L.A. stands for Love Actually

Argentines are some of the most loving people you will ever meet. Besides than the fact that couples are making out everywhere you look (mostly because everyone lives with their parents until marriage and have no place else to get some lovin'), you can see the caring nature of these people in the most unassuming places, like at the bus station.

It is rather touching to see 3-4 family members per passenger crowd around a departing bus, hugging and kissing their loved one goodbye. Or when the bus is pulling out and half of the passengers are standing plastered against the windows waving their arms wildly, as their non-passenger family members do the same from the bus platform. On my overnight bus last night, we stopped at a bus station at 3AM to pick up more passengers, and sure enough, there was a crowd of people hugging and smiling like an Argentine had just won American Idol, sending off the 15 people getting on the bus.

I comment on this because I found it really nice while peering out my window preparing to endure a 13 hour bus ride in anything but a comfortable bus seat. When was the last time we saw someone off at the bus stop, airport or teacup ride at a carnival..

I should add that the 15 people who got on the bus at 3AM were all 15-year old girls, who felt that conversation was more necessary than sleep between the hours of 3AM and 9AM.

They were probably just giddy from the hugs they received.