tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62780466447413389012024-03-12T23:43:03.844-06:00The Overseas Adventures of Annie and Steven Berger - 2017 This blog is a labor of love for our family and friends back home and around the world. Through Annie's posts you will see what we see as beginning on September 6th and ending on December 21st we're off to visit our 6th continent - South America. It's amazing to think that this is our 5th straight year of overseas trips and we will have visited over 60 countries. Join us as we experience Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico.
Steven Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640530947960068248noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-6000254027477858222018-08-13T12:05:00.001-06:002018-08-13T12:05:12.350-06:00Our South America Trip's Highlight in Photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Figured it was about time to finally put together a so-called highlight reel of our trip to much of South America from last fall! It was so hard coming up with the following from the thousands and thousands of photos I took but I hope it represents the breadth of what we saw on such an amazing journey.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I were both really glad that we'd had the opportunity to see a ship pass completely through the <b>Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks</b> on September 8th. It was amazing to think that engineers from over 100 years ago had adequately designed for the exponentially larger ships of this century!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h9ZWuy2uf18_bYIgGOGuB6QrprK_DFXN4UePMenmR-GsnzFoLvL_iXZBM-MK2ddbwvnhJYQhIjN5ag1DWO9ixgX7kWttsU3_vm5Ec6VUHqdPrQqM4Tv5p84iTpz9NdirHBDyZvivojOc/s1600/094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h9ZWuy2uf18_bYIgGOGuB6QrprK_DFXN4UePMenmR-GsnzFoLvL_iXZBM-MK2ddbwvnhJYQhIjN5ag1DWO9ixgX7kWttsU3_vm5Ec6VUHqdPrQqM4Tv5p84iTpz9NdirHBDyZvivojOc/s320/094.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing the Pope during his visit to <b>Cartagena, Colombia,</b> on September 9th</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was the most momentous association we certainly brought away from our visit to Cartagena. No church, no museum could possibly have surpassed that.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQf9k8T9tkEATJxMXXXc-koeA0WuwbRtUWJYeRDl7tDyiRco7Iq6bDwXwsI_5XwQGbaI_3chgo-d2kRFwqBqbnkhXWtuxDEvb5AsOcQf7Rt6rnlHrMbFefrOo5pLIF9LhXlfmydV2gus/s320/blogger-image--279403154.jpg" width="240" /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was one of many bronze sculptures we viewed in <b>Medellin</b> by Colombian artist <b>Fernando Botero </b>known for his voluptuous figures.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hzNxFiug0E856XItMXi57VFnXQiyIyecg_OOwDjsQ5D_fYqoV2yIOdX-MKQf6Fe2NlinGnIsqCiHRRffzpcYWI6z2_zTO2qQZDwK9mDB_YaV54GOv_Qn2Ajaup4uA0SqAoDJm1q3U60/s1600/2017-09-16+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hzNxFiug0E856XItMXi57VFnXQiyIyecg_OOwDjsQ5D_fYqoV2yIOdX-MKQf6Fe2NlinGnIsqCiHRRffzpcYWI6z2_zTO2qQZDwK9mDB_YaV54GOv_Qn2Ajaup4uA0SqAoDJm1q3U60/s320/2017-09-16+056.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hiking for several hours in the paper tree jungle in </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">El Cajas National Park near Cuenca, Ecuador,</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> at 12,500 ft above sea level in early October was a fascinating experience with one of the best guides we've ever had.</span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYPis60wJoPi3llRNLp950CXz7WQUfQq1vZ2-yLv2wzvHQhXMQsyFWB9rHp2ZDH3HxFr-2iBqNe1hDMaGYmoU63VwkXRNYXfvsroSKlDHlduXQmtuaidJUn-XwCz-VUx_robeZtnC_hJM/s1600/2017-10-03+241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYPis60wJoPi3llRNLp950CXz7WQUfQq1vZ2-yLv2wzvHQhXMQsyFWB9rHp2ZDH3HxFr-2iBqNe1hDMaGYmoU63VwkXRNYXfvsroSKlDHlduXQmtuaidJUn-XwCz-VUx_robeZtnC_hJM/s320/2017-10-03+241.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Traveling to the <b>Galapagos Islands</b> way off the coast of Ecuador turned out to be a huge highlight of our trip. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig039bk89W56rjYRj8WFRf3coAA4Svyoi6O9nVAVYjPGSoWZzDqfPt1V3ZUATf4d9AwF8Z3z9qgxbYDAsZ7-gTMZmvboqZrL-7Qh3X5Ve8XqcXbjfx3xkS4PBRiFKGVkPBtrnblVB8jv4/s1600/2017-10-09+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig039bk89W56rjYRj8WFRf3coAA4Svyoi6O9nVAVYjPGSoWZzDqfPt1V3ZUATf4d9AwF8Z3z9qgxbYDAsZ7-gTMZmvboqZrL-7Qh3X5Ve8XqcXbjfx3xkS4PBRiFKGVkPBtrnblVB8jv4/s320/2017-10-09+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The tortoises on </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Isla Santa Cruz</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b>were mammoth! </span>Steven got too close to this one so he bellowed at him before retracting his head in a hurry!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wgOkDpX0kAvatwmPEREpGoS0xf4VE7v9IVwLHi47e_k_rUcVtjZTp1ySCKl6EDMh0EbTcjh4gAsGXfbMVTOl48aslc4uC4AnyDqjGAMP7cr_bx048EHyVIUaCSJbmBNTaLWD88xqaBE/s1600/2017-10-09+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wgOkDpX0kAvatwmPEREpGoS0xf4VE7v9IVwLHi47e_k_rUcVtjZTp1ySCKl6EDMh0EbTcjh4gAsGXfbMVTOl48aslc4uC4AnyDqjGAMP7cr_bx048EHyVIUaCSJbmBNTaLWD88xqaBE/s320/2017-10-09+055.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Snorkeling with </span><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">marbled ray turtles</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">and other sea creatures on <b>Isla Isabela</b> on October 13th was a delight. I could have watched them for hours as they were so magical!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws_G0XxdVYjW9htzfj42OATczBCQ80aOYRclY7EgJt96scogh114Xi3cEDTKxaa5HgMRkwbys6M101IT2aOQu2rs16WKl2dHcGMFDTVBW50PK0acpZcqiHtT4_GQ2Skg7-Gjfy1SEo2k/s1600/GOPR1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws_G0XxdVYjW9htzfj42OATczBCQ80aOYRclY7EgJt96scogh114Xi3cEDTKxaa5HgMRkwbys6M101IT2aOQu2rs16WKl2dHcGMFDTVBW50PK0acpZcqiHtT4_GQ2Skg7-Gjfy1SEo2k/s320/GOPR1266.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That same day we were entranced coming across <b>blue-footed boobies</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">and stood mesmerized as the males danced and whistled for females, all part of their courting ritual!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmSQbKotVAkyLeVmBJjAXl5bRByecFYcaFOc2LIn1AX2dEGqPkD8uVBdCWf39R9dfq0o1twdcSGEDHG8Ev74aV3N4jknC-WLU3JfxaTH_0mgErEZsOEqLbVumJ3C8lxC_n_xu7e-z-d0/s1600/2017-10-13+174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmSQbKotVAkyLeVmBJjAXl5bRByecFYcaFOc2LIn1AX2dEGqPkD8uVBdCWf39R9dfq0o1twdcSGEDHG8Ev74aV3N4jknC-WLU3JfxaTH_0mgErEZsOEqLbVumJ3C8lxC_n_xu7e-z-d0/s320/2017-10-13+174.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our first of what turned out to be many sightings of flamingos while in South America was in the Galapagos. I was as enthralled with these ones as much as I was with all those hundred that came later. Steven, not so much, but perhaps it was because of all the photos I took of them!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pS0lxCm0T11LPd9VlAFbxW6JCeSc4mlqpK3wq_dmGceWY746oF7XF2RKhRLzdzXCtcgA_TLzms68coE0-K5UOLb8X9SMQevf5IuhXJW6G-8qDfq-bnogvIOPiPLTKB-nNaUuZM4CYRHz/s1600/2017-10-15+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pS0lxCm0T11LPd9VlAFbxW6JCeSc4mlqpK3wq_dmGceWY746oF7XF2RKhRLzdzXCtcgA_TLzms68coE0-K5UOLb8X9SMQevf5IuhXJW6G-8qDfq-bnogvIOPiPLTKB-nNaUuZM4CYRHz/s320/2017-10-15+024.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Never had we seen so many iguanas before.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvncBMOBRcHKPu5JLFyH1Gdx1dDRLhzllPYqN5KYGsyGj0xV-P2ztjPlq1IrATiNrFvyAAPPT6DEBkvS4g2_hYJxugpNDPVcwGeuKO6ut8DqzWxgbTDqR1X2lN08iG9XPsGqlvQtJEbef/s1600/2017-10-15+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvncBMOBRcHKPu5JLFyH1Gdx1dDRLhzllPYqN5KYGsyGj0xV-P2ztjPlq1IrATiNrFvyAAPPT6DEBkvS4g2_hYJxugpNDPVcwGeuKO6ut8DqzWxgbTDqR1X2lN08iG9XPsGqlvQtJEbef/s320/2017-10-15+087.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While in <b>Lima, Peru,</b> on October 19th, we stopped in at the <b>Mario Testino Museum.</b> The Peruvian photographer is famous for his high-fashion portraits and especially those he took of Princess Diana. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvUrbiVZIjnt6pUOg3JMDbacDIdW-Ioy5sCRIzsydzQELpaUiOV4crG23xbTJqotPJg55FDhBqAv3wIMsBNcsr2KcKzSvVkPCbpEHkSbaVyQgoa7_C0fofQr7DrTmvKLzLQiMpbnRjTA/s1600/2017-10-19+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvUrbiVZIjnt6pUOg3JMDbacDIdW-Ioy5sCRIzsydzQELpaUiOV4crG23xbTJqotPJg55FDhBqAv3wIMsBNcsr2KcKzSvVkPCbpEHkSbaVyQgoa7_C0fofQr7DrTmvKLzLQiMpbnRjTA/s320/2017-10-19+043.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another museum in Lima we really enjoyed was</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> the magnificent <b>Museo de Arte de Lima</b> and known as MALI. Among the museum's highlights was the collection of 2,000 year old weavings from Paracas.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaoOLkCbe4FNu-u_OYvhGATyoLFv9axajcu_BkjfSSlA83XRyUii7hliRAazpo_Xt8xvXv1DPsgOz1QQNhUWzjlBbkpueJUt-GphvpWrhnm1AZfikskKgdXyMDZf-cM6Op7OfD9iZXg8/s1600/2017-10-20+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaoOLkCbe4FNu-u_OYvhGATyoLFv9axajcu_BkjfSSlA83XRyUii7hliRAazpo_Xt8xvXv1DPsgOz1QQNhUWzjlBbkpueJUt-GphvpWrhnm1AZfikskKgdXyMDZf-cM6Op7OfD9iZXg8/s320/2017-10-20+055.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That was also where we saw religious paintings from the <b>Cusco 'School'</b> which was known for its surface gilding. We loved the style so much we ended up buying a small painting in Cusco itself a few days later.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrk3-6rv7THslF6ZNA8883NPrgdp2uHq71QQ4w50FPtdHdZWDFOLVX8TlBOvmgJTlIekrlRLJ9W4AhUW6YWe2mXlzHax30NMBPD6OdpdiY4m76LhJZpqC5G0dcTKXllRyttstqaATrKg/s1600/2017-10-20+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrk3-6rv7THslF6ZNA8883NPrgdp2uHq71QQ4w50FPtdHdZWDFOLVX8TlBOvmgJTlIekrlRLJ9W4AhUW6YWe2mXlzHax30NMBPD6OdpdiY4m76LhJZpqC5G0dcTKXllRyttstqaATrKg/s320/2017-10-20+116.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hiking to the Inca </span><span style="font-size: large;">Pinkuylluna </span><span style="font-size: large;">granaries in <b>Ollantaytambo</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">in late October</span><span style="font-size: large;"> near Machu Pichu, Peru, prepared for that fantastic sight a few days later.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83ML9m6vH8dVANW4wxkdq2DMP_fT1ZkDXBmgIvnkGnnX7c-vVRzkK1iJQO821ZjK9Yh66qSRUJC9LGf28JxUUzsekVfqKd6EyCa7FBvEOaoG3iYfbJVY_PXVrBcpXAWnQUZbtnEHg1UA/s1600/2017-10-23+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83ML9m6vH8dVANW4wxkdq2DMP_fT1ZkDXBmgIvnkGnnX7c-vVRzkK1iJQO821ZjK9Yh66qSRUJC9LGf28JxUUzsekVfqKd6EyCa7FBvEOaoG3iYfbJVY_PXVrBcpXAWnQUZbtnEHg1UA/s320/2017-10-23+026.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I bet you recognize this photo of the iconic <b>Machu Pichu!</b> The reason for our going to South America last fall was that Steven didn't want to put off any longer exploring and hiking at Machu Pichu. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We climbed the mountain in the background!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg401x-9vEbYFyRO34xe1wYhe6z5aGTH3RgDSVx2ZGsadBU2_xlhmP4PuQNLuFXg7cD5gEUkKpzAtX_hPmlpmL1EngU1bfUGOPWX_Ia10unFvULcAWt1Xxt4cSW0G3O5R_bzs59DniKMag/s1600/IMG_9675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg401x-9vEbYFyRO34xe1wYhe6z5aGTH3RgDSVx2ZGsadBU2_xlhmP4PuQNLuFXg7cD5gEUkKpzAtX_hPmlpmL1EngU1bfUGOPWX_Ia10unFvULcAWt1Xxt4cSW0G3O5R_bzs59DniKMag/s320/IMG_9675.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The view from atop</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Huayna Picchu, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">the mountain that towered over Machu Pichu, that we hiked up after making reservations six months in advance for one of 250 timed slots.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bSKK7krHMtYKZY30GX0f5YHOK_UUPNCA0ewJDElWgc6jn_ZDMV2fAV9F9RgEnL_riwgijg0MR91ybXsEBizdIlvAt0UmFrEF5JhWcbEtVpFvbBJvAl8YYbdfZFgpqyQgi0qw8oUx51E/s1600/IMG_9825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bSKK7krHMtYKZY30GX0f5YHOK_UUPNCA0ewJDElWgc6jn_ZDMV2fAV9F9RgEnL_riwgijg0MR91ybXsEBizdIlvAt0UmFrEF5JhWcbEtVpFvbBJvAl8YYbdfZFgpqyQgi0qw8oUx51E/s320/IMG_9825.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing this rainbow was the perfect ending to a magical day at Machu Pichu.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4LgZQZ0qv5IJPv7EooXywTEcQw7psVhmJ95O92GmKGl1YLnBOl6YtqQFkQK6frrMyU4epZGCCyuJyq6JjZg4jcQbaHciznXHv5FsDl28llGx02sXZ2lLN4zROLBLk_wbRtd4pxdzdfE/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4LgZQZ0qv5IJPv7EooXywTEcQw7psVhmJ95O92GmKGl1YLnBOl6YtqQFkQK6frrMyU4epZGCCyuJyq6JjZg4jcQbaHciznXHv5FsDl28llGx02sXZ2lLN4zROLBLk_wbRtd4pxdzdfE/s320/IMG_0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Peru's Sacred Valley, we stopped at <b>Salineras</b> to see the huge collection of salt pools that seemed to go on forever. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was amazing to learn the Incas harvested salt in the same way.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oFNbjgyA5zWQ1Pi77MXGTXLJe_uvuV6M6B7hDCySQZttaxPcW6AA6Njq01Xk9TZ32WE6zhrpIlkcJUdiYMbgV_YKrhdEYyaMTrMdnNqjey9JRvTsVkRXK212AdN2386Nda2JkMzLs3p/s1600/2017-10-26+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oFNbjgyA5zWQ1Pi77MXGTXLJe_uvuV6M6B7hDCySQZttaxPcW6AA6Njq01Xk9TZ32WE6zhrpIlkcJUdiYMbgV_YKrhdEYyaMTrMdnNqjey9JRvTsVkRXK212AdN2386Nda2JkMzLs3p/s320/2017-10-26+069.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">T</span><span style="font-size: large;">he circular terraces </span><span style="font-size: large;">of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Moray, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">located in a remote area of the Sacred Valley, </span><span style="font-size: large;">are thought to have been used as an agricultural research station by the Inca people because of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">difference in temperature of 27°F from the top to the bottom. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-a7ED2BG8F7y4GRK5IkSzeVNhVzGLNuBdFrMxef_kF7JqrW7qDePuAhl9Of873jFKMmGeKBx-8fedqXj7Jm3WuGHGpk5-e1pd7ORPp-ZtAQASfrLuuGf6MKgmUYW-NWsv4VVRSAB1oVx/s1600/2017-10-26+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-a7ED2BG8F7y4GRK5IkSzeVNhVzGLNuBdFrMxef_kF7JqrW7qDePuAhl9Of873jFKMmGeKBx-8fedqXj7Jm3WuGHGpk5-e1pd7ORPp-ZtAQASfrLuuGf6MKgmUYW-NWsv4VVRSAB1oVx/s320/2017-10-26+123.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of a couple of times where we learned first hand the plants used to dye fiber to make beautiful textiles.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0qa_tOrSOuvaJP5kAE_swW_hLSJ55yneE28N-knBJ48C7RE9xZPSZvgiqvgf1TwH5NePY-xB-Kf3P6ywehCVn_VHTXX7EWlLMCUaUh6Ec_fNK4Si0Iau7dI09ZvtvbWpR9-is1k_6KrG/s1600/2017-10-26+240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0qa_tOrSOuvaJP5kAE_swW_hLSJ55yneE28N-knBJ48C7RE9xZPSZvgiqvgf1TwH5NePY-xB-Kf3P6ywehCVn_VHTXX7EWlLMCUaUh6Ec_fNK4Si0Iau7dI09ZvtvbWpR9-is1k_6KrG/s320/2017-10-26+240.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I always love to hike on our overseas trips. This photo was from near Cusco where we traipsed over mountain and down dale in search of more Inca ruins. I felt like we were in a scene from The Sound of Music!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW6ydMe2q7XxmWTLTU96lrhXyeEA9wDYJopzL8kzooi9XABzpFEWvvYtpydW8e-RhWBuqmqnYwei142O3nWNoWCv2IHycetPpdnw3vPRaMwnSS8qcYgWhZXYG_jBPTt2XcFYTBg6ohzd-/s1600/2017-10-28+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW6ydMe2q7XxmWTLTU96lrhXyeEA9wDYJopzL8kzooi9XABzpFEWvvYtpydW8e-RhWBuqmqnYwei142O3nWNoWCv2IHycetPpdnw3vPRaMwnSS8qcYgWhZXYG_jBPTt2XcFYTBg6ohzd-/s320/2017-10-28+079.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I think Steven and I should have signs on our backpacks saying we stop at every market because there was nary a market we missed if we could. One of the best was the <b>Sunday Market in Pisac,</b> near Cusco, that is famous the world over for its incredible array of beautiful textiles.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYyLq33xa7ZNFXYzfrpC2nuJsV6eDACOAwDpY9AYRBdDSMfJOwFPWuOWfEGheEI1Wb5KbkU21_zG7zoGoN-koL_WaHvrLpZyjtVxl4jrjR3g5oga2uA1eBFCBAm08y3YZggfbHRkfTHDX/s1600/2017-10-29+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYyLq33xa7ZNFXYzfrpC2nuJsV6eDACOAwDpY9AYRBdDSMfJOwFPWuOWfEGheEI1Wb5KbkU21_zG7zoGoN-koL_WaHvrLpZyjtVxl4jrjR3g5oga2uA1eBFCBAm08y3YZggfbHRkfTHDX/s320/2017-10-29+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The local women made for a pretty shot, too, I thought.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY1Nt__55rta-ilkHSEEvm1a3LkXC4m56SQuxtU7rbuo9caN1HnHqAaXssFx59g8uZyMRcUXs_2xAE5V5ybaiu6suUebR6sLS1ETkd6GUjsHIZ5Wx5Z8rfu3x-nqrigBdVBHva6THbveG/s1600/2017-10-29+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY1Nt__55rta-ilkHSEEvm1a3LkXC4m56SQuxtU7rbuo9caN1HnHqAaXssFx59g8uZyMRcUXs_2xAE5V5ybaiu6suUebR6sLS1ETkd6GUjsHIZ5Wx5Z8rfu3x-nqrigBdVBHva6THbveG/s320/2017-10-29+030.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had timed our day trip to Pisac especially to attend Mass celebrated in the local Quechua language at the church just feet away from the market.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8Ib2JM6dim05xOwMatsr4aLJa9B-Hjmnu6uZZrtFYAbgJEETPamm1-mONuyDhn2ERJVnygAgB6chbIhkif0_pIFIbfsucwVDuedy6QvEnDQwe9o6tXF0PN-MeyJU8weQIKEnTsbVc7Bs/s1600/2017-10-29+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8Ib2JM6dim05xOwMatsr4aLJa9B-Hjmnu6uZZrtFYAbgJEETPamm1-mONuyDhn2ERJVnygAgB6chbIhkif0_pIFIbfsucwVDuedy6QvEnDQwe9o6tXF0PN-MeyJU8weQIKEnTsbVc7Bs/s320/2017-10-29+087.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of October we flew to <b>Puerto Maldonado</b> in southern Peru and then traveled by boat up the Tambopata River, a tributary of the southern Amazon near the border of Bolivia, for a three day jungle trip. One of the most amazing highlights was the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Macaw Clay Lick </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">that we got up at 4 am to see. After traveling by boat for a good while and then waiting for about six hours, our patience was rewarded with seeing hundreds of macaws. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMFQdkc4LoK59VxAGhraPmVVEhB-33NKDf9o20E2EgrfrvL7KUPo0R4y17HQw-0makvBW-81a8-Z0piFz3N8KN9hPMcfOy4dPKQetINGCVsa5JScbXbXLWCmE1hW_r6YJPUU4nxD9bw6F/s1600/2017-10-31+294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMFQdkc4LoK59VxAGhraPmVVEhB-33NKDf9o20E2EgrfrvL7KUPo0R4y17HQw-0makvBW-81a8-Z0piFz3N8KN9hPMcfOy4dPKQetINGCVsa5JScbXbXLWCmE1hW_r6YJPUU4nxD9bw6F/s320/2017-10-31+294.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Scientists suspect the parrots and macaws,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> who fly up to 100 kms to reach the clay lick, gather to eat the clay that neutralizes the acidity of the seeds in their diet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuv6a-fHreM7yQWLOkhPcp7Pa4h9s2WW7t8HMed3ID__l5NS2p2swBrAzwH1R_BpSv8SGCP-1suaCqmrXu5xakbZZsnwjNFZsnqQyKMLkH44dJ2hJmN4qPNbw6-ioEoL-NcalLiRdQwdD/s1600/2017-10-31+328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuv6a-fHreM7yQWLOkhPcp7Pa4h9s2WW7t8HMed3ID__l5NS2p2swBrAzwH1R_BpSv8SGCP-1suaCqmrXu5xakbZZsnwjNFZsnqQyKMLkH44dJ2hJmN4qPNbw6-ioEoL-NcalLiRdQwdD/s320/2017-10-31+328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hiking several miles to <b>Lago Sandoval, </b>another area of the Amazon, with all of our possessions for our time in the Amazon on our backs, was not our idea of joy right then!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqwAe4LwZflm7TKlySNv8SiGa58ZlRvuTcoBXuo-B6eowUcIKrmcby3KqYatrqhflE5gQApZtMur5e5co2jypKlt5XBxsXsLmxPUQKL-JMEDFh8nZwU__OJkqZExKVjs9bDTTtztSK90/s1600/2017-11-01+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqwAe4LwZflm7TKlySNv8SiGa58ZlRvuTcoBXuo-B6eowUcIKrmcby3KqYatrqhflE5gQApZtMur5e5co2jypKlt5XBxsXsLmxPUQKL-JMEDFh8nZwU__OJkqZExKVjs9bDTTtztSK90/s320/2017-11-01+038.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most unusual birds we saw on the lake was a <b>Hoatzin</b> who a</span><span style="font-size: large;">pparently "never got the genetic message that they aren't dinosaurs anymore and shouldn't be growing claws on their forelimbs!"</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHWm3U5A4bawfQw6lSMM83b0HidIphuXJmre5UkyEiqNIMujgvOZpgCyGJraDgnxeawBG2rJQDhtsFgIwaVWoDRfjYd-Kz4NSb2fa6g1Mea-aThfDWeg9W59FNaWWIBuX8WoqfB-HCag/s1600/2017-11-02+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHWm3U5A4bawfQw6lSMM83b0HidIphuXJmre5UkyEiqNIMujgvOZpgCyGJraDgnxeawBG2rJQDhtsFgIwaVWoDRfjYd-Kz4NSb2fa6g1Mea-aThfDWeg9W59FNaWWIBuX8WoqfB-HCag/s320/2017-11-02+033.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While on the lake we were also lucky enough to see an <b>Anhinga</b> or snakelike bird, hear the ferocious sounding Red Howler Monkey, see Black Capuchin Monkeys and even caught a rare glimpse of river otters! Our few days in the southern Amazon allowed us to explore a world we'd only 'seen' in our imaginations and was a definite highlight of our entire trip.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkchMOYry6NEDmrdnhvHiZkw0v0zaU-o6ZD-adrIaoXtU7H_KdhadsgveoAt8cQ_PwV7YURn7XQzYku6sGqiyjNOG428uR8N_SU_NrtzaaQwh5iI4k43QHLdricdkDFIcl4KPzMmGM0E/s1600/2017-11-01+187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkchMOYry6NEDmrdnhvHiZkw0v0zaU-o6ZD-adrIaoXtU7H_KdhadsgveoAt8cQ_PwV7YURn7XQzYku6sGqiyjNOG428uR8N_SU_NrtzaaQwh5iI4k43QHLdricdkDFIcl4KPzMmGM0E/s320/2017-11-01+187.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What would a highlight reel of our trip to South America be without a photo of some llamas we saw while exploring southern Peru's spectacular <b>Colca Valley</b> at close to 15,000 feet above sea level?!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSUE46Po6bVVdR-bJWK8lf5YORIJ4g4xhelywSopOHsQD6yiO9xwm_rVccdpUftRTne9O90yUsIW-0doCzyJOyGkTWxWbACMvvKulWN3JXTBKU_rYVFdnJTjjLdkfbJR27IEI_k-_klk/s1600/2017-11-04+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSUE46Po6bVVdR-bJWK8lf5YORIJ4g4xhelywSopOHsQD6yiO9xwm_rVccdpUftRTne9O90yUsIW-0doCzyJOyGkTWxWbACMvvKulWN3JXTBKU_rYVFdnJTjjLdkfbJR27IEI_k-_klk/s320/2017-11-04+112.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another day, another hike: this exhilarating one was in the <b>Colca Canyon.</b></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls7Ar2e6bWYKIDZJSyAYAWUVo1qFxu3dzmVMyQBtzL5XJ1FtCQ9c4X9Gs10HWeUaBq5cXg7r11uDs88yEs5LGorBfEr7uKhWRwGwtEE8O1yXMqE0HFmPlsUG97dnrpwCr8nJaJyxNpTg/s1600/2017-11-05+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls7Ar2e6bWYKIDZJSyAYAWUVo1qFxu3dzmVMyQBtzL5XJ1FtCQ9c4X9Gs10HWeUaBq5cXg7r11uDs88yEs5LGorBfEr7uKhWRwGwtEE8O1yXMqE0HFmPlsUG97dnrpwCr8nJaJyxNpTg/s320/2017-11-05+081.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Being so very lucky to see a few of the quickly disappearing condors with a view of the Andes in the background while in the Canyon was, once again, just fabulous.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs-MITFwMuUBMGnie-ARTxHK7voNKWOjANQtQULWy4N94LjOWBS3XRP-0Ze87AgEU5cglBQAhoZmVu8JW2aVSypwckYcGjyglVno44QCuy5azEjSVFkyjGVI7f0pbylROJ9EESDw4FaQ/s1600/2017-11-05+119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs-MITFwMuUBMGnie-ARTxHK7voNKWOjANQtQULWy4N94LjOWBS3XRP-0Ze87AgEU5cglBQAhoZmVu8JW2aVSypwckYcGjyglVno44QCuy5azEjSVFkyjGVI7f0pbylROJ9EESDw4FaQ/s320/2017-11-05+119.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On to</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Lake Titicaca, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">a rival in magnificence to Machu Picchu, and home to the floating <b>Uros islands.</b> The lake, larger than Puerto Rico, is the world's largest navigable lake at 12,5000 feet above sea level.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM6F_f57E7c8LS70dnX2TOxrvMKjhh9S30OZMMOMET9KEeEmK9fjNBkdcGmN4Kr70SNnkJBpYZZnievT0x_sTLn_olq-FKOd-Brh_fxC1wiUIJfqpEw2c03jnFwy4roLhvTvCUvHpGmM/s1600/2017-11-07+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM6F_f57E7c8LS70dnX2TOxrvMKjhh9S30OZMMOMET9KEeEmK9fjNBkdcGmN4Kr70SNnkJBpYZZnievT0x_sTLn_olq-FKOd-Brh_fxC1wiUIJfqpEw2c03jnFwy4roLhvTvCUvHpGmM/s320/2017-11-07+028.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven was feeling the effects of the high altitude so, after visiting the Uros Islands, I continued seeing Lake Titicaca's <b>Isla Taquile</b> and its knitting bachelors and older men knitting up a storm as men must learn to knit to woo a woman!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJIOd8vOlRkPDQy4NBbFtyaXu5LhCHie2-tBKGHccm3ymtRPH5naywFLx2jXVNFj3HIN9dz-WyK5Pbhr9ZOkWCHlRPk_rSVb5aIE6TFaULSdcvmKQGPhpbsVvRvU4NS5j_BDRDbC2WaA/s1600/2017-11-07+236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJIOd8vOlRkPDQy4NBbFtyaXu5LhCHie2-tBKGHccm3ymtRPH5naywFLx2jXVNFj3HIN9dz-WyK5Pbhr9ZOkWCHlRPk_rSVb5aIE6TFaULSdcvmKQGPhpbsVvRvU4NS5j_BDRDbC2WaA/s320/2017-11-07+236.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For some reason this last trip, we found ourselves visiting cemetery after cemetery, each one bigger or more ornate than the previous one. This one that was the final resting place for over 200,000 souls in <b>La Pas, Bolivia,</b> on November 9th, as part of a very long but exciting day tour.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim75pXAwP9ShyTtgra2-U2VCbJ29ufNnCQwYRhojk2liojGvJ9RDVB5Hf1Grem0NaFNSABFoB95u_cmRGMnS-aGp5NeS2YVpo-52lOq7yWaB6KENv2-5gt8i18CPix4T0U_bxGZM0lil0S/s1600/2017-11-09+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim75pXAwP9ShyTtgra2-U2VCbJ29ufNnCQwYRhojk2liojGvJ9RDVB5Hf1Grem0NaFNSABFoB95u_cmRGMnS-aGp5NeS2YVpo-52lOq7yWaB6KENv2-5gt8i18CPix4T0U_bxGZM0lil0S/s320/2017-11-09+102.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The shoe shiner in the city's <b>Mercado Negro</b> <b>or Black Market</b> was a member of the Aymara culture </span><span style="font-size: large;">who make sure to hide their faces so they’re not recognized by friends in their culture as one's feet were considered most important.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFhLAs4j2Hclc-wFHC0WuzfBYdNta9xT0KnWKzMATFGg6jWAcDDfM0UGiy2n5fv9IQuaqXLMnZT7Y9IaD-gdIHfMdiZ2-FXjMI84wXRyrvFiFrlWYLSdtwO-XyBTTSYwtuBLQTDmnmqnq/s1600/2017-11-09+172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFhLAs4j2Hclc-wFHC0WuzfBYdNta9xT0KnWKzMATFGg6jWAcDDfM0UGiy2n5fv9IQuaqXLMnZT7Y9IaD-gdIHfMdiZ2-FXjMI84wXRyrvFiFrlWYLSdtwO-XyBTTSYwtuBLQTDmnmqnq/s320/2017-11-09+172.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People lined up to have their fortunes told at the witches' stalls. I also had mine told!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR_zSbizwpak2ppJ0Mdz4T08m2VD4GP7CD94kA0XILmDVycR62kW3nABr212azaQCogeZuUt6J5ICmOSKuyohzUUxs1gJWwmb6sYlYL3zWpg5cg6sCVRVw64e5OlSDaSrZsoxdE8tE4qW/s1600/2017-11-09+186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR_zSbizwpak2ppJ0Mdz4T08m2VD4GP7CD94kA0XILmDVycR62kW3nABr212azaQCogeZuUt6J5ICmOSKuyohzUUxs1gJWwmb6sYlYL3zWpg5cg6sCVRVw64e5OlSDaSrZsoxdE8tE4qW/s320/2017-11-09+186.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Watching a <b>Cholitas wrestling match</b> that evening was a hoot.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6o6KywunADsXrerWqGdMo1OjVKfOdiz2IvHASKPtrOVZRlCP1SMm7XHQoT6Hk3dgeJ2IvX-rU1wJzGuxAOCVAtupxJwTy2FMA37Ii6ds9pasRRDc_NgJt2-rZH7PPHyyqQCK4GaWF2PZ/s1600/2017-11-09+280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6o6KywunADsXrerWqGdMo1OjVKfOdiz2IvHASKPtrOVZRlCP1SMm7XHQoT6Hk3dgeJ2IvX-rU1wJzGuxAOCVAtupxJwTy2FMA37Ii6ds9pasRRDc_NgJt2-rZH7PPHyyqQCK4GaWF2PZ/s320/2017-11-09+280.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Discovering the amazing <b>Uyuni Salt Flats</b> in southern Bolivia that are visible from space as part of a three day tour was phenomenal.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ofRxIOnNppp9q04xAsLlrOUJMtsl8mNDGBiKd3KcdmwhoM21coy36i6unyyHKtEXJPIy2YsSbBJ2o7xlhWeIcPxJ0hPG3VgfxQobjs19yXz35PI9dDfMDeW1rYNepIAkEGQ89eonrkoh/s1600/2017-11-16+phone+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ofRxIOnNppp9q04xAsLlrOUJMtsl8mNDGBiKd3KcdmwhoM21coy36i6unyyHKtEXJPIy2YsSbBJ2o7xlhWeIcPxJ0hPG3VgfxQobjs19yXz35PI9dDfMDeW1rYNepIAkEGQ89eonrkoh/s320/2017-11-16+phone+028.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The other participants were much younger but we all had a ball of fun together.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJvSTdaWhf9z53Hg-ynbKKPIc8CwTDZBmicJcvBuCr_5yiVqEboB5RzPyukGi_kE700-ZqWqqnGRuC-8fK1kzNissFcWE6QnBFlwQ_yB0lTMGJNbD794FnWPYOjFRdXl-F_XYcDv2XU/s1600/2017-11-16+phone+075.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJvSTdaWhf9z53Hg-ynbKKPIc8CwTDZBmicJcvBuCr_5yiVqEboB5RzPyukGi_kE700-ZqWqqnGRuC-8fK1kzNissFcWE6QnBFlwQ_yB0lTMGJNbD794FnWPYOjFRdXl-F_XYcDv2XU/s320/2017-11-16+phone+075.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our tour continued to</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Laguna Canapa,</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> a picturesque salt lake that seemed to be the deepest blue, and that was home to lovely Chilean flamingos.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy94RYX-StIQJScFQlDAGY70JqRn-IYC-LFu9VEK3KYCuXmvXVlkCKR9SbS73QMkTeK96O4IBFSpnLGNh0QrKlq1hOpPTmhyphenhyphen62f_jQcwsp_XN4io45SHg0eOkAKHVpIM7tbdFywKEGHGP/s1600/2017-11-17+131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy94RYX-StIQJScFQlDAGY70JqRn-IYC-LFu9VEK3KYCuXmvXVlkCKR9SbS73QMkTeK96O4IBFSpnLGNh0QrKlq1hOpPTmhyphenhyphen62f_jQcwsp_XN4io45SHg0eOkAKHVpIM7tbdFywKEGHGP/s320/2017-11-17+131.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_hg_N3fplSdMhouFxO2bCC36tBXDWBjPwGv5-sQVBYVxKkPa6Vbat3vZTFqwdD6BU44svGR6-UaLONzucniGJMZvfm14_K2B1R8fVqErmFg_pz_yE82nMKZJ_NGWyxQjh89mDm_4RDxq/s1600/2017-11-17+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_hg_N3fplSdMhouFxO2bCC36tBXDWBjPwGv5-sQVBYVxKkPa6Vbat3vZTFqwdD6BU44svGR6-UaLONzucniGJMZvfm14_K2B1R8fVqErmFg_pz_yE82nMKZJ_NGWyxQjh89mDm_4RDxq/s320/2017-11-17+142.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The high altitude</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Siloli Desert </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">made us think we </span><span style="font-size: large;">had inadvertently landed </span><span style="font-size: large;">on another planet. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing could have prepared us for it and one of the most extraordinary places on earth. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fAu8jieQIsjBiFWFDk_e89EgCtrXbDR8-y52hZ9PJWqd6XRx3_VY7Q7ptDW5Ig0pIhdS_N404LZ21ATO6xlLEL65jsQHvzMTqmzMKJBoBI3j10bTLReh2qYh-CmCFRJgBuJpyKUwXWo/s1600/2017-11-25+phone+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fAu8jieQIsjBiFWFDk_e89EgCtrXbDR8-y52hZ9PJWqd6XRx3_VY7Q7ptDW5Ig0pIhdS_N404LZ21ATO6xlLEL65jsQHvzMTqmzMKJBoBI3j10bTLReh2qYh-CmCFRJgBuJpyKUwXWo/s320/2017-11-25+phone+012.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Sol de Mañana,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the world's highest geothermal field, located two hours north of Chile in southern Bolivia:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RBYLcNB_DtysZR7F8VemGO-n2h3DX8ezy5XFhZxNJsXFFN5XCSmyb5Ut5qGAA0telyaMbp1MoDI8ZkLm1VbT6BVsBGIPLjGW7KuF47uMauv7pDxEiyiK_D6lbs8Fc0L2sno1tWnVuPo/s1600/2017-11-18+phone+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RBYLcNB_DtysZR7F8VemGO-n2h3DX8ezy5XFhZxNJsXFFN5XCSmyb5Ut5qGAA0telyaMbp1MoDI8ZkLm1VbT6BVsBGIPLjGW7KuF47uMauv7pDxEiyiK_D6lbs8Fc0L2sno1tWnVuPo/s320/2017-11-18+phone+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As part of an expedition from <b>San Pedro de Atacama</b> in northern Chile, we had an hilarious time running down this sand mountain in the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Valle de Martes </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">or Mars Valley. Just before we ran down, the guide had said he'd see us in the hospital. Luckily, we both landed safe and sound at the bottom!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dBWjICqm1JKma091_iHZADqWdVM7uX14rTQRIVg8q0zSZMzEpcpXkc__HSpaijU718uaKcMVvk6tTvVe_PWqjEUIuaXQ08k8IZYQ3MTPynQN5FlJpLrmOmwKMsBCUeK1744zZNXLSRc/s1600/2017-11-19+185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dBWjICqm1JKma091_iHZADqWdVM7uX14rTQRIVg8q0zSZMzEpcpXkc__HSpaijU718uaKcMVvk6tTvVe_PWqjEUIuaXQ08k8IZYQ3MTPynQN5FlJpLrmOmwKMsBCUeK1744zZNXLSRc/s320/2017-11-19+185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This geological formation in the same area was called the <b>Amphitheater </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">because of its shape. </span><span style="font-size: large;">If you ever have a chance to travel to faraway San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile, I urge you not to think twice about it so you can also be mesmerized by some of this world's most unusual scenery and lunar-like landscapes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiGKHfPKW6aSKiJIwvaGy-q54o9ISxdyMjmcJJHPBex3A-eLXjFbkLuTOOmzR4AkINKHoSsAXe3YZgAcWisQIHXXfGOcMCNo8ufTrKBahd-OnTiX5odrnN6dtnp9jRqbLrRTpyUDs7GU/s1600/2017-11-19+273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiGKHfPKW6aSKiJIwvaGy-q54o9ISxdyMjmcJJHPBex3A-eLXjFbkLuTOOmzR4AkINKHoSsAXe3YZgAcWisQIHXXfGOcMCNo8ufTrKBahd-OnTiX5odrnN6dtnp9jRqbLrRTpyUDs7GU/s320/2017-11-19+273.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another tour took us to see the largest cactus in the world. The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Cardon Cactus </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">grew<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">up to 30' high and was about 2.5' in diameter and had white petal flowers.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYbSr-fYQhCTEO1S3sB9oyHmfnAi6ZpKJKE2AuorswGRO_xRFkQyekNg_ZVVhcf7lZ_WivkDeFx8RbI0JgCeDO_WpOqDdw3rGLV_MxjNx4_D5oyEP847fuBVO8ItLHJsxNE6firLDoVM/s1600/2017-11-20+310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYbSr-fYQhCTEO1S3sB9oyHmfnAi6ZpKJKE2AuorswGRO_xRFkQyekNg_ZVVhcf7lZ_WivkDeFx8RbI0JgCeDO_WpOqDdw3rGLV_MxjNx4_D5oyEP847fuBVO8ItLHJsxNE6firLDoVM/s320/2017-11-20+310.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet another tour from San Pedro took us to<b> Reserva Nacional L</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>os Flamencos </b>where we were fortunate to view at <b>Lake </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chaxa</b> three of the five known species of flamingos: the black-tailed Andean, the pink-tailed Chilean and James'.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbokqtM9AQ-ZA7T8m5tb7DP6zL-DjcNiM-1Xwr9fgYB7wAXADCCe-czXIXzYBZCIPKi0IozIj3sZoK16IaYwRow1dIpPyWZNasdS1kX0QYVIJYjvo4QBx5pWpB-qfPyJFKnTHUrQNsdYs/s1600/2017-11-21+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbokqtM9AQ-ZA7T8m5tb7DP6zL-DjcNiM-1Xwr9fgYB7wAXADCCe-czXIXzYBZCIPKi0IozIj3sZoK16IaYwRow1dIpPyWZNasdS1kX0QYVIJYjvo4QBx5pWpB-qfPyJFKnTHUrQNsdYs/s320/2017-11-21+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many hours later, we reached </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Miscanti Lake,</b> one of the beautiful Altiplano lakes in northern Chile. It was so windy my teeth hurt when I smiled.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88usuZioatd2hmLpCLNjcK_yBdEMmJOR2ueUL93ykreYNE-oczwybkX8QZNtijwOnl867eujKGrMTWgAZHg2-J3agvSYKTP8YWS8-9E0tSEBRtKtJOekcd9KGDLmqKaOkYakfPSvHdRo/s1600/2017-11-21+206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88usuZioatd2hmLpCLNjcK_yBdEMmJOR2ueUL93ykreYNE-oczwybkX8QZNtijwOnl867eujKGrMTWgAZHg2-J3agvSYKTP8YWS8-9E0tSEBRtKtJOekcd9KGDLmqKaOkYakfPSvHdRo/s320/2017-11-21+206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Didn't we look happy to be in <b>Easter Island,</b> way, way off the coast of Chile, on November 24th! We were thrilled beyond words to be spending a few days exploring that piece of paradise.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k6FUtM30vGga8O_cZMEhJELovv2Unx84adMb7glyrFujlN8GwoB7GvjEmMhA9ZNM7Uw3Lnrjzf3bUHHDJsHxIMGj7ZgIrQSw7nn2xHZ8aCNRBdQaK49G3cDlHy1wuANwVZxzJEX4-Vc/s1600/2017-11-24+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k6FUtM30vGga8O_cZMEhJELovv2Unx84adMb7glyrFujlN8GwoB7GvjEmMhA9ZNM7Uw3Lnrjzf3bUHHDJsHxIMGj7ZgIrQSw7nn2xHZ8aCNRBdQaK49G3cDlHy1wuANwVZxzJEX4-Vc/s320/2017-11-24+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we went to bed that night, we could only pinch ourselves at how incredibly fortunate we had been to witness such a perfect sunset our first night on Easter Island.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYR4OjDnm_c-KVnshfqAlKzgbzwC5-D8vMLdvRTJSDrNP7Yqt96aZ8OCsMnP2N2Zw2R3KQHsvbL-G6sHum-1XqAkVVOCyA4El0XDaf8Zv17z-UFDRxxB09JyVYinLvwulPg5K-tJP5xI/s1600/2017-11-24+178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYR4OjDnm_c-KVnshfqAlKzgbzwC5-D8vMLdvRTJSDrNP7Yqt96aZ8OCsMnP2N2Zw2R3KQHsvbL-G6sHum-1XqAkVVOCyA4El0XDaf8Zv17z-UFDRxxB09JyVYinLvwulPg5K-tJP5xI/s320/2017-11-24+178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Getting our first glimpse of <b>Ahu Tongariki</b> had to have been the island's most breathtaking sight. </span><span style="font-size: large;">This</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> ahu </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">or base</span><span style="font-size: large;"> represented the pinnacle of the Rapa Nui stone carving period with 15 colossal <i>moai</i> or statues standing side by side on the longest <i>ahu</i> ever built anywhere in Polynesia, with a length of over 650'! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-Fp3xfj63tFIPJKq2c9CcAvuHDaQz-VxLsHvvkS00tbuQabDHWR6GIT9zTNef02_aRKw3yth3ALAaJsZmgHJCk9iFcCyLsRiO761zM0PciN1W3qOTBiMsgoIThC_AhPgDjxCjcVJHoE/s1600/2017-11-25+259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-Fp3xfj63tFIPJKq2c9CcAvuHDaQz-VxLsHvvkS00tbuQabDHWR6GIT9zTNef02_aRKw3yth3ALAaJsZmgHJCk9iFcCyLsRiO761zM0PciN1W3qOTBiMsgoIThC_AhPgDjxCjcVJHoE/s320/2017-11-25+259.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After participating in the spellbinding Mass said mostly in <b>Rapa Nui,</b> the native language, we headed to the cemetery where a moai, with his <i>pukao</i> or topknot atop his head, had a commanding position. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy2D5vpVUpCq47jtCDkDWPMgb0ZOZ2afImy9bWDuhIP3YWyBJT21OKz8rIHsmNAcZmwEuLtzD7G6Xql82vKRf4kwhPLScwbsbcNoQU1vy-xTMhETH-dOiihmF-QnetLsTz1TPXw0j2go/s1600/2017-11-26+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyy2D5vpVUpCq47jtCDkDWPMgb0ZOZ2afImy9bWDuhIP3YWyBJT21OKz8rIHsmNAcZmwEuLtzD7G6Xql82vKRf4kwhPLScwbsbcNoQU1vy-xTMhETH-dOiihmF-QnetLsTz1TPXw0j2go/s320/2017-11-26+031.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our time in Easter Island proved to be a top highlight of our trip as we made time to discover moai all over the island as each formation held its own allure. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZsD2L62SB3rYTxUpT5VC_gNJNJz7VRLFZ8M1V9iSztVXRfru4LcZaPZYIlvaxNDd6ykjybAEYOg4eV1VyCEdFJiouhxVYxOkA5ncjyicreZcEfij9QXqG43bZI8-of8K7Hk8p25HorQ/s1600/2017-11-26+252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZsD2L62SB3rYTxUpT5VC_gNJNJz7VRLFZ8M1V9iSztVXRfru4LcZaPZYIlvaxNDd6ykjybAEYOg4eV1VyCEdFJiouhxVYxOkA5ncjyicreZcEfij9QXqG43bZI8-of8K7Hk8p25HorQ/s320/2017-11-26+252.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Back on the mainland, we spent a couple of days in very colorful AND hilly <b>Valparaiso,</b> not far from Santiago, the capital of Chile. Never</span><span style="font-size: large;"> had we seen such a large scale of mural art anywhere.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCnIuhaLbrQNDxFKmQf-_Qf4QgjiEySymLvga6ju8Z0BuwsiJFEWXeRyX5M3txWRGnz2zROahyphenhypheneBpjxB_jUtiFi6TBh3JHuXKNZJwZPoXtox51W6DqMhRaqlhpRkYKuz1kzxiXY9B9oE/s1600/2017-11-29+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCnIuhaLbrQNDxFKmQf-_Qf4QgjiEySymLvga6ju8Z0BuwsiJFEWXeRyX5M3txWRGnz2zROahyphenhypheneBpjxB_jUtiFi6TBh3JHuXKNZJwZPoXtox51W6DqMhRaqlhpRkYKuz1kzxiXY9B9oE/s320/2017-11-29+013.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayZbdUYBdsNpd_d7f7ITtFZIQN3CdlLMzippjICL2e6gNIllSFNeKmu1nKu_V5ViAh39iwVYfSH05sSBkGAWsY1ofLlxHY4W8QB78ElRRiVw8ikGwjtgccq2zgqHP13_j02mwh8i1xU/s1600/2017-11-29+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayZbdUYBdsNpd_d7f7ITtFZIQN3CdlLMzippjICL2e6gNIllSFNeKmu1nKu_V5ViAh39iwVYfSH05sSBkGAWsY1ofLlxHY4W8QB78ElRRiVw8ikGwjtgccq2zgqHP13_j02mwh8i1xU/s320/2017-11-29+121.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To conquer the hilltops, <i>ascenores</i> or funiculars were introduced at the beginning of the last century. We had read that no visit to the city would be complete without a ride on one so we rode the steep <b>Ascensor El Peral</b> which had been built in 1902.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmClEOWnjHFjWMFfNKRIL1onAkmUmn_yN7oOWl_OcMfr2ozEcWRm2gReZGrC9AudV-_UT_DIH0oFSNu6RBJQvSZS80J_gswCnHbLurJ1TEx3niKwnIqLz0yLKInau3eiT06AKy_V-U84/s1600/2017-11-29+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmClEOWnjHFjWMFfNKRIL1onAkmUmn_yN7oOWl_OcMfr2ozEcWRm2gReZGrC9AudV-_UT_DIH0oFSNu6RBJQvSZS80J_gswCnHbLurJ1TEx3niKwnIqLz0yLKInau3eiT06AKy_V-U84/s320/2017-11-29+049.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These were the city's famous piano steps which we hadn't realized were anything special until we looked back where we had walked down!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DzBQrIuRLHI0jqPqFP5pnCI7VXsXBlewOHvuVodjEfqpHFtorCJp4MTAUZKKSpuCpt3K0vmYUaPKcMBpOceJicx828YYQHU0EzerG6u0b3Jh2mAzSyxzVcpSdqbaHv_q0N7gWHjOgjU/s1600/2017-11-30+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DzBQrIuRLHI0jqPqFP5pnCI7VXsXBlewOHvuVodjEfqpHFtorCJp4MTAUZKKSpuCpt3K0vmYUaPKcMBpOceJicx828YYQHU0EzerG6u0b3Jh2mAzSyxzVcpSdqbaHv_q0N7gWHjOgjU/s320/2017-11-30+002.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A 'blip' near Valparaiso occurred when Steven had his shoes, glasses, etc. stolen from right beside him as we sat on the beach! We figured somebody must have needed everything more than he did!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgmbwyH1y3EG3_TKMMepjWK3OmmpysNnpd3rd0LnSN5lFeYZDPhTsTUHG7Mmuo0ELySE-uzJAMGOsBZ110wnYiNRr9204hCRr-DLr3XlHET7_fb8L4LdAlwNzKXbL3LlC8CdOdOUTaRM/s1600/2017-11-30+130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgmbwyH1y3EG3_TKMMepjWK3OmmpysNnpd3rd0LnSN5lFeYZDPhTsTUHG7Mmuo0ELySE-uzJAMGOsBZ110wnYiNRr9204hCRr-DLr3XlHET7_fb8L4LdAlwNzKXbL3LlC8CdOdOUTaRM/s320/2017-11-30+130.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The face and story of <b>Eva </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perón</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> was a huge part of our visit to <b>Buenos Aires, Argentina,</b> at the beginning of December.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEwtHHisMXoIBmGOoI_HrRWc8tL22nNDmXZ9LYxgmnyFq0Z5LPvet8ktVnnEhiYqSs_35ZUroq9-EIVJ7jRQxq7vUyFOlzNhipNsl4TNxnmdqkXd-mK-j5rII1tPwWVherZrjrz6AUkM/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEwtHHisMXoIBmGOoI_HrRWc8tL22nNDmXZ9LYxgmnyFq0Z5LPvet8ktVnnEhiYqSs_35ZUroq9-EIVJ7jRQxq7vUyFOlzNhipNsl4TNxnmdqkXd-mK-j5rII1tPwWVherZrjrz6AUkM/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The city's unusual <b>Metropolitan Cathedral </b>had been</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the </span><span style="font-size: large;">home to the then <b>Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio,</b> currently Pope</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Francis. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOrECQDB5QSozrZZNqdDKxMiOyWC6No-lCF__jrdaBId4u-v6gYA2L4Q5hzqgQaXi40ueLaW2a_3x7Atibevrb5ir3guGN__7ks3GkatygYtZZgl6zNjEytjUu8ifKkXyQH0GEwKKp_Q/s1600/2017-12-02+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOrECQDB5QSozrZZNqdDKxMiOyWC6No-lCF__jrdaBId4u-v6gYA2L4Q5hzqgQaXi40ueLaW2a_3x7Atibevrb5ir3guGN__7ks3GkatygYtZZgl6zNjEytjUu8ifKkXyQH0GEwKKp_Q/s320/2017-12-02+046.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While visiting the city's mammoth and beautiful <b>Recoleta Cemetery,</b> we learned about <b>Rufina Cambaceres,</b> a rich child buried alive after a cataleptic attack. When she woke up, she managed to pry open the coffin open but died during the night of a heart attack! She was buried in an art nouveau tomb decorated with wrought iron. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Recoleta was an eerily beautiful and tranquil place. It came as no surprise that over 90 of its tombs were listed as national historical monuments.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3kA3GIZHvzWoqiZjPn1xAU3GqwJ61TEuiouAlGhVdD9lJSg5nYcpz8fHqT-7I3uv_A4BiUQk2uJlBGB95kG5KnNPUj3C21DuEi4WGWLbiQgqi-zDztHvbXugOB6aWYl0uGuPKJz85VY/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3kA3GIZHvzWoqiZjPn1xAU3GqwJ61TEuiouAlGhVdD9lJSg5nYcpz8fHqT-7I3uv_A4BiUQk2uJlBGB95kG5KnNPUj3C21DuEi4WGWLbiQgqi-zDztHvbXugOB6aWYl0uGuPKJz85VY/s320/IMG_0712.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A more uplifting place was Buenos Aires' <b>Floralis Generica</b> designed by Argentine architect <b>Eduardo Catalano.</b> I found myself to be very captivated by the city and its marvelous museums, monuments and churches.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ16ubxz8JXTJ0U0NB0eXBabDDq6gArVJjiBQE4e4x0ZuKnzSnBR57aHNbs7lNiCX2PfTKnmfdGsBj1XMZgVY7_srE6NMYMmiu58-nFlvOsa8-tTckWxjASmL4CFWxSbye4_67WCCkTt8/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ16ubxz8JXTJ0U0NB0eXBabDDq6gArVJjiBQE4e4x0ZuKnzSnBR57aHNbs7lNiCX2PfTKnmfdGsBj1XMZgVY7_srE6NMYMmiu58-nFlvOsa8-tTckWxjASmL4CFWxSbye4_67WCCkTt8/s320/2017-12-05+phone+029.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">First seeing <b>Iguazu Falls</b> in northern Argentina took our breath away. We've been lucky enough to also view both Niagara Falls in Canada and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe but Iguazu Falls were far superior in our minds. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was hard to imagine a more astounding sight than this as the falls kept going on and on!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRGvbj6ri5iWXCU9tak_6nuwFZLjhfqNyGwJy1pNFCxRH9uNWKtrEVMlcP3WMIXnjqmGCcEZIa_a6xVayvk5zZ8YDa1OurQJbiJqsrvR5l4SercvG1k60ZScl4YePrifn0shrzLnyEmU/s1600/2017-12-08+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRGvbj6ri5iWXCU9tak_6nuwFZLjhfqNyGwJy1pNFCxRH9uNWKtrEVMlcP3WMIXnjqmGCcEZIa_a6xVayvk5zZ8YDa1OurQJbiJqsrvR5l4SercvG1k60ZScl4YePrifn0shrzLnyEmU/s320/2017-12-08+076.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0cVvvzVey1k9k0m6Br5spdds598eKIcXGQ_i5jXF-HawmN-H_f9cTswDKEDH9wI2xPwwv3g3dnh5TlSrqo6KtXOkcSQWTslXJjSfYE6zwV6ay-DIGrlPJ_FWVLT149A9rAGnyh9Oe20/s1600/2017-12-08+273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0cVvvzVey1k9k0m6Br5spdds598eKIcXGQ_i5jXF-HawmN-H_f9cTswDKEDH9wI2xPwwv3g3dnh5TlSrqo6KtXOkcSQWTslXJjSfYE6zwV6ay-DIGrlPJ_FWVLT149A9rAGnyh9Oe20/s320/2017-12-08+273.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We took a zodiac boat very close to the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Brazilian side of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">falls the following day which was a blast!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl-LafLzY1qOzIVEaDwJHxpZsKMaqpC6oSyCDqwnQVSUgKLLURAEJWY4_v_oOtRAdVNRS8sL1jWmUjVF2BC3soGdRJpaALs1EiovmkQykuG8x0MF78VvhqBSP3CZmG7op4DWndXCQ19c/s1600/2017-12-09+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl-LafLzY1qOzIVEaDwJHxpZsKMaqpC6oSyCDqwnQVSUgKLLURAEJWY4_v_oOtRAdVNRS8sL1jWmUjVF2BC3soGdRJpaALs1EiovmkQykuG8x0MF78VvhqBSP3CZmG7op4DWndXCQ19c/s320/2017-12-09+072.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We both found large swaths of <b>Sao Paulo, Brazil,</b> pretty depressing because of the huge numbers of homeless people </span><span style="font-size: large;">and the tagging or graffiti was on a scale we'd never seen before anywhere. However, we were both entranced when we entered <b>MASP,</b> the city art museum and </span><span style="font-size: large;">discovered all the paintings </span><span style="font-size: large;">mounted on large glass panels </span><span style="font-size: large;">suspended at eye level! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Iw9Uiegbk_n5IuSWdtnwKXdea7BbTeZ9ffqJX2fJ2mEZfcuzXEThreYEjAGM6WlHC297HQikNilxmgugsqG-wpcP4wmdQDBkLqnclzqAUzot1WSBViiliCmrY0N3G-mOnMHQJbK_jeg/s1600/2017-12-10+174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Iw9Uiegbk_n5IuSWdtnwKXdea7BbTeZ9ffqJX2fJ2mEZfcuzXEThreYEjAGM6WlHC297HQikNilxmgugsqG-wpcP4wmdQDBkLqnclzqAUzot1WSBViiliCmrY0N3G-mOnMHQJbK_jeg/s320/2017-12-10+174.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were stupefied by the fantastic collection of paintings by Old Masters such as Delacroix, Velasquez, Renoir, Corot and so many others. What a wonderful treasure trove of art in one museum! It made us happy we had decided to add Sao Paulo to our itinerary so long ago.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwb7pdLlUN8FbIxW8g3pvOFuwtRgszelJ879107Sc6H4MYKcyIp6RTTUrzQqelWBm01C2ZQaJuZJ05gjEqZ2jAcbwlbH95Loh56Fz5U8StWrWhc6NePoN6BLm7sZHMAOF59JMp8DOZRU/s1600/2017-12-10+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwb7pdLlUN8FbIxW8g3pvOFuwtRgszelJ879107Sc6H4MYKcyIp6RTTUrzQqelWBm01C2ZQaJuZJ05gjEqZ2jAcbwlbH95Loh56Fz5U8StWrWhc6NePoN6BLm7sZHMAOF59JMp8DOZRU/s320/2017-12-10+142.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our next and one of my favorite stops on the trip was the enchanting city of <b>Ouro Preto,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the center of what was in the 1690s the largest gold discovery in the Western hemisphere. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKmN2a0e3MkTmfuptyqsSuGot-_w1SF2uhCNbZaP5yVVGKGPqauj1t3PY67_NrE1YZmmc9SsjU4dkzghtrEVUSXYRxhFhPl8Rqmxs5lfrSGgNibFHjhIB4Ec0F0su5jU-QxMem-3JkE/s1600/2017-12-12+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKmN2a0e3MkTmfuptyqsSuGot-_w1SF2uhCNbZaP5yVVGKGPqauj1t3PY67_NrE1YZmmc9SsjU4dkzghtrEVUSXYRxhFhPl8Rqmxs5lfrSGgNibFHjhIB4Ec0F0su5jU-QxMem-3JkE/s320/2017-12-12+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the main square was stall upon stall of exquisite soapstone carvings. Many craftsmen were hard at work carving pieces as we watched in fascination. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Those we bought still bring back fond memories of our time in one of the loveliest towns in all of South America.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8toOjIPJDZYyUapKwr7IgR_Yo598LR6Unqog8zSVbBvTn3siWUUM0PdWDce2UMdJN6Z-EJmOEOC8kPRiK4txJ5eQqwoOPHXvpek5bWwYEWef2iCzf_KXfIW5rJ0mvkUy7ScH1HK4iOrw/s1600/2017-12-12+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8toOjIPJDZYyUapKwr7IgR_Yo598LR6Unqog8zSVbBvTn3siWUUM0PdWDce2UMdJN6Z-EJmOEOC8kPRiK4txJ5eQqwoOPHXvpek5bWwYEWef2iCzf_KXfIW5rJ0mvkUy7ScH1HK4iOrw/s320/2017-12-12+016.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In <b>Rio de Janeiro,</b> a walking tour took us to 215 steps covered with colorful mosaics by Chilean-born artist <b>Jorge Selarón</b>. After moving to Brazil and living near the steps, he thought they were so gray. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Selarón, who always wore red shoes,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> decided to make up for the lack of red in the Brazilian flag by including as many red tiles as possible in the steps! The color red, he thought, brought joy to whatever it touched.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG3tx6LN-78pJGQpWbCTH81lhetp2o0m89pI4COBtibyHAbUBSfU87s7nuMtN_Qh80LV5mK4ZB1j2T9tX-3w2SGTzb5DSUmYcmlF-WWqrZvx0Bn9b1kzAYbhv5pHfHxROenej1SWqYys/s1600/2017-12-14+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG3tx6LN-78pJGQpWbCTH81lhetp2o0m89pI4COBtibyHAbUBSfU87s7nuMtN_Qh80LV5mK4ZB1j2T9tX-3w2SGTzb5DSUmYcmlF-WWqrZvx0Bn9b1kzAYbhv5pHfHxROenej1SWqYys/s320/2017-12-14+121.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is just one of the places we're heading to beginning TODAY as we start our sixth adventure that will take us to December 22nd!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15Z5KEOb8L6AZK_C7orDrV5Y6ch7JgD5ICxvK1OymcAE_kGdoqC76oO1Fye35XGPfms22lCp3RQr9sHuS200fwGvt2prNIycYJVY_fMpYNvu9YxnADWVqeUUl2JD4R-HkOcOTglu6mt0/s1600/2017-12-14+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15Z5KEOb8L6AZK_C7orDrV5Y6ch7JgD5ICxvK1OymcAE_kGdoqC76oO1Fye35XGPfms22lCp3RQr9sHuS200fwGvt2prNIycYJVY_fMpYNvu9YxnADWVqeUUl2JD4R-HkOcOTglu6mt0/s320/2017-12-14+131.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rio's captivating</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Christ the Redeemer statue:</b></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C8nwtcoVXTl18wOBwL0FpQZ8x1wmdoisUpmwNa6EJbfqay73NDg5hAcPlZ9x4nkw7seEq2wvBy9Io_BNtIkHnwjihjVTgH-MoPpTv41E5KeMfPZ3ku8yBk1ZleDSj6GwyxtT2vvg-c/s1600/2017-12-15+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C8nwtcoVXTl18wOBwL0FpQZ8x1wmdoisUpmwNa6EJbfqay73NDg5hAcPlZ9x4nkw7seEq2wvBy9Io_BNtIkHnwjihjVTgH-MoPpTv41E5KeMfPZ3ku8yBk1ZleDSj6GwyxtT2vvg-c/s320/2017-12-15+023.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A view of</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Pão de Açúcar or Sugarloaf, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">our next destination in exciting Rio!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJXQ8NTBijTo6OOMnYPREfGKqbk37DLBxonVgld4mGBmqJ2LhNT45XiomCfw3pLE3fEKEsQae48Df1g-GPMFGRmNJUYanXQDoTPbhLkaFLiLWYmMYmmWSTrmC5P3Knj450M_wGsXvlw/s1600/2017-12-15+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJXQ8NTBijTo6OOMnYPREfGKqbk37DLBxonVgld4mGBmqJ2LhNT45XiomCfw3pLE3fEKEsQae48Df1g-GPMFGRmNJUYanXQDoTPbhLkaFLiLWYmMYmmWSTrmC5P3Knj450M_wGsXvlw/s320/2017-12-15+039.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We'd seen so many gorgeous sunsets in our travels around the world but this one on the way back to Rio from visiting the exquisite car-free </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ilha de Paquetá</b> had to rank at the very top.</span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU5dsMSANzA3Hn2GR_Op315DHlVRH-FG4zbOVH8q6VMxzQoE1zWhn0Qw7ZyKDkq2BMdp0izS2H2h6usRKu_Jk35Wq3L8vyQVXTFUHznRFZ6nnIEa87yP_CGD6eQTDlBCDN0Vonq6ymxI/s1600/2017-12-16+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU5dsMSANzA3Hn2GR_Op315DHlVRH-FG4zbOVH8q6VMxzQoE1zWhn0Qw7ZyKDkq2BMdp0izS2H2h6usRKu_Jk35Wq3L8vyQVXTFUHznRFZ6nnIEa87yP_CGD6eQTDlBCDN0Vonq6ymxI/s320/2017-12-16+186.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our last stop in our 3.5 month long trip was in Mexico City. </span><span style="font-size: large;">There we were excited to stop in at the</span><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Palacio de Bellas Artes </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">to see the paintings by Mexico's internationally famous muralists.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0GM4cRfjs89fyMK120LnL66aJlQ2vUb_QpyMNHdnp4NQwrpKjPYk_vovCGy9Pn-WZxe8dmYbh2x9ZSTVvgD3SoYAf5gF54mds2YrNPz6VHdHuXep76J7JnulBcwpuONmmXXsIjHtghj/s1600/2017-12-19+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0GM4cRfjs89fyMK120LnL66aJlQ2vUb_QpyMNHdnp4NQwrpKjPYk_vovCGy9Pn-WZxe8dmYbh2x9ZSTVvgD3SoYAf5gF54mds2YrNPz6VHdHuXep76J7JnulBcwpuONmmXXsIjHtghj/s320/2017-12-19+108.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From the city, we made a day trip to </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Teotihuacan</b> where we climbed to the top of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Temple of the Sun. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ex9ik0G801lRhXxHVI_FALXAytZ0U1pQS3gjXJUFlE4OrZIzVMl5_J15vhO7qz4WBVL3vl7J7d9u-CKsiy6f7_SNAiV3c0RoHEHtV316QtcmLLBJHfw-2ZlE1uvsVlgkt5MChVqp20/s1600/2017-12-20+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ex9ik0G801lRhXxHVI_FALXAytZ0U1pQS3gjXJUFlE4OrZIzVMl5_J15vhO7qz4WBVL3vl7J7d9u-CKsiy6f7_SNAiV3c0RoHEHtV316QtcmLLBJHfw-2ZlE1uvsVlgkt5MChVqp20/s320/2017-12-20+157.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We love museums so were excited to spend several hours in one of the world's great ones,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> The Museum of Anthropology, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">located in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. If you ever have a chance to go, you won't regret it.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIwXpI2D3IgASI61GK9-0fj49Puetuhx1GWUDQkED05eYn2HQQVeWvuN2YiMVDb_2rTAmz8ENFXNZkmGubiYrIWIfP1XBi6zjSyjuae6h2xhzSaWDYGI5m1PpPxpsBwnGkG30rVgLppI/s1600/2017-12-21+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIwXpI2D3IgASI61GK9-0fj49Puetuhx1GWUDQkED05eYn2HQQVeWvuN2YiMVDb_2rTAmz8ENFXNZkmGubiYrIWIfP1XBi6zjSyjuae6h2xhzSaWDYGI5m1PpPxpsBwnGkG30rVgLppI/s320/2017-12-21+054.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A teaser from the museum: <b>Olmec heads,</b> made of basalt that weighed almost 20 tons, may have been portraits of high-ranking people.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRWBHcRU7LfoqrSQhPH1ondd7P3AOK9MVvhaO6EzKbP4s29cW9DtJJa4Bgn_bVCNwdVFk2O3D28foIn3L13gLqJu48V3xSAiQEnLtTWk2zwOz30uO2NDL7qmRrU34ex55AhEqdKADhXc/s1600/2017-12-21+264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRWBHcRU7LfoqrSQhPH1ondd7P3AOK9MVvhaO6EzKbP4s29cW9DtJJa4Bgn_bVCNwdVFk2O3D28foIn3L13gLqJu48V3xSAiQEnLtTWk2zwOz30uO2NDL7qmRrU34ex55AhEqdKADhXc/s320/2017-12-21+264.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Paseo Reforma,</b> the city's grandest boulevard contained one great monument after another. This was the <b>Monumento a Cristóbal Colón</b> or Christoper Columbus as we know him that showed him gesturing toward the horizon.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkpLXeep_jmtpUBRMcsN9Dug4rqAhsXCKdfofMk4C9XtRVRWkYoxkBxf-haBubbVTWJGr18mC_leUesAibgaBXfVrg_0vVEvqrW6lVLZLApaqsu1P0TKiI2gk6zADEssl5Yj9kJmPLfk/s1600/2017-12-21+372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkpLXeep_jmtpUBRMcsN9Dug4rqAhsXCKdfofMk4C9XtRVRWkYoxkBxf-haBubbVTWJGr18mC_leUesAibgaBXfVrg_0vVEvqrW6lVLZLApaqsu1P0TKiI2gk6zADEssl5Yj9kJmPLfk/s320/2017-12-21+372.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite recollections of a wonderful trip to South America last fall. It was fun re-reading my 150 or so blog posts from last year's adventure to come up with this highlight reel!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned earlier, we leave in a few hours for another long adventure, our longest one yet. We'll be discovering the sights in Paris for a few days, then some of the countries in the former Soviet Union including some of the 'Stan' countries along the famous Silk Road before spending a long time in Spain, and a much shorter time in Portugal and the Netherlands to round out the trip. Steven and I would love you to follow us on our new blog address at www.bergersadventures6.blogspot.com</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for reading the previous posts and especially for commenting on some of them. It keeps me motivated to keep sharing our travels with you!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on August 13th, from Littleton Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-71433933748918699122018-07-11T20:13:00.000-06:002018-08-12T06:58:18.912-06:0012/21: A Final Walk Along Mexico City's Paseo Reforma, One of the World's Great Boulevards!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Almost seven months since returning home from our fantastic adventure to South America and a few days in Mexico City at the end, I am finally writing the last post on the trip before doing one recap post! If you had told me so many months ago it would take me this long, I would have definitely poo-pooed you but planning for upcoming trips and volunteering here at home has taken up more of my energies than I would have thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After leaving one of the world's great museums, <b>The Museum of Anthropology</b> located in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park or Forest, we headed through the park to <b>Paseo Reforma</b>, the city's grandest boulevard.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgx_laUlGU3a-uglaMioybSMtyjrsEf62zyw9qQEvUOQsv9I4S_3yCDt2lIVh9aJF5GWBPm00J-dxM4il8qhd8d7oOnTYnQQ3Bf8WvpXYTZC5pq-56JGfFZIRWt_XB2OhIk-0swlN9Kg/s1600/2017-12-21+319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgx_laUlGU3a-uglaMioybSMtyjrsEf62zyw9qQEvUOQsv9I4S_3yCDt2lIVh9aJF5GWBPm00J-dxM4il8qhd8d7oOnTYnQQ3Bf8WvpXYTZC5pq-56JGfFZIRWt_XB2OhIk-0swlN9Kg/s320/2017-12-21+319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At points throughout the trip, Steven and I had been talking about where we wanted to go next on our 'big trip,' i.e. the overseas one lasting several months we have been taking every fall since 2013. We had already visited many of the former Soviet republics but were interested in traveling to more of them. If one ever believed in 'signs' we had had our fair share of them already this trip indicating where we should go. One sign had been when I visited a fortune teller in Lima and asked whether we should visit some of the Stan countries or much of Western Europe that we had not yet been to. After chewing some coca leaves and waving his hands over and praying over more of them, the man had emphatically said the Stan countries were where we should go. Then, when we walked up the oh, so fun <b>Selaron</b> mosaic steps I wrote about in one of the Rio posts, one of the mosaic tiles was from <b>Kazakhstan.</b> Then, to top it all off, here we were in Mexico City and almost the first thing we come across on the Paseo Reforma was this huge sculpted map of <b>Azerbaijan.</b> I think that sealed where we would go in the fall of 2018! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In just over a month, after our third child gets married in less than a year, we'll be heading to Paris for a few days and then onto Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, several of the Stan countries and then Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands with a few days thrown in in Andorra, Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco and returning over four months later just before Christmas. I hope you'll enjoy reading some of those far shorter posts!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr3OG0rR6t8M-yKwI2nb_b5LT_T-ET3oTKwlerr8wJMr19tKulKT5NbWwk_gWdoNM6CghS10o-5DsxqqP-t4W0purzalb5fMv4MnqKLdLh6QPVaTmT2XmwxH6ONhmdjtI4Gq9OIn1DTs/s1600/2017-12-21+321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr3OG0rR6t8M-yKwI2nb_b5LT_T-ET3oTKwlerr8wJMr19tKulKT5NbWwk_gWdoNM6CghS10o-5DsxqqP-t4W0purzalb5fMv4MnqKLdLh6QPVaTmT2XmwxH6ONhmdjtI4Gq9OIn1DTs/s320/2017-12-21+321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Back to the Paseo Reforma,</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed by <b>Ferdinand von Rosenzweig</b> in the 1860s and modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as the Ringstrasse in Vienna and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. After the French intervention in Mexico overthrew the constitutional <b>President Benito Juárez,</b> the newly crowned <b>Emperor Maximilian</b> of Hapsburg made his mark on the conquered city. He commissioned a grand avenue linking the city center with his imperial residence, Chapultepec Castle </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">(which we walked up to earlier that day)</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">with the old city center.</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> The street was originally named <b>Paseo de la Emperatri</b>z or Promenade of the Empress in honor of Maximilian's consort and second cousin Empress Carlota. After her return to Europe and Maximilian's subsequent execution, the restored Juárez government renamed the Paseo in honor of the Reform War. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A 2003 addition to the city's skyline was <b>Torre Mayor,</b> located just outside Bosque de Chapultepec. The earthquake-resistant structure, which soared 225 meters above the capital, was anchored below by 98 seismic shock absorbers as the city is often prone to earthquakes. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXAzpvh3pfDXNkkubHo5tzF-Zx_XG_XMd0TelwKDvmQt5OWyqAyeBe-QT6EVop6d7qpiIdZi-0Dx_g2NhB301BWmh5tXyyW2rNOHAeXX6INtM6m6xojALqiKH3XFH4vv2Gu_6CjhocFI/s1600/2017-12-21+322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXAzpvh3pfDXNkkubHo5tzF-Zx_XG_XMd0TelwKDvmQt5OWyqAyeBe-QT6EVop6d7qpiIdZi-0Dx_g2NhB301BWmh5tXyyW2rNOHAeXX6INtM6m6xojALqiKH3XFH4vv2Gu_6CjhocFI/s320/2017-12-21+322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWQqNA9w-I7Fk2WP7XCKfj_Y42XEHe-b56_yBpznaXYTwiROKjQxqYlYBcU4s2yTLLROaVnvvj0fP9kYmpjLK4f6F-dkWxbXoLU0JmCHNF7cPTkacnYCjng7sVH93HuaxRpMUaG50dCc/s1600/2017-12-21+323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWQqNA9w-I7Fk2WP7XCKfj_Y42XEHe-b56_yBpznaXYTwiROKjQxqYlYBcU4s2yTLLROaVnvvj0fP9kYmpjLK4f6F-dkWxbXoLU0JmCHNF7cPTkacnYCjng7sVH93HuaxRpMUaG50dCc/s320/2017-12-21+323.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the highlights of the Paseo de la Reforma was that it linked a series of monumental and grand traffic circles. The 1942 bronze figure of <b>La</b> <b>Diana Cazadora</b> or <b>Diana the Huntress</b> was once thought to offend public decency. The League of Decency had the sculptor add a loincloth to the buxom figure which was actually meant to represent the <b>Archer of the North Star</b> and it wasn't removed until 1966.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsyGAtanOs8PziKcNCCvVwn12WHL5TxdjXljlGuXpNovPtpWmDXTPoagPBReA4i2bi41hYpLX9r1FFJV2PRgawpGrk2TZFgjvkRfkBjmKNA-aYjt8m7Lgd5YkNeMRDYbY7SZsITMVG3Y/s1600/2017-12-21+329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsyGAtanOs8PziKcNCCvVwn12WHL5TxdjXljlGuXpNovPtpWmDXTPoagPBReA4i2bi41hYpLX9r1FFJV2PRgawpGrk2TZFgjvkRfkBjmKNA-aYjt8m7Lgd5YkNeMRDYbY7SZsITMVG3Y/s320/2017-12-21+329.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWntSKxVIrg7IyFAaVU5eMIBws8u7FU2IS3I-Jk9Ix2IeF_EFYwmXaXR0PSKF8J8ws9_0Hm-cKC7Z2-ES7lvedmkjzpns1kp1D203j8AHUm1XdJ0bpx8o3QaSXK9F4UTv3xxU6wp7jRw8/s1600/2017-12-21+328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWntSKxVIrg7IyFAaVU5eMIBws8u7FU2IS3I-Jk9Ix2IeF_EFYwmXaXR0PSKF8J8ws9_0Hm-cKC7Z2-ES7lvedmkjzpns1kp1D203j8AHUm1XdJ0bpx8o3QaSXK9F4UTv3xxU6wp7jRw8/s320/2017-12-21+328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I remember so clearly always being about twenty steps behind Steven as we walked down the stunning boulevard as I paused to take these photos! </span><span style="font-size: large;">I would have liked to 'stop and smell the roses' on the Paseo but</span><span style="font-size: large;"> we were in a time crunch and had to return to our hotel and get our bags before our flight home to Denver so unfortunately we didn't have the time to sit on the attractive benches and watch the world go by.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLM9d8AndCv6500_ViP1TeF9T3_sDRae6R6Ak7KCIHsE_UjZP7BfgX3B8mBshboCLaHiSR8TcmbnVaEfrkWpJYOcwcu-r0Ry9wGNIFuJFAtOqfiWOZlxRNFTODFS3YuAcXcMFYhKHQDjg/s1600/2017-12-21+330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLM9d8AndCv6500_ViP1TeF9T3_sDRae6R6Ak7KCIHsE_UjZP7BfgX3B8mBshboCLaHiSR8TcmbnVaEfrkWpJYOcwcu-r0Ry9wGNIFuJFAtOqfiWOZlxRNFTODFS3YuAcXcMFYhKHQDjg/s320/2017-12-21+330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLXnDa0m4EM-Bz7vEQxbckWAb4eSspLu4dUT7pK6Pf_dVDNaujPLWdIbwdMpRp6dlHHXHSWfQUyCOsMCXiqhrmYLt0e-BB3tCAE1NnPM9T134ZlBV8z_d5605jmcBqqTH1h585xhqzF8/s1600/2017-12-21+331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLXnDa0m4EM-Bz7vEQxbckWAb4eSspLu4dUT7pK6Pf_dVDNaujPLWdIbwdMpRp6dlHHXHSWfQUyCOsMCXiqhrmYLt0e-BB3tCAE1NnPM9T134ZlBV8z_d5605jmcBqqTH1h585xhqzF8/s320/2017-12-21+331.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlJXsrgTV3um8BddKslGt5GTn1LN9j3VTI2klOAh2J9aVBFyMDWF1woGy8Z089QSIgWo2Up9N1i4jMK6TfJheWomdWZjVtaKv53_hzjmN0HXZaFIy4X-NUvyZVP_ViM4ZTNCnNaMpfNE/s1600/2017-12-21+333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlJXsrgTV3um8BddKslGt5GTn1LN9j3VTI2klOAh2J9aVBFyMDWF1woGy8Z089QSIgWo2Up9N1i4jMK6TfJheWomdWZjVtaKv53_hzjmN0HXZaFIy4X-NUvyZVP_ViM4ZTNCnNaMpfNE/s320/2017-12-21+333.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_axs-OrofNkGCrDtSXDWaT75euif_kN8gGDGTKCzQ8XFkcPG0y8YqL_0t4-R3LW0k8tPhtue6dYddodUe58Gxe9loA-rlk2mIrZDf5wFVNdn4w5dQkzMfxbTPC-RG5vN404x8IlTy3fs/s1600/2017-12-21+334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_axs-OrofNkGCrDtSXDWaT75euif_kN8gGDGTKCzQ8XFkcPG0y8YqL_0t4-R3LW0k8tPhtue6dYddodUe58Gxe9loA-rlk2mIrZDf5wFVNdn4w5dQkzMfxbTPC-RG5vN404x8IlTy3fs/s320/2017-12-21+334.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Monumento a la Independencia,</b> more commonly known as The Angel, was sculpted for the independence centennial in 1910. I read that inside the monument were the remains of twelve important Mexicans. It would be great to see the gilded Winged Victory when thousands of people descend on the monument for occasional free concerts and victory celebrations following important Mexican soccer matches!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmLdJe4_45S-BciSo97wt1sJrK8YRqlNmkp-4k3DpBQC_Trwovopkyf4xDIGlcwPo2MzoREUqmJaTQB8Rk83xQO4gcUh2OIoe8eIS-RmkKwomN8qD30NPPdHMYeD0LFuNCIAldWBmLok/s1600/2017-12-21+335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmLdJe4_45S-BciSo97wt1sJrK8YRqlNmkp-4k3DpBQC_Trwovopkyf4xDIGlcwPo2MzoREUqmJaTQB8Rk83xQO4gcUh2OIoe8eIS-RmkKwomN8qD30NPPdHMYeD0LFuNCIAldWBmLok/s320/2017-12-21+335.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Doesn't this bench look like one of the most unusual and fun benches you've ever seen? I wish I could attest to its comfort but I only had time for a photo. I loved how art doubled as function.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHma0nqHHAiboB0f9h6FqJx4Y9m8JzAKIwKkzMXkmCNjfNUhUP34UgHApO8ZBDkozdxehDTsPR_KgBhEx9JYV7VxeyMjfqovhK5QgorPrwrM2QpMP9sFkGdbu490bkp9Js3MQLryuql4/s1600/2017-12-21+337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHma0nqHHAiboB0f9h6FqJx4Y9m8JzAKIwKkzMXkmCNjfNUhUP34UgHApO8ZBDkozdxehDTsPR_KgBhEx9JYV7VxeyMjfqovhK5QgorPrwrM2QpMP9sFkGdbu490bkp9Js3MQLryuql4/s320/2017-12-21+337.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNncTOMvZAw7D6u5NPV4valM0sCLdqduzUnxqGkBBzAhNgjLXS1xJAnK8-06LMIEpilrc6iLPNEo8O-2s1dWqkXxdUX2dmsWC6lDGwkweXRwBIBClsaQBuffkDSDMeI9ZJ08gxsWL5hs/s1600/2017-12-21+340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNncTOMvZAw7D6u5NPV4valM0sCLdqduzUnxqGkBBzAhNgjLXS1xJAnK8-06LMIEpilrc6iLPNEo8O-2s1dWqkXxdUX2dmsWC6lDGwkweXRwBIBClsaQBuffkDSDMeI9ZJ08gxsWL5hs/s320/2017-12-21+340.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was pretty sure the girl was celebrating her <b>quinceañera,</b> the Hispanic tradition of celebrating a young girl's coming of age on her 15th birthday. I just read online that the celebrations "embrace religious customs, and the virtues of family and social responsibility." </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpuaUNsHWzLUaE0LkTL-ielqqK7L4CNqvFFPSBDMLPysseVcUO3axTWvuq2XBnzbR9_hyphenhyphena7EREianRC96cCH2uBtsYRSI8SUIX1w-Tt7cb_t_dY9D2zr-HZYfeJXmeboGqv3EkcU8Y8c/s1600/2017-12-21+341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpuaUNsHWzLUaE0LkTL-ielqqK7L4CNqvFFPSBDMLPysseVcUO3axTWvuq2XBnzbR9_hyphenhyphena7EREianRC96cCH2uBtsYRSI8SUIX1w-Tt7cb_t_dY9D2zr-HZYfeJXmeboGqv3EkcU8Y8c/s320/2017-12-21+341.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Behind the fencing was all we could see of the US Embassy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fVPz4pvS5kgEQtHXMxSEbHXFDechI5VPLM-0bqlRQAlUG-XBAC3iaWrgH0eGZ1HGbYlb_OQnHlSXoozVby8VA2OG7Y1eGCUwNt4rZsp11b4s_A9mW7jNhmEZH63xGT4yDDam8T5Wu0M/s1600/2017-12-21+343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fVPz4pvS5kgEQtHXMxSEbHXFDechI5VPLM-0bqlRQAlUG-XBAC3iaWrgH0eGZ1HGbYlb_OQnHlSXoozVby8VA2OG7Y1eGCUwNt4rZsp11b4s_A9mW7jNhmEZH63xGT4yDDam8T5Wu0M/s320/2017-12-21+343.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't figure out what this was or represented but liked it even so!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-1quOSQ62-3db_RS5ptRWe3sYaEDKbqk_f90SqH11t-FAsuZ3WzUuTYpJpcBujSUug-YtvjlNTDlL8I1v3BEAHHaqH7nsflZhtJFXLcx_AY9Tm8sNdM0pOwRW0xin4x-dbyxTXAIbMk/s1600/2017-12-21+344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-1quOSQ62-3db_RS5ptRWe3sYaEDKbqk_f90SqH11t-FAsuZ3WzUuTYpJpcBujSUug-YtvjlNTDlL8I1v3BEAHHaqH7nsflZhtJFXLcx_AY9Tm8sNdM0pOwRW0xin4x-dbyxTXAIbMk/s320/2017-12-21+344.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The mirror-ball building in front of a futuristic pencil-thin building comprised the city's <b>Bolsa de Valores</b> or <b>Stock Exchange.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfTdTGrMc_scYTibXINJcPhvFgDQsYh870w3j5QzfxOBbzgiUE2mW0dohNJEdEZOkWzxGMo1rsuz2lJNLBJU6jj64Zloh2_J1aVXgK4vCaL4N8OtJomRMPwUt_5jskYgzf2c-oLSo3SI/s1600/2017-12-21+345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfTdTGrMc_scYTibXINJcPhvFgDQsYh870w3j5QzfxOBbzgiUE2mW0dohNJEdEZOkWzxGMo1rsuz2lJNLBJU6jj64Zloh2_J1aVXgK4vCaL4N8OtJomRMPwUt_5jskYgzf2c-oLSo3SI/s320/2017-12-21+345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEy86Uq4DYPSzXmO3sr2659J0RZlhBRiGx0VT9Sx3x_179TVnNx6AVVQRNJyRmKPp7IFB4dN45yELloRtVkTu3U59nmBDGWxWDpJCFx6fcvtCbCvvkke0Azh6qE6PhAY02ceR8GEIPAYE/s1600/2017-12-21+346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEy86Uq4DYPSzXmO3sr2659J0RZlhBRiGx0VT9Sx3x_179TVnNx6AVVQRNJyRmKPp7IFB4dN45yELloRtVkTu3U59nmBDGWxWDpJCFx6fcvtCbCvvkke0Azh6qE6PhAY02ceR8GEIPAYE/s320/2017-12-21+346.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Up and down the two mile stretch of Paseo del a Reforma were a series of smaller statues commissioned in the 19th century of prominent Mexicans from each state.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5CbB-jGguyXfiEZlgXXjt-ehCIiwgyoLOfqj0dpSTpvWezUouT_5M0zXJ1-TEWQAO7PiJwq9Cz7e-bpI21aFKBY6G3XtdOqnqcpnqIxPLm3XHZ89uKbV-kdNpX_uwKMWOEZn7MddHFk/s1600/2017-12-21+350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5CbB-jGguyXfiEZlgXXjt-ehCIiwgyoLOfqj0dpSTpvWezUouT_5M0zXJ1-TEWQAO7PiJwq9Cz7e-bpI21aFKBY6G3XtdOqnqcpnqIxPLm3XHZ89uKbV-kdNpX_uwKMWOEZn7MddHFk/s320/2017-12-21+350.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHOwXHOAGcNuOY3ajJ5ZghTYuLQRj-QbOywu8b2IquKJaxJdzBi9jRa_tu_Fy_hR7-GVtSyf421ZzD3z2e-RryFCeEpvuoyP2KiPETPnyKQLWVt1L4e5GywtmbHfb0iMiJBJAQMmgDPs/s1600/2017-12-21+351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHOwXHOAGcNuOY3ajJ5ZghTYuLQRj-QbOywu8b2IquKJaxJdzBi9jRa_tu_Fy_hR7-GVtSyf421ZzD3z2e-RryFCeEpvuoyP2KiPETPnyKQLWVt1L4e5GywtmbHfb0iMiJBJAQMmgDPs/s320/2017-12-21+351.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was troubling seeing all the posters reminding passersby of the 43 students who</span><span style="font-size: large;"> disappeared on September 26th and 27th, 2014.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxUEX9mw0bBk8bTg_OnJw7Dl6u1WI0VzF_joJSC-C_xFh7Z5qHTSDUZ1aGE-MjjnGwA7xxSII03pcilMX2lYzVPJ1o_qXrTveJmKmytK3y3XjBPSTUG2yggR5DHCH5ZReTlXOgeLT8Ww/s1600/2017-12-21+352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxUEX9mw0bBk8bTg_OnJw7Dl6u1WI0VzF_joJSC-C_xFh7Z5qHTSDUZ1aGE-MjjnGwA7xxSII03pcilMX2lYzVPJ1o_qXrTveJmKmytK3y3XjBPSTUG2yggR5DHCH5ZReTlXOgeLT8Ww/s320/2017-12-21+352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7q1nTIVsRMTDRSfSStIxkgitERR7gGZtTpEhSs811Nekz52_Im74FPE7qDYZwyKiYzJEZjycJVLZ_31xdp8sSNik4tjo-iOquwTrGvBvXbgEVMvs3X6uGXIlAx0_Tn-QoMsuxY_fklY/s1600/2017-12-21+353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7q1nTIVsRMTDRSfSStIxkgitERR7gGZtTpEhSs811Nekz52_Im74FPE7qDYZwyKiYzJEZjycJVLZ_31xdp8sSNik4tjo-iOquwTrGvBvXbgEVMvs3X6uGXIlAx0_Tn-QoMsuxY_fklY/s320/2017-12-21+353.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wish I understood the meaning behind the words which translate to "They do not need us to fail. We do not need them to survive."</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisATkXlzee2DORIG7KA7Z6CrDdgdiuTG2LDUJRUy1HSBBw7E2psNbv9ZO_64c6eX_C_aCYzuq5D-3d_5PLcLHiDoGOb8_tVnLQjf5mrIPu1X9AHM6T_Mu2M4fx0p6-LSVIgVGtKwSq_HU/s1600/2017-12-21+355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisATkXlzee2DORIG7KA7Z6CrDdgdiuTG2LDUJRUy1HSBBw7E2psNbv9ZO_64c6eX_C_aCYzuq5D-3d_5PLcLHiDoGOb8_tVnLQjf5mrIPu1X9AHM6T_Mu2M4fx0p6-LSVIgVGtKwSq_HU/s320/2017-12-21+355.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How tragic it must be for the students' families who had been searching for their loved ones for 1,185 days as of December 21st, 2017.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXpl3ZfV1HVIafOOx4FBc_TtKAIRKwuX2j559I3JCU-4pTPBiIo8XRPI2mCc2OhRDrbn26_z1m9Ol8CFWa-esce-I8KsaAyVimaJ_sxsJleP7Y-kt1j5n72W59-_3Sz8eKg-RhLUbT9s/s1600/2017-12-21+357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXpl3ZfV1HVIafOOx4FBc_TtKAIRKwuX2j559I3JCU-4pTPBiIo8XRPI2mCc2OhRDrbn26_z1m9Ol8CFWa-esce-I8KsaAyVimaJ_sxsJleP7Y-kt1j5n72W59-_3Sz8eKg-RhLUbT9s/s320/2017-12-21+357.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CM_PvdyXDSAzGorQmrIzi4_XQjqza_kek6G5__OVQ_gZc28LPxbxbHASjUAQF47r_W7xziigXUb_2eUoySZ1H1V2wAAPET4VTukcMvFoZMAq75dK_RgjrLKfY3F-4PmRjaYcHfutAvc/s1600/2017-12-21+356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CM_PvdyXDSAzGorQmrIzi4_XQjqza_kek6G5__OVQ_gZc28LPxbxbHASjUAQF47r_W7xziigXUb_2eUoySZ1H1V2wAAPET4VTukcMvFoZMAq75dK_RgjrLKfY3F-4PmRjaYcHfutAvc/s320/2017-12-21+356.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wondered again how comfortable these concrete 'sofas' were!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1l9t-F0DvqJlApAnG4zmGklwECqeGdfuT6PbCEx_ajjfqAzlMe6QIFT63uN6-1IxCVufPEDQWrLoGzKqgSO6uuMZ7BBvCz0-UdmVrVTfaXhbLvOB3lzRf0gTz7DdT-Ms8c22ieh_YRM/s1600/2017-12-21+358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1l9t-F0DvqJlApAnG4zmGklwECqeGdfuT6PbCEx_ajjfqAzlMe6QIFT63uN6-1IxCVufPEDQWrLoGzKqgSO6uuMZ7BBvCz0-UdmVrVTfaXhbLvOB3lzRf0gTz7DdT-Ms8c22ieh_YRM/s320/2017-12-21+358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This monument was of <b>José Eduardo de Cárdenas</b>, a</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> priest, theologian, politician, poet and writer. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqXgIa2ZJtZBOSytZLeQDyP0pb6X2ILxnY1vPLiW-ezIejd7ZLACzIESqn4-S-py4VPPbhM9puT9dnBiPmsHNQrUi09zxyHmLMjST3s1hTy70KJn7Rviwk3p5cJqNeDotAL6Vf5avbZ8/s1600/2017-12-21+359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqXgIa2ZJtZBOSytZLeQDyP0pb6X2ILxnY1vPLiW-ezIejd7ZLACzIESqn4-S-py4VPPbhM9puT9dnBiPmsHNQrUi09zxyHmLMjST3s1hTy70KJn7Rviwk3p5cJqNeDotAL6Vf5avbZ8/s320/2017-12-21+359.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The walk down la Reforma was like an architectural event with different styles and periods making it a fun exploration.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hpJzG20q6gA7ggRDp-kpy8kZ-vnwyYMEA8vPZySQyrZ7qxnQouu-5wo3Zd51W0IF1nnSpjWlJh5BMAvKgk7ZkEoOwTmyvNUEhKzmP6PggMytDdW9fhenF0-CBNRqKOqQRn5xHo03ivc/s1600/2017-12-21+361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hpJzG20q6gA7ggRDp-kpy8kZ-vnwyYMEA8vPZySQyrZ7qxnQouu-5wo3Zd51W0IF1nnSpjWlJh5BMAvKgk7ZkEoOwTmyvNUEhKzmP6PggMytDdW9fhenF0-CBNRqKOqQRn5xHo03ivc/s320/2017-12-21+361.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDT0XfIYishbm5hph7OWbGa4twdWvs0oNuBa6lHS8hkanTsFlMeGAtRHpe8SVU20hyphenhyphenL_9JFPaLrwgOE7aftbZOcwxNJY3xPKeYPy2iFlJf3pE8vzmb4HaJccomMKqkOYCc10twis01pI/s1600/2017-12-21+362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDT0XfIYishbm5hph7OWbGa4twdWvs0oNuBa6lHS8hkanTsFlMeGAtRHpe8SVU20hyphenhyphenL_9JFPaLrwgOE7aftbZOcwxNJY3xPKeYPy2iFlJf3pE8vzmb4HaJccomMKqkOYCc10twis01pI/s320/2017-12-21+362.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the busiest intersections was marked by the <b>Monumento a </b></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cuauhtémoc</b> which honored the last Aztec emperor against the Spanish invaders.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t2xNPmauv9ejro7jKzNpl9pC-OszBD-C6iqsYNKXe6hzt4h8jbQMYo62kW41GXiJ7am-gabPAdOcF_jvaIKnhOPfI7ZllJNWOavz5IduV6770uneXSRwTjLlW2R1c0Ji4ykO8tix-9g/s1600/2017-12-21+363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_t2xNPmauv9ejro7jKzNpl9pC-OszBD-C6iqsYNKXe6hzt4h8jbQMYo62kW41GXiJ7am-gabPAdOcF_jvaIKnhOPfI7ZllJNWOavz5IduV6770uneXSRwTjLlW2R1c0Ji4ykO8tix-9g/s320/2017-12-21+363.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qaJcZiwg_nhgmdcvuDXSKQxOcHbbA0Hx7JyDuJ6dzM12DeBjIqLcxeXlpsjZHe34HUlp9ilR77xloE6jEsv2ab9-0q8gLTspyBr0fwGVcH04nAR8WbF2rODmUWJ469sHwcr9fSG6tEo/s1600/2017-12-21+364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qaJcZiwg_nhgmdcvuDXSKQxOcHbbA0Hx7JyDuJ6dzM12DeBjIqLcxeXlpsjZHe34HUlp9ilR77xloE6jEsv2ab9-0q8gLTspyBr0fwGVcH04nAR8WbF2rODmUWJ469sHwcr9fSG6tEo/s320/2017-12-21+364.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HaN8ZZRRLxpEA56Ixrpd5xmzE6FbONX5CCMYxKLWaB0Mz9nUzmHkulKuYFSBv-uojf_7ii54fyh6QmlpD_eywblTfCHE6tGDX7PTF0tEhmutrOjPCCFwCPiuhb_laqocK6_huI25CXo/s1600/2017-12-21+365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HaN8ZZRRLxpEA56Ixrpd5xmzE6FbONX5CCMYxKLWaB0Mz9nUzmHkulKuYFSBv-uojf_7ii54fyh6QmlpD_eywblTfCHE6tGDX7PTF0tEhmutrOjPCCFwCPiuhb_laqocK6_huI25CXo/s320/2017-12-21+365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved the juxtaposition of the old monuments and the new skyscrapers up and down the long avenue.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA_FE_8r3ZkpZ747J3QU1Ee5vWH3xDJgKaouhOzeLI8i15doOYclhnVDAn2-5wKHo8-UQCQxAd2JkFk4FqvNtErPIQyZxLMli_0Z03gZaDKKEAjz-C3IIg5KOYixpKwwSIWWRrr89cuU/s1600/2017-12-21+366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA_FE_8r3ZkpZ747J3QU1Ee5vWH3xDJgKaouhOzeLI8i15doOYclhnVDAn2-5wKHo8-UQCQxAd2JkFk4FqvNtErPIQyZxLMli_0Z03gZaDKKEAjz-C3IIg5KOYixpKwwSIWWRrr89cuU/s320/2017-12-21+366.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0aoVf_RnEqYNsuh0-o3oQGQevWzvw7fo0hJeB0WHjgRQ9DylQ0RwyiyHMO4YVsQdO60BtCcvA-ZQVczegSJe7YWrrniONkF0SOWzSlOESxWmcX31QY5Ajg_KWjr1EDPBSu1ILZv79Ls/s1600/2017-12-21+367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0aoVf_RnEqYNsuh0-o3oQGQevWzvw7fo0hJeB0WHjgRQ9DylQ0RwyiyHMO4YVsQdO60BtCcvA-ZQVczegSJe7YWrrniONkF0SOWzSlOESxWmcX31QY5Ajg_KWjr1EDPBSu1ILZv79Ls/s320/2017-12-21+367.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So much of the architecture was very intriguing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrWozRDcfiqLTzItAIeFifTbVgRrGvamMGJdi1h3abAL1SLSHWufrvcyTznY953MbubauxRBxxi1ECK9wh3hWEq_kKhkd0W6P7PKlb1deD_80Xj8S3Bsa6jHJxpcOTg8YaWRcwb8H8ac/s1600/2017-12-21+368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrWozRDcfiqLTzItAIeFifTbVgRrGvamMGJdi1h3abAL1SLSHWufrvcyTznY953MbubauxRBxxi1ECK9wh3hWEq_kKhkd0W6P7PKlb1deD_80Xj8S3Bsa6jHJxpcOTg8YaWRcwb8H8ac/s320/2017-12-21+368.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the <b>Congress of the Union,</b> the seat of the federal government of Mexico which consisted of the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6d0ILcGwO4dYFWIrsPTeVqItEqQrdIHZbUCoDiFx26Qzv7G67ogKFoVggMYHFG8K2-jVapu_S2yYO73k2eTuoH-BbKGu-iCVl8SlD6OhPwuv79d_Wso-OIGwnrxqg89JT77PNHqbB-w/s1600/2017-12-21+369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6d0ILcGwO4dYFWIrsPTeVqItEqQrdIHZbUCoDiFx26Qzv7G67ogKFoVggMYHFG8K2-jVapu_S2yYO73k2eTuoH-BbKGu-iCVl8SlD6OhPwuv79d_Wso-OIGwnrxqg89JT77PNHqbB-w/s320/2017-12-21+369.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few blocks away was the </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monumento a</b> <b>Cristóbal Colón</b> or <b>Christoper Columbus</b> as we know him that showed him gesturing toward the horizon.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx0TjWhImIxyPq1lzHAauLTqe6sg4rvmMAXHk7yVaIzSk9ijC3jonlT7VLXXT7mbBAe9lOqs21iLd90Mpj4whL_uRaGO9oeH38L0g2jnt6A1zP9ZQvGANh2CSDlhVFPMV6ApNrdjLnm0/s1600/2017-12-21+371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx0TjWhImIxyPq1lzHAauLTqe6sg4rvmMAXHk7yVaIzSk9ijC3jonlT7VLXXT7mbBAe9lOqs21iLd90Mpj4whL_uRaGO9oeH38L0g2jnt6A1zP9ZQvGANh2CSDlhVFPMV6ApNrdjLnm0/s320/2017-12-21+371.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is one of my favorite photos of the Paseo, again showing the old and new.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkpLXeep_jmtpUBRMcsN9Dug4rqAhsXCKdfofMk4C9XtRVRWkYoxkBxf-haBubbVTWJGr18mC_leUesAibgaBXfVrg_0vVEvqrW6lVLZLApaqsu1P0TKiI2gk6zADEssl5Yj9kJmPLfk/s1600/2017-12-21+372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkpLXeep_jmtpUBRMcsN9Dug4rqAhsXCKdfofMk4C9XtRVRWkYoxkBxf-haBubbVTWJGr18mC_leUesAibgaBXfVrg_0vVEvqrW6lVLZLApaqsu1P0TKiI2gk6zADEssl5Yj9kJmPLfk/s320/2017-12-21+372.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyTsn9617iFqIqb1cG4Wgz-qRAc9OOUj0Y0O5SjoY0AjUe9PN04oud2_efDNv37Kr8xl4FIrvYzKv9_n1L1NHMnXGhzzzq8WEsDNdAo4X18kNaLJTKK6J6IiK1yJ1x5klWewOwsAseKA/s1600/2017-12-21+373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyTsn9617iFqIqb1cG4Wgz-qRAc9OOUj0Y0O5SjoY0AjUe9PN04oud2_efDNv37Kr8xl4FIrvYzKv9_n1L1NHMnXGhzzzq8WEsDNdAo4X18kNaLJTKK6J6IiK1yJ1x5klWewOwsAseKA/s320/2017-12-21+373.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The bar in the <b>Imperial Hotel</b> was known for its <b>Carajillo 43,</b> a classic Spanish cocktail normally made with coffee and brandy that is very popular in Mexico. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgng3GhX5dWUrF_HBXkQcGYCkXCb-NajDsyk5TPyL9NlaHxHw-o5EI_fbKV0C5D2RskzEW99ICAI91nJLUhcj1Kcs1YRiXqTEHWw7P7tgmZQBvVXBUYPplqZZ1D45ygp2aNn8tY5krtZqo/s1600/2017-12-21+374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgng3GhX5dWUrF_HBXkQcGYCkXCb-NajDsyk5TPyL9NlaHxHw-o5EI_fbKV0C5D2RskzEW99ICAI91nJLUhcj1Kcs1YRiXqTEHWw7P7tgmZQBvVXBUYPplqZZ1D45ygp2aNn8tY5krtZqo/s320/2017-12-21+374.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q4eVB0n1XScMrK_xaH_BIKvcuWKKFw7ZbnUswF6YUG3aZoT7P_1X_hyF7Rnl1dTAc0vlV_BxSlsOIX0ppo9szlaGWWmx6GLZcxO6qyG9v_9SSdp6XyssRQyp7CjkyxVL7DFa29uWKGU/s1600/2017-12-21+375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q4eVB0n1XScMrK_xaH_BIKvcuWKKFw7ZbnUswF6YUG3aZoT7P_1X_hyF7Rnl1dTAc0vlV_BxSlsOIX0ppo9szlaGWWmx6GLZcxO6qyG9v_9SSdp6XyssRQyp7CjkyxVL7DFa29uWKGU/s320/2017-12-21+375.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Loteria Nacional</b> building, completed around 1936, included details of Art Deco craftsmanship.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg952zk-3U-oDOqaTsZxefphGWIgPsakY_d4G5iUL80cghHOwkxvd4eWjqffpwEmdenjSJ4vcWaHQIiSZSQBpr_pAhz9XknbxsLLJq_3RbXgcNJMcyZJ0EJvXLdEZJmDIYCKV0oCyyHbK8/s1600/2017-12-21+376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg952zk-3U-oDOqaTsZxefphGWIgPsakY_d4G5iUL80cghHOwkxvd4eWjqffpwEmdenjSJ4vcWaHQIiSZSQBpr_pAhz9XknbxsLLJq_3RbXgcNJMcyZJ0EJvXLdEZJmDIYCKV0oCyyHbK8/s320/2017-12-21+376.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG5D4HnWlEHi9MzbyRv5j_fh7kVFSVd2uIj3lzrithXCeFExdWPD4t0DT0aTjonYbAKXcDP_xUf5dNxPdrZmpwrdEy2xd7AiACr7yV_Pjk0lmcEgAHooFtp8QKU_Ch7lfUaXQMML04FA/s1600/2017-12-21+378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG5D4HnWlEHi9MzbyRv5j_fh7kVFSVd2uIj3lzrithXCeFExdWPD4t0DT0aTjonYbAKXcDP_xUf5dNxPdrZmpwrdEy2xd7AiACr7yV_Pjk0lmcEgAHooFtp8QKU_Ch7lfUaXQMML04FA/s320/2017-12-21+378.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>El Cabalito</b> was a bright yellow representation of a horse's head which commemorated another horse sculpture that stood in the same spot for 127 years before being moved to the National Art Museum. I was glad I had information about the sculpture as I don't think I'd have known it was a horse's head otherwise!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4rudzu6yqU3427A9-9ot44wA4pNIlfC_nXc6Y7UTwPcMXud_IJfKBfywiGrvuR2pN1yoRCam5fNKnyCqzwBHicrgZzcs-qJM9j1LJmZh6bjq2uv29WLkSuM06MosGefcU_XxDw-lMc/s1600/2017-12-21+377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOY4rudzu6yqU3427A9-9ot44wA4pNIlfC_nXc6Y7UTwPcMXud_IJfKBfywiGrvuR2pN1yoRCam5fNKnyCqzwBHicrgZzcs-qJM9j1LJmZh6bjq2uv29WLkSuM06MosGefcU_XxDw-lMc/s320/2017-12-21+377.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGcl1o7JN7XrqVsF6MiCRJdGlB6Wg3HF1ZxEH4SwfDeQjo-9RbxFLVk_MIL86yQH1LmWx5S7X7RkQdUlIbWmQp-MVbXGe1mrpGqrjOueFdQuyDQ9yzWzIqZvG1OQG8TnL3Ry6AUhIiMw/s1600/2017-12-21+381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGcl1o7JN7XrqVsF6MiCRJdGlB6Wg3HF1ZxEH4SwfDeQjo-9RbxFLVk_MIL86yQH1LmWx5S7X7RkQdUlIbWmQp-MVbXGe1mrpGqrjOueFdQuyDQ9yzWzIqZvG1OQG8TnL3Ry6AUhIiMw/s320/2017-12-21+381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv1Zaj49qnLmEsQcqSxRoDG4osXlXcDzacOQb25G0S3CO-qUcZ2J6UikUWlrqjfdaVOvCwgcmWU_demEKF5L_xFXEdnrclUiMevgWnBoKQETt5vssawWgMKP4_XUEAv3rlVeCE0qwgEA/s1600/2017-12-22+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv1Zaj49qnLmEsQcqSxRoDG4osXlXcDzacOQb25G0S3CO-qUcZ2J6UikUWlrqjfdaVOvCwgcmWU_demEKF5L_xFXEdnrclUiMevgWnBoKQETt5vssawWgMKP4_XUEAv3rlVeCE0qwgEA/s320/2017-12-22+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was so much to love in our short visit to Mexico City: the fabulous murals of Diego Rivera and his fellow muralists, the sinking Metropolitan Cathedral, the ancient temples and pyramids of Teotihuacan, the engrossing Anthropology Museum, and to top it all off, the very enjoyable stroll along the Paseo. But more than just the sights we saw, the city was a wonderful surprise where so few people smoked, we saw no graffiti in the historic center, only a handful of people were sleeping in the streets and the center was incredibly clean. We so often read of the violence in the city and the rest of the country but for us, we experienced nothing but positives. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post: </b>Some photos of some of our favorite places from our three and a half months in South America - I am NOT looking forward to going through almost 150 posts to find them, mind you! The trip had been absolutely fabulous even with some scary hiccups along the way but in our minds even they contributed to the 'adventure' as we call these long trips.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on July 11th, 2018, from sweltering Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-37683889438132510982018-07-08T12:41:00.000-06:002018-07-22T19:39:55.053-06:0012/21: Our adventure's last day: MC's Chapultepec Park & Amazing Anthropology Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our last day of the trip, we had the majority of the day to see some more Mexico City sights since our flight home didn't leave until late in the day. We </span><span style="font-size: large;">took the metro to the city's largest park, <b>Chapultepec Park,</b> which served as a refuge for the wandering Aztecs before becoming a summer residence for their noble class. I hadn't known that the name translated to </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hill of Grasshoppers</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> even though Boulder, the city up the road from us in the Denver suburbs, has a park by the same name. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMC7j1u54hSx_uBtq9RLfqzybayh9wDy5nJz-HrgUZYWBKelz_6JY0Z4mQsksF9EE35VHsR78RjYSut9oPiS64NyjAzTO8JTYwHxLMoXKPHhci27SRm3ytgWZq2J1Li9Q94XYg13IW-A/s1600/2017-12-21+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMC7j1u54hSx_uBtq9RLfqzybayh9wDy5nJz-HrgUZYWBKelz_6JY0Z4mQsksF9EE35VHsR78RjYSut9oPiS64NyjAzTO8JTYwHxLMoXKPHhci27SRm3ytgWZq2J1Li9Q94XYg13IW-A/s320/2017-12-21+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A pair of bronze lions overlooked the main gate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xRLYkEDvGAIa0egDuPoJaOzV6hjeJN-4EH1xrY-CXT2ufr_XxGbsly7wmSDE7Wp5vBJbOxvCYc8Y60NxaseLwpBfdtN4wjKEmyWngT_0iqsvqmFOv-U-ohCssKzwpw-z18Xkcc9cBiE/s1600/2017-12-21+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xRLYkEDvGAIa0egDuPoJaOzV6hjeJN-4EH1xrY-CXT2ufr_XxGbsly7wmSDE7Wp5vBJbOxvCYc8Y60NxaseLwpBfdtN4wjKEmyWngT_0iqsvqmFOv-U-ohCssKzwpw-z18Xkcc9cBiE/s320/2017-12-21+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRnjeOLdCbdMu5zQWQ5QZAWv6mPCXq5ZdH-mvnncMF7zByidzMt-IKPT5Fto4ndJ8qPtrMCbZ5Tx_zawyczqUDD2B78G2xrOi_pZ6hEb1No0e-R2TUxtON9jtyvennX_LXY2kQ8DW5KY/s1600/2017-12-21+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRnjeOLdCbdMu5zQWQ5QZAWv6mPCXq5ZdH-mvnncMF7zByidzMt-IKPT5Fto4ndJ8qPtrMCbZ5Tx_zawyczqUDD2B78G2xrOi_pZ6hEb1No0e-R2TUxtON9jtyvennX_LXY2kQ8DW5KY/s320/2017-12-21+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was delighted to see a huge display of photos the whole length of the pedestrian bridge entering the park honoring Mexico's close relationship with my native country of Canada and Canada's 150th anniversary as a nation on July 1, 2017.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr5tEwuu5mpIyRgW7itiYEAXudyxsFDBfCnQIIEUBRax-3Ec7I52F2-4DjjMLYwBLLsOPXvM_cw1b1TXHdlldwNsp7cl_ObRQrOINgMcrADY9MBo5RPMloHIQRpC6ODyqRLDqsaGtrvs/s1600/2017-12-21+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr5tEwuu5mpIyRgW7itiYEAXudyxsFDBfCnQIIEUBRax-3Ec7I52F2-4DjjMLYwBLLsOPXvM_cw1b1TXHdlldwNsp7cl_ObRQrOINgMcrADY9MBo5RPMloHIQRpC6ODyqRLDqsaGtrvs/s320/2017-12-21+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lzUUbBNLKnBOcXJna6gWPhud_mpRPn4U_KT73VlBM5M6hnGwdguQDXZOgblLyQfAymSOzMJRqyPveHxXpg7z8-H_Mu1hA3sT0FfeEwD21ogH-JXyFZ6iGyoM0ACRt77e8PM-1h2aih4/s1600/2017-12-21+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lzUUbBNLKnBOcXJna6gWPhud_mpRPn4U_KT73VlBM5M6hnGwdguQDXZOgblLyQfAymSOzMJRqyPveHxXpg7z8-H_Mu1hA3sT0FfeEwD21ogH-JXyFZ6iGyoM0ACRt77e8PM-1h2aih4/s320/2017-12-21+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9pcpn9RkPsPUg6tVU2kPxKGQmU6u0C7ksfPm_k-skOljplOcRz_td8M99vnTK7_jLGnEK94cpvbOmhyUaJbpSzC-Lgl0eoehJ6WdtJD_c_DzjpN_rBRZcPq52IxC7yrQev-zW2e2_dg/s1600/2017-12-21+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9pcpn9RkPsPUg6tVU2kPxKGQmU6u0C7ksfPm_k-skOljplOcRz_td8M99vnTK7_jLGnEK94cpvbOmhyUaJbpSzC-Lgl0eoehJ6WdtJD_c_DzjpN_rBRZcPq52IxC7yrQev-zW2e2_dg/s320/2017-12-21+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdby9_LM5BL4WGhYU6-ZhOcIEzvYfLNeG9QaWTSwpQ9xURfb6fEqGVteDumffcclBv-5umS8nq5u8JsiC5eDo-bepGNrWkFVPSHek3iVd32vBEb0YO1d5hjTexHyeLeMHEGQwa8gS5M_Y/s1600/2017-12-21+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdby9_LM5BL4WGhYU6-ZhOcIEzvYfLNeG9QaWTSwpQ9xURfb6fEqGVteDumffcclBv-5umS8nq5u8JsiC5eDo-bepGNrWkFVPSHek3iVd32vBEb0YO1d5hjTexHyeLeMHEGQwa8gS5M_Y/s320/2017-12-21+013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhnk-T9dWES2IQTIgYs9BZMC41zMzL_Rr0DVwISulWw9sSQLT_gXI4ajmhqUO0nepqt7Ieo3bPJcdCEU-3wa_0OaVV7_Bk7vckybK4TLthqzQPbpBUWDk3n3pkMSE5tqUa0ZaOU1CtKM/s1600/2017-12-21+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhnk-T9dWES2IQTIgYs9BZMC41zMzL_Rr0DVwISulWw9sSQLT_gXI4ajmhqUO0nepqt7Ieo3bPJcdCEU-3wa_0OaVV7_Bk7vckybK4TLthqzQPbpBUWDk3n3pkMSE5tqUa0ZaOU1CtKM/s320/2017-12-21+015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How lucky we were seeing flowers still blooming in the park near the end of December last year. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr18Gtxljtgm19d-ro1eHMsagbUjm80SJIiRFWQn0zZxwyYJB7CEALIjnAnNMFldfdJG4fNYKMtrj_Raf02wTyDlGoG-pOfJqhxvhn-R-qgsyyQKwhOk87UhnMcPsr117a_7Up8SJVBM/s1600/2017-12-21+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr18Gtxljtgm19d-ro1eHMsagbUjm80SJIiRFWQn0zZxwyYJB7CEALIjnAnNMFldfdJG4fNYKMtrj_Raf02wTyDlGoG-pOfJqhxvhn-R-qgsyyQKwhOk87UhnMcPsr117a_7Up8SJVBM/s320/2017-12-21+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the park was a monument called t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he <b>Niños Héroes,</b> also known as the <b>Heroic Cadets or Boy Soldiers</b> that honored six Mexican teenage military cadets who died defending <b>Chapultepec Castle</b> from invading U.S. forces in the September 13, 1847 Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican–American War. According to legend, in an act of bravery, one of the boys wrapped the Mexican flag around his body and jumped from the top of the castle in order to keep it from falling into the enemy's hands. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Niños Héroes are a key part of Mexico's patriotic folklore, commemorated by a national holiday on September 13. However, several modern Mexican historians claim that parts of the story are not factual</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtI9nZ74Bf2oLp-y1xiKTZOboS4fRA4FtV5EUnpLSrqFqcJToMIfUEuibIsZ6DdWpjK0dux07cM6Eaz0gPuLWBSGbs_dOoPxsj6NEmA4dst3HmKo99ZDS-KR_GYubGhVVJD93KoMUag0/s1600/2017-12-21+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtI9nZ74Bf2oLp-y1xiKTZOboS4fRA4FtV5EUnpLSrqFqcJToMIfUEuibIsZ6DdWpjK0dux07cM6Eaz0gPuLWBSGbs_dOoPxsj6NEmA4dst3HmKo99ZDS-KR_GYubGhVVJD93KoMUag0/s320/2017-12-21+017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we began our climb up the long path to the Castillo de Chapultepec at the top of the hill, we passed a small museum.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPG3KzI35kncXTuYOwF_4t6l1PKMNaD0mWdWoDgpnl8Kp3T5cOzFLHFYur-_Fcy05E7wQYVhwwCniTn4wBYJwdmMoCqkyLsGsY6nvafPX5VsZHsqsqDGLebAb99HvJqKdZNjH8EpvYse4/s1600/2017-12-21+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPG3KzI35kncXTuYOwF_4t6l1PKMNaD0mWdWoDgpnl8Kp3T5cOzFLHFYur-_Fcy05E7wQYVhwwCniTn4wBYJwdmMoCqkyLsGsY6nvafPX5VsZHsqsqDGLebAb99HvJqKdZNjH8EpvYse4/s320/2017-12-21+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, my knowledge of Spanish wasn't good enough to understand the sign that described the small eagle and serpent sculpture nestled in the cactus.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pBHyCMn-kANudrKPgn6qX103PUe-jEkYGbgd6_XnFEme0P10YXnzBfIw6tWiXdPUEcARedTnOszc_YGFf5mFRWG-EEw_StYsgO88TzckIJBWxwWvJIEHOlpB8oS8kc8lUDnsXv4WOqY/s1600/2017-12-21+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pBHyCMn-kANudrKPgn6qX103PUe-jEkYGbgd6_XnFEme0P10YXnzBfIw6tWiXdPUEcARedTnOszc_YGFf5mFRWG-EEw_StYsgO88TzckIJBWxwWvJIEHOlpB8oS8kc8lUDnsXv4WOqY/s320/2017-12-21+021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A reminder of Mexico's bygone aristocracy, the 'castle' atop the hill was begun in 1785 but not completed until after independence when it became a military academy. We didn't have time to tour the former presidential residence, now the current<b> National History Museum, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">but a guard kindly allowed me to enter</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">a few steps </span><span style="font-size: large;">through the beautiful gate to take some photos.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiyQ2RWS4VDwO5zzr_GctbcvOQ9heRGVCTCwCxNqbmGPCBDAZCa62AKPualBew7yXY91FCZddk9zk4i5Nzm3U8MJSlaSozU2kwTRPMFLSoBlaGlnUJbyowAScdDSSCDxr_VyxOE4HqnA/s1600/2017-12-21+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiyQ2RWS4VDwO5zzr_GctbcvOQ9heRGVCTCwCxNqbmGPCBDAZCa62AKPualBew7yXY91FCZddk9zk4i5Nzm3U8MJSlaSozU2kwTRPMFLSoBlaGlnUJbyowAScdDSSCDxr_VyxOE4HqnA/s320/2017-12-21+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH_dFxZ0379elM7gsKwaw228AHIaXZgqsJTtot-SxbHuW4-we9r9U0zx3wVpGw2FrXvYsJkvuLCZ7sgZOWRrYiPv5wlvDRmO_Yrl0J1bcrAKKw3LPMPi86x-f3Q1z9Lw2qgPDsfCy5R0/s1600/2017-12-21+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH_dFxZ0379elM7gsKwaw228AHIaXZgqsJTtot-SxbHuW4-we9r9U0zx3wVpGw2FrXvYsJkvuLCZ7sgZOWRrYiPv5wlvDRmO_Yrl0J1bcrAKKw3LPMPi86x-f3Q1z9Lw2qgPDsfCy5R0/s320/2017-12-21+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o-6_FwqjZdt8sUgeFeY4lOThOyIP41nuwDUrZwoss9HSrQZpv17WD8XpRa24FrEjRVChhZ5_HXyJM6_9BhIqCVahhGGMtx-Y7WggtF82LW49Cn5BNZLIexYAeQFLDUYXB5OBj-BpgKY/s1600/2017-12-21+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o-6_FwqjZdt8sUgeFeY4lOThOyIP41nuwDUrZwoss9HSrQZpv17WD8XpRa24FrEjRVChhZ5_HXyJM6_9BhIqCVahhGGMtx-Y7WggtF82LW49Cn5BNZLIexYAeQFLDUYXB5OBj-BpgKY/s320/2017-12-21+027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEw8BpRai0IM3ghSh4VC-D-yrGpCDdmsxdAudykiWlFEGAsO-pAWc_JS2alnss9yLZlsMjJXc7_FtmvQ84giV6TCH8J_A0a7dvP5jB0uZATBsFDcBoUwZhKBY_3F7vV8_clwnJkY4X0ZU/s1600/2017-12-21+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEw8BpRai0IM3ghSh4VC-D-yrGpCDdmsxdAudykiWlFEGAsO-pAWc_JS2alnss9yLZlsMjJXc7_FtmvQ84giV6TCH8J_A0a7dvP5jB0uZATBsFDcBoUwZhKBY_3F7vV8_clwnJkY4X0ZU/s320/2017-12-21+031.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Though it was too early in the day for people to be out enjoying boating activities on the lake, it was especially peaceful away from the crowds that normally thronged the park.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew-XmL2WdV3hDXwrKTnI8ibJvtVZU_KcoE4QfFTwaJZB19ZAik3iKdQccK9kpM9bzSJYddU7ZHmRTrGMBH_jmfw_CGvVqkkN7xtxAp9J0og5Rku_Xky3rEfrmXrX2w-ut2CgiImgAleI/s1600/2017-12-21+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew-XmL2WdV3hDXwrKTnI8ibJvtVZU_KcoE4QfFTwaJZB19ZAik3iKdQccK9kpM9bzSJYddU7ZHmRTrGMBH_jmfw_CGvVqkkN7xtxAp9J0og5Rku_Xky3rEfrmXrX2w-ut2CgiImgAleI/s320/2017-12-21+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The intricate carved bench looked very attractive but I don't know how comfortable it was to sit on!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTQ2tf6ofKDamnwWDSBVkhd0zbbbM-KjeZvRWSZzQv8aHBn6zEzQr2tgrdcF34TOJZjw0zF1Hu6sw-BLn5zu1m1mT0qeCk1dZ8wVcCfL78Q0y-2ipozgUTEFS-rxkF5F7nPEXQuAXHzc/s1600/2017-12-21+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTQ2tf6ofKDamnwWDSBVkhd0zbbbM-KjeZvRWSZzQv8aHBn6zEzQr2tgrdcF34TOJZjw0zF1Hu6sw-BLn5zu1m1mT0qeCk1dZ8wVcCfL78Q0y-2ipozgUTEFS-rxkF5F7nPEXQuAXHzc/s320/2017-12-21+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bcQxV_9B_ut35z9gVsLDMYt5-4Rk5_o9pyLV2voK7P7JCuvs76C0HlKRqrsuNmuFrg9ALmLYDGV_CtvWK03Iy5bV0oUTtHKKZMQ-B8-Tp_Qu3SeX4iwIgXQuM6wGv4Lx3EsIUW-4nAQ/s1600/2017-12-21+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bcQxV_9B_ut35z9gVsLDMYt5-4Rk5_o9pyLV2voK7P7JCuvs76C0HlKRqrsuNmuFrg9ALmLYDGV_CtvWK03Iy5bV0oUTtHKKZMQ-B8-Tp_Qu3SeX4iwIgXQuM6wGv4Lx3EsIUW-4nAQ/s320/2017-12-21+035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The park's smaller lake:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBweQST8_XeFy1kzuQOvnXYq2crWuQSfvu3i-n9JALDsPKD1mAHa-JoYbK2lv1IX0ysNAT2IAR2co-sN-Vljbp883i4hKfrnbHcfOCvJs2yPQkJxJrTEVNQExwCo5LSKGwgh30F77LD-E/s1600/2017-12-21+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBweQST8_XeFy1kzuQOvnXYq2crWuQSfvu3i-n9JALDsPKD1mAHa-JoYbK2lv1IX0ysNAT2IAR2co-sN-Vljbp883i4hKfrnbHcfOCvJs2yPQkJxJrTEVNQExwCo5LSKGwgh30F77LD-E/s320/2017-12-21+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If cities are often defined by their parks, Chapultepec did Mexico City proud. In the best of worlds, it would have been great to have had more time to sit a spell admiring the lakes and meander along the beautiful waking paths, lakes, discover all its museums and the zoo. But we had limited time and needed to be content with the time to enjoy what we could.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFOg6bnPp4nuechdIPKiTTtiL9SUwQ6C5cB1w9VSPCDDXhJAws_7wKD6GL7Id765DnkgtGCD8M85_DCYOPAY11T6cyl1eg6IpHQyeMbKBoslka1iOktAE0HymcLOXjCt6R-1JkZSpTl0/s1600/2017-12-21+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFOg6bnPp4nuechdIPKiTTtiL9SUwQ6C5cB1w9VSPCDDXhJAws_7wKD6GL7Id765DnkgtGCD8M85_DCYOPAY11T6cyl1eg6IpHQyeMbKBoslka1iOktAE0HymcLOXjCt6R-1JkZSpTl0/s320/2017-12-21+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved seeing the amusing and lighthearted sculptures as we strolled toward the <b>National Museum of Anthropology</b> located at the edge of the park. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG_UN4ZtrB5bunzlaC2uMCO6hKbw4dxVNLOA1W2I-YmX3YsFeiAV-AqOIdJh6qzlIV1ohbQaVUnsasOfppMHv9ucnyHQb6n-MCXCA3YlE8Q8aq0zsFkwsIj1vEGWekFTwHCpheIWet-o/s1600/2017-12-21+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG_UN4ZtrB5bunzlaC2uMCO6hKbw4dxVNLOA1W2I-YmX3YsFeiAV-AqOIdJh6qzlIV1ohbQaVUnsasOfppMHv9ucnyHQb6n-MCXCA3YlE8Q8aq0zsFkwsIj1vEGWekFTwHCpheIWet-o/s320/2017-12-21+039.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MSCSy1UZGViansQopvhaKqk436RO5paindjkFf_XZXKkmvizebaCgIrw2XqpHJPWBM4Z2OXxyiAmUcDlBoFZQmP0Qrs9ZAxRHLjRFG_udhU7VhN6utJf7c89Bqb1tnfaxXud3rEaREg/s1600/2017-12-21+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MSCSy1UZGViansQopvhaKqk436RO5paindjkFf_XZXKkmvizebaCgIrw2XqpHJPWBM4Z2OXxyiAmUcDlBoFZQmP0Qrs9ZAxRHLjRFG_udhU7VhN6utJf7c89Bqb1tnfaxXud3rEaREg/s320/2017-12-21+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A giant statue of a rain deity, likely <b>Tlaloc,</b> stood near the museum's entrance.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_FPdL2VJ60rAZw2_brYirdrFUHlsuX8Its2Asrtt7iwwVAArOVhOYPUyM_yCsP6sYVig6yX-Z8Xg0JVkunoR3kjNOmKrZDRvJZu9nsmlPkgkDTunoEaceNYMAJ4_xjr_-3C_Xziy1Zk/s1600/2017-12-21+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_FPdL2VJ60rAZw2_brYirdrFUHlsuX8Its2Asrtt7iwwVAArOVhOYPUyM_yCsP6sYVig6yX-Z8Xg0JVkunoR3kjNOmKrZDRvJZu9nsmlPkgkDTunoEaceNYMAJ4_xjr_-3C_Xziy1Zk/s320/2017-12-21+042.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The vast museum, inaugurated in 1964, was the setting for a world-renowned collection of Mexico's pre-Columbian cultures. </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The entrance was below grade so we went up a gently sloping stairway to a large concrete entrance patio. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N5O56l0OpJJc8z3yN1Lzc1jT1TmuLqLaWr9n-ZEyaAZum8xEwOybYoX3fzTDpfzSlLAWQeiO2CcQ6OopGr8BN_4ok-sjIBT5KRycgwdTgcyNsK6zxTUHmXxqXNNirsaLDiXxF3m6aQU/s1600/2017-12-21+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N5O56l0OpJJc8z3yN1Lzc1jT1TmuLqLaWr9n-ZEyaAZum8xEwOybYoX3fzTDpfzSlLAWQeiO2CcQ6OopGr8BN_4ok-sjIBT5KRycgwdTgcyNsK6zxTUHmXxqXNNirsaLDiXxF3m6aQU/s320/2017-12-21+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wondered again about the significance was of the eagle and serpent sculpture.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH09KrU1gg6KEuQLVfGeqKUo1My_az621lUwIYAUYgXmzN9tseBbqMhYNJrO6QN07G7Rq2X5bvB4PFHl_0sn7kODpBsDbDrwdpPhgcwMT_RgXN3Ye42F-8lALpLtJg7R1ryBOhsD6_2S8/s1600/2017-12-21+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH09KrU1gg6KEuQLVfGeqKUo1My_az621lUwIYAUYgXmzN9tseBbqMhYNJrO6QN07G7Rq2X5bvB4PFHl_0sn7kODpBsDbDrwdpPhgcwMT_RgXN3Ye42F-8lALpLtJg7R1ryBOhsD6_2S8/s320/2017-12-21+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Entering the building we were greeted by a large, central patio which was almost covered by a long canopy balanced on a 36-foot high pillar/water fountain which had interesting bas reliefs of Europe and ancient Mexican civilizations. The canopy was considered to be the largest concrete structure in the world supported by a single pillar! </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">All the exhibition rooms were off the patio and arranged by the civilizations and eras of Mexican history. </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">We soon discovered each one of t</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">he twenty-two galleries was</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> as big as any small town museum! </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQSUeviK4q_fNXPvZaI691r9u5AwauEpRGz5ZVLPdQSAKPERBWNvBSc_3CdI-27JEfZOi97l0PqXxzYlriYkak0SRTNgUq9UPZQypi75SroZ8cfeteLqwrqqjbzvzvgA2zkP_aB5LDxw/s1600/2017-12-21+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQSUeviK4q_fNXPvZaI691r9u5AwauEpRGz5ZVLPdQSAKPERBWNvBSc_3CdI-27JEfZOi97l0PqXxzYlriYkak0SRTNgUq9UPZQypi75SroZ8cfeteLqwrqqjbzvzvgA2zkP_aB5LDxw/s320/2017-12-21+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1ecTRpIRWiM57bvtbhzzt58mpXP47410T4X58iDWqWAefOOljDjkY30n75H591l5BHoizyxZrvF3J24CgrNXST_rFSnV5zc_9FvSEu3PoD58TPGibrqLLfDWV7TjdbzgbSbA1zT4rRg/s1600/2017-12-21+315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1ecTRpIRWiM57bvtbhzzt58mpXP47410T4X58iDWqWAefOOljDjkY30n75H591l5BHoizyxZrvF3J24CgrNXST_rFSnV5zc_9FvSEu3PoD58TPGibrqLLfDWV7TjdbzgbSbA1zT4rRg/s320/2017-12-21+315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIwXpI2D3IgASI61GK9-0fj49Puetuhx1GWUDQkED05eYn2HQQVeWvuN2YiMVDb_2rTAmz8ENFXNZkmGubiYrIWIfP1XBi6zjSyjuae6h2xhzSaWDYGI5m1PpPxpsBwnGkG30rVgLppI/s1600/2017-12-21+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIwXpI2D3IgASI61GK9-0fj49Puetuhx1GWUDQkED05eYn2HQQVeWvuN2YiMVDb_2rTAmz8ENFXNZkmGubiYrIWIfP1XBi6zjSyjuae6h2xhzSaWDYGI5m1PpPxpsBwnGkG30rVgLppI/s320/2017-12-21+054.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The first hall, <b>Populating the Americas,</b> contained a reproduction at almost full size of the <b>Painted Cave</b> from Baja California, one of the most important ceremonial centers featuring cave art in northern Mexico. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Its designs showed groups of hundreds of animals associated with special figures and women indicating fertility rites.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREeWJsYqZuZiZuo6DO_BUeBzdffH4ADmsOfegb8gwol5AgaWjEpKXvDtiAvFcArlWEGlmyuadwlexNivVRdGJmIwwxbyCikKDZaXEOaqQQHhgyza3EBRaJewj5ObLn-fmvLzG1TYMTyQ/s1600/2017-12-21+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREeWJsYqZuZiZuo6DO_BUeBzdffH4ADmsOfegb8gwol5AgaWjEpKXvDtiAvFcArlWEGlmyuadwlexNivVRdGJmIwwxbyCikKDZaXEOaqQQHhgyza3EBRaJewj5ObLn-fmvLzG1TYMTyQ/s320/2017-12-21+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Settling the Americas:</b> We knew from our fascinating trip to Ethiopia last year that evidence has shown the human species originated in Africa and then migrated across the globe with America to be the last continent to be populated. The first people to reach the so-called New World were Mongloid groups who ventured from the northeast of Asia across the Bering Strait during the ice ages when sea levels were low.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRE-nITOtSIPl0SJRIM495EW9Q7C_96XuTYUu1z-Kvxm6go2r6Agu4XAH4kxk7E7zh0-6ZY-EoxUD9oKqd5A-Hs-m2uMYNy4fC1r7HjwzmaP9zBZ5KCOvpGwTzfI0S5NTW4MpxJNyQik/s1600/2017-12-21+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRE-nITOtSIPl0SJRIM495EW9Q7C_96XuTYUu1z-Kvxm6go2r6Agu4XAH4kxk7E7zh0-6ZY-EoxUD9oKqd5A-Hs-m2uMYNy4fC1r7HjwzmaP9zBZ5KCOvpGwTzfI0S5NTW4MpxJNyQik/s320/2017-12-21+061.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The continent's first inhabitants based their diet on hunting, plants, fishing and fruit gathering. While following the animals to be hunted, they unknowingly entered a continent that would be discovered in 1492 by Europeans who were unaware of its existence and of its inhabitants.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9Eiqu3MU9t2N8rzuAptjBhjU_kxMz4oe7aGJQlw9LASQvayx3uHFM6IJaSY4ueIfzPQ1SBald3yjvirh8Ji6QpbJCwWPT7t0MAG2NWRHtNXaSZNpbWJVN7dRHhAuE2oOdM5xdzFMNko/s1600/2017-12-21+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9Eiqu3MU9t2N8rzuAptjBhjU_kxMz4oe7aGJQlw9LASQvayx3uHFM6IJaSY4ueIfzPQ1SBald3yjvirh8Ji6QpbJCwWPT7t0MAG2NWRHtNXaSZNpbWJVN7dRHhAuE2oOdM5xdzFMNko/s320/2017-12-21+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Scientists could tell from the bones that came to be known as <b>'Lucy' </b>and found in Ethiopia that the young woman had lived until the age of 22. This exhibit brought back fond memories of seeing replicas of the famous early hominid Lucy in the <b>National Museum</b> in Addis Ababa, the capital. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZCrQr5pxdqvZLIR4kRKCmWpqlKwzUD10FVs8VKV9x3jtqTLVlt96YxjVjvfjQb4_ksIY6h5nJVYlrqRpcfcZodb9tFwkrSsSunBwPNNGqD4ZWfR5ckOL6v-SaOlg-q7enCWfMeVqP5g/s1600/2017-12-21+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZCrQr5pxdqvZLIR4kRKCmWpqlKwzUD10FVs8VKV9x3jtqTLVlt96YxjVjvfjQb4_ksIY6h5nJVYlrqRpcfcZodb9tFwkrSsSunBwPNNGqD4ZWfR5ckOL6v-SaOlg-q7enCWfMeVqP5g/s320/2017-12-21+058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Exhibits in the <b>Pre-classic Central Highlands</b> <b>Gallery</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">focused on the period from approximately 2500 BC-100 AD and the transition from a nomadic hunting life to a more settled farming existence in Mexico's central highlands as the population grew. That resulted in the emergence of the earliest stratified societies.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjbTa0_xUpytO5tXaiGBFUHDmb9rc8ALc-pfdy8gHuVQf5qpPDkIheo0LaxZEKr8HmK7XRs-KWTVm8YCDMiepHfVUdhSEOcKYqTk24BVXFFC8P_kLObo8ow5Ay6AzoQcLjhXa-KGsG1I/s1600/2017-12-21+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjbTa0_xUpytO5tXaiGBFUHDmb9rc8ALc-pfdy8gHuVQf5qpPDkIheo0LaxZEKr8HmK7XRs-KWTVm8YCDMiepHfVUdhSEOcKYqTk24BVXFFC8P_kLObo8ow5Ay6AzoQcLjhXa-KGsG1I/s320/2017-12-21+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People settled in villages where they based most of their activities and the family constituted the basis of society. The abundance of female figurines indicated the importance farmers gave to the bonds between women's and the soil's fertility. </span><span style="font-size: large;">As improved agricultural techniques resulted in greater production, some settlements became towns and there was more interaction with other groups. Though the social differences were due to the variety of activities performed, gradually men began to take command of community activities. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB5es8kSRRXrIaPu9TelEBt1NOVFF1E14Efw0Gh1a5DQcJLyeA_fz0Qpw20op-vPUNhExaYHWn0efGmJfJL2CbpSO0fFbUL_yqozD3NU86IrybHd9EDAzyAJ2ArweOF08e7P7ic9xXSU/s1600/2017-12-21+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB5es8kSRRXrIaPu9TelEBt1NOVFF1E14Efw0Gh1a5DQcJLyeA_fz0Qpw20op-vPUNhExaYHWn0efGmJfJL2CbpSO0fFbUL_yqozD3NU86IrybHd9EDAzyAJ2ArweOF08e7P7ic9xXSU/s320/2017-12-21+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Bone remains showed great physical diversity among the people and seemed to indicate that groups of the High Plateau had contact with groups from other regions. I learned that figurines created during this period showed different physical types, although they may have been as a result of regional stereotypes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGhZxBtBXH8oCSof44WqaJw5iAsoHvSOPQpi2ti8M-3_JabtZbvr8Yyza_20Aib7K74JgVQ1AfEeTrzMe_0vVy0YHlY5ANwoPf-djWlh_F_C38x3cD1_D-2c8yr__XYvRfAEH-SQPb8o/s1600/2017-12-21+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGhZxBtBXH8oCSof44WqaJw5iAsoHvSOPQpi2ti8M-3_JabtZbvr8Yyza_20Aib7K74JgVQ1AfEeTrzMe_0vVy0YHlY5ANwoPf-djWlh_F_C38x3cD1_D-2c8yr__XYvRfAEH-SQPb8o/s320/2017-12-21+069.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Religious concepts among village groups included beliefs regarding the supernatural, life after death and ruling of natural forces by spirits. Certain figurines found among remains have been interpreted by archaeologists as shamans or leaders. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrUKLsGSL_uRUoJXQiB6F3KSo0g8eLVZa4h71RzIMJ87ijepef2-4zfZqniQN0WeXQbfVMCTMCsvwhDYAuHUYVfelaphupPl_6uWv3bP0-268-AXXlECP7R_340gfh7yktsJsT9a8Ksk/s1600/2017-12-21+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrUKLsGSL_uRUoJXQiB6F3KSo0g8eLVZa4h71RzIMJ87ijepef2-4zfZqniQN0WeXQbfVMCTMCsvwhDYAuHUYVfelaphupPl_6uWv3bP0-268-AXXlECP7R_340gfh7yktsJsT9a8Ksk/s320/2017-12-21+071.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Hollow Seated Figure</b> had elements related to the jaguar, an animal which was most associated with the great power and force of the earth. The tag said figurines depicted human forms and represented the sexual union between the jaguar and a woman. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1alJpzsiV1Vzo3Jk_acTJOll1QAPBDoT3zSDg1FwLPWDw4dJ1ieXTkEDTqlzUZP8MIS0A5JS7_i5Xho7LtLWyuLlsEAuk_F22Hcuh5MSOQTifpBujDuTN-UKoGXTcXjVb1MD4TPPw2JM/s1600/2017-12-21+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1alJpzsiV1Vzo3Jk_acTJOll1QAPBDoT3zSDg1FwLPWDw4dJ1ieXTkEDTqlzUZP8MIS0A5JS7_i5Xho7LtLWyuLlsEAuk_F22Hcuh5MSOQTifpBujDuTN-UKoGXTcXjVb1MD4TPPw2JM/s320/2017-12-21+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This piece, made of white clay, represented a stout, masculine figure whose face had flame-like eyebrows, a wide nose and full lips. On his back was the full skin of a fantastic creature with four paws and a wide tail that fell in layers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvL3TmTmCb8QrgA5YPBp78GEYG2oI9X50C4wnzFPsXoik4pqgE81Q7dnWUeac-C8QL7ICPFQlF0q0ce-KdLmGVfF0rRUPhl1kBS5-Rvad0jkUxkI1s1cDSI_NFj1dQlkJxqxo0cL41-g/s1600/2017-12-21+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvL3TmTmCb8QrgA5YPBp78GEYG2oI9X50C4wnzFPsXoik4pqgE81Q7dnWUeac-C8QL7ICPFQlF0q0ce-KdLmGVfF0rRUPhl1kBS5-Rvad0jkUxkI1s1cDSI_NFj1dQlkJxqxo0cL41-g/s320/2017-12-21+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent</b> in the Ciudadela area of <b>Teotihuacan</b> where we had been the previous day was probably its most important political and religious center. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The pyramid was built in one continuous operation between 150 and 200 AD. Archaeologists have recently discovered numerous examples of sacrificed individuals dressed as warriors inside the pyramid. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x_y4mseGJIu1OTm_4NdtK5F1hA6oEg1MqIo6CjMPu4Hkcl9xObcuykqq5JDpti8tI2BywjoU5Dfh_JS4K2pSDAfn77bhNY3LZzFyHwfZPW-IM00JpN-lu0YwvGqA92_oL9o3z_O5dN4/s1600/2017-12-21+081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x_y4mseGJIu1OTm_4NdtK5F1hA6oEg1MqIo6CjMPu4Hkcl9xObcuykqq5JDpti8tI2BywjoU5Dfh_JS4K2pSDAfn77bhNY3LZzFyHwfZPW-IM00JpN-lu0YwvGqA92_oL9o3z_O5dN4/s320/2017-12-21+081.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9XJdUqSBIem4AjX8bgPfJIo-aSatW6_Hv5y5NaPirWnKKcLnt7DNaZTgptZfVrifLzS8UL7_L01Xuacjfgoyd8S-CUmVlMz0a79_4Q6ueHosA-OwCMfOKDNj-nlWBftODOjh1WifhYA/s1600/2017-12-21+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9XJdUqSBIem4AjX8bgPfJIo-aSatW6_Hv5y5NaPirWnKKcLnt7DNaZTgptZfVrifLzS8UL7_L01Xuacjfgoyd8S-CUmVlMz0a79_4Q6ueHosA-OwCMfOKDNj-nlWBftODOjh1WifhYA/s320/2017-12-21+077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT_JSyJqH2djW2YHwtYdbGLfI_OOVGgK2uLuFnfsk4tFuaQXiGq-l4CcQaT6K0CecsgksdyACtT4Lo37iZv-TqheBBQOxn6rSzRKqSINDke0NR8_Vok0uKb2osBc7UZKPNe7KGJ3J-H0/s1600/2017-12-21+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijT_JSyJqH2djW2YHwtYdbGLfI_OOVGgK2uLuFnfsk4tFuaQXiGq-l4CcQaT6K0CecsgksdyACtT4Lo37iZv-TqheBBQOxn6rSzRKqSINDke0NR8_Vok0uKb2osBc7UZKPNe7KGJ3J-H0/s320/2017-12-21+083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Found in the ruins of an ancient city in Guatemala was </span><span style="font-size: large;">a <b>stele:</b> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">an upright stone slab or column with a commemorative inscription or relief design which often served as a gravestone. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">This reproduction was known as <b>Tikla 31 Stele.</b> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAe17_FDnglVLT_-slHmzYpefhvT6SYBcH6u7Toznw16vQFCcGyH3FOX3RNiz065PoJGGRnkIIDR6usDYQzDa9_jAkHyBmeCHmyaOgTKD2OTBroE8ZZ55S9q3x3cmhgzDq77-ys46EvgA/s1600/2017-12-21+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAe17_FDnglVLT_-slHmzYpefhvT6SYBcH6u7Toznw16vQFCcGyH3FOX3RNiz065PoJGGRnkIIDR6usDYQzDa9_jAkHyBmeCHmyaOgTKD2OTBroE8ZZ55S9q3x3cmhgzDq77-ys46EvgA/s320/2017-12-21+085.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Teotihuacan Gallery</b> displayed objects from the Americas' first great and powerful state. After the city collapsed about 750 AD, it was re-occupied by successive groups with different cultures. Among them were groups who used pottery decorated with wavy, red lines on a reddish brown background. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Even as a ruined city, Teotihuacan's fame was recognized by all the people who later visited after its fall. That explained why its pyramids and buildings continued to be visited and revered by the Mexica or Aztec people who, in their legends, made Teotihuacan the place where the fifth sun was created. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzMeO7lXXiw-y42ZabefGDda1m01lqu3E7Pm1UAfQi7pqOsS3iIbDbUA_LpV4Zho4iGuFCfqvpbc63a6tZ21mvecD9qREkaSnCEPcQQX_cIKsOHdSeB6MhrlQSHWOpBHJsTfcesC7KJ0/s1600/2017-12-21+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzMeO7lXXiw-y42ZabefGDda1m01lqu3E7Pm1UAfQi7pqOsS3iIbDbUA_LpV4Zho4iGuFCfqvpbc63a6tZ21mvecD9qREkaSnCEPcQQX_cIKsOHdSeB6MhrlQSHWOpBHJsTfcesC7KJ0/s320/2017-12-21+091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tjQuYzuoNYdpkGNmfnmSRy3a_R1FRHarzhiXznUK02-acddj4PhP0fZ1owkp5XZDsX9bOifVah-ykxe1O8QF3ZHbnJ9bcac1Q-iP0rYwsRbd1KgNgYm2NC9IcU0E4u0VOHbYiZklnFU/s1600/2017-12-21+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tjQuYzuoNYdpkGNmfnmSRy3a_R1FRHarzhiXznUK02-acddj4PhP0fZ1owkp5XZDsX9bOifVah-ykxe1O8QF3ZHbnJ9bcac1Q-iP0rYwsRbd1KgNgYm2NC9IcU0E4u0VOHbYiZklnFU/s320/2017-12-21+092.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Toltec Gallery</b> covered cultures from about 650 to 1250 AD. This serpentine column was one of four basalt warrior columns created by the Tula people who inhabited Teotihuacan site after the city was destroyed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZSyu2BzF72JYRfrVLR1KfIzjYssH3BfhLyEZrtRyuM4lI2MtunqzSH_n38FcLhQc4u7-wn7Z9aP-Tim1mMre-TdiUiOFpwKdgJ56BVgMBneFfE6TZVQtur0v91mZLZCWWhKpbDCxSiE/s1600/2017-12-21+095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZSyu2BzF72JYRfrVLR1KfIzjYssH3BfhLyEZrtRyuM4lI2MtunqzSH_n38FcLhQc4u7-wn7Z9aP-Tim1mMre-TdiUiOFpwKdgJ56BVgMBneFfE6TZVQtur0v91mZLZCWWhKpbDCxSiE/s320/2017-12-21+095.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The exquisite <b>Tula Breastplate</b> dated from 650-900 AD and was made of shells.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaVRcZwcgW2E1uBBSF-V2Z3M0w7VwkT0xj-ER1xI4_7WhW2KmzJ3bER28qi2K0uriNdSQJNZe9D2RKuUFRs4j7rZHc9otQgVGJeKYRmn0hQ-pGJUn29xOQBs4MlPVQZv4MbSHVVs8D0c/s1600/2017-12-21+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaVRcZwcgW2E1uBBSF-V2Z3M0w7VwkT0xj-ER1xI4_7WhW2KmzJ3bER28qi2K0uriNdSQJNZe9D2RKuUFRs4j7rZHc9otQgVGJeKYRmn0hQ-pGJUn29xOQBs4MlPVQZv4MbSHVVs8D0c/s320/2017-12-21+097.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_qhMcYtHWakTTutPPRpuUiRWqzviSNwoLPHRMASL6ogvNJFZQmY6qxMvCfWkBAKhC-z0zsvXIofHZIdenGydNZDzEZ0fl6m9R9AhR3ZpCI-Q2hbBYdkUEA-rYQRdp9VGqMAyzkex9r8/s1600/2017-12-21+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_qhMcYtHWakTTutPPRpuUiRWqzviSNwoLPHRMASL6ogvNJFZQmY6qxMvCfWkBAKhC-z0zsvXIofHZIdenGydNZDzEZ0fl6m9R9AhR3ZpCI-Q2hbBYdkUEA-rYQRdp9VGqMAyzkex9r8/s320/2017-12-21+101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The small sculpture represented the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> God of Water, Tlaloc, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">in the ancient city of <b>Tula.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqjv7vDMekB-QlmxkimT3515jjEDeel-l6cJILa2jTKOXDUBHqIud2vgwHhAu83IL55x5ZpX_5VTTA693DouWKh_-iAKDoUZ-Ct38EwsAg_ev3sUnyyzMdAGlmaxaMVEHWjU_mUlUT8c/s1600/2017-12-21+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqjv7vDMekB-QlmxkimT3515jjEDeel-l6cJILa2jTKOXDUBHqIud2vgwHhAu83IL55x5ZpX_5VTTA693DouWKh_-iAKDoUZ-Ct38EwsAg_ev3sUnyyzMdAGlmaxaMVEHWjU_mUlUT8c/s320/2017-12-21+102.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All the peoples of ancient Mesoamerica practiced a certain ball game that determined the dangers faced by the sun on its daily journey across the heavens and therefore predicting its fate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkQ6w7JIQAG5v8NAdnztmfCo238GPE2qCMcXtmHklBIY1I99wQQjW-zZ0SbgtiNtKz7TbUUGNkRoXhn14fsCQ5Y7IC_QtVwKmz4NFr7VDD0v86fLAQ0kzK4IFO7JTvdZNCij9gT9759o/s1600/2017-12-21+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkQ6w7JIQAG5v8NAdnztmfCo238GPE2qCMcXtmHklBIY1I99wQQjW-zZ0SbgtiNtKz7TbUUGNkRoXhn14fsCQ5Y7IC_QtVwKmz4NFr7VDD0v86fLAQ0kzK4IFO7JTvdZNCij9gT9759o/s320/2017-12-21+111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Bnqnr20a0xANr_Uz4ffo5YQ_A4fKkjJxxQBt9YWsYwPOWxrx6kzaqOH6-c8w3lTFTmV8YQyoFx-UCPHcm7bshRhbRiv04eKQoDqp13OLpnA0ZUP1CB3tzimjyS2i6Us26Qlo9PXLLxQ/s1600/2017-12-21+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Bnqnr20a0xANr_Uz4ffo5YQ_A4fKkjJxxQBt9YWsYwPOWxrx6kzaqOH6-c8w3lTFTmV8YQyoFx-UCPHcm7bshRhbRiv04eKQoDqp13OLpnA0ZUP1CB3tzimjyS2i6Us26Qlo9PXLLxQ/s320/2017-12-21+109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Mexica Gallery, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">I learned that agriculture and trade were pillars of the Mexica Empire and that its social development depended directly on warfare. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The ocelot or jaguar was considered a powerful animal of the night as it was a patron of masculinity. This sculpture had a cavity in the back which functioned as a sacred recipient designed to contain blood and hearts of captive warriors!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab5y2Cl20CPHpfYlFF7RVo2pQn73DwY0Phkf7CJY2kYg4DM-Vbjh06GqY57l6du4HnHoySESWeKkB3dW7v8ZbWEgpxyHXMfyV5ITFa_MYtLAeUOPZ74RYTciZNfBS1vLteUdDcg9l77A/s1600/2017-12-21+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab5y2Cl20CPHpfYlFF7RVo2pQn73DwY0Phkf7CJY2kYg4DM-Vbjh06GqY57l6du4HnHoySESWeKkB3dW7v8ZbWEgpxyHXMfyV5ITFa_MYtLAeUOPZ74RYTciZNfBS1vLteUdDcg9l77A/s320/2017-12-21+129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of what I thought were outstanding pieces from the Mexica Culture:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpDV9qybIJ6aYUSHwFTA7xFk0nhGcnWQzzFZQXmUschA5pJY72RtwoubOpVZQmXhjI8BNBosi6btT9cycRclHI7UC2YKpGEB6soDQACtNKZ4az3FOvTbMoCxPid9AVjVu7CJzUKLZcrY/s1600/2017-12-21+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpDV9qybIJ6aYUSHwFTA7xFk0nhGcnWQzzFZQXmUschA5pJY72RtwoubOpVZQmXhjI8BNBosi6btT9cycRclHI7UC2YKpGEB6soDQACtNKZ4az3FOvTbMoCxPid9AVjVu7CJzUKLZcrY/s320/2017-12-21+135.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhPWdkkUzKpT3uXeZBi6a4dcHcCIhTwFPuIOFkpgxcEcQk9qM1oDMHil0vjNKQnPz1-ofq9qb1v-sq2B_IEkTki62wzvNpGmUQwqK3y23vr3WPB4i6cz8Q9A6xPFdsPWdhkB8dzSjhdE/s1600/2017-12-21+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhPWdkkUzKpT3uXeZBi6a4dcHcCIhTwFPuIOFkpgxcEcQk9qM1oDMHil0vjNKQnPz1-ofq9qb1v-sq2B_IEkTki62wzvNpGmUQwqK3y23vr3WPB4i6cz8Q9A6xPFdsPWdhkB8dzSjhdE/s320/2017-12-21+136.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQagXkx9P06ZzOSsBO7ICto1uoMtHJs8qMwkkGL0OoBZyb_T9ehakdxMO7rnx8ZkAM-U57H9UA4XtZZhd5-Zk8YvxkTZO0dIQYcVMRVKon1tjRDOUNUFX7Vns9e8zStdH7xuuWzyB1ovw/s1600/2017-12-21+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQagXkx9P06ZzOSsBO7ICto1uoMtHJs8qMwkkGL0OoBZyb_T9ehakdxMO7rnx8ZkAM-U57H9UA4XtZZhd5-Zk8YvxkTZO0dIQYcVMRVKon1tjRDOUNUFX7Vns9e8zStdH7xuuWzyB1ovw/s320/2017-12-21+140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsrqbjJ2RYRX0a1OqvSUsFT6PRkEw9riKjMeiI5XA3YMR6Au-PCxr70Z4JSeFQeFmje1QsNrGE1zXm2TBLhLKKgezSAxKnf7igK1_CiQM65X77CA7xRlQWeN7bxbPxZKHeAhSCP-1-7k/s1600/2017-12-21+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsrqbjJ2RYRX0a1OqvSUsFT6PRkEw9riKjMeiI5XA3YMR6Au-PCxr70Z4JSeFQeFmje1QsNrGE1zXm2TBLhLKKgezSAxKnf7igK1_CiQM65X77CA7xRlQWeN7bxbPxZKHeAhSCP-1-7k/s320/2017-12-21+147.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGgvrPhUFS-gC9L241eTx5YPNfOw0zsxsSVhjEYOCZR2gD0eeTsTmeT1bu7MXt45CQYjvFfvq01GXxLZCjcwJOyRxhIDNtIBaHjh4XZs9xBHalNbYBTqEYnXYo64Hxv9Wx5TtkcYEy8E/s1600/2017-12-21+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGgvrPhUFS-gC9L241eTx5YPNfOw0zsxsSVhjEYOCZR2gD0eeTsTmeT1bu7MXt45CQYjvFfvq01GXxLZCjcwJOyRxhIDNtIBaHjh4XZs9xBHalNbYBTqEYnXYo64Hxv9Wx5TtkcYEy8E/s320/2017-12-21+149.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHi9T01afvMe6IntyxpQDT47JabyHuRyome1s4E-I3Uox4eZvTYBk9r7tx6LtBt7p1JDCH_81Hn5-Arw7xpG9FIc6U0TpFMIYRCnsztP_eBlNxWz7mEenkN8shn0lkxRCk1L0UfSxEPw/s1600/2017-12-21+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHi9T01afvMe6IntyxpQDT47JabyHuRyome1s4E-I3Uox4eZvTYBk9r7tx6LtBt7p1JDCH_81Hn5-Arw7xpG9FIc6U0TpFMIYRCnsztP_eBlNxWz7mEenkN8shn0lkxRCk1L0UfSxEPw/s320/2017-12-21+150.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IB0aK3PNHKfLJDgs418N_MFdAkdYLiibaGUTQ-8nmViDwaa2_C41xAR0EEtnXYhYJEdP3Edc8mDpO5fO7y16ez0jMxxqoXJXqAlMGZ25rmSVti8DjSVYgJzgtbuXkugslefK7uL9g-I/s1600/2017-12-21+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IB0aK3PNHKfLJDgs418N_MFdAkdYLiibaGUTQ-8nmViDwaa2_C41xAR0EEtnXYhYJEdP3Edc8mDpO5fO7y16ez0jMxxqoXJXqAlMGZ25rmSVti8DjSVYgJzgtbuXkugslefK7uL9g-I/s320/2017-12-21+158.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJyQWflXrkhJRMubNa5soXgWhSCqfcU78qkovP2zNEM_1nNmE0bZ8j0BFBQIYearrVSSV160Be0wxjqiwW9t-_sUGw54HjMpVP2E4cPwVrWDXWgrSwp_6XFHamGjM4lBB1-OSMZ3AGg8/s1600/2017-12-21+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJyQWflXrkhJRMubNa5soXgWhSCqfcU78qkovP2zNEM_1nNmE0bZ8j0BFBQIYearrVSSV160Be0wxjqiwW9t-_sUGw54HjMpVP2E4cPwVrWDXWgrSwp_6XFHamGjM4lBB1-OSMZ3AGg8/s320/2017-12-21+160.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was interesting to read that one of the most important Mexican contributions to mankind was <b>maize.</b> The extraordinary vegetable, raised by New World farmers, sustained the development and flourishing of all Mesoamerican cultures. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Three of the months of the Indian calendar were dedicated to worshiping maize and the sacred foods for all the other months were also always made of maize. <b>The mask of the Goddess of Maize:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5-bVjYVhXmEDoiIyJfnedOyQPLf_8HRQnRGPzNdBVWNqvZdvdw8AnyQiuYtCxxSRDQGUfyW0_5QwH40J4siGjv1lMZfrm7-9MqMkt9YpuvI4NBgctIuh_-ssy7QqW1my8F-C-zzGCRs/s1600/2017-12-21+166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5-bVjYVhXmEDoiIyJfnedOyQPLf_8HRQnRGPzNdBVWNqvZdvdw8AnyQiuYtCxxSRDQGUfyW0_5QwH40J4siGjv1lMZfrm7-9MqMkt9YpuvI4NBgctIuh_-ssy7QqW1my8F-C-zzGCRs/s320/2017-12-21+166.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another sculpture about the importance of maize:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToc0x9ElMe28ptz3gJ6_FlgCQXCF2QTSe28iVX-cNXQfTSnDjXzBFu22uU15IBTYjUX2yj5IITB8vu_cpGe1_HEGvJfjIc4Ed_o9x9oqFQTpHfRizWHSG4er9ho8PHhAm81SWpcqdNP8/s1600/2017-12-21+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToc0x9ElMe28ptz3gJ6_FlgCQXCF2QTSe28iVX-cNXQfTSnDjXzBFu22uU15IBTYjUX2yj5IITB8vu_cpGe1_HEGvJfjIc4Ed_o9x9oqFQTpHfRizWHSG4er9ho8PHhAm81SWpcqdNP8/s320/2017-12-21+168.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWhsOZl-w9YSq-w8U7HhXp10z5V7tMGz6iHcqWxv9HP4Uke-2Xy-1EwYt17wfidiVpdYcUyqtwBTFC4cpjVHQbLB5bKKgrWENpwiq1tg1vDPI7kwu1fHeNII7f-28bxXD0gY8XMMH2SU/s1600/2017-12-21+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWhsOZl-w9YSq-w8U7HhXp10z5V7tMGz6iHcqWxv9HP4Uke-2Xy-1EwYt17wfidiVpdYcUyqtwBTFC4cpjVHQbLB5bKKgrWENpwiq1tg1vDPI7kwu1fHeNII7f-28bxXD0gY8XMMH2SU/s320/2017-12-21+171.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNydh7ST99mOhSBpErT8OZhYnogf8y5TcvlBep5AKX3caL3iDh8SZMnCNQAdNcrlNazG9rxrpjGrx7pbz45PSESMYcqehVJyQ7RI1KQ6H-zZ_ZXBtaewrPTvGfFhhL7i1ES_VC-bJNNEU/s1600/2017-12-21+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNydh7ST99mOhSBpErT8OZhYnogf8y5TcvlBep5AKX3caL3iDh8SZMnCNQAdNcrlNazG9rxrpjGrx7pbz45PSESMYcqehVJyQ7RI1KQ6H-zZ_ZXBtaewrPTvGfFhhL7i1ES_VC-bJNNEU/s320/2017-12-21+172.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Stone</b> <b>of the Sun </b>was a late Mexica </span><span style="font-size: large;">or Aztec </span><span style="font-size: large;">sculpture and considered perhaps the most famous work of Aztec sculpture. </span><span style="font-size: large;">This one sculpture, discovered in December, 1790, in the main plaza in Mexico City, identified the Mexicas above all others. Because of its symbolic content, with the signs for the twenty days of the Aztec ritual calendar, it was incorrectly identified as the Aztec Calendar. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The prehistoric peoples considered the light and warmth of the Sun to be equal to life itself. Therefore their creation myths saw the need for men to help maintain the Sun as the supreme deity.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1035kG2hD6zP1Ia5szegT_6g3elbxq8MdlHnYmsAxnTWrcglLxH5Mwvo4mOXjnRi_yFp28VBrprh5svWegJkj_lUWD0EbH_ekYHDtE5h64yAvohdhapgPbcUPWhyWubWN01dwccQMfA0/s1600/2017-12-21+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1035kG2hD6zP1Ia5szegT_6g3elbxq8MdlHnYmsAxnTWrcglLxH5Mwvo4mOXjnRi_yFp28VBrprh5svWegJkj_lUWD0EbH_ekYHDtE5h64yAvohdhapgPbcUPWhyWubWN01dwccQMfA0/s320/2017-12-21+173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In front of the basalt stone sun was a large gladiatorial sacrificial altar which wasn't completed because of a deep crack that ran from one side of the center of the piece at the rear.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu4DZYucM7KHvnLF_wT6k9BZRa3t154PnecFdaDi3Iu8DS171mHbr439TQcooSXAGFbrVlhiUwsxBC4_pf_TftsZ_J7KlFl-wDIRS19HEDC0vfTtc9JPkFSvk2xCQtk6N6UV1Zo2s0pU/s1600/2017-12-21+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu4DZYucM7KHvnLF_wT6k9BZRa3t154PnecFdaDi3Iu8DS171mHbr439TQcooSXAGFbrVlhiUwsxBC4_pf_TftsZ_J7KlFl-wDIRS19HEDC0vfTtc9JPkFSvk2xCQtk6N6UV1Zo2s0pU/s320/2017-12-21+180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1519, Spaniard <b>Hernan Cortes</b> and his armies dropped anchor off the coast of Veracruz, which began the process culminating in the conquest of the Mexican Empire.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDqQu0mpO2zjT40b10j1mN7f7POf8hnAq7ncepq539k8P7Fo13gaPV8vw-GjTv1N_CH6X8tJEbmsPuQFoBhMqH0zvwefaYkuM42pEOnpQ3kuTJPeHqdE3wAvoJcN4yhyphenhyphenw-YWd3E1f25E/s1600/2017-12-21+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDqQu0mpO2zjT40b10j1mN7f7POf8hnAq7ncepq539k8P7Fo13gaPV8vw-GjTv1N_CH6X8tJEbmsPuQFoBhMqH0zvwefaYkuM42pEOnpQ3kuTJPeHqdE3wAvoJcN4yhyphenhyphenw-YWd3E1f25E/s320/2017-12-21+194.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Baptismal fonts</b> from the Spanish conquest:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHxX4eXoLlQQ__8rve1ZBOVR7RYuwXAAV0ExIfC-EVyF36wajSyVIkkXfP9dB4OqbVFumZRsUnxpENMXpfSEVJOhmOu-3ul_EyXX8TVGvYIOXCkRVClw1jY0Yzf1U91YErFDbY7hZFgI/s1600/2017-12-21+195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHxX4eXoLlQQ__8rve1ZBOVR7RYuwXAAV0ExIfC-EVyF36wajSyVIkkXfP9dB4OqbVFumZRsUnxpENMXpfSEVJOhmOu-3ul_EyXX8TVGvYIOXCkRVClw1jY0Yzf1U91YErFDbY7hZFgI/s320/2017-12-21+195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCdx_JgaaRYrZXF0pa5pDX72okITcf0ABUPnx1AdjOxVGZkK3mFEnDUxOedK5AqRlXarcAXWfmV3rxDfY9sorXja-SWO1gzXPwUlhWesuu1soqiqxt1NzOFR2gz7iKcinRpD7YqFRWhY/s1600/2017-12-21+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCdx_JgaaRYrZXF0pa5pDX72okITcf0ABUPnx1AdjOxVGZkK3mFEnDUxOedK5AqRlXarcAXWfmV3rxDfY9sorXja-SWO1gzXPwUlhWesuu1soqiqxt1NzOFR2gz7iKcinRpD7YqFRWhY/s320/2017-12-21+197.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Several halls on the museum's first floor had associated outdoor gardens with reproductions of temples and prayer sites from that civilization, something we had never come across before.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALCYvqWeJyBvXdNIkorC4Qr2o8zEEMe7QVCxMp-cl0u2eLMlWPRdHzD3-Zu_2m-d2ICqa4Zek1zUnLdy-Y-qxK2F4KwxYDGUPQ9UO8YRNqCZmCwtYp1RRim4_59stMsQrqK9rXogmND0/s1600/2017-12-21+198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALCYvqWeJyBvXdNIkorC4Qr2o8zEEMe7QVCxMp-cl0u2eLMlWPRdHzD3-Zu_2m-d2ICqa4Zek1zUnLdy-Y-qxK2F4KwxYDGUPQ9UO8YRNqCZmCwtYp1RRim4_59stMsQrqK9rXogmND0/s320/2017-12-21+198.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSqUM9ZMR0_GIRQhkpeY73WItfG-NpetoLUjI1HT5JBSpVrXvMY26XQM5Ry9n3fNUKk_4uHKcaKgMbGYTSjYQpMyp06XpsFdOoV1wDwDPswICS5vIBe9oVLUArmMqGDbH6TOJ87wJgEw/s1600/2017-12-21+199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSqUM9ZMR0_GIRQhkpeY73WItfG-NpetoLUjI1HT5JBSpVrXvMY26XQM5Ry9n3fNUKk_4uHKcaKgMbGYTSjYQpMyp06XpsFdOoV1wDwDPswICS5vIBe9oVLUArmMqGDbH6TOJ87wJgEw/s320/2017-12-21+199.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Gulf Coast Archaeology Gallery</b> explained three cultural groups occupied the area that was known in pre-Hispanic times as a place of exceptional abundance and fertility.The first accounts written by 16th century friars called it <b>Tlalocan</b> which meant 'land of riches and earthly paradise.' </span><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the fact the entire Gulf Coast was inhabited by so many different groups and they spoke different languages, they still shared the same cultural base and had the same social, political and religious development. Differences were expressed in their architecture, sculpture and other arts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5DrwLnltwU5X93B0wp2qggbnOTL_QI0c2OKhs5DdqeW1n29Mf1HInHI7-ALPaatpf33PJApRUCe2u6Ruy8B7a-7Z_zhAu1zvZaXQtF_yVCgq5LJcvH944JdDokZnvLUaqrEcHxkEecM/s1600/2017-12-21+257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5DrwLnltwU5X93B0wp2qggbnOTL_QI0c2OKhs5DdqeW1n29Mf1HInHI7-ALPaatpf33PJApRUCe2u6Ruy8B7a-7Z_zhAu1zvZaXQtF_yVCgq5LJcvH944JdDokZnvLUaqrEcHxkEecM/s320/2017-12-21+257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout all periods, cultural innovations that transformed the life of Mesoamerica radiated out from the Gulf Coast. The first civilization that emerged there were the <b>Olmecs</b> from 1800-100 BC. Later, new religious ideas associated with the most important gods of Mesoamerica arose as did cults, ceremonies and rites, including the ritual ballgame mentioned earlier and offering blood to the earth to express gratitude for its fertility. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMOBVyOC5zGdr_FFTTZmvHohAwQEgju2TA_7vTvX1yjA8CwqOROpVTUTMx5SB9_MHLvehUSAZU9hOg-a4qxFx3tHLMUm4lkRHn9GDImBd2ERx47beJyipayAa-HI_3GJjscNAzT5-1Gw/s1600/2017-12-21+258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMOBVyOC5zGdr_FFTTZmvHohAwQEgju2TA_7vTvX1yjA8CwqOROpVTUTMx5SB9_MHLvehUSAZU9hOg-a4qxFx3tHLMUm4lkRHn9GDImBd2ERx47beJyipayAa-HI_3GJjscNAzT5-1Gw/s320/2017-12-21+258.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The coast was a crossroads where different groups of people traded cotton, cacao, rubber and other products. But when Spaniard Hernan Cortes and his 508 soldiers landed near the Gulf Coast in 1518, it was to exploit the region and conquer the pre-Hispanic civilization.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Stone carvings in the gallery included two Olmec heads, made of basalt, that weighed almost 20 tons. The heads may have been portraits of high-ranking people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpa5AF4rvunYhDM036l5Wv9ASnF2GbGv-7S3JyqYPpfQIiivHeNlxoXB97fo3OC3djVettCErOwMVgPjFe6sCR4VryiPShexCsoUfVu8NhcMhqdFGc8T2-i6fU0r2LfM1yje1UB0eoc/s1600/2017-12-21+254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpa5AF4rvunYhDM036l5Wv9ASnF2GbGv-7S3JyqYPpfQIiivHeNlxoXB97fo3OC3djVettCErOwMVgPjFe6sCR4VryiPShexCsoUfVu8NhcMhqdFGc8T2-i6fU0r2LfM1yje1UB0eoc/s320/2017-12-21+254.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRWBHcRU7LfoqrSQhPH1ondd7P3AOK9MVvhaO6EzKbP4s29cW9DtJJa4Bgn_bVCNwdVFk2O3D28foIn3L13gLqJu48V3xSAiQEnLtTWk2zwOz30uO2NDL7qmRrU34ex55AhEqdKADhXc/s1600/2017-12-21+264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRWBHcRU7LfoqrSQhPH1ondd7P3AOK9MVvhaO6EzKbP4s29cW9DtJJa4Bgn_bVCNwdVFk2O3D28foIn3L13gLqJu48V3xSAiQEnLtTWk2zwOz30uO2NDL7qmRrU34ex55AhEqdKADhXc/s320/2017-12-21+264.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgKr1xxUFU5NyyAO7TPueWD3llCNIDOPqhWoY4HBqvlakvsu1TqqlJKByVPlCyhaZO9la1ZPXVVrO70ViUiAUytSFq-PCsstx7la2xBrOoPGiUkVh2aBx478C9o1Oie9Ojx71L2qJMtM/s1600/2017-12-21+265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgKr1xxUFU5NyyAO7TPueWD3llCNIDOPqhWoY4HBqvlakvsu1TqqlJKByVPlCyhaZO9la1ZPXVVrO70ViUiAUytSFq-PCsstx7la2xBrOoPGiUkVh2aBx478C9o1Oie9Ojx71L2qJMtM/s320/2017-12-21+265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Once we entered the <b>Maya Gallery</b> I learned that the culture of the groups of Mexico and parts of Central America that spoke the Maya language began to develop approximately 4,000 years ago. The Mayan culture was one of the most brilliant Mesoamerican cultures, especially in science and art. They built large civic and ceremonial centers and cities, with pyramids and temples around squares. They organized themselves into independent states and were powerful warriors. They created their own hieroglyphic writing and a system of counting based on twenties.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf4RWcJtlXM6Y1iJbcQlO1ce5luFJyNNbsjWvAIAcODoPvir0wCbCVxIwOsCh6Cqz5vNrsMEuRzvG4Tt3tntNeVisTojAUW71jJcdqs4daYahZaHiUCDamIFMYzaoQFNiaeY5BNQAlkk/s1600/2017-12-21+226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf4RWcJtlXM6Y1iJbcQlO1ce5luFJyNNbsjWvAIAcODoPvir0wCbCVxIwOsCh6Cqz5vNrsMEuRzvG4Tt3tntNeVisTojAUW71jJcdqs4daYahZaHiUCDamIFMYzaoQFNiaeY5BNQAlkk/s320/2017-12-21+226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't help but smile when I saw this in the museum all those months ago and again now!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3JSDyBXzfp5jUF36lmw9BrL9_D5uCaBw8LOiNN_ZYQEahzH21ZRrpdRPwHJbmWsQVyXE8_WMnHbgwfGeyH9avJ7c4rhl3jDx7VQJ4sHTGYCUaHSZpOZ6PoVt5isUgwvJ3OfiZxOiuGw/s1600/2017-12-21+229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3JSDyBXzfp5jUF36lmw9BrL9_D5uCaBw8LOiNN_ZYQEahzH21ZRrpdRPwHJbmWsQVyXE8_WMnHbgwfGeyH9avJ7c4rhl3jDx7VQJ4sHTGYCUaHSZpOZ6PoVt5isUgwvJ3OfiZxOiuGw/s320/2017-12-21+229.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTioJdWSQMPedCIeV9v0Oe8U6m2R6rF-jRnA3xBfTEBn3k23jGSuAdWHZccDmo6uzstKe4dqgZFHQMd6sPrszrz05v14h9-Oc-ffrvJpnR_UcISsamv0tDXCNJfm_cShVqSts4bWD420/s1600/2017-12-21+230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTioJdWSQMPedCIeV9v0Oe8U6m2R6rF-jRnA3xBfTEBn3k23jGSuAdWHZccDmo6uzstKe4dqgZFHQMd6sPrszrz05v14h9-Oc-ffrvJpnR_UcISsamv0tDXCNJfm_cShVqSts4bWD420/s320/2017-12-21+230.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMeO7ceQwa6bMlq1iCsIWoyLKSYAlbQOVT5NFxcN8Kfk5Hujc1OpvIC67mlyujVx4Gnfb7OtyEvqa-56noQ7oY9hG1oFiksnMg5m1GxNfLjDo7u8P54rc5pdJLo_1tOsqxmr6Hq9ajes/s1600/2017-12-21+231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMeO7ceQwa6bMlq1iCsIWoyLKSYAlbQOVT5NFxcN8Kfk5Hujc1OpvIC67mlyujVx4Gnfb7OtyEvqa-56noQ7oY9hG1oFiksnMg5m1GxNfLjDo7u8P54rc5pdJLo_1tOsqxmr6Hq9ajes/s320/2017-12-21+231.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the highlights of the gallery were these carved stelae from the Mexican state of <b>Chiapas.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqYayYLpuOXicdy5ObIRycUiJ-yj52dbFKYIQeaIxhydKOVn1b-pn8ZVvy3KBNQv7MzOKDVdGc2vKzLK4I04cc0EubpeDdJCoAFI1DnjArepiyYa_q3Hz1ctPICt16tM-zhv2h6WPUUE/s1600/2017-12-21+232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqYayYLpuOXicdy5ObIRycUiJ-yj52dbFKYIQeaIxhydKOVn1b-pn8ZVvy3KBNQv7MzOKDVdGc2vKzLK4I04cc0EubpeDdJCoAFI1DnjArepiyYa_q3Hz1ctPICt16tM-zhv2h6WPUUE/s320/2017-12-21+232.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidc5y4Fn_PgycobknTBXbBUZ408mTjAy2oRCLUHTtSfl7hT6HT56kHqI2-UdYRPt37mH7HlMbxOS-VjqO6tpoQEKz-A5wUJn6v6rH2GLRjmOpxzhIbBuWfW5K-1NU8iX3BDDT29Jk4yUE/s1600/2017-12-21+234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidc5y4Fn_PgycobknTBXbBUZ408mTjAy2oRCLUHTtSfl7hT6HT56kHqI2-UdYRPt37mH7HlMbxOS-VjqO6tpoQEKz-A5wUJn6v6rH2GLRjmOpxzhIbBuWfW5K-1NU8iX3BDDT29Jk4yUE/s320/2017-12-21+234.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the history of Mesoamerican people, warfare played a key role in the consolidation of political structures. It is now known with certainty that wars were going on from the beginning of the culture. A 'divine king' governed each kingdom and exercised control over a defined territory that was expanded when he conquered other rulers. Many ceramic vessels and monuments showed a 'divine king' receiving loot from his conquests.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqBI0vAUM59n3qNUk6BZRfs2Ub4Q-AtxOicEp9OB7C_HWtUcxANP8rCUkJqbChwGMWOSE6ZTRvhJknd0pYQqRlMHi0dzQJuIoVtPV_BRXu3JKFSi38HDBgaiz6GQuJaIvIAtlg7zAwc4/s1600/2017-12-21+243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqBI0vAUM59n3qNUk6BZRfs2Ub4Q-AtxOicEp9OB7C_HWtUcxANP8rCUkJqbChwGMWOSE6ZTRvhJknd0pYQqRlMHi0dzQJuIoVtPV_BRXu3JKFSi38HDBgaiz6GQuJaIvIAtlg7zAwc4/s320/2017-12-21+243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZp0-392YrN6O_-Y7DesYLW1JFwwpr5FdUdXAlTshYlPzfuCbuZiAjyMtOnVZ1ZvzpAKHV3bmcey8Q85ZSgD1jNnfo3TWe8dQskMAMfXwL-k2rfgQmAWAbxqeJJwd6kJ-uI4uoeNFXZo/s1600/2017-12-21+244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZp0-392YrN6O_-Y7DesYLW1JFwwpr5FdUdXAlTshYlPzfuCbuZiAjyMtOnVZ1ZvzpAKHV3bmcey8Q85ZSgD1jNnfo3TWe8dQskMAMfXwL-k2rfgQmAWAbxqeJJwd6kJ-uI4uoeNFXZo/s320/2017-12-21+244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr-pzRpJy4gCMFpE_P10EaFzV3UY6XKB1x8eb97vSZ1qFdD6xro-4ENXNt3ygjx3usNCQhHGwi8u95Hp2VKneXXSaj3zSiOFRPu2xsZ539zG_L2h4X9RGSmR7hI9ulpBNgaDGVoQBKZM/s1600/2017-12-21+246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr-pzRpJy4gCMFpE_P10EaFzV3UY6XKB1x8eb97vSZ1qFdD6xro-4ENXNt3ygjx3usNCQhHGwi8u95Hp2VKneXXSaj3zSiOFRPu2xsZ539zG_L2h4X9RGSmR7hI9ulpBNgaDGVoQBKZM/s320/2017-12-21+246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9t0o6ESq6UpsrsEelSxKXL0JsqQ0DtnKC7GKXAcY-I64yjooI2IAnboncD9tWaeO7789vpNTZsmaC48ZK3_benDbhw34NLmDb-CWiALI8XBp9x3ObIZb10D6udTru-3iLJHQ03vgAP80/s1600/2017-12-21+247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9t0o6ESq6UpsrsEelSxKXL0JsqQ0DtnKC7GKXAcY-I64yjooI2IAnboncD9tWaeO7789vpNTZsmaC48ZK3_benDbhw34NLmDb-CWiALI8XBp9x3ObIZb10D6udTru-3iLJHQ03vgAP80/s320/2017-12-21+247.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9rgGa4pvLbkX0D6ZILFE-PK01FIlLfwCHuKeenZ01ETZDIYA14NwlHWAdTX_hRt2jM26oPZn0zYV_SvVzClVE9ifWw_ZFZhS1irFb73MTIvq55da04QtgyMk3aCX-mJ2H4U-ZDx8BqY/s1600/2017-12-21+248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9rgGa4pvLbkX0D6ZILFE-PK01FIlLfwCHuKeenZ01ETZDIYA14NwlHWAdTX_hRt2jM26oPZn0zYV_SvVzClVE9ifWw_ZFZhS1irFb73MTIvq55da04QtgyMk3aCX-mJ2H4U-ZDx8BqY/s320/2017-12-21+248.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were pressed for time so made our way upstairs to see a few of the ethnology galleries.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tJ5ulWhDeJfH6bi9YAHnfN-LcLcorlALwxnSuF9tcIrL7k4l3rVzQVDeQDH1n71KznDidiEoNYZQ-y1MnmsPKmhvEVVQ-i7-WlosMDVaFWUz-N9ykfBz58JGDVVVyOMLXl74hYqAkGs/s1600/2017-12-21+268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tJ5ulWhDeJfH6bi9YAHnfN-LcLcorlALwxnSuF9tcIrL7k4l3rVzQVDeQDH1n71KznDidiEoNYZQ-y1MnmsPKmhvEVVQ-i7-WlosMDVaFWUz-N9ykfBz58JGDVVVyOMLXl74hYqAkGs/s320/2017-12-21+268.