Tren a las Nubes

I did it! There wasn't much to it...buy the ticket and get on the train...but that alone took me some time to decide. For once you get on the train, you are committed to a 15 hour train ride. It is a 434km. round trip. Travelling at a pace of 35km per hour.
We left the Valley of Lerma at a altitude of 1187meters and the turnaround point was "El Portal de Los Andes" at 4200 meters above sea level. Think it is higher than Machu Picchu, in Peru.

The rail construction began in 1921 an was completed in 1948. It took 1300 workers to get the job done. It was the brainchild of an American engineer named Richard Maury.

We travelled in one of the highest railways in the world without rack-and-pinion. The rack-n-pinion system allows the train to climb mountains as they do in Peru and Bolivia.

The scenery allowed us to explore nature in all of its glory and see the pre Hispanic culture through the archaeological testimonies of the area.

We passed thru smalll villages with no running water nor electricity. Their homes nothing more than brick adobes and yet, as they would stop their doings to look at this modern train machine, they would smile to us and waive. Waive and smile with a warmth and sincerety not often seen in our modern cities. It sure makes you think and wonder...who is better off. We can not imagine living as many of our ancestors did and yet what did we gain with all our modern technologies and advances? Are we any happier, healthier?? ..sure makes you wonder and reassess what is important....if nothing else, it was a good reminder...

I thought I would of been afraid of being so high up but what got to me was the lack of oxygen. Made it just fine to the top, thanks to a few "coca leaves" ...seems they help with shortness of breath...I only took it for medicinal purposes haha...as instructed by our "train steward" ;) ...but once we started to descend...I had to go to the nurse and get my 15 minutes on the oxygen mask.
That made a big diference and I made it back only with a sheadache and a slight cold.

Out of Order

My Buenos Aires Pad


To know and love me :) ... is to know...that I'm not the most organized person, unlike my sister who loves to "excel" everything :) but, I like to think that I KNOW where everything is.
...so you won't be surprised that I'm just now getting around to writing and adding pictures of my beautiful Buenos Aires "departamento".

I found it on one of my many "google searches" and fell in love with it right then and there.
Luckily for me it was available. It is located in the City area called PALERMO, the garden district of Buenos Aires. It is next to the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo.The building is right across a private Jewish School, so security on the block is good. I'm on the 9th floor, out of 14 and we only have 14 apartments, one per floor. By BA standards it is a small building. It's customary that for EACH highrise building (regardless of size) to have at least one person in charge. This person is called an "encargado", caretaker. They usually get their own apartment in the building and are "on call" monday-friday. The one in my building is called Martin. Pretty sweet job I think...
Not sure what he does other than picks up the trash from each floor and stands by the door between 17:00-20:00...to great us & let us in..so we don't bother with the keys...but it's an extra level of security I guess...I did use his services yesterday since I was home sick...(keep it clean!)

I had a delivery of "sandwiches of miga" (little-look-a-like british tea sandwiches) ..and I was too sick/lazy to go downstairs to let them in..so I called Martin and told him to let them in for me...haha..Remember the show RHODA?....Martin is my CARL...

Life in BA is hectic, kinda luck New York. Everybody has a cell phone coming out of their ear, but they still enjoy the simple things in life...like lingering for hours drinking ONE itsy bitsy cup of espresso (this might also have to do with the ecomomy)...while chatting and smoking. Phillip Morris is still going strong in third World countries. :(
They still do NOT eat dinner until AFTER 9pm...restaurants barely open by 20:00 (8pm)...and then it is only for a handful of "gringos/as"...like me....:) Things don't start hopping until 22:00 hrs...and that is even during the work week...

ah...don't worry I won't get more Diva than that..

So back to my apartment...it is 592sq ft...TOTAL
It is a studio with a balcony and a full bath with a bidet of course!
The only thing missing is an oven, but what the heck...with all the food delivery options in town
I don't even miss it. The great thing that I liked right away, is that it has a bookcase partition between the living room area and the bedroom with a computer desk in the middle.
The bathroom is to the right of the kitchen...and the whole other side you dont' see is glass.

