Treasure Found

I was asking Uncle Tito where I could buy food stuff which isn't Argentinean when he said he had some English Mustard of Colman. I thought surely not the same thing. He brought round the below, it came it a war time tin similar to the tate & lyle golden syrup and there is not made date still visible. There is only one thing left to do to make sure. If I blog tomorrow it didn't kill me. Wish me luck!

Pipo´s Birthday

Yesterday was the birthday of Florencia´s sister´s husband Gustavo or Pipo for short. He can normally be seen in my photo´s cooking the BBQ. Tonight´s buffet however was a welcome break from beef. We had a mountain of empanadas and pizza. For some reason it was a bit chilly out so I had taken my swimming shorts for nothing but then who wants to swim at 2am anyway?

Breaking News

On Sunday sometime late morning we were kidnapped and taken by force from our beds to a mystery location and threatened with name calling and ducking in the pool unless we took part in more torturous waist and manboob expanding BBQ activity. Just look at the way we are pretending to enjoy ourselves whilst we planned our escape. Luckily our captors fell asleep and we just about managed to flee the 20 metres or so to a waiting car.

Merry Christmas

Hey Everyone,

We hope you all had a good Christmas day! We hired a house with a big garden and pool for the 40 or so people we had to dinner. The Hispanic world celebrate Christmas different to English and they start on Christmas eve with a big get together so that's where my entry starts.

We were preparing most of the day fruit salads and cold meat in a half arsed manner because that's all we could manage. The last few days have been draining to say the least. We have a wonderful son who is well behaved but the late nights and early starts are starting to blacken the bags around my eyes.

Anyway once the food was done and we were showered and dressed we set off in the car for the 15 minute drive to the house. The garden was big with tables set and there was a pool at the back, the house comprised of a big salon with kitchen area, bathroom and two small bedrooms. For Christmas dinner each family brings a cold platter and it is shared out between everyone.

We also had bought a 50 litre barrel of beer that was positioned nicely next to the barbecue. For the next five hours we ate lots, drunk more and danced a bit. Florencia even videoed me dancing with her auntie. At 12 o'clock we lit some Chinese lanterns which for me was worth a thousand fireworks. With my experience of pulling pints I took charge of making sure the beer was flowing and by the end of the night I had transferred most of the beer in the barrel to my belly and was out for the count.






08:30 I was awake and shortly up and watching cartoons with Landon. Today was going to be tough so I drank a gallon of water and tried to come round a bit. Before long everyone was up and ready to go again so once more we jumped in the car and I drove to the venue. People were in the pool when we got there and I dived straight in only to find out it wasn't deep at all.

Before long the BBQ was lit and the chilled draught beer was refreshing me once more. Landon joined me in the pool twice during the afternoon and then we sat down for the lovely juicy succulent slices of cow mmmmmmm.

More swimming followed and even more beer and then it was time to keep out the sun. I had thoroughly enjoyed every part of the celebration and now I feel knackered.

What are you laughing at?

Saturday Night

4am to 9am isn’t enough sleep time for me anymore and after moping around for an hour or so I had the pleasure of watching my team get stuffed by Fulham 3-0 on the internet. My day couldn’t get much worse at that point. Luckily the rest of the day past without a hitch and I managed to grab a shower before we went out to the next party. Mauricio is Florencia´s cousin and it was his birthday. Landon spent about an hour awake at the party before we put him to bed. We ate pizza, empanadas and sandwiches and I washed them down with a few glasses of beer before moving onto fernet. I managed to keep talking most of the night with Uncle´s Oscar and Edgardo. 

Friday Night

We had an invite from a friend that his birthday party was being held at a winery out of town and that there would be music and dancing so after an afternoon of feeling super tired and shopping for an outfit we found ourselves ready and waiting to go at about 12.15 am.

The girls arrived to pick us up and after a crazy 5 minutes we were in the car and double checking the directions. We drove out of town towards the mountains and soon discovered that actually everyone was too busy talking at the same time to absorb the double checked directions and we was on a lonely dark motorway road to nowhere.

The phones were out and again there was a lot of talking at the same time however this time Florencia was talking to Yamilla who magically to know exactly where you are and how to get there. Now I have heard Florencia´s directions before and they go something like this: You go up the hill and at the tree you turn left and you know that house at the end of the road? Yeah its not that way. However by a miracle we were directed onto the right road and a few minutes later we had found the entrance to the winery. We said hello to the security guard on the gate as he waved us through, there were several other cars arriving at the same time and it looked to be a good sign.

We wasn’t the first people there but nearly and it took another hour and a half for the party to get going. By this time I had a few drinks inside me and felt ok but still out of place and 20 years older than some of the other people. Nice.