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrun2eRN6ShLrTu_o-nIEAZQGk_Chh7mEDEPa-_xizwbAEkz0c6v3278Ya8ZOcQ6l-3-qPGa60joFxdSQD_zmRm5dM5EJIT_B89ueFIFPIPATf1G9m9eYkEoXK0YhTMn72lArJDQz348/s1600/2017-12-21+270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrun2eRN6ShLrTu_o-nIEAZQGk_Chh7mEDEPa-_xizwbAEkz0c6v3278Ya8ZOcQ6l-3-qPGa60joFxdSQD_zmRm5dM5EJIT_B89ueFIFPIPATf1G9m9eYkEoXK0YhTMn72lArJDQz348/s320/2017-12-21+270.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the <b>Northwest Gallery,</b> I read about the <b>Seri</b> people who still live in two places on the desert coast. They are mainly fishermen, but also carve ironwood, make stone sculptures, weave baskets, and hunt and gather. The economy is in the hands of the family group who work together producing goods for sale and their own use. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsDDkTr5W8udU-9x47zzlzZfTJJfEcJtN9AeBpIA1UUhRa4zg8kUJhrS7nF16o6FWy3dsYqP3cTY0ssF1PLyIRY58izlXYYPcT39g139WFdEKJiDwQIxnlZCDaopzRe0RMbFPWSXl4XM/s1600/2017-12-21+271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsDDkTr5W8udU-9x47zzlzZfTJJfEcJtN9AeBpIA1UUhRa4zg8kUJhrS7nF16o6FWy3dsYqP3cTY0ssF1PLyIRY58izlXYYPcT39g139WFdEKJiDwQIxnlZCDaopzRe0RMbFPWSXl4XM/s320/2017-12-21+271.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ceremonies include celebrations around nature and life cycles, the festival of the new moon, the great basket <i>'saptim'</i> and puberty. The whole community participates with food, games, music, dance and prayers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeH8nwqSegSswWYqY6PeXmDcuo5Hb9cI1y3LWN0Ve894gAtdxM3KUUvQUe-JLwXyoZfIWt2Xa472n7ucrrIaHOv4ACJxfiaz4864jkYJloAEQltUFSyZu7DX5sVU1yW52wAsdMHOz6B0/s1600/2017-12-21+277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeH8nwqSegSswWYqY6PeXmDcuo5Hb9cI1y3LWN0Ve894gAtdxM3KUUvQUe-JLwXyoZfIWt2Xa472n7ucrrIaHOv4ACJxfiaz4864jkYJloAEQltUFSyZu7DX5sVU1yW52wAsdMHOz6B0/s320/2017-12-21+277.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The gallery also had exhibits on the <b>Yoremem</b> or <b>Mayo</b> people who combine farming with some fishing and animal raising. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpXrW8V0hhtileXxhbUKRVJl-EB4t7aCh9B78Pdqn0ICmf58EyNCdo1MeD9f0XNdP5sOhU_aCfHQ-vEX6yxOjIdtIncgbDkLki7CdywusctXle9i-XkIEPeeOf7pKvOuDLhDm4YQx260/s1600/2017-12-21+281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpXrW8V0hhtileXxhbUKRVJl-EB4t7aCh9B78Pdqn0ICmf58EyNCdo1MeD9f0XNdP5sOhU_aCfHQ-vEX6yxOjIdtIncgbDkLki7CdywusctXle9i-XkIEPeeOf7pKvOuDLhDm4YQx260/s320/2017-12-21+281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the <b>Nahua Ethnology Hall,</b> I found out the Nahuas of today are the most spread out indigenous group in Mexico occupying thirteen states throughout the country. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Today, Nahuatl is the mother tongue of more than 1.5 million people and there are many Nahuatl words in the Spanish spoken in Mexico. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The following photos portray a couple of themes of the Nahua culture: their conversion to Christianity and examples of their crafts.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkHDG28VWHO2e1VO0B3pZZFlGUIwpxmTeiapb2ZJZwzNfPrCeDOPEBvwZCkuW0pt8QBxxmwqsmz_gS0fx_bfIh0PKwgau1FtXykFvYsS6nc6hI3R1xwtm3IUeePKgPfMmwEaY2JwPtzw/s1600/2017-12-21+286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkHDG28VWHO2e1VO0B3pZZFlGUIwpxmTeiapb2ZJZwzNfPrCeDOPEBvwZCkuW0pt8QBxxmwqsmz_gS0fx_bfIh0PKwgau1FtXykFvYsS6nc6hI3R1xwtm3IUeePKgPfMmwEaY2JwPtzw/s320/2017-12-21+286.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg86YLuKaFwlEYUSN_XM66zzvZuCwHz0Ldo_LOoLGDEZpU7bm7tunPj8UNq6cQxwa8Wgj9AMyyUkx-s0_ChCsN6bzcZkhQza6IgQ7BHB7L3dJwcZAa_Rjn5i30diY5B6C7rGsDsLoS_c/s1600/2017-12-21+287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg86YLuKaFwlEYUSN_XM66zzvZuCwHz0Ldo_LOoLGDEZpU7bm7tunPj8UNq6cQxwa8Wgj9AMyyUkx-s0_ChCsN6bzcZkhQza6IgQ7BHB7L3dJwcZAa_Rjn5i30diY5B6C7rGsDsLoS_c/s320/2017-12-21+287.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nahuas are a people tied to the earth who have defined their relationship with nature in various ways. Each one of the areas inhabited by the Nahuas has developed its own way of living, dressing, farming and interrelating with the world. Though there are important differences, there are also similarities and coincidences. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Hu5l8d8k1DtGIVtNWOmcYZ18mzTttrO8YO0wRhspVSRfJSigMRTOVj2Zse-1gsMxRhcUN5cg20PXRtmNwRoO5RaT8LI2GXDu0eDFNetnZxvU2QdtAbSTw_tEWgcyVz7eHDSJ6qjEnM/s1600/2017-12-21+288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-Hu5l8d8k1DtGIVtNWOmcYZ18mzTttrO8YO0wRhspVSRfJSigMRTOVj2Zse-1gsMxRhcUN5cg20PXRtmNwRoO5RaT8LI2GXDu0eDFNetnZxvU2QdtAbSTw_tEWgcyVz7eHDSJ6qjEnM/s320/2017-12-21+288.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYEZsOnJEfkXKlG_evxvQHMo-fnwRn3it6cnLaWQmUTPJOIi6zroLhjVaB1yW28BQ7VtFc8BIkzdEcJcDW8CfU0M-2FAYwZpM69CZJRItGnyXRZ90NNSBSIEsEhgtsIdk8TzPq1Ve_Ko/s1600/2017-12-21+289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYEZsOnJEfkXKlG_evxvQHMo-fnwRn3it6cnLaWQmUTPJOIi6zroLhjVaB1yW28BQ7VtFc8BIkzdEcJcDW8CfU0M-2FAYwZpM69CZJRItGnyXRZ90NNSBSIEsEhgtsIdk8TzPq1Ve_Ko/s320/2017-12-21+289.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJZT78R9JYEzsN7_k-UjtrmWbw-BwjX_bk-ty-d6AsYRZeyoULn8wYqIn8sBuDQ9MmruP3m7vtYviOKbnff4ywSJMz5Oh_F-1PfaJzSeFd-XxZGqriJk6I87Pjgd6eIhDhI3l56SKgT0/s1600/2017-12-21+290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJZT78R9JYEzsN7_k-UjtrmWbw-BwjX_bk-ty-d6AsYRZeyoULn8wYqIn8sBuDQ9MmruP3m7vtYviOKbnff4ywSJMz5Oh_F-1PfaJzSeFd-XxZGqriJk6I87Pjgd6eIhDhI3l56SKgT0/s320/2017-12-21+290.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is impossible to talk about Mexico without referring to its evangelization, Spain's moral justification underlying the Conquest. During the first colonial years the Nahua groups came into contact with the Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians who established churches and monasteries. Members of the religious orders learned the language of the Indians to be more effective in their apostolic work. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZXoHm-3KBReVbThxQpv0yFdSYK6xOSuWj8SUddI9j9YLB-QJ7d4GUDO-8qGedY8rjAUw_SOMEZiprlC4Eh36UQj2g8AD88blJxv2mBmAvHSyA0OjMyfy8Ex-nDnnNkCNUEY2ezxW6As/s1600/2017-12-21+298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZXoHm-3KBReVbThxQpv0yFdSYK6xOSuWj8SUddI9j9YLB-QJ7d4GUDO-8qGedY8rjAUw_SOMEZiprlC4Eh36UQj2g8AD88blJxv2mBmAvHSyA0OjMyfy8Ex-nDnnNkCNUEY2ezxW6As/s320/2017-12-21+298.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">However, the conversion to Christianity achieved a radical transition from pagan to Christian life on the surface only. At a deeper level, customs didn't change. The strongest evidence of the survival of customs from pre-Hispanic days may be found in the native elements of modern Indian religious that have survived to this day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg6JJiGC4_-qiBuc9yJgpV2SZgSMCBQAFEtNn7_VJM_Mp1f1qW8DLR3ydusmUn4ypdXM6WABJqk1KrvEziRJSzskGuMaJzfCjf4JOFYxDxCPcVnFNa-KoPr2vrZb6mjPKVRfpg1fEw00/s1600/2017-12-21+299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg6JJiGC4_-qiBuc9yJgpV2SZgSMCBQAFEtNn7_VJM_Mp1f1qW8DLR3ydusmUn4ypdXM6WABJqk1KrvEziRJSzskGuMaJzfCjf4JOFYxDxCPcVnFNa-KoPr2vrZb6mjPKVRfpg1fEw00/s320/2017-12-21+299.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Clothing still distinguishes the indigenous groups of Mexico and even within one group, it tells one village apart from another. Among the Nahuas, each subgroup, each region and even each village had its own way of dressing. Each pattern preserves a tradition, each design is indicative of knowledge maintained over centuries and each form represents a way of viewing the world. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUG6nnZMh2HEStZIDlRQXsMngAIHkx7AxbtKVUvlxqZKwGyEU5utJeANYLjb2BntYjK1q-qjRjogVa4ZyL0G7q1amlX_T6TKy1uxSSoNmBJ5bvo89R4dbUEIzea8odkuV7IlKMpcmsbA/s1600/2017-12-21+303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUG6nnZMh2HEStZIDlRQXsMngAIHkx7AxbtKVUvlxqZKwGyEU5utJeANYLjb2BntYjK1q-qjRjogVa4ZyL0G7q1amlX_T6TKy1uxSSoNmBJ5bvo89R4dbUEIzea8odkuV7IlKMpcmsbA/s320/2017-12-21+303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge52rP53e90BXveNXWUn2AzTd0PWWSFl2uZW04T6nRWIkcC9Tt9hE1464o9nXZUPH16gMqLcRfnyiGU1T8xTeSq0aXOV6rWZj9UCWz0GWwaB93Wp1xr7w-OghuLjSPBlHz01hq-4hHDVI/s1600/2017-12-21+304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge52rP53e90BXveNXWUn2AzTd0PWWSFl2uZW04T6nRWIkcC9Tt9hE1464o9nXZUPH16gMqLcRfnyiGU1T8xTeSq0aXOV6rWZj9UCWz0GWwaB93Wp1xr7w-OghuLjSPBlHz01hq-4hHDVI/s320/2017-12-21+304.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nahuas are skilled craftsmen, working in clay, palm, wool, cotton, paper, gourds and wood to make items for holding, cooking and serving food, sleeping mats and baskets, clothes and textiles for domestic use. In Guerrero, the Nahuas have transferred their traditional pottery designs to paint tree bark and have also gone back to producing painted earthenware, now with new shapes and colors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJGRfkiCgXzKwpR_lzcXpo0uCoLY4pbLkSVTGnnqFVwkZY0Fdj9KSH7ZQkZx16UuxEKikp0aRookh7iU26hyphenhyphenR7HDHLOOKPlodTwsP_Tdc1kTxX8V4JjXOPuMNhPmxMjQjmoCAjbMIFko/s1600/2017-12-21+305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJGRfkiCgXzKwpR_lzcXpo0uCoLY4pbLkSVTGnnqFVwkZY0Fdj9KSH7ZQkZx16UuxEKikp0aRookh7iU26hyphenhyphenR7HDHLOOKPlodTwsP_Tdc1kTxX8V4JjXOPuMNhPmxMjQjmoCAjbMIFko/s320/2017-12-21+305.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNvV-Sz4ZC_icfJ0tGRhHy7fS1rELIfKRT7MX9by74WF6QXHCnwYgrsLwM5Opj-LXx4p9PWbXX5lHU9LOQZSVc60TshmHjVCDHpA4NnzTOaOvOESuEvUwo5p8SwjOJj9S_K-sMFWm6mY/s1600/2017-12-21+313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNvV-Sz4ZC_icfJ0tGRhHy7fS1rELIfKRT7MX9by74WF6QXHCnwYgrsLwM5Opj-LXx4p9PWbXX5lHU9LOQZSVc60TshmHjVCDHpA4NnzTOaOvOESuEvUwo5p8SwjOJj9S_K-sMFWm6mY/s320/2017-12-21+313.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wood is used to make figures of saints and also for masks used in festivals and dances as well as objects for everyday use such as tables, chairs and spoons.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjqnjiQ61V_sJSzTfx5f8FlS2aFfO_3UZifLo2bNxvch1t7O6ZSMZk0gL95bcVylqwgsHmRwz2zT2HDIDM94efl2YGUyu0bkS13xmHj4ZTe4hH02bpvCRd8mewtBCRMkQiYHAoG-fRNY/s1600/2017-12-21+309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjqnjiQ61V_sJSzTfx5f8FlS2aFfO_3UZifLo2bNxvch1t7O6ZSMZk0gL95bcVylqwgsHmRwz2zT2HDIDM94efl2YGUyu0bkS13xmHj4ZTe4hH02bpvCRd8mewtBCRMkQiYHAoG-fRNY/s320/2017-12-21+309.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If we had had more time, </span><span style="font-size: large;">I could see how</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the Museum of Anthropology could easily have been been a place to explore for a whole day. Why limit yourself to a visit of Mexico City when you could visit all of the Mexican civilizations in just one place! If we ever return to the city, I hope we will set aside more time to explore the incredible museum and its outdoor gardens with temples and prayer sites as there was far to much to absorb in the time we had.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUWnCnbRb7HE9pW7alDtARgEFkzcmCOeW-X5k4Ee9KLQN4CtT0hJ_hhF8oIDt68e2XZct6KeDbIIH24LmikA3ZhG-_bsOAKV2Egx2ZYbYLVhgSsIDD1_AW4dNWsoAN4B4MVsvxHw7PUM/s1600/2017-12-21+310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUWnCnbRb7HE9pW7alDtARgEFkzcmCOeW-X5k4Ee9KLQN4CtT0hJ_hhF8oIDt68e2XZct6KeDbIIH24LmikA3ZhG-_bsOAKV2Egx2ZYbYLVhgSsIDD1_AW4dNWsoAN4B4MVsvxHw7PUM/s320/2017-12-21+310.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In a clearing near the entrance, we watched in amazement as indigenous <b>Totonac</b> people performed their spectacular 'flying rite' from a 60 foot pole!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dOW_fqyMmZfGCKR51SrUHHG3wPt1zbWJ4Ajp_cfkcjnGgTbFY7JviaYVGixzs7OUtsTd2DUpODBBB2viFmyvEUgPx1sEJ9sG1dJm6dSTO97y5fannj5MTB_wCJdg14ULehxP-60DFDQ/s1600/2017-12-21+316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dOW_fqyMmZfGCKR51SrUHHG3wPt1zbWJ4Ajp_cfkcjnGgTbFY7JviaYVGixzs7OUtsTd2DUpODBBB2viFmyvEUgPx1sEJ9sG1dJm6dSTO97y5fannj5MTB_wCJdg14ULehxP-60DFDQ/s320/2017-12-21+316.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK78EBRjdhRSwg0aSnWWXIQ3dGCQbh2FuTb69qfcQR_5eptd_SjjK5h7UH4kptByLxjyCXBQTYmwVmKxrzECgTzK0ulwvpfbGAEzmydN0lIMAKcCQqKDqwdGtMha924Pgljvdqw7myPxc/s1600/2017-12-21+317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK78EBRjdhRSwg0aSnWWXIQ3dGCQbh2FuTb69qfcQR_5eptd_SjjK5h7UH4kptByLxjyCXBQTYmwVmKxrzECgTzK0ulwvpfbGAEzmydN0lIMAKcCQqKDqwdGtMha924Pgljvdqw7myPxc/s320/2017-12-21+317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-6WEg5zJPh4RhvLs76zUlGwNccfz0BV_wEMqKPhIxtbaCHM1pSOT8CZfN-Ypq9YVGssPKcbWfIWfzuy5KufGli6HBxd8Urjy2tTa1hEoMGhGm8fQgLVoSdz73KRQCAS7Bu2XKuWk8Uo/s1600/2017-12-21+318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-6WEg5zJPh4RhvLs76zUlGwNccfz0BV_wEMqKPhIxtbaCHM1pSOT8CZfN-Ypq9YVGssPKcbWfIWfzuy5KufGli6HBxd8Urjy2tTa1hEoMGhGm8fQgLVoSdz73KRQCAS7Bu2XKuWk8Uo/s320/2017-12-21+318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> A wonderful walk along the city's <b>Paseo de la Reforma</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">before heading home after three and a half months exploring much of South America.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted at long last on July 8th from Littleton, Colorado!</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-48740981165843618382018-07-01T22:51:00.002-06:002018-07-22T19:39:55.057-06:0012/20: Mexico City: Climbing the Pyramids at Teotihuacan & Basilica de Santa Maria Guadalupe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I mentioned at the end of the previous post, the primary reason we decided to come to Mexico City at the tail end of our 3.5 month long trip to South America was to visit <b>Teotihuacan,</b> the most renowned and iconic ancient city in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan was on the northern edge of the sprawling megalopolis of Mexico City, which like Teotihuacan is one of the biggest cities the world has ever seen. It was delightfully easy to reach after a metro ride to the city's northern terminal and an hour bus ride from there.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Around 2,400 years ago, the Valley of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan was occupied by various rural communities with a population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants within an area covering 2.5-3.7 square miles. By comparison, </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mexico City has </span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">nine million people </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">with a density of 25,000 people per square mile – double that of London! As more people from southern Mexico moved there by 2000 BC, a new population center was formed in the Valley and the first planned urban settlement was created in Mesoamerica. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">During subsequent phases of the development of the city, a sophisticated level of urbanization was reached as demonstrated by an urban plan with streets and blocks, dominated by two large perpendicular roads running through: the Avenue of the Dead and the East-West Avenue. Drainage and a sewage system in the residential units, buildings and public plazas were also evidence of the urban planning. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The colossal urban center once housed up to 125,000 people and covered over eight square miles. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The population lived in luxury, with permanent stone houses decorated with fine murals, based around small courtyards with a communal kitchen, running water and a sewage system. The city was arranged into districts and neighborhoods with paved streets connecting each home to the ceremonial heart of the city. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the city, different levels of construction were visible which demonstrated how the city grew on top of itself over nine centuries just as what occurred with the </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Aztec’s own city of <b>Tenochtitlan</b> that was discovered under the historic center of nearby Mexico City that we had explored the previous day. In the same way, we were again able to observe the superimposed buildings which corresponded to different stages in the development of the </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan Culture until its fall around 700-750 AD.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">After Teotihuacan’s temples and municipal building were mysteriously burned and destroyed, </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">possibly by its own people, </span><span style="font-size: large;">and until the arrival of the Spanish, </span><span style="font-size: large;">t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he Aztecs and other cultural groups respected the abandoned site as a <b>Sacred City</b> who believed it had been built by giants.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Its profound size and carefully aligned structures even perplexed the Aztecs when they rediscovered the long-abandoned city more than 1000 years after it was built. They named it Teotihuacan, meaning “Birthplace of the Gods” or the “place where time began." </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix7GMNoSxQg5jTQ_x8-WYG5-pxr4AdMkYQwoiunLTiGmHeLyBs5RIAnq4eKDBFL86dD-Lro1GPXlriyXL6iuanOeLB9yidPlJr0BuHNcg3JYZ8JctP10-PJdAq3t4HeDrzlamb7UREnY/s1600/2017-12-20+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix7GMNoSxQg5jTQ_x8-WYG5-pxr4AdMkYQwoiunLTiGmHeLyBs5RIAnq4eKDBFL86dD-Lro1GPXlriyXL6iuanOeLB9yidPlJr0BuHNcg3JYZ8JctP10-PJdAq3t4HeDrzlamb7UREnY/s320/2017-12-20+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Avenue of the Dead </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">ran </span><span style="font-size: large;">about two miles, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the length of the present site from the <b>Temple of Quetzalcoatl</b> on the north where we entered to </span><span style="font-size: large;">the <b>Pyramid of the Moon</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> at the other end. It once stretched much further toward the south but that area still hasn't been explored. The Avenue got its name by the Aztecs who mistakenly believed the buildings lining it were royal tombs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhb0c44i_ohP1DLRz3I46pXAJd2aJRZp2PY3HdOw0bsWI8jh49mXVKJCx-AiuEMs8Ly4DhW1NRuQNyDLAsIgi60fAGSQs6QhnNRfQcauFDSQn52xjwzZOuZ7NLTzKEUJUMEvxWoifDvA/s1600/2017-12-20+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhb0c44i_ohP1DLRz3I46pXAJd2aJRZp2PY3HdOw0bsWI8jh49mXVKJCx-AiuEMs8Ly4DhW1NRuQNyDLAsIgi60fAGSQs6QhnNRfQcauFDSQn52xjwzZOuZ7NLTzKEUJUMEvxWoifDvA/s320/2017-12-20+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In hindsight, we would have been much smarter to explore initially the first part of the ancient city we came across, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Quetzalcoatl, rather than walk directly a long way down the Avenue to the most famous site, the <b>Pyramid of the Sun</b> in the center of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan as strongly recommended by other bloggers. Their reasoning will become evident soon enough however!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6_yWoo6JoOgILfvufjarC5Bqb5MvdB-yIQLLcWS87YzNfUfYjJdeJkiX6NjtqIyCpjAwzfgDYnXj6EmfShCNXOPoEbffDWxW-F_J7mXA1Txw5sn9Z22QO3QcnXgHVZ_03xaFN18X9h0/s1600/2017-12-20+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6_yWoo6JoOgILfvufjarC5Bqb5MvdB-yIQLLcWS87YzNfUfYjJdeJkiX6NjtqIyCpjAwzfgDYnXj6EmfShCNXOPoEbffDWxW-F_J7mXA1Txw5sn9Z22QO3QcnXgHVZ_03xaFN18X9h0/s320/2017-12-20+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As the elevation was about 7,550 feet and it was a hot, hot day in late December under the tropical sun with precious little shade, we were glad we had gotten an early start as we made our way down the Avenue to the pyramid. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCjd8-ObgLCUQsEvMunz8O6PrnIyjnQztvHTj_C1etHv-Mu_APgj3j1cZOYnJAihgpSSfuvosX-SHRMQW4I_JbC7XhbQ5gLTHx7zsFF__FacS4F1zJcjZdnyi7tqp_d_xBIAWgvFIoGU/s1600/2017-12-20+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCjd8-ObgLCUQsEvMunz8O6PrnIyjnQztvHTj_C1etHv-Mu_APgj3j1cZOYnJAihgpSSfuvosX-SHRMQW4I_JbC7XhbQ5gLTHx7zsFF__FacS4F1zJcjZdnyi7tqp_d_xBIAWgvFIoGU/s320/2017-12-20+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>San Juan River</b> was one of the most astonishing pieces of work in </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Teotihuacan engineering because the river's course was intentionally diverted toward the north so it would pass the Avenue of the Dead perpendicularly which then divided the city into four quadrants. The </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Teotihuacans dug into the barren rock to make a canal that made the natural overspill flow into the heart of the city. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdQ1l-Q64vI3ubGTMSAEaefkdsf5BSlDaTcykoqTvevx24KxeX4FL-LtmR7deljRkf9DUIDvCEEuflD14LLE7RRda8QyF_WfSRzzCMOcQYvsePiBHi7rH4tRh-vYlxq5cHFlz6uL6Fd0/s1600/2017-12-20+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdQ1l-Q64vI3ubGTMSAEaefkdsf5BSlDaTcykoqTvevx24KxeX4FL-LtmR7deljRkf9DUIDvCEEuflD14LLE7RRda8QyF_WfSRzzCMOcQYvsePiBHi7rH4tRh-vYlxq5cHFlz6uL6Fd0/s320/2017-12-20+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The immense <b>Pyramid of the Sun</b> ranks among the biggest in the world and stands on a base of very similar dimensions to that of the <b>Great Pyramid of Egypt.</b> It was only half its height, 213 feet, compared to 472 feet and consisted of 2.5 million tons of stone compared to the Great Pyramid's 6.5 million tons.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4gc9WNKj2kkCOkNm0UpOAy3JvreO_co2DIh5Iw0ScKgIYZa9S5NNFc0Gl3zwZfpKSn6GZm896x5fNPuNH2qMVLob4HzCucyKXWXaIlq7kJShLMsZEmDnq85Yu4fXf8DQrl70TX-Xj08/s1600/2017-12-20+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4gc9WNKj2kkCOkNm0UpOAy3JvreO_co2DIh5Iw0ScKgIYZa9S5NNFc0Gl3zwZfpKSn6GZm896x5fNPuNH2qMVLob4HzCucyKXWXaIlq7kJShLMsZEmDnq85Yu4fXf8DQrl70TX-Xj08/s320/2017-12-20+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In sheer size, the Pyramid of the Sun was the largest pre-Hispanic building of its times and one of the most important in Mesoamerica. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Its name came from 16th century accounts that claimed the sun god was worshiped at this immense monument. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Archaeological investigations indicated the construction was carried out in a single operation and that its interior was solid.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVtSZQVP8tbPSzrs8DCqgNGGwFWORi0MYB7YCpMaf0ugxzdEVNsuIM-c50VHPuJyQtNZRv7v_pYYlOgaeuzGnK2pL1Le5FQrWq9KJy1JzSt4E4eXGFdsVYhQfX8BaAwnoe72bUovsrv4/s1600/2017-12-20+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVtSZQVP8tbPSzrs8DCqgNGGwFWORi0MYB7YCpMaf0ugxzdEVNsuIM-c50VHPuJyQtNZRv7v_pYYlOgaeuzGnK2pL1Le5FQrWq9KJy1JzSt4E4eXGFdsVYhQfX8BaAwnoe72bUovsrv4/s320/2017-12-20+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Begun from 1-100 AD, later phases added a platform in front of its main facade and two temples on its north and south sides. According to recent studies, it had five terraces although errors in its 20th century reconstruction only show the original four terraces. The top of the pyramid once had a temple where religious rites were carried out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7h0BHHJ8j9Mvq2uU-NDcoyUsux-Kx4-SVckWDnaxFnTRS6e-xs9bxBbtLluibap8WQiLC0sIxW5hchQdIZ1EnfPaCEvbY0SEfMfDZIxUw34Slvc9_iCH0aTA3zZckaPAa1Z8yO_xWQo/s1600/2017-12-20+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7h0BHHJ8j9Mvq2uU-NDcoyUsux-Kx4-SVckWDnaxFnTRS6e-xs9bxBbtLluibap8WQiLC0sIxW5hchQdIZ1EnfPaCEvbY0SEfMfDZIxUw34Slvc9_iCH0aTA3zZckaPAa1Z8yO_xWQo/s320/2017-12-20+024.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Made of adobe bricks and earth and covered with gravel and stone, it was probably completed during the second century AD. Imagine how the entire temple would have looked when it was first covered with brightly painted stucco! As Steven began hiking up the 260 steps, the most of any temple in the </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Teotihuacan complex, he stated this may be his last climb. Little did he know it last December, but a few months later he and our sons had won reservations to stay overnight at the bottom of the <b>Grand Canyon</b> in June of '19 which will mean a far more arduous ascent!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOP7OMzWmOclbYYdDBhPCmkRn8qU9b3RgTdz7BJCHNsLqJXD4atI6VK0jMmmSMtEPHD0bFx1kwwkrjZlyEb8xwQWtS8bW3UEH5J7YqaEnS8ySM0HAjqKVL3Mqu-Gx0YuwWlW7MUXDYu8/s1600/2017-12-20+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOP7OMzWmOclbYYdDBhPCmkRn8qU9b3RgTdz7BJCHNsLqJXD4atI6VK0jMmmSMtEPHD0bFx1kwwkrjZlyEb8xwQWtS8bW3UEH5J7YqaEnS8ySM0HAjqKVL3Mqu-Gx0YuwWlW7MUXDYu8/s320/2017-12-20+039.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A view looking north toward the <b>Temple or Pyramid of the Moon:</b> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPU3pd99CyUvHQ-ikniO8kzS93KG9s622p-jEOARs5O5F22CG0CeibPaJ4mbE6s_VaxLjyeXYuupsFMN4zTeMhpkEu1er8mnaMthXdDKlC54Fbf4jKVLI8tvCDPBW8CHrVKkLzcJ_ncs/s1600/2017-12-20+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPU3pd99CyUvHQ-ikniO8kzS93KG9s622p-jEOARs5O5F22CG0CeibPaJ4mbE6s_VaxLjyeXYuupsFMN4zTeMhpkEu1er8mnaMthXdDKlC54Fbf4jKVLI8tvCDPBW8CHrVKkLzcJ_ncs/s320/2017-12-20+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After having broken both feet within the last year, I found the uneven terrain at the top particularly challenging as you can see from the picture Steven took of me! He preferred to wait a little further down but I wanted to reach the top. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u1sn8G9isJPJvVvhLxU0ec0qdG6Me-KW0w11NX7nKOoUJBFqSyohqlwY9uwGZO5z7wRnQfFfhmWNGirQphra_z54pGT1qAaPBzyZ9JZULSy8NtlId-PYFDycAnjXb6gSTKmBQ4EFEkg/s1600/2017-12-20+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u1sn8G9isJPJvVvhLxU0ec0qdG6Me-KW0w11NX7nKOoUJBFqSyohqlwY9uwGZO5z7wRnQfFfhmWNGirQphra_z54pGT1qAaPBzyZ9JZULSy8NtlId-PYFDycAnjXb6gSTKmBQ4EFEkg/s320/2017-12-20+043.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Based on recent archaeological work, a new interpretation has been developed concerning the religious meaning of the Pyramid of the Sun. Originally it was believed to that the pyramid functioned as a base for a large temple dedicated to the sun which was considered a deity. The new interpretation suggests the god worshiped in the building was the <b>God of Water, Tlaloc,</b> that we'd first heard about the previous day at Templo Mayor in Mexico City. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvli81XyZzdq1AkPxyR9ETJOEXRbiYygF8r10kO6UZoDYuCAyIDGlsn7nwXn8aPlSsKtAU5cmae3fD_nhegrt-hP6zELSqiJNQ0SbIEuXLelh8de4-9wXBxzPGDSPot7RCuJjbeYDLtE/s1600/2017-12-20+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvli81XyZzdq1AkPxyR9ETJOEXRbiYygF8r10kO6UZoDYuCAyIDGlsn7nwXn8aPlSsKtAU5cmae3fD_nhegrt-hP6zELSqiJNQ0SbIEuXLelh8de4-9wXBxzPGDSPot7RCuJjbeYDLtE/s320/2017-12-20+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The evidence supporting the revised interpretation included the evidence of a ten-foot wide moat surrounding the pyramid's base giving it the meaning of</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Water Hill, </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">the presence of child burials at the building's corners which were characteristic of offerings to water gods and a cave under the pyramid. Caves in the pre-Hispanic cosmic vision represented life and death. They were interpreted as life-giving wombs and also represented entrances to the world of the dead. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKsS-Dp2kx7CnuzDp56d3qjkvJTwoSm7SF7uijfkpexykgZR5ycytU1u8fSeonaC_dVMZO1nQSMN7iSxj_s8zNp-Sa7Fm63198WuSxnI_G2zdSpcBY0hj9MrmMtfyARR1GBgGz4YLuk8/s1600/2017-12-20+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKsS-Dp2kx7CnuzDp56d3qjkvJTwoSm7SF7uijfkpexykgZR5ycytU1u8fSeonaC_dVMZO1nQSMN7iSxj_s8zNp-Sa7Fm63198WuSxnI_G2zdSpcBY0hj9MrmMtfyARR1GBgGz4YLuk8/s320/2017-12-20+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Both of us agreed the hike up the very steep steps luckily wasn't as bad as it looked from the bottom. And, it probably had been smart to go directly to the pyramid and hike to the top before it got even hotter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUZuP-7U3df3MYp_TDZ0NVLyRkE97xDAoYRPrU3kGoSGD8j09Qibh_qkxri4dIi0UnPwfT6IjOLRaHSK0lTh6ISfBFkpQk9uWXGHhEa5ipYUUZHOIvr8-bd9vCzHWWXUYtUq-361IZ-Y/s1600/2017-12-20+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUZuP-7U3df3MYp_TDZ0NVLyRkE97xDAoYRPrU3kGoSGD8j09Qibh_qkxri4dIi0UnPwfT6IjOLRaHSK0lTh6ISfBFkpQk9uWXGHhEa5ipYUUZHOIvr8-bd9vCzHWWXUYtUq-361IZ-Y/s320/2017-12-20+064.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Near the pyramid was a sculpture in volcanic rock that depicted a ceremonial brazier that was believed to have been used for holding the sacred fire during religious events.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YLD5K5HtZnDFn4B5qp7qUYU240P-pxXB272N4WHoFR9Il9aFHxvjd3_Jw61ftB3Ko-Cvy30MWZoC-v0iGW3x9Ugung4fuWHkP5_iwgE6OD3S7Wd2Kd4-mj5fdmljauMlFT0-FI6JHaU/s1600/2017-12-20+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YLD5K5HtZnDFn4B5qp7qUYU240P-pxXB272N4WHoFR9Il9aFHxvjd3_Jw61ftB3Ko-Cvy30MWZoC-v0iGW3x9Ugung4fuWHkP5_iwgE6OD3S7Wd2Kd4-mj5fdmljauMlFT0-FI6JHaU/s320/2017-12-20+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These fragments of friezes were from sculptures of large, feline heads and other panel moldings found on platform sides.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCBlSbB0l_k2ZLVGarMoKABJWJHKDRb9oOk4dPgchZNRVwX4ZcIJDnRNYNUc-_xbg8OhCN_TAGCFW1wD1IqJ1nkhSlt0lhBFCfaAyAyX1s9lEU-zJnEk2-pNZo6bSWcoSJYfHzg8wws0/s1600/2017-12-20+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCBlSbB0l_k2ZLVGarMoKABJWJHKDRb9oOk4dPgchZNRVwX4ZcIJDnRNYNUc-_xbg8OhCN_TAGCFW1wD1IqJ1nkhSlt0lhBFCfaAyAyX1s9lEU-zJnEk2-pNZo6bSWcoSJYfHzg8wws0/s320/2017-12-20+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We decided to walk back all the way along the Avenue to see the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> <span style="text-align: center;">Temple of Quetzalcoatl </span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;">we had bypassed when entering. On the bright side, we we were able to look at all the souvenirs for sale and buy popsicles and use the facilities at the entrance before exploring another temple!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGz-CHfvnx-rqGTLjwM712vf2SlTJt867T5kXTYpxNp0bO0sQ9A0POy3NjHkdhKHLiu0wGamvHlcutWZLJZuVGT_wqLSAD0e5KsQruXx07cL_5iWeN2NIvuDc5Tcy3aETA-5riOj_mLo/s1600/2017-12-20+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGz-CHfvnx-rqGTLjwM712vf2SlTJt867T5kXTYpxNp0bO0sQ9A0POy3NjHkdhKHLiu0wGamvHlcutWZLJZuVGT_wqLSAD0e5KsQruXx07cL_5iWeN2NIvuDc5Tcy3aETA-5riOj_mLo/s320/2017-12-20+068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the Temple was the <b>Citadel, </b>the administrative nerve center and </span><span style="font-size: large;">also known as the Ceremonial Center </span><span style="font-size: large;">of the City of of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Several groups of dwellings and other structures devoted to the practice of state-supported arts and crafts for religious use were located there. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H8mdlpw1_4B5hUOvQAtlZHfaHYKhjWXe5tsGRfb4_2fqx7kaW3mOF0T8AMb8NBGrxwEV2jQUYjWpqr-gTcSp1BvqLD2TVULF_toDbNxdblr4XARnxj9ESTPMT-L0-eGHE4Q-mm2HhxU/s1600/2017-12-20+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H8mdlpw1_4B5hUOvQAtlZHfaHYKhjWXe5tsGRfb4_2fqx7kaW3mOF0T8AMb8NBGrxwEV2jQUYjWpqr-gTcSp1BvqLD2TVULF_toDbNxdblr4XARnxj9ESTPMT-L0-eGHE4Q-mm2HhxU/s320/2017-12-20+076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Because of its size, architectural features and spacial arrangement, it was the site of the city's main marketplace where production and local and external trading activities took place. The temples atop the great platform were either administrative facilities or </span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan's seat of power. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3AP0cL4XJK-yLiXn6aA41IXQUyjs5RrZv6jXV-TCCXCY8KRILMmYRCeKHP8JCuPUzspqnGkj1GakdvJXLCTkVXil2Hyau1yLE1CqJfOxdQgy3QxPkH9EQ6Zc3PmmnnfarYIbVHQ2fRY/s1600/2017-12-20+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3AP0cL4XJK-yLiXn6aA41IXQUyjs5RrZv6jXV-TCCXCY8KRILMmYRCeKHP8JCuPUzspqnGkj1GakdvJXLCTkVXil2Hyau1yLE1CqJfOxdQgy3QxPkH9EQ6Zc3PmmnnfarYIbVHQ2fRY/s320/2017-12-20+078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG4c2IfV6NfoOfGhs_4D8rKAnJJ8Tjd4LIJ8qaki-wKN5vZXI84kGFpj748zLKm3mUxACQToN2ZhO3VORCkfS2WEcs1-PHRpGpPnDTLdz-9VK3IDj7JXGcW0pzsidbCBK7XPwgldlp_g/s1600/2017-12-20+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG4c2IfV6NfoOfGhs_4D8rKAnJJ8Tjd4LIJ8qaki-wKN5vZXI84kGFpj748zLKm3mUxACQToN2ZhO3VORCkfS2WEcs1-PHRpGpPnDTLdz-9VK3IDj7JXGcW0pzsidbCBK7XPwgldlp_g/s320/2017-12-20+086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The temple</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">built around 200 AD and</span><span style="font-size: large;"> known as the Plumed Serpent, was decorated with masks of plumed serpents carved in stone whose heads emerged out of flower petals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxCKSmygXZgVT8FZzndDSIjcdACkCa3F0hVDtNArtTFrZvublcqR_5CAio6hpQdjOkA5igKF9783rGki_GmEMBgTUZNjeDu99slV00fcrdU4_7sTKpOtb6PIMfKqaNx1aV1oAs8HuLuc/s1600/2017-12-20+107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxCKSmygXZgVT8FZzndDSIjcdACkCa3F0hVDtNArtTFrZvublcqR_5CAio6hpQdjOkA5igKF9783rGki_GmEMBgTUZNjeDu99slV00fcrdU4_7sTKpOtb6PIMfKqaNx1aV1oAs8HuLuc/s320/2017-12-20+107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-2ZLTXJF7XNkdugquAvNboGCBJ1R8hXwNz6tuDVqeLmon1WbdojdYbGfM6PEjUXImvue-7nShNaywp5tgPQB-Db8JLl2_sbBF64YTUlUaMUMifLxOzUBQemOjbTpaEg2_FpwYObDMSk/s1600/2017-12-20+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-2ZLTXJF7XNkdugquAvNboGCBJ1R8hXwNz6tuDVqeLmon1WbdojdYbGfM6PEjUXImvue-7nShNaywp5tgPQB-Db8JLl2_sbBF64YTUlUaMUMifLxOzUBQemOjbTpaEg2_FpwYObDMSk/s320/2017-12-20+087.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The serpents' bodies were carved in stone on the borders of the stairways. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTkD5g0RlwP9kVF7MWzsL2r9Rh-XDuzh3uItpZj3Mjlh9C9kn0l8qJJRLLN0-_pB3GHLeWcqzuZcYkLXM982ago2f4WW__frps1tVRJAfbJUWuZMCpCYNCiGRz49wiClvPvkPFuMiA4k/s1600/2017-12-20+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTkD5g0RlwP9kVF7MWzsL2r9Rh-XDuzh3uItpZj3Mjlh9C9kn0l8qJJRLLN0-_pB3GHLeWcqzuZcYkLXM982ago2f4WW__frps1tVRJAfbJUWuZMCpCYNCiGRz49wiClvPvkPFuMiA4k/s320/2017-12-20+099.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Wtdfgvfoa6Y50hbQVm2z5-NAQet8p4pjUB49ciAUIkemb8OKj5r4vHfM_Ual5ZzFv0J4EWxdYWD2LnyBTld4CHBRtNwA_8hGx8w6xJgPD7X1wytJMR9HggaxGYFAT5j6uRXX8C63ZtE/s1600/2017-12-20+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Wtdfgvfoa6Y50hbQVm2z5-NAQet8p4pjUB49ciAUIkemb8OKj5r4vHfM_Ual5ZzFv0J4EWxdYWD2LnyBTld4CHBRtNwA_8hGx8w6xJgPD7X1wytJMR9HggaxGYFAT5j6uRXX8C63ZtE/s320/2017-12-20+105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, the climb to the top of the main altar where sacrifices had been made was a much shorter one at </span><span style="font-size: large;">Quetzalcoatl as the day was getting even hotter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtQ6GW3hw5mG3IWO2bpqpJ3Lh78PvjoHgn54ADRrYtP5XADrBMvbDgWZTiIVA6-_thIprcxpcxKwhuhnxMcZJCXZm2ShwXUVD1c4ACZpu5sqQLpCizz7AL5rX_iz5xdriZZVWHhm3U_I/s1600/2017-12-20+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtQ6GW3hw5mG3IWO2bpqpJ3Lh78PvjoHgn54ADRrYtP5XADrBMvbDgWZTiIVA6-_thIprcxpcxKwhuhnxMcZJCXZm2ShwXUVD1c4ACZpu5sqQLpCizz7AL5rX_iz5xdriZZVWHhm3U_I/s320/2017-12-20+096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Archaeological excavations were taking place all over the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Quetzalcoatl</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">complex. I wonder what visitors will discover anew there in years to come!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-ACSXdriiSaKmz-fup2yfVgF97VgyS_XibfOYJwl2G3fe-fiDDAl0avIKeLSGoqBxKkXugHHwUntAubTxOnpVxSL4RW603JTaiHYa8_18b_2gvUKrNpArDeCxSDfJprF09P4y_YhaaY/s1600/2017-12-20+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-ACSXdriiSaKmz-fup2yfVgF97VgyS_XibfOYJwl2G3fe-fiDDAl0avIKeLSGoqBxKkXugHHwUntAubTxOnpVxSL4RW603JTaiHYa8_18b_2gvUKrNpArDeCxSDfJprF09P4y_YhaaY/s320/2017-12-20+104.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were very glad we'd made the trek back to the Citadel and the temple even though now it meant schlepping</span><span style="font-size: large;"> all the way </span><span style="font-size: large;">back along the long Avenue </span><span style="font-size: large;">to the opposite end of the ancient city.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPonOd88mHh506Pj-nTgdYlWFZJGAntEJJwY4BT6nIl7UPcZXWdM4FniZSScgr-msTc_VZ0aUMXy1vZUzMHL2ClCt5G6lgm1GJKuAbYG-umyygykhTcLLBgasafzLcARUEgLTfJJB4uk/s1600/2017-12-20+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPonOd88mHh506Pj-nTgdYlWFZJGAntEJJwY4BT6nIl7UPcZXWdM4FniZSScgr-msTc_VZ0aUMXy1vZUzMHL2ClCt5G6lgm1GJKuAbYG-umyygykhTcLLBgasafzLcARUEgLTfJJB4uk/s320/2017-12-20+106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we retraced our steps toward the Temple of the Sun, we paid more attention to the </span><span style="font-size: large;">groups of </span><span style="font-size: large;">buildings </span><span style="font-size: large;">that lined both sides of the Avenue that </span><span style="font-size: large;">we hadn't looked at earlier as we'd been so focused on getting to the temple immediately. Signs indicated the buildings </span><span style="font-size: large;">belonged to palace and temple complexes designed for Teotihuacan's different political, administrative and religious activities as well as homes for the society's top hierarchy, mainly priests.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRmqGiWZwTniPBXBSHYclKrP5iK35LkNs1sJUFZJJ8cvZjBFrPMQgjWgtLtz63Dki8sBXM4PCpsS5TULtow1C5lkuwroChJKFSFnKaG8jjCFLFT-OqWwxbesA9lKeDPrQUigVu4aWDzI/s1600/2017-12-20+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRmqGiWZwTniPBXBSHYclKrP5iK35LkNs1sJUFZJJ8cvZjBFrPMQgjWgtLtz63Dki8sBXM4PCpsS5TULtow1C5lkuwroChJKFSFnKaG8jjCFLFT-OqWwxbesA9lKeDPrQUigVu4aWDzI/s320/2017-12-20+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcLL3-7o9Mj5raSZh1O0a0SHKCqrRp0okNncXo046EmJhldHavb4WwW8v4bJJnx-WzyugFgcBmIY61ScQ2OflJHa3jB9O4zCoa7ukd8iIjK8UsNR5tST7milqaId05qi1MdR_46CGlrs/s1600/2017-12-20+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcLL3-7o9Mj5raSZh1O0a0SHKCqrRp0okNncXo046EmJhldHavb4WwW8v4bJJnx-WzyugFgcBmIY61ScQ2OflJHa3jB9O4zCoa7ukd8iIjK8UsNR5tST7milqaId05qi1MdR_46CGlrs/s320/2017-12-20+111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxnMALk9Sf1VTYduEU6NYquBxwM0ioBGe3D3PpoTg2RbnNGIo0omWB1By2WrzDEgztPXkfMt6s-f_eZvC3VmrABTxSC78vqgpiWr6Fm1ePWqZr7oe0r2cfu7bFeWOp7OIIvERrKft6LA/s1600/2017-12-20+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxnMALk9Sf1VTYduEU6NYquBxwM0ioBGe3D3PpoTg2RbnNGIo0omWB1By2WrzDEgztPXkfMt6s-f_eZvC3VmrABTxSC78vqgpiWr6Fm1ePWqZr7oe0r2cfu7bFeWOp7OIIvERrKft6LA/s320/2017-12-20+112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The hike back along the Avenue might have looked like a walk along a regular road but it was really a climb up and over plaza after plaza, each containing fairly short staircases, until we reached another plaza and yet another set of stairs! This was now our third time doing this so we were certainly getting our day's exercise in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOWdSu8QLXoZCi7ZBx5B2FOByrlbitCSL1qfW1xqJrtAvZ0Hf0_M7_IXfws8gX0Cd73PF7Uu_-GZ2efF7Khc83FOvdfbiLH99CoxNhyB2juxUgQECwptPQazkq7pr9jU5h339d8WlhY8/s1600/2017-12-20+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOWdSu8QLXoZCi7ZBx5B2FOByrlbitCSL1qfW1xqJrtAvZ0Hf0_M7_IXfws8gX0Cd73PF7Uu_-GZ2efF7Khc83FOvdfbiLH99CoxNhyB2juxUgQECwptPQazkq7pr9jU5h339d8WlhY8/s320/2017-12-20+115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We relished the shade provided by the few trees at the </span><span style="font-size: large;">San Juan River before continuing in the open again.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9LROUTxoTINoFKPrd-HtCKyM19TiMjDWTqqbKka2n9FblemZVIi6yie7KzrgGVddJCsWI4ddq-WgI6oVAddhLSWIla6AobDp07PGP6KEe13FWQF7sgYsogpud7vIhA3XETg8Dv29xoI/s1600/2017-12-20+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9LROUTxoTINoFKPrd-HtCKyM19TiMjDWTqqbKka2n9FblemZVIi6yie7KzrgGVddJCsWI4ddq-WgI6oVAddhLSWIla6AobDp07PGP6KEe13FWQF7sgYsogpud7vIhA3XETg8Dv29xoI/s320/2017-12-20+124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Between the </span><span style="font-size: large;">river</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and the Pyramid of the Sun, there was a walled-off area called the</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Avenue of the Dead Complex </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">that comprised pyramid bases with temples atop them, courtyards, streets and residential sections set around central plazas. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNf3EHsRv3oosghIf0h06tt-XAXBkXnRDBxQSByEtdR6w80jNm1RMST1PsNZEUPyFwqTBNYOzXuzmLodtORRAw70qb39QRhpadDLpzLGRlJcKJ9bg3Wbb3p0UwkoifQ6iibtzWaMnyVfk/s1600/2017-12-20+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNf3EHsRv3oosghIf0h06tt-XAXBkXnRDBxQSByEtdR6w80jNm1RMST1PsNZEUPyFwqTBNYOzXuzmLodtORRAw70qb39QRhpadDLpzLGRlJcKJ9bg3Wbb3p0UwkoifQ6iibtzWaMnyVfk/s320/2017-12-20+118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This area contained many superimposed buildings according to a sign. I wonder when the area might open to visitors and what more secrets it may reveal of a lost civilization.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDdn-f8MhrMZ0Me5Q32BZ5tsS0ljcay9noYCX6olE4L3cNYFojvYpBdWajAFtTmSReGgWxnsHY3oDwDMOnmJrcoOA32FU2VcAWTbx1Z4j3WKzdabiMfbQesoIiUnGdVciJoRhXySfPLg/s1600/2017-12-20+120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDdn-f8MhrMZ0Me5Q32BZ5tsS0ljcay9noYCX6olE4L3cNYFojvYpBdWajAFtTmSReGgWxnsHY3oDwDMOnmJrcoOA32FU2VcAWTbx1Z4j3WKzdabiMfbQesoIiUnGdVciJoRhXySfPLg/s320/2017-12-20+120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UfaF39LzJGBOuzPwBechLwg2yT1ypCGvO0jeHzcRpQDb1t4Bd-Y0dLpoDgg-_BvFh-Wsx1E55kT1Gqk1GE15M-DihEifCum10eu7prarf8Wi1wxNM6j_1WBQxqgL4JksfXIXmLaiiuA/s1600/2017-12-20+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UfaF39LzJGBOuzPwBechLwg2yT1ypCGvO0jeHzcRpQDb1t4Bd-Y0dLpoDgg-_BvFh-Wsx1E55kT1Gqk1GE15M-DihEifCum10eu7prarf8Wi1wxNM6j_1WBQxqgL4JksfXIXmLaiiuA/s320/2017-12-20+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRv1HVM6z6hZKl1O23epMNK3tNIU53nxiMmjuON6uMMh1PIsn1G5LJDLQ1BySQbtJARVo8BQqgp6vGrsGeMwt7omCnLPxpD_ATFUsVBOW_7DB9K1gcpG6LgfC-3ZEeoULQi8aMt2U-YSE/s1600/2017-12-20+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRv1HVM6z6hZKl1O23epMNK3tNIU53nxiMmjuON6uMMh1PIsn1G5LJDLQ1BySQbtJARVo8BQqgp6vGrsGeMwt7omCnLPxpD_ATFUsVBOW_7DB9K1gcpG6LgfC-3ZEeoULQi8aMt2U-YSE/s320/2017-12-20+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we climbed over more steps to another plaza, we noticed the drainage system I had read about earlier. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfxbNUrUivK3DsKEgAO-Y6s74ThENOVr5sveTpEPiq1lalT829D2WVYqg4OHeQoDDsyWUBrSh9x2nOreylPIjD7iuSGDammFCY3l0XXknH6OFJF2ffNJOqaZKxgnBc8yVwRIbDx6SoQA/s1600/2017-12-20+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfxbNUrUivK3DsKEgAO-Y6s74ThENOVr5sveTpEPiq1lalT829D2WVYqg4OHeQoDDsyWUBrSh9x2nOreylPIjD7iuSGDammFCY3l0XXknH6OFJF2ffNJOqaZKxgnBc8yVwRIbDx6SoQA/s320/2017-12-20+148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMsbVxjKQDnh9r-r8Ob2QsvP-kEzTdPfUq3TJ394JPpf9bLGecZ-sjcbFNtm8AlZSQgvsF36wB-hS0A64x9c3YpRrPywJRda5XO41Xy1_-qpM5GRWDlPYg6WCyzg1y2bS9brAuIvRpW4/s1600/2017-12-20+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMsbVxjKQDnh9r-r8Ob2QsvP-kEzTdPfUq3TJ394JPpf9bLGecZ-sjcbFNtm8AlZSQgvsF36wB-hS0A64x9c3YpRrPywJRda5XO41Xy1_-qpM5GRWDlPYg6WCyzg1y2bS9brAuIvRpW4/s320/2017-12-20+135.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the middle of one plaza on our way to the Pyramid of the Moon at the opposite end was a huge mound but it had no sign identifying what it once had been. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-2q3NHcZVXTARnUhTbz3yDudMZXgpKr7y-T7WtZJTgScJ4hDVsVntO3wwpF0vF7Jb3q2VWwztyuME7K8oB4QJ745r982P_mVl1loMbSlvFHqpLXLpnvJlpiD6TGjNQMk3qWz0bnpXoM/s1600/2017-12-20+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-2q3NHcZVXTARnUhTbz3yDudMZXgpKr7y-T7WtZJTgScJ4hDVsVntO3wwpF0vF7Jb3q2VWwztyuME7K8oB4QJ745r982P_mVl1loMbSlvFHqpLXLpnvJlpiD6TGjNQMk3qWz0bnpXoM/s320/2017-12-20+137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cPKrLCFow4HKPCYcYhJxCkYWMemzpgrBcov-T-igmqjWITAwG42-KI7hkWWr8h4pqcdv6w2019-HIArKx7yOk6j7wPc67-N3dOjr2rtE2nldXXmK3vA5CMmbX_24jxhaq102iUOwAZY/s1600/2017-12-20+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cPKrLCFow4HKPCYcYhJxCkYWMemzpgrBcov-T-igmqjWITAwG42-KI7hkWWr8h4pqcdv6w2019-HIArKx7yOk6j7wPc67-N3dOjr2rtE2nldXXmK3vA5CMmbX_24jxhaq102iUOwAZY/s320/2017-12-20+140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This and one of the earlier plazas were still part of the Avenue of the Dead Complex. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Its vast size likely accommodated a considerable number of people who attended ceremonies carried out in the temple which was located on top of a pyramidal base located at one end of the plaza. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyV4ycWRpC0d1q806FFeAtAc6-pJgdDm2hJZ0APMywPvFIbkqIBxsE2FgaPtHXZEj_OnnHfj5ZDsKj3EGg0qPXhngICiA6HZ4xgVQ1EJ3jUnu2kg9NcF4BZkmAysQqgXPfudSJXURU-0/s1600/2017-12-20+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyV4ycWRpC0d1q806FFeAtAc6-pJgdDm2hJZ0APMywPvFIbkqIBxsE2FgaPtHXZEj_OnnHfj5ZDsKj3EGg0qPXhngICiA6HZ4xgVQ1EJ3jUnu2kg9NcF4BZkmAysQqgXPfudSJXURU-0/s320/2017-12-20+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the base was explored in 1964, remains of mural paintings were reported which suggested the space was associated with the ceremonies that took place in the plaza. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHUd-5WMQqrWCBW1A9NRx6kBL-zWwr-b0UdqDCZdyQmCL6GmljTtPhe3H3ZDx6rAgeGArFsFNm16f3ozsN944HQKJHUaBBZHDi27u50Uc8xtab0tQ34NspReQaOdHzr-QFcLxiyG-9LM/s1600/2017-12-20+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHUd-5WMQqrWCBW1A9NRx6kBL-zWwr-b0UdqDCZdyQmCL6GmljTtPhe3H3ZDx6rAgeGArFsFNm16f3ozsN944HQKJHUaBBZHDi27u50Uc8xtab0tQ34NspReQaOdHzr-QFcLxiyG-9LM/s320/2017-12-20+142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah - more steps to climb!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKrKA0lOep5xu5dM__cMHhPBfwDydZFwgbH0kasnPmWrK1TmIDi2wVlj6NA2ciTRcvs6xOtedJASaSHyTXc8LHC7gpu9yJjMJV2zIUUkIYVET2Os6EkbTXcvX9g9bsZ20zuNurjRODG4/s1600/2017-12-20+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKrKA0lOep5xu5dM__cMHhPBfwDydZFwgbH0kasnPmWrK1TmIDi2wVlj6NA2ciTRcvs6xOtedJASaSHyTXc8LHC7gpu9yJjMJV2zIUUkIYVET2Os6EkbTXcvX9g9bsZ20zuNurjRODG4/s320/2017-12-20+147.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another large plaza just before Temple of the Sun that we had climbed earlier:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUenPq67IDpEFQRWlZYmzSd8ja45sDd4coIo1dnlTWOAYLHEq0Wkq7qROmXel6bqX1npLssSVrXrMwwMja4jV7AVz6lRaUqu9yt2im2X8c_Bx_BinW1rOntmgCvcMSEFJJZ3KtFtuK2P4/s1600/2017-12-20+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUenPq67IDpEFQRWlZYmzSd8ja45sDd4coIo1dnlTWOAYLHEq0Wkq7qROmXel6bqX1npLssSVrXrMwwMja4jV7AVz6lRaUqu9yt2im2X8c_Bx_BinW1rOntmgCvcMSEFJJZ3KtFtuK2P4/s320/2017-12-20+150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, straight ahead in the background was the Pyramid of the Moon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnBKxlEYMmeY-LHKvGeA9JwDc7pUjSOVZn2wFhRyEDGODLcKu6Uaq8exnYcKNAT7wDXaKga8AGY68-H0oEJ7tq0jM4X0rb-h09qodlsq52Q7ae6ND5YOpA2c3NZyhPWJOXxRcZDxZ-So/s1600/2017-12-20+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnBKxlEYMmeY-LHKvGeA9JwDc7pUjSOVZn2wFhRyEDGODLcKu6Uaq8exnYcKNAT7wDXaKga8AGY68-H0oEJ7tq0jM4X0rb-h09qodlsq52Q7ae6ND5YOpA2c3NZyhPWJOXxRcZDxZ-So/s320/2017-12-20+152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Examples of the structures that lined each side of the grand Avenue:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBYlKCqEvNuplcyJRvnuL0yt9xBOuZGn_4XZxkZxTQHrh533J4_ZTOLu-_byBYyd6It2UlAR-livSssEtpK3PSHYtKfiOeR_TaSag0oHa9jwO0J5e1cIrPKI8fEc1iAZgQm-epem15l8/s1600/2017-12-20+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBYlKCqEvNuplcyJRvnuL0yt9xBOuZGn_4XZxkZxTQHrh533J4_ZTOLu-_byBYyd6It2UlAR-livSssEtpK3PSHYtKfiOeR_TaSag0oHa9jwO0J5e1cIrPKI8fEc1iAZgQm-epem15l8/s320/2017-12-20+154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdoi9jtUnXtAGvoFVDlXpHkz5ffL_6MowP17nmxb8D5wW04T-Z6eRUHvW10S_xnfd0gWygOGzqFKVgig7lTY4DnWAYC7w-jP96bJXCgRuZ8g8VgqX8XATJYXtTr5soLO-dHWYkTqdmXI/s1600/2017-12-20+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdoi9jtUnXtAGvoFVDlXpHkz5ffL_6MowP17nmxb8D5wW04T-Z6eRUHvW10S_xnfd0gWygOGzqFKVgig7lTY4DnWAYC7w-jP96bJXCgRuZ8g8VgqX8XATJYXtTr5soLO-dHWYkTqdmXI/s320/2017-12-20+156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This place sure looked familiar - it was the Temple of the Sun we had last seen two hours ago!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ex9ik0G801lRhXxHVI_FALXAytZ0U1pQS3gjXJUFlE4OrZIzVMl5_J15vhO7qz4WBVL3vl7J7d9u-CKsiy6f7_SNAiV3c0RoHEHtV316QtcmLLBJHfw-2ZlE1uvsVlgkt5MChVqp20/s1600/2017-12-20+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ex9ik0G801lRhXxHVI_FALXAytZ0U1pQS3gjXJUFlE4OrZIzVMl5_J15vhO7qz4WBVL3vl7J7d9u-CKsiy6f7_SNAiV3c0RoHEHtV316QtcmLLBJHfw-2ZlE1uvsVlgkt5MChVqp20/s320/2017-12-20+157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJgYp4Heqa-LDu8fz3BA0ejIQ4-0-LJ4FxhZD03aXrfSnKJRS2TtIjIz5IBvvygZpaK5gOpNxpd5tRGy5gKmUFYWMeQ8QV_4xOtQJo82L8MXfK0vjR0BtTE9pqBh9bjVowNS3p4wlUk0/s1600/2017-12-20+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJgYp4Heqa-LDu8fz3BA0ejIQ4-0-LJ4FxhZD03aXrfSnKJRS2TtIjIz5IBvvygZpaK5gOpNxpd5tRGy5gKmUFYWMeQ8QV_4xOtQJo82L8MXfK0vjR0BtTE9pqBh9bjVowNS3p4wlUk0/s320/2017-12-20+159.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWO9Pj80JIAUbmbxYToeKI2Vh0ElKTVhk7icwSCYL74VBwZTox7VTVDprQHjhLbi04iDUOUyQe6ysxQ05vf2JeA4wKPMDb6w_dL2kqjUYLSYJfaQ3ZcRLmDECVbH3M7_2FBYc4ZPC7RI/s1600/2017-12-20+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWO9Pj80JIAUbmbxYToeKI2Vh0ElKTVhk7icwSCYL74VBwZTox7VTVDprQHjhLbi04iDUOUyQe6ysxQ05vf2JeA4wKPMDb6w_dL2kqjUYLSYJfaQ3ZcRLmDECVbH3M7_2FBYc4ZPC7RI/s320/2017-12-20+162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A sign indicated the Avenue was probably used for processions since people could get to the Moon Square or plaza after walking from the Citadel and Pyramid of the Sun. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhHyK35zfL7E8q5bMX7SQiYGA_FwbH8SCwQIAsf0AyxyLn_kU1i1JVZECrRooHkwQi5BgJq3cThNaTmoY_X9G9XW2PUJ4R4DQ6hyud9_ZlXODeSjeCfwdJQQ67s9y3xHWzWWZSosi6c8/s1600/2017-12-20+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhHyK35zfL7E8q5bMX7SQiYGA_FwbH8SCwQIAsf0AyxyLn_kU1i1JVZECrRooHkwQi5BgJq3cThNaTmoY_X9G9XW2PUJ4R4DQ6hyud9_ZlXODeSjeCfwdJQQ67s9y3xHWzWWZSosi6c8/s320/2017-12-20+163.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Vendors sold a variety of souvenirs up and down the Avenue and particularly in front of the temples where most tourists congregated. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81XzrZUeHagJT5pmP7yKzdFg48T_dJz-U0QBzs1EQxAQLLqf19RiCBIhEhyaifq2NRVG6X_cs-4ksldJbd5GF7befzcyuVEzgGblO_CTvZNk4GIIDgX6vDdQo-aHzepzRiJ7RdO5YjAk/s1600/2017-12-20+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81XzrZUeHagJT5pmP7yKzdFg48T_dJz-U0QBzs1EQxAQLLqf19RiCBIhEhyaifq2NRVG6X_cs-4ksldJbd5GF7befzcyuVEzgGblO_CTvZNk4GIIDgX6vDdQo-aHzepzRiJ7RdO5YjAk/s320/2017-12-20+165.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Before proceeding directly to the Temple of the Moon, we detoured just past the Temple of the Sun to the <b>Palace of Tepantitla</b> located outside the ancient city. The name referred to a 'palace' type of housing complex whose residents were either members of the priestly caste or of a leading family in Teotihuacan society.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Inside the place was a spacious courtyard surrounded by porticoes and magnificent rooms that had been living quarters. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBciqEIq5zqnkPiaIOoIP6-Nk1OY2G9KDsxJ0-PowqYt_etgnWAiM_BIg6cDAYsqH_ErPIhgB5v8k16pUdfiCo17kDp7ZjhDvNBa3mQYTpFFavVF2TBxFcELG1mHofFF-LJ-KCXauUI-Q/s1600/2017-12-20+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBciqEIq5zqnkPiaIOoIP6-Nk1OY2G9KDsxJ0-PowqYt_etgnWAiM_BIg6cDAYsqH_ErPIhgB5v8k16pUdfiCo17kDp7ZjhDvNBa3mQYTpFFavVF2TBxFcELG1mHofFF-LJ-KCXauUI-Q/s320/2017-12-20+171.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That was where we were able to see the most important and colorful murals discovered so far at </span><span style="font-size: large;">Teotihuacan. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Mural of Shields</b> showed large decorated circles which resembled shields and figures with bird feathers. In the pre-Hispanic era, the shields, made of wood and leather, protected the warrior and were recognized as military insignia. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghi4ptKcr8F3Bmpk-uZy5Qk7UeTLvP_ocl6s2e4Twrw1NFAtZCc7gMfKcP0EEK2G6QmYcRTit2KKuIJG8-pEeXQh39pMhNZW-PgIKJRBKTo_M0S76NlLxfJ8EeA7icANwMh2MezrJkIE0/s1600/2017-12-20+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghi4ptKcr8F3Bmpk-uZy5Qk7UeTLvP_ocl6s2e4Twrw1NFAtZCc7gMfKcP0EEK2G6QmYcRTit2KKuIJG8-pEeXQh39pMhNZW-PgIKJRBKTo_M0S76NlLxfJ8EeA7icANwMh2MezrJkIE0/s320/2017-12-20+173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-C_M-Errmg7EvDOCe3NiwLZieHcXVPtjMqB598jz6cZTqImJbNrI1w4-mUdWa9Y2nAVimaSiJVO39ICCOrkCnveOHFOV3WAfsNGgwaLqqAm-FuSM_JjSn4njAOOT37oTxhyphenhyphenvSQ9-d10/s1600/2017-12-20+176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-C_M-Errmg7EvDOCe3NiwLZieHcXVPtjMqB598jz6cZTqImJbNrI1w4-mUdWa9Y2nAVimaSiJVO39ICCOrkCnveOHFOV3WAfsNGgwaLqqAm-FuSM_JjSn4njAOOT37oTxhyphenhyphenvSQ9-d10/s320/2017-12-20+176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another mural referred to <b>Tlaloc's Paradise</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">because of its association with water and fertility and because of the many dancing, singing and weeping figures in a setting of plants, springs and streams. The scene represented an idyllic place of joy and happiness.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2BhWuDteAbATsbtSTDuqCyqrBpZqdVMW04VS0aug0AWZ8e1O2zM6REieJCIT6sLlLu8RlFVDuJJ6NK4z6W8zxWDMxyjQiEo9gMA9meG1TyHNDz-3p4Tp-am7dh18bsM-Y0uWuPY5KFw/s1600/2017-12-20+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2BhWuDteAbATsbtSTDuqCyqrBpZqdVMW04VS0aug0AWZ8e1O2zM6REieJCIT6sLlLu8RlFVDuJJ6NK4z6W8zxWDMxyjQiEo9gMA9meG1TyHNDz-3p4Tp-am7dh18bsM-Y0uWuPY5KFw/s320/2017-12-20+177.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Other murals showed people playing ball games and participating in other recreational activities.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg1bDJEjksT8CtyHUxlY3PT_ta6V_jhunchgOEW_naRfGkCTBBu2wROxH5LRgYep9fYUyYQ5B7KmUh5Couv5vJ0JpjvWNFJWQV_zskFXNNBDCF1sIZKgVVRbZUkiO0SjvE_yzMolMxpU/s1600/2017-12-20+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg1bDJEjksT8CtyHUxlY3PT_ta6V_jhunchgOEW_naRfGkCTBBu2wROxH5LRgYep9fYUyYQ5B7KmUh5Couv5vJ0JpjvWNFJWQV_zskFXNNBDCF1sIZKgVVRbZUkiO0SjvE_yzMolMxpU/s320/2017-12-20+182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiospLfWKb2oa5X1rcDYL4_kUZKrqrnN9LEbjXvWs-y3lhaZlaKLqeFKMSjNdIwBVKKq1WGTo03kplYyEuCrWu0J3E2qTbFZrKLGetdTT317QRCK9TqMPZUW3r9TfPwLuranqzljtETY1Q/s1600/2017-12-20+185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiospLfWKb2oa5X1rcDYL4_kUZKrqrnN9LEbjXvWs-y3lhaZlaKLqeFKMSjNdIwBVKKq1WGTo03kplYyEuCrWu0J3E2qTbFZrKLGetdTT317QRCK9TqMPZUW3r9TfPwLuranqzljtETY1Q/s320/2017-12-20+185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTjj4AkYJo6oVnCRUz0Iadp7Rl3C0HmgkbT1wuGWOtU8GmkDHbTiq9_gNSFqfp9escdt9ufu-QI-BtXolbuOmDSQXNdYBi0PrjpF6Ddl1UrdVennjOe_C2ve9bHZSEdvCgAGuFzM1CB0/s1600/2017-12-20+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTjj4AkYJo6oVnCRUz0Iadp7Rl3C0HmgkbT1wuGWOtU8GmkDHbTiq9_gNSFqfp9escdt9ufu-QI-BtXolbuOmDSQXNdYBi0PrjpF6Ddl1UrdVennjOe_C2ve9bHZSEdvCgAGuFzM1CB0/s320/2017-12-20+190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDS5EuwUDtcOaW_HsrWAxTPAQIbtNeI9T2g28JCKzwZtITpQp2jPgTG3hyphenhyphenAZm58uopLpOrcUKYm158-HRxPAKAFMm0_uYy6AHlSoHxLJ05rE_GJTEm7J0lSLxzYdnxFw71jQRNVfhyphenhyphenhA/s1600/2017-12-20+191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDS5EuwUDtcOaW_HsrWAxTPAQIbtNeI9T2g28JCKzwZtITpQp2jPgTG3hyphenhyphenAZm58uopLpOrcUKYm158-HRxPAKAFMm0_uYy6AHlSoHxLJ05rE_GJTEm7J0lSLxzYdnxFw71jQRNVfhyphenhyphenhA/s320/2017-12-20+191.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR8QkBeBuJ89mhAphdWrh7d6FskoXKkM0Z90GF5AEoMFOGVNJGqwpGRySx7rkD4uYIzvM3SpxWtOoRMuB5k1_GLz8laAkawxwQ2sBP6vTjgSiCU-yQskaF5M8Sw8BidhBF7m2tzPXFqE/s1600/2017-12-20+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR8QkBeBuJ89mhAphdWrh7d6FskoXKkM0Z90GF5AEoMFOGVNJGqwpGRySx7rkD4uYIzvM3SpxWtOoRMuB5k1_GLz8laAkawxwQ2sBP6vTjgSiCU-yQskaF5M8Sw8BidhBF7m2tzPXFqE/s320/2017-12-20+192.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>'Red Tlaloc</b>' mural named because the painting, done in red hues, centered around the water god, one of the most important gods in Teotihuacan culture. While other portrayals of Tlaloc in the compound showed his benevolent side, here he was shown in a warlike position with knives and arrows and as having fangs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTR5TdjtK82Vox7pTCB04pAoD7BWECo5OCL_SxW-BF3DypYnBm6R45Wa1PYqkSs0RzWuGUY0tsvSFJh_i-7oHoF8CTg8fbQ09ZWsCn2zy0PWmv-QsrJNJ9_xc8z5wISuIMnZCatjNKAY/s1600/2017-12-20+195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTR5TdjtK82Vox7pTCB04pAoD7BWECo5OCL_SxW-BF3DypYnBm6R45Wa1PYqkSs0RzWuGUY0tsvSFJh_i-7oHoF8CTg8fbQ09ZWsCn2zy0PWmv-QsrJNJ9_xc8z5wISuIMnZCatjNKAY/s320/2017-12-20+195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt like we were on a game show and had to determine what was behind 'Door Number One' as we needed to pull across the green curtain to see the mural behind it! It was mind boggling that the color and shading were still so rich and had been preserved so superbly so many centuries later. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEppM0aJyCIPOZejoCdAKcl_05gxEXkJ5bEdSyWl1_wlf49Wsiq13xqmJSOctc_dGMrBgB6ii-SohIshyKbGnrQMqOd28Mwak9Y9FRJrG4aVUW0r3S5H6Gjvuq6TwrUERBkKbFENpPhE/s1600/2017-12-20+196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEppM0aJyCIPOZejoCdAKcl_05gxEXkJ5bEdSyWl1_wlf49Wsiq13xqmJSOctc_dGMrBgB6ii-SohIshyKbGnrQMqOd28Mwak9Y9FRJrG4aVUW0r3S5H6Gjvuq6TwrUERBkKbFENpPhE/s320/2017-12-20+196.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What a delight it was making the brief detour to this palace where the murals had been so stunning and no one else was about. We probably shouldn't have been surprised we had been the only ones there as signs to the palace from inside Teotihuacan had been non-existent. We were so happy we had made the extra effort to find it. Too bad that so many other tourists missed out on such a treat.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvf-l7vNnyjylWZusieo2kHtlrBkaIOCWb8F5ODlHeLIjJR5zV2-bYM4EiSrJXPl7rTdSt4mgY0ZWAZYXD5-iLON1s-6MsPQJ8Fk9un-kTygf1ISJlRTE7Uuk0AC37h2EjNd_OQaBlMg/s1600/2017-12-20+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvf-l7vNnyjylWZusieo2kHtlrBkaIOCWb8F5ODlHeLIjJR5zV2-bYM4EiSrJXPl7rTdSt4mgY0ZWAZYXD5-iLON1s-6MsPQJ8Fk9un-kTygf1ISJlRTE7Uuk0AC37h2EjNd_OQaBlMg/s320/2017-12-20+201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had a ways, though, to go back in the hot sun to return to the rest of the ancient city.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKELL_02WWYiugVtBXcPhY5nsKefdTfuQij_7Oun7CRkHQ-FsXVkbfNwl-xm1hdPxFwXC0tCM6S9RVX7Tf0xCylQDp8cGCZsiZjR84ogm6LnKyGQt38K4cpWI6urjA_w5mQCHwIDE9YoA/s1600/2017-12-20+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKELL_02WWYiugVtBXcPhY5nsKefdTfuQij_7Oun7CRkHQ-FsXVkbfNwl-xm1hdPxFwXC0tCM6S9RVX7Tf0xCylQDp8cGCZsiZjR84ogm6LnKyGQt38K4cpWI6urjA_w5mQCHwIDE9YoA/s320/2017-12-20+202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NsmLGhR9Iv1-4Vvcy5qupi8kxDNJJgVjMNCTPjyQNkJ1TPIVY8dRiJR_Hog2Di3-ZKyybkTowxq3pX2qkQns_WwXO-6J5XvSF9s7rwzyMtc9DHSKzSyHzB2yPfuDZJKR-v0Bsc3f_ds/s1600/2017-12-20+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NsmLGhR9Iv1-4Vvcy5qupi8kxDNJJgVjMNCTPjyQNkJ1TPIVY8dRiJR_Hog2Di3-ZKyybkTowxq3pX2qkQns_WwXO-6J5XvSF9s7rwzyMtc9DHSKzSyHzB2yPfuDZJKR-v0Bsc3f_ds/s320/2017-12-20+203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the middle of the great</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Plaza of the Moon </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">was the central altar which was probably used to receive priests and leaders that conducted ceremonies and public events for large crowds of people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZUt3dtY1WXe6bsvfGa77R0GTP8H9-ythg_j6-9eILxZYp9zke8Tr9cCAjSaf2jCyh_xfG6A0wL3tUxhXQMH9Hfm9fBlqs1Gb3wM-icATERmTrOQgePDF77N7wFH6d9jmlWbaiR2D6sE/s1600/2017-12-20+205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZUt3dtY1WXe6bsvfGa77R0GTP8H9-ythg_j6-9eILxZYp9zke8Tr9cCAjSaf2jCyh_xfG6A0wL3tUxhXQMH9Hfm9fBlqs1Gb3wM-icATERmTrOQgePDF77N7wFH6d9jmlWbaiR2D6sE/s320/2017-12-20+205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This picture may look a little distorted as I was standing on the altar and there was still a large plaza or square between the altar and the pyramid.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNILKMe1_2mFh2qeI90vy-Gf_V46RzM04E6IvitW8fJUtCNGgiXbyQGOXh8v1bDgHNGXTI1cbfnKcV0mVuINdH_40EHAsSiXtolHnsoQBn0sCWn5Qx-NO1S2rb_kEm78tKWDL_4YYKQ/s1600/2017-12-20+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNILKMe1_2mFh2qeI90vy-Gf_V46RzM04E6IvitW8fJUtCNGgiXbyQGOXh8v1bDgHNGXTI1cbfnKcV0mVuINdH_40EHAsSiXtolHnsoQBn0sCWn5Qx-NO1S2rb_kEm78tKWDL_4YYKQ/s320/2017-12-20+207.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As with the rest of the pyramidal buildings seen throughout the archaeological zone, the summit of the Pyramid of the Moon must have supported a temple. Although smaller than the Pyramid of the Sun, this four-tiered structure rose just as high because of the difference in ground level.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZfxOeKOvThmkquIO9AzPzbL_vBXXxoga7JOMEoVjVFoq5xQ-gLhmaTSeotS1Dcm4zgFofpP99E7mXIwnZeEFfstY2qO5UC_QN4qxQZnFJPcTyqX_s-QJLhAvQbmnXW36kC_cJUYSreg/s1600/2017-12-20+229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZfxOeKOvThmkquIO9AzPzbL_vBXXxoga7JOMEoVjVFoq5xQ-gLhmaTSeotS1Dcm4zgFofpP99E7mXIwnZeEFfstY2qO5UC_QN4qxQZnFJPcTyqX_s-QJLhAvQbmnXW36kC_cJUYSreg/s320/2017-12-20+229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDK52ffg35KHrJOeoISvRjSwcgiNTh2CXiP-QoyoKsbYIygDVy7HfhL1D69TJkR0JSJk5NyYUxfpZWKvmt15fSA_d1NnsdkCiwI-wLFYs_dgDFlG2yrlzWX8TnXz1e1IIf3qiQq30_Co/s1600/2017-12-20+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDK52ffg35KHrJOeoISvRjSwcgiNTh2CXiP-QoyoKsbYIygDVy7HfhL1D69TJkR0JSJk5NyYUxfpZWKvmt15fSA_d1NnsdkCiwI-wLFYs_dgDFlG2yrlzWX8TnXz1e1IIf3qiQq30_Co/s320/2017-12-20+214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite shots that day was this of Steven atop the Pyramid of the Moon and behind him, the Temple of the Sun on the left, the Avenue of the Dead in the center and the Citadel too far back to see except to remember in my tired feet! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZpIOkhmA2Mvlp_Ip7-vSAQ_ESUNtkks1PeVg184Z32mvtj-g3AxYVfv5HhceoMKQ2M0Fv8Ikdoq4Rwsscz1OGKt_tv-xLzh4X0DH7cpQOCLAdyOwIUEHPLM7DZJjX8cin9069qM4tY8/s1600/2017-12-20+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZpIOkhmA2Mvlp_Ip7-vSAQ_ESUNtkks1PeVg184Z32mvtj-g3AxYVfv5HhceoMKQ2M0Fv8Ikdoq4Rwsscz1OGKt_tv-xLzh4X0DH7cpQOCLAdyOwIUEHPLM7DZJjX8cin9069qM4tY8/s320/2017-12-20+216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A last view from the top of some of the buildings on the left that we had passed to get to the Pyramid of the Moon ...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2m07AgepN-GwxmDRcPdiVk3Agkg2ugNcIfd0Xm6uqx3u7envJTO2sXLWNqvtpcABPamrXEkKdS97oNTW9WS_ITDtWoqFwtUY7AHqudUJ55C4Wn67qj4qjPrIfYkuARS6DoyC5cyFj8A/s1600/2017-12-20+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2m07AgepN-GwxmDRcPdiVk3Agkg2ugNcIfd0Xm6uqx3u7envJTO2sXLWNqvtpcABPamrXEkKdS97oNTW9WS_ITDtWoqFwtUY7AHqudUJ55C4Wn67qj4qjPrIfYkuARS6DoyC5cyFj8A/s320/2017-12-20+217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">and a shot of those on the right:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkKd4lhOIewFGgUS708B-o7vIiAVkolMhTY9phYfx8aL4s6Zz-XlGdYTRxJO-DZd3tOHaOyHBy4yCto2aHz7SV4M0KFU7Yc2YfayB4f6QHLEzB6iayLvawILTXrsRgHS9M07uNJQPJps/s1600/2017-12-20+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkKd4lhOIewFGgUS708B-o7vIiAVkolMhTY9phYfx8aL4s6Zz-XlGdYTRxJO-DZd3tOHaOyHBy4yCto2aHz7SV4M0KFU7Yc2YfayB4f6QHLEzB6iayLvawILTXrsRgHS9M07uNJQPJps/s320/2017-12-20+218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The view of the plaza below gives you an idea of how far we had climbed up and how steep those steps were! </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The steps seemed steeper or maybe I was just a little more tired then for some reason!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGteN9U1NgnB_i4g639JLaS1hc4J3FAYn5XgcD0uCq7cPrW_w1XlwTjM9QWLOcFcKCy6eqWIEOnJdJU03mgxuODopmIoflmwJTQDHastBSGwySzPxmtzHAkdUL_AeHxaNzDLlfv9f0p8/s1600/2017-12-20+225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGteN9U1NgnB_i4g639JLaS1hc4J3FAYn5XgcD0uCq7cPrW_w1XlwTjM9QWLOcFcKCy6eqWIEOnJdJU03mgxuODopmIoflmwJTQDHastBSGwySzPxmtzHAkdUL_AeHxaNzDLlfv9f0p8/s320/2017-12-20+225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some people chose to go down on their derrieres!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_FlhSwVrqMUA-QXAVxi2wtBbVCCtzTm_aJZcgisFhgunWH3o1OsAcufLgH7cSLgckxK4-6I0ki3bzprtYdNatKnGBKc_ZYvxBFbd45wQS-_lO1nNmEViqfdggG0Jd58aDHwHVRX9hnk/s1600/2017-12-20+227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_FlhSwVrqMUA-QXAVxi2wtBbVCCtzTm_aJZcgisFhgunWH3o1OsAcufLgH7cSLgckxK4-6I0ki3bzprtYdNatKnGBKc_ZYvxBFbd45wQS-_lO1nNmEViqfdggG0Jd58aDHwHVRX9hnk/s320/2017-12-20+227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The final part of the archaeological site was the <b>Quetzalpapalotl Palace Complex</b> located just a short distance from the moon pyramid. The maze of residential and temple structures that grew slowly over several centuries was the last to be built and was reconstructed with mostly original materials. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwrbq1dRIqOSZRfHx9WhttUY6Vah3ypdYHNsUP5Q6sQwhfS5IHyVs3u8SjtHu4xui9Wmmi1kJbWvBX9Gm4JVb6l603wT6p-F8oWIUPiAdvATKVwnHsEqGrSo0Tv42Vn3pNT5zzzGOIQ/s1600/2017-12-20+233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwrbq1dRIqOSZRfHx9WhttUY6Vah3ypdYHNsUP5Q6sQwhfS5IHyVs3u8SjtHu4xui9Wmmi1kJbWvBX9Gm4JVb6l603wT6p-F8oWIUPiAdvATKVwnHsEqGrSo0Tv42Vn3pNT5zzzGOIQ/s320/2017-12-20+233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The palace was named for the mythological creatures - bird-butterflies - that were carved into its courtyard pillars. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NVElC5he5H87hzPATCYW0vUwrMJaFV4fOvkKIyZM9mn2k_3q2ZZXo54grMtPq0fxitVp0zZTKbEEkYuH1SAaeeMX55ffj58pofgkq_5GINaQfMg31tdHrUPyQKpV7GAfpsp9rNGBj9o/s1600/2017-12-20+244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NVElC5he5H87hzPATCYW0vUwrMJaFV4fOvkKIyZM9mn2k_3q2ZZXo54grMtPq0fxitVp0zZTKbEEkYuH1SAaeeMX55ffj58pofgkq_5GINaQfMg31tdHrUPyQKpV7GAfpsp9rNGBj9o/s320/2017-12-20+244.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Palace was made up of groups of rooms, courtyards and antechambers for priests and rulers who conducted worship at the temples associated with the Pyramid of the Moon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-YnIZWLnVcx6ilkZD1O2CyFf5s7ghnmg9abITGAtPumTlPqqbhiHpIqgikJFD-CJM09VkooFl5coRg0BVp9oPn-d7OjTAUkAZFDCf00Tr4ndyl56Ma0TK-JRbBbZYogNhzk5T-sN1IA/s1600/2017-12-20+235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-YnIZWLnVcx6ilkZD1O2CyFf5s7ghnmg9abITGAtPumTlPqqbhiHpIqgikJFD-CJM09VkooFl5coRg0BVp9oPn-d7OjTAUkAZFDCf00Tr4ndyl56Ma0TK-JRbBbZYogNhzk5T-sN1IA/s320/2017-12-20+235.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v-lAlrFMNvQkEjSmOWORA_h0VQC55b8l8tlN23fjjXBZ3pJYUVMGCX_JB5hM6V_KJWbcqVDnB41GszHuggDq7ZMX7N7m91M5cUBkrzI3iBwpbdHAI_eTncYptCUhwS-jpU1aAlY1_vU/s1600/2017-12-20+241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v-lAlrFMNvQkEjSmOWORA_h0VQC55b8l8tlN23fjjXBZ3pJYUVMGCX_JB5hM6V_KJWbcqVDnB41GszHuggDq7ZMX7N7m91M5cUBkrzI3iBwpbdHAI_eTncYptCUhwS-jpU1aAlY1_vU/s320/2017-12-20+241.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The detailing in the Patio of the Pillars was just exquisite!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2DlHvYwK83V8sIPJmdNI5hEBuMXRH5nrsjgT4U5qcLxt3w9viSHR30JlKWt0IIG1xAVAncnUPexa_NQGSjEv98qPxyXXbm1OSm8YdUA2XSqb9899PCOaDqBDp0j6KShdO6RnJ8bPnXw/s1600/2017-12-20+246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2DlHvYwK83V8sIPJmdNI5hEBuMXRH5nrsjgT4U5qcLxt3w9viSHR30JlKWt0IIG1xAVAncnUPexa_NQGSjEv98qPxyXXbm1OSm8YdUA2XSqb9899PCOaDqBDp0j6KShdO6RnJ8bPnXw/s320/2017-12-20+246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIDJgqA8lspFMTwsmLXDK6OsQK9KtjadQZs8hPvEY458VlzSU2vsUCIEjvuGuXyWDhx4PhQvXg5zENsE_6PwnN8MrlykvHiL_vxwWqzvnZIAaclVsZDt1ZM4DeIrNY-VhyNP_viEmGyw/s1600/2017-12-20+248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIDJgqA8lspFMTwsmLXDK6OsQK9KtjadQZs8hPvEY458VlzSU2vsUCIEjvuGuXyWDhx4PhQvXg5zENsE_6PwnN8MrlykvHiL_vxwWqzvnZIAaclVsZDt1ZM4DeIrNY-VhyNP_viEmGyw/s320/2017-12-20+248.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUQnoeFFAFZ6LbykTfDnQwB6y2YRYKHLWzGz4fiO71SVhxtkGFAmq3feqc3mqE-9Tk-gB6czNuOpVoBqCxf3FNJik90sXqnOY53JP9pZOyT5-lGcXFWH6LNnnMY-N_Gy9CuARUKxQOAs/s1600/2017-12-20+249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUQnoeFFAFZ6LbykTfDnQwB6y2YRYKHLWzGz4fiO71SVhxtkGFAmq3feqc3mqE-9Tk-gB6czNuOpVoBqCxf3FNJik90sXqnOY53JP9pZOyT5-lGcXFWH6LNnnMY-N_Gy9CuARUKxQOAs/s320/2017-12-20+249.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A massive stone serpent's head jutted out from the top of a steep staircase and guarded the entrance to the palace.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9b74ofRNzQZoyB0UHdpRw0TEDvsXnh4dld_g13GOeBEj3sN3eFTW0M5sAf1cgQdoe7gjNbxu6wJvJ8rbaSDGcxPWZHxXf9JYzSJZ2Li3taLNk3AVd1uW_pPjm2yZJ7p54CDTZVDKzio/s1600/2017-12-20+252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9b74ofRNzQZoyB0UHdpRw0TEDvsXnh4dld_g13GOeBEj3sN3eFTW0M5sAf1cgQdoe7gjNbxu6wJvJ8rbaSDGcxPWZHxXf9JYzSJZ2Li3taLNk3AVd1uW_pPjm2yZJ7p54CDTZVDKzio/s320/2017-12-20+252.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxhoiWfWglNatbJ-CpvWqBO5MrETy29DXdoSS8yPYsw6V48ZP3xIQ-bncDKvwRYhusE5gNUUdSpNVMmeofIj6lnhp3jCV1CAFu4lte8za_M8bUWZ_jIvm-z9TZovpbNMT_sIgKyyDHIU/s1600/2017-12-20+253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxhoiWfWglNatbJ-CpvWqBO5MrETy29DXdoSS8yPYsw6V48ZP3xIQ-bncDKvwRYhusE5gNUUdSpNVMmeofIj6lnhp3jCV1CAFu4lte8za_M8bUWZ_jIvm-z9TZovpbNMT_sIgKyyDHIU/s320/2017-12-20+253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DQ8Xyv4WsNOvbLCHTVEO4sTYB_pVODC-ooedTCjLL3KVcWbLtAL0r9OtyAFDxnyjbGqAavoIqmWyeRnSzliB7brEgxpq521QdtY0YPKzDSlLmIierNmSO1FS76_Ehqds8zNHUcpEe1g/s1600/2017-12-20+254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DQ8Xyv4WsNOvbLCHTVEO4sTYB_pVODC-ooedTCjLL3KVcWbLtAL0r9OtyAFDxnyjbGqAavoIqmWyeRnSzliB7brEgxpq521QdtY0YPKzDSlLmIierNmSO1FS76_Ehqds8zNHUcpEe1g/s320/2017-12-20+254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Murals in the</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Jaguar Palace </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">showed plumed jaguars playing musical instruments made from feathered shells although I only knew that from reading the sign!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9MabKpsNGWauiSNF74yJEXblQc7LcaAhTA01MJRKTLY9X6sJdoIV0KBm23_Fud0_zpew3CTLu8dweT21nb2FOI46Hu6LiJ-h2ayHoPecOC21JkKexWTXcibs_0qmxSNxwTMI18D_V1s/s1600/2017-12-20+259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9MabKpsNGWauiSNF74yJEXblQc7LcaAhTA01MJRKTLY9X6sJdoIV0KBm23_Fud0_zpew3CTLu8dweT21nb2FOI46Hu6LiJ-h2ayHoPecOC21JkKexWTXcibs_0qmxSNxwTMI18D_V1s/s320/2017-12-20+259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we entered the <b>Temple of the</b> <b>Feathered Conches,</b> an older structure that archaeologists discovered buried beneath the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Quetzalpapalotl Palace,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the </span><span style="font-size: large;">colors were much more vivid and we saw shades of green for the first time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdyob_93HR5lmpi2NEZn17EMoL4ZbBNYheECSz__zafF_oDPXZic7gActwsoqmS2N-QAfhQRqQI_7MAgqtfX-d-yMjqXundOmqPEUiHJyXkWZVhnnA6G4T3r-lBMGS2lATsuw0WlKysk/s1600/2017-12-20+265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdyob_93HR5lmpi2NEZn17EMoL4ZbBNYheECSz__zafF_oDPXZic7gActwsoqmS2N-QAfhQRqQI_7MAgqtfX-d-yMjqXundOmqPEUiHJyXkWZVhnnA6G4T3r-lBMGS2lATsuw0WlKysk/s320/2017-12-20+265.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The brilliantly colored murals depicted green parrot-like birds spewing water from their beaks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFZdxSDmAUdDODkFy6DrKGxOvcEFNOqq5cbdRZojciLuhsTsz6o4dxQKAJI8VH46YHW-aUthPS4btI0EwkVCzAskSHXlRBKfm12UhgyRyCq6bFwqUM0GP2CPdJSWG6poFgY-AI1AkyRs/s1600/2017-12-20+262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFZdxSDmAUdDODkFy6DrKGxOvcEFNOqq5cbdRZojciLuhsTsz6o4dxQKAJI8VH46YHW-aUthPS4btI0EwkVCzAskSHXlRBKfm12UhgyRyCq6bFwqUM0GP2CPdJSWG6poFgY-AI1AkyRs/s320/2017-12-20+262.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdIrfXYHl4XkKk-9wOmyQ1J6mv6_iwC-eDCtd7otCFdLd_CmflNjrOHWM0osZwMEt2yOQBx01yQaDtyfmjSf0ouYJ4J3L_13X4j2I_wVf8iunIC3VBFtFtYoguQ-oCvTh1AK-VfBkg_k/s1600/2017-12-20+264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdIrfXYHl4XkKk-9wOmyQ1J6mv6_iwC-eDCtd7otCFdLd_CmflNjrOHWM0osZwMEt2yOQBx01yQaDtyfmjSf0ouYJ4J3L_13X4j2I_wVf8iunIC3VBFtFtYoguQ-oCvTh1AK-VfBkg_k/s320/2017-12-20+264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Reliefs of feathered conches decorated the temple's facade. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotp_ZzXvxhhMgqFK6CgVldOc2GqjK4n3a3Xo26i3TwXZJg9v5CsE8n4L0I0_0hsmy-uZZUIbnhqwV-RAO_W1JE-IOaKGEzptSvn7Z1gWXUgJugcCG0IroafkY9eMSRfwiplGd_NdublI/s1600/2017-12-20+268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotp_ZzXvxhhMgqFK6CgVldOc2GqjK4n3a3Xo26i3TwXZJg9v5CsE8n4L0I0_0hsmy-uZZUIbnhqwV-RAO_W1JE-IOaKGEzptSvn7Z1gWXUgJugcCG0IroafkY9eMSRfwiplGd_NdublI/s320/2017-12-20+268.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Palace of Quetzlpapalotl didn’t look like anywhere else in the ancient city with its ornately carved pillars and beautiful murals, all centered around a gorgeous courtyard.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3UO6_BG5vqwIhJPV2XfewvWNPYLjgKd_zPlOWZfNFmNPx8rZ97c_Pe12TrSN_akXQypx5agepenK0ilMx1WWOUGW-HQyuuE_5bGiYw3dW3BSkqs8xi3W8wIcf3Leu_nBmK4IGlA_Bx0/s1600/2017-12-20+271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3UO6_BG5vqwIhJPV2XfewvWNPYLjgKd_zPlOWZfNFmNPx8rZ97c_Pe12TrSN_akXQypx5agepenK0ilMx1WWOUGW-HQyuuE_5bGiYw3dW3BSkqs8xi3W8wIcf3Leu_nBmK4IGlA_Bx0/s320/2017-12-20+271.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the final part of the complex was a typical Teotihuacan house </span><span style="font-size: large;">made of stone and compressed lime. Their roofs were made of wood and covered with lime which made them completely water resistant.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> As we wandered, we saw rooms were different sizes depending on their function. We also noticed the drainage network which kept the house dry and clean. One room had a water tank which was most likely used for storage and even bathing. It was amazing to learn the houses even had patios or sun decks! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjif0anfzFNpwVNz9FKZQ7gJJeUYg6IJ4MGVLlH4ozZ1PBCEzYVfnL1JwdavDNg7QCpOIKGyk6lJWnVdqsqZp6LfBDqDazSMJbgAV8Ww5vEZRBn82N5c71X1hvCZiO-ERPbXQ-CVHbXd2Y/s1600/2017-12-20+276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjif0anfzFNpwVNz9FKZQ7gJJeUYg6IJ4MGVLlH4ozZ1PBCEzYVfnL1JwdavDNg7QCpOIKGyk6lJWnVdqsqZp6LfBDqDazSMJbgAV8Ww5vEZRBn82N5c71X1hvCZiO-ERPbXQ-CVHbXd2Y/s320/2017-12-20+276.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8CyLL2GotG9zeXk7TQ848y6HUntxsjxI410ha77JmeA3OGiGOyBCxJi9aN4mn1e7mKlavKg_XqfHzMKr5iZEWqXNi63aKMZouhPvtHWQ2SnhTlDxm1mGZX-6z_BBQEK204W8czRGOkM/s1600/2017-12-20+277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8CyLL2GotG9zeXk7TQ848y6HUntxsjxI410ha77JmeA3OGiGOyBCxJi9aN4mn1e7mKlavKg_XqfHzMKr5iZEWqXNi63aKMZouhPvtHWQ2SnhTlDxm1mGZX-6z_BBQEK204W8czRGOkM/s320/2017-12-20+277.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Yzs84_1qj7Ft5JeMJuaA7TatdEXWm9kAA1QUYG_iWdE29d3fkj-iFt3FJxdUm5HzrUJt0ImLKjj-iZ654tOiOfchTK7hK09FnJCqpNYKMUtNt_PWuln9fZPVmy6ovYTxyO8hiNdssNU/s1600/2017-12-20+278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Yzs84_1qj7Ft5JeMJuaA7TatdEXWm9kAA1QUYG_iWdE29d3fkj-iFt3FJxdUm5HzrUJt0ImLKjj-iZ654tOiOfchTK7hK09FnJCqpNYKMUtNt_PWuln9fZPVmy6ovYTxyO8hiNdssNU/s320/2017-12-20+278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">More for my interesting bathroom sign collection of photos!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHc7slB_-8wkf_JHNr2aZou32Wumfx0_6kZJsDxVralSOEIhAWYV7rcvdhs7iLsQRfcXs1qH13FmMPPKyaMTdJQr0bXpqhAdKK97ka2vxK6D3iEfp9m-gZameu0yFFxwWXNWfki8cVvwM/s1600/2017-12-20+280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHc7slB_-8wkf_JHNr2aZou32Wumfx0_6kZJsDxVralSOEIhAWYV7rcvdhs7iLsQRfcXs1qH13FmMPPKyaMTdJQr0bXpqhAdKK97ka2vxK6D3iEfp9m-gZameu0yFFxwWXNWfki8cVvwM/s320/2017-12-20+280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXtzjEdesFTdCt9LzsWx_NXoqba_XQJ8BiqwvF7rpgzCwz0p8UhyphenhyphenXkdS8NQZ6Fn-OtFTWYTtdpbQ6stDWH4aBLZyBsfcT1kslRqbRPD1nxTk1BXyPZxcck69g0rxkycHG99yfD5-fP2A/s1600/2017-12-20+281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXtzjEdesFTdCt9LzsWx_NXoqba_XQJ8BiqwvF7rpgzCwz0p8UhyphenhyphenXkdS8NQZ6Fn-OtFTWYTtdpbQ6stDWH4aBLZyBsfcT1kslRqbRPD1nxTk1BXyPZxcck69g0rxkycHG99yfD5-fP2A/s320/2017-12-20+281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Almost six hours after arriving at one of Mexico's most important pre-Hispanic sites, we had had our fill of exploring the amazing planned city of Teotihuacan and returned to the city by bus. The driver kindly said he could drop us off at a metro station rather than taking us all the way into the city so we could take the metro to the </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Basilica de Santa Maria Guadalupe. </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bus ride became a little harrowing when a police officer got on board in full riot gear to look at every person on the bus but without asking for any ID. He was followed by another officer who took every passenger's photo with a video camera! The latter had happened several times when we had taken long distance bus rides in South America but never on a local bus. I don't know whether they had been looking for someone or what precipitated their actions.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGV-2PAU3C9bUC7YZYRfzjwbU5ozmJQuY-Y3tRc0l5CFfEhGfq-iLPyQUuynC_HxTjVMPbj-L_AVkw3_i4j_B88b5HVJdKQkr9KMAxwTQ0cXcYsCVOsLzO-eHVyzj2d76Clyt3bjKYG4g/s1600/2017-12-20+283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGV-2PAU3C9bUC7YZYRfzjwbU5ozmJQuY-Y3tRc0l5CFfEhGfq-iLPyQUuynC_HxTjVMPbj-L_AVkw3_i4j_B88b5HVJdKQkr9KMAxwTQ0cXcYsCVOsLzO-eHVyzj2d76Clyt3bjKYG4g/s320/2017-12-20+283.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Legend has it that a ‘lady from heaven’ appeared in 1531 to a local peasant at <b>Tepeyac,</b> a hill just outside of Mexico City. She identified herself as the Mother of the True God, instructed him to have the bishop construct a temple on this location and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his <i>tilma,</i> or cloak.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskKLUXDeXRvVcpKqXOSsQYGh9gI5Lq4Y1ejz9u3wgXbUtqEfnn-hQu3qsNXAnnJSzqZGzaC9vVgGWDoqO1UtqvIXVurMcSE5NzSbkbAtCZ9h3LsmIEThLl9Xzs65Pv3gnP2VzYdXIJQE/s1600/2017-12-20+284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskKLUXDeXRvVcpKqXOSsQYGh9gI5Lq4Y1ejz9u3wgXbUtqEfnn-hQu3qsNXAnnJSzqZGzaC9vVgGWDoqO1UtqvIXVurMcSE5NzSbkbAtCZ9h3LsmIEThLl9Xzs65Pv3gnP2VzYdXIJQE/s320/2017-12-20+284.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The story of the Basilica was fascinating as it had hosted numerous popes and other prominent religious figures. I enjoyed seeing the wide range of architecture there - both historical and more modern. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLoGdUIgyagum5ZruGlIcC7TmgQRRvkfv5nmmzaJJb30FJiYccrHRsxpi2C-DHj0XpBNVghGpfX_5-ZN87Hz_SBuOhwwQG2efU9LgHGSLVMFfPxFzpLz1-R6CSNoKUN0cnv7wGljMuAs/s1600/2017-12-20+285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLoGdUIgyagum5ZruGlIcC7TmgQRRvkfv5nmmzaJJb30FJiYccrHRsxpi2C-DHj0XpBNVghGpfX_5-ZN87Hz_SBuOhwwQG2efU9LgHGSLVMFfPxFzpLz1-R6CSNoKUN0cnv7wGljMuAs/s320/2017-12-20+285.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our eyes were immediately drawn to the grand old cathedral.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8-A3l7pyDOPkSLVANcwr336PwuDmrMYLA_1B7t-FwDEdFK4kECbeUMF9QzwUquspFfk9s-yDo4IfmqmZb3o2AGjVuzJcrdqVdUVW5113VKT-LMkC8W6dCNu04oZ5Dg0S0d7fs-RgU_o/s1600/2017-12-20+326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8-A3l7pyDOPkSLVANcwr336PwuDmrMYLA_1B7t-FwDEdFK4kECbeUMF9QzwUquspFfk9s-yDo4IfmqmZb3o2AGjVuzJcrdqVdUVW5113VKT-LMkC8W6dCNu04oZ5Dg0S0d7fs-RgU_o/s320/2017-12-20+326.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm2_rGhlVOjaGvmvrTgYRtdEw8FaVAjoTpJQjcBRryfgKL14qvAzszPMS6Xd4MUcBxJVLgXkepBxxNICHNzGTMo4OgWXjPV7O-516cl_0Gu-j2IrkjMSNf_Bmm_pimeK9njxzlfnNftw/s1600/2017-12-20+289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm2_rGhlVOjaGvmvrTgYRtdEw8FaVAjoTpJQjcBRryfgKL14qvAzszPMS6Xd4MUcBxJVLgXkepBxxNICHNzGTMo4OgWXjPV7O-516cl_0Gu-j2IrkjMSNf_Bmm_pimeK9njxzlfnNftw/s320/2017-12-20+289.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCmtyP6YM0Edi-6GNmWwRNAX6-lgvT7g5mDELcI5LxmpG5Fzeiv7YyWaMI-ScRPLrBbBgvC4CCyIA1lFu6grT-NNQ7vf4Al_Ddlisf0iznM_LQ7_mxEkU_gNLmH8vyFf_eH3RmuHWYDQ/s1600/2017-12-20+293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCmtyP6YM0Edi-6GNmWwRNAX6-lgvT7g5mDELcI5LxmpG5Fzeiv7YyWaMI-ScRPLrBbBgvC4CCyIA1lFu6grT-NNQ7vf4Al_Ddlisf0iznM_LQ7_mxEkU_gNLmH8vyFf_eH3RmuHWYDQ/s320/2017-12-20+293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuNSS6K-KblHwSJa2Er7nTsJ4k_KEOBdMO8FV_-Co9z3_i3xhsIMpiewyovvq8mNYinVd2F1z4MtpyUwnuTAilhcw03TzlSBHfd7rnYUrZpzdHg1D8k1wETk4wc-bRioTH5HS1zLqF98/s1600/2017-12-20+295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuNSS6K-KblHwSJa2Er7nTsJ4k_KEOBdMO8FV_-Co9z3_i3xhsIMpiewyovvq8mNYinVd2F1z4MtpyUwnuTAilhcw03TzlSBHfd7rnYUrZpzdHg1D8k1wETk4wc-bRioTH5HS1zLqF98/s320/2017-12-20+295.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsgPU38I0G-stHhqDZTVi4mIfeHT5IxkOL1Hb1lXzDYZyz3_dHxdtwIn5oB3auCRrokRYclkScH46VaePaxF6DXfMlnnQqtkxp70yyKIox3qDEcBP3CnCDg67uL0RQXedlA_rb6thONs/s1600/2017-12-20+298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsgPU38I0G-stHhqDZTVi4mIfeHT5IxkOL1Hb1lXzDYZyz3_dHxdtwIn5oB3auCRrokRYclkScH46VaePaxF6DXfMlnnQqtkxp70yyKIox3qDEcBP3CnCDg67uL0RQXedlA_rb6thONs/s320/2017-12-20+298.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It looked like a painting until we got up close and realized it was comprised of mosaics!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0rMGNwRw47D80LLUq0atz0RcpzqiH3yJjl09HbpM9HeS4rUgbyCRxj5vyKhnzYg57JG-0XuzxqwDie-7R5QkHct8tiTTiGw1uNXk-LC4i-6Fx06_QOoZn4KpYalEQCJ-8nXZJKodzU/s1600/2017-12-20+300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-0rMGNwRw47D80LLUq0atz0RcpzqiH3yJjl09HbpM9HeS4rUgbyCRxj5vyKhnzYg57JG-0XuzxqwDie-7R5QkHct8tiTTiGw1uNXk-LC4i-6Fx06_QOoZn4KpYalEQCJ-8nXZJKodzU/s320/2017-12-20+300.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjk4gvNSUpd-HCWStP_NW4o-27E1oJzBDYRxefMWf1nmNYDYENt8XRyL8Ar5gpq2HoLwtWQxl8zNC2bLFm4dnO03REgch2ezAj6-En6A3saZH9rwhmaBQ-nIBuSKmyin0iGsWcDwnIP0/s1600/2017-12-20+302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjk4gvNSUpd-HCWStP_NW4o-27E1oJzBDYRxefMWf1nmNYDYENt8XRyL8Ar5gpq2HoLwtWQxl8zNC2bLFm4dnO03REgch2ezAj6-En6A3saZH9rwhmaBQ-nIBuSKmyin0iGsWcDwnIP0/s320/2017-12-20+302.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH98ocyv6fiLSpc4hp4_bSZqleWLMChoKGjUG02vV7g121z8bO2gZlxp5PfPnIq0owa8525FZ4wNYxh7H6xsWcXKPn0qjEujEHh-VZDkf5j7NGBlIaC1oaeTDAf4ki-ekZNIQdad_HeA/s1600/2017-12-20+305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH98ocyv6fiLSpc4hp4_bSZqleWLMChoKGjUG02vV7g121z8bO2gZlxp5PfPnIq0owa8525FZ4wNYxh7H6xsWcXKPn0qjEujEHh-VZDkf5j7NGBlIaC1oaeTDAf4ki-ekZNIQdad_HeA/s320/2017-12-20+305.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLUjmGWOSXhJkdAdex2iC5YiKr-ag7EXDl-_0soMDWxcIh8En9PDAwZTMAwjcX2Nrj4PzVcmLjYhzT-wV4KjEbg4gsmRLrPFaBHkTSGsAwOgbu5SrwfzdAk0L1wWFOc9XRlKpqeNxsw/s1600/2017-12-20+306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLUjmGWOSXhJkdAdex2iC5YiKr-ag7EXDl-_0soMDWxcIh8En9PDAwZTMAwjcX2Nrj4PzVcmLjYhzT-wV4KjEbg4gsmRLrPFaBHkTSGsAwOgbu5SrwfzdAk0L1wWFOc9XRlKpqeNxsw/s320/2017-12-20+306.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were just too tired to enter every one of the many churches that made up the </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">second most visited Catholic temple in the world after the Vatican. It was enough for us to walk around the gargantuan site </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">knowing the first miraculous appearance of the Virgin in the New World, a brown virgin to a brown local man, was commemorated here in a pilgrimage site sacred to Latino believers. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0TM6K0HH2Ga2hIYSRaIC97nhqXfil8qM7CaUhmD0og3WUyLElHmKiXcjVLFNepLMhYETOBi3F4lrISXgdVHnaWAnbwvj1MAEROROS8Z6LdFJHOqQuo0CQk_wAUEB_5YYDn8el1qVEXw/s1600/2017-12-20+312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0TM6K0HH2Ga2hIYSRaIC97nhqXfil8qM7CaUhmD0og3WUyLElHmKiXcjVLFNepLMhYETOBi3F4lrISXgdVHnaWAnbwvj1MAEROROS8Z6LdFJHOqQuo0CQk_wAUEB_5YYDn8el1qVEXw/s320/2017-12-20+312.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRt9pWvXsnHPJ8LUjqztzwR2s9JOBGsvzEWBQnbFtm2k-uricce-Q2dyrliRoc9e-r1usgGiGSOpOfft8Dh4ZCKqTmzQ3KXC2tNjewnbekeiCPIZmFVfGLlMW9D0PQMdDtltuWM4A0Uk/s1600/2017-12-20+317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRt9pWvXsnHPJ8LUjqztzwR2s9JOBGsvzEWBQnbFtm2k-uricce-Q2dyrliRoc9e-r1usgGiGSOpOfft8Dh4ZCKqTmzQ3KXC2tNjewnbekeiCPIZmFVfGLlMW9D0PQMdDtltuWM4A0Uk/s320/2017-12-20+317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16qZr8RUDVcjxKU7YEnK2X9HJhWDFriPaaFhRzWEfpHjWz3coir1lgaJ0QNpV8h-nkSyOuJ6CcHPvAaSkKBG0KiWZEPmJnTq9SsLd7ZTpfdWDdzC0GCOyG_6NRZQubrwPkIuil2w2M98/s1600/2017-12-20+318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16qZr8RUDVcjxKU7YEnK2X9HJhWDFriPaaFhRzWEfpHjWz3coir1lgaJ0QNpV8h-nkSyOuJ6CcHPvAaSkKBG0KiWZEPmJnTq9SsLd7ZTpfdWDdzC0GCOyG_6NRZQubrwPkIuil2w2M98/s320/2017-12-20+318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfvucXyyYT3tKS04kru2x1z6qDZMIoPw63PTl2Y0xliu0H2mQkNcNwXcJQ1C3pRCcipx8N5WRBJ6ukedahM1GIhanEqySASHoBLiBM7fUz_er8OX4pFAuLwMmRBjIJLk33AkgLrxiGmM/s1600/2017-12-20+322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfvucXyyYT3tKS04kru2x1z6qDZMIoPw63PTl2Y0xliu0H2mQkNcNwXcJQ1C3pRCcipx8N5WRBJ6ukedahM1GIhanEqySASHoBLiBM7fUz_er8OX4pFAuLwMmRBjIJLk33AkgLrxiGmM/s320/2017-12-20+322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The beautiful design of the new Basilica did entice us, though, to enter. As we drew near, we heard and saw Aztec performers singing and dancing in front who drew a crowd. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4lXlPN6dL4brhPqQNcOgQZXrOcux3mC-KHvgoJtrpasks8NwEpyIerbGFnOOvyWlpIimOMfEYBdqQ6T1DYuZ1ZvJ9uc_I1DtQ1jvWJU-oQ_0P70uYPLj65UyQeeCSADjahyphenhyphen7oos4qBc/s1600/2017-12-20+286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4lXlPN6dL4brhPqQNcOgQZXrOcux3mC-KHvgoJtrpasks8NwEpyIerbGFnOOvyWlpIimOMfEYBdqQ6T1DYuZ1ZvJ9uc_I1DtQ1jvWJU-oQ_0P70uYPLj65UyQeeCSADjahyphenhyphen7oos4qBc/s320/2017-12-20+286.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fq9UZqmB-QNyEamXUGERG5IhnRub_rPZv-qJK3VT5Ke4mhSNodhCNLw8hV7Z09coxYR09swM4roLmXrx0yqlfIboKNDd8sNghWvEkuK6PXk4nYHsYIdQhmdlUv7QgNGDWHXED4uVXY0/s1600/2017-12-20+329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fq9UZqmB-QNyEamXUGERG5IhnRub_rPZv-qJK3VT5Ke4mhSNodhCNLw8hV7Z09coxYR09swM4roLmXrx0yqlfIboKNDd8sNghWvEkuK6PXk4nYHsYIdQhmdlUv7QgNGDWHXED4uVXY0/s320/2017-12-20+329.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm0HtovAvrRE47BttFa_mdHvHc5qIj9uSmPE3_udBHAqUXcRqh0u0OzzfdO7pXdlKx9N3S0E0dkvJTx4LKwvhpgNcS6ItB42FUK67UbK8slef8-4nO0ZxXq-LabJTPIefYvl3_oxkSfI/s1600/2017-12-20+331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm0HtovAvrRE47BttFa_mdHvHc5qIj9uSmPE3_udBHAqUXcRqh0u0OzzfdO7pXdlKx9N3S0E0dkvJTx4LKwvhpgNcS6ItB42FUK67UbK8slef8-4nO0ZxXq-LabJTPIefYvl3_oxkSfI/s320/2017-12-20+331.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtMCJdpZN1AaPDc-fNDOrEwsLyDKiRkRXG7HsJXejxfilr3a-i4v2_Q77y55N7UYqHUgRjpOQXGK4ClhBlumiaU_mOVs_zsrfacnqByAIsZp88pCTemSeoxv0DdayvrxkRmpMcLk1CYA/s1600/2017-12-20+337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtMCJdpZN1AaPDc-fNDOrEwsLyDKiRkRXG7HsJXejxfilr3a-i4v2_Q77y55N7UYqHUgRjpOQXGK4ClhBlumiaU_mOVs_zsrfacnqByAIsZp88pCTemSeoxv0DdayvrxkRmpMcLk1CYA/s320/2017-12-20+337.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was heartbreaking and also wondrous seeing a young boy in a wheelchair watching the performers on the periphery who then caught the eye of some of the dancers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzwE7cC_svj1wlcvPB-14OkxkN0teIZB3kDOEHoaoz-uJJpivXJ3VMTSfx9MrcUhaFTkuNsXOX-It-UQIqBij9ouc0icIJcC18TQWGUAkWGpsOCFrUBZIm9hv12ChGGsAhTYZFt-ZON0/s1600/2017-12-20+335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzwE7cC_svj1wlcvPB-14OkxkN0teIZB3kDOEHoaoz-uJJpivXJ3VMTSfx9MrcUhaFTkuNsXOX-It-UQIqBij9ouc0icIJcC18TQWGUAkWGpsOCFrUBZIm9hv12ChGGsAhTYZFt-ZON0/s320/2017-12-20+335.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Almost immediately one of them moved over to him and began praying on and for him and later wafted incense all around the boy. It brought tears to my eyes as I hoped for a miracle for him and his family. I could only think how incredibly lucky Steven and our families have been.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugiLwkIth5FEatrr9OPZrNTqSc2VvGOkxpGGZHlkjKUcXIxRzthD6YmAbDd3-I5f6FsTfyhbLAmcTOZ6ysaR-10Pqvw4KkkvX4DacZneQ2lbomEVUnc5il6qUo8mn91ptRwV4WnEuTdo/s1600/2017-12-20+343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugiLwkIth5FEatrr9OPZrNTqSc2VvGOkxpGGZHlkjKUcXIxRzthD6YmAbDd3-I5f6FsTfyhbLAmcTOZ6ysaR-10Pqvw4KkkvX4DacZneQ2lbomEVUnc5il6qUo8mn91ptRwV4WnEuTdo/s320/2017-12-20+343.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jpNp0TTLveYM3Jivp1XYynr4XKivTzGLm_UnfVSzLz2Bhgz9sva2UNgqji7r3JlS9vhKIRzAqc9N0pYvfy_TNvteh467l6BuhfEAo6OU3CNPaVOzxenTMvL2ATWxaV_fssXj_28aSEA/s1600/2017-12-20+345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jpNp0TTLveYM3Jivp1XYynr4XKivTzGLm_UnfVSzLz2Bhgz9sva2UNgqji7r3JlS9vhKIRzAqc9N0pYvfy_TNvteh467l6BuhfEAo6OU3CNPaVOzxenTMvL2ATWxaV_fssXj_28aSEA/s320/2017-12-20+345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpUBz7XfVitUhhVOV2BL5KewEItzjlMVwyv37V8xNclsj6zGd3X1icF-EY3L5ZJzmnyfZZkjswErabJ5r1h2D8Xi41kmQKVTjBxBMdryNAj7ZRXYvjMciIoNXH9VVXw5iWWe69Nj7qQg/s1600/2017-12-20+346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpUBz7XfVitUhhVOV2BL5KewEItzjlMVwyv37V8xNclsj6zGd3X1icF-EY3L5ZJzmnyfZZkjswErabJ5r1h2D8Xi41kmQKVTjBxBMdryNAj7ZRXYvjMciIoNXH9VVXw5iWWe69Nj7qQg/s320/2017-12-20+346.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2CRXOVygJRxQ5D4SaFvehwZsYKEBz-z_napPfwdvplpjURyLypD-NTVGDDB9lzb89ZR-PI-bWE-PqWupD4O-aoIVdo3z23Wjaoo0OZrQilw-bWZyGgO2qSo762Ss1sGVE8NG44sVJBE/s1600/2017-12-20+347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2CRXOVygJRxQ5D4SaFvehwZsYKEBz-z_napPfwdvplpjURyLypD-NTVGDDB9lzb89ZR-PI-bWE-PqWupD4O-aoIVdo3z23Wjaoo0OZrQilw-bWZyGgO2qSo762Ss1sGVE8NG44sVJBE/s320/2017-12-20+347.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuTWKDe40yop1UKKiPoGenRKZuXPe-A_pAEZqq8Oht-Yux-VBxo8gG_lxh7sDSPtI9wgkVUZJvRFQBdUuoiRW3almNlBSQHb_hx_fwc2DPFKD5c7cIIE32ezqaTX_peFnLB6tBbzn2hQ/s1600/2017-12-20+349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuTWKDe40yop1UKKiPoGenRKZuXPe-A_pAEZqq8Oht-Yux-VBxo8gG_lxh7sDSPtI9wgkVUZJvRFQBdUuoiRW3almNlBSQHb_hx_fwc2DPFKD5c7cIIE32ezqaTX_peFnLB6tBbzn2hQ/s320/2017-12-20+349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few blocks from our hotel, we discovered an Argentinian restaurant where we treated ourselves to what we hoped would be a lovely feast on our last night on the road. The company was perfect, the wine delicious but the steaks and service not so much, unfortunately. Oh well, we still had a wonderful time recounting our favorite memories of the day!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xflojesqVOl_dDybKp3XIO8G1DtK2haZxai-eaFS1J7y0uE38_7533y5wqeB_OrzQqaHugyrpVmA-JULatnjhAf_gbx-E26da9S5R_cxgc1HQCn35rLp-Q5X_xxQ_2PVWNHVoV8FEak/s1600/2017-12-20+357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xflojesqVOl_dDybKp3XIO8G1DtK2haZxai-eaFS1J7y0uE38_7533y5wqeB_OrzQqaHugyrpVmA-JULatnjhAf_gbx-E26da9S5R_cxgc1HQCn35rLp-Q5X_xxQ_2PVWNHVoV8FEak/s320/2017-12-20+357.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Our last day in Mexico City AND of our three and a half month long trip!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on Canada Day, July 1st, 2018, from our home in Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-16541794942494724542018-06-25T15:10:00.000-06:002018-08-12T06:45:39.261-06:0012/19: A Whirlwind Tour of Magical Mexico City: Muralists, Sinking Cathedral & the Aztecs' Templo Mayor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">After just spending a couple of disturbing hours at the powerful <b>Museo Memoria y Tolerancia,</b> we couldn't help but smile when we saw this utterly joyous and happy sculpture across from <b>Alameda Central Park!</b> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc3OhQD854u4mmTj7b0KX2oL1m0AyfhP3-iTe4j5pIV_rXr6ypmjmgNvv2sGZeDXVozSZZH5LLXPtENukQq5l-tJ9-lsT10ZWF2lyikXCPtU2zU-xlQdb1qwSnSEUFn8WIq3aVhOoq0K1/s1600/2017-12-19+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc3OhQD854u4mmTj7b0KX2oL1m0AyfhP3-iTe4j5pIV_rXr6ypmjmgNvv2sGZeDXVozSZZH5LLXPtENukQq5l-tJ9-lsT10ZWF2lyikXCPtU2zU-xlQdb1qwSnSEUFn8WIq3aVhOoq0K1/s320/2017-12-19+064.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On the other side of the park was the <b>Palacio de Bellas Artes,</b> a stunning white marble palace, concert hall and arts center that was constructed beginning in 1904. Designed by Italian architect <b>Adamo Boari</b> in Neoclassical style,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the building of this great theater was stopped in 1913 </span><span style="font-size: large;">when the heavy marble shell sank in the spongy subsoil and because of the beginning of the Mexican Civil War. Mexican architect <b>Federico Ma</b>riscal started anew in 1932 and finished it in 1934.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU9ZwldoXNpjeUu51xI_E-HNqP7tExoFp88WNojeSskNVATMqvk0S193cgSseRCZkNHRxUXN88pQ33FvD0LhTrwWgQ-kDNwDPRrsghPrVTsEDinWr-DM4driK-80kGjxTpdobUq69ZKdX/s1600/2017-12-19+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAU9ZwldoXNpjeUu51xI_E-HNqP7tExoFp88WNojeSskNVATMqvk0S193cgSseRCZkNHRxUXN88pQ33FvD0LhTrwWgQ-kDNwDPRrsghPrVTsEDinWr-DM4driK-80kGjxTpdobUq69ZKdX/s320/2017-12-19+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuISy1JpvjdOMTv4w6R5awbpen2hr0GFBrq9dX1r6pLANDeL7S64Z5PzhUYb5dI2XfMVP3IsBe8cisLkm76tgRPoXmLKReYt7FkaYXFmD6DNFtbV_7Dv6oHRsA8iZgYDIgvRzk9D-6cpE/s1600/2017-12-19+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuISy1JpvjdOMTv4w6R5awbpen2hr0GFBrq9dX1r6pLANDeL7S64Z5PzhUYb5dI2XfMVP3IsBe8cisLkm76tgRPoXmLKReYt7FkaYXFmD6DNFtbV_7Dv6oHRsA8iZgYDIgvRzk9D-6cpE/s320/2017-12-19+067.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wish I'd seen some information about the story behind what looked like an enormous canoe with three people standing upright in it in front of the palace.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD3MrGr_9xNW0jJYCVUSEPlfs96hl8vQNvJAmEiHya0hhGY9LShhR7bz1dP7xq6m5Y5k0DbIhAXU-SiV2Wkh6IVoZs-2ksl38eI1HXr-OlN7F0Kr1P5WVeL6dGOG3z6eFcAD3YFd5j0DW/s1600/2017-12-19+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD3MrGr_9xNW0jJYCVUSEPlfs96hl8vQNvJAmEiHya0hhGY9LShhR7bz1dP7xq6m5Y5k0DbIhAXU-SiV2Wkh6IVoZs-2ksl38eI1HXr-OlN7F0Kr1P5WVeL6dGOG3z6eFcAD3YFd5j0DW/s320/2017-12-19+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D1_gYVVh3vdH3ecD4SSDeCXJ6nJjuQGxcVNhyphenhyphendM7-oNGAdr156FLSWu3nnHTxkrmuyskWJuMcqHeD8ktiDfK30noMz-SaYsDePg-XOyljrecApka9WKVwPhLjI9tMtsm3ZCvflB5QnSQ/s1600/2017-12-19+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6D1_gYVVh3vdH3ecD4SSDeCXJ6nJjuQGxcVNhyphenhyphendM7-oNGAdr156FLSWu3nnHTxkrmuyskWJuMcqHeD8ktiDfK30noMz-SaYsDePg-XOyljrecApka9WKVwPhLjI9tMtsm3ZCvflB5QnSQ/s320/2017-12-19+135.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The interior was a gem and a true masterpiece of Art Deco architecture with an amazing use of multiple varieties of marbles in the columns and the floor. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1n1X5F99WpdwZo7LELcmFaCxaWo6veKNkVpidkaFo-nNBC9eOe2n9tUV3Q9nMrGACXm0PLAUcdpqcMya0EIOddPffMsl8afTwiGyc6km61f2dxueod7A96xVtTKHQnFWlDeH4nAjWJHX/s1600/2017-12-19+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1n1X5F99WpdwZo7LELcmFaCxaWo6veKNkVpidkaFo-nNBC9eOe2n9tUV3Q9nMrGACXm0PLAUcdpqcMya0EIOddPffMsl8afTwiGyc6km61f2dxueod7A96xVtTKHQnFWlDeH4nAjWJHX/s320/2017-12-19+078.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTi4-eA2PoWBakWC2t3vybR1-u9cuRPxn8EtHx0ghTRDM3X_N1VF6GYxy0EqaU5JuA9-m-qMQtKa-KBCm7zreiJfkHvmk-rHZRa-iA_U9uHZ4MP7oe84IMgH9FVk2UQqjJPvJuZ7veuEl/s1600/2017-12-19+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTi4-eA2PoWBakWC2t3vybR1-u9cuRPxn8EtHx0ghTRDM3X_N1VF6GYxy0EqaU5JuA9-m-qMQtKa-KBCm7zreiJfkHvmk-rHZRa-iA_U9uHZ4MP7oe84IMgH9FVk2UQqjJPvJuZ7veuEl/s320/2017-12-19+125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ipRY387Q6o9MJn8tfP3KBu_pKZcOua3IWC5YUMu3pgDiFSAzPQZ_aQ94glRpSGiKgvmuqoZGCgPdvpBwbqvTILRUe5r16StDKK8oYZMTCdfvpNhzytTAaQp7zDcEnGVzhYfwfAJVARlU/s1600/2017-12-19+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ipRY387Q6o9MJn8tfP3KBu_pKZcOua3IWC5YUMu3pgDiFSAzPQZ_aQ94glRpSGiKgvmuqoZGCgPdvpBwbqvTILRUe5r16StDKK8oYZMTCdfvpNhzytTAaQp7zDcEnGVzhYfwfAJVARlU/s320/2017-12-19+079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were fortunate that we happened to be there when the gallery featured a large exhibition called <b>Mexican Red</b> about the use of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>cochineal, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">a red pigment made from pulverized bugs, in paintings, garments and furnishings. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60h22MsAfOJkL6h_NBkHb3gcz5e59K9EFQeJRGUHFMUjd6nxW9-mKqR3LDIApwMdipyYCHuOKW19mI6-7jgVIbOAC4RGT2T_zfGFJMw-qXzfm6q5xJe66jq7EU85lfRPE3Ex1H1hPEtHj/s1600/2017-12-19+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60h22MsAfOJkL6h_NBkHb3gcz5e59K9EFQeJRGUHFMUjd6nxW9-mKqR3LDIApwMdipyYCHuOKW19mI6-7jgVIbOAC4RGT2T_zfGFJMw-qXzfm6q5xJe66jq7EU85lfRPE3Ex1H1hPEtHj/s320/2017-12-19+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I learned that as a result of the high cost of cochineal, the possession of items dyed red with the pigment was a privilege reserved for the elite and signaled the owner's wealth and importance.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HRsyqRtkPFov3frG6FpmZ2gsZPFuP17vwm6KMYdONGoTeKPDDkeMdoox8Aeex8SqV9iPWOpb-UoHFg7UV3wHxbyXPCCz0-uHCxEZqvCTUGvFciWSBOM0Md0hGZVZFb8GnhUNLsjhXqCA/s1600/2017-12-19+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HRsyqRtkPFov3frG6FpmZ2gsZPFuP17vwm6KMYdONGoTeKPDDkeMdoox8Aeex8SqV9iPWOpb-UoHFg7UV3wHxbyXPCCz0-uHCxEZqvCTUGvFciWSBOM0Md0hGZVZFb8GnhUNLsjhXqCA/s320/2017-12-19+080.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The use of the expensive dye reaffirmed the status of the figures or, in other words, prestigious pigments were required to represent prestigious people. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Status in the paintings of the Virgin, Christ, various saints and the upper echelon of the church was highlighted through the coloring of the mantles and clothes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPK5p8gZNmg04oVLfc0kluZjUi3LLJvNyCcY3LrSichX5nZdcAA9HnyOskewbegSOCZwHXmM9ycNRdxbX1si-szPAUu4CALWNZA99yAEGeCI8p0-rKN5j0yI3KAypYdEBxQAH9F-Q_WU9/s1600/2017-12-19+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPK5p8gZNmg04oVLfc0kluZjUi3LLJvNyCcY3LrSichX5nZdcAA9HnyOskewbegSOCZwHXmM9ycNRdxbX1si-szPAUu4CALWNZA99yAEGeCI8p0-rKN5j0yI3KAypYdEBxQAH9F-Q_WU9/s320/2017-12-19+083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySzj-5IQpzKjUWdD-MNGokpDpW5Ia1BrHP0dl596O7HUz3uD9U1YtU2hGIwM01Rjc998ZybOw-5ttFnoOLo6iCXvMy1Z8bnFbxg_sHG3ZJAjRxE5_uAPKVsRKFZ_ebWlGMCJGXoEpI_uF/s1600/2017-12-19+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySzj-5IQpzKjUWdD-MNGokpDpW5Ia1BrHP0dl596O7HUz3uD9U1YtU2hGIwM01Rjc998ZybOw-5ttFnoOLo6iCXvMy1Z8bnFbxg_sHG3ZJAjRxE5_uAPKVsRKFZ_ebWlGMCJGXoEpI_uF/s320/2017-12-19+085.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Cochineal was also used as a color of power in paintings of royalty and nobility as well as rich or influential people due to their positions in society.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeoOCNzKwMFl9_8DH9wQJW6uqJOboljvytBet1BUdKhzOUKsWgkGQTsR2-b299HD5wles8zP8GvwHHJ70yY1SF7sCQiRfT3uiYsoPGvUZIs9OjEvXpPgQ1ONfLTB5oBECcwyBJmPquln4/s1600/2017-12-19+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeoOCNzKwMFl9_8DH9wQJW6uqJOboljvytBet1BUdKhzOUKsWgkGQTsR2-b299HD5wles8zP8GvwHHJ70yY1SF7sCQiRfT3uiYsoPGvUZIs9OjEvXpPgQ1ONfLTB5oBECcwyBJmPquln4/s320/2017-12-19+089.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the 19th century, cochineal was less used and was less seen as a symbol of power because of a different interpretation of wealth. In addition, new synthetic pigments were created that were cheaper, more stable and more saturated so they quickly replaced their natural counterparts.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCwGEGV0UvmTUyuXL3lVebeSuEoieJ_hoWr1fXglP9sHY5iV9alLsbM0K_YsTurKzc13sz6kqdfN0Vgqk0MkvpNoURGleaCgdW41bmiZj5gP-miTjR2BCrrU4coE1NBQRGm78KsroXVbE/s1600/2017-12-19+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCwGEGV0UvmTUyuXL3lVebeSuEoieJ_hoWr1fXglP9sHY5iV9alLsbM0K_YsTurKzc13sz6kqdfN0Vgqk0MkvpNoURGleaCgdW41bmiZj5gP-miTjR2BCrrU4coE1NBQRGm78KsroXVbE/s320/2017-12-19+091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I read that many painters, especially the Impressionists who were interested in exploring the properties of color, continued using cochineal. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The presence of cochineal in 19th century Japanese prints proved that the trade of cochineal had spread around the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Following Mexican indigenous tradition in the area of textiles, artisans continued to use cochineal in their works, applying ancient techniques and original recipes in folk art and furnishings.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzub-bBP6lsv0wQzK3D56kLXEw6hzQiyxt7MX8o9EHIJJzL4p493kIsY3fQWvz0YVn17MNspJcAQFqVWcsB56lDxrfJHMR4E3in1_IvioQ-ITSCCy4g3Dpdj8-wftk-0tvi-bwgt1dbrc3/s1600/2017-12-19+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzub-bBP6lsv0wQzK3D56kLXEw6hzQiyxt7MX8o9EHIJJzL4p493kIsY3fQWvz0YVn17MNspJcAQFqVWcsB56lDxrfJHMR4E3in1_IvioQ-ITSCCy4g3Dpdj8-wftk-0tvi-bwgt1dbrc3/s320/2017-12-19+131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Palacio had some glorious paintings by familiar artists: Turner, Gaugin, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Van Gogh</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and Renoir respectively below: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYZDZDHAvFMY7hWUE2T2yVJOmZSr8cV7-rXCurCuBbkpT5caCArGFtGXfPBirN87SL5Rl_GF7e11gfqfB2lV2QavF6NxpijEwnmieE2f29dcRqQAirQvKZMzo2S-iZjxGH9RToCn7tZfU/s1600/2017-12-19+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYZDZDHAvFMY7hWUE2T2yVJOmZSr8cV7-rXCurCuBbkpT5caCArGFtGXfPBirN87SL5Rl_GF7e11gfqfB2lV2QavF6NxpijEwnmieE2f29dcRqQAirQvKZMzo2S-iZjxGH9RToCn7tZfU/s320/2017-12-19+094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDzsV5i-W6myiepTcew6-pNWL-eqHo7i-RlMFdevTnuP7G5UpSKSrtxOlnIiBY8yal5hfNegxeG1bEd5a4k-sn6z3pe9Tt4hyJ2b8nj2KiTOzfGUKW1a7lSIsq7yWDEVhYGK3gzv6Yq3g/s1600/2017-12-19+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDzsV5i-W6myiepTcew6-pNWL-eqHo7i-RlMFdevTnuP7G5UpSKSrtxOlnIiBY8yal5hfNegxeG1bEd5a4k-sn6z3pe9Tt4hyJ2b8nj2KiTOzfGUKW1a7lSIsq7yWDEVhYGK3gzv6Yq3g/s320/2017-12-19+096.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZe85Fm49TkQSsqPp8DpvZP4UI6yUvVQSP4vzBH1gjkzB3ZkDLOLV-VqgGJUQG0QDaARxdQecFgV14HOt9Lk9nh2Mvn8SYp4jTzP3Bo-7dHn7qrWt6z8Bm880pWKyC5sAkdsNld-c6kOk/s1600/2017-12-19+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZe85Fm49TkQSsqPp8DpvZP4UI6yUvVQSP4vzBH1gjkzB3ZkDLOLV-VqgGJUQG0QDaARxdQecFgV14HOt9Lk9nh2Mvn8SYp4jTzP3Bo-7dHn7qrWt6z8Bm880pWKyC5sAkdsNld-c6kOk/s320/2017-12-19+098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6L0pAnxjIL3AweSTGWr4NaFSkuTedEs0xlAt0cWdoLT-kkzg4DKITIgRZw3ZtgMLFNQq5KwzOTCFzja6c-vkPcFJtEHTxJlRhX0FgM_9-aN9_GRMobcS3E0Sm1x_bu6I0bPDYWLQvhseU/s1600/2017-12-19+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6L0pAnxjIL3AweSTGWr4NaFSkuTedEs0xlAt0cWdoLT-kkzg4DKITIgRZw3ZtgMLFNQq5KwzOTCFzja6c-vkPcFJtEHTxJlRhX0FgM_9-aN9_GRMobcS3E0Sm1x_bu6I0bPDYWLQvhseU/s320/2017-12-19+100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As much as I had enjoyed learning all about the use of cochineal in paintings, we had come to the Palacio to see the paintings by Mexico's internationally famous muralists.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZs6XS9cNAmRzgv2vu7ZsobZaNxKzrnbaE2JrbTdSn8AT5lWRsHazjFQUWYOswvkHyi3Ou5vCok0gO19_6JImXf5uBLVZAW4En63FH1D2biGukNcxpEbYeWLyhZrLhCsi7Gx30cea9GEw/s1600/2017-12-19+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZs6XS9cNAmRzgv2vu7ZsobZaNxKzrnbaE2JrbTdSn8AT5lWRsHazjFQUWYOswvkHyi3Ou5vCok0gO19_6JImXf5uBLVZAW4En63FH1D2biGukNcxpEbYeWLyhZrLhCsi7Gx30cea9GEw/s320/2017-12-19+124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Diego Rivera </b>was a prominent Mexican painter whose large frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in Mexican art. </span><span style="font-size: large;">His work also influenced later painters as well as Abstract Impressionist <b>Jackson Pollock.</b> I read that Rivera, who spent a lot of time painting mammoth frescoes and murals in the US, took art out of the gallery and into the public domain so that more people could enjoy and appreciate its beauty.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-272zPNODW2oDesrLXt7suBSXZXTfVoE658NLnO0yUrP2_4lewO_Hx49J3CHIve9autecCvx2unGt_HQB0B2ZNsqUDdvmnXcykQrA6ZVpkbgxQU_UWDVsB9kIVmvAE7_27gKtZU0ABhS/s1600/2017-12-19+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-272zPNODW2oDesrLXt7suBSXZXTfVoE658NLnO0yUrP2_4lewO_Hx49J3CHIve9autecCvx2unGt_HQB0B2ZNsqUDdvmnXcykQrA6ZVpkbgxQU_UWDVsB9kIVmvAE7_27gKtZU0ABhS/s320/2017-12-19+103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rivera painted</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> Dictatorship: Carnival of Mexican Life </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">in 1936. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYjXsKjT7aX9Q8KLeAjgp0CVzh_EwO2JHfHK2m1HjjMkO6HPhjaalyWD3oxvAlgfZWEjGXGrMeyRSYhxf6MATtwHNWJEiEzdce2gxoCmNRcNhvC05-yPHSj5novV3NnQi99v2NZBdDpK5/s1600/2017-12-19+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYjXsKjT7aX9Q8KLeAjgp0CVzh_EwO2JHfHK2m1HjjMkO6HPhjaalyWD3oxvAlgfZWEjGXGrMeyRSYhxf6MATtwHNWJEiEzdce2gxoCmNRcNhvC05-yPHSj5novV3NnQi99v2NZBdDpK5/s320/2017-12-19+106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The artist began drawing at the age of three, a year after his twin brother's death. I was amused to read that when Rivera had been caught drawing on the walls, his parents, rather than punishing him, installed chalkboards and canvases on the walls!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2GwldXNj61MUH6I4Ii8mCnSOnxdUxHIo8rHEuTOGOPW0g3B1QeN-eBkYHMcxwJ3S0sBKy_ilcZf9yjTfcmuSPt2ZXBsuVn_caz80OvlmuUJxbUTnQ_8laEBtERsY9YhlHGtl9EXy5htq/s1600/2017-12-19+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2GwldXNj61MUH6I4Ii8mCnSOnxdUxHIo8rHEuTOGOPW0g3B1QeN-eBkYHMcxwJ3S0sBKy_ilcZf9yjTfcmuSPt2ZXBsuVn_caz80OvlmuUJxbUTnQ_8laEBtERsY9YhlHGtl9EXy5htq/s320/2017-12-19+105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>David Alfaro Siqueiros</b> was a Mexican social realist painter, better known for his large murals in fresco. Along with Rivera and <b>José Clemente Orozco, </b>he established <b>'Mexican Muralism.'</b> He was a Marxist-Leninist in support of the Soviet Union and a member of the Mexican Communist Party who participated in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Leon Trotsky in May 1940. He painted <i>Victim of Fascism</i> in 1945.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0GM4cRfjs89fyMK120LnL66aJlQ2vUb_QpyMNHdnp4NQwrpKjPYk_vovCGy9Pn-WZxe8dmYbh2x9ZSTVvgD3SoYAf5gF54mds2YrNPz6VHdHuXep76J7JnulBcwpuONmmXXsIjHtghj/s1600/2017-12-19+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi0GM4cRfjs89fyMK120LnL66aJlQ2vUb_QpyMNHdnp4NQwrpKjPYk_vovCGy9Pn-WZxe8dmYbh2x9ZSTVvgD3SoYAf5gF54mds2YrNPz6VHdHuXep76J7JnulBcwpuONmmXXsIjHtghj/s320/2017-12-19+108.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">His 1944 painting was called</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> New Democracy.</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWtdQqkEzxqz-oHoSjK-EOQW-iEydv_EqzA67Wo65knU0c7dPd5fXysLkzHKA3-Goxx-VVQqwTtnynNrhehpkS0LXHrUEKzMjCJiNzoWTGFB7hCb5CW_l9UeBe85K-N2A9Ybyy90dclfE/s1600/2017-12-19+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWtdQqkEzxqz-oHoSjK-EOQW-iEydv_EqzA67Wo65knU0c7dPd5fXysLkzHKA3-Goxx-VVQqwTtnynNrhehpkS0LXHrUEKzMjCJiNzoWTGFB7hCb5CW_l9UeBe85K-N2A9Ybyy90dclfE/s320/2017-12-19+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">His <i>Victims of War</i> was painted in 1945.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oVYfMSwleg1ou5Fch8uxokP44aDNt7auHoC6EimXKH128CS7Iw1i46bSFnU0RX7GlGtp5VLFTesGZLLk4I2Ws8xkdkDnrkIf0pbKpEapATWHwlZEdOGs2KjKfJrnGRWYuvKRElEiKUUW/s1600/2017-12-19+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oVYfMSwleg1ou5Fch8uxokP44aDNt7auHoC6EimXKH128CS7Iw1i46bSFnU0RX7GlGtp5VLFTesGZLLk4I2Ws8xkdkDnrkIf0pbKpEapATWHwlZEdOGs2KjKfJrnGRWYuvKRElEiKUUW/s320/2017-12-19+112.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rivera's most important work,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">painted in 1934, took up one entire wall. It was initially </span><span style="font-size: large;">called <i>Recreation of Man at the Crossroads </i>when Rivera began painting it</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in 1933 for the Rockefeller Center in New York City. It was removed after a furor erupted in the press over a portrait of <b>Vladimir Lenin</b> it contained. </span><span style="font-size: large;">When Rivera refused to remove Lenin from the painting, he was ordered to leave. One of Rivera's assistants managed to take a few pictures of the work so the artist was able to later recreate it here at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The painting was </span><span style="font-size: large;">renamed <i>Man, Controller of the Universe </i>and depicted </span><span style="font-size: large;">Karl Marx,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Friedrich Engels and </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Leon Trotsky,</b> who lived with Rivera and his wife, famous Mexican painter <b>Frida Kahlo,</b> when he was exiled in Mexico City. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNAFyEvca_9oqXCqQiPjwOSRuhuF_AlVIYqnBQXgg9aEu2WEe6_oTLsFF0gdXrmHYTU3Xa-BcuG3KYlCAffD1HqKf3sAk-ETzvEnTP3BLM7tr3CcNEZF1xtCTg8J9O_i1QSILvPuzJ5IO/s1600/2017-12-19+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNAFyEvca_9oqXCqQiPjwOSRuhuF_AlVIYqnBQXgg9aEu2WEe6_oTLsFF0gdXrmHYTU3Xa-BcuG3KYlCAffD1HqKf3sAk-ETzvEnTP3BLM7tr3CcNEZF1xtCTg8J9O_i1QSILvPuzJ5IO/s320/2017-12-19+115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> As a result of the negative publicity, a further commission was canceled to paint a mural for an exhibition at the Chicago World's Fair. Rivera issued a statement that with the money left over from the commission of the mural at Rockefeller Center, he would repaint the same mural over and over wherever he was asked until the money ran out!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfkotG_Z2qrbPEsxIM_5dAfjnziFoGwmUJXmDt7rRcenHpRkZst_chJ5VLv3RMuECKak9fdEvG0Jh8Xq_i4ALv8NTWxOP9otlbwrnyBJ6Xp2RFgyDvGwJmauvNanDs0s157Bw4YmFHIyq/s1600/2017-12-19+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfkotG_Z2qrbPEsxIM_5dAfjnziFoGwmUJXmDt7rRcenHpRkZst_chJ5VLv3RMuECKak9fdEvG0Jh8Xq_i4ALv8NTWxOP9otlbwrnyBJ6Xp2RFgyDvGwJmauvNanDs0s157Bw4YmFHIyq/s320/2017-12-19+114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">On the 130th anniversary of the birth of artist <b>Roberto Montenegro</b> (1887-1968), the Palacio exhibited a series of his works called <b>Mexican Folk Art Expressions.</b> The artist collected folk art at the request of the government in the 1920s.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> It was hard to think of a type of art that contrasted more than the murals we'd just viewed!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh526dd4Hy9OBIR5VjDSRaaFKhyXtVAi3HV9PwJilpq122nVCz3-CypZeDT4GpD_W0sP109r4HIZr6zCObxwp9cmN_NM2zMenJl8x-3EevA2q0os88aekiMUeJwafSWnloGHymhAeORZ92G/s1600/2017-12-19+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh526dd4Hy9OBIR5VjDSRaaFKhyXtVAi3HV9PwJilpq122nVCz3-CypZeDT4GpD_W0sP109r4HIZr6zCObxwp9cmN_NM2zMenJl8x-3EevA2q0os88aekiMUeJwafSWnloGHymhAeORZ92G/s320/2017-12-19+122.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyTDOKCw__b0BZD5OGyL-9gh9L10hi3DM7sykfbvV32GTQpUanfYk9ymotcelYXltwHcIRX6yyXKocY-ckB1hvRpIcxOPbU5GZ-0kQgDpAV35eEWPUgMdd30Zw7yA9MNyooY_MTwx8m0j/s1600/2017-12-19+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyTDOKCw__b0BZD5OGyL-9gh9L10hi3DM7sykfbvV32GTQpUanfYk9ymotcelYXltwHcIRX6yyXKocY-ckB1hvRpIcxOPbU5GZ-0kQgDpAV35eEWPUgMdd30Zw7yA9MNyooY_MTwx8m0j/s320/2017-12-19+123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We would have loved to see the Palacio's theater as its stained-glass curtain was assembled by the New York designer Tiffany & Co. from almost a million pieces of glass but unfortunately it was only available for viewing at performances. We took a last look at the interior of the intriguing Art Deco building before leaving.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilG8gl3jzEuviIbqGTvpUDp7IqiEhCr2DoGd7SKvws0xmG45_Tc0zvUvMjeUhmCjoZGT_REloqXmlJ3BTkR7aQLQgJw1QAUqkGrSCaA-1LRS_TgUHPndI2uEQcg9uI6q-qBOpuJwdB139/s1600/2017-12-19+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilG8gl3jzEuviIbqGTvpUDp7IqiEhCr2DoGd7SKvws0xmG45_Tc0zvUvMjeUhmCjoZGT_REloqXmlJ3BTkR7aQLQgJw1QAUqkGrSCaA-1LRS_TgUHPndI2uEQcg9uI6q-qBOpuJwdB139/s320/2017-12-19+128.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This very imposing building in the plaza, next to the Fine Arts Museum,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was the <b>Palacio Postal</b> which we stumbled onto by accident, not realizing initially it was an actual working post office! The marble work in the</span><span style="font-size: large;"> interior was so stunning that we felt like we were inside a grand hotel or a palace! Too bad the ornate, century-old lifts were for staff only.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07v3PTBW4yZz3kcre7Mrn8QvxKd5n349q1ilNo3Xd5p-QDtpQBr38vhVgmBixEN-sXaRBEoYOIfcXX555JWI0oxS5b1ZEbTT54baqO52IIddGfFFmI0LXK-1LLw0jIveLkv_UtUjFzOyB/s1600/2017-12-19+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07v3PTBW4yZz3kcre7Mrn8QvxKd5n349q1ilNo3Xd5p-QDtpQBr38vhVgmBixEN-sXaRBEoYOIfcXX555JWI0oxS5b1ZEbTT54baqO52IIddGfFFmI0LXK-1LLw0jIveLkv_UtUjFzOyB/s320/2017-12-19+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgn4D3ZO5kjCqnGWhqTOAmRUhDVEfnjZW8pDFkzv8EAHly4aZ1jRYpty6kr1EcDvDKe6_WDNXkK3q5h5ct8BaZVN8ucbfJglcU1Bf8rLjGJ7HZD7RBaVa6w7ceS2IegWHf-yifz64OG7/s1600/2017-12-19+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgn4D3ZO5kjCqnGWhqTOAmRUhDVEfnjZW8pDFkzv8EAHly4aZ1jRYpty6kr1EcDvDKe6_WDNXkK3q5h5ct8BaZVN8ucbfJglcU1Bf8rLjGJ7HZD7RBaVa6w7ceS2IegWHf-yifz64OG7/s320/2017-12-19+074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Nearby was the <b>Casa de los Azulejos</b>, an 18th-century palace built by the <b>Count del Valle de Orizaba</b> family. The </span><span style="font-size: large;">House of Tiles</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was distinguished by its facade which was had beautiful blue and white tiles from Puebla state. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUw7rwbfxU5OYUJdwIawnZRGe7oxZeXoJ8UhXfLReTsGQIEnD5j-lK_5x4wKsr53b_RgAsFg6RUBRi9JGvapnrEmq7biTqFqFi1wG9UBoGStimltGd8G0tCFzi7S9bJzRe6vnnU87GcA5/s1600/2017-12-19+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUw7rwbfxU5OYUJdwIawnZRGe7oxZeXoJ8UhXfLReTsGQIEnD5j-lK_5x4wKsr53b_RgAsFg6RUBRi9JGvapnrEmq7biTqFqFi1wG9UBoGStimltGd8G0tCFzi7S9bJzRe6vnnU87GcA5/s320/2017-12-19+136.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I read on wikipedia that there are two conflicting explanations of how this building got its current appearance. The more reliable version states that the fifth Countess Del Valle de Orizaba, who resided in Puebla, decided to return to the capital after her husband's death and remodeled the house with Puebla tile in 1737 to show the family's immense wealth. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQwtfWgNXKFjHP5aDxaoYm3jRCfsCZPp3T1oFfwXiZFpUFi3nHo_unp9HtYMReniz_eHpF0cs0Q-X1jBmtH9KTRXRlS5QIVyAW_KCZ_rtsOhvi-1DcSIC47K5fZW663y3OoEzIlIYYsnC/s1600/2017-12-19+138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQwtfWgNXKFjHP5aDxaoYm3jRCfsCZPp3T1oFfwXiZFpUFi3nHo_unp9HtYMReniz_eHpF0cs0Q-X1jBmtH9KTRXRlS5QIVyAW_KCZ_rtsOhvi-1DcSIC47K5fZW663y3OoEzIlIYYsnC/s320/2017-12-19+138.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The other version is more colorful and tells of a son whose lifestyle caused his father to state that if he didn’t change his ways he would "never build his house of tiles," meaning that he would never amount to anything. As an act of defiance, the young man had the tiles put on when he inherited the house! These tiles covered the three exposed facades of the house on both levels.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcttYh95wIrX9Tqyu-kZ9mc9xasn75TQgzTkvHhN-h5tpKXeFIAAK5XnazUzjJ9YhhXI0DFajiwe0jKlBXHgsmCRZ6Yf-pK02r5q3XQ5C3J7Uar9i6HN-2RTxskbunbytE53r6tCFz5OJf/s1600/2017-12-19+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcttYh95wIrX9Tqyu-kZ9mc9xasn75TQgzTkvHhN-h5tpKXeFIAAK5XnazUzjJ9YhhXI0DFajiwe0jKlBXHgsmCRZ6Yf-pK02r5q3XQ5C3J7Uar9i6HN-2RTxskbunbytE53r6tCFz5OJf/s320/2017-12-19+140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbexAXKIjiVtNUM82qE6OfpA-r0pR309ZC0qxzt-LYNcN6xVOOzABPO9EiZhQQhC9jgYQOX-CCYlu-R-Kw-rv9bRM5uFXE9YKVBYOQPuWZpBqoZW8FOqvEYMhCsiU8npSlZbFjWpMr_2k/s1600/2017-12-19+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbexAXKIjiVtNUM82qE6OfpA-r0pR309ZC0qxzt-LYNcN6xVOOzABPO9EiZhQQhC9jgYQOX-CCYlu-R-Kw-rv9bRM5uFXE9YKVBYOQPuWZpBqoZW8FOqvEYMhCsiU8npSlZbFjWpMr_2k/s320/2017-12-19+142.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We strolled along Madero St. which was laid out in the 16th century and originally called San Francisco St., after the church and monastery there. Later it was called Plateros St., because of all the silver miners and silversmiths who located there. From the 16th century through most of the colonial period, I could understand how it was one of the most desirable streets in the city.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXDSqppc93kRiXnuattVSGlmFGYKmTy9cjJViTsT2XU-i08O-IvPVhJm8CqS1bh8nVACu8FcZzDu-QfbC5RjqSVQjOiYU-xPPy7OqMJ6T_8R59Hp-kHTt0atAS8t6qpPFMm2s4sp_hA5F/s1600/2017-12-19+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXDSqppc93kRiXnuattVSGlmFGYKmTy9cjJViTsT2XU-i08O-IvPVhJm8CqS1bh8nVACu8FcZzDu-QfbC5RjqSVQjOiYU-xPPy7OqMJ6T_8R59Hp-kHTt0atAS8t6qpPFMm2s4sp_hA5F/s320/2017-12-19+143.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was so glad we'd started our exploration of the city in its <b>Centro Histórico</b> as more than 1500 of the buildings in that 686-block area were classified as historic or artistic monuments and it was on the UNESCO World Heritage list. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish6DICjZ4-wI2E4rdYJyqXiNsrPex4qqYXDPf7v7hX1gs9JYaXlEPmYB_7uNftkIxBU2kgILG3JmEBX2sG7-YZZO0zOSI1vZbnmG9DWoLxJAqsnFi3F53Io3VwCq4HaKtUaer_ghN6anL/s1600/2017-12-19+144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish6DICjZ4-wI2E4rdYJyqXiNsrPex4qqYXDPf7v7hX1gs9JYaXlEPmYB_7uNftkIxBU2kgILG3JmEBX2sG7-YZZO0zOSI1vZbnmG9DWoLxJAqsnFi3F53Io3VwCq4HaKtUaer_ghN6anL/s320/2017-12-19+144.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8H-_FAVWrpg-lV_mXKandFNGUOmkpBZhuZ-U8RBa_jIg4IVqaNY-F_EIs3Db8ad_rBheaM6CleUYZWhqv0B10RdiUhhGDEbgV35Eogxe8tYq3PmuarpVKGjITFp5yrLYmVBIVWmxiMq7/s1600/2017-12-19+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8H-_FAVWrpg-lV_mXKandFNGUOmkpBZhuZ-U8RBa_jIg4IVqaNY-F_EIs3Db8ad_rBheaM6CleUYZWhqv0B10RdiUhhGDEbgV35Eogxe8tYq3PmuarpVKGjITFp5yrLYmVBIVWmxiMq7/s320/2017-12-19+145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't resist including this photo, </span><span style="font-size: large;">of course,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> of the Canadian toy store and hotel on Madero St.!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bKAYWSILwEfpNcVd-zAnatPdhWk9htMd3rafSH8gFWuPYp5V8zJaxfEaUFoX5m-aeWoUezbYkePIC8hud05t8LOkMSimLX6DN8cDHmU7dEp4E3hrlnMVB2Vq6z7CB69hnGuApmzjK6CH/s1600/2017-12-19+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bKAYWSILwEfpNcVd-zAnatPdhWk9htMd3rafSH8gFWuPYp5V8zJaxfEaUFoX5m-aeWoUezbYkePIC8hud05t8LOkMSimLX6DN8cDHmU7dEp4E3hrlnMVB2Vq6z7CB69hnGuApmzjK6CH/s320/2017-12-19+146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Catedral Metropolitana,</b> t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he biggest church in Latin America and also the heart of of the world'</span><span style="font-size: large;">s largest Catholic diocese, was where we headed next. Because it took about 250 years - from 1525 to 1788 - to complete, the extraordinarily long period was reflected in the multiple styles of architecture from Classical through Baroque to Neoclassical.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9S6mqkrlKuwqPiXaChR9EgIM7vYi-abm_3xsJ7b9__veiBy8uxW2hgrT4hflCsSWBdlFRRV7RG-FvnBXiBEFtg90BM7ZnfTyu7UP2skcs1MjUhCLl_d_3jieVS7o2UrbeZY-rWt715HQ9/s1600/2017-12-19+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9S6mqkrlKuwqPiXaChR9EgIM7vYi-abm_3xsJ7b9__veiBy8uxW2hgrT4hflCsSWBdlFRRV7RG-FvnBXiBEFtg90BM7ZnfTyu7UP2skcs1MjUhCLl_d_3jieVS7o2UrbeZY-rWt715HQ9/s320/2017-12-19+149.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEUCBMITjqKMhxRQ4rhW-w2p7BNxEJ_COVJQwTCmzVmgavVc6iY2zjalxG9wVkCR4Dq5AqKiY1CtmhuCTQZDS4r87xOMbRYFGkLc6QSdXSAuI7cjtDM4MkkmwIvwq9i2dUInOrXsa9l9Q/s1600/2017-12-19+151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEUCBMITjqKMhxRQ4rhW-w2p7BNxEJ_COVJQwTCmzVmgavVc6iY2zjalxG9wVkCR4Dq5AqKiY1CtmhuCTQZDS4r87xOMbRYFGkLc6QSdXSAuI7cjtDM4MkkmwIvwq9i2dUInOrXsa9l9Q/s320/2017-12-19+151.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZhtRpDetr41ZQeMOTku5MYAHJZUkhcWuqR5y1ns4jFJPeeLe3CoantaoLF-Q0aKxFq8SpRyGLAI06I9sO01_aTcN2DmGLry91bFHd-JEkzyaQIQbXUz6JDXOvVIkxhQ1QPpY6IzoOqvz/s1600/2017-12-19+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZhtRpDetr41ZQeMOTku5MYAHJZUkhcWuqR5y1ns4jFJPeeLe3CoantaoLF-Q0aKxFq8SpRyGLAI06I9sO01_aTcN2DmGLry91bFHd-JEkzyaQIQbXUz6JDXOvVIkxhQ1QPpY6IzoOqvz/s320/2017-12-19+152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Cathedral had <b>five</b> principal altars and <b>sixteen</b> side chapels containing a valuable collection of paintings, sculptures and church furniture! We could literally feel the city's rich cultural and spiritual history while in its doors.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuntEhRFbDzb2w2G6A55JG_1qAhghyphenhyphenLPmE2BVUoLRsx13cbRKj2dioxUtStWHXZU8uRWzdnuS1X9O2EL9SagrdsPG0UUy_ntSfvO26hKRYcKK5eHfis_sPbvR6imNHjjdUdx63ncFa2kgS/s1600/2017-12-19+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuntEhRFbDzb2w2G6A55JG_1qAhghyphenhyphenLPmE2BVUoLRsx13cbRKj2dioxUtStWHXZU8uRWzdnuS1X9O2EL9SagrdsPG0UUy_ntSfvO26hKRYcKK5eHfis_sPbvR6imNHjjdUdx63ncFa2kgS/s320/2017-12-19+153.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGAyWXLwLOC10Obfp0DFyYbvE73t3UjXgNE2pdopM9l7UQ661MuOuXqseYkRyZhreSHbeNNEcctvIfMGyr_dwqUsR569hedCDj7NdvShSup-u82Y36GUpBLwD4P3YpbunJpt-d8N5z-Ko/s1600/2017-12-19+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGAyWXLwLOC10Obfp0DFyYbvE73t3UjXgNE2pdopM9l7UQ661MuOuXqseYkRyZhreSHbeNNEcctvIfMGyr_dwqUsR569hedCDj7NdvShSup-u82Y36GUpBLwD4P3YpbunJpt-d8N5z-Ko/s320/2017-12-19+154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3nl8_XAM12J2uQZcGQ01zZoC3CAvpYkXO1d_wU2LoQJYr5CaSeFTl317BpGz-F3pkZHF5dTcEy3VGHnJsxQO2UYtZqIdGgfk4g2vCETcbpT2pSBwIP-p8xKqaIVXCYWsqPEOzT90HL1S/s1600/2017-12-19+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3nl8_XAM12J2uQZcGQ01zZoC3CAvpYkXO1d_wU2LoQJYr5CaSeFTl317BpGz-F3pkZHF5dTcEy3VGHnJsxQO2UYtZqIdGgfk4g2vCETcbpT2pSBwIP-p8xKqaIVXCYWsqPEOzT90HL1S/s320/2017-12-19+156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The imposing Sacristy contained 17th century paintings.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4B2wsg2yMzytS71TlMkukAcJCe0hnXovn3xahn5HYCRMVPTCTvDqR8_Gqai86rIqOgjo19nXHyzNB78GB-Ubbi85gX0zZIbWM_k_UFWX2T3D0-6CvBqp5-_M1yqd-QUOR1UMyrpCGGuc/s1600/2017-12-19+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4B2wsg2yMzytS71TlMkukAcJCe0hnXovn3xahn5HYCRMVPTCTvDqR8_Gqai86rIqOgjo19nXHyzNB78GB-Ubbi85gX0zZIbWM_k_UFWX2T3D0-6CvBqp5-_M1yqd-QUOR1UMyrpCGGuc/s320/2017-12-19+157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq7YoipcpKbH4eFJOGtCUI1LKO4j4yfMFL0MDV6AU8ffwKtZuPoJqpl16Wy719SxpWCU5-8kXYMbiGmgScflYtXJsFMMweILQVymz1WvCXhT43_ruAbBRKsj2VQ8eWCV_6WelTBNkXgYC/s1600/2017-12-19+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq7YoipcpKbH4eFJOGtCUI1LKO4j4yfMFL0MDV6AU8ffwKtZuPoJqpl16Wy719SxpWCU5-8kXYMbiGmgScflYtXJsFMMweILQVymz1WvCXhT43_ruAbBRKsj2VQ8eWCV_6WelTBNkXgYC/s320/2017-12-19+162.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1zjYVrpjkgM3jnq1lqhbo78ytNUb9RjK5Khc8npsUSwX4uGchruQA9XxM-hMOukmL-0arp8E84hr_4sq1lIdOzmg1gp2GEqDGtNl8ih8l8SdasEl8D3X28WSYtGHmMf-wGPLqAFTH2Qf/s1600/2017-12-19+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1zjYVrpjkgM3jnq1lqhbo78ytNUb9RjK5Khc8npsUSwX4uGchruQA9XxM-hMOukmL-0arp8E84hr_4sq1lIdOzmg1gp2GEqDGtNl8ih8l8SdasEl8D3X28WSYtGHmMf-wGPLqAFTH2Qf/s320/2017-12-19+165.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmhXRKpVUH4hCv_glBfGyrwoU25B6iBo5xTF9brHx-tY54C4F4iMC4xLipH4bMGIJSVYZF9f5Al-fjAZSxgw7LtzZ328mDUambcyu7hXG78HdnaKSWqolL9YgRB1zScuQm7ZKdA_sDBvm/s1600/2017-12-19+166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmhXRKpVUH4hCv_glBfGyrwoU25B6iBo5xTF9brHx-tY54C4F4iMC4xLipH4bMGIJSVYZF9f5Al-fjAZSxgw7LtzZ328mDUambcyu7hXG78HdnaKSWqolL9YgRB1zScuQm7ZKdA_sDBvm/s320/2017-12-19+166.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">With its gold-alloy choir rail imported from Macao, superbly carved stalls and two magnetic organs, the <b>choir</b> was a highlight of the cathedral.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ3FqLCJPA_XPC1_iO0VrNZ4IJK86_e_2wkzke0WyUTMOHZ3HAro73PJW-svRrcWdB_H2xGfImmCAx4JWsR63XW6SN1ICT-derCkW-60DCZR_6u_jUVqQyA0u4XEcoD4VB60Z_fEVvpeF/s1600/2017-12-19+169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ3FqLCJPA_XPC1_iO0VrNZ4IJK86_e_2wkzke0WyUTMOHZ3HAro73PJW-svRrcWdB_H2xGfImmCAx4JWsR63XW6SN1ICT-derCkW-60DCZR_6u_jUVqQyA0u4XEcoD4VB60Z_fEVvpeF/s320/2017-12-19+169.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Capilla de San Jose,</b> one of the chapels dedicated to saints and manifestations of the Virgin, was also exquisitely decorated with more statues and oil paintings.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yXBnhnKpuAqWNhz42IiIpl9kfifqBUGelefebcx0VEpYshjdrCpU5RVf4-GMp1l9HDiPmWdDgb_iHXHRcJMnZkKcokxaYZRy__-uOWmzHftGiaCzV2bPNneZW3p0Tf8NS9L4cdLWvzSo/s1600/2017-12-19+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yXBnhnKpuAqWNhz42IiIpl9kfifqBUGelefebcx0VEpYshjdrCpU5RVf4-GMp1l9HDiPmWdDgb_iHXHRcJMnZkKcokxaYZRy__-uOWmzHftGiaCzV2bPNneZW3p0Tf8NS9L4cdLWvzSo/s320/2017-12-19+170.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had to watch our step in the Cathedral as its huge weight has caused it to sink into the soft clay of what was once the bed of <b>Lake Texcoco.</b> Restoration, mostly carried out underground, has however prevented its collapse. The sloping of the floor was very noticeable toward the left in the back below.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzld6leIFBxPe2n2g2IkKNcoC4NTOGAqzv_s8lSvz2LCok_yn8QbBVufnM4FRhtgUF_p99UOAGEYE7Xioy4OIuwYxLGZUKBu6Xi6IUo2kHicKru7I06yEIx9qmb76CP8Z0ex2sh41OV_3X/s1600/2017-12-19+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzld6leIFBxPe2n2g2IkKNcoC4NTOGAqzv_s8lSvz2LCok_yn8QbBVufnM4FRhtgUF_p99UOAGEYE7Xioy4OIuwYxLGZUKBu6Xi6IUo2kHicKru7I06yEIx9qmb76CP8Z0ex2sh41OV_3X/s320/2017-12-19+172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the first church we remembered entering that no one was allowed to walk down the center aisle to the altar. That made sense when I learned</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the giant hanging pendulum in the middle of the central aisle showed markings on the floor of how the building was slowing shifting. Earthquake damage has made the Cathedral list visibly to one side, which further added to its unique charm!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKKX87gdMuSxPO1mTJwSUQFzfJYW-Jr0I5sPxp9QQM-was3fOyFc95T5zSiTMTUB1ZZKqHmi08jo_dNMnEJff9TntL5g3xfF2ifUQBknrbdKVgg-Xoc3AwgJ0bjX7q7eiewMIzExziQo/s1600/2017-12-19+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKKX87gdMuSxPO1mTJwSUQFzfJYW-Jr0I5sPxp9QQM-was3fOyFc95T5zSiTMTUB1ZZKqHmi08jo_dNMnEJff9TntL5g3xfF2ifUQBknrbdKVgg-Xoc3AwgJ0bjX7q7eiewMIzExziQo/s320/2017-12-19+165.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWm08ZdFG8epM4mwDZN94hoiIo6msEne3rIb7S6J4JrF72nII3bURPVDNKL9fGI9Z-WRN165aneMquuQZyhvfsExswavgR9-R8azmyGWpGtsySDocKwWNfshMyYhaJsnAFAkbcTin0_o/s1600/2017-12-19+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWm08ZdFG8epM4mwDZN94hoiIo6msEne3rIb7S6J4JrF72nII3bURPVDNKL9fGI9Z-WRN165aneMquuQZyhvfsExswavgR9-R8azmyGWpGtsySDocKwWNfshMyYhaJsnAFAkbcTin0_o/s320/2017-12-19+168.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the magnificent <b>Altar of the Kings </b>were two oil paintings called the <b>Adoration of the Kings</b> and the <b>Assumption of the Virgin.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFyXxfSfUTDAwO3Qt-Uzk0lmklQrdEAxv2mvh_XA-Mod4IC3Z0P2kms7rgLtA_kwNGSKXlCtLdqgtcME5-sqZeQnvWelHZiFFcRu7i3CIneaygUF9KwI_n2pBS0vQAzWzt-PaQEZoJSVz/s1600/2017-12-19+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFyXxfSfUTDAwO3Qt-Uzk0lmklQrdEAxv2mvh_XA-Mod4IC3Z0P2kms7rgLtA_kwNGSKXlCtLdqgtcME5-sqZeQnvWelHZiFFcRu7i3CIneaygUF9KwI_n2pBS0vQAzWzt-PaQEZoJSVz/s320/2017-12-19+173.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Attached to the Cathedral was the <b>Sagrario Metropolitano</b> that was built in the mid-18th century as the Cathedral parish church.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgghtHc0lDPRbn6MYD9rapjNXPRNr_04pSPfBmH4Z6ix3o217_KelwbPZTFAqq1rKEZoN7KQuY18hWR663Pl1BGH8QGj1fWpajKn-tpHK8WRm7r0oKfx-o0rxCzQOM2u9ZuNAzq-yPlpw/s1600/2017-12-19+176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgghtHc0lDPRbn6MYD9rapjNXPRNr_04pSPfBmH4Z6ix3o217_KelwbPZTFAqq1rKEZoN7KQuY18hWR663Pl1BGH8QGj1fWpajKn-tpHK8WRm7r0oKfx-o0rxCzQOM2u9ZuNAzq-yPlpw/s320/2017-12-19+176.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The sumptuous high Baroque facade was adorned with sculpted saints.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_giMWcMIX5No4XulPTlwAJ03Znl3pjNQEZ-6391Hh6JbMP9pRwMTxmQIicS4hXRwhjk-t8Fb0mvju56u_w3uG9exdK8R5tfQu9FzoJyL77rMmASfXRUjWYw1sUABXBtP9ODY1-NRiM0C/s1600/2017-12-19+178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_giMWcMIX5No4XulPTlwAJ03Znl3pjNQEZ-6391Hh6JbMP9pRwMTxmQIicS4hXRwhjk-t8Fb0mvju56u_w3uG9exdK8R5tfQu9FzoJyL77rMmASfXRUjWYw1sUABXBtP9ODY1-NRiM0C/s320/2017-12-19+178.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mEa5SbbeVTPOht_fRUoyPfLocXiDR24ajPQCbS0Xc9qNhhKS3AtbHZ03eIL4v7nRKf2p42XJd9K3txZFykrHEdNRb5tpnQzSPnP86B7NKznXzLsOmu-tO7GcOaolxmQwHiOTc_fHLqUs/s1600/2017-12-19+179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mEa5SbbeVTPOht_fRUoyPfLocXiDR24ajPQCbS0Xc9qNhhKS3AtbHZ03eIL4v7nRKf2p42XJd9K3txZFykrHEdNRb5tpnQzSPnP86B7NKznXzLsOmu-tO7GcOaolxmQwHiOTc_fHLqUs/s320/2017-12-19+179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I am accustomed to seeing gorgeous flowers in many of the countless churches we have visited over the years but I certainly don't recall seeing such </span><span style="font-size: large;">profusions of baby's breath anywhere prior to this. They were stunning!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan7BCQeNXHdbAQ7cX1aPQb4dGMVtew5mxSMexZRpfMo5FcSh6OisoHpcaKK5Lm5TtlRMRWA7bOodwSdYmUQ2dm1a6LeHJ6uB6IX8oSg4yqEjYESO7bWmqcDXGxBlf8dOwmTGuMK-CMMnf/s1600/2017-12-19+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan7BCQeNXHdbAQ7cX1aPQb4dGMVtew5mxSMexZRpfMo5FcSh6OisoHpcaKK5Lm5TtlRMRWA7bOodwSdYmUQ2dm1a6LeHJ6uB6IX8oSg4yqEjYESO7bWmqcDXGxBlf8dOwmTGuMK-CMMnf/s320/2017-12-19+180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I infinitely preferred the much smaller and simpler parish church as the Cathedral was far too ostentatious and over the top for me.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VyvqmZ4tXL7X3Jz8YM5eZRBzocFUZPru5vFtRZHw4QW3uPUFKtEWHxohvL_ZAZKjAVeY1Y20UBSkD9NWa0g6VyDfu6UcGwI9hwO2jVRJ0HJcVhbZqAzSV4Zk1HJigFT-JTNbyRjVw4wI/s1600/2017-12-19+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VyvqmZ4tXL7X3Jz8YM5eZRBzocFUZPru5vFtRZHw4QW3uPUFKtEWHxohvL_ZAZKjAVeY1Y20UBSkD9NWa0g6VyDfu6UcGwI9hwO2jVRJ0HJcVhbZqAzSV4Zk1HJigFT-JTNbyRjVw4wI/s320/2017-12-19+181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1hz_WeUhWa14VlAmrCyIGHo72Z2yAvcmrQQs6EZfvT_dHMDu355zty3-BM3m7g72C7TUM29Ohmn5vtOjrf8JU-UOMFYAcBbhJhyW3a_08mM0dP9jW51PX36bp5ueN7wBxseZvtxMapbn/s1600/2017-12-19+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1hz_WeUhWa14VlAmrCyIGHo72Z2yAvcmrQQs6EZfvT_dHMDu355zty3-BM3m7g72C7TUM29Ohmn5vtOjrf8JU-UOMFYAcBbhJhyW3a_08mM0dP9jW51PX36bp5ueN7wBxseZvtxMapbn/s320/2017-12-19+182.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Cathedral and smaller parish church were both in the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Plaza de la Constitución</b> which used to be known as the Plaza de Armas like so many other city squares we had just seen throughout South America. Residents began calling it the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Zócalo,</b> meaning 'base,' in the 19th century when plans for a major monument to independence went unrealized, leaving only the pedestal. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Prior to the colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of <b>Tenochtitlan.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLxS0YW8Ge1QF9uEntRfJRXXZ9AVf6nm6-HAreKiEEGHv5o28CExXb0Vkp3lGBQIJobvNcR5IBJIxKvsairQuR2A9yoA6_LKPaWG4FvL49a4DWQmFKR2FQEL-D6I56efxCqVD69RIXhx_/s1600/2017-12-19+196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLxS0YW8Ge1QF9uEntRfJRXXZ9AVf6nm6-HAreKiEEGHv5o28CExXb0Vkp3lGBQIJobvNcR5IBJIxKvsairQuR2A9yoA6_LKPaWG4FvL49a4DWQmFKR2FQEL-D6I56efxCqVD69RIXhx_/s320/2017-12-19+196.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Catty corner to the Cathedral was the <b>Palacio Nacional,</b> the largest presidential palace we'e ever seen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnJ_D8eGBAYbyScWuNCU7IR-N6JLQ1_ttIfYRLBFo2UtKq7qG8zHfehMzfBURiDUF1svMNoPm1oJuAk1MAE2IqbALp9DPoG4kiGgRGOTymXN1BtfOfosTOnn5tnG0lPhZAbJM2h5zYjVL/s1600/2017-12-19+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnJ_D8eGBAYbyScWuNCU7IR-N6JLQ1_ttIfYRLBFo2UtKq7qG8zHfehMzfBURiDUF1svMNoPm1oJuAk1MAE2IqbALp9DPoG4kiGgRGOTymXN1BtfOfosTOnn5tnG0lPhZAbJM2h5zYjVL/s320/2017-12-19+184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we walked around the mammoth square, it was impossible to miss all the festive Christmas decorations and greetings in the center of and on the buildings. I was just as happy not to be there when the square served as a gathering spot for mass protests, a gallery of spooky <b>Dia de los Muertes</b> or Day of the Dead altars or when 18,000 nude Mexicans filled the square as part of an art project!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz422lfPs5x9gY18xULOuKbjf_IKvXS1g4bkznyNP9YsY9U0MflwlR39f4xe-SEsorFrLoMkR7npDF3L0a8rQvp0PILDEEvv3O206n0GHSLOm2mA3ZrKYyrk1IcWjvO9wQUxPqX4NQ9utW/s1600/2017-12-19+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz422lfPs5x9gY18xULOuKbjf_IKvXS1g4bkznyNP9YsY9U0MflwlR39f4xe-SEsorFrLoMkR7npDF3L0a8rQvp0PILDEEvv3O206n0GHSLOm2mA3ZrKYyrk1IcWjvO9wQUxPqX4NQ9utW/s320/2017-12-19+190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJ_R9hQMibZ-hAkVuQHP3bXHqM23R_pQxuJBWtbqibS3D_WMzHs8_fLGvJLyyZSIVqApsoAFsiSnBI5_fCUF07egB9YznxQM5igJGehr4zHC0Vp4UjGaPfm2cOblYm6HNBCfEMk-1xDyP/s1600/2017-12-19+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJ_R9hQMibZ-hAkVuQHP3bXHqM23R_pQxuJBWtbqibS3D_WMzHs8_fLGvJLyyZSIVqApsoAFsiSnBI5_fCUF07egB9YznxQM5igJGehr4zHC0Vp4UjGaPfm2cOblYm6HNBCfEMk-1xDyP/s320/2017-12-19+187.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnsDha8ZnrV2EiN0Eeh7276Sb1kmkKa5zvc8U2Nlf3_fElhTHzijbLB_iCnMws46fhHQQBqiZaH3zj_cp0ml9rt29OueAet5zeoBsRDEC4ev6VsnwaIV7kzmvl9W9GiB-h4yXF2jn7QW5/s1600/2017-12-19+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnsDha8ZnrV2EiN0Eeh7276Sb1kmkKa5zvc8U2Nlf3_fElhTHzijbLB_iCnMws46fhHQQBqiZaH3zj_cp0ml9rt29OueAet5zeoBsRDEC4ev6VsnwaIV7kzmvl9W9GiB-h4yXF2jn7QW5/s320/2017-12-19+188.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh9PWaeNpHl7M5oGvaJyWE4VzyEiF0ybVy2atSHAR3P1Tz7FcYwbQpgFAuLOsD0Wx8vYZ-6GGya-GmyNlIR1gKbT__YFplsn0vcYwEQ898naUpcgUsDsZGZXgFpmdFM4ssoTcwi-E1KVe/s1600/2017-12-19+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOh9PWaeNpHl7M5oGvaJyWE4VzyEiF0ybVy2atSHAR3P1Tz7FcYwbQpgFAuLOsD0Wx8vYZ-6GGya-GmyNlIR1gKbT__YFplsn0vcYwEQ898naUpcgUsDsZGZXgFpmdFM4ssoTcwi-E1KVe/s320/2017-12-19+192.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just steps from the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Zócalo, we heard booming drums and discovered Aztec dancers wearing snakeskin loincloths, elaborately feathered headdresses and shell anklets.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk_49B9pXHdVJ7XaGo5-tEVEgefrY22ZWZgkACf9QYAD76zptrz3MgsbsjLgjUxRhJf54VtnpdvFyihf-OAl84mk2JTRa96niYoVpGk_cWC5w0bNHWA-P2iqi2c9NZHAAA8EQO4ctQJCf/s1600/2017-12-19+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk_49B9pXHdVJ7XaGo5-tEVEgefrY22ZWZgkACf9QYAD76zptrz3MgsbsjLgjUxRhJf54VtnpdvFyihf-OAl84mk2JTRa96niYoVpGk_cWC5w0bNHWA-P2iqi2c9NZHAAA8EQO4ctQJCf/s320/2017-12-19+197.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The dancers moved in a circle and chanted in <b>Nahuatl,</b> a language common to a group of people native to southern Mexico and Central America, including the Aztecs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufpSHBmqo2YGeNAhMOlFPmmecn7-8SlHj0-FWHZ7CFYwdnE1PzIIXyLBAPcBepigu0mrXds7nfJr02_uE8WCklEf5foJuHu1-h83Xy5TdqjVKGvNLAhKc44DyfZuucUTIRCnJ170ji0en/s1600/2017-12-19+202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufpSHBmqo2YGeNAhMOlFPmmecn7-8SlHj0-FWHZ7CFYwdnE1PzIIXyLBAPcBepigu0mrXds7nfJr02_uE8WCklEf5foJuHu1-h83Xy5TdqjVKGvNLAhKc44DyfZuucUTIRCnJ170ji0en/s320/2017-12-19+202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I can't say I minded looking at the half-naked men for a while!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXyv9exI23BLHxwtNxWSb-lnCuZeq0xvZ-Biw9q8shnGjlyZAygpW8dfVtRwOlhTwSAF461FdRA_MBHG-eTtb3DlbsJOJwQS30AkZYlItxiFFtMUP5q-Nmm509m3g2cgC1roYLMnf83ps/s1600/2017-12-19+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXyv9exI23BLHxwtNxWSb-lnCuZeq0xvZ-Biw9q8shnGjlyZAygpW8dfVtRwOlhTwSAF461FdRA_MBHG-eTtb3DlbsJOJwQS30AkZYlItxiFFtMUP5q-Nmm509m3g2cgC1roYLMnf83ps/s320/2017-12-19+203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0xMHsdqvjvbmXRukV5x-vlORn4MPlk2zfPMqUeYMxzXd6m-9itjtaXHmMyYYVu0w2qWQsSZwNuBSKG82TRVZlOI0ax2IHQ1f2-rH3_ziXyG5jEzVxVR7KxzpP7qPXuStxz8XgT7Ga0hp/s1600/2017-12-19+208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0xMHsdqvjvbmXRukV5x-vlORn4MPlk2zfPMqUeYMxzXd6m-9itjtaXHmMyYYVu0w2qWQsSZwNuBSKG82TRVZlOI0ax2IHQ1f2-rH3_ziXyG5jEzVxVR7KxzpP7qPXuStxz8XgT7Ga0hp/s320/2017-12-19+208.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8DWTMITabjrlqFQ6aLroULYJbYXRFMs8RSHZRutyLAvgyIsNEopH9pySiNhBwJzuDfC9Bw7hvI0GryjNZReQcZOzey37VDlk036rF80tt4WEgQE2BtwAqOjT_s9_4UruNrgegajIeEya/s1600/2017-12-19+210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8DWTMITabjrlqFQ6aLroULYJbYXRFMs8RSHZRutyLAvgyIsNEopH9pySiNhBwJzuDfC9Bw7hvI0GryjNZReQcZOzey37VDlk036rF80tt4WEgQE2BtwAqOjT_s9_4UruNrgegajIeEya/s320/2017-12-19+210.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6vhxjPTPIFlmXFbM86Su82UlcCLSUFsasJapDOQSXTD2st4d3syxB0VjXemCTzCjG2g04tjiLuvkcvFwUBpQzxzyOZiASpsHhSh-TefUqLiN7mRcOtaobBW63JOqOHGKy2fxooWeT-fM/s1600/2017-12-19+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6vhxjPTPIFlmXFbM86Su82UlcCLSUFsasJapDOQSXTD2st4d3syxB0VjXemCTzCjG2g04tjiLuvkcvFwUBpQzxzyOZiASpsHhSh-TefUqLiN7mRcOtaobBW63JOqOHGKy2fxooWeT-fM/s320/2017-12-19+214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The woman looked like she was performing a healing ceremony like the one we'd witnessed in Cuenca, Ecuador, earlier on the trip.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhCBE82-GzsIWRATzeM7zbWT3E-Fd1tgPKw0tbYLfskeDqGSwOjhZUr_5VvWUpPyXD61F3i7_w2_fM2gGjKNZR_ZL8ifY4JcA0oiWwat7sHb_cibFNbBccCNcdmw_4RnzD-yceiIDKZHK/s1600/2017-12-19+199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhCBE82-GzsIWRATzeM7zbWT3E-Fd1tgPKw0tbYLfskeDqGSwOjhZUr_5VvWUpPyXD61F3i7_w2_fM2gGjKNZR_ZL8ifY4JcA0oiWwat7sHb_cibFNbBccCNcdmw_4RnzD-yceiIDKZHK/s320/2017-12-19+199.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ6doLvym9bn3_FAaP93XVzem2HqHLGgLiSHJ5TIDPqZuWmGNdQ1hB3TCnnuH4-gEXngkQLnu5yR5YHJLkeiNrjhPBLvUqXUbPjNsIZzUrNvysYQByAPiWzW_X7euxi7fwjLYAnMHaDwL/s1600/2017-12-19+200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ6doLvym9bn3_FAaP93XVzem2HqHLGgLiSHJ5TIDPqZuWmGNdQ1hB3TCnnuH4-gEXngkQLnu5yR5YHJLkeiNrjhPBLvUqXUbPjNsIZzUrNvysYQByAPiWzW_X7euxi7fwjLYAnMHaDwL/s320/2017-12-19+200.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBe4NIu3JggUdfQaRG_YaQ4_YKQLGsWeQ4Ft1ZXz7JkTTjScZ_NA3J9Og7T79ridpvp_ZpfhdPVHWrVL5N5GahFCt5rWkqZCCjyKUwWTWkNGD8sZeO366oDvxYsVqKJI5kRHdFlMlYeOz/s1600/2017-12-19+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBe4NIu3JggUdfQaRG_YaQ4_YKQLGsWeQ4Ft1ZXz7JkTTjScZ_NA3J9Og7T79ridpvp_ZpfhdPVHWrVL5N5GahFCt5rWkqZCCjyKUwWTWkNGD8sZeO366oDvxYsVqKJI5kRHdFlMlYeOz/s320/2017-12-19+216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A two-minute walk from the Cathedral and the other sites in the Plaza was <b>Templo Mayor</b> which was discovered in 1978 when electricity workers happened on an eight-ton stone disc carving of the Aztec goddess <b>Coyolxauhqui.</b> The decision was made to demolish colonial buildings so that excavation could begin on the Great Temple. They uncovered the remains of superimposed temples which were marked by the date of construction for each one. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eeoMm75dd4mCxE6qs4sGBv7Wlh4bHONGguaqEL2XHdPQxfmlNl7ZFJhx1QvntPPa01zf5PvshFhaVToP1BzEqLan89TZoUkTYmf3VH57VvP4a-9zCqd-2Xw9HOcf9-uALw416qqPFRKH/s1600/2017-12-19+217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eeoMm75dd4mCxE6qs4sGBv7Wlh4bHONGguaqEL2XHdPQxfmlNl7ZFJhx1QvntPPa01zf5PvshFhaVToP1BzEqLan89TZoUkTYmf3VH57VvP4a-9zCqd-2Xw9HOcf9-uALw416qqPFRKH/s320/2017-12-19+217.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Temple is thought to be on the same spot where the Aztecs saw their symbolic eagle perching on a cactus with a snake in its beak - the symbol of Mexico today. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBNrMDZ99IGtZL4boSfiEQda7kfWBHNC8MoTxVZfHN83RNa1TCzrFcNqnyyE_rto8KSsBIWHhA7FE3QtdjJLugEXUwmqB95Z1g8EAxgGSGHy4IGOi_lXq3xeWcwCSSFN8Mb_etzmL8ddf/s1600/2017-12-19+219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBNrMDZ99IGtZL4boSfiEQda7kfWBHNC8MoTxVZfHN83RNa1TCzrFcNqnyyE_rto8KSsBIWHhA7FE3QtdjJLugEXUwmqB95Z1g8EAxgGSGHy4IGOi_lXq3xeWcwCSSFN8Mb_etzmL8ddf/s320/2017-12-19+219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the temple was enlarged each time, each rebuilding was accompanied by the sacrifice of captured warriors. What we saw were sections of the temple's seven different phases. At the center was a platform which dated to about 1400.