Salta..Wine Country

Day Tour to Cafayate//Salta's Wine Country
I was one of 11 tourist taking a Van tour of the Calchaqui Valley.
Left the hotel at 07:00 and returned at 18:30 (6:30pm)

It was a long but beautiful day. It helped that we had a great tour guide named Claudio and an even better driver Osvaldo. A good driver in Argentina is worth his price in gold!

The group consisted of 6 Argentinos, a couple from Pamplona, Spain, a couple from Germany (only ones that need it the English version) and me. Claudio spoke a mixed of British and Miami English...it was fun to listen to him, first in Spanish and then the English Version.

My favorite expression from him was when he would say..."..10 minutes mas y we stop for toilet break"...;)...I was just glad they had such things out here in the wild north of Argentina.

The Calchaqui Valley is very similar to the Grand Canyon, with the exception that we are DRIVING thru it instead of just looking at it!

This area is famous for the TORRENTES GRAPES...which produces a white wine...I liked it and plan on drinking more even though Red continues to be my favorite. This area is good for wine production because it is hot and dry during the day but the nights are mild.

We made several picture opportunity stops along the way. My favorite was when we spotted an old man and his Llama alongside the road..selling his ceramic pots. His name is Don Facundo and the Llama...well..just call her Donia...He cooks all pots in a dirt oven until it reaches a temperature of 1000 degrees...(he uses wood )...then it's a matter of letting it cool down.

We had "3 toilet breaks" plus lunch in the town of Cafayate. For lunch I had LOCRO. This is a corn base stew with meat, sausage, bacon and garbanzo beans. Muy rico!

Believe it or not...
I DID NOT care for their specialty desserts. They are too sweet and they hardly use any chocolate. It mostly revolves around HONEY. A typical dessert is a slice of cheese with a ton of honey or a spaghetti squash...that has been boiled ,shredded and then cooked with honey before stuffing it into an empanada shell...and then as if that's not sweet enough..they cover the shell with a sugar coating...

BUT...I did find an ice cream place in town. Their specialty is WINE ICE CREAM! Yeap!!! I hit the jackpot...;)....tried both the Cabernet and Torrontes Ice Cream..and ended getting a scoop of Torrontes..and Grapefruit ice cream...they weren't creamy..more like a gelato.

Here are the pictures...
http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/CafayateTour#

Salta

I Liked Salta! It is a 2hr flight from Buenos Aires...but a world apart!

It is located in the North Eastern part of Argentina. It is a province rich in Culture, Archeology and Nature. The locals, called Saltenios, are simple, hard working people, proud of their heritage and passionate about their history. It was not uncommon for me to come across a 3 or 4th generation Saltenio. My source of information,as in any city, the taxi driver :)

The city of Salta was founded in 1582. It is located in the Valle de Lerma. named after it's founder Don Hernando de Lerma. It's Spanish architecture separates them from all other Argentine Provinces. The colonial feel of the city continues to this day.

Iglesia(church) de San Francisco was completed in 1625 and in 1941 was declared a Historical Monument. I tried to go inside...but couldn't...it was "siesta" time...and yes! even the church doors close! There are many museums but I didnt get the chance to go..had it planned for Sunday..but then I caught a cold!

I did go to a Folklore dinner Show on my first night in town...Sat next to a couple from Vancouver, Canada. He was brave...he not only got up to dance when they asked for audience volunteers but also tried a stew dish made of LLAMA!!! ugh...I didn't know they ate Llama...
I could of had a Llama empanada..but I passed! Turns out that Llama is a meat with low cholesterol...and a strong flavor..so it has to be cooked in some sort of stew...for a long period of time...using wine as a tenderizer and then it's good to go...maybe next time...

Here are some pictures...

do http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/SALTA#slideshow/5397279165791922354

more coming....Enjoy!

Back to BA! :)

The trip to Salta was a memorable experience. Came back last night with a "cold", a few souvenirs and lots of pictures which I will be downloading soon!

But first, I'm going to add the link to the pictures from Colonia, Uruguay. This was a mandatory and very unexpected trip I had to take.

I knew coming into Argentina with a US Passport, I could stay no more than 90 days or I would need a visa...My stay is for 82 days, so I thought I was covered.

Luckily for me, my mom mentioned to check my passport stamp and see how many days entry they had written down. Turns out...I only had permission for 60days!!!
Why? Because I was BORN in Argentina...and they don't recognize the American citizenship...