Video for mum and dad

Here is a short compilation for my mum and dad. More will follow

If you thought UK Banks had an image problem

If you thought UK Banks had an image problem it’s nothing compared to those in Argentina. Have a look at the photo below; what do you notice?

This bank comes with a literal iron clad guarantee, that is, it’s completely covered in steel cladding!

At the moment, banks in the UK are copping a caning for dishing out dodgy home loans people couldn’t afford to pay back. But its nothing compared to the woes of the financial system in Argentina. During the economic crash of late 2001, hazy Argentines woke up one morning without any savings. Argentina defaulted on a World Bank loan, and the government decided the easiest way to make payment was eradicating the hard earned investments of normal people.

Of course, the natural reaction to this crazy decision was trashing anything bank or government related. The solution to this sudden increase of bank bashing was cladding their now shattered windows with enormous 10 millimetre steel plates to reduce vandalism costs. However, there was still a legacy of pounded metal from plentiful projectiles such as bricks, steel and probably bank managers.

Graffiti had the remarkable groundhog day-like ability to reappear on every bank in the central business district of Buenos Aires, as if it was incorporated into the Porteño way of life. Graffiti was sprayed in both Spanish and English, such as ‘DEATH TO THE BANKS’, ‘MUERTE DEL SISTEMA FINANCIERO’ (Death of the Financial System), and other positive feedback bypassing the respective bank’s websites. An example of this fantastic feedback is shown below.

However, one positive effect of the economic crash was the sudden surge of careers available in graffiti removal. During this turmoil, Argentina also held the dubious world record of appointing and firing five Presidentes in two weeks at the height of this tumultuous period.

Puts things into perspective I guess about the Global Financial Crisis

Follow my blog

Hi Guys and Girls,

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Click the follow link now on the right side of the blog and show your support.

Las Vegas here we come!

We were up at 9am and getting the baby ready because we were off again in search of a church and venue for Landon´s baptism. Last week we found a party venue close by but the church wasn’t available so we were back to square one.

Earlier this year I had been to Potrerillo in the Andes Mountains and I loved it there so we decided to go and have a look around. We had already spoken to the priest on the phone and he told us to come and have a look. On the way we drove past the vast plantations of many vineyards that are positioned between Mendoza and the pass to Chile.

The views of the Andes never fail to amaze, they are the biggest mountains I have ever seen and they just keep on going as far as the eye can see and hundreds more miles like a massive curtain they stand in the distance, you drive towards them for an hour then when you are at the foot and look up you realize just how tall they really are. At Potrerillo there is a lake with shocking blue water it really stands out from the dusty mountains that surround it.

We drove up the mountain road zigzagging between the ridges until we reached Las Vegas. It appears to be a small village but once you adventure down all the roads you realize how many houses there are.

Our first stop was the church; it was a big square building with ´refuge´ written outside. Inside was just a plain room with a simple stage but the service we witnessed was just what we was looking for. The priest explained that maybe his new church will be ready by the time we want so we drove to the hilltop church that was being constructed and had a nose around. The views were great from up there to so with the priest and the church found we were doing quite well so it was time for lunch and get out of the midday sun.

We found a roadside tree big enough for the car, the table, four chairs and the pram and we plotted up and tucked into some delicious empanadas and pizza and washed them down with a nice cold beer.

With one more thing to find we set off in search for a house with a nice garden with plenty of shade to hire for our 40 guests to join us celebrating the baptism. We searched high and low for about an hour before I spotted just the right place. We took the number and headed off for more shade further down the mountain.

We parked up under some trees by the dry river bed that hugs the road for most of the pass and chilled out for another hour before getting back out in the hot sun for the ride home.

Don’t Cry For Meat; Argentina

WARNING: Vegetarians, please stop reading now!

If you’re a carnivore, then Argentina is the place for you.
Argentines eat truckloads of meat, resembling an evolutionary throwback to some sort of caveman diet. They eat on average 60 kilograms of beef a year per capita, working out at 165 grams of beef every single day. Remember, this figure DOES NOT include chicken or lamb!

Remarkably, meat ingestion has decreased over the years from some astronomical level. Meat is always cooked the Argentine way – the Argentine barbecue, or the Asador. Salads are an optional extra, always served first before the main meal and eaten on their own, so they do not spoil the immaculate presentation of char-grilled protein on a plate that can barely contain it.

The sizes of the steaks are enormous and I reckon it takes me at least a week to crap out each steak. To satisfy my rabid curiosity, I asked a waiter in a parilla steak house just how much steak his restaurant went through a day.
‘¿Cuantos kilos carnes en un dia?’ I asked
His answer was ‘trescientos’ – Three Hundred!
Judging by the serious look on his face, he wasn’t joking. If he spoke English, I’m sure he would have said ‘And how would you like your entire cow cooked, Señor Gringo?’

