It marks the day the wise men brought gifts to the Christ Child. By doing so they ‘revealed’ or ‘made known’ Jesus to the world as Lord and King. As the Mardi Gras season starts this year Fat Tuesday falls on February 16, 2010, always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent for fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church.

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In this installment of the Bon Vivant Travels Mike answers a question about some of the food that was prepared for him while couch surfing in Argentina including Milanesa and Las Tartas again. In addition, for the latest update, Mike is now in Santiago, Chile and tells us of the “Completo” the Chilean version of a hot dog.

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A follow-up email highlighting Milanesa and Las Tartas ends this segment. Note: Click on images for a larger view.

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That night we all went out for an Argentine steak dinner. We found a superb place that served meat like those in the nicest chophouses in the U.S. but not as pricey. I requested a half order…glad I did, because I got not one but two delicious, thick tenderloins (a “half” order!). We also had bottles of Malbec wine at the table. Good people, food, wine = a very good evening.

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I am flying tonight, arriving into S. America (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Sunday morning. I’ll be in Argentina for about 3 weeks. Then I’ll move north (on the west side of the continent), going into Chile, then up into Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia (all combined about 5 weeks). Then I’ll come down into Brazil, take a boat on the Amazon for 3 days until I get to the ocean on the east side of the continent. From there I’ll come down along the coast starting in Salvador, completing my trip in Rio de Janiero in January. My last day in S. America (Rio) will be Jan. 16th.

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