Here in the attic there is a bit of this and that and it is apt to change frequently.  Usually we have some pictures and/or notes from a recent event.  

The pictures below and on the next page are from a recent trip that took us to Igaussu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and then aboard a ship we went to the Falkland Islands, around Cape Horn, up into the Beagle Channel to Ushuaia, then to Punta Arenas, past some glaciers, into the Magellan Channel, to Puerto Chacabuco, to Puerto Montt, and up the Chiliean Coast to Valparaiso and into Santiago.

The Falls are on the border of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The Rio Paranariver is divided by many rocky and wooded islands into a series of about 275 cataracts, which plunge 269 feet over a cliff more than two miles wide. The average movement of about 60,000 cubic feet per second increases to more than 400,000 in times of flood. In 1986 Iguassu Falls were declared a Natural Heritage of Mankind by Unesco. It was quite a sight.

Given about 6,000 species of butterflies in South America, I look forward to someone identifying this one.

Getting into Brazil, flying to the Falls, and then connecting our reservation for a bed with an actual bed were the most taxing parts of the journey. The Brazilian Federal Police were on strike so the lines moved slowly and they were, in some instances, quite rude to us. In Rio we stayed in the Ipanema area which had a holiday atmosphere. We wandered the streets, ate very well, visited some of the sights including the bar, pictured below, where Girl of Ipanema was composed.

Despite the problems with the Brazilian Police and a desk clerk at the hotel in Iguassu Falls, everyone was very, very nice to us. The desk clerks at the Ipanema Plaza were very kind, the businessman from BA who sat with us on a flight, the staff on the HMS Amsterdam, the many cab drivers we utilized, the optician in BA who repaired my eyeglasses and refused payment, and others. People are proud of their countries, of their lives, of their children and of their grandchildren. They accomodated to our Portuguese and Spanish and we were grateful for their English. Oh, someone did try to copy one of our credit cards and charge $1,000 worth of lumber in Brazil. The credit card company stopped the card and fortunately we had another account which wasn't pilfered.

In Buenos Aires the atmosphere for us was pleasant but a bit more formal than in Rio. Perhaps people were a bit more serious. There are many sights to see including the busy walking streets in the city center, the bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, the same architect who designed the Milwaukee Museum of Art.

Also pictured is the Casa Rosada (Pink House) It is a typical example of French and Italian styles, it gained its bright pink colour during the presidency of Sarmiento when, in 1873, he chose the colour because it represented both political sectors – red for the federals and white for the opposing unitarians. Now the building is currently an extremely bright shade of pink – much to the horror of many locals who are being persuaded that it will naturally fade over time.

It seemed like there were frequent demonstrations in the Plaza de Mayo as there was some such activity each time we visited.

The Teatro Colon is a delightful vist. It was built in 1808. But the tango dancers don't appear there. You can find them in various theaters or on the street along with a variety of other street musicians. The Cafe Tortoni is a great spot to visit.

	Next we boarded the HMS Amsterdam to reach some places not otherwise within easy reach. To go to the page click here Otherwise you can go to Family Room Home  Library-Genealogy  MusicRoom Garage-wheels