Letters

May 25, 2003

We will return to Montevideo from Brazil and then almost immediately leave for Seattle, so we are already thinking of how to pack for the trip home.

The kids are much more excited about returning to Kirkland than the trip to Brazil. They are still having a good time but they miss their relatives, friends, house etc.. Erin completed a team science project last week. She worked on it with Jessica Soria and another girl and she was very proud of the final result. It was a model of the solar system complete with papier mache(sp?) planets floating in space and Christmas light stars in the background. Her spanish continues to improve and she still is enjoying school.

Riley went on a field-trip to the Coca-Cola plant two weeks ago and to the zoo this week and had a great time. He felt sad for the zoo animals because their quality of life is so low- lots of concrete cages and very little space. Riley has also continued cooking weekend breakfasts (crepes this morning) and built a great Rube Goldberg contraption constructed of toilet paper rolls and triggered by the opening of the CD player.

Karla and I have spent way too much time working on the website. It has been a frustrating but a very educational experience. The site is specifically aimed at the kids at Lakeview Elementary. Please take a look at it when you get a chance. We would appreciate a critique of the contents- quality of the pics, captions, loading speed, etc.. so that we can make improvements.

The trip to Iguazu was a highlight of our whole South American visit. The falls themselves are so numerous (more than 250), so wide (over 2 miles from Brazil to Argentina), so high (250') and so loud that they seem almost artificial- like a computer-generated special effect. When you also consider the surrounding environment- dense tropical rain forest with literally clouds of multi-colored butterflies, toucans and parrots- I felt it was the most incredible natural wonder I have ever experienced.

We spent three day on the Argentine side and one day on the Brazilian side of the falls. In Argentina, the facilities in the park had been completely rebuilt after several major floods and the trails and vantage points were first rate. We also took a little used trail (six miles there and back) to a small waterfall that ended on the Iguazu River below the main falls. This hike, with many tarantulas on the trail and no other trekkers, gave us a real feeling of being deep in the jungle.

I will let you know as we know more specifics of our trip to Brazil and our return to Seattle. We miss all our friends and relatives in the US and can't wait to see you!

May 11, 2003

The kids are doing very well although they are beginning to get homesick. Both are attending Escuela Grecia, the local public school, from one to five in the afternoon. While the schoolday is short, they always have a good deal of homework. In the mornings they work on their homework and general spanish with Andrea, a young woman who comes to our apartment. We met her through our friends the Iroz' and she has been a great, fun tutor for Erin and Riley.

Both children are quickly learning spanish but Karla, and especially Jerry, are lagging behind. It is a lot of fun to listen to Erin have a conversation with a classmate or Riley trying to explain baseball to Gabriel en espanol!

Riley has started playing soccer. He joined the team that his schoolmate Matias belongs to. While Riley is a good 9 year old player in Kirkland, in Montevideo he is playing with kids who live for futbol. Most of the boys have been playing since they were three and it is the only sport anyone cares about. (One of the first questions asked when either children or adults meet for the first time is, "Penarol or Nacional?", meaning which of the two major Uruguayan teams do you support. The correct answer is REALLY important) It is pretty intimidating playing with these mini-Pele's , and we are very proud of Riley for giving it a shot.

Since summer has ended Riley has also been reading, drawing, working in the kitchen (fresh squeezed OJ and homemade banana pancakes are a specialty), doing homework, playing Age of the Empires as much as we will let him and going on many walks, excursions and visits with the whole family. He has enjoyed playing with the Soria girls, Jessica and Harriet. Next week Riley and I are taking the only surviving passenger train run in Uruguay from Montevideo to Progresso (50 minutes).

Erin has enjoyed a new sense of freedom and confidence here. She has been able to walk alone, take the bus, or occasionally take a cab with friends. There are several large outdoor markets in our neighborhood plus a shopping center and many inexpensive cafes. Erin likes to cruise the markets with friends or Karla and look for clothes or presents for friends back home. This weekend, she is having a few of her classmates over to work on a homework assignment. She did 100 situps last night and has also been reading a lot, emailing friends in the US, listening to a lot of music, dancing, doing homework, and pushing all of us to do more of everything! She also misses her friends, relatives and Kirkland.

