A Little Holiday Tango

Every year, Waleska & I like to take a trip to somewhere that neither of us have visited before - we both love to travel. This year, we decided to go to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and spend several days doing some tourism. Along with the fun, I signed up to run the Buenos Aires Half-Marathon - one more T-shirt and medal to add to my collection!

The historic center of BA has a lot to offer. Two things that stood out in particular are the Casa Rosada, the president's palace. Also, the Obelisk, which sits in the middle of the world's widest boulevard (16 lanes!)

One of BA's fascinating places is the Recoleta Cemetery, where many famous Argentines such as Evita Peron are buried. What makes this cemetery so unusual is its tombstone architecture. Below are two outstanding examples - the Sandman and the Flower Lady.

We also ventured into the La Boca neighborhood, birthplace of the tango - the difficult and beautiful dance that has made Argentina famous throughout the world!

We caught plenty of tango performers on photo and video - perhaps you'll recognize some of these folks. Who do you think is the better pair?

Another great thing about Argentina is its beef - it is rightly touted as the most tender on the planet. If you know me, you know that I love to eat. Well, you can imagine my joy when I sat down each night to a plate like this...

And then there was the race. Unfortunately, it was one of my worst races ever - I was still in the after-effects of the flu, it was quite hot, I was not mentally focused, and to top it off, the race organizers ran out of water after 5K! Only at the finish did I get back my groove and get some liquid refreshment. Racing is just like life - some days you run like a champion, other days you are glad just to conclude the race when you feel like quitting. This was one of those days for me.

Now we're back in Porto Alegre and back to work! It was good to get away for a few days and enjoy seeing more of South America!

My In-Laws

Now I'm going to begin telling you about my wonderful Brazilian in-laws! This is Lessa, Carlota, and Mariah. Carlota is Waleska's older sister. They live in Camaquã, a town of 60,000 about 1 1/2 hours from Porto Alegre, crossing the river and going south. They own and operate a drugstore to make their livelihood. They have been married for eleven years. Mariah is their first child together - she was born May 26th of last year.

The following photo was taken at Mariah's first birthday party earlier this year, while my mother and sister were visiting. In Brazil it is common for the child's first birthday party to be a big bash - with lots of fun, food, family and friends present. Carlota is a very creative person; she chose the theme for Mariah's party to be "Strawberries." She made most of the decorations herself, put together cool treat packets for the kids, and rented a play room at a party center with a big ball pit, video games, etc. It was an excellent party for much less than what these things customarily cost!

The following picture is not a resort, though it looks like it - this is Carlota and Lessa's backyard! They have a nice green space and a pool, which is great for summertime fun in the sun. Waleska and I occasionally take a day or a weekend to get away from the work and bustle of Porto Alegre and escape to Camaquã for clean air, tranquility, time with relatives, and great barbecue made by Lessa himself. I appreciate their generosity and hospitality a great deal. When their schedules permit, they also like to come see us in Porto Alegre for an afternoon or an evening.

I thank God for my in-laws and I ask you to pray for God's goodness in their life! Specifically, I ask for prayers for Mariah's health: she had a real scare with a serious infection in her hip area that hospitalized her for two weeks in June. She is better now and we are glad to see the joy coming back in her - she's even giving me little kisses now! Carlota and Lessa have also begun attending an evangelical church in Camaquã during the past year and I want to pray that God will continue to bless their lives through their spiritual commitments.