Every worthwhile pursuit in life has its difficult moments. Whether it’s suffering through twice daily high school football practices, working around the clock to complete some impossible project at work or slogging through sleep deprivation to care for screaming infants, the pattern remains the same. The best experiences in life are invariably accompanied by suffering. So too with our trip. Beginning on June 1 we went through a 5 week period during which someone was sick every day. First Jake, then me, then both Kate and Michele then Jake again, then Michele for a second time. Our sore throats and fevers were not remotely serious, however, they certainly cast a pall over our adventure. Confined to our apartment, our isolation intensified and our journey began to feel like a chore. While the eject button was never actually pushed, it was certainly located and perhaps the safety glass covering it was raised. However, as of this writing, the clouds have parted and the sun is shining through. Everyone is in good health and we are once again energized and excited about the journey. Kate’s cast is gone and she is back to horseback riding.  She recently received a good grade in her Spanish class, which is quite remarkable considering she is in a class with all native speakers.   Jake actually admitted that he was looking forward to going to school and we hear him speaking in Spanish from time to time. Michele and I took an intensive Spanish class for 4 hours each day this week and began to see real improvement in our Spanish. We also had two separate dinners with friends this week, though we are still trying to get used to wrapping those up at 1am.  Winter break has just begun for the kids.  They now have two weeks off during which we are going to Chile to visit the desert and do a little skiing.  We are incredibly proud of them for making it through their first semester and we think that the second semester will be markedly easier for them.

While the prior weeks were difficult, they were not without their moments.  We were invited to watch Argentina play in the finals of the Coupa de America at some friends houses.  Unfortunately Argentina fell to the home team from Chile in penalty kicks, but it was a terrific game.  Our hosts’ son wept unabashedly after the loss and we skipped out on the post game fiesta due to the gloomy mood.

We had a couple of particularly fun meals at Dandy and San Juanino, the latter of which has become a personal favorite. They serve regional cuisine such as empandadas and locro and the house wine comes in pitchers shaped like penguins.

We also visited the Evita museum which tells the incredible story of Eva Peron. While the effectiveness of her policies are certainly questionable to say the least, she was an early advocate for social justice and a charismatic leader who won the hearts of many Argentines. Her story is truly remarkable.

We also were invited to the big party at the Ambassador’s house for US Independence Day. Although we weren’t in full fledge party mode owing to the aforementioned illnesses, we still managed to enjoy the party and dance a little bit. We met some interesting people including a woman nearing her sixties who told us that we were “about her age” much to our dismay.

We were thrilled that the Mitics, our good friends from the states, dropped into BsAs for a two week visit. We managed to catch up with them for a couple of nights and it was wonderful to see old friends. In fact, if they are reading this, I credit them entirely with the turn in our fortunes.

When people ask me “how’s it going” I tell them it’s like calling someone who is 5 miles into a 10 mile run. I can tell it’s a good run, but at the moment my legs hurt, I’m tired as hell and I still have 5 miles to go. I have no doubt, however, that when the run is finished, it will all be worth it.

We began our winter vacation in the Atacama desert in the north of neighboring Chile. After a 5:15 wake up call and an adventure getting our luggage when changing planes in Santiago, the trip was off to a bit of rocky start. Things immediately turned around once we arrived in at the Calama airport and were greeted by Sebastian our guide from the Awasi hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.  The Awasi is just a wonderful hotel and I can’t possibly say enough good things about the service.  We had our own guide who helped us plan our excursions and then accompanied us on each of them explaining the flora, fauna and geology of the region and bringing along little engañitos (treats) to keep our bellies full.

What makes the Atacama region so special is that it is a high desert surrounded by the massive Andes mountain chain with a number of active volcanoes.  The region’s main town, San Pedro de Atacama, is at about 10,000 ft above sea level.  Our excursions took us up to almost 14,000 feet while the nearby peaks reached up above 17,000 feet.  By way of comparison, the highest peak in the continental US is Mt. Whitney at 14.5k.

The region is full of micro-climates including barren salt flats, lush canyons filled with rivers from the melting snow pack and barren rocky terrain at altitude.  San Pedro is built on an oasis where the run off from the Andes has created on aquifer.  The many different climates creates a number different types of spots  to explore.

Our first mini-excursion was to watch the sunset from the ridge of the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley).  After a long day of travel, I wasn’t sure we would be up for it, but we saw an absolutely spectacular sunset.  This little trip gave us a clue that we were in for a special vacation.

The next day we set out for Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) a series of hills and sand dunes caused by the eruptions of the near by volcanoes.  It was other worldly.

We then proceeded to explore some caves in the area. The kids were thrilled to be wearing headlamps and climbing around.

We stopped back at the hotel for some lunch and R&R and then headed out to the Salar de Atacama, the actual salt flats.  Again, a totally different landscape but equally otherworldly.  We also go a chance to see a flock of flamingos that inhabits the salt flats, living off tiny little shrimp.