So I HAD TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY..and re-enter in order to obtain a "new" 60 day extension...otherwise they would NOT have allowed me to leave...."they loooove me...;)

Don't ask me why??? This is the "Argentina logic" I DO NOT understand...

The good news: I got to visit Colonia, Uruguay...very picturesque, has kept their colonial roots as evident by the pictures you'll see. The store owners, restaurants and craftsman...all deal with
4 currencies: Uruguay money...(don't know what it is)...argentine pesos, euros and dollars...

ok...here's the link to the pictures...enjoy while I download the Salta pictures...!

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/ColoniaUruguay#

PS: the countdown has began...returning home in less than a month :)

SALTA Bound...

This morning I'm flying to the Northern Province of Salta.
Founded in 1582! It is 2 1/2 hour flight from Buenos Aires.

This will be my first visit so I'm excited!
On Saturday I will be taking a 15 hr TRAIN RIDE...Leaving at 7am and returning close to midnight...it is called TREN De Las NUBES...here's my favorite ...site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhyxBxpJD50

Yes..I have some dramamine...just in case :)

Will take pictures....Wish me Luck!!!

More Buenos Aires Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/BuenosAires#

Argentine Experiences

I have been in Argentina for 2 months and people still ask me "where are you from"?
Although fluent in espanol, they can still detect "something different" about me...it's either my Spanish accent..."what a surprise..." I have an accent??" or by me not using the correct word usage.

For example: the other day I was at the Beauty Salon..getting my nails done...(much cheaper here..and the girls speak spanish ...from Peru...not Vietnamese :)
Anyway..I was going to make a future appointment ..so I said I wanted to make a "cita" for next week...the guy looks at me and says "where are you from"?

So I had to ask him ..what did I say wrong for you to ask me where I'm from?
"What did I say?" ...Turns out in Argentina's Espaniol....a cita is a date...and when asking for an appointment ..I have to say "turno"..a turn...

When I got to the airport, one night late at night, I had a private car reserved to take me to the apartment. I had not been in the car for 1 minute when the driver also asked me "where are you from?"....and I asked why he said..."because I was nice and had said Hello..how are you?"..so go figure...no matter what I do ...I give myself away :)

I can proudly now say that I have taken the bus and the train by myself...and didn't get lost!
Either one of these modes of transportation cost between $1.00 - $1.50pesos
(the current exchange rate is $1.00usd for $3.85 pesos)..so you can see what a great deal it is...
An average taxi ride would cost 20 pesos...
I have avoided the subway....last week they had a strike and people where stranded for over 2 hrs..no thanks!

Some things like public transportation is very inexpensive because is subsidized by the government...just like higher education...A College student here DOES NOT pay for college, the state pays!...That's why they say that we -The Argentines- have the best educated taxi drivers...you can ge tthe education, jobs however are in short supply...
Always thought that a good and FREE education was a good thing...except, I now have learned... they allow ANYBODY - FROM ANYWHERE to apply and attend at no cost...except to the argentine tax payer...not so good for them. But I will understand if some of you will start forcing your children to be fluent in Spanish ;)

Going to the bank here is NO FUN! I knew it the minute I walked in and I saw that not ONLY I had to take a number...but there were seats waiting for me...definitely not a good sign :(
..but I waited...patiently...yeah..I know hard to believe...but I did! (next time if I must..I will bring a book or start crocheting another afghan). Finally my number is called... I walk to the teller and tell him that I need to change some dollars so I can make a deposit for a pending hotel reservation. He says "Do you have an account?" ....duh...no...(I count to 10 and think...can't YOU hear my accent?...why don't YOU ask me where I'm from???
Told him that I came to this bank as intructed by the hotel because they are the ones with the account... IT DIDN'T MATTER...if I have NO account with them..he can not change my dollars...
(is this a real bank?...yes..an argentine bank

Had to go a special "Casa de Cambio" (house of foreign exchange)...6 blocks away...so I go...
get my dollars changed to $100pesos bills...I asked if I could please ..have at least 2 $50pesos bills...as my hotel deposit...is $150pesos...NO..she says I dont have 50peso bills...
(excuse me..aren't you an exchange house...yes..an argentine one)

So I had to go ..buy a cup of coffee (by now a gin&tonic would of been better)... so I could get change....and then proceed AGAIN to the bank
to make my deposit....this whole ordeal..took over 2 hrs.!!!

