The Sophistificationizing of Juggles, and Other Stories

This entry was supposed to come a week ago, but I was cut off the Internet while nearing the dramatic conclusion, it was lost, and I haven´t had the heart to go it again until now. I apologize (mostly to my Mother – I´m alive!) for its tardiness.
Needless to say, the lost entry was full of danger, intrigue, romance and high-class debauchery. We, feeling our most touristy to date, threw our spendthiftiness to the wind and rented some bicycles for a whistle-stop through wine country. We toured the vineyards and bodegas, sampling the finest vintages, and dined at the classiest joint in town. We ate rabbit, enjoyed a toilet paper stocked bathroom (proof positive that this joint had class), and resisted the temptation to scavenge the leftovers on nearby tables. True sophistication.
We decided to splurge as a last gas for the Tres Gringo Circo. Sam has left our merry trio for the greener pastures of Brasil and meditation work partying. He will be missed. Almost as much as his camp stove. I kid. Lebn´s already rigged up a new stove with two empty beer cans (emptied by yours truly), a 25 centavo coin (earned at a semáforo), and pure alcohol (blessed by a Mapuche chieftan), so we will miss Sam much more than his stove. And we very much hope to meet up again somewhere down the road.
Lebn and I remain in Mendoza for the time being, though we´re itching to get up to Bolivia as soon as we possibly can. We can´t leave until the “package” arrives though. I´d like to think that putting it quotation marks makes it more mysterious and interesting, but I don´t think I´m fooling anyone. We´re just waiting for a debit card. Mendoza isn´t the worst place in the world to kill some time though. Its full of splendid plazas, outdoor cafes, and wide and lovely, tree-lined streets. The trees are all watered by a series a small, open canals that run along both sides of every street, a system set up by the indigenous people that once inhabited the area. It´s a real marvel, but a bit treacherous for careless drunks or inattentive tourists. We´ve dropped a lot of clubs in them, but never ourselves. Knock on wood.
There´s also proving to be more of a circus scene here than we first imagined. Over the weekend, the main plaza is full of incredibly professional clown acts some of whom have been working together in Mendoza (and travelling occasionally) for years. It really shows too. The performers are all well-rounded and versatile and the shows are all impeccably polished. But we´ve also been hanging out with some kids who are putting it together like we are. We heard about a guy who was doing shows with juggling and silks that he hangs from a tree, that wanted to meet us. Turns out he´s another Chilean named Willy, though much younger than our compadre in Valparaíso. His shows are full of great tricks, but lacks the polish that comes with experience. He´s introduced us to some other circus folks in town that get together for workshops a lot, though they generally seem to happen before we´re all up and ready. But if we have to wait for the “package” near as long as I fear we will, we´ll have plenty more chances.
One other funny store comes to mind. We met three California girls who are studying in Santiago, but were weekending in Mendoza, who travelled across the mountains with the same bus driver that brought us across. We discovered this random fact when they starting relating a story to us that he had related to them about 3 crazy gringos that, when trapped on the pass due to inclimate weather, slept outside on the concrete, instead of the warmth and comfort of the van, and they didn´t even complain about it. We further confirmed the drivers identity when discussing his taste in music and his hairstyle. Night at the Roxbury techno, and a buzz cut except for one curly lock that sprouts slightly off-center from the the back of his head at the neckline. They´re already telling stories about us, the folk songs come next.