2026 Argentina

Getting to Argentina

We are not sure exactly what is in store for us in Argentina. We have spoken with a couple of organizations about what they do in Argentina, and what help they need, but to-date we do not have a set plan. All we know in this moment, is we have the "pointing" (through our "Lots System") to go to Argentina, so we will GO! We depart on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. We start with a week stay in the capital city of Buenos Aires. We will continue learning about the culture of Argentina, and what the need is. After that, we will learn what our next steps are, from there.

We will be updating this page as we go along. Please come back to this page for updates. We thank you for keeping us in your prayers: for safety, for God's guidance.

UPDATE: December 31, 2025

A look around Buenos Aires

On December 25, 2025, we landed at the airport in Buenos Aires (BA).  We spent 4 days in BA, with a chance to explore the city and see who we could meet. BA the city has 13.5 million people, and it is the Capital of Argentina. It is located in the Province of Buenos Aires (Total of 17.5 million people).

Avenida 9 De Julio

The Avenida 9 de Julio is a massive street (named after Argentina's Independence Day) that cuts through the heart of the city. The avenue has up to 7 lanes in each direction and is flanked on either side by parallel streets of 2 lanes each (That is 18 lanes wide). Plus, through the center of the avenue runs one of the city's Bus Lines. They actually removed 28 whole city blocks of Buildings (Businesses/Apartments) for the avenue, as it was not part of the original city layout. Due to issues with Construction, Demolition, and Politics, this project took over 50 years to complete. 

Culture Note: Tango

The Tango is a dance that originated on the streets of Argentina. As you can imagine, it is part of the culture. They have Tango Shows for tourists to pay for a dinner and show. The first pic is just to show what the tango looks like. The second pic is where we saw an actual Tango being performed live next to a cafe for tips. Tango was everywhere in Buenos Aires.

Culture Note: Foods

FOODS IN ARGENTINA - - Here is a Food Pic. While I am not a fan of taking pictures of my food,  :)   I did want to show some of their staples.

For breakfast every restaurant and cafe will serve you "Cafe Con Leche" (coffee with milk), as it comes standard. The coffee comes with a "MediaLuna" (half moon) pastry. Also common to the food culture, is putting food on toast. Here we have Avocado Toast, which is an avocado mixture topped with scrambled eggs, on toast. 

Another staple is steak for dinner (not pictured). Argentina has some amazing Beef. So many steak houses (restaurants) in Buenos Aires.

Culture Note: Mate

We need to talk about "Mate" (Mah-Tay). Mate is the dried leaves from the Yerba Mate plant. This is the national drink in Argentina. The Argentinians will take the dried leaves and put it in a barrel shaped cup, and pour hot water over it. They let it steep for a few minutes, then insert a special straw (usually made out of metal) that has a screen to keep the leaves from going up the straw. For Argentinians, Mate is best served among a group (or at the least, one other person) as it is meant to be shared. There will be one person in charge of making the mate (the "Mate-dor"), and then all will share the cup as it is passed around. They have Mate everyday. They like to sit in the park and enjoy it together. It is a part of their culture.  And, yes, we did try some Mate. It is a little bitter, but amazing when sweetened. 

Visiting Churches

We did connect with a church in Buenos Aires, both on Saturday & Sunday. Turns out, that the week we were in Buenos Aires (before New Years) is the week(s) that everyone takes their vacations. So most churches had light attendance, or were just closed completely. Here is a small church we found. They were so welcoming. We even shared a light lunch with them. What a blessing to spend an afternoon with them, practicing our Spanish.

What's Next

Here is a look at the Provinces of Argentina. We started in Buenos Aires the city, located in Buenos Aires the Province. Our next step will take us to the Province of Cordoba. 

UPDATE: January 7, 2026

Exploring Cordoba (Unquillo)

We landed in Cordoba on December 29, 2025. Cordoba is the Capital City of the Cordoba Province. It is a big city with 1.6 million people. The Province has 3.2 million people. But when you get outside of the city area, you will find some beautiful countryside.

Here is an arial shot of the city.