So let me work this out. If one restaurant in Argentina char-grills over two tonnes (2.1, to be precise) of steak per week, this accumulates to 110 tonnes of steak a year. Just one steak restaurant in Argentina, of which there must be millions. I was flabbergasted when I contemplated how many dead cows that translated to. Once the bovine beasts reach cow heaven, their presence is not lost on this earth, as the enormous steak diet translates into a colossal range of leather goods for sale. I concluded from this large collection of evidence there must be some rough-looking colons in Argentina and stomach surgeons were in short supply.

I understood the steak addiction though, as the beef is outstanding – it is the best steak I’d ever devour. Every single time. It is the way meat is cooked that contributes to the flavour. Steak is cooked over hot burning wood coals, creating an appetizing taste. When served, plates are devoid of any other food material, creating a contrast of flame-roasted tenderloin against barely-visible edge of white serving plate. This creates a challenge – you against the steak. If there is any resemblance of meat left on the plate, the meat won. It never wins with me, but it is a close call some days.

However, the parilla isn't solely devoted to bife de chorizo (sirloin) and bife de lomo (tenderloin) steak. Whole lamb and chicken is split into flat lamb and flat chicken, roasted on open fires burning with a gentle wood flame. Parilla chefs left the roasting carcass on the slow cooking fire from mid-afternoon, ready for carnivores that night. For some astounding reason, chefs also cook meat at the shite end of the protein spectrum – that offal crap, including morcilla (black pudding), chinchulines (intestines) and riñones (kidneys).

Regardless, if you spend lunch or dinner at a parilla, you definitely need a siesta to digest the 900 gram monster you have just devoured. Sometimes, you might need a siesta worthy of hibernation.
Salud!

San Martin

Today was a national holiday however the weather hasn’t been great in the last few days so our trip to the mountain was off. After lunch we jumped in the cars and headed off for a ride. We went to a viewing point which overlooks Mendoza city. The views were great from the top of the hill. We sat and drank some mate and climbed the 35 steps to the impressive monument for San Martin at the top.

Brief history of Jose de San Martin, liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Right where do I start? Oh yes there was this guy San Martin was born in Yapeyu, I guess his name was just Martin then, in the Argentine province of Corrientes, beside the mighty Uruguay river, on February 25th 1778.

His father, was the governor of the department; his mother, was the niece of a conqueror of the Chaco´s wild forests

In 1786 he moved to Spain with his family, and in 1789, he initiates his military career in the regiment of Murcia. He serves in the army of Spain during the wars against the French and in 1808 he fights in the battle of Baylen against Napoleon´s army that had invaded the Peninsula.

In the city of Cadiz he met other South American officers and he joins the lodges that promoted the independence. In 1811 he resigns his military career in Spain and embarks in the sail ship George Canning from England to Buenos Aires, where he arrives the 9 of March of 1812 accompanied by his new friends.

The independent government of Buenos Aires accepts the services of San Martin, recognizes his degree of lieutenant colonel and orders him to create a cavalry corps that soon would be the glorious regiment of Mounted Grenadiers. In that same year he married Maria Remedies de Escalada, that belonged to a distinguished family of the country. He creates the Lautaro lodge, whose objective was to liberate South America of the Spanish yoke.

On February 3rd, 1813, the Mounted Grenadiers fought and won their first combat, near the ravines of San Lorenzo, against the Spanish disembarkation army that arrived with several ships from the port of Montevideo.

In January of 1814, San Martin takes control of the North Army, from the hands of its former general, Belgrano, that had returned defeated from the Alto Peru -today the republic of Bolivia-, and since then, they establish a long friendship.

Soon after being San Martin in Tucuman, he realized that it was impossible to conquer Lima city, the capital of Peru, that was the center of the Spanish power, by the terrestrial way of the highs of the Andes. He conceived the idea of crossing the mountain range to Chile and to attack the city of Lima by sea way.

He leaves Tucuman for Mendoza (where I live), capital of Cuyo, a city that stands at the foot of the mountain range of the Andes. There he recovers from the lurgy and begins to prepare an army to cross the Andes.

In the year 1816 he sends, representing the province of Cuyo, a delegation to the congress that met in Tucuman, with express orders to insist on the declaration of independence. Because of his insistence, the declaration of the independence from the rule of Spain of the Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata -that was the primitive name of what now is the Argentine Republic- was acclaimed in that congress the 9 of July of that year.

From Mendoza he prepares with little means an army. All the people contributes with their work and goods to make the dangerous expedition. He insists before the government of Buenos Aires to permit to his army the crossing of the Andes to Chile.

In January of 1817 the crossing of the army begins. They were around 4000 men of infantry, cavalry and artillery and carried provisions for a month. They crossed divided into two columns by the passage of Los Patos and the one of Uspallata, and the two columns met in Santa Rosa of the Andes.