They may NOT know where I'm from...but I DEFINITELY KNOW I'm in Latin America ;)
..and loving it ;)

Buenos Aires Pictures...

Hi:

Here's a link of pictures taken throughout Buenos Aires in the last few days.

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/BuenosAires#

I have also added some new pictures under the old file of
Argentine Foods

will write soon

More Cordoba Pictures

Here are some more pictures from Cordoba and my outings...Buenos Aires
pictures t follow...

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/MoreCordobaPictures02#

Tennis Anyone???

I have been in Buenos Aires for 4 nights....here are some of my highlights thus far:

Monday ...had lunch at the corner cafe with my mom, aunt and uncle.
afternoon siesta and dinner delivered to my apartment (a nice juicy steak and flan for dessert)

Tuesday ...Hang out with my new friend Christy...she is also here visiting Buenos Aires on an extended leave. We went out at night to a local watering hole for ex-pat's...called Shoeless Joe.
It just so happened that Tuesday's is free beer for the ladies. I had no problem drinking
Quilmes, an Argentine beer...Christy chose a nice Malbec. It felt good to speak Ingles!

Wednesday...Christy and I walked all over town; I was her official translator. She is trying to sign up for an intensive spanish course...this is when we realized that we were definitely in a Latin American country...couldn't get a definite answer at all...and no..she is still not signed in for a class.

Thursday...had lunch with my mom...walked again...to a Chilean supermarket chain called JUMBO...it's like a mixed between Target and Metropolitan Market. In other words, I could of stayed there for hours...but fortunately we bought a few things and heading out for our afternoon coffee. Tea and scones is what we actually ended up having...very British of us I know! They bring the tea pot to the table, the place is full of people and all the tea cups and saucers are a mismatched...I love it!
I discovered this place on Wednesday with Christy...it's going to be my "regular spot"...3 blocks away from my apartment...and as if that was not good enough...who walks in but no other that the recently 2009 Crowned US OPEN CHAMPION...and latest Argentine Idol...Juan Martin Del Potro!!!!! Really!!! He is as tall in person as in TV....very nice eyes ...very nice, humble and sooooo young ;) I was kicking myself for not having my camera with me...but I couldn't help myself...had to aks for his autograph...I know so uncool of me...but I just had to... :)

Now is Friday morning....7:30am...the city is waking up...I can hear the buses passing by below my window and the upstairs neighbor,,..walking on her heels as she gets ready to go to work.

Me....I am just fixing myself a cup of cafe con leche...

Food Shopping

Venture out alone this morning to the local supermarket, named DISCO.

This is a trip I thought, I would know what to expect and not have any surprises; I was wrong!

Without setting foot inside, I encountered my first surprise :) I stand by the first door I see and wait for it to open...it didn't ...so I thought to myself..."...must be an exit" and proceeded to the other double door, by then realizing that they were NOT automatic :)

Once inside, the lay-out is American style smaller. But, as in everything, there are exception beyond the food which is expected. Loved seeing dulce de leche, fresh pasta, the bakery looks delicious...but then the surprise was that when you buy anything from produce they have to weight the item(s) before you go to the check out. Those that know me well, know how I get lines. Once at the checkout line, I waited, lines are the same as in the USA...long and slow...
as I waited...I kept looking and noticing how short all the cashiers where..how weird I thought!

As I got my items out of the basket, and got closer to the cashier...I noticed that they are ALL sitting down...:)..hence their low height...

Buenos Aires...Here I come...: )

Packed my bags in Cordoba and arrived in the "Paris of South America"...
Left the camera cord behind, so I won't have pictures for a few days.

BUENOS AIRES...(tranlation= Good Air) ...Buenos Aires sounds nicer no?

All week-end there have been celebrating the arrival of Primavera/Spring :)
On Sunday, ALL high school and university students hung out at local park and have a little festival. Today Monday, they celebrated by having NO CLASSES.
I'm finding out there are a lot more Holidays celebrated here. It makes the school year look like
the Month of November in the Nothshore School District :)

Student Day, Teacher Day, Professor's Day, Day of the Child, and the list goes on...!
Btw: because of the reversal of seasons (Argentina is below the equator), school stars in Mid-March thru the end of November.