This would have made for a full day, but Sebastian drove us outside the salt flat to a spot just underneath the Lascar volcano (which I adopted as my personal favorite) to watch the sunset.  There is something just magical about a desert sunset and being alone in this vast space, the family just roving around, made for one of the best parts of our trip.

The following day the girls stayed back at the ranch while Jake and I headed toward Guatin to hike through one of the valleys.  Once again, the landscape changed dramatically as we descended from an arid desert into a valley filled with pampas grass with a river running through it.

After a nice lunch and a couple of hands of truco, we set out to revisit the Valle de la Muerte.  This type the team was on horseback.

After a pretty mellow ride we came to the foot of these giant sand dunes.  Naturally we got snow boards and rode them down the hill which made for a pretty terrific adventure

The next day we went for a full day excursion.  We began by climbing to 13,500 feet to visit the geysers of Taito.  It was a beautiful drive and we saw llamas and wild vicuñas (which are small camels).

The geysers are  really the same geothermic phenomenon that you see in Yellowstone where heat from the earth’s crust warms up water and creates a geyser when the chemicals cause the warm water to shoot upward.  There are multiple geysers at this particular site and it is possible to see brand new holes that will soon result in geysers in a number of spots.

After walking through the geyers we then drove over the top of a small pass where we could see the remaining of the Inca trail over the volcano Linzor to what is now Bolivia.  This was my favorite spot of all of our time in Atacama and I hope to get a chance to return some day to hike it.

It was pretty chilly at 13,5k feet, so we hustled down the mountain to some natural hotsprings (Los Baños de Puritama) for a quick dip and a picnic.   The kids loved it.

After yet another wonderful meal at the Awasi (where Senor Apple plied us with delightful Chilean wines) and a two man band played some local tunes, we ended our last day in Atacama with some star gazing.  Atacama is one of the best places to look at the stars in the world because it is high, dry and has very little light pollution owing to the sparse population.  Many of the world’s great observatories are located there.  We went over to the local guides’ home where he had a number of telescopes in his backyard.  We were able to see the Milky Way with our naked eye, including what the Incas referred to as the great llama in the sky.  We also got to see Saturn and the Moon through his telescope.

An incredible adventure.  We are really proud of how the kids handled some difficult conditions (cold, altitude, lots of driving, learning to snow board on sand) and we had a spectacular time.  If you are looking for a truly unique adventure, the Atacama desert has our strong endrosement.

The desert set the bar pretty high for the rest of the vacation, but we followed up with a great ski trip.  After a two flight back to Santiago, we drove up to the lovely Chilean ski resort, Valle Nevado.  As the crow flies, the resort is only about 40 miles away from the capital city, but the road is a bit of an adventure.  It twists and turns its way up into the Andes with 60 switchbacks (which are helpfully numbered).  The road itself is also tiny so that often times our car had to stop to give oncoming traffic the room required to make a wide turn.  We had a loquacious driver, which Michele naturally enjoyed, and then had the distinct pleasure of trying to rent ski equipment for the kids, which is always a joy, but we managed to get through it all and arrived at the resort in one piece.

Valle Nevado is nestled right in the foothills of the Andes mountains.  Amazingly the resort’s base is at 10,000 ft above sea level.  For comparison, the base of Vail is 8.2k and Squaw’s base is at 6.2k with a peak is just above 9k ft.  The skiable peaks at Valle Nevado are at about 14k feet and the nearby mountains rise to 17k plus, making for some dramatic scenery.

The resort is a collection of hotels along with a  small village comprised of a couple of restaurants and shops.  The entire set up was incredibly convenient.  Our hotel was right on the mountain and had its own ski and boot room to gear up every morning. Our room was a bit cozy and Michele particularly enjoyed sharing one bathroom with the kids. The restaurants were really excellent including French, Italian and Chilean cuisine, along with the standard ski town fare.  The nice places were actually quite swanky and as part of our package, we had a buffet lunch every day that featured a full Chilean barbecue.  I must admit that  I became pretty fond of the ida of a nice glass of wine being served with lunch.  Much more relaxing than horking down a burger with 10,000 other folks at one of the mid mountain lodges in the states.

Perhaps the most important thing for us was that kids really learned to ski on this vacation.  We had taken them skiing previously, but having them ski every day for 6 days enabled them to really turn the corner.  Kate went from screaming in terror when facing a steep hill to zooming down the same hill without stopping.  Jake really threw himself into learning to ski and was able to rocket down the slopes, though perhaps his control was lacking.  Kate was more methodical in her approach, slower but more controlled.  A great metaphor for kids in general and how different they can be.

