Mark's New Flying Blog

I have decided to start a new blog specifically dedicated to my flying so that Robyn and I can keep the topic of this blog to our Geocaching and camping advantures.

My new blog titled Mark's Flying Blog can be found at http://marksf3a.blogspot.com/

1 Car, 3 Tolls, 3 Countries, 3 Airplanes and God Knows How Many Security Checks

One of the endurance tests of participating in any international event is the travel schedule. Just like what goes up, must come down, there comes a time when we have to return home.

Robyn and I finished packing and had an hour to spare before the 12 o’clock check out time so we decided to take one last walk around the block to spend the time. Rule #1 . . . take a map! Off we went, making a left turn at the first street, another left turn at the next street and once again another left turn at the next street. Now this approach would normally work if the streets ran at proper right angles to each other and a couple of right turns aren’t added in for the hell of it. However many of the streets are at funny angles and in no time one can become completely lost in a city of 11 million people.

Now this normally wouldn’t be a problem at home as anyone speaking the same language could easily get you on the right track. The clock was ticking and it became very clear to Robyn and I that we were . . . LOST in B.A. No problem we thought as on almost every street corner is a gun toting Policia Federale officer so Robyn approached a lucky candidate thinking that he would be able to assist us to the only street (9 De Julio) we knew by heart. Well let me tell you that the “deer in the headlights” look that he gave Robyn when she asked him if he spoke English didn't give us a warm fuzzy feeling nor did his hand gestures that had similarity to an Aresti pattern. So off we went in our quest asking a nice little old lady who spoke only Spanish and further down the road a shop owner who actually told us the street names that we would pass on our way. With little time to spare (5 minutes) we finally managed to locate our hotel where Dave and Kelly were already starting to check out.

Our journey home started at noon on Wednesday Nov 21st from the Hotel Presidente when we loaded the vehicles and got to experience the “No Rules” driving of B.A. during a workday first hand. I had been dreading this experience ever since the day we arrived and my confidence didn’t grow as we toured the city by foot and cab over the couple of days here. Anyway off we headed through the heart of B.A. by car to the airport and I quickly learned not to look in any of the mirrors, disregard the lines on the road and occasionally run a red light. It wasn't too long before we were at the airport but not before passing through our final 3 toll booths on the way.

This is actually where I really started to enjoy myself as Dave and Kelly were ahead of us and we got the chance to get in the fast lane (minimum of 130km/h)to catch up to them as I'm pretty sure there is no Policia speeding enforcement in Argentina.

We arrived at the B.A. airport at around 1pm and had a couple of hours to spare before our 3pm check-in. That gave us a chance to pre-weigh our luggage to see how our shopping adventures affected our weight. Dave got into a discussion with one of the baggage handlers who saw the airplanes and it wasn't long before the boxes and luggage were secured with zap straps and the airplane crates checked over. We noticed a couple of other cardboard airplane type boxes which belonged to the Hong Kong team who were also scheduled on the same flight via Toronto. Processing of the luggage went perfectly as the airplanes were accepted without any oversize fees and our friendly baggage handler made sure they went through the security inspection area without a hitch. We felt sorry for the Austrialian Team as they couldn't take the airplanes with them with the motors in the airplanes and they were scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. Another security check for ourselves and another visit to the customs area to turn in our arrival documents that we completed when we entered the country and then we headed to the gate for the first leg of the flight home.

The Air Canada 767 headed out for the 2 1/2 hour flight to Santiago Chile where we deplaned, went through a security check point, headed back to the same gate via a maze of hallways, picked up a long anticipated Starbucks Latte, another passport check and finally back onto the same airplane at the same gate all within one hour. Couldn't figure this one out when we arrived but I figure it was a way to get the passengers to spend a little money on some last minute souvenirs while the plane was serviced.

