Merry Christmas

With it 80 degrees out, it has been kind of hard to be in the Christmas spirit. We almost didn't realize it was Christmas Eve on Monday. It was kind of hard to tell with so few decorations and most porteños going about their normal routines.

Actually, one big clue was the massive traffic jam as everyone was exiting the city on Friday. Afterwards, it was as if we had this whole big city to ourselves. I took advantage of it and took Mijo to the Zoo on Sunday. The zoo was empty and we had a great time. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

We spent Christmas Eve with another expat family and counted down the hours until midnight when the whole city erupted with fireworks. People were setting them off from balconies and in the streets. It was quite a sight and sound. More like what we were use to on New Years Eve before they cracked down on fireworks in the states.

We even set off a few bottle rockets using one of our many empty Malbec bottles. Our bottle rockets kept making a bee line for a balcony down the street. The people on the balcony were not too happy. ( Note to self: Large quantities of wine and fireworks do not go together.)

Actually, there is a lot to be said about the laid back version of Christmas they have here. No lights to put up. No gajillion presents to buy. No fighting over who's family you're eating Christmas dinner with. No wall-to-wall Christmas commercials. And best of all, no "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"

The kids didn't even mind Christmas without presents. It was great to focus on the true meaning for a change. Besides, they are having the experience of a life time and looking forward to our three month trip to the rest of Argentina.

We head out after New Years. We are hitting Cordoba, Mendoza, Patagonia, Bariloche, and maybe even the end of the world—Tierra Del Fuego.

We'll keep you posted with lots of photos. This is a beautiful country and I look forward to sharing it with you.