Shakira in Buenos Aires!! Last weekend we took the ferry over to Buenos Aires to see that hip shakin’ Latin bombshell perform for 60,000 adoring fans at a huge football stadium. It was a special treat for Erin (and Karla) and was quite an experience. We got a great package price ($40 US per person including concert ticks and two nights hotel).

Riley and I are not as fanatical about the crooning Columbian as Erin and Karla. From our VIP seats we were surprised to see that Shakira and all the members of her band are less than one inch tall! They should drink more milk.

This was our third visit to BA and we like it more each time we go. We took a backstage tour of the Teatro Colon opera house and had a long lunch at Café Tortoni. Riley really enjoys BA’s subway system. It is efficient and clean, but also antique, with loud, narrow passageways and cars with all wood interiors. We also took the train out to a suburb, San Ysidro and wandered around. Then back to our hotel room which had a great view of the other rooms in our hotel, about 8’ away.

Buenos Aires is an incredible example of obscene inequality in the distribution of wealth. Crushing poverty and unbelievable wealth side by side, block after block. The Argentine presidential elections (former president Menem against semi-reformer Kirchner) are in two weeks but no one seems to have any hopes of an economic turnaround soon.

Karla and I took the last week off from Spanish lessons and spent the week reading, running errands and exploring the city. We have gone on many long walks all over the city and especially along the Rambla, the road that runs over 15 miles from the Old City to Carrasco. Karla also went out with Joanne and we both went with Andres and Joanne to a restaurant to watch the very important Nacional-Brazil football match. Thursday the whole family was invited over to the Iroz’s for waffles and tea.

This Thursday we are going to Iguazu Falls for four days. We are very excited to see Iguazu after talking to so many people who have been there. The jungle hikes around the falls sound as good as viewing the falls themselves. We will let you know how the trip goes.

April 30, 2003

All is well here. Riley started playing futbol last Wednesday. He ran right out and started scrimmaging with the other kids before the official practice started. Then he realized that the other kids were extremely good and ran off the field. He finally went back out and within 30 seconds he had a collision with an opponent and whacked down on his face, bloodying his nose. But he recovered quickly, felt like a tough guy, and kept playing. The kids are very nice and if Riley keeps playing here he will be a pretty impressive player back in Kirkland.

Erin is excelling at Spanish. I think the move to public school was perfect for her and she is speaking well enough now that she has had a completely non-English speaking classmate over and they could get along fairly well in Spanish.

We are surprising Erin (and Riley) this weekend with a trip to Buenos Aires to see Shakira. We found out that she is singing at a huge futbol stadium there and that there are extremely cheap packages including hotel and ferry from Montevideo to BA. Hopefully the seats will be good and the weather decent. I will let you know how it turns out and try to buy you lots of Shakira keepsakes.

