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Tears and heartfelt good-bye's sent us on our way from Brasil and our new "family" in Amoreira.Our bus left from Londrina at around 9pm on our way to Foz Do Iguazu and we pulled into the bus station in Foz with enough time to grab some grub and push onwards to Cordoba.It was a strange experience leaving Amoreira and our friends, we had developed an even stronger friendship since they had left the states, having gotten to know them on their "own turf" and seeing and experiencing a small part of their lives.
After 10 or so hours from Londrina we caught the bus from Puerto Iguazu where we had been just three weeks prior.The 24-hour bus-ride took us out of the sub-tropical climes of northeastern Argentina south to the much drier desert environment of Cordoba.After reviewing the calendar, we knew we'd be blowing right through the college town, but not without visiting Alta Gracia, the town where a young Ernesto Guevara spent his formative years.
We got into town just before mid-day, secured our tickets to push on to Mendoza the same evening and then caught the bus to Alta Gracia.A beautiful sunny day brought us into the wealthy suburb of Cordoba and we were dropped near the quiet street a young Che tromped around with his friends on.The town of Alta Gracia has probably changed much since the forty's when Ernesto and his family inhabited their modest house with a nice quaint back yard.The house appeared to have been well restored since it had been turned into a museum and there were many pictures and "Che" paraphernalia throughout the house including a gift shop.
There were far less wanna-be revolutionary Americans and otherwise tooling around the house and a huge group of elderly Argentines were dropped off from a tour bus that must have held about 40 of the "blue hairs".Even still, tooling around the house was pleasant and picturing the young Ernesto running around the yard, or playing in his room was enjoyable.They even had a whole room dedicated to a visit by Fidel and Hugo Chavez that I think took place sometime in 2006?It showed pictures of the press clambering over the two leaders pointing at and enjoying pictures in the museum and shaking hands, etc., etc.I can't say whether Che would have approved of such a visit, at least by the zealot Chavez.
Later that afternoon we said bye to Che's street and made our way back to catch our 10-hour bus to Mendoza…amazing we weren't sick of bus-rides just yet…
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