MURGA!!!

It didn´t take long to turn the the best party I´ve been to into the 2nd best party I´ve been to... The show was amazing. There was tango and milonga and cumbia and samba and juggling AND pinkulele AND MURGA! And, of course, DANCING to MURGA! I´ll post a video when I get to a better computer. If you can´t wait until then to experience murga, look on youtube. If you like drums and dancable beats, you´ll love it!
These kids play a mean murga:

Pinkulele World Tour

Me encanta esta vida!
I met another group of travelers and, a couple nights ago, ended up in San Luis at the best party I´ve been to in quite some time... there were jugglers and all kinds of musicians and we jammed for hours, with the pinkulele, several guitars, an upright bass, some instruments I didn´t recognize, lots of drums, and everyone singing. I joined in on some local tunes and taught them some pinkulele favorites. It was great! AND, I´m going to joing them in a concert performance this Thursday night!
The 2009 Pinkulele World Tour starts in Argentina!

Obama del Sur

Even in South America, the TV had nothing but Obama coverage from Sunday - Tuesday. Me and my new house plants were glued to the news. And pinkulele sang songs of joy.

My new plants are, from left to right: peppermint, spicy pepper, cedrón, and basil. They help this house feel like a home. And they´re all delicious.

At home in Mendoza

Well, this city has taken my heart and made it all bubbly like a soda. I love it here, and now that the Kings have gone home (I´ll miss you guys!), I´m going to relax for a while. So, I got an apartment! In Mendoza City! YEAH!!!

Every day is Kings Day

I saw my first live South American futbol match last night. AND ate my first real Brazilian barbecue. Not bad for one traveling day...

Here is the crowd. A bit thin, because it´s only the preseason, but still CRAZY.


And here are the Kings, Bruno and Antonio, doing what Kings do best: cooking meat, drinking vino, and cheering for Independiente!


Everyone at the hostel benefitted from the Kings´ churrasco skills!

Balthazar, Elvis, and Balthazar

Team 3 Kings is having so much fun! This is us in Colonia, in a cochito we rented to zoom around the tiny city.

Happy Kings Day!

Felicidades Reyes!
Yesterday was the Dia de los Reyes, the last day of Christmas, the day the 3 Kings arrived to greet the new baby Jesus. It´s when many Uruguayans exchange gifts (instead of on Christmas), and it´s a day when everything is closed and the whole country goes to the beach. Well, when in Uruguay...

I spent the whole day at various beaches along the Uruguayan coast. It took awhile (like 5 Uruguayan minutes), but eventually, my Brazilian friends and I made it to the green beach. It inspired much silliness and a ukulele song.

And an ocean sunset...
After taking all day to get here, we weren´t in a hurry to leave. We found a restaurant with a great view, and got a little silly. I´m sure we were the only ones they´d had in a long time who didn´t wear pants for dinner... And another great pinkulele song is born! You can eat dinner, wearing no pants. Watch the sunset, wearing no pants. Go to the GREEN BEACH, wearing no pants. Have a Happy Kings Day, wearing no pants!