The flight to Toronto went smoothly and although I thought I would get some much needed sleep (NOT)it seemed to me like this flight lasted for days. I did manage to watch 3 movies, stare at the funny angle moon out the window and think a bit about the 2009 Canadian Team Trials which will be next September. Once in Toronto we once again got to experience the delay in getting our luggage and most importantly the airplanes. We only had a 1 hour connection and it took that long to get our belongings, clear customs, clear security which for the first time checked our hand luggage, computers and transmitters. A mad "Amazing Race" like dash to the gate at the other end of the airport and we were the last people to board the airplane. That was close, however with the light snow falling the airplane needed to go through the de-iceing area which added another 2 hours before we managed to take off. No complaints from anyone however as the airplane had been sitting at the gate probably all night and had a good inch of ice on the fuse and wings and it was my first time to watch the ballet of machines working to make our flight to Vancouver safe.

Because of the delays in Toronto we knew we had missed our final leg to Victoria but this wasn't going to be an issue with the number of Dash 8 flights to the capital city. It wasn't long before we were on the 12pm flight to Victoria and we were amazed that our luggage and airplanes had already made it to the Dash 8 and were waiting for us. Now that's what I call service. Thanks Air Canada!

23 1/2 hours later after leaving the B.A. airport we landed in clear crisp weather conditions in Victoria and here I am in my shorts and T-Shirt but who cares we made it home safe and sound. Funny thing . . . I kinda miss the 11 million people of B.A and the people of Argentina who made our visit so special. Many thanks to Dave and Kelly for asking us to be part of this adventure. Next up . . . the F3A Worlds in Portugal 2009!

Mark & Robyn

P.S. Be sure to check this blog from time to time as we will be adding more RV'ing and geocaching adventures in the near future.

The Price Is Right.....Come On Down!!!

I haven't blogged for a while on this site as Robyn has been entertaining everyone with her adventures and my duties were more focused flying portion of the trip.

Anyway, our last full day in B.A. and we decided to tackle the shopping district early after breakfast. Robyn and I headed out on our own this morning as we only had a couple of things to pick up while Kelly had her shopping list and Dave arranged for a sea container to get her purchases home LOL.

On the way to the B.A. train station we passed by the Falkland Island Memorial honouring the Argentina armed forces who lost their lives during the conflict with Great Britain. Interesting enough it faces the Tower of the Inglis which from a distance is very spectacular but once you get nearer you can see the vandalism that has taken place and the site is now protected by a large gate.

The train station was enormous and we watched a couple of commuter trains unload at the same time. I estimated there were up to 7000 people coming off the trains combined which makes you realize how busy this city is. Outside the station the 16 lanes of traffic is a testament to the scale of the city and the sheer fact that there are very few accidents is amazing.

It seems that traffic lights, speed limits, sidewalks (motor cycles use them) and non existent lane use are only used as a suggestion as the way to get around the city. Try delivering the morning bread in this environment!

The simple rule is to keep moving and this includes the pedestrians who challenge buses and cabs to the right of way. In retrospect the people of this city have figured a way to resolve grid lock on their own with no road rage, very limited honking of the horn that North American drivers couldn't even begin to comprehend. The mobile billboard holders are another neat concept and do it in such a way that the traffic is not hindered was so ever.

We headed into the shopping district and met the French F3A Team as they recognized my Duralite Flight Systems hat and asked if I flew aeromodels. We then exchanged greetings and congratulated them on their World Team Championship.

The shopping area has numerous "hidden" side malls that branch off the main pedestrian area that offer many surprises. This is one of the ones we found with fabulous architecture and Christmas decorations.

A quick siesta then another round of shopping in the afternoon then it was onto our last feast of beef at our favorite paparilla. You want beef? You got beef!!!

A night out in B.A.

After a few drinks in the hotel bar we grabbed a cab and took a thrilling ride down 9 de Julio, around the obelisco and down to the docks. Total cost $10.00 pesos ($3.07 Cdn) including tip for the driver (and he got a pin of course). Dinner at the Italian restaurant was great but very rich. Afterwards we wandered around and took photos of the swing bridge. We even found a soccer game and watched them for awhile. We found another geocache that we’d overlooked earlier in the day. Another quick cab ride back to the hotel and we zonked out. B.A. is such a beautiful city. I wish we had more time to explore.