On February 12, 1817 few days after the passage of the Andes, the army, that was given the name "Army of the Andes", wins the battle of Chacabuco and some days after, the Liberator enters the city of Santiago de Chile. The Town hall met the day 18th and designated San Martin Supreme Director, but he resigned that honor and then general Bernardo OHiggins (must have been Írish dont you think)was elect for the position.

In the first days of 1818, a disembarked realistic army from Peru, advanced on the capital of Chile. The 19 of March, in a sneeky night attack, the Spanish army defeats the independents in the battle of Cancharrayada and general OHiggins was wounded.

The United Argentine-Chilean army recovers and on April 5th they defeat completely the Spanish army in the battle of Maipu. That battle ended the Spanish efforts to dominate Chile.

The way to Lima by sea was then opened, but it was necessary to create a fleet that did not exist. With some boats captured to the enemy and others bought to the United States and England, the Chilean navy was created.

On August 20, 1820 the expeditionary Argentine-Chilean army sails from the port of Valparaiso to Peru.

In the month of July, 1821, San Martin enters triumphant to the city of Lima, proclaims independence, is designated Protective of Peru and exerts the government.

On July 26, 1822 San Martin interviews with Simon Bolivar in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. There they meet both liberators of South America, the one of the north and the one of the south.

On August 3, 1823 his wife dies in Buenos Aires. The 10 of February of 1824, displeased by the civil wars in the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata, he embarked for France with his little daughter, Mercedes. There he lived until he snuffed it, on August 17, 1850.

The waiting room

Today we were up early as the rain woke us as it hit the roof above. We were up before the alarm and getting ready for a long day. We were going into the city to apply for Landon´s Argentinean ID, with this he can apply for a passport or stay for longer here without all the hassle I have of extending his visa.

The car journey took about 30 minutes and we pulled up outside the civil registry office. We arrived at 8am and still the queue was out the door. The baby pass got me inside while Florencia stood in the queue. Inside was mayhem, nothing that resembled any order.

There were 4 rows with about 20 chairs leaving over 50 more standing and the office was roughly the size of a toilet and it even came with an annoying fly. We tried asking the information lady if we were in the right place and queue but she refused to tell us until we waited our turn to ask. With this I plotted up for a long duration without a lot of optimism.

After 2 more hours it was our turn and it was not too long before we was sent away to get a 45 degree convict style photo for Landon and a birth certificate certified. This is one thing I do not understand, how can your birth certificate run out? Unless there is a death certificate it should still be valid. Anyway it wasn’t too much of a problem because our experience in the Spanish system taught us you never ever have everything you need. However all the places we needed were within a short walk and more importantly open for business with people who want to help you. No wonder Spanish people hate South Americans they have so much more intelligence and don’t begrudge helping anyone.

So back in the office we had another wait for our name to be called. We had our family finger printing done for the forms and we were out of there in 4 hours. Despite the wait, the numb bum with the fly and BO all the people except the info lady were very polite and loved Landon but then who doesn’t. 

Searching for a venue

Today we went out looking for a church to hold Landon´s baptism. The intended church was big with a lovely garden but unfortunately they don’t do it there.

So we were off again in search of a new venue, on the way we saw a water wheel.

Then it was back home for BBQ!

Last night in Mendoza

Last night we went to Mendoza centre to meet up with Bianca, Erwin and Marlon for the last time. It was sad to say goodbye but you know with some friends it will not be too long before you see each other again. Bianca has been a good friend to Florencia since I have known her and before that they lived together in Fuengirola. Although I have not had any in depth conversations with Bianca I consider her a true friend who will always be there for Florencia. Erwin has been a great counter part for me because we share a lot of interests and he has a great sense of humor, something that I regard highly.

In Spain we would meet up at the weekends and share good times and it is something I will miss, especially little Marlon who has grown so much in the last year. To get a final chance to spend some time in Argentina was most precious.

After hitting the motorway for about 20 minutes we entered the city, driving in the city isn’t one of my favorite things because I am still not sure of how everything works. Anyway with a few wrong turns under our belt and a bit of back doubling we were at the plaza Italia.

The restaurant is a converted house with a glass door entry. We were welcomed and shown to the back room which had been pre-booked for one party. The decoration was pleasant and reminded you that it was a large dining room which you would normally find in a house. The chairs were wooden without cushions but the table looked really nice. Before long I had drunk my beer allowance and was on the water. The choice on the menu was strained but it wasn’t too difficult to make a decision.

The food came and it was disappointing for me, I am no food critic but a plate of rosemary with a hint of dinner is what I got. The night however went very well with everyone talking and laughing into the early hours of the morning which made up for any minor setbacks.