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylX5T3xf4ZOdqnmxVn3BhF4JnlKkf9qv-xj0gV5lad4rmHQqJZO86QclVF4gX-UL1ssq6qj0kOGVO35ub2ZBjmpX6tDAtkgbU0I_EU1RtgoBnlyPuWOLZk3tCFZDfI56FmE75PogJdhu1/s1600/2017-12-19+234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylX5T3xf4ZOdqnmxVn3BhF4JnlKkf9qv-xj0gV5lad4rmHQqJZO86QclVF4gX-UL1ssq6qj0kOGVO35ub2ZBjmpX6tDAtkgbU0I_EU1RtgoBnlyPuWOLZk3tCFZDfI56FmE75PogJdhu1/s320/2017-12-19+234.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The importance of fauna, including the six-meter long serpent at the entrance to the platform, in the ritual life of past generations was evident in the Great Temple's architecture as well as its offerings. Monumental heads, also sculpted in basalt, flanked the four sides of the platform.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjo89kZ_nLY-tJH3pkFlcqDY06nDfwpWDX77YevPaQyKk7I5ErZAuVAGiltUmcg8FffiJyyZEP3KPQbT5PJi_FbYKzw3V7B15VFFGRtz-ko0EDWbLI1IPlhdTJw7fbe3tVHZwtBgQ0WwZ/s1600/2017-12-19+235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjo89kZ_nLY-tJH3pkFlcqDY06nDfwpWDX77YevPaQyKk7I5ErZAuVAGiltUmcg8FffiJyyZEP3KPQbT5PJi_FbYKzw3V7B15VFFGRtz-ko0EDWbLI1IPlhdTJw7fbe3tVHZwtBgQ0WwZ/s320/2017-12-19+235.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">An</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Altar of the Frogs, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">in the center of the Phase IV b platform, pronounced the coming of the rainy season when they croaked! Frogs were also dressed in blue, then sacrificed and cooked during the month of the fiesta honoring the maize goddess. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItM-vgkHgWTXa66eaFiDaLlBl4auMR7GN7HQxel9Sk0rfiBZX7NGCLWtFUVkMVeVmEdjHB45RNrHEzV-8qd6vstqpZDjVVj41cHQa2juqwdWRgT5Up3_fOMWGpYkmJaUY6W01JCm6KtXF/s1600/2017-12-19+237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItM-vgkHgWTXa66eaFiDaLlBl4auMR7GN7HQxel9Sk0rfiBZX7NGCLWtFUVkMVeVmEdjHB45RNrHEzV-8qd6vstqpZDjVVj41cHQa2juqwdWRgT5Up3_fOMWGpYkmJaUY6W01JCm6KtXF/s320/2017-12-19+237.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">By the time the Spanish arrived, a 40 meter-high double pyramid towered above shrines to the water god and war god with steep, twin stairways climbing to shrines of the two gods.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbRVZq88fIqyLmoGOzTzG3SHyCu-974BJi1De7Q-2GayOgc3yuVhPZv6WTKGhyphenhyphenrctEVLumEotfsfnzqYFKHZcNbiMN0e_1uyMgkZYVh6Rg86qZIhfSoH2HZCbyLB8-dHfbT2mJKWwF9bW/s1600/2017-12-19+239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbRVZq88fIqyLmoGOzTzG3SHyCu-974BJi1De7Q-2GayOgc3yuVhPZv6WTKGhyphenhyphenrctEVLumEotfsfnzqYFKHZcNbiMN0e_1uyMgkZYVh6Rg86qZIhfSoH2HZCbyLB8-dHfbT2mJKWwF9bW/s320/2017-12-19+239.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCMK14r2bvNLiNRXvWlaBOljKs00msZ7KCjbXrGUTc__MNqSV3c7dsPTDeF4TlGcxFaS2_xZsTUliszTTjfJKwSBtjwlPril42H788FxFX6fCcGSXbCjO0DKINx-JFBY6hvHluRmFUOqv/s1600/2017-12-19+240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCMK14r2bvNLiNRXvWlaBOljKs00msZ7KCjbXrGUTc__MNqSV3c7dsPTDeF4TlGcxFaS2_xZsTUliszTTjfJKwSBtjwlPril42H788FxFX6fCcGSXbCjO0DKINx-JFBY6hvHluRmFUOqv/s320/2017-12-19+240.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRYNbZ9doh6Lm34mOhdwzoNtbcAKCoAAirg35kB2Sjd8GJGOnee1BsIw1lvSu3SbAxXB4_AJa5uBqoCHQw0y72bIABhmcl-ILC4zY-JsdUhVqFA2TWWBbTS6L_Bp2bXxjNTX5HnNvX6b2/s1600/2017-12-19+244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRYNbZ9doh6Lm34mOhdwzoNtbcAKCoAAirg35kB2Sjd8GJGOnee1BsIw1lvSu3SbAxXB4_AJa5uBqoCHQw0y72bIABhmcl-ILC4zY-JsdUhVqFA2TWWBbTS6L_Bp2bXxjNTX5HnNvX6b2/s320/2017-12-19+244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>chac-mool,</b> a Mayan reclining figure, honored <b>Tlaloc,</b> the water god which was worshiped by Mexican and many Mesoamerican peoples dating to the remote past. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The god brought the rain that made it possible to grow crops and also could bring storms that devastated them.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uoXYfXgE3vhtr4DqeLAF3vDWZPBzX2weyeKFRfey2iol4sI-XNac_eIE70IJ-edNZF1aEHEVukJITfRJWBhyphenhyphenz1w_O4ZhsOLzR3F3VursUU_ikmOQWIiKWjrVSEidxdVAMPaD2zlid9jX/s1600/2017-12-19+245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uoXYfXgE3vhtr4DqeLAF3vDWZPBzX2weyeKFRfey2iol4sI-XNac_eIE70IJ-edNZF1aEHEVukJITfRJWBhyphenhyphenz1w_O4ZhsOLzR3F3VursUU_ikmOQWIiKWjrVSEidxdVAMPaD2zlid9jX/s320/2017-12-19+245.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the best spot to more easily discern the different levels or stages of the temple.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q0odXtXzTMSSkDOmMk9MGq9Dw_4ARyZXeBfdU6UcTl7AxpkYmBz0gVxPRKDQBbJuMPqt0Bp65cNfTIzpvx4tqAwUubvWnlR-jhs9jdXYbw2VGKyNrKwRJFQg-iwY42GRsuy7GlbIyiv3/s1600/2017-12-19+247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q0odXtXzTMSSkDOmMk9MGq9Dw_4ARyZXeBfdU6UcTl7AxpkYmBz0gVxPRKDQBbJuMPqt0Bp65cNfTIzpvx4tqAwUubvWnlR-jhs9jdXYbw2VGKyNrKwRJFQg-iwY42GRsuy7GlbIyiv3/s320/2017-12-19+247.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The platform at the North Patio:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknMOoedkKbjDbcnVjfKrKzAQn7h9yQ2lRkFNB4xhJrl6J5Qq4pNZ4_qp-ZoRXDgOT4aadeGbr2ML8Do6w-MN-hLFr5z6xYh7dYmKGsyzYAXPpMD0MFsoIRETLrOEhN1l3yi6U6CMnht5P/s1600/2017-12-19+253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknMOoedkKbjDbcnVjfKrKzAQn7h9yQ2lRkFNB4xhJrl6J5Qq4pNZ4_qp-ZoRXDgOT4aadeGbr2ML8Do6w-MN-hLFr5z6xYh7dYmKGsyzYAXPpMD0MFsoIRETLrOEhN1l3yi6U6CMnht5P/s320/2017-12-19+253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The temple's <b>House of Eagles</b> was the only part of the complex that was </span><span style="font-size: large;">protected from the elements by a large metal awning. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The house was one of the most important structures in the Sacred Precinct of the city. This was where the elite, including the Eagle Warriors, conducted ceremonies, meditated, prayed and gave offerings. The large complex was spread out over a broad platform with columns, meeting rooms and patios.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78v-DLAxccjtB8P6cYSc01u16ISoMTrIB3cp2qUOGPkOSF5KTlG_7dbgoUJdY5qh-lzfLytCqr8bLCt4ruZ1jgEdfCW0oHYglA_KRE6HEKN8R3jGj_dPRWOEuDab2SDncA097Z4g9HToB/s1600/2017-12-19+259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78v-DLAxccjtB8P6cYSc01u16ISoMTrIB3cp2qUOGPkOSF5KTlG_7dbgoUJdY5qh-lzfLytCqr8bLCt4ruZ1jgEdfCW0oHYglA_KRE6HEKN8R3jGj_dPRWOEuDab2SDncA097Z4g9HToB/s320/2017-12-19+259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqkVVRMVc2LuIb9BHPAPCsmkJ1mwAfD_CVYyJpXwOwReZC0lSLImIVQkxDMmPb8cgod1WToVjmtoRGdmRAWVBhyphenhyphenTnrYCR_hjwgNF4CnVt-z0R5-pqI89_TzPHDcGK4purQHMf08u97OZE/s1600/2017-12-19+261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqkVVRMVc2LuIb9BHPAPCsmkJ1mwAfD_CVYyJpXwOwReZC0lSLImIVQkxDMmPb8cgod1WToVjmtoRGdmRAWVBhyphenhyphenTnrYCR_hjwgNF4CnVt-z0R5-pqI89_TzPHDcGK4purQHMf08u97OZE/s320/2017-12-19+261.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Explorations in the House of Eagles produced surprising results, particularly sculptures of two people dressed as eagles. Thanks to interdisciplinary investigation, it was possible to learn about the kind of ritual activities that were performed in this building.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiq4ZxJ4FBJmV-WzMg2ZGIcTsoXlmX-BEnRJ-qx5vh5I66ZxBrPboAu0290h99ikQKmS4h_VCKjc2Du4rG_8ZyvjV_mZmJuclg8N-phwSEoPvspkWLNcVx-w7v_hOn0CV7REwJReFL6Rmh/s1600/2017-12-19+262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiq4ZxJ4FBJmV-WzMg2ZGIcTsoXlmX-BEnRJ-qx5vh5I66ZxBrPboAu0290h99ikQKmS4h_VCKjc2Du4rG_8ZyvjV_mZmJuclg8N-phwSEoPvspkWLNcVx-w7v_hOn0CV7REwJReFL6Rmh/s320/2017-12-19+262.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you click on the photo below to enlarge it, you will more easily see the intricate bas relief carvings and the color still clearly evident from hundreds of years ago.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HAv6V6wucXriLqqkI_3QYsNHHQOT9N8lXu30nwUePSKB3_yBrxHkiMXHKUVaQN2TL6FF2J72JmmxkuZT3UY8ocurwBRZ_Fho2oAC67ziTx_ycSoEHdqJn9xZwxrDyEU9gbUK8y2Joydc/s1600/2017-12-19+263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HAv6V6wucXriLqqkI_3QYsNHHQOT9N8lXu30nwUePSKB3_yBrxHkiMXHKUVaQN2TL6FF2J72JmmxkuZT3UY8ocurwBRZ_Fho2oAC67ziTx_ycSoEHdqJn9xZwxrDyEU9gbUK8y2Joydc/s320/2017-12-19+263.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Carved stone flowers decorated some of the pillars. The flower's four petals represented the four cardinal points and each related to its own god.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMvWMWGAmouNHTGHKX3i7KhIa3zuMECUvT6D_j5WNHA7IgjBAVCvdPmkGLPzkNcmR5y3GVGVvIGB9yNTabuZGnlI2cfXA16MgkJ3EirBImpvoM_FzX1R-6eVSt7L_Y6JZNts0RTT5GREg/s1600/2017-12-19+265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMvWMWGAmouNHTGHKX3i7KhIa3zuMECUvT6D_j5WNHA7IgjBAVCvdPmkGLPzkNcmR5y3GVGVvIGB9yNTabuZGnlI2cfXA16MgkJ3EirBImpvoM_FzX1R-6eVSt7L_Y6JZNts0RTT5GREg/s320/2017-12-19+265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Chemical analysis of the floors showed residue of blood, animal and vegetable products distributed in specific areas. During the most recent excavation period, ceramic sculptures were recovered representing the god who was <b>Lord of the Underworld,</b> the destination of the souls of those who died a natural death or died of old age. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMPhfAiyGN7KU9Knd_eifiM4JLgyhuQpYheVBpbd1nklukdqQ5qD89SUS5sikfQ-pEAXM9UwVgA91p7XUIQrD5QgGXc9zJxoQrXRWkm1M6miFxaAbn3tz3snO-LpRAUCYR-m0KCYJUFkw/s1600/2017-12-19+267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMPhfAiyGN7KU9Knd_eifiM4JLgyhuQpYheVBpbd1nklukdqQ5qD89SUS5sikfQ-pEAXM9UwVgA91p7XUIQrD5QgGXc9zJxoQrXRWkm1M6miFxaAbn3tz3snO-LpRAUCYR-m0KCYJUFkw/s320/2017-12-19+267.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I am not sure if you <b>will</b> want to look at a larger view of the <b>Wall of Skulls,</b> made of rows of 240 human skulls covered with several layers of stucco!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBN522PxrNHpqferYFpGgt-7Oa3lBog38v8RGTRLjFi41fXIIjKpat63NEP22V4JpHRO-hvP4vu4D_XBFQMtnrUzBdOFd1C1flbAAUH5SSKlnQJ4_LCawXReW44M-AWEZdOmryaZiQLP4B/s1600/2017-12-19+269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBN522PxrNHpqferYFpGgt-7Oa3lBog38v8RGTRLjFi41fXIIjKpat63NEP22V4JpHRO-hvP4vu4D_XBFQMtnrUzBdOFd1C1flbAAUH5SSKlnQJ4_LCawXReW44M-AWEZdOmryaZiQLP4B/s320/2017-12-19+269.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was so refreshing seeing a sign of new life among the ruins of the centuries old temple. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pt5ClhLxyIJQ8dX7q8zZTY9Yhjh6H7YBdFCixGdzdlQRZXd7afwltPpvFs_c9vMhy0_Weuai0Qn6RaCVYFq5xsi1qRCmHF1J7Hxt27S1gSm_s05pGFhQW8icGZ_XKiaCv87h8LcCJgoX/s1600/2017-12-19+272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Pt5ClhLxyIJQ8dX7q8zZTY9Yhjh6H7YBdFCixGdzdlQRZXd7afwltPpvFs_c9vMhy0_Weuai0Qn6RaCVYFq5xsi1qRCmHF1J7Hxt27S1gSm_s05pGFhQW8icGZ_XKiaCv87h8LcCJgoX/s320/2017-12-19+272.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYr7EpmvWIO8pMF70cnitA0zZx4h_zZ1y0uvNHxxxm3RNd6G_aN_TqOdXl2_7MWT6PP7EeXuIvWoeCS2pWtDfiSi6XBSjx3Gmu2MfcOskmSNptgdyR7UwEGFQW81YtfFzrx2gvwRKQVLW/s1600/2017-12-19+273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYr7EpmvWIO8pMF70cnitA0zZx4h_zZ1y0uvNHxxxm3RNd6G_aN_TqOdXl2_7MWT6PP7EeXuIvWoeCS2pWtDfiSi6XBSjx3Gmu2MfcOskmSNptgdyR7UwEGFQW81YtfFzrx2gvwRKQVLW/s320/2017-12-19+273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One part of the temple was known as the <b>Red Temple</b> as it was bordered by walls decorated with large red stone circles.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZriYugb81diST6yaqf96t91wIIEgu9A_oD897hRmY46zMxN2Ka1KcG4gJgnm_afBZVGLKjdGyd0ZiPS4x5OhK6MmyLYSWe5wJsaEOQVEz-R1Pg93iUReqzOTKcTRLfYS1_j67rXeyFq_C/s1600/2017-12-19+275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZriYugb81diST6yaqf96t91wIIEgu9A_oD897hRmY46zMxN2Ka1KcG4gJgnm_afBZVGLKjdGyd0ZiPS4x5OhK6MmyLYSWe5wJsaEOQVEz-R1Pg93iUReqzOTKcTRLfYS1_j67rXeyFq_C/s320/2017-12-19+275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Since it was first built, the Great Temple went through seven construction phases, each of which gradually increased its size. By 1521, the ancient temple had risen to its maximum height of 45 meters, just 15 meters lower than the adjacent Metropolitan Cathedral that is visible in the background below. It was hard to fathom that when what remains of the temple is just a fraction of its former height. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Recent investigations at the Cathedral have led to the discovery of six temples that are still buried under it!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb4WT0uZOp_IByakx2Y8zEC8-p22-InRsC69_nr9somHgT8KvMz5d6mzwyVA5azAm3qTQxZJ9QZWh03R14iEgR8kYHP2uoQDmO1j4HsHL4cuCW_neyQaDUsxOVGurCvLppgDytLBOGL6H/s1600/2017-12-19+277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb4WT0uZOp_IByakx2Y8zEC8-p22-InRsC69_nr9somHgT8KvMz5d6mzwyVA5azAm3qTQxZJ9QZWh03R14iEgR8kYHP2uoQDmO1j4HsHL4cuCW_neyQaDUsxOVGurCvLppgDytLBOGL6H/s320/2017-12-19+277.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Museo del Templo Mayor</b> was almost easy to miss because it was hidden behind the ruins which looked like a construction site from some perspectives! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KLybzQWu2dB75urmzDI0rsP3zCKGoE7Xqkdzm4DLk0QPJ2Dw-QD2PDL5XM-8o0Fa1UIK09yGh-snfLzDixAucAMY_8R3AczXyvQOyGCMbEAnsHm0o2c3zb3fulwHDEfQhwyc11f04JK8/s1600/2017-12-19+280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KLybzQWu2dB75urmzDI0rsP3zCKGoE7Xqkdzm4DLk0QPJ2Dw-QD2PDL5XM-8o0Fa1UIK09yGh-snfLzDixAucAMY_8R3AczXyvQOyGCMbEAnsHm0o2c3zb3fulwHDEfQhwyc11f04JK8/s320/2017-12-19+280.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Upon entering, the first thing we saw was a replica of the Wall of Skulls, something we could have done without!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XPyb8IDFznesxSthcmW4X5G0tEqRIVvCVvF7qquzN5tMV71v5Hr33-FJvdSpKNe3QnNiLmLOpt67-q6UuIGAQV8B1XKhVW4uLeNq_JinYMUz7Y3r-VdJA7bg1I5TlhSaNyhzhbzQDLo7/s1600/2017-12-19+281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XPyb8IDFznesxSthcmW4X5G0tEqRIVvCVvF7qquzN5tMV71v5Hr33-FJvdSpKNe3QnNiLmLOpt67-q6UuIGAQV8B1XKhVW4uLeNq_JinYMUz7Y3r-VdJA7bg1I5TlhSaNyhzhbzQDLo7/s320/2017-12-19+281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A sculpture of</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Xolotl, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">the God of Duplicity who was portrayed with a dog head and earplugs, was a little easier to take.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCCmc0zoJpHR89AOjAVQNun_4FXMecMu4Vbx6jRZ4nB-LAuwKb8oX2AY7YVq4XBqgpa30xn57BbHDFEeZduDSkoTKWcMJFNDqYOCtjRtrxrfuT6OBdHx2LIqb8RJTdTvYN2E6y3XFPrq4/s1600/2017-12-19+282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCCmc0zoJpHR89AOjAVQNun_4FXMecMu4Vbx6jRZ4nB-LAuwKb8oX2AY7YVq4XBqgpa30xn57BbHDFEeZduDSkoTKWcMJFNDqYOCtjRtrxrfuT6OBdHx2LIqb8RJTdTvYN2E6y3XFPrq4/s320/2017-12-19+282.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The breathtaking sculpture of a Golden Eagle had a circular cavity on the top which identified it as a container for offerings. It was discovered in 1985 bordering the Templo Mayor and </span><span style="font-size: large;">associated with a </span><span style="font-size: large;">pre-Hispanic structure. The fine feathers radiating from around the eagle's eye represented sunbeams and indicated a connection with the sun, the most important Aztec deity.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ03G4bwNem4cTKUywSG_ineJYr8tGrf3VxQzdpMSlqx4YAqCrq6vG4J9S5ihyphenhyphenpkkl9hnb25hfSUkBv4XBWQ7GnW3xR3x0HYH0g83eMffGSAPWCjRfw7gtLinIxYLyVpPZ3tpaYN-SQeEL/s1600/2017-12-19+284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ03G4bwNem4cTKUywSG_ineJYr8tGrf3VxQzdpMSlqx4YAqCrq6vG4J9S5ihyphenhyphenpkkl9hnb25hfSUkBv4XBWQ7GnW3xR3x0HYH0g83eMffGSAPWCjRfw7gtLinIxYLyVpPZ3tpaYN-SQeEL/s320/2017-12-19+284.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This magnificent relief representing the deity of the earth, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Tlaltecuhtli, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">in its feminine version was found in 1891 during the temple's excavations. Thought it was mutilated as a consequence of the Spanish conquest, its beauty and main characteristics could still be appreciated. Look closely and you can see the goddess had her head turned toward the front, with her head turned over and upside down and she was in the natural squatting childbirth position.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWe4z9Vuc2O817CfUiVo59A1Vq_9yQsKUG8zmio7af42HqNrm_cuYG9dxJbJ7ZMolq6kfkKTQlD5GnQ-LLRey5ijKrJ4jmmDXCAqXqZ9UXf0JRXw_tLBY5lW0CPEZVtU4OMnf03hVaBza/s1600/2017-12-19+295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWe4z9Vuc2O817CfUiVo59A1Vq_9yQsKUG8zmio7af42HqNrm_cuYG9dxJbJ7ZMolq6kfkKTQlD5GnQ-LLRey5ijKrJ4jmmDXCAqXqZ9UXf0JRXw_tLBY5lW0CPEZVtU4OMnf03hVaBza/s320/2017-12-19+295.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wouldn't this make a perfect Halloween mask?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rf9-4txgzJ4vHuNrBvexF6igyUVxx_o6giV7i4_ImMbAZJQLm_GYo-d_47RqLahLw66nRxR0mX0CUJQgvorZ_sf8fcrQLasIR8AXwfxCXrrMkXDtvOBIjdTMMYab9bcek4lIsaJnA16J/s1600/2017-12-19+300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rf9-4txgzJ4vHuNrBvexF6igyUVxx_o6giV7i4_ImMbAZJQLm_GYo-d_47RqLahLw66nRxR0mX0CUJQgvorZ_sf8fcrQLasIR8AXwfxCXrrMkXDtvOBIjdTMMYab9bcek4lIsaJnA16J/s320/2017-12-19+300.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Trade was of vital importance to the Aztecs, not only because they obtained products through it but also because the traveling merchants could provide military espionage on towns they were considering to conquer. Among the offerings recovered from the temple were these objects that provided evidence of trade for the Aztecs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASOI7-FfjtQxOyQnihhsMJkKE80zdPcUwCitEslSRd7de52zWKssTBk7YxmFY1BzClnAyd_W0B5w9ocrHqvG9qyOA7phvZLwUF9ZFThqoloK7oGZO785O228yIQI_Y7rmaigVz1gCy_Q/s1600/2017-12-19+303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASOI7-FfjtQxOyQnihhsMJkKE80zdPcUwCitEslSRd7de52zWKssTBk7YxmFY1BzClnAyd_W0B5w9ocrHqvG9qyOA7phvZLwUF9ZFThqoloK7oGZO785O228yIQI_Y7rmaigVz1gCy_Q/s320/2017-12-19+303.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRCc9VmrlwAbRT-klURMGMOOFgbkajXzNA0pP-du1kmq6V0vQ13eLz0ueForPZWcrg6RvX23JU8XU-1MHLGLHKTHqp5azrwDWQ3fNZedlbxn04uqe2JwpEix62MzXyJDivQu4showSLw/s1600/2017-12-19+304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRCc9VmrlwAbRT-klURMGMOOFgbkajXzNA0pP-du1kmq6V0vQ13eLz0ueForPZWcrg6RvX23JU8XU-1MHLGLHKTHqp5azrwDWQ3fNZedlbxn04uqe2JwpEix62MzXyJDivQu4showSLw/s320/2017-12-19+304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This freaky-looking, ceramic sculpture represented the <b>God of Death</b> who was believed by the Aztecs as a half gaunt being in a position of attack with claws. His liver hung under his thorax, because according to Aztec beliefs, the organ was closely related to the Underworld where the deity lived.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzN9gyrlzfD2VTcy0E443NTNgi3-wECcxpUozGE96KoWSwpD_QTO1MI-4pQTjFAG-avCc-cpxGpWuDV8NzoJRDWWnDVqkeHY8ba7ttqzxyUR_f3DGGlzcNCp2SXYNL4iJgloPw1IvIOQ6/s1600/2017-12-19+306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzN9gyrlzfD2VTcy0E443NTNgi3-wECcxpUozGE96KoWSwpD_QTO1MI-4pQTjFAG-avCc-cpxGpWuDV8NzoJRDWWnDVqkeHY8ba7ttqzxyUR_f3DGGlzcNCp2SXYNL4iJgloPw1IvIOQ6/s320/2017-12-19+306.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4hDRUDvdvvLGMRSL8xDQ02FZxo_mMDzhEEKE4vHlPNKDyvbkpA82eM-qizFYHxQ0YsMXymzxZbJgOo8b6hPv-ArINc-bJSCgHo6jgbJrV4aZ8HfwQubHbsXd3GLTPnzYmUKaZxUTU4j0/s1600/2017-12-19+308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4hDRUDvdvvLGMRSL8xDQ02FZxo_mMDzhEEKE4vHlPNKDyvbkpA82eM-qizFYHxQ0YsMXymzxZbJgOo8b6hPv-ArINc-bJSCgHo6jgbJrV4aZ8HfwQubHbsXd3GLTPnzYmUKaZxUTU4j0/s320/2017-12-19+308.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Again, the colors and exquisite detail in this piece were incredible to see. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUblYVfcFNKsJDkZdW0R6kxEBbcmPehSZmQJuVCA9ckTegGVCTyserwlN6ayMBD2m5zW3tahtN3u71GoIfsFjqkXwwkOmT2xXTsp6OWp42E70baOYFTEuCE1F7glJ-mCZ_CpiYMPQ73byK/s1600/2017-12-19+309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUblYVfcFNKsJDkZdW0R6kxEBbcmPehSZmQJuVCA9ckTegGVCTyserwlN6ayMBD2m5zW3tahtN3u71GoIfsFjqkXwwkOmT2xXTsp6OWp42E70baOYFTEuCE1F7glJ-mCZ_CpiYMPQ73byK/s320/2017-12-19+309.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This group of sculptures, found leaning over the main staircase of the temple corresponding to Stage III from 1431, indicated they were deposited as an offering by the Aztecs when they began construction of Stage IV. They were known as <b>standard bearers</b> since they had one of their hands in position to hold a flagpole. The cavity on their chests was used to keep a green stone as a symbolic heart. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKAmFDAGe-SXO6ywR8t9Z4lGLwc9AinyJF25j0nMe-uooaQ9coAxMLHe14d7MUKLxg38JuHAyUiiDxtLhD5VOsqh_0rHnVTPjxwA3tqmqh0hdlc6pY1jAdRt4avYLXdXaWoNy0-sgMha/s1600/2017-12-19+313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKAmFDAGe-SXO6ywR8t9Z4lGLwc9AinyJF25j0nMe-uooaQ9coAxMLHe14d7MUKLxg38JuHAyUiiDxtLhD5VOsqh_0rHnVTPjxwA3tqmqh0hdlc6pY1jAdRt4avYLXdXaWoNy0-sgMha/s320/2017-12-19+313.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRF2euKnXcQV1HyR8_X-V0qU-B2ebev2bZPO_6YGHH3ndOOuQGjrgzcsx1058wVu9wSq3RWnK2-jS5QmCUjMtI7db-cU8tWvjqj9wAcjR4nOHvE0YoXSje78o4QE7YSo1VPcH3hM10wxL/s1600/2017-12-19+315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRF2euKnXcQV1HyR8_X-V0qU-B2ebev2bZPO_6YGHH3ndOOuQGjrgzcsx1058wVu9wSq3RWnK2-jS5QmCUjMtI7db-cU8tWvjqj9wAcjR4nOHvE0YoXSje78o4QE7YSo1VPcH3hM10wxL/s320/2017-12-19+315.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This monumental stone sculpture represented a 'fire serpent' which was a mythical weapon.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfz5rAoL0JSvAcXPYoJq64ejOaCc68teOJoGMmFhvPDsBJxp30Yb_Ys6BuGI6Ic6e27ZtUf6riz2hqbNl3xwHQMXKV5ABT71Nv3Z-Mf5ckYQstDRaBRrNzSSks62A1NEyyWXKIifSRFuG/s1600/2017-12-19+316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfz5rAoL0JSvAcXPYoJq64ejOaCc68teOJoGMmFhvPDsBJxp30Yb_Ys6BuGI6Ic6e27ZtUf6riz2hqbNl3xwHQMXKV5ABT71Nv3Z-Mf5ckYQstDRaBRrNzSSks62A1NEyyWXKIifSRFuG/s320/2017-12-19+316.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This ceramic pot, modeled with a high relief face of Tlaloc's face, the <b>God of Rain,</b> belonged to Stage IV (1440-1469) at the temple. It contained mother-of-pearl shells and green stone beads. I was just agog how perfectly preserved it still was after being buried for centuries.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxdrKeiv-iSOA1mpbYNczvFcgjLWanMGLL9cxPZv5a9pSghrOyNLPQ35cvn7y19a2twqeI1YiFjYT6C0lC5JubZXti6SlYzltb8VLjJmcihMDiSsiouj5-BOaa4aKVoV4QoyIsFJ40aQx/s1600/2017-12-19+318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxdrKeiv-iSOA1mpbYNczvFcgjLWanMGLL9cxPZv5a9pSghrOyNLPQ35cvn7y19a2twqeI1YiFjYT6C0lC5JubZXti6SlYzltb8VLjJmcihMDiSsiouj5-BOaa4aKVoV4QoyIsFJ40aQx/s320/2017-12-19+318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The ancient Nahuas believed there was a monster made of a number of serpents that were joined together and interwoven like a mat which they called <b>petlacoatl</b> or serpent mat.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtK1qg2b6q2fDZ5PlQXeYQyg8eifBM7BMmWynAdpHntgz0EUktvEPI9BJn3qzk1Pi4skdIU7S3T6XCbhe34EM393UYPrY7Wr2rvV8mX0-C3d75_cQ2Y7-nhSMiGAKvNkGlHBRtOq8Ljt0/s1600/2017-12-19+322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtK1qg2b6q2fDZ5PlQXeYQyg8eifBM7BMmWynAdpHntgz0EUktvEPI9BJn3qzk1Pi4skdIU7S3T6XCbhe34EM393UYPrY7Wr2rvV8mX0-C3d75_cQ2Y7-nhSMiGAKvNkGlHBRtOq8Ljt0/s320/2017-12-19+322.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ashes and plant tips were found in the interior of this ceramic brazier which showed the face of Tlaloc. </span><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most fascinating aspects to this piece in my mind was the representation of weeping, achieved through strips finished off with small discs which symbolized green stone beads and, by extension, water and fertility. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxXzsa83JNNFub66B-BLiIrNsg7MZxIVRc2mKJSf1u0bmATB7HCdld5qXjgw00Yg3R6JEH5wMVV06AOjGfzAAdq-3HJbQImmSKDwPeHgsaY60NbcgFXxWKioAsM5XwHltD-RbHGgI11Ns/s1600/2017-12-19+330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxXzsa83JNNFub66B-BLiIrNsg7MZxIVRc2mKJSf1u0bmATB7HCdld5qXjgw00Yg3R6JEH5wMVV06AOjGfzAAdq-3HJbQImmSKDwPeHgsaY60NbcgFXxWKioAsM5XwHltD-RbHGgI11Ns/s320/2017-12-19+330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was another example of the serpent symbolism found throughout the temple.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fg5XkjUdYeK4YqhK15g7ylUfVB2_aGnzxEVgg2x7_RN5E6kmPlD7Z6YUp9dXluidkU-XRmCtqtpA7kMgKQb2oIr5qWa_qsTUd6cIHt4SwAE61v5c4k1RwUZiyuUI7KFUGRyY6y-A5e1J/s1600/2017-12-19+324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fg5XkjUdYeK4YqhK15g7ylUfVB2_aGnzxEVgg2x7_RN5E6kmPlD7Z6YUp9dXluidkU-XRmCtqtpA7kMgKQb2oIr5qWa_qsTUd6cIHt4SwAE61v5c4k1RwUZiyuUI7KFUGRyY6y-A5e1J/s320/2017-12-19+324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The museum was exquisitely designed with many objects displayed on platforms. Its many steps and levels reminded me of the temple where history was layered as successive civilizations were built on top of each other.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> It was amazing that the world class museum was built in the middle of one of the most congested cities in the world, in between either the buildings or ruins that have belonged to three cultures that spanned several centuries while respecting everything around it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUhboSFc16a-tBg7L-FwRxjLbc-0w9e9usfAr-DIU7M3HTC84PY-1PKsAkJNONIkQsbLsiy85xtNlcRyb8MKCGtZoOhmxN_QnKAajFYVplqRWkNIyMlJedWPaWuz4xkFmVwq-fMlC7oWH/s1600/2017-12-19+328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUhboSFc16a-tBg7L-FwRxjLbc-0w9e9usfAr-DIU7M3HTC84PY-1PKsAkJNONIkQsbLsiy85xtNlcRyb8MKCGtZoOhmxN_QnKAajFYVplqRWkNIyMlJedWPaWuz4xkFmVwq-fMlC7oWH/s320/2017-12-19+328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7sEbqm5FBS4ZGPJ_3Qhtti_BBtZ0HHiLdPsAKthq9Zsx0e8JTfwDpWuguIGys360xKt36lIXyst9NCT4wxPTfXQgkYGv7_kBue0E_SuzDeOxpZHE8WaWOaoj-jqonlL6Ibg0kBEBm-Le/s1600/2017-12-19+329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7sEbqm5FBS4ZGPJ_3Qhtti_BBtZ0HHiLdPsAKthq9Zsx0e8JTfwDpWuguIGys360xKt36lIXyst9NCT4wxPTfXQgkYGv7_kBue0E_SuzDeOxpZHE8WaWOaoj-jqonlL6Ibg0kBEBm-Le/s320/2017-12-19+329.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Templo de la Enseñanza</b> or Teaching Church had an extremely narrow and ornate facade which sloped backward from the ground level. Built as a convent church, it was vacated by the nuns as a result of the anti-clerical Reform Laws. It was later used by government bodies, including the Ministry of Education. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZCBD02K3HSw69gkhcQfG0iWQ5csAElyuWr4uyX9sPl5EDjbmIWeQ0OZrqlRpRo9B0A4NSzuR8awINsflpzaCDmadjIx2TYJNCdDFB0kOzSapGRU0AOVaPit4zgA4XyEJjaAyLTbV0Pe9/s1600/2017-12-19+341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZCBD02K3HSw69gkhcQfG0iWQ5csAElyuWr4uyX9sPl5EDjbmIWeQ0OZrqlRpRo9B0A4NSzuR8awINsflpzaCDmadjIx2TYJNCdDFB0kOzSapGRU0AOVaPit4zgA4XyEJjaAyLTbV0Pe9/s320/2017-12-19+341.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The dazzling gold altarpiece, studded with the sculpted figures of saints, rose up to the roof of the church. On either side were huge paintings. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0OL_9uQUiecuwqgLbstfZBC-ft61ujDqlue5p1Y8Si-7gNYJRwzup7qXTQvWrcOYRTCxr9umjGUtilZNFQfyh2kRg_5-ltGYiNhP_lyDQs0HhjuVJVWAZlqInaXPqNt32J07BWNgU7RG/s1600/2017-12-19+335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0OL_9uQUiecuwqgLbstfZBC-ft61ujDqlue5p1Y8Si-7gNYJRwzup7qXTQvWrcOYRTCxr9umjGUtilZNFQfyh2kRg_5-ltGYiNhP_lyDQs0HhjuVJVWAZlqInaXPqNt32J07BWNgU7RG/s320/2017-12-19+335.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKgX92bbxvFpeAmoevcQ5g0uQbSuT0F-bfqVGoSoAupSrZ0tdHejRgHmkVcxYjYHQc2hNF0LbD5tjeqN0XeiooI9eI-UhhKkbSPjvzeRCBQZn7QJSSgxO55qyC5ao5Y5V0bjZhrP9G1ks/s1600/2017-12-19+340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKgX92bbxvFpeAmoevcQ5g0uQbSuT0F-bfqVGoSoAupSrZ0tdHejRgHmkVcxYjYHQc2hNF0LbD5tjeqN0XeiooI9eI-UhhKkbSPjvzeRCBQZn7QJSSgxO55qyC5ao5Y5V0bjZhrP9G1ks/s320/2017-12-19+340.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The 16th century <b>Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso,</b> originally a Jesuit seminary, was described as "an outstanding example of Mexican and civil architecture from the colonial era." The building, now a museum, belonged to the national university. The reason why we wanted to visit was its star attraction was the museum's collection of murals from the earliest years of the Mexican muralist movement.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObXG8i2HQR507TVexjq4J-ht2pwwsyt-3lylaBDTu50tBaSBnranN8R9F7nzNR862oa1BKtSPY_y-mp1nO_l2wsxUDw_Z2gUbDzGxJIAZiJrcJPjbppWt0KMBYrvCOF-LiI8at6__RX5h/s1600/2017-12-19+342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObXG8i2HQR507TVexjq4J-ht2pwwsyt-3lylaBDTu50tBaSBnranN8R9F7nzNR862oa1BKtSPY_y-mp1nO_l2wsxUDw_Z2gUbDzGxJIAZiJrcJPjbppWt0KMBYrvCOF-LiI8at6__RX5h/s320/2017-12-19+342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Blog followers know the countless museums and galleries we have made a point of seeing on all our overseas adventures beginning in 2013. When we walked through the admittedly marvelous doorway, we had no idea how absolutely sublime the museum was and that was without having seen any of its murals, its claim to fame!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GHvmCEXpaXiDEjx_Kdfkj0eCRsE6c2y_r_cJdW0HhKO_tZbZPqVZvK6ywcPGYE1k6cG7gGIyqhMGW780-l6pyNLMfheWeXbZi2aELmblFJkmh2lR3VA3MnPnDT_PfeHVfSYpsGGvPU_A/s1600/2017-12-19+346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GHvmCEXpaXiDEjx_Kdfkj0eCRsE6c2y_r_cJdW0HhKO_tZbZPqVZvK6ywcPGYE1k6cG7gGIyqhMGW780-l6pyNLMfheWeXbZi2aELmblFJkmh2lR3VA3MnPnDT_PfeHVfSYpsGGvPU_A/s320/2017-12-19+346.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Everywhere we looked was mural upon mural on each of the three levels - we were in hog heaven and couldn't wait to look and appreciate a type of art we had so rarely come across before. As San Ildefonso is regarded as the birthplace of the muralist movement, we had come to the perfect spot. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNhkxRv_GFP20Op_VVnFz5-F7RxMfKJ0KCsCIXCT2P63NytmOHR0Oz96hpLynXlP4uNW1Ga-qJveKodX2CJQBjhDoeyEwt7jwYpBQAHrp52srva6hNAA881bEwMb1GhoNGD7dLny4Pmx3/s1600/2017-12-19+347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNhkxRv_GFP20Op_VVnFz5-F7RxMfKJ0KCsCIXCT2P63NytmOHR0Oz96hpLynXlP4uNW1Ga-qJveKodX2CJQBjhDoeyEwt7jwYpBQAHrp52srva6hNAA881bEwMb1GhoNGD7dLny4Pmx3/s320/2017-12-19+347.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_YtjxSj7Si_XiqTeKwhnM4AXSt1nuPLOZvqJ_SbEXUeqIkB4oSYZgBDZXjjEWW9tEQdqQJNj50R_85yoJr_11HaG1Kp-pTbUbpB6uxZ7jSCQJfgSxtoEW_JuhWUeA_hmAFL8nIJlx1ps/s1600/2017-12-19+354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_YtjxSj7Si_XiqTeKwhnM4AXSt1nuPLOZvqJ_SbEXUeqIkB4oSYZgBDZXjjEWW9tEQdqQJNj50R_85yoJr_11HaG1Kp-pTbUbpB6uxZ7jSCQJfgSxtoEW_JuhWUeA_hmAFL8nIJlx1ps/s320/2017-12-19+354.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdW1e_AziMjzdAEPduN3mqnRHFRS_FngAeX2okz89yDqR7CxxVsG8XpNNMfv8wJS9nEdlDBxK3sm0pfOolNJSS7Q0gOYjo7cVAQnUQUAv4LqljLoD9mgRW3322R5zArPLXCv7MP4ij0GX/s1600/2017-12-19+365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdW1e_AziMjzdAEPduN3mqnRHFRS_FngAeX2okz89yDqR7CxxVsG8XpNNMfv8wJS9nEdlDBxK3sm0pfOolNJSS7Q0gOYjo7cVAQnUQUAv4LqljLoD9mgRW3322R5zArPLXCv7MP4ij0GX/s320/2017-12-19+365.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfoG82pkPirwFFzu50Znq893TmQg0A4KD1ua5WvABXJm3G7KYKDFx63gdEy4_zEMeJfEUIsVTdWIiwa6t9pX4F68LuxwfDLrdoIX1qNLpNonAM_qh80UQnJhVM9C9_N90nxTvwkrqx_N/s1600/2017-12-19+348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgfoG82pkPirwFFzu50Znq893TmQg0A4KD1ua5WvABXJm3G7KYKDFx63gdEy4_zEMeJfEUIsVTdWIiwa6t9pX4F68LuxwfDLrdoIX1qNLpNonAM_qh80UQnJhVM9C9_N90nxTvwkrqx_N/s320/2017-12-19+348.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">From 1922 to 1926,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> José Clemente Orozco, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">whose work we saw at the Palacio de Bellas Artes,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> painted murals on the three floors of one of the large courtyards of the Colegio de San Ildefonso. His paintings focused on universal themes of motherhood, freedom, justice and the law.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLfZysC0ftot07Sl0vek_QChvDTeyBkrmF3zBiabJ9JM8ltHvoaUouWqV8_rnIi77letCqJIL_C0kKb30_gwnom5a537gGESbzXsL6Jq5ZvC30V9lurOE9vISYJ3f1FQVfsmnp98iA8Px/s1600/2017-12-19+349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLfZysC0ftot07Sl0vek_QChvDTeyBkrmF3zBiabJ9JM8ltHvoaUouWqV8_rnIi77letCqJIL_C0kKb30_gwnom5a537gGESbzXsL6Jq5ZvC30V9lurOE9vISYJ3f1FQVfsmnp98iA8Px/s320/2017-12-19+349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of his most dramatic pieces was <i>La Trinchera or The Trench,</i> which highlighted the Mexican revolutionary tragedy through three figures. Orozco used </span><span style="font-size: large;">red to suggest blood and gunfire in the mural. I found it interesting that this painting was printed on 100 peso notes in the 1970s.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOuQdhkaBJmcsH2WO2usw63yiOEWtG9XTSWNrEZxuTS7S88Hlv9BJ5Nq_eiJS9__zQIZml84pzA_MYJmQERtWq3apqE4qY_LBWl3Ql4H594xBYOko6MzYGCJ0FU29fmrFzIxaRSUJUM0S/s1600/2017-12-19+351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOuQdhkaBJmcsH2WO2usw63yiOEWtG9XTSWNrEZxuTS7S88Hlv9BJ5Nq_eiJS9__zQIZml84pzA_MYJmQERtWq3apqE4qY_LBWl3Ql4H594xBYOko6MzYGCJ0FU29fmrFzIxaRSUJUM0S/s320/2017-12-19+351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Orozco's nude study entitled </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cortés</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i> y la Malinche</i> was probably </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">his most famous piece of public art although it was relegated to a staircase. The fresco, which depicted </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hernán Cortés,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire, and his indigenous mistress, related to the mixing of the races that formed the Mexican nation. </span><span style="font-size: large;">With his arm across her, I wondered whether </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cortés was restraining or protecting her.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwBVQWpJ74ZIRf_e9S_vUfI0sDW0_UVe63VPuPGqf0J8cuJ-Tg6tl73E5r4HHocz8p3tJ8HPrwOSqUQfraC7wDP03AxYS3D6Jd3JaTkxJbvgb5a8JFcA0LNiahK-K51CwDUiG-aEEUJa_/s1600/2017-12-19+355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwBVQWpJ74ZIRf_e9S_vUfI0sDW0_UVe63VPuPGqf0J8cuJ-Tg6tl73E5r4HHocz8p3tJ8HPrwOSqUQfraC7wDP03AxYS3D6Jd3JaTkxJbvgb5a8JFcA0LNiahK-K51CwDUiG-aEEUJa_/s320/2017-12-19+355.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you will enjoy these marvelous murals by the Mexico's most famous muralists half as much as we did.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2lFkHLIP218ccjyxLlum_5Nv1FKHeqsVI7OhlRXFPHj1DZ1bQmPVoqAevFLwa2XDgyhq7Q_9VtP7Tr3GVIaAN3xOQHClJw_JJRm0XifZi7gnpEpqvSWS8oNjkUIC8x-Fb6-nTWywFIT_/s1600/2017-12-19+357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2lFkHLIP218ccjyxLlum_5Nv1FKHeqsVI7OhlRXFPHj1DZ1bQmPVoqAevFLwa2XDgyhq7Q_9VtP7Tr3GVIaAN3xOQHClJw_JJRm0XifZi7gnpEpqvSWS8oNjkUIC8x-Fb6-nTWywFIT_/s320/2017-12-19+357.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsdDfT7Rlfkg4Np7hcesc5-hQM7dNBKKgDw6xpM2V6pXG2GY7DB2nL5JjKoKTeK9Di9su9FDv__YZL-BZ2SY49Ok2eFCfatfh-CuG4ZljvfNVtiVvJMlZ5Qa4aHhdh5bAv9mF54U0KR9e/s1600/2017-12-19+358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsdDfT7Rlfkg4Np7hcesc5-hQM7dNBKKgDw6xpM2V6pXG2GY7DB2nL5JjKoKTeK9Di9su9FDv__YZL-BZ2SY49Ok2eFCfatfh-CuG4ZljvfNVtiVvJMlZ5Qa4aHhdh5bAv9mF54U0KR9e/s320/2017-12-19+358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd4PX53RW7FWGyvTedeH4CnT9lCOZ4aH3ZGVm-jh60EhOI3c4wYp7jy-tB-5cbDMvCVmQsO0rcv_dP2_C3-MqhUtwPelH3Pmm6HLHXKSegRrslocddEe-XydIArxpCxnhM0EHopUdlj6y/s1600/2017-12-19+360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd4PX53RW7FWGyvTedeH4CnT9lCOZ4aH3ZGVm-jh60EhOI3c4wYp7jy-tB-5cbDMvCVmQsO0rcv_dP2_C3-MqhUtwPelH3Pmm6HLHXKSegRrslocddEe-XydIArxpCxnhM0EHopUdlj6y/s320/2017-12-19+360.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl23yr4PCJXHCt9bnstGaNni_0LGuWUyNJh22vj8H4bYP0U0WcGIhlhk244vmWz4_9TTOeCQrveWI7LoOBWz1P6ZQ_W9g6vE6JvV2COeba3kJQ690xE0ac72DGifPZmOMW5oyTtduD__PC/s1600/2017-12-19+363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl23yr4PCJXHCt9bnstGaNni_0LGuWUyNJh22vj8H4bYP0U0WcGIhlhk244vmWz4_9TTOeCQrveWI7LoOBWz1P6ZQ_W9g6vE6JvV2COeba3kJQ690xE0ac72DGifPZmOMW5oyTtduD__PC/s320/2017-12-19+363.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGkrH8qf1HwlnAmQFX-26PTyNyADC-SsKjwJByxPvYRWc3_un_-TnSdoQClbK7vJqCaIBJHpXsJiVEQgq6VqNGmKMHwHdFDIMEH2A_rC8qv1pNQfkH3YRSISXB14IeZgoQ3xP9pK2BYJ9/s1600/2017-12-19+366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGkrH8qf1HwlnAmQFX-26PTyNyADC-SsKjwJByxPvYRWc3_un_-TnSdoQClbK7vJqCaIBJHpXsJiVEQgq6VqNGmKMHwHdFDIMEH2A_rC8qv1pNQfkH3YRSISXB14IeZgoQ3xP9pK2BYJ9/s320/2017-12-19+366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzQzjIFQH-imTq0eIYfMnDhXw5NQoAWb_0a-WmfmwAXNF_6n7vxPeXkW_9NIVKGdceMBAIuUkzNDpWbLt5ga-njCd-2iJeYCmHVD6HsI2jCPxVTcJUw-dZRNTOxp-dDsJgARDvDUpEY9-/s1600/2017-12-19+368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzQzjIFQH-imTq0eIYfMnDhXw5NQoAWb_0a-WmfmwAXNF_6n7vxPeXkW_9NIVKGdceMBAIuUkzNDpWbLt5ga-njCd-2iJeYCmHVD6HsI2jCPxVTcJUw-dZRNTOxp-dDsJgARDvDUpEY9-/s320/2017-12-19+368.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegYwrLZCda5d_F9lkqVdJDViFFpdPQWUGcKs9mRSn-04r129t5KuuHZedLIkTv137RubonCxYGbXIjxwgTxwnNaYcgrS_huKE4GIsWxw83Ur5haiWBph4tvnpXHXykiU7v5yTFinIlQEG/s1600/2017-12-19+370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegYwrLZCda5d_F9lkqVdJDViFFpdPQWUGcKs9mRSn-04r129t5KuuHZedLIkTv137RubonCxYGbXIjxwgTxwnNaYcgrS_huKE4GIsWxw83Ur5haiWBph4tvnpXHXykiU7v5yTFinIlQEG/s320/2017-12-19+370.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOru3QzMzsMX-8bipwiVlXx46dvaML_e2ilUzk_PQMtimte_cZtDYLhPxZV-i_7toPIquQ59dZNLnxdpeeHwIAi2lLmp1c3iMEhAZVReCtsbJaawpbPGpqNu8KGbVVt8x-sSAD4cvCcWR/s1600/2017-12-19+371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOru3QzMzsMX-8bipwiVlXx46dvaML_e2ilUzk_PQMtimte_cZtDYLhPxZV-i_7toPIquQ59dZNLnxdpeeHwIAi2lLmp1c3iMEhAZVReCtsbJaawpbPGpqNu8KGbVVt8x-sSAD4cvCcWR/s320/2017-12-19+371.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-lml-t5P_4V7uAIOE29u8AJSs9YWE9k-E6RCcYLFnmbnSIlm5HJfHsjL79fnaFa35VjoWO9Nbme77jlPZYJy84qlR_hGBy4s6qcDW-zX_CXG6O6egOG9H2q4dR6XlzpHHqx3qc7zT5kU/s1600/2017-12-19+372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-lml-t5P_4V7uAIOE29u8AJSs9YWE9k-E6RCcYLFnmbnSIlm5HJfHsjL79fnaFa35VjoWO9Nbme77jlPZYJy84qlR_hGBy4s6qcDW-zX_CXG6O6egOG9H2q4dR6XlzpHHqx3qc7zT5kU/s320/2017-12-19+372.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Palacio de la Antigua Escuela de Medicina,</b> the current home of the Museum of Medicine, once had a far more sinister past as the Palace of the Inquisition where fearsome interrogations took place from the 16th century onward. It was unusual seeing its Baroque facade set on the corner of the building. </span><span style="font-size: large;">As it was getting late and we were getting 'museumed out' by then, we gave it a pass.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG35jBDsI2HMAHOo7tTWDLsvAALsy3Ksr50nERMXp3BBxWTs8gXcwW_kuMe_iRRUok7RQNYagE_kq0Rey4GdToLWC2XoemP68-9J-1-f7pOQNS2ka1d6wKWmvtVvSZxiUVZW3EaHaD1Df/s1600/2017-12-19+375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG35jBDsI2HMAHOo7tTWDLsvAALsy3Ksr50nERMXp3BBxWTs8gXcwW_kuMe_iRRUok7RQNYagE_kq0Rey4GdToLWC2XoemP68-9J-1-f7pOQNS2ka1d6wKWmvtVvSZxiUVZW3EaHaD1Df/s320/2017-12-19+375.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The museum was located in <b>Plaza de Santo Domingo,</b> second only in
importance to the Zócalo itself. We much preferred walking around the plaza
where the Dominicans built the first convent in New Spain in 1527. All that
remains of the convent was the restored chapel, the <b>La Capilla de la Expiación.</b> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0DmTPl6EQ_76gJRJ4NedYa_ji5jPQvz5kZCkfgdEVv4Nerf_UImbjpXytfz50wNW1xRZS7kLtZDSs12grFPOdryR-bstWCplPH7Wz5jFHFhAdpDs7zlg1kht7HlJLEIWuDadIoesodJL/s1600/2017-12-19+378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0DmTPl6EQ_76gJRJ4NedYa_ji5jPQvz5kZCkfgdEVv4Nerf_UImbjpXytfz50wNW1xRZS7kLtZDSs12grFPOdryR-bstWCplPH7Wz5jFHFhAdpDs7zlg1kht7HlJLEIWuDadIoesodJL/s320/2017-12-19+378.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLXBqUs_U2CegsUOZ6V_Tfp-u-_tauKfhBNMuLfudDO3weF2AOErdyptB5FjbmKdZUdtwS5GbZ41FEvLVoPbf6ErmvDhnoR8YhyxZ0VLpGmtg4M5-0M3X4FzSVa0GvlUv6k5bvL3112EV/s1600/2017-12-19+386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLXBqUs_U2CegsUOZ6V_Tfp-u-_tauKfhBNMuLfudDO3weF2AOErdyptB5FjbmKdZUdtwS5GbZ41FEvLVoPbf6ErmvDhnoR8YhyxZ0VLpGmtg4M5-0M3X4FzSVa0GvlUv6k5bvL3112EV/s320/2017-12-19+386.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of the buildings that flanked the square dated from the 18th century. I wish I knew what this grand building was across the square.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4fsNrOf7Bm45qk0aeRsPlbYJm5V3sIKyUuXmjAhu9nsCiPyYTRJ-nY1jHsHPInuLHkgq8cTLLk1XrhKdS3Xm5gO9V4wJEyy2bfCaGUg-Q_Nh4XEuQoA7MBx7bzNvaayOvUTH-XyiDTX9/s1600/2017-12-19+382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4fsNrOf7Bm45qk0aeRsPlbYJm5V3sIKyUuXmjAhu9nsCiPyYTRJ-nY1jHsHPInuLHkgq8cTLLk1XrhKdS3Xm5gO9V4wJEyy2bfCaGUg-Q_Nh4XEuQoA7MBx7bzNvaayOvUTH-XyiDTX9/s320/2017-12-19+382.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xKWbnhq5I39oLXPcX1G7P3o2XMffia93ujUM-C5Iiy8s9_6TAap1mLHjOt6eilL_rUpaoiMbHJMAJ2bQMcP0C8LQnd1_bgcAgylvyaoGOymXLzdnWrNdaToDKmzo2ot3T6MEi67l1YcA/s1600/2017-12-19+381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xKWbnhq5I39oLXPcX1G7P3o2XMffia93ujUM-C5Iiy8s9_6TAap1mLHjOt6eilL_rUpaoiMbHJMAJ2bQMcP0C8LQnd1_bgcAgylvyaoGOymXLzdnWrNdaToDKmzo2ot3T6MEi67l1YcA/s320/2017-12-19+381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of you may know I love to buy cards; in fact I already have so many I should never buy another and should start sending out far more than I do. But that didn't stop me from admiring shop after shop only selling wonderful greeting and note cards in the Tuscan-style arcade! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62QbmgKGXbvdgX53P9ZZYco5AJ7tJ2Xa4cMdUnMCUYfuuEZQJY5O8EUioS1MQKDwzotKnR3yBr2N-EKKxjkvudgShTc3dHWus_Dh0o4xhvShr7eb9E7-zyWfgT-nQF1McDI2K8RV0oj16/s1600/2017-12-19+379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62QbmgKGXbvdgX53P9ZZYco5AJ7tJ2Xa4cMdUnMCUYfuuEZQJY5O8EUioS1MQKDwzotKnR3yBr2N-EKKxjkvudgShTc3dHWus_Dh0o4xhvShr7eb9E7-zyWfgT-nQF1McDI2K8RV0oj16/s320/2017-12-19+379.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR0llECwpex3v2nywrhWCbU_hHtBsR83WfDlM1kl-DtAcrLKW8XLvU_04V4si92iD5anRKymoECWm5-MNf_YkuliM9WgWbGWyOdB8XSwyJTGVASVp7x7EtQgQ0_Jc6xc8qLCQAGOdZ0R-/s1600/2017-12-19+380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR0llECwpex3v2nywrhWCbU_hHtBsR83WfDlM1kl-DtAcrLKW8XLvU_04V4si92iD5anRKymoECWm5-MNf_YkuliM9WgWbGWyOdB8XSwyJTGVASVp7x7EtQgQ0_Jc6xc8qLCQAGOdZ0R-/s320/2017-12-19+380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After a fun wander around the square, we returned to the Church of Santo Domingo that we'd first come across in the plaza. Erected between 1717 and 1737, most of the sober facade was covered in red volcanic <i>tezontle</i> stone.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy_dy3SamEasqWm6FSmmv4NcSEMdDNiQ0JObQGRr3w-Vw9THeQYXL73hP8FM9mnuzTUJuEksYT-JVnSFW872SK2g-HAngjwEBi3ic92eYhv0QgcOuyIiHsGOyc1IfAnrMPCj8J85A4Xhl/s1600/2017-12-19+383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy_dy3SamEasqWm6FSmmv4NcSEMdDNiQ0JObQGRr3w-Vw9THeQYXL73hP8FM9mnuzTUJuEksYT-JVnSFW872SK2g-HAngjwEBi3ic92eYhv0QgcOuyIiHsGOyc1IfAnrMPCj8J85A4Xhl/s320/2017-12-19+383.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, my phone's camera wasn't able to pick up very clearly the Talavera tiles near the top of the church tower but the pretty tile work is more visible if you click on the photo to make it bigger.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpR5KYF4ShH6YFHR1btfkV1G3hn_B1iLq8ohG5o-b2Io_bqv_ZG2dCZPc6ChEYmkY1UhAVAOg2pdm-2R5LmvVQMEU7U6k5k9B910FkAGXSjkgbC0HsumseqL0MXRg-MkXZixSWaWMBRw5/s1600/2017-12-19+385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpR5KYF4ShH6YFHR1btfkV1G3hn_B1iLq8ohG5o-b2Io_bqv_ZG2dCZPc6ChEYmkY1UhAVAOg2pdm-2R5LmvVQMEU7U6k5k9B910FkAGXSjkgbC0HsumseqL0MXRg-MkXZixSWaWMBRw5/s320/2017-12-19+385.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The interior contained more </span><span style="font-size: large;">beautiful religious paintings and </span><span style="font-size: large;">statues of saints thought to date from the 16th century and .</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiQ709bMJZCGTcKPi7Bf3mZpl7QXmvfYfbmQ5TmfeMkekdQM5hVJMFKBuX5RH2psJcZbSN4bc7tYYzrIHeMWsVF_yzPzj4xS1qb2ssx8HJQx_oSo0uPvz2aas61HUJ3ejvmI_DDlPlZ1a/s1600/2017-12-19+391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiQ709bMJZCGTcKPi7Bf3mZpl7QXmvfYfbmQ5TmfeMkekdQM5hVJMFKBuX5RH2psJcZbSN4bc7tYYzrIHeMWsVF_yzPzj4xS1qb2ssx8HJQx_oSo0uPvz2aas61HUJ3ejvmI_DDlPlZ1a/s320/2017-12-19+391.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pSB8yXtYlz3cdVxOUVJO95n7G3pgzNTr-DjOZ4a_tVpHFqJmie6dGoH_u301ZmhglJKrsN8_tFSGHx7p-TtaOCf3wy47_fc_Ie6vqku-fO1Lr89eH0KSAqnS4L31hQ7QBww4zqBPZor7/s1600/2017-12-19+392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pSB8yXtYlz3cdVxOUVJO95n7G3pgzNTr-DjOZ4a_tVpHFqJmie6dGoH_u301ZmhglJKrsN8_tFSGHx7p-TtaOCf3wy47_fc_Ie6vqku-fO1Lr89eH0KSAqnS4L31hQ7QBww4zqBPZor7/s320/2017-12-19+392.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5cgKI6hdYngQxHUftx8K6v4cssycGBjaiBkp4ZfP-YR-gcPSK8YtjWcPpZqSSnFhyphenhyphends5JIz8v1GqnIepFHBGhFPjDp5hvcQtiAee5GHBwnrGF-1BpS61FskTggzwGvUUdkzB5duFOoLj/s1600/2017-12-19+393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5cgKI6hdYngQxHUftx8K6v4cssycGBjaiBkp4ZfP-YR-gcPSK8YtjWcPpZqSSnFhyphenhyphends5JIz8v1GqnIepFHBGhFPjDp5hvcQtiAee5GHBwnrGF-1BpS61FskTggzwGvUUdkzB5duFOoLj/s320/2017-12-19+393.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Can you see the crack running down the middle of the photo I took of the main aisle? The uneven subsidence or sinking of the land that we'd seen in the Metropolitan Cathedral earlier that day was also an issue in the Santo Domingo Church and was widely evident in the square. The gradual caving in had led to the demolition of previous churches on this site. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5A8W2ZL6TbyATeSmyzgi43LU-o0V5ddbgr3vBxkgH924SQm-wN_2r6iJHzMq8dnnBuUoY9OQqHjUrGf4LbIL45hrebJsEVcWbXJTwcDlyKZEr2dzqszU3E-9TZmkQI7ucxlG_rPn3Z2F/s1600/2017-12-19+396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5A8W2ZL6TbyATeSmyzgi43LU-o0V5ddbgr3vBxkgH924SQm-wN_2r6iJHzMq8dnnBuUoY9OQqHjUrGf4LbIL45hrebJsEVcWbXJTwcDlyKZEr2dzqszU3E-9TZmkQI7ucxlG_rPn3Z2F/s320/2017-12-19+396.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOVGHmqFzcrtAmtWSzWKzUwa0VJyhOqnk9NPToEiEwvDmCFWYocE6_hZAoarV-TqV1PDAMUoHmKkFbp7ZeiiwOmYEK2BceydM4NpQ36eFTnd9XYUhs78oTJn2nRElUfFQsgAtEzXw7xiF/s1600/2017-12-19+397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOVGHmqFzcrtAmtWSzWKzUwa0VJyhOqnk9NPToEiEwvDmCFWYocE6_hZAoarV-TqV1PDAMUoHmKkFbp7ZeiiwOmYEK2BceydM4NpQ36eFTnd9XYUhs78oTJn2nRElUfFQsgAtEzXw7xiF/s320/2017-12-19+397.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m2yevQM0oSsGtqsW9uhYk06k8oJEy03ErPSIXw3aQz3oHUeZ-kIrSDawxQi04HaRhHyKy8isMGpMzGPrcO9LM5tta52AztVNkj2O9BK40H2tf3h73wqjKu4tclo7paJazR_UtGvQFkTq/s1600/2017-12-19+398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m2yevQM0oSsGtqsW9uhYk06k8oJEy03ErPSIXw3aQz3oHUeZ-kIrSDawxQi04HaRhHyKy8isMGpMzGPrcO9LM5tta52AztVNkj2O9BK40H2tf3h73wqjKu4tclo7paJazR_UtGvQFkTq/s320/2017-12-19+398.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A pretty view of the Plaza de Santo Domingo with the arcade on the right:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaiPgD719qeuKpaPxyNYCLaH_fJqfQrJoIOwMiC1BggT4UeFvHZmeJFbwI4N1fOOnRsC-AZkZMGtAq5p0s5D5MWMit2bsbTk9nbjXrOBm579UhoQQwWUhtr3n8Qny0HlxUTQ5d7Daq8s2/s1600/2017-12-19+399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaiPgD719qeuKpaPxyNYCLaH_fJqfQrJoIOwMiC1BggT4UeFvHZmeJFbwI4N1fOOnRsC-AZkZMGtAq5p0s5D5MWMit2bsbTk9nbjXrOBm579UhoQQwWUhtr3n8Qny0HlxUTQ5d7Daq8s2/s320/2017-12-19+399.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Under the arcade attached to the church normally sit scribes who, for a small fee, fill out official documents using old manual typewriters. We were there too late to see them though.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_yt15AWSJsz6CaGGREEUyW0ZvqP-mirfrcO5bmEJh66UWFXQ8bEElnD4Qnw0HFrWrtKZa7R5wQq0KbWwNIwHdgNv0nGg5t3uM8F_tLCAcW76ReJh3oNzbZTMnM-KcoHcxClmGm66m-lJ/s1600/2017-12-19+387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_yt15AWSJsz6CaGGREEUyW0ZvqP-mirfrcO5bmEJh66UWFXQ8bEElnD4Qnw0HFrWrtKZa7R5wQq0KbWwNIwHdgNv0nGg5t3uM8F_tLCAcW76ReJh3oNzbZTMnM-KcoHcxClmGm66m-lJ/s320/2017-12-19+387.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This surely has to be the chair with the tallest back and most unusual armrests, don't you think?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPdiA52TClqkRlFv67nrSi5j-9kFkk0JXmUDYoF5DZkh7zvDVwqFmY-vunX16Yb8d8igNXTJR64rp7Ojascii8V-ibIPs8HLoPcpmFB9Ux6-AzrRQfY4yaOwaMz7BCfdCVs6ofJ-62u6I/s1600/2017-12-19+388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPdiA52TClqkRlFv67nrSi5j-9kFkk0JXmUDYoF5DZkh7zvDVwqFmY-vunX16Yb8d8igNXTJR64rp7Ojascii8V-ibIPs8HLoPcpmFB9Ux6-AzrRQfY4yaOwaMz7BCfdCVs6ofJ-62u6I/s320/2017-12-19+388.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Mexico City was so pretty at night with the colonial buildings and statues lit up, we were glad we decided to walk back to our hotel. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pBdCVxo0q3vR3sjj_hxpaN2I_fOf6oUXl_sHIxI0UzoL53cFm0tMmMY_6eNPAHRmy-ypqz_LvYPr2LuN6CZ7nEqlpDgY_nYLo5sfQh-BSS5RLowI4dHp9coXyJYG6G29HGq0GD_ctlOb/s1600/2017-12-19+401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pBdCVxo0q3vR3sjj_hxpaN2I_fOf6oUXl_sHIxI0UzoL53cFm0tMmMY_6eNPAHRmy-ypqz_LvYPr2LuN6CZ7nEqlpDgY_nYLo5sfQh-BSS5RLowI4dHp9coXyJYG6G29HGq0GD_ctlOb/s320/2017-12-19+401.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggltM3Dm4uW3LkkqGYjysyBt_2KxNNqRlx-BsdPR2MP3lAW7XNHLVa4Rj9f5is7Ki25gJFTMrwScJQAA2IJet_DBqJcCzehKxvXXh6AKpj6dmoMJU_2283w6hZyZX_QE07ryH8FUFhv7Un/s1600/2017-12-19+402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggltM3Dm4uW3LkkqGYjysyBt_2KxNNqRlx-BsdPR2MP3lAW7XNHLVa4Rj9f5is7Ki25gJFTMrwScJQAA2IJet_DBqJcCzehKxvXXh6AKpj6dmoMJU_2283w6hZyZX_QE07ryH8FUFhv7Un/s320/2017-12-19+402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZHGJjl9oA-EMcgan0uM5XtAzTeFG99AMhqyJH7_LFAacMZ1UsonNnmK-DaScLjtT4pqx8ymRrKhmBpXrqAwvPurwSq_93NgZTVit4Cy9e_K5YTDLfXOcR1BIOLK1BgnHuNgskT_m8AbW/s1600/2017-12-19+404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZHGJjl9oA-EMcgan0uM5XtAzTeFG99AMhqyJH7_LFAacMZ1UsonNnmK-DaScLjtT4pqx8ymRrKhmBpXrqAwvPurwSq_93NgZTVit4Cy9e_K5YTDLfXOcR1BIOLK1BgnHuNgskT_m8AbW/s320/2017-12-19+404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzDTP9tTo6Rk-ZUgZCGKrfdZM5A_WXWY40sde6EbDYtpMPod28ZqUivqLASlnl_Xo2UGAk1yIUqNgDJHlh3GNG2RlTY6kbDvjYpNzIMjPELyZzRBddDNYD9V12UUZ3vTr66cEHY7u1GuU/s1600/2017-12-19+405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzDTP9tTo6Rk-ZUgZCGKrfdZM5A_WXWY40sde6EbDYtpMPod28ZqUivqLASlnl_Xo2UGAk1yIUqNgDJHlh3GNG2RlTY6kbDvjYpNzIMjPELyZzRBddDNYD9V12UUZ3vTr66cEHY7u1GuU/s320/2017-12-19+405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH2xtt8_y4gdHJajLxd4RJWbwkHGLhbb_oq-kudX2cdeMInD0CoGDDCDjiOMdjdimX_TRYRqfd_ScmKT2yhoR9IwJD2fVaTlI5OBQpjfV1tYWmSom8OsMIISM9CVr4TH4c4xT8pg7_bpt/s1600/2017-12-19+407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH2xtt8_y4gdHJajLxd4RJWbwkHGLhbb_oq-kudX2cdeMInD0CoGDDCDjiOMdjdimX_TRYRqfd_ScmKT2yhoR9IwJD2fVaTlI5OBQpjfV1tYWmSom8OsMIISM9CVr4TH4c4xT8pg7_bpt/s320/2017-12-19+407.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s6q_elTlXx6MxrLBANNBME0DpAHTbpjFLceTQTUjt6wizmEUN1E2VNClMsgkI6AA2Ducgyu4x5hMcQVz4Gq05IaSb5mKKznEPDW4dtBJH4LUh6tm4BRYzN0jmV6qpR-welakqkC8xk5U/s1600/2017-12-19+408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s6q_elTlXx6MxrLBANNBME0DpAHTbpjFLceTQTUjt6wizmEUN1E2VNClMsgkI6AA2Ducgyu4x5hMcQVz4Gq05IaSb5mKKznEPDW4dtBJH4LUh6tm4BRYzN0jmV6qpR-welakqkC8xk5U/s320/2017-12-19+408.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0eMVPgwKbRrXPGUYgPVa6LI8FXdpfT8yWvsw0EmGMzWJ39xBG5W6n61IKYQEcnHYZIA5i392uII7RIX_6Vu8VdVEPHENx8wP7LwzFiT3xQQsiF5PIbjbY0l4-CnMWGeO1iSNLJR6PJvu/s1600/2017-12-19+409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0eMVPgwKbRrXPGUYgPVa6LI8FXdpfT8yWvsw0EmGMzWJ39xBG5W6n61IKYQEcnHYZIA5i392uII7RIX_6Vu8VdVEPHENx8wP7LwzFiT3xQQsiF5PIbjbY0l4-CnMWGeO1iSNLJR6PJvu/s320/2017-12-19+409.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL3CSOEMeV1U5iV8QxwmPt5nS9j9r8qzpIV7Jj9fdxyrHVksi4sR5DLrg6poxX-lblcOER8MNkUuFeOZOK8HnTX91HmZ5Uw0jijaicjcuQcGcnM6-Z_YSwqYtX3vbBBPfnqr57veibmJe/s1600/2017-12-19+410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL3CSOEMeV1U5iV8QxwmPt5nS9j9r8qzpIV7Jj9fdxyrHVksi4sR5DLrg6poxX-lblcOER8MNkUuFeOZOK8HnTX91HmZ5Uw0jijaicjcuQcGcnM6-Z_YSwqYtX3vbBBPfnqr57veibmJe/s320/2017-12-19+410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After hearing nonstop in the American media only about overwhelming negatives associated with Mexico and its capital city, I readily admit that neither of us expected such a lovely city center. We were both struck by the attractive buildings and how peaceful the historical center was and wish the American media and politicians would also portray some of the positives with the city and country.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApoAAybooLdfvF9l9pgnrzKQ6Erc2nHBxl4M4SN8rifjch_WWDU6G1XWaMtSy6sBHaHR2RAfdcsdXKs-3wTEn_DkafC0qg7oPF-l47c9WoQczgmadOpcFcb9fxLSoBa1JWKxSM_G94uuM/s1600/2017-12-19+411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApoAAybooLdfvF9l9pgnrzKQ6Erc2nHBxl4M4SN8rifjch_WWDU6G1XWaMtSy6sBHaHR2RAfdcsdXKs-3wTEn_DkafC0qg7oPF-l47c9WoQczgmadOpcFcb9fxLSoBa1JWKxSM_G94uuM/s320/2017-12-19+411.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> The real reason we came to Mexico City: to visit <b>Teotihuacán,</b> one of the most impressive cities of the ancient world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 25th, 2018, from back home again in Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-67470426220300325182018-06-20T20:54:00.001-06:002018-07-22T19:40:27.591-06:0012/19: Mexico City's Powerful Museum of Memory and Tolerance<span style="font-size: large;">Some of you already know that Steven and I met in Mexico, on St. Patrick's Day of 1981, in what was then the small town of <b>Zihuatenejo,</b> on the Pacific Coast when he was vacationing from Denver and I was there from Ottawa, Canada. Over the course of just four days, we</span><span style="font-size: large;"> fell in love after meeting while waiting to exchange money in a long line in a small bank. Before I left him to return to Canada, we talked about my moving to Denver or his moving to Ottawa and he gave me a lovely gold chain he had bought while living in Iran and I wear to this day! It sounds like a crazy story you would only see in a Hallmark movie but, less than a year later and after a significant health issue on my part, we married and I really did move to Denver! We never dreamt all those years ago that we'd be so incredibly fortunate traveling so far and so long after we retired and our four wonderful children were grown.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I mentioned all that because here I am finally writing about <b>Mexico City,</b> our last stop on our trip to South America that began way back on September 6th in Panama City. It was sad to know our fantastic trip was coming to an end in a couple of days but also wonderful to think we'd soon be back on home turf with family and friends in Denver. The previous day had been a long travel one, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Bogota, Colombia and then landing in Mexico's capital city too late other than collapse at our hotel located in the heart of downtown. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As we strolled from our hotel, the first thing we saw was </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Plaza Santos Degollado,</b> which looked like the entrance to the city's Chinatown, the last thing I ever imagined would be in Mexico City!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqhWR0VWI_Gs7FcxROvzYTkU0sM2Yk5FwNiX8yze5Ub7sOzu7Yc2pv7gsBp2mCUhyJzWvBRzRJe1HvVoxeKWtawwILycZVKpx7jns1EH62uuMNkLtpMDsXXgEhgxljTpAGOZWxzG39rg/s1600/2017-12-19+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqhWR0VWI_Gs7FcxROvzYTkU0sM2Yk5FwNiX8yze5Ub7sOzu7Yc2pv7gsBp2mCUhyJzWvBRzRJe1HvVoxeKWtawwILycZVKpx7jns1EH62uuMNkLtpMDsXXgEhgxljTpAGOZWxzG39rg/s320/2017-12-19+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">All along the major thoroughfare were bright red poinsettias marking the Christmas season.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RKKjjGKJTF-Z7v-ptIh2ngcd5qqtnmXbx8CpEVOZ5stLNKf1MKobJfUYcxO9Q_BluiCwqxXpP5BDDSPUSia5JZwsv0rfAjBt6Yy86HzbhRBPCCIHlBsTbv36rcKEGk5mNDkMB2Ky3kgj/s1600/2017-12-19+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RKKjjGKJTF-Z7v-ptIh2ngcd5qqtnmXbx8CpEVOZ5stLNKf1MKobJfUYcxO9Q_BluiCwqxXpP5BDDSPUSia5JZwsv0rfAjBt6Yy86HzbhRBPCCIHlBsTbv36rcKEGk5mNDkMB2Ky3kgj/s320/2017-12-19+004.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We wandered into the massive <b>Alameda Central Park</b> that looked so inviting first thing in the morning with the fountain, statues and pretty pathways. The park, created in the late 1500s by mandate of <b>Viceroy Luis de Velasco,</b> took its name from the <i>álamos</i> or poplars planted in the park. By the late 19th century, the park was graced with European-style statuary and lit by gas lamps. It became the place to be for the city's elite.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWWLSvD6_ehDd8zy98rIG3L9dt8B12FGDwIX3285HtfEVaTWGm1G03LSwYOgkyOhAxE0a-b5Xeed8CBjvI_ikK93ovJIt3-UVHyXa7pji-mI96eIpoZjQFEX-Ap2aUJDACAn1jxhhqdMi/s1600/2017-12-19+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWWLSvD6_ehDd8zy98rIG3L9dt8B12FGDwIX3285HtfEVaTWGm1G03LSwYOgkyOhAxE0a-b5Xeed8CBjvI_ikK93ovJIt3-UVHyXa7pji-mI96eIpoZjQFEX-Ap2aUJDACAn1jxhhqdMi/s320/2017-12-19+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShLe66y7gF4SeBRpEi8mEZoRjXVIxCTm61aRVHH-T-aKt4cgjYtediVomILtnKPFuVKvCIuR-tvM5Rt32PNQDRH5sZnmKlw3VaqIhA2EsYWLGaf2nGVSJtzdhgBQ39JnCj59Vm85_FYM/s1600/2017-12-19+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShLe66y7gF4SeBRpEi8mEZoRjXVIxCTm61aRVHH-T-aKt4cgjYtediVomILtnKPFuVKvCIuR-tvM5Rt32PNQDRH5sZnmKlw3VaqIhA2EsYWLGaf2nGVSJtzdhgBQ39JnCj59Vm85_FYM/s320/2017-12-19+006.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhIydQB6EEULGxIF6Ya9u4c7Y0Vt9RsZd2ek0BEJx4jeTnFXkGBM58j6FqzFeZLflmRzUVePHVxBWg3VjbRAjlzH5UobHTTXzkImxiWJu4VHg8d_AQFS0RLpcjImYxOXq_-0YF3s3LIjD/s1600/2017-12-19+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhIydQB6EEULGxIF6Ya9u4c7Y0Vt9RsZd2ek0BEJx4jeTnFXkGBM58j6FqzFeZLflmRzUVePHVxBWg3VjbRAjlzH5UobHTTXzkImxiWJu4VHg8d_AQFS0RLpcjImYxOXq_-0YF3s3LIjD/s320/2017-12-19+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the park was the magnificent Neoclassical monument that commemorated the Mexican statesman <b>Benito Juárez.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0rlaHnfY7hfdT0H5rkP7Jxj7WjO3_0s1wS0G3bSmnAPeXtViRnIQsqY0eI8awKiSOGPW7RWXRSwjhms71LG2SxA-ZTTFrUXxIf4Jzj5zDf1oVbckQA5UI8agKUylFXhxaHJT-GrozNVy/s1600/2017-12-19+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0rlaHnfY7hfdT0H5rkP7Jxj7WjO3_0s1wS0G3bSmnAPeXtViRnIQsqY0eI8awKiSOGPW7RWXRSwjhms71LG2SxA-ZTTFrUXxIf4Jzj5zDf1oVbckQA5UI8agKUylFXhxaHJT-GrozNVy/s320/2017-12-19+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MU_p5Bv0YSMpItcX6mrbUFyd8JQMOiL6UiG-QcqA9qIt2ZOWiaKczu5MVG4yM-ZzVQPEtOs0cWzQvJSwkh5R6baY9pg7APqlwPlkPJrKNbEhP_4W-zhhIsZxsRRlwMbqg1MF4qRBhfy2/s1600/2017-12-19+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MU_p5Bv0YSMpItcX6mrbUFyd8JQMOiL6UiG-QcqA9qIt2ZOWiaKczu5MVG4yM-ZzVQPEtOs0cWzQvJSwkh5R6baY9pg7APqlwPlkPJrKNbEhP_4W-zhhIsZxsRRlwMbqg1MF4qRBhfy2/s320/2017-12-19+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The park was a treat, an added bonus if you will, before visiting the thought-provoking <b>Museum of Memory and Tolerance </b>across the street. The museum was created fifteen years ago by two women to raise awareness of intolerance and the horrors of genocide.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpP_EVgAG-rxiCcx836grvQnpUG7b7CdMzP2_qHCOp-Kx6sxbLnxA9VfVFZpYCt6ftg92hqHlYSYURo6AtWz1pqZ781_BYTZmidJ89fuu3cNG8NCLj8vZb0HbPlWJXI6JXPTFcnyWCB3IC/s1600/2017-12-19+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpP_EVgAG-rxiCcx836grvQnpUG7b7CdMzP2_qHCOp-Kx6sxbLnxA9VfVFZpYCt6ftg92hqHlYSYURo6AtWz1pqZ781_BYTZmidJ89fuu3cNG8NCLj8vZb0HbPlWJXI6JXPTFcnyWCB3IC/s320/2017-12-19+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLStnEutPWzFeNCODSWV6fxUs4g6BK4hDX6wW1GoUgXiVdgrdDSQRjZHjr8yZ4vAtn9JSCA_q_3MxBFHQbR-ro1PE1A88rvq86AccKhFb5mMMWUElpxtDxWTpXf9cvJaGy20FnaWJOmVJ/s1600/2017-12-19+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLStnEutPWzFeNCODSWV6fxUs4g6BK4hDX6wW1GoUgXiVdgrdDSQRjZHjr8yZ4vAtn9JSCA_q_3MxBFHQbR-ro1PE1A88rvq86AccKhFb5mMMWUElpxtDxWTpXf9cvJaGy20FnaWJOmVJ/s320/2017-12-19+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDVaQjyerbVaJmrX-jeZCMs_m8dRoK4Uvy0FiMhYaaSIYIHAMulkLJj2Jy6hgtXLM_KXojaTi0kfGz2TzQIE9HiIUtbucdSKfuz5fsFilZuH7CXROq8DiK7R24hUYhrex036bMB8yTw2n/s1600/2017-12-19+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDVaQjyerbVaJmrX-jeZCMs_m8dRoK4Uvy0FiMhYaaSIYIHAMulkLJj2Jy6hgtXLM_KXojaTi0kfGz2TzQIE9HiIUtbucdSKfuz5fsFilZuH7CXROq8DiK7R24hUYhrex036bMB8yTw2n/s320/2017-12-19+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The focus of the museum was on the genocides that have occurred in </span><span style="font-size: large;">Armenia, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Hitler's Germany, Cambodia, Darfur, Guatemala, Rwanda and Bosnia. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The word 'genocide' was first coined by Polish lawyer <b>Raphäel Lemkin</b> in 1944 in his book<i> Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.</i> It's defined as the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iuGGidU0f3Vg270xv2iLfDhALuBgQHcdNWSL3tdAjasJbnYafnlKY2s7PbITHvnpfP6SyHkPib1EjXX6Y829WTAhAjAc0MnwQWI-LlxeSGVCAcM7ZsLMhYfQ8jiFXV8s8lIo-kCeco8W/s1600/2017-12-19+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iuGGidU0f3Vg270xv2iLfDhALuBgQHcdNWSL3tdAjasJbnYafnlKY2s7PbITHvnpfP6SyHkPib1EjXX6Y829WTAhAjAc0MnwQWI-LlxeSGVCAcM7ZsLMhYfQ8jiFXV8s8lIo-kCeco8W/s320/2017-12-19+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">The graphics in the museum related how the first genocide took place with the rise of power in Germany following World War I with six million unemployed people and a sense of hopelessness in the country. Hitler took advantage of this and published his book </span><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mein Kampf </span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">in which he laid out his ideology and divided humanity into superior and inferior races.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhCXy896Uu8Q75uN9xpPlSDKH-xjuWyhEtiv9vbvAYNjyK20LwNQ6spi4sQF3WKaUOoMkK3xDxkgYXCFmNeqFe9v4oiYqMncSuAD3D_hzyLJfht2xlCheAx6fONpU3T3NL5UedzO4QQnk/s1600/2017-12-19+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhCXy896Uu8Q75uN9xpPlSDKH-xjuWyhEtiv9vbvAYNjyK20LwNQ6spi4sQF3WKaUOoMkK3xDxkgYXCFmNeqFe9v4oiYqMncSuAD3D_hzyLJfht2xlCheAx6fONpU3T3NL5UedzO4QQnk/s320/2017-12-19+018.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Just two months after taking power, Hitler had absolute control over Germany. Sadly, we all know too well what transpired in such a short time with the persecuted minorities in Germany and much of the rest of Europe in the space of just a few years.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T0eh7wtfB8RTC0w9uYzqt9l33scQoC0kj9m6RirUry3X6B6lmY3du8gFamAsdKdyBH2UfCCXCKTZD3ouaEppyYPVS9crer8nO6r_XQGPhgMT5yhhyphenhypheni7FdJu-BfnQaF-wXirxPgpeI7c_/s1600/2017-12-19+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T0eh7wtfB8RTC0w9uYzqt9l33scQoC0kj9m6RirUry3X6B6lmY3du8gFamAsdKdyBH2UfCCXCKTZD3ouaEppyYPVS9crer8nO6r_XQGPhgMT5yhhyphenhypheni7FdJu-BfnQaF-wXirxPgpeI7c_/s320/2017-12-19+020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nazis created one of history's most effective propaganda 'machines,' believing that a lie repeated a thousand ties becomes the truth according to <b>Paul Joseph Goebbels,</b> the Minister of Propaganda. The regime took total control of newspapers, theaters and the education system to convince the German people of their racial superiority and to propagate their racist ideology.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg9jfjbl79EzMM9I5KjNM2tn4lROCDt9ew5d7w4sHATzfWsNU0P_3-AqZvDrZmPXx7yAyHinlxRPgkxyOzV_1T2RUXp6iIqBF0MwjNVpLDgyFneJnQ7wnSMku7gu82DsVrgcGGaAQEVtm/s1600/2017-12-19+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJg9jfjbl79EzMM9I5KjNM2tn4lROCDt9ew5d7w4sHATzfWsNU0P_3-AqZvDrZmPXx7yAyHinlxRPgkxyOzV_1T2RUXp6iIqBF0MwjNVpLDgyFneJnQ7wnSMku7gu82DsVrgcGGaAQEVtm/s320/2017-12-19+021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The flow of events in the Holocaust section was heartbreaking.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8dSUJYhg_TF73esCbjU1gZJZtHvI6QAaFNdNOPAEOhyphenhypheneEGLZJ9f2Ief7Uu-YODofMQcH4HcdpjAfAa5M3YcBrqCH9KXVnkwRrcFz1XiCpiBxopsu4bV8WgMT7rYYE4MCvxkomd2loC_S/s1600/2017-12-19+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8dSUJYhg_TF73esCbjU1gZJZtHvI6QAaFNdNOPAEOhyphenhypheneEGLZJ9f2Ief7Uu-YODofMQcH4HcdpjAfAa5M3YcBrqCH9KXVnkwRrcFz1XiCpiBxopsu4bV8WgMT7rYYE4MCvxkomd2loC_S/s320/2017-12-19+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Stepping into a train car used to transport Jews, Romas, political prisoners and other targeted group to the concentration camps brought chills down my spine as I imagined the horrors of people who had been herded like cattle.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9cwxyl-CqVbh2S63_Xysh-NEXQxoME5WKeWO8kCKYIJuA9EmCuNKbmoOD9bWu0KMQD-Xl_vBAAhL3R7Bx5CCKalyQbM0GiBtPdh3XfJhU62RTWBarwejtA8ep9QjSNnpeyanLQuG_Kfd/s1600/2017-12-19+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9cwxyl-CqVbh2S63_Xysh-NEXQxoME5WKeWO8kCKYIJuA9EmCuNKbmoOD9bWu0KMQD-Xl_vBAAhL3R7Bx5CCKalyQbM0GiBtPdh3XfJhU62RTWBarwejtA8ep9QjSNnpeyanLQuG_Kfd/s320/2017-12-19+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We read anew about thousands of people who died in the 400 ghettos that were built. Two million people were crammed into the largest one in <b>Warsaw,</b> in an area meant for just 200,000 people. Steven and I toured Warsaw and much of Poland several years ago and had visited what had been the ghetto. Being at the museum brought those memories flooding back.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWZRyj-CvLkH9SGsI-EZkYzp0zozTqWG1P_AVyJ1ndN_gK3xTIYVSeE5FekQnBCrNv19kXquiZOTAnn-Ehnd0shzoubukonkclPCoBcSmWUTfyrLEYcsot531Rd8FHk4vG3En7wg5nDys/s1600/2017-12-19+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWZRyj-CvLkH9SGsI-EZkYzp0zozTqWG1P_AVyJ1ndN_gK3xTIYVSeE5FekQnBCrNv19kXquiZOTAnn-Ehnd0shzoubukonkclPCoBcSmWUTfyrLEYcsot531Rd8FHk4vG3En7wg5nDys/s320/2017-12-19+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The museum stated that Jews' and other prisoners' first encounter with the concentration camps began with a glance by guards who decided who would live and who would die. Nazis told the latter group they could take a disinfectant shower and that's how they were able to prevent rebellion.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGdHSfpoVsw4ZiIg-z6jEDVFijMZXOKAlwlyJ6zrJT-ZwG5LKwfK40SiZdnkVoEcnzDyfsgViUxnVitaC4dZP5GR6hs4_GuKte4OSh7sa4ou19B02BkvdprIC2yRD0mNr3Xa_Qcji5LUB/s1600/2017-12-19+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGdHSfpoVsw4ZiIg-z6jEDVFijMZXOKAlwlyJ6zrJT-ZwG5LKwfK40SiZdnkVoEcnzDyfsgViUxnVitaC4dZP5GR6hs4_GuKte4OSh7sa4ou19B02BkvdprIC2yRD0mNr3Xa_Qcji5LUB/s320/2017-12-19+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For all the time we've spent visiting concentration camps and Holocaust Museums throughout what was formerly Eastern Europe and also in Israel, I hadn't remembered learning about the death marches that occurred near the end of the war. The museum described how Germans decided to evacuate prisoners from camps to the center of Germany as their aim was not to leave any witnesses and evidence of their widespread killing policies. Half of those who survived the camps just ten days before the end of the war died on the marches. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvsHsJgeJmhyJJbJUxyKzn3NkcSBVC03lKGFKsy4qDe5n_w7J_Ht4DjNuw-T8i0lNEVPUC1YdcR4n2RN1CyycCQiC5KS0_HsHhVaVWZ-3ImifX_5tVWqJNG9ECsbv4p1_s6N5WMWkAv63/s1600/2017-12-19+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvsHsJgeJmhyJJbJUxyKzn3NkcSBVC03lKGFKsy4qDe5n_w7J_Ht4DjNuw-T8i0lNEVPUC1YdcR4n2RN1CyycCQiC5KS0_HsHhVaVWZ-3ImifX_5tVWqJNG9ECsbv4p1_s6N5WMWkAv63/s320/2017-12-19+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most gripping displays was this one which pictured the faces of some so-called <b>committed people,</b> those who decided to help and save lives of those who were persecuted. They, of course, risked their safety, well-being and lives for others. Click on the photo to make it bigger so you can see how few faces are turned forward - those represented the committed people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNdshWig-G1mcFzy_ChaWoymIDkXDKCWEHqZmeFNB3iKJDneMKzMZm7OW_JdKeTJIguMe8_SDsusVmK8-FKNJS6daz7qzEgIQt7lynLoigFSZ5cwpFu4OiClWPmGKki3As9ngQnWaSpVr/s1600/2017-12-19+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNdshWig-G1mcFzy_ChaWoymIDkXDKCWEHqZmeFNB3iKJDneMKzMZm7OW_JdKeTJIguMe8_SDsusVmK8-FKNJS6daz7qzEgIQt7lynLoigFSZ5cwpFu4OiClWPmGKki3As9ngQnWaSpVr/s320/2017-12-19+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Those people with their backs turned represented the majority of citizens who were indifferent to injustice or not brave enough to become committed. It made us search our souls and wonder, if faced with that same harrowing situation, would we be committed ones or turn our backs? I pray none of us will face that terrible 'what if' situation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxCrk4aCNAgu9gzDrCTA_7NlZHQIjzmQaT5H3FvMl4BQgso1QkYXg30mFy9xkaN6DyvdWAL_ZLmBIK1dntYtnbIjrIjBELlr4M02pcG7Bn68tgUNE4A_aIbUUKirOLASSyWW0h3A2gUOE/s1600/2017-12-19+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxCrk4aCNAgu9gzDrCTA_7NlZHQIjzmQaT5H3FvMl4BQgso1QkYXg30mFy9xkaN6DyvdWAL_ZLmBIK1dntYtnbIjrIjBELlr4M02pcG7Bn68tgUNE4A_aIbUUKirOLASSyWW0h3A2gUOE/s320/2017-12-19+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Beyond the historical experience and recounting of the horrific crimes perpetrated by the Nazis, the museum succeeded in giving the prisoners a face and reminded us that each one had lives, hopes, stories and dreams before so many were snuffed out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Following the Holocaust, the prevailing belief was 'Never Again,' a promise that such atrocities could and would never happen again because people in all nations were so horrified at what had happened. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Exhibits on a lower level made clear that so many genocides have continued since WWII including in</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cambodia, Darfur, Guatemala and more. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0E_MAohIWaC_jzo82mSQ5tuqiBslKLf2NXxEJLLrtbJsUp1_z14oZGlsnn7h7IH0L5-PIxp5VIBQoYgv8SIZlpO0aX0xiAgcJP-O46gS5WuDs30dD8Q59DxV4JfIO16i_d3o4pPeFdoF/s1600/2017-12-19+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0E_MAohIWaC_jzo82mSQ5tuqiBslKLf2NXxEJLLrtbJsUp1_z14oZGlsnn7h7IH0L5-PIxp5VIBQoYgv8SIZlpO0aX0xiAgcJP-O46gS5WuDs30dD8Q59DxV4JfIO16i_d3o4pPeFdoF/s320/2017-12-19+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">What happened to the <b>Armenians</b> in 1915 at the hands of the Turks was the antecedent of the term 'genocide.' The Armenians, the first Christian people in the world, numbered about two million in the early years of the 20th century. Hundreds of thousands were killed by the Turks on death marches as a result of hunger and exhaustion. A further 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated. In less than two months, Steven and I will be starting our next long trip. After a few days in Paris, we'll spend a week in Armenia where I hope to learn far more about that tragic chapter in the country's history. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnwRICVxm6tliChduWtMHo89A63wInEgnVvZzaINr5WWq-DAbhx6xTr9LA3HZTX23ej9gocwLhyENCK0lTFF_MEq_q4_mCpoBS8pLtsy0jJmusr2VbFcSTVTfgFNtvNJpPQvzQkoVunGK/s1600/2017-12-19+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnwRICVxm6tliChduWtMHo89A63wInEgnVvZzaINr5WWq-DAbhx6xTr9LA3HZTX23ej9gocwLhyENCK0lTFF_MEq_q4_mCpoBS8pLtsy0jJmusr2VbFcSTVTfgFNtvNJpPQvzQkoVunGK/s320/2017-12-19+039.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The exhibit on the genocide that took place in <b>Rwanda</b> explained that it is generally thought for genocide to take place, there needs to be ancestral hatreds and differences. That wasn't the case in Rwanda where, despite sharing a single people, religion and culture, hatred and prejudice still occurred when a Rwandan colonel, with the approval of the ruling Belgian government, installed a new racial order. The <b>Tutsis</b> were considered to be akin to Europeans but with black skin. Social divisions became racial divisions from then on.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26u07-vtcEFjhv9mxV5Fn0TQCHAPoHE8nyQcsm83PPzTfkVLpWE9j7Ub6u010nzuY0Sxa7kKSszRN9eTDQhh2UHgmr5YC-bBs2kV6Qbh7YihrJ1aLCaDPJ_XXyDSf53txDznMnBO0DFii/s1600/2017-12-19+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26u07-vtcEFjhv9mxV5Fn0TQCHAPoHE8nyQcsm83PPzTfkVLpWE9j7Ub6u010nzuY0Sxa7kKSszRN9eTDQhh2UHgmr5YC-bBs2kV6Qbh7YihrJ1aLCaDPJ_XXyDSf53txDznMnBO0DFii/s320/2017-12-19+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When the Hutu-controlled government became independent from Belgium in 1962, the <b>Hutus</b> wanted the total elimination of all Tutsis; thus began the genocide of 80,000 Tutsis in fewer than 100 days before the UN became involved. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It is estimated that between eight hundred thousand and one million people were murdered in a war that the UN could have prevented if they hadn't ignored reports of the officials on the ground to send more troops. Rwanda is still seeking justice and is in a process of reconciliation.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFt1y4VQt3fKxRGyUxd79uUyFE2smjYRPCiC4sN9JocffmQ3s1pJgq5wdFSj91ktFSWp8oFYyz6AVnHxreBS61llTTGhh3fzh1Rz8cNL5EoLz_mPw64UoJav01nbI9TOduTPXcrcAv2EF/s1600/2017-12-19+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFt1y4VQt3fKxRGyUxd79uUyFE2smjYRPCiC4sN9JocffmQ3s1pJgq5wdFSj91ktFSWp8oFYyz6AVnHxreBS61llTTGhh3fzh1Rz8cNL5EoLz_mPw64UoJav01nbI9TOduTPXcrcAv2EF/s320/2017-12-19+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were all too familiar with what transpired in the former <b>Yugoslavia,</b> having spent quite a bit of time in each of the former republics a few years ago, following the disintegration of the country after the death of its leader, <b>Josip Broz Tito,</b> the fall of Communism and severe economic problems. Ethnic cleansing took place of all non-Serbians in 1991.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTMBNfsOFnKzFRlSJD16YpcW-LXjcvRQKxFFyOYUbukWmVRffE7Eq-NvIr4-PYz6SlJNBSw4LvmvEbPdPETHplSzhWf7h05PNThCUGxgK9AljNjxcmoIUmMePNiOBsDokLJWAlOxDtiG1/s1600/2017-12-19+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTMBNfsOFnKzFRlSJD16YpcW-LXjcvRQKxFFyOYUbukWmVRffE7Eq-NvIr4-PYz6SlJNBSw4LvmvEbPdPETHplSzhWf7h05PNThCUGxgK9AljNjxcmoIUmMePNiOBsDokLJWAlOxDtiG1/s320/2017-12-19+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I like to think we have kept up with current affairs and world events but sadly we were both totally ignorant of what transpired in <b>Guatemala</b> when one hundred thousand indigenous Mayans were murdered by the army in the 34-year long conflict from 1962-1996. Nearly fifty percent of the country's population has Mayan roots and they were victims of social and economic marginalization by a </span><span style="font-size: large;">dictatorial and repressive</span><span style="font-size: large;"> government.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvlfZ7ebjuvfWjl830RQ9x9wwrvtadVkKRGNCC1ZoXlb1aivK4tWuuv-k4LY9rWZsDyUpM3hdQ78kYB5NirRzNF2U3Mper67XR8xsVC-IaEhqmcKK9kaijKgp1XVrg_7nzV0EvEG6HcqH/s1600/2017-12-19+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvlfZ7ebjuvfWjl830RQ9x9wwrvtadVkKRGNCC1ZoXlb1aivK4tWuuv-k4LY9rWZsDyUpM3hdQ78kYB5NirRzNF2U3Mper67XR8xsVC-IaEhqmcKK9kaijKgp1XVrg_7nzV0EvEG6HcqH/s320/2017-12-19+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">On our first overseas trip together in 2013, we learned of the genocide perpetrated by <b>Cambodian</b> Pol Pot's regime from 1975-79 after tens of thousands of the country's citizens were displaced by US bombings to eliminated the North Vietnamese in 1970. The Khmer Rouge took advantage of the displaced people to seize power, eliminating all private property and banned all religious institutions. 1.7 million men, women and children, most belonging to religious minorities, were assassinated by <b>Pol Pot. </b>Visiting the Killing Fields and execution sites still haunts me to this day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1-PuOtvAAAWoxFnCqyBHLxswJ_EogQrEbVh3m8u0SNSRUbz9CnJAEUqYqo-IvTzQQFyj4L-VzGMU2o7O4SLzB0qU9A7ABi7Ih4a-BnU5pUV6OAEX6DQ-1RJj4FjENoB4vg40vSyJUP4b/s1600/2017-12-19+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1-PuOtvAAAWoxFnCqyBHLxswJ_EogQrEbVh3m8u0SNSRUbz9CnJAEUqYqo-IvTzQQFyj4L-VzGMU2o7O4SLzB0qU9A7ABi7Ih4a-BnU5pUV6OAEX6DQ-1RJj4FjENoB4vg40vSyJUP4b/s320/2017-12-19+048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Learning more about the genocide taking place right then in <b>Darfur,</b> a region in Sudan in North Africa was particularly difficult as it brought home the fact that once again nothing had been learned since the Holocaust and all the subsequent genocides that have taken place all over the world in the last 72 years. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKa96tv3NX3UWMM4et0srt9B35zzNZoB2_NsDZFrhHb_TdswEQI9zYb65LmReWnx_iHrEq8d-32phq5e5r6F41MWWUze1_8tKE15fFBgso-ht5PYs430DO_dTM2WWGTX4N_oQ8QfuH4kB/s1600/2017-12-19+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKa96tv3NX3UWMM4et0srt9B35zzNZoB2_NsDZFrhHb_TdswEQI9zYb65LmReWnx_iHrEq8d-32phq5e5r6F41MWWUze1_8tKE15fFBgso-ht5PYs430DO_dTM2WWGTX4N_oQ8QfuH4kB/s320/2017-12-19+050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The war in Sudan began in 2003 when rebel groups began fighting the government, which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population.</span><span style="font-size: large;">Four hundred thousand Sudanese have been systematically murdered by the government who responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's non-Arabs. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l1OOR9wpvChFqM8XOJEVOpmQ0On4h7J3NYMO5asZ8X4_yRKjzJ3jhPwX-N_uVSedSVpnlv-rp16WTGNm7n2ly86PuJxUYeQnGEc8uD0wqj1n-g0vdED2H8Ter-OHG8jh1ah-2XXKw3KP/s1600/2017-12-19+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4l1OOR9wpvChFqM8XOJEVOpmQ0On4h7J3NYMO5asZ8X4_yRKjzJ3jhPwX-N_uVSedSVpnlv-rp16WTGNm7n2ly86PuJxUYeQnGEc8uD0wqj1n-g0vdED2H8Ter-OHG8jh1ah-2XXKw3KP/s320/2017-12-19+052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It would be easy to make the 'Memory' section of the museum a very emotional guilt trip to what we humans do and have done to others. Nevertheless, the museum didn't succumb to this temptation. As someone stated much better than I could, "it was presented in a way that will make you become an active member of a group that has recognized that indifference is at the core of the self-inflicted calamities in world history."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The other section of the museum dealt with 'Tolerance' which was defined as to respect, understand and appreciate the diversity of all people. Laudable goals, perhaps, but with a museum such as this one in Mexico City, we may be one step closer.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8qhlHZvYccSfNLkjcbj1OUSGl26iCDvjJrAQBUCvqCanpj2tHMEK5SkDcizrW6sOdDTI2E-1yYe9jlp-2dJvw4-c0D80mf7CxPtWGN5TrYvO25u48md3bUUcd843VyxoHPbJPcXPf0b0/s1600/2017-12-19+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8qhlHZvYccSfNLkjcbj1OUSGl26iCDvjJrAQBUCvqCanpj2tHMEK5SkDcizrW6sOdDTI2E-1yYe9jlp-2dJvw4-c0D80mf7CxPtWGN5TrYvO25u48md3bUUcd843VyxoHPbJPcXPf0b0/s320/2017-12-19+055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Both Steven and I were emotionally wrung out after spending so much time in the other part of the museum, we didn't derive as much from the tolerance section as we would have if we'd started there. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPqpjLhkkfF4NgkMeU-kOBBiFaKfnRa_viAETUqclUvoWJ90gx-GZsBWwD_es861jsFPi68Sw3UCOigY0dQ5E6qASMYXYFAV9SMK8BNdzp6lD2bI-u6Eyxrv4wF_SZINtDVKQoyZ-D0lP/s1600/2017-12-19+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPqpjLhkkfF4NgkMeU-kOBBiFaKfnRa_viAETUqclUvoWJ90gx-GZsBWwD_es861jsFPi68Sw3UCOigY0dQ5E6qASMYXYFAV9SMK8BNdzp6lD2bI-u6Eyxrv4wF_SZINtDVKQoyZ-D0lP/s320/2017-12-19+056.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UiWCCcMRHfrPgz8WojiHsbaI2HvyWGWuqRWcyHq5ExugYmIME1LOAN8tuLPA071DJyGDjry2PVwtmQcnimfkSro2zSTpa96un0fFZs7hoJMg6QeQRrKqQ6iF-PinX1N4HLZm7MIFXQFu/s1600/2017-12-19+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UiWCCcMRHfrPgz8WojiHsbaI2HvyWGWuqRWcyHq5ExugYmIME1LOAN8tuLPA071DJyGDjry2PVwtmQcnimfkSro2zSTpa96un0fFZs7hoJMg6QeQRrKqQ6iF-PinX1N4HLZm7MIFXQFu/s320/2017-12-19+057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I cannot overstate how impressed I was with this museum. I can't remember any other museum informing its visitors in such profound ways of the suffering endured on our world. The museum didn't just 'give' information to the public but rather helped raise our awareness to the most pressing problem we humans have: our 'human' nature. If you visit Mexico City, I urge you to set aside a couple of hours exploring its <b>Museo Memoria y Tolerancia</b> - you'll be glad you did.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had planned to include far more of our day in Mexico City but writing this post has done me in. I want to save the rest of our day for the next post! </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> More of exciting and enjoyable Mexico City!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 20th, 2018, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, a day away from home!</i></span>Steven Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640530947960068248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-73091800662588448332018-06-15T22:01:00.000-06:002018-06-15T22:01:11.092-06:0012/17: Our Final Hurrah in Rio: Famous Churches & Iconic Ipanema & Copacabana Beaches! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Let me apologize for the almost total absence of photos in this post. I didn't realize until a couple of days ago when I opened it up and noticed barely any of the photos I took on December 17th had, for some reason, been loaded in this post. Believe me, I am so bummed not to have any photographic record of the majority of our last day in Rio and Brazil!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We started off our last day in Rio, a Sunday, fittingly enough at <b>Mosteiro de São Bento, </b>the oldest church in Rio and one of the finest colonial churches in all of Brazil. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was founded in 1590 by Benedict monks, whose Order </span><span style="font-size: large;">of Saint Benedict received from the Portuguese crown the possession of the hill it was built on. The order then baptized the hill as St. Benedict. As you may recall from my first post, the old downtown of Rio grew up on four hills. Only St. Benedict Hill and Conception Hill have survived because the two others were destroyed during the 20th century.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we climbed the hill to the monastery, </span><span style="font-size: large;">I remembered what they say about not judging a book by its cover as the church looked </span><span style="font-size: large;">attractive, but not too impressive as we walked up to the entrance</span><span style="font-size: large;">. However, once we stepped inside, we were blown away by the beautiful intricate work and gold everywhere. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The high arched ceiling, alcoves and statuary were stunning and well worth the walk up the hill. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We had made a point of going to São Bento that morning to be there for the 10 am Mass being sung in Latin by the friars. The scent of incense was so strong we could even smell it as we entered the courtyard! It was so warm inside that many parishioners were fanning themselves with church bulletins. Because we had arrived too late, there was standing room only still available. Neither of us minded as it meant we could admire even more the sacred art and the gold, gold & more gold covering intricate carvings from our vantage point at the back. Thirty friars participated in the Mass including one much older one that was pushed in a wheelchair. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The priests also run a school which is said to be one of the best in the city. Despite the large crowd attending Mass, the church was still a welcome i</span><span style="font-size: large;">sland of beauty, silence and introspection.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Several days ago, we had stopped by the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Igreja da Candelária</b> but it had been closed so we returned in the hope it was also open on the Sunday morning. These photos were from our first visit to the grand Italianate temple that had long been the church for high-society citizens of Rio. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The quasi-legendary history about the establishment of the church is that in the beginning of the 17th century a ship called Candelária almost sank during a storm on the sea. Upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro, a Portuguese couple,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> António Martins Palma and Leonor Gonçalves </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">sponsored the building of a small chapel, fulfilling the oath they made during the storm. This small chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of Candelária, was built around 1609.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEocbgpIy-_UYpqtALiv_ELdISAOxAkPwQkjp2RKprYV1_AEmuFkWWYt7g97OuGt3o9dqbt-u9pCbVHAZf_OSIjhW8O0HxREbmlodv4Xiw7tIBlBs-7neAPKiree5HDziHmv02FHLXWJY/s1600/2017-12-14+212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEocbgpIy-_UYpqtALiv_ELdISAOxAkPwQkjp2RKprYV1_AEmuFkWWYt7g97OuGt3o9dqbt-u9pCbVHAZf_OSIjhW8O0HxREbmlodv4Xiw7tIBlBs-7neAPKiree5HDziHmv02FHLXWJY/s320/2017-12-14+212.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Built between 1775 and 1894, the church was modeled on Lisbon's </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Basilica de Estrela, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">a church I've just added to our sights to see in Lisbon when we're there for five nights in December this year. The marble for the stunning tile floor had been shipped from Verona, Italy. I was so glad the church was open this time so we could admire the beautiful painted ceiling, the leather seats and the nautical themes throughout.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Directly in front of the church seemed to be an unusual location for this nude sculpture, don't you think?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDB9Hhxf3K2TZ47XGjjkrBWPlsoDMgmHfgbR4LxqkHGdOPdqUhrDZo4UnSRg6heya6inIUNZWjSsqK9uVdebkWOTTFxHmAL-kk2LwJ-AyZVxpz9mJZwTRcjoGa0l4hW0wzeP-uLg0YrLJ/s1600/2017-12-14+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDB9Hhxf3K2TZ47XGjjkrBWPlsoDMgmHfgbR4LxqkHGdOPdqUhrDZo4UnSRg6heya6inIUNZWjSsqK9uVdebkWOTTFxHmAL-kk2LwJ-AyZVxpz9mJZwTRcjoGa0l4hW0wzeP-uLg0YrLJ/s320/2017-12-14+214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we walked through more of downtown Rio to the metro, it was sad that homelessness was a large part of life in the city center. It was a fact we couldn't escape from as was the intense stench of urine. Conversely, each of the metro stations was immaculately clean and we saw no signs of any graffiti at any of the stations or in any of the cars. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We couldn't leave Rio without spending time at the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches so we took the metro to Ipanema first. There we walked around the <b>Hippie Fair</b> in <b>General Osório Square.</b> The Sunday-only street market had stalls that featured items like clothing, leather goods, art and jewelry. We had a blast wandering around the <b>Feira Hippie</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">as it was the perfect place to look for some mementos of our trip to Brazil. Though who know us are familiar with how crowded the walls of our home are with pictures, paintings and even wall hangings from our adventures around the world. Now, one of the walls has a small painting that will always remind us of our time in Rio!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were both antsy to get to the beach so we didn't dilly dally much longer and walked the few blocks to the Ipanema beach where it looked like half of Rio was spending their Sunday afternoon! For about ten bucks, we rented an umbrella and a couple of beach chairs from a fellow who set them up for us in one of the few empty spots. Without being asked, he made sure to put our backpacks around the chairs so there was no chance of their walking off as Steven's shoes, glasses, etc had done back in Valparaiso, Chile a while back!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiA1fkjlT_ToYwji5KvWViArsse6YKLZE_ttm0bSDcm6jUvAQn-GwmVxnDpRS6JK5gmZnhsu6ZV3_K_283ghC5ajbZC8Ng96tXK5E7K4bFGCN0fqXazMdqyva76gC9wGHpdLLNEg6QhhFw/s1600/2017-12-17+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiA1fkjlT_ToYwji5KvWViArsse6YKLZE_ttm0bSDcm6jUvAQn-GwmVxnDpRS6JK5gmZnhsu6ZV3_K_283ghC5ajbZC8Ng96tXK5E7K4bFGCN0fqXazMdqyva76gC9wGHpdLLNEg6QhhFw/s320/2017-12-17+004.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We hadn't come to swim but to just 'be' there at the beach and take in the scenes around us. No one had to go hungry or thirsty or lack anything much while on the beach because every couple of minutes someone would wander by selling snacks, drinks, cigarettes, sunglasses, sarongs - you name it, it could be purchased without moving from the comfort of our chairs! I remember the air being redolent of dope being smoked or 'inhaled' as per Bill Clinton! We had books with us but neither of us read much, content with taking in the nonstop activity around us. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I read that on any given summer weekend, which was when we were there, up to a half-million Rio residents, known as <i>cariocas,</i> and tourists descend on the beaches and streets of Ipanema and Copacabana. On New Year's Eve, more than three million people take to the streets and the sand to take in the new year!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUHWVN3gRpmzlBDMToBa4zidBX2z6Y8NIu9EIjVFYXGwXISeUdKbn06trDn0x3gJA03mhZ6YdForJZNph-QmQKmJ1gBqV9x5fM4a4WiGyeZJdF906s-A3y1gZCzVnfrb2FUkVyto-IDsS/s1600/2017-12-17+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUHWVN3gRpmzlBDMToBa4zidBX2z6Y8NIu9EIjVFYXGwXISeUdKbn06trDn0x3gJA03mhZ6YdForJZNph-QmQKmJ1gBqV9x5fM4a4WiGyeZJdF906s-A3y1gZCzVnfrb2FUkVyto-IDsS/s320/2017-12-17+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After a long while, we wandered down the sidewalk adjacent to the beach where we eventually came across the famous <b>Girl from Ipanema</b> statue. I so wish I could show you the photo I took of it. The statue was based on the song written by poet V<b>inicius de Moraes</b> and composer <b>Antonio Carlos Jobim</b> as an homage to a beautiful teenager called <b>Heloisa Pinheiro</b> who, on her way to the beach, passed the cafe where the men often met for an afternoon beer. I had heard of the song made famous by Frank Sinatra so it was so neat seeing the statue that has captivated so many!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczUCzX6LDEjR9gup51OWrDfUysaqD_f25Mnr5uqFvg6mzX9w1eOp05UzKcStv4LRyJMgJ7cXkLCaV9EAmq1y7QrknOGwJ5exM34mUCkulfG0BG8pCezHXz6oDkZi0bj16iylNPurrv2TU/s1600/2017-12-17+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczUCzX6LDEjR9gup51OWrDfUysaqD_f25Mnr5uqFvg6mzX9w1eOp05UzKcStv4LRyJMgJ7cXkLCaV9EAmq1y7QrknOGwJ5exM34mUCkulfG0BG8pCezHXz6oDkZi0bj16iylNPurrv2TU/s320/2017-12-17+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the late afternoon, we walked toward <b>Arpoador,</b> a massive rock dividing the iconic Ipanema and </span><span style="font-size: large;">Copacabana </span><span style="font-size: large;">beaches, and the </span><span style="font-size: large;">main sunset spot people come to in Rio</span><span style="font-size: large;">. It was so much fun clambering over the rock and taking in the gorgeous views of the setting sun. We continued walking toward Copacabana beach, marveling at the wave-patterned mosaic pavement on the way.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9AgNbX_bs0GhaGHpo1vVhIW_Zbiv6hd6mGhUeECVLyiYWJh5M4n2PPSmC__E7W7bRroKjEX3DJYJM1GF_PNhgv1cJX3KpsOCC9LvvQlcT41hZ3BtyF-YXTOvPerM2v8p-ukp88R-5hJC/s1600/2017-12-17+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9AgNbX_bs0GhaGHpo1vVhIW_Zbiv6hd6mGhUeECVLyiYWJh5M4n2PPSmC__E7W7bRroKjEX3DJYJM1GF_PNhgv1cJX3KpsOCC9LvvQlcT41hZ3BtyF-YXTOvPerM2v8p-ukp88R-5hJC/s320/2017-12-17+009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a fun walk to Copacabana as we could see people playing beach volleyball and a game called <b>footvolley</b> played entirely with the head and feet. All along the beach from Ipanema to Arpoador and ending at Copacabana were a series of twelve <b><i>postos,</i></b> concrete bunkers that served more than just lifeguard stations. The <i>postos</i> were like small 'neighborhoods' of bathers, each congregating in its own social type or groups - gays, couples, families, teenagers and so on. All along, beach side kiosks, cafes and stall after stall selling all manner of souvenirs were constant lures for us to stop and look and take out eyes off the beach. The day which had started out with peace and serenity from visiting two marvelous churches ended with our having having a blast on two of the country's most famous beaches. It seemed like the perfect way to say goodbye to Rio and Brazil and on to our last stop of our three plus month adventure to South America,</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisZcnkO-Pr5TQZJgWzu3q1527SncYbgFEMS7Zy8OMMKSy_aHPT_XW6n0Ag_XXt7oZif0D08rnk7PKclHZ9-jeg1VMrcf3q8242_iubCRQm7JJhIT7cdr3GtFyugrcXAxLathZ83Jmmxa7/s1600/2017-12-17+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisZcnkO-Pr5TQZJgWzu3q1527SncYbgFEMS7Zy8OMMKSy_aHPT_XW6n0Ag_XXt7oZif0D08rnk7PKclHZ9-jeg1VMrcf3q8242_iubCRQm7JJhIT7cdr3GtFyugrcXAxLathZ83Jmmxa7/s320/2017-12-17+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next stop:</b> A whirlwind tour of Mexico City.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 15th, 2018, from stormy Grayton Beach on Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-7048126056071796752018-06-12T12:07:00.002-06:002018-07-22T19:37:26.405-06:0012/16: A Walk Back in Time on Rio's Ilha de Paquetá<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After getting an engrossing and somewhat alarming one-on-one tour of Rio's largest <i>favela,</i> <b>Rocinha,</b> Steven and I needed something lighthearted to visit for the rest of the day. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ilha de Paquetá,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">a popular tourist spot </span><span style="font-size: large;">in the <b>Baía de Guanabara,</b> sounded like it would be an ideal escape from the city’s bustle and the morning's events. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Knowing that, because of its size and the fact that it is accessible only by boat, Paquetá was one of the safest places in Rio with virtually no crime was especially important then, too! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, it was very easy to take the metro downtown, then walk past the Imperial Palace </span><span style="font-size: large;">on the Praça XV </span><span style="font-size: large;">that we'd toured on our first day to the ferry terminal. We couldn't believe how fortunate we were when we happened to arrive there just ten minutes before the ferry left at 2:30 as the next ferry wouldn't have left for another 90 minutes!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A view of <b>Sugarloaf</b> in the distance:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8CDj7LAhX2wZP9OTpWS8Y0-60milX04c5vYP1rPz3dON4PU3ET-o8e1aptY_fFyZ-vi0NwasnjVHHbyit_fGWyy7Rnei__0Dk7sLvZj2AAQSG4x6zRlxSyfptFLJmVO6Kt8XoCj1wLQ/s1600/2017-12-16+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8CDj7LAhX2wZP9OTpWS8Y0-60milX04c5vYP1rPz3dON4PU3ET-o8e1aptY_fFyZ-vi0NwasnjVHHbyit_fGWyy7Rnei__0Dk7sLvZj2AAQSG4x6zRlxSyfptFLJmVO6Kt8XoCj1wLQ/s320/2017-12-16+097.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A ferry returning from </span><span style="font-size: large;">Ilha de Paquetá:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIfUQnyLEZ31gRlCg5W67Qep09oX7JkJMMyUdy5XFIc9DtPj52ybQ7WHz8h6r9ETBFkuJmXYfxetHmWsUCsdqbQXPf4SS2CZB6yiCZFqH3hwlETE6qkZKOivT5PVfooRCYfW4fE9AsWI/s1600/2017-12-16+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIfUQnyLEZ31gRlCg5W67Qep09oX7JkJMMyUdy5XFIc9DtPj52ybQ7WHz8h6r9ETBFkuJmXYfxetHmWsUCsdqbQXPf4SS2CZB6yiCZFqH3hwlETE6qkZKOivT5PVfooRCYfW4fE9AsWI/s320/2017-12-16+099.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The </span><span style="font-size: large;">Baía de </span><span style="font-size: large;">Guanabara was where you may remember the 2016 Olympic sailing and rowing events took place.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzLF770_zpUacbwRG5zvZXHQJ5onKslT0p3XE1X1AmZ0U7LacZk5l8DGTvGZ2HY38Chg7UMGlvD7g7JIbpUItBJsHxlfJgCco775q2sZNqQ7XdkJ3Er9AdgwnNISom1Avl1TkGOoom5k/s1600/2017-12-16+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzLF770_zpUacbwRG5zvZXHQJ5onKslT0p3XE1X1AmZ0U7LacZk5l8DGTvGZ2HY38Chg7UMGlvD7g7JIbpUItBJsHxlfJgCco775q2sZNqQ7XdkJ3Er9AdgwnNISom1Avl1TkGOoom5k/s320/2017-12-16+102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The bridge across the bay to <b>Niteroi</b> was one of the longest I could remember seeing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye7wgSzdGc5RqJVzJGKpiWKzuKFTb4bxmcy4lPSqkxnto0dg_vGoHGQFQZjUDchHG5SkeCPUwisS2IYidGylcAjZZ662wRpfPWwSc2_xRVcr61BD4eJvZTnWnqoOi6mhZPhHJq1pDbC8/s1600/2017-12-16+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhye7wgSzdGc5RqJVzJGKpiWKzuKFTb4bxmcy4lPSqkxnto0dg_vGoHGQFQZjUDchHG5SkeCPUwisS2IYidGylcAjZZ662wRpfPWwSc2_xRVcr61BD4eJvZTnWnqoOi6mhZPhHJq1pDbC8/s320/2017-12-16+105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFgKH-VxegcolRRamJeoUzeiA_Bx7oazLHQ-uGzaUkjBcbRSSoHB0-8GFI7klYJ3oIMyEihE0S0nvYcBk6fauoPC5loDxtDJttFI_wbDCJNGyOu3O5gGGgDbuO7QWquE3MBuQsOByD8g/s1600/2017-12-16+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFgKH-VxegcolRRamJeoUzeiA_Bx7oazLHQ-uGzaUkjBcbRSSoHB0-8GFI7klYJ3oIMyEihE0S0nvYcBk6fauoPC5loDxtDJttFI_wbDCJNGyOu3O5gGGgDbuO7QWquE3MBuQsOByD8g/s320/2017-12-16+106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">An oil platform likely?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzLUDsPnyWa_xDFq9zIlYdmyAUm5JqneQdI-kl4wHsJYUZpVFPuUaBb_ALCiG-M6IqF9kLKDh1ojz3fncrHtZVYcYNkNESFWJRWN16dqWa_jkbOHv9Y-gm_tTZoCZjHRkDuryKFFWPl8/s1600/2017-12-16+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzLUDsPnyWa_xDFq9zIlYdmyAUm5JqneQdI-kl4wHsJYUZpVFPuUaBb_ALCiG-M6IqF9kLKDh1ojz3fncrHtZVYcYNkNESFWJRWN16dqWa_jkbOHv9Y-gm_tTZoCZjHRkDuryKFFWPl8/s320/2017-12-16+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The very pleasant ride across the bay took 75 minutes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuqQzQPXA0fNfx9mg_kOcbMbDBJAKRfm_82G7RtqrGmDERrhO4YYpwYlcTFNjiaV3Rk17Ogt87FUlcKGTWL9c2RvOTH0gFajAxtsBZ155-L4Z4ELJglpzTjRcw2JiEA9yNBEV7gZsnZg/s1600/2017-12-16+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuqQzQPXA0fNfx9mg_kOcbMbDBJAKRfm_82G7RtqrGmDERrhO4YYpwYlcTFNjiaV3Rk17Ogt87FUlcKGTWL9c2RvOTH0gFajAxtsBZ155-L4Z4ELJglpzTjRcw2JiEA9yNBEV7gZsnZg/s320/2017-12-16+114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some history of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Paquetá </span><span style="font-size: large;">courtesy of Wikipedia! Up to the end of the 15th century, the Tamoio Indians used Paquetá as hunting and living grounds. It was officially registered by the Frenchman <b>André Thevet</b> in December, 1555, and acknowledged by King Henri II as a French discovery in 1556. Together with Paranapuã Island, Paquetá was one of the main centers of French resistance to Portuguese occupation. While the French had the Tamoios as their allies, the Temiminós Indians led by Araribóia supported the Portuguese.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvhnsSTU3mwa5kEhWRe_nNNTJI-fxo0BB21SJxwPlhj0MVMQzrjfGMmgKXlBXPqTB7Nnv5IGNImiBNuJ0OHn92I7V93DtmE98fowjQ78BJfMgCWu2LQ1AFJ9hBAXD-4E10kx2QzobTHQ/s1600/2017-12-16+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvhnsSTU3mwa5kEhWRe_nNNTJI-fxo0BB21SJxwPlhj0MVMQzrjfGMmgKXlBXPqTB7Nnv5IGNImiBNuJ0OHn92I7V93DtmE98fowjQ78BJfMgCWu2LQ1AFJ9hBAXD-4E10kx2QzobTHQ/s320/2017-12-16+115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Portuguese victory was consolidated with the expulsion of the French and the defeat of the Tamoios. Paquetá was then divided into two allotments assigned to settlers; the one now called Campo was given to <b>Inácio de Bulhões</b> and the Ponte area to <b>Fernão Valdez.</b> Apparently the characteristics of this division between Campo and Ponte were still evident in the island's festivities, in soccer matches and in the parade of dancing and singing groups during Carnival.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCzDLs_x2QmB7_LdDmV3_qk3oMAjjsRJqMZC4vUnwyJLEh7jQJCI-8Y7WH44Gcpc5WXVYrulQ_E8QVBzzWuW7o-S_ct0bHBejpxQv49tvtJjV4ErLzOAQsa2gnLEECoQGnlOkffqzHao/s1600/2017-12-16+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCzDLs_x2QmB7_LdDmV3_qk3oMAjjsRJqMZC4vUnwyJLEh7jQJCI-8Y7WH44Gcpc5WXVYrulQ_E8QVBzzWuW7o-S_ct0bHBejpxQv49tvtJjV4ErLzOAQsa2gnLEECoQGnlOkffqzHao/s320/2017-12-16+118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ferry we had come on was the <b>Ipanema,</b> named after one of the world's most famous beaches, and which we looked forward to exploring the next day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBz6ZoY6a-c4hHAVTBY_vBb5VXBt2V7Hj21JFg3BNOrtyg6qSbBQPNNV2aw06wHCgOPA2hCR6LAGn7mKF7rK0d5yT0GD0nfMRJXEV_MLNJ14WlfGMagG2K_eyJQWzOLXIl0QrI0pqn-o/s1600/2017-12-16+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBz6ZoY6a-c4hHAVTBY_vBb5VXBt2V7Hj21JFg3BNOrtyg6qSbBQPNNV2aw06wHCgOPA2hCR6LAGn7mKF7rK0d5yT0GD0nfMRJXEV_MLNJ14WlfGMagG2K_eyJQWzOLXIl0QrI0pqn-o/s320/2017-12-16+119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I bet this 'Christmas tree' would have been pretty when illuminated at night!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhrvKR58fYRiZvo4P6WW2B3dsibVUFAxvuBbIJzFa-6TqbB8yjoJzcuLrZtXEXtyoJK_rlh6q120O_fHCAc4mVPm_sHCX7mmQ0KJuw71Ywh40j6lZKvitZ0KXbkB1ORI5LRSafWiXEDw/s1600/2017-12-16+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhrvKR58fYRiZvo4P6WW2B3dsibVUFAxvuBbIJzFa-6TqbB8yjoJzcuLrZtXEXtyoJK_rlh6q120O_fHCAc4mVPm_sHCX7mmQ0KJuw71Ywh40j6lZKvitZ0KXbkB1ORI5LRSafWiXEDw/s320/2017-12-16+123.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7io5oX2WkPxjNfl1s4AdXbQftD7dqH_QEUkZZs3fzuSJD_xuO6zC_A-HeUiOmdNz746PWIkKIPecUExKWJPaCsfKvnF4NbuoPFe-c96LbP0e0PqVNyufTyyJRKi9MS9nq2SBbJIc7Dk/s1600/2017-12-16+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7io5oX2WkPxjNfl1s4AdXbQftD7dqH_QEUkZZs3fzuSJD_xuO6zC_A-HeUiOmdNz746PWIkKIPecUExKWJPaCsfKvnF4NbuoPFe-c96LbP0e0PqVNyufTyyJRKi9MS9nq2SBbJIc7Dk/s320/2017-12-16+124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The island was an auto-free zone so travel was limited to bicycles, bicycle rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages. We chose none of those options as we'd been around so many people for days on end, preferring to wander by ourselves and content with whatever we came across.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nRDB2xJkjkqap0Amu6BIOId_vl7X7RRq5SzJBNtGSGPICoEgfNN6E-T6ABr9JSAk2ohgzRNru05NnvZE7toRPuI0-cI0v-xtvCY0AWRSgu3EaJIXLr7_4SksY_gJYGNHgwv0ZAY7JW4/s1600/2017-12-16+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nRDB2xJkjkqap0Amu6BIOId_vl7X7RRq5SzJBNtGSGPICoEgfNN6E-T6ABr9JSAk2ohgzRNru05NnvZE7toRPuI0-cI0v-xtvCY0AWRSgu3EaJIXLr7_4SksY_gJYGNHgwv0ZAY7JW4/s320/2017-12-16+125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhhKQ21J3vv_BCBDRNKWN9A3YlDAw9CZPO0Mq28iishXtqfXy8ac5BoTVdmtht2AUX7u84ODNE2myaTjl2PIZ13x4hOYcXbtRt10qtOMA2HHqxiFT0t2PxuttM-ewpVkQ34K3ltcHurE/s1600/2017-12-16+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhhKQ21J3vv_BCBDRNKWN9A3YlDAw9CZPO0Mq28iishXtqfXy8ac5BoTVdmtht2AUX7u84ODNE2myaTjl2PIZ13x4hOYcXbtRt10qtOMA2HHqxiFT0t2PxuttM-ewpVkQ34K3ltcHurE/s320/2017-12-16+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaoutJ1kTlUrpCOswGCViTMNI1o2Z9SFHCr0EoKNO9AFbhwSJhuvl7EPaQP3vZ3prSpW-VzrTBT5xhD976Ir6TUtKpku7joFfrPiX6l6dimlLzWQZDkQO0NrGdLxU5yTB4ZTc8ohdvgQ/s1600/2017-12-16+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaoutJ1kTlUrpCOswGCViTMNI1o2Z9SFHCr0EoKNO9AFbhwSJhuvl7EPaQP3vZ3prSpW-VzrTBT5xhD976Ir6TUtKpku7joFfrPiX6l6dimlLzWQZDkQO0NrGdLxU5yTB4ZTc8ohdvgQ/s320/2017-12-16+128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9i4UFBrKGHmwWbIgwger_yFWhnrflBHTUHPO7gH5-WgrLLUtyJhfgA46B_wx4GOobYofLTVHqu26z1ZvLffcPX10xJeDcl50gvjo-HrVhaSe_0xIHweS_LVLxcR3SQXL6mN_dI0FHc24/s1600/2017-12-16+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9i4UFBrKGHmwWbIgwger_yFWhnrflBHTUHPO7gH5-WgrLLUtyJhfgA46B_wx4GOobYofLTVHqu26z1ZvLffcPX10xJeDcl50gvjo-HrVhaSe_0xIHweS_LVLxcR3SQXL6mN_dI0FHc24/s320/2017-12-16+129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSvgDGVc65_MVok3y1LNVg_U_dJAVd0QLkBxhA_d_Pk83MfpBG8o37d7X_kyKD4v9B6y4NJLRAvt-M6zFNjMOQ3EihkOShqedV_fZGR3fxd3_qskdVFICOxlmNihdTScEx2FXhzN1v-M/s1600/2017-12-16+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSvgDGVc65_MVok3y1LNVg_U_dJAVd0QLkBxhA_d_Pk83MfpBG8o37d7X_kyKD4v9B6y4NJLRAvt-M6zFNjMOQ3EihkOShqedV_fZGR3fxd3_qskdVFICOxlmNihdTScEx2FXhzN1v-M/s320/2017-12-16+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While walking around the small town we were both entranced by the proliferation of colorful flowers. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfbK6rCfP4eavfErahYPNQEmM4YmRK4ItzevIQ2J0XUHvmJWaGgEh3D0_LV7v9f7Lr6GdD8OKM6ucUL2aZSVbjXf3unE2yIPa1Vz68H2lLrKw6M47VcHt84Y2Uw1yiYw9N0v85iPs6lo/s1600/2017-12-16+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfbK6rCfP4eavfErahYPNQEmM4YmRK4ItzevIQ2J0XUHvmJWaGgEh3D0_LV7v9f7Lr6GdD8OKM6ucUL2aZSVbjXf3unE2yIPa1Vz68H2lLrKw6M47VcHt84Y2Uw1yiYw9N0v85iPs6lo/s320/2017-12-16+132.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMBnOcT3iqIEQ5rq5eVRnKCydgTfqbuW6nKOfRHlkuR31l8chJqb7_MZ6F_HRqgN628ZCse20emW3Kj0qtI8UkSGwxZzY8J1ZVXwmK7kUThf75CQESpj2jIl-BKJ3g242NrE30IYWWYE/s1600/2017-12-16+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMBnOcT3iqIEQ5rq5eVRnKCydgTfqbuW6nKOfRHlkuR31l8chJqb7_MZ6F_HRqgN628ZCse20emW3Kj0qtI8UkSGwxZzY8J1ZVXwmK7kUThf75CQESpj2jIl-BKJ3g242NrE30IYWWYE/s320/2017-12-16+134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOmAOilRNvxIBIl4p5vzAmFfrwLSP14DOn509yMVX7w-rVqcaf4FTAlNu18_STh0skByrnuybhZxU-6IdtUECE1inhwXTTYEZn7YFBxroiRPonFnBwKxH9tT8eueum6qQfl1xia9Ft1M/s1600/2017-12-16+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOmAOilRNvxIBIl4p5vzAmFfrwLSP14DOn509yMVX7w-rVqcaf4FTAlNu18_STh0skByrnuybhZxU-6IdtUECE1inhwXTTYEZn7YFBxroiRPonFnBwKxH9tT8eueum6qQfl1xia9Ft1M/s320/2017-12-16+137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I almost got hit taking this photo as I wasn't paying attention to where I was. Oops!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnVMgCaWFhtCcVvK60ddU5wNdFbQQoM0tHelcUlGKnTuDniG8umSZXhjmnGO6T9Zc19qob68hMb-uCc94NV5TiPQS6yq5I0IncFla55r_EFGjU7TQlk4iHLArx3pcEl8pyrqp9OiH5eU/s1600/2017-12-16+139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnVMgCaWFhtCcVvK60ddU5wNdFbQQoM0tHelcUlGKnTuDniG8umSZXhjmnGO6T9Zc19qob68hMb-uCc94NV5TiPQS6yq5I0IncFla55r_EFGjU7TQlk4iHLArx3pcEl8pyrqp9OiH5eU/s320/2017-12-16+139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What an adorable and happy mural, unlike some we'd seen earlier in Rocinha that commented on the <i>favela's</i> struggles.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLaQsZHlF17E4f7uuv4orc_MFACM3wxX-8ZFbHcAwl5xo7Oawi9kurYxmt_aTI9EHZCmrnDLJByt2JsbkTxMfDuTYG8L_cIHRE1Hyb4LE_gRHm4R3JMz2M9MEu0TCDdluhG64_Wc81Qk/s1600/2017-12-16+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLaQsZHlF17E4f7uuv4orc_MFACM3wxX-8ZFbHcAwl5xo7Oawi9kurYxmt_aTI9EHZCmrnDLJByt2JsbkTxMfDuTYG8L_cIHRE1Hyb4LE_gRHm4R3JMz2M9MEu0TCDdluhG64_Wc81Qk/s320/2017-12-16+140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtWA9qJgltcYaZNpGQzVDPZo6_w4tZtSfFVvtuD6r5b9P7Wl-58bT4LHtHIsnNjPVU915pnX0Mv00wV_LJIOwouh46l0II09WgIFwjMwUm1bQXlQFpy-FsxDBmXJSUjhMzcDrf371oos/s1600/2017-12-16+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtWA9qJgltcYaZNpGQzVDPZo6_w4tZtSfFVvtuD6r5b9P7Wl-58bT4LHtHIsnNjPVU915pnX0Mv00wV_LJIOwouh46l0II09WgIFwjMwUm1bQXlQFpy-FsxDBmXJSUjhMzcDrf371oos/s320/2017-12-16+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since my camera had gone kaput way back, I only had my phone camera to take all these photos. The telephoto lens, sadly, wasn't strong enough to capture the birds atop the rock who, as long as we looked, didn't move one iota. I was sure that they were sculptures until Steven persuaded me otherwise!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4iTbi4Vd2FHlNpysBxKR0Vn-hbVvRj2EBrIGWVdAgmlYgmg9Y-J7vwpFLlDv4mCUD4G5idm5Ojy0-_VCLYV0mpqCMi6KttNXr-3KXXu_8PNKvcDCWLwp5N5V9JpNq379FWzP_QoIw44/s1600/2017-12-16+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4iTbi4Vd2FHlNpysBxKR0Vn-hbVvRj2EBrIGWVdAgmlYgmg9Y-J7vwpFLlDv4mCUD4G5idm5Ojy0-_VCLYV0mpqCMi6KttNXr-3KXXu_8PNKvcDCWLwp5N5V9JpNq379FWzP_QoIw44/s320/2017-12-16+142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of Paquetá’s houses dated from the beginning of the 20th century, but there were some older buildings dating from the early 1700's, all of them well preserved. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QqbdV0NZVZ4Ww5eJeZOq0r6V0C5wsSQwHxlixzOEdeUGxy7uwgXTS1XzbuStIH8BCCRn-JnKrrnaf0vr9GFEQirt_mpGhnbuHsLjTuCThyphenhyphenenTo7SqzK9dNG1SY7qfQvekbLS3F8gcEQ/s1600/2017-12-16+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QqbdV0NZVZ4Ww5eJeZOq0r6V0C5wsSQwHxlixzOEdeUGxy7uwgXTS1XzbuStIH8BCCRn-JnKrrnaf0vr9GFEQirt_mpGhnbuHsLjTuCThyphenhyphenenTo7SqzK9dNG1SY7qfQvekbLS3F8gcEQ/s320/2017-12-16+145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Along this beach was</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Tamoios' Park </b>and</span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b>an old cannon from the beginning of the 19th century that was used to salute the arrival of <b>Prince Regent Joao</b> to the island.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVzXT9MLKFMkHpHtM0h_llOla8ZhQq6AonsjYx7FOmV-Xsqm3xc6f1fY4ZQr1Gho8Kho0zxt3tvkTqOPORNYU64dYLwIq_rMxHbzPtCwajox4_F3NX8bgHiRaZHYTS81z2PazCxIiQuU/s1600/2017-12-16+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVzXT9MLKFMkHpHtM0h_llOla8ZhQq6AonsjYx7FOmV-Xsqm3xc6f1fY4ZQr1Gho8Kho0zxt3tvkTqOPORNYU64dYLwIq_rMxHbzPtCwajox4_F3NX8bgHiRaZHYTS81z2PazCxIiQuU/s320/2017-12-16+146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We found a very quiet spot along the waterfront, a good distance from the town, where I read and Steven played solitaire on his iPad, both happy to relax and take in the beauty around us. I loved hearing a departing ship's horn in the distance knowing we were in no rush to leave.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTmtulJO2-w0GIlgXEbt6TImz_1bJ7zSgHcDhPxxdbTSENULg2fA-gq0d0YC83zSGoNYieXyQW4y1bIFkE6QJcJr181No4fHYuxtPJxcTLsMtu89A7EmctOtv5p9Oj1sp-LiPJaPgl2s/s1600/2017-12-16+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTmtulJO2-w0GIlgXEbt6TImz_1bJ7zSgHcDhPxxdbTSENULg2fA-gq0d0YC83zSGoNYieXyQW4y1bIFkE6QJcJr181No4fHYuxtPJxcTLsMtu89A7EmctOtv5p9Oj1sp-LiPJaPgl2s/s320/2017-12-16+147.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tB2v3FNXsQoNvc4qgKBDVm7kIOwVUFdrN7FB75748NQxpdJjI0brnpVX1U0XyqPDWDxPVkVTGdB1pR1hX6yZoAfDjW4r3nrrRIdHCZBZznuyFZSF3BLjAb_EhyphenhyphenttvHM-WRHhaC09eI0/s1600/2017-12-16+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tB2v3FNXsQoNvc4qgKBDVm7kIOwVUFdrN7FB75748NQxpdJjI0brnpVX1U0XyqPDWDxPVkVTGdB1pR1hX6yZoAfDjW4r3nrrRIdHCZBZznuyFZSF3BLjAb_EhyphenhyphenttvHM-WRHhaC09eI0/s320/2017-12-16+148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After a good while, I got antsy wanting to explore more of the island so we ended up walking down a dirt road that took us to the beach on the other side of the tiny island.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjiz3zyysjn7njFyUpDpVFscY7Kqvwmkp0UEWGzVtMsdlMZ6VFs947JMwnV0824vn2kFtjRICSSgxRKC1rC718vk8RtgAy1oItlQAmqlY1Ws8xFQtDbAQXKfGxIKXSLfH50k_UnDS504/s1600/2017-12-16+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjiz3zyysjn7njFyUpDpVFscY7Kqvwmkp0UEWGzVtMsdlMZ6VFs947JMwnV0824vn2kFtjRICSSgxRKC1rC718vk8RtgAy1oItlQAmqlY1Ws8xFQtDbAQXKfGxIKXSLfH50k_UnDS504/s320/2017-12-16+149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our selfie taken on the pier seemed a world away from the gunfire we'd heard twice just a few hours ago in the <i>favela.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNDDR3rtSOOKkL_UvClnyl393hQSeNXIjwves4J6MpSPTm0qi5zniEysv5C2YQAF7nQrW9jvNsD294rBBqDXFWOsI8Dz6lUaoL0qYkF8b2XYLZY1TDjR9OIgBYdoaARLA7JvhyWGKzqE/s1600/2017-12-16+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNDDR3rtSOOKkL_UvClnyl393hQSeNXIjwves4J6MpSPTm0qi5zniEysv5C2YQAF7nQrW9jvNsD294rBBqDXFWOsI8Dz6lUaoL0qYkF8b2XYLZY1TDjR9OIgBYdoaARLA7JvhyWGKzqE/s320/2017-12-16+150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEN94RKjy_B8DuKOXG9znB_MvyETli2-0dnoZQyx3c2agcZWMPjYpYvPbYhRpxjJa7n_7c-8LBZUCidE0eP6COzA5_NzkVlNoEyHF61auCR6kM0FmPyRAIN31-8WbsJwndffjYgbY5LY/s1600/2017-12-16+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEN94RKjy_B8DuKOXG9znB_MvyETli2-0dnoZQyx3c2agcZWMPjYpYvPbYhRpxjJa7n_7c-8LBZUCidE0eP6COzA5_NzkVlNoEyHF61auCR6kM0FmPyRAIN31-8WbsJwndffjYgbY5LY/s320/2017-12-16+153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved this shot of the colorful paddle boats waiting to be rented for a spin in the bay. Unfortunately, the water surrounding the island was polluted, so we couldn't swim there. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBrKTBw1VAVhseXEkv3Qf6f_wIj_BQYh9ROnhB-UMlfUoT6L-H9zO8hzv0gj5WOHCVMiwuubkw96bLmmmoFMv538eQrioHqXEOGUnPQGbT2tQgVcy_AekcU9R0nCMk5JJ-Fyt0QyhL2E/s1600/2017-12-16+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBrKTBw1VAVhseXEkv3Qf6f_wIj_BQYh9ROnhB-UMlfUoT6L-H9zO8hzv0gj5WOHCVMiwuubkw96bLmmmoFMv538eQrioHqXEOGUnPQGbT2tQgVcy_AekcU9R0nCMk5JJ-Fyt0QyhL2E/s320/2017-12-16+155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6-nLXbq6QqFPijiyvSjwLaoumghqkRgNXMsrNisvPrRHbmgef7RRh8QJyDhKdAbDo2LVgA_zp8BruVe72eSvhYe2lk5D_cwQAocWeiG1eppOkmzK6J8Ka1ucfzksc6vXOSwNrGM-8lk/s1600/2017-12-16+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6-nLXbq6QqFPijiyvSjwLaoumghqkRgNXMsrNisvPrRHbmgef7RRh8QJyDhKdAbDo2LVgA_zp8BruVe72eSvhYe2lk5D_cwQAocWeiG1eppOkmzK6J8Ka1ucfzksc6vXOSwNrGM-8lk/s320/2017-12-16+156.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We strolled to the end of the boardwalk through gates to </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Parque Darke de Mattos,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">a park that was as pretty as it gets. We found a bench to sit on but, all too soon, a man came by to let us know the park was closing so we needed to leave. What a shame as we thought we'd found another slice of heaven on earth.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UbaHV4DCdbMBRtHFuLi2Ui28TfsmX4Nl0uE_4jvEjCahM8BztjYsGu5tHnsegA7ajqqBJyI_uT5MLOyOOAN3fQjJase_IBUfq6zTKMNfZiDD66c0zfh9Byqv9gJOtZjn9t9LEn4narY/s1600/2017-12-16+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UbaHV4DCdbMBRtHFuLi2Ui28TfsmX4Nl0uE_4jvEjCahM8BztjYsGu5tHnsegA7ajqqBJyI_uT5MLOyOOAN3fQjJase_IBUfq6zTKMNfZiDD66c0zfh9Byqv9gJOtZjn9t9LEn4narY/s320/2017-12-16+161.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was fascinating how the portico had been built around a</span><span style="font-size: large;"> famous <b>baobab tree</b> called</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Maria Gorda or Fat Mary </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">which residents kiss for luck.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Paquetá's twenty baobabs, </span><span style="font-size: large;">a </span><span style="font-size: large;">type of African tree, were the </span><span style="font-size: large;">only ones in the country beside </span><span style="font-size: large;">one in the public square in <b>Fortaleza</b> in northeastern Brazil.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar, a country on our wish list of those we'd love to see. T</span><span style="font-size: large;">he trees were brought by African priests and planted in specific places for the worship of African religions. According to an old African legend, if one is buried inside a baobab, his soul will live while the plant lives. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It and many other specimens of 100-year old trees were registered and protected by law. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTAKGYlPmiTcqvaCKwTepAVqLkZmtBB-UpS_pVRwL97O3f7aRdJ3KcpSpgvRtvJR3__t1h1bhLuiYv78G-b_IfgTV8bkvsFu7lUMIhneVGkE7VZyVZk4zcE3OhlfKfSTS1n9Xq7knd1w/s1600/2017-12-16+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTAKGYlPmiTcqvaCKwTepAVqLkZmtBB-UpS_pVRwL97O3f7aRdJ3KcpSpgvRtvJR3__t1h1bhLuiYv78G-b_IfgTV8bkvsFu7lUMIhneVGkE7VZyVZk4zcE3OhlfKfSTS1n9Xq7knd1w/s320/2017-12-16+158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It's safe to say that never in our lives had either of us ever seen a tree protected by a hand-crocheted cover! I could only wonder who had taken the time to make it and why!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDpKod28Djn1B5DewLwLk-iyZaYA7hyphenhyphenB7Xwh0Dp0-rMeJskGTaAzXC6kIMU39txjy8Bvm6GPvgkfDUw7ODQgngztaibfeww_fTaP6sFIn8-BN-_ALa5TcEVdr4mXqWPgBJH0MrIpHk1s/s1600/2017-12-16+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDpKod28Djn1B5DewLwLk-iyZaYA7hyphenhyphenB7Xwh0Dp0-rMeJskGTaAzXC6kIMU39txjy8Bvm6GPvgkfDUw7ODQgngztaibfeww_fTaP6sFIn8-BN-_ALa5TcEVdr4mXqWPgBJH0MrIpHk1s/s320/2017-12-16+157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we meandered back to what constituted as the 'town,' we passed a huge get together near the beach. The food grilling on the BBQs smelled so delicious, I wished we'd been invited to enjoy it!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7S3xOplcpx17LOJiBuoNMeZT7GNG4d_bJsR7b7ZNtqQfnkNhtpg5zobtFP_yiHV-OwT06or1-c0b_vZNvcPEL_tZ-P7WvRv9jCciJmNuLIJicxyEU2-l7yHWwJk5_4FDyEkmKM3s3WAs/s1600/2017-12-16+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7S3xOplcpx17LOJiBuoNMeZT7GNG4d_bJsR7b7ZNtqQfnkNhtpg5zobtFP_yiHV-OwT06or1-c0b_vZNvcPEL_tZ-P7WvRv9jCciJmNuLIJicxyEU2-l7yHWwJk5_4FDyEkmKM3s3WAs/s320/2017-12-16+162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After getting some street food across from the pier, we had enough time to visit the Catholic church called <b>Paróquia Senhor Bom Jesus do Monte</b> before our ferry left at 7.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgtlP_EMw4yRlSKSvXh0j4SyiRB5FHD6b5okHdbND9zapZ7mxJUg2Dr-GeOlLbRMrNqVx1sGDiLhXR_PBhFfDyt4ejetkmxlu_koAECAgngi2sdApKsZ0-4TFVOdFLaTfzDXlUQa_9Wc/s1600/2017-12-16+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgtlP_EMw4yRlSKSvXh0j4SyiRB5FHD6b5okHdbND9zapZ7mxJUg2Dr-GeOlLbRMrNqVx1sGDiLhXR_PBhFfDyt4ejetkmxlu_koAECAgngi2sdApKsZ0-4TFVOdFLaTfzDXlUQa_9Wc/s320/2017-12-16+172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu7dPL_7wUAqWw4yM8aFrhzCcpDJIlYkr1N4dMga35CLQ3nb6pNdCed4LyhTcCHPH4qgpBCEDs5jEeVMMKRaybR7m9o4AhtPu8QMKCMCs2brhEt-bF7zBks0FDEm7t9KcZrSnbVr4JoA/s1600/2017-12-16+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu7dPL_7wUAqWw4yM8aFrhzCcpDJIlYkr1N4dMga35CLQ3nb6pNdCed4LyhTcCHPH4qgpBCEDs5jEeVMMKRaybR7m9o4AhtPu8QMKCMCs2brhEt-bF7zBks0FDEm7t9KcZrSnbVr4JoA/s320/2017-12-16+163.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I only had a few minutes to take these pictures of the Christmas celebration about to take place at the church.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouxzNNSV6wTWhQTsNzjJIaEyX1bQ3iR1yX0nIWB6TYvD8NWvm4JVWrh4TAJtsBNWVDnPrIrS8q_2_P0GNZrTfvpBN7E9F0ZMEwemAC7fynsxuca7lhkAkPLZV5-ynnR3iG8bTDZdIL_A/s1600/2017-12-16+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouxzNNSV6wTWhQTsNzjJIaEyX1bQ3iR1yX0nIWB6TYvD8NWvm4JVWrh4TAJtsBNWVDnPrIrS8q_2_P0GNZrTfvpBN7E9F0ZMEwemAC7fynsxuca7lhkAkPLZV5-ynnR3iG8bTDZdIL_A/s320/2017-12-16+164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIdqQQlX0CJx7aOHHrOoh0AcDfbJl7sIfSSB9Rji5Fn4QfyHyj5Aqoj2WG_QUtlfDiiPa8ORrgkNazvPZiYftwxSqAUYJgDIJCTSwwF2N9mZ-cyLR7TWC2mqELdg5VH1AHnBmNvUw37M/s1600/2017-12-16+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIdqQQlX0CJx7aOHHrOoh0AcDfbJl7sIfSSB9Rji5Fn4QfyHyj5Aqoj2WG_QUtlfDiiPa8ORrgkNazvPZiYftwxSqAUYJgDIJCTSwwF2N9mZ-cyLR7TWC2mqELdg5VH1AHnBmNvUw37M/s320/2017-12-16+171.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ9PGJZk23nAf11AOnJAJqIMraGhKjbME25VeO3PtYY9Il6OSSW1REOd5cP4Zx1b-hNRxFOC86doktVR2Z7dkhxOGIq0gtBlLdnCjrSv30bqW0BSTx6PXAkV2q4s1QokeGgMuOQdRrhM/s1600/2017-12-16+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ9PGJZk23nAf11AOnJAJqIMraGhKjbME25VeO3PtYY9Il6OSSW1REOd5cP4Zx1b-hNRxFOC86doktVR2Z7dkhxOGIq0gtBlLdnCjrSv30bqW0BSTx6PXAkV2q4s1QokeGgMuOQdRrhM/s320/2017-12-16+170.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH5hMm08OIBKYiyMPqEhdVfz_7esuKaRzwuhyphenhypheng8TfI-vObjMAo9yWan3g6818ITG4sq906T47aIdM9XZBDFKiUxvzAIG60ZXYiCdmz9LNaqX9nsx6clLLXcQfZQytk8hlE7vMSAcDxP4/s1600/2017-12-16+169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH5hMm08OIBKYiyMPqEhdVfz_7esuKaRzwuhyphenhypheng8TfI-vObjMAo9yWan3g6818ITG4sq906T47aIdM9XZBDFKiUxvzAIG60ZXYiCdmz9LNaqX9nsx6clLLXcQfZQytk8hlE7vMSAcDxP4/s320/2017-12-16+169.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was hesitant to take the photo of the Three Wise Men but, one of them, Balthazar, was so friendly and said in perfect English, they welcomed my photo as Mass hadn't yet begun. How I wished we could have stayed for Mass that evening but we needed to return to Rio.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tzz1adhEJ7G58HY7B_9S3rvl8zxfclxFy6VlELQyHs1XExq5KLMVHjX1Up1pPwmwFkc4igX0bmL4GaSUPygvQO7DqunpEzck_YdjCsD9UVzC8VVTLnfaxNj58cPosxzcA9X0pDzxEXw/s1600/2017-12-16+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tzz1adhEJ7G58HY7B_9S3rvl8zxfclxFy6VlELQyHs1XExq5KLMVHjX1Up1pPwmwFkc4igX0bmL4GaSUPygvQO7DqunpEzck_YdjCsD9UVzC8VVTLnfaxNj58cPosxzcA9X0pDzxEXw/s320/2017-12-16+168.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A last view of the beautiful church and the harbor on </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ilha de Paquetá. </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our time on the island was like going back in time and was a delightful refuge from the nonstop crowds and horrendous traffic we had come to associate with Rio.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOErSr0XW-Hl7jv63Ep6zlUv1uP3IWoI5iOJjlCZH3gj2jgZ5fzuNnLHIl0U9oEDfA574yYMUWJOvjR7cwYHcOePP4LW3sH5mNk8g5QihaF2AXu5K248wKSOb9kl2hEd6g5QwPp0xkpVE/s1600/2017-12-16+174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOErSr0XW-Hl7jv63Ep6zlUv1uP3IWoI5iOJjlCZH3gj2jgZ5fzuNnLHIl0U9oEDfA574yYMUWJOvjR7cwYHcOePP4LW3sH5mNk8g5QihaF2AXu5K248wKSOb9kl2hEd6g5QwPp0xkpVE/s320/2017-12-16+174.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing the spectacular sunset on the ferry ride back to Rio, we were glad we hadn't taken the earlier ferry as originally planned. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ5FrJPX2YNwXyNdjKeMUBUItiSOiPGnLjuRcKyQdDoKh97QNtT8ugQq_KUR8mRGX81hs5ubrrbpSmu0hFlPXooCKzbLNAnhgTUyQi_7Uka0E9HlFzLhUWPiH3BKNEN_rYqvd93xbFKQ/s1600/2017-12-16+176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ5FrJPX2YNwXyNdjKeMUBUItiSOiPGnLjuRcKyQdDoKh97QNtT8ugQq_KUR8mRGX81hs5ubrrbpSmu0hFlPXooCKzbLNAnhgTUyQi_7Uka0E9HlFzLhUWPiH3BKNEN_rYqvd93xbFKQ/s320/2017-12-16+176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jXDYJm-JsJWky5ssvwTZDDJ0tRy3WrwKHbu4afoP3HJMvSmFUiIPwF5P3lwBIjNGzsJJEg2RzAqnuav8aBLoFJoVbySGkPd7XWaPiIPmtMLOqNaSqnuBVh6S4o8X5zL4qahbGSm6-gw/s1600/2017-12-16+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jXDYJm-JsJWky5ssvwTZDDJ0tRy3WrwKHbu4afoP3HJMvSmFUiIPwF5P3lwBIjNGzsJJEg2RzAqnuav8aBLoFJoVbySGkPd7XWaPiIPmtMLOqNaSqnuBVh6S4o8X5zL4qahbGSm6-gw/s320/2017-12-16+177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As we enjoyed one of the most beautiful sunsets we'd ever experienced, we couldn't help but reflect on that part of our tour of the <i>favela</i> that morning when we'd heard gunfire. We remembered how <b>Zezinho,</b> our private tour guide, had said people just knew from experience to lie down on the floor when gunfire transpired.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHaBLlBETqK-RGj5DFX5gAE1wqJXCpqY7hJD3QPHXF8oH4iUX6pjFOeCCzZv6TfMEFKX8S86hsqpE6jPPWbrb_JwnVyxgnHwR3JOCkm3iDLR5RrNYscqtFC7W3286xt2Ge_CIQFXrkOU/s1600/2017-12-16+178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHaBLlBETqK-RGj5DFX5gAE1wqJXCpqY7hJD3QPHXF8oH4iUX6pjFOeCCzZv6TfMEFKX8S86hsqpE6jPPWbrb_JwnVyxgnHwR3JOCkm3iDLR5RrNYscqtFC7W3286xt2Ge_CIQFXrkOU/s320/2017-12-16+178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We felt badly for Zezinho as he had been far more concerned than we had been about letting us down after assuring us, just 48 hours before, we'd be safe. Once the gunfire erupted, he later confessed he wondered if something might happen when he spotted the SWAT team. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We remarked to each other how little faith Zezinho seemed to have in the police who had gone after drug dealers when they escaped in the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> favela's </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">alleyways. We didn't live his life but I thought I could begin to understand his philosophy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNemM9ec2G7LUVCzv014k5xe5SmC3uTuBQTlraayEIaitwLQYhSO3YA9FmDQpKr97SsygYpchfz3p7fufNiLiLCWNBKAJrHST09PrUoZHgIFxxKwWi7OCLq5RErPoXjx6lGbXOidECcg/s1600/2017-12-16+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNemM9ec2G7LUVCzv014k5xe5SmC3uTuBQTlraayEIaitwLQYhSO3YA9FmDQpKr97SsygYpchfz3p7fufNiLiLCWNBKAJrHST09PrUoZHgIFxxKwWi7OCLq5RErPoXjx6lGbXOidECcg/s320/2017-12-16+180.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This image brought to my mind some of the fabulous 18th and 19th century nature paintings we'd seen in museums. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQRjmRSao4wxdSvnFucdmudqdAPdWY3s8GY1i_-QCQl1PDSXxlEntYA7g6Tv9h0LZT9EXqAoPTGurvCwFWB02zF53aRU8kRFqBXlNCAoh5D-SXG2BziVjhblFBFsrfGrQmZmJOb6xQN8/s1600/2017-12-16+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQRjmRSao4wxdSvnFucdmudqdAPdWY3s8GY1i_-QCQl1PDSXxlEntYA7g6Tv9h0LZT9EXqAoPTGurvCwFWB02zF53aRU8kRFqBXlNCAoh5D-SXG2BziVjhblFBFsrfGrQmZmJOb6xQN8/s320/2017-12-16+182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCQe2ha7caRyqEuvBRrcVdDe4Tu4ILQfjFNsb5YrZcHvELJfoqQXgdXRZQ6FYg96dvUyuGQ2QpHcRWlP2xxXQdt-9Tqy1EEeMmdmdIu7yrp5huGUQnVz6PsZ3Rp6blNzNT782Iwewc9M/s1600/2017-12-16+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCQe2ha7caRyqEuvBRrcVdDe4Tu4ILQfjFNsb5YrZcHvELJfoqQXgdXRZQ6FYg96dvUyuGQ2QpHcRWlP2xxXQdt-9Tqy1EEeMmdmdIu7yrp5huGUQnVz6PsZ3Rp6blNzNT782Iwewc9M/s320/2017-12-16+184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU5dsMSANzA3Hn2GR_Op315DHlVRH-FG4zbOVH8q6VMxzQoE1zWhn0Qw7ZyKDkq2BMdp0izS2H2h6usRKu_Jk35Wq3L8vyQVXTFUHznRFZ6nnIEa87yP_CGD6eQTDlBCDN0Vonq6ymxI/s1600/2017-12-16+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizU5dsMSANzA3Hn2GR_Op315DHlVRH-FG4zbOVH8q6VMxzQoE1zWhn0Qw7ZyKDkq2BMdp0izS2H2h6usRKu_Jk35Wq3L8vyQVXTFUHznRFZ6nnIEa87yP_CGD6eQTDlBCDN0Vonq6ymxI/s320/2017-12-16+186.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vddZm8JXIWG2WacqnJSDWl5D8vyPdulEwnG-VYX1E9-Qa4Z_Srpb5tFeRLJfd_xx9fhWoGuJwUxy8Bmg6_E0HhSMXNoreoAhmztwVgv04FKhP5goX-hKnAzF6rYfNV1-RZXU4JhofYU/s1600/2017-12-16+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vddZm8JXIWG2WacqnJSDWl5D8vyPdulEwnG-VYX1E9-Qa4Z_Srpb5tFeRLJfd_xx9fhWoGuJwUxy8Bmg6_E0HhSMXNoreoAhmztwVgv04FKhP5goX-hKnAzF6rYfNV1-RZXU4JhofYU/s320/2017-12-16+187.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq81bJS-llUYXLbjEKjSXPC8md6YrvLGOXMdR4c-BHYcnOv_YJj_2oNt4KoWrjIgikpOOgWaw97S6_Y8xXiBn_d9fmaGWRrlf84bSz6xBQE07Zo03YO1Aaqm0Oys5DJb8M_FyX8l_npc/s1600/2017-12-16+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq81bJS-llUYXLbjEKjSXPC8md6YrvLGOXMdR4c-BHYcnOv_YJj_2oNt4KoWrjIgikpOOgWaw97S6_Y8xXiBn_d9fmaGWRrlf84bSz6xBQE07Zo03YO1Aaqm0Oys5DJb8M_FyX8l_npc/s320/2017-12-16+190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We got back to the center of Rio about 8:30 and were so surprised how desolate the area was on a Saturday evening. Not a person was around except for a significant homeless population who had already sought a quiet place for the night. I had hoped to grab an ice cream cone but the only place around had just closed for the night - so sad to end such an intriguing day without ice cream!</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH-qvhHv-vWiR5venF0rn5ZLKF-Aqadgu9Wbil8jUCuW_2C-7trEXSPDU_WX2TRSWtaHi_yzeZz9ul-NYc5t0ds71RzLVyL23bFEFP6tAl6ujk5hKuD8jZL2BGc-ZnsS-oClYjn9nlL8/s1600/2017-12-16+191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH-qvhHv-vWiR5venF0rn5ZLKF-Aqadgu9Wbil8jUCuW_2C-7trEXSPDU_WX2TRSWtaHi_yzeZz9ul-NYc5t0ds71RzLVyL23bFEFP6tAl6ujk5hKuD8jZL2BGc-ZnsS-oClYjn9nlL8/s320/2017-12-16+191.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Visiting the sacred Mosteiro de São Bento and the marveling the famous Ipanema and Copcabana beaches!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 12th, 2018, on a very stormy day from Grayton Beach State Park on Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
</div>