Day 2 in Buenos Aires

Right now it's about 4pm here in BA. Another beautiful day, about 30 degrees. This is such a big, busy city. Very similar to Vancouver but the architecture is European and there's much more traffic. The downtown core is closed to regular traffic during business hours. Buses and taxi cabs only. All parking is underneath the city as the streets are so narrow. There are subways and trains as well.

This morning we went to the hotel buffet for breakfast and then started our hike around the city. We walked past all sorts of museums, embassies and of course statues. They love their statues down here. And they're always of a guy on a horse. Different people (Pellegrini, San Martin, etc.) but they all look the same to me. Buenos Aires has a much different feel from Santa Fe. Here everything is much faster. We heard they siesta here but we don't see any evidence of it. Business people on cell phones, tourists, a few homeless but not as many as in Vancouver or Victoria. No horses and buggies here. But there's definitely traffic, and lots of it. Mostly taxi cabs. The exhaust fumes are terrible.

We walked past the waterfront and found a geocache (Mark's 400th find). Back to the hotel for a quick change and then walked the other direction to a Recoleta (shopping mall) and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Walked back to the hotel and now everyone's upstairs having a siesta while I'm in the hotel lobby blogging :-).

Tonight we're taking a cab to an Italian restaurant on the water and hope to get some photos of Buenos Aires all lit up for the evening.

Onwards to Buenos Aires

We said our goodbyes in Santa Fe and headed down the Autopista to Buenos Aires. The countryside is very flat like the prairies. The only animals we’ve seen in the fields are cows, horses and sheep. We passed thru miles of orchards and the fruit stands were lined with hanging sacks of oranges. Lots of strawberries too. Getting closer to BA the highway widened and the buildings started popping up so we knew we were close. The main drag in BA, (9 de Julio) is 8 lanes in each direction plus an access road running down each side. There are 4 separate walk signals to cross the road. You can make it in 2 walk signals if you run :-) We stopped in the middle of the road to take photos of the obelisco. Right across from our hotel (Hotel Presidente) is an outdoor pedestrian shopping mall that leads to the famous Florida Street pedestrian mall. All the big name stores are here (Kelly is in her element). The streets are very narrow and packed with shoppers, street vendors and entertainers.

We found a steak house and enjoyed a great meal. We returned to the hotel around 11pm and crashed.

The weather here is very hot (about 30 degrees) but is still cooler than when we left Santa Fe (39 degrees).

Shopping in Santa Fe

We’ve finally figured out the shopping procedures in the stores here. Everything in the store is in the front window with the price attached. When you go into the actual store it’s pretty well empty. So when you walk into the store they expect that you’re there to purchase something from the window. You have to take the clerk outside and point out what you want thru the window. You then follow the clerk back inside, they disappear somewhere and return with your item. If they happen to bring the item you pointed at you’re in luck (read on).

The clothing stores appear to only have 1 of every item. If you see a shirt in the window and then ask for it in your size, you can’t get it ‘cause they only have that one particular shirt in that style or color. Instead, the clerk will start showing you every other item in the store that’s in your size. All the clothes are in big folded stacked arranged by size. So if you were only interested in that one shirt you have to stand there for 15 minutes while they show you every other shirt in the store. The same goes for shoe stores. If your size is sold out the clerk will show you every other shoe in the store in your size.

It’s very rare to find someone who speaks any English. When you enter a store and tell them ‘No Espanol, English’ they will sometimes run out the door and down the street to another store and tow back some poor soul they know of that knows how to say ‘hello’ in English. They may also get on the telephone and phone someone who speaks a bit of English. So you have to wait patiently for this person to arrive ‘cause you’re just too embarrassed to tell them that you were just browsing and now want to leave.

The people of Santa Fe are extremely friendly and try to be helpful as best they can considering they have no idea what we’re talking about. They don’t want you to leave their store unless they’re sure you’ve been looked after. If you buy something you get a big hug and a kiss when you leave. We give them all a Canadian lapel pin and they’re very happy.

McDonald's and Wal-Mart

Just a couple of photos of a McDonald's menu and inside Wal-Mart, the only 2 stores we have recognized so far in Argentina.