My studio apartment is on the 9th floor. It's cute and I have a little patio...all the conveniences of home in 600sq ft...the only thing I'm missing is an OVEN! The great news is that in this city ...everything IS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR...via roller blades, bikes, carts...I can have my groceries, order dinner...and I don't mean just pizza...I mean a full range of restaurant food, a steak, fresh pasta, even ice cream. The ice cream is delivered in scooters with a cooler in the back...and then it is delivered to your apartment in individual mini coolers....gonna have to order some just so I can take a picture for the blog... :)
I can also take my clothes to the laundromat or dry cleaners, and they both home deliver.
Now that's service.

Eating In Argentina

Since yesterday we've had, what I lovingly call "seattle weather". Overcast, gray skies and light rain. People here are ready for Primavera/Spring :) They badly need the rain, we are surrounded by dirt and the songs of birds, it´s time for some green!

I´ve taken advantage of the weather to be lazy...I know, already I'm not working so how can I be any more lazier (sp?is it a word) I think my sister was right, the longer I stay, the more my "ingles" will suffer.

Eating in Argentina is an experience, coffee shops hardly sell you a cup to go. Drinking coffee is a

sit down occassion...even if you don't eat anything else.

For the most part, whether in the city or the country, here is how an Argentine eats:

Breakfast - Coffee black or with milk or MATE, a gaucho typical green tea

8:00-10:00 with FACTURAS /their donut equivalent but more European in style

or toasted/crackers with butter & jam.

Lunch 2 hr/3hrbreak/ If they can, people go home to eat and take a nap.

13.00-17:00 Most stores close during these hours.

If you look at their plates you´ll think it was dinner time.

Today's lunch / as per above picture is called PUCHERO=Beef Stew

PM Snack Called MERIENDA - Whether at home or out and about, you take about 30min.

18:00-20:00 to drink a "Cafe con Leche" and some cookies, or a beer with a mini sandwich.

Dinner Another big meal ..but that I mean... they COOK again...

21:30-23:00 Typical dinner could be a steak and potatoes or a pasta dish

It's very common to linger even longer at the table, especially during the

week-end hours.

The secret to their svelte physiques I think ..is WALKING...lots of walking!

PS: the 24 hr military time is used throughout Argentina...no A.M nor P.M here

A few more food pictures can be found by clicking below..promise to add more soon

These is the... SEE FOOD DIET...Look at the dishes I´ve been exposed to during my visit, but with the benefit of not gaining an ounce. Wish I could say the same :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/ComidasArgentinasArgentineDishes#

Pictures #3

Ok...last one for the night...

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/SalidasEnCordobaOutings#

More Pictures #2

Here´s Another link

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/Argentina2009#

So far I have been unsuccessfull at being able to put all pictures in one folder...

More Pictures

I´m still trying to download more pictures. I´ve entered them in "picasa" at my brothers suggestion (my technical support team)...here´s one of the links...

let´s hope it works

http://picasaweb.google.com/argentineyankee/ArgentineYankeeGoesHome?authkey=Gv1sRgCIu9ntOa3c_cpwE#5382262401789915986

Province (State) of Cordoba

I have been staying since my arrival in Argentina with my Dad´s one & only brother Luis, called always by me as Tio Yiyi...although now his 2 beautiful grandkids call him Yiyo :)-

My "tio" together with his wife of 43 years, Tia Lidia operate a year-round vacation retreat in the Sierras de Cordoba.

Their website is: http://www.bosquencantado.com.ar/

I´m in cabin #1 called CEDRO...closest to their home-

Their city is named ICHU CRUZ, population 800. Only the main road into the city is paved! But they do have all modern necessities even wi-fi although my laptop is not liking it, so I´m at the mercy of using my uncles laptop and it´s spanish keyboard. Yes, it is different than the English version, very similar but the differences are enough to slow me down :)

Here are some of the different keys used in a Spanish keyboard:

ñÑ,...as in Niña (girl) or pequeño (small)

¿ in Spanish you put a question mark at the beginning and end of a sentence...¿really? Yes!

