"When you travel, strangers get a chance to amaze you. Sometimes a single day can bring a blooming surprise, a simple kindness that opens a chink in the brittle shell of your heart and makes you a different person when you can go to sleep ----- more tender, less jaded ----- than you were when you woke up." -Tanya Shaffer
We've met many strangers on this trip; especially in Uruguay. Staying in one place for 1 month opens more avenues for meeting people in different situations. We have been amazed by...
Alejandro in Mendoza... We met up with him every day and chatted for awhile. He introduced us the culture of Argentina and helped us with our Spanish.
Alejandro on the overnight bus from Mendoza... He chatted with us for hours. He also helped us buy our tickets for the next bus to Bariloche and stayed to make sure that we were okay. He's involved in the wine market and was on his way back from the wine festival.
Sonja and Alvaro in Piriapolis... We met them at our favorite mussel restaurant. They asked us what we were doing in Piriapolis; very curious as to why 2 Americanos were in their small place. They invited us to their home and we met up with them several times. They were exceptionally sweet to us. She's 80, he's 81. They are from Montevideo, but have a small home in Piriapolis where they spend the summer. They had not spoken English for 40 years and we had many fun conversations with them. She was his 4th. wife and he was her 3rd. husband!
Silvio and Nidia Gambone from Piriapolis. He's an amazing house builder, winemaker, and natural liquor maker (using the fruit from his own trees). Both of them were very nice to us. They invited us into their home and made us feel so welcome.
"Our" wine store owner... He and his wife spent a lot of time making sure that we were happy with our vino purchases. We tasted the wine that we wanted to buy. They did not speak a word of English, but there was a great deal of communication between us.
Anna Maria, the Hotel Ricardi owner... She opened her arms to me and allowed me to use the WiFi in her hotel lobby any time. She greeted me each time as though I was doing her a favor! She would not take any money. On my last day using the wifi I gave her a small gift and she was ecstatic, kissing me over and over on both cheeks and hugging me! She told me to come back any time. She told me that she would miss me.
We will miss each and every one of these "strangers." Memories of our trip were made extra-special because of them.
Never stop exploring,
Mary and Bob
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James
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