Oh Brother, Where Am I ?

Leftovers

2008-04-01T13:37:00.006-05:00

A few leftover pictures

The Almirante Brown VII, our transportation down the Rio Madeira and up the Rio Amazonas to Manaus

This is what the "2nd" level looked like when we first arrived, spacious and clean

By departure time, there wasn't much room for anything or anyone else

The monument in the Plaza in front of the Manaus Opera House

The Teatro Amazonas or Manaus Opera Huose
A final Brasilian breakfast

Manaus and beyond

2008-03-22T15:14:00.023-05:00

Our original trip plan was to ride the bikes all the way home through Central America and Mexico. After experiencing the border crossings on the road to South America we decided that we would would spare the costs and chaos on the return by flying ourselves and the bikes from Bogota to Miami instead of Panama.

Then while we were riding down the river to Manaus, and out of contact with the rest of the world, a border skirmish between Colombia and a couple of it's neighbors was playing itself out. Fellow riverboat passengers had divergent opinions about the wisdom of a couple of gringos going through Venezuela under the protection of Hugo Chavez. The expressions of our friends and families had become less diffuse. On the river, both Landon and I got the sense that the trip was over, and that it was time to go home.

So the day after arriving in Manaus, we went to the airport to see if we could arrange transportation to the States. We were soon told that we would have to use an agency, which brought to mind the troubles we had in Bogota. We were skeptical when we met Arnaldo, the administrative and financial officer of a major cargo company in Manaus. He is a fellow motorcycle enthusiast (pictured above with Landon), and it didn't take him too long get our respect and confidence. He ended up spending the better part of two days arranging for the transport of our selves and our motorcycles out of Brazil and negotiating our way through the practical and official labyrinths involved. We wouldn't have been able to do it without him and are utterly grateful to him on many levels.

The first evening he invited us to his home, and we went down to the marina, and he took us for a ride on his boat along the riverfront.

Then we went upstream to a remote restaurant along the banks in the jungle, where we were the only table being served. We had--what else--fish. It was so good. At one point Arnaldo asked the proprietors to turn off the generator so we could experience the darkness and silence of the jungle at night. The lights of Manaus were barely visible on the horizon. It was an unforgettable evening.

The following day (Thursday) the bikes were packed up and delivered to the airport. The next day (Friday) we flew to Miami, Florida.

Holy Week was beginning and Spring Break was in full force. If they weren't full, hotels near the airport were ten times the price of our average room in South America. But we found one near the cargo terminal that was across the street from a Burger King. Our first meal back in the US was a burger with real dill pickles and fries with lots of ketchup. On Palm Sunday we went to mass at St. Dominic's Parish down the street from our hotel.

It took the better part of Monday to get the bikes through customs and out of cargo. But when the batteries were reconnected, the tires aired up, the tanks filled with gas, the luggage reattached, we said "Let's go home", got on them and headed north on I-95.

On Tuesday, Landon's back tire lost a chunk of rubber ten miles past Lake City, Florida. There happened to be an Interstate Cycles billboard across the highway with a phone number. So we called. They had a tire, so we slowly made our way back to Lake City.

Thanks to Barry and the staff at Interstate Cycles, we were back on the road with a new tire in an hour. We still made it to Pensacola by sunset.

Wednesday, we drove west on I-10 into the rain. At Mobile, Landon headed north to visit family. I drove on west into the storm and got soaked to the bone. The rain let up in Louisiana, but the north wind was worse than Patagonia. The sun came out and it warmed up at the border with Texas. I made it through Houston only slightly scathed by the beginning of rush hour traffic. After six months, the 20,000 mile circle was closed when I pulled into my yard at 10 p.m. It was great to be home. Landon got home on Saturday. Sean will be spending the next month in Brazil before he returns.

It will take a few weeks to get everything cleaned up and things back to normal. It will take longer to figure out what the trip means to me.

