I am hoping to take a week and a half to Uruguay and Argentina about six months from now, with somebody who used to be on here. I have never crossed the Equator before, etc.
And, nearly six months later, it is happening. I am traveling with Daniel from Portland who some of the veteran JUB people may remember as NineOfClubs. We just finished four days in Buenos Aires and we got into Montevideo (Uruguay) today. BA is a vibrant city with great and inexpensive (by American standards) food and shelter, lots of culture, tons of incredible architecture which Sausy would love, and we're JUST starting to explore in Uruguay. The trip from Buenos Aires was first a boat trip (some kind of airboat) to "Colonia" [del Sacramento] which seems to be called by its full name only on maps, and a bus to Montevideo. The Uruguayan countryside reminds us both of east-central Iowa (Amana Colonies, Kalona, etc.). Daniel, a wine connoisseur, is finding much better stuff here than in USA, even...not to mention the great meat, etc. I had the best steak of my life.
Also we walk 4 to 6 miles most days. That's a good way to walk off the calories, though I'm eating somewhat healthier than at home anyway.
I find my brain becoming more receptive to Spanish, and some of the tiny braindoors that have been closed for half a century are slowly springing open. (I took Spanish ending 48 years ago...) Spanish is SO different from what I hear from Mexico.
As for the great Argentine architecture (i.e. "turn of the last Century"), consider this: Around 1900, Argentina was one of the richest nations IN THE WORLD - even ahead of the United States. Even people in New York used to use the term "as rich as an Argentinian" back then. They got rich off of...MEAT...with world-renowned grass fed beef. There's too much great architecture even to start here, and of course in the present they are very proud to have "one of theirs" at the very top of The Vatican. One edifice was built especially to try to get Dante (Inferno, Divine Comedy) to move to Argentina, but they were unsuccessful. Elegant construction...and a lighthouse on top which can shine directly on the dome of the Legislature (as BA is the national capital).
I have now visited 10 countries.
This kind of trip is GREAT for the adventurous.