Wal-Mart is exactly the same as ours except you can also buy a car there :-)

McDonald's looks identical from the outside (no, we didn't eat here).

Big Mac McCombo $14.25 pesos ($4.38 Cdn).

A Day in Parana

Today was practice day for Chad (as Des and Dave didn’t make it to the semi-finals) so the guys headed out early to the practice field. They took their new kites with them so I’m sure they’ll have a good time.

Kelly, Rosemary, Brian and I jumped into my little car and headed to the nearby city of Parana. There’s a long tunnel under the river (probably 2km) from the city of Santa Fe to Parana. And of course there’s a tollbooth. I think the majority of our money is being spent on tolls. They’re everywhere. Once in Parana we located the shopping district which is an outdoor pedestrian shopping mall just like the one in Santa Fe only bigger. We parked in a car park and wandered thru the stores. There was a city park in the center with a cathedral and a local public market. The only thing we purchased was some sugared almonds that a local vendor was making in a big boiling pot (1 peso) and they were delicious.
From downtown we drove to a hilltop overlooking the river. There was a big statue of a guy on a horse (forgive me for not remembering all these Spanish names, there are statues everywhere and we can’t read the plaques). We had lunch on the balcony of a nearby hotel and then wandered thru the park and took pictures. On the way home we drove down by the river and beaches. A quick stop at Wal-Mart for supplies (water, cheap beer and wine, etc.) and now it’s 4pm and we’re back at the hotel waiting for the guys to come back. We’re planning to take Mark and Dave for their 1st shopping experience tonight (don’t forget the stores don’t reopen from siesta until 4:30 and we can’t eat until 8:30).

Poolside

Another beautiful day in Santa Fe. It's a very relaxed, stress-free environment. Everyone moves at a very slow pace here (other than the driving speed). Sometimes the phones work, sometimes not. Sometimes the elevator works, sometimes not. Stores may be open, maybe not. Mark and I are having a heck of a time with wake-up calls. You can do it by punching numbers in on the phone in your room but it may or may not work. One day I got my call but it was 24 hours late. We've totally given up on the alarm on the little clock radio in the room. I can't turn on my cell phone 'cause the radio in the room buzzes continuously. I phoned the hotel desk for a wake-up call. The first day they called. The 2nd day they never called. So last night we asked Dave to phone us at 6am. He forgot. Luckily Mark woke up at 6:15am threw on his clothes and he was out the door to be a the airport by 7am. Kelly and I went to the buffet breakfast, filled a bag full of pastries (they're big on pastries here and they're delicious) and jumped in the Peugeot. We were feeling really confident today and decided we didn't need a map to drive the 20 minutes to the airport. Over 1 hour later we finally arrived after getting lost twice :-)

After flying was over we took the car back to the hotel and walked down the road to an unexplored shopping area. After a few purchases (by Kelly) we found a restaurant and had lunch ($41.00 pesos or $12.60 inc wine & beer). What we thought we ordered wasn't what we got but it was delicious all the same. I don't know if it's because they don't speak English or our Spanish is really bad, but like the telephones, ordering a meal is hit and miss. We strolled back thru the town to our hotel and went up to the pool. We enjoyed yet another bottle of wine and the guys showed up about an hour later. Much shenagans went on in the pool with 'Marko Mechanico' attempting the F3A pattern in the water (check Dave's blog for more photos).

At 8pm we're walking to a steak house for dinner as the team flys in the afternoon tomorrow so we can all have a sleep in (good thing as I can't get a wake-up call).

Monday - A Zoo, A Garden and more flying

Today we didn’t have to be at the airport until noon so Kelly and I in one car and Brian and Rosemary in another headed out to the Santa Fe Zoo. It was very small but had a good selection of animals (birds, monkey’s, crocodiles, etc.). The interior roads and paths were all dirt and the grass wasn’t cut but still nice all the same. From there we drove a few blocks to the Botanical Gardens. There were no gardens that we could see, just trees and grass. Our route to the airport took us all along the river, past some beautiful homes and beaches. Very pretty.