Please forgive me a few of quick personal observations:

1. The United States is a nice country to live in, and I'll probably live out the rest of my days here. But it's not Argentina, or Colombia, or Chile. People actually talk with each other in public there; perfect strangers enjoy visiting with each other in places like Bogota, and Santiago, and Rio Mayo. I like that so much. After six months of living in the dynamic public life of Latin America, being on Interstate 10 was disquieting. No lively conversations at filling stations, people didn't even look at each other. No kids in the back seat of a passing car giving the thumbs up along the way. No rolled down windows and impromptu conversations at red lights. I didn't notice it so much before, but, in comparison, the public life of this country feels barren to me now. I wonder how we can make that better. (People on motorcycles in the US wave at each other, though. I really like that, and it seems like a good start.) Maybe it was just me moving west on I-10 at 78 miles per hour, so anxious to get home for Easter. I'm thinking that taking two weeks moving west on US Highway 90 might have provided a better vision of the warmth and vibrancy of my native land. Is it also possible that we as a people are too shy, too cautious, too lazy or too careful with each other in public?

2. Some preliminary advice to anyone considering a journey like ours comes from something Landon said in the first weeks, "When you are getting ready for a trip like this, don't take anything you aren't prepared to lose." I've thought a lot about that remark over the past months. On a journey like this, if you can't deal with losing it, don't take it: your stuff, your motorcycle, or your life. Maybe the best that "adventure" traveling can do is to help us learn how part with things--things we are going to eventually loose anyway. There is a freedom in that, especially when it is bathed in the mysteries of Holy Week. I still have so much to learn on this one.

3. I wish every citizen of our country could engage in lively conversations with our neighbors who live south of the Rio Grande. They know a lot about us, our higher education, our motorcycles and music, our retirement funds, our cities (especially New York and Miami), our entrepreneurial energy and basketball teams. They almost always asked about Hilary, and Barak Obama, and George Bush. I wish everyone could hear the questions about George Bush. When they found out I was an American, so many people wanted to know what I thought about him, and the war in Iraq. They talked about how difficult and expensive it is for them now to get a visa and enter our country. They never openly said so, but I got the impression that they have a lot of questions about the way we are conducting ourselves among the other nations of the world. We need lively conversations with our friends south of the Rio Grande. They have a lot to offer. So do we. And I think they like us.

4. And I am so grateful to have had the chance to travel through Latin America, to see it and to experience the utter hospitality of so many generous people. I look forward to keeping in touch with new friends made along the way. It was so great to see the Southern Cross, the wildlife and native plants, the mountains and streams, to taste the food, drink the wine, hear the music and look at some of the beautiful things our fellow Americans have made over the past 20,000 years. I'm thankful for David, Marcia, Irv, Charlene, and Shawn--dear loved ones who came to visit along the way, and for all my family and friends who have followed our travels and cared so much for us. I thank God for these good gifts. I'm thankful for a good motorcycle and the joy and freedom that two wheels can bring. For men in Latin America (maybe everywhere) having a motorcycle is an unblended celebration of pure masculinity. I'm grateful to be a man, and for the privilege of traveling with two good men like Landon and Sean.

A Riverboat to Manaus, Amazonia

2008-03-16T10:58:00.007-05:00

We arrived in Puerto Velho and almost immediately found a boat headed for Manaus. Loading the bikes, as always, was high adventure.
We ended up having to wait a couple days for the boat to actually take off, heavily laden with all manner of cargo, a couple hundred people and two dogs.
Because of all the gear, we had to get a cabin. It was small, the air conditioning was sketchy, the food was not very good, and it was hard to get around on the decks, which were full. Also, some people had a hard time keeping their hands off of the bikes. But words cannot describe what it was like to cruise down this river or what it felt like to cross the Amazon. There was also time to get to know some new friends making their way into all parts of the world. I'm looking forward to keeping in touch.

The scenery

Two little passengers
The maze of hammocks
and music.

We got started two days late. But because all of the rain made the river unusually high, the boat arrived at the floating docks of Manaus in two days instead of four. It all worked out just fine, and we found ourselves in one of the world's major ports, smack dab in the middle of the continent.

BR-364 The real `Road of Death`

2008-03-11T13:47:00.002-05:00

After visiting Iguasu Falls from the Brasilian side, we went and toured the Itaupu Dam. I´ll let you all google it to get the details, but this thing is BIG.

We headed north towards Dourados and Rhondonopolis through more soybean country. The soil here is really red, kinda like Mars.

The rains west of Rhondonopolis had slowed the soy harvest, but not the truck traffic on the BR-364. In a short stretch from Rhondonopolis to Cuiaba we must have passed 80 trucks in an hour. Throw in a drizzling rain and the trucks swerving to dodge 3 foot wide potholes on a two lane road, and you have an adrenaline filled day, or two.

