Red clay roads. In The Chaco Vendetta, Varella’s estate, Dani’s village, The Clearing and The Iranian’s farmhouse would have been located on these rural red clay roads in the Chaco.
This picture was taken on one of excursion to a friend’s ranch. Check out the termite nests. They’re everywhere. and built like bricks.
Many of the rural houses, off the paved roads, are clapboard and built with discarded materials. Electricity poles are fashioned from downed trees. For the people living outside the bigger cities, a heavy rain will wash out the roads and isolate them for days.
In what may be considered a paradox to First World readers, many of these isolated homes aree digitally connected. Check out the satellite dish on the one room house below.
Tatakua. These traditional outdoor brick/mud ovens have been used by The Guarani for centuries. The word tatakua, like so much of the Guarani language is actually a conjuction of two words brought together. Tata is ‘fire’ and Kua is ‘hole’.
Cooking in these ovens is an art. Wood is inserted and kindling is lit. The cook knows the coals are ready by tracing a line on the coalbed with a stick. If the line is black with a halo of embers, the oven is ready. Next, the coal is pushed out of the back of the oven. The bricks hold the heat and cook the meat or bread.
The pictures below are of an impromptu party our friends had at their ranch. Everyone came by to help. The Chipa dough was made from scratch. It’s a long process - check out the video.
Once the batter is ready, everyone fashions a chipa. My design was a crab and a spiral. Throw the pan into the tatakua and 10 minutes later they are ready to eat
Dillon and Montana’s View From Their Downtown Chicago Hotel Room
It’s an eastern view of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Their jogging route includes running the stairs to the lower level under Wacker Drive and trotting across Lake Shore Drive to Navy Pier. At the end of Navy Pier they take a moment to reflect upon their current circumstances and ponder their future.
Maria and I spent a get-a-way weekend at this hotel, and I took this sunrise photo from our room.
Chicago Skyline -North To South
I also have a few picks of the Chicago skyline taken from the Northwestern University Campus. We live just a few miles away and ride, jog and walk the campus on slow summer days. It’s absolutely beautiful. Both Lola and Marta graduated from Northwestern and then returned back home to Paraguay and Buenos Aires.
Old Town Chicago Is Just Off Lake Shore Drive
The Old Town streets and bar that shaped the Family’s home turf. The real‑world inspiration for The Grizzly is just around the corner.
Lola’s Office Is in Lincoln Park
It’s just a snowball’s throw away from The Grizzley and the Lincoln Park Zoo. You can see the high-rises on the other side of North Ave.