The kids took a lesson each morning and we were lucky to have a great teacher in Claudia.   We would  meet up afterwards for lunch and then they’d return to the slopes together with Michele and me for some afternoon skiing.  Skiing with my kids is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life.  I am very much looking forward to many years of it.  After ski was really terrific as the best place was part of our hotel, so we spent quite a bit of time in the bar/lounge playing truco and enjoying some apres ski drinks.

After a few days on the mountain and some less than stellar conditions, we decided to decamp for the capital city of Santiago and the comfort of two separate hotel rooms.  Santiago is dramatically different from Buenos Aires.  Much more orderly and calm.  It’s kind of like a larger version of Portland; mellow and proudly so.   Highlights included a nice local meal at Confiteria Torres where I got to try the famous Chilean corn pie, Patio Bellavista which is a central shopping, restaurant and tourist area, the funicular to the hills above the city and  strolling through the boho district nearby, enjoying the street art and book shops.  It was a great end to a wonderful vacation.

With our big vacation behind us, we are now focused on the second half of the school year. Michele and I put on a little play for Kate to get her excited about getting back to school which seems to have been successful.  Jake’s protestations are more muted and infrequent.    When we returned to BA we made it a point to visit some of our favorite places which was both fun and comforting.  All and all we are happy and  energized to back in our adopted home.

Our apartment now feels like the clubhouse of a team on a winning streak.  Everyone is happy and feeling good and loose.

The most important driver is that the kids are comfortable in school.  They now get up in the morning without any yelling, wrestling or  hurling of things (verbal or otherwise) and are ready to leave on time.  Who are they?  When we asked Kate the rationale for the change, she quickly answered “I just made up my mind that I wasn’t going to let anything bother me any more.”  If only we could figure out how that happened!

As in most things, success has bred confidence which breeds more success, which breeds more confidence and so on.  A couple of highlights.  Michele and I went to a great restaurant (878 Thames) which could reasonably pass for hip.  We have begun taking the bus as our primary means of getting around the city which is both more interesting and less hassle than taking taxis.  Michele went out with her girlfriends on Tuesday night.  We managed to go out for dinner Wednesday at 9:30 and though the food at Vcitoria Brown Bar was disappointing, the scene was awfully cool.

On Thursday  Michele went for a 2.5 hour lunch in Puerto Madero where she got to see how the locals truly live (you’ll have to ask her).  I tried out my own local restaurant Guido’s Bar where I am working out my strategy to become a regular.  The  kids attended a birthday party on Friday that they enjoyed.  Saturday night when Michele and I went to a movie at 6:45 and then met our friends out for dinner at 9:30 Oviedo where we dined until after midnight.  We have gone native!  Sunday was gloomy and rainy so we took the kids to Las Cañitas for a long family lunch at Novociento before suffering through the Minions movie.

We took what BsAs could dish out and now we are turning the tide.  Feeling good about the journey.

Although we lost a bit of momentum from two very strong weeks, we have continued forging forward through what we hope will be the last months of winter. The kids were generally in good spirits and have become really adept at our morning ritual.  We went to a terrific Asado at the home of Michele’s friend Sharilyn.   Although no other kids showed up, we loved the guitar players, the fried empanadas with lemon squeezed inside and the lamb and pork slow cooked on the grill.  Our planned journey to El Campo (the farm) was rained out by some flooding but luckily the weather was nice for the weekend. Jake had an actual basketball game against another club that he enjoyed.

We went to an Asado at our friends the Costas’ home out near Nordelta which had buena onda.  On Sunday we had a nice 2+ hour lunch at Cafe Olvietti with a glass of wine and then headed to the park for some roller skating.

Monday was the holiday to commemorate San Martin and so we celebrated in proper Argentine style at Keri and Mateo’s asado. So while we missed a trip to the campo, we made the most of it.

The following week we had a big Wednesday night when we went to a movie at 8 and THEN went out to dinner at 10 pm!  Who are we?  We have gone totally native.  We also came to the conclusion that while spending time with our kids has been one of the best things about our journey, it’s also possible to spend too much time with the kids.  That at least seemed like a logical conclusion as we had dinner and drinks, well mostly drinks at Gran Bar Drzaon.

The following weekend Jake and I went for a  bit of a tour of city center while Kate and Michele ran some errands back at the ranch.  It was fun to see all these majestic buildings in the city center but a bit sad.  These buildings were once magnificent and while they retain some of their natural beauty they have slipped into a state of disrepair.  It’s a bit emblematic of the country which has such incredibly natural beauty but hasn’t grown meaningfully in a long while.

The Beatles Museum

We also had some fun stops on the subway and the Beatles “museum” which is really just a large connection of Beatles paraphernalia but fun none the less.  The night we went our with our friend Fer and Belen first to 878 and then to see WarPaint, a US band playing at the Voterix theater.  Dinner proved to be an interesting cultural challenge as I wanted to finish in time to see the show start but had to balance that with the fact that it is considered quite rude to rush through a meal.  I think we made it through with all cultural sensitivities in tact..  After a big night we had a relaxed day of kids sports and then watching Boca play.