Everyday counts

The days are flying by but each day we are rewarded with a little more joy. We are finding that Landon can sleep through the night if we put him down at 9 and then feed him at 12 without waking him up fully. We have been lucky some nights to sleep until 8:30. He also has been using his hands more, holding his bottle when feeding or his toy in the pram. When striking at something he still uses his fist but it wont be long before he grabs everything he can get hold of.

We have worked out a daily plan so that we can get the most out of each day without over stimulating him. He can copy simple speech like o-la or e-lo and pokes his tongue out when you do. His little legs are going always on the go! I think we have a cyclist. Swimming tomorrow in the pool lets see how he likes that.

The Streets

The pavements are in the worst possible state you can imagine, it resembles a building site sometimes. If the tiles are missing, buckled or uneven then you are lucky. Most tiles have been stolen, no doubt to tile someone´s own house, nicked for cash or just vandalised. Sometimes just there in the middle of the path is a bloody great hole a few feet deep. Not really good fun to navigate with a pram.

If that does not get you between each pathway and the road is an open trench that takes the water away and supplies the tree roots. This also can be a few feet deep and if it’s been raining heavy can contain a fast flow of water that you would most certainly perish if you fell in to it. All this of course is normal and just outside.

Here the house owners are responsible for their own pavement and some bastard has nicked half of ours! We also have two trees that are buckling up the floor.

We have a really nice house but I guess we won´t be winning the best kept pavement award after all. Just like everyone else.

Asado Argentina

There was really only one way my decision was going to go; Chicken or Meat for the BBQ? We bought 6 kilos of meat for 100 pesos or 15 quid and paid the fee for exiting the car park.

Before long our guests had all arrived and it was time for start the fire. Argentine´s are the world champion´s at BBQ or Asado.

In England we have 30 minutes of clear weather to eat, drink and fall out with someone so we are off like we´re in a race. The carbon is lit but before its had chance to catch fire we are already bunging fatty sausages on, then goes on the liquid fire lighter for extra crispy petrol taste. If we survive the explosion in the garden we get food poisoning and adopt the loo pan as our new best friend.



Here however things can go at a different pace. Sticks and paper will soon light the little dried out logs in the corner of the BBQ. Then some bigger logs can go on. Whilst this is happening the grill is leant over the fire to get it hot and clean. The fire and the grill are from then on always separate. Once the embers start to fall from the burning wood they are scooped up and spread out under the grill, this is continuously topped up. The meats are cut entirely different but only prepared with rock salt before being loaded up on the grill. The cooking itself normally takes a few hours but it is worth the wait.

The Hawkers

There he was yesterday as we loaded the boot in the supermarket car park. I saw someone lurking by a car a few spaces down from us. Our eyes met, SHIT! I never meant to look but I couldn´t help it. He knew he had scored a hit because he gave me a grin only a three tooth mouth can give. He was a Hawker! He must of clocked me as soon as I left the store.

We finished loading the car and he whipped the trolley away from the back of the car in a flash and out of harms way or the 5 feet he had the energy to push it. Then when I gave him a few coins and like a true pro he provided me with the hand signal assistance I needed to back out of the empty lot. I must have short changed him because all I got was one back up wave and he was off back into his shady retreat.

This of course is harmless poor people trying to help out for a few coins as they have no other way of getting by. The ones I really don´t like are the window washers who keep on trying until at least the 3rd NO or the traffic light jugglers who hide in the roadside ditch until they get the red light or most of all the car protectors who will scratch up your car if you don´t pay them enough protection money, they will of course stop the traffic for you to reverse out on to the road after they´ve taken your money.

Mate

Mate is traditionally drunk in a particular social setting, such as family gatherings or with friends. In Argentina, the same gourd and straw are used by everyone drinking. One person (the cebador) assumes the task of server. Typically, the cebador fills the gourd and drinks the mate completely to ensure that it is free of particulate matter and of good quality.

In some places passing the first brew of mate to another drinker is considered bad manners, as it may be too cold or too strong; for this reason the first brew is often called mate del zonzo (mate of the fool).

The cebador subsequently refills the gourd and passes it to the next drinker who likewise drinks it all, without thanking the server. When there is no more tea, the straw makes a loud sucking noise, that is not considered rude. The ritual proceeds around the circle in this fashion until the mate becomes lavado ("washed out" or "flat"), typically after the gourd has been filled about ten times or more depending on the yerba used (well-aged yerba mateis typically more potent, and therefore provides a greater number of refills) and the ability of thecebador. When one has had his fill of mate, he or she politely thanks the cebador passing the mate back at the same time. It is considered rude to complain about the temperature of the water or to take too long to finish drinking.

