International Arts Fair - Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009

Yesterday after planning my agenda for today, I could see that things were calming down and I may have some leisure time on my hands. I would look forward to it.

It would come at a good time because last night Sister Argyle called to tell us about the Feria International de Artesanias which is going on in the Capital. It is a big International Arts Fair where many South American countries are represented. It is held in a big Expo Center down town and she said it was something we would like and needed to see, especially if we wanted to buy authentic things from South America. She suggested we take the car.

Since it opens daily from 3:00 until 10:00, we wanted to leave around 2:30 and be there when it opened and go in the daylight so we could find it easily. Then, Elder Paz told us that after lunch, he and Elder Coria needed to use the car to go do some apartment business out in Pilar-- about an hour away. No problem, we'll just wait for them to return, and then we will go.

We kept ourselves busy in the office doing what office people do and were really ready to wrap things up at 4:00 or 4:30, but the elders were still not back. They had called and said they were on their way, but didn't arrive until after 5:00.

We bid them farewell and headed out to our new adventure. It was actually quite nice going somewhere in the car instead of taking the train. But, Rich said that's easy for me to say because I wasn't doing the driving. The GPS took us easily to our destination, but along the road where the Expo Center is located, some sort of a demonstration or gathering was taking place. There were buses galore and people congregating in a big park by the thousands. We could not tell what was going on.

We were grateful, indeed, that where we were going had underground parking. We didn't care what it cost. Trying to find a parking place on the street level would have been next to impossible.

When we surfaced from the parking area, we did have to purchase tickets at a booth which was outside. We were directed there before entering the Expo hall.

Isles and isles of booths were set up, and the name of the artist and the country were posted by each space. It wasn't extremely crowded since it was a Thursday, so we were actually glad we decided to go now and not wait until the weekend. We decided to walk up and down each row first to get a feel for what was there and things that might interest us. Sister Argyle told me she was there for three hours and now I could see why. There were things made from wood, glass, cloth, metal, yarn, lots of jewelry, clothes, food items, toys, anything and everything. It was set up in a very organized and artistic way.

This man sold everything to do with silver. There were lots of knives sold in the hall. That is a big thing here in Argentina.

The handy work with crocheting, and sewing was impressive. There was so much, it was hard to see it all.

This lady had beautiful doilies, table runners, tablecloths, and more. She was from Paraguay. I made a purchase here.

Hand painted welcome signs as well as signs for the kitchen and bathroom caught our eye.

There were lots and lots of leather goods, and skins, handbags, totes, sandals, and shoes for the taking. Something for everyone.

Pottery items were huge -- some very rustic and some glazed and microwave safe. I don't know how many hot chocolate mugs Elder Kroff has in his collection over the years, but he bought another to add to his supply.

This artist from Jujuy (Hoo-huey), Argentina made adorable figurines that represented many Argentine lifestyles. He was so pleased we bought one and gave us a heavy duty shopping tote to use for carrying our purchases.

Entertainment was provided to liven up the place, and

some people took a break from shopping and danced the Tango in the open area with many spectators watching.

All in all, it was a fun evening and we had decided before going that if we couldn't get through it all, we would return Friday after work. But, fighting the night time traffic through the streets of the Capital to get to the freeway entrance was a little more than we wanted to experience again. If we make a return visit, it will be by train and taxi.

We got home after 10:00 and talked to Marianne on Skype. Melissa's sister-in-law is still fighting for her life, but is responsive and can move her head and legs a little. Her kidneys are still in failure, as are her lungs. She is being kept alive by life support. We are still hoping for a miracle.