When we arrived at the airport Kelly & I drove Mark and Dave over to the hangar for lunch (pizza, steak). On the way there was a 2-foot lizard crossing the road so I stopped, Mark got out to take a photo but it ran away. Mark was a little slow getting back into the car and I started to drive off with only half of him in the vehicle. Much laughter. I didn’t do it on purpose . . . . . really! We spent the afternoon watching the team fly and then we returned to the hotel and waited until we could have dinner.

No restaurants open for dinner until 8:30pm at the earliest. This makes it hard when you have to get up at 5:30am. Plus we’re all starving by 9pm. Dinner tonight was at a restaurant recommended to us as ‘where the locals eat’. It was fantastic. Dinner for 8 people including wine and beer was $103.00 pesos ($31.64 Cdn or $3.95 each) Wow!

Footnote

I understand that Chad exceeded the allowable snoring decible level last night and that Chad will be disqualified from future sleeps if Brian has anything to say about it.

Here's the view from our hotel room.

Saturday and Sunday - Opening Ceremonies

Firstly I have to update you on my driving skills in Santa Fe. I’m so good now that the tourismo’s follow me ‘cause they think I know what I’m doing. Kelly and I have it down to a science. I keep the gas pedal on the floor, she looks right, I look left and we just go. There’s no speed limit and no lines on the road. We understand that street signs and the occasional traffic light are only a suggestion. Quite often the traffic light doesn't work anyhow. If you're on a red light and no one is coming the other way it's OK to go thru. And the roads have huge holes in them, everywhere, so you have to dodge them. Sometime’s we’re 2 cars across and sometimes 3, sometimes there’s horses, scooters, bicycles, pedestrians but you just have to ignore all of the above. If there’s any hesitation at an intersection then it automatically becomes your turn to go. We call it the '4-way go’ procedure. At one point a scooter was approaching from the left and I decided I was there first so I floored it thru the intersection and launched the poor little Peugeot into a 2 foot 'dip' in the road. The scooter guy just stared at us while we flew thru the air and it took about 10 blocks for Kelly to compose herself and stop laughing :-) So our day involves me white-knuckling the steering wheel and Kelly hanging on tight to the HSH (holy-shit handle). It’s very exhilarating :-)

Saturday morning was the first official day of practice at the Sauce Viejo Airport. Kelly and I got up with the guys at 6:00am (OMG) had breakfast and headed out to the airport. Well, actually Kelly and I sort of doddled behind and got there just when Chad took off. After numerous reports of the tight security (you’ll need your passport, parking pass, pitt passes, etc.) we just gave the Policia with the guns a big smile and a finger wave and we sailed right in ;-) It was windy and cold! So we drove the 20 minutes back to the hotel and picked up long pants, socks, shoes and jackets for the boys. Back to the airport, another wink and we were in again. Each team only has 45 minutes of practice time and that’s it. Then it was time for the ‘official check-in’ which consisted of labeling the planes, weighing the planes, measuring the planes, etc., etc. (Snore) From there Kelly and I made a quick stop off at the servicimo for junk food. We sat in the car and ate our lunch and then we decided to go back to the hotel for a siesta. On the way we drove up the road and visited the nearby town of Gelvez. Apparently nothing much happens in Argentina on a Saturday. The only thing on the streets were kids and dogs so we were able to explore without any traffic. Halfway back to Santa Fe we realized we weren’t going to be able to make it back to the hotel and then back to the airport for the opening ceremonies so we drove around the town of Sauce Veijo. When we arrived back at the airport all the teams were ushered into a holding area. It was just like the Olympics. The weather was now sunny and warm. We had a cute little model in tight clothes and high heels (I’m sure the photos will be blogged by the men) who carried a sign that read ‘Canada’ and we were all paraded in before a huge crowd of locals that had been standing out in the heat for hours waiting for this big event. Bands played, speeches were made by politicians and local dignitaries, there were excellent kite flying exhibitions, fly-overs by the Argentina AirForce, parachuters, a 3D R/C display and much fuss. It was really fun and we took lots of pictures. At the end we headed back to the hotel where we all met up, had a drink and ate dinner at the hotel.