Some drinkers like to add Sugar mate dulce (sweet mate). It is considered bad for the gourd (especially for the natural (squash or wood) ones) to be used for mate dulce so it is normal for households with drinkers of both kinds to have two separate gourds.


Traditionally, natural gourds are used, though wood vessels, bamboo tubes and gourd-shaped mates, made of ceramic or metal (stainless steel or even silver) are also common. Gourds are commonly decorated with silver, sporting decorative or heraldic designs with floral motifs.

Driving in Argentina

Driving here is quite difficult, one reason is because you have no idea who has the right of way at the cross roads. You have to live here and learn from others because there are not many signs and no other way of finding out. Every road has a cross road and most have many.

It’s the law to drive with your lights on but many cars don´t even have lights. Driving in the night you realize just how many. The roads are wide so with a quick glance each way I have managed to navigate my way through the town.

So after having battled and so far survived the traffic, I’ve come to conclude there are three types of cars:

1.Larga distancia – newish cars. Common brands are Renault, Peugeot, Fiat. Recently also VolksWagen and Toyota are popular.

2.Corta distancia – many old clunkers are clearly for only local drives to the supermarket, or the river. The old Ford falcons are good candidates.

3.Distancia questionable – there is an entire category of cars from which you don’t know if they will make it to the corner. And yet many make it across the country or even the Andes. But you’re really gambling and should be prepared for anything: doors falling off, no lights, engine overheating, death etc.

Foreign toe surgery

Yesterday I went to the family doctor here in Argentina. The guy welcomed me in and directed me to the operating table. After a quick observation of my ingrown toenail he requested that I lay down and relax while he injected my toe a couple of times to numb the pain.

The translation of the procedure was not the same as my Spanish and English doctors advised I needed. This was causing me concern. Here I was, now with a needle in my toe when he announced that it was better to remove the whole nail and not just one side.

I had an ´oh no´ feeling but was assured he knew his stuff. I hate the word assure because normally it´s me that is the ass so I did my best to persuade him to remove only the bit I did not want.

We came to a compromise that he would only cut half of it off but not kill the root so he could sting me again no doubt when it grew back. So with a numb toe I laid back and hoped his experience won over my fears.

You should have seen the big jagged blood stained barbed piece of nail he cut out of my toe! It looked like a sharks tooth. No wonder it had been hurting me so much. I was told the anesthetic would wear off in about an hour but 5 minutes later the pain started.

My toe is sore because half the nail is gone but I am OK. I recommend you don´t have any kind of surgery even a small one if you don´t understand doctors technical jargon in a foreign language.

Especially if his surgery looks suspiciously like his house, there is no
secretary and the magazine are thrown on a heap on a stool.

Marlon´s Baptism

We had slept through the night like babies even me and I was on stag. By 8am local time we were up and getting ready to go to Mendoza centre to find the church. I was feeling a lot better now and it was a strange but great feeling to meet our friends from Fuengirola at the church.



After the service we drove to Bianca´s Uncles house where we spent the afternoon drinking beer and wine and eating empanadas and cake mmmm. Before too long though, it was time to sleep some more so we departed.


Later we went to Paola´s for BBQ and we gave presents, it felt great to be here again even if my Spanish wasn´t up to scratch. I can work on that!

A new chapter in life.

To start a new chapter in life you must finish the old one and sometimes that can be painful. I miss things about my job and the people I knew there, as well as the scenery and my apartment and the friends I had outside work. Most I miss my dad who I left behind. I do hope he is going to be ok. Dan, Hannah and Lilia who I love to spend my time with, and Lee who has been the brother I never had.

The day came quicker than I hoped for but like all days they come and go in the blink of an eye. We are packed and ready just counting the hours left in England. After a short goodbye with my mum we were loaded and rolling towards Heathrow in my dad´s van. The m25 was clear for half the journey and then the inevitable happened and the traffic came out of nowhere. It didn´t take long for me to reflect on the travel plan and confirmed that England can keep the traffic jams, the darkness at 16:30 and the damp because we were on route to a new life.




The airport checking was fairly painless but we were told that the travel company had not booked us the seats needed with extra room when taking a baby, Nor the cot for the long haul flight so on the lap he must be.

We left my dad with a brave face but both started to cry when we was out of sight and made our way to the security area. We jumped the queue and breezed through the scan with our baby´s water, perfume, powdered milk, toothpaste and other bomb making materials in about 5 minutes.

After a quick stop in boots for cartons of readymade baby milk and a sandwich we walked the 1500 miles to gate 42 for our flight to Madrid. The flight took an agonising 3 hours, I think the pilot only got to third gear (London to Gibraltar only takes 2 and a half hours).



The connection bus took us on a 10 minute journey to the right terminal and with a very quick toilet stop we were jumping the queue to board the next plane.


