grand city, truly. All of what I had heard about European style and flair in South America is true. I feel elements of San Francisco, New York and London all rolled into one. Even the Spanish sounds Italian to my untrained ears. With Paula gone for work 4 of my first 5 days, and the kids all busy with their studies, I was lucky enough to connect with some couchsurfing.com friends to help aquaint me to the city. Amy, from the US but living in BA for the past year, was immensely amenable to me, for which I´m very grateful. I hopped on the subway Thursday night and met her and her friend Tracy for dinner, and then later on to drinks and pool. Tracy is from England which allowed me to feel an instant familial tie given that my folks are Brits too. Basically that meant I took license to tease in a way in which you might not a new aquaintance. In good British fashion, she didn´t bat an eye and fired right back. Tracy and Amy filled me in on their experiences of living in BA, like the crazy drivers who yield to no one, the locals´ prices and the prices all others are charged, where to take tango classes and the like. I love the internet. You can show up literally anywhere in the world and make a willing friend and get plugged right in.

The following night Amy invited me to join her for game night with her friends Ariel (a Porteño - one native to Buenos Aires), Grace (an American English teacher now since departed, back to the US) and Stephanie (another American, living with family in BA for the time). We played Settlers of Katan (Ariel´s favorite), rat screw and of course, Uno! Wonderfully enjoyable. The following day (Saturday) Amy and I went north about 45 minutes by train to Tigre, then hopped on a water taxi going up the river delta to a municapal camping spot where the local BA couchsurfing community had organized a weekend camping trip. Off the dock we greated about 100 couchsurfers from BA and around the world. North Carolina, Rio de La Plata, Germany, England, Columbia and California are a few places that immediately come to mind represented. Because Amy had work to do that weekend, and neither she or I had camping gear, we decided to stay for just the day. I swam, ate, drank, flirted, conversed, played hacky sack and sun bathed. Too bad, huh! I know, it´s really been a struggle.

The next day, Sunday, I did literally nothing. Just caught up on email and rested. It has been getting hot here in Buenos Aires, so a quiet day was welcomed. Monday was my day to be a tourist, so I hopped the subway - Linea B -and headed downtown to walk around and snap some pics. Transportation in Buenos Aires is impressively efficient and easy. The subway trains run every 5 - 10 minutes, trains run every 5-10 minutes, the buses run every 10-15 (at least during the day) and there is always a cab to be hailed. Busses and subways are 90 centavos a ride, less than 30 cents US. By far the best deal on anything in town. I toured around for a couple of hours, but I´ll let the photos speak for themselves. I did cave in and eat Burger King for lunch, which is on every corner, along with McDonalds, in the downtown tourist area BA. The taste was notably improved in the beef, as I was told it would be, but not enough to write home about. I guess that was just a contradiction, wasn´t it.

Moving on, after my afternoon tour I hopped Linea C to meet another couchsurfing friend for helado (ice cream), Romi. Romi, another Porteño, is an absolute jewel. Her heart is the size of Argentina and she wears it on her sleeve. She greeted me not with just the customary kiss, but a warm and welcoming hug. Very intuitive, spiritual, warm, kind and goodnatured, she spoke brightly and openly of her spiritual journey, her love and profession of photography, and her heartache of missing her partner in Peru. She was eager to learn about Meher Baba, and to discuss the spritual books she has been reading. Every now and then you meet someone from whom so much deep love is pouring that you can´t help but be moved to tears. Romi is one of those people. With any luck we shall commune again before I depart. Regardless, one brief encounter has ensured more to come, in this country or the next. Check out her work at http://www.romilove.com.ar/.

During my days at the house I have had the delightful pleasure of getting know and befriend the family. Joia is warm and sweet. Speaking in way better English than she´ll ever give herself credit for, she has shared about her family life, her job, her schooling and intentions to become a doctor one day. No doubt she will do it. Javier is energetic and deep, with a keen eye for world and local issues. An aspiring and accomplished musician (saxophone) in his own right, he was more than enthused to practice English with me, as I was about practicing my Spanish with him. He bestowed me with the honor of being the absolute first person outside the classroom to have a full conversation in English with him. Way to go Javier! And Camila. Camila is just delightful. Always smiling and laughing, always on the phone (of course), always coming and going. It took us a while to find time to connect, but once we did over lunch yesterday, she broke out her best English and I my worst (and only) Spanish as we talked about school, and her trips with her family. She showed me pictures of Patagonia, which only made me salivate even more. Don´t think I´m going to get there this trip, but that´s what return trips are for! And of course Martin, Joia´s boyfriend of the past 4 years. Martin is a bright, even keeled guy who speaks impeccable English with virtually no accent. It´s almost eerie. He has an abiding love for rock of the 70´s and 90´s, and somehow finds time to play music while working full time and taking classes at night. We joke and speak of world events and US politics. He´s undoubtedly an indespensible addition to the family.