Steven Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09640530947960068248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-43511878770292777162018-06-10T20:28:00.002-06:002018-07-22T19:37:26.397-06:0012/16: Gunfire and All: An Eye-Opening Tour of Rio's Largest Favela<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Months in advance, I had made reservations for us to take a private walking tour today of<b> Rocinha, </b>Rio's largest <b><i>favela</i></b> or shantytown. We had read that in many ways, the <i>favela</i> is "the heartbeat of Brazil's cities, a hotbed of musical talent, and the home of its most creative talents. The Carnival would not exist if it were not for these communities as any of the main samba schools come from or are named after the favelas. All Brazilian cities have <i>favelas</i> but those in Rio are the most visible."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They sprang up as a response to the chaotic expansion of the city. Property prices exploded, making it impossible for a poor family to buy or rent a house downtown. At the same time, all the available work was downtown and it was too expensive for poorly paid workers to take the two or three buses required to travel in from the cheaper suburbs. So, in the early 1900s, families began to build illegally on Rio's steep hillsides. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the intervening time since making the reservation for the tour, we had heard more frequent reports of increased violence in Rocinha including a murder of a tourist back in September. As a result, I was in frequent contact with <b>Zezinho,</b> our half-Portuguese, half-American tour guide, getting updates on how safe it would be for us to visit the Rocinha <i>favela.</i> Our walking tour guide from several days ago and a staff member at the Rio hotel where we stayed both cautioned us not to take any chances and to stay clear of the <i>favela</i> because of ongoing safety concerns. However, we decided to stick with our original plan and meet Zezinho as he assured us he would have been the first to cancel our tour to protect us and also not to put himself in harm's way. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgHw72utwnqScz1ASZ3MZuldclqFgknhIFqnGBXmXuyLYODkfIEwDqnfPL1fkR3ONU2vdcgBQDUl8Dhmvy2H0qsgv5sPygD_58XwVdOStSh74F8Q-JvqQmrGLyiOps0kOd7-5k4aOGdM/s1600/2017-12-16+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgHw72utwnqScz1ASZ3MZuldclqFgknhIFqnGBXmXuyLYODkfIEwDqnfPL1fkR3ONU2vdcgBQDUl8Dhmvy2H0qsgv5sPygD_58XwVdOStSh74F8Q-JvqQmrGLyiOps0kOd7-5k4aOGdM/s320/2017-12-16+082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When we met Zezinho, a resident of Rocinha which meant<b> Little Farm </b>in English, he told us there were about 300,000 people living in the poor working class <i>favela</i> and more than 80 other <i>favelas</i> around Rio. Rocinha was the largest favela in Brazil. As we took a shared minivan aka along Rocinha's<b> only main street </b>(the people live in a maze of narrow alleys off the street), from the metro station where we'd been met, Zezinho stated how sad it was that people can allow others to live in such depravity and that there was no wonder there was so much anger with the lack of opportunity for Rocinha's residents.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDNv-S1c69daUKQ3fSG0EP1Hbv57GKFAKJx2NR4j1jwhxoiYYLapR70nAhO7ZUNCtiPk5yAPCaGaKpBjqiWRNDtrpJSGwe9Vwd7HtHYNoBtq87qdsQqYia17kRGrBhIv1FP7SvFC6Jw4/s1600/2017-12-16+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDNv-S1c69daUKQ3fSG0EP1Hbv57GKFAKJx2NR4j1jwhxoiYYLapR70nAhO7ZUNCtiPk5yAPCaGaKpBjqiWRNDtrpJSGwe9Vwd7HtHYNoBtq87qdsQqYia17kRGrBhIv1FP7SvFC6Jw4/s320/2017-12-16+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I remarked in the previous post about the terrible traffic conditions we'd witnessed already in Rio but it was infinitely worse in Rocinha with very few cars but a gazillion <b>moto taxis</b> instead zipping up and down the street, blocking the van's movement and oblivious of any rules of the road. The moto taxis were unique to the city's <i>favelas,</i> according to Zezinho. He joked if you could drive in Rio, you can drive anywhere in the world and I had to agree with him!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsunYY_kZaOCb054LEoRIeSHv2GamF9q9uv0oDjMu6Bg0AexoLOeVAiGmVj1tqZO-Pffo8WbpnvpBsozDKp1fCIvKTck1C6zW8Hici8FCFcclMzIQ0srEDzfNhvq8hNA0XTrHTFZxaAVM/s1600/2017-12-16+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsunYY_kZaOCb054LEoRIeSHv2GamF9q9uv0oDjMu6Bg0AexoLOeVAiGmVj1tqZO-Pffo8WbpnvpBsozDKp1fCIvKTck1C6zW8Hici8FCFcclMzIQ0srEDzfNhvq8hNA0XTrHTFZxaAVM/s320/2017-12-16+013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On our ride up the hill, it had been impossible to miss the insane mess of electrical wires that crisscrossed the street at all the intersections. Zezinho commented that the only way to know the true number of residents in Rocinha was to understand its electrical grid and usage. </span><span style="font-size: large;">He had talked to people in the local electrical company who told him that of the 110,000 units that receive electricity, 20,000 belong to shops. The other 90,000 units are used by residences with an average of two to three people in each. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">An estimated twenty percent of favela residents 'steal' electricity, he said. Zezinho said the official count of the number of people in Rocinha is 100,000 but the census is only done every ten years. Brazil's population is 6.5 million and Rio's is 30 percent of that. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Somehow, all the electricity works, he said with a smile, adding he wouldn't want to be the guy who had to find a particular wire! </span><span style="font-size: large;">The government had a vested interest in not accurately determining the favela's real population as foreign investors wouldn't want to invest in a city with a significant population of poor people. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4AGyHuW-oagH18Mv7NxEEk_jeL4bHKcMHdRngdUZoPB9rju5qfYBGsPYD22umKoj794WjB_Vj8n0K9xMy46jJN-30Z8RsJOR1XtBesFVdSmFrfXKZYqzNSUCEu019N0WJcU4R3-OcW0/s1600/2017-12-16+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4AGyHuW-oagH18Mv7NxEEk_jeL4bHKcMHdRngdUZoPB9rju5qfYBGsPYD22umKoj794WjB_Vj8n0K9xMy46jJN-30Z8RsJOR1XtBesFVdSmFrfXKZYqzNSUCEu019N0WJcU4R3-OcW0/s320/2017-12-16+005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was surprised to learn that in Rocinha there were 2 radio stations, 2 papers, </span><span style="font-size: large;">2 surfing schools, </span><span style="font-size: large;">3 forms of transportation and </span><span style="font-size: large;">51 internet companies. According to Zezinho, it had everything you needed. There were also three health clinics in the favela - one at the bottom of the hill, i.e. where we'd met our guide at the metro station, one in the middle where we were then and one at the top of the hill. Free health care was available for all but some residents chose to pay 300 <b><i>reals</i></b> or $80 per month for private insurance. The average monthly salary for those in Rocinha was between 800-1,300 <i>reals</i> - $215-$350. The minimum wage set by the government was 900 <i>reals,</i> about $240, per <b>month,</b> not by hour as in the US.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu8IGfTgobADKXpcCQjiFg7tMElBh3K7nKsT8KFhHVgdaOI5Tx8lJK8o0G3rGOFLOTfPABvsC8WxyiawV7Zvl44Zhr9ybKuL3LT_zVJMT-hZGWzDRY5ryQSx4pMc5PBnvWFbkd15Zzpg/s1600/2017-12-16+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu8IGfTgobADKXpcCQjiFg7tMElBh3K7nKsT8KFhHVgdaOI5Tx8lJK8o0G3rGOFLOTfPABvsC8WxyiawV7Zvl44Zhr9ybKuL3LT_zVJMT-hZGWzDRY5ryQSx4pMc5PBnvWFbkd15Zzpg/s320/2017-12-16+060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The three forms of transportation in the favela included two public bus lines, moto taxis and private vans which is what we had used to travel up the hill from the metro station. Zezinho explained that five or six families generally band together to buy a van that then picks up and drops off passengers anywhere along the one road. He preferred using the vans instead of the buses because the money goes right into the hands of people living in the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> favela </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">and not the government, plus it keeps local people employed. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmCflHtosynXZk5TON-w0DIYRpDCnY7HuUuoPrsT8ClRy0ylGf2MIcChLpe8UDmP1yGs8R1XA2Z_XwJuibDYZoO3Qmga9pQDjECBfgfebMmnys0u6tOk2S2Fk22TXHxEiwxzjrbfL0SA/s1600/2017-12-16+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmCflHtosynXZk5TON-w0DIYRpDCnY7HuUuoPrsT8ClRy0ylGf2MIcChLpe8UDmP1yGs8R1XA2Z_XwJuibDYZoO3Qmga9pQDjECBfgfebMmnys0u6tOk2S2Fk22TXHxEiwxzjrbfL0SA/s320/2017-12-16+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho talked about the moto taxis that we'd noticed ever since arriving in Rocinha. Drivers, wearing a vest that cost the equivalent of about $270, needed two licenses: one to drive the motorcycle and another one for transporting passengers. Below, moto taxis were all lined up waiting for fares. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlcBroCcos0TM-X7cyE2FGehaNvGID6Fc65LFEgGw64Xr1QOENpw9S_PQWujPutBlZrEuAPaEsnMBlkXBEOjOEDlr7kXpCtQhTKsThnABxAFNYz2oFLC96e5dMcbZBw_za6gocv3fN0M/s1600/2017-12-16+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlcBroCcos0TM-X7cyE2FGehaNvGID6Fc65LFEgGw64Xr1QOENpw9S_PQWujPutBlZrEuAPaEsnMBlkXBEOjOEDlr7kXpCtQhTKsThnABxAFNYz2oFLC96e5dMcbZBw_za6gocv3fN0M/s320/2017-12-16+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I found it fascinating when Zezinho pointed out the mediation center but shouldn't have been surprised at the need for it when there were so many people living in such close proximity to each other. Most residents try and work it out by themselves if they can but otherwise seek mediation, Zezinho added. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoFnh0FSRU6HYjqacHjku2PcjOXEU6YCFEOcGYaIOtZf1I4eYkExqyv8apk2sWWon7dD2YjoxzSsrWfVp_K3MuplpFqgWfFzdIOzjv4TYSXnA9F5oiIndbXCPOzJ_18evNoo0w8iVOCs/s1600/2017-12-16+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoFnh0FSRU6HYjqacHjku2PcjOXEU6YCFEOcGYaIOtZf1I4eYkExqyv8apk2sWWon7dD2YjoxzSsrWfVp_K3MuplpFqgWfFzdIOzjv4TYSXnA9F5oiIndbXCPOzJ_18evNoo0w8iVOCs/s320/2017-12-16+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">While we sat in a cafe, Zezinho told us how Rocinha was first settled in 1928 but electricity was only brought in by the Catholic church forty years later. People used candles and kerosene before that. During the military dictatorship </span><span style="font-size: large;">from 1964-1985, the government </span><span style="font-size: large;"> declared people couldn't build </span><span style="font-size: large;">homes and offices with concrete and bricks. The inevitable result, sadly, was lots of fires in the close quarters of the <i>favela.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Catholic Church, which was closely allied with the government, complained about the intolerable living conditions affirming the people living in the <i>favela</i> needed assistance. Furthermore, the law stated that the government must provide services such as electricity, etc if there were a certain number of residents. Finally, as a result of the church's intervention, electricity came but only to the main street where it was then dispersed to other parts of Rocinha. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho only talked briefly about the 2016 Summer Olympics, indicating that Rio had had a bad image and Rio and the country thought hosting the Olympics would improve their international stature.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">It didn't matter what color you are in the <i>favela</i> as there are 26 designations of race in the country. Most people who grow up in the <i>favela</i> never leave it; more importantly, 80% of the people don't want to leave Rocinha. Zezinho, who lived in Toronto and San Francisco for six years, commented he liked to live in Rocinha because the community is so friendly, there's a sense of freedom there, no sense of stress, no need to show documents for everything, business can be transmitted on the basis of a handshake, it was easy to rent an apartment, etc. It was hard to hear about the idealized picture he was drawing of life in Rocinha when earlier he'd talked about the five days of shooting violence in Rocinha.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we spotted shoes tied together and hanging over wires high above the street, he said that was simply done as part of the culture when a tournament is won and wasn't gang related as is normally the case in the States.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBhvATDdAtH15F1FkAIc_Svd9nkmJp4T37xvHLsUi2WnwE-dnp4lfDIiqgUe-gPqfS1C5-ErVnFt-1pmgnQqPJ-QGyHiRPKuTaFQqXpMNjkV673g4qHOenc9jRP6SJA8IdsWb9ISE3y8/s1600/2017-12-16+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBhvATDdAtH15F1FkAIc_Svd9nkmJp4T37xvHLsUi2WnwE-dnp4lfDIiqgUe-gPqfS1C5-ErVnFt-1pmgnQqPJ-QGyHiRPKuTaFQqXpMNjkV673g4qHOenc9jRP6SJA8IdsWb9ISE3y8/s320/2017-12-16+025.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The<b> Zig Zag</b> store was akin to the Mailboxes, etc shop in the States because the post office only delivers mail to the main street in the favela. The 'community post office' accepts deliveries of not just mail but all item ordered by residents from companies, even including fridges, water tanks.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe08sK4zz6m84-NIxmWUN6VoXoIlrkxSFhBdz7KiRBAszcfEFfm82LG9qNlFh98WSDa82VDuRLtpsFwIqE_XkV75rKsqL6EaDB06KCyf8YZCFth700fLq2VXtira_mea96kp0H72sSuQ0/s1600/2017-12-16+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe08sK4zz6m84-NIxmWUN6VoXoIlrkxSFhBdz7KiRBAszcfEFfm82LG9qNlFh98WSDa82VDuRLtpsFwIqE_XkV75rKsqL6EaDB06KCyf8YZCFth700fLq2VXtira_mea96kp0H72sSuQ0/s320/2017-12-16+028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The flyer advertised people could safely receive their mail. </span><span style="font-size: large;">People used the shop on the main street for their home address.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwij9RpT-c6a4l6ifvasBRq1UppRnyZPDhw2Kk9AWAzRQc4zanDsO5TOJ5mycLQvmGzZwBWt-sLHh9ymuM0Sz9IRHAPqmLBJvSxOJOmiB2zjFNcjbEKIcX-5cxgznvM8BWsalz75NSVm4/s1600/2017-12-16+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwij9RpT-c6a4l6ifvasBRq1UppRnyZPDhw2Kk9AWAzRQc4zanDsO5TOJ5mycLQvmGzZwBWt-sLHh9ymuM0Sz9IRHAPqmLBJvSxOJOmiB2zjFNcjbEKIcX-5cxgznvM8BWsalz75NSVm4/s320/2017-12-16+030.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Packages awaiting pick up in the shop:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvQNQ8yVdo2fXnh80D7CccgAWiPbPWZ2Z9-aKwNiwfNpsLclciSASnO_pqPNsJM5HS5UuoxpRaXfkyKrGQiPpNJDGVQ2O_1yiVeLJXGvVhKQpx5Jnr6V_LK0X1g5rIPo-iDaTWQE1s4E/s1600/2017-12-16+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvQNQ8yVdo2fXnh80D7CccgAWiPbPWZ2Z9-aKwNiwfNpsLclciSASnO_pqPNsJM5HS5UuoxpRaXfkyKrGQiPpNJDGVQ2O_1yiVeLJXGvVhKQpx5Jnr6V_LK0X1g5rIPo-iDaTWQE1s4E/s320/2017-12-16+032.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Zezinho said there were two non-profits in the<i> favela: </i><b>Viva Cred </b>and <b>Cred Amigo.</b> They were focused on helping people to open up businesses in the<i> favela </i>by offering interest rates as low as two to three percent. An astonishing 95% of businesses in Rocinha were owned by<i> favela </i>residents. One of the sources of pride in the<i> favela </i>was opening up one's own shop. Since the overwhelming majority of the<i> favela's </i>residents had little education, most worked in the service industry in salons, small shops, etc. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS-m72uGsUIfibyXthVnSIjnfqg5M1-d8SWB0oNZ7OubS5UCm0J8yMNgtLamt-W63kdFvIyvGPYNq6MO2cWiiZgAVOWNoIqtfSDQvbgCox4O0XD7xyDqem0aWyLBDuT29EfyAI-XunHo/s1600/2017-12-16+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFS-m72uGsUIfibyXthVnSIjnfqg5M1-d8SWB0oNZ7OubS5UCm0J8yMNgtLamt-W63kdFvIyvGPYNq6MO2cWiiZgAVOWNoIqtfSDQvbgCox4O0XD7xyDqem0aWyLBDuT29EfyAI-XunHo/s320/2017-12-16+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho walked us to the back of a furniture shop so he could show us some great views of the <i>favela</i> and other areas of Rio in the distance. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Rocinha is located in between the two richest communities of the city.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhkEqHCvf7bMonrgENzg2Ze1QCzfS4_XIx5Q94Q0VW0FjyDfdGb0BVYhaEi2Z2UGoaVTB_3lpsxz_0aO8W15vlnXeL1KwOvmWRMWbxWp5yrnd0iiznFnVuvCICh0ZStKl9iO8Fz52_So/s1600/2017-12-16+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhkEqHCvf7bMonrgENzg2Ze1QCzfS4_XIx5Q94Q0VW0FjyDfdGb0BVYhaEi2Z2UGoaVTB_3lpsxz_0aO8W15vlnXeL1KwOvmWRMWbxWp5yrnd0iiznFnVuvCICh0ZStKl9iO8Fz52_So/s320/2017-12-16+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The mountain on the left was <b>Two Brothers.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJI-EmU3rVoBYiSyf1kNM0SYDZF2jxVRyVpPvzTTnRbzwiV8-uSfArRVGA-tdAYZIgiRJLWtRWxl4V8XqkDtqJXT1ALZtKI0hjPWKullQ2gjqX8QAse6-XiDU3KJIUx-SOFLhIWfChPuM/s1600/2017-12-16+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJI-EmU3rVoBYiSyf1kNM0SYDZF2jxVRyVpPvzTTnRbzwiV8-uSfArRVGA-tdAYZIgiRJLWtRWxl4V8XqkDtqJXT1ALZtKI0hjPWKullQ2gjqX8QAse6-XiDU3KJIUx-SOFLhIWfChPuM/s320/2017-12-16+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Since 1985, the water pumping station responsible for providing water and run by the government has been <b>Cedae.</b> Zezinho remarked that he had a 1,000 liter tank on the roof of his apartment building that provides water for his toilet, doing dishes, washing clothes, cooking, etc weekly.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap7mjhH9Sf5KVVtCsA5HOM84n3O_VSFSyqVXdIVqjiumI4C2glbvI7ajGnWK53REzKqVeN9JXYi_MVNES7Su_WftycldxwTzdY6xZ50sVKpHj-xJKr5PAWgJpKkNI8I9Q5Kosxu-fOsw/s1600/2017-12-16+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap7mjhH9Sf5KVVtCsA5HOM84n3O_VSFSyqVXdIVqjiumI4C2glbvI7ajGnWK53REzKqVeN9JXYi_MVNES7Su_WftycldxwTzdY6xZ50sVKpHj-xJKr5PAWgJpKkNI8I9Q5Kosxu-fOsw/s320/2017-12-16+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This gives you a sense of how incredibly cramped Rocinha was and almost unimaginable that only <b>one street</b> went through the community of hundreds of thousands of people! People don't own the land their homes were built on - the government does. The policy of <i><b>uscpiao</b></i> was in effect which meant that if someone finds a piece of public land, build on it and then prove you've lived there for five years, you can't be kicked out.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaru0EEeRGXxNk4WwUOLIZcLZDA3APFf4G8qjNBsBWR2JMkPHkV9WfAcfA99VxNWtr4o2HCloKCUyNeHXuwCrsp3blbwQSvl9aBJXxP0bDRt606eBJP74lb-H5wAcOaHXLV5GWfi7sjo/s1600/2017-12-16+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaru0EEeRGXxNk4WwUOLIZcLZDA3APFf4G8qjNBsBWR2JMkPHkV9WfAcfA99VxNWtr4o2HCloKCUyNeHXuwCrsp3blbwQSvl9aBJXxP0bDRt606eBJP74lb-H5wAcOaHXLV5GWfi7sjo/s320/2017-12-16+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Growth of the <i>favelas</i> occurred as a result of lack of investment in Rio's poor communities so that residents were forced to build their homes on the open available land on the hillsides above Rio. V</span><span style="font-size: large;">isible in the photo below were the high rises in the adjacent wealthy suburb. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmgcnQydCxjPnNiutrtjAGUCO1KF6w_bo_mBBuyuTv1l8vhyN76dZwG-4Gba8tWGPRp-OPE7ctYv8e3HSnZWuWCEDx_6MP5JoU9mCHvESzSn9AY6W20muw5YHlrRypZGjgegVaMru15w/s1600/2017-12-16+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmgcnQydCxjPnNiutrtjAGUCO1KF6w_bo_mBBuyuTv1l8vhyN76dZwG-4Gba8tWGPRp-OPE7ctYv8e3HSnZWuWCEDx_6MP5JoU9mCHvESzSn9AY6W20muw5YHlrRypZGjgegVaMru15w/s320/2017-12-16+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were talking on the furniture store's tiny balcony when all of a sudden we heard gunfire in an adjacent alley. I had never heard the sound before, except on TV, but Steven, who had lived on a kibbutz in Israel almost 50 years ago, knew immediately what the sound was. Zezinho rushed us off the balcony and into the interior of the store where we took refuge. </span><span style="font-size: large;">As the favela was shaped like a bowl, every sound echoed around us.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIci7Mk3Txifn76SbKyGIk7cGKvp_NNlkJJ4OKXKWSg6rlPL4ExxskHLoFuFmty2Rfxkk_pnARPfYYVVEBnoY-H_JjnQIqvvyzOZGqlgkkuFG7hEC6vuFXpZ8UQ71WihcUUG6gnPRW9M/s1600/2017-12-16+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIci7Mk3Txifn76SbKyGIk7cGKvp_NNlkJJ4OKXKWSg6rlPL4ExxskHLoFuFmty2Rfxkk_pnARPfYYVVEBnoY-H_JjnQIqvvyzOZGqlgkkuFG7hEC6vuFXpZ8UQ71WihcUUG6gnPRW9M/s320/2017-12-16+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho's phone lit up immediately as people communicated via <b>What's App</b> to find out what was happening and where it was safe to be. It was a shocking few minutes for us as recent gunfire in the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> favela </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">was exactly the reason why people had warned us not to go on this tour. Zezinho kept asking how we were as he had felt it had been safe for us to be in Rocinha. He was also very concerned that our perceptions of his home, his <i>favela,</i> would be forever changed by what we had just witnessed. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYKEo1Drsw1wMtMr_DYuNg-AHba7uad53qXdvmKBbDE5aifqXOC8Bjhzp4Z-dJqx7D2u0E8w9spUXN2-cFGybPKsvrEejltwrgfrcU2vajnbGFPPu08a2ki5ryzTx73QRzB-btuhNLQw/s1600/2017-12-16+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYKEo1Drsw1wMtMr_DYuNg-AHba7uad53qXdvmKBbDE5aifqXOC8Bjhzp4Z-dJqx7D2u0E8w9spUXN2-cFGybPKsvrEejltwrgfrcU2vajnbGFPPu08a2ki5ryzTx73QRzB-btuhNLQw/s320/2017-12-16+045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we peeked out the store's door, the total absence of people, cars, moto taxis, the shared vans, etc was positively eerie, especially, as just minutes before, the favela's main street was a hive of activity and very noisy. We heard no one screaming, there was no sense of panic we detected; rather, it was just like time stood still for about 15 minutes. Thinking back on it now almost six months later, it appeared that people in the <i>favela</i> were sadly accustomed to the sounds of gunfire and knew immediately to get off the street and seek refuge somewhere. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9RxLLyiqm6oS_RTUru6VgJL5YPGGMU3sPV-su-WArTfycNwovpmAUcUBy40Z6ynKv3p9SVmMyvtv6GYFe5gKrnU7M5AYX1Vxbgupc1XjGKPhH4kGsvUhah2h811DDmSXR5aEAhZ7GYw/s1600/2017-12-16+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9RxLLyiqm6oS_RTUru6VgJL5YPGGMU3sPV-su-WArTfycNwovpmAUcUBy40Z6ynKv3p9SVmMyvtv6GYFe5gKrnU7M5AYX1Vxbgupc1XjGKPhH4kGsvUhah2h811DDmSXR5aEAhZ7GYw/s320/2017-12-16+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho's phone kept dinging with messages he received from other residents asking how he was and how we were as they knew he'd been conducting a tour of the favela that Saturday morning. The grapevine indicated the gunfire started when police officers entered some of the favela's alleyways trying to flush out gang members. </span><span style="font-size: large;">There were two rival drug gangs trying to gain control of the favela: <b>CV,</b> known as Red Command, and <b>ADA,</b> known as Friends of Friends and also an offshoot of CV. The top of the favela was controlled by CV and the bottom by ADA. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTt5hMvb8aBI5doZyKS1KpGsGsYl_oLSJ0O6LJxcK1_ynlDEikPhSI_SHkcF9dJEmhWq58XDZD2vJC_DCOzHPr33dpT2zgV9SmCvv-J82nu2QSBVc6WglS52XKi2pbOAfTyr2bMoIxD0/s1600/2017-12-16+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTt5hMvb8aBI5doZyKS1KpGsGsYl_oLSJ0O6LJxcK1_ynlDEikPhSI_SHkcF9dJEmhWq58XDZD2vJC_DCOzHPr33dpT2zgV9SmCvv-J82nu2QSBVc6WglS52XKi2pbOAfTyr2bMoIxD0/s320/2017-12-16+051.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Once he was able to ascertain via the 'grapevine' it was OK to leave the safety of the store, Zezinho led us into the favela alleyways to get a sense of what life was like there and away from life on the main street. He said there was no way bullets could reach us because there were 30 jam-packed buildings between the gunfire and where we were!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTu_5-xNe9oOH2dQ7ofeju-QY03rvKMyhazCW0H8JarnRLIbvTsa1wsVCXZmCxWgVgw5sTVSeSW-0gaD03AZI3oryX5uuIk9aS87MKxbEfovrAV2AN48iXK9yrrtuNTN3NAhg1cJzU9k/s1600/2017-12-16+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTu_5-xNe9oOH2dQ7ofeju-QY03rvKMyhazCW0H8JarnRLIbvTsa1wsVCXZmCxWgVgw5sTVSeSW-0gaD03AZI3oryX5uuIk9aS87MKxbEfovrAV2AN48iXK9yrrtuNTN3NAhg1cJzU9k/s320/2017-12-16+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we walked down the steps to reach the lower part of the favela, Zezinho pointed out the vibrant murals that were painted by an artist called <b>Kify.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA5AmSSipo6DV4CUA5Mt_U1LHmGSij-tck6mYA-_YfpN0XIJezjPbXzqN54S3o1yTLv7i98_sckhkshdc2pg-l8Z9vm8HcPYR4Q4qD5w-9T4mRCw0ULRisC-eeoMlrFgIKoCrseJq4e8/s1600/2017-12-16+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA5AmSSipo6DV4CUA5Mt_U1LHmGSij-tck6mYA-_YfpN0XIJezjPbXzqN54S3o1yTLv7i98_sckhkshdc2pg-l8Z9vm8HcPYR4Q4qD5w-9T4mRCw0ULRisC-eeoMlrFgIKoCrseJq4e8/s320/2017-12-16+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP64oedaJa4wrzXX9XjEXXuw5PQDDWda_70WnKk69XkT4eKbDOc3KNrPUXw2Up7VxIZavJ-Uvb2hUX77T4Jz2XaYUdLP9sgYNMjpbwMQgv93okNA1Qd2FKVoMaYvavqFp3ya-P1Uc44s/s1600/2017-12-16+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP64oedaJa4wrzXX9XjEXXuw5PQDDWda_70WnKk69XkT4eKbDOc3KNrPUXw2Up7VxIZavJ-Uvb2hUX77T4Jz2XaYUdLP9sgYNMjpbwMQgv93okNA1Qd2FKVoMaYvavqFp3ya-P1Uc44s/s320/2017-12-16+053.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The 'flower art' on the poles was made of bottle caps.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOpMwnz6hA7BP7nbqFg9wjOLEiiIGhmFpTqpZaqk098XaPpsoya2FDfgFX9esh5G7y36IcMRFNbpFPGzf-mOaSIqFJKjuZTIdY_dcnvgdwzoaKPvYJCr4cGiY5ntNLKAtHmAPsYdjlno/s1600/2017-12-16+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOpMwnz6hA7BP7nbqFg9wjOLEiiIGhmFpTqpZaqk098XaPpsoya2FDfgFX9esh5G7y36IcMRFNbpFPGzf-mOaSIqFJKjuZTIdY_dcnvgdwzoaKPvYJCr4cGiY5ntNLKAtHmAPsYdjlno/s320/2017-12-16+054.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho explained the houses were located at all different levels as they were built to the shape of the hill. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfblGL8nJ0m566u1wazAlc1XMHBEiKQ_CmPEb0AFzOEvHzim6HysWRA4SZSZnGz6_V4Jq1RkDAuWdT5U-2xmM9_blfNlOvMeaR6wOjlsy6myIvMK1e6TIeYs57JKZAQeKBX9yzcu1-UQ/s1600/2017-12-16+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfblGL8nJ0m566u1wazAlc1XMHBEiKQ_CmPEb0AFzOEvHzim6HysWRA4SZSZnGz6_V4Jq1RkDAuWdT5U-2xmM9_blfNlOvMeaR6wOjlsy6myIvMK1e6TIeYs57JKZAQeKBX9yzcu1-UQ/s320/2017-12-16+055.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We stopped in a tiny shop that sold produce and other items. It also acted as a mailbox where people could regularly pick up mail that had been sent to them care of the store. The store didn't charge a fee for the service and was just filling a need for local residents, as Zezinho stated.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hm12pdv-Y06viIZFECVniuD76soO182LaA0bwe3JT5vi7coZELRWX-eaQr5k_tlvZ7Ok9xhFuZdTcqE4WrKSTMp-HNsWoytJ7_Jlvu7u8GMzcmz_0UrJrDzmxwVgu0T6Yt2_icF2lwU/s1600/2017-12-16+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hm12pdv-Y06viIZFECVniuD76soO182LaA0bwe3JT5vi7coZELRWX-eaQr5k_tlvZ7Ok9xhFuZdTcqE4WrKSTMp-HNsWoytJ7_Jlvu7u8GMzcmz_0UrJrDzmxwVgu0T6Yt2_icF2lwU/s320/2017-12-16+058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't think of it then but wonder now how this mailbox or spot where mail was collected compared to the store on the main street where people paid to have packages delivered to as the post office only delivered to homes or businesses on the main street. How was mailed delivered here, I wondered?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphu40fja2YBx3VH66xi52weqImZU9ZTdu79jh31hBhfrydCguHbaCU0VCnTRRhBxgTi4cDT_BAHHgmV754iuszbLuiaeNGi4m2ClVR_gNw_ZjYfvO_n6gAd_mRg_hVjRS8AciRzAwUHw/s1600/2017-12-16+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphu40fja2YBx3VH66xi52weqImZU9ZTdu79jh31hBhfrydCguHbaCU0VCnTRRhBxgTi4cDT_BAHHgmV754iuszbLuiaeNGi4m2ClVR_gNw_ZjYfvO_n6gAd_mRg_hVjRS8AciRzAwUHw/s320/2017-12-16+057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There is no welfare system in Brazil but there is a definite class system. You can be black and successful in the States but there was no sense of that in Rio or the rest of Brazil, according to Zezinho. There were no black entertainment professionals for young people to look up to in Rio. It wasn't a case of racism but one of classicism as there were lots of white people in Rocinha. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We stopped for a few minutes while Zezinho talked about the country's racial makeup. Fifty-two percent of Rocinha's population was black. The slave trade brought ten times more slaves to Brazil than to the US. They settled in Brazil's original state of Bahia. Being black was a source of pride, according to Zezinho.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ADA marking was the first sign of any gang graffiti we'd seen in the last couple of hours in Rocinha. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP7L03DZcmrTPtqWZz0PbuOCsJykcrrnyC_-9lQOot9YuhXFkQvetPcb9NvTG11KF2YW7V21qa0gnDmO0Wl-mEIJhQQFPDlUg0WranTNHYkzb2O386lU4SX7l0jWsoCLjfWHzteu5h3g/s1600/2017-12-16+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAP7L03DZcmrTPtqWZz0PbuOCsJykcrrnyC_-9lQOot9YuhXFkQvetPcb9NvTG11KF2YW7V21qa0gnDmO0Wl-mEIJhQQFPDlUg0WranTNHYkzb2O386lU4SX7l0jWsoCLjfWHzteu5h3g/s320/2017-12-16+064.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho was one of the most unusual characters Steven and I had ever met. He was short and very plump, had a mullet haircut, had cat and other tattoos all over his arms and legs and an affection for cats unlike anyone I had ever met. When seeing people he knew, he'd generally greet them by saying "Meow, meow" and they would respond in kind! </span><span style="font-size: large;">As we spent time in Rocinha, it was evident how well known and liked Zezinho was in the <i>favela.</i> Well after the gunfire had ceased, people kept coming up to him asking how he and we were doing. It was very apparent, and heartwarming, how much they cared and wanted to make sure we were all OK. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDgCq751WtnaSBLDDO_A0COOrxagMLKZYHNIDQRbjSAj7jzNak1ZIe563Mg-jgfCNlCrk1uglAfuTlH3LgMTpHIDQRIbDH2e5SwMEN-cQI0JONAsHFSF-IKDGg1KNUoYkID8hOWaC-Nw/s1600/2017-12-16+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDgCq751WtnaSBLDDO_A0COOrxagMLKZYHNIDQRbjSAj7jzNak1ZIe563Mg-jgfCNlCrk1uglAfuTlH3LgMTpHIDQRIbDH2e5SwMEN-cQI0JONAsHFSF-IKDGg1KNUoYkID8hOWaC-Nw/s320/2017-12-16+092.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt there was a special connection between Zezinho and so many of the residents as they seemed to perceive he was trying to better the community they all lived in by bringing an awareness and knowledge of the people, their lives, the issues facing them but also the many positives there were in the <i>favela</i> to people like us who may have had only negative stereotypes of such a shantytown. It reminded me of the sense of community Zezinho had talked about earlier there in Rocinha. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMxSIibPMbApm8oXrRU3nw08CXzIbITHcvHFGP7j0WcuRBrAiXYjIO00yyUhP09Y8VrPwSbxMNcdwnzWH6lxlB8Y_ea3g3cxuunCzVL1NdUd8WQKdvKPVMJmMdo7Sv0lrVHN8B3lvPnE/s1600/2017-12-16+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMxSIibPMbApm8oXrRU3nw08CXzIbITHcvHFGP7j0WcuRBrAiXYjIO00yyUhP09Y8VrPwSbxMNcdwnzWH6lxlB8Y_ea3g3cxuunCzVL1NdUd8WQKdvKPVMJmMdo7Sv0lrVHN8B3lvPnE/s320/2017-12-16+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At 11:45 we heard more gunfire but it seemed much farther away than it had been previously so we didn't alter our walking tour. I felt honored and very special when this young man, an acquaintance of Zezinho's, came up and began rapping to me about life in Rocinha. That had never happened before and likely will never again!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwueZe9iK-RgA_deZw4m0D0J9RMejew1epIgOZtpYssBP-hl5zfqQNmyb0vBS0hob2TxVL6Awz6chnFRSbZN8_qmMRZSqziSXWCEIKLUhPynrJnpwSgbfrUyZLbZq6UENtH78wY97YrU/s1600/2017-12-16+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwueZe9iK-RgA_deZw4m0D0J9RMejew1epIgOZtpYssBP-hl5zfqQNmyb0vBS0hob2TxVL6Awz6chnFRSbZN8_qmMRZSqziSXWCEIKLUhPynrJnpwSgbfrUyZLbZq6UENtH78wY97YrU/s320/2017-12-16+068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In 2008, Rio's mayor and governor began what Zezinho called a 'slum upgrading program' or what the guidebook called a 'pacification program.' Nine apartment buildings were constructed in Rocinha, each with 210 units; the first floor in each building was designated for handicapped people. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFd3h-6uzfcDpuJy4wKPFUAGhoCs-1jHEs-PYhEnqMTILRScXdmSHACe6nTP9IfvU2S1RHo00BFhGulSM03C37WGCkGlIcyU_xpurjjBSsWLzeP0dEe_KJURzNOMGFddwkeFXUt56v6A/s1600/2017-12-16+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFd3h-6uzfcDpuJy4wKPFUAGhoCs-1jHEs-PYhEnqMTILRScXdmSHACe6nTP9IfvU2S1RHo00BFhGulSM03C37WGCkGlIcyU_xpurjjBSsWLzeP0dEe_KJURzNOMGFddwkeFXUt56v6A/s320/2017-12-16+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A municipal daycare for 300 children was established as were a health center and a sports community center. Zezinho was happy the government did something but it wasn't enough. </span><span style="font-size: large;">He said that to get anything done, it was always linked to an election promise where politicians tried to 'buy' votes by promising X, Y and Z. "It was the same political nonsense everywhere," Zezinho stated.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsvY71Hs7CszvEM12g2dxfYV6_ODmCFw-7JrOztZvonn7aT56wFmucdhJc-yfmsCLigaIxIy6HrvQ9ES25U0-aXxyAJ7dAsiLJiOA0ZoqsVk5lJB0HLACeKMxfJJnsSQxV-U7seDSicA/s1600/2017-12-16+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsvY71Hs7CszvEM12g2dxfYV6_ODmCFw-7JrOztZvonn7aT56wFmucdhJc-yfmsCLigaIxIy6HrvQ9ES25U0-aXxyAJ7dAsiLJiOA0ZoqsVk5lJB0HLACeKMxfJJnsSQxV-U7seDSicA/s320/2017-12-16+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Talking about life in the</span><span style="font-size: large;"><i> favela </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">would be impossible without discussing education. One of the major issues for Rocinha was the lack of a quality education for its lower class residents. Zezinho stated he knew fewer than ten people throughout the favela (with a population of likely 250,000 plus) who had gone to university. </span>Zezinho told us there were just four schools in the favela even though the community had about 300,000 people! There were only two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Students were only able to attend school half days, either 8-12 or 1-5 because there weren't enough schools. The teachers' curriculum, he stated, was not the same in the <i>favela</i> as in private schools. It wasn't surprising that only fifty percent of the <i>favela's</i> residents only received a middle school education. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Rio, according to Zezinho, there was a formal economy and an informal or under the table economy. It was common, he said, to see kids working on the beach selling glasses or working at hot dog stands to help their families.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhrs_c9kC8Ud6w3qmv2_yn_A_wkwoDlPDZAdIFzAHwxMk98-4deoiDpN076R2n4vVkZ-MRtJQD34grn0vcyoqu45TLhYKN3zHduTxUH2hFt2t_7wutboCpjQdoi79-HCssevNN9OhY9I/s1600/2017-12-16+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhrs_c9kC8Ud6w3qmv2_yn_A_wkwoDlPDZAdIFzAHwxMk98-4deoiDpN076R2n4vVkZ-MRtJQD34grn0vcyoqu45TLhYKN3zHduTxUH2hFt2t_7wutboCpjQdoi79-HCssevNN9OhY9I/s320/2017-12-16+076.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The oldest standing public landmark in Rocinha was this church built in 1937 by the Italians. Bells rang daily at noon. There were 30 different churches in Rocinha but Zezinho estimated only about thirty percent of the population in the <i>favela</i> go to church.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTO9mRfUjSOl506BHy6s2tXQ9P9fLcc8pDVhDov7WAcac1kxGBoLlaU_bvBgmt8ueenpy8I6irLSdyyXRpSRERjRpapBUfp96GeHP8UIrgL0AD8Y1fihNKQ2GNomSbC0xb53G625xbHI/s1600/2017-12-16+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTO9mRfUjSOl506BHy6s2tXQ9P9fLcc8pDVhDov7WAcac1kxGBoLlaU_bvBgmt8ueenpy8I6irLSdyyXRpSRERjRpapBUfp96GeHP8UIrgL0AD8Y1fihNKQ2GNomSbC0xb53G625xbHI/s320/2017-12-16+073.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most famous artists in Rocinha was <b>Wark</b> whose signature works included his angel pictures. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLr25ZIVC-8NissWUnOYhyoP1droWG-9qfvpIQbC2NIGhEHLirBdeYZJCNYyOa6tMddyuG8ENnzJ5qKX_xbqMJ3c2spmLPay18JsHjCD3wXRuhW4oK-CZTeedYRGFdkPWnpctMmWmKvs/s1600/2017-12-16+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLr25ZIVC-8NissWUnOYhyoP1droWG-9qfvpIQbC2NIGhEHLirBdeYZJCNYyOa6tMddyuG8ENnzJ5qKX_xbqMJ3c2spmLPay18JsHjCD3wXRuhW4oK-CZTeedYRGFdkPWnpctMmWmKvs/s320/2017-12-16+077.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Having just seen Wark's angel mural and the one imploring people to Never Give Up, seeing the police officers wielding automatic rifles brought back memories of the gunfire we'd so recently heard. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO8tr3516THXWNrXOnfZGzibA7UgnmSH0SgGB7Ji_AGKyMKy4Iig8pOXijcry1V0Qq3-_gxMRXGGgun3q4t4-yx52WyiSKvWfSAGFsPKuFn5dRUN5coWR-oyvdHrz1_IfqGinioVt5lU/s1600/2017-12-16+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO8tr3516THXWNrXOnfZGzibA7UgnmSH0SgGB7Ji_AGKyMKy4Iig8pOXijcry1V0Qq3-_gxMRXGGgun3q4t4-yx52WyiSKvWfSAGFsPKuFn5dRUN5coWR-oyvdHrz1_IfqGinioVt5lU/s320/2017-12-16+078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a shame but we didn't feel like altogether safe or comfortable staying around as we weren't sure what might transpire with all the sudden police activity. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnoDT3A0HG3A3gafFRxkOTQitOxsF5v-7Me9ccDr3t8xcYef5s2ud6GYZDbMvL28Y5XOKWxrNZUAF4U-bu9y0xm89tSVcjGBCb9CX4NOoiuEg5PwwdjY6Zm32VXUJN7txC_7mGh9wrYs/s1600/2017-12-16+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnoDT3A0HG3A3gafFRxkOTQitOxsF5v-7Me9ccDr3t8xcYef5s2ud6GYZDbMvL28Y5XOKWxrNZUAF4U-bu9y0xm89tSVcjGBCb9CX4NOoiuEg5PwwdjY6Zm32VXUJN7txC_7mGh9wrYs/s320/2017-12-16+080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Three-quarters of the people in the favela were from the NE of Brazil so this and other travel agencies in Rocinha provide a service for residents to go visit their families. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQblJdIbLnsifv_oSL_WV4ihRJ5N_6yW5RmUqhvgMW2PNC-LSXWn4JE5HzlgkCklmVGKre6nFYje41aJzRFq-Q6nswfflhj5CxDKnrmAuMnlmv7hwcS13mXj3A1u3zK5K08fXLR89i2s/s1600/2017-12-16+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQblJdIbLnsifv_oSL_WV4ihRJ5N_6yW5RmUqhvgMW2PNC-LSXWn4JE5HzlgkCklmVGKre6nFYje41aJzRFq-Q6nswfflhj5CxDKnrmAuMnlmv7hwcS13mXj3A1u3zK5K08fXLR89i2s/s320/2017-12-16+085.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zezinho said he had been asked by the locals to provide private tours of Rocinha as he was like the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> favela </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">ambassador, and locals were tired of the stigma associated with life in Rocinha when asked where they live. The residents were also frustrated with tour guides outside of Rio reinforcing the negatives of living there and providing incorrect information about Rocinha. Zezinho said how nice it was to feel welcome and part of something even though he had no family there. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRS_ut2eJ20lWnPQvCZoZFwGY_8be-EgL823_shQG9S0slmEprjgsEWFL6k4tniAoLLXZBTh5hgFmGyyf5EHkX1d1wX5_Boefui_ll9JBz3cqEp0hucklUyraDhLXMgDWKHnDbATr7rc/s1600/2017-12-16+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRS_ut2eJ20lWnPQvCZoZFwGY_8be-EgL823_shQG9S0slmEprjgsEWFL6k4tniAoLLXZBTh5hgFmGyyf5EHkX1d1wX5_Boefui_ll9JBz3cqEp0hucklUyraDhLXMgDWKHnDbATr7rc/s320/2017-12-16+089.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Do you see the bracelets on the man's wrist on the right? Those had been given to him by Zezinho in the past. During our almost four hours with him that morning and early afternoon, Zezinho had made a point of giving out abut 50 or so rubber bracelets that he had had made that said, in Portuguese, 'I love Rocinha' to people we came across. Some were people he clearly knew and others were not. It was his way, he said, to help raise people's self-esteem living in Rocinha by helping people be proud of where they lived and a way to give back to the community. One man had been wearing his for four years, according to Zezinho. Steven and I were also each given one as a memento of our time with him and in the <i>favela.</i> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeUY9GDGjCAqbWIMJKh0T3vrdvdRCy4_dqVFrxYHM4sjigaAaSBTFs2nqKVKFzxvNU8PYTU3DIEAyMTRRjwwvxMCnOgiBr1jFz7vxAuG8FTxYPjEgb0QW3n6ova8RO2RTZab-bfEcCoQ/s1600/2017-12-16+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeUY9GDGjCAqbWIMJKh0T3vrdvdRCy4_dqVFrxYHM4sjigaAaSBTFs2nqKVKFzxvNU8PYTU3DIEAyMTRRjwwvxMCnOgiBr1jFz7vxAuG8FTxYPjEgb0QW3n6ova8RO2RTZab-bfEcCoQ/s320/2017-12-16+090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When Zezinho dropped us off at the São Conrado metro station </span><span style="font-size: large;">at 1:30. we felt like we had a good understanding of some of the challenges facing people in Rocinha as well as a deep appreciation for the warmth expressed to us by so many after hearing the gunfire that was all too close. Thanks to Zezinho's heartfelt stories of life in the <i>favela, </i>we were left with a sense of hope for his community.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhCwJWi5tjyn6pnexCyULqOTvCkxZK5cHyzg3rnqt3tDnuFTLA06dwAPaiQVse7uBaL9PlnbjQRkr8kLy02zML-ieTfRiqzIcKgQwL3Ki5d4hav026ImkwmHtcxTQtqGkjcvwCFCPFh4/s1600/2017-12-16+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhCwJWi5tjyn6pnexCyULqOTvCkxZK5cHyzg3rnqt3tDnuFTLA06dwAPaiQVse7uBaL9PlnbjQRkr8kLy02zML-ieTfRiqzIcKgQwL3Ki5d4hav026ImkwmHtcxTQtqGkjcvwCFCPFh4/s320/2017-12-16+094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Just what we needed that afternoon, a relaxing boat trip and several hours on the car-free <b>Ilha de Paquetá.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 10th, 2018, from Grayton Beach State Park on Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-65851980288845137362018-06-06T21:07:00.000-06:002018-06-06T21:07:28.567-06:0012/15: Rio's Trifecta: Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugarloaf & Botanical Gardens!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"> A few blocks from our hotel, we caught an early shuttle through what was left of the Atlantic rainforest that once surrounded Rio de Janeiro to <b>Cristo Redentor</b> or the <b>Christ the Redeemer</b> statue.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_zNgzXBJyXV6td4mzmn9w4I8XZaevRZIWR9CtnA0HtgTfbR-EdhKt2ulUaPmvzMSoTXWSE8QPsNAs2Wqpc32n-KgwarmI1but7pLZ7XkucfUud3pL3ZGrALhtbNsq3S401voJD6aZos/s1600/2017-12-15+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_zNgzXBJyXV6td4mzmn9w4I8XZaevRZIWR9CtnA0HtgTfbR-EdhKt2ulUaPmvzMSoTXWSE8QPsNAs2Wqpc32n-KgwarmI1but7pLZ7XkucfUud3pL3ZGrALhtbNsq3S401voJD6aZos/s320/2017-12-15+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the bus wove its way through the beautiful trees, creeks and past waterfalls, we caught a peek at the mammoth statue in the distance.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOUcfjJqbRmM-hJQ1ZXDaovaKUFbvjTTtuBfQBIS-q2yuyvUShW49VgNSZXJt7nN5XdWEKJBbtrJ1G1ONTL2HfM_OyZKwZHtJmlp5zPlIZhpRCAYVv6rl4jnd4E-Gdo8tMx_E6wPn0SQ/s1600/2017-12-15+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOUcfjJqbRmM-hJQ1ZXDaovaKUFbvjTTtuBfQBIS-q2yuyvUShW49VgNSZXJt7nN5XdWEKJBbtrJ1G1ONTL2HfM_OyZKwZHtJmlp5zPlIZhpRCAYVv6rl4jnd4E-Gdo8tMx_E6wPn0SQ/s320/2017-12-15+002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The statue lay within the <b>Parque Nacional de Tijuca,</b> an oasis high above the concrete jungle that was Rio below.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUYT42zXFWgM2pcW4H0Z6XaUOWJWkaoVyAJWWgvUWx9YRNRXpzjyoh5QaW2nBWLbSnnznjw6sLwwrpZfIoPwiZDQwfZVyb7mIl-hjCeorsqzZ3ASjC2RfO_cWI_T-CPcx0v3a0DtgijM/s1600/2017-12-15+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUYT42zXFWgM2pcW4H0Z6XaUOWJWkaoVyAJWWgvUWx9YRNRXpzjyoh5QaW2nBWLbSnnznjw6sLwwrpZfIoPwiZDQwfZVyb7mIl-hjCeorsqzZ3ASjC2RfO_cWI_T-CPcx0v3a0DtgijM/s320/2017-12-15+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3U6zMvED1lZ9bMpJIQ9hhJtTc-_DtSXJIx0j3mlulOjsV8l4_Sp4LTaJiXwpF60Bv8Fxqe-26FfcoBY2-KmdnctyNBiefoPUyxmPJdh9Q2Hfv4-RojFo6yAjDOQoBmf_n55_5RFG3uM/s1600/2017-12-15+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3U6zMvED1lZ9bMpJIQ9hhJtTc-_DtSXJIx0j3mlulOjsV8l4_Sp4LTaJiXwpF60Bv8Fxqe-26FfcoBY2-KmdnctyNBiefoPUyxmPJdh9Q2Hfv4-RojFo6yAjDOQoBmf_n55_5RFG3uM/s320/2017-12-15+010.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The views of the bay were stupendous, especially since there was hardly a cloud in the sky.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_tLIECda_1mH4BREhyphenhyphenj2sFJftTqluQwmq9Ljgt7hcxl3QcI03J0e_LMvWGlX5pLXkXM6MTcq7qcHaGRailtRMYkRK39YoBwGNxvPq8JEQcuxhPWPnCQFvfY9a49c5cgHnMChAxtQWw4/s1600/2017-12-15+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_tLIECda_1mH4BREhyphenhyphenj2sFJftTqluQwmq9Ljgt7hcxl3QcI03J0e_LMvWGlX5pLXkXM6MTcq7qcHaGRailtRMYkRK39YoBwGNxvPq8JEQcuxhPWPnCQFvfY9a49c5cgHnMChAxtQWw4/s320/2017-12-15+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The glorious statue rose atop <b>Corcovado, </b>the mountain that translates to 'hunchback,' at a height of 710 meters above Rio.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9A3efyjRvO2ukRmK5b06-FPrdMiDNstjMIkygNfQwGznVr-iSTS68SOEVMhaFPZiKlnrCNFMDo8aAo-W211zzT-h1c0zMITxTQgn2zPiK2M4_bjZuOXS3L7IyYf8328mQ27CMsY6MUmk/s1600/2017-12-15+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9A3efyjRvO2ukRmK5b06-FPrdMiDNstjMIkygNfQwGznVr-iSTS68SOEVMhaFPZiKlnrCNFMDo8aAo-W211zzT-h1c0zMITxTQgn2zPiK2M4_bjZuOXS3L7IyYf8328mQ27CMsY6MUmk/s320/2017-12-15+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgeXlQZy3iEmnSXqSEuive_6VIXIyFTX3gAVLl-cr3j0eVgUpCXdRBWkdTe8sSnTw88ZAzWCqJE6bUfcevh-FuxIWTELuBuIE89I2McLxxIRYWokN9YX92zqG7fhWmTk7bdB0HOzJn_4/s1600/2017-12-15+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgeXlQZy3iEmnSXqSEuive_6VIXIyFTX3gAVLl-cr3j0eVgUpCXdRBWkdTe8sSnTw88ZAzWCqJE6bUfcevh-FuxIWTELuBuIE89I2McLxxIRYWokN9YX92zqG7fhWmTk7bdB0HOzJn_4/s320/2017-12-15+020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had read that the crowds would be untenable if we weren't there first thing in the morning so were so relieved that we had ample room to marvel at the almost 100-foot tall statue of Jesus Christ that was designed by Brazilian <b>Heitor da Silva Costa. </b>I read the design drew inspiration from <b>Leonardo da Vinci's</b> famous study of the human body. The structure was hauled up the mountain in pieces and took years to assemble.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C8nwtcoVXTl18wOBwL0FpQZ8x1wmdoisUpmwNa6EJbfqay73NDg5hAcPlZ9x4nkw7seEq2wvBy9Io_BNtIkHnwjihjVTgH-MoPpTv41E5KeMfPZ3ku8yBk1ZleDSj6GwyxtT2vvg-c/s1600/2017-12-15+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-C8nwtcoVXTl18wOBwL0FpQZ8x1wmdoisUpmwNa6EJbfqay73NDg5hAcPlZ9x4nkw7seEq2wvBy9Io_BNtIkHnwjihjVTgH-MoPpTv41E5KeMfPZ3ku8yBk1ZleDSj6GwyxtT2vvg-c/s320/2017-12-15+023.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jTB-Kri7FZpJ574RwmT2gfpPiQy_pwR2rEDOkS-5Xe2FjAWALxfEk2Kq4ssRz5qmj8waylwiwPKLofAadcsdLr1mN1zPbeedvYhFu_uScd-psH1Iih7zbR0dlveMGe892jwQDtf8T6w/s1600/2017-12-15+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jTB-Kri7FZpJ574RwmT2gfpPiQy_pwR2rEDOkS-5Xe2FjAWALxfEk2Kq4ssRz5qmj8waylwiwPKLofAadcsdLr1mN1zPbeedvYhFu_uScd-psH1Iih7zbR0dlveMGe892jwQDtf8T6w/s320/2017-12-15+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The scenery was stunning everywhere we looked.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWWh_E9Kmao5qMYKq8qIh13m7fM4X4Ua9nWhWOpp4q6R3voNrQImSYxZLzLQmRBfXobL-gNDMrKxmubz_KaeINBPnzyrurU0kIzkxHNeGYgLDTkIuMwWLQJBLb7eiBayxprWrN29uLWA/s1600/2017-12-15+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWWh_E9Kmao5qMYKq8qIh13m7fM4X4Ua9nWhWOpp4q6R3voNrQImSYxZLzLQmRBfXobL-gNDMrKxmubz_KaeINBPnzyrurU0kIzkxHNeGYgLDTkIuMwWLQJBLb7eiBayxprWrN29uLWA/s320/2017-12-15+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJzsmbJ9_TduZDt1As9YkD8HITm1abZG4ZPV9Ul8R_2TGQSAN9j6GIAngsrpIh6tNF6JIGOytlwNszsGvDiZ_KwugwrGrTrblLesSgruh3o6fkeXoQoNvbJoqDU6tGO6uyyRJRM9R0-s/s1600/2017-12-15+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJzsmbJ9_TduZDt1As9YkD8HITm1abZG4ZPV9Ul8R_2TGQSAN9j6GIAngsrpIh6tNF6JIGOytlwNszsGvDiZ_KwugwrGrTrblLesSgruh3o6fkeXoQoNvbJoqDU6tGO6uyyRJRM9R0-s/s320/2017-12-15+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing the birds soar so close to us just added to the experience.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zX_ZotbV2jSd0ipRRWjyjzMXwc3Z9j5JnTD3eR6-BKtCXD1Jb9e14xymd_t3GAGyayy1uIhkDrv9cOSq9W4mgBrsgUxP69zbFZMnWTtFhzu3YcXz4tD8IF4AHEnfltntQr8aRt6sv0Q/s1600/2017-12-15+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zX_ZotbV2jSd0ipRRWjyjzMXwc3Z9j5JnTD3eR6-BKtCXD1Jb9e14xymd_t3GAGyayy1uIhkDrv9cOSq9W4mgBrsgUxP69zbFZMnWTtFhzu3YcXz4tD8IF4AHEnfltntQr8aRt6sv0Q/s320/2017-12-15+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A view of <b>Pão de Açúcar</b> or <b>Sugarloaf,</b> our next destination!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJXQ8NTBijTo6OOMnYPREfGKqbk37DLBxonVgld4mGBmqJ2LhNT45XiomCfw3pLE3fEKEsQae48Df1g-GPMFGRmNJUYanXQDoTPbhLkaFLiLWYmMYmmWSTrmC5P3Knj450M_wGsXvlw/s1600/2017-12-15+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWJXQ8NTBijTo6OOMnYPREfGKqbk37DLBxonVgld4mGBmqJ2LhNT45XiomCfw3pLE3fEKEsQae48Df1g-GPMFGRmNJUYanXQDoTPbhLkaFLiLWYmMYmmWSTrmC5P3Knj450M_wGsXvlw/s320/2017-12-15+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Underneath the base of the statue was a small chapel where Mass is held daily. It was a peaceful refuge away from the hubbub.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9k6-SFOIEx6QePgDHH6DKGVbZ_hQEGtYCCs1MWgW9sJVlnrf9uw20VBeigGAmD8trYe15N54azOvVFHK9YBX9oVfx4YSjM2LmJWZkEeOPUj2imdNMibiW9sMMzMzcd1Z3hVHRyLSXhk/s1600/2017-12-15+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9k6-SFOIEx6QePgDHH6DKGVbZ_hQEGtYCCs1MWgW9sJVlnrf9uw20VBeigGAmD8trYe15N54azOvVFHK9YBX9oVfx4YSjM2LmJWZkEeOPUj2imdNMibiW9sMMzMzcd1Z3hVHRyLSXhk/s320/2017-12-15+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In 2007 Rio's Cristo Redentor was declared one of the winners in a worldwide poll to find the <b>'New Seven Wonders of the World,'</b> a modern version of Greek historian Herodotus' list from the 5th century BC. The New Open World Corporation poll is thought to have been the largest ever, with 100 million voters! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qAq0am9s46g4DEwQEW0YSpb8TPQ7PqI2XvLLQB1WH_h8OINRJFu1T6XsuRB9lVHxtr_KLmo9Qa81s4-29avnnksLH1cgnTFIA9nErhYwEzb9MjhjqAhgzMDkvbUWENr9HJO06pClngg/s1600/2017-12-15+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qAq0am9s46g4DEwQEW0YSpb8TPQ7PqI2XvLLQB1WH_h8OINRJFu1T6XsuRB9lVHxtr_KLmo9Qa81s4-29avnnksLH1cgnTFIA9nErhYwEzb9MjhjqAhgzMDkvbUWENr9HJO06pClngg/s320/2017-12-15+043.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1912, the launch of an aerial tramway system in Rio de Janeiro added to the Brazilian tourist map an enterprise that would become famous worldwide: the <b>Sugarloaf Cable Car.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I read the view of the constant come and go of the cable cars has become a part of the city’s landscape. Because of its shape, its privileged location, its presence in the history of the city, and the original way to access its summit, the Sugarloaf is a natural, historic and tourist landmark in Rio.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vVSA-2Of_cj2EUhqii-hkDfH4I0bP2Smmlizv-FV-RGiGMkbGvEL0WpiKNA3PVNp4IxdF0NrD6JVp39ahU9_rEjJcJ38uw0byGlgtfRluHby0SSCHtT61sB6ILj8dAnbdHa0z6sj5j0/s1600/2017-12-15+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vVSA-2Of_cj2EUhqii-hkDfH4I0bP2Smmlizv-FV-RGiGMkbGvEL0WpiKNA3PVNp4IxdF0NrD6JVp39ahU9_rEjJcJ38uw0byGlgtfRluHby0SSCHtT61sB6ILj8dAnbdHa0z6sj5j0/s320/2017-12-15+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After taking an Uber to the base of the mountain, we had planned to walk up</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Morro da Urca </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">and then take the cable car the remaining distance to Sugarloaf. But, because of the high heat even at 9 in the morning, we chose to take the cable car from the base all the way to the top of both. The beach views from the first cable car ride were stellar!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfWHdUa7UBR27Y8o41AkTuZ56d6euvm0HKIHcwbSKGriep-13X0XnONmC31RJttUeGMvgGxIZ7My9DoMRxgiudf51bwQsznXI6HY2KvMZFzJyw-4FTnBIvCTazMphhJRnLQ6Imx2oZFQ/s1600/2017-12-15+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfWHdUa7UBR27Y8o41AkTuZ56d6euvm0HKIHcwbSKGriep-13X0XnONmC31RJttUeGMvgGxIZ7My9DoMRxgiudf51bwQsznXI6HY2KvMZFzJyw-4FTnBIvCTazMphhJRnLQ6Imx2oZFQ/s320/2017-12-15+054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The name of Sugarloaf, adopted in the 19th century, came from the rock's shape which resembled the conical clay molds once used to refine sugar. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZPO-4sMrHDNH68yjlKFPzFK3rr5Rb19Ani_wB_p4hh7VZ2nGo0Af-BYGP73UzbuLOUMkA86fKU6_1V9iQi4cRHH3uIMByo_Iti58q9WNKSSGFeP4eYacpXW_Yj1aZpKpmMubPaHsv64/s1600/2017-12-15+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZPO-4sMrHDNH68yjlKFPzFK3rr5Rb19Ani_wB_p4hh7VZ2nGo0Af-BYGP73UzbuLOUMkA86fKU6_1V9iQi4cRHH3uIMByo_Iti58q9WNKSSGFeP4eYacpXW_Yj1aZpKpmMubPaHsv64/s320/2017-12-15+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the Cristo statue, we had a picturesque view of Sugarloaf; here we were ascending Morro da Urca where, in turn, we had a view of Cristo just an hour or so later!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4K0sbX3ZVjmrL1ENWAAMHUDOv0GVltiYZKRY9KlM9sDrRfU3xDxoWyhPV9OO75kkgmMhrbjWEIneTIGguOE0u13mtZOWwtQ3zSFQY1qOMPTUkvZpuB7BXFC2gUB8nFF3GB8QjIYcoKc/s1600/2017-12-15+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4K0sbX3ZVjmrL1ENWAAMHUDOv0GVltiYZKRY9KlM9sDrRfU3xDxoWyhPV9OO75kkgmMhrbjWEIneTIGguOE0u13mtZOWwtQ3zSFQY1qOMPTUkvZpuB7BXFC2gUB8nFF3GB8QjIYcoKc/s320/2017-12-15+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After we got off the initial cable car ride, we noticed this</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Purple Ipe tree </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">which had been planted by local elementary school students in celebration of Arbor Day in 2007. I wonder how many of the students had ever returned to see how tall it had grown.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5EbWONI9iAXvhpRvQv4noaQd2VfHKGEYSxSnkZDXR44Hn2AdcWPr_gM48uRYgEaqhZrgB7GcoMiErLUHYHoRL2PZM2TxHpAH3uWZL2Wk4XWGw3mk3IKVqfviKRE3H04x5d2adVlqW6Q/s1600/2017-12-15+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5EbWONI9iAXvhpRvQv4noaQd2VfHKGEYSxSnkZDXR44Hn2AdcWPr_gM48uRYgEaqhZrgB7GcoMiErLUHYHoRL2PZM2TxHpAH3uWZL2Wk4XWGw3mk3IKVqfviKRE3H04x5d2adVlqW6Q/s320/2017-12-15+060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggc4p_q6vaHfJUPiprZLqo5iSG16GuHDSb9NK4f4uM5mSDbTW0iYBB6NQVGpH_xExjwxRCr3WPrV3sl1EJww-erOD-rqDquNIYcH7RvSMhQbXPAWObcZgMuFlv-_f7rOeKskYzjAAqgCw/s1600/2017-12-15+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggc4p_q6vaHfJUPiprZLqo5iSG16GuHDSb9NK4f4uM5mSDbTW0iYBB6NQVGpH_xExjwxRCr3WPrV3sl1EJww-erOD-rqDquNIYcH7RvSMhQbXPAWObcZgMuFlv-_f7rOeKskYzjAAqgCw/s320/2017-12-15+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymlmjVIKwWIfcO93xNP5nL-5zl989HKmRlxuEULPWvZ3JT_tzjPoF0-6NFrV7wXHdxep_dRaMm9xAJ2i4lq_FZwG_IPHM-OuT06LqepEbdE8bauQx5D9xthyphenhyphenocdiGE4sbK9PA22mxPPE/s1600/2017-12-15+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymlmjVIKwWIfcO93xNP5nL-5zl989HKmRlxuEULPWvZ3JT_tzjPoF0-6NFrV7wXHdxep_dRaMm9xAJ2i4lq_FZwG_IPHM-OuT06LqepEbdE8bauQx5D9xthyphenhyphenocdiGE4sbK9PA22mxPPE/s320/2017-12-15+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There were so many boats in the harbors but we were surprised at how few were in use. Possibly due to the early hour?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3tvQ5N_XCRpL1dhlitqfbB-8yQG_nJscYa5XAwo8x_emL1VA8vn0GHJ9AKDn7tyKdzOAUrp6iSQZJQaCapDJP-OGtCfkgMpq1BeO-NaKh0d67O3r8hMH5J72lZcQNTNSe2tEHL6c-Bg/s1600/2017-12-15+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3tvQ5N_XCRpL1dhlitqfbB-8yQG_nJscYa5XAwo8x_emL1VA8vn0GHJ9AKDn7tyKdzOAUrp6iSQZJQaCapDJP-OGtCfkgMpq1BeO-NaKh0d67O3r8hMH5J72lZcQNTNSe2tEHL6c-Bg/s320/2017-12-15+082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTyE_YAmWWh_rvUIDyzNOMZpLsh0aHnPy5CFpLsPVxc6B51jf0yn6pEGHty1_iE5Cyfl9tZCv4uj9WzSZmgpg6KP7yS_QyGXh6BOwySvfgDaudWDUYa9upPHbrK_Q24MoE7u0wqKsQf8/s1600/2017-12-15+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTyE_YAmWWh_rvUIDyzNOMZpLsh0aHnPy5CFpLsPVxc6B51jf0yn6pEGHty1_iE5Cyfl9tZCv4uj9WzSZmgpg6KP7yS_QyGXh6BOwySvfgDaudWDUYa9upPHbrK_Q24MoE7u0wqKsQf8/s320/2017-12-15+089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The gift shop had lots of adorable <b>havaianas</b> sandals for sale. I had heard of them before but had never realized they were a Brazilian fashion statement until seeing them halfway up the mountain! I texted and spoke to our daughters back in the States to see if they wanted them but they were ho hum about them.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9Iu1cCuhBHxOaGHoFtqID0mp4VP6sVW3K8jdYhvV51a-pXv2HRrkveCvifDGx7Pvz7Hi4Ltia8AbrUJjPxiDGkRCt5XelNzmJnVlL7_tAcmoy4X3lOV0rqvySS7qe8xI4U4cMvzjYJM/s1600/2017-12-15+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9Iu1cCuhBHxOaGHoFtqID0mp4VP6sVW3K8jdYhvV51a-pXv2HRrkveCvifDGx7Pvz7Hi4Ltia8AbrUJjPxiDGkRCt5XelNzmJnVlL7_tAcmoy4X3lOV0rqvySS7qe8xI4U4cMvzjYJM/s320/2017-12-15+083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6spYYCxE4G0QgKFVyzUZz0Qw7KbFtG9hVZeNMmFQkDuGVkaqrZFDN47G2OChMqSvNdUHHHl8y9pfJe6ryUW9sG8TqhAhJHcval-zfjPLlYwX3dHGkOjw8ERa_KMhvmP6rQfN8oCOak0E/s1600/2017-12-15+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6spYYCxE4G0QgKFVyzUZz0Qw7KbFtG9hVZeNMmFQkDuGVkaqrZFDN47G2OChMqSvNdUHHHl8y9pfJe6ryUW9sG8TqhAhJHcval-zfjPLlYwX3dHGkOjw8ERa_KMhvmP6rQfN8oCOak0E/s320/2017-12-15+085.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Having only reached Morro da Urca, we still needed to get the final cable car to reach the top of Sugarloaf. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I remarked how this was the 'trip of the cable car' as we'd taken so many of them throughout our South American adventure. We both wondered where and when we would take our next one!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrxTk68LWolmb91QPxPt25iivuVXKWDA-xVw5XalSUscjA7dG88PyrQsUl7nJ_ERpyihfOcEwQgg0pR_A2U_U_8ouTJwgBb4xblKViC9tdeDzWIaXBbDJRolp8JXAFvvgUL9NCtWRu4g/s1600/2017-12-15+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrxTk68LWolmb91QPxPt25iivuVXKWDA-xVw5XalSUscjA7dG88PyrQsUl7nJ_ERpyihfOcEwQgg0pR_A2U_U_8ouTJwgBb4xblKViC9tdeDzWIaXBbDJRolp8JXAFvvgUL9NCtWRu4g/s320/2017-12-15+090.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UTImbEcpnPQMbH6BWon9qpsQATLcK-h39RmKJstbHECEo-L_yhCoRU_hxcQKqkuvGFYiL80dPlgOqF7h6d6hJq0oyd8U6MT4k7Rkq7XLPAdsRRq2krlL8XxISvqJkExSQ3YfiuFqZQ0/s1600/2017-12-15+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UTImbEcpnPQMbH6BWon9qpsQATLcK-h39RmKJstbHECEo-L_yhCoRU_hxcQKqkuvGFYiL80dPlgOqF7h6d6hJq0oyd8U6MT4k7Rkq7XLPAdsRRq2krlL8XxISvqJkExSQ3YfiuFqZQ0/s320/2017-12-15+096.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The German-made machine-powered cable car was in use from the first cable trip between Morro da Urca and Sugarloaf in 1912 through 1972.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLd0BU08S4oa7BYfgudUCEOVVvQfrMO_8iub4oxhVBBZpUHxVY_rDwmxpUWzMBKCYhHie7-QY1ih8OJ27QxGSg1bFR7-09b5a64lXUvOP50VAj02MGeZyBFXuVLl6bWB9WPYvBz1CG98/s1600/2017-12-15+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLd0BU08S4oa7BYfgudUCEOVVvQfrMO_8iub4oxhVBBZpUHxVY_rDwmxpUWzMBKCYhHie7-QY1ih8OJ27QxGSg1bFR7-09b5a64lXUvOP50VAj02MGeZyBFXuVLl6bWB9WPYvBz1CG98/s320/2017-12-15+108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A guide suggested we go up to Sugarloaf right away because of likely heavy crowds soon. We decided to heed his advice as the clouds also began rolling in so our views would not be the best shortly from the top of Sugarloaf.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKatMYMeoduy7jL13bxCiE9BahS5DcGx50XW3PyCu1LX9lrx8P_28WQ56Z7yZdw2luSC5ZFG_GkO1NtBRjMY_PuvSgPmoK_PmhT2C6w4tWPpcV_V-UbCzNSRdaiKbZxmQCUgwACRbX7I/s1600/2017-12-15+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKatMYMeoduy7jL13bxCiE9BahS5DcGx50XW3PyCu1LX9lrx8P_28WQ56Z7yZdw2luSC5ZFG_GkO1NtBRjMY_PuvSgPmoK_PmhT2C6w4tWPpcV_V-UbCzNSRdaiKbZxmQCUgwACRbX7I/s320/2017-12-15+097.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlzhiFoJ9zSdhF4KaGVAxZE4x73MCjvMl1YK6V4XyuYZjb_XUjSOFQi71HbP0uKYHlKp2gXQYpxt2S-zz5ekbLDqDrLhHqCPRjPA-aOBXT3ZB_-cLOpBq2Pg5YIJfmbEK8XGbMTb_o_8/s1600/2017-12-15+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlzhiFoJ9zSdhF4KaGVAxZE4x73MCjvMl1YK6V4XyuYZjb_XUjSOFQi71HbP0uKYHlKp2gXQYpxt2S-zz5ekbLDqDrLhHqCPRjPA-aOBXT3ZB_-cLOpBq2Pg5YIJfmbEK8XGbMTb_o_8/s320/2017-12-15+099.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A few stats for you:</b> The cable cars had a capacity of 65 passengers and an operator; they left every 3 minutes or when they were full; the trip from Morro da Urca to Sugarloaf, a distance of 735 meters, only lasted 3 minutes; and the cable car traveled at a maximum speed of 35 kph.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmr0SaSW2TetWrmIkHv2ea5mCVVY196YDjqv1vGLlPhBorF_bmL2apZSUOYJlJUs1llFBLQp-5OSnE8ipR3Yu7cRehQ6JmQy9Y-S2t-fi0yk3VBrNhDtWHhnWe0NZjPH9dGxrsDFCUMo/s1600/2017-12-15+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmr0SaSW2TetWrmIkHv2ea5mCVVY196YDjqv1vGLlPhBorF_bmL2apZSUOYJlJUs1llFBLQp-5OSnE8ipR3Yu7cRehQ6JmQy9Y-S2t-fi0yk3VBrNhDtWHhnWe0NZjPH9dGxrsDFCUMo/s320/2017-12-15+104.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As you can see from the smiles on our faces, we had a ball riding the cable cars and loved the amazing views from both cable car stations.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2hhx3uFW3VFhepZ44arELLwiHYSbmYvWPowMPGVQPeZTokvCCcE3zTEO6o-s6MiX96cWJ770jpwuFvLFO2h1mxy6PoMV1xpKg0IBes2XPbMExIO7wvuEPHT8zCgK6pXGOgn7IIHsxoY/s1600/2017-12-15+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2hhx3uFW3VFhepZ44arELLwiHYSbmYvWPowMPGVQPeZTokvCCcE3zTEO6o-s6MiX96cWJ770jpwuFvLFO2h1mxy6PoMV1xpKg0IBes2XPbMExIO7wvuEPHT8zCgK6pXGOgn7IIHsxoY/s320/2017-12-15+114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We headed next to the city's <b>Botanical Gardens</b> but the horrific traffic meant we didn't arrive until almost 2, well over an hour after leaving Sugarloaf. We could see why the walking tour guide yesterday had recommended we take the metro any chance we could rather than any surface transportation in Rio as the congestion was among the worst we've ever experienced.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPI6ll5nWSu9__QN-v71Dd2Af1dPMrV8StLNMlIFtyNShjZRkJOrFeS3jeJrxLeHgdRIrueJ-HQFJi1jHp5Q1d36Ei1_0oqva4vkRUQjGAm8Ib2mS9Rk7Jc26EnzsifGEoNLFrau9rxM/s1600/2017-12-15+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPI6ll5nWSu9__QN-v71Dd2Af1dPMrV8StLNMlIFtyNShjZRkJOrFeS3jeJrxLeHgdRIrueJ-HQFJi1jHp5Q1d36Ei1_0oqva4vkRUQjGAm8Ib2mS9Rk7Jc26EnzsifGEoNLFrau9rxM/s320/2017-12-15+116.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tree for which the country was named and also Brazil's national tree was the <b>Pau-Brazil </b>which can reach heights up to 30 meters. If we had been there from September to December, we would have enjoyed smelling its perfumed yellow flowers. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We read the </span><span style="font-size: large;">reddish-brown </span><span style="font-size: large;">tree was part of the history of the country's colonization as the tree, which was abundant particularly along the coasts, was of great commercial interest. Used in civil and naval construction, the need for the tree caused intense competition and even fighting among explorers in Brazil. The tree, now used for violin bows and coloring in paint, is now almost extinct in the wild.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBGiFIAZT-0ZZyJ1A2bsBVY8QF7vrq_f99hzGwX6KX1Uu4s-hoH0UjLejifUVW7aEu69x-TzsTwvVpVfKY0dcnvVX3iRMxi4o-j8gh-sw9PjpvKmB856N5IGT0YmwerxQQCFSzPlloQo/s1600/2017-12-15+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBGiFIAZT-0ZZyJ1A2bsBVY8QF7vrq_f99hzGwX6KX1Uu4s-hoH0UjLejifUVW7aEu69x-TzsTwvVpVfKY0dcnvVX3iRMxi4o-j8gh-sw9PjpvKmB856N5IGT0YmwerxQQCFSzPlloQo/s320/2017-12-15+119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJFHiKxQH8kycNW_q8MqHNAlaNYxdeleN04BPoVUyQ6W7E9ZhnKMTYw8ZOl84Xg8B80h8AqrM3VySLJ7nHipp8IsTToPKB_NERDnnMTKVw2f7tbDZ1yRdooJ_NV2OpCClqeQYenD3lSg/s1600/2017-12-15+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJFHiKxQH8kycNW_q8MqHNAlaNYxdeleN04BPoVUyQ6W7E9ZhnKMTYw8ZOl84Xg8B80h8AqrM3VySLJ7nHipp8IsTToPKB_NERDnnMTKVw2f7tbDZ1yRdooJ_NV2OpCClqeQYenD3lSg/s320/2017-12-15+122.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">With Brazil only having less than two percent of the country's territory as nature preserves, botanists believe that is far too little to ensure the preservation of many vulnerable natural habitats. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWvnIIxrmLKs13dus9Kw98lh-pH1DCviNDOKXmXDiOdzMBYNgsRvq6_SVCrHZ03CTFoCr8j95zlFK08En7ry3u3xge78onHrC87eXHHDGq0rHhgqFj6YfNYWRBWuQiA8oSnS8nm79rJo/s1600/2017-12-15+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWvnIIxrmLKs13dus9Kw98lh-pH1DCviNDOKXmXDiOdzMBYNgsRvq6_SVCrHZ03CTFoCr8j95zlFK08En7ry3u3xge78onHrC87eXHHDGq0rHhgqFj6YfNYWRBWuQiA8oSnS8nm79rJo/s320/2017-12-15+123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC2ybMAQqt_va_4NkO5na-2tVx29iYUAvjsCr62gcG4DD3AJTfNKXXPiN_p1bQp3-vLX4y6dZceSRbHr80NDVdSz5AptOJ_QzHjZq5KfIhVKO1oPwd33MyiNIUKIvi3a5mfDnbQGjM7Q/s1600/2017-12-15+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC2ybMAQqt_va_4NkO5na-2tVx29iYUAvjsCr62gcG4DD3AJTfNKXXPiN_p1bQp3-vLX4y6dZceSRbHr80NDVdSz5AptOJ_QzHjZq5KfIhVKO1oPwd33MyiNIUKIvi3a5mfDnbQGjM7Q/s320/2017-12-15+124.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you click on the photo below to make it larger, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of the Cristo Redentor statue visible through the trees. Thank goodness we'd gone there first thing this morning as the views now would have been so poor due to the cloudy skies.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1q80LQINE9NfqsK1kT6E8ts63zNFOFG1hFz659WHjqDITpJpHfn7dSk0qfJSRo_Jrp0_T8Rib37IYSeWAdEZhWvDrRIII-UFQqircZYqXceFdCzvvEtPMsiT3vHKtOHLYyiRqNtQJH0s/s1600/2017-12-15+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1q80LQINE9NfqsK1kT6E8ts63zNFOFG1hFz659WHjqDITpJpHfn7dSk0qfJSRo_Jrp0_T8Rib37IYSeWAdEZhWvDrRIII-UFQqircZYqXceFdCzvvEtPMsiT3vHKtOHLYyiRqNtQJH0s/s320/2017-12-15+125.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM_AcwRekg3v_NwT-XcYB3y_j2E9qnv9BAaWEXxHny_WGM20-BOOz9L_EkVMkW2M419iMdrKY6mSlgZe-oncVnHXxYXFCbi8w0gJh0clz3FR3UHhjf6yHJ9z6ROttp4m2mTAZFIEahws/s1600/2017-12-15+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAM_AcwRekg3v_NwT-XcYB3y_j2E9qnv9BAaWEXxHny_WGM20-BOOz9L_EkVMkW2M419iMdrKY6mSlgZe-oncVnHXxYXFCbi8w0gJh0clz3FR3UHhjf6yHJ9z6ROttp4m2mTAZFIEahws/s320/2017-12-15+126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Garden had a wonderful stand of bamboo trees which we'd enjoyed seeing elsewhere immensely.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlhVO6bWOb-efjCgF0JUvAcHFF29w0O8N7DOluDg4yFrTETRP38oEkWXzb0tVuKAqBcXjNevNv8i_9qQBdit8O3zADi5iue9u9LYYd7STuJVlEa-HWh6EqYXP1xIO0O1MwoM9j_S36r8/s1600/2017-12-15+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlhVO6bWOb-efjCgF0JUvAcHFF29w0O8N7DOluDg4yFrTETRP38oEkWXzb0tVuKAqBcXjNevNv8i_9qQBdit8O3zADi5iue9u9LYYd7STuJVlEa-HWh6EqYXP1xIO0O1MwoM9j_S36r8/s320/2017-12-15+128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjOFWHm0cSvd2ijdB7SAqeaudYSPMMnQ6xP9H402aYpHkVQVLnuY68kw0xevcHZaIT7LNMjilREeMemPNZ_gwMPwKpDu5-9fBwDjnnoIBf7vICWA9WekxZHOewdAauuroy86P6cekY9g/s1600/2017-12-15+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjOFWHm0cSvd2ijdB7SAqeaudYSPMMnQ6xP9H402aYpHkVQVLnuY68kw0xevcHZaIT7LNMjilREeMemPNZ_gwMPwKpDu5-9fBwDjnnoIBf7vICWA9WekxZHOewdAauuroy86P6cekY9g/s320/2017-12-15+129.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Karl Glasl Grotto </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">was named for the Viennese-native Director of the Botanical Garden who created an appropriate climate for plants that required a humid and rocky environment.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghCm_YZC8rKTGWaXh5TEG0T-WAV1l1qTt4v5CEBwVqXOsfRVohsu488UJ0MoUxV8CzSjYieqrOMIGbppWtUDunk-n-BfeGcJgJlW4Oe6n4hqL9y6O4GO7FIYHhjs7mPxFi6NTxgeQs4U/s1600/2017-12-15+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghCm_YZC8rKTGWaXh5TEG0T-WAV1l1qTt4v5CEBwVqXOsfRVohsu488UJ0MoUxV8CzSjYieqrOMIGbppWtUDunk-n-BfeGcJgJlW4Oe6n4hqL9y6O4GO7FIYHhjs7mPxFi6NTxgeQs4U/s320/2017-12-15+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Gardens were founded by Portuguese Prince Regent Joao in 1808 as a repository for imported plants to become acclimatized to the tropics. They were opened to the public after the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAPE85tREQUNUGHiFyEapJuISMaSY3hT9AtSr1YWmzZGJjzOPQshnZprxRFbzTQmodjQg2HREzB6osvxNkHgusHzTaLhBZj09GeoXFc0vdNPEyMtK4yYJn0dwsX_bbZIsQb8BsaymNyM/s1600/2017-12-15+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAPE85tREQUNUGHiFyEapJuISMaSY3hT9AtSr1YWmzZGJjzOPQshnZprxRFbzTQmodjQg2HREzB6osvxNkHgusHzTaLhBZj09GeoXFc0vdNPEyMtK4yYJn0dwsX_bbZIsQb8BsaymNyM/s320/2017-12-15+132.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was mind boggling to read the <b>Giant Amazon Water Lily</b> could reach a diameter of two meters and the adult leaves are able to support up to an astonishing 45 kilos in the water due to the veins filled with air and gases! Each of the short-lived summer blooms float alone and has approximately 100 petals that are white on the edges and purple or dark pink in the center. The blooms open at sunset, remain open all night and die the next morning. After their death, if they are not eaten by fish, they fall to the mud at the water's bottom where their seeds will sprout. I hadn't realized before coming to the Rio Botanical Garden that the lily was named for the British monarch Queen Victoria.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU6uM06BFiq3w5b8Je7q3ocS84yKk5r9iGObiEds9gd0LYWPzED5Bo-3JSwp6nGNBbUIQvhGJIGnQ9KotqYOS2QH2mWUteR66evIsMGm6q1AkdDP1Gcf1CSgdkoecUEgzRxZesG8v2qQ/s1600/2017-12-15+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaU6uM06BFiq3w5b8Je7q3ocS84yKk5r9iGObiEds9gd0LYWPzED5Bo-3JSwp6nGNBbUIQvhGJIGnQ9KotqYOS2QH2mWUteR66evIsMGm6q1AkdDP1Gcf1CSgdkoecUEgzRxZesG8v2qQ/s320/2017-12-15+135.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were intrigued to see these trees came from <b>Madagascar,</b> a country we'd love to visit some day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBt-csPdcB6cSrtJ45Yd0bUtQ7ZZ0nMehqrZqTdPBGS83HrP03anWgzQpIbt2rpzTTrOEjM4bCoSWpOgl736OlFKtYybwXLbegOjtcCr-_a0EWrCeUgDz6Ryh0qugWKDoLk204BYef8A/s1600/2017-12-15+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBt-csPdcB6cSrtJ45Yd0bUtQ7ZZ0nMehqrZqTdPBGS83HrP03anWgzQpIbt2rpzTTrOEjM4bCoSWpOgl736OlFKtYybwXLbegOjtcCr-_a0EWrCeUgDz6Ryh0qugWKDoLk204BYef8A/s320/2017-12-15+137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wish I had seen some information about this</span><span style="font-size: large;"> unusual sculpture!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tuHprcxsyj8LREtV4lg3qh3z8dzvRKTfPRmU4W6ecsgsGYQ5twVqvnC7cWSn6_KWYfWwdxovl8VvucuTX_B4oGt8XNkrrmsDFFr2SJeW9YJ8uOWHkzaTkyBtS1Qui1voaXhsdRhPT2o/s1600/2017-12-15+139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tuHprcxsyj8LREtV4lg3qh3z8dzvRKTfPRmU4W6ecsgsGYQ5twVqvnC7cWSn6_KWYfWwdxovl8VvucuTX_B4oGt8XNkrrmsDFFr2SJeW9YJ8uOWHkzaTkyBtS1Qui1voaXhsdRhPT2o/s320/2017-12-15+139.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The bust honored<b> Frei Leandro,</b> the first Director of Botany of the Garden from 1824-29, who initiated the landscaping and the location of planted trees and oversaw the creation of the artificial lake and hill.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTHV7Z-pW8MOFIC9GMfIWiH3crB-75dOPyu7XOMBKPw_HroR1qrmaKh33WySdTdLjI_XI1ZBJH6K3YZsHGmHWHdWX2-ANX47NkCBUPPGCyhqAKICo-Sv6qfZjg0LNj-0fC3HP5WUbfkg/s1600/2017-12-15+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTHV7Z-pW8MOFIC9GMfIWiH3crB-75dOPyu7XOMBKPw_HroR1qrmaKh33WySdTdLjI_XI1ZBJH6K3YZsHGmHWHdWX2-ANX47NkCBUPPGCyhqAKICo-Sv6qfZjg0LNj-0fC3HP5WUbfkg/s320/2017-12-15+143.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The two-meter high, cast iron sculpture, represented the Greco-Roman mythological god, <b>Thetis,</b> which symbolized the feminine soul of the sea.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnID78bpgn1RTwX8c90RPODhg2xcgIOiLw1wNpyyabmVolJU9LM6bpuV-EIGkhqcyu3m5Mls75b4fVBE6Jy7RvTWQLAgzLUHpXjiwagKGJ_8VaIfnmfckNw18QuSibQyIUPrfm0d8daA/s1600/2017-12-15+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnID78bpgn1RTwX8c90RPODhg2xcgIOiLw1wNpyyabmVolJU9LM6bpuV-EIGkhqcyu3m5Mls75b4fVBE6Jy7RvTWQLAgzLUHpXjiwagKGJ_8VaIfnmfckNw18QuSibQyIUPrfm0d8daA/s320/2017-12-15+146.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I heard, and Steven spotted, a toucan in the palm trees but the telephoto lens in my phone camera couldn't pick it up unfortunately. My 'real' camera had given up the ghost, appropriately enough, while we were in the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, a while back.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiDlB1Rw_S4BF1MZ596z7xI9ARBTeGBEqMjs2QQCZmv-xyIUh8ISuCQ3AKDOJskElG5mn3S53GYWQAJ3CJ8OKl3Z0zCQUUtQTEuIm_8yRW-YcI1EjzRwCZ-ybG9rXebH_kk64yO0Epqc/s1600/2017-12-15+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGiDlB1Rw_S4BF1MZ596z7xI9ARBTeGBEqMjs2QQCZmv-xyIUh8ISuCQ3AKDOJskElG5mn3S53GYWQAJ3CJ8OKl3Z0zCQUUtQTEuIm_8yRW-YcI1EjzRwCZ-ybG9rXebH_kk64yO0Epqc/s320/2017-12-15+147.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wished there were signs indicating what these stunted tree-like growths were that bordered the lake.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Iyq1TdIxycuD5AJQNttsqAlgh2tf1g5dFFzOJf9r-Fyu0GfCqRxf39CjgYxAsQ_EfztpHW8vmu1oeHYxIV7y5WXkwvYa5VKcj9p4rVFN1nP-GJUmH0QCkLbIX4pC2a_hTyVz3jzq8Y/s1600/2017-12-15+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Iyq1TdIxycuD5AJQNttsqAlgh2tf1g5dFFzOJf9r-Fyu0GfCqRxf39CjgYxAsQ_EfztpHW8vmu1oeHYxIV7y5WXkwvYa5VKcj9p4rVFN1nP-GJUmH0QCkLbIX4pC2a_hTyVz3jzq8Y/s320/2017-12-15+149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A sign said this (these?) was a <b>Traveler's Tree</b> but offered no explanation.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuPqZsNmho7bOeKF6Cba8G0o89bNNUpD9NOR9yPONhiyxZutbT7UZ-pHT9xUaAjSnZUBhr7nomNYx6HW9J3Deg8ef5vpPtDhSCBQFSqug62_fszRJAoizwaT3gxTfijW_g4EIFTUJ7C8/s1600/2017-12-15+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuPqZsNmho7bOeKF6Cba8G0o89bNNUpD9NOR9yPONhiyxZutbT7UZ-pHT9xUaAjSnZUBhr7nomNYx6HW9J3Deg8ef5vpPtDhSCBQFSqug62_fszRJAoizwaT3gxTfijW_g4EIFTUJ7C8/s320/2017-12-15+152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The simple, whitewashed cottage was once the center for grinding saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur into gunpowder for </span><span style="font-size: large;">the <b>Royal Gunpowder Factory,</b> a manufacturing complex created by the Prince Regent and later king, Joao VI, in 1808. </span><span style="font-size: large;">In 1984, the building was identified through archaeological research and restoration was begun.</span><span style="font-size: large;">The millstones were used to grind the coal and sulfur</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in one of the stages of the gunpowder manufacturing process. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ncHy3Gmm3qswMMpIgT2eJzZp_v6gUwYs-DuF_RnXkGzsphX6mjYk6p8bMHiGDOjhLkI7dQA1S5myqlynC5uVD8ZOR_TbUG45gB7irZRyrlqfl4_hHPstCSCsLnwg1fOBv8qg-6GE9n0/s1600/2017-12-15+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ncHy3Gmm3qswMMpIgT2eJzZp_v6gUwYs-DuF_RnXkGzsphX6mjYk6p8bMHiGDOjhLkI7dQA1S5myqlynC5uVD8ZOR_TbUG45gB7irZRyrlqfl4_hHPstCSCsLnwg1fOBv8qg-6GE9n0/s320/2017-12-15+155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmU9jRkwkw-oUEKPhAhHkX3kZMBE90l8R4XotyvZDdW-Vl3pg2zuEUE-lHHjqXfRPWYeCOGIwNi-HY_pZgDlDxiQvRpf7fYsIMSX3SmDrRrzZL4AU-y23i-1r31eFQhf3ZnpngYqhCy0/s1600/2017-12-15+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmU9jRkwkw-oUEKPhAhHkX3kZMBE90l8R4XotyvZDdW-Vl3pg2zuEUE-lHHjqXfRPWYeCOGIwNi-HY_pZgDlDxiQvRpf7fYsIMSX3SmDrRrzZL4AU-y23i-1r31eFQhf3ZnpngYqhCy0/s320/2017-12-15+159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Meliponary</b> was a collection of colonies of native Brazilian stingless bees. There are more than 300 species of the bees in Brazil.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wELrL2sukGlnm-1iATJ1bRhP9pG6m5E6O4fXQ2A7OcBEiwZZeCMFQKxd4QsRYJwRX-Zd_1aLdJuxvK5PDGEzzTfbHsBTSOdEpjSNiR5WHYFp3-dZss1iyX5WOXtDmZ2qeCtJuqqjg6w/s1600/2017-12-15+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wELrL2sukGlnm-1iATJ1bRhP9pG6m5E6O4fXQ2A7OcBEiwZZeCMFQKxd4QsRYJwRX-Zd_1aLdJuxvK5PDGEzzTfbHsBTSOdEpjSNiR5WHYFp3-dZss1iyX5WOXtDmZ2qeCtJuqqjg6w/s320/2017-12-15+161.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I sure hoped the bees were indeed stingless as I got close to the hive! They were called stingless bees because their stingers are atrophied and therefore harmless. They are also known as 'Indian bees' because their products - honey and wax - have been used by native tribes for centuries. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQ5JU7wX-VEm9HvbMBdvUjgAR5JnXS5UwJiGCne6-sagHkQgLYRmqkVtFdn_2ra7cMrJQIiJ30WitzHG_8wtYbWFs5LJIlzmLhNvBULR6RCu5XZK0dpM5THe9mChDD2sYTWmr2YgN4ys/s1600/2017-12-15+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQ5JU7wX-VEm9HvbMBdvUjgAR5JnXS5UwJiGCne6-sagHkQgLYRmqkVtFdn_2ra7cMrJQIiJ30WitzHG_8wtYbWFs5LJIlzmLhNvBULR6RCu5XZK0dpM5THe9mChDD2sYTWmr2YgN4ys/s320/2017-12-15+164.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Orquidarium</b> looked appealing at first glance but it was a disappointing stop. We must have been there at the wrong season because few orchids were blooming and the exhibits looked rather sad. It was a shame as this part of the Garden was home to some of the world's rarest orchids and 1,000 tropical orchids were cultivated and preserved there. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyP_hVtiOHVJNhRZEJ7Ug8uk3JvDFss208MBCfbJyjGmioWwFGPlf6lvTbHfP86MQ6W_RTDH1oEaxWFp6AULeVFLnF1IpWChigA1FKDDMxAYsnbCjYXlQJRJgRgZKLU4FikCxyDjUlpM/s1600/2017-12-15+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyP_hVtiOHVJNhRZEJ7Ug8uk3JvDFss208MBCfbJyjGmioWwFGPlf6lvTbHfP86MQ6W_RTDH1oEaxWFp6AULeVFLnF1IpWChigA1FKDDMxAYsnbCjYXlQJRJgRgZKLU4FikCxyDjUlpM/s320/2017-12-15+160.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrouR4em5JOLdhtbnImIuxdBkVyD_ALDdzsa6I74FsfzlYTILFtz6JGHEPcFiZf4RmF4n7EjW4x0k82FtIvtT738DqOdx3e6WoNbgUFtJonm15nKvGCugVMthIWgmgcDGoL4sQyHveHQ/s1600/2017-12-15+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrouR4em5JOLdhtbnImIuxdBkVyD_ALDdzsa6I74FsfzlYTILFtz6JGHEPcFiZf4RmF4n7EjW4x0k82FtIvtT738DqOdx3e6WoNbgUFtJonm15nKvGCugVMthIWgmgcDGoL4sQyHveHQ/s320/2017-12-15+168.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcxHZC4m4RNJUiNEM_hSokn9-3JSGX32PvYT1E7EhkThG1bt4_8Ap7NT0TWv0QMzue9_Dy1BthEJin9ZUK5pPq9pmPFQ_cCRDanZ50C0gOLijE9lH78hWShLTurXCKhYs4TjWidCL2DE/s1600/2017-12-15+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcxHZC4m4RNJUiNEM_hSokn9-3JSGX32PvYT1E7EhkThG1bt4_8Ap7NT0TWv0QMzue9_Dy1BthEJin9ZUK5pPq9pmPFQ_cCRDanZ50C0gOLijE9lH78hWShLTurXCKhYs4TjWidCL2DE/s320/2017-12-15+171.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Several years ago, we were fortunate to spend several hours at Singapore's National Orchid Garden, surely our best experience at any botanical garden anywhere yet. But even there, I don't recall learning that the <b>vanilla plant</b> was an orchid and is the only one to have a significant use in cooking and perfumes. Its active ingredient was already known by the Mayans and Aztecs who used vanilla as a spice, flavoring and medicine. Fifty years after the 'discovery' of South America, vanilla was used in European salons.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJmZhJQHEqFs9KPQpp6g-U76nl1uIhg0_-xLtHk8qq0y3-VUtCt-hTh0cNiYQ48O3c5YUdTPzfxAP7OShWJQcruXiJS4mo2zMa6w9lC_BiDid8FaH5fG3vZpJus2RMuwUkqrF0aUeWfg/s1600/2017-12-15+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJmZhJQHEqFs9KPQpp6g-U76nl1uIhg0_-xLtHk8qq0y3-VUtCt-hTh0cNiYQ48O3c5YUdTPzfxAP7OShWJQcruXiJS4mo2zMa6w9lC_BiDid8FaH5fG3vZpJus2RMuwUkqrF0aUeWfg/s320/2017-12-15+173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was interesting seeing the Garden's <b>Micro Orchids</b> which were attractively displayed on different levels and to learn they originate from tropical areas in South America. The small flowers stood out for their delicate shapes, color and often by their number.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUThg3UmiAp2p7JOuhAs236JOO8lmvkfB0X4_mnwG_r-O3Araul-osLY1hrR00Zq7GLcVIC3LB0PD5mm4KVQuYAKCu2WSXBXKOuqpJQAzIQnlqqzm_ntzuMRVDBujs3dc0sWleEuEJNA/s1600/2017-12-15+176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUThg3UmiAp2p7JOuhAs236JOO8lmvkfB0X4_mnwG_r-O3Araul-osLY1hrR00Zq7GLcVIC3LB0PD5mm4KVQuYAKCu2WSXBXKOuqpJQAzIQnlqqzm_ntzuMRVDBujs3dc0sWleEuEJNA/s320/2017-12-15+176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Besides orchids' attraction for their beauty, the flowers were believed for many centuries to be <b>love potions!</b> They were thought to awaken and stimulate sexual desire, virility and fertility. In the Middle Ages, they were widely used in teas, magic and aphrodisiacs and medicines for various ailments. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQGQ4E9JwT_6iYkakB1VgeG26ypyegCVsOXp3ohQC2WTJlwOjMDYlMwX1vX47gpHGpQVqZhxWtQSDnpZn1Lzi9qyu6qkNCYWalqBsOIFSuO0-I5_IweG1IM39dOde3IUXrAlmV-VNCe8/s1600/2017-12-15+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQGQ4E9JwT_6iYkakB1VgeG26ypyegCVsOXp3ohQC2WTJlwOjMDYlMwX1vX47gpHGpQVqZhxWtQSDnpZn1Lzi9qyu6qkNCYWalqBsOIFSuO0-I5_IweG1IM39dOde3IUXrAlmV-VNCe8/s320/2017-12-15+181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Until the 17th century, there was a belief that diseases should be used by plants that had some resemblance to the affected organ. As ground tubers, orchids have the same shape as testicles and thus were used in the treatment of sexual disorders.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSK-A-TPvL_Ucxir2W06f62cbJr5yxcRFz0xytLuZNHriciDWV_0RuNdkX2uS7TNl2hO-SSS52_4LSeuarKHEGf3rydJN7w1emRahq7SNF1cMig1vAONQmyQv-uGZpp4J72dTpPVSYGU/s1600/2017-12-15+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSK-A-TPvL_Ucxir2W06f62cbJr5yxcRFz0xytLuZNHriciDWV_0RuNdkX2uS7TNl2hO-SSS52_4LSeuarKHEGf3rydJN7w1emRahq7SNF1cMig1vAONQmyQv-uGZpp4J72dTpPVSYGU/s320/2017-12-15+182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For over 100 years, the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden has </span><span style="font-size: large;">amassed more than 10,000 samples of bromeliads in its </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bromelarium </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">that were </span><span style="font-size: large;">d</span><span style="font-size: large;">isplayed in two large greenhouses.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">The plants</span><span style="font-size: large;">, some from the Garden's own collection and others that were donated or developed as part of scientific projects, came from the Amazon, Central and South America, salt marshes and the Atlantic Forest.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQrLKvx2gIQYMsZimwERgrIhuuKfu9T9wOvPU6-zLsiaY1U5VouG61tYNIvFCbSNQ9TlFf_AKADKWF6FlmTA_mz2vJG1qBT7_lhfNPwJ8x9A4tij44nLLdaHsPLAbcWk0ZlxHSS9MEEw/s1600/2017-12-15+183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQrLKvx2gIQYMsZimwERgrIhuuKfu9T9wOvPU6-zLsiaY1U5VouG61tYNIvFCbSNQ9TlFf_AKADKWF6FlmTA_mz2vJG1qBT7_lhfNPwJ8x9A4tij44nLLdaHsPLAbcWk0ZlxHSS9MEEw/s320/2017-12-15+183.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3nAfrK6dD2iXOtg16L5Hh0SpnjkDArelfrcpXrXXyNtX2TL1cg9j0tdq-5E2QlEyFJIKe2UBxDilBCZFeeYLbCLhDKeOZ3JaPhzzmPKOatsvlUlN4W03qLZvSN7oitfUHVQqYJcKLcY/s1600/2017-12-15+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3nAfrK6dD2iXOtg16L5Hh0SpnjkDArelfrcpXrXXyNtX2TL1cg9j0tdq-5E2QlEyFJIKe2UBxDilBCZFeeYLbCLhDKeOZ3JaPhzzmPKOatsvlUlN4W03qLZvSN7oitfUHVQqYJcKLcY/s320/2017-12-15+184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShVs1AejBZCqd_zTJIg38KeA3MWmSCbzvIAV_UsFkCGUL26rLYv1matoCz-lZAd0QQ8kgqG7B4y8Id78DBU645cahMiSr_BhK-7UT2w7Q0UBaRSWRIo_faCdpimjuXK63JAUS_ytRGAY/s1600/2017-12-15+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShVs1AejBZCqd_zTJIg38KeA3MWmSCbzvIAV_UsFkCGUL26rLYv1matoCz-lZAd0QQ8kgqG7B4y8Id78DBU645cahMiSr_BhK-7UT2w7Q0UBaRSWRIo_faCdpimjuXK63JAUS_ytRGAY/s320/2017-12-15+188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-R5hzQAr6lOyKvWFUV9y8QvaZFmEAqV7et5FcSFwprJ2B55jh3FrxAI1u_5iZ8OvL0X_x8HZ3_sH1bKZoYKhMqdV4FyHsi22pwmupr7wrwTnKKHG4dT5uOumTcGnDlfl46V_MtGNX6Y/s1600/2017-12-15+189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-R5hzQAr6lOyKvWFUV9y8QvaZFmEAqV7et5FcSFwprJ2B55jh3FrxAI1u_5iZ8OvL0X_x8HZ3_sH1bKZoYKhMqdV4FyHsi22pwmupr7wrwTnKKHG4dT5uOumTcGnDlfl46V_MtGNX6Y/s320/2017-12-15+189.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Back outside the greenhouses, we just wandered through more of the Garden, enjoying the peacefulness and the absence of crowds of people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEzmNBNBnsgpOwsNNRBoPAPQl8Tw-AXlnNYHHPVmDVNm6W0s2MdCGgDZHlzWkci6sG4eGQYsvgi0qPaUiZiAPnOxeuKUKCH1XcRFkInXSfXkceYnyNvokTVWMMqW4L8U685IvvP81Rwc/s1600/2017-12-15+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEzmNBNBnsgpOwsNNRBoPAPQl8Tw-AXlnNYHHPVmDVNm6W0s2MdCGgDZHlzWkci6sG4eGQYsvgi0qPaUiZiAPnOxeuKUKCH1XcRFkInXSfXkceYnyNvokTVWMMqW4L8U685IvvP81Rwc/s320/2017-12-15+193.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsZ9kdFFHEp6ecmT91xgWeyozwsQTdxO53pyn_dEfjTGOCsqlHbF_wQPJeTbEdj0JTSZ8wI7CWmZosSM_Frkq7zvTogWo_FtiivLz_Ma4N23hl-JWnKNT0zPiWSZreRCxUoramDNRmt8/s1600/2017-12-15+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsZ9kdFFHEp6ecmT91xgWeyozwsQTdxO53pyn_dEfjTGOCsqlHbF_wQPJeTbEdj0JTSZ8wI7CWmZosSM_Frkq7zvTogWo_FtiivLz_Ma4N23hl-JWnKNT0zPiWSZreRCxUoramDNRmt8/s320/2017-12-15+194.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">While the entire Botanical Garden was very beautiful, the chief claim to glory was the majestic <b>Avenue of Royal Palms</b> with its dizzying length.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The stately path,<b> </b>located in the center of the Garden, was lined with 40-ft. tall palms which were planted at the time the gardens were established. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfZtI-vRsutXpwFsBj9tPVbMbDjC8pra4OKm6G3mR4eacPpzR24zn5pdbcTeUgGqBtnhlM8sFRSWrSPpzsh_PfpOjj1kPizUHlq2klPcCg3SZdxhHhFzX4CZR0welpCo23_qoIKT5Ujw/s1600/2017-12-15+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfZtI-vRsutXpwFsBj9tPVbMbDjC8pra4OKm6G3mR4eacPpzR24zn5pdbcTeUgGqBtnhlM8sFRSWrSPpzsh_PfpOjj1kPizUHlq2klPcCg3SZdxhHhFzX4CZR0welpCo23_qoIKT5Ujw/s320/2017-12-15+197.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZFy1kuGJeMsBDVq0mzIBOwjh7zx8MCL8z0d4NldyS0_U6pRNLmmOMjOiQpDVVGSxzDFDpZ4Sf8tmg55r1EbthjMuGPIhITozDMstPhCCHPXHCzvUtFRERVCE8arUQSqGoKZFYUg0Tro/s1600/2017-12-15+200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZFy1kuGJeMsBDVq0mzIBOwjh7zx8MCL8z0d4NldyS0_U6pRNLmmOMjOiQpDVVGSxzDFDpZ4Sf8tmg55r1EbthjMuGPIhITozDMstPhCCHPXHCzvUtFRERVCE8arUQSqGoKZFYUg0Tro/s320/2017-12-15+200.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For me, the garden's water features were a particular highlight in addition to the Avenue of Palms.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34U3XvDphyLUdwK5QPUK9wkMLuItzVugzIjYds7fWC44Y-V8PjmTOvcgFfmL7SjB3m-eKPlJv0108L_tckQQwuqfpQV8oBpW_UEHqGYTgyTbz00tAdsJ-JNtWiBhWFhBD4_0gXvo28WU/s1600/2017-12-15+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34U3XvDphyLUdwK5QPUK9wkMLuItzVugzIjYds7fWC44Y-V8PjmTOvcgFfmL7SjB3m-eKPlJv0108L_tckQQwuqfpQV8oBpW_UEHqGYTgyTbz00tAdsJ-JNtWiBhWFhBD4_0gXvo28WU/s320/2017-12-15+201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfPBppIUv-eLagP291sAYlD2hdOqC-nTikoFyLSln3fzR4aTzimES55kvkrloI4JKhTYFLEgce-FwPPQAkiWi3Rz6682xbMBGeXq8OQGRaTdkFUXyLijZJminPQN82t39jvFuuZdBqUg/s1600/2017-12-15+205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfPBppIUv-eLagP291sAYlD2hdOqC-nTikoFyLSln3fzR4aTzimES55kvkrloI4JKhTYFLEgce-FwPPQAkiWi3Rz6682xbMBGeXq8OQGRaTdkFUXyLijZJminPQN82t39jvFuuZdBqUg/s320/2017-12-15+205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Widgeon Fountain </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">was surrounded by two sculptures that depicted Echo and Narcissus.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdegrNQ6Fohv1qclHv11zSphAXKJL1MRdeqL2leAaUebVFGJqcanBD6meJsTwzXj1sT9H3aPyeD6N6laOj3v6WGKuaGtwno4iTyy4QDWv6ZCpFud9izI3KmjsWHZbpinv8DygpAVP5mz4/s1600/2017-12-15+206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdegrNQ6Fohv1qclHv11zSphAXKJL1MRdeqL2leAaUebVFGJqcanBD6meJsTwzXj1sT9H3aPyeD6N6laOj3v6WGKuaGtwno4iTyy4QDWv6ZCpFud9izI3KmjsWHZbpinv8DygpAVP5mz4/s320/2017-12-15+206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc7esYXyPMrVlQY6bUYpD548cbGezgFU-zfOBrqCIeUzliKOU0s_hfDRTopqgzKclnv1s8Y4b6H_VZErB_XR4itEfs13r5KfFAvXHBRL_RE0ydkPP3-rqpun09AUjT6ORwzM8G-FVSaw/s1600/2017-12-15+209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc7esYXyPMrVlQY6bUYpD548cbGezgFU-zfOBrqCIeUzliKOU0s_hfDRTopqgzKclnv1s8Y4b6H_VZErB_XR4itEfs13r5KfFAvXHBRL_RE0ydkPP3-rqpun09AUjT6ORwzM8G-FVSaw/s320/2017-12-15+209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1idz_oa9YiWZxySFDMIYFKj7nRGTFhiKiHp8q9Y2VZYnW9qn00MmvZwYdDWNgotBMyNByRv62vs6d0uuANqc_yR5M30zzm4Egc66K4BWtluj6E4ChBo_kZsehjCsp6WSSOblDcn__Cbk/s1600/2017-12-15+212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1idz_oa9YiWZxySFDMIYFKj7nRGTFhiKiHp8q9Y2VZYnW9qn00MmvZwYdDWNgotBMyNByRv62vs6d0uuANqc_yR5M30zzm4Egc66K4BWtluj6E4ChBo_kZsehjCsp6WSSOblDcn__Cbk/s320/2017-12-15+212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gxewWIqh82Gz4KpOSCe3wyUZ5EKh0YtY0vqkwVqKLPtlPpX5XDtrDspUMmX67zvAjphfj1873lOgGazMW4z91hyhL6VZGnWIxi7FlYqpArbnLqF5nTAHl3izRz-lthZfO1VNqpN4tVg/s1600/2017-12-15+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gxewWIqh82Gz4KpOSCe3wyUZ5EKh0YtY0vqkwVqKLPtlPpX5XDtrDspUMmX67zvAjphfj1873lOgGazMW4z91hyhL6VZGnWIxi7FlYqpArbnLqF5nTAHl3izRz-lthZfO1VNqpN4tVg/s320/2017-12-15+213.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gloria:</b> Whenever I spot calla lilies, I always think of you!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukC2HkLoxHS6NVRgqECaAC84carXJNFocv1cXD4HWBTrrJyqblFmR9yNALvJiqEfQ-pygysbPwHrkA9OW9qeohp-63XQovuL2ehJQgV7pJNq0EsQr8kClmxGkFL7JQSj7Lot7d3WFxtg/s1600/2017-12-15+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukC2HkLoxHS6NVRgqECaAC84carXJNFocv1cXD4HWBTrrJyqblFmR9yNALvJiqEfQ-pygysbPwHrkA9OW9qeohp-63XQovuL2ehJQgV7pJNq0EsQr8kClmxGkFL7JQSj7Lot7d3WFxtg/s320/2017-12-15+216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Japanese Garden</b> was especially beautiful and serene.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMilx3ohf3VJStp1-4kOzrv3Td3f62NCD70TRcYYqX75OEcHXk-iAGFjM4VKwTaOYlkn1HBIXpdE6BcQQfW8ATXZ0e78Pjl4tDjk5iduvEca0Qr1BAk70Q4xsEOp872W8PSiTa0DqyTQ/s1600/2017-12-15+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMilx3ohf3VJStp1-4kOzrv3Td3f62NCD70TRcYYqX75OEcHXk-iAGFjM4VKwTaOYlkn1HBIXpdE6BcQQfW8ATXZ0e78Pjl4tDjk5iduvEca0Qr1BAk70Q4xsEOp872W8PSiTa0DqyTQ/s320/2017-12-15+218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After spending several hours in the park, we could agree why the park was proclaimed one of the top ten botanical gardens in the world!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsDHBD-T6MTL6l4lcLNY9JFtWF-mphU1jp3VAZN8rO84KvZ0api1V4bmt4F9E68Lp3L6YoV9qyeEYQEXtbDDM7l2lq8l3rSGYC3pKtOE73VmC8wqkHqtag0BsWf4zl27FJmURJGrgq50/s1600/2017-12-15+219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsDHBD-T6MTL6l4lcLNY9JFtWF-mphU1jp3VAZN8rO84KvZ0api1V4bmt4F9E68Lp3L6YoV9qyeEYQEXtbDDM7l2lq8l3rSGYC3pKtOE73VmC8wqkHqtag0BsWf4zl27FJmURJGrgq50/s320/2017-12-15+219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the exit was a remarkable sculpture unlike the more traditional ones showcased in the other areas of the Garden. The sculpture, called</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Adamah </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">which meant red earth and also</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Adam, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">symbolized the origin of life. Through its height of 365 cm which represented the number of days in an year, the clay piece also contained symbolic visual references to Brazilian flora and fauna in danger of extinction. Time, erosion and pollution have made their mark since the artist,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> David Farias, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">gifted his piece in 1992. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD5UIPtTly8UxPz_49-rMRGkIn5iMNDF3IPfKvM2NeZFk7yzQLjxJBXlfhiH94QjUnDVmZxm7n6pw2qFkLqfK4q_lIowDw6Ph6TGQswYtqiciaUGevMpJwGNxAdQBBc6gm7fq0-EsGNU/s1600/2017-12-15+224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD5UIPtTly8UxPz_49-rMRGkIn5iMNDF3IPfKvM2NeZFk7yzQLjxJBXlfhiH94QjUnDVmZxm7n6pw2qFkLqfK4q_lIowDw6Ph6TGQswYtqiciaUGevMpJwGNxAdQBBc6gm7fq0-EsGNU/s320/2017-12-15+224.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> An engrossing, and scary, walking tour of one of Rio's favelas or shantytowns.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 6th, 2018, from Columbus, Georgia.</i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-21882878356772811972018-06-02T21:05:00.004-06:002018-06-15T08:48:45.807-06:0012/14: Fabulous Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Imperial Rio to Selarón's Mosaic Steps!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rio de Janeiro,</b> more commonly known simply as <b>Rio,</b> was a city we'd been so looking forward to visiting since beginning our long trip to a good chunk of South America back in early September. Before doing any research, to me Rio meant the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, the signature Sugarloaf skyline and the troubled city that hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics. Over the next few posts, you'll see and learn about all those and many more sights of the fantastic city. We decided the best introduction for us would be to take the 'free' walking tour to get an understanding of the central part of the city and some of its sights.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5anh98hv2tO2xbFkgmZxZfzDmOaC4O9lgAe2QPkgRJS5MmM3m26Q7jN83e3COPxRHUhi-9efVfHNwwt1Fpyqm3cZ8yzBASEyzZfsrPOXU3O_1C2YpM4i9vgweRv2xd7NqenAbFl3BUA/s1600/2017-12-14+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5anh98hv2tO2xbFkgmZxZfzDmOaC4O9lgAe2QPkgRJS5MmM3m26Q7jN83e3COPxRHUhi-9efVfHNwwt1Fpyqm3cZ8yzBASEyzZfsrPOXU3O_1C2YpM4i9vgweRv2xd7NqenAbFl3BUA/s320/2017-12-14+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We'd picked a perfect hotel this time as it was just minutes from the beach and also just a few blocks away from a metro stop which meant easy access to all over the vast city. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXRlRzPVc_VjNhyieesU2e9JvpH17rHWaluv0gw6dzLruc6CH7J0dKUQTBgwG352cANmlvn-TpjUdmcFLiC8Wp8KwXsVp1nPGLWXBtOnVZeLNDSi5w048VHK2p8R-goidadChvPDJqqY/s1600/2017-12-14+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXRlRzPVc_VjNhyieesU2e9JvpH17rHWaluv0gw6dzLruc6CH7J0dKUQTBgwG352cANmlvn-TpjUdmcFLiC8Wp8KwXsVp1nPGLWXBtOnVZeLNDSi5w048VHK2p8R-goidadChvPDJqqY/s320/2017-12-14+004.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We couldn't help but be charmed by one of the first things we noticed in Rio: its mosaic sidewalks everywhere, some decorated more than others. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X-YBysSCAdS0-OWlKPMH0XA1F8KsyhuhyphenhyphenNfrtLb6p_uGQnfCUPa5t9q8Z9Qg_noFGr4cYIKLvxrOLw2CPEQfsEUd8d1uEqOXJphojPBxT3YbDsIFYA7TAcVzfkP_rVhP-ac0cHDpGnQ/s1600/2017-12-14+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X-YBysSCAdS0-OWlKPMH0XA1F8KsyhuhyphenhyphenNfrtLb6p_uGQnfCUPa5t9q8Z9Qg_noFGr4cYIKLvxrOLw2CPEQfsEUd8d1uEqOXJphojPBxT3YbDsIFYA7TAcVzfkP_rVhP-ac0cHDpGnQ/s320/2017-12-14+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS1nYzLbClQaQh2rWQdYMcEyk16qS5h1FrXVLpJBaUAPFaURjerNBOXX-PVEWjFoDo266jVsX6zKTmFOKkBHCKUa4g0kPUU4x1bslblhdR6pUyNI_jqZzwjQISfzsaumT3IAi_38QRVo/s1600/2017-12-14+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS1nYzLbClQaQh2rWQdYMcEyk16qS5h1FrXVLpJBaUAPFaURjerNBOXX-PVEWjFoDo266jVsX6zKTmFOKkBHCKUa4g0kPUU4x1bslblhdR6pUyNI_jqZzwjQISfzsaumT3IAi_38QRVo/s320/2017-12-14+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We reached the tour meeting stop a little early so walked nearby to view the stately <b>Museu Nacional de Belas Artes</b> that was established in 1937 and housed the most comprehensive collection of Brazilian art in the country.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9Iu3UcCr8AXtk7enOuFU7OgK21OiuqBK-sDLdtXGEPs73emgJviyR4fcaM-Dc4hNFcr_cveR_zr9iuGk5sm_dwueu4-kCwcx2kKnSORmXRRVmMBx6IpJecEwTL9II_IgDrXtrWAYdSs/s1600/2017-12-14+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9Iu3UcCr8AXtk7enOuFU7OgK21OiuqBK-sDLdtXGEPs73emgJviyR4fcaM-Dc4hNFcr_cveR_zr9iuGk5sm_dwueu4-kCwcx2kKnSORmXRRVmMBx6IpJecEwTL9II_IgDrXtrWAYdSs/s320/2017-12-14+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Across the street was</span> <span style="font-size: large;">the magnificent <b>Theatro Municipal</b> built in 1905 in the style of the Paris Opera. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPj0yjN1dBH5fRTggCGVw7dJGwFLkbI0d_pCNICL2SqHIJQo6zUwZoNzBzSWjEHzi7YihgmNQXkjGipGdyyM9z3Jnu7JLFVj2EjKtUzAAkZqy5C4cG11xR-DWujnYPjycUb43e1VfuFw/s1600/2017-12-14+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPj0yjN1dBH5fRTggCGVw7dJGwFLkbI0d_pCNICL2SqHIJQo6zUwZoNzBzSWjEHzi7YihgmNQXkjGipGdyyM9z3Jnu7JLFVj2EjKtUzAAkZqy5C4cG11xR-DWujnYPjycUb43e1VfuFw/s320/2017-12-14+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sophia,</b> our tour guide, mentioned </span><span style="font-size: large;">Rio used to be known as the City of Illnesses as the hills and swamps dominated the area. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The swamps were drained and many of the hills were destroyed in the late 1800s to make room for the expanding city. The city's name originated when Portuguese explorer <b>Gonçalo Coelho</b> entered a huge bay in January, 1502 and mistook it for a river.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2Ib3p8f3O33_uyz0nUnbGC6VpfktNBiOsnSdfQKJgpX1xzEmZt6N3D21AnyVUEKohyS5UC2r62sa98ARv2d1omhZsKF4bto0vkwb3IX7jtuAZ3pPfU1_wQtxUlFaWZbgvkcrF1Obry0/s1600/2017-12-14+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2Ib3p8f3O33_uyz0nUnbGC6VpfktNBiOsnSdfQKJgpX1xzEmZt6N3D21AnyVUEKohyS5UC2r62sa98ARv2d1omhZsKF4bto0vkwb3IX7jtuAZ3pPfU1_wQtxUlFaWZbgvkcrF1Obry0/s320/2017-12-14+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just behind us was <b>St. Anthony Hill</b> with the convent behind it. In the past, instead of paying for a husband or wife, people would put an image of St. Anthony in a bowl of water to find a spouse! To this day, July 14th or St. Anthony Day is celebrated as Love Day. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWUMt_4PNmM5zN64Ox3wGOoPJRAEyVO8i5MQzVVpPyGU4NOT9-p1fXNKGG8nTyovInGYQ1xE-1qvmazPO3kYa5X38G_rfOjHvFD396gZD-4Yd5qVlFnIuIz9YTDn5JSlkecnNOvIJwas/s1600/2017-12-14+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWUMt_4PNmM5zN64Ox3wGOoPJRAEyVO8i5MQzVVpPyGU4NOT9-p1fXNKGG8nTyovInGYQ1xE-1qvmazPO3kYa5X38G_rfOjHvFD396gZD-4Yd5qVlFnIuIz9YTDn5JSlkecnNOvIJwas/s320/2017-12-14+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sophia pointed out the headquarters of Brazil's oil company across the park had been voted one of the world's ten ugliest buildings when it was designed to resemble an oil platform. When it was completed in 1974, gardens were planted in the empty spaces which was unusual at the time because no one thought of incorporating gardens as part of the building design. Shades had to added to the building once people realized it was like working in an oven with all the glass!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfPi0yf9vK2cbh2dQDC7ElMtIbhrIRWI-yyKYexQaNjAUUbToJurV_jES7HOz5EYUshX87ozViZEtEJgDLzUSvn5UIGQUcwFTRtuW7PYxHWsw0hbP5SgMBJp4SSE53e6iIxbTVWK1LKs/s1600/2017-12-14+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfPi0yf9vK2cbh2dQDC7ElMtIbhrIRWI-yyKYexQaNjAUUbToJurV_jES7HOz5EYUshX87ozViZEtEJgDLzUSvn5UIGQUcwFTRtuW7PYxHWsw0hbP5SgMBJp4SSE53e6iIxbTVWK1LKs/s320/2017-12-14+026.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sophia stated that the Portuguese explorers allowed no universities, press or businesses in the colony until the early 1800s when the Portuguese royal family moved to the city. There are few colonial buildings left in Rio because they were torn down to allow the construction of French-style buildings as the mayor at the time had fallen in love with Paris.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbPUl_qrY11Y2sSLltMrdWHAzcEMNwpFqqrLHzrV1zIFAl_CIENi0wV7yy_jY96uIdttKrOJDpsPqPlNIh_1VC8fNieTlzQpVwPdWC8frZKzu6RQmphkJ-IioXlgLxW6tXnJtlsbqVOk/s1600/2017-12-14+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbPUl_qrY11Y2sSLltMrdWHAzcEMNwpFqqrLHzrV1zIFAl_CIENi0wV7yy_jY96uIdttKrOJDpsPqPlNIh_1VC8fNieTlzQpVwPdWC8frZKzu6RQmphkJ-IioXlgLxW6tXnJtlsbqVOk/s320/2017-12-14+027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVvYdPzDK9UVmIT6P3xA0c3i3qiIgd5TY7oYPuHHl3ANbdqdqn7wm5RoHhSsVhFLRYYdGyQT1V-Jjdis77ZpU4Pn54-YuGBYjStcjtNnTsjeaKjyT7B0aMOJf1MTuKu7AqohPzVYTbIQ/s1600/2017-12-14+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVvYdPzDK9UVmIT6P3xA0c3i3qiIgd5TY7oYPuHHl3ANbdqdqn7wm5RoHhSsVhFLRYYdGyQT1V-Jjdis77ZpU4Pn54-YuGBYjStcjtNnTsjeaKjyT7B0aMOJf1MTuKu7AqohPzVYTbIQ/s320/2017-12-14+029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so glad when Sophia led us to the cool confines of <b>Confeitaria Colombo</b> as it was scorching hot that day and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We just wanted to hop from shady spot to another as quickly as we could! The bakery, in existence since 1874, was <b>the</b> place to be seen as members of high society, the president and intellectuals all came here. As the restaurant on the second floor was where important political decisions were made, a new table had to be found for each new president. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfPEuXuthdFL76B4udcrjjjzX4b5DmkkLB8G8BQzmoIDXz9h51CbBF4KgbZqj5G7k_k0u01lDPzFSyXcTXuxZ0Zab3SW2KOmkViUvNXk7kMnZ3l2hTv2stuFvE4lEJiOU416xto2a6DY/s1600/2017-12-14+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfPEuXuthdFL76B4udcrjjjzX4b5DmkkLB8G8BQzmoIDXz9h51CbBF4KgbZqj5G7k_k0u01lDPzFSyXcTXuxZ0Zab3SW2KOmkViUvNXk7kMnZ3l2hTv2stuFvE4lEJiOU416xto2a6DY/s320/2017-12-14+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Towering mirrors adorned the first floor of the cafe.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe79DFumb_lNgCwhgZjF-vcnuQLv9B4BzA7yLRtuip33MdZUVmdD-Z2kmJRzmidxKaeJBh8iT4X-WlzGfU_LTOz70SaBZ4OojsjFjDJWEnIa5JMLPPmzGucALQF9ZYQXveJuiWYV0khk/s1600/2017-12-14+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe79DFumb_lNgCwhgZjF-vcnuQLv9B4BzA7yLRtuip33MdZUVmdD-Z2kmJRzmidxKaeJBh8iT4X-WlzGfU_LTOz70SaBZ4OojsjFjDJWEnIa5JMLPPmzGucALQF9ZYQXveJuiWYV0khk/s320/2017-12-14+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc5w1y8sfftIsh2j170u8Ybypoc0fhntsLuumhkanUDbown3xwCkl2plS-hpxH0GRJncRi0L-S6ILxLWEQc1OECoX3kmnKdkJCLs_wRRytRzW78zlY5QEBjl9bvEliN4s6y5CtJosoSA/s1600/2017-12-14+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc5w1y8sfftIsh2j170u8Ybypoc0fhntsLuumhkanUDbown3xwCkl2plS-hpxH0GRJncRi0L-S6ILxLWEQc1OECoX3kmnKdkJCLs_wRRytRzW78zlY5QEBjl9bvEliN4s6y5CtJosoSA/s320/2017-12-14+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sophia said the most traditional sweet in Rio was a <i><b>brigadeiro</b></i> made of condensed milk, chocolate and other yummy ingredients. She added if you're sad, you must eat a <i>brigadeiro;</i> if you're happy, you must eat a <i>brigadeiro.</i> How could I not! Brazilians love everything sweet so this place was great for Americans, except for the health-food conscious Californians, she joked. Even Queen Elizabeth II had been to the famous confectionary.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57YL7yP8uGzEQhwZ9SO3xGtwkYg1nrRjYZxeph8w5duAVsGqFQHPZLQ9S0QCefH_2sn7PL_VJj_9gQbpYOmMkwW_MysoWorM4zLhu5KZSSDKV1wZK4-fLflwKVBEKYNCxRCOs8IquV2M/s1600/2017-12-14+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57YL7yP8uGzEQhwZ9SO3xGtwkYg1nrRjYZxeph8w5duAVsGqFQHPZLQ9S0QCefH_2sn7PL_VJj_9gQbpYOmMkwW_MysoWorM4zLhu5KZSSDKV1wZK4-fLflwKVBEKYNCxRCOs8IquV2M/s320/2017-12-14+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq_VZ1yWYlXBYW0YyFd5VUAl6nfrcGn7t8vmCg5FX7Uz2unPLAbxFWu-3T6bj14Nnc4OXMBcgSYHcuT-rmVcdGpuhDT5F-BhQABNeYb_AqTkRXgkSAnTAsKs8F08tn848bSBXB4sWA3k/s1600/2017-12-14+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq_VZ1yWYlXBYW0YyFd5VUAl6nfrcGn7t8vmCg5FX7Uz2unPLAbxFWu-3T6bj14Nnc4OXMBcgSYHcuT-rmVcdGpuhDT5F-BhQABNeYb_AqTkRXgkSAnTAsKs8F08tn848bSBXB4sWA3k/s320/2017-12-14+041.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The upper gallery was brightened by a delightful Art Nouveau skylight.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaj7juiKRiMr119U6xpaaGajAiwGtCfZGtntphyCTMsJfXv-IabFqI-vR8Sxhs_djiFllFQTNwYQyFpUr8B7z7E-LrYxayGwFExT23As9O7NAaW_xa2roe3fdizmUjjSUWSrg_O-two8/s1600/2017-12-14+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaj7juiKRiMr119U6xpaaGajAiwGtCfZGtntphyCTMsJfXv-IabFqI-vR8Sxhs_djiFllFQTNwYQyFpUr8B7z7E-LrYxayGwFExT23As9O7NAaW_xa2roe3fdizmUjjSUWSrg_O-two8/s320/2017-12-14+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another addition to my collection of interesting bathroom signs!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfewz1XA4STz8iSJ_E24nwXDLHCJ4t3pD-L_wtf1KwNS-EajRnPHu-uhon9H6eVYYKVxoGArn5htj09C04Gmp0Y9tk-NW97BL8RypqnoeUkAlYycFCToNSaoqYoBs93QlK7DJ6SOLIHU/s1600/2017-12-14+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfewz1XA4STz8iSJ_E24nwXDLHCJ4t3pD-L_wtf1KwNS-EajRnPHu-uhon9H6eVYYKVxoGArn5htj09C04Gmp0Y9tk-NW97BL8RypqnoeUkAlYycFCToNSaoqYoBs93QlK7DJ6SOLIHU/s320/2017-12-14+042.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we reluctantly left the Confeitaria, Sophia mentioned we should consider ourselves 'lucky' as the temperature was normally 40-45 (104-113 for us northerners!) degrees and can even reach a sweltering 50 degrees (122 F) Celsius in the city. When it's that brutally hot, she said, she just wonders who's going to pass out first! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tiny, but oh so pretty, <b>Rua do Ouridor</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">had the highest concentration of colonial buildings and was the first commercial street in the city. It </span><span style="font-size: large;">would be a good street to come back to later if we wanted to shop or dine, according to Sophia. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPXJpajSdcztlKOTXcWVwFiS2Tp9g2lO-k7yccbrwvoUpSgFoEPlc-dKCPRvgjekw7M0QNIKmvf4bFeBWJYlT2HSUq61S5kSTYZQmnV-bchnCNWWCLRkDOUCWL5RGOTsckdhh4SR9L3M/s1600/2017-12-14+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPXJpajSdcztlKOTXcWVwFiS2Tp9g2lO-k7yccbrwvoUpSgFoEPlc-dKCPRvgjekw7M0QNIKmvf4bFeBWJYlT2HSUq61S5kSTYZQmnV-bchnCNWWCLRkDOUCWL5RGOTsckdhh4SR9L3M/s320/2017-12-14+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We found a shady spot near </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Commerce Square</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">where Sophia told us of Rio's history. </span><span style="font-size: large;">In the early years of the 19th century, <b>Napoleon Bonaparte</b> wanted to invade Portugal and other countries but he realized Britain was off limits because of its strong navy. Because Napoleon had never lost a battle to that point, the Portuguese regent and later <b>King Dom Joao VI </b>didn't want to fight him. </span><span style="font-size: large;">To evade Napoleon, h</span><span style="font-size: large;">e and his entire court of 15,000 and many intellectuals set sail for Brazil to rule Portugal from Rio.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiClvkJer7CtG3cgO404E9A2aC0X0rXnwOutaZ_zPG0wN_0OchQ7wDlImqeQSM349fv8eUBU9J-RSKd5mPnuQStblcRKt_Krf4Bk8_BnsnfRjWAjdo6aYbJ3oCzb97lTibOmPPyjfScYs/s1600/2017-12-14+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiClvkJer7CtG3cgO404E9A2aC0X0rXnwOutaZ_zPG0wN_0OchQ7wDlImqeQSM349fv8eUBU9J-RSKd5mPnuQStblcRKt_Krf4Bk8_BnsnfRjWAjdo6aYbJ3oCzb97lTibOmPPyjfScYs/s320/2017-12-14+054.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Slave trading occurred in these streets, according to Sophia. The three-story Portuguese-style buildings belonged to wealthy families who had stores on the first level and their homes above.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOmB1BlVLHpHjfFVNC0e0JnJJNW9KFkSu6_6dzLPdlXpr64nztGUvdJErz9nvaZKAIZgsuFpg2QKOey3sPgNDHND5UAPr_zGS0d-0VbsUrcpkKDAVJyGmwPD537KRJpfG0DBLTe3NF2g/s1600/2017-12-14+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOmB1BlVLHpHjfFVNC0e0JnJJNW9KFkSu6_6dzLPdlXpr64nztGUvdJErz9nvaZKAIZgsuFpg2QKOey3sPgNDHND5UAPr_zGS0d-0VbsUrcpkKDAVJyGmwPD537KRJpfG0DBLTe3NF2g/s320/2017-12-14+055.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The archway, called the <b>Arco de Teles,</b> was once part of an old viaduct running between two buildings.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRv_OlohH2fRdYeJxE6TN8fdtwbr0mmaxBgCyQQi3YuDEGx_m_O0jhkf8Ienj6PREHZpnQpRKh0Uz9yOv6T9xlyPO-UpABOXocyomvajPBDInOs04UKHrZAeB3mmAD0ecPFXp-2LYcaIo/s1600/2017-12-14+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRv_OlohH2fRdYeJxE6TN8fdtwbr0mmaxBgCyQQi3YuDEGx_m_O0jhkf8Ienj6PREHZpnQpRKh0Uz9yOv6T9xlyPO-UpABOXocyomvajPBDInOs04UKHrZAeB3mmAD0ecPFXp-2LYcaIo/s320/2017-12-14+056.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We popped in the nearby <b>Church of Our Lady of Merchants,</b> a Baroque gem built in the 1700s to accommodate the needs of the merchants and the proximity of the docks.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqexRu3DIKGxR_QuLokLHb6Jexexu8Vg4if7w8KXDuFhSlAgKzLw-pNuATzNqI7FIDQIJMD_ZwEFtAnFmzhuQNyq71VB_QJdBcYGd1-lyyi8RAuHsh6F-OLjpsNTOudxWj4SS3b44hqjw/s1600/2017-12-14+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqexRu3DIKGxR_QuLokLHb6Jexexu8Vg4if7w8KXDuFhSlAgKzLw-pNuATzNqI7FIDQIJMD_ZwEFtAnFmzhuQNyq71VB_QJdBcYGd1-lyyi8RAuHsh6F-OLjpsNTOudxWj4SS3b44hqjw/s320/2017-12-14+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQqzbJ2Qg6Trmzg0Ctb0-u4M-pHwl1AWNvqfUBs8kRjAod1taL0xQToz5qqLBi9Rsxs93htsNuzUHHW3ZkiWDyQkRomDkMsbbHKQadaJ_iEzByD3kkxj9rZZdtR-_hqN3oJZxvEkp4oE/s1600/2017-12-14+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQqzbJ2Qg6Trmzg0Ctb0-u4M-pHwl1AWNvqfUBs8kRjAod1taL0xQToz5qqLBi9Rsxs93htsNuzUHHW3ZkiWDyQkRomDkMsbbHKQadaJ_iEzByD3kkxj9rZZdtR-_hqN3oJZxvEkp4oE/s320/2017-12-14+045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwx8XLqqArMYrCQiSIY1XT6cJ2JHpzFWgilq7baj5Q3ouzLFNwtmETzKXHdC0qJGaJuwRQROgwD8rGmXk5xa_kGg6oXOZLS64SRBE6Bt5dZcRaxRLIKXpCQKBUmx3SfsQgBnMhuq35K4/s1600/2017-12-14+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwx8XLqqArMYrCQiSIY1XT6cJ2JHpzFWgilq7baj5Q3ouzLFNwtmETzKXHdC0qJGaJuwRQROgwD8rGmXk5xa_kGg6oXOZLS64SRBE6Bt5dZcRaxRLIKXpCQKBUmx3SfsQgBnMhuq35K4/s320/2017-12-14+047.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The heart of colonial Rio was <b>Praca XV de Novembro</b> or <b>15th November Square </b>just steps from the docks. King Joao II was famous for his ugliness, being short, fat and having a facial deformity from Bourbon intermarriage! The statue of King Joao VI facing the docks in the center of the square showed him to be, however, skinnier than in real life. As Sophia joked, perhaps that was the first photoshop image of the period!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Portuguese ladies of the day all had shaved heads so locals thought it was the latest fashion trend in Europe so they, likewise, shaved their heads. Thirty years later, the local women realized they'd been duped as the courtiers had shaved their heads because of lice on board the ship en route to Rio!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWyGjv4Jzhoojmxpl7jg85ERFB5veMt8JcwoymqhgJect8eTvkxYvPXLPQ3cR4t82VvmfwOR4hzxwKweJdWTDzU9_o7htwb2FNZ2uzutG2LQYv_Z6YDWEEd7b-MNJaNLNrPapHePtAL0/s1600/2017-12-14+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWyGjv4Jzhoojmxpl7jg85ERFB5veMt8JcwoymqhgJect8eTvkxYvPXLPQ3cR4t82VvmfwOR4hzxwKweJdWTDzU9_o7htwb2FNZ2uzutG2LQYv_Z6YDWEEd7b-MNJaNLNrPapHePtAL0/s320/2017-12-14+060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">What became the <b>Imperial Palace</b> on the square was extraordinarily plain as it had never been expected a royal family would come to Rio and the building was the best one available given the time constraints of the royals' arrival. Dom Joao fell in love with Brazil and declared Rio the capital of the <b>United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc_3mvpiNlYc9fkT-6eym8rD7nW2CfJcglC5O8hoWQxeTdZb1F1DnAXDfBWL9Oxq2QpoJlLm6qjxJeUnYsSHTh081SHu7oIcQnaqmio71OUbbhcMXjKF8YnZ89DzYcL95voJDfpMkN1w/s1600/2017-12-14+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc_3mvpiNlYc9fkT-6eym8rD7nW2CfJcglC5O8hoWQxeTdZb1F1DnAXDfBWL9Oxq2QpoJlLm6qjxJeUnYsSHTh081SHu7oIcQnaqmio71OUbbhcMXjKF8YnZ89DzYcL95voJDfpMkN1w/s320/2017-12-14+064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">November 15th, 1888 marked the day when slavery was finally abolished in Brazil, the last country in Latin America to do so. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1kCi3c-YyQY5R2B-fMaMQ_6w5fIzjKXzzeOkQVwVFv3aNulvk3wubB_kbtVm4vA4GbUqk9WTO0BAJm9xt75ZZt_nLpzkKd2JFd5D9cUIICnhyfNFqqY9b5GI7S9HefYIAaOsD2Gnis/s1600/2017-12-14+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1kCi3c-YyQY5R2B-fMaMQ_6w5fIzjKXzzeOkQVwVFv3aNulvk3wubB_kbtVm4vA4GbUqk9WTO0BAJm9xt75ZZt_nLpzkKd2JFd5D9cUIICnhyfNFqqY9b5GI7S9HefYIAaOsD2Gnis/s320/2017-12-14+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the republic of Brazil was declared in 1822, the people didn't like to remember their colonial past and part of the palace was covered up with concrete. The palace was eventually re-opened as a cultural center in the 1980s.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe7X5xk3AxS4it4zKQ5kIgJYldHqDM0bYEvNielRnxtD9BW88wT7b_I-yFTb2vXjSg1MJLZjYZzXAN-h_go19jb667b5kAFtRg4K_CakRAkCgnqVqd_2gTjd0cIECP1giFWNIoZDM6hM/s1600/2017-12-14+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe7X5xk3AxS4it4zKQ5kIgJYldHqDM0bYEvNielRnxtD9BW88wT7b_I-yFTb2vXjSg1MJLZjYZzXAN-h_go19jb667b5kAFtRg4K_CakRAkCgnqVqd_2gTjd0cIECP1giFWNIoZDM6hM/s320/2017-12-14+072.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A view from the Palace to Parliament next door:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y5Lo3st0tcLbil79fKJ3AyLdq1ltMNwGW8aCYTlQ37o4DtYvckM7QaxSNGQ0HklRFNGPWHRi-Tq12loOSUrLZrGJkDkWBL-T5tQNybZfxx2Or6EF0se6nBlZuEFvh5jteAZIT2TqJoc/s1600/2017-12-14+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Y5Lo3st0tcLbil79fKJ3AyLdq1ltMNwGW8aCYTlQ37o4DtYvckM7QaxSNGQ0HklRFNGPWHRi-Tq12loOSUrLZrGJkDkWBL-T5tQNybZfxx2Or6EF0se6nBlZuEFvh5jteAZIT2TqJoc/s320/2017-12-14+071.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sophia said it was unusual no protests were taking place in front of the Parliament Building that was constructed in the 1860s.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1t9wxlufpgeKtqXqjJaUin74XP3tXj7TLPDUrMozve2IMwqRo-_Q8xgzQYLQ3cDWZYvPjBVJBrv2lEoSDu7TyBeqMFqkQgdH03WCNnfajibMHFmjRhL3ZiMewTiRW3STh1E_dcaKucI/s1600/2017-12-14+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1t9wxlufpgeKtqXqjJaUin74XP3tXj7TLPDUrMozve2IMwqRo-_Q8xgzQYLQ3cDWZYvPjBVJBrv2lEoSDu7TyBeqMFqkQgdH03WCNnfajibMHFmjRhL3ZiMewTiRW3STh1E_dcaKucI/s320/2017-12-14+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iy2iGqaELSppFeioQVZzjkW9l3nsoJNY0dwaeaziokaDZGHDs1VtLz4WBTAa2r8f9VpHcfoMtfIRx1h46QW_SwXIDybx9nSZpdEZsWoCODygFZq6nDe60miS9YWYNSV0UpOkOL_gfZ8/s1600/2017-12-14+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iy2iGqaELSppFeioQVZzjkW9l3nsoJNY0dwaeaziokaDZGHDs1VtLz4WBTAa2r8f9VpHcfoMtfIRx1h46QW_SwXIDybx9nSZpdEZsWoCODygFZq6nDe60miS9YWYNSV0UpOkOL_gfZ8/s320/2017-12-14+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">On the other side of Parliament was the</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Candelaria, </b>one of the largest and wealthiest churches of imperial Brazil.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFttBJaVyEmQ2L9kz65afijd4KCRrb0X_J1iY4v030eJ_RWUMi7IKOKlLBKzfmvqfCEh2nSsq9vmwg-lwJ59zEvBqXHyvIwyXFm8kirWETkiZrJbvhe1Al6y6QXYipn-cXdkcLpBjdFc/s1600/2017-12-14+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFttBJaVyEmQ2L9kz65afijd4KCRrb0X_J1iY4v030eJ_RWUMi7IKOKlLBKzfmvqfCEh2nSsq9vmwg-lwJ59zEvBqXHyvIwyXFm8kirWETkiZrJbvhe1Al6y6QXYipn-cXdkcLpBjdFc/s320/2017-12-14+076.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Municipal Theater,</b> which we'd briefly seen earlier before the tour, was a little over 100 years old, according to Sophia. A project of a former mayor, it was considered the most beautiful building of old Rio. Conductor Arturo Toscanini made his debut here and Maria Callas performed at the theater. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Bolshoi Ballet even has a branch here in Rio at the theater! </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Concerts are held monthly that cost just one Brazilian</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i> real </i></b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">equal to only a quarter, so they are available to everyone. However, locals refer to it disparagingly as the Golden Cage.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuyTiuDrvSakRyVFrViDMJm6nb_6HDY9qVfjAG7Tx6apTHXDIFVmNu36YQc4jmqbgaNTRGlSx8mdPGux59nNm6FRg9HeuDZo1udfjHscjL4-rBPFS9Js7Nw0KgxeYEShFmYedLI6f6ms/s1600/2017-12-14+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuyTiuDrvSakRyVFrViDMJm6nb_6HDY9qVfjAG7Tx6apTHXDIFVmNu36YQc4jmqbgaNTRGlSx8mdPGux59nNm6FRg9HeuDZo1udfjHscjL4-rBPFS9Js7Nw0KgxeYEShFmYedLI6f6ms/s320/2017-12-14+079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The huge square in front of the Theater was</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Cinelandia </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">and was the heart of the city in the 1950s. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Sophia mentioned how just a month previously protesters had clogged all the streets starting from Parliament to City Hall, also on the square. We were thankful we weren't in Rio then. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDH9eOoVIC2Iv7C5iAz16MC0QSAU2GSlFPNMox_gkeIPuDuHUF_3QCuE2l3ePYLgbNPKa0radtmIGTTDe6Kz6iBy085I_FVVeLQJerPpMzUpHqmh0SEkh29vC-rmYP2wIK1gJrmvvGH4/s1600/2017-12-14+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDH9eOoVIC2Iv7C5iAz16MC0QSAU2GSlFPNMox_gkeIPuDuHUF_3QCuE2l3ePYLgbNPKa0radtmIGTTDe6Kz6iBy085I_FVVeLQJerPpMzUpHqmh0SEkh29vC-rmYP2wIK1gJrmvvGH4/s320/2017-12-14+083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">King Joao VI brought lots of works of art from Portugal with him and hired French artists to teach the locals; that was the forerunner of the National Museum of Fine Arts. The building below behind the scaffolding, also on Cinelandia Square, was the <b>National Library.</b> With over 60,000 books brought by the future king, it became the biggest library in Latin America and included a mammoth collection of 19th century paintings. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WZOlHU5ye66elIakfh0N7V8a7wkCyeyYCF9Hjo-zVBd0pxf2tF4A0dEPLeQ14YqmFriF5pQl_BiUm_4Qx9xz4e9dEBalbc4vgP5fMYhik_Js4e4Rs-kf9vax0xfiDcDjUWvVfBMAOJ8/s1600/2017-12-14+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WZOlHU5ye66elIakfh0N7V8a7wkCyeyYCF9Hjo-zVBd0pxf2tF4A0dEPLeQ14YqmFriF5pQl_BiUm_4Qx9xz4e9dEBalbc4vgP5fMYhik_Js4e4Rs-kf9vax0xfiDcDjUWvVfBMAOJ8/s320/2017-12-14+080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The square's statue represented the country's Catholic origin and included the first president. I referenced the country's history with slavery earlier in the post. Sophia discussed it more and revealed the Jesuits said the Africans had no souls which allowed slavery to exist. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1ebvC4VVJNlaxdp8RmWzX5XYUXeWFt2qWRVVDmENfMod77NTpQKj2XwuPPPBxt4XFelcjgnbAkP9OWAEz8vCwQVBd65t0W3dswYzGuZSFZ21By7mZrlELbDNk0_ThEltUObSnSdkyk0/s1600/2017-12-14+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1ebvC4VVJNlaxdp8RmWzX5XYUXeWFt2qWRVVDmENfMod77NTpQKj2XwuPPPBxt4XFelcjgnbAkP9OWAEz8vCwQVBd65t0W3dswYzGuZSFZ21By7mZrlELbDNk0_ThEltUObSnSdkyk0/s320/2017-12-14+084.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The square's sign reflected the very popular and talented Minister of Culture, <b>Gilberto Gil,</b> during the 1960s dictatorship.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HFtBJmYJDDj2D3DVq0MOjw7Y8yAJUPfEynPknX88XcrztGyboCf5MHpXOfTF09UBbx6RLyuDHQuodPHY1ss1ski8zEu6xQSabNWzTvzueSjDay6IStV5r8j7D_DXxJ7DSkabMNth6tI/s1600/2017-12-14+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HFtBJmYJDDj2D3DVq0MOjw7Y8yAJUPfEynPknX88XcrztGyboCf5MHpXOfTF09UBbx6RLyuDHQuodPHY1ss1ski8zEu6xQSabNWzTvzueSjDay6IStV5r8j7D_DXxJ7DSkabMNth6tI/s320/2017-12-14+087.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Odeon Theater was the only movie theater left over from the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cinelandia </span><span style="font-size: large;">heyday.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoZMGzK-IU6-RgMoCfVHSY5WyG7dRyGfrgY_qTZLrORDIuE-vRwuyTVcs5a1cY5Hj6P_hXshVjsd7j-0S10iprWbiu2ZQaOR-0YlZrXo71iEhyphenhyphenavyHH31CDXEExwKIk1ohgouBe-Icew/s1600/2017-12-14+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoZMGzK-IU6-RgMoCfVHSY5WyG7dRyGfrgY_qTZLrORDIuE-vRwuyTVcs5a1cY5Hj6P_hXshVjsd7j-0S10iprWbiu2ZQaOR-0YlZrXo71iEhyphenhyphenavyHH31CDXEExwKIk1ohgouBe-Icew/s320/2017-12-14+089.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sophia cautioned us to be wary of standing near this <b>cannonball tree</b> in case its fruit should fall! The fruit, even when fresh, smell so rotten that even animals won't eat them! The tree is kept because it's pretty in springtime.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFkEnOQXZJlV-4cNH1ufDum4M1_nTErkGB-UdwQO8lcsxjb5OzEHjxqb8c2BQo-ICFOLGcxEi_X8SzsMn4IxPsNNA-3WvIkEera8jArfNfu2STEWSh93GTPi0ZIH8yWcP8kJXQ8sJLqs/s1600/2017-12-14+095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFkEnOQXZJlV-4cNH1ufDum4M1_nTErkGB-UdwQO8lcsxjb5OzEHjxqb8c2BQo-ICFOLGcxEi_X8SzsMn4IxPsNNA-3WvIkEera8jArfNfu2STEWSh93GTPi0ZIH8yWcP8kJXQ8sJLqs/s320/2017-12-14+095.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The arches, originally made of wood in the 1700s, are now made of concrete and mark the dividing line to the Lapa neighborhood.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn1rP_JAiSevMj7AXOCVlrcnA1waFFTaye5EveqKhfSitm7zNclhvVAQcWR01LcnAhUcM2KA9FAicHYs7k6VNRzl70dlEZ0GZfc12_JR203Kvp6f5ijiTWdKKn0OE5B9YxtV6lxcn2ow/s1600/2017-12-14+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn1rP_JAiSevMj7AXOCVlrcnA1waFFTaye5EveqKhfSitm7zNclhvVAQcWR01LcnAhUcM2KA9FAicHYs7k6VNRzl70dlEZ0GZfc12_JR203Kvp6f5ijiTWdKKn0OE5B9YxtV6lxcn2ow/s320/2017-12-14+096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Not far away was the cone-shaped building that was the <b>Metropolitan Cathedral,</b> built in 1980 in the Brutalism style, something we had not heard of before. Sophia said it was best to visit on a sunny day to view the stained glass that rose 60 meters from floor to ceiling. The cathedral had a capacity of 20,000 people! It was another sight we added to our 'to see' list!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5pXQIY8bYTkAhM4VgOM8GZOxXunue_EmgXl6NA94Ss1JsjerAR_GiYdbjbaaKZ8z0u4dS6jBiR6qgpuW0T3fJWqTe3aBAeUZ7FW8HcyA46lsW_5j9ls_JCMXGV-juB5fjGTYQjrJPtY/s1600/2017-12-14+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5pXQIY8bYTkAhM4VgOM8GZOxXunue_EmgXl6NA94Ss1JsjerAR_GiYdbjbaaKZ8z0u4dS6jBiR6qgpuW0T3fJWqTe3aBAeUZ7FW8HcyA46lsW_5j9ls_JCMXGV-juB5fjGTYQjrJPtY/s320/2017-12-14+099.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A church I could far more easily wrap my head around was this pretty church on the corner that had exquisite tiles on one side.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWi7IHRZ6NNvhUep5UtsynHAzBXjLMDorEDoiuUk6GYCpGap7yoAYGHM5prYeVE0ZJ3Y4L7C2-Ol4aCcy1-HV08AloRTOQNKIy52wXVhHIaCTQy8kFMeVnRQj0ATuRYwgbTUJBQbJuIg/s1600/2017-12-14+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWi7IHRZ6NNvhUep5UtsynHAzBXjLMDorEDoiuUk6GYCpGap7yoAYGHM5prYeVE0ZJ3Y4L7C2-Ol4aCcy1-HV08AloRTOQNKIy52wXVhHIaCTQy8kFMeVnRQj0ATuRYwgbTUJBQbJuIg/s320/2017-12-14+100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9e8qQq7wWVGvw9Cl1dUwPRsw0BwwoTq5l0V_wteYNZ5m4xQozkt2s4IpDFwh07tMPI2o5aUUsKSgsUoqRl21S5rfjEiCJ4UDbiYP2Kn4XNK1Vatx_3j0z1yRiOW3qqz1H2XF4Ts82xXQ/s1600/2017-12-14+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9e8qQq7wWVGvw9Cl1dUwPRsw0BwwoTq5l0V_wteYNZ5m4xQozkt2s4IpDFwh07tMPI2o5aUUsKSgsUoqRl21S5rfjEiCJ4UDbiYP2Kn4XNK1Vatx_3j0z1yRiOW3qqz1H2XF4Ts82xXQ/s320/2017-12-14+103.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The tiled works of art paid homage to artists of all types in the <b>Lapa</b> area, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the former red-light district. It was now Rio's center of a vibrant music scene with dozens of samba clubs, bars and restaurants.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWeRwVUQ2j465scRJhziW6r7ApvDrp9GN0bsAfebZVLVnFifFY6fi08pedUiUZldruMjZ5pCtb3afaMj1C8xk313yjy6wBOnrLXOqvovmp8zx6vIJDzPxGJYFHs1BLIbAyO1E9GpaLQo/s1600/2017-12-14+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWeRwVUQ2j465scRJhziW6r7ApvDrp9GN0bsAfebZVLVnFifFY6fi08pedUiUZldruMjZ5pCtb3afaMj1C8xk313yjy6wBOnrLXOqvovmp8zx6vIJDzPxGJYFHs1BLIbAyO1E9GpaLQo/s320/2017-12-14+108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddifO68jzDEoKzHpzWHRAJJxOFgJokiHlBePx7kZNZYT1MwqDjOdTpNhq9RrEXM0VZA1yCHh1Uy5_ZycBYhlHZ59UwkcB-Av6q7pCxQyrnqJJ30L4kxTOHVd6JcrzIMkXoAZqIvb-w4M/s1600/2017-12-14+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddifO68jzDEoKzHpzWHRAJJxOFgJokiHlBePx7kZNZYT1MwqDjOdTpNhq9RrEXM0VZA1yCHh1Uy5_ZycBYhlHZ59UwkcB-Av6q7pCxQyrnqJJ30L4kxTOHVd6JcrzIMkXoAZqIvb-w4M/s320/2017-12-14+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EZfdUsMMunKS2i8k3M2fYpfX-gCAwwZ21PSBnzdEaMoPTELV_lrWARcEwVRpyw-b9zqN7KRMpZhbVHqPac4S3cSuZ6fQoGQY-up8IoQbC8bqAsOnxoxk8C9MZDF6rWH7qz-xVzIxg1g/s1600/2017-12-14+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EZfdUsMMunKS2i8k3M2fYpfX-gCAwwZ21PSBnzdEaMoPTELV_lrWARcEwVRpyw-b9zqN7KRMpZhbVHqPac4S3cSuZ6fQoGQY-up8IoQbC8bqAsOnxoxk8C9MZDF6rWH7qz-xVzIxg1g/s320/2017-12-14+111.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For a donation, an artist would add a person's name to his globe painting. I wonder where mine landed up!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSHLmQWCO8tSfenNHD5RXnpY03KnFd7ggeOb93qDyRsYYdFw-bwjItc9DuY-W96jsBdsBMGZZC1qZJD0giIcGGaDgO0ORf-UjSbUJ5thOcQw8ba11fVd_dcLeM5uCj9Alf3jIxvkjB0Y/s1600/2017-12-14+113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSHLmQWCO8tSfenNHD5RXnpY03KnFd7ggeOb93qDyRsYYdFw-bwjItc9DuY-W96jsBdsBMGZZC1qZJD0giIcGGaDgO0ORf-UjSbUJ5thOcQw8ba11fVd_dcLeM5uCj9Alf3jIxvkjB0Y/s320/2017-12-14+113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8opb4zBgzN7J1I6WNbqN3nRQKPRtWFN9h7RX-4lAVNVI_bxxHiYIoLTuar0CHA_5JDEjWCUbOqOJyAJ7jVDRjDZXNaWjMoJT96Pzs-8e8TFRJlDWmybXcdB8RykoqZiy8XCDKDijE3A/s1600/2017-12-14+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8opb4zBgzN7J1I6WNbqN3nRQKPRtWFN9h7RX-4lAVNVI_bxxHiYIoLTuar0CHA_5JDEjWCUbOqOJyAJ7jVDRjDZXNaWjMoJT96Pzs-8e8TFRJlDWmybXcdB8RykoqZiy8XCDKDijE3A/s320/2017-12-14+114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the narrow alley was a set of 215 steps covered with colorful mosaics by Chilean-born artist <b>Jorge Selarón</b>. After moving to Brazil and living near the steps, he thought they were so gray. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Selarón, who always wore red shoes,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> decided to make up for the lack of red in the Brazilian flag by including as many red tiles as possible in the steps! The color red, he thought, brought joy to whatever it touched.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRIqtxUHcouTH3Kf4Sqw-ygBc6IWhprrGowjOF3u9PD22D6ykWYKr6O39iiWYhRJqdiyTFkTl8d5uLA_7CB0WDEzi43eZFGrTTJz0ohISG6oE147OpK7vv5Vfcm8tFDV4ACeMxXW4w5s/s1600/2017-12-14+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRIqtxUHcouTH3Kf4Sqw-ygBc6IWhprrGowjOF3u9PD22D6ykWYKr6O39iiWYhRJqdiyTFkTl8d5uLA_7CB0WDEzi43eZFGrTTJz0ohISG6oE147OpK7vv5Vfcm8tFDV4ACeMxXW4w5s/s320/2017-12-14+116.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As his project garnered interest from tourists, he encouraged people to send him tiles when they returned home to help defray some of the costs. Sophia said 70 countries were represented. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Selarón was like a woman, she said, who always wanted to make changes and said his project would never be finished as he would always make changes when he was sent new tiles. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG3tx6LN-78pJGQpWbCTH81lhetp2o0m89pI4COBtibyHAbUBSfU87s7nuMtN_Qh80LV5mK4ZB1j2T9tX-3w2SGTzb5DSUmYcmlF-WWqrZvx0Bn9b1kzAYbhv5pHfHxROenej1SWqYys/s1600/2017-12-14+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG3tx6LN-78pJGQpWbCTH81lhetp2o0m89pI4COBtibyHAbUBSfU87s7nuMtN_Qh80LV5mK4ZB1j2T9tX-3w2SGTzb5DSUmYcmlF-WWqrZvx0Bn9b1kzAYbhv5pHfHxROenej1SWqYys/s320/2017-12-14+121.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryLfaWr93nOlKzBrjhmhC6HuvQpD-7y2ElFX2Omi74kLkZl6F5NrJa9AAbKeMAPzSCSzLjDiBGx4XxhwEb0Rbs_qHzH-a3zpzDtz9Cp2dxbAJHlJwiWXntN29PfNz2h5a5UwYeAxjn8g/s1600/2017-12-14+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryLfaWr93nOlKzBrjhmhC6HuvQpD-7y2ElFX2Omi74kLkZl6F5NrJa9AAbKeMAPzSCSzLjDiBGx4XxhwEb0Rbs_qHzH-a3zpzDtz9Cp2dxbAJHlJwiWXntN29PfNz2h5a5UwYeAxjn8g/s320/2017-12-14+122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIcJ0KCLGYJ5XGmyYvUkaitFpuYnIx4KaLw5ywTy3-W2c8UU8QrHca8VKl0eAEc9HeeaMJLRluotkL9sKnSFdvsTW0TW05zI5Dp2M-MGbzy6RD3PeFvj6EHqHzL4qBbTJxhKi6Pxdy20/s1600/2017-12-14+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIcJ0KCLGYJ5XGmyYvUkaitFpuYnIx4KaLw5ywTy3-W2c8UU8QrHca8VKl0eAEc9HeeaMJLRluotkL9sKnSFdvsTW0TW05zI5Dp2M-MGbzy6RD3PeFvj6EHqHzL4qBbTJxhKi6Pxdy20/s320/2017-12-14+123.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Selarón's last image was reportedly of his pregnant girlfriend who died from pregnancy complications in 2013 when he was too drunk to help her as he died at the bottom of the steps. A sad story of a man who had spent the last two decades bringing the staircase to life.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJy_oWmZYIRCbdWlhdUWJu9dEB4NG9DXAzoJwmDmDr_y7C1GDLIjGROvuTx6KZzGQiID9eYBQ_L8UARBHOtRQUd6uvhvBKBKllRiXJpi0kPT8FSzFKgRGEMPYTgaSPJwMn08LhEi_OZg/s1600/2017-12-14+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJy_oWmZYIRCbdWlhdUWJu9dEB4NG9DXAzoJwmDmDr_y7C1GDLIjGROvuTx6KZzGQiID9eYBQ_L8UARBHOtRQUd6uvhvBKBKllRiXJpi0kPT8FSzFKgRGEMPYTgaSPJwMn08LhEi_OZg/s320/2017-12-14+124.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Natalie:</b> for you and Adam!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1J4EWreNSJwKL_ZYKI6C0EUFnU1hdTCkbCVtt1pmGR3f0yODHuni8HtUgUWBjXwFzBw-QHiO0-jYLcfO88MmavGlOjqFPk4a5Y320Sfq8FRCo1rvJBaeI4L67wWoNbMN-4O7dQyoQmw/s1600/2017-12-14+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1J4EWreNSJwKL_ZYKI6C0EUFnU1hdTCkbCVtt1pmGR3f0yODHuni8HtUgUWBjXwFzBw-QHiO0-jYLcfO88MmavGlOjqFPk4a5Y320Sfq8FRCo1rvJBaeI4L67wWoNbMN-4O7dQyoQmw/s320/2017-12-14+126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx379b3B2q0gi7SkNWggzmyRKegDf3ZdhzLiZitSk51_T3eHSkZOFRREHLxoSJnTik2LU26696cJ9Zj1g8OUjlAKxu7uRUsSStqYNVCNPqUTlvuJIR6gbZr6co6wSRyutsEXufj8ol83g/s1600/2017-12-14+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx379b3B2q0gi7SkNWggzmyRKegDf3ZdhzLiZitSk51_T3eHSkZOFRREHLxoSJnTik2LU26696cJ9Zj1g8OUjlAKxu7uRUsSStqYNVCNPqUTlvuJIR6gbZr6co6wSRyutsEXufj8ol83g/s320/2017-12-14+128.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Toward the end of our last trip, we began discussing where we might travel to in 2018. Guess what one of the countries we discussed was AND we'll be going to beginning mid-August?! Stay tuned for info on our next travel adventure which is almost around the corner now as it's taken me so long to finish up the blog from our last trip.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15Z5KEOb8L6AZK_C7orDrV5Y6ch7JgD5ICxvK1OymcAE_kGdoqC76oO1Fye35XGPfms22lCp3RQr9sHuS200fwGvt2prNIycYJVY_fMpYNvu9YxnADWVqeUUl2JD4R-HkOcOTglu6mt0/s1600/2017-12-14+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15Z5KEOb8L6AZK_C7orDrV5Y6ch7JgD5ICxvK1OymcAE_kGdoqC76oO1Fye35XGPfms22lCp3RQr9sHuS200fwGvt2prNIycYJVY_fMpYNvu9YxnADWVqeUUl2JD4R-HkOcOTglu6mt0/s320/2017-12-14+131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A close image of Brazil's flag as the country was host of the 2010 World Cup, soccer's championship.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-Rpi8_s7hhSe9OQj0kD60m_5UIpF80C8LlgWDvq5VPp2kmDwk9hXS4YZFW75dHeDH2izJVP3KGagZnCZs1lNCjKkGRWB5Ivqv5ikMrDgbCbPvGXqsMe44R4OXgQGyYXWcJJFiIoe1z8/s1600/2017-12-14+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-Rpi8_s7hhSe9OQj0kD60m_5UIpF80C8LlgWDvq5VPp2kmDwk9hXS4YZFW75dHeDH2izJVP3KGagZnCZs1lNCjKkGRWB5Ivqv5ikMrDgbCbPvGXqsMe44R4OXgQGyYXWcJJFiIoe1z8/s320/2017-12-14+132.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTvP0YYdZ0-CqU0H6F9zg121Vnj63j6smzWrk1KNYp1niKJJpuBTuP5n55e8rhTQUBrgikgBdoVw1tiJlgeJLWMe69ecg78BAt53MranLKCUyuHHlWBix4ffGbWYcMyPdWo51zqR9lPk/s1600/2017-12-14+133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTvP0YYdZ0-CqU0H6F9zg121Vnj63j6smzWrk1KNYp1niKJJpuBTuP5n55e8rhTQUBrgikgBdoVw1tiJlgeJLWMe69ecg78BAt53MranLKCUyuHHlWBix4ffGbWYcMyPdWo51zqR9lPk/s320/2017-12-14+133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had to include photos of tiles of my native Canada of course! Sophia remarked this part of the Lapa area had previously been a forgotten ghetto by the locals and the government but, with the advent of <b>Selarón's Steps,</b> the area is visited by people from all over the world and his work has contributed so much to Rio and the steps had become a historical landmark protected by the government. Though the tour ended there, we still wanted to visit some of the places we'd glimpsed on the way.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ1L0IT9K_I7zpd192icAss6Ww4VCuKQs4LZaxM2PyjGezjhG-OhtTScpZAfB8ffvjPWAxjWa8eSAzdlXK-Ox81Vw74HbUahviCeNMxJo4KF0NTEN61AQQiiuKEdUEk92MypN-CLCSq8/s1600/2017-12-14+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ1L0IT9K_I7zpd192icAss6Ww4VCuKQs4LZaxM2PyjGezjhG-OhtTScpZAfB8ffvjPWAxjWa8eSAzdlXK-Ox81Vw74HbUahviCeNMxJo4KF0NTEN61AQQiiuKEdUEk92MypN-CLCSq8/s320/2017-12-14+134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A much better view of the elevated arch that Sophia pointed out earlier. We watched, entranced, as a tram traveled over the upper level!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94Eahw3he-qe6AKzVzDmnuymr1pMgLxZhevJjmm7iTmEttwtNeSsEX3B7BozUK3hw3Vc0HQrcz4rhYtzzMp2MtQin8PkuwYdKUGlbPrcWLhDvm1Tgj7ljPsxgQxkjax4Zlz4m2ZJWTPs/s1600/2017-12-14+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94Eahw3he-qe6AKzVzDmnuymr1pMgLxZhevJjmm7iTmEttwtNeSsEX3B7BozUK3hw3Vc0HQrcz4rhYtzzMp2MtQin8PkuwYdKUGlbPrcWLhDvm1Tgj7ljPsxgQxkjax4Zlz4m2ZJWTPs/s320/2017-12-14+136.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkrx6niwJhBFqJo9MBhma_zhuVlmhE6SVsUkl8evTK46p2imxAiftsVt9ynQIOD4X-UmvwHq3jxOMEd5REvR_U_8QILbF4TmX1Ii9s9yk_qo2CJX08X36d30PVUmvPWE5y3UggLTIN94/s1600/2017-12-14+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkrx6niwJhBFqJo9MBhma_zhuVlmhE6SVsUkl8evTK46p2imxAiftsVt9ynQIOD4X-UmvwHq3jxOMEd5REvR_U_8QILbF4TmX1Ii9s9yk_qo2CJX08X36d30PVUmvPWE5y3UggLTIN94/s320/2017-12-14+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We couldn't miss seeing the interior of the new Cathedral!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFT4mZGDfZ8fMtCAuxCMEp9JCjtUoeYeQGqYYhqgsdiNpVQ0BLOrwsVkSKmDpcrViAQaEHKGXljkNxwhrK5H4Cauc5EOlH9F2shaS8XKgbTPRjNmabKjAqnprZTVtx7C5FLCo9-nvQIIg/s1600/2017-12-14+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFT4mZGDfZ8fMtCAuxCMEp9JCjtUoeYeQGqYYhqgsdiNpVQ0BLOrwsVkSKmDpcrViAQaEHKGXljkNxwhrK5H4Cauc5EOlH9F2shaS8XKgbTPRjNmabKjAqnprZTVtx7C5FLCo9-nvQIIg/s320/2017-12-14+147.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvepNQoX5A-5oUKky-QBV4diSe959EkTOykQi9vA2qgr0emrY6P1FjD7yMsRbel8rumwMil69bZJVE4JZdgwISRO6OQh5khbyyoEzEcEiiUXHIFURKHeit-SyrDq6TPus9iQU9uk8C_ps/s1600/2017-12-14+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvepNQoX5A-5oUKky-QBV4diSe959EkTOykQi9vA2qgr0emrY6P1FjD7yMsRbel8rumwMil69bZJVE4JZdgwISRO6OQh5khbyyoEzEcEiiUXHIFURKHeit-SyrDq6TPus9iQU9uk8C_ps/s320/2017-12-14+149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zh9W5rzH54VchEDMtpLK_KrJB2nNWOS4WIYgjjYQFKF6Gd3oKZ5VyXz7FRSDUxr3twgXlqsvK0p_luMMlJOmHam78F6crMR8WneluCMD9W7N2eBeb1lUCi10_SFQmekyU8pxEJKtNaA/s1600/2017-12-14+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zh9W5rzH54VchEDMtpLK_KrJB2nNWOS4WIYgjjYQFKF6Gd3oKZ5VyXz7FRSDUxr3twgXlqsvK0p_luMMlJOmHam78F6crMR8WneluCMD9W7N2eBeb1lUCi10_SFQmekyU8pxEJKtNaA/s320/2017-12-14+150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kmRhmZPNX9V6UBWpalvHm7AEcL0YJdQNc3vS0eSbUqnrG4mecD0IA6KF5SHu3-KwUIgGdUVHdBFniZEzxrUlBda-fAibuAz4l28ROUp3aK23dFFdxmDSQHb3SY55eZb_vQTZF6t4Xbc/s1600/2017-12-14+151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kmRhmZPNX9V6UBWpalvHm7AEcL0YJdQNc3vS0eSbUqnrG4mecD0IA6KF5SHu3-KwUIgGdUVHdBFniZEzxrUlBda-fAibuAz4l28ROUp3aK23dFFdxmDSQHb3SY55eZb_vQTZF6t4Xbc/s320/2017-12-14+151.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Cathedral was intriguing, unusual and a church I would have hated to miss in Rio but it didn't give me the sense of peace and serenity so many other places of worship do.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPKP22dOYmDbBf0GRXsjGNEWInpfdzy6qDDUi1r4NRsdZIugaandqYSaaJHZluQJjTzl7GbsTI_-0zN5TwpqtvBQ84nPxuOZmv_CYOysbmSgXURZGJvhSj2q_Hj-qmOoOWAhKieRiciw/s1600/2017-12-14+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPKP22dOYmDbBf0GRXsjGNEWInpfdzy6qDDUi1r4NRsdZIugaandqYSaaJHZluQJjTzl7GbsTI_-0zN5TwpqtvBQ84nPxuOZmv_CYOysbmSgXURZGJvhSj2q_Hj-qmOoOWAhKieRiciw/s320/2017-12-14+157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From one extreme to another in terms of architectural religious style was the <b>Igreja São Francisco da Penitência & Convento de Santo Antônio,</b> the magnificent church and convent atop the hill we'd first seen at the beginning of the tour. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_7ofcAmlTktM7POY9E8yFf7tjZ8dDFlI093yBbevCZ29ssH0dX2qCO7XilKZ90QRkhIs3fg87m2mpUfsRnU-V4X0pntWWEKBvUYZEC4BETLm3lysZ-52Y9iDAReQ4TXDN5f9l22BOms/s1600/2017-12-14+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_7ofcAmlTktM7POY9E8yFf7tjZ8dDFlI093yBbevCZ29ssH0dX2qCO7XilKZ90QRkhIs3fg87m2mpUfsRnU-V4X0pntWWEKBvUYZEC4BETLm3lysZ-52Y9iDAReQ4TXDN5f9l22BOms/s320/2017-12-14+164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I have been blessed to see an incredible number of stupendous churches on our travels but we both thought we'd not ever seen so much gold as there was in the chapel and attached museum. The detail and show of wealth was overwhelming, I could only mouth OMG, OMG time and time again.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUMvz3R1HjvzMCLmjWB8ssSu1nD-Uiq52ITNgnwUE4ddNdENej4KKb1Nx_XvLegyQydH0rDnmBIBjlNYP9Y2mzqesagWAMLPFEzBv7rp4adfLJHlhBoje6z57KnvlmGKNyjLjjbt-RAM/s1600/2017-12-14+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUMvz3R1HjvzMCLmjWB8ssSu1nD-Uiq52ITNgnwUE4ddNdENej4KKb1Nx_XvLegyQydH0rDnmBIBjlNYP9Y2mzqesagWAMLPFEzBv7rp4adfLJHlhBoje6z57KnvlmGKNyjLjjbt-RAM/s320/2017-12-14+159.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCr1pM7ovaORvSNxgWDWkVHHctvwUZDcpRIowegNfk9z0Nc-k2PbYjPB1Scxqtz4_CbpWN50p4YrBUjG3C9aXiAsEzpuh2gnoy5KHM9N2KLp2a5UH05205DG3paSFHTX-WxObmyFvsec/s1600/2017-12-14+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCr1pM7ovaORvSNxgWDWkVHHctvwUZDcpRIowegNfk9z0Nc-k2PbYjPB1Scxqtz4_CbpWN50p4YrBUjG3C9aXiAsEzpuh2gnoy5KHM9N2KLp2a5UH05205DG3paSFHTX-WxObmyFvsec/s320/2017-12-14+160.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj5R_VSpbJ_JXzdngAa8Ncmg9vX-sii3uANsfZHtw8zLhd0I0hRxxUbK0BQm_6GzPh8tQh3JGXXGUAwXIl1C1qUXK1FoegJAvMM72OsJNiM_h1gOSI_PCc16uyX4RgeRbGVOyQDHQ-40/s1600/2017-12-14+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj5R_VSpbJ_JXzdngAa8Ncmg9vX-sii3uANsfZHtw8zLhd0I0hRxxUbK0BQm_6GzPh8tQh3JGXXGUAwXIl1C1qUXK1FoegJAvMM72OsJNiM_h1gOSI_PCc16uyX4RgeRbGVOyQDHQ-40/s320/2017-12-14+171.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp_OLXu63sNrH8k0wiP6QjX5GIBk2BZlcVQOj2A1SlD7iCglVxU4sk4-evII5zPBooRrCZUkqzSS5ITK69ZUOV-f-nZUsthGv-Bu-A9_ZS7wARWso-mjaqQDkoTGS-W3gPjw76zZJ7oU/s1600/2017-12-14+176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp_OLXu63sNrH8k0wiP6QjX5GIBk2BZlcVQOj2A1SlD7iCglVxU4sk4-evII5zPBooRrCZUkqzSS5ITK69ZUOV-f-nZUsthGv-Bu-A9_ZS7wARWso-mjaqQDkoTGS-W3gPjw76zZJ7oU/s320/2017-12-14+176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the images on the ceiling depicted St. Francis receiving the stigmata.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBymDJ5j44EkZOU27neSt3U2ZsJDVmgBzY9b8m8YoGB9_6Ix1vR_UT58EbzRBxzJ92tSOg-5MyvXqifuClGUZclJnL7vuTfarUuq3j2y2oWnq2iNd1JhP_YBAddJP9fb16GDDWpmskFvo/s1600/2017-12-14+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBymDJ5j44EkZOU27neSt3U2ZsJDVmgBzY9b8m8YoGB9_6Ix1vR_UT58EbzRBxzJ92tSOg-5MyvXqifuClGUZclJnL7vuTfarUuq3j2y2oWnq2iNd1JhP_YBAddJP9fb16GDDWpmskFvo/s320/2017-12-14+173.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAhIwKOASwVxV6OccAJDViNsjEVx3NK4d6RRx3jA80yJ0GZ1EcRBiPe2Zq1T0i1zHanOQpO8r9ervCdA2oIqG7uZqKvTOjKHPuUPzaxMV5EA0P55ADkImwmb_S3LP6FYOyMef8FyXZoY/s1600/2017-12-14+175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAhIwKOASwVxV6OccAJDViNsjEVx3NK4d6RRx3jA80yJ0GZ1EcRBiPe2Zq1T0i1zHanOQpO8r9ervCdA2oIqG7uZqKvTOjKHPuUPzaxMV5EA0P55ADkImwmb_S3LP6FYOyMef8FyXZoY/s320/2017-12-14+175.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxPiDujKjjngBsuSNIlINhK3tO0vwVvqpaZ4Rr7zw8uGI3151DNbU1Dg3oC7da4wNQ9XlQ3LpmdMrMMduWdi1C7h3JUuA7E-KZ0et3Tqb7RgKFz9QN1jDI-iFExiqbGCSGQC01JgcYL4/s1600/2017-12-14+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxPiDujKjjngBsuSNIlINhK3tO0vwVvqpaZ4Rr7zw8uGI3151DNbU1Dg3oC7da4wNQ9XlQ3LpmdMrMMduWdi1C7h3JUuA7E-KZ0et3Tqb7RgKFz9QN1jDI-iFExiqbGCSGQC01JgcYL4/s320/2017-12-14+163.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The church's stunning sacristy, which dated from 1745, had blue Portuguese tiles and an elaborately carved altar made of jacaranda wood. It was of no wonder the series of chapels were considered the jewel of Brazilian baroque architecture.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW4_VKHj16JmDTiKUa9IB8AXz9w7x6iXYz3QT62dRA_rqLlcSkCrxHwxGrNVRoqpWJs9sQF3C-_UgaSb42LvIF-GvpH7PlReutDkIpGr33l2BHxErzz-GjSIY72SPeXi1uO-Y-5tLLIs/s1600/2017-12-14+167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW4_VKHj16JmDTiKUa9IB8AXz9w7x6iXYz3QT62dRA_rqLlcSkCrxHwxGrNVRoqpWJs9sQF3C-_UgaSb42LvIF-GvpH7PlReutDkIpGr33l2BHxErzz-GjSIY72SPeXi1uO-Y-5tLLIs/s320/2017-12-14+167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I've never been lucky enough to visit Rome and Vatican City but I can't imagine anything there being more ... you fill in the blank.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6azYP8u0WACH83wsmlx0oW-mvZs2-zMqojDBPZA0wO4_VJWzkAYAUs2Pl1bYUFZZrqxLZKYOErIkr-de31Pr6QypOphy6IAa60NmUMYSlvy2dyBRukTU1yahsWImOMRYz6lEaTPMA4DM/s1600/2017-12-14+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6azYP8u0WACH83wsmlx0oW-mvZs2-zMqojDBPZA0wO4_VJWzkAYAUs2Pl1bYUFZZrqxLZKYOErIkr-de31Pr6QypOphy6IAa60NmUMYSlvy2dyBRukTU1yahsWImOMRYz6lEaTPMA4DM/s320/2017-12-14+168.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You might have thought we'd had enough of churches by then but we decided to return to the church known simply as the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Royal Church or the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Old Cathedral. </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">Beginning in the 1770s, the church played an important role in Rio's imperial days.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G_D0G3bQPxW4bQ6oRMSuWSDpEdEZKcplCflTvu0DfSs2iR91VG-lpr5chEiDlWQo7h2K-WQFF8gMNsnHOnP41aAnvtM6ZXGu9xzuopKOhvD2kOrlLP1n7lqy6SG4Z7pRKRcBLFfoe74/s1600/2017-12-14+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G_D0G3bQPxW4bQ6oRMSuWSDpEdEZKcplCflTvu0DfSs2iR91VG-lpr5chEiDlWQo7h2K-WQFF8gMNsnHOnP41aAnvtM6ZXGu9xzuopKOhvD2kOrlLP1n7lqy6SG4Z7pRKRcBLFfoe74/s320/2017-12-14+182.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The elaborate interior witnessed royal baptisms, weddings and funerals. Several kings were crowned here - the only place in the New World where this occurred. The royal family used to sit in the balcony boxes overlooking the altar. I hadn't known until our visit that churches had balcony boxes!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BRNcssYzAD0tgxoG3tV0OQoHtulsJwui21sFEfhP6fLrBcsa5H8LqXoAAFzS1Qw8seMcgxdXrdZ6H15lBe_m2lnPdXMiuSPi2KZXkig7XQ-Mae739s0et78nBb78gjAS18X8nk29TY4/s1600/2017-12-14+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BRNcssYzAD0tgxoG3tV0OQoHtulsJwui21sFEfhP6fLrBcsa5H8LqXoAAFzS1Qw8seMcgxdXrdZ6H15lBe_m2lnPdXMiuSPi2KZXkig7XQ-Mae739s0et78nBb78gjAS18X8nk29TY4/s320/2017-12-14+186.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KX6JcuyINHRpVKuF0U5uZU3sq2xN3dldNK5hCsFedAuEJz_1MG9Z-u3RMaSEEwvMGwWVEH08Dn26JBzI5r0b7vIVTsvvbIcVfi7MboFNHrOtP-JROtvEQ7zcCg2D06ROJbV9pkVxon8/s1600/2017-12-14+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KX6JcuyINHRpVKuF0U5uZU3sq2xN3dldNK5hCsFedAuEJz_1MG9Z-u3RMaSEEwvMGwWVEH08Dn26JBzI5r0b7vIVTsvvbIcVfi7MboFNHrOtP-JROtvEQ7zcCg2D06ROJbV9pkVxon8/s320/2017-12-14+188.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElrY40RAGkXjwwpFFMamP9TKGgOrA0FBAc-dn3w-dlh8qUDGEIkqup-xAXyZ82DfWrRiCC_9o9bRm7zodB9Bd9KLLH6IQ2DesgPLE81Tdymyqb_FPN4tAG7MYLff4QVPpympxO74z-B0/s1600/2017-12-14+189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElrY40RAGkXjwwpFFMamP9TKGgOrA0FBAc-dn3w-dlh8qUDGEIkqup-xAXyZ82DfWrRiCC_9o9bRm7zodB9Bd9KLLH6IQ2DesgPLE81Tdymyqb_FPN4tAG7MYLff4QVPpympxO74z-B0/s320/2017-12-14+189.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The last stops of the day was at the beautifully restored 1906 neoclassical building that housed Rio’s <b>Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil</b> aka CCBB. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOK9FNt-YhQkzhmiAhMXuTM1dQgNv65rui0bqeC4V-rohayZqR49Axz4T6ybTlctf6GFCRSKN7kiUp0-ealDPaSCQrlerLd6B2V0aAvM3QqDSONw0RgLOS6mksr8JC9NYqo7kx6VMudg/s1600/2017-12-14+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOK9FNt-YhQkzhmiAhMXuTM1dQgNv65rui0bqeC4V-rohayZqR49Axz4T6ybTlctf6GFCRSKN7kiUp0-ealDPaSCQrlerLd6B2V0aAvM3QqDSONw0RgLOS6mksr8JC9NYqo7kx6VMudg/s320/2017-12-14+201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">In </span>one of the city's most important cultural centers, we chanced upon a roving concert happening in the lobby</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGl6-FfNjFtQk21GBGmePYoVp1-G-F3Ar37NheoOYpkVIxmBGDN6yy3jztfUoipOw8jLnh_im3zQEXvUD7FWuJ-nm-Z2isPI6H-01ihzc46wrTDsBuZF0P_1AUrdQeNTNJbgjA9nasbfg/s1600/2017-12-14+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGl6-FfNjFtQk21GBGmePYoVp1-G-F3Ar37NheoOYpkVIxmBGDN6yy3jztfUoipOw8jLnh_im3zQEXvUD7FWuJ-nm-Z2isPI6H-01ihzc46wrTDsBuZF0P_1AUrdQeNTNJbgjA9nasbfg/s320/2017-12-14+203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">CCBB's temporary exhibition showcased inflatable 'sculptures' if that's the right word by <b>Erwin Wurm! </b>They brought smiles to our tired faces near the end of the day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DzBt9KdFct4SUsZAAzL37B5NkCqR8oai0mA2l3UhEcDfoSfO-xoye5u1u8_Hs2O-M6lVFIBTdRbDBmOoC-N7nZuqtfKbmyVT3wMhGEeVxCsC6HRftLLHwXOwPbGiL-ebkirf_aNsxt8/s1600/2017-12-14+205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DzBt9KdFct4SUsZAAzL37B5NkCqR8oai0mA2l3UhEcDfoSfO-xoye5u1u8_Hs2O-M6lVFIBTdRbDBmOoC-N7nZuqtfKbmyVT3wMhGEeVxCsC6HRftLLHwXOwPbGiL-ebkirf_aNsxt8/s320/2017-12-14+205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYQpLnDZwdnRiZdzGr8z-TNZWbKbq4KBdGtge1JRIy8VGH3ThaX_AQ95xMCq6xFun8SWtDPHKaTIjIrGjzBSqNAuxZHlJ9FumZRLXbsUSBdqKWNw_QZTL7hxsAIYHMCeLhA-QK0NvfmI/s1600/2017-12-14+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYQpLnDZwdnRiZdzGr8z-TNZWbKbq4KBdGtge1JRIy8VGH3ThaX_AQ95xMCq6xFun8SWtDPHKaTIjIrGjzBSqNAuxZHlJ9FumZRLXbsUSBdqKWNw_QZTL7hxsAIYHMCeLhA-QK0NvfmI/s320/2017-12-14+207.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll leave you with photos of Rio's glorious sunset from the beach, just a five minute walk from our hotel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjns5yPVPa6mwwAyfUDHUtg8iBMCUQlGUO2o5k0OZC7aA4vJ_QlgYppIQoaA0k5W8n8sz-dJsMRrkxEJnNmRFEcYUagbqJmQ7MGavH231yWUzKPZ7UIbZzwjPhAgYfLfOtl2UdpqIanMB4/s1600/2017-12-13+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjns5yPVPa6mwwAyfUDHUtg8iBMCUQlGUO2o5k0OZC7aA4vJ_QlgYppIQoaA0k5W8n8sz-dJsMRrkxEJnNmRFEcYUagbqJmQ7MGavH231yWUzKPZ7UIbZzwjPhAgYfLfOtl2UdpqIanMB4/s320/2017-12-13+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OkpGBpIgL2sORz2QkFO-eGFTo9oToWWr08D1biIEWBigQM3hyV3HLfrUZi7_0edeO6W4GYHje2wkb9TYOj6ftpusWtnf_YHFufYBmw7ay9X_obhj26G-LNxLU7cEVGZpXPcwexB4i5g/s1600/2017-12-13+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OkpGBpIgL2sORz2QkFO-eGFTo9oToWWr08D1biIEWBigQM3hyV3HLfrUZi7_0edeO6W4GYHje2wkb9TYOj6ftpusWtnf_YHFufYBmw7ay9X_obhj26G-LNxLU7cEVGZpXPcwexB4i5g/s320/2017-12-13+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaM5GceK8qez4n6ix97xGcAPa5SyV8K8e6b20sMYv4TY9smPY1wO02t_DnBR284WiocmldzqhyphenhyphenRaONqfSygpbBc6b2vn-lK6tkCaax1yb2EDbTI_WCukpBPurqd6zY5npHTn6bHZ8Qc8/s1600/2017-12-13+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaM5GceK8qez4n6ix97xGcAPa5SyV8K8e6b20sMYv4TY9smPY1wO02t_DnBR284WiocmldzqhyphenhyphenRaONqfSygpbBc6b2vn-lK6tkCaax1yb2EDbTI_WCukpBPurqd6zY5npHTn6bHZ8Qc8/s320/2017-12-13+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Visits to Rio's familiar sights: the Christ the Redeemer Statue, Sugarloaf Mountain and more. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on June 2nd, 2018, from Grayton Beach State Park in Florida.</i></span></div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-49298378828557005442018-05-31T23:57:00.000-06:002018-05-31T23:57:23.206-06:0012/11 & 12: Ouro Preto, Brazil: Churches & Steep Hills - Gorgeous Beyond Belief<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our destination for the next two nights was <b>Ouro Preto,</b> the center of the late 17th century gold rush in Brazil and located about 60 miles from the airport in <b>Belo Horizonte or BH,</b> and theoretically a short hop from</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> São Paulo </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">where we'd just stayed. There we experienced the most convoluted check-in procedure surely of any airport anywhere. After seeing no check-in signs, we realized we had to get luggage tags from a kiosk after being told to stand in a line for baggage drop which would have taken a good hour. Finally, with tags in hand, it was back to the luggage drop line and finally we boarded our flight, just relieved we'd left ourselves plenty of time at the airport. It turned out to be the bumpiest one we'd ever experiences with extreme turbulence which resulted in some people losing their cookies. Shortly there was an announcement, in Portuguese only, that because of the bad weather, the flight was diverted to <b>Rio de Janeiro,</b> our next destination! Apparently, the pilot had to take on more fuel before trying again to land in BH. Finally, 2.5 hours later, we did after getting a so-called goody bag of chips, water and cookies! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We managed to find the airport bus to the crowded bus terminal in town where a guardian angel in the form of a young Portuguese-speaking German woman took us under her wing, helping us to buy tickets for the onward bus journey and get us to the right bus stop with just minutes to spare when she noticed how frazzled we appeared. Steven and I both were interested that she commented how much safer she felt in Brazil and generally in South America than in Europe because there was no terrorism in the former. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Two hours later, we arrived safe and sound in Ouro Preto and snagged a taxi to our hotel where we collapsed, bummed after missing a precious half-day of sightseeing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ouro Preto, </span><span style="font-size: large;">known as <b>Black Gold,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">was the center of what was in the 1690s the largest gold discovery in the Western hemisphere. The town, </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">developed in the early 1700s as a result of the wealth from this gold rush and </span><span style="font-size: large;">had a population in 1750 of 80,000 people, larger even than that of New York City! Jesuit priests arrived, in addition to bands of adventurers in search of slaves and gold, and insisted that their churches, financed by the gold from the mines, be built in the Baroque style. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I read that 106 tons of gold were extracted from the local mines by the Portuguese until all the mines were exhausted. Brazil was that country's last possession.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EhtI3BoaW2lYDQOk2S4pPIGD0kzPI-eqjGW9F2sLWclyAaJQAwkUXvsgRoi7fXSK0WrCcpMo4-kmeQ6ExRQuzjszRuinIwZVptGcWl2pG8bvbZFchGob_44UPIMXFmRqGvnc0XzLY18/s1600/2017-12-12+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EhtI3BoaW2lYDQOk2S4pPIGD0kzPI-eqjGW9F2sLWclyAaJQAwkUXvsgRoi7fXSK0WrCcpMo4-kmeQ6ExRQuzjszRuinIwZVptGcWl2pG8bvbZFchGob_44UPIMXFmRqGvnc0XzLY18/s320/2017-12-12+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our travel book indicated that Ouro Preto had Brazil's purest collection of Baroque art and architecture. Six museums, no fewer than 13 churches and picture-book cottages set among low hills were what drew us to add Ouro Preto to our itinerary. The designation of the city by UNESCO as a World Heritage Center in 1991 just added to its lure for us! </span><span style="font-size: large;">Because of the difficulties getting to Ouro Preto, we got an early start the next morning in what we soon nicknamed the City of Hills and the City of Churches! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrLkumL8hdyVeKyrROIij8E1Nx6_9QP3lSgA_V33d_4r5cbu6d5sauNCygwdIacvPjkpL8MDFGyKylV2hzoACjZz66A5rGQbPcPB-IFXTd2i9aorVqMp_65A1b4rdalODT3Jo04ZQBsA/s1600/2017-12-12+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrLkumL8hdyVeKyrROIij8E1Nx6_9QP3lSgA_V33d_4r5cbu6d5sauNCygwdIacvPjkpL8MDFGyKylV2hzoACjZz66A5rGQbPcPB-IFXTd2i9aorVqMp_65A1b4rdalODT3Jo04ZQBsA/s320/2017-12-12+002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After huffing and puffing our way to the top of the first hill, we reached</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> São Francisco de Assis Church </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">described as an 'architectural masterpiece with a jewel-box chapel.' </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oEccef8lepeypP0JB_FQi-ShyphenhyphenJoEiZOu6fdzBzzfoGM1yrF01CqQt-5aFRh0L-hV_V_mLkkNB-Pj8DzYZZDVX_V5SpH9OHlsumX8X3D2HPU7EymZlnEJ1Pq82iT8SssukDN_0nTrIoM/s1600/2017-12-12+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oEccef8lepeypP0JB_FQi-ShyphenhyphenJoEiZOu6fdzBzzfoGM1yrF01CqQt-5aFRh0L-hV_V_mLkkNB-Pj8DzYZZDVX_V5SpH9OHlsumX8X3D2HPU7EymZlnEJ1Pq82iT8SssukDN_0nTrIoM/s320/2017-12-12+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKPwjtV0FCYeamgK_7EVcRE3BwS8z1fChHwsB9yBtLMAvYKhBJzckyLto17PqNJIVJosLFhZG6CQVzgqlvnh4DxDwAELCLwlBYDFZjDT3C6OBTLsciHvTwoSFXzvi-gG4etmUTCo4Y9k/s1600/2017-12-12+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKPwjtV0FCYeamgK_7EVcRE3BwS8z1fChHwsB9yBtLMAvYKhBJzckyLto17PqNJIVJosLFhZG6CQVzgqlvnh4DxDwAELCLwlBYDFZjDT3C6OBTLsciHvTwoSFXzvi-gG4etmUTCo4Y9k/s320/2017-12-12+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We peeked inside and marveled at how the 'painted surfaces and architectural features blended at the margins as if the painted sky ceiling could open up for God's inspection.'</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5BBqkhUsqwkOvQO7vG4NHWEk_agRck2bMpXP_XaunfLeShLn8fRmHGrCuKGTM8hndUCz_DIsSPbWqoEzDoX_s9YUcJnE2ggoG6k8Tk-h6g0Yoyxu2eEH0sVAGF6m1OC7nJ216LWPtsg/s1600/2017-12-12+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5BBqkhUsqwkOvQO7vG4NHWEk_agRck2bMpXP_XaunfLeShLn8fRmHGrCuKGTM8hndUCz_DIsSPbWqoEzDoX_s9YUcJnE2ggoG6k8Tk-h6g0Yoyxu2eEH0sVAGF6m1OC7nJ216LWPtsg/s320/2017-12-12+010.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN28HTYESRQg641h-IAkf3H4Z7eH7GJXJP_74CFe49qoFU3oCB7BYpOMWNF17snzB33xptwjupTU63xFu8_ofOdikcx1hq4vZKk5ze3TQUQxkqMehoCrCMz8MBzmFApbMnNIiZAa4Q4mA/s1600/2017-12-12+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN28HTYESRQg641h-IAkf3H4Z7eH7GJXJP_74CFe49qoFU3oCB7BYpOMWNF17snzB33xptwjupTU63xFu8_ofOdikcx1hq4vZKk5ze3TQUQxkqMehoCrCMz8MBzmFApbMnNIiZAa4Q4mA/s320/2017-12-12+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Across from the church was a pretty square I'd remembered passing in the taxi last night that had stall upon stall of exquisite soapstone carvings. Many craftsmen were hard at work carving pieces as we watched in fascination.