The bastards make you walk past first class with fully reclining chairs with side tables and champagne stands to get to your cramped up seat without leg room and then have the cheek to wish you a good flight. After an hour´s run up we took off and as soon as we levelled out the trolley dolly´s were handing out the food. I chose meat and got a leaking tray of beef casserole with hard potatoes. Two very nice people were persuaded to swap seats with us because they had an empty seat to the side which allowed us to put Landon in the middle in a bed of cushions. I had a TV screen with remote that had games, blockbuster films, and sitcoms etc at my disposal but I would had swapped my right arm for a bed of cushions.



When we came in to land we were given the most spectacular display of what Mother Nature can create. The whole flight I had a feeling of ´I hate this and want to get off now´ and when we landed instead of jumping up and relieving the numbest bum ever I had a feeling of ´that wasn´t too bad´ which really pissed me off.

Chile or at least the airport in Santiago has been invaded by USA´s trademark names like Dunkin Doughnuts and Starbucks. All were avoided as it was time for a wash and change of clothes. In a few hours I was going to be hugged by lots of people.

The next flight took only 30 minutes and again Mother Nature was on display as we crossed the snow capped Andes Mountains before touching down again for the last time. Finally I got the ´get out of my way or i´ll kill you´ feeling that only comes with long haul. It felt good!

Screams of joy were heard just before we were bundled and cast aside before Landon was robbed from us and passed around. There were tears a plenty while we walked outside to load up the car.

The feeling was great to be in the car and breathing the hot air and sweating because it meant I was only 30 minutes from our new home.

Packing again

Tomorrow we leave on the next step of our adventure. England has been great but we ran out of time so no trip to Stone Henge and Longleat Animal Park in the west country and no skydiving at Bedford wind tunnel :(

23 boxes were sent off by courier to Canada yesterday. 4 suitcases, 1 holdall and pram are packed for South America tomorrow. Mum's 3 suitcases are packed and ready for Canada on Sunday.

Clearing the house now and taking care of all the unfinished business.

Tonight we are having farewell drinks with mum's side of the family so there should be a few tears.

The day my son laughed for the first time

The scene was Leicester Square, the place was the 'All in one' restaurant. Landon laughed for the first time. My dad stole the first smile a few weeks ago so I was over the moon to bag such a prize. I was eating my steak sandwich and I noticed him looking at me and smiling, obviously I am very funny to look at. A quick look at him and a smile and he burst out laughing at me.



Before that we had been to Covent Garden, there was a guy singing opera and I must say he was very good. Outside there was an Australian who had pulled his shoulder out of his socket and he squeezed himself through a tennis racket. He was teasing the crowd and we laughed at his jokes for a while until he finished his act. He said he didn't want money as that would just embarrass both of us and that a pint would be great. That was my ticket to walk away without paying and I did just that.



We had a walk around Leicester Square and had a bite to eat. Lights were being set up for a premier but we didn't stay as we had to get back.

In the evening Dan, Lee and I sunk a few pints in the local pub whilst playing poker and talking about the old days.

Sunday lunch

When in Rome do as the Romans do. Sunday lunch is a must in England. Roast beef, roast potatoes and all the trimmings. The setting was a hotel in Essex and the company was great. Yummy




Monday I had family over to say goodbye we had a nice day. I met my Auntie Sandra and her family for the first time.

Autumn

Today we waited in because of the pouring rain. The type of rain that gets you soaked from the door to the car. There was a short window of opportunity but thats all we needed. Epping Forest was the destination for a ride in the car. All the colours were out on show, this picture doesn't do it justice but it really was quite special.

Paradise Wildlife Park

As I have been here before I knew not to expect too much as the park is very small, however I remember having fun there so thought it was worth another go. The rain had held off so we jumped in the car and drove out of the edge of London's concrete footprint and straight into the country lanes of Hertfordshire. The forest trees were almost bare but still very good to see, oh I miss England, I had forgot how much. After making a few wrong turns we pulled up at the park and paid the £28 entry. Here you can buy bags of chopped veg to feed some of the animals so I walked to the food stall which was unmanned. I resisted the temptation to help myself to the pre-packed bags just sitting there and called the dopey assistant to pay her. On the way out I picked up the 2 bags and helped myself to a bonus bag for being honest. It didn't take long to walk round but i'm sure you will agree the Emu's were very funny.

A day out in London Town

Having a baby means you can't just get up and go right? Wrong! We packed the baby bag with 3 bottles and plenty of nappies and we were off at 09:30 on the tube train.