Yesterday I took the opportunity to connect with yet another couchsurfing friend, Esthee from Singapore, to take a tour of the cemetary in Recoleta (a BA neighborhood). Esthee, like me, is on sabbatical from a high pressure business position which had her traveling and living all over the world. She´s in BA to dance tango and learn Spanish. Esthee told me of her truly international life, and growing up in Singapore. With any luck, we shall be off to the falls of Iguazu sometime next week. A sharp and high energy gal, she took the reigns and guided our walking tour of the cemetary and the neigborhood. The cemetary is unlike any I´ve ever seen. The crypt vaults were all at least 10 feet high, lined up in rows side by side making the place a veritable village of the dead. They were ornately designed and sculptured with stone and bronze. The burial place of Eva Peron - Evita - one could get lost for hours just taking in the uniqueness and mystery this place holds.

After our visit and stop for ice cream, which by the way is far superior to any available in the US, I headed back to the house, where my now adopted family (I haven´t officially told them yet) were making preparations for my birthday Asado - Argentinian style BBQ. It has been said that Argentinians eat a balanced diet, meat on the left and meat on the right. When in Rome . . . The Asado was fantastic, with four different types of meat and sausage, bread, and salad. Martin slowly heated and stoked the coals as the seasoned meats were grilled to perfection. The taste was fantastic. After we applauded the chef, threatening rain forced us inside, where we ate and drank some more, and all ended up doubled over in laughter sharing anecdotal stories of egregious and risque errors of speach. Janey, they loved the "crusin for a bruisin" story. Now it´s legendary here too. Joia had surprisingly baked not one but two cakes for the celebration, and I ended up blowing out the birthday candle not once but three times as they all serenaded me with two Spanish birthday songs and our good ol´English classic. After the umpteenth time of asking from all parties "how do you say . . . ?" I jokingly remarked "so, cheese cake is not queso cako!" We all died laughing once again. I am overwhelmed writing of this account as I consider how much joy and love this family has shared with me. Truly, an unforgettable 33rd.

Now we are all up to speed. This morning I came to La Plata for a visit with Carlos Burre. Not surprisingly, he took a bus to meet me downtown to escort me back, by bus, to his home. I shall return to BA this weekend, and then it´s off to Uruguay for a couple days and Iguzao for a few more. One more note. Because of how this blog is formatted and painfully, incredily slow upload times, I´m not going to post all of my photos here, but I will do so on Facebook. For those of you not yet on Facebook, you better get hip. It may just be worth the overload that comes with an account there.

Besos y Abrozos

Jonathan

Countdown to a Southern Hemisphere Summer

Hi All,

I have been gently reminded that I haven't been posting as frequently as some would have hoped. My apologies. It's really quite simple. There hasn't been much to report on as of late. However, that will be changing quite soon. Monday evening I fly down to Miami, and Tuesday evening I'm off for Buenos Aires. A new friend Gabriel recently put me in touch with his friends and family in Buenos Aires, all of which have offered me places to stay upon my arrival. Between them and all of the wonderful folks on couchsurfing.com who have offered me a place, I am more than covered for accommodations during the next three weeks. (To those who have not heard of couchsurfing.com, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's done in a spirit of giving and brotherhood that can only make this world a better place. If you aren't traveling any time soon, then sign up to host someone. It'll provide opportunity to make friends on a global scale as perhaps never before.) As soon as I arrive I will settle, then strategize my plan of attack for Buenos Aires and the surrounding region. Plans and pics to come.

All are aware by now of the recent attacks on Mumbai. My dear friend Mikey Files was on the ground in Mumbai when the gunshots and grenades began to explode. Luckily, he was unharmed. For a very in depth, reflective and almost philosophical account of what unfolded during the first 24 hours of the attacks, visit his blog at vicablog.com.

For the time being, I should reflect on my time here in Myrtle Beach, working on the Meher Center. For the past 9 weeks I have sanded, painted and stained floors and porches, refinished furniture, cleared hiking paths of overgrowth, dug up (and fell into) a septic tank, painted a bathroom, refinished rusted refrigerators and done a dozen or more things I can't remember at this time. It has been amazing. Truly. I have always enjoyed working with my hands, and to be able to do so in such a beautiful place as the Center has been a gift. For the past 15+ years I have been coming to the Center in one capacity or another. My relationship to it has always been one of service and work. Most people come to have a retreat experience. Life would have it that I come to get my hands dirty. I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's truly one of the beautiful places in world, and to serve such a place has been a gift. In particular I'd like to mention the men I've worked with over these past couple of months - Lee McBride, Mike Cauthen, Dean Nordquist, and the up and comer Joe Dunn. These men are all seasoned craftsmen who I continue to hold an immense amount of love and respect for. What a gift to have been given glimpses into such trade knowledge and secrets. Their combined experience must be somewhere near 100 years, and I got to soak as much of it up as I could. Thanks again gentlemen. It was a pleasure.

I would be remiss without mention of Barbara and Jane, two fixtures of the Center, and of my heart. There's not enough time or space to say all of the wonderful things about you both I'd be moved to say. As always, the pleasure was all mine. If anyone out there who has not yet met and befriended these two angels ever gets a chance to, you'll know what I'm talking about. I love you both immensely. Thanks for the good times.