The two lane BR-364 doesn´t do alot of meandering, it´s either uphill or downhill. The trucks might slow to 40 kph at the top of the hill, but they make up time by getting up to 140 kph on the way down the other side. Makes me wish I´d taken more physics classes, all this velocity and mass and oncoming traffic stuff.

San Ignacio

2008-02-29T15:43:00.006-06:00

Just north of Santa Ana is San Ignacio, an old Jesuit mission that has been partially restored. Above is the front of the church. Below are some shots of a few of the wonderful doors and windows.

The final picture is another view of the front of the church.

Santa Ana in the Misiones district of Argentina

2008-02-29T15:16:00.008-06:00

North of Posada on the way to Iquazu Falls, we stopped at two old Jesuit missions. The first was Santa Ana, which has been excavated, but not restored. The above is a view across what was the plaza.

The people lived in long rows of houses organized around the plaza. Here are the foundation stones of one.

To the right of the church was the cemetery. This is a grave without a door.

Here is a closeup of it´s contents. Reminds me a little bit of the Easter Gospel.

The creation wants this place back.

This is the final shot of Santa Ana, the church. Reminds me of some congregations I know in Texas.

Iguazu Falls from the Brazil side

2008-02-29T15:11:00.003-06:00

Earlier in the blog we posted pictures of the waterfalls from the Argentina side. Now that we have the $150 visa we have been able to cross over into Brazil and to see the falls from the more panoramic side. It cannot be captured by my little camera, but the pictures below are most of the parts of a truly wonderful sight.

Northward

2008-02-28T15:52:00.003-06:00

Leaving the Estancia el Refugio was tough, but the road was calling. The area was in need of rain, but the soybeans looked good.

I went to San Justo to meet up with Horacio, who took me to dinner with his brother and their wives.

The next day they treated me to an asado at their weekend house, or quincho

His son, Juan Martin, gave me a tour of the area, and showed me his best crop of soybeans. Yes, he is standing up.

Uncle Richard would be proud, 1/4 kilo of heaven

I went to Reconquista the next day and got to eat lunch with some of the Rotarians from the last time and one of their newer members.
After lunch, Octavio(l), toured me around and we went to Raul´s(r) wheat flour mill. I got a personal tour from the owner. It was quite interesting for me.

Raul even showed me the BMW Isetta 4 seater he is restoring.

Images of Buenos Aires

2008-02-23T07:05:00.008-06:00

My sister and brother-in-law, Marcia and Irv, and friend Shawn met me in Buenos Aires and these are some randomly arranged images of experiences we had in the city. The first was taken during the mass at the German Lutheran church.

Musicians at the San Telmo Sunday steet fair.

The San Telmo parish of the Church of Denmark before services. After the mass we went to the basement and enjoyed a beer and the hospitality of the members.

Soldiers marching down the stairs to guard the Isla Malvinas monument near San Martin Plaza.

Congress building

Two friends, Andres and Luis, at a Parrilla for lunch (mostly grilled meat) after church.

Shawn, Marcia and Irv at the apartment just before they left for the airport and home. I hated to see them go.

Some happy dogs.

The sculpture of a rose that opens and closes each day.

Iguazu Falls

2008-02-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

We took a quick flight to see Iguazu Falls in the north, where Argentina meets Brasil and Paraguay. Nothing really needs to be said about this wonderful, peacful place on our planet. They speak for themselves. I hope you enjoy the pictures below, but they fail to do them justice.

Back to the Country

2008-02-22T13:37:00.004-06:00

While Sean and Lou stayed in Buenos Aires, I felt my time would be better spent seeing more old friends from my other time in the Santa Fe province. Germa'n (Herman) and Celeste, who was knee high to a grasshopper the last time I saw her, treated me to a fish dinner at "Tha Quincho of Chiquito" a landmark in Santa Fe. We had 9 different kinds of fish, all tasted excellent!

