DIVING IN COSTA RICA There were five of us in Coco Beach where we shared a nice two bedroom apartment. Sarina’s cousin Sandy and her husband Shane got one bedroom. Suzanne, Sarina’s aunt, and I shared the other bedroom and Sarina slept on the couch. It was a little crowded. But we had a nice lanai which gave us a little more space and since Sarina and I were diving in the mornings it worked just fine. We usually did something in the afternoon as a group; a little exploration drive, shopping, or dinner. Sometimes we ate at a restaurant and sometimes Sarina or another family member cooked. We spent one memorable evening in a pizza restaurant playing Crimes against Humanity. We were close to the beach, but I never went to it. I got in ... read more

Boat on the Border BuqueBus Ferry My Day Trip from Buenos Aires to Uruguay In Buenos Aires I went on line to check my bank balance and make some transfers. I had recently changed my return date to the United States, extending my 2016 dive tour by ten days. On my statement there were six or seven withdrawals on the same day. This made me anxious, for I pay foreign transaction fees to Argentine banks as well as to my U.S. bank. During my short trip to Ushuaia the ATM limit was only $100. Thus the excessive fees. When planning my trip to Argentina I had read about the “blue” dollar and travelers agreed one should bring lots of American cash to Argentina. The exchange for American dollars is almost 16% on Florida Street (blue dollars), ... read more

THE THEMATIC GALLERY (Interactive Prison Museum) Ushuaia, Argentina Aug 20th Hernan, my host for my stay in Ushuaia, drove past the Thematic Gallery on my first full day in Ushuaia. I was intrigued by the prisoners scaling the walls of the old prison. He tried to explain what it was, finally saying that it was a museum. The name of the museum didn’t inspire me so I didn’t really think I would venture inside but the outside of the edifice made for some interesting photos. One morning I set out on foot to walk to the downtown area. Although only 4.6 km, it took about two hours because of snow and ice and part of the way there was no path. The landscape took my breath away. I had decided to go to a travel agent ... read more

DIVING FIN DEL MUNDO Ushuaia, Argentina The Southernmost City in the World The snow came down off the roof and crashed onto the sidewalk right outside the door of the house. We managed to squeeze by and reach the door that opened onto the street. Hernan, my host whom I had contacted on Airbnb, had graciously volunteered to drive me to the dive shop. I was excited about diving in Ushuaia, and also a bit incredulous. I didn’t let my mind rest too long on the stark white surroundings. In the past three days about six inches of snow had fallen. The municipality hadn’t the means, or the desire, to clean the streets yet so taxis were unavailable. We loaded my dive bag into the trunk of Hernan’s car and he jockeyed the auto back and ... read more

SPANISH LESSONS Casona la Boheme Buenos Aires When I was in the planning stages of my 2015 Scuba Diving Trip, I decided to add Buenos Aires to my itinerary for two reasons: Tango Lessons and Spanish Lessons. I like to balance the less glamorous activities like back packing and diving which require a more rugged attitude, equipment and clothing, with the more feminine pursuits like dancing. Sometimes I just tweak the activity a bit, like painting my toenails alternating colors of fingernail polish right before embarking on a twelve day hike, or coordinating my camp shirt with my handkerchief that I wear around my head with my hiking shirt. So I book-ended my dive trips in 2015 with a month of tango in Buenos Aires. I prepared for a long term stay in a Spanish speaking ... read more