Today (Sunday) was the first official day of competition. We were all up at 5:45am (yikes) as Chad was first Canadian to fly about 7:30am. They each fly once per day during the contest. They all did very well. Tomorrow they fly in the afternoon (yeah)!

Kelly and I drove back with a stop at a local indoor shopping mall. We found a McCafe (yes, McDonalds) that knew what a latte was so we sat and had one. Yummy. Now we're back at the hotel, sitting around the pool, and the guys are starting to drift in.

Time to Rock!!!! - Update

Well it's Saturday morning (6:30am) and we are all in the restaurant doing email, posting blogs and having a light breakfast. Our official practice time is from 8:45 to 9:30 then the airplanes get processed.

We arrived at the flying site under cloudy skies and a very strong 90 degree blow in conditions. Needless to say it was a little chilly and I wish now that I would have packed at least one sweat shirt. The French team took to the skies at 8:00am and from my first impression it wasn't anything spectacular but once again this is just practice.

The Canadian team took to the skies and then we headed back out to the Galvez practice site in the afternoon where once again the winds were howling. The windy conditions definitely are not something that Dave and I have experienced before in competition and I sure we are not the only ones. Hopefully the winds will be light come tomorrow morning when Team Canada starts to show their stuff.

This is the first time that I have participated in an international opening ceremony and it was really cool to be paraded into the viewing area wearing the Canadian colors. I think one of the highlights for me was the team kite demonstration which I can't even begin to imagine how many hours of practice the four pilots put in for something like this. When I think of how many hours of pattern practice we do you can appreciate the time it must take to develop the skills these guys wowed the crowd with.

A quick dinner at the hotel tonight then early to bed as the big day is almost here.

Friday Update

We arrived at the practice site and the guys managed to get in a couple of flights before the rain started to fall. However after about an hour the skies cleared but the howling winds moved in creating a severe blow out cross wind. The teams from Japan, Portugal arrived and we took turns flying by country.

At around 1:00pm the Galvez Aerodrome hosted us all to an Argentina barbeque consisting of ribs, beef strips, a pork strip type of meat which was fantastic as well as two types of sausage and plenty of different salads. Once again the hospitality being shown to the pilots has been totally unexpected.

During lunch the team from Suriname arrived with our good friend Freddy Hagens who we all knew from the D8 in the US when he was living in Seattle. Freddy now lives in Brazil and this is his second trip to the F3A worlds representing Suriname. It was great to talk to him and share memories of cross boarder flying and how we first met him at the Canadian Pattern Nationals in held in Princeton BC.

We got back to the hotel at around 6pm and found out that Dave’s packs will not be delivered as Argentina customs wants to see his original passport along with the hotel clerk’s that the shipment was assigned to. We have been told that under no circumstances, do not give anyone your passport. UPS will not return the shipment and have advised Kelly that the shipment will be destroyed in 6 months. As far as we are concerned they can keep the shipment, as it’s not worth the hassle. I’m sure we will be able to obtain replacement packs from Duralite/FlightPower due to the circumstances as Dave is flying their packs (mine) and it wasn’t a case of a lack of effort to get them to Argentina.

Rain Today

Yesterday the guys left early for a practice site. By the time Kelly and I got organized and had breakfast it was about 11am so we decided to head to the shops before siesta time. It was overcast and started to rain around noon. When siesta started (12:30) and everything closed down we sat and had lunch in a little café and then met the guys back at the hotel. Mark and Dave went for their own siesta so Kelly & I met with some other team members in the hotel lobby. We retrieved the car and drove to Wal-Mart with Chad and Brian to pick up some supplies. Once back a group of us walked to a restaurant for dinner. The restaurants don't open for dinner until after 8pm and the locals don’t show up until after 9pm (this includes babies and children). And they’re definitely in no hurry to leave. Trying to get them to bring the bill takes forever. They think it’s really strange if you order coffee with your meal. Here they only have a coffee (1 small espresso cup only) after a meal.