Getting to Unquillo

Our travels took us to a smaller town, locate just northwest of Cordoba, called Unquillo (Pronounced "OON-KEY-SHOW"). We had expected to be able to rent a car and explore the province more widely, but there were absolutely no cars available for rent. Turns out, this week after christmas and around new years; While it is obviously a huge week for vacations.... it is also a huge week for rental cars. So, this became a more chill kind of week. We were staying in a county setting next to Unquillo, and we walked into Unquillo quite regularly to visit with the locals.

Here is a look at the tranquil setting that the house was in.

Stores in Unquillo

Here is a grocery store in town. They sell a little bit of everything. An "Oferta" is a "Offer", so these are the store's specials. One USD dollar = about 1450 Argentinian Pesos. You can see this reflected in prices on the sign. For example, at the top of the street sign, a Zapallito (Zucchini) is $500 pesos. That is only $.34 cents in USD.

This is a Verduleria (a Vegetable Store). They specialize in only selling vegetables and fruits. These are the best place to by the best produce. However, on this day, they have a lot of frutas (fruits). On their "Ofertas" sign, everything is actually a fruit (except for three items). How many of these fruits do you know?

This the inside of a little market.

This is inside a Carneceria (a Meat Store). They specialize in selling only meats. You can see all of the different cuts of meat and their prices.

This was a fun example of learning a new language. In looking at the Bajo Cero sign, I could not make sense of it.  "Cero" means Zero. And "Bajo" means Short, Low, Down, etc. But none of those meanings work with the word Zero. Turns out that Bajo can also mean Below. So the sign says "Below Zero" (as in "Below 0 Degrees Celsius"), which makes sense when you notice that all they sell are frozen products. New languages do require a lot of time, and exposure to the culture.

Parks in Unquillo

Here is a local park in Unquillo. Playground, Basketball, etc.

Note the cement structure with the "seats" facing the basketball court...

...That same structure doubles as a cement slide for kids.

Trash Pickup in Argentina

They do trash a little different here, not just in Unquillo, but in all of Argentina. Everyone has a basket, or open-top cage, that is elevated off the ground. The idea is, each house puts their bags of trash into the basket. Then the trash truck comes to collect those bags.

This is the type of trash basket is most common, just a simple tray with sides. These posts are in font of every house.

Churches in Unquillo

By far, the majority of churches in Argentina are Catholic. It is the same in Unquillo. There are many really beautiful church buildings and cathedrals, but those are all Catholic. When you do find a Christian Church is most often will look like a store front. 

Here is an example. This is a Baptist Church. Their sign reads: Liberating the Captives ("Liberando a los Cautivos").

Here is another example. This is a Christian Evangelical Church
("Iglesia Christiana Evangelica").

Here is a church that we were able to attend and spend some time talking with the people there. The church is called "Appointment With Life" ("Cita con la Vida"). What a blessing to spend and afternoon with these servants of God.

This is the Pastor and his wife, and their two sons. These folks are doing amazing work, striving to meet folks in their community, to love their neighbors by leading them towards healing and closer walk with God.

DAYCARE IN UNQUILLO - - Here is a daycare center. Note the tiny playground made out of wood, which includes the wooden slide.

Nature in Unquillo

This is a massive nest, located on the property we stayed at, for hundreds of Monk Parakeets. 

Monk Parakeets are beautiful, active, AND very noisy. They fly around the yard and neighborhood in small groups, which then meet up with other small groups to form a bigger group for a minute. So, every time a Monk Parakeet meets another Monk Parakeet there is lots of Chirping, Singing, & Yelling. So fun, So active, So noisy. 

Speaking of Noisy, every night a dusk, we would hear a really strange sound. The sound was loud and obviously from an animal, but not identifiable. We could never find it, it was illusive, & I was imagining an odd shaped four legged creature. However, it turned out to be a bird. This bird is a Meleagris, which is a type of small wild turkey. However, the sound it made, sounds nothing like the turkeys from the U.S.  If you squint at this pic, you can make out the illusive Meleagris. This is the best pic I could get.

Ok, here is an internet pic of the Meleagris, so you can see what they look like. Here it looks like a Turkey, but the bird that landed in the yard, was not quickly identifiable as a Turkey. It did not have that pink head. It took a bit of work to figure it out.

Here is a Zorro that crossed our path while we were walking into Unquillo. Zorro is the Spanish word for Fox.