I stopped in to see Eduardo and Graciella in their 10th floor apartment, overlooking Sants Fe

I returned to Galvez to spend some time with Nora and Enrique and their girls. Their daughter Sofy provided the model poses
Little sister Martina got in to the act

When I went from San Jeronimo Norte to Las Tunas I was about 100 yards from the asphalt when the bike went down in some really slimey mud. Luckily German, Andres and Carlos popped out of nowhere to help me get it back on solid ground. I gave them some money for ice cream as a tip.

I got in to Esperanza to the Rotary meeting to see Howard and Raul, who had host some of our group in 1991.

In Esperanza I stopped by to see Laura, Enrique and Nora's daughter, who is studying at the University there.

In her spare time she takes care of the family estancia near San Justo.
She offered me a place to stay.....
..... but I had to return the favor and help out with the cows.
To market they go, actually to the buyers feedlot now.

Iguazu Falls

2008-02-16T15:42:00.004-06:00

While Mom was here we took a side trip to Iguasu Falls, near the Paraguay, Brasil, Argentina border To get there, you have to got to the sleepy (and humid) little town of Puerto Iguasu

This picture really doesn't do it justice, it's actually one of a nine picture panorama. This place is huge

The highlight of the tour is the powerboat ride below the Falls(note the tilt of the boat)

The pilot wasn't shy about taking us right up into the mist and spray

Sometimes we got so close it was almost like swimming(notice all the wet heads)
Our pilot got (and deserved) several rounds of applause

Which Eva?

Mom Came to Town

2008-02-14T19:13:00.005-06:00

A few days after we got to Buenos Aires, my mother, Charlene, came for a visit

The Obelisc, a major landmark on the 9th of July avenue

We went to the La Boca neighborhood, where they start 'em young

We went to a museum or two....or three

A painting of Juan and Eva Peron, some like 'em, some don't

We saw a small amount of pomp and circumstance

We toured the famous Recoleta Cemetary, where they have the ornate.....
and the simple

There was one for me(if I grew a beard and brought my own N along)

We went to a Tango show that incuded some indigenous music
Our seats were right at the stage so we had a great view
I guess I'm a fast learner, because the next day I was "dancing in the streets"

A Blast from the Past

2008-02-12T20:33:00.002-06:00

Before I could leave Santa Fe, I had to stop by and say hello to Luis, who had invited some of us to his house in 1991. He had a nice homebuildiing materials store in town where he kept his office.

Then I headed south to Rosario, to meet up with Lou and try to find Rogellio and his family, who had been my host in Carlos Pellegrini.
He and his beautiful family invited me for lunch, and we had a great time.
Later, he took me to a Rotary meeting at the Rosario South Club....
and then gave me a guided tour of the city. Thanks Rogellio! This is the Monumento a la Bandera (Monument to the Flag) in Rosario at night.

When Lou and I left Rosario, we went to Lujan, to see the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, quite a sight.

We also went to Tigre, and checked out the waterfront.

Before I went to our place in Buenos Aires, I stopped and touched base with Eduardo and Graciella, who were the first people I met in Santa Fe in 1991, still just as nice and kind as they were then.

Making Connections

2008-02-08T18:45:00.000-06:00

After I left Carlos Pellegrini, I headed to Piamonte, another town we visited in 1991. The cheese factory had such a good product back then, I hoped to find a place to buy some and maybe take a few pictures, maybe spend thirty minutes total . The town is at the end of the pavement, so they don't get much through traffic. My prescence was soon noticed by the local police and I was asked to follow the offcer to the office so they could take my information. I explained what I was doing and they accepted my explanation, but they wouldn't let me leave without notifying some Rotarians of my prescence. Within 30 minutes Rico and Roberto were at the station asking me to lunch. I told them I didn't want to bother them, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. After lunch I was asked to do a radio interview and a TV interview for he local cable channel. Later on we went to Roberto's headquarters where he kindly let me look at his tractors and sprayers. Rico, me, Roberto and his son

Later we went to look at the soybean crop. After 5 hours of hospitality, I had to go.

I went through el Trebol and looked around, then on to San Vicente for the night. In the morning I got to meet with Guillermo Cuneo at the local combine and sprayer factory and got a tour of the plant, much like 17 years ago. He got me in touch with Romulo, in Angelica.

Romulo is the kind of guy that Rotary is all about. He was really busy, but he stopped what he was doing to offer lunch and good fellowship with his family. He got me a list of names and adresses for other people I was looking for. Thanks, Romulo!