First stop was south Kensington for the National History Museum. The last time I was here I remember looking up at the massive dinosaur in the great hall in awe. This time the dinosaur was smaller or I am just bigger and harder to please? Seriously it was still awesome and not awesome like a tasty American hot dog but awesome mouth open, eyes popping wow. We only had an hour and a half so we were almost running round. It's not often you see a grown up fascinated but my wife's face was a picture of amazement. It felt great watching her look around and to be honest I was enjoying myself too.



Before long the time was up and we had to leave the warmth of the museum and walk the long tunnel back to the station. After a brief tube ride we were at embankment and crossing the wobbly bridge to meet Dan, Hannah and Lilia. We stopped for a £30 coffee and sandwich and boarded the London Eye. Florencia and my mum were the least interested in going on the eye but were the most impressed by the experience, although I had been on before on a clear day I enjoyed pointing out all the sights but I thought £17 for 30 minutes was a bit much.




From there we walked the 50 meters to the Aquarium entrance and started the next adventure and this we really enjoyed. The walk round took about 90 minutes and I thought it was money well spent. Rays, sharks, tuna, jellyfish, sea horses, turtles, Nemo and Dori were just a few highlights.






Needless to say the journey home was busy, hot and we couldn't get home quick enough but what a great day we had. Thank you Vicki for your suggestions.

Remember Remember the 8th of November

The day started with a walk to town, a fry up in my friends cafe and a walk in Forty Hall grounds to feed the ducks. In the evening we were looking forward to the firework display. San Juan it wasn't but this was England, £5 to get in, kettled by police and 20 minutes of average fireworks. There was a few new ones which were good so it wasn't bad at all.

After the firework display we trudged down the muddy path with the thousands of other people joseling to get out. Luckily we had somewhere to go because the show had ended and it was 8pm. The moon under water is a witherspoon pub so cheap drinks were only a few minutes away, the trouble is the bar is always busy which for some reason annoys me. Before long some usual faces had turned up and a good night was unfolding. Thanks to Lee, Dan, Hannah, Warren, Paul, Hit, James, Huseyin, Lee, Angela and Dave for making the night.

The day we left Spain

After a mad few last days the day had come and it was time to go. We jumped in the car for the one hour drive to the airport. The airport security we suprisingly nice and held the baby as our pram went through the scanner. Our liquids, perfumes and other banned substances were not taken off of us either. We paid the usual 20 euros for a sandwich and browsed the duty free for a pressie for my mum. We took full advantage of the boarding queue jumping and found our seats. After a quick nappy change and feed we were in the air with only a slight shaky lift off. Our baby made us proud and he was content as always and catching the other passengers attention with his cuteness. Two and a half hour later we landed in sunny England. The chill had hit us the instant we left the plane, it is cold in England and no mistake. Driving home was a little strange as i was used to driving on the other side but it only takes a few minutes to adjust. Before long we were in the warm of my mum's house and enjoying a nice cup of tea.

15 Days to go

Today I’m feeling rather upbeat about the whole adventure, we still need to sell our unused baby nursery but I could have buyers on both cars. Two weeks living in London will not be cheap especially as I have a few days out planned. Since we got married we haven’t really had the opportunity to go to the UK many times and when we did it was only for a long weekend. There are so many places to see and many things to do, it is impossible to do everything in such a short time. So I plan to put that right, 15 days until launch and 6 more days of work. I’m feeling very despondent at work and at home I’m not really having the time to relax, next week I have the week off on holiday, a kind of holiday before the holiday type relaxing time. My son is getting bigger by the day and I need more bonding time. It’s also my wife’s birthday and she needs to feel special, I miss her a lot too. Another thing I will put right. Things are coming together at last.

16 days to go

Normally when you move you pack up lock stock and barrel and only have to deal with breakages and a bad service from an estate agent. But for the last few weeks we have been separating everything we have accumulated over the last four years. Our allowance of 33 kilos each means that I only have one change of clothes because of the handbags and shoes that my wife has prioritized. Apparently looking good is ok even if your husband smells more than normal. So here we are living at home which is very nearly empty apart from a few suitcases and a headache about where the rest of the things are going. My beloved record collection is the only thing apart from clothes which we have shipped off to Canada ahead of us and the rest is either sold or squashed in a case ready for the Sherpa (me) to lug them around the globe.

17 Days to go

Ok so the story starts not at the beginning but a bit before so you can get a feel for where I am now. In 17 days I leave the comfort of my job, nice 3 bed apartment in sunny Spain with my wife and newborn son to travel with them over 14,000 miles stopping in at least 6 countries lasting 8 months. Some time in late September my wife and I decided to up sticks and change our lives and not only that but we set a launch date for November 5th. We had talked about a move loosely and what we would like to do but circumstances in the family, at work and financial, pushed me into making a radical decision. Our journey will see us travel via the UK to South America and then hopefully finishing in Canada, where i'm sure the hard work starts again. Follow this thread and join us on our adventure.