This beautiful flower is found on the Brazilian Orchid Tree. The flowers look very similar to an Orchid. It smelled like a honeysuckle.

What's Next

Thank you for following our journey. Here is a look at the Provinces of Argentina. After a week in Cordoba, our next step will take us to the Province of Mendoza.

UPDATE: January 14, 2026

Exploring Mendoza

We landed in Mendoza on January 5, 2026. Mendoza is the Capital City of the Mendoza Province. It is a big city with 1.3 million people. The Province has 2 million people. But when you get outside of the city area, you will find some beautiful countryside. This Province is know for its Wineries ("Bodegas") and Olive Trees ("Olivos") and views of the giant Andes Mountains with peaks over 20,000 ft elevation.

Visit to Independencia Park

This is one one of the more popular parks in the heart of Mendoza City, with a Modern Museum, Dancing Fountain, and the Artisan Booths.

Here is the Dancing Fountain, although the this video doesn't do it justice. At some point, even the fountain in the foreground was going off as well. Quite Spectacular... until I pull out my camera.  :)

Here is the Artisan Fair. We spent a lot of time talking with the vendors. This video moves pretty quickly, but you can pause it if you see something neat.

At the Artisan Fair, we met Pacifico. He makes hand crafted leather shoes and hats. Here we are getting some much needed sandals, that Pacifico forms specifically just for your feet. He is a native of Chile.

Talking with Vendors

Here is our favorite Veggie Store (called a Verduleria). It is actually located across the street from where we are staying in downtown Mendoza. Not only to they have the best produce, but they are the nicest folks. 

Not only to they have the best produce, but they are the nicest folks. He and his whole family work the store. They came to Argentina from Bolivia.

Visit to Porterillos

In the Mountains east of Mendoza, we found a little town next to a lake where we could stay for one night. 

It is interesting to see these mountains, that are the beginning of the Andes. Notice that there are really no trees on those mountains.

Here is the cute little rustic cabin. The folks here were super nice to talk with.

Here is the view, at about 4,300 foot elevation.

Visit to Reserva Manzano

Located to the southeast of Mendoza, this Historical Reserve made for a wonderful day trip. It butts right up to the base of the Giant Andes.  In fact, if you zoom in on this pic, you can see the Andes rising above the clouds. It was impressive to see in person.

We found a place to take a hike, & get a little exercise. This trail pointed us right at a giant Mountain (See Center, in the cloud) that loomed over the whole trail.

Along the trail, we found a place that the locals were putting their feet in the river. As hot as it was, I was thinking of dunking in the water.... However, it only took me one step into the water, to change my mind.... It was freezing. My foot was immediately numb.  :)

Visit to a Bodega

We had an opportunity to stay a few days at an Airbnb, located on a very small Bodega (the Argentine word for Winery). Our accommodations were in this rustic old building by the front gate.

Here is the main building (from the back)

While staying here, we took a walk around the property. We were able to get up close to the vineyard, and the grapes. 

We were able to get up close to the olive trees. This Bodega specializes in wines and olive oils. 

Visiting a Ywam Base

On the Weekend, we found a YWAM base in Mendoza. We had such a wonderful visit. Previously, in Buenos Aires and Cordoba, those bases were closed for the holidays. So this is the first one we were able to visit. 

Here we are talking with the group. Annikh is in the purple. She is Dutch and helps keep this place moving. Julieth is in the white. She is also instrumental to the mission of this base. Then Yanil, with the peace sign up, is visiting from Zimbabwe where she and her husband operate a YWAM base. Shoutout to Rut in the blue. 

Annikh and Julieth gave us a tour of this large base.

Here the kids are enjoying the pool, while we chat in the shade.

Then mid-week, we came back for prayer meeting they had. Afterward, we met a group visiting from a YWAM base in New Zealand. Here is Grace, Tavis, Mackenzie, & Grace. What a lovely team.

Visiting a Church

We found a church to visit, called El Encuentro (The Encounter), in downtown Mendoza. Here is the entrance at the street level.

Here is a wider view of the location on the street. The church has the second and third floors, and on the first floor there are stores facing the street. The entrance to the church (in above pic) is located on the left of the building.

