Hello again amigos.  I'm writing again from Buenos Aires with an update on a few of my latest adventures. As some of you know already, my big adventure of late was our group's trip to Iguaz�, location of some of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. Iguaz� is located in the far northeastern part of Argentina in a location known as las Tres Fronteras (the three borders) because a few kilometers from the falls one can stand and look across the R�o Iguaz� and the R�o Paran� and see both Brazil and Paraguay.

We left for the falls on Friday morning via omnibus, a double-decker cruise-mobile that was quite comfortable for the trip. Iguaz� is some distance from Buenos Aires and we didn't arrive until Saturday afternoon. Along the way we made two tourist stops, the first at the Palacio de San Jos�, and the second at the ruins of the Mission of San Ignacio. The Palacio de San Jos� is the home of the first constitutional president of the confederation of Argentina, Urquiza. The long description of his historical significance is necessary here in Argentina where there have been multiple constitutions and military interventions in the course of the civilian government. He was a contemporary of Juan Manuel de Rosas who is a bit more famous as an Argentine figure.

The Palacio was pleasant, although the weather was incredibly cold even for the winter here. Last weekend the winds changed direction and carried a polar chill up from the south. So, although the house was interesting it was also a bit cool to be wandering around outside. The house was, in a fair assessment, a Hispanic version of Mount Vernon or the Hermitage.

Our second stop on the way up to Iguaz� was in the Province of Misiones at the ruins of the Mission of San Ignacio. During the colonial period in South America the Jesuits did a great deal of work founding missions in this particular region. They found that music was fascinating to the indigenous and it served as a means of communication between the Spanish fathers and the Guaran� (the group of the area). The Jesuits built missions in land that is now Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, both below and above the falls at Iguaz�. The missions were a political problem during the colonial period because they served as a refuge for the Guaran� from slavery. Due to this fact and to political problems the Jesuits faced in Europe, the incredible collection of over one hundred missions were all abandoned. For a great movie about the entire episode check out "The Mission" staring Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons.

We spend all of Sunday in the National Park of Iguaz� at the falls. First thing in the morning we took a small rubber boat with a double outboard motor up the Iguaz� River to the base of the falls. Three times the guide gunned the engines and drove us as close as possible to the falls without dumping us all overboard. The boat rides at Niagara don't come anywhere close. After changing (we were all entirely drenched in rather chilly water) and eating a great meal, we took off to spend the rest of the day hiking around the falls. Included are a few of my favorite shots from the afternoon. All in all, I would have to say that Iguaz� is the most incredible natural attraction I've ever seen in my life. In total the falls stretch for over a kilometer. It's absolutely impossible to take in them all in one look. At the far end is the "Garganta del Diablo" (Throat of the Devil) which is in itself the size of Niagara.

Among other highlights of the trip I would place a two-minute stay in the nation of Brazil. Americans need a visa to visit the country, which none of us had, so all we did was cross the bridge and turn around before passing customs. Still, another country on a growing list. I would also add the stars to the list of incredible sights on the trip. The Argentine countryside is sparsely populated and during the night we could see more stars than I ever imagined possible. The Milky Way was visible, clear, and had obvious form from horizon to horizon.

I hope all is well in the States. My greetings to all. Keep checking up on my site for updates. This is much easier than writing email, if one can imagine that. Besides, I can through in a few pictures for you all to enjoy.

Love,