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAG1bXFTq5TRthFD-FX5WigHepXJL17i6oQepy0QYRI2L2ii9j6Z0GIif2tE-6Huswf8VOwn1a-VsS_Nl2IEDn6HJdZFaMFi8th-sEH3ar2TI4lyy3mhALhjTgA2lgxm_bAcqQ_dl43BI/s1600/2017-12-12+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAG1bXFTq5TRthFD-FX5WigHepXJL17i6oQepy0QYRI2L2ii9j6Z0GIif2tE-6Huswf8VOwn1a-VsS_Nl2IEDn6HJdZFaMFi8th-sEH3ar2TI4lyy3mhALhjTgA2lgxm_bAcqQ_dl43BI/s320/2017-12-12+014.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There were several that caught my eye but Steven, ever the practical one, cautioned me on buying some then because of their weight. I was intrigued and totally captivated by the works of art but put off buying any, then at least!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgggVj8zhb8FaIjHaVJ9W2wSO5PZ10uW2AlHWn6ffdfdkzgniT9WX3HOu_fEH91w5rcVduB8mtZRUJKU7dkluFseNWKvF4JZwOcp47Njtf_8CJfPAT68uWCm8GDmuf3Q5wHbhkD1zBIgc/s1600/2017-12-12+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgggVj8zhb8FaIjHaVJ9W2wSO5PZ10uW2AlHWn6ffdfdkzgniT9WX3HOu_fEH91w5rcVduB8mtZRUJKU7dkluFseNWKvF4JZwOcp47Njtf_8CJfPAT68uWCm8GDmuf3Q5wHbhkD1zBIgc/s320/2017-12-12+017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrleG5jpXKTMQDVxKu-f0rpdrO2nQEt7tZT0c-dSgncmURlEIoApcEt7e9ue1QffJksh4omQgWapvV6otvl08aLTE6QOYGeVv4VMM7Hw2bvlwSVZoQq63Y-V4RSYHDJG6xjJ3yf3nA2E/s1600/2017-12-12+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrleG5jpXKTMQDVxKu-f0rpdrO2nQEt7tZT0c-dSgncmURlEIoApcEt7e9ue1QffJksh4omQgWapvV6otvl08aLTE6QOYGeVv4VMM7Hw2bvlwSVZoQq63Y-V4RSYHDJG6xjJ3yf3nA2E/s320/2017-12-12+015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8toOjIPJDZYyUapKwr7IgR_Yo598LR6Unqog8zSVbBvTn3siWUUM0PdWDce2UMdJN6Z-EJmOEOC8kPRiK4txJ5eQqwoOPHXvpek5bWwYEWef2iCzf_KXfIW5rJ0mvkUy7ScH1HK4iOrw/s1600/2017-12-12+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8toOjIPJDZYyUapKwr7IgR_Yo598LR6Unqog8zSVbBvTn3siWUUM0PdWDce2UMdJN6Z-EJmOEOC8kPRiK4txJ5eQqwoOPHXvpek5bWwYEWef2iCzf_KXfIW5rJ0mvkUy7ScH1HK4iOrw/s320/2017-12-12+016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the town center was the spacious <b>Praça Tiradentes</b> with the impressive <b>Museu da Inconfidência</b> holding court over the cobbled plaza. Ouro Preto is a center of Brazilian history. While Americans go to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. to see our history, Brazilians go to Ouro Preto. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The severed head of patriot <b>Joaquim José da Silva Xavier,</b> nicknamed Tiradentes or <b>Tooth-Puller,</b> was displayed on a pole in the square in 1792. Xavier and six of his co-conspirators had </span><span style="font-size: large;">plotted to overthrow the Portuguese colonial power as it taxed over half of their wealth. </span><span style="font-size: large;">However, spies infiltrated the group and exposed the plan. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Tiradentes was imprisoned and executed and his body quartered and left in various cities to warn the community about the fate of those who challenged the Portuguese crown!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzwLZBNxFmkO2CI9SzLkdcvS1DSpmAxTjybqp2lVOB16YZ0OpmsCX4g62iWsQ2B8sbgapU8k_FKR8eFZghLGse0BaeKgRbywXVD5mcaXNnSnscYDY-2inKPTsICus5w3gWRkmceKXMig/s1600/2017-12-12+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzwLZBNxFmkO2CI9SzLkdcvS1DSpmAxTjybqp2lVOB16YZ0OpmsCX4g62iWsQ2B8sbgapU8k_FKR8eFZghLGse0BaeKgRbywXVD5mcaXNnSnscYDY-2inKPTsICus5w3gWRkmceKXMig/s320/2017-12-12+021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The museum once served as town hall and was used as a prison until 1937. It also acted as the 'presidential palace' in the 1988 movie</span><span style="font-size: large;"><i> Moon Over Parador </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">which starred <b>Richard Dreyfuss.</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The fountain in the middle of the former town hall, prison and wanna be presidential palace:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iU2sQJl3UkGUPszHChYIers5ZeuKfbNKZwQmSYihLWLCIQd8cJ5DuLoBTaO-CYsriOUTmLaXWP2Yzlm-5cLAMSOfc3FSZk1fbfNz8q-hGgr-lFC2Vf8fijwfYfhWM3VhAELkcUDpQjU/s1600/2017-12-12+199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iU2sQJl3UkGUPszHChYIers5ZeuKfbNKZwQmSYihLWLCIQd8cJ5DuLoBTaO-CYsriOUTmLaXWP2Yzlm-5cLAMSOfc3FSZk1fbfNz8q-hGgr-lFC2Vf8fijwfYfhWM3VhAELkcUDpQjU/s320/2017-12-12+199.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I felt like a queen surveying her subjects standing on the steps and overlooking the large plaza! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gn4gONyI6VExE0-w0OUjFL_1rNw1GSXKr5K8zY2FHewVOXiZXXohB19JIl069JZyXW1X0Oc4T6h4QnxDQvCEeEG9hATbBiHPfrwIb9qBr3uilyyRXng0zedLCInQ9-9NUurjRR2zsZo/s1600/2017-12-12+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gn4gONyI6VExE0-w0OUjFL_1rNw1GSXKr5K8zY2FHewVOXiZXXohB19JIl069JZyXW1X0Oc4T6h4QnxDQvCEeEG9hATbBiHPfrwIb9qBr3uilyyRXng0zedLCInQ9-9NUurjRR2zsZo/s320/2017-12-12+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The sight of Xavier's execution in the central square:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsHHssblbGSqjDY1vU0FIgdoJ036Z4Uon7uXvhiJFbUppKOeO8XCdeenCoGaFtL3P8NyjsSFQmsHXbdnmQNb9dP_xO7g3mYzcPq2l5UFUz-oV9-da_orIO8aDrC7zdKQVrAEgypyIFrM/s1600/2017-12-12+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsHHssblbGSqjDY1vU0FIgdoJ036Z4Uon7uXvhiJFbUppKOeO8XCdeenCoGaFtL3P8NyjsSFQmsHXbdnmQNb9dP_xO7g3mYzcPq2l5UFUz-oV9-da_orIO8aDrC7zdKQVrAEgypyIFrM/s320/2017-12-12+046.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSEblV2cGO9d4jEprB_RuIMyMI2w6TcwJDYU_ECTbCmJ5uvv5KNoycGfyWTxAS_0ExAJLLF4kAGMOvqdQ2G3iZM_iIXRwHfHlUP45B_Iz5L1dh2V81sDrGxlztwcNNLLcE9sycShMHV0/s1600/2017-12-12+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSEblV2cGO9d4jEprB_RuIMyMI2w6TcwJDYU_ECTbCmJ5uvv5KNoycGfyWTxAS_0ExAJLLF4kAGMOvqdQ2G3iZM_iIXRwHfHlUP45B_Iz5L1dh2V81sDrGxlztwcNNLLcE9sycShMHV0/s320/2017-12-12+049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another important building on the square was the impressive church of <b>Nossa Senhora do Carmo</b> or Our Lady of Carmel which was designed in 1766. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPwrxho3vM6WU58ZrXi-8Lydczhne4hFFqRVOOl5YhcnUarBZckydpQtFO5OcTtIX8ZIeTGaKLOiDD6gaVPgR2S4u6fIDvD7yMswRZa7Firb2RfdYatjl4-WoL0z7MEIlfA-NX3yq3ig/s1600/2017-12-12+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPwrxho3vM6WU58ZrXi-8Lydczhne4hFFqRVOOl5YhcnUarBZckydpQtFO5OcTtIX8ZIeTGaKLOiDD6gaVPgR2S4u6fIDvD7yMswRZa7Firb2RfdYatjl4-WoL0z7MEIlfA-NX3yq3ig/s320/2017-12-12+028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was hard not to smile after spotting the exuberant stone carvings of curlicues and soaring angels above the main entrance! We waited 40 minutes for the church to open but it never did so we gave up but hoped to find time to return later.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WGOa6jSzRbj0WJPAy-2iPXf6-bJQphiFtDMuxNn9_l7w4XnEgANzoPXbhpRbIAtzFFJhqLth5TYR6IgxBQB6eD5HLF3i87VLeYqBVo3r8obo-e6jGTdRgVlK0sVdevtacS3MBJqyN4o/s1600/2017-12-12+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WGOa6jSzRbj0WJPAy-2iPXf6-bJQphiFtDMuxNn9_l7w4XnEgANzoPXbhpRbIAtzFFJhqLth5TYR6IgxBQB6eD5HLF3i87VLeYqBVo3r8obo-e6jGTdRgVlK0sVdevtacS3MBJqyN4o/s320/2017-12-12+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tombstones in the rear belonged to those who had rebelled against the Portuguese authorities and had been repatriated so they could be brought back to their rightful places. When Ouro Preto became independent, it was promoted to the status of Imperial City in 1823.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9EHKBMBxskv0QpkwG11zQhkYp_Q3vUQ2IkigoPS2C37bl3LnJlDTCYJG27hVneBtENbdj4f62J9lL1Xr8lDPmHyzR_5_-g9OOLt-9J_zveau-Cc3SvZ70tREn4o5-rFgZZigtFYScSY/s1600/2017-12-12+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9EHKBMBxskv0QpkwG11zQhkYp_Q3vUQ2IkigoPS2C37bl3LnJlDTCYJG27hVneBtENbdj4f62J9lL1Xr8lDPmHyzR_5_-g9OOLt-9J_zveau-Cc3SvZ70tREn4o5-rFgZZigtFYScSY/s320/2017-12-12+032.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though the skies were overcast and a storm threatened, the view of the stunning buildings and </span><span style="font-size: large;">a church nestled in </span><span style="font-size: large;">the rolling hills took our breath away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER8LwCbmAlxlES80y6ZZgmjsDu674zrM-SHYrdPAyiGzsGqDCns8kSsF3_QnlzxLWAeoqeOP7-UP2Eq2k5ZEi3RGpZHp7LTMk9vc33ros_ViKX1jaE-e7IB6VOlyghmi1B1k-agdMohE/s1600/2017-12-12+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER8LwCbmAlxlES80y6ZZgmjsDu674zrM-SHYrdPAyiGzsGqDCns8kSsF3_QnlzxLWAeoqeOP7-UP2Eq2k5ZEi3RGpZHp7LTMk9vc33ros_ViKX1jaE-e7IB6VOlyghmi1B1k-agdMohE/s320/2017-12-12+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You do remember I said this was a city of hills, right?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKmN2a0e3MkTmfuptyqsSuGot-_w1SF2uhCNbZaP5yVVGKGPqauj1t3PY67_NrE1YZmmc9SsjU4dkzghtrEVUSXYRxhFhPl8Rqmxs5lfrSGgNibFHjhIB4Ec0F0su5jU-QxMem-3JkE/s1600/2017-12-12+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKmN2a0e3MkTmfuptyqsSuGot-_w1SF2uhCNbZaP5yVVGKGPqauj1t3PY67_NrE1YZmmc9SsjU4dkzghtrEVUSXYRxhFhPl8Rqmxs5lfrSGgNibFHjhIB4Ec0F0su5jU-QxMem-3JkE/s320/2017-12-12+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Views of our walk through town to the <b>Casa dos Contos,</b> the tax collector’s office and private house </span><span style="font-size: large;">during the gold rush era. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Known as the House of Tales, it was where gold was originally weighed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ2zVowop2r9gs8ZIQ7dgj2pcYtRcg-Zd38xRw9WUlAg_V8TCdak5WxOIdxkLbGsKaZo5iDQ0xL4BGeD0tpEaZdZAs0iujVF4FiEfGtvHRuibtzoPQruB2IhO95XIOzmJLA7QZpZpPFw/s1600/2017-12-12+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ2zVowop2r9gs8ZIQ7dgj2pcYtRcg-Zd38xRw9WUlAg_V8TCdak5WxOIdxkLbGsKaZo5iDQ0xL4BGeD0tpEaZdZAs0iujVF4FiEfGtvHRuibtzoPQruB2IhO95XIOzmJLA7QZpZpPFw/s320/2017-12-12+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Built between 1782 and 1784, it belonged to one of the wealthiest men in 18th century colonial Brazil and also one of the most famous supporters of the underground Independence Movement in the state of Minas Gerais where Ouro Preto was located. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwaHl-txE6Rk58s-QHixTGO0Z8YjxeEUxv72_lUbs3IjkcxYwtJg_qZ_qNh0rfCbaBH4AIHv_EFzNnOi3yeGtGN_OuLQTiGm-FgnBJIVZNYwiN9mgHJtwoBsZLEE1vJBSuPRqCaOEksg/s1600/2017-12-12+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwaHl-txE6Rk58s-QHixTGO0Z8YjxeEUxv72_lUbs3IjkcxYwtJg_qZ_qNh0rfCbaBH4AIHv_EFzNnOi3yeGtGN_OuLQTiGm-FgnBJIVZNYwiN9mgHJtwoBsZLEE1vJBSuPRqCaOEksg/s320/2017-12-12+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrTJdE8fN3gi7tMUwbcGvYzQ-KVLPin5w7rmB3q5JS5Ijpsw3B_bFa3iQrdSAHqmOZ8fP7V-F6W2eiZj_Kmwf4_OERI0iTTIPeDqAYsXwG380g5AYxZsn7urIBds7z849H06ZN6AN4Tw/s1600/2017-12-12+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrTJdE8fN3gi7tMUwbcGvYzQ-KVLPin5w7rmB3q5JS5Ijpsw3B_bFa3iQrdSAHqmOZ8fP7V-F6W2eiZj_Kmwf4_OERI0iTTIPeDqAYsXwG380g5AYxZsn7urIBds7z849H06ZN6AN4Tw/s320/2017-12-12+057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgLpE4Nz9Cpe4cKRpx3xzqMmvzn2SkHkqOZNoHwjck-fVkRvPyD4fErdG-41hn4DbBGVkZNc-z-yFCHmyixk7GCgH59vNPhGwHCga7fyGU98uBt5jrvTH0SXLzsa1CqyJWD0DPVa_Wb4/s1600/2017-12-12+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgLpE4Nz9Cpe4cKRpx3xzqMmvzn2SkHkqOZNoHwjck-fVkRvPyD4fErdG-41hn4DbBGVkZNc-z-yFCHmyixk7GCgH59vNPhGwHCga7fyGU98uBt5jrvTH0SXLzsa1CqyJWD0DPVa_Wb4/s320/2017-12-12+058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT5T0YmZok9jpk4EWkSATkn8QNhQ8J7Wua9bPXfy6eDaSw5-4w0D11JwIYh27r7iy6sxfDtNWw5YEZMvJMcfHIZpqq8Kxdzf6uzYw0K-Ejg2iLdnw80ENCSFqhLnub7nhB3ZKkZ7LA0w/s1600/2017-12-12+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT5T0YmZok9jpk4EWkSATkn8QNhQ8J7Wua9bPXfy6eDaSw5-4w0D11JwIYh27r7iy6sxfDtNWw5YEZMvJMcfHIZpqq8Kxdzf6uzYw0K-Ejg2iLdnw80ENCSFqhLnub7nhB3ZKkZ7LA0w/s320/2017-12-12+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTCLsxG-3wC0nKCDyIIIqHzyJ0wTmaD_h49lEyAfqwD8HXpCCpYj_-lP_ZTqsXJiEov4W0RFNKA9IznWyUnrxxd6morZsSAqGf0GPVbD6MHWKixpDysNroFcwAHiPxNqipMCKhhAxSs/s1600/2017-12-12+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTCLsxG-3wC0nKCDyIIIqHzyJ0wTmaD_h49lEyAfqwD8HXpCCpYj_-lP_ZTqsXJiEov4W0RFNKA9IznWyUnrxxd6morZsSAqGf0GPVbD6MHWKixpDysNroFcwAHiPxNqipMCKhhAxSs/s320/2017-12-12+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There were lovely views from the Casa's small balcony of the neighboring colonial homes and the countryside.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMxEa2hmZ4KDuCLYc5_XBNwJEYflQKAfNqEHv_GSImfVjTOZMogrI58v5gveKmmiH4bmi4hPpP-irTWBK_1Gg1Hdotim-qt2_OWRJLe46EC_ZHTP6-M8l_QELInbwnUq25DXjOtF-zMc/s1600/2017-12-12+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMxEa2hmZ4KDuCLYc5_XBNwJEYflQKAfNqEHv_GSImfVjTOZMogrI58v5gveKmmiH4bmi4hPpP-irTWBK_1Gg1Hdotim-qt2_OWRJLe46EC_ZHTP6-M8l_QELInbwnUq25DXjOtF-zMc/s320/2017-12-12+067.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcXP5bHpl5zx0HN9idIYWqY-4rtYLo-Aa5a59aZGlg_C24c_2NsWueIJQl0HQuhQplox0Hx8wkzfqUlN1vZfqvUqyP3VhFsQmxDRM17PUttfdqhfLyeRV0Teb3jwAqvP2l-2446ViMBo/s1600/2017-12-12+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcXP5bHpl5zx0HN9idIYWqY-4rtYLo-Aa5a59aZGlg_C24c_2NsWueIJQl0HQuhQplox0Hx8wkzfqUlN1vZfqvUqyP3VhFsQmxDRM17PUttfdqhfLyeRV0Teb3jwAqvP2l-2446ViMBo/s320/2017-12-12+068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Photos of the home's interior:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi93pN2AyKgX2Dv78ypuGmOv4N8_qPVBs-LUuFS7JmSIsXwXD7XD51acDPjXoOazj-du_vQeH18-czIsH12QoRXObjleSqevOJuq6Zyqh9pkCRcn2t1ob-tH8P1IZ-DExmRJettANQLA/s1600/2017-12-12+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi93pN2AyKgX2Dv78ypuGmOv4N8_qPVBs-LUuFS7JmSIsXwXD7XD51acDPjXoOazj-du_vQeH18-czIsH12QoRXObjleSqevOJuq6Zyqh9pkCRcn2t1ob-tH8P1IZ-DExmRJettANQLA/s320/2017-12-12+069.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_pyveJCrrwV2AospTkX8Tbqm7CLj818XUbdE9VE_ACLfiJDZMPJrSP0F8lR8UB4I8KchOY1H9OMC9qFtH5A2FK0UWEfbUKxK0koKq4Rt9z7QkwOk17GG6Ju-8LBQM8S99A6dTuc-4Ww/s1600/2017-12-12+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_pyveJCrrwV2AospTkX8Tbqm7CLj818XUbdE9VE_ACLfiJDZMPJrSP0F8lR8UB4I8KchOY1H9OMC9qFtH5A2FK0UWEfbUKxK0koKq4Rt9z7QkwOk17GG6Ju-8LBQM8S99A6dTuc-4Ww/s320/2017-12-12+071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlEqPs8KZIOm5CUq_bzmj7-Gc8_2BxoiDv-ihIe6HAWdZb4cA69d2g83R8n2PnsjRzq_djopBmthAQvBx5H8fU9LLyfxM1jtOX9EPBwiJfVWdMH4Frg3lQWlkV3-vy6z5ms6hIhS52wk/s1600/2017-12-12+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlEqPs8KZIOm5CUq_bzmj7-Gc8_2BxoiDv-ihIe6HAWdZb4cA69d2g83R8n2PnsjRzq_djopBmthAQvBx5H8fU9LLyfxM1jtOX9EPBwiJfVWdMH4Frg3lQWlkV3-vy6z5ms6hIhS52wk/s320/2017-12-12+072.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Slaves Kitchen and Quarters,</b> located under the building, were accessible by a wooden ramp. The home gave us an inkling of what life must have been like depending on whether one was white and powerful or a black slave.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2RwV7ZXakjA4MAh2XcMTQDjHTsqVdlen3FEE8hWbdCFpUw3Wz3n5sGklhIU_kf9JP6IVg2GYfEbzGEwiuOr4MCF3J-iBJJnVY_PcjPXiZULc9kRUWA0rWIXmLq1NoL9bHPWxjZLikt4/s1600/2017-12-12+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2RwV7ZXakjA4MAh2XcMTQDjHTsqVdlen3FEE8hWbdCFpUw3Wz3n5sGklhIU_kf9JP6IVg2GYfEbzGEwiuOr4MCF3J-iBJJnVY_PcjPXiZULc9kRUWA0rWIXmLq1NoL9bHPWxjZLikt4/s320/2017-12-12+074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Photos of our stroll through town:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg322yFhdNOXf91ntQnBQhyvRA62NZq1nLaXncAmHaz_SIZT5nx5BTt9zErzoUayZcH5HmWZgY0DW9-T8-d-Vl7hvJKedwxzq4cltXTniEBVBtdlINcoEEOEu9KBhmOup90IWMrz_AXxw0/s1600/2017-12-12+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg322yFhdNOXf91ntQnBQhyvRA62NZq1nLaXncAmHaz_SIZT5nx5BTt9zErzoUayZcH5HmWZgY0DW9-T8-d-Vl7hvJKedwxzq4cltXTniEBVBtdlINcoEEOEu9KBhmOup90IWMrz_AXxw0/s320/2017-12-12+079.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">São </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jao St.,</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> opened since the beginning of the settlement, was called Tiradentes in the 19th century after the most prominent leader of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Inconfidência</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">movement and one of its inhabitants. A main feature was its collection of buildings used as both stores and homes.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gf3b1qT9PuOdI62exAnfiKkHA-W-TQVk_aEGhM5D6lu1UekZfon-SzRmQwQR_oxfDoD1e3r5EVawEhNovwSR-DWAGgJK_IJO5ddWgqLg2lJhMiFeFCe1SnvfXDJIcWwffKYCDe85_uI/s1600/2017-12-12+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gf3b1qT9PuOdI62exAnfiKkHA-W-TQVk_aEGhM5D6lu1UekZfon-SzRmQwQR_oxfDoD1e3r5EVawEhNovwSR-DWAGgJK_IJO5ddWgqLg2lJhMiFeFCe1SnvfXDJIcWwffKYCDe85_uI/s320/2017-12-12+083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWzWUpy-OatqZ54T_cJeT0gG-hA1cRv2E0l_3xMraojaWHQhkpjWuCCJrqFY9jIJ2T7w7v_Hx2YcopHJm3vHTGpgYztbrQXuB9tfvoPQlcXPXZZMkuke98lW0p4X8IB_ynCUGnYRKMu0/s1600/2017-12-12+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWzWUpy-OatqZ54T_cJeT0gG-hA1cRv2E0l_3xMraojaWHQhkpjWuCCJrqFY9jIJ2T7w7v_Hx2YcopHJm3vHTGpgYztbrQXuB9tfvoPQlcXPXZZMkuke98lW0p4X8IB_ynCUGnYRKMu0/s320/2017-12-12+086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the home of da Silva Xavier, i.e. Tiradentes aka the Tooth-Puller. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpY4Xs9Fzlk76l6UmcPV9x3CsPpecUDzqp0We91XN3Z38yDhgIr3-J5MHZnn7gnCY8I0BEA64Vo8h94CfHgKP6Lqdo17MUGm6f7kwBFeA38CWE2ZmhG94NRQidfPEomu7lQ1sntZYUu4/s1600/2017-12-12+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpY4Xs9Fzlk76l6UmcPV9x3CsPpecUDzqp0We91XN3Z38yDhgIr3-J5MHZnn7gnCY8I0BEA64Vo8h94CfHgKP6Lqdo17MUGm6f7kwBFeA38CWE2ZmhG94NRQidfPEomu7lQ1sntZYUu4/s320/2017-12-12+088.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5-g9A7KeCIlaimr9q3-dK9v6XnaqB6iWMn9DV6-oEFjYm7mgJxj3CFYxJi-RZ3PBjdQokYBHdWED1nC88RYBtB0CbOEGT430BDPp3a2qNBwAjIjLoe9fHqkcKWKDL18qhoRi56leA1k/s1600/2017-12-12+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5-g9A7KeCIlaimr9q3-dK9v6XnaqB6iWMn9DV6-oEFjYm7mgJxj3CFYxJi-RZ3PBjdQokYBHdWED1nC88RYBtB0CbOEGT430BDPp3a2qNBwAjIjLoe9fHqkcKWKDL18qhoRi56leA1k/s320/2017-12-12+090.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sorry the photo is way too bright but it gives you a sense still of the charm and beauty of Ouro Preto.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9anW1GJ4Blc7ovgaT-xkOXt0AW7-Y-rB4o6ScNa4cji7g-4c8NT6LP0vcwEwLrcbHIfSY16RLKrjem48gWiR1z-PfVOcnt8a95X2b0aBVUb_ICS-iwmE3gCgFPUWqKF4vKBOUR745m8/s1600/2017-12-12+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9anW1GJ4Blc7ovgaT-xkOXt0AW7-Y-rB4o6ScNa4cji7g-4c8NT6LP0vcwEwLrcbHIfSY16RLKrjem48gWiR1z-PfVOcnt8a95X2b0aBVUb_ICS-iwmE3gCgFPUWqKF4vKBOUR745m8/s320/2017-12-12+091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">No chance of going into hydrangea withdrawal in Ouro Preto as they were commonplace.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N9QwY5HXnagr2_t2hIFo1Vb8nbAD0SVeq1gj249qUjdoHPmqD88tKwNo8KbvnhFlP-H-SgPUDqm1-0sqFpuMFJXVx-t7Q8hTDrzMIltAGG_8txaXS04TD4r3bgJdjL9uAxtoNybGt8g/s1600/2017-12-12+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N9QwY5HXnagr2_t2hIFo1Vb8nbAD0SVeq1gj249qUjdoHPmqD88tKwNo8KbvnhFlP-H-SgPUDqm1-0sqFpuMFJXVx-t7Q8hTDrzMIltAGG_8txaXS04TD4r3bgJdjL9uAxtoNybGt8g/s320/2017-12-12+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The door to ...?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHJxXULwr4Z2feZj8wZqnTMiH3K6lkKJNsCQMPAiEPR3HctYFPe3_7Y6HmMIknoRAj9NYHTYFxtQCeGBLcbEtXoRkj8svloVeHn2vTy8wRJAoFw5AVRgwsxnSGHyWJCSCXL6bnwM4Pb8/s1600/2017-12-12+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHJxXULwr4Z2feZj8wZqnTMiH3K6lkKJNsCQMPAiEPR3HctYFPe3_7Y6HmMIknoRAj9NYHTYFxtQCeGBLcbEtXoRkj8svloVeHn2vTy8wRJAoFw5AVRgwsxnSGHyWJCSCXL6bnwM4Pb8/s320/2017-12-12+096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The building was being used as a</span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> School of Restoration </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">because of the town's designation as a World Heritage Center. </span><span style="font-size: large;">One of Ouro Preto’s most distinctive features was the decorative balconies and other exterior details. Because the city used to be so rich, the houses were decorated with ornate iron balconies and lanterns, and every house had colorful window trim.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0shsWrh8cnXPZruSFDNXwGVQuNMx4iwhbyl-jyPiRnSLUVdh8lOTyl-0vmX7MZg6cIs2tDATH5plL8dIUWVDbje52G6qeR7KPjm8HKMnx9Ppgyd4UDiWACAZJWW-JJAEu0ivX6-Klxok/s1600/2017-12-12+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0shsWrh8cnXPZruSFDNXwGVQuNMx4iwhbyl-jyPiRnSLUVdh8lOTyl-0vmX7MZg6cIs2tDATH5plL8dIUWVDbje52G6qeR7KPjm8HKMnx9Ppgyd4UDiWACAZJWW-JJAEu0ivX6-Klxok/s320/2017-12-12+099.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNz5wohlujiiPJGdRKr-Tdr6y4JWRoP8oE0SWsV4xzvk2bVYFbDKxK7bI6Fqq_J8lT4F7E1JDyAYosdQOVhfGdZ5yY-Jot0rzi4x18catQrzfWm0zgf52c6hb6o3PNox8wRu1-irSOJQ/s1600/2017-12-12+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNz5wohlujiiPJGdRKr-Tdr6y4JWRoP8oE0SWsV4xzvk2bVYFbDKxK7bI6Fqq_J8lT4F7E1JDyAYosdQOVhfGdZ5yY-Jot0rzi4x18catQrzfWm0zgf52c6hb6o3PNox8wRu1-irSOJQ/s320/2017-12-12+101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had been heading west toward <b>Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos,</b> a church built by slaves who had accumulated enough gold to create its stunning shell but not to decorate its interior.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDepxvT92vgLOu4-lRy7tSjcZb0jYVH1az2giLCbEJqafnXXHnJFYWrQwz1nF-GeEiLJai_1KaartQcnEmAr0ypMPfEKLa9vN7JgMpm-DYJLR2ragdsS3kuSJC6UJX2JK_PBtZmCYtOg/s1600/2017-12-12+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDepxvT92vgLOu4-lRy7tSjcZb0jYVH1az2giLCbEJqafnXXHnJFYWrQwz1nF-GeEiLJai_1KaartQcnEmAr0ypMPfEKLa9vN7JgMpm-DYJLR2ragdsS3kuSJC6UJX2JK_PBtZmCYtOg/s320/2017-12-12+104.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The view of the square from the church:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ctlLvj5lwvjpUD2-v4YQcwpDp-y6rFtf1HxDMZrYYqZWFbFhzl8E3eCWO9X85k__GLLlwv1wSiN40fxOg1iAAKGK4AModQsKbJBwwz0s1Tu2Bq1K6usduiAOMvTxv0QJfKJFsXLqdy8/s1600/2017-12-12+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ctlLvj5lwvjpUD2-v4YQcwpDp-y6rFtf1HxDMZrYYqZWFbFhzl8E3eCWO9X85k__GLLlwv1wSiN40fxOg1iAAKGK4AModQsKbJBwwz0s1Tu2Bq1K6usduiAOMvTxv0QJfKJFsXLqdy8/s320/2017-12-12+108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I so wish my photos could capture the church's incredible interior with its convex walls that were so unusual and charming. The interior may have been simple and unadorned at one point but now, it was nothing short of sublime in my opinion.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITXAWK2ZijPPVTOjKsKoGKyKYltOkepJc-jy4zRAarIRXNKzwKANbGvkYohsRmSDqc1RA8pcmKS6vQua0XB56rKUS6ImOz7JB_OAH9mT6c0y6wApWb-6rQAWps4WLeNzX8dpJiYyQKaY/s1600/2017-12-12+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITXAWK2ZijPPVTOjKsKoGKyKYltOkepJc-jy4zRAarIRXNKzwKANbGvkYohsRmSDqc1RA8pcmKS6vQua0XB56rKUS6ImOz7JB_OAH9mT6c0y6wApWb-6rQAWps4WLeNzX8dpJiYyQKaY/s320/2017-12-12+110.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ceiling:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRZKL3_T5LkXyTrJRimYme950pu7m91yRCwPSfHf53DqwG9IACXfprLvrZY2vZN3LHk-C0IutaZ7r30ky_O4jPb-YcSfou3Mchk49-Ixe4V5X5zbtIDYkkMayEqqVthMicAcsbW-yGIo/s1600/2017-12-12+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRZKL3_T5LkXyTrJRimYme950pu7m91yRCwPSfHf53DqwG9IACXfprLvrZY2vZN3LHk-C0IutaZ7r30ky_O4jPb-YcSfou3Mchk49-Ixe4V5X5zbtIDYkkMayEqqVthMicAcsbW-yGIo/s320/2017-12-12+112.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6RfxZcrTgdRhGvhyphenhyphen7W8B_pcybDfr9mOio_UCUnuN0wlMi9A9FKOKQ6g-op_ERWV9c0262WSRRfNb8rU4Acj5s_WdryaKiAoelOE0h9qJzDZQVEsfbfMfh9gEenPKMo1n3-ClaVxJXok/s1600/2017-12-12+113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6RfxZcrTgdRhGvhyphenhyphen7W8B_pcybDfr9mOio_UCUnuN0wlMi9A9FKOKQ6g-op_ERWV9c0262WSRRfNb8rU4Acj5s_WdryaKiAoelOE0h9qJzDZQVEsfbfMfh9gEenPKMo1n3-ClaVxJXok/s320/2017-12-12+113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO4HoTCIp0vjVK4IYdpsMW8EM4qBvKPNpcYYRWcvK4X7qssrwy6AWpKM71sbZNaaaIbNxoKtjJ4nNPJ0kcc0OmaIXGsDiu_ECLZwm9jVgYmRxJ6nymBUZ7Sk5SwidhBvCizchQl5NANw/s1600/2017-12-12+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO4HoTCIp0vjVK4IYdpsMW8EM4qBvKPNpcYYRWcvK4X7qssrwy6AWpKM71sbZNaaaIbNxoKtjJ4nNPJ0kcc0OmaIXGsDiu_ECLZwm9jVgYmRxJ6nymBUZ7Sk5SwidhBvCizchQl5NANw/s320/2017-12-12+115.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgym4vzSZAvl97YfM4MI5UoDf8HoYdDBKSxFSn_aJh3Uc8cyuI2jIB2hWvlADxrHtcfIVhNkeUXYbqpYAOImBmIJ66zUMw00cUAOATP84f9sEpR9ZxlMEQzsEIkf3XHteuGYAy9_8unHGQ/s1600/2017-12-12+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgym4vzSZAvl97YfM4MI5UoDf8HoYdDBKSxFSn_aJh3Uc8cyuI2jIB2hWvlADxrHtcfIVhNkeUXYbqpYAOImBmIJ66zUMw00cUAOATP84f9sEpR9ZxlMEQzsEIkf3XHteuGYAy9_8unHGQ/s320/2017-12-12+118.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsq7JyQ075KcVzeuJYD6fGHdmnDeFfhZ6kGZajmEqjHP5vPa1h5pLLWlgx7FPnF5VB4L5NQpkI6tWmZGoekuDkjx1CStW54u_ta5M_OpB-d-hCWs5VOXbckMPbhQVwtAhisaJ9F3-2AQ/s1600/2017-12-12+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsq7JyQ075KcVzeuJYD6fGHdmnDeFfhZ6kGZajmEqjHP5vPa1h5pLLWlgx7FPnF5VB4L5NQpkI6tWmZGoekuDkjx1CStW54u_ta5M_OpB-d-hCWs5VOXbckMPbhQVwtAhisaJ9F3-2AQ/s320/2017-12-12+119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOKEvPd-5fGmTeGXl-rm-Bs4v6EPD_OgdO65K6yE3af2r05PJHcpx2EePtUOo-rwI52J1RPeyG9giBNeFmqk8wwiZythZNkZjzC7-YF4g20jQ8vSQ_nk8mnkN3APyo634T5VLJ4u0i7E/s1600/2017-12-12+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOKEvPd-5fGmTeGXl-rm-Bs4v6EPD_OgdO65K6yE3af2r05PJHcpx2EePtUOo-rwI52J1RPeyG9giBNeFmqk8wwiZythZNkZjzC7-YF4g20jQ8vSQ_nk8mnkN3APyo634T5VLJ4u0i7E/s320/2017-12-12+125.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another view of the striking exterior.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiampN4cwxqYcs6MweIQW_YCcZ652qPKzr04pIHPYsfBjTXxaZSbXgd3UxRFzZwBmmPS4-56kWFkrDQOuvuhRtBwTLuggnpSxhH6MSsFR-C4gEf5-iXg3vZriGxiZm7eBAexxAk6Qhqo5U/s1600/2017-12-12+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiampN4cwxqYcs6MweIQW_YCcZ652qPKzr04pIHPYsfBjTXxaZSbXgd3UxRFzZwBmmPS4-56kWFkrDQOuvuhRtBwTLuggnpSxhH6MSsFR-C4gEf5-iXg3vZriGxiZm7eBAexxAk6Qhqo5U/s320/2017-12-12+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Notice the different wall decoration.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-46zBUG9200N92roxvIpCV_g5WJpuDHe6BKpuUQrYkiyTgZaeBIEEFvHyT6OZS2N2gqeq38ebyH5HhVhqxVhiRWiqxOp_WJo0wuIx3XU1SlrGIn1-McMPC4muglrOxdNx4GccmSFGm4/s1600/2017-12-12+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-46zBUG9200N92roxvIpCV_g5WJpuDHe6BKpuUQrYkiyTgZaeBIEEFvHyT6OZS2N2gqeq38ebyH5HhVhqxVhiRWiqxOp_WJo0wuIx3XU1SlrGIn1-McMPC4muglrOxdNx4GccmSFGm4/s320/2017-12-12+128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This wee chapel was one of the five remaining town's <b>Passes of Passion</b> which are only opened for the Meeting Procession on Palm Sunday and the Burial Procession on Good Friday.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7qOARgc9mnwZei1GpBznIGvjLdfQmcgM_BRXwlkHHjhZgHgPynS8RysVYdUbheAAT9WHLzA0qSLjVJohwgEmEcStLwVUIK59l1VW-Pw5CIl5iXa5U8qrcRoE01ADM5xIwgup2M9gbm4/s1600/2017-12-12+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7qOARgc9mnwZei1GpBznIGvjLdfQmcgM_BRXwlkHHjhZgHgPynS8RysVYdUbheAAT9WHLzA0qSLjVJohwgEmEcStLwVUIK59l1VW-Pw5CIl5iXa5U8qrcRoE01ADM5xIwgup2M9gbm4/s320/2017-12-12+129.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Up and down more hills in search of another church since we hadn't yet met our daily quota!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOhuqJWiJZNAPXYjZ248wsPp-ydfBGMq0FC02hOHwRjSRgqzZV06f5WfEYMeH2I_PWFWsheEuY-OmsnqB8PD1b-1C-ZU-TnaBRcoaubOmI7i4AQ7yTDchlzE3pfF2EbhLO3D6u8sEFRc/s1600/2017-12-12+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOhuqJWiJZNAPXYjZ248wsPp-ydfBGMq0FC02hOHwRjSRgqzZV06f5WfEYMeH2I_PWFWsheEuY-OmsnqB8PD1b-1C-ZU-TnaBRcoaubOmI7i4AQ7yTDchlzE3pfF2EbhLO3D6u8sEFRc/s320/2017-12-12+131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The hilly streets may have been tough on our joints but the sights along the way were a treat for our eyes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurHwHw7nt7xTpqmBhyphenhyphenVpkPKPGleG5oAHy_j5pjX_LtbAd0MdnIXbDCDo24GAFUT11sqNEcZ-IY22ngR98nKd2Q057LHQE4zeR5SN_4saBtO27x9HPpONHNwhbNphX9Z5vDN7XEYqxojk/s1600/2017-12-12+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurHwHw7nt7xTpqmBhyphenhyphenVpkPKPGleG5oAHy_j5pjX_LtbAd0MdnIXbDCDo24GAFUT11sqNEcZ-IY22ngR98nKd2Q057LHQE4zeR5SN_4saBtO27x9HPpONHNwhbNphX9Z5vDN7XEYqxojk/s320/2017-12-12+135.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Perched in a tiny square ready for Christmas was the parish church called <b>Nossa Senhora do Pilar</b> built in 1711.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpfTGvR6kTC9hVhIb35SoFBhSlZtMxyzE4R6E9IUWcBBwQKrKJxGm0DfELlHH2DOmeOYtrt40gE8vV2c8lPlxLAfzLIjxILdY9VVhnKLQ01wk80Xcc1dV9Qu3DZNmJDOhFv49WByNVuk/s1600/2017-12-12+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpfTGvR6kTC9hVhIb35SoFBhSlZtMxyzE4R6E9IUWcBBwQKrKJxGm0DfELlHH2DOmeOYtrt40gE8vV2c8lPlxLAfzLIjxILdY9VVhnKLQ01wk80Xcc1dV9Qu3DZNmJDOhFv49WByNVuk/s320/2017-12-12+137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Unlike the more restrained and delightful Rosario church we'd just visited, Pilar's walls exploded with rosy-cheeked saints and angels. Photos were taboo there so you'll have to be content with this one! The church is </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">known for the huge amount of gold inside, the second largest amount of gold inside a Brazilian church. The </span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">sculptor of the various saints had a conflict with church officials while working, so instead of making faces of the saints he modeled each one using his own face on each statue there!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ10F3chnptJsX0RTZ7Md7NZfH3vaWTL_hfs9y2hOhJZNPWosuVKw1RehYV9b8s51E9qXmPjci6FjIxL652aW6jHhQfa5KLf1A9XbWho1YlzovxKwWjFaHC5QjPgWgoK18I1iwrKpOXtU/s1600/2017-12-12+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ10F3chnptJsX0RTZ7Md7NZfH3vaWTL_hfs9y2hOhJZNPWosuVKw1RehYV9b8s51E9qXmPjci6FjIxL652aW6jHhQfa5KLf1A9XbWho1YlzovxKwWjFaHC5QjPgWgoK18I1iwrKpOXtU/s320/2017-12-12+140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Sacristy was equally ornate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0ANSlSfiQSfWwaJcoqeNjJkwyxn1uII8SAxHJzlubkZvvKcvmN14fUcaQlPgaNHcl4ILR9tUmPKyPx_-ydQuAdIF7J_N2BKawcyhZheikFuLciXrZuwlIxiXtVcnSFrnHF0yjcY8YzA/s1600/2017-12-12+144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0ANSlSfiQSfWwaJcoqeNjJkwyxn1uII8SAxHJzlubkZvvKcvmN14fUcaQlPgaNHcl4ILR9tUmPKyPx_-ydQuAdIF7J_N2BKawcyhZheikFuLciXrZuwlIxiXtVcnSFrnHF0yjcY8YzA/s320/2017-12-12+144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After a long slog uphill, we retraced out steps to Tiradentes Square.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH2_HeQMj-KSLsd0lYG0aknhnLmAMGC2lSJRUFfHyFDCWp_8ETS2qJERoLf7HSFwcHGaIOihIAe0cpSR_XlcmOjTkp0fqcjlVLbrW39xgTCi2RqcnKHjSY3mYBIUubLKhyIG3cefUAiY/s1600/2017-12-12+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH2_HeQMj-KSLsd0lYG0aknhnLmAMGC2lSJRUFfHyFDCWp_8ETS2qJERoLf7HSFwcHGaIOihIAe0cpSR_XlcmOjTkp0fqcjlVLbrW39xgTCi2RqcnKHjSY3mYBIUubLKhyIG3cefUAiY/s320/2017-12-12+149.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">More unusual features in Ouro Preto's caught our fancy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R_FGOdfG0z6JuJvTuR71nu1hpPWyvL-4AJTyzbbwY0SH89kh15dJwbHPEUUU6j9QzL5BKZA4enrxpmpJDTWlUIXDA-rWqsMVdEQmPj0tWwp2z7RcCLhFp2q_Ld7mUBJBsymY9lZsZu8/s1600/2017-12-12+151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R_FGOdfG0z6JuJvTuR71nu1hpPWyvL-4AJTyzbbwY0SH89kh15dJwbHPEUUU6j9QzL5BKZA4enrxpmpJDTWlUIXDA-rWqsMVdEQmPj0tWwp2z7RcCLhFp2q_Ld7mUBJBsymY9lZsZu8/s320/2017-12-12+151.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These figures were commonplace in shops and on windowsills in Ouro Preto.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_aFuqx87nAZDzVajvCkZHP_VHISPYS5WlbPgajhV7BFUMrglwHtb10aP_EXB4fTsM24hB51v1AoFgDyRuHJ-2PVV2QHxsxetH9f9j1l4wDclHHOFxeVa60RAXOLZSHnr3FCBcc13y10/s1600/2017-12-12+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_aFuqx87nAZDzVajvCkZHP_VHISPYS5WlbPgajhV7BFUMrglwHtb10aP_EXB4fTsM24hB51v1AoFgDyRuHJ-2PVV2QHxsxetH9f9j1l4wDclHHOFxeVa60RAXOLZSHnr3FCBcc13y10/s320/2017-12-12+152.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY7bWmpQtwffrei1pyOz8wjJ95W9_tXDjVkaCxwfGKppBVZ2RRLheuAvsSwcOyBdD9B6dg2RitX94VkNNo2cQhldDERsR4KtspTbB3kNjRUzasjH6GZVxbyL0hSxWEcUFrwDNfCWrRvw/s1600/2017-12-12+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY7bWmpQtwffrei1pyOz8wjJ95W9_tXDjVkaCxwfGKppBVZ2RRLheuAvsSwcOyBdD9B6dg2RitX94VkNNo2cQhldDERsR4KtspTbB3kNjRUzasjH6GZVxbyL0hSxWEcUFrwDNfCWrRvw/s320/2017-12-12+153.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Back in the square but at the opposite end was the sprawling <b>Escolas de Minas</b> or <b>College of Mine Engineering. </b>Inside was a <b>Mineralogy Museum</b> that we peered around for a bit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesnKt403BLHhi8HCp7pe-w6nqvXhj9c5v72D2VUUJ8QdIeINODnZBOu-Bt6suZlI63DfiV63PcNu4FIdB6rRgZ32cYv8Wu97SlPj9CZD1W7krOQNJ1yBMJvDC2cxXBc0TYgtwe03eB_I/s1600/2017-12-12+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesnKt403BLHhi8HCp7pe-w6nqvXhj9c5v72D2VUUJ8QdIeINODnZBOu-Bt6suZlI63DfiV63PcNu4FIdB6rRgZ32cYv8Wu97SlPj9CZD1W7krOQNJ1yBMJvDC2cxXBc0TYgtwe03eB_I/s320/2017-12-12+154.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRLJcTp-z1j0BtiFlALvroJ_2U9J_-mAFlWXZRFD-7yl8_d5YpEUaB7Vrx5Obwq2X-RqIiFqFtwh9TOc2qX6zDoyHoJge4e0pGLRRIw3D65V6EXo8IrQ_JZCJBLyWsQXOlyENypCIvi8/s1600/2017-12-12+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRLJcTp-z1j0BtiFlALvroJ_2U9J_-mAFlWXZRFD-7yl8_d5YpEUaB7Vrx5Obwq2X-RqIiFqFtwh9TOc2qX6zDoyHoJge4e0pGLRRIw3D65V6EXo8IrQ_JZCJBLyWsQXOlyENypCIvi8/s320/2017-12-12+157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UBRDPBT79JoKqtgeLsSfalYZq3-HeYXt-KGNJLE6xaEzu7HbTDzkaLqjz8r0Hk5eseH1wZkFzaRzuiKcDd01I3cB_jImXUubmKE7hOBWLmypx3tqEEluKMeZ7w-OEXglajS0RYv7MQ8/s1600/2017-12-12+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UBRDPBT79JoKqtgeLsSfalYZq3-HeYXt-KGNJLE6xaEzu7HbTDzkaLqjz8r0Hk5eseH1wZkFzaRzuiKcDd01I3cB_jImXUubmKE7hOBWLmypx3tqEEluKMeZ7w-OEXglajS0RYv7MQ8/s320/2017-12-12+159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The 10,000-12,000 year-old skeleton was called 'The Man of Holy Lake' and found nearby. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpGH7I3gR-AcUbOz8Js78ATd0qNimhI2sXp1xwq5eGqeNG3aoMfhGt8gL0b9rl5AcDr03m8gg1PSEw5lyS8zNo_hkcRYNp2iprPoPSYz9gOpoMcmfPBoI66omzBpFaUfiJ0kd8v2MnjM/s1600/2017-12-12+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpGH7I3gR-AcUbOz8Js78ATd0qNimhI2sXp1xwq5eGqeNG3aoMfhGt8gL0b9rl5AcDr03m8gg1PSEw5lyS8zNo_hkcRYNp2iprPoPSYz9gOpoMcmfPBoI66omzBpFaUfiJ0kd8v2MnjM/s320/2017-12-12+162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqBXqDhB2xiewbIx9thiCb_BTFLi0JmuOJePXPlWChzO3RMyYBqujfewwpm5aXbTfxbU_0A3aarwSnXNb_OerwGtMAJUQ227eSEjTuAap5lpD78i-vPzHkjfrVvcW0EIcfjU4prY95L8/s1600/2017-12-12+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqBXqDhB2xiewbIx9thiCb_BTFLi0JmuOJePXPlWChzO3RMyYBqujfewwpm5aXbTfxbU_0A3aarwSnXNb_OerwGtMAJUQ227eSEjTuAap5lpD78i-vPzHkjfrVvcW0EIcfjU4prY95L8/s320/2017-12-12+165.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What fascinated me most was a darkened room that had a superb collection of rocks and minerals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbg3AW7kK2ObIasld3CjTzNRlLbcjgDEbMQyQV2fYNoRgsbBeq3ftXSYgrv2x3e3xXuFZBAiz7fV_nXHnizspzkNlMFfqPhwCYXDHnOmwZ_GoYPS6-Kgs9ppxqtTVpLLRy0ZeCvVghJk/s1600/2017-12-12+167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbg3AW7kK2ObIasld3CjTzNRlLbcjgDEbMQyQV2fYNoRgsbBeq3ftXSYgrv2x3e3xXuFZBAiz7fV_nXHnizspzkNlMFfqPhwCYXDHnOmwZ_GoYPS6-Kgs9ppxqtTVpLLRy0ZeCvVghJk/s320/2017-12-12+167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ib7S4kUWhsCkp5tl-g5IsnkkQ2aQ3FnujtXnZu8V3T16pEGaunag-fD4bm3um5mhxw5t1VfQyPanzdrIVKoXYfXCG0U2BjCXXYB83_xiQpHqJqx8hWqRlpPXWbsXuDj1u1sPJUJnSq8/s1600/2017-12-12+168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ib7S4kUWhsCkp5tl-g5IsnkkQ2aQ3FnujtXnZu8V3T16pEGaunag-fD4bm3um5mhxw5t1VfQyPanzdrIVKoXYfXCG0U2BjCXXYB83_xiQpHqJqx8hWqRlpPXWbsXuDj1u1sPJUJnSq8/s320/2017-12-12+168.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnApstfjnhgaVPUk_oCc71SofZDv8WFnr-XIJeIXiokOZKCJPevHDZ1H6Qqx5B2EUWQBo5OTnMz8H9G2XmwkuNBP-7Tf3eiQZoKepVogDawusEpzqgeFm4lTSreX2-PIs0evaSCfMGGY/s1600/2017-12-12+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnApstfjnhgaVPUk_oCc71SofZDv8WFnr-XIJeIXiokOZKCJPevHDZ1H6Qqx5B2EUWQBo5OTnMz8H9G2XmwkuNBP-7Tf3eiQZoKepVogDawusEpzqgeFm4lTSreX2-PIs0evaSCfMGGY/s320/2017-12-12+170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had never seen such a large collection of crystals before. One piece weighed 47.5 kilos and was found in 1960 in the state of Minas Gerais.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX4DYBi2l4deXEwllIjOVOQ9KZFTS_cAEkg7ykhdSq6XlL3yZHvHeMy7_V8XYdot29B9hfLwkJiOcpkTqYwQqpt9mUrz0YFq6n0_aiHfBtT-3kBvmL5M54iBQISLptc2QlVSCjpAc554/s1600/2017-12-12+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX4DYBi2l4deXEwllIjOVOQ9KZFTS_cAEkg7ykhdSq6XlL3yZHvHeMy7_V8XYdot29B9hfLwkJiOcpkTqYwQqpt9mUrz0YFq6n0_aiHfBtT-3kBvmL5M54iBQISLptc2QlVSCjpAc554/s320/2017-12-12+172.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The breathtaking examples of crystalline structures were beautifully lit and presented.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK7CKYGDfxfZJWpYtU1Ax8oZiyoovWynowCULaS2GAnpJPdmfH4izBBQfVYqx8PEc93Xbc-Fc1C148gVcdo0K4UkKvhaqVGaKnB0TTuRiWpqMO4Mdf0IBjC49Uwj0OSQEc4qvz24S26I/s1600/2017-12-12+173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK7CKYGDfxfZJWpYtU1Ax8oZiyoovWynowCULaS2GAnpJPdmfH4izBBQfVYqx8PEc93Xbc-Fc1C148gVcdo0K4UkKvhaqVGaKnB0TTuRiWpqMO4Mdf0IBjC49Uwj0OSQEc4qvz24S26I/s320/2017-12-12+173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstYlYnrJsnY7nxfQnpRThb6ixej_sp3eu8_Wzm540XoiIE1nwwlxLZWEwe35KkexK5PhMOrZnCz3cgCcbbmFY0lF5A-cs8QF2AoyB6fgmzDCIHCL5PY7U6q69j4V9IpXXwyOtiuucIV4/s1600/2017-12-12+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstYlYnrJsnY7nxfQnpRThb6ixej_sp3eu8_Wzm540XoiIE1nwwlxLZWEwe35KkexK5PhMOrZnCz3cgCcbbmFY0lF5A-cs8QF2AoyB6fgmzDCIHCL5PY7U6q69j4V9IpXXwyOtiuucIV4/s320/2017-12-12+177.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Anyone with aspirations of being a photographer would have trouble finding a more beautiful spot than Ouro Preto. With every step I took, I found yet more scenes I wanted to photograph so I would have those memories forever. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGh8EsBJb4H_ZDm-RifRVtWspNfardHG-yvCnJkALsgIbX1HetTtJyu-FoeALa6pi9Ffp5aWJWgRKhLjt6burdiW9KqIR8v4kKvJ77c0rRuS7jIX1jO0lQzkbMr0X8dzje4iLbB-Pm8k/s1600/2017-12-12+178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGh8EsBJb4H_ZDm-RifRVtWspNfardHG-yvCnJkALsgIbX1HetTtJyu-FoeALa6pi9Ffp5aWJWgRKhLjt6burdiW9KqIR8v4kKvJ77c0rRuS7jIX1jO0lQzkbMr0X8dzje4iLbB-Pm8k/s320/2017-12-12+178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTmP_H5MKtyWO_DIi7gFRKhtd6wJyk869LhYcyLXwLEdpAKSpc_gUAjYV2V05X5zFK6R4f4oVSqlYUH_ZuCQV-I339p7kqNZYSLlMu3lk4YolFa0Gy3UrorkmNDcF-VirgDXprBvfNsQ/s1600/2017-12-12+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTmP_H5MKtyWO_DIi7gFRKhtd6wJyk869LhYcyLXwLEdpAKSpc_gUAjYV2V05X5zFK6R4f4oVSqlYUH_ZuCQV-I339p7kqNZYSLlMu3lk4YolFa0Gy3UrorkmNDcF-VirgDXprBvfNsQ/s320/2017-12-12+180.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was one of the twenty plus gem stores we passed in Ouro Preto.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7aW9zD7k9Ratf_5NNNnk6Dm2U3jF8dPpTou4Ozq5D0bUhBbsa4FkkpQElojjx4uGuJbvzpId39IgODXJ22ORi56b_ksFMto-Gi8TO9XfvQEt8keMhWsyXTMzV1me0-wqT-hT0IzvggE/s1600/2017-12-12+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7aW9zD7k9Ratf_5NNNnk6Dm2U3jF8dPpTou4Ozq5D0bUhBbsa4FkkpQElojjx4uGuJbvzpId39IgODXJ22ORi56b_ksFMto-Gi8TO9XfvQEt8keMhWsyXTMzV1me0-wqT-hT0IzvggE/s320/2017-12-12+181.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We traipsed back to Carmo church hoping it would be open at 4 and we were in luck - yes! The church was designed by <b>Manuel Francisco Lisboa</b> but his son, the far more famous architect, known simply </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">as <b>Aleijadinho,</b> altered the plan while work was underway in 1770. He incorporated the bell towers into the facade and added the elegant archway over the entrance I included earlier.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKINIszlX_L_P5e6EdKXdYRp7EGWJYLYnbbUyFJVrvehLXv_xkC6_sKjek_m99WvDfJlSzH79pRmqomHQJkAaj59pBeHRUcCphp0o4sZGQPCaqj40sbA2eEIaKVii4o1IZOX2wBxtcbAk/s1600/2017-12-12+183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKINIszlX_L_P5e6EdKXdYRp7EGWJYLYnbbUyFJVrvehLXv_xkC6_sKjek_m99WvDfJlSzH79pRmqomHQJkAaj59pBeHRUcCphp0o4sZGQPCaqj40sbA2eEIaKVii4o1IZOX2wBxtcbAk/s320/2017-12-12+183.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nH4ibghhUOcFrpiRbtRdZLelCPhSGt9cIWEg2WkRXVr_07ws4YceJO3TOEq2aJaGYwJcWoZEchcQoCB9uiwzeOS-VmZXM10CnHw3si9L5tH9nUX4y8E1hFqPPdQ7WrzC2R8kv9hadnQ/s1600/2017-12-12+198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nH4ibghhUOcFrpiRbtRdZLelCPhSGt9cIWEg2WkRXVr_07ws4YceJO3TOEq2aJaGYwJcWoZEchcQoCB9uiwzeOS-VmZXM10CnHw3si9L5tH9nUX4y8E1hFqPPdQ7WrzC2R8kv9hadnQ/s320/2017-12-12+198.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifADqq0DCXf3FIqfl4vsXHdOEDrG_cS2nydO8KuSCmJMd0z0GjxqcMREuEhWWlDY1JjFewpYTC3q_909Zs5xTAnkw46pmp1H9dGMP_qX53KqysiUq4BVU3sbWpyeBwhqkAETxfUNr7J-M/s1600/2017-12-12+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifADqq0DCXf3FIqfl4vsXHdOEDrG_cS2nydO8KuSCmJMd0z0GjxqcMREuEhWWlDY1JjFewpYTC3q_909Zs5xTAnkw46pmp1H9dGMP_qX53KqysiUq4BVU3sbWpyeBwhqkAETxfUNr7J-M/s320/2017-12-12+184.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnr2jLMxiSfoY4_LaC_6PcGE5zg15y_7QsDIw5iVkaEf3xtrZjdq_2qNS58XydqTySQmk0YpLKN2GtYTJf2fb-BMacQUkIRE1hgt29J-ykmEmcwwio0Sravvs0kMv3ZKfZfRPr3tsP_M/s1600/2017-12-12+185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnr2jLMxiSfoY4_LaC_6PcGE5zg15y_7QsDIw5iVkaEf3xtrZjdq_2qNS58XydqTySQmk0YpLKN2GtYTJf2fb-BMacQUkIRE1hgt29J-ykmEmcwwio0Sravvs0kMv3ZKfZfRPr3tsP_M/s320/2017-12-12+185.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWL6eY-TywoV9enj9kIXiYr8UGsQIuWwwbucyLcVqmnafjoysSJ-K56WAXTkMunYqBUt6ytGyfV3WXZK_BRfGGALvXSP_p0sFbjkccqYsZw7-4-ySOFS0ExgsE4YoLKu1d-uYlteEUP4/s1600/2017-12-12+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWL6eY-TywoV9enj9kIXiYr8UGsQIuWwwbucyLcVqmnafjoysSJ-K56WAXTkMunYqBUt6ytGyfV3WXZK_BRfGGALvXSP_p0sFbjkccqYsZw7-4-ySOFS0ExgsE4YoLKu1d-uYlteEUP4/s320/2017-12-12+187.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The walls were adorned with gorgeous blue tiles near the altar.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfyGjZvM_fxUJnnn6tAYDPYo1WQG81QKFTAW7-9PI0xwaIu6yTFAJ22XU-rJEIgDSflB1q4Bfk5K0OrtMANDaAeziE8n5iUq7eg76QBq7wplWEFH0eat5l947osbK7jwJKvPe0NRs12A/s1600/2017-12-12+191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfyGjZvM_fxUJnnn6tAYDPYo1WQG81QKFTAW7-9PI0xwaIu6yTFAJ22XU-rJEIgDSflB1q4Bfk5K0OrtMANDaAeziE8n5iUq7eg76QBq7wplWEFH0eat5l947osbK7jwJKvPe0NRs12A/s320/2017-12-12+191.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Photos of yet another gorgeous, exquisite, lovely Sacristy - I am at a loss to describe in other words what we saw.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpjwyYTKOt6CKR0QnXlWXlFO0zM5eelXcsylEpfoQN5MwjtRQgR47AQvJTImNGG2vzlJOajH_SXZxEQEJtA7zMNjMWym4Bw2OUAQEkBKxw6e67NKevTB6Adn6bbB49X42Ga1wwKFh8q8/s1600/2017-12-12+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpjwyYTKOt6CKR0QnXlWXlFO0zM5eelXcsylEpfoQN5MwjtRQgR47AQvJTImNGG2vzlJOajH_SXZxEQEJtA7zMNjMWym4Bw2OUAQEkBKxw6e67NKevTB6Adn6bbB49X42Ga1wwKFh8q8/s320/2017-12-12+193.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tN9CBiXYRzm0N7fq69Q4dJi9V61Ehri5O0KNGwXCpETPItsOYYESAwvxMH_MhUTgozaPSBIX_3VElLKswo34VwwhCR5BccWgdax56Y4n2e10LvNItPuBeIsyvshDtSEoqiKDitN5vnw/s1600/2017-12-12+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tN9CBiXYRzm0N7fq69Q4dJi9V61Ehri5O0KNGwXCpETPItsOYYESAwvxMH_MhUTgozaPSBIX_3VElLKswo34VwwhCR5BccWgdax56Y4n2e10LvNItPuBeIsyvshDtSEoqiKDitN5vnw/s320/2017-12-12+194.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">En route to another church, we stopped to admire<b> Passo de Antônio Dias,</b> another of the five 'passes' or chapels that only open their doors two days a year around Easter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9-YZaJtCA2i4Q91hiv71ylYov2V5nuRY0TAMrX7uSmC0DQPwa-W19RjL-Gd8rHnODPlarYNGFXWYTXNPlkgH0jWJcpOZOE1_9gyfX6RAZJy-OxaDk_Cw5n7d7t7ECe9HetakGykjpew/s1600/2017-12-12+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9-YZaJtCA2i4Q91hiv71ylYov2V5nuRY0TAMrX7uSmC0DQPwa-W19RjL-Gd8rHnODPlarYNGFXWYTXNPlkgH0jWJcpOZOE1_9gyfX6RAZJy-OxaDk_Cw5n7d7t7ECe9HetakGykjpew/s320/2017-12-12+201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The fountain dated from 1752.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj053ghdsnsETdCd0K3SbRZDHxAcdHhIPcKdjfrq34D566S0aVHZu2-uQYMIPQnACeLhyphenhyphenzjvWbb1n7z3ChVgN0V-0jrBrSlghtI6WMzEgaNrkQE1HYdm8iwa9Rndue5teX8CaDIfnEheiA/s1600/2017-12-12+204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj053ghdsnsETdCd0K3SbRZDHxAcdHhIPcKdjfrq34D566S0aVHZu2-uQYMIPQnACeLhyphenhyphenzjvWbb1n7z3ChVgN0V-0jrBrSlghtI6WMzEgaNrkQE1HYdm8iwa9Rndue5teX8CaDIfnEheiA/s320/2017-12-12+204.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so glad when we finally reached Ouro Pretos' monument to Brazil's most famous artist Aleijadinho: the museum and church of <b>Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Antônio Dias.</b> We were so disappointed that the map, provided by the town and which listed all of the churches' hours, had the hours wrongly listed as it was closed. Also shut was the museum behind the church that was dedicated to the celebrated architect and artist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlrUY7mSwYdkcrkxnF2FQQcvYuAEq0XSvwiI9uYWvB6PC_xQjKIqzTN_DPBxg4LHyHUjUyZKwIT3ylLGk2urD6lGzm1q-RXE10hCxSMo3zuAx0pIWCpo6uYJNSazdBrwQJX6aKqZWWGI/s1600/2017-12-12+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlrUY7mSwYdkcrkxnF2FQQcvYuAEq0XSvwiI9uYWvB6PC_xQjKIqzTN_DPBxg4LHyHUjUyZKwIT3ylLGk2urD6lGzm1q-RXE10hCxSMo3zuAx0pIWCpo6uYJNSazdBrwQJX6aKqZWWGI/s320/2017-12-12+207.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven had had enough of steps and hills at that point so I took this photo of him from the church entrance as he caught his breath!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG0y4eLeDcbUMqlkN-LhXLSjus_ewX6KpAFgsQFJmAfTWikzOCKW02kTZaZd0eK5e24QlBGjY7zI2DnTJq6p6IxygH8puu67V6wrbKmW41WbDnIHl8EZoJrtkGNYNaq04uLaGhZoXPe0/s1600/2017-12-12+210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG0y4eLeDcbUMqlkN-LhXLSjus_ewX6KpAFgsQFJmAfTWikzOCKW02kTZaZd0eK5e24QlBGjY7zI2DnTJq6p6IxygH8puu67V6wrbKmW41WbDnIHl8EZoJrtkGNYNaq04uLaGhZoXPe0/s320/2017-12-12+210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We decided we had enough energy left to walk a little further to see the last remaining stone bridge in town.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1MyjQ2drtcjk_MjUtndn2HaX7jN6zpR0Je3rsyeFHiFk8KSkS2ef2mM_QSkIdl0KBmbqHtvMNkJ7yqfYzqfP0irini8hoJ9LtC1G5JkRQUOXkHy8EbCh8qCHmz-pjrYHFUQG0__W7T8/s1600/2017-12-12+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1MyjQ2drtcjk_MjUtndn2HaX7jN6zpR0Je3rsyeFHiFk8KSkS2ef2mM_QSkIdl0KBmbqHtvMNkJ7yqfYzqfP0irini8hoJ9LtC1G5JkRQUOXkHy8EbCh8qCHmz-pjrYHFUQG0__W7T8/s320/2017-12-12+213.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByFQjD07ZrSDjC7b4i2kYO54pl6lDllIc2klqA7QLx4xoJrmEOhEYRk_LWAwZQ2rdZrVzi-rTDZBnkY4slqvPT9nKPBHZIzzFcoZT3obU4d42pGVoKZMnz9dGRceDTCIPbewaX_xEfvs/s1600/2017-12-12+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByFQjD07ZrSDjC7b4i2kYO54pl6lDllIc2klqA7QLx4xoJrmEOhEYRk_LWAwZQ2rdZrVzi-rTDZBnkY4slqvPT9nKPBHZIzzFcoZT3obU4d42pGVoKZMnz9dGRceDTCIPbewaX_xEfvs/s320/2017-12-12+216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRvMdB_XoMTd_HxYieEx8fcqKGdcmNaN-4uMO4EdOYQ4RlMqRg21fTunVynRwLMxHPm6umEj2Q4MJtQ0q78Ox_kHGBhgTAeepZXIvmKxQ4ADQ6oWGfIGVSv6uUKpAVz7TWC5OFL407OA/s1600/2017-12-12+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRvMdB_XoMTd_HxYieEx8fcqKGdcmNaN-4uMO4EdOYQ4RlMqRg21fTunVynRwLMxHPm6umEj2Q4MJtQ0q78Ox_kHGBhgTAeepZXIvmKxQ4ADQ6oWGfIGVSv6uUKpAVz7TWC5OFL407OA/s320/2017-12-12+218.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we began the long walk uphill back to town, we stopped for a moment at the pretty molding on the side of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Conceição</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">church.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6_PidZWHNvrezEWOceax92La1Xv8YKsw49Ulto6yCI7cUaVOdjRByKcWlJXbt8g4PcUcZ9xHjo_UCv4tkCBR1i3Lv6VEGU6cZNiNirzLHvFMxlt4vOtwL6R6r2Uds4J4aNoWZM2jUFM/s1600/2017-12-12+219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6_PidZWHNvrezEWOceax92La1Xv8YKsw49Ulto6yCI7cUaVOdjRByKcWlJXbt8g4PcUcZ9xHjo_UCv4tkCBR1i3Lv6VEGU6cZNiNirzLHvFMxlt4vOtwL6R6r2Uds4J4aNoWZM2jUFM/s320/2017-12-12+219.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The historical marker said that "Tradition holds that the Church allowed oratories to be built at the front of houses to calm the sudden fear that overtook the population of Ouro Preto, known as Villa Rica at the beginning of the 18th century. Hooded figures would come down from the hills to commit robberies and thefts and were mistaken for ghosts."</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXDe-LUK82-sDdCKykgy_tzGhKDKANJxU6B3I4w8dhmt_aMPktTtfQDpAm3E7O2Id55Y4zz7FJGwML6YpObApqPG6CrFllxNKfGQuMJkHg-jOabmorPVwM_0iZOTxBif6N7KAJXmqRuM/s1600/2017-12-12+223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXDe-LUK82-sDdCKykgy_tzGhKDKANJxU6B3I4w8dhmt_aMPktTtfQDpAm3E7O2Id55Y4zz7FJGwML6YpObApqPG6CrFllxNKfGQuMJkHg-jOabmorPVwM_0iZOTxBif6N7KAJXmqRuM/s320/2017-12-12+223.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I did talk about hills in Ouro Preto, right?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX9eEsE5mDPGCNYArj7Xh6R1oUDIDVCyjVJ2cQVyHLA0jyHe7WAMCLYBwSKUtwCpr60F9DUVZmeNJadU7qnrCg3q8LAXpsP6paH04kpesSWqD66109ox_QF7UPKzKd3CoAmv374egf1w/s1600/2017-12-12+226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX9eEsE5mDPGCNYArj7Xh6R1oUDIDVCyjVJ2cQVyHLA0jyHe7WAMCLYBwSKUtwCpr60F9DUVZmeNJadU7qnrCg3q8LAXpsP6paH04kpesSWqD66109ox_QF7UPKzKd3CoAmv374egf1w/s320/2017-12-12+226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSieW8vljNNiw90yJTU_kbrsyxhk4dXShDNqVJw_p6E7bQHBCQ8TiaHcKc4Ayx9y0RzFBE-LWEjHQERfVDhlDrMbbvURRNajhxpNUqZBPirr9HjLtpqrQE8erGEzu9ted3j15I93xKwE/s1600/2017-12-12+227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSieW8vljNNiw90yJTU_kbrsyxhk4dXShDNqVJw_p6E7bQHBCQ8TiaHcKc4Ayx9y0RzFBE-LWEjHQERfVDhlDrMbbvURRNajhxpNUqZBPirr9HjLtpqrQE8erGEzu9ted3j15I93xKwE/s320/2017-12-12+227.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wasn't it amazing that we just happened to stop by the same handicraft market we'd first explored that morning! I was so glad it was still open as I had thought of quite a few hand carved soapstone pieces I wanted to buy while strolling around Ouro Preto all day long. Steven, I am relieved to say, is as enamored still of the pieces I chose and the great memories they bring back of our time in one of the loveliest towns in all of South America.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVo5Yqdni6Q53v15oPoCLypF38j3jJWh-GIKsi3Gr_JexKgseiFAHTO-BQafC1a3u40M2EZCcp09AsFtGKh0wCez8UwgwKfEHM0zjI-UieSbHQjZNpYR3-8DSl3b7iT8j0Ip7hOND88k/s1600/2017-12-12+231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVo5Yqdni6Q53v15oPoCLypF38j3jJWh-GIKsi3Gr_JexKgseiFAHTO-BQafC1a3u40M2EZCcp09AsFtGKh0wCez8UwgwKfEHM0zjI-UieSbHQjZNpYR3-8DSl3b7iT8j0Ip7hOND88k/s320/2017-12-12+231.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Onto to Rio - need I say more?!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 31st, 2018, back in Grayton Beach State Park on Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-72806699248113887022018-05-29T21:52:00.002-06:002018-05-31T18:11:58.194-06:0012/10: São Paulo, Brazil: Its Lows and Amazing Highs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interesting facts: São Paulo,</b> known as <b>Sampa</b> to its residents, is Brazil's banking, industrial and cultural capital. I was surprised to learn that it had the largest community of people of Japanese descent outside Japan, the largest population of Italian descendants outside Italy and a significant Arab community. In addition are one million people of German stock and sizable Chinese, Armenian, Greek, Korean and Hungarian communities. </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo also has the largest openly gay community in Latin America. An estimated 20 million people live in greater </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo, making it the third largest metropolis on earth!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After getting in late from the phenomenal Iguacu Falls the previous night, we hightailed it on the Sunday morning to </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mosteiro de São Bento,</b> home to Benedictine monks, because the monastery is famous for its beautiful singing mass with Gregorian chants and organ every Sunday morning at 10. The church is one of the most important churches in São Paulo and is where the Pope stays when he is in Brazil. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQQrr_Mo1FnvviF6gxPkWciWLI1nwtVNjn5TDuVQSPLP_SbzDegdkj80gTJ2GN80GVikBIobRQaAVAusRRj07eMPDJ8rxVdmvtyGaVbiBbvZzmAWHdrr6k-KxUQjcX6s3e7M5XdSwJHg/s1600/2017-12-10+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQQrr_Mo1FnvviF6gxPkWciWLI1nwtVNjn5TDuVQSPLP_SbzDegdkj80gTJ2GN80GVikBIobRQaAVAusRRj07eMPDJ8rxVdmvtyGaVbiBbvZzmAWHdrr6k-KxUQjcX6s3e7M5XdSwJHg/s320/2017-12-10+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSSGypjqBiaRgasgJzoeD4U8oE_e2MVRlkrwAuDteLUgB0U1EL5np3o996S472A6GNQRkTiL_x6pWU1jOxeKFCTlUi-jvbW8GEsK7WbTZZ6SWf1I1164mntJBnc2ViDFXTgxIM8kwNyA/s1600/2017-12-10+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSSGypjqBiaRgasgJzoeD4U8oE_e2MVRlkrwAuDteLUgB0U1EL5np3o996S472A6GNQRkTiL_x6pWU1jOxeKFCTlUi-jvbW8GEsK7WbTZZ6SWf1I1164mntJBnc2ViDFXTgxIM8kwNyA/s320/2017-12-10+009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Attending the mass with its choir of Benedictine monks singing Gregorian chants was absolutely beautiful and a perfect introduction to the massive city. The monastery, </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">founded in the late 16th century and located in the historical heart of São Paulo, also included a College and a bakery that sold cakes and breads prepared by the monks according to ancient recipes. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCEt6EBZ8V_ET2F9m7Tpw-h5BFIRYjedHWIjAqERlzU8PBtie_cw_Uj4C4yBOpFmLWVQalVw61QN1P-MhAU56LSxQz9OQP6qNouXO7ZCNAMUCNzhT3GJGv68UVLd4TY_WXZf2nG8GC30/s1600/2017-12-10+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCEt6EBZ8V_ET2F9m7Tpw-h5BFIRYjedHWIjAqERlzU8PBtie_cw_Uj4C4yBOpFmLWVQalVw61QN1P-MhAU56LSxQz9OQP6qNouXO7ZCNAMUCNzhT3GJGv68UVLd4TY_WXZf2nG8GC30/s320/2017-12-10+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSsXzqCRQ_YiPmWvu5Aru9bzo3C5ocQukiOJCyhXewLhz8_LgKTd7b9n4ajyVVmlX_aZ51hl0ciKtKLs6mGwEZ2bRssrYW3dWTbDU1JPfl8eFOQSLS-EvmgaH5W0-SSn6uby6Sfe9Cas/s1600/2017-12-10+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSsXzqCRQ_YiPmWvu5Aru9bzo3C5ocQukiOJCyhXewLhz8_LgKTd7b9n4ajyVVmlX_aZ51hl0ciKtKLs6mGwEZ2bRssrYW3dWTbDU1JPfl8eFOQSLS-EvmgaH5W0-SSn6uby6Sfe9Cas/s320/2017-12-10+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0mxVxfzxov3DwUBf-p2Lx8Y4a221zoF8KVoFSyXmCFMCddCje0fbdI_jjt0EqODjD-irWubulHx_H6lxuFjQyBn1mdmDGPV0TQ9Hfi2zm3C0YWIner2uSLP4M_Lx-EyuAzIkrGTxk8U/s1600/2017-12-10+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0mxVxfzxov3DwUBf-p2Lx8Y4a221zoF8KVoFSyXmCFMCddCje0fbdI_jjt0EqODjD-irWubulHx_H6lxuFjQyBn1mdmDGPV0TQ9Hfi2zm3C0YWIner2uSLP4M_Lx-EyuAzIkrGTxk8U/s320/2017-12-10+026.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOBfebd0vFfELu-EVRjQ9iftC2Gv27RIUchxY5LSIUEScSixrC5kgpVP-TMVIjfg7HPrlVpVfacX-DS-xJTMDJwEyj8pLjYsfWJIwpFl8uL-tLOHus-4r3bOn2tapgCPT4YAo7YhyphenhyphenzQk/s1600/2017-12-10+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOBfebd0vFfELu-EVRjQ9iftC2Gv27RIUchxY5LSIUEScSixrC5kgpVP-TMVIjfg7HPrlVpVfacX-DS-xJTMDJwEyj8pLjYsfWJIwpFl8uL-tLOHus-4r3bOn2tapgCPT4YAo7YhyphenhyphenzQk/s320/2017-12-10+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9VjiEMWg05ygGW44E2YNNO6nUy65Z6hi0xaikax-eSZ8Pmb74a1r8Fao-3hHBXVoUW9oTf9ZK1NE7crM74Es3VXM85uQrY-MvAHGJcFvVbQOqmIKgTo1YmX_jVKk5XsEERDPiWqhJsg/s1600/2017-12-10+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9VjiEMWg05ygGW44E2YNNO6nUy65Z6hi0xaikax-eSZ8Pmb74a1r8Fao-3hHBXVoUW9oTf9ZK1NE7crM74Es3VXM85uQrY-MvAHGJcFvVbQOqmIKgTo1YmX_jVKk5XsEERDPiWqhJsg/s320/2017-12-10+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide book had a suggested walking tour which we followed. It led us to the covered <b>Mercado Municipal</b>, a massive building with its series of vast domes and plenty of stained glass that reminded me more of a train station than a market!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8cdH2O19btHV8MBiagfcK4SZzCYmihAhRBHW-pq8zBGmivXijN8WIQFssHt236KSAa6JQ3aaMw0crGRaSFMuNgddYzMKxDzqsi-G4dKFVKT91Chfc8r3T8eM8rJ63c43DXD-nuChXuA/s1600/2017-12-10+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8cdH2O19btHV8MBiagfcK4SZzCYmihAhRBHW-pq8zBGmivXijN8WIQFssHt236KSAa6JQ3aaMw0crGRaSFMuNgddYzMKxDzqsi-G4dKFVKT91Chfc8r3T8eM8rJ63c43DXD-nuChXuA/s320/2017-12-10+012.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Inside was a feast for our eyes <b>and</b> our stomachs!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTtjxMh2mMBALkRWIcxHV22q8txfNP7oVpjh_D0XqLa-P-NWvaqXQw2DdYG907p3N_85MBVwyeRoNhCE01OnZQys4aZUS855EhKY8uiqzT8rkSuBHjZ5_okwd_xRn2TI7RiRiz0TIIi8/s1600/2017-12-10+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTtjxMh2mMBALkRWIcxHV22q8txfNP7oVpjh_D0XqLa-P-NWvaqXQw2DdYG907p3N_85MBVwyeRoNhCE01OnZQys4aZUS855EhKY8uiqzT8rkSuBHjZ5_okwd_xRn2TI7RiRiz0TIIi8/s320/2017-12-10+013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeYipgf-TeNhnMEdxAfUcSaMoIQVdXd4HgN9PrC2l4hpCidW5V_3LC_-DbQxeqvMVSFHTpO3cwCwCXTUDp7WNdkF5uxJH-CfF1D9Gukel3MPvwWb-chzKhXLaQnthyphenhyphen3ec6qBXmFG06QU/s1600/2017-12-10+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeYipgf-TeNhnMEdxAfUcSaMoIQVdXd4HgN9PrC2l4hpCidW5V_3LC_-DbQxeqvMVSFHTpO3cwCwCXTUDp7WNdkF5uxJH-CfF1D9Gukel3MPvwWb-chzKhXLaQnthyphenhyphen3ec6qBXmFG06QU/s320/2017-12-10+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsp7bM6Faghv0QmgnbFuyJD39OoCayozMOWIIk2hBiy11n5CGs8V9s9EZNZ82UiZkbhA6Rcz9EWsdF1-q58uJA_9eihhofbZDtoqC57uzP-8EtkrdHZk_8WgqqVsjGn0E4Xi55YVgKHQ/s1600/2017-12-10+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsp7bM6Faghv0QmgnbFuyJD39OoCayozMOWIIk2hBiy11n5CGs8V9s9EZNZ82UiZkbhA6Rcz9EWsdF1-q58uJA_9eihhofbZDtoqC57uzP-8EtkrdHZk_8WgqqVsjGn0E4Xi55YVgKHQ/s320/2017-12-10+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtn4UrT7buxUwYrvDVClJswq2FM079pN2Bodcx-y7odKHikmLjDB9KSUCD01whmPJIwTYmfuaO-Z9BGgKg0UEH1LjuK9u3sKNQEbfOUzmbAT-woWu-mCQfRemeH0D77eOdYt5909T288/s1600/2017-12-10+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtn4UrT7buxUwYrvDVClJswq2FM079pN2Bodcx-y7odKHikmLjDB9KSUCD01whmPJIwTYmfuaO-Z9BGgKg0UEH1LjuK9u3sKNQEbfOUzmbAT-woWu-mCQfRemeH0D77eOdYt5909T288/s320/2017-12-10+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzQyYVDht2OX3GYLTHrhqFWPUWj6wfsNtIXSZa1wRtAs3Sk6rTdHj1Y8xxo5KzeK5rZIh-ujsM93kiYabdS4d3WaF2-90Mh8g-nSoNqWNkd8jd91sayBOSfOLqDUEmcqmifJuM8GmptM/s1600/2017-12-10+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzQyYVDht2OX3GYLTHrhqFWPUWj6wfsNtIXSZa1wRtAs3Sk6rTdHj1Y8xxo5KzeK5rZIh-ujsM93kiYabdS4d3WaF2-90Mh8g-nSoNqWNkd8jd91sayBOSfOLqDUEmcqmifJuM8GmptM/s320/2017-12-10+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JxhFIfRrxN_sdG9y8Psg1aTwor4Y8dwPzVubl2-fPCAcdARWtxOO_IV0VcB68ToE8PGxB25F5H_hyddb7CdCzzA_tk24wZjYxnjvVSMKb68A6f6qLjmYvTAiBRMRXX2vKO9yL7Yfb2Y/s1600/2017-12-10+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JxhFIfRrxN_sdG9y8Psg1aTwor4Y8dwPzVubl2-fPCAcdARWtxOO_IV0VcB68ToE8PGxB25F5H_hyddb7CdCzzA_tk24wZjYxnjvVSMKb68A6f6qLjmYvTAiBRMRXX2vKO9yL7Yfb2Y/s320/2017-12-10+047.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Banespa </b>skyscraper </span><span style="font-size: large;">was constructed to be the headquarters of the Bank of the State of São Paulo between 1939 and 1947. Soon after its completion in the 1940s, it was named the world's largest structure of reinforced concrete. It was designed by <b>Plínio Botelho do Amaral,</b> who was inspired by the Empire State Building and Frank Lloyd Wright. We were hoping to access its top floor for panoramic views of the city but it was closed on the weekend.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BX3Gpn7z2qaGbbvbmlEQNsg6BnpUrWc9rOk5rZnc7fCdb_iBW5D_sbHouOuXi5P14VmmqhquTkAESvuqbQDgXSSGaHxXUajmV26aXmCCc_SR1P4rC4It9pYvlswFJ5U8lowzDngJPxo/s1600/2017-12-10+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BX3Gpn7z2qaGbbvbmlEQNsg6BnpUrWc9rOk5rZnc7fCdb_iBW5D_sbHouOuXi5P14VmmqhquTkAESvuqbQDgXSSGaHxXUajmV26aXmCCc_SR1P4rC4It9pYvlswFJ5U8lowzDngJPxo/s320/2017-12-10+048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHu9hjDze92wY5AsvUHPLZC6jOEE7BTp1NLq_P71WVcavC463YVmFH6AhMiEKplqppNhSFmYKEI4aHGLuHmmPkPPxgDMV3mYVohVbV30FG7Dp7hyphenhyphen7bM7LIbrm2sJoffmGz-WQM4KMJ2k/s1600/2017-12-10+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHu9hjDze92wY5AsvUHPLZC6jOEE7BTp1NLq_P71WVcavC463YVmFH6AhMiEKplqppNhSFmYKEI4aHGLuHmmPkPPxgDMV3mYVohVbV30FG7Dp7hyphenhyphen7bM7LIbrm2sJoffmGz-WQM4KMJ2k/s320/2017-12-10+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I found it very uncomfortable walking around the city center because of the numbers of homeless people sleeping on the street, the dumpster diving and the overwhelming stench of urine. Plus, the huge amounts of graffiti-marred buildings did nothing to make the city more appealing.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_kWlF8Vxl5gAEs5zTJJCIfiJx-R8QOQRFXw4wp4IL0AacYAua4ZK7uUNBXcas1xQKkrxkwg981tGvZ0tvmIGu3mAXRRclORgvVTR9ERiAfK7oqA2JJpwOYKnWXGJtc7OzJbdA3pTyP0/s1600/2017-12-10+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_kWlF8Vxl5gAEs5zTJJCIfiJx-R8QOQRFXw4wp4IL0AacYAua4ZK7uUNBXcas1xQKkrxkwg981tGvZ0tvmIGu3mAXRRclORgvVTR9ERiAfK7oqA2JJpwOYKnWXGJtc7OzJbdA3pTyP0/s320/2017-12-10+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHYts9SfBbPu8cg-5EbPcSal3b9tS98OE7Hf7wXy5G2sdzpyiWNSA0p0V_tivJMuzguJav3-gsJjGSMYR0AhsrpRhyphenhyphenHkZeLZZZ4EHZYXofDIc8EpvKziWnqSSw2JHxk2IAxvtxmO5kHg/s1600/2017-12-10+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHYts9SfBbPu8cg-5EbPcSal3b9tS98OE7Hf7wXy5G2sdzpyiWNSA0p0V_tivJMuzguJav3-gsJjGSMYR0AhsrpRhyphenhyphenHkZeLZZZ4EHZYXofDIc8EpvKziWnqSSw2JHxk2IAxvtxmO5kHg/s320/2017-12-10+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Monument to the Black Mother</b> was a heart-wrenching statue that depicted an African slave woman nursing a white child. The poem underneath lamented the woman's inability to provide food for her own children.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qizQkXIJgPe0h_iFy52YzV1zg1IHLFzrLaNXQOABh4PJAs2ff_Tjh9n8N8FBBGHogweefz6lqqZklqe29vxAFIaoEL8wkKEp_J07iVyvPcFiPeZuaIwVhoaMDiwJHTMyJ-4vnSciyTo/s1600/2017-12-10+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qizQkXIJgPe0h_iFy52YzV1zg1IHLFzrLaNXQOABh4PJAs2ff_Tjh9n8N8FBBGHogweefz6lqqZklqe29vxAFIaoEL8wkKEp_J07iVyvPcFiPeZuaIwVhoaMDiwJHTMyJ-4vnSciyTo/s320/2017-12-10+055.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Behind the monument was the pretty <b>Nuestra Senhora do Rosario dos Homens Pretos Church.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokJ0SG926iRyC5cmyi96XqZX7OsDCDdpWkO7rZwbzfMPDiMlI1vrxnsQ31yTm7wPn9sySMnODSCnqsqDjnxCljjlxucGnmYivyX5MIHIfCm0e_5jMUIQbEtMRN1mGuWWoIwWvdP_ri98/s1600/2017-12-10+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokJ0SG926iRyC5cmyi96XqZX7OsDCDdpWkO7rZwbzfMPDiMlI1vrxnsQ31yTm7wPn9sySMnODSCnqsqDjnxCljjlxucGnmYivyX5MIHIfCm0e_5jMUIQbEtMRN1mGuWWoIwWvdP_ri98/s320/2017-12-10+058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV6rtHlztTwwABiWDA5QLRrqQ7D_kKSIeC6MiAqL873EUj67lI8vEFImIJkJgGnd7eqF34Rl5pzvfyjKD1fr_nfdoBx-Y746fTHEPgganaDk1eduwOO3ParYIwoEqvWyJISMT49xwGYI/s1600/2017-12-10+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV6rtHlztTwwABiWDA5QLRrqQ7D_kKSIeC6MiAqL873EUj67lI8vEFImIJkJgGnd7eqF34Rl5pzvfyjKD1fr_nfdoBx-Y746fTHEPgganaDk1eduwOO3ParYIwoEqvWyJISMT49xwGYI/s320/2017-12-10+060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Much more pleasing was our time wandering through <b>Parque Republica.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ilHHwCpEQ9HDXyDZX8gDqcagRNuX2beoVLFxY0bgy_g-l6nVf8BJimEN71fFrx5TtlSxS9lhJzKgA05Pu34ULa4WHppHKEtYeMhVB-3Tuzn4B2HVyGh_VaSX3qmo_j6wdZd31pQYvk/s1600/2017-12-10+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ilHHwCpEQ9HDXyDZX8gDqcagRNuX2beoVLFxY0bgy_g-l6nVf8BJimEN71fFrx5TtlSxS9lhJzKgA05Pu34ULa4WHppHKEtYeMhVB-3Tuzn4B2HVyGh_VaSX3qmo_j6wdZd31pQYvk/s320/2017-12-10+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFCR1KFlvU6i5B9a8UceMjHJZghQgfeH6EplkRcYa4JWD1DzNMdj-VveL2qLudiS3vG3uCPa-fXTOH-4jXoMnBphuS96VHq_Amz42JtH93HEDSpug9Uz3AE2aw_gOUNF105XKBd_Pq2k/s1600/2017-12-10+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFCR1KFlvU6i5B9a8UceMjHJZghQgfeH6EplkRcYa4JWD1DzNMdj-VveL2qLudiS3vG3uCPa-fXTOH-4jXoMnBphuS96VHq_Amz42JtH93HEDSpug9Uz3AE2aw_gOUNF105XKBd_Pq2k/s320/2017-12-10+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw63ef5Z9xf7BevJx8HNjt8Lll9RjQy2x9hNaOOUzS2xOGGwFBqkrFas5mgGyOu0c-UwHCrLnB8CRSFIKnwSP2Dj9-9nzcTiSQ-vUUyFye5XppphHSv4lTPoZy-wyV7NCjAabpo1Ip1c/s1600/2017-12-10+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyw63ef5Z9xf7BevJx8HNjt8Lll9RjQy2x9hNaOOUzS2xOGGwFBqkrFas5mgGyOu0c-UwHCrLnB8CRSFIKnwSP2Dj9-9nzcTiSQ-vUUyFye5XppphHSv4lTPoZy-wyV7NCjAabpo1Ip1c/s320/2017-12-10+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The park turned into an open-air market on the weekends which was fun exploring.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGCP4AzrFfrmFFJlbXo48T1hHaq5MOa_bl-uNQTkJNUtqSqonQ-AN1Epm64sYjhponrNSca1cws3IylIYOz6cGCuoWLUeQ7w-XcvOkGV1TNvU-BDxX0K4Axm65MynA5zAsIRzC5lvzNQ/s1600/2017-12-10+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGCP4AzrFfrmFFJlbXo48T1hHaq5MOa_bl-uNQTkJNUtqSqonQ-AN1Epm64sYjhponrNSca1cws3IylIYOz6cGCuoWLUeQ7w-XcvOkGV1TNvU-BDxX0K4Axm65MynA5zAsIRzC5lvzNQ/s320/2017-12-10+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Homeless people sleeping in the park's amphitheater.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cY9H3h_4ZrEVSQcI7hvDHoEUXcgDAbtuUxzc1sgHqPyc977_u8CEOO-ly3a98tB4u4oS6vLvrd4Wr93r6Df8S9Dq-wSC6eXXaGQdNf4thXz_NH7pqhuZGHWusGUFbXPVxQZi92s_qt0/s1600/2017-12-10+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cY9H3h_4ZrEVSQcI7hvDHoEUXcgDAbtuUxzc1sgHqPyc977_u8CEOO-ly3a98tB4u4oS6vLvrd4Wr93r6Df8S9Dq-wSC6eXXaGQdNf4thXz_NH7pqhuZGHWusGUFbXPVxQZi92s_qt0/s320/2017-12-10+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Construction of the very attractive <b>Theatro Municipal</b> was begun in 1903 in the Parisian style. I read that the baroque building with its art nouveau features is the pride of the city.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRvpjKMmbtHmUun21yFoZdvPeC_dJI-hgyeNoOFGMgBDf4aZPERcwAvVU02_fYZp7zIa6FmbF5Wh85PZYwdGoKqmvbQBkxkmjtx3mQgZovSWxZZ6HfQgmCik-8s_9_LsAFofzGR5aaaU/s1600/2017-12-10+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRvpjKMmbtHmUun21yFoZdvPeC_dJI-hgyeNoOFGMgBDf4aZPERcwAvVU02_fYZp7zIa6FmbF5Wh85PZYwdGoKqmvbQBkxkmjtx3mQgZovSWxZZ6HfQgmCik-8s_9_LsAFofzGR5aaaU/s320/2017-12-10+080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybpbEmHqh9Bpgh_DZ1Fa_lViGl6ipoyQHpC1drNyUkqKHWH771EvMRt2fmh-UE8n1fqXPNUtQ6AcWytARi2uyE9VNOY3oBP_lsLCnJOyyRkK9Rn63Bv8rgTgt2naAuQnf012ZnNhFfmo/s1600/2017-12-10+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybpbEmHqh9Bpgh_DZ1Fa_lViGl6ipoyQHpC1drNyUkqKHWH771EvMRt2fmh-UE8n1fqXPNUtQ6AcWytARi2uyE9VNOY3oBP_lsLCnJOyyRkK9Rn63Bv8rgTgt2naAuQnf012ZnNhFfmo/s320/2017-12-10+079.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5CmtGBZ8VvhaYRqQzYHhuOrQ1l6jppNSGJ_wnPL3T1Zd-7hyphenhyphenTS0cbPsrANKcc8ZocUrOLeR9bRb4V5fyFhv8w2ArOBT-Qo57VkroftgZ8vpm4L_Xs7CPdj95D-4Ny30tQK21gep4hu4/s1600/2017-12-10+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5CmtGBZ8VvhaYRqQzYHhuOrQ1l6jppNSGJ_wnPL3T1Zd-7hyphenhyphenTS0cbPsrANKcc8ZocUrOLeR9bRb4V5fyFhv8w2ArOBT-Qo57VkroftgZ8vpm4L_Xs7CPdj95D-4Ny30tQK21gep4hu4/s320/2017-12-10+082.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Two churches stood next to each other, each with the same name! The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">the church of the settlement of </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo at the start of the 17th century and rebuilt in the 18th century was one of the best preserved colonial structures in the city. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBPCKGJbpJUo-EPyAgT9vVC7Xt8NTVKb-laVd2Yzpwv_cNjftSSIgiBiQ-BGFWGA1g9pFA-r-6p-VbgNVI_bWQPpZeypIoS3QSeGiqDJLjb28E5Ol_AuT_R_UBFnoR14NzBvv0YM3ixI/s1600/2017-12-10+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBPCKGJbpJUo-EPyAgT9vVC7Xt8NTVKb-laVd2Yzpwv_cNjftSSIgiBiQ-BGFWGA1g9pFA-r-6p-VbgNVI_bWQPpZeypIoS3QSeGiqDJLjb28E5Ol_AuT_R_UBFnoR14NzBvv0YM3ixI/s320/2017-12-10+088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't think we've ever seen a cute manger scene than this one!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqDrgFdnd7iTvKkZZYskf-zRz5uayhQA95ov3VD6WnMoeleBAkaDbkwk7yA2Q25-9Vr1mjxByx1qJy_2bpDxXqbPYoCeneaZpHvLSUUr0lkrEpcZq5FHwK0O2DFThFUbNkDGXN9zdNNE/s1600/2017-12-10+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqDrgFdnd7iTvKkZZYskf-zRz5uayhQA95ov3VD6WnMoeleBAkaDbkwk7yA2Q25-9Vr1mjxByx1qJy_2bpDxXqbPYoCeneaZpHvLSUUr0lkrEpcZq5FHwK0O2DFThFUbNkDGXN9zdNNE/s320/2017-12-10+089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWHwZ2zETvfhgHeTjXGH1UkFO4wN3Zy37jsH40n3i1giEChJRkgSW-opuj8HJ9h0GJFo1WRcD7OLqJ0h806qLv88aw-xamKO86tmct0n1QcRRrvkRZuyVS34SRIjOI6au_vv6sOzrz2s/s1600/2017-12-10+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWHwZ2zETvfhgHeTjXGH1UkFO4wN3Zy37jsH40n3i1giEChJRkgSW-opuj8HJ9h0GJFo1WRcD7OLqJ0h806qLv88aw-xamKO86tmct0n1QcRRrvkRZuyVS34SRIjOI6au_vv6sOzrz2s/s320/2017-12-10+090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The unusual ceiling was very appealing.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq57k3G1lNk95zIdiyuuYhQIDqmq3Y4qYA-0BHZl1fuzo64y5cINkwe11DfisNX2BOp6j7EcgWixQqERYGEBf8RKrlF9U-YyZ7wFOES1ym_qcTWaMleAJMKRemOK3VnV8R12Qnh7WrI7s/s1600/2017-12-10+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq57k3G1lNk95zIdiyuuYhQIDqmq3Y4qYA-0BHZl1fuzo64y5cINkwe11DfisNX2BOp6j7EcgWixQqERYGEBf8RKrlF9U-YyZ7wFOES1ym_qcTWaMleAJMKRemOK3VnV8R12Qnh7WrI7s/s320/2017-12-10+091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Directly in front of the church was a controversial sculpture of a French man kissing an indigenous woman. In the background was the College of Law and the <b>Scales of Justice.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiL_Ej8SBWcZw4RFaPQNgODyHSiSHF_CG9DdYlF2c3z_R7ZdkysviGvdBVh07zpf_9iTGiecf9XsyOTWfXUrjfFUKfrMZpR0vM1LJDrkK-5IP4oHnCkRNFV4xP7wj0i2ricIAQpkW_L10/s1600/2017-12-10+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiL_Ej8SBWcZw4RFaPQNgODyHSiSHF_CG9DdYlF2c3z_R7ZdkysviGvdBVh07zpf_9iTGiecf9XsyOTWfXUrjfFUKfrMZpR0vM1LJDrkK-5IP4oHnCkRNFV4xP7wj0i2ricIAQpkW_L10/s320/2017-12-10+096.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We commented that nowhere in the world had we seen so many homeless people as in </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo. No wonder our travel notes advised against taking the self-guided walking tour on the weekends when the streets were mostly desolate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXXa_Fwz2zCRJZckBhmJcxff3EQtdFSHAUw9t-WKAa9fl42Im6L_6F9-g-5rzhawKYtIdwSjVxkw48Xmi6_iCut2zi3nQRBo3yOKZW2UzteCVJPsMb7fUMYLRYJ-CyiNtv3uV7EuHQ6M/s1600/2017-12-10+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXXa_Fwz2zCRJZckBhmJcxff3EQtdFSHAUw9t-WKAa9fl42Im6L_6F9-g-5rzhawKYtIdwSjVxkw48Xmi6_iCut2zi3nQRBo3yOKZW2UzteCVJPsMb7fUMYLRYJ-CyiNtv3uV7EuHQ6M/s320/2017-12-10+093.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The tagging or graffiti was on a scale we'd never seen before anywhere.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HQAIR-fvM_PMG-IoIXwIadQHnVhMe3P61UW9LxkwVpQAMUVRz8enTMW7Wopc25ABtPvS5tkReqRiMlWy1JBJ7p1x_kox27Ei2aGkDJt5IH5aNOIoCepiYXgMFN1cN22qXVvp3d5YE5M/s1600/2017-12-10+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HQAIR-fvM_PMG-IoIXwIadQHnVhMe3P61UW9LxkwVpQAMUVRz8enTMW7Wopc25ABtPvS5tkReqRiMlWy1JBJ7p1x_kox27Ei2aGkDJt5IH5aNOIoCepiYXgMFN1cN22qXVvp3d5YE5M/s320/2017-12-10+098.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR7Zbg2nFGvDXRJgGY6HPhldfdM21JDkKO91ToC6JsPprusyIGgwZA0UcCP_F5f7TwPC4vYzU5Jok0ElCmGAdPmpVNQBSssjVedlLAZfPVK6ANm53po6pD1XnDoZN3KVacqa7Yx6pQDQ/s1600/2017-12-10+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR7Zbg2nFGvDXRJgGY6HPhldfdM21JDkKO91ToC6JsPprusyIGgwZA0UcCP_F5f7TwPC4vYzU5Jok0ElCmGAdPmpVNQBSssjVedlLAZfPVK6ANm53po6pD1XnDoZN3KVacqa7Yx6pQDQ/s320/2017-12-10+099.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The old heart of the city, <b>Praça da Sé </b>or literally <b>Cathedral Square,</b> had sadly also seen better days with its fair share of pickpockets, street hawkers and homeless people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSlNVvxCSdNLx2BecDBhvS5sXD30DpjNF9b-4vMVZigutWP8yAzP-_iYgVBDGm8JcwE4ufA4YhwNYgm6csBg2SsR1vYflxvhkZKuFY66HbLw51o3MrR7LAj2oomPomQAJjQRbo9tMd_s/s1600/2017-12-10+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSlNVvxCSdNLx2BecDBhvS5sXD30DpjNF9b-4vMVZigutWP8yAzP-_iYgVBDGm8JcwE4ufA4YhwNYgm6csBg2SsR1vYflxvhkZKuFY66HbLw51o3MrR7LAj2oomPomQAJjQRbo9tMd_s/s320/2017-12-10+102.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were glad to escape inside the Cathedral for some relaxing moments but I wished some of its wealth could have been spent on alleviating the suffering outside its doors.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLD5jrapLRAaKNn4h1Fxnzph32IQv1tWFGuToC8Bqo7Ma-t1bZkkAhQ1YftZhQiGdkWfioNmn5-JvrMni4sfBFlsCjiQ2Lzh1O8yfTTmNltGItHgzAPxPP30Lfuh9WthRYt4i-KjzljU/s1600/2017-12-10+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLD5jrapLRAaKNn4h1Fxnzph32IQv1tWFGuToC8Bqo7Ma-t1bZkkAhQ1YftZhQiGdkWfioNmn5-JvrMni4sfBFlsCjiQ2Lzh1O8yfTTmNltGItHgzAPxPP30Lfuh9WthRYt4i-KjzljU/s320/2017-12-10+105.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LSd_G9uWh9z3DnOlAtLTXEP5D-hJkYZfjal6WRemimP1SAy4G6aLBj9KFpaaHfbIuHIH5ilMwq1fMm6LlFtjvWTPaGnHwWT4zioE779rCco2gCsPBBkokx_wOEe2XFDHlsZN_go8rlM/s1600/2017-12-10+107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LSd_G9uWh9z3DnOlAtLTXEP5D-hJkYZfjal6WRemimP1SAy4G6aLBj9KFpaaHfbIuHIH5ilMwq1fMm6LlFtjvWTPaGnHwWT4zioE779rCco2gCsPBBkokx_wOEe2XFDHlsZN_go8rlM/s320/2017-12-10+107.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The view from the cathedral steps to the square:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpU_sLx7_tLSk2jqLcIJ6DUXPgT5BNANQ8MWMqiiEKE6Ftn0ZO5Qd8-dPAwE1Uhwgo7JZgU4BhCp_SSHfn5Cn68ALKJNQm9ZhlqPt96Sas2n9zfXnkPB8eHSh-w0RUoWDpBfdJnxcbPGI/s1600/2017-12-10+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpU_sLx7_tLSk2jqLcIJ6DUXPgT5BNANQ8MWMqiiEKE6Ftn0ZO5Qd8-dPAwE1Uhwgo7JZgU4BhCp_SSHfn5Cn68ALKJNQm9ZhlqPt96Sas2n9zfXnkPB8eHSh-w0RUoWDpBfdJnxcbPGI/s320/2017-12-10+112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnynwjE76QpWCo7UILZYPBuQF5dAgfs7ghE3nEWKXc7_pkbzMRygygVaeDlo8wnGQgjGzc1IQ-zkONs4j8imtNJcwpfwNpY0roL2nEIH8kywuaLr4LEah_djToibOSKXEvbWsM4TYEXUQ/s1600/2017-12-10+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnynwjE76QpWCo7UILZYPBuQF5dAgfs7ghE3nEWKXc7_pkbzMRygygVaeDlo8wnGQgjGzc1IQ-zkONs4j8imtNJcwpfwNpY0roL2nEIH8kywuaLr4LEah_djToibOSKXEvbWsM4TYEXUQ/s320/2017-12-10+114.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were very happy to get out of the area altogether and take the metro to <b>Avenida Paulista,</b> one of the most famous streets in </span><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo.</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">Once the domain of coffee barons, </span><span style="font-size: large;">it began to go 'Manhattan' in the 1950s with ultra modern towering office buildings and financial center built in the nineties.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMt9JqEXh5NT5X7CIkZcReoaOPp3n936qdUKnnyeKbnKlp8c8Z0ygzm_sxAl1nMUJid05Kxq0KdyQIPIk4rrKmsUmSvibbTMw3-a4GZWDWTZEJl2qpzglbld_pAiHQNOcFuMyPsIWMTE/s1600/2017-12-10+120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMt9JqEXh5NT5X7CIkZcReoaOPp3n936qdUKnnyeKbnKlp8c8Z0ygzm_sxAl1nMUJid05Kxq0KdyQIPIk4rrKmsUmSvibbTMw3-a4GZWDWTZEJl2qpzglbld_pAiHQNOcFuMyPsIWMTE/s320/2017-12-10+120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoxZDn2Z30izotkXi_PM8uiTsLNIMEVTnHKTPnf6IJ6BO84iWnssUe0R81cndDEm3YPtZibaFDELmwRSjT4yV9C3s76K5w4_LJJTpdhWEOfePdem5utLVZvHk2loekMVqU7-0JqAfcwg/s1600/2017-12-10+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoxZDn2Z30izotkXi_PM8uiTsLNIMEVTnHKTPnf6IJ6BO84iWnssUe0R81cndDEm3YPtZibaFDELmwRSjT4yV9C3s76K5w4_LJJTpdhWEOfePdem5utLVZvHk2loekMVqU7-0JqAfcwg/s320/2017-12-10+122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">From Monday to Frid,ay Paulista is an ordinary big city street, busy and noisy. We were so lucky that the street was closed </span><span style="font-size: large;">to traffic </span><span style="font-size: large;">on weekends, so that instead of suits and ties there were bikers, young and older people of all stripes enjoying themselves. People sold all sorts of handicrafts on the street and musicians and entertainers were set up on almost every block.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhcQmLniGdDfJZZSeeQxwpf31HeoPjUQFYDVSugMCjRbC_twWrVBaergyaUquoRsHjcgtXgoJ67GTXH4sgM-9ZI1MvCO_xKwJ5S7blZsVAqZfaQIgsUPaP4JkeNG5_0fCeXVtDxiYpUI/s1600/2017-12-10+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhcQmLniGdDfJZZSeeQxwpf31HeoPjUQFYDVSugMCjRbC_twWrVBaergyaUquoRsHjcgtXgoJ67GTXH4sgM-9ZI1MvCO_xKwJ5S7blZsVAqZfaQIgsUPaP4JkeNG5_0fCeXVtDxiYpUI/s320/2017-12-10+123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The temperature was 30 degrees Celsius or 86 for us metrically challenged Americans! The downside of the avenue was that it had way too few trees, so on such a hot summer day it felt "like walking on a concrete pizza oven" as someone described it! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBygShKKytdDiybphJRjKqCtWaIFf4CZ-3bmujf6vVRvpuwp13zJ9VdvABs6GY6BADWRC7FJ13lUZKxraRaIpv2ThMQRLqNwOHBgFyAetKtxKtof2wDLYYbUacUQsbXMtnVxonccwGCg/s1600/2017-12-10+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBygShKKytdDiybphJRjKqCtWaIFf4CZ-3bmujf6vVRvpuwp13zJ9VdvABs6GY6BADWRC7FJ13lUZKxraRaIpv2ThMQRLqNwOHBgFyAetKtxKtof2wDLYYbUacUQsbXMtnVxonccwGCg/s320/2017-12-10+125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc5Lq7LJXRPcyXAKnzK9j78c4NYc79qXDP0GcXVVgKLtCV4sboCO0CHcTFhrOt_eKXfoX8NJOsCxapCiVPQ5ZXv5zLL31XyR3S2bNaG1kYdJ5wlYhPjiNPabIz0gDT0iKhyhmA8ZoKkI/s1600/2017-12-10+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc5Lq7LJXRPcyXAKnzK9j78c4NYc79qXDP0GcXVVgKLtCV4sboCO0CHcTFhrOt_eKXfoX8NJOsCxapCiVPQ5ZXv5zLL31XyR3S2bNaG1kYdJ5wlYhPjiNPabIz0gDT0iKhyhmA8ZoKkI/s320/2017-12-10+126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hot as a pizza oven it may have been but it was a hoot walking about a mile along the street and watching the acts and antics of the people! We felt blessedly safe and carefree on Paulista unlike all those areas we'd walked earlier. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04G7R0F4E9CSC6B9dncjRScdFD9Pz_CuB6gfCc-MQqMJ0DacMu3Etdv5gDbsCb6yfdIxBQPJ75CNjKhHfeNX5o7zkv6qQ_rWfGJ7jX5IUqs-47Pk1CDBLWR3dZ_4JwSRs6AWZD9FmsZI/s1600/2017-12-10+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04G7R0F4E9CSC6B9dncjRScdFD9Pz_CuB6gfCc-MQqMJ0DacMu3Etdv5gDbsCb6yfdIxBQPJ75CNjKhHfeNX5o7zkv6qQ_rWfGJ7jX5IUqs-47Pk1CDBLWR3dZ_4JwSRs6AWZD9FmsZI/s320/2017-12-10+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ee1mQtdPSgnBXzc1fA2ZLh4jk1YGehGUYfBZzJEWh1qfYDFhGslYKAu5FzYpsDSYIkqASJNWtSOWYEVerywBSyvnRob3WzBm1wOY-l1dLqCThvTSKO8DNNL_WOdfv42XFxtlB2fiAdo/s1600/2017-12-10+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ee1mQtdPSgnBXzc1fA2ZLh4jk1YGehGUYfBZzJEWh1qfYDFhGslYKAu5FzYpsDSYIkqASJNWtSOWYEVerywBSyvnRob3WzBm1wOY-l1dLqCThvTSKO8DNNL_WOdfv42XFxtlB2fiAdo/s320/2017-12-10+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sampa's pride is the <b>Museu de Arte de </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>São Paulo,</b> the most comprehensive collection of Western art in Latin America and located on Paulista. Below the private, non-profit museum known as <b>MASP</b> was a concrete plaza which turned into an antique fair on Sundays.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sgP0O3ErG0ekh1OEeVYLiX20k4kdto4CtVHZ7wdIBjPI7oyYSbTlMY0jExl3qji_KLALeGoLG8ZUtoPiztzjjkpMtvMGe7elfckPDEKVJiv2S-dOCFZvX-erXpi2GmDo4PSNuUMVn74/s1600/2017-12-10+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sgP0O3ErG0ekh1OEeVYLiX20k4kdto4CtVHZ7wdIBjPI7oyYSbTlMY0jExl3qji_KLALeGoLG8ZUtoPiztzjjkpMtvMGe7elfckPDEKVJiv2S-dOCFZvX-erXpi2GmDo4PSNuUMVn74/s320/2017-12-10+182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">MASP was founded by Brazilian businessman <b>Assis Chateaubriand</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">as the first modern museum</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in 1947 and completed in 1968. MASP's collection contained more than 10,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs and costumes from a wide range of periods. It encompassed art from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. </span><span style="font-size: large;">As you can see from the painting of MASP below, the remarkable museum is held ‘in the air’ by four red concrete pillars! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSiBX4MfqUAknb_aKi88xkEvbyOmNoKl3PaUbNyoyzUSkrB6n51_keCItXnVhrwA9BA-XJJFXV00qZOFYTHQ3AOvP-dBIrv01cJ2ZrhwQ2knX0b4pbVVB_bNscE8pbEvoBcByUSG_i7M/s1600/2017-12-10+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSiBX4MfqUAknb_aKi88xkEvbyOmNoKl3PaUbNyoyzUSkrB6n51_keCItXnVhrwA9BA-XJJFXV00qZOFYTHQ3AOvP-dBIrv01cJ2ZrhwQ2knX0b4pbVVB_bNscE8pbEvoBcByUSG_i7M/s320/2017-12-10+158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Regular readers of my annual blogs know that Steven and I make a beeline for art museums on our travels so we were both curious to see what MASP would be like. Imagine our surprise and absolute delight when we entered </span><span style="font-size: large;">the huge open space</span><span style="font-size: large;"> only to see all the paintings </span><span style="font-size: large;">mounted on large glass panels </span><span style="font-size: large;">suspended at eye level! It created the impression of them floating in space. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was unlike anything we'd ever seen before and we both felt like we'd hit the jackpot of art museums!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Raphael's</b> <i>Resurrection of Christ</i> was painted between 1499 and 1502. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxoMmOFwB9bDhzJmKAwWpSuBVlG_irIAucByE4ZSQxWZQFokTyFLxOyLhe-pzIggugHk8MuNPw0KPs8uZOXbfp_UY_9MRsZSkSkvFAUUbwsoHsTept2t0PErcrFwNonfn53nVkxfCUIE/s1600/2017-12-10+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxoMmOFwB9bDhzJmKAwWpSuBVlG_irIAucByE4ZSQxWZQFokTyFLxOyLhe-pzIggugHk8MuNPw0KPs8uZOXbfp_UY_9MRsZSkSkvFAUUbwsoHsTept2t0PErcrFwNonfn53nVkxfCUIE/s320/2017-12-10+134.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The only thing that we found frustrating when gazing in delight at the paintings was the name of the painter and the painting was on the back of each work of art. I am sure the museum was purposely designed in such a way that the impact of seeing row upon row of paintings with no distracting information would be paramount which I recognize. However, having to walk behind each painting every time to identify the artist broke up the flow and was a seeming time-waster. I wish I knew of some 'solution' and wonder if other MASP visitors felt the same way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLun-Tk77AqwEGuieWAk2zKM8yGpnGoF77YRU8UqjXErza1KFIpz_0yNbOyVTIrNWe2MCVuIt4QXvi0JQjLjIU2-SOsakqWEZvzk18rt6ArF8Gd1efFDaE0uctlCnO7RfB7q7LwHZYlMQ/s1600/2017-12-10+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLun-Tk77AqwEGuieWAk2zKM8yGpnGoF77YRU8UqjXErza1KFIpz_0yNbOyVTIrNWe2MCVuIt4QXvi0JQjLjIU2-SOsakqWEZvzk18rt6ArF8Gd1efFDaE0uctlCnO7RfB7q7LwHZYlMQ/s320/2017-12-10+157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hieronymus Bosch's</b> <i>The Temptations of St. Anthony:</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi83jjAKlRQwpP4Lw3ErXh0rTxUqVL4mGoOPV65ZQfMs1RP6ob_UcUHT9XNwyg09YtyP62Wr6dA96ZRSG76pKv4semjLpf8eifBgODcmZvLL1x7Uq7K_dV2ynOfOCtDynexB5ZLh5paA/s1600/2017-12-10+138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXi83jjAKlRQwpP4Lw3ErXh0rTxUqVL4mGoOPV65ZQfMs1RP6ob_UcUHT9XNwyg09YtyP62Wr6dA96ZRSG76pKv4semjLpf8eifBgODcmZvLL1x7Uq7K_dV2ynOfOCtDynexB5ZLh5paA/s320/2017-12-10+138.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were stupefied by the fantastic collection of paintings by Old Masters such as Delacroix, Velasquez, Renoir, Corot and so many others. What a wonderful treasure trove of art in one museum!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdryMoDPza5hX6Mti-rfMupUaJG2A_Xb7huulEE9C3bOMXpejKR5rPJNLNxLSnPu0i1_0sr-6tb4L9F_jSqV0JUMhl0ocy2jtSILUwc0550QcmTSPhYyFEJBAGCpXfmOTLgWiR1BjRIS0/s1600/2017-12-10+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdryMoDPza5hX6Mti-rfMupUaJG2A_Xb7huulEE9C3bOMXpejKR5rPJNLNxLSnPu0i1_0sr-6tb4L9F_jSqV0JUMhl0ocy2jtSILUwc0550QcmTSPhYyFEJBAGCpXfmOTLgWiR1BjRIS0/s320/2017-12-10+140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwb7pdLlUN8FbIxW8g3pvOFuwtRgszelJ879107Sc6H4MYKcyIp6RTTUrzQqelWBm01C2ZQaJuZJ05gjEqZ2jAcbwlbH95Loh56Fz5U8StWrWhc6NePoN6BLm7sZHMAOF59JMp8DOZRU/s1600/2017-12-10+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwb7pdLlUN8FbIxW8g3pvOFuwtRgszelJ879107Sc6H4MYKcyIp6RTTUrzQqelWBm01C2ZQaJuZJ05gjEqZ2jAcbwlbH95Loh56Fz5U8StWrWhc6NePoN6BLm7sZHMAOF59JMp8DOZRU/s320/2017-12-10+142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6t7cm765wh2IeDmrLKh3VCnjKpEgRL8qeqKaJwC8frBBun6JUpfpUqf_5o6kYdwZSnWiU8S30l9HTAnDuGrGn7goa9j3JCSf_F-GCLrIJm9uCsbiwhOBIHjuVxI5J5SkVF59ra4dSVc/s1600/2017-12-10+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6t7cm765wh2IeDmrLKh3VCnjKpEgRL8qeqKaJwC8frBBun6JUpfpUqf_5o6kYdwZSnWiU8S30l9HTAnDuGrGn7goa9j3JCSf_F-GCLrIJm9uCsbiwhOBIHjuVxI5J5SkVF59ra4dSVc/s320/2017-12-10+143.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cezanne's</b> <i>Old Pine: </i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQp8pu6_6gI9XRTQhgbCzkLxCuZMyyRIPvzpc0-CYT2_icRdIJItRMWuqqGuOcz7JX1IeOBs5pTDpohaXj-LZr7Y9CY7iJkuRu63ro7EzpaHk1KKnwNQ19gFPE7mwGXuJd4KN6lIE5mw/s1600/2017-12-10+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQp8pu6_6gI9XRTQhgbCzkLxCuZMyyRIPvzpc0-CYT2_icRdIJItRMWuqqGuOcz7JX1IeOBs5pTDpohaXj-LZr7Y9CY7iJkuRu63ro7EzpaHk1KKnwNQ19gFPE7mwGXuJd4KN6lIE5mw/s320/2017-12-10+145.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gaugin's</b> <i>Poor Fisherman:</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlKjnJqBliuezJnIEs175J-ivDEz1NdKqT-cpWfBDk7p3FurrOoIHybc_aTdtnvHWHGUPgl0ob7Y0aXJC7x8_vrdy3CnugDe0-MGh_CQ7n0vBcso5bIjv_he_J4h_xgs5sZy428c_e4I/s1600/2017-12-10+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlKjnJqBliuezJnIEs175J-ivDEz1NdKqT-cpWfBDk7p3FurrOoIHybc_aTdtnvHWHGUPgl0ob7Y0aXJC7x8_vrdy3CnugDe0-MGh_CQ7n0vBcso5bIjv_he_J4h_xgs5sZy428c_e4I/s320/2017-12-10+148.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some works by <b>Van Gogh!</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rf9cPvFqZzjEjjiXyGmSKyHuXoGouZsOA9FXsnZxsfAP2tn7myjH8VdpkYLY2rI35hvtcdF1L5ikfiLO6pLiLUyAqPirstkUTXkf7G2SoB5AwO4t1B30Ka16_Z-DpLWsVu4nc3QsnVA/s1600/2017-12-10+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rf9cPvFqZzjEjjiXyGmSKyHuXoGouZsOA9FXsnZxsfAP2tn7myjH8VdpkYLY2rI35hvtcdF1L5ikfiLO6pLiLUyAqPirstkUTXkf7G2SoB5AwO4t1B30Ka16_Z-DpLWsVu4nc3QsnVA/s320/2017-12-10+150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we saw <b>Degas'</b> <i>Four Ballet Dancers, </i>I wondered what other delights were still in store for us at MASP.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQd_2s4hP5jPOM86OTSKtb-WcFmII1IIn9tZIQl38D-aso-kH-2d4r5ZclQGwu3JSZjwVTNkQGGrgLIEF0gO6cKB3oyQYeiAio3ldNkxk6DddNEE7aD34Yaznq4o_sGLXbZ7fapsrDoI/s1600/2017-12-10+151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQd_2s4hP5jPOM86OTSKtb-WcFmII1IIn9tZIQl38D-aso-kH-2d4r5ZclQGwu3JSZjwVTNkQGGrgLIEF0gO6cKB3oyQYeiAio3ldNkxk6DddNEE7aD34Yaznq4o_sGLXbZ7fapsrDoI/s320/2017-12-10+151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Two works by <b>Picasso</b> from his first 'Paris Period' where he moved at age 23 and depicted the life of the poor and marginalized people.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNv8NU6QQQokmlpvrgKCN3J3Eyn3E1dRnz8zSgoOs6SejXoo6G00JihlHv2e0eWCXq3u8W5X6iPf7TUtY7d4-CarpoADSdG4EhUfjfKIEkRrtuPB-3HIgnjEHFSp5NkL94JbrjHKgHgM/s1600/2017-12-10+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNv8NU6QQQokmlpvrgKCN3J3Eyn3E1dRnz8zSgoOs6SejXoo6G00JihlHv2e0eWCXq3u8W5X6iPf7TUtY7d4-CarpoADSdG4EhUfjfKIEkRrtuPB-3HIgnjEHFSp5NkL94JbrjHKgHgM/s320/2017-12-10+154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The long necks and sad faces could only have been painted by <b>Modigliani.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcIw-jAvPXv_MY4OPIOReLh7dj10s0d0cPlwREQQ7xPmcsiRDLtlZim07cPsPswP7u11-90NBfTk2YBYNzvFWKYOBaEUCktf3tCKg7wNvXLLEe4vfUL2v_8qKZqRXPIs8BIOy08ejtp0/s1600/2017-12-10+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcIw-jAvPXv_MY4OPIOReLh7dj10s0d0cPlwREQQ7xPmcsiRDLtlZim07cPsPswP7u11-90NBfTk2YBYNzvFWKYOBaEUCktf3tCKg7wNvXLLEe4vfUL2v_8qKZqRXPIs8BIOy08ejtp0/s320/2017-12-10+156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There was also a few great Brazilian paintings, including some fine works by <b>Candido Portinari,</b> an artist we hadn't been aware of beforehand. We learned that </span><span style="font-size: large;">Portinari made the panels</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> War and Peace </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">at the UN headquarters in NY and that "his</span><span style="font-size: large;"> art epitomized the contrasts that marked Brazilian culture. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Portinari </span><span style="font-size: large;">portrayed the dominant elite on one hand while also painting the working class." </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCtogN8bUufR0B_SWa7sM5Ssm1mPFLVP3GkacFls0ZRq2-IvWclBuaxS4yT4xBY-NNeN20HA9llcAgA-Y-GspHlccPyKK67fDJfKX3AT97gDdtzWntOMHf_kSZNwNlOZfDPov801nAZo/s1600/2017-12-10+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCtogN8bUufR0B_SWa7sM5Ssm1mPFLVP3GkacFls0ZRq2-IvWclBuaxS4yT4xBY-NNeN20HA9llcAgA-Y-GspHlccPyKK67fDJfKX3AT97gDdtzWntOMHf_kSZNwNlOZfDPov801nAZo/s320/2017-12-10+159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The description of Portinari's</span><span style="font-size: large;"> 1944 painting</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> The Northern Migrants </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">indicated he</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">focused on migrants fleeing from drought-stricken lands. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX20UAPi7jTaVUXnQZgl-ENVYltOGzgoUM6dAOUNXmVTP_92q0KkYWP55Fbx1s5f9R0fm94Qr_rIdJ0kCudEta8vX0gTXhfLUIp3MSrq0tAKHyTL76bygQZ1Cq-Bnu4cdatoi-Xg8JFOY/s1600/2017-12-10+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX20UAPi7jTaVUXnQZgl-ENVYltOGzgoUM6dAOUNXmVTP_92q0KkYWP55Fbx1s5f9R0fm94Qr_rIdJ0kCudEta8vX0gTXhfLUIp3MSrq0tAKHyTL76bygQZ1Cq-Bnu4cdatoi-Xg8JFOY/s320/2017-12-10+162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I could hardly believe it when I read the shocking news that paintings by Portinari and Picasso were stolen in 2007 because the <b>billion-dollar</b> collection lacked motion detectors or cameras with infared capabilities! Fortunately, the paintings were eventually recovered.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Iw9Uiegbk_n5IuSWdtnwKXdea7BbTeZ9ffqJX2fJ2mEZfcuzXEThreYEjAGM6WlHC297HQikNilxmgugsqG-wpcP4wmdQDBkLqnclzqAUzot1WSBViiliCmrY0N3G-mOnMHQJbK_jeg/s1600/2017-12-10+174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Iw9Uiegbk_n5IuSWdtnwKXdea7BbTeZ9ffqJX2fJ2mEZfcuzXEThreYEjAGM6WlHC297HQikNilxmgugsqG-wpcP4wmdQDBkLqnclzqAUzot1WSBViiliCmrY0N3G-mOnMHQJbK_jeg/s320/2017-12-10+174.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A work by Rembrandt was only surpassed by ...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpFcSCMUJuneDfbH_b-zJsGg9QM_YQmr4dSbvVOCIguMDgFG2ZvLqBfzxuCodA6sjyRkY1MRdNF2Fy_akqFJMzlKmCVEUVJQLCJaR8KmyBK1Rq4LhsblvlWugxtjBQX5Tqib91U-vcJQ/s1600/2017-12-10+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpFcSCMUJuneDfbH_b-zJsGg9QM_YQmr4dSbvVOCIguMDgFG2ZvLqBfzxuCodA6sjyRkY1MRdNF2Fy_akqFJMzlKmCVEUVJQLCJaR8KmyBK1Rq4LhsblvlWugxtjBQX5Tqib91U-vcJQ/s320/2017-12-10+177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">three outstanding paintings by Franz Hals.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3NpiVKEfMk8CmeW3WZbr7CoWht0M9vp7kJPIQ3frCVgt9p8iRvVEqpxDjrCIRbgbeEB0Ikv85XXqt60eJADi-aqpEo3aHC3QhOWL_4H_uLt0zxbRAKRJP6RJIVTX1zfzl53BAiwGC-M/s1600/2017-12-10+178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3NpiVKEfMk8CmeW3WZbr7CoWht0M9vp7kJPIQ3frCVgt9p8iRvVEqpxDjrCIRbgbeEB0Ikv85XXqt60eJADi-aqpEo3aHC3QhOWL_4H_uLt0zxbRAKRJP6RJIVTX1zfzl53BAiwGC-M/s320/2017-12-10+178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">To reach the next level, visitors had to go literally outside and descend the concrete stairs!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-MW8oEwiZ93TcxZWJ9J85XAyX376zhRpB4h6ctVl-HAbcYkXy2TW1YLsm8dXp76KnU6NvXOWDza9Ml826H-rdMDNgAyEbFYsMIvTt9f_R9l1DEck1aSjfBLDXXiIXm6EH_EZiG6qBCM/s1600/2017-12-10+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-MW8oEwiZ93TcxZWJ9J85XAyX376zhRpB4h6ctVl-HAbcYkXy2TW1YLsm8dXp76KnU6NvXOWDza9Ml826H-rdMDNgAyEbFYsMIvTt9f_R9l1DEck1aSjfBLDXXiIXm6EH_EZiG6qBCM/s320/2017-12-10+180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosFdkWf73GA4Vdzn4bLuOVVYVT_G1Ff3CvFdMwUof98e3O_ol5OyhI_AJ4THWm6CRdsG8_eY0xpMxwcSmc1CFOG0qx6ogOR3mnquUfqw1gmE4OHqY5qF2WPC6q6MDnK_PAcEzFoF-YWA/s1600/2017-12-10+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosFdkWf73GA4Vdzn4bLuOVVYVT_G1Ff3CvFdMwUof98e3O_ol5OyhI_AJ4THWm6CRdsG8_eY0xpMxwcSmc1CFOG0qx6ogOR3mnquUfqw1gmE4OHqY5qF2WPC6q6MDnK_PAcEzFoF-YWA/s320/2017-12-10+181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A good shot of the Sunday antique fair on the concrete plaza under the museum:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTm0ND-WZX-Ey_cBZZ-mnTk_oFsDjRr3-MvPv0rTSeycM41-Yqi6RAt1pOIC8foDDFedMt2DNafKVhUUtIdqwjzCVYyisoBb6MiYxOg3XWjzFztIiQUVgHPnkxM5h4K1LL29ncv9rE9YY/s1600/2017-12-10+183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTm0ND-WZX-Ey_cBZZ-mnTk_oFsDjRr3-MvPv0rTSeycM41-Yqi6RAt1pOIC8foDDFedMt2DNafKVhUUtIdqwjzCVYyisoBb6MiYxOg3XWjzFztIiQUVgHPnkxM5h4K1LL29ncv9rE9YY/s320/2017-12-10+183.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The temporary exhibition showcased compelling graphics by the <b>Guerrilla Girls,</b> a group I had never heard of previously. As always, just click on any photo to see it more clearly.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJef6p45gpU6bzDojga0v-qONyswVzJ25Y49fIvLXndSgthbU3n8a_ZS7gpXdwAFuTjV8LsNsopQkE8uzJIgrJqo_WNO8xnyXNxcf2Y_yc7_4gZs0DhgulpkNVkqkkDJayNzmafRnFSw/s1600/2017-12-10+184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJef6p45gpU6bzDojga0v-qONyswVzJ25Y49fIvLXndSgthbU3n8a_ZS7gpXdwAFuTjV8LsNsopQkE8uzJIgrJqo_WNO8xnyXNxcf2Y_yc7_4gZs0DhgulpkNVkqkkDJayNzmafRnFSw/s320/2017-12-10+184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gkhFJreu_v3DjsO7DN3y_G_aBARkShmFtvQyd4B6jZSnR6qeQCeOr9RUJRlY7jkNxbNJhL-vZoDvmHWOBx9dxJxEh-pnV_ZPvEdX0ZwEQgwkXznFexEY_HwZvC24-EbIJTxziXB5_4o/s1600/2017-12-10+185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gkhFJreu_v3DjsO7DN3y_G_aBARkShmFtvQyd4B6jZSnR6qeQCeOr9RUJRlY7jkNxbNJhL-vZoDvmHWOBx9dxJxEh-pnV_ZPvEdX0ZwEQgwkXznFexEY_HwZvC24-EbIJTxziXB5_4o/s320/2017-12-10+185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dXgAm2jPfpYGsp_QeKMi7oUQGtUHXGkf991XkRXct9eVoC6GB7d_TkdzPRrjHZoGRHCxQ-jAhbN2RyX7LVw_yp4ZNagt1sJsCesnatZZa61ezQX2Nprdh2G2Tgv4iA_q11yPTvsbBXU/s1600/2017-12-10+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dXgAm2jPfpYGsp_QeKMi7oUQGtUHXGkf991XkRXct9eVoC6GB7d_TkdzPRrjHZoGRHCxQ-jAhbN2RyX7LVw_yp4ZNagt1sJsCesnatZZa61ezQX2Nprdh2G2Tgv4iA_q11yPTvsbBXU/s320/2017-12-10+186.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7Yh_uZdb-i3VQPhtxbK7VWrqmTcRnnoBWJiQwaCnZtBe4R9cNlwLHzMmSLgqhW7nDJMpPRaV3KRCtWA36M0c9nd_JC7mUgyG9-B8iHgqe-L-MLewS8xRXlhuCHeocl7-mLJgchwGT5A/s1600/2017-12-10+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7Yh_uZdb-i3VQPhtxbK7VWrqmTcRnnoBWJiQwaCnZtBe4R9cNlwLHzMmSLgqhW7nDJMpPRaV3KRCtWA36M0c9nd_JC7mUgyG9-B8iHgqe-L-MLewS8xRXlhuCHeocl7-mLJgchwGT5A/s320/2017-12-10+187.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved the White Bread Ingredients: White Men, Artificial Flavorings, Preservatives. *Contains less than the minimum daily requirement of white women and non-Whites. How long will it be before women artists of all types have greater parity, I wonder?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwimZNHYgO_md2o52eJ_npmHst0zEjOEWFaC8jdrS492cTXOlPB_DC38sAT_Ot5sl9l77ukCw1GRitx7qHPAQJ4bK_GTkOJkdWR_HErtNM7-2v6u_w3VhLPgfolceZWLl8kB7aSoDDio/s1600/2017-12-10+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwimZNHYgO_md2o52eJ_npmHst0zEjOEWFaC8jdrS492cTXOlPB_DC38sAT_Ot5sl9l77ukCw1GRitx7qHPAQJ4bK_GTkOJkdWR_HErtNM7-2v6u_w3VhLPgfolceZWLl8kB7aSoDDio/s320/2017-12-10+188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-oYGxRQAJZc-H3ge0ujPg9tS33SiqYshhBUiBjQVZEJGCq9J2IHl6kJnBf3TzmDNPFAtPhigUp0Ljys919nN9B9YgYTxiKZ4uhJgPMRCNIal3RX4U_pUAfxeg6jneZL0eKncCe2iShg/s1600/2017-12-10+189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-oYGxRQAJZc-H3ge0ujPg9tS33SiqYshhBUiBjQVZEJGCq9J2IHl6kJnBf3TzmDNPFAtPhigUp0Ljys919nN9B9YgYTxiKZ4uhJgPMRCNIal3RX4U_pUAfxeg6jneZL0eKncCe2iShg/s320/2017-12-10+189.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I will leave you with this last graphic from the Guerrilla Girls so you can make of it what you will.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCy1XUY_NTTxA3vjfKJYz94D7wfNZHl3hU1qcVyQDF3QmaKQtQ96MQo008T9_W-upU9ueR44dCB-3hA0iQxscNq1_EmINDCMoPJTV0UYnt9xVQi_jpYWnIS5ojuWz0TtHfjyqY2LbWlQ/s1600/2017-12-10+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCy1XUY_NTTxA3vjfKJYz94D7wfNZHl3hU1qcVyQDF3QmaKQtQ96MQo008T9_W-upU9ueR44dCB-3hA0iQxscNq1_EmINDCMoPJTV0UYnt9xVQi_jpYWnIS5ojuWz0TtHfjyqY2LbWlQ/s320/2017-12-10+193.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Though we had just a brief visit to </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">São Paulo, I was so glad that our visit to the magnificent MASP trumped our initial unsettling impressions of the city.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> On to Ouro Preto, a beautiful city of churches and hills.</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 29th, 2018, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-742365746889129222018-05-27T23:49:00.000-06:002018-08-11T17:23:17.419-06:0012/9: Fos do Iguacu, Brasil: The Ride of a Lifetime under the Falls!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our hotel in Puerto Iguazu, on the Argentine side of the magnificent Iguazu Falls, kindly arranged a wonderful driver to escort across the river and through Brazilian customs to the <b>Parque Nacional do Iguacu. </b>Instead of just dropping us at the park entrance with our luggage and leaving us to fend for ourselves, <b>Rodolfo</b> showed us where to buy park tickets from a machine, take those to then buy locker tickets, dump our luggage in the lockers, buy safari tickets and just generally made our lives so much easier especially because we had to deal with the Portuguese language for the first time all trip! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had read that while the Argentine side with its variety of trails offered many more opportunities to see the falls close up, the Brazilian side offered more panoramic views. We couldn't wait to discover if that was the case for ourselves! We knew, though, that while </span><span style="font-size: large;">Brazil's park was </span><span style="font-size: large;">much larger, it had fewer walkways and no jungle train. However, it was equally well laid out with its buses transporting visitors from point to point. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Time was of the essence for us as we could only see the Brazilian side of the falls until mid-afternoon before flying onto</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Sao Paulo.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsI4RTEGqPVkYfJuBWJzQpOMUn2-N7PVo4mKTNG1x9WqUmmWplYoVspo-qWzp9rThIYEmGkPIk5NzcmOvaZfc5uCx0P80T-Oi7I5JGvpprHRUd5GJBUawIzpEvL9QsPGATMXBMQ_Gqpk/s1600/2017-12-09+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsI4RTEGqPVkYfJuBWJzQpOMUn2-N7PVo4mKTNG1x9WqUmmWplYoVspo-qWzp9rThIYEmGkPIk5NzcmOvaZfc5uCx0P80T-Oi7I5JGvpprHRUd5GJBUawIzpEvL9QsPGATMXBMQ_Gqpk/s320/2017-12-09+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a little daunting reading the sign that we needed to be responsible visitors to the park by not littering, not feeding the animals, not removing stones from the park, not smoking in the park plus so many other things we were instructed <b>not</b> to do in the park!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSsyXT5ejPV_PrsGO_cgo-HkIWwK7b84d88BqnvJi6cwLK2oy-MCPXbPPk-pVj0h8juU12qW6wfS91WoGloIhR565VuIBU1vyQJZJiDHijqInt8NvsUA-yI9cC_jdz506gV2Q9hwzYKA/s1600/2017-12-09+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSsyXT5ejPV_PrsGO_cgo-HkIWwK7b84d88BqnvJi6cwLK2oy-MCPXbPPk-pVj0h8juU12qW6wfS91WoGloIhR565VuIBU1vyQJZJiDHijqInt8NvsUA-yI9cC_jdz506gV2Q9hwzYKA/s320/2017-12-09+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We took the bus to the park's <b>Hotel das Cataratas</b> so we could start on the <b>Trilha das Cataratas</b> or <b>Waterfall Trail</b>, a 1200 m trail that followed the shore of the Iguacu River.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX0eS6qUzaXVNyYAdrb0hTdrRZXLgjN_cEPFX12K1IYLuZRMGKPfSCEbTDGzL3cO0QakCWxP9k8D0t8H4yJK40pZSbhQjZ9GsqlswYMWAu5aPwmgkBHEQ-iG5FKaMHBL8G70u76moLBs/s1600/2017-12-09+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX0eS6qUzaXVNyYAdrb0hTdrRZXLgjN_cEPFX12K1IYLuZRMGKPfSCEbTDGzL3cO0QakCWxP9k8D0t8H4yJK40pZSbhQjZ9GsqlswYMWAu5aPwmgkBHEQ-iG5FKaMHBL8G70u76moLBs/s320/2017-12-09+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Across the street from the hotel, we got our first glorious view of the falls, overlooking <b>Garganta do Diablo</b> or <b>Devil's Throat</b> which we'd seen last thing yesterday afternoon from the Argentine side.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f7TWQpHBf8TvA-czB-ShwpR6X8BwM2lkiZAEH9AR1kA_IS29C5w8Cl0BtptjoSqsGQ-A-c_ix8PtNVNAgXfuzXoYqefMIxSKLG_ieb88C8vqEUgNxzHrN8iK2k0cxaVCoA30NToFmoI/s1600/2017-12-09+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f7TWQpHBf8TvA-czB-ShwpR6X8BwM2lkiZAEH9AR1kA_IS29C5w8Cl0BtptjoSqsGQ-A-c_ix8PtNVNAgXfuzXoYqefMIxSKLG_ieb88C8vqEUgNxzHrN8iK2k0cxaVCoA30NToFmoI/s320/2017-12-09+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We counted ourselves so lucky that we were again treated to a rainbow.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGB3Cq20KmbleggM4-2iZrYZJfQxK9s4G8HhajJEbKXwMuT0ry8Jrepb-82UYihJRuhkhkMmWeYDueAFNAarKS9AHPe29kQ0htXkwqhermJFkgdH-RPyX35bLORAMxo76Aagd5TrRzoLA/s1600/2017-12-09+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGB3Cq20KmbleggM4-2iZrYZJfQxK9s4G8HhajJEbKXwMuT0ry8Jrepb-82UYihJRuhkhkMmWeYDueAFNAarKS9AHPe29kQ0htXkwqhermJFkgdH-RPyX35bLORAMxo76Aagd5TrRzoLA/s320/2017-12-09+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From such a distance, the smaller waterfalls looked so minute.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlfAdqdHeyHjfwkbSZXkWS4IuEyrEeen81F9THLz-7wdRwT97gz8k-1dgyOd1xZW1Ljur8k4A2m_cf5DlJWCexNCHwoHok6PWne4j1tHAUTrVITtNe5oLK1ipEhObY-8qIZQ2lPge0QA/s1600/2017-12-09+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlfAdqdHeyHjfwkbSZXkWS4IuEyrEeen81F9THLz-7wdRwT97gz8k-1dgyOd1xZW1Ljur8k4A2m_cf5DlJWCexNCHwoHok6PWne4j1tHAUTrVITtNe5oLK1ipEhObY-8qIZQ2lPge0QA/s320/2017-12-09+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The birds circling way above made the sight even more special.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eXNbpXzS3UTBMoYQDteHq5EqyqlFydscMEyacOlWpFJHvLsyoQDNwRxG-YDcELASB4Ob5MXSzNUXdClZTIa-bsKOjxx5t1U1bvgqyQOIXloPMWHNZMvywEWltJsH9_GtBj2TD6zetdw/s1600/2017-12-09+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eXNbpXzS3UTBMoYQDteHq5EqyqlFydscMEyacOlWpFJHvLsyoQDNwRxG-YDcELASB4Ob5MXSzNUXdClZTIa-bsKOjxx5t1U1bvgqyQOIXloPMWHNZMvywEWltJsH9_GtBj2TD6zetdw/s320/2017-12-09+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Scenes from our hike down to the falls:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5VM6d4XAYIWEGF2nElIHClz4LmQqvT0iKO5fGEecrBMyI9x_tKvNCxpWOD1MHzZoqzf0lkyWksA1vrwg1KFq1f62Mq0CEbl2VnI3QaUOX-bjEUfeluvpnUE5J10_D-IbOTxwogfljSc/s1600/2017-12-09+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5VM6d4XAYIWEGF2nElIHClz4LmQqvT0iKO5fGEecrBMyI9x_tKvNCxpWOD1MHzZoqzf0lkyWksA1vrwg1KFq1f62Mq0CEbl2VnI3QaUOX-bjEUfeluvpnUE5J10_D-IbOTxwogfljSc/s320/2017-12-09+021.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODeRoBHYg2zHoiBFzTCe9lQteSprBesH53qSxxVE-56CtcVwXQvTOnq79DphFN8qagywVKzl58LzUHcD2SnIIpOZ-HHWJIlPpWUYMzkUoz4VrTGd5m2c1OJtdo7vsgKCLrr2WKn6zSi4/s1600/2017-12-09+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODeRoBHYg2zHoiBFzTCe9lQteSprBesH53qSxxVE-56CtcVwXQvTOnq79DphFN8qagywVKzl58LzUHcD2SnIIpOZ-HHWJIlPpWUYMzkUoz4VrTGd5m2c1OJtdo7vsgKCLrr2WKn6zSi4/s320/2017-12-09+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtKwbV8lEZnYryzzbclLD3NznWKXOvLLb8GoU62xImGq_yvvf1arnTobYHuPxGVInv-ubCzZ9jQSTmC1H8omCIkRm_CXLJVOvmx1u2of09XgXJrjn6QCjBqHfLKWWVevaHqTRlyfdHIA/s1600/2017-12-09+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtKwbV8lEZnYryzzbclLD3NznWKXOvLLb8GoU62xImGq_yvvf1arnTobYHuPxGVInv-ubCzZ9jQSTmC1H8omCIkRm_CXLJVOvmx1u2of09XgXJrjn6QCjBqHfLKWWVevaHqTRlyfdHIA/s320/2017-12-09+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l0PJpEVavRZNQ1Y3LkTDv4UOtMJqMXAuvvjO0CPaU0yX8Ac1qM_lmaG-TD2_KV4v6GdsCfnh5Ee3mfMnnmbUq6J4hPw6YXHPryBu_D4gwCtpeTnNfhYQtgrbrhnGgY7epwFUYMYAf38/s1600/2017-12-09+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l0PJpEVavRZNQ1Y3LkTDv4UOtMJqMXAuvvjO0CPaU0yX8Ac1qM_lmaG-TD2_KV4v6GdsCfnh5Ee3mfMnnmbUq6J4hPw6YXHPryBu_D4gwCtpeTnNfhYQtgrbrhnGgY7epwFUYMYAf38/s320/2017-12-09+031.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The panoramic views did indeed live up to their billing in our minds. Spaniard <b>Don Alvar Nunes</b> happened on the falls in 1541, dubbing them <b>Saltos de Santa Maria.</b> The name didn't stick but the Guarani name, <b>Iguacu </b>or<b> Great Waters,</b> did. In 1986, UNESCO declared the region a World Heritage Site. That was followed by its being declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2011.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnljbOjISorNRTc_2faXSkY0fFpVv29qmzvpsaUFuaw1Zfd5OgJ8SszhvH-LD2kSCFrzCEXXyGlaAww_rJWXAfkndtkJcVgFcJ9YKMucQqWwpoXKOAKLoVopp9yi35SWqTUM7Jkq_FBs/s1600/2017-12-09+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnljbOjISorNRTc_2faXSkY0fFpVv29qmzvpsaUFuaw1Zfd5OgJ8SszhvH-LD2kSCFrzCEXXyGlaAww_rJWXAfkndtkJcVgFcJ9YKMucQqWwpoXKOAKLoVopp9yi35SWqTUM7Jkq_FBs/s320/2017-12-09+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Apparently, to see the full force of the falls, it's 'best' to go in January or February when the river is high. As that's also the time when the heat and humidity are fierce and both the Argentine and Brazilian national parks are packed with tourists, we were thrilled being there in early December when the river seemed high enough and we didn't have to grapple with excessive heat.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_yy4uo3wW_rE_rPrk38fymFl5EIITEqn27IPZprvn2N7p608_UesWUAxNTXQlATLXXSLAA-3j7epgAmk9ss4tUHzoqxQYiuAN9VlLuJuNTsk3ENun33WWo_1icgu3mpTJNuUH2GDNjQ/s1600/2017-12-09+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_yy4uo3wW_rE_rPrk38fymFl5EIITEqn27IPZprvn2N7p608_UesWUAxNTXQlATLXXSLAA-3j7epgAmk9ss4tUHzoqxQYiuAN9VlLuJuNTsk3ENun33WWo_1icgu3mpTJNuUH2GDNjQ/s320/2017-12-09+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking at these photos I took almost six months ago brings back memories of how spectacular our all too brief time there was. It was just jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring and every other positive attribute I can possibly think of to see AND hear the force and beauty of nature. We have been so incredibly fortunate to go on some exciting adventures for months on end year after year but our view of and time at Iguazu/Iguacu Falls remain the most spectacular of any we've seen anywhere in this fabulous world!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCv5eiBi-OOxCTnX2wppILvlMQ1hyMmWB3To2gerqrA9mToV6eNwjnRSEN7Wrw8iFq-bQocBXbmC7E_BXMSpu2MEszYLP4hlc0TZgQSz48O164HQkIPZPUrx7H_zpOA4LbgPZxV34Nr8/s1600/2017-12-09+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCv5eiBi-OOxCTnX2wppILvlMQ1hyMmWB3To2gerqrA9mToV6eNwjnRSEN7Wrw8iFq-bQocBXbmC7E_BXMSpu2MEszYLP4hlc0TZgQSz48O164HQkIPZPUrx7H_zpOA4LbgPZxV34Nr8/s320/2017-12-09+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2_Jk-3oXV9tGRm4k5o-XPXvA0vN6yZVM9ndFzyCPupVyVCXx8qPoRsVxRo5_GEQT_mJzJWE72H-9sRW0eUVAgIRrEDkaiSqHRLVgk_PmPYT3l0w2YFK_Or4tqA74K7SP9simSUAUeZ4/s1600/2017-12-09+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2_Jk-3oXV9tGRm4k5o-XPXvA0vN6yZVM9ndFzyCPupVyVCXx8qPoRsVxRo5_GEQT_mJzJWE72H-9sRW0eUVAgIRrEDkaiSqHRLVgk_PmPYT3l0w2YFK_Or4tqA74K7SP9simSUAUeZ4/s320/2017-12-09+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was difficult not to want to just stay put at one of the overlooks as we were just so overwhelmed with what we were experiencing. But kept going we did, always curious what might lay ahead and yet doubtful that anything could possibly equal, let alone surpass, what we'd just seen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxczzEtkWdc99hhKhR6o9Ho4ILey8-kOmSraeT4lkDeEUTJB0uIW03VzueYPpl4V3ID6H9udMVcLvF28U9HMZRNnRbwCWjuOJxwgXGBe9HoRQw3uXwpYvQlkfkK2IH1nPKga2WeGcGUE/s1600/2017-12-09+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxczzEtkWdc99hhKhR6o9Ho4ILey8-kOmSraeT4lkDeEUTJB0uIW03VzueYPpl4V3ID6H9udMVcLvF28U9HMZRNnRbwCWjuOJxwgXGBe9HoRQw3uXwpYvQlkfkK2IH1nPKga2WeGcGUE/s320/2017-12-09+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyRowpagcgjR7CAKWsmRUTbgiVIyoePbfq9r6csMNWrqXzt4PZMzvRJdsoSLgF1rNqKNj_pq_xpTT63cxXdfiva9Rr-72LXEqR6okDkJ8GI2f4XIsqfpmZtSbErPh5FYvJAsEBEakmRw/s1600/2017-12-09+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyRowpagcgjR7CAKWsmRUTbgiVIyoePbfq9r6csMNWrqXzt4PZMzvRJdsoSLgF1rNqKNj_pq_xpTT63cxXdfiva9Rr-72LXEqR6okDkJ8GI2f4XIsqfpmZtSbErPh5FYvJAsEBEakmRw/s320/2017-12-09+047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tDmpQt6511_3p5MZq3xklUGIpuCNY2GbSIiKxr-EVsYTsL5VNGvV4L9t5PYstvbyHndpadH_GSQ9UaTG-G59kh-DcZtsh2Fv7hZYkECVjd2iGqz37bEIQyuZuywuea-Fl0fbJvw2Y7Q/s1600/2017-12-09+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tDmpQt6511_3p5MZq3xklUGIpuCNY2GbSIiKxr-EVsYTsL5VNGvV4L9t5PYstvbyHndpadH_GSQ9UaTG-G59kh-DcZtsh2Fv7hZYkECVjd2iGqz37bEIQyuZuywuea-Fl0fbJvw2Y7Q/s320/2017-12-09+050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A family of coatis making lots of noise in the bushes next to the trail did draw our attention away for few moments.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn40FE_5iVCReSRw5cdm6fKeQRJG0j-DDipl9DFg8DTcrbslxUCgjzuvK7l5RR_BPq6mbnhMxqNIESHs7ffLtqCvF_vsaylE78wC9zSK6JIwXDu9xQ-MPXvohaMhmXeQXxAAuIWAObO2U/s1600/2017-12-09+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn40FE_5iVCReSRw5cdm6fKeQRJG0j-DDipl9DFg8DTcrbslxUCgjzuvK7l5RR_BPq6mbnhMxqNIESHs7ffLtqCvF_vsaylE78wC9zSK6JIwXDu9xQ-MPXvohaMhmXeQXxAAuIWAObO2U/s320/2017-12-09+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtONng4NinCOgPfiIwGIt7Vp497amDit99Oybzzts0iH6HgR0uosrv9X-0O3Yhqc51XntM-5GmSxywR6FIFYBamVjj4Sb4VF9Zeh-F7aHwrLsRjhyphenhyphenDDzLtst7-qcQsj0smZKFteQ8WQ/s1600/2017-12-09+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKtONng4NinCOgPfiIwGIt7Vp497amDit99Oybzzts0iH6HgR0uosrv9X-0O3Yhqc51XntM-5GmSxywR6FIFYBamVjj4Sb4VF9Zeh-F7aHwrLsRjhyphenhyphenDDzLtst7-qcQsj0smZKFteQ8WQ/s320/2017-12-09+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">See those itty bitty people way, way down there? Well, that's where we were heading and we could hardly wait!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_MfvWYHrsX3ES0H7WsFfZXeDgOIEDw6O8iarudvbyREAqm5E8OXUOHnIHPS8FshM2Fi7XJCfMTSsh_MKc3eiTQy7_eXEK7s5wvWViauA4wG6PGCQ_QZrTXWebYtLOMANkQ-SLXFDYFU/s1600/2017-12-09+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_MfvWYHrsX3ES0H7WsFfZXeDgOIEDw6O8iarudvbyREAqm5E8OXUOHnIHPS8FshM2Fi7XJCfMTSsh_MKc3eiTQy7_eXEK7s5wvWViauA4wG6PGCQ_QZrTXWebYtLOMANkQ-SLXFDYFU/s320/2017-12-09+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A mini, mini waterfall caught our eye!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzs9bdXxqyuFmJc8PDbQKpwqf19C29rh_gjaZytxUHe97I5iFH-a60tdR2acPjp95VZdK2DnpcMD5pC7OHH-_TMeQFdHdMfUdIBkrQ4onJ9uKHPkB4SpE1ZyCPZWSN22yD4S5081pRyA/s1600/2017-12-09+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzs9bdXxqyuFmJc8PDbQKpwqf19C29rh_gjaZytxUHe97I5iFH-a60tdR2acPjp95VZdK2DnpcMD5pC7OHH-_TMeQFdHdMfUdIBkrQ4onJ9uKHPkB4SpE1ZyCPZWSN22yD4S5081pRyA/s320/2017-12-09+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTx4T25hbgRRSN3VH1o_PjaNuwDcbkhh8D8oQthe0FVM22nHEWzj7yNdPo2g1AGopBcAk2E4qA0e1RO-ZN6fLG1yfAfV5bom8h17uLv1iHjmnzfeboMvlbWxYcLUugOQIa71ted6rObw/s1600/2017-12-09+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTx4T25hbgRRSN3VH1o_PjaNuwDcbkhh8D8oQthe0FVM22nHEWzj7yNdPo2g1AGopBcAk2E4qA0e1RO-ZN6fLG1yfAfV5bom8h17uLv1iHjmnzfeboMvlbWxYcLUugOQIa71ted6rObw/s320/2017-12-09+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet another view of Devil's Throat that just took our breath away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3qxcdQzUYX5Xhk-WYLg2a6O0s6rR1f2q_8TIIkdcRqu2n1r5gjgSCOKNC7BQyOfNgUOPRGWP_dL3Mfuc_fa76f1oYNo8zqr-J2mQQQYGVeaPsDOyXj6ajMjr0MGZI7fGtnb-VnK3KQk/s1600/2017-12-09+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3qxcdQzUYX5Xhk-WYLg2a6O0s6rR1f2q_8TIIkdcRqu2n1r5gjgSCOKNC7BQyOfNgUOPRGWP_dL3Mfuc_fa76f1oYNo8zqr-J2mQQQYGVeaPsDOyXj6ajMjr0MGZI7fGtnb-VnK3KQk/s320/2017-12-09+063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Tykf2lGlAcyRruSOlL4OeEltjXpAW-H12rL5OBwI2oT9drBYmohD54bqWRFyPfWgU1iMFkDHxpd58-fzfXLJpSfecp6ajRQ-K5sH_3AfR4Zt28Gt1dLM0LudkwtG2Tz5KengmesWzs/s1600/2017-12-09+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Tykf2lGlAcyRruSOlL4OeEltjXpAW-H12rL5OBwI2oT9drBYmohD54bqWRFyPfWgU1iMFkDHxpd58-fzfXLJpSfecp6ajRQ-K5sH_3AfR4Zt28Gt1dLM0LudkwtG2Tz5KengmesWzs/s320/2017-12-09+071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl-LafLzY1qOzIVEaDwJHxpZsKMaqpC6oSyCDqwnQVSUgKLLURAEJWY4_v_oOtRAdVNRS8sL1jWmUjVF2BC3soGdRJpaALs1EiovmkQykuG8x0MF78VvhqBSP3CZmG7op4DWndXCQ19c/s1600/2017-12-09+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl-LafLzY1qOzIVEaDwJHxpZsKMaqpC6oSyCDqwnQVSUgKLLURAEJWY4_v_oOtRAdVNRS8sL1jWmUjVF2BC3soGdRJpaALs1EiovmkQykuG8x0MF78VvhqBSP3CZmG7op4DWndXCQ19c/s320/2017-12-09+072.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmWuS7RpWtEorH-RFtGjHUCeX9_qpWB2CmIaLsyH3lSjZUOLnvQ03nUX209PvpD8iwaoYstkJT9PnyzUpRYRY5BgkBUmflyOmv-VsJsON-xRaQDCP32Ok06_ET0bjCrQEgMXyono1RF4/s1600/2017-12-09+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmWuS7RpWtEorH-RFtGjHUCeX9_qpWB2CmIaLsyH3lSjZUOLnvQ03nUX209PvpD8iwaoYstkJT9PnyzUpRYRY5BgkBUmflyOmv-VsJsON-xRaQDCP32Ok06_ET0bjCrQEgMXyono1RF4/s320/2017-12-09+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq8nyRYs0aPww8fyQxh_1RK-Fv2O8TKSRJ88ptrG362zujXCXFAMZflcTyErz48lYHuNcL8KosOLZr109wwfAfrPX0qITiU-B2q_aSXfbA6Dfrq-GetzR-BMVgPGL2H-WLXoZoHJ4Cz8/s1600/2017-12-09+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidq8nyRYs0aPww8fyQxh_1RK-Fv2O8TKSRJ88ptrG362zujXCXFAMZflcTyErz48lYHuNcL8KosOLZr109wwfAfrPX0qITiU-B2q_aSXfbA6Dfrq-GetzR-BMVgPGL2H-WLXoZoHJ4Cz8/s320/2017-12-09+082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yup, I had my poncho with me, too, but I chose to just get wet and enjoy every moment of it as we walked out to the end of the platform! I could have stayed there for ages but there were plenty of people wanting their own selfies from that spot and we had to hustle back to get the bus for a safari ride.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhOima16imyaNx6lTrXl_UBidp-uG2L0cOzpUS7yI1oplgwtx2H2aow48yCccCB6jjI8LsNe6bhO5El8og7SEeNBo1aWHFBrzriIsnyZ7NkBOOCdfr8QVAM24Lzfzg-gh2npEcK5Gej4/s1600/2017-12-09+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhOima16imyaNx6lTrXl_UBidp-uG2L0cOzpUS7yI1oplgwtx2H2aow48yCccCB6jjI8LsNe6bhO5El8og7SEeNBo1aWHFBrzriIsnyZ7NkBOOCdfr8QVAM24Lzfzg-gh2npEcK5Gej4/s320/2017-12-09+085.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another view of the pretty hotel where we caught a bus to take us to the <b>Macuco Safari.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjt_c0wzV0_I2EgAcpvfMUCeg8_6ms_TQZNCntRO2I4HKmf85t6Wsyh6MhaPWYIvU1Fa3i8_zsbuCgRw6diNfWLlczSE4TPdv4qMPx4hUTU7cAjn7dVoYsPugrQLY_-JOvSsj5xXQgpg/s1600/2017-12-09+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjt_c0wzV0_I2EgAcpvfMUCeg8_6ms_TQZNCntRO2I4HKmf85t6Wsyh6MhaPWYIvU1Fa3i8_zsbuCgRw6diNfWLlczSE4TPdv4qMPx4hUTU7cAjn7dVoYsPugrQLY_-JOvSsj5xXQgpg/s320/2017-12-09+089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4a3x-tCPsWguvR22L54Njea7nG6Jh9dzK325Fo1jyBdb2cbt2FG_7yq3K2JF5ug-CCAphFCCXUMGJ4aLnzoB9bw-Ad1AObPkx9bNRe0ZGTT7WawzhsPSYlDaZ-Lw0fcMtlEG70YLra8/s1600/2017-12-09+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4a3x-tCPsWguvR22L54Njea7nG6Jh9dzK325Fo1jyBdb2cbt2FG_7yq3K2JF5ug-CCAphFCCXUMGJ4aLnzoB9bw-Ad1AObPkx9bNRe0ZGTT7WawzhsPSYlDaZ-Lw0fcMtlEG70YLra8/s320/2017-12-09+091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Safari started with a 3km ride through the jungle with a guide, <b>Andre,</b> who effortlessly switched between speaking Portuguese, Spanish and English while pointing out the park's flora and fauna.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdZNVvoazG-D5_pCH50mNPjC8dR_0K9IEFVN61SRMzELEIooYK6n-za5ee5hCWiSEGxuh8zKLxX1xr52YelFxWttRsKcpTBc13Ymlvd_G2X5zkphgMVhjNDMH73ZtHIJRLgWu0Y8roZA/s1600/2017-12-09+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdZNVvoazG-D5_pCH50mNPjC8dR_0K9IEFVN61SRMzELEIooYK6n-za5ee5hCWiSEGxuh8zKLxX1xr52YelFxWttRsKcpTBc13Ymlvd_G2X5zkphgMVhjNDMH73ZtHIJRLgWu0Y8roZA/s320/2017-12-09+092.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We felt like ants as we craned our heads looking at the tops of the palm trees.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JKYoehYKWY7UUZo34hrPkzuQb7KO2DVv8kKlwlGSweNiqT-Bb07p5ADybMG7rIOvghyphenhyphenJVaS0Tlxo4xCWaZqufU4IVoRcQ629tTbIt8QMQT-46fOeyunZmXn2BoDQ_TpXwlBRC44wE54/s1600/2017-12-09+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JKYoehYKWY7UUZo34hrPkzuQb7KO2DVv8kKlwlGSweNiqT-Bb07p5ADybMG7rIOvghyphenhyphenJVaS0Tlxo4xCWaZqufU4IVoRcQ629tTbIt8QMQT-46fOeyunZmXn2BoDQ_TpXwlBRC44wE54/s320/2017-12-09+093.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Andre explained these were 100-year old <b>timborana trees</b> and were also known as <b>monkey ear trees</b> as their fruit is in the shape of a monkey of course! It takes ten years for the fruit, which are eaten by toucans and monkeys, to grow to a kilo in size.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagKrJw_JqJ0OP488uvuhSUUQhah1QmhDuzn_uxvhMXZHpBwLoTfUqUa7UMa1xg3chna8vA-Yc-CcDweg2OLWbuXxugkZzpbNRn-suTWrycq4bS7bgfXoN4-pnk-Ag__7edYAwVdNBDhs/s1600/2017-12-09+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagKrJw_JqJ0OP488uvuhSUUQhah1QmhDuzn_uxvhMXZHpBwLoTfUqUa7UMa1xg3chna8vA-Yc-CcDweg2OLWbuXxugkZzpbNRn-suTWrycq4bS7bgfXoN4-pnk-Ag__7edYAwVdNBDhs/s320/2017-12-09+097.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This area of the jungle supported 250 species of butterflies, 41 species of snakes as well as large animals such as tapirs, pumas, ocelots and jaguars, oh my, oh my! The jungle had been in private hands until 1916 when it became a public park with only 3,200 hectares. Since then, the park has increased to 185,00 hectares in size.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzDJzYrRBCIz_i8dEQRPnBwcEfloV6WccBumQxNgVs5cMsYgfDIbViBsGNWU_DlAHjTJUWBIbzsUvV0Qz9fdBEVNppg_xyo17aEcvO_5UPgag2FYqPmQO8oaxtM89pAcc7I0Nptg5znE/s1600/2017-12-09+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzDJzYrRBCIz_i8dEQRPnBwcEfloV6WccBumQxNgVs5cMsYgfDIbViBsGNWU_DlAHjTJUWBIbzsUvV0Qz9fdBEVNppg_xyo17aEcvO_5UPgag2FYqPmQO8oaxtM89pAcc7I0Nptg5znE/s320/2017-12-09+102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Andre showed us water vines.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyDuronxQqaP22Cfzf-rojNpQ3IDlAqA3N8OWCxVXz5Q_N-4zBQEMRl12tIX4jnPLhr1x_6gz3QVmofzhYigu3VVMbiIZ_LL7FiFQrUgLEcEdvRzro0HhWQAfxCnFzsVW8rU5vhGVN-M/s1600/2017-12-09+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyDuronxQqaP22Cfzf-rojNpQ3IDlAqA3N8OWCxVXz5Q_N-4zBQEMRl12tIX4jnPLhr1x_6gz3QVmofzhYigu3VVMbiIZ_LL7FiFQrUgLEcEdvRzro0HhWQAfxCnFzsVW8rU5vhGVN-M/s320/2017-12-09+103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The second part of the safari was a short hike to a small waterfall. We were so glad we had insect repellent packets with us as the mosquitoes were out in abundance.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleptAKpzqtWDZtB7NhZAlWEuWXvRbHe78JiMDuU_MAIDwVwMUAHdA17AL7QAIK6tTGJChK8Yxcr7X5Dhtz2CcCFuFl31sehlfd0obeS1yDumJUDJUHs8_g0kt5bvYwJlkjY8A3Bwci-U/s1600/2017-12-09+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleptAKpzqtWDZtB7NhZAlWEuWXvRbHe78JiMDuU_MAIDwVwMUAHdA17AL7QAIK6tTGJChK8Yxcr7X5Dhtz2CcCFuFl31sehlfd0obeS1yDumJUDJUHs8_g0kt5bvYwJlkjY8A3Bwci-U/s320/2017-12-09+109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZur6FXMGAipWNWogX13aL7ranWMQAP9BC0JaQHEBsi-Loxc1x09TtFaaisV0zX1SfWTfI40aRdwBSxyB01IfxtXj3n4T65W7Q0oMXaxPKesiUhBopqFtJC0sWofi9yCwq7-lcxhxEgk/s1600/2017-12-09+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZur6FXMGAipWNWogX13aL7ranWMQAP9BC0JaQHEBsi-Loxc1x09TtFaaisV0zX1SfWTfI40aRdwBSxyB01IfxtXj3n4T65W7Q0oMXaxPKesiUhBopqFtJC0sWofi9yCwq7-lcxhxEgk/s320/2017-12-09+112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Me at <b>Salto Macuco!</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDeTrxInRcJhTw578E4Fvu_W_zmxo8DN4j1QJDe6ZHUCrUZ3c5kiyek0IE3YJtK6uibEjEMi1fq4orC2FNZa1lpwA8-1_1hxpFME64bJUzIBjsqFqVg-q9r5Miqkg7FSFK3WQevUxJus/s1600/2017-12-09+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDeTrxInRcJhTw578E4Fvu_W_zmxo8DN4j1QJDe6ZHUCrUZ3c5kiyek0IE3YJtK6uibEjEMi1fq4orC2FNZa1lpwA8-1_1hxpFME64bJUzIBjsqFqVg-q9r5Miqkg7FSFK3WQevUxJus/s320/2017-12-09+115.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2z9ctagwkb-CMxRO6XwRa7ARLblQgCOoT9ngprMln_f9ImwWh-gKfGwys_DVv02D4XGR50QeNBMGAFx_-6B8QC3X7DyPLHEKyx6ykAeYwfgPWE6H5BxyG2kWE08pP8d_ManDYTj8KE4/s1600/2017-12-09+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2z9ctagwkb-CMxRO6XwRa7ARLblQgCOoT9ngprMln_f9ImwWh-gKfGwys_DVv02D4XGR50QeNBMGAFx_-6B8QC3X7DyPLHEKyx6ykAeYwfgPWE6H5BxyG2kWE08pP8d_ManDYTj8KE4/s320/2017-12-09+118.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I grasped a branch, thinking it was something I could hold onto for balance, only to realize a moment later that the branch was actually a vine and it gave me no help with balancing!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9ZreJjIXJ9OR67DVbg9rhcb-CqfcJpW1KXUSt2KNPZ_0C4GUs2chyGmNrrOSmYymS205eMYOcfxoNi6ipRD8g1bT9P9JhivphkFJHdSmDPVfAIOPuU69obDDQJkBdxVquMMPab8pxcA/s1600/2017-12-09+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9ZreJjIXJ9OR67DVbg9rhcb-CqfcJpW1KXUSt2KNPZ_0C4GUs2chyGmNrrOSmYymS205eMYOcfxoNi6ipRD8g1bT9P9JhivphkFJHdSmDPVfAIOPuU69obDDQJkBdxVquMMPab8pxcA/s320/2017-12-09+119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The most thrilling part of the safari was about to come: a zodiac or inflatable boat ride under Iguacu Falls! First, we had to take a mini cable-type car down to the river though which was fun.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Btkp_L6GBOS69O7r25HGbwcAQ4KTWy8JQCo7xHxHdUwucJUIwSznw4Mr8rSdINyO8pkJ-lD6DQ4wAyt261EbnRoKk3uQGOoV-QD6dfBa6Cxgn9QrJuKQoIAFdrfmzdCrAjFoqkcnlp0/s1600/2017-12-09+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Btkp_L6GBOS69O7r25HGbwcAQ4KTWy8JQCo7xHxHdUwucJUIwSznw4Mr8rSdINyO8pkJ-lD6DQ4wAyt261EbnRoKk3uQGOoV-QD6dfBa6Cxgn9QrJuKQoIAFdrfmzdCrAjFoqkcnlp0/s320/2017-12-09+122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How well I remember how pleased and thrilled we were, thinking we would be the first people on the zodiac until the boat guide then took people from the end of the line. i.e. those had therefore arrived last rather those from the 'beginning' of the line to get on the zodiac! We pleaded and pleaded to get seats somewhere on the zodiac and not wait for another one as we were concerned about missing our flight later that afternoon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl6kjGWzJUSZtiJorpP4uozJqkZ4ezhe8PlOwaT_8He-m4ibUjfSodm17OBhvFazehbaqdgHFlcqGxh-P-Km2gn6DPb-Hd7hBItJywMzB8319DCITr4ESemggCXPrUJNN8ff3ROIidzE/s1600/2017-12-09+124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl6kjGWzJUSZtiJorpP4uozJqkZ4ezhe8PlOwaT_8He-m4ibUjfSodm17OBhvFazehbaqdgHFlcqGxh-P-Km2gn6DPb-Hd7hBItJywMzB8319DCITr4ESemggCXPrUJNN8ff3ROIidzE/s320/2017-12-09+124.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, two seats were finally found but not together. At that point, we didn't mind.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzt0OUum4fAmpyQeaUFilFVaNfe0cQwDLqFDFmvWsJ9pbBbVQaf4n7JoL68WRZJVTTlufaKdiy43JYORLSj3P6N7NNvZimqg1Qek1TgFi-goUuqQrcpBgTbCZ_PiTXu-4c0Vw6ELklqU/s1600/2017-12-09+125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzt0OUum4fAmpyQeaUFilFVaNfe0cQwDLqFDFmvWsJ9pbBbVQaf4n7JoL68WRZJVTTlufaKdiy43JYORLSj3P6N7NNvZimqg1Qek1TgFi-goUuqQrcpBgTbCZ_PiTXu-4c0Vw6ELklqU/s320/2017-12-09+125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The boat ride took us several kms over the flat river toward the falls.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdfJukwJrRwpqwHW1Hz2-XOAOMrb1W39oCqS_Uc3m9hdt4usni45RnqXokreUmVBTKfvODKzmmts1NV2eMQOcDyMUGYbxA-Et4CGcBhKLVErFUlmmQU0wrWUZhdn9p3dgxLOcCO0lDQA/s1600/2017-12-09+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdfJukwJrRwpqwHW1Hz2-XOAOMrb1W39oCqS_Uc3m9hdt4usni45RnqXokreUmVBTKfvODKzmmts1NV2eMQOcDyMUGYbxA-Et4CGcBhKLVErFUlmmQU0wrWUZhdn9p3dgxLOcCO0lDQA/s320/2017-12-09+126.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The speck just in front of the boat was the falls that we were barreling toward. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqaN8TNGEtH7cIIC4jOLaNhFQE0d645H8fRIgzyb9rgNABkuW-VkNBe4UPwyxPCGo8dxdGcrPQF-XkcntbAjqkmCJCBAyZjFaBTkfOTA-CdWMBe7V8fBSS7mHk3oYWZ5eiMlr47mIL20/s1600/2017-12-09+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqaN8TNGEtH7cIIC4jOLaNhFQE0d645H8fRIgzyb9rgNABkuW-VkNBe4UPwyxPCGo8dxdGcrPQF-XkcntbAjqkmCJCBAyZjFaBTkfOTA-CdWMBe7V8fBSS7mHk3oYWZ5eiMlr47mIL20/s320/2017-12-09+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz5I7AV5KzrfS4O0XOxEvA9W5YesHYtH3jo-UioY_m3sN4j9rDzrHIKMb3kolFIWzR3a-fvzmCfysRxSfcULJ40dMvNZArWX65iPK4o8gzxXB7ccikhI-r5tnaT4rxtohuOIyjXAqq5o/s1600/2017-12-09+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz5I7AV5KzrfS4O0XOxEvA9W5YesHYtH3jo-UioY_m3sN4j9rDzrHIKMb3kolFIWzR3a-fvzmCfysRxSfcULJ40dMvNZArWX65iPK4o8gzxXB7ccikhI-r5tnaT4rxtohuOIyjXAqq5o/s320/2017-12-09+137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">More mini falls or waterfalls became visible on the river journey.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxENc90ubHPxIN4uvPjje3H8sWcTbyO1CB5vp1ih_1EzHgo-4oQrv4BHc0n7uHhOLOP1lfXHEj4M34dx0NLmrxG4_oJlBZnYHCKUPHBzVLhYNuNM4CIa1WWMeYvdPkmX3edialYkGNLSA/s1600/2017-12-09+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxENc90ubHPxIN4uvPjje3H8sWcTbyO1CB5vp1ih_1EzHgo-4oQrv4BHc0n7uHhOLOP1lfXHEj4M34dx0NLmrxG4_oJlBZnYHCKUPHBzVLhYNuNM4CIa1WWMeYvdPkmX3edialYkGNLSA/s320/2017-12-09+140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IBBYB4sMnNxjxZeEgjmwZVIUZduqA119g-rBnLDIGuTrENvi97d3Ai_q_zxVZdgCAmjhTTBER6wQvmu670G6jppA2UqHLFfWtXWXcDPqnUTcTWro6dFs19soSDauE_sN8jvsQULMAA0/s1600/2017-12-09+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IBBYB4sMnNxjxZeEgjmwZVIUZduqA119g-rBnLDIGuTrENvi97d3Ai_q_zxVZdgCAmjhTTBER6wQvmu670G6jppA2UqHLFfWtXWXcDPqnUTcTWro6dFs19soSDauE_sN8jvsQULMAA0/s320/2017-12-09+143.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcw6f2dYh6_HkpkWd7zz0KYolVWn3kanNGytbUD-T0DlH6VRR607zqrb8o0EAA0UZ6mrnjF76Rro14fDY3ckHtUAWiqqs5DFw3qJEFiPMCVksgczjjleVpUzZPNvV6FEVbdlqHUdFxyY/s1600/2017-12-09+144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcw6f2dYh6_HkpkWd7zz0KYolVWn3kanNGytbUD-T0DlH6VRR607zqrb8o0EAA0UZ6mrnjF76Rro14fDY3ckHtUAWiqqs5DFw3qJEFiPMCVksgczjjleVpUzZPNvV6FEVbdlqHUdFxyY/s320/2017-12-09+144.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Straight ahead was another zodiac which had left the dock several minutes earlier and appeared to be doing all sorts of crazy stunts in the river at breakneck speed. I remember feeling such a sense of excitement as we were nearing the falls and wondering exactly HOW close we'd get!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkoFjX8gPuxFaI_LRWTZcD22eFrHKC8mkQnj4nBM8gLwW23cVkqOlgQ3z522wduUVYWuEi01O0saiZIDuG638ywDYRCqfCCHXRpjWTz9Jp2sddpqYmIm5Rz4KU9CSGN782NynnxG9qI8/s1600/2017-12-09+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkoFjX8gPuxFaI_LRWTZcD22eFrHKC8mkQnj4nBM8gLwW23cVkqOlgQ3z522wduUVYWuEi01O0saiZIDuG638ywDYRCqfCCHXRpjWTz9Jp2sddpqYmIm5Rz4KU9CSGN782NynnxG9qI8/s320/2017-12-09+149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The falls on the right were the Argentine side.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrnJEbFNGKnlaAXGDwdooyCOp1zByNPz3WIywFxZalL4a3SwWN9oec3bkCa0vKWlySw2ZtgIJG6sIg6Ab5SziKbGthtwHAYIyTdD9uRx6G_EAVdjCov-LdNRqbiEj8GNe_nemWqDkvL4/s1600/2017-12-09+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrnJEbFNGKnlaAXGDwdooyCOp1zByNPz3WIywFxZalL4a3SwWN9oec3bkCa0vKWlySw2ZtgIJG6sIg6Ab5SziKbGthtwHAYIyTdD9uRx6G_EAVdjCov-LdNRqbiEj8GNe_nemWqDkvL4/s320/2017-12-09+150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB5ecRfDHawDGMUL1pPBDJtFMefwPMsUdL3cFICowqwSgKjbvLX4Y-ZIlCFS5r-2f8oq1TEwJNQaD9cewBBHnSD93oYIFzyZuqNmxAqGITtOApn31iXugr0DcviuRfSWAXZQEkIzchzs/s1600/2017-12-09+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB5ecRfDHawDGMUL1pPBDJtFMefwPMsUdL3cFICowqwSgKjbvLX4Y-ZIlCFS5r-2f8oq1TEwJNQaD9cewBBHnSD93oYIFzyZuqNmxAqGITtOApn31iXugr0DcviuRfSWAXZQEkIzchzs/s320/2017-12-09+153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A view looking back the way we'd just come - how still and calm the water was compared to what lay ahead for us!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj21EyXINBP8HuY8eH5ezNM9_CY58eQrb_zlSkGV8QurMmMDuav0NMHlQGme0tPdfFtMK3MCsJy4i1KHyEoAJgeyHkJindZbTjSdnzVyIrji9gWq41_G5cCoT4KmkZMWJdp9TlwVU4vg/s1600/2017-12-09+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj21EyXINBP8HuY8eH5ezNM9_CY58eQrb_zlSkGV8QurMmMDuav0NMHlQGme0tPdfFtMK3MCsJy4i1KHyEoAJgeyHkJindZbTjSdnzVyIrji9gWq41_G5cCoT4KmkZMWJdp9TlwVU4vg/s320/2017-12-09+161.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven was just wearing his swimsuit and poncho which is what I should have done too, probably!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjvTwMJ25wKAPtluqRYRUUbrDReAYkFBsVhJQEP0NkEs69QEbWKdUdJUqWKQxexa0tGPaMgLKmRkbaFe4CQo_awzCjOW2FRPzuZSziD9xj7eOVYzVnfhXwkGk7L8umGdJ8PimgNEjADo/s1600/2017-12-09+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjvTwMJ25wKAPtluqRYRUUbrDReAYkFBsVhJQEP0NkEs69QEbWKdUdJUqWKQxexa0tGPaMgLKmRkbaFe4CQo_awzCjOW2FRPzuZSziD9xj7eOVYzVnfhXwkGk7L8umGdJ8PimgNEjADo/s320/2017-12-09+163.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our boat guide looked supremely unconcerned and nonchalant at what lay just ahead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPIdKS4HKSZ4oAdOIXa6aINPqOR6_rRLmcB-YVmEaWE4dlSBW5bvtDn9LbqAjXvhBsGCfNJgDiAROpPviD0ZzTlABBZw3sV6OI4l5TjkXV2IRZNDY3f5mPUcvjXPdGEew0boqJyoY1wY/s1600/2017-12-09+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPIdKS4HKSZ4oAdOIXa6aINPqOR6_rRLmcB-YVmEaWE4dlSBW5bvtDn9LbqAjXvhBsGCfNJgDiAROpPviD0ZzTlABBZw3sV6OI4l5TjkXV2IRZNDY3f5mPUcvjXPdGEew0boqJyoY1wY/s320/2017-12-09+164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9nNDyIzC0FT2DHE6tBHPej1XnYQkWQM0H362VWqWA6RhBurMAszGn87FCi5C4JJop-qtFUonHLvMUgVr2UHLeaSBXKo0PtIFFZ4qb2XBwdSo1GUzatPcH100GQKRhHtZnSdUdKe9MVo/s1600/2017-12-09+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9nNDyIzC0FT2DHE6tBHPej1XnYQkWQM0H362VWqWA6RhBurMAszGn87FCi5C4JJop-qtFUonHLvMUgVr2UHLeaSBXKo0PtIFFZ4qb2XBwdSo1GUzatPcH100GQKRhHtZnSdUdKe9MVo/s320/2017-12-09+165.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Not much of a picture, I know, but at least I was able to get a sense of the fury and being right in the middle of the falls as we went back and forth, back and forth, under the falls known as the <b>Three Musketeers </b>on the Brazilian side. </span><span style="font-size: large;">What an adrenaline rush it was!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XLFv6DFCiMPUdTk8iypEYsyR9rGU3twCgzzpeKoiZ92SnqsYA8htn1b1wCrDOAIkfUbaSJgKiq2_KerHrdRKVCLAmFq2ZpSAVvEGVL_yRLyePjRY_BUILOV3MGJoeMKaNUUD-zXZxTE/s1600/2017-12-09+167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XLFv6DFCiMPUdTk8iypEYsyR9rGU3twCgzzpeKoiZ92SnqsYA8htn1b1wCrDOAIkfUbaSJgKiq2_KerHrdRKVCLAmFq2ZpSAVvEGVL_yRLyePjRY_BUILOV3MGJoeMKaNUUD-zXZxTE/s320/2017-12-09+167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRI7zN3jbqeiUWn0wcBQ4NtosHBXSEGhlBXThXTAXI18Ee-LjQmYtJ7wrA_R9ZoooHlD5asGz0y-tDaUoAQbMgrcZraiZbvNN7nVeVT_D9bi8mb4niVbenmTmBc4g4tTDKfG-pXq5idU/s1600/2017-12-09+175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRI7zN3jbqeiUWn0wcBQ4NtosHBXSEGhlBXThXTAXI18Ee-LjQmYtJ7wrA_R9ZoooHlD5asGz0y-tDaUoAQbMgrcZraiZbvNN7nVeVT_D9bi8mb4niVbenmTmBc4g4tTDKfG-pXq5idU/s320/2017-12-09+175.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKKZdrWu5DwtKY57GlI6ULQBUB3aa79hHl9CMf9_hfmgwo6mv8Js54b2vaX-rw6cOWUTrbKhTHBOJNamU3QkUEy-BqOMyLMaxUADw9ORi5gtRUFL9WvSBYEdE2NCeJ2w2KStHOfTpLs0/s1600/2017-12-09+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKKZdrWu5DwtKY57GlI6ULQBUB3aa79hHl9CMf9_hfmgwo6mv8Js54b2vaX-rw6cOWUTrbKhTHBOJNamU3QkUEy-BqOMyLMaxUADw9ORi5gtRUFL9WvSBYEdE2NCeJ2w2KStHOfTpLs0/s320/2017-12-09+177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A pair of drowned rats but at least we were happy, drowned rats after the exhilarating ride! Steven and I later questioned each other about which side of the falls we liked more. I think we both agreed that we were just so thankful we'd been able to see the falls from both vantage points as the panoramic views from the Brazilian side were out of this world and a thrill a minute. But I couldn't imagine spending much more time than we did on that side of the falls as there was just the one, relatively short trail in the park to the Devil's Throat viewing area. We certainly didn't get the stupendous panoramic angle from the Argentine side but the variety of the trails and the proximity to so many waterfalls were also out of this world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbaLYe1f3Z0kIUbUaFJSglJ1v2hmsMya-8w1OAy42VzfMsmk4N_72v4hRGPuo4KNQI9I5Ry4QK6mJJiNHg08QcV6YhrvXLaCkgR_N4rxNFWzmrl9Uga-dvEr5VOwc0taxQhJzzEw7vCk/s1600/2017-12-09+178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbaLYe1f3Z0kIUbUaFJSglJ1v2hmsMya-8w1OAy42VzfMsmk4N_72v4hRGPuo4KNQI9I5Ry4QK6mJJiNHg08QcV6YhrvXLaCkgR_N4rxNFWzmrl9Uga-dvEr5VOwc0taxQhJzzEw7vCk/s320/2017-12-09+178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After trying to dry off somewhat, we took the cable-type car up the incline railway from the dock. We were both concerned with getting to the airport on time even though it was just a ten minute ride from the park entrance. But to get to the park entrance, we still had to wait for a jeep ride to the jungle exit, then hop on the bus without knowing how long we might have to wait for each part of the journey as the jeep and bus rides had their own timetables! Then it was a matter of retrieving our luggage, and waiting again for a city bus to take us to the airport. It all worked fine and dandy in the end but we did have our share of anxious moments when we seemed to have to wait for so long at each step of the way for the next mode of transportation. Plus, we sure didn't want to miss another flight as we had just done a couple of days before!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b25aSUPtNLZq5-LIXD2o__dM5nFemXpe4yBttkYRv2sCiIaVojsbam7jjZBPaiSDdYK8heJ78e5YygpZJZvTpxxt3L-KZ12sVvZb_G1MUBMTvsMkAQTTABE8zuplVw440cyVzVN6wd0/s1600/2017-12-09+179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b25aSUPtNLZq5-LIXD2o__dM5nFemXpe4yBttkYRv2sCiIaVojsbam7jjZBPaiSDdYK8heJ78e5YygpZJZvTpxxt3L-KZ12sVvZb_G1MUBMTvsMkAQTTABE8zuplVw440cyVzVN6wd0/s320/2017-12-09+179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It's easy to say our visits to both the Argentine and Brazilian sides of the magical Iguazu Falls had been beyond our wildest dreams. Our all too brief time there will live forever in my memory.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbQuNSUKDCjWoHnA9kBqrrHh_YM4Eh9iOpe9sm10fwRX3weC2WaWSR8gE_S4f_njt75LJpCR6h_YafR1G5ZeVWw7kdcXqrRFBe8QADhB1pRTPLsFryh-y3-N3B2Pvwt4BQTYjXSsK5ds/s1600/2017-12-09+183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbQuNSUKDCjWoHnA9kBqrrHh_YM4Eh9iOpe9sm10fwRX3weC2WaWSR8gE_S4f_njt75LJpCR6h_YafR1G5ZeVWw7kdcXqrRFBe8QADhB1pRTPLsFryh-y3-N3B2Pvwt4BQTYjXSsK5ds/s320/2017-12-09+183.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> The Highs and Lows of Sao Paulo.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 27th, 2018, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after Tropical Storm forced us to evacuate from Grayton Beach State Park in Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-89071724026916453042018-05-25T22:51:00.000-06:002018-08-11T17:18:34.856-06:0012/8: Iguazu Falls, Argentina - Wow o Wow!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Until we researched our trip to South America, we hadn't known that <b>Iguazu Falls</b> were easily reached from either side of the Argentine-Brazilian border as well as from nearby Paraguay. Flying from Buenos Aires yesterday to <b>Puerto Iguazu,</b> the town nearest the Argentine side of the falls brought us within spitting distance as my English mum would have said to <b>Parque Nacional Iguazu.</b> We had hoped to spend several hours at of one of the planet's most awe-inspiring sights the previous afternoon but our stupidity made that impossible when we first went to the wrong airport in Buenos Aires.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After entering the national park, it was tempting to head straight for the falls but we decided to go to the park's interpretive center first to get an appreciation of the park and its history. Ten thousand years ago, groups of hunter-gatherers occupied the forests of the Upper Parana and Iguazu rivers. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Guarani </span><span style="font-size: large;">people </span><span style="font-size: large;">entered the region 700 years ago in search of 'The Land Without Evil.' </span><span style="font-size: large;">Coming from the Amazon region, the Guarani traveled along rivers in search of the paradise promised to them by their gods in dreams. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Guarani were known as the 'Lords of the Forest and its Rivers.'</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqd990f35rFsNTUQ3FLkS0gOJW2NTxRFHfNxsYsgOkLh1nQIBi77UDjxXeEA2ifPiv0w8sAI2yLUuR-BWDJHM53XbskGTfu9yOyz4-zcKYoQz97xWatNbQAHzM-SzxLZAdSiORKU9WRgw/s1600/2017-12-08+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqd990f35rFsNTUQ3FLkS0gOJW2NTxRFHfNxsYsgOkLh1nQIBi77UDjxXeEA2ifPiv0w8sAI2yLUuR-BWDJHM53XbskGTfu9yOyz4-zcKYoQz97xWatNbQAHzM-SzxLZAdSiORKU9WRgw/s320/2017-12-08+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">According to Guarani tradition, the falls originated when a warrior named</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <b>Caroba</b> incurred the wrath of a forest god by escaping downriver in a canoe with a young girl, <b>Naipur,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">with whom the god was infatuated. Enraged, the god caused the riverbed to collapse in front of the lovers, producing a line of precipitous falls over which Naipur fell and, at the base, turned into a rock. Caroba survived as a tree overlooking it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP_L1jty5qxrjuUPaDAChUeB8Q9IL2ZtQQS2j6na4YxyKR5HQaw150nl8uouMeYkh9Quh0IdfFqUx5Q411a1dr9KpWONdGHpT3XlvvPkqG_OpJr4h9AiOi5xtmcjSBB7ctrH38dyEKq8/s1600/2017-12-08+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP_L1jty5qxrjuUPaDAChUeB8Q9IL2ZtQQS2j6na4YxyKR5HQaw150nl8uouMeYkh9Quh0IdfFqUx5Q411a1dr9KpWONdGHpT3XlvvPkqG_OpJr4h9AiOi5xtmcjSBB7ctrH38dyEKq8/s320/2017-12-08+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">To the Guarani, plants and animals were objects of respect and devotion. Nobody was idle in Guarani way of life. Men and women shared the community's daily responsibilities.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRaqJoY45XlmHzBBC0-P0KwnvziNUzU7Ow-garJgBAdmq0fHFEptoysTfx0Q3W_mCrBrcBtfQ_RANjZtXBGWSRE3gPa3JB9Bnv77nQOoSuGc0DsW2AG_NPaByjbglB-sT3dumSoGmudA/s1600/2017-12-08+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRaqJoY45XlmHzBBC0-P0KwnvziNUzU7Ow-garJgBAdmq0fHFEptoysTfx0Q3W_mCrBrcBtfQ_RANjZtXBGWSRE3gPa3JB9Bnv77nQOoSuGc0DsW2AG_NPaByjbglB-sT3dumSoGmudA/s320/2017-12-08+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The forests were critical to the Guarani people as it was where they lived, their hunting ground, their pharmacy and their pantry. From the forests, they also got raw materials for making tools and utensils. They settled near rivers and moved every three years or so when the soil became exhausted and to allow the forests to grow back. They cultivated plants such as tobacco, manioc and maize they had brought with them on their migration from distant lands. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57Dynunf1mtoYSo-Thp6ZlmfpM9dIqr8feQJRQSvN6FNTBobmT8NrZQU5wPTAessNhvBCia60tOgXsPScjeSqSFGh2-GhjgvgLV9-PeE1J-Qpp7Aiv-nmxi61iBwEzi3PRZf5vtsdL1U/s1600/2017-12-08+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57Dynunf1mtoYSo-Thp6ZlmfpM9dIqr8feQJRQSvN6FNTBobmT8NrZQU5wPTAessNhvBCia60tOgXsPScjeSqSFGh2-GhjgvgLV9-PeE1J-Qpp7Aiv-nmxi61iBwEzi3PRZf5vtsdL1U/s320/2017-12-08+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Jesuits arrived in 1608 to evangelize the Guarani. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the <b>Society of Jesus</b> or Jesuits founded 30 settlements which became home to over 100,000 Guarani inhabitants. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Jesuits observed and described the nature of the region and the customs of the indigenous people. The missionaries learned the Guarani language. Rather than teaching them Latin, they printed religious texts in Spanish and Guarani in the missions.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdDZp4rq8gPob99C7j78E5uTq6WQUWHpenqxFbj2GtdSR1WPHZE3ElRYREhUR7shWW6hzKxaUBkccwaCajmR83Qw3xUhfUfN4KxIVLDyLtSVQK5WplzmKpOftzh70rKTfCfPlcb4lFKA/s1600/2017-12-08+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdDZp4rq8gPob99C7j78E5uTq6WQUWHpenqxFbj2GtdSR1WPHZE3ElRYREhUR7shWW6hzKxaUBkccwaCajmR83Qw3xUhfUfN4KxIVLDyLtSVQK5WplzmKpOftzh70rKTfCfPlcb4lFKA/s320/2017-12-08+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Following </span><span style="font-size: large;">the Spanish Crown's decision to expel the Jesuits from South America i</span><span style="font-size: large;">n 1767, the settlements were abandoned and covered little by little by the returning forest.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskfB94QDldutjCBTdDBWyAYMzuoU8MNPUhJDOBNmYVTtQ1gY3k-i44DioSInKGJvqmbsLfK0e9eT2oFr6k1cw3mfTJA85TyzLULMmWg18P6RhgZ97HoxAGWv0gvYjxJkCLlnJkBaqhyphenhyphenU/s1600/2017-12-08+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskfB94QDldutjCBTdDBWyAYMzuoU8MNPUhJDOBNmYVTtQ1gY3k-i44DioSInKGJvqmbsLfK0e9eT2oFr6k1cw3mfTJA85TyzLULMmWg18P6RhgZ97HoxAGWv0gvYjxJkCLlnJkBaqhyphenhyphenU/s320/2017-12-08+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">According to the information we leaned from the visitors' center, the Guarani today are a living people and language. Their traditional way of living is thriving. Their music is played on native instruments and on others often inherited from the Jesuits or others from Spanish descent. They keep up their handicrafts and their dance rituals continue. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we entered the park, a warning sign advised us we were entering 'a wild, natural area that involved risks to our safety and health caused by the force of nature!' We could have taken a brief train ride to where the waterfalls walks began, but we preferred to take the <b>Sendero Verde</b> or Green Trail to get a sense of the park's incredible rainforest.