We loved it so much that we almost stayed a week

These two girls are awesome! We are of course talking about Teresa and Lucrecia whom we strayed with in La Plata. Right from the start, it just clicked and we had a great time the four of us together. We arrived at their apartment Friday late afternoon and were thinking about staying over the weekend and then leave but guess what... we stayed until the following Thursday morning! We already told you about the fun moments we had together and there were obviously more than what we have already mentioned. The other thing is that we bonded a lot with Mimi and Joaqui, their two cute dogs. They both would care for endless petting and attention, being the best mannered dogs ever, even when their moms were not around. And they are so cute in their fashionable outfir or naked! We miss them a lot too.

An introduction to Argentinean soccer
Watching a soccer game here, especially a few weeks before the World Cup, was on our list of things to do. When Teresa mentioned that Lucrecia played in a team, Las Bambinas, and that they had a game on Sunday, we wanted immediately in. Her team had won last year's tournament and upgraded to a higher league for which they had new jerseys made for: hot pink and gold! Not Lucrecia's favorite but she had no choice but to wear it. We took the car and drove to Buenos Aires were the game was taking place, taking the dogs with us for more fan support. When we arrived at the sport complex, a girls and a guys team were already playing. It was funny to see how much passion and enthusiasm they had for the game, playing rough and hard. The girls play in a smaller field, with a team of five on the field: Lucrecia was playing center. She was incredibly at ease with the ball, making precise passes and getting the ball often. The other team got a goal first but shortly after, our team got one as well. We were cheering and yelling, supporting the pink team. In the first half, the game was pretty tense and aggressive as both teams were pretty close in score. At halftime, we were ahead but not by much.

Second half was where all the power of Las Bambinas revealed itself, where they scored a lot of goals with Lucrecia scoring two of them. The game was fast and entertaining and we were cheering constantly until one of the Bambinas fell during a pass and would not get up. She stayed on the ground for a while: she had hit her coccyx bone pretty bad and could not feel her legs. She did not move for quite a while and then they finally got her up to put her down on a bench. She really looked shaken and they were waiting for someone to take her to the hospital. The game continue and at this point Las Bambinas were already way in the lead, by four goals. So they ended up winning the game with a final score of 8 to 4 and an injured player. It was a sad note to end the game but we were excited that Lucrecia's team had won and that we've had a chance to see her play since she is such a strong player. It also motivated us to go and see a professional game when we would be in Buenos Aires.

Back at the apartment, Teresa offered to watch a movie after dinner. It is strange to say but for the two of us, on the road for so long, can't remember the last time we saw a movie and we really have no ideas about the big blockbusters that were released since last June. So watching a movie was something out of the ordinary, especially in English and using a big projector on their white wall. Scifi was the theme for the evening: we watched District 9, a South African movie really well done and so realistic. We liked it so much that we wanted to watch another movie the next night and this time we chose a blockbusters we had not seen: Avatar. Again, really cool movie that almost everyone has seen. For us, it was the cool novelty of the day: we were amazed by the story and the special effects. Back home, we will for sure try to see the 3D version!

More delicious eating on the table
The one delicacy in Argentina that we have not mentioned yet but enjoyed on many occasions: Molleja (know as sweetbread or ris de veau). These are so popular in Argentina that they have to import them from other countries where they are less sought after, like the USA. The first time we had tried them was on the grill and they were so soft and delicious that we could not believe it. We have tried it since in other Parrillas but never that delicious. The girls wanted to take us to a place where they had the best in town, in a cream and green onion sauce with sauteed potatoes. They were indeed incredible and we could not believe the subtle flavor of the meat in the nice cream sauce. A meal to be remembered!

We splurged quite a lot in these few days, always delicious food on the table made by one of us when we were not out in restaurants enjoying things like home made pasta and pizza. One night we took it to the next level and bought a whole kilo (two pounds ) of ice cream just made in a nearby store. The two of us ate almost all of it, leaving Teresa and Lucrecia stunned by our gluttony after the Boeuf Bourgignon Caroline had made. The best part was also that we learned how to make other dish such as the incredible Croquettes from Teresa. She explained Caroline how to make them and she got a chance to practice as the two of them sat at the table making all the little bite size appetizers, filed with white sauce and ham. It was just a good time, all cooking together with Lucrecia enjoying grinding the ham.

Now you understand why we had such a hard time to leave. With such a nice place to stay at, amazing company and fun moments to share around the table, the company of two cute dogs, you get comfortable very easily and it makes it all the harder to get back on the road. Both of them had been very helpful too about helping us to figure things out for the bikes. Each day we seem to easily find reasons for staying longer: we were not sure where to go, what the plan should be from there or just waiting for the owners of the house where our bikes were parked to come back home. So we left, but with the hope to see these amazing ladies soon. Thanks again for all your incredible kindness!