New Years Eve like the locals

Brent and I spent New Year's Eve with our new friends from Texas at thier apartment with another couple from New York. Here in Argentina, New Years is more of a family holiday where friends and family go over to each other's homes and have buffet dinner, play games, drink a bit, and shoot off or watch others shoot off fireworks. We followed that format to a tee and ended up having one of the most laid back and fun NYE ever. I didn't have as much to drink as Brent, who couldn't remember the cab ride home and was a bit sluggish the next day.
On Jan. 1 we went back to good ole USA traditions and met at a expat bar for a full day of burgers, nachos, and bowl games. I ate and drank as much as humanly possible to prepare for diet, exercise, and no drinking January. Hopefully by Feburary I will be able to fit into my clothes again.
Yesterday Brent and I walked down to the staging area for the Dakkar Rally. This race usually takes place in Africa in the desert, but due to terrorist saftey issues it was moved to Argentina and Chile. There are all different classes of racers, from motorcycles and 4 wheelers, to jeeps and suvs, all the way to huge trucks. The trucks facinate me. They aren't little pickup trucks, they are closer to big rvs or schoolbuses. They have crazy big tires and are just so random. It wouldn't have suprised me if they had a garbage truck division.
This morning I took another lesson from Leo, which went well. I am going back tomarrow to ride some of the barn's horses that need exercise, which may turn into a permanent gig!