Argentina is getting a bit easier. We’re learning some Spanish and figuring out the money. Everyone tries to help us out but it takes a while to get them to understand us and even when they say they do you know that they actually have no idea what we're saying! They just smile and nod (and so do we). We're giving out little Canada flag lapel pins to everyone who we meet and they like that (we have to tell them it's a Canadian flag).

Mark has his picture and a big article in the local Santa Fe newspaper 'Uno'. They took pictures of him while he was unloading Dave's planes in front of the hotel. It's all in Spanish of course but apparently is explaining about the competition. I'll bring some copies home.

This morning it’s pouring rain (forecasted). Kelly & I are in the hotel, I'm checking my e-mail while she's trying to get hold of UPS and find Dave's batteries. We suspect the guys may show up soon although it may not be raining where they are. The girl at the hotel desk gave us a map with a shopping area circled so we hope to check that out later today.

Last Unofficial Day of Practice

Up at 6:00am this morning as we are trying to get a jump on the rest of the world heading to the practice sites. Many teams have official practice and plane processing at the site today however Team Canada's time slot is at 8:45 on Saturday for 45 minutes of flight time. More later as I hope to capture the Italian plane take-off procedure on video this morning.

Thursday with a Little Rain

We headed out to a practice site this morning at around 8:30 under cloudy but warm conditions about 45 minutes from Santa Fe. This practice site is at the full-scale Galvez Aerodrome location and one of the members who gave us the run down of the facility with supplied folding chairs and a cooler of refreshments and most importantly a washroom. Now that’s hospitality!

The Italian team arrived shortly afterwards and it wasn’t long before Team Canada was in the air. When it came time for the Italians to start flying we were surprised at their take off procedure or lack of. In simple terms the helper carries the airplane out to the flight area, holds the nose up vertical and the pilot then applies full throttle until the airplane climbs out of the helper’s hands. If you haven’t seen this before it is quite a spectacle. I didn’t have my camera but I think Dave got some photos of this and I will post them later.

At around 11:30 it started to rain so we got a few more flights in and packed up and headed back to the hotel to meet up with the girls for a late lunch. A siesta was in store before dinner as the whole town shuts down in the afternoon for a few hours so why not participate in the local customs I say.

We headed out for dinner and once again had a meal much like (2) filets per plate done in a cherry like sauce over rustic potatoes. Rustic potatoes are much like our chunky fried hash browns at home. Dinner averaged about 60 pesos per couple, which is about $20 Canadian and this included the appetizers, drinks and desserts!! It was then back to the hotel for an early night as the team heads out at 7:30am Friday for practice.

Road Trip to Rosario

I had to drive the car today! I was pretty nervous. Dave & Mark led the way, Chad & his Dad, Brian next and me and Kelly in the rear. I followed really close so I wouldn't lose them. We have a map but it's really difficult to understand as most of the streets are one-way but not marked. There's also horse's with buggies on the road to watch out for. Once we were out of the city the driving was easy. 130 kmh. Yee-Hah! Lots of toll booths along the way. When siesta time comes around (12 - 4pm) everyone just drives off the roads onto the grass and has a sleep or a cup of tea.

We followed the guys to one of the practice sites about 140 klm away and met the local farm owner who didn't speak english but was very happy that we were there. Kelly, Rosemary, Brian and I hopped into my car and we drove into the city of Rosario. After getting lost a few times (we do that alot here) we found a big park with statues, a lagoon with paddle boats and museums. We walked around and took photos. At one point it rained for about 5 minutes and then hailed but it was still about 30 degrees. There are dogs everywhere you go here and Kelly talks to them so they all follow us around. They're really friendly but mangey looking so we don't dare touch them. We got back in the car and drove along the river where there were beaches and beautiful homes. There are shanty-towns all over and lots of garbage. It's hard to tell which homes as nice as they're all behind a wall.

We decided the guys had probably left the field already so we drove straight back to Santa Fe. Back in the city was nerve-racking again but I managed to get us to the hotel without crashing into anything! Actually we haven't seen one single accident since we've been here and everyone is really courteous when you consider we're all driving into the same intersection with no lights or stop signs.

Today the guys left eary for practice so Kelly and I will probably do some shopping :-)