I went back to San Vicente and talked to Oscar and his wife, and their daughter , Franni, who took the picture. I stayed with them in 1991 and Franni was a little kid then, now she's newly married with a house of her own.

I moved on to Galvez for the night, and was able to meet up with the Questa's, who treated me to some wonderful ice cream. The next morning I went to Santa Fe and looked in on Bernardo and Chiquita, who treated us like family when we were here the last time.

What can I say, they know how to make someone feel welcome.

They even invited me along to a family get together with about 25 relatives.

There I met Ricardo and Juan Pablo, twins who are motorcycle fanatics and enjoyed listening to me talk about my trip.

The next day I was treated to lunch with Diego and his mom and dad, Chiquito, and Diego's family.
Last time I was here there was a girl named Vanina, who reminded me of an angel. This time, Diego's little girl did it.

Short on Beans

2008-02-03T15:51:00.000-06:00

I was fortunate enough to visit the Santa Fe province in 1991, on a Group Study Exchange Program sponsored by Rotary International. Back then, the area was dominated by dairy farms and milk processing plants. Today it is one huge soybean field, from the asphalt to the horizon, with afew cornfields here and there. About 80% of the wheat fields have been planted with double crop beans, also.

Last time I was here, I remember saying that if I ever came back to Argentina, I would return to Carlos Pellegrini. These kids reminded me why.

I got to sneak a few shots of big brother convincing little brother it was time to open his piggy bank.

With a few pointers on technique......

...and a bigger rock....

the deed was done, and all came out to see how much was there.

Later that night, Miguel and his wife Chrisina, Alberto and his wife and Waldemar treated me to a wonderful meal and hospitality fit for a king, reminding why I wanted to return to this beautiful town.

More Pictures

2008-02-01T19:39:00.000-06:00

The penguins at Punta Tombo, they deserve more publicity

The Cathedral in Cordoba

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Cordoba

The Museo Rocsen in Nono had quite the variety, it was like a garage after 70 years in the same house

Almost like it's waiting to be let out

Atleast I could find the first one on a map

Cordoba, Alta Gracia, Mina Clavero and Rosario

2008-01-29T16:53:00.000-06:00

It´s been a while since we´ve posted anything new in the blog. These pictures should catch you up a little bit on what has happened in the past couple of weeks. When we left Santa Rosa, we headed north to spend a few days in the wonderful university town of Cordoba. There we again met my friend David Lange, only this time it was close to the end of his time in South America. The above picture was taken on Sunday morning. Yes, it´s huge line of people waiting to get into the church for services.

Here´s a picture from the front of another Cordoba church. I wonder if St. Peter is aware of what it takes to keep him up there.

In this one David, Landon and I are having a little something to eat, and a little something to drink.

After David left for Buenos Aires, Landon and I loaded up the bikes and headed into sierra, stopping at the small town of Alta Gracia, boyhood home of Che Guevara. Here´s a shot of me standing in front of his famed motorcycle. They weren´t interesting in letting me sit on it for the photo opportunity.

Later we went over the mountains to the west of Cordoba on the dramatic road that leads to the resort town of Mina Clavero. A nearby museum seemed to include absolutely everything, including this shrunken head.

We set up our tents in a Mina Clavero campground with this beautiful view of the River Sauces and the sierra.

Landon left the next day to visit his friends in Santa Fe. I stayed behind and took a week of retreat in the campground, alternating times of solitude with extended conversations with other campers. I didn´t carry the camera much but did get this picture of two of my young neighbors on my bike and their dad. I really enjoyed Mina Clavero.

It was fun to meet up with Landon again in Rosario yesterday. The two main museums were closed this morning, but we did get the chance to visit the flag memorial which honors Argentina and the Organisation of American States. I like this picture of the fire in front of the tower overlooking the river.

It´s Mostly the People

2008-01-17T16:32:00.000-06:00

As Landon says, we had such a good time in Rio Mayo. About 20 miles before we got to town, a car was stalled along side the road, and we stopped to see if we could help. It was a couple and their little girl headed to Rio Mayo. They asked us if we could send a tow truck. We continued into town, stopped at the first store we saw, and had the pleasure of meeting these folks who owned the store. They were great. They helped arrange for a police truck to go get the family in the broken car. Then they showed us their new store next door, and invited us to the grand opening the next day, and to stay for the big celebration Landon wrote about. We decided to take them up on the offer and give ourselves a break-

These cherries reminded me of home in Nebraska. I picked a few and enjoyed them.