And of course, I would be entirely remiss - and probably in trouble - if I did not express my undying gratitude to my wonderful hosts Janet and Billy Files. Thank you both so much for your generosity, once again having me as a member of the family. Janet and Billy have generously hosted more wayward young people in their home over the years than any people I've ever known. Thanks for all of the wonderful meals, and for all of the manual labor to help keep my back strong and me in line :-). Glad you both will be following my exploits.

The Center is too vast a place to capture in photos without blowing out the memory of the blog page, so I thought I'd just include a couple. You can never go wrong with serene scenery. Wishing you all much love. I'll be checking in again soon.

With Mixed Sentiments

Hi One and All,

Happy Saturday morning to you. I am doing well, all things considered. I have much to share, so let's get to it. Work on the Center is going well. These days I find much of my time is spent in the workshop wearing a dust mask. I never thought I would sand, primer and paint a refrigerator, nor repair dozens of small leaky holes in a rowboat. However, at a place like the Meher Center, such tasks are par for the course. Here's me smiling for the camera, doing my best impersonation of Joe. I have to say that it's a real joy to apprentice under Lee McBride, Mike Cauthen and Dean Nordquist - all longtime veterans of the Center maintenance crew. Such work chose them for their lives, and they bring so much experience, know-how and integrity to upkeep of this very special place. It's truly an honor to be a part of it for an abbreviated time once again. (I also had a 7 month stint there back in 2000. At that time I worked mainly on the cabin crew.)

Last weekend was Halloween, and I spent it up in Asheville, NC. There's me, Kung-Fu Werewolf extraordinaire. It's always a crowd favorite and allows me to spar with many faceless strangers on the streets Halloween night. In fact, it was Halloween weekend that was central to my being here in South Carolina to begin with. For the past 4 months I had been planning a reunion of dear friends who all used to live in the Bay Area, and at one point or another all moved on, save our precious Brian. While we didn't have the full crew that weekend, Brian (from San Fran), Ben (presently in Myrtle Beach), Mark (Philadelphia) and I (the world) converged in Asheville to give the wonder boys Meherwan and Meherdil a Halloween surprise they'll never forget. Many thanks to Molly and Jonas for your assistance with accommodations and transportation. Long story short, we "assaulted" Meherwan and Meherdil out to lunch in full costume, revealing ourselves only after challenging them to mock fights and causing some mild havoc in the restaurant. Pulling off a well orchestrated surprise on friends who truly appreciate the effort is well worth all the planning and tongue-biting that goes into it. We had a fabulous weekend in beautiful Asheville, which included Halloween clowning around, paintballing with all the local fellas in the Asheville community, a large potluck dinner, a phenomenal Sunday brunch with Roz - thanks again Roz, as always, 'twas delicious - and some great time spent just catching up and being together. Love you guys. Will do it again soon.

With all that's been wonderful, including Tuesday's election of Barack Obama - it's with a heavy heart that I explain the title of my post. Just last night I received word that a friend named John who I knew through a circle of friends at my graduate school ITP committed suicide. There really isn't anything more shocking, disconcerting, angering and saddening all at once. Out of respect to his family and close ones, I'll omit his last name and method of suicide, but would ask you all to simply hold prayer and thought for John and his family. The irony that he and his graduate school circle were/are all aspiring mental health professionals makes the news even more bitter to swallow. I spent time with John and friends during my last days in Saratoga about 2 months ago. Never could I have imagined he would take his own life. According to accounts of friends, there were some recent indications that he was not well, but I don't think anybody suspected suicide in the slightest. I'm certain that there will be a massive reconciling within the ITP community, and amongst its leaders. As crazy and maddening as family can be at times, ITP is in many ways just that, a family. My continued support and love to all who were close to John, and to the ITP community as a whole.

One last note, and I shall be reiterating this point in upcoming posts. Wherever I go on this trip, anyone who is currently reading is more than welcome to join me for any leg at any time. So far Argentina, Fiji and Australia are all set in stone. If the travel bug bites you too, come on out. I'd love to see you.

With Love

Jonathan

Cold and Beautiful

Hello All,

A tad more than a week since I've written. Given my general level of commitment to things these days, I'd say that's pretty good! :-) The weather here in Myrtle Beach has turned cold, and occasionally wet. That, combined with my most recent work task of shingling a building on the Center has left my hands more cracked than I can remember. And yet, it's wonderful work. My co-worker Joe Dunn, who I've affectionately named Gitter (get it???), and I spend hours atop
the roof of this small single person cabin deep in the woods on the Center. In fact, it's the most isolated cabin on the Center, earning it the name "The Hermitage." Here are a couple quick pics of the view from the rooftop, overlooking the Center lake. It's a little hard to tell from low rez cell phone camera, but the lake is virtually clear. Just yesterday Gitter Dunn spotted a bald eagle circling the lake. We stared transfixed for about 5 minutes as it soared, circled, then dove and soared again. Amazingly beautiful. Cracked hands are well worth the payoff.

Other than that, I'm simply enjoying my time here. I continue to catch up with old friends, and I've made a few new ones as well. I'm hoping to procure a camera in the next week or so such that I can add clearer pics with bigger, brighter smiles.

That's it for now. Drop me a line when you have a second or two.

Adios.

Jonathan