Not everything was so rosy this week.  Kate really misses her friends from home and is having a hard time adapting to a new culture at school where the environment is not as inclusive and supportive as that at home.

Kate’s view is that it’s tough sledding but she knows this is a good experience for her and she is bound and determined to get through it. I really couldn’t be prouder.

We seem to be in a good state of flow where our days are full but we feel sufficiently in control.  Michele and I have developed a good routine of Spanish classes, tennis lessons, nights out to dinner and travel planning (and of course, for me, work).   Kate’s overall happier at school and her riding has improved markedly. Jake is beginning to speak Spanish more often and seems more comfortable in school and at home.

As for our adventures, we discovered a terrific new place La Carniceria that we really loved.  It’s a modern style parilla with great service.  The night we were there, the New York Times had reporters there writing the “36 hours in Buenos Aires” article, but sadly it didn’t make the cut.

The big news was that Michele’s parents had planned to visit us and, due to a number of mishaps, they had to cancel their trip.  We were understandably disappointed (Jake broke down and wept uncontrollably when he heard the news) but we managed to dull the pain by going Don Julio without them. Michele continued to be a warrior scheduler by booking a last second trip to Estancia Los Patos.  The experience was really great and the wonderful owners made us feel right at home.  No, literally, they ate every meal with us and took the kids out to play croquet. It was like renting grandparents for the weekend.  Our host even gave us a little guitar serenade. A great mini-adventure.

The following Monday was Labor Day which means nothing in Argentina so the kids had school, but I had the day off. Michele and I took advantage of some alone time by taking our Spanish class, enjoying a healthy lunch (for a change) and going on a little shopping tour.  My favorite shop was La Restinga which is conveniently located in an apartment buried in a residential apartment building; just another part of the experience.  The next evening we had dinner (at 9:15!) with our friends the Shaws at El Burlado, a local Spanish restaurant.  We think it’s cool that the Shaws send their kids to a half Spanish/ half Italian school but neither of them speak Spanish.  It was a fun night and we can tell you that it’s not easy getting up after dining until midnight.

The following Saturday we took the bus to the ecological reserve in Puerto Madero where we cycled around, or more accurately Kate and Michele cycled around while Jake and I had a “bonding” experience around bicycle instruction.  On Sunday, we went to Las Talas, a very simple parilla style restaurant just outside the city limits.  Our host Martin told us that this restaurant began as a street vendor, but it has grown into a MASSIVE place, with about 60 picnic tables inside and a line around the block for carryout.  Speaking of massive, the portions were simply outrageously large.  We had some delicious sausage, matambrito, ribs and lomo; enough food for 40.  Perhaps the most fun thing was our waiter (whom we forgot to photograph) who gave us a full theatric performance alongside our food, including suggesting that my mouth was stuck to the wine bottle the way a horseshoe was stuck to a horse.  Fantastic banter and a great experience.  Particular thanks to Martin and Lucila, his vegetarian girlfriend, for accompanying us. Also it was the first time in my life when I ate so much for lunch that I was unable to eat dinner.  Quite a landmark.  I did, however, wake up from my post feast nap in time to watch another heartbreaking loss by Boca to the Pope’s team, San Lorenzo, when the normally steady Betancur left an errant cross right in front of his goal in the waning minutes of the game.

A good week of school followed.  We considered moving Kate up a grade, now that her Spanish is up to speed, but were dissuaded by the thoughtful folks at her school.  The kids had the day off Friday and Michele took them to a cooking class at Tierra Negra where they made empandas and alfahores. Get ready friends in the States to partake in some Argentine delights. Saturday we started the day off with regular tennis and basketball and then jumped on a short one hour ferry ride to Colonia, Uruguay.  We spent the day at the lovely Rio Ancho a tiny little place right outside of town.  Great spot for kayaking and a sunset on the beach.  We spent the next day wandering around Colonia which is a quaint little town and then headed acrross the Rio Platte back to Buenos Aires.

We then drove up to Tigre to spend Rosh Hashanah with our friends the Benzaquens, where they had invited their parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  It was quite a strange experience because it seemed as if my family had been magically transported to Tiger and learned to speak Spanish.  The resemblance were just eerie, right down to the different role that different family members play (the talker, the quite one who makes every get along, the sweet one, the observant one).

It was a long weekend for the kids and they didn’t get home until late Sunday night.  When Monday morning came, I expected a rocky morning, but, much to my delight, while the kids were a little grumpy when the alarm went off, the got dressed and went to school without much of a fuss.  Ironically, that moment brought me as much pleasure as all of the travel and other experiences.