Same with these currants.

This is another picture of the owners on the day of their celebration and grand opening. We met a lot of local folks then.

Here´s a picture of their daughter and her friend. They liked our stories and made us laugh.

Then we ran into the couple whose car had stalled along the road. Their car was fixed, and they gave us mate cups. We had the pleasure of seeing them several times in the next few days. They were selling local handicrafts at the fairgrounds.

Landon showed pictures of the rodeo and other events at the fairgrounds. Here are some pictures from the closing parade.

I like this one of the queen and her gaucho

This little guy was watching the parade with us. If it had not have been for the couple and their little girl stranded alongside the road 20 miles from Rio Mayo, we would have driven right through town and missed it all.

Two days ago we went to Punta Tombo and saw the largest penguin colony in the world--over 300,000. Here are two maturing chicks who are very fond of each other.

Now we are in Santa Rosa. Does this qualify as wearing a helmet? We´ve seen several bikers riding around with their headgear on their arms.

The windscreen on my bike finally went too far. The right bracket broke several months ago and I had it welded in San Jose, Costa Rica. But in December it broke again in the Patagonian wind. I braced it with duct tape and a bent piece of re bar I found in the parking lot. Then last week the other bracket cracked, and I made another brace out of a stick and duct tape for the other side. It all got a little shaky yesterday when it finally broke too. I ran into Jorge, a welder, in the hardware store this morning and went to his shop this afternoon. They were so great. They were surprised that we had driven all the way from Texas and interested about where we had been. He and his assistant, Abel, helped me get the windscreen off the bike, weld the brackets and paint them, and get it back on the bike. Then they broke out the ice water and ice cream bars. When I asked them how much it was, they said nothing. Just send us a post card when you get home so we know you made it okay. This photo is of them. It´s mostly the people that make this trip so wonderful and make me happy and proud to be human.

Festival Nacional de la Esquila

2008-01-17T14:27:00.000-06:00

During our stay in Rio Mayo, we attended the National Festival of Sheep Shearing Competition. Quite suprising that a town of 3,000 people would host a National competition, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but yes, they did. There was a pageant for reinita and gauchito, little queen and little gaucho.

Of course there was the shearing competition, judged both on time and quality.

Some not so willing participants

Later, the gauchos had the rodeo, gaucho style. No chutes here, half the fun was getting on the horse.

The time for the ride seemed to be about 15 seconds

It was hard to tell because not alot of riders made it. The ground wasn't what you would call soft, either. Between rides the crowd was entertained by singing comedians who would ad-lib songs about the gauchos and their hometowns.

Sometimes it was kinda tough to watch. At least the ambulances were always at the gate, ready to go.

On Saturday night there was an award ceremony with the selection of a new Queen and a dance. The Queen was selected at 3 am and I didn't have the energy to stay for the dance, so I have no idea how it turned out.

On Sunday morning the gauchos paraded through town in their finest, it was quite the parade.

The Last of the Ripio (gravel roads)

2008-01-10T17:02:00.000-06:00

Taking a break on the road this morning. Yes that´s snow.

You have to see the blue sky of Tierra del Fuego to believe it.

Here´s a little more blue: an iceberg from the glacier that Landon wrote about.

We left some marks along this stretch of road. Even at slow speeds, it is easy to get off track in these ruts of Ruta 40.

Landon giving thanks for the tarmac at the end of gravel.

This is sunset at Bajo Caracoles, where we got the last room in the hotel after a hard day. It had a heater and hot water. We were grateful.

Torres and Glaciers

2008-01-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

From Punta Arenas we moved north to Puerto Natales, the jumping off point for the Torres del Paine National Park. We spent the next night camping at the park. The view from the road

Morning rainbow over the campsite. I think to see the really spectacular stuff you need to spend 5 or 6 days hiking and camping your way around the Towers. We didn't have the time.

One of the bridges in the park.

After Torres we went to El Calafate, the base for people from all over the world who come to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. Truly a sight to behold
Yes, it is cold enough to justify all the clothes. Lou checking out the icebergs.