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAICzuAjo7Ru6WtnotAdsohJo4VJRb-F4g5HFJCcVhL84Oe3c_u9rxOK3RWt4WfK7YecLehJ-w4uIvBy10BaZoKOdKAWGtJZ1dT2wcbhNNGCGnuDvBKIm1thMfmIUhPj4tR3Rhr-JccaY/s1600/2017-12-08+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAICzuAjo7Ru6WtnotAdsohJo4VJRb-F4g5HFJCcVhL84Oe3c_u9rxOK3RWt4WfK7YecLehJ-w4uIvBy10BaZoKOdKAWGtJZ1dT2wcbhNNGCGnuDvBKIm1thMfmIUhPj4tR3Rhr-JccaY/s320/2017-12-08+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We read that high temperatures, humidity and rainfall contributed to the diverse habitat. The park's rainforest contained more than 2,000 plant species, countless insects, 400 species of birds, and many mammals and reptiles.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqmA6XmA1qcDvKTB6xFyqPFi3LDfawSLk1zzIqSB8JGT9yMlgIXqtEZppNrdCHNVl1zG8i7eMoqYQ8kKtZw1K1dndQDkhItOtMMXPRNdgfjWOzoNsy7-HVGWNuMkIFhCLwFkf_7t6i6U/s1600/2017-12-08+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqmA6XmA1qcDvKTB6xFyqPFi3LDfawSLk1zzIqSB8JGT9yMlgIXqtEZppNrdCHNVl1zG8i7eMoqYQ8kKtZw1K1dndQDkhItOtMMXPRNdgfjWOzoNsy7-HVGWNuMkIFhCLwFkf_7t6i6U/s320/2017-12-08+043.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHv1FAYBlSvDtYSNlVHsadbso72-CrS5Qubx-Gd_AtcAjMjwrOomO5AP99tn4aa2-ioYNCaPLGEXzP9XmIDnod3U3RWUQEpS91L1Cga_hZkZ-1VmYyvR8JgcPI06NxI-KMBEx5e7PjAg/s1600/2017-12-08+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHv1FAYBlSvDtYSNlVHsadbso72-CrS5Qubx-Gd_AtcAjMjwrOomO5AP99tn4aa2-ioYNCaPLGEXzP9XmIDnod3U3RWUQEpS91L1Cga_hZkZ-1VmYyvR8JgcPI06NxI-KMBEx5e7PjAg/s320/2017-12-08+045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRcbdHDTuUs8ZPC0P1vaUOZkuM7OabQpYFQdGUdPmGlhHe79O_Dk7oOVmPL7Y1c-ApsMXFxFxJuZovPzp-q8WvDqMDt79XONgOQfo5pSvRWK0dxpsKGUeptzDSYY0wT2mtRH_e_PAsec/s1600/2017-12-08+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRcbdHDTuUs8ZPC0P1vaUOZkuM7OabQpYFQdGUdPmGlhHe79O_Dk7oOVmPL7Y1c-ApsMXFxFxJuZovPzp-q8WvDqMDt79XONgOQfo5pSvRWK0dxpsKGUeptzDSYY0wT2mtRH_e_PAsec/s320/2017-12-08+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Coming from the airport yesterday, we had seen numerous signs cautioning people to be wary of <b>coatis</b> - animals that, though used to people, may attack and also transmit rabies to humans through bites, a scratch or a lick. As a result, we gave this one a wide berth!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh_XRd0tJAe0B2am2XSnPZPL0LfaYxSbOiDfpe5Gxdb86DSej5YGqOmeOcaEpwAdNHEYt30Ncs18gXSVn4YAm7blNqMVcQUezeOc5mrEEVPqyGqd-saWt9FboeL8FPcGAJqBHCE_Q3Sc/s1600/2017-12-08+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh_XRd0tJAe0B2am2XSnPZPL0LfaYxSbOiDfpe5Gxdb86DSej5YGqOmeOcaEpwAdNHEYt30Ncs18gXSVn4YAm7blNqMVcQUezeOc5mrEEVPqyGqd-saWt9FboeL8FPcGAJqBHCE_Q3Sc/s320/2017-12-08+047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4DzKRwiRdJvpE37kKRQMTf2dQVyf8EKvVsL8tmXmT5qgPaSN3QvgcWydHNXyJIIGodm14FmsM0soYBFGKfYa6bgSQtY8cWb4nfGXlB3YUCL71BvdARm0PdnRHrO1-4FXyG-mFa3inhI/s1600/2017-12-08+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4DzKRwiRdJvpE37kKRQMTf2dQVyf8EKvVsL8tmXmT5qgPaSN3QvgcWydHNXyJIIGodm14FmsM0soYBFGKfYa6bgSQtY8cWb4nfGXlB3YUCL71BvdARm0PdnRHrO1-4FXyG-mFa3inhI/s320/2017-12-08+048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There were few other people on the path which vastly increased our enjoyment of the morning's hike.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HQIo7Ki1s3yUzRxjrY9qcHweF0S2_SJ_ijbpXfU_UO4GlC_SWWe0_QAnjgdKvGFuJQ3OoHqYJkw1N0WD7klFlpvDe428yua42fAoVz_FgCB15XwTMn8N4Pxs5Du7N6acwGh5pkPTuA0/s1600/2017-12-08+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HQIo7Ki1s3yUzRxjrY9qcHweF0S2_SJ_ijbpXfU_UO4GlC_SWWe0_QAnjgdKvGFuJQ3OoHqYJkw1N0WD7klFlpvDe428yua42fAoVz_FgCB15XwTMn8N4Pxs5Du7N6acwGh5pkPTuA0/s320/2017-12-08+050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzUx2oYd7rYZWikTO37ZK1d9gmsKpdgz1lFtzSNRBFECP9dAyRRVBM8ZcAOQgHbqBkxH7WitJ6qKOko7xdEB5wq4iGPL52kVnUL5OCze2AoaR1_iDWmhfxYWIwGumwOey3TiU61xDaFs/s1600/2017-12-08+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzUx2oYd7rYZWikTO37ZK1d9gmsKpdgz1lFtzSNRBFECP9dAyRRVBM8ZcAOQgHbqBkxH7WitJ6qKOko7xdEB5wq4iGPL52kVnUL5OCze2AoaR1_iDWmhfxYWIwGumwOey3TiU61xDaFs/s320/2017-12-08+052.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhd7zFZD2fmQYt-5x96NDCyFSTWPdvC0zidtzcGpiIaZZbXxfAX47b-DKQrsPImW60w6ZKK_Q8FAUtzDXeXcT0CCE_PGxGV0R6iGRXTFwUV6bJqZ4vu2_YbBYSjLBYRrjTK5p9F7Ntw0/s1600/2017-12-08+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhd7zFZD2fmQYt-5x96NDCyFSTWPdvC0zidtzcGpiIaZZbXxfAX47b-DKQrsPImW60w6ZKK_Q8FAUtzDXeXcT0CCE_PGxGV0R6iGRXTFwUV6bJqZ4vu2_YbBYSjLBYRrjTK5p9F7Ntw0/s320/2017-12-08+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The first trail ended at the jungle train station where we heard the roar of the falls for the first time but we again chose to hike the <b>Paseo Sup</b><b>erior</b> or Higher Circuit to catch our first glimpse of the falls. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIavkqESIdUx83YHj4Sr8c9MQnpUbzp6lr78M3Ope4UOQefLDhXlN0uciHtepsEE1HJibhLSny8UPoqzbGfZ9IjFrWaAUrPuXCaLEQ6Mitr_ItUHqC2KYjJ172Uj8pOp9ad7y7F8a2sU/s1600/2017-12-08+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIavkqESIdUx83YHj4Sr8c9MQnpUbzp6lr78M3Ope4UOQefLDhXlN0uciHtepsEE1HJibhLSny8UPoqzbGfZ9IjFrWaAUrPuXCaLEQ6Mitr_ItUHqC2KYjJ172Uj8pOp9ad7y7F8a2sU/s320/2017-12-08+054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6BoxZCLv8ZifEGnzce1XtHORgrKC5CM7NviqteE0O-FfbN4sxhjnFRBUZK4itKveghveZsq8l4HCyLL9o3jlzq7qJWa2cEa8V21a2ftDDMr0PkopNn9NWJgInDrX_dYHZK8mE2Iexso/s1600/2017-12-08+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6BoxZCLv8ZifEGnzce1XtHORgrKC5CM7NviqteE0O-FfbN4sxhjnFRBUZK4itKveghveZsq8l4HCyLL9o3jlzq7qJWa2cEa8V21a2ftDDMr0PkopNn9NWJgInDrX_dYHZK8mE2Iexso/s320/2017-12-08+058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRvR1g6G5-5WOw73oxJO2zen6NiWgTDgVDriMNPPruPyZZGSkLoCfKj02jGrpeq4-JaMV9U0R3NZzgb17fiYMWqbPgTY320jF-8kYM8h5OOLZOr0ll2UuytfI_kQIrgEY9otP_jewcWk/s1600/2017-12-08+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRvR1g6G5-5WOw73oxJO2zen6NiWgTDgVDriMNPPruPyZZGSkLoCfKj02jGrpeq4-JaMV9U0R3NZzgb17fiYMWqbPgTY320jF-8kYM8h5OOLZOr0ll2UuytfI_kQIrgEY9otP_jewcWk/s320/2017-12-08+059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so excited<b> </b>when<b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">we caught sight of </span><span style="font-size: large;">our first set of falls called</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Salto Bosetti </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">as Iguazu Falls was comprised of more than 270 cascades! When we started out that morning, it had been totally hazy, so we were relieved that it was beginning to clear up and the sun shone. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF3WKP-hQKR1_yukqmCS_zmowKkVCDf6Wzs1Y8AuijlhKXQCyc_7LQqGdJ5-eG1zAYkuLiYsIOcArObZfKO71TKiCgwD8Prp7uAXFK0Jv2Dn6D4E7_rZNxWwo4Lqlf0BQa9ig4S8OAuI/s1600/2017-12-08+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF3WKP-hQKR1_yukqmCS_zmowKkVCDf6Wzs1Y8AuijlhKXQCyc_7LQqGdJ5-eG1zAYkuLiYsIOcArObZfKO71TKiCgwD8Prp7uAXFK0Jv2Dn6D4E7_rZNxWwo4Lqlf0BQa9ig4S8OAuI/s320/2017-12-08+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5qk_tnIfWoU-OpuJTzB3M6vSzqpOdLsVcZfdobgNcd-Jd3QeUTOSy28JF1HNwH9UtQr49syNFzKvSXofPAFn_ur0t6oxjOb9rSqu13lSV5crm_wDfs5d8e5VCH-7A6BSyyQd8YusuX8/s1600/2017-12-08+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5qk_tnIfWoU-OpuJTzB3M6vSzqpOdLsVcZfdobgNcd-Jd3QeUTOSy28JF1HNwH9UtQr49syNFzKvSXofPAFn_ur0t6oxjOb9rSqu13lSV5crm_wDfs5d8e5VCH-7A6BSyyQd8YusuX8/s320/2017-12-08+063.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">What a shame that some park guests had left out trash which attracted more coatis.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PmhEhw3Fxs5kkpVmk1LIsRknIPyc6AeKEFyOXx-4qX6VTOMDg0X-AHOuaDfzpkYgCEZgavbBEp5f6ykziXgDOxEFQHCIWJxUdjkWT2ONyU9t7bzM72PZQN66j7HdbbCFR4o8R7R0s5Y/s1600/2017-12-08+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PmhEhw3Fxs5kkpVmk1LIsRknIPyc6AeKEFyOXx-4qX6VTOMDg0X-AHOuaDfzpkYgCEZgavbBEp5f6ykziXgDOxEFQHCIWJxUdjkWT2ONyU9t7bzM72PZQN66j7HdbbCFR4o8R7R0s5Y/s320/2017-12-08+064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our first view of the panorama was 1,000 times more impressive than our recollection of being at <b>Victoria Falls </b>in Zimbabwe for Thanksgiving in 2016.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwi8VfTLEr7Zo_DRt8PZrcPc8_IdlNukuve3qCw2_FqyuP1XC4T-u53lJ5J9OgMJ_044ZOynsG8WKlhjeWuP9Ho68joK-LT59aD-Hxkxn5_o22VRSEAuqJ7XJsRzu40HMtvpj3EbTXTg/s1600/2017-12-08+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwi8VfTLEr7Zo_DRt8PZrcPc8_IdlNukuve3qCw2_FqyuP1XC4T-u53lJ5J9OgMJ_044ZOynsG8WKlhjeWuP9Ho68joK-LT59aD-Hxkxn5_o22VRSEAuqJ7XJsRzu40HMtvpj3EbTXTg/s320/2017-12-08+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFzcWupZChOjrHMYEUcSYEXDxNOJSG9FqB91lW7BSnfgaDIY7UOBlix5ommpfwI_MbUJlyyHJd-ypg6vZZkAnp3gGE-3Pti_PyZG8nXHwLgq78YijEsVmJNY_MjyoubLIbsc2lIxocEg/s1600/2017-12-08+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFzcWupZChOjrHMYEUcSYEXDxNOJSG9FqB91lW7BSnfgaDIY7UOBlix5ommpfwI_MbUJlyyHJd-ypg6vZZkAnp3gGE-3Pti_PyZG8nXHwLgq78YijEsVmJNY_MjyoubLIbsc2lIxocEg/s320/2017-12-08+071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was hard to imagine a more astounding sight than this as the falls kept going on and on!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRGvbj6ri5iWXCU9tak_6nuwFZLjhfqNyGwJy1pNFCxRH9uNWKtrEVMlcP3WMIXnjqmGCcEZIa_a6xVayvk5zZ8YDa1OurQJbiJqsrvR5l4SercvG1k60ZScl4YePrifn0shrzLnyEmU/s1600/2017-12-08+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRGvbj6ri5iWXCU9tak_6nuwFZLjhfqNyGwJy1pNFCxRH9uNWKtrEVMlcP3WMIXnjqmGCcEZIa_a6xVayvk5zZ8YDa1OurQJbiJqsrvR5l4SercvG1k60ZScl4YePrifn0shrzLnyEmU/s320/2017-12-08+076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were close enough to feel the power of the falls' spray on the trail.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDyuBRl4IAfWnhqPC6BRN0M3F0LR49MWl66mwcy26_7gn9OlAxOirYogljtOYYOZeqyZr3X_AW_v_G6QJcXpkrcx9wAa_t_CV7Deh8nBxgJ_3UX_huLIfVZWGlnDs6bxYQYruVGRkt7A/s1600/2017-12-08+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDyuBRl4IAfWnhqPC6BRN0M3F0LR49MWl66mwcy26_7gn9OlAxOirYogljtOYYOZeqyZr3X_AW_v_G6QJcXpkrcx9wAa_t_CV7Deh8nBxgJ_3UX_huLIfVZWGlnDs6bxYQYruVGRkt7A/s320/2017-12-08+080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2D8g-x17MutfFkwkH3GLsyefYu-ReQcPxN08uHCPynG1t19lCyAwI8jHwxERNHNWFVJ4-6VclJ3q6CEXgjVFiMaGK4DiIGxvcT8k9eaEQ2yvqmq4cGRrLHls3LG13k6qWh0Ygf8G_v4/s1600/2017-12-08+081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2D8g-x17MutfFkwkH3GLsyefYu-ReQcPxN08uHCPynG1t19lCyAwI8jHwxERNHNWFVJ4-6VclJ3q6CEXgjVFiMaGK4DiIGxvcT8k9eaEQ2yvqmq4cGRrLHls3LG13k6qWh0Ygf8G_v4/s320/2017-12-08+081.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMVm7FmMwR02u_dppzIvJk1vVuTl3rveaFN8BYGZhtZLi5YUmWagiRTvfQxWxuXfnJCW_dB7KIAFdnICexzIxHxNAPMQaCv34WxT21SidRWIviDPyzK1vd3RUWKaUCpTC-JnIql2IxNg/s1600/2017-12-08+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMVm7FmMwR02u_dppzIvJk1vVuTl3rveaFN8BYGZhtZLi5YUmWagiRTvfQxWxuXfnJCW_dB7KIAFdnICexzIxHxNAPMQaCv34WxT21SidRWIviDPyzK1vd3RUWKaUCpTC-JnIql2IxNg/s320/2017-12-08+082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At almost every turn on the trail, we were treated to another fabulous cascade.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenGzyvuHBCJKzlGG7sbSiCjEfnpkqDGjSU6Wxno17aGuWiNfXDoB7CkFLEpUdxCcr9Y5hEUTjjd2Xgb9YpQHyh6iPSxL-hS2FDNdT_tRThRbvjOZ6hy6jbFTa4PcOR0iXPaqcAVVHb9A/s1600/2017-12-08+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenGzyvuHBCJKzlGG7sbSiCjEfnpkqDGjSU6Wxno17aGuWiNfXDoB7CkFLEpUdxCcr9Y5hEUTjjd2Xgb9YpQHyh6iPSxL-hS2FDNdT_tRThRbvjOZ6hy6jbFTa4PcOR0iXPaqcAVVHb9A/s320/2017-12-08+083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87fphxugmtZI3QBvbbhv3gg17wrHfiezi8G0cou-o7wkBs5_XNx9e3NIIq7Gj2K73yLA0XdVJd1sbeJhhhXnuNLaljtHk2Injnozzvy80zRv_FanRcrBHVZyDcfxsXKMzHqH2GHwS9AU/s1600/2017-12-08+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87fphxugmtZI3QBvbbhv3gg17wrHfiezi8G0cou-o7wkBs5_XNx9e3NIIq7Gj2K73yLA0XdVJd1sbeJhhhXnuNLaljtHk2Injnozzvy80zRv_FanRcrBHVZyDcfxsXKMzHqH2GHwS9AU/s320/2017-12-08+084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia99EfkROgpHbgeWssnUUPGUUzsL0DfoXN3Kx879VUUfY7Qo4oBif4cDYeIh6b2D16iXGOUXZws2NipXSiB4KaeLIzefUbhQfCEt07TZ5DOfleGRKNFLRU0Y1tOdibXKzswtVMumWMzjE/s1600/2017-12-08+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia99EfkROgpHbgeWssnUUPGUUzsL0DfoXN3Kx879VUUfY7Qo4oBif4cDYeIh6b2D16iXGOUXZws2NipXSiB4KaeLIzefUbhQfCEt07TZ5DOfleGRKNFLRU0Y1tOdibXKzswtVMumWMzjE/s320/2017-12-08+085.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u2O8pbCJ_ccUCR0sO-LJ_i3UTb6kp5h80-GNt-HFowsix6zAsPLuP0ZqEx3o9kIogjxrF4GLUv3a4iGEc-acRCAWdypJwvIeeBU8OyCpK3tdMtt6mlWdWZSV9ja2PzmuByrUr_sXUkA/s1600/2017-12-08+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1u2O8pbCJ_ccUCR0sO-LJ_i3UTb6kp5h80-GNt-HFowsix6zAsPLuP0ZqEx3o9kIogjxrF4GLUv3a4iGEc-acRCAWdypJwvIeeBU8OyCpK3tdMtt6mlWdWZSV9ja2PzmuByrUr_sXUkA/s320/2017-12-08+086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had hoped to take a free launch at the end of the trail we were on to <b>Isla San Martin,</b> an island with a trail of its own that gave the closest look at several falls but unfortunately there had been too much rain recently to make it safe for the boats to cross.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBc8Cv-9u_m07gLRpoRbDQaw4_hNgaMzSMCB0vyzf7proq9zT_vBOlRqB42b4rM0b-fxvfFQ0jaG933HilpyZTMgFFx4h6AJjdw4Ll24G5IhUj52IIdx3jNlpeJsrqJXHle2rJ8BQx0c/s1600/2017-12-08+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBc8Cv-9u_m07gLRpoRbDQaw4_hNgaMzSMCB0vyzf7proq9zT_vBOlRqB42b4rM0b-fxvfFQ0jaG933HilpyZTMgFFx4h6AJjdw4Ll24G5IhUj52IIdx3jNlpeJsrqJXHle2rJ8BQx0c/s320/2017-12-08+087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Can you almost feel the mist as we did?!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvm_HVMDJTUyIslHjmR0ePUy-7oBgGdqmaRMMRms3yFscp5FCTE5-nlX73vn6RNsLWQ583ZcBs-EHCi9wVAv4Om1JBeTVTczhTr23UTZTbOsvqU1rlyZBpliOlLDLIPUEbhi-FjhoY6xc/s1600/2017-12-08+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvm_HVMDJTUyIslHjmR0ePUy-7oBgGdqmaRMMRms3yFscp5FCTE5-nlX73vn6RNsLWQ583ZcBs-EHCi9wVAv4Om1JBeTVTczhTr23UTZTbOsvqU1rlyZBpliOlLDLIPUEbhi-FjhoY6xc/s320/2017-12-08+088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We read a sign that said at the foot of the falls, the water produces a cauldron which undercuts the face. Over time, the unsupported rocks drop away. The basalt rocks we saw below were the results of this slow but continuous process. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWQGH8VIeNK0Boqr5FMyr806CHjCaW5hhaRiEQe5ptnT8VFz1pyycrU4QFqfe9rsMIZUCJ5C1RcFRWMI0dAGjfxLsfI3tPoblCOJanWs06eOGE-3_CibPK3w1Ps8dhq8Q8YAlCDzflow/s1600/2017-12-08+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWQGH8VIeNK0Boqr5FMyr806CHjCaW5hhaRiEQe5ptnT8VFz1pyycrU4QFqfe9rsMIZUCJ5C1RcFRWMI0dAGjfxLsfI3tPoblCOJanWs06eOGE-3_CibPK3w1Ps8dhq8Q8YAlCDzflow/s320/2017-12-08+090.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The trail was absolutely phenomenal as we got so close to so many of the falls or cascades. Everywhere we looked there were more of them.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PyVcEzk8cBg65CfuHZ-631UTvDSZ1bFPi7BEnzhYCi_ok1_baD-C7hTXRRq3P2ea1Jf1ctQWXpaJYGdWec12uGucPQb-C62aNQQcBMxMcsOfVzFblsn2utKfR1pP6T-ADIrZj-JIy2Q/s1600/2017-12-08+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PyVcEzk8cBg65CfuHZ-631UTvDSZ1bFPi7BEnzhYCi_ok1_baD-C7hTXRRq3P2ea1Jf1ctQWXpaJYGdWec12uGucPQb-C62aNQQcBMxMcsOfVzFblsn2utKfR1pP6T-ADIrZj-JIy2Q/s320/2017-12-08+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmAp34qhrEIK4SblPn5CYGqQghIifv_GAGLRLWR23cutLYID-l0hhwz7wd79yqjqe88AdWNQrXhefK8pvJQBc2sc5CMl_TSmeZ3-BcqHL3O9Q-YElg-h0zub_TuwNhabWQFzFDcFtV_0/s1600/2017-12-08+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmAp34qhrEIK4SblPn5CYGqQghIifv_GAGLRLWR23cutLYID-l0hhwz7wd79yqjqe88AdWNQrXhefK8pvJQBc2sc5CMl_TSmeZ3-BcqHL3O9Q-YElg-h0zub_TuwNhabWQFzFDcFtV_0/s320/2017-12-08+094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FyzVVJCImLwri2rV1rTMNjsizvna3bcEbFy3xsLI6O9FyH7zuKwSwUxvy9bJ0B_3YN7xmf6ltYeFHdJxPMCopegX1XYXsKTvjSUq_Tvh1G5UZbePv9cLCCro-R5bi6Mx_RD77Swu3js/s1600/2017-12-08+095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FyzVVJCImLwri2rV1rTMNjsizvna3bcEbFy3xsLI6O9FyH7zuKwSwUxvy9bJ0B_3YN7xmf6ltYeFHdJxPMCopegX1XYXsKTvjSUq_Tvh1G5UZbePv9cLCCro-R5bi6Mx_RD77Swu3js/s320/2017-12-08+095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We relished the good soaking we got as it was hot and sticky! Quite a few people only wore swimsuits but that seemed a little overboard to us.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze9FDN1mj5JQrJmjr_1QCpMGrgtmZ1oN4ifeXqvYORM-sGOrJHpoOXf-hQFp77LX9vDfqY0Sds_c90Vlt3jPmhsC1d0IDGeEM80RNxGgPgwgYUXcLePjYomtsWWbSxJ0hXUpTW7V7SSs/s1600/2017-12-08+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze9FDN1mj5JQrJmjr_1QCpMGrgtmZ1oN4ifeXqvYORM-sGOrJHpoOXf-hQFp77LX9vDfqY0Sds_c90Vlt3jPmhsC1d0IDGeEM80RNxGgPgwgYUXcLePjYomtsWWbSxJ0hXUpTW7V7SSs/s320/2017-12-08+096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another informational sign indicated the forests were like big green sponges as they absorbed and retained water before releasing it slowly to the rivers. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlif8kcMCL1QTl2pBEh73MStqG9Kk0LPikbUPKXtvqYtLL3GGEXLFUp0TwzjzEQMn72GWDNPc17QM_dbxnsQ0m9s9USPUOccL9r_d30nFA3_f2EkKamNZ8GeYmmx6lVuFbZj6f_wk4V0/s1600/2017-12-08+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlif8kcMCL1QTl2pBEh73MStqG9Kk0LPikbUPKXtvqYtLL3GGEXLFUp0TwzjzEQMn72GWDNPc17QM_dbxnsQ0m9s9USPUOccL9r_d30nFA3_f2EkKamNZ8GeYmmx6lVuFbZj6f_wk4V0/s320/2017-12-08+099.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1982-3 and again in 1992, the normal volume of 1,750 cubic meters per second more than doubled and washed away whole islands and walkways. Conversely, the drought of 1978 almost dried up the falls.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRroIVvdtC1jR3gvO8LaHtSc9iEXM4ofvpm4HUQciVIudXtPSnkcn4M4Si1Fx3O44m0O4yS5b7Tkohd094a8mbdXN2iqkh0jCoK6EiHJ9NgUZRe0DvEBekjJfTC_bXQPJVgLQKSGah90/s1600/2017-12-08+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRroIVvdtC1jR3gvO8LaHtSc9iEXM4ofvpm4HUQciVIudXtPSnkcn4M4Si1Fx3O44m0O4yS5b7Tkohd094a8mbdXN2iqkh0jCoK6EiHJ9NgUZRe0DvEBekjJfTC_bXQPJVgLQKSGah90/s320/2017-12-08+100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAnGygkBY1j6Kcth6dlq71DKXr5ds6ppI0ARr5UoJKS0VIl4Y_ZtdQOese7bbYUgorejVntxqAmvTQSy4g_oD30rtl5fZ4I_jRGdx_sko67J3_zwXfnTgxeWSTn9TywbPX1ggJA7q7w0/s1600/2017-12-08+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAnGygkBY1j6Kcth6dlq71DKXr5ds6ppI0ARr5UoJKS0VIl4Y_ZtdQOese7bbYUgorejVntxqAmvTQSy4g_oD30rtl5fZ4I_jRGdx_sko67J3_zwXfnTgxeWSTn9TywbPX1ggJA7q7w0/s320/2017-12-08+102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Adan Waterfall:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN79ntaTaiEoLCv2zlpPeMB9HoPDfL7crbITYPlZ4-ltWbT8JvHE9jEEFZgvRTbbzp0JjJ4UcP2ZVkD_8oHUZ-HwtiNLGIV5Sa-1rIvr2PG2285cGn38FCbdB2ftRW1KAxu9GH9AqZPrs/s1600/2017-12-08+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN79ntaTaiEoLCv2zlpPeMB9HoPDfL7crbITYPlZ4-ltWbT8JvHE9jEEFZgvRTbbzp0JjJ4UcP2ZVkD_8oHUZ-HwtiNLGIV5Sa-1rIvr2PG2285cGn38FCbdB2ftRW1KAxu9GH9AqZPrs/s320/2017-12-08+103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">More coati sightings!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKlTq__xiR2iGck-8Lr8k-J0q8RQ43zBqFSB566W8ccFhiG8zOA_BCs7CcUxILezSDIIYQdgS2AX42cdGzduVnTvFdbZm7jcuUAVxCdcLnUtBClFa3D1u_V4d6Y7rP6CParumosnL0mw/s1600/2017-12-08+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKlTq__xiR2iGck-8Lr8k-J0q8RQ43zBqFSB566W8ccFhiG8zOA_BCs7CcUxILezSDIIYQdgS2AX42cdGzduVnTvFdbZm7jcuUAVxCdcLnUtBClFa3D1u_V4d6Y7rP6CParumosnL0mw/s320/2017-12-08+106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsKa7as9j5hAqV2gIuRcCwYJwErQNdJi5AJ1QtLfN_y0Cgu79Oem_kpr78peXIHcF6ar0Pr0feNOTL8CpgRMgGbiNbMTFmI2-oiWlqPWXym5JF49-K-Jb07eCGt881uFimnI7pj6phUc/s1600/2017-12-08+107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsKa7as9j5hAqV2gIuRcCwYJwErQNdJi5AJ1QtLfN_y0Cgu79Oem_kpr78peXIHcF6ar0Pr0feNOTL8CpgRMgGbiNbMTFmI2-oiWlqPWXym5JF49-K-Jb07eCGt881uFimnI7pj6phUc/s320/2017-12-08+107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_I6J9pGlZreutkshPLMq4YiBzRgiPVEyQjbBk0_2DWzbpWxKg2O8N6NdGreTw4V2V8mUB4Nl834t2Cm5up0-CeOLlwWLLEGQUoCV4kXQAwYroJauE8jUub5-LKBCKNnC-R9m1729BF8/s1600/2017-12-08+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_I6J9pGlZreutkshPLMq4YiBzRgiPVEyQjbBk0_2DWzbpWxKg2O8N6NdGreTw4V2V8mUB4Nl834t2Cm5up0-CeOLlwWLLEGQUoCV4kXQAwYroJauE8jUub5-LKBCKNnC-R9m1729BF8/s320/2017-12-08+108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yqz-UltMe7YwLFcfeiZENCZyD79N8l7n4PeL66Vv_ST46BuLM18aQMCsKrc3h33ZUYoBKLtLay_y9B5Ei3LsFn0UXiM4wJJBbvRA49wgJVXlClTEKEyyJBc8hAnWtACdlCrjxDwi-1Q/s1600/2017-12-08+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Yqz-UltMe7YwLFcfeiZENCZyD79N8l7n4PeL66Vv_ST46BuLM18aQMCsKrc3h33ZUYoBKLtLay_y9B5Ei3LsFn0UXiM4wJJBbvRA49wgJVXlClTEKEyyJBc8hAnWtACdlCrjxDwi-1Q/s320/2017-12-08+109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrLASytIyGAjxI0Zb4VBuDU6M04NMt90eLgBjam8lUu8MEIlZ_Lc_HbgIVvLm5sgSfeIVdQOqQ_OS6bXkPsyTUUPfWbEeY5QLbCFfC-NPgbQz4UwEBdyjCTdb_cPhXhilumxlmYZdsVs/s1600/2017-12-08+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrLASytIyGAjxI0Zb4VBuDU6M04NMt90eLgBjam8lUu8MEIlZ_Lc_HbgIVvLm5sgSfeIVdQOqQ_OS6bXkPsyTUUPfWbEeY5QLbCFfC-NPgbQz4UwEBdyjCTdb_cPhXhilumxlmYZdsVs/s320/2017-12-08+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">An example of where rocks had fallen away from the cliffs and then created mini-islands.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFr71frSJMEDp4NBMBBLX_Hvbaxg5th2n0-KbtQKEpKJ6WcpGg1GJukZtPs44bvvjsHFTfH_cIBqXMf2vGNMoM6BSBCk41UmRQpVs7WqllEdZbMXl3FIUMrh5i1covX7r1Lv3FoVPB8/s1600/2017-12-08+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFr71frSJMEDp4NBMBBLX_Hvbaxg5th2n0-KbtQKEpKJ6WcpGg1GJukZtPs44bvvjsHFTfH_cIBqXMf2vGNMoM6BSBCk41UmRQpVs7WqllEdZbMXl3FIUMrh5i1covX7r1Lv3FoVPB8/s320/2017-12-08+112.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Barely 40 years ago, the waters of the <b>Iguazu River</b> ran clear. Since then, with more and more forests being cleared in most of the watershed, each time it rains, water washes away the unprotected soil which turns the river red. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtaXN9iJyCsaddG4f0zmoCQN-P_i_UAHQPwa4w9Xw4IDiOMsH2-6jfJ5vtyEcTQgRqGgO647rqqDHHTYQPWJjKoGUf8kXfI1lcJPw4g775ZKI3rKE63z1X9zWdbBCO73wY67IawXYrWo/s1600/2017-12-08+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtaXN9iJyCsaddG4f0zmoCQN-P_i_UAHQPwa4w9Xw4IDiOMsH2-6jfJ5vtyEcTQgRqGgO647rqqDHHTYQPWJjKoGUf8kXfI1lcJPw4g775ZKI3rKE63z1X9zWdbBCO73wY67IawXYrWo/s320/2017-12-08+122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The river's cloudiness meant fish cannot find each other to court and spawn </span><span style="font-size: large;">and birds and mammals which feed on fish cannot see their prey. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, dams upriver act as sedimentation tanks which lessen the problem.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5-okXcDdDSXdpOLD0Tfr_ktn2ZIJWmBDbIbYGl5-r01Acj1IUKFN4G0wKUe1-H_KZ-tRnpGeXz0Ose4kJDxIszc8iDpnP-EtYCAq1qhjU886wsU_N4ge7SpjuMT2OW1ES_1vlYOlzwI/s1600/2017-12-08+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5-okXcDdDSXdpOLD0Tfr_ktn2ZIJWmBDbIbYGl5-r01Acj1IUKFN4G0wKUe1-H_KZ-tRnpGeXz0Ose4kJDxIszc8iDpnP-EtYCAq1qhjU886wsU_N4ge7SpjuMT2OW1ES_1vlYOlzwI/s320/2017-12-08+115.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUAJ1JA9SPkw8_MWAlTL7P7pUxNTqsyE1RD26NoOnbgXB2EIu0Zgo-0Ir27trlCgPTEb59XqGeA3rP_vhYj4AVG3JBtZN4_u7X66O7wNGaNvuVW8xw4W2Rbsk9jfASZSAOtY8IGgPMHg/s1600/2017-12-08+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUAJ1JA9SPkw8_MWAlTL7P7pUxNTqsyE1RD26NoOnbgXB2EIu0Zgo-0Ir27trlCgPTEb59XqGeA3rP_vhYj4AVG3JBtZN4_u7X66O7wNGaNvuVW8xw4W2Rbsk9jfASZSAOtY8IGgPMHg/s320/2017-12-08+118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi3Zd2rWgF9JZ5QfDC1vKNW8oUJ61aPX3rt_MFfHqExaqwtMI1sIIUIZFCDLwMNWGZnOHru-gQELBQeDpUcGO1E7px7xT243l5IjUWJ5BfIRYtiS0K1xtAqDQSiuQch58tYrA55pLLuU/s1600/2017-12-08+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi3Zd2rWgF9JZ5QfDC1vKNW8oUJ61aPX3rt_MFfHqExaqwtMI1sIIUIZFCDLwMNWGZnOHru-gQELBQeDpUcGO1E7px7xT243l5IjUWJ5BfIRYtiS0K1xtAqDQSiuQch58tYrA55pLLuU/s320/2017-12-08+121.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A recently constructed final section of the <b>Paseo Superior</b> crossed a large swath of the Iguazu River ending above the powerful <b>San Martin Waterfall </b>before wending its way back across some river islands.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vxICVqUuJXxPGx4FHqjIO8d-L-FIeXGHAIf78XLHbw7d1u4uyswws4nfIt8_N-lyccFAQQt1C5PseURfLucznfXA70-dWhpsuvfA9HfSHh1ktQbizh3IJyvelX59xhRViJyc1twYCVY/s1600/2017-12-08+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vxICVqUuJXxPGx4FHqjIO8d-L-FIeXGHAIf78XLHbw7d1u4uyswws4nfIt8_N-lyccFAQQt1C5PseURfLucznfXA70-dWhpsuvfA9HfSHh1ktQbizh3IJyvelX59xhRViJyc1twYCVY/s320/2017-12-08+123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5-5EzDBbuVuaxWtIgl_n_kbMPop12Y9PKblQjd40RYdPp9EgakWKqJ6Qc0W2orjlX5yrwrO4xI9n5J4eoHPKAQYCX1_vfQU7dHlErGdE-TfVvYTnO_F9z1ZZJwBcSJwkZR196_f5UBA/s1600/2017-12-08+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5-5EzDBbuVuaxWtIgl_n_kbMPop12Y9PKblQjd40RYdPp9EgakWKqJ6Qc0W2orjlX5yrwrO4xI9n5J4eoHPKAQYCX1_vfQU7dHlErGdE-TfVvYTnO_F9z1ZZJwBcSJwkZR196_f5UBA/s320/2017-12-08+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxElhA9P0wYiO7r0AJjSYlmUvQB756kV8eIeTwMWmZIjvv-1tTc-piARMaMIshNkcymgdtVnPL1GiNQ0ueA7Uru1G_D5kt1JTab3AB8qjJcIRYZib3NXZ65I0rSlK7PnD84NsA5VJMpY/s1600/2017-12-08+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxElhA9P0wYiO7r0AJjSYlmUvQB756kV8eIeTwMWmZIjvv-1tTc-piARMaMIshNkcymgdtVnPL1GiNQ0ueA7Uru1G_D5kt1JTab3AB8qjJcIRYZib3NXZ65I0rSlK7PnD84NsA5VJMpY/s320/2017-12-08+131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another warning about the damage coatis could inflict!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1luYQrry_WA9S2Tt8ZOb7k2kCjs688OgF-8c3KIqHNBJNLCCutocCteLF7y0r_lDRbV4bFxzWqaR0FKGBKuFhvfuEuFgGEZ96La-SKHw4W8-_I0_OcE-dsn0L_j54Xr2C3zbyMaQ7Aeg/s1600/2017-12-08+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1luYQrry_WA9S2Tt8ZOb7k2kCjs688OgF-8c3KIqHNBJNLCCutocCteLF7y0r_lDRbV4bFxzWqaR0FKGBKuFhvfuEuFgGEZ96La-SKHw4W8-_I0_OcE-dsn0L_j54Xr2C3zbyMaQ7Aeg/s320/2017-12-08+134.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOGyRCz-ia95b7Kr4YN4ngzfX4CZSiun5Py7qmIAvHakQt-fTvjOUhBjAMOjgN3IcctB1SP_TCWDHTlYr0-c8wCtbLB7jPO17j-8gSAI2dC6Bvj7zzohgJ3Ew3udM47FeCxUJYuUtyIA/s1600/2017-12-08+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOGyRCz-ia95b7Kr4YN4ngzfX4CZSiun5Py7qmIAvHakQt-fTvjOUhBjAMOjgN3IcctB1SP_TCWDHTlYr0-c8wCtbLB7jPO17j-8gSAI2dC6Bvj7zzohgJ3Ew3udM47FeCxUJYuUtyIA/s320/2017-12-08+136.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ73D77q6edzAI5a66BNZKXS0OUi60VXTudxGbdFI9wnpDOQ7uSrjWFwPuyfXAhB31RKOso2bRsmfTv82DX2iuQ0uD8iGu0g9bX196pr9T9iJvhvYu3r8WNF1Pa2u0KRNcdyf3O4DPkI/s1600/2017-12-08+137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ73D77q6edzAI5a66BNZKXS0OUi60VXTudxGbdFI9wnpDOQ7uSrjWFwPuyfXAhB31RKOso2bRsmfTv82DX2iuQ0uD8iGu0g9bX196pr9T9iJvhvYu3r8WNF1Pa2u0KRNcdyf3O4DPkI/s320/2017-12-08+137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbN056PthyphenhyphenZJoOoLXHfqa7_IypY4C7bH7p8sHbPXRFbWW-pPRnxsexUP_wGOSYTm_90i9gPkCWVrOqKNwGHkuq8mKE573rZN_nPLcbrd_r_58rpP4p1AyTohwDMbaPIk8aTxMjnT_99s/s1600/2017-12-08+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbN056PthyphenhyphenZJoOoLXHfqa7_IypY4C7bH7p8sHbPXRFbWW-pPRnxsexUP_wGOSYTm_90i9gPkCWVrOqKNwGHkuq8mKE573rZN_nPLcbrd_r_58rpP4p1AyTohwDMbaPIk8aTxMjnT_99s/s320/2017-12-08+140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After finishing the 1,750 meter long Upper Circuit trail, we continued on the slightly shorter Lower Circuit to see what incredible views it would show us.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYyVcP_5d4ZHxeFfPpVc9GP2X99f9z5fzFclPlbxyy1iiYwPagvtUEmtVQ_KkALcsJsJtJgYmIyScgJbd60Wne3GMcGohA9XMzBi-S4V6MzHU4gSo8D9A9HMzIHsVoxEBYWIiF-Lb1tA/s1600/2017-12-08+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYyVcP_5d4ZHxeFfPpVc9GP2X99f9z5fzFclPlbxyy1iiYwPagvtUEmtVQ_KkALcsJsJtJgYmIyScgJbd60Wne3GMcGohA9XMzBi-S4V6MzHU4gSo8D9A9HMzIHsVoxEBYWIiF-Lb1tA/s320/2017-12-08+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oops - we had to cautious of the jungle train crossing!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws2XYNsKUZ0WJm0FRUNpQwTmas_ciTJPh_pE-LM6WFpuXtMzBIGOZxpciux55UmRCGMCrdd5ieJ_V32FxdRH9abJfDq-9hP8IBGIUusCB9iuKE0qJzJ6kZg7LDFRyKjrpV6vGodKB4uc/s1600/2017-12-08+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws2XYNsKUZ0WJm0FRUNpQwTmas_ciTJPh_pE-LM6WFpuXtMzBIGOZxpciux55UmRCGMCrdd5ieJ_V32FxdRH9abJfDq-9hP8IBGIUusCB9iuKE0qJzJ6kZg7LDFRyKjrpV6vGodKB4uc/s320/2017-12-08+143.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For years <b>Guilermo Larrequi, </b>a determined Basque, pushed his wheelbarrow containing all his possessions around the country. In 1948, he reached Iguazu where he stopped his wanderings. He built a small house and planted a garden with ornamental flowers from other parts of the country. Some of the plants, however, became problem species when they invaded the forest and competed with native flora.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7hzIZDJmBCTNxgwDmaSXrOiD55MJ0uu5uKJeroAw6AoKg7qFBdhzy8GeWRvhrnpyHaXINb_fYYwPwz6Q_XPJbQ_UKPA9B73yHtyS964h4qPZqwq_dtDn-ck9Gl6eUsRX3RU_k1TQS7s/s1600/2017-12-08+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7hzIZDJmBCTNxgwDmaSXrOiD55MJ0uu5uKJeroAw6AoKg7qFBdhzy8GeWRvhrnpyHaXINb_fYYwPwz6Q_XPJbQ_UKPA9B73yHtyS964h4qPZqwq_dtDn-ck9Gl6eUsRX3RU_k1TQS7s/s320/2017-12-08+145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnspir5pNyrB5FzY2eJkmwd82OD5d-46J-f3JJVBHc8uf7qPsAZPBPEpXUKxDtczw6i-bCYJ-YR6h8eEymhBz0fcIh5Li7IfGFIM5kus8jC5JhlAbuOggRjeZ9bZh_UmyKe8F_IphJhk4/s1600/2017-12-08+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnspir5pNyrB5FzY2eJkmwd82OD5d-46J-f3JJVBHc8uf7qPsAZPBPEpXUKxDtczw6i-bCYJ-YR6h8eEymhBz0fcIh5Li7IfGFIM5kus8jC5JhlAbuOggRjeZ9bZh_UmyKe8F_IphJhk4/s320/2017-12-08+148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVzJMeJb2Vb6xwzf_NLGbyAyl3vxY0iuh1K4PEzJDUutXfJAGVTplotMLvUBfzXgjhc1KnR2Bzk36ZiffQCK8JqXQ5DkfkGvZ-TaJjMIcnz-KWn9HKGltwhyphenhyphenqqnTbRMt8y_uOSjhvT5Y/s1600/2017-12-08+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVzJMeJb2Vb6xwzf_NLGbyAyl3vxY0iuh1K4PEzJDUutXfJAGVTplotMLvUBfzXgjhc1KnR2Bzk36ZiffQCK8JqXQ5DkfkGvZ-TaJjMIcnz-KWn9HKGltwhyphenhyphenqqnTbRMt8y_uOSjhvT5Y/s320/2017-12-08+152.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeztfjdqB72JFvQTBgFj0EOlFg_qAo2N9vXzQjdxHVf9CSdEKq88J9AxNTOGRhFS10Xz2KwNSr1Ge2gtD5UGn4B5G9vLx9kEhitm6_GAx5bcACWlsttr62bn6SNf5j5A647Ml4gb4uPs/s1600/2017-12-08+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeztfjdqB72JFvQTBgFj0EOlFg_qAo2N9vXzQjdxHVf9CSdEKq88J9AxNTOGRhFS10Xz2KwNSr1Ge2gtD5UGn4B5G9vLx9kEhitm6_GAx5bcACWlsttr62bn6SNf5j5A647Ml4gb4uPs/s320/2017-12-08+153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our views along the Lower Trail turned out to be as spectacular as they had been on the Upper one.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6mBLVqdefUccJmjddxy207heeC4zFXf8udpYoZyAdMjM13HPMeX1XUM7sKZl0jmUC79j4gjDvrK9P39eNyr6kSi0QC9L9i5RVmonrrAyyLH6SoTznVEZrbOalNkKcsvPh6aPcWhXZ0E/s1600/2017-12-08+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6mBLVqdefUccJmjddxy207heeC4zFXf8udpYoZyAdMjM13HPMeX1XUM7sKZl0jmUC79j4gjDvrK9P39eNyr6kSi0QC9L9i5RVmonrrAyyLH6SoTznVEZrbOalNkKcsvPh6aPcWhXZ0E/s320/2017-12-08+155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoi7wUiDddLqcxLCc0HcyOD3hZJCCxrLfNsbTYrWnpz4nl2_oU9XSg2J8CR7da_a5XdgRKOgvuUzcrxlzy4zcJDDTBS4V8kTBhYQH82OrwCGygQdm4xA1R_yv4rFjQuYXupD9v1JLPwY/s1600/2017-12-08+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoi7wUiDddLqcxLCc0HcyOD3hZJCCxrLfNsbTYrWnpz4nl2_oU9XSg2J8CR7da_a5XdgRKOgvuUzcrxlzy4zcJDDTBS4V8kTBhYQH82OrwCGygQdm4xA1R_yv4rFjQuYXupD9v1JLPwY/s320/2017-12-08+156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXen8AQvy1afwPZHk6pfcvBWhtoO-3cT5fBPIFhoHNyM2PBWv-BkLuArSBcfl6hzTR2FL4jNNa2wZypCcJTFgCa48SbMMQJP8qEuBsRWlG9fBEkZ22cLuwourfXfPGJxmtk_n3irPLKE/s1600/2017-12-08+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXen8AQvy1afwPZHk6pfcvBWhtoO-3cT5fBPIFhoHNyM2PBWv-BkLuArSBcfl6hzTR2FL4jNNa2wZypCcJTFgCa48SbMMQJP8qEuBsRWlG9fBEkZ22cLuwourfXfPGJxmtk_n3irPLKE/s320/2017-12-08+158.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The trail descended to the river, passing delightfully close to falls on the way!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1s2G4TbX2poMe6nHg3IrOTETmGxbWl_AdrLeqebLz1e1OvClN88rLG7uHxZCmsYCFgQkWdCKOFDCbLD8bbbCAoNfGQQs4Di373234DU5-aQMh9jbQdQA4fFyjQ5w6NkWtQg23rJz2G8/s1600/2017-12-08+159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1s2G4TbX2poMe6nHg3IrOTETmGxbWl_AdrLeqebLz1e1OvClN88rLG7uHxZCmsYCFgQkWdCKOFDCbLD8bbbCAoNfGQQs4Di373234DU5-aQMh9jbQdQA4fFyjQ5w6NkWtQg23rJz2G8/s320/2017-12-08+159.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE8OqRW-gnXulsx4QKaL9xVHOmCQ_eus5KhurqBRBKwB2T8MbZ9d8q43K-odSxjhvhnThELeXfH8z9F5toBqOmiPrH2vsD2VC2Gw05KiKjwxi51tW48xsc_4g9izkt9WpvO8h7euy_z4/s1600/2017-12-08+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE8OqRW-gnXulsx4QKaL9xVHOmCQ_eus5KhurqBRBKwB2T8MbZ9d8q43K-odSxjhvhnThELeXfH8z9F5toBqOmiPrH2vsD2VC2Gw05KiKjwxi51tW48xsc_4g9izkt9WpvO8h7euy_z4/s320/2017-12-08+161.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In this spot, we could just detect a musty smell which came from a crack in the rock face where there was a roost of <b>Guano Bats.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-7uDPf3xW9dfHqDH9SWnzQeurwimuu9bqsJXCP1P8kCfY7xX8N7G0RVzMT9PAaBTk6jo0tAUV9wdJT96qblUTO6TeGT-pBo5UEY08VQzk22uxWaup5J2q-pyn9qb0YX4Sdsl7uSt8vk/s1600/2017-12-08+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-7uDPf3xW9dfHqDH9SWnzQeurwimuu9bqsJXCP1P8kCfY7xX8N7G0RVzMT9PAaBTk6jo0tAUV9wdJT96qblUTO6TeGT-pBo5UEY08VQzk22uxWaup5J2q-pyn9qb0YX4Sdsl7uSt8vk/s320/2017-12-08+163.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwR2r2FurB9Mu-H-dCoZvsqyjnZLAYKB9c6A9kJ4wQ50wTDKajCVkGIlOhu61DJ0EIg-kwQwD0zQWDJPMmupWKlD6di57HltpukeopJo-i-o7ZFaNvSk7qKY-yTiRWaXWjblnO5coDfz4/s1600/2017-12-08+165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwR2r2FurB9Mu-H-dCoZvsqyjnZLAYKB9c6A9kJ4wQ50wTDKajCVkGIlOhu61DJ0EIg-kwQwD0zQWDJPMmupWKlD6di57HltpukeopJo-i-o7ZFaNvSk7qKY-yTiRWaXWjblnO5coDfz4/s320/2017-12-08+165.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We watched as a fellow tourist purposely put his backpack down to see what the coati would do. Seemingly, he had forgotten all the signs to be careful of them!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFxerkgKdAWh3oJFqxG_sgYcv5QK1m43qy9-z00o67DDv2UKTmjmoEAn8RouaL9RCdvpej_tHoH-CukIhZttdVdRCCrAJcw2P-Ddn89SrrTSdgabTVhwhjkqmoT2RoNMrz3C3dB48FJM/s1600/2017-12-08+166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFxerkgKdAWh3oJFqxG_sgYcv5QK1m43qy9-z00o67DDv2UKTmjmoEAn8RouaL9RCdvpej_tHoH-CukIhZttdVdRCCrAJcw2P-Ddn89SrrTSdgabTVhwhjkqmoT2RoNMrz3C3dB48FJM/s320/2017-12-08+166.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg0UunSJF9toYBPq0rzEmFIGfUf8do6VCULij0p-_batik1Mml3saEbNvAbNkCUb7C0x0bFV3_KZ8SoozEUcFuxNqQLjpXhhguONTQq0DKePsevcHogdyavAtX1CRAjVtxFzZtmWMS_k/s1600/2017-12-08+169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg0UunSJF9toYBPq0rzEmFIGfUf8do6VCULij0p-_batik1Mml3saEbNvAbNkCUb7C0x0bFV3_KZ8SoozEUcFuxNqQLjpXhhguONTQq0DKePsevcHogdyavAtX1CRAjVtxFzZtmWMS_k/s320/2017-12-08+169.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY9MoFOv_tcRatz_BeiQntI5ftDIHFKhpT2gXjrU-atHp7EtzgKBzLhK3B2PqePkG1qbioV-z23meceOrGcfbR1yxmoJxoj9uzZj1OYW_-CAVZlkuYZtoLgL0EQ1wpMPL5jz8Q48dvkI/s1600/2017-12-08+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY9MoFOv_tcRatz_BeiQntI5ftDIHFKhpT2gXjrU-atHp7EtzgKBzLhK3B2PqePkG1qbioV-z23meceOrGcfbR1yxmoJxoj9uzZj1OYW_-CAVZlkuYZtoLgL0EQ1wpMPL5jz8Q48dvkI/s320/2017-12-08+170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGT_ixaKyFvuLuzkfpK3KNT37hLX1v05nzHRyyjCrb93Q0vmibNajc145eO3w5KUMTIsbu5qn3gtLj_FFJUyhIiGbtuEXjcoOLBsoW2eaTp-a4XHvuJPGfUxU6oSCZp4xmOD33oolxN4/s1600/2017-12-08+185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGT_ixaKyFvuLuzkfpK3KNT37hLX1v05nzHRyyjCrb93Q0vmibNajc145eO3w5KUMTIsbu5qn3gtLj_FFJUyhIiGbtuEXjcoOLBsoW2eaTp-a4XHvuJPGfUxU6oSCZp4xmOD33oolxN4/s320/2017-12-08+185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM7-BmKEgVTUp3W6JnO43m_udNup01C3QFcBie2_XJAgHgQ0uS_rhsq3qMIcl3KLORh4o95a9cpI5yZK3yc8iJvEnYT7ajCpDx_lqGwjHoJHWGbaVo2qzU5pECSOxWV5W9IaQmTSlWW4/s1600/2017-12-08+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFM7-BmKEgVTUp3W6JnO43m_udNup01C3QFcBie2_XJAgHgQ0uS_rhsq3qMIcl3KLORh4o95a9cpI5yZK3yc8iJvEnYT7ajCpDx_lqGwjHoJHWGbaVo2qzU5pECSOxWV5W9IaQmTSlWW4/s320/2017-12-08+186.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVnALK5PcRbO8_PdHV2wzU1uL-ANOhsIlt2r788hnVYmMi7E5nEmE_p7vC3dl4vI09eamLFOnkxIMazpmibAaOgA4THOTPgGLKph3pT1o2aQkeqt8E0sD-515sXoxAhPUpnatSCMaWRc/s1600/2017-12-08+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVnALK5PcRbO8_PdHV2wzU1uL-ANOhsIlt2r788hnVYmMi7E5nEmE_p7vC3dl4vI09eamLFOnkxIMazpmibAaOgA4THOTPgGLKph3pT1o2aQkeqt8E0sD-515sXoxAhPUpnatSCMaWRc/s320/2017-12-08+188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HJWTmgpyZwlibokiYcR0k_4M-ik7ZFSJ2mt4VZyLk3jaurP63KA_X6jHMmvcoVv12dmdGPn0T1tpJC-1X6bTlxT6h88Sw4sD5Hqa7goZk4Qrw-nBbk7UE3mpNDlKiBExOu3_KQcB08M/s1600/2017-12-08+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HJWTmgpyZwlibokiYcR0k_4M-ik7ZFSJ2mt4VZyLk3jaurP63KA_X6jHMmvcoVv12dmdGPn0T1tpJC-1X6bTlxT6h88Sw4sD5Hqa7goZk4Qrw-nBbk7UE3mpNDlKiBExOu3_KQcB08M/s320/2017-12-08+190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2QTZ_nZ2ueEuwebFo94kBHohXrT9zog1KD2D-TA8qS7-_mHi54-MOPZwoTAT-bBvQB7sXiHTHPjsr_iI37HV7KGnSz9Qm5flyr7M-g9oVaLLWbpnig2oioOQjnIZfVam6IzJiSns8vM/s1600/2017-12-08+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2QTZ_nZ2ueEuwebFo94kBHohXrT9zog1KD2D-TA8qS7-_mHi54-MOPZwoTAT-bBvQB7sXiHTHPjsr_iI37HV7KGnSz9Qm5flyr7M-g9oVaLLWbpnig2oioOQjnIZfVam6IzJiSns8vM/s320/2017-12-08+192.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwx3TSXmRkTBSu-5jIRnr3BHr-Cj47wYEucn9PRkUsB_xXrMaUPlsDrPIqkLXDnqEvGI8zF4XRm20RDTzaTWN3dxW8wRUnCveH22VaD7CGac0OxwTF-LyGfI9PF9hCoq_7dW7gKBXq6U/s1600/2017-12-08+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwx3TSXmRkTBSu-5jIRnr3BHr-Cj47wYEucn9PRkUsB_xXrMaUPlsDrPIqkLXDnqEvGI8zF4XRm20RDTzaTWN3dxW8wRUnCveH22VaD7CGac0OxwTF-LyGfI9PF9hCoq_7dW7gKBXq6U/s320/2017-12-08+194.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35k-UsUIlCq-C4s00s1cDBquKOoM0oUbqaPo2T0nbIFJNr9oRzi4Z1kPDsdpJTfQrFDTw-Tfjklknklfl5Ffa8T8H_OD03ER5ZJQwH59JgPkmGPiKPf0RPwHxioWcc-wPE_BqMOzd2yc/s1600/2017-12-08+196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35k-UsUIlCq-C4s00s1cDBquKOoM0oUbqaPo2T0nbIFJNr9oRzi4Z1kPDsdpJTfQrFDTw-Tfjklknklfl5Ffa8T8H_OD03ER5ZJQwH59JgPkmGPiKPf0RPwHxioWcc-wPE_BqMOzd2yc/s320/2017-12-08+196.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM0grz7bShSSL0386zzVusuPxKc2ITlmWd3G8hfMAiJycSApKI8RRan3lOc_0hbRJz-zl1QxnW-6shWNrrwP6u2JYGA3Zb8IyV2U7ShDZjwiN9YPgp1grPWQl-GtVZNLkRaRiJL0531Y/s1600/2017-12-08+197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM0grz7bShSSL0386zzVusuPxKc2ITlmWd3G8hfMAiJycSApKI8RRan3lOc_0hbRJz-zl1QxnW-6shWNrrwP6u2JYGA3Zb8IyV2U7ShDZjwiN9YPgp1grPWQl-GtVZNLkRaRiJL0531Y/s320/2017-12-08+197.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLY6BaKuMhkU8aH1EvSw7fYYiPn-c1n-lHY1b9UdxgC6o0HoyAqmREVG03QYD85Wv2QHW6EHXt_wLISC9VOMfIzwzQS2rg7zCd9X258OQs1ECSkF8kaEYc1_OZQKZEtPBAMFJKSnAAeU/s1600/2017-12-08+199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLY6BaKuMhkU8aH1EvSw7fYYiPn-c1n-lHY1b9UdxgC6o0HoyAqmREVG03QYD85Wv2QHW6EHXt_wLISC9VOMfIzwzQS2rg7zCd9X258OQs1ECSkF8kaEYc1_OZQKZEtPBAMFJKSnAAeU/s320/2017-12-08+199.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA10uQQUTvCW-hNlqB6ae-Q2kY6cpTnqWE8gwpV5tDj3WFh4-CaVVCuHwfL08uUFwxaC_ZHW6IIoeh55032VSuh-nTbMaAZ7BiNZ1yl_L9JcEuWRwnJBRSw861znm5QG95pY0FHlk3cJE/s1600/2017-12-08+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA10uQQUTvCW-hNlqB6ae-Q2kY6cpTnqWE8gwpV5tDj3WFh4-CaVVCuHwfL08uUFwxaC_ZHW6IIoeh55032VSuh-nTbMaAZ7BiNZ1yl_L9JcEuWRwnJBRSw861znm5QG95pY0FHlk3cJE/s320/2017-12-08+201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah - another free drenching at the end of the trail. I loved it as you can perhaps tell from my grin!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9JC91yz3ftMPqOeBBXv4DRWt4avF4V3_1esd2HfJau0t-d3BW83ntyqF80t8If8oPOIGmnj8YlNAVsm3GJl08eI0GhfLeRgfsflqvPxjdnsUZallczaTbWj4nOTgTTVqmAWAKGXR7aw/s1600/2017-12-08+204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9JC91yz3ftMPqOeBBXv4DRWt4avF4V3_1esd2HfJau0t-d3BW83ntyqF80t8If8oPOIGmnj8YlNAVsm3GJl08eI0GhfLeRgfsflqvPxjdnsUZallczaTbWj4nOTgTTVqmAWAKGXR7aw/s320/2017-12-08+204.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-u5pz1uIs3l4A2Ey7NwoMPgql2YCaXET8GtOKlNrEV1Nv4rIkNvGAee_fCsqERuwFUc9jXVCX5tpU3bk7xhuHfY7M6qSrBASeXzIhkFq0_5Iwk8zO5QE1nqtjj1CoeunBTYNajqGUOuY/s1600/2017-12-08+207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-u5pz1uIs3l4A2Ey7NwoMPgql2YCaXET8GtOKlNrEV1Nv4rIkNvGAee_fCsqERuwFUc9jXVCX5tpU3bk7xhuHfY7M6qSrBASeXzIhkFq0_5Iwk8zO5QE1nqtjj1CoeunBTYNajqGUOuY/s320/2017-12-08+207.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On the way back, we were treated to birds cavorting in the limbs above us.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EyELXpRPGj13GvxOFH1S-yYzia1rQ7r0ITfSXn5ZoX40PNYKcRgorlbv8qW0vJ_T9ydzSapaCuP3K8v_9vm-zWNujH2yYofB4gjwVO0uqlvNQF0HdBs-iZO4JlH8U4Ex56fzS3kjnag/s1600/2017-12-08+210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EyELXpRPGj13GvxOFH1S-yYzia1rQ7r0ITfSXn5ZoX40PNYKcRgorlbv8qW0vJ_T9ydzSapaCuP3K8v_9vm-zWNujH2yYofB4gjwVO0uqlvNQF0HdBs-iZO4JlH8U4Ex56fzS3kjnag/s320/2017-12-08+210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSmbaYsaBK0mdBN-QzLOAVy7LzbJnpulw0doi2myKgwekODSwVlRHT3LKZqizbtL39eoitdbH-c2vqNiWxyCvUFAYp196eHQe-A8Jwd0PkPZEq5agQuxuWp8KFzmdvlhaCNBMQf1QkyI/s1600/2017-12-08+211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSmbaYsaBK0mdBN-QzLOAVy7LzbJnpulw0doi2myKgwekODSwVlRHT3LKZqizbtL39eoitdbH-c2vqNiWxyCvUFAYp196eHQe-A8Jwd0PkPZEq5agQuxuWp8KFzmdvlhaCNBMQf1QkyI/s320/2017-12-08+211.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi845H7MAmJrX1TCQ71nHk_D_hDZz8asyJNuA42WFPi5Hvxc5gq0l0dWL67Zg73ltBoGUqHTTW79yuVaKm2v9jENhdZQZ_FYA55zuJYbpUTdjnWmZCBf9xhyphenhyphenaIOHDzpj-H7ZW31GuJEXEQ/s1600/2017-12-08+214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi845H7MAmJrX1TCQ71nHk_D_hDZz8asyJNuA42WFPi5Hvxc5gq0l0dWL67Zg73ltBoGUqHTTW79yuVaKm2v9jENhdZQZ_FYA55zuJYbpUTdjnWmZCBf9xhyphenhyphenaIOHDzpj-H7ZW31GuJEXEQ/s320/2017-12-08+214.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As again we were overwhelmed with one more jaw-dropping view after another, we wondered which falls in the world were considered the 'best.' We were reminded of Eleanor Roosevelt's comment on first seeing the falls, "Poor Niagara!" Some of the park's 275 individual falls were more than 260 feet high and plunged over a 2-mile precipice!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkuWZbmqVlkA8janSWooIeRaS24GHkINHqClpiVIdiNdIFQw08hztxM4KCirM-pf15bcs-0NOzlP8cKt0_I4w1bKICvmwagCtnn-fuyjWcFG8qUg1dP5xc6bX6hJv3H46N2JACGHn034/s1600/2017-12-08+218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkuWZbmqVlkA8janSWooIeRaS24GHkINHqClpiVIdiNdIFQw08hztxM4KCirM-pf15bcs-0NOzlP8cKt0_I4w1bKICvmwagCtnn-fuyjWcFG8qUg1dP5xc6bX6hJv3H46N2JACGHn034/s320/2017-12-08+218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxbUq5rBLW7jD-AScdBJwqY7RVeEE6n6zXoU9IOsT0vCk0yZUkvvbftBZIOTAnbjzylsTP4vxzg3xTExAWcAFfkjU__yl-XlFNyDdbYXLpSrvwR92LxTsBIQShl5UGsOg5CNdmc2Fymg/s1600/2017-12-08+220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxbUq5rBLW7jD-AScdBJwqY7RVeEE6n6zXoU9IOsT0vCk0yZUkvvbftBZIOTAnbjzylsTP4vxzg3xTExAWcAFfkjU__yl-XlFNyDdbYXLpSrvwR92LxTsBIQShl5UGsOg5CNdmc2Fymg/s320/2017-12-08+220.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lb_KNIPodKzXGwCs3rs1G2TXxEYsCsXqbHUkUjSGrKxx9RSX3XYyDjpDOTrhP_EbkdCsFWLdPCSuzLKeTK3HCyiIEwpYGfB0H2eZiYaWolgfrC7PkprOL4UQkUvjZX2PASulvHLeeOA/s1600/2017-12-08+222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lb_KNIPodKzXGwCs3rs1G2TXxEYsCsXqbHUkUjSGrKxx9RSX3XYyDjpDOTrhP_EbkdCsFWLdPCSuzLKeTK3HCyiIEwpYGfB0H2eZiYaWolgfrC7PkprOL4UQkUvjZX2PASulvHLeeOA/s320/2017-12-08+222.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Qd6V4Oi3k1RL1EInZtcVRxtg74PITdGXViY53tceSo5NBioouTuFYJGOqYGHTajjyenFgtxI1hcldfSGAOEx5apKWhxbhsmIXn8SPH3c_MaldDwiirKdlRio1MygVWCG7IPzIEtUBg/s1600/2017-12-08+229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Qd6V4Oi3k1RL1EInZtcVRxtg74PITdGXViY53tceSo5NBioouTuFYJGOqYGHTajjyenFgtxI1hcldfSGAOEx5apKWhxbhsmIXn8SPH3c_MaldDwiirKdlRio1MygVWCG7IPzIEtUBg/s320/2017-12-08+229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bSCCZ2LrqWgRd1hJySeq5ggBc6gDXufRo3vOENpnKJH6x-r4Xgh1g-rhdA54JCWei9nVMIzqy6ztdeXvG_ESDlf5xJbqTEtUdlXzhevEn53Q5-R6czi1KwJYaXVsy7trugppFYwBp80/s1600/2017-12-08+231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bSCCZ2LrqWgRd1hJySeq5ggBc6gDXufRo3vOENpnKJH6x-r4Xgh1g-rhdA54JCWei9nVMIzqy6ztdeXvG_ESDlf5xJbqTEtUdlXzhevEn53Q5-R6czi1KwJYaXVsy7trugppFYwBp80/s320/2017-12-08+231.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, in the late afternoon we took the park's jungle train to the end of the line to the <b>Garganta del Diablo</b> or the <b>Devil's Throat,</b> which was reputed to be one of the planet's most spectacular sights.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXnLx45srHxurYw5wN_LAf1OU_U4c04hvoIEMJ21qA3-PXuShDU-37FJem6d62ZWw9PRDv4Z3FRTPNb5DqrOGZXJeLm8W0xAypPuDNeTUSkvGuvmBnUlrV0KRg0qrh-U7MCjW0rA6b3Q/s1600/2017-12-08+232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXnLx45srHxurYw5wN_LAf1OU_U4c04hvoIEMJ21qA3-PXuShDU-37FJem6d62ZWw9PRDv4Z3FRTPNb5DqrOGZXJeLm8W0xAypPuDNeTUSkvGuvmBnUlrV0KRg0qrh-U7MCjW0rA6b3Q/s320/2017-12-08+232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWIPUQir-IvK-fnhKgdG8XtCc0TZbyWlVtlQF7qf891xIlg3iglInrri0r6MAr7dKUA85_u3lU-bT12dB2R7TRh-uJJcxX2W-J4PAOEVis7ZTYhtulZoUgt9iui3l8QLhi_HV9ZZg0eI/s1600/2017-12-08+233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWIPUQir-IvK-fnhKgdG8XtCc0TZbyWlVtlQF7qf891xIlg3iglInrri0r6MAr7dKUA85_u3lU-bT12dB2R7TRh-uJJcxX2W-J4PAOEVis7ZTYhtulZoUgt9iui3l8QLhi_HV9ZZg0eI/s320/2017-12-08+233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the train stop there was still a 1,100 meter long trail to the viewing platform.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuNx6hS4eJ83UESqA8qXr3VDLxaWAoXkHy0xfEgpr3uxGQsRWLIDIiA8pXCL8IgZ_kjT2enSOI4m3eUfaaAIFfAfweO7xQErghfUcZkJvpJmturehqvofK1lna_NSJEOF7jd9LGFumgA/s1600/2017-12-08+236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuNx6hS4eJ83UESqA8qXr3VDLxaWAoXkHy0xfEgpr3uxGQsRWLIDIiA8pXCL8IgZ_kjT2enSOI4m3eUfaaAIFfAfweO7xQErghfUcZkJvpJmturehqvofK1lna_NSJEOF7jd9LGFumgA/s320/2017-12-08+236.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMaFt9_lg0JkgW1KsoekMuIlYZ_FP1TJhbLHiQEsUofypWpoH_mvROy1b1w2eD_mA3Tc3oqDKlq5gJe-sd5wVqn5fPZGVjTcyC3Isj_H33xsobObyOHEftpi7xIz1cb75CUT3BMXI9Gw/s1600/2017-12-08+275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMaFt9_lg0JkgW1KsoekMuIlYZ_FP1TJhbLHiQEsUofypWpoH_mvROy1b1w2eD_mA3Tc3oqDKlq5gJe-sd5wVqn5fPZGVjTcyC3Isj_H33xsobObyOHEftpi7xIz1cb75CUT3BMXI9Gw/s320/2017-12-08+275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What contributed to making our visit to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls so fantastic were the incredible pathways to each of the park's individual sites which made the falls so accessible.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D6R86wudAcWq5D4Ch4bdo7a3z60lcVL96NPzSIokvNowNshRSka6wmna-OI1IsiR7CUBILOuE5AFSe6JZ4ot0frfR1kAaA3zn59gzRXTu2WOKBusH75e7QxQyJzVAvI4aC3jrSuBXwY/s1600/2017-12-08+274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D6R86wudAcWq5D4Ch4bdo7a3z60lcVL96NPzSIokvNowNshRSka6wmna-OI1IsiR7CUBILOuE5AFSe6JZ4ot0frfR1kAaA3zn59gzRXTu2WOKBusH75e7QxQyJzVAvI4aC3jrSuBXwY/s320/2017-12-08+274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cDn3eAo-UsIPg0_jzdsWGSwkZDDve5cGZVAYnXkgZs_P6hWtwhYFdmS8fZvwWOyouzUpHNuGbNugmi_IYnPo3GT4tZ0kVKfHT6iFLfecRgCUtxNE64lYib7bZd2cXdhcoqGTWX6BWUc/s1600/2017-12-08+237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cDn3eAo-UsIPg0_jzdsWGSwkZDDve5cGZVAYnXkgZs_P6hWtwhYFdmS8fZvwWOyouzUpHNuGbNugmi_IYnPo3GT4tZ0kVKfHT6iFLfecRgCUtxNE64lYib7bZd2cXdhcoqGTWX6BWUc/s320/2017-12-08+237.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The lookout platform was perched right over an amazingly powerful torrent of water where 14 separate waterfalls joined forces pounding down the 295-foot cliffs in a deafening crescendo of sound and spray!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYMZq6kbm_HiTfC1vZZeW9FPtAbauxlU6Hc4CL8iUhh4F3kqvXNPLLbSLatr9RdDIx2IAo1oygD5QwYmsIlWkSbjUvQORWkeVD-TeCsUmaQdd1oc4sOjx9jGrhoXBntACDLnzR2ry35s/s1600/2017-12-08+242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYMZq6kbm_HiTfC1vZZeW9FPtAbauxlU6Hc4CL8iUhh4F3kqvXNPLLbSLatr9RdDIx2IAo1oygD5QwYmsIlWkSbjUvQORWkeVD-TeCsUmaQdd1oc4sOjx9jGrhoXBntACDLnzR2ry35s/s320/2017-12-08+242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1QXjzOoCr0Ms9L7gQs44PQ8pzFnzFwYeP8cUt4BgAg7izd2BiL-EuFSSzP6PJaZM_rQc0-GZxWR0LajbyV3SMy-Ajl8gxeJrDO7qYtLDEa_p8yvFEA-dh4tsS0DaYr75BfNgDE-re-U/s1600/2017-12-08+244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1QXjzOoCr0Ms9L7gQs44PQ8pzFnzFwYeP8cUt4BgAg7izd2BiL-EuFSSzP6PJaZM_rQc0-GZxWR0LajbyV3SMy-Ajl8gxeJrDO7qYtLDEa_p8yvFEA-dh4tsS0DaYr75BfNgDE-re-U/s320/2017-12-08+244.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The stupefying sight was made even more incredible by a perpetual rainbow in the late afternoon, reputedly the best time to visit Devil's Throat.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysvku60QuomiN-s_5q89mHDT6-e_Ts9GF4usjr6FF8yGutzMKZG2k_M18Ylfr8bvCasEg7ThsuoGWZrhiBODIBZxE3xMWwwABJU8q_y7_-wa54p_f9qoGrg_VVOOryskvefF5FGrZbDo/s1600/2017-12-08+247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysvku60QuomiN-s_5q89mHDT6-e_Ts9GF4usjr6FF8yGutzMKZG2k_M18Ylfr8bvCasEg7ThsuoGWZrhiBODIBZxE3xMWwwABJU8q_y7_-wa54p_f9qoGrg_VVOOryskvefF5FGrZbDo/s320/2017-12-08+247.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We remarked to each other that we couldn't possibly imagine a more stupendous natural sight in the world than coming upon Devil's Throat in the late afternoon and seeing the rainbow.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa6jRymbQ1JgbBczltjU4GZI-JpiyjnkqLzUNFYmcTRyLpY38NK-3uGBpO5-5rbPKAzIdjg9HhmIRZIQMCh8Oq91k-tz7cDM_86XZzWoDWHs-fTQ7oWzg2J8k1mMTYEC1pZN6CZVObSE/s1600/2017-12-08+248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa6jRymbQ1JgbBczltjU4GZI-JpiyjnkqLzUNFYmcTRyLpY38NK-3uGBpO5-5rbPKAzIdjg9HhmIRZIQMCh8Oq91k-tz7cDM_86XZzWoDWHs-fTQ7oWzg2J8k1mMTYEC1pZN6CZVObSE/s320/2017-12-08+248.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAQ4TORwMv5K5GbP8mZcvaklj8TgVJM-9-5-pcvwYxJAQpmZR1w-jkiSbWJ8Yergi3s5dL-2cebzhWz_cKb21q1gAx5ydv_PQCvYxRmIqnWZh3Sds8_KZGoG4EFrwI4tWbKP7lhrfdio/s1600/2017-12-08+250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAQ4TORwMv5K5GbP8mZcvaklj8TgVJM-9-5-pcvwYxJAQpmZR1w-jkiSbWJ8Yergi3s5dL-2cebzhWz_cKb21q1gAx5ydv_PQCvYxRmIqnWZh3Sds8_KZGoG4EFrwI4tWbKP7lhrfdio/s320/2017-12-08+250.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M1YrwZxP9Ilzdi6wjFZ9JOYoF09KLmo2UrXTm2blFFxDxkj9TyFjrVSD4M2QqJk7tKMsuUoMicYDL3PTYF6Sz5lBjsguHvQ-kZz5LEJSRSNa4RDQJS0lTnwVp_-bbEjJiY34FfzjU68/s1600/2017-12-08+251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M1YrwZxP9Ilzdi6wjFZ9JOYoF09KLmo2UrXTm2blFFxDxkj9TyFjrVSD4M2QqJk7tKMsuUoMicYDL3PTYF6Sz5lBjsguHvQ-kZz5LEJSRSNa4RDQJS0lTnwVp_-bbEjJiY34FfzjU68/s320/2017-12-08+251.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Behind Steven was the Brazil side of the falls which we would be seeing the following morning!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOWRSNq8_sOEf75OZhglRXil4ocsYVmBQtdB1Y3B_qu_A2CPRb2VKTXaemTX_VT3cDEEoU8YGsIlPOS_G3akQxxTLqbSklEvZOlnbmu09d3JvSp-2BPl7DLg8DAn3EzJWOFhHabQKBQU/s1600/2017-12-08+271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOWRSNq8_sOEf75OZhglRXil4ocsYVmBQtdB1Y3B_qu_A2CPRb2VKTXaemTX_VT3cDEEoU8YGsIlPOS_G3akQxxTLqbSklEvZOlnbmu09d3JvSp-2BPl7DLg8DAn3EzJWOFhHabQKBQU/s320/2017-12-08+271.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0cVvvzVey1k9k0m6Br5spdds598eKIcXGQ_i5jXF-HawmN-H_f9cTswDKEDH9wI2xPwwv3g3dnh5TlSrqo6KtXOkcSQWTslXJjSfYE6zwV6ay-DIGrlPJ_FWVLT149A9rAGnyh9Oe20/s1600/2017-12-08+273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0cVvvzVey1k9k0m6Br5spdds598eKIcXGQ_i5jXF-HawmN-H_f9cTswDKEDH9wI2xPwwv3g3dnh5TlSrqo6KtXOkcSQWTslXJjSfYE6zwV6ay-DIGrlPJ_FWVLT149A9rAGnyh9Oe20/s320/2017-12-08+273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> A very different perspective of Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 25th, 2018, from Grayton Beach State Park in Florida where a tropical storm is threatening our beach vacation!</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-85040597902374224192018-05-23T20:11:00.000-06:002018-05-26T05:27:25.387-06:0012/7: After Airport Mixup, One Step Closer to Iguazu Falls, Argentina Finally!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the places we'd been looking especially forward to seeing on our 3.5 month trip last fall to South America was <b>Iguazu Falls</b> from both the Argentine and Brazilian side. It should have been so simple getting to the Argentine side from Buenos Aires but we almost muffed it totally! Leaving our hotel, we gave the taxi driver the wrong airport to go to in Buenos Aires and didn't realize our gaffe until we arrived there. By the time we reached the correct airport more than two hours after we'd left the hotel, it was only 30 minutes until our flight was to leave. Despite our protestations to the airline's management, we were told that we were too late to check in and that the likelihood of getting another flight that day was slim and seats couldn't be guaranteed for another 28 hours.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven managed to get us seats on another airline to Iguazu Falls a few hours later for an arm and a leg as you can imagine when getting tickets the same day. However, we were both concerned about having as much time as possible to see the fabled Iguazu Falls. I tried right away to cancel our original tickets and get the money refunded but, after waiting on hold for 40 minutes while the Expedia rep talked to the airline, </span><span style="font-size: large;">we were on the plane and had to hang up</span><span style="font-size: large;">. The agent promised to call back but never did. By the time we arrived at the hotel by the falls, the park had already closed. The hotel owner suggested we make the best of a bad thing and visit the</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Hummingbird Center </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">just a few blocks away.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6tOmaQOLxtlzqmhcsfY_RFKPOf4e9ZHCxhrZPZt-B_LqBKKMBXFL76fL_iOl5C62J2LrxLWO6Yx7t8hGRl_qubUFV03B-A2Wr9Z3ijCSlg-23VUy6zMcntVjTkRnF59N3Km-v7vwdcU/s1600/2017-12-07+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6tOmaQOLxtlzqmhcsfY_RFKPOf4e9ZHCxhrZPZt-B_LqBKKMBXFL76fL_iOl5C62J2LrxLWO6Yx7t8hGRl_qubUFV03B-A2Wr9Z3ijCSlg-23VUy6zMcntVjTkRnF59N3Km-v7vwdcU/s320/2017-12-07+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFe6n7VjMo2Hnb0X3wQG_p6lGRird9NxuZqbof-x7cSuw0xSi2IMtS7J6Lw0AQBMts-ssrvOO55h56l7YnHpoEXXmRmt3dJD3f5egDCudhQ6ZolhiEwXCmei15Ih7TxGF2l8zxY4-qfg/s1600/2017-12-07+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFe6n7VjMo2Hnb0X3wQG_p6lGRird9NxuZqbof-x7cSuw0xSi2IMtS7J6Lw0AQBMts-ssrvOO55h56l7YnHpoEXXmRmt3dJD3f5egDCudhQ6ZolhiEwXCmei15Ih7TxGF2l8zxY4-qfg/s320/2017-12-07+015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">To enter the center, we had to clap our hands, the most unusual entrance ever for us!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLO4jqkl7YG18zi7ZBwzpsodqtsSp1Wew0Tq5G0m5FniQ0rE3nfHbmDpDTNGMQV0eDTs1eqavGcVLkLTZZq12X5foIaZPwJSr2wlYQ4RnWW61RN7IoQF2ze_1Fj5TY__IOBDLi0WrDiA/s1600/2017-12-07+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLO4jqkl7YG18zi7ZBwzpsodqtsSp1Wew0Tq5G0m5FniQ0rE3nfHbmDpDTNGMQV0eDTs1eqavGcVLkLTZZq12X5foIaZPwJSr2wlYQ4RnWW61RN7IoQF2ze_1Fj5TY__IOBDLi0WrDiA/s320/2017-12-07+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The garden was very small with lots of feeders on tree branches where hummingbirds gathered.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYQa-3a2GSAh4r74GejECxw1J75J_VjzHv-dpjfCUGvtBAeYjUox6ip51YcZTBYVvOstBaAvEjdicmTr6qJ19oiKnWlky3S72OsbqocJ1Scyc5P0VUYkkWMbbvKE1xJZtSWob0og8uiA/s1600/2017-12-07+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYQa-3a2GSAh4r74GejECxw1J75J_VjzHv-dpjfCUGvtBAeYjUox6ip51YcZTBYVvOstBaAvEjdicmTr6qJ19oiKnWlky3S72OsbqocJ1Scyc5P0VUYkkWMbbvKE1xJZtSWob0og8uiA/s320/2017-12-07+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyC9Jw19Lv8Nty7maEC_ijxL212HQ5MNN74bO2yuH_a1Pid1E7iyey2o7TLrJ3VI5YTnyInM_-OYqkbaSCKi2zWpNSeiBuZB_VghzExj3xZjzoi-0i0KaZyFGv2zJp9a9tszkDMe-nUg/s1600/2017-12-07+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyC9Jw19Lv8Nty7maEC_ijxL212HQ5MNN74bO2yuH_a1Pid1E7iyey2o7TLrJ3VI5YTnyInM_-OYqkbaSCKi2zWpNSeiBuZB_VghzExj3xZjzoi-0i0KaZyFGv2zJp9a9tszkDMe-nUg/s320/2017-12-07+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoujD5YxY-MQIAM0uPhqc56KeSZWHaa5RajIjUkA3SKtvJjdmD7IQc2_0rRpfMqu8Dswdgqtl-RYSSirFt5rUVKDfx96xEVjTI0q7K8cSnnihmyZrehbUm90ja5vsMUYX7t3cxmp3Lfk/s1600/2017-12-07+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoujD5YxY-MQIAM0uPhqc56KeSZWHaa5RajIjUkA3SKtvJjdmD7IQc2_0rRpfMqu8Dswdgqtl-RYSSirFt5rUVKDfx96xEVjTI0q7K8cSnnihmyZrehbUm90ja5vsMUYX7t3cxmp3Lfk/s320/2017-12-07+017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5QbIW40CH94Zn514zMmV7avoL_Ot_XHlhjBx7NI0IFVvZUAbKZFWr7XVeE7j_yEQGn3ZpGEsxw1x1V95zWoCx6qlwu0jvQle6gAtd9VDbzQ54oRQ3DpwiCaD0kdPVxn9dYwPsJR-NOM/s1600/2017-12-07+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5QbIW40CH94Zn514zMmV7avoL_Ot_XHlhjBx7NI0IFVvZUAbKZFWr7XVeE7j_yEQGn3ZpGEsxw1x1V95zWoCx6qlwu0jvQle6gAtd9VDbzQ54oRQ3DpwiCaD0kdPVxn9dYwPsJR-NOM/s320/2017-12-07+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvRiNljFy44KzVPq33q9f5-Pj7XAsc6JzCvi0nQNCFSsnENaraYrStet_U2HK3LiOHXAnGSAGReqEAFVtfMokw6JFEXP1-tKJfnk8KN0Q_vd9R3QhrgAZMQgqJtCQW5o083AsBIe6dbg/s1600/2017-12-07+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvRiNljFy44KzVPq33q9f5-Pj7XAsc6JzCvi0nQNCFSsnENaraYrStet_U2HK3LiOHXAnGSAGReqEAFVtfMokw6JFEXP1-tKJfnk8KN0Q_vd9R3QhrgAZMQgqJtCQW5o083AsBIe6dbg/s320/2017-12-07+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The flowers, many of which we'd first seen in the Amazon earlier in the trip, were as remarkable as the butterflies!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDhB8ZS5UHj2R7bmfjmJArVZ0F42oXokcl8lt-4VztRfdwHvzxvoSPVp6Zm5j2RRXexDxwjZjXzJtqPwrh_YpAgbZafOtgKMdooe_zYPVhhD7TAlpyMnu8hVW07b9MCllM-Ev0gNz7uc/s1600/2017-12-07+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDhB8ZS5UHj2R7bmfjmJArVZ0F42oXokcl8lt-4VztRfdwHvzxvoSPVp6Zm5j2RRXexDxwjZjXzJtqPwrh_YpAgbZafOtgKMdooe_zYPVhhD7TAlpyMnu8hVW07b9MCllM-Ev0gNz7uc/s320/2017-12-07+026.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHbzgWCP4SH2u8U5Q1C-QwCGecXNgwKzM5JePXSvvJ2ibejNIU83X-Tgs-4I5EUF9OOS-6IgiU0fFHN3JwhPCJD6W4RUIzPIvzBAR19bNa2xzB978I3QEj0dESRNeloN6CNfOMciygKo/s1600/2017-12-07+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHbzgWCP4SH2u8U5Q1C-QwCGecXNgwKzM5JePXSvvJ2ibejNIU83X-Tgs-4I5EUF9OOS-6IgiU0fFHN3JwhPCJD6W4RUIzPIvzBAR19bNa2xzB978I3QEj0dESRNeloN6CNfOMciygKo/s320/2017-12-07+028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Loved this sign!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiSDSl001aS3ffH4XvcOUlBGP_R7vKw5yXorM-yhRe-VTjKSi9swygk1kGmRjwwE7BL-xElXmvAyt_r5ve9HaIbXNKYzK97l3Uv060vJlMXqbimnz0riJ7NjvAHi7B9RxAdcWC39yniQ/s1600/2017-12-07+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiSDSl001aS3ffH4XvcOUlBGP_R7vKw5yXorM-yhRe-VTjKSi9swygk1kGmRjwwE7BL-xElXmvAyt_r5ve9HaIbXNKYzK97l3Uv060vJlMXqbimnz0riJ7NjvAHi7B9RxAdcWC39yniQ/s320/2017-12-07+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI9v4C84X8oDni-2EsvK7miVAqc0dTWWwz2YmskwG8g0RfNkvgXaa_vwLvpifHIX30Yrw1bH1O-wXUIgEdp23MKWs4a08hOyCui21wUjLOy7Iihy2nOCAzXnwZS-urgLA6TZc0HQNlls/s1600/2017-12-07+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI9v4C84X8oDni-2EsvK7miVAqc0dTWWwz2YmskwG8g0RfNkvgXaa_vwLvpifHIX30Yrw1bH1O-wXUIgEdp23MKWs4a08hOyCui21wUjLOy7Iihy2nOCAzXnwZS-urgLA6TZc0HQNlls/s320/2017-12-07+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you look closely, you'll see the hummingbird on the lower right. The birds moved so quickly, it was difficult to catch a photo of one.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1guRIKV-8WjlVjGhUNcTOmBCLTRatao5QKNDfPCuqglAsicQBwofObao5F5ngqvQb0P4intV9j9oLw8htqNP3NLGtsBM5FZqvRITtig7GCAsgTeFOpnwqK-J85w7DF-_IhDZGiC8axI/s1600/2017-12-07+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1guRIKV-8WjlVjGhUNcTOmBCLTRatao5QKNDfPCuqglAsicQBwofObao5F5ngqvQb0P4intV9j9oLw8htqNP3NLGtsBM5FZqvRITtig7GCAsgTeFOpnwqK-J85w7DF-_IhDZGiC8axI/s320/2017-12-07+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_SEKNZRPdTZTFtD7UIVcWw2JTWRpUCqsSyJLG8Xr5ZqI8NJtvZrKS82xGFuS3dnD02VSXJQ-k6jLTxE6qAuUYK8hJxxABHwRjQ56zpeHX7ijBngJ9tPCxHSx9G1zooxr5YB-Iet1dNY/s1600/2017-12-07+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_SEKNZRPdTZTFtD7UIVcWw2JTWRpUCqsSyJLG8Xr5ZqI8NJtvZrKS82xGFuS3dnD02VSXJQ-k6jLTxE6qAuUYK8hJxxABHwRjQ56zpeHX7ijBngJ9tPCxHSx9G1zooxr5YB-Iet1dNY/s320/2017-12-07+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Later, we walked through town to a sound and light show we'd heard about.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zZ0Gmo5y3Lwutaxh8JCczVVpzZ_s9Noa9HEIIBcDqTHx5mWVVB7omyOcPZtc6n1cXYwB6-5ONwO5QTBIaXLGDH-aUS398UBI9qnHIFkeNw_kbhqTg3t70aQR-A9A9DmXbBN7OklSpjE/s1600/2017-12-07+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zZ0Gmo5y3Lwutaxh8JCczVVpzZ_s9Noa9HEIIBcDqTHx5mWVVB7omyOcPZtc6n1cXYwB6-5ONwO5QTBIaXLGDH-aUS398UBI9qnHIFkeNw_kbhqTg3t70aQR-A9A9DmXbBN7OklSpjE/s320/2017-12-07+048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjsaKRPm5NoloP1gHhzkYqoJ7SC_Pb_RricYfe_kejXZAenlBasxFlj26-uY2zMKN0S4jDkI68f8fUUZAFzSXG56Jo3MbFrihR0tPMXmaKYEQGnbZfOWesP-aPxlFpQpt86Ml0QJzCrI/s1600/2017-12-07+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjsaKRPm5NoloP1gHhzkYqoJ7SC_Pb_RricYfe_kejXZAenlBasxFlj26-uY2zMKN0S4jDkI68f8fUUZAFzSXG56Jo3MbFrihR0tPMXmaKYEQGnbZfOWesP-aPxlFpQpt86Ml0QJzCrI/s320/2017-12-07+054.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnLOk4qdSkC1mGNkAG2p7Q0x4RnSvxm8cPXMELbkTeJ9iKQ0SOkQZg2T2apIlQUAxNEPWDk49nU1OJXg7zPBTg12VRpDmjDlxa9VwU6kMHB8lfIKT4mfCXBz2wKK9YhHON7ptMlgOYog/s1600/2017-12-07+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnLOk4qdSkC1mGNkAG2p7Q0x4RnSvxm8cPXMELbkTeJ9iKQ0SOkQZg2T2apIlQUAxNEPWDk49nU1OJXg7zPBTg12VRpDmjDlxa9VwU6kMHB8lfIKT4mfCXBz2wKK9YhHON7ptMlgOYog/s320/2017-12-07+055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYo3Ohd5cNy-nv0Vs8Gi-tm4j7dMiAiK7b25ZSfMb-dq9fNT7CqLaTE2qeQWkayJKY7pJ9JA4rBU66hbmreZTZoWqASLW75cS5IGT2dpvupA9QnM9PgyqFLRmPQAAwhtD-YiPc-3tARg/s1600/2017-12-07+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYo3Ohd5cNy-nv0Vs8Gi-tm4j7dMiAiK7b25ZSfMb-dq9fNT7CqLaTE2qeQWkayJKY7pJ9JA4rBU66hbmreZTZoWqASLW75cS5IGT2dpvupA9QnM9PgyqFLRmPQAAwhtD-YiPc-3tARg/s320/2017-12-07+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhju0Zfm3U7sUCHtJzr2ORV1QaCKJmHvJh55f2nL_o8-uiXLRz0QJCTHwe0tE05ZHJCvtRqHHvzW1c8f53kRD9RvEm5f4L3DIHzYqiUmHl2tB13pUE3vWOFxBvZFwnCzuSULuW7OzJ41g/s1600/2017-12-07+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhju0Zfm3U7sUCHtJzr2ORV1QaCKJmHvJh55f2nL_o8-uiXLRz0QJCTHwe0tE05ZHJCvtRqHHvzW1c8f53kRD9RvEm5f4L3DIHzYqiUmHl2tB13pUE3vWOFxBvZFwnCzuSULuW7OzJ41g/s320/2017-12-07+063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKBRoFen4SXk0S4dj0SrUiRYq8IED936yinSB5g0jQ2TBhyok0Sru-VrNgfTDfvzLgjEQhdYIVf2aPwChV-lY9GS-URYIjxWVwnb_dBY75cjaylQeQiebk6XOJwJk581CgMG4oI8Xm44/s1600/2017-12-07+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKBRoFen4SXk0S4dj0SrUiRYq8IED936yinSB5g0jQ2TBhyok0Sru-VrNgfTDfvzLgjEQhdYIVf2aPwChV-lY9GS-URYIjxWVwnb_dBY75cjaylQeQiebk6XOJwJk581CgMG4oI8Xm44/s320/2017-12-07+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We took a different way back to the hotel and passed many murals that seemed to tell stories of life for the underbelly of local society.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9DPYAZ8eOOBNF7eFUI2S_AnqmAAZ_jg8IlbkNy9GtQd5z39IfclJXz1Fhe97UvLwYFkVQJ-E9AxOc8E9xpfIqTUn8964oYIavKOP36D6V51OqVhCTRuiDSKQt0wm46veWX4C_90vsks/s1600/2017-12-07+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9DPYAZ8eOOBNF7eFUI2S_AnqmAAZ_jg8IlbkNy9GtQd5z39IfclJXz1Fhe97UvLwYFkVQJ-E9AxOc8E9xpfIqTUn8964oYIavKOP36D6V51OqVhCTRuiDSKQt0wm46veWX4C_90vsks/s320/2017-12-07+071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDVcV-T-tepDnTq7etLan3kgOG8ySpGl7VViDJiWBof0hSEXks9CYKvVKJaUKJMOe6lx038-NBdSOVcksL9c6Zxj4CA8k86BXXigUMXc6OD3-_lMJt4AM8kNZPCi0IOGMqDunwm6w5yk/s1600/2017-12-07+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDVcV-T-tepDnTq7etLan3kgOG8ySpGl7VViDJiWBof0hSEXks9CYKvVKJaUKJMOe6lx038-NBdSOVcksL9c6Zxj4CA8k86BXXigUMXc6OD3-_lMJt4AM8kNZPCi0IOGMqDunwm6w5yk/s320/2017-12-07+070.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7d50xeVxAfiFy1R6B9qdRfF-9f4SIhBGfTyBFRo_jZnd-fnq1RmJ_NbjAiR2kE1bSLLgavXTVYJjxRkOG1osY-S5xpZs2gRkBqQXhDQ1yvl-StH51rc5sxK-QpeH9ymtMt6vuN76sRI/s1600/2017-12-07+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7d50xeVxAfiFy1R6B9qdRfF-9f4SIhBGfTyBFRo_jZnd-fnq1RmJ_NbjAiR2kE1bSLLgavXTVYJjxRkOG1osY-S5xpZs2gRkBqQXhDQ1yvl-StH51rc5sxK-QpeH9ymtMt6vuN76sRI/s320/2017-12-07+069.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad4sRA_AC0tSUjUxfc1_-_ADymqiE4kdB-gYeyKfqXlPmunLq4lXyk52TSNgU0-1FNViA9njIM1qEpXK1RcQNNkZifgGTDsHTJnkHvZxPH-XvbvJXzk3HBWdP5db7Qnotwz4-VLcU4xM/s1600/2017-12-07+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgad4sRA_AC0tSUjUxfc1_-_ADymqiE4kdB-gYeyKfqXlPmunLq4lXyk52TSNgU0-1FNViA9njIM1qEpXK1RcQNNkZifgGTDsHTJnkHvZxPH-XvbvJXzk3HBWdP5db7Qnotwz4-VLcU4xM/s320/2017-12-07+068.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQLutM8LnCRYs2K8HlOnAp2qGXE5kigHr_pykW6F1cDGfbm_6AG5CjHTsIuO5-t1lVrHBwmIYZoVBb4XVm0Vqqwos3nOyYn258ICEGcivgfxF9TDpp6a4qhGRCoRYWUYoXvtnRcvMZRs/s1600/2017-12-07+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQLutM8LnCRYs2K8HlOnAp2qGXE5kigHr_pykW6F1cDGfbm_6AG5CjHTsIuO5-t1lVrHBwmIYZoVBb4XVm0Vqqwos3nOyYn258ICEGcivgfxF9TDpp6a4qhGRCoRYWUYoXvtnRcvMZRs/s320/2017-12-07+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> The amazing, fantastic and awe-inspiring Iguazu Falls from the Argentine side.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 23rd, 2018, from our annual summer escape to Grayton Beach State Park on Florida's Panhandle.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-19211588629048497582018-05-20T21:35:00.000-06:002018-05-20T21:35:07.349-06:0012/6: A Day in Colonia del Sacremento, Uruguay: What Charm & Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Trying to cross Buenos Aires' July 9th St., the widest street in the world, was no easy feat on our way to the port terminal. It took two traffic lights to cross the street and even then we had to walk quickly!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsY0EZ4LUeX0pGXzQeaE5ynuzZ0dXsM52lRJIWjEAKX-4IL3Grf819nwcCiDu84B7FJQGDtP8RJkAcMc1D6519tMP7gsnhl3X-HaKYAjiGOW8PYrc5GdQpQIUv6NGfD0DMJdeJYFbIAA/s1600/2017-12-06+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsY0EZ4LUeX0pGXzQeaE5ynuzZ0dXsM52lRJIWjEAKX-4IL3Grf819nwcCiDu84B7FJQGDtP8RJkAcMc1D6519tMP7gsnhl3X-HaKYAjiGOW8PYrc5GdQpQIUv6NGfD0DMJdeJYFbIAA/s320/2017-12-06+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzv66iZRHqe6758jH-wKWo3jlIufiVwomRve4-Tuep_DtQUWssxnHr95dnmmXgPLDT9xev3njQOSUKx87L5nmwzkoNh1fcgND38xNlfnw0Zzy_uBuPnkimPHpXDGDAFsAmk6f6wZc0xs/s1600/2017-12-06+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzv66iZRHqe6758jH-wKWo3jlIufiVwomRve4-Tuep_DtQUWssxnHr95dnmmXgPLDT9xev3njQOSUKx87L5nmwzkoNh1fcgND38xNlfnw0Zzy_uBuPnkimPHpXDGDAFsAmk6f6wZc0xs/s320/2017-12-06+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were taking a ferry, called a Buquebus, 50 kms across the Rio de la Plata to <b>Colonia del Sacramento,</b> a picturesque town and UNESCO World Heritage site, in Uruguay. The day trip would be easy as it didn't necessitate our getting a visa or getting Uruguayan currency as both USD and Argentine currency was accepted.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdC_MFA7PeB38A-c5g7hPk7v3iJgARL3E3V9bY908tWA_ZFdhW9y3A2mO5aZpE55KXbqBdmMEwqoAVpW5mqqalevRPD6bCCt-fcKcKNkSuMEAKAr_5rFmNfxuZU6GdP8pGMYCspNT8DE/s1600/2017-12-06+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdC_MFA7PeB38A-c5g7hPk7v3iJgARL3E3V9bY908tWA_ZFdhW9y3A2mO5aZpE55KXbqBdmMEwqoAVpW5mqqalevRPD6bCCt-fcKcKNkSuMEAKAr_5rFmNfxuZU6GdP8pGMYCspNT8DE/s320/2017-12-06+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-QvktwHKWfMiCSanYrcm2Wk5vbE3oLEY39L9BYUnRBEqhMahmjrfZ3l7DhRJ2ynLMtn4cyTA7QeF5KJC8JU0vheT7n5CUwjTTWeszhzPB5TXuftOPY361qCXK_tc1Wa4k8vNgOlSDc8/s1600/2017-12-06+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-QvktwHKWfMiCSanYrcm2Wk5vbE3oLEY39L9BYUnRBEqhMahmjrfZ3l7DhRJ2ynLMtn4cyTA7QeF5KJC8JU0vheT7n5CUwjTTWeszhzPB5TXuftOPY361qCXK_tc1Wa4k8vNgOlSDc8/s320/2017-12-06+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Neither of us could recall taking a boat trip before where we couldn't actually see the exterior of the boat when we boarded or when we landed because of the long passageway! By the way - Buenos Aires wasn't really that dingy and dirty looking - it was just the dirty windows that made the city look less than appealing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvk53ObALs1kkkeXx9upQfLv0Fn-Jdbdhc2XB-nEAuoGXD24nCvJXHDTU7FApT03KIuWpuiLvnYtYiWbYrOHa3TjifPPV2IwhrcnnLr6oSWceWmdfKp3Gj-TMQzhKjVD6vij1Ba22oFc/s1600/2017-12-06+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvk53ObALs1kkkeXx9upQfLv0Fn-Jdbdhc2XB-nEAuoGXD24nCvJXHDTU7FApT03KIuWpuiLvnYtYiWbYrOHa3TjifPPV2IwhrcnnLr6oSWceWmdfKp3Gj-TMQzhKjVD6vij1Ba22oFc/s320/2017-12-06+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After arriving in Colonia del Sacramento, aka just Colonia, and admiring the pretty rows of sycamores and the narrow cobbled streets in the charming town, we could immediately see how its historic center and its proximity to Buenos Aires drew thousands of Argentines and day trippers like ourselves across the river to Uruguay if only for a day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4J47FZRd_AHwSQev1GYfHgU6SUKyTj2DjfR8w7CdXYJsTYrMwOpw4zxqwQ3s9OtBIMir9KsEMzVWco83OqQhCDPBHUgBWD2tR_dyb-EmlW54NDgm1a5RmiXuCcSo-XphN_NI5JVRj1g/s1600/2017-12-06+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4J47FZRd_AHwSQev1GYfHgU6SUKyTj2DjfR8w7CdXYJsTYrMwOpw4zxqwQ3s9OtBIMir9KsEMzVWco83OqQhCDPBHUgBWD2tR_dyb-EmlW54NDgm1a5RmiXuCcSo-XphN_NI5JVRj1g/s320/2017-12-06+011.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHaVeb_tXB8WJRPnSDCpa4FUAW9kfUuYoC3aNnpEk39jwao49I9t8D0sZShd8hSwzkfl_Vcb4Gs1_Jn4qDXyz-HXWKqVQUmG6pd-APSs5yXBDeiaS_JX9yzdDGXnyI7M54xQE0uRp_84/s1600/2017-12-06+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHaVeb_tXB8WJRPnSDCpa4FUAW9kfUuYoC3aNnpEk39jwao49I9t8D0sZShd8hSwzkfl_Vcb4Gs1_Jn4qDXyz-HXWKqVQUmG6pd-APSs5yXBDeiaS_JX9yzdDGXnyI7M54xQE0uRp_84/s320/2017-12-06+013.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Colonia was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese governor of Rio de Janeiro, almost exactly opposite Buenos Aires across the river. We planned to spend the day in <b>Barrio Historico</b> after entering via the reconstructed 1745 city gate. From there, a thick fortified wall ran along a pathway to the river. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY2aFp-PXUS_GQpzMKgM1a1UfSEcFL9ssoC-1-kmY_KEWNfJoJg60vDljZfQAZAqFwAuDjREwYLTszqrC2D2bqJXKk9KqCeJGfqiz4YNAThyCg_f0iHLHj5qC-HHvH6cCwcV91suGDzU/s1600/2017-12-06+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY2aFp-PXUS_GQpzMKgM1a1UfSEcFL9ssoC-1-kmY_KEWNfJoJg60vDljZfQAZAqFwAuDjREwYLTszqrC2D2bqJXKk9KqCeJGfqiz4YNAThyCg_f0iHLHj5qC-HHvH6cCwcV91suGDzU/s320/2017-12-06+016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0w1D47lDYOpcfEAh8G5kBvnMNzJblAGT8orOtr_7AIgOPgsI8ci4ZZCDEW_T1ksgLzPaQcpLBdvtSb0u-KR09_q_KCn_GPtBOiESVuiFSkpo6dby5hDWypR6HDbOwILaIBVMdebgMsg/s1600/2017-12-06+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0w1D47lDYOpcfEAh8G5kBvnMNzJblAGT8orOtr_7AIgOPgsI8ci4ZZCDEW_T1ksgLzPaQcpLBdvtSb0u-KR09_q_KCn_GPtBOiESVuiFSkpo6dby5hDWypR6HDbOwILaIBVMdebgMsg/s320/2017-12-06+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were struck by the beauty of the tile, not realizing then how many other equally beautiful ones we'd see later that day.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27MQz7XzSr6pLFKFeOcE38wF2l4HPnXgEObdhLaIs7DfyF1uFum9eXnyMXyPxUX9l6fSVPqxP9U7gL9jlgAr0t0rWp6E7xZF2WwcP6f2mVyG53CDd6JYJg4l40Z_k_Wbm21kjmSCu7oQ/s1600/2017-12-06+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27MQz7XzSr6pLFKFeOcE38wF2l4HPnXgEObdhLaIs7DfyF1uFum9eXnyMXyPxUX9l6fSVPqxP9U7gL9jlgAr0t0rWp6E7xZF2WwcP6f2mVyG53CDd6JYJg4l40Z_k_Wbm21kjmSCu7oQ/s320/2017-12-06+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5KdjUkKXIt-KZtDMssowVN201QgTKCtpWaJcbAnuePX7m1qxhgxZgICduGVdQfWn3UyzUikbQNvZWMNEHVLN-RFQtKNLqfNts31cyzdMlp2kJXJMMLHrzEJ5318SN93wJq8_pDp2okk/s1600/2017-12-06+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5KdjUkKXIt-KZtDMssowVN201QgTKCtpWaJcbAnuePX7m1qxhgxZgICduGVdQfWn3UyzUikbQNvZWMNEHVLN-RFQtKNLqfNts31cyzdMlp2kJXJMMLHrzEJ5318SN93wJq8_pDp2okk/s320/2017-12-06+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Strolling along the 18th century roughly cobbled <b>Street of Sighs</b> that was lined with tile and stucco colonial houses ramped up the town's cuteness quotient tenfold! As Steven kept saying, it doesn't get more beautiful than this.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95OHmi-bfTblNIa1p5tv7OAcahk_qYYdsaXT7BuGaJ9jXhOnNsMwTdCBGQGmzdvPtg-LMzkNd2uU7Mn4Afx9xbIl4_-3AJJUte-pUf9SZkB3DlD8lvxqCL-Id_b9asSjjJu32sLQls1c/s1600/2017-12-06+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95OHmi-bfTblNIa1p5tv7OAcahk_qYYdsaXT7BuGaJ9jXhOnNsMwTdCBGQGmzdvPtg-LMzkNd2uU7Mn4Afx9xbIl4_-3AJJUte-pUf9SZkB3DlD8lvxqCL-Id_b9asSjjJu32sLQls1c/s320/2017-12-06+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZC3PzJhsM_sEXX9hqfKBRvQgBNzxvBnb8bffCTfxbCdF35LPBC0w9YzkpOqwgM5FjSo48y8cTgdnQLSMAAAwxsXlfD4KY7zTYTy7FbJ3OkMJgfY2t8nSMETKpDEaulLPlDSQdJUpKRU/s1600/2017-12-06+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZC3PzJhsM_sEXX9hqfKBRvQgBNzxvBnb8bffCTfxbCdF35LPBC0w9YzkpOqwgM5FjSo48y8cTgdnQLSMAAAwxsXlfD4KY7zTYTy7FbJ3OkMJgfY2t8nSMETKpDEaulLPlDSQdJUpKRU/s320/2017-12-06+023.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo,</b> created during the foundation of the city, was originally used for military maneuvers but later changes added paths and gardens that created a pleasant spot to watch a school performance of a Christmas show.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8du6oHRBsQ-xDIU-BuTiMqgabcJfs4GlJcNb3VYLe45A9mbVJ_3wc7lJ3LRyB54nDsw1orCbGKrrHDtHMzzizhuSfz3VTdAFTNCfgdXAPRPej_tpoE35xOFVsL4khYIr5ruwNmIYXsM/s1600/2017-12-06+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8du6oHRBsQ-xDIU-BuTiMqgabcJfs4GlJcNb3VYLe45A9mbVJ_3wc7lJ3LRyB54nDsw1orCbGKrrHDtHMzzizhuSfz3VTdAFTNCfgdXAPRPej_tpoE35xOFVsL4khYIr5ruwNmIYXsM/s320/2017-12-06+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittaU6cb_AyZVYbn0DYhpZifm5lhmxkxlcKF9GrllbksSNVctYJIDKq52VqYWxnxNm9YgbUuP3yNpZBzyKJe0lfUgl8TiZjf64-4I9hJX5VpNgm82PWMWK7_q89BKJxsAg-Q4UmfL6N_0/s1600/2017-12-06+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittaU6cb_AyZVYbn0DYhpZifm5lhmxkxlcKF9GrllbksSNVctYJIDKq52VqYWxnxNm9YgbUuP3yNpZBzyKJe0lfUgl8TiZjf64-4I9hJX5VpNgm82PWMWK7_q89BKJxsAg-Q4UmfL6N_0/s320/2017-12-06+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the town's most prominent landmarks was its <b>lighthouse</b> just steps away from the main square. Construction on it began in 1845 but the work was interrupted by war and the lighthouse was only finished in 1857.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMoFLXV9KwohZjK7_t0bhJOL6i5LlMe5fqHpkNsoVnlNTKQ8PdzovkqNShqtNxQzC_4dCEq3CrI8Fq4paY3vtIP7Wi4vUTqM1js7ydY3XDvATdHIxcDie7RfITICxrVSAhxHV0mLktqc/s1600/2017-12-06+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMoFLXV9KwohZjK7_t0bhJOL6i5LlMe5fqHpkNsoVnlNTKQ8PdzovkqNShqtNxQzC_4dCEq3CrI8Fq4paY3vtIP7Wi4vUTqM1js7ydY3XDvATdHIxcDie7RfITICxrVSAhxHV0mLktqc/s320/2017-12-06+028.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The lighthouse stood within the ruins of the 17th century <b>Convent of San Francisco.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hqG1Sx1trvgu_qdmvuLJjeyj6-E37jJ9pebUIU5ZYh71V4KBotduqqSC1DDQ0LTwhV2eFS6ynbZ09iNFAdJwAbmHaOJHFF8rTrr2J-9xVHUCiD-2_8G7c1HTXlypZmzmd2VEJ_isk5M/s1600/2017-12-06+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hqG1Sx1trvgu_qdmvuLJjeyj6-E37jJ9pebUIU5ZYh71V4KBotduqqSC1DDQ0LTwhV2eFS6ynbZ09iNFAdJwAbmHaOJHFF8rTrr2J-9xVHUCiD-2_8G7c1HTXlypZmzmd2VEJ_isk5M/s320/2017-12-06+035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2BZgqNgODtcRowhoCOIsaqpzuwiIDCgpIT-snMQogMIjzFPKrGXPb5_wHpKPgYpqg5O6ZVa6uKjLlwqXTkawa5shLRtoU0ni_QlpxY-E7lOPOOIKGSjs2BZ9IVLIZdpIIv0PSUw1ZYI/s1600/2017-12-06+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2BZgqNgODtcRowhoCOIsaqpzuwiIDCgpIT-snMQogMIjzFPKrGXPb5_wHpKPgYpqg5O6ZVa6uKjLlwqXTkawa5shLRtoU0ni_QlpxY-E7lOPOOIKGSjs2BZ9IVLIZdpIIv0PSUw1ZYI/s320/2017-12-06+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Across from the town square was the <b>Museo Municipal </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">housed in a building from 1731 and rebuilt by the Spanish who established the city.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet-KC_Apk2q6MJpQbCoITHKrFrCgDkt45JCeCst1AzksJm1sXZrbGSVdzebhBOtg8ixNvqQnnnIsREHL6u7Vht9iOsjen41rKq6nIgRhC_o3KPpu8FWjYdbmdFU766Tcg1xz9yE95Eok/s1600/2017-12-06+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet-KC_Apk2q6MJpQbCoITHKrFrCgDkt45JCeCst1AzksJm1sXZrbGSVdzebhBOtg8ixNvqQnnnIsREHL6u7Vht9iOsjen41rKq6nIgRhC_o3KPpu8FWjYdbmdFU766Tcg1xz9yE95Eok/s320/2017-12-06+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The ruins next door had been the former <b>Viceroy's House.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwZqOyC_On98alfleYPgHI75odhIfGRdIyoUcjWG7oAYTuLtsyiGKyLEs-LUibSgAIVKR0xvoXlgiD6rlkjgPstFYlE8odFeda5Ubw9_5KWbKIVSWVXXXfjuVu1yI5HHvmHZNObzO26c/s1600/2017-12-06+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwZqOyC_On98alfleYPgHI75odhIfGRdIyoUcjWG7oAYTuLtsyiGKyLEs-LUibSgAIVKR0xvoXlgiD6rlkjgPstFYlE8odFeda5Ubw9_5KWbKIVSWVXXXfjuVu1yI5HHvmHZNObzO26c/s320/2017-12-06+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">On the other side of the plaza were the <b>Regional Archives.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37hwQODOB5PxF4pN2nNkIxd0WWpsE-lTZm6td5HUZL_GFRa31fIRtfa7fTeUwEVId_jk26D5WOFF1Z04BjRuyFdedm169euobtYKcFBvfLMVRlury8UWV-FfRUwQTDHIBwE5saGmCZ8Q/s1600/2017-12-06+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37hwQODOB5PxF4pN2nNkIxd0WWpsE-lTZm6td5HUZL_GFRa31fIRtfa7fTeUwEVId_jk26D5WOFF1Z04BjRuyFdedm169euobtYKcFBvfLMVRlury8UWV-FfRUwQTDHIBwE5saGmCZ8Q/s320/2017-12-06+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyyzjavy2luntlWhLVNLgtGjHdcE8BUhskAdgDKZfYNG6pyr6x8S6ne5GB_9vUdxw1zys8wLtAjaAVtylgh1G7Fs9xiwalqGKtWEDLYxE8DVwRJUZGDP3vBWj-jAqkbiszVygo_1qKTE/s1600/2017-12-06+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyyzjavy2luntlWhLVNLgtGjHdcE8BUhskAdgDKZfYNG6pyr6x8S6ne5GB_9vUdxw1zys8wLtAjaAVtylgh1G7Fs9xiwalqGKtWEDLYxE8DVwRJUZGDP3vBWj-jAqkbiszVygo_1qKTE/s320/2017-12-06+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYH9-2oxodMD9sGQbroQ5VI2YcUKDZHq-eCayJ1j2pK2s3bXzGSiTA5L7lv3UQBj_8HavX23G0LG9V3FYRlVZC2ocqqOh3Zo7ZH1v5vQ3m0txXdWzImM_Cf1Kbqb5txdIRmIiPPjRbTQ/s1600/2017-12-06+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYH9-2oxodMD9sGQbroQ5VI2YcUKDZHq-eCayJ1j2pK2s3bXzGSiTA5L7lv3UQBj_8HavX23G0LG9V3FYRlVZC2ocqqOh3Zo7ZH1v5vQ3m0txXdWzImM_Cf1Kbqb5txdIRmIiPPjRbTQ/s320/2017-12-06+044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Walking around the historical area of Colonia was so delightful as the sun was shining, the flowers were gorgeous, we were discovering something new and we were together!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgDZDI9Tdg6aiP9iGAtJoef_e2sgAeMTbdhMZg3arT5nJihr7LK0a0gdj72dd2S3C95yN4HGJTuRz_ZHrYfizbNCZ7fafFW1hP_Juzi_M0n_LRVdNm9QGpY74il5_LUBOi4-B5y-tmiY/s1600/2017-12-06+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgDZDI9Tdg6aiP9iGAtJoef_e2sgAeMTbdhMZg3arT5nJihr7LK0a0gdj72dd2S3C95yN4HGJTuRz_ZHrYfizbNCZ7fafFW1hP_Juzi_M0n_LRVdNm9QGpY74il5_LUBOi4-B5y-tmiY/s320/2017-12-06+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope the following photos evoke the same sense of beauty we felt and discovered while in Colonia.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJHqiETBRcZ0atwyc-JERI5zEykWU6if8VCSPKce1vxUNTK046_uev0GSh46KMBTmQ_iW28GdxzRPjnzREv3y4ZFuMGKt0wD-Lg376pfN3P0f8WDhbN9VHbck5xnw5hwfd4bSs2G-wWc/s1600/2017-12-06+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJHqiETBRcZ0atwyc-JERI5zEykWU6if8VCSPKce1vxUNTK046_uev0GSh46KMBTmQ_iW28GdxzRPjnzREv3y4ZFuMGKt0wD-Lg376pfN3P0f8WDhbN9VHbck5xnw5hwfd4bSs2G-wWc/s320/2017-12-06+047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpZuZw4IAqNnlKoiMK5A1D_HZeebzCVtcBwedGansfPYwxxsvHHD6TzA4PPJQjYPYNHgRgp-N07l5J0b57Db6QlzOAzY1GitTtaz9xlKFur3jB1tk1ml1-6XDkCuRaTdTJOClMH4y-qM/s1600/2017-12-06+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpZuZw4IAqNnlKoiMK5A1D_HZeebzCVtcBwedGansfPYwxxsvHHD6TzA4PPJQjYPYNHgRgp-N07l5J0b57Db6QlzOAzY1GitTtaz9xlKFur3jB1tk1ml1-6XDkCuRaTdTJOClMH4y-qM/s320/2017-12-06+048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ESmXiQoLtQGaBiDSH2CYk2IEu-qNrhqJ4Pq3GnJ8adLo1X9VGKENiCaOjCcSso0Afa3V9r4iUhJ_9IuJdpM_igqrMNs1Y2wPgXwJ0ceOLVQaZwYw5pZ9uNI3-nZq3SSDxhCCSaMQG7Q/s1600/2017-12-06+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ESmXiQoLtQGaBiDSH2CYk2IEu-qNrhqJ4Pq3GnJ8adLo1X9VGKENiCaOjCcSso0Afa3V9r4iUhJ_9IuJdpM_igqrMNs1Y2wPgXwJ0ceOLVQaZwYw5pZ9uNI3-nZq3SSDxhCCSaMQG7Q/s320/2017-12-06+049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAAtFbbUldXMfqeMkAYacjizEwo9SUha7oOMVzMgWeS1l6dZbyyP9lMlgR_YD-Z9f60NTE6lN5WgkfTpcusuGkYMwgj3gVO428t8Tv5_osPYcAq0CvtMw_QWVHFx3WNatB5WlnmA2rsE/s1600/2017-12-06+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAAtFbbUldXMfqeMkAYacjizEwo9SUha7oOMVzMgWeS1l6dZbyyP9lMlgR_YD-Z9f60NTE6lN5WgkfTpcusuGkYMwgj3gVO428t8Tv5_osPYcAq0CvtMw_QWVHFx3WNatB5WlnmA2rsE/s320/2017-12-06+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Lovely tiles adorned many houses.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_AQd21dIxbprQrnhQ95q_5NQkGOnCkI_Pu6ekMSjE_uLq6tIzBh4hjoQvD84iRBx6ziQrl225LSmvpCScpQma73nHgMPJcoLt-HFnDztEKW-_fQR1iicGF9vQu3t6qST8mnrW5amxZU/s1600/2017-12-06+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_AQd21dIxbprQrnhQ95q_5NQkGOnCkI_Pu6ekMSjE_uLq6tIzBh4hjoQvD84iRBx6ziQrl225LSmvpCScpQma73nHgMPJcoLt-HFnDztEKW-_fQR1iicGF9vQu3t6qST8mnrW5amxZU/s320/2017-12-06+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDbPGJ5RWhp14H2kNox8gixZIAlkk8nLwzFX13vdUZb3PqwK3J0J8kgznogj4smEYNUAxE798C6Y2xDZ9GG46vtkZ0jPv13TiEE9uppNeiJqi0FNJOUH-uaT6W0TfA-MG903c2Af-rBQ/s1600/2017-12-06+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDbPGJ5RWhp14H2kNox8gixZIAlkk8nLwzFX13vdUZb3PqwK3J0J8kgznogj4smEYNUAxE798C6Y2xDZ9GG46vtkZ0jPv13TiEE9uppNeiJqi0FNJOUH-uaT6W0TfA-MG903c2Af-rBQ/s320/2017-12-06+055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Plaza de Armas</b> held the foundation of a house dating from Portuguese times. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHOvm0rY4S-gjfNX7P5TMsRVmsKIbtVoucvJioVrB0Qbkhb7GMXpiQ7b9rXEaCtvmGtN_y3riME_Fh7AHUmJSXXqfrN70WDY9hXHb_6Y3HJwBJjN6mhptGua_lvoC2wPCpr25A77FmcY/s1600/2017-12-06+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHOvm0rY4S-gjfNX7P5TMsRVmsKIbtVoucvJioVrB0Qbkhb7GMXpiQ7b9rXEaCtvmGtN_y3riME_Fh7AHUmJSXXqfrN70WDY9hXHb_6Y3HJwBJjN6mhptGua_lvoC2wPCpr25A77FmcY/s320/2017-12-06+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVmh0rw3e6ZA1QmcKNkmAUQOrku04cU5bnKZsrbleA1fNiYKlVPdJyrxIrlcc8jKti8blG3QA-Fk87wdilk57OOss-YwAJAdzSmJtStSAthXKMgHPp3XoH2JvC34SU4eburqqecK5s5U/s1600/2017-12-06+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVmh0rw3e6ZA1QmcKNkmAUQOrku04cU5bnKZsrbleA1fNiYKlVPdJyrxIrlcc8jKti8blG3QA-Fk87wdilk57OOss-YwAJAdzSmJtStSAthXKMgHPp3XoH2JvC34SU4eburqqecK5s5U/s320/2017-12-06+058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">On a corner of the same square was <b>Iglesia Matriz,</b> Uruguay's oldest church, which was built by the Portuguese in 1680 and completely rebuilt twice under Spanish rule.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4TQQlzRDEpL6hgIXa4ffxNH71jR6z0IoM_faBpTT4L0LvOVNlePdPjKv0DK9Y-80pu0rANP1XsJSV09jEzx3SjzjJDjMBVTq3COA8SdFxDoqaB9wQef-6zPx-I7PSTLVUOfUWbdjupk/s1600/2017-12-06+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4TQQlzRDEpL6hgIXa4ffxNH71jR6z0IoM_faBpTT4L0LvOVNlePdPjKv0DK9Y-80pu0rANP1XsJSV09jEzx3SjzjJDjMBVTq3COA8SdFxDoqaB9wQef-6zPx-I7PSTLVUOfUWbdjupk/s320/2017-12-06+057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z60C-hs_6ign9otZunGjquoNe8mb2oAfOn5qSaMw-40ppS_-bfFMBeMvisiq2gW_RBfYnc7ONvfzspESKrBfk1JoVmjWEi4fxCANqno-onNuLqtdXfUVUkotRsoDw5BlGp8NJN3-Q3Y/s1600/2017-12-06+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z60C-hs_6ign9otZunGjquoNe8mb2oAfOn5qSaMw-40ppS_-bfFMBeMvisiq2gW_RBfYnc7ONvfzspESKrBfk1JoVmjWEi4fxCANqno-onNuLqtdXfUVUkotRsoDw5BlGp8NJN3-Q3Y/s320/2017-12-06+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkJ8vERVdg-vdNKPaXt7X99zu8ZsNibqCi9ybhRN1nuNgqrsFnNlR3teWC5mbNiiNANtoiHzCCoHn7T12Xhm_N0xwM9z7402LzDpFDTcHGnWakaTe0XnvVfUYXL4WELONZ32OUzCea6Y/s1600/2017-12-06+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkJ8vERVdg-vdNKPaXt7X99zu8ZsNibqCi9ybhRN1nuNgqrsFnNlR3teWC5mbNiiNANtoiHzCCoHn7T12Xhm_N0xwM9z7402LzDpFDTcHGnWakaTe0XnvVfUYXL4WELONZ32OUzCea6Y/s320/2017-12-06+063.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the more unusual plant stands, don't you think?!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOEHXcCofFpPc6APfzTLCHzroJc3hXbIbUfg-ejccuU3O4LWOJcrOKsdFXuGiN2OZc5ARuZ1PGyiIiYnuRsi0KWx-Z-116JbewiSabhuidJXRpmkXEof33Wc5Lw9bsNi3mcqB1gNFVMI/s1600/2017-12-06+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOEHXcCofFpPc6APfzTLCHzroJc3hXbIbUfg-ejccuU3O4LWOJcrOKsdFXuGiN2OZc5ARuZ1PGyiIiYnuRsi0KWx-Z-116JbewiSabhuidJXRpmkXEof33Wc5Lw9bsNi3mcqB1gNFVMI/s320/2017-12-06+064.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yqQReI01JcuA9WMn-MODkMI4L_yHMe-qQ76DOCf6njxvrICxPzX7IRdae8Pm9mUmW7y3JJLsYfult9KR6CeoW423K289WInTdZFMLtEGNwagnI_7Fwk6Y4BP4ivzQyQw3vAIcZAfoiE/s1600/2017-12-06+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yqQReI01JcuA9WMn-MODkMI4L_yHMe-qQ76DOCf6njxvrICxPzX7IRdae8Pm9mUmW7y3JJLsYfult9KR6CeoW423K289WInTdZFMLtEGNwagnI_7Fwk6Y4BP4ivzQyQw3vAIcZAfoiE/s320/2017-12-06+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7pDSAQEPOS99xZRBPqAHOJV75oUrKCpVatWo_9_kW2eVanxZsrQ_XjDtcTIPFK8vrf2RqbzAJ4yzwzyfJKL-CK6W5HtNZiMHcuaZj4zQtvsGmimmi8vZnkU8HprbqqPR0SwgUvmkD8Q/s1600/2017-12-06+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7pDSAQEPOS99xZRBPqAHOJV75oUrKCpVatWo_9_kW2eVanxZsrQ_XjDtcTIPFK8vrf2RqbzAJ4yzwzyfJKL-CK6W5HtNZiMHcuaZj4zQtvsGmimmi8vZnkU8HprbqqPR0SwgUvmkD8Q/s320/2017-12-06+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't help but be charmed by the plants that just oozed out of the car's every crevice.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXGry-2EmyJ09-VFhxpTUn7sb5uDvAz-9P6Xp8Sma2C_v1yoWhzbE_TUkZ8i24WQFGBPrHakev9J797ur6LLnlrsVxSUTajAf6VIb7k1-LnpTbDfjjQPkH264-67ElRT-zUiZgTb99Z0/s1600/2017-12-06+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXGry-2EmyJ09-VFhxpTUn7sb5uDvAz-9P6Xp8Sma2C_v1yoWhzbE_TUkZ8i24WQFGBPrHakev9J797ur6LLnlrsVxSUTajAf6VIb7k1-LnpTbDfjjQPkH264-67ElRT-zUiZgTb99Z0/s320/2017-12-06+068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0Ovbw6nNMuOvrO5ViqV_EN0i_YrFxhl6bQHW1LDkxaXFbs6dkyWej3Eal4Y12nESvJ4HZbketGI2Y6ikG25hG9ErxE07JcowIsbFPM7_6DGt0CIp9iKyleifswB9_rpE5DFyRagfwhg/s1600/2017-12-06+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0Ovbw6nNMuOvrO5ViqV_EN0i_YrFxhl6bQHW1LDkxaXFbs6dkyWej3Eal4Y12nESvJ4HZbketGI2Y6ikG25hG9ErxE07JcowIsbFPM7_6DGt0CIp9iKyleifswB9_rpE5DFyRagfwhg/s320/2017-12-06+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Museo Indigena</b> looked delightful but we weren't in the mood for museums that day, especially after being spoiled by the wonderful Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires the day before. Another time I would have been amused to see its map showing how many European countries could fit inside Uruguay's borders. I read it was at least six!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_JVIHM605lLYoqV03clnXf15iATCPx8TxQasepKPcZJ_DIFnXLJJlDD6bwLy8-aTkRspxfdpAmJ7WlmP_U6DHJO_8FXBBUpsCmN-O11WhJHfNeHna_j5p9d7noIYAvuUbrZduVl02uU/s1600/2017-12-06+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_JVIHM605lLYoqV03clnXf15iATCPx8TxQasepKPcZJ_DIFnXLJJlDD6bwLy8-aTkRspxfdpAmJ7WlmP_U6DHJO_8FXBBUpsCmN-O11WhJHfNeHna_j5p9d7noIYAvuUbrZduVl02uU/s320/2017-12-06+073.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y5RFJDtWmHCWrXNuW-WIA83dKFuDgT3Fjal92HZvd83loN2BDgVpWHO1jkmJRAd-8aTDyLmwar03BquNoK7xRWRgkQe4hT5vrjTeNpWbpFdZ3_2IOEN8ywcvBFENwnJWwzAVBdIAcKQ/s1600/2017-12-06+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y5RFJDtWmHCWrXNuW-WIA83dKFuDgT3Fjal92HZvd83loN2BDgVpWHO1jkmJRAd-8aTDyLmwar03BquNoK7xRWRgkQe4hT5vrjTeNpWbpFdZ3_2IOEN8ywcvBFENwnJWwzAVBdIAcKQ/s320/2017-12-06+074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The waters of the bay guarded the remains of the English ship <b>Lord Clive</b> that attacked Colonia in January, 1763, with two Portuguese frigates. The city, which was in Spanish hands then, defended itself and sunk the English ship.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoJ0GL6B0Fl69FytXVUWexL1-qyd-gEMs5gwIvfypRBeUuEmVBNv_dfMbLi_OIruSph83O5tYE9DuhTD1A_GRQ_8uhE0ukFC-EomnAR6je0mhhiOcFoCiPdWWPcbMpBebKlulQc_OH3s/s1600/2017-12-06+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoJ0GL6B0Fl69FytXVUWexL1-qyd-gEMs5gwIvfypRBeUuEmVBNv_dfMbLi_OIruSph83O5tYE9DuhTD1A_GRQ_8uhE0ukFC-EomnAR6je0mhhiOcFoCiPdWWPcbMpBebKlulQc_OH3s/s320/2017-12-06+078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We found a spot on the beach to sit down on and just read for a good while. It was perfect and not something we choose to do very often on these long trips which made it even better. Steven considered it a success since nothing was stolen this time as it had been the last time we'd been on a beach in Vina del Mar, near Valparaiso in Chile!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS49XhilMICqKuVIVzkucsbgPFdxvhzMIL67gkyrdKiN2BiWyv4qz1WsxqEdrMupZwHUNJ1zoBA56aFmclVH9uneWIpKbK4W9O2bXxfL8M2EcWYy6g495ueDiFqVdJv1fqVBEImakTko/s1600/2017-12-06+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS49XhilMICqKuVIVzkucsbgPFdxvhzMIL67gkyrdKiN2BiWyv4qz1WsxqEdrMupZwHUNJ1zoBA56aFmclVH9uneWIpKbK4W9O2bXxfL8M2EcWYy6g495ueDiFqVdJv1fqVBEImakTko/s320/2017-12-06+083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The pretty sculpture was called <b>The Sisters.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-j4hPrQBhgpjKTOdpccD6C_PJpu-PRiEDUr7HRYT28wcm_zyoApUytSCnTrGyyKyg-C50PLn12yCU71IjYp7oYEhZn4JQahDPXA6-gvhGPXR2O08nuT8yg-Thb96zYHZk_V1JqQRao0/s1600/2017-12-06+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-j4hPrQBhgpjKTOdpccD6C_PJpu-PRiEDUr7HRYT28wcm_zyoApUytSCnTrGyyKyg-C50PLn12yCU71IjYp7oYEhZn4JQahDPXA6-gvhGPXR2O08nuT8yg-Thb96zYHZk_V1JqQRao0/s320/2017-12-06+084.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The attractive tile on the side of the Spanish consulate displayed a regional map of Colonia and the big city across the river, i.e. Buenos Aires!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENZBQQe4ZfFwhL-6vYlT1mAYEgEIANlrNr59x90P2_R6YcQ3O7PP29e3_T6KfQNuZMCVVgS_W86Wi9iSs91JPovzjx1l4hcSYhTLkKtbMiR_D-kmav_AaSc7PsViJWcO5_8n5yGXKSjI/s1600/2017-12-06+086.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENZBQQe4ZfFwhL-6vYlT1mAYEgEIANlrNr59x90P2_R6YcQ3O7PP29e3_T6KfQNuZMCVVgS_W86Wi9iSs91JPovzjx1l4hcSYhTLkKtbMiR_D-kmav_AaSc7PsViJWcO5_8n5yGXKSjI/s320/2017-12-06+086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwd2UX1IBQEJmXE2cCEAGWZVD6M1guvCAXUKleG6WvEo9pBU5dRyrB7KIh5ZEOXRoHXedaKg1JcBlyzXk2H6GibrTgXbZz-ULT4hvH0Wr5CSRZ3bgZOAGsb0c_pkX4I3iNnGoJV_rcuc/s1600/2017-12-06+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwd2UX1IBQEJmXE2cCEAGWZVD6M1guvCAXUKleG6WvEo9pBU5dRyrB7KIh5ZEOXRoHXedaKg1JcBlyzXk2H6GibrTgXbZz-ULT4hvH0Wr5CSRZ3bgZOAGsb0c_pkX4I3iNnGoJV_rcuc/s320/2017-12-06+087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We decided we'd better hightail back to the port at 3 as we'd only left ourselves a few minutes to spare this morning when we had to go through border control leaving Buenos Aires and not after arriving in Uruguay at 9:30 as we'd expected. We wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for customs and immigration this time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xhu8eGBYykprXx1NqJ1zHTD2j7D_NJbyCobkJA4ktSuSTf9VJA7vcXokJSISo-ROeQS1EYCs5kfkulabhRAxW1aNKAf55CWtW3F9euVJ0QlijIZquV0CloErHPPZS7qT1R-0C0oli4/s1600/2017-12-06+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xhu8eGBYykprXx1NqJ1zHTD2j7D_NJbyCobkJA4ktSuSTf9VJA7vcXokJSISo-ROeQS1EYCs5kfkulabhRAxW1aNKAf55CWtW3F9euVJ0QlijIZquV0CloErHPPZS7qT1R-0C0oli4/s320/2017-12-06+089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, my poor baby was tired after such a long day enjoying colonial Colonia!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kaJ-by3aGnAC6hPsyOT4exUUSZgTKQYJqoGAESNLg0zIqa-y4mV9YephLIaoQYQaiCLbdeHcUlQCEzf4mCAgvFtZZ3YWiw2RerI9Y8f_I1cQB4skFacNYIn5oymsSzX8pW0IpWOvsi8/s1600/2017-12-06+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kaJ-by3aGnAC6hPsyOT4exUUSZgTKQYJqoGAESNLg0zIqa-y4mV9YephLIaoQYQaiCLbdeHcUlQCEzf4mCAgvFtZZ3YWiw2RerI9Y8f_I1cQB4skFacNYIn5oymsSzX8pW0IpWOvsi8/s320/2017-12-06+091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">That evening we enjoyed one of our best meals ever on one of our long trips, dining at an Argentine</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i> parilla </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">or steakhouse that had been recommended by our walking tour guide a couple of days ago. If you're ever in Buenos Aires, I urge you to run, not walk, to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Parilla Pena </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">if you want to feast on the most flavorful and tender pieces of meat you're ever likely to come across, and at rock bottom prices compared to those in the US. Of course, enjoying each morsel with a glass of Argentine Malbec wine made the meal sublime. Steven and I still talk about that steak, the sides and the wonderful service and dream of returning there in 15 or so months on our way to or from our Antarctica and Patagonia adventure!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgtQ7suJX2aAzZNT-tcthXm7WdsAj2IT-FdlE0a7Kqy2X6pLQZCE2E0bi0HkptVEdIaZb27uz3aYP67otwzvCNxosGhrLP2eIukaNkiOUUq48G1HW86BupvYIVoslo_nfFOLJ6l1YkEg/s1600/2017-12-06+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgtQ7suJX2aAzZNT-tcthXm7WdsAj2IT-FdlE0a7Kqy2X6pLQZCE2E0bi0HkptVEdIaZb27uz3aYP67otwzvCNxosGhrLP2eIukaNkiOUUq48G1HW86BupvYIVoslo_nfFOLJ6l1YkEg/s320/2017-12-06+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> On to Iguazu Falls by the hair of our skinny chin chin!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 20th, 2018, from Natchez, Mississippi.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-75804537602343210082018-05-20T00:26:00.003-06:002018-05-20T00:26:33.829-06:0012/5: Buenos Aires: Recoleta City of Dead, Old World Masters & Teatro Colon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i>Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</i></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As we walked through <b>Recoleta,</b> a northern area of Buenos Aires, we came across several dog walkers, an indication if there ever was one, that the area was ritzier than where we'd already been.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwriR1QvHT3odTUo1FXSSAgtj8yRFa76oqV83pqOc3hpcbaHlso0nTm033S78LxfcXpPPxHU79zp0-tn256G3gcf8Xzu4poKBeC9axCKOtwVVsG6eRhireGB5QYW7C5ctqvP00DyGpPg/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwriR1QvHT3odTUo1FXSSAgtj8yRFa76oqV83pqOc3hpcbaHlso0nTm033S78LxfcXpPPxHU79zp0-tn256G3gcf8Xzu4poKBeC9axCKOtwVVsG6eRhireGB5QYW7C5ctqvP00DyGpPg/s320/IMG_0602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Also unusual, and unwelcome in my opinion, was the proliferation of English-language signs in the stores</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSbPPeckgSZWuUmP8YSn1S2f4nkwQImZDMG2ZcU0UYs62ImpXMFixPnViqRzvsTe-vfvvQhQhI5hnxDEe2GU0q0T1mv2k7A_hjWFoqN5D60TkJkPwoKX-de7dJZC1hC4InVWaHDxn2Uw/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSbPPeckgSZWuUmP8YSn1S2f4nkwQImZDMG2ZcU0UYs62ImpXMFixPnViqRzvsTe-vfvvQhQhI5hnxDEe2GU0q0T1mv2k7A_hjWFoqN5D60TkJkPwoKX-de7dJZC1hC4InVWaHDxn2Uw/s320/IMG_0603.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8YpUB_ktv6kMHFR5V7JazHuSHC5JQ7A-aiCNi-QRghuQzmEBDZs-I7jpgFgvLXIg1nIphPcjGHjiib8OFoB5bFj3jjEfdjRsODmLcyd01D6nw44rRGyi4V87mUKKUSThVWqj1AwmcpQ/s1600/IMG_0604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8YpUB_ktv6kMHFR5V7JazHuSHC5JQ7A-aiCNi-QRghuQzmEBDZs-I7jpgFgvLXIg1nIphPcjGHjiib8OFoB5bFj3jjEfdjRsODmLcyd01D6nw44rRGyi4V87mUKKUSThVWqj1AwmcpQ/s320/IMG_0604.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHqFB00aGQz4HCNM9-Mw6VTi_MD42VuYiNaTjMP-VAFXDQT0WBipGSrdIqyt6qEvvc-pLBE3Npov8T1CmLexYyVlhTjwqVBx1LtLseF_rmdjEOAZ_NYjpQ_N54M4UU-D0GxLGjtcn7Cc/s1600/IMG_0605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHqFB00aGQz4HCNM9-Mw6VTi_MD42VuYiNaTjMP-VAFXDQT0WBipGSrdIqyt6qEvvc-pLBE3Npov8T1CmLexYyVlhTjwqVBx1LtLseF_rmdjEOAZ_NYjpQ_N54M4UU-D0GxLGjtcn7Cc/s320/IMG_0605.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had come to visit the famous Recoleta Cemetery but stopped first at the stunning <b>Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar.</b> The white colonial church was built by the Jesuits in 1716.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH3QT36i5c08lnIPKmzpThSXUVJKiyVRqltprJh151-nIRUIM36o-TM1MTPEZYznzu8vSwfS2mslicUO_MXSU_Bx5NL7Ku1RoxG6dsNR4w1X4F8L_RmUk_hIl6RvrOfYvXLrU2eSE-6o/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH3QT36i5c08lnIPKmzpThSXUVJKiyVRqltprJh151-nIRUIM36o-TM1MTPEZYznzu8vSwfS2mslicUO_MXSU_Bx5NL7Ku1RoxG6dsNR4w1X4F8L_RmUk_hIl6RvrOfYvXLrU2eSE-6o/s320/IMG_0608.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The centerpiece of the church was a Peruvian altar adorned with silver from Argentina's northwest.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2GIs_yi-b7exgQNDwd9MAijJ40PCS5amTgJJfU0Va-Pfld7uuzG9Ocl-5y-Th6fx6c8valrJ5Eb8iwmN_wSA6rfseAonpMuEn6UWsiyIbhcvA_ECUvZOocOkjq2hby9iQFtvHb6gx6A/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2GIs_yi-b7exgQNDwd9MAijJ40PCS5amTgJJfU0Va-Pfld7uuzG9Ocl-5y-Th6fx6c8valrJ5Eb8iwmN_wSA6rfseAonpMuEn6UWsiyIbhcvA_ECUvZOocOkjq2hby9iQFtvHb6gx6A/s320/IMG_0615.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn95uQqaLy32_VBzjPua1u-ZWeHf2nh2HevsMUZmfpjaSNVXqW0O5uJe6YTh2J2yvJMjNx7r_xDr9KhAHhvITfp5i5MzhF1h4Tuy7dOWC6nSU1cQKDizOHziV9ZhiepgK5EopU-bMspbA/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn95uQqaLy32_VBzjPua1u-ZWeHf2nh2HevsMUZmfpjaSNVXqW0O5uJe6YTh2J2yvJMjNx7r_xDr9KhAHhvITfp5i5MzhF1h4Tuy7dOWC6nSU1cQKDizOHziV9ZhiepgK5EopU-bMspbA/s320/IMG_0617.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIBoLlm4p3HMKjq7Wex0IdrEzEWafDzaDRIhkelRy7hxOJFWDDZHrEVsnZqeiicxkA1HJwp5uVKh19OAAPw3aF2OQ60WecR645CFWEg6uwKEKM02RygBsEuYJKePsXTpLH1PDGMMiPI8/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIBoLlm4p3HMKjq7Wex0IdrEzEWafDzaDRIhkelRy7hxOJFWDDZHrEVsnZqeiicxkA1HJwp5uVKh19OAAPw3aF2OQ60WecR645CFWEg6uwKEKM02RygBsEuYJKePsXTpLH1PDGMMiPI8/s320/IMG_0618.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The church's blue tiled walls were so beautiful.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VTgv2pFkchLpNHh3VWEUg67BQCnYSO9yoLOi3AQH3ePJ36Z7SuXIKv_M1qLyFbGKPzYVaMnBwCDl03_kOgXhewNnUfBP-uGtgdMuVY3Eq2smmVRFhe57KizbxosTpw-WZundjlhv3jI/s1600/IMG_0621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VTgv2pFkchLpNHh3VWEUg67BQCnYSO9yoLOi3AQH3ePJ36Z7SuXIKv_M1qLyFbGKPzYVaMnBwCDl03_kOgXhewNnUfBP-uGtgdMuVY3Eq2smmVRFhe57KizbxosTpw-WZundjlhv3jI/s320/IMG_0621.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69nEG-onqC80Ku0JDIlFay6XxFqCaD_BB1RwFCspUSsEXrBcRv14iiKOBgnHrSczr3bAGHh8NIK4a9Itz3S1eoQx64G4meo0A14d2vYhl5q-3iDqFYBmagHBmwXPdRDSw9L1RRBul0EQ/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69nEG-onqC80Ku0JDIlFay6XxFqCaD_BB1RwFCspUSsEXrBcRv14iiKOBgnHrSczr3bAGHh8NIK4a9Itz3S1eoQx64G4meo0A14d2vYhl5q-3iDqFYBmagHBmwXPdRDSw9L1RRBul0EQ/s320/IMG_0628.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDra2F9IiwZ53B8_SKeZFLNGksJB14mskOO20b1Dx6kNueFvHpjkDWXDN4U6Hx29aPJ-owScShQsZB7OFDHwB8GoOR6zDC5-boOjujd4nzZwiDar7aV6-8b8UO2ajwJGHI86qyHMNc1rs/s1600/IMG_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDra2F9IiwZ53B8_SKeZFLNGksJB14mskOO20b1Dx6kNueFvHpjkDWXDN4U6Hx29aPJ-owScShQsZB7OFDHwB8GoOR6zDC5-boOjujd4nzZwiDar7aV6-8b8UO2ajwJGHI86qyHMNc1rs/s320/IMG_0630.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGdXZC-mGmLxfs9gOrwqNSzwMyvf3P1GoVgvzOt9QWkY4VTRb_8R7fUOY_9aFdqhTvxhtt_H4LjiQdZAMfR4u44JBiHg6BRNWT1DN6jKiq6etLd9x_rmLqxe7QpT-45SL4BpWN7rZ6mY/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGdXZC-mGmLxfs9gOrwqNSzwMyvf3P1GoVgvzOt9QWkY4VTRb_8R7fUOY_9aFdqhTvxhtt_H4LjiQdZAMfR4u44JBiHg6BRNWT1DN6jKiq6etLd9x_rmLqxe7QpT-45SL4BpWN7rZ6mY/s320/IMG_0631.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpHlHCRoLs-tqPIy97nGeXHTtmBJrCbb2JbwkI3AFER7SppyhqoF81xDJFPzBvm5rNBwUZZSpFqXPuEiBeZlekB2mdGijeA6vEcAfarCGwFXeiiaao9yEhFIC9_OklR3A-aw9Gw3X-0k/s1600/IMG_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpHlHCRoLs-tqPIy97nGeXHTtmBJrCbb2JbwkI3AFER7SppyhqoF81xDJFPzBvm5rNBwUZZSpFqXPuEiBeZlekB2mdGijeA6vEcAfarCGwFXeiiaao9yEhFIC9_OklR3A-aw9Gw3X-0k/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A small museum, <b>Museo de los Claustros del Pilar,</b> located in the former convent, displayed religious artifacts.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaN0FgMiIgmY6zfXmURbnqAL5udX7mb_93gOSHANnAy-pOwS37vpE2o_01mjz22EfkTQsFL4a485G5XjfrphO-7jHhCN1XIzQJ0b-Tz1OJH6qF3MQrk8xqXFSeAp84N_XTieDcX0i7Ng/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaN0FgMiIgmY6zfXmURbnqAL5udX7mb_93gOSHANnAy-pOwS37vpE2o_01mjz22EfkTQsFL4a485G5XjfrphO-7jHhCN1XIzQJ0b-Tz1OJH6qF3MQrk8xqXFSeAp84N_XTieDcX0i7Ng/s320/2017-12-05+phone+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIDvA_fGl5WSjb6eb25O8Tj9D4yTdhM-3puJHWUMcS8k0_ZSN5UJaN1wyARcRT4mZFRm-lCNhZRuGOZFWNN-ZqCeNsvLDZWZgDhtw69BUGh6RWPzP4hL2gwsRR1WKGVI0llF76FPVauQ/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIDvA_fGl5WSjb6eb25O8Tj9D4yTdhM-3puJHWUMcS8k0_ZSN5UJaN1wyARcRT4mZFRm-lCNhZRuGOZFWNN-ZqCeNsvLDZWZgDhtw69BUGh6RWPzP4hL2gwsRR1WKGVI0llF76FPVauQ/s320/2017-12-05+phone+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV6-ILhWb8dVz3Bs1dIawa_PzIHb8hO3p6Hrg0EoHueyzKpR0oEyO4OFpVfKF1aHRmflqBw2bzt6Buz7NVgklHUDh5hasFEbP2c7U-euFi25cLhW3XL0pq1IVq9mPwuabVD7wYjHgW8w/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV6-ILhWb8dVz3Bs1dIawa_PzIHb8hO3p6Hrg0EoHueyzKpR0oEyO4OFpVfKF1aHRmflqBw2bzt6Buz7NVgklHUDh5hasFEbP2c7U-euFi25cLhW3XL0pq1IVq9mPwuabVD7wYjHgW8w/s320/2017-12-05+phone+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">14th century Virgin with Child:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqH6bt2b-eERBF2XbleK5lhLVcLmJN1hH0NJcMy6_zT_Lj5Mn3THprXrHAs2UfImbM5cFl9_hxhiv2KUShEHIAvGm3ALHAeEVPifPR87B9_hrmiwMTcLDRvECRWyldXu0o78B29F9EZM/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqH6bt2b-eERBF2XbleK5lhLVcLmJN1hH0NJcMy6_zT_Lj5Mn3THprXrHAs2UfImbM5cFl9_hxhiv2KUShEHIAvGm3ALHAeEVPifPR87B9_hrmiwMTcLDRvECRWyldXu0o78B29F9EZM/s320/2017-12-05+phone+004.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Jacaranda wood door had a hole on the bottom left corner to allow cats to pass through!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdWEQIUVctLFcNajyjIyyWukOUr-JNprY32Y1u-m52Tt-CNOeQqWJwFSF3v7PMsEMFKOQ3IYCg9gjXsFIwnEy2DjCqkPeF9_4bfFBMZAV7nAWvhpJ2y_BuquyVZX07hjUbuBCMJGKvKM/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdWEQIUVctLFcNajyjIyyWukOUr-JNprY32Y1u-m52Tt-CNOeQqWJwFSF3v7PMsEMFKOQ3IYCg9gjXsFIwnEy2DjCqkPeF9_4bfFBMZAV7nAWvhpJ2y_BuquyVZX07hjUbuBCMJGKvKM/s320/2017-12-05+phone+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Behind the church in what had been once an orchard </span><span style="font-size: large;">was the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Recoleta Cemetery </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">where we had planned our entire stay in the city around the day's 11 am guided tour. Naturally, we were therefore disappointed to learn the tour had been cancelled as the Recoleta is o</span><span style="font-size: large;">ften voted as one of the most fascinating cemeteries in the world.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTT0SPcCHLm6JnGv9_xxUVDxOhdPJmG-tY6ApnOiKh-8o2RkzysNB4Lb1LPdaEMzstFpafumPR7c9D2xQDnn3Fo5s21jPh8g_r8smxpb2uDQ6XVn4ubR8EEL7JDyFtDt3yOIADAm1CRY/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTT0SPcCHLm6JnGv9_xxUVDxOhdPJmG-tY6ApnOiKh-8o2RkzysNB4Lb1LPdaEMzstFpafumPR7c9D2xQDnn3Fo5s21jPh8g_r8smxpb2uDQ6XVn4ubR8EEL7JDyFtDt3yOIADAm1CRY/s320/IMG_0637.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had read that almost every major Argentine hero and villain was buried in Buenos Aires' most exclusive burial ground so we were curious to view their final resting places. With more than 4,000 ornate mausoleums, the Recoleta Cemetery is also the biggest outdoor collection of artwork in the world. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCtmUbdEMFeHYdFGTKi2mx4nA3lHFxvSiEJ6p76PymNoAINvDLfK-xYaeMhddCPuysuLFRpNN3TSfUR4slneMDiwgEg54Bjfz8s49mzrdmkENunJMWG18Fnsgft3AWpbCcAi7Imfj4Ew/s1600/IMG_0639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCtmUbdEMFeHYdFGTKi2mx4nA3lHFxvSiEJ6p76PymNoAINvDLfK-xYaeMhddCPuysuLFRpNN3TSfUR4slneMDiwgEg54Bjfz8s49mzrdmkENunJMWG18Fnsgft3AWpbCcAi7Imfj4Ew/s320/IMG_0639.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgW3az4QN_-vanrHwn-ulWczGIkd900R1mk4uaXWEHhrJ77etG-o0_4KIvFIt9BqSvxO0AXMlduEI97gvDRp017T9kgPJKHxSqGC0Wb4haCqtqqj5VIg3YCmjPBGREh4hQ88jfVydb-vE/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgW3az4QN_-vanrHwn-ulWczGIkd900R1mk4uaXWEHhrJ77etG-o0_4KIvFIt9BqSvxO0AXMlduEI97gvDRp017T9kgPJKHxSqGC0Wb4haCqtqqj5VIg3YCmjPBGREh4hQ88jfVydb-vE/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQppHyp3yjkNPWA5w2CKOaSTSdOqwYlUegeOx8FFM3Kd6astHwdoXWOTVVWUrtZ3dqf8aRhWW5m_ccIcG9wrTlXeTN0NuiEgCkfzau4bQ3mvRvVa7jdaCaj0tRyjGwrGAESe1f6Y0QTs/s1600/IMG_0646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQppHyp3yjkNPWA5w2CKOaSTSdOqwYlUegeOx8FFM3Kd6astHwdoXWOTVVWUrtZ3dqf8aRhWW5m_ccIcG9wrTlXeTN0NuiEgCkfzau4bQ3mvRvVa7jdaCaj0tRyjGwrGAESe1f6Y0QTs/s320/IMG_0646.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Juan Facundo Quiroga,</b> a leader who was assassinated during the 1830s bloody war, was reportedly buried standing up as a sign of courage!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHH9f8T4qBRyvCGDtVelIkdxpHXrsPcttNVSYItiXtD3RSa_nWbEmCKp0CBknyUoneFLU_m2Rh4TvcilXkvxxqZ2xv1GdJ1Hin6oCJrsjcZZuyf4ceLP3P3un54B4ojFaC-rZDrhyphenhyphenJ38/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHH9f8T4qBRyvCGDtVelIkdxpHXrsPcttNVSYItiXtD3RSa_nWbEmCKp0CBknyUoneFLU_m2Rh4TvcilXkvxxqZ2xv1GdJ1Hin6oCJrsjcZZuyf4ceLP3P3un54B4ojFaC-rZDrhyphenhyphenJ38/s320/IMG_0649.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmUOLM9RCCBzgGRwcjGBHN3MYcyP9NdqgWWuxbFxK_z5WRFnTsUSXnKC732EW7di924Gtrh27sOl6jGZngLDpH58KT0C9Kdkao1zROfbgUop86GYO78ik0bTu_g6VdRTP3T1oBvSNEHo/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmUOLM9RCCBzgGRwcjGBHN3MYcyP9NdqgWWuxbFxK_z5WRFnTsUSXnKC732EW7di924Gtrh27sOl6jGZngLDpH58KT0C9Kdkao1zROfbgUop86GYO78ik0bTu_g6VdRTP3T1oBvSNEHo/s320/IMG_0650.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLqNCZQ9zsR00l9vRZ3LdPKWxdPJ9BmFpKf3wMTfz7GNUYPNhZmUN4Vhnfg_PhxgLGvGdBf1dcCMcCDs-IAIswdRnpPD6LHS1aPwt7B91MVedriWGnDEj_emwnt8H-KIaaVWeKV05OCg/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLqNCZQ9zsR00l9vRZ3LdPKWxdPJ9BmFpKf3wMTfz7GNUYPNhZmUN4Vhnfg_PhxgLGvGdBf1dcCMcCDs-IAIswdRnpPD6LHS1aPwt7B91MVedriWGnDEj_emwnt8H-KIaaVWeKV05OCg/s320/IMG_0654.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I remember being so moved reading the love and devotion expressed by a new widow to her husband.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER20MVGhiutxS9baPLrar2c2PMxcoM21aFuAyJtsrlzXa8P3Mg1qrI8yRexlKs8AXXEl9YnuR2oDlLlVizkR1Zrr1A9MMBx3ewlWgzNn-pfNNqVrNnPuOXh1Mt8ojv2PBt7omM0qIBG0/s1600/IMG_0656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER20MVGhiutxS9baPLrar2c2PMxcoM21aFuAyJtsrlzXa8P3Mg1qrI8yRexlKs8AXXEl9YnuR2oDlLlVizkR1Zrr1A9MMBx3ewlWgzNn-pfNNqVrNnPuOXh1Mt8ojv2PBt7omM0qIBG0/s320/IMG_0656.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBETA5g1qiELPQvt1T9EkVt9Y4jGRC0m7kIgSDaS5bIlG3hGcWYbkCl0S42beI_ddx4Y6n0hSwFAZZAdQPZIfhp_PVbHRRup3RIuNgyjKubV0TuHkeMd1huPIW3duUk2F1Te2KsrGJqlM/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBETA5g1qiELPQvt1T9EkVt9Y4jGRC0m7kIgSDaS5bIlG3hGcWYbkCl0S42beI_ddx4Y6n0hSwFAZZAdQPZIfhp_PVbHRRup3RIuNgyjKubV0TuHkeMd1huPIW3duUk2F1Te2KsrGJqlM/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Irish freedom fighter and naval hero <b>William Brown</b> was buried beside a green mast. His daughter, <b>Eliza,</b> was nearby after she was found drowned in her wedding dress. Legend had it she killed herself out of grief for her Scottish lover who died helping her father.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHpKujSO883QHRQJuMnbEC7F4dXqvZvT6aIetl5ac6NtBk2rdPxcjGPLdqpZNDANoZ0Jyx88B7Nx9ahDc7thG4oHG9GkrJnFZVfag27zXKDxYdYsNLwzSzCnfIRRUdigfPSTc38h3uns/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHpKujSO883QHRQJuMnbEC7F4dXqvZvT6aIetl5ac6NtBk2rdPxcjGPLdqpZNDANoZ0Jyx88B7Nx9ahDc7thG4oHG9GkrJnFZVfag27zXKDxYdYsNLwzSzCnfIRRUdigfPSTc38h3uns/s320/IMG_0662.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c-a9pKAx7SVHpezS5hOrbCpj-MtydSrrrfr14fRKBObq1FaafTFfPqEcdagVDabwh2N0oDBQVxGoG9KV5Cy5j0GDesumCSh1xSqxVSMSxJfFUDK5-0jZJr9_xsqM6x_PXwdi7SipVSg/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-c-a9pKAx7SVHpezS5hOrbCpj-MtydSrrrfr14fRKBObq1FaafTFfPqEcdagVDabwh2N0oDBQVxGoG9KV5Cy5j0GDesumCSh1xSqxVSMSxJfFUDK5-0jZJr9_xsqM6x_PXwdi7SipVSg/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In this amazing city of the dead, countless 'streets' were lined with impressive statues and marble mausoleums.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDO23DgRQWvNsO0MqGMiiCETeX2F8Z97irCxKScPjpTVR4PLvcZ78qnzfib6aWF2bdhBCsF8CIv45EzPr5hxWV_G50Bj7VmUAuTV1f9UJ6trpupIqZhidWZTRaQeEwwh8MtoEKzbsEBA/s1600/IMG_0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDO23DgRQWvNsO0MqGMiiCETeX2F8Z97irCxKScPjpTVR4PLvcZ78qnzfib6aWF2bdhBCsF8CIv45EzPr5hxWV_G50Bj7VmUAuTV1f9UJ6trpupIqZhidWZTRaQeEwwh8MtoEKzbsEBA/s320/IMG_0671.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The map we bought indicated this family crypt belonged to tyrant <b>Juan Manuel de Rosas.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4n9zGZhCVrS9v_Lz8pEIUbYkyIU0WahWlfLOApMlLX736kY7sMK5qSY2JXnlKpLrbKqLd2XHpX5pXfjW98AYEzvAc7BUNqzpVqK1DNa9YuOQOMuq8eSfAqtw_nW3IHPwz51ypxnmIi3k/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4n9zGZhCVrS9v_Lz8pEIUbYkyIU0WahWlfLOApMlLX736kY7sMK5qSY2JXnlKpLrbKqLd2XHpX5pXfjW98AYEzvAc7BUNqzpVqK1DNa9YuOQOMuq8eSfAqtw_nW3IHPwz51ypxnmIi3k/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This mausoleum was being cleaned so we were able to get a better look of its interior.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUTP7R-DSYr5Ea3I-lvhRfc_zMNtvq2NW8Wb3uLDXsmxga2CztjQHy-84cVrKjWw5U7l5fEiUqmnR3JuO5sbQV5zqQAVo5Y9mD8j9u8OvHRa0kY2l0Pshb7wjErwEO1DAyvqirz0tLyU/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUTP7R-DSYr5Ea3I-lvhRfc_zMNtvq2NW8Wb3uLDXsmxga2CztjQHy-84cVrKjWw5U7l5fEiUqmnR3JuO5sbQV5zqQAVo5Y9mD8j9u8OvHRa0kY2l0Pshb7wjErwEO1DAyvqirz0tLyU/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The large park by our hotel and in front of the Teatro Colon was named for <b>Juan Lavalle,</b> a politician. This was his final resting place.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q6VFPIUaYsP7f1eKaNQDsPb-l2gLiYJ2qp_fJ00jM_s1rODuZwsK8MDNAguPmV2v0OFE8gnx91O_vcfJEqICivmUG7J5FmlR43fTY21GjIVrHNU3m1lTInZoPLNr7lfmcVXjV5qpSe0/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q6VFPIUaYsP7f1eKaNQDsPb-l2gLiYJ2qp_fJ00jM_s1rODuZwsK8MDNAguPmV2v0OFE8gnx91O_vcfJEqICivmUG7J5FmlR43fTY21GjIVrHNU3m1lTInZoPLNr7lfmcVXjV5qpSe0/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KIAUo-eQuLL3pbt3VRgiOYMwx0O-2bX-WzLLV6BySoWbZgsdZ5d5AoJP66VriDy4_NCTFQdT9iem39JjhX-uFVbfel3yEDQV0e4l87LXmci0bH4bEgK6NNZOv-yvJockZPocPw6_8Y0/s1600/IMG_0683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KIAUo-eQuLL3pbt3VRgiOYMwx0O-2bX-WzLLV6BySoWbZgsdZ5d5AoJP66VriDy4_NCTFQdT9iem39JjhX-uFVbfel3yEDQV0e4l87LXmci0bH4bEgK6NNZOv-yvJockZPocPw6_8Y0/s320/IMG_0683.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSIZgH1KYnvSSJy2CN1LKA1qL1Qflxgfu31kH8yZqkizL_3DSVLfFDHIUuUBUYbciG1BIHGc4b7r2MzmcRQ2RJXLCfoubPVskVp7jagtvxac2Zet7_AcFy5do2nkD8OLUoAT2Ebmi7qw/s1600/IMG_0684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSIZgH1KYnvSSJy2CN1LKA1qL1Qflxgfu31kH8yZqkizL_3DSVLfFDHIUuUBUYbciG1BIHGc4b7r2MzmcRQ2RJXLCfoubPVskVp7jagtvxac2Zet7_AcFy5do2nkD8OLUoAT2Ebmi7qw/s320/IMG_0684.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This remarkable monument mourned the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Heroes of the Revolution of 1890.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUT3rSBK44l_WeBrh6QQJ9ivlfrjBjVU8FZuER_NgWLPBfjZ6RxUkWh7Fh-I_rY-UvhiG0de9VbyNb0EiNSkhAldbqyfkNLo3Y2LVBVNgBwvZJueuknbAwdXrrjhL7B1kFsQT5c5KHFA/s1600/IMG_0685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUT3rSBK44l_WeBrh6QQJ9ivlfrjBjVU8FZuER_NgWLPBfjZ6RxUkWh7Fh-I_rY-UvhiG0de9VbyNb0EiNSkhAldbqyfkNLo3Y2LVBVNgBwvZJueuknbAwdXrrjhL7B1kFsQT5c5KHFA/s320/IMG_0685.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vOafwoTPDHGZduo83sOfVVd9cFhDtS1qJjCj4QMqoveep6LgVOepn7cOWDYPE_geFRXoWeMq6ReOD6FnxCuJzAeOHaDplxEjnw-8ZxjRCOsbHreFsXRhSH7PcyfPQdgV7CyC7A3XfYY/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vOafwoTPDHGZduo83sOfVVd9cFhDtS1qJjCj4QMqoveep6LgVOepn7cOWDYPE_geFRXoWeMq6ReOD6FnxCuJzAeOHaDplxEjnw-8ZxjRCOsbHreFsXRhSH7PcyfPQdgV7CyC7A3XfYY/s320/IMG_0689.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pp20K98-yyyIyM7Jo1kgw3PD_XWG0JC5L3xWuOVOavlpRSSi-e79kQnRWyRMB6s-kaZnBtsizX327Rcam20aIonO0Avq-mUlrtSNdME4ebi1ng5nMr3H0YERL7qJhIu5DIT-njpYgu4/s1600/IMG_0690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pp20K98-yyyIyM7Jo1kgw3PD_XWG0JC5L3xWuOVOavlpRSSi-e79kQnRWyRMB6s-kaZnBtsizX327Rcam20aIonO0Avq-mUlrtSNdME4ebi1ng5nMr3H0YERL7qJhIu5DIT-njpYgu4/s320/IMG_0690.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you click on the photo below to enlarge it, you'll see the English inscription for the <b>Duggan Family Vault</b> dated 1887.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQqIv-2n3kXEPVxJSnS4N9-yf_ko-HkHtjtzmlebqkVbCe3XKXt6N3Kljqu4GQgAC2EiV9ZAJFdYgZyVyzWs2l-q4adjd7z5SIYvqZYtwj18RsmS86nOVSG6n55c7_KcaM6vgpk4pI2g/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQqIv-2n3kXEPVxJSnS4N9-yf_ko-HkHtjtzmlebqkVbCe3XKXt6N3Kljqu4GQgAC2EiV9ZAJFdYgZyVyzWs2l-q4adjd7z5SIYvqZYtwj18RsmS86nOVSG6n55c7_KcaM6vgpk4pI2g/s320/IMG_0691.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Outside the granite tomb was a statue of heavyweight boxer <b>Luis Angel Firpo</b> who nearly beat Jack Dempsey in 1923.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3ni41SOpvZVQmnyJ1J0mSsZL49VJ6dONkOqvogPf-6vPIAQSSQ8fGRfaf7fk8gMeNb8hvtjijA2lEtZ-wn562vGPx1o_jEFt4lYz86aF5Tm88CM5g7i2tMxDKpT-8I4ux_WPyF2Sac/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi3ni41SOpvZVQmnyJ1J0mSsZL49VJ6dONkOqvogPf-6vPIAQSSQ8fGRfaf7fk8gMeNb8hvtjijA2lEtZ-wn562vGPx1o_jEFt4lYz86aF5Tm88CM5g7i2tMxDKpT-8I4ux_WPyF2Sac/s320/IMG_0693.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanPDiFb3wFdQzZUdhuJeUdz8nL1_rJSJM_5-J-Yz6W5Esp3p9T-uohL7HrGgIM4f755Nc0X9MxjQILcYrMypwEo7dyZAiaMteRLp8iYHDmFzLcn6y1xX2R8GCszKTLYkF-yrs4A9tKrY/s1600/IMG_0698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanPDiFb3wFdQzZUdhuJeUdz8nL1_rJSJM_5-J-Yz6W5Esp3p9T-uohL7HrGgIM4f755Nc0X9MxjQILcYrMypwEo7dyZAiaMteRLp8iYHDmFzLcn6y1xX2R8GCszKTLYkF-yrs4A9tKrY/s320/IMG_0698.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaAW_rFdmIMzcZOEdiwnHFabDN-gJJG5s4MTiAZGSofaAshYIH_pWCkUWvMLR7XAdiRMXkobrLFpj9Uk_8i7TU1tHmNuSQt1f3LD_Cp2EyfVj628Vum2Py9R5cdQXdEeyG1oShAfVVBY/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaAW_rFdmIMzcZOEdiwnHFabDN-gJJG5s4MTiAZGSofaAshYIH_pWCkUWvMLR7XAdiRMXkobrLFpj9Uk_8i7TU1tHmNuSQt1f3LD_Cp2EyfVj628Vum2Py9R5cdQXdEeyG1oShAfVVBY/s320/IMG_0699.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Like everyone else who visited the Cementerio de la Recoleta, we wanted to see its </span><span style="font-size: large;">biggest star. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We were surprised that</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Evita Perón's </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">final home</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><span style="font-size: large;">was in </span><span style="font-size: large;">one of the simpler mausoleums in a narrow alley in the cemetery. Her grave was one of the few that had any flowers. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Although Evita died in 1952, her body wasn’t interred for 20 years. Her body lay in a heavily fortified crypt some five meters’ underground, to protect her remains. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqNIfW1rk5Lwx0kLIMTDpfy2FGS4fsjoztGzQ1J1wzh3bJJCzHcrdUo2MettSRFSCHT2htldZgQnbmgzV0-nVMSorRkC_abpPT79JYHWJoDjCRs665v6t-fhpxWQjwQP4TilCac4aMuA/s1600/IMG_0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqNIfW1rk5Lwx0kLIMTDpfy2FGS4fsjoztGzQ1J1wzh3bJJCzHcrdUo2MettSRFSCHT2htldZgQnbmgzV0-nVMSorRkC_abpPT79JYHWJoDjCRs665v6t-fhpxWQjwQP4TilCac4aMuA/s320/IMG_0706.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe5Kyn41H4-RrF1GE16EtOLTwGwv-tXG2UAMSdx5rd_SneJX2dpUIB-MW-5CPsNbDqOM7WpL1dBBxkdZfpBaVHszqPasG7bdBfk5x5Ug_GqQQhf8F0B2dXwNh9ZdkJ-MLyGHCfIjJ_rk/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpe5Kyn41H4-RrF1GE16EtOLTwGwv-tXG2UAMSdx5rd_SneJX2dpUIB-MW-5CPsNbDqOM7WpL1dBBxkdZfpBaVHszqPasG7bdBfk5x5Ug_GqQQhf8F0B2dXwNh9ZdkJ-MLyGHCfIjJ_rk/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtzhgfwjDvk6ax0kc14Yv9XftdFLsDxLXrWj_vdzdsY1XaQo2r82RpLjtLdnPHTXq2Kfnyr38_i0IWcwoyQjZqdwBaQ5gkv9_uVj4fOZMFyKCfmW01tmARtc-ZVmNod_bBDIyzqOy-a0/s1600/IMG_0707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtzhgfwjDvk6ax0kc14Yv9XftdFLsDxLXrWj_vdzdsY1XaQo2r82RpLjtLdnPHTXq2Kfnyr38_i0IWcwoyQjZqdwBaQ5gkv9_uVj4fOZMFyKCfmW01tmARtc-ZVmNod_bBDIyzqOy-a0/s320/IMG_0707.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the saddest stories I read about while visiting the cemetery was of <b>Rufina Cambaceres,</b> a rich child buried alive after a cataleptic attack. When she woke up, she managed to pry open the coffin open but died during the night of a heart attack! She was buried in an art nouveau tomb decorated with wrought iron.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3kA3GIZHvzWoqiZjPn1xAU3GqwJ61TEuiouAlGhVdD9lJSg5nYcpz8fHqT-7I3uv_A4BiUQk2uJlBGB95kG5KnNPUj3C21DuEi4WGWLbiQgqi-zDztHvbXugOB6aWYl0uGuPKJz85VY/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3kA3GIZHvzWoqiZjPn1xAU3GqwJ61TEuiouAlGhVdD9lJSg5nYcpz8fHqT-7I3uv_A4BiUQk2uJlBGB95kG5KnNPUj3C21DuEi4WGWLbiQgqi-zDztHvbXugOB6aWYl0uGuPKJz85VY/s320/IMG_0712.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the cemetery's most grandiose tombs belonged to <b>Domingo Sarmiento,</b> the country's famous 19th century educator. In thirty years, he founded 5,000 schools in the country but he was forced to hire teachers from the US as there weren't enough in Argentina.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmc9dCL3S3cwXuv0H3ANTuYMVFnXJH4ASvEIvXK9ViXEB-vINeQTojbzK-PC-DOJAstxFwVxBX1NBEn_5nTTrKnknQlB4VeMyrqGmhZ_QYVVNoM7-fgA7U3fM8Phlv6spPg1t8flWd7c/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmc9dCL3S3cwXuv0H3ANTuYMVFnXJH4ASvEIvXK9ViXEB-vINeQTojbzK-PC-DOJAstxFwVxBX1NBEn_5nTTrKnknQlB4VeMyrqGmhZ_QYVVNoM7-fgA7U3fM8Phlv6spPg1t8flWd7c/s320/IMG_0714.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK30iEJBtKvMR4KXhPGSBcD3mqhriLQg-FRsJHukQ8BhNziT9k3pUHcZXiTGY7o-vSncRpDjDUp3U2OExSug87mhnARWpvDMnIkD_UssnPPENqqCA4qk4D16pipRGyra7JidfFmTagivo/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK30iEJBtKvMR4KXhPGSBcD3mqhriLQg-FRsJHukQ8BhNziT9k3pUHcZXiTGY7o-vSncRpDjDUp3U2OExSug87mhnARWpvDMnIkD_UssnPPENqqCA4qk4D16pipRGyra7JidfFmTagivo/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHL1LG87ecEVUs6AVC_2R5SpT3RcPWChGEbfIwmONeHVffimfdZ92i0gUp-Mvd80pL-UE8x5L-2p3CrVU1a0o0kh5JmdBABjmf-dYPM1BrCbSMDKvnL1EU9AZ0abQg1HByQEVHxe2GZo/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHL1LG87ecEVUs6AVC_2R5SpT3RcPWChGEbfIwmONeHVffimfdZ92i0gUp-Mvd80pL-UE8x5L-2p3CrVU1a0o0kh5JmdBABjmf-dYPM1BrCbSMDKvnL1EU9AZ0abQg1HByQEVHxe2GZo/s320/IMG_0717.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Recoleta was an eerily beautiful and tranquil place. It came as no surprise that over 90 of its tombs were listed as national historical monuments.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4v3M4N5_UIx4jZzo_u1dCEjNlXj5MVh8O61f0CW_T5oPCd8e6j2vw3rLpgI7QPulpoCNgAauOr9dk4qXBnlyXnuEpClBihtR6fOm7wY7Wf9zGYEe1DLjBTYpkqiqF7Ocnvkek_3IPHQ/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4v3M4N5_UIx4jZzo_u1dCEjNlXj5MVh8O61f0CW_T5oPCd8e6j2vw3rLpgI7QPulpoCNgAauOr9dk4qXBnlyXnuEpClBihtR6fOm7wY7Wf9zGYEe1DLjBTYpkqiqF7Ocnvkek_3IPHQ/s320/IMG_0719.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Later we made our way to one of Buenos Aires' unique monuments known as <b>Floralis Genérica,</b> which was on permanent display in the <b>Plaza de las Naciones Unidas</b> or UN Plaza. The huge stainless steel flower was designed by Argentine architect <b>Eduardo Catalano </b>who donated it to the city in 2002. Catalano once said that the flower "is a synthesis of all the flowers and, at the same time, a hope reborn every day at opening." </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ16ubxz8JXTJ0U0NB0eXBabDDq6gArVJjiBQE4e4x0ZuKnzSnBR57aHNbs7lNiCX2PfTKnmfdGsBj1XMZgVY7_srE6NMYMmiu58-nFlvOsa8-tTckWxjASmL4CFWxSbye4_67WCCkTt8/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ16ubxz8JXTJ0U0NB0eXBabDDq6gArVJjiBQE4e4x0ZuKnzSnBR57aHNbs7lNiCX2PfTKnmfdGsBj1XMZgVY7_srE6NMYMmiu58-nFlvOsa8-tTckWxjASmL4CFWxSbye4_67WCCkTt8/s320/2017-12-05+phone+029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The aluminum and stainless steel 'generic flower' statue was surrounded by a terrific park. The flower was supposed to open and close with the day but sadly, the mechanisms which apparently make it open and shut to mirror a real flower, weren't working. However, the day we were there it was stuck about 3/4 closed which I think might have been the perfect position for reflecting the sky, buildings and tourist</span><span style="font-size: large;">s who came to view it. It reminded me of </span><b style="font-size: x-large;">Cloud Gate,</b><span style="font-size: large;"> aka The Bean sculpture in Chicago.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFB1kjlaPLyfH6m7-5vHiAZmkXz4ru3aU4vDf0MHJzN6QtuAwe_CaSDHNw-A5sG73OsxwRuvgV6_mmNoQjHSj3oxfFvjkf13cUh5j4BcKxkTyEjpNfTeEathlsrv7-HCaRw7BYj66-Ok/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFB1kjlaPLyfH6m7-5vHiAZmkXz4ru3aU4vDf0MHJzN6QtuAwe_CaSDHNw-A5sG73OsxwRuvgV6_mmNoQjHSj3oxfFvjkf13cUh5j4BcKxkTyEjpNfTeEathlsrv7-HCaRw7BYj66-Ok/s320/2017-12-05+phone+035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the same Recoleta neighborhood was the <b>Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes,</b> the country's most important fine arts museum </span><span style="font-size: large;">and the largest public art collection in Latin America.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Its 12,000-plus pieces included the world's largest collection of Argentine art, as well as one of the region's most important collections of 19th-century European art. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlw_YjE_MavMK5AiDaHl6z5Ut8vkT5pLffsfBdmccEBqs0UEiZOiwNI3fj41hY7QnR2s5gUoEVhw2xT6yQwv6bbQKZFnMQrXfLlkyxoztJ8B8-BxTEP-OsUW2A9XM14gpsijuuQSAne0/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlw_YjE_MavMK5AiDaHl6z5Ut8vkT5pLffsfBdmccEBqs0UEiZOiwNI3fj41hY7QnR2s5gUoEVhw2xT6yQwv6bbQKZFnMQrXfLlkyxoztJ8B8-BxTEP-OsUW2A9XM14gpsijuuQSAne0/s320/2017-12-05+phone+037.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY9kk41M8uGpS5jkx2IW4QguhFD5MMjK_vxWTaj-UNqCNReU2rfMT6yNQXY4oZyZyIqu7VsdkzbBpbUVh0UP2O4KIeuxCfebv1BjQkhHJj-q241sljIRawoheXU_Syi3c0Wy9Shk9Vb4/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY9kk41M8uGpS5jkx2IW4QguhFD5MMjK_vxWTaj-UNqCNReU2rfMT6yNQXY4oZyZyIqu7VsdkzbBpbUVh0UP2O4KIeuxCfebv1BjQkhHJj-q241sljIRawoheXU_Syi3c0Wy9Shk9Vb4/s320/2017-12-05+phone+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were drawn to the museum's impressive international works by European masters such as Degas, Picasso, Cezanne and others. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gu0sQ5CiemnbELSYc_ybAx5w5jtstFlKernhUchSM2HTFVjNeMD8_KOjqCSX-HU7Qs-VJb5qX6_FT0FKuwPRtsf0fCVEPIAndgcfm5TWcoDRri6CsbxqaldCRWAQqkUasPufaggc0V4/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gu0sQ5CiemnbELSYc_ybAx5w5jtstFlKernhUchSM2HTFVjNeMD8_KOjqCSX-HU7Qs-VJb5qX6_FT0FKuwPRtsf0fCVEPIAndgcfm5TWcoDRri6CsbxqaldCRWAQqkUasPufaggc0V4/s320/2017-12-05+phone+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevZvzUYD4oZHgPKg5uEi0gS4BDU6PTLFT3PwjDSCOyuwdcBhUUBs5VZA8jXHCkoN8_2WHOgmtjs80xfvexWqWZ4EKRy4-8bvAzLRQqidd97JEPgLc_Z-pesJDrxTIPhK64giUD7omgTo/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevZvzUYD4oZHgPKg5uEi0gS4BDU6PTLFT3PwjDSCOyuwdcBhUUBs5VZA8jXHCkoN8_2WHOgmtjs80xfvexWqWZ4EKRy4-8bvAzLRQqidd97JEPgLc_Z-pesJDrxTIPhK64giUD7omgTo/s320/2017-12-05+phone+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuV8IgxMmfeZpVR5j0yGKnK_9SOqD6fl_Tdit0lmuzTEP3ZOpw6Ha4v13gPB9-2h1_jp0pTrsmYiLsa5H381SxwNw05LFlTQ-ar1eOw4LUduR3m_EUsNv8hABvcqaHPG0pSrCmSZhQfko/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuV8IgxMmfeZpVR5j0yGKnK_9SOqD6fl_Tdit0lmuzTEP3ZOpw6Ha4v13gPB9-2h1_jp0pTrsmYiLsa5H381SxwNw05LFlTQ-ar1eOw4LUduR3m_EUsNv8hABvcqaHPG0pSrCmSZhQfko/s320/2017-12-05+phone+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEJY6cgiabDUQ0M3q2Trm0MOnqBUTfOXGQHuK3jJlvugheQlNiael1bJI_jEzhVN8I17ZNNhlIyMc-DdEvHP3BahsSPXwMfzBfVuaBV0O_GIMXipjOriA9HW-umg77DlEioli3PUhAt8/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEJY6cgiabDUQ0M3q2Trm0MOnqBUTfOXGQHuK3jJlvugheQlNiael1bJI_jEzhVN8I17ZNNhlIyMc-DdEvHP3BahsSPXwMfzBfVuaBV0O_GIMXipjOriA9HW-umg77DlEioli3PUhAt8/s320/2017-12-05+phone+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lnkS6bqSMiKeViJsdxsUrDgcVSJUQ2Qfat4j4FvbcQjSExVpjcOgRrqJjiTsSwv7oZp7nncKuSeoKUAH84pzwznMsj6XhXAOFuhgAlagVpdjv361VvWHcw7i_PUopFS8BowcK0KmfgA/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lnkS6bqSMiKeViJsdxsUrDgcVSJUQ2Qfat4j4FvbcQjSExVpjcOgRrqJjiTsSwv7oZp7nncKuSeoKUAH84pzwznMsj6XhXAOFuhgAlagVpdjv361VvWHcw7i_PUopFS8BowcK0KmfgA/s320/2017-12-05+phone+048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG56UAHz1SglFELH0R1Iskjs_XNbzh5d1KQty7cwAbYFTPUAQnaSfooNPlh44gXkUGVvZmqn4JTiQefwcv1MkCEvEQxy7ZBeWqFPuWCUdcSz7i_DrTcBxi8TpjiI6zQ02fXrg9qBldNn4/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG56UAHz1SglFELH0R1Iskjs_XNbzh5d1KQty7cwAbYFTPUAQnaSfooNPlh44gXkUGVvZmqn4JTiQefwcv1MkCEvEQxy7ZBeWqFPuWCUdcSz7i_DrTcBxi8TpjiI6zQ02fXrg9qBldNn4/s320/2017-12-05+phone+049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Each painting was a feast for our eyes and a delight for all our senses!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62wdWU8Jq0MLi01zvzHmeHTp5sTydZwGWg2qrJCDVNR07Glu4hrnyGsPGqjr4mFAjoQE4b9a5mlWAjC9T26-Y4vPZOZmgpOafoomyB9vscChyphenhyphenpq4KljJtJvBhgMdhJaNVdkA5i7Xd0s0/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62wdWU8Jq0MLi01zvzHmeHTp5sTydZwGWg2qrJCDVNR07Glu4hrnyGsPGqjr4mFAjoQE4b9a5mlWAjC9T26-Y4vPZOZmgpOafoomyB9vscChyphenhyphenpq4KljJtJvBhgMdhJaNVdkA5i7Xd0s0/s320/2017-12-05+phone+050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3rHRITTnOeY5DwobM1RtvYP3N_VydoWzbQgl0GjEbx9crLDcn2sulyZTn26B21yXoV9Azw0vQfRtchDo7DhCGgX2J-E5zO_h9jiKjhKdILAP39v7CCkj1eJNCgUXoVCn0YkIvREPDLk/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3rHRITTnOeY5DwobM1RtvYP3N_VydoWzbQgl0GjEbx9crLDcn2sulyZTn26B21yXoV9Azw0vQfRtchDo7DhCGgX2J-E5zO_h9jiKjhKdILAP39v7CCkj1eJNCgUXoVCn0YkIvREPDLk/s320/2017-12-05+phone+051.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After delighting in the familiar European masterpieces, another treat was in store: a remarkable exhibition of Spanish painter <b>Joan Miró's</b> works called The Experience of Looking. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0v8-9hgx2llHCSZShKozU_IDiEMxTWNAEKClTZt4mmDGKZ6M09mnBjUj1Rsz2I6To5VCIT-RmHwtGSY_19a2BMuKCN6ao9o8mDHyO6szRW4ruyfOAlkPAy9YOqoq_qWWJzJoo85Hk_8/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0v8-9hgx2llHCSZShKozU_IDiEMxTWNAEKClTZt4mmDGKZ6M09mnBjUj1Rsz2I6To5VCIT-RmHwtGSY_19a2BMuKCN6ao9o8mDHyO6szRW4ruyfOAlkPAy9YOqoq_qWWJzJoo85Hk_8/s320/2017-12-05+phone+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNQeKhHNDBUYbXSCI5IJaQdyRi5Vnp8HtklKLpVtMO6ml2GLIcuYViLIp6b4fkVbun4-YDqOWK895JOUfBizbJIEg3EoYSr7CFUTa4g5EvWdj_4DmKJ_UWXxUgnBl34YSGLjcNCADxXk/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNQeKhHNDBUYbXSCI5IJaQdyRi5Vnp8HtklKLpVtMO6ml2GLIcuYViLIp6b4fkVbun4-YDqOWK895JOUfBizbJIEg3EoYSr7CFUTa4g5EvWdj_4DmKJ_UWXxUgnBl34YSGLjcNCADxXk/s320/2017-12-05+phone+059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l4s55kY0Cw-6qf7E5_OBxfZWjxudVyxPLd1vEV6oIN5TF_bUgIuPjyFCx-itIOeOAHAkiJ-IbJB4rqMrjaIxl9RCnT4SSvZNK72s0YFWBjYKNAP3e7S3aLtMK0dlc2nnqlktJbn_NJI/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l4s55kY0Cw-6qf7E5_OBxfZWjxudVyxPLd1vEV6oIN5TF_bUgIuPjyFCx-itIOeOAHAkiJ-IbJB4rqMrjaIxl9RCnT4SSvZNK72s0YFWBjYKNAP3e7S3aLtMK0dlc2nnqlktJbn_NJI/s320/2017-12-05+phone+060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Never had we been exposed to so many of his works before. I suspect and hope we will see many more when we visit </span><span style="font-size: large;">Miró's</span><span style="font-size: large;"> hometown of Barcelona in late October.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQdZTVCmYrEA-uQUfm4IXTIzKjjDXBrWw8z1b3iUvEG9J7XEOH4JbQfJm9jbMG3AX8OaqNWiy6XnNwMc3gKPj_k8yv4uKSgf0skRtNvDPkDXU1af01ni5AQt2_Kg3FFanHEbb11qonqI/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQdZTVCmYrEA-uQUfm4IXTIzKjjDXBrWw8z1b3iUvEG9J7XEOH4JbQfJm9jbMG3AX8OaqNWiy6XnNwMc3gKPj_k8yv4uKSgf0skRtNvDPkDXU1af01ni5AQt2_Kg3FFanHEbb11qonqI/s320/2017-12-05+phone+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The museum also had a superb collection of Rodin's sculptures.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0H2CDdc7eFvmr0NKU5fQFETJhiFRVypWLG6l5jo2PNd9hhtDUk4g20lemPgKCaevkXbB7a8ZMHY5bokpfPvt3pi_PFKWIDwf_zdVOLo0tBjlw5FslKaJjhhGQeokCd0hCWOIk0e9pJfk/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0H2CDdc7eFvmr0NKU5fQFETJhiFRVypWLG6l5jo2PNd9hhtDUk4g20lemPgKCaevkXbB7a8ZMHY5bokpfPvt3pi_PFKWIDwf_zdVOLo0tBjlw5FslKaJjhhGQeokCd0hCWOIk0e9pJfk/s320/2017-12-05+phone+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdH53ln9ftuqVwM42wrHivUNIIQsQRTsrtKmjxw8opZK7xtC6E1IMJb8iUA354HwYabxS7wvRqxChwpJ5HyrcZ5cJx0keyM736zlH_QV8SigGoYxXJMRvjNgyYZBbHqt52wbTuPiMQ38/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdH53ln9ftuqVwM42wrHivUNIIQsQRTsrtKmjxw8opZK7xtC6E1IMJb8iUA354HwYabxS7wvRqxChwpJ5HyrcZ5cJx0keyM736zlH_QV8SigGoYxXJMRvjNgyYZBbHqt52wbTuPiMQ38/s320/2017-12-05+phone+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Beginning in 1880, Rodin created over 200 figures inspired by The Divine Comedy for the Gates of Hell.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> The Kiss </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">originally formed part of that project as it dealt with forbidden love. Rodin in 1886 transformed the characters for other, more dramatic ones in keeping with the work.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiKodoHPs5P9u8uT-lH_UQxZ68OOgINCH-hWT57Ms6KGAhUHBQZkXIC0uP3j3J-epZBE0wq7Jv985VvUjKi0eJSSGsDYIIZB0oP-K0ihsYzPDljd8t1AMJeZs8wXvBq__aTWbvT7DBh4/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiKodoHPs5P9u8uT-lH_UQxZ68OOgINCH-hWT57Ms6KGAhUHBQZkXIC0uP3j3J-epZBE0wq7Jv985VvUjKi0eJSSGsDYIIZB0oP-K0ihsYzPDljd8t1AMJeZs8wXvBq__aTWbvT7DBh4/s320/2017-12-05+phone+072.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Rodin's cast of the French writer,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Honore de Balzac:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_T-hkdnV0fkLWBPlWOB3OZcX3-Rf4vZ13CJfK75oFaIk3OJ2fj0dS1t5XBRC4U-uDCYsOh1EpEoNeVxoNToizDj8bb0UWfO67_RFu1_AkVfKnXrG0ruQJgd7XWgnjeyPHrPTC-Cg6A0s/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_T-hkdnV0fkLWBPlWOB3OZcX3-Rf4vZ13CJfK75oFaIk3OJ2fj0dS1t5XBRC4U-uDCYsOh1EpEoNeVxoNToizDj8bb0UWfO67_RFu1_AkVfKnXrG0ruQJgd7XWgnjeyPHrPTC-Cg6A0s/s320/2017-12-05+phone+084.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I discovered that Rodin only had one solo show during his lifetime.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju1GGQfFYjQj0Gx0wGoxEnJjgGmhzFDU_XNK0FqMDSeD0HbVEWjIWvI0IRsHqEQfUSkZEryBfyrCNdlRTD7OFll-LINDQ6u7R_Hwe0SbNuNhuFIs3LKj1BTeicjl3gwvCFaxPvcdECPM/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju1GGQfFYjQj0Gx0wGoxEnJjgGmhzFDU_XNK0FqMDSeD0HbVEWjIWvI0IRsHqEQfUSkZEryBfyrCNdlRTD7OFll-LINDQ6u7R_Hwe0SbNuNhuFIs3LKj1BTeicjl3gwvCFaxPvcdECPM/s320/2017-12-05+phone+085.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Exquisite and mammoth 16th century Flemish tapestries:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0oq1sHjHJ-F6CIOpPouHMpKU51oOK5kWvG_hMF2DPQYS5lpvhoe5li_AEEnSCgLbiFtDBzhzRRn-OPXJ0Qb06xlDWvmfMKvfto74gI7Iz4dyrLoq8O92Q_2bwP3C0gfUEtfIKvoHX_A/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0oq1sHjHJ-F6CIOpPouHMpKU51oOK5kWvG_hMF2DPQYS5lpvhoe5li_AEEnSCgLbiFtDBzhzRRn-OPXJ0Qb06xlDWvmfMKvfto74gI7Iz4dyrLoq8O92Q_2bwP3C0gfUEtfIKvoHX_A/s320/2017-12-05+phone+086.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPBDlyZ3R7LtKulD-7QFjeCIWMUjeyWcCVv_bpo5_Fm-FSkzYoIGc5Cv1VFlDUBjIn5G0jCO0wQCnhJM10t6XF1oMoiHuffiRVCzZHHi9JBTZM9YeNCootHsRWH5WO1Jd0a2ZkdvjKCA/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPBDlyZ3R7LtKulD-7QFjeCIWMUjeyWcCVv_bpo5_Fm-FSkzYoIGc5Cv1VFlDUBjIn5G0jCO0wQCnhJM10t6XF1oMoiHuffiRVCzZHHi9JBTZM9YeNCootHsRWH5WO1Jd0a2ZkdvjKCA/s320/2017-12-05+phone+088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Two paintings by the Italian painter <b>Amedeo Modigliani:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5irT5SvB2Z9El5or7vPCHjjYJVbrMAQY2lmV3aunB8T1rdZxyMzk191InKkq6SHqbYxdmhF563X-SQz1yQ1dbJIsQjfOXkzkFHoerAX1seFVYnucOqf_B80FXkO3wn3msRiW4tN6eMs/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5irT5SvB2Z9El5or7vPCHjjYJVbrMAQY2lmV3aunB8T1rdZxyMzk191InKkq6SHqbYxdmhF563X-SQz1yQ1dbJIsQjfOXkzkFHoerAX1seFVYnucOqf_B80FXkO3wn3msRiW4tN6eMs/s320/2017-12-05+phone+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Paintings by Argentine artist <b>Fernard Leger:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0or0b-uOwFISUHtzw-V8b27DbbYACESLHefL3oMN6F8tItQTXXikxlumc850rnPDM78bv0mJzMXUWCx9W0t3tLFf5GqIsIfKmjKPWHvjkfcLnYSvErAVqgMd854VEQxA0qlbS2uWxIcc/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0or0b-uOwFISUHtzw-V8b27DbbYACESLHefL3oMN6F8tItQTXXikxlumc850rnPDM78bv0mJzMXUWCx9W0t3tLFf5GqIsIfKmjKPWHvjkfcLnYSvErAVqgMd854VEQxA0qlbS2uWxIcc/s320/2017-12-05+phone+095.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7pSxnDaGAQRpCyCfeNOfvuO-AnxF0L1Q08kI8a5MlQ4VXcm-CAfRSjnaBdYUnlOBV7O-lnWIs-NqRFWGGMPx0U4Ig2rmGLFO-4jRR1ZcTs8b6Bh6t6DDYY8yCyOqaLzqMiuxjb2gdok/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7pSxnDaGAQRpCyCfeNOfvuO-AnxF0L1Q08kI8a5MlQ4VXcm-CAfRSjnaBdYUnlOBV7O-lnWIs-NqRFWGGMPx0U4Ig2rmGLFO-4jRR1ZcTs8b6Bh6t6DDYY8yCyOqaLzqMiuxjb2gdok/s320/2017-12-05+phone+096.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8VsY7bktXbw7nIWVIzBdv5le_CD7PUJMxqOndH_TFH6a_EPr36jtZ9KzfnI6dS1neowlljzckV-JNo2rQKfIB5S9VZbyPLZRW2Fn7mp_j9nL26hXfTE-KfaD1v0Nbtowdo6Ijg_gBqs/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8VsY7bktXbw7nIWVIzBdv5le_CD7PUJMxqOndH_TFH6a_EPr36jtZ9KzfnI6dS1neowlljzckV-JNo2rQKfIB5S9VZbyPLZRW2Fn7mp_j9nL26hXfTE-KfaD1v0Nbtowdo6Ijg_gBqs/s320/2017-12-05+phone+097.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX6twsryuqnockXxggrwGE99305ephih0HDhSvteA4bFZDwV5GtNuFTxSH-VtQ5TjwZM4Si84_7VcKo49TvQcjfefbPAH4x4QeEg2mzhFZ2zqn-dRw96TmLiSBvhd_cFkAjbfWA6MW9s/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX6twsryuqnockXxggrwGE99305ephih0HDhSvteA4bFZDwV5GtNuFTxSH-VtQ5TjwZM4Si84_7VcKo49TvQcjfefbPAH4x4QeEg2mzhFZ2zqn-dRw96TmLiSBvhd_cFkAjbfWA6MW9s/s320/2017-12-05+phone+098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We hated to leave at 3:30 but we had a reservation at 4 for a tour of the <b>Teatro Colon</b> we'd only seen from the outside on the first day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6auN9plquAYGSSdQT-p0AinhjPBrhqZOxeWqUkDGYVfIKGfVi8PBE9pjc-OY6l_B-1RMdmcVuOIde6mqblpKDHb-EY-feYkqONEn78P2FF7Ypd5uWQLP8GOjm9eEmr1Awj1zYVVPkNI/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6auN9plquAYGSSdQT-p0AinhjPBrhqZOxeWqUkDGYVfIKGfVi8PBE9pjc-OY6l_B-1RMdmcVuOIde6mqblpKDHb-EY-feYkqONEn78P2FF7Ypd5uWQLP8GOjm9eEmr1Awj1zYVVPkNI/s320/2017-12-05+phone+138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ss5jx_GNv9pUqAPHUF34FJ8nb0yNeVldt2Hy1Yi2pi85dvEHZ2tFsnWKlWqSQe40hpfEDvds0PQtBUfH9I8KbR4dt5BPHUklYJZQv1tCRNJR-hgekSIlihyphenhyphenrogr-k7jYzgs9UINlHx4/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ss5jx_GNv9pUqAPHUF34FJ8nb0yNeVldt2Hy1Yi2pi85dvEHZ2tFsnWKlWqSQe40hpfEDvds0PQtBUfH9I8KbR4dt5BPHUklYJZQv1tCRNJR-hgekSIlihyphenhyphenrogr-k7jYzgs9UINlHx4/s320/2017-12-05+phone+102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The gorgeous seven-story building which had opened in 1908 was a world class site for opera, ballet and classical music.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfm-r5QrITKibocgMySCgaK90DLoqimSrYBE2TfDhS2JKap2rf0CW-0xqAifZzheWoYHbU4_5amVHgXCwodC2KptcoGHHxMCSNsV4oVZbdByeK38eo1F3rYgFAwHJXzoJCSlx945gUtw/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfm-r5QrITKibocgMySCgaK90DLoqimSrYBE2TfDhS2JKap2rf0CW-0xqAifZzheWoYHbU4_5amVHgXCwodC2KptcoGHHxMCSNsV4oVZbdByeK38eo1F3rYgFAwHJXzoJCSlx945gUtw/s320/2017-12-05+phone+104.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide pointed out the </span><span style="font-size: large;">sienna, pink and carrerra </span><span style="font-size: large;">varieties of marble in the <b>Grand Staircase.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyG96ZQTbcf01W503D-dvhSVq8Vbo_rG7v_rXxVGLYqfJmprAuCLGigFTi-ATGPzvVMkS2upjPx4ZNNrgIT1-ARJMD36UNMMYdVMY2b9EbhCtVnKKjAcK_VBt6FSxBcxXX3MJ2AMPzoA/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyG96ZQTbcf01W503D-dvhSVq8Vbo_rG7v_rXxVGLYqfJmprAuCLGigFTi-ATGPzvVMkS2upjPx4ZNNrgIT1-ARJMD36UNMMYdVMY2b9EbhCtVnKKjAcK_VBt6FSxBcxXX3MJ2AMPzoA/s320/2017-12-05+phone+106.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I pitied the poor artisans tasked with laying each minute piece of tile one by one like a puzzle! It took them two years to accomplish the task.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-2v6DCuzMKjD7CWq_DOptFFDJApZu3YnRArxO6S8279soSBZgQ6n9ceSbW09Mg0C6VJbDDl5gSgg5ckOL0QFnp2zeWSCwrElqYPIFiNEy21NeyKHx6LAWpF8i2P0jrB3njLOzr-YpC0/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-2v6DCuzMKjD7CWq_DOptFFDJApZu3YnRArxO6S8279soSBZgQ6n9ceSbW09Mg0C6VJbDDl5gSgg5ckOL0QFnp2zeWSCwrElqYPIFiNEy21NeyKHx6LAWpF8i2P0jrB3njLOzr-YpC0/s320/2017-12-05+phone+107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfw3N5ZBr94xLRtRkuSedKlmVTzrKrzG6LyvzOxfCDzvi5x7o4bd09rA86qAngjpBLXnwyieQMhdalW4267SrAxX8P1yBKgeMyDI7_gF1yAIqRB1Mb3tlRUZzIR1CP9K0lWvGbKXrizQ/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfw3N5ZBr94xLRtRkuSedKlmVTzrKrzG6LyvzOxfCDzvi5x7o4bd09rA86qAngjpBLXnwyieQMhdalW4267SrAxX8P1yBKgeMyDI7_gF1yAIqRB1Mb3tlRUZzIR1CP9K0lWvGbKXrizQ/s320/2017-12-05+phone+134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some of the operas lasted for five hours so patrons could access a coffee shop on each level, according to our guide.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8v8Bb9Max-1SuIsNXpMoTQMNlfF7IupPub-H4Hdd4x5bXYjjk5zY-gOIDq2amsAXW_4zYvhOxqoA7BqO3Cl7V9WfgfUJbYlZFA8X5GP2SgQ3wS4yXbe1CTBLTvcBlHpyuuWKZ1nLeOQ/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8v8Bb9Max-1SuIsNXpMoTQMNlfF7IupPub-H4Hdd4x5bXYjjk5zY-gOIDq2amsAXW_4zYvhOxqoA7BqO3Cl7V9WfgfUJbYlZFA8X5GP2SgQ3wS4yXbe1CTBLTvcBlHpyuuWKZ1nLeOQ/s320/2017-12-05+phone+109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu-FOEJKZeLIKcbgeWz54QTSX2aONOBCk7tTib9PtWUoMVN_-aRHGsd5i1QSuITOqwTSs97I5WCwZ7OoJiXSXjzUjbVsf8VYG9BAXpf_XIGvz9eZ5EmlM-9dB4HPfnyXVOjnebMjKm5A/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu-FOEJKZeLIKcbgeWz54QTSX2aONOBCk7tTib9PtWUoMVN_-aRHGsd5i1QSuITOqwTSs97I5WCwZ7OoJiXSXjzUjbVsf8VYG9BAXpf_XIGvz9eZ5EmlM-9dB4HPfnyXVOjnebMjKm5A/s320/2017-12-05+phone+110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFTcz1eNBSeRpK-QHHheRSPePbcXx9CoGngDK4A_ik0DM3_vppJ8-gfwBAkmU6D_DgQzcYz2T0ibEZjpxO95K59Ksgv6th1pU8ZgDlHiXUeZc9_DctKbYqRBkAIjVRJVAREEG2UTaL2s/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFTcz1eNBSeRpK-QHHheRSPePbcXx9CoGngDK4A_ik0DM3_vppJ8-gfwBAkmU6D_DgQzcYz2T0ibEZjpxO95K59Ksgv6th1pU8ZgDlHiXUeZc9_DctKbYqRBkAIjVRJVAREEG2UTaL2s/s320/2017-12-05+phone+111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze7GpIENVdGjQ5n5VLDJDiE3TOrdW3h8U2zH5r0aLll3dEr2FYGAjwnlNs6lnUgyurj5jtTcVNnTDaaER4sPVvNKyFdK1GSBKYAUyqctVuKtmr8J94WboraQazno2p2jeW3UsbhjzyaE/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze7GpIENVdGjQ5n5VLDJDiE3TOrdW3h8U2zH5r0aLll3dEr2FYGAjwnlNs6lnUgyurj5jtTcVNnTDaaER4sPVvNKyFdK1GSBKYAUyqctVuKtmr8J94WboraQazno2p2jeW3UsbhjzyaE/s320/2017-12-05+phone+113.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">While walking in <b>The Gallery of Busts,</b> our guide proudly proclaimed that <b>Maria Callas</b> performed three operas here before showcasing her talents at La Scala in Milan and The Met in NY.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WeSZDtzR6i1YQBYE-CSBNLuZO6cF_MC1L4nEkj-eMcH2QTbOQQLwNYkWwYQ9JOnou1SMfC-b1xXHsXKgDrECjjuYcXQTqU_6y-SengJxMJ3VcQGtF8s8plkkmunW4IsULOlh1mWcFa8/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WeSZDtzR6i1YQBYE-CSBNLuZO6cF_MC1L4nEkj-eMcH2QTbOQQLwNYkWwYQ9JOnou1SMfC-b1xXHsXKgDrECjjuYcXQTqU_6y-SengJxMJ3VcQGtF8s8plkkmunW4IsULOlh1mWcFa8/s320/2017-12-05+phone+117.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFcqOG0Fm3Q8GHK2yQ4l_bCAkumdnBDPKSw0TmwRnnFtq8ZI_vYB-giqWddKKLEM8SjxS9ojadpDlSvVlcLyKDH6eqDpCJ_G2OVX3culoHR3e_b2V_g5CkWfkI7kV7F-3r1JqXT-myAI/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFcqOG0Fm3Q8GHK2yQ4l_bCAkumdnBDPKSw0TmwRnnFtq8ZI_vYB-giqWddKKLEM8SjxS9ojadpDlSvVlcLyKDH6eqDpCJ_G2OVX3culoHR3e_b2V_g5CkWfkI7kV7F-3r1JqXT-myAI/s320/2017-12-05+phone+118.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Though Teatro Colon didn't have a resident orchestra initially, now their season goes from March through December and includes 9 operas, 5 ballets and 20 symphonies. The Teatro is only one of three in the world that makes all the costumes used on site. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflFAeAfttvJEcG28QGu6NhvJaZZF1Mm43FT94Anp7E5BiOBEZwCveQetDvZtUMX-IwCuLTAYQQCK45B9S1mYbv9WHaEPHxgFVA1DIGyS1FN2lItkPHvID53RLsoqTixRwEzLr7uMOpcQ/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflFAeAfttvJEcG28QGu6NhvJaZZF1Mm43FT94Anp7E5BiOBEZwCveQetDvZtUMX-IwCuLTAYQQCK45B9S1mYbv9WHaEPHxgFVA1DIGyS1FN2lItkPHvID53RLsoqTixRwEzLr7uMOpcQ/s320/2017-12-05+phone+119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Golden Hall </b>was set up for more intimate occasions.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WO3cNiOykr_BJHf_3cZ2KYaRsng2uoSKDkT8xhRumdpzSAaaFwWoQ7t9YHLX6W0aJy-xMvcaqV5sDXqR8WfdGwLJf_L-dSxaXx3_-6Xw57-FLxQDAJ3JNx5Opu0ig1kw-eeHHZ3O504/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WO3cNiOykr_BJHf_3cZ2KYaRsng2uoSKDkT8xhRumdpzSAaaFwWoQ7t9YHLX6W0aJy-xMvcaqV5sDXqR8WfdGwLJf_L-dSxaXx3_-6Xw57-FLxQDAJ3JNx5Opu0ig1kw-eeHHZ3O504/s320/2017-12-05+phone+121.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Each of the chandeliers weighed 500 kilos and had 22 lights!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnsTgxMeuFSeFn8-eH39_l2FPHMJ3jq8NJhLtuHvqdjJNOg2LAofx9v4Gl3K5MrDJZ9IadIR0YGDXq47v4gTVme2cf4CXP0hBVSerZrYTLxDlsZS428PaQSil196rEfh5kvgJtCoKC5w/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnsTgxMeuFSeFn8-eH39_l2FPHMJ3jq8NJhLtuHvqdjJNOg2LAofx9v4Gl3K5MrDJZ9IadIR0YGDXq47v4gTVme2cf4CXP0hBVSerZrYTLxDlsZS428PaQSil196rEfh5kvgJtCoKC5w/s320/2017-12-05+phone+123.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qkWq_SQpsXJsZyGiCqP6WHfMqO1smJo6F80x35mbsIWxIM-DDp1tXwa16U8GDIg5vNzKLMRH6yZ2x9FEOvMX5urY33YkJLk_ix26jiLKsQtIgaf_eL5xs2vGtPhm9F4QvG9_HMer1qw/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qkWq_SQpsXJsZyGiCqP6WHfMqO1smJo6F80x35mbsIWxIM-DDp1tXwa16U8GDIg5vNzKLMRH6yZ2x9FEOvMX5urY33YkJLk_ix26jiLKsQtIgaf_eL5xs2vGtPhm9F4QvG9_HMer1qw/s320/2017-12-05+phone+127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMjSv-cerOLcQ1t4mS0RKzFsuPFagwwsUaZhBAk4DTxfcuWPxEgqPDcp330VB1rVVM-rX9W7Ev-8UGk3E0gS2tQsvE3mBj8Z5T4qgzKS0LA8J6fUKrqiwGEgsmGF45LXG9Ixuaotyg8A/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMjSv-cerOLcQ1t4mS0RKzFsuPFagwwsUaZhBAk4DTxfcuWPxEgqPDcp330VB1rVVM-rX9W7Ev-8UGk3E0gS2tQsvE3mBj8Z5T4qgzKS0LA8J6fUKrqiwGEgsmGF45LXG9Ixuaotyg8A/s320/2017-12-05+phone+129.