April 22, 2003

Last week we drove 1800 Kms. in the same kind of car that we took to
Colonia. The driving was wonderful and the kids were great. We saw a
tarantula, a snake, many gauchos, hundreds of nandus, thousands of cows and
millions of sheep. It was warm and sunny for the first five days, we all
went swimming at the thermal pools in Salto and Riley went swimming in the
lake at San Gregorio. The only disappointment was the estancia. We arrived
in the dark after a very long drive down a rough gravel road. Riley had food
poisoning and was throwing up. The house had no power and our tiny room had
no windows and was lit by a single candle. The cows mooing and the horses
neighing during the night was charming. The fellow guest snoring 18" from
our head (although separated by a 1/4" of plywood) was hell. We awoke to
pouring rain, played a couple of hands of rummy and headed home. We have
promised Erin and Riley that we will try another estancia some weekend.
Overall, though, it was a wonderful trip. Seeing the gauchos working with
and driving the cattle was a highlight for both Karla and me. Also looking
out at a landscape that is somewhat like the American West and in one
instant seeing cows, sheep, nandus, palm trees, gauchos and a '56 Studebaker
driving by is pretty interesting.
We have made the arrangements for our trip to Iguazu. We leave May 15 for
three nights. Because the 16th is a full moon we are hoping to go on a
ranger led night hike in the jungle surrounding the falls. It is supposed
to be a great opportunity to see some wildlife.
The Soria's came over for Easter dinner. Andres brought his mother along
and we had a great time. We also went to the Uruguayan equivalent of a
rodeo on Sunday. It is the national gaucho competition and is held in a
park on the outskirts of Montevideo. The main event is riding wild horses
and while it was spectacular to watch, I felt very sorry for the animals. I
should feel sorry for the gauchos- three were hauled off in ambulances in
the few hours we watched.
School is going very well for the kids. They both really like Andrea in the
morning. She really helps them with spanish and with their homework. Riley
is starting futbol this Wednesday after school. I hope it is not too
overwhelming for him-the average Uruguayan 9 year old is a pretty advanced
soccer player. I will let you know how it turns out.

January 24, 2003

Dear Friends,

Riley posted a little something on his section of our website. Please visit there. It even has two pictures! (with a bit of a glitch)

Ah, I finally get the computer. Jerry has been busy booking things for our “vacation,” and Erin has been using it for her U.S. homework.

We will go on vacation next Tuesday, January 28th. Here’s the scoop. We leave Montevideo and take a bus to Colonia, Uruguay. It is situated on the Rio De La Plata just like Montevideo. It is 150 km west of here. There are many Argentine tourists in this town since it is only 80 km across the river. Colonia is very slow paced and full of 19^th-century architecture. It is a cultural heritage site. It was founded in 1680!

Thursday, Jan. 30^th we take a ferry across the river to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The opposite of Colonia, Buenos Aires is a fast paced city with over 15 million people. It is the capital of Argentina. We will visit Cemeterio de la Recoleta. If you saw “Evita” you may know that Evita Peron is buried here. She was a poor young woman who married the president of Argentina and tried to help the poor people of Argentina before she died in 1952. Most people either loved her or hated her. Some think that she didn’t own the “right” to be buried in Cemeterio de la Recoleta.

We hope to take in a “tango” show one of the evenings. The tango is probably the best-known creations of Argentina popular culture, both as music and dance. It is constantly on the radio, tops the bill at the capital’s finest nightclubs and is often heard on the streets. Many foreigners go to Buenos Aires to study the famous dance, which is presently making a comeback.

On Sunday, February 2^nd we will board a ship that will take us back to Montevideo and then on to southern South America around Cape Horn and through the Chilean Fjords on up to Valparaiso. This cruise will take 14 days. We will stop in the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic Ocean near Argentina. Argentina calls these islands “Islas Malvinas” and claims that they are part of their country. In the 1980’s they fought a war with England to gain control of the islands but they lost.

We will stay in Valparaiso, Chile for a night then take a bus to Santiago, Chile for a couple nights. From there take a 5-6 hour taxi ride over the Andes Mountains and back into Argentina. We will stay in Mendoza for a night or two and then bus it back to Montevideo arriving around February 24^th. Everyone says that the buses in both Chile and Argentina are very luxurious and safe. (That’s for you Mom.)

Uruguay has been better than we expected. We feel very safe here. Many of you were worried about us coming to South America because of its economic crisis. We live in a very nice neighborhood called Pocitos. We are safe to walk around here alone after dark. I haven’t witnessed people showing any sort of impatience with anyone. The only thing I notice are the car horns honking. (I do believe that is universal!) The driving is a bit wild here. . . .drive in any lane you want to create for yourself and change at any time without letting others around you know etc. Pedestrians are free to cross streets wherever and whenever they like but they definitely do not have the right away. Since we are only pedestrians here, I am starting to enjoy jaywalking - it is allowed and gets me to the grocery store faster.

