I'm back, for a while.

ok, no one wished me* happy birthday. You are all in trouble... I was sulking, that's why I haven't posted... ok, that and I have been recovering - I tend to do that. Play hard, rest hard.

*by "me" I meant my blog... sorry for any major guilt or confusion.

I'm back, safe and happy. You are forgiven. Minnesota next week.

I'll try to keep posting photos from my trip and explaining the context.

Here we go...



This was BBQ time at my brother's host family in Asuncion, Paraguay. They were wood coals he was burning with the exhaust of a vacuum. The father is an air traffic controller and that is why he is wearing the uniform. The other man was someone they hired to cook the meat so that the father could be with the family.

We ate for about a half an hour and then talked for another 4 hours. I actually understood them, and asked when I didn't - my brother said that they were talking more slowly for our benefit. Probably. Except for one guy - I had to concentrate with every ounce of energy I had just to pick out every other word. He mumbled, spoke in slang, and spoke very, very quickly.

It was a tougher meat than we had throughout the trip - but it had heart. I learned more about the country in that night than in all the guide books I read.