¨ don´t know how this one is used

{ } in parenthesis

[ ] not sure when these are used either

...you get the idea..the only extra letter in our alphabet is the Ñ..ñ

FYI...I hope to put more pictures in the blog but I'm having some technical difficulties

Those that know me shouldn´t be too surprised but then again...you must be impressed I have gotten this far ;)

Back to the family now, so easy to get sidetrack...Their 2 sons are Marcelo and Adrian.

My cousins operate a "kiosko" in the heart of a larger city named CARLOS PAZ. Marcelo is married with Soledad and they have 2 of the cutest kids ever...Rocio (name means Dew) she just turned 9 and Giuliano (William in Italian)..Guili for short ..pronounced (Juli) ---I know, when he visits us in the states some changes might be necesary :)

Adrian is also married. His wife is Natasha.

I have been spoiled to no end...not only do they not let me buy anything, I can´t do anything-and they all take time from their busy scheduled to show me their cities and try their favorite restaurants. Oh..I do think I made the right decision to come visit haha---

U.S. OPEN---VIVA JUAN MARTIN DELPOTRO

Last night for the 2nd time in the History of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament an Argentine player won the Title. The first time it happened was in 1977 and it so happened that on that day, I was also in Argentina...and with my brother listened to the game on the radio until 3am when he won!! The winner then was Guillermo Vilas. Last night I watched it on color TV...with my aunt and uncle....THE VICTORY WAS JUST AS SWEET...

First Impressions...Arrival in Buenos Aires

I arrived on Sept 3 into the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. The anxiety of customs approaching always gets to me. The question is will they open my bags or not? In the past, it used to be that if they opened them and liked something they liked they would keep it...but looks like that is a thing of the past. I sailed thru customs without any problems.

There is a limit of $300.00usd allowed into the country (total value of items that remain in the country)...but although it was hard to pack for 82 days, I only brought a few gift requests that luckily didn´t add to the maximum allowed. (..and that's the story I´m sticking to...:)

Upon clearing Customs, I found my aunt and uncle waiting for me. The drive back to the city is about 50 minutes. The traffic patterns have not changed, the roads are a little better but the same rules apply. The roads are ruled by the size of the vehicle, it is typical to be in a 2 lane highway with at least 3 or more vehicles across. In order to make the "porteños" (people from Buenos Aires) obey traffic signals, they have now past a new rule...If you drive thru a RED LIGHT...they impound your car!

FREE Miles---What a Great Invention!!!

OMG!!!! Thank you Steve for so generously giving me your miles so that I could travel back home in splendor style....it will be very hard for this "new diva" ;)...to go back to coach class after such excellent service from American Airlines...Champagne before departing...Fresh Salad, Lamb Medallions with Scalloped Potatos, a nice glass of red wine. Fruit Salad and Lemon Gelato for dessert. The airline seat not only swiveled (is this a word?) but reclined into a bed.

Could have flown for another 10 hours, seriously :)

THANK YOU!!!!

What? You going to Argentina? For how long? Why?

Bienvenidos! Welcome!!! I'm stepping out of my comfort zone by attempting to write this blog...a first for me...but thanks to Katie N.....I´m now in..and hope to make her proud :)

My first and foremost intent is to keep a record of this "Once in a Lifetime Experience"-

After 40 years away from Argentina with only 3 short visits during this time, I have returned

for 82 days.

On July 15 of this year...I slipped in front of my house on wet grass and landed with my forehead on the sidewalk...luckily my daughter was home and drove me to Emergency. Ten stitches on my forehead, a mild concussion and several cuts and scratches later...I was home mending and wondering...now what? Quiet time is good, we dont usually get that luxury often, but when we do, it can be a scarry thing :)...at least it was for me!

...At this particular time in my life I find myself a little lost.

Samantha is away at University, I´m still grieving (I always will be) for my son Steven, who was killed by a drunk driver 2 years ago. Since his death...I often say that we are all living a "new life" ..his Dad says that "...some days are harder than others but they all hurt". Nothing seems the same or at least I don´t see everything the same. I continue to hope and try for as many good things to happen out of our tragedy but this takes will-power and energy...and Im tired!

So while recuperating from my fall, and with family and friends support I decided to return home, take time off ...rediscover my birth country and take time to just be....me..whatever that might be or where ever that might take me... welcome to my journey...:)