ROTI Buenos Aires
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ROTI meets ROTA

Dear Diary

Day 1--Atlanta to Buenos Aires flight landed at 9:25am after 9 1/2 hours of smooth flight.  It took 2 1/2 hours to get to the hotel.  Patricia Monica Baigros is the greatest, she picked me up with an exchange student from Australia named Adam.  Adam wanted to see the grave of Eva Peron and so we went to the La Recoleta Cemetery and visited to most elaborate graveyard that I've ever seen in my life.  Click on the link above to view the images.  It was getting late and darkness was approaching so we escaped to a local coffee house for some fine coffee and snacks.  I used my Fisheye lens on some of the images and that is why they look somewhat warped, the lanes were very narrow and a normal lens would not have captured the site properly. I had to take a picture of the pianist at the coffee house as his music was exceptional.

Day 2--  Patricia picked my up at  the hotel and took me for a wonderful ride around Buenos Aires and saw the sites.  Not too may images to show, but had a wonderful ride.  Stopped at a cafeteria for lunch and then to setup the booth.  We are having trouble getting connected to the internet, so I'm trying to build these pages for all to see. Frank Devlyn and Herb Brown stopped by the booth to see how we were doing and asked if we were connected to the Internet.  I didn't have the heart to tell him the problems we were having.  He said that he was pleased and he would send people over  to view his Task Force web sites, THANK GOD I am the webmaster for 4 of them and have them loaded on my computer to view locally.  Omar got me back to my hotel and took me out to an Italian Restaurant (brocolini's) for a GREAT meal, where I ran into my District 5580 incoming Governor Jack Ruttger and his wife Ann.  Jack and Ann are the last picture in the group.

Day 3--Hope we get connected?  If not you won't see this comment.  Well we didn't get connected.  I used Patricia Monica's computer to call home using www.dialpad.com and it worked great.  You'll see many pictures of the party at Patricia and Alberto Baigros apartment on the 16th floor (the top floor) of their building.  I met my new room mate that Hugh Reid arranged for me from New Zealand, more on that tomorrow if he can take to snoring as well as Hugh did in Singapore.  One picture that isn't included as yet is one of Cliff Dochterman visiting our booth and asking us to support the Technology Taskforce as necessary.  How could we turn down such an offer.  That's it for Day 3, still not getting an acceptable internet connection.  More on that tomorrow also.

Day 4--Sunday in Buenos Aires, no pictures today, very busy at the booth helping people with internet questions and sending email. 

Day 5--Spent some time introducing myself to the Task Force chairmen in their booths.  Took a few pictures and attended the Task Force meeting on orders from PE Frank Devlyn where ROTI was recognized as the force that told Frank Devlyn that he must get on the internet. With a room full of top level Rotarians around the world including Task Force chairmen and zone coordinators it felt pretty good, I just wish that more Rotians had been there as this has been a group effort.

Day 6--RI Staff photographer stopped by to order flowers for his wedding anniversary over the internet and to take photos for the Rotarian Magazine.  Frank Devlyn stopped to send an email home. Task Force chairmen swarming around me asking questions about computers, internet and task force websites and everything else computer related.  Everyone is really excited about these Task Force Websites and ROTI is right in the middle of the whole thing. It sure feels good to be needed.  Another fine call back to Duluth and even talked to several Grandchildren. Finished the day with an Argentine Sirloin Steak the size of a man hole cover. Couldn't have been a finer day.

Day 7--Last day of the conference, still trying to upload all of these pictures and web pages for all to see, but the connection is so poor that Frontpage errors out before finishing, will continue trying until successful.  Which might not be until I get back to Duluth.

Day 8--Early rise to get checked out of the Hotel Italia Romanelli and catch a cab over to Nora's hotel to catch the bus to Posadas.  We had a slight delay, but got on the road about noon.  Arriving at the hotel Intercontinental in Posadas about 1am in the morning.  Smooth bus ride and a lot of good Rotary fellowship along the way.  Nora and Lalo are SUPER hosts.

Day 9--Because of the strike in Argentina todays tour was cancelled by the bus company.  We had a nice time window shopping and lunch at the Rotary club.  Some of the group took cabs to Paraguay which is just across the river.  You'll see this in pictures from my hotel window.  Lunch at the local Rotary Club today and a free afternoon, then dinner with the Posadas Rotary Club tonite and early on the bus tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

Day 10--Onto the bus early and off to a Jessuit Ruins and then a makeup at the Monte Carlo Argentina Rotary Club.  Then the big hassle at the Brazilian Customs because everyone didn't get their Brazilian Visas before leaving home.

Day 11-- A fabulous day at the Iguazu Falls.  Don't miss one of Gods Greatest creations.

Day 12--Our first stop after leaving the hotel was a bird park where one of the larger birds (looks like an Ostrich, ate Hugh Reid's eye piece right off his video camera.  Hugh was a bit upset with the bird. Back on the bus to Argentina and another hassle at the Argentine Customs now.  Then a grand farwell to the bus and I hopped a plane to Cordoba Argentina with my kiwi friends from the Wanganui Rotary Club.  We arrived at the city of Carlos Paz with our host Fernando and were the only guests at the Capiva Hotel.

Day 13-- A wonderful day touring the countryside and a german lunch in a local german community.  The day was capped off with a joint meeting of the Wanganui Rotary club and the Rotary Club of Carlos Paz.  This will continue the bond between the two clubs.

Day 14-- Shopping in downtown Carlos Paz, a light lunch, into the van for a tour of the town and then back to Cordaba to catch the plane back to Buenos Aires in the evening.

Day 15-- A final tour of Buenos Aires, we stopped at a church where Hugh Reid tried his hand at Mass to empty pews (nobody came).  More shopping in Buenos Aires ( 11 Grand children to buy for as well as my sweetheart back in Duluth) and a farewell to my New Zealand friends before catching a night flight back to Atlanta on the way to Duluth.

Day 16-- Yesterday just before leaving the Reid Gang at the Hotel for the Airport, Hugh Reid confided that it was good they were going home because he only had $5 left and hoped it would get him home.  It must not have worked out as I saw him working the Atlanta to Minneapolis flight as a steward.

Final notes: Home Sweet Home, as much as I love you all, it's sure nice to be in my own bed. Tons of emails to answer and a huge box of snail mail.  The bus tour put together by Nora and Lalo was one of the highlights of my life.  With some wonderful friends. I get teary eyed just thinking of those special times at the border in Brazil and returning to Argentina, if the world were more trusting we'd all be a lot better off. If you haven't had a Hug from Nora or Patricia or even Lalo you are missing something special.  To those that haven't had the pleasure of meeting cyberfriends at the International Convention you are truly missing something in your life.  I hope that we can plan something special again next year in San Antonio.  YOU CAN BET I'LL BE THERE!!!!!

A special thanks to Steve Alexis who got me started on this journey and to Razor (may he rest in peace) for his financial help. I will forever be indebted to you all.

Hugs & Kisses

Have a Great Rotary Day,

JB

Editor's Note: All images here have been greatly reduced in quality so that they will load into your browser faster. If you would like one of the original images (300k-1.4megs in size) email me and I will upload it for you.

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Last update October 27, 2001