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, we barely glimpsed the auditorium itself as a rehearsal was taking place. The guide said Pavarotti had declared Teatro Colon had the best acoustics but that meant any mistakes would of course be amplified! Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Fontaine, Nijinsky: All the great operatic singers and ballet dancers have performed at the majestic Teatro Colon!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN7vz238Q7mrvRoiu1wVojdZol8uXxUbrInrov4_CZ7oCD9-AbFW1ZMxDN1oW9v6ZzxJfpeLKmVpTJreNMasH9XtxyFyUFr5OuO_MYHX4Ip9by38zTPJ5h9wqesIanejkYT8qHZFCgcs/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN7vz238Q7mrvRoiu1wVojdZol8uXxUbrInrov4_CZ7oCD9-AbFW1ZMxDN1oW9v6ZzxJfpeLKmVpTJreNMasH9XtxyFyUFr5OuO_MYHX4Ip9by38zTPJ5h9wqesIanejkYT8qHZFCgcs/s320/2017-12-05+phone+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The juxtaposition of old and new Buenos Aires:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguDfw-CAzijoXpAKCPUuoUkyYuBeuYDyOLHkh4-boalfebnG2MZIGQYvQ1PMVfMKAw33fivz3dxdz4UheXSipO5NXEQrtnzenQTiMusLP4yE1c2-T2Th_-w9CKSjl3LjcnuyGq46Qv0Y/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguDfw-CAzijoXpAKCPUuoUkyYuBeuYDyOLHkh4-boalfebnG2MZIGQYvQ1PMVfMKAw33fivz3dxdz4UheXSipO5NXEQrtnzenQTiMusLP4yE1c2-T2Th_-w9CKSjl3LjcnuyGq46Qv0Y/s320/2017-12-05+phone+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vxqIqT43c8MWQppDYRyzXd3ue-KGMESp7TaNDJAZMIZwwVtNB9nmg4DSWpPZZabUReO6qG6ajH7XpfNkRgMSpAeS07e3m2Rq1zMhdbcFV7dXOJF2Rfj_irHiPWVLebTmNoXs6FnCnDM/s1600/2017-12-05+phone+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vxqIqT43c8MWQppDYRyzXd3ue-KGMESp7TaNDJAZMIZwwVtNB9nmg4DSWpPZZabUReO6qG6ajH7XpfNkRgMSpAeS07e3m2Rq1zMhdbcFV7dXOJF2Rfj_irHiPWVLebTmNoXs6FnCnDM/s320/2017-12-05+phone+142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> A day trip to <b>Colonia del Sacramento </b>in nearby Uruguay.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 19th, 2018, from Natchez, Mississippi en route to our next trip!</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1545191913"></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-64303168043755891062018-05-12T12:37:00.004-06:002018-05-13T09:06:16.367-06:0012/4: Escaping to Tigre Delta, near Buenos Aires: Heavenly Hydrangeas!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">A </span>popular day trip from Buenos Aires is to the peaceful town of <b>Tigre,</b> known for its delta of hundreds of tiny islands and waterways as well as its large artisan market. The town, just 45 minutes away by train from the capital, was named for the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">jaguars, called tigers, that once roamed there before the islands became important agriculturally for wicker and fruit in the mid-1800s. After an 1877 yellow fever epidemic in Buenos Aires, Tigre was seen as a healthful retreat.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Tvektu66CNYAXlKnTUICgzdgl8_FHNUUSYkqPsc2-ytWspZ9ndymtnkw1AcTPhiUEVkBC6q09m9TwipGbsvhTogT8iCcW-HPpdDX5GGuXPznNdMrd_WwwoCXoK-aVtCmhE7Dm-HuUN0/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Tvektu66CNYAXlKnTUICgzdgl8_FHNUUSYkqPsc2-ytWspZ9ndymtnkw1AcTPhiUEVkBC6q09m9TwipGbsvhTogT8iCcW-HPpdDX5GGuXPznNdMrd_WwwoCXoK-aVtCmhE7Dm-HuUN0/s320/IMG_0430.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJ4X6Sxrwdzl4uFqwg8VTp06n6DzzPG8HK7IJylZ1oPwNVUjsyl-tUWUV3rzB_hbDhLUzONtx8bFo6IOikm6ouPUYGjMvaQoBvf2Zyj6lyuxdKtIpFtdxpFIE6JE7lBeH9rPWNm4j2RE/s1600/IMG_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJ4X6Sxrwdzl4uFqwg8VTp06n6DzzPG8HK7IJylZ1oPwNVUjsyl-tUWUV3rzB_hbDhLUzONtx8bFo6IOikm6ouPUYGjMvaQoBvf2Zyj6lyuxdKtIpFtdxpFIE6JE7lBeH9rPWNm4j2RE/s320/IMG_0431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At 5,405 square miles, the <b>Tigre Delta</b> is the world’s fifth largest, and one of only two deltas in the world that does not empty into a sea or ocean. It flows instead into the <b>Río de la Plata,</b> which separates Argentina and Uruguay, after the <b>Río Paraná</b> splits into several smaller rivers and forms many sedimentary islands covered in forest and grasslands. I read that "With its islands and canals, Tigre is what Venice might have looked like before development."</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUH1QutVzEXzG2dMEuS1pM7OJDbEXUIMx4yHwxLk_xyg8pOCMWMPtqixbL2yVJxkv7s97r72AA7evJG9bOQt-XLjQjjvXrePmz0H33WJIRjckRtodsRp0vJQ-B-TgLbynChdbzraadVU/s1600/IMG_0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUH1QutVzEXzG2dMEuS1pM7OJDbEXUIMx4yHwxLk_xyg8pOCMWMPtqixbL2yVJxkv7s97r72AA7evJG9bOQt-XLjQjjvXrePmz0H33WJIRjckRtodsRp0vJQ-B-TgLbynChdbzraadVU/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing all the boats and watercraft on the canal, we felt we had been immediately transported to <b>Amsterdam,</b> a city we're looking forward to visiting for several days in December this year at the end of our next long trip.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIisJJ2SMBRUSeWczCneqgHClRhbvPrsth4_c-m2PAhm4ed9VDDjnRGvwIA_mJCjrg526geUtRk4tBTOnk2Y6AtDhE7XvdzanK2M1M9lpJrBEYhjV9KUx0KjNkMLKAf4eKGvfyNcGUiM/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIisJJ2SMBRUSeWczCneqgHClRhbvPrsth4_c-m2PAhm4ed9VDDjnRGvwIA_mJCjrg526geUtRk4tBTOnk2Y6AtDhE7XvdzanK2M1M9lpJrBEYhjV9KUx0KjNkMLKAf4eKGvfyNcGUiM/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Possibly the main attraction of Tigre and the reason many folks escape the big city of Buenos Aires on the weekend is to shop at Puerto de Frutos. The bustling market, known in English as the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Fruit Port, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">was located along the riverfront. It </span><span style="font-size: large;">was named for the old fruit market, but now it sold handcrafted items like reed, wicker, and cane furniture and artisan cheeses and other gourmet items. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv32K3nSPcIFxIolNrNpL_GfSRedCglfxuz-RGL1WQ_f1ReqEOPh9J6kxEmcIsduXLofgB1O5_zP5LEqbHoGLipOvU3klVfngZNrCUZDGOUizl_ACe40U6IYZ4KR-J8AzWZNiJbISWjA/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv32K3nSPcIFxIolNrNpL_GfSRedCglfxuz-RGL1WQ_f1ReqEOPh9J6kxEmcIsduXLofgB1O5_zP5LEqbHoGLipOvU3klVfngZNrCUZDGOUizl_ACe40U6IYZ4KR-J8AzWZNiJbISWjA/s320/IMG_0441.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Almost immediately, we hopped on this public ferry to travel further into the delta as taking a boat trip was a 'must-do activity' in Tigre! We were also relieved to be escaping inside as the black skies threatened another rainstorm. We were getting mighty weary of all the rain we'd had recently!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts_u2FcZhhgMpFS7TJl1uVnSY9upnb3V7TNh0Hg943xOdsg_hcUzL9diqxinFs3a-uxAm1CCRvpBu-nXRj2gIl999vcoJtlGFhY2mKhqe077ypLozIVIQ7k46nQWlnn2jsvVyQ4jhIVM/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts_u2FcZhhgMpFS7TJl1uVnSY9upnb3V7TNh0Hg943xOdsg_hcUzL9diqxinFs3a-uxAm1CCRvpBu-nXRj2gIl999vcoJtlGFhY2mKhqe077ypLozIVIQ7k46nQWlnn2jsvVyQ4jhIVM/s320/IMG_0444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2hxunqvMvTpsxiOOl_MEZvIJbGCRjH-FRuanZCEPIxeIrof91nwVIiQUPtNG7Pob1iB7mu6G7_B4DnRK2EGEcZDVBzd2uUyr3h1Q39znbPng0-fnSU2Bz02z5kNzjw22iBXhObGEflw/s1600/IMG_0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2hxunqvMvTpsxiOOl_MEZvIJbGCRjH-FRuanZCEPIxeIrof91nwVIiQUPtNG7Pob1iB7mu6G7_B4DnRK2EGEcZDVBzd2uUyr3h1Q39znbPng0-fnSU2Bz02z5kNzjw22iBXhObGEflw/s320/IMG_0445.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_htBW1l0JsLUyuWW3u7adMDmDFD0xfihBWqDDq71ThUUjC3vmZLBqpg858hYh38HDQyeezHZtwWts_CLAl3mWzgJpZTVj4EO66u2W7rKDaVZm9TF-gJ1Iun6TAy5FUnLvmFfZHQ2aM3Q/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_htBW1l0JsLUyuWW3u7adMDmDFD0xfihBWqDDq71ThUUjC3vmZLBqpg858hYh38HDQyeezHZtwWts_CLAl3mWzgJpZTVj4EO66u2W7rKDaVZm9TF-gJ1Iun6TAy5FUnLvmFfZHQ2aM3Q/s320/IMG_0450.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9r6DnNzws94wBToBugc0RkJUxTUV1MY9UuTw23hIiLrR12fw11xRbvN2FMaqo1ACAyBI9PH04CPwkUdV-3xVmhA22nYfwTpfPjjX7Eqsb2KQ3n93PB4DS2mrm6ox6YRUnnpC0Cuychyphenhypheng/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9r6DnNzws94wBToBugc0RkJUxTUV1MY9UuTw23hIiLrR12fw11xRbvN2FMaqo1ACAyBI9PH04CPwkUdV-3xVmhA22nYfwTpfPjjX7Eqsb2KQ3n93PB4DS2mrm6ox6YRUnnpC0Cuychyphenhypheng/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlfSL4wUJVyZ7_UOxnB1JNZuOlNPTeYArF_mZ8TvO1VjqRLRv0ZBcOuFfcsutzPkwKg_WCVrHGWCC_zUVDEOc-oENvvtkyIV45JYkrXnldXIY4Z5iH-zCyzoHLaNwxcVqZC235lW89rk/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlfSL4wUJVyZ7_UOxnB1JNZuOlNPTeYArF_mZ8TvO1VjqRLRv0ZBcOuFfcsutzPkwKg_WCVrHGWCC_zUVDEOc-oENvvtkyIV45JYkrXnldXIY4Z5iH-zCyzoHLaNwxcVqZC235lW89rk/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the kayak drew close to the ferry, our captain reduced the speed significantly so the wake wouldn't cause problems for the kayaker.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PWekSFzkyCkhDvW-mWSU0pZU-dhJ9yq4j8NJWiQnawrglO8sJ-V5_urYq0mhwFx_5H_tvh4-UevhE85jkkd-ffFGSnXhVFq05bHx1n6WorTq5exyS3DB-8RetHoWHDhNpxtH68GFsAg/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PWekSFzkyCkhDvW-mWSU0pZU-dhJ9yq4j8NJWiQnawrglO8sJ-V5_urYq0mhwFx_5H_tvh4-UevhE85jkkd-ffFGSnXhVFq05bHx1n6WorTq5exyS3DB-8RetHoWHDhNpxtH68GFsAg/s320/IMG_0457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd28dC-igMJFEnktv2K-X4d4zF7eCvLkD2aWC3Vc5CsQGaU-EPdsT8jTEafr7UNUhEONHTtpONGUWSv7woWKK7D5_xQz7ROOEF-wuAm2HAzAX6DbsxZ8IXvht6VaJKhi3oh3Sa9qRNsZA/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd28dC-igMJFEnktv2K-X4d4zF7eCvLkD2aWC3Vc5CsQGaU-EPdsT8jTEafr7UNUhEONHTtpONGUWSv7woWKK7D5_xQz7ROOEF-wuAm2HAzAX6DbsxZ8IXvht6VaJKhi3oh3Sa9qRNsZA/s320/IMG_0452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We passed the grocery boat which delivered food to residents living in isolated spots on the many channels off the main river. However, we didn't notice either the medical or </span><span style="font-size: large;">school bus </span><span style="font-size: large;">boats that the locals use.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyrrLRPI5IMLvlA9Y-KPdfR-7OjIQq-G_Eg8zwNFrLzcscnGGaAbosMB2R1U8OhFL4aEHWyf_XOONCWdH_oVim3TImPYyV8654PZc_pMyq8W766ibuCNNtCsR0qe_ckt7AiPK1OgtuJ0/s1600/IMG_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyrrLRPI5IMLvlA9Y-KPdfR-7OjIQq-G_Eg8zwNFrLzcscnGGaAbosMB2R1U8OhFL4aEHWyf_XOONCWdH_oVim3TImPYyV8654PZc_pMyq8W766ibuCNNtCsR0qe_ckt7AiPK1OgtuJ0/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The ferry stopped at several docks on both sides of the river along the 40-minute journey so passengers could return to their island homes after their time in Tigre. The islands in the <b>Paraná Delta</b> were formed by approximately 160 million tons of sediment that carried water from the Paraná River.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoSlj1tzbzlIbh9vQa1x9n0iWak41vS3RZevPMQr60WDZwIVRd-SEnlsjcXHzGL98c8SI5_d6phrIyh77pgoaHDQ9Avu5ZMM8QDyO6iPWRGNC6snILOsZPWfMmr4J9afDcj6dvX_OBVI/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoSlj1tzbzlIbh9vQa1x9n0iWak41vS3RZevPMQr60WDZwIVRd-SEnlsjcXHzGL98c8SI5_d6phrIyh77pgoaHDQ9Avu5ZMM8QDyO6iPWRGNC6snILOsZPWfMmr4J9afDcj6dvX_OBVI/s320/IMG_0460.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl8b4TPMDiLLhqVYsxF1g5Zqogc-4Q0WWerA6p8ULrZqshBOnKekxWStfUi87kC3yFT-FQSwAuEZRkvVMU2-Dsc6xwphGWUfggFpc8FJw68ZThO3YO2gQ7XBSRs9tN1_E2ZlQbjvMdyo/s1600/IMG_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl8b4TPMDiLLhqVYsxF1g5Zqogc-4Q0WWerA6p8ULrZqshBOnKekxWStfUi87kC3yFT-FQSwAuEZRkvVMU2-Dsc6xwphGWUfggFpc8FJw68ZThO3YO2gQ7XBSRs9tN1_E2ZlQbjvMdyo/s320/IMG_0465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ofe_zXGVf78NmkTmUHfHAFKeCDDfjYLCzOJzG_HQFosZ-hj8Kf2g3ZwWXtO8xMYR0neDu0I5nBwuMLd2tbVlFF6EHeIDQB8RjrtY6Q0omtkqry8Nuze3nBMvpeHw7hWc8HofAvYpz78/s1600/IMG_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ofe_zXGVf78NmkTmUHfHAFKeCDDfjYLCzOJzG_HQFosZ-hj8Kf2g3ZwWXtO8xMYR0neDu0I5nBwuMLd2tbVlFF6EHeIDQB8RjrtY6Q0omtkqry8Nuze3nBMvpeHw7hWc8HofAvYpz78/s320/IMG_0539.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The area had long been a draw for artists, writers and even heads of state. What had to have been one of the most unusual homes we'd seen anywhere was this home that appeared to be encased in glass. It belonged to <b>Domingo Faustino Sarmiento,</b> the 'father of Argentine education' and the country's seventh president who lived there until his death in 1888.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqKVweSj7eVG4MMsL1URzI8fOPL0fyvX10s80gUNjzLzJEUZDnqCt0Ra20va89J2mOFCFyJJeqDYm4yjLQ-MOn622fj4a_17Ox2E_bDuFEmvfQmpXMGUwe11x_UToOE3TqfgT7Wp4dus/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqKVweSj7eVG4MMsL1URzI8fOPL0fyvX10s80gUNjzLzJEUZDnqCt0Ra20va89J2mOFCFyJJeqDYm4yjLQ-MOn622fj4a_17Ox2E_bDuFEmvfQmpXMGUwe11x_UToOE3TqfgT7Wp4dus/s320/IMG_0462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The home and grounds had been turned into a museum that many passengers chose to visit after getting off the ferry.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHexMJ4G8gOlrUXvs7_6dmjn8t5QIrShZOxEfdEKTjmQC9jQ40nxm5T5poc-NRA_Oz1WUBHWYilw_-T1QSv1Rh_kY1W5G3yTdnuWlphJSysgTmJumbRURdylacd_x2CHzDjDxkXV3im3I/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHexMJ4G8gOlrUXvs7_6dmjn8t5QIrShZOxEfdEKTjmQC9jQ40nxm5T5poc-NRA_Oz1WUBHWYilw_-T1QSv1Rh_kY1W5G3yTdnuWlphJSysgTmJumbRURdylacd_x2CHzDjDxkXV3im3I/s320/IMG_0540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IN6oFJDXan1xAAKecaQ1iWYsATp8aVGAAAzPNgmOhTKAt8wA2KqMts2HH10VM1aP8tyfWhLtdbgwLMPbtfRv4Aw2c1Qo4Yu94unh_tYHcXW0M7_tckVVo0TBzSDCBRKitbKF0G4hyphenhyphenEE/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IN6oFJDXan1xAAKecaQ1iWYsATp8aVGAAAzPNgmOhTKAt8wA2KqMts2HH10VM1aP8tyfWhLtdbgwLMPbtfRv4Aw2c1Qo4Yu94unh_tYHcXW0M7_tckVVo0TBzSDCBRKitbKF0G4hyphenhyphenEE/s320/IMG_0541.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, the Delta was also an escape for many intellectuals and activists who later were “disappeared” during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmytoCqo7l-BT-7baJpaYONnP3jyRH6wxyEoYyzlCOu_47tlxaFeLcuPah_cCIUwL4rgonKB24VRLPnQaqGBtBACgYqswoHuZ1hSGjwoQysHaQ4GwmSN6hCvvKn22FMHr3AZPmcSFfDk/s1600/IMG_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmytoCqo7l-BT-7baJpaYONnP3jyRH6wxyEoYyzlCOu_47tlxaFeLcuPah_cCIUwL4rgonKB24VRLPnQaqGBtBACgYqswoHuZ1hSGjwoQysHaQ4GwmSN6hCvvKn22FMHr3AZPmcSFfDk/s320/IMG_0474.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoMFhbvOvyrOazapGvv3L1GG8PY6pEo81wH4l8oDa4ZxOSae7gy1g_n3OaLjjpWx-MSlxXj0-qTLHDc8xWsRaEFKEIQ5ljYKOOKw81r5MV42MtfzPYuvhjnCWjTGd-pXTDfNsQIACvQU/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoMFhbvOvyrOazapGvv3L1GG8PY6pEo81wH4l8oDa4ZxOSae7gy1g_n3OaLjjpWx-MSlxXj0-qTLHDc8xWsRaEFKEIQ5ljYKOOKw81r5MV42MtfzPYuvhjnCWjTGd-pXTDfNsQIACvQU/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We got off at the ferry's last stop, <b>Tres Bocas,</b> another island in the Rio Paraná Delta as there was a pleasant walk we looked forward to doing. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhzs7aUttkVrMo5-FE6LMBkDlwpnkzG5ewTvpkc7SVxWv9_iMVu1kh2vpmJTbTX7jA-wQaxJPQey2ca4dkpOuYsQQdQB03J-FycUnn6bPAmKzxKBJ_I7c5T_BD9mpJuRDRFc8ibqhBEk/s1600/IMG_0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhzs7aUttkVrMo5-FE6LMBkDlwpnkzG5ewTvpkc7SVxWv9_iMVu1kh2vpmJTbTX7jA-wQaxJPQey2ca4dkpOuYsQQdQB03J-FycUnn6bPAmKzxKBJ_I7c5T_BD9mpJuRDRFc8ibqhBEk/s320/IMG_0467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohuJ4pTBc7NfyzVZ2fA1JoXvfeTRzu-ffGws4dFzbHNylJsiI3oB734KchLxYqhhFN8aPX7wWiTrAhsJdERFVHfhcHApUREM7qCVfoHYr_HWY7BOPGIbr-v3q0l6Jd0PGsDOnZm3omtQ/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohuJ4pTBc7NfyzVZ2fA1JoXvfeTRzu-ffGws4dFzbHNylJsiI3oB734KchLxYqhhFN8aPX7wWiTrAhsJdERFVHfhcHApUREM7qCVfoHYr_HWY7BOPGIbr-v3q0l6Jd0PGsDOnZm3omtQ/s320/IMG_0476.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so lucky that by the end of the boat ride, the dark clouds and rain had both disappeared and the sun shone once again. Phew - what a perfect time for a stroll along one of the stream's narrow waterfront paths.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4LI_m_daG-dYaMdm3iNEYFJ7SS9wIk6pJMzyalSwGuMRoA2NGz4LdZtq1n46EntBZ5EVTRsp2zunzRy8sNib-UovGR3DTb7QJwsmIyBMUQovgdXmMZUICgLBVmIxZPQppvjHuet1vZY/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4LI_m_daG-dYaMdm3iNEYFJ7SS9wIk6pJMzyalSwGuMRoA2NGz4LdZtq1n46EntBZ5EVTRsp2zunzRy8sNib-UovGR3DTb7QJwsmIyBMUQovgdXmMZUICgLBVmIxZPQppvjHuet1vZY/s320/IMG_0477.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Cn1_gSZero_HvJFxH7UZC8lHurwY9BOHAwe2us6UKlTslHGYpUVLp5S8t_UEdZJqs6M3gFI5Vh_Twx0MczjI7vMpJx_VttzpAmww77NNWkRxoFwMFeEp5HogaRCj7qqH0B9x1mLr7JM/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Cn1_gSZero_HvJFxH7UZC8lHurwY9BOHAwe2us6UKlTslHGYpUVLp5S8t_UEdZJqs6M3gFI5Vh_Twx0MczjI7vMpJx_VttzpAmww77NNWkRxoFwMFeEp5HogaRCj7qqH0B9x1mLr7JM/s320/IMG_0478.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aq_g9ABxhkqYj0aYK84PQ3-vMmMURCNC1a5IL_RFYR9A47p8gFK-IqzviwMKbOK6D2Wt_6CKjSR3MKaBsgQxwsCN3Ymfk9cIWGJ1PWwSM58oazEbb_wU0QKTExW4-BXL2WaJuvUjB9U/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Aq_g9ABxhkqYj0aYK84PQ3-vMmMURCNC1a5IL_RFYR9A47p8gFK-IqzviwMKbOK6D2Wt_6CKjSR3MKaBsgQxwsCN3Ymfk9cIWGJ1PWwSM58oazEbb_wU0QKTExW4-BXL2WaJuvUjB9U/s320/IMG_0480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrHSMtC1BIGbEaVuxL4Y88ZXJmNjbBiIUKQQ0bfxoGtiR7_yywtl7XGt3XHYDVxG7xGrEtBgsyIXCFYAvhJpTC0SATYe87k5Qibt5OjrxITVduQ69jeOJqfctCK6BNY-a4lq-vmMM62Q/s1600/IMG_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrHSMtC1BIGbEaVuxL4Y88ZXJmNjbBiIUKQQ0bfxoGtiR7_yywtl7XGt3XHYDVxG7xGrEtBgsyIXCFYAvhJpTC0SATYe87k5Qibt5OjrxITVduQ69jeOJqfctCK6BNY-a4lq-vmMM62Q/s320/IMG_0481.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The scent of the profusion of hydrangeas that bloomed on the water's edge was so intoxicating, I wished I could bottle it up and smell it now!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFCFolWGP_uUjp69lNo3a7IEzmf_mkTYSSM1bg5Qs1F6yBdmPMdTIf6u5cc0SyBsu3SI5XnL5JEkhSLSPqWZOtEKHDSe7_CpS_kX_GTvKyxX5RaAPkbU71uk-n-1bQRhWoC9dqpysNV4/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFCFolWGP_uUjp69lNo3a7IEzmf_mkTYSSM1bg5Qs1F6yBdmPMdTIf6u5cc0SyBsu3SI5XnL5JEkhSLSPqWZOtEKHDSe7_CpS_kX_GTvKyxX5RaAPkbU71uk-n-1bQRhWoC9dqpysNV4/s320/IMG_0487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2P7LSF8G0cpMsCdn4GOdwjKYfqTUBpVY490m8csgBvSBrScLEo6dkhAWaZY9-qCUWjNc_xQ9dbxHiqqMkJzXTdHNUrfEQcZU82IsB-IxaDRzl7obNxsfVho4o4hilWHVs2VcMjKBAKs/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2P7LSF8G0cpMsCdn4GOdwjKYfqTUBpVY490m8csgBvSBrScLEo6dkhAWaZY9-qCUWjNc_xQ9dbxHiqqMkJzXTdHNUrfEQcZU82IsB-IxaDRzl7obNxsfVho4o4hilWHVs2VcMjKBAKs/s320/IMG_0489.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8czaCGR7RFJW2ggMFtTNWjohsCSdkg9f-wFHQRwaBkZ2cilCtXlDIKALLXJdMGFyQ_4ddcV0NyfYl-5bC9NUwsYLoAr_iPsKxLK5KLgcB8V1gasWB9GGbIv75NHZ1yT2mV8bUFsUoZAA/s1600/IMG_0484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8czaCGR7RFJW2ggMFtTNWjohsCSdkg9f-wFHQRwaBkZ2cilCtXlDIKALLXJdMGFyQ_4ddcV0NyfYl-5bC9NUwsYLoAr_iPsKxLK5KLgcB8V1gasWB9GGbIv75NHZ1yT2mV8bUFsUoZAA/s320/IMG_0484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1-nsW13wq0BI_YCHexmjVulCKkqr8wHooF5QRF5mzWv0TzdyJanMFx4EuuAk43pulvF9ko78g1QLn1onQhL31ybXZnHPp3hp7KcSnhQgcDFwOC95CxumD47kMbsQSJI_LRj1WDxkk1Y/s1600/IMG_0491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1-nsW13wq0BI_YCHexmjVulCKkqr8wHooF5QRF5mzWv0TzdyJanMFx4EuuAk43pulvF9ko78g1QLn1onQhL31ybXZnHPp3hp7KcSnhQgcDFwOC95CxumD47kMbsQSJI_LRj1WDxkk1Y/s320/IMG_0491.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wondered whether the delta had received an unusually high amount of rainfall recently that caused so much flooding around the homes or if this was a seasonal thing. I give credit to many of the islanders who live in Tres Bocas or <b>Three Mouths</b> full time but I couldn't imagine being happy living surrounded by water on all sides for long periods of time. Some of the homes sported Directv satellite dishes so watching TV would be a welcome break from the rain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYQDlYysIpOKDMOWBtIy_sl9LeQAdEzVh2ipWRtnveORD4AX8c29zR_XDkwDShXnyuK1xOfUUA4j4aU_53UuuovBD2IoliMuKy8ufYZ5j9O1qsNMnT93mKRDzjDh5bNc3JOhuIaehETQ/s1600/IMG_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYQDlYysIpOKDMOWBtIy_sl9LeQAdEzVh2ipWRtnveORD4AX8c29zR_XDkwDShXnyuK1xOfUUA4j4aU_53UuuovBD2IoliMuKy8ufYZ5j9O1qsNMnT93mKRDzjDh5bNc3JOhuIaehETQ/s320/IMG_0496.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You would have thought this would have been an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and other annoying bugs but I don't recall any.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIhPGwJNhuFG3BwZWYvzNPMiNHi6ImZnqWTxy9rLhaVwBi6WqyBbzzbaSJhJcsqswZLhRqDGzdpVJ_BmwhyeYVXHgyVU4r8HJG79n5sR9cJCv3ub7LG9jzebJqck3xQ6v2L4GJxTpYCo/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIhPGwJNhuFG3BwZWYvzNPMiNHi6ImZnqWTxy9rLhaVwBi6WqyBbzzbaSJhJcsqswZLhRqDGzdpVJ_BmwhyeYVXHgyVU4r8HJG79n5sR9cJCv3ub7LG9jzebJqck3xQ6v2L4GJxTpYCo/s320/IMG_0514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After about an hour of walking on the narrow path all by ourselves, the first opportunity to cross over to the canal's other side was finally in sight.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFBd1pOaCk5BOtdyd5lEQyngDE3wgyRieXPxi8vqpsrxl6ImJtKh5I1Az9pW-D9I6O-TZLYRyRVkdzq-QwilWXhioPMKdIDWQWmRN-u3saidI1r8Xyzswu1oGe7mwYzF7ReSYGhYv4G0/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFBd1pOaCk5BOtdyd5lEQyngDE3wgyRieXPxi8vqpsrxl6ImJtKh5I1Az9pW-D9I6O-TZLYRyRVkdzq-QwilWXhioPMKdIDWQWmRN-u3saidI1r8Xyzswu1oGe7mwYzF7ReSYGhYv4G0/s320/IMG_0492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP55vgglbOawzFQys9ZsIKxXvtrtLETXbfN8C-QPjKV9HZQSHpWZKFfAWXjLGISxqzAJkdRAo4zbBDO1xoKFgYRN7Q5ATqwKmFHqZmivVziVL09fQafzIqbHoTd_qCvn8ckgCh44cFOoc/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP55vgglbOawzFQys9ZsIKxXvtrtLETXbfN8C-QPjKV9HZQSHpWZKFfAWXjLGISxqzAJkdRAo4zbBDO1xoKFgYRN7Q5ATqwKmFHqZmivVziVL09fQafzIqbHoTd_qCvn8ckgCh44cFOoc/s320/IMG_0493.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAWEYxtpYM9e5vqi0lM4m55RpCsLP_hpf5TN1ISXBOz-C3TH0WcFlPCXgYKW4ix6OgByaEIWRqM6RqOQsKa3yam_8cIyZ0xxrCtAmUi4sWBqgwLqLdTvV8EJpkBlIP9FtdSjPUCPxXJo/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAWEYxtpYM9e5vqi0lM4m55RpCsLP_hpf5TN1ISXBOz-C3TH0WcFlPCXgYKW4ix6OgByaEIWRqM6RqOQsKa3yam_8cIyZ0xxrCtAmUi4sWBqgwLqLdTvV8EJpkBlIP9FtdSjPUCPxXJo/s320/IMG_0501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After spending time in such populous cities as both Santiago and Buenos Aires, it was so wonderful escaping to this little slice of heaven.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHYzdEFJtWqhoMeG8Sz1gRpjQPfB2-OLDGk2-wAv24eM2WSQfUUAKWrFBSspxP2l-8wAhxesRlc-yFEPX62yhjL8i5YrQP6poYGolarhsNj0Po28OsMkNHUDPnyOyGQtp1PsNr09ixM/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHYzdEFJtWqhoMeG8Sz1gRpjQPfB2-OLDGk2-wAv24eM2WSQfUUAKWrFBSspxP2l-8wAhxesRlc-yFEPX62yhjL8i5YrQP6poYGolarhsNj0Po28OsMkNHUDPnyOyGQtp1PsNr09ixM/s320/IMG_0503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnlUNFWNas6cDyo6T643iyI38wEwRPzFFjZD-1UV1-4GQtNZ1_qikFE1e0Qwmkb1saTwtK5vKMp92Z27kQ_D11xSBtid01hmLQpiUlnJ7mtulfV7DVOONdboijlcfpm0YSW2tG6nIb5k/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnlUNFWNas6cDyo6T643iyI38wEwRPzFFjZD-1UV1-4GQtNZ1_qikFE1e0Qwmkb1saTwtK5vKMp92Z27kQ_D11xSBtid01hmLQpiUlnJ7mtulfV7DVOONdboijlcfpm0YSW2tG6nIb5k/s320/IMG_0504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFpEKyLl-s83sRdvSFJ1Vl3h9CsDE-IT8QLFQuPBs3LhcxL2hZEcQ2_qGzpza9aDCisQyxXjApNyunKzE0do5Q2bvI3eWICaOeP49GeDvUfhi6QuQYed-v9TfPiRskwShvscFUIBU0Tk/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFpEKyLl-s83sRdvSFJ1Vl3h9CsDE-IT8QLFQuPBs3LhcxL2hZEcQ2_qGzpza9aDCisQyxXjApNyunKzE0do5Q2bvI3eWICaOeP49GeDvUfhi6QuQYed-v9TfPiRskwShvscFUIBU0Tk/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When we crossed the scenic pedestrian bridge, we were greeted by even more beautiful flowers. I think these gorgeous forget-me-nots (correct, Lil Red?!) were the tiniest flowers I had ever seen. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2MPXxcaP05Vrdlq2ATkxlJMoEWPatdM1I5K_OhOjPmW2wfUc93Iljr2OBLiq79qAD3zhdsGc6ucRI8yZGu7YvuIo0fdFNVh-3n8LbR3j1TnOBvQyMBVld9ExiB7Wc0yXM7PVNSBnkYY/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2MPXxcaP05Vrdlq2ATkxlJMoEWPatdM1I5K_OhOjPmW2wfUc93Iljr2OBLiq79qAD3zhdsGc6ucRI8yZGu7YvuIo0fdFNVh-3n8LbR3j1TnOBvQyMBVld9ExiB7Wc0yXM7PVNSBnkYY/s320/IMG_0510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7xPhgoUkuJrj52cHjJYb5OffdN27Xl74eLkfhwp1i-3VAA0QO02efiQNQbDPDGsPPhfMMNU5P5BdUqpz9opuKpvr1WAWwe44BRaojyFAh1KJPPPLx9wT6MO-7TOmIV4zfviISzZNJS0/s1600/IMG_0512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7xPhgoUkuJrj52cHjJYb5OffdN27Xl74eLkfhwp1i-3VAA0QO02efiQNQbDPDGsPPhfMMNU5P5BdUqpz9opuKpvr1WAWwe44BRaojyFAh1KJPPPLx9wT6MO-7TOmIV4zfviISzZNJS0/s320/IMG_0512.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Who knew our stroll along the canal would become a trip among some gardens worthy of attention in a town far larger than Tigre?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2SAWZouykVzkN7AK2kCCFJsLJd_NRN12Kv8KEDoQrsqqjzgNauGPhtRsROK4CktUbeKIuLRiLyB0MGaFVtg8Uxp5OE-gkal8Ok2KjtnbSz3XvfmXr7kdAbgEXjDSM2iiVkpvOscfBIA/s1600/IMG_0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2SAWZouykVzkN7AK2kCCFJsLJd_NRN12Kv8KEDoQrsqqjzgNauGPhtRsROK4CktUbeKIuLRiLyB0MGaFVtg8Uxp5OE-gkal8Ok2KjtnbSz3XvfmXr7kdAbgEXjDSM2iiVkpvOscfBIA/s320/IMG_0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsk90t7O664XaksGVCydQrIqyHNegb7YVkMBn-h1LDQk7j5Yg_Jc0ZFtnbz6qQnom2HeJcGm0DuIWUFLCPWFuqZE4XD6eyWsRevbCTMPSNZ07G88EVHdvm111pCoc4uthZ4ptaFLCCk8/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsk90t7O664XaksGVCydQrIqyHNegb7YVkMBn-h1LDQk7j5Yg_Jc0ZFtnbz6qQnom2HeJcGm0DuIWUFLCPWFuqZE4XD6eyWsRevbCTMPSNZ07G88EVHdvm111pCoc4uthZ4ptaFLCCk8/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We laughed when we spotted the Galapagos sign as we'd been to </span><span style="font-size: large;">that marvelous paradise earlier in this trip. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-qQbugEbsazQA13AI3j-O4sMMUfMkFbLzy84OSUextxACZL7s0WoLykIdhxrZ14S1gtgQW6PIUcSzJ5myT0251-AZz5BBWWb_59ulfMWhCNJqir2zVuVnt36EWQxl9C1Aa2uWm8qsog/s1600/IMG_0520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-qQbugEbsazQA13AI3j-O4sMMUfMkFbLzy84OSUextxACZL7s0WoLykIdhxrZ14S1gtgQW6PIUcSzJ5myT0251-AZz5BBWWb_59ulfMWhCNJqir2zVuVnt36EWQxl9C1Aa2uWm8qsog/s320/IMG_0520.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_VjnLZjCjZ9nSzq3Onk8adfUFYNdFJ3p3Z5fMJHxCSMIyK8sACfY7977XXbChHOXu0TZuByKDjDb8PiSPs9NIvFj2qVR5qhCc6s02yxWLGBW0oCJl7hW4_F5O_z2PxlIrbIO1FFOV4Q/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_VjnLZjCjZ9nSzq3Onk8adfUFYNdFJ3p3Z5fMJHxCSMIyK8sACfY7977XXbChHOXu0TZuByKDjDb8PiSPs9NIvFj2qVR5qhCc6s02yxWLGBW0oCJl7hW4_F5O_z2PxlIrbIO1FFOV4Q/s320/IMG_0524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Only a couple of boats managed to disturb our peace as we relished the noises from the accompanying birds and the wind whistling through the trees.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-ssPB-F44QKbxXVqWcV-UpwHwLg0br_eNMZBDrBje3FWU7NprxlSt1_j5cp69D94kPhHDj1GvD9bWavgPrMA7exfLapGMgpI4siHvTSutDFitTeS0vvXb5RxZOP-zsa13Q6VM9bDxtM/s1600/IMG_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-ssPB-F44QKbxXVqWcV-UpwHwLg0br_eNMZBDrBje3FWU7NprxlSt1_j5cp69D94kPhHDj1GvD9bWavgPrMA7exfLapGMgpI4siHvTSutDFitTeS0vvXb5RxZOP-zsa13Q6VM9bDxtM/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A few dogs were our faithful companions on the narrow paths.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqjhXtKnOV_8iIxiv8QSBZRnyoYXLaAKSLI2teUfiGqyt1w5mbPg22WjJmgJXcVCXzB4dKWp4LMjci6qzv38eTWZq8s4zeSTkYOyztj0twfPFbyN8nZwM593AE6Sh0M4YTNdBTQuOxv4/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqjhXtKnOV_8iIxiv8QSBZRnyoYXLaAKSLI2teUfiGqyt1w5mbPg22WjJmgJXcVCXzB4dKWp4LMjci6qzv38eTWZq8s4zeSTkYOyztj0twfPFbyN8nZwM593AE6Sh0M4YTNdBTQuOxv4/s320/IMG_0528.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so happy that we had chosen to discover the Tigre Delta by ferry and had selected what turned out to be an ideal spot to walk as Tres Bocas. Steven and I didn't mind waiting at the ferry stop for the next one to take us back to Tigre as it was enjoyable watching life on the river. The round trip ferry had only cost $17 for both of us and the train journey just a paltry $7.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7a1nPGixgXWogNQu0m5u8sP597fJ39iNk4nQxUrj0CqvBzfqs1RW2qDCDIwa8nqz22-Ko_4tD1TK0lJEsXe8_-9CehRJq_80rEEY5ZiN4g3gWYpMD-atH86Y-23T0-42YCpDFIq821g/s1600/2017-12-04+phone+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7a1nPGixgXWogNQu0m5u8sP597fJ39iNk4nQxUrj0CqvBzfqs1RW2qDCDIwa8nqz22-Ko_4tD1TK0lJEsXe8_-9CehRJq_80rEEY5ZiN4g3gWYpMD-atH86Y-23T0-42YCpDFIq821g/s320/2017-12-04+phone+002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz82GYucilcfZMfwINu4Cd_9H6T_rt1baaWgcX_dw-yERennkhvtwIm53cE-sqivDiI73mOIq9wJIteNp24NXxjKRN7J6hw1EHI_LrYuk54nZLjggi2ymMK_qLKbtSLiSnzSW4dc2l9k/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz82GYucilcfZMfwINu4Cd_9H6T_rt1baaWgcX_dw-yERennkhvtwIm53cE-sqivDiI73mOIq9wJIteNp24NXxjKRN7J6hw1EHI_LrYuk54nZLjggi2ymMK_qLKbtSLiSnzSW4dc2l9k/s320/IMG_0529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuklqBZizC-uNfJd_0Jcx9Xqr7Z2_13E1GzBGmF9tP7iyIvuE4HQiq-HvB3zgP5FdqH2aG3nl-rCyxDrW5ZrApE7rCXO7BR_e1Lk3zs-1nvoygOo1sCrtdCw75HdI55p42GbwKtkzca8/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuklqBZizC-uNfJd_0Jcx9Xqr7Z2_13E1GzBGmF9tP7iyIvuE4HQiq-HvB3zgP5FdqH2aG3nl-rCyxDrW5ZrApE7rCXO7BR_e1Lk3zs-1nvoygOo1sCrtdCw75HdI55p42GbwKtkzca8/s320/IMG_0538.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDHk5ICyS3ZUqO1KX1X0dXUfWb5fpiE6UD2N7PlH6Lp8rCICbuWlXtqvEkaz4fBNmkq0SjU-KbOLvA84pYtD8M6BkBUXuQJV53JewpTsozbMFwXXINr2uV0ptYoL623GgW4QxqW0qLX4/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDHk5ICyS3ZUqO1KX1X0dXUfWb5fpiE6UD2N7PlH6Lp8rCICbuWlXtqvEkaz4fBNmkq0SjU-KbOLvA84pYtD8M6BkBUXuQJV53JewpTsozbMFwXXINr2uV0ptYoL623GgW4QxqW0qLX4/s320/IMG_0555.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Close to Tigre was </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Parque de la Costa,</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the city’s amusement park which</span><span style="font-size: large;"> had a couple of roller coasters, a ferris wheel and water rides. Though </span><span style="font-size: large;">definitely no Disneyland, it was the largest of its kind in Argentina.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXDiCNaPkW_7DUhhqKlNbNjfHn6ciKAlLMBcDIzN8ocS91l573udC_aO1Ll9JTaxfux6mllf5-n7Cmv_23o8qy3FwnuGeiLEXybCginWF6vo_5NoqclJr4N4TYcSODmK_0H8NypMEDiU/s1600/IMG_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXDiCNaPkW_7DUhhqKlNbNjfHn6ciKAlLMBcDIzN8ocS91l573udC_aO1Ll9JTaxfux6mllf5-n7Cmv_23o8qy3FwnuGeiLEXybCginWF6vo_5NoqclJr4N4TYcSODmK_0H8NypMEDiU/s320/IMG_0551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99touYItIWIfJQHqygYbQGsha2yn2OjXDVZ9GYjpfs1MxkWt-ipey2hizPxdT_O3p8HB4bX5-Mpi-bnwGqbmm99yM4Wnz607cCEJaVUKGDKKwAC_hZNWRux38c39cIAxSWN6QCDTdOvg/s1600/IMG_0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99touYItIWIfJQHqygYbQGsha2yn2OjXDVZ9GYjpfs1MxkWt-ipey2hizPxdT_O3p8HB4bX5-Mpi-bnwGqbmm99yM4Wnz607cCEJaVUKGDKKwAC_hZNWRux38c39cIAxSWN6QCDTdOvg/s320/IMG_0552.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I read the Tigre Delta </span><span style="font-size: large;">had been an elite tourist destination during </span><span style="font-size: large;">the early days of the 20th-century "before being unceremoniously dumped as Argentinians shifted their attentions to resorts on the Atlantic coast." With the recently renovated <b>Tigre Art Museum</b> and its ornate 1912 promenade on the riverfront, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Tigre has been slowly returning to its glory days</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAKi1Isk1VuYej16EWz9sQGen4zjUy3k_hQ2vDJClXuxnsfrM-MAjojLpjD-iV7qjJ3FbAwF80ESGXD94Dse4pIPszRhkS0PSC3aHGcmIBTI7VqUmV0jWsHxDTD8Y99petURqD5v7wDg/s1600/IMG_0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAKi1Isk1VuYej16EWz9sQGen4zjUy3k_hQ2vDJClXuxnsfrM-MAjojLpjD-iV7qjJ3FbAwF80ESGXD94Dse4pIPszRhkS0PSC3aHGcmIBTI7VqUmV0jWsHxDTD8Y99petURqD5v7wDg/s320/IMG_0558.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once back in town by 3pm, we crossed over to the river's other side to the <b>Paseo Victoria</b> to catch a glimpse of the city's landmarks and more waterfront views.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEG3xtC5R1LaPPDv3VfK0aBp29KCoTnV4-k2sNibNmnku4HRobm2Kupmqb-7YVfQ0TA15XY3GERN6G2bImipctcnTaYtgUXdBmNA-hTYUrfcGov5_qRvLvajIGFneWKiMwoZIOgmA5jc/s1600/IMG_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEG3xtC5R1LaPPDv3VfK0aBp29KCoTnV4-k2sNibNmnku4HRobm2Kupmqb-7YVfQ0TA15XY3GERN6G2bImipctcnTaYtgUXdBmNA-hTYUrfcGov5_qRvLvajIGFneWKiMwoZIOgmA5jc/s320/IMG_0561.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll be able to read the English-language sign pointing out the <b>Buenos Aires Rowing Club! </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NXcZq4QaWfM9y2y3vTsJZxp7HN_l3nZmGhDYT39vh2tLjZxVBdvuxPLbumPMbpRBzF4lIMLJsilBTYfxqDYmsfuvZzeUfKUfCUDVEcgn7MwTf9M8X-WDgMssS40BLteUpXaXJ47b2-Q/s1600/IMG_0562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NXcZq4QaWfM9y2y3vTsJZxp7HN_l3nZmGhDYT39vh2tLjZxVBdvuxPLbumPMbpRBzF4lIMLJsilBTYfxqDYmsfuvZzeUfKUfCUDVEcgn7MwTf9M8X-WDgMssS40BLteUpXaXJ47b2-Q/s320/IMG_0562.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was surprising to me that such a small town had its own </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Chinatown.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa-yfSyumDtCUznESmZehYBzWWGKmXanbpNzvFbmK9OMo-doqnqUq3TlPcutuuH50asnH5v-9Na42ntFkeu5EiOVkt_pC6VroyhmTEVdNDuJOQizag8bTYnhlEZgnuFPvOpcbwBYrga0/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpa-yfSyumDtCUznESmZehYBzWWGKmXanbpNzvFbmK9OMo-doqnqUq3TlPcutuuH50asnH5v-9Na42ntFkeu5EiOVkt_pC6VroyhmTEVdNDuJOQizag8bTYnhlEZgnuFPvOpcbwBYrga0/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiK5yfhV04dBlweSMYMYc9eDL8sCwtyECR-JoxQ1aPNN-DC4vzR2G_xAosmvCeWxCxeZJP8i0FRsVcloJHKqqHzMbk4tDemCqKXgm9MOZQd6CR7qiWfyA2DUTijDkIDdUmLmLWzJAYNc/s1600/IMG_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiK5yfhV04dBlweSMYMYc9eDL8sCwtyECR-JoxQ1aPNN-DC4vzR2G_xAosmvCeWxCxeZJP8i0FRsVcloJHKqqHzMbk4tDemCqKXgm9MOZQd6CR7qiWfyA2DUTijDkIDdUmLmLWzJAYNc/s320/IMG_0566.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxwtqsyt8bk_46677egulNJbfsbog5nVsFhFIRRQeHOmdHed1w2yK3eGKDhiiaR4OFvRAZBnaruQn0czfCej-ZQXcAfUn4G0I70jA97heVWdGF_sCbPSqX42DNFt_Dih12Aul8u0Dnfc/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxwtqsyt8bk_46677egulNJbfsbog5nVsFhFIRRQeHOmdHed1w2yK3eGKDhiiaR4OFvRAZBnaruQn0czfCej-ZQXcAfUn4G0I70jA97heVWdGF_sCbPSqX42DNFt_Dih12Aul8u0Dnfc/s320/IMG_0567.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another shot of the Art Museum:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYrU3rFWgSCcl5OsISS0-QBg30sNjelgkA_tauhe5aQhPAMP0p832bfKegGCzovKeUR2VQQxanrKwcvXI7QysK6lOhqeggti2AJUU-Ap7dOMzOd2COkpUCkB8yObUmLqcLLohEnlDQsM/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYrU3rFWgSCcl5OsISS0-QBg30sNjelgkA_tauhe5aQhPAMP0p832bfKegGCzovKeUR2VQQxanrKwcvXI7QysK6lOhqeggti2AJUU-Ap7dOMzOd2COkpUCkB8yObUmLqcLLohEnlDQsM/s320/IMG_0569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQo627Rl1QuKbRSdMCbBqOv_i_m6IHEujByb5CGlky-kPTQM752p3L41acGGfSrJQ3GB3dZyKv7O6WsZOPiKjTHAEbc6CcWbyrFE7l0Su9zd-yUJsw9RBgvuoGiIMuj6_Tt-AUsv5NUA/s1600/IMG_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQo627Rl1QuKbRSdMCbBqOv_i_m6IHEujByb5CGlky-kPTQM752p3L41acGGfSrJQ3GB3dZyKv7O6WsZOPiKjTHAEbc6CcWbyrFE7l0Su9zd-yUJsw9RBgvuoGiIMuj6_Tt-AUsv5NUA/s320/IMG_0570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm1Q71Gs5RbGpeDpPmvG3Fdx1SS4XR4JDvm6MGv0sLNplB36_WnEq2PzXhen1XWejv1oQH61QmxHJcAW9KOepOjsPGdpziyMsslVCZeiySoXCfEtivDMkJ1kBBkBdA6kjZioHtCPTkDI/s1600/IMG_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm1Q71Gs5RbGpeDpPmvG3Fdx1SS4XR4JDvm6MGv0sLNplB36_WnEq2PzXhen1XWejv1oQH61QmxHJcAW9KOepOjsPGdpziyMsslVCZeiySoXCfEtivDMkJ1kBBkBdA6kjZioHtCPTkDI/s320/IMG_0571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt like we were walking along my hometown's Ottawa Canal in the summertime with views like this, and not in Tigre, Argentina, in December!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKJNnFTuhQ9JhRBmEE6xug0YqteIR5IyL4kF0kKdH9LC6-2FldLa9V28C4s3saipBT1sAPmppyP5X9JrhBb6s1KLZOEPEKj1OWoYShB7FIjmSmzzdY00J_GucVAeNV1xNyk41cee0fmo/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKJNnFTuhQ9JhRBmEE6xug0YqteIR5IyL4kF0kKdH9LC6-2FldLa9V28C4s3saipBT1sAPmppyP5X9JrhBb6s1KLZOEPEKj1OWoYShB7FIjmSmzzdY00J_GucVAeNV1xNyk41cee0fmo/s320/IMG_0573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were entranced by the British character that pervaded Tigre, with its Victorians and half-timbered mock Tudor architecture.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2lP0rfexHWCu9tK_sikrWMt88-tVrjdsBPBmWDMfIWSJaDW15ZKJfl2yUXPl10AWVpoX7JVQq_tCl0mwf8wcoJG7UC5AT08djyKRAALzgR2-Mli25JljQGcPwHUta43LuPdZaqAqtmE/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2lP0rfexHWCu9tK_sikrWMt88-tVrjdsBPBmWDMfIWSJaDW15ZKJfl2yUXPl10AWVpoX7JVQq_tCl0mwf8wcoJG7UC5AT08djyKRAALzgR2-Mli25JljQGcPwHUta43LuPdZaqAqtmE/s320/IMG_0575.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Rather than returning directly to the train station, we extended our walk by going to the local church.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jPycb5BByzDJ1XxD55-fXNRf-Oz8fFKj87XVxoTxF7a4arCPdw6clWZUVilPayf6JtwTIHLnAE6_8fn15Iax3_ied_peQgfLYgi2c4HjPFc2FZvPK0aV-usy4-pYdcdXeL4rrkz6vNA/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jPycb5BByzDJ1XxD55-fXNRf-Oz8fFKj87XVxoTxF7a4arCPdw6clWZUVilPayf6JtwTIHLnAE6_8fn15Iax3_ied_peQgfLYgi2c4HjPFc2FZvPK0aV-usy4-pYdcdXeL4rrkz6vNA/s320/IMG_0576.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The charming <b>Church of the Immaculate Conception</b> was the first parish in the diocese.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXD_wzzZCgunCpg334KdgCXHXoYTPU6P87rUm0LlPwxKyKjTyg59R2XFC9A9VE0SsZRYbhoIbUI3N9KP-J4dqLNzG1kG7US53Cr_FzLKd1nnNx_DILdSwdRkOxYF-KPrE0ZjKG4JJCfZI/s1600/IMG_0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXD_wzzZCgunCpg334KdgCXHXoYTPU6P87rUm0LlPwxKyKjTyg59R2XFC9A9VE0SsZRYbhoIbUI3N9KP-J4dqLNzG1kG7US53Cr_FzLKd1nnNx_DILdSwdRkOxYF-KPrE0ZjKG4JJCfZI/s320/IMG_0595.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunud6pn9_XqSF91TR1N7yzhsoZxZT3HwXzPhJd905YneokW7TdJgxGdkHqjAYcl_nr_ZQpGIijLAE7-FDPjFKcL-NuhprZAGyZQTY7y3os3_eMDZ13qHVoMjUEM0wZYDodrKIEIDWaUs/s1600/IMG_0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunud6pn9_XqSF91TR1N7yzhsoZxZT3HwXzPhJd905YneokW7TdJgxGdkHqjAYcl_nr_ZQpGIijLAE7-FDPjFKcL-NuhprZAGyZQTY7y3os3_eMDZ13qHVoMjUEM0wZYDodrKIEIDWaUs/s320/IMG_0587.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All over town we'd seen signs for the procession through town marking <b>The Day of the Virgin</b> that would start four days later from the church. It would have been special being there when the statue was carried through town in the four-hour long procession.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDbmSH6fO4oV7P3uuUSUqkztAsEdd-hV9P7nUT4J_R3LW46k43Wy35wNkJIaM_8zWrnjY6fSxvW01HzNv21ydbFvldYIIFWNq4cNUfBoGSdmzpthXXg_wvD7uHEI9B4yoXExjfimKIbE/s1600/IMG_0597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDbmSH6fO4oV7P3uuUSUqkztAsEdd-hV9P7nUT4J_R3LW46k43Wy35wNkJIaM_8zWrnjY6fSxvW01HzNv21ydbFvldYIIFWNq4cNUfBoGSdmzpthXXg_wvD7uHEI9B4yoXExjfimKIbE/s320/IMG_0597.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This interesting water feature was our final sight before we returned to the train station just in time for the 4:45 train to Buenos Aires. What a wonderful escape our day in charming Tigre had been from the hustle and bustle of the capital!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1fyRnUlhQQ3wNePe6DCkXpBHMrcKYWiqUzPfxFdy82e0ovek4Dc_nUqZFPJtM-yCdSpTT2QZtcgLXnN9mQ9_sNQSTJVR9AfgVG0o68yruRE6xm2WZ0QJrv8bmrFCCsS2JsUrllHupc8/s1600/IMG_0598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1fyRnUlhQQ3wNePe6DCkXpBHMrcKYWiqUzPfxFdy82e0ovek4Dc_nUqZFPJtM-yCdSpTT2QZtcgLXnN9mQ9_sNQSTJVR9AfgVG0o68yruRE6xm2WZ0QJrv8bmrFCCsS2JsUrllHupc8/s320/IMG_0598.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Discovering more of Buenos Aires' quirky side!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 12th, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-26456209951431442512018-05-08T22:03:00.001-06:002018-05-08T22:18:46.372-06:0012/3: Buenos Aires: Casa Rosada, Working in 'Hell' & the MISSING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were so glad we had reservations for a tour of Argentina's seat of government, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>La Casa Rosada</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>,</b> as it had been raining cats and dogs and we were glad to go inside and away from the downpour. </span><span style="font-size: large;">We wanted to see the <b>Pink House</b> in Buenos Aires because of its association with the legendary Eva Perón. </span><span style="font-size: large;">There are two theories about the stunning building's rosy hue. It could have come from President Sarmiento's attempt at making peace during his 1868-74 term by </span><span style="font-size: large;">unifying the two warring parties and blending Federalist red with Unitarian white. Another theory is that it may have been painted with a mixture of cow blood and chalk, a common practice in the 19th century, which later dried to today's deep pink! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The side of the building that faced the Plaza de Mayo and where we entered was actually the back of the building. The Casa Rosada occupied a site where colonial riverbank fortifications once stood. After repeated landfills, the palace was now more than a kilometer inland.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxbsGdTJv4oENL27uuoTcMthCJ57Ti-gf6raqbXugAhdQ4Czx-BR0LAC1p9wJYsjDD_Gm4nX9CjxHI3UKC0TsSVpki_fSFwwCnf0mzxE8Nj2tXa4p-Ti1Wiqb1Ej3rOYi9BYtKAMXDUs/s1600/IMG_0415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxbsGdTJv4oENL27uuoTcMthCJ57Ti-gf6raqbXugAhdQ4Czx-BR0LAC1p9wJYsjDD_Gm4nX9CjxHI3UKC0TsSVpki_fSFwwCnf0mzxE8Nj2tXa4p-Ti1Wiqb1Ej3rOYi9BYtKAMXDUs/s320/IMG_0415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Casa Rosada is the palace of the Argentine government, from whose balconies presidents, and their wives in the case of Eva Perón, have spoken to their supporters in the Plaza de Mayo.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJewpu3XYtgqEGfHyKFAJNzjU86BWUh6PFPw3uCe5NQGzGJdzPWdBSMYF_Q_yCUhrxToQ64j1LQ_Ev_3Gn1r-bq9-mu5t-g15DsgVhou1ipETBkB3vyIKtDDyr0la9eMbJGWMviw_lBuE/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJewpu3XYtgqEGfHyKFAJNzjU86BWUh6PFPw3uCe5NQGzGJdzPWdBSMYF_Q_yCUhrxToQ64j1LQ_Ev_3Gn1r-bq9-mu5t-g15DsgVhou1ipETBkB3vyIKtDDyr0la9eMbJGWMviw_lBuE/s320/IMG_0208.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had read that it was near impossible to get the guards of honor to crack a smile!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2yAr__Ved3Xj3kFdFZ9ELPLpN-32RReby27b4tzu9Sh0AuDkjs3sVCV1NI-5OLiE8zhg_WUuhyKX5N-1OZ9mbA5Wf1Trc65ZIjQjA4ta3M7mJgh96MV1TTpYa8a_ID7GEXrj7wRVrMM/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2yAr__Ved3Xj3kFdFZ9ELPLpN-32RReby27b4tzu9Sh0AuDkjs3sVCV1NI-5OLiE8zhg_WUuhyKX5N-1OZ9mbA5Wf1Trc65ZIjQjA4ta3M7mJgh96MV1TTpYa8a_ID7GEXrj7wRVrMM/s320/IMG_0211.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide said the stairway, modeled after the Italian style, was called the <b>Journalists' Stairway</b> because it led to the Press Room.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVVM9qjB64ih7FXJrJebI4yBic5Zcu3vp33-54_0HTwc5Tx8OiPvQZBPvXS4kzgmfG6JCiI_SaPi391E07dhBXJCVZH2ZcIlDFcyizrkPakDmSKEkvOO4Ot_XouvDgskDQMMxHXQwpRY/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVVM9qjB64ih7FXJrJebI4yBic5Zcu3vp33-54_0HTwc5Tx8OiPvQZBPvXS4kzgmfG6JCiI_SaPi391E07dhBXJCVZH2ZcIlDFcyizrkPakDmSKEkvOO4Ot_XouvDgskDQMMxHXQwpRY/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The history of Argentina's 'White House' was revealed when it was restored in 2010 and the home's oldest paintings on the ceilings and walls were discovered.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkoouQpAWa8gR3lENz-4IgPNR-1nzSVQ3olgyVOuVNp2Z2c07EsC1_5EQmry7PqWUdbsHh-xcs9kdUEemAn5kJoMNDqYTg4VJu9czXmJtutCpHpT8XAtnpkTVc4e9Zg2BZvC6OFdcCtA/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkoouQpAWa8gR3lENz-4IgPNR-1nzSVQ3olgyVOuVNp2Z2c07EsC1_5EQmry7PqWUdbsHh-xcs9kdUEemAn5kJoMNDqYTg4VJu9czXmJtutCpHpT8XAtnpkTVc4e9Zg2BZvC6OFdcCtA/s320/IMG_0216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The lovely courtyard and its small fountain caught our attention.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoweTyH3tFF1MbPsrj2CtM4OMGRhAj73ghZZxT4P_YAQgug3eLFnHnxvFFFjjlx0f3IOsetMSIGztrrgU43JdNm-t54z1gd3LZFwYJgbbaT2PXNAgRGJ0ze0sSmR5abIGYZlY7imy7Gb4/s1600/IMG_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoweTyH3tFF1MbPsrj2CtM4OMGRhAj73ghZZxT4P_YAQgug3eLFnHnxvFFFjjlx0f3IOsetMSIGztrrgU43JdNm-t54z1gd3LZFwYJgbbaT2PXNAgRGJ0ze0sSmR5abIGYZlY7imy7Gb4/s320/IMG_0223.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNBZxN1Hxu5_9S7gQGeOG63u-UaVEQxGOC8MH0vVaEx0hajBmNvmHmpn1kkXiJwHNkvxE-S4jMeybMk1eEEpPZzHY9lJjbD5EfuwRALZuZNf9-sm9I4hUw1TCjAGxcIG5h23GZPdpApM/s1600/IMG_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNBZxN1Hxu5_9S7gQGeOG63u-UaVEQxGOC8MH0vVaEx0hajBmNvmHmpn1kkXiJwHNkvxE-S4jMeybMk1eEEpPZzHY9lJjbD5EfuwRALZuZNf9-sm9I4hUw1TCjAGxcIG5h23GZPdpApM/s320/IMG_0222.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl4OsbTa1UmHlyt_DJoW-1HrQHXJrAPLlTKOOMiZEwNWOATghlN1pndsy6BrS2UkB6P0hEx-0WFpgsJwpUlOYGtPPJDkkVChSlNtcgeZZvh0sO1o3SI_wJGqLnzmy3vC8icLYj7BvAL8/s1600/IMG_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl4OsbTa1UmHlyt_DJoW-1HrQHXJrAPLlTKOOMiZEwNWOATghlN1pndsy6BrS2UkB6P0hEx-0WFpgsJwpUlOYGtPPJDkkVChSlNtcgeZZvh0sO1o3SI_wJGqLnzmy3vC8icLYj7BvAL8/s320/IMG_0225.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQFCg5P9I-iLlOpwLFBEXW3tAU5doffcqT-l1RK9-VsJz_vV_wJfz6RItGztiXHIrN5HBs1SdBw_etrsTSiwLxEQzNkYNL96KEBbdvq8voVcre6dWZ-MEYuT8uLfzGxIZLxtZ66tREsw/s1600/IMG_0227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQFCg5P9I-iLlOpwLFBEXW3tAU5doffcqT-l1RK9-VsJz_vV_wJfz6RItGztiXHIrN5HBs1SdBw_etrsTSiwLxEQzNkYNL96KEBbdvq8voVcre6dWZ-MEYuT8uLfzGxIZLxtZ66tREsw/s320/IMG_0227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the original floor from 1890.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVgNPG16dAK5fL5PHZ3J12_FtxvGkR0LNvg-lE3vIOhSNdKx57xBesJ4b4egioIoam2lGHKXCA16r0oZPeC0QGlnKmYKkGNHKvKwf9kmUXXQC5Zi-LkI5VCpqTqvzt1EcMk4YE6RfHIM/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVgNPG16dAK5fL5PHZ3J12_FtxvGkR0LNvg-lE3vIOhSNdKx57xBesJ4b4egioIoam2lGHKXCA16r0oZPeC0QGlnKmYKkGNHKvKwf9kmUXXQC5Zi-LkI5VCpqTqvzt1EcMk4YE6RfHIM/s320/IMG_0231.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVlDhBgv5Y67AVsBbyMQKhOCUuZWwvKs7QLCv8QWJ76dY8HN4MEineT25yM-z779SkRA4lHy-xReTTDS05xkbj9dF-_JoNfhEZWoW0XTXkWjIqkyw0dapUN3yPgt7dYuTHzzh2XHIXUw/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVlDhBgv5Y67AVsBbyMQKhOCUuZWwvKs7QLCv8QWJ76dY8HN4MEineT25yM-z779SkRA4lHy-xReTTDS05xkbj9dF-_JoNfhEZWoW0XTXkWjIqkyw0dapUN3yPgt7dYuTHzzh2XHIXUw/s320/IMG_0234.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Standing on the loggia or presidential balcony where former presidents gave historic speeches to throngs of citizens was a thrill, especially knowing it was the spot where</span><span style="font-size: large;"> former <b>President Carlos Ménem</b> allowed <b>Madonna</b> to use for the 1996 movie <b>Evita.</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Most Argentines, however, associate the balcony with the announcement of military dictator <b>Leopoldo Galtieri's</b> ill-fated war in 1982 against the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznlROPHXfPWAwCItt9I7IdFonAQ-LNFQBeyOnrN3PpnPkY_eRoY1k_BzbIGdGUsnymE8PrvJYC1DOWSvEpPToiTz-3nEYjoPKzSDtBaCtTzyzBILErEjVY_MURHQ5p5mi66B5vCnlKjU/s1600/IMG_0236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznlROPHXfPWAwCItt9I7IdFonAQ-LNFQBeyOnrN3PpnPkY_eRoY1k_BzbIGdGUsnymE8PrvJYC1DOWSvEpPToiTz-3nEYjoPKzSDtBaCtTzyzBILErEjVY_MURHQ5p5mi66B5vCnlKjU/s320/IMG_0236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a perfect spot to snag a bird’s eye view of <b>Plaza de Mayo,</b> which was empty because of the rain. Normally, </span><span style="font-size: large;">people have set up camp to remember the war veterans from the Falklands War.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7hy5lmBtOlnNV-UFYJPDVVKkuedaDY3Kmq6nH9qvohOS04QdUgXo_ezYfHKMZrtzcP9aJgKsOPRzupaiq0rH7A_HkL6kYq6X7iKUh2xctbXbFTGH0bxDzZEi8XC2dk_nRWKqNfiEENc/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7hy5lmBtOlnNV-UFYJPDVVKkuedaDY3Kmq6nH9qvohOS04QdUgXo_ezYfHKMZrtzcP9aJgKsOPRzupaiq0rH7A_HkL6kYq6X7iKUh2xctbXbFTGH0bxDzZEi8XC2dk_nRWKqNfiEENc/s320/IMG_0235.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's impossible to talk about the Casa Rosada and not include mention of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Juan and Evita </span><span style="font-size: large;">Perón. The radio actress <b>Eva Duarte,</b> aka Evita, was just 24 when she met the 48-year old </span><span style="font-size: large;">politician at a fundraiser in Buenos Aires in 1944. After marrying the following year, she created the <b>Eva </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perón</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Foundation</b> in 1948 which </span><span style="font-size: large;">had assets in cash and goods in excess of three billion pesos, or over $200 million at the exchange rate of the late 1940s. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Every aspect of the foundation, which employed </span><span style="font-size: large;">14,000 workers,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">purchased and distributed annually 400,000 pairs of shoes, 500,000 sewing machines, and 200,000 cooking pots, </span><span style="font-size: large;">was under Evita's supervision. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbjas6ZfSOnbr46X-_c8lRRINc564mCGWl-WOO0YcFzioSyE6U15cloAhLz8Gr43XhboomCf_viHxhjl9AeNm7BWky0-9iIneXiEhjon2OC-2Onb_nGN4K1_4CkPu1KpnCY9bUiZCHdM/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbjas6ZfSOnbr46X-_c8lRRINc564mCGWl-WOO0YcFzioSyE6U15cloAhLz8Gr43XhboomCf_viHxhjl9AeNm7BWky0-9iIneXiEhjon2OC-2Onb_nGN4K1_4CkPu1KpnCY9bUiZCHdM/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The foundation also gave scholarships, built homes, hospitals, and built entire communities, such as Evita City, which still exists today. Historians believe that due to the </span><span style="font-size: large;">foundation's </span><span style="font-size: large;">health services, there was no inequality in Argentine health care </span><span style="font-size: large;">for the first time in history. How I wish it were the same in this country.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjXNzu6cuVSUGustmBIGXKnigvlYZlKSbbHvRPasAU4O2EkaX1-C5sMESjhbLfUIyWYdUwwdKM6-P-_BBfZDV7aAQZKkNCKaHx8ecyOicsOmX5TCoSvlb723u1iivSAmFozT-VKB8zGg/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjXNzu6cuVSUGustmBIGXKnigvlYZlKSbbHvRPasAU4O2EkaX1-C5sMESjhbLfUIyWYdUwwdKM6-P-_BBfZDV7aAQZKkNCKaHx8ecyOicsOmX5TCoSvlb723u1iivSAmFozT-VKB8zGg/s320/IMG_0247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Evita set aside many hours per day to meet in this room - still with its original furniture - with the poor who requested help from her foundation. During these meetings with the poor, Evita often kissed the poor and allowed them to kiss her. According to wikipedia, Evita was even witnessed placing her hands in the wounds of the sick and poor, touching the leprous, and kissing the syphilitic. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsM65oDhiMpmdgxefZt7eekPl5L1m6iRdRh04q9RBTd4T9-2s3j7zAnJnmmxK4clPinpHFtAQ2_-KQJbBq-r4HKePVmskMrT054qtWhCcPk5Rcu2jB9XyejefrO7Z9Gj46TORT2yimAI/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsM65oDhiMpmdgxefZt7eekPl5L1m6iRdRh04q9RBTd4T9-2s3j7zAnJnmmxK4clPinpHFtAQ2_-KQJbBq-r4HKePVmskMrT054qtWhCcPk5Rcu2jB9XyejefrO7Z9Gj46TORT2yimAI/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Eva Perón created the <b>Female Peronist Party,</b> the first large female political party in the nation. She considered running as Vice-President in 1951 which would mean she would succeed her husband, the President, in the event of his death. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Eventually, she declined the invitation to run for vice-president as she hoped history would report a woman who brought </span><span style="font-size: large;">"...hopes and dreams of the people to the president and a woman who eventually turned those hopes and dreams into glorious reality."</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Most biographers, however, believe that Evita did not so much renounce her ambition as bow to pressure from her husband, the military, and the Argentine upper class, who preferred that she not enter the race.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zSldlDg0SF9bowrLt9jwZUhe6QGYm_S2P7zADL0reW-IAHSdKZR_VW7t2RYtgHUywq3QU7G8Q15jW6558dUtoG1Z5zsrDwXnxqcH0T-dlrMIhNnrqTCEbW1I5bBembkxRvmZ59R26hw/s1600/IMG_0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zSldlDg0SF9bowrLt9jwZUhe6QGYm_S2P7zADL0reW-IAHSdKZR_VW7t2RYtgHUywq3QU7G8Q15jW6558dUtoG1Z5zsrDwXnxqcH0T-dlrMIhNnrqTCEbW1I5bBembkxRvmZ59R26hw/s320/IMG_0249.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Evita died on July 26, 1952, of uterine cancer, the same form of cancer that had killed the president's first wife. Immediately after her death, the government suspended all official activities for two days and ordered all flags flown at half-staff for ten days. Such was the depth of the people's loss that nearly three million people attended Evita's state funeral in the streets of Buenos Aires. Flowers were flown in from all over the country, and as far away as Chile, as all flower shops in Buenos Aires had run out of stock after the first day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI5bEJ8MGkpcOuGw-OeLoZRk9QeA2CYbyvZlKtfoj11d8t9Ki-pTErNOsdmdRA7oo4cH51SMjm_jAz269iqM7NnplzywI-tSPDvrtezKnIHkhKDBh_BS98dw3Pb42b12pkrRONFRtWQk/s1600/IMG_0260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI5bEJ8MGkpcOuGw-OeLoZRk9QeA2CYbyvZlKtfoj11d8t9Ki-pTErNOsdmdRA7oo4cH51SMjm_jAz269iqM7NnplzywI-tSPDvrtezKnIHkhKDBh_BS98dw3Pb42b12pkrRONFRtWQk/s320/IMG_0260.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide told us announcements were made and new presidents and prime ministers were installed i</span><span style="font-size: large;">n the luxurious <b>White Hall.</b> The 1,250 kg chandelier came from France.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ656IW_KqrQpKtqOjskFtpkNZ2sgJBCAW0xset_-aNbMhXcekNsIjlPQZ-V1f9DVJzNk2_4rMw5MWirf0WA5OuO1Bu7sXB-QN_20EUqe4AJfQOYr-evqE1HPYgPk_ehhcJFuKVgT8nI/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZ656IW_KqrQpKtqOjskFtpkNZ2sgJBCAW0xset_-aNbMhXcekNsIjlPQZ-V1f9DVJzNk2_4rMw5MWirf0WA5OuO1Bu7sXB-QN_20EUqe4AJfQOYr-evqE1HPYgPk_ehhcJFuKVgT8nI/s320/IMG_0269.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the national symbol, the shaking hands represented all Argentines working together; the sun equaled the country's rebirth after being conquered by the Spanish and the leaves referred to the country's glory. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2-sGXbjudi3UtNKZpmyIAqESUIeU6k2ctU2Q9NasWgrGB-i8-00U-hE4MLwo2YEH1yfwHs_SD8DT8QVePhTcDngIK0Ayvg9eOsko0aTy2yS99Tikznprt5ax6TtvwiSO4dCQrPhr4WQ/s1600/IMG_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2-sGXbjudi3UtNKZpmyIAqESUIeU6k2ctU2Q9NasWgrGB-i8-00U-hE4MLwo2YEH1yfwHs_SD8DT8QVePhTcDngIK0Ayvg9eOsko0aTy2yS99Tikznprt5ax6TtvwiSO4dCQrPhr4WQ/s320/IMG_0271.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The guide stated these were fake doors but without explaining why they were installed. The ceiling had what looked like a beautiful fresco but the painting had been created on canvas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMX1dGZFOVBcQIqBl3kPkgIhrBDQEQzP_RWdNyhsJafaaM2wtZw2E-xU1TguMfiXv35Ehr4rQrxrvRpDilY4xOIV1579ekqh-DpBzxejwykBp3qgbj1LaE4CB_VP0vUFLMEQXyt7HVyM/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMX1dGZFOVBcQIqBl3kPkgIhrBDQEQzP_RWdNyhsJafaaM2wtZw2E-xU1TguMfiXv35Ehr4rQrxrvRpDilY4xOIV1579ekqh-DpBzxejwykBp3qgbj1LaE4CB_VP0vUFLMEQXyt7HVyM/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The raised seats at the back of the room was the designated <b>Press Box.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3claTVZNzEyKGJZ_5fObSpAjusT3-NeGdx_FZ4RQxKmgzReDEmlO75bsNsHEHirSzHrA-YExkEMmZdTyd3sGGIgRlu-K9y2dkPX7T_dS8gbur8TLojUQCyb-MqrwqdCQZiehbi2Js8Y/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3claTVZNzEyKGJZ_5fObSpAjusT3-NeGdx_FZ4RQxKmgzReDEmlO75bsNsHEHirSzHrA-YExkEMmZdTyd3sGGIgRlu-K9y2dkPX7T_dS8gbur8TLojUQCyb-MqrwqdCQZiehbi2Js8Y/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps in keeping with its being the Pink House, there were stunning pink stained-glass windows throughout. Images from the <b>Stained-Glass Gallery:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRol7zHyaPq699l6UaDGrbYARdJYWJtmcjPo4LWqNtm3enTZSbnoBOFstTzeTE0PnD5dT4N4RalP8LSsIR37QTew1ki_xyj5Uq03a29TH-wf31yfdQix_zCkmOlOKJKEjUADkkls-RmvI/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRol7zHyaPq699l6UaDGrbYARdJYWJtmcjPo4LWqNtm3enTZSbnoBOFstTzeTE0PnD5dT4N4RalP8LSsIR37QTew1ki_xyj5Uq03a29TH-wf31yfdQix_zCkmOlOKJKEjUADkkls-RmvI/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkm9fXdhKF-MPiLzL8c1OKlpnUba-_7hq9TDY61m2rC0fOK8XM1gFiioPxUfOxZezP-t6HCyEwwpfNBubyBEPTs4afmqXfeX570gsL8UxJpyOTs0iXAMHiqNwYYNUMDXtZm6yyhoJuSI/s1600/IMG_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkm9fXdhKF-MPiLzL8c1OKlpnUba-_7hq9TDY61m2rC0fOK8XM1gFiioPxUfOxZezP-t6HCyEwwpfNBubyBEPTs4afmqXfeX570gsL8UxJpyOTs0iXAMHiqNwYYNUMDXtZm6yyhoJuSI/s320/IMG_0287.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAQf86dScC2QSbuiBT6pLcRRwXrPrOTuzi181KPRN1J3KURUgpAymkEiQmUPUp0AV9n2ByR5BvH4Wb9z-cSL95r-VHJKqaXbXaRXnB-3mSAldD9OEmkRmYwDDQtPspUkpbE920-z1MCU/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAQf86dScC2QSbuiBT6pLcRRwXrPrOTuzi181KPRN1J3KURUgpAymkEiQmUPUp0AV9n2ByR5BvH4Wb9z-cSL95r-VHJKqaXbXaRXnB-3mSAldD9OEmkRmYwDDQtPspUkpbE920-z1MCU/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEDFRpZVp_fWb7cnl0Q9WoyS49rmHyHezUbUd2wHFmJRdj0LePEs-GAbxoOV3EjpOfSn8p0SpRaH47ZEwXzGrofzXbj0B7EamIi_4CuapMdC0Lzl12JnsyfPd_OsEVg1NqMWjf75nBL4/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEDFRpZVp_fWb7cnl0Q9WoyS49rmHyHezUbUd2wHFmJRdj0LePEs-GAbxoOV3EjpOfSn8p0SpRaH47ZEwXzGrofzXbj0B7EamIi_4CuapMdC0Lzl12JnsyfPd_OsEVg1NqMWjf75nBL4/s320/IMG_0299.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the top of a mammoth, marble stairway fit for a palace, was this unusual sculpture. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdeIaWkDfe4hUTLEKRa6kcSBDas803bmOYIW6_uTK2xnzYywcgEikViLy68TZFN4BGxfqK97TdBOHSrghZ_N3qfEuPHDlOFMOFb05QjBQ3z4_lRG1RV2GEsha0ZHvQfeKzeuQ8a-n7jc/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdeIaWkDfe4hUTLEKRa6kcSBDas803bmOYIW6_uTK2xnzYywcgEikViLy68TZFN4BGxfqK97TdBOHSrghZ_N3qfEuPHDlOFMOFb05QjBQ3z4_lRG1RV2GEsha0ZHvQfeKzeuQ8a-n7jc/s320/IMG_0296.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigww_hpZn7Z_jg30Hev0lOKdAXi6l5_AF4rqbIgfn-76b-OiqZjXTtb6LbcaZx3hevux31RucAOU4XfhC9fwEF5U7NQ7E1Qq9TNrvpqTKifa_AFOLUGZ1ZGZZLt_ongYtbVXZfwXyIQxI/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigww_hpZn7Z_jg30Hev0lOKdAXi6l5_AF4rqbIgfn-76b-OiqZjXTtb6LbcaZx3hevux31RucAOU4XfhC9fwEF5U7NQ7E1Qq9TNrvpqTKifa_AFOLUGZ1ZGZZLt_ongYtbVXZfwXyIQxI/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt I should have had a ballgown on while descending the steps instead of a commoner's t-shirt and a skort!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17176VrBGfnFNIrKxWf7wACO_d3oty7znyaOGKgsJsIU9CM6Pe1XEoYxk9rZeCw7HCuZZvG2ZCgeFMfQOXLhXG-fdW8y5JreQCFchltA9ACRiDDTT3QIaNYUlh-BomKI6joYFGxKTDd0/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17176VrBGfnFNIrKxWf7wACO_d3oty7znyaOGKgsJsIU9CM6Pe1XEoYxk9rZeCw7HCuZZvG2ZCgeFMfQOXLhXG-fdW8y5JreQCFchltA9ACRiDDTT3QIaNYUlh-BomKI6joYFGxKTDd0/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our guide explained that only those presidents elected by the people for two terms were recognized in the main floor's <b>Hall of Honor. </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUwUVDsRhmfAyq-_uD-crccbvkFvGNeC1TsiLO0C_r8OJDUzXfAZuGmBj30239G3uWQHVT_h8hdcoaZ80s42j4WXkHf7kF8hMhs5qdBm1S3m85PcpckHn8VwOIIoY9VcO7pRmKCFwuIs/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUwUVDsRhmfAyq-_uD-crccbvkFvGNeC1TsiLO0C_r8OJDUzXfAZuGmBj30239G3uWQHVT_h8hdcoaZ80s42j4WXkHf7kF8hMhs5qdBm1S3m85PcpckHn8VwOIIoY9VcO7pRmKCFwuIs/s320/IMG_0307.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The guide pointed out that the artist goofed when carving this bust as the sash was backwards and done like a mirror image!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPur3od_lyu3RHpoXcM9yGmr_hVmMt7vjBcLAXueQ2COBWYUId7YKsUbkK1-hkBnGQYESPhioHNXuqRy5NnD-n8pJQIQ3BsQGKKE25XkDv5QF3EJGTj7Xbboyq3IbKiMlRidKsuUKx448/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPur3od_lyu3RHpoXcM9yGmr_hVmMt7vjBcLAXueQ2COBWYUId7YKsUbkK1-hkBnGQYESPhioHNXuqRy5NnD-n8pJQIQ3BsQGKKE25XkDv5QF3EJGTj7Xbboyq3IbKiMlRidKsuUKx448/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBW5F3T6CCTBz0xiE4gV87wbadz1moAG1ZMvj7GKexAKztj8iD8k9tlR9QOKY2VEV1tzxpjMAymD7Odj6EwMm7DDG0Z9zw0fjliauHHKioHma5p7RpA8Ea5CtXrAx9-aCSnc_-fw867I/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBW5F3T6CCTBz0xiE4gV87wbadz1moAG1ZMvj7GKexAKztj8iD8k9tlR9QOKY2VEV1tzxpjMAymD7Odj6EwMm7DDG0Z9zw0fjliauHHKioHma5p7RpA8Ea5CtXrAx9-aCSnc_-fw867I/s320/IMG_0312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The building was marvelous to admire from the outside, and even more interesting on a guided tour of the interior. Unfortunately, the tour was 'sanitized' in that there was no mention of the bullet holes in the surrounding buildings or the barriers to block access to the square due to almost daily protests.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOluscLM8G_yez3soZKw0oW3TATRbBFlCSCQC42TqyxcrvZeccwmWsPFJB1xwV9H5R4N04Z4FqzMHhfzT3EhmBsaMbuDZSNJ5sqA0GK7JBW1yJXjqpEvrj7tdqohdus5gsueM_oFs7WI/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOluscLM8G_yez3soZKw0oW3TATRbBFlCSCQC42TqyxcrvZeccwmWsPFJB1xwV9H5R4N04Z4FqzMHhfzT3EhmBsaMbuDZSNJ5sqA0GK7JBW1yJXjqpEvrj7tdqohdus5gsueM_oFs7WI/s320/IMG_0317.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After the tour, we returned to the famous Sunday street fair in the </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>San Telmo</b> neighborhood, hoping to snag some gifts I hadn't bought earlier and perhaps view people dancing the tango in <b>Plaza Dorrego</b> as normally happens on fair days. The rain caused a lot of the vendors to leave but it was still enjoyable walking the famous streets.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRYhGPocF27vb8YsCI3iu8-ms4FgIuQgZ-4HVgJiEbYjjKRZoRWBx9o3w19CgOLdbidSePotEaUm1Ik26b4-bcT5my7qL0650gNZYLULF_oRFMkydEsxlWoshJJU7x5csK9PRS9X7Tm8/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRYhGPocF27vb8YsCI3iu8-ms4FgIuQgZ-4HVgJiEbYjjKRZoRWBx9o3w19CgOLdbidSePotEaUm1Ik26b4-bcT5my7qL0650gNZYLULF_oRFMkydEsxlWoshJJU7x5csK9PRS9X7Tm8/s320/IMG_0325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8QeKnVj49d6XtrmBAJYEEzgG-O2bZGmiVbjSe5Mo07g6ayXJfIhQEtEiePaD3XyLp7Owv5klS3eW9G7PBm5UXClLYsEZgkLT0gB4EpwbEDff471qHXEL779Lb2y_HVbhfaFJJazTxdE/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8QeKnVj49d6XtrmBAJYEEzgG-O2bZGmiVbjSe5Mo07g6ayXJfIhQEtEiePaD3XyLp7Owv5klS3eW9G7PBm5UXClLYsEZgkLT0gB4EpwbEDff471qHXEL779Lb2y_HVbhfaFJJazTxdE/s320/IMG_0326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx120v2NV3HgHXE1XSMFGveQUGcs4VXxLcAvDSr24om6CKVU_cX_OdQxX3yzX9iv-nxEys7nhYRZQT-cJ0N2TPH6hFfHlpvVk0otdxRtL_Li3yIeatBxZeJfSOO9b1Bz-_iMU5kfRx_8U/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx120v2NV3HgHXE1XSMFGveQUGcs4VXxLcAvDSr24om6CKVU_cX_OdQxX3yzX9iv-nxEys7nhYRZQT-cJ0N2TPH6hFfHlpvVk0otdxRtL_Li3yIeatBxZeJfSOO9b1Bz-_iMU5kfRx_8U/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This had to be the most unusual tree I've seen!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NGBEecPvewmQT90uSNTAL1zaVzPJ15ANwuy9HJ_4uLbiEDbbL0zROb4k1tF6I4VU-6oB0I4dUDxsbbHRJ0YHKNi-AtJeS4BKkKPT_xOHlNkN6uCzfPmX_9he94BWqQLK4xbg_62InyM/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NGBEecPvewmQT90uSNTAL1zaVzPJ15ANwuy9HJ_4uLbiEDbbL0zROb4k1tF6I4VU-6oB0I4dUDxsbbHRJ0YHKNi-AtJeS4BKkKPT_xOHlNkN6uCzfPmX_9he94BWqQLK4xbg_62InyM/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We hurried to the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Palacio del Congreso </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">where a walking tour was about to begin but stopped quickly at this monument in front that honored the congresses of 1810 and 1816 that led to Argentine independence.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTeftYr55GrkLlthvJf8YwVZ-FmH9WO4evOopJX9e0we5cnPsRrYHSosOTgzURJHNwO_vM_R8s7eo26HOdJ6B8bANfH33QdP1fIzzccqA1EAw96YM-enogSpQcH1Fh4hOMP2LA0ki81I/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTeftYr55GrkLlthvJf8YwVZ-FmH9WO4evOopJX9e0we5cnPsRrYHSosOTgzURJHNwO_vM_R8s7eo26HOdJ6B8bANfH33QdP1fIzzccqA1EAw96YM-enogSpQcH1Fh4hOMP2LA0ki81I/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once at the Congress Building, our guide, <b>Maria,</b> explained the country was divided into 23 provinces with Buenos Aires springing up next to the so-called <b>Rio de la Plata</b>. Even though the Spaniards never find silver as hoped, they still called it the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Silver River. The city was small and unimportant to Spain as no gold was also found. As a result, the city never had substantial colonial buildings like Lima, La Paz, etc. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KRnEIz7qqRr7F6TfEVxz6H0U6qgLzQx2NtL8DcUCIzFRCnnNV8Jbm3ndWFEk1f-YhzoRsRHmr7mdYo3XwCDUVub4SUuEGFweKXhrp0EF9u437TbcFrks0HvR1TZQi22JxdVSvxdnnE8/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KRnEIz7qqRr7F6TfEVxz6H0U6qgLzQx2NtL8DcUCIzFRCnnNV8Jbm3ndWFEk1f-YhzoRsRHmr7mdYo3XwCDUVub4SUuEGFweKXhrp0EF9u437TbcFrks0HvR1TZQi22JxdVSvxdnnE8/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The colossal building, modeled on the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was completed in 1906. Maria spoke of her country's troubled history with six coups occurring in the 20th century. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaGIDNn-Y4qnHykS8GQwElV2bvxexd0vOAHQS6AzlG4TNZz9w-uTTOTqfz6VCanOC_TG1ngR_lYTQ4yGFGSrlbGR5M-2S5dFQlvTYQ_KJr4_zVyZ7a5v36QnPMi25lYoZUZ-TdxjiaC4/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaGIDNn-Y4qnHykS8GQwElV2bvxexd0vOAHQS6AzlG4TNZz9w-uTTOTqfz6VCanOC_TG1ngR_lYTQ4yGFGSrlbGR5M-2S5dFQlvTYQ_KJr4_zVyZ7a5v36QnPMi25lYoZUZ-TdxjiaC4/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaSMUo1ESlbbFjkHrrDbj6JF_VlqhaM4XQcYDxCJ-cHsBQ8TKAZGxFmbtCHGmW3SeTT3X4hndToA-B2ha51vjY74ojwMzEH5imiIEGJU-OBU60NRVSSHcLX_hR37CmDCS7eOz3BFWawA/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaSMUo1ESlbbFjkHrrDbj6JF_VlqhaM4XQcYDxCJ-cHsBQ8TKAZGxFmbtCHGmW3SeTT3X4hndToA-B2ha51vjY74ojwMzEH5imiIEGJU-OBU60NRVSSHcLX_hR37CmDCS7eOz3BFWawA/s320/IMG_0341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Buenos Aires copied Berlin's sculpture atop its Brandenburg Gate representing the republic's victory after years of civil war. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApPWuJbTrLhadmWS1jJH5EmSTBLiKXGLzK6mr_4QXTCF-vhYW9s0JtvGH-btwg7wmyX3aXuyHfHt9KpoiVXMlaAF_DZmE2YYCaG2CIFCNylWYFqwPAcXx-jGrDB5dUTXocndr32YRm6M/s1600/IMG_0345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApPWuJbTrLhadmWS1jJH5EmSTBLiKXGLzK6mr_4QXTCF-vhYW9s0JtvGH-btwg7wmyX3aXuyHfHt9KpoiVXMlaAF_DZmE2YYCaG2CIFCNylWYFqwPAcXx-jGrDB5dUTXocndr32YRm6M/s320/IMG_0345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Congress' gates were always closed, according to Maria, until March 1st every four years when a new President is elected.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx8W7G2bTttzgvIuFsEx7PrJ3jVkeL-frs6uzRZKCX30W80ikUizuJVMdsL4ZF9XxkH4m7E8SqbEWjZLpDZ29kIaSAl3tbUWVRUSIq6Ry6MMrgdjNmQGw2TVvkJkQRxkonnweMfS1qfk/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx8W7G2bTttzgvIuFsEx7PrJ3jVkeL-frs6uzRZKCX30W80ikUizuJVMdsL4ZF9XxkH4m7E8SqbEWjZLpDZ29kIaSAl3tbUWVRUSIq6Ry6MMrgdjNmQGw2TVvkJkQRxkonnweMfS1qfk/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we walked toward the monument, Maria explained the woman at the top represented the republic; another woman represented the 1816 Congress and freedom; and the last woman signified the assembly of 1830 which recognized national symbols such as the national song, flag, etc. The monument, made in Belgium and rebuilt on site in 1913, was fenced because of constant demonstrations in front of Congress.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsvvoqYd2hBHLG8XDZKiNoh_lDqf655eHzCFGzMuI49csaIBmHWvpmD1Xy1NOaVuJuiveHiyJoh45XmpDz2BFmZVkXqJlk1BaCXBaWkeh8O5ZoSYxYq3MF7Pcnb0YfAwcwNqwWxKvXAE/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsvvoqYd2hBHLG8XDZKiNoh_lDqf655eHzCFGzMuI49csaIBmHWvpmD1Xy1NOaVuJuiveHiyJoh45XmpDz2BFmZVkXqJlk1BaCXBaWkeh8O5ZoSYxYq3MF7Pcnb0YfAwcwNqwWxKvXAE/s320/IMG_0348.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlYFRzD1FBI8MTwwV51uLkvHInib1fzJ-izvaDDc5xveYSUHhGD5MtEMofuuXBj6vsHVqKU2R3Dsqf6sZFDFFTt0C-_zQIIlyzX-MSfU0VNm9zedUXCR9cso9hF1GvHrKuVTJNZmrdAM/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlYFRzD1FBI8MTwwV51uLkvHInib1fzJ-izvaDDc5xveYSUHhGD5MtEMofuuXBj6vsHVqKU2R3Dsqf6sZFDFFTt0C-_zQIIlyzX-MSfU0VNm9zedUXCR9cso9hF1GvHrKuVTJNZmrdAM/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nearby was the Km 0 marker from which all distances in the country were measured. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT93MgUXOLwnf_91N7de78uZ0saTfUDMzfvhvZ1Vt7sKq6IcQ7SacrM67DXHZfLJUIDH5ijoWsfT9E_cMkQmmJ6iee2kShd1-hDRy7vGocDUOvPDAC35_KhV8Lc90Ypag5S8fKtT6npMY/s1600/IMG_0356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT93MgUXOLwnf_91N7de78uZ0saTfUDMzfvhvZ1Vt7sKq6IcQ7SacrM67DXHZfLJUIDH5ijoWsfT9E_cMkQmmJ6iee2kShd1-hDRy7vGocDUOvPDAC35_KhV8Lc90Ypag5S8fKtT6npMY/s320/IMG_0356.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLO4uAFYVXgPjx_P_1mmUCq_rTTvOsBR3CMwvLgzbtcvTqq4AnOMomKMl8o3YbUMsba4aCI_ySt2RT6TXQdw64-ghyphenhyphenBKL7-ZP3QHH1DTOGJwC5ijfHWUIokLRyG89sJDHgU8TToK2Des/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLO4uAFYVXgPjx_P_1mmUCq_rTTvOsBR3CMwvLgzbtcvTqq4AnOMomKMl8o3YbUMsba4aCI_ySt2RT6TXQdw64-ghyphenhyphenBKL7-ZP3QHH1DTOGJwC5ijfHWUIokLRyG89sJDHgU8TToK2Des/s320/IMG_0355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria mentioned Rodin's sculpture of one of his most famous works, <b>The Thinker,</b> wasn't a copy but an original because the sculptor had made a mold from which he made several copies. Only three originals remain: this one, one at Stanford University which we saw years ago when our son was a student, and one in Paris which we'd like to see in Paris in mid-August at the beginning of our next 'big trip.' This one was in front of Congress as the legislators like to consider themselves as thinkers, Maria said with a laugh!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzl1Uij8pZZ0LHLNVMWvTlUn9FLCzxNDXULCrycTXA99cqT0xpi7RIP01MG-BwWtw1RUCUrZZgZ-8blhmLHbeMw5xrvovZK4AwcDz4CfMbrM5DnfXll7f6CWzoD9b4vcc2T_VY7uF8WQ/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzl1Uij8pZZ0LHLNVMWvTlUn9FLCzxNDXULCrycTXA99cqT0xpi7RIP01MG-BwWtw1RUCUrZZgZ-8blhmLHbeMw5xrvovZK4AwcDz4CfMbrM5DnfXll7f6CWzoD9b4vcc2T_VY7uF8WQ/s320/IMG_0358.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The capital's wide boulevards were built to make it like Paris' Champs Elysee. Its <b>Avenida de Mayo</b> was again inspired by Paris with Congress at one end and the Casa Rosada at the other end. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QxIfw3Po2QDWwfFKpEP6uZiueQ7KIN4KFIbDW1a_PxbVzWYheX1ZEgHe9GL0WV_xwGaryPSxIhZcCXNuyysTqLm-ELj3LRnhJY65o98mJxTLXmu0gUsmsUa6ubo9AaUP97Oa0dPrTu4/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QxIfw3Po2QDWwfFKpEP6uZiueQ7KIN4KFIbDW1a_PxbVzWYheX1ZEgHe9GL0WV_xwGaryPSxIhZcCXNuyysTqLm-ELj3LRnhJY65o98mJxTLXmu0gUsmsUa6ubo9AaUP97Oa0dPrTu4/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria pointed out the lighthouse - yup, a lighthouse - atop the <b>Barolo Building!</b> Italian architects designed the building in 1919 as they wanted to bring Dante's ashes to Buenos Aires from Ravenna, Italy, as they anticipated a second world war. The entire building was constructed as a mausoleum for Dante. It was the only edifice completely based on The Divine Comedy where Dante looked for the love of his life in Hell, Purgatory and finally finds her in Heaven. The building was constructed in three parts: Hell was in the basement, Purgatory in the lower floors and Heaven on the upper floors which represented the light of God for Dante. The Barolo Building only has elevators that reach the 13th floor as not everyone "goes to heaven and you have to go through Purgatory first!" Some people say their jobs are hellish, but people working in the converted </span><span style="font-size: large;">office building can actually say they work in Hell!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5801OEZ-igGOrlQwrrN2pvAo5hn8uB-NevNawfsOb49Mn9kmYACgU9Te-yxWl9xEiNHb36OAyARXv8Nj_FMfoKRQSYI6AkGoMVP4jwjQwhVKKCyuL6sC66Y_iPBL8P8YOSVeed-A5JqM/s1600/IMG_0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5801OEZ-igGOrlQwrrN2pvAo5hn8uB-NevNawfsOb49Mn9kmYACgU9Te-yxWl9xEiNHb36OAyARXv8Nj_FMfoKRQSYI6AkGoMVP4jwjQwhVKKCyuL6sC66Y_iPBL8P8YOSVeed-A5JqM/s320/IMG_0365.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When we asked Maria why there were so many cafes in her city, she explained it was because there were so many in Paris, of course! There are 84 'notable cafes' as recognized by the government in Buenos Aires - they were, and remain, a place for the city's intelligentsia to gather.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-a8VmuIa2Q58WnmLBgkAcJHNcU0fo9KNLKA6yuxzoL5ObHXs1vOQh0PhgvA6i7jMhRpf241AMXFHy0oWNeYOfrgqRL74z8YqxAKHRCbNyvk3AsGsQjfe6eFlv7dAEHymj_pO5NwaYlA/s1600/IMG_0371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-a8VmuIa2Q58WnmLBgkAcJHNcU0fo9KNLKA6yuxzoL5ObHXs1vOQh0PhgvA6i7jMhRpf241AMXFHy0oWNeYOfrgqRL74z8YqxAKHRCbNyvk3AsGsQjfe6eFlv7dAEHymj_pO5NwaYlA/s320/IMG_0371.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Across the street, crowds had gathered to attend a Spanish opera at the more than a century-old building.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqeE6ffcU44QG9aJ3OrwzRdp_ZerTne7FYlOV4-kcL3YB1AcoZWfuam_f4_tMacWODqVAlDtjXnGfyslK4d-kp9vr6L4p8txQZIfmyQJoCAouKRMSgc1Ue843V_W0f_Z6yMWIxeurzqg/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqeE6ffcU44QG9aJ3OrwzRdp_ZerTne7FYlOV4-kcL3YB1AcoZWfuam_f4_tMacWODqVAlDtjXnGfyslK4d-kp9vr6L4p8txQZIfmyQJoCAouKRMSgc1Ue843V_W0f_Z6yMWIxeurzqg/s320/IMG_0374.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria reminded us that it was amazing what you saw in Buenos Aires when you looked up. The mermaid did certainly seem out of place!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrGM5Drcap_AezVdSUWeNEZvE3rkOBaEhD3zJRka2D9gSjUPShC-1018J-pTwCaRcEOJY5rIBkd1v48W7YQZCHWfP2nRLhS4DwlnNsBQCMkBLig29n33_6uEiJp5HVSDsmNGn_0B5qc0/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrGM5Drcap_AezVdSUWeNEZvE3rkOBaEhD3zJRka2D9gSjUPShC-1018J-pTwCaRcEOJY5rIBkd1v48W7YQZCHWfP2nRLhS4DwlnNsBQCMkBLig29n33_6uEiJp5HVSDsmNGn_0B5qc0/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It took us several minutes and <b>two</b> traffic lights to cross over <b>Av 9 de Julio,</b> the widest street in the world with its 16 lanes of traffic! In the median was the sculpture we'd seen yesterday but hadn't known what it was. Maria remarked it was <b>Don Quixote</b> and a gift from Spain's queen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxEdV8mEYKWevsHsRjU0G-cIcYWhegPFPyvK2yhP8Ixf1XtWIxh1YyKqxCcNrYCHFIowA4UD0_MxeRcl-IhsZE5OUWOmrxYwvn27RYu3lHp8O_aBzbefkFNQCXjgGBn9_VFRuJk-0wbg/s1600/IMG_0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxEdV8mEYKWevsHsRjU0G-cIcYWhegPFPyvK2yhP8Ixf1XtWIxh1YyKqxCcNrYCHFIowA4UD0_MxeRcl-IhsZE5OUWOmrxYwvn27RYu3lHp8O_aBzbefkFNQCXjgGBn9_VFRuJk-0wbg/s320/IMG_0380.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we were chatting, a busload of very happy, i.e. inebriated, soccer fans, drove by chanting their team's songs! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjIXSo2l9sX5S_PEchqpdMHuoi7Kye341u58JJYOIR3UaueY5Q8AamqLJ-SRJbSjUgDXAIDAae4G4u56y-Mk8fUEC54VzsYK_uUY9FJPfqFDp8hWJ8ffyVuGfptZwBANJapkKzwvB_eg/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjIXSo2l9sX5S_PEchqpdMHuoi7Kye341u58JJYOIR3UaueY5Q8AamqLJ-SRJbSjUgDXAIDAae4G4u56y-Mk8fUEC54VzsYK_uUY9FJPfqFDp8hWJ8ffyVuGfptZwBANJapkKzwvB_eg/s320/IMG_0382.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The opposing team's fans were equally boisterous!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhhoZT21DwIEPcHS-7wIwIrtnjX0kHxV4RtZAHcsPNsQw0_Xyx139KsHS2UGxBNpAA8NCOIIUSaI07hiJBnQoeMUpY3nuGj5RJAf23Z3myzeQj8_A5EaTLRxfik0T_dLAtdgfYR4jiBM/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhhoZT21DwIEPcHS-7wIwIrtnjX0kHxV4RtZAHcsPNsQw0_Xyx139KsHS2UGxBNpAA8NCOIIUSaI07hiJBnQoeMUpY3nuGj5RJAf23Z3myzeQj8_A5EaTLRxfik0T_dLAtdgfYR4jiBM/s320/IMG_0386.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cafe Tortoni,</b> the oldest cafe in the city, was started by a Frenchman whose surname was Italian in 1858. The cafe was frequented by the country's most famous Argentine writers. It appeared to be more of a tourist mecca nowadays with tango shows performed twice nightly.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I5zIgTPEn9lF4T8JszG1_EE0R5FToZn4HDkY8vesrU06ZCi9rFosvTVR1_2w_e81X7pZgB7VOILS0nNf6mGxUUNZVzyK-1xlBseQBIWButC1g-vOAU_D5tsR0LBed6hCWyEfA-ddf78/s1600/IMG_0392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I5zIgTPEn9lF4T8JszG1_EE0R5FToZn4HDkY8vesrU06ZCi9rFosvTVR1_2w_e81X7pZgB7VOILS0nNf6mGxUUNZVzyK-1xlBseQBIWButC1g-vOAU_D5tsR0LBed6hCWyEfA-ddf78/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria recounted the country's worst economic crisis which occurred in December of 2001, when there very high rates of unemployment followed by protests and demonstrations when the government took the people's money from banks to pay off the deficit. That meant people had no money to pay bills, buy food and medicine, etc. Of the 39 people who died in the protests, most were killed on this street on December 12th, 2001. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The President resigned from 'The Big House' aka Casa Rosada and escaped by helicopter as all citizens saw on TV. There were five different presidents in one week, one only for two hours! People eventually only recovered part of their savings as the peso was worth only one-third its value after the crisis.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0IFcgOariVybQGDQewUWe9DNGH9G7ju50S_WeUTPWZOBDCuo3tCXEGCASTLJ6lfzyuAGUOfPpDvWev9bJChwRg-T2qevDERyWNTgs0GkSQsAz0rDZM83iWLTJH2UGrFY12p3YR8ohqs/s1600/IMG_0395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0IFcgOariVybQGDQewUWe9DNGH9G7ju50S_WeUTPWZOBDCuo3tCXEGCASTLJ6lfzyuAGUOfPpDvWev9bJChwRg-T2qevDERyWNTgs0GkSQsAz0rDZM83iWLTJH2UGrFY12p3YR8ohqs/s320/IMG_0395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Atop the famous <b>La Prensa</b> newspaper building was a statue depicting the goddess of wisdom. Maria related that a siren went off at the building in times of great news before the age of Facebook, cellphones, etc. The last time it was heard was when the election of Buenos Aires' own </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio </span></b><span style="font-size: large;">was announced as <b>Pope Francis,</b> the 266th pope, in March of 2013. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B9fzcX_HAU4ubh6OHLONjQHr5K1zjlOW4ToqxI55q4LmhvnKmE6LvGW9nAgpT-zmFtOQ0MJ78uDdCv1vr_Go2h8-dO6_NCi9vkMdk0_UoESA5IK7NHmPe9XKctSR6uH1z4gB17NtqwQ/s1600/IMG_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B9fzcX_HAU4ubh6OHLONjQHr5K1zjlOW4ToqxI55q4LmhvnKmE6LvGW9nAgpT-zmFtOQ0MJ78uDdCv1vr_Go2h8-dO6_NCi9vkMdk0_UoESA5IK7NHmPe9XKctSR6uH1z4gB17NtqwQ/s320/IMG_0398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiawpA_1_vhonrHaIgQYl1luV4Q9MUem24GTT3qvPe_1NPgs7wuh7bW0ReqW2YtzdhuH6sN03WbBG1VzW4RYCi2rGKq5_49AM500W8SqZHWfEf_JguqrqWtl-PMwCLXB02CoQqMnb5ONU/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiawpA_1_vhonrHaIgQYl1luV4Q9MUem24GTT3qvPe_1NPgs7wuh7bW0ReqW2YtzdhuH6sN03WbBG1VzW4RYCi2rGKq5_49AM500W8SqZHWfEf_JguqrqWtl-PMwCLXB02CoQqMnb5ONU/s320/IMG_0397.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria took the tour next to <b>Plaza de Mayo</b> where we'd been the previous day to visit Pope Francis' former Cathedral and earlier when we viewed it from 'Evita's Balcony' in the Pink House. The square, the most important in the city, is known as ground zero for the city's most vehement protests. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHqgthoZp-0wMJpp5H9CP6qQPK39jTWJylGrzwNJV5I9P5i6OtyOG7O4vawEMrNZeVnzHjNBelh7Ojb2PYSexXhn2lgK6j9aO90YM43kTW15XkpQYPX_fD5z7FXIkD5PJRLPP7KAm0sc/s1600/IMG_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHqgthoZp-0wMJpp5H9CP6qQPK39jTWJylGrzwNJV5I9P5i6OtyOG7O4vawEMrNZeVnzHjNBelh7Ojb2PYSexXhn2lgK6j9aO90YM43kTW15XkpQYPX_fD5z7FXIkD5PJRLPP7KAm0sc/s320/IMG_0401.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One side of the square contained the <b>Cabildo,</b> the city hall during colonial times where the richest people congregated to discuss laws, etc. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb0e7MgB4RvCjfqVBgf24cowSevTwm7O4mUwhXQgoVsAt7fBXuMK2HyEilNy_cSqd0A-FlRjfWW0pEvWcKPdo1i5OtUgQQUPFeg5G6kTZd5gFl9kD3tjvCrLTjZjM_9e7Cdcp_OTG6vc/s1600/IMG_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb0e7MgB4RvCjfqVBgf24cowSevTwm7O4mUwhXQgoVsAt7fBXuMK2HyEilNy_cSqd0A-FlRjfWW0pEvWcKPdo1i5OtUgQQUPFeg5G6kTZd5gFl9kD3tjvCrLTjZjM_9e7Cdcp_OTG6vc/s320/IMG_0400.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The building had been wider but had been cut to allow a diagonal street to be made, again to resemble French cities!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10pytJM_Due7A9Cf_bEahSgukHO53xlPI_OrRFRcNYqNUFXBrhKJxTORHBlLa2F1fcERXX21GQvOUQMFho1YjoAKsRhS7pFnbzBC8mhsXD8lCtmAsCcKxQhRX9T2-U9UrKTRbJ1ItER0/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10pytJM_Due7A9Cf_bEahSgukHO53xlPI_OrRFRcNYqNUFXBrhKJxTORHBlLa2F1fcERXX21GQvOUQMFho1YjoAKsRhS7pFnbzBC8mhsXD8lCtmAsCcKxQhRX9T2-U9UrKTRbJ1ItER0/s320/IMG_0403.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another view of the Metropolitan Cathedral which Maria commented was unlike any other because its builders were following the current French religious movement which maintained the Cathedral should look like an ancient Greek or Roman temple. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UFhpy3mbet_TSR2E2dijtGjN7nkfdF_knM2HvnBUhd9KHBG1dyDPw-fOop661h143sCztyumUNmRRZMxPttoTQ5mKmWWFvJN9dfKf-Pbv3WHO08d7cIyvzCf52VYTGgKDJ08DYaYZDE/s1600/IMG_0405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UFhpy3mbet_TSR2E2dijtGjN7nkfdF_knM2HvnBUhd9KHBG1dyDPw-fOop661h143sCztyumUNmRRZMxPttoTQ5mKmWWFvJN9dfKf-Pbv3WHO08d7cIyvzCf52VYTGgKDJ08DYaYZDE/s320/IMG_0405.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The olive tree was planted by then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in 2000. Pope Francis later planted an olive tree in The Vatican.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-io-XmqoLRAiwqSM2fGs-6_-TOITKsSXe6nym_bXBwJkdrEClW0p0eL1rrIWTdOW3xGXFCJZNYvoHZZGeRGhppohRWq-ZbUds2wEQbvmriCV8sUGqwQf0pJOFbyeAsZdvCHJo2BYceA/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-io-XmqoLRAiwqSM2fGs-6_-TOITKsSXe6nym_bXBwJkdrEClW0p0eL1rrIWTdOW3xGXFCJZNYvoHZZGeRGhppohRWq-ZbUds2wEQbvmriCV8sUGqwQf0pJOFbyeAsZdvCHJo2BYceA/s320/IMG_0406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTNaEZnoZO19VFa4ZAtjihvfK8O4Cb1mI6Dq0R0957GLZyGAT1y77IPPaAM6_yRw4QhOFCL24W_4F6i42aWRrzsV74vmHePcGKLGDz2F6uNhcoITGQMRDWue2MYWagS1Q7tqrQCROH8E/s1600/IMG_0408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTNaEZnoZO19VFa4ZAtjihvfK8O4Cb1mI6Dq0R0957GLZyGAT1y77IPPaAM6_yRw4QhOFCL24W_4F6i42aWRrzsV74vmHePcGKLGDz2F6uNhcoITGQMRDWue2MYWagS1Q7tqrQCROH8E/s320/IMG_0408.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the center of the square was the <b>May Pyramid,</b> a white obelisk built to mark the first anniversary of independence from Spain. From 1976-1983 there were six military dictatorships during which time the government attacked its own citizens. 30,000 people went missing during that horrific time when the government's mission was to destroy anything subversive and kidnap anyone whom the government believed was against them. These actions taken against victims called <i>desaparecidos</i> because they simply 'disappeared' or were, </span><span style="font-size: large;">according to the police, not confirmed dead or alive but </span><span style="font-size: large;">just 'missing.' </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAOQQMskfFKeowUmA7f_QH0jIPqZVDOYoggP32zTSuttiSpEV4QBzyeLvK46JsehbT1uXj2AC9iiHldmHZoGHB35mUgA5VfV4sPvO8lobirdlgQ_SVHqoLWE-ES_CvdfEafIk3yDY714/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAOQQMskfFKeowUmA7f_QH0jIPqZVDOYoggP32zTSuttiSpEV4QBzyeLvK46JsehbT1uXj2AC9iiHldmHZoGHB35mUgA5VfV4sPvO8lobirdlgQ_SVHqoLWE-ES_CvdfEafIk3yDY714/s320/IMG_0321.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria was elated to report that, just four days before our walking tour, </span><span style="font-size: large;">pilots were finally sentenced for dropping kidnapped and drugged people into the ocean. One of the most heartbreaking things I could ever imagine seeing would be </span><span style="font-size: large;">the tragic marches of the <b>Madres de la Plaza de Mayo,</b> who to this day march every Thursday afternoon, still looking for their children, the 'desaparecidos' who disappeared under the 1970s dictatorship. The</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">square's ground was decorated with the icons, i.e. the white scarves, of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX0U9svRDQueERc27bdZ2XpTIiFVkLXA3TcxD8ZY1gbWp-uEjiwG6-Xj-Q7hmSTalYTNY-YRp0N49aeV1gLVUQfg4KoKyCrLwAU2FIOMooP5AjTq4u86Cd-kBdEjkS0AVZXiT5_pajhI/s1600/IMG_0413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX0U9svRDQueERc27bdZ2XpTIiFVkLXA3TcxD8ZY1gbWp-uEjiwG6-Xj-Q7hmSTalYTNY-YRp0N49aeV1gLVUQfg4KoKyCrLwAU2FIOMooP5AjTq4u86Cd-kBdEjkS0AVZXiT5_pajhI/s320/IMG_0413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This report from someone who had witnessed the mothers' Thursday march moved me profoundly. I think it will also affect you. "Due to their old age, they only marched around the obelisk for just a couple of rounds, so the marching itself lasted less than 10 minutes. After the marching, the mothers sat down on chairs and one of the mothers held a speech. While she may have looked frail when she was marching, she wasn't frail at all when she was speaking. Since my Spanish isn't that good, I couldn't understand all she was saying, but I could see the passion in her eyes and could hear the strength in her voice."</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqibiZBs9ygN7dTBKW51F8rJRkgnK84mGDvOT5JFtEKmPJegKqI1JQpNANnaC_jhqokMosH5Rfkm2K3jJDSdtf5gkZyI_qTHvrliFHacu0_xJb94txjGExc0zr7dcfTc_z4MhmmxBLjr0/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqibiZBs9ygN7dTBKW51F8rJRkgnK84mGDvOT5JFtEKmPJegKqI1JQpNANnaC_jhqokMosH5Rfkm2K3jJDSdtf5gkZyI_qTHvrliFHacu0_xJb94txjGExc0zr7dcfTc_z4MhmmxBLjr0/s320/IMG_0410.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Maria reported that during the dictatorships, pregnant women were kidnapped and put in detention centers until they gave birth. Their babies were then given to others with new ID. She added that children born between a certain time frame could check to see if they had been stolen as they never knew if their parents were innocent or complicit in the government's plan to steal them. That was what began the grandmothers' movement and why </span><span style="font-size: large;">grandmothers had set up a <b>DNA Bank</b> which has since resulted in 125 grandchildren of missing people being reunited with their families. The hope is that many more will one day still be found. What a profoundly sad chapter in Argentina's history. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj516XeQVwkUuWaWz0wRMT5gx9VJvgCD7EBcKt_YgtP-zau1-wNA8c07aGbMBHKhDdD1XIFcywSHk-1jJZNBxrvvaInmS3A5II1z7yxHcBv1phWTwpGpOI4Ozy-XF7a4rfSguZZaaR_FdY/s1600/IMG_0411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj516XeQVwkUuWaWz0wRMT5gx9VJvgCD7EBcKt_YgtP-zau1-wNA8c07aGbMBHKhDdD1XIFcywSHk-1jJZNBxrvvaInmS3A5II1z7yxHcBv1phWTwpGpOI4Ozy-XF7a4rfSguZZaaR_FdY/s320/IMG_0411.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> A train and then a boat trip to Tigre.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 8th, 2018, from a sunny Littleton, Colorado. </i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-10842143550245745592018-05-06T19:56:00.001-06:002018-08-11T17:01:35.451-06:0012/2 & 3: Buenos Aires: Obelisk, Evita's Murals, Pope Francis' Cathedral & the Women's Bridge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Leaving Santiago, a city we had grown to love over our several stops there, I remember thinking how bizarre it felt listening to British musician <b>Adele's</b> music full blast at the airport. I love her music but it was the last thing I expected there and then! </span><span style="font-size: large;">We had read that</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Buenos Aires, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina's capital,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was described as "a rough-hewn mix of Paris' architecture, Rome's traffic and Madrid's late-night hours, all spiked with Latin American flavor." </span><span style="font-size: large;">With such a description, we were excited to be there</span><span style="font-size: large;"> for the next four days.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD-LLXbAL_2csWPzqvYKxggm1SunkmuagCfxeoeNySduhsYsMxmC5yzTm7NksC1JYaPReWf_dlxEQ6QsWKLWf_PJoe2BGP5zo-aA6D39D4GfRmu1HtQc6xydaPdZs0wwCvXw4qljPCdQ/s1600/2017-12-02+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD-LLXbAL_2csWPzqvYKxggm1SunkmuagCfxeoeNySduhsYsMxmC5yzTm7NksC1JYaPReWf_dlxEQ6QsWKLWf_PJoe2BGP5zo-aA6D39D4GfRmu1HtQc6xydaPdZs0wwCvXw4qljPCdQ/s320/2017-12-02+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNuXqQD4lcJLJXHY4hEt1xY1Bycl2_eJ6Xb7qUuuDKoDsQHFW7reAyz709gRQ7bg8NHVxDzU3jb0cpibWIY-8BZyUdPKCkY7zav-4mXxtbcj1ZFXR95STFy5XbMdgxP80Ksmg_ZsmZo/s1600/2017-12-02+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNuXqQD4lcJLJXHY4hEt1xY1Bycl2_eJ6Xb7qUuuDKoDsQHFW7reAyz709gRQ7bg8NHVxDzU3jb0cpibWIY-8BZyUdPKCkY7zav-4mXxtbcj1ZFXR95STFy5XbMdgxP80Ksmg_ZsmZo/s320/2017-12-02+003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our hotel was smack dab downtown just across a lovely park from the impressive</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Teatro Colón </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">that could seat 2,500 spectators and provide standing room for another 500 spectators. We had hoped to buy tickets for a tour the next day but it was closed so we vowed to return as our travel guide considered it one of the top three</span><span style="font-size: large;"> opera houses and performing arts venues in the world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjciASa5dLokOeTY7kXa59rKyGPDJ0BjJ4HkVfvSIIb6bOdv9cDdDtzSk7Mleu_QXSUIB5UJQhwXbLXkhvtf4M_NePtSZioBZHtMzTke9W7nXA6vi_PYLYWl-GkaR7L0hgyG0CrjAzHkA/s1600/2017-12-02+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjciASa5dLokOeTY7kXa59rKyGPDJ0BjJ4HkVfvSIIb6bOdv9cDdDtzSk7Mleu_QXSUIB5UJQhwXbLXkhvtf4M_NePtSZioBZHtMzTke9W7nXA6vi_PYLYWl-GkaR7L0hgyG0CrjAzHkA/s320/2017-12-02+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKv_ThTM2Xon51pPVjEAXna1ePQifTKPMOzTeEfx7rIwH3YL9dqGEKuKWt79cdGWy85bpgD_-y0KlbYfBJSuWmghL6WD4TGC5PWhvOPxlevW8ZMyvO7KUpYCec_Yj55nq_JDTfu1Oe64/s1600/2017-12-02+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKv_ThTM2Xon51pPVjEAXna1ePQifTKPMOzTeEfx7rIwH3YL9dqGEKuKWt79cdGWy85bpgD_-y0KlbYfBJSuWmghL6WD4TGC5PWhvOPxlevW8ZMyvO7KUpYCec_Yj55nq_JDTfu1Oe64/s320/2017-12-02+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was fun watching guys popping wheeelies and doing all sorts of other bike tricks in the plaza by the Colon Theater.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_NopkfowONfj8dSRrGai2qs77MOWSvi61Oq1XraPIi1E3k7TsT_-gAYwiQxqItbflcHApEElL142KWrerlxIbSZDjUC8tLXPLY4tsYpgOFDrTyMHArQcBvSKujD5XsAHzdkP2-UFJSg/s1600/2017-12-02+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_NopkfowONfj8dSRrGai2qs77MOWSvi61Oq1XraPIi1E3k7TsT_-gAYwiQxqItbflcHApEElL142KWrerlxIbSZDjUC8tLXPLY4tsYpgOFDrTyMHArQcBvSKujD5XsAHzdkP2-UFJSg/s320/2017-12-02+068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHFU_bH0q3rAImVFR-19g4eL7N9NNOSivMnu4zGJgQnPYvsIEcF_0d83XO5bhFPkKILP4wcZPxpJd0g6eeU9PI0x9sr8_d3C-nHk7PESoyxmHTlNpODWkhlC1iMr0GPVJRZSHdAd1mOA/s1600/2017-12-02+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHFU_bH0q3rAImVFR-19g4eL7N9NNOSivMnu4zGJgQnPYvsIEcF_0d83XO5bhFPkKILP4wcZPxpJd0g6eeU9PI0x9sr8_d3C-nHk7PESoyxmHTlNpODWkhlC1iMr0GPVJRZSHdAd1mOA/s320/2017-12-02+076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few blocks away on the widest boulevard in the world, was the city's unmistakable landmark, the <b>Obelisco,</b> which soared 67m above the Plaza Republica. It was dedicated in 1936 on the 400th anniversary of the city's first Spanish settlement. I read that following major soccer victories, boisterous fans circle the Obelisk in jubilant, honking celebration! </span><span style="font-size: large;">We found out the next day from our walking tour guide that the Obelisk was used for important celebrations because it was a 'party place.' On World AIDS Day on December 1st, 2001, a red condom covered the Obelisk. It was great publicity as it was talked about for months!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvHxqXIzsFDD2f6mLxzATNTlh1nNtMxewc232ctsG0fhPhOF-N_eFXw4ZaIZwvBi591MQZ22jY2eMp7042cTBDj6Z9EnTwMmfL15UMRv7C1cMXgS0AY22I7H0E5ppDRCqtem0ug8g2aw/s1600/2017-12-02+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvHxqXIzsFDD2f6mLxzATNTlh1nNtMxewc232ctsG0fhPhOF-N_eFXw4ZaIZwvBi591MQZ22jY2eMp7042cTBDj6Z9EnTwMmfL15UMRv7C1cMXgS0AY22I7H0E5ppDRCqtem0ug8g2aw/s320/2017-12-02+026.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The unusual statue in the median was of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Commandante General Andres Guacurari y Artigas </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">who played a pivotal role in Argentina's liberation from Spain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA93nEHjVgSOoQDus97tAmqP20SBhcfpxz-k9UBWH_IAcScP5ERwXQ0iODjBVtRV6YJyxl8lHJxirbcO8sRDps7M1DBxnOKK5I-Bz1Z9hiobam07Q15EEMLbp9nqeFSX8ki6zwcW8Yj0/s1600/2017-12-02+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA93nEHjVgSOoQDus97tAmqP20SBhcfpxz-k9UBWH_IAcScP5ERwXQ0iODjBVtRV6YJyxl8lHJxirbcO8sRDps7M1DBxnOKK5I-Bz1Z9hiobam07Q15EEMLbp9nqeFSX8ki6zwcW8Yj0/s320/2017-12-02+027.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was sad seeing what could have been beautiful statues and fountains along the massive median desecrated with graffiti, litter and water less fountains. We were left in my mind with a pervasive sense of filth and ugliness instead of beauty, charm and pride on behalf of the citizens. Perhaps the dreary day contributed to our initial discontent with Buenos Aires?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD71hxVpmiuJBuM0KpKiT2hJR3SgySzA4raThcx9kouzptImVxma-EA2kU5rV4u2vQnna_a8kkGwJRekxzZ7KLUcRsro3rB23II1KrVSxUA2ddqVL9-3L8TXR23qMLHXUTgau5ZvulleY/s1600/2017-12-02+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD71hxVpmiuJBuM0KpKiT2hJR3SgySzA4raThcx9kouzptImVxma-EA2kU5rV4u2vQnna_a8kkGwJRekxzZ7KLUcRsro3rB23II1KrVSxUA2ddqVL9-3L8TXR23qMLHXUTgau5ZvulleY/s320/2017-12-02+031.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhTG3XwgAL5iNdsGYGub5Uuk3nD-Es03qwduW_9lBtFIMHnTQ2yWqH79OKYrntNZpWRdXYDfof0ZMQDMTvUfJfiuhF9GJAhvJG-wiUFNUaWVvY7hLq4-JkM3ZY2TeFNt_SBE2adMWPKE/s1600/2017-12-02+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhTG3XwgAL5iNdsGYGub5Uuk3nD-Es03qwduW_9lBtFIMHnTQ2yWqH79OKYrntNZpWRdXYDfof0ZMQDMTvUfJfiuhF9GJAhvJG-wiUFNUaWVvY7hLq4-JkM3ZY2TeFNt_SBE2adMWPKE/s320/2017-12-02+033.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From another angle, the statue looked gorgeous, especially framed by the same purple flowers that we had also seen blooming by the Theater.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYejos2D8wVPO9ag6YrJ86blRdiFeqZ4lnLJ4a-YJuIMx7LYMpxHGCzUpdKxfmrKuPWrjEdJelTFvYamfOOmfNE-ImRfRNOmVGmqfKhkH6kp1MWZkwc7K-SIuv1SUVpVnpKRBlG1KToys/s1600/2017-12-02+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYejos2D8wVPO9ag6YrJ86blRdiFeqZ4lnLJ4a-YJuIMx7LYMpxHGCzUpdKxfmrKuPWrjEdJelTFvYamfOOmfNE-ImRfRNOmVGmqfKhkH6kp1MWZkwc7K-SIuv1SUVpVnpKRBlG1KToys/s320/2017-12-02+037.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The huge mural of <b>Evita</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Perón </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">on the <b>Ministry of Health & Social Development</b> building caught our attention. She's still seen as a very controversial figure in the country as half the people love her and the other half, of course, hate her according to </span><span style="font-size: large;">our walking tour guide the next day</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Please excuse me for jumping ahead a bit. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The guide told us that <b>Eva (Evita) Duarte</b> met <b>Juan Perón</b> when he was the Secretary of Labor in the military government and she had arrived in the capital at just 15 to be an actor. After becoming his second wife, she was seen as a very public figure and was the first person many lower class citizens could identify with because of her poor upbringing. Her Eva </span><span style="font-size: large;">Perón</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Foundation built schools and hospitals which brought her closer to a certain strata of society. She was, however, hated by the upper class elites who considered her as an intruder and didn't feel she belonged as the country's First Lady.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This north-facing mural of </span><span style="font-size: large;">Evita </span><span style="font-size: large;">Perón</span><span style="font-size: large;"> depicted her giving a combative speech to the country's elite. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEwtHHisMXoIBmGOoI_HrRWc8tL22nNDmXZ9LYxgmnyFq0Z5LPvet8ktVnnEhiYqSs_35ZUroq9-EIVJ7jRQxq7vUyFOlzNhipNsl4TNxnmdqkXd-mK-j5rII1tPwWVherZrjrz6AUkM/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEwtHHisMXoIBmGOoI_HrRWc8tL22nNDmXZ9LYxgmnyFq0Z5LPvet8ktVnnEhiYqSs_35ZUroq9-EIVJ7jRQxq7vUyFOlzNhipNsl4TNxnmdqkXd-mK-j5rII1tPwWVherZrjrz6AUkM/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The mural on the south side depicted her smiling face as she faced the poorer people who lived in that part of Buenos Aires. There'll be more on the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Peróns</span><span style="font-size: large;"> in the next post as I describe our tour of their <b>Casa Rosada</b> or Pink House.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtw1oLHJqD2ySBtQt5emHM-EYkU_rq4nOc0b8WbCXTb1QijAFth_naAErPLpySCuG2fRaIRqSSbAdH_vxbD_50B3axMRg9DzEzwUyoUeJSPy13Uazsi-XWPaUCM0DTuWQG85RF_MOHG8/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtw1oLHJqD2ySBtQt5emHM-EYkU_rq4nOc0b8WbCXTb1QijAFth_naAErPLpySCuG2fRaIRqSSbAdH_vxbD_50B3axMRg9DzEzwUyoUeJSPy13Uazsi-XWPaUCM0DTuWQG85RF_MOHG8/s320/IMG_0331.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though we'd only been in the city for a couple of hours, we had already noticed Buenos Aires had a much larger collection of monuments and statues than most cities! This marble and granite monument was to <b>Julio Argentino Roca,</b> an army general who served as President of Argentina for two terms in the late 19th century. It was difficult for me to appreciate why he was honored as, while in the army, he applied ruthless measures to subdue or destroy some Indian communities.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcnZlPHQ8JJ6BPXj2aEh9SKlM9SGx-KtS3ZD9rVtVSl1fhh4Z0f6Ou7Bk7f058nzM71-Y7rQk_zeepPgha7_dO2yXLoH8cGXOvY-_Dbqafh6ZoI2y24RIFQgvpiPwL_MwECt4fBEE4EM/s1600/2017-12-02+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcnZlPHQ8JJ6BPXj2aEh9SKlM9SGx-KtS3ZD9rVtVSl1fhh4Z0f6Ou7Bk7f058nzM71-Y7rQk_zeepPgha7_dO2yXLoH8cGXOvY-_Dbqafh6ZoI2y24RIFQgvpiPwL_MwECt4fBEE4EM/s320/2017-12-02+042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most cathedrals we'd seen in Latin America were the European style buildings with tall bell towers and stained glass windows. </span><span style="font-size: large;">When we reached the <b>Metropolitan Cathedral,</b> the </span><span style="font-size: large;">very unusual</span><span style="font-size: large;"> exterior looked more like a Greek temple, though its 12 columns represented the 12 apostles. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I had wanted to visit the Cathedral especially as it was the </span><span style="font-size: large;">home to the then <b>Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio,</b> currently Pope</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Francis. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOrECQDB5QSozrZZNqdDKxMiOyWC6No-lCF__jrdaBId4u-v6gYA2L4Q5hzqgQaXi40ueLaW2a_3x7Atibevrb5ir3guGN__7ks3GkatygYtZZgl6zNjEytjUu8ifKkXyQH0GEwKKp_Q/s1600/2017-12-02+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOrECQDB5QSozrZZNqdDKxMiOyWC6No-lCF__jrdaBId4u-v6gYA2L4Q5hzqgQaXi40ueLaW2a_3x7Atibevrb5ir3guGN__7ks3GkatygYtZZgl6zNjEytjUu8ifKkXyQH0GEwKKp_Q/s320/2017-12-02+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I did not initially think much of it when I looked from the outside as the barricades were covered in graffiti and revelers were inches from the entrance. We arrived just as the 6 pm Mass was ending; what a difference it was from the previous Sunday when we had gone to the local church on Easter Island and heard hymns sung in the Rapa Nui language!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaZFUltGVB0Vj1cQ7jzKFwIkq8RHVkowZIwxa-tnOjKZnHxaINTDyzFS9rg1vxz8gmRXCputfJxKB3oScnqXSugFJ2CDU9wJl1uMw_FmuCQ-Apg4mnthI35heOJmNcXt66yROIu7SnDc/s1600/2017-12-02+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaZFUltGVB0Vj1cQ7jzKFwIkq8RHVkowZIwxa-tnOjKZnHxaINTDyzFS9rg1vxz8gmRXCputfJxKB3oScnqXSugFJ2CDU9wJl1uMw_FmuCQ-Apg4mnthI35heOJmNcXt66yROIu7SnDc/s320/2017-12-02+048.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It </span><span style="font-size: large;">was built on the site of the original colonial church and not finished until 1827. The </span><span style="font-size: large;">inside of the cathedral was astounding </span><span style="font-size: large;">with exquisitely painted ceilings and upper walls, stained glass windows and a massive main altar.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkPsd7Yx6lC82GUbtSKDRSIyXMsejNFmwI3vNQV535KW9_MPH8YB6WjCjhixfysGjbZP0e2Eqa61m1cwizKwl4QPVwFnXRK5bWoHh-boccAJ-Pzt2-WTe80Y4q8CHIiEKW2Bcuegw1Dg/s1600/2017-12-02+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkPsd7Yx6lC82GUbtSKDRSIyXMsejNFmwI3vNQV535KW9_MPH8YB6WjCjhixfysGjbZP0e2Eqa61m1cwizKwl4QPVwFnXRK5bWoHh-boccAJ-Pzt2-WTe80Y4q8CHIiEKW2Bcuegw1Dg/s320/2017-12-02+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScF9QDMto9_ZNHmXqQdQ1FVW5k_Xl9dvehczvW-T0XYAUEdtNkfkhHwN7DOULm-idGfW-sMVnU8talcTbN0B3CWP2QurSLNpKg0MbaTFWPLnrWYhhZygXDcaon-xpvn9GTuG3E6kJ8yc/s1600/2017-12-02+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScF9QDMto9_ZNHmXqQdQ1FVW5k_Xl9dvehczvW-T0XYAUEdtNkfkhHwN7DOULm-idGfW-sMVnU8talcTbN0B3CWP2QurSLNpKg0MbaTFWPLnrWYhhZygXDcaon-xpvn9GTuG3E6kJ8yc/s320/2017-12-02+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDBprMPglADaagRjLwMfGqne_Ip_SOMOQQ9XAwxBfWa2ojleXylL1FIe-3eFvxc6bKWHMUkiIIwtuWDfTmHEU7mj3_JIskYYsXKn2PAkOr3Bg6y8zu_gGEbO9oxcqLGbsJqDPi-LNoc/s1600/2017-12-02+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDBprMPglADaagRjLwMfGqne_Ip_SOMOQQ9XAwxBfWa2ojleXylL1FIe-3eFvxc6bKWHMUkiIIwtuWDfTmHEU7mj3_JIskYYsXKn2PAkOr3Bg6y8zu_gGEbO9oxcqLGbsJqDPi-LNoc/s320/2017-12-02+060.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There were numerous small alcoves dedicated to various saints.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAu0EX5oFKZDAjT1vhGdZC5_1zN4bV4sIRStaXqhi4XFWKA77OGBJr3dS7sD4PSFyOg9JVnbFoEc2SZG9ra486xKPtOOsTdStWteWr9sI3KGa3esDImv9gbztri7yVIm1unxU-U8_410/s1600/2017-12-02+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAu0EX5oFKZDAjT1vhGdZC5_1zN4bV4sIRStaXqhi4XFWKA77OGBJr3dS7sD4PSFyOg9JVnbFoEc2SZG9ra486xKPtOOsTdStWteWr9sI3KGa3esDImv9gbztri7yVIm1unxU-U8_410/s320/2017-12-02+052.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMaedSO8yEfopvBgY54T3cZBOOmgqFVIP0CRpObR6xhpwu6JS7itFrOQW9X2x_O6KYC3zSUxBDcTscQs0QsEanArUQXH5-ja6okA_-Uwha682xYl7kU5sbMCMlIiDlt5wTyYgqZAelDg/s1600/2017-12-02+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMaedSO8yEfopvBgY54T3cZBOOmgqFVIP0CRpObR6xhpwu6JS7itFrOQW9X2x_O6KYC3zSUxBDcTscQs0QsEanArUQXH5-ja6okA_-Uwha682xYl7kU5sbMCMlIiDlt5wTyYgqZAelDg/s320/2017-12-02+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisROO9ufHxsSb3iuAtKA282vJbtsDXSzdTBXHBOy5VRJpATleCpdU___1rGKrUCIcl066zzTVLxI8i1SoB-RzDy9E8oB23Z7jXaWBqPt_4T6IDVD-Q_EQUw9tjslIA4J-nowc1F08cVlQ/s1600/2017-12-02+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisROO9ufHxsSb3iuAtKA282vJbtsDXSzdTBXHBOy5VRJpATleCpdU___1rGKrUCIcl066zzTVLxI8i1SoB-RzDy9E8oB23Z7jXaWBqPt_4T6IDVD-Q_EQUw9tjslIA4J-nowc1F08cVlQ/s320/2017-12-02+055.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Blessed Sacrament Chapel:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOpUZjMaRGfqGQw6udLIm75g-w6i7PL5PZ5foEDHs11PuiSLHDY_sZTLpSuQ-GuGHaJvWFDykn1ChUswRPbzSEZZKaLoJv5FffM3ub0G2ZwVnTgsBfCod27JSks67AVrkwtWMk50Uaf8/s1600/2017-12-02+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOpUZjMaRGfqGQw6udLIm75g-w6i7PL5PZ5foEDHs11PuiSLHDY_sZTLpSuQ-GuGHaJvWFDykn1ChUswRPbzSEZZKaLoJv5FffM3ub0G2ZwVnTgsBfCod27JSks67AVrkwtWMk50Uaf8/s320/2017-12-02+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was so peaceful just sitting for a while and taking in the details.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWuHOb22bjT_d1F4Pf6t9d3lqd17RFuvZE_6Jx6Y6ICPjVgQDM8tC1ekxqy76R0NnWqlp8jQjpoBw0shB_zPVJxjDPuiGh-WHD1iAeJPnEblHaeOo6wRYHMnw9iyleNky7oS8WH1ehu8/s1600/2017-12-02+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWuHOb22bjT_d1F4Pf6t9d3lqd17RFuvZE_6Jx6Y6ICPjVgQDM8tC1ekxqy76R0NnWqlp8jQjpoBw0shB_zPVJxjDPuiGh-WHD1iAeJPnEblHaeOo6wRYHMnw9iyleNky7oS8WH1ehu8/s320/2017-12-02+063.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnehQB83XJLZ4b9bi0nxMTA56yslcGLcU-aJwvf8IZi_tTP_9UdR6vdRATC6av9mhzYrx6EVDGoxMV25YVwnn5MsvQro4OpKtze_zEFmzI3RAkjD8Je9lLOuC66GQBKEj06ZPU-Pgf-c/s1600/2017-12-02+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnehQB83XJLZ4b9bi0nxMTA56yslcGLcU-aJwvf8IZi_tTP_9UdR6vdRATC6av9mhzYrx6EVDGoxMV25YVwnn5MsvQro4OpKtze_zEFmzI3RAkjD8Je9lLOuC66GQBKEj06ZPU-Pgf-c/s320/2017-12-02+064.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scenes from 12/3:</b> Throughout the downtown core were a lot of what I would have sworn were upholstered seats and ottomans. Steven insisted they had to be stone seats and, of course, he was right! They were strange but a novel way to encourage people to rest when needed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9m_AQNWh9svaD9XzzUhrsIbJX1IEHBhWhurlR7uk7fE85N5xp1D6-_-Jc3aCOjK3Z2vG2pasZEGKtif3ghWLwp9mpSt6oa-Lu5-4piL6VxQR3oeVqJPUtdpGip7fHmpBuIgbVUjlv3s/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9m_AQNWh9svaD9XzzUhrsIbJX1IEHBhWhurlR7uk7fE85N5xp1D6-_-Jc3aCOjK3Z2vG2pasZEGKtif3ghWLwp9mpSt6oa-Lu5-4piL6VxQR3oeVqJPUtdpGip7fHmpBuIgbVUjlv3s/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The next morning we walked east toward <b>Puerto Madero,</b> the city's revamped and very upscale dockside area. We needed to buy tickets there for the water bus that would take us in a few days over to <b>Colonia del Sacramento</b> just across the bay in nearby Uruguay. We discovered once at the <b>Buquebus</b> office, though, the tickets would be $50 less online than at the office so that was a bit of a bust! </span><span style="font-size: large;">The cobbled walkways, though, along the </span><span style="font-size: large;">waterfront looked like</span><span style="font-size: large;"> a great area for a stroll. Since it was the weekend, there were plenty of people out walking and running and others out enjoying a coffee and a bite to eat at the many cafes on the water. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I had read though, that if we chose to eat outside, there would be people coming to our table asking for money and even asking for the food we had left on our plates. That was enough to convince us not to want to stop.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEKW2E8lAkPSROZOfjtUlz9NggDpdJ9fuUCX66P41ZVEZVVBXA4_5-Lt3qvlZb96QFGiGCoaaNqGA5he7_n1UwzY3LI7QwXebd1aGAYjFtOFDl2lSC_uvcPZwgnTF-1VJkP9gfWBzf4k/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEKW2E8lAkPSROZOfjtUlz9NggDpdJ9fuUCX66P41ZVEZVVBXA4_5-Lt3qvlZb96QFGiGCoaaNqGA5he7_n1UwzY3LI7QwXebd1aGAYjFtOFDl2lSC_uvcPZwgnTF-1VJkP9gfWBzf4k/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The water of the <b>Rio Plata</b> was thankfully free of trash and the modern yachts provided a lovely backdrop, with old sailing ships providing a sense of history. The old cranes also gave an indication of the work which took place here in the past. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b15rGp6ERi8SMusuJIOe5hfELN0l-xeSZoB_oXMXPfARvLY82_LvyBaoCIXayo9BOD8wz7xx9YABQHjvBsL5ndNcUe0krvOtyv3XFmkZXhWOQjkJlv9VVwhWprGgBzTa_p1pfw_AFBE/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b15rGp6ERi8SMusuJIOe5hfELN0l-xeSZoB_oXMXPfARvLY82_LvyBaoCIXayo9BOD8wz7xx9YABQHjvBsL5ndNcUe0krvOtyv3XFmkZXhWOQjkJlv9VVwhWprGgBzTa_p1pfw_AFBE/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Presidente Sarmiento </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">was a museum ship originally built as a training ship for the Argentine Navy in 1897 and named after the country's seventh President. The frigate </span><span style="font-size: large;">went to the Antarctic and other voyages around the world and is considered the last intact training ship from the 1890s. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxbUwiu95Ysog7vTLV_RZZHO004aBnUtBBwT-vCfPvwAtTLelgeB3-288fO9G0R-iH6AZePkz_PRSzS01zHoSVQ6hFX2P9Mu-o1zTkHpbRhmrnUXGfj4rvN7KEWe6CXeQokirplMLzy0/s1600/IMG_0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxbUwiu95Ysog7vTLV_RZZHO004aBnUtBBwT-vCfPvwAtTLelgeB3-288fO9G0R-iH6AZePkz_PRSzS01zHoSVQ6hFX2P9Mu-o1zTkHpbRhmrnUXGfj4rvN7KEWe6CXeQokirplMLzy0/s320/IMG_0189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMp2L_aS6MVbXmpc8aEVSMyJpfeGLl_f1ayST86p0iOOOtWFX7sMWH_If8DD2zPs1bCgTSsF1ePS5jWhI-wZfNsFZiWGHJhZ3iASdzFj-DdEyemce_QXcxxhrKfi14bT-sDvYP0P3VggU/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMp2L_aS6MVbXmpc8aEVSMyJpfeGLl_f1ayST86p0iOOOtWFX7sMWH_If8DD2zPs1bCgTSsF1ePS5jWhI-wZfNsFZiWGHJhZ3iASdzFj-DdEyemce_QXcxxhrKfi14bT-sDvYP0P3VggU/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTIN9igYt2GepKEXtBUVOmS73wumZx3OuXGv3IEkEVlTvQPipN0cIVlNW7II3eRN9DDD5f4k3NfZk6T6bydWSNbYtZjetBQyCMPJIRM8QjWxSvyXOIUhCMM_ZJqPc2lwgphoHRvgskpg/s1600/IMG_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTIN9igYt2GepKEXtBUVOmS73wumZx3OuXGv3IEkEVlTvQPipN0cIVlNW7II3eRN9DDD5f4k3NfZk6T6bydWSNbYtZjetBQyCMPJIRM8QjWxSvyXOIUhCMM_ZJqPc2lwgphoHRvgskpg/s320/IMG_0164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For some, the Puerto Madero neighborhood was a controversial place as some people believe it's new and sterile and therefore like any other city's neighborhood that's new and vibrant. Others point out that there was a population of working class people there that were relocated so the waterfront could be reclaimed and developed. I could understand both points of view but I must admit to enjoying such a pretty area as opposed to the grime, graffiti and trash of the downtown we'd seen the day before.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6L-c0lOU8gzn6L6T25xvB6vjkh47t_jN6Rs7oFXiQK0gQSRi1XLugCOnTkbCzjuFa_BN5RMofu1Oz-SLjbQ2RYYwIwSPGtB_2AZ6xBSkCIUyJQ6i-gl8DT6TstzWSA9DvMTrThZO7O4/s1600/IMG_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6L-c0lOU8gzn6L6T25xvB6vjkh47t_jN6Rs7oFXiQK0gQSRi1XLugCOnTkbCzjuFa_BN5RMofu1Oz-SLjbQ2RYYwIwSPGtB_2AZ6xBSkCIUyJQ6i-gl8DT6TstzWSA9DvMTrThZO7O4/s320/IMG_0167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the distance was the <b>Puente de la Mujer</b> or Women's Bridge that was unveiled in 2001. Though it resembled a fishhook or possibly a harp, it was supposed to represent a couple dancing the tango!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8okXdte9PP7dZI9HhE4vfl1Bs2kAhlL6CJkLeRY6Vod1XVFme-i-FwwmEbMXgxg0OfIw9qHjRpm5_rtCAU0L1GzgQeVBMOkma_vyKAenqLbB_QTvIJDmQhSDyaPCvn_7OU14aQPjdhHs/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8okXdte9PP7dZI9HhE4vfl1Bs2kAhlL6CJkLeRY6Vod1XVFme-i-FwwmEbMXgxg0OfIw9qHjRpm5_rtCAU0L1GzgQeVBMOkma_vyKAenqLbB_QTvIJDmQhSDyaPCvn_7OU14aQPjdhHs/s320/IMG_0174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The bird of paradise flower:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKuNmtpP-Zd8tbRbxuophAb5RWtS93qZ1zKNqAhpXuT3AntK-i_cBfz9CB6EA-QYQrloB_xEL3TXwUsEVxfpf2OTIp4nudoZxSVT_dVDnHNTjt17qI29O3sOnCU2liNEeJbd7xEWCRwY/s1600/IMG_0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKuNmtpP-Zd8tbRbxuophAb5RWtS93qZ1zKNqAhpXuT3AntK-i_cBfz9CB6EA-QYQrloB_xEL3TXwUsEVxfpf2OTIp4nudoZxSVT_dVDnHNTjt17qI29O3sOnCU2liNEeJbd7xEWCRwY/s320/IMG_0175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxTWwU2QY9U6wfB58UwmmNNGOKKozRXY_DSV1iH6v5FoTXKvwjrNzQymNqa961jz7Mjy8-wNhIbVlWk8A-4jAxfzsXacdqhP8iqvJdEyktUG4LdH-mohwlUkfiRcnzG8Rb10_aujGAs4/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxTWwU2QY9U6wfB58UwmmNNGOKKozRXY_DSV1iH6v5FoTXKvwjrNzQymNqa961jz7Mjy8-wNhIbVlWk8A-4jAxfzsXacdqhP8iqvJdEyktUG4LdH-mohwlUkfiRcnzG8Rb10_aujGAs4/s320/IMG_0176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Before we reached the unusual bridge, we stopped for a few minutes in the <b>Queen of Holland Plaza</b> but I was at a loss to understand The Netherlands' connection to Buenos Aires.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFFCxxycfUUEQZqLEAJEqixO0tGm1rCGuxoO73r3JBsP36vgd67b9XpCk0rdpIKdo3phSCZ8P-pkixcZ9BSaajIo0o9y4kWE8olmIecah62ARoxMT4ERcJfvqtV4hofjaojiwPK42-0E/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFFCxxycfUUEQZqLEAJEqixO0tGm1rCGuxoO73r3JBsP36vgd67b9XpCk0rdpIKdo3phSCZ8P-pkixcZ9BSaajIo0o9y4kWE8olmIecah62ARoxMT4ERcJfvqtV4hofjaojiwPK42-0E/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We didn't know until about a week ago that we'll be in Amsterdam at the tail end of our four-month plus trip this fall and will be visiting Anne Frank's house in mid-December! I hate to think how long it will take me before I write <b>that</b> post!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yZrcqYlGx-vWVa4LsNXTFykNU-ZTatvos_rVytf4BL9kdsAIymWa8wc9UjYCHxSoMNQQGYGon36tAysphMo2junxDeNe4YCMCH8u84X9qbbDqlzNrZnM3vDELU7C4p9Ifmw1C_4wygY/s1600/IMG_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yZrcqYlGx-vWVa4LsNXTFykNU-ZTatvos_rVytf4BL9kdsAIymWa8wc9UjYCHxSoMNQQGYGon36tAysphMo2junxDeNe4YCMCH8u84X9qbbDqlzNrZnM3vDELU7C4p9Ifmw1C_4wygY/s320/IMG_0181.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The bridge gave Puerto Madero a beautiful modern contrast to its brick industrial buildings which had recently been re-purposed to house restaurants, shops and lofts. Ironically the Women's Bridge most visible part - the huge arm - was actually male tango dancers!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5Kne2ecrg-myoKAv_fC6PLkH4dR_R3Hy6y_f4Fn7bCaS9OCTJDHNZ7ZZ7ds9-3zJlcBYqHZCs6uj2_ZJt87y6DSMX4uUmgcQwwlxqSfLLRmZJWtiu5W0lVy9cnR0nn85iFy3yYaghoc/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5Kne2ecrg-myoKAv_fC6PLkH4dR_R3Hy6y_f4Fn7bCaS9OCTJDHNZ7ZZ7ds9-3zJlcBYqHZCs6uj2_ZJt87y6DSMX4uUmgcQwwlxqSfLLRmZJWtiu5W0lVy9cnR0nn85iFy3yYaghoc/s320/IMG_0186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We crossed back over to the city side of the river so we could stroll through the city's famous <b>San Telmo Barrio</b> or neighborhood as it was known as one of the city's most attractive and historically rich barrios.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DBq9aCR5jn413O3biXdbpNDL-73K8Vobi0jCpXI2SSVi0j_XegYrp9xwzkA60P0_8ORKBPGX9xvLd0Pi5T4ZbRe-M_qmoLfOxxIaK1Ba4yHrdNA2R0QWl-J0jS4PuF1AxU87mjW2STs/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DBq9aCR5jn413O3biXdbpNDL-73K8Vobi0jCpXI2SSVi0j_XegYrp9xwzkA60P0_8ORKBPGX9xvLd0Pi5T4ZbRe-M_qmoLfOxxIaK1Ba4yHrdNA2R0QWl-J0jS4PuF1AxU87mjW2STs/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SrgMdEXHJ3eTCbfVJQzc2FQmG3BzHmyC1fmz0Hvj7W1cJjhZO5ED8zfwr4j8jInUDe9OI56XRR9XLvYQ1NnWVSgZu9IOHlH5uhvzyEB38uP6vcPvpllk1CfZ3HpBEBdhhiWiHtzU-Qc/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SrgMdEXHJ3eTCbfVJQzc2FQmG3BzHmyC1fmz0Hvj7W1cJjhZO5ED8zfwr4j8jInUDe9OI56XRR9XLvYQ1NnWVSgZu9IOHlH5uhvzyEB38uP6vcPvpllk1CfZ3HpBEBdhhiWiHtzU-Qc/s320/IMG_0193.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The barrio's <b>Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and Convent of Santo Domingo</b> played an important role when British troops, at war with Spain, invaded the city in 1806. British forces advanced up the narrow <b>Defensa Street</b> but an impromptu militia drove the British back to their ships after some had sought refuge in the church's east tower. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmU8E5tZXaPZxKeU7T7jdNHs5vTarhd4sh-Z955ct8Bmwyy5sDt9ANXsV2Q-ioRouY84UYIzDyhM-qMZECsjz49lZDgG9oIGh3PjHkggJsAiD70D2VkWK6HbAc_1o6dJP0WTbv4B_xl3g/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmU8E5tZXaPZxKeU7T7jdNHs5vTarhd4sh-Z955ct8Bmwyy5sDt9ANXsV2Q-ioRouY84UYIzDyhM-qMZECsjz49lZDgG9oIGh3PjHkggJsAiD70D2VkWK6HbAc_1o6dJP0WTbv4B_xl3g/s320/IMG_0194.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, the church was in disrepair with peeling paint and nets to catch falling debris.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdZdBAiOMBcedG0uSN-8GN51rAAdj2BrRQOSr_81oSdEtCqOFqITW17NIwg2u7To-n6-9gO5d28HMZCwUPXz0HP9U9zWgfiUcnxLZy7-7JNY2Jp-7p4pEX2dLexa_4x7AsA7tHHT74bk/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdZdBAiOMBcedG0uSN-8GN51rAAdj2BrRQOSr_81oSdEtCqOFqITW17NIwg2u7To-n6-9gO5d28HMZCwUPXz0HP9U9zWgfiUcnxLZy7-7JNY2Jp-7p4pEX2dLexa_4x7AsA7tHHT74bk/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we were curious to check out the street's famous Sunday market and fair, we and hundreds of others strolled along Defensa for at least twenty blocks until having to retrace our steps as we had reserved tickets for a tour of the Pink House at 12:30.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwzEj-IF40lKpdxbsvw563ttOwdFe7WieNNUyc2oOr89R5gXcoP4v8y2GhVEVEOXgNd5N98HtbRopn1lEU9IQxRNkrgKWri4PEnZCStZxODv8-6LKs_Uuw87gR3tc7APjdKqm5OVxhZY/s1600/IMG_0198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwzEj-IF40lKpdxbsvw563ttOwdFe7WieNNUyc2oOr89R5gXcoP4v8y2GhVEVEOXgNd5N98HtbRopn1lEU9IQxRNkrgKWri4PEnZCStZxODv8-6LKs_Uuw87gR3tc7APjdKqm5OVxhZY/s320/IMG_0198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf3XLoWTLD4wBfdXy1ezyovp3W_LUorszZw1veJeVEG0HkUqpEUruAzpOkC9SM9jHxPkqpdsz_H0CIz_GQzyOPw6075gzechh3jalAsX6gC0zLuBOIJnFwh6OOBq4XSII7hRWUG8bo1A/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf3XLoWTLD4wBfdXy1ezyovp3W_LUorszZw1veJeVEG0HkUqpEUruAzpOkC9SM9jHxPkqpdsz_H0CIz_GQzyOPw6075gzechh3jalAsX6gC0zLuBOIJnFwh6OOBq4XSII7hRWUG8bo1A/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWehL5FnjxEtXHAwvvjznNWD0VMnpkmelEaFAtWSXBffFaARbozKbTmME24K6zD2uMsrh8BqMNsNB6cZODkug8kxOt91fCFyMSS9BKGyr2KrUfpO6vcejCLuCx6sn1xpemUsW7sT3gSVA/s1600/IMG_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWehL5FnjxEtXHAwvvjznNWD0VMnpkmelEaFAtWSXBffFaARbozKbTmME24K6zD2uMsrh8BqMNsNB6cZODkug8kxOt91fCFyMSS9BKGyr2KrUfpO6vcejCLuCx6sn1xpemUsW7sT3gSVA/s320/IMG_0201.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We both love street fairs but we couldn't do this one justice as we had meandered along the waterfront for too long. The rain that had been threatening all morning finally began in earnest so we were relieved we had an inside activity planned soon!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmChPOGZycoaCOazN0X09Ig2hJHDE2wV5x9ZhvNvFv0eL7EJ6-RZHa_HC0dbukDuHwUPaVHREutEsLaPY0ReqP4JF64r1IOxd-CrcPG2ue3H8PcgzL85WkBqhdKSG6fI__nfZv5_DyErI/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmChPOGZycoaCOazN0X09Ig2hJHDE2wV5x9ZhvNvFv0eL7EJ6-RZHa_HC0dbukDuHwUPaVHREutEsLaPY0ReqP4JF64r1IOxd-CrcPG2ue3H8PcgzL85WkBqhdKSG6fI__nfZv5_DyErI/s320/IMG_0204.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> More on the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Peróns and the city's troubled past.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 6th, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado. </i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-39523962064479943042018-05-04T20:26:00.000-06:002018-05-05T14:52:10.428-06:0012/1: Santiago, Chile: First-Class Pre-Colombian Art & Pre-Egyptian Mummification!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was our third and last stop in Chile's capital of Santiago after trips away to Easter Island and </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso. Before leaving the next day for Argentina, we wanted to see a couple of more sights. The first was the block-long <b>Biblioteca Nacional</b> or <b>National Library</b> which was founded in 1813, had one of the oldest and most extensive collections in South America.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIiWGIZsV3ZPkyZj9zjCe7n-_tSgLR-q8KSodvUlEkZ4hNpClW4rRNg7cJJit35ENPH8xSZHpmO-hTIz0aA7UT6ZrYGF78qm_JVzhmogZNlWzF0dXtrWDYAHIOe_fQW2LmusInGZMdwY/s1600/2017-12-01+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIiWGIZsV3ZPkyZj9zjCe7n-_tSgLR-q8KSodvUlEkZ4hNpClW4rRNg7cJJit35ENPH8xSZHpmO-hTIz0aA7UT6ZrYGF78qm_JVzhmogZNlWzF0dXtrWDYAHIOe_fQW2LmusInGZMdwY/s320/2017-12-01+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wish my shot of the stained glass were a lot better but I hope at least you get a sense of its beauty.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULyv2Y4hr7hQRLzGFIxJHkHkaqpSMYqhyYWk1mr2UyPfAFuYCk_XlEg3_rObv3sF5_XKtpCYp6zthE8DYkINEZFRMzJZtZd9ydQfi4Decuf2iWozWhld4OAkQHKGb73mFyvihuQ1uG2g/s1600/2017-12-01+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULyv2Y4hr7hQRLzGFIxJHkHkaqpSMYqhyYWk1mr2UyPfAFuYCk_XlEg3_rObv3sF5_XKtpCYp6zthE8DYkINEZFRMzJZtZd9ydQfi4Decuf2iWozWhld4OAkQHKGb73mFyvihuQ1uG2g/s320/2017-12-01+006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the lobby was an interesting and colorful photo exhibit called <b>Desert Dancers</b> which we viewed before exploring the library. The dancers perform at one of the most important religious festivals in northern Chile.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmwAAZUZaL07bcVK6alo81hML6imOSa1yeqLow4BqIkiPUSLR9EUgXUDTquJi_UJaXhRgt9A4_zRQTFf_51y6uvC4IGi4DIx8JCyU8AU_U_MfOtotYpDoB21S9sNupGvtnSNBfxC8rkE/s1600/2017-12-01+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmwAAZUZaL07bcVK6alo81hML6imOSa1yeqLow4BqIkiPUSLR9EUgXUDTquJi_UJaXhRgt9A4_zRQTFf_51y6uvC4IGi4DIx8JCyU8AU_U_MfOtotYpDoB21S9sNupGvtnSNBfxC8rkE/s320/2017-12-01+015.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-E-nwt5WlnlcEPj6OhxNsqOa5oqQIAsw0Su5LLHT7CQxsL_fvKw0xRKvS2YxESDebun0PZNWv2et-SRWLjXSuj02qRDmklc_5EPJ4k-BC0K24MdOpT6R8XKiC-tMyQpVe1JLogPaqr4/s1600/2017-12-01+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-E-nwt5WlnlcEPj6OhxNsqOa5oqQIAsw0Su5LLHT7CQxsL_fvKw0xRKvS2YxESDebun0PZNWv2et-SRWLjXSuj02qRDmklc_5EPJ4k-BC0K24MdOpT6R8XKiC-tMyQpVe1JLogPaqr4/s320/2017-12-01+016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnE3LzZeqw_lD4Ewh1O3DmOiK00AsJbzg32T41zjHOj9zKQQJOVU3cRmw4LPvH4bckE1RRBvM09a8uYeT_rFPFKEWEyDPbu5pz4wQhyYmXAZvjnGFaKFs_TNMpZkcYWG36vaJUrahU2Q/s1600/2017-12-01+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnE3LzZeqw_lD4Ewh1O3DmOiK00AsJbzg32T41zjHOj9zKQQJOVU3cRmw4LPvH4bckE1RRBvM09a8uYeT_rFPFKEWEyDPbu5pz4wQhyYmXAZvjnGFaKFs_TNMpZkcYWG36vaJUrahU2Q/s320/2017-12-01+017.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most important collections of early Latin American print work was in the exquisite second-floor <b>Sala José Toribio Merino </b>named, strangely enough in my opinion, after one of leaders of the 1973 coup. The three levels of books in the room were accessible by curved wood balconies and lit by massive chandeliers.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSFyMdnZtpYLcFO0ohOqZE7UE35uCBcNLjYohOVmnv7-y0ARdD7clvBVt98vwYg9YNOfd1fUh0xKR3jyasgixtdtKub6xClZnOzMr8b01BXTfE_Rq6nGDBqN2xwZxmWKro39Wn-5x8k0/s1600/2017-12-01+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSFyMdnZtpYLcFO0ohOqZE7UE35uCBcNLjYohOVmnv7-y0ARdD7clvBVt98vwYg9YNOfd1fUh0xKR3jyasgixtdtKub6xClZnOzMr8b01BXTfE_Rq6nGDBqN2xwZxmWKro39Wn-5x8k0/s320/2017-12-01+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CmJbqWTvm_x9AQ19rLgNdahqpmeR7Fx0_OqllxiE7NdGmc6iMwxjxezWuO_wdqhj6cEdj0yokzL5DuNqZgyEb79VEdzvTIP1ljIORz7m0xSp2mcQOpnATI0hjKJ0XUmlnlhEle2k98I/s1600/2017-12-01+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CmJbqWTvm_x9AQ19rLgNdahqpmeR7Fx0_OqllxiE7NdGmc6iMwxjxezWuO_wdqhj6cEdj0yokzL5DuNqZgyEb79VEdzvTIP1ljIORz7m0xSp2mcQOpnATI0hjKJ0XUmlnlhEle2k98I/s320/2017-12-01+021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRKK1aOXaaL12QpXjGtRg4zvJDql-SLoA8-X5l0ndFbAvBmbAmRn4v2GXUn9RevRC43lzRCCEOoimfakvpDsvM643a-4-LZE91TQsdhatZuUnMAnlhZc_K1-06nSVP2z2oIuaD9o15F4/s1600/2017-12-01+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRKK1aOXaaL12QpXjGtRg4zvJDql-SLoA8-X5l0ndFbAvBmbAmRn4v2GXUn9RevRC43lzRCCEOoimfakvpDsvM643a-4-LZE91TQsdhatZuUnMAnlhZc_K1-06nSVP2z2oIuaD9o15F4/s320/2017-12-01+024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd8hLl0TdDNW7UhmoyKPF0m_nMhNN8j-sqmCBsayW6_oQDYGdGqdYFawqnepiz-jcc6syauDgfcrv58k4thOqtBs14Xv2p9TVc23HQqhfCu5CT7U6js6PMxESXIvG0d2fxD64bhyphenhyphenX4kQ/s1600/2017-12-01+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd8hLl0TdDNW7UhmoyKPF0m_nMhNN8j-sqmCBsayW6_oQDYGdGqdYFawqnepiz-jcc6syauDgfcrv58k4thOqtBs14Xv2p9TVc23HQqhfCu5CT7U6js6PMxESXIvG0d2fxD64bhyphenhyphenX4kQ/s320/2017-12-01+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After leaving the gorgeous library, it was hysterical listening to and watching this puppet perform <b>James Brown's</b> 'I Feel Good' song!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprCzI6bvXq33-DfJOnqnMkN1YdKK53uZUDtbH-F5s8CllkjsuyocSNEx0apYu76KwWswWas2Ox_AOf-kIahFtdvd5bj-jXWJbCCGFNPab5eIFBZDfmPUCybR70WqQdIpjK6z8lLgvSMM/s1600/2017-12-01+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprCzI6bvXq33-DfJOnqnMkN1YdKK53uZUDtbH-F5s8CllkjsuyocSNEx0apYu76KwWswWas2Ox_AOf-kIahFtdvd5bj-jXWJbCCGFNPab5eIFBZDfmPUCybR70WqQdIpjK6z8lLgvSMM/s320/2017-12-01+030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The puppet show was the perfect comic relief before visiting the <b>Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino</b> that our Santiago walking tour guide had advised us to visit ten days earlier. The museum was housed in the stunning <b>Palacio de la Real Aduana,</b> which was constructed between 1805 and 1807 as the colonial <b>Royal Customs House.</b> The museum honored the Pre-Columbian era before the appearance of European influences on the American continents. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b2gLgsOcYncLnO6D-kNPUJzsFBfKd7g4AouyVX8Cgav_LJhA-7Muaujex3U4lkDZFrlhJTgjBHEgpKEb7Yvok-nbp2osBcud_6JCz0bZifNsyjTGJPqH3FZKQppyq9EbjP48FQ5WVIw/s1600/2017-12-01+177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b2gLgsOcYncLnO6D-kNPUJzsFBfKd7g4AouyVX8Cgav_LJhA-7Muaujex3U4lkDZFrlhJTgjBHEgpKEb7Yvok-nbp2osBcud_6JCz0bZifNsyjTGJPqH3FZKQppyq9EbjP48FQ5WVIw/s320/2017-12-01+177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I read that the holes along the upper edge of this mask may have been used to insert feathers or some kind of ornament in its symbolic role accompanying the dead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CVMVDedtkC7gPLN5a7r2weRNDimyTRn_tyWbiH3Zws-40Xi_joX7nQ_kQUI7kGWaEYnwIGXRvc8EL2FCAq7PB6Ayb0qBf1B5Tfy1dJ1X9PRDAnufEuTPEyU17mVbRovKHUi8rVq_fzs/s1600/2017-12-01+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CVMVDedtkC7gPLN5a7r2weRNDimyTRn_tyWbiH3Zws-40Xi_joX7nQ_kQUI7kGWaEYnwIGXRvc8EL2FCAq7PB6Ayb0qBf1B5Tfy1dJ1X9PRDAnufEuTPEyU17mVbRovKHUi8rVq_fzs/s320/2017-12-01+037.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Music, warfare and hunting were closely related in the belief system of many American cultures. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Although the climate made clothing as protection unnecessary on the Ecuadorean coast, ornamentation such as body painting and cranial deformation were important means of transmitting messages of power and social or ethnic affiliation.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YS9SuxvsuWxXFdBpqrcHM64OeqGdg246zAuvaUgLOio1X1QSk_NDz9mhEFho3uSY-bqBwtausWYeHwi0V36zabZ-9KkwrGaD_7S5Ed9Jhak0orsIvD5hJtvapjnfrsSAGuFV9v2Li5M/s1600/2017-12-01+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YS9SuxvsuWxXFdBpqrcHM64OeqGdg246zAuvaUgLOio1X1QSk_NDz9mhEFho3uSY-bqBwtausWYeHwi0V36zabZ-9KkwrGaD_7S5Ed9Jhak0orsIvD5hJtvapjnfrsSAGuFV9v2Li5M/s320/2017-12-01+042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, these Pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations flourished and established urban settlements and even some complex societal hierarchies. These include notable civilizations such as Aztec, Maya, Inca Toltec, and Olmec to name a few. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoF-FLl5cL8n89YyMo1JUlrqvqVC7lvpCu5sZlEZqUzrB7wuqcowVjGTYr3Nbs6natXBzCrL4XZZbm1zHUCJylnvo0re9PtRCOsl8lO3z169PNO9UZnQZGMF9LQn80Bv7a245N_Ockho/s1600/2017-12-01+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoF-FLl5cL8n89YyMo1JUlrqvqVC7lvpCu5sZlEZqUzrB7wuqcowVjGTYr3Nbs6natXBzCrL4XZZbm1zHUCJylnvo0re9PtRCOsl8lO3z169PNO9UZnQZGMF9LQn80Bv7a245N_Ockho/s320/2017-12-01+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anthropomorphic</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> sculpture from 1-500 AD:</b> One of the continent's biggest ceremonial centers was in present-day Colombia's southern sierra. Although neither monumental temples nor pyramids were built there, the presence of large stone sculptures, some with supernatural features and others like this one, were impressive.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AqoMcjh_38PakHI8sNStF6q2AT4TGX-zD1DB4bO_qYwvZjP6AaZi_szyaZ3pc8cGySEzjJ1oS6FWf58lFYKIG-qJYmJJ8ucqi6n4aAeEejN0eM1PWU2J_jJxjWzyHSP-C3LftGItTzk/s1600/2017-12-01+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AqoMcjh_38PakHI8sNStF6q2AT4TGX-zD1DB4bO_qYwvZjP6AaZi_szyaZ3pc8cGySEzjJ1oS6FWf58lFYKIG-qJYmJJ8ucqi6n4aAeEejN0eM1PWU2J_jJxjWzyHSP-C3LftGItTzk/s320/2017-12-01+047.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bronze bells</b> like this one, dated from 1200-1470 AD, played a huge role in the music of societies in NW Argentina. Their powerful sound, accompanied by many other instruments, probably helped participants in rites and ceremonies to reach the trance to the divine.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPfxSWrYJApg5HXiG6QIduhVqB-rGeqO8lqf30bx0pJqTVp5xteyLOGIDPTGmOgW7aRu5vNeFDazWU0h2A35JIn3MoqWOL2UkNd2TKOydD4_icMWAQ5r0ExQ50ixKF6SOLJobAb8XT5U/s1600/2017-12-01+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPfxSWrYJApg5HXiG6QIduhVqB-rGeqO8lqf30bx0pJqTVp5xteyLOGIDPTGmOgW7aRu5vNeFDazWU0h2A35JIn3MoqWOL2UkNd2TKOydD4_icMWAQ5r0ExQ50ixKF6SOLJobAb8XT5U/s320/2017-12-01+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Important people were buried with elaborate furnishings that included ceramic and metal pieces. This mask was placed on the face of a dead person in the Sican culture from 700-1100 AD.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZov_7I7k4iX8kzFidjQ5LIZ76B9nd5hVSoqHf4DnvPCHlQv6E2cwNBnS5SqTy5__UrsaeaNgXrOxnH71YWGR6CElwRqDczukuPnFPT9a_38qRG_Kee1qHEvQX-ScQCIgsDzs7hyphenhyphentJv8/s1600/2017-12-01+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZov_7I7k4iX8kzFidjQ5LIZ76B9nd5hVSoqHf4DnvPCHlQv6E2cwNBnS5SqTy5__UrsaeaNgXrOxnH71YWGR6CElwRqDczukuPnFPT9a_38qRG_Kee1qHEvQX-ScQCIgsDzs7hyphenhyphentJv8/s320/2017-12-01+052.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P</span><span style="font-size: large;">regnant women were often represented in P</span><span style="font-size: large;">re-Colombian art</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and also in the very act of giving birth. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcylbyJfhIFdkb-2wu9Dz4O5cCPR2V0ZFiSRadwJHvf6qIXf5Hi7UPq2rkt6QdiP6FgkjztAJN4KPdBiyfTTNRr0r_P1i-fApm67zpBhRhmwUrmv8TPJrbNTHzRiRmWi-zryuKrWBrH0/s1600/2017-12-01+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcylbyJfhIFdkb-2wu9Dz4O5cCPR2V0ZFiSRadwJHvf6qIXf5Hi7UPq2rkt6QdiP6FgkjztAJN4KPdBiyfTTNRr0r_P1i-fApm67zpBhRhmwUrmv8TPJrbNTHzRiRmWi-zryuKrWBrH0/s320/2017-12-01+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The plaque said this clay representation of a smiling face may have depicted a person under the effects of an intoxicating beverage or hallucinogen. Why couldn't it have just shown a happy person?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf3rwC3VB42QVq23N1iMejSAwIG_d0tPKwSDAq4C3yJySQ6xJ1bYRrWIP5K5F4aKXEB_A2y8HS7DgTJOoik3G7VVWl7qStrj5nN1TwRwAHt9pzjD5rqJ35z0iEQ9qegj54agrfEFe_pg/s1600/2017-12-01+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf3rwC3VB42QVq23N1iMejSAwIG_d0tPKwSDAq4C3yJySQ6xJ1bYRrWIP5K5F4aKXEB_A2y8HS7DgTJOoik3G7VVWl7qStrj5nN1TwRwAHt9pzjD5rqJ35z0iEQ9qegj54agrfEFe_pg/s320/2017-12-01+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This large stelae, originally located in one of the main plazas in the southern lowlands of Yucatan in Mexico, commemorated a military victory of the city's ruler. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The triumphant figure was grasping a shield decorated with the image of one of the war patrons, the <b>Jaguar God of the Underworld.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhFipaTANPCkoOosu6Cgz46ksFiaB8K1Us67F_b3ykQXl1b_331DCYbRIyKem_T8Re5oOM07hTySi0hWWr2a8fPYmY2MQ98tJCyaXY6G7pjHdpK8xoIByIAGgXGRatjY10AhcJfB9Jak/s1600/2017-12-01+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhFipaTANPCkoOosu6Cgz46ksFiaB8K1Us67F_b3ykQXl1b_331DCYbRIyKem_T8Re5oOM07hTySi0hWWr2a8fPYmY2MQ98tJCyaXY6G7pjHdpK8xoIByIAGgXGRatjY10AhcJfB9Jak/s320/2017-12-01+061.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was intrigued to learn that 7,000 years ago, a group of simple fishermen from the coast of <b>Arica,</b> Chile, developed a surprising funerary technology. They preserved their dead using a complex surgical procedure in which the body's soft parts were replaced with branches, plants and mud. This artificial mummification of the Chinchorro culture was 2,000 years older than the Egyptian technique!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9nRbToFSy5qm5RBvpgBfhvRI0BS8UGsoz3QMa9o7cl8P88TVdyPBpuJF9WgOKjXQGPH-PW5cWvJ14_8Hd2L-BsvwqkJV5gy6YV4Jz_i_2FaponbMH_enKhv5XFCTd8qEtg0BreKCBAE/s1600/2017-12-01+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9nRbToFSy5qm5RBvpgBfhvRI0BS8UGsoz3QMa9o7cl8P88TVdyPBpuJF9WgOKjXQGPH-PW5cWvJ14_8Hd2L-BsvwqkJV5gy6YV4Jz_i_2FaponbMH_enKhv5XFCTd8qEtg0BreKCBAE/s320/2017-12-01+072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Unlike the Egyptian method which was reserved only for the highest dignitaries, this procedure was applied to people of any age, sex, or social status. This form of preserving the body suggested a very special journey to the other life and it could have been one of the ways to involve the dead in the ceremonies of the living. The extremely well-presented exhibition demonstrated how parts of South American society was so </span><span style="font-size: large;">advanced</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">prior to the ancient Egyptians. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLRlPUKtQD00WFEakxpr8Pwe6BYzqMqP7wsY0DDlto8CWq-LpIWF3drTULBy_mgkhdbKDxHcErbi-rxil4aAIdNAsl_1K0Td3daG8pNyyH1UmD7hXcb-TFnzdLA-_HJC-at-b2J3rsQs/s1600/2017-12-01+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLRlPUKtQD00WFEakxpr8Pwe6BYzqMqP7wsY0DDlto8CWq-LpIWF3drTULBy_mgkhdbKDxHcErbi-rxil4aAIdNAsl_1K0Td3daG8pNyyH1UmD7hXcb-TFnzdLA-_HJC-at-b2J3rsQs/s320/2017-12-01+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Stone sculptures portraying human heads with big eyes were a common feature of several societies in the Andean highlands. Some, set into the walls of public and ceremonial buildings, probably represented deities or warriors.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcmd3Ezmpe2kotPUTqOQXMN3KPW6oud84132VCfNmsTNn89qx-qvM-dQ-CqP3bxLq_ii6zxQ4dEBYH_I-9t3TBGizfXRYpd3KK_hS3AD4etl09QOtdmYRz8qSyOhDGCNMdz6NX9cAlgM/s1600/2017-12-01+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcmd3Ezmpe2kotPUTqOQXMN3KPW6oud84132VCfNmsTNn89qx-qvM-dQ-CqP3bxLq_ii6zxQ4dEBYH_I-9t3TBGizfXRYpd3KK_hS3AD4etl09QOtdmYRz8qSyOhDGCNMdz6NX9cAlgM/s320/2017-12-01+083.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The cultures of northern Peru were known for its extraordinary ceramics and sophisticated metallurgy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4pm3yEghuyYs4r5mBt6vrkJyOgvsJRYvrvQcLYF-WGX3-DYTFIW7pETYt5B0zgMbeWNsiL5mZ5iVBSFHdrk_-mGbMFzueUDHhJFPFkTCUEyzGXfhn88LaxsxST2WzXEj5vTRNaICwJY/s1600/2017-12-01+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4pm3yEghuyYs4r5mBt6vrkJyOgvsJRYvrvQcLYF-WGX3-DYTFIW7pETYt5B0zgMbeWNsiL5mZ5iVBSFHdrk_-mGbMFzueUDHhJFPFkTCUEyzGXfhn88LaxsxST2WzXEj5vTRNaICwJY/s320/2017-12-01+086.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcmyA23OaSfLCeL2itIsvjoR-U4p2dAXN3rMQQqYnWBALt2k5PMsHNl1Tt2_kEXQk1fdLS48LJDzg1jvbqDRHNgp50GUSItQ95q_TihFqzlm5sa0KySjBgNXtbHzcfdgSfsu0F2SCLaE/s1600/2017-12-01+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcmyA23OaSfLCeL2itIsvjoR-U4p2dAXN3rMQQqYnWBALt2k5PMsHNl1Tt2_kEXQk1fdLS48LJDzg1jvbqDRHNgp50GUSItQ95q_TihFqzlm5sa0KySjBgNXtbHzcfdgSfsu0F2SCLaE/s320/2017-12-01+087.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-LAGgwyossX8HRtRvWIfRv6RiZHxKqkKwovnroaczHuSRptBsrvWKtzAW4KDeQ1tm2wZ4S5L54iCcR4X_eE2Vjoirp3cdEVg4t8ofRnahfQAiBfLE8SxDCDPlezCN33OYw2XHww0V1Q/s1600/2017-12-01+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-LAGgwyossX8HRtRvWIfRv6RiZHxKqkKwovnroaczHuSRptBsrvWKtzAW4KDeQ1tm2wZ4S5L54iCcR4X_eE2Vjoirp3cdEVg4t8ofRnahfQAiBfLE8SxDCDPlezCN33OYw2XHww0V1Q/s320/2017-12-01+088.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Gold and silver metallurgy in the Andean area began 3,000 years ago, and objects of this material were used in association with political power, social status and beliefs. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Although the distribution of these artifacts was limited to lords, the value of the precious metals wasn't intrinsic, since most of them weren't solid but rather gold or silver plated using different techniques. Their value lay in their appearance, their color and their reflected shine.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypCd585cXsBSRF49G2vtUA5h2GoQYhMnZo3XrYyDcSQgF2JagDtjHc3sZvSnYspfHmk8QJLDDhbpzYNJUwB9wtcPjJX64WXw0JdAlZmEeX5RQ6jSvsatR5oPAb6MMNj3freN-Mvfbe1c/s1600/2017-12-01+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypCd585cXsBSRF49G2vtUA5h2GoQYhMnZo3XrYyDcSQgF2JagDtjHc3sZvSnYspfHmk8QJLDDhbpzYNJUwB9wtcPjJX64WXw0JdAlZmEeX5RQ6jSvsatR5oPAb6MMNj3freN-Mvfbe1c/s320/2017-12-01+090.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEvD-EZ3UGtF_4cwPW99hOJJNP4RE6y3qjxajJxtkcHPKsvoyCgU6GVnf0evrj87pKHGyvpIjxtSQyiM1ivOEnrtOSzzTw8Qjjx4BncSfpCcO0E5d-IOIJNVaYQd_5yu_YZ_seL75Vko/s1600/2017-12-01+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEvD-EZ3UGtF_4cwPW99hOJJNP4RE6y3qjxajJxtkcHPKsvoyCgU6GVnf0evrj87pKHGyvpIjxtSQyiM1ivOEnrtOSzzTw8Qjjx4BncSfpCcO0E5d-IOIJNVaYQd_5yu_YZ_seL75Vko/s320/2017-12-01+091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIR8AWm0PiScbDXoBd3602FzQ5wDgZRzbkE9jguNzbHU3UXmPD9lRUl3II-9dnXgfAqc0djV0S2FJC3oM4JtUPrESqsNBuxe24sUiT2wmHubpshJmdkmb9NsdPanNEKwfoQQ8efRoVtQ/s1600/2017-12-01+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIR8AWm0PiScbDXoBd3602FzQ5wDgZRzbkE9jguNzbHU3UXmPD9lRUl3II-9dnXgfAqc0djV0S2FJC3oM4JtUPrESqsNBuxe24sUiT2wmHubpshJmdkmb9NsdPanNEKwfoQQ8efRoVtQ/s320/2017-12-01+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A frequently portrayed deity in Maya iconography was <b>Kin Ahau,</b> the 'Sun Lord.' </span><span style="font-size: large;">According to native beliefs, the sun, like life itself, went through a cycle that changed from daytime to nighttime. During the night, the sun had to travel through the land of the dead and overcome the dangerous gods of death that ruled over it. During the journey in the underground world, the sun changed into a jaguar or a person with feline ears, big eyes and a T-shaped incisor.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs1ha6iYvzVPo_svVpc7X6KPS_WjdLfk6ECLsMWpcC_l3Lh8_PCcnKkZEABBm5GoO_NrzMnGzMgNSSXqMgoILQ-t6EHNYF-9N3DWQcAx2ivGGzk70_NyfKZBC2WDxgjrcOOxpcd9ePc0/s1600/2017-12-01+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs1ha6iYvzVPo_svVpc7X6KPS_WjdLfk6ECLsMWpcC_l3Lh8_PCcnKkZEABBm5GoO_NrzMnGzMgNSSXqMgoILQ-t6EHNYF-9N3DWQcAx2ivGGzk70_NyfKZBC2WDxgjrcOOxpcd9ePc0/s320/2017-12-01+096.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdntZ95NSBZXffYa0EMKXQDhMUlT_vFEVaRIvVlscOkWalv-6tyIVPB_Y0Bqf670DhJqXy0QjPRHDXHYXSIJDfj0yOe4yKQ_kqkygJu1G6xB1SiyS82ILDtP-jPD4haNZocwQmvXgTN8/s1600/2017-12-01+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdntZ95NSBZXffYa0EMKXQDhMUlT_vFEVaRIvVlscOkWalv-6tyIVPB_Y0Bqf670DhJqXy0QjPRHDXHYXSIJDfj0yOe4yKQ_kqkygJu1G6xB1SiyS82ILDtP-jPD4haNZocwQmvXgTN8/s320/2017-12-01+098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Aztecs used masks during public ceremonies, religious festivals and even during battles. The masks were objects of privilege </span><span style="font-size: large;">and were used as offerings to deities. Many masks have been found associated with the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Olmec Culture </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">which flourished in the Gulf of Mexico around 1000 BC.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy36nye17h6xIRrI8Wj7lian4O7Oabmyz-F-HongaQV-PqH9ixv-Vtu9fm7Rg0uHlhlEHvSbEd6EdtcxDdXD9yXooO8zyUFA5N5aLCPODc-W2TyVLrBWG284Pv6kMexRczpDPOMyRSXs/s1600/2017-12-01+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy36nye17h6xIRrI8Wj7lian4O7Oabmyz-F-HongaQV-PqH9ixv-Vtu9fm7Rg0uHlhlEHvSbEd6EdtcxDdXD9yXooO8zyUFA5N5aLCPODc-W2TyVLrBWG284Pv6kMexRczpDPOMyRSXs/s320/2017-12-01+100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIslcvLHgT44dQ7Z5e1Y2EOokEsetxKivJpcmRnugdl-IsToVKlr2d4UEJsqUMvxvaaQBHZFue4ZYXuxqBquiNTJwqtgvB1nseXnjmL-gg3QpWG7rEXWS_TvRMZN3v0dFBemYJcmv698/s1600/2017-12-01+167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIslcvLHgT44dQ7Z5e1Y2EOokEsetxKivJpcmRnugdl-IsToVKlr2d4UEJsqUMvxvaaQBHZFue4ZYXuxqBquiNTJwqtgvB1nseXnjmL-gg3QpWG7rEXWS_TvRMZN3v0dFBemYJcmv698/s320/2017-12-01+167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The agricultural communities along Mexico's west coast developed a very characteristic type of art which involved the production of ceramic figures. They mainly represented human beings and animals that were laid in the tombs next to the people with the highest social rank. T</span><span style="font-size: large;">he figures represented important characters in the ideology of these peoples, such as dwarfs and hunchbacks who </span><span style="font-size: large;">had special powers, dogs that accompanied the dead on their journey and protective warriors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqfJx04YEKk6J_Nr_hLl73jWWQXudisCJg7_IfiVz98DoeoN_jCIB4V97ot70ko_AR38zB4R6rEZhUG1RP8NHEM007HVtPZ2-sin9F865zOcd6f5fuMnlScHqg-R5YpwHGW3XytSjR2U/s1600/2017-12-01+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqfJx04YEKk6J_Nr_hLl73jWWQXudisCJg7_IfiVz98DoeoN_jCIB4V97ot70ko_AR38zB4R6rEZhUG1RP8NHEM007HVtPZ2-sin9F865zOcd6f5fuMnlScHqg-R5YpwHGW3XytSjR2U/s320/2017-12-01+105.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtMaTvR7qqG8GMUy7TbyLbLdGSqkG9mlGf3bPtAV_H2_B9z45WmW27zUcsAohKBx-hmKFCIx_lZmSlLjUVkWTCBFUSQDY3HtaL6W-OjowhVSO1ES_gDR9wPb4WUt4SVpQfooWSWpdgi0/s1600/2017-12-01+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtMaTvR7qqG8GMUy7TbyLbLdGSqkG9mlGf3bPtAV_H2_B9z45WmW27zUcsAohKBx-hmKFCIx_lZmSlLjUVkWTCBFUSQDY3HtaL6W-OjowhVSO1ES_gDR9wPb4WUt4SVpQfooWSWpdgi0/s320/2017-12-01+106.