This was a blessed worship time with a wonderful church family.

This building was an old theater, making for a lot of space for the church.

We had an opportunity to talk to the congregation. Here is Rebecca sharing a message.

Here is Gabby and her friend Nadi. Gabby is also the friend of Nikki, who we met in Mesa, Arizona. Nikki had mentioned Gabby to us, when she heard we were interested in Argentina. So nice to make the connection full circle. 

Here is a Group Pic with everyone who was left after we talked for a while. 

Dinner with Gabby

Later that next week, Gabby invited us over for dinner. Here we are with her and Isabella (Gabby's 82 year old mother). She made her famous empanadas. Sooooo Good.

Then, later that same evening, Gabby's Brother and his family popped in to celebrate their son's 12th birthday. Check out the "firework" they use as a candle. I am told that this is typical in Argentina. It was wonderful to share this moment with them. 

Notes on Culture & Language

I wanted to take a moment to share some of the interesting things that come up when experiencing Argentina from a US perspective.

DOG WALKERS - - These are common in the Argentine Cities (and maybe all big cities in every country). But I found it humorous. This person is hired to walk other people's dogs... the more the better. This guy is "hands-free" with 6 dogs. We have seen as many as 12 with one Dog Walker.

PALM SWEEPERS - - Here we see a Public Works Employee sweeping the sidewalks. On every block in the city, there is a different sweeper. By using palm branches, they must save money on buying brooms. 

RIDING ELEVATORS - - In Argentina, in the older buildings, they have older style elevators. It was our first time seeing this style of elevator. 

READING PRICE TAGS - - In Spanish countries, they do numbers differently than in the US. Where we would use a comma for the thousands place, they use a decimal; so the price here is $9,995 in Argentine Pesos (in USD $6.89).   - -   In this cage, the special is 2 for 1. They use the x to show "per" or "for", i.e. "2x1".   - -   On the sticker, you can also see the "c/u", which means the price is "per each" or "each one" (i.e. "cada uno" in Spanish).

PLAYA - - In Spanish, the word Playa means "Beach" (as in a sandy area next to the ocean).... but in an Argentine City, the word Playa can also mean a "Parking Garage."  Very confusing, the first time you are driving down the street in a city environment... no where near the ocean.  

TIC TAC TOE - - In Argentinian Spanish, it is: "Ta Te Ti". At one of the restaurants, the backside of the placemat had games for kids. The page has: the crossword, the connect the dots, & the maze. Then, at the bottom-right it says "Lets Play Tic Tac Toe" (Juguemos Al Ta Te Ti). What's fun about this, is the phrase "tic tac toe" does not really translate into Spanish, so they would just call the game by its reality, such as: "Three In a Line" (el tres en línea) or "X's and O's" (los equis y ceritos) but in Argentina they do it different.

WHERE'S WALDO - - I found this humorous, in a bookstore window. Of course, "Where's Waldo?" in Spanish is: "Donde Esta Wally?".

ICE CREAM SHOP - - Here is a look at the ice cream flavors in Spanish, at an ice cream shop in Mendoza, AR.

MOSTAZA - - These Mostaza burger joints are all over Argentina. Although they do appear to be a knock-off of McDonalds. Just look at that pic on the window of their burger... sure looks like a McDonalds Burger to me. [BTW, Mostaza means Mustard]

KINGO - - These Kingo burger joints are all over Argentina. Although they do appear to be a knock-off of Burger King. 

KIOSCO - - The Kioscos (A Kiosk) are little convenience stores, or minimarts. Usually, the Kioscos are named after the person who owns it. In this case, the store is called "Kiosco Mauro".

Very often, the Kioscos will have this neon sign hanging so people on the sidewalk can see them from down the block.

Sometimes, Kioscos are not in a building, but rather under an easy-up tent on the sidewalk.  Either way, Kioscos are everywhere.

What's Next

Thank you for following our journey. Here is a look at the Provinces of Argentina. After two weeks in Mendoza, our next step will take us to the eastern most point in the Province of Formosa; where we will pop over into the Capital City of Paraguay: Asuncion.  Click the link to see the blog on Paraguay.

2026 Argentina

THANKS FOR TAKING THIS JOURNEY WITH US!
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