Our Super Mercado is well equipped with a deli filled with fresh pasta, bread, cheese, ham and of course it’s own meat market. Beef is one of Uruguay’s main agricultural means. The grocery store will deliver to our apartment for free. Delicious produce not only at the grocery store but practically every corner. I will talk about prices later but in the mean time - cheap! Erin and I ate out last night for $4.00 including the tip. She had two hot dogs, I had a pasta dish and we ordered two bottles of water. I even had to bring some of my pasta home because it was too much.

We have been to two out of the three malls while shopping in Montevideo. They make me feel as if I am walking in Bellevue Square. It not only looks like Bellevue Square but what goes on in the mall resembles the same teen social gatherings as Bell Square. (Girl groups and boy groups eyeing each other and “accidentally” running into each other etc.) Cracked me up. Again, something universal. That one for sure!

Our apartment is situated on a busy street which gives us a lot to look at during the day and it is surprisingly quiet at night. Our only complaint is the howling dog in the next apartment building. We look down on the Russian Embassy right next door to us. I tell you, at this time I feel much safer living next to the Russian Embassy than I would the US Embassy. When we went to the US Embassy we had to go through so much security it made me feel very uneasy - not to mention the looks of it - a prison? The Russian Embassy is very old and ornate with a beautiful garden out front. We were entertained by a party there the other night with people dressed in fine clothing and caterers making sure everyone had their drinks and appetizers in hand.

I wish that I could post the pictures. We will have more time to figure that out after we return from our trip. Maybe Shannon, Todd, Terry Adams, Jim, or Brad could give us some guidance on how to shrink our pictures so they look clear once we post them??? We are using Picture It. Any suggestions?

Our time has been spent on helping the kids with their U.S. school work since the children in Uruguay are on summer vacation. We’ve also been taking Spanish lessons each week day at 2:00 for 1 to 1 ½ hours from Adela who comes to our apartment . And of course time is spent playing at the beach. Since all three meals are eaten together, meal time has doubled! We will post another letter after our return.

January 27^th is my niece Karley’s birthday so everyone wish her a happy day! She will be an adult on that day (and a democrat.)

Love to all of you,

Karla, Jerry, Erin and Riley

January 11, 2003

Dear Friends, Family, Colleagues and My Third Grade Friends,

We are all having a good time and the trip down here was very smooth. We feel very safe and comfortable here in Montevideo. We are having a difficult time sending email. We are receiving it though so please keep sending messages. Thanks Steve, Connie, June, Kellie, Shannon, Susan, Emily, Sophie and Joyce for your messages. Maybe today we will figure that one out.

We have been having a great time doing many things that we would never get to do as tourists, mainly meeting people. Our real estate lady, the school’s English director, our friend of our Kirkland Spanish teacher and even the waiter at a nearby restaurant want to have us over for dinner and help us with anything that comes up. Believe me, we have been talking to them a lot in our first week here.

We stayed in a hotel/apartment the first week and just slept our 3^rd night in our apartment where we will be for the remainder of our stay. Now that the kitchen has been rearranged and organized, I can say that I am starting to feel at home. It’s back to cooking, cleaning, doing the wash and helping the kids with their US homework.

The children here are on summer break. School will start March 10^th. It usually starts earlier than that but Carnaval will be going on and that is a really big celebration here. It is one humongous city party just before Lent occurs.

The weather here is hot. 80 - 85. We are 4 blocks from the beach so cooling down is not a problem. We have had two nights of thunder, lightning and showers. What a show from our 7^th floor apartment.

We will fill you in on the country’s specifics as we become better settled. Today we will have cable hooked up. Yes, I did say cable. We haven’t had cable TV since Erin was a baby. She is now 12. What a treat! Our main reason for getting it is that without it there are only 4 very fuzzy channels, we want to watch the world news and learn Spanish from the other channels.

We hope you are all doing fine. We will add more later.

Love,

Karla and the rest