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE785oAbgE7dPpHZ6bOzEYxQloVbpYiTK_5b1LVwZCIDBoOSbEgLJje9ZzL2KeNQYImjEZHVDF_m9JOJFJwTL13LGSbDJtRn2rZ21aVod42s-FO4RP12lwtP-IwceqyeORNbD2S0x60I/s1600/2017-12-01+107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE785oAbgE7dPpHZ6bOzEYxQloVbpYiTK_5b1LVwZCIDBoOSbEgLJje9ZzL2KeNQYImjEZHVDF_m9JOJFJwTL13LGSbDJtRn2rZ21aVod42s-FO4RP12lwtP-IwceqyeORNbD2S0x60I/s320/2017-12-01+107.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ceramic <b>Pedestal Censer</b> from 600-900 AD: In their rites, the Maya used ornately decorated censers in which incense or tree resin was burned. Sometimes these works of art were used as offerings during the construction of important buildings, where they were interred into the walls. This one displayed lifelike portraits of important Mayan figures and nobles.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_iGvA_HXnUkShtT3rWaBMfLpFC2DVUX5NmptqyR-Lycbg0qsHPp2m40uQPM65zMgc8Sj7McySieIsWJ6Pc3uCtbvB2DYtTZtFT22IMwa9saDsHSbLpNmrY0c6_J7RslHX8LoM6Qvsvg/s1600/2017-12-01+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_iGvA_HXnUkShtT3rWaBMfLpFC2DVUX5NmptqyR-Lycbg0qsHPp2m40uQPM65zMgc8Sj7McySieIsWJ6Pc3uCtbvB2DYtTZtFT22IMwa9saDsHSbLpNmrY0c6_J7RslHX8LoM6Qvsvg/s320/2017-12-01+111.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">More stunning Mayan pieces:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvgUi5eEtN0g562VLKOFbwbeTBWMPUtesHLYRudTM3ctj2fxN2uIR6dD2s3uuDcqrpEwmK-fuJAHxQ0lg-e8SLgY4i9dbhyW_jjTXqccbGtAeZHllCegl-KORl8ZoDj-2wgbOqtxO3-I/s1600/2017-12-01+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvgUi5eEtN0g562VLKOFbwbeTBWMPUtesHLYRudTM3ctj2fxN2uIR6dD2s3uuDcqrpEwmK-fuJAHxQ0lg-e8SLgY4i9dbhyW_jjTXqccbGtAeZHllCegl-KORl8ZoDj-2wgbOqtxO3-I/s320/2017-12-01+118.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Anthropomorphic Polychrome Heads </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">from the Maya Culture dated from 600-900 AD. Mayan palaces were the center of administrative and ceremonial activity, and a place where many bas-relief effigies and statues were placed. These heads, placed on the outside of buildings, didn't display the features associated with deities, but prominent individuals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3csLzcUsgmlu-NjOWXu-8oeivUyVNeqYgL3i7BY8_UtpuvC8QZjUCz1Kkqvbxd3cjiHSTj6QjH1ZMyeV10VpXBG0E_KWfnL5ch9ywnCML5JPUOJyoCWvMMFJLiS6C8KSZKh5ZCz-Pdw/s1600/2017-12-01+120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3csLzcUsgmlu-NjOWXu-8oeivUyVNeqYgL3i7BY8_UtpuvC8QZjUCz1Kkqvbxd3cjiHSTj6QjH1ZMyeV10VpXBG0E_KWfnL5ch9ywnCML5JPUOJyoCWvMMFJLiS6C8KSZKh5ZCz-Pdw/s320/2017-12-01+120.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The mammoth, darkened basement had a fascinating exhibition of objects called <b>Chile before Chile</b> which was intended to highlight the artistic works and accomplishments of the diverse groups that inhabited the nation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_9Xdsl25V526aHgEgSkNRPYoMBLX86G5xoEcezrXGnrnMLozEde65PXGyVMSUt53xz79Pb4C2FReIraT42rgZc0iD9OFqHjnnTAqOvSzFORxkow_ZM9UjvUczfNnxg6vWc6F1atiFYo/s1600/2017-12-01+163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_9Xdsl25V526aHgEgSkNRPYoMBLX86G5xoEcezrXGnrnMLozEde65PXGyVMSUt53xz79Pb4C2FReIraT42rgZc0iD9OFqHjnnTAqOvSzFORxkow_ZM9UjvUczfNnxg6vWc6F1atiFYo/s320/2017-12-01+163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This <b>Mapuche Sacred Altar</b> was from 1700.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQxSxoAlfHJG2h6nruQIK20X2FYQyDFI0kiKlyUnz6L3XJ2ORzDOv-Z1NcdGtyC4uwoWvbqstU4Lva5NKdWQ2RczAMjHk5IZk_ZZrgEYK2J6lUJ7E4Fh8w1LTkqQg_8puvqhFJuVDMHM/s1600/2017-12-01+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQxSxoAlfHJG2h6nruQIK20X2FYQyDFI0kiKlyUnz6L3XJ2ORzDOv-Z1NcdGtyC4uwoWvbqstU4Lva5NKdWQ2RczAMjHk5IZk_ZZrgEYK2J6lUJ7E4Fh8w1LTkqQg_8puvqhFJuVDMHM/s320/2017-12-01+126.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These remarkable wooden statues were placed on top of tombs in ancient Chilean cemeteries. They reflected the spirit of those buried and were intended to assist them in their journey to the afterlife. Chiefs and great warriors were sent to the East after death, to roam among the volcanoes of</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Kalfumapu, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">the 'Blue Land,' i.e. sea.' All others went to the West, to eat bitter potatoes beyond the sea!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgMd1fqgwLaYaPewx7-1D9Yg6EWSqEkwBaOlSnay5-GdT1fv3nV4ou8usPSICGG9HCtp60QI-tUS6hTNoxfOM7TsPl9GbiuR04TBXr9iTUk9SAdsL4rgUpGeVuzMIJ5XM5_BTPb5YOno/s1600/2017-12-01+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgMd1fqgwLaYaPewx7-1D9Yg6EWSqEkwBaOlSnay5-GdT1fv3nV4ou8usPSICGG9HCtp60QI-tUS6hTNoxfOM7TsPl9GbiuR04TBXr9iTUk9SAdsL4rgUpGeVuzMIJ5XM5_BTPb5YOno/s320/2017-12-01+136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The male and female statues were discovered in Mapuche cemeteries.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d0RyJ2TIWgLxd9DK5Ef0g7dS-YciwK62jz22iQmd9Z3kCccsxSyD2jG0Fk8LmOiQwB51wr8Zt39k0iFxdCnKJMW-9dmcQZaUGr_BGC_GQSfbWgiuIHqHO8Ft1TxtA-yU2h4DGG296pw/s1600/2017-12-01+132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d0RyJ2TIWgLxd9DK5Ef0g7dS-YciwK62jz22iQmd9Z3kCccsxSyD2jG0Fk8LmOiQwB51wr8Zt39k0iFxdCnKJMW-9dmcQZaUGr_BGC_GQSfbWgiuIHqHO8Ft1TxtA-yU2h4DGG296pw/s320/2017-12-01+132.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsE05-7bao5YmfejNhJAApudciBd4VwKN1k0lLao4fEtz50g6YJhu4sJ5fDuKb7g5PD3ywFF10pHNh4W5izCh_Lx2WYdQ1Qw-H7niQf0q1I4txj2QdQfpeL09p0dypkdRwFcUONgsLQQ/s1600/2017-12-01+133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsE05-7bao5YmfejNhJAApudciBd4VwKN1k0lLao4fEtz50g6YJhu4sJ5fDuKb7g5PD3ywFF10pHNh4W5izCh_Lx2WYdQ1Qw-H7niQf0q1I4txj2QdQfpeL09p0dypkdRwFcUONgsLQQ/s320/2017-12-01+133.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Mapuche people displayed their wealth and status with silver saddle adornments. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mapuche equestrian textiles:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_kahonJMpCKtD-mabsW2xQRGwtOs6qhgILyGwRMUiHIdy63CQP7AeAYYqEdvaKp6iERk2YG4UdWO6e7pgny4DVfyaG2MsQ7vaFUST6Jco6IpqAWZ-klsAr2E5Azzgnb9_8QT1-KL9tA/s1600/2017-12-01+137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_kahonJMpCKtD-mabsW2xQRGwtOs6qhgILyGwRMUiHIdy63CQP7AeAYYqEdvaKp6iERk2YG4UdWO6e7pgny4DVfyaG2MsQ7vaFUST6Jco6IpqAWZ-klsAr2E5Azzgnb9_8QT1-KL9tA/s320/2017-12-01+137.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOBCuiAyS8j7xYSD0d-BKpCpxvM680Fhv1jDH4Av0qGqvV6mTEe94k7EgAA0GD5F3KyMwlG7w5YvI1RLHrlTM2RObw7yI4yVNZLMIAVsC058L7ezccvXZJVZkYn49K2gqkVcJB0f4vWk/s1600/2017-12-01+139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOBCuiAyS8j7xYSD0d-BKpCpxvM680Fhv1jDH4Av0qGqvV6mTEe94k7EgAA0GD5F3KyMwlG7w5YvI1RLHrlTM2RObw7yI4yVNZLMIAVsC058L7ezccvXZJVZkYn49K2gqkVcJB0f4vWk/s320/2017-12-01+139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had spent too long gazing at the fantastic pieces from so many ancient cultures in the rest of the museum to have the time to appreciate the other Chilean exhibits. Here were a few photos I was able to take before we closed down the museum!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4diDIct8Fc6vdnUPbB7LXWQjS6MUK-XcJQ-p4Rc4jKVkvwS58SgZu9iJiyIqCwlH32J-1nwS84DjwjC2yGzm-mpE7NdphrkktVkjUMgNK2T5wXQkK9T9wnUkuQd4aY09hawlpbOlpEy4/s1600/2017-12-01+165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4diDIct8Fc6vdnUPbB7LXWQjS6MUK-XcJQ-p4Rc4jKVkvwS58SgZu9iJiyIqCwlH32J-1nwS84DjwjC2yGzm-mpE7NdphrkktVkjUMgNK2T5wXQkK9T9wnUkuQd4aY09hawlpbOlpEy4/s320/2017-12-01+165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4pg3NjrxTlODXb4W_xOo2CRi-WH5ccDGXughaGTKDfa_p_t05DOAuLTApeo5rUeH0l9wPyOLhnBPMqPAt39rFKr8PfS-QhGRoBMOmhwCg3YFt5ynlwuBam6eXvtPOwo5gkj-9g-hXgM/s1600/2017-12-01+166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4pg3NjrxTlODXb4W_xOo2CRi-WH5ccDGXughaGTKDfa_p_t05DOAuLTApeo5rUeH0l9wPyOLhnBPMqPAt39rFKr8PfS-QhGRoBMOmhwCg3YFt5ynlwuBam6eXvtPOwo5gkj-9g-hXgM/s320/2017-12-01+166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTHiF3Bwny4tkYQG99X5CTfFkZoEqe-orER054rqB_FAVosE0Ce8LOcLBT17ALT1GjIEyH2AkHnYv2uEwcPkhIsfVtBaTftrzyJyD6i1K2N1UALOaDp7L2ryoBRCo3OJHMxrfledEoPM/s1600/2017-12-01+155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTHiF3Bwny4tkYQG99X5CTfFkZoEqe-orER054rqB_FAVosE0Ce8LOcLBT17ALT1GjIEyH2AkHnYv2uEwcPkhIsfVtBaTftrzyJyD6i1K2N1UALOaDp7L2ryoBRCo3OJHMxrfledEoPM/s320/2017-12-01+155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought the museum initially would only display Chilean art from before the Spanish invasion, but the </span><span style="font-size: large;">incredible collection of pre-Colombian artifacts</span><span style="font-size: large;"> included art from all over Latin America. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The artifacts, some truly stunning and beautiful, gave an insight into how clever, resourceful and cultured the people were. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXW_9kmNqbwXl0_NmiJUuWRRMX5Oo9JjLJ1lk5NI13Rn42aoYQs8fEJLUHJHsQYT_uqvmPt3oTr39AV1DG8V5RiFuQudHou8u0WbyfVmbeHQzMTZwpTMTN7kLw9PW9uyltpWWA1S79CU/s1600/2017-12-01+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXW_9kmNqbwXl0_NmiJUuWRRMX5Oo9JjLJ1lk5NI13Rn42aoYQs8fEJLUHJHsQYT_uqvmPt3oTr39AV1DG8V5RiFuQudHou8u0WbyfVmbeHQzMTZwpTMTN7kLw9PW9uyltpWWA1S79CU/s320/2017-12-01+160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Nearby were some attractive colonial buildings.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> The<b> Palace of Justice:</b> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSuMl2Vw3zYpeY6fEJaFg9wWGrh11yfIpvi_lEpRl2j2PTvU4k33V-QNIJG8Al1rfuZX-kasOHRnTdCA8Eortf-ddnplFsP0J-bOHiSHenBOE7ULaQfYrjEOBzeGPniPUCISufJ8-3cI/s1600/2017-12-01+176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSuMl2Vw3zYpeY6fEJaFg9wWGrh11yfIpvi_lEpRl2j2PTvU4k33V-QNIJG8Al1rfuZX-kasOHRnTdCA8Eortf-ddnplFsP0J-bOHiSHenBOE7ULaQfYrjEOBzeGPniPUCISufJ8-3cI/s320/2017-12-01+176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The former <b>National Congress:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUtCKdQcYmLFnhnVgzrM8dIJpn6AwLIjolg-cZLWyxhnJ-BYFHaaM0eP8ApLGY8IdYrU3-vINzyT2SmbJloKOIAP72x_DwEvYj5AijIBiqeRKO_Rdz0ucDnoDAfJemE8fEDq-0fZ0cm8/s1600/2017-12-01+183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUtCKdQcYmLFnhnVgzrM8dIJpn6AwLIjolg-cZLWyxhnJ-BYFHaaM0eP8ApLGY8IdYrU3-vINzyT2SmbJloKOIAP72x_DwEvYj5AijIBiqeRKO_Rdz0ucDnoDAfJemE8fEDq-0fZ0cm8/s320/2017-12-01+183.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We enjoyed a bite to eat in the arcade/food court just steps away from the museum where we reminisced about what we had loved so much about our two weeks in Chile.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6qEVHUNd8zreuMDLJ5aOLjED8aEmB7XW6Q0jp9dLwsjmA9tBRsJxtgxYPjvl7sreRgt549jh-cwIv6DbmCRd10GtPBhDi7edqrvqTOKUZ2u5-2jjDKvG8EDA-tepkImWZQ6_U8hccQ0/s1600/2017-12-01+190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6qEVHUNd8zreuMDLJ5aOLjED8aEmB7XW6Q0jp9dLwsjmA9tBRsJxtgxYPjvl7sreRgt549jh-cwIv6DbmCRd10GtPBhDi7edqrvqTOKUZ2u5-2jjDKvG8EDA-tepkImWZQ6_U8hccQ0/s320/2017-12-01+190.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Buenos Aires, Argentina, here we come!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 4th, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-15287205767549998542018-05-02T20:33:00.000-06:002018-05-03T12:57:23.408-06:0011/30: Valparaíso, Chile: The Fabulous Open-Air Museum, Pablo Neruda's Home & Shoeless Steven!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email or mobile version? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday we'd had such fun looking back up </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso's</span><span style="font-size: large;"> 'piano steps,' we walked back there first thing so I could take this photo of Steven on them with no one else around.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DzBQrIuRLHI0jqPqFP5pnCI7VXsXBlewOHvuVodjEfqpHFtorCJp4MTAUZKKSpuCpt3K0vmYUaPKcMBpOceJicx828YYQHU0EzerG6u0b3Jh2mAzSyxzVcpSdqbaHv_q0N7gWHjOgjU/s1600/2017-11-30+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DzBQrIuRLHI0jqPqFP5pnCI7VXsXBlewOHvuVodjEfqpHFtorCJp4MTAUZKKSpuCpt3K0vmYUaPKcMBpOceJicx828YYQHU0EzerG6u0b3Jh2mAzSyxzVcpSdqbaHv_q0N7gWHjOgjU/s320/2017-11-30+002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I sure hoped this home, located halfway over a cliff, wouldn't topple over if the cliff gives way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW49ACGCmeFbxgKuAmlSELryl8y1ejol2ti52xHLwQDNJkhAXnCSNnsyn5pmfOS_4m8Qz2z0OFaZMycFVyn-bmZls0vtgHtcvhTMbZoArpTTyJTA0ZSSWLnq3RPmoc5XQ_j5q3EeBAyU/s1600/2017-11-30+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLW49ACGCmeFbxgKuAmlSELryl8y1ejol2ti52xHLwQDNJkhAXnCSNnsyn5pmfOS_4m8Qz2z0OFaZMycFVyn-bmZls0vtgHtcvhTMbZoArpTTyJTA0ZSSWLnq3RPmoc5XQ_j5q3EeBAyU/s320/2017-11-30+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_a4wt0Ht9INWz34_EnG0iawqI_JREuSpKdM6kSVwIJumduOXSU0hVONWQ6uPdMZsS1DwOHWimrxpvmHpqOoK8esVvGZLMgKPMccDlPVVq6LY4RVcrMx0x6Q7cZfBPZce5bOrTGREzRA/s1600/2017-11-30+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_a4wt0Ht9INWz34_EnG0iawqI_JREuSpKdM6kSVwIJumduOXSU0hVONWQ6uPdMZsS1DwOHWimrxpvmHpqOoK8esVvGZLMgKPMccDlPVVq6LY4RVcrMx0x6Q7cZfBPZce5bOrTGREzRA/s320/2017-11-30+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the middle of <b>Plaza Anibal Pinto</b> was the <b>Neptune Fountain,</b> a war trophy that was stolen from the Peruvians in 1879. Unfortunately, the fountain in this case was a sculpture as no water was forthcoming! The plaza was a gritty area of Valpo with many homeless people and dogs and their poop everywhere. Other places this trip, we've had to hop over iguanas; here we had to dodge dog droppings.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF1Sfp-7U_ySew7N6cWivIZ0UIM1jM1OhGgCgf969SWZd6YNy7TeduzbU4dxWovvTxWDjo3oyE8_lvg7NzLLvj9lFq9Nh3NWgPzl1zRckLzXzZc96yN6c5rfb0HM0FlDzt9NmUOMOEVU/s1600/2017-11-30+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF1Sfp-7U_ySew7N6cWivIZ0UIM1jM1OhGgCgf969SWZd6YNy7TeduzbU4dxWovvTxWDjo3oyE8_lvg7NzLLvj9lFq9Nh3NWgPzl1zRckLzXzZc96yN6c5rfb0HM0FlDzt9NmUOMOEVU/s320/2017-11-30+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A view of the <b>Paseo Atkinson</b> high on the hill where we'd strolled yesterday afternoon during the walking tour:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV3Tgn5GdBoAIo3sn9LUBIdfbef4bG45DzpxfC9-J4aeDFzrThyJcfiRHF9-qtnicuasgLb19ztWBAbqysjE5i88AWBYHRzhiApZ9qqteJSHvn3iBhIXV5OilvK-l2VWc-6qYnknaQdg/s1600/2017-11-30+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV3Tgn5GdBoAIo3sn9LUBIdfbef4bG45DzpxfC9-J4aeDFzrThyJcfiRHF9-qtnicuasgLb19ztWBAbqysjE5i88AWBYHRzhiApZ9qqteJSHvn3iBhIXV5OilvK-l2VWc-6qYnknaQdg/s320/2017-11-30+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHz5TKqToPeTtA7o_l1if8kppbjl3JrDfHT5AFjDL8Jrym5ks-UpL0tkBia8ez_wt6lflx4Y22Qnqoj1UB7VFv1I_DSX651bcUqGz5YI1yNMdl1ZP_JCgrtOX94rlRJPfjqtXU-vgeGs/s1600/2017-11-30+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHz5TKqToPeTtA7o_l1if8kppbjl3JrDfHT5AFjDL8Jrym5ks-UpL0tkBia8ez_wt6lflx4Y22Qnqoj1UB7VFv1I_DSX651bcUqGz5YI1yNMdl1ZP_JCgrtOX94rlRJPfjqtXU-vgeGs/s320/2017-11-30+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We enjoyed stopping by the many vendors' stalls that dotted the city while taking our own 'walking tour' of the city.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9yvpSrEQzL4CvujClVRecreXJLJWlJY99PKNHruu-2IZQg65f7xaF3glWDABlmAGFBon_PInANYtqqDrAFqcAynv2ZAGmBt79-kkXYKadCVTCrEJSNxfQ9C9P3cZCmW81oc5SJuETmk/s1600/2017-11-30+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9yvpSrEQzL4CvujClVRecreXJLJWlJY99PKNHruu-2IZQg65f7xaF3glWDABlmAGFBon_PInANYtqqDrAFqcAynv2ZAGmBt79-kkXYKadCVTCrEJSNxfQ9C9P3cZCmW81oc5SJuETmk/s320/2017-11-30+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The monument honored <b>Lord Thomas Cochrane,</b> a Scottish naval officer revered in Chile for his role in the independence war against Spain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnVmTSb_kyJe3j7UUdkb5HHx07iPZti4MMWb32E-3eUfcGov7THHR4fGhAUy51XgBMFYYK-T2UFlSW9JxJZM6XoeRfq5Q6Iv551dfpXEmVwPrugreYIMf9aNAk3p9aeMvM7dTs6BEO0o/s1600/2017-11-30+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnVmTSb_kyJe3j7UUdkb5HHx07iPZti4MMWb32E-3eUfcGov7THHR4fGhAUy51XgBMFYYK-T2UFlSW9JxJZM6XoeRfq5Q6Iv551dfpXEmVwPrugreYIMf9aNAk3p9aeMvM7dTs6BEO0o/s320/2017-11-30+017.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The beautiful arch celebrated Britain's links with </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso from 1810-1910. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO_VpoEjPrAAWdxMWPDswSrj9J2b2RaxJ2OCG_gRdZqiJSAB7FHW2_vBBx5MlxkpuJuSug0PBQ9rjMkkPPA31DjFnVJzm1L9bzre7ZMgr3p6ttkRQM3SzpQQWjXeHKhf_F0nRLUr8m1c/s1600/2017-11-30+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO_VpoEjPrAAWdxMWPDswSrj9J2b2RaxJ2OCG_gRdZqiJSAB7FHW2_vBBx5MlxkpuJuSug0PBQ9rjMkkPPA31DjFnVJzm1L9bzre7ZMgr3p6ttkRQM3SzpQQWjXeHKhf_F0nRLUr8m1c/s320/2017-11-30+021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There were very attractive colonial buildings for long stretches of one of the city's main streets.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9xuAkSD0fK449Pqog_FcuWFw7JkTxLoXSEK1uSq1H99Hx2uWKNPq0G6PWxMIPF8lfz0z8bn7PV8guCaX_Q9ERzY8EIw0FtO1X9juhXt2VOJNDcnjvPE6OAGX8yxKZH2cl-tjyCQfO9Q/s1600/2017-11-30+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9xuAkSD0fK449Pqog_FcuWFw7JkTxLoXSEK1uSq1H99Hx2uWKNPq0G6PWxMIPF8lfz0z8bn7PV8guCaX_Q9ERzY8EIw0FtO1X9juhXt2VOJNDcnjvPE6OAGX8yxKZH2cl-tjyCQfO9Q/s320/2017-11-30+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Library:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEza2qg0bKLJpQ2JExbYU-83FtEmxw-ktOLosy_7_mKOxFhwFvnrbVnH9D3Zjj24z1HQWQpGOiLI9ee-auKzkMoM-1R3uo6ONGsoHJm8E9ugYld8Kg0xpiPayfBMWtPV2B1BawuH9dHKg/s1600/2017-11-30+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEza2qg0bKLJpQ2JExbYU-83FtEmxw-ktOLosy_7_mKOxFhwFvnrbVnH9D3Zjj24z1HQWQpGOiLI9ee-auKzkMoM-1R3uo6ONGsoHJm8E9ugYld8Kg0xpiPayfBMWtPV2B1BawuH9dHKg/s320/2017-11-30+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">I was saddened by the wanton desecration of so many monuments due to all the graffiti.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGojxTaQAuiI8qZ1ZpCMD8Tn61PZTdZMq3cZranyU2B8GhnTJiNpMFWFWhwMnmTdT1sPrAkpglI6K18DvSf4JF-aQLPbqV9eB_zB13YrgkFOI4Z1KG_Qdm_oeRwUisTduHBhOL6cz9nw/s1600/2017-11-30+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGojxTaQAuiI8qZ1ZpCMD8Tn61PZTdZMq3cZranyU2B8GhnTJiNpMFWFWhwMnmTdT1sPrAkpglI6K18DvSf4JF-aQLPbqV9eB_zB13YrgkFOI4Z1KG_Qdm_oeRwUisTduHBhOL6cz9nw/s320/2017-11-30+024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVungke_1HKzQyw4B7LhXojCu6WJ5bxryq6-2QJ4XEtHy7RefOQW6RmH59Ca5wk8UV1eatJmRsiZQOxoVBsglVYAVPjIz8Qb0eAAD7H6BhQyiJyq6g-x0w9gLHHWMnEc_LTUTi5pAeZb4/s1600/2017-11-30+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVungke_1HKzQyw4B7LhXojCu6WJ5bxryq6-2QJ4XEtHy7RefOQW6RmH59Ca5wk8UV1eatJmRsiZQOxoVBsglVYAVPjIz8Qb0eAAD7H6BhQyiJyq6g-x0w9gLHHWMnEc_LTUTi5pAeZb4/s320/2017-11-30+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4WZ0DJi5dyxb8JpRMQsLgihzC2TVr3MGAG5_GGjlaYfPpSbEZupB5_UChyphenhyphenbTBUdAqNFHXLbYaORK4_2E225W-VNZFCzCGgLiptWwQPXaICLqW3EIE5M-AFHnPy7N-oMnlMDZ2T4k5As/s1600/2017-11-30+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4WZ0DJi5dyxb8JpRMQsLgihzC2TVr3MGAG5_GGjlaYfPpSbEZupB5_UChyphenhyphenbTBUdAqNFHXLbYaORK4_2E225W-VNZFCzCGgLiptWwQPXaICLqW3EIE5M-AFHnPy7N-oMnlMDZ2T4k5As/s320/2017-11-30+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our 'goal' had been the <b>Cathedral</b> on <b>Plaza Victoria.</b> Though it had been a pleasant walk, we discovered after walking around the massive church it was closed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7r_hCmoPT83IJENwqyJ_vNwqiYgGTB7Z_OhXz6gbIlxW9o3KZNYWUKAkBHnn42_HCPyEvCVuKUGuJq9eNtbrEAd0uNTxB1cQNFtrO-eh1bye6807ZAf-JNDHUN2QPgfgZzgApG_pr9E/s1600/2017-11-30+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7r_hCmoPT83IJENwqyJ_vNwqiYgGTB7Z_OhXz6gbIlxW9o3KZNYWUKAkBHnn42_HCPyEvCVuKUGuJq9eNtbrEAd0uNTxB1cQNFtrO-eh1bye6807ZAf-JNDHUN2QPgfgZzgApG_pr9E/s320/2017-11-30+029.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The flowers bordering the Cathedral provided a welcome splash of color, though.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QSAfB8MN6o8kX2xsaGh6HiI5QILpjRnSGKdovOHLyVagrgRZIAlU2oRS5Z_sfcclmDxxBPbO92GEupuc_7c_PfpnedL-MgOVCcQkoXlaOqn56sGuclVotsnr3_qnMpZHTcf1SXQ34uc/s1600/2017-11-30+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QSAfB8MN6o8kX2xsaGh6HiI5QILpjRnSGKdovOHLyVagrgRZIAlU2oRS5Z_sfcclmDxxBPbO92GEupuc_7c_PfpnedL-MgOVCcQkoXlaOqn56sGuclVotsnr3_qnMpZHTcf1SXQ34uc/s320/2017-11-30+035.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDdQ0Jt8YbaNzS-A4A-5gAGRVjmQ73jNfPSmpVEUdUAvJCVF0nGV31iPpgdfSSQjPhnWuBCtRx5NaltITJj8-cCO3ErZ59pJs1MQVHsq_yekxHe6ikJBEGntUqmrvStN2dXBKIWAj54c/s1600/2017-11-30+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDdQ0Jt8YbaNzS-A4A-5gAGRVjmQ73jNfPSmpVEUdUAvJCVF0nGV31iPpgdfSSQjPhnWuBCtRx5NaltITJj8-cCO3ErZ59pJs1MQVHsq_yekxHe6ikJBEGntUqmrvStN2dXBKIWAj54c/s320/2017-11-30+038.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>General Augusto Pinochet,</b> the brutal dictator who ruled Chile for 17 years beginning in 1973, was born in Valpo and spent his childhood near the plaza. It was a beautiful day to wander through the large park and admire its many statues, four of which were dedicated to each season.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLXYVcOsWsssSdBiTgwZF6ZdwXhjIVD_LablqjkQENkqbp78EtVv61pq06ofNA_9N-CKgyWGFXC5DG5CnZLzSf7NipI0AcH22MV-Gy1woMdf_lVjvQYukbMBL4RPyiEI973_-Vp6qms4/s1600/2017-11-30+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLXYVcOsWsssSdBiTgwZF6ZdwXhjIVD_LablqjkQENkqbp78EtVv61pq06ofNA_9N-CKgyWGFXC5DG5CnZLzSf7NipI0AcH22MV-Gy1woMdf_lVjvQYukbMBL4RPyiEI973_-Vp6qms4/s320/2017-11-30+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfY6syaAns7-isI6fXOMiiwirebN3y_qkNJbGrdMBNSypO_ZuD7DM7czYKTHcrIeGNu-zdTNao7C_kwLs4QVVpSGzn2hkLBeAP7FOsiKkY3L7atBucWKCSNEjUTPfQbrQpACqCoYYao0/s1600/2017-11-30+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfY6syaAns7-isI6fXOMiiwirebN3y_qkNJbGrdMBNSypO_ZuD7DM7czYKTHcrIeGNu-zdTNao7C_kwLs4QVVpSGzn2hkLBeAP7FOsiKkY3L7atBucWKCSNEjUTPfQbrQpACqCoYYao0/s320/2017-11-30+039.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We didn't realize before we got there that the <b>Ascensor Espíritu Santo</b> or </span><span style="font-size: large;">Holy Spirit funicular was closed so we had to walk up what felt like a gazillion steps to the top of the hill to the <b>Bellavista</b> neighborhood. We sure hoped that its <b>Museo a Cielo Abierto</b> or Open Sky Museum would be worth seeing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW646Yuk_dWwONu0ZeNeqELeVJogGKZe-thlxolJ8WL8lCJOG1d4i0448-lh28ZhgrCrcuewflGqF12uMiv0J5WklN2aOLSmHU3JH0n1rFMOmOT5nfAf64YEgWM2Lcm0PGeMdq0HbO8bI/s1600/2017-11-30+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW646Yuk_dWwONu0ZeNeqELeVJogGKZe-thlxolJ8WL8lCJOG1d4i0448-lh28ZhgrCrcuewflGqF12uMiv0J5WklN2aOLSmHU3JH0n1rFMOmOT5nfAf64YEgWM2Lcm0PGeMdq0HbO8bI/s320/2017-11-30+043.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XzTmb8tcI4OrB3ULkVt3cci96Z2wV_I10LeoHrrSz1hHowHXwgdhVm_5p5wUReNroCA76R3Zqc_ikicJJa2k43jmSTrJ1w5mx_dZd3ZMyH1uEAzdMI676dOcPC7y6YGr9JYP_PuUjLk/s1600/2017-11-30+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XzTmb8tcI4OrB3ULkVt3cci96Z2wV_I10LeoHrrSz1hHowHXwgdhVm_5p5wUReNroCA76R3Zqc_ikicJJa2k43jmSTrJ1w5mx_dZd3ZMyH1uEAzdMI676dOcPC7y6YGr9JYP_PuUjLk/s320/2017-11-30+044.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOB85htIBbvlWEXwS23PxPUT_0yrMK_2nkpR62TLWUjDRqsqdkpJuJzuOpc1fB_3vXg_O6tMZCTgdapw-uQ3Iqxx4JClpMyPkj22dMu-CVT9_0IvOJj3WYOmHaM06J664hiy0DaiaY3w/s1600/2017-11-30+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOB85htIBbvlWEXwS23PxPUT_0yrMK_2nkpR62TLWUjDRqsqdkpJuJzuOpc1fB_3vXg_O6tMZCTgdapw-uQ3Iqxx4JClpMyPkj22dMu-CVT9_0IvOJj3WYOmHaM06J664hiy0DaiaY3w/s320/2017-11-30+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">How I loved the gaily painted homes and beautiful mosaic benches outside some of them. I wished we could have sat down on one as we needed a breather from the climb and especially before ascending even more steps.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuphrUB2cOuxwSz6etZtAeqiw4RZA1sUn5rDpKGuFB_VUujHNz3t2SsMYVS5rBk-V_j0Oj2VPA_klH_yu1VIzKyR8169bvTrcEyDRPY-Jyd-rzC-sVddPtE6kmLNigeVNOUnA2Q5n1KU/s1600/2017-11-30+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuphrUB2cOuxwSz6etZtAeqiw4RZA1sUn5rDpKGuFB_VUujHNz3t2SsMYVS5rBk-V_j0Oj2VPA_klH_yu1VIzKyR8169bvTrcEyDRPY-Jyd-rzC-sVddPtE6kmLNigeVNOUnA2Q5n1KU/s320/2017-11-30+047.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bSNTT94Z7Mwly6JnV5ac4N8mwcHl7aYhu6n_5aP0xtstKEO72Q6SIBXyBzpD47pdMQHKDzc3XdWVdZxEzipeUXGaxESiKZZe2_MZwZaLosJFD4PHNupYpxEmOhrkq-RPK_stHJ53v6M/s1600/2017-11-30+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bSNTT94Z7Mwly6JnV5ac4N8mwcHl7aYhu6n_5aP0xtstKEO72Q6SIBXyBzpD47pdMQHKDzc3XdWVdZxEzipeUXGaxESiKZZe2_MZwZaLosJFD4PHNupYpxEmOhrkq-RPK_stHJ53v6M/s320/2017-11-30+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqM1o2YLC-6l4uzLkQIp1vWmg7QF0sxhyO2pL52rzAr8uEB0O8S4hup8ke3shFyUifvjir5AmbWbma8pmevyexrhYlQTBrF0wzUj4CFAL6L7iSWX3MAZ7naIU8UvSfB8gkcYZPRHvnag/s1600/2017-11-30+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqM1o2YLC-6l4uzLkQIp1vWmg7QF0sxhyO2pL52rzAr8uEB0O8S4hup8ke3shFyUifvjir5AmbWbma8pmevyexrhYlQTBrF0wzUj4CFAL6L7iSWX3MAZ7naIU8UvSfB8gkcYZPRHvnag/s320/2017-11-30+051.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjo5IrCm2MlfGQ32XciNqNBjysbGiyOmTiNhRjv2aKcryEmYhBX-Fhy0BCGxzGN-3q6u4_p1zhn-3-tyY7aHYDK8q1491Q20h2u6B6GoXm-I5huAWKeF1TRAGNYfA6zZK6ne6YmA1YcM/s1600/2017-11-30+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjo5IrCm2MlfGQ32XciNqNBjysbGiyOmTiNhRjv2aKcryEmYhBX-Fhy0BCGxzGN-3q6u4_p1zhn-3-tyY7aHYDK8q1491Q20h2u6B6GoXm-I5huAWKeF1TRAGNYfA6zZK6ne6YmA1YcM/s320/2017-11-30+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GQoT6NyXRLkRRCTRu7_H7BN1fg5g0Bniwj7KyaHHq5q7m73N1rJT3MXLd4RLd2VCddm8XX5Z_nhtXEstefNiMUjrXLnSq8EYeuWess5lASjxjDK3nW4J5nG5KhwfJP4bpK9NoZpeg2s/s1600/2017-11-30+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GQoT6NyXRLkRRCTRu7_H7BN1fg5g0Bniwj7KyaHHq5q7m73N1rJT3MXLd4RLd2VCddm8XX5Z_nhtXEstefNiMUjrXLnSq8EYeuWess5lASjxjDK3nW4J5nG5KhwfJP4bpK9NoZpeg2s/s320/2017-11-30+054.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The overhead sign proclaimed the unusual 'museum' which was a collection of murals painted on the sides of houses, some of them by well-known artists.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk2x450xDN1McIYtw9MdGm-MAZdyoBoUJ-X-q0X-1FSOYdZnerrH1lLWio1jvb5fEbwfIjieXT9Ry3wj1hKAc4q-vGLebyeiegyFOhCPH3qWfi3FAOCQg-eteZ48kTyfrPs-KwX4RasE/s1600/2017-11-30+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk2x450xDN1McIYtw9MdGm-MAZdyoBoUJ-X-q0X-1FSOYdZnerrH1lLWio1jvb5fEbwfIjieXT9Ry3wj1hKAc4q-vGLebyeiegyFOhCPH3qWfi3FAOCQg-eteZ48kTyfrPs-KwX4RasE/s320/2017-11-30+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholC0Ei5uvQXTRMQdZiHSGsFbmk1rN8cixAFAm9O0m2prZPl3syZNQ_rOcEg3U2HIwpebzegep_eDSXddfFEqh_Q6iIQiCfee15eRH6xgnSBNYFjDBwUjk1f9igPj4qYGOSXq1JpHChEM/s1600/2017-11-30+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholC0Ei5uvQXTRMQdZiHSGsFbmk1rN8cixAFAm9O0m2prZPl3syZNQ_rOcEg3U2HIwpebzegep_eDSXddfFEqh_Q6iIQiCfee15eRH6xgnSBNYFjDBwUjk1f9igPj4qYGOSXq1JpHChEM/s320/2017-11-30+057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most fascinating tours we've ever taken was a 'street art tour' in </span><span style="font-size: large;">Bogotá</span><span style="font-size: large;"> earlier in the trip. I wished we had a similarly excellent guide help us understand some of these stunning murals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlIxH4s-z5c1p5iMIlKAr91-ZqTM-QROXrIYwSQUm8y15JxXm5pK9qW_mccVQMEOOriSIsNimnmz29u4dE6Ydgl5j7glSnpBdcyh1f6BgDZmCrUIZnfASD2S5hRdIQZPI4l5ZD4Bl-pE/s1600/2017-11-30+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlIxH4s-z5c1p5iMIlKAr91-ZqTM-QROXrIYwSQUm8y15JxXm5pK9qW_mccVQMEOOriSIsNimnmz29u4dE6Ydgl5j7glSnpBdcyh1f6BgDZmCrUIZnfASD2S5hRdIQZPI4l5ZD4Bl-pE/s320/2017-11-30+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvkFpFzo1gb7jGR4tLiNhlCPMRx_9M6ytMe-BF5UGB9vFGWDGaVqG0MYvZQO8t13HZ_IF7zMWHQB5Qw1Y8qiQ7NBE1Pa9LIX6Aj6MIOIwzebXjebN_z0bQBeJwE1Y1raX7fys_SGkplA/s1600/2017-11-30+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvkFpFzo1gb7jGR4tLiNhlCPMRx_9M6ytMe-BF5UGB9vFGWDGaVqG0MYvZQO8t13HZ_IF7zMWHQB5Qw1Y8qiQ7NBE1Pa9LIX6Aj6MIOIwzebXjebN_z0bQBeJwE1Y1raX7fys_SGkplA/s320/2017-11-30+061.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another lovely church greeted us en route to our next destination in the neighborhood, <b>La Sebastiana,</b> one of the homes of 1971 Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet <b>Pablo Neruda. </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">His house, now a museum, was a tribute to Pablo Neruda </span><span style="font-size: large;">who was born in 1904 in Parral, Chile. At the age of 13, he published his first poems. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcP-LTEqm1TkDdVT-q7u_VY8ywhFf-B9_syIzz3DNHSl7uL_cBybxu7tc82ZpQyUCj3Equ6jGR6goCEOEDlqKXHtREMxjlDU7qUJCUbZIZByQVs6tZyP4M6kTJd_voXm2laFDGznQFb-I/s1600/2017-11-30+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcP-LTEqm1TkDdVT-q7u_VY8ywhFf-B9_syIzz3DNHSl7uL_cBybxu7tc82ZpQyUCj3Equ6jGR6goCEOEDlqKXHtREMxjlDU7qUJCUbZIZByQVs6tZyP4M6kTJd_voXm2laFDGznQFb-I/s320/2017-11-30+062.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBwow8jkakt4FKPpi-dsSUBHHnCfkKf1-MlvyDvvXXVZcGrYEFb5nRUjiNZMa7m0uBBFdLUmYd9bApvF4y7bMzy2ATyU8jsQd4V5WvoZESjJJw6haGkEYu9ud5zHiAGdQ3cC6r93691c/s1600/2017-11-30+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBwow8jkakt4FKPpi-dsSUBHHnCfkKf1-MlvyDvvXXVZcGrYEFb5nRUjiNZMa7m0uBBFdLUmYd9bApvF4y7bMzy2ATyU8jsQd4V5WvoZESjJJw6haGkEYu9ud5zHiAGdQ3cC6r93691c/s320/2017-11-30+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk7TnB8BUjvz8ycVLd_F_UVHzrgZsyBiUWUi-dWwrMyFAEp80MWl9C5WIpbb2eY9ZilgnJ8cgG5f_iUQf45dimOWVYR5PaKZjfqgg3DT12dLi4Nmc_V73Eg2Xjj3Saz0x0eV0K2xBTUU/s1600/2017-11-30+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk7TnB8BUjvz8ycVLd_F_UVHzrgZsyBiUWUi-dWwrMyFAEp80MWl9C5WIpbb2eY9ZilgnJ8cgG5f_iUQf45dimOWVYR5PaKZjfqgg3DT12dLi4Nmc_V73Eg2Xjj3Saz0x0eV0K2xBTUU/s320/2017-11-30+065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Looked like <b>Papa Noel</b> or Santa Claus would be making a stop at this home soon!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1UjOViz2LtHKnGRBZ_OVY0_3I6Q_JhOav8d-n30i8Tu-r4IIYBS_AmFaKHzFAwhP-yZSnkmk5jFuct_rim05rCSMXFTmRVU2WuPayPJp9vkdMNLVNk3_IOnp4JOK-denIpu4gc68sWU/s1600/2017-11-30+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1UjOViz2LtHKnGRBZ_OVY0_3I6Q_JhOav8d-n30i8Tu-r4IIYBS_AmFaKHzFAwhP-yZSnkmk5jFuct_rim05rCSMXFTmRVU2WuPayPJp9vkdMNLVNk3_IOnp4JOK-denIpu4gc68sWU/s320/2017-11-30+067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Although Neruda used this home relatively little, we were curious to see if we agreed with other visitors who found this one the most attractive of his four homes. A friend told Neruda in 1959 he'd discovered a home he might like on <b>La Florida Hill</b> from which Neruda could see all of </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Neruda himself designed and decorated the house that he </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">named La Sebastiana after a Spanish schooner.</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">The 'birth' of his new home </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">on September 18, 1961, coincided with the date of Chilean Independence</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhr0rElfxV4TnJkD9Cb_Y5fC3oPwqxjBRkO72KTxY7n0a6t7nu_Joc_rWdXAk7ZbEtp6q96R7USIwksz9YdgR3aIzs6_OPi9meDK3xQrqtucocUXiKOzIa4eTvTqTrjjNvufI64I9Gs0/s1600/2017-11-30+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhr0rElfxV4TnJkD9Cb_Y5fC3oPwqxjBRkO72KTxY7n0a6t7nu_Joc_rWdXAk7ZbEtp6q96R7USIwksz9YdgR3aIzs6_OPi9meDK3xQrqtucocUXiKOzIa4eTvTqTrjjNvufI64I9Gs0/s320/2017-11-30+092.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had no way of knowing when I took this photo of the mosaic map of Patagonia on the stairway that Steven and I would be contemplating a journey of that southern region of Chile and Argentina and also a cruise to the Antarctica in November of 2019! </span><span style="font-size: large;">The several links between our previous and future trips have been more than a tad spooky lately. I came across just yesterday a postcard I had bought at the wonderful</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Sharjah Art Museum </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">in the UAE a couple of years ago that was of a painting of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, which we'll see in late November this year!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmG-YoP6E95KbkcXD2xMRR4hwgZvc-UIFcAasZrptZtfZoH8mpFBJpRlYB6a3FPnZLg1-PHUi6VmUn49PkL3QEUANq9JFYih1Oq19NyMv3KWlCD668mtE3Jt-kGK2sq6oISwS9tcgfRY/s1600/2017-11-30+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmG-YoP6E95KbkcXD2xMRR4hwgZvc-UIFcAasZrptZtfZoH8mpFBJpRlYB6a3FPnZLg1-PHUi6VmUn49PkL3QEUANq9JFYih1Oq19NyMv3KWlCD668mtE3Jt-kGK2sq6oISwS9tcgfRY/s320/2017-11-30+070.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Neruda liked to spend New Year's Eve at this home so he could enjoy the fireworks on the bay below his home.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc3fOO-V_QHzMeHFKAdGUKsI51fWzSCA1olra_uvrcnEkH_dkdpD2TmDQ2o8O_kF2yx3Cx2dSOebe_GiVH61iaBbpUl8eUWGU9t-f8pEigQEPrpwZDysiHdQDJILqAJMbHEUY14QxT8Y/s1600/2017-11-30+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc3fOO-V_QHzMeHFKAdGUKsI51fWzSCA1olra_uvrcnEkH_dkdpD2TmDQ2o8O_kF2yx3Cx2dSOebe_GiVH61iaBbpUl8eUWGU9t-f8pEigQEPrpwZDysiHdQDJILqAJMbHEUY14QxT8Y/s320/2017-11-30+073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The view from his dining room reminded me of his quote, "Eating alone was like eating in a tomb!" He always thought water tasted better if it were in red or green glasses. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF30YF2rhSoTRGXV96Z_6zob0ANin7yCQ33qndlwRbPwrAFGmYLcNWrWkqlXBQO5yLPZtuIPaUsuaUlfHyzpgIxKpdxRRwp62lbqejbxErRFCJonOT5-vJkYeYIxVnO6UQRHxwFU0PTo/s1600/2017-11-30+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF30YF2rhSoTRGXV96Z_6zob0ANin7yCQ33qndlwRbPwrAFGmYLcNWrWkqlXBQO5yLPZtuIPaUsuaUlfHyzpgIxKpdxRRwp62lbqejbxErRFCJonOT5-vJkYeYIxVnO6UQRHxwFU0PTo/s320/2017-11-30+074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In all his homes, only he could stand behind the bar!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja10uaFqCRqqmSahY2T6eFnr17JhtbWVttdHYeqdAyhdsXWTRBqa5KN-1mRFhRNPr3aip57ELAKYItkK1rp0qqTalNH2CCeKuhyk5_o98tpOKkUE6N4eKc0XMY9evBdWeMcoqQSO0ZwCQ/s1600/2017-11-30+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja10uaFqCRqqmSahY2T6eFnr17JhtbWVttdHYeqdAyhdsXWTRBqa5KN-1mRFhRNPr3aip57ELAKYItkK1rp0qqTalNH2CCeKuhyk5_o98tpOKkUE6N4eKc0XMY9evBdWeMcoqQSO0ZwCQ/s320/2017-11-30+075.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though we had a read a lot about Neruda when visiting La Chascona, his Santiago abode, I hadn't known that Pablo Neruda was </span><span style="font-size: large;">his pen name. His real name was</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Neflato Ricardo Reyes Basoalto </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">but t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he pen name later became his legal name. His poetry is considered by many the soul of Chile. Above his bed was a Coptic tapestry from Ethiopia that told the story of the Queen of Sheba.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvV39C5K03lkrKztgUJlpp_SqOCLlhMtWc24O_TAOmJ47tw6ihvH74ZYE5aRvJQmnhlSDzOydyh4vh7Xzg21cT32JMSlN8ADqzFBP8khoWO8T8EewbJqMefMtSPrF30eNH3F_ujSgelg/s1600/2017-11-30+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvV39C5K03lkrKztgUJlpp_SqOCLlhMtWc24O_TAOmJ47tw6ihvH74ZYE5aRvJQmnhlSDzOydyh4vh7Xzg21cT32JMSlN8ADqzFBP8khoWO8T8EewbJqMefMtSPrF30eNH3F_ujSgelg/s320/2017-11-30+078.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Neruda was a great collector who said, 'If you want something badly enough, you better barter quickly for it." These glass doors entered into another bedroom.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkZJJ4IBAcp9cwSbAVhUfztJWvSNczpacMKu2isf7x25flIsbb4SQWd_zwMFj-ppKwPfFnQrBho6KB6xl54kSJwPBEghsZmVmAjGLdzq7EykV0fhGHkUFZhyV7__7l-isTtfV8cU4eWE/s1600/2017-11-30+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkZJJ4IBAcp9cwSbAVhUfztJWvSNczpacMKu2isf7x25flIsbb4SQWd_zwMFj-ppKwPfFnQrBho6KB6xl54kSJwPBEghsZmVmAjGLdzq7EykV0fhGHkUFZhyV7__7l-isTtfV8cU4eWE/s320/2017-11-30+079.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Neruda loved the views of the bay from his study as he saw himself as a 'dry land navigator' according to the audio guide we rented.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiA7W4HKIhi8u1TO-UvGuHSGxfqj7nFiiDIGTLkh-sHnljqpulWN-klWoK7Souja7WI8HSSOCrqpXQv1TsksrXrvbldUIzsuMNEUAeQY7aSwBv6hkpJx7aJQqVPBKbbMBP_pfqUv1po4/s1600/2017-11-30+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiA7W4HKIhi8u1TO-UvGuHSGxfqj7nFiiDIGTLkh-sHnljqpulWN-klWoK7Souja7WI8HSSOCrqpXQv1TsksrXrvbldUIzsuMNEUAeQY7aSwBv6hkpJx7aJQqVPBKbbMBP_pfqUv1po4/s320/2017-11-30+081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I was severely limited in the photos I could take throughout the home; thus this one in the study of a 'Jesuit table' with another visitor's legs in the background! The inscription read JAS which stood for 'Jesus Saves Man.'</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1Acvnl8sBt8tHYTEbFbe06L9ofPkQCHEQFkR1BJAKgPn0oPd4rHOkLEAszoVzmpdCJODITThAPBvr_hShnYVS1WOXle-kE_F6BFeNiLbkahgENvwp6cpHmMCsNYRW1cRbssBpY2iokE/s1600/2017-11-30+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1Acvnl8sBt8tHYTEbFbe06L9ofPkQCHEQFkR1BJAKgPn0oPd4rHOkLEAszoVzmpdCJODITThAPBvr_hShnYVS1WOXle-kE_F6BFeNiLbkahgENvwp6cpHmMCsNYRW1cRbssBpY2iokE/s320/2017-11-30+083.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I read that the five-story home of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Chilean poet and diplomat is something of a pilgrimage for Chileans. The </span><span style="font-size: large;">interior, decorated with eclectic objects, </span><span style="font-size: large;">was filled with lots of narrow stairways; this one with the ship's ropes was the most intriguing to me. I felt he home was preserved</span><span style="font-size: large;"> so well as if Neruda himself might walk in while we were there and ask us to stay for drinks and dinner!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3zjkHsjcvdleA1SJVrlNtMuekOphl5bI0wVy8fjaZ6iSSQS7MHqHpTbMZ0mO9LpZB7s9NV_c7TcpLo3x3fNKKWScp8TSgbuWAimf9R9CVgawz2THbNgFBENlnnnsmXPMcNe0kRl76q0/s1600/2017-11-30+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3zjkHsjcvdleA1SJVrlNtMuekOphl5bI0wVy8fjaZ6iSSQS7MHqHpTbMZ0mO9LpZB7s9NV_c7TcpLo3x3fNKKWScp8TSgbuWAimf9R9CVgawz2THbNgFBENlnnnsmXPMcNe0kRl76q0/s320/2017-11-30+085.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YewgLyQvKoO3DgWD2Gmt8H8ISYX0DTZ3JTGL9cbvGF9S0lvKMZtr1-_OAyxI89hnXIBr4LAseHJCc_SqRb03eJmVox9JtuRPUOZiffnnp78zEYY37JS5_2Y0D-DV53KaKedLNfFZVYU/s1600/2017-11-30+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YewgLyQvKoO3DgWD2Gmt8H8ISYX0DTZ3JTGL9cbvGF9S0lvKMZtr1-_OAyxI89hnXIBr4LAseHJCc_SqRb03eJmVox9JtuRPUOZiffnnp78zEYY37JS5_2Y0D-DV53KaKedLNfFZVYU/s320/2017-11-30+088.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After admiring the garden's luscious flowers, we left La Sebastiana about 1 to walk all the way back to town; downhill was so much easier and faster!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajGew9f5Lqau4wKHW53Gr8elpqjW3RQgBDC_hOGoxfLLhFad_vPP8ajWvxBXS1L0R4vlnzraiDv94CjkjAPZdooIYQULr_lbuXnmtSB1xyT_mwFQtgF8aT1svi8Nb8i4PYTwQtpDiJ1Q/s1600/2017-11-30+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajGew9f5Lqau4wKHW53Gr8elpqjW3RQgBDC_hOGoxfLLhFad_vPP8ajWvxBXS1L0R4vlnzraiDv94CjkjAPZdooIYQULr_lbuXnmtSB1xyT_mwFQtgF8aT1svi8Nb8i4PYTwQtpDiJ1Q/s320/2017-11-30+089.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Valpo's piano steps are pretty well known but I hadn't seen any reference to these even more attractive 'sunflower steps' so close to Neruda's home. I couldn't begin to fathom how difficult these would have been to paint and maintain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48k4kp05v-cQWDAUzfbtPuGBNAoYTbr2jf9HPsYDs8lmYOCotC4XxaiSs5UAAWq0YdSLvQbIonOT0FvKPJAqV6G6kwIb6brcWvUmY_shuoICY2lMxZi1Agqx5onhVdixaFXHCSm2k5vI/s1600/2017-11-30+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48k4kp05v-cQWDAUzfbtPuGBNAoYTbr2jf9HPsYDs8lmYOCotC4XxaiSs5UAAWq0YdSLvQbIonOT0FvKPJAqV6G6kwIb6brcWvUmY_shuoICY2lMxZi1Agqx5onhVdixaFXHCSm2k5vI/s320/2017-11-30+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgdnK81WKhRCNwlAA3FfwXQzvCsdWmFLPPFah2561i2KaYQP5A6LJw-J-u3i-aUUSb9_osXphiXbaGDKDnr3EDC4CAk8A3KHdyFWguJWx-bI_uaMqWw4MSqsFfQbyf_4p2ZT-xFGvDUQ/s1600/2017-11-30+095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgdnK81WKhRCNwlAA3FfwXQzvCsdWmFLPPFah2561i2KaYQP5A6LJw-J-u3i-aUUSb9_osXphiXbaGDKDnr3EDC4CAk8A3KHdyFWguJWx-bI_uaMqWw4MSqsFfQbyf_4p2ZT-xFGvDUQ/s320/2017-11-30+095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPCJE8vae9AtOOR5XOsmUpJguvScnY_D1vVYlnUhWhZWS9G6L9iSH4QhKjGFSd9c08zEfui_Fvjh3ODQoCnDDzSXddY3mwskC4jTnBTJdoNFqxj4iNGCZvlZB-EAWcxzF8ZDTd822qiw/s1600/2017-11-30+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPCJE8vae9AtOOR5XOsmUpJguvScnY_D1vVYlnUhWhZWS9G6L9iSH4QhKjGFSd9c08zEfui_Fvjh3ODQoCnDDzSXddY3mwskC4jTnBTJdoNFqxj4iNGCZvlZB-EAWcxzF8ZDTd822qiw/s320/2017-11-30+098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't think we've seen before murals that began on a sidewalk and then crept up the side of a home - what fun!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTInMJnosKct5n2-_3ZtZzK7tEYqyfZhOSkaURMk10q6ctF5x23suhZ8VCKdzh53yQFOsmDyfVAFpcYAdg0Ebi1NkWH0BQwVEmMvddnUoJjVvNrqbsKaFoi6uFtNhIdovObjzyjsHDWI/s1600/2017-11-30+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTInMJnosKct5n2-_3ZtZzK7tEYqyfZhOSkaURMk10q6ctF5x23suhZ8VCKdzh53yQFOsmDyfVAFpcYAdg0Ebi1NkWH0BQwVEmMvddnUoJjVvNrqbsKaFoi6uFtNhIdovObjzyjsHDWI/s320/2017-11-30+099.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The murals in the exciting 'open-air museum' made our journey so much more enjoyable.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lP5t3rvVfyQ5sBdhekd7EYcvkPUPQ1uKy_mafbrR1ih3TK8qqn9FAzjug7giQ7LZwrgftLyOzQU7WEI4HpRi0YHNWUQ5IO6AMSLEZtKITsOjLBNkWi5wXDfpN4uHGRj2l9PfnJreb7Q/s1600/2017-11-30+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lP5t3rvVfyQ5sBdhekd7EYcvkPUPQ1uKy_mafbrR1ih3TK8qqn9FAzjug7giQ7LZwrgftLyOzQU7WEI4HpRi0YHNWUQ5IO6AMSLEZtKITsOjLBNkWi5wXDfpN4uHGRj2l9PfnJreb7Q/s320/2017-11-30+102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4cFO_ogFzRX9s3PeGGRdB2YA80_REmTRcVlSJ8XW28EKTfA_XuExXzbxgMkIVz9xG4GGbAwPLS0jdLCS4fT8pR3Rk5kwMp4G7PSLm80j-HLKEYzvYcBgTOjDibXdver7dXPnslqPMFk/s1600/2017-11-30+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4cFO_ogFzRX9s3PeGGRdB2YA80_REmTRcVlSJ8XW28EKTfA_XuExXzbxgMkIVz9xG4GGbAwPLS0jdLCS4fT8pR3Rk5kwMp4G7PSLm80j-HLKEYzvYcBgTOjDibXdver7dXPnslqPMFk/s320/2017-11-30+103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So, so glad we were going down and not up this time!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSHhbWKQuq43ZTyBeCUGkZt2lEiHDWBH9dMb8lzXb7fNCfRc6sgu-wS_upnJ5QoN3oAalL0WlqgPOLNrg4jxPZUIKi0hgeD95Wxr-iaKE0X6bGxwR8-i_pK_3yUdKsBISHdHsxCs95QI/s1600/2017-11-30+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSHhbWKQuq43ZTyBeCUGkZt2lEiHDWBH9dMb8lzXb7fNCfRc6sgu-wS_upnJ5QoN3oAalL0WlqgPOLNrg4jxPZUIKi0hgeD95Wxr-iaKE0X6bGxwR8-i_pK_3yUdKsBISHdHsxCs95QI/s320/2017-11-30+104.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Did you happen to notice the roofs in the photos of the city from Neruda's home? So many homes had corrugated roofs and walls.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VUjX6ElGDQiUgEvFa8P439YviPlrvKpBTsNSmgCbuRu7NM0XURF7FVcdGIJfndP5o8YWjQc7w2IbCcOQ_aRns1gPvdFP9SeoZmhHF-dsaYY07BkkMv5lXFOxQ43W6OQjfBdhu8lrFNc/s1600/2017-11-30+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VUjX6ElGDQiUgEvFa8P439YviPlrvKpBTsNSmgCbuRu7NM0XURF7FVcdGIJfndP5o8YWjQc7w2IbCcOQ_aRns1gPvdFP9SeoZmhHF-dsaYY07BkkMv5lXFOxQ43W6OQjfBdhu8lrFNc/s320/2017-11-30+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRE4ajC7qjAYzyYeHknqId-13hack8vXjIwQpK_V2ulqetqjsNt4AWifyC4xTWvLbKI6ngDTdMVEQWtAnXZvDBC9bPm8QRjSLgtEmUlKwe8YXVcv19prHmFlsq4aTV-GtrBQ_62M-KZJg/s1600/2017-11-30+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRE4ajC7qjAYzyYeHknqId-13hack8vXjIwQpK_V2ulqetqjsNt4AWifyC4xTWvLbKI6ngDTdMVEQWtAnXZvDBC9bPm8QRjSLgtEmUlKwe8YXVcv19prHmFlsq4aTV-GtrBQ_62M-KZJg/s320/2017-11-30+108.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLrTn9zFDmMlTTzv56qeQdJ-LPnibl8H2fIGnRgRzvZNmGwy6Byvt9rvORfhv-0yH_oOSsENIsKj3NNQM5DstG88xTTyUSZSimcYBIzPOtPOKKIoRItpYAlbBEkUkbUtIH5WYTUGURWk/s1600/2017-11-30+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLrTn9zFDmMlTTzv56qeQdJ-LPnibl8H2fIGnRgRzvZNmGwy6Byvt9rvORfhv-0yH_oOSsENIsKj3NNQM5DstG88xTTyUSZSimcYBIzPOtPOKKIoRItpYAlbBEkUkbUtIH5WYTUGURWk/s320/2017-11-30+109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStgJsRaEirY1I4vmCXsTLGUXDDqYVP_uFv-ZwYZGEAL6IBGrH0NyD4h1LEHqKb2Iz9Otn5p6Y7TDHLFDViXWh8Wefwf_e75YQzpDyirHeikbuq0lZ4DEe6fTwRqrmOQ1rC3X-SOYXbKs/s1600/2017-11-30+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStgJsRaEirY1I4vmCXsTLGUXDDqYVP_uFv-ZwYZGEAL6IBGrH0NyD4h1LEHqKb2Iz9Otn5p6Y7TDHLFDViXWh8Wefwf_e75YQzpDyirHeikbuq0lZ4DEe6fTwRqrmOQ1rC3X-SOYXbKs/s320/2017-11-30+110.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsEhuG5gkh1KxAoiL9yTDlPTZ7HxxS7RkKDYqQefFHcxhMi0vNDyUVJDPnoYdZdjDjnqxumjIAX3I2B5wY9qOWWaEIZzlOJlf62UDV6uadpwCnGJqjGwchl6Ka0E-_y6n911WHoSkE04/s1600/2017-11-30+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsEhuG5gkh1KxAoiL9yTDlPTZ7HxxS7RkKDYqQefFHcxhMi0vNDyUVJDPnoYdZdjDjnqxumjIAX3I2B5wY9qOWWaEIZzlOJlf62UDV6uadpwCnGJqjGwchl6Ka0E-_y6n911WHoSkE04/s320/2017-11-30+112.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Normally in a museum, visitors see signs or plaques indicating who the artist was and the painting's title. This was the first one where we saw any such sign in the very unusual open-air museum. It said the preceding mural was painted by Institute of Art students from the <b>University of Chile at </b></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Valparaíso</b> in 1992.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0npVGyeGhWSc36jxhk4N6zkQTrjoHOzduEuV6YuTMQZjHvIdFwMGkjlsbzxp6dKfNqTxRLMB9IwRx2Ihv7IbKGgjiGqYoLw0PtOEMJMXKpec_zcHEPT85KANMcHNwIzsEkbgdS3HThZo/s1600/2017-11-30+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0npVGyeGhWSc36jxhk4N6zkQTrjoHOzduEuV6YuTMQZjHvIdFwMGkjlsbzxp6dKfNqTxRLMB9IwRx2Ihv7IbKGgjiGqYoLw0PtOEMJMXKpec_zcHEPT85KANMcHNwIzsEkbgdS3HThZo/s320/2017-11-30+113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsQJ2nPT4aaTjJ3dNzckz2WFa13wCSyJMqui4Q7usLv6trmXIEYpCVOP8BtAprtPPjwcWnz3osxUJnT1v0h0Sb2z0gkVm1ijesxhUxLEde9KcOiFsF-44iHsD20YWeiZ20ZT2U-lCcnU/s1600/2017-11-30+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsQJ2nPT4aaTjJ3dNzckz2WFa13wCSyJMqui4Q7usLv6trmXIEYpCVOP8BtAprtPPjwcWnz3osxUJnT1v0h0Sb2z0gkVm1ijesxhUxLEde9KcOiFsF-44iHsD20YWeiZ20ZT2U-lCcnU/s320/2017-11-30+114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC58F8kCkBwzZsB_m79paV7QOXvg7e0WTEIoYSbXPmTjkXP5AGpu6wiiQQxkcidHzyS5GKThA_pknAjNHJ2FLldv1Gsv5-8v2dlZKM7ZJEy1Thqp4-R76ZUVVFvJPaYZnCSSpWQhcDSFQ/s1600/2017-11-30+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC58F8kCkBwzZsB_m79paV7QOXvg7e0WTEIoYSbXPmTjkXP5AGpu6wiiQQxkcidHzyS5GKThA_pknAjNHJ2FLldv1Gsv5-8v2dlZKM7ZJEy1Thqp4-R76ZUVVFvJPaYZnCSSpWQhcDSFQ/s320/2017-11-30+118.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another view of the Cathedral that was sadly still closed.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizq-rL62gzPhcRCx7j-uAvAs0KZU-6CE6QncpsamBBluoBULpsbJi8Sil3VYdBNLyrVHeooxC3RjzRTp3n97VnEpMGYTRSN8P7Hm0phdnEEqqCx5QHRQAZYF0oYU3TGgsH7B0RQYA-DOc/s1600/2017-11-30+119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizq-rL62gzPhcRCx7j-uAvAs0KZU-6CE6QncpsamBBluoBULpsbJi8Sil3VYdBNLyrVHeooxC3RjzRTp3n97VnEpMGYTRSN8P7Hm0phdnEEqqCx5QHRQAZYF0oYU3TGgsH7B0RQYA-DOc/s320/2017-11-30+119.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Since it was still early, we hopped on the metro to <b>Viña del Mar,</b> a coastal resort city northwest of Valpo that was well known for having a pretty beach and a lovely flower clock.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PNlwPGkwoULEfT2kfIY8w10O3bGTYnracu3VpJRWcvI1-9xoeNCDXmsZY4FUQwVkDo0QeJ19UdrEji9CnvTmTTi9hXaJlnvwKSA6V-t8vq421y2ofPSLtNvYbkglEdeVM7BSYKAlPJI/s1600/2017-11-30+120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PNlwPGkwoULEfT2kfIY8w10O3bGTYnracu3VpJRWcvI1-9xoeNCDXmsZY4FUQwVkDo0QeJ19UdrEji9CnvTmTTi9hXaJlnvwKSA6V-t8vq421y2ofPSLtNvYbkglEdeVM7BSYKAlPJI/s320/2017-11-30+120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were entertained on the 20 minute journey by a shoeless singer who sang several plaintive Spanish ballads. Little did we know that Steven would be returning later, also shoeless!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoJLwr0VkvAeANJJSZTDO07SXXq4Cjh8_fxITh0k1DDaH0TvOX9ubBDauPFGJASyfnqur9jSEARLv0k3goIwYu98JvWKKyRqbXabTa_FmX-bAz1npgfk7dicTbC17Lcrwph0mwNf05Yc/s1600/2017-11-30+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoJLwr0VkvAeANJJSZTDO07SXXq4Cjh8_fxITh0k1DDaH0TvOX9ubBDauPFGJASyfnqur9jSEARLv0k3goIwYu98JvWKKyRqbXabTa_FmX-bAz1npgfk7dicTbC17Lcrwph0mwNf05Yc/s320/2017-11-30+121.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxoVJ-AgBSEDHsH6jIh6x4-neYJ5NUTbQNPuLsI8Hkgp56kXdsoJ_Rfe7Xk_RWjElw1m4G_S3SAWmPhjvtgQbTw1JNvPorKkGxv9hO7hUHSts2nflyXyqgQTS3Ye6E7En-gQeu8OBxV0/s1600/2017-11-30+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxoVJ-AgBSEDHsH6jIh6x4-neYJ5NUTbQNPuLsI8Hkgp56kXdsoJ_Rfe7Xk_RWjElw1m4G_S3SAWmPhjvtgQbTw1JNvPorKkGxv9hO7hUHSts2nflyXyqgQTS3Ye6E7En-gQeu8OBxV0/s320/2017-11-30+126.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The walk from the metro stop to the beach took far longer than the metro ride but it was a gorgeous sunny day so we didn't mind a bit.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkjsio01KmqVs9oUQyAh4qbqVLiH2x7oykxPF04a2yg7F45uTiH91d_aATaoWvdp-pJM0mEJsAwaM6xfu1XTlLHjGNNgFQIX3OVXi8U1ri5MlA-6Upen4aXkl1YpTwTn-af07e7KgCX0/s1600/2017-11-30+127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkjsio01KmqVs9oUQyAh4qbqVLiH2x7oykxPF04a2yg7F45uTiH91d_aATaoWvdp-pJM0mEJsAwaM6xfu1XTlLHjGNNgFQIX3OVXi8U1ri5MlA-6Upen4aXkl1YpTwTn-af07e7KgCX0/s320/2017-11-30+127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">While Steven played a game on his kindle, I watched this fellow and others performing all sorts of acrobatic acts in and from the sling they had hung from the roof. What a relaxing way to spend a good hour or so sitting at the beach and watching families enjoy themselves in the surf just a few feet away. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlDKOtENxUtMo5732WaO0-3jvPJspj3pCsS2rdVGBRsx9OeyNP6XsxvN9zp_V1v88zut1IAuQG0tFc50sl2pNaE4pmRZMUXyizmrOcOw0z2KqNji1nYExESVlgk2kCS4Vc-DUSIy12j4/s1600/2017-11-30+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlDKOtENxUtMo5732WaO0-3jvPJspj3pCsS2rdVGBRsx9OeyNP6XsxvN9zp_V1v88zut1IAuQG0tFc50sl2pNaE4pmRZMUXyizmrOcOw0z2KqNji1nYExESVlgk2kCS4Vc-DUSIy12j4/s320/2017-11-30+128.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had both taken off our shoes to feel the warm sand beneath our toes. Steven put his prescription glasses, watch and suntan lotion in his hiking shoes he had bought for the trip down by his feet, not giving them a moment's thought. That was, until we were ready to leave and noticed someone had walked off with his shoes and everything in them! We talked to a lifeguard who said he wasn't too surprised and that we needed to keep a constant eye on our belongings. He generously offered to give Steven his sandals but he declined.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMne9lyJcLZcZ0jAyH_JnzCLuL7zrf8x_joHCe5JY-E8eXBqDDvW6SwLnEuV4z23zJ2veCL1_hclWgDDty7WFnPOAuhqi6fNZUeuTaPHsIctLhT_P_IE6xgl-TSf1SX8ucRDOTdFFqfvU/s1600/2017-11-30+129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMne9lyJcLZcZ0jAyH_JnzCLuL7zrf8x_joHCe5JY-E8eXBqDDvW6SwLnEuV4z23zJ2veCL1_hclWgDDty7WFnPOAuhqi6fNZUeuTaPHsIctLhT_P_IE6xgl-TSf1SX8ucRDOTdFFqfvU/s320/2017-11-30+129.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We were both flabbergasted the thief had been so brazen since we were both right there beside the shoes and wide awake the whole time. As my brother, <b>Paul,</b> said when I told him what had happened, '"Obviously you weren't careful enough!" He was right, of course. We were just relieved it had happened near the end of the trip when we didn't have any significant hiking left. We figured whoever took his shoes, etc., must have needed everything well more than Steven did, too! I felt sorry for Steven traipsing back barefoot through downtown </span><span style="font-size: large;">Viña del Mar as it was a hot day and the sidewalks must have been very uncomfortable for him.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgmbwyH1y3EG3_TKMMepjWK3OmmpysNnpd3rd0LnSN5lFeYZDPhTsTUHG7Mmuo0ELySE-uzJAMGOsBZ110wnYiNRr9204hCRr-DLr3XlHET7_fb8L4LdAlwNzKXbL3LlC8CdOdOUTaRM/s1600/2017-11-30+130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgmbwyH1y3EG3_TKMMepjWK3OmmpysNnpd3rd0LnSN5lFeYZDPhTsTUHG7Mmuo0ELySE-uzJAMGOsBZ110wnYiNRr9204hCRr-DLr3XlHET7_fb8L4LdAlwNzKXbL3LlC8CdOdOUTaRM/s320/2017-11-30+130.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was concerned that Steven might not be allowed on the metro back to </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso without shoes but luckily that wasn't an issue.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKBnl7i8wIs95FWQMgTjVIBHxu6TZetPeJ04S_Hi6Odiw7D5KEt4JHt9UJV9cD5F1huv-oEGdr9r2YOspjIz4TFVWxGfJ71Hfbv6q0Y5wYQoQ3Yz2Qt8G20lUyP4n0hhpmXnOTVKWHts/s1600/2017-11-30+133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKBnl7i8wIs95FWQMgTjVIBHxu6TZetPeJ04S_Hi6Odiw7D5KEt4JHt9UJV9cD5F1huv-oEGdr9r2YOspjIz4TFVWxGfJ71Hfbv6q0Y5wYQoQ3Yz2Qt8G20lUyP4n0hhpmXnOTVKWHts/s320/2017-11-30+133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUybHPWqC-28J6ZuLPZnK0H_Dyx1fLog1SjQ03448UH4Ei2bO_u3j8oTHDpxvAmhwdgmNbaHibc3oNGkYQk8xJ6_S5uZ9Vk611O2Yd3Ecqb69P2gosh1JnxpqbIcM7zdxfvtprhYaRvo/s1600/2017-11-30+134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUybHPWqC-28J6ZuLPZnK0H_Dyx1fLog1SjQ03448UH4Ei2bO_u3j8oTHDpxvAmhwdgmNbaHibc3oNGkYQk8xJ6_S5uZ9Vk611O2Yd3Ecqb69P2gosh1JnxpqbIcM7zdxfvtprhYaRvo/s320/2017-11-30+134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once we got back to town, we spent some time looking for any shop by the port that might sell sandals or some sort of footwear Steven could wear but there was none to be found. I was able to find some postcards, though, which didn't appear to be sold anywhere else. Count yourself lucky if you got one of the hard-to-get postcards from Valpo while Steven was wandering around shoeless!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy1BaRDH_mIasra8Auf_GWwtPeqqY1fCQPFkitbOYxSPcTUVO6Nez6QAHasXjb7OjB9al2d1FFzqnnzAdfziImL1IY8OpDUayGgbnK97Sw1PsMq3sEtjT60483yBM7KB-2VjwJZinhfI/s1600/2017-11-30+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy1BaRDH_mIasra8Auf_GWwtPeqqY1fCQPFkitbOYxSPcTUVO6Nez6QAHasXjb7OjB9al2d1FFzqnnzAdfziImL1IY8OpDUayGgbnK97Sw1PsMq3sEtjT60483yBM7KB-2VjwJZinhfI/s320/2017-11-30+136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Muelle Prat</b> which translates to Prat Dock was actually a wharf with steps leading to the water. It would have been a great place to enjoy the port buzz and watch ships anchored in the harbor but we had to leave as we were on a mission: to find footwear for Steven.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFrxE3ufuZ2PDxA9UVyggOXxnNGYGX7mGIDH5XW-o3V3YpsJWD8akPn0qEoZhyF8Afv2BFrvjmMCNIVU87yB_8T3WpHS4FjP0UyM3OTqxMPeZNK6r4fxTcVnhYc3MfFet8FlOSFOyKhs/s1600/2017-11-30+137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFrxE3ufuZ2PDxA9UVyggOXxnNGYGX7mGIDH5XW-o3V3YpsJWD8akPn0qEoZhyF8Afv2BFrvjmMCNIVU87yB_8T3WpHS4FjP0UyM3OTqxMPeZNK6r4fxTcVnhYc3MfFet8FlOSFOyKhs/s320/2017-11-30+137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GSYNS8CjVYS-6GGld44YSYozH8tMf6tHZJAEwP1WdJIhpuGBiq3E-uOE6BfBeTtJT_q0DLBLrjQQoTPqsHZJyIT2xSERCR5yY3QmrnxQAoCe9Z7VsieqSF6_9yMYpJy21mu43YKNMVM/s1600/2017-11-30+138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GSYNS8CjVYS-6GGld44YSYozH8tMf6tHZJAEwP1WdJIhpuGBiq3E-uOE6BfBeTtJT_q0DLBLrjQQoTPqsHZJyIT2xSERCR5yY3QmrnxQAoCe9Z7VsieqSF6_9yMYpJy21mu43YKNMVM/s320/2017-11-30+138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As we began walking several blocks through some very gritty parts of Valpo looking for a shoe store, it was ironical that a couple of locals gestured we needed to exercise great caution there by holding our backpacks in front and hiding my camera without even noticing Steven had no shoes! A few minutes later, </span><span style="font-size: large;">three youngish 'city monitors' stopped us and asked, in English, to tell them of our experience in their city, again not looking at Steven's feet!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfSgR-ndSWT1edYOY-T8NuUzfxz4KKOXfxehB9kp3slrZfClm3vDp6ynEAOSdo9RCrBmYw-PdsYo18xehG2VzF-J7BQlfVwegfVv-ncdhNFmJNCVlhytcKWVTh-jGuS4lDsjfHpBtbyM/s1600/2017-11-30+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfSgR-ndSWT1edYOY-T8NuUzfxz4KKOXfxehB9kp3slrZfClm3vDp6ynEAOSdo9RCrBmYw-PdsYo18xehG2VzF-J7BQlfVwegfVv-ncdhNFmJNCVlhytcKWVTh-jGuS4lDsjfHpBtbyM/s320/2017-11-30+142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had been warned many times about safety in South America and I had had a very unpleasant experience immediately on arrival in Ecuador but we counted ourselves lucky that, once again, this situation could have been far worse than a short-lived inconvenience. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Cy0UUTfGBYXB12tii_5QHTrrvWCc52gCWsQmFq839VH0Hh_hukDWvAaeQ_5OeVVomWkyooq1UKLdmju7uSePExtccuoyUDH4BWS5m-B26Drsco5zCkCzFEwkBpnnmKJVpBeuFX2ZoQ/s1600/2017-11-30+143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Cy0UUTfGBYXB12tii_5QHTrrvWCc52gCWsQmFq839VH0Hh_hukDWvAaeQ_5OeVVomWkyooq1UKLdmju7uSePExtccuoyUDH4BWS5m-B26Drsco5zCkCzFEwkBpnnmKJVpBeuFX2ZoQ/s320/2017-11-30+143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we mentioned what had happened, the city ambassadors became very concerned and told us to immediately get off the street because of the filthy, doggy-do sidewalks and get a tram. We didn't and were just relieved when I finally saw a shop that sold flip flops that would at least suffice until we got back to the hotel where he had a pair of river shoes. He also had an extra pair of glasses there, too.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwJ5SRV3gM8LHcbUJBSygn3c6NUWJRDgHO2YbpCOwa1H1qkvYCpyDZSeVz_efrWnz3ZIJdbtePhVQbC1cTaFNCL-okFp33Xbs2X9xIS-s4cMNla7vE5jrmWPa_VfAAZ4JdE3N17-uKLg/s1600/2017-11-30+141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwJ5SRV3gM8LHcbUJBSygn3c6NUWJRDgHO2YbpCOwa1H1qkvYCpyDZSeVz_efrWnz3ZIJdbtePhVQbC1cTaFNCL-okFp33Xbs2X9xIS-s4cMNla7vE5jrmWPa_VfAAZ4JdE3N17-uKLg/s320/2017-11-30+141.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Though some of the city's poorer neighborhoods and part of downtown got to us because of the incredible stench, filth and graffiti, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Valparaíso still holds a very special place in my heart. I cherish my memories of the stunning murals, its lovely views from the <i>paseos,</i> the quirky funiculars and yes, even the endless stairs on the city's 42 hills!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMpYuXXLyyquXxpGWHpCL7I0KJpcvLW4iM7dTYSGQxqbyZRPOaelXAfxBESqY6wue-mehRrtqXQSrNwOft-XzkQ2J4lPsbkyvkGWpwpWzD-AkmkNJxP8lcskg0SutjUxdD28dTIm907A/s1600/2017-11-30+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMpYuXXLyyquXxpGWHpCL7I0KJpcvLW4iM7dTYSGQxqbyZRPOaelXAfxBESqY6wue-mehRrtqXQSrNwOft-XzkQ2J4lPsbkyvkGWpwpWzD-AkmkNJxP8lcskg0SutjUxdD28dTIm907A/s320/2017-11-30+145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Our third and final stay in Santiago!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on May 2nd, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-21193990289492014282018-04-29T17:13:00.000-06:002018-08-11T16:43:53.650-06:0011/29: Valparaiso, Chile: A City of Hills, Ascensores, Piano Steps & Dynamic Street Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b color="#f6ceb4" face=""" size="15.4px" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>Reading this post via email or on your phone? Want to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full web page.</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">After taking a bus to <b>Valparaíso,</b> a 90-minute trip NW from the capital of Santiago, we dumped our bags in our charming hotel to explore one of the first Chilean cities founded by the Spanish in 1541. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">It was hard to want to stay indoors when we had already noticed the city, whose name translates to Paradise Valley, was an explosion of color splattered across every building. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGfihTME_51lR64NlV_vtKV5zokeWjOfGyXZ60L0owiA3zobiJVUeKIxXgTYaXmsdnnJTEk9erbeCS36frl9b8qwRwAYrFPs11YccWAwxXsxZ93Say1J9_7OwG3vMYKWDnuoTAajGIrk/s1600/2017-11-29+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGfihTME_51lR64NlV_vtKV5zokeWjOfGyXZ60L0owiA3zobiJVUeKIxXgTYaXmsdnnJTEk9erbeCS36frl9b8qwRwAYrFPs11YccWAwxXsxZ93Say1J9_7OwG3vMYKWDnuoTAajGIrk/s320/2017-11-29+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5mkpLU6MRrOC-Pf4_exuhXWIidgDBcqxD9Ked_gNPTRrfn77xZVeCUYETXoXZsm5EUAc7RZc2dFPIA8O1p2s21YO2RrqUQwa1lSWxTnGrw_BhnoTz3I2K-CphPWM5ChnJQnwE_fJlnI/s1600/2017-11-29+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5mkpLU6MRrOC-Pf4_exuhXWIidgDBcqxD9Ked_gNPTRrfn77xZVeCUYETXoXZsm5EUAc7RZc2dFPIA8O1p2s21YO2RrqUQwa1lSWxTnGrw_BhnoTz3I2K-CphPWM5ChnJQnwE_fJlnI/s320/2017-11-29+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">The city, the capital's thriving port for centuries, was spread along some spectacularly steep hills, with stairways and streets that wound past aging buildings, many of which were built by the British in the 19th century. We were taking a walking tour later but decided to get a head start and discover what we could by ourselves.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5dUALutVhKda3UlgmEdxF_GN4wef3EeyYujWutPjcsEsUjm1nSfA0N6qfzWkkj2fBsik1H7o0U7sY5apk6pDNqnMzw1FtTdrm2J628qatZU0vzLGHgBZ1mId3u0fgfMGQoTxFgT9cCg/s1600/2017-11-29+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5dUALutVhKda3UlgmEdxF_GN4wef3EeyYujWutPjcsEsUjm1nSfA0N6qfzWkkj2fBsik1H7o0U7sY5apk6pDNqnMzw1FtTdrm2J628qatZU0vzLGHgBZ1mId3u0fgfMGQoTxFgT9cCg/s320/2017-11-29+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We'd included Valparaíso, or ‘Valpo’ as the locals call it, on our Chile itinerary because the center's status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was also home to over 40 historic hills or <i><b>cerros</b></i> that offered spectacular views of the city and bay below. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our hotel was located at the top of the hilltop neighborhood of <b>Cerro Concepcion</b> so we had nowhere to go but down!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxDrZmvZQFxljxmTfhpeFzzMBqSVF4Denru829ZqYXX_h7Nf-OBBYvdRtgl55uGjyYh2OpEoKKIELG9-XbGsFHXp2O0rQfRUdpD3wFZKbct20uUxfwevlgPm4bUuDGhx3xHKfG4IP4Jg/s1600/2017-11-29+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxDrZmvZQFxljxmTfhpeFzzMBqSVF4Denru829ZqYXX_h7Nf-OBBYvdRtgl55uGjyYh2OpEoKKIELG9-XbGsFHXp2O0rQfRUdpD3wFZKbct20uUxfwevlgPm4bUuDGhx3xHKfG4IP4Jg/s320/2017-11-29+007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was immediately evident that the city was a quirky collection of dilapidated buildings and cobble stoned alleyways full of graffiti and color as far as the eye could see!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTaXEVV75aQ5GV5Wpl7jnfEpjScbqQ1IFkxPN384HbMhDLGe-jv9l-NT8BYycVKeFh6zxJFnusQBvoSnWpkqpA9O6-H6r8D3Fv0QtCqdR2VnkoQ4xdMLvFiGlEbMnVGn68qQXog1_rkg/s1600/2017-11-29+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTaXEVV75aQ5GV5Wpl7jnfEpjScbqQ1IFkxPN384HbMhDLGe-jv9l-NT8BYycVKeFh6zxJFnusQBvoSnWpkqpA9O6-H6r8D3Fv0QtCqdR2VnkoQ4xdMLvFiGlEbMnVGn68qQXog1_rkg/s320/2017-11-29+008.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jx8ps7025cL0eBJxETr7lbVOgmujaU4ylWAJj0vkt1z1NBgot1GXE7u59BZGTEHYPe-6k9JMNlvXyjJ3ystPR9aDKdT1vPfIGTCW3XGHWmztamJzkZzAzkvarJSdR4FTfpN_rYkNawM/s1600/2017-11-29+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jx8ps7025cL0eBJxETr7lbVOgmujaU4ylWAJj0vkt1z1NBgot1GXE7u59BZGTEHYPe-6k9JMNlvXyjJ3ystPR9aDKdT1vPfIGTCW3XGHWmztamJzkZzAzkvarJSdR4FTfpN_rYkNawM/s320/2017-11-29+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNszWpSp4nmAVng1miEeqjQqQmnsPsWmw4MWfK6S4YizDJOzC6K8TOT3Mcp-kh7w1BJEg46jlZ2wHtMKIdpfJMy7fdQo4wk-N0wBxBIRNv-rPkSDCVg4rIDkjOq5k7nEcYeyLp9MuiHM/s1600/2017-11-29+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNszWpSp4nmAVng1miEeqjQqQmnsPsWmw4MWfK6S4YizDJOzC6K8TOT3Mcp-kh7w1BJEg46jlZ2wHtMKIdpfJMy7fdQo4wk-N0wBxBIRNv-rPkSDCVg4rIDkjOq5k7nEcYeyLp9MuiHM/s320/2017-11-29+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogVAf9QIDN8wCUVj5r7K5kiv5HMTfo6hW4WcqLZaUDLRlfjJLreP15rfcwItJ7HnF6-d7qH5lDleccX3n0CJvrq5zrFBB-6GTFOQxD_4TkuFGePof5nfgaLnBl9aB7pisf_CmqlKPLm8/s1600/2017-11-29+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogVAf9QIDN8wCUVj5r7K5kiv5HMTfo6hW4WcqLZaUDLRlfjJLreP15rfcwItJ7HnF6-d7qH5lDleccX3n0CJvrq5zrFBB-6GTFOQxD_4TkuFGePof5nfgaLnBl9aB7pisf_CmqlKPLm8/s320/2017-11-29+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I just loved seeing the riot of color in the murals, bright walls, unexpected stencils, cheery window shutters, and fun mosaics that caught our eye at every turn. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The vibrancy of the street art through every lane, staircase, street and alleyway was amazing. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGhMbJVqjlgJP59M6g1IIas48Yu2zhTtG1jLqZTeqHCNgjd63pyYcjDvwC-WxQkS_HRipgtOtd_gVpZx1lgm4Cmnq-UqI4gpEPxshVQQ-aNG4TY64Jvl7jCVSvTI-n56BCem5O9a50sg/s1600/2017-11-29+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGhMbJVqjlgJP59M6g1IIas48Yu2zhTtG1jLqZTeqHCNgjd63pyYcjDvwC-WxQkS_HRipgtOtd_gVpZx1lgm4Cmnq-UqI4gpEPxshVQQ-aNG4TY64Jvl7jCVSvTI-n56BCem5O9a50sg/s320/2017-11-29+012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCnIuhaLbrQNDxFKmQf-_Qf4QgjiEySymLvga6ju8Z0BuwsiJFEWXeRyX5M3txWRGnz2zROahyphenhypheneBpjxB_jUtiFi6TBh3JHuXKNZJwZPoXtox51W6DqMhRaqlhpRkYKuz1kzxiXY9B9oE/s1600/2017-11-29+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCnIuhaLbrQNDxFKmQf-_Qf4QgjiEySymLvga6ju8Z0BuwsiJFEWXeRyX5M3txWRGnz2zROahyphenhypheneBpjxB_jUtiFi6TBh3JHuXKNZJwZPoXtox51W6DqMhRaqlhpRkYKuz1kzxiXY9B9oE/s320/2017-11-29+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Never had we seen such a large scale of mural art anywhere. Unlike most cities, which mainly have graffiti, this part of Valparaiso had the most amazing wall art.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvkJvpcek_IK9XKQMZk6cwUJKaqJP89iLLmQYj17CynVliQ1nlF9oR6LYRShvwAN7yiTkjXW2cLRoNPqulI1WtjDvgZ0NrAOH0dU1fHgxAQllOt6tc6pSOITKd__EQz6u32jQQRqHG4Q/s1600/2017-11-29+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvkJvpcek_IK9XKQMZk6cwUJKaqJP89iLLmQYj17CynVliQ1nlF9oR6LYRShvwAN7yiTkjXW2cLRoNPqulI1WtjDvgZ0NrAOH0dU1fHgxAQllOt6tc6pSOITKd__EQz6u32jQQRqHG4Q/s320/2017-11-29+014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9FmkgzMhZgedKKjBtUGg_lufJxmg_Emk0s879DvtPKDirFIJ7Hg068AOe1hSV0YOVbFaVMm4KC7P8l1mgJpylCsdgvT9uNS1IYzflL2Q-e6R2mufV4J7BhiVTsfxwAecQ5YUz8BL_U4/s1600/2017-11-29+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9FmkgzMhZgedKKjBtUGg_lufJxmg_Emk0s879DvtPKDirFIJ7Hg068AOe1hSV0YOVbFaVMm4KC7P8l1mgJpylCsdgvT9uNS1IYzflL2Q-e6R2mufV4J7BhiVTsfxwAecQ5YUz8BL_U4/s320/2017-11-29+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">You didn't think I was kidding when part of the post's title says 'stairs,' did you? Luckily we had just come down all the huge number of steps but of course, it meant later we'd be going up, one breathless step at a time!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBduOqPAHwEjeKJ8eKGfFTQdLHJi-2GIifiteOvOH79V0VIKEIjG4sAW_eoq9huthrCJW8LZlKiY8auwL8inIU6AZt-Wp0Zrrpi45WnlNlu-QshHw4IDexKVtOZLkq_syU8otsQYJVps0/s1600/2017-11-29+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBduOqPAHwEjeKJ8eKGfFTQdLHJi-2GIifiteOvOH79V0VIKEIjG4sAW_eoq9huthrCJW8LZlKiY8auwL8inIU6AZt-Wp0Zrrpi45WnlNlu-QshHw4IDexKVtOZLkq_syU8otsQYJVps0/s320/2017-11-29+019.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbqsi9_tTGMdGEaQMEIezfzNxWRQ0S0qqIjRvEo3SowxeZ7N2ELhaB-dOX8qM43TnAK9kyuv24B20vqwQbIGF2Ag0Wgo22cKfciV6NWbmoR2_JVSTXjDlG1utdRepoQwhI3O1cSHsUYQ/s1600/2017-11-29+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbqsi9_tTGMdGEaQMEIezfzNxWRQ0S0qqIjRvEo3SowxeZ7N2ELhaB-dOX8qM43TnAK9kyuv24B20vqwQbIGF2Ag0Wgo22cKfciV6NWbmoR2_JVSTXjDlG1utdRepoQwhI3O1cSHsUYQ/s320/2017-11-29+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErIrxJCrDiSgBelJd2dytU2MwW5mAPqFRxmoe-A5cXxnLrx8jdPiKcSPa5hSs-9PzuZo3Wgti2Hs83juzXvNgHi7sqLJpBsMhrkR78QI3p1zLFLSnw0RytlS9v_TetyCyLOtNxzpqm3w/s1600/2017-11-29+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErIrxJCrDiSgBelJd2dytU2MwW5mAPqFRxmoe-A5cXxnLrx8jdPiKcSPa5hSs-9PzuZo3Wgti2Hs83juzXvNgHi7sqLJpBsMhrkR78QI3p1zLFLSnw0RytlS9v_TetyCyLOtNxzpqm3w/s320/2017-11-29+022.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1OO41UP5De7aQnaVATQIy3rWrXmijhug0upDyCI0yuHPF56zLaLURIkIn86DUm9OrONZvNg8gkvm2ilf9OgVsbmh6yNIQ5kPxQlQrEcOMt3jaCmrKGOVOarq2jd18VAGZJ-ke8ekXgI/s1600/2017-11-29+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1OO41UP5De7aQnaVATQIy3rWrXmijhug0upDyCI0yuHPF56zLaLURIkIn86DUm9OrONZvNg8gkvm2ilf9OgVsbmh6yNIQ5kPxQlQrEcOMt3jaCmrKGOVOarq2jd18VAGZJ-ke8ekXgI/s320/2017-11-29+023.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once finally down and in the heart of the city was <b>Reloj Turri, </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">Valparaíso's equivalent of London's Big Ben. The area was also the financial heart of the city and was where there were so many British influences dating from England being the largest trading partner with Chile hundreds of years ago and also buying up large parts of the city.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHtYoVxc4v6cklQLgEebJHGnfwSKV_yRMW0Y-SdaQExBBHeiMId3P22FeyIxaIaZ12YcjHJeu-KEjOI0v2vimFAFMRxMSLDveqSPPenOkd25wZHFE5F_Aswpl_OQyTjj8etzYbqI5FoU/s1600/2017-11-29+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHtYoVxc4v6cklQLgEebJHGnfwSKV_yRMW0Y-SdaQExBBHeiMId3P22FeyIxaIaZ12YcjHJeu-KEjOI0v2vimFAFMRxMSLDveqSPPenOkd25wZHFE5F_Aswpl_OQyTjj8etzYbqI5FoU/s320/2017-11-29+025.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ffl3xkqrV5DLJsXaTI5ywjlHrFQcUjBWzzXzkBjIImChncUAUyJ29AtPp8c2FuhVAUgrBfKpLCGGewU6hfbedm6Mcb0LyqttUL9KQWjGr444lYQ7NndtXtDZYdqg7eU5tZQums2NFP8/s1600/2017-11-29+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ffl3xkqrV5DLJsXaTI5ywjlHrFQcUjBWzzXzkBjIImChncUAUyJ29AtPp8c2FuhVAUgrBfKpLCGGewU6hfbedm6Mcb0LyqttUL9KQWjGr444lYQ7NndtXtDZYdqg7eU5tZQums2NFP8/s320/2017-11-29+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGasp5ZTUvO0_xdcSKeFpLjSn7ahGzUBDSyxxuck0Eew0lVUm7pozBz7uPcK9ohQ_KxDyeMhNzxWO2QfUCxhyphenhyphenz9Y79kYyzef4dYG9El9gqfnJTEBmqabsbwj1Um7jHzy3WsTFv7sVF24/s1600/2017-11-29+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGasp5ZTUvO0_xdcSKeFpLjSn7ahGzUBDSyxxuck0Eew0lVUm7pozBz7uPcK9ohQ_KxDyeMhNzxWO2QfUCxhyphenhyphenz9Y79kYyzef4dYG9El9gqfnJTEBmqabsbwj1Um7jHzy3WsTFv7sVF24/s320/2017-11-29+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We could so easily have walked a few blocks to see some of the colonial buildings but that would have been too easy so we huffed and puffed our way up to </span><span style="font-size: large;">the gorgeous</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <i>paseo</i> </span><span style="font-size: large;">or promenade called</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Paseo Yugoslavo.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-0Q5wQOZjGMhpnV9J_10I5uHy9l-v6z5ToRBALUY_1ySJhdoPJvZdtoH-kXdFTWJ5X5etWbbigYoX_rHWNaIH-DGB6zBxeF4xzUawhVaafhL0-vd0sIidMl2ZA87iG_OdCeFKl7ex7o/s1600/2017-11-29+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-0Q5wQOZjGMhpnV9J_10I5uHy9l-v6z5ToRBALUY_1ySJhdoPJvZdtoH-kXdFTWJ5X5etWbbigYoX_rHWNaIH-DGB6zBxeF4xzUawhVaafhL0-vd0sIidMl2ZA87iG_OdCeFKl7ex7o/s320/2017-11-29+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were treated to marvelous views of the city and harbor from the <i>paseo.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktKgnlM4QepFrnC5SnlNSebSsJn-RCe14eeMzfR3JUQ-e8WJecOjt5Uioh4DtfoLzeP2eOn9gU_dQlpTT66nla2q5Q9WRWNkVbi__l1FZAvT5V-AAw9M-uUC2jDHz7W-hpN2NkcsYGKI/s1600/2017-11-29+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktKgnlM4QepFrnC5SnlNSebSsJn-RCe14eeMzfR3JUQ-e8WJecOjt5Uioh4DtfoLzeP2eOn9gU_dQlpTT66nla2q5Q9WRWNkVbi__l1FZAvT5V-AAw9M-uUC2jDHz7W-hpN2NkcsYGKI/s320/2017-11-29+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTXhniIrPB51mzVkoUcdftwQGNx3Ay6brhriOdqIBB-sS_JPOT36gJ8N9EMYo-DbnhRAhzP7hm-wMYJBaIu7ZddiqwtTf7LP8mUM6HT_yAmd9m4DQJnph7hO4hNoPqOnnB9Q5D45PUKA/s1600/2017-11-29+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTXhniIrPB51mzVkoUcdftwQGNx3Ay6brhriOdqIBB-sS_JPOT36gJ8N9EMYo-DbnhRAhzP7hm-wMYJBaIu7ZddiqwtTf7LP8mUM6HT_yAmd9m4DQJnph7hO4hNoPqOnnB9Q5D45PUKA/s320/2017-11-29+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mt-Y51AYHDsNUhw6fthugwEQfFHCYsXx5O4OFY5utasasuCn6kSKBoTM3G1gudtTa-HX67pRo11wZVHEl-q5Ud_2-jnvqxqw5uZbW_aTLTxHAjZkYIPzF5B5b9_vhnIw0IOjM2U2UgA/s1600/2017-11-29+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mt-Y51AYHDsNUhw6fthugwEQfFHCYsXx5O4OFY5utasasuCn6kSKBoTM3G1gudtTa-HX67pRo11wZVHEl-q5Ud_2-jnvqxqw5uZbW_aTLTxHAjZkYIPzF5B5b9_vhnIw0IOjM2U2UgA/s320/2017-11-29+041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">By the promenade was the <b>Museo de Bellas Artes</b> or Fine Arts Museum that was housed in the intriguing <b>Palacio Baburizza.</b> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The building, erected in 1916, was declared a national monument in 1979, became the city's property in 1991 and underwent a full restoration in 2012. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSAU2aqiVKSUBY1H9KEpDeGo-_hxRAo6gFRowf9RUm2nRq1ljClidM8zpBrgs3uULe7T_6FbPvulLt9fQIg99opFpxSkbQ4tk1G2012FtazqxW7PKo5mAOZ0K16v-shw7FX6EcC7ge6E/s1600/2017-11-29+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSAU2aqiVKSUBY1H9KEpDeGo-_hxRAo6gFRowf9RUm2nRq1ljClidM8zpBrgs3uULe7T_6FbPvulLt9fQIg99opFpxSkbQ4tk1G2012FtazqxW7PKo5mAOZ0K16v-shw7FX6EcC7ge6E/s320/2017-11-29+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To conquer the hilltops, <b>ascenores</b> or funiculars were introduced at the beginning of the last century. We had read that no visit to the city would be complete without a ride on one so took the steep <b>Ascensor El Peral. </b>It was constructed in 1902 and is considered a national monument. The 52 meter trip which </span><span style="font-size: large;">cost all of </span><span style="font-size: large;">.18</span><span style="font-size: large;"> took us down to the</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> Palacio de Justicia.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was so much fun, we were already looking forward to riding one of the other funiculars in the city!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWTIr_BaPa3UDP6P7ammKDELedELKw3Bj7M3W2qzQSzbIrkOSFC2SpLPUroFW0QShaH1ZaTvJ2bIp7TPkgNukXWHPFNX1mGYZ8dvfTAo8Uwp02U9jXTtM_1Ruq2fUd_Sr4nrMJh3AQgY/s1600/2017-11-29+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWTIr_BaPa3UDP6P7ammKDELedELKw3Bj7M3W2qzQSzbIrkOSFC2SpLPUroFW0QShaH1ZaTvJ2bIp7TPkgNukXWHPFNX1mGYZ8dvfTAo8Uwp02U9jXTtM_1Ruq2fUd_Sr4nrMJh3AQgY/s320/2017-11-29+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmClEOWnjHFjWMFfNKRIL1onAkmUmn_yN7oOWl_OcMfr2ozEcWRm2gReZGrC9AudV-_UT_DIH0oFSNu6RBJQvSZS80J_gswCnHbLurJ1TEx3niKwnIqLz0yLKInau3eiT06AKy_V-U84/s1600/2017-11-29+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmClEOWnjHFjWMFfNKRIL1onAkmUmn_yN7oOWl_OcMfr2ozEcWRm2gReZGrC9AudV-_UT_DIH0oFSNu6RBJQvSZS80J_gswCnHbLurJ1TEx3niKwnIqLz0yLKInau3eiT06AKy_V-U84/s320/2017-11-29+049.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Palace of Justice:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gzbZ-rZMFC_8L4Ssh4jyNomAuwyQTCyW8vTpHBg4Qz1z0XUXlAx79tEq-L7dp1Ozo18MxTQn_RCEaHbjSl9zXrvnqYNrNA8d9AVIMxAScup8QK-IPbIdUTpqgQGUW7_bE5-38CTu09k/s1600/2017-11-29+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gzbZ-rZMFC_8L4Ssh4jyNomAuwyQTCyW8vTpHBg4Qz1z0XUXlAx79tEq-L7dp1Ozo18MxTQn_RCEaHbjSl9zXrvnqYNrNA8d9AVIMxAScup8QK-IPbIdUTpqgQGUW7_bE5-38CTu09k/s320/2017-11-29+058.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The lovely pale blue of the <b>Naval Headquarters</b> in <b>Plaza Sotomayor,</b> Valpo's most impressive square, drew my eye. The name of the square immediately drew my attention and made me think of U.S. S<b>upreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.</b> However, I learned that this Plaza was named after <b>Rafael Sotomayor,</b> a former Chilean politician. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3FMnqCySesGNcjSpMbqw30Tye3O4Pqr3-T_nWec3FopzBeSECSeES50aOxZBZuN8BwsILylmpzf82bpBO7vKCmqWkLc2R8MdEsAyQeGMB1i3YXAebgibnzJdkmk0CajDEOF0txNQauc/s1600/2017-11-29+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3FMnqCySesGNcjSpMbqw30Tye3O4Pqr3-T_nWec3FopzBeSECSeES50aOxZBZuN8BwsILylmpzf82bpBO7vKCmqWkLc2R8MdEsAyQeGMB1i3YXAebgibnzJdkmk0CajDEOF0txNQauc/s320/2017-11-29+060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The plaza, which overlooked the port, was dominated by the <b>Monument to the Heroes of Iquique,</b> who died in a key naval battle in the 19th century's War of the Pacific. We met <b>Romina,</b> our 'free walking tour' guide in the plaza dedicated to the country's naval heroes at 3.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gsAzFfJug0EPdr4Mg7_XwzJ54_GfLn9jneoj07acU66Okl8bXwR5YCCiOEBIMpCZmDUnFvJbnW2a9LblOcufG-DwG8Mv2lBhDUiYq7R-zMncxytV1pr_l6OJ-jpYHcGIDBFDSNNmNBw/s1600/2017-11-29+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gsAzFfJug0EPdr4Mg7_XwzJ54_GfLn9jneoj07acU66Okl8bXwR5YCCiOEBIMpCZmDUnFvJbnW2a9LblOcufG-DwG8Mv2lBhDUiYq7R-zMncxytV1pr_l6OJ-jpYHcGIDBFDSNNmNBw/s320/2017-11-29+064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">She mentioned that there had been so many fires in the city, its first residents (known as <b><i>porteños</i></b> because they live near the port), called the city <b>Fireland</b> because it had suffered so many fires. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The port was the most important one in Latin America after James Marshall discovered gold in California and all ships had to pass through Valpo en route before the Panama Canal was built. The cargo ships and containers we saw were carrying superlative Chilean wines, fruits and vegetables that we all enjoy here in North America.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrtoUj7aVtbed8lfIfUp-4fw8fEcXCKhzgZ6Uaf0QCoR3D9XWRqV80P60BGPBSRA6mymQ97f_c9jiOiboUps4HoULbOYT9XAVavMOyyzuP8SkiEXKFqTCmhJvtGhN02L8IkzHIs0Z6JM/s1600/2017-11-29+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrtoUj7aVtbed8lfIfUp-4fw8fEcXCKhzgZ6Uaf0QCoR3D9XWRqV80P60BGPBSRA6mymQ97f_c9jiOiboUps4HoULbOYT9XAVavMOyyzuP8SkiEXKFqTCmhJvtGhN02L8IkzHIs0Z6JM/s320/2017-11-29+065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was surprised to learn that Valpo had the first bank and</span><span style="font-size: large;"> stock exchange </span><span style="font-size: large;">in Latin America, Chile's first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world,</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> El Mercurio de Valparaíso. </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">The German Bauhaus-style building at the port was the Arts Council.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEkIfTcTuv81-HiF13Flbkt6i7SOdwBfmpU4fxpGZO0l2kuQkOYGx1XIeXd0vyMAqLDEZWS5qsM7hYyJezMv0ZHXJzpyFxBgjqhO8rSlVK5aFKwZ2dkI38SObpxHXyTHpjbaYeIzAPc8/s1600/2017-11-29+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEkIfTcTuv81-HiF13Flbkt6i7SOdwBfmpU4fxpGZO0l2kuQkOYGx1XIeXd0vyMAqLDEZWS5qsM7hYyJezMv0ZHXJzpyFxBgjqhO8rSlVK5aFKwZ2dkI38SObpxHXyTHpjbaYeIzAPc8/s320/2017-11-29+067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The ugly, big black building was the shipping company. Beside that was the Fire Company. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The continent's first volunteer fire department, the American Fire Co., was established in 1851 by an American who donated a fire pump and understood the fire company would be named after his home country. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8d4ucDcFjNaQBSYFRFecgdZbfkImmGNGEc02fY9CFOUIJWUQ8w7DXGe8nhz-gK04__IqgpXYHmUaMS8lV7ox5JmtvVjO8K5aSm27DkFLKRJbT86sw8Ipe-5bN_GwwkZYyd8sTJKD-5w/s1600/2017-11-29+071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8d4ucDcFjNaQBSYFRFecgdZbfkImmGNGEc02fY9CFOUIJWUQ8w7DXGe8nhz-gK04__IqgpXYHmUaMS8lV7ox5JmtvVjO8K5aSm27DkFLKRJbT86sw8Ipe-5bN_GwwkZYyd8sTJKD-5w/s320/2017-11-29+071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At Plaza Sotomayor, </span><span style="font-size: large;">Romina had us all board one of the old style trolley buses that worked on steam to reach our next destination. It was far more fun than the new trolleys from Germany!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AJDe666ZC7_CybNl9MlJeBNHxrgStaQDmYUETaaRY55CV-6Z7JGAhb_LyVPCgkAaLzpr1ObgZzQftGiJHPF4TdWeOpuy7rfya_kwDdYQZz3g5Nf4qrkJ7DJj_KAZIS-3egiyY8SVBLo/s1600/2017-11-29+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AJDe666ZC7_CybNl9MlJeBNHxrgStaQDmYUETaaRY55CV-6Z7JGAhb_LyVPCgkAaLzpr1ObgZzQftGiJHPF4TdWeOpuy7rfya_kwDdYQZz3g5Nf4qrkJ7DJj_KAZIS-3egiyY8SVBLo/s320/2017-11-29+073.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The trolley dropped us off in <b>Plaza Anibal Pinto</b> which was built on land reclaimed from the sea. Romina described it as one of the meeting points between the flat part of the city and its many hills.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO07M5f77iz8t_D7THQNfX_V2KCLBRQRYCBcZEOV9FyW2Hjm5LVwDORDAnGSqO7Xs15n8xO8dFKztn417KY-QKJYZv2CoGAJvuYGbw0WiKudf2IVRCwXCb-suwCj96yqI9uJZ3tNERU8/s1600/2017-11-29+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO07M5f77iz8t_D7THQNfX_V2KCLBRQRYCBcZEOV9FyW2Hjm5LVwDORDAnGSqO7Xs15n8xO8dFKztn417KY-QKJYZv2CoGAJvuYGbw0WiKudf2IVRCwXCb-suwCj96yqI9uJZ3tNERU8/s320/2017-11-29+074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1m3Gxi8nLxLNEdnqHfmmcuEI3VWTg3aSqQRIzqPp9wXC9pmkgo5qY8TDZ_zX5Penx3Di9E7U_h1_n738NU7-q1TsJIbWmxAf6frPsmt3-p62YzoUY0L3WIcDXchg07LogAwYBESr8qs/s1600/2017-11-29+077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1m3Gxi8nLxLNEdnqHfmmcuEI3VWTg3aSqQRIzqPp9wXC9pmkgo5qY8TDZ_zX5Penx3Di9E7U_h1_n738NU7-q1TsJIbWmxAf6frPsmt3-p62YzoUY0L3WIcDXchg07LogAwYBESr8qs/s320/2017-11-29+077.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">From there, it was back up another funicular, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ascensor Reina Victoria</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>!</b> Also dating from 1902, it is often regarded as </span><span style="font-size: large;">Valparaíso's most beautiful. We learned from Romina that the mostly vertical 40 meter ride was one of just five funiculars left in the city because it is so difficult to repair the ancient mechanisms.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg-X0mkJO9nDqmM2FOBI1SGqSaQcI_gCgBuLDn41eG6d4p_g2ilRII05M1COlkGwLIAz8Mr1HlRfsAJt2kL1knTI4FdhyqH4TjtugolYE-wPDYI53pUCS4dsq7RvuDHmbhYXrdU_E6S8/s1600/2017-11-29+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg-X0mkJO9nDqmM2FOBI1SGqSaQcI_gCgBuLDn41eG6d4p_g2ilRII05M1COlkGwLIAz8Mr1HlRfsAJt2kL1knTI4FdhyqH4TjtugolYE-wPDYI53pUCS4dsq7RvuDHmbhYXrdU_E6S8/s320/2017-11-29+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">They used to be so popular in the 'old days' when there were no buses or cars. The Queen Victoria one was the second oldest in the city. All were run by a private company and are protected by UNESCO.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc4rAOf38XvJsPTiC7i3DQdvXYTAQ0iQz00wvjGlSxNavUlR96hFypHZUhdstehRf9CB2s13BBFejxAsUEObYqvbUzYtLEr6xmWYTGUVqUE70CCy9gPSGqJIFcK7DxcUjEmg8jGIFcV8/s1600/2017-11-29+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc4rAOf38XvJsPTiC7i3DQdvXYTAQ0iQz00wvjGlSxNavUlR96hFypHZUhdstehRf9CB2s13BBFejxAsUEObYqvbUzYtLEr6xmWYTGUVqUE70CCy9gPSGqJIFcK7DxcUjEmg8jGIFcV8/s320/2017-11-29+080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">While on the funicular, we had a magnificent view of <b>Pantheon Hill</b> which had several cemeteries, including the Dissidents' Cemetery. Longtime readers of the blog know we have spent many an hour in particularly famous cemeteries around the world but we had no time to stop at these ones.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLEXEI_ty32AfWuKFkRGlrMcKZqsmNSePRLrkXT_QdC6MrCv39b6kmsvk7CXInSKzVL7kGZJgQODjai2bOYuzbW4qzV1uEgkwCugEOFCI6m2T0nDYI32bMoYdBU7qhQEUqCeq5YQ5gOc/s1600/2017-11-29+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLEXEI_ty32AfWuKFkRGlrMcKZqsmNSePRLrkXT_QdC6MrCv39b6kmsvk7CXInSKzVL7kGZJgQODjai2bOYuzbW4qzV1uEgkwCugEOFCI6m2T0nDYI32bMoYdBU7qhQEUqCeq5YQ5gOc/s320/2017-11-29+081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Romina stressed that locals and tourists alike take advantage of the funiculars' scenic shortcuts. This one was very steep and the ride up would have been tricky for folks with a fear of heights or edges.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtpG3PaWYB4KsgENS0wi9ide-8mA_8bkLXpHl-sE3qQ6WkxAPQJZA6H4IwKC63cMFJ3d5lCR4dHNyt_u5lhPGmfjfgJkVLKebhGztcCcEqZDEXe8M_P-MVXfUBMbNn0GS7vxgomY2h98/s1600/2017-11-29+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtpG3PaWYB4KsgENS0wi9ide-8mA_8bkLXpHl-sE3qQ6WkxAPQJZA6H4IwKC63cMFJ3d5lCR4dHNyt_u5lhPGmfjfgJkVLKebhGztcCcEqZDEXe8M_P-MVXfUBMbNn0GS7vxgomY2h98/s320/2017-11-29+082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another view of the harbor from the cable car which was only big enough for ten people:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zjzRVq3BYvm1JSX0_i8jsyphrtHQXG-NKu7VTaQ1KO41MHgot-ed_80dkAD_ROC1qkSPbHNnoX3BHoyN9VkoSnYo7VN-ogGidtgfWregTAPdISszQRqTGdF8g5XRfHKNyqTHCs5zaXw/s1600/2017-11-29+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zjzRVq3BYvm1JSX0_i8jsyphrtHQXG-NKu7VTaQ1KO41MHgot-ed_80dkAD_ROC1qkSPbHNnoX3BHoyN9VkoSnYo7VN-ogGidtgfWregTAPdISszQRqTGdF8g5XRfHKNyqTHCs5zaXw/s320/2017-11-29+083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-SjaxSkNBIv9CqybzVmtsiiVCPuzUNF4PWNH0a81kX08xtUjSKPavHgcC_7SsXsZl8NQKaiSFUVOV1kqJKN5QgieFG7yufdBEVlZh8zrCjZaTeeNnUWBJqZmL7-4d2AtVUPJizMdAgc/s1600/2017-11-29+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-SjaxSkNBIv9CqybzVmtsiiVCPuzUNF4PWNH0a81kX08xtUjSKPavHgcC_7SsXsZl8NQKaiSFUVOV1kqJKN5QgieFG7yufdBEVlZh8zrCjZaTeeNnUWBJqZmL7-4d2AtVUPJizMdAgc/s320/2017-11-29+084.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioG68M4E4w4XNitRI00nI4Y-V98iqdkIocGYN5Zaze1fVQEf-MufxELcJ4MwbNfJ1xO-MfK19qrkYJxTxf5526IgUv-bJPkw3ya5IHDqKQF5oslNwAC3uGWeB7GVgro7YpeYGHHfivhk/s1600/2017-11-29+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioG68M4E4w4XNitRI00nI4Y-V98iqdkIocGYN5Zaze1fVQEf-MufxELcJ4MwbNfJ1xO-MfK19qrkYJxTxf5526IgUv-bJPkw3ya5IHDqKQF5oslNwAC3uGWeB7GVgro7YpeYGHHfivhk/s320/2017-11-29+086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved the <b>Maurice Sendak</b>-style murals at the top as it brought back such happy memories of reading to our four children way back in the Dark Ages!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKR5TGU2rCRsxcMJlXu0IEaGYlhx6fcwWyJbfWwwkZ4beSVrczyBIQAmJuppmyRf7WIrH8tfnmovXZnUKHx-PPnkS5OO9S3CuubJ-cdUIrLXA1UU9NX6j337Kld9Z4-AuKR5f1gcVrZU/s1600/2017-11-29+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKR5TGU2rCRsxcMJlXu0IEaGYlhx6fcwWyJbfWwwkZ4beSVrczyBIQAmJuppmyRf7WIrH8tfnmovXZnUKHx-PPnkS5OO9S3CuubJ-cdUIrLXA1UU9NX6j337Kld9Z4-AuKR5f1gcVrZU/s320/2017-11-29+085.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddkLCZFGM_Ub7jBmh611Ztk12RdT3CT0G2n6yO7BmJkHdYjdxAPUQ6l0npT7YJyo23azcXr21WPq-8o4V4Z-iokp74JwQOAbwbtxO9Iwu1m0uk63yvg-K3u52dtUjiB_6OJ0uvl4Mcag/s1600/2017-11-29+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddkLCZFGM_Ub7jBmh611Ztk12RdT3CT0G2n6yO7BmJkHdYjdxAPUQ6l0npT7YJyo23azcXr21WPq-8o4V4Z-iokp74JwQOAbwbtxO9Iwu1m0uk63yvg-K3u52dtUjiB_6OJ0uvl4Mcag/s320/2017-11-29+089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4J4OXh-l_9zp0qqNsWhFvdgDzlak2rnmh13z5S7ENsLLWvxwm8nizK1hu_gjm1D61g-xPca7KPV5vVnfQCwnu889Ty6Jp-sTDmwIggHx2At1qtyTcGwTP8CoYylRBxGhTuo3FmFqYh0/s1600/2017-11-29+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4J4OXh-l_9zp0qqNsWhFvdgDzlak2rnmh13z5S7ENsLLWvxwm8nizK1hu_gjm1D61g-xPca7KPV5vVnfQCwnu889Ty6Jp-sTDmwIggHx2At1qtyTcGwTP8CoYylRBxGhTuo3FmFqYh0/s320/2017-11-29+090.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Once atop Concepcion Hill where we had first started our discovery of the city from our hotel, we came out onto a small plaza where several in the group, myself included, swooshed down a metal slide like the children we were once where!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeSrp1oNemPheoZehwVrL5jHjzDGWF7Fut4SF3GL7i_nBKlgjCL2exWc0PGTxM3GDvBYZKXBgJDseQzD4TWRXm3OMyLhwH-rMKsJ3Q5Et5Q4sc0pO6xZffCMz3QNaJvMIk-pncJARQ8g/s1600/2017-11-29+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeSrp1oNemPheoZehwVrL5jHjzDGWF7Fut4SF3GL7i_nBKlgjCL2exWc0PGTxM3GDvBYZKXBgJDseQzD4TWRXm3OMyLhwH-rMKsJ3Q5Et5Q4sc0pO6xZffCMz3QNaJvMIk-pncJARQ8g/s320/2017-11-29+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Still more eye-popping murals fascinated us.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ece3r3COYfYXvjvVG0OIlNQoG-ceXI_b0qLnhu9JYGGUNTs1i9cJYPGEueZUF2pUT__hxMChoQFK069hQn78lKCWt56WsMpsZsMPaiSSmjGKJWIDcFjf3ChUYbryTuliZ2Ayn7MlbQE/s1600/2017-11-29+095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ece3r3COYfYXvjvVG0OIlNQoG-ceXI_b0qLnhu9JYGGUNTs1i9cJYPGEueZUF2pUT__hxMChoQFK069hQn78lKCWt56WsMpsZsMPaiSSmjGKJWIDcFjf3ChUYbryTuliZ2Ayn7MlbQE/s320/2017-11-29+095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6bMBHo22kdsaQ3zMAYAvyguplTiW9SiehWlCM0KD4VCmxmeZPhvuQh8wNbLlkXMqeeNmV4SEwGsCUl9olJ475VLMRI0t6YSwclmKwc7RlfK7TUzmQTbbprK7bVxE4DZQqmvtmD01InQ/s1600/2017-11-29+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6bMBHo22kdsaQ3zMAYAvyguplTiW9SiehWlCM0KD4VCmxmeZPhvuQh8wNbLlkXMqeeNmV4SEwGsCUl9olJ475VLMRI0t6YSwclmKwc7RlfK7TUzmQTbbprK7bVxE4DZQqmvtmD01InQ/s320/2017-11-29+097.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMgnwAHzcsCK0xyHVqivhbW-Fe6t2aFQR52qT9pATSdJgF6hm1mTmo9G3dsCAZanLCiJPrzwnG1namNDZxvmhl48TE7C1zFF4_w0sxLK_Ywoz4DBOMQHaOOYQTaM0zyhqwazWtGiHUu0/s1600/2017-11-29+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMgnwAHzcsCK0xyHVqivhbW-Fe6t2aFQR52qT9pATSdJgF6hm1mTmo9G3dsCAZanLCiJPrzwnG1namNDZxvmhl48TE7C1zFF4_w0sxLK_Ywoz4DBOMQHaOOYQTaM0zyhqwazWtGiHUu0/s320/2017-11-29+099.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">We didn't know when we passed by this French-named restaurant that we'd be starting our 2018 four plus month adventure in Paris in August. Way more on that trip if I ever finish this blog from last year's trip!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCYPouBNLMZutbeL-bBa6k4_sIrqbSrmTXpEBQanWEXaVIhxveq4da4DKi0He1__8ybmCluTpa68KDJWSBedhtfTY3U6BEkaGfFxvThuJ02Kg1_vmt7BOo1GY9wtCZQMbUTreKn_ds6E/s1600/2017-11-29+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCYPouBNLMZutbeL-bBa6k4_sIrqbSrmTXpEBQanWEXaVIhxveq4da4DKi0He1__8ybmCluTpa68KDJWSBedhtfTY3U6BEkaGfFxvThuJ02Kg1_vmt7BOo1GY9wtCZQMbUTreKn_ds6E/s320/2017-11-29+101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSfPyIpxjoqihnRmLyys3QnpsNQQ5IlQNYDiEw2YlHIeu1NgCrfdA66am8C4PEANjORNwNrWFP1NcCAjxpCvtwf2J-Dfwhxi9XmcCau-IoYNH0m8xEOkmoe9HYRlQQhyphenhyphencGTtbafMVNeU/s1600/2017-11-29+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSfPyIpxjoqihnRmLyys3QnpsNQQ5IlQNYDiEw2YlHIeu1NgCrfdA66am8C4PEANjORNwNrWFP1NcCAjxpCvtwf2J-Dfwhxi9XmcCau-IoYNH0m8xEOkmoe9HYRlQQhyphenhyphencGTtbafMVNeU/s320/2017-11-29+103.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Romina mentioned that <b>St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral</b> was the first Protestant church in Latin America and it was founded in 1852 by two Brits who wanted to settle here but on the condition it didn't look like a church! There was no cross on the outside and had no main front door as most (all?) churches have. It was closed then and also later when we returned in the hope of going inside.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIg9DEOydk2XzVVzkw-H5YsgEH5DT3RVc8yIBGFqzPjRHxeAQMswHrfJL2nIziA6Wf16f_SjWq4n6jRVAK0sVZcXlHLAh0rm01k54NdPoBf-TCwkVnLLx3qC-XEuS6mBmJyCs7-T9TSc/s1600/2017-11-29+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIg9DEOydk2XzVVzkw-H5YsgEH5DT3RVc8yIBGFqzPjRHxeAQMswHrfJL2nIziA6Wf16f_SjWq4n6jRVAK0sVZcXlHLAh0rm01k54NdPoBf-TCwkVnLLx3qC-XEuS6mBmJyCs7-T9TSc/s320/2017-11-29+105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OcC2CGyn7sjJy-a_L7hXmVNWR1bo-5PGfFtfyEnDJ9EnvatpP9ReZU8o50BTgur1HJ_yvsQ0aPXOGECIKsS_JCiElhPhpHh2iQP9JOH505xGHz04S-RnoHP9zbi-zbwnpNnBAODO7zg/s1600/2017-11-29+107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OcC2CGyn7sjJy-a_L7hXmVNWR1bo-5PGfFtfyEnDJ9EnvatpP9ReZU8o50BTgur1HJ_yvsQ0aPXOGECIKsS_JCiElhPhpHh2iQP9JOH505xGHz04S-RnoHP9zbi-zbwnpNnBAODO7zg/s320/2017-11-29+107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Romina stated that the main reason to live 'in the hills' was the thriving arts community. The celebrated and Pulitzer-award winning Chilean poet <b>Pablo Neruda</b> influenced people to express themselves through art in the darkest days of the country's dictatorship that lasted from 1973 until 1990. It was not allowed to paint murals but done anyway.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIWx17H_w0cDjNQkg_IK5yXiROtpgUQ4kigfi5lpeD5wHxTRIX58ubJ7HJn6V4moDnA46zmOdcydLidF00RIgMkRuU6pP3kRz6FQrGj5RQNTXor6eg13MylZFfG4SMizZ0jyNvGR9oFM/s1600/2017-11-29+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIWx17H_w0cDjNQkg_IK5yXiROtpgUQ4kigfi5lpeD5wHxTRIX58ubJ7HJn6V4moDnA46zmOdcydLidF00RIgMkRuU6pP3kRz6FQrGj5RQNTXor6eg13MylZFfG4SMizZ0jyNvGR9oFM/s320/2017-11-29+109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The hill's second Protestant church, a German Lutheran one this time, had a cross that looked like the helm of a ship.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cP8b-s7zqHN4dnz1VHJgchsYHkt3Ne3XZ2PZHM23nl2KLyo_x9Lu0t2xW-wLAEPjZew_YjZ0VdURX3TlMrNVOQ4bTE4FPncTzBJnjWoscQOzJ2Jq6d52q3yctn2KsjofPrme61hhMiU/s1600/2017-11-29+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cP8b-s7zqHN4dnz1VHJgchsYHkt3Ne3XZ2PZHM23nl2KLyo_x9Lu0t2xW-wLAEPjZew_YjZ0VdURX3TlMrNVOQ4bTE4FPncTzBJnjWoscQOzJ2Jq6d52q3yctn2KsjofPrme61hhMiU/s320/2017-11-29+112.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl6mYXXcO5-wM9O_4hoeDSHeH4Z1-SSYtTIJFz_zcugsYysrSSEkwf7p6GeDFY-J4Q8_92YAh1mNBemO9xj3SW4PHySHu7-qYv3xUYZCNvGJf64TIdPXpPcfkJSeepZE6Zix92fPGl2I/s1600/2017-11-29+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl6mYXXcO5-wM9O_4hoeDSHeH4Z1-SSYtTIJFz_zcugsYysrSSEkwf7p6GeDFY-J4Q8_92YAh1mNBemO9xj3SW4PHySHu7-qYv3xUYZCNvGJf64TIdPXpPcfkJSeepZE6Zix92fPGl2I/s320/2017-11-29+113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When Catholic churchgoers saw the two Protestant churches on Cerro Concepcion, they determined they 'had to build' a huge Catholic church on the opposite hill saying 'they were in power'!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pKrh6R3hDKU3YWJ9e5RP-6L8yVG9puTUV9tbEEkmbTIMfMxpT0Yx1tTxZIO-zgrnfZ-feW9Hu9-vOQqNRffdL7fgdUNrlbJsRAmwEiH9JIMs-Z8CIWgGCNBCGwPVmjA2ogOQKLLEw1k/s1600/2017-11-29+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pKrh6R3hDKU3YWJ9e5RP-6L8yVG9puTUV9tbEEkmbTIMfMxpT0Yx1tTxZIO-zgrnfZ-feW9Hu9-vOQqNRffdL7fgdUNrlbJsRAmwEiH9JIMs-Z8CIWgGCNBCGwPVmjA2ogOQKLLEw1k/s320/2017-11-29+110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When Romina instructed us to walk down the narrow steps, we couldn't understand why so many in the group, already at the bottom, were looking up at those still descending the steps. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQO_S7D9kha3Yfp7Lb5jZwfYSV0W4P1yWh2EfvaCNIOoiJ9bkFx-00a11EELo3EHvSCSAPzFocgGwZ7XWabkNj_c3WOw6ScrtazGFC3dA1zgFS-FKBm-Jua9Dv0dtgeQVPdlOH6jX7cM/s1600/2017-11-29+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQO_S7D9kha3Yfp7Lb5jZwfYSV0W4P1yWh2EfvaCNIOoiJ9bkFx-00a11EELo3EHvSCSAPzFocgGwZ7XWabkNj_c3WOw6ScrtazGFC3dA1zgFS-FKBm-Jua9Dv0dtgeQVPdlOH6jX7cM/s320/2017-11-29+114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Aha - these were the famous <b>'piano steps'</b> I had read so much about but hadn't noticed when walking down! These steps were painted by a musician who wanted to have a really cool album cover, so he decided to create some art of his own. Every once in a while, the steps needed a fresh coat of paint, so when the artist was painting them a few years ago, the police caught him with a paintbrush in hand and had him arrested. Though it was </span><span style="font-size: large;">almost impossible to believe, </span><span style="font-size: large;">street art in Valparaiso is illegal and if someone is caught painting a non-commissioned piece without permission, the person can face a fine or even jail time!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP0y93y0m7Nix8XqcnmbYycN9WqyVbcq2fm25u6Kc1vTFSbSic3VEat6liMWQp64WyVNEJG6fUKJ1xgTirqsB6okxGBoqPWSGSlMzj1DfeQVHADocOj0BLc1MLH6jXk_aj04_6SaJP8M/s1600/2017-11-29+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP0y93y0m7Nix8XqcnmbYycN9WqyVbcq2fm25u6Kc1vTFSbSic3VEat6liMWQp64WyVNEJG6fUKJ1xgTirqsB6okxGBoqPWSGSlMzj1DfeQVHADocOj0BLc1MLH6jXk_aj04_6SaJP8M/s320/2017-11-29+115.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4bDg4MzUCl1aPP7XzQzjCSY7EwyNoxjdtM1u8R65imUcvuucq2TQrTJdruMJ21HVAHHMHJYOxXSWlbf13mMnEC-8-S7-APOimyxO4YD1RnYI9tPgnMJYKqE_1hupiXYOLtr6wpD_QcA/s1600/2017-11-29+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4bDg4MzUCl1aPP7XzQzjCSY7EwyNoxjdtM1u8R65imUcvuucq2TQrTJdruMJ21HVAHHMHJYOxXSWlbf13mMnEC-8-S7-APOimyxO4YD1RnYI9tPgnMJYKqE_1hupiXYOLtr6wpD_QcA/s320/2017-11-29+116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOL_Y9fu-92RZFGSMuwYLScKcCcsnewfqarZnSiVsI8sfw4sDPEE0XHuJLIEiGOqXTmckUsBFcP-17WzTDiSwEOfNMxQJ6vDvc40Kipu3cnrI2fD-w0P5sxi6niZpouNqoEKXhMTAau8/s1600/2017-11-29+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOL_Y9fu-92RZFGSMuwYLScKcCcsnewfqarZnSiVsI8sfw4sDPEE0XHuJLIEiGOqXTmckUsBFcP-17WzTDiSwEOfNMxQJ6vDvc40Kipu3cnrI2fD-w0P5sxi6niZpouNqoEKXhMTAau8/s320/2017-11-29+117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wJ1bxFRXPaLgbR4Se62FuhywVoLmBpiGnkuhTr4eCymXsDAnzyUCLcjhDLluFh65ekg_m-q_riD5Ixwr4DL4n3cMdVUS_i9op8WOjVg9-4VUJFETOmUr41Hk5ShXdIf7Nmq_2r47mvg/s1600/2017-11-29+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wJ1bxFRXPaLgbR4Se62FuhywVoLmBpiGnkuhTr4eCymXsDAnzyUCLcjhDLluFh65ekg_m-q_riD5Ixwr4DL4n3cMdVUS_i9op8WOjVg9-4VUJFETOmUr41Hk5ShXdIf7Nmq_2r47mvg/s320/2017-11-29+118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yet another sign of Britain's past influence in the city:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIw7flKFwdQZTZ7yo0S15mMFqtsTTv5idylSe0yvliZwdwyed1z2wm50bCMaBpHAVCX4ejEFNCftdpbcUAZ1AN5TuUSOaDOdScPl5dYNRfTDBvW-R4PFczlw6KPVIJNiUAZv0TxYXxsxY/s1600/2017-11-29+119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIw7flKFwdQZTZ7yo0S15mMFqtsTTv5idylSe0yvliZwdwyed1z2wm50bCMaBpHAVCX4ejEFNCftdpbcUAZ1AN5TuUSOaDOdScPl5dYNRfTDBvW-R4PFczlw6KPVIJNiUAZv0TxYXxsxY/s320/2017-11-29+119.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The murals, visible on buildings from the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Atkinson Paseo,</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">represented women from northern Bolivia and Chile, according to Romina.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayZbdUYBdsNpd_d7f7ITtFZIQN3CdlLMzippjICL2e6gNIllSFNeKmu1nKu_V5ViAh39iwVYfSH05sSBkGAWsY1ofLlxHY4W8QB78ElRRiVw8ikGwjtgccq2zgqHP13_j02mwh8i1xU/s1600/2017-11-29+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayZbdUYBdsNpd_d7f7ITtFZIQN3CdlLMzippjICL2e6gNIllSFNeKmu1nKu_V5ViAh39iwVYfSH05sSBkGAWsY1ofLlxHY4W8QB78ElRRiVw8ikGwjtgccq2zgqHP13_j02mwh8i1xU/s320/2017-11-29+121.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFMKV1-MNi2CzB8rFRv8IvQRA0ZfLJ-1pCouOf4K-PyuZIgzMFmbl4uUmtyq9kv6IitY08-0TqnKlJ4tPW4j0fcDowcX0Pb2_4OKjc7w5Qei0RPaMDh5khYcb7knc2pAds9ptopI2Fvg/s1600/2017-11-29+122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFMKV1-MNi2CzB8rFRv8IvQRA0ZfLJ-1pCouOf4K-PyuZIgzMFmbl4uUmtyq9kv6IitY08-0TqnKlJ4tPW4j0fcDowcX0Pb2_4OKjc7w5Qei0RPaMDh5khYcb7knc2pAds9ptopI2Fvg/s320/2017-11-29+122.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lobwAyRGnE60kejXbhlJu5_vLbO3Uq3wSq0owgxKYzdXc2tKpOqofpeuNItxbYziWaPInkRbvLDsiQv1P9dBd6NWFmdB05pU2E2tDf7-HH8pGe5nBBvjvOM-DgyZbpe0oTZWtidzFPk/s1600/2017-11-29+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lobwAyRGnE60kejXbhlJu5_vLbO3Uq3wSq0owgxKYzdXc2tKpOqofpeuNItxbYziWaPInkRbvLDsiQv1P9dBd6NWFmdB05pU2E2tDf7-HH8pGe5nBBvjvOM-DgyZbpe0oTZWtidzFPk/s320/2017-11-29+123.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I felt like I had been transported back decades to the British seaside town of <b>Brighton</b> as we strolled along the promenade and past the elegant homes.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESPvDZNcTXU7oUCml6FJKASSEHaVAavFi9fmOnK3JQDK9ukeDF3La4-n3hT0ahHMEKPjUPFSbFHUp01aMCxateMKygEXZ0HnnRRnphSnqoKnhMT0i2Z47cTuEIhbg7UjqhBBtxlRX-qk/s1600/2017-11-29+125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESPvDZNcTXU7oUCml6FJKASSEHaVAavFi9fmOnK3JQDK9ukeDF3La4-n3hT0ahHMEKPjUPFSbFHUp01aMCxateMKygEXZ0HnnRRnphSnqoKnhMT0i2Z47cTuEIhbg7UjqhBBtxlRX-qk/s320/2017-11-29+125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9LkoO3dwzsJuYOSDsvgnvEj7zl8385O2bngX7-T8WxINcBfLbxAJIHKZh3O32xvf_BZL3goMQFs2_pcR4Md7Qah1VdCc4r3XFgocV9qjaQi-ChhWSluIp4EnU2ENRFj3iwrySs1wD5s/s1600/2017-11-29+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9LkoO3dwzsJuYOSDsvgnvEj7zl8385O2bngX7-T8WxINcBfLbxAJIHKZh3O32xvf_BZL3goMQFs2_pcR4Md7Qah1VdCc4r3XFgocV9qjaQi-ChhWSluIp4EnU2ENRFj3iwrySs1wD5s/s320/2017-11-29+126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The nearby <b>Galvez Alley</b> contained many abandoned and dilapidated buildings that Romina explained had been too difficult to rebuild after a fire had caused heavy damage as heavy machinery wasn't able to get up the steep alley.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Romina took us up <b>Pasaje Bavestrello,</b> a narrow enclosed stairway built in 1927. Halfway up was a shop selling famous a Chilean snack called </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>alfajores,</i></b> similar to the Canadian Joe Louis chocolate confection. We all shared a couple of them which was a welcome treat, especially after walking the city and up and down countless stairs for several hours.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEEZy_QAgqDMYk-I_fX4IDmKxzO3JITvmtpTbGVi-s7jnjSpaLTfyPvDsOvNBmvKrki1fXiPq6IhZdr3CqKVNRaQ1RCT44GKlsV9o7ppjYj1F2gLpRoLk-lgV6Nf9CsEOFDPw10L-0r8/s1600/2017-11-29+127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEEZy_QAgqDMYk-I_fX4IDmKxzO3JITvmtpTbGVi-s7jnjSpaLTfyPvDsOvNBmvKrki1fXiPq6IhZdr3CqKVNRaQ1RCT44GKlsV9o7ppjYj1F2gLpRoLk-lgV6Nf9CsEOFDPw10L-0r8/s320/2017-11-29+127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmdm7xr0_2Z7s0mYviTm3FueKacuC7gcIUFlJymqZiXUGPRKppR846i9QFCU7-apkoooARty9m3Y3BVXwod9w244UQ9wSMLQpe_PoinOGnig9kzgM6kNYFQbG6CSN1NQ0jnp08HpbD8U/s1600/2017-11-29+130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmdm7xr0_2Z7s0mYviTm3FueKacuC7gcIUFlJymqZiXUGPRKppR846i9QFCU7-apkoooARty9m3Y3BVXwod9w244UQ9wSMLQpe_PoinOGnig9kzgM6kNYFQbG6CSN1NQ0jnp08HpbD8U/s320/2017-11-29+130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibofCQwqEozpBlBmDIL2wbEPnQnnJdZUnSdNWJtm9wNYhusRDrYsa-PjqmfLX289VycS4ZMIK2Mq6bmUp9e8HziTeIVQMeEYFvXd8-RM_iNXKsejFt6BBtXhYLZtbI5kKVqBS7rCkqbzg/s1600/2017-11-29+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibofCQwqEozpBlBmDIL2wbEPnQnnJdZUnSdNWJtm9wNYhusRDrYsa-PjqmfLX289VycS4ZMIK2Mq6bmUp9e8HziTeIVQMeEYFvXd8-RM_iNXKsejFt6BBtXhYLZtbI5kKVqBS7rCkqbzg/s320/2017-11-29+128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gryXbD__Xs5ivstpLlE9uD18C0ZicTCNWjW71c9wkoPb7ej7HDqE9PLVfR5YfonQMuW6DKxajibJL5ahi6jwDArsZAxbuUFqW1lkEiIS0H8i_KcZsx07bTA_N3nleo4KC9nukFt2Fis/s1600/2017-11-29+129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gryXbD__Xs5ivstpLlE9uD18C0ZicTCNWjW71c9wkoPb7ej7HDqE9PLVfR5YfonQMuW6DKxajibJL5ahi6jwDArsZAxbuUFqW1lkEiIS0H8i_KcZsx07bTA_N3nleo4KC9nukFt2Fis/s320/2017-11-29+129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GVFIiVK-iVeSpTJ6CTJIrfv-mU7FfcAjpDoGLwTRg5L1G9j4AGnoyCzk6T9A1S6rouZdfpVdaoL5fAAiKeEGPSatkIwK_4CZe9ZKHL6Nzyp6nl9V5eLvjjTo47J6DcZsMPenqgzdGxY/s1600/2017-11-29+131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GVFIiVK-iVeSpTJ6CTJIrfv-mU7FfcAjpDoGLwTRg5L1G9j4AGnoyCzk6T9A1S6rouZdfpVdaoL5fAAiKeEGPSatkIwK_4CZe9ZKHL6Nzyp6nl9V5eLvjjTo47J6DcZsMPenqgzdGxY/s320/2017-11-29+131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Since the walking tour was almost over, Steven and I decided to leave the tour at the Museum of Fine Arts which we had seen, but not entered, earlier before the tour. We were curious to see what we had read was an "excellent collection of Chilean painting" after being closed for several years and was now partially reopened.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskUSkkb5ANTbyr732RLh9qsX9lKkLAqlxeA2JsssRYD-T3UNcdIlK1XAN0yxuqqlqlTGXIkHBn6f6vLR5rZmyZjTp1tFL8sKlda_E2phWFAIyHSfrRh-D3AXTjaorexZg1NB0BvBnGHA/s1600/2017-11-29+135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskUSkkb5ANTbyr732RLh9qsX9lKkLAqlxeA2JsssRYD-T3UNcdIlK1XAN0yxuqqlqlTGXIkHBn6f6vLR5rZmyZjTp1tFL8sKlda_E2phWFAIyHSfrRh-D3AXTjaorexZg1NB0BvBnGHA/s320/2017-11-29+135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXZHwPXi4Z0Dp6bs4Ry_A3wcULAAiKepXY16T7zep-0FnBkLLXsO1uVB7b1dcpksjC48VukrZdusr0VgpQAPc0P0cEW27oEgV5QJXZEDDDEjIofcljX8gljPO3iB2aOZai2AWFQm3c6w/s1600/2017-11-29+133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXZHwPXi4Z0Dp6bs4Ry_A3wcULAAiKepXY16T7zep-0FnBkLLXsO1uVB7b1dcpksjC48VukrZdusr0VgpQAPc0P0cEW27oEgV5QJXZEDDDEjIofcljX8gljPO3iB2aOZai2AWFQm3c6w/s320/2017-11-29+133.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had read that the fanciful decorative exterior was reminiscent of the style of Spanish architect <b>Antoni Gaudi,</b> whose work we'll see lots of when visiting Spain this fall. It's interesting how these two trips, a year and thousands of miles apart, are linked together.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUwOhsaP5fk_Dfv0bsdS34CfdjQOGsU_Il2FQ_uUMyNmx33DqYlXyD2s9Q-sc5gNTXgiXQjojm8YVas4V7zCGKdN8B9PLabqgz56-h11WY4UxnCRGR947hKjhTX92aMQtlI9c8-2WAag/s1600/2017-11-29+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUwOhsaP5fk_Dfv0bsdS34CfdjQOGsU_Il2FQ_uUMyNmx33DqYlXyD2s9Q-sc5gNTXgiXQjojm8YVas4V7zCGKdN8B9PLabqgz56-h11WY4UxnCRGR947hKjhTX92aMQtlI9c8-2WAag/s320/2017-11-29+038.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GSlbUKk4_Ir26rCZnwK5KDoc3B_em7plTvp_sE8TlqZqRBI7AgVMKQKBYyJcLCM39uWnDglYSeofiJMVfQbXQ6U2rxZIbiAhTGRfc89jfyU0wxyLKJC3jhUw9xbhGxGGmq8a60t_sLM/s1600/2017-11-29+148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GSlbUKk4_Ir26rCZnwK5KDoc3B_em7plTvp_sE8TlqZqRBI7AgVMKQKBYyJcLCM39uWnDglYSeofiJMVfQbXQ6U2rxZIbiAhTGRfc89jfyU0wxyLKJC3jhUw9xbhGxGGmq8a60t_sLM/s320/2017-11-29+148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIugWdjSCN0HQLVzae9FRZlnnSpymfrn51fbe-cvZKSLNB4DzbFWXzuq8OifuYyNUe31qFjPTrL-I9nVrWDqCCKVkGvQ4-a7gOLvpPLjWd3XLbSGNlH89gs7q2AHPPNw1lfkIuoq1Cb1E/s1600/2017-11-29+159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIugWdjSCN0HQLVzae9FRZlnnSpymfrn51fbe-cvZKSLNB4DzbFWXzuq8OifuYyNUe31qFjPTrL-I9nVrWDqCCKVkGvQ4-a7gOLvpPLjWd3XLbSGNlH89gs7q2AHPPNw1lfkIuoq1Cb1E/s320/2017-11-29+159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What a lovely reading nook this would have been in times gone by.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_-afs2y0SMfmuIkqctQYsE-J-SS8rUrkFHTGHExESf_y12Jol8gbOEPU-LiCF5_NQCbR9h2Nb9K5mF2GeKMH8qqKaeagfMrgwfk_sIMN7HNFr_7DXw7RUItKWb7_LVEqkkWk16URfDw/s1600/2017-11-29+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_-afs2y0SMfmuIkqctQYsE-J-SS8rUrkFHTGHExESf_y12Jol8gbOEPU-LiCF5_NQCbR9h2Nb9K5mF2GeKMH8qqKaeagfMrgwfk_sIMN7HNFr_7DXw7RUItKWb7_LVEqkkWk16URfDw/s320/2017-11-29+160.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What a special view of the city through the museum's stained-glass windows. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMsKVPEB3LaQkUFBDH7LiPoJR60OzrLj5y2uO1Ug-SgGL4em6qASSh07y3DikNd0jOWMXkBDm_I5fkT7c5omfMKmRak4GOwjnRtylO87JG3vkkQzZgkbibehoYO5-edWvXM7ut53y430/s1600/2017-11-29+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMsKVPEB3LaQkUFBDH7LiPoJR60OzrLj5y2uO1Ug-SgGL4em6qASSh07y3DikNd0jOWMXkBDm_I5fkT7c5omfMKmRak4GOwjnRtylO87JG3vkkQzZgkbibehoYO5-edWvXM7ut53y430/s320/2017-11-29+142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCpIZuDs78mY7QnvKaNaCThZoRoj6lPR3B4jDd5Z8Y2zOVHOkeRZOwozhS4TWXtcxJQYN8KbTif5ekpzf_RXFhml45oMaI-j2QZRt3FcoTgpzGQFNnf0wnWrA4sFX3hwB6cmNkFIG1j0/s1600/2017-11-29+143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCpIZuDs78mY7QnvKaNaCThZoRoj6lPR3B4jDd5Z8Y2zOVHOkeRZOwozhS4TWXtcxJQYN8KbTif5ekpzf_RXFhml45oMaI-j2QZRt3FcoTgpzGQFNnf0wnWrA4sFX3hwB6cmNkFIG1j0/s320/2017-11-29+143.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr88qOByu8Ih_FtxEn6oYr-BVlXKdUuKsPGX4p60h4JAh2oE7XVmSvBXOcYwP6aaCMWV3eokgnkCc5nSkQNLchvEZicGHuQiq6tGjVYkkCfzWy9vzQS8V_Te8vLZzup8fm9YfXGv39Bk/s1600/2017-11-29+144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr88qOByu8Ih_FtxEn6oYr-BVlXKdUuKsPGX4p60h4JAh2oE7XVmSvBXOcYwP6aaCMWV3eokgnkCc5nSkQNLchvEZicGHuQiq6tGjVYkkCfzWy9vzQS8V_Te8vLZzup8fm9YfXGv39Bk/s320/2017-11-29+144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Spanish language plaque said this exquisite room, with Rococo elements and a scene with Marie Antoinette, was fashioned after Louis XVI.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj9IWyFG8PpXBim-sCpd5PHUhtc5ycQIBoJUEkjXVc1qrOvwHA6CfEIhcJTUSRlDsGSSNmROkJ8yMaq03gjezZTf7qZJd5_G8Z6BXZOAnEhvMv-JntXYMEoLcCjxPBp4PUTvQCg2Z9ZM/s1600/2017-11-29+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj9IWyFG8PpXBim-sCpd5PHUhtc5ycQIBoJUEkjXVc1qrOvwHA6CfEIhcJTUSRlDsGSSNmROkJ8yMaq03gjezZTf7qZJd5_G8Z6BXZOAnEhvMv-JntXYMEoLcCjxPBp4PUTvQCg2Z9ZM/s320/2017-11-29+147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ueC114rDGqGlI_HwZr-HVHsmEd2N0VQ2OgePewGYRZAut8hSZdbe1JDtzbc3ho_Vm3GuQMToMsYFgCdzIFNA_cr7RzU0zZgkG5Ph_EqiL6gw527PwPiKLBy2Gp-zbubKozNcYGOWm8M/s1600/2017-11-29+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ueC114rDGqGlI_HwZr-HVHsmEd2N0VQ2OgePewGYRZAut8hSZdbe1JDtzbc3ho_Vm3GuQMToMsYFgCdzIFNA_cr7RzU0zZgkG5Ph_EqiL6gw527PwPiKLBy2Gp-zbubKozNcYGOWm8M/s320/2017-11-29+145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I paid particular attention to this painting as it was of the Atkinson Promenade we'd just been on.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO23Sz_Y-HQrBtiGPIht6pW8RqG4hfC19XaX4fKlgNdM5R95A9y5Ah9KcONKFJEd-HoEroMo5pcDAdq9im9sNWA8Xcoz1p7CR0WKuycK-Q58KrweBCZJiaHLPOBB87ysgGVe16G36Esns/s1600/2017-11-29+149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO23Sz_Y-HQrBtiGPIht6pW8RqG4hfC19XaX4fKlgNdM5R95A9y5Ah9KcONKFJEd-HoEroMo5pcDAdq9im9sNWA8Xcoz1p7CR0WKuycK-Q58KrweBCZJiaHLPOBB87ysgGVe16G36Esns/s320/2017-11-29+149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRgmQYF6ubacsocNpbb3cwfNzgwdFC0N0omDpq92DnzqZMjdSMIK3zcQ_D3MvaSRzGdIcSS7cfPCvbb3XjFicy1__sPo-4_qgGJeQw1bEHRATZ4lIs2cMofBQY-2UtxO3BViyu__GcQM/s1600/2017-11-29+151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRgmQYF6ubacsocNpbb3cwfNzgwdFC0N0omDpq92DnzqZMjdSMIK3zcQ_D3MvaSRzGdIcSS7cfPCvbb3XjFicy1__sPo-4_qgGJeQw1bEHRATZ4lIs2cMofBQY-2UtxO3BViyu__GcQM/s320/2017-11-29+151.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A view of Valpo's harbor in 1882:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgcu1VgJzj_UIQzVF6Hi6ifgzPqERssBccokiZxsxiLH4w8hEYyrjrsYqQOJhMwYRzp5huHOe7GFcQpBpTDn7keEO_XT6XPUkWbuZ-NKHOBZkbtYmMYw5DnEqEvfhhgPPU0IEyvjNwBE/s1600/2017-11-29+154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgcu1VgJzj_UIQzVF6Hi6ifgzPqERssBccokiZxsxiLH4w8hEYyrjrsYqQOJhMwYRzp5huHOe7GFcQpBpTDn7keEO_XT6XPUkWbuZ-NKHOBZkbtYmMYw5DnEqEvfhhgPPU0IEyvjNwBE/s320/2017-11-29+154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlWrwOdPgE7MMxKCnI7ET6djZWxAWeczmJJgEEbqHCnX2IE4IeX0zUjgoNrQNL1t7bb-oA6Yq9Oaw_Cq6-zo0j-OTMjujwfSZSiLmxMRDPr25bgLtdw8oIJGQHHJ2yabCYMtd68CUB_U/s1600/2017-11-29+156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlWrwOdPgE7MMxKCnI7ET6djZWxAWeczmJJgEEbqHCnX2IE4IeX0zUjgoNrQNL1t7bb-oA6Yq9Oaw_Cq6-zo0j-OTMjujwfSZSiLmxMRDPr25bgLtdw8oIJGQHHJ2yabCYMtd68CUB_U/s320/2017-11-29+156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Although the contemporary Chilean artist called this 'Machu Picchu,' I couldn't understand the connection with the famous Peruvian site we'd traveled to earlier on the trip.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse4gK-A7nqJizFKKXFzjh8CrrMJgm4nKCX-Zg7KVFOrFqTegsjif98fYy4lBfheaotsi8MfCr938Dc8vDhKHIxVx9VRMJbC3xStpXGKN3Gcd9s-BZjawhk_NxNracjJPdBoalQDJYs8o/s1600/2017-11-29+163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse4gK-A7nqJizFKKXFzjh8CrrMJgm4nKCX-Zg7KVFOrFqTegsjif98fYy4lBfheaotsi8MfCr938Dc8vDhKHIxVx9VRMJbC3xStpXGKN3Gcd9s-BZjawhk_NxNracjJPdBoalQDJYs8o/s320/2017-11-29+163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The painting of 'The Amazon Landscape' brought back great memories of our time there. I liked how the museum's paintings and the impressive mansion took us on a historical journey through Chile's past.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAU4ZFARVf85I_5C2PUbP-iKiyVVfw8_70Wh1kmj1B21-aceYvZaApsHpEcEfbTuzdoHLJ-nnUFRHSKF54cL9HkGzaL1x2itMdf-LAWP7DE7IsXixR_JfigvGfQmRCXnw2eaf26UxxXs/s1600/2017-11-29+167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAU4ZFARVf85I_5C2PUbP-iKiyVVfw8_70Wh1kmj1B21-aceYvZaApsHpEcEfbTuzdoHLJ-nnUFRHSKF54cL9HkGzaL1x2itMdf-LAWP7DE7IsXixR_JfigvGfQmRCXnw2eaf26UxxXs/s320/2017-11-29+167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I don't usually treat ourselves to many special meals on our trips but there were so many wonderful restaurant choices near our hotel. We both enjoyed every morsel of this feast.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusUh3HASUDxcBkVL80H0oExvI7WFISK6h1BrlX08Pf9RkeB5fInUaXRN0ZpkX03K_p7HI_3mhuooPXCB7boKV3Gok2bDX1NzJGVOYzd_doQSX2EKfVD9uvqQAczSBsW5tuad9Zovzsuo/s1600/2017-11-29+170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusUh3HASUDxcBkVL80H0oExvI7WFISK6h1BrlX08Pf9RkeB5fInUaXRN0ZpkX03K_p7HI_3mhuooPXCB7boKV3Gok2bDX1NzJGVOYzd_doQSX2EKfVD9uvqQAczSBsW5tuad9Zovzsuo/s320/2017-11-29+170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0yXirsiEJKx6gfmNjz_eDrgdYOudIwrEeMZCDBZg1TJKL4Afq2kR22V6-ED0ATtTMYRTXA4HL9EwSw9lb4N-Y30uStNyoY2rqJvGpSbJrIkvehpUgfPeoIDdLNX2HohZ8_F3Zn1Ubkk/s1600/2017-11-29+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0yXirsiEJKx6gfmNjz_eDrgdYOudIwrEeMZCDBZg1TJKL4Afq2kR22V6-ED0ATtTMYRTXA4HL9EwSw9lb4N-Y30uStNyoY2rqJvGpSbJrIkvehpUgfPeoIDdLNX2HohZ8_F3Zn1Ubkk/s320/2017-11-29+171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> An eventful day trip to the nearby city of </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Viña del Mar - we were just relieved, at day's end, we were near the end of our trip!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on April 29th, 2018, on our first hot day of the year in Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6278046644741338901.post-64944483550747731322018-04-27T20:25:00.000-06:002018-04-27T20:25:48.419-06:0011/28: Santiago, Chile: The Horrors of Pinochet's Regime & Other Sights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Reading this post via email? Want
to read comments and enter your own? Want to see posts from other years or even
previous posts from this year? Just click on the post title to access our full
web page.</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">After a blissful three days in Easter Island, we returned to discover more of Chile's capital, Santiago. Just two stops away by subway from our hotel doing double duty as a hostel was the <b>Museo de La Memoria y Los Derechos Humanos</b>. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The purpose of the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Museum of Human Rights</span><span style="font-size: large;"> was to reveal the systemic human rights violations following the coup that established the dictatorship of </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Agosto Pinochet</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">after former president <b>Salvador Allende</b> was killed in September of 1973. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It was impossible for us to spend considerable time in Chile without wanting to learn</span><span style="font-size: large;"> about the attempt to eradicate democracy during the coup, the resulting detention, torture and murder of Chilean citizens. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhps0dy-Zju4jylQmaDuf-igChGcIf7ToztTB_vwqBP_DaQb_EuA0Xt2eyOpB4Tn5wSanLTSrFmipNVF9trsNd6-mtjnqrS0XPdYKUAneTIIPsmVfkTmL3X48lxW3IR8QXSRbHkwq9urP0/s1600/2017-11-28+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhps0dy-Zju4jylQmaDuf-igChGcIf7ToztTB_vwqBP_DaQb_EuA0Xt2eyOpB4Tn5wSanLTSrFmipNVF9trsNd6-mtjnqrS0XPdYKUAneTIIPsmVfkTmL3X48lxW3IR8QXSRbHkwq9urP0/s320/2017-11-28+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On entering, we learned that more than 30 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Sri Lanka and Nepal, have created a <b>Commission of Truth and Reconciliation </b>to discover<b> </b>the truth of what happened during dictatorships </span><span style="font-size: large;">and civil wars.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> The photos of those memorials were very moving. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6zoQAjmhe0m1_7DMRrt9xlZXsgZumGTek5mds_2kXxDrsGlppGXct49TaTp8hyphenhyphenYMDcbJSQOE5246SXCKqLda8uMmo2-t25-7wJzP4qN3BVIn8rK_fTE_hYY0jeFxjRPPx6QdN8YiBsU/s1600/2017-11-28+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6zoQAjmhe0m1_7DMRrt9xlZXsgZumGTek5mds_2kXxDrsGlppGXct49TaTp8hyphenhyphenYMDcbJSQOE5246SXCKqLda8uMmo2-t25-7wJzP4qN3BVIn8rK_fTE_hYY0jeFxjRPPx6QdN8YiBsU/s320/2017-11-28+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Chile, there were two human rights commissions following the dictatorship and after democracy had been restored in 1989. The first, in 1990, looked into the death and disappearance of thousands of Chileans. The focus of the second, in 2004, was the torture of Pinochet's opponents. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRD0qb27HLaIUw8-yD6YpHMC3VBBNSSfhMQVQM2hbcQed7JlHJ_ElSqmPWxY2UQFbTTCDgcfqkdYCWql1r42bfSYmqVapLUeyM6TPgw8DxoSnUZ-7eFascsZn9JL3MSYBORNeW_DFjkE/s1600/2017-11-28+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRD0qb27HLaIUw8-yD6YpHMC3VBBNSSfhMQVQM2hbcQed7JlHJ_ElSqmPWxY2UQFbTTCDgcfqkdYCWql1r42bfSYmqVapLUeyM6TPgw8DxoSnUZ-7eFascsZn9JL3MSYBORNeW_DFjkE/s320/2017-11-28+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, neither commission had any legal recourse to bring perpetrators to justice. The commissions revealed there were 3,185 documented deaths - another 30 cases were subsequently found - and 38,191 citizens were subjected to political imprisonment and torture from 1973-1990.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioR1y7BP3vZFKS2HQ3VJvXwsvd0-8pwtYMTEIQ1HeeCd0K6Dn6CQUwzhOrxnnpthMeYi40fjYBMzcL4uNt4DXm0aPS3XNdMUBQACo-_3q07sbYDHM16p72FsARvC9bjAZEh9xd5R1-sTM/s1600/2017-11-28+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioR1y7BP3vZFKS2HQ3VJvXwsvd0-8pwtYMTEIQ1HeeCd0K6Dn6CQUwzhOrxnnpthMeYi40fjYBMzcL4uNt4DXm0aPS3XNdMUBQACo-_3q07sbYDHM16p72FsARvC9bjAZEh9xd5R1-sTM/s320/2017-11-28+009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At 6 pm on September 11, 1973, the coup occurred, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the junta took over the country</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and millions of Chileans' lives changed forever. Summary executions were ordered of all who resisted. Books were banned evoking scenes of other dictatorships throughout history, Congress was closed, and a curfew was in force for 15 of the dictatorship's 17 years. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsv7RuDa2nQLHmwitGeXHMQy2RHeoy7x589beW0Y422vOAtuDcsdRxvtJZqc-O91M6oeqOQLKFiAJvSoosKEVjNjCjL9T1a6wDX1Q3FHnsZgOgdD7mZ4yacVdUSCJDS53zdJCieo2aXDg/s1600/2017-11-28+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsv7RuDa2nQLHmwitGeXHMQy2RHeoy7x589beW0Y422vOAtuDcsdRxvtJZqc-O91M6oeqOQLKFiAJvSoosKEVjNjCjL9T1a6wDX1Q3FHnsZgOgdD7mZ4yacVdUSCJDS53zdJCieo2aXDg/s320/2017-11-28+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">When all media outlets were shut down, the junta used the press as their mouthpiece. Some Chileans sought refuge in embassies to save their lives while others left en masse if they could.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPea-sjM2kqd1vzTSR-0aAQkkMceqC94KwM5_9942rarFyKcaXdrsPHYNX3dXxOh0I4_-oxGyNY2o_SxG94yRvasJB9BLC-JrKUVZ2t78Cp1wIubyOC435lW1KlPnnCfJtNmORaYSfb_c/s1600/2017-11-28+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPea-sjM2kqd1vzTSR-0aAQkkMceqC94KwM5_9942rarFyKcaXdrsPHYNX3dXxOh0I4_-oxGyNY2o_SxG94yRvasJB9BLC-JrKUVZ2t78Cp1wIubyOC435lW1KlPnnCfJtNmORaYSfb_c/s320/2017-11-28+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">At the former Santiago Public Jail, political prisoners were kept among the common penal population.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-RTUR-1aB1mA8Ge9cEBl1Kq4aoB7tWokehkugEJepbKMCa0p86Q3BzFSlwRMyZUhy4maTWp7Y9Tt2zcl7hgK_N2KAuxIBcu2aEWPHvfD22sxEwYx8YCypAIRQxAySmjk48Lc9-RD4xU/s1600/2017-11-28+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-RTUR-1aB1mA8Ge9cEBl1Kq4aoB7tWokehkugEJepbKMCa0p86Q3BzFSlwRMyZUhy4maTWp7Y9Tt2zcl7hgK_N2KAuxIBcu2aEWPHvfD22sxEwYx8YCypAIRQxAySmjk48Lc9-RD4xU/s320/2017-11-28+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">3,600 decrees were issued to eliminate Allende supporters. Two law enforcement agencies were created between 1973 and 1980 to gather information about opponents to Pinochet's regime.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDX4mcztr-k3XMJhODNFs277mySdfNDKzsx2sv6HKSGW-9leS4QSFE7V4W7psUzDkOAAK5YlSNmEUsUyHkxSVTRSqaN7br_yfhQtwMmo9RDUWDtDcS11UnzI9fMLHmeTPDgEZonbr7b0/s1600/2017-11-28+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDX4mcztr-k3XMJhODNFs277mySdfNDKzsx2sv6HKSGW-9leS4QSFE7V4W7psUzDkOAAK5YlSNmEUsUyHkxSVTRSqaN7br_yfhQtwMmo9RDUWDtDcS11UnzI9fMLHmeTPDgEZonbr7b0/s320/2017-11-28+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There was international condemnation of the Chilean dictatorship and people around the world staged major protests in support of Chile's people. The government reacted by revoking the citizenship of thousands of Chileans. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Though Nixon's government supported the coup, and therefore the US bears some responsibility, this connection was little emphasized in the exhibitions. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cjy5Qeabs-oig3ugvU7MVhBeIflY78t49C1cEv7UoPQXifOgnKzfvdB_Xw8PcbGRC1Synnk0K-qtMdkF2VtZGyHbDyC7We22v92j3-2mkIG9zHLZtZcYJNpzU85e-CbDCm_zr8uRKMc/s1600/2017-11-28+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cjy5Qeabs-oig3ugvU7MVhBeIflY78t49C1cEv7UoPQXifOgnKzfvdB_Xw8PcbGRC1Synnk0K-qtMdkF2VtZGyHbDyC7We22v92j3-2mkIG9zHLZtZcYJNpzU85e-CbDCm_zr8uRKMc/s320/2017-11-28+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was a national plebiscite in 1974 to combat the international repudiation of the junta. According to official reports, three quarters of the people voted yes but that figure was overwhelmingly skewed. Note the black rectangle over the 'no' option and the flag over the 'yes' option.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGwMHrnqySxEI9oM3noFy1Y8bh5pvt2fR_TMsHAV6gc9qoiF4tCjgX7cntFzXMjzi3-96FhUpanqAK0nOt_rh2gUegOIxNIJd4mi0rslTEKcckhiX7whkhpzlWcdCHtn7Kv2Sw8p9xH8/s1600/2017-11-28+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGwMHrnqySxEI9oM3noFy1Y8bh5pvt2fR_TMsHAV6gc9qoiF4tCjgX7cntFzXMjzi3-96FhUpanqAK0nOt_rh2gUegOIxNIJd4mi0rslTEKcckhiX7whkhpzlWcdCHtn7Kv2Sw8p9xH8/s320/2017-11-28+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There were more than 1,000 detention centers and prison camps throughout Chile. The military tried to justify the extra-judicial executions, i.e. those outside the law, by saying they were firing on people trying to escape.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpChyphenhypheni2ipEMfpxVikYx1OXRo8AZ18h78h6BauAOsX9qv6A7UfXgVkGU4aQ1a4voJAZ5kNJslUg7OPYfj3wzvpThOaQG7-2gLg9Wy2GTvQDVu7yF1Cv9MAobcSMvJDEOAb1P_BTYDeSuU/s1600/2017-11-28+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpChyphenhypheni2ipEMfpxVikYx1OXRo8AZ18h78h6BauAOsX9qv6A7UfXgVkGU4aQ1a4voJAZ5kNJslUg7OPYfj3wzvpThOaQG7-2gLg9Wy2GTvQDVu7yF1Cv9MAobcSMvJDEOAb1P_BTYDeSuU/s320/2017-11-28+020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most of the almost 40,000 people that were detained were subject to torture without a trial or due process. Their dignity and rights were ignored to break their will and gain information about people opposing the regime. Detainees were subject to electroshock after being strip searched, shackled, blindfolded and water thrown on them to make sure they felt the electrocution. Other torture methods included asphyxia, extreme temperature changes, repeated beatings, sleep disruption, mock executions, sexual assault and violations, and witnessing attacks on others.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpchXzEaLD_LMx9dnpq8Dlf6AqYzzl0nflaZ1w587bJ8gNikfqQ3To9-SS674z-GNQnjGLKgneVGBjPgfvI-FcIYOo-a1ub2VTQNQW_4ZabgLlHBnLIzFMXhfI03skuyB4XRvNK9jUF08/s1600/2017-11-28+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpchXzEaLD_LMx9dnpq8Dlf6AqYzzl0nflaZ1w587bJ8gNikfqQ3To9-SS674z-GNQnjGLKgneVGBjPgfvI-FcIYOo-a1ub2VTQNQW_4ZabgLlHBnLIzFMXhfI03skuyB4XRvNK9jUF08/s320/2017-11-28+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most brutal methods imaginable was when people were dumped from helicopters into the ocean to hide the means of their deaths after family members began the long search for their loved ones. Shackles were found much later on the ocean floor showing prisoners had been forcibly restrained before being thrown overboard.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtzxNXfNsCSI5mGMsjmoD3xTnv38Q1kq71Vy8_CbjVMXmYGuwo3LwQgxejHMmMprotM7OvWqrH4Ha7ouH1Bpp0NF-iIP1Q_Zsye69KTaOQ5V_MscA8uXb8l3Rb8jOBjSUbkzhLr9v4aI/s1600/2017-11-28+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtzxNXfNsCSI5mGMsjmoD3xTnv38Q1kq71Vy8_CbjVMXmYGuwo3LwQgxejHMmMprotM7OvWqrH4Ha7ouH1Bpp0NF-iIP1Q_Zsye69KTaOQ5V_MscA8uXb8l3Rb8jOBjSUbkzhLr9v4aI/s320/2017-11-28+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the more heartrending exhibits were the children's letters and pictures as they watched armed strangers violently entering their homes and saw family members taken away, often never to be seen again.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfgZqa43lbCpaHIgaXKYPBGY60aCeJiJHB5bGwr9-ZSGyIxluiqmdFm818eMLdGZdmH4RZIxwnnKgRc-BeYGdW1q33kNIBSEizIouEuEbjvLGLAEvr72nq0O62AQe0XHkH9PRxQgmWH8/s1600/2017-11-28+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfgZqa43lbCpaHIgaXKYPBGY60aCeJiJHB5bGwr9-ZSGyIxluiqmdFm818eMLdGZdmH4RZIxwnnKgRc-BeYGdW1q33kNIBSEizIouEuEbjvLGLAEvr72nq0O62AQe0XHkH9PRxQgmWH8/s320/2017-11-28+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpbLIymh7RHWrCCd7vqPyhFDe2m_6Mq_vYYMJajymzT-k35GMw4zbC-5HX5OQeleZghPUs9-DdFBQe2jSr0S2bVGqkVxLM4AwIWEED6NVxJi9-iXgPB9TC0Qmy3K1tu5YTNZLSGUJp_o/s1600/2017-11-28+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpbLIymh7RHWrCCd7vqPyhFDe2m_6Mq_vYYMJajymzT-k35GMw4zbC-5HX5OQeleZghPUs9-DdFBQe2jSr0S2bVGqkVxLM4AwIWEED6NVxJi9-iXgPB9TC0Qmy3K1tu5YTNZLSGUJp_o/s320/2017-11-28+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Pro-Peace Committee,</b> led by Catholic and Protestant clerics, offered legal assistance to victims of oppression was begun by <b>Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez</b> who was called a tireless fighter for human rights, the poor people's lawyer and the 'voice for the voiceless.' Thousands of Chileans paid their respects when he died in 1999. Other groups also fought for people's rights as soon as the dictatorship began. Victims' families organized hunger strikes.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qJuhhJYsau4fGtHuByHOynHIt94KaxYq_cQYVipUf0YXCBghbElrVFKLDsglhekyx5WmPD8I6Zu1NXm76-XJx9hZ2c1xvnp-8rn8ulc5BrjN2dUNVZyGm4vMPabrYcflDkHGZK3aBY/s1600/2017-11-28+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qJuhhJYsau4fGtHuByHOynHIt94KaxYq_cQYVipUf0YXCBghbElrVFKLDsglhekyx5WmPD8I6Zu1NXm76-XJx9hZ2c1xvnp-8rn8ulc5BrjN2dUNVZyGm4vMPabrYcflDkHGZK3aBY/s320/2017-11-28+027.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Women for Life</b> movement created life-size figures of women</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">in downtown Santiago </span><span style="font-size: large;">who were imprisoned and later disappeared called 'Did You Forget Me?' to remember the victims.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRLcut-6wWb7sEZdOyJbTAjUQmg0kePCy4bu24tZt2xIpnwWbun6CV2RKUzlnRyqyiKSQEP1si6fo5UewkAhcHQD9V8WYgmYH0ZIw9rJhIPQaKhZQW_lRhd78YHEcmgRn50eNmANKzok/s1600/2017-11-28+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRLcut-6wWb7sEZdOyJbTAjUQmg0kePCy4bu24tZt2xIpnwWbun6CV2RKUzlnRyqyiKSQEP1si6fo5UewkAhcHQD9V8WYgmYH0ZIw9rJhIPQaKhZQW_lRhd78YHEcmgRn50eNmANKzok/s320/2017-11-28+028.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">An immense glass cube of thousands of photos of victims called for personal introspection and reflection and made us ponder how we might have reacted in face of such evil.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppaAVPwL3ekvJFdwi598jl9otvFhDHf3jeJtmJ1n23y_L_qNYVvwiIXKdgFg0st-kOi3M6ocs4-shDcZYL838vYKkuAIt2tlyN2QbtzjnywSAb2Uk-HY_9sXTNIWYdmaTfKe4mWUPHkY/s1600/2017-11-28+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppaAVPwL3ekvJFdwi598jl9otvFhDHf3jeJtmJ1n23y_L_qNYVvwiIXKdgFg0st-kOi3M6ocs4-shDcZYL838vYKkuAIt2tlyN2QbtzjnywSAb2Uk-HY_9sXTNIWYdmaTfKe4mWUPHkY/s320/2017-11-28+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The rest of the museum had gripping photos and stories of students protesting in the 1980s to rebuild their universities. In 1988, when a coalition of 13 groups banded together to vote no in a national plebiscite, the 'No' vote won and elections took place the following year. When the first democratically elected president was elected in 1990 after 17 years of Pinochet's dictatorship, he called for peace and reconciliation at the <b>National Stadium</b> in Santiago (below) where so many had been detained and tortured. He swore there would 'never again be hatred among brothers.'</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Steven and I hadn’t known that Pinochet was sworn in as ‘Senator for Life’ shortly after he lost the election. Despite the end of the dictatorship, he remained the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army until 1998. As a senator, he was also immune from any legal actions for his crimes. Recently, the toll of death and torture under Pinochet's dictatorship was increased to over 40,000 people. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_PfjmdtdV_o5RLBdy6BlFwyBb9bm02M8oIGi9yje88gCkymP_0FwzxuovNfV9-THbvwAlmv4UcdjEOTmC0sgxtvQLkENo5buDlahwXCnVfrdJcA4sSNvNu1GifUaJ2uTDYUe53VjUcA/s1600/2017-11-28+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_PfjmdtdV_o5RLBdy6BlFwyBb9bm02M8oIGi9yje88gCkymP_0FwzxuovNfV9-THbvwAlmv4UcdjEOTmC0sgxtvQLkENo5buDlahwXCnVfrdJcA4sSNvNu1GifUaJ2uTDYUe53VjUcA/s320/2017-11-28+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing thousands of pictures on the wall, accounts of brutal torture, murder, detention centers, and utter cruelty brought me to tears. But </span><span style="font-size: large;">the power in the museum was in the individual stories of what people endured and how they struggled successfully to overthrow the military dictatorship. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOmAXvOVcL3MD1bf-jAN42vWn1dR2PZSvNUOO1HE3PzNOuIkrhA-aNB-Ji8u2vMKHeT72Pj6eDl2hGc3NgzjU4GBQyeVz5dN1HmtOp8XUzHbwc8TO8yy-jgrrx3SuR6Oc_lXtrq8nUbY/s1600/2017-11-28+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOmAXvOVcL3MD1bf-jAN42vWn1dR2PZSvNUOO1HE3PzNOuIkrhA-aNB-Ji8u2vMKHeT72Pj6eDl2hGc3NgzjU4GBQyeVz5dN1HmtOp8XUzHbwc8TO8yy-jgrrx3SuR6Oc_lXtrq8nUbY/s320/2017-11-28+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After spending several hours in the museum, we needed something light and pleasant to enjoy so we walked across the street to <b>Parque Quinta Normal,</b> a 75-acre park with three museums within its borders and two more down the block!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tVRbFyeYNhcAQZEfHLdFtpXrJt0NUnlUdxzbd783mQzsLoP-Tcb4pEXsgR_s6xEvo5fFsL_AkQWvuGutsS1GxBBymoFGc5Gw2g7dhUPartq3EGfVfwZ9klLKLJFfi5HEd8nwdukhIlI/s1600/2017-11-28+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tVRbFyeYNhcAQZEfHLdFtpXrJt0NUnlUdxzbd783mQzsLoP-Tcb4pEXsgR_s6xEvo5fFsL_AkQWvuGutsS1GxBBymoFGc5Gw2g7dhUPartq3EGfVfwZ9klLKLJFfi5HEd8nwdukhIlI/s320/2017-11-28+033.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The pretty park did indeed fit our bill in terms of a reprieve from the heavy topic of the gross violation of human rights at the museum.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Sxp5hvOxB9lhDIoqlYINHrVaukwuKd204XzMpknerJ2VUWdalZgbLL7Z5P2hY966IuTDmJ94_AY0bYJdsCNB80rTtYe8VJZdgFX3pUKWrBBmwKvEYft-Cl5aUPKY8qKqbq6UX7ZXeC0/s1600/2017-11-28+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Sxp5hvOxB9lhDIoqlYINHrVaukwuKd204XzMpknerJ2VUWdalZgbLL7Z5P2hY966IuTDmJ94_AY0bYJdsCNB80rTtYe8VJZdgFX3pUKWrBBmwKvEYft-Cl5aUPKY8qKqbq6UX7ZXeC0/s320/2017-11-28+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsmA7LDHV-KqonQq61FQ5IBcDXreqdCGuOR9GmKebC26RluTTsKb11AlW7vnWHrGLZSoGkG4UDdHd9lB6-TL2kxIsPJ-0vJ7Y5OAqJL4bRJoaGE_qGwi1e81l7xHIcTEcvO8ggIS5Miw/s1600/2017-11-28+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsmA7LDHV-KqonQq61FQ5IBcDXreqdCGuOR9GmKebC26RluTTsKb11AlW7vnWHrGLZSoGkG4UDdHd9lB6-TL2kxIsPJ-0vJ7Y5OAqJL4bRJoaGE_qGwi1e81l7xHIcTEcvO8ggIS5Miw/s320/2017-11-28+041.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Never had we seen such interesting stone seats that faced different directions!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxsIaBf-xfmhrBCh9TQNo1Bh7k9ktFH-Hy6roW4cZIENo6wNdPAr_ukqBEQY-e3PiKH1wXvnDv_QgPdcyCfjnM4Jy5j482JwC8aafKaCfte9rpu3KHoW-U7vXZ3DEuK9-eFGdtWAD3mI/s1600/2017-11-28+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxsIaBf-xfmhrBCh9TQNo1Bh7k9ktFH-Hy6roW4cZIENo6wNdPAr_ukqBEQY-e3PiKH1wXvnDv_QgPdcyCfjnM4Jy5j482JwC8aafKaCfte9rpu3KHoW-U7vXZ3DEuK9-eFGdtWAD3mI/s320/2017-11-28+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The entrance to the metro was probably the biggest one we'd ever seen. Another unusual thing were the number of people choosing to sit on the floor in the subway. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMGJ3vZWE1CaYITKYY0OxR0wgwWXZljW3ivG7cDYJzPrmzngl8-EmTiNTXO7QLDOmrJrmUeavq-Tl5q1UGyq5zDYcJHe4g_0NpZM6PVKkELy-Zr-vePKkaQeY6Mc76n9YR9NlojFVh74/s1600/2017-11-28+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMGJ3vZWE1CaYITKYY0OxR0wgwWXZljW3ivG7cDYJzPrmzngl8-EmTiNTXO7QLDOmrJrmUeavq-Tl5q1UGyq5zDYcJHe4g_0NpZM6PVKkELy-Zr-vePKkaQeY6Mc76n9YR9NlojFVh74/s320/2017-11-28+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQKeddkgJTJReVxp4ytSEREsaQ3RPNU1_y-Mu5U4fAMTzHNX68hctxnHRvnR6SPki0jJhqczkrKjPwEGhvmajgmS8eSNsxaayXUJ7ADRydejwc86_HYtE-ntaR4S3xlWT0Z7O4IT6Djc/s1600/2017-11-28+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQKeddkgJTJReVxp4ytSEREsaQ3RPNU1_y-Mu5U4fAMTzHNX68hctxnHRvnR6SPki0jJhqczkrKjPwEGhvmajgmS8eSNsxaayXUJ7ADRydejwc86_HYtE-ntaR4S3xlWT0Z7O4IT6Djc/s320/2017-11-28+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>Estación Mapocho, </b>in use from 1905-1987, with its trio of two-story arches framed by intricate terracotta detailing had to have been as elegant as any train station in the world. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-osgAJ9tkrCXy0HzbCoR8jS855EhjjFxiClE-72ZstmIpmmyGgNZY0eyHdErqTSiCxL4QncPhjKcc1MBS8onJ6OynhgdQTx494wNGxch0JG2x9Ar14AncVliR1ZPermdMtDYCliqtCHc/s1600/2017-11-28+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-osgAJ9tkrCXy0HzbCoR8jS855EhjjFxiClE-72ZstmIpmmyGgNZY0eyHdErqTSiCxL4QncPhjKcc1MBS8onJ6OynhgdQTx494wNGxch0JG2x9Ar14AncVliR1ZPermdMtDYCliqtCHc/s320/2017-11-28+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ9ez3-1QkSX01Rd2qBYjF_W4VkILE8urmsgO073rOTbjLp2gQrMRI4-f1t56Ri9yqJIx32jm46bNSmTnXCNCO_gxPlBSj73q0nOrf72nC4KRn3XkS2BzUC_lgdBtx3aTuS7F1uhyphenhyphenyX4/s1600/2017-11-28+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ9ez3-1QkSX01Rd2qBYjF_W4VkILE8urmsgO073rOTbjLp2gQrMRI4-f1t56Ri9yqJIx32jm46bNSmTnXCNCO_gxPlBSj73q0nOrf72nC4KRn3XkS2BzUC_lgdBtx3aTuS7F1uhyphenhyphenyX4/s320/2017-11-28+052.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">After trains were diverted to the main station, the space was converted into one of the city's principal arts and cultural centers. The cavernous station that once was home to steam engines was now host to musical performances and other events.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5UtdDM_Q4Imk5E6VqiLE0isKgbSgGWSbn5nCU2Uo1dPEGwbmZUMu7PgVSWlnTTcAuiw30_wZcBKkk4FIScccvHAc20dSCW2nsMbYuLV-P7aWbL2ThytWvP7Psw3a1Gc4ceNMQhyDg68/s1600/2017-11-28+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5UtdDM_Q4Imk5E6VqiLE0isKgbSgGWSbn5nCU2Uo1dPEGwbmZUMu7PgVSWlnTTcAuiw30_wZcBKkk4FIScccvHAc20dSCW2nsMbYuLV-P7aWbL2ThytWvP7Psw3a1Gc4ceNMQhyDg68/s320/2017-11-28+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy2GSxFtSBbuocZx_FeNFJkP5_HW_7jyREqAYd-o1QgG41OFhDJj156dQQyEuRxiUCdF2XzVy3zpT_tZAM1CcKXGWcZn4qG1OYOZW6A_Q4MpXB11RD6ECTP14IkcTO9ovEIUfMUYyLWQ/s1600/2017-11-28+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRy2GSxFtSBbuocZx_FeNFJkP5_HW_7jyREqAYd-o1QgG41OFhDJj156dQQyEuRxiUCdF2XzVy3zpT_tZAM1CcKXGWcZn4qG1OYOZW6A_Q4MpXB11RD6ECTP14IkcTO9ovEIUfMUYyLWQ/s320/2017-11-28+057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of blocks away, a towering church spire caught my fancy so I wandered over to see it while Steven stayed by the station.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEQKcY4fhS9LXwH7eAnvj_ERWtZ6TyH6ai7HOIIvDxIRGtsP4aJzaleD51YRa68n4GBV1UF8fJty6R5HOS7LZCRqbCivOoHd5jYaZmxN6z5PBvOKn8yPzogi6q-qZJ-K41xW_OrFOJV4/s1600/2017-11-28+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEQKcY4fhS9LXwH7eAnvj_ERWtZ6TyH6ai7HOIIvDxIRGtsP4aJzaleD51YRa68n4GBV1UF8fJty6R5HOS7LZCRqbCivOoHd5jYaZmxN6z5PBvOKn8yPzogi6q-qZJ-K41xW_OrFOJV4/s320/2017-11-28+058.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLQZJPZqlflb32zzBa6W7k3Mf6M6ESzm5F_qeYqEg4X6C6b330mQ58dUWZh7aaInj-EDxvZAaekY4CJHExpPK59mB6bhboDI-RCEVVIHyL71H6RpsA9Az-pRij5ECLPGDLNxHCQsTD54/s1600/2017-11-28+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLQZJPZqlflb32zzBa6W7k3Mf6M6ESzm5F_qeYqEg4X6C6b330mQ58dUWZh7aaInj-EDxvZAaekY4CJHExpPK59mB6bhboDI-RCEVVIHyL71H6RpsA9Az-pRij5ECLPGDLNxHCQsTD54/s320/2017-11-28+067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw30ugFJOy6Dd5PcsRRBdwnzltQgxlZO4Gv8eIJB2HdMg999yEv0r_ju47l_H3iMxscB1vhEOVjGBZjIwQPga3dY2sx72fhextcjF5aDM82sArwEZTI95iTtPPFahdw1hTu0rIjjrW2a8/s1600/2017-11-28+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw30ugFJOy6Dd5PcsRRBdwnzltQgxlZO4Gv8eIJB2HdMg999yEv0r_ju47l_H3iMxscB1vhEOVjGBZjIwQPga3dY2sx72fhextcjF5aDM82sArwEZTI95iTtPPFahdw1hTu0rIjjrW2a8/s320/2017-11-28+062.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I smiled when I saw the famous Spanish phrase that said, 'My home is your home,' as I had never thought of it in connection with a church before that.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-O5IM-WKv051nsSHi4gsUlNoaQ_tkRtxcJvRQ-RNOUOZTK79PQ7n2keMaczvjWQpHfrmNDfzzBhFusP7zDd7MhPvE5Yf6VJMpNU2n5hW5EnW-XCtO31zRG21p8wdKf4IyXW-dT8IumQ/s1600/2017-11-28+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-O5IM-WKv051nsSHi4gsUlNoaQ_tkRtxcJvRQ-RNOUOZTK79PQ7n2keMaczvjWQpHfrmNDfzzBhFusP7zDd7MhPvE5Yf6VJMpNU2n5hW5EnW-XCtO31zRG21p8wdKf4IyXW-dT8IumQ/s320/2017-11-28+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjLctGezCWeyT3h6qlBy15NzbKw1s4zrbdaKyIgAeBRVV-HkYtLAVFiYuohZSZczfW1X-l4qLYDG8QFAwo2H1PM4rm_hw_EhnlC4hC-4wJBcyjqtmhWmln3RgYg4_uHk05j7rhyphenhyphenW6h5U/s1600/2017-11-28+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjLctGezCWeyT3h6qlBy15NzbKw1s4zrbdaKyIgAeBRVV-HkYtLAVFiYuohZSZczfW1X-l4qLYDG8QFAwo2H1PM4rm_hw_EhnlC4hC-4wJBcyjqtmhWmln3RgYg4_uHk05j7rhyphenhyphenW6h5U/s320/2017-11-28+069.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Nearby was the <b>Mercado Central</b> that we'd only been able to see from the outside on our previous visit to Santiago earlier in the week. Farmers' markets are always a magnet for us when we travel so we were excited to see Santiago's most famous market. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTJ6VfF_c4yBwV9tEexBuCxtZEAh4wyr-Pf-6RU413JB-E6I4k4tbA7wVyx6x7YaMrNwyaPsVIjBjS4vFTFIYFtjM24bualFAuLo4VgglF3KG-ZcmKfbCugHpz2UWUPkm-NnH1H-JGGM/s1600/2017-11-28+071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTJ6VfF_c4yBwV9tEexBuCxtZEAh4wyr-Pf-6RU413JB-E6I4k4tbA7wVyx6x7YaMrNwyaPsVIjBjS4vFTFIYFtjM24bualFAuLo4VgglF3KG-ZcmKfbCugHpz2UWUPkm-NnH1H-JGGM/s320/2017-11-28+071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The stunning wrought-iron ceiling, reminiscent of a Victorian train station, was prefabricated in England and erected in Santiago between 1868 and 1872. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw9_Uq-hvvWhd3SN9mkb1EbRN1V5ASDArL6f7a6XesVEBK_o1WobdjQo0rJ_gzrSIsww5sj4q3zZUdQgKukjVV3TJQzel-eYPcBxYQL9xjgUUks9vP7SmVnL_boIs1CgQkRfn5Db1z3w/s1600/2017-11-28+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw9_Uq-hvvWhd3SN9mkb1EbRN1V5ASDArL6f7a6XesVEBK_o1WobdjQo0rJ_gzrSIsww5sj4q3zZUdQgKukjVV3TJQzel-eYPcBxYQL9xjgUUks9vP7SmVnL_boIs1CgQkRfn5Db1z3w/s320/2017-11-28+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We were surprised that there were several restaurants in the center of the market and not market stalls as we thought there would be.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyrd_fZIvR107IrdmfoR3VDFduY_emRKqhvaDo8fwC3KW2iGD4-QpmBbS-XsexdQtSiVKbUuJaWPb-BNBewWiIWPz6I-_VPBPIXurGpnAMj-1oG_sCgjqkt6YxgzB5LDywoy2yT1zSjw/s1600/2017-11-28+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyrd_fZIvR107IrdmfoR3VDFduY_emRKqhvaDo8fwC3KW2iGD4-QpmBbS-XsexdQtSiVKbUuJaWPb-BNBewWiIWPz6I-_VPBPIXurGpnAMj-1oG_sCgjqkt6YxgzB5LDywoy2yT1zSjw/s320/2017-11-28+074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_GNm-9TsOsfeK5iF2JincUCPT4_K4EGsXHNudJoBnA0kIFhfR2to7SW4DOh3uBqqKLLft9tf-lNRUSckzBYMxL5RYCy_YxqJExbSDzz68f6Hx9x4eh5X4KHfzbAMOc-UQ_3RzwsdNnM/s1600/2017-11-28+077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_GNm-9TsOsfeK5iF2JincUCPT4_K4EGsXHNudJoBnA0kIFhfR2to7SW4DOh3uBqqKLLft9tf-lNRUSckzBYMxL5RYCy_YxqJExbSDzz68f6Hx9x4eh5X4KHfzbAMOc-UQ_3RzwsdNnM/s320/2017-11-28+077.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing the fishmonger reminded me of my days working in a fish store while attending university in Ottawa. I pitied my fellow students who were also studying American Colonial History as I am sure I stunk to high heaven!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyRPSas522hjC9jOR6PNnUkcv8X7eGBN6wiVuM8jdMXdhfQoxVCyhbwv3NC-9CAURjStWtK7UyAhyphenhyphendL115KyL84dMBhXoR7xbXmXId_amtmc9voPEQv90YMZhKxMwRV9waVjqT0ULzRg/s1600/2017-11-28+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyRPSas522hjC9jOR6PNnUkcv8X7eGBN6wiVuM8jdMXdhfQoxVCyhbwv3NC-9CAURjStWtK7UyAhyphenhyphendL115KyL84dMBhXoR7xbXmXId_amtmc9voPEQv90YMZhKxMwRV9waVjqT0ULzRg/s320/2017-11-28+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Cna3ksesVOViNrS_X25BD5O4nywLTDx_H7NetfH1PHl2jM5zazzFiJVdRhuIs_jQUEem3XXmtrzUrWxchsFHD07MHBtThzVhtfc6a1olWK5XnFY5ieyHGp-wl3pt9FJHW0o3fnn6PiA/s1600/2017-11-28+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Cna3ksesVOViNrS_X25BD5O4nywLTDx_H7NetfH1PHl2jM5zazzFiJVdRhuIs_jQUEem3XXmtrzUrWxchsFHD07MHBtThzVhtfc6a1olWK5XnFY5ieyHGp-wl3pt9FJHW0o3fnn6PiA/s320/2017-11-28+081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the strangest scenes anywhere in the world was spotting this car leaving the <b>Metropolitana Cathedral</b> in the city's main square, <b>Plaza de Armas,</b> on our way back to the hotel/hostel!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibilYWbQjBDAEXkH41xYj0SsMKOPh66-mKN6V18Zz2ZNHYUVT2-AX-2-0SLN1JF1Ffdqk1aGS6dxD8lGxgP9oX5jO5ibkz_kcvAh9wZCHtwFf5tmIkvxoKhQfXtnZHeQcckbb7CnIRy9s/s1600/2017-11-28+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibilYWbQjBDAEXkH41xYj0SsMKOPh66-mKN6V18Zz2ZNHYUVT2-AX-2-0SLN1JF1Ffdqk1aGS6dxD8lGxgP9oX5jO5ibkz_kcvAh9wZCHtwFf5tmIkvxoKhQfXtnZHeQcckbb7CnIRy9s/s320/2017-11-28+083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next post:</b> Valparaiso: The marvelous city of stairs and murals!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Posted on April 27th, 2018, on a beautiful spring day in Littleton, Colorado.</i></span></div>
</div>
Annie Bergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00244611304221436765noreply@blogger.com0